In a linear guide, a separator is interposed between each pair of adjacent balls. The separator has a separator main body interposed between the adjacent balls, and arm portions provided at end portions of the separator main body, which are arranged in the direction of width of each of rolling element rolling grooves for rolling the balls. The separator also has a guide groove which guides the arm portions of the separator along a circulating direction of the balls when the balls circulate along a passage formed by the first and second rolling element rolling grooves, a direction changing passage, and a rolling element passage.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a linear guide used in the field of, for example, industrial machines, such as machine tools and injection molders.
2. Description of the Related Art
For instance, an apparatus shown in FIG. 7 is known as a related linear guide.
This linear guide has a guide rail 1 extending in an axial direction, and a slider 2 laid across the guide rail 1 so as to relatively move on the guide rail 1 in the axial direction.
Rolling element rolling grooves 3 extending in the axial direction are formed on each of both side surfaces of the guide rail 1. Rolling element rolling grooves 7 respectively opposed to the rolling element rolling grooves 3 are formed on each of the inner side surfaces of both sleeve portions 4 of the slider main body 2A of the slider 2. Many balls B as one example of rolling elements are rotatably  mounted between these opposed rolling element rolling grooves 3 and 7. The slider 2 can be relatively moved along the axial direction on the guide rail 1 through the rolling movements of the balls B.
As this movement of the slider 2 is made, the balls B interposing between the guide rail 1 and the slider 2 roll and axially cove to an end portion of the slider 2. However, it is necessary to indefinitely circulate the balls B so as to continuously move the slider 2 in the axial direction.
Thus, a rolling element passage 7 axially extending through the interior of the sleeve portions 4 of the slider main body 2A is formed. For example, an end caps 5 approximately formed in a U-shaped is fixed to each both ends of the slider main body 2A through a fixing means such as a screws 12, etc. A direction changing passage 10 curved in an semi-arc and shape and communicating the rolling element passage 8 and each of a portion between both the above rolling element rolling grooves 3 and 7 is formed in each of the end caps 5. Thus, a rolling element endlessly-circulating raceway is formed. Incidentally, in FIG. 7, reference numeral 11 designates a side seal fixed to an end surface of the slider main body 2A together with the end cap 5 through a screw 12. Reference numeral 10 denotes a tap hole formed in an end surface of the slider main body 2A and adapted so that a screw 12 is screwed thereinto. Reference numeral 13 designates a grease nipple. Reference numeral 14 denotes a bolt insertion hole used for fixing the guide rail 1.
Also, there has been proposed an apparatus configured so that a separator 20 is interposed between adjacent balls B, as shown in FIG. 8, so as to prevent the balls, which endlessly circulate, from being in contact with each other and as to improve operability by applying an appropriate compressing force to rows of balls, and so that a predetermined clearance is provided between one of balls B of one row, which endlessly circulate, and a separator 20 (See, for example, JP-A-2000-213538).
The separator 20 is made of a material, which excels in injection-moldability and wear-proof, for example, "66 nylon" and is shaped like a short cylinder. A concave surface 21 having a curvature radius corresponding to the absolute value of the curvature radius of an outer peripheral surface of the ball B is provided in each of both end surfaces of the separator 20.
Meanwhile, as can be understood from FIGS. 8A and 8B, the dimension of the clearance provided between the ball B, which endlessly circulates, and the separator 20 varies according to the phase of the ball B. In the apparatus disclosed in JP-A-2000-213538, the short-cylindrical separator 20 is only interposed between the balls B. The orbital motion of the separator 20 in the load raceway, the direction changing passage 6 and the rolling element passage 8 in the slider 2 is supported only by the balls B. Thus, in a case where the dimension of the clearance is too large, the separator 20 itself does not have self-sustainability (or attitude stability). Consequently, the separator 20 may be toppled in the arc-like direction changing passage 6, as shown in FIG. 9. In this case, the orbital motion of the separator 20 together with the balls B is disturbed, so that poor circulation is caused. Thus, components of the direction changing passage 6 formed of a resin may be damaged. Consequently, it is necessary to adjust the clearance dimension in units of 0.1 mm so as to prevent the separator 20 from being toppled.
This causes the necessity for preparing a plurality of separators 20, which differ in axial dimension from one another, and for fabricating the apparatus by replacing the separators 20 several by several separators, which differ in dimension from one another, to thereby adjust the clearance dimension. Consequently, it takes time to fabricate the related apparatus, and the cost thereof is high.


A continuous sheet-printing device including: an input buffer for printing data; a generation section that generates image data from the printing data that is supplied from the input buffer; an output buffer for the generated image data; a printing section that implements printing on continuous sheet in accordance with image data supplied from the output buffer; a determination section that determines, on the basis of a buffering state of the output buffer, whether or not generation of image data by the generation section will be timely for a print timing of that image data at the printing section; and a controller that, when the determination section determines that generation of image data by the generation section will not be timely, controls the printing section such that a predetermined page count of skip page(s) is inserted between printed pages according to the generated image data, is provided.

1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to a continuous sheet-printing device for printing continuous sheet and a system, method and storage medium storing a program thereof, and more particularly relates to a continuous sheet-printing device and system which can continue printing operations even when generation of image data is slower than a printing speed, methods for controlling these, and storage mediums storing programs therefor.
2. Related Art
With printing devices such as continuous sheet-printing devices and the like, due to increases in resolution and complexity of print jobs in recent years, cases may occur in which imaging processing for preparing bitmap data from a print job does not keep up with a printing speed of an IOT (an image output terminal; i.e., an output section which forms an image and outputs the same onto sheet).
Commonly, in order to assure printing quality, a printing device requires a preparation time before printing commences, until various devices structuring the IOT of the printing device have reached regular states. During printing operations, if printing temporarily stops for whatever reason, this preparation procedure is required again, printing productivity is lowered, and a greater burden is applied to the machinery. The faster and bigger the printer, the greater such effects are. In particular, in a color continuous sheet-printing device which conveys continuous sheet with a pinless conveyance mechanism for printing, it is necessary to carry out color registration adjustment after a continuous sheet position has been stabilized. There are also devices in which it is necessary to convey sheet by tens of meters during the preparation procedure.
There are continuous sheet-printing devices which employ structures such that a large-capacity buffer is provided between a processor which performs image processing and the IOT, speed variations are absorbed, and stoppages during printing are prevented. However, designing in this manner with an excess in capability (that is, providing the large-volume buffer) in order to absorb speed variations leads to a great increase in costs. Therefore, a printing device which will be capable of continuing without stopping printing operations during printing, regardless of the volume of a buffer, has been desired.

Continuous sheet-printing device, system, method and storage medium storing program


A golf training aide includes a pair of sleeves adapted to be placed on a golfer's arms. Each sleeve includes a pair of visually distinguishable sections, such that when the sleeves are properly positioned on the golfer's arms one of the visually distinguishable sections of each sleeve will face forwardly at the end of a proper backswing of a golf club and the other of the pair of visually distinguishable sections of each sleeve will face forwardly at the end of the forward swing of the golf club.

1. Field of Invention
This invention relates to generally to a golf training aide and more specifically, to a golf training aide adapted to combine the three most common styles of learning; namely, visual, kinesthetic and auditory.
2. Description of Related Art
Numerous devices and methods have been suggested to aid or train a golfer to employ a proper golf swing when putting, chipping, pitching or engaging in a full swing, such as when driving the ball or otherwise using an iron.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,241,922 discloses the use of a single member for encircling the forearm and wrist of a golfer, which employs a hand-restriction portion.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,116,047 employs a cuff for attachment about the wrist of a golfer and includes a Velcro attachment section for attachment to a complementary Velcro section of a sleeve attached to a golf club.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,445,385 discloses the use of a sleeve that is worn on a golfer's arm in a position straddling the user's elbow to thereby mechanically minimize bending of the golfer's arm.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,667,447 discloses a sleeve that is worn to straddle a golfer's elbow and includes a flexure e-sensor as part of the construction.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,743,806 employs a flexible sleeve worn on a golfer's arm and including a pocket that contains a lengthwise, concave metal strip positioned on the outside of the player's elbow.
International Publication No. WO2000006262 discloses a sleeve for restricting movement of the leading arm of a golfer, which includes a longitudinal pocket in which a strip of substantially inflexible material is retained.
Although some of the training aides disclosed in the prior art may provide some benefits, a need exists for a unique, simple golf training aide that is easily useable by a golfer. It is to such a simplified training aide or developing an efficient golf swing that the present invention relates.


A drive motor arrangement for replacing manual drives on an existing boat lift winch shaft comprises a worm gear box with a worm driven by an integrally mounted motor on the worm gear box. A worm gear is mounted on a tubular cross shaft extending outwardly on opposite ends of the gear box. The bore of the cross shaft is of size to slide over an existing winch drive shaft. The tubular shaft has a drive connection that mates with the existing drive connection on the winch box shaft. As shown a disc that effects drives to a mating disc on the winch box shaft. After removing the manual ratchet and wheel on an existing winch shaft, the tubular shaft of the worm gear box can be put into place and a suitable fastener is used to hold the drive connection on the tubular shaft in engagement with the drive member on the winch shaft.

The present invention relates a drive unit that can be installed onto existing boat lifts in place of the normal hand wheel and ratchet drive used for driving a winch for manually lifting the boat lift, with a compact simple drive that utilizes a threaded worm driven a worm gear on a hollow shaft that fits over the existing winch drive shaft. A friction clutch is used to provide a power drive for the winch.
Many boat lifts have been made where large manual wheels operating through a ratchet will drive a lift or winch shaft through a friction drive. The hand wheel is normally drives a ratchet that will permit rotational movement in one direction until the ratchet is released, so that the wheel can be turned in angular increments with safety. A manual winch drive is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 5,211,124.
Boats are getting heavier, and the effort needed to raise and lower a boat out of water using a manual drive even when speed reducing drives are used between the manual wheel and the lift cable is becoming excessive. It is desirable to have a motor drive, but many of the existing lifts are not adapted to direct motor drives, until the advance of the present invention. A power unit that drives the outer rim of a manual winch wheel is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,959,011.
The present invention relates to a power unit that will mount onto an existing winch box shaft that has a drive disc that normally is operated manually through one or more friction plates, much like a clutch plate, and wherein an output shaft of a gear reduces drive by the drive motor can be placed directly onto the winch shaft once the ratchet and hand wheel are removed. A worm gear box is used as a gear reducer, and the gear box has a tubular output shaft on which the worm gear is mounted. A suitable motor, such as an air motor, a 12 volt DC electric motor, a hydraulic motor, or other type of motor that is reversible is integral with the gear box and is used for driving the input worm, that in turn drives the worm gear.
The tubular output shaft is selected to have an interior diameter so it will fit over the existing shaft of various models of boat lifts. Both ends of the shaft extends outside the gear box. One end of the shaft has a flange or disc fixed thereon that will bear against a friction disc, and the friction disc engages an existing drive disc on the winch shaft. The tubular output shaft is held in place on the winch shaft with a suitable nut. Washers or spacers can be used so that adequate compression is placed onto the friction drive disc for driving the winch.
Various types of winch boxes and winch shafts are used with the boat lifts that exist, and which are driven through a hand wheel. By modifying the nut used to hold the tubular output shaft, the gear box of the present invention can be adapted to provide drives to a wide range of different type of winch shafts.
While a flange and friction disc drive coupling is shown, jaw couplings, pin and receptacle coupling and other desired drives between the tubular shaft and the existing winch shaft can be used.

Replacement motorized drive unit for boat lifts


A method in a wireless device for performing an uplink transmission to a base station in a wireless access system, wherein the wireless access system comprises one or more mini-slot configurations, the method comprising performing a clear channel assessment for identifying a transmission opportunity and determining the start of a mini-slots. The wireless device performing an uplink transmission within the determined mini-slot wherein the transmission is performed according to a predetermined configuration for mini-slot communication between the base station and the wireless device, such that the base station can identify the start of the uplink transmission.

Currently the 5th generation of cellular telecommunication system, called New Radio (NR), is being standardized by Third Generation Partnership Project (3GPP). NR is being developed for maximum flexibility to support multiple and substantially different use cases. Besides the typical mobile broadband use case, also machine type communication (MTC), ultra-low latency critical communications (ULLCC) or ultra-reliable low latency communications (URLLC), side-link device-to-device (D2D) and several other use cases.
In NR the basic scheduling unit is called a slot. A slot consists of 14 Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexed (OFDM) symbols for the normal cyclic prefix configuration. As an example a slot with 14 symbols at 60 kHz subcarrier-spacing is 250 us (micro-seconds) long.
The first OFDM symbol(s) of a slot contains control information for the user equipment (UE), the so called control region. This control information can for example comprise downlink assignments or uplink grants.
To reduce latencies a mechanism called mini-slots has been introduced in NR. A mini-slot is a slot that has fewer OFDM symbols than a regular slot. Current agreements suggest mini-slots of length between 1 and 14 OFDM symbols.
Similar to a slot, the first OFDM symbol(s) of a mini-slot contains control information. Thus for a UE to be able to be scheduled using mini-slots, it must monitor the control region of every possible location of the mini-slot. For example, if the mini-slot comprises two symbols and one is the control region, the UE needs to monitor the control region every second OFDM symbol.
NR also supports flexible bandwidth configurations for different UEs on the same serving cell. In other words, the bandwidth monitored by a UE and used for its control and data channels may be smaller than the carrier bandwidth. One or multiple bandwidth part configurations for each component carrier can be semi-statically signaled to a UE, where a bandwidth part consists of a group of contiguous physical resource blocks (PRBs).
Reserved resources can be configured within the bandwidth part. The bandwidth of a bandwidth part is equal to or is smaller than the maximum bandwidth capability supported by a UE.
Cells served by a radio base station, also termed 'base station' herein for brevity, for example a gNB in NR, may operate using unlicensed spectrum. For a node, such as a wireless device or UE or the radio base station, to be allowed to transmit in unlicensed spectrum, e.g. the 5 GHz band, the node typically needs to perform a clear channel assessment (CCA) or listen before talk (LBT) operation. This procedure may include sensing the medium to be idle for a number of time intervals. Sensing the medium to be idle can be done in different ways, e.g. using energy detection, preamble detection or using virtual carrier sensing. Where the latter implies that the node reads control information from other transmitting nodes informing when a transmission ends. After sensing the medium to be idle a node is typically allowed to transmit for a certain amount of time. This time period is sometimes referred to as transmission opportunity (TXOP). The length of the TXOP may depend on regulation (for example standards bodies and/or government regulatory bodies) and the type of CCA that has been performed, but typically ranges from 1 ms to 10 ms.
3GPP long term evolution (LTE) license assisted access (LAA) supports several methods for reducing the complexity of control channel monitoring for unlicensed band UEs. The eNB can enable/disable monitoring of certain DCI formats using RRC signaling. For the DCI formats that the UE monitors, the eNB can configure the number of blind decodes for each aggregation level for a given DCI format.
The mini-slot concept in NR allows a node to access the channel at a much finer granularity compared to e.g. LTE LAA where the channel could only be accessed at 500 us intervals. Using for example 60 kHz subcarrier-spacing and a two symbol mini-slot in NR, the channel can be accessed at 36 us intervals.
However, since every mini-slot contains control signaling it is expected that mini-slots introduce higher signaling overhead as compared to full slot transmissions. Improvements to the scheduling and control signaling overhead are therefore desired to enable the use of mini-slots for unlicensed access.


A push-button switch wherein proper operation is always assured. The push-button switch includes an insulating case of an enclosure structure having a side wall from which a plurality of connecting terminals and a dummy terminal are exposed outside. The insulating case further has a first recess formed in a lower face thereof on the side of the dummy terminal which opposes to a printed circuit board to which the push-button switch is soldered, and a second recess formed in the first recess and located below the dummy terminal. A projected step portion is provided around the dummy terminal and has a side face having a sufficient height to prevent flux of cream solder from advancing to the location of the dummy terminal. Upon soldering, flux will be retained in the first and second recesses of the insulating case and between the projected portion and the side wall on which the stepped portion is provided and will not stick to any portion around the dummy terminal thereby to assure communication of air between the inside and the outside of the insulating case after soldering by way of a fine gap between the dummy terminal and the insulating case.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a push-button switch for use with a television set, a video tape recorder, a cassette deck or a like apparatus, and more particularly to a push-button switch having a water-proof and dust-proof structure of the face mounted type wherein the inside of an insulating case is enclosed.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In recent years, as miniaturization of electronic appliances progresses, the density of parts mounted on a printed circuit board is progressively increased. This leads to use of a progressively increasing amount of push-button switches particularly of the face mounted type. A push-button switch of the face mounted type is mounted in such a manner that it is first placed on a printed circuit board having cream solder applied to predetermined locations thereof in advance and is then heated in a reflow furnace or the like to solder connecting terminals of the push-button switch to a wiring pattern on the printed circuit board.
An exemplary one of such push-button switches of the face mounted type is shown in FIGS. 7 and 8. Referring to FIGS. 7 and 8, the push-button switch shown includes a heat resisting insulating case 1 having an opening at the top thereof, and a central fixed contact 2 and a pair of opposite side fixed contacts 3 mounted on an inner face of a bottom wall of the insulating case 1. The fixed contacts 2 and 3 extend horizontally outwardly through a side wall of the insulating case 1 to terminate in a pair of connecting terminals 4 and 5, respectively. A dummy terminal 6 is connected to the opposite side fixed contacts 3 and extends horizontally outwardly through the side wall of the insulating case 1 between the connecting terminals 4 and 5. A dome-shaped spring plate 7 serving as a movable contact is placed on and extends between the opposite side fixed contacts 3 such that it is spaced by a little distance from the central fixed contact 2 when it is not operated.
A stem 8 formed from a metal material is mounted for up and down movement in the top opening of the insulating case 1. The stem 8 has a projection 9 provided on a lower face thereof and held in normal contact with the spring plate 7. The stem 8 is covered at an upper face thereof with a water-proof and dust-proof heat resisting film 10 adhered thereto using a bonding agent. A holding plate 12 is mounted on an upper face of the heat resisting film 10 and has an opening 11 formed at a central portion thereof. The holding plate 12 is formed, for example, from a stainless steel plate to which solder plating is applied. The holding plate 12 has a pair of retaining pawls 14 which are engaged with a pair of projections 13 in the form of ribs projected horizontally sidewardly from another pair of opposing side walls of the insulating case 1 to secure the holding plate 12 to the insulating case 1. The holding plate 12 thus defines an upper limit position of the stem 8. An operating portion 15 of the stem 8 is fitted in the opening 11 of the holding plate 12 and is covered with the heat resisting film 10. The holding plate 12 partially extends downwardly to terminate in a ground terminal 18.
In mounting the push-button switch having such a construction as described above, first, the connecting terminals 4 and 5 and the ground terminal 18 of the push-button switch are placed on a wiring pattern 17 of a printed circuit board 16 to which cream solder 19 is applied in advance. Then, the push-button switch and the printed circuit board 16 are heated to a temperature higher than 200.degree. C. in a reflow furnace to melt the cream solder. Consequently, the connecting terminals 4 and 5 and the ground terminal 18 of the push-button switch are connected to the wiring pattern 17 of the printed circuit board 16 by the cream solder 19 as seen in FIG. 8.
If the operating portion 15 of the stem 8 of the push-button is depressed manually, the spring plate 7 is deformed downwardly by the projection 9 of the stem 8 until it is brought into contact with the central fixed contact 2 whereupon the fixed contacts 2 and 3 are electrically connected to each other by the spring plate 7 to turn the switch on. Then, if the depressing force to the operating portion 15 of the stem 8 is removed, the spring plate 7 is returned to its initial upward position by the resilient force of itself thereby to return the switch to its off condition.
In such a conventional push-button switch as described above, the connecting terminals 4 and 5 are soldered by heating at a temperature higher than 200.degree. C. for about 2 to 4 minutes within a reflow furnace as described above. Upon such soldering, air within the insulating case 1 is expanded due to such a high temperature so that the air pressure in the insulating case 1 is raised.
The air of such a high pressure will flow out through a gap between the upper face of the insulating case 1 and the bonding agent on the lower face of the heat resisting film 10 which is reduced in adhesive strength due to the high temperature and also through fine gaps between the insulating case 1 and the connecting terminals 4 and 5. Consequently, a large amount of flux contained in the cream solder 19 will be introduced into the fine gaps around the connecting terminals after the pressure is equalized.
After the push-button switch is taken out of the reflow furnace, the air within the insulating case 1 is contracted and the air pressure is decreased as the temperature lowers. However, because the bonding agent on the lower face of the heat resisting film 10 restores its initial high adhesive strength as the temperature lowers, external air will not be admitted into the insulating case 1 through the bonding agent. At the same time, since flux is filled in the fine gaps 20 around the connecting terminals 4 and 5, external air will not be admitted in through the fine gaps 20 either. Consequently, the air pressure within the insulating case 1 thereafter remains at a very low level. When the air pressure is decreased, the heat resisting film 10 is deformed downwardly to depress the stem 8 until the spring plate 7 is contacted with and stopped by the fixed contact 2. Thus, in the assembled condition of the push-button switch to the printed circuit board 16, the fixed contacts 2 and 3 are held in an electrically connected condition by the spring plate 7. Accordingly, the push-button switch will not operate properly.
In order to prevent this, the dummy terminal 6 is provided to permit external air to flow into the insulating case 1 through a gap 21 between the insulating case 1 and the dummy terminal 6 connected to the opposite side fixed contacts 3 for a long period of time of about 30 minutes to one hour. Even so, since the flux for facilitating application of the cream solder 19 is about 15 percent or so of the cream solder, when melted, the flux may even reach the bottom wall and the side walls of the insulating case 1 and may sometimes stick to portions around the dummy terminal 6. Consequently, air is not communicated into the inside of the insulating case 1 after all, which also gives rise to a problem that the push-button switch will not operate properly.


Disclosed herein is an electrode assembly of a cathode/separator/anode structure, wherein a plurality of first unit electrodes and a second electrode sheet are wound so that the first unit electrodes are opposite to the second electrode sheet via a separator sheet, and a first electrode and a second electrode have opposite polarities.

As mobile devices have been increasingly developed, and the demand for such mobile devices has increased, the demand for secondary batteries has also sharply increased as an energy source for the mobile devices. Accordingly, much research on secondary batteries satisfying various needs has been carried out.
In terms of the shape of batteries, the demand for prismatic secondary batteries or pouch-shaped secondary batteries, which are thin enough to be applied to products, such as mobile phones, is very high. In terms of the material for batteries, the demand for lithium secondary batteries, such as lithium ion batteries and lithium ion polymer batteries, exhibiting high energy density, discharge voltage and power stability, is very high.
On the other hand, secondary batteries may be classified based on the construction of an electrode assembly having a cathode/separator/anode structure. For example, the electrode assembly may be configured to have a jelly-roll (winding) type structure in which long-sheet type cathodes and long-sheet type anodes are wound in a state in which separators are disposed respectively between the cathodes and the anodes or in a stack type structure in which pluralities of cathodes and anodes having a predetermined size are successively stacked in a state in which separators are disposed respectively between the cathodes and the anodes.
However, such conventional electrode assemblies have the following several problems.
First, the jelly-roll type electrode assembly is prepared by densely winding the long-sheet type cathodes and the long-sheet type anodes with the result that the jelly-roll type electrode assembly is circular or elliptical in section. Consequently, stress, caused by expansion and contraction of the electrodes during charge and discharge of a battery, may accumulate in the electrode assembly, and, when the stress accumulation exceeds a specific limit, the electrode assembly may be deformed. The deformation of the electrode assembly results in non-uniform gap between the electrodes. As a result, the performance of the battery may be abruptly deteriorated, and the safety of the battery may not be secured due to an internal short circuit of the battery. In addition, it is difficult to rapidly wind the long-sheet type cathodes and the long-sheet type anodes while uniformly maintaining the gap between the cathodes and anodes with the result that productivity is lowered.
Secondly, the stack type electrode assembly is prepared by sequentially stacking the plurality of unit cathodes and the plurality of unit anodes. As a result, it is additionally necessary to provide a process for transferring electrode plates, which are used to prepare the unit cathodes and the unit anodes. In addition, much time and effort are required to perform the sequential stacking process with the result that productivity is lowered.
In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, there has been developed a stack/folding type electrode assembly, which is a combination of the jelly-roll type electrode assembly and the stack type electrode assembly. The stack/folding type electrode assembly is configured to have a structure in which pluralities of cathodes and anodes having a predetermined size are stacked, in a state in which separators are disposed respectively between the cathodes and the anodes, so as to constitute a bi-cell or a full cell, and then a plurality of bi-cells or a plurality of full cells are wound in a state in which the bi-cells or the full cells are located on a long separator sheet. The details of the stack/folding type electrode assembly are disclosed in Korean Patent Application Publication No. 2001-0082058, No. 2001-0082059 and No. 2001-0082060, which have been filed in the name of the applicant of the present patent application.
FIGS. 1 and 2 typically illustrate an exemplary process for preparing a conventional stack/folding type electrode assembly.
Referring to these drawings, the stack/folding type electrode assembly is prepared, for example, by arranging bi-cells 10, 11, 12, 13 and 14 on a long separator sheet 20 and sequentially winding the bi-cells 10, 11, 12, 13 and 14 from one end 21 of the separator sheet 20.
A stack/folding type electrode assembly of FIG. 3, which is prepared using the above method, solves problems caused by the jelly-roll type electrode assembly and the stack type electrode assembly. When the stack/folding type electrode assembly is mounted in a battery case so as to prepare a secondary battery, however, the stack/folding type electrode assembly exhibits low safety. For example, when external impact is applied to the secondary battery, the electrode assembly may be pushed with the result that an internal short circuit may occur between cathode tabs 31 and a battery body or between anode tabs 32 and the battery body.
That is, when a certain object presses the battery due to external force, the cathode tabs 31 or the anode tabs 32 come into contact with an opposite electrode of the battery body with the result that a short circuit may occur. Electrode active materials react due to such a short circuit with the result that the temperature of the electrode active materials increases. Also, in a case in which a cathode active material is made of a lithium transition metal oxide exhibiting low electric conductivity, a large amount of heat is generated from the cathode active material due to such a short circuit with the result that combustion or explosion of the battery is further accelerated.
In addition, some of the anode tabs 32 may be cut during an anode V-forming process for welding the anode tabs 32 to an anode lead 33.
Consequently, there is a high necessity for an electrode assembly that can be prepared using a simple preparation process and secure a lifespan and safety of a secondary battery even when external force is applied to the secondary battery.

Electrode assembly of novel structure and process for preparation of the same


A content application determines images of an article for extraction. The content application identifies an initial image associated with a content of the article. A caption and a credit line associated with the initial image is detected and the initial image is extracted along with the caption and the credit line. A second image of the article associated with a video is also detected and extracted along with the video. In addition, the content application extracts a slideshow detected within the article.

People interact with computer applications through user interfaces. While audio, tactile, and similar forms of user interfaces are available, visual user interfaces through a display device are the most common form of a user interface. With the development of faster and smaller electronics for computing devices, smaller size devices such as handheld computers, smart phones, tablet devices, and comparable devices have become common. Such devices execute a wide variety of applications ranging from communication applications to complicated analysis tools. Many such applications render visual effects through a display and enable users to provide input associated with the applications' operations.
Recently, devices of limited display size have penetrated the customer markets successfully. In some instances, limited purpose devices such as tablets have replaced multipurpose devices such as laptops for use in media consumption. Another consumer consumption pattern shifting towards limited purpose devices includes consumption of articles. Presenters prepare articles with multiple elements to generate advertisement revenue. Such articles provide interactive content to the user while being a source of revenue for the presenter. In addition, added features such as altering font type attributes improve on user interactivity compared to traditional sources of media such as paper productions. However, applications presenting articles are unable to re-assemble the contents of the articles to match the display size limitations of devices presenting the documents. Display size limitations may inconvenience users by displaying small portions of the articles and forcing users to scroll endlessly to reach desired content. Extensive scroll action involving multiple user actions may inhibit consumption flow and diminish user experience while consuming an article.

Determining images of article for extraction


Methods and features for providing and activating a software license in a system, such as a magnetic resonance system, are disclosed. For example, a software license is stored in the system. The system with the stored software license is sold or rented to a client. The software license is operable to be activated by or at the client.

The present invention relates to software licenses. In particular, a medical system and a variety of procedures for providing and activating software licenses for the medical system are provided.
Medical equipment is rented or purchased for diagnostic, treatment, and research purposes. For example, medical imaging equipment is shipped and delivered to a variety of locations, such as hospitals, research laboratories, and clinics. Medical imaging includes, but is not limited to, magnetic resonance tomography ("MRT") or imaging ("MRI"), positron emission tomography ("PET"), and computed tomography ("CT") as well as hybrid modalities.
Software applications are utilized to run and monitor the medical equipment. For example, sophisticated imaging software is used to create images of internal features of humans, animals, and other objects. A variety of software applications provided by the vendor of the medical equipment or separate software vendor may be installed in the medical equipment.
A license may govern the utilization of the different software applications by a customer or client. Therefore, the customer or client is required to obtain a license for a desired use of a desired software application. After the customer or client receives the medical equipment, identification information of the equipment is obtained. The client or customer then contacts the vendor of the equipment and/or software and provides the identification information. An administrator at the vendor generates a software license for the specific software application and desired use of the software application. After the software license is generated, the license is transferred to the client, for example, through a remote connection. However, requesting a license, generation of the license, and transferring the license may become tedious.

System and method for providing and activating software licenses


In a process for the treatment of electric arc furnace (EAF) dust, the dust is first subjected to atmospheric leaching with a ferric chloride solution and thereafter subjected to treatment in an autoclave at an elevated temperature and pressure for conversion of low temperature stable goethite (FeO.OH) to a filterable crystalline hematite (Fe.sub.2 O.sub.3) in an acidic chloride solution. Zinc is recovered from the solution by solvent extraction using a solvating extractant followed by stripping and zinc recovery by electrolysis of zinc chloride solution. Lead is separated from the solution by cooling to precipitate lead chloride.

In the recycling of scrap metal, the electric arc furnace process, in which the scrap metal is melted by forming electric arcs between graphite electrodes and the scrap metal, is commonly used. High quality steels can be made by this process. However, during the recycling process, zinc and other non-ferrous metals, present in the scrap metal, as well as some of the iron, are "evaporated" forming minute particles of the oxides of these metals. These particles settle as dust in the electric arc furnace flues. The dust is unsuitable for recycling due to the buildup of the non-ferrous content which has a deleterious effect on the steel produced. Typically, the dust contains about 25 per cent zinc, 25 per cent iron, 5 per cent lead, some tin, cadmium, chromium and copper, the remainder being silica, lime and alumina.
The disposal of this dust has become a major problem for steel producers as, due to the strict environmental legislation in countries such as Canada and the U.S., the dust can no longer be simply disposed of as landfill because of the constant danger of the toxic or hazardous metal components thereof, such as lead, chromium and cadmium, being leached out by rain or underground water to contaminate rivers, lakes and other natural resources. Hence, the treatment of the dust to remove the hazardous or toxic metals therefrom so that it can safely be used as landfill has become a priority. In order to carry out the treatment on an economical basis, an effort has been made to render the process feasible by remarketing of the non-ferrous metals removed from the dust during treatment, notably zinc and, to a lesser extent, lead. However, efforts in this direction have so far not been entirely successful.
It is accordingly an object of the present invention to provide a process for the treatment of EAF dust which is economically feasible.

Process for the treatment of electric arc furnace dust


There are provided an image information processing method and an apparatus thereof to process information carried by an electro-magnetic radiation beam by means of a photo-to-photo transducer. An intensity of an image information is adjusted by varying the intensity of an electro-magnetic radiation beam used for reading the information as electro-magnetic radiation beam information, which has been recorded on the transducer as a charge image. The electro-magnetic raidation beam information read out from the transducer is inverted by changing an operating range of a photo-modulation layer which is one of the components of the transducer. Furthermore, the electro-magnetic radiation beam information read out from the transducer is nonlinearly processed.

This invention relates to an image information processing method and an apparatus thereof.
A video signal obtained by picking up an optical image of an object can be easily processed by such as editing, trimming and the like. Recording, reproducing and erasing a video signal can also be easily performed. These techniques have been widely used in various fields such as printing, electronic publishing, measuring and the like.
There has been an increased demand for an apparatus capable of imaging and recording an optical information such as a moving picture or an image with a higher resolution when compared to a conventional apparatus.
In a conventional apparatus for obtaining video signals, an optical image of an object picked up with an imaging lens is focussed on a photoelectric conversion section of an image pickup device, and is converted into electric image information which is time sequentially generated as serial video signals. Various image pickup tubes and solid image pickup devices have been used as the image pickup device for such an apparatus.
In order to reproduce images with high quality and resolution, it is necessary for an image pickup apparatus to generate a video signal by which an image of high quality and resolution can be reproduced. However, an image pickup apparatus using an image pickup tube has a limit for minimizing the diameter of an electron beam, and also the target capacity thereof increases as its size becomes large, resulting in a poor resolution. Furthermore, for high resolution moving images, the frequency band of a video signal becomes larger than several tens to hundreds MHz, thus posing a problem of poor 5/N. The above problems have made it difficult to obtain video signals which can reproduce images of high quality and resolution.
Moreover, in order to reproduce images with high quality and resolution by a solid state image pickup device, the device should have many pixels. However, such devices require a high clock frequency to be driven. (The clock frequency for driving the solid state image pickup device for a moving image camera reaches several hundreds MHz.) Furthermore, the capacity of the circuits to be driven inceases accordingly with the increment of the pixels. However, such a solid state image pickup device can not be realized due to the limit of the clock frequency thereof being 20 MHz.
As stated above, conventional image pickup devices could not satisfactorily generate such a video signal to provide reproduced images of high picture quality and high resolution because of the inevitable use of an image sensor for the construction thereof.
There is a demand for an image pickup apparatus to preferably generate a video signal to reproduce an image with high picture quality and high resolution. An instrument is also to be introduced which employs a video signal to record, reproduce and erase an image with high resolution, other than editing, trimming and the like by means of a reversible recording member.
In order to solve the above problems, the assignee of this application has already proposed an image pickup apparatus in which an optical iamge of an object picked up with an imaging lens is focussed on a reversible charge image recording medium on which the optical iamge is recorded and reproduced as a charge image and is erased.
Implementation of such apparatus by the assignee of this application has overcome above problems and proposed recording/reproducing image information with high resolution. However, when such information is converted into time sequential electric signals, the frequency band of the electric signals becomes extemely large. In the case of recording/reproducing an image as the image information with 4000.times.4000 pixels and converting the information into time sequential electric signals, the frequency band required for the signals becomes about 1 GHz. It is very hard to process image information with large frequency band signals. Therefore, an image information processing method and an apparatus thereof to easily process image information with extemely high resolution has been demanded.

Image information processing method and apparatus thereof


A method and apparatus are described for generating images from assembled polygonal image primitives. As a precursor to rendering, an ordered list of the primitives is assembled with degenerate cases being identified and discarded. Following removal of the degenerate cases, the remaining primitives undergo a series of tests to identify special cases whereby account can be taken of the rendering technique of omitting the right hand pixel of a span and bottom span of a primitive to simplify the rendering operation.

The present invention relates to a method of image processing and an image processing apparatus. In particular, the present invention relates to the rendering of images composed from a number of discrete polygonal surfaces, known as image primitives.
It is a common technique in real time consumer graphics to model objects as meshes of polygons,especially triangles for ease of handling. This is particularly the case for three-dimensional object modelling wherein, to obtain a two-dimensional image from three-dimensional image data, the polygons making up the object surface in three-dimensional space are projected into two-dimensional space and, following any necessary calculation or reference to look-up tables, appropriate pixel values (including colour, texture etc.) are mapped onto pixel positions within the projected two-dimensional polygon. The calculation following the translation of the polygons from three- to two-dimensional space is suitably handled by a processor pipeline in order to produce the set of display pixel values.
An example of such a processor pipeline for use in a 3D graphics display system, and comprising a series coupled chain of polygon processors, is described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,855,703 (Deering/Schlumberger). Following translation of polygons from three to two dimensions, the polygons are sorted into scan order by reference to the first display pixel line on which they appear. Prior to processing of a scan line, each newly-introduced polygon is loaded into a respective one of the processors in the chain where they are also stored, such that their contribution to successive scan lines may also be derived. When a scan line is reached which is not covered by a particular polygon (i.e. the first clear line below the bottom vertex of, say, a triangular polygon), that polygon is unloaded from the processor in the chain to make way for new polygon data. After processing of a scan line, the pixel data for that line may be sent directly to a display (such as a cathode ray tube [CRT] device) or may be stored in a frame buffer for later accessing.
Before the scan line processing can begin, there is the preliminary process of preparing the two-dimensional polygons which requires, amongst other actions, the calculation of edge slopes, which preliminary process can often consume sufficient computational resources to limit the overall performance of the system. A technique which seeks to simplify this stage somewhat is described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,930,091 (Schroeder & Deering/Schlumberger) which technique is applied to the system of the above-referenced U.S. Pat. No. 4,855,703. In the technique, a triangle classification is introduced whereby a plurality of parameters of a triangle are calculated from the supplied coordinates of the vertices. These parameters are then used to address a look-up table containing a triangle classification with all possible forms of triangle being covered by the varying combinations of parameters: the triangle classification, once read from the look-up table, determines how that triangle is to be processed in the pipeline. In the case of degenerate triangles, where all three vertices lie on a line (such that the triangle itself is just a line) or they are so close together that the triangle does not enclose a pixel (and hence would not show up in the displayed image) no further processing is undertaken.


A method for preventing an excess voltage from appearing at an output of a power over Ethernet controller, the method comprising: sensing that a powered device has been disconnected from a port; enabling a bypass path around a means for unidirectional current flow operatively connected to the port; and disconnecting power to the port responsive to the sensed disconnect, whereby the bypass path enables a discharge path for an output capacitor present across the port. The invention also provides for a circuit having a bypass path around a means for unidirectional current flow, the bypass path being enabled by a control circuit to prevent an excess voltage from appearing at a sensing input of the control circuit. In an exemplary embodiment the bypass path is enabled approximately simultaneously with disconnecting power from the output port.

The present invention relates to the field of powering ports, and more particularly to a powering circuit having a bypass path to prevent excess voltage during port disconnect.
The growth of local and wide area networks based on Ethernet technology has been an important driver for cabling offices and homes with structured cabling systems having multiple twisted wire pairs. The ubiquitous local area network, and the equipment which operates thereon, has led to a situation where there is often a need to attach a network operated device for which power is to be advantageously supplied by the network over the network wiring. Supplying power over the network wiring has many advantages including, but not limited to; reduced cost of installation; centralized power and power back-up; and centralized security and management.
Several patents addressed to this issue exist including: U.S. Pat. No. 6,473,608 issued to Lehr et al., whose contents are incorporated herein by reference and U.S. Pat. No. 6,643,566 issued to Lehr et al., whose contents are incorporated herein by reference. Furthermore a standard addressed to the issue of powering remote devices over an Ethernet based network has been published as IEEE 802.3af-2003, whose contents are incorporated herein by reference.
An Ethernet switch or midspan module providing power over Ethernet functionality is typically designed to support a plurality of ports, and power is preferably to be supplied to compatible equipment after detection. Power is typically supplied under control of a power over Ethernet controller, the power over Ethernet controller energizing for each port to be powered an electronically controlled switch, which in an exemplary embodiment comprises a power MOSFET. In another embodiment the electronically controlled switch comprises a FET or bipolar transistor. In order to reduce cost and minimize the footprint, preferably the required electronically controlled switches are provided embedded within the power over Ethernet controller. In another embodiment the required electronically controlled switches are provided external to the power over Ethernet controller, and are responsive to an output of the power over Ethernet controller.
After powering a port for which a valid attached powered device has been detected, the port is monitored for a valid maintain power signature (MPS). The above mentioned standard describes two MPS components; an AC MPS component and a DC MPS component. The power over Ethernet controller may optionally monitor the AC MPS component, the DC MPS component or both the AC and the DC MPS components. Implementation of the AC MPS component requires an AC signal source to be connected to the port. In the event that the power over Ethernet controller detects an absence of a valid monitored MPS component, power to the port is to be disconnected. Preferably, disconnection is to occur within 300-400 ms of the dropout of a valid monitored MPS component.
FIG. 1 illustrates a high level schematic diagram of a power over Ethernet controller arranged to monitor an AC MPS component for disconnection of a powered device according to the prior art. The system of FIG. 1 comprises power over Ethernet controller 10, powered device 20, first twisted pair 30, second twisted pair 35, power source PS1, sense resistor Rsense, unidirectional current means D1, output impendence Zout and output capacitor Cout. Power over Ethernet controller 10 comprises control circuit 40, AC signal source 50, AC signal source resistance Rac, electronically controlled switch SW1, detection source Idetect, control means 60, control means 70, sensing input 80 and control means 90. Powered device 20 comprises Cload and Zload. Electronically controlled switch SW1 is illustrated as a power MOSFET, however this is not meant to be limiting in any way. SW1 may be implemented as a FET or bipolar transistor without exceeding the scope of the invention. Detection source Idetect is illustrated as being a variable current source, however this is not meant to be limiting in any way. Detection source Idetect may be implemented as a voltage source or as a plurality of current sources without exceeding the scope of the invention. Twisted pairs 30 and 35 form part of a single structured communication cabling. Cload and Zload schematically represent the input capacitance and load, respectively, of powered device 20. In an exemplary embodiment Zout comprises a 45.3 K resistor and Cout comprises a 0.2 μf capacitor.
Switch SW1 is illustrated as being internal to power over Ethernet controller 10, typically as part of a single integrated circuit, however this is not meant to be limiting in any way. Switch SW1 may be implemented externally to power over Ethernet controller 10 without exceeding the scope of the invention. Control means 60 may be a direct output of control circuit 40 or a circuit responsive thereto without exceeding the scope of the invention.
The positive of PS1 is connected to the anode of unidirectional current means D1 and a first end of Zout. The cathode of unidirectional current means D1 is connected to the positive side of Cout, control circuit 40 via sensing input 80, one end of Rac and a first end of first twisted pair 30. A second end of Rac is connected to the output of AC signal source 50, and the return of AC signal source 50 is connected to ground. The control input of AC signal source 50 is connected to control circuit 40 via control means 90. The control input of detection source Idetect is connected to an output of control circuit 40 via control means 70. The gate of electronically controlled switch SW1 is connected to an output of control circuit 40 via control means 60. The negative of PS1 is connected to ground and one end of Rsense. A second end of Rsense is connected to an input of control circuit 40 and to the drain of SW1. The source of SW1 is connected to one end of detection source Idetect, to the second end of Zout, the negative side of Cout and a first end of second twisted pair 35. The return of detection source Idetect is connected to ground. A second end of first twisted pair 30 is connected to one end of Zload and the positive side Cload. A second end of Zload and the negative side of Cload are connected to a second end of second twister pair 35.
In operation control circuit 40 operates detection source Idetect through control means 70 to generate a plurality of current levels. The plurality of current levels flow through Zload, if connected, thereby presenting a plurality of voltages sensed at sensing input 80. After detection and classification of a valid powered device 20, power from PS1 is connected over first and second twisted pairs 30,35 by the operation of control means 60 to electronically controlled switch SW1. AC signal source 50, operated via control means 90, supplies an AC MPS which is sensed at sensing input 80. Among other functions, unidirectional current means D1 prevents the attenuation of the output of AC signal source 50 by blocking a connection to PS1. Upon detection of an invalid MPS, i.e. the absence of a valid MPS, control circuit 40 operates control means 60 to open electronically controlled switch SW1 thereby disabling power to the port.
It is to be understood by those skilled in the art that just prior to opening electronically controlled switch SW1 capacitor Cout is charged to nearly the output voltage of PS1. In an exemplary embodiment, the output voltage of PS1 is 48 volts. Upon the opening of electronically controlled switch SW1 no discharge path is available for Cout through Zout, and thus the negative side of Cout is at the same potential as the positive output of PS1 in relation to ground. In particular, the positive side of Cout is at approximately twice the potential of PS1 in relation to ground. Since the positive side of Cout is connected to sense input 80, control circuit 40 experiences an excess voltage well in excess of its normal operating range. Such an excess voltage can lead to damage or require the use of a substantial transient surge suppressor.
What is needed, and not supplied by the prior art, is a means from preventing excess voltage from appearing at an input to a power over Ethernet controller monitoring an MPS component by providing a path for discharging the output capacitor connected to the power over Ethernet controller.

Bypass discharge path for a power sourcing equipment


A catheter introducer assembly is disclosed. The assembly is made up of a winged catheter introducer having a catheter, an intermediate member attached to the catheter and a flexible tube attached to the intermediate member. Disposed axially within the catheter is a sharp needle. The needle is secured to a stylet which in turn is connected to a bead. The bead is slidable in the tube. Secured to the outside of the tube is a hard tubular section. A retractor is slidably mounted to the outside of the tube. The retractor confines the bead such that when the retractor slides along the outside of the tube, the bead slides along the inside of the tube. The retractor is provided with ribs shaped such that the retractor can be moved along the tube in one direction only. When the needle is retracted, its sharp tip is aligned with the hard tubular section. The needle is thus secured within the tubular section.

This invention relates generally to the field of vascular access catheters. More specifically, it relates to a catheter introducer assembly having a special mechanism for retracting the introducer needle and shielding the introducer needle after introduction of the catheter into a blood vessel.
Vascular access catheters are commonly used in the medical and surgical arts for gaining access to the vascular system of a patient, for example, to infuse fluids into a patient's blood vessel. Such devices are introduced into the blood vessel by means of a sharp needle. The needle makes an initial opening in the vessel. Once the needle has successfully penetrated the vessel, a catheter is threaded over the needle and into the blood vessel. The needle is then withdrawn from the blood vessel with the catheter remaining in the vessel.
Since such a procedure necessarily involves contact between the needle and the patient's blood, there is a risk that the needle will infect third parties if the patient is infected with a blood borne disease such as AIDS or hepatitis. Since the incidence of AIDS and hepatitis has increased in recent years, there has become an increased awareness of the risks posed by catheter introducer needles. For this reason, several attempts have been made to design catheter introducers which shield catheter introducer needles.
This invention relates to a particular class of catheter introducer, namely introducers of the type sold by Becton Dickinson and Company of Franklin Lakes, N.J. under the trademarks Angioset.RTM. and Intima.TM.. Such catheter introducers are described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,177,809 and 5,163,913 which are incorporated herein by reference. The Angioset.RTM. and Intima.TM. devices comprise a catheter, a tube and a needle and stylet disposed in the catheter and tube. Once the catheter has been introduced into the blood vessel, the needle is withdrawn by pulling the stylet. When the needle is fully withdrawn, the needle and stylet can be disposed of. When such a procedure is employed, the needle and stylet may be contaminated with blood. There is therefore a need to provide a catheter introducer of the Angioset.RTM. and Intima.TM. type which avoids the risk of blood contamination by the needle and stylet.


A computer-assisted method for quantitative characterization and treatment of ventricular fibrillation includes acquiring a time series of a ventricular fibrillation (VF) signal using a probe from a patient experiencing VF, subtracting the mean from the time series of the VF signal, calculating a cumulative VF signal after the mean is subtracted from the time series of the VF signal, segmenting the cumulative VF signal by a plurality of sampling boxes, calculating the root-mean-square of the cumulative VF signal as a function of the sampling box size , extracting an exponent of the root-mean-square of the cumulative VF signal as a function of the sampling box size, applying electrical defibrillation to the patient if the exponent is below a predetermined value, and applying cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) to the patient if the exponent is above a predetermined value.

Ventricular fibrillation (VF) is the most common arrhythmia causing sudden cardiac death. Electrical defibrillation remains the method of choice for the treatment of VF. However, the probability of a successful defibrillation decreases after a prolonged duration of VF. Adequate coronary perfusion during cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) is crucial for successful defibrillation following a prolonged VF (or late VF). Studies have demonstrated that a brief period of myocardial perfusion with CPR before defibrillation could improve outcome for selected patients in whom defibrillation is not likely to succeed.
Since out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OOHCA) does not allow invasive measurement of coronary perfusion status, noninvasive methods have been developed to monitor coronary perfusion status. One such method is based on the VF waveform of surface electrocardiogram (ECG). However, there remains a need to rapidly distinguish early VF and late VF so as to provide timely guidance on the CPR and electrical defibrillation treatments to the patient.

System and method for predicting successful defibrillation for ventricular fibrillation cardiac arrest


A method for manufacturing an image sensor is provided. The method includes: forming a plurality of photodiodes on a semiconductor substrate; forming an interlayer dielectric on the semiconductor substrate; forming a color filter layer on the interlayer dielectric; forming a planarization layer on the color filter layer; and forming microlenses on the planarization layer under high temperature and pressure.

In general, an image sensor is a semiconductor device for converting an optical image into electrical signals, and may be classified as a Charge Coupled Device (CCD) image sensor or a Complementary Metal Oxide Semiconductor (CMOS) image sensor.
A CMOS image sensor includes a photodiode for detecting emitted light, and a logic circuit for converting the detected light into electrical signals and generating data from the electrical signals. As the amount of light received in the photodiode increases, the photo sensitivity of the image sensor becomes better.
In order to improve the photo sensitivity of a CMOS image sensor, various methods have been employed. One method increases a fill factor of a photodiode with respect to the entire area of an image sensor. Another method incorporates a light condensing technology, which changes the path of light incident into an area not having a photodiode, thereby causing light to be concentrated to the photodiode.
One example of the light condensing technology is to form a microlens. In particular, a convex microlens made from a material having good light transmittance is formed on the upper portion of the photodiode, and refracts the path of incident light, thereby causing more light to be incident into the photodiode.
In such a case, light parallel with the optical axis of the microlens is refracted by the microlens, and the focus of the light is formed at a certain position on the optical axis.
In general, an image sensor includes a photodiode, an interlayer dielectric, a color filter, and a microlens.
The interlayer dielectric is formed on a semiconductor substrate having a plurality of photodiodes formed therein, and red, green, and blue (RGB) color filter layers are formed on the interlayer dielectric so as to correspond to the photodiodes.
A planarization layer is formed on the color filter layer in order to planarize a surface of the color filter layers, and microlenses are formed on the planarization layer corresponding to the color filter layers.
In operation, the photodiode converts detected light into electrical signals, the interlayer dielectric insulates metal wirings, the color filter expresses the three primary colors RGB of light, and the microlens causes light to be concentrated to the photodiode.
Hereinafter, a conventional process for forming a microlens will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.
FIGS. 1a to 1d are sectional views illustrating a process for forming a microlens according to the prior art.
As illustrated in FIG. 1a, a microlens layer 52 is formed on a semiconductor substrate 10, having a plurality of photodiodes 40, on which an interlayer dielectric 20, a color filter layer 30 and a planarization layer 25 have been formed.
Referring to FIG. 1b, the microlens layer 52 is patterned so as to correspond to the photodiodes 40, respectively.
Referring to FIG. 1c, the semiconductor substrate 10 is placed on a hot plate 60, and then is heated to reflow the microlens layer 52 to form the microlenses 50 shown in FIG. 1d.
Referring to FIG. 1d, the microlenses 50 are non-uniformly formed as illustrated by references A and B.
When the semiconductor substrate 10 including the microlens layer 52 is located on the hot plate 60 and directly heated, the heat transfer coefficient, or thermal capacity, locally differs depending on the heat transfer paths below the microlens layer 52. In addition, the heat transfer amount may locally differ by a step difference. Therefore, non-uniform thermal flowing occurs. Accordingly, non-uniform microlenses 50 are formed.
When the microlenses 50 attach to each other and are unequally spaced apart as illustrated by reference A of FIG. 1d, or the curved surfaces of the microlenses 50 are distorted as illustrated by reference B of FIG. 1d, the non-uniformity may affect adjacent pixels, and concentration efficiency may deteriorate.

Method of manufacturing an image sensor having microlenses formed under high pressure


A fuel cell anode flow field includes at least one flow channel with a cross-sectional area that varies along at least a portion of its length. In some embodiments, the channel width decreases along at least a portion of the channel length according to a natural exponential function. This type of anode flow field can improve performance, reduce fuel consumption and/or reduce detrimental effects such as carbon corrosion and catalyst degradation, thereby improving fuel cell longevity and durability. When operating the fuel cell on either a substantially pure or a dilute fuel stream, this type of anode flow field can provide more uniform current density. These flow channels can be incorporated into reactant flow field plates, fuel cells and fuel cell stacks.

In typical polymer electrolyte membrane (PEM) fuel cells, a membrane electrode assembly (MEA) is disposed between two electrically conductive separator plates. Oxidant and fuel flow fields provide means for directing the oxidant and fuel to respective electrocatalyst layers of the MEA, specifically, to an anode on the fuel side and to a cathode on the oxidant side of the MEA. A typical reactant fluid flow field has at least one channel through which a reactant stream flows. The fluid flow field is typically integrated with the separator plate by locating a plurality of open-faced channels on one or both faces of the separator plate. The open-faced channels face an electrode, where the reactants are electrochemically reacted. Typically more reactant is supplied to the electrodes than is actually consumed by the electrochemical reactions in the fuel cell. Stoichiometry (or stoichiometry ratio) can be defined as the molar flow rate of a reactant supplied to a fuel cell divided by the molar flow rate of reactant consumed in the fuel cell; reactant stoichiometry is the inverse of reactant utilization.
In a single cell arrangement, separator plates are provided on each of the anode and cathode sides. The plates act as current collectors and provide structural support for the electrodes. In a fuel cell stack, often bipolar plates, having reactant flow fields on both sides, are interleaved with MEAs.
In conventional fuel cell flow fields, the reactant flow channels have a constant cross-sectional area and shape along their length. Typically the channels are square or rectangular in cross-section. However, fuel cells where the cross-sectional area of flow channels varies along their length are known. For example, Applicant's issued U.S. Pat. No. 6,686,082 and U.S. Patent Application Publication No. US2006/0234107 (each of which is hereby incorporated by reference herein in its entirety) describe fuel cell flow field plates with a trapezoidal form, in which the flow channels are rectangular in cross-section and have a cross-sectional area that continuously diminishes in the flow direction. In particular, embodiments are described in which the flow channel width decreases linearly in the flow direction. Such tapered channels provide an increase in reactant velocity along the channel, and were intended to provide some of the advantages of serpentine flow channels without the significant pressure drop and the related increase in parasitic load usually associated with serpentine flow channels. Serpentine flow fields provide higher reactant velocity and improved water removal in the channels relative to conventional flow fields covering roughly the same flow field area.
It is also known that it is possible to enhance fuel cell performance by varying the cross-sectional area of cathode flow channels along their length. Fuel cells generally operate on a dilute oxidant stream, namely air, at the cathode. As the air flows along the cathode flow channel(s), the oxygen content in the air stream tends to be depleted and the air pressure tends to drop. This can result in reduced performance and uneven current density in the fuel cell. Applicant's issued U.S. Pat. No. 7,838,169 (which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety) describes improved cathode flow field channels, with a more sophisticated variation in channel cross-section, which can be used to achieve substantially constant oxygen availability at the cathode. Embodiments are described in which the cross-sectional area of the channels varies along the length of the channels such that oxygen availability is kept substantially constant for a given channel length and air stoichiometry. In some embodiments the channel width decreases in the oxidant flow direction according to an exponential function. By maintaining substantially constant oxygen availability along the channel, use of such cathode flow channels has been shown to provide improved uniformity of current density and to enhance fuel cell performance.
There are a number of factors that can lead to irreversible performance losses and/or loss of electrochemical surface area during prolonged operation in PEM fuel cells. The losses are mainly the result of catalyst layer degradation including platinum metal dissolution and corrosion of carbon supports. Carbon corrosion can be caused by cell reversal which, in turn, can be a result of uneven reactant distribution and/or fuel starvation in regions of the anode. Platinum dissolution can be caused by high potentials at the cathode or anode which can occur when there is heterogeneous current distribution. Individually or coupled together, these degradation rates can be significant and require mitigation for long term stable operation. Operating a fuel cell with uniform current density can reduce carbon corrosion and platinum dissolution, both of which are detrimental to fuel cell performance, longevity and durability. It can be postulated that achieving more uniform current density will reduce fuel cell degradation rates and thereby improve fuel cell lifetime. Furthermore, increasing velocities down the channel can reduce the residence time of hydrogen/air fronts during air purge cycles at the anode during fuel cell start-stop sequences, leading to reduced carbon corrosion rates and improved durability.
The flow field channels described in the '169 patent were originally developed for and applied at the fuel cell cathode, and were not expected to provide particular benefits at the anode, at least in part because fuel cell operation on substantially pure hydrogen does not result in substantial mass transport losses due to high concentration and the high diffusivity of the hydrogen molecule. However, Applicants have now determined that such flow field channels can be modified for use at the anode to enhance fuel cell performance when the fuel cell is operating on a dilute fuel, and to provide performance benefits even when the fuel cell is operating on a substantially pure fuel.
Often a substantially pure fuel stream (such as hydrogen) is used at the fuel cell anode, and the issue of reactant depletion and reactant availability along the anode flow channels is not the same as with air at the cathode. Usually, for operation on a substantially pure fuel, the anode flow field is "dead-ended", and the fuel cell or fuel cell stack is fitted with a bleed- or purge-valve for removing impurities, contaminants and/or water that tends to accumulate in the downstream portion of the anode flow channels as fuel is consumed during operation of the fuel cell. This accumulation of "inerts" can result in uneven current density, resulting in reduced fuel cell performance. Furthermore, accumulation of water in the anode flow channels can cause other problems including blocking fuel access to the anode catalysts leading to a fuel starvation condition that has been linked to both carbon corrosion and noble metal catalyst dissolution. Applicants have determined that flow field channels similar to those described in the '169 patent can be modified for use at the anode to reduce some of these detrimental effects at the anode, and enhance fuel cell performance even on a substantially pure fuel. Such channels can provide an increase in the velocity of the fuel during its passage along the channel. It is believed that this can improve fuel utilization, as increasing the flow velocity on the anode can provide a higher fuel availability leading to a leveling of the current density at lower flow rates. This can reduce fuel consumption for a given power output. Furthermore, if the fuel cell is operating on a dilute fuel stream (such as a reformate stream which contains hydrogen, or aqueous methanol), as the fuel stream flows along the flow channels, the hydrogen content in the stream tends to be depleted and the fuel stream pressure tends to drop. Both of these can result in reduced fuel cell performance. The anode flow field channels described herein can be used to compensate for the depletion of fuel, achieving substantially constant fuel availability on a dilute fuel, and thereby providing more uniform current density.
In addition to their modification for use at the anode, further improvements and variations on the flow field channels and flow fields described in the '169 patent have been made and are described herein. In particular, embodiments in which such flow channels can be incorporated or retrofit into conventional rectangular fuel cell geometries at the anode and/or cathode (rather than trapezoidal fuel cells) with high utilization of the fuel cell active area and efficient use of MEA and plate materials are described. Embodiments are also described in which the characteristics of the channel vary as a function of distance along the channel in accordance with the same or similar principles as in the '169 patent and as described herein, but along only a portion of the channel length. Further embodiments are described in which the characteristics of the channel vary as a function of distance along the channel in accordance with the same or similar principles, but in a stepwise or discontinuous manner. Such embodiments can be used to achieve at least some of the performance benefits described above, and can also provide options for improved flow fields that are easier to fabricate or to incorporate into rectangular fuel cell plate geometries.


Push button for a timepiece for correcting the time display associated with a decompression valve within a single control device. It essentially includes a first push button return spring (10) followed by a second spring (13) arranged to bend and act as a valve spring.

Push buttons conforming to the above description are well known in the state of the art. They are, for example, fitted to chronographs or wristwatches for correcting, for example, the date. They are called "push buttons" when they protrude from the middle part and correct a function when pressed with a finger. When the pressure ceases, the push buttons return to their initial position. They are usually called "correctors" when they are embedded in the middle part of the watch. In principle, each push button is linked to the correction of a single function; thus where there is a plurality of functions to be corrected, a plurality of push buttons must be fitted to the middle part of the timepiece, which then weakens the sealing of said timepiece.
The idea of the present invention is to give a conventional push button an additional function, to avoid further piercing the timepiece. The additional function may consist of a valve fitted to a diver's watch.
For the reasons set out above, CH Patent Application No 699 558 A1 has already proposed a screw-in winding crown associated either with a push button, or with a valve in a single control device. There is no description or suggestion of a combined push button-valve.
As is well described in the aforecited document, diver's watches often include both a winding crown and a valve to prevent the watch exploding when the diver returns to the surface. Indeed, as explained in said document, professional divers descend to great depths to carry out work and are then returned to the surface using a pressurised chamber which controls the decompression stops required for the diver's health. During these decompression stops, gases—essentially helium—penetrate the divers' watch case through the sealing gaskets which are essentially suited to preventing water or dust from entering inside the watch. When the pressure in the chamber drops during decompression stops, if there is no pressure balance device in the watch, excess pressure may build up inside the watch relative to the surrounding pressure, which may cause the watch to explode. In diver's watches, a valve is arranged separately from the other controls for the pressure balance. However, this valve suffers from the same drawbacks as those affecting push buttons or crowns with respect to sealing problems.

Push button for timepiece incorporating a valve


Data collected during runtime and associated with a service level agreement and operating level agreement for a network service are automatically correlated together. A network monitoring system monitors the network service during runtime to determine SLA and OLA violations. An SLA is tested against traffic monitoring data derived from monitoring traffic between a network service system and one or more users of the system. An OLA is tested against application runtime data generated from monitoring a transaction occurring between an application server and a backend or other internal entity of the network service system. The data collected during runtime can be correlated using a hierarchy based on business transactions or in some other manner. Because the traffic monitoring data and application runtime data are organized using a similar data hierarchy, the traffic monitoring data corresponding to an SLA may be correlated to the application runtime data corresponding to the same business transaction and one or more OLAs.

The growing popularity of the Internet and other computer networks has resulted in widespread development and use of application-based network services provided over a network. These services implement important functions for businesses which have a presence on the computer networks. Accordingly, businesses spend resources to develop and manage these network services.
Managing network services can include entering quality control agreements for the services they provide, such as a service level agreement (SLA) or an operating level agreement (OLA). An SLA is an agreement between a user of a network service and a provider of the service. Under an SLA, the service provider agrees to meet certain quality thresholds for the level of service provided to a particular user. For example, an SLA may indicate that a certain transaction provided by a network service provider to a user must have an average response time of one second or less over a month. An OLA specifies a performance threshold to be satisfied by a service provided between internal entities of a network service system. For example, an OLA may specify a response time threshold to be satisfied by a backend service when processing a request from a particular application server. The SLA and OLA terminology is associated with the Information Technology Infrastructure Library (ITIL), a globally recognized collection of best practices for information technology (IT) service management.
Because SLAs and OLAs are entered between different entities, address different types of data and involve different thresholds, the agreements are not linked together. As such, an administrator must manually search through and select an SLA and an OLA to attempt to address related failures. SLA and OLA failures may be close together in time, but an administrator will still not know if the failures are truly related. Further, an SLA usually addresses one or more related transactions with the network service from the point of view of the user and an OLA usually addresses a type of internal transaction from the point of view of a backend. Thus, because the data provided by an OLA can be for several applications in communication with a backend, it is difficult to determine a specific cause of a performance problem using OLA related application runtime data and SLA traffic monitoring data.

Automatic correlation of service level agreement and operating level agreement