An oval umbrella system (10) for providing improved precipitation protection for individuals. The umbrella system includes a support member (20), a handle member (30) attached to an end of the support member, a collar (22) slidably positioned about the support member, a plurality of first rib linkages (40) extending from the support member, a plurality of second rib linkages (60) extending from the support member, and a covering (80) attached to the rib linkages (40), (60). The first rib linkages preferably have a greater extended length than the second rib linkages.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to umbrella devices and more specifically it relates to an umbrella system for providing improved precipitation protection for individuals.
2. Description of the Related Art
Collapsible umbrellas have been in use for years. Conventional collapsible umbrellas manufactured and sold today are typically comprised of an elongate support member, a plurality of multiple section rib linkages pivotally attached to the upper end of the elongate support member, a slidable collar positioned about the elongate support member, a plurality of rib linkage supports extending from the slidable collar outwardly to the rib linkages, and a covering secured about the rib linkages forming a circular shape.
The main problem with conventional collapsible umbrellas is that they do not provide sufficient coverage to individuals walking, particularly individuals with longer strides. The lower legs and feet of the individuals utilizing conventional collapsible umbrellas often become wet from the rain because the umbrella does not extend forwardly or rearwardly sufficiently.
In an attempt to increase the coverage area, collapsible umbrellas have been increased in size around the entire perimeter thereof. The main problem with this improvement is that such umbrellas tend to be bulky and cumbersome to utilize. Another problem is that they are difficult to maneuver in crowded areas because of the extended side portions which are not required.
Examples of patented or patent pending devices which may be related to the present invention include U.S. Pat. No. 5,263,505 to Yeom; U.S. Pat. No. 4,474,200 to Kida; U.S. Pat. No. 341,192 to Webster; U.S. Pat. No. 4,474,201 to Kida; U.S. Pat. No. 5,505,221 to Gao; U.S. Pat. No. 3,837,352 to Weber; U.S. Pat. No. 6,412,506 to Reese; U.S. Pat. No. 3,042,055 to Todorovic; U.S. Pat. No. 5,355,902 to Schlangen; U.S. Pat. No. 2,948,289 to Owczarek; U.S. Pat. No. 5,201,332 to Wu; U.S. Pat. No. 5,725,004 to Moulder; U.S. Pat. No. 5,642,747 to Rizzotti; and U.S. Patent Application No. 2002/0023672 filed by Reese.
While these devices may be suitable for the particular purpose to which they address, they are not as suitable for providing improved precipitation protection and ease of use for individuals.
There have been proposed various umbrellas so designed that the covering is substantially oval when the umbrella is opened.
For example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,474,200 and 4,474,201 to Kida (hereinafter collectively referred to as the reference 1) disclose umbrellas comprising main ribs with slidable members and center poles with intermediate and lower hubs slidably fitted thereon. The presence of the main ribs with slidable members and the intermediate and lower hubs complicates the production and adds to the weight of the umbrella. Furthermore, the manner for opening the completely collapsed reference 1 requires that the user pull the top of the center pole away from the handle, which is very awkward and counter-intuitive. When the reference 1 is collapsed, the covering produces a surplus of covering material which folds outwardly and becomes very unsightly and difficult to handle.
The umbrella disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,837,352 to Weber (hereinafter referred to as the reference 2) also comprises telescoping dome ribs and multiple runners similar to the reference 1. As a result, the reference 2 suffers from some of the same limitations as the previously discussed reference 1; namely, complex production, added weight and the existence of a surplus of covering material which folds outwardly and is unsightly and difficult to handle.
In these respects, the umbrella system according to the present invention substantially departs from the conventional concepts and designs of the prior art, and in so doing provides an apparatus primarily developed for the purposes of providing improved precipitation protection and ease of use for individuals.


An apparatus for connecting a first wellsite tube to a second wellsite tube includes a collar configured to engage with outer conduits of the first and second wellsite tubes. A coupling is disposed inside the collar and includes a first end axially disposed from a second end. A first structure is configured to provide sliding engagement between the first end of the coupling and an inner conduit of the first wellsite tube. A second structure is configured to provide threaded engagement between the second end of the coupling and an inner conduit of the second wellsite tube. A plurality of radially extending ribs are disposed between the opposing ends of the collar and support the coupling inside the collar.

Wellsite or oilfield tubing is commonly used with conventional service rigs to transmit fluid between the service rig and a wellbore or other location at the wellsite. The wellsite tubing typically extends several hundred or even several thousand feet in length, depending on the depth of the wellbore. As a result, the wellsite tubing necessarily includes a large number of sections that are repeatedly added or removed to vary the length of the tubing as needed. Due to varying lengths of the wellsite tubing and the inherent movement between the service rig and the wellsite, the ability to efficiently, reliably, and securely connect the sections of the tubing while also allowing flexibility in the connections is a desirable design consideration.
Wellsite tubing often includes multiple parallel conduits that provide multiple flow paths for the fluid flow. In some wellsite tubing, the parallel conduits are arranged side-by-side, while in other wellsite tubing, the parallel conduits are arranged with an inner conduit surrounded by an outer conduit. The arrangement of parallel conduits in the wellsite tubing creates additional operational challenges in connecting multiple sections of the tubing. In practice this is typically achieved by first assembling the outer conduit followed by inserting or running the inner conduit inside the assembled outer conduit. In addition to doubling the number of connections required to be made, this method limits or makes impossible the placement of devices at multiple points in the wellsite tubing. Therefore, the need exists for an improved apparatus that can efficiently, reliably, and securely connect sections of wellsite tubing having parallel conduits, and embodiments of the present invention provide a low-cost, reliable method for creating a multi-channel wellsite tubing.

Apparatus for connecting wellsite tubing


A working machine including an internal combustion engine for supplying torque to the driving wheels of the working machine, and a transmission line arranged between the internal combustion engine and the driving wheels for transmitting torque from the internal combustion engine to the driving wheels. The working machine further including at least one hydraulic pump in a hydraulic system for moving an implement arranged on the working machine and/or steering the working machine. The transmission line includes at least one electric machine for driving or braking the driving wheels, and/or for generating electric power for the at least one hydraulic pump.

The invention relates to a working machine and a method for operating a working machine.
The invention is applicable on working machines within the field of industrial construction machines, in particular wheel loaders. Although the invention will be described with respect to a wheel loader, the invention is not restricted to this particular vehicle, but may also be used in other heavy working machines, such as articulated haulers, trucks and excavators.
A wheel loader is usually provided with an internal combustion engine, a transmission line, and a gearbox for supplying torque to the driving wheels of the wheel loader. The gearbox provides different gear ratios for varying the speed of the vehicle, and for changing between forward and backward driving direction. The transmission line comprises a hydrodynamic torque converter arranged between the internal combustion engine and the gearbox. The torque converter is used to increase the torque during particularly heavy working operations, such as filling the bucket or acceleration of the wheel loader. The torque converter can very quickly adapt the output torque to the current working conditions. However, the torque converter has often a very low efficiency which is also dependent on the current driving conditions. The efficiency can be increased if the torque converter is provided with a lock-up function which can be used for direct operation. However, the gear ratio is fixed (1:1) in the lock-up state, and the problem of low efficiency remains during working operations where such a lock-up function cannot be used.
In addition to supply torque to the driving wheels, the internal combustion engine has to supply energy to a hydraulic pump of a hydraulic system of the wheel loader. Such a hydraulic system is used for lifting operations and/or steering the wheel loader. Hydraulic working cylinders are arranged for lifting and lowering a lifting arm unit, on which a bucket or other type of attachment or working tool, for example forks, is mounted. By use of another hydraulic working cylinder, the bucket can also be tilted or pivoted. Further hydraulic cylinders known as steering cylinders are arranged to turn the wheel loader by means of relative movement of a front and rear body part of the wheel loader.
On one hand, the rotation speed of the internal combustion engine has to be adapted to the hydraulic pump, and on the other hand, the internal combustion engine has to be adapted to the need for a very high torque, for example during filling the bucket when the speed of the wheel loader is close to zero. A rotation speed of the internal combustion engine determined by the hydraulic system means that the wheel loader has to be braked so as to adapt the velocity of the wheel loader to the current conditions. In order to fulfill the demands on speed of rotation and torque in different situations, the internal combustion engine has to be dimensioned for an unnecessary high effective output which output is not required or is only infrequently required. The use of an internal combustion engine which in some respects is oversized and further has to be driven during circumstances where the torque converter has low efficiency, and/or during conditions where the wheel loader has to be braked due to the hydraulic system, will result in high fuel consumption.
It is desirable that the invention is to provide a working machine of the kind referred to in the introduction, which working machine enables a more effective operation of the working machine and lower fuel consumption.
By the provision of a transmission line comprising an electric machine for driving or braking the driving wheels, and/or for generating electric power for the hydraulic pump, the internal combustion engine can be more efficiently used, which enables a smaller internal combustion engine to be used, and the fuel consumption can be lowered. For example, the hydraulic system can be driven at least partly by the electric machine instead of the internal combustion engine. Thus, the rotation speed of the internal combustion engine does not need to be determined taking the hydraulic pump into consideration. The electric machine can be used as a brake during a braking operation of the wheel loader, and at the same time function as a generator for recuperating energy. The energy can be directly supplied to the hydraulic system or stored in an electric energy storage means, such as a battery or super capacitor, to be used later on. If a great traction force is required, an additionally torque can be supplied to the driving wheels by means of the electric machine functioning as a electric motor, and, thus the need of the torque converter is decreased.
Furthermore, the electric machine can be used for driving the driving wheels in the reversed direction. This means that the reverse gear of the gearbox can be eliminated. A further advantage is that the electric machine can be used for adapting the speed of rotation of the internal combustion engine and the speed of rotation of the transmission line to each other so as to facilitate coupling or decoupling of a direct operation state of a transmission unit comprised in the transmission line.
By such a method the size and operation of the internal combustion engine can be optimized so as to keep the fuel consumption as low as possible.
Further advantages and advantageous features of the invention are disclosed in the following description.
By the term "electric machine" is meant a combined electric motor and generator. The electric machine can be driven by electricity to supply an output torque on a shaft or be mechanically driven by applying torque on a shaft for producing electricity.
The term "transmission unit" comprises hydraulic clutches, both hydrodynamic clutches such as torque converters and hydrostatic clutches, as well as mechanical clutches. Thus, "transmission unit" comprises both torque converters which can increase the torque, and ordinary clutches only used for disengagement and direct operation with the gear ratio of 1:1.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Working machine with one or more electric machines for driving, braking, and/or generating power and a method for operating such a working machine


Concrete-type composite pipe is produced by rotating a drum mold while casting concrete thereinto to form a concrete layer of a uniform thickness using a centrifugal force exerted on the cast concrete, casting a mixture of hydrophilic resin and a hardener to form a corrosion protective resin layer on an inner surface of the formed concrete layer before the concrete layer starts to solidify, scattering aggregates or the like on the inner surface of the resin layer, accelerating the rotation to cause the aggregates or the like in the resin layer to form an intermediate layer, between the concrete layer and the corrosion protective layer, of resin, concrete, and coarse aggregates and stopping the rotation after the hardening of the corrosion protective layer.

The present invention relates to a concrete-type composite pipe having high rigidity and strength as well as resistance against chemicals, and to a method of producing the same.
Conventional concrete-type pipes exhibit high rigidity and are cheaply produced, but lack resistance against chemicals.
There have further been provided synthetic resin-type pipes exhibiting excellent resistance against chemicals and increased strength. However, such pipes have low rigidity and are expensive to produce.
Furthermore, there have been provided a concrete-type composite pipe in which a corrosion protective layer of a tar-epoxy resin or of a mixture of epoxy resin and aggregate is formed on the inner surface or on the outer surface, or on both the inner and outer surfaces of the steam-cured concrete layer utilizing a conventional cheaply constructed concrete-type pipe that has high rigidity. However, due to difference in the coefficient of thermal expansion and in the coefficient of contraction between the corrosion protective layer and the concrete layer, the corrosion protective layer peels off at the boundary surface relative to the concrete layer. Therefore, the composite pipe could not fully exhibit its function with regard to the strength and resistance against chemicals.
Moreover, the corrosion protective layer is formed by pouring into a vessel a mixture obtained by kneading together the resin and the aggregate, carrying the vessel to pour the mixture onto the inner surface of the concrete layer after it is cured with steam, and spreading the mixture in a centrifugal manner, requiring cumbersome operation for kneading the materials and for carrying the resin. Furthermore, since the mixture lacks flowability, extended periods of time are required before the layer is formed maintaining a uniform thickness.

Method of producing concrete composite pipe


A collaborative information processing system is formed of a plurality of terminal units interconnected through a network. Each terminal unit includes a microprocessor provided with a control program for controlling the execution of various application programs and the communication with other terminal units, input/output devices such as a display unit with a display screen and keyboard, and a telephone set. A plurality of users join in a conference or such a group work to create materials by making reference to a material which is displayed equally on the screen of each terminal unit and making conversation through the telephone set under control of the control program. Records of group work information including the outline of the group work, names of participants, and names of materials and data created or referenced during the group work or conference are stored automatically in a database so that the records can readily be retrieved in the future.

The present invention relates to a method and system for storing and retrieving collaboratively processed information, and more particularly to a method of storing collaboratively processed information, in which information indicative of the matter or content of execution of a group work held by users is recorded automatically in a database at each execution of a collaborative information process preparatory to information retrieval in the future pertinent to the group work, to a method of retrieving materials pertinent to the group work, and to a system for carrying out these methods, the methods and system being intended for a computer-based remote conference system.
Among conventional collaborative information processing systems such as computer-aided remote conference systems, a system which automatically records the matter or content of a group work for each individual user has not been reported.
In regard to an electronic mail system which is one form of information processing systems of a file transfer type, several mail search methods have been proposed in the past.
For example, Japanese Patent Laid-Open JP-A-4-13836 describes a method of sorting mails on a tree, Japanese Patent Laid-Open JP-A-1-259451 describes a method of appending icons to mails for enhanced visualization, Japanese Patent Laid-Open JP-A-1-261723 describes a method of pictorial disclosure of the matter, and Japanese Patent Laid-Open JP-A-1-261775 describes a method of appending proper document names.
However, these prior art systems do not disclose techniques which are conceivably effective for the sorting of materials used in remote conference systems. Moreover, these prior art systems do not have effective suggestions on the application of the above-mentioned electronic mail search method to a conference system by which users exchange information on a real time basis and a collaborative information processing system which are the aims of the present invention.
Up to date, no one has unveiled a hint of distinguishing automatically the matters of diverse group works held in a remote conference system and recording automatically the matter of the works. In order to review the matter of a conference afterward based on the conventional scheme of information retrieval, it is necessary for each user to describe the matter of the conference or group work as a document intended for retrieval in the same manner as ordinary documents, and register the document, with a proper key word being affixed thereto, to a database.

Method and system for storing and retrieving collaboratively processed information by associated identification data


Systems and methods include, in a cloud node executing a security service, causing a mobile device to perform a validation check to determine if the mobile device is any of fake, counterfeit, jailbroken, and rooted; responsive to successful validation, allowing traffic to and from the mobile device through the security service; and responsive to unsuccessful validation, preventing traffic to and from the mobile device through the security service. The systems and methods can further include, prior to the causing, requiring the mobile device to install and launch an application, wherein registration with the security service requires the application; and performing the validation check via the application and a fake check service.

The number of devices including mobile devices that connect to the Internet and enterprise networks is exploding. Also, the distinction between private networks (enterprise networks) and the Internet is becoming blurred as fast wireless access (e.g., 5G) and Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) proliferates. Even further, users can use Virtual Private Networking (VPN) or the like to access enterprise networks. Simply put, there is a tremendous number of mobile devices that are on or have access to secure resources on enterprise networks. The conventional endpoint security approach fails to provide security due to the lack of a network perimeter. Thus, there is a requirement to protect the enterprise from mobile devices. With the proliferation of mobile devices, there is also a proliferation of so-called counterfeit or fake mobile devices. As described herein, a counterfeit or fake mobile device is one that purports to be a specific brand, but is not, and is manufactured by a third-party which passes off the device as an actual branded device. As some mobile operating systems, e.g., Android, are open source, it is possible for malicious manufacturers to pass off counterfeit or fake devices as real devices. For example, there are a number of counterfeit Android devices manufactured, where they look and feel like a standard Samsung or other manufacturer devices but sold for a lot cheaper. A study by the EU Intellectual Property Office (EU IPO) in 2017 estimates there are 180 million counterfeit mobile devices. See Wajsman, N., and C. Burgos, "The economic cost of IPR infringement in the smartphones sector," EUIPO report (2017), the contents of which are incorporated by reference herein.
Disadvantageously, fake mobile devices typically get preloaded with malware and can do significant damage, once the user starts using, including damage to an enterprise network.

Quarantining fake, counterfeit, jailbroke, or rooted mobile devices in the cloud


The invention relates to a braking disc comprising a braking band and a support bell. The band comprises first connecting means and the bell comprises second connecting means adapted to face the first connecting means. The disc further comprises coupling means, each of which is slidingly associated to one of either said first or said second connecting means and is adapted to alternatively take either a fastening position or a release position. When the coupling means are in said fastening position mutually fasten the band and the bell in the axial direction. On the other hand, when the coupling means are in said release position, they allow a mutual movement between the band and the bell in the axial direction.

In the disc brake field, manufacturing of the braking disc in two separate pieces is known and appreciated: the support bell and the braking band.
This technical solution involves considerable advantages. First of all, it allows the braking band, which may reach high temperatures during the braking, to expand without being affected by any constraint imposed by the support bell. Moreover, this solution allows the two pieces to be manufactured in materials which are different from one another and such as to optimize the braking disc overall performance.
The solution selected for the structural connection between the band and the bell also decisively contributes to obtain some advantages.
For example, it is known to obtain the whole braking disc during a single manufacturing process, though using different materials for the band and the bell. This result can be achieved for example by a co-casting process.
It is also known to provide the braking band and the support bell independently from each other in order to subsequently form the braking disc only upon assembling.
This solution involves the use of a so-called drive connection, i.e. of further means adapted to structurally connect the bell and the band, thus ensuring the braking torque transmission and the desired backlashes or gaps.
In some specific fields, for example within the field of the high-performance and competition motorcycles, the drive connections which ensure a considerably easy mounting, besides ensuring all the above advantages, are particularly appreciated.
These drive connections further allow the only braking band to be quickly replaced, for example if the latter is worn, with no need for the support bell to be also replaced.
It is known from US 2005/0145452 a braking disc in which the band and the bell are assembled by means of an axial movement allowing to couple the bell axial protrusions with the band inner radial protrusions. The assembling ends with the application of an elastic retainer which can be locked in position for example by means of riveting. This solution, though requiring a small number of pieces, does not allow an easy assembling of the braking disc and above all it does not allow the disassembling thereof after it has been assembled.
It is also known from PCT WO 2005/088152 a drive connection which uses a plurality of plates, each of which connects a band inner radial protrusion to a bell outer radial protrusion. Each of said plates is fastened by means of two screw-nut screw couplings. A large number of pieces to be assembled and, accordingly, a high complexity of the assembling and disassembling operations of the braking disc derive from this technical characteristic.

Bell-band drive connection for disc brake


This high-carbon pearlitic steel rail having excellent ductility, includes: in terms of percent by mass, C: more than 0.85% to 1.40%; Si: 0.10% to 2.00%; Mn: 0.10% to 2.00%; Ti: 0.001% to 0.01%; V: 0.005% to 0.20%; and N: less than 0.0040%, with the balance being Fe and inevitable impurities, wherein contents of Ti and V fulfill the following formula (1), and a rail head portion has a pearlite structure.5≦[V(% by mass)]/[Ti(% by mass)]≦20  Formula (1)

A high-carbon pearlitic steel has been used as a rail material of a railroad due to its excellent abrasion-resistant. However, there has been a problem in that the ductility or toughness is low since the content of carbon is extremely high.
For example, with regard to an ordinary carbon steel rail containing carbon at an amount of 0.6 to 0.7% by mass as shown in Non-Patent Document 1, the impact value at room temperature is in a range of about 12 to 18 J/cm2 which is measured by Charpy impact testing of JIS No. 3 U-notch specimen. In the case where this ordinary carbon steel rail is used in a low-temperature region, such as a cold weather region, there has been a problem in that brittle fractures occur due to fine initial defects or fatigue cracking.
In addition, the carbon amount in a rail steel has been further increased in order to improve the wear resistance in recent years; and therefore, there has been a problem in that the ductility and the toughness are further degraded due to the increased carbon amount.
It is generally known that refinement of pearlite structure (pearlite block size) which is specifically, refinement of austenite grains before pearlite transformation or refinement of the pearlite structure during pearlite transformation is effective for improving the ductility and the toughness of pearlitic steels.
Examples of a method of refining the austenite grains include lowering of the reheating temperature during reheating of a bloom for rail rolling, lowering of the rolling temperature during hot rolling, and increasing of the reduction of cross-sectional area during hot rolling.
However, in a process of manufacturing a rail, there is a problem in that, even in the case where the refinement of the austenite grains immediately after rolling can be achieved by the above-mentioned method, the grains grow until a thermal treatment starts; and consequently, the ductility is degraded.
In addition, transformation acceleration from the inside of austenite grains is carried out by utilizing transformation nuclei in order to achieve the refinement of the pearlite structure during pearlite transformation (for example, Patent Document 1).
However, with regard to the pearlite transformation from the inside of austenite grains by utilizing transformation nuclei, there are problems in that it is difficult to control the amount of transformation nuclei, and the pearlite transformation from the inside of the grains is not stable. As a result, sufficient refinement of the pearlite structure may not be achieved.
In view of the above-mentioned various problems, a method of refining pearlite structure has been applied in order to fundamentally improve the ductility and the toughness of rails having pearlite structure, and this method includes: reheating at low temperatures after rolling of a rail; and performing accelerated cooling thereafter to conduct pearlite transformation; and thereby, the pearlite structure is refined (for example, Patent Document 2).
However, the carbon amount in a rail has been increased in order to improve the wear resistance in recent years. Therefore, there has been a problem in that coarse carbides are not completely melted and remain in austenite grains during the above-mentioned reheating treatment at low temperatures; and thereby, the ductility and the toughness of the pearlite structure after the accelerated cooling are degraded. In addition, since this method includes reheating, there has been a problem of economic efficiencies, such as high manufacturing costs, low productivity, and the like.
In view of these circumstances, a pearlitic rail having improved ductility and a production method thereof were developed (Patent Documents 3 and 4). In the pearlitic rail, pinning effect due to precipitates is utilized; and thereby, the growth of austenite grains is suppressed, and pearlite blocks are refined. As a result, the ductility is improved.
However, in the case of the pearlitic rail and the production method thereof according to Patent Documents 3 and 4, it is necessary to perform reheating at low temperatures in order to finely disperse AlN; and therefore, there are problems in that it is difficult to secure the rolling formability, and the ductility is degraded due to generation of pro-eutectoid cementite in the inner of the head portion.

Pearlite-based high carbon steel rail having excellent ductility and process for production thereof

Nippon Steel & Sumitomo Metal Corporation


In one embodiment, a set of parameters representing a first state of an autonomous driving vehicle (ADV) to be simulated and a set of control commands to be issued at a first point in time. In response, a localization predictive model is applied to the set of parameters to determine a first position (e.g., x, y) of the ADV. A localization correction model is applied to the set of parameters to determine a set of localization correction factors (e.g., Δx, Δy). The correction factors may represent the errors between the predicted position of the ADV by the localization predictive model and the ground truth measured by sensors of the vehicle. Based on the first position of the ADV and the correction factors, a second position of the ADV is determined as the simulated position of the ADV.

Vehicles operating in an autonomous mode (e.g., driverless) can relieve occupants, especially the driver, from some driving-related responsibilities. When operating in an autonomous mode, the vehicle can navigate to various locations using onboard sensors, allowing the vehicle to travel with minimal human interaction or in some cases without any passengers.
Motion planning and control are critical operations in autonomous driving. As part of motion planning and control, a position or localization of the autonomous driving vehicle needs to be determined. Such a position or localization of the autonomous driving vehicle may be determined based on the output of various sensors such as an inertial measurement unit (IMU) or GPS sensor. However, due to measurement errors of the sensors, there is a mismatch between the sensor output and the localization result (e.g., x, y position of the vehicle). Such mismatch may affect the autonomous driving algorithms.

Dynamic model with learning based localization correction system


An ionic device includes a layer of an ionic conductor containing first and second species of impurities. The first species of impurity in the layer is mobile in the ionic conductor, and a concentration profile of the first species determines a functional characteristic of the device. The second species of impurity in the layer interacts with the first species within the layer to create a structure that limits mobility of the first species in the layer.

Recently developed ionic devices rely on the movement of ions in ionic conductors to change electrical or other properties of the ionic devices. For example, FIG. 1A shows an ionic device 100, which includes a layer or film 120 of an ionic conductor that is sandwiched between two electrodes 110 and 130. For example, ionic conductor 120 may be a layer of titanium dioxide (TiO2), while ions 126 are oxygen vacancies, i.e., gaps in the crystal structure where oxygen ions are missing. With titanium dioxide and oxygen vacancies, ionic device 100 can behave as a memristor because a voltage difference applied between electrodes 110 and 130 can cause ion currents that move oxygen vacancies and significantly alter the electrical resistance of ionic conductor 120. For a display device, ionic conductor 120 can be a layer of tungsten trioxide (WO3), while ions 126 are lithium ions which are sufficiently mobile in tungsten trioxide to move in response to an applied voltage. Pure tungsten trioxide is clear, but lithium impurities give tungsten trioxide a blue color. Accordingly, ion currents that move lithium ions to or away from a display surface can change the color of ionic device 100.
FIG. 1A shows a configuration of device 100 where ions 126 are concentrated near one electrode 110. Layer 120 may initially be formed in this configuration by forming two layers 122 and 124 with distinct compositions, e.g., where one layer 122 is of a primary material such as titanium dioxide TiO2 and the other layer 124 is of a source material such as oxygen-depleted titanium dioxide TiO2-x. Application of a voltage having the proper polarity and sufficient magnitude between electrodes 110 and 130 can then drive an ion current that moves ions 126 from layer 124 into layer 122 to switch from the state of device 100 shown in FIG. 1A where ions concentrated near electrode 110 to the state of device 100 in FIG. 1B where more ions 126 are dispersed throughout ionic conductor 120 or even to the state of FIG. 1C where ions 126 are highly concentrated near electrode 120. Device 100 can similarly switch back from the state of FIG. 1B or 1C to the state of FIG. 1A by application of an opposite polarity voltage of sufficient magnitude to drive an ion current that moves ions 126 toward electrode 110. This operation is possible because ionic conductor 120 provides sufficient mobility for ions 126 that are capable of significantly altering the properties of ionic conductor 120 and device 100 as a whole.
Non-volatile operation of ionic devices such as device 100 is often desired. For example, for use as a non-volatile memristive memory, device 100 might have a high voltage applied with a polarity selected to switch device 100 to the high resistance state corresponding to FIG. 1A or 1C or a low resistance state corresponding to FIG. 1B in order to write a binary value 0 or 1 to device 100. A lower voltage that causes an electron current but minimal ion movement can then be used to detect or measure the resistance of device 100 and read the binary value previously written. However, the mobility of ions in ionic conductor 120 permits some movement of ions when read voltage is applied for a read operation and even when no external voltage is applied. Typically, an ionic device has only one stable ionic concentration profile (e.g., uniform distributed ions of FIG. 1B) corresponding to the thermodynamic equilibrium and an ionic device tends to relax, e.g. by diffusion, toward the stable concentration profile. The rate at which an ionic device will relax can be significant. For example, drift-diffusion, which controls the relaxation time, may be just V times slower than the ion current during switching, where V is the applied switching voltage in units of thermal voltage VT=kBT/e where kB is the Boltzmann constant, e is the electron charge and T is the temperature. For typical voltages used for the thin film ionic devices, the ratio of relaxation time to switching time may only be a few thousands, so that fast switching devices may have poor non-volatile retention. In many applications, both fast switching and long retention times are desired.
Use of the same reference symbols in different figures indicates similar or identical items.

Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.


The present invention provides: a thermoelectric conversion material capable of being produced in a simplified manner and at a lower cost and excellent in thermoelectric performance and flexibility, and a method for producing the material. The thermoelectric conversion material has, on a support, a thin film of a thermoelectric semiconductor composition containing thermoelectric semiconductor fine particles, a heat-resistant resin and an inorganic ionic compound. The method for producing a thermoelectric conversion material having, on a support, a thin film of a thermoelectric semiconductor composition containing thermoelectric semiconductor fine particles, a heat-resistant resin and an inorganic ionic compound includes a step of applying a thermoelectric semiconductor composition containing thermoelectric semiconductor fine particles, a heat-resistant resin and an inorganic ionic compound onto a support and drying it to form a thin film thereon, and a step of annealing the thin film.

Recently, a thermoelectric power-generating technology for which the system is simple and can be down-sized has been specifically noted as a power recovery technology for unharnessed exhaust heat that is generated from fossil fuel resources and others used in buildings, factories, etc. However, thermoelectric power generation is, in general, poorly efficient in power generation, and therefore, studies and developments are being actively made for improving power generation efficiency in various companies and research institutes. For improving power generation efficiency, it is indispensable to enhance the efficiency of thermoelectric conversion materials, and for realizing it, it is desired to develop materials having a high electrical conductivity comparable to that of metals and having a low thermal conductivity comparable to that of glass.
A thermoelectric performance can be evaluated by a figure of merit Z (Z=σS2/λ). Here, S means a Seebeck coefficient, a means an electrical conductivity (reciprocal of resistivity), and λ means a thermal conductivity. Increasing the value of the figure of merit Z improves the power generation efficiency, and for enhancing the efficiency in power generation, it is important to find out a thermoelectric conversion material having a large Seebeck coefficient S and a large electrical conductivity a, and having a small thermal conductivity λ.
As described above, investigations for improving power generation efficiency are needed while, on the other hand, thermoelectric conversion devices that are now produced are poor in mass-productivity and the power generation units therein are expensive. Consequently, for further disseminating the devices in use in large areas, for example, in installation thereof on the wall surface of buildings, production cost reduction is imperative. In addition, thermoelectric conversion devices that are produced at present are poorly flexible, and therefore flexible thermoelectric conversion devices are desired.
Given the situation, in Patent Literature 1, a thermoelectric material containing an organic thermoelectric material such as a polythiophene or a derivative thereof and an inorganic thermoelectric material that are integrated in a dispersed state is investigated; and in Patent Literature 2, an organic-inorganic hybrid thermoelectric material containing, as an inorganic thermoelectric material, inorganic particles having an average particle diameter of 1 to 100 nm and being substantially free from a protective agent that may be a factor obstructing carrier transfer, and an organic thermoelectric material is investigated. On the other hand, in Non-Patent Literature 1, an investigation is made on producing a thin-film thermoelectric conversion device for a thermoelectric conversion material by preparing a composition in which bismuth telluride is dispersed in an epoxy resin, and forming the composition into a film by applying. Further, in Patent Literature 3, a thermoelectric conversion material having a thin film formed of a thermoelectric semiconductor composition containing thermoelectric semiconductor fine particles, a heat-resistant resin and an ionic liquid is investigated.

Thermoelectric conversion material and method for producing same


An elevator system includes first and second elevator cars movable vertically in a first elevator shaft, a closed support belt routed around lower and upper deflection rollers, a drive machine driving the support belt, and an actuable coupling device arranged on each of the first and second elevator cars. The support belt has first and second coupling elements to and from which the coupling devices can be coupled and decoupled whereby a drive connection between the respective elevator car and the support belt can be established and released. A coupled elevator car is moved in the first elevator shaft by the support belt driven by the drive machine. The coupling elements are arranged such that they are not routed around the deflection rollers during movement of the first elevator car from a lower end position to an upper end position or vice versa.

EP 2219985 B1 describes an elevator system comprising two elevator cars which can be moved in an elevator shaft in the vertical direction, a closed support means which is guided about a lower deflection roller and an upper deflection roller, a drive machine in the form of an electric motor which is assigned to the support means, and an actuatable coupling device arranged on each elevator car. The support means has a plurality of coupling elements, which, for example, can be designed as holes or cams. A coupling device of an elevator car can be coupled to and decoupled from a coupling element; as a result, a drive connection can be established and detached between the relevant elevator car and the support means. An elevator car coupled to a support means can thus be moved in the first elevator shaft by means of the support means drivable by the relevant drive machine.
In said elevator shaft, the elevator cars are moved in only one direction, i.e. only upwards or only downwards. In order to be able to realize a continuing operation of the elevator cars, the elevator system has a further elevator shaft. By means of a transfer device, the elevator cars can be displaced horizontally between the two elevator shafts. During operation of the elevator system, an elevator car is coupled to a support means at a lower or an upper end position via its coupling device and a coupling element, and via the support means, it is moved upwards or downwards by the associated drive machine until it reaches the upper or lower end position. There, the elevator car is decoupled from the support means and is horizontally displaced to the other elevator shaft by a transfer device to the elevator shaft for the other movement direction.


A coupling device for transmitting torque between two rotating drive shaft segments. The coupling device includes a locking mechanism for preventing axial excursions of the drive shaft segments relative to one another when the drive shaft segments are coupled and transmitting torque. The coupling device, furthermore, provides a means for quick disconnect of the drive shaft segments when the transmission of torque is no longer desired and decoupling is preferred. The coupling device, additionally, includes a guide pin and sleeve arrangement for piloting the drive shaft segments during coupling. A drive system is also provided which includes a flexible coupling for accommodating axial and angular misalignment of the drive shaft segments relative to one another.

Drive shafts are used primarily as a means for transmitting power from a power source, i.e., an engine or transmission, to a driven component, i.e., a tail rotor of a helicopter. The power transmitted is principally a function of the rotational velocity of the shaft, typically designated in revolutions per minute (RPM), and the applied torque or twisting moment.
In designing a drive system, many factors must be weighed in order to provide the optimum design configuration. While it may be desirable to utilize a single drive shaft, one end being attached to the power source and the other end being attached to the driven component, in most instances this would not be feasible for two main reasons. Firstly, the driven component may not lie along the same axis as the power source requiring the drive system to transmit the power along two distinct axes, e.g., first aft, then up.
Secondly, the maximum speed of the drive shaft is limited by the critical shaft speed, above which instability occurs. The critical speed of a shaft is based, in part, on the length between supports, the physical and geometric properties of the shaft, and any loads, e.g., vibratory loads, that are applied to or supported by the shaft. The critical speed is defined as the natural frequency (point of instability) of the shaft.
It is primarily due to these two factors that a typical drive system consists of a series of segmented drive shafts, coaxially disposed, each supported at or near its ends and joined together through a coupling device. The coupling device is designed to transmit torque from an input drive shaft segment to an output drive shaft segment. FIG. 1a depicts a typical helicopter drive system with several drive shaft segments. As can be seen, the driven component (tail rotor) is located aft and above the power source (transmission), requiring the power to be transmitted along two distinct axes through a complicated gear system as shown in FIG. 1b. In a helicopter configuration, where the drive shaft speed can exceed 1800 RPM, torque can be as much as 27000 inch-pounds, and vibratory loads are extremely common, a segmented drive system is, in most cases, mandatory.
The overall drive system may also incorporate a flexible coupling between the drive shaft segments for accommodating angular misalignment between the shaft ends. Such misalignment can be due, in part, to the vibratory loads acting on the drive shaft segments, as well as the overall flexibility of the supporting structure. In a helicopter aircraft, where vibratory loads can cause excessive motion of the shafts relative to one another, e.g., misalignment of up to 2.5 degrees, the drive system must provide substantial flexibility while maintaining torque transmission and a lightweight configuration. An example of such a flexible coupling is described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,457,734.
When a drive system is operating, it is necessary that continuous engagement be maintained between the drive shaft segments for transmitting power. However, when the system is inoperative, e.g., when power is not being transmitted from the power source to the driven component, continuous engagement of the drive shaft segments is no longer required and, in some instances, complete disengagement is preferred. An example where complete disengagement would be preferred is on a helicopter which has a folding tail section for minimizing storage space on an aircraft carrier or during transport in the cargo bay of a plane. On such an aircraft, the drive shaft segments must be disengaged from one another to permit the tail section to fold about a hinge.
In order for two drive shaft segments to be disengagable the coupling device must be substantially more complex then the system disclosed in U.S. Pat No. 4,457,734, yet must remain lightweight. In many instances, the engagement/disengagement must be accomplished relatively quickly, thus requiring the coupling device to be actuatable. The coupling device disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,457,734 does not provide a means for quick disengagement.
One prior art method for addressing this concern is through the use of a spline arrangement wherein male splines, disposed on the end of one drive shaft segment, slidably mate with female splines of an adjacent drive shaft segment. The female splines are slidably disposed on the outer diameter of the drive shaft segment and urged into engagement by means of a coil spring. The torque is transmitted from the first drive shaft segment through the splines to the second drive shaft segment. Disengagement is accomplished by forcing the female spline to disengage from the male spline by compressing the coil spring.
A second type of coupling device that is currently used consists of two face gears disposed on the ends of the drive shafts to be coupled. The gear teeth of the face gears mesh with one another, transmitting load therebetween. The face gears are held in mesh by a coil spring which forces one face gear into the other. Disengagement of the face gears is accomplished by compressing the coil spring.
One difficulty associated with the disengagable coupling devices described above is that excessive flexing or motion of the drive shaft segments or their support structure could result in disengagement of the splines or gear teeth, resulting in loss of power transmission between the drive shaft segments.
The flexing of the drive shaft segments or its support structure can also result in excessive wear of the splines or gear teeth, thus requiring frequent maintenance and repair of the same.
Furthermore, an additional deficiency that exists with prior art coupling devices having intermeshing face gears, relates to the manner in which torque is transferred between the face gears. The input gear transmits the torque to the output gear as normal and tangential components on each tooth face. The tangential components of the torque serve to force the face gears apart. The constant forcing apart of the face gears results in significant wear of the individual gear teeth, necessitating continual monitoring and repair. Utilizing a stiffer coil spring would reduce this occurrence but would thereby require a considerably stronger means for compressing the coil spring when disengagement is desired. This results in a relatively heavy design and, therefore, is not a practical solution.
A need, therefore, exists for providing a coupling device which prevents disengagement of two drive shaft segments and minimizes axial displacement thereof, while providing a means for quick disengagement when desired. It is also desired that the coupling device provide a means for accommodating angular misalignment of the shaft segments.

Quick release disconnect coupling device for drive shaft segments


A sensor unit is configured as a single body, removably mounted in its entirety to a test point location on a machine so machine vibrations propagate into the single body. Within are an accelerometer, circuit board, wireless interface, signal processor, and battery. The sensor unit transmits sensor data wirelessly in real time to a data collection unit. A technician with data collection unit in hand goes from machine to machine, along a route of multiple test point locations on multiple machines, mounting and dismounting the sensor unit and collecting machine vibration data. The sensor unit is configured to reduce frequency response impacts of the mass and volume of the circuit board, wireless interface, signal processor, and battery on dynamic behavior of the sensor unit with respect to machine vibrations to achieve a frequency response rating comparable to a wired sensor.

This invention relates generally to the collection and analysis of machine diagnostic data, such as vibration data, temperature, and rotation speed. More particularly, this invention relates to methods and apparatus for wireless data acquisition of machine diagnostic data for use in the automated diagnosis, and predictive maintenance of machines having moving parts.
Many types of machines are used in a production or manufacturing facility, such as in the production of consumer and industrial goods and in the delivery of basic utility services. Because of the importance of these machines in meeting production and service requirements, taking a machine offline unexpectedly due to a failure can be costly. Accordingly, it is desirable to implement an effective predictive maintenance program to keep the machines in good working condition. Of concern is that a machine part that is moving or being moved against may result in decreased machine performance and reliability. Eventually if a deteriorating condition is not detected a failure may occur. Examples of such machines for which it is desirable to collect data for preventive maintenance are motors, pumps, generators, compressors, lathes and other machines having rotating or other moving parts, such as a shaft, rotor, or bearings.
Most predictive maintenance programs include the periodic collection of machine data, such as such as vibration data and temperature. Vibration data may be sensed using an accelerometer positioned at the machine. Similarly, temperature may be sensed with a temperature sensor positioned at the machine. In some applications, a maintenance technician holds a hand-held sensor in contact with a location on a machine during collection of desired data. In other applications a cable is used to connect the sensor to a data collection device.
Experience has revealed that the use of cables or the close proximity of the technician to the machine during data acquisition is a potential hazard. For example, the cables can become caught or tangled in moving parts of the machine possibly injuring the technician or damaging the machine parts. In addition the cables themselves may be damaged from the continued connection and disconnection at the machines and the continued relocation from machine to machine and facility to facility. A damaged cable can compromise the data collection process and the reliability of the collected data.
The use of cables also can add time to the data collection process when the technician needs to assemble and disassemble connections to move among multiple test point locations of multiple machines in a given facility.
Another shortcoming of conventional data collection methods is that technician errors can occur in identifying a machine or test point, or in installing components for setting up data collection at a test point. Although instructions may be provided to the technician, the technician still may misidentify a test point, or orient or otherwise position a sensor inaccurately at a given test point.
Accordingly, there is a need for a safe, effective, reliable, repeatable data collection method, and an apparatus for achieving machine diagnostic data collection, including machine vibration data collection. These and other needs are addressed by various embodiments of the present invention.

Wireless collection and analysis of machine data

01dB-Metravib, Societe Par Actions Simplifee


A Hall effect element includes a Hall plate having geometric features selected to result in a highest ratio of a sensitivity divided by a plate resistance. The resulting shape is a so-called “wide-cross” shape.

Hall effect magnetic field sensing elements are known. As is known, a Hall effect element includes a so-called "Hall plate," which is most often an epi region (i.e., layer) upon a substrate. An epi region will be understood to have a medium amount of doping, described more fully below. Above the epi region is a field plate having generally the same outline or perimeter as the Hall plate. The field plate is made of metal or polysilicon. Between the Hall plate and the field plate is disposed an isolation layer, for example, a field oxide or a nitride layer.
Referring to FIG. 1, a conventional square Hall effect element 10 has a square perimeter 14. A cross section of the Hall effect element 10 will be understood by those of ordinary skill in the art, but is the same as or similar to a cross section shown in FIG. 4.
The conventional square Hall effect element 10 has four electrical contacts 12a-12d. As is known, in operation, a voltage is applied to opposite electrical contacts, e.g., 12a and 12c, (or, more particularly, to metal upon the electrical contacts) and an output voltage proportional to a magnetic field experienced by the Hall effect element 10 is generated between the other opposite electrical contacts, e.g., 12b and 12d.
In some arrangements, the Hall effect element 10 is used in a so-called "chopped" arrangement by associated electronics. In the chopped arrangement, sequentially, different sets of opposing electrical contacts are selected to drive the Hall effect element and output signals are received from the other sets of opposing electrical contacts. The resulting several output signals are averaged or in some other way combined. The resulting combined signal tends to have less offset voltage than any one output signal taken alone.
The perimeter 14 is representative of both a perimeter of the Hall plate, i.e., epi region, and also a perimeter of the field plate. A boundary 16 is representative of a field oxide extension beyond the edge of the perimeter 14.
Referring now to FIG. 2, a conventional cross-shaped Hall effect element 20 has a cross-shaped perimeter 22. It will be apparent that a conventional cross-shaped perimeter 22 has particular shape characteristics. For example, the perimeter 22 has four indented regions of which an indented region 28 is but one example. Taking the indented region 28 as representative of all of the indented regions, the indented region 28 has two sides 30, 32 forming a V-shape. An angle 34 between the two sides 30, 32 is ninety degrees. The cross-shaped perimeter 22 also has four corner regions, for example, a corner region 24 comprising two sides 24a, 24b, each side with a length 26. The cross-shaped perimeter 22 also has a square central core region 36. Lengths of the sides of the central core region 36, represented by a dimension 38, are each the same as a width of one of the arms of the cross.
The conventional cross-shaped Hall effect element 20 has four electrical contacts 38a-38d. Operation of the Hall effect element 20 is the same as or similar to operation of the Hall effect element 10 of FIG. 1.
In general, the cross-shaped Hall effect element 20 has certain advantages when compared with the square Hall effect element 10 of FIG. 1. In particular, the cross-shaped Hall effect element 20 of similar size to the square Hall effect element 10 uses less area than the square Hall effect element 10 of FIG. 1. Less area can result in higher device yield and also a smaller die on which the Hall effect element 20 is disposed, particularly when combined with other component on the same substrate. Less area also tends to result in lower capacitance, which tends to reduce response time.
In contrast, the square Hall effect element 10 of FIG. 1 has certain advantages when compared with the cross-shaped Hall effect element 20. In particular, the square Hall effect element 10 of similar size to the cross-shaped Hall effect element 20 has both higher sensitivity to magnetic fields and also a lower resistance between opposing electrical contacts.
It would be desirable to have a Hall effect element that has all of the above-listed advantages, namely, a smaller area than a square Hall effect element, good sensitivity and low resistance like a square Hall effect element, with low capacitance and fast response time like the cross-shaped Hall effect element.

Hall effect element having a wide cross shape with dimensions selected to result in improved performance characteristics


A scanning device includes a transparent platen, a scanning module, a document transporting mechanism and a flexible pressing member. The scanning module is located in a scan zone and acquires through the transparent platen an image of a document. The document transporting mechanism transports the document along a passageway and across the scan zone. The flexible pressing member is disposed in the passageway, upstream of the scan zone or within the scan zone and located apart from the transparent platen by a gap. The flexible pressing member is deformed in a direction away from the transparent platen due to a force applied by the document transported across the scan zone.

1. Field of Invention
The invention relates to a scanning device, and more particularly to a scanning device having a flexible pressing member for pressing documents having different thicknesses. The flexible pressing member may be deformed and is arranged such that it is located apart from a transparent platen of the scanning device by a gap.
2. Related Art
In a conventional automatic document feeder, rollers are usually adopted to transport a document onto a scan platen so that a scanning module disposed below the scan platen can capture an image of the document. The depth of field for the image sensor employed in the scanning module is critical to the scan quality of the images generated. Greater the depth of field the image sensor has, the greater tolerance for the distance between the document and the sensor is allowed. Particularly, for the scanner using a contact image sensor (CIS), the image sensor has to be placed extremely close to the paper being scanned in order to obtain a sharp image of the document.
Conventionally, a roller is utilized in a scanner to limit the document transported past the scan window to fall within the range of the depth of field of the scanning module effectively. The roller is in sliding contact with the scan platen. When the document is being transported past the scan window, the roller is in rolling contact with the document, and the document is pressed against the scan platen. In this case, the roller and the scan platen tend to wear off because of the frictional contact there between, which consequently deteriorates the scan quality of the resulting images. In addition, when a thicker sheet of the document is being scanned, the document may not enter the gap between the roller and the scan window for the gap width being smaller than the thickness of the sheet, such that a paper jam may occur and interrupt the scan procedure. Thus, in the prior art, a motion-limiting mechanism is added to the roller for supporting the roller and provides the roller with a track to move up and down. Hence, the gap between the roller and the scan window may be adjusted according to the thickness of the document, and the document may be transported through the gap. However, this mechanism requires more components and the longer assembling time, and the manufacturing cost is inevitably increased.

Scanning member with flexible pressing member


A surface acoustic wave (SAW) filter includes a piezoelectric substrate. A resin pattern having a permittivity less than that of the piezoelectric substrate and first and second conductor patterns are disposed on the piezoelectric substrate. The first conductor pattern defines two one-terminal-pair SAW resonators and two longitudinally coupled resonator SAW filters. A portion of the second conductor pattern defines wiring traces having different potentials. Portions of the wiring traces facing each other in a plan view are disposed on the resin pattern.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to surface acoustic wave (SAW) filters having an improved transmission characteristic suitable for band-pass filters of communication apparatuses, such as portable phones, and to communication apparatuses including the same.
2. Description of the Related Art
In compact communication apparatuses such as portable phones, band-pass filters having a pass-band of several tens of MHz to several GHz have been commonly used. As an example of the band-pass filters, compact SAW filters have been used.
As shown in FIG. 25, a SAW filter 500 includes a filter element 504 having a reflector 510, interdigital transducers (IDTs) 501 to 503, and a reflector 511, which are arranged along a SAW-propagating direction on a piezoelectric substrate 100. Herein, each of the IDTs 501 to 503 provides an electric signal to a SAW coupling transducer including a pair of comb electrodes engaged with each other.
An input pad 520, an output pad 521, and ground pads 522 to 524 are disposed on the piezoelectric substrate 100, and wiring traces 525 to 530 for electrically connecting the IDTs 501 to 503 and the pads 520 to 524 are also disposed on the piezoelectric substrate 100.
All of the IDTs 501 to 503, the reflectors 510 and 511, the pads 520 to 524, and the wiring traces 525 to 530 are portions of a conductive thin-film pattern on the piezoelectric substrate 100.
When an electric signal is applied to the input pad 520 of the SAW filter 500, a surface acoustic wave (SAW) is excited by the IDTs 501 and 503, and a standing wave of the SAW is generated in a region including the IDTs 501 to 503 sandwiched by the reflectors 510 and 511. Then, the IDT 502 transforms the energy of the standing wave to an electric signal, such that an output potential is generated at the output pad 521. A transform characteristic of transforming an electric signal to a SAW by each of the IDTs 501 to 503 has a frequency characteristic, and thus, the SAW filter 500 has a band-pass characteristic.
The SAW filter 500 shown in FIG. 25 is a longitudinally coupled resonator SAW filter, in which the IDTs 501 and 503 for input and the IDT 502 for output are acoustically cascaded in an acoustic track sandwiched by the reflectors 510 and 511. In place of the longitudinally coupled resonator SAW filter, a transversely coupled resonator SAW filter, a transversal SAW filter, a ladder SAW filter, and a lattice SAW filter may be used.
In any type of SAW filters, a conductive thin-film pattern defining IDTs and wiring traces are disposed on a piezoelectric substrate, and a band-pass characteristic is obtained by using a frequency characteristic of an electric signal to SAW transform function of the IDTs.
Also, in known arts, at least portions of wiring traces are three-dimensionally crossed with each other such that an insulator including SiO2 or other suitable material is provided therebetween, so as to miniaturize SAW filters (see Patent Documents 1 to 5):
Patent Document 1: Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 5-167387 (Publication Date: Jul. 2, 1993);
Patent Document 2: Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 5-235684 (Publication Date: Sep. 10, 1993);
Patent Document 3: Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 7-30362 (Publication Date: Jan. 31, 1995);
Patent Document 4: Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2000-49567 (Publication Date: Feb. 18, 2000); and
Patent Document 5: Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2000-138553 (Publication Date: May 16, 2000).
In the known SAW filters, a filter characteristic is deteriorated by parasitic capacitance generated between wiring traces on a piezoelectric substrate. Parasitic capacitance generated between a wiring trace receiving an input signal and a wiring trace generating an output signal serves as a current bypass from an input-signal terminal to an output-signal terminal. Therefore, the parasitic capacitance degrades the suppression level for signals of frequencies outside a pass band.
In particular, a SAW filter having many IDTs requires many wiring traces for connecting the IDTs. Further, the covered area is increased, parasitic capacitance is more likely to be generated, and the size of the filter is increased.
In a SAW filter having a balance-to-unbalance transformer function, in which one of input and output is an unbalanced signal and the other is a balanced signal, parasitic capacitance between a wiring trace receiving an unbalanced signal and a wiring trace receiving a balanced signal serves as a current path for bringing unbalanced signals of same phase and same amplitude to two balanced signals which usually must have opposite phases and the same amplitude. Therefore, a common-mode signal in each balanced signal increases, such that the degree of balance is deteriorated.
As described above, parasitic capacitance between wiring traces, in particular, parasitic capacitance between wiring traces having different potentials, has a detrimental effect on the characteristic of a SAW filter. Specifically, when a piezoelectric substrate includes a material having a relative permittivity of more than about 20, for example, LiTaO3, LiNbO3, or Li2B4O7, parasitic capacitance substantially increases, and thus, the detrimental effects are significant. Also, larger current flows through the parasitic capacitance as the frequency increases. Therefore, a SAW filter having a higher-frequency pass band is more severely affected.

Surface acoustic wave filter and communication apparatus


A reflective surface behind an image to be scanned on an optical image scanner, copier, facsimile machine or similar device. This reflective surface is dynamically adaptive to the item being scanned, copied or faxed to provide improvements such as reducing image bleed-through while maintaining a desirable level of dynamic range. Preferably, the reflective surface has a reflectance that is dynamically variable and controlled to be either all white, all black, all grey or some other color. The scanning or copying reflective background may also be varied in different regions, such that different regions of the reflective background may simultaneously be white, black, grey, or some other color. The background reflective surface of the scanner, facsimile or copier may be controlled directly by an operator or end user or by software or firmware of the scanner, copier or facsimile. The dynamically variable reflective surface of the scanner, facsimile or copier may be an LCD.

Electronic document scanners, copiers, and facsimile machines transform an optical image of a document into an electric signal suitable for storing, displaying, printing or electronic transmission. Documents to be scanned may generally be classified as either transparent or opaque. For opaque documents, light is reflected off an image on the surface of the document onto a photosensitive transducer, typically a photoconductive drum or an array of photosensitive sensor elements. However, documents are rarely completely opaque. In a typical device, some light passes through the document to a secondary reflective surface, for example a lid or automatic document feeder. Some light then reflects off the secondary reflective surface and passes back through the document a second time. The light that passes through the document twice may also be detected by the photosensitive transducer. If the document has an image on both sides, the image adjacent to the secondary reflective surface may be partially imaged onto the photosensitive transducer. For example, when copying double sided documents, sometimes an image on the back of the document partially appears in the resulting copy. This undesirable result is often called "bleed-through." There is a need for reduction of bleed-through in copiers, scanners, facsimile machines and similar devices.

Method and apparatus for a dynamically variable scanner, copier or facsimile secondary reflective surface


An iPVD apparatus (20) is programmed to deposit material (10) into high aspect ratio submicron features (11) on semiconductor substrates (21) by cycling between deposition and etch modes within a vacuum chamber (30). The modes operate at different power and pressure parameters. Pressure of more than 50 mTorr, for example, is used for sputtering material from a target while pressure of less than a few mTorr, for example, is used to etch. Bias power on the substrate is an order of magnitude higher for etching, producing several hundred volt bias for etching, but only a few tens of volts for deposition. The alternating etching modes remove deposited material that overhangs edges of features on the substrate, removes some of the deposited material from the bottoms (15) of the features, and resputters the removed deposited material onto sidewalls (16) of the features. The substrate (21) is cooled during deposition and etching, and particularly during etching to substantially below 0xc2x0 C. RF energy is coupled into the chamber (30) to form a high density plasma, with substantially higher RF power coupled during deposition than during etching. The substrate (21) is moved closer to the plasma source during etching than during deposition.

This invention relates to the metallization of via and trench structures on semiconductor wafers. More particularly, the invention relates to the metallization of high aspect ratio via and trench structures of silicon wafers utilizing ionized sputtered materials to form the barrier and seed layers.
In the metallization of high aspect ratio via holes and trenches on semiconductor wafers it is required that the barrier layer and the seed layer have good sidewall and bottom coverage. The barrier layer needs to be as thin as possible without sacrificing its barrier properties. The barrier layer must be thin because its electrical resistance, which adds to the electrical resistance of the via structure, must be minimized. It needs to be conformal and continuous to prevent diffusion of seed layer material into the dielectric layer and into other layers to prevent reliability problems. This requires that the barrier layer thickness must be well controlled and minimized especially at the bottom of the via. A thick barrier layer at the bottom of the via may add substantial undesirable electrical resistance to the resistance of interconnect metallization. High contact resistance results in inferior IC performance. During barrier layer deposition, at the top edges of the via""s entrance, an overhang may form due to buildup of thicker material there. This overhang interferes with the deposition of the seed layer onto the sidewalls and the bottom of the via. During seed layer deposition, further overhang formation by the seed layer material itself must be prevented.
The seed layer must be continuous and have good coverage at the sidewalls and at the bottom of the vias. This is essential for the electroplating step which follows the barrier and seed layer deposition. The closure of the via entrance by overhang results in poor sidewall coverage, poor electroplated fill and low device yields.
Ionized PVD deposition is used for barrier and seed layer metallization in advanced IC wafers. Ionized PVD provides good sidewall and bottom coverage in via and trench structures. However, as the geometries shrink and as the via dimensions go down below 0.15 micrometers, ionized deposition requirements become more critical. Therefore, it is highly desirable to have an ionized PVD process where bottom and sidewall coverage are well balanced and overhang is minimized.
Sequential deposition and etch processes have been proposed previously. In U.S. Pat. No. 6,100,200, Van Buskirk, et al., teach a sequentially performed heated deposition and etch unit process to provide conformal coverage of via or trench structures. However, they teach deposition and etch processes at high substrate temperatures between 300xc2x0-600xc2x0 C. and 500xc2x0-450xc2x0 C. typically. Unfortunately, the new state-of-the-art low-k dielectrics that are used in current semiconductor processes require temperatures  less than 200xc2x0 C. Cu seed layer deposition requires  less than 0xc2x0 C., typically xe2x88x9220xc2x0 C. to xe2x88x9250xc2x0 C. to prevent copper agglomeration. The temperatures taught by Van Buskirk, et al., would result in total agglomeration of Cu seed layers, overhang and closure of via and trenches with large islands of Cu and discontinuous Cu layers. Van Buskirk, et al., also teaches low power sputtering typically less than 1 kW and particularly less than 0.5 kW. This puts severe deposition rate and throughput limitations on the process.
Furthermore, Van Buskirk, et al., teach sequential deposition and etching steps to be carried out in a singular vacuum system by transporting the wafer between dedicated deposition and etch modules, or in a singular vacuum system using a multi-faceted deposition and reactive ion etch module. Alternatively, Van Buskirk et al. suggests the steps may be carried out in independent deposition and etch systems. Transferring the wafer from one etch chamber to another deposition chamber or from an etch station to another deposition station within the same module has disadvantages both from cost of process and quality of process points of view. By transferring wafers from chamber to chamber or from one station to another station in the same chamber, loss of throughput results, and thus a more costly process. Some processes are sensitive to adsorption of gas molecules or other contaminants during transfer, which may be detrimental to the quality and reliability of the devices under construction. Another suggestion of Van Buskirk, et al., is to carry out the deposition and etch steps in independent systems with exposure to atmosphere in between processes, is totally unacceptable in most of the modern barrier/seed layer metallization processes. Van Buskirk, et al., also do not teach any substrate bias during the deposition step.
In U.S. Pat. No. 4,999,096, Nikei, et al., teach a method of and apparatus for sputtering when sequential deposition and etching in the same chamber can be performed. Nikei, et al., applies a negative voltage alternatively to a target and a substrate to perform film deposition and reverse sputter alternately. They teach an RF coil internal to the process module, situated between the target and substrate, to cause plasma generation for the etch step. This configuration has a significant disadvantage in that the internal coil is a source of contamination because it is well known in the art that energetic ions and neutrals that exist in the process space will also remove material from, i.e., etch, the coils and contaminate the film being deposited or etched on the substrate. In other prior art, the coil can be made from the same material that is being deposited, but this creates undue economic and hardware difficulties for the process. Not every material to be deposited is amenable to construct a coil and most of the time the cost is prohibitive. Furthermore, the suggestions of Nikei, et al., will result in non-uniform plasma generation and non-uniform etching of the substrate. It is essential in a sequential etching and deposition process that both steps be uniform across the wafer to result in a uniformly processed wafer at the end of the process.
Nikei, et al., strictly teach and emphasize a low pressure deposition and etching process to prevent impurity inclusion in the deposited films. This is achieved by creating the plasma at low pressure, such as on the order of 10xe2x88x923 torr or less during the etch and deposition process. During the etch process the internal coil needs to be RF powered to achieve a discharge which, contrary to their desire to keep certain contaminants from the substrate, now contributes contaminants to the substrate. Nikei, et al., strictly teach or limit their invention to low pressure (10xe2x88x923 torr or less) operation.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,274,008 teaches an integrated copper fill process where a simultaneous clean-deposit step is carried out. This invention uses copper ions to clean and/or etch the bottom of via structures before the copper seed layer is deposited.
According to principles of the present invention, a process and an apparatus are provided wherein sequential deposition and etching steps are used to solve the problems set forth above. The process of the invention involves first depositing a thin layer of metallization, for example, tantalum (Ta), tantalum nitride (TaN) or copper (Cu), and then, preferably after stopping the deposition, performing an ion etch step, preferably by ionized gas, for example, argon (Ar).
The etching step removes less material on both the field area on the top surface of the wafer and the via bottom than is deposited during the deposition step, and thus there is net deposition at the end of the process cycle. The deposition/etch cycle can be repeated as many times as needed to achieve the desired result. By balancing the deposition and etching times, rates and other deposition and etch parameters, the overhang growth is eliminated or minimized. The overhang and bottom deposition is etched back and redistributed at least partially to the sidewalls.
In the process according to one embodiment of the invention, material is deposited onto a wafer having small high aspect ratio features, for example, holes or vias of diameters of 0.15 micrometers or less with aspect ratios of from three or five, to fifteen or higher. The deposition uses an ionized physical vapor deposition (iPVD) process and apparatus having the features as described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,287,435, 6,080,287, 6,197,165, 6,132,564, 5,948,215 and 5,800,688, and PCT application PCT/US00/31756 based at least in part thereon, all hereby expressly incorporated by reference herein.
One embodiment of the invention utilizes the unique advantages of the ionized PVD apparatus as described in more detail in connection with FIG. 1 of U.S. Pat. No. 6,287,435 and PCT application PCT/US00/31756 referred to above. This apparatus is particularly well suited for the sequential deposition and etching process. The sequential deposition and etching process can be applied to a substrate in the same process chamber without breaking vacuum or moving the wafer from chamber to chamber. The configuration of the apparatus allows rapid change from ionized PVD deposition mode to etching mode or from etching mode to ionized PVD deposition mode. The configuration of the apparatus also allows for instantaneous optimization of ionized PVD deposition process control parameters during deposition mode and etching process control parameters during etching mode. The consequence of these advantages is a high throughput of wafers with superior via metallization and subsequent electroplated fill operation.
The invention, in addition to teaching low substrate temperature, proposes high DC target power, for example 8 kW to 19 kW, typically 11 kW. The high power levels not only result in a high throughput process but also optimize the ionization and ionized deposition of the metallic species, such as Cu or Ta.
The invention solves problems of the prior art by providing the sequential etch and deposition steps in situ in the same chamber with high throughput and without interfacial layers that may develop in the processes taught by Van Buskirk, et al.
The configuration of the process module provided by the present invention accommodates a wide range of pressures to result in conformal via and trench coverage at high wafer throughput levels. The invention does not have the low pressure limitations of Nikei, et al., and provides process pressure levels optimized for sputtering and etching steps of the process utilizing capabilities of the apparatus. Furthermore, the prior art does not teach a deposition-etch cycle with optimized source-to-substrate distance for each step to increase the uniformity of the resulting films.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,274,008 does not teach a sequential etch and deposit scheme and is limited to metal ions as the cleaning species.
These and other objects and advantages of the present invention will be more readily apparent from the following detailed description of illustrated embodiments of the invention.

Ionized PVD with sequential deposition and etching


A window system for defrosting the windows of a vehicle comprises a windshield assembly having first and second spaced-apart panes of glass with an interlayer of air space therebetween. A frame surrounds the panes and maintains the air space therebetween. An inlet extends through the bottom wall of the frame for entry of air between the windshield panes. An outlet extends through a side wall of the frame for discharging air from between the windshield panes. The system also includes a plurality of window assemblies, each window assembly including first and second panes with an air space therebetween. An inlet extends through one side of the window frame for entry of air between the window panes. An outlet extends through an opposed side of the window frame for discharge of the air therefrom. The inlets and outlets of the windshield and window assemblies are positioned such that air may freely pass between adjacent assemblies through channels extending through vehicle support posts. A vacuum type blower is mounted downstream from the windshield and window assemblies for drawings air from a vehicle heat source through each assembly.

This invention relates generally to a heated window system and, more particularly, to a system for circulating warm air through interlayers of air in automobile windows.
When the windows of an automobile are covered with frost or frozen precipitation, a person must scrape the windows prior to driving. Most automobiles utilize a defroster which forces warm air through vents in the dashboard onto the interior surface of the front windshield for the purpose of melting frost, ice, or snow from the windshield. Some vehicles also include a rear defroster in which a series of thin wires coupled to a vehicle power source are embedded in the rear windshield for melting ice therefrom. Although assumably effective in operation, existing systems do not provide uniform heating of all the windows of the automobile or partially obstruct a driver's view of the road.
Thus, it is desirable to have a heating system which uniformly heats all the windows of a vehicle. It is further desirable to have a heating system which circulates warm air through interconnected window interlayer air spaces as well as into the passenger compartment of the vehicle.