A method for autonomously delivering and/or collecting at least one shipment using at least one distribution vehicle is described, in which a distribution vehicle approaches a customer vehicle at least partially autonomously and at least partially via the public road traffic, in which the distribution vehicle at least partially autonomously causes opening of a closure unit of the customer vehicle, in which, when the closure unit is open, the distribution vehicle at least partially autonomously places a shipment into the customer vehicle and/or at least partially autonomously removes a shipment from the customer vehicle, which, after placing and/or removing the shipment, the distribution vehicle at least partially autonomously causes closing of the closure unit of the customer vehicle.

Methods for autonomously delivering and/or collecting at least one shipment using at least one distribution vehicle and corresponding distribution vehicles and distribution systems have already been described, specifically for very different shipments. This makes it possible to save personnel and the associated costs. Since no personnel is needed to drive the distribution vehicles, it is possible to use a greater number of smaller distribution vehicles and a greater number of logistics centers in a particular spatial area, which logistics centers can be approached by the distribution vehicles in order to accept and/or to deliver shipments. This may help to save unnecessary journeys and to deliver shipments more quickly. The delivery times can also be adapted more individually to the addressees of the shipments or to the persons sending shipments. This is intended to increase, for example, the likelihood of finding the corresponding persons at home in order to increase the convenience for the persons and avoid unnecessary transport routes.
However, the disadvantage of the known methods is that they require a considerable amount of control complexity, a multiplicity of distribution vehicles and/or a vast network of logistics centers.

Method, distribution vehicle and system for autonomously delivering and/or collecting at least one shipment


An inking control system for a printing machine has an operating panel with operating and display elements for adjusting the zonally acting ink distribution devices in the printing machine. A spacing distribution along a given direction and a number of the operating and display elements corresponds to a spacing distribution and a number of the ink zones in the printing machine. A full size color monitor is integrated in the operating panel. The color monitor is enabled to display a full-size printed image on a scale of 1:1 and to spatially correlate the display of the printed image with the operating and display elements to directly visually associate the inking zones in the displayed printed image with the operating and display elements. One or more image recording devices in the printing machine record printed images while the printing material is conveyed through the printing machine. The acquired image data are forwarded to a computer that is connected to the ink distribution devices and to the one or more image recording devices. In the method, the display image for the screen is generated from a sequence of successive scans by the image recording device.

The invention lies in the printing technology field. More specifically, the invention relates to an operating panel for a printing machine, a control system for controlling inking in a printing machine with such an operating panel, and a control method.
Operating panels for printing machines formed with a support surface for printed sheets which are to be inspected have become known heretofore. The respective printed sheet to be inspected may be positioned on the deposit surface by adjustable stop bars and locking elements so that it is in linear alignment with an ink zone keyboard, the ink zones on the printed sheet corresponding to ink keys assigned thereto, the ink keys being arranged in the operating panel in accordance with the number of ink zones and the respective distance therebetween. The amount of ink, i.e., the ink distribution, is controlled by the ink keys, the ink distribution being adjusted in a printing unit and on the printed sheet transversely with respect to the conveying direction by means of zonally active ink-metering elements. For the purpose of aligning printed sheets with respect to the ink zones, the deposit surface may be provided with markings defining the limits of the ink zones.
Such an alignment is not exact because it depends upon the diligence and expertise of the operating personnel. Furthermore, at least some of the markings are covered when a printed sheet is being inspected so that only the markings, which have not been covered by the respective printed sheet may be used for the inspection. Especially in the case of printing motifs or subjects with stripe-shaped elements running towards the ink zones or transversely thereto, orientation based upon the ink zones is difficult.
Linear display elements may be provided in addition to the ink-zone keyboard, the display elements representing the positions of ink-metering elements within the printing machine.
It is furthermore known to provide the operating panel with a viewing screen or monitor connected to a computer. Among other things, the adjusting variables for metering the ink and/or dampening medium are able to be displayed on the viewing screen. Also known heretofore is the representation on the viewing screen of a photograph of a print taken by means of a camera. A disadvantage thereof is that a conventional viewing screen displays only a respective print which is reduced in size, due to which the visual evaluation for controlling the ink-metering elements is rendered more difficult. Furthermore, the viewing screen is usually located remote from the ink-zone keyboard so that the display on the viewing screen is not very suitable for both the simultaneous comparative evaluation of the printed image and the adjustment of the ink-metering elements.
It is accordingly an object of the invention to provide an inking control system and an inking control method which overcomes the disadvantages associated with the prior art and which utilizes an operating panel and an image-recording device for a printing machine that permit better handling than afforded by heretofore known systems.
With the foregoing and other objects in view, there is provided, in accordance with the invention, an inking control system for a printing machine having defined ink zones and zonally acting ink distribution devices, the control system comprising:
an operating panel with operating and display elements for adjusting the zonally acting ink distribution devices in the printing machine;
a spacing distribution along a given direction and a number of the operating and display elements corresponding to a spacing distribution and a number of the ink zones;
a color monitor integrated in the operating panel, the color monitor having a size configured to display a printed image on a scale of 1:1 and to a full extent thereof, and to spatially correlate a display of the printed image with regard to the inking zones with the operating and display elements, so that there is a direct visual association between the inking zones in the displayed printed image and the operating and display elements;
at least one image recording device disposed in the printing machine and aimed to record printed images while a printing material is conveyed through the printing machine; and
a computer connected to the ink distribution devices and to the at least one image recording device.
In accordance with an added feature of the invention, the computer is integrated in an operating console that has the operating panel.
In accordance with an additional feature of the invention, the image recording device is movably disposed to and fro transversely with respect to a conveying direction of the printing material.
In accordance with another feature of the invention, the color monitor has a display screen arranged in a common plane with the operating and display elements.
With the above and other objects in view there is also provided, in accordance with the invention, a method of controlling the inking process in a printing machine. The method comprises the following steps:
acquiring image data representing a printed image from a printing material with an image recording device disposed in the printing machine;
feeding the image data to a computer;
generating display information from the image data originating from a plurality of successively printed images and produced by the image recording device; and
displaying the display information representing the printed image on a color monitor disposed in an operating panel of the printing machine, in a size corresponding to original dimensions of the printed image on the printing material.
In accordance with again an additional feature of the invention, the image recording device is moved to and fro transversely to a conveying direction of the printing material during a passage of a plurality of printed images by the image recording device. In a preferred embodiment, the image recording device is moved to and fro with a period that is greater than a passage time of a printed image underneath the image recording device.
In accordance with a concomitant feature of the invention, the image data are obtained with the image recording device along a scanning line over a plurality of printed images.
There is thus provided an operating panel for a printing machine having operating and display elements for adjusting zonally active ink-distribution devices installed in the printing machine for controlling ink feeding in a printed image. The operating and display elements are arranged in one direction and gaps therebetween correspond in number to those of ink zones wherein the ink feeding is controlled. A color screen has a size adequate for displaying a printed image substantially fullscale or 1:1, and the display of the printed image is directly assignable visually to the operating and display elements.
In accordance with another feature of the invention, the display elements, in addition to the printed image, are displayable on the color screen substantially fullscale.
In accordance with a further feature of the invention, the operating elements, in addition to the printed image, are displayable on the color screen substantially fullscale, and a cursor control device is provided, by means of which the operating elements are actuatable under computer control.
In accordance with an added feature of the invention, the operating panel includes an inspection device for at least one printed product arranged so as to be directly assignable visually to the full-scale display of the printed image with respect to the position and direction of the ink zones.
In accordance with an additional feature of the invention, defining limits of the ink zones are displayable on the color screen.
In accordance with a concomitant feature of the invention, reference image sections and actual image sections are displayable on the color screen.
Thus, the object of the invention is achieved by providing an operating panel comprising a color screen on which a printed image is displayed on a 1:1 scale. The color screen and zonally distributed operating and display elements are arranged relative to one another so that a visually direct assignability is provided.
The size of the color screen permits a display of the printed image at least partially within the area of at least one ink zone with respect to the largest format to be printed on a respective printing machine.
It is economical or cost-advantageous to integrate the display elements representing the position of zonal ink-distributing devices into the color screen so that the use of separate display elements can be dispensed with. It is appropriate to divide the display area of the color screen into two windows, the first window displaying a full-scale printed image, and the second window, which is directly adjacent to the first window, representing the display elements graphically and/or alphanumerically.
According to a modified embodiment of the invention, the operating elements, by means of which the ink-distribution devices are set, are also represented in the second window. The operating elements may be actuated by means of a cursor control device, a light pen, or a touch-screen method. For this purpose, a computer which has a controlling function is assigned to the operating panel.
The color screen may be integrated into the conventional deposit or table-like surface; in addition, an inspection device may be provided to inspect the printed products. The ink zones of the printed products of the inspection device may be arranged in the same direction as are the ink zones on the color screen, that direction being predetermined by the ink zones on the color screen and/or the arrangement of the operating and display elements.
It is advantageous to also represent on the color screen, at the bottom of the printed image or in the printed image itself, the limits of the ink zones on a scale of 1:1. Fine lines drawn in bright colors may be superimposed upon the printed image, when displaying the limits.
All types of visual display terminals which are available on the market and based on cathode-ray technology, liquid-crystal technology, or projection technology may be used as the color viewing screens.
Other features which are considered as characteristic for the invention are set forth in the appended claims.
Although the invention is illustrated and described herein as embodied in an operating panel for a printing machine, it is nevertheless not intended to be limited to the details shown, since various modifications and structural changes may be made therein without departing from the spirit of the invention and within the scope and range of equivalents of the claims.
The construction and method of operation of the invention, however, together with additional objects and advantages thereof will be best understood from the following description of specific embodiments when read in connection with the single figure of the drawing.

Operating panel for a printing machine, inking control system for a printing machine, and inking control method


In a resin molded article (M), a wear-resistant surface layer (2) is provided on a surface of a base (1) made of a thermoplastic resin with an undercoat layer (3) being interposed therebetween, and the surface layer (2) has a composition containing silicon, oxygen, carbon, and hydrogen, a thickness of 0.02 μm or greater and 0.48 μm or less, and a density of greater than 1.5 g/cm3 or a hardness of 1.5 GPa or greater.

In recent years, there has been a demand for window glass that is made of organic glass (plastic) (glazing panels made of resin) instead of inorganic glass in order to reduce the weight of an automobile. In this case, the panel needs to have a hardness sufficient to hinder or prevent the panel surface from having scratches due to wipers, flaws due to small stones, or the like.
PATENT DOCUMENTS 1-4 describe that the wear resistance of glazing panels for automobiles is improved by providing (growing) a hard surface layer on a surface of a resin base made of polycarbonate or the like by plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition (CVD).


A user device incorporates a user interface platform that combines user notifications and various operational settings as part of a common display region. The notifications and settings are separated from one another, and the user interface dynamically adjusts the arrangement of these features to make it convenient for a user to quickly see the information and to manage it. The setting information may incorporate user logins, network and communication data, display and audio information, as well as other settings. And the application-related notifications may include information about active applications such as an email account, audio or video calls, texting apps, social media platforms, calendars, music players, video players, and the like. In response to a new notification, the system may consolidate the operational settings into core settings information. The system may also auto collapse (or expand) the notification list when a new notification is received.

Conventional laptops, tablets, and similar personal electronic devices incorporate a user interface (UI) that presents information to the user in a particular manner. For instance, tabs, drop-down menus, icons and other elements may be presented in a certain location or with a specific appearance for a given application. However, in some instances always providing the same information in the same way may be inefficient depending on a user's preferences or their current activities.

Unified and smart notifications and quick settings system


A wheel bearing apparatus provided with a wheel rotational speed detector which has a simplified L-shape and is constituted by a detector end portion and a circuit housing perpendicular to the detector end portion. The detector end portion contains a sensor in opposition to a detected member fixed to a rotating inside member of the wheel bearing and is embedded in an outside member of the wheel bearing, while the circuit housing contains a circuit for processing a signal input from the sensor and is mounted on an outside surface of the outside member in parallel with the axial direction of the outside member so that the circuit housing is inside in the radial direction of the outside surface of a flange provided for the inside member.

The present invention relates to a wheel bearing apparatus which is comprised of a rotating inside member provided with a detected member, an outside member, and a wheel rotation speed detector having a detection end portion which includes a sensor in opposition to the detected member, and a circuit housing which is connected to the detection end portion and which includes a circuit to process the detection signal received from the sensor, being able to be used, for example, on an automotive drive wheel of the type provided with an antilock brake system which detects the wheel velocity by means of a rotation speed detector and controls the wheels based on this detected speed so that they do not lock when the brakes are suddenly applied.
A wheel rotational speed detector mounted on a wheel bearing of type which constitutes an essential component in an antilock brake system as described above requires high detection precision and extremely high vibration resistance and sealing performance in order to maintain high detection precision. If these requirements are not provided, the detector may be damaged by vibrations and penetrated by water or other foreign matter, thus causing the rotational speed detector to break down or malfunction, or to lead even to a major accident.
At the same time, small, compact rotational speed detectors installed on wheel bearing apparatuses are desirable in order to minimize the restrictions of the installation space and to make the wheel bearing apparatus itself more compact. However, at the current level of technology, the rotational speed detector is unavoidably large because of the need for high vibration resistance and sealing performance as described above, and it is not possible to completely embed the rotational speed detector in the outside member.
Conventionally, an axle bearing apparatus provided with a rotational speed detector as thus described comprises, as shown in FIG. 18, an inside member 104 having a basically cylindrically shaped main member 101 and a flange 102 at the end portion 101a of main member 101, the flange 102 projecting to the outside and being used for mounting to a wheel. A wheel axle (not shown in the figure) passes through through-hole 104a at the center of main member 101. The inside member 104 is provided with a detected member 103 which is comprised of multiple projections 103a at regular intervals around the circumference of main member 101 and projecting to the outside in the radial direction. This wheel bearing apparatus is also provided with an outside member 106 on the same axis as the inside member 104 and fixed to a chassis (not shown in the figure) at mounting portion 105, multiple rolling elements 107 provided between raceway surfaces 104a, 104b of inside member 104 and raceway surfaces 106a, 106b of outside member 106 so as to roll in the circumferential direction on the raceways, and a cylindrically shaped rotational speed detector 112 mounted in outside member 106 and comprised of a detector end portion 110 and a circuit housing 111. Said detector member 110 is mounted in opposition to detected member 103 of inside member 104 and includes a sensor which is not shown in the figure, and circuit housing 111 houses a circuit, not shown in the figure, which processes the detection signal received from the sensor. The rotational speed of the inside member 104 is detected by the rotational speed detector 112. (See U.S. Pat. No. 4,778,286.)
However, in a conventional wheel bearing apparatus provided with a wheel rotational speed detector as described above, said rotational speed detector 112 has a simple cylindrical shape extending in the axial direction and cannot be made to be a sufficiently compact device with the current state of technology, the problem is that when the rotational speed detector 112 is mounted on outside member 106 so that the detector end portion 110 is in opposition to the detected member 103 of the inside member 104, circuit housing 111 projects significantly to the outside in the radial direction from the outside surface of the outside member of the main body. While the rotational speed detector 112 shown in FIG. 18 is small, the detector is actually quite large when the signal processing circuit is housed inside and the rotational speed detector 112 actually extends beyond the outside edge of mounting member 105 in common applications. Thus, because the rotational speed detector 112 projects significantly, the wheel bearing apparatus cannot be handled easily during transportation or installation of the wheel bearing apparatus because the protruding rotational speed detector 112 can easily strike other parts and be subjected to unanticipated external forces which could result in damage to the rotational speed detector.

Wheel bearing apparatus provided with compact wheel rotation speed detector lying within the outside periphery of the bearing apparatus


The method for rapid installation of a smaller diameter pressure control device usable on an annular BOP or any type of BOP. The step are first installing a flange with a threaded profile upon an annular BOP. Next, install a bell nipple on the flange, then install a first test plug in the base of the BOP or the base of the stack of BOPs. Then install a second test plug into the threaded profile of flange. Perform a pressure test on the flange and all sealing aspects of the annular BOP; depressurizing the flange and removing the test plug. Install a thread protector between flange and the bore of the annular BOP. Next initiate drilling operations; and upon indication of the need for wireline operations, or adapting the existing BOP to smaller working diameter pressure control device, remove the thread protector and install a high pressure assembly.

The current application claims priority to the co-pending provisional patent application filed Feb. 2, 2004, Ser. No. 60/541,034 entitled "Method for Rapid Installation of a Smaller Diameter Pressure Control Device Usable on an Annular Blow Out Preventer".
Currently, for oil and gas well, blow out preventers are installed using a rig bell nipple. When those nipples are removed, usually two individuals must climb up a BOP to undo about twelve bolts and remove the nipple. The BOP has limited space and is filthy and dirty with poor lighting. The individual must then get a high pressure version of the bell nipple, energize the bell nipple, and then cross over to the BOP. The usual work time required for these actions is between six and eight hours.
Other apparatus and methods for performing wireline operation in a well are described in Young U.S. Pat. No. 4,836,289, Ables U.S. Pat. No. 5,615,737, and Portman U.S. Pat. No. 6,209,652.
A need has existed for a system where people do not have to replace the bell nipple at unreasonable times. A need has exists for a system the can do such an installation of a bell nipple in less than one hour, rather than six hours.
The present method is detailed below with reference to the listed Figures.

Method for rapid installation of a smaller diameter pressure control device usable on blow out preventers


The present patent application relates to a compact device with a modular design, and to a method for extracting volatile oils and herbal distillates contained in organic matter, using the extraction technique of steam distillation. The device is formed by a lower cylindrical module on top of which an upper hemispherical module may be disposed, and both modules may be secured to form a single hermetic body. The lower module may contain a hot-water boiler, a heat conducting disc, a steam-heating chamber, a still of raw material, and a valve for regulating the steam flow. The upper module may contain a conical steam condenser, a hemispherical cover, a ring for collecting distilled liquid, and a tube for removing the distilled liquid. The distillation method of internal steam distillation may integrate, in a single physical body, a semi-closed steam flow circuit that may include all the functions of distillation.

The extraction of essential oils from aromatic plants through the method known as "steam distillation" has been performed by humanity since ancient times and is a common practice in biochemical labs and industries such as: pharmaceutical, gastronomical, petrochemical, aromatherapy and perfume elaboration, etc. all around the world today.
The old alembics like modern oil distillers are characterized for having different containers which are successively connected directly and/or through pipelines. In each one of these containers the necessary processes for distillation successively takes place, for example, as in an Arabic alembic and using the Clevenger method.

Device for extracting volatile oils contained in organic raw material via steam stripping and internal distillation method


The image processing device divides images into groups, generates image analysis information of the images, extracts a predetermined number of images from each group based on the image analysis information and arranges the images extracted from each group on a corresponding page of a photo book. The image display section displays an image editing area for displaying images arranged on a page to be edited and a candidate image display area for displaying candidate images included in a group corresponding to the page to be edited and being usable for editing the image, and the image editing section uses the candidate images displayed in the candidate image display area to edit the image layout on the page to be edited based on the user's instruction.

The present invention relates to an image processing device, an image processing method and an image processing program for editing the image layout on each page of a photo-content commodity such as a photo book composed of a plurality of pages.
The photo book is a service with which a user (photographer) transmits a plurality of images (image data) captured by, for example, a digital camera to a service provider through the Internet to create a photo album having a layout desired by the user. When creating a photo book, the user can select a desired template from a plurality of layout templates in which positions where images can be arranged are previously determined and determine as desired the number of pages of the photo book, images to be included in each page, and the layout of the images in each page.
A conventionally known photo book-creating method involves classifying images into groups in consideration of the continuity and relationship of the images, for example, based on the shooting time and automatically arranging (laying out) images included in each of the groups on their corresponding pages.
For example, JP 2009-223764 A describes an automatic album layout method which comprises classifying acquired images and selection images selected by a user from among the acquired images based on attributes such as subject, shooting time and shooting scene, making indices indicating the degree of importance of the selected images for each of the attributes based on the comparative results between the number of the acquired images and the number of the selected images, providing the indices to the selected images, and arranging and combining the images in the allocated regions of an album template.
JP 11-175533 A describes an image retrieval device which reads information containing a plurality of pieces of image information, automatically preparing retrieval information such as GPS information, date and time information and retrieval keyword (athletic meet) for each piece of the image information based on the read information, records the image information and the retrieval information in association with each other, compares an input retrieval condition with the retrieval information, extracts image information corresponding to the retrieval condition by retrieval and displays an image represented by the extracted image information on the screen.
JP 3528214 B proposes an image display method comprising setting classifying conditions for each page based on accessory information data concerning capture of image data and attached to the image data upon the capture thereof, classifying the image data for each page based on the accessory information data and the conditions, and displaying the classified image data on a display screen for each page.
JP 4438061 B describes a method of controlling an electronic album editing device which comprises retrieving similar image data from a plurality of pieces of image data, and displaying one of the similar image data in the editing area corresponding to a page of an electronic album as representative similar image data, the other similar image data in the evacuation area independent from the page of the electronic album, and similar image data associated with the specified representative similar image data in such a manner that such similar image data may be distinguished from other image data displayed in the evacuation area.

Image processing device, image processing method, and image processing program


An improved plastic fuel tank for motor vehicle applications is disclosed. The blow molded plastic fuel tank has at least one reinforcement insert encapsulated at a preselected area on the exterior surface of the fuel tank. The reinforcement insert provides supplemental support, elasticity and fire resistance, or a combination thereof.

The present invention relates to automotive fuel tanks and, in particular, to a plastic fuel tank having woven fabric reinforcements encapsulated on the exterior surface thereof.
Conventional automotive fuel tanks can be classified into two distinctive design approaches. The first, and most widely utilized design approach includes the fabrication of two or more metallic (i.e. steel) stampings which are roller (i.e. continuous) seam welded together to form a leak-proof tank. Likewise, metal fuel tanks are typically plated with a corrosion resistant metal (i.e. terne plate) which acts as a barrier against attack from corrosive gasoline ingredients. With recent government mandates directed to the elimination of lead as an octane boost additive in gasoline, it will be necessary for the industry to mix other additives such as methyl-alcohol or methanol with gasoline. Both are by-products of the gasoline distillation process and could be easily added to the gasoline end-product. However, such additives are extremely corrosive to conventional stamped metal fuel tanks.
Another known disadvantage of welded steel tanks is the need to produce leak-proof seams which are capable of withstanding impact as well as extremely high internal pressure levels without rupturing. Additionally, metal tanks do not, in and of themselves, provide adequate thermal insulation from excessive heat generated by adjacent exhaust system components. In some instances, an additional non-metallic shield member is provided between the tank and the exhaust system components to thermally insulate the steel tank, thereby reducing the transfer of heat from the exhaust components to the fuel confined within the tank.
The application of plastics in the fabrication of fuel tanks is the second design approach which has recently gained recognition in the automotive industry. In recent years, the selection of plastic as a material from which fuel tanks, particularly motor vehicle fuel tanks, can be fabricated has received increased interest. Plastic fuel tanks are typically less expensive than metal tanks, are easier to produce, and are more resistant to the deteriorating effects of gasoline and the environment. In addition, because plastic fuel tanks can be more readily formed into complex shapes, it is possible to specially configure plastic fuel tanks and thereby significantly increase the capacity of the tank for a given application. Moreover, plastic fuel tanks are more impact resistant than metal tanks and less prone to rupturing as the blow molding process does not produce seams which must be subsequently joined and sealed.
However, to ensure adequate strength of the fuel tanks, particularly with plastic fuel tanks having complex shapes, it is frequently necessary to fabricate the entire fuel tank with a greater average wall thickness than necessary to ensure appropriate wall thickness in those localized areas where the blow molding manufacturing process tends to cause thinning.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide an improved one-piece blow molded plastic fuel tank having fabric reinforcements encapsulated at localized points on the exterior surface of the tank. The fabric reinforcements provide additional mechanical strength, particularly at elevated temperatures. Furthermore, the fabric reinforcements are able to strengthen localized areas which have been "deep drawn" and where wall sections tend to be thinnest. Likewise, it is preferred to utilize material for such reinforcements that additionally provides a heat shield effect for thermally insulating the contents of the fuel tank from exhaust systems components.
It is an additional object of the present invention to provide a reinforced blow molded fuel tank that can be manufactured with a reduced average overall wall thickness thereby reducing the weight of the fuel tank without sacrificing the strength and integrity of the fuel tank.
Other advantages and features will become apparent from the following specification taken in connection with the accompanying drawings.

Fabric reinforcement for plastic fuel tanks


A braking force control system of a vehicle includes a deviation reference control quantity determining device for determining an operation control quantity for the actuator on the basis of a deviation between a target deceleration determined on the basis of a quantity of operation of a brake operating member and a detected deceleration of the vehicle. In this control system, the level of operation speed is judged in accordance with whether or not the variation per unit time in quantity of operation of the brake operating member exceeds a preset value. Following two states are switched over from one to another by a switch device: a state 1) in which the operation of the actuator is controlled with an operation control quantity determined in the deviation reference control quantity determining device, when it is decided that the operation speed is slow or low, and a state 2) in which the operation of the actuator is controlled with an operation control quantity determined in an operation quantity reference quantity determining device for determining the operation control quantity on the basis of the quantity of operation of the brake operating member, when the operation speed is fast or high. Thus, the generation of an overshooting can be avoided to improve the responsiveness.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a braking force control system of a vehicle, comprising an actuator capable of adjusting a braking force of a wheel brake, an operation quantity detecting means for detecting the quantity of operation of a brake operating member, a target deceleration determining means for determining a target deceleration of the vehicle on the basis of the operation quantity detected by the operation quantity detecting means, a deceleration detecting means for detecting a deceleration of the vehicle, and a deviation reference control quantity determining means for determining an operation control quantity for the actuator on the basis of a deviation between the target deceleration determined in the target deceleration determining means and the deceleration detected by the deceleration detecting means.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Such systems have conventionally been known, for example, from Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 178062/89 and the like.
In the above prior art system, a feed-back control of the deceleration of the vehicle is carried out, but if the responsiveness of the control is increased, the generation of an over-shooting cannot be avoided.


A catheter, such as an intravascular catheter, includes a longitudinally pre-oriented tubular substrate and reinforcing means surrounding and in contact with the substrate, the reinforcing means wound over the substrate, and a tubular superstrate surrounding the reinforcing means forcing the reinforcing means against the substrate and maintaining the reinforcing means wound over the substrate. The reinforcing means is a micro-tape having a width less than 0.5 mm and includes a filament layer having a cross sectional aspect ratio (width/height) of 2 to 20, wherein the filaments are fixated by a cured or solidified resin or wax, which constitutes 2 to 40 wt % of the micro-tape.

The invention pertains to an intravascular catheter comprising reinforcing means. Catheters comprising reinforcing means are known. Catheters are used in medical diagnostic procedures by inserting them into a patient's body. In order to be able to insert a catheter the catheter must be flexible enough to bend in conformance with the passageways, but also rigid enough to provide torque transmission and adequate support structure for minimizing kinking.
In U.S. Pat. No. 4,425,919 a torque transmitting catheter apparatus including a longitudinally pre-oriented thin-walled tubular substrate surrounded by a thin-walled reinforcing means comprising a flat metal wire braid wound over the substrate has been described. Metal wires provide a good support to substrates of the catheter, but due to the metal such catheters cannot be used for fluoroscopic investigation and MRI scanning the patient.
In EP 0517075 an intravascular catheter such as a guiding catheter of composite construction has been disclosed having an inner tubular member of braided polymeric fibrous strands impregnated with a thermoset polyurethane and having an outer jacket or coating of thermoplastic polyurethane secured to the braided tubular member. This catheter does not contain any metal reinforcing material and therefore is suitable for fluoroscopic investigation and MRI scanning. However, it was found that the reinforcing polymeric fibrous strands do not give sufficient stiffness to the catheter to fully prevent kinking of the catheter when inserted into an artery of a patient.

Intravascular catheter comprising a reinforcing micro-tape


A method and apparatus for intelligent power management for low power link states. Some embodiments include methods, apparatuses, and systems for a device coupled to a controller via a link; a link power management engine to alter a power state of the link based on a transaction and some knowledge of future transactions between the device and the controller; and a memory or logic to store the link power management engine. In some embodiments, the memory stores information about at least one of the following: the power state of the link, the device buffering, the controller or device state or a history of transactions. In some embodiments, the device is a peripheral of a computer system. In some embodiments, the method may include transitioning the device to various link states. Other embodiments are described.

Computer systems commonly are sensitive to the behavior of devices coupled to the systems. Such effects include power management issues. Because power management has typically operated in a cooperative model, one badly behaving device can, by preventing a computer system from transitioning to an appropriate state of reduced power consumption, reduce the effectiveness of any or all platform power management mechanisms.
In one example, power in a computer system may be optimized utilizing low power states. Multiple different states with different levels of operation and power savings may be available. However, a processor of the computer system or any computer subsystem can remain stuck in a higher power state due to, for example, communication traffic generated by a device that is operating in an unnecessary or inopportune manner.
Many devices in current computer systems make use of PCI, PCI Express (PCIe), or Universal Serial Bus (USB, USB2) interconnects via on-board integration, integrated Mini-Card devices, ExpressCard slots, and/or USB walk-up ports. These interconnect standards, among others, are not in themselves optimized for power-friendly devices. Because of this, there may be a need for power efficient device design through use of traffic alignment, coalescing interrupts, and providing robust low power link state usage.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Power management of electronic devices utilizing transitions between link states


A droplet generator comprising a first unit having an elongate liquid chamber one end thereof is open and at least one raw of orifices disposed in a line oppositely to the open end in the longitudinal direction of the first unit, a second unit having an elongate diaphragm provided on the bottom of the second unit and a plurality of vibrators provided within the diaphragm area, a vibrating apparatus provided on the top of the vibrators, and a stationary section to fix the vibrating apparatus. The diaphragm of the second unit is provided closely and oppositely to the open end of the liquid chamber of the first unit.

1. Field of Technology
This invention relates to an ink-jet recording device and, more particularly, to a droplet generator in a multi-nozzle continuous ink-jet apparatus which can eject ink droplets very steadily with high reliability and high maintainability.
2. Prior Art
The basic principle of operation of a multi-nozzle continuous ink-jet apparatus is explained below. Flying micro droplets are formed by compressing liquid in an ink tank by a pump or the like, letting liquid be ejected from an orifice, and applying vibrations to the ejected liquid by a piezoelectric element. Then the flying droplets are given charges by a charge electrode which is placed near the stream of droplets and have the controlled amounts of charge. The flying direction and the quantity of deflection of each charge-controlled droplet are controlled by a deflection electrode which is provided in the downstream side of the charge electrode. This controlling is done to form an image or pattern according to its information. Unwanted droplets that are not used for image or pattern formation are controlled to fly into a gutter which is provided in part of the flying path of the droplets. The liquid in the gutter is fed back to the ink tank for re-use.
In addition to this multi-nozzle continuous ink-jet type, there is a drop-on-demand ink-jet type which controls ejection of each droplet. This ink-jet type uses small ink chambers made of piezoelectric elements and deforms respective ink chambers by piezoelectric elements to eject droplets. Another well-known drop-on-demand ink-jet type provides a heater in each ink chamber, overheats liquid in the ink chamber by the heater to form a bubble, and pushes out liquid by the pressure of the bubble.
Contrarily, the continuous ink-jet apparatus need not control ejection of each droplet because it controls the charge quantity of ejected liquid to deflect its flying direction. Therefore, the continuous ink-jet type is simpler than the drop-on-demand type and can assure high reliability. Consequently, the continuous ink-jet apparatus has been widely used as industrial marking apparatus which requires a long service life and high reliability. Details of these ink-jet types and industrial marking apparatus which uses the continuous ink-jet apparatus are explained in detail by Non-Patent Document 1.
As explained by Non-Patent Document 2, many of the continuous ink-jet apparatuses for industrial marking use a single nozzle and control the quantity of deflection of the ejected liquid to form images. However, to use the long-life high-reliability continuous ink-jet apparatus in various fields, the continuous ink-jet apparatus must be of the multi-orifice type that uses a plurality of orifices to eject ink.
To realize a continuous ink-jet apparatus of the multi-orifice type, the most important problem is to form uniform droplets from a plurality of parallel orifices. For this purpose, some methods have been proposed.
Patent Documents 1 to 4 disclose a method of vibrating an orifice plate by piezoelectric elements. However, it is difficult to vibrate the orifice plate uniformly by piezoelectric elements in spite of various contrivances. Because of generation of a mode of plate vibration or a vibration mode, this method has a demerit that droplet generation timing and quantities may vary by the positions of orifices formed in the orifice plate.
Patent Documents 5 and 6 disclose a method of vibrating the whole ink chamber. This method requires much vibration energy as the liquid and the whole ink chamber must be vibrated. Further, it is hard to increase the vibration frequency in this method. Generally, the droplet generation frequency must be some kHz to 10 kHz considering the productivity. At the present time, the droplet generation frequency of the drop-on-demand ink-jet apparatus is about 10 to 20 kHz and that of the continuous ink-jet apparatus is 100 kHz or higher. Further, it is hard to increase the vibration frequency of the ink-jet type that vibrates the whole ink chamber because the vibration load is great.
Patent Document 7 discloses a method of vibrating the orifice plate which contains a plurality of orifices from its side and forming droplets by using propagation of a pressure wave of the liquid. This method using the propagation of a liquid pressure wave cannot generate droplets simultaneously from all orifices and makes the later control such as droplet charge control and droplet deflection control complicated. Further, this method also has a stability problem since the pressure wave propagation path is long and waves reflected on the surrounding walls may have a bad influence on droplet generation.
Patent Document 8 discloses a method of providing piezoelectric elements opposite to the orifice plate and vibrating the liquid thereby. This method is assumed to be able to generate droplets most uniformly since the piezoelectric elements can vibrate the liquid uniformly in parallel with the orifice plate. However, the piezoelectric elements in this method must generate uniform flexible deformation on the orifice plate. Therefore, this makes the structure of the piezoelectric elements very complicated. Further, the quantity of deformation of each piezoelectric element is not so big and a value in nanometers. As this method directly vibrates liquid, this method requires comparatively great deformation of each piezoelectric element. This requires a structural device and greater supply voltages.
Patent Documents 9 and 11 disclose a method of equipping each piezoelectric element with a resonator which is opposite to the orifice plate. The resonator amplifies the vibration force of the piezoelectric element to a vibration force of comparatively great amplitude. Further, this method places the vibrating resonators oppositely to the orifice plate to vibrate liquid uniformly in parallel with the orifice plate. In other words, this method can use very small energy to generate liquid droplets by amplifying a comparatively small displacement of a piezoelectric element by a resonating material. However, this method requires controlling the vibration manner of resonators that vibrate by piezoelectric elements to the desired vibration manner.
[Patent Document 1] U.S. Pat. No. 3,739,393
[Patent Document 2] U.S. Pat. No. 3,777,307
[Patent Document 3] U.S. Pat. No. 6,357,866
[Patent Document 4] EP0943436
[Patent Document 5] EP0461238
[Patent Document 6] U.S. Pat. No. 6,505,920
[Patent Document 7] EP0819062
[Patent Document 8] U.S. Pat. No. 4,520,369
[Patent Document 9] U.S. Pat. No. 6,637,801
[Patent Document 10] WO98/08685
[Patent Document 11] U.S. Pat. No. 5,912,686
[Non-Patent Document 1] "Inkjet Printer Technologies and Materials" edited by Takeshi Amari, published by CMC, 1998

Droplet generator and ink-jet recording device using thereof


An apparatus for measuring a very small difference comprises a stage for receiving a sample to be measured, a light source illuminating the sample, an optical system for condensing light reflected from the sample, structure for intercepting a portion of the reflected light, a spectroscope for analyzing the condensed reflected light and a detector for detecting spectrum of the analyzed light. Light reflected only from a main surface of the sample is intercepted by the intercepting structure. Thus, the signal to noise ratio of the reflected light is reduced to enhance measurement capability.

1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates generally to a method of and an apparatus for measuring minute distances or dimensions and, more specifically, it relates to a method of and an apparatus for measuring the distance between two surfaces of a semiconductor wafer. Measurement is performed in a non-destructive and non-contact manner.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In a dynamic RAM (random access memory) having large storage capacity, trench capacitors are widely employed in order to improve the degree of integration. FIG. 1 is a cross sectional view showing one memory cell of a dynamic RAM having a trench capacitor. Referring to FIG. 1, the dynamic RAM comprises a semiconductor substrate 101 of, for example p-type, having a trench 102, n-type impurity diffused layers 103 and 104 formed on a main surface of the semiconductor substrate 101, a gate electrode 105 formed on a region sandwiched by the n-type impurity diffused layers 103 and 104 with an insulating film interposed therebetween, an n-type impurity diffused layer 106 formed around the trench 102 and connected to the n-type impurity diffused layer 104 and a capacitor electrode 107 formed of polycrystalline silicon formed on the n-type impurity diffused layer 106 with an insulating film interposed therebetween. The n-type impurity diffused layer 106, the capacitor electrode 107 and the insulating film interposed therebetween constitute a trench capacitor. The width W and the depth D (see FIG. 1) of the trench in a highly integrated memory cell are about 1 .mu.m and several .mu.m, respectively. The capacity of the trench capacitor is a function of the depth of the trench. Therefore, in order to govern the characteristic value of a semiconductor memory device of this type, the depth of the trench must be precisely measured in a non-destructive and non-contact manner during manufacture.
Examples of conventional methods for measuring
the depth of a trench in a non-destructive or non-contact manner include: the wavelength spectral method and the interference spectral method.
In both of these methods, a microlevel difference at a step portion of a sample surface is measured by detecting spectrum of light reflected from the sample's surface, as will be described later. The former method employs a means for detecting an interference effect.
The detecting means is a spectrophotometry means comprising a spectroscope such as a prism, diffraction grating, or the like. The latter method, employs a detecting means which spectrophotometry is a means comprising an interferometer.
FIG. 2 illustrates the conventional measuring methods.
A micro-trench 36 for forming a trench capacitor, for example, is formed on a surface 16A of a sample 16 of a silicon wafer, for example. Visible white light L.sub.1, for example, impinges upon the surface 16a in a direction which is substantially perpendicular to the sample surface 16A.
The visible white light L.sub.1 is reflected by a flat surface (upper portion) of the sample surface 16A and from the bottom of the trench 36 (lower portion). Consequently, a phase difference corresponding to the depth of the trench is generated between the light L.sub.21 reflected from the flat surface of the sample surface 16A and the light L.sub.22 reflected from the bottom of the trench 36. The amplitude of the reflected light varies depending on the wavelength, of the light thereby generating an interferenced light.
The results of measuring the spectral intensity of such reflected light L.sub.2 is shown FIG. 3A. The results shown in FIG. 3A occur when the proportion of the area occupied by the trench in the measured region of the surface is relatively large. As is apparent from FIG. 3A, the intensity distribution of the spectrum changes as a function of to the wavelength .lambda.. The distance H between the wave crests of the change corresponds to the depth D of the trench 36.
The reason for this will be briefly described in the following.
FIG. 4 schematically illustrates a principle useful in measuring the thickness of a thin film. Referring to FIG. 4, A denotes an air layer, B denotes a single layer film and C denotes a substrate, having reflectances of n.sub.2, n.sub.1 and n.sub.0, respectively. Lines with arrows show the direction of passing light. Although as a practical matter the light does not always impinge vertically, the reflectance .vertline.R1.vertline..sup.2 of the light can be represented by the following equation,
in which it is assumed that the light impinges only vertically: EQU .vertline.R1.vertline..sup.2 =1-4n.sub.0 n.sub.1.sup.2 n.sub.2 /{n.sub.1.sup.2 (n.sub.0 +n.sub.1).sup.2 -(n.sub.1.sup.2 -n.sub.2.sup.2).(n.sub.0.sup.2 -n.sub.1.sup.2) sin .sup.2 .delta..sub.1 /2}(1)
where
.delta..sub.1 =4.pi.n.sub.1 d.sub.1 /.lambda.
d.sub.1 =thickness of the film (see FIG. 4)
.lambda.=wavelength
(the above equation is disclosed in, for example, Oyokogaku Gairon (Introduction to Applied Optics) by Tsutusi et al., Kinpara Shuppan, pp. 217 to 218, 1969).
The value .vertline.R.sub.1 (.lambda.).vertline. shown in the above equation (1) is a function of sin.sup.2 .delta./2. Therefore, the wave crests and wave troughs of the .vertline.R.sub.1 (.lambda.).vertline. curve are repeated periodically by .delta..sub.1 =4.pi.n.sub.1 (.lambda.)d.sub.1 /.lambda.=2.pi. from the qualitative point of view. If the difference between the path taken by light reflected from the bottom of the trench and the path taken by light reflected from the surface of the wafer is an even number times the wavelength of the light, then the amplitude of the light is large. However, if the difference is an odd number times the wavelength of the light, the amplitude of the light is small. Therefore, assuming that the depth of the trench is uniform, the number of wave crests representing .vertline.R.sub.1 (.lambda.).vertline. is dense if the wavelength is short, while the number is less dense if the wavelength is long.
An example of the curve is shown in FIG. 5. FIG. 5 is a graph in which the x axis represents the wavelength while the y axis represents .vertline.R.sub.1 (.lambda.).vertline.. In FIG. 5, the following equations are satisfied: ##EQU1##
x: number of repetitions of wave crests and wave troughs
m: integer
n.sub.1 (.lambda..sub.s): reflectance of the film at wavelength .lambda..sub.s
n.sub.1 (.lambda..sub.2): reflectance of the film at wavelength .lambda..sub.2
d.sub.1 : thickness of the film
Therefore, the thickness of the film can be measured from the number of peaks x in a certain wavelength range of and from the reflectance of the film to be measured. By applying this method, the depth of a trench can be measured when the thickness of the film is replaced with the depth of the trench. Thus, FIG. 5 corresponds to FIGS. 3A and 3B.
Since a trench formed on a sample such as a silicon wafer is extremely narrow as shown in FIG. 1, the total of the bottom area of trenches is in most cases less than 10% of the area of the region to be measured. If such sample is measured by a conventional method, a large portion of the reflected light will be regularly reflected from a flat portion of the sample surface 16A and not from the trench. Therefore, the proportion of the interferenced light derived from the microlevel difference to the total reflected light becomes extremely small. Consequently, when the light reflected from such sample surface is spectrally analyzed, the average intensity (the average of intensity at each wavelength) is high, and the amplitude (the intensity difference between a wave crest and a wave trough) is small as shown in FIG. 3B. In other words, all of the signals provided have a small amplitude relative to the average intensity. (This comparison is hereinafter referred to as "contrast"). Therefore, due to the low contrast the depth of the trench cannot be precisely measured. The intensity of the spectrum shown in FIG. 3A (in which the trench occupies a relatively large area) is lower than that of the spectrum shown in FIG. 3B (in which the trench occupies a relatively small area). The reason for this is that a relatively large amount of light is diffracted from the trench and the amount of light which enters the optical system (which converges the light reflected from the surface sample) is small. In order to solve the above described problems, the following method has been proposed.
A portion of a substrate surface which has an actual pattern (for example a pattern used as a trench capacitor) is replaced with a test portion which has a trench pattern in which the trench is proportionately large. The test pattern is measured by the above described method. The depth of the trench in the actual pattern is then estimated based on the result. However, this method comprises the following problems. Namely, since a test pattern which is not used as an actual device is formed on the silicon wafer surface, the total surface area of the wafer is unnecessarily increased. Thus, this method is particularly undesirable for forming a highly integrated semiconductor device. In addition, if the areas occupied by the trench in the test pattern and in the actual pattern are not accurately proportional to each other, the depth of
the trenches in both patterns are liable to differ from each other in the manufacturing process. Consequently, even if the depth of the trench in the test pattern is precisely measured, the depth of the trench in the actual pattern cannot always be precisely measured based on the result of the measurement of the test pattern.

Method and apparatus for measuring microlevel difference


An ultrasonic squirter couples transducer emitted ultrasonic waves with a structure for ultrasonic testing. The squirter has a tubular body with an outlet on one end and an inlet spaced from the outlet for delivering a flow of liquid through the body to the outlet. The transducer mounts in the body in a position for transmitting and receiving ultrasonic waves through the liquid that passes through the outlet. A nozzle secures to the outlet for discharging the flow of liquid against the structure. A ring locates at the outlet of the body just downstream from the transducer. The ring and nozzle are of an elastomeric material containing metal oxide particles to absorb unwanted sound energy.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates in general to devices for ultrasonically testing structures for flaws, and in particular to a nozzle assembly for discharging a stream of water onto the structure, the nozzle assembly holding a transducer for emitting and receiving ultrasonic waves.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Inspection of advanced composite structures often requires the use of ultrasonic water squirter systems. These systems usually utilize through-transmission techniques to detect delamination and other internal flaws. In a through-transmission water squirter system, a nozzle discharges a stream of water against the structure. The nozzle contains a transducer which transmits ultrasonic sound waves. A receiver will be placed on the other side of the structure to receive the sound waves. The through-transmission techniques are useful in detecting the presence of internal flaws and delaminations, but cannot provide information as to the through-wall thickness location of the flaw.
In another technique, a pulse-echo squirter system is used. In this technique, the transducer both transmits and receives the sound pulse. A pulse-echo squirter system has the capability to both detect and locate in the through-wall dimension the presence of delaminations. However, in the past, the turbulence usually generated in water squirter systems has made it difficult to conduct pulse-echo inspections. This is especially true for finding near surface defects.
Many efforts have been undertaken to develop an ultrasonic squirter system which would provide a signal-to-noise level sufficient to allow the use of pulse-echo techniques and provide an acceptable near surface resolution capability. The prior art efforts have been primarily focused upon the reduction of turbulence in the water stream. Several designs have taken the approach of using baffle plates in the water stream which are drilled with numerous small holes. The intent of this approach is to reduce the Reynolds number and thereby produce a laminar flow. Others have used devices resembling electrical heat sinks which are inserted downstream of the transducer with the intention of reducing the turbulence of the flow.


A clamping system provided with a fixed die plate, a movable die plate, a plurality of tie bars, half nuts able to be coupled with or release coupled parts of a plurality of tie bars, clamping cylinders accommodating pistons of a plurality of tie bars, position sensors detecting positions of pistons, a plurality of direction control valves connected to a plurality of clamping cylinders, and a control unit controlling the plurality of direction control valves so that a difference of movement amounts of pistons among the plurality of tie bars from the time of die contact to the time of the completion of clamping becomes within a predetermined permissible value based on detection results of the position sensors.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a clamping system and a clamping method.
2. Description of the Related Art
In a clamping system, where the degree of parallelism between a movable die plate and a fixed die plate cannot be held, the dimensional error of the product becomes larger, burrs easily occur, and other problems arise. Therefore various techniques for keeping the degree of parallelism between a movable die plate and a fixed die plate have been proposed. For example, Japanese Patent Publication (A) No. 2004-322609 discloses a technique of providing a plurality of ball screws for moving the movable die plate in a die opening and closing direction on the peripheries of the movable die plate and the fixed die plate along the tie bars and individually controlling the drive operations of these plurality of ball screws so as to perform the clamping while maintaining the degree of parallelism between the die plates. Note that, although not concerning the degree of parallelism of die plates, a technique of detecting a location of a piston for clamping provided on the tie bar is known (for example, Japanese Patent Publication (A) No. 2004-001470).
In the technique of Japanese Patent Publication (A) No. 2004-322609, the degree of parallelism between die plates is adjusted from the start of clamping to the die contact. In the clamping system, however, sometimes the degree of parallelism between die plates is degraded even during the period after the die contact to the completion of clamping.


A system for measuring properties of small volume samples includes a source of electromagnetic radiation; a first optical system; an optical delivery system; a sample holding assembly; a second optical system; a detecting system; an optical transmission system; a data collector interface component operatively connected to the detecting system; at least one processor; and at least one computer readable medium being capable of causing the at least one processor to: receive data from the detecting system corresponding to a measurement, calculate characteristics from the received data, organize the calculated characteristics in a predetermined ordering and output the organized predetermined ordering to the at least one computer readable medium.

Liquids (e.g., mixtures, solutions, biological samples) are often characterized using optical techniques such as photometry, spectrophotometry, fluorometry, or spectrofluorometry. Typically, a liquid is contained in a vessel referred to as a cell or cuvette, two or more of whose sides are of optical quality and permit the passage of those wavelengths needed to characterize the liquid contained therein. Recent applications require the characterization of very small liquid sample volumes. When dealing with very small sample volumes of, for example, from 1 to 2 microliters, it is difficult to create cells or cuvettes small enough to be filled and permit the industry standard 1 cm optical path to be used.
For instance, UV-Visible Spectrophotometry may be used to characterize the chemical composition of a liquid sample (in solution or suspension phase) using the absorbed spectra of the sample. The light absorbance of a sample depends on the pathlength L of light passing through the sample, as well as on the concentration of light absorbers (e.g., biomolecules, cells, etc) in a sample solution and the wavelength (λ) of light being used to characterize the sample. The wavelengths of UV-Visible light span from 200 nm to 800 nm, while ultraviolet wavelengths range from 200 to 400 nm.
UV-Visible spectrophotometry provides a convenient analysis technique to determine the concentration, purity, and integrity of a biological sample without requiring additional sample preparation other than acquiring a sample. UV-Visible Spectrophotometry measurements depend on the light source (UV lamp), the sample and sampling technique. Most biological samples absorb electromagnetic radiation at wavelengths ranging from 200 nm to 800 nm, mostly 230, 260 and 280 nm. For a DNA or RNA sample in aqueous phase, one unit of absorbance 1 Å measured at a λ 260 nm and a pathlength of 10 mm is equal to 50/(40) ng/μl concentration.
Most biological samples are highly concentrated for downstream processing (such as microarray spotting or protein sample preparation for mass spectrometers). The absorbance of such samples can be above the saturation limit for typical spectrophotometers if the pathlength is about 10 mm. While the sample concentration range can be extended by diluting the sample, diluting sample requires additional laboratory work and can result in errors. Other approaches are needed to extend the sample concentration range that can be evaluated by the instrument.
Sampling techniques used in conventional UV-Visible Spectrophotometers include utilizing a cuvette with an optical window and fixed optical pathlength that holds a sample in a semi-closed way, direct measurement of liquid sample in a sample container (e.g., a well) along with a real-time pathlength measurement, and using a cuvetteless sample held in semi-free space between optical fibers which define a light path from a light source to a detector.
The cuvette-based sampling technique is widely used in conventional UV-Visible spectrophotometers. Generally, a sample is pipetted into a cuvette that has either a 10 mm or 2 mm path length. This technique is very limited for most biological samples since cuvettes typically used generally require a minimum 10 μl sample, which is problematic for valuable biological samples which may be present in limiting quantities, such as samples of protein or nucleic acids. A cuvette made of quartz or silica is expensive so it is typically reused after cleaning and drying. Further, adding 10 μl of sample with a pipette into a cuvette sometimes produces an air-bubble interface in the light path which can cause measurement error or void measurements. Additionally, a pathlength of 2 mm or 10 mm limits the sample concentration which may be measured to 1000 ng/μl for a DNA/RNA sample due to the limited dynamic range of absorbance of most spectrophotometers.
In one of the existing systems that enable the measurement of very small liquid sample volumes, a sample of the liquid to be examined is inserted, by means of a dispenser needle or other means, and retained between a light transmitter and a light detector. The surface tension of a microliter or submicroliter sample of liquid is used to provide sufficient means to confine the sample between two substantially parallel surfaces on anvils spaced apart a known distance; two optical fibers penetrate the parallel surfaces and provide the light for the measurement. The electromagnetic radiation emanating from the fibers is not collimated, making the determination of path length either less accurate or complicated. In order to render one of the anvils moveable, at least one of the fibers is exposed and moveable. The bending of the fiber can introduce variable optical transmission.
Based on the above, there is a need for optical instrument designs that allow for simple and accurate optical measurements.
Regulations, such as 21 C.F.R. Part 11, have been recently released and published, enabling pharmaceutical companies to provide electronic copies of their results to regulatory agencies with electronic signatures and to rely on electronic audit trails. The regulations place high emphasis on the implementation of all measures to protect and secure electronic records. These regulations cover the basic requirements of validation, limiting data access, and ensuring data integrity and data traceability. In conventional UV-visible spectroscopy data systems, it has been uncommon to find systems that support compliance with these regulations.
Therefore, there is a need for optical instrument designs that allow for simple and accurate optical measurements and which enable the compliance with electronic record-keeping regulations.

Systems and methods for measurement of properties of small volume liquid samples


Disclosed is a method of selectively etching nitride in a chemical downstream etching process. The invention begins by placing a wafer having oxide regions and nitride regions in a chamber. Then, the invention performs a chemical downstream etching process using CH2F2 to etch and convert the nitride regions into surface mediated uniform reactive film (SMURF) regions comprising (NH4)2SiF6. This process then rinses the surface of the wafer with water to remove the surface mediated uniform reactive film regions from the wafer, leaving the oxide regions substantially unaffected. The chemical downstream etching process is considered selective because it etches the nitride regions at a higher rate than the oxide regions.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to selectively etching nitride in a chemical downstream etching process, and more particularly to an etching process that uses CH2F2 to etch and convert the nitride regions into surface mediated uniform reactive film (SMURF) regions comprising (NH4)2SiF6.
2. Description of the Related Art
The standard process for highly selective isotropic nitride etching is a wet process, e.g., a hot phosphoric acid bath. This process suffers from the following drawbacks. It is difficult to control the etch rate and etch selectively over the life of the bath. This wet etching also has poor cross wafer uniformity (>20% 3σ). Also, the requirement for timed overetching approaches 50% with this process. Further, this etching chemistry is not compatible with resist or polysilicon and there are severe environmental handling and disposal issues with phosphoric acid. The phosphoric acid additionally has contamination issues with Cu, which can have undesired effects on devices.
Alternate dry etch process have been offered which have a severe tradeoff between an acceptable nitride etch rate (>2000 A/min) and nitride/oxide etch selectivity (>50:1). Additionally, the reaction mechanisms are not understood conventionally and general prescriptions of process control have not been offered. The invention described below addresses these concerns.

Highly selective nitride etching employing surface mediated uniform reactive layer films

International Business Machines Corporation


A technique for accommodating packets of different lengths at minimal cost to hardware complexity with a self-routing switch primitive with an associated switching mechanism that accommodates packets of different lengths encapsulated in a new packet format. The switch primitive, along with a new packet format, effects the self-routing such packets through a switching fabric constructed from the interconnection of the self-routing switching primitives.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to switching circuitry and, more particularly, to a self-routing switching device and concomitant methodology that accommodate packets of different lengths.
2. Description of the Background Art
A modem packet switch, including an IP (Internet Protocol) router, should efficaciously handle the integrated traffic generated by both narrow-band and broadband communication services. Real-time voice communications account for the bulk of narrow-band traffic and require small packet sizes to minimize packetization delay. Broadband communications, on the other hand, prefer large packet sizes in order to minimize the cost incurred in the per-packet overhead.
Uniform packetization of the mixed traffic, that is, restricting packets to the same length regardless of traffic, results in inefficiency, with the ATM (Asynchronous Transfer Mode) cell being a prominent example. However, it is generally true that a uniform packet size greatly simplifies the design of broadband switching fabrics and, thereby, somewhat enhances the switching efficiency. A notable example is "self-route switching" of uniform packets, where the switching fabric is constructed from the interconnection of primitive switching elements and the switching control of each element is by just the so-called "in-band" control signals carried by the input packets to this element (as discussed in more detail shortly). The extremely distributed nature of the switching control in this manner allows for the construction of a large broadband switching fabric from massive integration of most primitive switching elements, typically 2×2 elements.
The circuitry shown in FIG. 1 is representative of a typical, conventional 2×2 self-routing switching element 100. With reference to packet "frame" 201 shown in FIG. 2, wherein packet 205 having header 206 and payload 207 is shown as being representative of a packet communicated during time frame 201, the construction and operation of element 100 is as follows. In packet time frame 201, an independent packet represented by the form of packet 205, enters input port 101-1 (Input 0) and, concurrently, another packet enters input port 101-2 (Input 1) of the 2×2 element as serially propagated bits, that is, bit pipelined. The beginning bit(s) of each packet constitutes an "in-band" control signal, and is typically conveyed by header 206. Payload 207 conveys the actual data, that is, non-control data, communicated by packet 205. The two in-band control signals in the separate headers enter shift registers 102-1 and 102-2, respectively, associated with their respective input ports.
The "connection state" of switching element 100 may be broadly construed as the manner in which Input 0 and Input 1 are coupled to Output 0 and Output 1 in a given time frame. For instance, an exemplary connection state is one whereby Input 0 is connected to Output 1 and, concurrently, Input 1 is connected to Output 0 (such a connection state is oftentimes referred to as the "cross-state" of a 2×2 element). The selection of the connection state of switching element 100 is controlled by connection state circuitry 105 inside control section 103 of element 100. The connection state of element 100 is arbitrary at the beginning of each frame time (e.g., the connection state may be the connection state remaining at the completion of a previous frame). Thus, the connection state circuitry 105 uses the two in-band control signals provided by shift registers 102-1 and 102-2, respectively, to select a connection state. In particular, the connection state specifies which input (Input 0 or Input 1) is to be connected to Output 0, and more explicitly, which shift register (102-1 or 102-2) may feed its data into the multiplexer (or mux) 104-1 associated with Output 0; similarly, the connection state also specifies which input (Input 0 or Input 1) is to be connected to Output 1, and more explicitly, which shift register (102-1 or 102-2) may feed its data into the multiplexer (or mux) 104-2 associated with Output 1. Note that it is possible for an input to couple to more than one output. The operation of the connection state circuitry 105 is aided by two memory registers: the clock counter 106 and the latch status 109.
Thus, the in-band control signal indicates whether its packet is an idle expression and, for a non-idle packet, the intended output port(s) of the packet plus auxiliary information such as the priority class of the packet. The selection of the connection state attempts to route each of the two incoming packets to the intended output port(s) by the content of their in-band control signals. But, in case of a contention situation, e.g., when both incoming packets are of the same priority class and intended for the same output port, the selection of the connection state needs to resolve the contention by, for example, misrouting or blocking one of the two packets. On the other hand, when a packet is merely an idle expression, it is optional for the connection state to route the idle expression to an idle output.
In order to relate conventional self-routing switching to the invention described in the sequel, it is assumed that a connection state always connects each of the two outputs to an input. Thus, when the winner packet in the contention occupies only one of the two outputs, the loser packet is misrouted to the unoccupied output. Similarly, an idle expression is routed to some output unless a non-idle packet occupies both outputs.
As soon as the connection state is selected, it is "latched", that is, maintained throughout the duration of the flow of bits (both header and payload) in the packet, and will be unlatched at beginning of the next packet frame time. Latch status 109 may, for example, be a 1-bit register that keeps track of latching. Clock counter 106 is reset by the signal from frame clock 107; frame boundary markers (e.g., short duration pulses) for frame 201 and the next succeeding frame are shown by signals 210-1 and 210-2, whereby signal 201-1 indicates the start of the current frame 201, and signal 210-2 shows the start of the next frame. Clock counter 106 is incremented and progresses upon every signal from the bit clock 108 based upon the bit-rate of the incoming bits comprising a packet. Corresponding to each value of clock counter 106, control section 103 prescribes commands to control the two shift registers and the two multiplexers. Frame clock 107 and bit clock 108 are derived in any conventional manner from the incoming packet stream—for example, from synchronization circuitry (which is not shown because it is conventional) which determines frame clock 107 and bit clock 108.
Packet 205 of FIG. 2 illustrates the typical format of a packet. A packet may traverse through many primitive switching elements such as element 100 inside a self-routing switching fabric, and its in-band control signal for different switching elements on its route may be different. Upon entering the switching fabric, the header 206 of the packet must contain enough information to conveniently derive the in-band control signal for every switching element on the route. Upon entering each switching element, the in-band control signal needs to occupy a certain fixed bit position(s) at the front or near the front of the packet. Upon exiting the switching element, the same bit position(s) must be occupied by the in-band control signal for the next switching element on the route. Thus, each switching element on the route of the packet may make some quick change to the front bits of the packet. For example, the switching element may consume the leading bit of the packet.
Primitive switching element 100 exemplified by the above description of FIG. 1 functions only for packets of a uniform size. The prior art is devoid of a self-routing switching mechanism that accommodates packets of different lengths at a minimal additional cost to the hardware.

Self-routing device for switching packets of different lengths

Industrial Technology Research Institute


Disclosed herein is a light-emitting element including: a first conductivity type semiconductor layer; a light-emitting functional layer formed on the first conductivity type semiconductor layer; a second conductivity type semiconductor layer formed on the light-emitting functional layer; a first conductivity type electrode which has continuity with the exposed portion of the first conductivity type semiconductor layer; a second conductivity type electrode which has continuity with the second conductivity type semiconductor layer; an insulating layer which lies between the light-emitting functional layer, second conductivity type semiconductor layer and second conductivity type electrode on one part and the first conductivity type electrode on the other part; and an annex insulating layer annexed to the insulating layer to form a virtual diode having rectifying action in the opposite direction to that of a diode made up of the second conductivity type semiconductor layer, light-emitting functional layer and first conductivity type semiconductor layer.

The present application relates to a light-emitting element.
FIG. 7 is a side sectional view diagrammatically illustrating the rough configuration of a light-emitting diode which is an example of a light-emitting element. This example shows a configuration example of a substrate-side light extraction light-emitting diode.
The light-emitting diode illustrated in FIG. 7 includes a laminated body on a substrate 11 made of a transparent material. The laminated body includes a semiconductor layer 12 and light-emitting functional layer 13 of a first conductivity type (e.g., n type) and a semiconductor layer 14 of a second conductivity type (e.g., p type). This laminated body provides a structure called a p-n junction using semiconductors.
It should be noted, however, that the first conductivity type semiconductor layer 12 is partially exposed rather than being entirely covered by the light-emitting functional layer 13 and second conductivity type semiconductor layer 14. A first conductivity type electrode 15 has continuity with the exposed portion. The first conductivity type electrode 15 functions as a cathode.
On the other hand, a second conductivity type electrode 16 is formed on the second conductivity type semiconductor layer 14 and has continuity with the same layer 14. The second conductivity type electrode 16 includes a second conductivity type first electrode 16a and a second conductivity type second electrode 16b. The second conductivity type first electrode 16a is capable of functioning as an optical reflecting film. The second conductivity type second electrode 16b is capable of functioning as a contact portion for bump interconnection. The second conductivity type electrode 16, made up of the two electrodes 16a and 16b laminated one on top of the other, functions as an anode.
In the light-emitting diode configured as described above, the portion having the p-n junction structure emits light when a forward voltage is applied from the second conductivity type electrode 16 serving as an anode to the first conductivity type electrode 15 serving as a cathode. That is, the quantum well structure of the light-emitting functional layer 13 is excited by the injection of a current, causing the entire surface of the laminated body including the light-emitting functional layer 13 to emit light.
Incidentally, increasing the lamination area of the light-emitting functional layer 13 is an effective approach for providing more brightness (enhancing the intensity) of light extracted from the light emitting diode. That is, it is effective to increase the area of the light-emitting functional layer 13 covering the first conductivity type semiconductor layer 12 and reduce the area of the exposed portion not covered by the same layer 13.
In the meantime, as for the first conductivity type electrode 15 which has continuity with the exposed portion of the first conductivity type semiconductor layer 12, at least a given area of the same electrode 15 must be exposed outward for bump interconnection.
In order to achieve compatibility between these contradictory requirements, a proposal has been made suggesting that an insulating layer 17 should lie between the laminated body including the light-emitting functional layer 13 and the first conductivity type electrode 15 (refer, for example, to Japanese Patent No. 4172515). Thanks to the mediation of the insulating layer 17 and the overlapping of the first conductivity type electrode 15 on the same layer 17, such a configuration provides a bump interconnection area in the first conductivity type electrode 15 while achieving brightness as a result of increased area of the laminated body including the light-emitting functional layer 13.


A method and apparatus for monitoring an AC line for impedance change. In one embodiment, the method, includes superimposing a tone on an AC current coupled to the AC line, wherein the tone is a higher frequency than an AC voltage waveform on the AC line; applying a correlation over a sampled AC voltage waveform, obtained by sampling the AC voltage waveform, to generate a correlated signal; and determining whether at least one change in characteristic of the correlated signal occurs.

Field of the Invention
Embodiments of the present disclosure relate generally to anti-islanding of distributed power generation systems, and, in particular, to detecting a grid impedance change for anti-islanding.
Description of the Related Art
Solar panels, or photovoltaic (PV) modules, convert energy from sunlight received into direct current (DC). The PV modules cannot store the electrical energy they produce, so the energy must either be dispersed to an energy storage system, such as a battery or pumped hydroelectricity storage, or dispersed by a load. One option to use the energy produced is to employ inverters to convert the DC current into an alternating current (AC) and couple the AC current to the commercial AC power grid. The power produced by such a distributed generation (DG) system can then be sold to the commercial power company.
Under some conditions, a grid-connected DG system may become disconnected from the utility grid, resulting in a potentially dangerous condition known as "islanding". During islanding, the utility cannot control voltage and frequency in the DG system island, creating the possibility of damage to customer equipment coupled to the island. Additionally, an island may create a hazard for utility line workers or the general public by causing a line to remain energized while it is assumed that the line has been disconnected from all energy sources. In order to mitigate the potential hazards of islanding, relevant standards require that inverters in a DG system detect the loss of the utility grid and shut down the inverter. As part of detecting an islanding condition, some standards may require that the inverter be able to detect an instantaneous impedance change on the grid within a certain time period, for example an instantaneous 1 ohm impedance change on the grid within 5 seconds. As such, all commercially available inverters must be equipped with such inverter-based anti-islanding capability.
Therefore, there is a need in the art for a method and apparatus for efficient detection of grid impedance changes by a grid-coupled inverter.

Method and apparatus for grid impedance detection


A compensation circuit for keeping luminance intensity of a diode. The compensation circuit comprises a stabilization unit, a first transistor, a second transistor, a third transistor, a fourth transistor and an organic light emitting diode (OLED). The stabilization unit comprises a photodiode and a compensation capacitor. The second transistor is used to control the input time of data. In the operation of the OLED, the third transistor discharges or charges a node of the stabilization unit continuously to keep a voltage equal to VSS or VDD, so as to maintain the luminance intensity of the OLED.

In general, an active-matrix organic light emitting diode (AMOLED) display has the advantages of thin, lightweight, self-luminous, low driving voltage, high performance, high contrast ratio, high color saturation, quick response rate and flexibility, and thus the AMOLED display technology becomes the most promising emerging display technology after the thin film transistor liquid crystal display (TFT-LCD) technology has been introduced.
However, the brightness performance of the OLED is determined by the magnitude of current passing through the OLED, and the current must be controlled accurately to control the brightness of pixels accurately. Compared with the TFT-LCD that simply controls the voltage levels of written pixels to control the brightness of pixels, the OLED involves a higher level of difficulty.
In fact, the AMOLED has also encountered many problems. With reference to FIGS. 1 and 2 for schematic circuit diagrams of a p-type transistor and an n-type transistor of the AMOLED without compensation respectively, the current IOLED of the OLED is converted from data voltage VDATA by using the thin film transistor (TFT) T2 operated in a saturated region. For the n-type T2, the formula is IOLED=½*W/L*μN*COX(VGS−VTH)2, wherein after operating the AMOLED for a long time, the VTH of the TFT T2 will increase and the mobility μN will decrease, so that the IOLED will drop and cause the brightness of the OLED to decrease.
Furthermore, due to the material aging and the long-time operation of the OLED, the problems of a gradually increased voltage drop across the OLED and a decreased luminous efficiency may occur. The increase of voltage drop across the OLED may effect the operation of the TFT. As to the n-type TFT, if the OLED is coupled to a source of the n-type TFT, and the voltage drop across the OLED increases, both of the voltage between the source and the drain of TFT and the passing current will be affected directly. As to the luminous efficiency, the material aging and the intensity drop caused by the long-time operation will fail to produce the expected intensity even when a constant current is passed. If the luminous efficiencies of the red (R), green (G) and blue (B) colors drop differently, a color shift will occur. However, this problem cannot be solved easily, since improvement of the material cannot be made easily.
As the size of panels becomes larger and the length of the signal lines becomes increasingly longer, the internal resistance effect becomes more significant, and affects a uniform luminous efficiency of the panel, and such phenomenon is called an I-R Drop. With reference to FIG. 3 for a schematic view of the I-R Drop, the signal lines of VDD and VSS generate a dropout voltage by the internal resistance effect, so that the pixels disposed at different positions of the AMOLED panel have different currents that affect the uniform luminous efficiency of the panel.

Compensation circuit for keeping luminance intensity of diode


A drive mechanism for bicycles or similar exercise equipment in which the left and right pedals move generally up and down in a vertical plane. The pedals slide on vertical slide bars from their top to bottom positions. The pedals are connected by a pedal chain that engages and rotates a sprocket. The sprocket is in turn connected through a drive shaft to a pair of drive gears. The drive gears are mounted to the drive shaft by means of one way clutches. A reversing bevel gear is mounted between both drive gears to produce a driving output force that is transmitted to the rear drive wheel regardless of whether the left or right pedal is pushed from its top to bottom position. In an alternate embodiment the drive mechanism is adapted for use on a recumbent bicycle and the pedals move in a horizontal plane.

This invention relates to a drive mechanism for a bicycle or other pedal driven cycle or exercise equipment. More particularly it relates to a vertical pedal drive for use with such equipment. It also is directed to a pedal drive mechanism in which the pedals move in the same plane, regardless if the plane is vertical or otherwise oriented.
Conventional bicycles are propelled by a pedal mechanism. The pedals are rotated by the operator applying a rotary force to the pedals in the same direction as the rear drive wheel. The pedals are opposed from each other. The pedals are fastened to a sprocket, which has a drive chain wrapped around it. The drive chain is also wrapped around at least one gear that drives the rear drive wheel of the bicycle.
This mechanism has been used for many years. The force applied to the pedals is a rotary force with the movement of the operator necessarily being a rotary movement. There is a dead spot where little or no power is applied to the sprocket. This occurs where the pedals are in the top and bottom positions. In this position the pedals must have a horizontal force applied to them to further rotate the pedals. A solution to eliminate the dead spot has been illustrated in U.S. Pat. No. 4,564,206 to Lenhardt. Lenhardt illustrates a modified pedal movement in which the circular pedal movement is modified by a closed loop path in which the pedals do not follow a circular path. The modified path eliminates the dead spot. However the short stroke provides a small force to the rear wheel during each stroke.
Another design that uses an up and down movement rather than a rotary movement is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 5,242,182 to Bezerra et al. Through a lever arrangement, power is applied to a gear mechanism, which in turn drives a chain and supplies power to the rear wheel. A problem with this system is that power from the operator is transmitted through a very short stroke resulting in a very small force applied to drive the bicycle during each stroke.
A pedal mechanism that allows the user of a bicycle or exercise equipment to use a stair climbing motion is illustrated in U.S. Pat. No. 5,662,346 to Toronto et al. This illustrates an attachment to a traditional bicycle drive in which the pedals provide a driving force to the rear wheel while the pedals are rotated in opposite directions. A reversing gear is added to the drive sprocket mechanism to provide a driving force to the chain drive. A shortcoming of this device, as in the other prior art devices, is that the drive mechanism still uses a substantially rotary movement of the pedals rather than a purely vertical movement.
In U.S. Pat. No. 3,939,719 issued to Stovall illustrates a bicycle that converts reciprocating motion to unidirectional rotation of an output shaft. The drive mechanism is attached near the bottom of the bicycle frame. The shaft driven by the reciprocating motion has one drive gear mounted on it, which in turn drives two clutches mounted driven gears.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a new and unique drive mechanism for a bicycle or other similar exercise device in which the drive mechanism uses a vertical up and down movement of the user""s legs. It is a related object to provide a pedal mechanism in which the pedals move in the same plane, which plane may be vertical, horizontal or in between the two. It is a related object to provide a drive mechanism that eliminates the rotary movement of the pedal drive mechanism of the past devices.
Yet another object is to provide a unique drive mechanism that provides power to the bicycle""s rear drive wheel during the downward stroke of either leg of the user. A related object is to provide power during the entire forward stroke while eliminating the loss of power due to horizontal movement of the pedals.
Still another object is the object of providing a new drive mechanism that uses the vertical stroke of the user""s legs, converts the vertical movement to a rotary drive, and provides the rotary power to the rear drive wheel of the bicycle. Related to this object is the object of providing power to the drive wheel by means of a unique reversing gear system that drives the rear drive wheel regardless of the pedal that is depressed.
Still another object is to provide a drive mechanism that uses a pair of gears mounted on one way clutches to provide power to the rear driving wheel.
An advantage of the unique drive system is that it transmits power to the rear drive wheel during the entire forward or downward stroke of either the left or right pedal. No power is lost as the pedals move only in the reciprocating direction.
These and other objects and advantages will be apparent from reading the Description of the Drawings and Description of the Preferred Embodiment.