A semiconductor device includes a word line structure that extends in a first direction on an active region defined on a substrate. First and second contact pads are formed on the active region at both sides of the word line structure. Bit line structures are electrically connected to the first contact pad and extend in a second direction substantially perpendicular to the first direction. An insulation layer structure is formed on the substrate having the bit line structures. A storage node contact plug is electrically connected to the second contact pad through the insulation layer structure. A storage node electrode, which may be part of a capacitor, is formed on the storage node contact plug. The storage node contact plug has a lower portion and an upper portion having a width wider than that of the lower portion, with vertical sides perpendicular to the first and second directions.

Semiconductor manufacturing technologies continue to evolve to provide memory devices having increasingly higher storage capacity, integration density, and response speed. Dynamic random access memory (DRAM) devices are most widely used as memory for electric and electronic apparatuses because such devices can have high storage capacity and integration density. A DRAM device memory cell typically includes one access transistor and one storage capacitor.
As the integration density of a DRAM device memory cell increases, the memory cell generally occupies less area on a semiconductor substrate. With less area, capacitors in the memory cells generally need improved capacitance characteristics.
The capacitance of a capacitor is increased either by using a dielectric layer of a dielectric material that has a higher dielectric constant, or the surface area of the capacitor can be increased. Some high dielectric materials that have been considered for use include Al203, Ta205, or Hf02. However, forming a capacitor with a material of high dielectric constant is complex because of process variations that occur during manufacturing.
To increase the surface area of a capacitor, stacked, trench, and cylindrical type capacitors have been substituted for planar type capacitors.
In the DRAM device, the capacitors are electrically connected to source/drain regions of a semiconductor substrate. Consequently, the locations of the capacitors are limited by the locations of these source/drain regions. When the spacing between adjacent capacitors becomes narrow, an electrical short between capacitors may occur more frequently.
To overcome the above-mentioned problems, a conventional method that is capable of ensuring an overlap margin is used. In this conventional method, storage node electrodes have an effective area regardless of the locations of drains, and are sufficiently spaced apart from each other by expanding an upper portion of a storage node contact plug.
FIGS. 1 and 2 are cross-sectional views illustrating a conventional DRAM device that includes a storage node contact plug having an expanded upper portion. FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view taken along a line substantially parallel to a word line structure of the DRAM device and FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along a line substantially parallel to a bit line structure of the DRAM device.
Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, isolation layers 12 for defining an active region 14 are formed in a semiconductor substrate 10. A word line structure 16 is formed on the semiconductor substrate 10. The word line structure 16 includes a gate insulation layer pattern, a gate electrode pattern and a hard mask pattern sequentially stacked.
Source/drain regions (not shown) are formed in the active region 14 at both sides of the word line structure 16. Generally, the source region is electrically connected to a bit line structure 30 and the drain region is electrically connected to a storage node electrode 38.
A first insulating interlayer 18 covers the word line structure 16. First and second contact pads 20a and 20b electrically connected to the source/drain regions, respectively, are formed at both sides of the word line structure 16.
A second insulating interlayer 22 is formed on the first insulating interlayer 18. A bit line contact (not shown) electrically connected to the first contact pad 20a is formed through the second insulating interlayer 22.
The bit line structure 30 is formed on the second insulating interlayer 22. The bit line structure 30 includes a barrier metal layer pattern 24, a tungsten layer pattern 26 and a capping layer pattern 28, sequentially stacked. A lower face of the barrier metal layer pattern 24 partially makes contact with the bit line contact. Thus, the barrier metal layer pattern 24 is electrically connected to the source region via the bit line contact.
An insulation layer structure 36 covers the bit line structure 30. The insulation layer structure 36 includes a third insulating interlayer 32 and an etching stop layer 34. The storage node contact plug 38 is electrically connected to the first contact pad 20a through the insulation layer structure 36 and the second insulating interlayer 22. The storage node contact plug 38 has a rounded upper portion, resulting in a rounded Y-shape upper portion. A storage node electrode 40 is formed on the storage node contact plug 38.
The storage node electrode 40 may have a sufficient overlap margin with respect to the storage node contact plug 38. Also, shorts between the storage node electrodes 40 may be decreased.
However, while forming the storage node contact plug 38, which fills a storage node contact hole, the storage node contact plug 38 is excessively planarized due to its rounded upper side profile.
Also, the storage node contact plugs 38 generally have widths A different from each other due to polished amounts of the planarization process, again, because of the rounded upper side profile. In particular, when the storage node contact plug 38 has a narrow width A, the overlap margin between the storage node electrode 40 and the storage node contact plug 38 is reduced.
Further, to form the rounded upper portion of the storage node contact hole, the insulation layer structure 36 and the second insulating interlayer 22 are anisotropically etched by a dry etching process and are then isotropically etched by a wet etching process. However, it is very difficult to establish recipes of the wet etching process for preventing adjacent storage contact holes from being in communication with each other and the bit line structure 30 from being exposed.

Semiconductor device and method of manufacturing the same


A navigation apparatus includes: a section that calculates a mobile object's acceleration in the direction of the motion, based on the mobile object's speed calculated from information received from a satellite; a section that calculates lateral acceleration whose direction is perpendicular to the mobile object's motion, based on the mobile object's speed and direction calculated from information received from the satellite; an acceleration sensor that observes motion acceleration of the mobile object and gravity acceleration; a section that calculates an altitude difference of road based on an atmospheric pressure value supplied from a barometric sensor; a section that calculates an inclination angle of the road in the direction of the motion, based on the altitude difference and a travel distance corresponding to the mobile object's speed; and a section that calculates an attachment angle of the acceleration sensor with respect to the mobile object by using a multidimensional function formula.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a navigation apparatus and navigation information calculation method, and is preferably applied to a car navigation apparatus mounted on a vehicle, for example.
2. Description of Related Art
Generally, a car navigation apparatus receives from a Global Positioning System (GPS) satellite a GPS signal and then calculates the position of a vehicle, which is then displayed. In addition, as disclosed in Patent Document 1 (see Jpn. Pat. Laid-open Publication No. 2004-138553), while not receiving the GPS signal due to the vehicle running inside a tunnel or the like, the car navigation system calculates, by using an acceleration sensor, the vehicle's acceleration in the direction of movement and then estimates the speed of the vehicle based on the calculated acceleration. The car navigation system can therefore display the current position of the vehicle, estimated based on the vehicle's speed, even when the vehicle does not receive the GPS signal.

Navigation apparatus and navigation information calculation method


A vibration control unit in which a rolling element having a first curved surface that is a convex surface is interposed between a first and second members, and the rolling element is allowed rolling with respect to the first member in the first curved surface thereof. The rolling element has a second curved surface that faces the first curved surface and is formed of a curved surface center different from that of the first curved surface. As the rolling element, resulting from an additional force applied on the first and second curved surfaces, rolls with respect to the first member, the second member vibrates with a restoring force determined based on an average curvature radius of the first and second curved surfaces of the rolling element and a distance between curved surface centers of the first and second curved surfaces.

Semiconductor fabricating apparatus such as an exposing device and so on, and precision instruments such as an electron microscope, a three dimensional measurement device and so on, in order to fully exhibit performance thereof, are necessary to be used in a state where a minute vibration is isolated from an installation floor. Accordingly, the apparatus such as the precision instruments and so on is generally supported with a vibration removal apparatus that uses an air spring. In order to improve the performance of the vibration removal apparatus, it is necessary to reduce a characteristic frequency thereof. In order to reduce the characteristic frequency in a vertical direction (weight support direction) of the air spring, an auxiliary air reservoir of the air spring can be made larger. However, a characteristic frequency in a horizontal direction cannot be reduced with the same method. Accordingly, in order to reduce the characteristic frequency in the horizontal direction of the vibration removal apparatus, above or below the air spring, a laminate rubber that is low in rigidity in a horizontal direction is disposed. Furthermore, the laminate rubber is used in vibration immunity apparatus for suppressing swinging of structures at the earthquake, vibration suppression apparatus for absorbing the swinging of the structures and so on, and vibration isolation apparatus for isolating mechanical vibration.
However, in the laminate rubber, there are disadvantages in that when a placement-weight changes, the characteristic frequency changes, and furthermore, since a support area decreases because of shear deformation, an object that is placed is unstably supported.

Vibration control unit and vibration control body


A data read/write device writes to or reads from an optical disc medium having thereon a plurality of areas in which management information is redundantly stored. Conditions for setting a read/write operation are indicated in third management information stored in the inner circumferential area. The pickup of the device performs the steps of: reading a first management information group from the inner circumferential area; retrieving a piece of third management information based on the corresponding valid address included in the first management information group; moving to the outer circumferential area and reading a second management information group; and if the update count of the second management information group is higher than that of the first management information group, retrieving a piece of third management information based on the corresponding valid address included in the second management information group.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a data read/write device and method using a recording medium such as a high-density optical disc.
2. Description of the Related Art
There has been a need to manage optical disc media in a highly reliable manner in order to increase their recording density. In this connection, defect management information, stored on each loaded disc to indicate the defect locations and the corresponding spare areas on the disc, is essential to data read/write operation. Further, in order to allow a setup operation to be efficiently performed on the device, the disc stores information about the various conditions under which data was previously written to or read from it (e.g., the magnitude of the write power) and this information is later read at the beginning of each subsequent read or write operation. The defect management information is redundantly stored in a plurality of disc management areas (hereinafter referred to as DMAs) on the disc.
For example, a DVD-RAM disc has four disc management areas (DMA 1 to DMA 4) thereon; two of them are provided-on the inner circumferential side of the optical disc and the other two are provided on the outer circumferential side (see, e.g., Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2002-245723).
Further, in the case of a DVR (Data & Video Recording) disc (a high-capacity high-density disc), the two disc management areas (DMA 1 and DMA 2) on the inner circumferential side are radially spaced apart from each other by a test write area (OPC). This arrangement prevents both disc management areas (DMA 1 and DMA 2) from being damaged at once due to a defect, flaw, etc., thereby increasing the reliability of these DMAs. The disc definition structure (DDS) stored in each disc management area holds the update count, and if the count has reached its maximum value of overwrite count, another disc management area is used to store defect management information, thereby increasing the reliability of the read/write operation on the DMAs. Further, with this arrangement, the update counts held in the DDSs are compared with one another to determine which one or ones of the DMAs store valid data (see, e.g., Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2004-14088).

Data read/write device and data read/write method


The present invention relates to pharmaceutical compositions, containing 4-[1-(2,3-dimethylphenyl)ethyl]-1H-imidazole, (S) 4-[1-(2,3-dimethylphenyl)ethyl]-1H-imidazole or (S) [3-(1-(1H-imidazol-4-yl)ethyl)-2-methylphenyl]methanol, their use as pharmaceuticals for the treatment of retinal diseases, for retinal neuroprotection and vision enhancement.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to pharmaceutical compositions, containing 4-[1-(2,3-dimethylphenyl)ethyl]-1H-imidazole, (S) 4-[1-(2,3-dimethylphenyl)ethyl]-1H-imidazole or (S) [3-(1-(1H-imidazol-4-yl)ethyl)-2-methylphenyl]methanol, their use as pharmaceuticals for the treatment of retinal diseases, for retinal neuroprotection and vision enhancement. Three alpha-1 and three alpha-2 adrenergic receptors have been characterized by molecular and pharmacological methods. Activation of these alpha receptors evokes physiological responses with useful therapeutic actions.
2. Summary of the Related Art
Compound, 4-[1-(2,3-dimethylphenyl)ethyl]-1H-imidazole, generically known as, medetomidine is an alpha 2 adrenergic agonist, for use in the sedation of animals. The (S) enantiomer of medetomidine, generically known as dexmedetomidine, (S) 4-[1-(2,3-dimethylphenyl)ethyl]-1H-imidazole, is also indicated for use as a sedative or analgesic in cats and dogs administered as the hydrochloride salt. The metabolite of dexmedetomidine is (S) [3-(1-(1H-imidazol-4-yl)ethyl)-2-methylphenyl]methanol, generically known as, OH-dexmedetomidine, is a potent pan alpha2-adrenergic agonist, activating all three alpha2 receptor subtypes. These properties are beneficial for sustained activity, particularly when the drug is delivered continuously.
Dexmedetomidine is a potent alpha2-adrenergic agonist, activating all three alpha2 receptor subtypes. It is, however, a partial agonist of the alpha2A receptor, which may result in less receptor desensitization and down regulation (shown in Table 2). It is also highly selective for the alpha2 receptor relative to alpha1-adrenergic receptor activation. The compound (5-bromo-quinoxalin-6-yl)-imidazolidin-2-ylidene-amine (structure shown below) is generically known as brimonidine tartrate and is sold under the trademark ALPHAGAN®P (available from Allergan, Inc.). Pharmacological activation of the alpha 2 adrenergic receptor by brimonidine is a well established treatment for various visual disorders of the eye.
The metabolite of dexmedetomidine is (S) [3-(1-(1H-imidazol-4-yl)ethyl)-2-methylphenyl]methanol together with its racemic mixture, compound [3-(1-(1H-imidazol-4-yl)ethyl)-2-methylphenyl]methanol, are described in the literature in Journal of Chromatography, (1997), 762(1+2), 281-291 by Hui, Y.-H et al.
[3-(1-(1H-imidazol-4-yl)ethyl)-2-methylphenyl]methanol is described in "Synthesis of detomidine and medetomidine metabolites: 1,2,3-trisubstituted arenes with 4′(5′)-imidazolylmethyl groups" in Journal of Heterocyclic Chemistry (1993), 30(6), (1645-1651) by Stoilov et al.

Kavanagh, et al. describe [3-(1-(1H-imidazol-4-yl)ethyl)-2-methylphenyl]methanol in "Synthesis of Possible Metabolites of Medetomidine {1-(2,3-dimethylphenyl)-1-[imidazol-4(5)-yl]ethane" in Journal of Chemical Research, Synopses (1993), (4), 152-3.
[3-(1-(1H-imidazol-4-yl)ethyl)-2-methylphenyl)methanol] is described by Salonen, et al. in "Biotransformation of Medetomidine in the Rat" in Xenobiotica (1990), 20(5), 471-80.
PCT Int. Appl. WO 2010093930 A1 discloses [3-(1-(1H-imidazol-4-yl)ethyl)-2-methylphenyl]methanol and its (S) and (R) enantiomers and their use for treating pain.

Pharmaceutical compositions comprising 4-[1-(2,3-dimethylphenyl)ethyl]-3H-imidazole derivatives for treating retinal diseases


Disclosed are a polycarbonate resin composition that includes (A) about 5 wt % to about 89 wt % of a polycarbonate resin; (B) about 10 wt % to about 94 wt % of a polycarbonate-polysiloxane copolymer; and (C) about 1 wt % to about 70 wt % of a modified acrylic-based copolymer, and a molded product made using the polycarbonate thermoplastic resin composition.

Polycarbonate resin has excellent toughness, impact resistance, thermal stability, self-extinguishing property, dimensional stability, and heat resistance. Accordingly, polycarbonate resins have been widely used in a variety of products, such as electric and electronic products and automobile parts, and as a substitute for glass, for example in lens. However, when polycarbonate resins are used in a product requiring transparency, the polycarbonate product can have reduced scratch resistance as compared to a glass product and further the product can yellow over time when exposed to sunlight.
Polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA) resin has excellent weather resistance, transparency, adherence and strength such as flexural strength and flexural strain differing from polycarbonate resin. PMMA resin has accordingly been used in various applications such as adhesives, lighting materials, and building materials. However, PMMA has inferior impact strength, so it may not be useful for reduced thickness products requiring impact strength.
When polycarbonate resin is alloyed with PMMA resin, the alloy is expected to have both excellent impact resistance and excellent scratch resistance. However, compatibility of the two resins is low and the difference between their refractive indices is large. Accordingly, the resultant products are generally opaque, can have a poor quality appearance, and can have deteriorated impact resistance and scratch resistance.
Currently, products can be painted or coated with specialty coatings to provide a luxurious appearance such as a high gloss. These techniques, however, requires several processing steps, can increase defect rates, and can generate hazardous volatilize components, which can increase the costs.
In order to solve these problems, a material that does not requiring painting or coating has been developed. There is still a need, however, for a product which exhibits a good balance of several different properties, such as impact resistance, heat resistance, scratch resistance and the like.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Polycarbonate resin composition and molded product using the same


The present invention discloses a creation of a virtual hand, body part, or tool in a virtual environment, controlled by a new 3-D haptic interface for virtual environments. There is also the provision of a method and arrangement applicable to computer systems for creating a virtual environment, which facilitates a user to touch, feel, edit, and interact with data about the objects, surfaces, and textures in the environment. There is also a provision for multiple virtual hands operating in the same virtual world, so that users can work collaboratively in the virtual world; they can touch, feel and edit the data in the virtual world, including data about the other users' virtual hands.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to the creation of a virtual hand representing new 3-D haptic interface for virtual environments. Moreover, the invention relates to the provision of a method and arrangement applicable to computer systems for creating a virtual environment, which facilitates a user to touch, feel, edit, and interact with data, either alone, or collaboratively with other users.
2. Discussion of the Prior Art
In presently known state-of-the art 3-D and computer graphics systems, a user may generally interact with the computer-generated environment by visually utilizing standard interfaces, for instance, such as a mouse or joystick, whereby the ability to feel or touch the environment is limited in scope. A data glove can be employed to roughly track coarse hand positions, and to provide a projection thereof it in a 3-D space, however, the user cannot feel or touch the environment. A limited degree of touch sensitivity can be added by imparting small piezoelectric stimulations to the user's hand, but the usefulness of this interface is limited to collision detection and very coarse or basic graphical object sampling. More recently, haptic interfaces have been introduced which facilitate a feedback when probing a virtual object with a single point of contact (e.g., Phantom), and by integrating this capability into a robot arm this has resulted in a greater range for exploration (e.g., Virtuose). Nevertheless, in all these systems, the interface to the computer-graphics world is very limited, inasmuch as the user does not possess the sense of touching a real object, feeling its texture, judging or modifying its surface, moving or shaping the 3-D object, or responding tactilly to an object that is thrown at the user.
Among various publications, which are concerned with similar aspects of the technology, the following are deemed to be of interest in the provision of haptic interface arrangements and methods.
Hayward, et al., U.S. Pat. No. 7,336,266 B, disclose haptic devices employable with diverse computer and video interface-user devices.
Shih, et al., U.S. Pat. No. 7,259,761 B2, disclose systems and methods employed by a user for manipulation of tools sculpting virtual objects in a haptic virtual reality environment.
Nojima, et al., U.S. Patent Publication No. 2003/0057973 A1, disclose a smart tool for real-time measurement of changing environment and displays to a user and generating haptic sensations thereof.
Kyung, et al., U.S. Pat. No. 7,339,574 B2, pertains to a haptic mouse interface system adapted to provide force and tactile feedbacks to a user's fingers and arm.
Havey, et al., U.S. Pat. No. 7,308,314 B2, disclose a sensory substitution device, employed for vision prosthesis, or low-vision enhancement by using thermal sensing.
Roberts, et al., U.S. Patent Publications No. 2003/0117371 A1, pertains to the scanning of tactile graphic displays for localized sensory stimulation.
However, none of the above-reference publications have any significant bearing on the novelty and advantages which are attendant to the present invention.
A commonly assigned co-pending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/047,771, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference, introduced the concept of using an array of pins, which is controlled by microactuators to transduce the data values associated with a computer-generated surface in a manner letting the user to a) sense the surface and its constraints; and b) control and edit the shape of that surface. In that interface, the array of pin is attached to a platform that allows the user to control the viewing angle of the surface. This, however, is not a Virtual Hand since it does not allow the user to move his/her hand around the space using six (6) degrees of freedom, or to react in response to a moving object.
According to the present invention, there are provided distinct advances over the current state-of-the-technology, by enabling a user to move his or her hand around a space in six (6) degrees of freedom, or to be able to react to a moving object.

Virtual hand: a new 3-D haptic interface and system for virtual environments

International Business Machines Corporation


A programmable receiver of an integrated circuit is described. The programmable receiver comprises an input; a first programmable receiver circuit coupled to the input, wherein the first programmable receiver circuit has a first pull-up branch and a first pull-down branch and is controlled by a first enable circuit; a second programmable receiver circuit coupled to the input, wherein the second programmable receiver circuit has a second pull-up branch and a second pull-down branch and is controlled by a second enable circuit; and an output stage coupled to the first programmable receiver circuit and the second programmable receiver circuit, wherein the output stage receives an output of one of the first programmable receiver circuit and the second programmable receiver circuit. A method of implementing a programmable receiver in an integrated circuit is also disclosed.

Data transmission is an important part of many integrated circuits and systems having integrated circuits. Data is typically communicated with an integrated circuit by way on an input/output (I/O) port. Data may be communicated in a system in different formats and according to a variety data communication protocols. However, the input/output circuits can significantly affect the performance of an integrated circuit device. Accordingly, I/O ports are often designed to enable certain performance characteristics of the I/O port, and therefore the integrated circuit device and possibly a system implementing the integrated circuit device.
One example of a receiver circuit for receiving data in an input/output port is a Schmitt trigger device which provides hysteresis to insure that the data is properly received. Schmitt trigger devices or other receiver circuits may be implemented differently depending upon the voltage of the signal which is received. With technology advancements and data rates increasing, using the same circuit for receiving data according to different I/O standards may leave a reduced margin to correctly receive the data. Such technology and data rates may result in reduced performance, including data errors resulting from data which is not correctly received.

Programmable receivers and methods of implementing a programmable receiver in an integrated circuit


The invention relates to a control method having at least two control loops for a scanning microscope provided with a microlever and an actuator suitable for energizing the microlever, in which a first loop maintains as a controlled variable the oscillation amplitude of the microlever and as a manipulated variable the amplitude of the electric signal supplied to the actuator, and a second loop uses as a controlled variable the amplitude of the aforementioned electric signal and as a manipulated variable the tip-sample distance. Said procedure makes it possible to ignore changes of sign in the tip-sample interaction.

The atomic force microscope (AFM) is one of the most versatile tools in the exploration and manipulation of micrometric and nanometric-sized systems. Since its invention in the 1980's, this technique has continued improving to the point where it has conquered practically all working environments—from systems that operate under ultra-high vacuum (UHV) conditions to those that are immersed in a liquid medium via, of course, the customary atmospheric conditions in which we ourselves live.
The AFM is based on a micro-lever that acts as a probe. This micro-lever, arranged in a cantilevered manner, in other words with one end fixed and the other one free, has a very sharp tip at its free end. The operation of this tool is based on making the tip of the micro-cantilever interact with the sample or system being studied. Said interaction causes changes in some observable characteristics of the micro-cantilever, these being finally translated into changes in the position of the same. A fundamental part of the AFM is therefore the micro-cantilever position detection system. The measurement of the micro-cantilever's position is generally taken by means of an optical system comprising a laser light beam suitably focused on the free end of the micro-cantilever. The changes in position of said micro-cantilever then produce changes in the direction of the reflected laser light beam, which is picked up by a photodiode.
The contact working mode involves directly supporting the micro-cantilever on the sample being studied, as if it were a profilometer, bringing it into proximity with and drawing it away from the sample, in order to keep the position of the micro-cantilever constant during the relative displacement of the tip on the sample. This method of working is obviously highly invasive due to the direct tip-sample contact, which means that it can only be used on relatively hard, rigid samples in which the forces applied do not constitute a problem.
In order to avoid the disadvantages of the contact mode, the idea emerged of eliminating direct contact between the tip and the sample. The method of avoiding this contact involves making the micro-cantilever oscillate with a sinusoidal movement of one or more simultaneous frequencies.
Said movement is characterized by its oscillation amplitude and frequency, which can be determined by measuring the changes in position of the micro-cantilever over time. Without there being any need to make direct contact in this case, the tip-sample interaction alters the oscillation frequency and amplitude.
In the publication by Albrecht, T. R., et al, "Frequency-Modulation Detection Using High-Q Cantilevers for Enhanced Force Microscope Sensitivity", Journal of Applied Physics, 1991, 69(2): p 668-673, frequency is taken as the control condition while maintaining a fixed value for the oscillation amplitude. This method (referred to as Frequency Modulation or FM) is far more sophisticated than the previous one, requiring a far more powerful control electronics, as well as extensive experience on the part of the user in order to operate it. Making significant changes in the operating conditions allows work to be carried out in different environments.
The main problem associated with the FM method is the possible loss of control of the AFM due to changes in sign in the interaction. The tip-sample interaction curve in FIG. 1 (canonical curve when work is carried out in air or in a vacuum) illustrates the reason for this loss of control. As we can see in FIGS. 2a and 2b, there are two regions differentiated by a change of sign in the slope which reflects both increasing and reducing behaviour in the change in frequency as the tip approaches the sample. The problem originates in the need to indicate to the feedback system an agreement for altering the manipulated variable. For example, this agreement may be as follows "an increase in the controlled variable is corrected with an increase in the manipulated variable". In this way, the feedback system will work correctly in the region of the curve where this behaviour is established, but will lose control if for some reason it is situated in another region. Due to disturbances (mechanical noise, electrical noise, etc.) it is very common for the domain that does not satisfy the control condition to be entered, thereby destabilizing the microscope. The above problem does not mean that the microscope only has access to the domain that does not satisfy this agreement simply by multiplying the signal from the controlled variable by −1, bearing in mind that in this case the other domain will remain out of the control of the feedback loop, without having to state the interaction domain (attractive or repellent) in which work is to be carried out before putting it into operation. Given an agreement for our feedback system, we are able to work using the repellent domain. In liquid media, unlike in a vacuum or in air, the attractive interaction is very small or virtually negligible, as a result of the screening of the van der Waals forces that occur when the micro-cantilever is completely surrounded by molecules of the liquid medium. However, the screening of van der Waals forces in liquids does not mean that long-range interactions cannot appear in these conditions. It is fairly common that when a surface is immersed in a liquid, it is often charged due to the presence of functional ionized groups on the surface and/or the adsorption of ions present in the liquid solution. As a result, this charge present on the surface electrically attracts counterions in the solution, giving rise to the formation of a double electrical layer. The tip of the micro-cantilever in liquids may also appear surrounded by a double electrical layer. The interaction of both double-layer structures, as the tip-sample distance diminishes, results in a local electrical force which may complicate interpretation hugely.
On the other hand, the considerable reduction in the attractive range in liquids is not always certain, since on a multitude of occasions attractive interactions appear between the tip and the sample as a result of the capture of unwanted material by the tip, coming from the sample itself or from the liquid medium. Hence, there may be a destabilization of the feedback loop that controls the tip-sample distance.

Method for controlling a scanning microscope


A liquid ejecting apparatus includes a reference drive signal generation section that generates a reference drive signal, a signal modulation section that modulates the reference drive signal to generate a modulation reference drive signal, a signal amplification section that amplifies the modulation reference drive signal using switching elements to generate a modulation drive signal, a signal conversion section that converts the modulation drive signal to a drive signal, and a head which includes a piezoelectric element that deforms in response to the drive signal, a pressure chamber that expands and contracts due to the deformation of the piezoelectric element and has a Helmholtz resonance frequency of a period Tc, and a nozzle opening portion that communicates with the pressure chamber. A period of an alternating current component contained in the modulation drive signal is a divisor of a section of one of the drive signal.

1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to a liquid ejecting apparatus and a liquid ejecting method.
2. Related Art
An ink jet printer is widely used, which ejects ink on a print medium from a plurality of nozzles provided in a print head so as to record text and images. In such an ink jet printer, a predetermined amount of ink is ejected from the nozzles at a predetermined timing by piezoelectric elements, each of which is provided in a location corresponding to each nozzle of the print head, being driven in response to a drive signal.
For example, the drive signal is generated by the following procedure. A digital modulation reference drive signal is generated by pulse-modulating an analog reference drive signal using a Pulse Width Modulation (PWM) method, a Pulse Density Modulation (PDM) method, Pulse Amplitude Modulation (PAM) method, or the like. Then, the modulation reference drive signal is amplified to generate a modulation drive signal, and the modulation drive signal is converted into a drive signal, which is an analog signal, by smoothing (for example, see JP-A-2010-114711).
Since alternating current components due to pulse modulation are contained in the modulation drive signal in the above-mentioned ink jet printer of the related art, ink ejection stability may be decreased by the alternating current components, so that improvement is required in terms of suppression of power consumption. Further, in the ink jet printer of the related art, ink droplets (called "sub-satellite") due to recovery of meniscus may occur at the time of driving the head using the drive signal, thereby resulting in a decrease in the image quality.
In addition, such a problem is not limited to the ink jet printer, but may occur similarly in a liquid ejecting apparatus which ejects a liquid in response to the drive signal.

Liquid ejecting apparatus and liquid ejecting method


An internal treatment apparatus for a patient having a flexible tubular body to be introduced into a patient includes a center opening for inserting therethrough an endoscope for observing a target site, the center opening being circular in cross section and disposed at a center of an end face of the flexible tubular body; and a plurality of circumferential apertures through which surgical instruments are inserted for performing a surgical procedure on the target site, the plurality of circumferential apertures being provided in the flexible tubular body at equi-angular intervals around the center opening.

The present invention relates to an internal treatment apparatus for a patient and an internal treatment system for a patient which are designed for severing, or the like, a target site inside a patient (subject), and more particularly, to an apparatus and a system for performing medical treatment on a site of lesion inside a patient.

Internal treatment apparatus having circumferential side holes


A semiconductor device has a plurality of first semiconductor die with an encapsulant deposited over a first surface of the first semiconductor die and around the first semiconductor die. An insulating layer is formed over the encapsulant and over a second surface of the first semiconductor die opposite the first surface. The insulating layer includes openings over the first semiconductor die. A first conductive layer is formed over the first semiconductor die within the openings. A second conductive layer is formed over the first conductive layer to form vertical conductive vias. A second semiconductor die is disposed over the first semiconductor die and electrically connected to the first conductive layer. A bump is formed over the second conductive layer outside a footprint of the first semiconductor die. The second semiconductor die is disposed over an active surface or a back surface of the first semiconductor die.

Semiconductor devices are commonly found in modern electronic products. Semiconductor devices vary in the number and density of electrical components. Discrete semiconductor devices generally contain one type of electrical component, e.g., light emitting diode (LED), small signal transistor, resistor, capacitor, inductor, and power metal oxide semiconductor field effect transistor (MOSFET). Integrated semiconductor devices typically contain hundreds to millions of electrical components. Examples of integrated semiconductor devices include microcontrollers, microprocessors, charged-coupled devices (CCDs), solar cells, and digital micro-mirror devices (DMDs).
Semiconductor devices perform a wide range of functions such as signal processing, high-speed calculations, transmitting and receiving electromagnetic signals, controlling electronic devices, transforming sunlight to electricity, and creating visual projections for television displays. Semiconductor devices are found in the fields of entertainment, communications, power conversion, networks, computers, and consumer products. Semiconductor devices are also found in military applications, aviation, automotive, industrial controllers, and office equipment.
Semiconductor devices exploit the electrical properties of semiconductor materials. The atomic structure of semiconductor material allows its electrical conductivity to be manipulated by the application of an electric field or base current or through the process of doping. Doping introduces impurities into the semiconductor material to manipulate and control the conductivity of the semiconductor device.
A semiconductor device contains active and passive electrical structures. Active structures, including bipolar and field effect transistors, control the flow of electrical current. By varying levels of doping and application of an electric field or base current, the transistor either promotes or restricts the flow of electrical current. Passive structures, including resistors, capacitors, and inductors, create a relationship between voltage and current necessary to perform a variety of electrical functions. The passive and active structures are electrically connected to form circuits, which enable the semiconductor device to perform high-speed calculations and other useful functions.
Semiconductor devices are generally manufactured using two complex manufacturing processes, i.e., front-end manufacturing, and back-end manufacturing, each involving potentially hundreds of steps. Front-end manufacturing involves the formation of a plurality of die on the surface of a semiconductor wafer. Each semiconductor die is typically identical and contains circuits formed by electrically connecting active and passive components. Back-end manufacturing involves singulating individual semiconductor die from the finished wafer and packaging the die to provide structural support and environmental isolation. The term "semiconductor die" as used herein refers to both the singular and plural form of the words, and accordingly can refer to both a single semiconductor device and multiple semiconductor devices.
One goal of semiconductor manufacturing is to produce smaller semiconductor devices. Smaller devices typically consume less power, have higher performance, and can be produced more efficiently. In addition, smaller semiconductor devices have a smaller footprint, which is desirable for smaller end products. A smaller semiconductor die size can be achieved by improvements in the front-end process resulting in semiconductor die with smaller, higher density active and passive components. Back-end processes may result in semiconductor device packages with a smaller footprint by improvements in electrical interconnection and packaging materials.
Another goal of semiconductor manufacturing is to produce higher performance semiconductor devices. Increases in device performance can be accomplished by forming electrical interfaces that are capable of operating at higher speeds. Higher operating speeds can be achieved by shortening signal path lengths within the semiconductor device package. One approach to achieving the objectives of greater integration and smaller, higher-speed semiconductor devices is to focus on three dimensional (3D) packaging technologies including package-on-package (PoP). The electrical interconnection between devices in a semiconductor structure and external devices can be accomplished with conductive through silicon vias (TSV) or through hole vias (THV).
The vertical z-direction interconnect of a THV substrate consumes space, increases the overall height of the package, and imposes higher manufacturing costs. The thickness of a THV substrate limits the extent by which the signal path length and overall package thickness can be reduced. The signal path length in a THV substrate limits the speed and electrical performance of the semiconductor device. A conventional THV substrate is 250 micrometers (μm) to 350 μm thick. The thickness of the THV substrate leads to warpage and reduced thermal performance. Further, the vias in a THV substrate are often formed by laser drilling which limits the via pitch that can be achieved in the THV substrate. A conventional THV substrate has a via pitch of 100 μm or greater. The minimum achievable via pitch within a THV substrate is insufficient for mounting high density semiconductor devices and limits the flexibility of semiconductor device integration in the 3D semiconductor structures.

Thin 3D fan-out embedded wafer level package (EWLB) for application processor and memory integration


A liquid ejecting apparatus includes a piezoelectric element provided with a piezoelectric layer and an electrode provided on the piezoelectric layer; and a driving unit supplying a driving waveform driving the piezoelectric element to the piezoelectric element.

1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to a liquid ejecting apparatus provided with a piezoelectric element having an electrode and a piezoelectric layer generating a change in pressure in a pressure generating chamber communicating with a nozzle opening.
2. Related Art
As a typical example of a liquid ejection head mounted on a liquid ejecting apparatus there is, for example, an ink jet type recording head, in which a part of the pressure generating chamber communicating with the nozzle opening ejecting ink droplets is configured by a vibration plate, and in which the vibration plate is deformed by a piezoelectric element to eject the ink of the pressure generating chamber as ink droplets from a nozzle opening by applying pressure thereto.
Typical examples of a piezoelectric material used as the piezoelectric layer configuring this kind of piezoelectric element include lead zirconate titanate (below, referred to as PZT) can be given; however, from the viewpoint of environmental problems, there is a demand for lead-free or reduced lead content piezoelectric material. Thus, as lead-free piezoelectric materials, for example, there are BiFeO3 based piezoelectric materials containing Bi and Fe (for example, JP-A-2007-287745).
However, since such a piezoelectric layer formed of a lead-free or reduced lead content compound oxide does not have a sufficient displacement amount in comparison with lead zirconate titanate (PZT), there is a demand for the improvement of the displacement amount.
Here, of course, such a problem is similarly present even in other liquid ejecting heads ejecting liquid droplets other than ink as well as the ink jet type recording head, and also similarly present even in piezoelectric element used other than in liquid ejecting heads.


Disclosed are a 3D image system and 3D glasses. The 3D image system includes a liquid crystal display monitor and the 3D glasses. The liquid crystal display monitor includes a backlight module and a ½λ wave plate. The ½λ wave plate converts lights from by the backlight module into linear polarized lights. The 3D glasses includes a first ¼λ wave plate for receiving and converting the linear polarized lights from the ½λ wave plate into circular polarized lights, a second ¼λ wave plate for converting the circular polarized lights from the first ¼λ wave plate into linear polarized lights, and a second ¼λ wave plate for filtering the linear polarized lights from the second ¼λ wave plate and transmitting the filtered lights to left and right eyes correspondingly. The present invention saves the cost and decreases the maintaining expense.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to a 3D display technology field, and more particularly to a 3D image system and 3D glasses.
2. Description of Prior Art
With the progressive development of 3D display technology, user requirements for the quality of 3D display are getting higher and higher.
Please refer to FIG. 1, in a conventional 3D image system, a liquid crystal display monitor comprises a monitor 11 and further comprises a ½λ wave plate 12, a ¼λ wave plate 13, and a polarizer 14. The ½λ wave plate 12 and the ¼λ wave plate 13 constitute a retarder. The ½λ wave plate 12 and the ¼λ wave plate 13 are a type of optical device, which is capable of enabling two lights perpendicular to one another to produce a phase difference during vibrations. The ½λ wave plate 12 and the ¼λ wave plate 13 are usually made of a birefringence crystal having an accurate thickness, such as quartz, calcite, or mica, and axes of the ½λ wave plate 12 and the ¼λ wave plate 13 are parallel with a surface of the wave plates.
When a linear polarized light is vertically incident into a wave plate and an angle between a vibration direction thereof and an optical axis of the wave plate is θ (θ≠0), the incident light vibrates and is separated into two components which are perpendicular to the optical axis (ordinary vibration) and parallel with the optical axis (extraordinary vibration). The two components are corresponding to an ordinary light (o light) and an extraordinary light (e light) of the wave plate. The o light and e light of the wave plate propagate along the same direction but have different speeds (refractive indices are different). An optical path difference (no-ne)d is produced after the o light and e light pass through the wave plate, wherein d is a thickness of the wave plate, and no and ne are the refractive indices of the o light and e light. A phase difference between the two perpendicular vibrations is Δj=2π(no-ne)d/λ. The two vibrations are generally synthesized to be an elliptical polarization. When Δj=2kπ (k is an integer), the two vibrations are synthesized to be a linear polarized light; when Δj=(2k+1)π/2 and θ=45 degrees, the two vibrations are synthesized to be a circular polarized light.
The ¼λ wave plate is a wave plate capable of enabling the o light and e light to produce an additional optical path difference of ¼λ. When a linear polarized light is incident into the ¼λ wave plate and θ=45 degrees, a light emitted from the wave plate is a circular polarized light. In contrast, after a circular polarized light passes through the ¼λ wave plate, the circular polarized light is converted into a linear polarized light.
The ½λ wave plate is a wave plate capable of enabling the o light and e-light to produce an additional optical path difference of ½λ. After a linear polarized light passes through the ½λ wave plate, the light is still a linear polarized light but a vibration direction thereof is required to be converted by an angle.
The lights emitted from the monitor 11 propagate along a dotted line L, and the lights emitted from the monitor 11 are converted to be linear polarized lights by the polarizer 14. After the polarized lights pass through the retarder constituted by the ¼λ wave plate 13 and the ½λ wave plate 12, circular polarized lights comprising left-circular polarized lights and right-circular polarized lights which are perpendicular to one another are formed. Then, left-eye and right-eye images are transmitted to the corresponding eyes after filtering by circular polarized 3D glasses (not shown).
Since the area of the monitor of the liquid crystal display is larger, more particularly the monitor of the large-size liquid crystal display, the large-area ¼λ wave plate 13 is required and thus the manufacturing cost and maintaining cost are higher.

Shenzhen China Star Optoelectronics Technology Co., Ltd.


The clothes drying rack has a generally horizontal rectangular frame with a series of intermediate lateral members and support legs. The various elements are formed of hollow pipe or tube, with most being perforated. Additional perforated tubular members depend from the lateral members. A portable fluid supply unit is remotely situated from the frame and connected to a non-perforated leg of the frame by a suitable duct, with the fluid supply unit having a fan therein to provide air to the tubular frame to flow from the perforated tubes, thereby circulating through clothing suspended on the frame. The fluid supply unit may also include a water dispenser and a heating element therefor, to produce steam to reduce wrinkling of the clothing. A fragrance tank and dispenser may also be included with the fluid supply unit, to dispense a pleasant fragrance through the frame and to the clothing suspended thereon.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to laundry washing and drying, and particularly to a clothes drying rack having a fan, water supply, fragrance supply, and heating element connected thereto for the selective dispensing of steam and fragrance to clothing suspended on the rack.
2. Description of the Related Art
Racks, stands, and similar devices for supporting clothing and the like for indoor drying have been known for a considerable period of time. Such drying racks permit clothing to dry indoors if the weather is not suitable for outdoor drying. While the development of the automatic clothing dryer has greatly reduced the use of such passive drying racks, they still find favor in many areas and can provide various advantages in terms of reduced energy usage and expense.
The conventional clothes drying rack is a passive structure, serving only to suspend clothing and the like to expose as much surface area as practicable in order to maximize air circulation around the clothing for evaporation of water from the clothing. However, clothes drying using such conventional clothes drying rack typically does nothing more than to remove the moisture from the clothing. Clothing suspended from such a rack can be susceptible to wrinkling and absorption of various odors from the indoor environment. While the clothing may be clean after washing and drying upon a conventional rack, a perception may be that the clothing is not clean due to various scents or odors absorbed and any wrinkles formed in the clothing during the drying process.
Accordingly, various modifications of drying racks for clothing have been developed in the past. An example of such is found in Chinese Patent Publication No. 202000165 published on Oct. 5, 2010 to Yu Quanfeng. This document describes a clothes drying rack including a series of interconnected hollow perforated pipes and hangers. Air is blown through the pipes and their hangers to circulate through clothing suspended on the hangers.
Thus, a clothes drying rack addressing the aforementioned problems is desired.


A treatment element for attachment to a wash media element includes a tab portion for engaging and effecting attachment to the wash media element. A treatment head is connected to the tab portion and is configured to engage a vehicle exterior. The treatment head including a plurality of individual finger portions that are moveable with respect to one another.

Vehicle wash implements, such as rotary brushes, are typically constructed with various types of flexible washing elements. Typical vehicle wash elements are limp in the non-rotating state, and "extend" or "blossom" to their working length only when the brush is rotated due to centrifugal force. To increase the tension in the washing elements and therefore their effective rigidity, it is necessary to rotate the brush faster. Even then and even at high rotational speeds, the washing elements can bend and deflect in unpredictable ways, making more or less random patterns of contact with the vehicle surface, and exerting inconsistent working pressures on the vehicle surface as they make contact. The result is that high rotational speeds and redundant points of contact are necessary to get an acceptable cleaning result.
Most of these known vehicle wash elements are made of a pliable material which results in the individual elements hanging downwardly under the force of gravity when the brush is motionless. (A typical brush utilized in existing vehicle wash facilities is exemplarily illustrated in FIGS. 1a and 1b.) As shown, when these rotary brushes are at rest, the attached media elements hang downwardly such that their outer ends are generally disposed adjacent a lower end of the rotary brush. At rest, the component has a small effective contact area or working diameter, as defined by the outermost boundary or footprint of the elements. This footprint is generally designated as F1 in FIGS. 1a and 1b.
The useful working diameter of these rotary brushes is only increased to a sufficient size where the media elements extend generally outwardly in a perpendicular fashion from the hub and into contact with a vehicle, when the brush is rotated at high speeds. At high rotational speeds, the media elements extend outwardly due to centrifugal force to a useful working diameter or footprint, as generally designated as F2 in FIGS. 2a and 2b. When the brush stops rotating or the speed of rotation is reduced considerably, the centrifugal force is insufficient to support the media elements and they will hang or droop, as shown in FIGS. 1a and 1b.
It is thus common practice to rotate vehicle wash brushes at higher speeds when washing a vehicle. These speeds are typically in the range of 60 RPM to 110 RPM and higher with much of this rotational speed being needed to extend the flexible washing elements to their working length as shown in FIGS. 2a and 2b. At these high rotational speeds, the otherwise limp washing elements can reach the surface of a vehicle to be washed. These high rotational speeds also help maintain a safe working distance between the vehicle surface and the rigid central hub of the rotary car wash brush. Unfortunately, as the rotational speeds of these vehicle wash brushes are increased to provide a necessary working diameter, other problems are created.
One known problem with conventional brushes that rotate at high speeds is that the higher the speed at which the prior media elements contact the vehicle surface, the possibility of damaging the exterior surface of the vehicle increases. Specifically, despite the fact that these prior media elements are constructed of a soft material, fine hazing and micro-scratching of a painted vehicle surface can occur as a result of the velocity at which the media elements impact the vehicle surface. This is particularly true if the media elements are carrying dirt particles or the like when they contact the vehicle exterior. Rotating these brushes at high speeds can also cause damage to the vehicle through the media elements lassoing wipers, mirrors, antennas or the like and potentially tearing them off.
Still another problem with the high speeds at which current vehicle wash brushes are rotated is that they create significant noise during the vehicle washing process. The high volume of noise is known to dissuade some customers from choosing to use friction car washes as it can cause an unpleasant washing experience for vehicle occupants. Indeed, many persons, particularly young children, can become uncomfortable by the experience of riding through a vehicle wash filled with noisy, rotating, and undulating mechanical elements which have been characteristic of commercial car washes for decades. Still other consumers are dissuaded from using friction car washes due to the perception that the high speed at which existing brushes rotate creates an unsafe environment.
Still a further problem with rotating these brushes at high speeds is that substantial energy is required to maintain their operation. In addition to increased energy costs, the vehicle wash equipment can wear prematurely due to the aggressive nature in which they are operated, which further adds to their cost of operation. Additionally, rapidly rotating brush elements tend to sling water and dirt over long distances, giving rise to substantial maintenance tasks for the owner or operator of a commercial car wash.
It would thus be desirable to provide a wash media element for a vehicle wash component that addresses these disadvantages as well as others that exist with current vehicle wash components.

Treatment element for a vehicle wash media element


Exemplary embodiments described in this disclosure are generally directed to systems and methods for detecting alertness of a driver of a vehicle. In one exemplary method, a driver alertness detection system determines whether a driver of a vehicle is susceptible to lagophthalmos. If the driver is susceptible to lagophthalmos, the driver alertness detection system may evaluate an alertness state of the driver by disregarding an eyelid status of the driver and monitoring biometrics of the driver such as, a heart rate and/or a breathing pattern. Alternatively, the driver alertness detection system may evaluate an alertness state of the driver by placing a higher priority on the biometrics of the driver than on the eyelid status. However, if the driver is not susceptible to lagophthalmos, the driver alertness detection system evaluates the alertness state by placing a higher priority on the eyelid status than on the biometrics of the driver.

A major concern in traffic safety is driver behavior, particularly distracted driving and drowsiness. Vehicle manufacturers have addressed such types of driver behaviors by offering driving monitoring systems (DSMs). A typical driving monitoring system monitors various physical characteristics of a driver in order to continuously assess his/her alertness. One among the various physical characteristics that are monitored is a condition of the driver's eyes in order to identify drowsiness. Typically, the eyelids of a sleepy driver tend to be droopy, partially closed, or fully closed. When such a condition is detected, the driving monitoring system may provide an audible alarm and/or provide a vibration in the steering wheel of the vehicle so as to awaken the driver.
While this procedure may be effective in many cases, some drivers may suffer from a medical condition known as lagophthalmos. A person suffering from lagophthalmos typically falls asleep with eyes wide open, both during the day when in a sitting position or at night when in bed (nocturnal lagophthalmos). Some people may be born with lagophthalmos and some others may be afflicted with lagophthalmos due to injury or due to factors such as Bells' palsy, Graves' disease, paralytic stroke, or tumor.
A conventional driving monitoring system that relies largely on detecting driver alertness based on monitoring a driver's eyes may mistakenly diagnose a driver suffering from lagophthalmos as being fully alert even though the driver may be asleep. It is therefore desirable to provide solutions that can monitor driver alertness taking into consideration that a driver may have lagophthalmos.

Systems and methods for detecting alertness of an occupant of a vehicle


A rapid personnel deployment/extraction rope assisting apparatus for an aircraft includes at least one deployment rope support assembly including a main support member adapted for installation in the aircraft, an assembly arm carried by the main support member and a rope securing mechanism carried by the assembly arm, the rope securing mechanism adapted to secure a rapid personnel deployment/extraction rope/cable to the assembly arm.

Fast-roping or rappelling is frequently used in military and civilian applications to rapidly deploy personnel from an aircraft to a location below the aircraft. Fast-roping typically involves repelling down a rope which is suspended from a support frame in a helicopter. The personnel may descend the rope either by gripping the rope or by using a brake-assisted descent mechanism. Under some circumstances, such as in various military exercises, for example, deployment of multiple persons in rapid succession from the aircraft to the accessed location may be necessary.
Therefore, a quick rope assisted deployment and extraction apparatus which is readily installable in an aircraft and enables simultaneous rapid deployment of one or more persons from the aircraft may be desirable for some applications. This apparatus may also be used to extract one or more persons connected to a fixed line. Lifting cargo on a fixed line may also be used.

Quick rope assisted deployment and extraction apparatus


An improved optical receiver for an optical signal amplitude modulated with broadband RF signals is described. The optical receiver includes an optical detector which receives the optical signal and generates a radio frequency electrical signal which varies with the intensity level of the incoming optical signal. The electrical signal is applied antiphased from the optical detector to a pair of cascode transimpedance amplifiers which are coupled in a push-pull relationship. The coupling from the optical detector is matched to each of the inputs of the cascode amplifiers. Bias networks are used for each amplifier to maintain the gain stability of the receiver and to provide better output impedance matching to a coaxial cable for CATV distribution. The optical receiver can provide greater output power for the same input power because of the shared bias currents of the cascode stages in each amplifier.

In recent years, there has been a great deal of interest in the transmission of video signals via optical fibers. This mode of signal transmission offers a number of advantages over transmitting signals by conventional coaxial cable, the manner in which video signal distribution is now commonly accomplished in CATV systems. Optical fibers intrinsically have more information-carrying capacity than do coaxial cables. In addition, there is less signal attenuation in optical fibers than in coaxial cables adapted to carry radio frequency (RF) signals. Consequently, optical fibers can span longer distances between signal regenerators than is possible with coaxial cable. The dielectric nature of optical fibers eliminates any problems with electrical shorting and they are immune to ambient electromagnetic interference (EMI) and generate no EMI of their own.
The amplitude (intensity) modulation of an optical signal with a broadband RF signal requires a light modulating device, such as a laser, which has linear characteristics over a wide dynamic range of operation. Until recently it has been difficult to fabricate lasers in which the relationship between the input current and the optical output was linear over more than an extremely limited range. Because of this difficulty in obtaining lasers which were sufficiently linear to support analog amplitude modulation, digital modulation was, until recently, the primary means for transmitting information by optical signals. Digital modulation does not require a laser with a large dynamic range as do analog means for transmitting information, e.g., amplitude modulation or frequency modulation of a carrier frequency modulating the laser output.
However, because of the broadband nature of video signals, digitization of these signals consumes extremely large amounts of channel capacity. A typical analog video signal occupies 6 MHz of bandwidth. Transmission of this information digitally requires a digital data transmission rate of approximately 45 Mb/sec. High definition video (HDTV) may require a digital data transmission rate of up to 145 Mb/sec. Moreover, encoders and decoders for converting analog video signals to a digital form and for reconverting these digital signals to an analog form for viewing on a conventional television set are quite expensive. Consequently, the analog transmission of video signals is potentially much more economical than digital transmission of such signals.
Recent advances in laser technology have made the analog modulation of optical signals more feasible. Currently available Fabry-Perot (FP) and Distributed Feedback (DFB) lasers have sufficiently linear characteristics to allow them to be used as analog modulators of optical signals.
One such means of analog transmission is to use a baseband television signal to frequency modulate a radio frequency carrier. This modulated radio frequency carrier is, in turn, used to modulate an optical signal. Such frequency modulation is less susceptible to noise than is amplitude modulation, but it requires more bandwidth for each television channel transmitted than is required by amplitude modulation methods. Thus, the number of television channels which can be carried by each optical transmission on separate optical fibers in an FM-based system is somewhat limited. Moreover, since the standard NTSC format for video calls for amplitude modulation of the video carrier, means for converting FM signals to an NTSC amplitude modulated format are required either at the television receiver or at the point at which the fiber transmission trunk is connected to a coaxial cable distribution network. The need for such FM to AM conversion increases the cost of the system.
In view of the above, a system in which a video baseband signal amplitude modulates a radio frequency carrier signal, which in turn intensity modulates an optical signal, is preferable to other systems from the standpoint of cost and simplicity. However, several phenomena limit the number of radio frequency channels which can be carried by present day optical links where the intensity of the optical signals is amplitude modulated. The first of these phenomena is a limitation of the amount of radio frequency energy which may be supplied as a modulating signal to a laser or other light generating device before various types of distortions are generated by the light generating device.
This power limitation relates to the sum of the radio frequency power contributions of each radio frequency channel. Thus, if it is desired to transmit 80 radio frequency channels over a single optical link, the power available for each channel is only half of the power which would be available if only 40 channels were transmitted by the optical link. Such a limitation on the power of each radio frequency carrier brings each of these carriers closer to the "white noise" level of the system, thus, adversely affects the signal to noise ratio of the system. Decreasing the number of channels carried by each optical link in order to improve the signal to noise ratio increases the number of lasers which must be used and the overall complexity and cost of the system.
In addition, increasing the amount of radio frequency power supplied to the laser beyond certain limits may cause the laser to produce several types of distortion. When the modulating signal supplied to a laser causes the laser to be driven into a nonlinear portion of its input-signal-to-light-output characteristic, harmonic distortion may be produced. The products of this type of distortion are signals which are integer multiples of the "primary" frequency or carrier frequencies of the video signals. The second harmonic of 54 MHz is, for example, 108 MHz. Thus, if the bandwidth accommodated by a system is such that there are channels at both 54 MHz and 108 MHz, second harmonics of the 54 MHz channel will interfere with the signals on the 108 MHz channel.
Intermodulation distortion is also of particular concern in amplitude modulated systems. Such distortion results in distortion products at frequencies which are the sum or difference of two other frequencies. The distortion products which are the sum or difference of two primary frequencies are termed second order distortion products and are particularly troublesome. For example, a video channel at 150 MHz and another video channel at 204 MHz may produce a second order distortion product at 54 MHz (the difference frequency) and at 354 MHz (the sum frequency). Significant third order distortion products may be generated by mixing signals at three frequencies or by third harmonic generation. Lesser, third order distortion products are produced by the mixing of a primary frequency with a second order distortion product. This produces third order distortion products at the sum and difference between the primary frequency and the frequency of the second order distortion product.
Clearly, one method of dealing with the above problems is to utilize detectors and optical receivers which are highly linear and which are relatively insusceptible to harmonic and intermodulation distortion. It is especially important that the production of second order distortion products be minimized. Optical receivers are combinations of optical detectors and specialized receiver amplifiers which serve to convert the amplitude modulated light to conventional broadband RF output signals comprising multi-channel video and/or data signals. Such optical receivers should be effective over a bandwidth of approximately 50 MHz to 550 MHz, or higher, so as to be compatible with current coaxial cable transmission technology. It is presently desirable that an optical receiver be effective at frequencies greater than 550 MHz in order to accommodate additional bandwidth which may be required in future CATV systems.
Optical detectors for converting the amplitude modulation of an optical signal to a radio frequency electrical signal corresponding to the modulation may comprise, for example, photodiodes. This type of device produces an output current corresponding to the amplitude or intensity of light applied to it. One advantageous type of receiver amplifier which has been used for converting the output current signal from such a photodiode to an RF voltage signal suitable for transmission on a conventional coaxial cable for broadband signals is known as a transimpedance amplifier.
The transimpedance amplifier tends to avoid the high frequency roll-off problem associated with other high impedance amplifiers. The transimpedance amplifier is similar to other high impedance amplifiers except for the addition of a feedback path, for example, between the drain and gate of a field effect transistor in a common drain configuration. A characteristic of this circuit is that its input impedance is approximately equal to the feedback impedance R.sub.f divided by 1 plus the transconductance G.sub.m of the circuit or (R.sub.f /1+G.sub.m). Thus, depending on the selection of an appropriate value for R.sub.f, the input impedance of a transimpedance amplifier can be lower than that of a similar high frequency amplifier. This relatively lower input impedance minimizes the problem of high frequency roll-off in the 50 to 550 MHz frequency band.
Transimpedance and other high frequency amplifiers are both susceptible to second order and other even and odd order distortion problems when they are used for the amplification of broadband signals which include a high number of video carrier frequencies. In high impedance amplifiers, these distortion products tend to be more severe at the low end of the frequency band. In transimpedance amplifiers, the problem of second order distortion products is essentially the same throughout the band of operation.
The troublesome second order distortion problems can be alleviated in transimpedance amplifiers by using a dual matched amplifier configuration coupled in a push-pull relationship. Since the nonlinearities of each of the amplifiers can be made to be relatively similar, the balanced configuration of a push-pull coupling tends to cancel out these nonlinearities and thus alleviate the problem of second order intermodulation products of the input frequencies being produced. An advantageous push-pull transimpedance amplifier for an optical receiver is disclosed in a U.S. patent application Ser. No. 481,436 now U.S. Pat. No. 5,239,402 entitled "Push-Pull (optical receiver)" filed on Feb. 16, 1990 in the name of Little, et al.
Optical receivers have previously used transimpedance amplifiers which have two stages. In general, such amplifiers include a transimpedance stage comprising a field effect transistor or other amplification device in a common source (emitter) configuration. The output of the transimpedance stage is then buffered by a second stage used for impedance matching and power transfer to a output power combiner.
While extremely advantageous for linearizing and converting broadband optical signals into RF signals, this configuration does present some problems. An initial problem is inherent in the common drain (emitter) configuration and is termed the "Miller effect" where the amplifier stage amplifies the feedback capacitance of the device by its voltage gain and thereby reduces the high frequency response of the amplifier. Because most devices configured for voltage gains produce such effects, it is difficult to increase the bandwidth of the amplifier.
In high sensitivity systems, such as broadband optical receivers, noise performance is critical. Unfortunately, there is always some noise associated with the amplifier itself and, in the present configuration, some noise can also be attributed to the buffer stage. The choice of the configuration for the output impedance matching stage to minimize this additional noise is important.
Another inherent difficulty with this configuration is, because there are two cascade stages, there are two bias currents even when the optical receiver is in a quiescent state. This limits the efficiency of the conversion process where output power is limited to some percentage of input power. Moreover, when there are two bias circuits in each amplifier, the exact matching of both amplifiers for distortion cancellation in a push-pull arrangement becomes more difficult.

Push-pull optical receiver with cascode amplifiers


System for balancing series of cells, including circuits each having three or four cells, including: one or two central cells and additional neighboring cells in each circuit, each neighboring cell being adjacent to one central cells; a local capacitor for each neighboring cell, within a local section of each circuit; one global capacitor at a global section which is common to all the circuits; a plurality of controlled switches; a controller which periodically, repeatedly, and alternately opens and closes some switches to: within each circuit, connect each local capacitor in parallel to a respective neighboring cell; within each circuit, connect each local capacitor in parallel to the central cell if one central cell exists, or to another central cell if two central cells exist, respectively; within each circuit, connect said central cells of all circuits separately or simultaneously to said global capacitor.

Batteries, or other types of DC sources cells, such as solar cells (hereinafter all interchangeably referred to as "batteries" or "cells") have been widely used in various applications as energy storage elements and power sources. To achieve the high voltage and high power required in applications such as electric vehicle (EV) and its derivatives, large numbers of battery cells are connected in series. Several potential flaws may lead to imbalances along the string, among them degradation with aging, manufacturing and environmental variances, charging and discharging, thermal conditions and internal impedance imbalance. These non-idealities also reflect on the cells' lifetime and lower the string's performance, reliability and efficiency. Therefore, strings of serially connected batteries must be assisted by a balancing circuit to minimize imbalances and improve the overall performance.
For example, charging of an imbalanced string of batteries may involve either a too early termination of charging when some of the batteries are not fully charged, or a too late termination that may cause damage to some of the battery cells that are overcharged. Moreover, if, for example, one of the batteries is faulty such that it can output only a very low level current, the current of the entire string converges to this minimal current level, and the energy which is supplied is substantially degraded.
In the majority of commercial battery balancing applications, primarily due to cost and simplicity, the passive balancing approach is predominant. There, the excess energy of each cell dissipates through either a resistor or transistor. From an energy efficiency perspective, this concept is lossy and a seek for alternative sustainable balancing options has been widely investigated in recent years. In the active balancing approach, power converters are employed to evenly distribute the energy along the series string. Typically, in this configuration energy is transferred from cells of higher voltage to cells of lower voltage. In more sophisticated designs, the energy transfer is carried out according to the cells' State-of-Charge (SOC). Active balancing can be realized in a variety of ways for example using switched capacitors converters (SCC), switched inductor converters, or multi-winding transformer-based converters.
Another important classification of active balancing circuits is in the power flow structure, i.e., series balancing, parallel balancing or hierarchical balancing. In a series balancing, energy is transferred from one neighboring cell to another using a power converter that links between two adjacent cells and acts as a local bypass to the energy flow in the case that a cell is damaged or has lower energy. Transferring charge over such a distance of several serially linked cells necessitates many conversions resulting in energy losses respectively. Parallel balancing is assisted by a small energy storage component, typically a capacitor, and often referred to as an energy buffer, which is used as a link to transfer energy from a charged cell to the cell that needs to be charged without the need to process an energy transfer through the whole batteries string. Therefore, an apparent advantage of the parallel balancing approach is the fewer amount of conversions to balance the string, and as a result a faster balancing with higher efficiency especially in large arrays. However, the parallel approach typically involves a high component count and a more complex control algorithm, which increases the complexity and cost of this solution.
The hierarchical-type balancing structure combines the series and parallel approaches. The hierarchical structure enables more power-flow paths, and as a result, it expedites the balancing convergence speed. However, the faster conversion comes at the cost of an extra conversion stage that affects the efficiency of the system, and an increase of the component count. As shown, for example, in Z. Zhang; H. Gui; D. J. Gu; Y. Yang; X. Ren, "A Hierarchical Active Balancing Architecture for Lithium-ion Batteries," in IEEE Trans. Power Electron., vol. PP, no. 99, pp. 1-1, the hierarchical structures of the prior art typically apply multiple and separate converters: a set of converters carries out a series balancing, whereas a different decoupled set of converters establishes a parallel connecting link. In another alternative of hierarchical balancing a modular approach is carried out. In a similar manner, it employs multitude of independent converters to balance a so-called 'layer' or 'module', i.e. string of serially connected batteries.
Still another drawback of balancing structures of the prior-art, whether implemented as series, parallel, modular or hierarchical structure, is that even when the string is perfectly balanced, there is some current flow in the circuit. Such current flow significantly reduces the efficiency of the system. Furthermore, some of the structures of the prior art require use of sensors for their proper operation. This use of sensors adds to the complexity of the entire system.
In another aspect, a modularization of the balancing system is desired. More specifically, an isolation between a bus (global) capacitor and the battery cells, for example, by means of a transformer enables the topology to be extended. This modularization provides another stage of balancing and enables operation at a lower voltage stress, which can expedite the balancing speed since higher current can be delivered for the same power dissipation.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a sensor-less hierarchical balancing structure having a simple implementation and reduced component count.
It is a more specific object of the invention to provide a hybrid-hierarchical balancing system which utilizes a single set of primary switches for carrying out both the series cell-balancing and the parallel cell-balancing.
It is another object of the invention to provide a hierarchical balancing structure in which there is no quiescent power loss due to a flow of current at times when the batteries are balanced.
It is still another object of the invention to provide such hierarchical structure which is modular.
Other objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent as the description proceeds.


A belt transmission for a very small size shovel car which improves the starting performance of an engine for the shovel car to permit employment as such engine of a small size engine having a low output power. The belt transmission comprises a first pulley mounted on an output shaft of the engine, second and third pulleys mounted commonly on an input shaft of a transmission case of the shovel car, a first belt extending between and around the first and second pulleys, a belt tension clutch movable to and from an operative position in which it engages with the first belt to cause the first belt to transmit power from the first pulley to the second pulley, a fourth pulley mounted on an input shaft of a hydraulic pump of the shovel car, and a second belt extending between and around the third and fourth pulleys. When the belt tension clutch is in the operative position, power of the engine is transmitted to the second pulley to operate both of the transmission case and the hydraulic pump, but when the belt tension clutch is not in the operative position, no power is transmitted to the second pulley and neither of the transmission case and the hydraulic pump is operated.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a belt tramsmission for a very small size shovel car, and more particularly to a belt transmission for a very small size shovel car which includes an engine having a comparatively low output power.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Conventionally, a very small size shovel car which can carry out an excavating operation at a narrow place is not yet on the market. While a body of a very small size shovel car of the type mentioned must be small in size so as to facilitate excavating operation of the shovel car at a narrow place, it is also required that an engine which is used together with the body of a small size should be small in size.
When it is intended to produce such a very small size shovel car as described above, it must be taken into consideration that, since an engine of a small size is used, the output power of the engine is comparatively low, and there is the possibility that the starting performance of the engine may be excessively low when the outside air temperature is low. In particular, the output power of the engine is transmitted to an input shaft of a transmission case while a hydraulic pump must also be driven by the output power of the engine, and the load to the engine may be so high that the engine may not be started readily.

Belt transmission for very small size shovel car


A method of making a color filter array of an imaging device comprises forming a main recess for a color filter array, forming a tension breaking feature at an edge of the main recess, and providing a color filter array material across the tension breaking feature and main recess as part of forming the color filter array. The tension breaking feature reduces the settling distance of the color filter array material. An imaging device having the thus formed color filter array is also described.

Solid state imaging devices include an array of pixel cells, which converts light energy into electrical signals. Each pixel cell contains a photosensor for converting a respective portion of a received image into an electrical signal. The electrical signals produced by the photosensors are processed to render a digital image.
Photosensors are sensitive to light in the visible spectrum and convert that light into a light intensity signal value. To capture color images, the spectral components of incident light must be separated and collected. To this end, a color filter array (CFA) is often associated with the pixel array. Color filters are imposed in front of the pixel cells and over the photosensors and are arranged in a predetermined pattern. The color filters of the color filter array are typically pigmented or dyed material that will only pass a narrow color band of visible light, e.g., red, blue, or green. A common example of a color filter array pattern is the tiled color filter array illustrated in U.S. Pat. No. 3,971,065, and commonly referred to as "the Bayer pattern" color filter. The color filter array allows what would otherwise be black and white image sensors to produce color images. Other color filter array patterns are also known.
As imaging devices are used in smaller and smaller applications, there is a need to decrease the stack height of the imaging array of the imaging device, requiring the use of a recessed color filter array. A recessed color filter array is formed in a recess of a substrate layer which is provided over photosensors. The recessed arrangement prevents the color filter array from extending above a desired pixel array stack height.
FIG. 1 shows a simplified, partial cross section of a recessed color filter array 14 in an imaging device 100. The imaging device 100 includes a substrate layer 10 having a recess 12 etched or otherwise formed therein. While FIG. 1 only shows a portion of a substrate layer 10 of a single imaging device 100, i.e., a single die, it should be understood that the processing steps may be and generally are performed on multiple dies of a wafer at the same time. A nitride layer 16, for example, silicon nitride (Si3N4), is formed on the surface of the substrate layer 10 including the recess 12.
The color filter array 14 generally has several different filter colors, such as red, green and blue, or cyan, magenta, yellow, and black, or other combination of filter colors arranged in a pattern. Filters of the same color are formed by a series of steps including coating a filter material, such as a colored polyimide, exposing it through a pattern mask, and developing the filter material into a pattern of filters of the desired color. For example, to form a Bayer pattern filter, a liquid green filter material is coated onto the substrate layer 10 including the recess 12 by a method such as spin coating. The green filter material is exposed, for example, to ultraviolet light through a mask and developed into a pattern of green color filters. The green color filters are then cured. The green filter material is developed into a pattern, for example, by using a solvent to remove portions of the green filter material that are not developed. The green filter material is then cured again. The coating, exposing, developing, and curing steps are repeated for the blue filter material to form blue filters and then again for red filter material to form red filters to complete the color filter array 14. Microlenses (not shown) to focus the light onto the photosensors may be formed on top of the color filter array 14.
As illustrated in FIG. 1, one problem associated with formation of a conventional recessed color filter array 14 is that the color filter array 14 may have a non-uniform thickness and may be thicker at the edges of the color filter array 14 than at the center. The majority portion of the color filter array 14 located away from the edge of the recess 12 is formed to a relatively uniform thickness d. The distance from the edge of the recess 12 to the portion of the color filter array 14 at the relatively uniform thickness d is known as the settling distance s. The portion of the color filter array 14 spanning the settling distance s slopes down from the edge of the recess 12 towards the portion of the color filter array 14 having the relatively uniform distance d.
This lack of uniformity in color filter array 14 thickness can cause problems in the imaging device 100, such as making the pixel output signals for underlying pixels associated with the edges of array 14 non-uniform and providing a poor foundation for the microlenses. In addition, an uneven thickness of color filter array 14 can cause imaging efficiency reduction by creating additional fixed pattern noise or shading effects. Specifically, fixed pattern noise, which is a spatial variation in pixel output values under uniform illumination, results from the variation of color filter material. An undesirable shading effect occurs as the result of non-planarity of the color filter array over the entire surface of the array. Thus, having a color filter array 14 with a more uniform thickness can advantageously help to create a solid foundation for microlenses, reduce fixed pattern noise, and decrease undesirable noise shading.

Method and apparatus for breaking surface tension during a recessed color filter array process


An apparatus for emulating a variety of string instruments with a variety of configurations in order to measure the resulting, actual tension of a string on that instrument. The tension may be measured in real-time.

Players of various instruments benefit from accurately knowing the actual tension of a string on a particular instrument. String tension affects the tone, volume, and sustain of an instrument, which impacts the sonic quality and the performance of the instrument. Additionally, string tension impacts the response of the instrument experienced by a player, and the function and health of a player's hands. By knowing the actual tension of a given string on an instrument, as opposed to the generic, theoretical tension currently available, the player of the instrument may better predict the appropriate strings for the instrument.
Current techniques for determining string tension use formulas based upon the string length from end points of the vibrating portion of the string. However, these techniques fail to account for the additional lengths of non-vibrating portions on a string created by varying extensions of the string beyond the vibrating portion, which impacts the actual tension of the string. As a result, the actual tension of a string may not be accurately determined by measuring only the vibrating portion of the string or by measuring just one common length of the string. Consequently, there is a need for an apparatus that may emulate a variety of string instruments with a variety of vibrating section lengths and extension configurations.

String instrument emulating and string tension measuring apparatus and method of using same