Author: claimsbot

1. An optical waveform shaper, comprising:
a polarization device which splits an optical signal into first and second polarization element being perpendicular to one another;
first and second optical waveform shaping units which carry out waveform shaping for the first and second polarization elements, respectively; and
a polarization device which carries out the polarization-coupling of the outputs from said first and second optical waveform-shaper units, wherein
each of said first and second optical waveform shaping units is an optical waveform shaper including a first interferometer and a second interferometer, wherein
one of the first and second interferometers has a first transfer function, where the second order derivative of output optical power in respect to the input optical power is positive when the input optical power is zero or substantially zero, and the output optical power shows substantially periodic changes with respect to the input optical power,
the other of the first and second interferometers has a second transfer function, where the second order derivative of output optical power in respect to the input optical power is negative when the input optical power is zero or substantially zero, and the output optical power shows substantially periodic changes with respect to the input optical power,
each of the first and second interferometers has first and second input ports and first and second output ports,
an optical path from the first input port to the first output port in each of the first and second interferometers provides the first transfer function, and an optical path from the first input port to the second output port in each of the first and second interferometers provides the second transfer function,
an input optical signal is provided to the first input port of the first interferometer, the output optical signal from the first output port of the first interferometer is guided to the first input port of the second interferometer, and the second output port of the second interferometer is coupled to an output port of the optical waveform shaper, and wherein
the first and second transfer functions are determined in such a way that a total transfer function of the first and second transfer functions satisfies the conditions of FWmFWs>1, and Wtr<FWm, and wherein
FWm is a width of a region where output power of the optical waveform shaper is substantially flat at a high-emission level with respect to input power of the optical waveform shaper, FWs is a width of a region where output power of the optical waveform shaper is substantially flat at a low-emission level with respect to input power of the optical waveform shaper, and Wtr is a width of a region where output power of the optical waveform shaper rises from the low-emission level to the high-emission level with respect to input power of the optical waveform shaper.
2. An optical waveform shaper comprising:
a first interferometer and a second interferometer connected in series, wherein
one of the first and second interferometers has a first transfer function, where the second order derivative of output optical power in respect to the input optical power is positive when the input optical power is zero or substantially zero, and the output optical power shows substantially periodic changes with respect to the input optical power,
the other of the first and second interferometers has a second transfer function, where the second order derivative of output optical power in respect to the input optical power is negative when the input optical power is zero or substantially zero, and the output optical power shows substantially periodic changes with respect to the input optical power,
each of the first and second interferometers has first and second input ports and first and second output ports,
an optical path from the first input port to the first output port in each of the first and second interferometers provides the first transfer function, and an optical path from the first input port to the second output port in each of the first and second interferometers provides the second transfer function,
an input optical signal is provided to the first input port of the first interferometer, the output optical signal from the first output port of the first interferometer is guided to the first input port of the second interferometer, and the second output port of the second interferometer is coupled to an output port of the optical waveform shaper, and wherein
the first and second transfer functions are determined in such a way that a total transfer function of the first and second transfer functions satisfies the conditions of FWmFWs>1, and Wtr<FWm, and wherein
FWm is a width of a region where output power of the optical waveform shaper is substantially flat at a high-emission level with respect to input power of the optical waveform shaper, FWs is a width of a region where output power of the optical waveform shaper is substantially flat at a low-emission level with respect to input power of the optical waveform shaper, and Wtr is a width of a region where output power of the optical waveform shaper rises from the low-emission level to the high-emission level with respect to input power of the optical waveform shaper.
3. The optical waveform shaper according to claim 2, wherein the interferometer comprises:
an input port;
first and second propagation paths, with different optical nonlinearities from one another, propagating the optical signal input through said input port;
a coupler which couples the optical signals propagated by said first and the second propagation paths; and
an output port which outputs the optical signal coupled by said coupler.
4. The optical waveform shaper according to claim 3, wherein
the interferometer is a Mach-Zehnder interferometer.
5. The optical waveform shaper according to claim 3, wherein
the phase difference is generated between the optical signal propagated in said first propagation path and the optical signal propagated in said second propagation path by self phase modulation of the input optical signals in said first andor second propagation path.
6. The optical waveform shaper according to claim 2, wherein,
at least a part of a pair of optical propagation paths generating interference phenomenon shares an optical propagation path in the interferometer.
7. The optical waveform shaper according to claim 6, wherein
the interferometer is a nonlinear loop mirror.
8. The optical waveform shaper according to claim 2, further comprising:
an optical source generating an optical bias with a different wavelength from that of the optical signal that has its waveform shaped by said optical waveform shaper; and
guiding means for guiding the optical bias generated by said optical source to the interferometer.
9. The optical waveform shaper according to claim 2, further comprising:
a polarization control device, placed in the stage before the interferometer, which outputs the optical signal with its waveform to be shaped by the optical waveform shaper, as an optical signal with a single polarization state.
10. The optical waveform shaper according to claim 2, further comprising:
detection means for detecting differences in the optical path lengths of a pair of optical propagation paths in each interferometer;
adjustment means for adjusting at least one optical path length in the pair of the optical propagation paths; and
control means for controlling said adjustment means based on the difference in the optical path length detected by said detection means.
11. The optical waveform shaper according to claim 2, further comprising:
detection means for detecting the optical power or noise of an input optical signal;
adjustment means, placed before the interferometer, for adjusting the optical power of the input optical signal; and
control means for controlling said adjustment means based on the detection result of said detection means.
12. The optical waveform shaper according to claim 2, further comprising:
detection means for detecting the optical power or noise of an input optical signal; and
control means for adjusting the transfer function of the interferometer based on the detection result of said detection means.
13. The optical waveform shaper according to claim 2, wherein
each interferometer is a polarizing interferometer in which the substantially linear polarization of a pair of optical propagation paths is mutually perpendicular, and the mutually perpendicular linear polarizations are split and coupled by a polarizer.
14. The optical waveform shaper according to claim 13, further comprising:
an optical source generating an optical adjuster with a different wavelength from that of the optical signal that has its waveform shaped by said optical waveform shaper; and
guiding means for guiding the optical adjuster generated by said optical source to the interferometer.
15. The optical waveform shaper according to claim 13, further comprising:
a polarization device which splits an optical signal into first and second polarization element being perpendicular to one another;
first and second optical waveform shaping units which carry out waveform shaping for the first and second polarization elements, respectively; and
a polarization device which carries out the polarization-coupling of the outputs from said first and second optical waveform-shaper units.
16. The optical waveform shaper according to claim 13, further comprising:
detection means for detecting differences in the optical path lengths of a pair of optical propagation paths in each interferometer;
adjustment means for adjusting at least one optical path length in the pair of the optical propagation paths; and
control means for controlling said adjustment means based on the difference in the optical path length detected by said detection means.
17. The optical waveform shaper according to claim 2, wherein
the first and second transfer functions are controlled by phase shift caused by self phase modulation,
wherein the following four parameters a1, a2, T1, and Tm are configured so that they meet predetermined conditions, and wherein
a1 is a difference in phase shift between a pair of paths in the first interferometer proportional to unit optical power, a2 is a difference in phase shift between a pair of paths in the second interferometer proportional to unit optical power, T1 is a transmissivity in the first interferometer considering gain and loss, but disregarding interference effects, and Tm is a transmissivity considering gain between the first interferometer and the second interferometer.
18. The optical waveform shaper according to claim 17, wherein
the first interferometer has the second transfer function, and the second interferometer has the first transfer function, meeting a condition 1.5<(a2a1)\xd7T1\xd7Tm<7.
19. The optical waveform shaper according to claim 17, wherein
the first interferometer has the second transfer function, and the second interferometer has the first transfer function, meeting a condition 0.2<(a2a1)\xd7T1\xd7Tm<0.8.
20. The optical waveform shaper according to claim 17, wherein
the first interferometer has the first transfer function, and the second interferometer has the second transfer function, meeting a condition 0<(a2a1)\xd7T1\xd7Tm<0.8.
21. The optical waveform shaper according to claim 17, wherein
the first interferometer has the second transfer function, and the second interferometer has the second transfer function, meeting a condition 0<(a2a1)\xd7T1\xd7Tm<3.
22. An optical waveform shaper comprising;
a first interferometer and a second interferometer connected in series, wherein
one of the first and second interferometers has a first transfer function, where the second order derivative of output optical power in respect to the input optical power is positive when the input optical power is zero or substantially zero, and the output optical power shows substantially periodic changes with respect to the input optical power,
the other of the first and second interferometers has a second transfer function, where the second order derivative of output optical power in respect to the input optical power is negative when the input optical power is zero or substantially zero, and the output optical power shows substantially periodic changes with respect to the input optical power,
each of the first and second interferometers has first and second input ports and first and second output ports,
an optical path from the first input port to the first output port in each of the first and second interferometers provides the first transfer function, and an optical path from the first input port to the second output port in each of the first and second interferometers provides the second transfer function, and
an input optical signal is provided to the first input port of the first interferometer, the output optical signal from the first output port of the first interferometer is guided to the first input port of the second interferometer, and the second output port of the second interferometer is coupled to an output port of the optical waveform shaper.
23. An optical waveform shaper comprising;
a first interferometer and a second interferometer connected in series, wherein
one of the first and second interferometers has a first transfer function, where the second order derivative of output optical power in respect to the input optical power is positive when the input optical power is zero or substantially zero, and the output optical power shows substantially periodic changes with respect to the input optical power,
the other of the first and second interferometers has a second transfer function, where the second order derivative of output optical power in respect to the input optical power is negative when the input optical power is zero or substantially zero, and the output optical power shows substantially periodic changes with respect to the input optical power,
each of the first and second interferometers has first and second input ports and first and second output ports,
an optical path from the first input port to the first output port in each of the first and second interferometers provides the first transfer function, and an optical path from the first input port to the second output port in each of the first and second interferometers provides the second transfer function, and
an input optical signal is provided to the first input port of the first interferometer, the output optical signal from the second output port of the first interferometer is guided to the first input port of the second interferometer, and the first output port of the second interferometer is coupled to an output port of the optical waveform shaper.

The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.

1. An electronic card connector, comprising:
an insulating body, including a first positioning rod installed onto a wall surface inside the insulating body in a card inserting direction of the electronic card connector, and a protruding member installed onto a wall surface inside the insulating body along a lateral side of the card inserting direction;
a sliding portion, disposed at the insulating body, and a lateral side of the sliding portion along the card inserting direction sliding against the protruding member, and an opposite lateral side of the sliding portion having a second positioning rod and a latch arm, and a heart-shaped guide groove being disposed between two lateral sides of the sliding portion, and the second positioning rod corresponding to the first positioning rod, and the latch arm and the second positioning rod being disposed back to back with each other, and a pushed portion being disposed between the second positioning rod and the latch arm;
a guide rod, with an end pivotally coupled to the insulating body, and another end disposed at the heart-shaped guide groove;
a resilient element, with both ends disposed at the first positioning rod and the second positioning rod respectively; and
a cover, for covering the insulating body to form a slot; an electronic card can be inserted from the slot into the electronic card connector along the card inserting direction, and a pushing portion of the electronic card pushes the pushed portion, such that a lateral side of the sliding portion slides on the protruding member, and a latch portion of the latch arm latches a notch of the electronic card.
2. The electronic card connector of claim 1, further comprising a plurality of conducting terminals disposed in the insulating body and contacted with the electronic card.
3. The electronic card connector of claim 1, wherein the insulating body includes a plurality of latch protruding members, and the cover includes a plurality of latch holes, and the latch protruding members can latch the latch holes for covering and fixing the cover onto the insulating body.
4. The electronic card connector of claim 1, wherein a concave opening of the heart-shaped guide groove faces the slot.
5. The electronic card connector of claim 1, further comprising a guide arm separately bent from two ends of the guide rod, and one of the guide arms being pivotally coupled to the insulating body, and another guide arm being installed at the heart-shaped guide groove.
6. The electronic card connector of claim 1, wherein the resilient element is a spring.

1. A folding knife comprising:
a knife blade, the knife blade having at least one knife edge and a tang;
a handle with a cavity, the handle being pivotally connected with the tang along a pivot axis, the pivot axis being one of (i) coincident with the plane of the knife blade and (ii) parallel to the plane of the knife blade, wherein the knife blade is movable about the pivotal connection between a closed position with the blade substantially contained within the cavity and an open position with the knife blade extending outwardly from an end of the handle and being generally longitudinally aligned with the handle; and
an actuator mechanism coupled to the knife blade and the handle, the actuator mechanism adapted to permit a user to move the knife blade between the open and closed positions using a single digit of a single hand without touching the knife blade wherein the single hand is holding the knife.
2. The folding knife of claim 1, wherein the handle is of monolithic construction.
3. The folding knife of claim 1 further including a belt clip coupled to the handle.
4. The folding knife of claim 1, wherein the actuator mechanism comprises a slot and a shaft having a finger hold at one end extending through the slot, and wherein sliding the shaft along the slot moves the knife blade between the open and closed positions.
5. The folding knife of claim 4, wherein the shaft is slid towards a user’s wrist to move the knife blade to the open position wherein it extends outwardly of a hand of the user when the folding knife is held in it normal position.
6. The folding knife of claim 4, wherein the slot is formed in the handle of the knife.
7. An actuator mechanism for use in conjunction with a folding tool that facilitates the pivotal movement of an implement of the folding tool between a closed position wherein the implement is at least partially contained within a handle of the folding tool and an open position wherein the implement is extended from the handle in a position for use, the actuator mechanism comprising:
a tang at the base of the implement, the tang having a longitudinal axis and being pivotally coupled with the handle along a pivot axis for movement between the open and closed positions, the pivot axis being generally perpendicular to the longitudinal axis;
a pushing element with opposing first and second ends, the pushing element being slidably coupled to the tang;
a shaft, the shaft (i) being pivotally coupled with the pushing element and (ii) extending longitudinally in a direction generally perpendicular to the longitudinal axis; and
at least one generally arcuate slot with at least a portion of the shaft extending through the slot, the slot having a front end and a rear end;
whereby the actuator moves the implement between the open and closed positions in reaction to the sliding of the shaft along the at least one arcuate slot from one of the front and rear ends to the other of the front and rear ends.
8. The actuator mechanism of claim 7, wherein the tang is substantially cylindrical and includes a bore extending longitudinally therein from a proximal end of the tang to bore end proximate the distal end of the tang.
9. The actuator of claim 8, wherein the bore is substantially cylindrical.
10. The actuator mechanism of claim 8, wherein the pushing element is slidably received into the bore.
11. The actuator of claim 10, wherein a coil spring resides in the bore between the bore end and the first end of the shaft.
12. The actuator of claim 7, wherein the shaft has a button end adapted for actuation by the finger of a user.
13. The actuator of claim 7, wherein arcuate slot is formed in the handle of the folding tool.
14. The actuator of claim 7 wherein the arcuate slot extends: (a) along a first portion from a front end linearly and downwardly a first distance at an angle of about 5-25 degrees relative to the longitudinal axis when the implement is in either an open or closed position; (b) from the first portion along a second linear portion downwardly a second distance at an angle of about 20-40 degrees relative to the longitudinal axis when the implement is in either an open or closed position; (c) from the second portion along a third portion for a third distance along a circular arc having an arc angle of about 45-75 degrees; (d) from the third portion along a linear fourth portion upwardly a fourth distance at an angle of about 20-40 degrees relative to the longitudinal axis when the implement is in either an open or closed position; and (e) from the fourth portion along a fifth portion to the rear end linearly and upwardly at an angle of about 5-25 degrees relative to the longitudinal axis when the implement is in either an open or closed position.
15. The actuator of claim 7, wherein a hypothetical linear line passing through both the pivot axis and one of the nadir and apex of the generally arcuate slot depending on the orientation of the folding tool is substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the implement when the implement is in either an open or closed position.
16. The actuator mechanism of claim 7, wherein the actuator mechanism is further adapted to move the implement outwardly and away from a user when being held in a hand of the user when the user slides the shaft along the slot in a generally rearwardly direction towards a body of the user.
17. The actuator mechanism of claim 7, wherein a diameter of the shaft is substantially the same as a width of the generally arcuate slot.
18. A handheld folding tool comprising:
an elongated handle comprising one or more pieces, the handle having a first end and an opposing second ends, the handle including at least one internal cavity;
at least one implement pivotally coupled to the handle proximate the first or second end for movement between an open position with a substantial portion of the al least one implement extending out of the at least one cavity and a closed position with the at least one implement substantially contained within the at least one cavity; and
at least one actuator mechanism coupled to both the at least one implement and the handle, the at least one actuator mechanism including (i) at least one slot formed in the handle, (ii) a shaft extending through the at least one slot, at least one of the shaft adapted for manual engagement with a finger of a person, and (iii) a sliding element, the sliding element being (a) pivotally coupled with shaft and (b) slidably coupled with one end of the at least one implement for slidable movement relative to the end of the at least one implement in a longitudinal direction of the at least one implement;
wherein the at least one implement is movable between both the open and closed positions by moving the shaft along the at least one slot.
19. The handheld folding tool of claim 18, wherein the handheld folding tool does not include a locking mechanism for securing the at least one implement in either or both the open and closed positions other than the actuator mechanism.
20. The handheld folding tool of claim 18, wherein the at least one implement comprises one of a single-edged knife blade, a fork, a spoon, a file, a scissor, a screwdriver, a comb, pliers and a double-edged knife blade.

The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.

1. An athletic shoe sole for a shoe, comprising:
a shoe outer sole and a shoe midsole;
a sole heel area underneath a heel of an intended wearer’s foot, a midsole inner surface for supporting a sole of said intended wearer’s foot, and a midsole outer surface;
a midsole central part, a midsole medial side portion and a midsole lateral side portion, as viewed in a shoe sole frontal plane cross-section in the heel area during an unloaded, upright shoe condition;
the midsole lateral side portion formed by that part of the midsole located lateral of a straight vertical line extending through a sidemost extent of the midsole inner surface of a lateral side of the shoe, as viewed in the heel area frontal plane cross-section during an unloaded, upright shoe condition;
the midsole medial side portion formed by that part of the midsole located medial of a straight vertical line extending through a sidemost extent of the midsole inner surface of a medial side of the shoe, as viewed in the heel area frontal plane cross-section during an unloaded, upright shoe condition;
a midsole central part of the athletic shoe sole formed by that part of the midsole located between the midsole lateral side portion and the midsole medial side portion, as viewed in the heel area frontal plane cross-section during and unloaded, upright shoe condition;
said midsole outer surface of said midsole central part comprising a concavely rounded portion, the concavity existing with respect to an inner section of the midsole located directly adjacent to the concavely rounded portion of the midsole outer surface, all as viewed in the heel area frontal plane cross-section during an unloaded, upright shoe condition;
said midsole inner surface of said midsole central part comprising a convexly rounded portion at least through a midpoint of the midsole inner surface of the midsole central part, the convexity existing with respect to a section of the midsole directly adjacent to the convexly rounded portion of the midsole inner surface, all as viewed in the heel area frontal plane cross-section during an unloaded, upright shoe condition; at least a portion of the midsole located between said concavely rounded portion of the midsole outer surface and the convexly rounded portion of the midsole inner surface has a substantially uniform radial thickness, as viewed in a frontal plane cross-section when the shoe sole is upright and in an unloaded condition; and
said shoe midsole comprises midsole material of varying firmness.
2. The shoe sole as set forth in claim 1, wherein said central part includes a section having at least two material layers, each layer composed of a midsole material of different firmness, as viewed in the shoe sole frontal plane cross section during an unloaded, upright shoe condition.
3. The shoe sole as set forth in claim 1, wherein a sole firmness of the sole medial side is different from a sole firmness of the sole lateral side, as viewed in the shoe sole frontal plane cross section during an unloaded, upright shoe condition.
4. The shoe sole as set forth in claim 1, wherein the sole central part has a varying radial thickness, as viewed in the shoe sole frontal plane during an upright, unloaded shoe condition.
5. The shoe sole as set forth in claim 1, wherein the concavely rounded midsole portion with substantially uniform radial thickness extends through a lowermost section of the midsole central part, as viewed in the shoe sole frontal plane during an unloaded, upright shoe condition.
6. The shoe sole as set forth in claim 1, wherein the concavely rounded midsole portion with substantially uniform radial thickness extends from the midsole central part into one of the midsole lateral and medial sides, as viewed in the shoe sole frontal plane during an unloaded, upright shoe condition.
7. The shoe sole as set forth in claim 1, wherein the concavely rounded midsole portion with substantially uniform radial thickness extends from the midsole central part continuously through a sidemost extent of one of the midsole lateral and medial sides, as viewed in the shoe sole frontal plane during an unloaded, upright shoe condition.
8. The shoe sole according to claim 1 wherein the concavely rounded midsole portion with substantially uniform radial thickness extends from the midsole central part to above the lowest point on the midsole inner surface on one of the midsole lateral and medial side portions, as viewed in the shoe sole frontal plane cross section during an unloaded, upright shoe condition.
9. The shoe sole according to claim 1, wherein the concavely rounded midsole portion with substantially uniform radial thickness extends through a midpoint of the midsole central part, as viewed in the shoe sole frontal plane during an unloaded, upright shoe condition.
10. The shoe sole according to claim 1, wherein the midsole includes three different materials, each with a different firmness.
11. The shoe sole according to claim 1, wherein the midsole includes two different materials, one material having a greater radial thickness in one of the lateral and medial sides than a radial thickness in the sole central part, as viewed in the shoe sole frontal plane during an unloaded, upright shoe condition.
12. The shoe sole according to claim 1, wherein the concavely rounded midsole portion with substantially uniform radial thickness extends to the location of one of said vertical lines, as viewed in the shoe sole frontal plane during an unloaded, upright shoe condition.
13. The shoe sole according to claim 12, wherein the concavely rounded midsole portion with substantially uniform radial thickness extends to the location of the other of said vertical lines, as viewed in the shoe sole frontal plane during an unloaded, upright shoe condition.
14. The shoe sole according to claim 1, wherein the midsole extends into at least one of the lateral and medial sides to above a lowest point of the sole inner surface, as viewed in the shoe sole frontal plane during an unloaded, upright shoe condition.
15. The shoe sole according to claim 1, wherein the sole includes concavely rounded midsole portions with substantially uniform radial thickness located at both the midsole lateral side and the midsole medial side, as viewed in the shoe sole frontal plane during an unloaded, upright shoe condition, the concavity existing with respect to an intended wearer’s foot location in the shoe.
16. The shoe sole as set forth in claim 6, wherein the concavely rounded midsole portion with substantially uniform radial thickness extends from the midsole central part into both of the midsole lateral and medial side portions, as viewed in the heel area frontal plane cross-section during an unloaded, upright shoe condition.
17. The shoe sole as set forth in claim 7, wherein the concavely rounded midsole portion with substantially uniform radial thickness extends from the midsole central part continuously through sidemost extents of both of the midsole lateral and medial side portions, as viewed in the heel area frontal plane cross-section during an unloaded, upright shoe condition.
18. The shoe sole as set forth in claim 8, wherein the concavely rounded midsole portion with substantially uniform radial thickness extends from the midsole central part to above the lowest point on the midsole inner surface of both of the midsole lateral and medial side portions, as viewed in the heel area frontal plane cross-section during an unloaded, upright shoe condition.
19. The shoe sole as set forth in claim 1, wherein the radial thickness of at least one of the midsole lateral and medial side portions decreases gradually and continuously from above a sidemost extent of at least one of the lateral and medial side portions to an uppermost point of at least one of the lateral and medial side portions, as viewed in the heel area frontal plane cross-section during an unloaded, upright shoe condition.
20. The shoe sole according to claim 11, wherein one of the two different midsole materials has a greater radial thickness in the midsole central part than a radial thickness in one of the lateral and medial side portions, as viewed in the heel area frontal plane cross-section during an unloaded, upright shoe condition.
21. The shoe sole according to claim 14, wherein the midsole extends into both the lateral and medial sides to above a lowest point of the sole inner surface, as viewed in the shoe sole frontal plane during an unloaded, upright shoe condition.
22. The shoe sole according to claim 19, wherein the radial thickness of at least one of the midsole lateral and medial side portions decreases gradually and continuously from above a sidemost extent of at least one of the lateral and medial side portions to an uppermost point of at least one of the lateral and medial side portions, as viewed in the heel area frontal plane cross-section during an unloaded, upright shoe condition.