The present application provides a seal assembly for a turbine. The seal assembly may include a first metal shim, a second metal shim, and one or more flexible layers positioned between the first metal shim and the second metal shim.

Leakage of hot combustion gases and/or cooling flows between turbine components generally causes reduced power output and lower efficiency. For example, the hot combustion gases may be contained within the turbine by providing pressurized compressor air around the hot gas path. Leakage of high pressure cooling flows into the hot gas path thus may lead to detrimental parasitic losses. Overall efficiency thus may be improved by blocking the leakage locations while providing cooling flow only as required.
For example, current gas turbines may use cloth seals between adjacent stator components to limit the leakage of cooling flows therebetween. Such cloth seals may have a woven wire mesh cloth layer wrapped around a metal shim with a curved "shepherds hook" on either side. Manufacturing variations, however, involved in creating the shepherds hook and the overall cloth seal may impact the leakage rate therethrough. Even lower leakage rates may be achieved by using thin metal shims between the stator components. To date, however, the use of such thin metal shims in heavy duty gas turbines has not been feasible given concerns with robustness as well as manufacture and assembly issues with such seals.
There is thus a desire for an improved seal assembly for use between stator components and other components in a heavy duty gas turbine engine. Such a seal assembly may be substantially temperature resistant, wear resistant, and flexible so as to provide adequate sealing with a robust component lifetime.


Disclosed herein are IC structures that implement field plates for III-N transistors in a form of electrically conductive structures provided in a III-N semiconductor material below the polarization layer (i.e., at the “backside” of an IC structure). In some embodiments, such a field plate may be implemented as a through-silicon via (TSV) extending from the back/bottom face of the substrate towards the III-N semiconductor material. Implementing field plates at the backside may provide a viable approach to changing the distribution of electric field at a transistor drain and increasing the breakdown voltage of an III-N transistor without incurring the large parasitic capacitances associated with the use of metal field plates provided above the polarization material. In addition, backside field plates may serve as a back barrier for advantageously reducing drain-induced barrier lowering.

Field-effect transistors (FETs) are devices that include a semiconductor channel material, as well as gate, drain, and source terminals. The conductivity between the drain and source terminals is controlled by an electric field in the device, which is generated by the voltage difference between the source and the gate of the device. Pairs of different terminals of the device are isolated with a suitable dielectric material.

Transistors with backside field plate structures


A method for displaying a locus of positions on a map is disclosed. In the method, positions where images have been picked up by a digital camera device are determined based on characters included in the picked up images, and a locus of the determined positions of the images are displayed on a map to show a route in which the camera device has been transferred. Also, attributes of characters included in a picked up image are judged to decide whether the characters indicate a name of place or a station name, for example, and a map that matches the judgment is displayed. For example, a road map may be displayed when the characters are determined to indicate a name of place, and a railroad route map may be displayed when the characters are determined to indicate a station name. Furthermore, a position determined based on the characters may be displayed on the map that matches the attribute of the characters to show where in the map the image was picked up. Also, a map may be displayed based on characters included in one of picked up images selected by the user such that the user can confirm the place that has been visited. Also, a position determined based on the characters may be displayed on the map to allow the user to confirm details of the place that has been visited in the past.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an information processing apparatus that is capable of displaying maps and a position displaying method.
2. Related Background Art
Due to advances in mobile communications technologies in recent years, developments in devices that teach current locations of moving bodies are underway.
For example, a wandering aged person tracking system uses the personal handy-phone system (PHS) technology, and notifies a PHS base station that is located closest to a person (for example, a wandering aged person) who is carrying a mobile communications device of the location of the person. Since, PHS base stations are typically installed at intervals of several hundred meters, the position can be detected in several hundred meters.
Also, the global positioning system (GPS) use satellites to allow navigation, positioning, and other research throughout the world.
However, the conventional positioning technology that uses base stations and satellites to locate current positions entails the following problems.
(1) In the wandering aged person tracking system described above, the position of a person can be detected only within the range of the nearest station, and more precise, specific positioning cannot be provided. Also, the wandering aged person tracking system is currently installed at several locations throughout Japan, the system cannot be used throughout the world. The system cannot be used in areas where radio signals from base stations cannot reach even within Japan.
(2) The GPS needs to receive radio signals from a plurality of satellites; and the GPS cannot be used when radio signals cannot be received, for example, inside buildings or tunnels. Furthermore, due to the fact that position data sent from satellites may be intentionally degraded, an auxiliary system may be required to improve the positioning accuracy, which in turn increases the cost of the device.

Information processing apparatus capable of displaying maps and position displaying method


An inclination detecting apparatus includes a light projecting section, a light receiving section and an operating section. The light projection section projects light towards an object. The light receiving section receives lights reflected from at least two points of the object and outputs a photoelectric current signal. The operating section derives a difference between the reciprocals of the square roots of the photoelectric currents output from the light receiving section. An output of the operating section represents an inclination signal of the object. A shake detecting apparatus includes a light projecting/receiving section and an operating section. The light projecting/receiving section is disposed on the rear surface of a camera, so as to project light towards a photographer, receive lights reflected from at least two points on light receiving elements, and output photoelectric current signals for the respective points. The operating section derives a difference between the reciprocals of the square roots of the photoelectric currents output from the light receiving elements. An output of the operating section is used as a hand shake signal.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an inclination detecting apparatus and a camera for detecting hand shake using the same, and more particularly to a non-contact type inclination detecting apparatus and a camera for detecting hand shake using the same.
The present invention also relates to an inclination detecting apparatus for easily detecting an inclination immediately before and after a shutter release operation in a camera having a lens of long focal distance, for example.
Further, the present invention relates to a two-axial inclination sensor, and more particularly to a two-axial inclination sensor for detecting inclinations in two axial directions by use of a small number of flight receiving elements.
2. Description of the Related Art
As an example of a conventional non-contact type inclination detecting apparatus, an apparatus for projecting a light on a reflection object, receiving the reflected light on two light receiving sensors and deriving A/B as an inclination angle output when a difference between the outputs of the two sensors is denoted by A and the sum of the outputs of the two sensors is denoted by B is disclosed in SHARP Electronic Parts General Catalog (published on Dec. 1991, p 45) and SHARP SEMICON DATA BOOK (published on 1992, pp 541 to 543).
However, in the above non-contact type inclination detecting apparatus, the inclination angle detection range is only several degrees, and the flexibility thereof is small.
Further, as a conventional detecting apparatus of a camera for detecting hand shake, a shake detecting apparatus using an AF sensor is disclosed in Japanese Patent Publication No. 57-482. Further, Ser. No. 08/066,585 filed May 21, 1993 the technique of projecting infrared rays to a face and detecting a shake according to a variation in a photoelectric current caused by the reflected light is conventional.
However, in the above Japanese Patent Publication No. 57-482, the integral time of the sensor becomes longer in a dark circumstance and the response speed of detection is not sufficiently high for shake detection, and in the case of TTL AF, shake detection in the mirror-up state cannot be effected. Further, a component such as a variation in the distance between the sensor and the face which does not give an influence on the shake rather than the inclination of the camera is detected, thereby making it impossible to effect the shake detection of the camera with high precision.

Inclination detecting apparatus and camera for detecting hand shake using the same


A method of preparing a ferroelectric thin film-forming composition, specifically, a method of preparing a PZT thin film-forming composition includes: a step of allowing composition precursor raw materials, which contain PZT precursor substances at a concentration of 23 to 38 mass % in terms of oxides in 100 mass % of the composition precursor raw materials, and a high-molecular compound to react with each other to obtain a PZT thin film-forming composition precursor; and a step of aging the PZT thin film-forming composition precursor at a temperature of 0 to 10° C. for at least 30 days.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method of producing a ferroelectric thin film-forming composition suitable for use in a high-capacity and high-density thin film capacitor or the like; and an application of the same
Priority is claimed on Japanese Patent Application No. 2013-061723, filed on Mar. 25, 2013, the content of which is incorporated herein by reference.
2. Description of Related Art
Japanese/Unexamined Patent Application, First publication No. S60-236404 (claim 1, line 14 in the lower left column of page 5 to line 16 in the same column of the same page) discloses a method of forming a ferroelectric thin film material. Specifically, first, one dielectric material-forming precursor selected from lead titanate (PT), lead zirconate titanate (PZT), and the like is dissolved in an organic solvent containing at least one selected from lower alcohols, β-diketones, and the like as a major component to prepare a dielectric material-forming precursor solution. Next, the dielectric material-forming precursor solution is coated on a metal substrate and dried to form a coating film of a dielectric material-forming precursor, and then the coating film is pre-baked in a temperature range from a decomposition temperature of an organic material in the coating film to a crystallization temperature of a dielectric material. Next, the coating, drying and pre-baking processes of the dielectric material-forming precursor solution are repeated, followed by baking at the crystallization temperature or higher of the dielectric material. Alternatively, the coating process of the dielectric material-forming precursor solution on a metal substrate, the drying process, and the baking process of the dielectric material at the crystallization temperature or higher of the dielectric material are repeated. As a result, two or more layers of thin films of lead titanate (PT), lead zirconate titanate (PZT), and the like are formed on the metal substrate, thereby obtaining a ferroelectric thin film material. In the method of forming a ferroelectric thin film material having the above-described configuration, a dielectric material-crystallized thin film having a desired thickness, non-conductivity, and ferroelectricity can be formed on a metal substrate
However, when a PZT film having a thickness of 100 nm or greater per layer is formed using this method, there are problems in that cracking occurs and film density is decreased. In order to solve these problems, approaches have been taken in which, for example, a high-molecular compound, an drying control chemical additive (DCCA), crystalline fine powder, or the like is added to a solution to release stress (for example, refer to Japanese Unexamined Patent Application, First Publication No. 2001-261338 (claim 1, paragraphs [0016] to [0024], Table 1) and J Sol-Gel Sci Technol (2008) 47:316 to 325).

Method of producing ferroelectric thin film-forming composition and application of the same


Inclusions in a transparent panel (5) are detected by placing a light transmissive interface (3) in contact with the panel (5), and transmitting a beam of light (1) through interface (3) into panel (5). Within the panel (5), the light beam (7) propagates along a path including total internal reflections at surfaces of panel (5). When the light beam (1) intercepts inclusions (10) or other defects at least some of it is scattered, and leaves the panel (5). This scattered light is then observed. Thus, a large zone of the panel (5) can be inspected, with light only being detected in the case that it arises from scattering by inclusions or other defects.

Transparent panels such as glass panels, especially panels of toughened glass, are widely employed in high-rise structures, and there is a need to inspect them to check for the presence faults. In particular, glass panels are subject to Nickel Sulphide (NiS) inclusions and other defects (faults). If such checks are not carried out, the Nickel Sulphide inclusions may cause the toughened glass to fracture, and the glass may shatter with potentially disastrous consequences, both for people inside the high-rise building, and on the ground beneath. Ideally, checks for inclusions and other faults should be performed during the manufacturing process for quality control (QC), and also in-situ once the panels are installed in the structures for quality assurance.
Several techniques are known for testing glass panels to observe inclusions.
A first of these is visual inspection, carried out using a microscope (e.g. a portable microscope), scanning the whole glass panel point-by-point manually, or automatically using a CCD (charge coupled devices) camera and image processing software based on a threshold. Unfortunately, this process is very slow, due to the limited field of view (FOV) and depth of focus (DOF) of the observation process. NiS is black/grey in colour and only reflects light weakly. NiS inclusions are therefore difficult to observe against the generally high intensity of background light caused by reflections and scattering of light due to surface contamination and scratches. Furthermore, many glass panels are printed with black dots to reduce the intensity of sunlight transmitted through them, and it is very difficult to observe the tiny dark inclusions in the shadow regions caused by the dots.
Secondly, there are photographic techniques in which a portion of the glass is photographed in controlled lighting conditions, and the image is magnified and visually examined to detect inclusions. Though the image is taken on site, the magnification and inspection are performed somewhere else. Thus, such techniques are not suitable for in-situ testing and are inconvenient even as a part of a QC mechanism.
Thirdly, there are techniques in which coherent laser light is directed at the front surface of a glass panel, and measurement are made of light scattered back towards the front surface by the inclusions, and also of light scattered forward by the inclusions and then reflected by the rear surface of the panel towards the front of the panel. Comparing these two signals makes it possible to determine the location, size and depth of the inclusion by signal analysis. However, in this technique only the area of the panel illuminated by the laser beam is measured. Furthermore, most of the energy of the laser is not utilized, and either completely penetrates the glass panel, or is reflected by the glass surfaces. Furthermore, contamination on either surface of the glass can cause light scattering, which induces noise in the measurement, and hence in the inclusion image obtained.
Fourthly, there is known a technique employing Raman spectroscopy, in which a laser is used as a light source and a nitrogen-controlled charge coupled device is used as the detector to obtain a Raman spectrum. By comparing the Raman spectrum of a measured glass panel with those of specific substances, the presence of inclusions such as NiS can be identified. However, present technology only allows this technique to be used in a laboratory because it requires critical control of implementation conditions. For this reason, it is better suited to measuring the composition of previously discovered inclusions, rather than for an initial inspection of a glass panel which may or may not include inclusions.

Method and apparatus for detection of inclusion in glass

Agency for Science, Technology and Research


In an optical deflector including a mirror, a movable ring-shaped frame surrounding the mirror, a pair of torsion bars connected between the mirror and the movable ring-shaped frame and oppositely arranged along a rocking direction of the mirror, a support body surrounding the movable ring-shaped frame, and piezoelectric actuators for rocking the mirror through the torsion bars along the rocking direction, first, second, third and fourth coupling bars are connected between the support body and the movable ring-shaped frame. The first and third coupling bars are oppositely arranged along a first direction obtained by inclining the rocking direction by a first predetermined angle between +30° and +45°, and the second and fourth coupling bars are oppositely arranged along a second direction obtained by inclining the rocking direction by a second predetermined angle between −30° and −60°.

1. Field
The presently disclosed subject matter relates to an optical deflector used in a projector, a headlamp and the like.
2. Description of the Related Art
FIG. 1A is a perspective view illustrating a prior art one-dimensional optical deflector, and FIG. 1B is a partial enlargement of the optical deflector of FIG. 1A enclosed by a dotted line B in FIG. 1A (see: FIG. 5 of JP2008-20701A).
As illustrated in FIGS. 1A and 1B, the prior art one-dimensional optical deflector is constructed by a circular mirror 1, a movable ring-shaped frame 2 surrounding the mirror 1 with a slit, a pair of torsion bars 3a and 3b arranged along a Y-axis having ends coupled to the inner circumference of the movable ring-shaped frame 2 and other ends coupled to the circumference of the mirror 1, a support body 4 surrounding the movable ring-shaped frame 2 with a slit, and a pair of coupling bars 5a and 5b arranged along an X-axis perpendicular to the Y-axis having ends coupled to the inner circumference of the support body 4 and other ends coupled to the outer circumference of the movable ring-shaped frame 2.
Piezoelectric actuators (not shown) formed on the entire movable ring-shaped frame 2 associated with the torsion bars 3a and 3b are of a resonance type. That is, in a resonance state, when the rocking frequency "f" of the piezoelectric actuators is close to the natural frequency of a mechanically-vibrating system of the mirror 1, the deflection angle of the mirror 1 with respect to the Y-axis can be increased.
In the above-mentioned resonance state, the inventor found that, portions of the movable ring-shaped frame 2 where the torsion bars 3a and 3b and the coupling bars 5a and 5b are coupled form loops having maximum amplitudes of a resonant vibration, while portions of the movable ring-shaped frame 2 having 45°-angled diameter directions with respect to a diameter line between the torsion bars 3a and 3b and a diameter line between the coupling bars 5a and 5b form nodes having essentially zero amplitudes of the resonant vibration. Thus, the loop portions of the movable ring-shaped frame 2 where the coupling bars 5a and 5b are located would degrade the endurance of the coupling bars 5a and 5b.
Particularly, in order to suppress the deformation of the mirror 1, a reinforcement would be attached to the back surface of the mirror 1, which would substantially increase the inertial moment thereof. In this case, the endurance of the coupling bars 5a and 5b would further be degraded.
The loop portions and node portions of the movable ring-shaped frame 2 are discussed in more detail below.
In FIG. 1B, radial axes C0, C1, . . . , C8, . . . , C15 are defined at intervals 22.5° centered at a point "0". Also, a circumferential line L is defined at a center line between the outer and inner circumferences of the movable ring-shaped frame 2. Further, P0, P1, . . . , P8, . . . , P15 are defined as locations at intersections between the circumferential line L and the radial axes C0, C1, . . . , C8, . . . , C15, respectively.
The X-axis is defined as the direction of the radial axis C8, and the Y-axis is defined as the direction of the radial axis C4. In this case, the Y-axis is shifted from the rocking direction of the mirror 1 by a half thickness of the mirror 1; however, since this half thickness is very thin, the Y-axis is substantially the same as the rocking direction of the mirror 1. Also, a Z-axis is defined as a direction perpendicular to the X-axis and the Y-axis.
In FIG. 2, which illustrates the amplitudes at the locations P4, P5, P6, P7 and P8 along the Z-axis of FIG. 1B in a resonant state, three or four amplitudes at three or four X-coordinate values and at one Y-coordinate value were measured. As illustrated in FIG. 2, the amplitude at the location P4 was about 4.4 mm, the amplitude at the location P5 was about 1.6 mm, the amplitude at the location P6 was about 0.3 mm, the amplitude at the location P7 was about 1.5 mm, and the amplitude at the location P8 was about 2.2 mm. Therefore, the amplitude at the location P6 was minimum, while the amplitude at the location P4 was maximum. Also, the amplitudes at the locations P5 and P7 were medium.
The amplitude at the location P8 is smaller than the amplitude at the location P4, because the coupling bar 5b is located at the location P8 to suppress the vibration of the portion of the movable ring-shaped frame 2 at the location P8. That is, if no coupling bar is present at the location P8, the amplitude at the location P8 is considered to be the same as the amplitude at the location P4, i.e., larger than 2.2 mm.
As is understood from FIG. 2, the amplitudes at the locations P0, P1, . . . , P8, . . . , P15 of the circumferential line L in a resonant state can be as shown in FIG. 3. Thus, while the locations P2 and P6 are at nodes of a resonant vibration, the locations P0 and P8 of the coupling bars 5a and 5b, respectively, are at loops of the resonant vibration, which would degrade the endurance of the coupling bars 5a and 5b.

Optical deflector including four coupling bars between support body and frame


A method for determining the proper fueling of an internal combustion engine when nitrous oxide is being injected into the air intake of the engine determines an equivalent air per cycle (APCequiv) by calculating the effect of both the air and the nitrous oxide on the oxygen content of the gas stream flowing into the cylinders of the engine. After calculating the equivalent air per cylinder magnitude, the fuel per cylinder (FPC) is calculated as a function of the stoichiometric air fuel ratio and an equivalence ratio that modifies the stoichiometric air/fuel ratio.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is generally related to the control of an internal combustion engine in which nitrous oxide (N2O) is injected into the air intake manifold and, more particularly, to a method for more accurately calculating the appropriate fuel per cycle (FPC) as a function of an equivalent air charge, or air per cylinder (APCequiv), that would provide the same amount of oxygen as the actual mixed charge of both air and nitrous oxide.
2. Description of the Prior Art
It is well known to those skilled in the art that internal combustion engines can have nitrous oxide injected into their intake manifolds in order to boost the torque output of the engine. In most known cases of nitrous oxide injection, the nitrous oxide gas is injected into the air intake manifold of the engine without concern regarding the precise changes to the optimum fueling requirements that are caused by this injection of nitrous oxide. However, many different types of nitrous oxide injection systems are known to those skilled in the art.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,349,709, which issued to Evert et al on Feb. 26, 2002, describes a valve apparatus and method for injecting nitrous oxide into a combustion engine. An improved injection valve apparatus for variably controlling the injection of nitrous oxide and supplemental fuel into a combustion engine is described. In addition, a method for controlling and varying the amounts of nitrous oxide and supplemental fuel injected into a combustion engine based on existing engine conditions is discussed. The method programs engine parameters for the timing and volume of nitrous oxide injected into the engine, continuously monitors engine performance and engine conditions, and adjusts the amount of nitrous oxide injected and additional fuel supplied in response to changing engine conditions.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,260,546, which issued to Vaughn on Jul. 17, 2001, describes a direct nitrous injection system that is operable from zero to 100% throttle control. A supplemental nitrous oxide and fuel injection system for use with an internal combustion engine, which includes the unique properties of variable flow rate control of the supplemental injection system and direct cylinder injection methods is described. Where an engine is normally controlled by the driver with the zero to 100% throttle control of the existing air/fuel system, the supplemental nitrous oxide and fuel injection system is linked to the existing throttle control and controlled in the same manner. In addition, this system also provides a direct cylinder injection method that completely bypasses the existing intake manifold and carburetor/fuel injection.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,444,628, which issued to Meaney et al on Aug. 22, 1995, describes a computer controlled flow of nitrous oxide injected into an internal combustion engine. An engine system that is selectively powered by an enhanced air/fuel mixture is described. The supply of fuel to the cylinders of an internal combustion is increased in response to the addition of a supplemental oxidizing agent into an air/fuel mixture. The additional fuel may be added by increasing the duty cycle of fuel injectors mounted proximate the individual cylinders. In addition, the ignition timing is adjusted in accordance with the change in the density of the air/fuel mixture. The amount of supplemental oxidizing agent provided to the cylinders may be regulated by increasing in a controlled manner the rate at which the supplemental oxidizing agent is supplied over a period of time. Furthermore, the control unit for the engine receives and responds to a number of external operating parameters including the oxygen content of the engine exhaust and the traction of the tires.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,269,275, which issued to Dahlgren on Dec. 14, 1993, describes a pulse width modulated controller for nitrous oxide and fuel delivery. A pulse width modulated controller for nitrous oxide and enrichment fuel delivery includes a system control logic section which processes signals from sensors for throttle position, engine speed, and a number of other user selectable parameters and a driver selection controls electrically operated injectors or solenoid valves. The driver section allows the injectors to open only when all of the parameters sensed in the control section are met. Moreover, the driver section activates injectors according to a pulse generated by a pulse width modulation section which determines how long the injectors will remain activated. The pulse width modulation section receives signals based on the present throttle position and engine speed and adjusts these values according to values for nitrous oxide and enrichment fuel based on engine speed and throttle position set by the user in a tuning section and thereby continuously provides the driver section with a pulse having a width proportional to the proper amount of nitrous oxide and enrichment fuel which should be delivered at any given time. In addition, the tuning section is also user settable to a maximum ignition timing adjustment and provides a signal proportional to ignition timing retard to an ignition control section for automatically adjusting ignition timing according to the amount of nitrous oxide and enrichment fuel begin delivered at any given moment.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,494,488, which issued to Wheatley on Jan. 22, 1985, describes a fuel charging system for high performance vehicles. A fuel charging system injects liquid nitrous oxide into the engine of a high performance vehicle to provide an instant burst of power to the vehicle. A supply cylinder of pressurized liquid nitrous oxide is connected by an outlet conduit to the vehicle engine. A cylinder of nitrogen gas under a considerably higher pressure than that of the nitrous oxide is connected to the nitrous oxide cylinder by an inlet conduit. The nitrogen gas inlet conduit and nitrous oxide outlet conduit are connected to the nitrous oxide cylinder by an adapter valve. The nitrous gas passes through a pressure regulator located in the inlet conduit and maintains a high pressure blanket of gas above the nitrous oxide in the cylinder to force the nitrous oxide from the cylinder and into the engine at a constant and sustained rate eliminating the heretofore rapid drop in the supply pressure of the nitrous oxide as the supply of nitrous oxide is dissipated from the supply cylinder.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,848,582, which issued to Ehlers et al on Dec. 15, 1998, discloses an internal combustion engine with barometric pressure related start of air compensation for a fuel injector. A control system for a fuel injector system for an internal combustion engine is provided with a method by which the magnitude of the start of air point for the injector system is modified according to the barometric pressure in a region surrounding the engine. This offset, or modification, of the start of air point adjusts the timing of the fuel injector system to suit different altitudes at which the engine may be operating.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,250,292, which issued to Suhre on Jun. 26, 2001, discloses a method of controlling an engine with a pseudo throttle position sensor value. In the event that a throttle sensor fails, a method is provided which allows a pseudo throttle position sensor value to be calculated as a function of volumetric efficiency, pressure, volume, temperature, and the ideal gas constant. This is accomplished by first determining an air per cylinder (APC) value and then calculating the mass air flow into the engine as a function of the air per cylinder value. The mass air flow is then used, as a ratio of the maximum mass air flow at maximum power at sea level for the engine, to calculate a pseudo throttle position sensor value. That pseudo TPS (BARO) value is then used to select an air/fuel target ratio that allows the control system to calculate the fuel per cycle (FPC) for the engine.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,298,824, which issued to Suhre on Oct. 9, 2001, discloses an engine control system using an air and fuel control strategy based on torque demand. A control system for a fuel injected engine provides an engine control unit that receives signals from a throttle handle that is manually manipulated by an operator of a marine vessel. The engine control unit also measures engine speed and various other parameters, such as manifold absolute pressure, temperature, barometric pressure, and throttle position. The engine control unit controls the timing of fuel injectors and the injection system and also controls the position of a throttle plate. No direct connection is provided between a manually manipulated throttle handle and the throttle plate. All operating parameters are either calculated as a function of ambient conditions or determined by selecting parameters from matrices which allow the engine control unit to set the operating parameters as a function of engine speed and torque demand, as represented by the position of the throttle handle.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,378,506, which issued to Suhre et al on Apr. 30, 2002, discloses a control system for an engine supercharging system. A bypass control valve is controlled by an engine control module as a function of manifold absolute pressure and temperature within an air intake manifold in conjunction with the barometric pressure. An air per cylinder (APC) magnitude is calculated dynamically and compared to a desired APC value which is selected as a function of engine operating parameters. The air per cylinder value is calculated as a function of the manifold absolute pressure, the cylinder swept volume, the volumetric efficiency, the ideal gas constant, and the air inlet temperature. The volumetric efficiency is selected from stored data as a function of engine speed and a ratio of manifold absolute pressure to barometric pressure.
The patents described above are hereby expressly incorporated by reference in the description of the present invention.
When an internal combustion engine is provided with a nitrous oxide injection system, it is advisable that the fuel per cycle (FPC) be modified to maintain the appropriate the air/fuel mixture. It would be significantly beneficial if a system could be provided that accurately calculates the effect, on the oxygen intake of the engine, caused by the injection of nitrous oxide and then calculates the necessary fuel per cylinder (FPC) based on that calculated value of effective oxygen provided to the cylinders during each cylinder event.
A method for controlling an internal combustion engine, in accordance with the preferred embodiment of the present invention, comprises the steps of directing a stream of air to a cylinder of an internal combustion engine and injecting a gas into the stream of air upstream from the cylinder. It further comprises the steps of determining the effective mass of gas flowing into the cylinder during every complete cycle of a piston which is disposed for reciprocating movement within the cylinder and calculating a mass of air quantity that is equivalent to the effective mass of gas, as a function of the magnitude of oxygen provided into the cylinder. It also comprises the step of determining a quantity of fuel to be injected into the stream of air as a function of the mass of air quantity that is equivalent to the effective mass of gas resulting from the calculating step.
The directing step is accomplished by providing an air intake manifold through which air is directed from the ambient surroundings of the internal combustion engine to the cylinder. The injecting step comprises the step of injecting nitrous oxide into the air stream.
The step of determining the effective mass of gas flowing into the cylinder comprises the steps of measuring the pressure (MAP) within an air intake manifold of the internal combustion engine and measuring the temperature of the stream of air flowing through the air intake manifold. The step of determining the effective mass of gas flowing into the cylinder can also comprise the step of determining a volumetric efficiency value as a function of the operating speed of the internal combustion engine, the barometric pressure and the pressure within an air intake manifold of the internal combustion engine.
The method of the present invention can further comprise the step of modifying the volumetric efficiency as a function of the measured temperature within the air intake manifold of the internal combustion engine.

Method for controlling an internal combustion engine with nitrous oxide injection


A CPU serving as a counting unit counts the cumulative number of times a driving pulse is applied to a piezoelectric vibrator. A driving signal generation unit is able to generate an aging driving pulse set by a driving parameter to the extent that ink is not ejected from a nozzle and performs an aging process of driving the piezoelectric vibrator using the aging driving pulse set by a driving parameter in accordance with a cumulative number of applications in a region outside an ejection region on a recording medium.

1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to a liquid ejecting apparatus such as an ink jet recording apparatus and a method of controlling the liquid ejecting apparatus, and more particularly, to a liquid ejecting apparatus which drives a pressure generation unit by applying a driving waveform of a driving signal to the pressure generation unit and ejects a liquid from nozzles by causing a change in a pressure of the liquid in a pressure chamber communicating with the nozzle and a method of controlling the liquid ejecting apparatus.
2. Related Art
A liquid ejecting apparatus is an apparatus that includes an ejection head and jets (ejects) various kinds of liquids from the ejection head. As the liquid ejecting apparatus, an image recording apparatus such as an ink jet printer or an ink jet plotter can be exemplified. In recent years, the liquid ejecting apparatus has been applied to various kinds of manufacturing apparatuses, since the liquid ejecting apparatus has characteristics in which a very small amount of liquid can be accurately landed on a predetermined position. The liquid ejecting apparatus is applied to, for example, a display manufacturing apparatus that manufactures a color filter such as a liquid crystal display, an electrode forming apparatus that forms an electrode of an organic EL (Electro-Luminescence) display, an FED (Field Emission Display), or the like, a chip manufacturing apparatus that manufactures a biochip (biochemical element). A recording head of an image recording apparatus ejects liquid-phase ink and a color material ejecting head of a display manufacturing apparatus ejects solutions of color materials of R (Red), G (Green), and B (Blue). Further, an electrode material ejecting head of an electrode forming apparatus ejects a liquid-phase electrode material and a bio-organic substance ejecting head of a chip manufacturing apparatus ejects a solution of a bio-organic substance.
A liquid ejecting head is configured such that the pressure of a functional liquid in a pressure chamber is changed by applying a driving waveform to a pressure generation unit such as a piezoelectric vibrator and driving the pressure generation unit, and the change in the pressure causes a liquid to be ejected from nozzles. In a liquid ejecting head using such a liquid ejection method, it is known that the characteristics such as an amount of displacement are changed with an increase in the number of times of driving. For example, when a piezoelectric vibrator which is a kind of pressure generation unit is repeatedly driven, polarization characteristics are changed and the amount of displacement thus tends to deteriorate. The change in the polarization characteristics is caused since the repetition of the driving causes a piezoelectric body to be polarized in a direction different from the direction of an applied electric field. When the characteristics change (deteriorate), a problem may arise in that an amount of ink to be ejected from nozzles or flying speed (ejection characteristic) deteriorates when the driving waveform of the initial setting is used and the pressure generation unit is driven. Further, since the degree of change in a variation in the characteristics occurs depending on the use status of the nozzles, for example, there is a concern that unevenness or streaks may occur in a recorded image or the like.
To resolve this problem, a configuration in which the ejection characteristics are prevented from deteriorating by correcting a driving voltage depending on a driving status of a pressure generation unit of each nozzle line has been suggested (for example, see JP-A-2009-066948).
In this configuration, however, the driving voltage increases as the characteristics gradually deteriorates. Therefore, since the pressure generation unit corresponding to the relatively frequently used nozzles further deteriorates, there is a concern that the variation in the characteristics further worsens.

Liquid ejecting apparatus and method of controlling liquid ejecting apparatus that corrects for aging of a print head


A method of treating cancer using a dihydropyrimidine derivative includes administering to a patient a therapeutically effective amount of a dihydropyrimidine derivative having the following formula:

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to use of compounds for treating cancer, and particularly to dihydropyrimidine derivatives for targeting cancer stem cells.
2. Description of the Related Art
Drug discovery programs for oncology typically select compounds which have a predilection for inducing cytotoxic effects in cancer cell lines versus non-cancer cells and for inhibiting the growth of transplanted cancer cells in the flanks of immunocompromised mice. Unfortunately, inducing cytotoxic effects in vitro and inhibition of tumor growth in vivo is not the end story for curing cancer in preclinical models. This is, at least in part, due to the presence of cancer stem cells (CSCs), a small sub-type of cells that are relatively resistant to therapy and able to repopulate in vivo. It is believed that tumors are organized in a cellular hierarchy driven by cancer stem cells (CSCs). The cancer stem cell (CSC) hypothesis postulates that tumors are maintained by a self-renewing CSC population that is also capable of differentiating into non-self-renewing cell populations that constitute the bulk of the tumor. This hypothesis has fundamental implications for oncology and clinical implications for the early detection, prevention, and treatment of cancer. There are now numerous studies which have identified cancer stem cells in leukemia, breast, brain, lung, colon, and other cancers. To cause relapse, CSCs must have survived primary treatment. A number of factors may be responsible for this survival of CSCs, including stem cell quiescence, protected niche environment, up-regulated expression of xenobiotic efflux pumps, enhanced anti-apoptotic and DNA repair pathways. The first identification of breast cancer stem cells was defined by the combined expression of cell surface markers CD44+/CD24−/low/lin−. As few as 200 of these cells generated tumors in NOD/SCID mice, whereas 20,000 cells that did not display this phenotype failed to generate tumors. Later, studies suggested that aldehyde dehydrogenase 1 (ALDH-1), a detoxifying enzyme responsible for oxidation of retinol to retinoic acid, may be a more potent marker of breast CSCs. ALDH-1-positive breast CSCs can induce tumor formation with as few as 500 cells. Breast cancer cells that expressed ALDH-1 were more likely to be estrogen receptor (ER) negative, progesterone receptor (PR) negative, and human-epidermal growth factor receptor type 2 (HER-2) positive, and frequently developed distant metastases. ALDH-1-positive cells are resistant to conventional chemotherapy with paclitaxel and epirubicin. Previous studies have shown that adult stem cells can be identified by a side population (SP) phenotype. A SP isolated from the breast cancer cell line MCF7 was found to represent small percentage of the total cell line and it contained the tumorigenic fraction, as demonstrated by transplantation experiments in NOD/SCID mice xenografts. This fraction was also able to reconstitute the initial heterogeneity of the cell line. In breast tumors, the use of neoadjuvant regimens showed that conventional chemotherapy could lead to enrichment in CSCs in treated patients as well as in xenografted mice. This suggests that many cancer therapies, while killing the bulk of tumor cells, may ultimately fail because they do not eliminate CSCs, which survive to regenerate new tumors. Thus, there remains an urgent need for new pharmaceutical compounds and compositions to effectively eradicate and target cancer stem cells.
ATP binding cassette (ABC) transporters form one of the largest transmembrane protein families. These proteins use cellular ATP to drive the transport of various substrates across cell membranes including drugs, metabolites and other compounds. Human ABCG2 is the second member of the G subfamily of ABC transporters. ABCG2 was first cloned from doxorubicin-resistant human MCF-7 breast cancer cells and named as breast cancer resistance protein (BCRP). ABCG2 is sharply down-regulated during hematopoietic stem cell differentiation and is expressed at a low level in mature cells compared with progenitor cells. The highly regulated expression of ABCG2 suggests that ABCG2 may play a regulatory role in maintaining stem cells in an undifferentiated state. A RNA interference approach showed that the suppression of ABCG2 could significantly inhibit cancer cell proliferation. Furthermore, the blocking of ABCG2 function by fumitremorgin C, a chemical inhibitor, also inhibited cell proliferation via the prolonged G0/G1 interval. These data suggest that ABCG2 may contribute to cancer cell proliferation. Taking into account that the SP phenotype is mainly mediated by ABCG2 and the conserved expression of ABCG2 in stem cells, it is conceivable that ABCG2 may serve as a novel biomarker of CSCs. Since ABCG2 functions as a high capacity transporter with a wide range of substrates including various chemotherapy drugs, it has been shown to participate in the multidrug resistance of tumors.
Thus, a method for treating cancer solving the aforementioned problems is desired.

Method for treating cancer using a dihydropyrimidine derivative

Abstract: wherein:                R2 is S or O and        R, R1, R3, and R4 each independently represent hydrogen, optionally substituted straight-chain or branched C1 to C7 alkyl, halogen, optionally substituted haloalkyl, alkoxy or haloalkoxy in which the alkyl is straight-chain or branched C1-C4 alkyl and the halo derivatives are mono, di, tri or poly halosubstituted, the optional substituents including halogen, amino, substituted amino, C1-C4 alkyl, halo (C1-C4) alkyl, alkoxy or haloalkoxy having C1-C4 alkyl group, or        R, R1, R3, and R4 each independently represent aryl, substituted aryl, heteroaryl, or substituted heteroaryl, the substituents including halogen, alkyl, haloalkyl, alkoxy, haloalkoxy, alkylthio, alkylamino, aryl, heteroaryl, aryloxy, haloaryloxy, arylthio, or arylamino;        or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof.

KING FAISAL SPECIALIST HOSPITAL AND RESEARCH CENTER


A trigger gun to impart a stamp member in engagement with a face to permit identification of an associated workpiece is provided, wherein a trigger safety mechanism is arranged to provide for selective release of a first trigger upon pivoting of a second trigger to displace a second trigger link from a first trigger receiving slot permitting actuation of the first trigger to effect actuation of an associated impact mechanism within the gun.

1. Field of the Invention
The field of invention relates to impact gun structure, and more particularly pertains to a new and improved impeller gut, safety trigger mechanism wherein the same is directed to the imparting of die stamps onto a workpiece and a safety mechanism associated therewith.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Gun structure for marking in a tool organization is indicated in U.S. Pat. No. 3,847,078 to Krembel utilizing a die arranged for impact relative to a workpiece. Further stamping tool structure is available in the prior art utilizing either electric or pneumatic pressure for actuation of a ram.
The instant invention is directed to the use of die stamps mounted within a magazine with a safety trigger structure availed to avoid inadvertent actuation of the drive mechanism in use and in this respect, the present invention substantially fulfills this need.


A free piston Stirling engine with a heat exchanger that has an inner component part assembled within an outer component part. The outer component part has a tubular outer wall and circumferentially spaced ridges that extend radially inward from the tubular outer wall and are separated from each other by inward opening slots. The inner component part has a tubular inner wall and circumferentially spaced ridges that extend outward from the inner tubular wall and are separated from each other by outward opening slots. The ridge widths of the outer and inner component parts are less than the slot widths of the corresponding slots into which they fit. The two component parts are assembled with the ridges of each component part extending into the slots of the other component part to form gas passages between interfacing sidewall surfaces of the ridges.

This invention is directed to improvements in Stirling engines and can be used in other Stirling machines, such as Stirling coolers and may have utility as a heat exchanger in other specialty machines. More particularly the invention is directed to improvements in heat exchangers used in these machines.
FIG. 1 is a diagram of a free piston Stirling engine driving an electrical alternator to supply electrical power. As well known to those skilled in the art of free piston Stirling engines, the engine has a displacer 10 that reciprocates in a cylinder 12 and a reciprocating power piston 14 that drives the magnets of the alternator 16. An expansion space 18 opens into an end of the cylinder 12 in the head 20 at the hot end of the engine. The engine has a heat accepting heat exchanger 22 that is adjacent to, and opens into, the expansion space 18 and a heat rejecting heat exchanger 24 adjacent to, and opening into, a compression space 26. These heat exchangers 22 and 24 extend around the cylinder 12 immediately inside of, and in thermally conductive contact with, an outer casing 28. The heat exchangers 22 and 24 are connected to, and open into, opposite ends of a regenerator 30.
Working gas flows in alternating directions between the expansion space 18 and the compression space 26 through the series-connected compression space heat exchanger 24, the regenerator 30 and the expansion space heat exchanger 22. The purpose of Stirling machine heat exchangers is to transfer heat to or from the working gas. For a typical Stirling engine, a heat source, such as a gas flame, is applied to the head 20 for supplying the heat energy that drives the engine. The purpose of the expansion space heat exchanger 22 is to transfer heat from that heat source into the working gas within the engine as the working gas flows in alternating directions through the expansion space heat exchanger 22.
FIG. 1 shows the location of the heat exchanger 22 according to the invention positioned in an otherwise conventional Stirling engine. That heat exchanger 22 has a regenerator end that is connected to the regenerator 30 and an expansion space end that is connected to open into the expansion space 18.
In order to have a high heat transfer rate from the heat exchanger to the working gas flowing through the heat exchanger, it is desirable to have a large number of gas passages that are small in cross section in a plane that is perpendicular to the gas flow direction through the passages. That configuration provides a larger total surface area in contact with the gas for facilitating heat transfer. However, heat exchangers of the prior art that have sufficiently small passages are very costly if those passages are machined by conventional machining tools and techniques because of the difficulty of machining so many passages that are as small as needed. Folded fin heat exchangers have also been used but the passages cannot be made sufficiently small. Sometimes folded fin heat exchangers have been partially crushed to reduce the passage size. But this crushing makes the passages non-uniform in their cross sectional area and therefore non-uniform in flow resistance and heat transfer rate.
One purpose of the present invention is to provide an improved heat exchanger that has thin, narrow gas passages through the heat conducting metal of the heat exchanger without having to machine thin narrow passages. Embodiments of the invention have sufficiently small gas passages but do not require the machining of passages that are as small as the gas passages in the completed heat exchanger.
Another purpose of the invention is to provide a heat exchanger that has a simple structure, is relatively easy to machine and to assemble and therefore has a lower manufacturing cost.
Yet another purpose of the invention is to provide a heat exchanger with very few parts and very few part connections and joints which results in a lower cost heat exchanger that has improved reliability and durability.
Unlike some prior art heat exchangers that require a separately manufactured manifold for interconnecting the heat exchanger to the regenerator, the heat exchanger of the invention can be cast or machined with annular shoulders or other interfacing edges at an end that can fit directly against the regenerator and consequently eliminate the need for a separate manifold.

Stirling engine or cooler heat exchanger


In an apparatus for controlling an autonomous operating vehicle having an operating machine and a magnetic sensor adapted to detect a border of a travel-scheduled area, the vehicle is controlled to travel around the area from a start point along the border to sequentially record traveling directions and traveled distances on a bitmap. The generated travel trajectory is transformed to map information. A position of the vehicle is detected using bits of the bitmap of the transformed map information, and the vehicle is controlled to, as traveling straight in the north-south directions, while perform the operation with the operating machine based on the calculated traveling direction, the calculated traveled distance and the determined position, utilizing a primary reference direction obtained from a geomagnetic sensor as a reference.

1. Technical Field
The invention relates to a control apparatus for an autonomous operating vehicle, particularly to a control apparatus for a vehicle that autonomously travels to perform work or operation, e.g., mow lawn.
2. Background Art
In an autonomous operating vehicle that autonomously travels to perform work or operation such as mowing lawn in a defined operating (travel-scheduled) area, it is necessary to detect a border of the area. Therefore, magnets are embedded on the border and a sensor responsive to the magnets is mounted on the vehicle to detect the border, as taught, for example, by Japanese Laid-Open Patent Application No. Sho 60(1985)-239812 ('812).
Japanese Laid-Open Patent Application No. Hei 8(1996)-286738 ('738) discloses a technique to embed an electric wire along the border and detect generated magnetic field by a sensor mounted on an operating vehicle, thereby detecting the border. Further, Japanese Patent No. 3467136 ('136) proposes a technique to detect a position of an operating vehicle using GPS signals in addition to the foregoing magnetic induction techniques.

Control apparatus for autonomous operating vehicle


A flow cytometer including a laser, indexing structure, adjustment structure, and sensor structure. The cytometer is conventionally used with a removable microfluidic cassette, which is installed at a first position that is enforced by the indexing structure. The adjustment structure changes a relative position between an interrogation aperture of the cassette and the laser beam. Feedback from the sensor structure is used to optimize propagation of the laser through the interrogation aperture to reduce (and hopefully eliminate) autofluorescence caused by beam impingement onto the cassette.

1. Field
This invention relates to apparatus and methods for performing flow cytometry on particles that undergo a Stokes-shift emission of radiation. Preferred embodiments are structured to optimize a signal-to-noise ratio for such emission radiation.
2. State of the Art
Pioneering work in particle detection by measuring impedance deviation caused by particles flowing through a small aperture between two containers of electrically conductive fluid is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 2,656,508 to W. H, Coulter. Coulter's name is now associated with the principle of particles causing a change in electric impedance as they occlude a portion of the aperture. Since publication of his patent in 1953, considerable effort has been devoted to developing and refining sensing devices operating under the Coulter principle. Relevant US patents include U.S. Pat. No. 5,376,878 to Fisher, U.S. Pat. No. 6,703,819 to Gascoyne et al., U.S. Pat. No. 6,437,551 to Krulevitch et al., U.S. Pat. No. 6,426,615 to Mehta, U.S. Pat. No. 6,169,394 to Frazier et al., U.S. Pat. No. 6,454,945 and U.S. Pat. No. 6,488,896 to Weigl et al., U.S. Pat. No. 6,656,431 to Holl et al., and U.S. Pat. No. 6,794,877 to Blomberg et al. Patent application 2002/117,517 to Unger et al. is also relevant. Each above-referenced document is hereby incorporated by reference, as though set forth herein in their entireties, for their disclosures of relevant technology and structure employed in various sensor arrangements.
Flow cytometry is a well established technique that is used to determine certain physical and chemical properties of microscopic particles by sensing certain optical properties of the particles. Many books and articles are available detailing aspects of this useful investigational tool. For example, operational principles of, and procedures for use of, modern cytometers are set forth in "Practical Flow Cytometry" by Howard M. Shapiro, the contents of which are hereby incorporated by this reference. Flow cytometry is currently used in a wide variety of applications including hematology, immunology, genetics, food science, pharmacology, microbiology, parasitology and oncology.
In flow cytometry, microscopic particles entrained in a carrier fluid are typically arranged in single-file inside a core stream using hydrodynamic focusing. The particles are then individually interrogated by an optical detection system. The interrogation typically includes directing a light beam from a radiation source, such as a laser, transversely across the focused stream of single-file particles. The light beam is scattered by each particle to produce a scatter profile. The scatter profile may be analyzed by measuring the light intensity at both small and larger scatter angles. Certain physical and/or chemical properties of each particle can then be determined from the scatter profile.
It is also known to apply a biological label, such as one or more fluorescent tag, to selected particles of interest prior to processing such particles in a cytometer. For example, particles such as blood cells can be "tagged" with fluorescent molecules or small beads by using conjugated monoclonal antibodies. The wavelength of a radiation source (typically a laser), is matched to the excitation wavelength of the fluorescent tag. The tagged particles fluoresce in the cytometer, in accordance with a phenomena widely known as Stokes-shift, when excited by a laser beam. The fluorescence given off by the excited tag can be detected by an appropriately configured detector, which is conventionally mounted transverse to the path of the particles in the interrogation portion of the cytometer. Therefore, cells tagged with fluorescent markers can be easily detected for counting, or other data manipulation.
Unfortunately, flow cytometers are undesirably complex and expensive pieces of equipment. Care must be taken to ensure the machine is set up correctly, properly calibrated, and that care is taken to align optics and radiation sources, such as lasers. It would be an advance to provide a robust, inexpensive apparatus that can be used to promote single-file particle travel through an optically based interrogation zone to promote rapid processing of a plurality of different particle-bearing fluid samples.

Fluorescence flow cytometry device and method


Disclosed are testing apparatus and methods for estimating mechanical properties of nonhomogeneous materials, such as lumber and other wood materials and composite materials, particularly elongated slender members. The testing is appropriate for estimation of tensile and bending strength, tensile and bending moduli of elasticity and possibly other mechanical properties. The testing apparatus include a test specimen support which holds the specimen during testing in a manner which minimizes attenuation of the stress wave which is intentionally generated in the specimen to help predict the mechanical properties. The specimen supports also preferably include means for weighing the specimen which is combined with size information gathered through an optical scanning system thereby allowing the density to be obtained automatically. The specimens are impacted to produce a moving stress wave which is advantageously a longitudinal stress wave which moves longitudinally through the elongated slender members being reflected within the member preferably a number of times. The amplitude of the moving reflected stress wave is sensing with respect to time to allow the velocity and attenuation rate of the stress wave to be determined. The information is preferably communicated to a computer which automatically processes the sensed information and compares it to preprogrammed parameters which allow the accurate estimation of one or more of the predictable mechanical properties. The tested specimens are advantageously sorted according to the mechanical properties or appropriately marked to indicate the grade, strength or other appropriate measure of value of the specimen.

There is increasing utilization of nonhomogeneous materials in engineered applications. Wooden lumber and wood-based composites are widely used in structural applications. Synthetic composite materials, such as fiber-resin composites also are now used in substantial amounts. However, such materials are not being utilized to their fullest potential because of difficulties in accurately determining the allowable working stresses to which structural members made of these materials should be subjected.
Much of the difficulty preventing full utilization arises because these nonhomogeneous materials do not exhibit uniform strength or elasticity properties from specimen to specimen. Wood materials by nature include numerous knots, separations, grain variations, and inherent differences in the strength of the wooden fiber matrix. Composite materials suffer significant variations in bonding between reinforcing fibers and the resin filler or other matrix or binders. Wood-based composites such as particle boards, wafer boards, plywoods, glued laminated beams and others combine some of the difficulties of both. Accordingly, it has been impossible to provide strength or elasticity grading information which allows for full use of relatively stronger members contained within a group or class of structural members having significant variations in strength, elasticity or other mechanical properties. More typically, the allowable working strength and elasticity properties have been predominantly determined by the weakest members in a class.
Also of concern is the increasingly widespread use of lumber in structural applications in which the lumber is stressed in tension, as compared to bending or compression. For example, chords of trusses, wooden I-beams, and tensile laminae of glued laminated timbers are primarily used under conditions were the primary potential failure mode is in tension. This has generated serious questions concerning the validity of assigned strength and elasticity values which have traditionally been almost exclusively based on strength testing in bending or flexure. Most of the allowable working stresses assigned to lumber have been derived from bending tests wherein the strengths are initially determined by bending the members to failure. This basic bending failure strength information is then extrapolated through theoretical analysis and assumptions to predict corresponding strength and elasticity properties in tension. Because of the relatively large factors of safety incorporated in allowable working stress values this lack of relationship to actual tensile testing has in most cases not caused disastrous results. However, the more efficient utilization of wooden members strongly suggests the need to have more accurate engineering models and information for designing members subjected to different types of stress.
The increased utilization of lumber in tension applications is also rendered more problematic because the tensile properties of lumber are more difficult to predict than are bending properties when using the lumber grading systems, visual grading systems and machine stress rated system currently used in lumber production. These current grading systems are unable to assess tensile properties with sufficient precision due to inefficiencies in the relationships between the detected flaws, proof testing techniques, or force-deflection response characteristics used in such systems and their appropriateness for predicting tensile properties. Such prior grading systems typically sort relatively high strength pieces into grades of lower strength and value because they are unable to identify the higher tensile strength members. The discrimination criteria used thus underutilizes a majority of the pieces tested.
Current lumber grading technologies also suffer from limitations associated with their inability to grade green lumber or lumber otherwise having a moisture content greater than 19%. This limitation leads to vast amounts of wasted energy because lumber which is intended for use in special applications is dried prior to grading for strength. This leads to costly drying of a substantial amount of lumber which is not of sufficient strength for such higher uses. If such relatively weak lumber could be graded out prior to drying then substantial economic benefits and energy savings could be realized.
Wooden and composite materials are not being utilized to their fullest potential and great economic losses are associated with not selectively using stronger and better members where they have the greatest value. As the value of these materials increases the need becomes more acute to properly grade nonhomogeneous structural members based upon their particular strength and elasticity capabilities.

Non-destructive evaluation of structural members

Washington State University Research Foundation, Inc.


A system and method are presented for aligning a rotor in a motor. The motor may include the rotor and a plurality of pairs of electromagnets. One or more pairs of electromagnets may be excited at a first excitation level. The one or more pairs of electromagnets may be less than all of the plurality of pairs of electromagnets. The excitation of the one or more pairs of electromagnets may be increased to a second excitation level over a first period of time. The excitation of the one or more pairs of electromagnets may be decreased to a third excitation level over a second period of time. Exciting the one or more pairs of electromagnets, increasing the excitation, and decreasing the excitation may cause the rotor to stop in a known position.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention generally relates to DC (Direct Current) motors used in various applications, such as hard disk drive motors, cooling fans, drive motors for appliances, etc.
2. Description of the Related Art
An electric motor uses electrical energy to produce mechanical energy. Electric motors are used in a large number of applications, including a number of different household appliances, pumps, cooling fans, etc. Motors can generally be classified as either alternating current (AC) motors or direct current (DC) motors.
Motors generally include a rotor, which is the non-stationary (moving) part of the motor, and a stator, which is the stationary part of the motor. The stator generally operates as a field magnet (e.g., electromagnet), interacting with an armature to induce motion in the rotor. The wires and magnetic field of the motor (typically in the stator) are arranged so that a torque is developed about the rotor's axis, causing rotation of the rotor. A motor typically also includes a commutator, which is an electrical switch that periodically reverses the current direction in the electric motor, helping to induce motion in the rotor. The armature carries current in the motor and is generally oriented normal to the magnetic field and the torque being generated. The purpose of the armature is to carry current crossing the magnetic field, thus creating shaft torque in the motor and to generate an electromotive force ("EMF").
In a typical brushed DC motor, the rotor comprises one or more coils of wire wound around a shaft. Brushes are used to make mechanical contact with a set of electrical contacts (called the commutator) on the rotor, forming an electrical circuit between the DC electrical source and the armature coil-windings. As the armature rotates on axis, the stationary brushes come into contact with different sections of the rotating commutator. The commutator and brush system form a set of electrical switches, each firing in sequence, such that electrical-power always flows through the armature coil closest to the stationary stator (permanent magnet). Thus an electrical power source is connected to the rotor coil, causing current to flow and producing electromagnetism. Brushes are used to press against the commutator on the rotor and provide current to the rotating shaft. The commutator causes the current in the coils to be switched as the rotor turns, keeping the magnetic poles of the rotor from ever fully aligning with the magnetic poles of the stator field, hence maintaining the rotation of the rotor. The use of brushes creates friction in the motor and leads to maintenance issues and reduced efficiency.
In a brushless DC motor design, the commutator/brushgear assembly (which is effectively a mechanical "rotating switch") is replaced by an external electronic switch synchronized to the rotor's position. Brushless DC motors thus have an electronically controlled commutation system, instead of a mechanical commutation system based on brushes. In a brushless DC motor, the electromagnets do not move, but rather the permanent magnets rotate and the armature remains static. This avoids the problem of having to transfer current to the moving armature. Brushless DC motors offer a number of advantages over brushed DC motors, including higher efficiency and reliability, reduced noise, longer lifetime (no brush erosion), elimination of ionizing sparks from the commutator, and overall reduction of electromagnetic interference (EMI).
One technique used to reduce the power required in some applications has been the introduction of Three Phase Brushless Motors. The typical configuration for these motors is shown in FIG. 1. The drive electronics for these motors typically rely on Hall elements (Hall effect sensors) to detect the absolute position of the rotor at all times, and switch drive transistors to maintain motor rotation. A Hall effect sensor is a transducer that varies its output voltage in response to changes in magnetic field. The motors are often electrically connected in a "Y" configuration, so named due to the resemblance to the letter "Y". The common point for the three coils is connected to the electrical source, and the drive electronics switch the drive transistors to maintain the rotating electro-magnetic field required to turn the motor.
A second method requires the use of six (6) drive transistors. In this configuration, one high- and low-side pair are on at any point in time, completing the electrical circuit through two of the three legs of the motor. Using the un-energized coil as a magnetic sensor to determine the rotor position is known as Back Electro-Motive Force (BEMF) detection. The motivation for this technique is the elimination of the relatively expensive Hall elements and associated electronics. BEMF commutation techniques have successfully been applied to a wide-range of motors.
One issue that arises when using BEMF detection is that if the rotor is not moving, there is no BEMF to be detected. This means there must be a special technique for inducing rotation of the rotor until the rotational speed is sufficient to detect a BEMF signal. Since there is no feedback to determine the exact position of the rotor, the stator coils must be energized such that the rotor moves to a known, predictable location. This is essential to starting the motor with high reliability.
Open literature describes two techniques for aligning the rotor. The first attempts to lock the commutation frequency to a reference oscillator from the initial rotation. The second method uses a ramping PWM duty cycle or ramping linear voltage to align the rotor, followed by a delay time to ensure the rotor is at the pre-determined position. This position varies from 0-30 degrees offset from the commutation point. Both of these techniques leave much to be desired.
Most of these solutions reach 100% PWM duty cycle (or maximum voltage for linear applications) for an extended period of time to align the motor. This is an energy intensive way to align a rotor, and has the potential to damage motor windings. It is also known that slight movements of the rotor may occur when maximum voltage is applied to the coils, then switched off. Some solutions implement complex control loops in order to align the rotor. Many solutions rely on the classic Park and Clarke transforms to determine position, and require microcontrollers to evaluate the mathematics. Improvements in rotor alignment techniques that address some or all of these problems would be desirable.
In addition, motor braking techniques typically do not consider the possibility of placing the rotor in a position conducive to the next start-up sequence. The industry standard solution is to perform one of two operations: either to connect all three phases to the common point, or to connect all three phases to ground. This makes the restart sequence more complicated and more prone to stalling conditions, as the exact rotor location in unknown. Improvements in motor braking techniques would therefore also be desirable.
When cooling any computing platform, power is necessarily consumed to remove heat produced by other components in the system. Traditionally, this has not been a large concern, as the platforms consumed much more power than the fan used in removing the heat. As the power consumption of all platforms is reduced, the cooling system consumes power that could either be used to extend battery life in laptops, or to reduce the carbon footprint of server systems. Therefore, improvements in motors used in cooling systems are also desired.

System and method for aligning a rotor to a known position


The present disclosure describes a power storage apparatus including a housing made of a durable material and defining an installation space of a plurality of secondary batteries; a plurality of secondary batteries accommodated in the housing and connected to each other in series or in parallel; a Battery Management System (BMS) for controlling charge and discharge of the plurality of secondary batteries and monitoring an electric characteristic value thereof; and a status setting switch for setting a status of the BMS. According to the present disclosure, a power storage system may be easily configured by means of a simple BMS setting. Also, if any one of the power storage apparatuses is not working properly, the power storage apparatus with a problem may be easily distinguished by the naked eyes of a manager, which facilitates easy maintenance and repair.

A secondary battery has high applicability depending on the product group and excellent electric characteristics such as high energy density, and thus not only commonly applied to mobile devices, but also electric vehicles (EV), hybrid electric vehicles (HEV) or the like, as an electric power source. Such a secondary battery significantly reduces the use of the fossil fuels and does not generate by-products caused by the use of energy. Therefore, secondary batteries are drawing attention as an eco-friendly alternative energy source with improved energy efficiency.
A secondary battery includes a cathode current collector, an anode current collector, a separator, an active material, a liquid electrolyte, etc., and has a chargeable and dischargeable structure due to the electro-chemical reaction among the components. Meanwhile, since recently a secondary battery is frequently used as an energy storing source and the need of a battery structure having a large capacity is increasing, a secondary battery pack with a multi-module structure having a plurality of the secondary batteries connected to each other in series or in parallel is commonly used.
A secondary battery pack includes secondary battery modules having a plurality of secondary battery cells aggregated therein and a pack case. In addition to this fundamental structure, a secondary battery pack further includes a Battery Management System (BMS) for monitoring and controlling the status of secondary battery cells or secondary battery modules by applying an algorithm for controlling power supply to a load, measuring an electric characteristic value such as current, voltage or the like, controlling charge and discharge, controlling equalization of voltage, estimating State Of Charge (SOC), etc.
Meanwhile, in order to meet various voltage and capacity requirements, a power storage system may be configured by assembling small-capacity power storage unit racks, each having a plurality of secondary battery packs as described above, in series or in parallel.
In order to operate the power storage system, voltage, current, temperature, SOC, or the like of each power storage unit rack should be continuously monitored. For monitoring the status of each power storage unit rack and efficiently controlling the unit rack, correlations of BMSs included in the power storage unit racks are set, so that one of the BMSs included in the power storage unit racks is set to a master BMS and the rest of the BMSs are set to slave BMS. In addition, the master BMS controls the slave BMSs to integrally operate and control the power storage system.
Recently, with smart grids being at the center of interest, the need for a large-capacity power storage system storing unused power is increasing to implement an intelligent power grid. In order to construct such a large-capacity power storage system, a plurality of power storage unit racks is required and the time and cost proportional to the capacity of the system is demanded for installation and management thereof. Therefore, there is a need to develop a technology capable of easily setting a master BMS and a slave BMS in a power storage apparatus such as the power storage unit racks described above.

Power storage apparatus, power storage system having the same and method of assembling power storage system by using the same


Systems, methods, devices and computer-readable storage mediums are disclosed for managing location sharing requests. In various implementations, a requesting device or a server computer in communication with the requesting device, receives a location sharing request associated with a user and, in response, sends a notification to a companion device associated with the user. A location of the companion device is received from the companion device together with a list of one or more devices associated with the user that are paired with the companion device and a connection status for at least one of the one or more paired devices. The connection status indicates if there is a direct communication link established between the paired device and the companion device. A notification is sent to each disconnected paired device based on the connection status. Each disconnected device that is worn or carried by the user responds with their location.

An application for mobile devices that has found widespread appeal to many users is location sharing where a user can request another user's location. For example, the "Find My Friends" application developed by Apple Inc. of Cupertino, Calif., allows users to follow and track people with their iOS device. Users can also share their location with other users. A user's location is determined by their mobile device using a global navigation satellite system (GNSS), a wireless network (e.g., Wi-Fi access point transmissions) or cellular positioning system (e.g., cell tower transmissions). Location request notifications appear on a display of the user's mobile device in response to a request for their location. A user can set up location-based alerts that can notify the user automatically when a friend arrives at a particular destination (e.g., the airport, school, home, work) or about changes in a friend's location.


An electromagnetic alarm device includes a current interrupter to interrupt an electricity supply to a coil on application of a self-excited voltage to oscillate a diaphragm with a moving core to generate a first alarm sound including a fundamental tone at a first predetermined frequency, when a switch is manipulated by an occupant. A proximity notification device includes an ultrasonic speaker to emit an ultrasonic wave, which is generated by implementing ultrasonic modulation on a proximity notification sound, to an outside of the vehicle for notifying a pedestrian of proximity of the vehicle, according to a traveling state of the vehicle and/or when a sensor detects a pedestrian. The ultrasonic speaker emits an ultrasonic wave, which is generated by implementing ultrasonic modulation on a second alarm sound including a fundamental tone at a second frequency, when the switch is manipulated.

In recent years, vehicles, such as electric vehicles, fuel cell vehicles, and hybrid vehicles, configured to emit a small vehicle running sound are increasingly in practice. It is noted that, such vehicles with a small vehicle running sound are hardly recognized by a pedestrian. In consideration of this, for example, JP-A-2005-289175 discloses a vehicle proximity notification device equipped in a vehicle and configured to cause a dynamic speaker to directly radiate an audible sound as a proximity notification sound to the outside of the vehicle so as to notify existence of the vehicle to pedestrians around the vehicle. It is noted that, in order to generate a comfortable low-frequency sound using a dynamic speaker, it is required to equip a vehicle with a woofer device or the like having a large diaphragm. Mountability of such a large device becomes low, and the weight of such a large device is increased.
In such a vehicle equipped with a vehicle proximity notification device, similarly to other vehicles, two electromagnetic whistle devices (electromagnetic alarm devices) are further provided to emit a whistle sound (alarm sound) to the outside of the vehicle when a horn buzzer switch device is manipulated by an occupant. Specifically, the two electromagnetic whistle devices equipped in a vehicle configure a double-horn-type structure for emitting simultaneously whistle sound components in two different tones including first whistle sound (first alarm sound) and second whistle sound (second alarm sound) in order to generate a massive tone and to improve comfortableness of the whistle sound. In order to generate simultaneously the whistle sound in two different tones, it is necessary to equip a vehicle with both the first electromagnetic whistle device for causing the first whistle sound and the second electromagnetic whistle device for causing the second whistle sound, which is in a different tone from that of the first whistle sound.
The two electromagnetic whistle devices are configured to generate whistle sound components when receiving a direct current signal at a self-excited voltage greater than or equal to a threshold such as 8 volt. Specifically, such an electromagnetic whistle device includes:                a coil configured to cause a magnetism on receiving electricity supply;        a current interrupter configured to intermit an electricity supply circuit of the coil when a direct current at a self-excited voltage greater than a threshold is applied to the coil;        a moving iron core configured to be driven by the magnetism of the coil; and        a vibrating plate (diaphragm) joined with the moving iron core.
For example, JP-A-58-162994 discloses an electromagnetic whistle device including a coil configured to cause oscillation of a diaphragm together with a moving iron core when a self-excited voltage is applied to the coil to cause a current interrupter to intermit electricity supply to the coil thereby to cause a whistle sound.
According to the prior arts as described above, it is required to provide two electromagnetic whistle devices in a vehicle in order to generate simultaneously a whistle sound in two different tones.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Vehicular annunciation device and method for notifying proximity of a vehicle having an ultrasonic speaker


A system and method for enabling a user to request and download selected media files from distributed content provider sites via the Internet. The system includes a plurality of user sites each including a player/receiver housed in an enclosure having a simple user interface, a plurality of content provider sites, and a transaction server site. The player/receiver enables the user to connect to the transaction server via the Internet to access a program guide listing available media files. The user is then able to select a desired file and, via the player/receiver and Internet, request the transaction server to authorize download of the selected file. The file request along with file encryption and transfer instructions are sent from the transaction server via the Internet to the content provider site storing the requested file. Requested files are then dynamically encrypted by the content provider site and securely downloaded to the requesting player/receiver. The requesting player/receiver is uniquely capable of decrypting a downloaded file concurrent with playing back the file on a conventional home television set and/or audio system.

This invention relates to systems for delivering digital media files (e.g., audio and/or video) from content provider sites to home user entertainment systems (e.g., television sets and/or audio equipment) via communications networks including public networks, e.g. Internet, and private networks, e.g., intranet and extranet.
Existing systems for transferring media files to the home user are typically complex, expensive to implement and maintain, lack sufficient security and flexibility, do not effectively utilize existing home entertainment infrastructure, and do not effectively leverage the open architecture of the Internet and standard communications protocols or encryption technologies. Generally, the limitations of not existing systems can be attributed to attempts to force a broadcast model onto communications network architectures that are designed to store and forward data as packets, rather than as continuous streams.
For example, so called "video on demand" systems deliver only video files for viewing and the infrastructure to enable transfer of those files to the home user is highly capital intensive. Moreover, such systems are typically difficult to scale since at any point in time, a unique stream must be dedicated to a particular user, from the video server to the users set top box. Since users can theoretically request video "broadcasting" at any time, the service provider must have sufficient capacity and communications bandwidth available at all times to insure that a program channel can be created whenever the user desires. Further, video on demand systems typically do not have the capability to access and transfer media files that reside on networks outside of the proprietary networks operated by the particular video on demand operator. This limits the number of titles that can be offered.
Special purpose home terminals are also known in the prior art for enabling home user access to the Internet or world wide web. These terminals require the home user to purchase and learn to use a special purpose device that does not leverage the user's current investment in home entertainment and communications infrastructure. Further, these devices do not facilitate effective storage and playback of media files downloaded from the Internet since they do not typically interface to conventional television sets or audio systems for viewing and listening, respectively. Other prior art involving streaming media via communications networks does not address the home user's need to select and acquire media files from the Internet, for example, without having to dedicate a computer to the task. Specifically, prior art associated with streaming media from the Internet to computers does not address the need to store and play back the streamed media at user selectable times via existing home entertainment systems that are already familiar to the home user.

Transaction system for transporting media files from content provider sources to home entertainment devices


A biocide composition comprising. (A) 1 to 50% by weight of a biocide, and PA1 (B) 0.005-60% by weight of a biocide activator having the specific formula is provided. The biocide effect of a biocide can be enhanced with the use of an effective amount of a biocide activator.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to an agricultural and horticultural biocide activator. More particularly, it relates to an agricultural and horticultural biocide activator which has long-life, good effect in activating a biocide and does not have a harmful effect on or cause damage to farm products, crops or useful plants.
2. Description of the Background Art
In general, a quaternary ammonium salt has a strong biocide activation effect. Practical use of the quaternary ammonium salts in agriculture and horticulture, however, is extremely difficult because these compounds show strong harmful effects or cause damage to farm products, crops, or useful plants.
It is known that harmful effects or damage to plants are reduced by using an anion compound having 10 or more carbon atoms or a polymer, as a counter-ion of the quaternary ammonium salt. However, the quaternary ammonium salts which have a counter ion having 10 or more carbon atoms or a polymer are not easily dissolved into water. It has therefore been difficult to produce an aqueous biocide composition in a high concentration of the quaternary ammonium salt.
It would be desirable, therefore, to provide a biocide composition which gives excellent biocide activation effect and has no harmful effect or causes no damage to farm products, crops or useful plants.


A pulse width estimation method, applied between an integrated circuit and a circuit system for generating a reference pulse with a predetermined pulse width, includes steps for the following: generating an under-test pulse with an under-test pulse width by the integrated circuit; delivering the under-test and reference pulses to the integrated circuit for multiplying the under-test pulse width and the predetermined pulse width thereof by a timing gain and thereby obtaining a gained under-test pulse and a gained reference pulse, respectively; providing, by the integrated circuit, a count pulse for sampling the gained under-test pulse and the gained reference pulse and thereby obtaining a first count number and a second count number, respectively; and estimating the under-test pulse width by using the predetermined pulse width, the first count number and the second count number. A pulse width estimation device is also provided.

Basically, the reading and writing in a memory unit of an integrated circuit are processed based on stable and accurate pulses. Conventionally, the measurement of the pulse width of a pulse is realized by an on-chip jitter measurement unit as illustrated in FIG. 1. As shown, first, the leading signal and the lagging signal, represented as the rising edge and the falling edge of an under-test pulse, are inputted to a first input end 111 and a second input end 112 of the on-chip jitter measurement unit, respectively. Specifically, the leading signal and the lagging signal, inputted to the first input end 111 and the second input end 112, are sequentially processed by a plurality of inverters 121˜12N with a delay time Ts and a plurality of inverters 131˜13N with a delay time Tf and thereby corporately triggering a plurality of D flip-flops 141˜14N, respectively; wherein Ts is greater than Tf. Thus, the under-test time difference between the leading signal and the lagging signal decreases with the number of inverter; and eventually the pulse width of the under-test pulse is measured based on the digital code, represented as the time difference between the leading signal and the lagging signal and obtained by an encoder 15, when the time difference between the leading signal and the lagging signal as well as the outputs of the D flip-flops 141˜14N are converted from a positive value into a negative value. However, due to the manufacture process, voltage and temperature variations, the conventional means for the on-chip jitter measurement unit as described above may not accurately measure the pulse width if the frequency of the under-test pulse increases to a specific level. Even when some other existing or conventional technical means, such as using the timing amplifier to extend the pulse width of the pulse, are introduced for accurately measuring the decreasing the pulse width, the uncertainty resulted from the manufacture process, voltage and temperature variations still cannot be eliminated effectively.

Method and device for pulse width estimation


A bipolar transistor has a base region consisting of a graft base region, linking base region and an intrinsic base region, and a diffusion suppressing region of an opposite conductivity type to that of the base region is formed at least at the lower portion of the intrinsic base region. The junction depth of the linking base region is selected to be shallower than that of the intrinsic base region. Since the base to base linking is performed in the linking base region, collision between the intrinsic base region and the graft base region is inhibited, while the diffusion of the base width beyond the diffusion suppressing region is also inhibited. The junction depth of the linking base region is selected to be shallow to prevent the width of the parasitic base from being increased to suppress the side injection effect.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a high operating speed type bipolar transistor in which a base region of a second conductivity type is formed in a collector region of a first conductivity type and an emitter region of a first conductivity type is formed in the base region. More particularly, it relates to a bipolar transistor in which the base region is formed by a graft base region, a linking base region and an intrinsic base region.
2. Description of Prior Art
For producing a high speed high performance bipolar transistor, it is necessary to reduce the base width W.sub.B, while it is also important to reduce the base resistance R.sub.bb'.
As the production method for realization of this high performance, the present applicant has proposed a technique of forming a linking base region between an intrinsic base region as an active region and a graft base region which is produced by diffusing impurities from the base contact electrode. This technique is disclosed for example in the Japanese Patent Application Nos. 184898/1987, 188025/1987 and 188026/1987.
Meanwhile, in the technique of linking the intrinsic base region and the graft base region by the linking base region of the same conductivity type, there are caused damages when the linking base region is formed by ion implantation. These damages by ion implantation give rise to accelerated diffusion into the active region and to adverse effects due to so-called channeling tail. Among these adverse effects is the increase in the base junction depth that is caused in the course of the ensuring heat treatment. As described in the aforementioned Japanese Patent Application No. 184898/1987, there is also known a method comprising forming side walls on the lateral sides of the base contact electrode and utilizing these side walls to remove the substrate partially to form an emitter region and a base region of extreme small size and, above all, extremely shallow depth. However, the side injection effect of the emitter and the base presents itself to interfere with the high speed operation.
As a technique overcoming this inconvenience, the present applicant has already proposed in the Japanese Patent Application No. 33686/1988 a technique according to which a diffusion suppressing or restraining region having an opposite conductivity type to that of the base region is provided below the intrinsic base region.
However, for further elevating the performance of the bipolar transistor, it is necessary to prevent the width of, for example, the linking base region functioning as a parasitic base region from being increased, to suppress the side injection effect more completely.