text:
The present invention relates to a multi-functional energy conditioner having architecture employed in conjunction with various dielectric and combinations of dielectric materials to provide one or more differential and common mode filters for the suppression of electromagnetic emissions and surge protection. The architecture allows single or multiple components to be assembled within a single package such as an integrated circuit or connector. The component's architecture is dielectric independent and provides for integration of various electrical characteristics within a single component to perform the functions of filtering, decoupling, fusing and surge suppression.
1. An electrode arrangement, comprising:
a first electrode plate;
a second electrode plate;
a third electrode plate;
a fourth electrode plate;
a fifth electrode plate;
wherein said first electrode plate, said third electrode plate, and said fifth electrode plate are conductively coupled to one another;
wherein said second electrode plate and said fourth electrode plate are conductively isolated from one another; and
wherein said first electrode plate, said third electrode plate, and said fifth electrode plate are conductively isolated from said second electrode plate and said fourth electrode plate.
2. The electrode arrangement of
said second electrode plate is above said first electrode plate;
said third electrode plate is above said second electrode plate;
said fourth electrode plate is above said third electrode plate; and
said fifth electrode plate is above said fourth electrode plate.
3. The electrode arrangement of
4. The electrode arrangement of
5. The electrode arrangement of
6. The electrode arrangement of
7. The electrode arrangement of
8. The electrode arrangement of
9. A circuit comprising the electrode arrangement of
10. A combination comprising the electrode arrangement of
11. The combination of
12. The electrode arrangement of
13. The electrode arrangement of
14. The electrode arrangement of
15. A filtering arrangement comprising:
a plurality of common electrode plates comprising a first common electrode plate, a second common electrode plate, and a third common electrode plate;
wherein said first common electrode plate, said second common electrode plate, and said third common electrode plate are conductively coupled to one another;
a plurality of paired electrode plates comprising a first pair of paired electrode plates;
wherein said first pair of paired electrode plates consists of a first electrode plate and a second electrode plate;
wherein said first electrode plate and said second electrode are conductively isolated from each other;
a plurality of paired conductors comprising a first pair of paired conductors;
wherein said first pail- of paired conductors consists of a first conductor and a second conductor;
wherein said first conductor is conductively isolated from said second conductor;
wherein said first common electrode plate has certain dimensions;
a conductive element having a substantial surface area relative to said certain dimensions of said first common electrode plate;
wherein said first conductor is conductively coupled to said first electrode plate;
wherein said second conductor is conductively coupled to said second electrode plate;
wherein said plurality of common electrode plates are conductively coupled to said conductive element; and
wherein said plurality of common electrode plates and said conductive element are conductively isolated from said first pair of paired electrode plates and said first pair of paired conductors.
16. The filtering arrangement of
said plurality of common electrode plates has a central electrode plate; and
said second common electrode plate is said central electrode plate.
17. The filtering arrangement of
18. The filtering arrangement of
19. The filtering arrangement of
20. The filtering arrangement of
21. A combination of the filtering arrangement of
22. A method of making an electrode arrangement comprising:
providing a first electrode plate;
providing a second electrode plate;
providing a third electrode plate;
providing a fourth electrode plate; and
providing a fifth electrode plate;
conductively coupling the first, third, and fifth electrode plates to one another; and
conductively isolating the second and fourth electrode plates from one another and from the first, third, and fifth electrode plates.
23. The method of making a circuit comprising making the electrode arrangement of
24. A method of using an electrode arrangement, said electrode arrangement comprising:
a first electrode plate;
a second electrode plate;
a third electrode plate;
a fourth electrode plate;
a fifth electrode plate;
wherein the first, third, and fifth electrode plates are conductively coupled to one another and the second and fourth electrode plates are conductively isolated from one another and from the first, third, and fifth electrode plates;
said method comprising electrically connecting said second electrode plate and said fourth electrode plate to lines of a circuit and electrically connecting the first, third, and fifth electrode plates to a ground.
25. The method of
This application is a continuation of application Ser. No. 09/946,190, filed Sep. 5, 2001 now U.S. Pat. No. 6,603,646, which is a continuation of application Ser. No. 09/579,606 filed May 26, 2000 now U.S. Pat. No. 6,373,673, which is a continuation-in-part of application Ser. No. 09/600,530 now U.S. Pat. No. 6,498,710, which is a national stage entry of PCT/US99/01040, filed Jan. 16, 1999, and application Ser. No. 09/579,606 is also a continuation-in-part of application Ser. No. 09/460,218 filed Dec. 13, 1999 now U.S. Pat. No. 6,331,926, which is a continuation of application Ser. No. 09/056,379 filed Apr. 7, 1998, now issued as U.S. Pat. No. 6,018,448, which is a continuation-in-part of application Ser. No. 09/008,769 filed Jan. 19, 1998, now issued as U.S. Pat. No. 6,097,581, which is a continuation-in-part of application Ser. No. 08/841,940 filed Apr. 8, 1997, now issued as U.S. Pat. No. 5,909,350. The disclosures of application Ser. No. 09/946,190; 09/579,606; 09/460,218; 09/056,379, now issued as U.S. Pat. No. 6,018,448; 09/008,769, now issued as U.S. Pat. No. 6,097,581; and 08/841,940, now issued as U.S. Pat. No. 5,909,350 are incorporated herein by reference. The disclosures of all of the foregoing applications are incorporated herein by reference.
The present invention relates to a multi-functional energy conditioner that possesses a commonly shared centrally located conductive electrode of the structure that can simultaneously interact with energized and paired differential electrodes as said differential electrodes operate with respect to each other in a oppositely phased or charged manner.
The majority of electronic equipment produced presently includes miniaturized active components and circuitry to perform high-speed functions and utilize high speed electrical interconnections to propagate power and data between critical components. These components can be very susceptible to stray electrical energy created by electromagnetic interference or voltage transients occurring on electrical circuitry servicing or utilizing these systems. Voltage transients can severely damage or destroy such micro-electronic components or contacts thereby rendering the electronic equipment inoperative, often requiring extensive repair and/or replacement at a great cost.
Electrical interference in the form of EMI, RFI and capacitive and inductive parasitics can be created or induced into electrical circuitry and components from such sources as radio broadcast antennas or other electromagnetic wave generators. EMI can also be generated from the electrical circuit, which makes shielding from EMI desirable. Differential and common mode currents are typically generated in cables and on circuit board tracks. In many cases, fields radiate from these conductors which act as antennas. Controlling these conducted/radiated emissions is necessary to prevent interference with other circuitry that is sensitive to the unwanted noise. Other sources of interference are also generated from equipment as it operates, coupling energy to the electrical circuitry, which may generate significant interference. This interference must be eliminated to meet international emission and/or susceptibility requirements.
Transient voltages can be induced by lightning on electrical lines producing extremely large potentials in a very short time. In a similar manner, electromagnetic pulses (EMP) can generate large voltage spikes with fast rise time pulses over a broad frequency range that are detrimental to most electronic devices. Other sources of large voltage transients as well as ground loop interference caused by varying ground potentials can disrupt an electrical system. Existing protection devices are unable to provide adequate protection in a single integrated package. Varieties of filter and surge suppression circuit configurations have been designed as is evident from the prior art. A detailed description of the various inventions in the prior art is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,142,430, herein incorporated by reference.
The '430 patent itself is directed to power line filter and surge protection circuit components and the circuits in which they are used to form a protective device for electrical equipment. These circuit components comprise wafers or disks of material having desired electrical properties such as varistor or capacitor characteristics. The disks are provided with electrode patterns and insulating bands on the surfaces thereof, which coact with apertures, formed therein, so as to electrically connect the components to electrical conductors of a system in a simple and effective manner. The electrode pattern coact with one another to form common electrodes with the material interposed between. The '430 patent was primarily directed toward filtering paired lines. Electrical systems have undergone short product life cycles over the last decade. A system built just two years ago can be considered obsolete to a third or fourth generation variation of the same application. Accordingly, componentry and circuitry built into these the systems need to evolve just as quickly.
The performance of a computer or other electronic systems has typically been constrained by the speed of its slowest active elements. Until recently, those elements were the microprocessor and the memory components that controlled the overall system's specific functions and calculations. However, with the advent of new generations of microprocessors, memory components and their data, there is intense pressure to provide the user increased processing power and speed at a decreasing unit cost. As a result, the engineering challenge of conditioning the energy delivered to electrical devices has become both financially and technologically difficult. Since 1980, the typical operating frequency of the mainstream microprocessors has increased approximately 240 times, from 5 MHz (million cycles per second) to approximately to 1200 MHz+by the end of the year 2000. Processor speed is now matched by the development and deployment of ultra-fast RAM architectures. These breakthroughs have allowed boosting of overall system speeds past the 1 GHz mark. During this same period, passive componentry technologies have failed to keep up and have produced only incremental changes in composition and performance. Advances in passive component design changes have focused on component size reduction, slight modifications of discrete component electrode layering, new dielectric discoveries, and modifications of manufacturing production techniques that decrease component production cycle times.
In the past, passive component engineers have solved design problems by increasing the number of components in the electrical circuit. These solutions generally involved adding inductors and resistors that are used with capacitors to filter and decouple.
Not to be overlooked, however, is the existence of a major limitation in the line conditioning ability of a single passive component and for many passive component networks. This limitation presents an obstacle for technological progression and growth in the computer industry and remains as one of the last remaining challenges of the+GHz speed system. This constraint to high-speed system performance is centered upon the limitations created by the supporting passive componentry that delivers and conditions energy and data signals to the processors, memory technologies, and those systems located outside of a particular electronic system.
The increased speed of microprocessors and memory combinations has resulted in another problem as evidenced by recent system failures that have occurred with new product deployments of high-speed processors & new memory combinations by major OEMs. The current passive component technology is the root cause of many of these failures and delays. The reasons are that the operating frequency of a single passive component generally has a physical line conditioning limitation of between 5 and 250 MHz. Higher frequencies for the most part require combinations of passive elements such as discrete L-C-R, L-C, R-C networks to shape or control energy delivered to the system load. At frequencies above 200 MhZ, prior art, discrete L-C-R, L-C, R-C networks begin to take on characteristics of transmission lines and even microwave-like features rather than providing lump capacitance, resistance or inductance that such a network was designed for. This performance disparity between the higher operating frequency of microprocessors, clocks, power delivery bus lines and memory systems and that of the supporting passive elements has resulted in system failures.
Additionally, at these higher frequencies, energy pathways are normally grouped or paired as an electrically complementary element or elements that electrically and magnetically must work together in harmony and balance An obstacle to this balance is the fact that two discrete capacitors manufactured in the same production batch can easily posses a variability in capacitance, ranging anywhere from 15%-25%. While it is possible to obtain individual variations of capacitance between discrete units of less than 10%, a substantial premium must be paid to recover the costs for testing, hand sorting manufactured lots, as well as the additional costs for the more specialized dielectrics and manufacturing techniques that are needed to produce these devices with reduced individual variance differences required for differential signaling. Therefore, in light of the foregoing deficiencies in the prior art, the applicant's invention is herein presented.
Based upon the foregoing, there has been found a need to provide a multi-functioning electronic component which can operate across a broad frequency range as compared to a single, prior art component or a multiple passive network. Ideally, this component would perform effectively past 1 GhZ while simultaneously providing energy decoupling for active componentry and maintaining a constant apparent voltage potential for portions of active circuitry. This new component would also minimize or suppress unwanted electromagnetic emissions resulting from differential and common mode currents flowing within electronic circuits. A multi-functioning electronic component in a multi-layered embodiment and in a dielectric independent passive architecture can, when attached into circuitry and energized, be able to provide simultaneous line conditioning functions such as, but not limited to, the forgoing needs. These needs include source to load and/or load to source decoupling, as well as, differential and common mode filtering, parasitic containment, and surge protection in one integrated package when utilizing an external conductive area or pathway. The invention can be utilized for protecting electronic circuitry and active electronic components from electromagnetic field interference (EMI), over voltages, and preventing debilitating electromagnetic emissions attributed to the circuitry and from the invention itself. Furthermore, the present invention minimizes or prevents detrimental parasitics from coupling back on to a host circuit from internally enveloped differential conductive elements located with the invention as it operates in an energized circuit. More specifically, this invention teaches that with proper placement techniques and attachment into circuitry, the system can utilize the energized physical architecture to suppresses unwanted electromagnetic emissions, both those received from other sources, and those created internally within the invention and it's electronic circuitry that could potentially result in differential and common mode currents that would be contributed as parasitics back into the host circuitry.
In addition, due to the multi-functional energy conditioner's physically integrated, shield-containment conductive electrode architecture, the ability to use an independent electrode material and/or an independent dielectric material composition when manufactured will not limit the invention to a specific form-shape, size for the multitude of possible embodiments of the invention that can be created and of which only a few will be described, herein.
Due to the highly competitive nature of today's electronic industry, such a multi-functional energy conditioner/surge protector must be inexpensive, miniaturized, low in cost, highly integrated for incorporation into a plurality of electronic products. It would be desirable if it could operate free of any additional discrete passive components to achieve the desired filtering and/or line conditioning that prior art components are unable to provide.
It is therefore a main object of the invention to provide an easily manufactured, adaptable, multi-functional electronic component that prevents or suppresses electromagnetic emissions caused by differential and common mode currents that are generated among paired energy pathways.
It is another object of the invention to provide a protective circuit arrangement that may be mass produced and adaptable to include one or more protective circuits in one component package to provide protection against voltage transients, over voltages, parasitic sand electromagnetic interference.
It is another object of the invention to provide a discrete, multi-functioning electronic component, that when attached to an external conductive pathway or surface could operate effectively across a broad frequency range and could simultaneously provide energy decoupling for active circuit componentry while maintaining a constant apparent voltage potential for portions of circuitry.
Another object of the invention is to provide a blocking circuit or circuits utilizing an inherent ground which is combined with an external conductive surface or ground area that provides an additional energy pathway from the paired differential conductors for attenuating EMI and over voltages without having to couple the hybrid electronic component to a final earth ground.
Another object of the invention is to provide a single device that eliminates the need to use specialized dielectrics commonly used to obtain a minimized degree of variation of capacitance between internal capacitor plates.
These and other objects and advantages of the invention are accomplished through the use of a plurality of common conductive plates that are joined and partially surrounding corresponding differentially conductive electrode plates that are separated by a material that exhibits any one or a combination of a number of predetermined electrical properties.
Other objects and advantages of the invention are accomplished by coupling pairs of conductors into an area or space partially enveloped by a plurality of joined common conductive plates and by selectively coupling external conductors or pathways to differential electrode plates.
It is another object of the invention to provide line-to-line and line-to-ground capacitive or inductive coupling between internal plates and/or conductive electrodes that create a state of effective differential and common mode electromagnetic interference filtering and/or surge protection. Additionally, a circuit arrangement utilizing the invention will comprise of at least one line conditioning circuit component constructed as a plate. Electrode patterns are provided on one surface of the plate and the electrode surfaces are then electrically coupled to electrical conductors of the circuit. The electrode patterns, dielectric material employed and common conductive plates produce commonality between electrodes for the electrical conductors producing a balanced (equal but opposite) circuit arrangement with an electrical component coupled line-to-line between the electrical conductors and line-to-ground from the individual electrical conductors. The particular electrical effects of the multi-functional energy conditioner are determined by the choice of material between the electrode plates and the use of ground shields which effectively house the electrode plates within one or more created Faraday like shield cages. If one specific dielectric material is chosen, the resulting multi-functional energy conditioner will be primarily a capacitive arrangement. The dielectric material in conjunction with the electrode plates and common conductive plates will combine to create a line-to-line capacitor that is approximately � the value of the capacitance of the two line-to-ground capacitors make up an attached and energized invention. If a metal oxide varistor (MOV) material is used, then the multi-functional energy conditioner will be a capacitive multi-functional energy conditioner with over current and surge protection characteristics provided by the MOV-type material. The common conductive plates and electrode plates will once again form line-to-line and line-to-ground capacitive plates, providing differential and common mode filtering accept in the case of high transient voltage conditions. During these conditions, the MOV-type varistor material, which is essentially a non-linear resistor used to suppress high voltage transients, will take effect to limit the voltage that may appear between the electrical conductors.
In a further embodiment, a ferrite material may be used adding additional inherent inductance to the multi-functional energy conditioner arrangement. As before, the common ground conductive and electrode plates form line-to-line and line-to-ground capacitive plates with the ferrite material adding inductance to the arrangement. Use of the ferrite material also provides transient voltage protection in that it to will become conductive at a certain voltage threshold allowing the excess transient voltage to be shunted to the common conductive plates, effectively limiting the voltage across the electrical conductors.
Numerous other arrangements and configurations are also disclosed which implement and build on the above objects and advantages of the invention to demonstrate the versatility and wide spread application of multi-functional energy conditioners within the scope of the present invention.
Continued and increasing use of electronics in daily life and the amount of electromagnetic interference (EMI) and emissions generated has created new electromagnetic compatibility (EMC) requirements. These new specifications apply to diverse electronic equipment such as but not limited to and in particular IC (Integrated Circuit) packages, PCBs, DSPs, microcontrollers, switch mode power supplies, networks, connectors, avionics, wireless phones, consumer electronics, tools, ordnance igniters, and control equipment. The present invention is directed towards a physical architecture for an electronic component that provides simultaneous and effective EMI suppression; line conditioning, broadband I/O-line filtering, EMI decoupling noise reduction and surge protection in one integrated component or assembly.
To propagate electromagnetic interference energy two fields are required, an electric and magnetic. Electric fields couple energy into circuits through the voltage differential between two or more points. Changing electrical fields in a space give rise to a magnetic field. Any time-varying magnetic flux will give rise to an electric field. As a result, a purely electric or purely magnetic time-varying fields cannot exist independent of each other. Passive component architecture such as the invention can be built to condition or minimize both types of energy fields that can be found in an electrical system. The invention is not necessarily built to condition one type of field more than another, however, different types of materials can be added or used to build an embodiment that could do such specific conditioning upon one energy field over another.
The accumulation of an electric charge creates an electrostatic field and this accumulation can best be observed between two boundaries, one conductive and the other nonconductive. The boundary condition behavior referenced in Gauss's law causes a conductive enclosure or semi-enclosure called a Faraday cage or Faraday cage-like structure to act as an electrostatic shield in relationship to conductive elements contained or located partially inside the shield-like structure. Near the boundary of the shield structure, electrical charges and parasitics are for the most part kept inside of the shield boundary. In turn, the electrical charges and parasitics that exist on the outside of the cage-like shield boundary are excluded for the most part, from detrimentally affecting internally generated fields related to the conductors held within. Coupled electric and magnetic fields have the ability in nature to propagate along at the speed of light unless the energy field propagating along a conductive pathway meets with an impedance or resistance along said pathway that hinders the propagating field energy from doing so. This impedance or resistance contributes to the concept of "skin effect," which predicts the effectiveness of magnetic shielding in relationship to the materials that make up a conductive pathway.
As previously, noted, propagated electromagnetic interference can be the product of both electric and magnetic fields, respectively. Until recently, emphasis in the art has been placed upon on filtering EMI from circuit or energy conductors carrying high frequency noise with DC energy or current. However, the invention is capable of conditioning energy that uses DC, AC and AC/DC hybrid-type propagation of energy along conductive pathways found in an electrical system or test equipment. This includes use of the invention to condition energy in systems that contain many different types of energy propagation formats found in systems containing many kinds of circuitry propagation characteristics within the same electrical system platform. The main cause of radiated emission problems can be due to the two types of conducted currents, differential and common mode energy. The fields generated by these currents result in many types of EMI emissions. Differential mode (DM) currents are those currents that flow in a circular path in wires, circuit board traces and other conductors. The fields related to these currents originate from the loop defined by the conductors.
Higher operating frequencies of circuitry for the most part, require the user to develop combinations of single or multiple passive elements such as inductors, capacitors, or resistors to create L-C-R, L-C, and R-C discrete component networks used to control energy delivered to a system load. However, prior art, discrete, L-C-R, L-C, R-C component networks at frequencies above 200 MhZ begin to take on characteristics of transmission lines, or can even exhibit microwave-like features at still higher frequencies. This can allow unsuppressed or undiminished parasitics, or the connection structures that combine externally between all of the discrete elements into said network, to degrade, slow down or otherwise contribute noticeable degradation of the energy propagating along the circuit over a wide range of frequency operations. This can be substantially harmful to the larger circuit said network is attached into. Rather than providing a lump capacitance, resistance or inductance that such a network was designed for, at higher frequencies, capacitive parasitics that are attributed to the internal electrodes located inside prior art component networks can be one of many reasons or sources of energy degradation, debilitation or sub-specified performance to the circuit. Said sub-par performance losses such as, but not limited to, data drop, line delays, etc. and can contribute to a measurable circuit in-efficiency.
Common mode and differential mode energies differ in that they propagate in different circuit paths. Common mode noise will can be caused electrostatic induction which results from un-equal capacitance between conductive pathways and the surroundings. Noise voltage developed, will be the same on both wires and/or, it can be caused by electromagnetic induction magnetic fields from a conductive pathway linking paired or multiple conductive pathways unequally with any noise voltage developed, essentially, the same; on both paired, conductive pathways. Noise energy will travel on the outer skin surface of conductors. Differential noise, is normally created by voltage imbalance within an energized circuit, Interference that causes the potential of one side of the signal transmission path to be change relative to the other side.
To help reduce, minimize or suppress the unwanted noise, the energized invention utilizes a low impedance path that develops internally, within the invention to take portions of the unwanted energy to a conductive ground and/or an external (to the invention) conductive area or pathway. Portions of this pathway can also be located internally within the invention and include portions of the common conductive plates or the structure they make up. The common conductive plates or structure and the extension of the external conductive area created, will allow energy propagating along these conductive shield pathway elements to move to a larger, externally located conductive area, pathway or system ground that is situated primarily outside of the internally positioned common conductive plate area(s) or shield-like structure that make up portions of the invention.
Possible external connections and/or attachments of a plurality of invention common conductive pathways to pathways' external of the multilayer embodiment of the invention can be made by a multitude of possible industry accepted means know to the art. Such conductive attachments of common conductive plates or the attachments to a conductive shield-like structure that are made from a combination of these joined, common plate elements and to an external conductive pathway, separate, in most cases, from the differential conductive pathways, also conductively attached to the multi-functional energy conditioner will provide a shortening of the overall noise current loop area created in an energized circuit, also containing a source, multi-functional energy conditioner, conductive pathways and a load.
At least two energy loops are created when the invention is attached and energize within a circuit, with the created energy loops in parallel, but on opposite sides of a center, common conductive plate or pathway. These energy loops are propagating 180 degrees out-of-phase with respect to one another, thus, opposing energy will cancel and noise is minimized or suppressed. An energized configuration containing multi-functional energy conditioner within a larger, energized circuitry, will also provide a plurality of potential conductive pathways, internal to multi-functional energy conditioner, that can be used by portions of energy propagating from an energy source(s) to a load or loads.
The common shielding conductive plates and/or portions of the shield-like structure made of the plate elements, when used by propagating energy from a source or from a load as a return path to energy source, will have a short distance of separation or loop area between portions of paired differential conductive paths and a return path, when the common conductive structure or common conductive plates, are used by portions of propagating energy as one, or more energy return pathways, back to its' (the portions of propagating energy's) source.
When attached to respective, external conductors or pathways, a portion of the loop area is located internal to the multi-functional energy conditioner, with the interposing, dielectric material providing a distance between a differential conductive plate or pathway and a common conductive plate or pathway. Portions of the circuits' propagating energy can move along, internal to the multi-functional energy conditioner, with portions of the circuits' propagating energy moving from a source to a load moving oppositely to that of portions of the circuits' propagating energy moving from a load back to a source within a circuit mounted, multi-functional energy conditioner.
Oppositely propagating energy, as just described, will be separated by the central common conductive shield pathway, yet, contained in the Faraday cage-like shield structure, with interposing dielectric medium, all internally within the multi-functional energy conditioner. This oppositely propagating energy will be simultaneously conditioned, with respect to the Faraday cage-like shield structure's electrostatic properties and by mutually canceling magnetic fields principals within the short distance of separation, as just described.
Grouped, common conductive electrodes or paths, physically shield most of the area of the paired differential energy conductive plates or pathways from one another, and allow close distance proximity of these differential conductive pathways to function, when energized, oppositely, and in close proximity, always separated by a common shield pathway, to still co-act in a complementary or harmonious manner and to provide effective, energy conditioning internally within the multi-functional energy conditioner.
Portions of the circuit energy in a conditioner of the present invention will, at some point in time, propagate between portions of two distinct common conductive plate areas along or on a differential conductor that is separated from the respective common conductive plate areas by a dielectric medium, as portions of said energy propagates internally within the multi-functional energy conditioner is in operation with an energized circuit.
Turning now to
Electrode plates 16A and 16B are similar to common conductive plates 14 in that they are comprised of a conductive material or in a different embodiment, can have conductive material deposited onto a dielectric laminate (not shown) similar to the processes used to manufacture chip capacitors and the like and have electrical conductors 12 a and 12 b disposed through apertures. Unlike common conductive plates 14, electrode plates 16A and 16B are selectively electrically connected to one of the two electrical conductors 12. While electrode plates 16, as shown in
Electrical conductors 12 provide a current path that flows in the direction indicated by the arrows positioned at either end of the electrical conductors 12 a and 12 b as shown in
The final element which makes up multi-functional energy conditioner 10 is material 28 which has one or a number of electrical properties and surrounds the center common ground conductive plate 14, both electrode plates 16A and 16B and the portions of electrical conductors 12 a and 12 b passing between the two outer common conductive plates 14 in a manner which isolates the plates and conductors from one another except for the connection created by the conductors 12 a and 12 b and coupling aperture 20. The electrical characteristics of multi-functional energy conditioner 10 are determined by the selection of material 28. If a dielectric material is chosen multi-functional, energy conditioner 10 will have primarily capacitive characteristics. Material 28 may also be a metal oxide varistor material that will provide capacitive and surge protection characteristics. Other materials such as ferrites and sintered polycrystalline may be used wherein ferrite materials provide an inherent inductance along with surge protection characteristics in addition to the improved common mode noise cancellation that results from the mutual coupling cancellation effect. The sintered polycrystalline material provides conductive, dielectric, and magnetic properties. Sintered polycrystalline is described in detail in U.S. Pat. No. 5,500,629, which is herein incorporated by reference.
An additional material that may be used is a composite of high permittivity Ferro-electric material and a high permeability ferromagnetic material as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,512,196, which is incorporated by reference herein. Such a ferroelectric-ferromagnetic composite material can be formed as a compact unitary element which singularly exhibits both inductive and capacitive properties so as to act as an LC-type electrical filter. The compactness, formability, and filtering capability of such an element is useful for suppressing electromagnetic interference. In one embodiment, the ferroelectric material is barium titanate and the ferromagnetic material is a ferrite material such as one based upon a copper zinc ferrite. The capacitive and inductive characteristics of the ferroelectric-ferromagnetic composites exhibit attenuation capabilities which show no signs of leveling off at frequencies as high as 1 Ghz. The geometry of the ferroelectric-ferromagn-etic composite will significantly affect the ultimate capacitive and inductive nature of an electrical filter that employs such a composite. The composite can be adjusted during its manufacturing process to enable the particular properties of a multi-functional energy conditioner to be tuned to produce suitable attenuation for specific applications and environments.
Still referring to
Connection of common conductive plates 14 to an external conductive area helps electrostatic suppression of any inductive or parasitic strays that can radiate or be absorbed by differentially conductive plates 16 a and 16 b and/or any plurality of differential electrical conductors such as 12 a and 12 b for example.
Principals of a Faraday cage-like structure are used when the common plates are joined to one another as described above and the grouping of common conductive plates together co-act with the larger external conductive area or surface to suppress radiated electromagnetic emissions and provide a greater conductive surface area in which to dissipate over voltages and surges and initiate Faraday cage-like electrostatic suppression of parasitics and other transients, simultaneously, This is particularly true when plurality of common conductive plates 14 are electrically coupled to earth ground (not shown) but are relied upon to provide an inherent ground for a circuit in which the invention is placed into an energized with. As mentioned earlier, inserted and maintained between common conductive plates 14 and both electrode plates 16A and 16B is material 28 which can be one or more of a plurality of materials having different electrical characteristics.
The second parallel plate required for each line-to-ground capacitor 32 is supplied by the corresponding electrode plate 16B. By carefully referencing
The larger external conductive area 34 will be described in more detail later but for the time being it may be more intuitive to assume that it is equivalent to earth or circuit ground. The larger external conductive area 34, can be coupled with the center and the additional common conductive plates 14 to join with the central plate 14 to form, one or more of common conductive plates 14 that are conductively joined and can be coupled to circuit or earth ground by common means of the art such as a soldering or mounting screws inserted through fastening apertures 22 which are then coupled to an enclosure or grounded chassis (not shown) of an electrical device.
While multi-functional energy conditioner 10 works equally well with inherent ground 34B coupled to earth or circuit ground 34, one advantage of multi-functional energy conditioner 10's physical architecture is that depending upon energy condition that is needed, a physical grounding connection can be unnecessary in some specific applications.
Referring again to
It should also be evident that labor intensive aspects of using multi-functional energy conditioner 10 as compared to combining discrete components found in the prior art provides an easy and cost effective method of manufacturing. Because connections only need to be made to either ends of electrical conductors 12 to provide a line to line capacitance to the circuit that is approx. � the value of the capacitance measured for each of the line to ground capacitance also developed internally within the embodiment and this provides flexibility for the user as well as providing a potential savings in time and space in manufacturing a larger electrical system utilizing the invention.
Graph in
An alternate embodiment of the present invention is differential and common mode multi-conductor filter 110 shown in
To provide multiple independent conductive electrodes for each pair of electrical conductors, a support material 116 comprised of one of the materials 122 containing desired electrical properties is used. Support plate 116B is comprised of a plurality of conductive electrodes 118 b, 118 c, 118 e and 118 h printed upon one side of plate 116B with one coupling aperture 120 per electrode. Support plate 116A is also comprised of a plurality of conductive electrodes 118 a, 118 d, 118 f and 118 g printed upon one side of plate 116A. Support plates 116A and 116B are separated and surrounded by a plurality of common conductive plates 112 which together excluding conductive materials are generally made up of material 122 so to allow respective plates to be melded or laminated and/or fused together during the manufacturing process by standard means known in the art. Conductive electrode materials and insulating structures as just described are also added or deposited by standard means known in the art as well in the manufacturing process.
A conductive termination material 112D is also applied to the sides of plates 112 during manufacturing so that termination material 112D allows a conductive connection of at least the perimeter of invention 110's plurality of common conductive plate electrodes 112A, 112B, 112C to be joined conductively together to form a single conductive structure capable of sharing a same conductive pathway to an external conductive area 34 or surface (not shown) when placed into a circuit and energized. The pairs of incoming electrical conductors each have a corresponding electrode pair within multi-functional energy conditioner 110. Although not shown, the electrical conductors pass through the common conductive plates 112 and the respective conductive electrodes. Connections are either made or not made through the selection of coupling apertures 120 and insulating apertures 114. The common conductive plates 112 in cooperation with conductive electrodes 118 a thru 118 h perform essentially the same function as electrode plates 16A and 16B of
Again referring to
One trend found throughout modem electronic devices is the continuous miniaturization of equipment and the electronic components that make up that equipment. Capacitors, the key component in multi-functional energy conditioner arrangements, have been no exception and their size has continually decreased to the point where they may be formed in silicon and imbedded within integrated circuits only seen with the use of a microscope. One miniaturized capacitor which has become quite prevalent is the chip capacitor which is significantly smaller than standard through hole or leaded capacitors. Chip capacitors employ surface mount technology to physically and electrically connect to electrical conductors and traces found on circuit boards. The versatility of the architecture of the multi-functional energy conditioner of the present invention extends to surface mount technology as shown in
First differential support plate 410 includes conductive electrode 416 coupled to the top surface of material 430 in a manner which leaves isolation band 418 surrounding the outer perimeter of first differential plate 416 along three of its four sides. Isolation band 418 is simply a portion of material 430 that has not been covered by conductive electrode 416. Second differential plate 426 is essentially identical to first differential plate 416 with the exception being its physical orientation with respect to that of first differential plate 416. Second differential support plate 414 is comprised of material 430 having conductive electrode 426 coupled to the top surface of material 430 in such a manner as to leave isolation band 428 surrounding the outer perimeter of second differential plate 426 along three of its four sides. What is important to note about first and second differential plates 416 and 426's physical orientation with respect to one another is that the one side of each plate in which isolation bands 418 and 428 do not circumscribe are arranged 180 degrees apart from one another. It is also important to note about first and second differential plates 416 and 426's physical orientation with respect to the common conductive plate 424 is that all though not shown, but further explained in
The conductive area of each differential electrodes 416 and 426 respectively, are physically shielded from the other by the interpositioned central common conductive electrode 424 such that the boundary or perimeter of each respective differential electrode 416 and 426 is inset with respect to the common conductive electrode 424 border or perimeter to a degree that the common conductive plate 424 registration area or under lap area allows the common conductive plate 424 to appear oversized in relation to the equally-sized differential conductive plates 416 and 426 that sandwich said common conductive plate 412.
With respect to the common conductive electrode 424 and the range of the over lap with respect to the equally sized differential plates 416 and 426 can be essentially inset to a degree that when energized the entrapment of parasitics attempting to escape or enter the area occupied by differential electrodes 416 and 426 is sufficient to prevent such degradation from occurring. Insetting of differential conductive plates 416 and 426 to a point with respect to a larger set of common plates 424, 424 a, 424 b that are sandwiching differential plates 416 and 426 and will increase the electrostatic shielding effectiveness during an energized state. This orientation allows an electrical conductor to be coupled electrically to either individual differential plate 416 and 426 but not necessarily both, so to allow for differentially phased, but complementary energy conditioning, between paired, but oppositely positioned, differential conductors, 416 and 426.
Common support plate 412 is similar in construction to first and second differential support plates 410 and 414 in that it, too, includes material 430 with common conductive electrode 424 coupled to its top surface. As can be seen from
All three plates, common plate 424 and first and second differential plates 416 and 426 do not have any type of conductive surface beneath each plate and therefore when the plates are stacked one on top of the other, differential conductive electrode 416 is isolated from common conductive electrode 424 by the backside of common support plate 412. In a similar fashion, common conductive electrode 424 is isolated from differential conductive electrode 426 by the backside of first differential support plate 410 that is comprised of material 430.
Referring now to
A means for coupling electrical conductors to the differential electrodes 416 and 426 must be included. Electrical conductors are coupled to surface mount multi-functional energy conditioner 400 through first differential conductive band 404 and second differential conductive band 406, which are isolated from common conductive band 402 by isolation bands 408 positioned in between conductive bands 402, 404 and 406. Common conductive band 402 and isolation bands 408 can extend 360 degrees around the body of 400 multi-functional energy conditioner to provide isolation on all four sides, however because of the almost complete shield-like envelopment of differential conductive electrodes 416 and 426 by common conductive plates 424, 424A and 424B, common conductive band 402 can be reduced in size or even eliminated by replacing conductive band 402 with conductive termination structures (not shown), but similar in appearance and function of termination bands 84 found on
By referring back and forth between
In a similar fashion to that just described, second differential conductive band 406 including end 432 is electrically coupled to second differential conductive electrode 426 of second differential support plate 414. Due to isolation bands 420, 420A, 420B and 422, 422A and 422B of common support plates 412, 412A and 412B and first differential plate 416, the second differential conductive band 406 is electrically isolated from the first differential plate 416 and common plates 424, 424A and 424B.
Electrical coupling of common conductive band 402 to common plates 424, 424A and 424B is accomplished by the physical coupling of sides 436 of common conductive band 402 or its substitutions, to common conductive electrodes 424, 424 a, 424 b, which lack isolation bands along two sides. To maintain electrical isolation of common conductive electrodes 424, 424A, 424B from first and second differential conductive bands 404 and 406, isolation bands 420, 420A, 420B and 422, 422A, 422B of common plates 412, 412A, 412B prevent any physical coupling of ends 432 and 434 of first and second differential conductive bands 404 and 406 with common conductive electrodes, 424, 424A, 424B.
As with the other embodiments of the differential and common mode multi-functional energy conditioner of the present invention, conductive electrodes 416 and 426 of first and second differential support plates 410 and 414 act as a line-to-line differential mode capacitor when electrical conductors are coupled to first and second differential conductive bands 404 and 406. Line-to-ground decoupling capacitors are formed between each conductive electrode, 416 and 426 respectively, and coupled, common conductive electrodes 424, 424A, 424B, which form a Faraday cage-like shield structure 800 (not shown).
Common conductive plate 480 includes isolation barriers 482 and 492 which divide common conductive plate 480 into three conductive surfaces: common electrode 488, isolated electrode 484 and isolated electrode 494. As shown, isolation barriers 482 and 492 run vertically adjacent to and in parallel with the right and left edges of common conductive plate 480. Both isolation barriers 482 and 492 also include members 496 extending outward and perpendicular from the vertical sections of isolation barriers 482 and 492 and are positioned so when plates 460, 480 and 500 are stacked, they are aligned with the horizontal portions of the U-shaped isolation barriers 462 and 506 of first and second differential plates 460 and 500.
An additional feature is that common conductive plate 480 can be optimized for use in filtering AC or DC signals. Isolation barriers 492 and 482 as described above are optimized for use in filtering DC signals. For DC operation, isolated electrodes 484 and 494 require very little area within common conductive plate 480. When the filter is comprised of a film medium and used for filtering AC signals, isolated electrodes 484 and 494 require a greater area, which is accomplished by etching modified isolation barriers 486 and 490. The vertically running isolation barriers 484 and 494 are etched closer together and closer to the center of common conductive plate 480. To accommodate this modification, members 496 extending outward and perpendicular from the vertical sections are longer than for the DC version. The greater area isolated electrodes 484 and 494 provide better AC filtering characteristics, although either configuration provides filtering to both types of current.
Electric motor filter 180 may be made in any number of shapes but in the preferred embodiment shown in
The differential and common mode filter has been presented in many variations both above and in commonly owned patents and patent applications, previously incorporated herein by reference. A further embodiment of the present invention utilizes a variation of the filter previously discussed. Shielded twisted pair feed through differential and common mode filter 300 is shown in
Referring now to
Referring now to
The filter of the present invention may exist in innumerable embodiments. As an example of various types of layered configurations contemplated, but not intended to limit the invention, various additional embodiments of multi-component filters will be described. In each figure, the five electrode plates are shown individually and then in a top plan view and finally in a side view. Referring now to
The conductive bands 82, 84, 86 are isolated from each other by an insulated outer casing 88. Common conductive plates 74 have four common conductive bands 84, which provide four places of attachment to external, ground areas of an electrical circuit system, wherein each common conductive band 84 is about 90 degrees from the next adjacent common conductive band 84. This feature provides additional isolation and centralizing of the line conditioning capabilities of the structures and provides improved charge concentration.
The primary difference between the filters 70, 70′ is that the electrode terminal portions 72 a, 76A are on the same longitudinal side in the filter 70 while the electrode terminal portions are on the opposite longitudinal side in the filter 70′. Also current dose not pass through filter 70 as it does in filter 70′. The different terminal locations provide versatility in the applicability of the filters to different electrical circuit system configurations.
Referring now to
Referring now to
Referring now to
Each of the
Each of the electrodes 72, 74, 76 in
Referring now to
Additionally, the first and second dual electrode plates 90, 96 have a smaller common conductive plate electrode 74 between the first and second electrode 72 and 76 of each plate 72A and 76A, respectively. This feature provides additional isolation of the dual electrodes.
In an energized system, the invention contains a single shielding, cage-like structure 800″ or grouped commonly conductive elements that form extension and/or transformational fusion to its attached an external conductive area 34, will significantly eliminate, reduce and/or suppress E-Fields and H-fields emissions, RF loop radiation, stray capacitances, stray inductances, capacitive parasitics, and at the same time allow for mutual cancellation of oppositely charged or phased and adjacent or abutting electrical fields. The process of electrical energy transmission conditioning is considered a dynamic process over time.
This process can be measured to some degree by devices such as dual port, Time Domain Reflectometry test equipment and/or other industry standard test equipment and fixtures. The invention can also be attached in a single, dual or multi-conductor electrical system with slight modifications made to accommodate external input and output energy transmission conductors or paths for such applications like signal, energy transmission and/or power line decoupling, bypassing and filtering operations. Circuitry and depictions of some of the embodiments shown in this document expose some of the placements contemplated by the applicant and should not be construed as the only possible configurations of the invention elements.
Another aspect of the present invention involves 'decoupling loops' or 'RF loops'. Decoupling loops are related to the perimeter and physical area contained within the current path loop by the physical placement of a passive unit, such as a decoupling capacitor, in relation to its' distance and position between an active component that is receiving the energy that is conditioned from the passive element. In other words, the current loop is the distance and area enclosed by the current path from the power plane to the passive element and the return path to its source (typically on a PCB type board or IC package, etc.).
Power and ground return current pathways which make up an energized loop area are energy transmission lines which at certain frequencies, depending upon the physical size of the loop area of the current pathways, can act as an antenna, radiating unwanted energy from the system. This energized RF loop area creates a state of voltage imbalance in the electrical system because it allows detrimental common mode energy as a by-product of the imbalance that can seriously disrupt and strain efficient energy delivery to active components between an energy source and its subsequent return. The physical size of the RF loop area is directly related to the magnitude of the RF energy that is radiating from the electrical circuit system.
Due to the minute distances between the conductive termination paths to that of each respective differentially conductive energy transmission path the RF loop issue is negated. Voltage balance of the circuit is no longer detrimentally affected as in prior art components or systems.
Referring now to
The conductive plates 804, 808, and 810 are also surrounded by dielectric material 801 that provides support and an outer casing of the component. A means to allow connection of both common shield termination structures 802 to the same common conductive plates 808 and 804 and 810 (not shown) individually, is essential and is desired for this embodiment. When the entire invention is placed into circuitry, termination structures 802 should be attached by standard means known in the art to the same external conductive area or to the same external conductive path (not shown) without an interruption or conductive gap between each respective termination structures, 802.
A standard means known in the art facilitates connection of common shield termination structures 802, which attached, respectively, on all three conductive plates 804, 808, and 810 (not shown) together, will form a single structure to act as one common conductive Faraday cage-like shield structure of 800″ (not shown).
Although not shown, Faraday cage-like structure 800′ (not shown) mirrors single, Faraday cage-like structure 800 (not shown) except that differential electrode 809A (not shown) contained within, is sandwiched and has a exit/entrance section 812A (not shown) that is not fully shielded, but in a generally opposing direction of 180 degrees to that of conductive termination structure 807 and differential electrode 809 to join with conductive termination structure 807A (not shown).
These two Faraday cage-like structures 800 and 800′ are in a positioned and parallel relationship, but most importantly, cage-like structures 800 and 800′ are sharing the same, central common conductive plate 804, layer or pathway that makes up each Faraday cage-like structures 800 and 800′, when taken individually.
Together, Faraday cage-like structures 800 and 800′ create a single and larger conductive Faraday cage-like shield structure 800″ (not shown) that acts as a double container. Each container 800 and 800′ will hold an equal number of same sized, differential electrodes that are opposing one another within said larger structure 800″ in a generally parallel manner, respectively. Larger conductive Faraday cage-like shield structure 800″ is made with co-acting 800 and 800′ individual, shield-like structures when energized, and attached to the same external common conductive path 34, to become one electrically.
At energization, the predetermined arrangement of the common conductive electrodes 804, 808 and 810 (not shown) into a differential conductive sandwich with a centralized common shield 804, are elements that make up one common conductive cage-like shield structure 800″, which is the base element of the present invention, namely the Faraday cage-like shield structure 800″.
The 800″ structure in essence, forms a minimum of two Faraday cage-like structures 800 and 800′ that are required to make up a multi-functional line-conditioning device in all of the layered embodiments of the present invention. The central common conductive plate 804 with respect to its interposition between the differential electrodes 809 and 809A (not shown) needs the outer two additional sandwiching common electrode plates 808 and 810 to be considered an un-energized Faraday cage-like shield structure 800″.
To go further, the central common plate 804 will be simultaneously used by both differential electrodes 809 and 809A at the same time, but with opposite results, with respective to charge switching. It must be noted that for most chip, non-hole thru embodiments, a new device will have a minimum of two differential electrodes sandwiched between three common conductive electrodes and connected, external termination structures that are connected, and are conductively, as one, to form a single, larger Faraday cage-like shield structure 800″ that when attached to a larger external conductive area 34, helps perform simultaneously, energized line conditioning and filtering functions, upon the energy propagating along the conductors sandwich within the said cage-like shield structure 800″, in an oppositely phased or charged manner.
The now attached, internal common conductive electrode plates 804, 808 and 810 (not shown) that make up the Faraday cage-like shield structure 800″ and their subsequent energization will allow the external conductive area or pathway 34 to become, in essence, an extended and closely positioned and essentially parallel arrangement of conductive elements with respect to its position also located internally within the pre-determined layered PCB or similar electronic circuitry.
Connection of the joined common conductive, and enveloping, multiple, common shield plates 808 and 810 (not shown) with a common centrally located common conductive plate 804 that will be, to external extension elements 34 interposed in such a multiple, parallel manner that the external extension elements will have microns of distance separation or 'loop area' with respect to the complimentary, phased differential electrodes 809 and 809A (not shown) that are sandwiched themselves and yet are separated (not shown) from the external extension 34 by a distance containing a dielectric medium 801 so that said extension becomes an enveloping shield-like element that will perform electrostatic shielding functions, among others, that the said energized combination will enhance and produce efficient, simultaneous conditioning upon the energy propagating on or along said portions of assembly differential conductors. The internal and external parallel arrangement groupings of a combined common conductive planes or areas will also cancel and/or suppress unwanted parasitics, electromagnetic emissions that can escape from or enter upon portions of said differential conductors used by said portions of energy as it propagates along a conductive pathway to active assembly load(s).
In the following sections, reference to common conductive plate 804 also applies to common conductive plates 808 and 810. Common conductive plate 804 is offset a distance 814 from the edge of the invention. One or more portions 811 of the common ground common conductive plate 804 extends 812′ through material 801 and is attached to common ground termination band or structure 802. Although not shown, the common ground termination band 802 electrically connects the common conductive plates 804, 808 and 810 to each other, and to all other common conductive plates of the filter, if used.
The conductive electrode plate 809 is not as large as the common conductive plate 804 such that an offset distance and area 806 exists between the edge 803 of the electrode plate 809 and of the edge of the central common conductive plate 804. This offset distance and area 806 enables the common conductive plate 804 to extend beyond the electrode plate 809 to provide a shield against any flux lines which might extend beyond the edge 803 of the electrode plate 809 resulting in reduction or elimination of near field coupling to other electrode plates within the filter or to elements external to the filter.
The horizontal offset is approximately 0 to 20+times the vertical distance between the electrode plate 809 and the common conductive plate 804, however, the offset distance 806 can be optimized for a particular application but all distances of overlap 806 among each respective plate is ideally approximately the same as manufacturing tolerances will allow. Minor size differences are unimportant in distance/area 806 between plates as long as the electrostatic shielding function of Faraday cage-like shield structure 800″ is not compromised. In order to connect electrode 809 to the energy pathways (not shown), the electrode 809 may have one or two portions 812 which extend 812′ beyond the edge 805 of the common conductive plates 804 and 808. These portions 812 are connected to electrode termination band 807 which enables the electrode 809 to be electrically connected to the energy pathways (not shown) by solder or the like as previously discussed. It should be noted that element 813 is a dynamic representation of the center axis point of the three-dimensional energy conditioning functions that take place within the invention and is relative with respect to the final size, shape and position of the embodiment in an energized circuit.
As can be seen, many different applications of the multi-functional energy conditioner architecture are possible and review of several features universal to all the embodiments must be noted. First, the material 801 having predetermined electrical properties may be one of a number in any of the embodiments including but not limited to dielectric material, metal oxide varistor material, ferrite material and other more exotic substances such as Mylar film or sintered polycrystalline. No matter which material 801 is used, the combination of common conductive plates and electrode conductive plates creates a plurality of capacitors to form a line-to-line differential coupling capacitor between and two line-to-ground decoupling capacitors from a pair of electrical conductors. The material 801 having electrical properties will vary the capacitance values and/or add additional features such as over-voltage and surge protection or increased inductance, resistance, or a combination of all the above.
Second, in all embodiments whether shown or not, the number of plates, both common conductive and electrode, can be multiplied to create a number of capacitive elements in parallel which thereby add to create increased capacitance values.
Third, additional common conductive plates surrounding the combination of a center conductive plate and a plurality of conductive electrodes are employed to provide an increased inherent ground and optimized Faraday cage-like function and surge dissipation area in all embodiments.
Fourth, although a minimum of one central common conductive shield paired with two additionally positioned common conductive plates or shields are generally desired and should be positioned on opposite sides of the central common conductive shield (other elements such as dielectric material and differential conductive electrodes can be located between these shields as described). Additional common conductive plates can be employed with any of the embodiments shown and is fully contemplated by Applicant.
In fact the multi-functional energy conditioner, although not shown, could easily be fabricated in silicon and directly incorporated into integrated circuits for use in such applications as communication microprocessor integrated circuitry or chips. Integrated circuits are already being made having capacitors etched within the silicone foundation which allows the architecture of the present invention to readily be incorporated with technology available today.
The multi-functional energy conditioner can also be embedded and filter communication or data lines directly from their circuit board terminal connections, thus reducing circuit board real estate requirements and further reducing overall circuit size while having simpler production requirements.
Finally, from a review of the numerous embodiments it should be apparent that the shape, thickness or size may be varied depending on the electrical characteristics desired or upon the application in which the filter is to be used due to the physical architecture derived from the arrangement of common conductive electrode plates and their attachment structures that form at least one single conductively homogenous, Faraday cage-like shield structure 800″ and other conductive electrode plates.
Although the principals, preferred embodiments and preferred operation of the present invention have been described in detail herein, this is not to be construed as being limited to the particular illustrative forms disclosed. It will thus become apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications of the preferred embodiments herein can be made without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims.
Patent Citations
Non-Patent Citations
Referenced by
Legal Events
Original Image


text:
How do you avoid overspending?
This is a serious prob fer me, especially since I live in Finland where food is unholy expensive. Being a vegetarian doesn't even help, a bag of kale is 4.00€ here, and my luxuries like nuts, fancy cheeses and Italian olives oil and reduced balsamic and my terrible terrible jam hoarding habit ( currently - Finnish cloudberry, French pomegranate and fig, Bonne Maman fig and from a holiday somewhere- papaya) makes not overspending difficult. But I segment my grocery shopping best I can- buying fresh fruits and veg on particular days, stocking up on dried beans and pulses on others, and I make my own soy and nut milks. On payday I hit the fancy places for cheese, imported oils, nuts on special and so on. It's the impulse driven snacking I need to curb (Ben and jerry, French cheese and cherry jam plus grapes and Prosecco. Seriously.) doesn't help that I am married to Pacman who can power his way through a box of grapes and nuts for a week in an evening.
Please. Being Costco to Finland. Pretty please..

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Links Sort by: Hits | Alphabetical
|Cheap Ray Ban Sunglasses for occurrence. rick set the authorities. When you are - http://www.kevindurantshoes.us.com
melodic phrase with just about flannel netting below the content of this exceedingly touristy intersection give too think of that the superior aid, lightly rub warmed cure terminated your feet. Your knees require to be a more fitter way. -
|Portable Oxygen For Sale - http://www.portableoxygenconcentratorso2.com/
Are you looking for oxygen concentrators? An oxygen concentrator is a device used to provide oxygen therapy to a patient at substantially higher concentrations than available in ambient air. All types of portable oxygen concentrators are available here at our on line store. For more info, do visit us. -
|Vital Essentials - http://www.vitalpreparedness.com
We offer only the best products available and give you the best value possible. We offer food storage, outdoor gear, emergency preparedness and survival products along with books, links and tips to help you prepare for our ever-changing world. -
|ECG Equipments in Kerala - http://www.emergicare.biz
Emergicare Trauma and Life Support Services Pvt. Ltd is one of the fastest growing suppliers of innovative health care teaching aid and medical equipment in India. -
|medic alert system - http://www.medicalguardian.com/
Some cite cost as one of the reasons, while others may simply want the comfort of living in their own home. A medical alarm device allows a senior to live at home safely because help is always available at the push of a button. -


text:
Following a path to successful cloud environments
Migrating IT to a cloud computing server is not an easy process that can be completed in a short amount of time. However, there is a set of guidelines that can make the deployment of cloud servers easier and more likely to succeed, according to an InfoWorld report by IT expert David Linthicum.
Successful cloud computing environments should be a federation of solutions that can be easily altered. The cloud servers need to be centrally controlled. Finding the right balance between management and freedom will create profitable cloud architectures, Linthicum said.
Additionally, chief information officers shouldn't rely too heavily on virtualization, as it should be seen as an enabler, rather than a mandatory stepping stone. Decision-makers also need to make security and governance an integral part of the process, Linthicum asserted.
According to an InformationWeek report, cloud deployments should initially be implemented in only certain portions of the company. Once the technology is proven to be beneficial, decision-makers can expand cloud hosting services throughout the rest of the organization.
Related Articles
- Welcome to GoGrid!
- I'm a Cloud Infrastructure and Big Data Solutions expert.
- What questions do you have today?


text:
We are thrilled to announce that Voltaic, our favorite solar bag company, has just debuted a sleek new laptop bag that actually charges laptops! Whereas Voltaic's previous solar bags only generate enough power to charge smaller gadgets like phones, cameras and mp3 players, the new Generator, is a super-powered solar tote that will charge your laptop along with all of your other green gadgets. It uses a single solar panel (which you can order with different color trims) to produce up to 14.7 watts of power, enough to fully charge a typical laptop, along with your iPod and cell phone.
Read the rest of this entry »
Read the rest of this entry »
16 Comments
December 19, 2009 at 11:41 am
Amazing bag there are more stylish bags on
March 27, 2008 at 9:20 am
[…] Maletín que recarga la batería de la laptop […]
March 25, 2008 at 2:54 pm
[…] sleek new laptop bag that actually charges laptops! (a must have for any off the grid laptop users) read more | digg […]
January 11, 2008 at 10:05 pm
how do you keep the bag in daylight? and the price.. for a third of that money just buy an extra battery or two
January 10, 2008 at 8:53 pm
hmm thanks for the information.. interesting
January 10, 2008 at 6:03 pm
Um… Why wouldn't I just buy a regular laptop bag for, at most, $100… And $50 on a small solar panel and maybe another $50 for a 12V adapter for my laptop?
Link to eBay for a Solar Briefcase: http://tinyurl.com/yrljo7
January 10, 2008 at 5:39 pm
Interesting concept. Thanks for sharing this.for
January 10, 2008 at 5:37 pm
Impressive indeed!
January 10, 2008 at 5:20 pm
Wow! It´s an awesome invention, but the price makes me forget everything.
January 10, 2008 at 5:06 pm
But will you be able to take it on an airplane?
January 10, 2008 at 3:55 pm
14.5 V for a normal laptop your jokeing right?
January 10, 2008 at 3:46 pm
Well, if you travel to hot sunny third world countries where electricity is not always reliable/available, this could be more valuable than carrying several batteries. It takes a whole day to charge an average laptop though – that's a little long.
January 10, 2008 at 3:39 pm
This would only be useful for some very limited situations. Firstly, the advertised 14.7 watt output is about 1/3 of what a laptop uses. This means if your laptop runs its batter down in say 4 hours, it will take about 12 hours minimum to recharge it, in bright sunlight.
In reality, it will add very little power to your laptop's battery in the course of normal usage of the average user. It would be beneficial to someone who has no access the electrical power otherwise, such as people out in the sticks somewhere far from civilization doing research.
January 10, 2008 at 1:56 pm
I love the look of the bag and everything it can do! I was all set to order one, until I saw the price….it's too much for me. If a typical black computer bag runs $50-100, how much more would I fork over to buy a solar generator bag? What would be my payback time?
January 10, 2008 at 2:28 am
The geek in me is loving this. The price ruins it though. For that price you could just carry around a few extra batteries.
Of course this is a lot more effective if you can get us pasty white skinned folks to go outside.


text:
Last week, a retweet-happy Spike Lee accidentally prompted thousands to threaten the household of an elderly couple, after disseminating a false address for Trayvon Martin's shooter, George Zimmerman. Today, the director apologized, tweeting, "I Deeply Apologize To The McClain Family For Retweeting Their Address. It Was A Mistake. Please Leave The McClain's [sic] In Peace." They still might sue him though.
Update: A lawsuit will not be necessary. Lee has settled with the couple for an undisclosed sum and/or Knicks memorabilia.


text:
Put Theories into Practice with a Master's in Forensic Psychology
Learn how psychology research methods, findings and theories have practical applications in the legal and criminal justice system with SNHU's 12-course, 36-credit online master's in forensic psychology concentration curriculum. Emphasis is placed on critical thinking and problem solving in complex, ill-structured environments.
Forensic Psychology Learning Outcomes
Courses in SNHU's online forensic psychology graduate program enable students to:
- Adapt psychological theories and methods for their appropriate and effective application in forensic psychology settings
- Evaluate the impact of the law on the field of forensic psychology and the roles of a forensic psychologist
- Adapt to shifting demands and ill-structured problems by critically evaluating the relevance, priority and appropriateness of various information and potential courses of action
- Design, conduct and evaluate research through the lens of its potential to advance knowledge in the field and the psychological well-being of individuals, communities and organizations
- Integrate psychological theories, methods and research to generate new knowledge
- Protect the integrity and professional responsibility of psychology through the demonstration of ethical comportment in all aspects of the profession
The master's in Forensic Psychology is not a licensure program and does not prepare students to become licensed psychology professionals. Courses prepare students effectively for doctoral-level coursework should they decide to pursue a licensure path.
MS in Psychology Required Courses
Forensic Psychology Concentration Courses
Foundation Courses
For those who do not meet the minimum requirements, the following courses may be required:


text:
ROCK HILL A Rock Hill man has died after he was electrocuted while working on the family farm.
York County Coroner Sabrina Gast says 31-year-old Jason Roach died at the scene late Monday morning.
Sheriffs Lt. David Frye says Roach and his father were moving a heavy piece of farm equipment when it hit power lines and shocked them both.
Richard Roach was being treated at the Joseph M. Still Burn Center at Doctors Hospital in Augusta, Ga. There was no word on his condition.
Notice about comments:
The Post and Courier is pleased to offer readers the enhanced ability to comment on stories. Some of the comments may be reprinted elsewhere in the site or in the newspaper. We ask that you refrain from profanity, hate speech, personal comments and remarks that are off point.
We do not edit user submitted statements and we cannot promise that readers will not occasionally find offensive or inaccurate comments posted in the comments area. If you find a comment that is objectionable, please click the X that appears in the upper right corner when you hover over a comment. This will send the comment to Facebook for review. Please be reminded, however, that in accordance with our Terms of Use and federal law, we are under no obligation to remove any third party comments posted on our website. Read our full terms and conditions.


text:
By Navy Lt. Jennifer CraggSpecial to American Forces Press Service
WASHINGTON, March 19, 2009 Improving the maritime capabilities of West and Central African navies is just one of the key focus areas for the ongoing Africa Partnership Station, a senior officer involved in the effort said yesterday.
"I think one of the critical benefits to working here is the involvement of partner nations in the planning process," Navy Capt. Cynthia Thebaud, commodore of the APS staff aboard the amphibious transport dock ship USS Nashville told bloggers and online journalists taking part in a bloggers roundtable discussion hosted by the Defense Department's Emerging Media directorate.
Nashville is in the Gulf of Guinea on a large-scale APS mission. Thebaud said the APS initiative has evolved into several maritime security conferences that U.S. Navy leaders have attended.
"[We are] trying to develop some concepts of ways forward in helping to enhance and develop maritime safety and security capability, and capacity in West and Central Africa is really the genesis of this initiative," Thebaud said.
Africa Partnership Station began in the fall of 2007 with the deployment of USS Fort McHenry to West Africa. The ship included an international staff and acted as a floating schoolhouse, offering a variety of maritime courses and training. The initiative has continued with deployments of other Navy and Coast Guard ships, aircraft and small training units. In early March, USS Robert G. Bradley completed the first Africa Partnership Station mission to East Africa.
Thebaud said the APS mission covers four areas: "Helping them develop maritime professionals; helping them to develop a maritime domain or a special regional awareness; helping to develop response capability and capacity; and helping to develop the infrastructure," she said.
As APS has continued its mission, it also has matured, Royal Navy Cmdr. Mark Fitzsimmons, staff director for APS Nashville, added.
"One of the things that I think we are the most proud of this year versus past is that we really feel like we are responding to the needs of the … country teams and the host-nation navies, and we're supporting their navy outreach efforts," Fitzsimmons said.
He added that APS continues to push its knowledge forward for the benefit of future ships and future missions.
"The main mission is maritime safety and security," Fitzsimmons said. "But a by-product of that and a real tertiary benefit is our ability to do community outreach, while at the same time building maritime safety and security."
Thebaud added that the critical component to the success of APS is the involvement of partner nations in the planning process.
"One of the things that we hear said the most frequently is the … opportunity to come and work in a collaborative and cooperative environment with members of other West and Central African navies," Thebaud added.
(Navy Lt. Jennifer Cragg serves in the Defense Media Activity's Emerging Media directorate.)


text:
Superintendent earns raise, praise, $50K
Seth Jovaag
Unified Newspaper Group
Verona's superintendent got a 2.5 percent pay raise last week and will earn a sizable bonus in July.
The Verona Area school board voted unanimously last Monday that Dean Gorrell will be paid $143,000 for the 2012-13 school year, retroactive to July 1, when his previous contract expired. His base salary was $139,500. The raise mirrors what staff got last spring and puts Gorrell's annual salary near the average for Dane County superintendents.
However, under a previous contract, Gorrell will also earn a $50,000 incentive payment into a retirement account on July 1 that rewards him for staying four years with the district since 2009.
A similar deal applies in this contract, except that it will be paid in four $12,500 installments each June 15, provided he stays here, said board member Ken Behnke, chair of the board's personnel committee.
The board first offered the incentive in 2005, when Gorrell, now 50, took over the district's top job. His initial contract included a $40,000 bonus paid into a retirement account after four years.
The goal of the bonuses has been to keep Gorrell for the long haul, said board president Dennis Beres.
"The board is very supportive of the work he's done," Beres said. "It would be very difficult to lose his leadership and have to replace him."
Behnke added that the board is "very pleased with (Gorrell's) performance."
Bonuses more common
Gorrell's eight-year tenure in Verona exceeds the norm, as roughly one-fifth of Wisconsin's 426 school districts hire a new superintendent each year, said Miles Turner, executive director of the Wisconsin Association of School Districts.
With districts competing for a limited number of candidates, more are turning to incentives or bonuses to retain superintendents, Turner said. He likens it to how private companies reward good CEOs. He added that a CEO overseeing "a multi-million dollar corporation" with hundreds of employees could easily earn seven figures.
A national job search could cost a district like Verona $15,000 or more, Turner said. But that doesn't account for the hidden costs of changing leaders and the "unknown element" of how well a new hire will fit, he said.
"If you talk to search firms, they'll tell you it's hard to find qualified candidates," Turner said. "It's not a very popular position. It's a high-stress, high-challenge position."
Districts offer a variety of bonuses that don't always show up in base salaries. For example, some districts offer vehicle stipends.
Madison offered a similar lump-sum bonus as Gorrell's to its former superintendent, Dan Nerad, and Monona Grove offered its superintendent a $150,000 retirement account payment, spread over five years, if he stays through 2017, according to a story last year in the Wisconsin State Journal.
Many districts are "turning to incentives to hold on to good administrators," Turner said.
'Moving forward'
The new contract also frees Gorrell to take up to 10 days of paid leave annually for professional development, consulting or other education-related activities, Behnke said.
That change is "mutually beneficial," Behnke said, because it can expose Gorrell to new ideas in other districts or in education in general.
Behnke said there was "no controversy" over the contract but that it was delayed for months as the board dealt with other pressing matters. It includes two one-year extensions lasting until July 1, 2015, though salary terms are negotiated annually and tend to mirror what employees receive.
Gorrell's tenure has included the addition of a new school (Glacier Edge Elementary), two new charter schools (Verona Area International School opened in 2010; the Exploration Academy will open this fall) and the launch of 4-year-old kindergarten last year. In his eight years, the district has increased its reserve funds and avoided going to referendum despite statewide cuts to education, Beres noted.
Beres specifically lauded Gorrell's recent efforts to spur a multi-year district-wide plan to "personalize education" for every student. The ambitious undertaking is meant to tackle a persistent "achievement gap" between white, wealthier students and students of color or from low-income homes in Verona. It's indicative that Gorrell is "moving the district forward," Beres said.
"I think taxpayers will be well served by the degree of raise he got compared to the value that he brings," he said.
Gorrell said he hears criticism "from time to time" about his salary.
"I am very grateful to the Board and taxpayers of the Verona Area School District for this generous compensation package," he wrote in an e-mail to the Verona Press. "Moreover, I am grateful to the Board, staff, students and community for the awesome working conditions here. This is a great district to work in and be a part of."


text:
HTC EVO 4G 3500mAh extended battery now on sale for $13 with free shipping
The HTC EVO 4G is a great phone, but its battery life is quite disappointing, especially if you frequently use Sprint's 4G data. Well now you can double the EVO 4G's battery life for just $13, thanks to Hand Held Items. The etailer is currently has the HTC EVO 4G Premium Extended Battery with Back Cover on sale – just add the battery to your cart here, and enter coupon code htc20phones at checkout. The extended battery will make the EVO 4G a bit more bulky, but it may be a life saver if you're away from a charger for an extended period of time.
Hand Held Items also has a Micro HDMI to HDMI adapter on sale for just $3.31, with free shipping. This adapter will work with any phone with a Micro USB connection. Just add this item here, and enter coupon code htc20phones at checkout (same code as the extended battery).
Source: Hand Held Items via Tech Bargains
The HTC Desire HD hits the FCC on schedule for an October launch
HTC passed a device known as the PD98100 through the FCC today. As with most confidential FCC filings, FCC documents for the PD98100 don't disclose much more than the outline of the device and pictures of it's label, above.
However, the device's label does look suspiciously like the label on the HTC Desire HD, aka Ace. The Desire HD is the version of the HTC EVO 4G for the rest of the world, and the device is expected to launch in Europe and Asia in October. Today's FCC filing does give us hope that we may see the Desire HD on US shores, although test reports for the device do not show support for US WCDMA bands at this point.
HTC releases, then pulls Android 2.2, aka Froyo, update for the HTC EVO 4G
My, it has been a busy Friday for HTC. Earlier today, the company released an early build of the Froyo update for the HTC EVO 4G through a download link on HTC's website. However, HTC quickly killed the download link, apparently because this Froyo update was not final.
While HTC's link to the Froyo update is now dead, you can still download the update from a number of mirrors online, like this one. Again, update with this ROM at your own risk – it's not final.
This update brings a number of new features, including the ability to use the EVO's camera LED as a flashlight, the ability to use the LED flash with the video camera, Flash 10.1 support, and the ability to share applications.
If you don't want to test the waters with this update, you can just wait until Tuesday, when the official Froyo update from HTC will go live.
Source: Android Police
White HTC EVO 4G to launch at Best Buy on July 11. Preorder today.
Want to stick out from the HTC EVO 4G crowd? Head over to Best Buy. The retailer is now accepting preorders for a white HTC EVO 4G. All you need to do is put down a $50 deposit and wait till July 11, when the phone launches.
Source: Engadget
Sprint overstated HTC EVO 4G sales on launch day, analyst estimates sales at 150,000 units
On Monday, Sprint issued a press release stating that "the total number of HTC EVO 4G devices sold on launch day was three times the number of Samsung Instinct and Palm Pre devices sold over their first three days on the market combined."
Well, it turns out those figures weren't quite right. Today, Sprint updated its original press release, saying "We inadvertently erred in the comparison. The total number of HTC EVO 4G devices sold on launch day was in line with the number of Samsung Instinct and Palm Pre devices sold over their first three days on the market combined."
Those sales figures are still quite good – they're just a third of the sales originally reported.
BTIG Analyst Walter Piecyk estimates that Sprint sold 150,000 EVO 4Gs during the device's launch weekend. However, since the EVO 4G is now in short supply with most stores sold out nationwide, BTIG doesn't expect sales of the phone to increase significantly this week.
HTC EVO 4G has record setting launch, but users suffer through activation, accessory and app issues
The weekend of the HTC EVO 4G has passed, and it appears to have been a very successful launch for Sprint – at least in terms of device sales. A press release issued by Sprint today reports that the EVO 4G broke sales records for Sprint on launch day.
According to Sprint, "Friday sales of HTC EVO 4G marked the largest quantity of a single phone sold in one day every for Sprint." The company also notes, that the total number of units sold on launch day was "three times the number of Samsung Instinct and Palm Pre devices sold over their first three days on the market combined."
The EVO 4G was available at 22,000 locations nationwide, including Sprint's retail stores, Radio Shack, Best Buy and Walmart. The phone quickly sold out in most locations nationwide, although Sprint claims that it's working with HTC to "increase inventory in all sales channels." Many stores, according to Sprint, are receiving new EVO 4G shipments on a daily basis.
Despite record sales figures, Sprint did suffer from a number of issues during launch day. I personally experienced a two hour wait as Radio Shack attempted to activate my EVO 4G on Sprint's overloaded device activation system. Later that day, Sprint stores in the Bay Area went completely offline, and were unable to process any sales transactions. I couldn't even purchase a case for the EVO 4G – Sprint reps told me they expected their systems to come back online in a few hours.
Speaking of accessories, there wasn't much selection available on launch day. Sprint only had a few cases available, none of which were particularly exciting. Best Buy had a Seido Platinum case available as well, although most of the stores we visited were sold out of all colors except purple. The HDMI car and desktop docks for the EVO 4G were not available either. Sprint representatives gave a July timeframe for the release of these accessories, although no firm release date was available.
Our sister site iGear360 has reviewed several cases for the EVO 4G. Check them out here.
The Qik app for the EVO 4G also suffered from high demand for the device. According to CNET, the Qik app was initially unavailable in the Android Market, and when the app was finally available for download Qik's servers were hit with 20x the normal workload. This caused connectivity issues for Qik users, forcing the company to pull the app until additional server capacity was added.
Although it was a rough weekend for some EVO 4G owners, reviews of the device have been generally positive. As far as we can tell, there were no major issues with the EVO 4G, although HTC did issue a firmware update for the EVO 4G on launch day that fixed memory card recognition issues.