In a general digital broadcasting system, because data are transmitted through a limited frequency bandwidth, a time dispersion effect, which means that pulse energy of a predetermined symbol is dispersed to neighboring symbols, generates interference to the neighboring symbols. Furthermore, the transmitted data is affected from various channel distortions.
As channel distortion, there are such as a multipath, a frequency offset and a phase jitter. The channel distortion occurs an Inter-symbol Interference (ISI), which means interference or a distortion between a predetermined symbol and its neighboring symbols and generates a problem to receive desired data in the digital transmission system.
To prevent the channel distortion and decrease a symbol error due to an ISI, the general receiver, e.g., a digital broadcasting receiver, uses a channel equalizer.
Most of the communication channels need an adaptive equalizer for updating a tap coefficient according to time because the distortions in the general digital broadcasting system are time variant.
Configuration of a conventional channel equalizer is described in FIG. 1.
As shown in FIG. 1, the conventional channel equalizer includes a digital filter 11, a symbol detector 12, a tap coefficient updating unit 13, a training sequence storage 14, a statistical data calculator 15, a switch 16 and an equalizer input signal storage 17.
The digital filter 11 eliminates an inter symbol-interference (ISI) causing a distortion of a baseband signal received to a digital broadcasting receiver. The symbol detector 12 receives the output signal of the digital filter 11 and calculates a decided data by comparing the output signal to a predetermined threshold to thereby output the decided data.
The tap coefficient updating unit 13 receives output signals of the equalizer input signal storage 17 and the digital filter 11 and an error data selected by the switch 16 to thereby update a tap coefficient of the digital filter 11.
Also, the training sequence storage 14 stores the training data sequence already known in a transmitter of a digital broadcasting system. The training data sequence is read in a training mode and is outputted to the tap coefficient update unit 13.
The statistical data calculator 15 calculates a statistical error in order to output the statistical error to the tap coefficient update unit 13 in a blind mode.
The switch 16 selects one of the training storage 14, the statistical data calculator 15 and the symbol detector 12 according to an operating mode and outputs error data outputted from the selected one to the tap coefficient update unit 13. Then, the tap coefficient update unit 13 calculates an error signal corresponding to the error data and updates the tap coefficient by using data corresponding to the tap coefficient of the digital filter 11 in the equalizer input signal storage 17 to output the tap coefficient to the digital filter 11.
As the channel equalizer, the decision feedback equalizer (DFE) is used broadly in the digital broadcasting receiver. In general, the an eye diagram of an output signal in the decision feedback equalizer is opened, wherein the eye diagram is a kind of factor for determining performance of the equalizer, i.e., a function of making an output signal decision rightly and easily. Also, if an output signal of the symbol detector is determined correctly, the feedback filtering block deletes an Inter Symbol Interference (ISI) according to the predetermined symbol and there is not a problem such as a noise amplifying phenomenon in channel equalization of the a linear equalizer. Therefore, the decision feedback equalizer is widely used in the digital broadcasting receiver.
Therefore, for an appropriate use, it is important that the output signal of a symbol detector should not have a decision error and, for the most of all, the eye diagram is opened.
For the eye diagram is opened in Advanced Television System Committee (ATSC) digital broadcasting system which is American standard for a terrestrial digital television, it is used a method for opening the eye diagram by inserting one training sequence segment, wherein one segment is 208 bytes, in every 312 data segment although a data efficiency is decreased.
However, since the inserted training sequence segment is short under a multipath environment having a long ghost, it is often failed to open the eye pattern. In particular, though there is the training sequence, it is often failed if a tap coefficient is not enough long to converge or if the environment is under an inferior multipath environment having a time-varied channel, a long ghost or a large level signal ghost. If the eye diagram is not opened, possibility of the decision error in the symbol detector is very high. As a result, it can be generated an error propagation problem that the decision error is accumulated through a feedback loop of the decision feedback equalizer.
Therefore, it is required a method for decreasing the decision error during data period having no training sequence segment; and, in particular, total tap energy should be decreased in order to decrease the decision error by opening the eye diagram of the decision feedback equalizer.
At first, most of conventional methods for decreasing the decision error use a viterbi decoder having a decoding delay. There is a method for making a predetermined delay in an equalizer tap coefficient adjustor be identical to the decoding delay of the viterbi decoder. Herein, this method is proposed by G. Long, entitled “The LMS Algorithm with Delayed Coefficient Adaptation”, IEEE Trans. Acoust., Speeach, Signal Processing, vol. ASSP-37, October 1989.
In addition, there is a method for solving a decoding delay of the viterbi decoder by periodically adding an interleaver and deinterleaver, proposed by M. V. Eyuboglu, entitled “Detection of Coded Modulation Signals on Linear, Severely Distorted Channels Using Decision-Feedback Noise Prediction with Interleaving”, IEEE Trans. Commun., vol. COM-36, pp. 401-409, April 1988 and in U.S. Pat. No. 4,833,693 issued to Eyuboglu, May 23, 1989.
Because above described methods for decreasing the decision error are used in the viterbi decoder having the decoding delay as TDB-1 behind the equalizer served as the symbol detector of the decision feedback equalizer, it is required that additional devices for deleting the decoding delay. Also, for the viterbi decoder behind the equalizer has enough performance, the TBD should be 5 times more than the number of memories in the trellis encoder used for encoding process. However, the decoding delay should be as small as possible in order to use the output of the viterbi decoder as a feedback input of the decision feedback equalizer.
Particularly, the decoding delay is not TBD-1 but 12×(TBD-1) in the digital broadcasting system which uses 12 TCM encoders by the trellis code interleaver as shown in FIG. 5; and, approximately, the decoding delay becomes 168 because there are 2 memories in the TCM encoder. It is very inefficient that the viterbi decoder having 168 decoding delay is actually used in the digital broadcasting system.
Therefore, for using the viterbi decoder as the symbol detector of the decision feedback equalizer in the digital broadcasting receiver, the decoding delay is as small as possible and, further, it is the best that there is no decoding delay. And a complexity for decoder implementation should be as low as possible.
Meanwhile, in order to decrease the tap energy of the feedback filter, there are methods for increasing the tap number which removes post ghost and for changing channel property of a receiving signal by using a beam-forming or a channel-matched filter.
The method for increasing the tap number of the feed forward filter is inefficient and the improvement of the performance is small in comparison to the increased tap number. The method for changing the channel property by using the channel-matched filter, which is proposed in a document by Richard Citta, entitled “A VSB Receiver Designed for Indoor and Distributed Transmission Environments”, IEEE 52nd Annual Broadcast Symposium, Oct. 9-11, 2002, is more effective than the method for increasing the tap number.
Because the channel equalization method proposed by Richard Citta generates the channel-matched filter based on over-sampling data and uses a fractionally-spaced equalizer, the complexity is very high. Also, since a simple slicer is used as the symbol detector, the error propagation problem due to the decision error can occur.
Therefore, development for a channel-matched filter having low complexity on a symbol basis and a symbol detector having rare decision error are highly required.
Disclosure
Technical Problem
It is, therefore, an object of the present invention to provide an apparatus and a method of decision feedback equalization that make a channel property of an inferior receiving signal to mild by using a channel-matched filter and decreases decision errors of symbol detector output signals by using a trellis decoder with decreased complexity, whose trace back depth is 1 (TBD=1).
The other object of the present invention provide a symbol detection method of the trellis decoder with decreased complexity, of which TDB is 1, which can use an output signal of trellis decoder as an input signal of the feedback filter of the decision feedback equalizer by decreasing a decoding delay.
Technical Solution
In accordance with one aspect of the present invention, there is provided a decision feedback equalizer in a terrestrial digital broadcasting receiver, including: a channel estimating unit for estimating a channel of a symbol-based receiving signal based on the receiving signal and a training sequence; a channel-matched filtering unit for changing a channel property of the receiving signal by maximizing a signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) of the estimated channel; an input signal storing unit for storing a receiving symbol of which channel property is changed by the channel-matched filtering unit; a channel equalizing unit for performing a decision feedback equalization by repeatedly filtering the receiving signal which passed through the channel-matched filtering unit; a trellis decoding unit for detecting a symbol, which is decision data, based on trellis decoding algorithm with decreased complexity, whose trace back depth is 1, from channel equalized receiving symbols and outputting the symbol in a decision directed mode; a statistical data calculating unit for calculating statistical error data used in a blind mode and outputting the statistical error data; a training sequence storing unit for storing the training sequence; a switching unit for selecting a mode among the training mode, the decision directed mode and the blind mode; an error signal calculating unit for calculating an error signal by comparing an output signal in the mode selected by the switching unit to an output signal of the channel equalizing unit; and a tap coefficient updating unit for updating a tap coefficient to be provided to the channel-matched equalizing unit based on the error signal, the output signal of the trellis decoding unit and the output signal of the input signal storing unit.
In accordance with one aspect of the present invention, there is provided a decision feedback equalizing method in a terrestrial digital broadcasting receiver, including the steps of: a) estimating a channel of a symbol-based receiving signal based on a receiving signal and a training sequence; b) changing a channel property of the receiving signal in order to maximize a signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) of the estimated channel by passing the receiving signal through a channel-matched filter; c) determining a parameter used for a decision feedback of the receiving symbol whose channel property is changed and initializing a channel equalization parameter; d) detecting a symbol from an output signal of an equalizer in a specific time index signal according to the determined parameter based on a trellis decoder with decreased complexity, whose trace back depth is 1; e) calculating statistical error data used in a blind mode; f) selecting one mode among a training mode, a decision mode and the blind mode; g) calculating an error signal by comparing an output signal of the mode selected in the step f) to output signal of equalizer in a decision directed mode, and updating a tap coefficient based on the error signal; and h) performing a decision feedback equalization based on the updated tap coefficient.
In accordance with one aspect of the present invention, there is provided a symbol detecting method for channel equalization in a terrestrial digital broadcasting receiver, the method including the steps of: a) calculating an absolute distance pairs between symbol pairs in an input signal of a symbol detector and a trellis diagram; b) selecting an absolute distance having a small value for each absolute distance pair among absolute distance pairs; c) calculating an accumulated absolute distance by adding a previous absolute distance to a current calculated absolute distance for each state in the trellis diagram in a time index; d) deleting the accumulated absolute distances except the smallest accumulated distance for each state in the trellis diagram in the time index; e) selecting a state in which the accumulated absolute distance is smallest among all states shown in the trellis diagram in the time index and obtaining an output signal of the symbol detector, which is the trellis decoding unit, from a branch shown in the trellis diagram transited to the selected state; and f) repeatedly performing the steps a) to e) for each symbol time index.
The present invention relates to an apparatus and a method for decision feedback equalization having a channel-matched filter and a trellis decoder in a terrestrial digital broadcasting receiver, wherein the channel estimator estimates the channel of the receiving signal based on the receiving signal and the training sequence, generates the channel-matched filter based on information of the estimated channel, equalizes the receiving signal passed though the channel-matched filter by using the decision feedback equalizer having the viterbi decoder with decreased complexity, whose TBD is 1, and thereby the channel equalization is performed effectively under an inferior environment such as in a room or in mobile
The present invention can change the channel property of the receiving signal under an inferior environment such as in a room or in mobile to be mild by placing the channel-matched filter generated from the symbol-based channel estimator in front of the conventional decision feedback equalizer, and decreases the decision error of the symbol detector by using the viterbi decoder with decreased complexity, whose TBD is 1, in stead of the simple slicer served as the symbol detector in the conventional decision feedback equalizer and thereby a convergence speed and stability of the digital filtering block are increased, and the residual MSE is decreased in a normal state after the convergence.
Advantageous Effect
As mentioned above, the present invention can change the channel property of the receiving signal under an inferior environment such as in a room or in mobile to be mild by placing the channel-matched filter generated from the symbol-based channel estimator in front of the conventional decision feedback equalizer, and decreases the decision error of the symbol detector the viterbi decoder with decreased complexity, whose TBD is 1, in stead of the simple slicer served as the symbol detector in the conventional decision feedback equalizer and thereby a convergence speed and stability of the digital filtering block are increased, and the residual MSE is decreased in a normal state after the convergence.


1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a device and methods for profiling railway rails and, more particularly, to a device and methods for vehicle wheel profile-matching railway turnouts and crossings.
2. Description of Related Art
The contact rolling surface found along the length of a standard railway crossing, such as a steel frog or a diamond crossing, has been pre-defined for many years. When a vehicle passes through a typical rail crossover, the wheels pass over a raised wing surface, which is designed to support and maintain the wheel profile for a relatively level passage. Rail crossover, as used herein, means a rail turnout or crossing allowing a rail vehicle to be guided from one set of rails to another. Insert and solid steel frog designs have been supplied for many years and are used by every major railway. Very little advancement has taken place with regard to technology designed to precisely match an existing rail crossover to a specific existing vehicle wheel profile or to alternate wheel profiles. Vehicle wheel widths and tapered tread profiles are often custom designed to suite a particular transit operator's requirements. As a result, when a standard crossover design is installed, oftentimes the transfer surfaces are not continuously levelly supported through the entire length of the crossover casting. Without matching the crossover profile to the wheel requirements, level rolling discontinuities often result in dropping of the wheel tread surface, thereby, imparting high impacted forces and accelerated wear/damage to the track and vehicle bogie system. Bogie impact forces from as little as 5 mm of height have resulted in up to 30-40 G of impact force during higher vehicle operating speeds and significantly have reduced operating life expectancy for track and vehicle components.
When field repair is required on a damaged crossover, rolling surface areas are built-up through a special certified welding process and the profile manually shaped back to the original (usually flat) profile with a hand grinder. The finished surface contour is usually visually inspected with a straight edge to verify that the finished product is returned as close as possible to the original rail surface contour. Without a technique to accurately apply and precisely shape the length of the crossover to a fully level supported “wheel tread matching” profile, and without an accurate means to quickly and easily verify an alternate properly supporting profile has been provided, rolling axle instability due to wheel passage and track/equipment wear will continue to occur.
Typical technology used to shape the crossover surface after welding includes grinding by use of a hand grinder or portable grinding platforms that are either secured directly over the crossover casting or are guided to provide a flat and level profile over a relatively short linear path. However, after grinding a section, the finished surface is only visually inspected and checked with a straight edge or simple hand tools to ensure reworked sections are uniform with no surface gaps present. These methods do not apply to a revised raised wing or point sections to better support the transfer of the wheel path. Therefore, wheel load impacts are not prevented, only maintained at a lower level after rework. This results in less accurate correction to the surface profiles of the crossovers with limited verification. Often, surface discontinuities are still present after modification resulting again with initially lower impact forces. The previously used methods included minor modifications, which failed to correct the source of the impact forces.
These high impact forces have often led to the reduction of operating speeds through crossovers and continuous repair and maintenance for both vehicles and rails. The cost and time required to routinely repair rail crossovers is an ongoing concern.
There exists a need for a precision and efficient method and device to greatly eliminate impact forces due to imperfectly matched rail crossover profiles and vehicle wheel profiles.


The performance of a gas turbine engine is sometimes limited by the maximum temperature to which certain components can be exposed. These components, such as turbine blades and vanes, various seals and spacers, combustors, and other components, are sometimes actively cooled with air from the engine's compressor, so that the component metal temperatures can be maintained at acceptable levels while being exposed to gas temperatures that are in excess of permissible metal temperatures.
This active cooling comes with an inherent trade off. Although higher gas temperatures tend to improve the performance of the engine, the use of air from the compressor for active cooling tends to lower the performance of the engine. It is imperative that the scheme for active cooling use as little air as possible, so that performance gains are maximized.
In order to cool that various components efficiently, numerous component internal cooling flowpath designs have been used to optimally transfer heat from the component into the cooling air. Examples of such cooling flowpath designs can be found in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,930,980 issued to North et al.; 4,236,870 issued to Hucul, Jr. et al.; 4,946,346 issued to Ito; 5,062,768 issued to Marriage; and British Patent No. 2,246,174A issued to Lings et al.
These flowpath designs provide cooling air to various regions of the component, and often use small features to enhance heat transfer. Examples of cooling flowpath designs with small features include U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,770,608 issued to Anderson et al.; 4,962,640 issued to Tobery; 5,281,084 issued to Noe et al.; and 5,193,975 issued to Bird et al. Small sized features such as pins, pedestals, walls, and passageways permit an increased number of such features to be included in the cooling flowpath. A large number of cooling pedestals, for example, increases the surface area of the component exposed to the cooling air. A small size for cooling passageways permits not only a larger number of passageways, but may also increase the convective heat transfer coefficient of the passageway.
However, use of small features such as pins, pedestals, walls, and passageways poses a problem during manufacturing. These features are often cast or etched onto one workpiece which must then be joined to another workpiece. Joining methods often include welding, brazing, or diffusion bonding. Examples of cooling flowpath designs in which portions of the workpieces are brazed include U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,263,820 issued to Tubbs; 4,786,234 issued to Readnour; 4,505,639 issued to Groess et al.; 4,482,295 issued to North et al.; 5,419,039, 5,392,515, and 5,405,242 issued to Auxier et al.; 5,383,766 issued to Przirembel et al.; 5,193,980 issued to Kaincz et al.; and British Patent Specifications No. 1,285,369 issued to Steel et al. and 1,299,904 to Curtiss Wright Corporation.
Brazing of flowpaths with small geometric features presents the problem of excess brazing material interfering with the intended use of the feature. For example, excessive brazing material within a cooling air passageway can reduce or completely eliminate airflow through the passageway, with subsequent local or general overheating of the gas turbine component. It is important that excessive brazing material be kept from areas adjacent to various cooling flowpath features. U.S. Pat. No. 4,507,051 issued to Lesgourgues et al. discusses brazing of actively cooled gas turbine components.
One manner of depositing brazing material is by electrophoresis. U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,336,382 issued to Bodin, and 5,411,582 issued to Bodine, describe use of electrophoresis with a mucilage remarkable for its high viscosity, the muciliage containing brazing powder with grains as large as 53 microns. Outer areas in which brazing material is not desired are masked by a suitable adhesive masking tape, and inner cavities are masked with silicone plugs.
What is needed is a method of brazing components in which brazing material can be accurately deposited near small features. The present invention provides this method in a novel and unobvious way.


1. Field of the Invention
The present invention pertains to an eyeglass end face machining method, particularly to the polishing to a mirror polishing that is performed on the end face after bevel edging, or the planing, such as machining to a mirror polishing, that is performed on the end face after edging.
2. Description of the Related Art
The lens end face of rimless eyeglasses lenses usually referred to as three-piece eyeglass lenses is exposed and not covered by a rim, etc., and therefore, they must have a surface that has been polished until glossy. In response to this need, technology has been presented whereby eyeglass lenses, whose end face has thus far been smoothed manually in order to obtain a face that has been polished until glossy, are mechanically polished by placing a movement mechanism with tracing capability in the polishing wheel part (for instance, Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. Sho 64-87144). This grinds inclined faces, such as the end face of polyhedron cut lenses, etc., and although the shape around the eyeglass lens is complex because of the polyhedron cut, the end face itself, which becomes the surface to be grounded, is a flat surface and simple. Consequently, the above-mentioned technology cannot be used when the surface to be polished itself has a complex shape, such as lens end faces with a bevel. Now, because the lens end face with a bevel is usually concealed by the rim of the frame and there is no need to polish the bevel faces, a lens end face with a bevel itself is usually not polished.
However, there has been a demand in recent years for thin rims in order to obtain frames that are more lightweight and fashionable, etc., and it is often the case that if the lens fitted into the rim is a strong-minus-power lens with a thick edge, the lens will protrude from the rim of the frame. It is pointed out that the bevel faces remains white when polishing of the lens end face is completed by bevel-polishing and this poses a problem aesthetically. Polishing the bevel surface that remains white until it is transparent is only accomplished by buff polishing the bevel surface by hand, etc., and this takes time and increases cost.
The objective of the present invention is to solve the above-mentioned problems with prior art by mechanically polishing the bevel faces in 2 steps and to present a lens end face machining method, wheel and device for eyeglass lens end face machining with which it is possible to speed up the polishing process and make finishing precision uniform and obtain fashionable eyeglass.
Moreover, in addition to the aesthetic problem of the lens end face remaining white after bevel polishing that was previously described, there is a problem with polishing precision and fashionable eyeglasses in that when planing, such as smooth machining and machining to a mirror polishing etc., is performed with a wheel that has a bevel-groove and a planing face, streaks are made. That is, cylindrical grinding stone called diamond wheels(stone) have a bevel-groove for formation of a bevel at the end face of the eyeglass lens and a flat face for flat machining the end face of an eyeglass lens. In further detail, the wheel has groove inclined face 301 for V finishing having a specific angle with respect to the axial direction called angle No. 1, flank 203 for the eyebrow of the frames continuous with this groove inclined face 301 having a specific angle with respect to the axial direction referred to as angle No. 2 that is smaller than angle No. 1, and flat finishing face 303 continuous with this flank 302 for flat machining and parallel to the axial direction on the surface around the periphery of the wheel. The inclination at boundary K between above-mentioned flank 302 and flat finishing face 303 is not continuous.
Consequently, when an eyeglass lens moves past boundary K to the left in the direction of the X axis during flat machining, apex A of the end face of eyeglass lens 6 straddles boundary K and a streak from boundary K is made in end face 6a of eyeglass lens 6. When a streak is made in end face 6a of the eyeglass lens, edging precision drops and becomes non-uniform, and the product is not fashionable. Therefore, such a streak is undesirable. This is particularly a problem with flat finished surfaces that remain white and are further given a mirror finish so that they are transparent.
Thereupon, in order to solve this problem, flat finishing face 303 is made longer in the axial direction so that even if eyeglass lens 6 moves to the left in the direction of the X axis during flat edging, it will not pass boundary K. However, there is a problem in that as a result, wheel 1 is larger.
Inerdentally there is a demand for mechanical polishing of the bevel face that remains white using a wheel as a means of solving the above-mentioned aesthetic problem of the lens end face remaining white after bevel polishing because buffing, etc., manually takes time and increases cost. However, there is also a problem when a polishing wheel is used with the existing wheel in that the device becomes bigger.
The objective of the present invention is to solve the above-mentioned problems of prior art and present an eyeglass lens end face matching method with which polishing precision is uniform, the product is excellent in terms of being fashionable, and the device can be reduced in size. Another objective of the present invention is to present an eyeglass end face machining method with which it is possible to add a polishing wheel that can give the eyeglass lens end face a mirror polish without greatly increasing length of the wheel in the axial direction.


The present invention generally relates to an image recording apparatus with a scanner unit, and more particularly to an image recording apparatus with a scanner unit which selectively performs a printer mode in which an image is printed on a copy sheet, and a scanner mode in which an image is read from a document. This apparatus is applicable to laser printers, copying machines, facsimile machines and others.
Conventionally, a printing apparatus with a scanner unit can perform a scanner mode and a printer mode. When the scanner mode is performed by this printing apparatus, an original document is passed through a scanner unit and an image is read from the document by illuminating the document with light emitted by a light source of the scanner unit so that a signal indicating the original image is produced from the light reflected from the document.
In the meantime, when the printer mode is performed by the printing apparatus mentioned above, a copy sheet is fed from a paper cassette in the printing apparatus, and the copy sheet is transported to a photosensitive drum via a pair of registration rollers. The photosensitive drum is electrostatically charged by a charging unit, and the surface of the photosensitive drum is exposed to light emitted by a light source of an optical recorder unit, so that an electrostatic latent image in accordance with an image signal is formed on the photosensitive drum. By means of the pair of registration rollers, the time of forming the electrostatic latent image on the photosensitive drum is harmonized with the time of transporting the copy sheet to the photosensitive drum.
FIG. 1 shows the construction of the optical recorder unit provided within the above mentioned printing apparatus. As described above, at this optical recorder unit, an electrostatic latent image is formed on a photosensitive medium. A light beam emitted by a laser diode 1 of the optical recorder unit in accordance with an image signal modulated by a driver 7 is passed through a collimator lens 2 and a cylindrical lens 3, and it is deflected by a polygonal mirror 4 which is rotated by a driving motor (not shown) around a rotating axis of the polygonal mirror 4. The deflected light beam is passed through a focusing lens 5 and a troidal lens 6 to convert the light beam into a converging light beam. This converging light beam is cast on a photosensitive drum 8 to form a beam spot on the photosensitive drum 8. Because the polygonal mirror 4 is rotated by the driving motor around the rotating axis of the polygonal mirror 4, the photosensitive drum 8 is scanned by the converging light beam from the polygonal mirror 4 in a main scanning direction indicated by an arrow A in FIG. 1. The photosensitive drum 8 is also rotated around its rotating axis, and it is scanned by the converging light beam in a sub scanning direction perpendicular to the main scanning direction. Thus, an electrostatic latent image is formed on the photosensitive drum 8 by the optical recorder unit in accordance with the image signal.
In the printing apparatus described above, a developing unit including a toner cartridge is provided. When the electrostatic latent image on the photosensitive drum is passed through the developing unit, the electrostatic latent image is developed on the photosensitive drum with toner, so that the electrostatic latent image is made visible. This toner image is transferred by a transfer charging unit from the photosensitive drum to a copy sheet. This copy sheet has been transported to the photosensitive drum 8 via the registration rollers in a synchronized manner. Then, the copy sheet with the toner image is transported from the photosensitive drum to a fixing unit including a fixing heater, so that the toner image is fixed to the copy sheet by the heat and pressure of the fixing unit. The copy sheet is then transported from the fixing unit to a copy sheet ejection outlet part of the printing apparatus. Each copy sheet transported from the fixing unit is stacked at the copy sheet ejection outlet part.
However, in the above described printing apparatus, during the scanner mode operation in which the scanner unit is operated, some print processing units including the optical recorder unit, the fixing unit and the transfer charging unit, which should be used in the printer mode only, are unnecessarily driven. Thus, in the above described printing apparatus, there is a problem in that the driving of such printing processing units for a long period of time during the scanner mode operation will shorten an operational life of each of the units in the printing apparatus, and also the electric energy consumed by the printing apparatus is higher than a reasonable energy consumption level. Also, the construction of the conventional printing apparatus is bulky because both the driving mechanism of the built-in scanner and the driving mechanism of the print processing units are necessary.
Moreover, at the time of an original document sheet being passed through the transfer charging unit or the fixing unit when the scanner mode is performed in the printing apparatus described above, there is a problem in that an original document to be scanned may be damaged due to the pressure of the transfer charging unit or the heat and pressure of the fixing unit, and that a residual toner on the photosensitive medium is transferred to the original document sheet.


In mass transfer processes such as waste treatment and bio-reactions, it is common to carry out these processes in an aeration vessel in which gas, such as oxygen and/or air, is introduced into a biodegradable liquid for treatment. These aforementioned processes are oftentimes utilized by municipalities and industry to treat waste water wherein the object of the process is to introduce air to the liquid and then micro-organisms in the liquid proceed to use this oxygen to digest the waste. The gas is commonly introduced by way of impellers wherein the impellers aerate the liquid.
During the aeration of a liquid, for example, waste water treatment, it is common to employ impellers which are especially adapted for use in surface aeration of liquids in an open tank where the impellers are disposed at the surface of the liquid in vessel. Typical surface aerators commonly used in the art are generally either radial flow impellers or pitched blade turbines. The blades are usually flat rectangular plates which are pitched usually at an angle of 45° to the axis of rotation of the impeller. This is frequently termed the static level of the liquid. The aforementioned impellers are commonly located close to the static level liquid surface and a small portion of the width of the blade may project up through the surface. Typically, when the impeller is pitched forwardly, the upper edge of the blade is termed the leading edge while lower edge is termed the trailing edge. Alternatively, typically when the impeller is pitched backwardly, the upper edge is the trailing edge while the lower edge is the leading edge. The liquid is usually either pushed out in front of the angled blade and/or scooped by the blade and discharged radially across the surface of the tank with some of the liquid being sprayed into the atmospheric air from the outer upper surfaces of the blade. As a result of the spraying of the liquid into the atmospheric air, the liquid becomes aerated.


With the proliferation of the automated interactive machines, exemplified by the automated teller machines (ATM) for financial transactions, there has been an emerging need for a more reliable personal identification system for authenticating users who desire to conduct transactions remotely and automatically without human intervention. Conventionally, a person simply inserts her ATM card into the machine to have her account information and password, or PIN ("Personal Identification Number", used here interchangeably with the word "Password"), read. However, as the everyday life as a whole becomes more automated and security-conscious, a person often has to manage various different passwords and PIN's, for accesses to her banking account, her home security system, or her eMail account, to name just a few. This overflow of information has already contributed to the complexity of conventional personal identification systems in that without the correct password for an ATM, a legitimate user may be denied of her access to her account or her on-line brokerage account.
There is an often overlooked burden placed on the institutions providing on-line, or remote, transactions which are accessed through the customers' passwords or PINs. Maintaining the passwords or PINs forces the financial institutions to allocate additional machines and human resources to manage interface with customers when a customer forgets her Pin or when a customer requests her PIN be changed.
Also, passwords have been proven to be insufficient in preventing fraud, where all a would-be criminal needs is an ATM card and the password, which are both reasonably within the reach of those unscrupulous ones. This is just the first example of how the conventional personal identification paradigm is vulnerable, in addition to being complex as discussed above.
Another problem plagues the integrity of the supposedly secured financial transaction, where sometimes it is the actual account holder who defrauds the institution by first accessing her account and later denying such transaction from ever taking place. While there is a limit as to the extent of this sort of heinous behavior, it amounts to a significant sum even with just a small percentage of the ATM transactions considered. Without a more reliable identification system, institutions will just have to write off the losses or pass the losses to the rest of the consumers, thereby increasing everyone's cost of doing business.
Aside from the ATM transactions, with the increasing affordability, as well as sophistication, of personal computers and telecommunication hardware and software, it is more likely that one will soon be accessing a host of information or conducting a variety Of secured transactions using a PC, a modem and a common public switching network, such as Prodigy and Internet, etc. Authentication thus becomes an even more paramount task for the industry to tackle.
A simple personal identification system may address the above problems. Fingerprints have been known years ago to have a high degree of accuracy and reliability. One never forgets her fingerprints, or confuses the fingerprints with other information. Also, a criminal cannot steal or duplicate someone's fingerprints to impersonate the account holder, generally speaking. Therefore, fingerprints are essentially a personal identification with a one-to-one correspondence, given that the fingerprint recognition systems have progressed along with the information revolution. Companies such as Identix and Startech have developed front-end fingerprint image recognition systems to reliably and accurately analyze and recognize fingerprints.
At the back-end, major processor suppliers such as IBM and AT&T already have systems in place to provide a linkup with the fingerprint image recognition systems such that the massive fingerprint database may be linked and accessed for the institution to quickly authenticate the person in front of its machine, or the person seeking to access her brokerage account through a PC with a modem. To a certain extent, the present front-end and back-end suppliers have reached a point, where it is merely a matter of time before their capabilities and achievements can be fully utilized by the industry, especially the financial industry.
Even with reliable fingerprint image recognition systems at the front-end and quick-response processor at the back-end, there are still problems with this paradigm. Assuming it is reasonably affordable for a PC owner to have a personal fingerprint recognition device to provide access to her on-line brokerage account at a brokerage firm with a processor to facilitate authentication, there is still about 1% error rate, generally characterized by false rejection of legitimate users, due to the inherent imperfection of one's fingerprints. For example, if a person regularly works with abrasive chemicals, the quality of her fingerprints tends to deteriorate throughout the years. The degraded quality of the fingerprints, when faced with a security sensitive system as in most security-sensitive transactions, will certainly add to the agony of the users, thus further eroding the public's confidence toward the integrity of future systems.
On the other hand, if the security sensitivity is forced to be compromised to minimize false "rejection", then the error rate of false "acceptance" may increase and vice versa. Conversely, if the security sensitivity is forced to be compromised to minimize false "acceptance," then the error rate of false "rejection" may increase. Now that a half-way decent "match" will allow access erroneously. This is also not something which will contribute to the public's confidence toward fingerprint-based personal identification systems. Nor will it contribute to the industry whose primary application of the fingerprint-based personal identification systems is to protect their business and financial interests.
Furthermore, the creation of an initial file, i.e., when the account holder first sets up her account with her fingerprints at the institution's facility, may not be perfectly analyzed and stored as file data. The possibility of having less than perfect fingerprints on file makes the occurrence of false rejection/acceptance even more likely. For example, if the initial registration has a 90% accuracy, it would always be a 90% accuracy. It would still be a 90% match at best, even with a 100% accurate reading at the ATM at a later time. In other words, both ends of the overall system may contribute to the unreliability of the system.
Therefore, it is desirable to have a personal identification system for use with fingerprint recognition front-ends to raise the percentage of accuracy, thus minimizing the security risks in connection with secured transactions.
It is also desirable to have a personal identification system for taking advantages of the conventional fingerprint recognition devices to provide a flexible solution in light of the various vendors of the front-end and back-end systems.
It is further desirable to have a fingerprint-based personal identification system which will provide an easy-to-use solution to the security issues involved in accessing the information superhighway.


Steam turbines include a shell that functions to contain the high pressure, high temperature steam and to support the nozzles and casings that direct steam in the most efficient manner possible through rotating airfoils to produce maximum torque on the shaft. The shell includes support arms that extend outward from the shell. Shell arms rest on a support structure that is integral to a structure that also provides support for the turbine rotor, and which serves to house other turbine related components and instrumentation. This structure is often referred to as a “standard”. The elements of the stator portion of the steam turbine are coupled to the shell, thus, the stator portion of the steam turbine is supported by the shell arm support structure.
The rotor of the steam turbine is typically supported by bearings. The bearings are typically mounted within a bearing housing that is supported by a bearing support structure. The bearing support structure can be a part of the “standard” mentioned above. The bearing support structure, while it may be integral with the standard, is not integral with the shell arm support structure. The shell arm support structures and the bearing support structures are exposed to different environmental conditions during various stages of operation of the steam turbine. During transient operations, including but not necessarily limited to startup, load changes, shutdown, and cool downs while on turning gear, different portions of the steam turbine and the supporting elements experience changes in temperature. These changes in temperature may occur at different rates within the different parts of the steam turbine and its support structure, which leads to differential thermal growth of the steam turbine elements, and the support elements.
During startup operations, the bearings and the bearing support structure which supports the bearings and the rotor of the steam turbine tend to increase in temperature more quickly than the shell arm support structure. In part, this occurs because the bearings supporting the rotor rapidly heat up during startup because they are being driven by the changing oil temperature which they are in constant contact with, and the heat generated in the bearings is transferred to the bearing support structure. In contrast, the shell and the shell arm support structure, which are not in constant contact with the oil, tend to warm up more slowly.
Similarly, the bearings typically cool more rapidly upon shutdown because oil supply temperature is lowered as the steam turbine moves from full speed operation to operation at turning gear speeds. In contrast, the support structure beneath the shell arms generally cools very slowly because its temperature is driven more by shell temperature and conduction of that heat from the shell arms into the structure. Shell temperatures decay very slowly. And this can cause the bearing support structure to cool more quickly than the shell arm support structure upon shutdown.
When there are differences in the rate at which the temperature of the bearing support structure increases or decreases, as compared to the rate at which the temperature of the shell arm support structure increases or decreases, the temperature differences can lead to differences in the rate or amount of thermal expansion and contraction of these two elements. And differences in the rate or amount of thermal expansion or contraction as between the bearing support structure and the shell arm support structure can cause changes in the amount of radial clearance available between rotating and stationary parts.


As computers have grown increasingly important in today's society, the importance of public and private networks and, especially, the Internet has also increased. As increasing numbers of users access the Internet, the need for efficient use of bandwidth has also increased. The increasing numbers of requests handled by the Internet are increasing the delay experienced by a user between generating a request and receiving a response to the request because of bandwidth limitations.
One traditional solution to decreasing overall bandwidth usage and decreasing the delay experienced by the user has involved caching previously requested content at the user's computer for faster retrieval. A related traditional solution has involved caching previously requested content for multiple users at a single cache server. Another traditional solution has involved increasing the bandwidth of the network connection between the Internet, the user and the web servers handling the requests. However, traditional solutions have often failed as the number of requests continue to increase and overload single cache servers and because of the expense associated with maintaining large numbers of high speed connections to the Internet. In addition, traditional solutions have often failed to provide for the distinguishing the relative importance of web pages.


1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a storage device, a storage/reproducing device, and a rewritable reproducing device that are incorporated in or attached to a personal computer as a unitary structure. More particularly, the invention relates to a storage device, a storage/reproducing device, and a reproducing device that are incorporated in or attached to a desk-top personal computer as a unitary structure.
2. Background of the Invention
The storage device of this kind has heretofore not been equipped with an external data input means, and data have been always input through a personal computer such as a desk-top personal computer one. Without a personal computer, therefore, the storage device is unable to operate. However, with the widespread use of various information equipment such as PHS, digital camera and the like, which have a prerequisite of transferring the data to a personal computer, it would be more convenient if transfer of data can be relayed by a storage device.
Therefore, there arises a technical problem to be solved that storage devices of this kind must be provided with a function of directly fetching the data from an external unit and relaying the transfer of data. The object of the present invention is to solve this problem.
So far, furthermore, conventional storage/reproducing devices and the reproducing devices of this type have usually been formed in the shape of a thin box. Therefore, a storage/reproducing device of built-in type has a narrow area exposed from the front of the desk-top personal computer, and is difficult to secure a space where the connector for fetching record data from an external data unit is installed. It may be possible to lead out the connector cable from the back of the personal computer and lay the cable along the outer side of the personal computer. However, this causes the operation to be complex, marring the appearance. It would be convenient if the storage/reproducing device and the read-only reproducing device of the attached type, too, have a function of easily fetching data from an external data unit.
Therefore, there arises a technical problem to be solved that storage/reproducing devices and the reproducing devices of this kind are improved to easily fetch external data. The object of the present invention is to solve this problem.


A large number of analytical operations benefit from the simultaneous illumination of relatively large area of substrates in order to accomplish the desired analysis. For example, interrogation of biopolymer array substrates typically employs wide area illumination, e.g., in a linearized beam, flood or reciprocating spot operation. Such illumination allows interrogation of larger numbers of analytical features, e.g., molecule groups, in order to analyze the interaction of such molecule groups with a sample applied to the array.
In the case of DNA arrays, in particular, large numbers of oligonucleotide probes are provided in discrete locations on a planar substrate surface, such that the surface comprises multiple, small patches of identical probes, where the probes' nucleotide sequence for each patch location is known. When one applies a labeled sample sequence to the array, the position on the array to which the sample hybridizes is indicative of the complementary probe sequence, and as such, the sequence of the sample sequence. These arrays are generally interrogated using laser based fluorescence microscopes that are capable of applying excitation illumination over large areas of the substrate in order to interrogate all of the patches. Such systems have employed galvo scanners, slower, scanning microscopes, linearized beam illumination, and wide area flood illumination.
In some cases, however, a more tightly controlled illumination strategy may be desired. For example, it may be desirable to provide stricter control of the volume of material that is illuminated, as well as the overall area that is illuminated, effectively controlling illumination not only in one of the x or y axes of a planar substrate, but also in the z axis, extending away from the substrate. One example of controlled illumination that accomplishes both lateral (x and y) and volume (z) control is the use of zero mode waveguides as a base substrate for analyzing materials. See, U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,991,726 and 7,013,054, the full disclosures of which are hereby incorporated herein by reference in their entirety for all purposes. Briefly, zero mode waveguide array substrates employ an opaque cladding layer, e.g., aluminum, chromium, or the like, deposited over a transparent substrate layer, and through which are disposed a series of apertures through to the transparent layer. Because the apertures are of sufficiently small cross sectional dimensions, e.g., on the order of 50-200 nm in cross section, they prevent propagation of light through them that is below a cut-off frequency. While some light will enter the aperture or core, its intensity decays exponentially as a function of the distance from the aperture's opening. As a result, a very small volume of the core is actually illuminated with a relevant level of light. Such ZMW arrays have been illuminated using a number of the methods described herein, including spot illumination, flood illumination and line illumination (using a linearized beam)(See, e.g., co-pending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/483,413 (filed Jul. 5, 2006), and 60/772,908 (filed Feb. 13, 2006), the full disclosures of which are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety for all purposes).
While the various foregoing systems and methods have proven some measure of effectiveness, the present invention provides for improvements over these systems and methods, in a number of respects.


The present invention relates to a method for adjusting pressure in a fuel tank and a corresponding fuel tank system.
The following discussion of related art is provided to assist the reader in understanding the advantages of the invention, and is not to be construed as an admission that this related art is prior art to this invention.
It is desirable to reduce the release of hydrocarbons from automobiles with an internal combustion engine into the environment. To this end, automobiles typically have an active charcoal filter which is generally arranged between a tank of the automobile filled with combustible fuel and the environment. This active charcoal filter operates as temporary storage for evaporated hydrocarbons from the automobile. The active charcoal filter is typically regenerated in regular intervals with a flow of fresh air, which takes up the hydrocarbons stored in the active charcoal filter and transports them to the internal combustion engine. These so-called purge phases of the active charcoal filter are intended to ensure that the filter has always sufficient storage capacity for storage of hydrocarbons.
These purge phases cannot be performed very frequently particularly in hybrid vehicles, because the internal combustion engine is only operated intermittently. To ensure that the active charcoal filter has always enough capacity for absorbing hydrocarbons, it has been proposed to reduce the quantity of hydrocarbon vapor generated in the tank by adjusting a predetermined internal tank pressure greater than ambient pressure. To this end, an electrically controllable shutoff valve is arranged between the tank and a connecting line which connects the tank with the active charcoal filter. When the tank is heated, the pressure inside the tank increases to a predetermined, presettable threshold value for the pressure. Hydrocarbons in the fuel then increasingly remain in their liquid phase. The shutoff valve is opened only when this threshold value is exceeded, whereafter hydrocarbon-containing vapors escape from the tank. These vapors are then transferred through the connecting line to the active charcoal filter, where they are absorbed, causing the pressure in the tank to decrease again. As soon as the pressure in the tank is again below the threshold value, the shutoff valve is closed again.
Disadvantageously, the pressure inside the tank cannot be adjusted to be variable. A certain threshold value for the pressure must be preset in advance. A very high pressure is typically selected as the threshold value, allowing vapors to escape from the tank as infrequently as possible. The shutoff valve is used only as an emergency valve in order to prevent damage caused by a very high pressure. The complete tank system therefore requires a rather complex structure to ensure that the tank can withstand regularly occurring high pressures. The manufacturing costs of such tank systems are therefore very high. The absorption capacity of the active charcoal filter is also sometimes not fully utilized.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a method for adjusting pressure in a fuel tank and a fuel tank system, with which the pressure in the fuel tank can be variably adjusted and with which the manufacturing cost of the tank system can be reduced.
It would therefore be desirable and advantageous to obviate prior art shortcomings and to provide an improved method for adjusting pressure in a fuel tank and a fuel tank system with which the pressure in the fuel tank can be variably adjusted, resulting in a reduction of the manufacturing costs of the tank system.


Maneuvering spacecraft in the vicinity of other objects is a complex operation, especially when the objective is to rendezvous with another, target object in a docking mission. Most of the algorithms developed to control a space craft in such circumstances have serious drawbacks.
Most of the existing methods and systems do not, for instance, optimize the fuel cost of the maneuver, or minimize the time taken to perform the maneuver. Moreover, they cannot, in general, deal with having unanticipated additional objects in the vicinity. Nor can they deal with stayout zones that have to be avoided that may result from, for instance, the optical sensors on the target. Most of the existing methods cannot be used to orbit the target en-route to a rendezvous, which may be desired in order to inspect either the spacecraft or the target. The few algorithms that can deal with obstacles and stay out zones tend to be very computationally intensive, requiring offline calculation. They are, therefore, of limited use, especially if obstacles near the target change during the maneuver. This may happen, for example, if the target encounters unexpected additional targets.
Several methods have been developed for use by spacecraft for close maneuvering, rendezvous and docking missions. Four of these are discussed below.
Method 1. The glideslope algorithm is a popular method of approaching another spacecraft. In this method the range rate is kept proportional to the range. When the range is zero the range rate is zero. The initial range rate/range ratio can be any desired. This algorithm cannot deal with stayout zones or obstacles, thus these must be handled in an ad hoc fashion. In addition, it does not allow for orbiting the target.
Method 2. Another method is the rbar or vbar approach. Vbar is the axis along the velocity vector and rbar is the axis along the position vector to the Earth. Approaches are made along either of these axes. However, this method also does not account for stayout zones or obstacles. As with the glideslope algorithm, this method does not handle orbiting the target.
Method 3. A method developed by Miller that can handle trajectory constraints such as obstacles and stayout zones is parametric programming and model predictive control, which finds the optimal control inputs as a piecewise affine function of the states. Most computation is performed off-line thus reducing the on-line computation to a simple table lookup. The solution found off-line is an exact solution, the equivalent of solving an open-loop optimal control problem over a finite horizon at each time step. However, even though the computation is offline it still must be done on the flight processor. In addition, obstacles may change during the approach which means this computationally intensive procedure must in practice be done in real-time.
Method 4. Another method developed by Zhao and Yang employs a 4-dimensional search space with 3 spatial and 1 temporal coordinate. Obstacles and potential conflicts are represented by several basic shapes and linear combinations of these shapes. Mathematical conditions are developed for a given point as well as a trajectory segment between two points to be outside of an obstacle. The A* search technique is used to obtain trajectory solutions in which successor trajectory points are selected that both avoid obstacles and satisfy dynamic motion constraints of the vehicle. A linear combination of flight distance and time is optimized. This algorithm is able to generate flight trajectories rapidly and has the potential to be used in real-time. However, the used of simple geometric shapes as the basis for obstacles is a major limitation of this approach. In addition it has no provision for non-uniform node spacing and generation.


1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to text messaging communications, and more particularly, to graphical expression during text messaging communications.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Text messaging refers to the exchange of brief written messages over a network between phones and/or computing devices. Mobile instant messaging (MIM) technology extends text messaging service accessibility to mobile computing platforms (e.g., standard mobile phones, smartphones, and electronic tablets). With MIM technology, instant messaging services can be accessed from computing devices, including standard mobile phones and smartphones using a myriad of operating systems.
In text messaging, whether fixed-line or mobile, real-time text messages are communicated directly between individuals using computing devices (e.g., personal computers or mobile phones). Two types of text messaging are instant messaging and online chat. Although qualitatively similar, instant messaging is used in common parlance to refer to communications between known users (e.g., using a contact list or a friend list) whereas online chat is used to refer to communications among anonymous users in a multi-user environment.
Both instant messaging and online chat use a push-based style of internet communication. As with email, a user types in text that is transferred over a network (e.g., the Internet) to another user. Text messages between users are perceived to be quasi-synchronous—that is, to occur nearly simultaneously. This near-simultaneity is due to a push-based style of interne communication (i.e., communications are “pushed” to recipients by a central server when received) which allows immediate acknowledgement of, or reply to a message and makes text messaging an efficient and effective means of communication between users.
One inherent limitation of text messages is that each message is limited to 160 bytes of data (although some providers reserve some of those bytes for service use), or approximately 160 alphanumeric characters of the English alphabet. This size limitation severely restricts the type of data that can be transmitted via text message. As a result, graphical expression in text messages has been limited to one or more textual emoticon composed of alphanumeric symbols (e.g., a colon and a right parenthesis to symbolize a happy face, or a smiley face included within a font set), an attached graphic image file (e.g., a .GIF file of a winking smiley face or a flash animation of kissing lips), or a simple descriptive statement of an imaginary graphic action (“John has thrown a cow at you.”). Because these graphical options are limited, the ability to effectively express emotion within text messages is minimal, at best.
Prior art messaging systems do allow the user to upload a personal picture and/or a tag phrase (or sentence) to his profile which is/are seen by other users during messaging sessions. The personal picture and tag phrase offer the user an opportunity to express a snapshot of his thoughts and/or mental state—at least from the instant in time that the profile was created—to others with whom he is communicating. Current messaging systems, at most, have the capacity to allow the user to change his associated profile picture during the text messaging session. Although the user can change his profile picture to express a different state or impression, the change is implemented by uploading a new picture outside of the text messaging session.


In general, a hybrid electric vehicle (HEV) is a vehicle that uses two types of power sources together, and the two types of power sources are typically an engine and an electric motor. Such a hybrid vehicle has excellent fuel efficiency and power performance and is advantageous in that the amount of exhaust emissions is reduced compared to a vehicle having only an internal combustion engine, and thus has been actively developed in recent years.
FIG. 1 illustrates an exemplary structure of a powertrain of a general hybrid vehicle.
Referring to FIG. 1, the powertrain of the hybrid vehicle adopts a parallel-type hybrid system, in which an electric motor (or a drive motor) 140 and an engine clutch (EC) 130 are mounted between an internal combustion engine (ICE) 110 and a transmission 150. In particular, since the electric motor 140 is mounted close to the transmission 150, the powertrain system of the hybrid vehicle may also be referred to as a transmission-mounted-electric-device-type (TMED-type) system.
Typically, when a driver depresses an accelerator pedal after starting the vehicle, the motor 140 is first driven using the electrical power of a high-voltage battery 160 in the state in which the engine clutch 130 is opened, and wheels are moved by the power transferred from the motor to a final drive (FD) (not shown) via the transmission 150 (i.e. an EV mode). When a greater driving force is required due to the gradual acceleration of the vehicle, the engine 110 may be driven by operating an auxiliary motor (or a starter/generator motor) 120.
Thus, when the number of revolutions per minute of the engine 110 and the number of revolutions per minute of the motor 140 are equal to each other, the engine clutch 130 is engaged so that the vehicle is driven by both the engine 110 and the motor 140 or by only the engine 110 (i.e. transition from the EV mode to an HEV mode). When a predetermined engine-off condition, such as the deceleration of the vehicle, is satisfied, the engine clutch 130 is opened and the engine 110 is stopped (i.e. transition from the HEV mode to the EV mode). In such a hybrid vehicle, a battery may be charged by converting the driving force of the wheels into electrical energy when a braking operation is performed, which is referred to as braking energy regeneration or regenerative braking.
The starter/generator motor 120 serves as a starter motor when the engine is started, and also serves as a generator when the rotational energy of the engine is recovered after starting or when starting off. Therefore, the starter/generator motor 120 may be referred to as a “hybrid starter generator (HSG)”, or may also be referred to as an “auxiliary motor” in some cases.
Describing the HSG 120 and the electric motor 140 in terms of current flow, the high-voltage battery 160 outputs a DC voltage, and an inverter 180 appropriately converts the DC voltage into an AC voltage in accordance with a torque command and a rotational speed of the electric motor 140. The converted AC voltage is supplied to the electric motor 140 and the HSG 120 so as to drive the vehicle or start the engine. The inverter 180 also converts the counter electromotive force of the electric motor 140 and the HSG 120 due to the driving force of the traveling vehicle or regenerative braking into a DC voltage so as to charge the high-voltage battery 160.
Hereinafter, the flow of high-voltage energy depending on whether the electric motor is performing a charge or discharge operation will be described with reference to FIG. 2.
FIG. 2 is a view schematically illustrating the flow of energy depending on the operation of the electric motor in a general hybrid vehicle.
Referring to FIG. 2, in the hybrid vehicle, when the electric motor 140 operates in a discharge mode, electrical energy for driving is transferred from the battery 160 to the electrical motor 140 via the inverter 180. When the electric motor 140 operates in a charge mode, charge energy, which is generated by the electrical motor 140, is transferred to the battery 160 via the inverter 180.
On the assumption that the electric motor 140 rotates at a constant speed in the positive (+) direction, the motor torque has a positive (+) value in the discharge mode for generating driving force, and has a negative (−) value in the charge mode.
However, at some operating points of the motor, the loss of energy may be larger than the charge energy generated by electricity generation due to loss in the energy transfer path, including copper loss of the motor. A driver expects that the battery will be charged whenever regenerative braking is performed, but in practice there is a problem in that the battery may be discharged depending on the operating point of the motor.


1. Technical Field
Various embodiments of the present invention relate to a data storage device and an operating method thereof.
2. Related Art
Recently, the computing environment paradigm has converted to ubiquitous computing so that computer systems can be used anytime and anywhere. Due to this fact, the use of portable electronic devices such as mobile phones, digital cameras, and notebook computers has rapidly increased. In general, such portable electronic devices use a data storage device having a memory device. The data storage device is used as a main memory device or an auxiliary memory device of the portable electronic devices.
A data storage device using a memory device provides advantages of excellent stability and durability, fast information access, and low power consumption. Data storage devices having such advantages include universal serial bus (USB) memory devices, memory cards having various interfaces, universal flash storage (UFS) devices, and solid-state drives (SSD).
As large capacity files such as audio files and video files are used in portable electronic devices, data storage devices need to have large storage capacities. Therefore, the data storage device includes a plurality of memory devices. To efficiently control or access the memory devices, the data storage device may set memory regions of the respective memory devices as access units.


The use of payment cards, such as credit cards, debit cards, and pre-paid cards, has become ubiquitous. Most payment card accounts have one or more associated physical cards; however, the use of non-traditional payment devices, such as appropriately-configured “smart” cellular telephones, is increasing.
Tax-advantaged financial accounts of various kinds are quite prevalent. One non-limiting example includes a flexible spending account (FSA), also known as a flexible spending arrangement, which allows an employee to set aside a portion of earnings, pre-tax, to pay for qualified expenses such as medical, dependent care, or the like. Another non-limiting example is a health savings account (HSA), which is a tax-advantaged medical savings account available to taxpayers in the United States who are enrolled in a high-deductible health plan (HDHP).


1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to toys and accessories therefor, and more specifically to an apparatus for filling toy balloons with a liquid such as water.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Toy balloons are typically made from latex rubber or similar expandable material, and are usually filled with air or other gas for use as a toy or decoration. Alternatively, many users desire to fill their balloons with water or other liquid so they may use them as "water balloons", which can then be thrown to intentionally break or "explode" upon impact with a target as such as the ground, or an unfortunate playmate. It is the process of filling these water balloons with water that is the subject of this invention.
Most users fill a water balloon by expanding the balloon opening (neck) over a sink faucet, hose bib, drinking fountain, or other pressurized water supply fitting. The user then opens the water supply valve so that the pressurized water fills the balloon with water to the desired volume, whereupon the user closes the water supply valve, removes the filled balloon from the fitting, and ties off and seals the neck of the water balloon for play.
However, many play areas do not have access to a supply of water under pressure, making it difficult if not impossible to fill water balloons. For example, while swimming pools, creeks, lakes, oceans, and other bodies of water make ideal locations for water balloon play, it is difficult to fill the balloons with water for lack of a pressurized water supply.


Thermal imaging or thermography is a recording process wherein images are generated by the use of imagewise modulated thermal energy.
In thermography two approaches are known:
1. Direct thermal formation of a visible image pattern by imagewise heating of a recording material containing matter that by chemical or physical process changes colour or optical density.
2. Formation of a visible image pattern by transfer of a coloured species from an imagewise heated donor element onto a receptor element.
A survey of "direct thermal" imaging methods is given in the book "Imaging Systems" by Kurt I. Jacobson-Ralph E. Jacobson, The Focal Press--London and New York (1976), Chapter VII under the heading "7.1 Thermography". Thermography is concerned with materials which are not photosensitive, but are heat sensitive. Imagewise applied heat is sufficient to bring about a visible change in a thermosensitive imaging material.
According to a direct thermal embodiment operating by physical change, a recording material is used which contains a coloured support or support coated with a coloured layer which itself is overcoated with an opaque white light reflecting layer that can fuse to a clear, transparent state wherein the coloured support is no longer masked. Physical thermographic systems operating with such kind of recording material are described on pages 136 and 137 of the above mentioned book of Kurt I. Jacobson et al.
Yet most of the "direct" thermographic recording materials are of the chemical type. On heating to a certain conversion temperature, an irreversible chemical reaction takes place and a coloured image is produced.
It has been suggested to use a thermoreducable silver source in combination with a reducing agent in a direct thermal film in order to increase the optical density in transmission of a printed image (see EP-A-537.795). Although continuous tones can be obtained by said printing method, the gradation produced by said printing method is too high resulting in only a few intermediate density levels. Fluctuations in the heat transfer from the heat source to the printing material result in a density difference of the final image. Thus, it is extremely difficult to obtain images having a uniform density profile. A direct thermal printing method moreover has the disadvantage that in the non-image places the co-reactants always remains unchanged, impairing the shelf-life and preservability.
Thermal dye transfer printing is a recording method wherein a dye-donor element is used that is provided with a dye layer wherefrom dyed portions or incorporated dye is transferred onto a contacting receiving element by the application of heat in a pattern normally controlled by electronic information signals.
In European Patent Application No. 94200612.3, a thermal imaging process is provided using
(i) a donor element comprising on a support a donor layer containing a binder and a thermotransferable reducing agent capable of reducing a silver source to metallic silver upon heating and (ii) a receiving element comprising on a support a receiving layer comprising a silver source capable of being reduced by means of heat in the presence of a reducing agent, said thermal imaging process comprising the steps of
bringing said donor layer of said donor element into face to face relationship with said receiving layer of said receiving element, PA1 image-wise heating a thus obtained assemblage by means of a thermal head, thereby causing image-wise transfer of an amount of said thermotransferable reducing agent to said receiving element in accordance with the amount of heat supplied by said thermal head and PA1 separating said donor element from said receiving element. PA1 bringing said donor layer of said donor element into face to face relationship with said receiving layer of said receiving element, PA1 image-wise heating a thus obtained assemblage preferably by means of a thermal head, thereby causing image-wise transfer of an amount of said thermotransferable reducing agents to said receiving element in accordance with the amount of heat supplied and PA1 separating said donor element from said receiving element.
This printing method is further referred to as `reducing agent transfer printing` or `RTP`.
However, the stability of the donor element in said European Patent Application has been found to be poor. More particularly, the reducing agent tends to crystallize in the donor layer. As a result of this crystallization during storage, transfer of reducing agent is seen during printing, even on places where no heat has been applied by the thermal head. This leads to a printing fog in the final image. This problem is especially seen when a high amount of reducing agent is used in the donor layer. This high concentration is necessary to obtain high optical densities of the final printed image (above 2.0-2.5).
Moreover, the neutral hue of the grey scale of the printed image is dependent on the choice of a specific reducing agent. It is extremely difficult to find reducing agents that yield a neutral grey-tone (e.g. for medical diagnostics). It has also been found that the reducing agent shows the disadvantage after transfer that the oxidation product of the reducing agent tends to crystallize in the receiving element, giving rise to `white dust` at the surface of the print after storage.


1. Technical Field
This invention relates to knee braces more particularly to a securing apparatus to immobilize the knee joint of a human. In therapeutic treatment of the knee which includes surgery and joint replacement it is often required to stabilize the knee there after to unload the effective ligaments to impart medial and lateral stability to the knee for a precise period of time for healing.
2. Description of Prior Art
Prior art devices of this type have been used to stabilize and immobilize the knee are directed to a variety of knee brace configurations which are secured to the leg above and below the knee with a mechanical support linkage there between, see for example U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,407,276, 5,135,469, 5,823,931, 5,873,847, 6,461,318.
An articulated knee brace is illustrated in U.S. Pat. No. 4,407,276 illustrating an upper and lower leg engagement cuff with bi-lateral interconnecting elastic strap and a knee pad extending over the expose knee cup.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,135,469 is directed to a post surgical knee brace which incrementally is adjustable. The brace has pairs of upper and lower struts interconnected by a pair of oppositely disposed ratio-swing hinges which allow for incremental angularly bi-lateral adjustments.
A knee brace is described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,823,931 in which an upper and lower leg engagement arms are secured to the leg above and below the knee. A bisymmetric hinge interconnects the arms and has a pair of attachment levers extending there from, each with its own pivot access in vertically aligned and spaced relation to one another.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,561,318 claims an anatomical brace with rapid release securement members for protecting a uniform pivoting joint is disposed between the respective limb engagement members.
An orthopedic splint can be seen in U.S. Pat. No. 5,873,847 disclosing a pair of end plates interconnected by continuous adjustable straps to limit flexing and extension with a spring to pre-load same.
Exhibit A and B are set forth below illustrating catalog sheets which refer to the prior art disclosure.
Exhibit A is a catalog sheet from Alimed, Inc., page BQ53 illustrates a number of different immobilizer/and stabilization devices for knees having a variety of posterior medial and lateral stops with contoured leg wraps and adjustable bi-lateral hinge assemblies.
Exhibit B is a catalog sheet from PEL illustrating a number of default knee immobilizers utilizing wrap around fabric panels with interdisposed splints and deformable support stays as an example of the currently available immobilizations in the market place.


This section is intended to provide a background or context to the invention that is recited in the claims. The description herein may include concepts that could be pursued, but are not necessarily ones that have been previously conceived or pursued. Therefore, unless otherwise indicated herein, what is described in this section is not prior art to the description and claims in this application and is not admitted to be prior art by inclusion in this section.
In recent years digital imaging cameras have been commonly used as imaging devices for photographing subjects. A conventional digital camera (such as a digital still camera or digital video camera) generally acquires an image by using an imaging element or the like, and records the image as digital image data in an internal memory or integrated circuit card provided inside the camera. In an imaging device such as the above-described digital imaging camera, a lens is provided for the purpose of focusing a subject image onto the imaging element with the subject is being photographed. By controlling a focusing of the lens, a focusing distance can be aligned with the subject being photographed.
To address a wide spectrum of customer needs, mobile phones are rapidly converging into multi-purpose devices that incorporate multiple different products including digital imaging cameras. Digital imaging cameras nowadays are often seen as an integrated part of any mobile phone. However, the digital imaging features of these camera phones are mostly less functional and reliable than their counterparts, stand-alone digital imaging cameras. To address this gap of functionality and reliability, camera phones manufacturers strive to offer more sophisticated features and technological know-how to ensure high quality photo images with the digital imaging features of their phones.
One important feature to be included in a camera system is autofocus (AF). The AF feature is designed to allow a user of the camera system to obtain a correct focus of a subject of particular interest without manually adjusting the lens focal length.
All automatic focusing algorithms can be divided into two broad categories: active and passive. While active AF can be achieved using the external sensors (e.g. infrared), many consumer-level digital and cell phone cameras utilize passive AF. Passive AF is used to determine the correct focus of an image by using contrast or image sharpness measurements of the image. It can be understood that these measurements for AF may be performed for one or several respective areas or windows of the image.
Generally, a passive AF is performed utilizing an AF algorithm to calculate a measurement of image sharpness or focus corresponding to the image in order to determine a best in-focus setting. The in-focus setting is usually found by choosing a respective lens position where the image sharpness or focus is maximal. Then the determined in-focus setting can be used for an AF of the image.
It is noted that the operation of the AF techniques of the prior art digital cameras may deviate in their details somewhat from the description given above. However, it can be realized that prior art AF systems, such as the ones mentioned above, may be subject to certain limitations. These limitations can become apparent for certain cases, such as for cases where a resulting calculation of an image sharpness or focus does not correspond to a particular setting of the image, or where a condition of the subject or the camera interferes with the abilities of the AF system. Some of these limitations are described below in non-limiting terms.
According to the numerous surveys, a highly frequent use of cameras in mobile devices is portrait imaging. Portrait imaging may be seen as the photographing of a single person or a group of people at a shorter distance, such as 1.5-3 meters, set to a more distant background which may constitute contrasting scenery. In a portrait image the single person or group of people of the image may be smaller parts of the image in comparison to the scenery. As such, a problem can exist where an AF technique, such as the passive AF technique as described above, may not choose the best in-focus position desired for the photograph.
In addition, it is common that while a photograph is being taken the image lighting may be low which may tend, among other things, to render parts of the image less distinguishable from other parts of the image, thus effecting an AF. Further, it is a common occurrence that during an AF the camera may inadvertently move during a photograph due to a shaking of a hand holding the camera and/or a movement of the subject being photographed. These common occurrences can subsequently lead to inaccuracies in an AF process.
Exemplary embodiments of the invention address potential AF problems, such as the ones mentioned above by example.


Excavating tooth assemblies provided on digging equipment such as excavating buckets or the like typically comprise a relatively massive adapter portion which is suitably anchored to the forward bucket lip and has a reduced cross-section, forwardly projecting nose portion, and a replaceable tooth point having formed through a rear end thereof a pocket opening that releasably receives the adapter nose. To captively retain the point on the adapter nose, aligned transverse openings are formed through these interengageable elements adjacent the rear end of the point, and a device commonly referred to as a flex pin or locking pin is driven into these openings.
While locking pins have a variety of configurations, a widely used version, as representatively illustrated in U.S. Pat. No. 3,526,049 to Nichols and U.S. Pat. No. 3,685,178 to Ratkowski, typically comprises elongated, straight metal locking and wedge members which are laterally spaced apart and intersecured by an elongated central elastomeric element. As the locking pin is being driven into the aligned point and adapter nose openings, the elastomeric element is compressed and, when the pin is driven to its installed position, laterally urges a detent portion formed on one of the two metal portions of the point into engagement with a suitably configured portion of the adapter nose to captively retain the flex pin within the point and adapter openings. With the flex pin in its operative position within such openings, the elastomeric element is in a state of partial compression, rear surfaces of the tooth point openings bear against opposite end portions of the locking member, and a forward surface of the adapter nose opening bears against a longitudinally central portion of the wedge member. Forwardly directed tooth point removal forces encountered during the excavating process cause the tooth point to be driven forwardly relative to the adapter to thereby move the locking member closer to the elastomeric element, the opposite ends of the locking member preventing forward removal of the tooth point.
Two primary problems and disadvantages are present in this type of conventional flex pin construction--each of which is related to failure of the central elastomeric element. First, as the flex pin is being driven into the aligned tooth point and adapter nose openings the locking and wedge members tend to be moved longitudinally relative to one another. Thus, if the driving-in process is not carefully performed, this relative longitudinal movement can easily shear the elastomeric element, thereby mining the flex pin. Secondly, excessive forwardly directed tooth point removal loads can laterally move the locking member close enough to the wedge member to overcompress and thereby split the elastomeric element.
Various attempts have previously been made to better protect the critical central elastomeric portion of the flex pin by altering the essentially straight configuration of the locking and wedge member portions utilized in flex pin structures such as those depicted in the Nichols and Ratkowski patents. One such proposed solution, as exemplified in U.S. Pat. No. 4,192,089 to Schwappach and U.S. Pat. No. 4,446,638 to Novotny et al., is to form a central lateral recess in a front side portion of the locking member and to shorten the wedge member so that it is laterally movable into such recess against the resilient force of the central elastomeric element. With the elastomeric element in an uncompressed condition the opposite ends of the wedge member underlie the opposite end surfaces of the recess so that as the flex pin is being driven into the point and adapter openings one of the wedge member ends is driven into engagement with its adjacent recess end surface. This limits the relative longitudinal travel between the locking and wedge members to thereby limit the shear stress imposed upon the elastomeric element.
In an attempt to similarly limit the lateral compressive stress imposed on the elastomeric element, the maximum distance which the wedge member may be laterally moved into the locking member recess is limited to a distance less than the front-to-rear thickness of the elastomeric element by causing opposite end portions of the wedge member to rigidly engage portions of the locking member during travel of the wedge member into the locking member recess. In the Schwappach patent this inward travel limitation is achieved by forming on the opposite wedge member ends rearwardly directed projections which are engageable with the rear side surface of the locking recess. In the Novotny et al patent a similar result is achieved by forming forwardly facing shoulders posited adjacent opposite ends of the recess which are adapted to rigidly engage opposite end portions of the wedge member during its lateral travel into the recess. Somewhat similar schemes for protecting elastomeric flex pin portions are evidenced in U.S. Pat. No. 2,927,387 to Drover and U.S. Pat. No. 3,126,654 to Eyolfson et at.
While this conventional method of limiting lateral compression of the elastomeric element represents an improvement over somewhat simpler flex pin structures such as those depicted in the Nichols and Ratkowski patents, it creates significant structural problems in the wedge member. Specifically, when the wedge member is moved to its "stopped" position within the locking member recess a large rigid bending load is imposed thereon by the forward surface of the adapter nose opening which bears against a central rear side portion of the wedge member. To adequately strengthen the wedge member against such bending load it is necessary to appropriately increase its front-to-rear thickness. This thickening, in turn, typically requires that undesirable design modifications be made to one or all of the elastomeric elements, the locking member and the adapter nose opening.
Specifically, it is well known that the overall strength of an adapter nose is, generally speaking, inversely proportional to the size of the flex pin opening formed therethrough. Thus, if it is desired to maintain a given front-to-rear length of the adapter nose opening, the necessary thickening of the wedge member requires that the front-to-rear thickness of one or both of the elastomeric element and the locking member be correspondingly reduced. Reducing the thickness of the locking member, of course, structurally weakens the flex pin, while reducing the thickness of the elastomeric element reduces the resiliency of the flex pin and the potential lateral travel between its rigid elements. Of course, neither of these results is desirable.
If, on the other hand, the front-to-rear thickness of the elastomeric element and the locking member are maintained, the thickening of the wedge member requires that the front-to-rear length of the adapter nose opening be correspondingly increased. This, of course, undesirably weakens the adapter nose.
Therefore, a need exists for a locking pin which eliminates the use of an elastomeric element altogether. Such a locking pin would not experience the problems of dimensional limitations due to the thickness of the elastomeric element. Nor would it be limited to environments safe for elastomeric materials. A need exists for a one-piece locking pin, thereby eliminating the need to store various elements at the job site. A one-piece design would also limit the risk of error in installing the locking pin.


1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to an illumination device and a projector. In particular, the present invention relates to an illumination device used for a projector.
2. Related Art
A liquid crystal display device or a digital micromirror device (DMD) that is used for a spatial light modulation device in a projector has a characteristic in that luminance of an image is substantially regulated during one frame period of an image signal.
In the case in which a hold-type spatial light modulation device is used, a motion image response may be degraded due to a motion image blurring occurring at the time at when motion images are displayed.
In order to desirably obtain the motion image response, an impulse-type display method can be applied, in that a display light is generated during a period sufficiently shorter than the one frame period.
In the case of the hold-type spatial light modulation device, the impulse-type display method is performed by controlling the spatial light modulation device or by intermittent illumination that intermittently applies illumination light.
In such impulse-type display methods, the impulse-type display method due to the intermittent illumination is excellent in that the efficiency of illumination is not degraded and the dynamic range of the spatial light modulation device is not narrow.
Conventionally, as disclosed in, for example, Japanese Unexamined Patent Application, First Publication No. 2000-275604 and Japanese Unexamined Patent Application, First Publication No. 2004-325576, the technique in which the impulse-type display method is performed by the intermittent illumination of the spatial light modulation device is suggested.
In the technique in Japanese Unexamined Patent Application, First Publication No. 2000-275604, back lights formed on each illumination region are controlled so as to illuminate or turn off.
In this technique, there is an advantage in that it is possible to improve the motion image response due to controlling the illumination light.
In the case of using back lights, it is difficult to adjust each of the back lights in which the dispersion of the amount of illumination or deterioration of illumination with time occur.
In an optical system including a light source and a spatial light modulation device, a special expansion in a space in which a luminous flux exists is shown by the product of the emission area and radiation angle (etendue, Geometrical Extent).
Since the etendue is restricted, it is difficult to efficiently utilize the light emitted from the light source depending on increasing the emission area due to arraying the light sources.
In Japanese Unexamined Patent Application, First Publication No. 2004-325576, the illumination light is scanned onto a projection surface of the spatial light modulation device.
In the impulse-type display method, though the motion image response can be improved, a flicker of the images on the display is easily generated.
The flicker is easily noticed by a viewer, especially, in the case of displaying a still image on the display.
In Japanese Unexamined Patent Application, First Publication No. 2004-325576, since it is impossible to select scanning or non-scanning in accordance with images, it is difficult to suppress the occurrence of flicker.
As described above, though a high efficiency of illumination and a desirable motion image response can be obtained, there is the problem in that it is difficult to suppress the occurrence of flicker.