A system and process for distributed control, data acquisition and data distribution. The system and process comprise a one or more chain of nodes configured to remove and add packets to a synchronous data stream without management or control of a master node. Additionally, the nodes are provided with offset parameters to affect synchronous activity.

Many applications exist in industry where it is desirable to control the behavior of a system or plant having a variety of different components. Examples of such components include machine tools, robotics, environmental systems and chemical processes. A typical controller would contain or be provided with a description of the desired behavior of the plant, be able to measure the condition(s) or state(s) of the plant, compare that state against the desired behavior and then direct the plant closer to the desired behavior by adjusting inputs to the plant. Such a system is referred to as a feedback control system.
In general the plant will have multiple inputs and multiple output states. Typically, the plant inputs are drive signals to actuators which are capable of affecting the plant's states, and the plant's outputs are signals from transducers which measure plant states.
Commonly the controller is a monolithic device. Its function is to: convert the signals representing the plant states into a form suitable for computation; obtain from an external source or from internal memory the desired plant behavior; compare the desired behavior with the actual behavior as represented by the obtained plant states; compute the appropriate way to direct the plants actuators; and output the required signals to the plant's actuators.
One modification to a typical monolithic controller structure splits the parts of the controller which convert the signals representing the plant states and/or drive the plant inputs out into one or multiple units. These units are then connected to the main control unit using some form of digital network.
Often the plant state signals and plant inputs are analog in nature which can be converted to digital signals. There are advantages of signal quality and reliability in performing a conversion to and from digital format in close proximity to the plant. Additionally, transmitting the resulting digital data across a shared digital network can reduce wiring complexity. In some plants, modules are added to the plant to make its inputs and outputs appear digital to the controller and allow the transmission of this data over a digital network. The resulting digital network can take many forms including, for example, a ring, tree, star or a combination of such topologies.
In any event, the control calculations are still performed in a central location called the controller and the description of the network connections and the data to be transmitted are located at this central location. Typically, the controller is referred to as the master and the nodes with which it communicates across the network are called slaves. In such environments, the controller or master manages the flow of data to, from and between the various slave devices.
The present invention is an improvement on such prior systems and processes.

Network control architecture and protocol for a distributed control, data acquisition and data distribution system and process


Color-correcting data from a segmented imaging sensor having plural sensor segments. The data is stored in plural segment memories each of which corresponds to one of the sensor segments, and each segment memory stores overlap data and non-overlap data from the corresponding sensor segment. The overlap data in each segment memory includes boundary data from a boundary region of the sensor segment for which color correction is performed based at least in part on data from a segment memory for an adjacent sensor segment. The overlap data further includes other data from the segment memory used to color-correct the boundary data. According to the invention, overlap data from at least a first half of the segment memories is loaded into a memory buffer. Alternatively, boundary data from all of the segment memories and non-boundary overlap data from a first half of the segment memories are loaded into the memory buffer, or boundary data from all of the segment memories is loaded into the memory buffer. Boundary and/or overlap data from the memory buffer is combined with data from some or all of the segment memories. Color correction is performed of boundary data based on the combined data, and color correction is performed of non-boundary data for each of the segment memories.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention concerns processing of data from segmented imaging sensors such as segmented solid-state sensor arrays (SSAs). In particular, the invention concerns processing of such data by a media processor which includes a built-in memory buffer for storing overlap data needed to color-correct data from boundary regions of sensor segments which are adjacent to other sensor segments. The media processor also includes direct memory access for efficiently accessing the built-in memory buffer.
2. Description of the Related Art
Recent advances in manufacturing processes for imaging sensors such as SSAs have resulted in imaging sensors having many millions of pixels arranged in a two-dimensional array. Because of the large number of pixels, however, there has been an undesirable increase in the processing time needed merely to shift out the data from the imaging sensors.
Several proposals have been considered to address the increase in shift-out time. According to one such proposal, an imaging sensor, such as a solid-state sensor array, is segmented into plural different disjoint areas, such as being divided into halves, fourths, or sixths. Data is output from each segment of the SSA separately. As a consequence of this arrangement, it is possible to reduce the shift-out time in proportion to the number of segments. For example, when an imaging sensor is divided into mutually disjoint left and right halves, it is possible to reduce the shift-out time by a factor of two.
One problem encountered during image reconstruction when using a segmented SSA is the appearance of discontinuities in image data formed at boundaries between each of the segments. If data from each sensor segment is processed separately, for example to perform color correction, these discontinuities can be exacerbated. However, in order to maintain processing efficiency, it is preferable to separately process data from plural segments in parallel.
It is an object of the invention to reduce discontinuities at boundaries between segments of a segmented imaging sensor while allowing efficient processing of data from plural sensor segments. To this end, a media processor according to the invention includes a memory buffer for storing data used to process image data from portions of the sensor segments adjacent to boundaries between segments. Such processing of the image data can include color correction and data compression, as well as other functions. For example, the data from this memory buffer is combined with data from various ones of the sensor segments, and the combined data is color-corrected. Preferably, the media processor includes plural processing clusters. A processing cluster is comprised of at least one logic unit and one data loading unit together with associated register files. These processing clusters can process the combined data in parallel, thereby improving processing efficiency.
Accordingly, in one aspect the invention is a media processor for processing data from a segmented imaging sensor having plural sensor segments. The data is stored in plural segment memories each of which corresponds to one of the sensor segments. The plural segment memories are provided in one large memory bank, thereby storing data in several different memory locations. Each segment memory also stores overlap data as well as non-overlap data from the corresponding sensor segment. The overlap data in each segment memory includes boundary data from a boundary region of the sensor segment for which color correction is performed based at least in part on data from a segment memory for an adjacent sensor segment. The overlap data further includes other data from the segment memory used to color-correct the boundary data.
The media processor according to the invention includes an interface to data from the plural segment memories, a memory buffer for storing boundary or other overlap data from at least one of the segment memories, and a data transfer controller for direct memory access to the memory buffer. The data transfer controller acts as an input/output (I/O) processor and has to manage data flow efficiently. Also included are control logic and one or more processing clusters for performing color correction on data, thereby providing the capability of processing data from multiple segment memories in parallel. Preferably, each processing cluster is capable of processing very long instruction word (VLIW) commands.
By virtue of the foregoing arrangement, data necessary for color correction of boundary data can be directly accessed from the memory buffer. This data can be combined with other data from the segment memories, and the data can be processed in parallel by plural processing clusters. Thus, discontinuities are alleviated, and processing efficiency can be improved.
The preferred embodiment of the media processor includes an interface to an image memory for storing color-corrected image data for all of the sensor segments. The color-corrected image data is preferably combined to produce an image indicative of the object to which the segmented image sensor was exposed.
In another aspect, the present invention is a method for color-correcting data from a segmented imaging sensor having plural sensor segments. The method preferably is implemented through control logic of a media processor as described above.
According to one embodiment of the method, overlap data is loaded from at least a first half of the segment memories into a memory buffer. The overlap data from the memory buffer is combined with data from a second half of the segment memories. Color correction is performed of boundary data, based on the combined data, and of non-boundary data for each of the segment memories. The color correction preferably is performed in parallel for plural segment memories, for example by plural processing clusters.
Preferably, color-corrected boundary data is loaded back into the memory buffer, and color-corrected non-boundary data from the first half of the segment memories is combined with color-corrected boundary data from the memory buffer. Preferably, the non-corrected data is trimmed away. The color-corrected boundary data and non-boundary data preferably are output from each of the segment memories.
According to another embodiment of the method, boundary data from all of the segment memories and non-boundary overlap data from a first half of the segment memories are loaded into a memory buffer. Boundary data from the memory buffer is combined with data from a specific segment memory which is adjacent to a second half of the segment memories. Non-boundary overlap data from the memory buffer is combined with data from a second half of the segment memories. Color correction is performed of boundary data, based on the combined data, and of non-boundary data for each of the segment memories.
Preferably, color-corrected boundary data is loaded back into the memory buffer, and color-corrected non-boundary data from the segment memories is combined with color-corrected boundary data from the memory buffer. Preferably, non-corrected data is trimmed away. The color-corrected boundary data and non-boundary data preferably are output from each of the segment memories.
According to yet another embodiment of the method, boundary data from all of the segment memories is loaded into the memory buffer. Data from the memory buffer is combined with data from each of the segment memories. Color correction is performed of boundary data, based on the combined data, and of non-boundary data for each of the segment memories. Preferably, non-corrected data is trimmed away, and color-corrected boundary data and non-boundary data are output from each of the segment memories.
According to a further embodiment of the method, data from all of the segment memories and non-boundary overlap data from a first half of the segment memories are loaded into a memory buffer. Color correction is performed on the combined data by multiple processing clusters, preferably in parallel. Color-corrected boundary data from the first half of the segment memories is loaded back into the memory buffer and is combined with color-corrected data from a second half of the segment memories. This combined data is then color-corrected. Preferably, non-corrected data is trimmed away. The color-corrected boundary data and non-boundary data are output from each of the segment memories.
Each of the foregoing embodiments facilitates access to data needed to color-correct data from each of plural sensor segments, thereby alleviating discontinuities and improving processing efficiency. Preferably, each of the foregoing embodiments includes combining the corrected data from each of the segment memories to produce an image which is indicative of the object to which the segmented image sensor was exposed.
This brief summary has been provided so that the nature of the invention may be understood quickly. A more complete understanding of the invention can be obtained by reference to the following detailed description of the preferred embodiment thereof in connection with the attached drawings.

Reducing discontinuities in segmented SSAs


Identifying insect species integrates image processing, feature selection, unsupervised clustering, and a support vector machine (SVM) learning algorithm for classification. Results with a total of 101 mosquito specimens spread across nine different vector carrying species demonstrate high accuracy in species identification. When implemented as a smart-phone application, the latency and energy consumption were minimal. The currently manual process of species identification and recording can be sped up, while also minimizing the ensuing cognitive workload of personnel. Citizens at large can use the system in their own homes for self-awareness and share insect identification data with public health agencies.

Mosquito borne diseases (e.g., Malaria, Dengue, West Nile Fever, and most recently Zika Fever) are among the biggest health care concerns across the globe today. To mitigate the spread of mosquito borne diseases, it is vital to combat the spread of mosquitoes. Of critical importance in this mission is the identification of species prevalent in an area of interest. This is important because there are close to 4,000 different species of mosquitoes present in the world today, spread across 40 or so genera [1], and with increasing globalization and warming, the species are spreading to newer locations, with some of them acting as vectors for several diseases. In any given location, multiple species are usually found at the same time (some being vectors for disease and some not). However, the process of genus and species identification is not at all easy.
As of today, to derive populations of mosquitoes in any area, trained professionals lay traps, and pick them up soon after to sort trapped specimens. Sometimes, hundreds of mosquitoes can be trapped in a single day. Then, to identify each specimen trapped, it is placed under a microscope, and visually identified (to determine genus and species), which takes hours each day for all specimens. Depending on location and time of year, this process can repeat multiple times in a single week, and is cognitively demanding. Such kinds of mosquito control facilities are expensive to manage, and they are few even in advanced countries. In low economy countries, where mosquitoes pose a greater danger, such facilities are even more scarce. With rising temperatures and population migrations, mosquitoes are believed to be invading newer areas across the world, and detecting them early is a huge challenge today.
Experts at mosquito control facilities acknowledge that, depending on location and time of the year, they can receive hundreds of calls each day from concerned citizens about mosquitoes in their neighborhoods. Due to limited resources, knowledge of mosquito genus and species types can play a vital role in prioritizing schedules for trap placement and spraying repellents during peak times, since different mosquito species are vectors for different diseases. In general, the deadliest mosquitoes belong to three genus types: Aedes , Anopheles and Culex. Within these genera, the species that are most deadly include Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus (dengue, chikungunya, yellow fever and Zika fever); Anopheles stephensi, Anopheles funestus and Anopheles gambiae (malaria); Culex nigripalpus, Culex pipiens and Culex quinquefasciatus (St. Louis encephalitis, West Nile fever, eastern equine encephalitis). But note that the ones above are the only ones that spread diseases. There are other species with these three genus types, and other there are ones in other genus also that spread diseases. Sadly, despite citizens willing to assist in the process of mosquito identification, there is no way to enable that now. One practice recommended by experts is to ask citizens to collect a few mosquitoes (after spraying insecticide on them), and store them in a transparent bag for the experts to identify them later. But this process is cumbersome, and the need for technology-based solutions to empower citizens in this effort has become clear [33].
Overview of Proposed Solutions in Background Literature
a). Image Based Techniques Using Digital Cameras: In [10], a solution is proposed to detect Aedes aegypti species using images taken from a 500× optical zoom camera and utilizing a computerized support vector machine classification algorithm. Using a sample of 40 images, seven textural features, and a support vector machine classification algorithm, an accuracy of 92.5% was demonstrated in classifying Aedes aegypti species from others. This solution though is expensive, and addresses a binary classification problem only. Work in [14] and [13] discusses machine learning techniques to classify mosquitoes from insects like flies and bees using images taken from digital cameras. The problem addressed in these papers is too generic though. In a recent paper [32], the authors address a problem similar to ours, but sufficiently different. Specifically, twelve (12) adult mosquito specimens from three genera (Aedes , Anopheles and Culex) were collected, and the right wing of each specimen was photographed using a sophisticated digital camera coupled with a microscope. Then, using coordinates at intersections of wing veins as a feature, followed by a Neighbor Joining Tree classification method, the accuracy in genus identification (among three) was 90%. This technique again is expensive and requires expertise.
b). Using Techniques other than Imaging: In [8], the authors attempt to use optical (rather than acoustic) sensors to record the "sound" of insect flight from a small distance, and then design a Bayesian classifier to identify four species of mosquitoes (Aedes aegypti, Culex quinque fasciatus, Culex stigmatosoma, and Culex tarsalis), and achieve an accuracy of 96%. Similarly, the work in [23] also leverages smart-phone microphones to capture and process sound, or acoustics, data of mosquito flight, along with location and time of observation. The claim is that these features are unique to classify mosquito species. More innovative techniques like hydrogel-based low-cost microfluidic chips, baited with odorants to capture saliva droplets of mosquitoes are being designed by researchers in order to serve as a test for vector species and pathogens. All of these techniques require "live" and "mobile" mosquitoes, with sensing devices placed close to them. They are not suited for ubiquitous and in-home use by both scientists as well as common citizens.
c). Other Related Work: A survey on imaging techniques to classify insects is presented in [19]. However, mosquitoes are not classified there. In [26], the authors ask citizens to use smart-phones for imaging and reporting about mosquitoes they encounter, but species classification is not discussed. In [24], Munoz et. al. propose a deep learning framework to classify larvae of mosquitoes from larvae of other insects, with smart-phone images. In [5], intensity of red blood cells computed from thin blood smear images were used to identify the presence of malarial (plasmodium) parasites in blood samples. Microsoft's "Project Premonition" is an ambitious effort to use drones and DNA sequencing techniques to identify mosquito species in hot-spots [4]. These recent works highlight important, but orthogonal tech-based solutions to combat mosquito-borne diseases, but ubiquitous and easy to use solutions for identifying mosquitoes species are not yet there.
To summarize, tech-based solutions to combat the spread of mosquito-borne diseases is an important need of the hour. However, there is no system yet that enables common citizens to participate in mosquito identification. This disclosure fills the gap by designing a computerized process, such as one enabled in a smart-phone based system, that enables anyone to take images of a still mosquito that is alive or dead (after possibly spraying or trapping), but still retaining its physical form, and then processes the images for species identification. This disclosure addresses the need for a system that is cheap, ubiquitous, and easily expandable to include more mosquito species beyond the current nine classified and discussed herein. The problem of identifying mosquito species from images is much harder than the certain others related to plants or larger animals, since there are no obvious (and un-aided) visually discernible markers across species types perceptible to the naked eye. In fact, public health workers with decades of experience still need a microscope and careful analysis to identify the species type of a mosquito specimen, hence demonstrating the complexity of the problem addressed here.
Based on the facts mentioned above, and coupled with the increasing global spread of mosquito-borne diseases, public health experts are highly receptive to any technology-based solution for mosquito species identification and recording that is accurate, comfortable and fast, so that a) human resources in public health can be utilized more effectively, and b) citizens can be better informed and, hence, better served. To this extent, this disclosure addresses a need for a computer-based system that processes digital images, such as those gathered by a smart phone. The apparatuses, systems, and methods disclosed herein utilize commonly available processing hardware of computers, mobile computers, personal devices, and smart telephones and enable anyone to take images of a still mosquito that is alive or dead (after possibly spraying or trapping), but still retaining its physical form, and then processes the captured images for genus and species identification.

Leveraging smart-phone cameras and image processing techniques to classify mosquito genus and species


A base station apparatus of mobile communication system is provided, including an antenna system including first antenna for transceiving signals for a first path among MIMO paths, and a second antenna for transceiving signals for a second path among the MIMO paths, a first duplexer including transmission filter for processing the transmitted signal of first path and reception filter for processing the received signal of second path, a second duplexer including reception filter for processing the received signal of first path and transmission filter for processing the transmitted signal of second path, and a path change unit for providing the transmitted signal provided from the first duplexer to the first antenna and the received signal provided from the first antenna to the second duplexer and to provide the transmitted signal from the second duplexer to the second antenna and the received signal from the second antenna to the first duplexer.

An antenna used in a base station including a repeater for a wireless communication system can have various forms and structures. Recently, a dual polarization antenna structure of 2T2R (2Tx/2Rx) MIMO scheme has been widely employed in wireless communication antennas by applying a polarization diversity scheme. In this case, the signals of the respective transmission & reception paths generally employ a structure for isolating transmitted and received signals using duplexers.
FIG. 1 is a schematic block diagram of a prior art base station apparatus of a mobile communication system. FIG. 1 shows an antenna system 10 having a 2T2R MIMO structure used in a typical mobile communication base station, and first and second duplexers 20 and 21 provided to each transmission & reception path. The antenna system 10 includes a first antenna (Ant0) 100 for transmitting and receiving signals for a first path P0 and a second antenna (Ant1) 101 for transmitting and receiving signals for a second path P1 in a 2T2R structure. The first and second antennas 100 and 101 are arranged to generate polarized waves orthogonal to each other.
In addition, first and second duplexers 20 and 21 respectively connected to the first and second antennas 100 and 101 of the antenna system 10 to separate or combine the transmitted and received signals of the first and second paths P0 and P1 are provided. The first duplexer 20 is connected to a first transmission & reception unit (P0 transmission & reception unit) 30, and the second duplexer 21 is connected to a second transmission & reception unit (P1 transmission & reception unit) 31. The first transmission & reception unit 30 processes signals transmitted and received on the first path, and the second transmission & reception unit 31 processes signals transmitted and received on the second path PI.
The first duplexer 20 has a structure in which a transmission filter (Tx0) 204 and a reception filter (Rx0) 206, which process a transmitted signal and a received signal for the first path P0, respectively, are connected using a T-junction 202. The second duplexer 21 has a structure in which a transmission filter (Tx1) 214 and a reception filter (Rx1) 216, which process a transmitted signal and a received signal for the second path P1, are connected using a T-junction 212.
Here, isolation between the transmitted signal and the received signal on the first path P0 is determined by the first duplexer 20 including the transmission filter 204 and the reception filter 206 connected by the T-junction 202. That is, isolation between the transmitting terminal and the receiving terminal of the first duplexer 20 is the transmission and reception isolation on the first path P0. Similarly, isolation of the transmitted signal and the received signal on the second path P1 corresponds to the isolation produced in implementing the second duplexer 21 including the transmission filter 214 and the reception filter 216 connected by the T-junction 212.
Therefore, as a method to increase isolation between the transmitted signal and the received signal, only improving filtering characteristics (for example, skirt characteristic) in the first and second duplexers 20 and 21 is substantially considered. In general, a technique of increasing the number of stages of each of the transmission filter and the reception filter or increasing the number of notches at a frequency to be isolated is generally employed. However, such a solution has problems of increasing the size of filters and difficulty in manufacture and production of filters.
Further, in order to meet the demand for faster processing and improved quality in the mobile communication market, each base station is being evolved into a small (or micro) cell, and an antenna system and base station equipment are being developed in an integrated manner. Accordingly, there is growing demand for a more compact and lightweight duplexer including the transmission filter and the reception filter described above. It has been a very difficult challenge to increase isolation between the transmitted signal and the received signal in consideration of the size and weight of the duplexer as described above.
Therefore, the present disclosure has been made in an effort to effectively resolve the aforementioned problems, and it is an object of the present disclosure to provide a device configured to increase isolation between the transmitted signal and received signal on a transmission & reception path or maintaining or satisfying a certain required level of isolation while reducing the size and weight of a duplexer configured to process the transmitted and received signals.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Base station device in mobile communication system and circulator arrangement to increase isolation between co-located antennas


An apparatus includes a processor and a machine-readable medium having program code to cause the apparatus to obtain a first dictionary based on a first training set of signals and determine a first subset of the first training set of signals based on a training reconstruction accuracy threshold and the first dictionary, wherein each atom in the first dictionary includes at least one of a signal pattern and a function representing the signal pattern. The program code also includes code to generate a second dictionary based on a second training set of signals, wherein the second training set of signals includes the first subset of the first training set of signals.

The disclosure generally relates to the field of subsurface characterization and more particularly to communication of subsurface measurements.
Fluid properties and certain other physical properties of matter change depending on their environment. Certain formation tester tools have the ability to measure various physical properties below the surface of the Earth to provide a means of characterizing a formation and determine formation/fluid properties to account for this phenomenon. The formation tester tools can include a device to provide formation pumpout measurements, wherein a sample of formation fluid is isolated from its surroundings and measured within the borehole at its original environment. These in-situ measuring devices make measurements that would be inaccurate or take too much time/cost if the measurements were made at the surface.
Many operations use sophisticated subsurface sensors that generate a significant amount of data within a short time period. The measurements are often communicated to the surface using techniques such as mud pulse telemetry, which limit the data bandwidth to a level far below the data acquisition rate of these subsurface sensors. Methods that optimize the data being transmitted to the surface are useful for formation evaluation and/or controlling a drilling operation, stimulation operation, or well production operation.

Dictionary generation for downhole signal compression


A one piece wall mounting bracket comprising a plastic body including a front wall and an integral peripheral wall extending from the front wall and having a free edge. Diametrically opposed portions of the free edge of the peripheral wall are formed with notches such that those peripheral portions can engage siding on wall of a building. The portions with the notches are preferably convex to firmly engage the siding. These wall portions can be readily severed to form a straight edge. A portion of the free edge of the wall is formed with a groove for receiving caulking. The groove is defined by a radially peripheral bead on the free edge which includes spaced walls forming the groove for receiving caulking compounds.

In the mounting of devices on the wall of the building having siding, it has been proposed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,726,152 that a bracket be provided which has a base member with a neck and a cap member with a neck which are telescoped together and riveted to one another after which the bracket is mounted on the wall of the building. The siding is then brought into position beneath the flange formed by the cap member. Such a bracket has also been molded in a one piece body. The problems with respect to such an arrangement are that is does not accommodate siding of varying thicknesses and is not universal in its application for mounting devices other then a light fixture. Where the siding is made of plastic the panels tend to be concave while the panels of insulated or wood siding are flat.
Among the objectives of the present invention are to provide an improved wall bracket which engages and accommodates the configuration of the siding on the building and which firmly engages the siding of the building to prevent the entry of water between the bracket and the siding.
In accordance with the invention a one piece wall mounting bracket comprises a plastic body including a front wall and an integral peripheral wall extending from the front wall and having a free edge. Diametrically opposed portions of the free edge of the peripheral wall are formed with notches such that those peripheral portions can engage siding on wall of a building. The portions with the notches are preferably convex to firmly engage the siding. These wall portions can be readily severed to form a straight edge. The free edge of the wall is formed with a groove for receiving caulking. The groove is defined by a radially peripheral bead on the free edge which includes spaced walls forming the groove for receiving caulking compound.


A method of welding a circuit conductor and one of a plurality of terminals of an electronic component of a control apparatus by melting and joining by a welding arc from a first electrode of a micromini TIG welder, the method includes: using the electronic component including the terminals which are apart from each other; and arc-welding while only the one of the plurality of the terminals of the electronic component of the control apparatus which is to be welded and the circuit conductor to be welded are sandwiched by an earth clamp jig serving as a second electrode so that the one of the plurality of the terminals of the electronic component of the control apparatus which is to be welded and the circuit conductor to be welded are grounded.

This invention relates to a method of welding a circuit conductor and a terminal of a control apparatus having a plurality of terminals by melting and joining by a welding arc.
U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2008-102716 (corresponding to Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2008-110357) discloses a welding method of welding, by a resistance welding, a terminal of an FET (field effect transistor) and a bus bar which is a circuit conductor used in an EPS (electromotive power steering device) control unit. That is, in general, in the EPS control unit, the FET is soldered to a glass epoxy substrate (board), or the FET is soldered to a metal substrate (board). Moreover, in general, a projection is provided to the terminal of the FET, and the FET is joined to the bus bar and so on by the resistance welding. In an arc welding, the too large current flows at the welding, and too large current may break the electronic component. Accordingly, the arc welding is infrequently-used.

Method of welding circuit conductor and terminal of control apparatus


Methods and devices are disclosed for the imaging of a biological sample with a top-down camera and a side-view camera. A biological sample is held on an imaging stage that is capable of rotation in two orthogonal axes. The top-down and side-view cameras can record a series of images of the sample using multiple imaging modalities at different rotational positions of the imaging stage. The top-down camera can be translated along its optical axis to affect the camera zoom and influence the resolution and field of view of the recorded images. Fluorescence excitation light sources can be positioned proximate to each of the top-down and side-view cameras to provide substantially uniform illumination of the sample for imaging with each camera.

Assessment of tumor margin during surgery can be essential to the optimal outcome of many oncologic procedures. Tumor margins are the healthy tissue surrounding the tumor, and more specifically, the distance between the tumor tissue and the edge of the surrounding tissue removed along with the tumor. Ideally, the margins are selected so that the risk of leaving tumor tissue within the patient is low.
Fluorescence image-guided systems can be used in conjunction with a series of imaging agents to visualize tumor margins during surgical procedures for cancer removal. However, in many cancer surgeries deep surgical cavities with closed spaces and hidden linings pose significant challenges. This is particularly true for breast-conserving surgeries and treatments of head and neck cancers. Discharging bio-fluids and small fields of view also can compromise the utility of handheld fluorescence devices for margin assessment at the surgical cavity. Therefore, intraoperative diagnosis on resected surgical samples promises to be a more effective means for margin assessment in many surgical cancer treatment applications. Imaging devices intended for use in the operating room, frozen room, or pathology lab can help in the examination of resected specimens to identify putative disease regions, playing a key role alongside other standard localization methods such as palpation and inspection.
In view of the foregoing, new systems, devices and methods are needed to improve gross examination and margin status. The present invention satisfies these and other needs.

Top-down and rotational side view biopsy specimen imager and methods


The application discloses an optical imaging lens, and the optical imaging lens sequentially comprises the following components from an object side to an image side along an optical axis: a first lens, a second lens, a third lens, a fourth lens, a fifth lens, a sixth lens and a seventh lens, wherein the first lens has a refractive power; the second lens has a refractive power; the third lens has a refractive power, the object side surface of the third lens is a convex surface, and the image side surface of the third lens is a convex surface; the fourth lens has a refractive power, the object side surface of the fourth lens is a convex surface, and the image side surface of the fourth lens is a concave surface; the fifth lens has a refractive power; the sixth lens has a positive refractive power; and the seventh lens has a refractive power, and the object side surface of the seventh lens is a convex surface. Wherein, the total effective focal length f of the optical imaging lens and the entrance pupil diameter EPD of the optical imaging lens satisfy the following relation: f/EPD<1.7; and the total effective focal length f of the optical imaging lens and the maximum semi field of view Semi-FOV of the optical imaging lens meet the following relation: 4 mm<tan(Semi-FOV)×f<5 mm.

With the rapid development of electronic products, the application of imaging lenses has become more and more widespread. On the one hand, as portable electronic products are gradually becoming lighter and thinner, the imaging lens thereof is required to have not only good image quality but also light and thin characteristics to effectively reduce the thickness of the portable electronic products. On the other hand, there is an increasing demand for the imaging quality of the imaging lenses for portable electronic products. With the popularization of the application of the portable electronic products, the application scenarios thereof are more diversified. For the imaging lens used in a matched way, the requirements of high pixel, high resolution, miniaturization and brightness are also put forward.


A method and apparatus for remotely operating a circuit protection device, such as a circuit breaker, to move the circuit protection device to an open condition to disconnect a load from a power source. The apparatus includes a control circuit positioned externally from the circuit protection device. The control circuit includes an impedance limiter and a switching device connected in series with each other. The impedance limiter and switching device are positioned in parallel with the load. The switching device can be remotely actuated to move between an open position and a closed position. When the switching device is in the closed position, the impedance limiter draws a supply of current through the impedance limiter. The size of the impedance limiter is selected such that the current drawn from the power source is greater than the trip current required to move the circuit protection device to the open position. Thus, the switching device can be used to remotely actuate the circuit protection device.

The present invention generally relates to a method and apparatus for remotely controlling the operation of a circuit protection device, such as a circuit breaker. More specifically, the present invention is an apparatus externally connected to a circuit breaker that causes the contacts of the circuit breaker to open in response to a signal generated by a remotely located control circuit.
Previously, it has been known to provide a circuit breaker including a shunt trip apparatus that allows the breaker to be selectively operated to its tripped condition from a remote location. The shunt trip feature is commonly provided by adding a separate enclosure to the side of an existing molded circuit breaker. Typically, the separate enclosure contains a shunt trip element, such as a solenoid or lever system, that is coupled to the circuit breaker through a linking arrangement extending through the outer walls of the molded circuit breaker case.
Although this type of shunt trip apparatus allows the circuit breaker to be remotely operated, the shunt trip apparatus requires modification to the standard circuit breaker housing and the inclusion of additional operating components, such as a separate set of contacts and/or operating devices such as a solenoid. Examples of this type of shunt trip circuit breaker are illustrated in U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,034,581; 5,301,083; and 4,804,862.
In addition to the shunt trip type of remotely actuated circuit breakers, U.S. Pat. No. 4,616,206 teaches a circuit breaker having a remotely located switch that draws current through the tripping mechanism within the circuit breaker. The supply of current down through the tripping mechanism moves an SME element in the breaker, thereby allowing the breaker to move to its tripped position. However, the mechanism illustrated in the ""206 patent requires a special connection to the internal components of the circuit breaker and draws current through a portion of the breaker that does not receive current during normal circumstances.
Therefore, a need exists for an apparatus that can remotely trip a circuit breaker without requiring separate mechanical or electromechanical components to be incorporated into the operating components of the circuit breaker. Further, a need exists for an apparatus that is located remotely from the circuit breaker and does not have any physical connections to the breaker. Additionally, a need exists for an apparatus that allows the circuit breaker to operate in a normal fashion while being able to quickly move the contacts to an open position.
The present invention is a method and apparatus for remotely activating a circuit protection device, such as a circuit breaker, to cause the circuit protection device to open and create an open circuit between a power source and a load. More specifically, the present invention is a control circuit that can be connected to the load side of a circuit breaker and operated to cause a surge of current to flow through the circuit breaker to open the contacts of the circuit breaker upon command.
The control circuit of the present invention includes an impedance limiter and a switching device connected in series with each other across the power supply. The impedance limiter includes one end connected to the load side of the circuit breaker and another end coupled to the switching device. Preferably, the impedance limiter is a resistor having a selected resistance such that when the resistor is connected between the circuit breaker and ground, the impedance limiter draws a supply of current from the power source sufficient to cause the contacts of the circuit breaker to move to an open position.
The switching device of the present invention includes an internal switch that allows the switching device to move between an open position and a closed position. When the switching device is in the open position, an open circuit is present between the impedance limiter and ground. When the switching device is moved to a closed position, the impedance limiter is connected to ground potential through the switching device. Thus, when the switching device is closed, the impedance limiter draws current from the power source through the circuit breaker.
The switching device and the impedance limiter of the present invention are located externally from the circuit breaker and can be connected to any type of circuit breaker currently available. Further, the external connection between the impedance limiter and the circuit breaker does not require any internal connections to the operating components within the circuit breaker.
The switching device of the present invention receives an operating signal from a switching circuit. The switching circuit can be configured to generate an operating signal upon detecting a desired parameter. For example, the switching circuit can generate the operating signal if the voltage of the power source exceeds an over voltage reference value or falls below an under voltage reference value.

Method and apparatus for remotely actuating a circuit protection device


A transparency conveying apparatus is provided with: a first rail for guiding one end of a transparency; a second rail for guiding the other end portion, which is provided parallel to the first rail with the transparency reading region placed between the first and second rails; a first belt for conveying the transparency along the first rail, which faces the first rail in a position where the one end is inserted between the first belt and the first rail; a second belt for conveying the transparency along the second rail, which faces the second rail in a position where the other end is inserted between the second belt and the second rail; a first engagement member for engaging the one end with the first belt; a second engagement member for engaging the other end with the second belt; and a drive unit for rotating the first and second belts.

The present invention relates to a transparency conveying apparatus and an image reading apparatus using the same.
In general, a film scanner reads a film by holding the film in a holder for conveyance. Patent documents 1 and 2 each disclose an image reading apparatus with a transparency conveying apparatus for conveying a strip film without holding the strip film by means of a holder for conveyance.
However, it is difficult for the image reading apparatus described in Patent document 1 to hold a film flat in a document reading region between rollers, which are provided apart from each other in the direction in which a film is conveyed, and therefore, there is a risk that a film is shifted from the focal point in the optical system, resulting in an image that is out of focus, or a bent film may be read out, resulting in a warped image.
In addition, there is a risk in the image reading apparatus described in Patent document 2, wherein a roller that is pressed against an image recording region of a film may damage or stain the region.
Furthermore, the image reading apparatuses described in Patent documents 1 and 2 cannot read out a variety of sizes of reflection copies.    Patent document 1: Japanese Published Unexamined Patent Application Hei-11-98310    Patent document 2: Japanese Published Unexamined Patent Application 2001-358875

Transparency conveying apparatus and image reading apparatus


A method for making a wind turbine rotor blade half shell includes arranging a fibrous material in a mold, which has an inner side predetermining an aerodynamic surface of the half shell and has a pinching edge defining the profile of a trailing edge of the half shell. A liquid plastics material surrounding the fibrous material is cured. An insert is arranged in relation to the mold in a predetermined position, in which a surface of the insert and a bordering portion of the inner side of the mold conjointly define an acute angle tapering toward the pinching edge, so that a thinly tapering trailing edge of the half shell is formed between the surface of the insert and the bordering portion.

Half shells for wind turbine rotor blades are generally produced separately from each other in separate half shell molds, in particular in vacuum infusion processes. After the curing, the two half shells are adhesively bonded to each other, generally lying one over the other in the region of the trailing edge, so that the thickness of the trailing edge is determined by the thicknesses of the two half shells and of the adhesive layer formed therebetween. It is known that, in particular in the regions of the rotor blade near the blade tip, trailing edges that are as thin as possible are aerodynamically advantageous and lead to a reduced development of noise.
United States patent application publication 2007/0098561 discloses a rotor blade in which the two half shells are adhesively bonded to each other such that the trailing edge is formed exclusively by the half shell on the suction side. The thickness of the trailing edge is accordingly not formed by both half shells plus the adhesive layer, but only by the half shell on the suction side.
United States patent application publication 2012/0067515 discloses a wind turbine rotor blade in which the entire rotor blade is not assembled from two half shells bat is produced in a single vacuum infusion process. It is just that the fibrous materials are placed into separate half shell molds. The known rotor blade also has a thick trailing edge, in which an end edge chord is arranged.
United States patent application publication 2011/0135485 A1 discloses a structural component in the form of a double T-beam for a wind turbine rotor blade. Details of how the rotor blade is assembled from this structural component and further elements are not described.
The publication WO 01/46582 A2 discloses a wind turbine rotor blade that is not constructed from half shells but from a multiplicity of segments, which are set against a centrally arranged spar box by means of elastic joints.

Method for making a wind turbine rotor blade half shell or wind turbine rotor blade and production mold therefor


The invention provides novel pervious composite materials that possess excellent physical and performance characteristics of conventional pervious concretes, and methods of production and uses thereof. These composite materials can be readily produced from widely available, low cost raw materials by a process suitable for large-scale production with improved energy consumption, desirable carbon footprint and minimal environmental impact.

Pervious concrete is a unique class of concrete characterized by a network of interconnected pores within the concrete material. The pores within pervious concrete are typically of large size and occupy a significant volume fraction. The high porosity (or pore volume) allows pervious concrete to be used in flatwork applications so that water from precipitation and other sources can pass directly through the material, thus reducing runoff from a site and facilitating groundwater recharge. Pervious concrete is usually made using coarse aggregates (having particle size between 4.75 mm and 25 mm) with little or no fine aggregates (having particle size between 0.25 mm and 4.75 mm). The amount of porosity and pore structure play a significant role in the overall performance of this material.
Despite the benefits of using pervious concrete pavements, significant drawbacks and challenges need to be addressed. These include: limited use in high volume traffic areas; need for specialized construction practices; extended curing time; durability and weather resistance; and sensitivity to water content and control in fresh concrete.
Thus, there is an on-going need for novel pervious composite materials that match or exceed the physical and performance characteristics of conventional pervious concretes, and that can be mass-produced at lower cost with improved energy consumption and more desirable carbon footprint.

Pervious composite materials, methods of production and uses thereof


A method of AIN query redirection is performed by a first SCP in a telecommunication network. The first SCP receives a query from an originating SSP and determines that a second SCP should service the query. The query is then populated with information from the originating SSP as well as appropriate routing information to send the query to a second SCP where a response is generated by the second SCP. The query response is sent back from the second SCP to the originating SSP without passing through the first SCP.

This invention relates generally to Advanced Intelligent Network (AIN) telephone services. More particularly, this invention relates to AIN query redirection.
The Advanced Intelligent Network (AIN) is the name given to a collection of network elements including Service Switching Points (SSP""s), Signal Transfer Points (STP""s), Signal Control Points (SCP""s), Intelligent Peripherals (IP""s), Service Management Systems (SMS""s), and Signaling System 7 (SS7) links. SS7, also known as Common Channel Signaling (CCS), provides AIN systems with out-of-band signaling system capability. Such out-of-band signaling systems provide separate channels for control messages. The SS7 exchanges control messages such as Transaction Capability Application Part (TCAP) messages, also called queries, between network elements to deploy selected services. The SS7 system also carries ISDN-user part (ISUP) messages between network node switching units to set up and route calls. The SS7 system handles queries and messages on a separate shared system from the trunks which carry customer call traffic.
AIN systems process queries based on information stored in various components of the AIN system. Currently, information relating to specific services and to specific customers can be contained in multiple and separate databases spread through the AIN system. When a query is sent from an originating SSP to a STP and from there to a SCP for processing, the SCP the query was sent to may not have the data locally available to be able to process the query. The first SCP would then send the query back to the STP from where the query would then be routed to a second SCP. Once the query is directed to the second SCP that contains the correct information to process the query, the query response is then sent back to the STP and from there to the first SCP before being sent back to the STP and from there to the originating SSP. This return path wastes both time and resources. Passing the query response back through the first SCP requires additional signals in the SS7 network. Additional signals create an increased burden on the SS7 network and also increases the overall elapsed time between when the original query was sent and the query response is received.
Another method of query handling used by AIN systems is to define translation type numbers (TTNs) and the 10 digit telephone number the TTNs correspond to in translation data tables (TDTs). These TDTs are contained in the SSP as well as in the STP that is designated to receive queries from that telephone number. Once the STP receives a query containing a TTN and 10 digit telephone number, the TTN and 10 digit telephone number are compared with the STP""s TDTs. If both the TTN and the 10 digit telephone number are defined in the STP""s TDTs, the STP can send the query, along with the data for processing the query, to the SCP. This method, however, requires a great deal of resources to define the additional TTNs and the corresponding 10 digit telephone numbers in both the SSP and STP TDTs. This method further requires a great deal of maintenance to keep the TDTs contained in the SSP and STP current and accurate.


A lamp is provided that includes a light source (119), having a laser diode (111, 511, 911) and a fluorescent sheet (112). The laser (121, 521, 621, 721, 921) emitted from the laser diode (111, 511, 911) is focused on the fluorescent sheet (112) and excites the fluorescent sheet (112) to emit fluorescent light (123, 323). The fluorescent sheet (112) has a transparent thermally conductive substrate (512a, 612a, 712a, 912a, 1012a) and a fluorescent coating (512b, 612b, 712b, 912b, 1012b) attached to the substrate, and has a diaphragm plate (717) disposed at a rear end of an optical path of the fluorescent sheet (112) and attached to the fluorescent sheet (112), the diaphragm plate (717) having a light-transmitting zone (717a) and a light-shading zone (717b) closely adjacent to each other. The diaphragm plate (717) can at least partially block light around a light-emission spot.

The lamps belong to the traditional field, and there are many kinds of lamps. After the emergence of LEDs, kinds of LED-based lamps are also emerging. However, with the improvement of people's living standards, there is an increasing demand for lighting, especially decorative lighting, and this demand has not yet been fully met.

SHANGHAI BLUE LAKE LIGHTING TECH. CO., LTD.


Disclosed are coating compositions suitable for application to polymeric substrates. The coating compositions include: (a) a film-forming resin; (b) a non-volatile chemical etchant; and (c) a solubilizing agent.

Polymeric materials, such as polyamides, are used in many applications, such as in the manufacture of automobile parts and accessories, containers, consumer electronics devices, household appliances and other commercial items. More recently, polyamides reinforced with, for example, glass fibers, are being used in the construction of such articles. This reinforcement increases the rigidity, strength, and/or heat resistance of the polyamide, thereby providing a material that is more desirable in many applications.
It is often desired to coat articles made from such materials with one or more coatings to decorate and/or protect a surface thereof from degradation when exposed to, for example, atmospheric weathering conditions, such as sunlight, moisture, heat and cold. To achieve longer lasting and more durable parts, it is desirable that such coatings adhere well to the article surface.
In many cases, an adhesion-promoting layer is used on polymeric substrates, such as polyamide substrates, to improve the adhesion of subsequent applied coatings thereto. In many cases, these adhesion-promoting layers are formed from compositions that include chlorinated polyolefins and/or epoxy-amine chemistries. Unfortunately, the adhesion performance of such layers has not always been reliable, particularly when they have been applied to reinforced polyamide substrates of the type described above.
As a result, it would be desirable to provide coating compositions that are capable of providing coatings that adhere to polymeric substrates, including reinforced polyamide substrates, and which are suitable for the application of subsequent coatings.

Coating compositions and methods for improving the adhesion of coatings to polymeric substrates


A positioning apparatus including first and second bases, and two moving elements which are guided by the first and second bases to move on the first and second bases. The two moving elements are supported on the first and second bases by air bearings. A distance is ensured between the first and second bases, and when the two moving elements move between the first and second bases, both a guide surface of the first base and a guide surface of the second bases are used. Also, pneumatic pressures of the air bearings are increased to be higher than that in a case in which the moving elements move on the first and second bases.

In the manufacture of various types of devices, such as semiconductor devices, an exposure apparatus which forms a latent pattern on a photosensitive agent applied to a substrate is used. The latent pattern is patterned in a later developing step. One of the important factors in the exposure apparatus can include an exposure processing ability, i.e., the throughput.
As a scheme that greatly improves the throughput, a scheme is available which simultaneously performs an alignment process (a measurement process for alignment) and an exposure process (a process of forming a latent pattern on a substrate while positioning the substrate on the basis of information obtained by the alignment process). According to this scheme, two stages are provided. The alignment process is performed for a substrate on the stage in an alignment process area, and the exposure process is performed for a substrate on the stage in an exposure process area. When the simultaneous processes are ended, the stage which holds the aligned substrate is moved from the alignment process area into the exposure process area, and the stage which holds the exposed substrate is moved from the exposure process area into the alignment process area.
According to this scheme, the two stages must be swapped between the alignment process area and the exposure process area. An exposure apparatus is available which moves two stages on one stage base in order to swap them. If the two stages are arranged on one stage base, when the alignment process and exposure process are to be performed simultaneously, vibration which can be caused by a reaction force generated upon driving one stage adversely affects driving and positioning of the other stage. More specifically, the reaction force which accompanies driving of one stage can decrease the positioning accuracy of the other stage, or prolong the settling time during positioning.
Japanese Patent Laid Open No. 2001-203140 discloses the following exposure apparatus. Two stage bases are arranged on a base plate. A stage main body which is movable in X and Y directions is arranged on each stage base. Wafer tables are held by the conveyance arm mechanisms of conveyance mechanisms, and are swapped between the two stage main bodies. In the exposure apparatus disclosed in this reference, vibration that can be generated by one stage main body is prevented from being transmitted to the other stage main body.
With the wafer table swapping scheme disclosed in this reference, in addition to wafer or wafer table positioning mechanisms, to swap the two wafer tables, the conveyance mechanisms that drive the two wafer tables two-dimensionally are indispensable. The conveyance mechanisms do not share components with the wafer or wafer table positioning mechanisms, but are completely independent, making the structure of the exposure apparatus complicated.
The conveyance mechanisms for swapping the wafer tables disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid Open No. 2001-203140 cannot swap the positions of the two conveyance arm mechanisms that respectively hold the wafer tables. Therefore, while the two conveyance arm mechanisms respectively hold the wafer tables, the two wafer tables cannot be simultaneously swapped between the two stage main bodies. Accordingly, the conveyance mechanisms for swapping the wafer tables disclosed in this reference require a long period of time for swapping the wafer tables.

Positioning apparatus, exposure apparatus, and device manufacturing method


Methods for the preparation of carbon fiber from polyolefin fiber precursor, wherein the polyolefin fiber precursor is partially sulfonated and then carbonized to produce carbon fiber. Methods for producing hollow carbon fibers, wherein the hollow core is circular- or complex-shaped, are also described. Methods for producing carbon fibers possessing a circular- or complex-shaped outer surface, which may be solid or hollow, are also described.

Carbon fiber has previously been produced from polyethylene fiber by liquid immersion sulfonation of the polyethylene fiber (e.g., by treatment with chlorosulfonic or sulfuric acid), followed by pyrolysis. The sulfonation step makes the polyethylene fiber thermally infusible, and thus, carbonizable at the high temperatures employed for carbonization.
However, the liquid immersion sulfonation process, as conventionally practiced, has at least the significant drawback of being either very slow with respect to the degree of sulfonation provided to the polyethylene fiber, or very aggressive such that the reaction is uncontrollable before it achieves equilibrium or complete sulfonation (i.e., a saturated level of sulfonation) of the precursor fiber. Depending on the type of precursor, complete sulfonation preferably occurs through the core of the fiber and maintains a gradient in the degree of functionalization across the filament radius.
Since carbon yield and carbon fiber properties (e.g., strength, brittleness, and fracture toughness) are dependent on the degree of sulfonation, there would be an advantage in adjusting the degree of sulfonation of the precursor in order to accordingly adjust the properties of the carbon fiber. However, the methods known in the art are generally not amenable for such careful adjustment in the degree of sulfonation because the aim has heretofore been to achieve complete sulfonation of the precursor to produce solid carbon fiber.

Method for the preparation of carbon fiber from polyolefin fiber precursor, and carbon fibers made thereby


A gas detection device manufactured by a semiconductor process includes a substrate, a microelectromechanical element, a light-emitting element, a particle-sensing element, a gas-sensing element, a driving-chip element and an encapsulation layer. The driving-chip element controls driving operations of the microelectromechanical element, the light-emitting element, the particle-sensing element and the gas-sensing element, respectively. When the microelectromechanical element is enabled to actuate transportation of gas, the gas is introduced into the gas detection device through an inlet aperture of the substrate. Scattered light spots generated by the light beam of the light-emitting element irradiating on suspended particles contained in the gas are received by the particle-sensing element to generate a detection datum of the suspended particles. The gas-sensing element detects the gas passing through and generates a detection datum of hazardous gas contained in the gas. Finally, the gas is discharged from an outlet aperture of the encapsulation layer.

In recent, people pay more and more attention to the air quality around their lives. For example, carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, volatile organic compounds (VOC), PM2.5, nitric oxide, sulfur monoxide and even the suspended particles in the air exposed in the environment might affect the human health, and even endanger people's life seriously. Therefore, the air quality in the environment has attracted the attention in various countries. At present, how to detect the air quality and avoid the harmful effect result therefrom is a problem that needs to be solved urgently.
In order to confirm the quality of the air, it is feasible to use a gas sensor to detect the air surrounding in the environment. If the detection information can be provided in real time to warn the people in the environment, it would be very helpful of avoiding the harmful environment and facilitates people to escape therefrom immediately. Thus, it prevents the hazardous gas exposed in the environment from affecting the human health and causing the harmful effect. Therefore, using a gas sensor to detect the air in the surrounding environment is a very good application and is an important subject to be developed in the present disclosure.


A radio for determining the occupancy of a variable width channel for secondary use, the variable width channel with a bandwidth equal to an integer multiple of the bandwidth of a plurality of narrowband channels in an RF frequency band. The radio decides whether the variable width channel in the RF band is occupied by whether classifying each of the narrowband channels corresponding to the variable width channel and each of a plurality of sub-bands with bandwidths of narrowband channels but center frequencies shifted by one-half of the bandwidth of the narrowband channel and overlap with the bandwidth of the variable width channel as containing signal or noise based on measured energy levels.

Governmental regulations for radio frequency transmissions for a predefined frequency band includer a specification that specify for the band a number of predefined channels. Each channel will have pre-defined bandwidth(s) and a channel center frequency to which RF transmissions within the band must adhere. The channel specification also usually specifies a framework for sharing channels and reusing frequencies.
A frequency division multiplexed (FDM) channelization of a RF band may have narrow equal bandwidth channels throughout the band as well as wider channels whose bandwidth are even multiples of that of the bandwidth of the narrowest channel. Regulations often dictate that wider bandwidth FDM channels share the same center frequencies as the narrowest channel, resulting in spacing for channels whose width is 2n times the bandwidth of the narrow channel to be (2n+1) times the bandwidth of the narrowest channel. Examples of such spectral bands include VHF and UHF spectral bands for private land mobile services, in which multiple channels of different bandwidths will share the same the center frequency. FIG. 1 illustrates an example for a VHF spectral band. The wideband channels 102, narrowband channels 104, and very narrowband channels 106 share the same center frequencies 108 are shown.
Mixed-use (voice and data) frequency channels in licensed bands require that a transceiver assess and identify channels available for secondary use. To achieve spectral awareness, a radio may employ various learning methods to sense and detect the primary user activity. Generally, the more knowledge that a radio has regarding the primary user (PU) in a band, the easier it is for it to accurately establish the PU's presence. For example, knowing a PUs' digital signal characteristics such as modulation technique, pilots, spreading codes, preambles, and packet format can be used improve a radio's detection ability. However, detection schemes derived a priori from such knowledge increase complexity and computational demands.
Without a priori knowledge, or when dealing with a mix of voice and data signals, a radio typically must resort to detecting energy in each sub-band to determine whether a primary user is transmitting by comparing a detected energy level of each channel to a threshold that depends on the receiver's perception of levels of thermal noise. If the measured energy exceeds that threshold for any given sub-band, that sub-band is then deemed as occupied and in-use. This type of detection can be effective unless the received signal strength is close to or under the perceived noise floor. For the method to be most effective, a radio needs not only accurately filter and distinguish transmissions that may be present, but also to make accurate assessment of changes to a dynamically changing noise floor.

Wide band sensing of transmissions in FDM signals containing multi-width channels


Provided is a substrate/oriented apatite-type composite oxide film complex which is suitable as a solid electrolyte for a battery, a sensor, a separation membrane, or the like, and can be produced inexpensively. Proposed is a substrate/oriented apatite-type composite oxide film complex provided with an oriented apatite-type composite oxide film on a substrate, wherein a film thickness of the oriented apatite-type composite oxide film is 10.0 μm or less, a degree of orientation (Lotgering method) thereof is 0.6 or more, and a material of the substrate at a side on which at least the oriented apatite-type composite oxide film is formed is a metal, an alloy, a ceramic, or a composite material thereof.

The present invention relates to a substrate/oriented apatite-type composite oxide film complex which is a complex of a substrate and an oriented apatite-type composite oxide film, and a method for producing the same. Particularly, the present invention relates to a substrate/oriented apatite-type composite oxide film complex which can be used as a battery such as a solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC), an ion battery, or an air battery and also as a solid electrolyte such as a sensor, or a separation membrane, and a method for producing the same.

Substrate/oriented apatite-type composite oxide film complex and method for producing same


A portable terminal has a body including a transparent window integrally formed therein, a display disposed beneath the body and visible through the transparent window, and a touch screen located between the display and the body, the touch screen permitting signal input in a capacitive manner.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a portable terminal, and more particularly, to a portable terminal that applies a capacitive touch pad to a display.
2. Description of Related Art
FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view of a portable terminal according to the related art, and FIG. 2 is a sectional view of a portable terminal according to the related art.
The related art portable terminal includes a body 110, a display 114 disposed to be exposed to the outside of the body 110 to display information, and a touch pad 112 attached onto a surface of the display 114 to input signals.
The touch pad 112 is outwardly exposed because information can be inputted only by applying pressure directly onto the surface of the touch pad 112. Therefore, the body 110 has an opening 116 so as to dispose the touch pad 112 to be outwardly exposed. In addition, the touch pad 112 is formed to be transparent, so as to enable viewing of information displayed on the display 114 from the outside.
An adhesive tape (not shown) is attached onto an edge of an upper surface of the touch pad 112, and accordingly the tape-attached edge of the touch pad 112 is adhered onto an edge of an inner surface of the opening 116. Also, the adhesive tape is attached onto an edge of a lower surface of the touch pad 112 so as to adhere the edge of the lower surface of the touch pad 112 onto an edge of an upper surface of the display 114.
In the related art portable terminal having the configuration as explained above, upon directly touching the surface of the touch pad 112, pressure change occurs at the touched portion of the touch pad 112, thereby inputting a signal.
However, since the touch pad 112 of the related art portable terminal is exposed to the outside of the body 110, the opening 116 extends through the body 110, which results in an unattractive appearance of the terminal, and allows permeation of foreign materials (e.g., dust or water) into the body 110 through the opening 116.


A method for structuring ferroelectric layers on semiconductor substrates retains or regenerates the adherence and breakdown voltage resistance of the ferroelectric layer, which is especially significant for producing storage capacitors in large-scale integrated FeRAM and DRAM memory components. The addition of H2O or O2 results principally in the recovery of the electrostatic breakdown strength of the ferroelectric layer, which is of importance in particular when the ferroelectric serves as a dielectric of a storage capacitor and has to withstand electric fields of 5-10xc3x97106 V/m without a significant leakage current.

Field of the Invention
The invention relates to methods for patterning ferroelectric layers disposed on semiconductor substrates, as are used in particular for fabricating storage capacitors on large scale integrated FeRAM and DRAM components.
Ferroelectric materials are used for the fabrication of ferroelectric capacitors for applications in nonvolatile semiconductor components having a high integration density, but also for future large scale integrated volatile DRAM semiconductor memory components. The materials are able to maintain an electrical polarization in the absence of an externally applied voltage, for which reason they are used for nonvolatile semiconductor memories. At the same time, the materials also have a very high relative permittivity, for which reason they are of interest for large scale integrated DRAM memory components, for increasing the capacitance of the storage capacitors.
Preferred ferromagnetic materials for semiconductor memories are materials from the perovskite group. Representatives of the perovskite group are crystals having the compound structure ABX3, where A primarily denotes the ions Ca, Ba, Pb, K and rare earths, B denotes ions as Ti, Zr, Sn, Nb, Ta, etc. and X denotes an oxygen atom or a halogen atom. In memory technology, SrBi2Ta2O9 (SBT), Pb(Zr, Ti)O3 (PZT), or Bi4Ti3O12 (BTO), in particular, are used as dielectrics between the plates of a capacitor. These materials have oxygen and no halogen as the third constituent, X3. These materials are applied to the surface and crystallized in a ferro-annealing process step in oxygen at a temperature of around approximately 800xc2x0 C.
A plate material of the capacitors with a ferroelectric dielectric is preferably a noble metal that withstands the high temperatures of the ferro-annealing process step in oxygen or is converted completely or partially into a conductive oxide under these conditions. Appropriate materials for this are primarily Pt, Pd, Ir, Rh, Ru or Os or conductive noble metal oxides such as IrOx, RhOx, RuOx, OsOx, SrRuO3.
In general, capacitor construction in large scale integrated memory components follows the so-called stack principle, in which the capacitor contains a sandwich structure formed by a bottom electrode, a dielectric layer and a top electrode, which is applied on an insulating layer above a selection transistors.
It is accordingly an object of the invention to provide a method of patterning ferroelectric layers that overcomes the disadvantages of the prior art methods of this general type.
With the foregoing and other objects in view there is provided, in accordance with the invention, a first method for patterning a ferroelectric layer on a main surface of a semiconductor substrate. The first method includes the steps of providing the semiconductor substrate having the ferroelectric layer, providing a mask for patterning the ferroelectric layer, carrying out a dry etching process using an etching gas mixture having halogen-containing gases, carrying out a heat treatment process after performing the dry etching process, and feeding H2O to the semiconductor substrate.
With the foregoing and other objects in view there is provided, in accordance with the invention, a second method for patterning a ferroelectric layer on a main surface of a semiconductor substrate. The second method includes the steps of providing the semiconductor substrate having the ferroelectric layer, providing a mask for patterning the ferroelectric layer, carrying out a dry etching process using an etching gas mixture having halogen-containing gases, and carrying out a heat treatment process in an O2-containing atmosphere after performing the dry etching process. A temperature at the semiconductor substrate is about 500xc2x0 C. for about 2 to 4 hours and then is driven up to 650 to 800xc2x0 C.
The methods according to the invention have the advantage that a ferroelectric layer can be patterned without the disadvantages described. Dry etching using etching gas mixtures having halogen-containing gases suppresses fence formation in the mask openings. In this case, the incorporation of halogens into the ferroelectric layer, which is harmful for the ferroelectric layer, is suppressed or reversed by the addition of H2O or O2. The feedback of oxygen into the ferroelectric material, shown using the example of H2O with SBT as the dielectric material, can happen e.g. through the reaction
SrBi2Ta2O9-xHal2x+x H2O xe2x86x92 SrBi2Ta2O9+2HHalx
where Hal denotes F, Cl, Br and/or I.
The addition of H2O or O2 results principally in the recovery of the electrostatic breakdown strength of the ferroelectric layer, which is of importance in particular when the ferroelectric serves as a dielectric of a storage capacitor and has to withstand electric fields of 5-10xc3x97106 V/m without a significant leakage current.
Furthermore, the adhesive strength of the ferroelectric layer, impaired as a result of the dry etching using halogen-containing etching gases, is re-established as a result of the feeding in of H2O and/or O2. The adhesive strength plays a special part e.g. if the ferroelectric layer is a dielectric between two capacitor electrode layers.
The two methods according to the invention differ in the presence and absence of H2O for annealing the ferroelectric layer. Whereas in the first method, the annealing of the ferroelectric layer degraded by the dry etching is affected by a reaction of H2O with the halogen atoms. According to the second method the annealing is effected by a reaction of O2 with the halogen atoms. In the first method, the annealing is preferably effected in accordance with the chemical sequence:
H2O+2 Halxe2x88x92 xe2x86x922 HHal+Oxe2x88x92 with Hal=F, Cl, Br, I,
whereas in accordance with the second method the annealing is preferably effected by:
O2+4 Halxe2x88x92 xe2x86x922 Hal2+2 Oxe2x88x92 with Hal=F, Cl, Br, I.
The exchange of the halogen atoms in the ferroelectric material by the oxygen atoms in accordance with the second method is affected by heat treatment of the semiconductor substrate for 2 to 4 hours at about 500 degrees Celsius, after this time the temperature being driven up to 650 degrees to 800 degrees Celsius. The driving-up process is preferably carried out such that the semiconductor substrate is in the temperature range between 650 and 800 degrees Celsius for about 15 to 30 minutes. The atmosphere during the heat treatment preferably has a pressure of 1 atmosphere. In this case, the atmosphere preferably essentially contains oxygen. Through the heat treatment, the halogen atoms incorporated into the ferroelectric material as a result of the dry etching using the halogen-containing etching gas mixture are exchanged by the oxygen in accordance with the stoichiometric ratio. The method according to the invention furthermore has the advantage that it can be easily integrated into the overall process sequence.
The patterning of the ferroelectric layer takes place as a result of the dry etching step. The dry etching is preferably affected in plasma. The plasma contains an etching gas mixture that has halogen-containing gases and provides for a sufficient etching rate on ferroelectric layers and for a sufficient selectivity. In this case, the mask prescribes the structure of the layer to be patterned. In a preferred embodiment, the mask contains a silicon oxide or a nitride; however, it may also contain a resist which is removed again e.g. after the etching. The mask is preferably applied directly on the ferroelectric layer or on a layer which covers the ferroelectric layer.
The heat treatment step after the dry etching step is carried out in order to anneal the ferroelectric layer that has been exposed to the etching gas mixture and has thus been damaged, and to improve the adhesive strength of the ferroelectric layer with respect to the adjacent layers. The damage caused by the etching gas mixture is affected in particular at edges of the etched regions, since the mask does not cover and protect the ferroelectric layer there. An annealing of the ferroelectric layer, in particular an increased breakdown voltage strength and increased adhesive strength is achieved, however, only if, in accordance with the first method, H2O is added to the substrate during the dry etching step, during the heat treatment step and/or during a stripping process step. In the case of the method in accordance with the second method, the annealing of the ferroelectric layer takes place by a heat treatment in an O2-containing atmosphere.
The methods according to the invention are preferably used when a conductive layer, in particular a conductive layer made of a noble metal or noble metal oxide, is applied on the ferroelectric layer. Both the conductive layer and the ferroelectric layer are then preferably patterned in one process step. Preferred conductive layers are made, in particular, of Pt, Pd, Ir, Rh, Ru, or Os, or of the conductive oxides IrOx, RhOx, RuOx, OsOx, SrRuOx. In particular, this method is used for a Pt layer on a ferroelectric layer. In this case, the dry etching step is able to pattern largely anisotropically the noble metal or noble metal oxide layerxe2x80x94chemically difficult to etchxe2x80x94and the underlying ferroelectric layer in one step. Although in this case the halogen-type gases cause a degradation of the ferroelectric layer with regard to the breakdown voltage strength and the adhesive strength at the opened edge regions, these can largely be compensated for through the addition of O2 during the heat treatment or of H2O during the dry etching, the heat treatment and/or the stripping process.
The ferroelectric layer is preferably made of materials of the perovskite group, in particular materials of the so-called ABO3 class, where O denotes oxygen, and A and B denote metals from the group strontium, calcium, barium, bismuth, cadmium, lead, titanium, tantalum, hafnium, tungsten, niobium, zirconium, scandium, yttrium, lanthanum, antimony, chromium or thallium. SrBi2Ta2O9 (SBT), Pb(Zr, Ti)O3 (PZT) and/or Bi4Ti3O12 (BTO) are particularly preferred. In the crystallized state, these materials are able to maintain an electrical polarization even in the absence of an external voltage (remanence). They are thus suitable as dielectrics for storage capacitors of nonvolatile memories. Furthermore, they are distinguished by a high relative permittivity, for which reason they can also be used as dielectrics for capacitors on very large scale integrated dynamic memories (DRAMs).
In a preferred method, the etching is carried out by a reactive ion etching (RIE) process step or, with further preference, by a magnetic enhanced RIE (MERIE) process step. These methods enable, during the etching, a high degree of anisotropy and thus a high dimensional accuracy of the structure transfer. This is the basic precondition for the fabrication of very large-scale integrated circuits. By virtue of the magnetic plasma densification, the MERIE process step additionally permits a higher etching rate and gentle treatment of the surfaces. The halogens for the halogen-containing gases are preferably Cl2, BCl3 and/or HBr.
In a preferred embodiment in accordance with the first method, the H2O is fed to the semiconductor substrate during the etching operation. This can be done by introducing water vapor or gases which generate H2O in the dry etching reactor into the dry etching reactor, e.g. an MERIE reactor. The H2O passes to the ferroelectric layer in particular at the opened regions of the mask. The annealing of the ferroelectric layer by the H2O takes place in parallel with the patterning in this case.
In a further preferred embodiment, the H2O is fed to the semiconductor substrate during the heat treatment step after the patterning. In the simplest case, this is done by adding water vapor into the atmosphere of the heat treatment furnace, preferably at a heat treatment temperature of between 400xc2x0 C. and 900xc2x0 C. The annealing of the ferroelectric layer takes place principally at the edge regions of the openings of the ferroelectric layer, i.e. the margins and edges of the ferroelectric layer. However, as in the previous case, the H2O can also be fed in by gas mixtures that react chemically to form water only in the heat treatment furnace.
If the mask is a resist that is removed again after the patterning by a stripping process step, then, in a preferred embodiment, the H2O is fed in during the stripping process step. The stripping process step preferably takes place in a process chamber in which the O2 and O3 are converted into plasma, which incinerates the resist. In a preferred embodiment according to the invention, the H2O is fed to the process chamber in the form of water vapor, so that the ferroelectric layer can be annealed at the open regions. In other preferred embodiments, the H2O is also generated only in the process chamber through combustion of hydrogen and oxygen that are fed separately to the process chamber.
In one preferred method, the H2O is transported in each case in the form of water vapor through the substrate in particular to the main surface of the substrate to be patterned. In another preferred method, the H2O is generated by the transporting of H2 and O2 and the subsequent combustion of the two gases on site. In this case, the H2 and/or O2 are/is preferably transported in an inert carrier gas in order to reduce the explosiveness of the gases. In a further preferred method, the hydrogen is transported to the respective reactor through hydrogen-containing compounds or hydrogen-rich volatile organic compounds such as alkanes, cycloalkanes, alkenes, cycloalkenes, alcohols, aldehydes and/or ketones and caused to undergo combustion with the oxygen to form water on site. xe2x80x9cOn sitexe2x80x9d refers to in each case xe2x80x9cin the direct vicinity of the semiconductor substratexe2x80x9d, in particular at the patterned main surface. In the case of H2O being fed during the dry etching step, xe2x80x9con sitexe2x80x9d refers to the H2O being essentially generated in the dry etching reactor; in the case of H2O being fed during the heat treatment, xe2x80x9con sitexe2x80x9d refers to the H2O being essentially generated in the heat treatment furnace; in the case of H2O being fed during the stripping process, xe2x80x9con sitexe2x80x9d refers to the H2O being essentially generated in the process chamber in which the mask is removed.
In a preferred embodiment, the ferroelectric layer forms a part of storage capacitors, the ferroelectric layer being the dielectric and the conductive layer being the top electrode of the storage capacitors. Furthermore, the semiconductor substrate preferably has bottom electrodes that form storage capacitors together with the ferroelectric layer and the top electrode. The bottom electrodes are preferably applied on an insulating layer that electrically insulates the selection transistors on the semiconductor substrate from the bottom electrodes. The capacitors are preferably storage capacitor for DRAM and FeRAM semiconductor memories, the bottom electrodes being electrically connected to selection transistors in a preferred embodiment. In this case, the selection transistors are preferably applied on a silicon, GaAs or Ge substrate.
Other features which are considered as characteristic for the invention are set forth in the appended claims.
Although the invention is illustrated and described herein as embodied in a method of patterning ferroelectric layers, it is nevertheless not intended to be limited to the details shown, since various modifications and structural changes may be made therein without departing from the spirit of the invention and within the scope and range of equivalents of the claims.
The construction and method of operation of the invention, however, together with additional objects and advantages thereof will be best understood from the following description of specific embodiments when read in connection with the accompanying drawings.

Method of patterning ferroelectric layers