Abstract: Manufacturing and assembly of a shoe or a portion of a shoe is enhanced by automated placement and assembly of shoe parts. For example, a part-recognition system analyzes an image of a shoe part to identify the part and determine a location of the part. Once the part is identified and located, the part can be manipulated by an automated manufacturing tool.

Abstract: Aspects relate to systems, methods, and apparatus for a manufacturing tool. The manufacturing tool is comprised of a vacuum tool and an ultrasonic welder as a unified manufacturing tool. The manufacturing tool may be used to pick and position a manufacturing part that is then welded with the associated ultrasonic welder.

Abstract: An ultrasonic imaging device includes an ultrasonic generating unit and an ultrasonic imaging processing unit. The ultrasonic generating unit repeatedly turns on N of M ultrasonic array elements of the ultrasonic probe multiple times as a group of array elements for linear scanning, and each scan is to emit an ultrasonic signal by each group of array elements and receive an echo signal of the ultrasonic signal. The ultrasonic imaging processing unit extracts a central echo signal from the echo signal in each scan to form a channel signal, and according to the arrival time of the echo signals, each central echo signal in the channel signal is delayed and summed to generate a modified channel signal. The modified channel signal is subjected to image synthesis process to obtain an ultrasonic image.

Abstract: Manufacturing and assembly of a shoe or a portion of a shoe is enhanced by automated placement and assembly of shoe parts. For example, a part-recognition system analyzes an image of a shoe part to identify the part and determine a location of the part. Once the part is identified and located, the part can be manipulated by an automated manufacturing tool.

Abstract: A control method for a power convert is disclosed. The power convert uses an active-clamp flyback topology and has low-side and high-side switches. The low-side switch is switched to generate consecutive switching cycles including a modified flyback cycle and a normal flyback cycle. Each of the consecutive switching cycles is not less than a blanking time generated in response to a load of the power converter. The high-side switch is constantly turned OFF during the normal flyback cycle. The high-side switch is turned ON after the blanking time during the modified flyback cycle to perform zero-voltage switching for the low-side switch.

Abstract: A tool path for treating a shoe upper may be generated to treat substantially only the surface of the shoe bounded by a bite line. The bite line may be defined to correspond to the junction of the shoe upper and a shoe bottom unit. Bite line data and three-dimensional profile data representing at least a portion of a surface of a shoe upper bounded by a bite line may be utilized in combination to generate a tool path for processing the surface of the upper, such as automated application of adhesive to the surface of a lasted upper bounded by a bite line.

Abstract: Aspects relate to systems, methods, and apparatus for a manufacturing tool. The manufacturing tool is comprised of a vacuum tool and an ultrasonic welder as a unified manufacturing tool. The manufacturing tool may be used to pick and position a manufacturing part that is then welded with the associated ultrasonic welder.

Abstract: A control method for a power convert is disclosed. The power convert uses an active-clamp flyback topology and has low-side and high-side switches. The low-side switch is switched to generate consecutive switching cycles including a modified flyback cycle and a normal flyback cycle. Each of the consecutive switching cycles is not less than a blanking time generated in response to a load of the power converter. The high-side switch is constantly turned OFF during the normal flyback cycle. The high-side switch is turned ON after the blanking time during the modified flyback cycle to perform zero-voltage switching for the low-side switch.

Abstract: A power converter using an active-clamp flyback topology has a low-side switch, a high-side switch and a control circuit. The low-side switch connects a primary winding of a transformer to an input ground line, and the high-side switch is connected in series with a capacitor to form an active-clamp circuit connected in parallel with the primary winding. The control circuit provides high-side and low-side signals to the high-side and the low-side switches respectively, in response to a current-sense signal and a compensation signal. The control circuit is configured to operate the power converter in one of operation modes including a complementary mode and a non-complementary mode. When operated in the complementary mode, the high-side signal and the low-side signal are substantially complementary to each other, and the control circuit exits the complementary mode in response to the current-sense signal to enter the non-complementary mode.

Abstract: The present invention provides systems, methods, and apparatus for a vacuum tool having a switchable plate, such that a common vacuum tool may be adapted with different plates. A switchable plate may form the entirety of the vacuum tool's material contacting surface or a switchable plate may form a portion of the material contacting surface. The vacuum tool is effective for picking and placing one or more manufacturing parts utilizing a vacuum force.

Abstract: A tool path for treating a shoe upper may be generated to treat substantially only the surface of the shoe bounded by a bite line. The bite line may be defined to correspond to the junction of the shoe upper and a shoe bottom unit. Bite line data and three-dimensional profile data representing at least a portion of a surface of a shoe upper bounded by a bite line may be utilized in combination to generate a tool path for processing the surface of the upper, such as automated application of adhesive to the surface of a lasted upper bounded by a bite line.

Abstract: Systems, methods, and apparatus for a vacuum tool having a switchable plate, such that a common vacuum tool may be adapted with different plates. A switchable plate may form the entirety of the vacuum tool's material contacting surface or a switchable plate may form a portion of the material contacting surface. The vacuum tool is effective for picking and placing one or more manufacturing parts utilizing a vacuum force.

Abstract: Systems and methods are provided for collecting three-dimensional surface data of a lasted shoe upper that is mated with a sole that is configured for the lasted upper. The mated three-dimensional data is used with three-dimensional data of the lasted shoe upper in an unmated configuration with the sole to determine a location of an edge defined by the intersection of the lasted upper and the sole when mated. The bite line identifies an edge where the upper and a sole assembly will intersect on a finished shoe, which may represent a bounding line for application of adhesive to the lasted upper for boding the sole thereto.

Abstract: Manufacturing of a shoe is enhanced by creating 3-D models of shoe parts. For example, a laser beam may be projected onto a shoe-part surface, such that a projected laser line appears on the shoe part. An image of the projected laser line may be analyzed to determine coordinate information, which may be converted into geometric coordinate values usable to create a 3-D model of the shoe part. Once a 3-D model is known and is converted to a coordinate system recognized by shoe-manufacturing tools, certain manufacturing steps may be automated.

Abstract: Manufacturing of a shoe is enhanced by creating 3-D models of shoe parts. For example, a laser beam may be projected onto a shoe-part surface, such that a projected laser line appears on the shoe part. An image of the projected laser line may be analyzed to determine coordinate information, which may be converted into geometric coordinate values usable to create a 3-D model of the shoe part. Once a 3-D model is known and is converted to a coordinate system recognized by shoe-manufacturing tools, certain manufacturing steps may be automated.

Abstract: A multi-mode controller applied to a power converter includes a detection range generation module and a gate signal generation unit. The detection range generation module is used for generating a comparison voltage according to a reference current, and generating a detection signal according to the comparison voltage and a first reference voltage. When the detection signal is disabled by a zero-crossing signal, the gate signal generation unit generates a gate control signal corresponding to a quasi-resonant mode of the power converter according to the zero-crossing signal; and when the detection signal is disabled by a continuous-conduction mode signal generated by the detection range generation module according to the comparison voltage and a second reference voltage, the gate signal generation unit generates the gate control signal corresponding to a continuous-conduction mode of the power converter according to the continuous-conduction mode signal.

Abstract: Aspects relate to systems, methods, and apparatus for a manufacturing tool. The manufacturing tool is comprised of a vacuum tool and an ultrasonic welder as a unified manufacturing tool. The manufacturing tool may be used to pick and position a manufacturing part that is then welded with the associated ultrasonic welder.

Abstract: Manufacturing and assembly of a shoe or a portion of a shoe is enhanced by automated placement and assembly of shoe parts. For example, a part-recognition system analyzes an image of a shoe part to identify the part and determine a location of the part. Once the part is identified and located, the part can be manipulated by an automated manufacturing tool.

Abstract: Aspects relate to systems, methods, and apparatus for a manufacturing tool. The manufacturing tool is comprised of a vacuum tool and an ultrasonic welder as a unified manufacturing tool. The manufacturing tool may be used to pick and position a manufacturing part that is then welded with the associated ultrasonic welder.

Abstract: Manufacturing and assembly of a shoe or a portion of a shoe is enhanced by automated placement and assembly of shoe parts. For example, a part-recognition system analyzes an image of a shoe part to identify the part and determine a location of the part. Once the part is identified and located, the part can be manipulated by an automated manufacturing tool.