In a method for beamforming in a multiple input multiple output (MIMO) communication system, a data unit is received from a communication device via a MIMO communication channel, and it is determined whether the data unit satisfies one or more selection criteria. Further, when it is determined that the data unit satisfies the one or more selection criteria, the data unit is selected to be used in developing a steering matrix for transmitting data units to the communication device.

The background description provided herein is for the purpose of generally presenting the context of the disclosure. Work of the presently named inventors, to the extent it is described in this background section, as well as aspects of the description that may not otherwise qualify as prior art at the time of filing, are neither expressly nor impliedly admitted as prior art against the present disclosure.
In some wireless communication systems, one or more communication devices employ multiple antennas. Accordingly, a communication channel between two such devices can be i) a multiple-input, multiple-output (MIMO) channel when both communication devices employ multiple antennas, ii) a single-input, multiple-output (SIMO) channel when a transmitting device ("the transmitter") employs a single transmit antenna and the receiving device ("the receiver") employs multiple receive antennas, or iii) a multiple-input, single-output (MISO) channel the transmitter employs multiple transmit antennas and the receiver employs a single receive antenna. Referring for simplicity to transmit beamforming, transmission and reception properties in these systems can be improved by using each of the various transmit antennas to transmit the same signal while phasing (and amplifying) this signal as the signal is provided to the various transmit antennas to achieve beamforming or beamsteering. Generally speaking, beamforming or beamsteering creates a spatial gain pattern having one or more lobes or beams (as compared to the gain obtained by an omni-directional antenna) in one or more particular directions, while generally reducing the gain over that obtained by an omni-directional antenna in other directions. If the gain pattern is configured to produce a high gain lobe in the direction of each of the receiver antennas or in the direction of the receiver antennas in general, the MIMO system can obtain better transmission reliability between a particular transmitter and a particular receiver, over that obtained by single transmit-antenna/receive-antenna systems.
To conduct beamforming in the direction of a receiver, a transmitter generally utilizes a steering matrix determined based on specifics of the forward channel (i.e., the channel from the transmitter to the receiver) to condition the signals applied to various transmit antennas so as to produce the desired transmit gain pattern. In a technique known as explicit beamforming, to determine the specifics of the forward channel, such as the channel state information (CSI) or other measured description of the forward channel, the transmitter first sends training data to the receiver, which then determines or estimates forward channel characteristics and/or determines a steering matrix that specifies beamsteering coefficients to be used by the transmitter, and then transmits this information back to the transmitter. The transmitter, in turn, receives the forward channel information (or steering matrix) from the receiver and utilizes this information to create the desired gain pattern in subsequent transmissions to the receiver. Explicit beamforming typically uses one of three types of feedback channel descriptions, which are describe in the context of an access point (AP) and a client station for ease of explanation. With channel state information (CSI) feedback, the client station estimates the downlink channel from a sounding packet transmitted by the AP and feeds back the estimated channel gains. With uncompressed steering matrix feedback, the client station, based on the channel estimate from a sounding packet from the AP, determines the steering matrix that is to be used at the AP. The client station then feeds back this steering matrix, without compression. With compressed steering matrix feedback, a similar process occurs, but the steering matrix is fed back in a compressed form.
On the other hand, in implicit beamforming, the transmitter determines specifics of the reverse channel (the channel from the receiver to the transmitter) based on training signals that the transmitter receives from the receiver and estimates the forward channel from the reverse channel by assuming channel reciprocity.
Beamforming typically involves a protocol for transmitting training signals and feeding back CSI or beamsteering coefficients (i.e., a beamforming training protocol). Some communication devices, however, do not support beamforming training protocols and therefore cannot explicitly participate in beamforming training Some beamforming techniques are described in "IEEE Std. 802.11n™ IEEE Standard for Information Technology-Telecommunications and information exchange between systems-Local and metropolitan area networks-Specific requirements, Part 11: Wireless LAN Medium Access Control (MAC) and Physical Layer (PHY) Specifications: Amendment 5: Enhancements for Higher Throughput," The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, Inc., October 2009, and such techniques are hereby incorporated herein by reference.

Uplink training for MIMO implicit beamforming


An illumination toy may be provided having an illuminated polyhedron that may include a base and a plurality of apertured sides extending upwardly from the base. Each apertured side of the illuminated polyhedron may have a plurality of apertures. The illuminated polyhedron may further include an illumination source disposed between the apertured sides such that the illumination source provides simultaneous illumination to all of the plurality of apertured sides. The illumination toy may further include a plurality of translucent pegs, with the apertures of the apertured sides being adapted to receive the translucent pegs and retentively engage the translucent pegs. The illumination toy may also include a plurality of opaque sheets which the apertured sides are adapted to received, with the opaque sheets having indicia thereon corresponding to positions of at least some of the apertures of the apertured sides when the opaque sheets are disposed adjacent the apertured sides.

The patent is directed to a toy, and more particularly to an illuminated polyhedron, such as a cube, having apertured sides with apertures into which colored translucent pegs are inserted to create designs.
Various illuminated toys and other light displays have been previously described. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,891,030 to Gertzfeld discloses a lighted construction toy that includes a light box with a translucent top. The top includes a plurality of upstanding pegs that are arranged in a grid pattern. A plurality of blocks have sockets on their underside which may be pressed down over the pegs on the top and also cover the pegs on the upper side of the blocks. All blocks are shaped and dimensioned to fit together in the formation of a variety of structures.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,555,163 to Pisani discloses a miniature light string display container for selectively displaying a plurality of light bulbs of a miniature light string in a desired arrangement. The light display includes a container with a front display panel having an array of regularly spaced mounting openings therethrough. The openings are sized for securely receiving light bulbs of a light string at least partially therethrough in a desired arrangement or pattern which is selectable on the array of mounting openings. The display container also includes a reversibly openable entry panel with a closed position and an open position in which the rear surface of the display panel may be accessed. Electrical connection wire is extendable through the display container, when closed, for connecting the string of lights to an electrical power source so that the pattern of inserted light bulbs is illuminated. In one embodiment, the light display container is pyramid-shaped, having a plurality of triangular-shaped display panels.
In one aspect, the invention is directed to an illuminated polyhedron for displaying a plurality of designs created by translucent pegs. The illuminated polyhedron may include a base and a plurality of apertured sides extending upwardly from the base. Each apertured side may have a plurality of apertures adapted to receive the translucent pegs and retentively engage the translucent pegs. The illuminated polyhedron may further include an illumination source disposed between the apertured sides such that the illumination source provides simultaneous illumination to all of the plurality of apertured sides.
The illuminated polyhedron may include a top disposed above the apertured sides and enclosing the interior of illuminated polyhedron, and a handle connected to the top. The illuminated polyhedron may further include supports connecting the base to the top, with the supports being disposed proximate the intersection of two of the apertured sides. Still further, the base of the illuminated polyhedron may include one or more openings on the sides of the base, with drawers adapted to store a plurality of the translucent pegs being disposed in the openings, and being slidable or pivotable within the slots to move between opened and closed positions.
In another aspect, the present invention is directed to an illumination toy for simultaneous use by a plurality of users. The illumination toy may include an illuminated polyhedron having a base and a plurality of apertured sides extending upwardly from the base, with each apertured side having a plurality of apertures. The illuminated polyhedron may further include an illumination source disposed between the apertured sides such that the illumination source provides simultaneous illumination to all of the plurality of apertured sides. The illumination toy may further include a plurality of translucent pegs, with the apertures of the apertured sides being adapted to receive the translucent pegs and retentively engage the translucent pegs.
The illumination toy may include a plurality of opaque sheets which the apertured sides are adapted to received, with the opaque sheets having indicia thereon corresponding to positions of at least some of the apertures of the apertured sides when the opaque sheets are disposed adjacent the apertured sides. The plurality of translucent pegs may have a plurality of colors, with each indicium of the opaque sheets corresponding to one of the plurality of colors. The illuminated polyhedron may include a top disposed above the apertured sides and enclosing the interior of illuminated polyhedron, and a handle connected to the top. The illuminated polyhedron of the illumination toy may further include supports connecting the base to the top, with the supports being disposed proximate the intersection of two of the apertured sides. Still further, the base of the illuminated polyhedron may include one or more openings on the sides of the base, with drawers adapted to store a plurality of the translucent pegs being disposed in the openings, and being slidable or pivotable within the slots to move between opened and closed positions.
Additional aspects of the invention are defined by the claims of this patent.


An information recording device is used for recording record information in an information recording medium at least including a first recording layer capable of forming a first recording area and a second recording layer capable of forming a second recording area. The information recording device includes: write elements; acquisition elements for acquiring offset information indicating a relative shift; calculation elements for calculating an address (“Y′=Inv Y−α”) indicating a second boundary point opposing to a first boundary point according to the offset information; and control elements for controlling the write elements so as to write record information (i) while making the first boundary point a recording end or start position and (ii) making the second boundary point indicated by the calculated address a recording start or end position.

For example, in an information recording medium, such as a CD-ROM (Compact Disc-Read Only Memory), a CD-R (Compact Disc-Recordable), a DVD-ROM, a DVD-R, a DVD-RW, and a DVD+R, there are developed a multiple layer or multilayer type, or dual layer type optical disc and the like, in which a plurality of recording layers are laminated or pasted on the same substrate, as described in patent documents 1, 2, and the like. On an information recording apparatus, such as a DVD recorded, for recording information onto such a dual layer type, i.e., two-layer type optical disc, laser light for recording is focused onto a recording layer located on the front (i.e. a closer side to an optical pickup) (referred to as an "L0 layer", as occasion demands, in the application), as viewed from a laser light irradiation or emission side, to thereby record the information into the L0 layer in a rewritable method or irreversible change recording method by heat or the like. Then, the laser light is focused onto a recording layer located on the rear (i.e. a farther side from the optical pickup) (referred to as an "L1 layer", as occasion demands, in the application), as viewed from the laser light irradiation side, through the L0 layer and the like, to thereby record the information into the L1 layer in a rewritable method or irreversible change recording method by heat or the like.
For example, in the two-layer type optical disc in an opposite manner in which recording tracks are in opposite directions in the L0 layer and the L1 layer, it is provided with a middle area, as a buffer area. Moreover, an ODTA (Outer Disc Testing Area) is provided on the outer circumferential side adjacent to the middle area, in which power calibration is performed to detect an optimum recording power. More specifically, as the type of the middle area and the ODTA, there are (i) a middle area and an ODTA whose positions are fixed in advance on the most outer circumferential side of the disc, and (ii) a shifted middle area and a flexible ODTA in which an information recording apparatus (disc drive) is located on the outer circumferential side adjacent to a recording area, in accordance with the data amount of the information written (or to be written). The shifted middle area and the flexible ODTA are set not to be superimposed on the fixed middle area and ODTA.    Patent document 1: Japanese Patent Application Laid Open NO. 2000-311346    Patent document 2: Japanese Patent Application Laid Open NO. 2001-23237

Information recording apparatus and method, and computer program for recording control


One example of an apparatus includes a conducting channel region. The conducting channel region includes a plurality of epitaxially grown, in situ doped conducting channels arranged in a spaced apart relation relative to each other. A source positioned at a first end of the conducting channel region, and a drain positioned at a second end of the conducting channel region. A gate surrounds all sides of the conducting channel region and fills in spaces between the plurality of epitaxially grown, in situ doped conducting channels.

Multiple gate field effect transistors (FETs) are metal-oxide-semiconductor field effect transistors (MOSFETs) that incorporate more than one gate into a single device.
One specific type of multiple gate FET is the finFET, which wraps the conducting channel with a thin fin forming the gate of the device. The effective channel length of the device in this case is determined by the thickness of the fin (measured from source to drain). The wrap-around structure of the gate provides improved electrical control over the channel, and thus helps to mitigate leakage current and other short-channel effects. However, as the fin width approaches five nanometers or greater, channel width variations in the finFET may cause variability and mobility loss
These effects can be mitigated by forming the FET as a gate-all-around (GAA) FET, which is similar to the finFET, except that the gate material surrounds the channel region on all sides. GAA FETs provide a static electrical field from all directions.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Gate-all-around field effect transistor having multiple threshold voltages

International Business Machines Corporation


The present disclosure relates to support blocks that can be used for decks and foundations fabricated from polymer concrete. Yet further, the present disclosure relates to deck, floor, and foundation systems comprising the disclosed support blocks. The support blocks can mate with or otherwise serve as foundation elements for use in conjunction with construction elements such as posts, joists, stringers, mounting frames, and equipment, among other things.

Decks are a common architectural and functional feature in residential and commercial structures. Typically, the deck is structurally supported on piers or footings that are typically fixed in the ground or, in some situations, positioned on the surface. As would be recognized, local government codes and engineers dictate the depth that the footings must be placed in the ground. The depth at which a deck footing is required to be set in the ground will vary from region to region across the country due to differing climate conditions. In warm climates like South Florida where frost rarely ever occurs, footings might be placed on grade, but in very cold regions like Minnesota and Canada footings will have to be set at greater depths due to frost heave.
Beside the need to deeply seat the footings into the ground in frost-prone areas, problems can occur when the bottom portion of the deck or other structure is rigidly attached to the footings, such as for example, when an intermediary post bracket is embedded into the footing material, usually concrete, and the top ends of posts are securely attached to the underside of beams in the overlying construction. In this typical configuration, movement of a portion or all of the deck or structure can occur as the soil expands or contracts annually as a result of frost or imposition of loads on an individual footing where the load exceeds the load bearing capacity of the soil. Independent movement of each footing can generate forces to one or more points of attachment in the deck or foundation support structure. Such movement will often be unevenly distributed, and damage or failure of the deck or structure can occur. Seismic activity can also result in uneven force being applied to the various areas of a deck. If the deck or structure is attached to a building, as is common, the building can be damaged, also. This also holds true for expansive clays due to the shrinking and swelling due to the moisture content of the soil.

Light-weight, high strength, polymer concrete support blocks, and systems incorporating same


A fluid dispensing system for delivering sterile preservative-free solution is disclosed. The system uses double self-sealing valves mounted in series inside a tip compartment which fits on the outlet of a multiple dosage squeeze container to prevent undesirable retrograde flow of the dispensed liquid back into the bottle during the decompression cycle. The valves used are either positive acting, normally closed duckbill and/or umbrella valve(s) which open to express solution from the container when squeezing pressure is applied to the bottle and which automatically close when the pressure is released. The fluid dispensing system with an umbrella valve near the system outlet has close to zero dead space volume thereby practically eliminated possible contamination of the sterile fluid under the circumferential seal head portion of the umbrella valve and in the container. A hydrophobic filter is provided to sterilize the replacement air which enters the container upon release of the squeezing pressure.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a fluid dispensing system specifically designed to deliver multidose sterile, or homogenized and pasteurized. Chemical preservative, antibacterial or antimicrobial additive free (hereinafter known collectively as "preservative-free") solutions. More, specifically, the present invention is directed to a fluid dispensing system with a dual self-sealing valve system with about zero dead space volume to dispense multidose sterile solutions in a dropwise form. The dual self-sealing valve system and hydrophobic air filter protects the solutions from contamination after multidose dispensing without the use of preservatives.
As used herein, the term "dead space" means the space which is formed by the tip compartment surrounding the system outlet on the outside of the contamination after stops at the closure of the top self-sealing valve.
As used herein, the term "dead space volume" means the volume of area which lies within this "dead space" which contains and allows remaining fluid to be exposed to the outside environment through the system outlet.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Large number of solutions including those that are sold and administered as over-the-counter ("OTC") and/or prescription preparations, such as ophthalmic pharmaceutical, contact lens solutions, drop-administrated medicines for the ear or nose, and some consumer health care liquid solutions, such as creams, gels and lotions, must be kept sterile to prevent contamination from bacteria or other microbes. The conventional means of preventing such contamination is to add a preservative or other antibacterial agent to the solution during packaging. Commonly used preservatives include benzalkonium chloride, methyl parabens, propyl parabens, thermostat and chlorobutanol. Commonly used antibacterial agents include saline formulations. While these preservatives keep the enclosed solution sterile, the bottle itself may harbor external bacterial or microbial growth which is carried along with the outflow of fluids. In addition, the preservatives themselves are often toxic, not just to bacteria or microbes, but also to the cells which are being treated by the bottled solution. For example, the preservatives used in most eye drops can disrupt the corneal epithelium, irritate conjunctival tissues and cause allergic reactions. Because of this toxicity level, continued use can cause more long-term problems than the solutions solve.
Furthermore, squeezable dispensing bottles containing saline formulations in the dispensing liquids may be provided with nozzles including filter membranes which are permeable to the dispensed liquid as well as being permeable to the air which must be aspirated through the nozzle to replace the dispensed liquid and reinflate or re.expand the container. However, the filter membrane must be impermeable to bacteria in order to prevent the aspirated air from carrying bacteria into contact with, the stored solution, and contaminating the solution due to repeated dispensing. Yet, filter membrane materials which are sufficiently hydrophilic to permit permeation of the saline solution often permit retention of the saline solution on the filter so that retained solution increases the resistance of the filter to passage of the aspirating air. The partially obstructed flow of aspirating air not only retards the re-expansion of the squeezed bottle wall, but also impedes repeated squeezing of the bottle when large quantities of the solution must be dispensed. When portions of the filter are treated to repel the solution and improve air passage, the solution can sometimes leach the treating composition from the filter.
In addition, consumer food products, such as milk and dairy products, must be kept refrigerated to reduce the contamination and/or action of bacteria or other microbes.
Container contamination can also be the result of particulate matter being drawn back into the container with the liquid in the dropper tip that has wot been delivered as a drop. Over several drop deliveries, for example, in dusty conditions, a significant accumulation of dust in the container is possible.
Despite these and other problems with filter bottles, and the use of preservatives in dispensing liquids, various designs for liquid dispenser for sterile solutions have been reported.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,938,389 describes a dispenser including a filter assembly having a hydrophobic filter and a hydrophilic filter in tandem with the hydrophobic filter located near the dispensing tip.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,760,987 describes a snap assembled dispensing package and cover made up of a container which has a tapered shank on its discharge end and piercing device, snappably connected to the container, which also serves as a conduit for dispensing the medicament. The dispensing package further contains an air filter and a solution filter.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,917,271, and 3,149,758, and WO 90/15015 all teach dispensing devices with single filtering membranes or composite membranes where a portion of the membrane is hydrophobic and another portion of the membrane hydrophilic.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,463,880 describes a medicine drop dispenser with a single hydrophobic and microporous antibacterial filter that provide a barrier to the ingress of bacteria and for permitting the egress of sterile liquid.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,533,068 describes sterile solution deliver and venting devices including a positive acting, normally closed check valve which opens to express solution from the package when squeezing pressure is applied and which automatically closes when the pressure is released. A hydrophobic filter is included to sterilize the replacement air which enters the package upon release of the squeezing pressure.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,684,789 describes seal cap and dispensing nozzle for tubes or bottles having a self-closing dispensing valve.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,176,883 describes a fluid dispenser of the squeeze bottle type having an air vent post extending to the side of the dropper tip and directly above the lip of the container.
U.S. Patent Nos. 4,739,906, 4,234,103 and 4,773,551 all describe bottles with caps containing a protuberance for closing the hole in the dropper tip.
It would be desirable to provide a convenient, economical and safe fluid dispensing system for the delivery of sterile preservative-free solutions.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide an improved sterile solution delivery and fluid dispensing system of the type set forth.
It is a another object of the present invention to provide a multidose fluid dispensing system which can protect the solutions from contamination tinder prolonged and repeated use without the use of preservatives.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a multidose fluid dispensing bottle for dispensing ophthalmic pharmaceutical, contact lens solutions, consumer health care liquid solutions and consumer food product solutions which provide good flow properties and protection against bacterial or microbial contaminatient.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a multidose fluid dispensing bottle which can be used to dispense medicine solutions, which do not contain preservatives, in substantially uniform drops.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a novel fluid dispensing system which incorporates positive acting, normally closed, valve means in combination with a hydrophobic membrane air sterilizing filter means.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a novel fluid dispensing system which incorporates two positive acting, normally closed, valve means in series and in combination with a hydrophobic membrane air sterilizing filter means.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a novel fluid dispensing system having a container with-a system outlet and an air passageway, positive acting, normally closed, valve means positioned between the system fluid outlet and a hydrophobic filter positioned at the end of the air inlet passageway, the valves means being openable upon the application of pressure built up within the container and being automatically sealed upon release of the pressure.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a novel fluid dispensing system having a container with a system outlet and an air passageway, positive acting, normally closed duckbill and/or umbrella valve(s) positioned between the system fluid outlet and a hydrophobic filter positioned at the end of the air inlet passageway, the duckbill and/or umbrella valve(s) being openable upon the application of pressure built up within the container and being automatically sealed upon release of the pressure.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a novel fluid dispensing system with about zero dead space volume having a container with a system outlet and an air passageway, positive acting, normally closed umbrella valve(s) in combination with or without a duckbill valve positioned between the system fluid outlet and a hydrophobic filter positioned at the end of the air inlet passageway, the umbrella valve(s) and/or the duckbill valve being operable upon the application of pressure built up within the container and being automatically sealed upon release of the pressure.
Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following detailed disclosure.

Preservative-free sterile fluid dispensing system


A turbine blade of a turbomachine, having at least a bottom platform connected to the base of the blade by a bottom connection zone, and a cooling circuit consisting of at least one cooling cavity, of a plurality of evacuation slots arranged along the trailing edge of the blade, said blade having a bottom evacuation slot that is disposed near the blade base, the bottom evacuation slot including an end wall provided with an opening that opens into the cavity, a setback wall, a bottom wall disposed beside the blade base, a bottom edge formed between the setback wall and the bottom wall, and a bottom shoulder formed between the bottom wall and the bottom connection zone, both the bottom edge of the bottom evacuation slot and the bottom shoulder of the bottom evacuation slot having respective right sections of substantially rounded shape, thereby avoiding any protruding angles between the opening of said slot and the bottom connection zone.

The present invention relates to the general field of turbine blades, and, more particularly, to the shape of the cooling air evacuation slots in the trailing edges of rotor or stator blades of a turbomachine turbine.
A turbomachine turbine (e.g. a high-pressure turbine) consists of a plurality of stages each made up of a stator nozzle and a rotor wheel. The turbine nozzle has a plurality of stator blades designed to redirect the gas stream going through it, and the rotor wheel of the turbine is constituted by a plurality of moving blades.
The rotor and stator blades of such a turbine are subjected to the very high temperatures of the gases coming from the combustion chamber and passing through the turbine. These temperatures reach values that are much higher than those which the blades that are in contact with the gas can withstand without being damaged, thereby shortening their lifetime.
In order to reduce the damage said hot gases cause the blades, there exist systems that provide the blades with internal cooling circuits for reducing the temperature of said blades. Using such circuits, the cooling air that is introduced into a blade passes through said blade along a path formed by cavities made in the blade before being expelled via slots that open out in the surface of the blade, between the blade base and the blade tip.
Unfortunately, for a moving turbine blade, it has been found in practice that the slot nearest to the blade base is not properly cooled. In addition, for a stator turbine blade, the slots nearest to the blade base and the blade tip are also not properly cooled. In fact, cracks tend to form in the trailing edge of the blade, in the vicinity of said slots. Such cracks jeopardize the lifetime of the blade, in particular, by decreasing its strength.
FIG. 7 shows where such cracks appear in a moving turbine blade. This figure is a fragmentary perspective view of a moving blade 100 of a high-pressure turbine. The blade 100 has an airfoil 102 that is connected at the blade base 104 to a platform 106 via a connection zone 108. The airfoil 102 of the blade extends axially between a leading edge (not shown in the figure) and a trailing edge 110. In order to cool the blade 100, air moves over said blade following a path formed by cavities (not shown) made inside the blade, before being expelled via evacuation slots 112 that open out in the airfoil 102 of the blade, at its trailing edge 110.
Each evacuation slot 112 is formed, in particular, by an end wall 114 provided with an opening (not shown) that opens into the cavities through which the cooling air flows. Each slot also has a setback wall 116 extending from the end wall 114 to the trailing edge 110 of the blade, and a top wall 118 and a bottom wall 120 that extend between the setback wall 116 and the airfoil 102 of the blade.
In practice, it has been found that one or more cracks 122 (a single crack is shown in the figure) form at the evacuation slot 112a that is nearest to the platform 106 (referred to below as the "bottom" slot). More precisely, cracks 122 form in the setback wall 116 of the bottom slot 112a and propagate axially from the trailing edge 110 of the blade towards the end wall 114 of the slot.
Such cracks arise mainly from a high concentration of stress in the bottom slot 112a, said stress being caused, in particular, by the bottom wall 120 of said bottom slot. There is the risk that such cracks may propagate over the entire airfoil 102 of the blade, thereby reducing its lifetime.
For a stator turbine blade, identical cracks appear both at the evacuation slot nearest to the platform disposed beside the blade base, and at the evacuation slot nearest to another platform connected to the blade at its tip (referred to below as the "top" slot).
In order to prevent cracks from appearing, U.S. Pat. No. 6,062,817 suggests, for a moving turbine blade, eliminating a portion of the bottom wall of the evacuation slot nearest to the platform, so that a portion of the setback wall of said slot extends radially between the top wall and the platform of the blade.
Nevertheless, that solution is insufficient. In fact, the bottom slot of the blade of that patent still has sharp edges on its bottom wall. The resulting sudden change in thickness prevents the cooling air evacuated via said slot from flowing properly. Thus, the evacuated air can no longer cool the connection zone between the platform and the blade base, so cracks that are particularly detrimental to the lifetime of the blade appear in that zone.

Cooling air evacuation slots of turbine blades


Embodiments of systems and methods are provided for a split transaction payment instrument configured to automatically split transactions between a plurality of accounts. The split transaction payment instrument may interact with one or more other payment instruments. The split transaction payment instrument may, based on the interaction, accordingly identify that the transaction is a split transaction to a point of sale device and provide data identifying accounts associated with the split transaction payment instrument and the other payment instruments for splitting of the transaction. A service provider may receive transaction data associated with the transaction and process the transaction by accordingly splitting payment between the accounts.

Customers are increasingly splitting transaction between a plurality of people. For example, when a group of people go out to lunch, the tab is often split between some or all members of the group. Transaction cards such as credit cards, debit cards and gift cards are widely used for these types of commerce and, in certain situations, one user may reimburse another user through an electronic payment account such as an account with Venmo® or PayPal®. However, such transactions are not always feasible as not all members of the group may have the proper device or web application to engage in the transaction.
Embodiments of the present disclosure and their advantages are best understood by referring to the detailed description that follows. It should be appreciated that like reference numerals are used to identify like elements illustrated in one or more of the figures, wherein showings therein are for purposes of illustrating embodiments of the present disclosure and not for purposes of limiting the same.

Split transaction physical payment instrument


A system for transmitting process control information from remote sites is disclosed. In one embodiment, data is collected by a remote monitoring device or devices and transmitted to a first Cellular Digital Packet (“CDPD”) modem via one or more RS232 interfaces. The applications program in the first CDPD modem transmits a signal to a second CDPD modem initiating communications. The applications program in the second CDPD modem returns a signal, indicating the status of the interface. Data transmission is initiated when the status of both serial data interfaces is established.

Collecting and monitoring data from a variety of locations for input into a central processing unit is a required function in a wide variety of applications. For example, in a chemical processing plant, such as a refinery, a variety of process parameters such as temperatures, pressures and flows are continuously or intermittently monitored and recorded. Similarly, in oil and gas production parameters such as pressures, flows and valve positions are measured and monitored. Likewise, certain types of environmental Typically, these parameters are measured at different locations in the particular process, and in some cases the instrumentation may be located at a remote site. Measurements are normally collected by the instrumentation as analog signal that is converted to a digital format and subsequently transmitted to a computing device such as a programmable process controller or process control computer via dedicated hard wired serial data interfaces. However, in is the case where the instrumentation is located at a remote site, it may be difficult or cost prohibitive to provide the direct hard wired connection between the serial data interface at the particular instrument's location and the interface at the particular computing device. On the other hand, wireless transmission of digital data over long distances has heretofore proven unreliable.
Cellular Digital Packet Data ("CDPD") is a wireless communications protocol that folds streams of data into envelopes or packets that are transmitted at very high speeds during pauses in cellular phone conversations. This permits the use of existing cellular systems as a means of data transmission. CDPD allows data files to be assembled into packets and transmitted via idle channels of existing, but CDPD-upgraded, cellular voice networks. CDPD allows the transmission of data at 19.2 Kbps over an enhanced cellular network. Adding CDPD to an existing analog cellular system allows cellular systems to transmit data eight times faster without the necessity of creating a completely new digital system.
In practice, packet data is transmitted in a wireless mode using bandwidth of the Advanced Mobile Phone Service ("AMPS") which operates as the communications infrastructure for analog cellular radio. Digital cellular is referred to as D-AMPS. CDPD specifications are published through the CDPD Forum and follow OSI (Open Systems Interconnection Protocol) guidelines. CDPD technology provides connectivity up to the network layer and is an overlay system that operates on AMPS frequencies.
The RS232 serial interface provides a serial data connection between two devices over dedicated wires. The interface defines up to 26 lines between two devices. One line carries the data and the others carry signaling information. Signaling is achieved by the lines through binary states, either "ON" or "OFF." Some lines are defined for data and some for signaling. Thus, data transmission can be controlled simultaneous by both the sending device and the receiving device.
For example, the sending device can query the receiving device as to whether it is ready to receive data by setting the signal high on a line called Ready To Send ("RTS"). The receiving device can, in turn, reply that it is ready to receive data by setting the signal high on the Clear To Send ("CTS") line. After these conditions are satisfied, by devices can begin data transmission over the data lines a communication speeds.

Wireless data interface system for fixed point-to-point communications


Apparatuses for burning a burnable fuel source, and methods of operating the same, are disclosed. The apparatuses may include a housing defining a chamber and a tube extending through the housing and disposed at least partially within the chamber of the housing, the tube accommodating a burnable fuel source. A tray may be disposed within the chamber and accommodating at least a portion of the burnable fuel source when received within the tube. A refractory brick may be disposed on at least a portion of the tray, and a plurality of pipes may be disposed within the housing such that, upon actuation of the apparatuses, heat from the burnable fuel source contacts the plurality of pipes. The apparatuses may also include an air outlet in the first housing configured to allow air from within the chamber to exit the chamber.

Wood-burning stoves are used to heat homes and other enclosures. In a typical wood-burning stove, such as that installed in a home, the stove may include a container for holding pieces of chopped wood, and an exhaust pipe. The exhaust pipe typically runs from the top of the stove through the roof or side wall of the home. To use the wood-burning stove, a user stacks wood within the stove, lights the wood such that a fire starts, closes the front door or port, and then waits until the fire reaches a sufficient volume to heat the metal wall of the stove. The metal wall of the stove releases heat into the air outside the stove, heating the room where the stove is located. The stove may also have vents or other openings to allow the heated air within the stove to move from the stove to the room where the stove is located. Unused heated air exits the stove through the exhaust pipe. Ash from the burnt wood may stay in the stove, exit through the exhaust pipe, or be expelled into the room. When the wood within the stove is consumed by the fire, the user must open the front door and place new wood into the stove to keep the fire going or to start a new fire.
The wood-burning stove described above suffers from several drawbacks. For example, adding wood to the stove requires the user to open the front door and place more wood into the stove, which may be dangerous to the operator, requires the user to maintain the fire every few hours or even more frequently, and allows ash, sparks, and other unwanted particulates to exit the stove when the door is opened. Also, the outer surface of the stove itself, when in operation, may reach very high temperatures and may be dangerous to persons who contact the stove and may damage property that is near the stove, such as walls, ceilings, furniture, and other personal property. Furthermore, installation requires costly materials and labor to properly vent the exhaust pipe, typically requiring a hole to be cut in the ceiling and roof of the home. Lastly, the stove and exhaust pipe must be periodically cleaned, requiring the stove to be taken out of operation during cleaning.


A phase-locked loop includes a loop filter and a voltage controlled oscillator (VCO). The VCO includes multiple transistors, each transistor having a smaller transconductance (gm) than if a single transistor were used while maintaining the same loop bandwidth and drain-to-source current through the transistor. As a result of a smaller transconductance in the VCO, a larger resistor can be used in the loop filter without increasing the noise. With a larger resistor, a smaller capacitor can be used in the loop filter as well. Alternatively, the transconductance can be reduced by a certain factor and the resistance value can be increased by the same factor to maintain a constant loop bandwidth but with a reduction in the amplitude of the noise. Thus, a smaller loop filter capacitor can be achieved albeit with the same noise level, or a lower noise level with the same size capacitor for the loop filter.

Phase locked loops (PLLs) are used in a variety of applications. One such application is in a transceiver to control the timing of clock signals for proper synchronization. There are a variety of types of phase-locked loops. Some types include loop filters. A loop filter often includes resistors and capacitors. Generally, larger resistance values for the resistors results in greater amplitude noise signals, which is undesirable. In order to meet noise requirements, smaller resistors are preferred. The use of smaller resistors, however, necessitates the use of larger capacitors in the loop filters. Larger capacitors, however, occupy a greater physical area which may be problematic when space is limited, such as on an integrated circuit (IC).

Loop filter and voltage controlled oscillator for a phase-locked loop


Systems and methods are provided for the removal and disposal of arsenic from an aqueous medium. The systems and methods include the removal of arsenic from a source by contact with either a chemically treated natural or synthetic zeolite, for example a ferric-loaded zeolite. The spent zeolite is disposed of at an appropriate arsenic disposal site. A system for monitoring and maintaining an arsenic removal/disposal system by an off-site provider is also disclosed.

Cities and towns throughout the world depend on having clean potable water supplies. The dependence on clean water has increased as the population of the world has increased, especially as industrial use of rivers and lakes have become commonplace.
The explosion of world population, and corresponding increase in fresh water use, has, therefore, resulted in a need to maximize water usage. However, the ability to maximize fresh water use has been limited by, (1) increased pollution of the fresh water supplies due to higher industrial output throughout the world (a direct result of the increased population); and (2) increased knowledge and standards for what constitutes clean water, acceptable for use in farming, industry, and consumption. As a result, there is a current need to increase the efficiency in the use of water, i.e., conserve existing clean water supplies, increase the current capabilities used to remove pollutants from water supplies, and increase the effectiveness of existing and new technologies to effectively treat and reach new standards in water quality.
In this light, arsenic, a soluble element that occurs naturally, has become of concern to the water supplies of many population centers throughout the world, and in particular, portions of the world where the element is found in high concentrations, e.g., Bangladesh, Northern Chile, etc. Of particular importance to these areas of high arsenic concentration, and to other lower arsenic concentration areas as well, is the fact that arsenic has been found to be a toxin and carcinogen and accumulates within tissues over a period of time.
The drinking water standard for arsenic, set in the 1940's, was originally 50 parts per billion (ppb). Over the last several decades, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and academia have been studying the potential health effects of arsenic intake, and in particular have focused on the health effects of arsenic in and around the EPA set level of 50 ppb. For example, at arsenic levels of around 100 ppb there appear to be potential serious health effects on humans, such as increased potential of certain cancers and a weakened immune system. However, at arsenic levels closer to 50 ppb and lower, the studies show conflicting results as to arsenic's effects on health, suggesting that additional studies are needed to clarify what level of arsenic is appropriate for long term consumption in drinking water.
In the 1990's the EPA recommended that the arsenic limit in drinking water be lowered to 10 ppb. No action was taken on the EPA's proposal until days before the Clinton administration was scheduled to leave office, at which time President Clinton approved of arsenic levels being lowered from 50 ppb to 10 ppb. In addition, wide spread support for further lowering the standard to 5 ppb arsenic has gained acceptance within a number of environmental groups. There are a significant number of drinking water facilities that would violate an arsenic standard lower than the 50 ppb standard. In particular, over 3,500 drinking water facilities in at least 24 states would violate a 5 ppb arsenic standard, illustrating the need for utilizing some type of arsenic removal system in at least these facilities.
Currently, commercial scale removal of arsenic is accomplished using granulated ferric oxide and activated alumina, or to a lesser extent, by using ferric hydroxide. Although theoretically effective at arsenic removal, these techniques are costly, tending to run in the range of $1,200/ton for the activated alumina or for the ferric hydroxide, thereby making their use less attractive. Additionally, granular ferric hydroxide has proven to be friable, adding to the cost of using the compound, and activated alumina has proven to have a higher affinity for fluorine than arsenic, making high fluorine water sources unacceptable targets for the activated alumina technique. As such, there is a need in the industry for providing an arsenic removal system that overcomes these current deficiencies in arsenic removal, and has the ability to sufficiently treat water supplies and reach the proposed MCL for arsenic, whether it be 10 ppb or 5 ppb. Ideally these new arsenic removal techniques are cost effective and useful in high fluorine containing water supplies. Against this backdrop the present invention has been developed.

Arsenic removal from aqueous media using chemically treated zeolite materials


A vehicle light can be configured to reduce the difference between the cut-off line of the actual light distribution pattern and the cut-off line of the designed light distribution pattern. The vehicle light can include a light source, first reflectors configured to reflect light from the light source, corresponding second reflectors configured to reflect light from the respective first reflectors, and a support member configured to support the light source. The support member and the first reflectors can be separately formed. Furthermore, edge portions configured to form cut-off lines in the light distribution pattern by the second reflectors can be provided in the support member instead of in the first reflectors.

This application claims the priority benefit under 35 U.S.C. § 119 of Japanese Patent Application No. 2005-352881 filed on Dec. 7, 2005, which is hereby incorporated in its entirety by reference.
1. Field
The disclosed subject matter relates to a vehicle light such as a vehicle headlight, a vehicle auxiliary light, spot light, traffic light, and the like, having a reflector for reflecting light emitted from a light source and another reflector for reflecting the reflected light in front of the vehicle (e.g., along an light emitting direction of the vehicle light). In particular, the disclosed subject matter relates to a vehicle light which can reduce the difference between the cut-off line of the actual light distribution pattern and the cut-off line of the designed light distribution pattern. Furthermore, the disclosed subject matter relates to a vehicle light in which a reflector for reflecting light emitted from a light source can be processed easily and which can reduce the abovementioned difference between the cut-off line of the actual light distribution pattern and the cut-off line of the designed light distribution pattern.
2. Description of the Related Art
FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a conventional vehicle light formed as a headlight. In FIG. 1, reference numeral 101 denotes a light source such as a filament coil for a light source, or a high light intensity part of a discharge lamp. Reference numeral 102 denotes a bulb containing the light source 101, and reference numeral 103 denotes a socket hole through which the bulb 102 is mounted. Reference numeral 104 denotes a reflector for reflecting light from the light source 101 in front of the vehicle. The surface of the reflector 104 is formed as a single complex reflecting surface extending in the right and left direction. Another type of reflector for a vehicle headlight includes a conventional multi-reflector (not shown) having a plurality of reflecting surfaces. Before developing such a multi-reflector for a vehicle headlight, a revolved parabolic surface had been mainly adopted as the reflecting surface of a vehicle headlight.
In FIG. 1, reference numeral 105 denotes a cover lens (or a front lens), and reference numeral 106 denotes a grouped lens composed of a plurality of ribbed lenses arranged on the center part of the cover lens 105. The shown conventional vehicle headlight has the grouped lens 106 only on the center part of the cover lens 105, but a vehicle headlight having a grouped lens 106 formed over a cover lens 105 has been conventionally known (not shown). Further, the grouped lens 106 may be separately formed from the cover lens 105 and may be arranged inside the cover lens 105 (not shown).
Reference numeral 107 denotes a metal cover for shielding direct light from the light source 101 that is directed toward the outside to prevent light from becoming glare light which is outside the specifications or regulations for the given lamp. Another conventional vehicle headlight has been known which has another grouped lens instead of such a metal cover 107, for preventing the direct light from the light source 101 from becoming glare light.
In the conventional vehicle headlight shown in FIG. 1, a light loss percentage of typically 10 to 20% typically occurs due to the provision of the grouped lens 106 that includes lens cuts. The main purpose of the lens cut is to produce diffusion light rightward and leftward. When the lens cut is provided to irradiate diffusion light rightward and leftward with an angle of 30° in the front-to-rear direction of the vehicle, light will inevitably attenuate. In addition to this, diffusion light that is spread rightward and leftward with an angle of 30° or greater (for example 40° to 50°) in the front-to-rear direction of the vehicle will not be increased, resulting in a darkened light.
On the other hand, still another type of conventional vehicle headlight has been known, which includes a light source, an elliptic reflector for reflecting light emitted from the light source, and a parabolic reflector for reflecting the light reflected from the elliptic reflector in front of the vehicle. Such a vehicle headlight is disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No. 2002-313112, the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated in its entirety by reference.
This conventional vehicle headlight has elliptic reflectors on the respective right and left sides of the light source. They are disposed such that both the first foci thereof are located at the position of the light source. Furthermore, parabolic reflectors are disposed on the respective right and left sides of the light source to reflect light reflected from the respective right and left elliptic reflectors in front of the vehicle. In this instance, the focus of the left parabolic reflector is disposed in the vicinity of the position of the second focus of the right elliptic reflector while the focus of the right parabolic reflector is disposed in the vicinity of the position of the second focus of the left elliptic reflector. Furthermore, an opening is formed in the left elliptic reflector in order to guide light reflected by the right elliptic reflector towards the left parabolic reflector, and vice versa.
Furthermore, in this vehicle headlight, the edge portions of the openings in the right and left elliptic reflectors are designed such that cut-off lines are formed in the light distribution patterns irradiated in front of the vehicle by the respective right and left parabolic reflectors.
In a vehicle headlight as disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No. 2002-313112, the light source is covered with the right and left elliptic reflectors. The portion for supporting the light source and the right and left elliptic reflectors are typically formed as separate members. This facilitates the processing of the right and left elliptic reflectors.
In such a configuration where the support portion and the right and left elliptic reflectors are separately formed, the cut-off line of the light distribution pattern formed by the edge portion of the opening of the right elliptic reflector may be deviated from the cut-off line of the designed light distribution pattern. This is true in the case of the left elliptic reflector. It is conceivable that this may be caused by manufacturing errors of the support member and the elliptic reflectors, and assembly errors of the elliptic reflectors with respect to the support member. The presently disclosed subject matter results from earnest research into a technique for reducing the effect of the errors that appear due to the actual cut-off line being shifted from the designed cut-off line.
In view of the abovementioned and other conventional problems, it has been found that the edge portion, which forms the cut-off line of the light distribution pattern, can be removed from the right and left elliptic reflectors, and instead can be provided in a support portion for supporting a light source. This configuration can reduce the difference between the cut-off line of the actual light distribution pattern and the cut-off line of the designed light distribution pattern.


There is provided a storage system for storing and retrieving watercraft or other items to or from a storage position in a storage area as part of an enclosure having a plurality of storage areas. The storage system may include at least one carrier to support the item during movement to or from a storage position, and a positioning system to move the carrier system. An elevator system is usable to move the positioning system and carrier system to and from a storage area, and a control system is usable to control the positioning system to move the carrier system and item into and out of its storage position.

Dry watercraft storage systems have been developed for enabling the convenient storage of watercraft for use of the watercraft while providing storage in a dry docked condition. Such facilities are generally arranged with a number of berths formed by framework in a building constructed on the body of water, to allow a boat to enter and be lifted into a berth for storage. A lifting system, such as a fork lift, overhead crane or other systems have been used to position the boat in a berth. Though somewhat effective, there are various deficiencies associated with such facilities, including the need for implementing a more efficient dry watercraft storage system which can handle and store a large number of watercraft configurations and sizes. As watercraft come in a wide variety of types, shapes and sizes, it would be desirable to provide a system which can accommodate these wide variations. Further, for large watercraft, it would be desirable to provide support that ensures safe storage over extended periods. It would also be desirable to provide a system which allows for optimized use of the berth space available for use, based on the types of watercraft being stored.
Another deficiency of such facilities is that for shorter storage applications, where it is desired to use the watercraft often and dry store it to extend its life, such facilities do not provide desired storage capabilities to maintain the watercraft in condition for use.

Watercraft dry dock storage system and method


An end connector for fiber optic transport cables. A cable clamp received within a passageway of a housing which receives the cable is provided to hold the cable in a secured position so as to resist rotational and longitudinal forces applied to the cable. Support coupling units are provided both internal and external the equipment which the cable is to be connected to. The coupling units allow the end connector to be coupled to and decoupled from the equipment without unnecessary rotation of the end connector and cable and without having to remove the cable from the end connector. Grounding components are provided for grounding conductive members associated with the cable so as to prevent damage due to voltage surges and to prevent RF signal leakage.

This invention relates to end connectors used to connect fiber optic transport cables to equipment ports, terminals or the like.
Fiber optic technology is being increasingly adapted for various applications in industries such as cable television for replacing coaxial cables. Such adaptations involve varying hybrid fiber optic systems, wherein fiber optic transport cables are linked to down-line optical repeaters or amplifiers, and to junctions where a conversion from light wave frequencies to radio frequencies for distribution to associated equipment takes place. The use of fiber optics in an industry such as cable television allows for the increases in both the reliability and number of channels of the system. The technology also allows for the expansion of basic television service to include services such as HDTV (high definition television), and PCN (personal communication networks) so that the cable television system may compete with the telephone industry.
The cables being utilized in such systems are configured to protect and transport optic fibers, varying from a single fiber to hundreds of fibers. The cables are manufactured in a number of configurations, and most include various structural strength and support members with an outer protective dielectric plastic jacket. A variety of support members are available including corrugated metallic sheaths, plastic or glass fillers, peripheral strength member steel wires, glass filament rods or Kevlar.TM. placed in center support wires. Such support members are critical components given the hostile environments in which the cables are employed, i.e. placement in tunnels, fed through conduits, buried underground, or pole-to-pole connections. The individual optic fibers, as well as groups of fibers, are carried in small hard protective tubes within the cable. The optic fibers are delicate and cannot be subjected to damage or stresses from bending, stretching, moisture or chemical intrusion, excessive rotational or longitudinal stresses on the cable or any other circumstance that could effect the optical transmission characteristic of the individual optic fibers. Furthermore, damage to the optic fibers may result from excessive rotational and radial stresses involved in linking the cable to the intended operational equipment.
Such cables may range in size from approximately 3/8 inch diameter to approximately one inch in diameter, and can be slightly out of round.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a fiber optic transport cable end connector which supports a cable in a secured position so as to resist rotational and longitudinal forces while being able to accommodate a wide range of cable sizes and cross-sectional shapes.
It is a still further object of the present invention to provide an end connector which may be easily coupled to and decoupled from associated equipment without the cable being subjected to excessive and potentially damaging rotational and longitudinal stresses, or from having to remove the cable from the end connector in the process.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide an end connector which seals the optic fibers of a cable from exposure to environmental conditions.
It is yet a further object of the present invention to provide an end connector which effectively grounds conductive members associated with the cable so as to prevent RF signal leakage.

Fiber optic cable end connector having a sealing grommet


A fiber optic splice tray that has an increased fiber capacity and maximizes bend radius. The fiber optic splice tray has multiple manifolds that are stacked on top of each other to form manifold stacks. Also, the fiber optic splice tray has two sets of manifold stacks.

1. Field of the Invention
Apparatuses consistent with the present invention relate to fiber optic splice trays. More particularly, the present invention relates to fiber optic splice trays that include structures to hold the spliced pairs of optical fibers.
2. Description of the Related Art
In order to join optical fibers from two or more optical fiber cables, the optical fibers must be spliced to allow the optical signal to pass with minimal loss or reflection from one optical fiber to the next. Also, there are often many fibers in optical fiber cables. In order to join optical fiber cables, each optical fiber in an optical fiber cable must be individually spliced with a corresponding optical fiber of another optical fiber cable to form spliced pairs of optical fibers. Fiber optic splice trays have been used in order to hold these spliced pairs of optical fibers.
However, prior fiber optic splice trays were only able to hold a small number of spliced pairs of optical fibers. Therefore, many fiber optic splice trays were necessary in order to join optical fiber cables that have many optical fibers. Additionally, transition trays were necessary when the number of fibers exceeded the capacity of the tray. One problem with the prior fiber optic splice trays was that using multiple fiber optic splice trays and transition trays makes instillation cumbersome and increases material and labor costs.
It is an object of this invention, as embodied in the non-limiting and exemplary embodiments disclosed herein, to overcome or avoid these problems, and increase the ease of use and lower the material and labor costs of installing fiber optic splice trays. Also, it is an object of this invention to increase the capacity of fiber optic splice trays.


A method for forming a self-aligned hole through a substrate to form a fluid feed passage is provided by initially forming an insulating layer on a first side of a substrate having two opposing sides; and forming a feature on the insulating layer. Next, etch an opening through the insulating layer, such that the opening is physically aligned with the feature on the insulating layer; and coat the feature with a layer of protective material. Patterning the layer of protective material will expose the opening through the insulating layer. Dry etching from the first side of the substrate forms a blind feed hole in the substrate corresponding to the location of the opening in the insulating layer, the blind feed hole including a bottom. Subsequently, grind a second side of the substrate and blanket etch it to form a hole through the entire substrate.

Drop-On-Demand (DOD) liquid emission devices have been known as ink printing devices in ink jet printing systems for many years. Early devices were based on piezoelectric actuators such as are disclosed by Kyser et al., in U.S. Pat. No. 3,946,398 and by Stemme in U.S. Pat. No. 3,747,120. A currently popular form of ink jet printing, thermal ink jet (or "thermal bubble jet"), uses electrically resistive heaters to generate vapor bubbles which cause drop emission, as is discussed by Hara et al., in U.S. Pat. No. 4,296,421. Although the majority of the market for drop ejection devices is for the printing of inks, other markets are emerging such as ejection of polymers, conductive inks, or drug delivery.
The printhead used for drop ejection in a thermal inkjet system includes a nozzle plate having an array of ink jet nozzles above ink chambers. At the bottom of an ink chamber, opposite the corresponding nozzle, is an electrically resistive heater. The ink chamber, nozzle plate, and heater are formed on a substrate, typically made of silicon, which also contains circuitry to drive the electrically resistive heaters. In response to an electrical pulse of sufficient energy, the heater causes vaporization of the ink, generating a bubble that rapidly expands and ejects an ink drop from the ink chamber. Ink is replenished to the ink chamber through ink feed channels, located adjacent the ink chamber, typically formed through the silicon substrate on which the ink chambers are formed.
The ink feed channels of the prior art have been formed in various ways using laser drilling, wet etching, or dry etching of the silicon. Printheads are typically fabricated using silicon wafers. The ink feed channels of the prior art has a long slot formed by patterning and etching through the silicon wafer from the back or non-device side. Most printheads of the prior art, use a single long slot for each color of ink. Multiple long slots are therefore formed in a thick silicon substrate, one for each color.
There is a desire to increase the number of nozzles on a printhead for each color. It is also desirable to decrease the spacing between ink feed channels to shrink the size of the printhead for lower cost. Increasing the number of nozzles increases the length of the printhead and therefore the length of the ink feed channels. This long channel in the silicon substrate will weaken the printhead making it more susceptible to stress cracking. Co-pending application (U.S. Publication No. 2008/0136867 A1), discloses the use of anisotropic dry silicon etch, utilizing the "Bosch" process (also known as pulsed or time-multiplexed etching), in which ribs are formed to break up the ink feed channel into sections to increase the strength of the printhead making it more extensible.
However, there is also a desire to increase the frequency of drop ejection. One limitation on the frequency of drop ejection is the time required to refill the ink chamber after the previous drop ejection. The frequency of drop ejection can be increased, if the time required to refill the ink chamber is decreased. Co-pending application (U.S. Publication No. 2008/0180485 A1), discloses a dual feed printhead in which the ink feed channel is replaced by multiple ink feed holes for each ink color, with the ink feed holes located on both sides of the ink chamber. In this case, long ink feed channels on both sides of the ink chamber cannot be utilized, as they would result in a considerable decreased strength for the structure.
In the dual feed printhead, therefore, the preferred ink feed openings are much smaller than the ink feed channels of the prior art, with lengths extending across 1-2 nozzles corresponding to a length of 20-100 μm and similar width. The use of these multiple feed holes, provide strength and extensibility to the printhead. However these small openings cause fabrication issues. Such small feature sizes cannot be formed using wet etching or laser etching. Instead, a dry anisotropic etch process utilizing the "Bosch" process must be used. For dry etching of small openings with high aspect ratio the etch rate is much slower than for large slots, and slows down further the deeper the etch proceeds, therefore increasing the etch time for formation of these holes. The silicon substrate can be thinned prior to etching to decrease this etch time. It is also desirable to thin the substrate to reduce viscous drag of ink through these small holes, so that ink refill time can be decreased. In fact, silicon substrate thicknesses less than 200 μm are desired to minimize the effect of viscous drag on the ink refill time, and to provide a good aspect ratio for high etch processing throughput during fabrication. However, processing of such thin wafers to pattern and etch the ink feed holes through the back of the wafer is difficult, resulting in wafer breakage and yield loss. It is, therefore, desirable to form ink feed holes along with minimizing the process steps on thin wafers.
Another method to decrease the viscous drag is by varying the ink feed opening versus the depth of the feed hole. In the prior art wet etching has been used to provide an anisotropic etch where the feed channel opening is wider at the back of the substrate and narrows down to a smaller opening at the front of the substrate next to the ink chamber. However, the sidewall angle for this, wet etch process of 54.74° is large, and for closely spaced ink feed channels, wet etching is not possible. The anisotropic dry silicon etch, utilizing the "Bosch" process produces openings that typically remain the same width or are reentrant in profile through the substrate in the opposite direction that is desired. It is, therefore, desirable to have a process where the ink feed opening is narrower at the front of the substrate adjacent the ink chamber and wider at the back of the substrate, but where the sidewall angle is significantly less than 54.74°.
In the dual feed printhead, to minimize the ink refill time, the ink openings are located very close to the ink chamber. Alignment of the ink feed openings to the ink chamber is critical. In prior art, the patterning of the ink feed channels is performed using back to front wafer alignment of a mask. However, there are issues in fabrication that degrade alignment. If the silicon wafer is warped the ink feed channels will not align precisely with the mask. Also, during the etch process itself, the etch direction is not completely perpendicular to the wafer surface, especially approaching the wafer edge, due to directional variation of the ions. It is also difficult to time the etch process so that there is no over etching causing undercut of the silicon wafer at the device side. It is desirable to have a process that self-aligns the ink feed channel to the ink chamber.
In forming the ink feed holes through the wafer from the back, the etching of the silicon stops on material used to form the ink chamber. The timing of the endpoint is critical as over etching causes undercut of the ink feed opening at the front surface that causes misalignment of the ink feed opening. Under etching of the area for the ink feed opening could yield a partially formed ink feed opening or even an entirely closed ink feed opening, which is undesirable. Since the etch rate is not uniform across the wafer there will always be ink feed openings that will be overetched. It is desirable to have a process that self aligns the ink feed opening to the ink chamber resulting in uniform ink feed openings with no undercut.
There is, therefore, a need for a printhead that has small ink feed holes aligned to the ink feed chambers that are easily fabricated with high yield. This printhead should also be capable of ejecting drops at high frequencies with an ink chamber refill capability to meet this ejection frequency requirement.

Liquid drop ejector having self-aligned hole


Embodiments of the present disclosure describe methods, apparatuses, storage media, and systems for accuracy measurements in UE baseband-demodulation-performance tests in new radio (NR) frequency range 2 (FR2) operations. The accuracy measurements includes, but not limited to, reference signal received power (RSRP) accuracy, reference signal received quality (RSRQ), and signal-to-noise and interference (SINR) accuracy. Various embodiments describe how to measure RSRP/RSRQ/SINR accuracies in an over-the-air (OTA) test environment in NR FR2 operations.

The background description provided herein is for the purpose of generally presenting the context of the disclosure. Work of the presently named inventors, to the extent it is described in this background section, as well as aspects of the description that may not otherwise qualify as prior art at the time of filing, are neither expressly nor impliedly admitted as prior art against the present disclosure. Unless otherwise indicated herein, the approaches described in this section are not prior art to the claims in the present disclosure and are not admitted to be prior art by inclusion in this section.
Existing user equipment (UE) demodulation performance tests may not be adequate in developing wireless networks due to various changes in millimeter wave (mmWave) frequency operations. For example, New Radio (NR) wireless communication systems may operate in mmWave frequency range with beamforming and associated techniques. Various existing accuracy measurements corresponding to or part of the demodulation performance tests may become inapplicable while operations are in mmWave frequency range.

Techniques in new radio (NR) radio resource management (RRM) performance accuracy measurements