A transmitter optical subassembly is disclosed including a substrate and a direct modulated laser disposed on the substrate. A single-stage isolator, a polarization direction rotator, and an optical branching filter are disposed side by side on the substrate in a light propagation direction. The polarization direction rotator can adjust linearly polarized light to P-polarized light, the optical branching filter includes an optical splitter subassembly and a filter subassembly, and an optical splitter film in the optical splitter subassembly is an optical splitter film with P polarization. The polarization direction rotator adjusts the incident linearly polarized light to the P-polarized light, and the optical splitter film in the optical branching filter is the optical splitter film with P polarization; all P-polarized light with single polarization can pass through the optical branching filter, without causing any polarization loss or two peaks.

As commercialization of a 10 G-passive optical network (PON) system is approaching, costs of an optical component in the 10 G-PON have become an important factor affecting industrialization. A laser is an important constituent part of a bidirectional optical subassembly (BOSA) in an optical line terminal (OLT) optical component, and costs of the laser account for a large part of the costs. Compared with a technically complex and expensive 10 G electro-absorption modulated laser (EML), a 10 G direct modulated laser (DML) has absolute advantages in terms of costs, power consumption, and output optical power. However, compared with the EML, the DML has a larger chirp and a lower extinction ratio, and consequently, when transmission is performed at a rate of over 10 G there are a relatively great expense of dispersion and a loss in receiver sensibility in the system.
A recent experimental result indicates that power budget of the DML can meet a requirement when a bias current is high and other parameter settings are proper, but the extinction ratio of the DML is still below 8.2 dB, a standard requirement of the 10 Gigabit-Capable Passive Optical Network (XG-PON). Increasing the extinction ratio can improve sensibility and can better meet a standard. At the expense of power, the DML can cooperate with an etalon (filter) to increase an extinction ratio of an optical signal and achieve negative-chirp compensation and linewidth narrowing.
To reduce a size of an optical component and reduce costs of the optical component, TO packaging (coaxial transistor outline packaging) is used for a transmitter optical subassembly of the DML. FIG. 1 shows a TO packaged transmitter optical subassembly of a DML. The transmitter optical subassembly includes a direct modulated laser, a collimation lens, a single-stage isolator, and an optical branching filter. The optical branching filter includes an optical splitter subassembly and a filter subassembly. The optical splitter subassembly and the filter subassembly are integrated into an all-in-one structure to reduce the size of the optical component. When the transmitter optical subassembly is operating, the DML outputs P-polarized light with single polarization, and after the P-polarized light goes through the single-stage isolator, output light is rotated by 45°. In other words, P-polarized light and S-polarized light, which are mixed polarized light instead of single polarized light, are output. After the mixed polarized light enters the optical branching filter, if an optical splitter with P polarization is used, the P-polarized light passes through the optical branching filter, and all the S-polarized light is reflected, and consequently, a total loss increases by 3 dB, in other words, the loss during the entire process is excessively large; or if a polarization canceling optical splitter is used, because polarization needs to be compensated, the optical splitter has a phase difference, and an optical splitter film is very thick, after reflected light inside the optical branching filter passes through the optical splitter having a large phase difference and the thick optical splitter film, a wavelength output by the optical branching filter has a large offset, and the output light has two peaks, which is unfavorable for the device to lock the wavelength.

Transmitter optical subassembly, optical component, optical module, and passive optical network system


Provided herein are a DNA fragment which contains a base sequence coding for a non-A non-B hepatitis-specific antigenic protein occurring in cells of the liver affected with non-A non-B hepatitis, an expression vector in which said DNA fragment is inserted into a cloning site present downstream from a promoter thereof, a transformant obtained by introducing said expression vector into a host, and a process for producing said antigenic protein which comprises providing said expression vector, transforming a host with said expression vector, culturing the transforming host and collecting the protein produced therein.

1. Field of the Invention:
The present invention generally relates to the production of an antigen specific to non-A non-B hepatitis by recombinant DNA technology. More particularly, it relates to a DNA fragment coding for an antigen specifically occurring in a host affected with non-A non-B hepatitis, an expression vector containing such a DNA fragment, a host transformed with such an expression vector, as well as a process for producing said antigen specific to non-A non-B hepatitis by culturing such a transformant.
2. Description of the Prior Art:
Among viral hepatitises, the viral entities of hepatitis type A and type B have been found and, accordingly, it has now become possible to diagnose such diseases by immunological methods.
Still another type of hepatitis different from the types A and B, which is called non-A non-B type hepatitis, is said to be over 90% of post-transfusion hepatitis: refer to NIPPON RINSHO (Japan Clinic), 35, 2724 (1977): J. Biol. Med., 49, 243 (1976). The pathogenic virus of the non-A non-B type hepatitis, however, has not yet been identified. Only one fact which has already been established is potential infection of human hepatitis type non-A non-B virus to chimpanzee: refer to Lancet I, 459 (1978) ibid., 463 (1978).
Many workers have done various investigations for searching an antigen-antibody system related to the non-A non-B hepatitis by using mainly sera from patients affected with the disease; nevertheless, no definite system has been found. Under these circumstances, the diagnosis of non-A non-B hepatitis should inevitably be effected by so-called exclusion diagnosis: that is, whether or not the hepatitis of a patient is type A or type B or other hepatitis due to a virus known to cause hepatopathy, for example, CMV, HSV, EBV, etc., is first determined; and if not, the patient's hepatitis is diagnosed as non-A non-B type. Thus, such a diagnosis of non-A non-B hepatitis will require much time and labor.
An antigenic protein specific to non-A non-B hepatitis and useful for the direct diagnoses of the hepatitis has been purified from human and chimpanzee hepatocytes affected with non-A non-B hepatitis, and a monoclonal antibody specific to the antigen and useful for the treatment of the non-A non-B hepatitis has also been proposed: refer to Japanese Patent Application Laying-open (KOKAI) Nos. 176856/86 and 56196/86.
A large amount of such an antigenic protein specific to non-A non-B hepatitis should be required when such a protein is to be employed, for example, as a diagnostic agent. However, it is not always appropriate to purify such a large amount of the antigenic protein from chimpanzee hepatocytes affected with non-A non-B hepatitis.
On the other hand, in order to detect a gene coding for a specific antigen of non-A non-B hepatitis by nucleic acid hybridization and, further, to produce such an antigen specific to non-A non-B hepatitis by the recombinant DNA technology, it is essential to obtain a gene fragment coding for the antigenic protein specific to the non-A non-B hepatitis.

DNA fragments coding for antigens specific to non-A non-B hepatitis, expression vectors containing said DNA fragments, transformants and process for producing said antigens


Novel 7-Aroyl-4-Hydroxy-3-Methyl-Benzofurans of the following general formula (I) are disclosed: ##STR1##. The compounds are found to be potent dual inhibitors of cyclooxygenase and 5-lipoxygenase.

Since the development of the first nonsteroidal antiinflammatory agents (NSAIDs) in the early 1960's, much work has been done to elucidate the mode of action of these compounds in vivo. It is currently believed that these materials exert their therapeutic effects by inhibiting the action of the cyclooxygenase enzyme on arachidonic acid, thus blocking the formation of the prostaglandins (PG's), potent mediators of inflammation.
More recently it has been discovered that the enzyme 5-lipoxygenase catalyzes the first two steps in the formation of a series of biologically important metabolites of arachidonic acid, the leukotrienes. These metabolites were found to be potent regulators of vascular permeability, one of the classic signs of inflammation. In addition, leukotriene B.sub.4 (LTB.sub.4) has been shown to be a powerful chemotaxin for phagocytic cells while LTC.sub.4 and LTD.sub.4 were identified as the slow reacting substance of anaphylaxis. It therefore seems reasonable that a potent inhibitor of cyclooxygenase and 5-lipoxygenase, a dual inhibitor, should provide advantages over inhibitiors of cyclooxygenase alone, and many agents of this type are currently under investigation. See Samuelson, B. Science 1983, 220, 568; Venuti, M. C.; Annual Reports in Medicinal Chemistry 1987, 22, 205 and references cited therein. ##STR2##
Recently, 2,6-di-tert-butyl-4-(2-thienoyl) phenol, compound A, was demonstrated to be a novel antiinflammatory agent in several animal models of inflammation. See Moore, G. G. I.; Swingle, K. F. Agents and Actions 1982, 12, 5. Interestingly, A inhibited both the prostaglandin and leukotriene pathways of the arachidonic acid cascade in vitro, although not to an equal extent. In particular, A had an IC.sub.50 of 0.5 mM against cyclooxygenase in a bovine seminal vesicle microsomal enzyme preparation but was fortyfold less potent at inhibiting guinea pig lung 5-lipoxygenase with an IC.sub.50 of 20 mM.
E. S. Lazer et. al., describes analogs of A wherein the thienoyl moeity is replaced by certain 4-arylethenyl groups. See J. Med. Chem. (1989), 32, 100-104. 4-lactonylexomethenyl and 4-(N-methoxypyrrolidinoyl) substituents have also been described. See Ann. Rept. Med. Chem. (1987) Vol 22, 205; Ann. Rept. Med. Chem. (1988) Vol. 23, p. 184. These references, however, do not disclose the novel compounds of the present invention nor do they disclose the relatively equal potency of such compounds against both cyclooxygenase and lipoxygenase.
A 4-benzofuranol, Compound B, has been reported to be a potent and selective inhibitor of LTB.sub.4 biosynthesis in intact rat PMN (IC.sub.50 =0.24 mM). See Belanger, P.; Maycock, A.; Guindon, T.; Bach, T.; Dollob, A. L.; Dufrense, C.; Ford-Hutchinson, A. W.; Gale, P. H.; Hopple, S.; Lau, C. K.; Letts, L. G.; Luell, S.; McFarlane, C. S.; Macintyre, E.; Meurer, R.; Miller, D. K.; Piechuta, H.; Riendeau, D.; Rokach, J.; Rouzer, C.; Scheigetz, J. Canandian Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology 1987, 65, 2441. The selectivity of L-656,224 was shown through its relative lack of activity on cyclooxygenase being a hundred times less potent in the RSV CO assay (IC.sub.50 =25 mM).

Novel 7-aroyl-4-hydroxy-3-methyl-benzofurans as dual inhibitors of cyclooxygenase and 5-lipoxygenase


A method of manufacturing a non-volatile memory device, including providing at least one control gate layer on a substrate. A passage may be created between the at least one control gate layer and the substrate. In the passage at least one filling layer may be provided. A floating gate structure including the filling layer may be formed, as well as a control gate structure including the at least one control gate layer, the control gate structure being in a stacked configuration with the floating gate structure.

Non-volatile memory, such as electrically erasable programmable read only memory (EEPROM) or flash memory, typically includes an arrangement of floating gate field effect transistors (FG-FET). The FG-FET includes a floating gate which is electrically isolated, creating a floating node, but which is capacitively connected to the channel of the field effect transistor. The FG-FET further has a control gate in a stacked arrangement with the floating gate. The control gate is positioned above the floating gate and is electrically isolated from the floating gate, but in capacitive contact with the floating gate. The charge in the floating gate, and hence the voltage thereof can be controlled by means of the control gate.
The arrangement of FG-FET is typically manufactured by providing a polycrystalline or amorphous dielectric layer on a crystalline substrate and depositing a floating gate layer of polycrystalline silicon on the dielectric layer. On the floating gate layer a control gate layer is deposited after a second dielectric layer is deposited, which separates the floating gate layer and the control gate layer. Typically, in conventional technology a dielectric layer of SiO2 or a tri-layer of SiO2/Si3N4/SiO2 (so called oxide-nitride-oxide or ONO layer) is deposited in order to obtain a high quality dielectric between the floating and the control gate.
However, a disadvantage of this process is that the characteristics of the floating gate layer, the second dielectric layer and the control gate layer cannot be controlled as accurately as would be desirable because they are deposited on a polycrystalline or amorphous layer. For example, the deposited dielectric layers have a relatively high density of defects and charge carrier traps both in the bulk of the dielectric material and at the interfaces. These defective sites might capture electrons, holes or even ionic contaminants that would distort the operation of the memory cell or make the distinction in reading between stored values very difficult if not impossible. Also,

Method for manufacturing a non-volatile memory, non-volatile memory device, and an integrated circuit


The present invention provides an output signal comprising a sourcing or sinking current for a sensor or control device. The type of output generated by the sensor or control device depends upon the polarity of the power supply. The DC circuit of the present invention is comprised of two input terminals for supplying voltage to the circuit. The DC circuit is also comprised of output means for delivering either a current sinking signal or a current sourcing signal. The present invention is further comprised of a control circuit having a connection to an externally supplied drive signal, the input terminals, and the output means. A current sourcing signal is produced in response to an occurrence of the drive signal when the first input terminal is positive with respect to the second input terminal. A current sinking signal is produced in response to an occurrence of the drive signal when the second input terminal is positive with respect to the first input terminal.

Electronic sensors and related control devices are widely used in the field of industrial controls. For example, photoelectric sensors are used for detecting the presence or absence of an object, and for providing a signal or switching accordingly.
Most such sensor and control devices which are intended to operate on low voltage DC provide either a current sourcing output or a current sinking output. The current sourcing output is typically a PNP transistor and the current sinking output is typically a NPN transistor. European engineers have traditionally preferred the current sourcing outputs, while American and Japanese engineers have traditionally preferred current sinking outputs. Due to the global aspects of today's markets, it is desirable to sell sensor and control devices with both types of outputs. However, selling different models, each of a different output type, doubles the inventory requirements for the seller.
Some companies manufacture such devices with two different output wires: one wire for current sourcing output and one wire for current sinking output. This is a good solution, except that it requires an extra lead on output. Typically, only one or the other type of output is used by the customer. Since many customers request a connector with the device, the extra lead results in an extra pin on the connector. Furthermore, some devices have more than one output function. If each output is to have a sourcing and sinking output, the need for extra leads increases.
One solution is to install a switch in the device to allow selection of the output type. This is undesirable due to the resulting size increase in the device. An additional problem is that switches are not as reliable as solid state components.
Another solution is to supply a "push-pull" type output for the device. In this type output, a sourcing transistor output and a sinking transistor output are tied together and driven such that only one of the transistors conducts at a given time. Such a configuration eliminates the need for the extra lead, but it makes it impossible to tie outputs of multiple devices together in parallel to provide the "wired OR" function. If multiple "push-pull" type outputs were tied together in parallel, there would be a short circuit across the supply line if one output was sourcing and the other sinking.
The present invention provides improvements in the design of sensors and control devices of the type described above through the use of a "push-pull" type output circuit that disables one or the other of the output transistors.


This invention details the use of a simple blend of polyvinyl formamide and one or more polyvinyl alcohols as the fixative polymer system in a clear hair gel composition. The interaction of the polymer system and gelling agents provides clarity of less than 20 NTU and other physical properties such as good curl compression, resistance to high humidity and resistance to flaking.

For many years clarity in personal care products has been synonymous with purity as pure water is represented by crystal clear. Yet in striving for clarity other properties have taken a back seat in the quest for clarity. The hardest of all applications to obtain this clarity has been in the gelled hair products. Gels are typically formed by association or cross-linking of polymers to structure the liquid portion of the formulation. These associates can potentially act like crystal regions and their formation tends to make the gels opaque as the formation of crystals scatters light. Additionally, any incompatibility of the styling polymers with the gelling agent may also adversely affect the clarity.
One approach to increase the clarity in gelled products is to reduce the molecular weight of the polymeric material, as it is well know that lower molecular weight provides better clarity in both solution and gel. The drawback to low molecular weight is that the polymers are less able to provide good physical properties once the liquid has dried. Properties such as curl strength (stiffness) and humidity resistance will suffer as the molecular weight of the polymer system is lowered.
To overcome the deficiencies of low molecular weight some specialty tertiary polymers were prepared. And while these worked well to provide all the properties the cost of such specialized polymers have been prohibitive to the hair care marketplace. There still exist in the market place today a need for a system for providing hold and humidity resistance from clear gelled fixative systems that are safe and made from in-expensive, readily available ingredients.


A optimized organic thermodynamic cycle system and method include temperature sensors measuring an initial temperature of a coolant medium and a final temperature of a heat source stream to computer control valves to continuously adjust a pressure and a flow rate of a working fluid stream to be vaporized so that a heat utilization of the system is about 99% increasing output by approximately 3% to 6% on a sustained and permanent yearly basis.

1. Field of the Invention
Embodiments of the present invention relate to optimized power systems that utilize geothermal heat sources.
More specifically, embodiments of the present invention relate to optimized binary power systems called organic Rankine cycles (ORCs) utilizing a flow of geothermal fluid as a heat source.
2. Description of the Related Art
Typical geothermal fluids or geofluids are highly mineralized, which limits the minimum temperature to which the geofluids may be cooled to provide heat for a geothermal power system. If it is cooled further than this limit, the minerals in the geofluids will deposit on heat exchange apparatus surfaces or other surfaces in contact with the geofluids, fouling them and interfering with the operation of the power system.
At the same time, the greater the degree of utilization of the heat source stream (i.e., the closer the final temperature of the heat source stream is to the minimum temperature limit imposed by the geofluids mineralization) the higher the output of the system.
However, all actual power systems in current operation do not work so as to make maximum allowable utilization of their heat sources. This is because the temperature of the cooling medium (air or water) varies over the course of each day, as well as by season and in response to the weather. Thus, the working fluid enters and exits the system's feed pump with different temperatures, depending on the coolant temperature.
All of the heat available from a given heat source may be conceptually divided into two portions; the heat used for the vaporization of the working fluid and the heat used for the pre-heating of the working fluid from the temperature at the point just after the feed pump up to the boiling temperature of the working fluid.
In real-world operation, the systems must operate so that, even on the coldest day (corresponding to the coldest possible temperature of the cooling medium), the exit temperature of the heat source always remains above the limit imposed by issues of mineralization.
Therefore, in real-world operations of a power system, the parameters are chosen so that the final temperature of the heat source stream will be measurably higher than the limit imposed by mineralization in all cases, where the temperature of the cooling medium is higher than the coldest it can be. As a result, in an actual installation, most of the time the heat source is not fully utilized.
Thus, there is a need in the art for optimized systems utilizing geothermal fluids (geofluids) as a heat source.

Methods and systems for optimizing the performance of rankine power system cycles


Exemplary embodiments provide a vertical alignment type liquid crystal display device capable of enhancing a response speed and display characteristics in a specific viewing angle direction. In a liquid crystal display device of an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, a vertical alignment type liquid crystal layer is interposed between a pair of substrates, and display is performed in predetermined dot regions (D1, D2, and D3). A plurality of sub-dot regions (island-shaped portions) are provided in the dot region D1, and the plurality of sub-dot regions is electrically connected to each other by connecting portions in the dot region D1. Each sub-dot region is provided with a convex portion to regulate the alignment direction of the vertically aligned liquid crystal molecules such that the liquid crystal molecules, are inclined substantially in a radial direction around the convex portion, and the convex portion is arranged so as to deviate from the center of the sub-dot region.

1. Field of Invention
An exemplary embodiment of the present invention relates to a liquid crystal display device and an electronic apparatus. More particularly, an exemplary embodiment relates to a liquid crystal display device capable of enhancing display characteristics in a specific viewing angle direction using vertical alignment type liquid crystal.
2. Description of Related Art
Related art liquid crystal display devices adopting a TN mode have had a narrow viewing angle. Therefore, in order to address or solve such a problem, liquid crystal display devices can adopt a VA (Vertical Alignment) mode to widen a viewing angle. In such a VA mode, it is necessary to control the alignment direction of liquid crystal according to the application of a voltage using a certain method. That is, when the VA mode is adopted, negative type liquid crystal is generally used. However, in this case, since the liquid crystal molecules that are vertically aligned with respect to a surface of a substrate in an initial state are inclined by the application of a voltage, specific control means must be provided to control the alignment direction of the liquid crystal molecules. If the alignment direction is not controlled, a display defect, such as light leakage caused by the alignment disorder (disclination) of liquid crystal molecules, may be generated, resulting in the deterioration of display characteristics. Therefore, a technique of regulating the alignment direction of the vertically aligned liquid crystal molecules is disclosed in Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2003-43525.

Liquid crystal display device with alignment regulating device deviating from center of sub-dot regions


A portable cook stove and stand includes a ring supported by three legs with braces and struts extending between the legs. A burner plate is supported by bi-level brackets attached to the legs adjacent the ring. The burner plate includes a deflector pan in which is mounted a fuel jet in communication with a fuel tank. The burner plate is supported by the brackets at a predetermined distance below the ring such that the ring acts as a wind break for the flame.

This invention relates to cooking apparatus and more particularly to a portable cook stove and stand.
Various types of portable grills, hibachis, patio stoves, and camping apparatus are shown in the prior art. Such prior art apparatus do not support the stove at a convenient height or, if at a convenient height, are not adequately portable or collapsible for storage. Further, prior art cooking apparatus are not aesthetically pleasing.
U.S. Pat. No. 955,140 to Cronk discloses a camping apparatus wherein a tripod is utilized to support a fire box for cooking food over a campfire. The legs of the tripod are formed in sections which are joined together by tubular members and clamping screws.
U.S. Pat. No. 192,011 to Richardson discloses a portable lamp-stove wherein the cooking surface is supported by a tripod stand so that the heat from the portable lamp-stove is used to warm the contents of the cooking utensil.
Other patents show the state of the art with regard to cooking units and the supports therefor. U.S. Pat. No. 4,364,372 shows a torch-type heating device with a removably mounted grill and pivotally attached handle assembly convertible to a tripod support. Shields are mounted adjacent opposite ends of the torch tube to render the heating device wind-proof. U.S. Pat. No. 4,809,671 discloses a cooking unit having an adjustable and removable wind-shield. U.S. Pat. No. 545,783 discloses a gas burner having a support for vessels to be heated. U.S. Pat. No. 1,275,301 discloses a gas hotplate with frame. U.S. Pat. No. 2,447,925 discloses a gas burner with a supporting stand. U.S. Pat. No. 4,177,790 discloses a pocket camp stove having wire leg members. A cook stove under the name of "Primus" is manufactured by Century Tool and includes a burner plate with associated fuel tank.


A drainage system for a fenestration assembly is located in a rough opening of a structure. The drainage system includes a moisture barrier located between at least a bottom of the fenestration assembly and a bottom inner surface of the rough opening. The moisture barrier includes a vertical portion extending generally vertically downward below the rough opening on an external side of the structure. A channel assembly is located generally below the rough opening. The channel assembly includes at least one channel having a channel entrance proximate the bottom inner surface of the rough opening and a discharge opening direct toward a drainage area. The channel includes an effective cross-sectional area adapted to siphon water located on the moisture barrier to the drainage area.

Fenestration assemblies are typically installed in rough openings in structures. A gap is typically maintained between the fenestration assembly and the rough opening to accommodate expansion and contraction of building materials throughout temperature changes, as well as overall shifting and settling of the structure. Water, such as airborne moisture and liquid water in the form of rainwater, ice, snow can penetrate into the building wall interior from in and around building fenestration assemblies.
Attempts have been made to prevent entry of water into the building wall interior by sealing or caulking entry points in and around fenestration assemblies as the primary defense against water intrusion, or by installing flashing around the fenestration assemblies to divert the water. These attempts have not been completely successful. Sealants are not only difficult and costly to properly install, but tend to separate from the fenestration assembly or wall due to climatic conditions, building movement, the surface type, or chemical reactions. Flashing is also difficult to install and may tend to hold the water against the fenestration assembly, accelerating the decay.
The efficiency of such weatherproofing relies largely on the careful installation of both the fenestration assembly and the weatherproofing materials. However, no matter how carefully installed, moisture may enter into gaps between the fenestration assembly and the rough opening. Moisture penetration may be due to shifting or expansion/contraction of materials post-installation.
Such moisture typically collects below the fenestration assembly, where it can cause rot and other undesirable damage to both the fenestration assembly and the structure below the fenestration assembly. In some situations attempts to prevent water penetration around fenestration assemblies may actually trap the water within the structure, exacerbating the problem.
Various drain holes systems for fenestration assemblies have been used to divert water from the structure, such as disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,851,420 (Tibbetts); U.S. Pat. No. 4,691,487 (Kessler); and U.S. Pat. No. 5,890,331 (Hope).
Specialized flashing structures have been developed for installation in the gap between the rough opening and the fenestration assembly. Examples of such specialized flashing structures are shown in U.S. Pats. No. 4,555,882 (Moffitt et al.); U.S. Pat. No. 5,542,217 (Larivee); and U.S. Pat. No. 6,098,343 (Brown et al.). U.S. Pat. No. 5,822,933 (Burroughs et al.) and U.S. Pat. No. 5,921,038 (Burroughs et al.) disclose a water drainage system with an angled pan and a plurality of ribs that is located underneath a fenestration assembly.
These specialized flashing structures, however, do not effectively remove water from the interior of the structure. Additionally, the installation of moisture guards often requires changes in the way the fenestration assembly is installed into the rough opening and how the fenestration assembly is finished on the room side so as to accommodate the vertical height of the angled pan. Furthermore, the gap between the fenestration assembly and the rough opening must be sufficient to accommodate the raised end of the angled pan.
The Installation Instructions for New Construction Vinyl Window with Integral Nailing Fin published by Jeld-Wen, Inc. discloses installing a 6″ tall section of screen to the exterior of the structure below the fenestration assembly. The screen extends about the width of the fenestration assembly and is located on top of flashing tape and building wrap. Another layer of flashing tape is applied to the top of the screen. The screen, however, forms one contiguous channel that is too large to permit effective drainage of water.

High performance window and door installation


An epilator for plucking hairs from human skin, the epilator having a housing in which an epilating head driven by drive elements and carrying plucking elements is mounted, provision being made in the area of the epilating head for movably mounted driven elements for the mechanical stimulating striking of the skin by a contact element, the striking reducing the subjective pain of epilation to the user.

This invention relates to an epilator for plucking hairs from the human skin, comprising a housing in which an epilating head driven by drive elements and carrying plucking elements is mounted, provision being made in the area of the epilating head for movably mounted driven elements for the mechanical stimulating striking of the skin by a contact element.
An epilator of this type is known from WO 97/19613, for example. This document shows, integrated in an epilator, a massage arm with elastic projections of a soft material facing the skin, which is guided by two guide rods and, driven by an eccentric cam, is moved back and forth in a direction parallel to the longitudinal axis of the housing. The eccentric cam acts upon the massage arm via a helical spring and causes a moment in alternate directions to be exerted on the massage arm. The magnitude of the force transmitted from the eccentric cam onto the massage arm is defined by the clamping conditions and the geometrical dimensions, and hence the stimulation of the user""s skin by the massage arm is always constant. Furthermore, there is a risk that the rectilinear movement of the massage arm in conjunction with the arched outer contour of the housing will pinch the user""s skin.
From EP A 760 219 there is also known a stimulation device for the user""s skin which is integrated in an epilator to reduce pain. The stimulation device disclosed in this specification comprises a U-shaped yoke pivot-mounted on the housing and driven to oscillate directly by cams arranged on the epilating cylinder when said cylinder rotates. In this arrangement both the stroke and the frequency of the stimulation device are constant, hence the intensity of the skin stimulation is of a fixed, predetermined magnitude with this appliance, too.
A further disadvantage shared by the two known epilators is their special, elaborate drive mechanism for the driven skin stimulation device.
It is known that the stimulation devices of the epilators serve to reduce the user""s subjective sense of pain when plucking body hairs. This is achieved in that an additional irritation, which is less intense or physiologically less disagreeable than the pain of plucking, is superimposed on the pain caused by plucking the hairs. Experience has shown that the irritation needing to be superimposed for optimal pain reduction depends to an extreme degree on the respective user""s individual characteristics and varying sensitivity. This is not taken into consideration by the known epilators, and consequently the pain reduction achieved by these appliances is insufficient for many users.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide an epilator of the prior-art type that enables, with a simple design and in economical manner, an optimal reduction of pain for different users with an individual sense of pain.
This object is accomplished in accordance with the invention in that the elements for the mechanical stimulating striking of the skin are constructed in such a way that the intensity of the striking can be varied by the user.
An alternative solution to accomplishing this object is achieved if these elements include at least one resilient component biasing the contact element elastically in the direction of the skin, and if said elements are driven by coupling to the epilating head. This solution takes account to a high degree of the aspect of particularly low manufacturing cost and extremely little constructional effort because hardly any additional components are required for driving the skin stimulation device.
Particularly advantageous is an embodiment of the invention in which the intensity of the striking is variable in dependence upon the angle at which the epilator is placed against the skin, because this enables the user of the epilator to adapt, without interrupting the epilating process, the stimulation effect to his individual needs by the simplest operation and without making any manual settings. This is also possible with an embodiment of the invention in which the intensity of the striking is variable in dependence upon the contact pressure between the epilator and the skin.
For an effective and clearly discernible reduction of pain during the epilating process it is particularly advantageous if the striking of the skin occurs in pulsed fashion. This is accomplishable in simple manner and with little effort if the elements for the mechanical stimulating striking of the skin include at least one elastically biased contact element. Ideally, this contact element is elastically biased in the direction of the skin.
Pins or cylinders, particularly spiked or gearwheel cylinders that roll off the skin, have proven to be particularly suitable contact elements.
If the contact element is guided in such a way that its path of motion defines an arc extending concentrically to the epilating head, on the one hand this will enable a particularly sensitive control of the intensity with which the skin is struck, and on the other hand it will ensure, as a result of the constant distance between the epilating head and the skin stimulation device, that the skin cannot be pinched between the contact element and the epilating head.
Pain can be reduced practically completely by an embodiment of the invention in which provision is made for at least one further, non-driven skin stimulation element in addition to the driven elements for the stimulating striking of the skin. The practical implementation of such a structural concept could be such that, for example, prior to the plucking process the section of skin to be epilated is struck by one or several driven contact elements in order to effect a physiologically less disagreeable irritation of high intensity, while after the plucking this particular section of skin is struck by one or several non-driven contact elements that impart(s) an irritation of appreciably less intensity into the skin.
Factors contributing to the simple design of the epilator of the invention are in particular that the elements for the mechanical stimulating striking of the skin are actuated by the drive elements of the epilating head, i.e., not by a separate drive of their own, in which context it is particularly favorable in drive terms for these elements to be directly actuated by the epilating head. Pulsed striking of the skin is decisive for an optimal reduction of pain, hence a preferred embodiment of the invention provides for actuation of the elements for the mechanical stimulating striking of the skin by means of elastically deformable transmission elements. This enables, in particularly simple manner, a sudden release of striking energy after a deformation of the transmission element has exceeded a predefined value.
A further embodiment of the invention, which is also regarded simultaneously as a separable invention, provides for the elements for the stimulating striking of the skin to be provided in an attachment comprising a base body for attaching to the housing and elements movably mounted inside the base body for the stimulating striking of the skin, said elements being equipped with coupling elements for coupling to the drive elements. This solution, which is also an invention in its own right, affords the possibility of using the elements for pain reduction as accessory parts that the user of the epilator can employ according to requirements. In this way it is also possible to retrofit already existing epilators with a pain reduction device without the need for a particularly elaborate conversion with costly changes to the epilator. The embodiment in which the elements for mechanical stimulating striking of the skin are directly actuated by the epilating head is particularly suitable for configuring the pain reduction device as a retrofittable accessory.
The base body of the attachment is mountable on the housing by positive or, alternatively, frictional engagement therewith; an embodiment in which the base body is connectable to the housing by means of a releasable detent is particularly favorable, however, in terms of precision fit and stability.


The present invention includes a system and method for confining plasma within a plasma processing chamber. The plasma processing apparatus comprises a first electrode, a power generator, a second electrode, at least one confinement ring, and a ground extension surrounding the first electrode. The first electrode is configured to receive a workpiece and has an associated first electrode area. The power generator is operatively coupled to the first electrode, and the power generator is configured to generate RF power that is communicated to the first electrode. The second electrode is disposed at a distance from the first electrode. The second electrode is configured to provide a complete electrical circuit for RF power communicated from the first electrode. Additionally, the second electrode has a second electrode area that is greater than the first electrode area. At least one confinement ring is configured to assist confine the plasma. The plasma is generated with the RF power being communicated between the first electrode and the gas residing inside the confinement rings. The ground extension drains charge from the plasma boundaries with a grounded conductive surface.

1. Field of Invention
The present invention is related to semiconductor fabrication. More particularly, the invention is related to plasma processing during semiconductor fabrication.
2. Description of Related Art
In the fabrication of semiconductor based devices (e.g. integrated circuits or flat panel displays) layers of material may alternately be deposited onto and etched from a workpiece surface (e.g., the semiconductor wafer or the glass panel). As is well known in the art, the etching of the deposited layer(s) may be accomplished by a variety of techniques, including plasma-enhanced etching. In plasma-enhanced etching, the actual etching of the workpiece takes place inside a plasma processing chamber. During the etching process, a plasma is formed from a suitable etchant source gas to etch areas of the workpiece that are unprotected by the mask, leaving behind the desired pattern.
There are two types of plasmas that are employed in plasma-enhanced etching, namely, confined plasmas and unconfined plasmas. Unconfined plasmas touch the plasma processing chamber walls and may contaminate the workpiece by re-depositing atoms from the chamber walls on to the workpiece. Typically, the plasma processing chamber walls are made of materials that are incompatible to the workpiece. With confined plasma, there is little or no contamination since the plasma is stopped by some means from reaching the chamber walls. Thus, confined plasmas provide a level of cleanliness that is not provided by well-known unconfined plasmas.
Generating confined plasma may prove, however, difficult since it has a high electric potential with respect to the chamber walls. This high potential in connection with a given geometry of the reactor and gas pressure outside the confinement means can lead to electric breakdown of the gas and the ignition of plasma outside the confined region. Furthermore, large RF return currents on the inner surface of the chamber walls may inductively couple RF energy into the gas outside the confinement means. This may also lead to electric breakdown of the gas and, therefore, will enable the plasma to spread to the chamber walls. This undesirable state will be referred to as unconfinement.
Typically, plasma can be prevented from reaching the chamber walls by establishing a variety of repulsive fields, either electric or magnetic in nature. By way of example, the plasma is confined by a plurality of confinement rings resident within the chamber walls and by means of draining charge out of the plasma just before it can reach the inner limits of the confinement rings. Since the confinement rings are made from an insulating material they will charge to a potential comparable to that of the plasma. Consequently, a repulsive electric field will emanate from the leading edge of each confinement ring that will keep plasma from protruding any further out toward the chamber walls.
Among the different types of plasma etching systems, those utilizing confinement rings have proven to be highly suitable and effective for the production of semiconductors. An example of such a system may be found in commonly assigned U.S. Pat. No. 5,534,751 and U.S. Pat. No. 6,019,060 which are hereby incorporated by reference.
The Lenz et al. U.S. Pat. No. 5,534,751 disclosure describes a plasma etching apparatus utilizing plasma confinement. The plasma etching apparatus includes confinement rings that comprise quartz rings that are positioned to surround an interaction space between two electrodes of the apparatus where a plasma is formed during operation of the apparatus. The dimensions of the slots are chosen to insure that charged particles of spent gases in the plasma exiting the interaction space are neutralized by wall collisions as they exit the slots. Two voltage sources of different frequencies are used to apply voltages to the electrodes in a fashion that isolates each source from the other. The other Lenz U.S. Pat. No. 6,019,060 disclosure describes the use of confinement rings in which the confinement rings are raised and lowered to facilitate workpiece transport.
An illustrative example of a plasma processing chamber having confinement rings is shown in FIG. 1. The Figure shows a cross-sectional view of the plasma processing chamber 100 having confinement rings 102a and 102b. Although only two confinement rings are shown, it should be understood that any number of confinement rings may be provided. Within plasma processing chamber 100, there is shown a first electrode 104, representing the workpiece holder on which a workpiece 106 is positioned during etching. The first electrode 104 may be implemented by any suitable chucking system, e.g. electrostatic, mechanical, clamping, vacuum, or the like, and is surrounded by an insulator 108. During etching, RF power supply 110 may generate RF power having a frequency of about 2 MHz to about 27 MHz to first electrode 104.
Above workpiece 106, there is disposed a second upper electrode 112, which is coupled to a reactor top formed of a conductive material such as aluminum. The reactor top is coupled to confinement rings 102. Second upper electrode 112 is electrically insulated from grounded chamber wall 116 by insulator 118 and is powered by an RF power supply 120 to facilitate the formation of a plasma out of etchant source gases supplied via a gas line (not shown). RF power supply 120 may have any suitable frequency, such as 2 MHz to 27 MHz. It shall be appreciated by those skilled in the art that the plasma processing chamber of FIG. 1 represents a capacitively coupled plasma processing chamber although the confinement rings also operate well with other types of processing chambers such as inductively coupled plasma processing chambers.
Other approaches for confining plasma include magnetic confinement. The U.S. Pat. No. 5,767,628 and U.S. Pat. No. 5,936,352 both use magnetic confinement to generate a partially confined plasma and are hereby incorporated by reference.
Keller et al. in U.S. Pat. No. 5,767,628 discloses a processing apparatus including a chamber, an induction coil for providing a RF induced electromagnetic field to generate a plasma, and a plurality of magnetic dipoles that produce a confined plasma within the processing chamber.
Samukawa et al. in U.S. Pat. No. 5,936,352 discloses a processing apparatus that includes a plasma chamber having a first set and a second set of parallel electromagnetic elements. An oscillating energy having a first phase is applied to the first set of parallel electromagnetic elements. Another oscillating energy having an opposite phase is applied to the second set of parallel electromagnetic elements to produce oppositely moving energy fields in the processing chamber such that electrons are confined in a plasma produced in the chamber.
In spite of the well-known method for confining plasma either partially or fully, a novel system and method for generating confined plasma is needed. This need is caused by the semiconductor industry shifting from 200 mm wafers to 300 mm wafers. The 300 mm wafer occupies more than twice the area of the 200 mm wafer. As a result of the 300 mm wafer being larger, the operating conditions for semiconductor fabrication change substantially. Prior art methods for generating a confined plasma that worked for 200 mm wafer do not work on 300 mm wafers due to the higher gas flows and higher radio frequency (RF) power levels.
Therefore it would be beneficial to provide an apparatus that generates a confined plasma that occupies a substantially larger volume.
Additionally, it would be beneficial to provide an apparatus that confines plasma in processing chamber that operates using high gas flows.
It would also be beneficial to provide an apparatus that confines plasma in a processing chamber that operates with high RF power levels.
Furthermore, it would be beneficial to provide a method for generating a confined plasma in a processing chamber that operates using high gas flows.
Further still, it would be beneficial to provide a method for generating a confined plasma in a processing chamber that operates using high RF power levels.
The present invention includes a system and method for confining plasma using a plasma processing apparatus. The plasma processing apparatus comprises a first electrode, at least one power generator, a second electrode, at least one confinement ring, and a ground extension for draining charge from the plasma boundaries. The first electrode is configured to receive a workpiece and has an associated first electrode area. The power generator is operatively coupled to the first electrode, and the power generator is configured to generate an RF power that is communicated to the first electrode. The second electrode is disposed at a distance from the first electrode. The second electrode is configured to provide a complete electrical circuit for RF power communicated from the first electrode. Additionally, the second electrode has a second electrode area that may vary in size from that of the first electrode area. At least one confinement ring is configured to assist in confining the plasma. The plasma is generated with the RF power being communicated between the first electrode and the second electrode. The ground extension drains charge from the plasma boundaries with a grounded conductive surface.
Additionally, the invention includes a method for generating a confined plasma in a plasma processing apparatus. The method includes providing a first electrode configured to receive a workpiece in which the first electrode has a first electrode area. Additionally, the method includes providing a second electrode disposed at a distance from the first electrode. The second electrode is configured to provide a complete electrical circuit for RF power communicated from the first electrode. Further still, the second electrode has a second electrode area that may vary in size from that of the first electrode area. The method then provides for the engaging of a power supply to communicate a plurality of electrical charge from the first electrode and the second electrode. The method also provides for the draining of the plurality of charge at a plasma boundary. The plasma boundary provides a perimeter for the confined plasma.

Plasma processing apparatus and method for confining an RF plasma under very high gas flow and RF power density conditions


The object of this invention is to provide a laminated automotive glazing having an obscuration area produced by printing the obscuration on a film laminated between at least two layers of plastic interlayers or directly on the interlayer rather than printing and firing an enamel frit onto the glass. This results in a laminate having superior optical quality, higher strength and a lower probability of breakage as compared to a laminate with a black enamel frit obscuration.

Black enamel frit obscurations are commonly printed on laminated and tempered automotive safety glazing.
Obscurations have multiple functional and aesthetic requirements.
The obscuration must be substantially opaque. This is needed to prevent the adhesive, used to mount the glazing to the vehicle, from being seen from the outside of the vehicle. It must also protect the adhesive from the harmful effects of ultra-violet. The obscuration also serves this same function for the equipment attached to the inside surface of the glazing. On heated and coated glazing, the obscuration is used to hide the edge of the coating, bus bars, leads and any other items that would detract from the appearance of the vehicle. The obscuration also has the additional aesthetic requirement that it have a dark black color and a reflective glossy appearance.
In addition to hiding the adhesive, equipment mounted to the glazing and other items the obscuration must be durable. It must last for the life of the glazing, without fading, having a reduction in adhesion or otherwise failing. Another important functional requirement is that the obscuration must protect the adhesives from the ultraviolet rays of the sun.
The obscurations are usually printed on the surface 24 of glass facing the inside of the vehicle.
In addition to the obscurations, markings required for regulatory compliance (date, manufacturer, compliance classification, model, etc.) and images, such as trademarks, barcodes etc., are also printed on the glass.
Obscurations have historically been black. One of the reasons for this comes from the limitations imposed by ceramic frits. It is difficult to produce frits, in colors other than black, that have the durability needed and for which the color can be reliably replicated from run to run. The other reason is that a black obscuration can be used with any color of paint.
The practice of applying black enamel frit obscurations became common place the 1980s when the industry switched from the rubber H channel and the butyl adhesive strip windshield mounting systems to polyurethane adhesive mounting of safety glazing. This change was made in response to the poor safety performance of the prior technology. The channel/butyl mounted windshields were often dislodged on impact allowing the occupants to be ejected from the vehicle. To improve occupant retention in crashes, the industry switched to polyurethane adhesive mounting. Today, on new vehicles, butyl is no longer used and the rubber H channel mount is only seen on commercial and off-road vehicles.
One advantage of the butyl strip system was that the strip was narrow enough to be covered by a molding or trim strip to obscure the butyl and the vehicle mounting flange. The rubber channel also did not require an edge obscuration as the rubber covered both the edge of glass and the flange.
This had to change to enable the use of polyurethane. To obtain the required bond strength, between the vehicle and the glass, it was found that the bead of polyurethane had to be substantially wider than the butyl strip had been. With a minimum width of 19 mm, it was no longer practical to obscure the adhesive from view from the outside with a trim strip or molding due to the width that would have been required. In addition, polyurethane needs to be protected from ultra-violet light, UV, to prevent degradation. As a result, the black enamel frit obscuration band was added to the glass, to obscure the view of the polyurethane and to protect the polyurethane by blocking the UV. This obscuration band of black enamel frit that encircles the day light opening is commonly called the "black band".
While there can be no doubt that the polyurethane system has saved countless lives, it has some disadvantages.
Black enamel frit is comprised of pigments, a carrier, binders and finely ground glass. Other materials are also sometimes added to enhance certain properties: the firing temperate, anti-stick, chemical resistance, etc. The black frit is applied to the glass using a silk screen or ink jet printing process prior to heating and bending. During the bending process, the finely ground glass in the frit soften and fuses with the glass surface. The frit is said to be "fired" when this takes place. This is very similar to the process used to apply enamel finishes on bathroom fixtures, pottery, china and appliances.
Metals and many other types of materials have an ultimate yield strength at which point the material will fail. However, with glass we can only specify a probability of breakage for a given value of stress. Looking at glass at the molecular level, we would expect the strength to be very high. In fact, what we find in practice is that glass has a very high compressive strength, as expected, but very low tensile strength.
For a given set of glass test specimens, with identical loading, the point of failure at first glance might appear to be a random variable. In fact, the yield point follows a Weibull distribution and the probability of breakage can be calculated as a function of, stress, duration, surface area, surface defects and the modulus of glass.
To the naked eye, float glass appears to be near perfect. Any defects that may be present as so small as to not be visible. But, in fact, at the microscopic level, the surface appears rough and can be seen to be dotted with flaws. When the glass is placed in tension, these surface defects tend to open up and expand, eventually leading to failure. Therefore, laminated automotive glass almost always fails in tension. Even when not in tension, the surface defects react with the moisture in the environment and slowly "grow" over time. This phenomenon is known as slow crack growth. As a result, glass weakens as it ages.
A fired black frit increases surface defects. This can be seen if the black pigment of a fired black obscuration is chemically dissolved. The surface of glass will have a frosted appearance, similar to sand blasted or chemically etched glass. The frosted appearance is due to the myriad surface defects present from the fused glass. This makes the surface weaker increasing the probability of breakage. Testing has shown that glass with black frit fails at a stress level that is substantially lower than glass that does not have black frit.
Another problem arises from the thermal gradients that occur during the bending process. As one would expect, the black frit absorbs more radiant heat than the clear glass. Radiant heat is the predominant heat source used for glass bending. The black frit areas of the glass run hotter than the adjacent clear areas. With glass being a poor conductor of heat, gradients in the tens of degrees centigrade can arise over a short distance. These high abrupt thermal gradient on the surface result in optical distortion and high residual along the inner edge of the black band. This is known as the "burn" line in the industry. This can often be seen along the edges of the black obscuration found along the edges of most windshields.
Obscurations used with glass mounted camera systems are forced to designate a "buffer" zone 15 between the edge of the camera field of view 16 and the edge of the black frit 8 (FIG. 9A) to exclude the burn line. This is an accommodation required due to the limitations of the black frit. The ideal would be to have no buffer zone 15 as the larger obscuration reduces the driver field of view and the natural light entering the vehicle (FIG. 9B).
One method used to address the burn line problem is the dot fadeout. Starting at the inner solid edge of the black paint, rows of increasingly smaller dots are painted on the glass. This is the same principle as used in greyscale printing. This reduces the rate of change in the surface temperature, spreading it over a wider area. The dot fadeout also helps to hide the distortion. However, on some parts, even a wide dot fadeout is not sufficient to eliminate all distortion. A wide dot fadeout also may not be possible depending upon the size of the opening and the regulatory requirements for driver vision. Dot fadeout patterns are also undesirable in that they increase the production cost of the glazing.
Another problem is surface mismatch. A laminate is comprised of at least two layers of glass. The frit is typically applied to only one of the glass layers. This can result is a slight difference in the shape of the surfaces. When the two surfaces are forced together during lamination, the mismatch results in residual stress in the laminate and optical distortion.
Even with these drawbacks, the area of the windshield with a black frit obscuration has increased in recent years. There are a number of reasons why this is occurring.
To improve aerodynamics and lower wind noise, the wiper rest position on many vehicles is located out of sight below the hood line. When this is done, the bottom edge of the windshield is extended to form a "wiper rest" 31 so as to provide a resting surface for the wipers when not in use as shown in FIGS. 1, 2 and 3. This area is typically obscured with a black enamel frit 31 extending downward and connecting to the black band. The width of this area can be in excess of 15 cm. This area is also normally heated, to prevent snow and ice from building up, using a screen print conductive silver on the number four 24 surface of the glass. The power density required to keep this area free of ice and snow is double that of a rear window defroster due to the snow and ice that is packed in from the wiper action. The wide wiper rest frit obscuration, with drawbacks intrinsic to frit, coupled with the thermal stress of melting snow and ice, leads to a high breakage rate for these windshields.
As the electronic content of modern vehicles has increased, the area of the windshield, near the top center, has become increasingly crowded on many vehicles. Once the province of just the rear-view mirror, we now find a wide array of equipment mounted in this location.
One of the first devices to compete for this area was the infra-red rain sensor use to provide for a full automatic mode of windshield wiper operation as well as other vehicle functions such as closing the sun roof and pulsing the brakes to keep the rotors dry. The rain sensor must have a lens optically coupled to the number four 24 surface of the windshield. An IR LED shines light onto the number one 21 surface. The amount of light reflected back correlates to the amount of water present on the number one 21 surface. The field of view of the lens must be in the area cleared by the wipers in order to function properly. Therefore, the lens is generally mounted on or near the vertical centerline near the top of the wiped area. Power and signal wiring is required for the sensor to work. In addition to the lens 10, the sensor comprises a housing 12 and a cover 14 all of which need to be hidden from view from the outside of the vehicle to avoid an unsightly clutter appearance.
The rear view mirror itself has undergone a major transformation. Once a purely mechanical device, electro-chromic automatic dimming rear-view mirrors have become a popular option and are standard equipment on many models. The additional components required to provide this functionality make the mirror heavier and therefore require a larger footprint mounting bracket than a standard non-dimming mirror.
The rear-view mirror has further evolved as telematics driver aid systems, integrated garage door openers and hands free blue-tooth interfaces have been introduced. The rear view mirror is a convention place to locate control push-buttons and microphones which require additional wires which also must be protected and covered. Power also needs to be provided to the mirror. A cover is often provided to protect the cable and to hide it from the inside of the vehicle.
The use of cameras, requiring a wide field of view and a high level of optical clarity, is also growing at a rapid rate with the introduction of vehicles capable of various levels of autonomous operation. The resolution of the cameras is also increasing at an equally fast rate. These typically must be mounted on the windshield in the wiper area. Early initial applications were for night-vision. Today, camera based systems are used to provide a wide array of safety functions including adaptive cruise control, obstacle detection, lane departure warning and support for autonomous operation. Many of these applications require the use of multiple cameras. A clear undistorted field of view, with minimal double imaging and excellent MTF (Modulation Transfer Function, a measure of how well a lens maps an image to a sensor), is especially critical for camera based systems to perform as intended. It is essential for these systems to be able to quickly differentiate between objects, capture text, identify signage, and operate with minimal lighting. Further, as the resolution of the cameras used increases the need for a clear distortion free field of view increases.
While covers 14 and various styling methods can be used to obscure the components and cables from the inside, we also need to maintain clean lines and a good aesthetic when the vehicle is viewed from the exterior.
Standard practice has been to extend the black enamel frit band 32 to create an obscuration 8 on the number four 24 surface with openings in the obscuration 30 to provide for the required field of view as shown in FIGS. 1, 2 & 3.
When the black enamel frit band 32 is extended downward from the top center black band to create an obscuration 8 on the number two 22 or number four surface 24, distortion and stress can become a major problem FIG. 1. This is because the black frit is extending further from the edge into the area that where more heat must be applied to bend the glass. The large surface area of the obscuration increases the probability of breakage due to the surface defects and stress introduced by the frit. This is also a critical viewing area.
A panoramic windshield is a windshield in which the top edge of glass has been extended to include at least a portion of the roof giving the driver a vertical field of vision of at least 45 degrees as defined by the applicable regulatory standards.
In the case of a panoramic windshield FIG. 3, the problem is even more pronounced as the obscuration 8 extends several cm from the top edge and is located near the weakest point of the windshield. This is also where the highest temperatures are required to bend the glass.
The process for printing on laminate interlayers was first commercialized in 2003. Some of the key patents include: U.S. Pat. No. 8,002,938 B2, U.S. Pat. No. 7,232,213 B2 and U.S. Pat. No. 7,278,730. To date, the primary application has been for architectural laminates, providing a means to produce images and marking, in vivid colors at a resolution that was never before possible. However, little has been done in the automotive market. DE201110004500 teaches the use of a printed plastic layer for use in an automotive laminate for reducing weight and providing artistic freedom to the designer. US 20080286542 provides for an acoustic laminate with an image printed on film and adhered to the interlayer though use of an adhesion promoter.
One of the reasons why we have not seen the adaptation of printed interlayers in automotive is that the printed interlayers do not meet the functional requirements of an obscuration. A screen print enamel frit provides a high degree of protection from UV which is needed to protect the polyurethane used to bond the glazing to the vehicle opening. Inks printed on the interlayer do not have the same level of opacity and UV blocking ability that the black enamel frits do. They also do not provide the deep black glossy appearance of a fired black frit. This failure is due to the limited types of ink that are available for printing on interlayers.
One of the primary functions of the interlayer is to serve as the adhesive to hold the sheets of glass together. In the event of an accident, the interlayer holds the shards of glass together and helps to prevent the occupant from being ejected. In the event of an impact from the exterior of the vehicle, the interlayer helps to prevent the projectile from penetrating and entering the cabin. Penetration resistance is a key requirement for regulatory compliance. Any ink applied to the interlayer, must not interfere with this essential safety function. The interlayer must be able to bond to the glass through the print. Adhesion promoters are often needed even with the best ink formulations. This requirement severely limits the type of inks that can be used.
Interlayer sheets do not lend themselves well to the automated feed systems of typical printing equipment. The various materials used to produce interlayer sheets are all thermo plastics with glass transition points in the room temperature range or lower. As such, the sheets are limp and difficult to work with. The surface of interlayers for lamination also need to be embossed to facilitate handling and the lamination process. It is difficult to print on an embossed surface.

Obscuration having superior strength and optical quality for an automotive laminate


A wireless network modem dock having a case that houses circuitry and a power connector, a data interface, and a user identification reader all connected to the circuitry. In addition, an antenna connector is attached to the case and connected to the circuitry. The circuitry is capable of sending and receiving M2M data through the antenna connector to a wireless network. Further, the case, the circuit, the power connector, the data interface, the user identification reader, and the antenna connector are certified with the wireless network prior to sending or receiving the M2M data.

In recent years, machine-to-machine (M2M) technologies are becoming more and more important in multiple businesses. M2M refers to technologies that allow both wireless and wired systems to communicate with other devices. M2M uses a device (such as a sensor or meter) to capture an event (such as temperature, inventory level, etc.), which is relayed through a network (wireless, wired or hybrid) to an application (software program), that translates the captured event into meaningful information (for example, items need to be restocked). Such communications were originally accomplished by having a remote network of machines relay information back to a central hub for analysis, which would then be rerouted into a system like a personal computer.
Modern M2M communication has expanded beyond a one-to-one connection and changed into a system of networks that transmits data via the expansion of wireless/cellular networks across the world. However, each machine in the M2M wireless system must have a wireless modem to connect to the network. As it stands, each modem must be tested and certified to the wireless/cellular network system it wishes to communicate over. The testing looks at the integration of the modem with the machine to which it is linked and the network. The testing procedure is lengthy and expensive, typically requiring a third party to make the certifications. Additionally, the wireless modem is typically soldered onto a circuit board. This makes the modem semi-permanent to the machine in the M2M wireless system. If the modem malfunctions, an involved procedure to repair or replace the modem on the machine must be undertaken, even during testing.
Further, an obstacle with existing M2M wireless systems is the cost to certify the M2M system or recertify it in the case of an original failure or change in hardware. Currently, the cost to the network operator and to the telecom industry, in general, is between $75,000 and $100,000 for a simple certification without technical issues. The costs only increase from this point.
Hence a need exists for a pre-certified M2M modem dock that can be a turn key solution to businesses employing M2M solutions. Further, the pre-certified M2M modem dock simplifies repair and replacement in the event of malfunction. Additionally, the pre-certified M2M modem dock saves the industry from multiple certification/recertification costs, since the M2M modem dock is pre-certified prior to use with the M2M device.

Certified 4G modem dock for M2M applications


A method for packing data over a power line communication channel is disclosed herein. The method comprises packing data into symbol body, adding a first pad in front of the symbol body to form a full symbol and determining the time instance in which the peak absolute voltage point of the AC electric power occurs. And subsequently it is to send the full symbol through the power line in a manner synchronized with the time instance aforesaid. Based on the interference condition detection, the invention allows receiver side adaptation.

Electric power line is a good medium for data communication as it is ubiquitous to buildings and households in modern cities. However, reliable digital communication must overcome various kinds of noises and interferences presented on the power lines. They are: (1) background noise caused by summation of various low power noise sources, (2) narrow-band interferences, (3) periodic impulse interference with fixed time interval between bursts and (4) aperiodic impulsive interferences. The periodic impulse interference (PII) can further be categorized as Type I interference which is synchronous to the AC power line frequency of either 50 or 60 Hz, and Type II interference that is asynchronous to the AC line frequency. Type I interference is typically caused by dimmers, and rectifier diodes . . . , etc, and is rarely observed in other communication systems. However, the amplitude of the Type I interference can be stronger than the signal and its burst duration can be fairly wide. Thus the useful time interval for data transmission is greatly reduced. Hence a good power line communication device must combat this Type I interference effectively.

OFDM symbol structure for power line communication

Hong Kong Applied Science and Technology Research Institute Company Limited


The present invention relates to a pediculicide/ovicide composition and method of use thereof. In particular, the present invention relates to a pediculicide/ovicide composition comprising a sesquiterpene alcohol and a suitable carrier.

Lice belong to the order Phthiraptera, and are the only truly parasitic group amongst the exopterygote insects. As permanent ectoparasites of most birds and mammals they exhibit a remarkable level of host specificity which is unparalleled in most other metazoan parasites. To date there are more than 3000 known species of lice and yet many more remain undescribed. With the possible exception of those species that impinge on the activity of humans and their livestock, the true biology of this cryptic group of insects remains obscure. The order Phthiraptera has been traditionally divided into two groups according to their different feeding habits: the chewing lice or "Mallophaga", and the Anoplura, colloquially known as the "sucking lice".
Chewing lice with their large head and mandibles comprise the largest group with some 2900 species, while the Anoplura comprise some 500 species. The Anoplura are restricted to mammals and feed using maxillae positioned at the end of a snout-like protrusion to pierce the skin. Feeding solely on blood they remain at the feeding site causing localized skin irritations to their host. Because of this they are the vectors to a number of blood borne diseases. This group includes the human louse Pediculus humanus, consequently they are probably the most well studied louse group.
Because of their potential to spread disease lice have been studied extensively with respect to control. Lice infestation has traditionally been treated using pesticides or pediculicides comprising nervous system toxicants capable of inhibiting or over-potentiating synapse-synapse and/or neuro-muscular junction transmission, many acting specifically as acetylcholinesterase inhibitors.
Representative examples of pesticides include: 1) chlorinated phenyl and cyclodiene compounds such as DDT, chlordane, heptachlor, and aldrin and dieldrin; 2) the carbamate esters carbaryl, carbofuran, aldicarb, and baygon; 3) organic thiophosphate esters such as diazinon, Malathion, parathion, and dicapthon; and 4) the synthetic pyrethroids allethrin, permethrin, resmethrin, and fenvalerate.
While these and other pediculicides have been used extensively and to good effect, they present risks to human and animal health. For example, many of the regularly used pediculicides present some direct risk to human health through residual toxicity, i.e. through direct human contact with pesticide residues. Other pesticides produce volatile toxic vapours, which can cause skin irritation on absorption or ingestion. In addition, many pediculicides present indirect risks to human health in the form of environmental pollution, most notably pollution with persistent, halide-substituted organics, which accumulate in the fat stores of food fish and other animals. These problems have led to complete bans on the use of some agents eg, DDT, chlordane, heptachlor, aldrin, and dieldrin.
There is also increasing concern that many of the known pediculicides are becoming less effective than previously experienced. For example, many of the known pediculicides have been noted to be ineffective in killing the ova or nits of lice. Thus, the use of these pediculicides results in a reinfestation of the hair or skin as soon as the ova hatch, since the treatment was ineffective in controlling and killing the ova. Accordingly, the combination of health and environmental concerns coupled with the less effectiveness of known pediculicides has resulted in a need to develop an effective treatment for both adult lice and their ova.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.


Implementations of the present invention relate to systems, methods, and apparatus for manufacturing aesthetically pleasing, post-formable, reparable decorative architectural resin panels having a thin or brittle veneer layer such as thinly sliced natural wood or stone. In particular, at least one implementation includes a flat or curved decorative resin panel made with a natural wood veneer layer whose structural integrity has been maintained despite being subject to various heats and pressures. The resulting resin panel is at least partially translucent, and allows for a unique display both of the resin sheets used to form the panel and of the thin wood materials encapsulated therein. Additional implementations relate to the use of other brittle veneer layers, such as translucent stone, translucent metals, or the like, which also provide unique, decorative architectural, aesthetic features.

1. The Field of the Invention
This invention relates to systems, methods, and apparatus for producing decorative resin panels. In particular, at least some aspects of the invention relate to creating decorative resin panels employing a thin or brittle natural veneer layer.
2. The Relevant Technology
Decorative panels are increasingly popular for use in architectural design implementations, such as in walls, doors, floors, dividers, lighting diffusers, ceiling panels and the like. Decorative panels can also be formed into one or more shapes for use in sculptural works. Decorative panels made of glass or polymeric resins are particularly popular in architectural design due the structural and aesthetic properties that are possible in some circumstances. Typical polymeric resin materials used for making decorative panels include styrene based resins such as acrylonitrile butadiene styrene or "ABS", polyvinyl chloride or "PVC"; polyacrylate materials such as poly(methyl methacrylate) or "PMMA" (also known as acrylic); polyester or copolyester based materials such as poly(ethylene terephthalate), "PET," either modified or unmodified with 1 to 99 mole percent of a diol or combination of diols, such as ethylene glycol, neopentyl glycol or cyclohexanedimethanol, or "PETG" and "PCTG"; as well as polycarbonate resin based materials.
There are many different materials (and ways for manufacturing these materials) used to create a resin-based panel that can be used for decorative purposes. In one example, a first sheet, such as an eighth-inch sheet of glass or polymeric resin sheet is positioned on a surface, an image layer is then positioned on the first sheet, and a second eighth-inch sheet of glass or polymeric resin is positioned on top of the image layer, thereby creating about a quarter or half-inch assembly. The combined assembly is then solidified using any number of panel forming processes. For example, a manufacturer might apply a liquid adhesive between the first and second sheets in the case of a glass assembly, or might thermoform the first and second sheets about the layer using an appropriate amount of temperature and pressure. The resulting panel, which exhibits the aesthetic properties of the layer, is then prepared and positioned in the appropriate architectural environment (e.g., door, window, wall, etc.)
Despite this seeming interchangeability of material compositions (e.g., glass, or polymeric resin), the choice of material for the panel can have a significant impact on the panel's ultimate use. For example, one type of decorative panel may be made by positioning a thin, decorative material, such as wood veneer, between two glass sheets. The manufacturer then applies a translucent liquid adhesive or casting resin between the glass sheets, which then cures at ambient temperature to form a composite panel. The resulting decorative panel in this example has a look of the decorative material, also having many of the aesthetic features (e.g., texture, shine, translucency) typically associated with glass. Unfortunately this type of glass panel is not used as much as it could be, since, as previously mentioned, glass works tend to be much more expensive, tend to be heavier, more fragile or brittle, and tend to be difficult to manufacture into a curved formation. As such, decorative glass panels are not ordinarily offered in many of the various shapes that could be possible or desired.
By contrast, conventional products using polymeric, resin-based materials have other types of limitations, such that laminates of thin and/or brittle natural materials can be difficult or impossible to make, particularly with any useful efficiency. For example, polymeric resin-based panels are generally formed about a decorative layer using combinations of fairly high temperature and pressures (e.g., about 300° F., and about 100 psi, etc.) Such temperatures and pressures are generally needed to soften the resin sheets to fuse the natural decorative layer to the opposing resin-based substrate panels. Nevertheless, these conventional thermoforming temperatures and pressures can be particularly harsh and can cause thin and/or brittle natural materials to split or otherwise deform, resulting in a laminate that does not have the desired aesthetic effect.
As such, conventional mechanisms for creating a natural-appearing image layer between polymeric resin panels generally involve substituting a decorative artificial image layer in place of the decorative natural material. For example, one conventional mechanism involves creating a printed film of a natural material, such as printing a natural material's image on a relatively thin polymeric resin sheet. In such a case, the printed image might be that of simulated wood or granite.
A manufacturer might then laminate the printed film or sheet by thermoforming two or more resin-based sheets about the printed film layer. Decorative panels made using this process can thus simulate the look of a laminated natural material to some degree without encountering some of the aforementioned manufacturing difficulties associated with using true, natural materials. One will appreciate, nevertheless, that even the best of such processes (printing, thermoforming, or otherwise) will betray the artifice of the image layer. That is, it is difficult if not impossible for most printing techniques to accurately convey each expected aesthetic of a true natural material.
Conventional mechanisms are therefore inefficient, if not completely ineffective, at accurately creating decorative resin-based panels that convey the aesthetics of true, natural materials. The look of true, natural materials, however, is increasingly popular in a number of architectural design and building applications. As such, there is an increasing need to combine the benefits of resin-based materials with the look of true, natural materials in an efficient, cost-effective way.

Resin-based panels having thin or brittle veneer layers and methods of making same


A server device includes: a set information acquisitor, a first storage, a set information request receiver, and an output controller. The set information acquisitor is configured to acquire from a first terminal device a set information which indicates a set of objects and which is associated with a first user. The first terminal device is configured to process a game by using the set information and to proceed with reference to the set of objects extracted from the set information. The set information request receiver is configured to receive an output request related to the set information from a second terminal device corresponding to a second user. The output controller is configured to cause, on the basis of the set information stored in the first storage, an output device to output at least one of the set information corresponding to the output request and information related to the set information.

There are card games (trading card games) that proceed by users owning, as hands, several cards from sets (for example, a so-called deck or the like) of objects (cards) prepared in advance by creating arbitrary combinations and executing commands of arranging cards at places that are called boards from among hands and the like. Conventionally, the users manipulate progression of the games by a method of selecting cards and executing commands by performing operations (for example, dragging and dropping operations or choosing of displayed options) for the selected cards in such card games (for example, see Patent Literature 1).

Information processing apparatus, server device, and program


When a failure occurs in synchronizing mechanism, an intake air throttle valve is rotated in a direction that is opposite from a normal operational time valve closing direction, so that an arm of a driven plate contacts a throttle valve side stopper to stop rotation of the intake air throttle valve. Thereafter, when a low pressure EGR valve is rotated from a full close position to a full open position, an EGR valve side stopper contacts the arm of the driven plate to stop the low pressure EGR valve. A rotational angle of the EGR valve is sensed with a sensor and is outputted to an ECU. The ECU determines that a failure mode is set when a valve angle sensed with the sensor coincides with a rotation stop position of the EGR valve.

An exhaust gas recirculation (EGR) technique, which recirculates a portion of exhaust gas of an internal combustion engine to an air intake side as EGR gas, is known as a technique that limits generation of nitrogen oxide (NOx) contained in the exhaust gas of the engine.
This EGR technique can reduce the quantity of NOx by increasing the quantity of the EGR gas. However, when the EGR gas is excessively recirculated, the particulate matter (PM) is likely generated. With respect to this point, a technique of reducing NOx has been proposed. According to this technique, a combination of an EGR apparatus in a high pressure system and an EGR apparatus in a low pressure system is used to limit the generation of the particulate matter (PM) and to reduce NOx.
However, the EGR apparatus of the low pressure system recirculates the EGR gas from a region, in which the exhaust gas pressure is relatively low, to a region, in which generation of the intake air negative pressure is relatively low. Therefore, although it is possible to return the small quantity of the EGR gas to the engine, it is difficult to recirculate the large quantity of the EGR gas to the engine.
In order to address such a disadvantage, JP2011-32929A (corresponding to US 2011/0023846A1) proposes a low pressure EGR apparatus, in which an intake air throttle valve 120 is placed in a portion of an intake passage 110, which is located on an upstream side of a merging portion, at which a low pressure EGR passage 100 is merged with the intake passage 110, as shown in FIG. 10. In an operational range of the engine, in which a large quantity of the EGR gas needs to be recirculated into the engine, the opening degree of the intake air throttle valve 120 is controlled such that the intake air throttle valve 120 is driven in a valve closing direction thereof for closing the intake air throttle valve 120, i.e., in a direction for increasing the negative intake air pressure.
Furthermore, in the low pressure EGR apparatus of JP2011-32929A (corresponding to US 2011/0023846A1), an output (output characteristics) of an actuator, which drives a low pressure EGR valve 130, is converted through a link device and is then transmitted to the intake air throttle valve 120. Thereby, a dedicated actuator, which is dedicated to drive the intake air throttle valve 120, is eliminated. Furthermore, JP2011-32929A (corresponding to US 2011/0023846A1) teaches a technique of determining a failure of the intake air throttle valve 120 with use of a rotational angle sensor, which senses a rotational angle of the low pressure EGR valve 130, in order to counteract a case where the intake air throttle valve 120 cannot be controlled due to a malfunction of the link device.
According to the technique of determining the failure of the intake air throttle valve, the rotational angle of the low pressure EGR valve 130 is sensed to determine that the intake air throttle valve 120 is failed in a case where the opening degree of the intake air throttle valve 120 is different from an opening degree, which corresponds to a maximum opening degree that is limited by a mechanical stopper, i.e., a case where a cam place, which is rotated integrally with the low pressure EGR valve 130, is placed outside of a normal operational angular range. However, in the case of the above failure determining technique, the operational angular range of the cam plate is increased. That is, when the link device is failed, the low pressure EGR valve 130, which is urged in a valve closing direction thereof by a spring, is rotated beyond a full close position, at which the opening degree of the low pressure EGR passage 100 is minimum, in a direction opposite from a normal opening direction (an opening direction in a normal operational state where the link device is not failed). Therefore, the cam plate, which is rotated integrally with the low pressure EGR valve 130, is placed outside of the normal operational angular range of the cam plate.
As a result, since the operational angular range of the cam plate is increased, it is necessary to provide an additional operational space to allow the increase in the operational angular range of the cam plate. Thereby, a size of the low pressure EGR apparatus, which includes the link device, is disadvantageously increased.

Low pressure exhaust gas recirculation apparatus


The present invention provides a single-tap search method for a mobile phone or portable device having an ambiguity keyboard for searching a remote sever. Via a database on the remote sever, the present invention can provide more keywords for a given ambiguity string. Additionally, when the keywords are found on the database on the remote sever the present invention further searches the database for information related to the keywords.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is related to portable devices with remote server access capability, and more particularly, to a portable device that can access a remote server using an ambiguity string.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The mobile phone is a ubiquitous feature of modern life. Fierce competition on the market means that manufacturers are constantly developing new features in order to gain an edge. The mobile phone user therefore has a large variety of options available to him/her, and will often select those that provide him or her with the greatest convenience of usage.
Most mobile phone users are familiar with the traditional 12-key keyboard. As more than one letter/symbol is allocated to each key, a user must utilize a multi-tap input method in order to generate a desired keyword. A number of input methods are currently in use by conventional mobile phones. The multi-tap with timeout method cycles through symbols each time a key is pressed. If, for example, a user wishes to enter the letter 'h', they will have to tap the '4' key twice. Furthermore, if a time between tapping the key exceeds a certain limit, the user will erroneously enter 'gg' rather than the desired 'h'. The long press method cycles through symbols as long as a key is held down. Each time the key is de-pressed a currently displayed symbol will be selected. To select 'h', for example, the '4' key must be held down until 'h' appears on the display screen, and the '4' key is then released/de-pressed in order to select the symbol 'h'. The two-key method utilizes the number keys to indicate which symbol a user wishes to choose. For example, when entering 'h' the user will press '42' as 'h' is the second symbol corresponding to the '4' key. The multi-press with following key method uses a non-number key (for example, an arrow key) to select a symbol. For example, if a user wishes to enter 'h' they must press '44' then press the arrow key to select the currently displayed 'h'. Most symbols therefore require at least two taps of the keyboard in order to be entered, causing the user some inconvenience.
One solution to this problem is to enter a desired word using a single-tap method, and then to search the phone database for a suitable match, as in predictive texting, for example. Predictive texting uses probability to determine which word a user wishes to enter according to the order of the keys pressed. An ambiguity string corresponding to single-tapped keys is sent to the database of the mobile phone/portable device where a match is searched for and generated (if found). For example, '43' is most likely to correspond to the word 'he', and therefore that is the first word that will be generated by the portable device database. This method, however, is dependent on the database being located in the portable device itself. If the database is a remote database, for example an Internet server, then this single-tap method will not work.