Author: claimsbot

1. A device for optically measuring distance, in particular a hand-held device, with a transmission unit (12) that includes a light source (17, 18) for emitting optical measurement radiation (13, 20, 22) towards a target object (15), and with a receiving unit (14) that is located a distance away from the optical axis (38) of the transmission unit (12) and includes at least one optical detector (54) for receiving optical radiation (16, 49, 50) reflected by the target object (15),
wherein
the detector (54) of the receiving unit (14) includes a plurality of photosensitive surfaces (70, 72, 74; 170, 172, 174; 270, 272, 274; 370, 372; 470, 472; 570, 572), which are separated from each other and may be activated separately.
2. The device as recited in claim 1,
wherein
means (55) are provided for switching individual photosensitive surfaces (70, 72, 74; 170, 172, 174; 270, 272, 274; 370, 372; 470, 472; 570, 572) of the detector (54) on and off.
3. The device as recited in claim 1,
wherein
the photosensitive surfaces (70, 72, 74; 170, 172, 174; 270, 272, 274; 370, 372; 470, 472; 570, 572) of the detector (54) are formed andor positioned such that an envelope (165, 265, 365, 465, 565) of these surfaces (70, 72, 74; 170, 172, 174; 270, 272, 274; 370, 372; 470, 472; 570, 572) has a larger expansion in the direction (61) of a beam displacement for decreasing target object distances (48) than it does in the orthogonal direction.
4. The device as recited in claim 1,
wherein
the photosensitive surfaces (170, 172, 174; 270, 272, 274; 370, 372) of the detector (54) are formed andor positioned such that an envelope (165, 265, 365) of these surfaces (170, 172, 174; 270, 272, 274; 370, 372) tapers in the direction (61) of a beam displacement as the target object distances (48) decrease.
5. The device as recited in claim 1,
wherein
the photosensitive surfaces (470, 472, 474; 570, 572) of the detector (54) are formed andor positioned such that an envelope (465, 565) of these surfaces (470, 472, 474; 570, 572) expand in the direction (61) of a beam displacement as the target object distances (48) decrease.
6. The device as recited in claim 4,
wherein
the envelope (165, 265, 365, 465, 565) of the photosensitive surfaces (70, 72, 74; 170, 172, 174; 270, 272, 274; 370, 372; 470, 472; 570, 572) of the detector (54) has a symmetry axis located in the common plane (56) of the optical axes of the transmission unit (38) and the receiving unit (51).
7. The device as recited in claim 1,
wherein
the expansion of the photosensitive surfaces (70, 72, 74; 170, 172, 174; 270, 272, 274; 370, 372; 470, 472; 570, 572) of the detector (54) is at least so great that the measurement spot (58) of the returning radiation (16, 49) from a target object (15) at a large object distance is detected in entirety.
8. The device as recited in claim 1,
wherein
the expansion of the photosensitive surfaces (70, 72, 74; 170, 172, 174; 270, 272, 274; 370, 372; 470, 472; 570, 572) of the detector (54) in the direction perpendicular to the optical axis (51) of the receiving unit (14) is at least so great that at least a portion of the measurement beam (50) returning from a target object (15) at close range still strikes the photosensitive surface (70, 72, 74; 170, 172, 174; 270, 272, 274; 370, 372; 470, 472, 570, 572).
9. The device as recited in one of the preceding claim 1,
wherein
the light source (17, 18) is a laser, in particular a laser diode (18).
10. The device as recited in claim 9,
wherein
the light source (17, 18) emits radiation in the wavelength range of the spectrum of electromagnetic waves that is visible to the human eye.
11. A method for operating a device for optically measuring distance, in particular a method for operating a device as recited in claim 1,
wherein
a detector (54) of a receiving unit (14) provided in the device includes a plurality (m) of separate, photosensitive surfaces (70, 72, 74; 170, 172, 174; 270, 272, 274; 370, 372; 470, 472; 570, 572), of which only a portion (n, with n<m) of the available photosensitive surfaces (70, 72, 74; 170, 172,174; 270, 272, 274; 370, 372; 470, 472, 570, 572) is activated when a distance measurement is performed.
12. The method for operating a device for optically measuring distance as recited in claim 11,
wherein
only one photosensitive surface (n=1) (70, 72, 74; 170,172,174; 270, 272, 274; 370, 372; 470, 472; 570, 572) of the detector (54) is active when a distance measurement is performed.
13. The method as recited in claim 12,
wherein,
when a distance measurement is performed, only that photosensitive surface (70, 72, 74; 170, 172, 174; 270, 272, 274; 370, 372; 470, 472; 570, 572) of the detector (54) of the device is active that receives the largest portion of optical radiation (16, 49, 50) returning from a target object (15).

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. A method of decoding an audio signal, comprising:
receiving a downmix signal embedding spatial information in non-recognizable components of the downmix signal, the downmix signal comprising at least two channels, the spatial information comprising spatial parameters to upmix the downmix signal;
determining a header size of the spatial information by extracting a predetermined bit length from least significant bit of a first channel of the downmix signal;
obtaining header information of the spatial information from the least significant bit of the downmix signal, based on the header size, the header information including an insertion bit length for each channel of the downmix signal, the insertion bit length indicating a length of bits containing the spatial information;
obtaining the spatial information based on the insertion bit length according to a sample plane order; and
generating a multi-channel audio signal by applying the spatial information to the downmix signal,
wherein the sample plane order indicates sequentially reading from most significant bit to the least significant bit.
2. An apparatus for decoding an audio signal, comprising:
a receiver receiving a downmix signal embedding spatial information in non-recognizable components of the downmix signal, the downmix signal comprising at least two channels, the spatial information comprising spatial parameters to upmix the downmix signal;
an embedded signal decoding unit:
determining a header size of the spatial information by extracting a predetermined bit length from least significant bit of a first channel of the downmix signal, and
obtaining header information of the spatial information from the least significant bit of the downmix signal, based on the header size, the header information including an insertion bit length for each channel of the downmix signal, the insertion bit length indicating a length of bits containing the spatial information;

a spatial information decoding unit obtaining the spatial information based on the insertion bit length according to a sample plane order; and
a multi-channel generating unit generating a multi-channel audio signal by applying the spatial information to the downmix signal,
wherein the sample plane order indicates sequentially reading from most significant bit to the least significant bit.
3. A method of encoding an audio signal, comprising:
generating a downmix signal by downmixing a multi-channel audio signal, the downmix signal comprising at least two channels;
generating spatial information including spatial parameters indicating an attribute of the multi-channel audio signal, in order to upmix the downmix signal;
embedding header information of the spatial information in least significant bit of each channel of the downmix signal;
determining an insertion bit length to indicate a length of bits containing the spatial information; and
embedding frame data of the spatial information based on the insertion bit length, according to a sample plane order,
wherein the sample plane order indicates sequentially embedding from most significant bit to the least significant bit.
4. An apparatus for encoding an audio signal, comprising:
an audio signal generating unit generating a downmix signal by downmixing a multi-channel audio signal, the downmix signal comprising at least two channels;
a side information generating unit generating spatial information including spatial parameters indicating an attribute of the multi-channel audio signal, in order to upmix the downmix signal;
a masking threshold computing unit determining an insertion bit length to indicate a length of bits containing the spatial information; and
a bitstream reshaping unit:
embedding header information of the spatial information in least significant bit of each channel of the downmix signal, and
embedding frame data of the spatial information based on the insertion bit length, according to a sample plane order,

wherein the sample plane order indicates sequentially embedding from most significant bit to the least significant bit.

1. A light projection apparatus, comprising:
a fluorescent member which is excited with exciting light; and
a light projecting member which reflects or transmits light emanating from the fluorescent member to project the light outside, wherein
the fluorescent member includes an irradiated region which is irradiated with the exciting light, and
a length of the irradiated region in a first direction is greater than a length of the irradiated region in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction.
2. The light projection apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a light condensing member which includes a light entrance face through which the exciting light enters and a light exit face that has a smaller area than the light entrance face and through which the exciting light exits, wherein
a length of the light exit face in the first direction is greater than a length of the light exit face in the second direction.
3. The light projection apparatus according to claim 1, wherein
the irradiated region has a rectangular, elliptical, or elongate hexagonal shape.
4. The light projection apparatus according to claim 1, wherein
the irradiated region has a shape asymmetric in the first direction.
5. The light projection apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a focus of the light projecting member is located at an edge of the irradiated region.
6. The light projection apparatus according to claim 5, wherein
the light projection apparatus is used as a headlamp of an automobile, and
the focus of the light projecting member is located at an edge of the irradiated region from where a cut-off line of a light projection pattern is projected.
7. The light projection apparatus according to claim 6, wherein
the focus of the light projecting member is located at a position on the irradiated region from where an elbow point of the light projection pattern is projected.
8. The light projection apparatus according to claim 2, wherein
the light projection apparatus is used as a headlamp of an automobile, and
the light exit face is formed in a shape that corresponds to a light projection pattern of a passing-by headlamp.
9. The light projection apparatus according to claim 1, wherein
the light projecting member includes a reflecting member which reflects the light emanating from the fluorescent member to project the light outside.
10. The light projection apparatus according to claim 1, wherein
the light projecting member includes a lens which transmits the light emanating from the fluorescent member to project the light outside.
11. The light projection apparatus according to claim 10, wherein
the light projecting member includes the lens and a reflecting member having a reflecting face that reflects the light emanating from the fluorescent member,
the reflecting face is formed as an ellipsoid,
a first focus of the reflecting face is located in the irradiated region, and
a second focus of the reflecting face coincides with a focus of the lens.
12. The light projection apparatus according to claim 1, wherein
the exciting light includes laser light.
13. A light condensing unit, comprising:
a light condensing member which includes a light entrance face through which laser light enters and a light exit face that has a smaller area than the light entrance face and through which the laser light exits; and
a holding member which holds the light condensing member, wherein
the light condensing member further includes a side face which connects between the light entrance face and the light exit face,
the side face has a function of reflecting the laser light that has entered through the light entrance face to guide the laser light to the light exit face,
the light condensing member is formed of a substance having a higher refractive index than an environment around the light condensing member, and
the holding member holds the light entrance face, or holds the side face at a point or along a line.
14. The light condensing unit according to claim 13, wherein
the holding member has a function of transmitting the laser light and in addition holds the light entrance face.
15. The light condensing unit according to claim 13, further comprising a housing member which houses a laser generator which emits the laser light, wherein
the housing member includes the holding member.
16. The light condensing unit according to claim 13, wherein
the holding member holds at least one of a light entrance face side part and a light exit face side part of the side face.
17. The light condensing unit according to claim 13, further comprising a fluorescent member which is irradiated with the laser light emanating from the light condensing member and which converts at least part of the laser light into fluorescence to emit the fluorescence.
18. The light condensing unit according to claim 17, further comprising a reflecting member which reflects the fluorescence emanating from the fluorescent member in a predetermined direction.
19. The light condensing unit according to claim 13, wherein
laser light emitted from a plurality of laser generators enters the light condensing member through the light entrance face.
20. A light emitting apparatus, comprising:
the light condensing unit according to claim 13; and
a laser generator which emits laser light toward the light condensing member of the light condensing unit.

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. A device for mounting an object removably on a bone, comprising:
(a) a central shaft having a distal end portion;
(b) a threaded tip included in said distal end portion;
(c) a bone-engaging member disposed on and movable longitudinally along said central shaft, said bone-engaging member having a bone-gripping distal end; and
(d) an adjustment mechanism mounted on said central shaft and arranged to move said bone-engaging member controllably toward said distal end of said central shaft.
2. The device of claim 1 including a coupling interconnecting said adjustment mechanism with said bone-engaging member and keeping said adjustment mechanism within a predetermined distance from said bone-engaging member.
3. The device of claim 2 wherein said bone-engaging member includes a sleeve disposed slidably on said central shaft and wherein said sleeve has a groove defined adjacent a proximal end thereof and said adjustment mechanism includes a rotatable member mounted on and rotatable about said central shaft and including a groove defined adjacent a proximal end thereof, and wherein said coupling includes a coupling member disposed adjacent said proximal end of said sleeve and said distal end of said rotatable member and including respective catches engaged in each of said grooves.
4. The device of claim 1 wherein said threaded tip includes a drill.
5. The device of claim 1 wherein said threaded tip includes self-tapping screw threads.
6. The device of claim 1 wherein said threaded tip includes a self-drilling, self-tapping screw.
7. The device of claim 1 wherein said bone-engaging member is movable longitudinally along said central shaft but is prevented from rotating about said central shaft.
8. The device of claim 1 wherein said adjustment mechanism includes a rotatable member engaged with an external thread on said central shaft and a rotary coupling connecting said rotatable member with said bone-engaging member.
9. The device of claim 1 wherein said bone-engaging member is a sleeve including a longitudinally-extending slot and wherein a slot-engaging member extends radially from said central shaft and is engaged in said slot, thereby preventing said sleeve from rotating about said central shaft.
10. The device of claim 1 wherein said adjustment mechanism includes a rotatable member engaged with an external thread on said central shaft and said bone-engaging member and said rotatable member have respective cooperative elements of a torque-indicating mechanism.
11. The device of claim 10 wherein said torque-indicating mechanism includes a stepping mechanism.
12. The device of claim 11 wherein said stepping mechanism includes corresponding inclined facets defined respectively on the proximal end of the bone-engaging member and the distal end of the rotatable member and wherein corresponding ones of said facets are engageable with each other at selected angles of rotation of said rotatable member.
13. The device of claim 1 wherein said distal end portion includes a shoulder projecting radially outward adjacent said threaded tip.
14. The device of claim 1 wherein said distal end portion is externally threaded along a portion thereof extending in a proximal direction from said threaded tip.
15. The device of claim 14 wherein said threaded tip is self-tapping and gradually increases in diameter toward and merges with said externally threaded portion of said distal end portion.
16. A method of releasably fastening an article to a bone, comprising:
(a) boring and tapping a first hole inwardly through a cortex of a bone;
(b) screwing a threaded distal end portion of a shaft into an interior of said bone through said first hole and placing a tip of said distal end portion into contact with an opposite interior surface of said cortex of said bone;
(c) thereafter, sliding a bone-engaging member longitudinally along said shaft and thereby bringing a bone-gripping distal end of said bone-engaging member into contact against said cortex of said bone adjacent said first hole and forcing said distal end of said bone-engaging member into gripping engagement with said cortex of said bone; and
(d) mechanically holding said bone-engaging member in a predetermined angular position with respect to said shaft so as to prevent rotation of said bone-engaging member about said shaft and to keep said distal end of said bone-engaging member in gripping engagement with said cortex of said bone, thereby preventing rotation of said shaft with respect to said bone.
17. The method of claim 16 wherein said bone-engaging member includes a sleeve disposed slidably on said shaft, including the step of preventing said sleeve from rotating about said shaft while said sleeve slides longitudinally along said shaft.
18. The method of claim 16 wherein said step of moving said sleeve longitudinally along said shaft includes the step of rotating an adjustment member along a helical thread defined on said shaft and thereby urging said distal end of said bone-engaging member into gripping engagement with said cortex of said bone.
19. The method of claim 16, including the step of using a multi-faceted ramp stepping mechanism to determine when sufficient force has been applied to said bone-engaging member to urge said distal end of said bone-engaging member into gripping engagement with said cortex of said bone.
20. The method of claim 16, including the step of coupling an adjustment member to said bone-engaging member so as to allow said adjustment to pull said sleeve out of gripping engagement with said cortex of said bone.
21. The method of claim 16, including the step of engaging an angular stepping escapement device between a rotating adjustment mechanism and said bone-engaging member to retain said rotating adjustment mechanism in a selected position of rotation with respect to said bone-engaging member when said bone-engaging member is in anchoring engagement with said cortex of said bone.
22. A method of releasably fastening an article to a bone, comprising:
(a) boring a first hole having a first diameter inwardly through a cortex of a bone;
(b) inserting a drill into an interior of said bone through said first hole and into contact with an interior surface of said cortex of an opposite side of said bone and therefrom boring a second hole outward into said cortex, said second hole having a diameter smaller that said first diameter;
(c) inserting a shaft having screw threaded tip into said bone through said first hole and threading said screw threaded tip into said second hole to a limited depth at which a distal end portion of said shaft encounters said cortex, and thereby resists further movement of said threaded tip into said second hole;
(d) thereafter, sliding a bone-engaging member longitudinally along said shaft, thereby bringing a distal end of said bone-engaging member into contact against said cortex of said bone adjacent said first hole, and forcing said distal end of said bone-engaging member into gripping engagement with said cortex of said bone; and
(e) mechanically holding said bone-engaging member in a predetermined angular position with respect to said shaft so as to prevent rotation of said bone-engaging member about said shaft and to keep said distal end of said bone-engaging member in gripping engagement with said cortex of said bone, thereby preventing rotation of said shaft with respect to said bone.