A power control apparatus includes an input terminal and an output terminal for an AC signal; a DC removing capacitor connected between the input terminal and the output terminal; and a variable capacitor that is connected between the input terminal and the output terminal and whose capacitance can be changed by a control signal. One of a current and a voltage of the AC signal is controlled by changing the capacitance of the variable capacitor using the control signal, and dielectrics that form a serially connected row of capacitors composed of the DC removing capacitor and the variable capacitor are configured so as to be integrally laminated, and the control signal is applied across a dielectric that forms the variable capacitor and the AC signal is applied across the dielectrics that form the row of capacitors.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an electronic appliance and a power control apparatus favorably applied to controlling voltage or current in an electronic appliance.
2. Description of the Related Art
In recent years, electronic technology has come to be appreciated for its convenience and efficiency, and the spread of electronic appliances such as IT (information technology) and AV (audio visual) devices has accelerated on a global scale. At the same time, there has been increasing attention on the limited nature of the global environment and global resources, which has led to strong demand for low-energy technology in appliances.
For example, continuous improvements have been made in the efficiency of power supplies of electronic appliances, with switching power supplies, for example, achieving efficiencies of 90% and above. However, in reality, due to cost and noise considerations, many low-efficiency power supplies are still being used as before.
High-efficiency power supplies are also affected by voltage variations in the inputted power, fluctuations between components, and changes in the load current, and a large drop in efficiency is caused during low power operation, for example.
Power supplies are normally designed so as to be highly efficient at the rated load (power) of the appliance, but the operating power of an actual appliance will vary, and the efficiency of the power supply will also vary. For the example of a television set, the operating power greatly varies according to the audio output and brightness of the screen. Putting this another way, there will be an input voltage that is optimal for the size of the load current.
Since appliances are also affected by variations in the voltage of a commercial power supply, the power supply efficiency during actual operation will be lower than the appliance specification. This will be the same regardless of whether a switching regulator or a series regulator is used to supply power.
For example, although a no-load loss occurs for a typical transformer even when there is no load, resulting in minimum efficiency in the no-load state, as the load current increases, the power supply efficiency will also increase. However, since load loss is the square of the load current, once the current exceeds a certain range, the load loss will become a principal cause of the overall loss, resulting in a fall in efficiency. This relationship is shown in FIG. 1.
As one example of an actual transformerless power supply, as shown in FIG. 2, one terminal of a 100V AC commercial power supply 141 is connected via a capacitor 142 to one input terminal of a rectifier circuit 143 composed of a diode bridge, the other terminal of the commercial power supply 141 is connected to the other input terminal of the rectifier circuit 143, and a Zener diode 145 for keeping the voltage constant and a smoothing capacitor 146 are connected in parallel between the output terminals 144a and 144b of the rectifier circuit 143.
Accordingly, as shown in FIG. 2, in a transformerless power supply, by directly rectifying the commercial power supply 141 and passing the output through the Zener diode 145 that constructs a regulator, a stable DC voltage is obtained across the output terminals 144a and 144b.
In this construction, the load of the Zener diode 145 that constructs the regulator is reduced by lowering the voltage in advance using the capacitor 142.
Capacitors are often used in low-power applications. This is because that when the voltage is dropped due to a capacitor, the current shifts out of phase with the voltage, thereby preventing a power loss from occurring. As one example, such construction is used for a standby power supply or the like. However, since the rectified output of such circuits will vary due to load variations and the like, circuits are normally constructed in accordance with the maximum load and a stabilized voltage is produced by causing a power loss at the regulator when the load is light.
Also, since the voltage drop across both ends of a capacitor greatly changes due to variations in frequency and load current, capacitors may not be used in appliances where the load current is large and load variations are large. Accordingly, at present the use of capacitors is limited to extremely low power applications of around several tens of mW, such as standby power.
Also, with the transformerless power supply shown in FIG. 2, during operation using a relay or the like where power consumption is high, by connecting the capacitor 142 in parallel with another predetermined capacitor, it is possible to increase the supplied power, but it becomes necessary to switch between a plurality of capacitors to cover a wide load range. Although switching between a plurality of capacitors using a relay or the like is theoretically possible, aside from space and cost considerations, there are also the problems of slow response, the generation of noise during switching, the inability to continuously change the capacity, and reduced durability, which make such construction impractical. Accordingly, a device where the capacitance can be continuously changed in accordance with variations in the load is necessary.
For high-frequency circuit applications, varicaps and the like that utilize the capacitance between the terminals of a diode are available as capacitors where the capacitance can be electrically controlled. However, due to the capacitance, withstand voltage and the like, varicaps may not be used for power control.
A number of variable capacitors that use a MEMS (Micro Electro Mechanical System) have also been proposed in recent years, but such devices have a premise of using a high-frequency signal.
The capacitance of a capacitor is normally determined by the dielectric constant, the area of the electrodes, and the distance between the electrodes. Accordingly, it is sufficient to control at least one of them. In reality, MEMS proposes a technique that changes the distance between electrodes and/or area of facing electrodes by moving the electrodes.
As another example, Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. S62-259417 discloses a technology where the capacitance is changed by 70% by applying 50V to a ceramic capacitor to change the dielectric constant. Here, changing the cutoff frequency of a filter circuit or the oscillating frequency of a time-constant oscillator circuit is described as a proposed application.

Power control apparatus and electronic appliance equipped with power control apparatus


A plurality of drive modules positioned at spaced locations along a drive th of a driven member respectively include two magnetostrictive rod elements in alignment with each other, with adjacent ends thereof in engagement with a third magnetostrictive rod element extending transversely of the drive path to engage the driven member. Simultaneous elongation and contraction of the two rod elements during elongation of the third rod element in the drive modules imparts unidirectional motion to the driven member.

This invention relates generally to the conversion of electrical power into mechanical power and more particularly in the use of magnetostriction to accomplish such purpose.
Magnetostriction motors are generally well known in the art and involve the use of an active element having magnetostrictive or electrostrictive properties, such as an elongated rod which undergoes dimensional change when magnetized by a field generated by electrical energization of a surrounding drive coil, as disclosed for example in U.S. Pat. No. 2,105,479 to Hayes. The use of a plurality of such magnetostrictive rods interconnected in various arrangements are also known in the art, as disclosed for example in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,439,199 and 3,634,742 to Bergstrand et al and Edson, respectively.
The foregoing magnetostrictive motors transform electrical power directly into mechanical motion. In conventional electrodynamic motors, a unidirectional output exerting a substantial driving force is obtained by use of unwieldy and costly reduction gear boxes with an accompanying decrease in output speed. Such gear boxes are usually associated with undesirable backlash and friction creating problems in maintaining desirable performance.
It is therefore an important object of the present invention to magnetostrictively transform electrical power into mechanical unidirectional motion under high driving force without gear boxes and the aforementioned problems associated therewith.
Another object of the invention in accordance with the foregoing object is to more directly and efficiently convert electrical power into unidirectional motion by utilization of magnetostrictive materials.

The United States of America as represented the Secretary of the Navy


The present invention provides an apparatus and a corresponding method for intubating a human or non-human animal patient. In some embodiments, the present invention is used in the field of anesthesia and emergency medicine. In some embodiments, the present invention provides an intubation tube that includes an integrated Blaine Bafflex System having a plurality of blaines for sealing the trachea, wherein the intubation tube is formed from a single material. In some embodiments, the shape and outer circumference of each blaine of the system is selected according to the desired use of the intubation tube (e.g., for intubating a pediatric patient or an adult patient or for intubating a small animal or a large animal). In some embodiments, the distance between successive blaines is selected such that, when the intubation tube is inserted into the patient and the blaines bend, none of the blaines overlap with their nearest neighbor.

Intubation tubes (e.g., endotracheal, nasotracheal, and tracheostomy tubes; also called lumens) are used during medical procedures during the administration of anesthesia and critical care medicine and are used to provide access to the upper airways for controlled, assisted ventilation or spontaneous unassisted ventilation.
Conventional intubation tubes available in the market have many inherent dangers related to their complicated design and friability. Further, conventional endotracheal tubes have problems with leakage, due to both over pressurization of the trachea and under pressurization of the trachea, which allows fluids to enter the lungs.
There exists a need for a safer, easier and less invasive method to intubate patients in preparation for a surgical procedure. Intubating patients means to provide a way for the patient to 'breathe' during surgery and the traditional method is placing an endotracheal tube down a patient's throat and connecting the tube to a respirator or anesthetic machine. It is necessary for the traditional procedure to have an inflatable ball, or cuff, to seal the tube inside the patient's throat. The tubes currently available are basically made to be disposable and because of their complicated design and moving parts and poor construction, they are very friable and have to be replaced constantly due to failure of the inflation system. Failure of the inflation system during anesthesia can and has been fatal to many patients. The traditional method must be performed by a trained professional because if intubation is performed incorrectly there are risks of damaging the lining of the trachea or even causing tracheal rupture which can lead to death of the patient. It is worth noting that for both human use and animal use (i.e., veterinary use), technicians receive specific training and are certified for the traditional intubation procedure.
Another complication caused by conventional intubation tubes is that it is necessary to maintain several different sizes of traditional tubes to avoid damaging the patient's trachea or larynx by selecting the wrong size. This is especially evident in veterinary use where as many as 14 sizes or more are required to intubate the various sizes of dogs, cats and farm animals. Selecting the correct traditional tube size is very important and underscores the need for a trained technician to implement the traditional method of intubation. The number of sizes creates inventory issues and leads to confusion as to the storage of the traditional tubes.
Conventional intubation tubes and technology use inflation cuffs that allow many dangers to the patient. If the cuff fails or leaks during surgery, which they often do, the patient can wake up during surgery because of not receiving the necessary anesthetic or oxygen, and can also aspirate fluids. More dangerously, the cuff can be over inflated quite easily and cause damage and pressure necrosis to the tracheal mucosa or even tracheal tearing or rupture. The current method used to evaluate the pressure in the inflated cuff is a palpation bulb on the outside of the tube which the operator is supposed to feel and judge the pressure in the cuff. This is at best a crude measurement of the true pressure inside the trachea, and studies have shown that, at times in certain studies, over 50% of the time, the cuff is over inflated causing damage to the trachea. This has become such a wide spread issue that there are now commercial devices such as the Olympic Cuff-Safe™ that is a handheld device that more accurately measures the cuff pressure of the cuffs.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,659,611 filed Dec. 15, 1969, titled "Tracheal Tube Seal" by Don R. Miller, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety, describes an improvement in tracheostomy and endotracheal tubes for effecting a substantial air seal between the tube and the trachea and further provides on the periphery of the indwelling portion of the device a series of thin resilient, circular flanges, of silicone rubber, wherein the flanges bend for insertion and withdrawal and engage the wall of the trachea to form an air seal therewith.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,429,127 filed Jul. 6, 1993, titled "Thin Wall Endotracheal Tube" by Theodor Kolobow, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety, describes an ultra-thin wire reinforced endotracheal tube which includes a novel sealing design adapted to fit in a complementary manner in a subject's larynx and the endotracheal tube includes a laryngeal section which has a cross sectional shape and size that are complementary to a subject's glottis and preferably, the laryngeal section has an oval or egg-shaped cross section and a plurality of thin, pliable sealing "gills" are provided on the surface of the laryngeal section, wherein the gills provide a fluid tight seal which does not harm a subject's larynx and the endotracheal tube is reinforced with a metallic spring material and in a preferred embodiment, the metallic spring material is a shape memory alloy and the use of a shape memory alloy prevents damage to the endotracheal tube caused by distortion, such as kinking, crushing, etc.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,305,740 filed May 6, 1992, titled "Sealing Means For Endotracheal Tubes" by Theodor Kolobow, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety, describes a sealing element for a tubular member such as an endotracheal tube which includes a circular collar portion and a pliable flange or gill, wherein one or more of the sealing elements are positioned on a tubular member such as an endotracheal tube and when the tubular member is inserted into a lumen such as a trachea, the pliable flange(s) or gill(s) forms a seal between the outer wall of the tubular member and the inner wall of the lumen and, in the case of endotracheal tubes and the sealing elements replace conventional inflatable cuffs and allow for tubes having diameters less than 5 mm.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,285,777 filed Aug. 8, 1991, titled "Tracheostomy Apparatus" by Wayne E. Beckwith, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety, describes a flexible support plate member mounts straps at opposed ends thereof for securement about an individual, with the plate member receiving a tracheal tube through a receiving plate bore in pivotal relationship, with the tracheal tube including an expandable balloon seal positioned adjacent a lower terminal end of the tracheal tube, with a suction conduit arranged for reception of a catheter tube and a modification of the invention includes sealing ribs and adhesive mounted about the balloon to enhance sealing within the individual.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,516,410 filed Jan. 3, 1968, titled "Cerebro-Ventricular Catheter" by Salomon Hakim, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety, describes a ventricular catheter for use with ventriculoatrial shunting devices, and consists of a tubing of soft, tissue-compatible material with intake apertures positioned in the wall of the tubing at one end thereof, the end of the tubing preferably being closed and thin membranes of flexible, tissue-compatible material are attached between the holes and extend outward from the wall of the tube wherein the flexibility is such that the lightest contact with attached tissue will bend the membrane and protect the underlying hole and the membrane may be radially slit to facilitate collapsing upon passing of the catheter through tissue and the membranes are long enough, so that when the catheter is inserted in tissue, they cover the apertures to prevent scraping of tissue thereby.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,251,617 filed Dec. 11, 1992, titled "Endotracheal Tube With Concentrically Mounted And Axially Slidable Connector" by Gerald S. Linder, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety, describes a flexible, cylindrical endotracheal tube is disclosed employing an axially slidable, hollow, cylindrical connector concentrically mounted upon the outer surface of the endotracheal tube near its proximal end; the proximal tip of the endotracheal tube is provided with an annular flange having an outer diameter larger than the inner diameter of the hollow output section of the slidable connector and smaller than the inner diameter of the hollow input section of the connector; a breathing circuit connector may be attached to the hollow input section of the slidable connector for coupling to the hoses of a conventional anesthesiology machine; the slidable connector is axially positionable over the outer surface of the proximal end portion of the endotracheal tube without loss of the airtight seal; the annular, flanged tip of the endotracheal tube may pass into and through the bore of the breathing circuit connector during positioning of the slidable connector; the axial positioning of the slidable connector may occur before intubation, after intubation, or while the patient is in recovery.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,502,482 filed Aug. 11, 1983, titled "Endotracheal Tube Complex" by Victor C. DeLuccia, et al., which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety, describes an endotracheal complex for insertion into the trachea of a patient, and wherein the trachea branches through the carina trachea distally into two bronchi, includes a tube which has a distal blunt and atraumatically shaped tip so as to restrain passage of the tip beyond the carina tracheae into the bronchi and to serve as an internal palpator to identify an anatomical reference point, and an inflatable cuff near the tip for preventing any air or air component other than oxygen emanating from the source of oxygen to pass to the bronchi; a removable introducer is disposed in the tube and has a beveled end portion to facilitate insertion of the tube through the larynx into the trachea; after the endotracheal tube is inserted into the trachea of a patient, the beveled end portion is removed by pulling on the introducer tube or stylet; the beveled end portion collapses off the blunt end of the endotracheal tube and can be pulled through the endotracheal tube to be removed and discarded; the remaining blunt end of the endotracheal tube, from which oxygen is fed to the patient, is so designed so that it will slip past the carina trachea into either bronchus of the patient; there is also provided a suction tube which fits into the endotracheal tube and which has a distinct curve at its distal end as it emerges from the blunt end of the endotracheal tube so that it can be easily directed to slide down the left or right bronchus of the patient in order to aspirate fluids from the lung.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,616,799 filed Oct. 6, 2009, titled "Tubes With Sail Cuffs For Tracheal Intubation" by Charles H. Sparks, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety, describes a cuff having an open ended flaring skirt which is pressed against the tracheal wall during the positive pressure phase of mechanical ventilation of the patient's lungs, wherein the sealing pressure is applied by the ventilating gas itself whereby the pressure of the cuff against the tracheal wall can never exceed that of the ventilating gas and whereby the cuff is relaxed in each breathing cycle when the ventilating gas is not above atmospheric pressure and a slidable sleeve sheaths the skirt for intubation and unsheaths the skirt after intubation, wherein the cuff is used on endotracheal, nasotracheal and tracheostomy tubes.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,599,642 filed Dec. 29, 1969, titled "Endotracheal Tubes" by Roland L. Tindel, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety, describes disposable endotrached tubes, wherein the tubes have an adapter portion integral with a body portion through a juncture, with a lumen of substantial constant diameter extending throughout the body portion and juncture, the lumen opening into the adapter through a region of generally nonturbulent flow and, wherein the juncture portion is corrugated to provide a flexible connection at any desired angle between adapter and body portion.
What is needed is an improved apparatus and method for intubating patients.

Apparatus and method for intubating humans and non-human animals


Methods and devices for optimizing classification tree evaluation for online and real-time characterization of tissue by using GPUs are disclosed that give a significant improvement in run time compared to data decomposition. The methods and devices use a parallel algorithm designed for single instruction, multiple data (SIMD) architectures commonly found in GPUs. Various optimizations and their effects are also disclosed.

Methods and systems for characterizing tissue including tissue types within tissue are known (See, for example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,200,268; 6,381,350; 7,074,188; 7,175,597; 7,215,802; 7,359,554; 7,463,759; 7,627,156; 7,789,834; 7,874,990; 7,899,224; 7,927,275; 7,940,969; and 7,978,916; each of which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety). In these previous methods and systems, tissue is scanned with an imaging device, (e.g., an intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) or optical coherence tomography (OCT) device) and backscatter signal data is collected. Histology images are prepared and digitized which correspond to the scanned vascular sections. A tissue type is selected on the histology image and its coordinates are mapped to a corresponding location on the IVUS or OCT image constructed from the backscatter signal. The image location is then translated to the corresponding signal section of the raw backscatter signal. Frequency analysis is performed on the signal section to determine its signal properties. The signal properties are correlated to the selected tissue type of the histology image and stored in a tissue characterization database. The process is then repeated for all tissue types and other tissue types found within tissue and stored in the database. The components of tissue such as tissue can be identified directly from the raw backscatter signal by matching its signal properties with the signal properties of the database, thus, identifying tissue types or other tissue components in vivo and in real-time.
Classification trees are used to solve problems in areas as diverse as target marketing, fraud detection, pattern recognition, computer vision, and medical diagnosis. In many applications, classification trees are carefully designed once but then applied to many data sets to provide automated classifications. This approach is used to create validated classifiers for tissue classification in mammography and intravascular ultrasound diagnostic procedures. While training the classifier is done offline, tree evaluation of each patient's data in these applications is an on-line algorithm where a user waits for a classification to be performed on many, many samples. Time spent waiting for this evaluation consumes valuable procedure room equipment and personnel. Performance requirements only increase when single images are replaced by moving video for computer vision applications, as in robotic navigation. In this environment, many classifications are needed in real-time to compute and affect a timely response. Thus the need for high-performance on-line evaluation of classification trees ranges from beneficial to absolutely necessary.

Method and device for classifying vascular objects using classification trees evaluated on a graphics processing unit


A method, a system and a computer-readable medium for responding to a text message request are enclosed. A method, a system and a computer-readable medium for providing financial information to a customer via a text message are enclosed. A method, a system and a computer-readable medium for providing access to financial information via a text message are enclosed. A method, a system and a computer-readable medium for providing a text message to a customer are enclosed.

Text messaging has become more commonplace among cell phone users over time. It is a way for users to communicate quickly with one another and to keep the conversation private, even in a busy place, which is not always possible through an ordinary cell phone communication. Text messaging is more common among younger generations, such as the 12-24 year-old age group. Users in this age range oftentimes communicate more by text message than they do ordinary cell phone communications.
In an effort to appeal to this age group, but more specifically to the 18-24 year old sector of this age group, commonly called "flow-throughs" who are young adults who continue to be supported by their parents financially, businesses should be able to communicate with these customers through the use of text messaging because this is how this group communicates.
Not only does text messaging appeal to the younger audience, but it also is convenient to other segments of the population, particularly to professional people or people always traveling, heavy cell phone users, and to those who are electronics lovers.
However, there is limited use of text messaging to mobile devices other than personal communications. Some cellular providers can send limited account information to a requesting mobile device, but advanced information or functionality is typically not available to a mobile device via text messaging.

System and method for text messaging of financial account data


A handle for use in production of brushes by fusion. The handle is injection molded with a set of pre-formed holes. Each hole contains, on its bottom surface, a protrusion of excess material. Bristles for the brush are heated to form a small fuse at their ends. When the fused ends are inserted into the holes, material from the protrusion flows around the fuses, retaining them in the holes upon cooling.

This invention pertains to an improvement in methods for fusing bristles into a brush, and more specifically, to a configuration for a handle for use in fusion processes.
Most brushware, especially toothbrushes, are produced via a two-part technique. The handles are produced by injection molding, following which the bristles are inserted into the handle. The most common technique for inserting the bristles into the brushes is stapling. The bristles are folded around a metal staple which is pushed into a pre-molded hole in the brush. The staple cuts into the plastic at the periphery of the hole, and the plastic retains both it and the bristles. However, it does not require great force to remove the bristles from the handle. Vigorous brushing can easily cause the bristles to be removed from the handle, leading to shedding or even release of the metal staple inside of the mouth.
Techniques wherein the bristles are fused with the handle can be used to produce brushes from which the bristles are not so readily removed. Either the bristles or the brush head, or both, are heated, and the bristles are inserted into holes in the handle where they are retained by the cooling plastic. Exemplary techniques for brush production by fusion include those described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,988,146, which describes a fusion process wherein the ends of bristle bundles are thermally fused, shortening and locally thickening the bundles to form a fuse-ball, or fuse. The fused bristles are inserted into holes in a brush handle which have a smaller cross-section than the fuse-ball. Either the fuse-ball or the wall of the hole may be heated to allow the fuse-ball to conform to the inside of the hole, or the bristles may be inserted into the hole immediately following fusion, before the fuse-ball is allowed to cool.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,224,763 discloses a fusion process in which holes are formed in the handles during the injection molding process. A collar of excess plastic disposed about the hole is swaged around the fused end of the bristles when it is inserted into the hole.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,622,411 discloses a fusion process wherein it is assumed that the fused bristles will displace a finite amount of material when they are inserted into holes in the handle head. The displaced material is compressed to form a planar surface in the head of the brush.
In each of these techniques, the inventor has sought a method of inserting bristles into pre-cored holes in the handle. However, it is not necessary to use a handle with prefabricated holes; the holes can be formed immediately prior to the insertion of the bristles. In a process called xe2x80x9chedgehogging,xe2x80x9d the handle is heated, and a set of short spikes mounted on a heated plate is pushed into the head of the handle to form holes to receive the bristles. U.S. Pat. No. 4,637,660 describes an exemplary hedgehogging process wherein, as the holes are formed in the handle, the displaced material is organized into a small bead surrounding the newly-formed hole. As in the ""146 patent, the bristle ends are fused before they are inserted into the hedgehogged holes. Material from the small bead flows around the fuse after it is fitted into the hole, enclosing the bristles in the brush head.
In most of these methods, a significant portion of the brush must be heated before the bristles are inserted into the hole whether it is pre-cored or hedgehogged. The only exception is the ""146 patent, where the heated fuses may be inserted into the hole without heating the handle. In this case, the fuse expands against the walls of the hole, thermoforming the fuse and exerting hydrostatic pressure on the walls of the hole. In either case, excess post-molding processing of the handle will weaken the head and may cause it to warp. In addition, the fracture toughness of the head may be reduced. Many users bang their toothbrushes against the side of the sink to remove excess water after they are done brushing their teeth. This action is more likely to break a warped or pre-stressed brush head.
In one aspect, the invention is a bristle carrier for a brush which includes a bristle receiving portion, at least one pre-molded hole disposed in the bristle receiving portion, and a projection disposed in a bottom of the pre-molded hole. The hole is configured to receive a bristle tuft. A side surface of the protrusion may be perpendicular to the bottom of the hole, parallel to a wall of the hole, both, or neither. An upper surface of the protrusion may also exhibit a 3-dimensional contour. In addition, the wall of the hole need not be perpendicular to the bottom of the hole; it may be rounded or flat. A hole may include a plurality of protrusions; in a brush having a plurality of holes, the holes need not all have the same shape, and the shapes of the protrusions disposed in the holes may also vary. In addition, a wall of the hole need not be perpendicular to a surface of the bristle receiving portion that contains the opening of the hole.
In another aspect, the invention is a method of producing a brush. The method comprises forming a bristle carrier having at least one hole with a protrusion projecting from its bottom, heating the protrusion and a portion of the wall of the hole, and inserting a sheaf of bristles into the hole. When the protrusion is heated, material from it flows about the bristles, retaining them in the hole. The method may further comprise fusing an end of the sheaf of bristles to form a fuse-ball. This fuse may have a greater diameter than the diameter of the sheaf, and the fusion may be performed thermally or chemically. If the fusion is performed thermally, the sheaf may be inserted in the hole while the fuse-ball is still warm. A portion of the wall of the hole may be pressed around the fuse. Furthermore, the bristle carrier may be formed by either injection or compression molding.

Handle configuration for brush production by fusion


A method of manufacturing a layer structure includes: forming a first layer over a substrate; planarizing the first layer to form a planarized surface of the first layer; and forming a second layer over the planarized surface; wherein a porosity of the first layer is greater than a porosity of the substrate and greater than a porosity of the second layer; wherein the second layer is formed by physical vapor deposition; and wherein the first layer and the second layer are formed from the same solid material.

In general, semiconductor materials may be processed in semiconductor technology on or in a substrate (also referred to as a wafer or a carrier), e.g. to fabricate integrated circuits (also referred to as chips). During processing of the semiconductor material, certain processes may be applied, such as forming one or more layers over the substrate, structuring the one or more layers, or contacting the chips. In general, a porous copper layer offers beneficial mechanical properties, for example, in the field of a thick power metallization.
In contrast to a dense layer (bulk copper) a porous copper layer may apply less mechanical and/or thermal stress to the silicon and, therefore, offer the possibility to prepare a thick copper layer on wafer and a chip, without inducing bowing of the wafer or the chip, delaminating from the wafer or the chip, and/or inducing cracks into the wafer or the chip.
Conventionally, the properties of a porous copper layer are adjusted by changing the preparation parameters, e.g. the source material (particle size or additives) or the processing parameters (deposition parameter, furnace parameter, annealing parameter). This adjustment is strongly limited to the range of the preparation parameters and, therefore, is rather narrow. Further, this adjustment fails in sealing the pores, requires additional effort, and is highly sensitive to the used copper particle containing paste, which reduces the scope of adapting the adjustment to other paste compositions.
Alternatively, two layers may be formed by printing different copper particle containing pastes or a metal-precursor paste over each other. This process may only be able to adjust the spatial porosity of the porous copper layer, fails in sealing the pores, requires additional effort, and is sensitive to the combination of the used copper particle containing paste.
Alternatively, the porous copper layer may be coated by electrochemical deposition or electro-less-chemical of a metal. This may result in the inclusion of the used electrolytes, increasing a risk of impurities and contamination or other consequences as a reduced reliability or damage to the device.

Method of manufacturing a layer structure having partially sealed pores


An apparatus includes first and second input transistors receiving respective first and second input signals, and a feedback circuit coupled to the first and second input transistors. The first and second input transistors provide first and second nodes with first and second currents according to values of the first and second input signals, respectively, when the feedback circuit is turned on. The first and second input transistors produce a reset value on the nodes when the feedback circuit is turned off. A method includes resetting, using first and second input transistors, respectively, values of first and second nodes to a reset value, providing first and second currents to the nodes using the first and second input transistors according to values of first and second input signals, and determining the values of the nodes according to the values of the first and second input signals.

An analog comparator receives first and second analog signals and produces an output signal according to respective voltage values of the first and second analog signal. The output signal has a first value, such as '0', when the voltage value of the first analog signal is less than the voltage value of the second analog signal plus an offset voltage. The output signal has a second value, such as '1', when the voltage value of the first analog signal is greater than the voltage value of the second analog signal plus the offset voltage.
The analog comparator may perform the comparison of the values of the first and second analog signals at a time determined according to a clock signal. The analog comparator may latch the result of the comparison, and therefore function as a latch.
The comparator may be used, among other applications, in a Serializer/Deserializer (SERDES) receiver circuit or an Analog to Digital Converter (ADC) circuit. The ADC circuit may include any of a flash ADC, a sigma-delta ADC, a successive approximation ADC, an interleaved ADC, a single-slope or multi-slope ADC, and the like.


This disclosure may generally relate to additive manufacturing operations and, more particularly, to systems and methods for three dimensional (3D) printing a sealing element. Specifically, examples of the present disclosure may be implemented to manufacture a sealing element which may be disposed in a wellbore to seal off a portion of a well.

Wells may be drilled into subterranean formations to recover valuable hydrocarbons. Various operations may be performed before, during, and after the well has been drilled to produce and continue the flow of the hydrocarbon fluids to the surface.
A typical operation concerning oil and gas operations may be to apply a seal within a well. A seal may isolate and contain produced hydrocarbons and pressures within the well. There may be a variety of different tools and equipment used to create seals between the outside of a production tubing string and the inside of a casing string, liner, or the wall of a wellbore. Substantial pressure differentials across a seal may induce failure of the seal and may result in substantial loss of time, money, and equipment, and may even result in harm to individuals. Additionally, expanding a wellbore seal may induce substantial deformation and internal stress on a sealing element, which may increase the chance of failure (e.g., due to breaking or tearing). The design and manufacture of wellbore seals may be limited in structure and material choice in order to minimize the chance of failure. It may be suitable to explore alternative manufacturing processes to produce improved sealing elements.


The invention relates to a method of using a portable mobile communication device such as mediaphone. In the method, an image of a hand of the user is made and the natural partition of the hand is recognized. An augmented reality image of a user interface of the device is made by laying an image of a desired user interface comprising input segments onto the image of the user""s hand in such a way that the segments of the user interface are separated from each other by the natural partition of the hand. The augmented reality image of the user interface is seen by the user, who selects a desirable segment by touching a partition on the hand. The selection on the hand is recognized and a function related to the selected segment is performed by the device. MARISIL is defined and used to operate this class of devices.

One of the most important factors contributing to the effective use of a computer and phone devices is the interface between a human and a device. The most popular humanxe2x80x94computer interface is a keyboard. A commonly used computer keyboard has nearly 100 keys in order to facilitate the user input, and it is based on a matrix of electrical switches that are called keys. A keyboard for small devices has a reduced size and the keys have a special property. Pressing a key more than once produces a different action on the interface. Although such keyboards are commonly used and widely accepted, they do not often provide a very efficient or easy way to use electronic devices.
Mobile devices, such as cellular phones or palm top computers, have become very popular in the last few years. These devices are hand-held and they are provided with a keyboard for user input and with a display for showing the results of the inputs. However, users do not always want to carry mobile devices in their hands, nor is it always easy to input data into the devices.
A prior art arrangement to avoid the use of a keyboard is disclosed in xe2x80x9cHIT-Wearxe2x80x9d: Input Interface for Wearable Computers Utilizing Visual Feedback and Physical Sense by Sasaki, H., Kuroda, T., Chihara, K. in Correspondence on Human Interface, Vol. 1, No. 4, which is incorporated herein by reference. In this arrangement, a hand is placed in front of the face and the device identifies the fingertips. The user is wearing a head-mounted display, which shows him a menu related to the use of the device, such that one function key of the menu is displayed outwards from each fingertip. When the user touches a particular key, the corresponding function is carried out. However, a drawback of the arrangement is that even though it enables rapid selection of a desired command or operation, only a few commands or operations can be shown at a time to the user. Another drawback is that the arrangement is not really suitable for inputting alphanumerical or other symbolic data.
An object of the invention is to provide a method and a device implementing the method, such that augmented reality can be used to realize a compact user interface in a matrix form, with which interface commands and symbolic data can be input into the device in a simple manner. This is achieved with a method disclosed in the introduction of using a portable mobile communication device, the method comprising: forming an image of a hand of the user and recognizing the natural partition of the hand; forming an augmented reality image by overlaying an image of a desired user interface on the image of the hand recognized visually by the user; selecting a desired segment by touching a suitable partition on the hand; recognizing the selection on the hand; and performing a function related to the segment in the device.
The invention also relates to a method of using a portable mobile communication device, the method comprising: forming an image of a hand of the user and recognizing the natural partition of the hand; forming an augmented reality image of a user interface of the device by overlaying an image of a desired user interface on the image of the hand; showing a user the augmented reality image of the user interface; selecting a desired segment by touching a suitable partition on the hand; recognizing the selection on the hand; and performing a function related to the segment in the device.
The invention further relates to a portable mobile communication device comprising a video camera unit, a display unit, a transceiver unit and a digital signal processing unit that is arranged to control the operation of the portable mobile communication device: wherein the video camera is arranged to form a video image of a user""s hand and to feed the image into the digital signal processing unit, which is arranged to recognize the natural partition of the hand in the video image; the digital signal processing unit is arranged to feed an image of a user interface into the display and to form an augmented reality image of the user interface of the device by overlaying an image of a desired user interface on the image of the user""s hand seen by the user; a desired segment is selected by the user by touching a suitable partition on the hand; the digital signal processing unit is arranged to recognize the selection on the hand; and the device is arranged to perform a function related to the segment.
The invention also relates to a portable mobile communication device comprising a video camera unit, a display unit, a transceiver unit and a digital signal processing unit that is arranged to control the operation of the portable mobile communication device, wherein: the video camera is arranged to form a video image of a user""s hand and to feed the image into the digital signal processing unit, which is arranged to recognize the natural partition of the hand in the video image; the digital signal processing unit is arranged to form an augmented reality image of a user interface of the device by overlaying an image of a desired user interface on the image of the user""s hand; the digital signal processing unit is arranged to feed the augmented reality image of the user interface into the display, which is arranged to show the image to the user; a desired segment is selected by the user by touching a suitable partition on the hand; the digital signal processing unit is arranged to recognize the selection on the hand; and the device is arranged to perform a function related to the segment.
The invention further relates to a portable mobile communication device comprising a virtual reality gloves unit, a position tracking unit, a display unit, a transceiver unit and a digital signal processing unit that is arranged to control the operation of the portable mobile communication device, wherein: the virtual reality gloves are arranged to feed information on the user""s hand into the digital signal processing unit, which is arranged to form an image of the hand and to recognize the natural partition of the hand; the digital signal processing unit is arranged to form an augmented reality image of a user interface of the device by overlaying an image of a desired user interface on the image of the user""s hand; the digital signal processing unit is arranged to feed the augmented reality image of the user interface into the display, which is arranged to show the image to the user; a desired segment is selected by the user by touching a suitable partition on the hand; the digital signal processing unit is arranged to recognize the selection on the hand; and the device is arranged to perform a function related to the segment.
The preferred embodiments of the invention are disclosed in the dependent claims.
An essential feature of the invention is that the user interface is implemented without any actual physical element. The actual physical part of the user interface is replaced by the user""s own hand. The portable electronic device is operated by pointing at input segments which are shown on the user""s hand. This operation is implemented by means of augmented reality where an image of the hand seen by the user is supplemented with a display for the information of the user interface. The user interface information includes the menu and the results, which are visible to the user in the form of segments. The segments are preferably displayed on the hand according to the symbolic partition of the hand, i.e. how the contours of the hand and the joints of the fingers divide the hand into symbolic sectors.
The method and the system according to the invention provide several advantages. Even though a physical user interface is not needed to carry out the functions of the device, it is possible to utilize the input of symbolic or alphanumerical data or data based on other characters. When numerals or symbols are used, the operation of the device is independent of the user""s language.


There is provided an electric device which can prevent a deterioration in a frequency characteristic due to a large electric power external switch connected to an opposite electrode and can prevent a decrease in the number of gradations. The electric device includes a plurality of source signal lines, a plurality of gate signal lines, a plurality of power source supply lines, a plurality of power source control lines, and a plurality of pixels. Each of the plurality of pixels includes a switching TFT, an EL driving TFT, a power source controlling TFT, and an EL element, and the power source controlling TFT controls a potential difference between a cathode and an anode of the EL element.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an EL (electro-luminescence) display formed by incorporating an EL element on a substrate. More particularly, the invention relates to an EL display (electric device) using a semiconductor element (an element using a semiconductor thin film). Furthermore, the present invention relates to an electronic apparatus (EL display device) in which the EL display is used in a display portion thereof.
2. Description of the Related Art
In recent years, technology for forming a thin film transistor (hereinafter, TFT) on a substrate has been largely improved, and an application development of the TFT to an active matrix display device has been carried out. In particular, the TFT using a polysilicon film has a higher electric field effect mobility than the TFT using a conventional amorphous silicon film, and therefore, the former TFT may be operated at a high speed. Thus, the pixel control which has been conducted at a driver circuit outside of the substrate may be conducted at the driver circuit which is formed on the same substrate as the pixel.
Such an active matrix display device can, by incorporating various circuits and elements on the same substrate, obtain various advantages such as decrease in manufacturing costs, decrease in sizes of the display devices, increase in its yields, and decrease in its throughputs.
Further, research on the active matrix EL display device having an EL element as a self-light-emitting device (hereinafter referred to as EL display) is becoming more and more active. The EL display is referred to as an organic EL display (OELD) or an organic light-emitting diode (OLED).
The EL display is a self-light-emitting type unlike a liquid crystal display device. The EL element is constituted in such a manner that an EL layer is sandwiched between a pair of electrodes. However, the EL layer normally has a lamination structure. Typically, the lamination structure of a "hole transport layer/a light emitting/an electron transport layer" proposed by Tang et al. of the Eastman Kodak Company can be cited. This structure has a very high light-emitting efficiency, and this structure is adopted in almost all the EL displays which are currently subjected to research and development.
In addition, it may have a structure such that on the pixel electrode, a hole injection layer/a hole transport layer/a light emitting/an electron transport layer, or a hole injection layer/a hole transport layer/a light emitting/an electron transport layer/an electron injection layer may be laminated in the stated order. Phosphorescent dye or the like may be doped into the light emitting.
In this specification, all of the layers provided between the pixel electrode and an opposite electrode are generally referred to as EL layers. Consequently, the hole injection layer, the hole transport layer, the light emitting, the electron transport layer, the electron injection layer and the like are all included in the EL layers.
A predetermined voltage is applied from a pair of electrodes to the EL layer of the above structure, with the result that recombination of carriers occurs in the light emitting layer to emit light. Note that in the present specification, emitting light by an EL element is referred to as driving the EL element. Besides, in the present specification, a light emitting element formed of an anode, an EL layer, and a cathode, is referred to as an EL element. Besides, a potential difference generated between an anode and a cathode of an EL element is referred to as an EL driver voltage.
FIG. 23 is a block diagram of a conventional multi gradation system EL display. The EL display shown in FIG. 23 uses TFTs formed on a substrate and includes a pixel portion 101, and a source signal side driver circuit 102 and a gate signal side driver circuit 103 which are disposed at the periphery of the pixel portion. An external switch 116 for controlling an EL driver voltage is connected to the pixel portion 101.
The source signal side driver circuit 102 fundamentally contains a shift register 102a, a latch (A) 102b, and a latch (B) 102c. Further, clock signals CK and start pulses SP are input to the shift register 102a, digital data signals are input to the latch (A) 102b, and latch signals are input to the latch (B) 102c.
The digital data signal input to the pixel portion 101 is formed by a time-division gradation data signal generation circuit 114. A video signal consisting of an analog signal or digital signal (a signal containing image information) is converted into a digital data signal for performing time-division gradation in the time-division gradation data signal generation circuit 114. At the same time, timing pulses necessary for performing time-division gradation display are generated in this circuit.
Specifically, the time-division gradation data signal generation circuit 114 contains means for: dividing one frame period into a plurality of subframe periods corresponding to n-bit (where n is an integer equal to or greater than 2) gradations; selecting write-in periods and display periods in the plurality of subframe periods; and setting the length of the display periods.
As the structure of the pixel portion 101, what is shown in FIG. 18 has been general. In FIG. 18, gate signal lines (G1 to Gn) for inputting gate signals and source signal lines (also referred to as data signal lines) (S1 to Sn) for inputting digital data signals are provided in the pixel portion 101. Note that the digital data signal means a digital video signal.
Besides, power source supply lines (V1 to Vn) are provided in parallel with the source signal lines (S1 to Sn). The potential of the power source supply line (V1 to Vn) is referred to as a power source potential. Besides, wiring lines (Vb1 to Vbn) are provided in parallel with the gate lines (G1 to Gn). The wiring lines (Vb1 to Vbn) are connected to the external switch 116.
A plurality of pixels 104 are arranged in matrix form in the pixel portion 101. FIG. 19 is an enlarged view of the pixel 104. In FIG. 19, reference numeral 1701 designates a TFT (hereinafter referred to as a switching TFT) functioning as a switching element; 1702, a TFT (hereinafter referred to as an EL driving TFT) functioning as an element (current control element) for controlling a current supplied to an EL element 1703; and 1704, a capacitor (holding capacitance).
A gate electrode of the switching TFT 1701 is connected to a gate signal line 1705 of one of the gate signal lines (G1 to Gn) for inputting gate signals. One of a source region and a drain region of the switching TFT 1701 is connected to a source signal line 1706 of one of the source signal lines (S1 to Sn) for inputting digital data signals, and the other is connected to a gate electrode of the EL driving TFT 1702 and the capacitor 1704, respectively.
One of a source region and a drain region of the driving TFT 1702 is connected to a power source supply line 1707 of one of the power source supply lines (V1 to Vn), and the other is connected to the EL element 1703. The capacitor 1704 is connected to the power source supply line 1707 of one of the power source supply lines (V1 to Vn).
The EL element 1703 is formed of an anode, a cathode, and an EL layer provided between the anode and the cathode. In the case where the anode is connected to the source region or the drain region of the EL driving TFT 1702, in other words, in the case where the anode is a pixel electrode, the cathode becomes an opposite electrode. On the contrary, in the case where the cathode is connected to the source region or the drain region of the EL driving TFT 1702, in other words, in the case where the cathode is a pixel electrode, the anode becomes an opposite electrode. In the present specification, the potential of the opposite electrode is referred to as an opposite potential. A potential difference between the potential of the opposite electrode and the potential of the pixel electrode is referred to as an EL driver voltage, and this EL driver voltage is applied to the EL layer.
The opposite electrode of the EL element is connected to the external switch 116 through one of the wiring lines (Vb1 to Vbn) (FIG. 18).
Next, driving of a multi-gradation system EL display will be described. Here, 2n gradation display by an n-bit digital driving system will be described.
FIG. 5 shows a timing chart in digital system time-division gradation display of the multi-gradation system EL display. First, one frame period is divided into n subframe periods (SF1 to SFn). Note that a period in which all pixels of the pixel portion display one picture image is referred to as one frame period (F). A period obtained by dividing one frame period is referred to as a subframe period. As the number of gradations becomes large, the number of divisions of one frame period also becomes large, and a driver circuit must be driven by a high frequency.
One subframe period is divided into a write-in period (Ta) and a display period (Ts). The write-in period is a period in which digital data signals are inputted to all pixels in one subframe period. The display period (also referred to as a lighting period) is a period in which an emission or non-emission state of the EL element is selected and a display is performed.
Besides, an EL driver voltage shown in FIG. 5 indicates an EL driver voltage of an EL element in which the emission state is selected. That is, the EL driver voltage (FIG. 5) of the EL element in which the emission state is selected becomes 0 V during the write-in period, and has such magnitude, during the display period, that the EL element emits light.
An opposite potential is controlled by the external switch 116. In the write-in period, the opposite potential is kept equal to the power source potential, and in the display period, there is generated such a potential difference (ground in FIG. 18) that the EL element emits light, between the opposite potential and the power source potential.
First, the write-in period and the display period of each subframe will be described using the symbols of FIGS. 18 and 19, and thereafter, the time-division gradation display will be described.
First, a gate signal is inputted to the gate signal line G1, and all switching TFTs 1701 connected to the gate signal line G1 are turned on. A digital data signal is sequentially inputted to the source signal line (S1 to Sn). The opposite potential is kept equal to the power source potential of the power source supply line (V1 to Vn). The digital data signal includes information of "0" or "1". The digital data signal of "0" or "1" means a signal having a voltage of Hi or Lo, respectively.
The digital data signal inputted to the source signal line (S1 to Sn) is inputted to the gate electrode of the EL driving TFT 1702 through the switching TFT 1701 which is in an ON state. The digital data signal is also inputted to the capacitor 1704 and is held.
Gate signals are sequentially inputted to the gate signal lines G2 to Gn, so that the foregoing operation is repeated, the digital data signals are inputted to all pixels, and the inputted digital data signals are held in the respective pixels. A period in which digital data signals are inputted to all pixels, is referred to as the write-in period.
When the digital data signals are inputted to all pixels, all switching TFTs 1701 are turned off. By the external switch connected to the opposite electrode, such a potential difference that the EL element emits light is generated between the opposite potential and the power source potential.
In the case where the digital data signal includes the information of "0", the EL driving TFT 1702 is turned off, and the EL element 1703 does not emit light. On the contrary, in the case where the digital data signal includes the information of "1", the EL driving TFT 1702 is turned on. As a result, the pixel electrode of the EL element 1703 is held the power source potential, and the EL element 1703 emits light. Like this, according to the information which the digital data signal includes, the emission or non-emission state of the EL element is selected, and every pixel performs a display at the same time, so that a picture image is formed. A period in which a pixel performs a display is referred to as the display period.
The lengths of write-in periods (Ta1 to Tan) of the n subframe periods (SF1 to SFn), respectively, are all constant. The display periods (Ts) of each of the subframe periods (SF1 to SFn) become display periods (Ts1 to Tsn).
The length of the display periods is set so as to become Ts1:Ts2:Ts3: . . . :Ts(n−1):Tsn=20: 2−1:2−2: . . . :2−(n−2):2−(n−1). Note that SF1 to SFn may appear in any order. A desired display, from among the 2n gradations, can be performed by combining the display periods.
The display period is any period from Ts1 to Tsn. Predetermined pixels are turned on for the Tsn period here.
The write-in period again begins, and after the data signal is input to all of the pixels, the display period begins. Any of the periods Ts1 to Ts(n−1) becomes the display period at this point. Predetermined pixels are turned on during the Ts(n−1) period here.
Similar operations are repeated in the remaining (n−2) subframe periods, Ts(n−2), Ts(n−3), . . . , and Ts1 are set, in order, to be the display period, and predetermined pixels are turned on in the respective subframe periods.
One frame period is complete after the appearance of the n subframe periods. By adding up the lengths of the display periods in which the pixel is turned on, the gradation of that pixel is determined. For example, when n=8, and the brightness for a case of the pixel emitting light during all of the display periods is taken as 100%, when the pixel emits light in Ts1 and Ts2, then a brightness of 75% can be expressed, and when Ts3, Ts5, and Ts8 are selected, a brightness of 16% can be expressed.
With respect to the foregoing multi-gradation system EL display device, in the case where the size of the EL display device is made large, the number of pixels is increased, and a large current flows through the EL display device. Since this current flows through the external switch for controlling the EL driver voltage, high current power is required for the external switch for controlling the EL driver voltage.
In the EL display device, in the case where a light emission amount of 200 cd/m2 is obtained, a current of several mA/cm2 is required. For example, in the case where an EL material of 5 mA/cm2 is used and a display device of 40 inches is formed, a current value necessary for a display becomes about 25 A, which is a considerable value.
In general, a predetermined standard of current power is determined for an external switch, and the upper limit of this current power has prevented enlargement of the multi-gradation system EL display device.
Besides, in the foregoing multi-gradation system EL display device, as the number of gradations becomes large, the number of divisions of one frame period is also increased, and a driver circuit must be driven by a high frequency. On the other hand, there is a tendency in that an external switch frequency characteristic is deteriorated as the current power becomes high. As a result, there has been a problem in that as the size of the multi-gradation system EL display device is enlarged, the frequency characteristic is deteriorated, and the number of possible gradations is decreased.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Light emitting display device using thin film transistors and electro-luminescence element

Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.


A gamut size metric is used in all phases of color image processing (e.g., capture, transmission, and display). In general, the gamut size metric is a single-valued metric that changes as image content changes. More particularly, a gamut boundary histogram is determined and used to estimate a gamut size metric. A gamut size metric identifies a minimum size gamut needed to encompass each pixel in an image, where the gamut size is limited at one end by a first device independent gamut (S1), and at another end by a second device independent color space (S2), where S1 is wholly enclosed within S2. The gamut size metric may be based on strict pixel color value differences. In other embodiments the gamut size metric may take into effect perceptual color differences and significance.

A color model is an abstract mathematical model describing the way colors can be represented as tuples of numbers (e.g. three-tuples in sRGB and four-tuples in CMYK). The provision of a specific mapping function between a color model and a reference color space establishes a specific "footprint" within the color space referred to as a gamut. Thus, a gamut indicates the envelope, or volume of color, a specific device can render in a color space. When defining a color space, a usual reference standard is the CIEXYZ color space, which represents the spectral responses of the human eye, or the CIELAB color space, where equal distances in the space corresponds (very roughly) to equal perceptual color differences (a "perceptually uniform" color space). Referring to FIG. 1, there is shown the wide gamut RGB color space 100, the sRGB color space 105, the CMYK color space 110, and the D93, D65 and D50 white points 115 relative to the visible color spectrum 120 in the CIE xy chromaticity diagram.
In digital imaging applications, there is often a need to efficiently estimate an image's color gamut boundary, i.e. the smallest gamut size needed to render all colors in the image with good visual accuracy. A gamut size metric could provide a way to determine if a wider gamut is needed to represent a particular image, and if so how wide it needs to be. Such a metric has applications at all stages of color imaging processing.


A pad for absorbing oily pollutants from water is releasably attached in a catch basin for floating on the surface of the water in the basin. When the pad is saturated with oily pollutants, it is removed and replaced by a new pad. A plurality of catch basins is connected in series and a pollutant-absorbing pad is releasably secured in each of the catch basins.

The present invention relates to an apparatus for and method of removing pollutants from water and, more particularly, for removing the oily pollutants from the runoff due to rain before the runoff can enter streams and bodies of water.
In recent years, federal, state and local regulatory agencies charged with storm water management have required that storm water be pre-treated, that is, cleaned up, prior to being discharged into the receiving body of water.
Sources of such pollution include light industrial areas where oils and organic solvents are used for equipment maintenance, and streets and parking lots where oil from automobiles and trucks has leaked from engine crankcases. Oil is also deliberately applied in some rural areas to reduce dust and control pests. Another source of undesirable oils and the materials which make up road surfaces themselves such as asphalt which can release tars. Rainstorms and other sources of water wash oil and organic material from paved surfaces towards gutters. Other undesired oils reach streams, lakes and oceans from water flowing over lawns, rooftops, parking lots and outdoor work areas. Rainwater washes the oils up and they float on the surface of the flowing water which travels to nearby storm drains, where it begins to travel to downstream creeks, rivers, bays and oceans. Pollutants of primary concern found in storm water include oils and other organic hydrocarbons. It is the first sheet of water which runs across a paved surface that contains the most pollutants and is important to be pre-treated.
Pretreatment in open areas can be accomplished by filtering the storm water through grass swales, exfiltration trenches (underground filtration), or dry retention areas. However, these pretreatment arrangements are often not possible due to, for example, lack of sufficient area or the high cost of acquiring it, in the case of grass swales, or a water table close to ground surface, in the case of exfiltration trenches. As a result, regulatory agencies are forced to allow direct discharge of storm water containing pollutants into ground water, canals, lakes, streams, etc. This oil pollution problem is exacerbated in urban and suburban areas where surface waters are quickly channelled into underground conduits. In these collection and channelling systems, oil is not exposed to sunlight and weather which tends to break down or evaporate the oils, especially the lighter fuel oils.
Spills of oil or other hydrocarbons from tankers and from equipment loading the tankers usually occur on large open waterways such as harbors, bays, canals, oceans, estuaries and, on some occasions, flowing rivers. Spills from these sources are routinely treated by first retaining the spill within a confined area with booms and then mechanically removing the oil with skimmers or absorbent materials. There are a number of absorbent materials for both natural and synthetic oils, including synthetic fibers which absorb oils but not water. However, these oil abatement measures are designed to be temporarily deployed at oil spill sites. These materials are designed to float on the surface of the water and soak up oil and other organics. They are then removed and disposed of or, in some cases, are squeezed out and reused on the spill.
Less attention has been focused on the contamination of streams and bodies of water by oils and other organics from what are known as non-point sources, such as in runoff from rainfall. Water in small streams, irrigation ditches, storm drains and gutters can become contaminated with oil from a variety of sources both acute and chronic in nature.

Method for separating oily pollutants from water runoff


An improved airport beacon in which a lens assembly is rotated around a stationary lamp thereby enabling the lamp to be connected to a source of electrical energy without the use of slip rings.

The present invention relates in general to airport beacons which produce a bright signal as a visual aid for airplane pilots in locating airports during night flights, etc. In particular, the present invention relates to an airport beacon having a rotatable lens assembly.
Airport beacons produce and sweep a bright light through a complete 360 degree revolution as an aid to aerial navigation. Historically, airport beacons have used high powered incandescent lamps having a relatively short life. In order to decrease the inconvenience and costs of frequent bulb changes, automated bulb changer assemblies were mounted within and rotated with a lens assembly. In these arrangements, slip rings were used to carry power up to the rotating lamp, and various other components such as transformers and capacitors were mounted within and rotated with the lens and lamp assembly so that only a low voltage had to be applied across the slip rings.
Slip rings are still in use today as evidenced by U.S. Pat. No. 4,717,991 to Murphree, Jr. which discloses a metal halide lamp which rotates simultaneously with a lamp housing having a color coded lens assembly. A transformer, capacitor and photoelectric switch are mounted under a heat shield and also rotated with the housing and lamp.
Due to the inconvenience and expense of maintaining airport beacons, low maintenance components are desired. Slip rings are a high maintenance component which must be cleaned regularly to remove carbon and possible grease and dirt build-up on the rings and brushes.
Another high maintenance component of the present airport beacon lights is the worm gear drive system currently used to drive the lens and lamp assembly. The worm gear drive system has a relatively short life and must be greased at least twice a year in order to maintain adequate performance.


A field effect transistor chip for connection to a microstrip transmission line includes a semiconductor substrate, a field effect transistor formed in the substrate, source, gate, and drain electrodes disposed at least partially on the substrate, the gate and source electrodes forming an air bridge, and gate and drain beam leads extending from the substrate for electrical connection to the conductors of a microstrip transmission line. The microstrip transmission line includes dielectric substrates on which substantially uniform width conductors are disposed, the substrates being separated by a gap in which the transistor chip is disposed. The beam leads may be unitary with the electrodes of the chip or with the conductors of the transmission line.

Plan views of the structures of two gallium arsenide (GaAs) FETs which have been widely used are shown in FIGS. 3(a) and 3(b). Each of the FETs shown is formed on a semiconductor substrate 1, usually GaAs. This discrete semiconductor substrate carrying one or more FETs is referred to here as a chip. Each of the chips 100 of FIGS. 3(a) and 3(b) includes one FET. Source electrodes 2, gate electrodes 3, and drain electrodes 4 are disposed on a surface of the GaAs substrate 1. The source and drain electrodes 2 and 4 are electrically connected to the source and drain, respectively, of the FET. The source and drain are formed in the semiconductor substrate 1 in a conducting layer disposed at the surface of the semiconductor substrate 1. The electrically conducting layer may be formed by any conventional process, such as ion implantation, diffusion, or the like. A thin linear gate 3a is located between the source and drain of each transistor and is connected to the gate electrode 3.
In the structure of FIG. 3(a), the length of linear gate 3a lies at a right angle to the flow of the signal which is input to the gate electrode 3 and output from the drain electrode 4. In the structure of FIG. 3(b), four linear gates 3a lie parallel to the signal flow from the gate electrode 3a to the drain electrode 4.
FIG. 4 shows the FET chip 100 of FIG. 3(a) connected in a microstrip transmission line 20. Transmission line 20 includes linear, relatively narrow conductors 7 and 8 disposed on respective dielectric substrates 9 and 10. The source electrode from FET chip 100 is connected to ground by a wire 12. Transmission line 20 may include a ground plane disposed on the opposite side of the dielectric substrates 9 and 10 from conductors 7 and 8 to which wire 12 is connected. The gate electrode 3 and the drain electrode 4 of the chip 100 are connected to microstrip conductors 7 and 8 by wires 13 and 14, respectively. Wires 12, 13, and 14 may be relatively thin gold wires. A direct current (DC) bias voltage is applied to the gate electrode 3 and the drain electrode 4 through the microstrip transmission line conductors 7 and 8. The microwave signal to be amplified is supplied through the microstrip conductor 7 and the wires 13 to the gate electrode 3. The amplified signal is output to microstrip transmission line conductor 8 through the drain electrode 4 in the wires 14.
The characteristics of assemblies of FET chips 100 connected in microstrip transmission line mountings can vary a great deal from assembly to assembly. These performance variations can result from variations in the lengths and positions of the connection wires 12, 13, and 14, since those wires are subject to bending and variations in their relative bonding positions on the respective electrodes when chips are mounted in transmission lines. These variations alter the values of the parasitic reactive circuit elements that are always present in the assembly, particularly the parasitic inductance. The parasitic elements limit the gain, frequency, response, and other performance characteristics of the assembly.
In monolithic FETs, electrodes are directly connected to other circuit elements. An example of a monolithic FET employing an air bridge gate connection is described by Bastida et al in IEEE Transactions on Electron Devices, Volume ED-32, December 1985, pages 2754-2759. In FIGS. 1b and 6 of that article, an FET structure is shown including a gold gate connection from the gate to a gate electrode. The gold connection is spaced by an air gap from an underlying source electrode. The source is grounded through a metal via that passes through the semiconductor substrate from the front side source electrode to a rear side source contact. In one embodiment of the structure disclosed, the air bridge connection to the gate includes a plurality of conducting fingers in a comb-like portion of the air bridge structure. While the air bridge electrode arrangement provides improved amplifier frequency response because of a reduction of the effects of the parasitic elements, the structure disclosed is not suitable for mounting in a microstrip transmission line. Instead, the disclosed structure is connected directly to other amplifier elements on the same substrate employing conventional metal integrated circuit interconnections.
Accordingly, it would be desirable to provide an FET structure suitable for connection in a microstrip transmission line that would be free from variations in the values of parasitic elements from transistor assembly to transistor assembly.

Field effect transistor for microstrip mounting and microstrip-mounted transistor assembly


A method of treating cellulose pulp mill condensates having an MeOH content using an evaporator and a steam stripper having a reboiler, comprising: (a) Collecting a feed liquor stream having at least 50% of the pulp mill MeOH. (b) Feeding the feed liquor stream to the evaporator having at least two heating element sections separated on a motive steam side. (c) Evaporating the liquor in the evaporator to produce a vapor containing at least 40% of the at least 50% of the pulp mill MeOH. (d) Compressing the vapor from (c) to increase the vapor pressure. (e) Using the vapor from (d) as condensing heating media in (c) for the evaporation in a first heating element section of the evaporator and venting a portion of the vapor through the first heating element section. (f) Compressing the vented vapor from the heating elements of the evaporator from (e) to increase the vapor pressure to be used as heating media in the reboiler. (g) Condensing the compressed vapor from (f) in the reboiler while evaporating already stripped condensate fed to the reboiler so that vapor formed in the reboiler flows to stripper. (h) Feeding the condensate from the reboiler and condensate from the evaporator to the stripper column. (i) Causing vapor from (g) to enter the stripper column and to flow upward countercurrent to the condensate from (h), producing an MeOH rich vapor leaving the stripper column. (j)Causing the MeOH rich vapor to enter a second heating element section of the evaporator and condense while evaporating the liquor in (c) producing a condensate entering the stripper in (h). And, (k) venting a portion of the MeOH rich vapor entering the heating element in (j).

Sulphate cooking of cellulose pulp produces malodorous organic sulphur compounds, such as methyl mercaptan, dimethyl sulphide and dimethyl disulphide, as the sulphide and hydrogen sulphide ions react with lignin and the methoxyl groups of lignin fragment. Sulphate cooking also produces a large amount of methanol mainly in alkaline hydrolysis of lignin. Large amounts of vapors containing methanol and sulphur compounds are released, e.g., in the evaporation of black liquor, in which the above-mentioned compounds are distilled and condensed into the condensates of a multi-effect evaporation plant. Methanol has a high COD (Chemical Oxygen Demand), and therefore methanol is removed to lower the COD-level.
It has been very important in order to comply with environmental regulations in the United States to deal with the "Cluster Rules" established by the Environmental Protection Agency.
The Cluster Rules basically say that a cellulose pulp mill (e.g. kraft mill) has to collect streams of condensate resulting from the pulping operation containing at least 65% of the HAP's (by EPA defined as MeOH which is a surrogate for real HAP's which might be more than 50 different kinds of components) and to treat these condensates so that 92% of this HAP (MeOH) is removed and destroyed by means of thermal oxidation.
The mill may also elect to show that condensates containing at least 7.2 lb HAP/ODTP for unbleached pulp or 11.1 lb HAP/ODTP for bleached pulp have been collected into a stream(s) which can be treated to remove 6.6 lb HAP/ODTP and 10.2 lb HAP/ODTP, respectively, or to achieve a maximum HAP (MeOH) outlet concentration of 210 ppmv and 330 ppmv, respectively.
In part due to the unique design of a plate type falling film evaporator, such as available from Ahlstrom Recovery, Inc., of Alpharetta, Ga., in combination with low speed steam compression technology and integral steam stripping, it is possible, according to the invention, to provide a one-step solution to comply with the "Cluster Rules", although the invention can also be practiced with other conventional, e.g. tubular, heat transfer surfaces.
Essentially separated from the existing operation, the invention comprises or consists of two sets (sections) of heating elements, separated on the motive steam side with common vapor release. Weak liquor from the pulp mill is evaporated for the first time in a single stage VCE unit, guaranteeing the release of at least 65% of the HAP (MeOH) in the spent pulping liquor.
According to the invention the vapor containing MeOH is compressed in a first compressor and then flows through the main section of the heating elements of the evaporator. A major part (e.g. 80%) of the vapor is condensed in a countercurrent fashion and the rest (e.g. 20%) of the vapor is vented. The vented vapor is compressed in a secondary compressor and fed a stripper reboiler where it is condensed. By this method, at least 80% (e.g. 90%) of the 65% MeOH will end up in the stripper reboiler condensate.
The second section of the heating elements is fed with overhead vapor from the steam stripper which is fed with reboiled stripped condensate produced in a reboiler/evaporator similar to the one previously described. To overcome the additional .DELTA.p, the second compressor is used to compress the vapor from the main evaporator/compressor.
The stripper will receive the condensates condensed in the above-described reboiler as well as the condensates from the condensing of digester blow-off vapor, turpentine underflow, and the NCG collection system. By collecting and treating all of these sources, a pulp mill can satisfy the required collection and treatment procedures of the Cluster Rules.
According to the invention a method of treating cellulose pulp mill condensates having a MeOH content is provided, using an evaporator and a steam stripper having a reboiler. The method typically comprises: (a) Collecting a first feed liquor stream having at least about 50% of the pulp mill MeOH (methanol); (b) Feeding the first feed liquor stream to an evaporator having at least two heating element sections separated on the motive steam side; (c) Evaporating the liquor in the evaporator to produce a vapor containing at least about 40% of the at least 50% of the pulp mill MeOH; (d) Compressing the vapor from step (c) to increase the vapor pressure thereof; (e) Using the vapor from step (d) as condensing heating media in step (c) for the evaporation in a first heating element section of the evaporator and venting a portion of the vapor through the first heating element section; (f) Compressing the vented vapor from the heating elements of the evaporator from step (e) to increase the vapor pressure, so as to allow it to be used as heating media in the reboiler; (g) Condensing the compressed vapor from step (f) in the reboiler while evaporating already stripped condensate fed to the reboiler so that vapor formed in the reboiler flows to the stripper; (h) Feeding the condensate from the reboiler and condensate from the evaporator to the stripper column; (i) Causing vapor from step (g) to enter the stripper column and to flow upwards countercurrent to the condensate from step (h), producing an MeOH rich vapor leaving the stripper column; (j) Causing the MeOH rich vapor to enter a second heating element section of the evaporator and condense while evaporating the liquor in step (c) producing a condensate entering the stripper in step (h); and (k)Venting a portion of the MeOH rich vapor entering the heating element in step (j). The method may comprise a further step (l) of leading the MeOH-rich vapor from step (k) to a thermal destruct unit or to a methanol liquefaction plant.
According to one exemplary embodiment of the invention in step (e) the vapor containing MeOH is condensed in a countercurrent fashion in a two-stage heating element section to produce a small stream of condensate with high HAP (MeOH) content (e.g. >90% of the HAP's) to be fed to the stripper and a large stream (containing e.g. <8% of the HAP's ). The balance of HAP's will be contained in a vent stream from the evaporator.
It is the primary object of the present invention to provide a method that allows a pulp mill to satisfy the required collection and treatment procedures of the Cluster Rules. This and other objects of the invention will become clear from an inspection of the detailed description of the invention and from the appended claims


A window-attached alerting device (10) having an electronics circuit (12) that is enclosed within an alerting device enclosure (40) that includes an outer side (42) and an inner side (44). The outer side (42) is removably attached to an inner surface (62) of a windowpane (60) that is attached to a building. Since the enclosure (40) is attached to the inside of the building, the enclosure is not exposed to inclement weather or to theft. The outer side (42) of the enclosure (40) is visible through the windowpane (60) and includes indicia (52) in the form of a target (54) or the like that is positioned to encompass an electrode (22). When a person places his/her finger or hand proximate to the target (54) the electrode, in combination with the electronics circuit (12), produces an alerting device signal 31 that can be easily heard within the building.

The use of an alerting device to indicate that a person wishes to enter a home or a commercial building is in widespread use. Typical alerting devices include hard-wired chimes, bells or buzzers that are located within a home or a building and that are activated by a person from the outside of the home or the building structure.
The use of portable alerting devices that can be easily moved from one location to another and that are easily attached to an inner surface of a structure e.g., an inner surface of a windowpane was not found in the prior art. However, the following U.S. patents are considered related:
U.S. Pat. No.INVENTORISSUED6,897,765Kaje24 May 20055,894,262McCavit, et al13 Apr. 19994,764,953Chern, et al16 Aug. 19883,624,646Weiss30 Nov. 1971
The U.S. Pat. No. 6,897,765 patent discloses a remote control device that when actuated by a user transmits a coded signal to a sensor. The sensor is associated with a doorbell that receives the signal and causes activation of the doorbell. The sensor has multiple settings which control operSation of the doorbell.
The U.S. Pat. No. 5,894,262 patent discloses a doorbell circuit that detects when one of a plurality of doorbell switches is depressed and provides an audible indication for each specific doorbell switch that is depressed. The doorbell circuit includes a detector circuit that is connected in parallel across one of the doorbell switches.
The U.S. Pat. No. 4,764,953 patent discloses an apparatus for providing remote answering of a doorbell. The apparatus includes a circuit for receiving a doorbell signal indicative that a doorbell switch has been actuated. An autodialing circuit is coupled to and is responsive to the receiving circuit and a telephone line for dialing a telephone number responsive to the doorbell signal. An alerting circuit generates an alert signal to be transmitted over the telephone line to the telephone number dialed by the autodialing circuit. The alert signal then alerts a party answering the remote telephone to the fact that the party is responding to a doorbell rather than a normal telephone call.
The U.S. Pat. No. 3,624,646 patent discloses a thermometer/chime combination. The usual chime circuitry is modified to indicate the outdoor temperature during the period of time that the chime is not in actual use. Thus, the composite circuitry, which normally indicates the temperature, sounds the chime tone when an exterior pushbutton switch is activated.
For background purposes and as indicative of the art to which the invention relates, reference may be made to the following remaining patents found in the search:
PATENT NO.INVENTORISSUED6,883,099Terrell, et al19 Apr. 20056,600,117Gretz29 Jul. 20033,587,094Scott22 Jun. 1971


Monomethine dyes that have no or minimal fluorescence in buffer or in the presence of single stranded DNA or RNA, but strongly fluoresce in the presence of double-stranded DNA. In one embodiment, the dye is useful in quantitative RT-PCR.

A polymethine dye is a dye having a linearly conjugated system with an odd number of methine (—CH═) groups, where the terminal heteroatoms N, O, or S, eventually are included in two terminal heterocycles Het1 and Het2. As described herein, polymethines are a delocalized π (pi) electron system, represented by at least in two equivalent formulas shown below:
A monomethine dye has n=0, thus having a single —C═ between the heterocycles. When n=1, the dye is a trimethine, and so on.
Numerous monomethine dyes are known. Some monomethine dyes have the characteristic of no or minimal fluorescence in buffer or in the presence of single stranded DNA (ssDNA) or RNA, but strong fluorescence in the presence of double-stranded DNA (dsDNA). Examples of such dyes, which are commercially useful because of this characteristic, include SYBR Green, Thiazole Orange, BOXTO, Eva Green, and LC Green. SYBR Green, the structure of which is shown below,
is one the most commonly used fluorescent dyes.
Benzopyrylium monomethines are known, but none has the side chain needed for utility in fluorescence studies, and none has been used in dsDNA binding assays.
Other such dyes are desirable.

Thermo Fisher Scientific (Milwaukee) LLC


A basic cylinder-charged air quantity is determined by a first-order delay processing of an intake air quantity per rotation. Next, an estimated value of a change portion of the cylinder-charged air quantity caused by a change in intake valve timing is computed on the basis of engine speed, throttle opening angle, displacement angle of the intake valve timing. Then, the estimated value of the change portion of the cylinder-charged air quantity is processed second-time by the first-order delay. A difference between the estimated value of a change portion of the cylinder-charged air quantity and a value obtained by processing the estimated value second-time by the first-order delay is added as a delay correction to the basic cylinder-charged air quantity, thereby obtaining an actual cylinder-charged air quantity with a change in the intake valve timing.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an internal combustion engine control apparatus and method, which computes the quantity of air to be charged into each cylinder of an internal combustion engine provided with a variable valve mechanism for changing at least one of valve timing and valve lift characteristics.
2. Related Art
Recently, internal combustion engines for vehicles are equipped with a variable valve timing mechanism and a variable valve lift mechanism (hereinafter collectively referred to as the "variable valve mechanism") for the purpose of improving engine output, reducing fuel consumption, and reducing exhaust emission. In the internal combustion engine having the variable valve mechanism, an air flow meter (or an intake air pressure sensor) mounted in an intake pipe is adopted for detecting the quantity of intake air and calculating the quantity of air (cylinder-charged air quantity) to be charged into the cylinder in accordance with the detected intake air quantity (or the intake pipe air pressure).
If the valve timing or valve lift characteristic of the intake/exhaust valve varies, the amount of overlap of the intake/exhaust valve opening period varies and the amount of EGR (the ratio of residual exhaust gases) in the internal combustion engine varies, thereby the quantity of air to be charged into the cylinder varies. There is, however, a time delay until the detection, by the air flow meter (or the intake air pressure sensor), of the change in the quantity of air to be charged into the cylinder. This is because a surge tank of a relatively large volume mounted in the intake air passage between the air flow meter (or the intake air pressure sensor) and the internal combustion engine delays pressure propagation from the internal combustion engine to the air flow meter (or the intake air pressure sensor). Therefore there arises a problem that the quantity of air to be charged into the cylinder can not accurately be computed by the use of the detected value from the air flow meter (or the intake air pressure sensor).
For computing the quantity of air to be charged into the cylinder from detected values (hereinafter called the "detected load value") of the quantity of intake air or the intake air pressure, there has been proposed by JP-B2-6-21592 a method for computing the quantity of air to be charged into the cylinder by the first-order delay processing of the detected load value. This method aims at correcting the characteristics that, in the system provided with a throttle valve in the intake air passage, the detected load value becomes excessively large or excessively small with respect to the actual quantity of air to be charged into the cylinder, when the throttle valve opens or closes rapidly.
In the system for computing the quantity of air to be charged into the cylinder through the first-order processing of the detected load value as stated above, when the variable valve mechanism is adopted, for instance when the variable valve mechanism has varied to increase the quantity of air to be charged into the cylinder, the detected load value is further subjected to the first-order delay processing notwithstanding the detected load value is smaller than the actual quantity of air to be charged into the cylinder. It is, therefore, possible that the computed quantity of air to be charged into the cylinder will differ largely from the actual quantity of air to be charged into the cylinder.

Engine control apparatus and method having cylinder-charged air quantity correction by intake/exhaust valve operation


A master-slave communication circuit includes a master device, a number of slave devices, and a bus providing communication channels between the master device and the slave devices. Each slave device includes an identification (ID) address setting unit, a plug-in detecting pin, and a plug-out detecting pin. The identification (ID) address setting unit is connected to the bus to receive an ID address setting signal transferred from the master device, and set an ID address to the corresponding slave device. The master sets the ID addresses of the slave devices according to voltage levels of the plug-in detecting pin and the plug-out detecting pin, to make the ID addresses of the slave devices connected to the bus are different.

1. Technical Field
The present disclosure relates to communication circuits, and particularly, to a communication circuit which connects a master device with a plurality of slave devices, and an identification (ID) address setting method of the communication circuit.
2. Description of Related Art
Master devices transmit data to slave devices by using ID addresses of the slave devices. Slave devices receive data correspondingly and transmit response data to the master devices.
In early control systems, the process of setting ID addresses is achieved through the use of two rotary address switches set using a decimal format. A control system can include up to several thousand slave devices, setting the addresses of the slave devices is time consuming, and the possibility of mistakes is increased.

Master-slave device communication circuit and ID address setting method thereof