One embodiment provides a system that facilitates secure transfer of funds. During operation, the system generates, by a server, an authentication identifier for a payee of a bank account, wherein the authentication identifier indicates the bank account and a corresponding payment account of the payee. The system receives, from a payer, a message which indicates a first command to transfer a payment amount to the payee, wherein the first command includes the authentication identifier. In response to successfully verifying the authentication identifier, the system extracts information associated with the payment account and the bank account from the authentication identifier. The system transfers the payment amount to the bank account of the payee based on the extracted information.

Field
This disclosure is generally related to financial transactions. More specifically, this disclosure is related to a system and method for secure transfer of funds based on a third-party entity that authenticates the validity of a payee.
Related Art
The progress of technology brings both an increasing convenience and risk to financial transactions. A payer can transfer funds from his bank account to the bank account of a payee by using a variety of computing and mobile devices. In some cases, multiple payers may wish to transfer funds to a single payee, e.g., multiple families paying tuition to a school, or multiple business owners donating funds to a charity or trust account. In these instances, certain payee information, such as the name and bank account number of the payee, may be publicly disclosed. The public disclosure of some payee information can result in security issues. For example, a hacker may obtain a bank account identifier for a person who has the same name (e.g., same first name and same last name) as the intended payee. The hacker can then publish incorrect information over the internet by replacing the bank account identifier for the intended payee with a different bank account identifier for the person with the same name. In another example, a hacker may intercept a packet that contains account information and replace the payee's account identifier with a malicious account identifier. Upon receiving the intercepted packet, a payee's system may remain unaware of the replaced identifier, and proceed with the indicated funds transfer. As a result, in both of these examples, funds may be improperly transferred to the bank account of an unauthorized person. In addition, current methods for account transfer may not allow a payer to state the dedicated purpose for a transfer of funds, which may also result in improper funds transfer.

System and method for secure account transfer


A gasket for use in a fuel cell system having at least one externally manifolded fuel cell stack, for sealing the manifold edge and the stack face. In accordance with the present invention, the gasket accommodates differential movement between the stack and manifold by promoting slippage at interfaces between the gasket and the dielectric and between the gasket and the stack face.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to fuel cell systems with at least one fuel cell stack and an external manifold and, in particular, to a gasket for use in a fuel cell system having at least one externally manifolded fuel cell stack. More particularly, the invention comprises an gasket that seals the manifold to the stack and accommodates differential movement between the stack and the manifold by allowing slippage at interfaces between them.
2. Description of the Related Art
A fuel cell is a device that directly converts chemical energy in the form of a fuel into electrical energy by way of an electrochemical reaction. In general, like a battery, a fuel cell includes a negative electrode or anode and a positive electrode or cathode separated by an electrolyte that serves to conduct electrically charged ions between them. In contrast to a battery, however, a fuel cell will continue to produce electric power as long as fuel and oxidant are supplied to the anode and cathode, respectively.
In order to produce a useful amount of power, individual fuel cells are typically arranged in stacked relationship in series with an electrically conductive separator plate between each cell. A fuel cell stack may be categorized as an internally manifolded stack or an externally manifolded stack. In an internally manifolded stack, gas passages for delivering fuel and oxidant are built into the fuel cell plates themselves. In an externally manifolded stack, the fuel cell plates are left open on their ends and gas is delivered by way of manifolds or pans sealed to the respective faces of the fuel cell stack. The manifolds provide sealed passages for delivering fuel and oxidant gases to the fuel cells and preventing those gases from leaking either to the environment or to the other manifolds. In some fuel cell stack arrangements, the stack is placed in an enclosure and the enclosure environment represents one of the process gases. In such a system, at least three manifolds are required to provide inlet and outlet gas passages for the stack, each of which must be sealed to the stack. In any case, the manifolds must perform the above functions under the conditions required for operation of the fuel cell stack and for the duration of its life.
An important aspect of the performance of an externally manifolded fuel cell stack is the seal established between the manifold edge and the stack face. The manifolds, which are constructed from metal, must be electrically isolated from the stack face, which is typically electrically conductive and has an electrical potential gradient along its length. Dielectric insulators are used between the metallic manifold and the fuel cell stack to electrically isolate the manifold from the stack and to prevent the manifolds from shorting the stack.
A fuel cell stack will usually shrink over its life as fuel cell components creep and densify at high temperature and pressure. Such shrinkage and changes in fuel cell stack dimensions create stresses on the manifold assembly during stack operation. In particular, vertical stack dimensions may change by as many as 2-3 inches in a stack of 300 or more fuel cells. As the stack changes in vertical dimension, it requires the seal between the dielectric insulators in the manifold assembly and the stack face to accommodate movement along the end plates at the top and bottom of the stack. Differences in coefficients of friction between the dielectric and the seal and between the seal and stack face apply additional stress to the seal and may cause it to wear during stack operation and eventually fail. Therefore, there is a need for a manifold-stack seal that is better able to accommodate such dimensional changes while maintaining a gas seal and electrical isolation of the manifold from the stack.
The dielectric insulators, which are typically made from brittle ceramic materials such as alumina and mica, may be easily damaged by thermal and mechanical stresses applied on the manifold system during fuel cell stack operation. In order to withstand the stresses imparted on the manifold system while maintaining electrical isolation between the manifold and the stack, improvements have been made to the manifolds and to the dielectric insulators used to isolate them from the stack.
For example, a common dielectric insulator assembly is designed as a rectangular frame with joints that allow for differential movement between the stack and manifold. Such a construction is shown and described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,414,294 which discloses a rectangular insulator frame having a plurality of segments interconnected by slidable spline joints that permit expansion or contraction with the walls of the manifold and the fuel cell stack. In order to withstand stresses caused by differential movement of the fuel cell stack, the dielectric frames may be made from high-density ceramics. However, manifold compression against the stack face and stack compaction during operation of the fuel cell stack cause mechanical stresses which are not completely accommodated by the ceramic dielectrics and may still damage them. There is thus a need for a manifold-stack seal that is better able to accommodate such thermal and mechanical stresses and prevent the ceramic dielectrics from breaking.
In some contemporary manifold systems, the manifold assembly is compressed against the stack so that the seal between the manifold and stack is maintained when changes in the stack dimensions occur. One such stack manifold compression assembly is shown and described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,467,018 which discloses external reactant manifolds strapped or clamped to the fuel cell stack. U.S. Pat. No. 6,461,756 describes a retention system for maintaining external manifolds in sealing relationship to the fuel cell stack. A flexible manifold system that conforms to the stack shape and accommodates stack movement during operation is described in co-pending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/264,866, filed Oct. 4, 2002, assigned to the same assignee hereof.
In addition, various other components of the fuel cell stack and manifold sealing assembly have been further improved to address the limitations of the seal between the manifold and stack. For example, improved designs of bipolar separator plates in fuel cells, which provide flat sealing surfaces for the dielectric frame and gasket, are described in several patents, including U.S. Pat. No. 4,514,475 which teaches a fuel cell separator plate that can adjust to changes in thickness of cell parts during use; U.S. Pat. No. 5,399,438 which teaches a stainless steel member with high corrosion resistance; and U.S. Pat. No. 5,773,161 which teaches an improved bipolar separator structure that assists in electrolyte management by providing trough areas for dispersal or absorption of electrolyte. A gasket design to accommodate the growth of the bipolar plates over time during operation of the fuel cell stack is described in co-pending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/627,035, filed Jul. 25, 2003 and also assigned to the same assignee hereof. Particularly, a compressible gasket and dielectric gasket provide a seal between the dielectric and the manifold. The compressible gasket additionally provides a compliant member embedded therein that conforms the gasket to the dielectric joints and manifold irregularities. The ceramic dielectric frame described in co-pending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/020,592 filed Dec. 23, 2004 and assigned to the same assignee hereof, enhances dielectric isolation and comprises an interlocking arrangement that reduces mechanical stresses and prevents wear on the abutting gaskets. However, these improvements in the manifold assembly, fuel cell stack components, and dielectric insulator construction do not address the differences in coefficients of friction at the interfaces between the dielectrics and the seal and between the seal and stack face and the resulting wear on the manifold gasket.
Another consideration is that fuel cells operate at very high temperatures. For example, molten carbonate fuel cells operate at about 650° Celsius. The selection of materials to be used in the manifold gasket must account for this long term operating temperature and allow the components to last for the life of the fuel cell stack, which is typically several years. There is therefore a need for a manifold seal that tolerates fuel cell stack operating temperatures and can accommodate stack movement and changes in stack dimensions.
Another limitation of the seal between the dielectric insulator and the stack face is that it may permit undesirable movement of electrolyte from the top or positive end of the fuel cell stack to the bottom or negative end of the stack, which would flood the cells at the negative end of the stack and deplete electrolyte in cells at the positive end. The gasket may also permit electrolyte migration from the stack across the dielectric to the manifold. Methods and devices for reducing or mitigating electrolyte migration in fuel cell systems have been discussed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,643,954 which discloses a passageway along the height of a fuel cell stack with electrolyte wettable wicking material at opposite ends thereof, which equalizes molten electrolyte content throughout the stack; U.S. Pat. No. 4,761,348 which teaches an electrolytic fuel cell stack having a combination of inactive electrolyte reservoirs at the upper and lower end portions that mitigate the ill effects of electrolyte migration, and a porous sealing member with low electrolyte retention that limits electrolyte migration; and U.S. Pat. No. 5,110,692 which teaches a manifold gasket for molten carbonate fuel cells having an elongated porous member that supports electrolyte flow and barrier means for retarding such flow, for controlling electrolyte flow and reducing electrolyte migration. Highly polished ceramics, such as those described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,514,636, are also desirable for providing the required voltage isolation by preventing or reducing electrolyte creep over the surface of the frame.
It is therefore an object of the invention to provide a fuel cell manifold sealing assembly including a gasket for sealing a manifold to the face of a molten carbonate fuel cell stack that accommodates differential movements resulting from thermal stresses and internal fuel cell compactions during operation of the fuel cell stack, while maintaining a gas seal between the manifold and stack and keeping the manifold electrically isolated from the stack.
It is a further object of the invention to provide a gasket that accommodates differential movement at the interfaces between a manifold and fuel cell stack and reduces stresses on the dielectric insulator component of the gasket assembly.
It is yet another object of the invention to provide a gasket that accommodates differential movement at the interfaces between the manifold and fuel cell stack while limiting electrolyte migration.

Manifold gasket accommodating differential movement of fuel cell stack

United States of America Department of Energy


The fluidized bed processor of the present invention includes an internal filter assembly with a rack and a cartridge-type filter supported at the lower end by a bracket. The rack includes an elongated rod extending through the filter. An end cap is provided on the lower end of the rod for normal sealing engagement with the filter bracket. During normal operation of the processor, the upper and lower ends of the filter are sealed. During or after cleaning of the filter, the rack is lowered, and a spring separates the filter and support bracket from the end cap so as to create a gap for drainage of cleaning fluid.

Fluidized bed processors are well known for coating, granulation, and powder drying of particulate material, such as pharmaceuticals and seeds. The processor generally includes a vessel defining a chamber through which the particles move in a fluidized bed during processing. A filter system normally includes one or more filters to prevent powder and fines from escaping the vessel. The filters typically are a pleated cartridge which allows the powder to collect on the outside of the filter. Periodically, the cartridge filters need cleaning Back flush air pulsing where an air is forced through the filter from inside to outside provides a short term cleaning solution, but does not completely clean the filters. For more thorough cleaning, the filter can be cleaned in place or washed in place inside the processor chamber using a liquid or liquid mixture. Typically, the liquid cleaning solution is introduced at a rate higher than the rate which the solution can flow through the filter media, resulting in a buildup of liquid inside the filter. Additionally, this cleaning process may leave behind particulate material that will not flow through the filter media.
Therefore, a primary objective of the present invention is the provision of an improved cartridge filter assembly which can be cleaned in place in the fluid bed processor.
Another objective of the present invention is the provision of an improved method of cleaning in place of a cartridge filter of a fluid bed processor.
Still another objective of the present invention is the provision of a cartridge filter assembly and cleaning method which provides a drain path for fluid and particulate to flow from inside the filter to outside the filter.
A further objective of the present invention is the provision of a fluidized bed cartridge filter having an end cap or plug which can be separated from the filter to create a drain opening.
Yet another objective of the present invention is the provision of a cartridge filter which is supported from the lower end within the chamber of a fluid bed processor.
Another objective of the present invention is the provision of an improved method for cleaning pleated cartridge filters in a fluid bed processor.
A further objective of the present invention is the provision of an improved cartridge filter assembly for easier cleaning of the filter in a fluid bed processor.
Still another objective of the present invention is the provision of an improved method and means for effectively, efficiently, and economically cleaning a pleated cartridge filter in a fluidized bed processor.
These and other objectives will become apparent from the following description of the invention.


In one embodiment, a capacitive micro electro-mechanical systems (MEMS) device includes a dielectric spacer between a bottom electrode and a movable member. The movable member may serve as a top electrode. A gap separates the top electrode from the dielectric spacer. The movable member may be actuated to deflect towards the bottom electrode by electrostatic force. The dielectric spacer reduces the height of the gap that would otherwise be formed between a top surface of the bottom electrode and a bottom surface of the movable member, thereby improving squeeze-film damping. The movable member may be a ribbon of a ribbon-type diffractive spatial light modulator, for example.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to micro electromechanical systems (MEMS), and more particularly but not exclusively to MEMS light modulators.
2. Description of the Background Art
MEMS devices typically include micro mechanical structures that may be actuated using electrical signals. MEMS devices may be employed in various applications including light modulation for printing, video display, optical networks, and maskless lithography. Example MEMS light modulators include the Grating Light Valve™ (GLV™) light modulators available from Silicon Light Machines, Inc. of Sunnyvale, Calif. (Grating Light Valve™ and GLV™ are trademarks of Silicon Light Machines, Inc.). A light modulator may employ movable ribbon-like structures. Such a light modulator is also referred to as a "ribbon-type diffractive spatial light modulator." A ribbon may be deflected to modulate light incident thereon.
FIG. 1A schematically shows a top view of a portion of a conventional ribbon-type diffractive spatial light modulator 100. Light modulator 100 includes ribbon pairs 110, with each ribbon pair 110 consisting of a deflectable active ribbon 112A and a stationary bias ribbon 112B. In some applications, 3 ribbon pairs 110 are employed to represent one pixel of information (e.g. a pixel of a video image). The ribbons 112 (i.e. 112A and 112B) are symmetrical about a symmetry line 102. The right hand portion of the ribbons 112 are not shown for clarity of illustration. In operation, a light source illuminates the optically active area 114 of the ribbons 112. The optically active area is also referred to as a "sweet spot" as it is the portion of the ribbons 112 configured to be illuminated by a light source. In the example of FIG. 1A, active ribbons 112A are configured to deflect, while bias ribbons 112B are configured to remain relatively stationary or fixed. Light modulator 100 represents a particular implementation where the ribbons are used as modulator elements, as opposed to embodiments wherein the ribbons and the gaps between the ribbons are used as the modulating elements.
FIG. 1B schematically shows a side cross-sectional view of the light modulator 100 taken at section A-A of FIG. 1A. Each ribbon 112 (i.e. 112A or 112B) comprises a reflective material 120 supported by a resilient structure 121. A gap separates the ribbons 112 from the substrate 122. The gap is filled with gas (e.g. He, N2, H2) before the light modulator 100 is hermetically sealed during packaging. The packaging may include an optically transparent lid to allow light to shine to the ribbons 112. On top of the substrate is a drive electrode 131, also referred to as a "bottom electrode." The reflective materials 120 may be configured as actuator electrodes, also referred to as "top electrodes." Applying a potential difference between the drive electrode 131 and the actuator electrodes creates an electrostatic force that deflects the actuator electrodes toward the substrate 122.
FIG. 1C schematically shows the ribbons 112 of FIG. 1B when the active ribbons 112A are actuated. As shown in FIG. 1C, a height difference between adjacent ribbons can be changed by controllably deflecting the active ribbons 112A towards the substrate 122 by up to about 9λ/4 and more typically about 5λ/4, where λ is the wavelength of the incident light. If, upon reflection, the light from adjacent ribbons is in phase, then the 0th order light reflection is effectively maximized and the light modulator 100 is in an ON state. To minimize the 0th order light reflection, the active ribbons 112A are deflected by an odd multiple of the wavelength. When the 0th order light reflection is minimized, the light modulator 100 is in an OFF state. The ribbons 112A may be actuated such that the light modulator 100 is ON, OFF, or in between to modulate incident light.
The speed of currently available devices employing ribbon-type diffractive spatial light modulators is limited by damping time "τ" (tau), which is the time required for a ribbon to transition from an OFF state to an ON state, or from a first deflected state to an undeflected or a second deflected state. It is generally desirable to minimize damping time to increase the speed of movable MEMS structures.

Dielectric spacer for enhanced squeeze-film damping of movable members of MEMS devices


An image forming apparatus capable of communicating with an electronic pen at least includes a communication section for obtaining, from the electronic pen, electronic pen data including multiple pieces of position information obtained by detecting a position detection mark printed on a hand-writing sheet by the use of the electronic pen; a language analysis section for analyzing the electronic pen data, identifies one or more hand-written images defined by the multiple pieces of position information, and creates intermediate data that defines the arrangement of objects including respective hand-written images; an image processing section for rasterizing the intermediate data to create bitmap data; and a printing section for conducting printing based on the bitmap data.

The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus and data processing program, a data processing method, and electronic pen. The present invention specifically relates to an image forming apparatus for printing hand-written images by the use of an electronic pen, a data processing program for transforming data outputted from the electronic pen into printable data, a data processing method for printing hand-written images drawn by the use of the electronic pen, and an image forming apparatus and electronic pen and data processing program for executing processing based on the data processing method.
Recently, an electronic pen equipped with a data transmission function has been popular. For example, when an electronic pen is moved across a sheet of paper on which a specific pattern, typically the ANOTO (registered mark) pattern, has been printed, a camera built into the electronic pen reads the specific pattern, detects its position on the sheet, and transmits data (electronic pen data) that indicates the movement locus of the electronic pen to a computer device. Then, the computer device analyzes the electronic pen data by the use of an application program to identify the hand-written image, and instructs the image forming apparatus to print the hand-written image by the use of a printer driver.
A system that uses such an electronic pen is disclosed in, for example, published Unexamined Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2006-268758. The system is a printing system comprising a digital pen capable of acquiring contents written on a dedicated sheet having a predetermined pattern by regarding the contents as hand-writing information associated with the writing position based on the above pattern, and transmitting the hand-writing information to the outside, and a computer that receives the hand-writing information transmitted by the digital pen, recognizes the written contents and its writing position according to the writing information contained in the hand-writing information, and reflects the written contents in a predetermined file; and the printing system further comprising a printing output means for printing out by using the printing data based on the predetermined file and printing the specific pattern on the sheet thereby printing and outputting the sheet as the dedicated sheet.
In the method as shown in the above published Unexamined Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2006-268758, wherein electronic pen data is first analyzed by a computer device to obtain a hand-written image and then instructions to print are sent to the image forming apparatus based on the hand-written image, the hand-written image cannot be printed unless there is a computer device, which creates an inconvenient situation. In addition, operation is troublesome because a dedicated application program to analyze electronic pen data and a printer driver must be installed beforehand in each computer device.

Image forming apparatus, data processing program, data processing method, and electronic pen

Konica Minolta Business Technologies, Inc.


Disclosed herein is a color laser display that comprises a red laser light source for emitting red laser light, a green laser light source for emitting green laser light, and a blue laser light source for emitting blue laser light. An excitation solid laser unit (which has a solid-state laser crystal doped with Pr3+ and a GaN semiconductor laser element for exciting the solid-state laser crystal), a fiber laser unit (which has a fiber with a Pr3+-doped core and a GaN semiconductor laser element for exciting the fiber), or a semiconductor laser unit (which has a semiconductor laser element, employing a GaN semiconductor, and a surface-emitting semiconductor element), is employed as at least one of the red laser light source, the green laser light source, or the blue laser light source.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to a color laser display of a type where a screen is scanned with three-color laser light, and more particularly to a color laser display in which an excitation solid laser unit with a Pr3+-doped solid-state laser crystal, or a fiber laser unit with a fiber having a Pr3+-doped core, or a semiconductor laser unit with a GaN semiconductor laser element for exciting a surface-emitting semiconductor element, is employed as a laser light source.
2. Description of the Related Art
There is a conventional color laser display in which an image is projected onto a screen, which displays each color when irradiated with red, green, and blue light, by scanning the screen with laser light modulated based on each color image signal. In another conventional color laser display, an image obtained by modulating laser light with a spatial modulation element is projected onto a screen by a projection optics system. These types of color laser displays require a laser light source, whose output is of the order of W (watt), in order to meet the high-brightness requirement. Because of this, a high-output gas laser, such as an Ar+ gas laser, a Kr+ gas laser, etc., has been used as the laser light source. However, the gas laser has the disadvantage that its device size is increased and manufacturing costs are considerably high, because the energy conversion efficiency is low such as about 0.1% and a cooling mechanism is necessary.
Hence, excitation second-harmonic-generation (SHG) solid lasers have recently been used as visible short-wavelength laser light sources, as described in Jpn. J. Laser Focus World, p.52 (December 1997). For instance, an yttrium aluminum garnet (YAG) laser unit, which employs an excitation solid laser element of oscillating wavelength 1064 nm to emit laser light of green wavelength 532 nm, is higher in energy conversion efficiency than the aforementioned gas laser.
However, noise due to a conflict of longitudinal modes will occur as the aforementioned excitation SHG laser unit generates higher output. For example, Jpn. J. Laser Focus World (p 243, May 1998) discloses that an amount of noise due to the blue and green solid laser elements is 3% or less, while an amount of noise due to the red solid laser element is as much as 50%.
To control these longitudinal modes, it is conceivable to insert, for example, an etalon as a wavelength selecting element. However, in such a case, realization of perfect single mode oscillation results in a great loss in efficiency, and consequently, high output is no longer obtainable and there arises a problem that the laser display will not able to have high brightness. Thus, in the case of employing the excitation SHG solid laser unit as a light source for a laser display, a reduction in the size is attainable, but numerous problems remain unsolved with respect to high efficiency, device performance, and costs.
The present invention has been made in view of the problems found in the prior art. Accordingly, it is the primary object of the present invention to provide a color laser display that is capable of realizing size reduction, high efficiency, and noise reduction.
To achieve this end and in accordance with an important aspect of the present invention, there is provided a first color laser display comprising:
a red laser light source for emitting red laser light;
a green laser light source for emitting green laser light;
a blue laser light source for emitting blue laser light;
modulation means for modulating the red laser light, the green laser light, and the blue laser light, based on a red image signal, a green image signal, and a blue image signal;
a screen for displaying red, green, and blue when irradiated with the red laser light, the green laser light, and the blue laser light; and
projection means for projecting the red laser light, the green laser light, and the blue laser light onto the screen so that an image, carrying the red, green, and blue image signals, is displayed on the screen;
wherein an excitation solid laser unit, having a solid-state laser crystal doped with Pr3+ and a GaN semiconductor laser element for exciting the solid-state laser crystal, is employed as at least one of the red laser light source, the green laser light source, or the blue laser light source.
In the first color laser display, the excitation solid laser unit may emit laser light of wavelength 600 to 660 nm by a transition of 3P0xe2x86x923F2 or 3P0xe2x86x923H6, and this laser unit can be satisfactorily employed as the red laser light source. The excitation solid laser unit may also emit laser light of wavelength 515 to 555 nm by a transition of 3P1xe2x86x923H5, and this laser unit can be satisfactorily employed as the green laser light source. Furthermore, the excitation solid laser unit may emit laser light of wavelength 465 to 495 nm by a transition of 3P0xe2x86x923H4, and this laser unit can be satisfactorily employed as the blue laser light source.
In accordance with another important aspect of the present invention, there is provided a second color laser display comprising:
a red laser light source for emitting red laser light;
a green laser light source for emitting green laser light;
a blue laser light source for emitting blue laser light;
modulation means for modulating the red laser light, the green laser light, and the blue laser light, based on a red image signal, a green image signal, and a blue image signal;
a screen for displaying red, green, and blue when irradiated with the red laser light, the green laser light, and the blue laser light; and
projection means for projecting the red laser light, the green laser light, and the blue laser light onto the screen so that an image, carrying the red, green, and blue image signals, is displayed on the screen;
wherein a fiber laser unit, having a fiber with a Pr3+-doped core and a GaN semiconductor laser element for exciting the fiber, is employed as at least one of the red laser light source, the green laser light source, or the blue laser light source.
As with the first color laser display, the excitation solid laser unit of the second color laser display may emit laser light of wavelength 600 to 660 nm by a transition of 3P0xe2x86x923F2 or 3P0xe2x86x923H6, and this laser unit can be satisfactorily employed as the red laser light source. In addition, the excitation solid laser unit of the second color laser display may emit laser light of wavelength 515 to 555 nm by a transition of 3P1xe2x86x923H5, and this laser unit can be satisfactorily employed as the green laser light source. Furthermore, the excitation solid laser unit of the second color laser display may emit laser light of wavelength 465 to 495 nm by a transition of 3P0xe2x86x923H4, and this laser unit can be satisfactorily employed as the blue laser light source.
In accordance with still another important aspect of the present invention, there is provided a third color laser display comprising:
a red laser light source for emitting red laser light;
a green laser light source for emitting green laser light;
a blue laser light source for emitting blue laser light;
modulation means for modulating the red laser light, the green laser light, and the blue laser light, based on a red image signal, a green image signal, and a blue image signal;
a screen for displaying red, green, and blue when irradiated with the red laser light, the green laser light, and the blue laser light; and
projection means for projecting the red laser light, the green laser light, and the blue laser light onto the screen so that an image, carrying the red, green, and blue image signals, is displayed on the screen;
wherein a semiconductor laser unit is employed as at least one of the red laser light source, the green laser light source, or the blue laser light source, and the semiconductor laser unit includes an excitation light source constructed of a semiconductor laser element employing a GaN semiconductor in its active layer, and also includes a surface-emitting semiconductor element for emitting laser light when excited with the excitation light source.
In a preferred form of the third color laser display, the surface-emitting semiconductor element of the semiconductor laser unit has an active layer composed of InGaAlP or InGaP, the semiconductor laser unit being employed as the red laser light source. The surface-emitting semiconductor element of the semiconductor laser unit may have an active layer composed of InGaN. In this case, the semiconductor laser unit is employed as the green laser light source and/or the blue laser light source. Moreover, it is preferable that the surface-emitting semiconductor element of the semiconductor laser unit have an active layer composed of GaN, GaNAs, or InGaNAs.
Furthermore, it is desirable that the semiconductor laser element (for the excitation light source) of the semiconductor laser unit of the third color laser display have an active layer composed of InGaN, GaNAs, or InGaNAs. It is also desirable that the semiconductor laser element of the semiconductor laser unit have a stripe width of 5 xcexcm or more.
In the color laser display of the present invention, an excitation solid laser unit with a Pr3+-doped solid-state laser crystal, or a fiber laser unit with a fiber having a Pr3+-doped core, or a semiconductor laser unit with a GaN semiconductor laser element for exciting a surface-emitting semiconductor element, is employed as a red laser light source, a green laser light source, or a blue laser light source. The red laser light, the green laser light, and the blue laser light, emitted from the light sources, are modulated based on red, green, and blue image signals and are projected onto the screen. Therefore, an image carrying these image signals can be displayed on the screen. With this construction, the color laser display of the present invention has the following advantages:
(1) The excitation solid laser unit, the fiber laser unit, and the semiconductor laser unit, employed as the red, green, or blue laser light source, do not require a cooling mechanism as does the conventional gas laser unit. Thus, the color laser display of the present invention is capable of sufficiently reducing the size, compared with the aforementioned conventional color laser displays. In addition, the reduction in the number of components results in a reduced cost. Even in comparison with the case of employing the aforementioned excitation SHG solid laser as a light source, the effect of the reduced cost by the reduction in the number of components is obtained because there is no need to employ a longitudinal mode control element, such as an optical wavelength conversion element, an etalon, etc.
(2) The light-to-light efficiency of the aforementioned excitation SHG solid laser unit is typically about 10 to 20%, whereas those of the excitation solid laser unit, fiber laser unit, and semiconductor laser unit of the present invention typically reach about 30 to 50%. Thus, the present invention is also capable of realizing high efficiency, compared with the conventional color laser display that employs the excitation SHG solid laser unit as the light source.
(3) The aforementioned excitation solid laser unit, fiber laser unit, and semiconductor laser unit of the present invention do not employ an optical wavelength conversion element in order to obtain a desired wavelength as does the excitation SHG solid laser unit. As a result, there is no occurrence of noise due to a conflict of longitudinal modes that results from wavelength conversion. Thus, the color laser display of the present invention is capable of suppressing an amount of noise to about less than 1%, for example.
(4) The GaN semiconductor laser element for excitation, employed in the color laser display of the present invention, is able to generate high output because its COD value (i.e., the maximum light output at the time of end-face destruction) is very high compared with other GaAs semiconductor laser elements, etc. This enables the color laser display of the present invention to display a high-brightness image.
(5) Particularly, the fiber laser unit employed in the second color laser display of the present invention is able to generate considerably high output as it does not have the problem of a thermal lens, etc. Thus, the second color laser display is capable of displaying a higher-brightness image.
(6) The color laser display of the present invention has the advantage that it can obtain modulated light by directly modulating the excitation GaN semiconductor laser element.

Color laser display employing excitation solid laser unit, fiber laser unit, or semi conductor laser unit


Iterative data-aided carrier CFO estimation for CDMA systems. Any communication receiver may be adapted to perform the iterative data-aided carrier CFO estimation. The iterative data-aided carrier CFO estimation is performed using a high accuracy method. The operation may be described as follows: a received signal is despread and buffered. Using the received preamble sequence, an initial estimate of the CFO is obtained. This estimate is used to correct the whole despread data. The corrected data using the initial CFO estimate is sliced. Each despread data symbol is divided by the corresponding sliced data decision. The obtained sequence is then averaged across different codes to obtain a less noisy sequence, which is then used to estimate the CFO again. The procedure can be repeated (iterated) to obtain a more accurate carrier frequency offset estimate; the number of times in which the procedure is repeated may be programmable or predetermined.

1. Technical Field of the Invention
The invention relates generally to communication systems; and, more particularly, it relates to communication receivers employing Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA).
2. Description of Related Art
Data communication systems have been under continual development for many years. There is oftentimes difficulty in accommodating the offset of operational frequencies between various devices within the communication system. Carrier frequency offsets (CFOs) are very common in data communications systems. When there is a frequency offset between a transmitter and a receiver within a communication system, there may be significant degradation in performance. The undesirable degradation in performance may result in an inability to demodulate and decode received data.
In order to correct for CFOs, an accurate estimate of the CFO is needed. In packet systems, a known preamble sequence is transmitted with each data packet. The received sequence and the known preamble are usually used at the receiver to estimate the CFO. The prior art includes a number of various methods and approaches that may be used to achieve a CFO. However, these prior art methods and approaches typically involve a high degree of computational complexity. In addition, these prior art methods and approaches often fail to provide for a high degree of accuracy. As such, accurate CFOs may typically not be achieved in most prior art communication systems. This results in a failure to achieve optimal performance and accurate system operation.
One particular type of communication system, a cable modem (CM) communication system, has been under continual development for the last several years. There has been development to try to provide for improvements in the manner in which communications between the CM users and a cable modem termination system (CMTS) is performed. Many of these prior art approaches seek to perform and provide broadband network access to a number of CM users.
CM communication systems are realized when a cable company offers network access, typically Internet, access over the cable. This way, the Internet information can use the same cables because the CM communication system puts downstream data, sent from the Internet to an individual computer having CM functionality, into a communication channel having a 6 MHz capacity. The reverse transmission is typically referred to as upstream data, information sent from an individual back to the Internet, and this typically requires even less of the cable's bandwidth. Some estimates say only 2 MHz are required for the upstream data transmission, since the assumption is that most people download far more information than they upload.
Putting both upstream and downstream data on the cable television system requires two types of equipment: a cable modem on the customer end and the CMTS at the cable provider's end. Between these two types of equipment, all the computer networking, security and management of Internet access over cable television is put into place. This intervening region may be referred to as a CM network segment, and a variety of problems can occur to signals sent across this CM network segment.
One particular deficiency that may arise within the CM network segment is the undesirable introduction of a CFO in the expected clock frequency sent from the CMs within the CM communication system to the CMTS. There do exist some approaches in the prior art to try to estimate this CFO, but these prior art approaches typically fail to provide an efficient solution. As in the general prior art application of trying to perform CFO estimation, these prior art methods and approaches typically involve a high degree of computational complexity. In addition, these prior art methods and approaches often fail to provide for a high degree of accuracy. In order to correct for CFOs, an accurate estimate of the CFO is needed. In packet based communication systems, a known preamble sequence is transmitted with each data packet. The received sequence and the known preamble are usually used at the receiver side to estimate the carrier frequency offset. However, in many cases, the preamble might not be long enough to obtain the needed accuracy for the carrier frequency offset estimate.
In Time Division Multiple Access (TDMA) systems, this does not cause a significant problem as the residual CFO after preamble estimation can be viewed as a time-variant phase offset that can be tracked using data decisions. Moreover, in TDMA systems, the phase variations over the preamble duration is relatively negligible, thus a very accurate initial phase estimate can be obtained from the preamble. In CDMA systems, however, the known preamble spans a relatively longer period than that of a corresponding TDMA system due to data spreading and possible preamble interleaving. In this case, any residual CFO can cause a relatively high phase variation, which prohibits accurate initial phase estimation. Moreover, since in CDMA systems data and preamble are transmitted at the same time, data symbols will suffer the same large phase variation as the preamble. In addition to that, any possible residual CFO can result in loss of orthogonality in the CDMA codes, which can cause significant inter-code-interference (ICI). CDMA based communication systems need a much higher accuracy of carrier frequency estimation than TDMA systems. In many cases, the preamble might not be long enough to provide such accuracy.
Further limitations and disadvantages of conventional and traditional systems will become apparent to one of skill in the art through comparison of such systems with the invention as set forth in the remainder of the present application with reference to the drawings

Iterative data-aided carrier frequency offset estimation for code division multiple access systems


A system for operating a color flat panel display (FPD) is provided that includes a color FPD, a light source, and a display processing device. The color FPD has an adjustable color depth and is configured to reflect ambient light. The light source transmits light through the bottom surface of the color FPD. The display processing device is coupled to the color FPD and decreases the color depth of the color FPD when the light source is activated and increases the color depth of the color FPD when the light source is turned off.

Color FPDs having integral light sources are known as FPD modules. Specifically, there are three general categories of color FPDs: reflective color FPDs, transmissive color FPDs, and transreflective color FPDs.
Reflective color FPDs typically require a front light source or front light pipe in order to be viewed in low-light conditions. Such front light sources, however, typically decrease the overall reflection of the FPD, thus causing the FPD to appear "washed out." In addition, such light sources add to the overall thickness of the FPD module, again making them non-ideal for use in small electronic devices, such as mobile devices.
Transmissive color FPDs typically require a rear light source, which remains continuously on while the FPD is in use. Transmissive color FPD modules thus consume relatively large amounts of power and add a significant amount of overall thickness to the FPD module. Moreover, transmissive color FPD modules are typically difficult to read in strong ambient lighting conditions, such as sunlight.
Transreflective color FPDs combine the performance of reflective and transmissive displays. They can reflect ambient light as well as transmit light from a rear light source. Transmissive color FPDs similarly require a rear light source. The rear light source in a transreflective color FPD module, however, is typically only turned on in low-light conditions. Nonetheless, the rear light source in a transreflective color FPD module adds to the overall thickness of the FPD module.
It is also known to use an electroluminescent (EL) light source with a monochrome FPD. In comparison to the light sources typically used for color FPDs, an EL light source is thin and inexpensive.
A transreflective FPD module with low light emission characteristics is generally considered difficult to view in low light conditions, but is generally acceptable with moderate ambient lighting conditions.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Light source system for a color flat panel display


A monolithic substrate including a silica material fused to bulk copper is provided for coupling with electronic components, along with methods for making the same. The method includes arranging a base mixture in a die mold. The base mixture includes a bottom portion with copper micron powder and an upper portion with copper nanoparticles. The method includes arranging a secondary mixture on the upper portion of the base mixture. The secondary mixture includes a bottom portion with silica-coated copper nanoparticles and an upper portion with silica nanoparticles. The method includes heating and compressing the base mixture and the secondary mixture in the die mold at a temperature, pressure, and time sufficient to sinter and fuse the base mixture with the secondary mixture to form a monolithic substrate. The resulting monolithic substrate defines a first major surface providing thermal conductivity, and a second major surface providing an electrically resistive surface.

The background description provided herein is for the purpose of generally presenting the context of the disclosure. Work of the presently named inventors, to the extent it may be described in this background section, as well as aspects of the description that may not otherwise qualify as prior art at the time of filing, are neither expressly nor impliedly admitted as prior art against the present technology.
Quality electronic components typically exhibit dynamic durability and provide reliable electrical insulation. Certain electronic components, such as semiconductor devices, commonly need to be mounted to surfaces that are both electrically resistive, to keep electronic circuits from shorting, and thermally conductive, to keep the electronic components from overheating. However, electrical resistivity is usually associated with thermal insulators, and thermally conductive materials are usually electrical conductors. Thus, many conventional substrates for use with electronic components are formed using multiple layers and with relatively complex designs to accomplish these goals. When multiple layers are used, however, there is a potential for delamination, ultimately depending on the materials, design, and end use. By way of example, a quality adhesion of copper to an inorganic material is often difficult to obtain. Still further, each additional layer may lead to increased production time and increased costs.
Accordingly, it would be desirable to provide an improved and cost effective substrate that prevents electrical shorting across a surface, while maintaining a superior thermal conductivity.

Thermally conductive and electrically insulative material

Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America, Inc.


A power supply system for starter devices has an energy storage unit, a starter device supplyable with electrical energy from the energy storage unit, a power supply line which carries the electrical energy from the energy storage unit to said starter device, a disconnection switch between the energy storage device and the starter device, the disconnection switch being located reversibly and directly on the energy storage unit.

The present invention relates to a power supply system for a starter device.
From German Published Patent Disclosure 196 06 450 A1, a power supply system for starter devices is known which comprises an energy storage means and a starter device, the latter connected to the energy storage means by means of a power supply line. The power supply line can be interrupted by means of a disconnection switch. The disconnection switch is secured to the energy storage means or very close to the energy storage means. The disconnection switch itself is described as a gas-generator-driven switch to be ignited, which sets an irreversible disconnection process in motion. A disadvantage of this system is that after a disconnection, the switch must be replaced.

Power supply system for a starter device with a reversible disconnection switch


An audio system in a local area providing an audio signal to a headset of a remote user is presented herein. The audio system identifies sounds from a human sound source in the local area, based in part on sounds detected within the local area. The audio system generates an audio signal for presentation to a remote user within a virtual representation of the local area based in part on a location of the remote user within the virtual representation of the local area relative to a virtual representation of the human sound source within the virtual representation of the local area. The audio system provides the audio signal to a headset of the remote user, wherein the headset presents the audio signal as part of the virtual representation of the local area to the remote user.

The present disclosure relates generally to presentation of audio at a headset, and specifically relates to spatial audio and avatar control using captured audio signals.
A user wearing the headset can be teleported into a virtual representation of a local area (e.g., a conference room, a music hall, a stadium, etc.) that is remote to a physical location of the user. To convincingly experience an ambient in the virtual representation of the local area where the remote user has been teleported, sounds from the local area needs to be accurately presented to the remote user. For example, the remote user wearing the headset can experience movement through certain parts of the local area while being able to see at least a portion of the local area and hear at least portions of sounds originating in the local area. However, one problem in conventional systems is that the sound from the local area heard by the remote user wearing the headset is not adjusted properly when the remote user moves throughout the virtual representation of the local area and occupies different positions within the virtual representation of the local area relative to, e.g., a sound source in the local area. Another problem in the conventional systems is that, due to visual occlusions in the local area, certain portions of the local area cannot be imaged thus being effectively invisible to the remote user. This problem is especially severe when the occluded portions of the local area include a portion of a face of a person in the local area that is currently speaking. In this case, the remote user can hear that the person is speaking, but a face of a virtual representation of the person that is presented to the remote user is without any facial expressions (e.g., without any lips movement), which is highly undesirable from the point of view of the remote user.

Spatial audio and avatar control using captured audio signals


Power connectors and switchgear assemblies are presented herein. A power connector is disclosed for electrically coupling a circuit breaker to an electrically conductive bus bar. The connector includes a fork-shaped head for electrically connecting to the circuit breaker, and a base for electrically connecting to the bus bar. A yoke extends between and connects the base to the fork-shaped head. The yoke has a transverse cross-section with a length that is greater than a width. The length and/or width of the transverse cross-section varies between respective ends of the transverse cross-section.

Circuit breakers are most commonly used to protect electrical equipment from overload and short circuit events. Large circuit breakers that carry thousands of amps of current are oftentimes installed into metal-enclosed switchgear assemblies, which are also referred to as "switchboards." Switchgears have large electrical conductors called bus bars (or "buss bars") that carry current from a power source, such as a power utility, through the circuit breakers, to loads that are protected by the circuit breaker. These large circuit breakers, which can weigh hundreds of pounds, are typically lifted into the switchgear and racked by mounting the circuit breakers into a drawout cradle. A manually controlled or remotely operated mechanism is inserted into the cradle to turn a crank that racks the circuit breaker into the switchgear and completes an electrical circuit which is protected by the breaker.
On the backs of these large circuit breakers facing the rear interior of the switchgear cabinet are connection members, such as bus bars, with pivots (also known as "cluster supports") that jut out like rails on a train track. Onto these pivots are installed multiple "clusters," which are electrical connectors that have opposing stacks of plate-like fingers. These fingers straddle the pivots and allow the clusters to adapt their positions to engage bus bar connectors, such as fixed stab terminals ("stabs") or turnable joint mount (TJM) connectors, which are housed inside the switchgear cabinets during the blind rack-in connection. These fingers are biased by spring elements to stay on the pivots so that the cluster "snaps" onto the pivot. It is important that these clusters remain secured on the pivots because if they become loose or dislodged as the circuit breaker is being racked into the switchgear or during operation of the switchgear, a cross-phase connection or a short circuit from an electrical phase to ground can occur.
The switchgear assembly typically comprises a cabinet that houses a drawout circuit breaker cradle for receiving and supporting the circuit breaker. The drawout cradle simplifies mounting and dismounting of the circuit breaker from field serviceable connections, allowing for ease of installation, removal, and maintenance. At the distal end of the cabinet is a breaker backmold, which is often made from a rigid thermoset material, such as a phenolic resin, and used as a mounting interface. For instance, the backmold attaches to the circuit breaker cradle and provides a mounting surface for current transformers, metering transformers, and the power connectors (e.g., stabs or TJMs). The power connectors are typically designed to engage the circuit breaker clusters, field serviceable connections, and current and metering transformers.
Contemporary TJM power connectors are solid metallic structures with a rectangular base attached via an intermediate yoke to a two-prong forked head, all of which are integrally formed from hot-extrusion metal-working processes. The yoke, which connects the base to the head of the connector, has a solid square-shaped cross-section and operates to carry electrical current from the bus bar to one or more breaker clusters. Current TJM connectors are not designed to provide optimal current density distribution (e.g., electric current per unit area of cross section) when in operation. Current TJM connector designs also fail to mitigate the proximity effect caused by adjacent current-carrying structures. Moreover, existing TJM connectors are not designed to reduce skin effect or maximize thermal convective cooling.


Methods for registering a three-dimensional model of a body volume to a real-time indication of a sensor position that involve analyzing scanned and sensed voxels and using parameters or thresholds to identify said voxels as being either tissue or intraluminal fluid. Those voxels identified as fluid are then used to construct a real-time sensed three-dimensional model of the lumen which is then compared to a similarly constructed, but previously scanned model to establish and update registration.

Breakthrough technology has emerged which allows the navigation of a catheter tip through a tortuous channel, such as those found in the pulmonary system, to a predetermined target. This technology compares the real-time movement of a sensor against a three-dimensional digital map of the targeted area of the body (for purposes of explanation, the pulmonary airways of the lungs will be used hereinafter, though one skilled in the art will realize the present invention could be used in any body cavity or system: circulatory, digestive, pulmonary, to name a few).
Such technology is described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,188,355; 6,226,543; 6,558,333; 6,574,498; 6,593,884; 6,615,155; 6,702,780; 6,711,429; 6,833,814; 6,974,788; and 6,996,430, all to Gilboa or Gilboa et al.; and U.S. Published Applications Pub. Nos. 2002/0193686; 2003/0074011; 2003/0216639; 2004/0249267 to either Gilboa or Gilboa et al. All of these references are incorporated herein in their entireties.
Using this technology begins with recording a plurality of images of the applicable portion of the patient, for example, the lungs. These images are often recorded using CT technology. CT images are two-dimensional slices of a portion of the patient. After taking several, parallel images, the images may be "assembled" by a computer to form a three-dimensional model, or "CT volume" of the lungs.
The CT volume is used during the procedure as a map to the target. The physician navigates a steerable probe that has a trackable sensor at its distal tip. The sensor provides the system with a real-time image of its location. However, because the image of the sensor location appears as a vector on the screen, the image has no context without superimposing the CT volume over the image provided by the sensor. The act of superimposing the CT volume and the sensor image is known as "registration."
There are various registration methods, some of which are described in the aforementioned references. For example, point registration involves selecting a plurality of points, typically identifiable anatomical landmarks, inside the lung from the CT volume and then using the sensor (with the help of an endoscope) and "clicking" on each of the corresponding landmarks in the lung. Clicking on the landmarks refers to activating a record feature on the sensor that signifies the registration point should be recorded. The recorded points are then aligned with the points in the CT volume, such that registration is achieved. This method works well for initial registration in the central area but as the sensor is navigated to the distal portions of the lungs, the registration becomes less accurate as the distal airways are smaller and move more with the breathing cycle.
Another example of a registration method is to record a segment of an airway and shape-match that segment to a corresponding segment in the CT volume. This method of registration suffers similar setbacks to the point registration method, though it can be used in more distal airways because an endoscope is not required. The registration should be conducted more than once to keep the registration updated. It may be inconvenient or otherwise undesirable to require additional registration steps from a physician. Additionally, this method requires that a good image exists in the CT volume for any given airway occupied by the sensor. If for example, the CT scan resulted in an airway shadowed by a blood vessel, for example, the registration will suffer because the shape data on that airway is compromised.
An alternative registration method known as "Adaptive Navigation" was developed and described in U.S. Published Application 2008/0118135 to Averbuch et al., incorporated by reference herein in its entirety. This registration technique operates on the assumption that the sensor remains in the airways at all times. The position of the sensor is recorded as the sensor is advanced, thus providing a shaped historical path of where the sensor has been. This registration method requires the development of a computer-generated and automatically or manually segmented "Bronchial Tree" (BT). The shape of the historical path is matched to a corresponding shape in the BT.
Segmenting the BT involves converting the CT volume into a series of digitally-identified branches to develop, or "grow," a virtual model of the lungs. Automatic segmentation works well on the well-defined, larger airways and smaller airways that were imaged well in the CT scans. However, as the airways get smaller, the CT scan gets "noisier" and makes continued automatic segmentation inaccurate. Noise results from poor image quality, small airways, or airways that are shadowed by other features such as blood vessels. Noise can cause the automatic segmentation process to generate false branches and/or loops—airways that rejoin, an occurrence not found in the actual lungs.
It would be advantageous to provide a registration method that is automatic and continuous, and has an increased accuracy potential that is achieved without requiring any steps to be taken by a physician.


A parasitic cleaning system for cleaning the reflective surfaces of a heliostat is disclosed. The system includes a blade carriage assembly that cleans the surface by imparting a frictional force as the carriage assembly moves across the surface to be cleaned. A cleaner drive system controls the motion of the blade carriage assembly over the surface. A guide system connects the cleaner drive system to the blade carriage assembly. The cleaner drive system applies a spring force to move the blade carriage assembly upwardly. The same spring system controls the lowering of the blade assembly over the surface to be cleaned.

The present invention relates to surface cleaning systems, particularly cleaning systems suited for cleaning reflective glass panels that are components of heliostats used in concentrated solar energy plants.
The efficiency of concentrated solar field power production depends in part on the ability of the reflective glass panels to reflect and concentrate radiation from the sun onto a heat exchanger positioned on a tower. One factor that can prevent efficient energy generation is low reflectivity caused by dirt, dust, mud and other debris on the reflective panels.
The structures that support and rotate reflective glass panels about two axes of rotation are referred to as heliostats. A typical heliostat structure includes a vertical tubular support for supporting a glass panel support structure. The vertical support has a central vertical axis extending through the center of the tube from end to end and a first drive mechanism that causes the glass panel support structure to rotate about the vertical axis. The heliostat also includes a glass panel support structure with a horizontal rotational axis and a second drive mechanism that causes the glass panel support structure to rotate about the horizontal axis. By providing two axes of rotation, the position of the reflective surface of the heliostat can be altered. The glass panel support structure can rotate about its horizontal and vertical rotational axes at the same time, or at different points in time.
During power plant operation, the power plant control system causes the glass panel support structure to rotate about one or both axes which creates the ability to direct and maintain the reflected sunlight to a specific area on the collector atop of the tower. The control system is capable of moving the glass panels into a substantially vertical resting position when the plant is not in operation, and into a substantially horizontal position during high winds and other conditions. During operation of the power plant, the glass panels may be stationary during periods of time, may move continually or may move intermittently
Reflective surface cleaning systems have been developed that require their own control systems, motorized mechanisms, and in some cases, water and chemicals to clean the reflective surfaces. For example, U.S. Patent Publication 20130306106 describes a motorized dry cleaning system for cleaning rows of photovoltaic solar panels. The cleaning system has a motorized carriage that moves from an upper to a lower edge of a solar panel whose surface is positioned at an angle with respect to the horizontal. The carriage also moves horizontally from panel to panel.
Known cleaning systems require the use of motorized components, independent control systems and power sources to enable the systems to operate. Such systems are costly to build, require a power supply, and the operation of the systems must be integrated into the control system of the concentrated solar power plant. The cleaning cycles must also be coordinated to avoid interfering with power plant operation. It would be desirable to provide a mechanized parasitic system that cleans reflective panels during the normal operation of a solar field, does not require water, chemicals, a power source for operation or an independent cleaning control system to operate and be a fail-safe. In other words, a cleaning system failure would not cause heliostat damage or hinder heliostat operation. It would also be desirable to provide a system that cleans by taking advantage of the normal movements of the heliostat during operation such that no additional manipulation or movement of the heliostat is needed to accomplish cleaning.
For these and other reasons, a need exists for the present invention.

Device and method for automatically dry cleaning reflective panels


A stateful negative differential resistance device includes a first conductive electrode and a second conductive electrode. The device also includes a first material with a reversible, nonvolatile resistance that changes based on applied electrical energy and a second material comprising a differential resistance that is negative in a locally active region. The first material and second material are sandwiched between the first conductive electrode and second conductive electrode. A method for using a stateful NDR device includes applying programming energy to the stateful NDR device to set a state of the stateful NDR device to a predetermined state and removing electrical power from the stateful NDR device. Power-up energy is applied to the stateful NDR device such that the stateful NDR device returns to the predetermined state.

Negative Differential Resistance (NDR) is a property displayed by some devices where an increase in current across the device results in a decreased voltage across the device in some operational regimes. Similarly, an increase in voltage across an NDR device may result in a decreased amount of current. NDR devices have the potential to dramatically increase the speed of computing devices. However, implementation of NDR devices has been hampered by a number of challenges, such as incompatibility of NDR materials (e.g. indium phosphide, gallium arsenide) with silicon and the high power requirements to maintain the state of NDR devices when the NDR devices are not in active use.
Throughout the drawings, identical reference numbers designate similar, but not necessarily identical, elements.

Stateful negative differential resistance devices

Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.


The process of controlling rotational speed of an electric motor of an electric hand tool, including providing an electric motor of an electric hand tool with a rotational speed control comprised of displacement means for providing displacement in response to manual operation of the electric hand tool selected from the group consisting essentially of a linear displacement device for providing linear displacement (s) and an actuating dial for providing arcuate displacement (S); an elastic membrane to which the displacement means is articulatedly connected so that during displacement of the displacement means the elastic membrane deforms as a function of the displacement; actuating means comprising a sensor element coupled to the elastic membrane so that the sensor element produces an electrical output variable as a function of the deformation of the elastic membrane, the sensor element being selected from the group consisting essentially of a Hall sensor, an inductive sensor, and a sensor switch; and an electronic switch for rotational speed control connected to the actuating means, from which it receives the electrical output variable, and to the electric motor of the electric hand tool; and manually operating the displacement means of the rotational speed control to control the rotational speed of the electric motor.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a rotational speed control for electric motors of electric hand tools having a push-button or actuating dial, the respectively linear or arcuate displacement of which acts on an actuating element in order to vary an electrical output variable, with an electronic switch for speed control of the electric motor being connected downstream of the actuating element.
2. Background of The Art
Electric tools, such as drills, drill hammers, saber saws, orbital sanders, etc. have been equipped for several years with electronic switches which permit a continuous variation of the speed. In these tools, an actuating element which brings about a change of an electrical output variable is constantly actuated in use via a push-button or via an actuating dial. The actuating element used has heretofore always been a potentiometer which is constructed as part of the electronic switch or as part of an electronic module. The push-button or the actuating dial of the electronic switch is then provided with a potentiometer slide which, as a result of the linear displacement of the push-button or the circular displacement of the dial, slides on a correspondingly shaped potentiometer path. Movement of the potentiometer slide along a linear or non-linear (e.g., logarithmic) potentiometer path in the case of the push-button embodiment or a circular potentiometer path in the case of the actuating dial embodiment brings about a corresponding change in resistance. The respective momentary resistance value serves as a manipulated electrical variable transmitted to the subsequent control electronics which brings about a speed control of the electric motor, for example, via a phase control. In this respect, the potentiometer supplies a voltage, current or resistance which is proportional to the displacement of the push-button or actuating dial.
Such potentiometers are thus subjected to a large degree of wear in use due to abrasion, dust, vibration, etc. which reduces the useful life of the electric hand tool. Furthermore, only potentiometers with resistance values which have relatively high tolerances can be economically produced in large numbers using presently used production methods. In this process, the carrier material used, e.g., hard paper, ceramics, and the resistance paste used essentially determine the quality and the price of the potentiometer.
Thus, it is an object of the present invention to provide a rotational speed control for electric hand tools which avoids the previously mentioned disadvantages by dispensing with the use of a potentiometer and employing instead an actuating element including a sensor element which is largely made of non-wearing parts and which is part of a sensor circuit.
It is a further object of the present invention to effectively use the rotational speed control above to control the rotational speed of an electric hand tool motor.

Rotational speed control and use of same to control the rotational speed of an electric hand tool motor


A 3D chip having at least one I/O layer connected to other 3D chip layers by a vertical bus such that the I/O layer(s) may accommodate protection and off-chip device drive circuits, customization circuits, translation circuits, conversions circuits and/or built-in self-test circuits capable of comprehensive chip or wafer level testing wherein the I/O layers function as a testhead. Substitution of I/O circuits or structures may be performed using E-fuses or the like responsive to such testing.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to semiconductor integrated circuits and, more particularly to integrated circuits having a three-dimensional (3-D) structural configuration including a plurality of semiconductor circuit layers.
2. Description of the Prior Art
It has long been recognized that increased proximity between elements and circuits in electronic devices has numerous benefits in terms of cost, performance and functionality, particularly in complex digital processing circuits integrated on one or more semiconductor chips. Increased proximity of elements allows more devices and circuits to be formed on a single chip using a given process sequence, reducing cost of manufacture per circuit element while increasing functionality of a single chip. Increased proximity of elements on a chip and increased proximity of chips reduces connection length and capacitance and thus improves noise immunity, reduces signal propagation time and improves fan-out (the number of inputs to other circuits that a given circuit can drive). Further, proximity of elements on a chip can be increased as the size of individual elements is reduced, allowing more circuits having more diverse functions to be placed on a chip of given area.
However, the types of circuits which can be included on a single chip may be limited by the technologies required for different types of circuits. For example, the technologies preferred for logic circuits and high density memory circuits are sufficiently different that significant compromises must generally be made in regard to one or both types of circuits in order to fabricate both types of circuit on a single chip.
The combination of these advantages has driven the design of integrated circuit chips to increased integration density and the design of integrated circuit packaging to designs providing increased proximity of chips where a plurality of chips are included in a single package (which provides the added advantage of reducing cost of installing chip packages in various electronic devices since the number of chip packages is reduced for a given device by including a plurality of chips in a single package). However, each input/output (I/O) connection on each chip must include circuitry capable of driving or receiving an off-chip input to another chip. Off-chip signals must be significantly different from on-chip signals in order to maintain noise immunity and freedom from corruption of signals coupled from neighboring connections of relatively greater average length.
One of the more successful and potentially advantageous multi-chip package configurations has been the so-called chip stack where a plurality of individual chips are stacked, connections made directly between the chips and the chip stack packaged as a unit. In such a configuration, connection length between chips is minimized and many circuit topologies are made possible which are not conveniently available on a single, planar (e.g. 2-D) chip, even using complex multi-layer metallization layers to form connections on the chip. Further, chips fabricated using different technologies which would be incompatible on a single chip may be stacked and packaged together as a single unit.
Regardless of the theoretical potential advantages of such chip stack configurations, several highly intractable and interrelated problems have been encountered in practice which have grown even more intractable as reduced minimum feature size regimes and increased integration density for individual chips have developed to support extreme clock cycle speeds. For example, increased chip complexity generally implies an increased number of I/O connections to and from the chip which, in turn, implies a reduced size and increased proximity of I/O connections. Reduced size of I/O connections has several implications such as difficulty of making reliable connections between stacked chips or placement of probes for testing at the wafer or chip level (since the registration tolerance of the testing probe with the chip must be less than the connection pad size/pitch while the connection pad size and spacing must be severely limited to accommodate the number of connections required by increased chip complexity and while increased proximity of I/O connections increases signal coupling).
Moreover, increased integration density and reduction of circuit element size requires more stringent protection of internal chip circuits from overvoltage, electrostatic discharge (ESD) and the like at points where I/O connections are made. Additionally, broadband impedance matching circuits such as a T-coil device requiring a planar inductor may be needed and which may require substantial chip area, especially when replicated for each I/O connection. That is, the extra load presented by the introduction of ESD structures makes it more likely that additional impedance matching circuits may be needed to assure proper electrical behavior at the I/O and such impedance matching circuits typically include a planar inductor that may require substantial area. Such protection and impedance matching circuits must be provided in addition to circuits capable of providing signals suitable for off-chip device drive and, with increasing likelihood, signal level conversion, clock signal conversion and buffering circuits, consuming further chip area.
At the same time, increased chip complexity increases the need for testing at the chip level since a chip stack will be defective if any single chip included therein contains a defect while increased proximity of connection pads coupled with the fact that a chip stack remains a packaging configuration for individual chips and I/O circuits capable of driving off-chip circuits must be provided for each connection pad increases the likelihood of signal coupling between neighboring connections to each chip. Further, as increased integration density has allowed higher clock cycle rates reaching into the Gigahertz range, signal capture and analysis using external testers has become much more difficult, partly due to the size thereof, while more extensive tests are required by increased chip complexity that are correspondingly less well accommodated by test arrangements that can be provided in stringently limited area on the chip itself. Moreover, the extreme clock cycle speeds now possible require routing of signals from outputs of the chip to inputs of the chip over very short but wide (e.g. four bytes or more) bus or with buffering or latching arrangements (e.g. to limit effects of signal propagation time on the test results) which interfere with core logic layout. Thus the provision of more numerous circuits capable of providing protection, off-chip level drive and various needed signal conversions as well as routing has become increasingly expensive and impractical while testing has become much more expensive and impractical even in the face of increased need therefor.
In this latter regard, in addition to the practical problem of probing more densely integrated circuits having necessarily reduced connection pad dimensions alluded to above, the capture and isolation of a signal of interest in the Gigahertz range using an external tester presents such extreme difficulties that an external tester capable of doing so may cost several hundreds of thousands of dollars per I/O connection or pin. At the same time, testing at such frequencies has implications on chip design and layout and proximity of related input and output connections (e.g. providing an on-chip wrap bus to wrap the outputs to inputs which may interfere with core logic functions) which are difficult to meet and which engender other complications of signal capture and isolation, particularly at off-chip drive signal levels.
In addition to testing of chips during integrated circuit manufacture, it is desirable to periodically test a chip for functionality after the chip is placed in service (e.g. at power-up of the chip). For this purpose, so-called built-in self-test (BIST) arrangements have been developed and at the present state of the art are quite sophisticated. However, BIST arrangements, by their nature, impose a trade-off between the extent of testing that can be done, the amount of time which can be allotted to a self-test procedure and the amount of chip space that can be allocated to the BIST arrangement, particularly since the BIST arrangement must provide for generation (e.g. generally from storage) for the bit patterns which will be used to exercise the circuit and the bit patterns against which the result from a test bit pattern is to be compared to confirm functionality. Therefore, the chip area allocated to the BIST arrangement is generally limited to about two percent of the chip area and the extent of testing available is usually severely limited and reliance of external testers is generally required to confirm full functionality of a chip. Furthermore, BIST arrangements are used only in the digital part of the integrated circuit chip, which might also include analog functions as well such as receivers or transmitters or mixed-signal digital/analog functions, such as converters, for which different isolation strategies and testing structures are needed.
Therefore, particularly in view of the need for larger and more complex protection circuits at I/O connections and the need for providing testing at the chip or wafer level in order to avoid the much increased costs of later-discovered defects in individual chips after chip stacks have been formed, there has been no practical alternative to simply omitting chip and wafer level testing altogether and accepting the increased costs of rejecting substantially completed multi-chip packages during testing at the package or system level. Moreover, known techniques of chip stacking cannot, at practical costs, support current and foreseeable chip technologies and integration densities while already severely compromising the benefits which could potentially be derived from currently possible technologies and integration densities due to the cost of providing suitable I/O protection and off-chip drive signal levels at I/O connections between chips, even when commonly packaged.
This latter problem is particularly aggravated in regard to application specific integrated circuits (ASICs) which, as a practical matter, are generally designed using so-called cores or macros which are pre-designed functional circuit portions which can be laid out and connected on a single chip to provide, in the aggregate, a customized function which must often include circuits and connections for converting standard bus designs of existing cores to a customized bus configuration, often provided as a separate so-called bridge chip. As ASIC designs become more complex and higher performance levels are required, it would be desirable, particularly from the standpoints of manufacturing cost and potential performance improvement, to utilize a chip stack configuration for ASICs with individual cores or small groups of cores on separate chips. Such a configuration would enable better design re-use, faster time to market and quick customization of a design as well as the performance benefits alluded to above. However, as noted above, each chip must then include I/O connections including circuit protection and circuits capable of providing off-chip level drive signals. In practical effect, such a provision would amount to providing interfaces between virtually all cores in addition to the cores themselves (and any bus conversion chip included in the ASIC) and would be of prohibitive cost.
In summary, while it is seen that the above problems with common packaging of multiple chips, and chip stacks in particular, derive from the fact that each chip must be regarded as an off-chip device relative to every other chip and a suitable inter-chip interface provided while the requirements for each connection of each such interface have become more complex and stringent and consume increased chip area for each of an increased number of connections to the point of becoming prohibitive. To solve this basic problem, a so-called three-dimensional chip has been developed including a vertical bus arrangement such that drive signals suitable for off-chip devices are not needed and the separately fabricated chips effectively and functionally become portions of the same chip folded over on itself with the physical configuration providing the same potential advantages of chip stack configurations. However, such a connection does not solve the more specific and intractable problems of bus design conversion, customization and translation, the provision of suitable protection and off-chip device drive or, especially, chip or wafer level testing to support current and foreseeable chip design and manufacturing technology and the advantages potentially available therefrom.

Wafer level I/O test and repair enabled by I/O layer

International Business Machines Corporation


The present invention provides multi-dimensional sensors with fluidic flow channels for processing fluid samples.

In the past, two-dimensional sensors, such as that shown in FIG. 1, have been used to analyze fluid samples. The two-dimensional sensors employ a flat platform with a counter electrode, reference electrode and working electrode. There remains a need to provide alternate sensor configurations, including, for example, those which can allow for one or more of: multiple sample analysis, multiple testing on a sample, and/or parallel sampling, as well as automated or semi-automated analysis instruments and system integration, for advancing low and high fluid sample throughput analysis, detection and/or diagnosis.

Multi-dimensional fluid sensors and related detectors and methods


A microwave oven has a photosensor to detect an objected in a cooking compartment. The photosensor, including a light emitter and a light receiver, detects whether a turntable is absent or present in the cooking compartment. The light emitter projects a plurality of pulses of light in sequence. A controller counts the number of pulses of light detected by the light receiver and controls the oven based on the number of pulses of light detected as compared to the number of pulses of light emitted.

The present invention relates to a cooking appliance having a photosensor which detects the presence of an object placed within its cooking compartment.
A prior microwave oven is disclosed in Japanese laid-open Patent Application 4-10389. In the disclosed microwave oven, a photosensor including a light emitter, such as a LED, and a light receiver, using a phototransistor, is provided on a side wall of its cooking compartment. The photosensor detects whether the light receiver is illuminated with light from the light emitter. A microcomputer determines the height of food in the cooking compartment and presence of any attachment used in cooking, such as an oven plate for oven cooking or a turntable for microwave cooking, based on the output of the photosensor.
For example, if no turntable is present, the light receiver can receive light- from the light emitter through the cooking compartment. More specifically, the light emitter generates light in a single pulse. The microcomputer determines whether a voltage, generated by the light receiver in response to detecting light, exceeds a predetermined voltage. If the voltage is lower than the predetermined voltage, the microcomputer determines that the turntable is in the cooking compartment, and microwave cooking is desired. If the voltage is higher than the predetermined voltage, the microcomputer determines the turntable is not in the cooking compartment, and oven cooking is desired. The microwave oven automatically cooks food based on the determination of the microcomputer.
When the light receiver is illuminated, however, the microcomputer sometimes fails to detect the presence of the turntable because the light receiver output is affected by electrical or optical noise. When the photosensor also detects the size of food in the compartment, a similar problem can occur. These failures can cause an erroneous mode of cooking.

Cooking appliance and method with a light sensor