To realize structure simplification and reduction in manufacturing cost without lowering power transmission efficiency and reliability. The present invention includes a first motor 5 and a second motor 6, and a lead 2 of a ball screw 12 is disposed coaxially with a motor rotary shaft 5a on a first motor 5 side and a nut 3 of the ball screw 12 is disposed coaxially with a motor rotary shaft 6a on a second motor 6 side so that the first motor 5 and the second motor 6 are connected to each other via the ball screw 12.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an electromotive actuator for use in operating, for example, a movable nozzle of a rocket and to a method for controlling the same.
2. Description of Related Art
Conventionally, as such an electromotive actuator as mentioned above, there is, for example, an electromotive actuator 51 which, as shown in FIG. 6, includes: a first motor 55 and a second motor 56 accommodated in a parallel state to each other in a housing 54 which is pivotally connected to a fuselage R1; a ball screw 50 disposed in parallel to the first motor 55 and the second motor 56; a third gear 58 attached to a lead 52 of this ball screw 50 and simultaneously engaged both with a first gear 57 and a second gear 59 which are attached to respective output shafts of the first motor 55 and the second motor 56; and an arm 61 attached coaxially with the lead 52 to a housing 60 which is integrally structured with a nut 53 of the ball screw 50.
This electromotive actuator 51 is so structured that, for example, when the first motor 55 is malfunction, the lead 52 of the ball screw 50 is driven only with the second motor 56 to move the arm 61 together with the housing 60 in an arrow X direction.
As another electromotive actuator different from this electromotive actuator 51, there is an electromotive actuator 71 which, as shown in FIG. 7, includes: a first motor 75 and a second motor 76 accommodated in a coaxial state with each other in a housing 74 which is pivotally connected to a fuselage R2; a ball screw 70 disposed perpendicularly to the first motor 75 and the second motor 76; a differential gear array 79 which connects respective output shafts of the first motor 75 and the second motor 76 to a lead 72 of this ball screw 70; and an arm 81 attached coaxially with the lead 72 to a housing 80 which is integrally structured with a nut 73 of the ball screw 70, and in the first motor 75 and the second motor 76, a first brake 77 and a second brake 78 for restricting the rotations of the respective output shafts are provided.
This electromotive actuator 71 is so structured that, for example, when the first motor 75 is malfunction, the first brake 77 brakes the output shaft of the first motor 75 and the lead 72 of the ball screw 70 is driven only with the second motor 76 to move the arm 81 together with the housing 80 in an arrow X direction.
Furthermore, as another electromotive actuator different from the electromotive actuators 51, 71 described above, there is an electromotive actuator 91 which, as shown in FIG. 8, includes: a motor 95 accommodated in a housing 94 which is pivotally connected to a fuselage R3; a lead 96 of a ball screw disposed coaxially with this motor 95; a nut 98 of the ball screw integrally structured with a housing 97 which is coaxially disposed with the motor 95; and an arm 99 which is positioned on a side of the housing 97 opposite the nut 98 and which is coaxial with the motor 95, and this electromotive actuator 91 is so structured that the arm 99 is moved in an arrow X direction together with the housing 97 by rotating the motor 95.
In this case, as a multiphase motor used in the above-described electromotive actuators 51, 71, 91, there is, for example, a three-phase brushless motor 100 which is, as shown in FIG. 10, provided with totally two sets of windings 101, 102 of an A system and a B system. The windings 101, 102 of this three-phase brushless motor 100 are both connected to inverters C, C respectively and electric currents flowing through the two sets of the windings 101, 102 are feedback to interface circuits 105, 106 via these inverters C, C respectively to perform electric current control.
In the above-described electromotive actuators, however, the electromotive actuator 51 shown in FIG. 6 has a problem that efficiency of the electromotive actuator 51 is lowered due to an inertia load of the first motor 55 when the first motor 55 is malfunction and only the second motor 56 is operated.
Moreover, in order to prevent the influence of the inertia load of the first motor 55, a clutch mechanism becomes necessary, and there exists a problem that reliability of a power transmission system of the electromotive actuator 51 is lowered.
The electromotive actuator 71 shown in FIG. 7 has a problem that, since its mechanism system is relatively complicated, reliability cannot be said to be high, and in addition, manufacturing cost may possibly be increased.
Furthermore, in the electromotive actuator 91 shown in FIG. 8, when the arm 99 is fixed in a predetermined position while the motor 95 is burdened with a load, the position is maintained by a positioning servo based on a feedback signal from a not-shown position sensor, so that electric currents are concentrated to a power transistor for fixing (for example, a transistor C1) of an inverter C, as shown in FIG. 9, to increase heat generation due to a resistance loss of this power transistor C1, and therefore, there exists a problem that it cannot be said that there is no possibility that the inverter C is damaged.
Meanwhile, in the conventional three-phase brushless motor 100 used in the above-described electromotive actuators 51, 71, 91, when, for example, the set of the windings 101 or the inverter C of the A system has a trouble, the three-phase brushless motor 100 operates only with the remaining set of the windings 102 of the B system since the two sets of the windings 101, 102 are independent from each other, but there exists a problem that its output power is reduced by half.
Moreover, there exists problems that, when even one phase out of three phases becomes out of order in the remaining set of the windings 102 of the B system, an inoperable state is caused, and in addition, the damage of one phase induces the damage of the other phases when the inverters C, C are out of order in a normal short-circuit mode. Therefore, solving these problems has been a conventional object.
The present invention is made in view of the above-described conventional problems, and an object of an invention according to claim 1 and claim 2 is to provide an electromotive actuator which can realize structure simplification and reduction in manufacturing cost without lowering power transmission efficiency and reliability; an object of an invention according to claim 3 and claim 4 is to provide an electromotive actuator and a method for controlling the electromotive actuator which can reduce a resistance loss of a power transistor, and in addition, can realize uniform thermal distribution, and as a result, can downsize an inverter and enhance reliability; and an object of an invention according to claim 5 and claim 6 is to provide a multiphase motor and a method for controlling the same which can not only prevent an inoperable state but also suppress decrease in output power even when an inverter is malfunction or one phase out of multi-phases of windings has a trouble, and in addition, which can almost eliminate the possibility that the damage of one phase induces the damage of the other phases when the inverter is out of order in a normal short-circuit mode.
An electromotive actuator according to claim 1 of the present invention comprises a first motor and a second motor, and is characterized in the structure that a lead of a ball screw is disposed coaxially with a motor rotary shaft on a side of one motor out of the first motor and the second motor and a nut of the ball screw is disposed coaxially with the motor rotary shaft on a side of the other motor out of the first motor and the second motor, thereby connecting the first motor and the second motor to each other via the ball screw. This structure of the electromotive actuator is adopted as means for solving the conventional problems described above.
An electromotive actuator according to claim 2 of the present invention is so structured that a lead brake for restricting the rotation of the lead of the ball screw is disposed on the side of one motor out of the first motor and the second motor and a nut brake for restricting the rotation of the nut of the ball screw is disposed on the side of the other motor out of the first motor and the second motor.
An electromotive actuator according to claim 3 of the present invention comprises a first motor, a second motor, and an operating section, and is characterized in the structure that a speed adding/outputting mechanism, which is connected to both of respective rotary shafts of both of the motors, for outputting a speed difference between both of the motors to the operating section is disposed between the first motor and the second motor, and that the speed difference between both of the motors is eliminated by constantly rotating both of the first motor and the second motor in the same phase to enable a fixed state of the operating section to be maintained. This structure of the electromotive actuator is adopted as means for solving the conventional problems described above.
A method for controlling an electromotive actuator according to claim 4 of the present invention is characterized in the structure that, in the electromotive actuator according to claim 3, the fixed state of the operating section is maintained by constantly rotating both of the first motor and the second motor in the same phase to eliminate the speed difference between both of the motors. This structure of the method for controlling the electromotive actuator is adopted as means for solving the conventional problems described above.
An invention according to claim 5 of the present invention is a multiphase motor which is a motor used in the electromotive actuators according to claim 1 to claim 3, comprising two sets of windings connected to inverters respectively, and it is characterized in the structure that, in the multiphase motor performing electric current control by feeding back electric currents flowing through the two sets of the windings respectively, a neutral line connected both to a neutral point of a star connection in one of the sets of the windings and a neutral point of a star connection in the other one of the sets of the windings is provided. This structure of the multiphase motor is adopted as means for solving the conventional problems described above.
A method for controlling a multiphase motor according to claim 6 of the present invention is characterized in the structure that, in the multiphase motor according to claim 5, when a failure occurs in one of phases of one of the two sets of the windings, electric current control is performed in such a manner that a substantially doubled electric current is made to flow through a phase of the other one of the sets of the windings, which is a counterpart of the phase in which this failure occurs. This structure of the method for controlling the multiphase motor is adopted as means for solving the conventional problems described above.
Since the electromotive actuator according to claim 1 of the present invention has the above-described structure, the movement of the ball screw corresponds to the sum of a rotation angle of the first motor and a rotation angle of the second motor and the redundancy of the speed sum is structured so that, for example, even when the operation of the first motor is stopped, an inertia load of this first motor does not become a load on the second motor, and thereby, degradation in power transmission efficiency is avoided.
In the electromotive actuator according to claim 2 of the present invention, when, for example, the first motor stops due to its failure, by braking the motor rotary shaft of this first motor, a drive operation can be performed only with the second motor without being influenced by the inertia load of the first motor which has stopped, though the speed is reduced by half.
Since the electromotive actuator according to claim 3 of the present invention has the above-described structure, when the fixed state of the operating section is maintained, a resistance loss of one power transistor becomes one third of that in a prior art by rotating the first motor and the second motor in the same phase so that heat generation due to the resistance loss of the power transistor is suppressed to be small.
Since the method for controlling the electromotive actuator according to claim 4 of the present invention has the above-described structure, the resistance loss of the power transistor in maintaining the fixed state of the operating section is suppressed to one third of that in a prior art, and as a result, downsizing and reliability enhancement of an inverter are realized.
The multiphase motor according to claim 5 of the present invention has the above-described structure, and therefore, in a case when the multiphase motor is, for example, a three-phase motor, when a failure in a short-circuit mode occurs in an inverter of a U-phase of one of the sets of the windings, a short-circuit electric current flows through the neutral line and does not flow to other elements, and the electric current control using the neutral line is performed in the remaining set of the windings. Consequently, almost no influence of the damage of the U-phase of one of the sets of the windings is given to the other phases, and in this case, control for automatically compensating for the electric current loss in the U-phase can be performed so that a great decrease in output power can also be suppressed.
In the method for controlling the multiphase motor according to claim 6 of the present invention, in a case when the multiphase motor is, for example, a three-phase motor, even when the inverter of the U-phase in one of the sets of the windings has a failure, a substantially doubled electric current is caused to flow through a Uxe2x80x2-phase of the other one of the sets of the windings, which is a counterpart of this U-phase, thereby controlling to have the Uxe2x80x2-phase automatically compensate for the loss in the U-phase so that the decrease in output power is suppressed to be small.

Electromotive actuator and method for controlling the same


A method for iterative estimation of a set of unknown channel parameters in a beamforming network including determining a first order estimate of offsets at measurement nodes and an estimate of the confidence in the initial estimate of the measurement nodes' offsets, and iterating, until a desired estimation accuracy is obtained, determining an improved estimate of a parameter set, and the confidence in the estimates, using the prior estimate of the offsets at the measurement nodes and determining an improved estimate of the offsets at the measurement nodes and the associated confidence values using the prior estimate of the parameter set and the corresponding confidence values.

Beamforming networks, such as a phased-array beamforming network, may require the calibration of the elements of the antenna array. This may involve the removal of any unknown and undesired amplitude and phase offsets between the antenna array elements. For example, in the return link of a Ground-Based Beamforming (GBBF) network of a satellite communication system, calibration may be achieved by having several geographically separated Beacon Transmitters (BT) transmitting calibration beacon signals on each antenna element path and received by a single Measurement Node (MN). Each BT may have good visibility only to a subset of antenna elements. Furthermore each BT may introduce an unknown nuisance perturbation or an offset in the transmitted signal. The objective may be to calibrate all elements of the antenna array based on measurements made at the MN of signals arriving from geographically separated BTs.
Similarly, in the forward link of a Ground-Based Beam Forming (GBBF) network of a satellite communication system, the array calibration may be achieved by a Beacon Transmitter (BT) transmitting, on each antenna element path, a calibration beacon signal which may be received and measured at several geographically separated Measurement Nodes (MN). Each MN may have good visibility only to a subset of antenna elements. Further, measurement at each MN may be affected by an unknown offset plus varying amounts of noise. The objective may be to calibrate all elements of the antenna array based on measurements made locally at each MN.
Other systems in which data from many separate sensors must be coherently combined and compared in order to determine the required system parameters may use parameter estimation. Such systems include, for example, surveying systems, in which many separate measurements may be combined to make a complete measurement, and various wireless sensor networks. The outputs of each MN may be affected by some unknown nuisance parameter, such as, for example, common measurement instrument errors (such as altitude errors that cannot be measured in surveying systems). Other applications for parameter estimation include channel estimation in Distributed MIMO (D-MIMO) architectures, and blind system identification using multiple MNs in scenarios where parameters representing the system under test may be reliably identified using multiple MNs, and where each individual MN may introduce uncertainty in its measurements. This may include estimating possibly complex-valued voltages in an electric circuit using voltage-meters that are not well calibrated.
Parameter estimation may be accomplished using selective daisy chaining, which may include combining the measurement sets. Selective daisy chaining arrives at the estimation of a parameter set, denoted by a vector, by tracing out several of the least-noisy paths in a bipartite network graph of parameters nodes and BT nodes on the return link (or MNs on the forward link), connecting the parameters nodes and the BTs (or MNs). Selective daisy chaining may lack accuracy and robustness to instrument failures, since it may not use all of the available information in all the measurement sets, and may throw away the information not belonging to the selected paths.
An extension of selective daisy chaining include the maximal daisy chain approach, which may be equivalent to a maximum ratio combining scheme, and path search techniques on the graph problems, in which all the possible paths between each pair of the parameter nodes, through all the different BTs (or MNs), may be traced out and combined using a reliability metric of all the measurements encountered along each path. Selective daisy chaining may be computationally complex, and may be an NP-hard problem that becomes unwieldy as the number of the parameters and BTs (or MNs) increases.
A linear least-squares approach to combining the measurement sets (that are collected using either the BTs on the return link or the MNs on the forward link) may also be used for parameter estimation. However, linear least-squares may have a phase ambiguity problem in the context of the parameter estimation problem in the present invention, and therefore may not be used for the estimation of complex-valued channel coefficients. The linear least-squares approach may be feasible only for the linear model of the measurements.

Method for iterative estimation of global parameters


A multi-band radio communication device with an antenna system that includes an antenna element and a parasitic element located in proximity to the antenna element. A tuning circuit is coupled to the parasitic element. The tuning circuit is variable to adjust the parasitic load on the antenna element to provide variable operating frequencies and bandwidths for the communication device.

This invention generally relates to antennas. More specifically, this invention relates to an antenna coupled with a parasitic element.
As the technology for cellular telephones advances, more operating modes and operating frequency bands are becoming available. Making a cellular telephone operable for all of these modes and at all of these frequencies places great demands on the performance of cellular telephone antenna system. In particular, multi-mode and multi-band cellular systems are demanding greater operation bandwidths for antenna systems. Short helical antennas and other small antennas have too narrow of a band of operation to cover the spectrum required of multi-band telephones, particularly when the antenna is coupled with conductive surfaces or planes in proximity to the antenna.
One solution for providing increased bandwidth is to provide a larger antenna element. However, the demand is for smaller sized telephones which makes this solution impractical. Another solution is to reduce the efficiency of the antenna. However, the efficiency of the cellular telephone antenna significantly impacts the amount of energy needed to send and receive signals. If an antenna is inefficient, the power amplifier of a cellular telephone has to produce a higher power signal to overcome the inefficiency of the antenna, which undesirably shortens battery life. Moreover, on the receive side of operation, the sensitivity of the cellular telephone is impacted by the efficiency of the antenna.
Furthermore, cellular telephones are increasingly designed to operate via more than one frequency band. An antenna system can be required to operate from a lower frequency band of operation of about 800 MHz up to a higher frequency band of operation of 2 GHz or more. This places great demands on antenna systems and is difficult to accomplish with conventionally.
Therefore, there is a need for an improved antenna system that is operable at multiple frequency bands without impacting antenna efficiency. There is a further need for an efficient antenna structure with a bandwidth large enough to operate efficiently over the required cellular frequency bands of operation.

Antenna with variably tuned parasitic element


An embodiment relates to a stator and a motor including the stator, the stator comprising: a stator core; a coil wound around the stator core; and an insulator disposed between the stator core and the coil, wherein the insulator includes: a body around which the coil is wound; a first guide protruding from the inside of the body; a second guide protruding on the outside of the body a first protrusion protruding outward from the lateral surface of the first guide; and a second protrusion protruding inward from the inner surface of the second guide, and an insulating member radially disposed between the first guide and the second guide is bent in a circumferential direction by means of the first protrusion and the second protrusion. Therefore, the motor can inhibit the movement and separation of insulating paper.

Motors are devices obtaining rotational forces by converting electrical energy into mechanical energy and are widely used in vehicles, household appliances, industrial equipment, and the like.
The motor may include a housing, a shaft, a stator disposed on an inner circumferential surface of the housing, and a rotor installed on an outer circumferential surface of the shaft. Here, the stator of the motor causes an electrical interaction of the rotor to induce rotation of the rotor.
Here, the stator may include a stator core, a coil wound around the stator core, and an insulator disposed between the stator core and the coil. In addition, the stator may further include an insulating paper disposed between the coils.
In this case, since the insulating paper is disposed in a state in which the stator is assembled with the housing, it is difficult to assemble the insulating paper at a uniform position.
In addition, when a space is formed between the coils, there is a problem in that the insulating paper is moved or separated. Consequently, there is a problem in that insulating performance due to the insulating paper is degraded.
In addition, when the insulating paper is separated, there is a problem in that rotation of the rotor is interfered with due to the insulating paper. Accordingly, the separated insulating paper increases a probability of a defect of the motor.
In addition, the stator core includes a yoke and teeth protruding inward from the yoke. The coil is wound around the teeth. In addition, a space between the teeth corresponds to a slot in which the wound coil is accommodated. Here, in the case of a series winding, a diameter of the coil is relatively larger than that of a parallel winding. Therefore, after the coil is wound around the tooth, the coil wound by a last turn passing over another tooth has a problem of causing interference with a coil disposed in an adjacent slot.


A method for using a netting apparatus adapted to display advertising content at a sporting event is disclosed. The netting apparatus comprises a first panel and a second panel. The first panel may comprise an open mesh netting, wherein the open mesh netting is adapted to safely stop a ball without significant obstruction of view through the open mesh netting. The second panel may comprise a solid material, wherein the solid material is located either in front of the first panel or behind the first panel.

Protective netting is commonly used at sporting events to protect spectators from sporting objects, such as balls or other equipment, being thrown or kicked from an athletic field. The protective netting is typically suspended by a plurality of cables from the ceiling within an enclosed stadium, or in the alternative, stretched and attached between a plurality of frame structures within a stadium. The protective net generally comprises a wide mesh such that the spectators in the stadium retain a substantially unobstructed view of the goal or field of play upon which the sporting actions may occur.
Additionally, the dimensions of the openings of the mesh will vary according to whether the protective net is designed to block or prevent the passage of small objects, such as hockey pucks or baseballs, or larger objects, such as footballs. Objects such as hockey pucks, baseballs, or footballs may be herein described as sporting equipment.
While much attention has been given to the protection of spectators at a sporting event through the provision of safety nets, there has been minimal attention given to the displaying of advertising content on these same safety nets.


A circuit breaker is configured to provide both AC and DC protected power. The circuit breaker is packaged in a housing that includes a tripping module, a DC power supply, an AC load terminal, and a DC load terminal. The tripping module senses and responds to electrical faults by interrupting power, and the DC power supply converts received AC power to DC power. In some embodiments, the circuit breaker may be configured as a main breaker of a circuit breaker panel, while in other embodiments the circuit breaker may be configured as a branch circuit breaker that occupies a single branch circuit breaker mounting location in a circuit breaker panel. Methods of assembling a circuit breaker are also provided, as are other aspects.

Conventional circuit breaker panels (also known as load centers) typically distribute AC (alternating current) electrical power to a number of branch circuits. The AC electrical power may be supplied by, e.g., a power utility company. Each branch circuit may be connected to one or more loads. For example, in a residence, each branch circuit may have a number of electrical outlets to which one or more electrical devices or appliances may be connected. A conventional circuit breaker is typically mounted in the circuit breaker panel between a main line carrying the AC electrical power and a branch circuit. The circuit breaker may "trip" (i.e., interrupt power to the branch circuit) to prevent electrical shock hazards and/or equipment damage when, e.g., a short circuit, overload, or other hazardous electrical condition is sensed by the breaker.
Although AC power is provided by the branch circuits, more and more devices and systems, such as, e.g., alarm systems, closed-circuit television systems, cell phones, laptop computers, and numerous other handheld and/or portable electronic devices, require DC (direct current) power to operate and/or to recharge batteries used in those devices and/or systems. DC-powered devices and systems typically include an AC/DC adapter that converts the AC power provided by a branch circuit to an appropriate DC voltage. As the types, numbers, and/or use of these DC-powered devices and systems continues to increase, so too may the costs of providing an AC/DC adapter for each system and device and the resulting clutter around electrical outlets caused by the increasing number and use of AC/DC adapters.
A need therefore exists to provide both AC and DC protected power from a circuit breaker panel.

Combined circuit breaker and DC power supply apparatus, systems, and methods


The specification relates to plants and their seeds and oil obtained therefrom, and to methods of producing same comprising oil having modified fatty acid compositions, such that 28% to 80% of the total fatty acid content in the seedoil is palmitic acid, 0% to 16% is palmitoleic acid, 0% to 4% is C16:2 fatty acid, 3% to 33% is stearic acid, 1% to 40% is oleic acid, 4% to 50% is linoleic acid and 0% to 10% is linolenic acid. The specification describes nucleic acid molecules encoding RNA capable of conferring these properties, in particular, RNA that inhibits expression of an oil biosynthesis gene encoding KASII in seeds of a plant. Genetic constructs and cells comprising the nucleic acid molecules are also described and claimed.

The major components of vegetable oils used in the food industry are the saturated fatty acids, palmitic acid (C16:0) and stearic acid (C18:0), the monounsaturated fatty acid, oleic acid (C18:1) and the polyunsaturated fatty acids, linoleic acid (C18:2) and α-linolenic acid (C18:3). These fatty acids are present in the oils mostly in form of triacylglycerols, in which three fatty acids are esterified to a glycerol molecule. Small amounts of diacyglycerols, monoacylglycerols, phospholipids and free fatty acids may also be present in vegetable oils, along with components such as sterols etc.
The number, position, and conformation of carbon-carbon double bonds in the fatty acid present in the triacylglycerols of the oil influences its physical properties such as melting temperature and other chemical properties as well as its nutritional value, and the applications to which it may be put, particularly in the food industry. For example, the presence of a carbon double bond in a monounsaturated fatty acid or polyunsaturated fatty acid lowers its melting temperature, compared to the melting temperature of a saturated fatty acid of the same carbon chain length, such that the C-18 unsaturated fatty acids, oleic acid, linoleic acid, and linolenic acid, are all liquid at ambient temperature.
Additionally, the susceptibility of a fatty acid to oxidation increases proportionately with the number of carbon double bonds present in the fatty acid molecule, greatly reducing the suitability of oils containing polyunsaturated fatty acids to applications involving the use of prolonged heat in the presence of oxygen, such as cooking and other food service applications, or in non-food applications such as use in the production of cosmetics, pharmaceuticals and candles. For applications that require solid fat components such as in solid cooking fats, shortenings, or margarines, it is necessary to have moderately high levels of saturated fatty acids, or the functionally equivalent trans-fatty acids. Trans-fatty acids have carbon double bonds in the trans-orientation rather than the naturally-occurring cis-orientation.
Currently, many oils high in unsaturated fatty acids are subjected to chemical hydrogenation, to improve their suitability in cooking and food service applications. However, undesirable trans-fatty acids may be produced in this process.
The nutritional quality of vegetable oils depends on the content of both saturated fatty acids and trans fatty acids (Wollett and Dietshy, Amer. J. Clin. Nutr. 60: 991-96, 1994). The contribution of high levels of some saturated fatty acids in the diet, particularly palmitic acid, to increased blood cholesterol, and more particularly to increased low density lipoprotein (LDL), is well-established. Elevated LDL in the blood has been associated with an enhanced risk of cardiovascular disease in humans. Moreover, trans-fatty acids also elevate LDL cholesterol in a manner similar to palmitic acid. However, not all saturated fatty acids are associated with elevated cholesterol. For example, stearic acid is reported to have neutral effects on blood cholesterol (Wollett and Dietshy, 1994 (supra)). In this respect, the high melting temperature of stearic acid (approximately 70° C.) also makes it particularly suitable in solid fat applications. Accordingly, because of its neutral effects on blood cholesterol levels, a high stearic acid-containing oil is a desirable substitute for partially-hydrogenated plant oils currently used in margarine production.
The oil obtained from seeds of the Theobroma cacao plant has an unusual composition that provides several highly desirable properties in the food, particularly confectionary, industries such as chocolate manufacture. The oil typically has about 40% or more stearic acid as well as about 36% oleic acid. More than 50% of the TAG in the oil is oleo-distearin, having one oleic acid molecule and two stearic acid molecules esterified in the TAG. The oil has high levels of palmitic acid in addition to stearic and oleic acids, often esterified on symmetrical triacylglycerols such as sn-1,3 distearoyl sn-2 oleoyl acyl glycerol (SOS), sn-1 palmitoyl sn-2 oleoyl sn-3 stearoyl acyl glycerol (POS), and sn-1,3 dipalmitoyl sn-2 oleoyl acyl glycerol (POP). This composition provides a sharp melting point at about 35° C., with softening at 30-32° C. At only slightly lower temperatures, below about 20° C., the oil is a solid with brittle fracture properties. The oil, also known as "cocoa butter" is in demand and has a high value.
The unreliability and price fluctuation of cocoa butter supply has made the confectionary industry search for a more reliable source of alternative plant fat which can be used as a substitute for cocoa butter. The most common cocoa butter equivalents to date have been made by interesterification of palm oil, palm mid-fraction and oils derived from some tropical oil-bearing plants, such as illipe (Shorea stenoptera), Shea (Butyrospermum parrkii), sal (Shorea robusta) and kokum (Garcinia indica) which contain high level of stearic acid, but insufficient level of palmitic acid. These tropical seed lipids are currently used as the stearic acid donor. The major TAG in the mid-fraction from palm oil is POP and its interesterification with these high-stearic tropical oils using a 1,3-specific lipase can produce TAG's that resemble the fatty acid composition and TAG structures of cocoa butter (Mojovic et al., Enzyme Microb Technol. 15: 438-443, 1993). As these tropical fats are generally expensive, the industry has also been producing cocoa butter substitute through hydrogenation and fractionation of common vegetable oils, including cottonseed oil. In this approach, the undesirable health effect of trans fatty acids resulted from the hydrogenation process are a serious impediment for the industry.
Isolated and purified vegetable oils such as cottonseed oil are composed mostly (>95%) of triacylglycerols (TAGs) that are synthesized and deposited during seed development. TAG molecules consist of three fatty acids esterified to a glycerol backbone at the sn-1, sn-2 and sn-3 positions. Briefly, the de novo biosynthesis of fatty acids in cotton seed, as in other oilseeds, occurs in the stroma of plastids during development and growth of the seeds, ie. before maturation. Fatty acids are then exported from the plastids in the form of acyl-CoA thioesters to the cytoplasmic endomembrane systems (endoplasmic reticulum, ER) where modification of fatty acids occurs after transfer of the acyl groups from the CoA thioesters to phospholipids by acyltransferases. This is followed by TAG assembly and storage in the oleosomes.
The biotin-containing enzyme acetyl-CoA carboxylase (ACCase) catalyses the first committed step in the pathway by activating acetyl-CoA to the three carbon intermediate, malonyl-CoA, by addition of a carboxyl group. The malonyl group is then transferred from CoA to an acyl-carrier protein (ACP), which serves as the carrier for the growing fatty acid chain. Malonyl-ACP is reacted with a second acetyl-CoA condensing enzyme, ketoacyl-ACP synthase III (KASIII), resulting in a four carbon chain. The repeated process of adding two-carbon units on the elongated fatty acid chain is catalyzed by KASI leading to the formation of palmitoyl-ACP. KASII catalyzes the elongation of palmitoyl-ACP to stearoyl-ACP. A soluble stearoyl-ACP Δ9-desaturase introduces the first double bond into stearoyl-ACP to convert it to oleoyl-ACP in the plastid. The extended, saturated fatty acyl chain and the monounsaturated oleate are cleaved off the ACP by a specific thioesterase enzyme, FatB or FatA, respectively, enabling them to exit the plastid and enter the cytoplasm. Saturated fatty acids released into the cytoplasm are not further modified. However, oleic acid can be further modified on the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) membranes by the action of membrane-bound desaturases. Phosphatidylcholine (PC)-bound acyl chains serve as a substrate for ER localized, lipid modifying enzymes, such as fatty acid desaturase 2 (FAD2) which introduces a double bond into oleic acid on the sn-2 position of PC to produce linoleic acid. All the modified and unmodified fatty acyl groups then form a pool while attached to CoA. In cotton, but not in other temperate zone oilseeds, oleic acid may be used as substrate for cyclopropanation catalysed by cyclopropane fatty acid synthase to produce dihydrosterculic acid. This fatty acid is subsequently desaturated to produce sterculic acid and then α-oxidased to produce malvalic acids. Finally fatty acyl groups are incorporated into storage lipids via the Kennedy pathway by the sequential esterification of glycerol-3-phosphate by the action of a series of TAG assembly enzymes.
The enzyme ketoacyl-ACP synthase II (KASII) (EC 18.104.22.168) catalyzes the elongation of palmitoyl-ACP to stearoyl-ACP. The ketoacyl-ACP synthases are often referred to as condensing enzymes of the KAS family. KASI, II and III differ in their chain length specificities, KASI elongates C4:0 to C16:0, while KASII elongates C16:0 to C18:0 (FIG. 1).
Cottonseed oil, which is widely used as a vegetable oil for food applications, produced by conventional (wild-type) upland cotton (G. hirsutum) typically contains approximately 26% palmitic acid (range 22-28%), 1-2% stearic acid, 15% oleic acid (range 13-18%) and 58% linoleic acid (range 52-60%) (Cherry, J. Am. Oil Chem. Soc. 60: 360-367, 1983; O'Brien, Cottonseed Oil. In: F. D. Gunstone (Ed.) Vegetable Oils in Food Technology Composition, Properties and Uses. Blackwell Publishing, Oxford, pp. 203-230, 2002). Unhydrogenated cottonseed oil also contains low levels (0.5-1%) of cyclopropane (CPA) or cyclopropene (CPE) fatty acids, mainly malvalic (MVL), sterculic (STC) and dihydrosterculic acids (DHS) (Shenstone and Vickery, Nature 190: 68-169, 1961; Cherry, 1983 (supra)) These fatty acids accumulate almost exclusively in the embryonic axes of cottonseed. CPA and CPE are not found at detectable levels in major oilseed crops other than cotton, including in palm oil, soybean, corn, canola, mustard, sunflower, safflower, peanut, linseed, other Brassicas etc.
The first committed step to produce these uncommon fatty acids is catalysed by a cyclopropane fatty acid synthase (CPA-FAS) which adds a methylene group across the double bond of oleic acid to produce DHS (FIG. 2). In cotton, most of the DHS is desaturated by the enzyme CPA desaturase to produce STC, most of which is further modified by α-oxidation to form MVL (FIG. 2). MVL is the predominant cyclopropenoid fatty acid in wild-type cottonseed oil.
The relatively high level of saturated fatty acids, mainly palmitic acid, in cottonseed oil compared to oils from most other temperate zone oilseed crops contributes to the oxidative stability of cottonseed oil by offsetting the greater instability of the other, unsaturated fatty acid components. It also imparts the high melting point required for making such products as margarine and shortening. Except for palm oil, cottonseed contains the highest palmitic acid level (26%) among the major commodity vegetable oils. Cottonseed oil also contains a high level of linoleic acid which is oxidatively unstable and therefore limits the shelf life of the oil and makes it unsuitable for some food applications.
Conventional cottonseed oil is therefore often processed by partial hydrogenation during which the polyunsaturated linoleic acid is transformed into more stable monounsaturated (oleic) and saturated (stearic) fatty acids. Partial hydrogenation results in a number of structural changes to a fraction of the fatty acids, including the shifting of a double bond. This may lead to the production of trans fatty acids (TFA) which are isomers of the naturally occurring unsaturated fatty acids, such as elaidic acid which is the trans-isomer of oleic acid. Oleic and elaidic acids contain the same number of atoms (C18:1), with a double bond in the same location, but it is the conformation of the double bond that sets them apart. TAG containing elaidic acid, with the trans double bond configuration, has a much higher melting point than oleic acid. Partial hydrogenation also converts cyclopropanoic or cyclopropenoic fatty acids to branched chain fatty acids by opening up the cyclopropane ring, producing a branched fatty acid with a additional methyl group attached to C9 or C10 of the fatty acid carbon chain.
Compared with polyunsaturated fatty acids, oleic acid is more stable towards oxidation both at ambient storage temperatures and at the high temperatures used in cooking and frying of food. Studies with a number of vegetable oils such as safflower and soybean oils indicate that high-oleic vegetable oils are slower to develop rancidity during storage, or to oxidatively decompose during frying or other use, compared to oils that contain high amounts of polyunsaturated fatty acids (Fuller et al., J. Food Sci. 31: 477-480, 1966; Mounts et al., J. Am. Oil Chem. Soc. 65: 624-628, 1998).
It is known that malvalic and sterculic acids are potent inhibitors of animal Δ9-stearoyl-CoA desaturase. Although the CPA and CPE fatty acids are not stable and are mostly eliminated during oil processing, particularly by hydrogenation, the residual oil in the meal and the whole cottonseed used in the feed industry could exert negative effects on animal health. Feeding farmed animals with excess amounts of cottonseed is thought to possibly cause a number of health problems for animals and may affect the quality of animal products, such as the hardening of fats in egg yolk and milk (Johnson et al., Nature 214: 1244-1245, 1967; Roehm et al., Lipids 5: 80-84, 1970). Methods have been developed to inactivate cyclopropenoid fatty acids through specialised partial hydrogenation processes. Merker and Mattil, 1965 reported a hydrogenation process in which malvalic and sterculic acids were selectively reduced to their dihydro or tetrahydro derivatives, by means of a nickel catalyst, without significant reduction of the linoleic acid or trans acid formation. Hutchins et al., Journal of American Oil Chemists Society 45: 397-399, 1968 showed selective hydrogenation of the cyclopropenoid groups in cottonseed oil by means of a packed-bed reactor and nickel catalysts under milder conditions. However, these hydrogenation processes add additional costs for processing of the oil and are not desirable.
In the 1970's, the cotton breeding program of the Acala SJ series in California (Cherry, 1983 (supra)) reduced palmitic acid from 23.3 to 22.7%, increased oleic acid from 16.6% to 17.3% and reduced total cyclic fatty acids from 0.9% to 0.8% in cottonseed oil. However, compared to achievements in other oilseed crops, these changes were only minor, reflecting the narrow genetic base of elite cotton varieties as a result of persistent selection on traits other than oil quality.
Four different cDNAs encoding FAD2 were isolated from cotton (Liu et al., Australian Journal of Plant Physiology 26: 101-106, 1999a; Liu et al., Plant Physiol. 120: 339, 1999b; Pirtle et al., Biochim. Biophys. Acta 1522: 122-129, 2001, all herein incorporated by reference), among which ghFAD2-1 was determined to play a major role in the production of linoleic acid in cottonseed oil. Analysis of gene expression suggested that the ghFAD2-1 gene was specifically expressed in developing seeds, with maximal expression during the middle maturity stage of seed development (Liu et al., 1999a (supra)).
U.S. Pat. No. 6,974,898 (herein incorporated by reference) describes the generation of cottonseed oil containing up to 77% oleic acid by downregulation of microsomal Δ12 desaturase (FAD2) by RNAi methods. Palmitic acid levels in the oils were reduced.
Furthermore, novel oils having approximately equal proportions of palmitic, stearic and oleic would have considerable potential for use as a cocoa butter substitute.
There is therefore a need to increase the levels of palmitic and stearic acid levels in vegetable oils for particular uses.

Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation


A liquid crystalline polymer composition that contains a liquid crystalline polymer and an aromatic amide oligomer is provided. The oligomer can serve as a flow aid by altering intermolecular polymer chain interactions, thereby lowering the overall viscosity of the polymer matrix under shear. The oligomer is also not easily volatized or decomposed during compounding, molding, and/or use, which minimizes off-gassing and the formation of blisters that would otherwise impact the final mechanical properties of a part made from the polymer composition. While providing the benefits noted, the aromatic amide oligomer does not generally react with the polymer backbone of the liquid crystalline polymer to any appreciable extent so that the mechanical properties of the polymer are not adversely impacted.

Electrical components (e.g., fine pitch connectors) are commonly produced from thermotropic liquid crystalline polymers ("LCPs"). One benefit of such polymers is that they can exhibit a relatively high "flow", which refers to the ability of the polymer when heated under shear to uniformly fill complex parts at fast rates without excessive flashing or other detrimental processing issues. In addition to enabling complex part geometries, high polymer flow can also enhance the ultimate performance of the molded component. Most-notably, parts generated from well-flowing polymers generally display improved dimensional stability owing to the lower molded-in stress, which makes the component more amenable to downstream thermal processes that can be negatively impacted from warpage and other polymer stress relaxation processes that occur in less well-molded materials.
Despite their relatively high flow capacity, current commercial LCPs still fall short of what is needed to meet the increased molding demands of intricate part designs without significant compromises to the final product performance. In this regard, various attempts have been made to improve the flow properties of conventional properties by lowering its melt viscosity. One approach to a lower melt viscosity has involved reducing the molecular weight of the polymer. However in general, decreased molecular weight polymers display reduced thermal and mechanical properties as well as poorer blister performance during lead-free soldering and other fabrication processes. Other approaches have also been employed that involve the addition of certain compounds to the polymer during compounding. For example, an oligomeric additive has been employed that contains carboxyl and hydroxy terminal groups. Such additives, however, particularly when used in relatively high amounts, can result in the formation of volatile products due to their decomposition during melt processing and/or use. This may, in turn, lead to the formation of blisters that can adversely impact the thermal and mechanical properties of the polymer and thus limit its use in certain applications.
As such, a need continues to exist for high flow liquid thermotropic crystalline polymers with excellent thermo-mechanical properties.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

High flow liquid crystalline polymer composition


The invention makes uniform, in a plane, optical properties of optical members, such as the distribution properties of light transmission of a color filter, the color display properties of a liquid crystal device, and the light emission properties of an EL luminescent plane. During main scanning of color filter formation areas of a board in the X direction with an ink jet head having a nozzle row formed of a plurality of nozzles arranged in a row, a filter material is selectively discharged from the plurality of the nozzles to each of filer element areas arranged in a dot matrix to form filter elements, producing a color filter. First, the nozzle row is moved to positions “a” and “b” by main scanning in the X direction to enhance wettability of the surface of the areas and then main scanning is executed at each of the positions while successively moving the nozzle row to positions “c” through “k” by sub-scanning, thereby repeatedly discharging ink in the same portion of the areas.

1. Field of Invention
The present invention relates to a method and apparatus that produces a color filter used for optical devices, such as a liquid crystal device, and the like. The present invention also relates to a method and apparatus to manufacture a liquid crystal device having a color filter. The present invention further relates to a method and apparatus to manufacture an EL device that displays by using an EL luminescent layer. The present invention further relates to a method of discharging a material to an object, and an apparatus that controls a head. The present invention further relates to an electronic apparatus having a liquid crystal device or an EL device manufactured by the above-described method.
2. Description of Related Art
Recently, display devices, such as a liquid crystal device, an EL device, and the like have been widely used as display sections of electronic apparatuses, such as cell phones, portable computers, etc. Also, in recent years, full-color displays using a display device have been increasingly made. A full-color display of a liquid crystal device is made by, for example, transmitting light, which is modulated by a liquid crystal layer, through a color filter. The color filter includes dot-shaped color filter elements of R (red), G (green) and B (blue), which are formed in a predetermined arrangement such as a stripe, delta, or mosaic arrangement on the surface of a substrate of glass, plastic, or the like.
In a full-color display of an EL device, dot-shaped EL luminescent layers of R (red), G (green) and B (blue) colors are provided in a predetermined arrangement on electrodes, which are formed in any desired arrangement, for example, a stripe, delta, or mosaic arrangement, on the surface of a substrate made of, for example, glass, plastic, or the like. The voltage applied to these electrodes is controlled for each pixel to emit light of a desired color from each pixel, thereby performing a full-color display.
In the related art, it is known that a photolithography process is used to pattern the filter elements of each of the R, G, and B colors of the color filter, or to pattern the pixels of each of the R, G, and B colors of the EL device. However, the use of the photolithography process has complicates the process, and increases the cost due to the high consumption of each color material and photoresist, etc.
In order to solve the problems, a method has been proposed in which a filter material, an EL luminescent material, or the like is discharged in a dot shape to form a dot-arrangement filter element or EL luminescent layer, or the like.
Consideration will now be given to a case in which, as shown in FIG. 23(b), a plurality of dot-shaped filter elements 303 are formed by an ink jet method in each of a plurality of panel areas 302, which are set on the surface of a large-area substrate of glass, plastic, or the like, for example, a so-called motherboard 301 shown in FIG. 23(a).
In this case, during several times (twice in the case shown in FIG. 23) of main scanning with an ink jet head 306 having a nozzle row 305 including a plurality of nozzles 304 arranged in a row as shown in FIG. 23(c) for each panel area 302, as shown by arrows A1 and A2 in FIG. 23(b), a filter material, for example, ink, is selectively discharged from the plurality of nozzles to form the filter elements 303 at desired positions.
The filter elements 303 of each of the R, G, and B colors are formed in an appropriate arrangement such as a stripe, delta or mosaic arrangement. Therefore, for ink discharge from the ink jet head 306, the ink jet head 306 for discharging each of the R, G, and B colors is previously provided for each of the three colors R, G and B so that the ink jet heads 306 are successively used to form an arrangement of the three colors of R, G and B on the motherboard 301, as shown in FIG. 23(b).

Method and apparatus for producing color filter, method and apparatus for manufacturing liquid crystal device, method and apparatus for manufacturing EL device, method of discharging material, apparatus for controlling head and electronic apparatus


A method of processing a color digital image having a luminance channel and one or more chrominance channels to improve the tone scale characteristics of the image, includes the steps of: producing a control signal from the one or more chrominance channels; generating a pedestal signal containing mainly low frequency modulation by filtering the luminance channel with a spatial filter, whereby the operation of the spatial filter is modulated by the control signal; and producing a texture signal by subtracting the pedestal signal from the luminance channel.

It is well known that the dynamic range of an image captured with an image capture device (such as a photographic negative) is often greater than the dynamic range of the output medium (such as a photographic paper or CRT monitor). The result of this incongruity is that a good deal of scene content is rendered to black or white on the output image. For this reason, in an image processing environment, a tone scale function may be used to reduce the scene dynamic range in order to map more information onto the output medium, in a process called dynamic range modification or dynamic range compression. The dynamic range compression modifies the tone scale characteristics of the image.
There exist many processes for creating a tone scale function on an image dependent basis (e.g. see U.S. Pat. No. 5,471,987, issued Dec. 5, 1995 to Nakazawa et al.). Each of the conventional tone scale function processes examines certain statistical characteristics of the image under consideration in order to automatically generate the tone scale function. In addition, the tone scale function may be generated with manual interactive tools by a human operator.
After the tone scale function has been generated, there exists the question of how to apply the tone scale function to the digital image. The goal of dynamic range compression is to adjust the overall dynamic range of the image, rather than to affect the contrast of any given object in the image. In essence, tone scale function should be applied to an image in such a way as to minimize the effect to the scene texture. To that end, it is known to apply the tone scale function to a low frequency sub-band of the image, preserving the higher frequency sub-band(s) that are considered image texture (e.g. see U.S. Pat. No. 5,012,333, issued Apr. 30, 1991 to Lee et al.).
In U.S. Pat. No. 5,012,333, Lee describes a procedure for preserving the high frequency detail of an image by blurring the image neutral channel in order to create a low-pass signal. Subtracting the low-pass signal from the image neutral channel produces a high-pass signal. The processed image is generated by applying the tone scale function to the low-pass signal and adding the result to the high-pass signal. This procedure preserves a segment of the image frequency spectrum, however, artifacts are seen at object boundaries in the image. Gallagher and Gindele build on this work; see U.S. Pat. No. 6,317,521, issued Nov. 13, 2001. More specifically, Gallagher et al. incorporates an artifact avoidance scheme along with a single standard FIR filter to generate the texture signal. While this improvement reduces the occurrence of artifacts in the final image, the artifacts can still be visible.
Also, in U.S. Pat. No. 5,454,044, issued Sep. 26, 1995, Nakajima suggests modifying the image contrast by a formula Sproc=Sorg+f(Sus), where Sproc is the processed image; Sorg is the original image; and f(Sus) is a monotonic function of the unsharp image Sus. In U.S. Pat. No. 5,905,817, issued May 18, 1999, Matama describes using an IIR filter in essentially the same framework as Lee. The advantage of this approach is a reduction in the computational resource requirements.
Each of these methods of applying a tone scale function to an image channel relies on a single blurring with a linear filter. Because of this, there is an inherent size selectivity property in the tone scale function application process. Image structures that are spatially smaller than a certain size are preserved, while details larger than that size are affected by the tone scale function. In addition, the preservation of high frequencies in the image may lead to the creation of unsharp mask type artifacts (overshoot and undershoot) in the neighborhood of large image edges (characteristic of large occlusion boundaries or dark shadows.) In general, it was observed that larger digital filters (used to create the low-pass signal) result in a more pleasing processed image, except for the fact that the artifacts may become more objectionable.
Another approach to the problem of dynamic range modification is to use nonlinear filtering techniques that essentially preserve edges but blur out detail. In U.S. Pat. No. 5,796,870, issued Aug. 18, 1998, Takeo describes a large, rectangular filter, long in the direction along an edge and short in the direction across the edge. This approach reduces the artifacts at edges, but diagonal edges pose a problem. Further, Nakazawa et al. in U.S. Pat. No. 5,471,987, referenced above, describe using an FIR filter whose weights are determined at each pixel location, based on the absolute value of the differences of pixel intensities between two pixels falling under the digital filter. Finally, Gallagher describes (in U.S. Ser. No. 09/457,036, filed Dec. 8, 1999) an adaptive recursive filter having means to adaptively avoid blurring across edge boundaries. These methods are rather time consuming. In addition, it has been found that optimal dynamic range modification cannot be realized by sensing edges at only a single resolution of the image.
Several authors have introduced methods for achieving dynamic range modification of an image by decomposing the image into multiple resolutions. For example, in U.S. Pat. No. 5,467,404, issued Nov. 14, 1995, and U.S. Pat. No. 5,805,721 issued Sep. 8, 1988, Vuylsteke et al. teach a method of decomposing an image into multiple resolutions and using a pre-determined nonlinear amplitude compression function for the high frequency component in each resolution. A deficiency of this method is that the amplitude at each resolution does not adequately identify whether the signal is part of a large amplitude edge or an image texture. A similar invention was disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,717,791, issued Feb. 10, 1998 to Labaere et al., which describes a similar dynamic range compression scheme using wavelet filters to generate the multiple resolutions.
In U.S. Pat. No. 5,907,642, issued May 25, 1999, Ito describes a method of image enhancement based on processing the detail signals of a multiple resolution image representation. Ito describes suppressing the magnitude of detail signals in situations where the next lower detail signal has small magnitude. In U.S. Pat. No. 5,991,457, issued Nov. 23, 1999, Ito et al. describe a method of generating several band pass detail image signals that are modified by application of non-linear functions to modify the dynamic range of the image.
In U.S. Pat. No. 6,285,798 B1, issued Sep. 4, 2001, Lee describes yet another dynamic range compression method using a multiple resolution representation of an image. Lee describes a method of using wavelet filters to create a plurality of coarse signals and detail signals, modifying the detail signals in accordance with contrast gain signals created by detecting the edges of the coarse scale edges, and adding the modified detail signals to the coarse signals to obtain an output image.
In each of these dynamic range compression techniques using multiple image resolutions, the high frequency (or edge or band pass) components of the multiple resolution representation are modified to affect the image dynamic range. However, it is often inconvenient to operate on the high frequency component of the multiple image resolution. In addition, the characteristics of the high frequency signals vary as a function of the level within the multiple image representation of the image. This variability requires a complicated parameter tuning in order to achieve optimal dynamic range compression without producing objectionable artifacts (such as the aforementioned overshoot and undershoot artifact) using a multiple image resolution representation of the image.
Multiresolution, or pyramid methods as a means of representing images as a function of spatial resolution for image processing, has a long history. Burt and Adelson, described a method of representing a digital image by a series of residual images and a base digital image in their journal article "The Laplacian Pyramid as a Compact Image Code" IEEE Transactions on Communications, Vol. Com-31, No. 4, April 1983. However the method taught by Burt et al. was designed for image compression applications and cannot be used for enhancing the tone scale of a digital image.
The prior art methods of dynamic range compression realize that the characteristics of the filter should vary in accordance with the edges of the image. Dynamic range compression is generally applied to only the luminance channel of an image having a luminance channel and one or more chrominance channels. However, because dynamic range compression is generally applied to the luminance channel of a luminance-chrominance image representation, the edges are determined from only the luminance image channel. Thus, the prior art methods sometimes fail when the edges cannot adequately be determined by the luminance channel of an image alone.
In U.S. Pat. No. 5,682,443, issued Oct. 28, 1997, Gouch et al. describe a method of sharpening an image whereby the fringe data is amplified by a value that is determined by color. The method is not used to modify the tone scale characteristics of the image, just the sharpness. In addition, the color information is not used to aid the filtering process when constructing the original fringe data.
There is a need therefore for an improved method of color digital image processing that improves the tone scale of the image and that avoids the problems noted above.

Method of spatially filtering a digital image using chrominance information


A semiconductor storage apparatus comprising: a ferroelectric memory; an SRAM 30; a counter 41; a CAM 10 that judges whether or not a block of data requested to be read out from the ferroelectric memory is stored in the SRAM 30; a storage control unit 51 that, if a result of the judgment is negative, performs a control to read out the requested block of data from the ferroelectric memory and stores a copy of the read-out block of data into a unit storage area in the SRAM 30 that corresponds to the count value indicated by the counter 41; and a counter control unit 52 that causes the counter 41 to update the count value each time a result of the judgment is negative.

(1) Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a semiconductor storage apparatus.
(2) Description of the Related Art
Some semiconductor storage apparatuses use a ferroelectric memory. The ferroelectric memory is a nonvolatile memory using the remnant polarization of a ferroelectric film as a data storage means (see U.S. Pat. No. 4,873,664). It is known that the life of the ferroelectric memory is closely related to the number of times data is read out. As a technology for extending the life of a semiconductor storage apparatus using a ferroelectric memory, there has been proposed a semiconductor storage apparatus using a cache memory and a ferroelectric memory (for example, Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 6-215589). In this semiconductor storage apparatus, data stored in the ferroelectric memory is partly copied into the cache memory. And data is read out mainly from the cache memory, and only if a desired piece of data is not stored in the cache memory (only if a cache mishit occurs), the desired piece of data is read out from the ferroelectric memory. With this construction, the number of times data is read from the ferroelectric memory is reduced, resulting in the extension of the life of the semiconductor storage apparatus.
Meanwhile, there is one design item to be determined when a cache memory is incorporated into a semiconductor storage apparatus. That is a replacement algorithm. The replacement algorithm is used to determine which existent block of data should be replaced with a new block of data when the cache memory does not have enough space to store the new block of data. The afore-said Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 6-215589 discloses the incorporation of the cache memory, but not the replacement algorithm. Typically used replacement algorithms include LRU (Least Recently Used) and NRU (Not Recently Used) This LRU selects a least recently used block of data, as the block of data to be replaced with a new block of data. The NRU selects a block of data that has not been used recently, as the block of data to be replaced with a new block of data.
However, a problem in achieving such a replacement algorithm is that it is necessary to manage the use state of data stored in the cache memory, which makes the hardware construction complex. For example, in the case of LRU, a need arises to provide a hardware component that arranges blocks of data in the order of the accesses, and rearranges the blocks of data each time data is accessed. Also, in the case of NRU, it is required to have a hardware component that manages the accesses for each block of data, and updates the management information each time data is accessed.


Information is collected from a region of interest using a scanning probe microscope having a tip by moving the tip along at least one predefined path extending from a center location to a peripheral location in the region of interest and collecting information using the tip at a plurality of sample points along the at least one predefined path. The predefined path may be based on a radial line defined between the center location and the peripheral location, and may follow a zig-zag, sinusoidal, constant-curve, rectangular trajectory generally tracking the radial line.

This invention is related generally to the field of Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM), Scanning Tunneling Microscopy (STM), Near field Scanning Optical Microscopy (NSOM), NanoSpectroPhotometry (NSP), NanoPolarimetry (NP), Magnetic Field Microscopy (MFM) and any other methods adaptable and suitable to guide the scanning and nanomachining techniques described herein. These technologies are sometimes collectively referred to as Scanning probe Microscopy (SPM). Generally, SPM technologies allow one to xe2x80x9cseexe2x80x9d atomic-scale features on or in surfaces.
An AFM works by scanning a tip over a surface much the same way as a phonograph needle scans a record. The tip is located at the end of a cantilever beam and positioned over the surface to be scanned. The combination of the cantilever beam and tip is sometimes referred to collectively as a scanning probe or simply a probe.
AFM techniques rely on the effects of the inter-atomic interactions, such as van der Waals forces, that arise between the atoms in the structure of the tip and the atoms at the surface being imaged. As the tip is attracted to the surface, the cantilever beam is deflected. The magnitudes of the deflections correspond to the topological features of the atomic structure of the surface being scanned. The AFM can work with the tip touching the sample (contact mode), or the tip can tap across the surface (tapping mode), or made to not touch the surface at all (non-contact mode, which is the preferred embodiment).
STM techniques rely on the fact that the electron probability cloud associated with the atoms at the surface extends a very small distance above the surface as described by the quantum physical model. When a tip is brought sufficiently close to such a surface, there is an increasingly stronger probability of an interaction (current) between the electron cloud on the surface and that of the tip atom. An electric tunneling current flows when a small voltage is applied. The tunneling current is very sensitive to the distance between the tip and the surface. These changes in the tunneling current with distance as the tip is scanned over the surface are used to produce an image of the surface.
Nanomachining involves removal, addition, or movement of material on a surface in a controlled manner to attain specific surface features. Typically, an appropriate scanning probe is manipulated so that its tip comes into contact with a surface to be nanomachined. The scanning probe is then translated along a pre-programmed vector, producing a scraping action across the contacted surface and removing an amount of material from the surface. An appropriate feed is applied to control the amount of material removed. This is repeated until the desired features are achieved. Any surface which is exposed to contact by the scanning probe can be nanomachined. Thus, for example the walls of a vertical structure can be nanomachined using a scanning probe having an appropriately shaped tip applied to the wall with an appropriate feed force.
FIG. 1 is a generalized diagram illustrating a typical SPM system 10. A scanning probe 12 is the workhorse of the SPM. A typical probe comprises a cantilever and a tip disposed at the free end of the cantilever. Various tip shapes and configurations suitable for scanning and nanomachining are disclosed in the various above-identified commonly owned issued patents and commonly owned, co-pending patent applications.
FIG. 2 shows a typical arrangement of a scanning probe 12 suitable for use with the present invention. A cantilever 14 is attached to a body member 16 which provides structure for attachment to a probe translation apparatus. Disposed at the free end of the cantilever is an appropriately shaped probe tip 102. The particular dimensions of the probe will vary depending on the particular application.
Referring back to FIG. 1, the probe 12 can be coupled to a first translation stage 18. The first translation stage can provide movement of the probe in the X-Y plane. By convention, the X-Y plane is the plane parallel to the major surface of a workpiece 20. Thus, the probe can be positioned in the X-Y position relative to the workpiece by the first translation stage. The first translation stage can also provide movement of the probe in the Z-direction and thus position the probe in three-dimensional space relative to the workpiece. Such first translation stages are known and well understood devices. Typically, they are piezoelectric devices.
Alternatively or in addition, a second translation stage 22 can be provided. The workpiece 20 can be affixed to the second translation stage to provide X-Y motion of the workpiece relative to the probe 12. Furthermore, the second translation stage can provide motion of the workpiece in the Z direction relative to the probe. Such stages are typically linear motors, or precision ball screw stages or combinations thereof with linear scale or interferometric position feedback.
The relative motion between the probe 12 and the workpiece 20 can be achieved by any of a number of techniques. The probe can be translated in three dimensions while maintaining the workpiece in a stationary position. Conversely, the workpiece can move relative to a stationary probe. Both the probe and the workpiece can be moved in a coordinated fashion to achieve rapid positioning. The first translation stage 104 might provide only X-Y motion, while Z-axis positioning is provided by the second translation stage 106; or vice-versa. These and still other combinations of concerted motions of the probe and the workpiece can be performed to effect relative motion between the probe and the workpiece.
A detection module 24 is coupled to detect signal received from the scan probe 12. Many detection techniques are known. For example, if the probe is operated in AFM (atomic force microscopy) mode, the cantilever resonance point is shifted by the interatomic forces. acting between the tip and the surface as the tip is scanned across the surface. A generalized controller 26 can be configured to provide various computer-based functions such as controlling the components of the system 10, performing data collection and subsequent analysis, and so on. Typically, the controller is some computer-based device; for example, common architectures are based on a microcontroller, or a general purpose CPU, or even a custom ASIC-based controller. A user interface 28 is provided to allow a user to interact with the system. The xe2x80x9cuserxe2x80x9d can be a machine user. A machine interface might be appropriate in an automated environment where control decisions are provided by a machine.
A data store 30 contains various information to facilitate scanning and nanomachining operations and for overall operation of the system 10. The data store contains the programming code that executes on the controller 26. The data store shown in the figure can be any appropriate data storage technology, ranging from a single disk drive unit to a distributed data storage system.
Typically, traditional Scanning Probe Microscopy (SPM) and other measurement systems employ a conventional raster scanning technique to collect measurements within a region of interest. Such a conventional raster scanning technique involves taking measurements in rows, referred to as raster pattern. That is, the region of interest is mapped by a plurality of parallel, equally-spaced scan lines. The tip of a measurement probe begins at the first sample point on the first scan line and moves along the first scan line, collecting data at each sample point, until it finishes collecting data on the last sample point of the first scan line. Then, the tip moves to the first sample point on the second scan line and begins collecting data along the second scan line in a similar fashion. The process thus repeats for the remaining scan lines until the tip completes the last measurement at the last sample point, at the end of the last scan line.
Taking measurements using a conventional raster scanning technique can be extremely time-consuming and inefficient. Such measurements on a region of interest are completed only after the last measurement on the last scan line is made. Scanning in such a fashion can waste time and resources by collecting data at unimportant sample points or inefficiently spaced sample points. For example, measurements may only need to be taken on a particular structure located within the region of interest. However, the exact location of the structure may not be known. There may only be probabilistic information regarding the location of the structure. Furthermore, measurement may only need to be taken on particular regions of the structure. Also, it may be the case that only measurements that fall within certain value ranges are of interest.
With conventional raster scanning techniques, many of these problems cannot be solved by simply adjusting the number of sample points in a scan line or the spacing between scan lines. In a wide range of applications, useful data must be collected with greater speed and efficiency, in a manner that takes into account the type of measurement needed.
A method is presented for collecting information from a region of interest using a scanning probe microscope having a tip. The method comprises moving the tip along at least one predefined path extending from a center location to a peripheral location in the region of interest and collecting information using the tip at a plurality of sample points along the at least one predefined path. In one embodiment, the at least one predefined path is based on a radial line defined between the center location and the peripheral location. The at least one predefined path may follow a zig-zag, sinusoidal, constant-curve, rectangular trajectory generally tracking the radial line.
Another method is presented which comprises moving a tip along at least one predefined path, collecting information using the tip at a plurality of sample points along the predefined path until at least one measurement based on the information collected reaches a target value or a target range of values, moving the tip along a tracking path once the at least one measurement reaches the target value or range of values, and collecting information using the tip at a plurality of sample points along the tracking path.
Yet another method is presented which comprises moving a tip along at least one predefined path, collecting information using the tip at a plurality of sample points along the predefined path, detecting a predetermined pattern using the collected information, and moving the tip to a desired location within the predetermined pattern.
A method is also described for presenting information collected from a region of interest using a scanning probe microscope (SPM). This method comprises displaying a multi-dimensional representation of base data collected in the region of interest at sample points along each of a plurality of parallel scan paths oriented in a first predefined direction and sample points along each of a plurality of parallel scan paths oriented in a second predefined direction, wherein the first predefined direction forms a non-zero angle with the second predefined direction. In one embodiment, the multi-dimensional representation includes interpolated data calculated from the base data for at least one point of interest located in a region bounded by the parallel scan lines.
A further understanding of the nature and advantages of the present invention may be realized by reference to the remaining portions of the specification and the drawings.

Method and apparatus for scanning in scanning probe microscopy and presenting results


A method and composition for reducing a coefficient of friction are disclosed. In an embodiment, a method for reducing a coefficient of friction between two surfaces in a borehole includes preparing a mixture comprising a primary lubricating agent, a primary surfactant, a spreading agent, and an aqueous fluid. The method also includes pumping the mixture into the borehole such that the mixture contacts the two surfaces and reduces the coefficient of friction for the two surfaces.

Field of the Invention
This invention relates to the field of completion fluids for drilling applications, and more particularly to the field of reducing the friction between similar or dissimilar surfaces using an aqueous-based completion fluid disposed between the similar or dissimilar surfaces.
Background of the Invention
Drilling horizontally within an oil and gas reservoir can potentially produce a more productive well, because a horizontal well may allow for access to larger areas of an oil- and gas-bearing formation. As such, the longer the horizontal section of the well, the more productive the well may be. For this reason, it has become increasingly common to drill horizontally in many oil- and gas-bearing formations as well as utility and mining applications.
Increasing the length of the horizontal section of a borehole may be difficult when the length of the horizontal section surpasses the length of the vertical section. Further, the insertion of conduits, such as a drill pipe, may become increasingly difficult as the horizontal section is lengthened. For example, as the drill pipe is pushed further into the borehole, the amount of contact between it and other surfaces increases, and thus so would the amount of friction between the drill pipe and the other surfaces. Thus, the ability to push or rotate the drill pipe in the wellbore may become limited as the friction increases. Friction may also be present between a conduit and wellbore tools/wellbore materials inserted into the conduit. For example, wires or cables may be pushed or pulled into a conduit only so long as the amount of friction between the wires/cables and the conduit is low enough to allow for the wires/cables to be pushed or pulled. As discussed above, friction between two similar or dissimilar surfaces may increase faster in horizontal sections of a conduit relative to vertical sections of the conduit.
A specific example of the difficulty of drilling a horizontal section may be illustrated by the process of drilling bridge plugs from the casing. The drilling of bridge plugs is often performed with a fluid motor and bit on the end of a section of coiled tubing. An aqueous-based fluid may be pumped down the tubing, through the motor and bit, and back up the annulus inside the casing. The friction between a section of coiled tubing and the casing in the horizontal section of the borehole may become equal to the force available to move the coiled tubing along the horizontal section, at which point further drilling may not be possible.
As discussed, one method of reducing friction in oil, gas, and mining operations is to push a conduit with a mechanism that would drive the conduit into the borehole or well. This pushing may be accomplished by any mechanism that is capable of delivering a sufficient amount of force to the conduit such that the conduit is pushed into the borehole. This may be referred to as "snubbing the pipe." In utility boring or mining operations, cables may be attached to the drill string to pull the conduits into or out of the borehole so as to overcome the friction between the conduit and the borehole. Further, in some horizontal drilling applications, rotating the conduit at a high enough RPM may reduce the amount of frictional contact between the conduit and any surfaces it contacts. This is commonly done during drilling and boring operations and may allow for longer horizontal sections to be drilled. However, not all conduits can be rotated. For example, when a jointed pipe is used, the pipe may be rotated along with the bit, and the friction resisting movement of the pipe along the borehole may be decreased. However, when coiled tubing is used, the coiled tubing cannot be rotated, and the friction resisting movement of the tubing along the borehole may be increased. Further, even when using jointed pipes, wells with directional changes resulting in "doglegs" or a crooked borehole, may restrict the amount of rotation that may be used. Moreover, when using these physical methods to reduce friction, friction may continue to build as the borehole is drilled, and the conduit is inserted deeper. Thus, eventually enough friction may be present to prevent further insertion or extraction of a conduit from the borehole. This effectively means that drilling rigs may sometimes drill longer horizontal sections than completion equipment can complete.
Friction reducers have proven effective in reducing the coefficient of friction between two metal substrates. Some examples may include the deposition of polymer particles onto a metal substrate. In these examples, the oil must have a charge association. However, this approach may be ineffective when there are not two metal substrates present to provide the deposition sites, or when fluid conditions, such as the fluid pH, change when in use, and these changed fluid conditions alter the charge association and prevent film buildup or transport of the friction reducers.
Consequently, there is a need for an organic nonhazardous biodegradable friction reducer that is not charge specific, does not require mechanical deposition to reduce the coefficient of friction, is usable between any type of media, and can function in any water condition regardless of the pH of the water or the presence of suspended or dissolved solids.


A robotic system that identifies surgical instruments, sorts them by type, stores them, and retrieves them for packaging in surgical containers. The system is comprised of robotic components, a surgical instrument input mechanism, a surgical instrument identification system, a machine-vision system to assist in locating and identifying these items, a set of surgical instrument storage bins or stacks, a set of robotically accessible mechanisms for organizing surgical instruments within their containers, and a software control system that allows the device to perform its functions autonomously.

1. Field of Invention
The present invention relates to a system, apparatus, and method for storing, sorting, retrieving, and organizing surgical instruments. More specifically, the present invention relates to an automated system for storing and retrieving surgical instruments for use in surgical procedures.
2. Discussion of Prior Art
With the advancement of medical technology, surgical procedures and their corresponding instruments have become more specialized and numerous. As such, there is a need for an improved system for sorting and storing surgical instruments in a sterile environment, and having these instruments retrieved and presented for their corresponding procedures in an efficient and reliable manner.

Automated robotic system for surgical instrument storage and retrieval


An optical head is disclosed which comprises a light source such as a diode laser and an optical element, for example, a collimating lens. The collimating lens and the diode laser are mounted along a common optical axis. A thermoelectric cooling element is provided in the head to control the temperature of the diode laser. In order to precisely locate the collimating lens relative to the diode laser, the housing of the collimating lens is mounted directly onto the barrel of the diode laser.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to an optical head which is adapted to support a light source and an optical element, and more particularly, to such an optical head which is particularly suitable for use with a diode laser.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Diode lasers are used in certain types of scanning apparatus to project a laser beam onto a polygon mirror which is adapted to scan the beam onto a recording medium. The laser beam produced by a diode laser is highly divergent, and thus, the beam is normally collimated in order to provide for subsequent shaping of the beam. The collimation is generally achieved by a multielement circularly symmetric lens assembly of a high numerical aperture. since the effective focal length of such a lens assembly is very small and alignment with the laser chip is quite critical, the mechanical support for the laser and the lens must accurately locate the laser relative to the lens. In order to allow for the flexibility needed to align the optical axis of the laser to that of the lens, the support must have at least three degrees of freedom.
There is also a problem in certain diode laser apparatus in maintaining the focus of a laser spot, since the distance between the diode laser and a collimating lens can change with changes in ambient temperature. As the ambient temperature changes, even slightly, the materials in the supports for the laser and the collimator expand or contract. This movement changes the relative positions of the laser and the collimator and causes the laser spot to be out of focus. The aforementioned patent application Ser. No. 238,225, now U.S. Pat. No. 4,948,221 is directed to an athermalized optical head in which a collimating lens is maintained a constant distance from a diode laser over a range of ambient temperatures.
The problem of precisely locating a diode laser relative to a lens was recognized in U.S. Pat. No. 4,295,152. In this patent, an optical coupler is provided with a telescoping housing which can be adjusted to position a semiconductor laser an exact distance from a lens. One problem with the construction shown in this patent is that great care must be taken to locate the laser relative to the housing in a radial direction. A further problem is that it is very difficult to precisely adjust the telescoping housing in order to obtain a desired axial distance between the laser and the optical element.