1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to paper machines and in particular to a wet forming section of a paper machine and the operation thereof.
2. Description of Related Technology
A paper machine wet forming section having a head box with at least one nozzle for discharging pulp in a jet in a width approximately equal to the width of the machine is known in the art. Such a machine may include a forming cylinder disposed downstream of the head box with respect to the direction of conveyance of the paper pulp through the machine and two continuous-loop forming wires, each wire wrapping about a selected peripheral portion of the forming cylinder, the wires forming a wedge-shaped inlet gap for receiving a jet stream of pulp from the head box nozzle. Such a machine may further include a plurality of guide rolls, one of which being an inlet guide roll around which one of the forming wires is wrapped. It is known to include a displacement device adapted to change the position of the inlet guide roll in order to change the location or length of the peripheral portion of the forming cylinder wrapped by both of the forming wires.
A paper machine twin-wire web forming system disclosed in Parker et al., U.S. Pat. No. 3,726,758 (Apr. 10, 1973) includes a wedge-shaped inlet gap or nip defined by two continuous-loop forming wires. A pulp jet stream is discharged from a nozzle of a head box into the wedge-shaped gap. FIG. 2 of the Parker et al. patent shows such a device in which the extent that one of the forming wires wraps about a forming cylinder can be altered, as well as the angle the pulp jet is directed to the inlet gap. When the nozzle of the head box is directed appropriately, the pulp jet can be injected either exactly in the middle of the inlet gap, or it can deviate so that the jet stream selectively impinges one or the other wire. As a result, a preliminary dewatering of the pulp occurs on the impinged wire before dewatering is performed between the two wires. The swiveling of the nozzle of the head box serves to continuously change the angle of the pulp jet stream.
Wolf, U.S. Pat. No. 3,944,465 (Mar. 16, 1976) discloses a head box for a paper machine forming section having only a single continuous-loop forming wire or screen. With reference to a side view thereof, the head box swivels in such a way that an opening of a nozzle of the head box moves along a circular arc when the head box is swiveled. The circular arc has a curvature opposite to that of a surface of a breast roll around which the wire is wrapped. The angle of a pulp jet discharged from the nozzle opening can therefore be continuously changed so that the pulp jet stream leaving the nozzle will be discharged either parallel to the wire or impinge the wire at an acute angle. If necessary, the stream is directed upwardly at an acute angle so that the jet is a parabolic trajectory.
Both the Parker et al. and Wolf patents disclose ways of influencing dewatering in the first phase of sheet formation. However, such devices have not proved satisfactory as they have been found to also alter the quality of the paper web formed.


1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to the monitoring and analysis of digital information. A method and device are described which relate to signal recognition to enhance identification and monitoring activities.
2. Description of the Related Art
Many methods and protocols are known for transmitting data in digital form for multimedia applications (including computer applications delivered over public networks such as the internet or World Wide Web (“WWW”). These methods may include protocols for the compression of data, such that it may more readily and quickly be delivered over limited bandwidth data lines. Among standard protocols for data compression of digital files may be mentioned the MPEG compression standards for audio and video digital compression, promulgated by the Moving Picture Experts Group. Numerous standard reference works and patents discuss such compression and transmission standards for digitized information.
Digital watermarks help to authenticate the content of digitized multimedia information, and can also discourage piracy. Because piracy is clearly a disincentive to the digital distribution of copyrighted content, establishment of responsibility for copies and derivative copies of such works is invaluable. In considering the various forms of multimedia content, whether “master,” stereo, NTSC video, audio tape or compact disc, tolerance of quality will vary with individuals and affect the underlying commercial and aesthetic value of the content. It is desirable to tie copyrights, ownership rights, purchaser information or some combination of these and related data into the content in such a manner that the content must undergo damage, and therefore reduction of its value, with subsequent, unauthorized distribution, commercial or otherwise. Digital watermarks address many of these concerns. A general discussion of digital watermarking as it has been applied in the art may be found in U.S. Pat. No. 5,687,236 (whose specification is incorporated in whole herein by reference).
Further applications of basic digital watermarking functionality have also been developed. Examples of such applications are shown in U.S. Pat. No. 5,889,868 (whose specification is incorporated in whole herein by reference). Such applications have been drawn, for instance, to implementations of digital watermarks that were deemed most suited to particular transmissions, or particular distribution and storage mediums, given the nature of digitally sampled audio, video, and other multimedia works. There have also been developed techniques for adapting watermark application parameters to the individual characteristics of a given digital sample stream, and for implementation of digital watermarks that are feature-based—i.e., a system in which watermark information is not carried in individual samples, but is carried in the relationships between multiple samples, such as in a waveform shape. For instance, natural extensions may be added to digital watermarks that may also separate frequencies (color or audio), channels in 3D while utilizing discreteness in feature-based encoding only known to those with pseudo-random keys (i.e., cryptographic keys) or possibly tools to access such information, which may one day exist on a quantum level.
A matter of general weakness in digital watermark technology relates directly to the manner of implementation of the watermark. Many approaches to digital watermarking leave detection and decode control with the implementing party of the digital watermark, not the creator of the work to be protected. This weakness removes proper economic incentives for improvement of the technology. One specific form of exploitation mostly regards efforts to obscure subsequent watermark detection. Others regard successful over encoding using the same watermarking process at a subsequent time. Yet another way to perform secure digital watermark implementation is through “key-based” approaches.


Various means have been developed for use in analyzing characteristics of lubricating oils, including engine oils. In particular, methods and apparatus for testing the condition of oil and the sludge content of oil include chromatography and chemical analysis.
Other methods and apparatus for assessing the quality of used oil include placing a measured amount of oil upon an absorbent material, heating the sample, and awaiting dispersion of the sample. The amount of undispersed sludge may then be measured and rated quantitatively. These methods and apparatus, however, require significant controlled conditions, including measurement of the oil sample volume, and the use of a template to measure and rate the quantity of undispersed sludge in the sample. Additionally, these methods include heating of the sample, and awaiting dispersal of the sample. A need exists for a simple and rapid method of analyzing an oil sample on a qualitative basis.


Video games and video game systems have become extremely popular. Video game devices or controllers typically use visual and auditory cues to provide feedback to a user. In some interface devices, kinesthetic feedback (e.g., active and resistive force feedback) and/or tactile feedback (e.g., vibration, texture, temperature variation, and the like) may be provided to the user. In general, such feedback is collectively known as “haptic feedback” or “haptic effects.” Haptic feedback provides cues that enhance and simplify a user's interaction with a video game controller, or other electronic device. For example, haptic effects may provide cues to users of video game controllers or other electronic devices to alert the user to specific events, or provide realistic feedback to create greater sensory immersion within a simulated or virtual environment.
Other devices in which a user interacts with a user input element to cause an action also may benefit from haptic feedback or haptic effects. For example, such devices may include medical devices, automotive controls, remote controls, and other similar devices.


1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a display device constituted including a transistor and a driving method of the display device. In particular, the invention relates to a semiconductor device including a pixel constituted including a thin film transistor (hereinafter also called a transistor).
2. Description of the Related Art
An active matrix display, which is constituted by the combination of an electroluminescence element (also called an organic light emitting diode (OLED) and an EL element or a light emitting element in this specification) and a transistor, has been attracting attentions and actively researched and developed both domestically and internationally as a thin and lightweight display. This display which is also called an organic EL display (OELD) is extensively researched and developed in a practical use stage aiming for a small 2-inch display to a large display of 40-inch or larger.
Luminance of an EL element and a current value flowing therethrough are theoretically in a linear relationship. Therefore, for an organic EL display which employs an EL element as a display medium, a method to express a gray scale by controlling a current value supplied to the EL element is known. Moreover, as a method to control a current value supplied to the EL element, a voltage input driving method and a current input driving method are known.
In the voltage input driving method, a current value supplied to a driving transistor (hereinafter also called a driving transistor) and an EL element is controlled by a gate-source voltage obtained by inputting a voltage signal to a gate of a driving transistor so as to be held therein, which is connected in series to the EL element. In the current input driving method, a current value supplied to a driving transistor and an EL element is controlled by a gate-source voltage of a driving transistor obtained by supplying a current signal to the driving transistor (for example, refer to Patent Document 1).
However, in a conventional current input driving method, a slight amount of current is required to be supplied from a source signal line to express a low gray scale. As time to charge parasitic capacitance of a source signal line or the like is required to input a slight amount of current as a video signal to a pixel, there is a problem in that long writing time is required.
Further, as another example of a current input driving method, such a pixel is known, in which by holding Vgs inputted as a current to a driving TFT and a threshold voltage thereof in two capacitors and capacitively coupling them, a current supplied to an EL element can be smaller than an actual video signal while compensating the threshold voltage (for example, refer to Patent Document 2).
However, even such a pixel configuration requires a period T1 to obtain a threshold voltage and a period T2 to write a video signal. As an area of one pixel is limited, the capacitance of two capacitors are also limited. Therefore, there is a problem in that there is not enough writing time for writing a slight amount of current as a video signal, and in a large panel in particular, a writing period per pixel becomes shorter as compared to a small panel.
[Patent Document 1]
    International Publication No. 9848403[Patent Document 1]    Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2004-310006


The Common Object Request Broker Architecture (CORBA) middleware platform has been a leading middleware platform in recent years. As is known in the art, CORBA is a standard defined by the Object Management Group (OMG) that enables software components written in multiple computer languages and running on multiple computers to work together as a single application or set of services. CORBA uses an interface definition language (IDL) to specify interfaces that objects will present to the outside world, and specifies a mapping from the IDL to a specific implementation language. CORBA uses an Object Request Broker (ORB) to send requests from objects executing on one system to objects executing on another system. The ORB allows objects to interact in a heterogeneous, distributed environment, independent of the computer platforms on which the various objects reside and the languages used to implement them. CORBA is specified and further explained in the CORBA Specification, version 3.1 (January 2008), including Part 1 (CORBA Interface) and Part 2 (Interoperability), available from the Object Management Group (OMG) at 109 Highland Ave, Needham, Mass. 02494. The entire CORBA Specification, including at least Parts 1 and 2, is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety.
CORBA communication typically occurs over an Ethernet or other network, between a Client and Server. FIG. 1 is an illustrative prior art block diagram 10 showing client 12 to server 14 communication, in accordance with CORBA, in an exemplary environment. FIG. 1 illustrates what happens when a client application 16 invokes an operation on an object/servant 24 in a server process 14. To implement an interface, CORBA IDL is compiled into the source code language with which the client 12 or server 14 is implemented. On the client side, this code is called a stub. On the server-side, this IDL code is called a skeleton. Typically, client-side application code 16 invokes a local proxy object 18 (e.g., via a proxy class generated by an IDL compiler). The proxy 18 gets information about the request (e.g., in and inout parameters, operation name) into a binary buffer, which is then passed into the ORB 20A library. The ORB 20A library sends a request message across the network to the server process 14. The ORB 20A waits for a reply message from the server process 14. The ORB 20A returns the reply buffer back to the proxy object 18, which unmarshals inout and out parameters and the return value (or a raised exception), and returns these to the client application code 16.
At the server 14 side, the ORB 20B runs a thread in an event loop that waits for incoming requests. When the request arrives from the client 12 the ORB 20B reads the request's binary buffer and passes this to some code that unmarshals the parameters and dispatches the request to the target servant 24. The code that performs the unmarshalling and dispatching is spread over two components, the Portable Object Adapter (POA) (shown in FIG. 1) and the skeleton code that is generated by the IDL compiler. When the operation in the servant 24 returns, the skeleton code marshals the inout and out parameters (or a raised exception) into a binary buffer and this is returned via the POA 22 to the ORB 20B, which transmits the reply message across the network to the client process 12.
The main protocol for ORB communication as shown in FIG. 1 is the standardized General Inter-ORB Protocol (GIOP), which has been widely deployed for transport in the TCP/IP environment. GIOP also is described further in the aforementioned CORBA Specification, and as of this writing is a version 1.3. GIOP over TCP/IP is known as Internet Inter-ORB Protocol (IIOP). GIOP is a client-server protocol and defines the messages and format that are passed over the ORB between the client and the server object. The data placed in the GIOP follows CORBA Common Data Representation (CDR) syntax for placing and copying the data into an octet stream. CORBA is mainly used on General Purpose Processors (GPPs) using TCP/IP and/or OS Inter-Processor Communications (e.g., shared memory).
There is increasing need to apply technology such as the CORBA GIOP ORB in different types of environments, but some environments, especially embedded environments, require more efficient and/or compact messaging than is provided via the GIOP message and GIOP header formats of FIG. 2. In addition, standard GIOP/IIOP interoperability protocols can be less than optimal for applications having strict requirements for latency, overhead and message sizes. Furthermore, because the CORBA GIOP was originally developed for use in general purpose distributed computing environments, optimization of the GIOP may be required for the best performance in distributed embedded systems, which can be more complex, especially because of the many interfaces with different types of control devices and input/output (I/O) devices. Optimized interoperability protocols are thus becoming of greater importance.


The present disclosure relates generally to plastic (sheet) laminates, and more specifically to a plastic and glass laminate with a filling therebetween.
Glass laminated products have contributed to society for almost a century. Beyond the well known, every day automotive safety glass used in windshields, glass laminates are used in most forms of the transportation industry. They are utilized as windows for trains, airplanes, ships, and nearly every other mode of transportation. Safety glass is characterized by high impact and penetration resistance and does not scatter glass shards and debris when shattered. Glass laminates find widespread use in architectural applications, as well.
A glass laminate typically consists of a sandwich of two glass sheets or panels bonded together with an interlayer of a polymeric film or sheet which is placed between the two glass sheets. One or both of the glass sheets may be replaced with optically clear rigid polymeric sheets such as, for example, sheets of polycarbonate materials. Glass laminates have further evolved to include multiple layers of glass and/or polymeric sheets bonded together with interlayers of polymeric films or sheets.
Although the glass-plastic laminate has the advantage of a reduced weight compared to a glass-glass laminate, the glass-plastic laminate can be stressed during thermal cycles and as a result has issues such as curvature and/of cracking over time. Hence there is a continual need for glass-plastic laminates with reduced stress built-up during thermal cycles and enhanced resistance to cracking.


The present invention concerns an electronic mixer for generating a mixed signal by mixing a local oscillator signal with a useful signal comprising at least one field effect transistor which has at least one gate, at least one source and at least one drain, a useful signal input for feeding in the useful signal with a useful frequency, a local oscillator signal input for feeding in the local oscillator signal, which is so designed that in operation of the mixer it receives a local oscillator signal whose local oscillator frequency is equal to an integral fraction of the useful frequency which is reduced or increased by a mixing frequency, and a signal output at which the mixed signal is present in operation of the mixer.
The present invention further concerns a method of generating a mixed signal by mixing a local oscillator signal with a useful signal in at least one field effect transistor having at least one gate, at least one source and at least one drain, comprising the step of generating the local oscillator signal with a local oscillator frequency, wherein the local oscillator frequency is equal to an integral fraction of the useful frequency which is reduced or increased by the mixing frequency.
For efficiently acquiring electromagnetic signals beat receivers, in particular heterodyne receivers, have long been used, in which the electromagnetic signal to be acquired, which is referred to hereinafter as the useful signal, is mixed with a signal which is generated locally, that is to say at or in the mixer itself, which hereinafter is referred to as the local oscillator signal. The mixed signal then has a mixing frequency which is equal to the differential frequency between the frequency of the useful signal, this is referred to hereinafter as the useful frequency, and the frequency of the local oscillator signal, this is referred to hereinafter as the local oscillator frequency. The amplitude of the mixed signal is a measurement in respect of the amplitude of the useful signal. The signal identified as the mixed signal with the mixing frequency in the present application as the output of the mixer is frequently also referred to in the literature as the intermediate frequency signal with the intermediate frequency.
The terahertz frequency range or submillimeter wavelength range which is roughly defined by between 100 gigahertz (GHz) and 10 terahertz (THz) is one of the last ‘dark’ areas of the electromagnetic spectrum.
Technically usable detectors are not commercially available in that frequency range or are commercially available only at low frequencies. In particular the mixing efficiency of field effect transistors which are frequently used for mixing a useful signal with a local oscillator signal drops off severely towards higher useful frequencies.
In that respect however the efficiency of the mixers also depends on the available power of the local oscillator signal. Powerful local oscillator sources are not available at high terahertz frequencies, or are so available only at a high level of technical and financial complication and expenditure. Therefore it is known from the state of the art to use a local oscillator which generates a local oscillator signal whose local oscillator frequency is equal to an integral fraction of the useful frequency increased or reduced by the mixing frequency. Such a mixing method is referred to as subharmonic mixing.
In subharmonic mixing, the non-linear properties of the mixer component, thus also in the case of the field effect transistor, are put to use. A mixed product is generated with the difference of an integral multiple of the local oscillator frequency and the useful frequency.
It will be noted however that the efficiency of subharmonic mixing is markedly lower than the mixing efficiency upon coupling the fundamentals involving the same power into the mixer element, in particular the field effect transistor.


1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a shaver head for a wet shaver. The shaver head includes a razor blade and is arranged at the front end of a handle. The shaver head also includes a guide strip parallel to and in front of the cutting edge of the razor blade.
2. Description of Related Art
Conventional shaver heads for a wet shaver are arranged at the front end of a handle and include a single or double razor blade, which is covered by a cover cap. A guide strip is arranged parallel to and in front of the cutting edges of the razor blades.
In such a shaver head, the shaving geometry, and thus the shaving angle, are defined by the front guide strip, the rear cover cap and the cutting edges of the razor blades. However, these parts are fixed to one another, resulting in a completely predetermined shaving geometry and shaving angle, upon which the shaving properties depend. It is desirable, however, for the user to be able to vary the shaving geometry, and thus the shaving angle in accordance with his requirements.


This invention relates to a punch for punching markings into rolled material such as bars, ingots, billots or slabs, relative to which the rolled material is guided, including a toolholder movable by means of a controlled piston-cylinder arrangement, the punch types being settable automatically.
Such apparatus are known (see for instance U.S. Pat. No. 3,306,186). They are provided with a plurality of punch plates which are rotatably mounted on a common shaft guided in a toolholder. The toolholder is firmly arranged on a slide which is movable by means of a controlled reciprocating cylinder. In such apparatus all punch markings can be produced only simultaneously, i.e. in one operation, in the event the marking to be provided on the rolled material consists of a plurality of letters, figures or other symbols. This brings about the essential disadvantage that in the event of a non-planar end face or cutting surface of the rolled material or in the event of an inclined position of the rolled material in relationship to the punch plates uniform punch markings readily to be discriminated are not insured. An apparatus is already known wherein the slide carrying the toolholder with its slideway as well as the reciprocating cylinder associated with the slide are firmly arranged at the lower side of a support plate horizontally pivotable in counteraction to the lateral pressure of helical springs and wherein at the slideways at the end face two spaced, horizontally arranged rod-shaped feelers projecting beyond the end face of the slideways are positioned which upon engaging the rolled material set the punch plates via the support plate parallel to the surface of the rolled material to be provided with the marking. A proper punch marking is achieved with this apparatus only, however, in the event that the end face of the rolled material is substantially planar. When the end face is non-planar, the punch plates are only able to engage in varying depths in spite of a setting parallel to the end face of the rolled material. A further disadvantage inherent to the conventional apparatus is that the marking regarding the number of individual punch types is dependent on the number of punch plates with which the apparatus is equipped, i.e. for punching for instance a five-digit number five punch plates are required. Furthermore, in the prior art apparatus the spacing of the individual punch markings relative to one another is not variable.


In a time-of-flight (TOF) range sensor configured to acquire a range image, by using TOF scheme, a potential just under a gate electrode of a MOS structure is controlled in a vertical direction (depth direction) of the MOS structure. For example, a CMOS distance-measuring element and a TOF image sensor using the CMOS distance-measuring element are disclosed in patent literature (PTL) 1. The CMOS distance-measuring element has a structure such that an n-type charge-generation buried region buried in a p-type semiconductor layer, a charge-transfer buried region, a charge-read-out buried region, an insulating film covering the charge-generation buried region and the charge-transfer buried region, a transfer gate electrode provided on the insulating film to transfer signal charges to the charge-transfer buried region, a read-out gate electrode provided on the insulating film to transfer the signal charges to the charge-read-out buried region. When pulse lights are irradiated to the charge-generation buried region in the CMOS distance-measuring element recited in PTL 1, light signals are converted to signal charges in a semiconductor layer just under the charge-generation buried region, and a distance to an object is measured from a distribution ratio of charges accumulated in the charge-transfer buried region.
The CMOS distance-measuring element or the TOF image sensor using the CMOS distance-measuring element has a problem of generation of noise or dark current caused by interface defects, interface states, or the like just under the transfer gate electrode. In addition, in the case of using the transfer gate electrode disclosed in PTL 1, a potential gradient over a long distance is difficult to control, and a substantially uniform electric field over a long distance of a charge transport path is practically difficult to maintain. For this reason, in the charge-modulation elements such as distance-measuring elements having long charge transport paths, carriers are stopped in the middle of the charge transport paths, and thus, there are issues such that expected performances of the charge-modulation element are difficult to achieve.


In recent years, a portable device which can display a video with high definition such as a smartphone and a tablet has been widely used. Accordingly, development in the MHL which is a communication interface standard to transmit a video at high speed for the portable device has been proceeded (for example, refer to Patent Document 1).
As a communication interface standard for realizing uncompressed digital video transmission, the high definition multimedia interface (HDMI®) (registered trademark) is exemplified. Whereas, main characteristics of the MHL is to minimize a mounting area as a minimum pin configuration necessary for video transmission and to assist power supply.
The MHL devices are classified into three categories, i.e., a source device for transmitting a video signal, a sink device for receiving and displaying the video signal, and a dongle device for converting the video signal in the MHL format into the other video signal. Then, an MHL cable which satisfies the MHL standard is used to connect the MHL devices and to transmit signals between the MHL devices. The source device includes a personal computer, a smartphone, a tablet terminal, a game machine, and a digital camera. Also, the sink device includes a display device such as a digital TV. A single MHL cable connects the source device to the sink device so that a video with high definition can be transmitted and power can be supplied (charge the source device).
In a communication system according to the MHL standard, basically, regular power supply is started after a link is established between the source device and the sink device. Therefore, when the MHL cable used to connect between the source device and the sink device is an active cable and when the source device (Direct Attached Device) is directly connected to the sink device without using the MHL cable, there is a problem in that a failure such that start-up is not available due to short power supply at the time of start-up is caused or that it is necessary to have an external power supply.


1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an automatic answering method and apparatus for supporting a question reply process of replying to a question document of a text format.
2. Description of the Related Art
With recent widespread of computerization, questions to companies or the like are often made by form inputs at home pages or e-mails. If every question is to be answered manually on the company side, many operators are required and the cost increases. A novice operator can not answer some questions or it takes a long time for the novice operator to answer a question. In order to solve this problem, a question-answering system has been introduced recently. With this system, a question document is input and its content is analyzed to select a reply example candidate from reply examples and question-reply examples prepared for each question content and to present the selected reply example candidate.
Most of such question-answering systems assume, however, that one document contains only one consultation content. Therefore, if a plurality of question contents are written in one document, the systems cannot analyze each question content, resulting in a low reply precision.
Another technique is disclosed in JP-A-2002-132661. This technique discloses means for dividing one document containing a plurality of question contents, into each question content. The divided question content is analyzed to select a reply example candidate. A reply precision representative of a likelihood or degree of each reply example candidate for the question content is calculated. If the reply precision has a predetermined value or higher, an answer is formed from the reply example candidate, whereas if the reply precision is lower than the predetermined value, an instruction is given to compose a new answer.
The conventional technique disclosed in JP-A-2002-132661 describes that the means for dividing a document into each question content performs a division process by using “number”, “alphabet”, “.”, an indent, a conjunction such as “or”, and the like. However, if a document is divided into each question content by using “number”, an indent and the like as a separator, there occurs the problem that one question content is divided into a plurality of sentences. Conversely, there arises the problem that if the range of a question content is broad, example candidates for a plurality of question contents cannot be selected.
According to conventional techniques, since a question document is divided basing upon only the information about the contents of the question document, the divided range may not be covered by each reply example candidate. Namely, it is necessary to divide a question document so as to be covered by a prepared reply example candidate, and not to divide it by referring only to the question document content.
Since a question document divided basing upon conventional techniques may be a document irrelevant to the question document content, the reply example candidate generation process is adversely affected so that the reply example candidate generation precision lowers. It also takes a time for a reply composition operator to find a proper document to be read.
According to conventional techniques, a reply precision representative of the likelihood value of a reply example candidate is calculated, and if the reply precision is a predetermined value or higher, a reply is generated from the reply example candidate to automatically answer (automatically return) the question. If the reply precision is lower than the predetermined value, an instruction is given to compose a new answer. However, if there are a large number of types of replies or if a similar question requires a different answer, the reply precision lowers so that the number of samples exceeding a predetermined threshold reduces. Therefore, the number of samples capable of being used for the automatic reply reduces, and the number of cases requiring to generate new answers increases. There arises the problem of a low operator work efficiency or an automatic reply using an erroneous reply example candidate.


In the past a number of reversing traverse mechanisms have been proposed and constructed. In a common friction type device, one or more roller elements were swivel-mounted on a base member which moved along a rotating shaft at a given speed, depending on the rate of shaft rotation and the angle at which the roller means was disposed with respect to the shaft. Frequently, several rollers were used to engage the shaft in order to minimize slippage and increase efficiency. In case where more than one roller was employed, they were usually connected by means of gears or linkages to enable all of them to be swiveled simultaneously in response to swiveling of any given one. A reversal in the direction of travel of the mechanism was effected by engagement of a swivel arm connected to one roller with a fixed abutment located at a predetermined point along the shaft. However, there were distinct disadvantages to this construction, in that as the swivel arm was turned, the relative angle between the rollers and the shaft slowly decreased which resulted in a slow-down of the traversing movement of the mechanism immediately before reversal. Under some circumstances there was a distinct possibility that as the rollers were swiveled they could, at some point during a reversal, assume a "dead" position wherein their axes of rotation would be parallel to the shaft axis. Under such a condition the traversing movement would cease and the rollers would have to be manually swiveled to initiate further traversing movement.


The present invention concerns new solid solutions which are useful as inorganic color pigments. More particularly, the present invention concerns new solid solutions having a corundum-hematite crystalline structure which are useful as inorganic color pigments, some of which exhibit low Y CIE tri-stimulus values and high reflectivity in the near infrared portion of the electromagnetic spectrum.
Chromium green-black hematite (basic chemical formula: Cr2O3) is an inorganic color pigment, C.l. Pigment Green 17, having a corundum-hematite crystalline structure. It is commonly used to impart a green color to ceramics, paints, polymers, and other materials. The DCMA Classification and Chemical Description of the Complex Inorganic Color Pigments, Third Addition (1991), published by the Dry Color Manufacturer""s Association, states that its composition may include any one or a combination of the modifiers Al2O3 (alumina), Fe2O3(iron oxide), or Mn2O3(manganese oxide).
Iron brown hematite (basic chemical formula: Fe2O3), is an inorganic pigment, C.l. Pigment Red 101 and 102, having a dark brown to black color and a corundum-hematite crystalline structure. See DCMA Classification and Chemical Description of the Complex Inorganic Color Pigments, Third Addition (1991). It is commonly used to impart dark brown to black color to ceramics, paints, plastics, and other material. Its composition may include any one or a combination of the modifiers Cr2O3(chrome oxide), Fe2O3(iron oxide), Mn2O3(manganese oxide), or NiO (nickel oxide).
Chromium green-black hematite is one of the principle pigments used in the manufacture of green shade military camouflage paint and netting. In such applications, chromium green-black hematite is combined with cobalt bearing mixed metal oxides, such as cobalt containing spinel pigment V12600 available from Ferro Corporation of Cleveland, Ohio. This combination of pigments is effective in simulating the reflectivity of chlorophyl in the visible portion of the electromagnetic spectrum, being that portion of the spectrum which is viewable by the naked eye with wavelengths ranging from approximately 0.40 xcexcm to 0.70 xcexcm.
Chlorophyl, which is an organic pigment, generally exhibits a relatively uniform high degree of reflectivity in the near infrared, being that portion of the electromagnetic spectrum with wavelengths ranging from approximately 0.7 xcexcm, to 2.5 xcexcm. Cobalt, however, exhibits a strong absorption band (i.e., low reflectivity) in a portion of the near infrared with wavelengths ranging from approximately 1.2 xcexcm to 1.6 xcexcm. In recent years, advancements in imaging technology have made it possible to contrast known military green shade camouflage painted or covered objects from the background foliage in that portion of the near infrared. A substitute military green shade camouflage pigment which contains no cobalt and which closely matches the reflectivity of chlorophyl in the visible and near infrared is therefore highly desired.
In order to satisfy military specifications, a substitute green shade camouflage pigment would have to exhibit a dark drab green appearance in the visible portion of the spectrum and would also have to simulate the reflectance curve for chlorophyl in the near infrared. Generally speaking, known inorganic pigments which exhibit a low degree of reflectivity in the visible portion of the light spectrum (i.e., dark drab colored pigments) also tend to exhibit a correspondingly low degree of reflectivity (i.e., high absorption) in other portions of the light spectrum, including the near infrared. A chromium green-black hematite pigment manufactured by Bayer Corporation of Germany, product number AC 5303, was observed to exhibit a higher near infrared reflectance than other chromium green-black hematite sources (this pigment, however, does not have the desired dark drab appearance in the visible spectrum required for military green shade camouflage paint applications). It was found by chemical analysis that this pigment contained both alumina and titania (basic chemical formula: TiO2) as minor additives. A search failed to disclose any references teaching the use of alumina and titania to improve the near infrared reflectance of chromium green-black hematite pigments.
The present invention provides new solid solutions having a corundum-hematite crystalline structure which are useful as inorganic color pigments. Solid solutions according to the present invention are comprised of a host component having a corundum-hematite crystalline structure which contains as a guest component one or more elements from the group consisting of aluminum, antimony, bismuth, boron, chrome, cobalt, gallium, indium, iron, lanthanum, lithium, magnesium, manganese, molybdenum, neodymium, nickel, niobium, silicon, tin, titanium, vanadium, and zinc. Solid solutions according to the present invention are formed by thoroughly mixing compounds, usually metal oxides or precursors thereof, which contain the host and guest components and then calcining the compounds to form the solid solutions having the corundum-hematite crystalline structure.
Some of the new solid solutions according to the present invention, such as for example chrome oxide as a host component containing the elements iron, boron, and titanium as guest components, exhibit dark drab colors in the visible and high reflectivity in the near infrared portions of the electromagnetic spectrum. One of the primary uses for new solid solutions having these properties would be as inorganic color pigments in military camouflage paint or netting applications, which would permit the radiation signature of a painted or covered object to be tailored to match the reflectance curve of the background foliage in the visible and near infrared portions of the electromagnetic spectrum. Because many of these new solid solutions exhibit relatively high near infrared reflectance, they would also be suitable for use in the general paint and polymer markets, most specifically for architectural applications where increased near infrared reflectance would result in lower heat build-up and thus lower energy costs.
The foregoing and other features of the invention are hereinafter more fully described and particularly pointed out in the claims, the following description setting forth in detail certain illustrative embodiments of the invention, these being indicative, however, of but a few of the various ways in which the principles of the present invention may be employed.


Communication systems employ coding to ensure reliable communication across noisy communication channels. These communication channels exhibit a fixed capacity that can be expressed in terms of bits per symbol at certain signal to noise ratio (SNR), defining a theoretical upper limit (known as the Shannon limit). As a result, coding design has aimed to achieve rates approaching this Shannon limit. One such class of codes that approach the Shannon limit is Low Density Parity Check (LDPC) codes.
Traditionally, LDPC codes have not been widely deployed because of a number of drawbacks. One drawback is that the LDPC encoding technique is highly complex. Encoding an LDPC code using its generator matrix would require storing a very large, non-sparse matrix. Additionally, LDPC codes require large blocks to be effective; consequently, even though parity check matrices of LDPC codes are sparse, storing these matrices is problematic.
From an implementation perspective, a number of challenges are confronted. For example, storage is an important reason why LDPC codes have not become widespread in practice. One of the major issues in LDPC decoding is the organization of memory. Recognizing the fact that the larger the memory size, the lower is the cost of per bit, there is motivation to the investigate of code architectures that allow efficient lumped memory structure for the large amount of edge values in a LDPC decoder.
Also, a key challenge in LDPC code implementation has been how to achieve the connection network between several processing engines (nodes) in the decoder. Further, the computational load in the decoding process, specifically the check node operations, poses a problem.
It is recognized that, in general, a code corresponding to set number of parallel engines cannot be reconfigured to accommodate different numbers of parallel engines such that an efficient memory architecture is maintained. Because different applications require different decoding speeds, this inflexibility presents a serious drawback. Also, this constraint hinders the ability to adopt and exploit advancements in semiconductor capabilities. For instance, as processing power increases, the number of parallel engines needed for a given decoding speed should reduce; however, the design of a fixed number of engines does not permit a straightforward reduction in the number of processors utilized.
Therefore, there is a need for a LDPC communication system that employs efficient decoding processes. There is also a need to minimize storage requirements for implementing LDPC coding. There is a further need for a decoding scheme that can readily accommodate future technological advancements.


This invention relates to a novel acrylic two-part type adhesive suitable for structural uses having excellent storage stabilities and adhesion performances.
Hitherto as acrylic adhesives have been known anaerobic adhesives, cyanoacrylate adhesives and the like. They are characterized by exhibiting adhesion in a short time and exhibiting a strong tensile strength although they are of one-pack type, while they are very weak against some strengths applied such as tearing and impact. Thus, their uses are restricted to the fixing of fitted portions or the like in the case of the anaerobic adhesives and to temporary fixing or the like in the case of the cyanoacrylate adhesives.
On the other hand, acrylic two-part adhesives wherein an elastomer such as acrylic rubber or epichlorohydrin rubber was dissolved in an acrylic monomer such as methyl methacrylate have been known (sometimes referred to as the first-generation acrylic adhesives). The adhesives of this type, however, do not undergo in a curing step a chemical reaction between the monomer and the elastomer, wherein the fragility caused by the acrylic monomer alone has been simply improved by the presence of the elastomer. Moreover, they exhibit good working performance but are considerably inferrior in adhesion performances, in comparison with the epoxy adhesives which are now used for structural uses in the greatest quantities.
Recently have been developed acrylic two-part adhesives called "the second-generation acrylic adhesives". In these adhesives, a chlorosulfonated polyethylene is often used as the elastomer component. The adhesives are characterized by such a mechanism that radicals are produced on the side chains of the elastomer in the course of curing and polymerizable monomers are graft-polymerized thereto. Thus, the adhesives have excellent adhesion properties in comprison with the first-generation adhesives which do not involve such a graft polymerization. More specifically, the adhesives have the tensile shear strength and impact strength equivalent or even superior to those of the epoxy adhesives, and also exhibit far better values with respect to the tear strength, fatigue strength and oily surface adhesion properties than the epoxy adhesives.
As to the working performances, the second-generation adhesives (as well as the first-generation adhesives) are advantageous in that they do not require troublesome operations such as weighing and mixing which are required in the case of the epoxy adhesives. In this respect, the acrylic adhesives of this type may be said to be an excellent adhesive. However, when they are used to bond metal articles, the adhesive containing chlorosulfonated polyethylene as the elastomer is dechlorinated after long term storage or upon heating at a high temperature and the resulting chlorine often corrodes the bonded metal surfaces to lower the adhesion strength. Thus, a small amount of an absorbent for the decomposed chlorine such as epoxy resins has been incorporated to stabilize the adhesive, but a satisfactory effect can not be exhibited. Moreover, a second-generation adhesive wherein a diene-elastomer was used has been developed, but this adhesive is also not satisfactory with respect to its adhesion performances and storage stability.
The present inventors have been engaged in the researches on curable compounds having ionic bonds, and invented one-pack anaerobic adhesives having excellent properties. Such adhesives include, for example, a rapidly curing anaerobic adhesive comprising an anaerobic mixture base of a polyvalent metal salt of an acid ##STR1## and an acrylate or methacrylate ester and a small amount of an organic acid adduct of an amine and organic peroxide (cf. Japanese Patent Publication No. 47492/1977); and a one-pack anaerobic adhesive, which is rapidly curable and can be strongly bonded to a metal other than iron and copper without a primer, comprising the above-mention anaerobic mixture base and o-benzsulfimide, tetrahydroquinoline and an organic peroxide (cf. Japanese Patent Publication No. 477766/1977).
After intensive researches, the present inventors have accomplished a novel adhesive of the second-generation acrylic type which is suitable for structural uses and excellent in storage stability and adhesion performances.


A Group 5 metal oxide film such as niobium oxide and tantalum oxide is attracting attention as a film having a high refractive index and exhibiting high optical transparency, i.e., as a material for a device such as semiconductor device and optical device. The technique for manufacturing a Group 5 metal oxide film includes, in rough classification, two processes, i.e., a dry process and a wet process. The dry process includes a sputtering method, an ion plating method, an atomic layer deposition method (ALD method), a chemical vapor deposition method (CVD method), etc. The wet process includes a sol-gel method, an organic metal deposition method (Metal Organic Deposition; MOD method), etc. While the dry process requires a special production facility such as large vacuum apparatus, the wet process has a cost benefit in that the process can be performed only with a simple production facility. In the case of manufacturing a film by a wet process, the kind of the film-forming material and the film formation temperature greatly affect the quality of the film obtained. In Non-Patent Documents 1 to 12, a multinuclear niobium complex and a multinuclear tantalum complex, each having an oxo ligand and an alkoxy ligand, are described. The complexes described in those documents are different from the Group 5 metal oxo-alkoxo complex of the present invention in the number of central metals or the number of ligands. In addition, those documents are absolutely silent as to using the complex described in the documents as a film-forming material.


1. Field
An exemplary embodiment relates to a display device, and more particularly, to an organic light emitting device.
2. Description of the Related Art
The importance of flat panel displays has recently increased with the growth of multimedia. Various types of flat panel displays such as liquid crystal displays (LCDs), plasma display panels (PDPs), field emission displays (FEDs), and organic light emitting devices have been put to practical use.
In particular, an organic light emitting device may have a high response speed (of 1 ms or less), a low power consumption, and a self-emitting structure. The organic light emitting device may also not have viewing problems. As such, the organic light emitting device has been considered as a next generation display device.
The organic light emitting device and an active matrix type organic light emitting device depending on a driving manner. In the passive matrix type organic light emitting device, an anode electrode and a cathode electrode cross each other at a right angle, and signal lines are selected to thereby drive the organic light emitting device. In the active matrix type organic light emitting device, a thin film transistor is connected to each pixel electrode, and the organic light emitting device is driven depending on a voltage maintained by capacitance of a capacitor connected to a gate electrode of the thin film transistor.
The organic light emitting device may include a light emitting diode including a first electrode, a light emitting layer, and a second electrode. More specifically, the light emitting diode includes the first electrode supplying holes to each subpixel, the second electrode supplying electrons to each subpixel, and the light emitting layer interposed between the first electrode and the second electrode. The light emitting layer forms excitons by combining the holes received from the first electrode and the electrons received from the second electrode to thereby emit light.
The light emitting diode is formed by evaporating a metal having a high work function such as indium-tin-oxide (ITO) and indium-zinc-oxide (IZO) and then patterning the evaporated metal to form the first electrode in each subpixel, and forming a third insulating film that covers a portion of the first electrode and defines each subpixel.
The light emitting layer is formed on an exposed area of the first electrode exposed by the third insulating film. The light emitting layer may include an organic material or an inorganic material. In case that the light emitting layer may include an organic material, the light emitting layer formed of the organic material may be formed using a thermal evaporation method in which the light emitting layer is evaporated upward by applying heat to an evaporation source.
In the thermal evaporation method, in case that the substrate is close to the evaporation source, an evaporation thickness is uniform. On the contrary, in case that the substrate is far away from the evaporation source, a scattering angle of the evaporation source in an outermost area of the substrate is small. Therefore, an evaporation shadow phenomenon, in which a predetermined area of the light emitting layer is not evaporated, occurs. Accordingly, the evaporation shadow phenomenon reduces the reliability of the organic light emitting device and generates dark spots on an image.


1. Technical Field of the Invention
This invention relates to software fault management systems and, more particularly, to a method of correlating multiple network alarms in a large communications network.
2. Description of Related Art
In communications networks, a single network fault may generate a large number of alarms over space and time. In large, complex networks, simultaneous network faults may occur, causing the network operator to be flooded with a high volume of alarms. The high volume of alarms greatly inhibits the ability to identify and locate the responsible network faults.
In the 1997 IEEE paper, Fault Isolation and Event Correlation for Integrated Fault Management, the authors, S. Katker and M. Paterok, describe a state-of-the-art algorithm for alarm correlation. The Katker and Paterok algorithm, however, has several disadvantages. First, the algorithm processes alarms very inefficiently. As noted above, a single fault may trigger a large number of network alarms. For example, one fibre cut can result in hundreds of thousands of alarms being reported from circuits supported by the fibre. The Katker and Paterok algorithm initiates a large number of computing threads, each of which ultimately results in the same conclusion. Thus, an excessive amount of time and computational resources are utilized. Additionally, the Katker and Paterok algorithm fails to correlate network element (NE) alarms that are caused by a faulty NE that does not itself generate an alarm.
In order to overcome the disadvantages of existing solutions, it would be advantageous to have a system and method of correlating large numbers of network alarms which greatly reduces the time and computational resources utilized, and supports near real-time alarm correlation. The present invention provides such a system and method.


1. Field of the Invention
The present invention pertains generally to the field of solid-state X-ray imagers and displays, and more particularly is an improved method that structurally alters the optical path to reduce or avoid radiation damage to the semiconductor components used to process the detected X-ray images.
2. Background of the Invention
As used in this disclosure, X-rays are defined as ionizing electromagnetic radiation that is damaging to semiconductor-based image sensor arrays. X-rays also include the radiation known as “extreme ultraviolet radiation” and “gamma rays”. Since few X-rays with energies exceeding 10 KeV are captured by semiconductor-based image sensor arrays (Si, Ge, etc.), the X-ray energies must be converted into a detectable form. The image sensor arrays are processed on silicon and are only sensitive to light with wavelengths at or near the visible spectrum. Therefore, the arrays require an X-ray-to-visible-light converter in order to detect the X-rays. To this end, X-ray sensitive scintillating materials, such as Gd2O2S:Tb (GOX or GADOX), CsI(Tl) or CdWO4 have been used. These materials greatly enhance the detection efficiency of higher energy X-rays in silicon based sensor arrays through the ability of the scintillating materials to scintillate and emit visible light photons proportional to the X-ray energy. The visible light photons are converted to electrical signals by a silicon based image sensor array, such as a Linear Photodiode Array (PDA). When the image sensor array is read out, the array sequentially produces a stream of electrical video signals from each photo-element with amplitudes proportional to the intensity of the X-ray pattern that impinges on the photo-elements.
However, a problem arises in that the scintillation layer on top of the silicon photo-elements will not absorb the X-ray photons completely. Some portion of the X-ray particles penetrates the scintillation layer and is captured by the image sensor array structure, causing irreversible radiation damage to the image sensor array. Therefore, if the image sensor array used in the X-ray imaging system lies in the X-ray path and is not isolated or protected from X-ray exposure, radiation damage will be inflicted on the silicon image sensor array. As a result, the silicon array used in an X-ray imaging system has a limited useful lifetime.
FIG. 1 is a simplified electrical block diagram describing the signal processing required for an X-ray detector system. Since the present invention involves only the optical and mechanical structures of such systems, the generalized electrical block diagram shown in FIG. 1 is demonstrative of the signal processing circuitry used in all the systems described herein.
In FIG. 1, the detector is a CMOS device with an image sensor array, a PDA, and the readout control circuits for the array. As is known in the art, the PDA is an array of photodiodes with on-chip control circuits for scanning and reading out video signals. In FIG. 1, the PDA is shown with two rows of photodiodes (PD), Row A and Row B. Row A is a dummy row of dark photodiodes used as a reference to differentially cancel any common mode noise from the active video signal, Row B. Row A is covered with metal to shield the photodiodes from light exposure.
Row B has a light sensing area exposed through a narrow slit in the metal to form a narrow aperture over the length of its read line. When the active photodiodes are exposed to imaging light, each diode collects the photons in the immediate area and converts them to signal charges. The signal charges are stored in the depletion layer capacitance of each individual photodiode. The stored charges are read out during the scanning readout process of the PDA. During one line-scan time, which is known as the integration time, each photodiode goes through an integration process. In the integration process, each photodiode is read out and then reset to its initial condition to start collecting photons and converting them to charges for the following line-scan time. Since the readout is sequential, while the PDA is continuously scanning, each photodiode sequentially goes through the photon collection (integration) process during one line-scan time.
The scanning process is initiated by a start pulse, SP. Since the integration time is equal to the line-scan time, the line rate of the video signal is determined by the time required to generate the start pulse, which initiates the scanning of the shift register, SR. As the SR shifts a pulse through its register, two rows of MOS switches, SW, that are in series with the PD are accessed. The pulse from the SR closes two switches. One switch is on the dummy video line, VLD, and the other switch is on the active video line, VLA. As the pulse from the SR accesses the SW, the charges from the accessed PD flow out on to the VLA. The photon converted charges are sent to the signal processing circuit, VP, where the charges are differentially added to the reference charges from the VLD, digitized, and stored for the host computer to perform image processing.
To form a Direct Coupled X-ray Detector, a uniform layer of the scintillating material, SCIN, is deposited directly on the sensing areas of the PDA, or a uniform layer of the scintillating material is placed directly on top of the sensing areas of the PDA. The shaded area with diagonal lines in FIG. 1 shows a SCIN layer that has been deposited over the active PD. SCIN is a uniform coated layer that emits photons when its atoms are excited by the impinging beams of the X-ray. The light energies, proportional to the intensity of the X-ray beams, directly expose the active sensing areas of the image sensors and are processed as describe above.
FIGS. 2a-b show the optical and mechanical components of one of the current art X-ray detector systems commonly used today, a Direct Coupled Detector System. This system is the least complicated in terms of fabrication and applications, and therefore results in lower cost than other systems. The details of the drawing are limited to components relevant to the present invention.
FIG. 2a shows an isometric view of the components: the image sensors (IS), the test specimen (TS), the exposing X-ray beam (XPXB), etc. FIG. 2b is a sectional view. In FIGS. 2a-b, the PDA; the test specimen under X-ray imaging (TS); the exposing X-ray beam (XPXB); and the scintillation coating (SCIN) on the sensor die are depicted to show the geometrical relationship among the components involved in X-ray testing of the test specimen, TS.
In operation, the X-ray source emanates the exposing X-ray beam and exposes the test specimen. The X-ray flux patterns are modulated by the specimen under testing as the flux pattern passes onto the surface of the scintillation coating. Since the scintillation coating is coated directly onto the surface of the image sensor, the converted light energies proportional to the X-ray flux patterns are integrated by the image sensor array as it generates the image video signals.
The Direct Coupled Detector System in FIG. 2 shows that the exposing X-ray beam passes through the test specimen, the scintillating layer, and the image sensor array. Accordingly the image sensor array receives that portion of the X-ray flux which is not absorbed by the scintillation layer, causing radiation damage on the silicon sensor. In many applications this radiation exposure is intolerable because it drastically reduces the lifetime of the image sensor array, thereby requiring continual replacement and maintenance of the X-ray imaging system.
Although applying the scintillating layer directly to the image sensor is intolerable for many applications, the primary advantages of the method arise from its simplicity in structure and the close proximity of the scintillating layer to the image sensor array, which improves imaging resolution. Among the advantages of this system is that the detectors are simple to fabricate, i.e., the detectors can be fabricated by simply applying a SCIN coating process to existing image array sensors, such as the PDA. This is a great advantage in applications where a shorter lifetime X-ray detector system is required, for example, in destructive testing where the measuring equipment is also destroyed.
Another advantage of a Direct Coupled Detector System arises from the close proximity of the scintillation layer and the photo-element. Since the scintillating coating is in contact with the image plane of the image sensor array, there is little or essentially no space between them. This close proximity gives the detector the ability to retain its optimum resolution and Modulation Transfer Function (MTF).
Another advantage of the system, arising from the close proximity of the scintillating layer and the PDA, is the light coupling efficiency, i.e., there is very little light energy loss in the transmission between the scintillating layer and the PDA. Another advantage, which arises from its simple structure, is that the system can be implemented in a small enclosure. The ability to use the system in a small enclosure also allows the system to be designed as a portable unit.
However, there are also several drawbacks to the Direct Coupled Detector System. The system user must tolerate a shorter lifetime for the X-ray detector system in a given application, and the PDA must be continually replaced. Therefore, the Direct Coupled Detector System has a high maintenance cost, and requires a significant amount of down time.
Another disadvantage of the Direct Coupled Detector System arises from the noise properties of the PDA. Sensor noise increases with an increasing dose of radiation exposures due to the build-up of undesirable charges in the oxide and silicon interface. Therefore, as the system is used, the noise level increases and the system signal-to-noise ratio decreases. Since noise build-up is a function of radiation exposure, the system performance degrades slowly while the system is in use.
A third disadvantage of the Direct Coupled Detector System is that the leakage current of the image sensor increases as the interface charge builds up during operation under X-ray exposure. As the leakage current increases, the storage space in the photodiode is decreased until it is rendered unusable. Again since the leakage current build up is proportional to the total dose of X-ray exposure, the system performance will also degrade with time due to leakage current build up.
A fourth disadvantage in the current art Direct Coupled Detector System is that when some of the X-ray photons pass through the scintillation layer and are absorbed by the photodiode, large signal spikes are created that increase the noise level of the video signal.
A second prior art system, the Fiber Optics Coupled Detector System, employs a fiber optics bundle to transmit the light from the scintillating layer to the PDA. The object of this system is to isolate the PDA and its electronic components from the exposing X-ray beam. FIGS. 3a-b summarize the optical-mechanical configuration of a Fiber Optics Coupled Detector System. The components of the system are an X-ray source (XS); an exposing X-ray beam (XPXB); a lead shield (LS) with a slit to form an aperture (AP); a test specimen (TS) undergoing X-ray examination; scintillating layer (SCIN) that is coated onto the surface of an optical flat transparent transmission plate (OTP); an image sensor DIP package (PDA); a fiber optic bond (FB); a fiber optic bundle (FO); and an image sensor (IS). The X-ray-to-light converter assembly (ASY) represents the assembly of the scintillating layer, the optical transmission plate, and the fiber optic bond.
The X-ray source passes through the aperture to limit the area of the X-ray beam exposure to the neighborhood of the X-ray-to-light converter assembly. The X-ray-to-light converter assembly converts the modulated X-ray flux densities, proportional to the density patterns in the test specimen, to proportional light intensities. The light intensities are coupled into the fiber optic bundle through the fiber bond. The fiber optic bundle couples the light flux down to and through a second fiber bond that couples the light flux onto the surface of the image sensor, where the light flux is integrated and processed. The fiber optic transmission line gives the detector the ability to remotely place the X-ray-to-light converter assembly, hence isolating the PDA and its associated electronic circuits from the path of the exposing X-ray beam. Remotely locating the X-ray detector assembly from the electronic assembly separates the optical path from the X-ray path and achieves the objective of protecting the electronic circuit components from radiation damage.
A second advantage of the Fiber Optics Coupled Detector System is the preservation of the resolution. A fiber optic bundle has a relatively high optical resolution. However, the fiber optic bundle does create a disadvantage for the system in that glass fiber bundles are expensive and difficult to fabricate.
A second disadvantage of the Fiber Optics Coupled Detector System is the difficulty of assembly. The glass bundles are difficult to mount and bond. They must be critically aligned and bonded to their transmitting and receiving components to avoid undue optical transmission losses. The alignment constraint is even greater in the case of bonding the fiber optic ends to the surface of the elements of an image sensor because the fiber ends must be cut to exactly match the surface of the image array elements.
A third disadvantage of the Fiber Optics Coupled Detector System is the constraints imposed on the design of the enclosure. The complicated method used in bonding and mounting the fiber optic bundle requires a supporting structure within the enclosure. The supporting structure, which needs to be flexible enough to make initial adjustments, must also serve as a rigid mount to ensure that the bonded ends remain stationary in transportation and operation. Especially critical in adjusting and mounting are the contacts between the scintillating layer and the optical flat transparent transmission plate and at the fiber bond on the image sensor surfaces. The degree of careful handling required becomes even greater in a two-dimensional application of this X-ray system.
There are two inventions that are specifically aimed at eliminating and reducing the disadvantages associated with the above mentioned Direct Coupled and Fiber Optics Coupled X-ray Detector Systems. In U.S. Pat. No. 7,463,717 B2, a rod lens array is used to focus the visible light onto an image sensor array (PDA) after the X-ray flux has been converted as depicted in FIG. 4. The rod lens array and the image sensor array is offset by an acute angle relative to the centerline of the X-ray flux path from the X-ray source, such that electrical components of the detector system are removed from the X-ray flux path.
In U.S. Pat. No. 7,463,716 B2, in addition to using a rod lens array for focusing the visible light onto the image sensor array, as shown in FIG. 5, a reflector (a prism or a mirror) is used to reflect the light by ninety (90) degrees and thus remove the electrical components of the detector system from the X-ray flux path. Although both inventions remove the problems associated with direct exposure of X-ray flux onto the image sensor array and other electrical components, the rod lens array has limited light collection efficiency, resulting in loss of light signal. Depending on the models, a rod lens array normally has a light collection angle of about a few tenths of a degree; as a result a significant amount of light signal will be lost.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide an X-ray detector system that is long-lived, compact, low cost, and that has a simple mechanical structure that lends itself to simple production assembly with minimal requirements for alignment, adjustment and calibration testing.
Another object of the present invention is to reduce X-ray exposure on components that are sensitive to radiation damage by completely isolating or shielding the components in the detector system from X-ray exposure.
A further objective of the current invention is to provide an X-ray detector system with high signal light collection efficiency and thus reduce the power requirement of the X-ray source.


Polyphosphoric acid (PPA) is typically made by the polymerization of phosphoric acid via a thermocondensation process. The resulting PPA product has a concentration that can be as high as 118% wt expressed as H3PO4 content. PPA is composed of polymers having different chain lengths, and the composition of PPA varies with its concentration. PPA is used in a multitude of applications where mildly strong acidity and dehydration properties are needed. However, one of the drawbacks of PPA is that, as its concentration increases, its viscosity also increases.
As a result of the increased viscosity of PPA, in order to easily use PPA for many processes, PPA must be heated to a sufficient temperature to reduce its viscosity to a level that it can be more easily handled and used, for example by pumping. In some processes, however, increased PPA temperature might not be desirable. In addition, PPA is sometimes stored in plastic containers that are not able to withstand the required higher temperature to allow the PPA to be pumped.
Accordingly, it would be desirable to have a PPA composition that provides the desired PPA concentration while having a viscosity that allows easy handling at lower temperatures than required by current PPA products.


Self-closing measuring valves, particularly as embodied in lavoratory faucets, have been known in the art for many years. This type faucet is generally characterized by having a manually depressable handle which, when depressed, initiates flow through the faucet. Unless the handle is held in this manually depressed condition, the operating mechanism of the faucet valve acts to slowly close the valve, returning the handle to its uppermost position in readiness for a succeeding manual actuation of the slow self-closing faucet.
Slow closing lavoratory faucets offer the advantage of assuring that the faucet valve is closed in a matter of a few seconds time so that thereby water usage is conserved and, more importantly, that in the absence of an intending user, the faucet is fully shut off against continued or indefinite water flow through the faucet if the last user intentionally or otherwise overlooked turning off the faucet. Slow closing lavoratory faucets are particularly valuable in conserving water when employed in public washrooms, large institutions and the like.
The art also has recognized the desirability in slow self-closing lavoratory faucets of having an adjustability capability for the faucet valve so that the time during which the slow closing operation takes effect after handle depression and manual release of the handle initiates water flow can be changed. In some applications for these slow closing lavoratory faucets, it may indeed be desirable to have a longer flow duration than in installations where a relatively brief flow duration occurs between handle depression and water shut-off.
Frequently, slow self-closing lavoratory faucets in the prior art have employed a dash-pot form of delay mechanism. This type delay mechanism usually finds it necessary to incorporate a restrictor valve which in effect meters or restricts the flow of fluid into the mechanism, thereby slowing the mechanism down to gain the desired slow closing of the faucet valve which is under control of this mechanism.
This sort of restrictor valve is frequently quite sensitive to the presence of dirt or foreign material such as rust particles which are invariably present in large, and particularly old, city water systems. This foreign material flowing through the water system into the restrictor valve of the slow self-closing lavoratory faucet tends to build up and eventually clog the restrictor valve. Thereupon difficult and expensive cleaning of the entire slow self-closing lavoratory faucet frequently becomes necessary.
Attempts to handle this clogging problem by the use of filters or other screening techniques have only transferred the clogging problem from the restrictor valve becoming clogged to the filter or screen leading to the restrictor valve becoming clogged. In either event the slow self-closing valve requires expensive and frequent cleaning.
Further, prior art solutions to obtaining an adjustability capability for varying flow duration have not been entirely satisfactory. The adjustable feature to gain this varying flow duration capability is too often inaccessible from the exterior of the slow closing valve faucet, thereby making it necessary to undertake major disassembly of the faucet simply to obtain variation in the duration of the water flow after the handle is manually depressed.


JP 07-64930 A discloses a microcomputer mutual monitoring method in a CPU backup system in which two CPUs are used as a main CPU and a backup CPU to complement each other. According to this microcomputer mutual monitoring method, if the main CPU becomes a non-operative state due to a failure of the main CPU midway through processing, the backup CPU begins to operate from the process of the task in progress.
Further, JP Patent 4003420 discloses a processing apparatus configured to reset a main microcomputer and a sub-microcomputer by stopping a run pulse signal if the sub-microcomputer cannot execute each control process of a calculation monitoring process within a corresponding processing time.
In a system including two microcomputers (referred to as a main microcomputer and a sub-microcomputer herein), they monitor mutually each other, and if one microcomputer detects an abnormal event of the other microcomputer, it resets the other microcomputer to perform an attempt to restore it.
In general, the main microcomputer is subjected to a run pulse check by a monitoring circuit other than monitoring by the sub-microcomputer, such as a run pulse check, a communication check, or an ALU calculation check; however, since a requirement is too complicated for the monitoring circuit to implement the ALU calculation check, etc., the ALU calculation check, etc., are not performed during the reset of the sub-microcomputer.
In particular, in recent years, the level of functional integration of ECUs is increasing for cost reduction, and there is a case where the reset of the sub-microcomputer is desired when control software installed in the sub-microcomputer detects an error event. At that time, even if a condition required to be met to reset the microcomputer is different for the respective installed systems, it is inevitable to reset the sub-microcomputer as a whole if any one installed system needs reset, because it is not possible to reset only a part of the sub-microcomputer due to a microcomputer configuration.
According to a configuration in which the processing of the main microcomputer continues in spite of not being capable of monitoring the main microcomputer during the reset of the sub-microcomputer, there is a problem that reliability as a system is reduced.
On the other hand, such a configuration may be contemplated in which the processing of the main microcomputer discontinues during the reset of the sub-microcomputer, considering that it is not possible to monitor the main microcomputer. However, according to such a configuration, since the main microcomputer is reset regardless of whether the main microcomputer is abnormal or normal, there is a problem that marketability is reduced.


This application relates to a computer network and, more specifically, to a method and apparatus for allowing both high-speed and regular-speed access to a computer network.
The Internet is an example of a TCP/IP network. The Internet has over 10 million users. Conventionally, access to the Internet is achieved using a slow, inexpensive method, such as a terrestrial dial-up modem using a protocol such as SLIP (Serial Line IP), PPP, or by using a fast, more expensive method, such as a switched 56 Kbps, frame relay, ISDN (Integrated Services Digital Network), or T1.
Users generally want to receive (download) large amounts of data from networks such as the Internet. Thus, it is desirable to have a one-way link that is used only for downloading information from the network. A typical user will receive much more data from the network than he sends. Thus, it is desirable that the one-way link be able to carry large amounts of data very quickly. What is needed is a high bandwidth one-way link that is used only for downloading information, while using a slower one-way link to send data into the network.
Currently, not all users have access to high speed links to networks. Because it will take a long time to connect all users to networks such as the Internet via physical high-speed lines, such as fiber optics lines, it is desirable to implement some type of high-speed line that uses the existing infrastructure.
Certain types of fast network links have long propagation delays. For example, a link may be transmitting information at 10 Mbps, but it may take hundreds of milliseconds for a given piece of information to travel between a source and a destination on the network. In addition, for even fast low-density links, a slow speed return-link may increase the round trip propagation time, and thus limit throughput. The TCP/IP protocol, as commonly implemented, is not designed to operate over fast links with long propagation delays. Thus, it is desirable to take the propagation delay into account when sending information over such a link.
The present invention overcomes the problems and disadvantages of the prior art by allowing a user to download data using a fast one-way satellite link, while using a conventional low-speed Internet connection for data being sent into the network. The invention uses a xe2x80x9cspoofingxe2x80x9d technique to solve the problem of the long propagation delays inherent in satellite communication.
In accordance with the purpose of the invention, as embodied and broadly described herein, the invention is a network system that forms a part of a network, comprising: a source computer, having a link to the network; a destination computer, having a link to the network; a satellite interface between the source computer and the destination computer, wherein information passes from the source computer to the destination computer; means in the destination computer for requesting information from the source computer over the network; means for receiving an information packet sent from the source computer in response to the request and for sending the information packet to the destination computer over the satellite interface; and means for sending an ACK message to the source computer in response to receipt of the information packet, wherein the ACK message appears to the source computer to have come from the destination computer.
In further accordance with the purpose of the invention, as embodied and broadly described herein, the invention is a gateway in a network system that forms a part of a TCP/IP network, wherein the network includes a source computer having a link to the TCP/IP network and a link to a high speed satellite interface, and a destination computer having a link to the TCP/IP network and a link to the high speed satellite interface, the gateway comprising: means for receiving an information packet sent from the source computer and for sending the information packet to the destination computer over the satellite interface; and means for sending an ACK message to the source computer in response to receipt of the information packet, wherein the ACK message appears to the source computer to have come from the destination computer.
Objects and advantages of the invention will be set forth in part in the description which follows and in part will be obvious from the description or may be learned by practice of the invention. The objects and advantages of the invention will be realized and attained by means of the elements and combinations particularly pointed out in the appended claims.


A dielectric antenna such as a dielectric rod antenna is a surface-wave antenna in which an end-fire radiation pattern is produced by propagation of a surface wave on a tapered dielectric rod. Dielectric rod antennas provide significant performance advantages and are low cost alternatives to free space high-gain antennas at millimeter-wave frequencies and the higher end frequencies of the microwave band. Conventional dielectric antennas required for radar level gauging do not withstand high temperatures. Additionally, such antennas must be installed via small tank nozzles which can affect gain, return loss, and side lobes over the radar bandwidth issues.
Based on the foregoing, it is believed that a need exists for an improved dielectric hollow antenna, which will be described in greater detail herein.


This invention relates to a fluid drive oil recovery process which utilizes an injection of CO.sub.2, surfactant and water into subterranean oil reservoir. More particularly, the invention relates to such a process in which the surfactant selected for use is a particular member of a relatively highly chemically stable and salt-tolerant class of surfactants and is uniquely suited for use in the reservoir to be treated.
Numerous patents have been issued on materials and techniques which are pertinent to an oil recovery process that utilizes an injection of CO.sub.2, surfactant and water. The U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,226,119; 2,233,381 and 2,233,382 describe polyalkoxylated alcoholic or phenolic surfactants which are generally useful in aqueous liquid fluid drive oil recovery processes. U.S. Pat. No. 2,623,596 indicates that an increased oil recovery may be obtained by a fluid drive process which injects highly pressurized CO.sub.2. U.S. Pat. No. 3,065,790 indicates that, in a fluid drive process, the cost effectiveness of highly pressurized CO.sub.2 may be increased by injecting a slug of the CO.sub.2 ahead of a cheaper drive fluid. U.S. Pat. No. 3,330,346 indicates that almost any process for forming foam within a reservoir may be improved by using as the surfactant a polyalkoxylated alcohol sulfate of an alcohol containing 10 to 16 carbon atoms. U.S. Pat. No. 3,342,256 indicates that, in a fluid drive process, the oil-displacing efficiency of a CO.sub.2 slug may be increased by including water and a foaming surfactant within that slug. U.S. Pat. No. 3,529,668 indicates that, in a fluid drive process, the efficiency of a slug of foamed CO.sub.2 may be increased by displacing it with specifically proportioned alternating slugs of gas and liquid. U.S. Pat. No. 4,088,190 indicates that, in a fluid drive process, the heat stability and durability of a CO.sub.2 foam may be increased by using an alkyl sulfoacetate surfactant. U.S. Pat. No. 4,113,011 indicates that in a CO.sub.2 foam drive, the problems of low salt tolerance with are typical of both the surface-active sulfates of polyalkoxylated alcohols containing 10 to 16 carbon atoms recommended by U.S. Pat. No. 3,330,346 and the alkyl sulfoacetate surfactants recommended by U.S. Pat. No. 4,088,190 may be avoided by using a surfactant sulfate of a polyalkoxy alcohol containing only 8 or 9 carbon atoms and injecting that surfactant ahead of the CO.sub.2.


A vending machine generally refers to a machine that dispenses items after the customer inserts currency or credit into the machine.
Elements in the figures are illustrated for simplicity and clarity and have not necessarily been drawn to scale. For example, the dimensions and/or relative positioning of some of the elements in the figures may be exaggerated relative to other elements to help to improve understanding of various embodiments of the present invention. Also, common but well-understood elements that are useful or necessary in a commercially feasible embodiment are often not depicted in order to facilitate a less obstructed view of these various embodiments of the present invention. Certain actions and/or steps may be described or depicted in a particular order of occurrence while those skilled in the art will understand that such specificity with respect to sequence is not actually required. The terms and expressions used herein have the ordinary technical meaning as is accorded to such terms and expressions by persons skilled in the technical field as set forth above except where different specific meanings have otherwise been set forth herein.


Non-overlap circuits are typically integrated in ICs that frequently switch. For example, non-overlap circuits may be implemented in half-bridge drivers and alternating current (“AC”) to direct current (“DC”) converters. These non-overlap circuits provide signals to switching transistors, which may be implemented as metal oxide semiconductor field effect transistors (“MOSFETs”), so the transistors do not overlap. Put another way, the signals provided by the non-overlap circuits prevent the low-side and high-side power switches from switching on at the same time.
In high-voltage operations, parasitic capacitance of the switching device is large and varies with process. Timing controls circuits are used to adapt the non-overlap circuits to avoid shoot-through currents that may damage the switching devices.


1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a magnetic absolute encoder that uses rotation detectors each including a gear fixed to a rotary shaft and having a predetermined number of teeth and at least one magnetic detecting element for detecting magnetic flux passing through the teeth to output an electrical signal relating to the position of the teeth.
2. Related Art
Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 11-237256 (JP11-237256A) discloses a rotation detecting device that can be utilized as a magnetic incremental encoder. Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2008-180698 (JP2008-180698A) discloses a magnetic absolute encoder that utilizes the basic structure of a magnetic incremental encoder.


A variety of tile products are widely used in the building industry. Such products range from inexpensive types of products, such as vinyl-asbestos flooring tile, to substantially more costly tile products, such as marble tile. Although the latter are preferred due to their appearance, the use of such materials is not without problems. Ceramic and marble tiles are brittle and tend to crack; therefore, they require special installation techniques involving the setting of the tiles into ultimately rigid cement/mortar bases on a solid dimensionally stable subsurface, and the subsequent filling of the joints between the tiles with grout. Such procedures greatly add to the expense and are not always satisfactory.


1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to wireless communication, and, more particularly, to a method and apparatus for performing a hybrid automatic repeat request (HARQ) in a wireless communication system based on Time Division Duplex (TDD).
2. Related Art
Long Term Evolution (LTE) based on 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) Technical Specification (TS) Release 8 is the leading next-generation mobile communication standard.
As disclosed in 3GPP TS 36.211 V8.7.0 (2009-05) “Evolved Universal Terrestrial Radio Access (E-UTRA); Physical Channels and Modulation (Release 8)”, in LTE, a physical channel can be divided into a Physical Downlink Shared Channel (PDSCH) and a Physical Downlink Control Channel (PDCCH), that is, downlink channels, and a Physical Uplink Shared Channel (PUSCH) and a Physical Uplink Control Channel (PUCCH), that is, uplink channels.
A PUCCH is an uplink control channel used to send uplink control information, such as a Hybrid Automatic Repeat reQuest (HARQ), an acknowledgement/not-acknowledgement (ACK/NACK) signal, a Channel Quality Indicator (CQI), and a Scheduling Request (SR).
Meanwhile, 3GPP LTE-Advanced (A) that is the evolution of 3GPP LTE is in progress. Technology introduced into 3GPP LTE-A includes a carrier aggregation.
A carrier aggregation uses a plurality of component carriers. A component carrier is defined by the center frequency and a bandwidth. One downlink component carrier or a pair of an uplink component carrier and a downlink component carrier correspond to one cell. It can be said that a terminal being served using a plurality of downlink component carriers is being served from a plurality of serving cells.
In a Time Division Duplex (TDD) system, the same frequency is used in uplink and downlink. Accordingly, one or more DL subframes are associated with an UL subframe. The “association” means that transmission/reception in the DL subframe is associated with transmission/reception in the UL subframe. For example, when a transport block is received in a plurality of DL subframes, a terminal sends HARQ ACK/NACK (hereinafter referred to as ACK/NACK) for the transport block in an UL subframe associated with a plurality of DL subframes. Here, a minimum time is necessary to send the ACK/NACK. This is because the time taken to process the transport block and the time taken to process the ACK/NACK are necessary.
Meanwhile, a plurality of serving cells can be introduced into a TDD system. That is, a plurality of serving cells can be assigned to a terminal. In this case, in the prior art, it was assumed that the same uplink-downlink (UL-DL) configuration was used in all the serving cells. The UL-DL configuration is information indicating whether each subframe within a radio frame used in TDD is an UL subframe or a DL subframe. In the next-generation wireless communication system, however, to use different UL-DL configurations in serving cells is also taken into consideration. In this case, how an HARQ will be performed using what method is problematic.


It is known that a luminescent aromatic molecule embedded in plastic is subject to quenching by oxygen present in the gas or liquid in contact with the plastic. This phenomenon was reported by Bergman (Nature 218:396, 1966), and a study of oxygen diffusion in plastic was reported by Shaw (Trans. Faraday Soc. 63:2181-2189, 1967). Stevens, in U.S. Pat. No. 3,612,866, ratios the luminescence intensities from luminescent materials dispersed in oxygen-permeable and oxygen-impermeable plastic films to determine oxygen concentration. Lubbers et al. in U.S. Pat. No. 4,003,707 proposed the possibility of positioning the emitting substance at the end of an optical fiber. Peterson et al. in U.S. Pat. No. 4,476,870 also employs the quenching of an emitting molecule in plastic at the end of an optical fiber. Both Lubbers and Peterson reference emission against scattered exciting light.
The quenching of the luminescence of an emitter at the end of an optical fiber has been used in temperature sensors. For temperature probes the emitters are generally solid phosphors rather than an aromatic molecule embedded in plastic, since access by molecules from the environment is not desirable. Various methods have been used to measure the amount of quenching: (i) Quick et al. in U.S. Pat. No. 4,223,226 ratios the intensity at one wavelength of the emission against another; (ii) Quick et al. also proposes determining the length of time it takes for the signal to fall from one level to another; (iii) Samulski in U.S. Pat. No. 4,245,507 (reissued as U.S. Pat. No. Re. 31,832) proposes to measure quenching by determining the phase of the emitted life. In a very recent patent for temperature sensing at the end of an optical fiber, Hirschfeld in U.S. Pat. No. 4,542,987 proposes, in addition to method (i), that (iv) emission lifetime be used to measure quenching and that (v) Raman scattered light can be used as a reference.
Eastwood and Gouterman (1970) noted generally with respect to Pd and Pt porphyrin complexes that their "relatively high [emission] yields and short triplet lifetimes . . . may make these systems useful as . . . biological probes for the presence of oxygen." More recently, Bacon and Demas in UK Patent Application No. 2,132,348A propose the use of, inter alia, porphyrin complexes of VO.sup.2+, Cu.sup.2+, Pt.sup.2+, Zn.sup.2+ and Pd.sup.2+ or dimeric Rh, Pt, or Ir complexes for monitoring oxygen concentration by emission quenching of intensity or lifetime. Suitable ligands would reportedly be etioporphyrin, octaethylporphin, and porphin.