141results about How to "Degree of freedom" patented technology

The present invention is a method and apparatus for providing an enhanced automatic drive-thru experience to the customers in a vehicle by allowing use of natural hand gestures to interact with digital content. The invention is named Virtual Touch Ordering System (VTOS). In the VTOS, the virtual touch interaction is defined to be a contact free interaction, in which a user is able to select graphical objects within the digital contents on a display system and is able to control the processes connected to the graphical objects, by natural hand gestures without touching any physical devices, such as a keyboard or a touch screen. Using the virtual touch interaction of the VTOS, the user is able to complete transactions or ordering, without leaving the car and without any physical contact with the display. A plurality of Computer Vision algorithms in the VTOS processes a plurality of input image sequences from the image-capturing system that is pointed at the customers in a vehicle and performs the virtual touch interaction by natural hand gestures. The invention can increase the throughput of drive-thru interaction and reduce the delay in wait time, labor cost, and maintenance cost.

A direction in which a drive transmission acts on a driving member and a coupling member at a coupling portion is perpendicular or substantially perpendicular to a direction in which the drive transmission acts on the coupling member and a driven member at a coupling portion. In both of the coupling portions, spaces are provided so that the driving member and the coupling member, and the coupling member and the driven member, can be respectively coupled to each other under a state in which mutual displacement is permitted in a direction that is perpendicular or substantially perpendicular to each drive transmission action direction.

The present invention is a method and apparatus for providing an enhanced automatic drive-thru experience to the customers in a vehicle by allowing use of natural hand gestures to interact with digital content. The invention is named Virtual Touch Ordering System (VTOS). In the VTOS, the virtual touch interaction is defined to be a contact free interaction, in which a user is able to select graphical objects within the digital contents on a display system and is able to control the processes connected to the graphical objects, by natural hand gestures without touching any physical devices, such as a keyboard or a touch screen. Using the virtual touch interaction of the VTOS, the user is able to complete transactions or ordering, without leaving the car and without any physical contact with the display. A plurality of Computer Vision algorithms in the VTOS processes a plurality of input image sequences from the image-capturing system that is pointed at the customers in a vehicle and performs the virtual touch interaction by natural hand gestures. The invention can increase the throughput of drive-thru interaction and reduce the delay in wait time, labor cost, and maintenance cost.

A system for the construction of life size play structures includes a multiplicity of inflatable building blocks, each being a member of a finite set of different multi-sided block types. Each such type is a cylinder having the cross section of a regular polyhedron, and the length of each side of each polyhedron is identical. The blocks are attached to each other by means of a rotating joint which aligns each contiguous side of each block with the contiguous side of the adjoining block, but which does not allow each such to translate relative to the adjoining block. The joints are constructed at fixed locations along the sides according to specific dimensional ratios. Stiffening means are used to maintain the dimensional integrity of each block, and to maintain the uniformity of the system from block to block.

A pneumatic tool includes a nonmagnetic tool housing; a cylindrical rotor inside the tool housing and rotatable in response to a flow of pressurized fluid through the tool housing; magnets mounted in the rotor; and a stator external to the tool housing. The stator is dimensioned to cooperate with the magnets to, upon rotation of the rotor, generate electrical current for supply to a load.

A vehicle lamp (1) includes a laser light source (7) that is able to emit laser light (B2) and emits laser light (B2) generated by the laser light source (7) forward from an emission end (32a). The vehicle lamp (1) includes a light-shielding member (34) that shields the emission end (32a) from light from above to at least a horizontal position in front of the emission end (32a).

A plant cultivation apparatus is provided, which can implement automatic spraying on leaf surfaces at any time and any number of times to improve production efficiency while preventing a facility equipped with the apparatus from having complex configuration and causing adverse effects on constituent parts. The apparatus includes a plurality of cultivation shelves 121 that store cultivation trays 110, transport means 130 for transferring the cultivation trays 110, and spraying means 140 for spraying a spray liquid on leaf surfaces of the plants. The spraying means 140 is arranged on a transfer path or at a transfer destination of each of the cultivation trays 110, and includes a separator 141 that forms a partitioned-off space, and a spray nozzle 143 that sprays the spray liquid toward interior of the space.

The present invention relates to an integrated process for producing diesel fuel or fuel additive from biological material by producing paraffins by a Fischer-Tropsch reaction on one hand and by a catalytic hydrodeoxygenation of bio oils and fats on the other hand. The two hydrocarbon streams are combined and distilled together. The invention also relates to the use of lignocellulosic material, such as by-products of the wood-processing industry for producing diesel fuel and to a method for narrowing the chain length distribution of Fischer-Tropsch derived diesel fuel. The invention provides a high-quality middle distillate fraction from various biological sources and most preferably from by-products of the wood-processing industry. The invention also relates to equipment for producing fuel form biological material, which comprises a hydrodeoxygenation reactor (3) for hydrocarbons, a cracking / isomerization reactor (11) for FT paraffins and a separation unit (12) for the combined hydrocarbons. Hydrogen is separated from light fractions in a separation unit (9) and reformed in the process. The equipment is advantageously integrated with a pulp and paper mill, which provides biological material and receives waste and energy.

There is provided electronic equipment which includes: a cabinet; an image display apparatus incorporated into the cabinet; and speakers incorporated into the cabinet, in which the image display apparatus is disposed with an image display surface thereof facing a front of the cabinet, the speakers are disposed with sound radiating surfaces thereof inclined as viewed from the front of the cabinet, and a sound reflecting surface for reflecting sounds radiated from the speakers frontward is disposed in the cabinet.

A discharge container includes a container main body having an inner container and an outer container, and a discharge cap, a suction hole configured to suction external air to a space between the inner container and the outer container is formed in the outer container, the discharge cap includes an air valve configured to switch between allowing and blocking communication between the outside of the discharge cap and the suction hole, and a discharge film elastically deformable to close the discharge port, and a slit is formed in the discharge film. As the discharge film is elastically deformed according to an increase in the pressure inside the inner container, the slit is widened and opened to open the discharge port.

A variable focal length lens system includes: a first lens group having a positive refracting power; a second lens group having a negative refracting power; a third lens group having a positive refracting power; a fourth lens group having a negative refracting power; a fifth lens group having a negative refracting power; and a sixth lens group having a positive refracting power; the first to sixth lens groups being disposed in order from an object side.

A wearable apparatus for measuring position and action of an arm includes: a main frame worn on an upper body of a user; and an arm motion-measuring unit connected to a side of the main frame, having a plurality of joints, and worn on an arm of a user, in which at least any one of the joints of the arm motion-measuring unit has a straight-motional degree of freedom. Accordingly, an instructor can conveniently move both arms in the apparatus, can precisely instruct a two-arm robot in motions of the instructor's arms, can reduce learning time of the robot, and can make the robot quickly and accurately learn the motions.

A power receiving device, a power feeding device, and a wireless power transmission device are provided. The power receiving device receives power wirelessly transmitted from the power feeding device and includes one or more power receiving units. At least one of the power receiving units in the power receiving device is disposed along two or more surfaces which form the outer shape of the power receiving device and are not parallel to each other.

A method and apparatus to obtain unique study content that is selected based on user's study goals and unique preferences includes having a user input a study goal and study preference. Then a first database of learning content, that may be traditional learning content prepared by an education institution, is queried based on the input study goal and preferences and study items are extracted from the first database. Then, the study items extracted from the first database are stored in a second database, the study items stored in the second database are then used to query a third database of potential learning content, which may include non-traditional learning content, and by matching the study items stored in the second database to content in the third database, study content that has been specifically tailored and personalized based on the user's input study goals and preferences is extracted and presented to the user for study and learning. Since the proven learning content from the first database of learning items is used to match up and extract learning content from a third database of possibly non-traditional learning content, the user is assured to obtain the input study goal using content that is new, flexibly and adaptively obtained and personalized to each user or student, whenever the student wants to obtain fresh, new or different content.

When a stage on which a wafer is mounted is driven in an X-axis direction by a liner motor, a reaction force of the drive force is generated at a stator and acts on a counterweight via the stator, and thereby the counterweight moves in a direction opposite to the stage in accordance with movement of the stage in the X-axis direction. Accordingly, the reaction force generated by the drive of the stage can substantially be canceled by the movement of the counterweight. Further, since the counterweight has a first section that is connected to the stator, and a second section that is separated from the first section in the X-axis direction and connected to the first section via a connection section, a partition wall of a chamber can be placed using the connected portion as a boundary, and the second section of the counterweight can be located outside the partition wall. Thus, a stage housing space can be set to smaller.

The present invention relates to a method for encoding and decoding a quantized matrix and an apparatus using same, the method for encoding a quantized matrix according to the present invention comprising the steps of: determining a quantization matrix to be used for quantization and quantizing; determining the prediction method used for the quantization of the quantization matrix; and encoding quantization matrix information on the basis of the determined prediction method, wherein the prediction method can be either a prediction method between coefficients in the quantization matrix or a duplicate of the quantization matrix.

An electrical connector connected to a flat cable, a wire harness, and a method for arranging wire harness is disclosed. Arranging the wire harness is easy and simple, the cost is low, and the degree of freedom in the housing construction is high. The electrical connector 10 has a plurality of mutually stackable base housings 11a, 11b, and 11c having the same shape, with each of these base housings 11a, 11b, and 11c having contact receiving cavities 16a, 16b, and 16c in a single row. At least one lock housing 40 is attached to the uppermost and / or lowermost base housing of the plurality of stacked base housings 11a, 11b, and 11c. A plurality of contacts 30a, 30b, and 30c are connected to the flat cable 2 and are inserted in the contact receiving cavities 16a, 16b, and 16c.

A printed wiring board includes a board made of insulator; a wiring pattern to transfer an electric signal which is made of patterned metallic conductor and formed on at least one of a main surface and a rear surface of the board; and an electric power layer formed on at least one of the main surface and the rear surface of the board; wherein the electric power layer includes a mechanism for controlling a characteristic impedance of the printed wiring board.

In an optical transmitter in which the amount of light of an LD is monitored by a monitor PD, and the power of the LD is kept constant by feedback, the present invention aims to provide an optical transmitter that is suitable for size and cost reductions while being able to input a greater amount of the LD light of to the monitor PD, and that is capable of performing higher-bit-rate transmission. The present invention is characterized in that a concave groove is formed in a substrate, and the monitor photodiode is mounted on a slanted face of the concave groove, and the light of the LD that is oppositely and horizontally disposed is received directly by the monitor the LD photodiode.

Methods of providing enhanced energy efficiency and reduced greenhouse gases for an eco-industrial park with retrofit in mind and eco-industrial park retrofit with retrofit in mind, are provided. An exemplary method includes identifying hybrid inter-time zones inter-area matching solutions through selecting best energy efficient routes, generating technically viable energy efficient eco-industrial parks alternatives, identifying best generation and allocation of energy utilities, and synthesizing a combined heat and power utility system that satisfies the eco-park demands during each time zone as well as rendering its best operating scenario at each specific time-zone. This inter-time-zones inter-area integration can include identifying the best and the second best matching solutions among processes in the eco-industrial park for spatial energy integration and the best and second best matching solutions among all time-zones for temporal energy integration and greenhouse gas emissions reduction for the optimal synthesis or retrofit of eco-industrial parks.

There is provided a bottom periphery length adjustment mechanism usable for apparel in which a very high importance is attached to design of appearance. The length adjustment mechanism comprises a slide adjuster. The slide adjuster comprises a band and a buckle that are formed of a synthetic resin. An engagement claw of the buckle is engaged with a serrated engagement groove provided on the outer surface of the band so that, in an engaged state, the band freely approaches the buckle but cannot retract. The buckle is fixed to the backside of the bottom. When the band approaches the buckle, the periphery of the bottom shrinks while, when the band moves away from the buckle, the periphery of the bottom expands.

A vibration damping device including first and second mounting members elastically connected to each other by a main rubber elastic body, and a bracket member mounted to the second mounting member and providing a stopper for restricting displacement of the first mounting member relative to the second mounting member by means of abutment between the first mounting member and the bracket member. The second mounting member includes an input portion that faces the first mounting member at a given distance. The bracket member includes an abutting portion that faces the first mounting member with the input portion being interposed therebetween. An abutting rubber layer is provided on a surface of the input portion overlapped on the abutting portion. The stopper is constituted, by abutment between the first mounting member and the abutting portion via the input portion.

The present invention relates to pliers for removing an insulating layer of an electrical cable, in particular a coaxial cable. The inventive pliers comprise a cutting element. The distance of the cutting element from a seat for the cable is adjustable. Furthermore, the cutting element has a degree of freedom in a circumferential direction of the coaxial cable relative to the seat.

A variable focal length lens system includes: a first lens group having a positive refracting power; a second lens group having a negative refracting power; a third lens group having a positive refracting power; a fourth lens group having a negative refracting power; a fifth lens group having a negative refracting power; and a sixth lens group having a positive refracting power; the first to sixth lens groups being disposed in order from an object side.

The present invention discloses a multi-purpose load lifting work platform or / and composite bridge structure, comprising a framework, at least one work platform, a drive mechanism, and an electrical control devices. One end of the pole-shaped structure is connected with the framework in a movable manner, and the other end of the pole-shaped structure is connected with the work platform in a movable manner, the work platform can run with the pole-shaped structure together. The work platform can run in a curve track relative to the framework by power, and can stop at any position in running track. This invention can provide two platforms working coordinately or a single platform working independently. The working area of the two platforms greatly exceeds that of the existing common equipment with a single platform. It can load bulky objects without sway, and can also be used as composite or assembly bridge structure.

A novel fuel producing section produces synthesized gas from a feedstock and synthesizes novel fuel from the synthesized gas thus produced, and has exhaust heat recovery boilers for generating steam by recovering excess heat generated from the synthesizing processes. An exhaust heat utilizing section includes steam turbines driven with the steam generated from the exhaust heat recovery boilers. An open circulation cooling water supply section supplies cooling water for a plant, including water for cooling exhausts of the steam turbines, and includes a seawater desalination system for desalinating seawater by the evaporation method and supplying desalinated water to replenish the cooling water. The cooling water supplied from the open circulation cooling water supply section is used in condensing of the desalinated water produced by the seawater desalination system.

An electronic apparatus includes: a main body including a battery pack mounting portion at an end in a direction; a display portion to be openable to the main body via a hinge portion provided at an end in the direction; a battery pack detachable from the battery pack mounting portion along the direction; a first connector portion provided at a position of the battery pack mounting portion on the end side in the direction; a second connector portion provided to the battery pack and connectable to the first connector portion; a first engagement portion provided at another end of the battery pack mounting portion in the direction; a second engagement portion provided to the battery pack and capable of being engaged with the first engagement portion relatively in the direction; and a notch portion provided at an end of the battery pack in the direction, for avoiding the hinge portion.