Abstract: One embodiment of the present invention relates to a method for teaching music to one or more students. The instructor's manual operation of a musical instrument controls in real-time the illumination of guide lamps on each student's musical instrument. This allows the students to visually connect the note to be played with the instructor's verbal instruction and then play the visually indicated note without having to look up at the instructor or a distant display. In another embodiment, the instructor's manual operation of his musical instrument provides a score display of the played note on each student's musical instrument. The students can visually connect the played note with the musical notation on the score display. Remote teaching over a communication network is also described as well as a removable interface for the musical instrument to assist in teaching and use of the instrument.

Abstract: A tone control device applied to an electronic wind instrument realizes an octave-changeover-blowing technique in which the same note is produced with different octaves respectively by use of the same fingering state, thus increasing controllable ranges with regard to the tone volume, tone color, and tone pitch. A plurality of flow sensors are arranged in proximity to an edge with which a jet flow caused by blowing air into a blow hole of a lip plate collides within a tube of a wind instrument controller simulating an air-reed instrument. The flow sensors are horizontally arranged to detect a jet width, thus controlling the tone volume; and the flow sensors are vertically arranged to detect a jet eccentricity or a jet thickness, thus controlling the tone color. Ascending or descending of the tone pitch by octaves is controlled by use of the flow sensor and a jet length sensor.

Abstract: An electronic signal processor for processing signals includes a complex first filter, one or more gain stages and a second filter. The first filter is characterized by a frequency response curve that includes multiple corner frequencies, with some corner frequencies being user selectable. The first filter also has at least two user-preset gain levels which may be alternately selected by a switch. Lower frequency signals are processed by the first filter with at least 12 db/octave slope, and preferably with 18 db/octave slope to minimize intermodulation distortion products by subsequent amplification in the gain stages. A second filter provides further filtering and amplitude control. The signal processor is particularly suited for processing audio frequency signals.

Abstract: In one embodiment, a solar cell module comprises a plurality of solar cells interconnected as a solar cell array. An interconnect assembly electrically connects the backsides of two adjacent solar cells. The interconnect assembly may have an interconnect that electrically connects a contact point on a backside of a solar cell to a contact point on a backside of another solar cell. The interconnect assembly may further include an interconnect shield placed between the solar cells and the interconnect.

Abstract: A method of making a micron gap thermal photovoltaic device wherein at least one standoff is formed on a photovoltaic substrate, a sacrificial layer is deposited on the photovoltaic substrate and about the standoff, an emitter is attached to the standoff and has a lower planar surface separated from the photovoltaic substrate by the sacrificial layer, and the sacrificial layer is removed to form a sub-micron gap between the photovoltaic substrate and the lower planar surface of the emitter.

Abstract: A conductor cable includes an inner portion and a conductive coating. The inner portion is formed of a metal/ceramic composite. The conductive coating is coated on the inner portion.

Abstract: A wall plate (10) is provided that accommodates communication cable and is formed by a support plate (11) and a cable support extension (12) mounted to the inner surface (20) support plate. The cable support extension is open-ended, with one opening in communication with the access opening (26) of the support plate (11) and the other opening projecting inside the wall structure (50). This allows the communication cable (56) to be fed from within the wall structure, through the wall plate, and beyond, with the cable support extension functioning as an interior sight barrier without obstructing the placement of a flat screen television set or other wall mounted objects.

Abstract: A box cover for an electrical box comprises a faceplate having a height and width that corresponds to a height and width of the electrical box, a sidewall extending from a rear surface of the faceplate, and a securement assembly that is adapted to interconnect with the electrical box and secure the cover thereto. When the cover is secured to the electrical box, the sidewall contacts the box wall along substantially the entire length of the box wall thereby creating an interior cavity. An electrical fixture may be electrically connected to one or more electrical conductors within the electrical box, and placed in the electrical box. The cover may then be secured to the electrical box, thereby providing a protective cover for the electrical fixture.

Abstract: A simple, two piece slide-on electrical device cover assembly can be adapted for either horizontal or vertical mounting on the same base. Removable rail members that are coupled to the cover through thinned or partially broken or grooved sections enable the rail members to be snapped off under reasonable force. A manufacturer can package and ship a product in a generic configuration and allow an installer to select whether a horizontal or vertical configuration is desired, and quickly adapt and assembly the product for either configuration.

Abstract: A structure of the invention for fixing an end portion of a binding band (10) includes a lock portion (11) having a band retaining portion provided within a band insertion hole (14), and a band portion (12) which extends from the lock portion (11), and has engagement portions (15) for retaining engagement with the band retaining portion. Wire harnesses are fixed in a bundled manner to a protector (40) by the band portion (12). A holder portion (16) in the form of a recess is formed in the protector (40), and has a shape similar to the outer shape of the lock portion (11), and this holder portion (16) includes a band passage hole for the passage of the band portion (12) therethrough, and an abutment surface provided at an end of the band passage hole. When the engagement portion (15) is retainingly engaged with the band retaining portion upon bundling of the wire harnesses, the lock portion (11) abuts against this abutment surface.

Abstract: There is provided a power-supplying device for a sliding structure including a wiring harness being arranged between a base and the sliding structure slidably mounted on the base, a protector mounted on the sliding structure for bending the wiring harness in a loop shape so as to receive the wiring harness therein, and a resilient member mounted on the wiring harness in a manner that the resilient member is moved together with the wiring harness in the protector in response to sliding of the sliding structure, the resilient member urging the wiring harness upward to absorb a slack of the wiring harness and expanding or contracting a loop radius of the wiring harness so that the loop radius of the wiring harness is adapted to a sliding position of the sliding structure.

Abstract: A wire harness grommet assembly includes a sheet metal panel having a speaker hole and a grommet for supporting a wire harness from an audio speaker disposed in the speaker hole. The sheet metal panel has an emboss formed along a peripheral edge of the speaker hole. The grommet has an extension portion and an attachment portion. The extension portion has a tube for supporting the wire harness therein. The attachment portion is disposed within the emboss so that an outer surface of the attachment portion is substantially continuous with an outer surface of the sheet metal panel.

Abstract: A cable comprising one or more electrical conductors or communications media or a core of two or more electrical conductors or communications media, each electrical conductor, communications medium, or core being surrounded by a layer comprising: (a) polyethylene; polypropylene; or mixtures thereof; (b) carbon nanotubes; (c) a conductive carbon black other than carbon nanotubes; and (d) optionally, a copolymer of acrylonitrile and butadiene wherein the acrylonitrile is present in an amount of about 30 to about 60 percent by weight based on the weight of the copolymer or a silicone rubber.

Abstract: An unshielded twisted pair cable includes a plurality of unshielded twisted pairs, a filament helically wound around the plurality of unshielded twisted pairs and a jacket encasing the plurality of unshielded twisted pairs and the filament. A gap, between the jacket and the plurality of unshielded twisted pairs, is formed by and is substantially the same thickness as the thickness of the filament.

Abstract: A winding for a linear motor, which winding has three electrical cables arranged in grooves of an elongated inductor. The three electrical cables have an electrically conductive sheath and an electrically conductive intermediate layer arranged between the sheath and an outer conductive layer. At least one metal strand of an electrically highly conductive material that has electrically highly conductive contact with the conductive sheath of the cables and serves as a grounding conductor is present over the whole length of a stator. The stator includes the inductor and the three cables, which are connected to form a three-phase winding. The intermediate layer is formed from nonwoven material that has a thickness of about 300 ?m-600 ?m and an electrical resistance of about 150 ?/m-500 ?/m. The value of the electrical resistance of the intermediate layer is greater than the corresponding resistance value of the strand used as the grounding conductor.

Abstract: The pesent invention discloses a memory module and a signal line arrangement method thereof. The memory module includes memory chips mounted on both sidees in a mirror form; and a printed circuit board (PCB) having same signal applying contact pads arranged on both sodes which same signal applying balls of the memory chips contact in the mirror form, wherein a via is formed at a location close to the same signal applying contact pad of one side among the same signal applying contact pads arranged on both sides in the mirror form, the via connecting the other side to the signal line of one side, and a signal transmitted from the other side is connected to a contact junction, the contact junction is connected to the same signal applying contact pad of the other side, the contact junction is connected to the via of the other side, and the via of one side is connected to the same signal applying contact pad of one side.

Abstract: The present invention provides a multilayer printed wiring board having a filled viahole structure advantageously usable for forming a fine circuit pattern thereon, and having an excellent resistance against cracking under a thermal shock or due to heat cycle. The multilayer printed wiring board is comprised of conductor circuitry layers and interlaminar insulative resin layers deposited alternately one on another, the interlaminar insulative resin layers each having formed through them holes each filled with a plating layer to form a viahole. The surface of the plating layer exposed out of the hole for the viahole is formed substantially flat and lies at a substantially same level as the surface of the conductor circuit disposed in the interlaminar insulative resin layer. The thickness of the conductor circuitry layer is less than a half of the viahole diameter and less than 25 ?m.

Abstract: An electromagnetic interference (EMI) gasket for an electronic module comprises a valley feature formed on one side of an EMI gasket and a crown feature formed on the other side of the EMI gasket in order to complement the valley. One or more EMI gaskets are used to construct a shield across the opening of a module cage or rack. Each gasket forms a link in a series of modules, in order to complete a seal across the opening in the cage. A perpendicular pressure forces the module gaskets to center and align evenly as the crown and valley of the opposite features nest together. The modules can be then pressed together and the overlap of the crown and valley acts to center the alignment and create a pressure for satisfactory EMI grounding and the reduction of EMI leakage.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus for shielding an object from relative high electromagnetic radio frequencies while allowing airflow to pass to and from the object are disclosed. According to one aspect of the present invention, a shield arrangement that shields a chassis includes at least a first plane and a second plane. The first plane has a thickness and defines a first plurality of openings that include a first opening and a second opening that are separated by at least a distance that is a function of the thickness. The second plane defines at least a third opening, and is approximately parallel to the first plane. The second plane is spaced apart from the first plane by a spacing that is a function of at least the thickness.

Abstract: A versatile device that enables at least one receptacle to be installed in a raceway system. The versatile device includes a hanging box and a faceplate adapter. The hanging box is secured to the raceway system and the faceplate adapter is positioned over the hanging box and secured to the raceway system. The hanging box has a compartment that houses at least one receptacle and a removable divider wall that is positioned within the compartment. The faceplate adapter has a main body with an aperture for providing access to the hanging box. The main body of the faceplate adapter also has a removable section that is positioned within the aperture such that removal of the removable section expands the aperture.

Abstract: An overmolded electronic assembly (900, 1000, 1200) is fabricated from one or more overmoldable interface components (300, 400, 500, 1220, 1750) that may be electrical contacts or electronic components that have physical interfaces, such as speakers or sensors. The overmoldable interface components have a sacrificial end that is cut off from the remainder of the overmoldable interface components after being overmolded in an electronic assembly, providing a sealed cavity into the overmolded electronic assembly.

Abstract: A conduit connector assembly which receives an end of a conduit carrying electrical wires includes a body, a grommet and a spring clip. The grommet and the spring clip are each mounted to the body. The spring clip is disposed within an interior bore of the fitting body and has a resiliently flexible body and a leg having a gripping end portion. The grip end has a substantially scalloped configuration for gripping and fitting partially about the conduit so as to center the grip end of the spring clip body on the conduit. The spring clip also includes a latching member to couple with the body to hold the spring clip in position and apply a biasing tension of the gripping end of the leg against the conduit. The grip end having the scalloped configuration is in the form of an arcuate concave-shaped edge surface on the gripping end portion of the body.

Abstract: A electrical connector for connecting conduit or cables to a junction box. The connector includes a tubular connector body with a longitudinal slot extending substantially along the length of the connector body and dividing the tubular connector body into an upper half and a lower half. A lateral slot extends through the upper half of the connector body at the leading end thereby hinging the upper half to the lower half at the trailing end of the connector. A tubular snap ring including one or more locking tangs is disposed and held thereon on the leading end of the connector body by a spring bias. The trailing body portion includes a threaded aperture and a threaded fastener therein. When inserted into a knockout in a junction box, the leading end of the snap engagement connector is held firmly but adjustably therein by engagement of the locking tangs with the panel, thereby allowing the orientation of the connector with respect to the box to be adjusted as desired.

Abstract: A weighing device includes a supply unit, a weighing unit, a stock unit, a discharge unit, a transfer unit, and a revolving mechanism. The supply unit supplies a target object to a container revolving in the weighing unit. The weighing unit weighs the container while revolving the same. The stock unit stocks a plurality of containers while holding the plurality of containers three-dimensionally and revolving them. The discharge unit discharges the target object from the container while revolving the container.

Abstract: A controller for selectively adjusting a power seat includes a seat adjuster including a base panel, a stepped panel extending laterally from a surface of the base panel, selector areas inclined with respect to and extending between the base panel and the stepped panel and along at least a portion of a periphery of the stepped panel. Multiple spaced depressions are formed on an outer surface of the selector areas. A contactless sensor is secured to an inner surface of the selector areas at each a depression, each sensor selectively producing a signal representing a seat adjustment function.

Abstract: A switch lock apparatus includes a switching mechanism configured to switch a switch provided at a main body part where a cover body is rotatably provided to a lock-off state where operation can be done or a lock-on state where the operation cannot be done, and an interlocking mechanism configured to control the switching mechanism so that the switch is switched to be in the lock-on state based on the cover body being rotated to a closing position.

Abstract: Method and apparatus for switching high power at high repetition rates. The apparatus is preferably a switch utilizing a pressurized flowing dielectric. The pressurized dielectric suppresses growth of dielectric breakdown byproducts, such as large bubbles and breakdown contamination, enabling lower dielectric flow rates to remove the byproducts. In addition to the advantage of lower flow rates, and thus smaller and lighter pumping means, the switch can switch high energies (up to megajoules) at fast repetition rates, up to thousands of pulses per second. The switch is preferably triggered to reduce jitter. The switch can also be used to remove water from oil.

Abstract: Disclosed is a force feedback input device including a cylindrical operating member having an open bottom. A support member that is rotatable supports a central portion of an inner surface of the operating member, and a motor which is held by the support member. A rotary shaft of the motor is arranged to be perpendicular to a central axis of rotation of the operating member. A great portion of the motor is housed in the operating member. A pinion that is fixed to the rotary shaft of the motor meshes with a ring-shaped gear that is provided at a part shifted from the central axis of rotation of the operating member.

Abstract: System and method for dynamically adjusting cells in a carrier structure for receiving mail items for delivery through a postal delivery service. Delivery points, which may represent a post office address, correspond to cells in the carrier structure. The allocation of cells may be adjusted based upon the mail delivery demands of the delivery point. Delivery points, and their corresponding cells, may also be added and/or deleted.

Abstract: In a method for sorting postal objects in a sorting machine comprising sorting outlets with movable trays for the storage of the postal objects, respective logical destinations (DL) are associated to the sorting outlets and some sorting outlets of the machine are reserved, called reserved sorting outlets, without logical destination association. In case of the detection of a tray overflowing in a sorting outlet (DP?), the postal objects intended to this overflowing sorting outlet are directed to a reserved sorting outlet (DP?) extracted (40) from a logical waiting list (36) of reserved sorting outlets, an index is associated (32) to the empty tray of the reserved sorting outlet, the overflowing sorting outlet is inserted (42) into said waiting list and an empty tray is loaded (46) in the overflowing sorting outlet in the place of the full tray.

Abstract: The present invention relates to an electrowelding method for intraorally electrowelding titanium and alloys thereof, comprising the step of abutting the element to be electrowelded one against the other, performing an electrowelding operation by using an electrowelding current, cooling while holding a welding pressure, characterized in that said method provides to apply, at the welding zone, a set argon flow.

Abstract: A drive roll adapted and configured to feed weld wire includes first and second opposing sides and an outer body surface. The outer body surface includes a base body surface, and at least one elevated wire interface extending outwardly from and along at least a major portion of the base body surface. The elevated wire interface can rotationally drivingly engage the weld wire, which enables the drive roll to advance the weld wire along e.g. a desired path of travel such as to a welding arc.

Abstract: A heating device is provided, including an insulating ceramic base having a heating surface for heating an object. A high frequency electrode is embedded in the insulating ceramic base in the vicinity of the heating surface, and a heating body is embedded in the base in a location that is further from the heating surface than the location of the high frequency electrode. A low resistance ceramic member is provided so as to be exposed to a part of the heating surface of the insulating ceramic base and to be connected to a conductive member inside of the insulating ceramic base. A main component of the material of the low resistance ceramic member is common to that of the insulating ceramic base, and the respective thermal expansion coefficients are equivalent.

Abstract: A horizontal carousel conveyor moves in a horizontal plane by using vertically-oriented conveyor links. When used with an oven, it continuously moves foods and other items in a closed, horizontal loop.

Abstract: The heat blanket (10) comprises an operative unit (20) and a control/power supply unit (40) which can be electrically connected on one side to the power mains and on the other side to the operative unit (20). The operative unit (20) comprises a foldable sheet (21) and a linear heating element (22) distributed in the sheet (21), with a first and second conductor extending one along the other, separated by a first electrically insulating material and enclosed by a second electrically insulating material; the first and second conductor are electrically connected to the control/power supply unit (40) and have respective first terminals inside the panel which are connected together. The control/power supply unit (40) comprises a power supply group (41) for the heating element (22), intended for the connection to the electric mains, and a microprocessor configured to control the power supply for the heating element (22).

Abstract: An electrical sleeve heater for an element having a generally cylindrical outer surface. The heater has a generally helical coil centered on an axis and having a pair of opposite coil ends, a pair of generally coaxial, axially aligned, and similar tubes each fixed to a respective one of the coil ends and surrounding the coil so that relative rotation of the coil can radially increase or decrease an inside diameter of the coil. The tubes having axially adjacent inner ends and outer ends, and means for releasably fixing together the coil inner ends.

Abstract: An electric cooker having a composite heat source includes an external case having an air inlet and an air outlet, a cooking plate mounted on an upper surface of the external case to be a top plate thereof, a heat generating unit mounted between the external case and the cooking plate, the heat generating unit including a work coil and an electric heater and arranged coaxially with the air inlet with respect to a center of the air inlet, a cooling unit coaxially arranged with respect to the center of the air inlet between the air inlet and the heat generating unit, the cooling unit cooling the heat generating unit, an air duct provided below the heat generating unit, and a reflector forming an outer cover of the electric heater.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a fixing device which fixes a toner image on a recording medium. The fixing device includes a heating device. The heating device includes a heat-generating member, an exciting member, and a changing device. The heat-generating member is subjected to electromagnetic induction heating. The exciting member is placed to sandwich a front surface and a rear surface of the heat-generating member, without contacting the heat-generating member. The changing device changes an opposing distance of the exciting member to at least one of the front surface and the rear surface of the heat-generating member.

Abstract: A microscope which comprises: an optical system for magnifying a sample; a focus adjuster for adjusting a focus of the optical system on the sample; an optical detector for detecting light through the optical system; a position estimator for estimating a position of the focus of the optical system, which stays with respect to the sample, based on the light detected by the optical detector while the optical system is vibrating with respect to the sample; and a controller for controlling the focus adjuster based on the position of the focus estimated by the position estimator, is disclosed. An auto focusing method for a microscope is also disclosed.

Abstract: Disclosed is a method for analyzing biological samples by means of a scanning microscope. According to said method, at least one screen dot is repeatedly and successively illuminated with a manipulating light beam and an exciting light beam. The interval between the time of illumination with the manipulating light beam and the time of illumination with the exciting light beam is modified, and the fluorescent light yield is measured in accordance with said interval.

Abstract: A differential Shack-Hartmann curvature sensor for measuring a curvature including principal curvatures and directions of a wavefront. The curvature sensor includes a Shack-Hartmann sensor with an input beam and an optical element to split said input beam into three output beams traveling in different directions. Three lenslet arrays in each of the three beam paths produce corresponding Hartmann grids. A shearing device shears two of the three Hartmann grids in two perpendicular directions a differential difference. A measuring device measures the Hartmann grid coordinates generated by said three beams to determine various curvatures of the wavefront at each of the Hartmann grid points.

Abstract: An EMCCD detector includes a first gain register and a photoactive area divided into at least a two detection regions. At least one of the detection regions is assigned to the first gain register.

Abstract: An image sensor includes a substrate having photosensitive areas; an insulator spanning the substrate; and a first and second layer of a multi-layer metallization structure, wherein the first layer forms light shield regions over selected portions of the photosensitive area as well forming circuit interconnections and barrier regions to prevent spiking into the substrate or gates at contacts in the non-imaging area; and the second layer spanning the interconnections and barrier regions of the first layer only over the non-imaging areas and the second layer overlays edges of the first layer.

Abstract: A solid state imaging device is constituted of an image sensor chip, a circuit board, and an electromagnetic-wave absorber formed of copper. The image sensor chip is constituted of a bare chip, a spacer, and a cover glass. First contact terminals are formed on the bare chip, and second contact terminals and GND wires are formed on the circuit board. When manufacturing, the image sensor chip is mounted at a predetermined position on the circuit board, and the first contact terminals and the second contact terminals are connected with bonding wires. The electromagnetic-wave absorber is formed to cover the bonding wires, while its end contacts to the GND wires.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a latent image forming unit in which a light beam scans in a second scan region wider than a first scan region. The light beam is modulated in accordance with an image signal within the range of the first scan region for every scanning cycle and guided onto the effective image region to form a line latent image. A write timing adjuster adjusts a write start position for writing a latent image along the main scanning direction, based on a time difference between a first detection signal output when a first light beam scanning away from the effective image region moves passed an optical sensor, and a second detection signal output when a second light beam scanning toward the effective image region moves passed the optical sensor.

Abstract: A pixel circuit includes a first detector which amplifies a voltage obtained by charging and discharging a capacitance with a photocurrent flowing through a photo detecting element and then outputs it to a first data line, and a second detector which outputs an electric charge stored in the capacitance by the photocurrent, to a second data line. The pixel circuit operates in a first operation mode where the first detector is activated, a second operation mode where the second detector is activated and an initialization mode where the photo detecting element is initialized. With a first transistor turned on, the second detector outputs an electric charge stored in the capacitance in the second operation mode, and in the initialization mode a reset voltage set in the second data line is applied to the other end of the photo detecting element to initialize the photo detecting element.

Abstract: A direct attach optical receiver module and a system and method for testing the direct attach optical receiver module are provided. An optical receiver module may include an optical detector and an integrated circuit with an integrated amplifier circuit and at least one integrated capacitor. In one example, the optical detector may be physically attached to the integrated circuit and the output port of the optical detector may be electrically coupled to the input port of the integrated circuit. In another example, a redistribution layer that includes a tuning inductor may be being physically attached between the optical detector and the integrated circuit.

Abstract: A fingerprint scanning device and an electronic device with a fingerprint scanning function are proposed. The fingerprint scanning device has a contact image sensing module, a signal conversion controller, a module controller and an interface controller. The contact image sensing module captures a fingerprint image. The signal conversion controller converts this analog fingerprint image to a digital signal. The module controller controls the contact image sensing module and the signal conversion module. The interface controller transmits the digital signal to a controller in an electronic device. The contact image sensing module is used to lower the cost and lengthen the lifetime of use of the fingerprint scanning device, and to make the captured fingerprint image clearer. The interface controller is connected to the signal conversion module and the module controller to make the digital signal transmitted by the signal conversion controller more easily accessible.

Abstract: A method for the detection of an object includes transmitting light in the direction of a reflector by a transmitter. The transmitted light is reflected by the reflector and is imaged as a reflector image and is detected by the receiver. The reflector image is evaluated and an object detection signal is generated if an at least partial interruption of the transmitted light is recognized. A light object incident onto the receiver outside the detection region is detected by the receiver, is examined for predetermined object properties and is classified as a reflector image or as an interfering light object based on the object properties. In the case of a classification as an interfering light object, a movement of the interfering light object on the receiver is determined and the generation of the object detection signal is executed based on the determined movement of the interfering light object.

Abstract: Apparatus and methods for wavelength-dependent detection are provided. A detector includes a hybrid filter having unpatterned and patterned filter layers and at least one light-detecting sensor that detects light in first and second wavelength bands from the patterned filter layer of the hybrid filter. The unpatterned filter layer passes light in two nonoverlapping wavelength bands relative to light in wavelength bands between or among the nonoverlapping wavelength bands. The patterned filter layer includes first and second regions configured respectively to pass light in the first and second wavelength bands of the nonoverlapping wavelength bands passed by the unpatterned filter layer.