A boiler plant, comprising at least a first boiler and a second boiler. The first boiler comprises a first superheater and a first reheater for generation and heating of steam. The second boiler comprises a second superheater and a second reheater for generation and heating of steam. A first high-pressure turbine is driven by steam generated by the first superheater and fed to the first high-pressure turbine. The steam is delivered to the first reheater after having been expanded in the first high-pressure turbine. A second high-pressure turbine is driven by steam generated by the second superheater and fed to the second high-pressure turbine. The steam is delivered to the second reheater after having been expanded in the second high-pressure turbine. An intermediate-pressure/low-pressure turbine is driven by reheated steam generated by the first and second reheaters fed to the intermediate-pressure/low-pressure turbine. At least one electric generator is operated by the first and the second high pressure turbines and the intermediate-pressure/low-pressure turbine.

In power plants where more than one boiler module is used to generat steam in separate steam generators for the respective boiler modules, steam from the respective steam generators may drive a steam turbine which is common to the boiler modules. If the steam generator in each boiler module comprises a high-pressure superheater and a reheater, the high-pressure steam from the different boiler modules is passed via valves to a common high-pressure turbine, where the steam expands and delivers energy, whereafter the steam is returned to the boiler modules for reheating in a reheater in the respective boiler module. The steam from the different reheaters is then passed to an intermediate-pressure and low-pressure turbine common to the modules, whereafter the steam, after condensing, is passed to a tank for feedwater, from which the water is utilized for new steam generation.
One reason for utilizing fewer turbines than the number of boiler modules is the considerable saving of costs for the installation of fewer steam turbine units in the plant.
In the normal operating range, that is, 30% to 100% of the power output from the plant, sliding pressure control is currently used. Sliding pressure control means that the pressure of the high-pressure steam, (live steam) and the pressure of the reheater steam are approximately proportional to the steam flow. During start-up and shutdown of the plant and in case of turbine trip (emergency stop of the turbine), the control of the boiler and the turbine, is performed in the most careful way. This means that the pressure in the reheater, determined by the pressure in the intermediate-pressure and low-pressure turbine, and hence the volume flow (the steam rate) through the high-pressure superheater and the flow volume through reheater in the load range, vary within acceptable limits without any special control.
If two boilers comprising reheaters are installed with a common steam turbine for both boilers, no problems arise for the high-pressure outlet of the steam turbine and for the reheaters of the boilers since the two boilers are driven with the same power. The individual boilers and the steam turbine have the same load expressed as a percentage. On the other hand, the distribution of the steam flows of the reheaters in the two boilers must be controlled in relation to each other with the aid of valves.
Control difficulties for a plant concept with two boilers and a common steam turbine arise when the two boilers are driven with different loads. The steam pressure before the intermediate-pressure turbine will then be the sum of the current reheater steam flows of the respective boilers divided by the design flow of the two reheaters. Before the high-pressure turbine the same conditions as with the intermediate-pressure turbine apply for the steam pressure. In other word, the sum of the steam flows in the two superheaters for high-pressure steam in the respective boilers divided by the design steam flows of these superheaters gives the pressure before the high-pressure turbine. If, for example, one boiler is driven with 50% load and the other boiler is driven with 100% load, the steam turbine will be driven with 75% of nominal full load. This means that the steam turbine receives an inlet steam pressure which amounts to 75% of the full load pressure. The superheater for live steam in the boiler which is driven with 100% load is designed so as to have, at this load, a volume flow and a steam rate which require full pressure in the superheater. Because of this, it is required that a higher pressure is applied to the superheater in this full-load boiler than what is justified by the inlet pressure at the steam turbine. In this connection, a throttle valve, for example, is utilized at the boiler outlet of the super-heater, whereby the pressure of this superheater is raised. A disadvantage of using a throttle valve is that an extra throttling loss is obtained.
On the other hand, the superheater in the boiler which is driven with only 50% load is subjected to a pressure which is 50% too high. This provides a considerably lower volume flow of steam through the superheater compared with the case where the boilers are working under equivalent conditions.
The steam pressure at the intermediate-pressure turbine, which is determined by the flow through the intermediate-pressure and low-pressure turbine, will also lie at 75% of the full-load pressure. The steam flow in the reheaters for the respective boiler must be distributed such that the reheater of each boiler is supplied with the correct steam flow in relation to the live steam flow out of the corresponding boiler. The steam pressure of the reheaters will be incorrect for both boilers in the same way as in the case of the above-described unbalance between the live steam pressures in the respective boilers. The pressure at the outlet of the high-pressure turbine, which is common to both boilers, must be maintained to avoid too high steam rates in the reheater belonging to the full-load boiler. As a result, the expansion line for the high-pressure turbine is reduced. Therefore, the output power from the plant is reduced compared with the output power which is achieved during parallel running of the two boilers with the same load, where the sum load for both boilers is the same as in the example described. Because of the reduced expansion, the temperature at the outlet from the high-pressure turbine is at the same time higher than the calculated temperature in the heat transfer area for the reheater. The temperature has to be reduced by, for example, water injection, which results in deteriorated efficiency. The boiler which is driven at only 50% of full load is, on the other hand, exposed to the opposite conditions. The reheater in this boiler senses too high a pressure which causes too low a volume flow whereas the temperature of the inlet steam is too low, which in turn contributes to the temperature of the outlet steam from the reheater becoming too low. These circumstances create demands for additional water injection into the reheater in this partial-load boiler, whereby a high pressure drop across the reheater is accomplished. Also, these circumstances contributes to a deterioration of the efficiency of the plant when the plant is not driven with equivalent loads in the two boilers. The lower temperature of the steam out of the reheater related to the steam turbine load may cause a problem for the steam turbine according to ruling standards.


A motor vehicle seat frame assembly has a headrest movable between an extended position and a retracted position. The frame assembly comprises a seatback frame operatively engaged with the headrest, the seatback frame being pivotable from a use position to a lowered position. A sun gear is fixed against rotation relative to the motor vehicle, and a planet gear is attached to the seatback frame and rotatably engaged with the sun gear. The planet gear is operatively engaged with the headrest to extend and to retract the headrest as the planet gear rotates about the sun ge.

This invention relates generally to seat for motor vehicles, and relates more specifically to a gear driven actuator for a retractable headrest of a motor vehicle seat.
Many motor vehicles, particularly sport utility vehicles and minivans, are equipped with rear seats that can be moved from a seating configuration, in which passengers can sit in the seat, to a so-called xe2x80x9cload floorxe2x80x9d configuration where the back support of the seat is folded downwardly to assume a horizontal orientation and thereby facilitate cargo stowage in the van. Typically, locking mechanisms are provided for holding the seat in the seating configuration, and the locking mechanisms can be released to permit moving the seat to the load floor configuration.
Various arrangements have been proposed for retracting a headrest of the seat in order to provide the seat with a more compact profile when folded. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,918,940 shows several embodiments of a seat having an adjusting mechanism for adjusting the height of a headrest according to the pivoting of a seatback relative to a seat cushion.
The present invention is a motor vehicle seat frame assembly having a headrest movable between an extended position and a retracted position. The frame assembly comprises a seatback frame operatively engaged with the headrest, the seatback frame being pivotable from a use position to a lowered position. A sun gear is fixed against rotation relative to the motor vehicle, and a planet gear is attached to the seatback frame and rotatably engaged with the sun gear. The planet gear is operatively engaged with the headrest to extend and to retract the headrest as the planet gear rotates about the sun gear.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide an assembly of the type described above which could be moved to a seating configuration and to a load floor configuration.
Another object of the present invention is to provide an assembly of the type described above that presents a retractable headrest.
Another object of the present invention is to provide an assembly of the type described above that facilitates the storage of relatively compact rear seats of the motor vehicle.
Still another object of the present invention is to provide an assembly of the type described above which is easy to use and cost-effective.
These and other features and advantages of the invention will become further apparent from the following detailed description of the presently preferred embodiments, read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. The detailed description and drawings are merely illustrative of the invention rather than limiting, the scope of the invention being defined by the appended claims and equivalents thereof.

Gear driven actuator for retractable headrest


A technique for assembling camera modules that includes attaching optical elements, such as an optics stack, directly to the upper surface of an image sensor. A housing may be provided to partially surrounded the optics stack. Alternatively, the housing can be provided by a transfer molding process. This technique can be applied in array processing scenario and solder balls can be attached to the bottom of the image sensor to provide an efficiently-produced and low cost camera module.

In the field of consumer electronic devices, such as wireless phones, there is constant pressure to make the devices more compact, less expensive, and more rich with features. In turn, the manufacturers of such devices place the same pressures on each of its component suppliers. As most wireless phones today are camera phones, they each include one or more camera modules as a component of the phone. The camera module may include a PCB or flex circuit, an image sensor, a housing, and a lens assembly.
Thus, it is desirable for camera modules to be compact, inexpensive, and to have increased capabilities. These capabilities may include higher resolution image sensors and higher-quality optics/lenses. Further, it is desirable to minimize the components and materials used in manufacturing a camera module, to reduce the time to manufacture such modules, to reduce the human involvement in manufacturing such modules, and to decrease the number of defective modules produced.
Typically, camera modules are manufactured by attaching the image sensor to a circuit board and then attaching a housing containing the lens to the same circuit board. Alternatively, other manufacturing techniques include covering the image sensor with a cover glass and then attaching the lens or lens housing to the cover glass. In some cases, the lens is contained in a lens assembly that is threadedly received in a housing and the lens assembly is rotated until it provides a properly focused image for the image sensor. At this point, the lens assembly can be fixed to the housing.
The foregoing examples of the related art and limitations related therewith are intended to be illustrative and not exclusive. Other limitations of the related art will become apparent to those of skill in the art upon a reading of the specification and a study of the drawings.

NAN CHANG O-FILM OPTOELECTRONICS TECHNOLOGY LTD.


A jack-up crane vessel or semi-submersible crane vessel is provided including a hull with a deck, and a crane on the hull for hoisting a load outside the deck. The crane includes a slewing crane base with a first suspension, an elongated boom that is rotatable around a horizontal rotation axis with respect to the first suspension, at least two pendants between the boom and the first suspension that mutually converge toward the distal boom section, a boom spacer between the boom and the first suspension, and a boom luffing installation for driving the rotation of the boom around the horizontal rotation axis between a lowered transport position and a raised operational position. In the direction of the vertical rotation axis the first suspension extends at least in the lowered transport position of the boom above the boom heel of the boom.

The invention relates to a jack-up crane vessel or semi-submersible crane vessel comprising a hull with a deck and a crane on the hull for hoisting a load outside the deck.
Crane vessels of this kind are used for building offshore wind turbines, wherein turbine components, such as a tower, a nacelle with a hub, and the blades are hoisted high above the waterline. The known crane vessels have a crane that comprises a slewing crane base and a very long boom that is rotatable connected with the crane base at the boom heel. This very long boom is raised and lowered by means of a luffing hoist tackle above the boom that is hauled in or paid out by a winch.
Known large offshore wind turbines typically have power of 8 Megawatt and require a lifting height for its components above the waterline of 140 meters. This lifting height is reached with the known cranes by using the very long boom that projects from the hull in the lowered transport position. Offshore wind turbines are continuously scaled up, wherein a power of 12 Megawatt is envisaged in the near future, and thereby significant higher lifting heights for the turbine components.


In an embodiment, an optical communication system includes an optical transmitter and an optical discriminator. The optical transmitter is configured to emit a frequency modulated signal having a bit rate frequency and a frequency excursion between 20% and 80% of the bit rate frequency. The optical discriminator is configured to convert the frequency modulated signal to a substantially amplitude modulated signal and includes a delay line interferometer (DLI). The DLI includes an input, an output, a first optical path coupling optical signals from the input to the output and a second optical path coupling optical signals from the input to the output. The first and second optical paths have different lengths.

1. Field of the Invention
Some embodiments disclosed herein relate to laser transmitters. More particularly, example embodiments relate to optical filters for use in laser transmitters.
2. Related Technology
Fiber optic communication systems use a variety of transmitters to convert electrical digital bits of information into optical signals that are sent through optical fibers. On the other end of the optical fiber is a receiver that converts the optical signal to an electrical signal. The transmitters modulate the signals to form bits of 1s and 0s so that information or data may be carried through the optical fiber. There are a variety of transmitters that modulate the signal in different ways. For example, there are directly modulated transmitters and indirectly modulated transmitters. The directly modulated transmitters offer a compact system having large response to modulation and are integrateable. The directly modulated transmitters are also generally less expensive than the externally modulated transmitters, which require an intensity modulator, usually LiNbO3, following the laser. One of the drawbacks of a directly modulated transmitter, however, is that its output is highly chirped. Chirp is the rapid change in optical frequency or phase that accompanies an intensity modulated signal. Chirped pulses become distorted after propagation through tens of km of dispersive optical fiber, increasing system power penalties to unacceptable levels.
An alternative to directly modulating the laser source is using a laser source that produces a partially frequency modulated signal and an optical discriminator as discussed in UK Patent GB2107147A by R. E. Epworth. In this technique, the laser is initially biased to a current level high above threshold. A partial amplitude modulation of the bias current is applied so that the average power output remains high. The partial amplitude modulation also leads to a partial but significant modulation in the frequency of the laser output, synchronous with the power amplitude changes. This partially frequency modulated output may then be applied to a filter, such as a Fabry Perot filter, which is tuned to allow light only at certain frequencies to pass through. This way, a partially frequency modulated signal is converted into a substantially amplitude modulated signal. That is, frequency modulation is converted into amplitude modulation. This conversion increases the extinction ratio of the input signal and further reduces the chirp.
Since Epworth, it has also been recognized that a frequency-modulated transmitter with a frequency discriminator produces an output with lower chirp, which reduces the pulse distortion upon propagation through a communication fiber. Chirp is a time dependent frequency variation of an optical signal and generally increases the optical bandwidth of a signal beyond the Fourier-transform limit. Chirp can either improve or degrade the optical pulse shape after propagation through a dispersive fiber, depending on the sign and exact nature of the chirp. In the conventional directly modulated laser transmitter, chirp causes severe pulse distortion upon propagation through the optical fiber. This is because the speed of light in the dispersive medium is frequency dependent, frequency variations of pulses may undergo different time delays, and thus the pulse may be distorted. If the propagation distance through the medium is long as in the case of optical fibers, the pulse may be dispersed in time and its width broadened, which has an undesirable effect.
A frequency-modulated transmitter with a frequency discriminator is particularly suited for long range applications where the reduced bandwidth of the signal reduces the amount of distortion caused by many kilometers of dispersive fiber. However, in short range applications (e.g. the "back to back" or "BB" arrangement) and long range systems having dispersion compensation, the reduced bandwidth results in an output with slower rise and fall times. The slower rise and fall times reduce the size of the data "eye," making detection of 0 bits and 1 bits more difficult and increasing the error rate.
The subject matter claimed herein is not limited to embodiments that solve any disadvantages or that operate only in environments such as those described above. Rather, this background is only provided to illustrate one exemplary technology area where some embodiments described herein may be practiced.

Optical filter for use in a laser transmitter


A microphone comprises a plurality of oppositely oriented electroacoustic transducer pairs arranged in a body or a resonator cavity and electrically algebraically summed, whereby ambient acoustic shock impulses and vibration induce opposite electrical phase output, while an audio signal entering an acoustic channel to the transducer cavity produces a damped, in-phase, summed output, greatly enhancing the signal to noise ratio and producing a high output level that is substantially non-microphonic.

The present invention relates generally to microphones for voice and music, and more particularly to an improved pressure microphone having superior vibration and noise rejection. Heretofore, pressure microphones have generally comprised a single, approximately planar vibratile element or diaphragm open to ambient sound or pressure variations on one side and essentially sealed from these variations on the other. The position of the diaphragm at any instant is related to the difference between ambient pressure on the open side and the pressure of the sealed volume of air on the opposite side. Various transduction means are utilized to convert these variations in position to electrical signals, which signals ideally become replicas of the ambient pressure variations. Added to these signals, however, are the undesired diaphragm motions, caused by mechanical vibration transmitted through the microphone structure, and by noise contributed by electrical resistance of the transducing means or succeeding stages of amplification. Prior art means for increasing the sensitivity, and thus the signal-to-noise ratio, of microphones have generally involved increasing the size of the vibratile element or improving the efficiency of the transducing means whereby diaphragm motion is converted into electrical signals. In the latter case, any increase in transduction efficiency results in a like increase in efficiency for structure-borne vibration and shock-induced signals.
One means for improving overall efficiency of a microphone, as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,980,838 to Yakushiji, et al., involves electrostatic diaphragms disposed about a perforate common electrode. The device is used as a loud speaker approximating a plate the thickness of which grows and shrinks to follow the waveform being reproduced. The technique of dual diaphragms about a common perforate electrode is disclosed as early as 1935 in U.S. Pat. No. 2,179,361 to von Braunwahl, et al., the object being to provide a directional response.
An example of a microphone of the prior art is the aircraft radio noise cancelling microphone, which has a single transducer and a bidirectional acoustic channel driving the transducer from opposite directions, whereby bidirectional balanced pressures, such as ambient noise, are substantially cancelled. Acoustically unbalanced voice pressure enables substantially noise-free microphone output and improved dynamic range.

Signal summing non-microphonic differential microphone


The disclosure relates to a needle assembly adapted to couple with a medicament delivery device including a needle having a proximal tip and a distal tip, a needle hub coupled to the needle, a body adapted to engage the needle hub, a removable needle cap adapted to cover the distal tip, and a removable sealing element. The sealing element is adapted to seal an open proximal end of a compartment of the body, including the proximal tip, in such a manner that the proximal tip is housed in a sealed environment before use of the needle. The disclosure further relates to a medicament delivery device including such a needle assembly.

Administering an injection is a process which presents a number of risks and challenges for users and healthcare professionals, both mental and physical. Pre-filled syringes with a syringe cartridge containing a selected dosage of a medicament for administering the medicament to a patient are known in the art. The cartridges may be stored in a blistered package so that they are kept sterile until the time of use. The cartridges include a hollow injection needle that is in fluid communication with the medicament stored in the cartridge. Thus, the injection needle can be clogged after a long-term storage.
There remains a need for an improved needle assembly and an improved medicament delivery device comprising such a needle assembly.

Sealed needle assembly for medicament delivery device


The rate of absorption of drugs across skin and other body membranes such as mucous membranes and the blood brain barrier is enhanced by adding to the drug composition a compound which enhances the rate. This compound may be macrocyclic ester, diester, amide, diamide, amidine, diamidine, thioester, dithioester, thioamide, ketone or lactone. The macrocyclic ketone contains at least 12 carbon atoms.

Naturally, body membranes of all sorts represent protective barriers against foreign materials and infection. However, administration of drugs using transdermal and trans-membrane delivery systems does provide improved therapeutic advantages and better patient compliances which is well known and documented in both the patent and scientific literature. Examples of such systems are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,921,636; 3,964,482; 3,989,816; 3,996,934; 4,201,211; 4,291,014; 4,291,015; 4,292,203; 4,336,243; 4,346,709; 4,379,454; 4,409,206; 4,460,372; 4,486,193; and 4,490,322.
Administration using transdermal and trans-membrane drug delivery systems has certain advantages over the conventional methods of oral and systemic administration. These advantages include: (1) minimizing drug exposure by allowing a significant reduction in dosage; (2) providing long-term therapy in a single dose thereby increasing patient compliance; (3) avoiding the risks and inconveniences of intravenous or intramuscular therapy; (4) rendering possible the use of drugs with short biological half-lives; (5) allowing immediate termination of drug input by simply removing the material containing the drug; and (6) avoiding the possible inactivation of a drug when it first passes through the liver after oral administration.
Examples of drugs which have been administered transdermally include scopolamine, nitroglycerine, clonidine, estradiol, antibiotics (e.g., erythromycin, lincomycin, and the like), antifungal agents, and sunscreens. Many of these drugs, e.g., clonidine, scopolamine, and nitroglycerine are of such chemical structure that they can permeate the skin and other body membranes to provide sufficiently high therapeutic doses for most purposes. However, when higher therapeutic levels are required, or when the drug itself, e.g., estradiol diacetate, does not permeate or cannot sufficiently permeate the skin to provide the desired level of drug concentration, it becomes necessary to use adjuvants which enhance the rate of penetration of the drug. Generally, for transdermal formulation of most drug entities adjuvants are required.

Transdermal and trans-membrane delivery of drugs


Indications are received regarding which of plural outputs are preferred over others of the plural outputs. A continuous function is computed that satisfies constraints corresponding to the received indications and that satisfies a predefined criterion. Values of parameters are computed based on the continuous function, wherein the values of the parameters are useable in a process to generate an output.

A process often has a set of parameters that control or otherwise affect how the process processes input data to derive output data. An example process includes an image or video processing algorithm that can process an input (e.g. an input image, an input video) and produces an output (e.g. an output image, an output video). The values of the parameters used in the process can affect the quality (or other characteristic) of the output data.

Determining parameter values based on indications of preference

Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.


The present invention provides humanized antibodies that immunospecifically recognize human 9 integrin. Some of these antibodies inhibit the biological functions of the 9 integrin, thereby exhibiting therapeutic effects on various disorders or diseases that are associated with 9 integrin, including cancer, e.g., the growth and metastasis of a cancer cell, and inflammatory diseases, e.g., rheumatoid arthritis, osteoarthritis, hepatitis, bronchial asthma, fibrosis, diabetes, arteriosclerosis, multiple sclerosis, granuloma, an inflammatory bowel disease (ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease), an autoimmune disease, and so forth.

Cells adhere to extracellular matrix (hereinafter abbreviated as ECM) mediated by a group of cell surface receptors which are termed integrins. Integrins perform their functions by forming 1:1 heterodimers of α and β chains. At least 18 types of α chain, 8 types of β chain and 24 types of αβ heterodimer have been identified and confirmed so far. It is known that each integrin recognizes a specific ligand. Integrins are classified into subfamilies depending upon their ligand specificities or functions, and divided into collagen receptors, laminin receptors, RGD receptors recognizing an Arg-Gly-Asp (RGD) sequence present in fibronectin, vitronectin, etc., and leukocyte-specific receptors present only in leukocytes (Hynes, R. O., 2002, Integrins: Bidirectional, Allosteric Signaling Machines. Cell 110: 673-87; Miyasaka, M., 2000, New edition of Adhesion Molecule Handbook, Shujunsya). The α4 and α9 integrins are members of a subfamily that does not belong to any of these types and called the α4 integrin subfamily (Elise L. Palmer, Curzio Rfiegg, Ronald Ferrando, Robert Pytela, Sheppard D., 1993, Sequence and Tissue Distribution of the Integrin α9 Subunit, a Novel Partner of β1 That Is Widely Distributed in Epithelia and Muscle. The Journal of Cell Biology, 123: 1289-97). Meanwhile, ECM used to be considered so far to serve as a mere cementing substance between cells. It has now become clear that the integrin-mediated ECM-cell interaction is significantly involved in regulating the growth, adhesion, movement, etc. of cells and associated with the onset of diseases including a progression of cancer, an exacerbation of inflammation, and the like.
For example, osteopontin (hereinafter abbreviated as OPN) which is one of the ECMs is a secreted, acidic phosphorylated glycoprotein with a molecular weight of about 41 kDa and is a molecule, whose expression is widely observed in breast milk, urine, renal tubules, osteoclasts, osteoblasts, macrophages, activated T cells, tumor tissues, and so forth. OPN has the adhesion sequences, GRGDS (SEQ ID NO:1) at the center of its molecule, the SVVYGLR (SEQ ID NO:2) sequence in human OPN or the SLAYGLR (SEQ ID NO:3) sequence in mouse OPN, and a thrombin-cleavage site in close proximity thereto, and binds through the GRGDS (SEQ ID NO:1) sequence to the RGD integrin or to the α4 (α4β1) and α9 (α9β1) integrins through the SVVYGLR (SEQ ID NO:2) sequence or the SLAYGLR (SEQ ID NO:3) sequence.
WO 02/081522 discloses a therapeutic effect on rheumatoid arthritis or hepatitis by inhibiting the OPN functions using OPN knockout mice or neutralizing antibodies against OPN. Moreover, this publication discloses that the SVVYGLR (SEQ ID NO:2) sequence is essential as recognizing the α9 and α4 integrins for pathogenesis of an inflammatory disease and that receptors for OPN are expressed in immunocompetent cells or the like and associated with an inflammatory disease.
Differences in binding profile have been found in that α4β1 binds both to OPN not cleaved with thrombin (uncleaved OPN) and to the N-terminal fragment of thrombin-cleaved OPN (cleaved OPN), whereas α9β1 binds only to the cleaved OPN (Y. Yokosaki, et al., (1999) The Journal of Biological Chemistry 274: 36328-36334; P. M. Green, et al., (2001) FEBS Letters, 503: 75-79; S. T. Barry, et al., (2000) Experimental Cell Research, 258: 342-351).
The α4 and α9 integrins share many common ligands other than OPN. Known ligands are the EDA domain of fibronectin, propeptide-von Willebrand factor (pp-vWF), tissue transglutaminase (tTG), blood coagulation factor XIII, vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 (VCAM-1), etc. In addition, the CS-1 domain of fibronectin, MadCAM-1 (α4β7), etc. are known as the ligands specifically recognized by the α4 integrin. Tenascin-C, plasmin, etc. are known as the ligands specifically recognized by the α9 integrin.
The amino acid sequences for the integrin subunits α9, α4 and β1 are publicly known. For instance, human α9 is registered as NM—002207, mouse α9 as NM—133721, human α4 as NM—000885, mouse α4 as NM—010576, human β1 as X07979, and mouse 131 as NM—010578, at the GenBank™. These integrins are also known to have high similarities between species in amino acid sequence.

Generation, expression and characterization of the humanized K33N monoclonal antibody


Example apparatus described herein include a first circuit configured to slice an input image frame into input image slices, the first circuit including first outputs configured to output the input image slices. Described example apparatus also include digital light processing controllers (DLPCs) including first inputs coupled to the first outputs, the digital light processing controllers configured to process the input image slices to produce output image slices, the digital light processing controllers including second outputs configured to output the output image slices. Described example apparatus further include a second circuit including second inputs coupled to the second outputs, the second circuit configured to combine the output image slices to generate image frame data to provide to an input of a digital micromirror device (DMD).

Some video display chipsets, such as DLP® chipsets available from TEXAS INSTRUMENTS INCORPORATED, include an array of highly reflective aluminum micromirrors implemented in a digital micromirror device (DMD). The DMD is an electrical input, optical output micro-electrical-mechanical system (MEMS) that performs high speed, efficient, and reliable spatial light modulation based on input image frame data applied to the DMD. Some DMDs include two input interfaces, such as a left frame input interface and a right frame input interface, such that one input interface (e.g., the left frame input interface) accepts a first half (e.g., the left half) of an input image frame data, and the other input interface (e.g., the right frame input interface) accepts a second half (e.g., the right half) of the input image frame data. In some example video display chipsets, DMD controllers, such as TI's DLP controllers (DLPCs), are used to prepare the input image frame data to be applied to the input interfaces of the DMD. For example, two DLPCs may be used to drive a DMD, with one DPLC preparing the first half (e.g., the left half) of the input image frame data for the DMD, and the other DPLC preparing the second half (e.g., the right half) of the input image frame data for the DMD.

Image slicing to generate in put frames for a digital micromirror device


A method for altering an operating condition of a filter includes actively increasing the temperature of the filter to a desired temperature below a regeneration temperature and sensing a filter operating condition at about the desired temperature. The method also includes comparing the sensed filter operating condition to an expected filter operating condition range and actively increasing the temperature of the filter to the regeneration temperature in response to the comparison.

Engines, including diesel engines, gasoline engines, natural gas engines, and other engines known in the art, may exhaust a complex mixture of air pollutants. The air pollutants may be composed of both gaseous and solid material, such as, for example, particulate matter. Particulate matter may include ash and unburned carbon particles called soot.
Due to increased environmental concerns, some engine manufacturers have developed systems to treat engine exhaust after it leaves the engine. Some of these systems employ exhaust treatment devices, such as particulate traps, to remove particulate matter from the exhaust flow. A particulate trap may include filter material designed to capture particulate matter. After an extended period of use, however, the filter material may become partially saturated with particulate matter, thereby hindering the particulate trap's ability to capture particulates.
The collected particulate matter may be removed from the filter material through a process called regeneration. A particulate trap may be regenerated by increasing the temperature of the filter material and the trapped particulate matter above the combustion temperature of the particulate matter, thereby burning away the collected particulate matter. This increase in temperature may be effectuated by various means. For example, some systems may employ a heating element to directly heat one or more portions of the particulate trap (e.g., the filter material or the external housing). Other systems have been configured to heat exhaust gases upstream of the particulate trap. The heated gases then flow through the particulate trap and transfer heat to the filter material and captured particulate matter. Such systems may alter one or more engine operating parameters, such as the ratio of air to fuel in the combustion chambers, to produce exhaust gases with an elevated temperature. Alternatively, such systems may heat the exhaust gases upstream of the particulate trap with, for example, a burner disposed within an exhaust conduit leading to the particulate trap.
One such system is disclosed by U.S. Pat. No. 4,651,524, issued to Brighton on Mar. 24, 1987 ("the '524 patent"). The '524 patent discloses an exhaust treatment system configured to increase the temperature of exhaust gases with a burner.
While the system of the '524 patent may increase the temperature of the particulate trap, the regeneration device of the '524 patent is not configured to assess whether an exothermic event may occur within the filter prior to actively initiating a regeneration event. As a result, such systems may cause the filter to overheat during regeneration, thereby damaging the filter.
The disclosed regeneration assembly is directed toward overcoming one or more of the problems set forth above.


A method includes retrieving current state information associated with a process tool. A dynamic qualification recipe is generated based on the current state information. The dynamic qualification recipe is provided to the process tool for subsequent processing of at least one test workpiece. A system includes a process tool and a qualification recipe controller. The qualification recipe controller is configured to retrieve current state information associated with the process tool, generate a dynamic qualification recipe based on the current state information, and provide the dynamic qualification recipe to the process tool for subsequent processing of at least one test workpiece.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to the field of semiconductor device manufacturing and, more particularly, to a method and apparatus for implementing dynamic qualification recipes.
2. Description of the Invention
There is a constant drive within the semiconductor industry to increase the quality, reliability and throughput of integrated circuit devices, e.g., microprocessors, memory devices, and the like. This drive is fueled by consumer demands for higher quality computers and electronic devices that operate more reliably. These demands have resulted in a continual improvement in the manufacture of semiconductor devices, e.g., transistors, as well as in the manufacture of integrated circuit devices incorporating such transistors. Additionally, reducing the defects in the manufacture of the components of a typical transistor also lowers the overall cost per transistor as well as the cost of integrated circuit devices incorporating such transistors.
Generally, a set of processing steps is performed on a lot of wafers using a variety of process tools, including photolithography steppers, etch tools, deposition tools, polishing tools, rapid thermal process tools, implantation tools, etc. The technologies underlying semiconductor process tools have attracted increased attention over the last several years, resulting in substantial refinements. However, despite the advances made in this area, many of the process tools that are currently commercially available suffer certain deficiencies. In particular, such tools often lack advanced process data monitoring capabilities, such as the ability to provide historical parametric data in a user-friendly format, as well as event logging, real-time graphical display of both current processing parameters and the processing parameters of the entire run, and remote, i.e., local site and worldwide, monitoring. These deficiencies can engender non-optimal control of critical processing parameters, such as throughput, accuracy, stability and repeatability, processing temperatures, mechanical tool parameters, and the like. This variability manifests itself as within-run disparities, run-to-run disparities and tool-to-tool disparities that can propagate into deviations in product quality and performance, whereas an ideal monitoring and diagnostics system for such tools would provide a means of monitoring this variability, as well as providing means for optimizing control of critical parameters.
One technique for improving the operation of semiconductor processing line includes using a factory wide control system to automatically control the operation of the various process tools. The manufacturing tools communicate with a manufacturing framework or a network of processing modules. Each manufacturing tool is generally connected to an equipment interface. The equipment interface is connected to a machine interface which facilitates communications between the manufacturing tool and the manufacturing framework. The machine interface can generally be part of an advanced process control (APC) system. The APC system initiates a control script based upon a manufacturing model, which can be a software program that automatically retrieves the data needed to execute a manufacturing process. Often, semiconductor devices are staged through multiple manufacturing tools for multiple processes, generating data relating to the quality of the processed semiconductor devices.
Various tools in the processing line are controlled in accordance with performance models to reduce processing variation. Commonly controlled tools include photolithography steppers, polishing tools, etching tools, and deposition tools. Pre-processing and/or post-processing metrology data is supplied to process controllers for the tools. Operating recipe parameters, such as processing time, are calculated by the process controllers based on the performance model and the metrology information to attempt to achieve post-polishing results as close to a target value as possible. Reducing variation in this manner leads to increased throughput, reduced cost, higher device performance, etc., all of which equate to increased profitability.
One input to commonly used control models is the xe2x80x9ccurrent statexe2x80x9d of the process tool. The xe2x80x9ccurrent statexe2x80x9d represents the current set of operating parameters associated with the controlled tool. Over time, the state of the process tool may change. For example, as consumable items employed in the process tool deplete, the processing rate of the tool typically changes. Also, as a tool processes wafers, byproducts can build up in the processing chamber, affecting the state. Commonly, a process tool undergoes periodic preventative maintenance procedures or calibrations to keep the tool in optimum operating condition. For example, polishing tools include polishing pads that are periodically conditioned or replaced. Etch tools and deposition tools are periodically cleaned using both in situ cleans or complete disassembly cleans. Steppers are periodically calibrated to maintain alignment accuracy and exposure dose consistency.
Periodically, qualification recipes are performed on the tools, such as after a PM activity or an idle period, to gather information concerning the current state of the tool. These qualification recipes typically employ test wafers. The test wafers are measured after performance of the qualification recipe to determine the state of the tool. Exemplary state information for various tools includes deposition rate, polish rate, polish profile, etch rate, overlay error, etc. Typically, qualification recipes have fixed operating parameters for the tool. For example, a commonly used polishing tool includes concentric rings, each having an individual pressure setting, that apply force to the polishing surface that interfaces with the wafer being polished. The pressure settings affect the polishing rate of the polish tool and also the polishing profile (i.e., dished or domed profile). A typical qualification recipe provides a fixed set of pressure parameters. The thickness of a process layer formed on the test wafer is measured after the polishing operation to determine the blanket wafer removal rate and the polishing profile.
Over time, the state of a polishing tool may change due to changes in the slurry concentration, age of the polishing pads, effectiveness of the conditioning pad, age of the carrier, etc. During normal operation, the operating parameters of the polish tool are changed to account for these sources of variation. Often, the current state of the tool (i.e., evidenced by its current operating parameters) is different than what is tested by the qualification recipe. Accordingly, the information gathered through the performance of the qualification recipe may have reduced relevance to the current state of the tool. If the control model for the tool is initialized using the state information from the qualification procedure, the effectiveness of the process controller attempting to control the characteristics of the processed wafers may be reduced, at least in the short run. It may take a while for the controller to readjust to the sources of variation present in the tool and settle out at a stable state. The need for this settling out time reduces the effectiveness of the process control activities, and thus, tends to increase variation in the manufactured products. Increased variation generally equates to reduced profitability.
The present invention is directed to overcoming, or at least reducing the effects of, one or more of the problems set forth above.
One aspect of the present invention is seen in a method including retrieving current state information associated with a process tool. A dynamic qualification recipe is generated based on the current state information. The dynamic qualification recipe is provided to the process tool for subsequent processing of at least one test workpiece.
Another aspect of the present invention is seen in a system including a process tool and a qualification recipe controller. The qualification recipe controller is configured to retrieve current state information associated with the process tool, generate a dynamic qualification recipe based on the current state information, and provide the dynamic qualification recipe to the process tool for subsequent processing of at least one test workpiece.

Method and apparatus for implementing dynamic qualification recipes


Various embodiments of the present disclosure include an apparatus comprising a clip which includes a first side including a first ring configured to pass over an end of a first vessel, the first ring configured to engage the first side with the first vessel, and a second side coupled to the first side, the second side including a second ring configured to pass over an end of a second vessel, the second ring being configured to engage the second side with the second vessel. The first and second sides, when in a closed position, are configured to maintain the first and second vessels in substantially end-to-end contact.

Fusion of body tissues for repairing tissues, including when closing surgical openings, as well as for creating new connections of tissue, such as an anastomosis for vascular bypass, has been an important concern of surgeons since surgical procedures were first used.
In vascular surgery, anastomoses need to be made to join vessels with other vessels or open volumes through which blood can flow. Such tissue connections should be made blood-tight, and be able to withstand the pressures and forces acting on them in vivo.
The creation of a fluid or blood-tight (hemostatic) and mechanically stable connection such as for an anastomosis takes considerable time, skill, and care and is prone to complications. Even slight misalignment, asymmetric tension, introduction of foreign material, or wrong tissue types may trigger bodily responses, such as thrombogenesis, coagulation, or scar formation, which may have a detrimental effect on the patency (i.e., the ability to let fluids pass) of a connection, or cause immediate or delayed leakage of vessels or vessel damage, later followed by dehiscence, pseudo aneurysm, or anastomotic aneurysm formation.
In most cases, tissue joints such as the ones required in an anastomosis are created when the surgeon sutures or staples tissues, such as vessel wall tissues, together. Tissue soldering, tissue welding, and the use of adhesives have also been discussed, but the first two methods are not widely used, while adhesives are generally only used in combination with sutures, clips, or mechanical closures.
A common concern associated with the use of adhesives, especially when connecting blood vessels, is that the adhesive may enter the bloodstream leading to blockage and other complications. In addition, using adhesives alone to join body tissues can result in mechanically unsafe connections or connections with insufficient patency. The tissues to be joined can be under a different tension during surgery than in vivo, or can be subject to varying tensions, which can result in the weakening or breaking of an adhesive bond between the tissues or a change in the form of a connection. Although methods of using adhesives to connect a graft to an unoccluded recipient vessel were described decades ago (see, U.S. Pat. No. 3,805,793 to Wright, which was issued in 1974), adhesives are generally not used by themselves in surgical procedures for the reasons stated above, despite the apparent advantages that adhesives seem to offer, in particular, ease of application.
In many clinical applications, it is advantageous to perform anastomosis without occluding the recipient vessel. This becomes particularly important when the recipient vessel involved performs a vital function. In generally sensitive or critical organs such as the brain and the heart, occluding a recipient vessel even temporarily is often disadvantageous. A technique commonly referred to as the ELANA (Excimer Laser Assisted Nonocclusive Anastomosis) technique, is used in clinical practice to create an anastomosis without occluding the recipient vessel (see also, U.S. Pat. No. 5,964,750 (Tulleken et al.)). This technique is, for example, used by neurosurgeons in bypass surgery.
There exists a need in the art for an improved method for attaching body vessels to each other. More specifically, there exists a need for attaching body vessels in so-called "end-to-end", "end-to-side", or "side-to-side" fashions. There is also a need for an improved anastomotic surgery aid for forming connections between body vessels.

Blood vessel connectors and methods for blood vessel connection


An electrical cable assembly (1) includes: an insulative housing block (20), conductive electrical contacts (9) on the housing block (20) connected to corresponding signal wires (5) of a cable (2), a conductive ground bus (7) connected to corresponding ground wires (4) of the cable (2), a conductive shell (35) enclosing the housing block (20), the ground bus (7) being enclosed by the conductive shell (35) and isolated electrically from the shell (35), and the ground wires (4) extending into the shell (35) and being isolated electrically from the shell (35).

A shielded cable assembly known from U.S. Pat. No. 4,781,615, includes: an insulative housing block containing electrical contacts for connection to corresponding signal wires of an electrical cable, a conductive shield enclosing the signal wires, and a conductive shell providing shielding for the insulative housing block. The conductive shell is connected to the shielding for the signal wires of the cable. The cable is used, for example, to interconnect electrical and electronic circuits. The circuits are mounted within a chassis that itself includes a shield for diverting EMI and RFI interference through the chassis and away from the circuits. The conductive shell and the chassis are electrically connected, such that the shell is subject to the electrical potential of the chassis, known as chassis ground.
Another known cable assembly disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,875,877, includes electrical contacts in an insulative housing block connected to signal wires of a corresponding electrical cable, and ground wires of a corresponding electrical cable connected to a ground bus.
A need exists for a conductive shield over the insulative housing block to prevent the electrical contacts from emanating and absorbing RFI and EMI interference. The shield should be coupled to the chassis to divert the RFI and EMI interference to the chassis. The ground bus and the ground wires of the cable should be isolated electrically from the chassis to prevent transient high voltage of the chassis from being transmitted by the ground wires of the cable and inducing an undesired voltage in the signal wires.

Shielded cable assembly with floating ground


The invention relates to a planar waveguide reflective diffraction grating for use in an optical device, such as a wavelength division multiplexer, providing an increased bandwidth over conventional planar waveguide reflection diffraction gratings while eliminating the polarization dependent loss (PDL) typically associated therewith. The multiplexer/demultiplexer according to the present invention includes input and output ports optimally positioned in accordance with the grating facet diffraction envelope to minimized back reflection to the input ports and maximize output light collected from different diffraction orders.

In optics, a diffraction grating is an array of fine, parallel, equally spaced grooves ("rulings") on a reflecting or transparent substrate, which grooves result in diffractive and mutual interference effects that concentrate reflected or transmitted electromagnetic energy in discrete directions, called "orders," or "spectral orders."
The groove dimensions and spacings are on the order of the wavelength in question. In the optical regime, in which the use of diffraction gratings is most common, there are many hundreds, or thousands, of grooves per millimeter.
Order zero corresponds to direct transmission or specular reflection. Higher orders result in deviation of the incident beam from the direction predicted by geometric (ray) optics. With a normal angle of incidence, the angle θ, the deviation of the diffracted ray from the direction predicted by geometric optics, is given by the following equation, where m is the spectral order, λ is the wavelength, and d is the spacing between corresponding parts of adjacent grooves:
  θ  =      ±                  sin                  -          1                                  (                              m                                                                          λ                    d                )
Because the angle of deviation of the diffracted beam is wavelength-dependent, a diffraction grating is dispersive, i.e. it separates the incident beam spatially into its constituent wavelength components, producing a spectrum.
The spectral orders produced by diffraction gratings may overlap, depending on the spectral content of the incident beam and the number of grooves per unit distance on the grating. The higher the spectral order, the greater the overlap into the next-lower order. Diffraction gratings are often used in monochromators and other optical instruments.
By controlling the cross-sectional shape of the grooves, it is possible to concentrate most of the diffracted energy in the order of interest. This technique is called "blazing."
Originally high resolution diffraction gratings were ruled. The construction of high quality ruling engines was a large undertaking. A later photolithographic technique allows gratings to be created from a holographic interference pattern. Holographic gratings have sinusoidal grooves and so are not as bright, but are preferred in monochromators they lead to a much lower stray light level than blazed gratings. A copying technique allows high quality replicas to be made from master gratings, this helps to lower costs of gratings.
A planar waveguide reflective diffraction grating includes an array of facets arranged in a regular sequence. The performance of a simple diffraction grating is illustrated with reference to FIG. 1. An optical beam 1, with a plurality of wavelength channels λ1, λ2, λ3 . . . , enters a diffraction grating 2, with grading pitch A and diffraction order m, at a particular angle of incidence θin. The optical beam is then angularly dispersed at an angle θout depending upon wavelength and the order, in accordance with the grating equation:mλ=Λ(sinθin+sinθout)  (1)
From the grating equation (1), the condition for the formation of a diffracted order depends on the wavelength λN of the incident light. When considering the formation of a spectrum, it is necessary to know how the angle of diffraction θNout varies with the incident wavelength θin. Accordingly, by differentiating the equation (1) with respect to θNout, assuming that the angle of incidence θin is fixed, the following equation is derived:∂θNout/∂λ=m/ΛcosθNout  (2)
The quantity dθNout/dλ is the change of the diffraction angle θNout corresponding to a small change of wavelength λ, which is known as the angular dispersion of the diffraction grating. The angular dispersion increases as the order m increases, as the grading pitch Λ decreases, and as the diffraction angle θNout increases. The linear dispersion of a diffraction grating is the product of this term and the effective focal length of the system.
Since light of different wavelengths λN are diffracted at different angles θNout, each order m is drawn out into a spectrum. The number of orders that can be produced by a given diffraction grating is limited by the grating pitch Λ, because θNout cannot exceed 90°. The highest order is given by Λ/λN. Consequently, a coarse grating (with large Λ) produces many orders while a fine grating may produce only one or two.
The free spectral range (FSR) of diffraction grating is defined as the largest bandwidth in a given order which does not overlap the same bandwidth in an adjacent order. The order m is important in determining the free spectral range over which continuous dispersion is obtained. For a given input-grating-output configuration, with the grating operation at a preferred diffraction order m for a preferred wavelength λ, other wavelengths will follow the same path at other diffraction orders. The first overlap of orders occurs when
                              m                                                                          λ            m                          =                              (                          m              +              1                        )                                          λ                          m              +              1                                                          (        3        )                                          λ                      m            +            1                          =                              m                                                                                λ              m                                            (                          m              +              1                        )                                              (        4        )                                Δλ        =                              λ            m                                m            +            1                                              (        5        )
A blazed grating is one in which the grooves of the diffraction grating are controlled to form right triangles with a blaze angle w, as shown in FIG. 1. The selection of the blaze angle w offers an opportunity to optimize the overall efficiency profile of the diffraction grating, particularly for a given wavelength.
Planar waveguide diffraction based devices provide excellent performance in the near-IR (1550 nm) region for Dense Wavelength Division Multiplexing (WDM). In particular, advancements in Echelle gratings, which usually operate at high diffraction orders (40 to 80), high angles of incidence (approx 60°) and large grading pitches, have lead to large phase differences between interfering paths. Because the size of grating facets scales with the diffraction order, it has long been considered that such large phase differences are a necessity for the reliable manufacturing of diffraction-based planar waveguide devices. Thus, existing devices are limited to operation over small wavelength ranges due to the high diffraction orders required (see equation 5).
Furthermore, for diffraction grating-based devices fabricated in a planar waveguide platform, a common problem encountered in the prior art is polarization dependent loss arising from field exclusion of one polarization caused by the presence of conducting metal S (a reflective coating) adjacent to the reflective facets F.
An optical signal propagating through an optical fiber has an indeterminate polarization state requiring that the (de)multiplexer be substantially polarization insensitive so as to minimize polarization dependent losses. In a reflection grating used near Littrow condition, and blazed near Littrow condition, light of both polarizations reflects equally well from the reflecting facets (F in FIG. 1). However, the metalized sidewall facet S introduces a boundary condition preventing light with polarization parallel to the surface (TM) from existing near the surface. Moreover, light of one polarization will be preferentially absorbed by the metal on the sidewall S, as compared to light of the other polarization. Ultimately, the presence of sidewall metal manifests itself in the device performance as polarization-dependent loss (PDL).
There are numerous methods and apparatus for reducing the polarization sensitivity of diffraction gratings. Chowdhury, in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,966,483 and 6,097,863 describes a reduction of polarization sensitivity by choosing to reduce the difference between first and second diffraction efficiencies of a wavelength within the transmission bandwidth. This solution can be of limited utility because it requires limitations on election of blaze angles and blaze wavelength.
Sappey et al, in U.S. Pat. No. 6,400,509, teaches that polarization sensitivity can be reduced by including reflective step surfaces and transverse riser surfaces, separated by a flat. This solution is also of limited utility because it requires reflective coating on some of the surfaces but not the others, leading to additional manufacturing steps requiring selective treatment of the reflecting interfaces.
The free spectral range of gratings is proportional to the size of the grating facets. It has long been thought that gratings with a small diffraction order could not be formed reliably by means of photolithographic etching, because low order often implies steps smaller or comparable to the photolithographic resolution. The photolithographic resolution and subsequent processing steps blur and substantially degrade the grating performance. Therefore, the field of etched gratings has for practical reasons limited itself to reasonably large diffraction orders typically in excess of order 10. Devices with orders ranging close to order 1 have long been thought to be impractical to realize.
In a conventional reflective-grating device, the spectrometer output angles are selected to maximize the throughput of the intended wavelengths to the intended locations. Little consideration is given to Littrow radiation that may be quite intense, almost as intense as the intended output emission. In the realm of optical telecommunications, light that returns along an input path can be disastrous to the overall performance of an optical system. Accordingly, reflective grating-based devices may introduce problems to telecommunications systems. As a result, nearly all components for telecommunications have a specification for maximum "Return Loss", or "Back-reflection", which has been particularly difficult to achieve using reflective grating technology, in which the device has a fundamental layout that is, by design, optimized for reflecting high intensities of light directly back towards the input fiber.
Furthermore, if multiple diffraction orders are intended for use, such that the same wavelength emerges from a spectrometer at several different angles, there is the likelihood that the intensity of the secondary diffraction orders may be extremely weak (down to infinitesimal amounts). Therefore products such as integrated demulitiplexer-channel monitors will achieve poor and possibly insufficient responsivity in the secondary diffraction order channels.
Presently, wavelength separating devices used in optical telecommunications systems are ultimately transmissive in nature, e.g. employing arrayed waveguide gratings or thin-film filters, in which there are no strong interferences caused by light rebounding directly backwards from the component.
An object of the present invention is to overcome the shortcomings of the prior art by providing a multiplexer/demultiplexer with input and output ports optimally positioned in accordance with the grating facet diffraction envelope to minimized back reflection to the input ports and maximize output light collected from different diffraction orders.

Inputs and outputs for an optical multiplexer/demultiplexer utilizing the grating facet diffraction envelope


A distributed antenna system for providing extended signal coverage within an indoor area is disclosed. In the system, a master unit receives a first modulated signal from an outdoor base transceiver station, and relays the modulated signal to a remote unit through a distribution network. The master unit also receives a base band signal originating outside the indoor area, and transmits the baseband signal to a micro base transceiver station through the distribution network. The micro base transceiver station modulates the base band signal and transmits the modulated base band signal to a terminal unit through an indoor antenna.

One of the operational backbones of Public Safety Agencies is their communications systems. Those communication systems enable the Public Safety Agencies to exchange information in real time, coordinate tasks of different operating groups, allow the agencies to attend to and deal with emergency situations, coordinate their personnel locally or remotely, and collaborate in orderly fashion with other Public Safety Agencies. Within the communications field, telecommunications in particular facilitate the provision of services that allow the aforementioned objectives to be met, since, through electromagnetic waves, information is sent from one point to another, either as an audio message or digital data.
Telecommunications systems are designed or planned according to the geographical area they must cover, starting with Base Stations, which communicate with Terminal Equipment (e.g., fixed, mobile or portable radios) that may be used by Public Safety Agents. The benefits provided by the telecommunication system to Public Safety forces depends on the technology used to implement the telecommunications system. From the most basic systems based on frequency modulation (analog), to more advanced systems that employ digital modulation such as P25 Phase 2 or TETRA, all systems aim to provide information and operational coordination, with the goal of having Public Safety Agents perform their duties and functions in a more effective and safer manner.
The advantages of one particular system or technology over another wear thin when physical structures become barriers that impact communication. Electromagnetic waves, which form the basis for the wireless transmission of information in any telecommunications system, propagate through the air at speeds close to the speed of light, but as they propagate, they are attenuated, that is, they lose strength.
The quality of the information received by a wireless receiver depends largely on the strength of the electromagnetic wave, or also called "radio signal." The more the radio signal propagates or travels through the air, the more the signal is attenuated which can result in the loss of high quality communication of information. Air is not the only medium of propagation that produces loss of information quality due to the attenuation of the strength of the radio signals. Any other physical barrier interposed between a transmitter and a receiver will have to be penetrated by the radio signal to reach its intended recipient, and when the radio signal propagates through that physical barrier, the physical barrier will impact the amplitude of the radio signal, resulting in attenuation. The attenuation caused by physical structures is always a problem that must be addressed by the designer of the telecommunication system, and there is no practical way to avoid it. Exemplary physical barriers include walls, ceilings, or any other physical structure through which the radio signal must propagate while travelling along its path from the Base Station to the Terminal Equipment, and vice versa. From the foregoing, it can be argued that one of the most important problems that the Public Safety Agencies must face in the use of their telecommunications systems relates to how they can make these systems work properly in closed spaces. Whether it's an active shooting, a police chase, a fire or a rescue, any of these situations can occur (and occur) in closed places such as commercial buildings, shopping malls, schools, subway stations, stadiums, etc. and that's where there is a need for telecommunications systems to be most reliable and serve as the connection tool needed by Public Safety Agents.
Another problem that Public Safety Agents must face when they enter enclosed spaces is that they may suffer an accident or have some inconvenience while carrying out their duties or functions, and in many circumstances their own lives might be at risk. If a Public Safety Agent, in an emergency, cannot leave the enclosed space on their own, either because they are trapped, injured or unconscious, other agents should be able to quickly locate that Public Safety Agent to conduct a rescue mission.
The radio systems used by Public Safety Agencies are equipped with functionality that allows transmission of emergency/distress signals in case of emergencies. If that emergency/distress signal is generated by a Public Safety Agent in an open place, radio systems can capture that signal from various base stations, and using triangulation algorithms, can detect quite accurately the location of the Public Safety Agent that is requesting assistance. Other systems may transmit through radio signals, the GPS coordinates of the radio of the Public Safety Agent in distress, this being a more direct and precise means of location.
However, these methods do not accurately work to detect location when the Public Safety Agents are seeking help in an indoor area. Generally, in enclosed places there is no good penetration of the satellite signals of the GPS system, which is why any GPS-based positioning method does not work properly for enclosed spaces. On the other hand, due to the great attenuation that radio signals suffer when propagating through walls, it is very difficult that the emergency signal emitted by Terminal Equipment carried by the Public Safety Agent can be picked up by the base stations to perform triangulation, and even if triangulation could be used to calculate a location, at best the base stations might indicate approximately from what building or enclosed space the distress signal has been emitted. However, an emergency situation demands knowing the specific location inside the building from which the distress signal has been emitted, since in the event of an emergency situation it is imperative to quickly determine the location of the "man down" instead of attempting a rescue mission that involves having a team go through each and every room in a building to locate the person under distress and/or in need of help.
There are several existing solutions in the market that attempt to solve signal coverage problems of the Public Safety Agencies telecommunications systems. Most of these solutions are based on installing systems that receive signals from the Base Stations, amplify them, and retransmit them throughout the interior of a building. These solutions are based on the use of a Signal Booster that bi-directionally amplifies the signals of the Base Station to the Terminal Equipment, and vice versa. In the downlink direction, signals from the Base Station are received by a donor antenna that points to the Base Station, and after being amplified, the signals are distributed throughout the interior of the enclosed environment (indoor environment) through a passive radio frequency distribution network and indoor antennas. In the opposite direction (uplink), the signals transmitted by the Terminal Equipment carried by Public Safety Agents are captured by the indoor antennas, reach the Signal Booster through the passive radio frequency distribution network, and then are amplified and radiated to the Base Station by means of the donor antenna.
When the indoor area subject to coverage is very large, then instead of using a Signal Booster, a system using multiple amplifier elements known in the industry as Distributed Antenna System, or Fiber DAS, may be used. These systems have an operation that is similar to that of a Signal Booster but which can cover larger areas through use of more antennas.
There are other options that may be classified as hybrids between a Signal Booster and a Fiber DAS, but they all aim to achieve the same result, amplifying the radio signals of the Public Safety Agencies' telecommunications system so that their agents have sufficient radio coverage to be able to perform their duties or functions in those closed places.
All of these current solutions have many drawbacks in their application and how they impact the base stations of radio systems. Usually a signal booster or a Fiber DAS system includes high gain amplifiers that amplify signals in the same frequency (without any upconversion or downconversion), so the problems they present usually include raising of the noise floor in the uplink band, which is the band of Terminal Equipment communication to the Base Station. This elevation of the noise floor takes away from the Base Station the ability to listen to the radio signals emitted by the Terminal Equipment that are in the border of the coverage area of the network itself, causing a "slight deafness" effect, which drastically reduces the size to the operational area of the Base Station. Another problem related to that type of solution (i.e., use of high gain amplifiers) is that it can amplify harmonics to create oscillation, becoming a source of noise or interference generation that ends up blocking the uplink receivers of the Base Station. The systems based on Signal Booster and Fiber DAS, as mentioned before, are high gain amplifiers that are operating on the same frequency (the same frequency that enters is the same frequency that comes out) so that their operation depends on how well the antennas are isolated (i.e., input or indoor antenna and output or service antenna), because, if for some reason the isolation between those antennas is equal to or less than the gain of the Signal Booster or Fiber DAS, then the system begins to oscillate, becoming a source of interference, while at the same time ceasing to provide the indoor coverage extension service for which it was installed. Although there are protection mechanisms to avoid raising the floor of noise in uplink as well as to enter oscillation, these mechanisms limit the functionality of the application and against a failure, turn off the system to protect the Base Radio (which is very important), leaving without coverage service the indoor environment (which is also very critical).
Another problem with prior systems is that none of these systems is able to provide a solution to the problem of positioning. All these prior systems are based on a network of indoor antennas that are the ones that capture the signals of the Terminal Equipment that are being carried or used by Public Safety Agents, but once the signals are captured by the indoor antennas there is no way of knowing which antenna captured it, and thus the location of the Terminal Equipment remains unknown.
Other solutions in the market are based on auxiliary positioning elements such as beacons or RFID systems, which serve as external reference systems that can indirectly detect the position of the Terminal Equipment or the public security agent that carries a tag RFID or having a reading device of the beacons, but in either case the positioning is based on another system to be mounted in parallel and requires adjustments and maintenance, which requires an additional investment with respect to both the installation and for the operation of the system, rendering them as inefficient solutions.
Therefore, in view of these disadvantages, there is a need in the art for an improved system and method to detect and report the location of terminal units within an indoor coverage area and to generate public safety signals within the indoor coverage area.


The present invention relates to the field of fingerprint identification technologies, and provides a method and a system for processing fingerprint sensing signals, and a fingerprint identification terminal. The method includes a frequency mixing step by mixing a collected high frequency fingerprint sensing signal with a first high frequency signal to obtain a low frequency signal; and an amplification step by amplifying the low frequency signal. By using the character that capacitance impedance is inversely proportional to signal frequency, the present invention shifts a fingerprint sensing signal with a high frequency into a signal with a low frequency through frequency spectrum shifting and performs signal amplification on the signal with a low frequency, which can overcome the difficulty in amplifying the high frequency fingerprint sensing signal and thus improves the signal-to-noise ratio SNR.

Fingerprint has almost become a pronoun for biometric features identification due to the lifelong invariance, uniqueness and accessibility. While a fingerprint identification technology has also been widely applied to various terminal devices, such as a mobile terminal, a banking system, an attendance system, or the like, and is frequently used for providing security access to sensitive electronic devices and/or data.
A capacitive fingerprint detection circuit is a front analog circuit that is operable to read fingerprint information. FIG. 1 shows a circuit structure of a known design, and its principle is to conduct a driving signal (for example, a driving signal with a frequency of 400 KHz) onto a touch plane; when a finger touches the plane, a touch operation can transmit a fingerprint sensing signal into a system through a capacitor on the plane.
Chinese invention patent application CN103376970 A discloses another capacitive fingerprint sensor, where the capacitive fingerprint sensor can be formed by an array of sensing elements. Each capacitive sensing element of the array records a voltage that changes with the capacity coupling capacitance, and the capacitive sensing element is located between the finger and a sensing chip, and the finger can be capacitively coupled to each capacitive sensing element of the sensor, so that the sensor can sense the capacitance between each capacitive sensing element and a fingerprint muscle. The sensing chip detects a capacitance signal through sensing the voltage changes on the capacitive sensing element. Also, the sensing chip can detect a capacitance signal by sensing the change of charges that are received by the capacitive sensing element.
There is a problem in the two fingerprint identification technologies described above and in other existing designs that because the capacitance C in the feedback loop of an amplifier is very small, it is very difficult to amply the fingerprint sensing signal and the SNR (signal-to-noise ratio) is low.

Method and system for processing fingerprint sensing signals and fingerprint identification terminal


In the case of a process for recognizing the ignition cycle of a defined cylinder during the start of an internal-combustion engine in motor vehicles using a crankshaft angle sensor which interacts with a crankshaft generator gear equipped with teeth and with a reference mark, a camshaft angle sensor for differentiating between the ignition cycle and the exhaust cycle of the cylinders, and an electronic control unit, the high levels and the low levels as well as the descending and the ascending edges of the signal of the camshaft angle sensor are analyzed in the control unit and are related to the signal of the crankshaft sensor.

This application claims the priority of German Patent Application No. 197 35 720.2, filed Aug. 18, 1997, the disclosure of which is expressly incorporated by reference herein.
The invention relates to a process for recognizing the ignition cycle of a certain cylinder during the start of an internal-combustion engine in a motor vehicle and, more particularly, to a process using a crankshaft angle sensor which interacts with a crankshaft generator gear equipped with teeth and a reference mark, a camshaft angle sensor for differentiating between the ignition cycle and the exhaust cycle of the cylinders, and an electronic control unit.
Such a process is described, for example, in the chapter entitled "Rotational Speed, Crankshaft and Camshaft Position" of the technical manual "Autoelectric System, Autoelectronic System on the Otto Engine" of the firm Bosch, VDI Publishers, 1994, Pages 224, et seq. This known process is carried out by means of a crankshaft angle sensor (rotational speed sensor), by means of a camshaft angle sensor (Hall sensor) and by means of an electronic control unit (Motronic). The crankshaft angle sensor interacts with a generator gear which is mounted on the crankshaft and is equipped with a plurality of teeth, and includes small tooth gaps as well as one large tooth gap. In the control unit, the signal of the crankshaft angle sensor is converted to a square wave voltage with a constant amplitude. In this case, a high level corresponds to a tooth and a low level corresponds to a tooth gap. For determining the angular position of the internal-combustion engine, the edge distances of the square wave voltage are analyzed. The large tooth gap is assigned to a defined crankshaft position of cylinder one.
The basis of the known process as well as that of the invention is a four-cycle internal-combustion engine. The cylinders of a four-cycle internal-combustion engine are offset with respect to one another such that, after two crankshaft rotations, cylinder one will start the operating cycle again. The piston position of a cylinder is used as the measurable variable for determining the ignition point in time. The pistons of all cylinders are connected with the crankshaft via connecting rods. The crankshaft angle sensor therefore also supplies the information concerning the piston position of all cylinders.
The camshaft controls the inlet valves and the outlet valves of the engine. It therefore rotates half as fast as the crankshaft. When a piston moves to the upper (top )dead center (UDC) position (which corresponds, for example, to the large tooth gap for cylinder one), the camshaft determines whether the cylinder is in the ignition cycle or in the exhaust cycle by the position of the inlet and outlet valves. This information cannot be obtained from the crankshaft position alone. Even if the point in time of the injection is individually adapted for each cylinder (sequential injection), the information concerning the camshaft position is required.
In the case of the known process for recognizing the ignition cycle of cylinder one, the control unit examines whether, during the passing of the (large) generator gear tooth gap, the signal of the camshaft angle sensor has a high or a low level. In the following, the large tooth gap will be called the reference mark.
In the case of the known process, for recognizing the ignition cycle of a certain cylinder for the synchronization of the ignition and/or the injection, during the start of the internal-combustion engine, almost two crankshaft rotations may be required. This delays the starting time of an internal-combustion engine because until the synchronization, no angle-synchronous emission of the ignition and/or injection is possible.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to achieve synchronization of the crankshaft-angle-synchronous events (ignition and injection) as fast as possible.
This object is achieved by a process and arrangement for recognizing the ignition cycle of a certain cylinder during the start of an internal-combustion engine in motor vehicles using a crankshaft angle sensor which interacts with a crankshaft generator gear equipped with teeth and a reference mark, a camshaft angle sensor for differentiating between the ignition cycle and the exhaust cycle of the cylinders, and an electronic control unit. The high and the low levels as well as the descending and ascending edges of the signal of the camshaft angle sensor are analyzed in the control unit and are related to the signal of the crankshaft sensor to recognize the ignition cycle. In the arrangement, the camshaft generator gear is a half-segment disk and is arranged relative to the crankshaft generator gear such that the descending and the ascending edge of the signal of the camshaft sensor each occur at least approximately after half a crankshaft rotation starting with the reference mark of the crankshaft generator gear.
The process according to the invention and the arrangement according to the invention permit a clear synchronization after maximally half a crankshaft rotation.
Other objects, advantages and novel features of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description of the invention when considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

Process for recognizing the ignition cycle of a certain cylinder during the start of an internal-combustion engine

Bayerische Motoren Werke Aktiengesellschaft


An arrangement of a brake disc on a wheel hub, in particular a hub of a utility vehicle, having multiple support elements distributed on the inner circumference of the brake disc which correspond to drivers disposed on the outer circumference of the wheel hub. Securing elements which press against both the drivers and also adjacent support elements to axially secure the brake disc are provided. A rotor is disposed in the attachment area of the brake disc on the wheel hub, the rotor having attachment parts for axial and twist-locked fixing which each engage behind the securing elements.

The invention relates to an arrangement of a brake disc on a wheel hub.
To connect a brake disc to a wheel hub and transmit a braking torque which arises during braking to the wheel hub and hence to a connected vehicle wheel, intermeshing tooth-shaped positive engagement means are known, consisting of support elements provided on the inner circumference of the brake disc and of drivers disposed on the outer circumference of the wheel hub and corresponding to said support elements to give an anti-twist lock.
To secure the brake disc axially on the wheel hub, there are known support elements which are designed as leaf springs and are each, on the one hand, screw-fastened to a driver and, on the other hand, rest with a spring pressure against the adjacent support elements of the brake disc by means of their wings, which extend on both sides of the bolt.
Disposed in the area in which the brake disc is connected to the wheel hub, there is generally a magnet wheel, which is employed as a functional component of an anti-lock system (ABS). Here, the magnet wheel, which is in operative connection with a sensor, is fastened to the wheel hub in a manner secure against twisting.
This can be accomplished by bolting, for example, as known from German Patent Document No. DE 10 2004 034 361 B3.
Other approaches to fastening include fixing the magnet wheel in a hole in the wheel hub or directly on the latter by means of a pressed joint, for example.
However, this joint is problematic since differences in the thermal expansion of the magnet wheel and the wheel hub and/or brake disc mean that there is a risk of loosening, severely impairing the ability to function of the anti-lock system overall. To compensate for these differences in thermal expansion, German Patent Document No. DE 10 2005 056 063 A1, for example, proposes to employ a spring sleeve.
Whatever the case may be, the mounting of the magnet wheel close to the brake disc is problematic, especially in the case of a neckless brake disc of the type in question, owing to the frictional heat which arises during braking, and this is an obstacle to permanently reliable operation of the system.
It is the underlying object of the invention to develop an arrangement of the type in question in such a way that the magnet wheel can be fastened without additional effort on assembly and that the service life of the magnet wheel connection is improved.
This object is achieved by an arrangement which meets the requirements set in all respects. In particular, the magnet wheel's ability to function is assured, even in extremely difficult operating conditions, i.e. high thermal loads, because there is always a reliable connection between the magnet wheel and the wheel hub or brake disc.
Since the components forming an arrangement according to the invention are, in their totality, a system relevant to safety, said improvement is of particular significance.
However, the invention is also distinguished from the prior art in a special way in economic terms.
Thus, the first point to be emphasized is that now no special measures are required for fastening the magnet wheel.
There is no need either to introduce additional threaded holes into the wheel hub, as is the case with the prior art cited, or to make provision in terms of production engineering in order to press together the magnet wheel and the corresponding component, for example.
This naturally leads to a significant reduction in costs, and, what is more, the simplified way in which the magnet wheel can be removed also contributes to this result.
To achieve this, all that is required is to undo the corresponding connecting element, i.e. the bolt, by which the securing element, i.e. the leaf spring mentioned, is held on the corresponding driver of the wheel hub, in order to replace a damaged magnet wheel, for example.
In addition, the magnet wheel can be produced without additional production measures. All that is required is to fit the attachment parts, which are preferably designed as attachment tabs and are expediently integrally formed. In this case, all that is necessary is appropriate forming work, of the type that usually has to be carried out in any case for the purpose of forming the magnet wheel.
According to an advantageous development of the invention, the drivers associated with the attachment tabs have recesses, in which the tabs rest, and the shape and dimensions of the recesses are matched at least in a certain section or certain sections to those of the respective attachment tabs.
It is thereby possible to achieve anti-twist locking of the magnet wheel by forming, while axial retention is accomplished through the clamping provided by the leaf springs, which partially overlap the attachment tabs.
According to another concept forming part of the invention, the attachment parts, preferably said attachment tabs, are angled approximately in an L shape and disposed on the outer rim of the magnet wheel, with a small number disposed at angular intervals equal to the intervals at which the wheel hub drivers, in which the attachment tabs rest, are positioned being sufficient in principle.
Other objects, advantages and novel features of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description of one or more preferred embodiments when considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

Arrangement of a brake disc on a wheel hub

KNORR-BREMSE Systeme fuer Nutzfahrzeuge GmbH


A dynamic image compression method for human face detection includes the following steps. An original image is acquired. The image is divided into a plurality of blocks. A first brightness and a plurality of gradient values of each block are calculated. A second brightness of each block is calculated according to a brightness transformation function and the first brightness. A reconstruction image is generated according to the second brightness and the plurality of gradient values of each block. Human face detection is performed according to the reconstruction image. Therefore, gradient values within an original square are. When the human face detection process is performed through gradient direction information, a success rate of detection is greatly increased.

1. Field of Invention
The present invention relates to a dynamic image compression method, and more particularly to a dynamic image compression method for human face detection.
2. Related Art
In daily life nowadays, an image capture device is already widely used. The image capture device captures an image with a light sensor, and transforms the image into digital signals, which can be stored. Supported by digital image processing technologies, a variety of applications can be designed for the digital signals captured by the image capture device.
Human images are the most important among images captured by the image capture device. For example, currently many image capture devices have human face detection and human face tracking technologies, so as to automatically assist multiple focusing of a shooting area. In addition, the human face detection technology can also be utilized to judge whether humans exist within a certain area or not. For example, the human face detection technology is applicable for judging whether a user is watching a television screen in front of the television screen. When the human face detection technology judges that nobody is currently in front of the television screen, the television screen can be automatically turned off, so as to achieve an energy saving effect.
However, when the image capture device shoots a photographed object to acquire an image, if the photographed object is in an area having complicated light, in the image, brightness of a large part of the area might be too high and brightness of another large part of the area might be too low. The image that has many pixels concentrated at a bright portion and a dark portion at the same time is referred to as a high dynamic range image (HDRI). In the HDRI, too bright and too dark spots might lose original features of the image. That is to say, when the brightness of the human face is obviously too high or obviously too low, features of the human face might be lost, so that accuracy of human face detection is decreased.
In a conventional method, a brightness transformation function is directly utilized for correction. After the HDRI is corrected by using the brightness transformation function, the too bright spots can be adjusted darker and the too dark spots can be adjusted brighter. However, direct transformation blurs original features of the human face, for example, profiles of facial features. Therefore, accuracy of human face detection is lowered.

Dynamic image compression method for human face detection


A lateral insulated-gate bipolar transistor and a manufacturing method therefor. The lateral insulated-gate bipolar transistor comprises a substrate, an anode terminal and a cathode terminal on the substrate, and a drift region and a gate electrode located between the anode terminal and the cathode terminal. The anode terminal comprises an N-shaped buffer zone on the substrate, a P well in the N-shaped buffer zone, an N+ zone in the P well, a groove located above the N+ zone and partially encircled by the P well, polycrystalline silicon in the groove, P+ junctions at two sides of the groove, and N+ junctions at two sides of the P+ junctions.

Lateral insulated-gate bipolar transistor (LIGBT) is usually employed as an output stage of high-voltage power-driven integrated circuit. Compared with reducing of the on-resistance by a single carrier of a lateral double diffusion metal-oxide semiconductor field effect transistor (LDMOS), the structure of LIGBT can exhibit a lower on-resistance due to a conductive modulation effect formed by injection of double carriers of both electrons and holes.
However, when LIGBT is turned off, the drift region of LIGBT has a longer turn-off time due to residual minority carrier holes, so there is a problem of a larger power consumption. Because the on-resistance and the turn-off time are inversely proportional to the hole concentration, how to strike a balance between the on-resistance and the turn-off time has become a direction for continuous improvement of the LIGBT device.

Lateral insulated-gate bipolar transistor and manufacturing method therefor