A single polarized radiator comprising a plurality of planar notch radiating elements arranged on a dielectric substrate. Each notch radiating element comprises: a metallized region on a first side of the dielectric substrate extending across the width of the notch radiating element from a forward edge of the notch radiating element to a rear edge of the notch radiating element, a tuning element in the metallized region adjacent to a feeding point of the notch radiating element, a notch extending from the tuning element to the forward edge of the notch radiating element thereby creating a notch profile, and a plurality of indentations in the metallized region along each side of the notch to extend the length of the notch profile.

Nodes in a wireless communication network require antennas for communication between the network and user equipment, UE, and the number of antennas varies depending on number of frequencies used, type of antenna used and how space diversity is implemented. The typical number of antennas per site is nine with three per sector. Current typical antennas are narrowband and divided into two categories, low band and mid/high band antennas. Low band covers 700-900 MHz frequency range while mid/high band covers 1700-2600 MHz. Operators are often renting site space for antennas from building landlords and tower owners, and the number of antennas, antenna size and weight are factors that determine the rental cost. More and bigger and heavier antennas results in higher rent.
One current solution to reduce number of antennas on a site is to combine low and mid/high band antennas into one antenna, known as multi band antenna. This method has drawbacks since the products become quite expensive and complicated. Since many frequency bands will be placed in same antenna this requires a lot of cabling and phase shifters, which are used for tilt. The material together with complicated building practice in order to achieve good performance results in an expensive product.
Dipole antennas are primarily used in narrowband technology in wireless communication systems. The dipoles are separated from each other to ensure that interaction between the dipoles is minimal, and each dipole array and polarization is interconnected to a common input/output port. Furthermore, each dipole is designed to cover a specific frequency band or a few bands close to each other, and a phase shifter is normally implemented per dipole to achieve vertical tilt for that dipole array. Electrical tilt is realized with an external box called Remote Electrical Tilt, RET. Realizing several frequency bands in a dipole antenna configuration requires several dipole arrays in the same antenna aperture.
An illustrative schematic of a dual polarized dual band dipole antenna 10 with phase shifters 11 operating at two different frequencies (denoted A and B) can be seen in FIG. 1. Two dual polarized antenna elements 12 are provided for each frequency, and are connected to antenna ports 13A and 13B. The number of antenna elements will differ from antenna to antenna depending on antenna characteristics.
Narrowband antennas such as described above also cause an additional challenge if wideband radios are used. This results in additional duplexers creating more site cost and power consumption increases.
Communications are currently at a premium and an exponential growth in supported services is expected over the next few years. Next generation base stations are envisioned to be able to support all wireless commercial protocols. This requires operation over a wide frequency range.
Different technologies may be used for wide-band antenna arrays, e.g. tapered slot or Vivaldi arrays as disclosed in "A parameter study of stripline-fed vivaldi notch-antenna arrays" by J. Shin and D. H. Schaubert in IEEE Transactions on Antennas and Propagation, vol. 47, no 5, pp. 879-886, May 1999.
Drawbacks with current wideband solutions based on Vivaldi technology is size and performance. The antenna elements are quite large resulting in a much thicker antenna than the traditional dipole based antenna. Also, the scanning angle for traditional Vivaldi technology is sometimes limited and there is sometimes energy radiated at the edges resulting in limited performance. The other wideband technologies like Balanced Antipodal Vivaldi Antenna, BAVA, and Body of Revolution, BOR, has similar problems like traditional Vivaldi technology. Current Sheet Array, CSA, and patch array are quite expensive and patch arrays does not have high bandwidth.


Various embodiments provide a data storage device. The data storage device includes a recording medium having a dedicated servo layer for providing servo information. The dedicated servo layer may include a plurality of servo patterns, wherein each servo pattern includes a preamble providing information for synchronization of at least one of a read and a write operation of the data storage device.

Electronic devices, including mobile computing and/or communication devices, are becoming smaller thereby driving the weight and size of data storage devices down, while requiring large storage capacity in the terabyte range and low power consumption. An increasing storage capacity would require the need for increased precision in tracking the movement of the read/write head.
Data storage devices, for example hard disk drives (HDDs), employ servo systems for tracking and controlling the movement of the read/write head.
In a conventional hard disk drive having a rotating magnetic media, there is only one magnetic layer to record data. Servo systems, e.g., as shown in FIG. 1A, employ embedded servo where the servo information runs radially across the tracks 110 from the inner diameter (ID) to the outer diameter (OD) of the disc 100 in a series of "servo wedges" 120 interspersed with data 130. Therefore, the servo information is only detected when the read/write head moves over these servo wedges 120. In between the servo wedges, no servo information is received by the head.
Data storage devices also employ dedicated servo, e.g. as shown in FIG. 1B, where the servo information is provided on a servo layer 150 distinct from the data recording layer 160. In other words, a magnetic disk may include two magnetic layers, wherein the servo layer 150 is used to record servo patterns, and the data recording layer 160 is used to record user data.
Furthermore, in conventional hard disk drives and similar data storage devices, the head either reads or writes, but cannot perform both operations simultaneously.

Data storage device and method for generating a reference clock signal for data storage device


Certain aspects pertain to a cloud detector comprising a first detector module directed to a first region of the sky and a second detector module directed to a second region of the sky. Each detector module has a tube enclosing one or more sensing elements. The one or more sensing elements of the first detector module are configured to take weather condition readings from the first region of the sky. The one or more sensing elements of the second detector module are configured to take weather condition readings from the second region of the sky. In one aspect, the cloud detector is configured to detect cloud cover based on these weather condition readings. In some cases, the one or more sensing elements comprise an infrared radiation detector (e.g., thermopile) for measuring infrared radiation intensity and a photosensor element for measuring sunlight intensity.

Detecting cloud cover and other weather conditions can be an important part of making decisions about placing equipment into operation at, for example, a robotic observatory since rain and other weather conditions may damage astronomical equipment. Furthermore, astronomers may want to detect clouds that interfere with their observations. Conventional methods of mapping the sky for detecting cloud cover rely on expensive imaging devices that typically rely on visible light measurements.

Sunlight intensity or cloud detection with variable distance sensing


A method and apparatus to manage the diffusion process by controlling the diffusion path in the semiconductor fabrication process is disclosed. In one embodiment, a method for processing a substrate comprising steps of forming one or more diffusion areas on said substrate; disposing the substrate in a diffusion chamber, wherein the diffusion chamber is under a vacuum condition and a source material therein is heated and evaporated; and diffusing the source material into the diffusion area on said substrate, wherein said source material travels through a diffusion controlling unit adapted to manage the flux thereof in the diffusion chamber, so concentration of the source material is uniform in a diffusion region above the substrate.

Over the past few decades, semiconductor devices have become important elements in electronic industries due to their miniaturization, lightweight, multi-functional and other characteristics. Modern electronic industries may require semiconductor devices with more specialized functions, such as semiconductor-based transistors, solar cells, light-emitting diode (LED), silicon controlled rectifier, photodiodes, and digital and analog integrated circuits.
Photodiodes have been utilized in the areas including military, optical communication, information technology and energy. Photodiodes are operated by absorbing photons or charged particles to generate a flow of current in an external circuit, proportional to the incident power. An avalanche photodiode (APD) is a special type of photodiode, where incoming photons trigger an internal charge avalanche in APDs to generate an internal current gain effect (around 100) due to this avalanche effect. For producing optoelectronic devices such as photodiodes, a vapor phase diffusion process is often used to diffuse dopants into InP or InGaAsP wafers to create p-n junctions or local areas of high electron/hole concentration. More specifically, a zone of semiconductor material containing an excess of acceptor impurities resulting in a deficit of electrons or an excess of "holes" is said to exhibit P-type activity, while a zone containing an excess of donor impurities and yielding an excess of free electrons is said to exhibit N-type activity.
Dopants are generally implanted in two ways. In some processes, dopants may be implanted on the surface of a substrate and then heat treated to cause them to diffuse into the substrate. In other processes, dopants may be ionized into a plasma and then driven energetically into the substrate using an electric field. The substrate is then heat treated to normalize distribution of dopants and repair disruption to the crystal structure caused by ions barreling through at high speed. In both type of processes, the heat treatment anneals the substrate, encouraging dopant and ambient atoms located at interstitial positions in the crystal to move to lattice points. However, high energy implantation may drive ions to a deep portion of the substrate, but will generally not achieve conformal implantation and may result in over-implantation.
When the doping is carried out by thermal diffusion, a well-controlled diffusion process is necessary so that the physical and electrical properties of the diffusion layer have good controllability and reproducibility, and a large area of wafers can be diffused simultaneously. The well-control diffusion process may require good control of the source of doping materials to achieve conformal implantation and isolation from contaminants that can disrupt the diffusion process or adversely affect material quality.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,049,524 to Kuo et al. discloses a process for diffusing Cd into an InP substrate, which enables the use of a scaled-up sealed tube. The process uses simple apparatus and can diffuse a large number of wafers or a large surface area of wafers in a run, and thus meet the requirements for mass production and economic benefits, as shown in FIG. 1. However, in addition to heating a diffusion furnace to obtain a constant diffusion temperature zone, Kuo uses red P together with Cd3P2 to quickly increase the vapor pressure of phosphorous in the tube chamber to the saturated phosphorus pressure under the diffusion temperature to inhibit the evaporation of phosphorus molecules from wafer surface to further prevent thermal damages and ensure good controllability and reproducibility of diffusion. However, Kuo does not disclose any diffusion control means from the diffusion source to the wafers to achieve conformal deposition. Also, Kuo's diffusion control method may be limited to this specific manufacturing process.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,302,962 to Nam et al. discloses a diffusion system for manufacturing semiconductor devices has an air curtain formed across a furnace opening for preventing the loss of heat energy from inside the furnace, as shown in FIG. 2. The diffusion system maintains a uniform inner temperature inside a furnace, which improves the uniformity of the layers formed on a semiconductor substrate, increases the endurance of the furnace, and reduces the time for the temperature recovery, thereby improving the production yield of semiconductor devices. In other words, Nam uses the air curtain to compensate for the loss of the heated air flow and raise the inner temperature around the opening during the diffusion process to prevent the formation of non-uniform thickness layers formed on the semiconductor substrate. However, Nam focuses on improving thin film uniformity by controlling the temperature of the diffusion process, instead of controlling the diffusion path from the diffusion source to the wafers.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,964,435 to Ben-Michael et al. discloses a method for controlling dopant diffusion in a semiconductor manufacturing process. Ben-Michael controls certain parameters that are not used in the prior arts to control the diffusion process. For example, the size of a diffusion window (e.g. 310, 320) of a mask can be used to control diffusion depth. Also, the size of the diffusion window can be used in conjunction with other process variables, such as dopant concentration and ambient temperature, to provide a specific diffusion depth, as shown in FIG. 3. Likewise, Ben-Michael does not disclose or discuss the parameter of diffusion path from the diffusion source to the wafers and how to uniformly diffuse the material to the substrate. Therefore, there remains a need for a new and improved method and system to more effectively control the diffusion process.

Method and apparatus for diffusion into semiconductor materials


In a linear conductor forming step, a wide portion having a relatively large line width and a narrow portion having a relatively small line width are formed in each of a plurality of linear conductors. In addition, in a multilayer board, in base material layers adjacent to each other in a stacking direction, the wide portion overlaps the narrow portion on the adjacent base material layer, and end portions of the wide portions at both sides of the narrow portion in a line width direction, in a planar view. The wide portions are disposed such that the end portions thereof overlap each other in the stacking direction and resistance of a fluid thermoplastic resin increases. The narrow portion is located between the wide portions in the stacking direction.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method of manufacturing a multilayer board including a plurality of stacked base material layers made of a thermoplastic resin, a multilayer board, and an electromagnet.
2. Description of the Related Art
A coil which is provided by patterning a conductor on an insulator is known. For example, Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 4-368105 describes a spiral coil which is provided by patterning a linear conductor in a spiral manner on both surfaces of a polyimide film and performing interlayer connection therebetween.
However, when a plurality of base material layers made of a thermoplastic resin are stacked and thermocompression bonding is performed, the thermoplastic resin flows during the thermocompression bonding, and thus linear conductors may be tilted in a stacking direction. If the linear conductors tilt as described above, there is a possibility that the linear conductors adjacent to each other in the stacking direction come into contact with each other, causing a short circuit.
In order to preventing tilting of the linear conductors in the stacking direction, for example, it is considered to increase the line width of each linear conductor. However, in order to increase the line width of each linear conductor, it is necessary to increase the center interval (pitch) between the linear conductors adjacent to each other in a planar direction, and when the line width is increased, the wiring density decreases.

Method of manufacturing multilayer board, multilayer board, and electromagnet


An electromechanical parking brake for a motor vehicle is provided. The electromechanical parking brake includes an operating element that operates a wheel brake, a central control unit that provides an electric supply to the operating element via at least one supply line, an electric actuating unit for interrupting the supply to the operating element, and a control line that connects the central control unit with the electric actuating unit. The operating element and the electric actuating unit are arranged at the motor vehicle in a manner protected against external manual access. The central control unit controls the electric actuating unit via the control line in order to interrupt the supply to the operating element or to reestablish the supply to the operating element. The central control unit also monitors the control line to detect a manipulation of the control line.

Apparatuses and methods consistent with the present invention relate to an electromechanical parking brake for a motor vehicle. The electromechanical parking brake has an operating element for operating a wheel brake and a central control unit for providing an electric supply to the operating element via at least one supply line.
From German Patent Document DE 102 06 786 A1, it is known to use an electrically controllable brake of a motor vehicle as a protection device against theft of the motor vehicle. German Patent Document DE 102 06 786 A1 mentions a parking brake as an example of such an electrically controllable brake.
The effective use of electrically controllable brakes as a protection device against theft requires that measures are provided for preventing or hindering a bypassing or canceling of the protection against theft.
It is an object of the invention to provide a simple electromechanical parking brake that is suitable for use as a protection device against theft.
According to an aspect of the present invention, there is provided an electromechanical parking brake for a motor vehicle. The electromechanical parking brake includes an operating element that operates a wheel brake, a central control unit that provides an electric supply to the operating element via at least one supply line, an electric actuating unit for interrupting the supply to the operating element, and a control line that connects the central control unit with the electric actuating unit. The operating element and the electric actuating unit are arranged at the motor vehicle in a manner protected against external manual access. The central control unit controls the electric actuating unit via the control line in order to interrupt the supply to the operating element or to reestablish the supply to the first operating element. The central control unit monitors the control line to detect a manipulation of the control line.
The supply to the operating element may include at least one of a power supply and a voltage supply.
The parking brake can be used as a protection device against theft if an operation of the wheel brake for securing the vehicle is triggered such that this operation can be canceled only by an authorized user. The operation of the wheel brake for securing the vehicle can also be triggered automatically when no electricity is supplied to the operating element.
To avoid bypassing or canceling such a protection against theft, an unauthorized user must not be able to apply a voltage to the operating element or impress a current into the operating element, such that the operation of the wheel brake is canceled. In the case of many related art electromechanical parking brakes, the reversal of the polarity of a voltage typically applied to the supply line when the wheel brake is operated will be sufficient for canceling an operation of the wheel brake. Alternatively, while the wheel brake is operated, the application of a voltage when typically no voltage is applied to the supply line will be sufficient for canceling an operation of the wheel brake.
According to exemplary embodiments of the invention, the operating element, together with an electric actuating unit for interrupting the supply to the operating element, is arranged on the motor vehicle such that it is protected from external manual access. For this purpose, the electric actuating unit may be arranged directly at the operating element. The two may also be constructionally integrated, particularly in a single common constructional unit, in order to avoid a possibly touchable line connection between the electric actuating unit and the operating element. However, should such a line connection between the electric actuating unit and the operating element exist, a manual access to this line connection may be prevented, in that the line connection is also arranged at the motor vehicle in a manner protected from an external manual access.
The operating element may be constructed such that it remains in a condition in which the wheel brake is operated or active after an operation of the wheel brake without any electric supply, and also when the electric supply is interrupted by the electric actuating unit.
The application of a voltage or a current to the supply line "before" the electric actuating unit, i.e. between the central control unit and the electric actuating unit, therefore remains without consequences when the electric actuating unit does not forward the voltage or the current to the operating element.
For permitting a controlling of the electric actuating unit by the central control unit, the electric actuating unit is connected with the central control unit via a control line. By way of this control line, the electric actuating unit can be controlled by the central control unit in order to cause an interruption of the supply to the operating element or in order to cancel such an interruption; i.e., to reestablish the supply to the operating element. In the simplest case, the electric actuating unit is constructed as a relay or an electronic switch, and can be switched by the application of a voltage to the control line. However, the electric actuating unit may also include a circuit for the analysis of electric signals on the control line. It may then be necessary to transmit a certain pulse sequence or a certain code from the central control unit via the control line to the electric actuating unit in order to switch the latter. Such a code may be changed particularly as a function of the time and/or the event.
The electric actuating unit therefore is to be controlled by the central control unit via the control line. In order to counteract a theft of the motor vehicle, the central control unit can have devices for checking the use authorization of a vehicle user, and may communicate with such devices. The central control unit can then control the electric actuating unit only in the case of a corresponding authorization of the vehicle user such that the interruption of the supply line will be canceled. Or, in the event of a lack of such an authorization, the central control unit can control the electric actuating unit such that the supply line will be interrupted.
In order to prevent or hinder a bypassing or canceling of this protection against theft, the central control unit can carry out a monitoring of the control line for recognizing a manipulation of the control line.
The monitoring of the control line may include, for example, an absolute or relative determination of the voltage level on the control line. For this purpose, the control unit is preferably constructed such that voltage changes that are not caused by the central control unit itself can be detected. While taking into account further prerequisites as required, these voltage changes can then be classified as signs of a manipulation.
Provided that several, such as two, wheel brakes, each with the pertaining operating element, the pertaining supply line, the pertaining electric actuating unit, and the pertaining control line, are connected to the control unit in the described manner, a corresponding line monitoring of the respective control line can be carried out individually.
As an alternative, particularly in the case of two wheel brakes connected in this manner, the line monitoring can be carried out such that the voltages are tapped at both control lines and are analyzed in a bridge circuit. In this fashion, only a single measuring line for monitoring two control lines may extend to the central control unit, and the central control unit needs only one measuring input for this purpose. In particular, the bridge circuit or its currents typically converted to a bit sequence can be monitored by a processor of the central control unit, and implausible current values can be used as an indicator of a manipulation. By monitoring the currents or their sum via two precision resistors in the bridge circuit, the plausibility can be checked as to whether the sum and the direction of the currents are inherently correct.
Other analyzing methods by which voltage values of both control lines are tapped and are converted to a single measured quantity in an analyzing circuit may be advantageous.
According to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the control line has a two-wire construction in which both wires are mutually insulated in the course of the control line but are connected with one another in an electrically conductive manner within the electric actuating unit. When both wire ends are undamaged, the two wire ends on the side of the central control unit are mutually short-circuited, and a circuit loop is applied to the central control unit. A possible cutting of one of the wires of the control line can therefore be detected by checking the integrity of this circuit loop. For this purpose, a monitoring signal can be fed into one of the wires and its status can be measured at the other wire. If, despite the feeding, the monitoring signal is not measured or is only measured in a changed manner, this can be classified as a sign of a manipulation of the control line.
The above-mentioned monitoring signal may have a low amplitude that is not sufficient for controlling the electric actuating device and is superimposed on the actual control signal for controlling the electric actuating device. In order to ensure a particularly good protection, the monitoring signal can, for example, be generated on the basis of the values of a random sequence generator at the central control unit.
Provided that several, such as two, wheel brakes, each with the pertaining operating element, the pertaining supply line and the pertaining electric actuating unit are connected to the control unit, such a two-wire control line can be provided for each wheel brake, and this type of line monitoring for each of these controls can take place in an individual manner. As an alternative, a common "looped-through" control line can control the actuating units of both wheel brakes. In particular, such a common looped-through control line can be guided as a circuit loop via the two electric actuating units. The integrity of this circuit loop can then be monitored as described above in that a monitoring signal is fed into one end of the circuit loop and its status is measured at the other end. Thus, in contrast to separate two-wire monitored control lines, a control and monitoring logic at the central control unit can be saved.
According to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, a theft warning can be emitted by the central control unit when a manipulation of the control line is detected.
For this purpose, the central control unit can be connected with an alarm system of the motor vehicle. The central control unit can be constructed such that, when a manipulation of the control line is detected, a theft warning message can be emitted from the central control unit to the alarm system. The alarm system can be activated upon receiving such a theft warning message.
The central control unit may also have devices for generating acoustically and/or visually perceivable alarm signals that can be activated when a manipulation of the control line is detected.
As an alternative or in addition, the central control unit may be suitable for initiating a message to an authorized vehicle user, particularly to the owner, when a manipulation of the control line is detected, such as by sending a message to the vehicle user's mobile telephone. For this purpose, the central control unit may be equipped or connected with a corresponding transmitting unit. The number of the mobile telephone can also be stored in a memory unit of the central control unit. The police or a security service provider can also be informed directly by the central control unit. Within the scope of providing such information, vehicle-specific data can also be transmitted, such as the vehicle and chassis type identification number of the motor vehicle and/or a vehicle designation of the motor vehicle.
If several of the above-mentioned measures are provided for the monitoring of the control line and/or several control lines are monitored, a multi-step warning process can also be used for avoiding false alarms. Thus, for example, no theft warning may be emitted when a monitoring signal is absent on the control line of a single wheel brake. Instead, an input into a fault memory can be initiated. It is only when the monitoring signal on the control line of another wheel brake of the same motor vehicle also remains absent that a theft warning will be emitted.
The operating element may be constructed as an actuator, which advantageously allows a known electromechanical parking brake to be easily adapted for the exemplary embodiments described herein. The operating element may be constructionally integrated with the electric actuating unit in a single constructional unit. No touchable line connection will then exist between the two.
The central control unit can be functionally integrated in an existing control device of the motor vehicle. As a separate construction, it can then be arranged at any point in the motor vehicle. For example, the central control unit may be arranged on a caliper of the motor vehicle that is part of the parking brake.
Other objects, advantages, and novel features of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description of one or more exemplary embodiments when considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

Electromechanical parking brake for a motor vehicle

Bayerische Motoren Werke Aktiengesellschaft


Disclosed is an absolute value comparator for comparing respective absolute values of sequentially applied two data. A decoder circuit sequentially converts the applied data into a plurality of bit signals in accordance with a predetermined rule. After a preceding conversion bit signal is once held in a register circuit, the held bit signal is inverted for each bit by an inversion circuit. Thus, a logic circuit receives a preceding inverted bit signal and a succeeding conversion bit signal and outputs an output signal B indicating the result of comparison. Since a full adder is unnecessary, a comparison between the absolute values of the applied data can be made at a high speed.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to absolute value comparing apparatuses and, more particularly, to an absolute value comparing apparatus for comparing absolute values of applied data at a high speed. The invention has a particular applicability to video signal processing apparatuses.
2. Description of the Background Art
Processings for comparing data are frequently carried out in general in various electronic apparatuses, typically computers. In some case, a processing for comparing absolute values of data is often necessary. In an image input apparatus requiring a real time processing, for example, a high speed comparison processing with respect to absolute values of image data is required in order to detect a motion vector from the image data. The present invention is applicable in general to absolute value comparing apparatuses for comparing absolute values of applied data at a high speed. A brief description will now be made on a video signal processing apparatus as an example of a field of art in which a processing for comparing absolute values of data is required.
FIG. 13 is a block diagram of a video signal processing apparatus employing an absolute value comparator. With reference to FIG. 13, this video signal processing apparatus includes an A/D converter 90 for receiving a video signal to be processed, field memories 91 and 92 for storing converted video data therein for each field, a correlation operating unit 94 for evaluating a correlation between fields with respect to video data, a motion vector detector 95 for detecting a motion vector on the basis of the evaluated correlation, an image correcting circuit 96 for carrying out an image correcting processing with respect to video data in accordance with the motion vector, and a decoder 97 for decoding corrected data to output an image signal.
The video signal processing apparatus shown in FIG. 13 is applied in, for example, a portable image input apparatus requiring a real time processing. Since a motion vector which is necessary to carry out an image correction is detected from an applied video signal, the correlation operating unit 94 incorporating an absolute value comparator 93 is provided prior to the motion vector detector 95. The correlation operating unit 94 is implemented by software (or programming) in some case; however, the unit 94 is unable to process data at high speed in that case. For achieving a high speed data processing, the correlation operating unit 94 is constituted by hardware, i.e., an electronic circuit.
It is thus desirable that the absolute value comparator 93 incorporated in the correlation operating unit 94 is also constituted by hardware in order to achieve a high speed processing. The absolute value comparator 93 sequentially receives video data of two fields stored in the field memories 91 and 92 and compares absolute values of the received data. In some case, the absolute value comparator 93 receives video data at the same time directly from each of the field memories 91 and 92 as shown by the dotted line of FIG. 13, and compares absolute values of two field data. The absolute value comparator 93 determines the magnitude of the absolute values of the two applied data, and outputs a difference between the two absolute value data, a total sum of the difference between sequentially applied two absolute value data, and the like.
As described above, when the absolute value comparator 93 is implemented by software, a high processing speed is not obtained, and hence, the absolute value comparator 93 is constituted by hardware, i.e., an electronic circuit. In such an absolute value comparator circuit, however, (1) it is necessary to determine a positive or a negative of two applied data before an operation is carried out, and (2) a delay in transmission of a carry signal cannot be avoided in a full adder for performing addition and subtraction of two applied data. Thus, a comparing processing is time-consuming, and a high processing speed is not obtained. The delay of the carry signal in the full adder becomes increased with an increase in the number of bits of data to be compared, resulting in a large problem in the actual absolute value comparator. Further, an area on a semiconductor substrate occupied by the absolute value comparator 93 is reduced, which implies an importance of simplification of a circuit configuration.

Absolute value comparing apparatus for comparing absolute values of data at high speed


A work extraction arrangement (10) comprises a cooling assembly (12) for cooling a gas to provide a working fluid capable of doing work. The arrangement (10) further includes storage means (14) for storing the working fluid and a turbine assembly (18) for extracting work from the working fluid. A fluid delivery assembly (16) is also provided to deliver the working fluid to the turbine assembly (18).

The generation of electricity by burning fuel in a gas turbine engine requires the fuel to be piped to the engine. The fuel occurs in offshore fields and sometimes these fields are located at distances which make the extraction of the fuel unattractive. These fields are known as "stranded fields". A recent approach is to locate the gas turbine engine at the stranded fields to burn the fuel and generate electricity. Electric cables are provided to carry the electricity to the grid/users. Additionally wind turbines have been located at the stranded fields and use the same electric cable. The turbines are easily switched on/off to match the load demand on the grid. However, the wind turbines may only provide power when the wind blows.
According to one aspect of this invention, there is provided a work extraction arrangement comprising a cooling assembly for cooling a gas to provide a working fluid capable of doing work, storage means for storing the working fluid, a turbine assembly for extracting work from the working fluid, and a fluid delivery assembly for delivering the working fluid to the turbine assembly.
According to another aspect of this invention there is provided a method of extracting work from a gas, comprising cooling the gas to provide a working fluid capable of doing work, storing the working fluid, delivering the working fluid to a turbine assembly whereby work can be extracted from the working fluid by the turbine assembly.


Disclosed is a liquid crystal display module comprising a display panel, and a plurality of panel lands is positioned on the display panel, and lengths of the panel lands extend along a straight direction of wire directions, and the module further comprise a flexible circuit board, and the flexible circuit board comprises a plurality of flexible circuit board lands, and the flexible circuit board lands are soldered with the panel lands one-to-one correspondingly. Two adjacent panel lands and corresponding flexible circuit board lands constitute a soldering unit, comprising a first panel land, a second panel land, a first flexible circuit board land corresponding to the first panel land and a second flexible circuit board land corresponding to the second panel land. The first panel land and the second panel land stagger transversely. The present invention also discloses a liquid crystal panel.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to a LCD technology field, and more particularly to a liquid crystal display module and a liquid crystal panel.
2. Description of Prior Art
With the unceasing development of the LCD technology, seriously high demand advances for the manufacture of the liquid crystal display.
Please refer to FIG. 1. FIG. 1 shows a diagram of soldering of a flexible circuit board (FPC) and a display panel according to prior arts.
The lengths and the widths of the panel lands 11 on the display panel are all the same. Moreover, the spaces L1 between the panel lands 11 are the same. Correspondingly, the lengths and the widths of the flexible circuit board land 12 on the flexible circuit board are the same.
With the resolution increase of the display panel, the widths of the panel lands 11 have to be increased. However, the spaces L1 between the panel lands 11 need to be narrowed down because of the restricted available land area.
Please refer to FIG. 2. FIG. 2 shows a diagram of soldering of panel lands 11 which the spaces therebetween are decreased. It is easy to tell from FIG. 2 that the spaces L1 between the panel lands 11 narrowed down and become too close, soldering precision may be likely decreased by soldering misalignment when the flexible circuit board land 12 is soldered to the panel land 11.

Liquid crystal display module and liquid crystal panel

Shenzhen China Star Optoelectronics Technology Co., Ltd.


A semiconductor device includes, an AlGaN electron supply layer having a [000-1] crystalline orientation in a thickness direction to a substrate plane, a GaN electron traveling layer formed on the AlGaN electron supply layer, a gate electrode formed above the GaN electron traveling layer, and a source electrode and a drain electrode between which the gate electrode is located, the source and drain electrode being formed on the GaN electron traveling layer.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention generally relates to semiconductor devices having a GaN-based semiconductor layers, and more particularly, a GaN-based semiconductor device, a fabrication method of the same, a substrate for fabricating the same, a fabrication method of the substrate, and a growth substrate of the same.
2. Description of the Related Art
The semiconductor device that employs a GaN-based semiconductor, particularly, gallium nitride (GaN) is used as a power device that operates at high frequencies and high power. High Electron Mobility Transistor (HEMT) is known as a semiconductor device that is suitable for amplification especially at high frequency ranges such as microwave, sub-millimeter wave, millimeter wave, and the like. The GaN-based semiconductor is made of, for example, GaN or a mixed crystal of GaN and AlN or GaN and InN.
With respect to HEMT that employs GaN, the technical development is in progress to realize the operation at a higher frequency and higher output. There are demands for increasing the electron density of 2-Dimensional Electron Gas (2DEG) and reducing the contact resistance between the source and drain electrodes and 2DEG (contact resistance of ohmic electrode), in order to realize the operation at a higher frequency and higher output. Also, an enhanced-mode HEMT (E mode HEMT) having a positive threshold voltage is being progressively developed to provide an amplifier that is operable by a single power supply.
HEMT has a normal HEMT structure and an inverted HEMT structure. In the normal HEMT structure, an electron supply layer is deposited on an electron traveling layer, and a gate electrode, a source electrode and a drain electrode are provided on the electron supply layer. In the inverted HEMT structure, the electron traveling layer is deposited on the electron supply layer, and the gate electrode, source electrode and, drain electrode are provided on the electron traveling layer.
Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2003-229439 discloses an example of the normal HEMT structure (hereinafter, referred to as first conventional art). A GaN electron traveling layer (which corresponds to the channel layer in the first conventional art) to which impurities are not added is deposited above a sapphire substrate or SiC substrate via a buffer layer, an n-type AlGaN electron supply layer is deposited above the electron traveling layer via an AlGaN spacer layer, and the gate electrode, is formed on the electron supply layer. The source and drain electrodes are also provided on the electron supply layer via an n-type GaN contact layer.
Meanwhile, according to the first conventional art, the electric polarization is employed as a method for increasing the electron density of 2DEG, in addition to increasing the discontinuous energy of the band gap between the electron supply layer and the electron traveling layer. That is to say, if the positive charge is generated in the interface between the electron supply layer and the electron traveling layer due to the sum of self polarization and piezoelectric polarization, electrons will be induced to cancel the positive charge and the electron density of 2DEG will be increased. The first conventional art also describes that the composition ratio of AlN in the spacer layer is partially increased. Then, the positive charge resulting from the self-polarization and piezoelectric polarization is induced in the proximity of 2DEG to increase the electron density of 2DEG.
Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2001-77353 discloses an example of the inverted HEMT structure in FIG. 1 (hereinafter, referred to as second conventional art). An AlGaN underlying layer is deposited on the (0001) plane of a sapphire substrate, and an n-type AlGaN electron supply layer having a composition ratio of AlN smaller than that of the underlying layer is deposited on the underlying layer. The electron traveling layer (which corresponds to an electron accumulation layer in the first conventional art) is deposited on the electron supply layer. The gate electrode, source electrode, and drain electrode are formed on the electron traveling layer. The 2DEG is provided in the proximity of the interface between the electron traveling layer and the electron supply layer. In the inverted HEMT structure, there is no AlGaN layer having a large band gap between the source and drain electrodes and 2DEG. The contact resistance of ohmic electrode can be decreased.
However, the normal HEMT structure as disclosed in the first conventional art essentially has the AlGaN electron supply layer having a large band gap between the source and drain electrodes and 2DEG. This causes a drawback of increasing the contact resistance of ohmic electrode.
The second conventional art has a drawback that the electron density of 2DEG is small. This may be caused as follows.
The electric polarization of a semiconductor layer includes self-polarization and piezoelectric polarization. The self-polarization is caused by a difference in electronegativity and is dependent on the type and orientation of crystal. The piezoelectric polarization is caused by distortion of crystal, when a thin film having a different lattice constant is deposited on a semiconductor layer. The charge induced in the interface between two semiconductor layers is the difference of the self-polarization and piezoelectric polarization in the two semiconductor layers. The density of 2DEG in the semiconductor layer equals to the sum of the self-polarization and piezoelectric polarization. For this reason, directions in which both self-polarization and piezoelectric polarization operate influence the density of 2DEG.
FIG. 1 schematically shows semiconductor layers below the gate electrode in the second conventional art. Here, the transverse direction of each layer schematically shows the magnitude of the lattice constant. The upward direction denotes the [0001] crystalline orientation of the wurtzite structure. An AlGaN underlying layer 22, an AlGaN electron supply layer 24, and a GaN electron traveling layer 26 are deposited on the (0001) plane of a sapphire substrate 20 in this order. The GaN crystal and AlGaN crystal are self-polarized so that the [000-1] orientation is positive. The direction of the self-polarization is determined by the direction of Ga—N bonding along the C-axis. Accordingly, in the [0001] crystalline orientation (Ga plane growth), self-polarizations PSP22, PSP24, PSP26 of the underlying layer 22, the electron supply layer 24, and the electron traveling layer 26 work in a downward direction (which is positive). Also, the AlN crystal has a larger self-polarization than that of the GaN crystal. The absolute value of the self-polarization is greater, as the composition ratio of AlN is greater. That is to say, the relationship shown below is satisfied.|PSP22|>|PSP24|>|PSP26|
The underlying layer 22 is provided so as to have a thickness enough for lattice relaxation, and the piezoelectric polarization hardly occurs in the underlying layer 22 in the vicinity of the electron supply layer 24. However, the piezoelectric polarization occurs in the electron supply layer 24 and the electron traveling layer 26 due to the difference in the lattice constant between these layers and the underlying layer 22. The electron supply layer 24 and the electron traveling layer 26 have larger lattice constants than that of the underlying layer 22. This results in the upward piezoelectric polarizations PPE24 and PPE26 in the electron supply layer 24 and the electron traveling layer 26. Also, the electron traveling layer 26 has a lattice constant greater than that of the electron supply layer 24 with respect to the underlying layer 22. That is to say, the relationship shown below is satisfied.|PPE24|<|PPE26|
In the [0001] crystalline orientation (Ga plane growth), if the electron traveling layer 26 is greater in lattice constant than a target (in the aforementioned case, the electron supply layer 24), the piezoelectric polarity works in a positive upward direction. The direction in which the piezoelectric polarization works is determined by (1) the direction of stress applied to the crystal and (2) the crystalline orientation (GaN plane or N plane). In the afore-mentioned case, the magnitude of the lattice constant described above and Ga plane growth cause the piezoelectric charge to work in the upward direction.
The difference between the sum of polarization in the electron supply layer 24 and that of polarization in the electron traveling layer 26 results in the charge generating in the interface between the electron supply layer 24 and the electron traveling layer 26 Accordingly, negative charge develops in the interface between the electron supply layer 24 and the electron traveling layer 26, causing the electron density of 2DEG to decrease. In this case, the polarizations of the electron supply layer 24 and the electron traveling layer 26 cancel each other, which decreases the polarized electrode. As a result, the electron density of 2DEG also decreases.
As described, it is possible to increase the electron density of 2DEG with the use of the self-polarization and piezoelectric polarization in the normal HEMT structure. However, the ohmic contact resistance is high. In contrast, the inverted HEMT structure has a decreased ohmic contact resistance. However, there is a problem that the electron density of 2DEG is low because of the self-polarization and piezoelectric polarization.
According to the first and second conventional arts, the AlGaN film or the GaN film is deposited on the sapphire substrate or the SiC substrate. When the AlGaN film or the GaN film is deposited, Ga is first deposited on the sapphire substrate or the SiC substrate. Therefore, it is not easy to deposit the AlGaN film or the GaN film in the [000-1] crystalline orientation.

Semiconductor device having GaN-based semiconductor layer


The present invention provides compositions and methods of treating various disorders associated with aberrant cell growth.

Although chemotherapy has been responsible for curing many people of cancer in the latter half of the 20th century, there still remain a large number of patients whose tumors either show little response to treatment, or respond initially only to recur later. For these patients, the current treatments are clearly inadequate. Thus, a need exists for better treatments of cancer.

Compositions and methods of treating cancer


A method for designing object-oriented software for implementing portlets, and an associated computer system and computer program product. The portlets are available to a user of the software who clicks on a link of a first page to identify an action object of an Action class and a state object of a State class. The software includes the State class, the Action class, and program code. The State class includes a method for displaying a view of a page. The Action class includes an actionPerformed method for performing an action and a setState method for setting the state object into the session. The program code is adapted to execute: the actionPerformed method of the action object to perform the action; the setState method of the action object to set the state object; and the method of the state object to display a view of a second page.

1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to a method for designing object-oriented software for implementing portlets of a portal, and further relates to an associated computer system and computer program product.
2. Related Art
A portal is a web site that serves as a starting point to access information and applications on the internet or from an intranet. FIG. 1 provides a portlet example, in accordance with the related art. A portal has an associated portal server such as, inter alia, a WebSphere® portal server from the International Business Machines Corporation (hereinafter, a "WSP server").
Portlets are reusable components of a portal that provide access to web-based content, applications, and other resources. Web pages, applications, and syndicated content feeds can be accessed through portlets. From a user's perspective, a portlet is a window in the portal that provides a specific service or information. From an application development perspective, portlet code comprises pluggable modules that are designed to run inside a portlet container of a portal service. A Model-View-Controller (MVC) portlet is a portlet whose design separates out controller logic, business logic, and view logic from each other.
The traditional mode of Model-View-Controller (MVC) portlet development has significant disadvantages. When developing business logic, a portlet developer needs to also write a substantial amount of "overhead code" that addresses the intent of a user's request before getting to business logic. Monolithic portlet action event handling and controller code blocks need to be written to accept the user's action (e.g., the user's clicking on a link), perform numerous string comparisons to map the action to a behavior, and then navigate to the controller where the next page will be configured for display based on the results of the action. The controller likewise performs numerous string comparisons to determine the page to display. String comparisons further complicate the portlet and introduce risks of errors. With traditional MVC development, code development by the portlet developer is complex and subject to program bugs.
Thus, there is a need for portlet development technology which overcomes the aforementioned disadvantages of the MVC portlet development

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Portlet template based on a state design pattern


An alkanediol such as 1,3-propanediol is prepared in a process which involves reacting an alkylene oxide with carbon monoxide and hydrogen in an essentially non-water-miscible solvent in the presence of a non-phosphine-ligated rhodium catalyst and a catalyst promoter to produce an intermediate product mixture containing a hydroxyalkanal in an amount less than 15 wt %; extracting the hydroxyalkanal from the intermediate product mixture into an aqueous liquid at a temperature less than about 100.degree. C. and separating the aqueous phase containing hydroxyalkanal from the organic phase containing rhodium catalyst; hydrogenating the hydroxyalkanal in the aqueous phase to an alkanediol; and recovering the alkanediol.. The process enables the production of an alkanediol such as 1,3-propanediol in high yields and selectivity without the use of a phosphine ligand-modified rhodium catalyst.

This invention relates to the preparation of alkanediols including 1,3-propanediol. In a specific aspect, the invention relates to a rhodium-catalyzed process for manufacturing 1,3-propanediol in high yields without the use of a phosphine ligand for the rhodium catalyst.
1,3-propanediol (PDO) is an intermediate in the production of polyesters for fibers and films. It is known to prepare PDO in a two-step process involving (1) the rhodium-catalyzed hydroformylation (reaction with synthesis gas, H.sub.2 /CO) of ethylene oxide to intermediate 3-hydroxypropanal (HPA) and (2) hydrogenation of the HPA to PDO. The initial hydroformylation step can be carried out at temperatures greater than 100.degree. C. and at high syngas pressures to achieve practical reaction rates. The resulting product mixture is, however, rather unselective for HPA.
In an alternate hydroformylation method, the rhodium catalyst is used in combination with a phosphine ligand to prepare HPA with greater selectivity and at lower temperature and pressure. However, the use of a phosphine ligand adds to the cost of the catalyst and increases the complexity of catalyst recycle.
It would be desirable to prepare PDO and other alkanediols in a low temperature, selective process which permitted efficient recycle of the rhodium catalyst.
It is therefore an object of the invention to provide a process for the preparation of alkanediols. In a specific embodiment, it is an object of the invention to provide an economical process for the preparation of 1,3-propanediol which does not require the use of a phosphine-ligated rhodium catalyst for preparation of the HPA intermediate.


Embodiments of the disclosure include a method for de-noising data in a scheduled transportation system, the method includes receiving a plurality of digital traces that correspond to a piece of equipment in the scheduled transportation system. The method also includes identifying a plurality of journeys from the plurality of digital traces, wherein each of the plurality of journeys corresponds to the piece of equipment traversing one of a plurality of routes and generating a route map and schedule for the scheduled transportation system from the plurality of journeys and the plurality of digital traces.

The present invention relates to data for a scheduled transportation system, and more specifically, to de-noising data collected for a scheduled transportation system.
Scheduled transportation systems are transportation systems in which one or more pieces of equipment follow one or more predefined routes and makes scheduled stops along the routes. Data corresponding to the scheduled transportation systems, includes, but is not limited to, route maps, schedules, geo-locations of scheduled stops, and the like. In many cases, the data corresponding to scheduled transportation systems can contain erroneous information. The erroneous information may come from a wide variety of sources including both planed and unplanned changes in the route map and schedules.
Currently, in scheduled transportation systems that have manually managed data, the data may become outdated or otherwise inaccurate due to a variety of reasons including the infrequency of the manual updates. In other systems that attempt to automatically update the data for the scheduled transportation systems, the data may be inaccurate due to errors and anomalies in the collected data.
Accordingly, what is needed is an automatic system and method of maintaining the data for scheduled transportation systems that can ensure the accuracy of the data provided.

De-noising scheduled transportation data


A compression garment, for example a pair of compression shorts (10, 210, 310), has a trunk section (20), a left leg section (30) and a right leg section (40) constructed from a resilient material. The trunk section (20) is reinforced such that a wearer's pelvic region is subjected to a first compressive force acting diagonally across a front portion of the trunk section from left to right and a second compressive force acting diagonally from right to left. The range of motion at the wearer's hips is preferably not restricted by the reinforcement.

The Lumbopelvic region encompasses the sacroiliac joints, the symphysis pubis, and the groin (adductor) muscles. There are many structures such as ligaments and muscles contributing to stability in this region, and dysfunction in any structure can result in pain and/or instability.
Pelvic disorders and injuries, such as athletic lumbopelvic dysfunction (LPD), are a common problem among male and female athletes participating in sporting activities. Lumbopelvic pain often results from overexertion and/or overuse of the pelvis, and can lead to conditions including adductor tears, sacroiliac joint dysfunction and osteitis pubis. Such injuries are often refractory to treatment and can limit an athlete's return to competitive sport.
Due to many pelvic structures being linked anatomically, there is often a difficulty in diagnosing the primary site of pain or dysfunction. Often there is more than one structure involved; for example, there may be a hip, groin, lumbar spine and/or abdominal component involved in the disorder. Pelvic disorders are, therefore, often difficult to diagnose accurately as there is often more than one site of injury. Secondary sources of pain are often missed and often not accounted for in treatments prescribed for primary sources of pain. Groin pain may occur in between 2-5% of all sports injuries, and the incidence of groin pain may be far higher in some sports, for example groin pain may occur with between 10-18% of all football injuries.
A wide range of techniques are currently used to treat pelvic injuries, for example electrotherapy, surgery, strengthening and stabilisation of the pelvic joints and hydrotherapy. Research using pelvic belts has indicated that compressive forces applied transversely to the pelvis can result in an improved lumbopelvic stability and reduced lumbopelvic pain. Dynamic elastomeric fabric orthoses (DEFOs) such as compression shorts have also been used for preventing and treating athletic lumbopelvic injuries.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,430,752 discloses a pair of compression shorts for restricting movement in certain areas of a wearer's body to protect injured or recovering muscles. However, the compression shorts of U.S. Pat. No. 6,430,752 have been reported to restrict an athlete's range of motion during hip flexion. Such a restricted range of motion is likely to affect the performance of athletes participating in their sport while wearing the shorts. Any loss of performance caused by the restricted range of motion will be more keenly felt in technical sports such as high jump, triple jump, or hurdles.


The length of a connecting tube in an intake passage structure for a vehicle can be secured, and the number of components around the connecting tube can be reduced. Provided is an intake passage structure for a vehicle including a connecting tube and an engine, the connecting tube connecting an air cleaner box which purifies air and a throttle body and formed of two or more separate components, the engine being configured to be supplied with purified air. In the intake passage structure, a joint area at which the connecting tubes are connected in a predetermined positional relation is disposed inside the air cleaner box.

Heretofore, an intake passage structure for a motorcycle has been known in which a connecting tube for air to pass through to a throttle body after being purified by an air cleaner is formed of three separate components outside the air cleaner (see Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2008-248718, for example). Specifically, of the three components, the upstream and downstream tubes are made of rubber, and the middle tube connecting them to each other and having multiple bent portions is formed by blow molding. In this configuration, the connecting tube is provided in such a way as to bend at multiple spots within a small space. In this way, the length of the connecting tube can be increased, thereby making it possible to increase the low-speed torque of the engine.


A combustion system for a hybrid solar receiver comprises a pre-mixer which combines air and fuel to form an air-fuel mixture. The mixture is introduced tangentially into a cooling jacket. A burner plenum is fluidically connected to the cooling jacket such that the burner plenum and the cooling jacket are arranged in thermal contact with one another. The air-fuel mixture flows through the cooling jacket cooling the burner plenum to reduce pre-ignition of the air-fuel mixture in the burner plenum. A combustion chamber is operatively associated with and open to the burner plenum to receive the air-fuel mixture from the burner plenum. An igniter is operatively positioned in the combustion chamber to combust the air-fuel mixture, releasing heat. A recuperator is operatively associated with the burner plenum and the combustion chamber and pre-heats the air-fuel mixture in the burner plenum with heat from the combustion chamber. A heat-exchanger is operatively associated and in thermal contact with the combustion chamber. The heat-exchanger provides heat for the hybrid solar receiver.

1. Field of Invention
The present invention relates to hybrid solar fossil fuel receivers and, in particular, to hybrid sodium heat pipe receivers for dish/Stirling systems.
2. Description of the Related Art
Solar dish/Stirling systems continue to receive strong interest in concentrating solar research programs, because of their demonstrated high efficiency for conversion of sunlight to electricity. Potential end users have indicated that to satisfy their requirements for continuous, reliable, and economical electricity, these systems will need to be hybridized. Hybridization adds a combustor and two heat exchangers to the existing concentrator, receiver, engine, and electrical system. This addition should cost less than $300/kW to compete with its diesel alternative. In addition to this economic challenge, there is the technical challenge of efficiently firing an engine at 700xc2x0 C. or more. This requires a well-designed primary heat exchanger as well as a carefully-integrated combustor and recuperator.
Over the past decade or so, a number of programs have addressed various aspects of these challenges. Most have used alkali-metal reflux receivers as the starting point. These receivers are popular because of their isothermal behavior. Their primary benefit is higher system efficiency, enabled by uniform temperature at the Stirling-engine heater heads. For hybrid systems, reflux receivers have a further benefit: they allow separate solar and fired heat-transfer surfaces, and therefore independent optimizations. Conceived nearly 20 years ago, Osborn, D. B., et al., xe2x80x9cSolar Power Converter with Pool Boiling Receiver and Integral Heat Exchanger,xe2x80x9d U.S. Pat. No. 4,335,578, Jun. 22, 1982, alkali-metal reflux receivers have been under intensive development since about 1987. Andraka, C. E., et al., xe2x80x9cReflux Heat-Pipe Receivers for Dish Electric Systems,xe2x80x9d Proceedings of the 22nd Intersociety Energy Conversion Engineering Conference, Philadelphia, Pa., 1987; Diver, R. B., et al., xe2x80x9cSolar Test of an Integrated Sodium Reflux Heat Pipe Receiver/Reactor for Thermochemical Energy Transport,xe2x80x9d Journal of Solar Energy, 1990; Andraka, C. E., et al., xe2x80x9cTesting of Stirling Engine Solar Reflux Receivers,xe2x80x9d Proceedings of the 28th Intersociety Energy Conversion Engineering Conference, Atlanta, Ga., 1993; and Adkins, D. R., et al., xe2x80x9cHeat Pipe Solar Receiver Development Activities at Sandia National Laboratories,xe2x80x9d Proceedings of the Renewable and Advanced Energy Conference, Maui, Hi., 1999.
In 1991, the Institute for Physics and Power Engineering (IPPE, Obninsk, Russia) reported on several sodium and NaK heat-pipe designs used to transmit power to Stirling engines. Gonnov, I. V., et al., xe2x80x9cDesign and Testing of Heat Exchangers with Liquid Metal Heat Pipes for Stirling Engines,xe2x80x9d Proceedings of the 26th Intersociety Energy Conversion Engineering Conference, Boston, Mass., 1991. The IPPE designs included gas-fired and solar-heated versions, all with screen wicks. The gas-fired surfaces were elaborate high-parts-count assemblies. Nominally-isothermal operation was demonstrated with metal-vapor temperatures up to 750xc2x0 C. and electrical output up to 4 kWe. The issues of simultaneous gas and solar (hybrid) operation were not addressed.
Also in 1991, The German Aerospace Research Establishment (DLR) Institute for Technical Thermodynamics (Stuttgart, Germany) reported on their development of a sodium heat pipe receiver with screen wicks, demonstrating transport of 32 kWt at 780xc2x0 C. Laing, Doerte, et al., xe2x80x9cSodium Heat Pipe Solar Receiver for a SPS V-160 Stirling Engine: Development, Laboratory and On-Sun Test Results,xe2x80x9d Proceedings of the 26th Intersociety Energy Conversion Engineering Conference, Boston, Mass., 1991. Since then, the DLR has continued the development of its design. Laing, D., et al., xe2x80x9cSecond Generation Sodium Heat Pipe Receiver for a USAB V-160 Stirling Engine: Evaluation of On-Sun Test Results Using the Proposed IEA Guidelines and Analysis of Heat Pipe Damage,xe2x80x9d Journal of Solar Energy Engineering, November, 1997, and most recently, reported on first-and second-generation hybrid designs. Laing, D., et al., xe2x80x9cDesign and Test Results of First and Second Generation Hybrid Sodium Heat Pipe Receivers for Dish/Stirling Systems,xe2x80x9d Proceedings of the ASME International Solar Energy Conference, Albuquerque, N.Mex., 1998. The DLR hybrids are completely-integrated systems, including a Stirling engine, screen-wick heat-pipe receiver with separate solar and gas-fired surfaces, a natural-gas combustor, a brazed-fin primary heat exchanger, and a recuperator. The first system used a diffusion gas-swirl burner. It was operated for more than 60 hours, with xe2x80x9cvery acceptablexe2x80x9d behavior. The DLR has presented results showing burner operation between about 8 and 22.8 kWt, sodium vapor temperatures up to 790xc2x0 C., system efficiencies up to 20% (gas only, with the aperture plugged) and combustor efficiencies up to 90%. The second DLR hybrid represents a significant re-design. It uses a lean pre-mix combustion system, chosen to reduce exhaust emissions. The engine heater tubes are relocated to simplify manufacturing.
In 1994, Thermacore reported on its first hybrid heat-pipe receiver, developed for the Cummins Power Generation 7.5 kWe dish/Stirling system. Hartenstine, J. R., et al., xe2x80x9cDevelopment of a Solar and Gas-Fired Heat Pipe Receiver for the Cummins Power Generation 7.5 kWe Dish/Stirling System,xe2x80x9d Proceedings of the 29th Intersociety Energy Conversion Engineering Conference, Washington, D.C., 1994. Thermacore""s first system included a sodium heat-pipe receiver, separate solar and gas-fired surfaces, a natural-gas combustor, and an integrated recuperator. It featured nickel-powder wicks, fins milled from the heat-pipe wall, and nozzle-mixing burners. Test results (not reported in the literature) led to a second design that uses pre-mixed metal-matrix burners and circular-finned secondary heat pipes to supply heat to the primary heat-pipe solar receiver. It is believed that this system was tested successfully, although, once again, the test results are not reported in the literature.
In 1995, Stirling Technology Company (STC) reported on its development of a hybrid 10 kWt NaK pool-boiler receiver. Noble, J. E., et al., xe2x80x9cTest Results From A 10 kWt Solar/Natural Gas Hybrid Pool Boiler Receiver,xe2x80x9d Proceedings of the 4th ASME/JSME Solar Engineering Joint Conference., Maui, Hi., 1995. The system comprises a NaK pool boiler, separate solar and gas-fired surfaces, a natural-gas combustor, and a stand alone recuperator. The burner was a pre-mixed metal matrix type, delivering heat radiatively and convectively to the pool-boiler wall. The system was thermally loaded with a water-cooled gas-gap calorimeter. Tests were carried out with lamp heating at STC, and later with solar heating at the High Flux Solar Furnace at National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL). Full hybrid operation at nominally 700xc2x0 C. was demonstrated during simulated natural cloud transients, with burner power varying by 2:1.
In 1995, our nascent hybrid receiver efforts were combined to develop a 75-kWt hybrid reflux receiver, with emphasis on manufacturability, cost, and lifetime. Using a ⅙th-scale gas-fired sodium heat pipe, the initial step was to select a candidate burner type and candidate gas fired surface configuration. In 1997, we reported on our study of the applicability of pre-mixed metal-matrix radiant burner technology to hybrid systems. Bohn, M. S., xe2x80x9cApplication of Radiant Burner Technology to Hybrid Dish/Stirling Systems,xe2x80x9d ASME International Solar Energy Conference, Washington, D.C., 1997.
However none of the foregoing art enables a fully-integrated system, including a burner, pin-fin primary heat exchanger, recuperator, solar absorber, and sodium heat pipe, which is characterized in design to avoid pre-ignition, while attaining robust heat-pipe performance, and long life of the burner matrix, recuperator, and flue-gas seals.
A combustion system for a hybrid solar receiver may comprise a pre-mixer having a first inlet for air and a second inlet for fuel. The pre-mixer combines the air and the fuel to form an air-fuel mixture. A cooling jacket is provided open to the pre-mixer on one end. The air-fuel mixture is introduced tangentially into the cooling jacket. A burner plenum is fluidically connected to the cooling jacket such that the burner plenum and the cooling jacket are arranged in thermal contact with one another. The air-fuel mixture flows though the cooling jacket cooling the burner plenum to reduce pre-ignition of the air-fuel mixture in the burner plenum. A combustion chamber is operatively associated with and open to the burner plenum. The combustion chamber receives the air-fuel mixture from the burner plenum. An igniter is operatively positioned in the combustion chamber. The igniter combusts the air-fuel mixture releasing heat. A recuperator is operatively associated with burner plenum and the combustion chamber. The recuperator pre-heats the air-fuel mixture in the burner plenum with heat from the combustion chamber. A heat-exchanger is operatively associated and in thermal contact with the combustion chamber. The heat-exchanger provides heat for the hybrid solar receiver.
A method for providing combustion heat for a hybrid solar receiver comprises 1) mixing air and fuel to form an air-fuel mixture, 2) tangentially introducing the air-fuel mixture for flowing through a cooling jacket, 3) cooling a burner plenum with the air-fuel mixture flowing through the cooling jacket, 4) heating the air-fuel mixture in the burner plenum, 5) delivering the air-fuel mixture from the burner plenum to a combustion chamber, 6) igniting the air-fuel mixture in the combustion chamber, the combustion of the air-fuel mixture releasing heat for the hybrid solar receiver, and 7) recirculating the heat from the combustion chamber to heat the air-fuel mixture in the burner plenum.

Combustion system for hybrid solar fossil fuel receiver


Heat dissipation system, a power converter using such a heat dissipation system, and an associated method of thermal management of the power converter are disclosed. The heat dissipation system includes a condenser, a first cooling loop, and a second cooling loop. The first cooling loop is coupled to the condenser and includes a first two-phase heat transfer device. The second cooling loop is coupled to the condenser and includes a second two-phase heat transfer device. The condenser is disposed above the first and second two-phase heat transfer devices.

Embodiments of the present invention relate generally to a heat dissipation system and more particularly to a power converter system using the heat dissipation system and a method of thermal management of the power converter.
Many known semiconductor devices (e.g., rectifiers and inverters) are used for conversion of electric power. Rectifiers are used for converting alternating current (AC) to direct current (DC) and inverters are used for converting DC current to AC current. Typically, rectifiers and inverters are integrated into full power conversion assemblies (i.e., power converters) used in renewable electric power generation facilities such as solar power generation farms and wind turbine farms. The semiconductor devices typically generate large amount of heat during operation of the power converters. At least some known power converters use a liquid cooling system that may be coupled to main components such as power electronic components of the semiconductor devices for cooling the main components. Such a liquid cooling system may not be employed for cooling certain auxiliary components such as inductors and bus bars laminates of the semiconductor devices and for cooling air within the power converter, because of high cost involved and complexity in implementation. Further, the liquid cooling system includes an active pump for pumping a working liquid in the liquid cooling system for cooling the semiconductor devices. In such a system, maintaining a flow rate of the working liquid in two or more branches of the liquid cooling system may be problematic due to high resistance to a flow of the working liquid in some branches in comparison to low resistance to the flow of the working liquid in other branches.
Thus, there is a need for an improved heat dissipation system and an improved thermal management of a power converter using such a heat dissipation system.

Heat dissipation system and an associated method thereof


An internal lockdown will lock a tubing hanger in a wellhead housing. The tubing hanger has a conical cam surface formed on the exterior. An internal profile is located in the bore of the housing in alignment with the cam surface. A landing sub secures to a threaded bore of the tubing hanger and protrudes above. A carrier ring mounts to exterior threads formed on the landing sub. The carrier ring carries a set of segmented dogs. After the tubing hanger lands, the landing sub is unscrewed relative to the tubing hanger and carrier ring assembly. Then, the landing sub is lowered, pushing the dogs out into engagement with the profile.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates in general to wellhead assemblies, and in particular to an apparatus for locking a tubing hanger within a wellhead housing.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In oil and gas wells where the wellhead is located at the surface, a tubing hanger will land within a wellhead housing. The tubing hanger is located at the upper end of one or more strings of tubing through which production fluids will pass. The tubing hanger is sealed and locked to the wellhead housing.
The most typical type of lockdown utilizes threaded rods which extend radially inward in the wellhead housing. Each threaded rod or stud extends through a threaded hole in the wellhead housing. The inner end of each rod is conical for engaging a conical shoulder on the tubing hanger. There are several threaded rods used in each installation. The operator installs the threaded rods by using a wrench to rotate them.
While workable, the threaded rods require that holes be drilled and threaded through the wellhead housing. The rods add to the expense of the lockdown considerably.


Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) terminals with integrated user interface for accessing and/or managing advertisements that provide telephonic contact information. In one embodiment, a method includes: receiving a user input in a user interface of a VoIP telephonic apparatus to specify one or more search terms; submitting the one or more search terms from the telephonic apparatus to a server; receiving one or more advertisements containing one or more references to telephonic contact information as a result of a search performed using the one or more search terms; displaying the one or more advertisements in the user interface of the VoIP telephonic apparatus; receiving a user indication in the user interface of the VoIP telephonic apparatus to call an advertiser of the one or more advertisements; and initiating a telephonic call to the advertiser according to the one or more advertisements using the VoIP telephonic apparatus.

Traditional land-line based telephone systems connect one telephone set to another through one or more switching centers, operated by one or more telephone companies, over a land-line based telephone network. Traditionally, a telephone connection is based on a circuit switched network. To make a telephone connection, a dedicated circuit or channel is set up for the call between two telephone sets to allow the signal transmission on the dedicated channel during the phone call.
Advanced telephone systems may also use a packet switched network for a telephone connection. A packet switched network is typical in a computer data environment, in which data packets are individually routed over data links that might be shared by many other data communication devices.
Recent developments in the field of Voice over IP (VOIP) allow the delivery of voice information using the Internet Protocol, in which voice information is packaged in a digital form in discrete packets rather than in the traditional circuit-committed protocols of the public switched telephone network (PSTN).
Voice over Internet Protocol (VOIP) based telephone calls can be transmitted through a broadband Internet connection instead of a regular (or analog) phone line. Some VoIP services only allow a user to call other people using the same service, but others may allow a user to call anyone who has a telephone number, such as local, long distance, mobile, and international numbers. Typically, a VoIP telephone call is made on a terminal connected to a data communication network, such as a computer that runs a VoIP application on a network connection (e.g., DSL or local area network), a stand alone VoIP phone connected to a communication network, or a traditional phone with an adaptor connected to a network connection.
In a typical VoIP communication, an Analog to Digital Converter (ADC) converts analog voice signal to digital data, which is sent through a data transmission network in data packets in a compressed format using Internet Protocol. At the receiving side, the received data packets are disassembled for the extraction of the digital data. A digital to analog converter (DAC) then converts the digital data back to analog voice signal.
Cellular networks allow a cellular phone to connect to a nearby cellular base station through an air interface for wireless access to a telephone network. Recent developments in wireless telephone systems allow not only voice communications but also data communications. For example, cellular phones can now receive and send short messages through a Short Message Service (SMS). Web pages can now be retrieved through wireless cellular links and displayed on cellular phones. Wireless Application Protocol (WAP) has been developed to overcome the constraints of relatively slow and intermittent nature of wireless links to access information similar or identical to World Wide Web.

Methods and apparatuses to access advertisements through voice over internet protocol (VoIP) applications


Control of the Fermi level pinning problem and the production of flat band surface performance in compound semiconductors is achieved by providing a cationic oxide free of anionic species on the surface of the semiconductor for flat band performance and with a localized inclusion of some anionic species for barrier performance so that oxide and metal work function responsiveness is available in structure and performance in MOSFET, MESFET and different work function metal FET structures. A cationic gallium oxide is produced on GaAs by oxide growth during illumination and while being rinsed with oxygenated water. The oxidation is used to produce both anionic and cationic species while the rinsing process selectively removes all the anionic species.

It is well known that for most cases of metal contacts to compound semiconductor materials the height of a Schottky barrier is independent of the electronic properties of the applied metal. This is in contrast to the ideal situation encountered for metal contacts to elemental semiconductors, such as silicon.
The familiar Schottky relationship is expressed in Equation 1 as follows. EQU .phi..sub.bn =.phi..sub.m -.chi..sub.sc Equation 1
where
.phi..sub.bn is the barrier height on n type material
.phi..sub.m is the work function of the metal
.chi..sub.sc is the electron affinity of the semiconductor which in turn is the energy required to remove an electron from the bottom of the conduction band to vacuum with no kinetic energy.
In the compound semiconductor/metal situation, the observed Schottky barrier height .phi..sub.b does not usually obey Equation 1.
It is recognized in the art that the insensitivity of the barrier at the metal/compound semiconductor interface to metal work functions is due to pinning at the interface of the Fermi level at a fixed energy within the band gap of the compound semiconductor material. This situation is termed "Fermi level pinning".
It is also clear that the Fermi level pinning condition is detrimental to Metal Oxide Semiconductor (MOS) structures. This is reported in J. Vac. Sci. Technol. 19 (3) Sept./Oct. 1981.
Because of the interfacial pinning, carrier flow across the interface and modulation of band bending in the semiconductor and resulting carrier density in MOS devices, cannot be easily controlled which, in turn, interferes with the performance of these devices.
Observations reported in Appl. Phys. Lett. 39, (9) Nov. 1, 1981, p.727, addressed the origin of Fermi level pinning and indicated that its presence correlated with anion clusters, for example, As in GaAs at the interface. That report further proposed an explanatory model which correlates the pinning energy with a Schottky barrier height that is consistent with the work function of the anion rich phases at the interface.
In studies reported in Japanese Journal of Applied Physics 19 (1980) Supplement 19-1, pp. 483-487, MOS structures made from gallium arsenide (GaAs) show that elemental As at the interface plays an important role in determining the electrical properties of the oxide. The electrical measurements show-that excess elemental As is correlated with large trap densities and fixed states in the oxide.
Further, in studies reported in J. Vac. Sci. Technol., 14 4, July/Aug. 1977, p.943, excess As originates from a pileup of elemental As at the oxide/GaAs interface during oxide growth and that this pileup is difficult to avoid and may contribute to the band bending with stabilization of the GaAs surface potential near mid-gap, in other words, Fermi level pinning.
It is thus becoming clear in the art that identifying the origin of Fermi level pinning and controlling it is critical in achieving improved performance in both metal/compound semiconductor and metal/oxide/compound semiconductor devices.

Compound semiconductor interface control using cationic ingredient oxide to prevent fermi level pinning

International Business Machines Corporation


A system includes a camera, a weigh-in-motion scale, and a processor. The camera is configured to capture one or more images of a vehicle as the vehicle goes over the weigh-in-motion scale. The weigh-in-motion scale is configured to generate one or more weight measurements of the vehicle as the vehicle goes over the weigh-in-motion scale. The processor is operatively coupled to the camera and the weigh-in-motion scale. The processor is configured to determine an acceleration of at least a portion of the vehicle based at least in part on the one or more images of the vehicle. The processor is also configured to adjust at least one of the one or more weight measurements based on the acceleration.

There have been many suicide bomber attacks using vehicle borne improvised explosive devices (VBIED) over the past two decades, which have resulted in a huge loss of life. The typical tactic employed by the terrorist group is to load a vehicle with low cost explosives and drive to a political target, such as an embassy, military base, sports event, etc. Most attacks of this type have used between 250 and 2000 pounds of explosives concealed in the vehicle. To mitigate the damage from this type of attack, it is necessary to detect and deter the vehicle well before it enters the target area.
The Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms website lists explosive payload based on vehicle size and type. For example, a compact sedan can carry up to 500 pounds of explosives; whereas a passenger van or cargo van can carry up to 4000 pounds. Some early VBIED threats were easily identified because the heavy explosive payload caused the vehicle to ride very low on its suspension. Since that time terrorists have learned to add (i.e., weld) additional support to the suspension under the heavy explosives so that the vehicle appears to ride normally.
Commercial axle scales have been developed primarily for use as truck scales for enforcing highway load limits. Traditional truck scales have used large platforms to measure multiple axles while the vehicle is stopped on the scale. More recently, weigh-in-motion (WIM) systems have been developed to allow the vehicles to continue moving over the scale without stopping. Some systems, like the Fairbanks Model 4020, require the vehicle to slow to less than 5 miles per hour (mph) while others, like the IRD Bending Plate WIM Sensor can measure a weight of a vehicle when the vehicle is at full highway speed. The WIM scales measure each axle separately or, in some cases, each tire separately. Thus, commercial axle scales and WIM scales provide examples of a number of different means for determining a vehicle weight. Commercial axle scales may be more effectively utilized at border crossings where custom's officials have the task of determining which vehicles should be subjected to detailed inspection to uncover illegal drug or commercial trafficking and/or terrorist threat.


A communications system may include a plurality of data storage devices for storing data using at least one of a plurality of different operating protocols. The system may further include a plurality of mobile wireless communications devices for accessing the data storage devices and each using at least one of the plurality of different operating protocols. Moreover, a protocol interface device may also be included. The protocol interface device may include a front-end proxy module for communicating with the plurality of mobile wireless communications devices using respective operating protocols, and a protocol engine module communicating with the front-end proxy module using a common interface protocol. The protocol interface device may also include a respective interface connector module for translating communications between the protocol engine module and the plurality of data storage devices for each of the different operating protocols.

Software clients operating on or in conjunction with a computer system are often used to access data stored at a server with which the computer system can establish communications, such as through a local area on the server is accessible only through a particular protocol, which in turn tends to limit a user to a particular client. Similarly, a particular type of client is typically configurable to operate with only certain types of servers or protocols.
In an e-mail system, for example, in which users have associated mailboxes on a mail server, a particular protocol and often a particular messaging client is required for e-mail access. There is no single standard method for accessing e-mail stored on a server. Instead, there are several incompatible protocols defined by various vendors and standards bodies. In addition, the explosion of the Internet has resulted in several key problems. First, in order to obtain control over their user base, several Internet-based e-mail providers have extended standard protocols with their own proprietary extensions. Other vendors have gone away from RFC-based protocols and have defined new protocols from the ground up.
Moreover, many vendors have chosen to implement standard protocols such as Internet Message Access Protocol (IMAP) and Post Office Protocol (POP), but have interpreted the rules of these protocols differently. Because of this proliferation of access mechanisms, there is no single way to access all of these mail stores. Applications that need to access these mail stores quickly become overly complicated when attempting to account for all of the different protocols and implementations of the protocols.
Various prior art approaches have been developed for providing communications between systems and devices using different operating protocols. One such approach is set forth in U.S. Pat. No. 6,615,212 to Dutta et al., in which a transcoding proxy server receives a request for content from a client machine. The transcoding proxy server retrieves the content from an originating server. The retrieved content is provided in a first format type. In response to a determination that an increase in efficiency would be obtained by allowing the client to process the content in the first format type prior to transcoding the content into a second format type, the transcoding proxy server sends the content to the client in the first format type.
Furthermore, in response to a determination that the client does not have content processing software for processing the content in the first format, the transcoding proxy server sends content processing software for the first format type along with the content in the first format type to the client. The transcoding proxy server then transcodes the content from the first format type into the second format type and sends the content in the second format to the client.
Despite such prior art approaches, further protocol translation and/or conversion functionality may be desirable in certain applications.

Communications system with data storage device interface protocol connectors and related methods