Abstract: A method of resistance butt welding in which a current-conducting insert is placed into a gap between the parts being welded, axial pressure force is applied and electrical current is passed. The current-conducting insert is a shaped metal insert having cavities filled with a welding flux and is placed in the gap between the parts being welded.

Abstract: A touch responsive capacitive control for a smooth surfaced ceramic cooktop provides a continuously variable control voltage which indicates the last touched position on an elongated control surface. An alternating current potential is applied between a transmitter plate and a pair of receiver plates all of which are positioned below the surface of the cooktop. The relative area of overlap between the touching finger and the two receiver plates varies along the length of the control surface, and the resulting change in the relative currents flowing to the two receiver plates is sensed to provide a position indication used to control the cooktop.

Abstract: A robot control unit for controlling a tandem arc welding system, which has a welding torch, a robot for weaving the welding torch, a leading electrode power supply, and a trailing electrode power supply, includes a leading electrode detection section and a trailing electrode detection section for detecting quantity of welding state during weaving; a leading electrode processing section for calculating amounts of electrical change; a leading electrode correction section for calculating correction amounts for correcting displacement in horizontal and vertical directions from a weld line of a weaving center trajectory based on the amounts of electrical change; a trailing electrode processing section for calculating an amount of electrical change; and a trailing electrode correction section for calculating a correction amount for correcting displacement in a rotational direction from the weld line of the weaving center trajectory based on the amount of electrical change.

Abstract: A welder having an internal shielding gas regulator is disclosed. The welder has an internal gas cylinder and an internal regulator disposed in an enclosure. The welder may be equipped with an auxiliary shielding gas cylinder inlet so that a bulk shielding gas cylinder can be attached thereto and have a flow therefrom regulated by the internal shielding gas regulator. The welder constructed according to the invention is highly transportable, compact, and self-sufficient.

Abstract: A drive roll for advancing a wire is provided. In certain embodiments, the drive roll includes a body having a wire feed portion, a mounting portion, and a central aperture through the body. In one embodiment, the feed portion includes an outer circumferential surface of the drive roll and a plurality of grooves for receiving and advancing various wires, while the mounting portion includes mounting features that are each uniquely associated with only one of the grooves. Various wire feed systems and welding systems are also provided.

Abstract: A resistance spot welder including a first plate, a second plate rotatably connected to the first plate through a shaft and driven on the shaft by an actuator, gun arms removably fixed on and electrically insulated with the first and second plates, and electrode tips confronting each other and fixed on the gun arms.

Abstract: The warming article contains a heating element and a sensing system. The sensing system has a first sensor element being a temperature dependent variable resistor and a second sensor element having at least two resistors in series and corresponding jumpers for one or more resistors in the second sensor element. The first sensor element is linear and flexible and the second sensor element is used to adjust the total sensor resistance to a fixed value at a particular temperature.

Abstract: An apparatus for forming a bag assembly includes opposing die members. Each die member has a perimeter-welding portion for forming a perimeter-weld of the bag assembly and a tube-welding portion for forming a tube-weld of the bag. During operation, first the perimeter-welding and tube-welding portions weld the bag assembly simultaneously, then the perimeter-welding portions are moved to increase the distance between them. When the perimeter-welding portions are moved apart, welding by the perimeter-welding portions is generally suspended while welding by the tube-welding portions may continue.

Abstract: A robot welding controller and a robot welding control. It comprises a robot having a welding torch at its tip, a robot controller, a wire feeder, and a welding electric power. It performs welding by moving the welding torch on the basis of a commanded welding line. A contact detecting section detects contact of the wire and the base material. A feed direction switching section switches feed directions of the wire. An arc generation detecting section detects that an arc is generated between the wire and the base material. A waveform control section controls electric power waveforms of plural shapes applied between the wire and the base material. A welding sequence section controls the operations of the contact detecting section, the feed direction switching section, the arc generation detecting section and the waveform control section in block.

Abstract: A system and method, in certain embodiments, sets an output polarity based on a selected process. The system and method may be used to operate a variety of equipment, such as welders, cutters, tools and so forth. In some embodiments, the system and method may include receiving an input signal and configuring circuitry to output power with a given polarity based on the input signal.

Abstract: A CMOS image sensor having two ASPs can reduce increasing design difficulty as arising from a pixel array becoming larger and larger. The image sensor includes a selection circuit for transmitting outputs of CDS circuits through four divided buses to reduce parasitic loading and achieve high-speed operation. Then, the selecting circuit transmits red and blue pixels to a first ASP, and transmits green pixels to a second ASP, so as to relax the specification requirements of the ASP.

Abstract: The present invention relates to an An image processing apparatus which can restore, from a color and sensitivity mosaic image acquired using a CCD image sensor of the single plate type or the like, a color image signal of a wide dynamic range wherein the sensitivity characteristics of pixels are uniformized and each of the pixels has all of a plurality of color components is provided. A sensitivity uniformization section uniformizes the sensitivities of pixels of a color and sensitivity mosaic image to produce a color mosaic image, and a color interpolation section interpolates color components of the pixels of the color mosaic image M to produce output images R, G and B. The present invention image processing apparatus can be applied to a digital camera which converts a picked up optical image into a color image signal of a wide dynamic range.

Abstract: The present invention relates to an image processing apparatus which can restore, from a color and sensitivity mosaic image acquired using a CCD image sensor of the single plate type or the like, a color image signal of a wide dynamic range wherein the sensitivity characteristics of pixels are uniformized and each of the pixels has all of a plurality of color components. A sensitivity uniformization section uniformizes the sensitivities of pixels of a color and sensitivity mosaic image to produce a color mosaic image, and a color interpolation section interpolates color components of the pixels of the color mosaic image M to produce output images R, G and B. The present invention can be applied to a digital camera which converts a picked up optical image into a color image signal of a wide dynamic range.

Abstract: Methods for determining a quality of a light source applied to a photolithographic process are provided. An image sensor array is exposed to a light from a light source. Addresses and respective intensities corresponding to a plurality of locations on a pupil map representing intensity of the light from on the image sensor array. At least one of an inner curve and an outer curve of the pupil map is defined based upon the collected addresses and respective intensities. The light source is applied to a photolithographic process if the addresses have a predetermined pattern relative to the at least one of the inner curve and the outer curve.

Abstract: Methods for determining a quality of a light source applied to a photolithographic process are provided. An image sensor array is exposed to a light from a light source. Addresses and respective intensities corresponding to a plurality of locations on a pupil map representing intensity of the light from on the image sensor array. At least one of an inner curve and an outer curve of the pupil map is defined based upon the collected addresses and respective intensities. The light source is applied to a photolithographic process if the addresses have a predetermined pattern relative to the at least one of the inner curve and the outer curve.

Abstract: The present embodiment provides a refrigerator. The refrigerator according to the present embodiment includes A refrigerator includes a cabinet having a storage space, a door opening and closing the storage space, the door including a panel member forming at least a portion of the exterior of the door of the refrigerator, an inner case of which at least portion is spaced from the panel, a deco member that connects the panel member and the inner case, a display case provided at one side of the panel member, insulating material filled in space between the panel member and the inner case, and a display unit mounted on the display case after the filling of the insulating material is completed. The display case may include a pressure part that pressurizes the display unit toward the panel member. A mounting guide may guide a location of a unit guide of the display unit.

Abstract: A method is provided for encoding multiple microphone signals into a composite source-separable audio (SSA) signal, conducive for transmission over a voice network. The embodiments enable the processing of source separation of the target voice signal from its ambient sound to be performed at any point in the voice communication network, including the internet cloud. A multiplicity of processing is possible over the SSA signal, based on the intended voice application. The level of processing is adapted with the availability of the processing power at the chosen processing node in the network in one embodiment. An apparatus for separating out the target source voice from its ambient sound is also provided. The apparatus includes a directed source separation (DSS) unit, which processes the two virtual microphone signals in the SSA representation, to generate a new SSA signal including the enhanced target voice and the enhanced ambient noise.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for reducing the cost of long distance phone calls is disclosed. Accordingly, an originating phone network is operatively connected to a first intermediate point, and a receiving phone network is operatively connected to a second intermediate point. Each intermediate point is operatively connected to communicate via a data network. Users on the originating and destination phone networks may communicate based on virtual numbers. The virtual number is preferably within the local calling area of the originating phone network. The first and second intermediate points route calls to any geographic location, regardless of distance, over the data network based on the virtual number. This provides the advantage of allowing a user on the originating phone network to access a user at a distant location for a price that is substantially similar to the price of a local call.

Abstract: A vehicle is provided that includes one or more wheels positioned at a bottom side of the vehicle. The vehicle also includes a first light detection and ranging device (LIDAR) positioned at a top side of the vehicle opposite to the bottom side. The first LIDAR is configured to scan an environment around the vehicle based on rotation of the first LIDAR about an axis. The first LIDAR has a first resolution. The vehicle also includes a second LIDAR configured to scan a field-of-view of the environment that extends away from the vehicle along a viewing direction of the second LIDAR. The second LIDAR has a second resolution. The vehicle also includes a controller configured to operate the vehicle based on the scans of the environment by the first LIDAR and the second LIDAR.

Abstract: The present embodiment provides a refrigerator. The refrigerator according to the present embodiment A refrigerator includes a panel member forming at least a portion of the exterior of the refrigerator, an inner case of which at least portion is spaced from the panel, a display case provided at one side of the panel member, insulating material filled in space between the panel member and the inner case, and a display unit mounted on the display case after the filling of the insulating material is completed.