An image forming system is provided. The image forming system includes an image forming apparatus configured to form a mark for detecting at least one of a position deviation and a density deviation and obtains a correction amount by detecting the mark, the image forming system comprising: an identification unit configured to identify an image characteristic of an image to be printed according to at least one of a positional relationship between colors, a gradation distribution and a resolution, and a selecting unit configured to select a choice from multiple choices containing at least two choices of: only position deviation; only density deviation; and both position deviation and density deviation, according to the image characteristic identified by the identification unit, wherein the image forming apparatus is configured to form the mark for obtaining the correction amount according to the choice selected by the selecting unit.

A related-art image forming apparatus performs image adjustment to prevent producing position and density deviation of an image. As an example of a procedure of the image adjustment, the image forming apparatus forms a resist pattern that is a mark used for the position adjustment for each color, obtains a deviation amount (correction amount) between the resist pattern of a basic color and the resist pattern of a test color, and corrects the position deviation of the image of the test color according to the correction amount. In addition, for example, the image forming apparatus forms a density pattern which is a mark used for the density adjustment, obtains a deviation amount (correction amount) between the density of the density pattern and a target density, and corrects the density deviation of the test color according to the correction amount.
However, it is well known that it takes time to obtain the correction amount used for the image adjustment, causing low printing efficiency. Furthermore, if the marks used for the image adjustment are frequently created, consumables (such as toner) will be wasted. In view of this problem, related-art discloses a technology in which whether the printing is monochrome printing or not is determined, and when it is determined that the printing is monochrome printing, the marks used for the image adjustment are not formed.
However, the related-art image forming apparatus has the following problems. That is, there are times when necessity to perform the image adjustment is low, even if the printing is color printing. For example, for text image data in which there are some red characters (not mixed with another color) among black characters, even if the image is a color image, the necessity to correct the position deviation and the density deviation is low. However, the related-art image forming apparatus forms the marks used for the image adjustment as long as the printing is color printing.

Image forming system and image forming apparatus for detecting position deviation and density deviation


The invention is related to the development of volatile oil deposits and may be used to determine current gas saturation in a near-wellbore zone in a volatile oil formation. The method for the current gas saturation determination in the near-wellbore zone requires the measurement of the formation rock parameters and formation fluid parameters before the gas accumulation start in the near-wellbore zone and creation of the numerical model of the neutron logging signal change during the production period for the measured formation and formation fluid parameters and expected gas saturation value. During the production period when the well productivity decreases, neutron logging is performed and then the measured signals are matched with the model calculations and based on the provision of the best match of the measured and simulated neutron logging signals gas saturation is determined.

During the volatile oil deposit development the need to determine a formation gas saturation arises because the wellbores' productivity often decreases due to the gas emission in a near-wellbore zone and partial locking of the oil influx into the wellbore. The invention claimed solves the problem of the determination of current gas saturation value in the near-wellbore zone both for cased and uncased wells.
Until now current gas saturation in a near-wellbore zone could not be determined using geophysical research methods.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Method to determine current gas saturation in a near-wellbore zone in a volatile oil formation


An improved formation testing method for measuring at least three formation parameters such as spherical permeability, permeability anisotropy, well bore skin damage, with at least two short duration pressure tests using a formation tester with two or more probe flow areas of different shapes.

The invention is related to the field of instruments used to sample fluids contained in the pore spaces of earth formations. More specifically, the invention is related to methods of determining hydraulic properties of anisotropic earth formations by interpreting fluid pressure and flow rate measurements made by such instruments.
Electric wireline formation testing instruments are used to withdraw samples of fluids contained within the pore spaces of earth formations and to make measurements of fluid pressures within the earth formations. Calculations made from these pressure measurements and measurements of the withdrawal rate can be used to assist in estimating the total fluid content within a particular earth formation.
The oil and gas industry typically conducts comprehensive evaluation of underground hydrocarbon reservoirs prior to their development. Formation evaluation procedures generally involve collection of formation fluid samples for analysis of their hydrocarbon content, estimation of the formation permeability and directional uniformity, determination of the formation fluid pressure, mobility, permeability and many others. Measurements of such parameters of the geological formation are typically performed using many devices including downhole formation testing tools.
Recent formation testing tools generally comprise an elongated tubular body divided into several modules serving predetermined functions. A typical tool may have a hydraulic power module that converts electrical into hydraulic power; a telemetry module that provides electrical and data communication between the modules and an up-hole control unit; one or more probe modules collecting samples of the formation fluids; a flow control module regulating the flow of formation and other fluids in and out of the tool; and a sample collection module that may contain various size chambers for storage of the collected fluid samples. The various modules of a tool can be arranged differently depending on the specific testing application, and may further include special testing modules, such as nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) measurement equipment.
In certain applications the tool may be attached to a drill bit for logging-while-drilling (LWD) or measurement-while drilling (MWD) purposes. Examples of such multifunctional modular formation testing tools are described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,934,374; 5,826,662; 4,936,139; and 4,860,581.
In several embodiments, the present invention is over the prior art as, the present invention can have: at least one probe with at least one port aperture; at least one additional aperture with a different shape or multiple apertures used to form a different effective shape; pressure measured from at least two flowing apertures is processed to determine anisotropy Kv/Kh; pressure is simultaneously measured from the non-flowing apertures gauges (i.e., monitoring apertures); pressure from at least one non-flowing monitoring aperture is processed to determine Kv, Kh and S; and/or with two or more probes or a repositioning of the tool at different depths enables the determination of formation parameters such as dip angle and or two or more formation layer properties (i.e., Kvn, Khn and Sn with "n" being the layer number). Alternatively, both apertures can be flowing simultaneously and by varying the rates from either aperture Kv, Kh and S is determined using the pressure measurement from both probes.

Apparatus and method for determining properties of an earth formation with probes of differing shapes


Particles comprising a core surrounded by at least one shell wherein at least one of the core or one of the shells is a metal and at least one of the core or one of the shells is a dielectric material which exhibits a third order nonlinear response. The "shell" of a metal particle may be the adjacent region of a medium in which said particle is suspended, said medium having a third order nonlinear response. In a preferred embodiment, the particles are suspended in a dielectric medium that may be linear or may exhibit a third order nonlinear response. Enhancement of the effective .chi..sup.(3) of the particles and suspensions result from the concentration of the electric field in and around the particles at the plasmon resonance frequency of the metal.

a) Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to optical devices formed by metallic particles suspended in a medium, and more particularly, to such devices which exhibit third order non-linear susceptibility.
b) Summary of the Prior Art
Nonlinear optical materials are central to optical domain computing as real time holographic and bistable memory devices, as optical correlator devices, as phase conjugator devices and as thresholding devices. A number of fast response time polymeric and semiconductor materials have emerged that have electronic nonlinear mechanisms in the picosecond and subpicosecond time scale. However the small magnitude of the optical nonlinearity requires a high laser density to utilize these materials. The consequent power dissipation limits the utilization of these materials.
Optical phase conjugation has been measured from dilute linear suspensions of nonlinear nanospheres in degenerate four wave mixing experiments. In "Phase Conjugation in Liquid Suspensions of Microspheres in the Diffusive Limit," 31 Phys. Rev. A. 2375 (1985), Rogovin and Sari attributed the apparent third order optical susceptibility, X.sup.(3), to a slow electrostrictive mechanism for dielectric spheres in a dilute suspension. See also Smith et al., "Four-wave Mixing in an Artificial Kerr Medium," 6 Optics Letters 284 (1985), and Neeves et al., "Polarization Selective Optical phase Conjugation in a Kerr-like Medium," 5 Opt. Soc. Am., B 701 (1988). These suspensions suffer from slow response time and grating instabilities that give rise to a poor signal to noise ratio.
On the other hand, in "Optical Nonlinearities of Small Metal Particles: Surface-mediated Resonance and Quantum Size Effect," 3 J. Opt. Soc. Am. B 1647 (1986), Hache et al. attributed the apparent .chi..sup.(3) of metal spheres in a dilute suspension in a linear dielectric medium to a fast electronic mechanism. See also Ricard et al. "Surface-mediated Enhancement of Optical Phase Conjugation in Metal Colloids," 10 Optics Letters 511 (1985). For this case the effective .chi..sup.(3) is enhanced at the surface mediated plasmon resonance frequency.
Some metallic suspensions therefore have a fast response and an effective optical nonlinearity with large magnitude. However, due to the large dielectric loss, the figure of merit for nonlinear composite materials is relatively poor. The figure of merit is defined as the ratio of .chi..sup.(3) to the optical absorption for the material.


A pressure sensitive paint is applied to the surface of a measurement object main body of a wind tunnel and is irradiated with an excitation light from a luminescent sheet and excited to generate phosphorescence so that an intensity of the phosphorescence that corresponds to the pressure on the surface of the measurement object main body can be measured to determine a pressure distribution on the surface. The luminescent sheet is disposed within the measurement object main body made of a light transmitting material. The entirety of the pressure sensitive paint can be uniformly irradiated with the excitation light without applying the excitation light from a plurality of light sources disposed outside the measurement object main body, thereby enhancing the accuracy with which the pressure distribution is measured. The flexible luminescent sheet conforms to the shape of the three-dimensional curved surface of the measurement object main body.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a measurement object for use in a wind tunnel test that includes a measurement object main body and a pressure sensitive paint applied on a surface of the measurement object main body. A light source irradiating excitation light is illuminated on the pressure sensitive paint and excites the pressure sensitive paint to generate phosphorescence so that an intensity of phosphorescence that varies according to pressure on the surface of the measurement object main body can be measured to determine a pressure distribution on the surface of the measurement object main body.
2. Description of Related Art
When a pressure sensitive paint applied to the surface of an object is irradiated with an excitation light, the intensity of phosphorescence emitted from the pressure sensitive paint changes according to the amount of oxygen molecules impinging on the phosphorescence. More specifically, the phosphorescence emitted is dependent on the pressure of air coming into contact with the pressure sensitive paint. Based on this finding, Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 7-12661 discloses a technique for measuring a pressure distribution (flow rate distribution) by measuring the intensity of phosphorescence.
In addition, Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 2002-228524 also discloses a technique in which a pressure detection sheet includes a pressure sensitive paint layer, a surface transparent electrode, a light emitting layer, an insulating layer, a back electrode, a back protective layer, and an adhesive layer that is affixed to the surface of a detection object. An excitation light generated by energizing the light emitting layer is applied to the pressure sensitive paint layer to generate phosphorescence. The intensity of phosphorescence is measured to determine a pressure distribution (flow rate distribution) on the surface of the detection object.
However, in the arrangement disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 7-12661, since the pressure sensitive paint applied to the surface of the object is irradiated with an excitation light from outside of the object, it is necessary to employ a plurality of light sources in order to irradiate the entire surface of the pressure sensitive paint with excitation light. This results not only in an increase in the size of the entire system but also in a problem that it is difficult to uniformly irradiate the entire surface of the pressure sensitive paint with excitation light so that measurement errors are easily generated.
In addition, in the arrangement disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 2002-228524, creases are inevitably generated when the pressure detection sheet including multiple layers is affixed to the surface of the detection object having a three-dimensional curved surface. The creases disadvantageously affect the airflow on the surface of the detection object, and give unevenness to the irradiation of the excitation light to the pressure sensitive paint layer.


A yellow light emission phosphor usable in a fluorescent display device does not include cadmium and Eu concentration in the yellow light emission phosphor is reduced to a range of about 0.001 mol % to about 0.1 mol %. The phosphor on a fluorescent display driven at a low voltage generates a yellow light emission with an excellent chromaticity and has a good life span characteristic.

The present invention relates to a phosphor and a fluorescent display device; and, more particularly, to a yellow light emission phosphor, which does not include cadmium, usable in a fluorescent display device and a fluorescent display device including such a yellow light emission phosphor.
In order to generate yellow to red color in a conventional fluorescent display device, phosphors containing Cd such as (Zn, Cd)S:Ag, Cl or the like have been used. However, present environmental restrictions require a phosphor capable of generating yellow light without using Cd and, therefore, materials such as La2O2S:Tb or the like have been used as a yellow light emission phosphor.
However, although such a phosphor has an excellent life span in high voltage range, but when it is mixed with a conducting material to be used in a fluorescent display device whose operating anode voltage is 100 V or lower, its life span isn""t so good.
It is, therefore, an object of the present invention to provide a yellow light emission phosphor without including Cd, which can be used in a fluorescent display device whose operating anode voltage is 100 V or lower and has an excellent life span even when it is mixed with a conducting material.
In accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention, there is provided an La2O2S:Eu phosphor emitting yellow light, wherein Eu concentration of the La2O2S:Eu phosphor is in the range of about 0.001 mol % to about 0.1 mol %.
In accordance with another preferred embodiment of the present invention, there is provided a fluorescent display device comprising an La2O2S:Eu phosphor, wherein Eu concentration of the La2O2S:Eu phosphor is in the range of about 0.001 mol % to about 0.1 mol %.


Many examples exist of a mobile node moving between the operational zones of multiple network access points or base stations. To minimize delay in re-authenticating with the network through a new base station, an additional form authenticated access mode called “credential authenticated” access is provided. The mobile unit is fully authenticated in the first base station (e.g., the user has logged in and paid for service). Thereafter, the first base unit transmits a “credential” to the mobile node that may be used by other base stations to establish trust with the mobile node prior to full re-authentication. Upon entering the operational zone of the second base station, the mobile node can transmit the credential to the second base station, which may accept the credential and allow access by the mobile node to the network through the second base station before full authentication has completed.

Interactive data connections, live video and multimedia are seen as core applications that drive the construction of future mobile access networks. A promise to the consumer is to be able to access the same services everywhere and to be able to move seamlessly from a home or office having a high-speed Internet connection to remote areas having only a narrowband wireless coverage. However, a major technical challenge in providing such services is the variable quality of service (QoS) provided by such mobile access networks. Particularly, network latency can make interactive services unusable and high variations in the latency (i.e., "jitter") can create problems for real-time services, such as video streaming.
One major source of network latency and jitter is introduced by security mechanisms. Most network operators charge for access to their networks. Therefore, it is typically desirable to fully authenticate a user before granting the user access to network services. Such authentication is termed "full authentication" herein and may include without limitation authentication through login validation, anonymous or non-anonymous verification of access authorization or previous payment, or acceptance of electronic or credit card payment for the access to the network.
Furthermore, when a wireless mobile user moves between network base stations of a network or of different networks, the user must be re-authenticated before access to the network is granted through the new network base station. Re-authentication may include, for example, confirming with an on-line accounting system or bank that the user has paid for services or is otherwise eligible to access the network. However, the significant delay introduced by this re-authentication operation at each base station is undesirable and decreases the QoS experienced by the mobile user. Furthermore, the complex cryptographic operations required of the mobile device in a full authentication scheme are slow on low-power processors, which are often used on mobile devices to conserve battery power.
In contrast, some existing networks do not require re-authentication to grant access. Instead, such networks provide so-called "optimistic service" before the user has been re-authenticated. That is, a user can gain access to the network during a reasonably short period of time prior to re-authentication. However, without some reliable but quick authentication, malicious users can take advantage of optimistic service schemes by generating a high volume of such optimistic service periods to get free service.

Mobile authentication system with reduced authentication delay


According to one aspect of the embodiment, a linear regulator circuit includes an output transistor outputting an output current based on a input voltage, an error amplifier outputting a control signal based on an electric potential difference between an output voltage based on the output current and a reference voltage, a buffer circuit coupled between the error amplifier and the output transistor, and a drive capability adjustment circuit adjusting a load drive capability of the buffer circuit in synchronization with the output current.

1. Field
This application relates to a linear regulator circuit, a linear regulation method, and a semiconductor device.
2. Description of the Related Art
A Low Drop-Out/linear Drop-Out (LDO) regulator circuit is a type of circuit that operates based on an input voltage as a power source and outputs a constant voltage close to the input voltage. An error amplifier detects an output voltage of an output transistor and the output transistor is controlled so that a variation in the output voltage is compensated in response to a detection result of the error amplifier. In addition, there is a need to reduce the variation in the output voltage due to a variation in the input voltage with a high degree of accuracy.
FIG. 1 illustrates a typical LDO circuit discussed in Japanese Laid-open Patent Publication No. 2007-249712. In the above-presented literature, it is discussed that a variation in an output voltage Vo due to a variation in an input voltage Vi may be reduced in response to an operation of an error amplifier 100, and operations of a resistor R3 and a capacitor C3 coupled in series between a supply node of the input voltage Vi and an output terminal of the error amplifier 100. Moreover, it is discussed that a wider bandwidth may be achieved in the error amplifier 100 when a peak of a Power Supply Reduction Ratio (PSRR) characteristic is lowered.
In the LDO circuit in FIG. 1, when the output voltage Vo varies at a high frequency in a condition where an output current flowing through a load from an output transistor Tr101 is increased, operations of the error amplifier 100 and a buffer circuit 102 may be unable to respond to the variation in the output voltage Vo. Due to at least the aforementioned reason, a phase delay increases, and the increase in the phase delay may cause an oscillation in a closed-loop that includes the output transistor Tr101, the error amplifier 100, and the buffer circuit 102.
FIG. 2 illustrates another typical LDO circuit discussed in Ka Chun Kwok et al, "Pole-zero tracking frequency compensation for low dropout regulator", Circuits and Systems, ISCAS 2002. IEEE International Symposium, vol. 4, IV-735-IV-738, 2002. In the above-presented literature, it is discussed that a P-channel MOS transistor Mc, having a resistance value which varies in response to an output voltage of the buffer circuit A2, and a capacitor Cc are coupled in series between an input voltage supply node and an output terminal of a buffer circuit A2. Moreover, it is discussed that an error amplifier having a wider bandwidth is achieved in the LDO circuit in FIG. 2.
In the LDO circuit discussed in FIG. 2, the peak of the PSRR characteristic is reduced based on the operations of the transistor Mc and the capacitor Cc. However, the peak of the PSRR characteristic is not reduced in an area where an ON-resistance of the transistor Mc does not vary linearly, that is, in a condition where an output voltage decreases due to an increase in a load.


A switch matrix for telecommunication including change-over switches which can be used for both analog and digital signal transmission. Each change-over switch includes a selector circuit, an input and an output stage. The output stage generally includes two transistors coupled in a push-pull arrangement which are connected directly to the supply voltage allowing the capacitive load of the switch to be charged or discharged rapidly. Also, the Miller effect of the internal base-collector capacitance is absent. Consequently, a large frequency range (to approximately 3 GHz) is realized for analog use, and a switch rate of approximately 2 Gb/s is attainable for digital use.

The invention relates to a switching matrix for telecommunication exchanges, in which an input conductor is optionally connectable to an output conductor by means of a change-over switch comprising a selecting circuit for actuating the change-over switch in response to a junction selection signal to be applied to the selecting circuit.
A change-over switch for such a switching matrix is known from the periodical "IEEE Journal of Solid State Circuits", Vol. SC-13, No. 2April 1978, pp. 258-261, especially FIG. 1.
The change-over switch described in the above correspondence comprises an amplifier section for analog signal transmission, and a selecting circuit. The amplifier section is constituted by a base-driven input transistor in whose collector line the input to a current mirror is realized. The output of this current mirror is serially connected to a diode-switched transistor whose emitter is connected to the emitter of the input transistor. The anode of the diode formed thus constitutes the signal output of the change-over switch.
The selecting circuit of this known change-over switch is formed by a current source which is serially interrruptably connected to the two emitters.
This known change-over switch is designed for switching through analog signals. The frequency band of this change-over switch for these signals stretches out to approximately 800 MHz; it further appears from the said pulication that when this change-over switch is actuated, there is a delay of approximately 5 ns and a rise time/fall time of approximately 10 ns.
Furthermore, the current which can be supplied to the load impedance by this change-over switch is limited to a maximum of the current flowing through the serially connected current source. Consequently, only a limited voltage swing over the output impedance is possible.

Switching matrix for telecommunication exchanges


A cloth cutting knife driving device is capable of being released, through an interlocking connection between an upper knife rocking arm and a sewing machine main shaft. The device includes a drive shaft, which is able to swing rotatably, by interlocking with a main shaft, a rocking arm rotatably supported on the drive shaft at one end providing a rocking motion, and a cloth cutting knife supported at the one end of the rocking arm that is rigidly held in a cloth cutting position or an inactive position, which is vertically displaced through the motion of the arm. The device has a coupled and released state between the drive shaft and rocking arm, which are brought about by an engaging part on the drive shaft and a movable member, movable relative to the rocking arm in a direction perpendicular to an axis of the drive shaft.

1. Field of Invention
The present invention relates to a cloth cutting knife driving device for a sewing machine.
2. Description of the Related Art
Conventional sewing machines are capable of forming over-edge stitches and other stitches such as covering stitches. In such sewing machines, when the over edge stitches are formed on a work cloth, the cloth edge is cut during stitching by a slide movement of an upper knife and a lower knife, the upper knife being supported on an upper knife rocking arm movable up and down, and the lower knife being fixed on a machine frame. When conventional sewing machines perform the covering stitches without cloth cutting, the upper knife remains inactive. To this end, the upper knife rocking arm rotatably supports the upper knife, so that the upper knife can be in an active position, acting on the lower knife or an inactive position, rotated apart from the lower knife, so as to not cut cloth.
However, since the upper knife rocking arm interlocks with a sewing machine main shaft, the rocking arm swings during machine operation even when the upper knife is in the inactive position. In this state the rocking arm of the conventional sewing machine is not only hazardous but also obstructive. Specifically, the sewing machine obstructs a user during operation, thus cutting down the usable work area.
In order for the upper knife rocking arm to stop swinging during operation without cloth cutting, some upper knife release devices have been developed, for example as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,427,041. In such release devices, the rocking arm stops swinging because its connection to the main shaft is released.
In one embodiment of U.S. Pat. No. 5,427,041, a greater number of elements are used for releasing the connection between the rocking arm and the main shaft. This aspect contributes to increased play at the upper knife portion and higher cost of the device.
In prior art embodiment illustrated in FIG. 8, the upper knife releasing device has an upper knife driving arm 122 for converting the rotating motion of a main shaft 118 into a rocking motion, an upper knife drive(rocking) shaft 124 rotatably supported on a machine frame to be swung by the driving arm 122. The upper knife releasing device also includes an upper knife rocking arm 116 which is rotatably supported on the drive shaft 124 at one end, an upper knife 138 at the other end, and an upper knife driving plate 126 which is rotatably supported on the drive shaft 124 at one end and has an end hole 126b at the other end. The one end of the driving plate 126 is fixed to the driving arm 122. In this structure the rotation of the main shaft 118 causes the driving arm 122 and the driving plate 126 to rotate about the drive shaft 124, which causes the other end of the driving plate 126 to swing up and down.
At the other end of the rocking arm 116, a coupling pin 148 is provided, being supported by a coupling pin tightening screw 162, so as to fit into the end hole 126b on the driving plate 126. With the above setup, the up and down swinging of the other end of the driving plate 126 causes the upper-knife rocking arm 116 to rotate about the drive shaft 124 and drive the upper knife 138 up and down. Thus, the drive shaft 124 is coupled to the rocking arm 116. When the knife 138 is to be released, the coupling pin 148 is disengaged from the end hole 126b with the tightening screw 162 loosened, allowing the driving arm 116 to be released from the drive shaft 124.
In this device, the driving plate 126 is disposed at the front portion of the inside of the machine frame, and protrudes further forward than the other parts provided inside the machine frame. Therefore, the driving plate 126 has to be extended outside an outer casing, (cover) 114 covering the front of the frame, through an opening on the cover. Alternately, it may be accommodated inside, if the cover is expanded. Also, coupling pin 148 has to be extended through an opening formed on the cover.
In the event that the cover has an opening, exposing the driving plate 126 through the opening is dangerous. Therefore, additional covering structure for the plate 126 is needed. Neither providing the additional covering nor expanding the cover is preferable from the design viewpoint.
In accordance with the present invention a knife driving device for cutting cloth in a sewing machine is provided. In one embodiment, the cloth cutting knife driving device in which an upper knife rocking arm interlocks with a sewing machine main shaft and can be released in an embodiment with fewer parts.
An object of the present invention involves providing a cloth cutting knife driving device having a structure that does negatively influence the aesthetics or manufacturability of a machine case.
A further object of the invention is to provide a cloth cutting knife driving device with excellent operability.
The present invention provides for a cloth cutting knife driving device. The device includes a drive shaft, which is able to swing rotatably, by interlocking with a main shaft. The device further includes a rocking arm rotatably supported on the drive shaft at the distal end for rocking motion, and a cloth cutting knife supported at the distal end of the rocking arm so as to be rigidly held in a cloth cutting position or an inactive position. The device may move up and down through the rocking motion of the rocking arm. The device has a coupled state and a released state for the drive shaft and the rocking arm, both states are brought about by an engaging part on the drive shaft and a movable member, movable with respect to the rocking arm in a direction perpendicular to an axial direction of the drive shaft. The coupled state is brought about by engaging the movable member with the engaging part, with the movement of the movable member in its axial direction toward one side. Whereas, the released state is achieved by releasing the movable member from the engage part with the movement of the movable member toward the other side. In a particular arrangement, the engaging part is a hole formed on the drive shaft, and the movable member is a pin with a tip at one end.
In one embodiment, the movable member and the engaging part are arranged inside the rocking arm, and the device further includes an operation member (15) for operating the movable member from outside the rocking arm. The present invention further includes a spring means mounted on the rocking arm for holding the movable member in the coupling state and the released state.
Advantageously, the device further includes positioning members for regulating the position where the movable member can engage with the engaging part when the coupling state is to be made. The device may include a spring member fixed on the machine frame for holding the operation member when the rocking arm is lifted up in the released state.


A connecting element for providing an electrical connection in a processing space of a household appliance, includes a protruding, longitudinally displaceable contact pin configured for displacement between a rest position protruding farther and an operating position protruding less far, wherein the contact pin pushes into the rest position. The connecting element is disposed on a side wall of the processing space, particularly a cooking space. An insert module can be inserted in the processing space of the household appliance and can be operated electrically. The insert module has a mating electrical connection element for contacting the connecting element.

The invention relates to a connecting element for providing an electrical connection in a processing space of a household appliance, particularly a cooking appliance. The invention also relates to a household appliance, particularly a cooking appliance, with at least one such connecting element. The invention also relates to an electrically operable insert module for a processing space of a household appliance, it being possible for the insert module to have at least one mating electrical connection element.
Heated cooking space dividers and heated pizza stones with comparatively large plug-in connectors made of a ceramic-metal combination arranged on their rear sides are known. These plug-in connectors fit into electrical connections, in the form of sockets that are present in a rear wall of a cooking space of an oven. The sockets are comparatively difficult to clean, can negatively affect a circulating air system and do not give the appearance of high quality. The provision of a socket in a side wall of a cooking space for the manual connection of a meat thermometer is also known. Such a socket is also comparatively difficult to clean.

Connecting element, household appliance having such a connecting element, and insert module


An implantable photovoltaic device. The implantable photovoltaic device includes: at least two solar microcells configured to absorb sunlight; a thin film wire configured to connecting the at least two solar microcells to each other; a film configured to support the solar microcells; an upper encapsulation layer configured to encapsulate an upper side of the solar microcells and shield the solar microcells from the outside; and a lower encapsulation layer configured to encapsulate a lower side of the film and connect to the encapsulation layer. According to the idea of the present invention, it is possible to obtain a photovoltaic device which stably and harmlessly operates in a living body.

As the average lifespan of human increases, the use of devices for monitoring a biosignal in a human body and assisting organs with impaired functions is increasing. For example, there are insertable cardiac monitors (ICMs) or cardiac pacemakers for observing the heartbeat of the heart, and human implantable medical devices such as spinal cord stimulators, vagus nerve stimulators, and deep brain stimulators.
As such, the increase in the demand of various human implantable medical devices promotes the development of new types of human implantable medical devices, such as blood pressure monitors (Non-Patent Document 4), glucose monitors (Non-Patent Document 5), artificial retinas (Non-Patent Document 6), and related studies (Non-Patent Documents 7-11).
All the implantable medical devices require power so as to operate within the body. However, since such devices currently use a battery having a limited capacity as a power source, periodic re-operation is required to replace the depleted battery. For example, a battery of a pacemaker can be usually used for 5 to 8 years, and repeated re-operations are required to replace the battery (Non-Patent Document 2).
In order to solve the problem that must periodically re-operate so as to replace the battery of the human implantable medical device, research has recently been conducted into in vivo power production technologies using electrochemical reactions (Non-Patent Documents 12 and 13), piezoelectric effect (Non-Patent Documents 14-16), wireless power transmission (Non-Patent Documents 32-35), and various application technologies (Non-Patent Document 17). However, the in vivo power production method is expected t require significant improvement so as to overcome the limitations such as the amount of power produced, blood compatibility, durability, and necessity of thoracic surgery.
The following Non-Patent Documents are provided for reference in order to help understanding of the present invention.
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Insertable photoelectric device using absorption of light penetrating skin and electronic apparatus having same photoelectric device

GWANGJU INSTITUTE OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY


A multi-nozzle gas spray arm for a spin coating apparatus. In a typical embodiment, the invention comprises a primary spray arm and a secondary spray arm which is confluently connected to the primary spray arm. The primary spray arm ejects a narrow, relatively high-velocity nitrogen stream against a substrate while the secondary spray arm ejects a diffuse, relatively low-velocity nitrogen stream against the substrate as the gas spray arm is typically swept across the surface of the wafer. The diffuse nitrogen flow characteristic of the nitrogen ejected from the secondary spray arm is effective in eliminating water and chemical droplets which otherwise would tend to remain and form dry spots on the wafer surface.

The present invention relates to spin coating apparatus used to coat a photoresist on a semiconductor wafer substrate in the fabrication of semiconductor integrated circuits. More particularly, the present invention relates to a new and improved gas purge arm which facilitates a diffuse spray pattern of nitrogen purge gas against a substrate surface after a photoresist coating process in a spin coating apparatus.
The fabrication of various solid state devices requires the use of planar substrates, or semiconductor wafers, on which integrated circuits are fabricated. The final number, or yield, of functional integrated circuits on a wafer at the end of the IC fabrication process is of utmost importance to semiconductor manufacturers, and increasing the yield of circuits on the wafer is the main goal of semiconductor fabrication. After packaging, the circuits on the wafers are tested, wherein non-functional dies are marked using an inking process and the functional dies on the wafer are separated and sold. IC fabricators increase the yield of dies on a wafer by exploiting economies of scale. Over 1000 dies may be formed on a single wafer which measures from six to twelve inches in diameter.
Various processing steps are used to fabricate integrated circuits on a semiconductor wafer. These steps include deposition of a conducting layer on the silicon wafer substrate; formation of a photoresist or other mask such as titanium oxide or silicon oxide, in the form of the desired metal interconnection pattern, using standard lithographic or photolithographic techniques; subjecting the wafer substrate to a dry etching process to remove the conducting layer from the areas not covered by the mask, thereby etching the conducting layer in the form of the masked pattern on the substrate; removing or stripping the mask layer from the substrate typically using reactive plasma and chlorine gas, thereby exposing the top surface of the conductive interconnect layer; and cooling and drying the wafer substrate by applying water and nitrogen gas to the wafer substrate.
The numerous processing steps outlined above are used to cumulatively apply multiple electrically conductive and insulative layers on the wafer and pattern the layers to form the circuits. The final yield of functional circuits on the wafer depends on proper application of each layer during the process steps. Proper application of those layers depends, in turn, on coating the material in a uniform spread over the surface of the wafer in an economical and efficient manner.
During the photolithography step of semiconductor production, light energy is applied through a reticle mask onto a photoresist material previously deposited on the wafer to define circuit patterns which will be etched in a subsequent processing step to define the-circuits on the wafer. Because these circuit patterns on the photoresist represent a two-dimensional configuration of the circuit to be fabricated on the wafer, minimization of particle generation and uniform application of the photoresist material to the wafer are very important. By minimizing or eliminating particle generation during photoresist application, the resolution of the circuit patterns, as well as circuit pattern density, is increased.
Photoresist materials are coated onto the surface of a wafer by dispensing a photoresist fluid typically on the center of the wafer as the wafer rotates at high speeds within a stationary bowl or coater cup of a spin coating apparatus. The coater cup catches excess fluids and particles ejected from the rotating wafer during application of the photoresist. The photoresist fluid dispensed onto the center of the wafer is spread outwardly toward the edges of the wafer by surface tension generated by the centrifugal force of the rotating wafer. This facilitates uniform application of the liquid photoresist on the entire surface of the wafer.
Spin coating of photoresist on wafers is carried out in an automated track system using wafer handling equipment which transport the wafers between the various photolithography operation stations, such as vapor prime resist spin coat, develop, baking and chilling stations. Robotic handling of the wafers minimizes particle generation and wafer damage. Automated wafer tracks enable various processing operations to be carried out simultaneously. Two types of automated track systems widely used in the industry are the TEL (Tokyo Electron Limited) track and the SVG (Silicon Valley Group) track.
A typical conventional spin coating apparatus for coating semiconductor wafers with a photoresist liquid is generally indicated by reference numeral 8 in FIGS. 1 and 2. The spin coating apparatus 8 includes a coater cup 3 which includes a top opening 6 and partially encloses a wafer support stage or chuck 1 on which is supported the wafer 2. A chemical dispensing system 10 includes a nitrogen gas spray arm 12, an acid dispensing arm 13 and a deionized (DI) water spray arm 14, each of which extends from a corresponding arm slot 7 in an arm mount 11. As shown in FIG. 2, each of the arms 12, 13, 14 is capable of swinging or pivoting from a stored position on the side of the coater cup 3, over the top of the coater cup 3 for dispensing the corresponding liquid through the top opening 6 onto the wafer 2. In operation, the chuck 1 rotates the wafer 2 at high speeds, typically as high as 4,000 rpm, either after or as the liquid photoresist (not shown) is dispensed onto the center of the spinning wafer 2, through the top opening 6. By operation of centrifugal force imparted to the wafer 2 by the rotating chuck 1, the dispensed photoresist liquid is spread across and uniformly coated on the surface of the wafer 2. Exhaust solvent gases and photoresist particles generated during the process are vented from the coater cup 3 through an exhaust pipe 4 which may be connected to an exhaust manifold 5.
After the liquid photoresist is applied to the wafer 2, the acid dispensing arm 13 sweeps over the center of the coater cup 3 and back to the xe2x80x9chomexe2x80x9d position on the side of the coater cup 3 as acid is dispensed from the arm 13 through the top opening 6 onto the surface of the spinning wafer 2 at a pressure of typically about 0.3 psi. This step removes excess photoresist, as well as photoresist particles, from the wafer 2. Next, the water spray arm 14 sweeps over the center of the coater cup 3 and back to the xe2x80x9chomexe2x80x9d position on the side of the coater cup 3 to spray DI water, at a pressure of typically about 20-40 psi, through the top opening 6 and onto the wafer 2 to remove residual acid from the wafer 2. Finally, the nitrogen gas spray arm 12 is initially positioned over the center of the coater cup 3 and then sweeps back to the xe2x80x9chomexe2x80x9d position on the side of the coater cup 3 to blow nitrogen gas, at a pressure of typically about 15 psi, onto the surface of the spinning wafer 2. This final step dries most of the DI water remaining on the wafer 2.
As shown in FIG. 3, the nitrogen spray arm 12 includes a central dispensing tube 15 that terminates in a nozzle opening 16 at the end of the nitrogen spray arm 12. The nozzle opening 16 typically has a relatively small diameter of about 1.0 mm to about 1.5 mm, and this tends to eject the nitrogen gas onto the surface of the wafer 2 in a narrow, forceful stream 18. The nitrogen gas stream 18 tends to blow or splash water droplets 17 from localized areas on the surface of the wafer 2 contacted directly by the nitrogen gas stream 18 while spreading the water droplets 17 to adjacent areas on the wafer 2. Consequently, some of the water droplets 17 remain on the wafer 2, forming chemical and water spots on the surface of the wafer 2 after the cleaning process. Chemical and water spots remaining on the wafer 2 after the photoresist application process tend to adversely affect device performance and reduce the yield of devices on the wafer 2.
An object of the present invention is to provide a gas spray arm which is capable of applying a drying gas in a diffuse pattern to the surface of a substrate.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a gas spray arm which is effective in drying water and chemicals from a substrate.
Still another object of the present invention is to provide a gas spray arm for preventing the formation of water or chemical spots on a substrate after a process is carried out on the substrate typically in a spin coating apparatus.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a multi-nozzle gas spray arm which includes at least two spray arms for ejecting a gas, particularly nitrogen, against a substrate to remove water or other liquid droplets from the substrate.
Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a multi-nozzle gas spray arm for drying liquid from a substrate and preventing the formation of water or liquid spots on the substrate.
A still further object of the present invention is to provide a multi-nozzle gas spray arm which combines a high-pressure, narrow gas stream with a lower-pressure, diffuse gas stream to facilitate effective drying of a substrate surface.
In accordance with these and other objects and advantages, the present invention is directed to a multi-nozzle gas spray arm for a spin coating apparatus, which multi-nozzle gas spray arm in a typical embodiment comprises a primary spray arm and a secondary spray arm which is confluently connected to the primary spray arm. The primary spray arm ejects a narrow, relatively high-velocity nitrogen stream against a substrate while the secondary spray arm ejects a diffuse, relatively low-velocity nitrogen stream against the substrate as the gas spray arm is typically swept across the surface of the wafer. The diffuse nitrogen flow characteristic of the nitrogen ejected from the secondary spray arm is effective in eliminating water and chemical droplets which otherwise would tend to remain and form dry spots on the wafer surface.

Gas spray arm for spin coating apparatus

Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co., Ltd


Apparatus for joining a first conduit to a second conduit comprising a first coupler for attachment to an end of the first conduit, a second coupler for attachment to an end of the second conduit and for engagement to the first coupler, and a snap-fit fastener for fastening the first coupler to the second coupler. The snap-fit fastener is arranged in at least two portions to fit around the periphery of the first and second couplers when the first and second couplers are engaged. The apparatus enables relative movement between the first coupler and the second coupler.

Presently conduits, such as pipes are joined either by welding or gluing the ends of the pipes to each other. Other pipe joining arrangements have used a clamp or collar at the junction between the two pipes which ultimately have to be welded or glued or otherwise adhered in some fashion to ensure the pipes remain attached.
When vibrations occur due to passing fluid, either liquid or gas, within the pipes, sometimes under pressure, this can weaken and in some instances rupture the join between the pipes as there is no possible movement between the pipes to counteract or make allowances for such vibrations.
It is desirable to provide a pipe joining apparatus that enables an amount of movement between the pipes or conduits to be joined so that the join can absorb any amount of vibration that is present in transporting the fluid within the pipes through the join.
The present invention seeks to address one or more of the above disadvantages by providing such a conduit joining apparatus. In some instances it reduces the amount of welding and gluing that needs to be done with existing pipe joining apparatus and methods. It is also desirable to provide joining apparatus that is easier to install than previous arrangements and to be able to reuse some or all of the joining apparatus.


A electronic device that includes an optical assembly containing a projector, an imager, or both is described. The optical assembly may be disposed in an accessory such as a cover for the electronic device, or the electronic device itself. The optical assembly may be attached by a flexible connector or articulated arm that, when extended, positions the optical assembly generally above a plane of an electronic display of the device. The optical assembly may project images onto the electronic display, portions of the cover, or other surfaces. An imager in the optical assembly detects user gestures or other visual inputs to initiate commands on the electronic device.

A large and growing population of users is enjoying entertainment through the consumption of digital media items, such as electronic books on electronic book ("eBook") reader devices. eBook reader devices may employ electrophoretic displays (EPD) or other reflective display technologies to reduce eye strain and to reduce power consumption. However, users may also wish to view video or other images for which the reflective displays are not optimized to render.


A ball joint for a stabilizer includes a metal stud ball having a spherical head and a pillow ball seat for swingably supporting the metal stud ball. The pillow ball seat includes a plastic cylindrical seat member, a top wall portion integral with the top of the seat member, a metal cylindrical piece member fitted on the seat member, a plastic disklike cap member fitted on the top wall portion of the seat member, and means for securing the cap member to the top wall portion of the seat member. The seat member has an annular spherical concave surface formed in the inner periphery thereof. The spherical head of the stud ball is pressure-fitted in the seat member and swingably supported on the concave surface.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a ball joint for a stabilizer, which couples a wheel axle of a vehicle to a torsion bar and, more particularly, to a pillow ball seat for swingably supporting a stud ball.
2. Description of the Prior Art
With vehicles being driven at increasingly high speeds, there is a need for providing vehicles with greater stability. Specifically, it is necessary to ensure against vehicle tip-over during sharp cornering. Accordingly, many recent vehicles adopt a system in which each wheel axle is coupled to a torsion bar in order to minimize the level difference between the left and right wheels. As a member for coupling the torsion bar and wheel axle, a pair of ball joints having three-dimensional coupling means are used.
FIGS. 3 and 4 show prior art ball joints for a stabilizer, in which a stud ball 1 made of metal has a spherical head 2 fitted in a ball seat member 3 made of synthetic resin by making use of the elasticity of the member 3 so that an equator portion 4 of the spherical head 2 is swingably supported on an annular concave spherical surface 5 formed in the inner periphery of the ball seat member 3.
For the purpose of preventing the fitted spherical head 2 of the stud ball 1 from being detached from the inner periphery of the ball seat member 3 and coupling together a pair of ball joints with a connecting rod 6, in the prior art shown in FIG. 3, the ball seat member 3 is inserted downwardly into an outer cylindrical member 8 made of steel and having an inner projection 7 projecting from the lower end of the inner periphery. The lower end of the ball seat member 3 is thus supported on the inner projection 7. Then, a circular lid 9 made from steel plate material is fitted in the outer cylindrical member 8 such that its edge is supported on the top of the ball seat member 3. Thereafter, an upper portion 8' of the outer cylindrical member 8 is calked inwardly against the edge of the circular lid 9.
In the prior art ball joint shown in FIG. 4, an outer blind cylindrical member 12 made of steel and having a top wall 10 and an inner shoulder portion 11 in contact with the top of the ball seat member 3 is fitted downwardly on the ball seat member 3 so that the inner shoulder portion 11 is supported on the top of the ball seat member 3. Then, a lower end portion 12' of the outer cylindrical member 12 is calked inwardly against the lower surface of the ball seat member 3.
However, with the ball joint shown in FIG. 3, it is necessary to provide the outer cylindrical member 8 with the inner projection 7 by cold forging from steel. This operation requires a large number of steps and leads to high cost. Likewise, with the ball joint shown in FIG. 4 it is necessary to provide the outer cylindrical member 12 with the inner shoulder 11 and top wall 10 by cold forging from steel. Again this operation requires a large number of steps and leads to high cost.
Further, the assembling operation requires a calking step of inwardly bending and calking the upper end portion of the outer cylindrical member 8 in the case of the ball joint of FIG. 3 and the lower end portion of the outer cylindrical member 12 in the case of the ball joint of FIG. 4, and this leads to increased cost.
Further, with the ball joint shown in FIG. 4 in which the lower end portion of the outer cylindrical member 12 is inwardly calked, it is difficult to mount a flexible boot for keeping out dust. More specifically, the boot cannot be reliably mounted by using a groove and is therefore inevitably bonded by adhesive to the outer cylindrical member 11.
An object of the invention is to provide a pillow ball seat of a ball joint for a stabilizer, which can be manufactured readily and at low cost.


Methods and apparatus are provided for visually enhancing approach runway signatures on en Enhanced Flight Vision System (EFVS). The EFVS may retrieve a location and an approach course for a runway, display, on the EFVS, a representation of the runway and the approach course for the runway relative to a position of the aircraft, define an area, along the approach course and before a first end of the runway, where the approach runway signature should be located, and visually enhance, on the EFVS, the defined area.

Before a pilot can land an aircraft, the pilot is required to visually identify certain features of a runway through the cockpit window. Many airports, for example, have an approach runway signature before each runway, such as a series of lights forming a "T" or a cross pattern (e.g., "†"), to assist pilots in locating the runway. When a pilot is landing an aircraft, federal regulations provide that a pilot must be able to identify, visually through the cockpit window, the approach runway signature or another specific feature before the aircraft may descend below a certain altitude relative to the runway.
There are three types of instrument landing systems (ILS) for aiding a pilot in landing an aircraft, the implementation of which may vary depending upon the aircraft and the airport. For example, a Category I (CAT I) ILS, is a precision instrument approach and landing with a decision height not lower than 200 feet. A Category II (CAT II) ILS is a precision instrument approach and landing with a decision height lower than 200 feet (61 m) above a touchdown zone elevation but not lower than 100 feet. In other words, the pilot must make a decision before the aircraft's altitude is within 200 or 100 feet, respectively, of the touchdown zone whether to proceed with the landing. There are also three types of Category III (CAT III) ILS's with varying decision height levels below 100 feet.
The pilot's decision to proceed with or abort the landing in CAT I, CAT II and CAT III landing situations depend upon whether the pilot can identify approach runway signatures, however, cloud cover and weather conditions can make the identification difficult. Operating at night in the various conditions adds another degree of difficulty to identifying approach runway signatures.
Accordingly, it is desirable to have a system, method and apparatus for assisting the pilot to quickly locate and identify runway approach signatures in all weather and visibility conditions. Other desirable features and characteristics of the present invention will become apparent from the subsequent detailed description of the invention and the appended claims, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and this background of the invention.

Enhanced flight vision system for enhancing approach runway signatures


A nozzle arrangement in a blow box of a paper machine, comprising one or several nozzles (22a, 22b) placed in connection with the blow box (20) or pipe, through which nozzles a blowing of air can be applied to a moving member in a paper machine placed in their proximity, such as a wire, drying cylinder, guide roll, felt, or the equivalent. The blow box (20) and its nozzles (20a, 20b) are at a certain operational safety distance (C) from the moving member. In connection with the nozzle slots of the nozzles (22a, 22b) or nozzle, a respective nozzle flap (24a, 24b) pivotable around a respective transverse hinge shaft (P) is hinged. The nozzle flaps (24a, 24b) respectively guide the blowing of air (F.sub.a, F.sub.b) to the desired object and if necessary maintain a required difference in pressure. The nozzle flaps (24a, 24b) are hinged in such a way that, in their normal operating position, the outer edge of the respective flap is at a distance considerably shorter than the required operational safety distance from the moving member (10, 12), but the nozzle flaps (24a, 24b) can pivot to the required safety distance when a paper clod or some other obstacle passes by.

The invention concerns a nozzle arrangement in a blow box or any other, equivalent blow member in a paper making machine, comprising one or more nozzles placed in connection with a blow box or pipe, or equivalent member through which nozzles the blowing of air can be applied to a moving member in a paper machine placed in proximity to the nozzles, such as a wire, drying cylinder, guide roll, felt, or the equivalent, and which blow box and its nozzles are arranged at a certain operational safety distance from the moving member.
In the prior art, the multi-cylinder dryers of paper machines in common use consist of two lines of cylinders placed one above the other, in which connection an upper wire or felt as well as a lower wire or felt are used, which wires or felts are guided by guide rolls placed in the gaps between the drying cylinders so that these wires or felts press the web against the cylinder face. The web runs from one line of cylinders to the other in a series of free draws. Inside the multi-cylinder dryer, these free draws of the web, respective faces of the cylinders, and the wires or felts guided by the guide rolls define pockets, which are open at their ends but otherwise closed, the ventilation of these pockets being an important factor with a view to achieving uniformity of drying efficiency and drying results in a multi-cylinder dryer.
In recent years, the running speeds of paper machines have been increasing, and this has had the consequence that these free draws of the paper web have been made shorter particularly in order to reduce the risk of web breaks resulting from fluttering. However, it follows that the above-mentioned ventilation of the pockets has become more difficult, because the size of the pockets has become smaller. Moreover, constantly increasing requirements are imposed for the ventilation of the pockets, because the dwell times of the web in direct connection with the pockets have also become shorter.
In the prior art, a number of different blow devices are known, by whose means air is blown through the felts or wires into the pockets or to other objects.
When disturbances in operation occur, paper waste is produced in paper making machines, which waste frequently forms clods which cause problems in congested locations in the machine, e.g. in the narrow gaps between the blow boxes and wires, drying cylinders or guide rolls. This is why relatively large safety distances are required between the wires or the web and the blow boxes in order that these clods can pass between the blow boxes and the above-mentioned parts without causing damage to their structures. These safety distances are generally in the order of 50 to 100 mm.
Since the air nozzles of the blow boxes must be placed at the aforementioned safety distance, e.g., from a wire, frequently the desired effects of the blowings are not completely achieved, because, for example, the blowing cannot be directed precisely at its target and sufficiently high pressure cannot be achieved by means of the blowings. A typical example of devices wherein drawbacks of the sort discussed above are present are the pocket ventilation pipes described in the Applicant's FI Patent No. 68,278 (corresp. U.S. Pat. No. 4,539,762), which pipes, placed at a distance of, e.g., 100 mm from the wire, do not produce a sufficiently large quantity of air passing through the wire to ensure adequate pocket ventilation.

Nozzle arrangement in a blow box or pipe of a paper making machine


A semiconductor device composed of III-nitride materials is produced with epitaxial growth that permits vertical and lateral growth geometries to improve device characteristics. The resulting device has a greater breakdown voltage due to the greater integrity of the semiconductor material structure since no ion implantation processes are used. The epitaxially grown layers also exhibit greater thermal conductivity for improved operation with power semiconductor devices. The device may include a laterally grown charge compensated area to form a superjunction device. The resulting device may be bidirectional and have improved breakdown voltage in addition to higher current capacity for a given voltage rating.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to the construction of III-nitride devices using epitaxial growth, and relates more particularly to the construction of III-nitride devices where the epitaxial growth is variable in direction to obtain variable doping profiles without implantation.
2. Description of Related Art
In the construction of semiconductor devices, doping of various portions of semiconductor material is achieved according to a number of different techniques. One of the more popular techniques is the implantation of ions using a beam, and driving the implanted impurities to diffuse into the semiconductor material in which the implant is made. The implantation of ions according to these typical techniques often involve high energy collisions between the implanted ions and the lattice structure of the semiconductor material to be implanted. Accordingly, structural damage to the lattice of the semiconductor material is a typical and well known byproduct of the doping process.
As integrated circuit become more sophisticated, complicated doping profiles and geometries are used to achieve better performance and critical parameter values. However, as more complicated implantation processes are conducted, a significant amount of structural damage to the implanted semiconductor material is observed. The structural damage to the lattice of the implanted semiconductor material tends to degrade the performance of the devices in certain critical areas, such as breakdown voltage.
Power semiconductor devices are often constructed with MOSgated switches to take advantage of the low on resistance to reduce power losses. MOSgated switches are typically constructed using ion implantation, as discussed above, and are usually rated for a particular voltage. Accordingly, due to the deterioration of the semiconductor material caused by ion implantation, MOSgated switches typically need to be constructed with additional voltage blocking capacity to compensate for the reduced blocking ability caused by the implantation process. In addition, MOSgated switches are typically specified to have a given current carrying capacity for a given voltage rating. The current carrying capacity is limited by the carrier density in the voltage standoff region. Some geometries have been presented for construction of MOSgated devices that improve the current capacity versus voltage standoff relationship, where charge compensation is provided in the MOSgated switch base. These types of devices are often referred to as superjunction devices. However, the devices continue to be limited by the use of ion implantation for doping and the attendant damage to the lattice of the semiconductor structure, leading to lower breakdown voltages.
III-nitride semiconductors are presently known that exhibit a large dielectric breakdown field of greater than 2.2 mv/cm. III-nitride heterojunction structures are also capable of carrying extremely high currents, which makes devices fabricated in the III-nitride material system excellent for power applications. Devices fabricated in the III-nitride material system can exhibit high electron mobility and are referred to variously as heterojunction field effect transistors (HFETs), high electron mobility transistors (HEMTs) or modulation doped field effect transistors (MODFETs). These types of devices typically operate through the use of piezoelectric polarization fields to generate a two dimensional electron gas (2DEG) that allows transport of very high current densities with very low resistive losses. The 2DEG is formed at an interface of two III-nitride material layers having different concentrations of III-nitride materials. Due to the nature of the interface, fundamentally formed III-nitride semiconductor devices tend to be nominally on, or depletion mode devices.
Materials in the III-nitride material system may include gallium, aluminum and indium, as well as their nitrides, GaN, AlN and InN. Gallium nitride and its alloys such as aluminum gallium nitride (AlGaN), indium gallium nitride (InGaN) and indium aluminum gallium nitride (InAlGaN) are also included in this material system. These materials represent semiconductor compounds that have a relatively wide direct bandgap that permits highly energetic electronic transitions to occur. Gallium nitride materials have been formed on a number of different substrates including silicon carbide (SiC), sapphire and silicon. Silicon substrates are readily available and relatively inexpensive, and silicon processing technology is well developed. Epitaxial growth of III-nitride materials to form semiconductor structures has also been well developed, and results in decreased complexity in manufacturing, as well as providing superior thermal performance.

III-nitride device and method with variable epitaxial growth direction


A fitting provides a means of making a union between a tube and a female fitting with low dead volume and without the use of tools. The fitting is comprised of a tube member that is pressed into the female fitting to automatically remove dead volume. The tube member is pressed into the fitting by a spring with the appropriate tension to hold the tube member against the expected pressure. The fitting also is comprised of a two piece nut assembly. The forward nut compresses a ferrule to create the high-pressure seal. The rearward nut is attached to the forward nut and provides compression and a holding means for the spring.

A variety of tube fittings that are useful in the field of chromatography are commercially available. Most of these fittings employ a ferrule system that is swaged onto the tube.
One known design for making what is referred to as a "low dead volume connection" is called a "slip-free connector". With this connector, the depth of tubing penetration into a receiving fitting, and the compression force on a polymeric sealing ferrule, can be independently adjusted through the use of a two-part nut. The design of this connector is described as part of a chromatographic cartridge in U.S. Pat. No. 5,582,723. Unfortunately, this design can be difficult to use if the back part of the nut is too tight prior to installation into a receiving fitting. When this occurs, the tubing bottoms out in the receiving fitting and prevents compression of the sealing ferrule. Continued tightening of the "slip-free connector" without first loosening the back part of the nut eventually causes damage to the tubing or the receiving fitting.
A problem with tubing connection fittings in general is interchangeability from manufacturer to manufacturer. Different manufacturers use different penetration depths from the end of the sealing ferrule to the bottom of the receiving fitting, and penetration depths can even vary among different products from the same manufacturer. Because these fittings are assembled with the ferrule permanently swaged onto the tubing, using an already assembled tube in a different fitting can cause problems. If the tube extends too far past the end of the swaged-on ferrule the tube will bottom out in the fitting, which can make it difficult to get an adequate seal, or can damage the fitting. Conversely, if the tube does not extend far enough beyond the swaged-on ferrule the space not filled by the tubing results in dead volume. Use of the "slip-free connector" described above addresses the problem with interchangeability of fittings from one manufacturer to another, but as described above it can be difficult to use.
It is generally difficult to obtain reliable seals on 1/32.DELTA. tubing, which is common in chromatography applications. This size of tubing is typically thin-walled and, as the ferrule is tightened, the tubing can be deformed to the point where a reliable seal cannot be achieved. Continued tightening only aggravates this problem, and eventually the tubing is crimped closed or the sealing nut breaks.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,669,756 describes the use of a spring-loaded fitting to controllably force the ends of soft plastic tubing together to make a seal. In this case the ferrules are attached to the tubing ends and then pressed together with a spring. This is claimed to work with soft tubing, where deformation of the tubing ends occurs as they form the seal. As a result, this device has limited capability to seal to high pressure.
In addition, U.S. Pat. No. 4,732,672 describes a means of quickly mounting high-pressure liquid chromatography columns by using spring tension to force tubing into the end fittings of the columns. This same spring tension produces force on the sealing ferrule as well. The device is large and cumbersome, however, and the force on the tubing is achieved by a tight bend through a channel to a perpendicular dimension. Thin-walled tubing would collapse under forces required to keep it from being pushed out of the end fitting during high-pressure use. Also, the fact that the same spring is used to provide the tube holding force and the ferrule compression force means there is no independent control of these parameters.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,991,883, 5,163,722, and 5,163,215 describe spring-loaded connection devices wherein controlled pressure is applied to the sealing ferrule. This provides a constant sealing force on the ferrule member but does not provide for automatic bottoming out of the tubing in the receiving fitting.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,188,730 and 5,525,303 describe multiple-part connection devices that provide for dead volume removal by adjustment of a tubing member. These are similar to the "slip-free connection" device described earlier, and they suffer from the same problems, namely, that the rear supporting threaded member can be prematurely tightened, causing the tubing to prematurely bottom in the receiving fitting. This causes unreliable sealing and potential damage to the tubing or the receiving fitting.
The failure of current connection fittings to provide a reliable means of sealing tubing in a receiving fitting while automatically removing dead volume shows the need for a fitting that provides a simple, convenient yet robust means of connecting tubing to a receiving fitting while automatically removing dead volume in a small easy to use package.

Device and method for connecting a fluid conduit to a receiving fitting


The present invention addresses a problem that switching antennas along with an unexpected variation of a received electrical field strength brings about a loss over a long period of data transmission. According to a wireless LAN transceiver in which the present invention is implemented, when a data throughput attained by an application layer poses no problem, switching antennas is disabled. Consequently, the data throughput can be kept satisfactory. Namely, since whether the antennas are switched is not determined with an unexpected variation of an RSSI signal or an error rate in a lower layer, unnecessary switching of the antennas can be prevented. A loss derived from the switching of the antennas can be minimized over a long period of time.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a wireless LAN transceiver and a wireless LAN transmitting/receiving method. More particularly, the present invention is concerned with a wireless LAN transceiver including a plurality of antennas and a wireless LAN transmitting/receiving method.
2. Description of the Related Art
In a known conventional wireless LAN transceiver, when a received signal strength indication (RSSI) signal proportional to an electrical field strength received by an antenna or an error rate in demodulated data to be transferred to a medium access control (MAC) unit is degraded, antennas to be connected to a receiving circuit are switched.
Owing to the above configuration, an antenna keeping the received electrical field strength or error rate satisfactory is used to thus ensure a successful data link.
In the foregoing conventional wireless LAN transceiver, a cycle required for the received electrical field strength or error rate to vary is often much shorter than an actual data transmission period. A substantially average transmission speed a user perceives is not always high enough. In other words, when antennas are switched along with an unexpected variation of the received electrical field strength, it may bring about a loss occurring over a long data transmission period.

Wireless LAN transceiver and wireless LAN transmitting/receiving method


A method and system for providing awards to participants utilizing electronic data storage elements such as radio frequency identification (“RFID”) tags. RFID tags containing directions to an award processing center and other unique coded information are placed at locations where customer patronage is to be encouraged. Award program participants are provided with RFID readers capable of reading the information on the RFID tag. Award program participants read the information on the RFID tag with their reader and utilize that information to access the award processing center which then provides awards to the participants, such as redeemable customer loyalty points or product coupons.

(1) Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to providing awards when a person comes within a certain proximity of an electronic data storage element, such as an RFID tag.
(2) Description of Related Art
Increasing customers is a goal of many businesses. In order to increase customers, some businesses market their products, others provide discounts or coupons to customers, and still others create customer loyalty programs that reward customers for repeat patronage. Some business use all these methods and all businesses use some method to draw customers. The present invention increases patronage at business establishments by using RFID technology to provide awards to persons that visit or make purchases at such establishments.
Evolving technologies allow products or other items to be tagged with inexpensive electronic data storage elements ("EDSEs") then tracked by devices that can read the information encoded into the tag. One form of electronic data storage element is a radio frequency transponder. Radio frequency identification ("RFID") uses low-powered radio transmitters to read data stored in a transponder at distances up to 200 feet away. Present applications of this technology include tracking assets, managing inventory, automatic vehicle identification, highway tolls and authorizing payments. RFID technology is also used by certain automobile manufacturers to provide electronic keys to their automobiles.
RFID systems originated in the 1940s when the U.S. government used transponders to distinguish between friendly and enemy aircraft. Aircraft still utilize transponders today for aircraft tracking. In addition to tracking aircraft, the airline industry, along with the FAA has used RFID tags to route baggage and increase air security. In the 1970s, the U.S. government used RFID systems for tracking livestock and nuclear material. Companies such as McDonald's and Exxon Mobile have tested RFID chips to allow customers to pay for food or gas.
RFID technology is known to those skilled in the art. Commercial utilizations typically operate in a number of unlicensed frequency bands, with 125 KHz and 13.56 MHz being the most common. The greater the bandwidth the more information a RFID tag can hold. For instance, a 13.56 MHZ tag can hold as much as 2,000 bits of data, roughly 30 times the information that can be held on a 125 KHz tag. Active RFID tags are equipped with a battery that allows an active tag to transmit a signal to a reader. These tags often provide the greatest range, up to 200 feet, but are more expensive than other tags. Passive RFID tags are not battery powered. They draw power from the electromagnetic waves emitted from the receiver-transmitter. The read range of these tags is generally under three meters and the tags are inexpensive to manufacture. Semi-passive RFID tags have batteries like active RFID tags, but the battery is only used to power the tag's microchip circuitry, it does not power the transmission from the tag to the reader. Semi-passive tags also have longer read ranges than passive tags.
One example of EDSE or RFID use is inventory control. In this application, a RFID tag is placed on the item to be tracked. Up to 2,000 bits of data are stored on a memory chip that is housed in a button or integrated circuit card. Tags can also be etched on a substrate that is then embedded in a paper or plastic tag. The information stored on the tag may include a unique product identification code, the place of product manufacture and the place of sale. The tag may include a battery or it may be passive. A RFID transmitter-receiver or reader is utilized that contains a transmitter, receiver and digital control module connected to a transmitting antenna. When the control module senses a tag, it interrogates the tag (after awakening the tag if passive), decodes the data and typically passes that data on to a host system by way of wired or wireless communication. The host system assimilates the data received from the product tags and the data is used to track product inventory and sales.
The majority of RFID tags are write-once/read-only, but others offer read/write capability such that the information contained on the tag can be rewritten. For instance if tracking an item in transit, the information can be rewritten as the item travels along its route or is rerouted. RFID readers may be hand-held and wireless.
Numerous companies have developed RFID technology, including Texas Instruments (see U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,347,280 and 5,541,604), IBM (see U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,528,222; 5,550,547; 5,521,601; and 5,682,143), Motorola/Indala (see U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,378,880 and 5,565,846), and Mikron/Philips Semiconductors (see U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,442,507; 4,796,074; 5,095,362; 5,296,722; and 5,407,851). In addition, RFID technology and tracking systems are described in numerous additional patents, including U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,424,262 and 6,484,780 to Garber, assigned to 3M (describing the use of RFID to track library materials); U.S. Pat. No. 6,100,804 to Brady, assigned to Intecmec (describing a RFID system employing a thin, flexible RFID tag and integrated antenna); U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/823,874 by Catan (describing a system for tracking a changeable description of an article for use in a home inventory system); and U.S. Pat. No. 6,563,417 to Shaw, assigned to Identec Solutions (describing a RFID method of tracking products moving along a distribution path). Other patents and patent applications describe other uses for RFID technology. For example, U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/859,359 by Hind describes a method for providing targeted advertising and personalized customer services using RFID tagged products and wireless communication devices and U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/442533 by Hidary describes a system for distributing and retrieving information about an object using RFID transponders and Internet access devices. Each of the above referenced patents and their disclosures regarding EDSE or RFID technology are incorporated herein by reference.
Examples of EDSE technology and uses can also be found in the June 2003 Equity Research of Bear Stearns, titled Supply-Chain Technology: Track(ing) to the Future, The Impending RFID-based Inventory Revolution, which is also incorporated herein by reference.

Method and apparatus for providing awards using transponders


A photopolymerizable composition which comprises (a) a polymerizable compound having at least one ethylenic unsaturated bond, and (b) a salt formed by an organic cationic dye compound and an organic boron compound anion, wherein the salt is represented by the following formula (I), in which an organic cationic dye compound is employed as D.sup..sym. to impart high spectral sensitivities to the composition ##STR1## wherein D.sup..sym. represents a cationic dye, and R.sup.1, R.sup.2, R.sup.3 and R.sup.4, which may be the same or different, each represents an alkyl group, an aryl group, an aralkyl group, an alkaryl group, an alkenyl group, an alkynyl group, or a group derived therefrom; and two or more of the substituent groups R.sup.1 and R.sup.4 can be combined to form a cyclic structure. The cationic dye D.sup..sym. is represented by formula (II) EQU .phi..sup..sym. -L=.PSI. (II). wherein .phi. and .PSI., which may be the same or different, each represents a heterocyclic ring containing at least one nitrogen atom, and L represents a methine group, or a tri-, penta-, hepta- or nona-methine group formed by linking methine groups one after another by conjugated double bonds, each of which may be substituted, provided that L combines with at least either .phi. or .PSI. to form a ring.

A photopolymerizable composition basically contains a photopolymerization initiator and an addition polymerizable compound having two or more ethylenic unsaturated bonds in a molecule (called "a polyfunctional monomer" hereinafter), and changes its tackiness or its solubility in a solvent through the hardening thereof when irradiated with light. Due to these properties, it is used for many purposes, for example, photography, graphic arts, metal surface treatment, ink, and so on. The principles and application examples thereof are described in many books. For instance, there are detailed descriptions in J. Kosar, Light Sensitive Systems, pp. 158-193, J Wiley & Sons, New York (1965), K. I. Jacobson & R. E. Jacobson, Imaging Systems, pp. 181-222, J. Wiley & Sons, New York (1976), and so on.
Recently, image forming systems utilizing light-sensitive microcapsules enclosing a photopolymerizable composition have also been proposed as one of the image forming methods to which photopolymerizable compositions are applied. For instance, methods of forming dye images, which involve exposing imagewise a color forming sheet coated with microcapsules enclosing a dye and photopolymerizable composition comprising a vinyl compound and a photopolymerization initiator, superposing an image receiving sheet on the color forming sheet, and then applying pressure to the whole surface of the superposed sheets, are disclosed in JP-A-57-124343 (The term "JP-A" as used herein means an "unexamined published Japanese patent application"), JP-A-57-179836 and JP-A-57-197538.
In addition, attempts to extend the spectral sensitivities of those photopolymerizable compositions toward the visible region to thereby form digital images using visible laser as a light source or to apply them to a full color photosensitive material have been made in recent years.
For example, methods of spectrally sensitizing photopolymerizable compositions for the purpose of visible laser recording are described in Nippon Shashin Gakkaishi, vol. 49, No. 3, p. 230 (1986) and Kinoh Zairyo (which means "Functional Materials"), the September issue, pp. 48-60 (1983). Further, a method of spectrally sensitizing organic peroxides, functioning as polymerization initiator, by organic dyes is disclosed in JP-A-59-189430. Furthermore, organic boron anion salts of organic cationic dyes are used as novel photopolymerization initiators in EP-Al-223587.
In particular, the method of using the organic boron compound anion salts of organic cationic dye compounds as a light-sensitive initiator has an advantage in that the cationic dye compounds can be selected from a wide variety of dyes, and thereby it becomes feasible to design photopolymerization initiator compositions having sensitivity to intended wavelengths of the visible region.
However, the foregoing method, although successful in giving spectral sensitivities to desired wavelengths of the visible spectrum, failed in inducing satisfactorily high sensitivity.