The present invention relates to a multiple-needle sewing machine which is capable of making stitch tracings in zigzag, etc. on a cloth by moving up and down a plurality of needles, with the cloth held between a needle plate and a cloth holder and moved right and left. The needle plate has a long hole with such a length that the right and left movement of the needle plate is not hindered by the vertical movement of the plurality of needles. Within the long hole, there is a needle passing plate positioned which has needle holes through which the needles pass. This needle passing plate is formed shorter than the long hole of the needle plate so as not to hinder the right and left movement of the needle plate. Such a structure is effective for making finely a plurality of the same stitches in zigzag, etc.

The present invention relates to a multiple-needle pattern-stitching sewing machine which is capable of forming patterns in zigzag, etc. as a plurality of the same stitch traces.
Conventionally, as a zigzag sewing machine, a single-needle sewing machine has been known which comprises a sewing needle capable of vertical reciprocating movement and laterally-swinging movement and other means moving in coupling with this sewing needle.
In a multiple-needle sewing machine, the mechanism will be complicated if we make multiple-needles simultaneously laterally movable as the single needle. For this reason, one type of multiple-needle sewing machine forms stitch traces on a cloth by swinging laterally a cloth held between a needle plate and a cloth holder. In such a multiple-needle sewing machine, the needle-passing hole is made long enough for the needle plate moving right and left without hitting the needle.
The above-mentioned conventional multiple-needle sewing machine has the following disadvantages.
In the multiple-needle sewing machine which has the needle-passing hole formed as a long hole, when many needles simultaneously pierce into a cloth, this piercing force will push the cloth into the long hole, making stitching impossible or, even if possible, stitch lines so distorted that no neat stitch traces are formed.
As a countermeasure, the cloth is stretched on a frame to be sewn without being loosened, or is backed up with a thick paper before being sewn.
However, in these methods, as pretreatments before sewing, work is required to stretch the cloth on a frame or back up the cloth with a thick paper, etc. In addition, after sewing, it is necessary to detach the cloth from the frame or remove the back-up thick paper. These jobs are troublesome and tedious. No neat stitch traces may be obtained. Further, no mass production system is applicable.
Under such a situation, actually, multiple-needle sewing machines have hardly been applied to formation of patterns in zigzag, etc.

Multiple-needle pattern-stitching sewing machine


An automated wireless synchronization platform allows users to synchronize files and folders between devices, while transparently providing content transformation services. The content transformation services ensure that content is synchronized to target devices in the appropriate format, at a proper balance of size and quality to be ideally output on the target devices.

Existing techniques for data synchronization between desktop machines and mobile devices are cumbersome and time consuming. Typically, these techniques involve the laborious process of connecting the mobile device to the desktop computer with a universal serial bus ("USB") cable, selecting the files to transfer, and manually dragging and dropping the selected files to the mobile device. The user must then keep the mobile device connected to the desktop computer, and wait while the transfer completes. Media files tend to be quite large, so the transfer-time can be extensive, especially where a large number of files has been selected.
Furthermore, the USB based transfer does not properly transform files into a format best suited for use on a given mobile device. A desktop computer can generally process and display images and video of a much higher quality than that supported by a mobile device. Higher quality media files are larger and require more computing power to process. Copying large files that cannot be fully supported by the mobile device unnecessarily lengthens the copying time, and wastes storage and processing resources of the mobile device. For example, suppose a user transfers a folder of 6+ megapixel photos and a high definition quality video to a mobile device. Although these high quality formats are appropriate for the desktop environment, the mobile device is not capable of displaying such high resolutions, and thus must display lower quality versions of the images. Thus, the copying of the 6+ megapixel photos and the high definition quality video is a poor use of the available computing resources.
It would be desirable to be able to automatically, wirelessly synchronize files between computing devices, in the formats appropriate for each device.

Automated wireless synchronization and transformation


The invention relates to a method for operating a machine for microlithography which has a multiplicity of machine components. According to one aspect, malfunctions of these machine components that occur during the operation of the machine are each describable by a symptom, wherein the method includes the following steps: creating a database in which a cause is in each case assigned to different combinations of these symptoms, automatically recording the symptoms occurring within a predetermined time interval when a problem occurs during the operation of the machine and automatically assigning a cause to the problem on the basis of the recorded symptoms and the database.

Microlithography is used for producing microstructured components such as, for example, integrated circuits or LCDs. The microlithography process is carried out in what is called a projection exposure apparatus, which comprises an illumination device and a projection lens. The image of a mask (also referred to as a reticle) illuminated by way of the illumination device is in this case projected by way of the projection lens onto a substrate (e.g., a silicon wafer) coated with a light-sensitive layer (photoresist) and arranged in the image plane of the projection lens, in order to transfer the mask structure to the light-sensitive coating of the substrate.
Mask inspection apparatuses are used for the inspection of masks for microlithographic projection exposure apparatuses.
Such mask inspection apparatuses, in particular mask inspection apparatuses designed for inspecting masks designed for EUV-operation, are an example of industrial machines of particularly high complexity since they have a comparatively large number of machine components (e.g., of the order of more than 10 000). Since, as a matter of principle, each of these machine components has associated with it a certain risk for the occurrence of malfunctions right up to complete failure of the respective machine component, a difficulty arising from this complexity in practice is that of, inter alia, finding within a justifiable time interval which machine component(s) is/are the cause of a respective problem when a problem occurs during the operation of the relevant machine (e.g., mask inspection apparatus). In particular, even if highly qualified staff are used, the assumption that the respective member of staff is an expert for all machine components present or all malfunctions occurring in the relevant context can be made less and less with increasing complexity of the industrial machine or machine for microlithography, respectively.
However, an excessively long time interval required to find the cause responsible for a problem occurring during the operation of the machine for microlithography has as a consequence unjustifiably long downtimes during the operation of the respective machine and hence, ultimately, unwanted losses in the throughput obtained by the machine.
These circumstances become ever more serious if, in addition to the above-discussed identification of the machine component(s) forming the root cause for the respective problem, the subsequent retrieval of the relevant machine component(s), required before a repair or replacement, still requires a significant time interval as a consequence of the great complexity of the machine for microlithography (for instance because a machine component identified as being the cause of the problem is arranged so as to be covered by various further machine components within the complex design of the machine).
A further problem resulting in practice from a high complexity of the design of a machine for microlithography such as a mask inspection apparatus, for example, may occur if the respective operating staff has to make a decision about the temporal sequence and/or selection of service processes in the form of maintenance, repair and/or software updates to be carried out since a high complexity of the machine also yields a corresponding large multiplicity of different options which may differ significantly from one another in respect of the efficiency and the ultimately required downtime during the operation of the machine.

Method for operating a machine for microlithography


A magnetic resonance method for forming a fast dynamic image from a plurality of signals of an RF probe is described. The RF probe is moved relative to an object to be imaged so as to acquire at least two adjacent Fields-of-View (FOV) which are reconstructed so as to form an image of a region of interest which includes both FOVs. The object to be imaged is scanned by a moving RF antenna. Furthermore, the first FOV is centered at the initial probe position and after each subsequent scan the position of the imaging field within the actual FOV is determined. From that data the next position of the RF probe relative to the object is computed and, if the imaging field runs out of the actual FOV, the RF antenna is moved to the estimated next position of the RF probe so that the subsequent FOV is centered again at the RF probe position. A composite image is then generated from the successive images of the various adjacent FOVs.

The invention relates to a magnetic resonance method for forming a fast dynamic image from a plurality of signals from an RF probe according to the preamble of claim 1. The invention also relates to a magnetic resonance imaging apparatus for obtaining a fast dynamic image according to the preamble of claim 1 and to a computer program product according to the preamble of claim 6.
In U.S. Pat. No. 5,928,148 data is acquired from a large region of interest in magnetic resonance angiography (MRA) by translating the patient to successive stations at which successive portions of the MRA data set are acquired. The patient is moved to three successive locations between the RF coils of the MRI system by translation of the patient table. The patient movement is chosen to track a bolus of contrast agent as it passes through the region of interest so as to achieve maximum image contrast. In one embodiment a stationary local coil is supported adjacent the patient to acquire the MRA data and in another embodiment a multi-segment local coil moves with the patient and its segments are sequentially switched into operation.
In a further patent application of the same inventors, that is, WO-A-99/27382 which concerns a further development of the same acquisition method, it is mentioned that the successive acquisition at each Field of View (FOV) may not be fast enough to track with the bolus of contrast agent as it passes through successive FOVs. For example, it may require nearly 50 seconds to acquire 3D NMR data from three FOVs, and the contrast may be at peak level for only 30 seconds. Therefore, it is proposed that sampling orders for each FOV acquisition be selected to sample the central region of k-space when the contrast is at its peak value. This means that data will be sampled along lines in k-space that are directed towards the central part. The drawbacks of sampling in the peripheral views of k-space which are not at peak value are thus compensated to a great extent.
Since the coil or coils used for the acquisition of the MRA data are at a fixed position with reference to the patient and the dimensions of the coil or coils are in the range of at least from 10 to 20 cm length and width, the spatial resolution of the image formed from the combination of successive FOVs will be reduced. On the other hand there may be aberrations and artefacts in vertical directions if a proper three-dimensional image is acquired. As is further indicated in the latter document, the sampling time may be too long in order to track a faster moving probe.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a method for forming a fast dynamic image of a moving RF probe which can be optimally tracked without any delay. Another object of the present invention is to provide a magnetic resonance apparatus for obtaining a fast dynamic image of a moving RF probe.
An essential advantage of the method for forming a fast dynamic image according to the present invention is that on the one hand an MR image over a combination of several FOVs with a high resolution can be obtained while on the other hand a bolus can be tracked along a vessel in real time without any delay. So depending on the aim, a high spatial resolution or a high temporal resolution can be achieved.
These and other objects of the invention are achieved by a method as defined in claim 1, by an apparatus as defined in claim 5 and by a computer program product as defined in claim 6.

Magnetic resonance method, apparatus and computer program product


Inks used in ink-jet printing comprise a vehicle and a dye. The vehicle consists essentially of about 5 to 10 wt % of a glycol and/or glycol ether and the balance water. The dye is typically an anionic dye, associated with undesirable cations such as sodium or potassium cations. Several properties of such inks are improved by replacing substantially all of said cations on the anionic dye with lithium cations and removing such cations, preferably to leave a maximum concentration of such cations of less than about 500 ppm, and most preferably less than about 350 ppm.

The use of aqueous-based inks for ink-jet printers is well-known. Such compositions are relatively inexpensive and easy to prepare; typically, the ink comprises water and a glycol or glycol ether, usually diethylene glycol (commonly referred to as the vehicle), and a dye. Typically, the water and glycol ether are present in generally the same proportion and the dye, for example, Food Black 2, is present up to about 6% of the total composition, depending on the desired density of the print.
The prior art inks generally use existing commercial dye salts (cation plus dye anion) as formed, which are simply dissolved in the vehicle and filtered to prepare the ink. Such dyes, which generally contain a plurality of sulfonate or carboxylate anion groups, are designed to form solids in paper or cloth, employing cations such as sodium cations. Consequently, the dyes do not easily remain liquid in the orifice of an ink-jet printer.
Thus, a persistent problem associated with aqueous-based inks is their propensity to crust over a period of time, eventually leading to plugging of the orifice in the printer mechanism from which droplets of ink are expelled in the printing operation. Crusting is the crystallization of the ink around the orifice in the print head, causing partial or full blockage of the orifice, leading to misdirection of the drop (partial blockage) or prevention of drop ejection (full blockage). The crusting problem arises from the evaporation of the water from the ink solvent (vehicle) and the consequent precipitation of the dye salt which has become substantially insoluble as a result of this water loss.
Attempts have been made to solve the crusting problem. Hygroscopic agents have been added to reduce the rate of water evaporation by their ability to pick up water vapor from the air. Exemplary of such hygroscopic agents are water-soluble polymers, alkanol amines, amides and polyhydric alcohols.
While some improvement has been realized with these hygroscopic agents, a total solution to the crusting problems has not yet been achieved. Further, apparently no methods are known to prevent crusting of the anionic dyes in mildly acidic to mildly basic aqueous-based inks (pH 4 to 9). Such crusting is particularly exacerbated by the trend to fabricate printheads with increasingly smaller orifices, on the order of 45 to 60 .mu.m in diameter.
Attempts are continuing to develop inks in which the dye solubility is increased.
Other approaches include developing new dyes for inkjet inks. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,557,761 discloses a variety of sulfonate-containing dyes with cations such as sodium, potassium, lithium, ammonium and amine salt cations.
However, as shown above, dyes with sodium cations have certain deficiencies. Dyes with potassium cations also suffer from certain deficiencies, notably evidencing crusting. Dyes with ammonium cations, on the other hand, are not stable. Thus, the cations listed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,557,761 cannot be considered to be equivalent.
Finally, many cations are not suitable for dyes employed in inks used in thermal ink-jet printing. In this instance, a problem known as kogation may occur. Kogation is a coined term, unique to thermal ink-jet printing, and describes the extent of decomposition of the ink on the resistors of thermal ink-jet printers as a consequence of heating. Such heating is used to form droplets of ink, which are propelled toward the substrate.
While sodium-containing dyes evidence crusting problems, they also evidence superior kogation properties. Dyes containing other cations which evidence improved crusting also often evidence poor kogation.
It is known to partially replace sodium cations with lithium cations; see, e.g., Japanese Laid-Open 61-73772 (Applicant: Mitsubishi Kasei kagaku) and Japanese Laid-Open 57-202358 (Applicant: Fujitsu). However, such partial replacement has been found inadequate in dealing with the crusting problem, especially for the smaller orifice sizes on the order of 45 .mu.m. Further, Japanese 57-202358 extols the use of a vehicle having about 25 to 35% water, the balance glycol. Inks employing such vehicles, however, are not suitable for printing on plain paper.

Dyes containing lithium for ink-jet printing inks


An imaging system is provided, including a detection unit and a scan unit. The detection unit senses radiation of a target area. The scan unit directs the radiation to the detection unit, in which the scanning unit scans the target area N times at a constant speed within a scan period, such that each of the pixels of the target area is scanned N times by the scan unit, thereby the detection unit generates N sub-detection values for each of the pixels and adds the N sub-detection values up to generate a detection value for each of the pixels.

1. Technical Field
The present technical field relates to image systems, and in particular relates to a microwave image system.
2. Description of the Related Art
Currently, radiometers for detecting microwaves are widely applied in imaging systems, such as the customs formalities or important meetings. However, gains of radiometers may drift when an integration period of scan is extended. Therefore, image systems use a calibration unit to calibrate the gains of the radiometers, which increases design complexity of image systems. In addition, radiometers use step motors to scan images, such that the radiometer stays at the corresponding pixel for an constant integration period τ to accumulate enough energy. However, the stop and the motion of stepping motors are not accurate. Therefore, there is a need for an image system to overcome the problems described above.

Industrial Technology Research Institute


A crankshaft has a non-homogenous structure is unitarily formed in a powder metallurgy process with at least two different metallic constituents providing dissimilar characteristics at discrete locations of the structure.

Powder metallurgy is a common manufacturing method used to produce components of high quality for applications such as engines. Powder metallurgy is often employed in the manufacture of engine components because it is economical, flexible, and can produce a finished part that requires less machining or secondary processing than other methods of forming components. Powder metallurgy allows for a component to be formed of a wide variety of alloys, composites, and other materials to provide the finished component with desirable characteristics. Powder metallurgy is well suited to manufacture parts of a wide range of sizes and shapes. Also, powder metallurgy can reliably produce parts with consistent dimensions and advantageous physical properties.
Referring to FIG. 1, a process chart for the conventional powder metallurgical component forming process 30 is shown. First, the metal powders 32 that comprise the component are provided. Often, lubricants are added to the metal powders to decrease the wear of pressing machinery. Next, the base powders are mixed 34 to form a homogenous mixture. The finished part is ultimately a homogeneous alloy of the constituent metal powders.
A mold or die is then filled 36 with the mixed powders. The die, when closed, has an internal cavity somewhat similar in shape to the final part. The powder is compressed 38 within the die to form a so-called "green part." The compaction 38 is usually performed at room temperature and at pressures, for example, in the range of 30-50 tons per square inch. The green part, also referred to as a "green compact," has the desired size and shape for the next operation when ejected from the die. After compaction 38, the green part has sufficient strength for further processing.
The green part is subjected to a sintering process 40. A variety of secondary operations 42 may be performed on the part after sintering 40, depending on its intended use, the process yielding a finished part 44.
Generally, sintering 40 involves subjecting the green part to a temperature, for example, of 70-90% of the melting point of the metal or alloy comprising the green part. The variables of temperature, time, and atmosphere are controlled in the furnace to produce a sintered part having improved strength due to bonding or alloying of the metal particles. The sintering process 40 generally comprises three basic steps conducted in a sintering furnace: burnoff 46, sinter 48, and cooling 50. Continuous-type sintering furnaces are commonly used to perform these steps. The burnoff chamber is used to volatize the lubricants used in forming green part 46. The high-temperature chamber performs the actual sintering 48. The cooling chamber cools the sintered part prior to handling 50.
The parts that exit the sintering furnace 40 after cooling 50 may be considered complete. Alternatively, they may undergo one or more secondary operations 42. Secondary operations include, for example, re-pressing (forging) the component 52, machining 54, tumbling 56, and joining the component with additional components 58 as part of an overall assembly. The secondary operations 42 may also include the impregnation of oils or lubricants 60 into the part for conveying self-lubricating properties. The sintered component may also undergo heat treatment 62 to provide certain characteristics and properties to the component, such as strength. Those skilled in the art will recognize that other secondary operations may be performed. The secondary operations 42 may be performed individually or in combination with other secondary operations. Once all the secondary operations 42 are performed, the component or part 44 is finished.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,303,468, 5,195,398, and 3,748,925 disclose crankshafts for use in an internal combustion engine.
FIG. 2 illustrates the internal detail of a conventional internal combustion engine to illustrate the use of a crankshaft 72. A connecting rod 64 is pivotally connected to a piston 66 and the crankshaft 72. The connecting rod 64 is connected to the crankshaft 72 at a large or crank end 76. The large end 76 of the rod 64 receives a shaft portion ("crank pin") 78 of the crankshaft 72. The connecting rod 64 is further connected to a piston 66 at a small or piston end 70 of the rod 64. The crankshaft 72 comprises a counterweight 74 disposed between the crankpins 78.
Referring to FIG. 3 and FIG. 4, a conventional crankshaft 72, manufactured according to conventional methods, is shown. Crankshaft 72 comprises a longitudinally extending body 83 between a first end 80 and a second end 82. The body 83 defines an axis or rotation 84 for the crankshaft, when rotating in the engine. A main journal 86 is provided at each of the first end 80 and second end 82 for supporting the shaft 72 in the engine block. The body 83 includes a plurality of bearing journals 88, crank pin journals 90 and counterweights 74.
The mass of the crank pin journals 90 when coupled with a connecting rod 64 defines an offset balance axis 92. The balance axis 92 is the axis of rotation through which the forces generated by rotation of the shaft and connecting rod assembly are balanced. The axis of rotation 84 is offset from the axis of balance 92. The offset creates a moment when the crankshaft is rotating. The moment is undesirable because it increases loading on the shaft bearings and minimizes oil film thickness between the journals of the crankshaft and their respective bearings. This limits the load carrying capacity of the main journals.
A conventional solution is to provide a plurality of counterweights 78 to the shaft 72 to shift the axis of balance 92 towards the axis of rotation 84. Ideally, the counterweights 78 are located 180 degrees opposite each crankpin journal 90. Such configuration results in an undesirably large crankshaft 72. Engine designers are constantly striving to minimize engine size and increase engine efficiency. Larger crankshafts necessitate larger engine size. Moreover, larger crankshafts also increase the rotational inertia of the engine, thereby reducing efficiency.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,195,398 discloses one method of addressing the balance versus crankshaft size issue. This patent discloses offsetting one or more of the counterweights with respect to the crankpin journals to form an asymmetric counterweight configuration. The asymmetric arrangement strikes a balance between oil film thickness, crankshaft mass and packaging constraints. The asymmetric design, however, suffers from packaging limitations. The design also has the same disadvantages present in the unbalanced crankshaft and connecting rod assembly, albeit to a reduced degree.
Therefore, there is a need for a method of providing crankshaft that minimizes costs while providing for adequate balance.

Non-homogeneous engine component formed by powder metallurgy

International Engine Intellectual Property Company, LLC


A torque detection portion includes a first arm having a detection coil L1 and a resistor R1, and a second arm having a detection coil L2 and a resistor R2. When a test mode is set, a reference voltage Vref having an abnormal value is outputted to a monitoring portion 13. An abnormal condition is intentionally caused in the monitoring portion 13. A main torque signal Vtm is compared with a sub torque signal Vts in the monitoring portion 13. When the reference voltage Vref set in the monitoring portion 13 has the abnormal value, a sub torque signal Vts having a level of 0 (Vts=0) is forcibly outputted in a normal condition. Then the signal Vtm is equal to the signal Vts, the monitoring portion 13 determines that a shortcircuit occurs between a main torque signal line and a sub torque signal line.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to an electric power steering apparatus and, more particularly, to an electric power steering apparatus enabled to detect a failure of a torque sensor incorporated in an electric power steering apparatus, especially, a failure of a shortcircuit of a pair of detection coils detecting steering torque.
2. Description of Related Art
A non-contact torque sensor is known, having a torque detection portion adapted to convert twist motion of a torsion bar, which is proportional to steering torque, into change in inductance of a pair of detection coils, a bridge circuit configured by a pair of detection coils and a pair of resistors to output a detection signal corresponding to change in the inductance, a main torque amplifier amplifying a main torque signal outputted by the bridge circuit, and a sub torque amplifier amplifying a sub torque signal outputted by the bridge circuit.
To enhance the fail safe function of the torque sensor, it has been desired to configure the electric power steering apparatus to automatically perform periodical operation tests on the torque sensor at every lapse of a predetermined period, for example, at initial diagnosis of a control unit of the electric power steering apparatus after an ignition key is turned to an ON-position, or during an operating state.
The torque sensor has a drawback in that torque cannot accurately be detected, especially, at occurrence of an abnormality, for example, at reduction in the amplitude of an AC voltage signal supplied to the bridge circuit constituted by a pair of detection coils and a pair of resistors in the torque sensor for some cause.
As a countermeasure against this drawback, it has been proposed a torque detection circuit which is suitable for use in the above torque sensor and which has a monitoring portion enabled to monitor the amplitude of an AC voltage signal to be supplied to the bridge circuit and also enabled to determine whether the torque detection circuit itself normally operates (see Japanese Patent Unexamined Publication JP-A-2002-48656)
FIG. 6 is a block diagram illustrating the configurations of the conventional torque detection circuit 100 and a peripheral circuit incorporated in a control circuit 200 that controls an electric power steering apparatus (not shown) associated with the torque detection circuit 100. An AC voltage Vosc is supplied to a bridge circuit constituted by a first arm, which has a detection coil L1 and a resistor R1, and a second arm having a detection coil L2 and a resistor R2. A main torque signal Vtm is obtained by amplifying a differential voltage Vdef and a voltage outputted from the connecting part between the detection coil L2 and the resistor R2 of the second arm through a main torque amplifying circuit. Note that the differential voltage Vdef represents the difference between a voltage outputted from the connecting part between the detection coil L1 and the resistor R1 of the first arm. Additionally, a sub torque signal Vts is obtained by amplifying the differential voltage Vdef through a sub torque amplifying circuit.
The torque detection circuit 100 is configured so that an abnormality thereof is detected by comparing the detected main torque signal Vtm with the detected sub torque signal Vts at an abnormality detection portion 105, and that when an abnormality is detected, the torque detection circuit 100 outputs an abnormality detection signal to change a mode of an electric power steering apparatus into a fail safe mode. Additionally, different reference voltages are supplied to a monitoring portion 103 from a reference voltage generation circuit (not shown). Thus, the monitoring portion 103 monitors whether an abnormality of the amplitude of the AC voltage signal Vosc occurs. Also, the monitoring portion 103 has a self-diagnostic mode to determine whether the monitoring portion 103 normally operates (see the JP-A-2002-48656).
In a case where a failure of an electric power steering apparatus occurs, usually, a main body and a control unit of the electric power steering apparatus are replaced at a service station. These collected units causing failures are analyzed at a manufacturing department. Results are used for study on measures to prevent recurrences of the failures and for future development.
Meanwhile, among various failures, a shortcircuit failure occurring between a main torque signal line and a sub torque signal line of a torque sensor is poor in reproducibility. Thus, even when the collected unit is operated under the same conditions as those under which a failure has occurred, the apparatus often fails to reproduce the failure. Fails being poor in reproducibility are not necessarily the shortcircuit failures occurring between the main torque signal line and the sub torque signal line. Therefore, the causes of the failure should be determined by performing various tests and checks. However, it takes significant cost and time to identify the failure as a shortcircuit failure occurring between the main torque signal line and the sub torque signal line. Accordingly, it has been earnestly desired to easily identify the failure as a shortcircuit failure occurring between torque signal lines.
Hitherto, in a case where a failure of the torque sensor is detected at initial diagnosis performed by the control unit just after the ignition key is turned to the ON-position, the mode of the apparatus has been changed to the fail safe mode in which a steering assisted by a motor is stopped. However, when the shortcircuit failure occurring between the main torque signal line and the sub torque signal line, neither a main torque signal nor a sub torque signal represents an abnormal value. Thus, in such a case, even when the steering assist is continued by using, for example, a main torque signal, no troubles occur.


A wire winding device with transmission line is pulled at one end. The retaining end module and the telescopic end module are fixed together. The transmission line of the transmission line can be received in the spacing layer. In use only one end of the transmission line is pulled out. The transmission line will can be arranged orderly. The wire winding device has the function of adjusting the length of the earphone at any time without affecting the data reading or playing. Thereby the transmission line can be connected to various devices, such as earphones, USB connectors or signal connectors, to be connected to various electronic devices, such as computers, and mobile phones, etc. Thereby structure is simple and can be operated easily.

In the prior art, wire in the wire winding box is pulled from two ends at the same time and thus the operation is inconvenient. Furthermore, the transmission line is long so that it is possible to be arranged disorderly. Furthermore, the length of the transmission line cannot be adjusted in time. Moreover the cost of the prior art wire winding device is high. Thereby it is necessary to be improved.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Wire winding device with transmission line which are pulled at one end


An organic light-emitting display device and a method of manufacturing the same. The organic light-emitting display device has a structure including an organic layer between a pixel electrode and an opposite electrode, the organic layer including a emissive layer and an insulating layer defining a light emission area. Accordingly, the insulating layer included in the organic layer functions as a pixel-defining layer, and thus, “edge open”, which is generated when forming an emissive layer on a thick pixel-defining layer according to the comparable art, may be reduced or prevented.

1. Field of the Invention
The following description relates to organic light-emitting display devices and methods of manufacturing the same, and more particularly, to organic light-emitting display devices, in which a structure of an organic layer is improved, and methods of manufacturing the same.
2. Description of Related Art
In general, an organic light-emitting display device comprises an organic layer interposed between a pixel electrode and an opposite electrode as a component of a display unit. The organic layer comprises an emissive layer from which light is emitted. Recently, a laser induced thermal imaging (LITI) method, which is a dry process through which minute patterns may be formed, is frequently used to form the organic layer.
In the LITI method, a donor film on which an organic layer is deposited is placed on a pixel electrode such that the organic layer on the donor film is transferred to a pixel location by heat and laser is irradiated on the pixel electrode.
However, when the LITI is performed, "edge open", a phenomenon in which a gap is formed at an end portion of the organic layer due to a pixel-defining layer surrounding the pixel electrode, is frequently caused. In other words, generally, a pixel-defining layer that regulates a pixel area is formed to surround a boundary of the pixel electrode, and then the organic layer is formed on the pixel-defining layer to adhere to the pixel electrode by using the LITI method, and a step portion formed due to a thickness of the pixel-defining layer creates one or more gaps at an edge portion of the organic layer that contacts the pixel electrode. In this case, luminance of the display device becomes non-uniform, which in turn may cause product defects. Thus, a solution to solve this problem is needed.

Organic light-emitting display device and method of manufacturing the same


A gasket-like device includes an elongated core, an outer jacket woven and preferably braided around and along the core and a plurality of individual fasteners spaced along the device, each fastener including a base captured between the core and the outer jacket and an engagement portion extending outwardly from the base through the outer jacket. An outer covering of plastic or other material may be applied, if desired, around and along part or all of the outer jacket.

The doors of many appliances such as refrigerators, ranges, microwave ovens, etc. typically have a flexible, tubular gasket around their perimeter for sealing and a variety of other reasons. Previously, such doors have been fabricated by joining together front and back pieces. This has enabled the door manufacturers to use gasket assemblies which include a pair of joined, parallel, elongated cylindrical members. One member was then either pushed through a slot or slots provided on the "back" piece of the door or wound around the perimeter of such a back piece which was then fitted into a receiving cavity in the "front" piece of the door. An exposed cylindrical member formed the gasket while a remaining cylindrical member, hidden within the door, held the gasket cylindrical member in place against the door.
The cylindrical members of these gasket assemblies often were formed from a knitted, metal wire tubular cores covered with braided, glass fiber jackets.
There has been a desire on the part of appliance manufacturers to develop a one-piece door construction in such appliances to reduce fabrication costs. Gaskets would have to be attached to such doors from an exterior side using some type of mechanical fastening.
One approach for mechanically mounting such gaskets to one-piece doors has been to provide a flexible, hollow cylindrical gasket with clip-type fasteners protruding along one side thereof. Such gaskets have been formed from a hollow, tubular, knitted wire core and braided, glass fiber outer jacket, somewhat similar to the cylindrical members of the old gasket assemblies. After fabrication, a wire member, bent at several locations along its length to form a series of connected clip members, is inserted into the hollow center of the tubular wire core and the bent portions of the wire pressed through the wire core and surrounding fabric jacket by hand.
There are several drawbacks to such gaskets. First, they require considerable hand labor to assemble. Second, the wire has to be passed through the inner core and outer jacket without damage to either. As a result, the wire used must be fairly thin and the clip portions tend to be easily damaged. Third, because the wire must be inserted into the gasket after the gasket has been made, assembly becomes more cumbersome and difficult as gasket lengths are increased. The fabrication of significant continuous lengths of undamaged, unflawed gasket with the wastage which would be involved would be prohibitively expensive.
In addition to the foregoing limitations, the thin wire which must be used to enable the clip portions to be pressed through such gaskets does not provide a significant spring force for firmly attaching the gasket to the door or other mounting member. Because the thin wire is extremely flexible and does not trap any significant area of the gasket between itself and the door or other mounting member, it does little to prevent the gasket from rolling to either side of the attachment points or bending between the attachment points.
It would be beneficial to provide flexible gaskets with protruding fasteners for mounting to appliance doors and other members which can be attached to the doors or other members as firmly as desired.
It further would be beneficial to provide flexible gaskets with protruding fasteners in which the gaskets do not tend to roll around such fasteners.
It further would be beneficial to provide hollow, tubular gaskets with the aforesaid characteristics for light weight and durability.
It further would be beneficial to provide gaskets and other gasket-like devices with the foregoing characteristics in a form which further includes a plastic and/or rubber outer covering along at least some portion of the device.
It further would be beneficial to provide continuous, elongated gaskets, and gasket-like devices such as molding, etc., with embedded, protruding fasteners which exhibit superior mounting stability.

Gaskets and gasket-like devices with fasteners


Aspects of the present invention disclose a method, computer program product, and system for establishing an optical communication link. The method includes one or more processors controlling an optical detection apparatus to scan an environment to detect at least one marker. The method further includes one or more processors detecting a first marker of the one or more markers, wherein the first marker includes information that indicates a location of a first optical access point. The method further includes one or more processors determining the location of the first optical access point based on an analysis of the first marker. The method further includes one or more processors controlling an optical communication apparatus to align with the determined location of the first optical access point. The method further includes one or more processors establishing an optical communication link between the optical communication apparatus and the first optical access point.

The present invention relates to a module for automatically establishing an optical communication link and more specifically the optical communication link being established between an optical communication apparatus and an optical access point.
In present day data centers, server units are connected to the data storage units via switches, the switches managing the data traffic. Usually servers, switches, and storage units are connected with each other by cables (e.g., via fiber or copper cables). The possible data transfer rates for cable-based communication between computing entities can be between 2 and 20 Gb/s.
Data centers usually house large numbers of racks that are populated with servers, storage systems, network components, and other equipment to operate the data center. To connect the components with each other, a variety of cabling models and architectures are deployed in data centers. Basically, there are two major use cases for cabling scenarios, which are the cabling across multiple racks, rooms, or even different data centers, and the cabling inside a single rack. A rack installation can contain several components, such as servers, storage systems, Ethernet switches, fiber channel switches, and others. Each server and storage component is connected with Ethernet cables to the internal Ethernet switches and with fiber channel cables to the internal storage area network (SAN) switches.
However, with an increasing number of individual racks that are connected using cable, the cabling scheme becomes increasingly complicated.

Establishing optical communication links

International Business Machines Corporation


An antenna includes: a dipole antenna; and a parasitic element arranged in parallel to the dipole antenna and having a linear structure and a meander structure, wherein a directivity and a return loss of the dipole antenna are controlled by setting a distance between the dipole antenna and the parasitic element and a shape and size of the meander structure.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an antenna to be adapted to an antenna which is used in, for example, wireless LAN.
2. Description of the Related Art
A dipole antenna is non-directional in a horizontal plane. While non-directivity has an advantage of ensuring radiation in all the directions on a horizontal plane, it raises a problem of making it difficult to set an electric scatterer nearby. If an electric scatterer (a metal body, any other dielectric substance or the like) overlaps the peripheral portion of the antenna where the radiation level is high, electromagnetic coupling causes a current which should originally flow to the antenna to flow toward the electric scatterer. This results in deteriorations of the antenna characteristics, such as shifting of the resonance frequency of the antenna and reduction in the radiation efficiency of the antenna.
Recently, there is a need for a built-in dipole antenna from viewpoints of making devices compact and the design. The incorporation of an antenna allows a metal casing, a metal heat sink, a printed wiring board or the like to be positioned close to the antenna, leading to the aforementioned deteriorations of the antenna characteristics.
Possible solutions to this problem include increasing the distance between the antenna and the radio scatterer, and insertion of a radio absorber between the antenna and the radio scatterer. The method of increasing the distance hinders miniaturization of the whole antenna, and the insertion of the radio absorber stands in the way of reducing the cost. To incorporate a dipole antenna in a smaller space in a radio device at a lower cost, it is desirable to control the directivity of the antenna to spatially avoid the nearby radio scatterer.
As one way of controlling the directivity of an antenna, controlling the antenna directivity by using a linear parasitic element has been proposed (see JP-A-2001-185947(Patent Document 1)). The antenna described in Patent Document 1 has a common dipole 5 having a full length of λ/2 (λ: wavelength corresponding to the transmission frequency), shown in FIG. 1A. Further, linear parasitic elements 61 to 6n each having a length of λ/2 are disposed at positions separate from the axis of the common dipole 5 by a distance D2 so as to enclose the common dipole 5. The linear parasitic elements 61 to 6n each have a cross section of a radius D1.
A U-shaped parasitic element 7 is disposed in close vicinity of one end of the common dipole 5. The U-shaped parasitic element 7 includes a bottom portion 7a formed of a cylindrical conductor having a radius D3 and a length L3, and two arm portions 7b each formed of a cylindrical conductor having the radius D3 and a length L2. The U-shaped parasitic element 7 serves to match the impedance of the common dipole 5 with the impedance of the linear parasitic elements.
The electromagnetic wave from the common dipole 5 induces a resonance current in the linear parasitic elements 61 to 6n, so that the electromagnetic waves radiated from the linear parasitic elements 61 to 6n are combined with the electromagnetic wave radiated from the common dipole 5 to change the radiation directivity.


A resonator circuit is shown that is fabricated with substantially identical elements disposed symmetrically along an axis such that the circuit has a linear response to bias current. The alignment of the circuit permits multiple characteristics of the circuit to be calibrated.

Gyrator type resonators are widely used to implement poly-phase filters on integrated circuits. For example, see Integration of Analog Filters in a Bipolar process. J. O. Voorman, W. H. A. Brüils and P. J. Barth, IEEE Journal of Solid-State Circuits, Vol. SC-17, No. 4, August, 1982. Their symmetrical construction makes them well suited to filtering low intermediate frequency filtering in receivers using both in-phase and quadrature-phase signals that provide low signal distortion due to the advantages of the well known image rejection and the symmetrical (around the resonance frequency) frequency responses of both the amplitude and group-delay. For example, see U.S. Pat. No. 4,193,033.
Some conventional filter implementations of the gyrator type resonator use a combination of resistors and transconductors to tune the damping and hence the bandwidth. For examples, see U.S. Pat. No. 5,220,686 or patent application WO 02/087071 A3. Tolerances and temperature dependencies of the integrated resistors, capacitors and transconductors biasing circuitry all have their effect on the filter parameters, such as center frequency, bandwidth, shape and gain. Several solutions exist to counter this alignment problem. In one example (see Datasheet TEA6850, Philips Semiconductors, July, 1994), two potentiometers need hand alignment to set the center frequency and the bandwidth. It will be evident that hand tuning is not acceptable for high volume products due to cost considerations.
A second known solution is to add separate control loops on the receiver integrated circuit. In A wideband tunable CMOS channel-select filter for a low-IF wireless receiver. F. Behbahani, W. Tan, A. Karimi, A. Roithmeier, and A. A. Abidi. Custom IC Conf., San Diego, pp. 501-504, May 1999, a channel-select filter is described. A complex mixed analog-digital automatic frequency control loop is used to tune the center frequencies of the resonators in the filter. On top of that, a second mixed analog-digital loop is required to tune the Q of the filters.
The multiple loop calibration requirement is also apparent in some products currently on the market. S. Sandee and G. van Werven (Application Note, AN 00001, version 1.2. Philips Semiconductors, Jun. 26, 2000), for example, describe a radio with circumstantial controlled selectivity wherein a 7 bit digital to analog converter (DAC) is used to calibrate the center frequency, the bandwidth is dynamically controlled using an analog loop and the gain is calibrated using a 4 bit DAC. In another current product, the TEAS5767HL (see Datasheet TEA5767HL, Philips Semiconductors, Sep. 13, 2002) shows a low intermediate frequency filter that requires two separate alignment loops, one for the center frequency and one for the gain. In addition, both loops of the TEAS5767HL require a pin and an external component. Each of these calibration loops requires a supply current, which requires additional chip area and, in some cases, requires additional interface pins and external components.
A third solution is to correct the process spread by using an external micro-controller. This approach is demonstrated in A Digitally Programmable Zero External Components FM Radio Receiver with luV Sensitivity, H. van Rumpt, D. Kasperkovitz, J. van der Tang. IEEE—ISSCC 2003 and in a part currently available on the market, see Datasheet TDA7513T, ST Microelectronics, June 2004. [10, 11]. In most products, micro-controllers have a specific function, such as polling interrupts, updating the display, controlling the modes of functions, or scanning a keypad. The introduction of micro-controlled calibration may place an undesirable load on the micro-controller along with the system bus that may impair the micro-controller's ability to perform its primary functions.
It is an objective of the invention to obviate these drawbacks so that poly phase type filters can be produced with a high production yield, using less chip area, less current consumption and no additional pins nor external components.

Tunable poly-phase filter and method for calibration thereof


An apparatus includes a memory configured to store training data used for automatically sorting objects. The apparatus acquires a first captured-image that is captured at a first timing before an object-sorting work for sorting objects is performed, and a second captured-image that is captured at a second timing after the object-sorting work has been performed, and extracts, from each of the first captured-image and the second captured-image, a feature amount of an object-image that is an image of an object included in each of the first captured-image and the second captured-image. The apparatus stores, in the memory, as the training data, a first feature amount corresponding to a first object whose object-image is included in both the first captured image and the second captured image, or a second feature amount corresponding to a second object whose object-image is included in only one of the first captured-image and the second captured-image.

Object sorting work using an image includes, for example, appearance inspection of products in production lines of various products, removal of foods that are not able to be used in processing performed in factories in which fresh foods are processed, or the like. In sorting work of this type, based on training data including information for an image of an object (a normal article) which has no problem and information for an image of an object (an abnormal article) which has some kind of problem and is to be removed, a computer determines whether or not the objects depicted in the images are to be removed.
In generating training data, a computer (or a human) collects many captured images of an object that is a sorting target and gives a label used for determining, for each image, whether the image is an image obtained by capturing an object of a normal article or an abnormal article. In this case, as the number of images that are collected increases, sorting accuracy increases but, on the other hand, the number of times work of giving a label is performed increases and a work time becomes longer. Specifically, in a case in which a person (a worker) operates an input device to perform work of giving a label, as the number of images increases, a workload of the worker increases. Therefore, in recent years, a method for efficiently generating training data using information included in image data has been proposed.
As a method for generating training data, there is a method in which data that has been manually labeled by a person is prepared for each category and a category of data a label of which is unknown is determined to be a category of data the level of similarity of which is the highest among pieces of data which were labeled (see, for example, Japanese Laid-open Patent Publication No. 2001-158373).
Also, there is a method in which similar images are divided into clusters, based on a feature defined in advance, by learning without a teacher and it is determined, based on to which cluster an image that has been newly input belongs, whether the image is normal or abnormal (see, for example, Japanese Laid-open Patent Publication No. 2006-330797).
Japanese Laid-open Patent Publication No. 2001-158373 and Japanese Laid-open Patent Publication No. 2006-330797 discuss related art.

Generation of training data for object-sorting work based on a difference between feature amounts of captured object images


A control device for a vehicle braking system including an electronic device to control at least one first hydraulic component and second hydraulic component of the braking system so that a first brake pressure in at least one first wheel brake cylinder of a first brake circuit of the braking system is settable corresponding to a predefined first setpoint brake pressure or a setpoint brake pressure profile, and a second brake pressure is settable in at least one second wheel brake cylinder of a second brake circuit of the braking system corresponding to a predefined second setpoint brake pressure or setpoint brake pressure profile, the electronic device being configured to select an operating mode to be performed from at least two workable operating modes based on at least one provided specified variable. Also described is a braking system for a vehicle and a method for operating a vehicle braking system.

Patent document DE 10 2011 075 983 A1 discusses a hydraulic braking system, a control device and a method for operating same. With the aid of a use of the hydraulic braking system, it is to be made possible to decelerate a vehicle with the aid of at least one electric motor and a hydraulic braking system.

Control device for a braking system of a vehicle, and method for operating a braking system of a vehicle


The invention intends to separating a methyl derivative of naphthalene (2,6-dimethyl naphthalene or 2-methyl naphthalene) from a mixture material in a high purity more than 98 weight %. The starting material is preliminarily treated at a raised temperature up to 220.degree. c. at the highest and with LHSV of 0.1-6 Hr.sup.-1 in the presence of an acid catalyst usually used for olefin polymerization. The treated material is distillated to remove the polymerized impurities and to raise the naphthalene derivative content at least up to 50 weight %. And then the obtained material is subjected to the crystallization under a pressure of 500-2500 kgf/cm.sup.2 at a temperature of 80.degree.-150.degree. C. (for 2,6-DMN) or 10.degree.-35.degree. C. (for 2-MN).

The invention relates to a process for separating 2,6-dimethylnaphthalene in a high purity of more than 98 weight % from a mixture containing this methyl substituted naphthalene and a process for separating 2-methylnaphthalene in a high purity of more than 98 weight % from a mixture containing this methyl substituted naphthalene. The dimethylnaphthalene and the methylnaphthalene are hereinafter abbreviated respectively, as DMN and MN.
2,6-DMN is oxidized and 2-MN is acylated and then oxidized to produce naphthalene-2,6-dicarboxylic acid, which is an industrially important material for manufacturing polyesters and plasticizers. 2,6-DMN and 2-MN are contained in various fractions of petroleum and coal tar as mixtures together with other DMN and MN isomers.
As for separation of 2,6-DMN and 2-MN from such fractions, various processes have been proposed.
For instance, it is well known to those skilled in the art to cool the DMN fraction obtained by concentrating and extracting petroleum or coal tar material so as to obtain a solid product containing 2,6- and 2,7-DMN, which is then subjected to recrystallization or partial melting in order to separate 2,6-DMN. 2-MN is separated by continuous crystallization or recrystallization of the MN fraction in order to separate 2-MN
The DMN compounds, however, generally form eutectic mixtures. For instance, 2,6-DMN and 2,7-DMN form a two-component eutectic mixture in the mole ratio of 41.5:58.5. 2,6- and 2,3-DMN form a two-component eutectic mixture in the mole ratio of 47.5:52.5. Therefore, the conventional process for separating 2,6-DMN of a high purity which relies on the recrystallization method cannot attain a high separation yield, since the yield of 2,6-DMN is based on the material composition.
For instance the fraction of the boiling point of 250.degree.-270.degree. C. obtained by catalytically cracking petroleum contains 8-13% of 2,6-DMN and 8-13% of 2,7-DMN so that when separating and purifying by cooling, solidifying and recrystallizing or partially melting thereof, the yield for recovering of 2,6-DMN is about 30% at the highest.
It is possible to increase the 2,6-DMN content in the material up to 30% by rectification, but it is impossible to considerably change the ratio of 2,6-DMN and 2,7-DMN so the yield of pure 2,6-DMN cannot be raised.
Various fractions from petroleum or coal tar contain 2,6-DMN and 2,7-DMN in the same amount in addition to which various components inclusive of DMN isomers are contained. 2-MN and 1-MN are contained in the fraction in the ratio of 2:1. The boiling points of 2,6-DMN and 2,7-DMN as well as of 2-MN and 1-MN are very close respectively to each other so that the eutectic mixture and the solid solution thereof may be formed.
Thus, separation of 2,6-DMN encounters the problems of decreased recovery yield, difficulty of raising the purity and considerably high cost of separation and purification. The same is applied to separation and purification of 2-MN.
In order to solve the problems referred to above, utilizing crystallization under pressure, has been proposed. This method is superior to recrystallization, partial melting and continuous crystallization based on compactness of the apparatus, lower cost, higher yield and higher purity, but it is disadvantageous in that impurities in the material are subjected to oxidative polymerization with a relatively small amount of oxygen due to local superheat under high pressure in the pressure crystallizing apparatus also, the oxidized polymers become mixed into the separated product crystals.
The crystals of 2,6-DMN and 2-MN separated according to this pressure crystallization method are, thus, colored in black and the qualities thereof are considerably deteriorated due to the oxidized polyme impurities in the material so that the separated products are commercially less valuable. The method also has a disadvantage in that the discharged liquid can not be reused for the reason as referred to above.

Process for separating methyl substituted naphthalene by crystallization under pressure


A semiconductor device according to the present invention includes the following: a conductive layer disposed on an insulating substrate; a first semiconductor element and a second semiconductor element that are joined on an opposite surface of the conductive layer opposite from the insulating substrate, with a gap the first semiconductor element and the second semiconductor element; an electrode joined on an opposite surface of the first semiconductor element opposite from the conductive layer, and an opposite surface of the second semiconductor element opposite from the conductive layer, so as to extend over the gap; and resin sealing the conductive layer, the first semiconductor element, the second semiconductor element, and the electrode. The conductive layer has a recess pattern that is disposed on a surface being opposite from the insulating substrate and facing the gap, the recess pattern extending along the gap.

Semiconductor devices having a plurality of semiconductor elements (e.g., switching elements) are used in apparatuses, such as inverters that control the motors of, for instance, electric vehicles or trains, and converters for energy regeneration. The inside of such a semiconductor device is typically sealed with resin.
The semiconductor device is configured in such a manner that the semiconductor elements are arranged to be adjacent to each other on a conductive layer, and that an electrode is joined in common on the upper surfaces of the adjacent semiconductor elements (c.f., Patent Document 1).
This configuration, which creates a narrow gap between the adjacent semiconductor elements, degrades resin flowability in the gap when the inside of the semiconductor device is sealed with the resin. The degraded resin flowability causes air to be trapped inside the resin in the gaps, thus remaining as air bubbles.

Semiconductor device and power converter


A die cut blank of corrugated paperboard for forming a one-piece self-locking container for a product such as computer software items. Five panels forming the top, bottom and sides of the container are in line and flaps depend from either side of one of the side forming panel and each of the top and bottom forming panels. The flaps on the side forming panel include hinged locking flaps and the flaps on the top and bottom forming panels fold inwardly; the side flaps folding around them and being locked in place by the fifth panel engaging the locking flaps. The fold line for the flaps along one side of the blank are formed by serrated score lines rupturable for removal of the one end of the container providing a self supporting file holder for the software packet. A serrated thumb hole score is provided adjacent the fold line at the top (or bottom) of the container as access to enable tearing open and removal of the one end of the container. After first opening, the container is reused as a storage case for the product.

The packages and containers for computer software that is impressed on discs, floppy discs or like media is typically packaged in a solid fiber board holder. Packages of this type are of relatively high cost, both in the container and the master shipper carton currently used.
Packaging computer software requires some durability and cushioning. Also, the container should be usable upon opening for storing and shelving the computer software and items related thereto, such as manuals and the like.

One-piece, self-locking computer software container


Methods of modeling a transistor are provided. The method includes the steps of (a) extracting reference mobility values of a channel layer of a transistor including a gate electrode, a source region and a drain region using a reference gate voltage, a reference drain current and a reference drain voltage, (b) fitting a mobility function including model parameters on the reference mobility values to extract the model parameters, and (c) putting the extracted model parameters into a drain current modeling function to calculate a drain current flowing through the channel layer between the drain region and the source region under a bias condition defined by an arbitrary gate voltage applied to the gate electrode and an arbitrary drain voltage applied to the drain region. Related apparatuses are also provided.

1. Technical Field
The present disclosure herein relates to methods of modeling a transistor and apparatus used therein.
2. Description of Related Art
Semiconductor devices are widely used in various industrial areas such as electronic systems, automobiles and/or vessels because of light weight, small size, multi-function and/or low fabrication cost thereof. Field effect transistors (hereinafter, referred to as transistors) are important elements that constitute the semiconductor devices. In general, each of the transistors may include a gate electrode, a source region and a drain region. The source region and the drain region may be disposed in a semiconductor substrate and may be spaced apart from each other, and the gate electrode may be disposed on a channel region between the source region and the drain region. The source and drain regions may be formed by injecting dopant ions into the semiconductor substrate, and the gate electrode may be insulated from the channel region by a gate insulation layer. These transistors are widely used as switching elements constituting integrated circuits of the semiconductor device or single elements constituting logic circuits of the semiconductor device.
High reliable transistors have been increasingly demanded with the development of electronic industry. Accordingly, novel methods of modeling the transistors have been more required to improve the reliability of the transistors.

Methods of modeling a transistor and apparatus used therein

Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute


The device for generating current and/or voltage includes means for making a fluid flow between an inlet and an outlet of the device, and a thermoelectric module having a first active surface exposed to the fluid. The thermoelectric module includes apertures, and is placed in the path of the fluid between the inlet and the outlet of the device, the first active surface being substantially perpendicular to the direction of flow of the fluid.

The invention relates to a device for generating current and/or voltage comprising:                means for making a fluid flow between an inlet and an outlet of the device,        a thermoelectric module comprising a first active surface exposed to the fluid, the thermoelectric module comprising apertures and being placed in the path of the fluid between the inlet and the outlet of the device, the first active surface being substantially perpendicular to the direction of flow of the fluid.

Device for generating current and/or voltage based on a thermoelectric module placed in a flowing fluid

COMMISSARIAT A L'ENERGIE ATOMIQUE ET AUX ENERGIES ALTERNATIVES


A digital video transcoder-multiplexer (transmux) architecture that is fully software-implemented. The transmux includes transcoder processing elements (TPEs) that may use a very long instruction word (VLIW) media processor for performing transcoding, and de-assembly and re-assembly at a transport stream level, and a co-processor for providing de-assembly and re-assembly at an elementary stream level. The processors operate in parallel, at least in part, to optimize throughput and provide processing load balancing. A transmux architecture that is fully software implemented is provided to allow upgrading to handle new functions, fix hardware or software problems, test new processes, adapt to changing customer requirements, and so forth.

The present invention relates to a digital video transcoder architecture.
The following acronyms and terms are used:
ACxe2x80x94Alternating Current (DCT coefficient)
ALUxe2x80x94Arithmetic Logic Unit
Bxe2x80x94Bidirectionally-predictive coded (MPEG)
Back.xe2x80x94Backward (MPEG)
BSPxe2x80x94Bitstream Processor
CBPxe2x80x94Coded Block Pattern (MPEG)
CBRxe2x80x94Constant Bit Rate
Chan.xe2x80x94Channel
CPUxe2x80x94Central Processing Unit
D$xe2x80x94Data cache
DCxe2x80x94Direct Current (DCT coefficient)
DCTxe2x80x94Discrete Cosine Transform
DMAxe2x80x94Direct Memory Access
DPCMxe2x80x94Differential Pulse Code Modulation
DPRAMxe2x80x94Dual Port RAM
DSxe2x80x94Data Streamer
DTSxe2x80x94Decode Time Stamp
FIFOxe2x80x94First-In, First-Out
FIRxe2x80x94Finite Impulse Response
FPGAxe2x80x94Field-Programmable Gate Array
Fwd.xe2x80x94Forward (MPEG)
H/Vxe2x80x94Horizontal/Vertical
HWxe2x80x94Hardware
Ixe2x80x94Intra-coded (MPEG) or Integer
I$xe2x80x94Instruction cache
I/Fxe2x80x94Intermediate Frequency
I2Cxe2x80x94IICxe2x80x94Inter-integrated circuit (a serial bus standard)
I2Sxe2x80x94IISxe2x80x94Inter-IC sound (a 3-wire digital stereo PCM audio interconnect)
iBlkxe2x80x94Input block FIFO
IDCTxe2x80x94Inverse DCT
IECxe2x80x94International Electro-mechanical Commission
IFGxe2x80x94Integer, Floating point and Graphics (as in IFG-ALU); an Equator acronym
IGxe2x80x94Integer, Graphics unit
iMBxe2x80x94Input macroblock FIFO
Info.xe2x80x94Information
Int.xe2x80x94Interface
iRBxe2x80x94Input rate buffer
ISRxe2x80x94interrupt service routine
ITUxe2x80x94International Telecommunications Union
JTAGxe2x80x94Joint Test Action Group (IEEE 1149.1 protocol)
KBxe2x80x94Kilobyte
LRUxe2x80x94least recently used (a cache line replacement algorithm)
MAPxe2x80x94Media Accelerated Processor (Equator)
MBxe2x80x94Megabyte or Macroblock
MCxe2x80x94Motion Compensation
MTSxe2x80x94MPEG Transport Stream
MUXxe2x80x94Multiplexer
NCxe2x80x94Non-coherent Connect
NOPxe2x80x94No Operation
NTSCxe2x80x94National Television Standards Committee
oBlkxe2x80x94Output block FIFO
oMBxe2x80x94Output macroblock FIFO
oRBxe2x80x94Output rate buffer
Pxe2x80x94Predictive-Coded (MPEG)
PCRxe2x80x94Program Clock Reference (MPEG)
PESxe2x80x94Packetized Elementary Stream (MPEG)
Pic.xe2x80x94Picture
PIDxe2x80x94Packet Identifier
PTSxe2x80x94Presentation Time Stamp (MPEG)
QLxe2x80x94Quantization Level
RAMxe2x80x94Random Access Memory
RAMDACxe2x80x94RAM Digital-to-Analog Converter
Ref.xe2x80x94Reference
Reg.xe2x80x94Register
RGBxe2x80x94Red Green Blue
RISCxe2x80x94Reduced Instruction Set Computer
RLxe2x80x94Run Length (or run-level pair)
ROMxe2x80x94Read-Only Memory
RTOSxe2x80x94Real-Time Operating System
Rxxe2x80x94Receiver
SAVxe2x80x94Start of Active Video
SCxe2x80x94Start Code
SDRAMxe2x80x94Synchronous Dynamic Random Access Memory
SGRAMxe2x80x94Synchronous Graphics Random Access Memory
SIMDxe2x80x94Single Instruction, Multiple Data
Svc.xe2x80x94Service
SWxe2x80x94Software
T1xe2x80x94A US telephony digital line standard with a data rate of 1.544 Mbps
TCIxe2x80x94Transport Channel Input
TLBxe2x80x94Translation Lookaside Buffer (part of MMU)
TMCxe2x80x94Transcoder Multiplexer Core
TPExe2x80x94Transcoder Processing Element
T-STDxe2x80x94Transport System Target Decoder
tVLDxe2x80x94Transcoder VLD
tVLExe2x80x94Transcoder VLE
Txxe2x80x94Transmitter
VBVxe2x80x94Video Buffer Verifier (MPEG)
VLDxe2x80x94Variable-Length Decoding
VLExe2x80x94Variable-Length Encoding
VLIWxe2x80x94Very Long Instruction Word
The transmission of digital video data, e.g., via broadband communication systems such as cable television or satellite television networks has become increasingly popular. Source video sequences can be pre-encoded at any rate, which may be a constant bit rate (CBR) or variable bit rate (VBR), to form pre-compressed or live bitstreams. For many applications, however, the pre-compressed bitstreams must correspond with only specific allowable, or otherwise desirable, formats and bit rates. Accordingly, a transcoder is used to change the bit rate, format or other characteristics of the video data prior to communicating it, e.g., to a set-top box and/or some intermediate point in a network.
A number of transcoders are often used in a statistical multiplexer that receives a number of compressed bitstreams, decompresses the bitstreams (at least partially), then recompresses them at a different rate by allocating a quantization parameter based on some statistical property of the bitstreams such as picture complexity.
The bitstreams are typically compressed according to a known video coding standard, such as MPEG.
A transmux refers to a combination of multiple single-service video transcoders and a statistical multiplexer that dynamically sets the video bit rate. Usually, this is done to perceptually equalize the quality of the video services within a statmux group, i.e., allocate more bits to services containing a difficult-to-compress video, and fewer bits to services containing easier-to-compress video.
However, the development of a transmux architecture must address various needs. In particular, it would be desirable to provide transmux architecture that is fully software implemented. This provides great flexibility by allowing the transmux functions to be changed in the field (e.g., at cable television headends and the like) by only changing the software rather than the hardware. The architecture is also suitable for use in computer networks such as the Internet.
This is advantageous since it allows upgrading of transmuxes to handle new functions, fix hardware or software problems (xe2x80x9cbugsxe2x80x9d), test new processes, adapt to changing customer requirements, and so forth. These tasks are all easier with a xe2x80x9csoftxe2x80x9d (software-based) transmux.
Moreover, savings in design time and expenses can result.
The transmux should provide a good computational efficiency and allow a relatively small physical size (footprint).
The transmux should be implementable using a readily-available media processor, such as a VLIW media processor.
The transmux should perform full transcoding, including keeping track of frame-to-frame requantization errors.
The transmux should provide scheduling of multiple transcoding threads (including buffer management, processor management, and the like) with combinations of both transcoded video PIDs and pass-thru data/audio services on a single processor without the use of a RTOS.
The transmux should use a load balancing algorithm, specific to the transcoding task, for keeping a VLIW processor and co-processor from waiting on each other, and to obtain high levels of computational throughput.
The transmux should provide decomposition of a transcoding algorithm into components which run on a VLIW processor and a co-processors subject to co-processor memory constraints, instruction cache size and data cache size.
The transmux should provide case-wise specialization of a simplified transcoding algorithm to the different MPEG-2 picture types (I, P or B) and macroblock coding type (intra-coded or inter-coded), and account for whether the quantization step size increases or decreases during transcoding.
The transmux should provide an overall software architecture for a transcoder processor element (TPE).
The present invention provides a transmux design having the above and other advantages.
The present invention relates to a digital video transmux architecture.
A transcoding process in accordance with the invention can be decomposed into the following five steps. A VLIW core processing resource and a BSP processing resource are allocated for the different steps as indicated. The BSP handles the sequential bitstream packing and unpacking tasks. On the MAP-2000CA, the BSP is VLx co-processor 131, which is a VLD/VLE co-processor, although similar devices from other suppliers may be used. The BSP runs multiple transcoding VLE and VLD threads (processing loops). A corresponding architecture is shown in FIG. 1(a).
a) MPEG transport stream decoding (on VLIW core) (10)
b) MPEG video elementary stream variable length decoding (VLD) (on BSP) (20)
c) Core transcoding (on VLIW core) (30), consisting generally of
c.1) inverse quantization (of VLD output)
c.2) spatial error motion compensation (and addition to IDCT out)
c.3) forward DCT of motion compensated error
c.4) add error (now in DCT domain) to inverse quantize results)
c.5) forward quantization (to form the VLE input)
c.6) inverse quantize VLE input and subtract from fwd. quant. input to form cumulative error in DCT domain
c.7) inverse DCT of error to form spatial error. This error is stored in reference frame buffer to be used in future pictures (step c.2) which reference this image.
d) MPEG video elementary stream variable length encoding (VLE) (on BSP) (40)
e) MPEG transport stream encoding (encapsulates the transcoded video elementary streams) (on VLIW) (50).
Thus, the parsing/demux 10 provides transport stream de-assembly, the VLD 20 provides ES de-assembly, the VLE 40 provides ES re-assembly, and the remux/packetization 50 provides transport stream re-assembly.
Generally, the transcoding of a video access unit (coded picture) is accomplished in N computational steps by M processing elements, where the results of certain steps are used as inputs to later steps (the specific steps in our case are listed above). Each of the N steps may be executed on different processing elements subject to the data dependencies imposed by the algorithm.
One of the key concepts of this invention is that each coded picture is represented by a data structure (the Picture structure) which is passed between the processing elements. Queues of pictures exist at the input to each function (step) which may be serviced by one or more processing elements.
A particular transcoder apparatus in accordance with the invention includes at least a first transcoder processing element (TPE) for receiving input channels of a transport stream comprising compressed digital video data, and first and second processing resources associated with the first TPE for providing data de-assembly, core transcoding, and data re-assembly. Additionally, a queue is associated with the first processing resource for queuing data received from the second processing resource prior to processing at the first processing resource, and a queue associated with the second processing resource for queuing data received from the first processing resource prior to processing at the second processing resource. The first and second processing resources are operable in parallel, at least in part, for providing the data de-assembly, core transcoding, and data re-assembly.
Single or multi-threaded implementations may be used for the VLIW and BSP processors.
A corresponding method is also presented.

Transcoder-multiplexer (transmux) software architecture


Thermoplastic compositions containing, per 100 parts by weight of a thermoplastic material containing at least one alkenyl aromatic hydrocarbon polymer or copolymer and, if required, at least one other thermoplastic of elastomeric resin:. (a) from 5 to 30 parts by weight of melamine and melamine isocyanurate, PA1 (b) from 2 to 10 parts by weight of at least one polyol containing at least 4 hydroxyl functions per molecule, and PA1 (c) from 0 to 14 parts by weight of at least one organic ester of phosphoric acid.. A process for their preparation consists of mixing the various constituents at a temperature higher than the softening point of the alkenyl aromatic hydrocarbon polymer or copolymer, between 150.degree. and 200.degree. C., for a duration between 1 and 5 minutes in an internal mixer or extruder.. Articles obtained by transformation of the above compositions are formed having low combustion rates.

The present invention pertains to alkenyl aromatic hydrocarbon polymers, copolymers based on alkenyl aromatic hydrocarbons and compositions containing the said polymers and copolymers combined with other thermoplastic or elastomeric polymers, containing combustion retardant agents which do not have halogen atoms.
The polymers and copolymers of alkenyl aromatic hydrocarbons as well as the compositions containing them are well known for their remarkable properties and have become thermoplastics which are widely employed for very diversified applications. Nevertheless, they have mediocre fire resistance performance and burn easily.
It is known to add flame-proofing agents to these polymers, copolymers and compositions. The most commonly employed are comprised of compounds containing at least one halogen atom, generally bromine. The efficacy of these compounds has been widely demonstrated. However, they have the drawback of emitting harmful and corrosive halogen gases when attacked by fire.
It is also known from Japanese publication A-54/85242 to make polystyrene nonflammable by means of 3 to 50 parts by weight of melamine cyanurate per 100 parts by weight of polystyrene.
Also, known from French patent 2,096,230 are injection-moldable thermoplastic composition which are nonflammable and contain at least 60% by weight of melamine and no more that 40% by weight of polystyrene.
Also known from Japanese publication A-54/46250 are compositions containing 30 to 80 parts by weight of polystyrene, 20 to 70 parts by weight of melamine and 0.05 to 5 parts by weight (expressed in phosphorus) of a phosphorous compound.
The addition of large amounts of melamine and/or melamine cyanurate has a deleterious effect on the mechanical properties of the resultant materials.

Thermoplastic compositions improved fire performance containing alkenyl aromataic polymers


Optical compensation films and a method for reducing dark-state light leakage of vertical alignment liquid crystal displays are disclosed. The light path difference (LCΔND) is in a range of 324.3-342.8 nm, and the pretilt angle is in a range of 85 to 90 degrees when measured at a wavelength of 550 nm. Wherein an in-plain retardation value Ro of the biaxial compensation film is in the range of 48-84 nm, an out-of-plain retardation value Rth of the biaxial compensation film is in the range of 160-280 nm, and a retardation value Rth of the TAC compensation film is within a range between Y1 and Y2. The compensation structure with single layer of biaxial compensation film not only can reduce the dark-state light leakage, but also can increase the contrastness and the resolution in the wide viewing angle.

This application claims priority to China Patent Application No. 201210358060.1 filed on Sep. 24, 2012 entitled, OPTICAL COMPENSATION FILMS AND METHOD FOR REDUCING DARK-STATE LIGHT LEAKAGE OF VERTICAL ALIGNMENT LIQUID CRYSTAL DISPLAY, all of the disclosures of which are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety.
1. Field of the Invention
Embodiments of the present disclosure relate to optical technology, and more particularly to optical compensation films and a method for reducing dark-state light leakage of vertical alignment liquid crystal display.
2. Discussion of the Related Art
As the view angles of the thin film transistor LCD (TFT-LCD) increase, the contrastness and the resolution of the display are decreased for the reason that the birefringence of the liquid crystal changes in accordance with the change of the view angles. By adopting wide view angle compensation films, the dark-state light leakage may be reduced and the brightness of the display may be greatly increased.
Normally, the compensation films amend the phase displacements of the liquid crystal in different view angles so that the birefringence of the liquid crystal is compensated symmetrically. Different compensation films are designed for different display modes of liquid crystal. For example, vertical alignment (VA) display modes are for large size liquid crystal display. Other examples include the N-TAC compensation films of Konica, Zeonor films of OPOTES, F-TAC compensation films of Fujitsu, and X-plate films of Nitto Denko. The conventional single-layer biaxial compensation structure is shown in FIG. 1 and the conventional double-layers biaxial compensation structure is shown in FIG. 2. The single-layer biaxial compensation structure is formed by a Triacetate Cellulose (TAC) film, a Poly Vinyl Alcohol (PVA) film, the TAC compensation film, a Pressure Sensitive Adhesive (PSA) film, a VA cell film, the PSA film, a biaxial film, the PVA film, the TAC compensation film in turn.
Adopting the double-layers biaxial compensation structure decreases the dark-state light leakage to enhance the brightness and the resolution. However, the cost of the double-layers biaxial compensation structure is high. In addition, adopting the single-layer biaxial compensation structure may reduce the cost, but the dark-state light leakage may happen.
FIGS. 3 and 4 are distribution diagrams showing the dark-state light leakage of the conventional single-layer biaxial and double-layers biaxial compensation structure when the light path difference (LCΔND) is equal to 333.6 nm and the pretilt angle is 89 degree.
FIGS. 5 and 6 are simulation diagrams of the contrastness distribution for the conventional single-layer biaxial and double-layers biaxial compensation structures in a wide viewing angle. It can be seen from FIGS. 3 to 6 that the light leakage of the double-layers biaxial compensation structure is much less than that of the single-layer biaxial compensation structure. In addition, the contrastness distribution of the double-layers biaxial compensation structure is also better that that of the single-layer biaxial compensation structure.
Therefore, there is a need to solve the dark-state light leakage using the single-layer biaxial compensation structure.

Optical compensation films and method for reducing dark-state light leakage of vertical alignment liquid crystal displays

Shenzhen China Star Optoelectronics Technology co., Ltd.


An assembly for an air bag (56) adapted to fit within an opening (22) of a vehicle part (20) including: a housing (44) including: a first wall (100) and an opposite second wall (102), a flexible wall member (106) secured to the first wall (100) defining a space (150) therebetween, one of the first wall (100) and flexible wall member (106) including a plurality of first tabs (112) extending into the space (132), the second wall (102) including a plurality of locating tabs (120) and latching tabs extending outwardly therefrom; a deployment door or cover (30, 40, 42) for enclosing the housing including a hinge portion (40), received in the space, engagable with the first tabs (112) to provide a snap connection therebetween and a seam portion (42) including seam flange (76) engageable with the locating tabs, the seam flange being latched in place by the latching tabs (122) to secure the seam portion (42) to the housing.

The present application generally relates to an air bag safety system and more specifically to a passenger side air bag system including a housing and deployment door which does not use external fasteners.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,893,833 illustrates a passenger side deployment door having a single, flexible hinge along one side and a frangible member along another side of the cover. The frangible member breaks apart in response to air bag deployment forces permitting the cover to rotate about the hinge. The hinge and frangible member are attached to cooperating structure by external fasteners such as bolts, nuts or rivets, received through bolt/rivet holes which make the assembly process more complicated than necessary. In addition, the bolt/rivet holes provide a source of increased stress within the various portions of the door.
It is an object of the present invention to provide an improved methodology for retaining an air bag deployment door to its related housing. Accordingly the invention comprises: an assembly for an air bag adapted to fit within an opening of a vehicle part, such as an instrument panel. The assembly comprising: a housing having a first wall and an opposite second wall, and a flexible wall member secured to the first wall defining a space therebetween. One of the first wall and flexible wall members includes a plurality of first tabs extending into the space. The second wall includes a plurality of locating tabs and latching tabs extending outwardly therefrom to engage a portion of a deployment door. The deployment door includes a hinge portion, received in the space between the first wall and flexible wall, engagable with the first tabs to provide a snap connection therebetween and a seam portion including seam flange engagable with the locating tabs. The seam flange being latched in place to the housing by the latching tabs.
Many other objects and purposes of the invention will be clear from the following detailed description of the drawings.

Passenger air bag module with means for retaining an air bag deployment door to a housing


An active imaging device for imaging a scene includes a scene illuminator that illuminates the scene, a radiation detector that detects radiation received from the scene, a feature identifier that analyses the detection data and identifies different features in the scene, a frequency selector that separately selects for the identified features one or more selected illumination frequencies resulting in the minimum speckle noise in an image of the respective feature constructed from the detection data.

Speckle noise (also called "speckle" in the following) is a granular noise that inherently exists in and degrades the quality of images obtained by active imaging devices, such as active radars, and synthetic aperture radars (SARs). Speckle noise in conventional radar results from random fluctuations in the return signal from an object that is no bigger than a single image-processing element. It increases the mean grey level of a local area.
Various techniques have been proposed to reduce the effect of speckle for illumination systems such as laser projectors, but these techniques concentrate on removing the phase coherence of the transmitted signal, which help to decrease the speckle on the final image. Such techniques however cannot be used for an active imaging device, since it is important that the transmitted signal in an active imaging device maintains its phase coherence.
The use of multiple frequency techniques to reduce the effects of speckle in an active imaging device has been proposed in I. Jaeger et al, "Comparison of speckle reduction diversity tools for active millimeter-wave imaging", Journal of the Optical Society of America, Vol. 25, No. 7, July 2008. This paper describes (in section 3) the use of more than one frequency to reduce the effects of speckle. In particular, it explains that when an object is illuminated with two frequencies, the amount of speckle noise can be reduced as the difference between these frequencies is increased. It also further indicates that to obtain a desired speckle reduction for a given object, the difference frequency between these two frequencies may have to be adaptively changed, in accordance with the optical properties of the object, which undesirably may need a large bandwidth.
The use of the properties of different image feature/structures for selecting how to best filter the final image to reduce the effects of speckle in an active imaging device is described in Zengguo et al, "Research and Improving on Speckle MMSE Filter Based on Adaptive Windowing and Structure Detection", IEEE International Conference on Vehicular Electronics and Safety 2005, pp. 251-256. This paper describes a technique to reduce speckle for an image in which different image features are first classified into heterogeneous or homogenous areas. Features in the heterogeneous areas are then further identified and for each type of feature (line, edge, point) different types of filtering are used to reduce the speckle noise.

Active imaging device and method for speckle noise reduction including frequency selection