An improved engine fuel control method which divides the liquid fuel into a plurality of components characterized by relative volatility. The mass and evaporation characteristics of each fuel volatility component are determined separately within the fuel puddle, with the overall puddle behavior being characterized as the sum of the behaviors of the individual volatility components. The method involves determining, for each engine cycle, the mass of fuel that will evaporate from the puddle, the mass of vapor required to achieve the desired air/fuel ratio for the engine cylinder, the fraction of the injected fuel that will vaporize, and the mass of fuel that needs to be injected in order to achieve the desired air/fuel ratio in the cylinder. Finally, the puddle mass is updated for the next intake event. In a preferred implementation, the liquid fuel is divided into first, second and third components respectively characterized by high, medium and low volatility, and the volatility is inferred based on a measure of the fired-to-motored cylinder pressure ratio.

Current state-of-the-art engine controls rely almost exclusively on exhaust gas sensing to maintain the engine air-fuel ratio at a value that minimizes exhaust emissions. However, such sensors typically require heating for a significant period before the sensor is useful for control following a cold start. For this reason, engine fueling during engine starting and warm-up is generally performed based on an open-loop calibration. Until the engine has warmed up, a significant amount of the injected fuel puddles on the engine manifold walls instead of immediately vaporizing for ingestion in the cylinder. The puddled fuel evaporates over time, so that the fuel vapor actually ingested into the cylinder is generated in part from the injected fuel and in part from the puddled fuel. The rate at which the injected and puddled fuel quantities vaporize depends not only on temperature and pressure, but also on the fuel volatility, which may vary considerably from tank to tank. To complicate matters even further, any given fuel sample actually comprises hundreds of compounds of widely varying volatility. Under warmed-up conditions, it may be assumed that the puddled fuel (if any) comprises primarily low volatility compounds, the behavior of which may be reasonably accurately characterized. However, during cold-start and warm-up, the puddled fuel contains a wide variety of compounds, the behavior of which is difficult to accurately characterize. Thus, for a given amount of injected fuel, the quantity of fuel vapor actually delivered to the cylinder depends both on the fuel volatility and the evaporative characteristics of the fuel puddle.
The above-described variability forces design engineers to enrich the cold calibration--and generally to be less aggressive with spark retard used to assist catalyst heating--to insure that operating with low volatility fuel will not result in driveability problems. This enrichment to compensate for low volatility fuels causes the air/fuel mixture to be richer than optimum with high volatility fuel, resulting in higher engine-out hydrocarbon emissions than if the appropriate calibration for that fuel were used. Additionally, the less aggressive spark retard delays the onset of "light-off" of the exhaust catalyst. Thus, it is apparent that differences in fuel volatility adversely affect both emissions and driveability with conventional control strategies.
Accordingly, what is needed is a control method for accurately injecting fuel so that the actual air/fuel mixture in the engine cylinder more nearly corresponds to the desired air/fuel mixture, particularly during coldstart and warm-up conditions.

Engine fuel injection control method with fuel puddle modeling


A computer-implemented method for copying database files may include (1) identifying a request to copy a database file to a target location, and in response to identifying the request to copy the database file to the target location, (2) identifying a preallocated but unused portion of the database file, (3) transmitting a used portion of the database file to the target location, and (4) transmitting a metadata representation of the unused portion of the database file to the target location, the metadata representation being smaller than the unused portion. Various other methods and systems are also disclosed.

In the digital age, organizations must manage increasingly large volumes of data. Some organizations may store data within databases to structure and/or organize their data. As an organization adds more data to a database, the corresponding database file may need to grow to accommodate the additional data. However, dynamically changing the size of a database file may cause fragmentation and negatively impact the performance of a database system.
In order to prevent and/or reduce fragmentation, a database system may allow an administrator to preallocate space for a database file. By preallocating large quantities of space for the database file, the administrator may facilitate future growth of the database without unwanted fragmentation. However, preallocated space within database files may impose other costs on computing infrastructures. For example, in the course of managing, preserving, and/or protecting data stored in databases, an administrator may wish to back up, restore, replicate, and/or otherwise copy a database file. Unfortunately, copying a large database file with preallocated space may consume more computing resources than copying a smaller database file without preallocated space. Accordingly, the instant disclosure identifies and addresses a need for additional and improved systems and methods for copying database files.

Systems and methods for copying database files


A system and method for synchronizing instrument specification data between a process control system and an external database are provided. A software application automatically connects to the process control system and scans a set of data utilized by the system to detect changes in the data since a previous scan. If changes are detected, the application notifies a manager to accept or reject changes. If changes are accepted, the application updates data stored on an instrumentation database external to the process control system so that the data stored on the instrumentation database is synchronized with real-time data used by the process control system. The system and method provide automated updates to ensure the accuracy of data utilized by users not having regular access to the process control system.

Industrial facilities, which may include manufacturing facilities, refineries, chemical plants, or other similar types of facilities, utilize automated process control systems comprising numerous pieces of process instrumentation and control equipment, which facilitate automated control of various process equipment in the facility such as valves or pumps in order to produce a desired process performance. Examples of process instrumentation may include flow meters, temperature sensors, pressure transmitters, level sensors, and analysis instruments such as pH meters. Instrumentation generally operates at a defined setpoint within a specification range, though depending on the application, setpoints may be changed either outside of a given range or within the range based on optimization of operating conditions. Due to continued maintenance and optimization in a facility, operators controlling the process control system may change data values for setpoints in the process control system frequently.
Because the automated process control system is the facility operators' primary tool for control of the process, the control system itself always maintains the most current instrument specification data, which may include instrument setpoints, ranges, alarm settings, instrument name, description, dimensions, or other types of data relating to a process control instrument. Each instrument in a facility has an instrument specification sheet containing various data relating to the instrument. This data is typically maintained in an offline instrumentation specification database external to the process control system. When specification data is changed during the operation of a facility, which may occur on a large scale when a project is commissioned to upgrade the facility, which may include upgrades to the process control system, the instrumentation specification database is not typically updated in a timely manner to reflect the numerous changes in instrumentation data that occur. Often, the database is incompletely updated or not updated at all during major facility upgrades, or may be updated at a later time as a stand-alone project. Because even relatively small industrial facilities typically have a very large number of process control instruments, maintaining the offline instrumentation database may be a time-intensive and thus costly process. Because engineers and others in a facility generally rely on data contained in the instrumentation database, discrepancies in instrument specification data between the instrumentation database and the process control system can be problematic and require continuous double checking to ensure accurate specifications are being relied upon. These problems lead to inefficiencies in managing and operating a complex facility.
Accordingly, there is a need for an automated system and method for continuously maintaining accurate instrument specification data relating to instruments in a process control system in a database external to the control system.

System and method for synchronizing instrumentation specifications between a process control system and a database


Disclosed is a template and method for use in the roofing industry for cutting roofing shingles on site in multiple useful lengths with each individual cut. The template, formed of a durable material such as aluminum, comprises a base plate having an upwardly facing planar surface. Border walls rise from two adjacent sides of the planar surface of the base plate and have abutment surfaces facing inwardly towards the planar surface of the base plate. Permanent markings on the abutment surfaces and the planar surface are visible at a fixed point above the template so as to enable a person with a T-square and a cutting instrument to cut a standard size shingle piece into two useful pieces or to cut multiple shingles stacked on top of one another into two useful pieces.

This invention has to do with the arrangement and method of the cutting and fastening of roofing materials, usually asphalt and/or fiberglass shingles, to the upwardly facing sides of buildings, usually residential buildings and homes. An efficient arrangement of shingles on a roof of a building requires that the shingles be cut in different standard lengths, long to short, so that the different lengths may be placed in complimentary end to end relationships with one another. The longest standard length (39 inches) is placed along the eave of the rake edge. A next and shorter shingle (32½ inches) is placed above and in an overlapping position (5⅝ inches) to the first shingle. The third and even shorter shingle (26 inches) is placed above and in an overlapping position to the second shingle. Successively shorter shingles are used in the above described manner going up the roof along the rake edge to the shortest length of 6½ inches. Usually after reaching the shortest shingle going up the roof the placement of shingles starts again on the eave edge and full length 39 inch shingles are placed in end to end abutment with the already placed shingles going up the roof. The first row of shingles is typically placed or located along a lowermost horizontal edge of the roof. The next row of shingles is started from the same edge as the first and placed vertically above the first row so that its lowermost portion overlaps an uppermost portion of the first or lowermost row. The first shingle in the row above the lower row will be a successively shorter shingle length so that the abutment lines of the end to end shingles in the lower row are covered to the extent that the shingle rows overlap vertically. Going toward the other rake edge full length shingles will be abutted to the starting rake edge shingles as they extend toward the other rake edge. Complimentary shorter shingles may be used to mate each row with the other rake edge or specially cut shingles as required. Traditionally each shingle used in the above operation is cut one at a time using a framing square, a tape measure, and a utility knife. Normal size for roofing shingles sold in large and heavy bundles is thirty nine inches in length and 13 and ¼ in width. The first shingle can start from either of the gabled ends and is not cut so as to retain its full length of 39 inches as it is placed in the lowermost corner next to the gable end. The second shingle in the row then is cut 6½ inches shorter than the first for a second standard length of 32½ inches. The third standard size shingle is then cut 6½ inches shorter than the second standard length for a length of 26 inches.
The fourth standard size shingle is then cut 6½ inches from the third standard size so as to be 19½ inches long. Each successive standard shingle will be smaller by 6½ inches from the previous one.
The first shingle in a row will be placed with its cut end aligned with the gable end and vertically overlapping the previous shingle so that so that 5 to 5⅝ inches of the first shingle is exposed vertically and 6 to 6½ inches is exposed lengthwise.
Once the operation reaches the peak the next vertical column is started and the first uncut shingle has its end abutted with the outermost end of the previous first shingle. The same procedure is followed again abutting eac successive shingle with its vertical counterpart.
The same sequence is continued until the roof is covered gable to gable at which time one to the peak at which time the ridge is capped.

Roofing template and method of cutting roofing shingles


A buffer controller has a buffer for holding plural sets of data contained in a packet entered from a telecommunications network, a codec converter and a controller. When receiving a packet, the buffer controller has the controller put data, in the packet, in a storage position in the buffer corresponding to the sequence number of the packet, and makes a decision as to whether or not the codec conversion is to be performed. If packets are out of sequence, lost or dropped during communication, the buffer controller can correct the packet order and compensate the packet loss with the minimum delay.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a buffer controller, and more particularly to a buffer controller applicable, for example, to a session border controller (S/BC) provided on a telecommunications network border.
2. Description of the Background Art
In an Internet protocol (IP) interconnection environment, such as next generation network (NGN) using an IP interconnection, not only pure data but also media data such as audio and/or video data may be transmitted between different personal computers (PCs) or terminals on specific service provider networks. Service provider networks, which are equipped with codecs different from each other, require codec conversion for converting data transmitted from a sender service provider network to data appropriate for another service provider network to which the data are destined.
Such a codec conversion is disclosed by U.S. patent application publication No. 2009/0268755 A1 to Inoishi. In the codec conversion taught by Inoishi, when receiving packets such as real-time transport protocol (RTP) packets, a codec conversion device places the packets into a network buffer, i.e. the NW buffer shown in its FIG. 1, so that the NW buffer temporarily stores the packets in sequence. The packets thus stored are then successively read out in sequence from the NW buffer and distributed over resources by a resource allocator. Codec conversion will then be performed in respective decoder/encoders to transmit the packets.
Inoishi also teaches that it takes account of the fact that the most of all backend terminals on an end-to-end communication execute processes for correcting the order of incoming packets and compensating for lost packets, and such terminals are possibly be burden with those processes so as to design a codec conversion device not executing the processes to thereby reduce a delay otherwise arising from the codec conversion.
However, if the packet order correction and packet loss compensation are not performed by a codec conversion device, although done by end-to-end communication terminals, sound quality would deteriorate in the case of VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) telephony, as will be described with reference to FIG. 12.
FIG. 12 schematically shows an example of a state where sound quality deteriorates in a codec conversion device when packets are out of sequence. In the figure, the codec conversion device 91 receives packets from a transmitter terminal 92 and performs codec conversion from AMR (Adaptive Multi-Rate) to ITU-T (International Telecommunication Union Telecommunication Standardization Sector) G.711 format to transmit resultant packets to a destination terminal 93.
The sender terminal 92 partitions an original sound signal, for example, at intervals of 20 ms into original sound segments (1), (2), (3) and (4), and successively encodes them by AMR to form encoder output segments respectively referred to as AMRs (1), (2), (3) and (4). They are sent out successively from the terminal 92 to the codec conversion device 91 in the form of packets. If the packets with the sequence numbers "2" and "3" are out of sequence as indicated by arrows 200 and 201, that is, both packets are permuted during transmission, the codec conversion device 91 receives the AMR (3) earlier than the AMR (2). Therefore, the decoding order in the codec conversion device 91 is AMRs (1), (3), (2) and (4), and the codec conversion device 91 decodes the packets in the latter order, rather than the original order indicated by AMRs (1), (2), (3) AMR (4).
In this way, the packets are out of sequence, so that linear sounds (3) and (2) output from the decoder become different from the original sounds. That raises a problem of deterioration in sound quality because an audio codec such as AMR is adapted to additionally use information obtained from the past audio data for encoding/decoding. Therefore, if the receiver terminal 93 tries to correct the packet order to the original order, it would be impossible to completely restore the sound quality.
Note that in order to reduce the sound quality deterioration, a jitter buffer is disclosed, for example, by Japanesepatentlaid-openpublication No. 2005-64873. It would, however, take an extra period of time from when the jitter buffer receives a packet until it develops the packet in addition to the codec conversion, thereby causing delay.

Buffer controller correcting packet order for codec conversion


A fuel cell module includes a fuel cell stack configured to produce an electrical output, power electronics circuitry configured to convert the electrical output of the fuel cell stack into a regulated output of the fuel cell module, module control electronics circuitry configured for communications within the fuel cell module and further configured for communications with master control electronics circuitry external to the fuel cell module, and a structure configured to connect together the fuel cell stack, the power electronics circuitry and the module control electronics circuitry as part of the fuel cell module that is unitary, and further configured for the unitary fuel cell module to be insertable as a unit into a multi-module system chassis.

Conventional fuel cell systems generally lack expandability and thus, for the most part, systems are manufactured and sold in specific size (e.g., electrical power rating, heat output rating, and the like) units that are designed and manufactured for that specific size only. For example, a 1000 W system is typically designed and manufactured specifically as a 1000 W system. This creates issues at the manufacturing floor of lack of commonality of parts, stocking of non-common components, warehousing of specific size systems, and the like. Moreover, once built, these systems will operate only up to their maximum capacity without the possibility of expanding.
From a marketing point of view, conventional systems' lack of expandability is a challenge because it is difficult for such systems to adapt to consumers' rapidly changing demands for power output, form factor, and continuous improvement. Conventional systems generally do not have the ability to be upgraded in power rating or other features without the introduction of entirely new designs. This, of course, creates additional issues including issues of design certification and validation (e.g., safety certification), system testing, and the like. The undesirable results for the consumer and the manufacturer include longer times to market, increased costs and increased consumption of limited engineering resources.
Fuel cells are often used in combined heat and power (CHP) systems that provide, not only the electrical output of the fuel cell, but also garner heat produced by the fuel cell to provide a heat output. In conventional CHP systems, the heat output depends directly on the electrical output load of the fuel cell. This is a limitation, particularly in applications where a consistent heat output is desired.


Thermo-optic tuning apparatuses and techniques that may be used in external cavity lasers are provided. A wavelength selection device may be placed in the external cavity and may include a thermally responsive substrate and tunable optical elements extending therefrom. Heating and heat monitoring actuators may be formed in the substrate itself, with the tunable optical elements being mechanically positioned in the recesses of the substrate for thermo-optic tuning. In some examples, a separate optical path length adjustment element is also placed in the thermally responsive substrate, or elsewhere, for separate frequency tuning. This adjustment element may be part of a control that is detangled from the normal servo controls used in laser tuning.

Fiberoptic telecommunications are continually subject to demands for increased bandwidth. One way that bandwidth expansion has been accomplished is through dense wavelength division multiplexing (DWDM). With a DWDM system many different and separate data streams may concurrently exist in a single optical fiber. Each data stream represents a different channel within the optical fiber, where each channel exists at a different channel wavelength. The modulated output beam of a laser operating at the desired channel wavelength creates the data stream. Multiple lasers are used to create multiple data streams, and these data streams are combined onto a single fiber for transmission in their respective channels.
The International Telecommunications Union (ITU) presently requires channel separations of approximately 0.4 nanometers, or about 50 GHz. This channel separation allows up to 128 channels to be carried by a single fiber within the bandwidth range of currently available fibers and fiber amplifiers.
With the requirement for multiple tightly spaced channels, stable control over both the laser source and output frequency is important to system effectiveness. The lasers used in DWDM systems typically have been based on distributed feedback (DFB) lasers operating with a tuning etalon that defines the ITU wavelength grid. Due to manufacturing as well as performance limitations, DFB lasers are used as single channel lasers, or as lasers limited to tuning among a small number of adjacent channels. As a result, DWDM applications would require multiple different DFB lasers each at a different channel wavelength.
Continuously tunable external cavity lasers have been developed to overcome the limitations of DFB lasers. These lasers have a laser source and end mirror that define an external cavity used for wavelength tuning. For example, a tuning element within the external cavity, such as, an etalon device, is mounted to a support that is fixed to a platform extending between the laser source and end mirror. Controlling the temperature of the platform tunes the laser by altering the optical path length of the external cavity. Separate tuning between grid wavelengths may also be achieved by separately tuning the tuning element.
While such lasers have been used with some success, continuously tunable telecommunication lasers do present some design considerations. These lasers can be somewhat expensive and time consuming to manufacture. In particular, the tuning assemblies used in many continuously tunable lasers result from a lengthy sequential build-up process. During this process, certain components can only be fabricated after other components have been completed. Furthermore, once fabricated, the tuning speed of continuously tunable lasers is limited by the type of tuning method used in the assembly. More specifically, many current tuning methods require adjustment of multiple interdependent systems, which adds to control complexity and prolonged tuning times.


A microelectronic assembly and a method of forming same. The microelectronic assembly comprises: a microelectronic package including a substrate and a die, the die being electrically conductively bonded to the substrate at a front side thereof and further having a backside; a cover plate defining an inlet opening and an outlet opening therethrough; bonding posts mechanically bonding the cover plate to the backside of the die; a sealant body sealingly bonding an inner periphery of a die side of the cover plate to an inner periphery of a backside of the die to form, along with the backside of the die and the cover plate, a cooling fluid chamber. The backside of the die, the cover plate, the bonding posts and the sealant body together define a microelectronic cooling device including the cooling fluid chamber and configured to receive cooling fluid through the inlet opening, to flow the cooling fluid in the chamber between the bonding posts, and to allow the cooling fluid to exit from the outlet opening to cool the die.

A microelectronic package comprises a microelectronic die electrically interconnected with a carrier substrate, and one or more other components, such as electrical interconnects, an integrated heat spreader, a heat sink, among others. An example of a microelectronic package is an integrated circuit microprocessor. A microelectronic die comprises a plurality of interconnected microcircuits within a carrier to perform electronic circuit functions.
A microelectronic die generates heat as a result of the electrical activity of the microcircuits. In order to minimize the damaging effects of heat, passive and active thermal management devices are used. Such thermal management devices include heat sinks, heat spreaders, and fans, among many others. There are limitations in the use of each type of device, and in many cases, the thermal management device is specifically designed for a particular microelectronic die and package design and intended operation. Examples of passive thermal management devices include heat sinks and integrated heat spreaders. Examples of active thermal management devices include package-based liquid cooling system including a micro-channel cold plate (MCCP).
A conventional micro-channel cold plate (MCCP) is shown in FIGS. 1a and 1b. FIG. 1a shows a housing portion of a conventional MCCP from a top plan view, and FIG. 1b shows a cross-sectional view of the MCCP taken along a length thereof and mounted on a package. It is noted at the outset that the MCCP shown in FIGS. 1a and 1b is not to scale. As shown in FIGS. 1a and 1b, a MCCP 115 according to the prior art may include a housing 102 defining a cooling fluid chamber 103, and having a die-side housing portion 104 and a cover plate portion 106. FIG. 1a shows a top plan view of the die-side housing portion 104. As seen in FIG. 1a, according to the prior art, the die-side housing portion 104 of a MCCP 115 may include a plurality of micro-channels 105 extending in a direction parallel to one another. The micro-channels 105 are adapted to direct cooling fluid from an inlet side 108 of the housing 102 to an outlet side 110 of the housing 102 as shown. Examples of cooling fluids include water, antifreeze such as potassium formate and K-formate, oil, liquid metal, low-melting-temperature solder alloy, nanofluid (that is, fluid with nano-particles), air and helium. The housing 102 may be made of silicon or copper, and the micro-channels 105 may be etched into the silicon or copper die-side housing portion 104 or provided using micro-machining techniques according to well-known methods. The cooling fluid is adapted to be delivered to the inlet side 108 of housing 102 by way of an inlet opening 112 in cover plate portion 106, and to exit the outlet side 110 through an outlet opening 114 in cover plate portion 106. The cooling fluid may be pumped through the MCCP 115 by a pump in a conventional closed loop cooling system. As shown in FIG. 1b, the MCCP 115 may be mounted onto a package 116 through thermal interface material (TIM) 118 as shown to form an MCCP-package assembly 100. TIM 118 may include a thermal interface pad or thermal grease, solder or epoxy. Package 116 as shown include a die 120 bonded to substrate 122 via electrically conductive and mechanically bonding joints 124 as shown. By "joint," what is meant in the context of the instant description is a connection between the die and the substrate that is both electrically conductive and that further mechanically bonds the die to the substrate. Joints 124 are typically made of solder, and connect electrical contacts on the underside of the die 120 to corresponding electrical contacts on the substrate 122. Joints 124 as shown as encapsulated by a cured underfill material 126 as shown.
According to the prior art a MCCP 115 of which is depicted in FIGS. 1a and 1b, heat generated by the package 116 is dissipated at least in part through the MCCP 115 by circulating cooling fluid through micro-channels 105. The cooling fluid may be pumped through the cooling system by a pump and carried to a further heat sink device, such as, for example, a heat exchanger including fins, to dissipate heat energy from the cooing fluid 107 to the environment.
MCCP's according to the prior art disadvantageously require the use of lithographic and/or micro-machining techniques for providing the channels. Such techniques can be expensive, complicated and time-consuming to implement.
The prior art has as yet failed to provide a microelectronic die cooling device that is cost-effective, simple and efficient to fabricate.

Microelectronic die cooling device including bonding posts and method of forming same


An electronic ballast for a discharge lamp includes a microcontroller, which is configured to identify the parameters which determine the discharge lamp type. The microcontroller implements an orientation mode program once when the lamp is first switched on, which orientation mode program can be used to determine the type of discharge lamp.

Mercury-containing and mercury-free lamps, in particular discharge lamps for use in motor vehicles (so-called D lamps), each have very different properties. This applies in particular to the electrical properties of the two lamp types, which demonstrate the same rated power of 35 watts during steady-state operation, but the mercury-free lamp only has approximately half the running voltage in comparison with the mercury-containing lamp. Even during startup, the two lamp types need to be operated very differently than one another in order to achieve the desired requirements, such as sufficiently high instantaneous luminous flux alongside an acceptable life.
Therefore, a dedicated electronic ballast type is used in the prior art for each lamp type (Hg-containing D1 lamp and Hg-free D3 lamp), the respective electronic ballast type individually taking into consideration the particular features of the associated lamp type. Although the two electronic ballast types are based on a common hardware and software concept, the detailed requirements of the lamps do not make it possible to exchange the electronic ballasts for one another.
This results in the disadvantage that, during production, it is necessary to distinguish between two hardware and two software variants and then two products need to be managed both in terms of sales and by the customer, which firstly means twice the storage requirement and secondly often results in confusion.
In order to reduce the possibility of confusion, it has been proposed in the prior art to use different plug codings. However, this has the result that different cables are also required in addition to the different electronic ballasts and lamps.
The patent application EP 0 759 686 A2 has proposed a method and a circuit arrangement in which the electronic ballast has a microprocessor which identifies the individual lamp type connected to the electronic ballast and drives the lamp depending on the lamp type specification identified.
For this purpose, the lamp-type-specific codings arranged on the lamp, such as knobs arranged on the lamp base, for example, which owing to their number and arrangement form a lamp-type-specific coding, are detected and the lamp is driven correspondingly to previously stored operational parameters for this lamp type. Another possibility of lamp type identification consists in detecting a bar code applied to the lamp. Furthermore, there is the possibility of additionally using electrical variables for lamp type identification.
One disadvantage with this prior art, however, is the fact that each time the lamp is switched on there is a delay while the electronic ballast determines the lamp type in question. Therefore, this procedure is unsuitable precisely for application in motor vehicles since in this case it is necessary for the lamp to be started up particularly quickly. This is also the reason why the lamp power is increased to a multiple of the rated power during startup (so-called power startup).

Universal electronic ballast for operating Hg-free lamps and Hg-containing discharge lamps

OSRAM Gesellschaft mit beschraenkter Haftung


Systems and methods for more accurate and robust determination of subject characteristics from an image of the subject. One or more machine learning models receive as input an image of a subject, and output both facial landmarks and associated confidence values. Confidence values represent the degrees to which portions of the subject's face corresponding to those landmarks are occluded, i.e., the amount of uncertainty in the position of each landmark location. These landmark points and their associated confidence values, and/or associated information, may then be input to another set of one or more machine learning models which may output any facial analysis quantity or quantities, such as the subject's gaze direction, head pose, drowsiness state, cognitive load, or distraction state.

Recent convolutional neural networks (CNNs) have been developed to estimate gaze direction of subjects. Such CNNs can, for example, determine the direction a subject is looking, from an input image of the subject. This allows systems using such CNNs to track subject gaze and react accordingly in real time.
Conventional gaze determination systems are not without their drawbacks, however. Overall performance and robustness of such systems remains limited, especially in edge cases or extreme situations such as large variations in head pose or partial occlusion of faces or eyes. FIG. 1 illustrates examples of such extreme situations. More specifically, FIG. 1 shows situations in which the subject's face is partially or mostly occluded (left), in this case by a respiratory mask, and in which the subject has turned her head far to one direction (right). In both examples, much of the subject's face cannot be seen (in the leftmost figure, the entirety of the subject's face below his eyes; in the rightmost figure, the entire right side of the subject's face), meaning much information on the subjects' faces is unavailable for sensing. This leaves limited information available for CNNs to determine face pose, resulting in often inaccurate results.

Neural network based facial analysis using facial landmarks and associated confidence values


The photoacid generator produces a sulfonic acid which has a bulky cyclic structure in the sulfonate moiety and a straight-chain hydrocarbon group and thus shows a controlled acid diffusion behavior and an adequate mobility. The PAG is fully compatible with a resin to form a resist composition which performs well during the device fabrication process and solves the problems of resolution, LWR, and exposure latitude.

While a number of recent efforts are being made to achieve a finer pattern rule in the drive for higher integration and operating speeds in LSI devices, deep-UV and EUV lithography is thought to hold particular promise as the next generation in microfabrication technology. In particular, photolithography using an ArF excimer laser as the light source is thought requisite to the micropatterning technique capable of achieving a feature size of 0.13 μm or less.
The ArF lithography started partial use from the fabrication of 130-nm node devices and became the main lithography since 90-nm node devices. Although lithography using F, laser (157 nm) was initially thought promising as the next lithography for 45-nm node devices, its development was retarded by several problems. A highlight was suddenly placed on the ArF immersion lithography that introduces a liquid having a higher refractive index than air (e.g., water, ethylene glycol, glycerol) between the projection lens and the wafer, allowing the projection lens to be designed to a numerical aperture (NA) of 1.0 or higher and achieving a higher resolution. See Journal of Photopolymer Science and Technology, Vol. 17, No. 4, p 587 (2004).
In the photolithography using an ArF excimer laser (wavelength 193 nm) as the light source, a high sensitivity resist material capable of achieving a high resolution at a small dose of exposure is needed to prevent the degradation of precise and expensive optical system materials. Among several measures for providing high sensitivity resist material, the most common is to select each component which is highly transparent at the wavelength of 193 nm. For example, polyacrylic acid and derivatives thereof, norbornene-maleic anhydride alternating copolymers, polynorbornene, ring-opening metathesis polymerization (ROMP) polymers, and hydrogenated ROMP polymers have been proposed as the base resin. This choice is effective to some extent in that the transparency of a resin alone is increased.
Studies have also been made on photoacid generators. In prior art chemically amplified resist compositions for lithography using KrF excimer laser, photoacid generators capable of generating alkane- or arene-sulfonic acid are used. However, the use of these photoacid generators in chemically amplified resist compositions for ArF lithography results in an insufficient acid strength to scissor acid labile groups on the resin, a failure of resolution or a low sensitivity. Thus these photoacid generators are not suited for the fabrication of microelectronic devices.
For the above reason, photoacid generators capable of generating perfluoroalkanesulfonic acid having a high acid strength are generally used in ArF chemically amplified resist compositions. These photoacid generators capable of generating perfluoroalkanesulfonic acid have already been developed for use in the KrF resist compositions. For instance, JP-A 2000-122296 and U.S. Pat. No. 6,048,672 (or JP-A 11-282168) describe photoacid generators capable of generating perfluorohexanesulfonic acid, perfluorooctanesulfonic acid, perfluoro-4-ethylcyclohexanesulfonic acid, and perfluorobutanesulfonic acid. JP-A 2002-214774, US Patent Application Publication 2003-0113659 A1 (JP-A 2003-140332), and US Patent Application Publication 2002-0197558 A1 describe novel photoacid generators capable of generating perfluoroalkyl ether sulfonic acids.
On the other hand, perfluorooctanesulfonic acid and homologues thereof (collectively referred to as PFOS) are considered problematic with respect to their stability (or non-degradability) due to C—F bonds, and biological concentration and accumulation due to hydrophobic and lipophilic natures. The US EPA adopted Significant New Use Rule, listing 13 PFOS-related chemical substances and further listing 75 chemical substances although their use in the photoresist field is excluded. It has already been proposed to apply the Rule to perfluoroalkanesulfonic acids and derivatives thereof, summing to 183 chemical substances.
Facing the PFOS-related problems, manufacturers made efforts to develop partially fluorinated alkane sulfonic acids having a reduced degree of fluorine substitution. For instance, JP-A 2004-531749 describes the development of α,α-difluoroalkanesulfonic acid salts from α,α-difluoroalkene and a sulfur compound and discloses a resist composition comprising a photoacid generator which generates such sulfonic acid upon irradiation, specifically di(4-tert-butylphenyl)-Iodonium 1,1-difluoro-2-(1-naphthyl)ethanesulfonate. JP-A 2004-002252 describes the development of α,α,β,β-tetrafluoro-alkanesulfonic acid salts from α,α,β,β-tetrafluoro-α-iodoalkane and sulfur compound and discloses a photoacid generator capable of generating such a sulfonic acid and a resist composition comprising the same. JP-A 2002-214774 discloses such photoacid generators having difluorosulfoacetic acid alkyl esters (e.g., 1-(alkoxycarbonyl)-1,1-difluoro-methanesulfonate) and difluorosulfoacetic acid amides (e.g., 1-carbamoyl-1,1-difluoromethanesulfonate) although their synthesis method is lacking. Furthermore, JP-A 2005-266766 discloses a photosensitive composition comprising a compound capable of generating a partially fluorinated alkane sulfonic acid having a sulfonylamide structure derived from perfluoroalkylene disulfonyl difluoride.
The substances disclosed in these patent documents have a reduced degree of fluorine substitution, but suffer from several problems. They are less degradable because they are based on substantially undegradable hydrocarbon skeletons and they do not possess readily degradable substituent groups such as ester groups. A certain limit is imposed on the molecular design for changing the size of alkanesulfonic acid. The starting materials containing fluorine are expensive.
Aside from the degradation and acid strength of photoacid generators, there are many problems to be solved. For instance, as the pattern layout becomes finer, the fluctuation of pattern line width, known as "line width roughness" (LWR), becomes significant. In the processing of gate electrode zones in the LSI circuit manufacturing process, for example, poor LWR can give rise to such problems as current leakage, resulting in a transistor with degraded electrical properties. It is believed that the LWR is affected by various factors. The main factor is the poor affinity of a base resin to a developer, that is, low solubility of a base resin in a developer. Since carboxylic acid protective groups commonly used in the art are bulky tertiary alkyl groups and thus highly hydrophobic, most of them are less soluble. Where a high resolution is required as in the formation of microscopic channels, a noticeable LWR can lead to an uneven size. One of known approaches for reducing LWR is by increasing the amount of photoacid generator added, as described in Journal of Photopolymer Science and Technology, Vol. 19, No. 3, 327-334 (2006). This approach, however, exerts a less than satisfactory effect, sometimes at the substantial sacrifice of exposure dose dependency, mask fidelity and/or pattern rectangularity. Aside from merely increasing the amount, uniform distribution of the photoacid generator is also important for improving LWR.
Furthermore, as the circuit line width is reduced, the detrimental influence of acid diffusion on contrast becomes more serious for resist materials. This is because the pattern size is approaching the diffusion length of acid. The acid diffusion may also lead to a lowering of mask fidelity and a degradation of pattern rectangularity. Therefore, in order to take full advantage of the reduced wavelength of a light source and the increased NA, it is necessary to increase the dissolution contrast over prior art materials or to restrain the acid diffusion.
JP-A 2007-145797 discloses C1-C20 alkanecarbonyloxy or arenecarbonyloxy-1,1,3,3,3-pentafluoropropanesulfonates, typically triphenylsulfonium 2-(adamantane-1-carbonyloxy)-1,1,3,3,3-pentafluoropropanesulfonate. They are still insufficient in diffusion control and LWR reduction.
JP-A 2007-161707 and JP-A 2008-069146 disclose photoacid generators capable of generating partially fluorinated alkanesulfonic acids having a polycyclic hydrocarbon group. These compositions still fail to exert satisfactory resist performance. Since these photoacid generators are unstable esters of difluoroacetic acid, shelf stability is a matter of concern about the resist compositions comprising the same.
In the actual device fabrication process, the exposure dose can vary in a certain range. The resist is required to have an exposure latitude sufficient to maintain a pattern profile substantially the same even when a certain variation of exposure dose occurs. Under the current demand for a further miniaturization of the pattern rule, the resist is required to perform well with respect to sensitivity, substrate adhesion, and etch resistance, and additionally, to achieve an LWR improvement and exposure latitude without the concomitant degradation of resolution.
With respect to the immersion lithography, there remain some problems. Minute water droplets are left on the resist and wafer after the immersion exposure, which can often cause damages and defects to the resist pattern profile. The resist pattern after development can collapse or deform into a T-top profile. In the immersion lithography, there exists a need for a patterning process which can form a satisfactory resist pattern after development.

Photoacid generator, resist composition, and patterning process


A system and method for reporting the existence of sensors belonging to multiple organizations that are proximally located to a requested location. The report includes a first list of sensors that are unauthorized and discoverable and a second list of sensors that are authorized.

Sensors are used to detect or measure stimuli such as air pressure, temperature, humidity, moisture, mechanical pressure, optical, acoustic waves, motion, presence of chemicals or gasses, presence of biological matter, presence of metal, electromagnetic radiation, biometric parameters, visual pattern recognition, nuclear radiation and visual streams. Sensor information is used by monitoring and control systems to support a wide range of functions, such as adjusting environmental conditions (thermostat), fire detection and possibly triggering a fire suppression system (fire alarm), detecting and reporting intrusions and property theft (burglar alarm), maximizing energy efficiency (room occupancy detector) and identifying hazards including gunshots and explosions.
There are literally billions of sensors in use within the US, across organizations that include government agencies, businesses and consumers, with each organization owning and maintaining its sensors independently due to significant safety, security and privacy concerns. This "silo effect" is a barrier to interconnecting and sharing sensor information across multiple organizations. Indeed, these concerns not only prevent sharing sensor information across multiple organizations, they also prevent sharing even the existence of sensors across multiple organizations.
One attempt for overcoming the "silo effect" was the creation of the Unites States Department of Homeland Security (DHS) whose founding principle and highest priority is protecting the American people from terrorist threats. DHS combined 22 different federal departments and agencies into a unified, integrated cabinet agency when it was established in 2002. Creation of a single government department is one approach for solving the organizational problem of not having integrated monitoring and analysis of chemical, biological, metals, radiation, nuclear, and explosive (CBMRNE) materials.
A second attempt of trying to overcome the organizational "silo effect" was the creation of New York's Lower Manhattan Security Initiative which monitors 4,000 security cameras and license plate readers south of Canal Street. The project uses feeds from both private and public security cameras, which are all monitored 24 hours a day by the New York police department. Using face and object-detection technology, the police can track cars and people moving through 1.7 square miles in lower Manhattan and even detect unattended packages. The $150 million initiative also includes a number of radiation detectors and other security measures.
While creating a single government department such as DHS made possible integrated monitoring of CBMRNE materials and creating the Lower Manhattan Security Initiative made possible integrated monitoring of terrorist threats in lower Manhattan, these approaches for integrated monitoring to detect an emergency condition are not practical on a widespread basis.
By not sharing sensor information across organizations, timely and appropriate response to an emergency condition is greatly compromised. For example, a chemical attack detected by a DHS sensor could be much more meaningful if it were combined with video sensor information from nearby businesses. Similarly, an explosion detected by a DHS sensor could be combined with power outage sensor information to automatically show the impact of the explosion. On a smaller scale, local police response to a residential silent alarm being triggered could be more effective if the police had access to neighboring security cameras.
A real world example of this problem can be understood from the Boston Marathon bombings on Apr. 15, 2013, where a series of two attacks targeting spectators and attendees of the city's annual marathon took place. Two bombs exploded at approximately 2:49 pm EDT, killing three people and injuring an estimated 264 others. To identify the suspects, authorities had to sift through a mountain of footage from government surveillance cameras, private security cameras and imagery shot by bystanders on smartphones. It took the FBI three days to release blurry shots of the two suspects, taken by a department store's cameras. In those three days, the suspects killed a police officer and hijacked a civilian. Lacking information regarding the extent of the attack, the Federal Aviation Administration restricted airspace over Boston and issued a temporary ground stop for Boston's Logan International Airport. In addition, some Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority service was halted and several cities in Massachusetts and other states put their police forces on alert. Despite this massive over-reaction to the bombing attack that virtually shut down the city of Boston, FBI Director Robert Mueller commended the efforts of law enforcement, intelligence, and public safety agencies on their handling of the bomb attack.
There is a need for a system and method that: (1) monitors sensors belonging to multiple organizations; (2) detects an emergency condition based on sensor information; (3) associates a location with the detected emergency condition; (4) sends an emergency condition report to an authorized recipient where the report includes sensor information for sensors that are proximally located to the detected emergency condition; and (5) reports the existence of sensors belonging to multiple organizations.

System and method for reporting the existence of sensors belonging to multiple organizations


An organic electroluminescent device includes: first and second substrates facing each other and spaced apart from each other, the first and second substrates having a central portion and a peripheral portion; an array layer on the first substrate, the array layer including a thin film transistor; an organic electroluminescent diode on the second substrate; a connection pattern between the first and second substrates, the connection pattern electrically connecting the thin film transistor and the organic electroluminescent diode; and a seal pattern in the peripheral portion, the seal pattern including a metallic material for attaching the first and second substrates.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a display device, and more particularly, to an organic electroluminescent device and a method of fabricating the same.
2. Discussion of the Related Art
In general, organic electroluminescent (EL) devices emit light by injecting electrons from a cathode and holes from an anode into a luminescent layer, combining the electrons and the holes to generate an exciton, and transitioning the exciton from an excited state to a ground state. Unlike liquid crystal display (LCD) devices, an additional light source is not necessary in the organic EL devices because the transition of the exciton between states causes light to be emitted from the luminescent layer. Accordingly, size and weight of the organic EL device is smaller than an LCD device. Since organic EL devices have lower power consumption, superior brightness, and fast response time, organic EL devices are being incorporated into consumer electronic products, such as cellular phones, car navigation system (CNS), personal digital assistants (PDA), camcorders, and palmtop computers. Moreover, since fabrication of organic EL devices is simple, it is much cheaper to produce organic EL devices than LCD devices.
Organic EL devices can be categorized into passive matrix organic EL devices and active matrix organic EL devices. Although the passive matrix organic EL devices have a simple structure and are formed using simple fabricating processes, the passive matrix organic EL devices require a relatively large amount of power to operate. Further, display sizes of the passive matrix organic EL devices are limited by their wiring structures. For example, as the total number of conductive lines increases, aperture ratios of the passive matrix organic EL devices decrease. In contrast, the active matrix organic EL devices have high luminescent efficiency and can produce high-quality images on large displays using relatively little power.
FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view of an organic electroluminescent device according to the related art. As shown in FIG. 1, first and second substrates 10 and 60 face each other and are spaced apart from each other. An array layer "AL" is formed on the first substrate 10. The array layer "AL" includes a thin film transistor (TFT) "T" in each pixel region "P." An organic electroluminescent (EL) diode "E" is formed on the array layer "AL." The organic electroluminescent (EL) diode "E" includes a first electrode 48, an organic luminescent layer 54 and a second electrode 56. Light emitted from the organic luminescent layer 54 passes through one of the first and second electrodes 48 and 56 that is transparent.
Organic EL devices can be classified into a top emission type and a bottom emission type according to the emission direction of the light. For example, when the first electrode 48 is formed to be transparent so that light is emitted from a bottom of the organic EL device, the organic EL device is referred to as a bottom emission type. In a bottom emission type, the second substrate 60 is used as an encapsulation plate. Further, the second substrate 60 has a concave portion 62 and a moisture absorbent material 64 formed in the concave portion 62. The moisture absorbent material 62 eliminates any moisture and oxygen that may penetrate into the bottom emission type organic EL diode "E." The first and second substrates 10 and 60 are attached with a seal pattern 70 at their periphery.
FIG. 2A is a plan view showing a pixel region of an organic electroluminescent device according to the related art and FIG. 2B is a cross-sectional view taken along a line "IIb-IIb" of FIG. 2A. In FIGS. 2A and 2B, a gate line 22 crosses a data line 42 to define a pixel region "P." A buffer layer 12 is formed on a first substrate 10. A driving semiconductor layer 14 and a capacitor electrode 16 spaced apart from each other are formed on the buffer layer 12. A gate insulating layer 18 and a driving gate electrode 20 are sequentially formed on the semiconductor layer 14. The driving semiconductor layer 14 includes an active region "IIc" corresponding to the driving gate electrode 20 and source and drain regions "IIe" and "IId" at both sides of the active region "IIc." A first passivation layer 24 is formed on the driving gate electrode 20 and the capacitor electrode 16 and a power electrode 26 is formed on the first passivation layer 24 over the capacitor electrode 16. The power electrode 26 is a portion of a power line 28 crossing the gate line 22.
A second passivation layer 30 is formed on the power electrode 26. The first and second passivation layers 24 and 30 have a first contact hole 32 exposing the drain region "IId" and a second contact hole 34 exposing the source region "IIe." Further, the second passivation layer 30 has a third contact hole 36 exposing the power electrode 26. A driving source electrode 38 and a driving drain electrode 40 are formed on the second passivation layer 30. The driving source electrode 38 is connected to the source region "IIe" through the second contact hole 34 and the power electrode 26 through the third contact hole 36, while the driving drain electrode 40 is connected to the drain region "IId" through the first contact hole 32.
A third passivation layer 44 is formed on the driving source and drain electrodes 38 and 40. The third passivation layer 44 includes a drain contact hole 46 exposing the driving drain electrode 40. A first electrode 48 connected to the driving drain electrode 40 through the drain contact hole 46 is formed on the third passivation layer 44 in an emission area "EA" of the pixel region "P." An interlayer insulating layer 50 is formed on the first electrode 48. The interlayer insulating layer 50 has an opening exposing the first electrode 48. An organic luminescent layer 54 is formed on the interlayer insulating layer 50 in the emission area "EA" and a second electrode 56 is formed on the organic luminescent layer 54. The organic luminescent layer 54 contacts the first electrode 48 through the opening of the interlayer insulating layer 50.
The driving semiconductor layer 14, the driving gate electrode 20, the driving source electrode 38 and the driving drain electrode 40 constitute a driving thin film transistor (TFT) "TD." The organic EL device can have a switching TFT "TS" connected to the gate line 22 and the data line 42 and a driving TFT "TD" connected to the switching TFT "TS" and the power line 28. The driving gate electrode 20 is connected to the switching TFT "TS" and the drain electrode 40 has an island shape. The first electrode 48, the second electrode 56 and the organic luminescent layer 54 between the first and second electrodes 48 and 56 constitute an organic EL diode. Moreover, the capacitor electrode 16, the power electrode 26 and the first passivation layer 24 between the capacitor electrode 16 and the power electrode 26 constitute a storage capacitor "CST."
In an organic EL device according to the related art, an array unit and an organic EL diode are formed on a first substrate, and a second substrate is attached to the first substrate for encapsulation. However, when the array unit and the organic EL diode are formed on one substrate in this way, production yield of the organic EL device is determined by multiplying the TFT's yield and the organic EL diode's yield. Since the organic EL diode's yield is relatively low, the production yield of the overall EL device is limited by the organic EL diode's yield. For example, even when TFTs are well fabricated, an organic EL device using a thin film of about 1000 Å thickness can be judged to be bad due to the defects in an organic EL layer. This results not only in the loss of the organic EL device but also in a loss of the TFTs that have to be discarded. Such loss wastes materials and increases production costs.
Bottom emission type organic EL devices have the advantages of high encapsulation stability and high process flexibility. However, the bottom emission type organic EL devices are ineffective as high resolution devices because they have poor aperture ratios. In contrast, top emission organic EL devices have a higher expected life span because they are more easily designed and have a higher aperture ratio. In top emission type organic EL devices, the cathode is generally formed on an organic EL layer. As a result, transmittance and optical efficiency of a top emission type organic EL devices are reduced because of a limited number of materials that may be used. If a thin film-type passivation layer is formed over the cathode to prevent a reduction of the light transmittance while protecting the cathode, the thin film-type passivation layer may fail to prevent infiltration of exterior air into the device.

Organic electroluminescent device and method of fabricating the same


A foldable floating vessel providing a large surface area and heavy payload capability when deployed into a liquid, such as a manure lagoon. The vessel may be folded for transport using linear actuators to fold two hulls of the vessel from a first position substantially horizontal to a second position substantially vertical. Driving and steering assemblies are provided on a center frame to which the foldable hulls are pivotably connected.

Boats may be used for leisure and work related activities. For many such activities, a larger boat is more desirable, especially in situations where it is desired to carry a large payload. While large boats provide several benefits, including greater stability, greater payload and more room, larger boats can be more difficult to transport. The width of large boats makes maneuvering them on a trailer difficult and may prevent the trailered boat from traveling on roads with width restrictions. It would, therefore, be desirable to provide a large boat that may be configured to a narrower width for transport.
It would be particularly desirable to narrow the transport width of boats used to perform activities at worksites. Prior art "working boats" may need to be used at a worksite and moved to another worksite multiple times a day. Accordingly, prior art working boats often sacrifice size, payload and stability for narrower transport dimensions.
One type of boat used at worksites is a floating manure agitator. Livestock produce a large amount of manure. The nitrogen content of manure makes it useful as fertilizer on agricultural fields. While manure is continually produced, it is only needed as fertilizer during certain times of the year. During the times it is being produced and not yet needed, it must be stored. It is also desirable to break down manure prior to application as a fertilizer. One method of storing and breaking down livestock manure is a manure lagoon. Manure lagoons are sloped, fully impermeable pits, fifteen to thirty-five feet deep, and may be several hundred feet across.
Manure from a livestock operation is pumped into a lagoon where anaerobic bacteria digest, liquefy, and convert a portion of the manure to carbon dioxide, methane, ammonia and hydrogen sulfide. The resulting supernatant contains nitrogen and calcium. The resulting solids form a sludge that rests on the bottom of the manure lagoon. The sludge is made up of several biodegradable organic solids, including lignin and cellulose. The sludge also contains high concentrations of phosphorous. After anaerobic bacteria breaks down the manure, the manure is pumped from the lagoon to a tank for transport and then applied to an agricultural field.
To prevent an undesirable buildup of sludge at the bottom of the lagoon, it would be desirable to provide a boat with an agitator to create a slurry by moving solids in sludge into suspension within the supernatant. Providing a boat to agitate the manure would overcome prior art difficulties associated with land based propellers not being able to mix sludge at the center of the lagoon. To adequately move the solids in the sludge into suspension, especially at the center of the lagoon, a large pump and spray nozzle are required. A large pump requires a large motor, which in turn requires a large boat to support the motor, pump and spray assembly. As noted above, while the greater size of the boat facilitates the use of larger equipment to more effectively mix the manure within the lagoon, the wider boat has the additional drawback of being difficult to transport. It would, therefore, be desirable to provide a boat with a larger width when the boat is on the water and a narrower width when the boat is being transported.
The difficulties encountered in the prior art discussed hereinabove are substantially eliminated by the present invention.


With a detector 10 with which a first electrode layer 11, a photoconductive layer for recording, 12, exhibiting conductivity when irradiated with recording light L1, a charge transporting layer 13 acting roughly as a conductor for transported charges opposite in polarity to the latent image charges, a photoconductive layer for reading, 14, exhibiting conductivity when irradiated with reading light L2, and an electrode layer 15 having a stripe electrode are stacked together, a sub-electrode 17, a number of elements 17a of which are each located just above an element 16a, being disposed so that they are opposed to each other, is provided in the vicinity of a charge storing section 19 in the photoconductive layer for recording, 12. In recording, a specified control voltage is applied to the sub-electrode 17 from a power supply 73. In reading, the current flowing out from each element 17a of the sub-electrode 17 is detected.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a radiation solid-state detector having a charge storing section which stores charges of a quantity corresponding to the dose of the projected radiation as latent image charges, and a method and device for using the detector to record radiation image information as a static latent image or read out the recorded static latent image.
2. Description of the Prior Art
To reduce the dose of exposure of the subject and improve the performance of diagnosis in medical radiation photographing, etc., a method (for example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,535,468, etc.) has been known up to now which uses, as a photosensitive material, a radiation solid-state detector (a static recorder) with a photoconductor, such as a selenium plate, responding to radiation, such as X-ray; projects the X-ray onto the detector, and stores the charges of the quantity corresponding to the dose of the projected radiation in the charge storing section in the detector for recording of radiation image information as a static latent image; and uses a laser beam or a line light source to scan the detector in which the radiation image information has been recorded, for reading out the radiation image information from the detector.
The method according to the above-mentioned U.S. Pat. No. 4,535,468 uses a three-layer structure detector which has an X-ray photoconductive layer, a charge storing layer (also called an intermediate layer or a trap layer) for storing of charges generated in the X-ray photoconductive layer, and a photoconductive layer for reading in this order, and in recording, applies a high voltage across the electrodes provided on both sides of the three layer structure, and projects X-ray to store latent image charges in the charge storing layer, and then short-circuits the electrodes to read out the latent image charges. With this method, the photoconductive layer for reading in the detector is thinner than the X-ray photoconductive layer in order to increase the reading speed for improving the response.
However, with the method according to the above-mentioned U.S. Pat. No. 4,535,468, the photoconductive layer for reading is thinner than the X-ray photoconductive layer, therefore, a problem results that the quantity of the signal charges detected from the outside is small. Further, the charge mobility is low for both electron and hole, and so, the charge storing layer cannot be thin. This is because increasing the charge mobility decreases the response speed, resulting in a residual image being produced. In other words, with this method, it is difficult to make the high speed response in reading compatible with efficient taking out of signal charge.
On the other hand, in Japanese Patent Application No. 10 (1998)-232824 and Japanese Patent Application No. 10 (1998)-271374, the present applicant has proposed a radiation solid-state detector which allows the high speed response in reading to be compatible with the efficient signal charge taking out, a recording device for recording of radiation image information in this detector, and a method and device for reading out the radiation image information from the detector in which the radiation image information has been recorded as a static latent image.
This method as stated in Japanese Patent Application No. 10 (1998)-232824, etc. uses a radiation solid-state detector provided with a photoconductive layer for recording which exhibits conductivity when irradiated with the radiation for recording or the light emitted by excitation on this radiation, a charge transporting layer which acts almost as an insulator for the latent image charges, while acting roughly as a conductor for transported charges having a polarity opposite to that of the latent image charges, and a photoconductive layer for reading which exhibits conductivity when irradiated with the electromagnetic wave for reading in this order. Radiation for recording is projected onto the photoconductive layer for recording in the detector, and by storing the charges of the quantity corresponding to the dose of the projected radiation in the charge storing section formed roughly at the boundary between the photoconductive layer for recording and the charge transporting layer, radiation image information is recorded as a static latent image. By reading out the static latent image, the radiation image information is provided.
The radiation solid-state detector according to the present invention is a radiation solid-state detector which further improves the detector, etc. as stated in the above-mentioned Japanese Patent Application No. 10 (1998)-232824, and Japanese Patent Application No. 10 (1998)-271374, i.e., a radiation solid-state detector which has a charge storing section for storing charges in a quantity corresponding to the dose of radiation which has been projected, and records radiation image information as a static latent image in the charge storing section,
wherein a first electrode layer having a permeability to radiation for recording or light emitted by excitation on the radiation, a photoconductive layer for recording which exhibits a conductivity when irradiated with the radiation for recording or the light, a photoconductive layer for reading which exhibits a conductivity when irradiated with an electromagnetic wave for reading, and a second electrode layer having a permeability to the electromagnetic wave for reading are provided in this order,
and a first conductive member for outputting an electric signal corresponding to the quantity of the latent image charges stored in the charge storing section formed between the photoconductive layer for recording and the photoconductive layer for reading is provided in the second electrode layer or between the first electrode layer and the second electrode layer.
The first conductive member may have any shape, but, it is preferable that the shape has no effect on the process of latent image forming (transferring and storing of the latent image charges) in recording, or the process of charge-recoupling of the latent image charges with charges opposite in polarity to the latent image charges, i.e., the transported charges. For example, when the first conductive member is provided in the photoconductive layer for recording or on the face of the photoconductive layer for recording which is for the photoconductive layer for reading, the shape is preferably that which will not hinder the latent image charges generated in the photoconductive layer for recording being transferred to the charge storing section. When the first conductive member is provided in the photoconductive layer for reading or in the later-described charge transporting layer or trap layer, the shape is preferably that which will not hinder the transported charges generated in the photoconductive layer for reading being transferred to the charge storing section. For this, it is recommended to take such a measure as providing holes having a desired shape, such as a circle and a square, in correspondence with the pixels, or providing an elongated rectangular hole extending along the direction of the pixel arrangement.
When this first conductive member is disposed in the photoconductive layer for recording, it is preferably permeable to the radiation for recording or the light emitted by excitation at the time of radiation, so that the radiation or the like can sufficiently get into the photoconductive layer for recording, and thus the charge generation process in the photoconductive layer is not affected.
To enhance the response in reading, the smaller the sum of the thickness of the layer forming the charge storing section and that of the photoconductive layer for reading for a given thickness of the photoconductive layer for recording, the better.
The electrode constituting the second electrode layer and/or the first conductive member of the radiation solid-state detector are preferably a stripe electrode comprising a number of linear electrodes.
The term xe2x80x9clinear electrodexe2x80x9d means an electrode having a long and slender shape as a whole, and so long as it has a long and slender shape, it may of any shape, such as columnar or prismatic, but it is preferable that the linear electrode be particularly a flat plate electrode. To prevent the latent image forming process and the charge-recoupling process from being affected as stated above, such a measure as providing the linear electrode with holes having a desired shape, such as a circle and a square, in correspondence with the pixels, or with an elongated rectangular hole extending along the direction may be taken.
Here, when the electrode constituting the second electrode layer and the first conductive member are a stripe electrode, it is preferable that the linear electrodes of the first conductive member be disposed so that they are opposed to or almost orthogonally intersect the linear electrodes of the electrode constituting the second electrode layer.
The phrase xe2x80x9care disposed so that they are opposed toxe2x80x9d means that each linear electrode of the first conductive member is located roughly just above the linear electrode of the electrode constituting the second electrode layer with a specified spacing, and disposed so that they are opposed to each other in the longitudinal direction. The phrase xe2x80x9care disposed so that they almost orthogonally intersectxe2x80x9d means that the linear electrodes of the first conductive member almost orthogonally pass over the linear electrodes of the electrode constituting the second electrode layer.
In this case, when the first conductive member is further disposed in the photoconductive layer for recording, the photoconductive layer for reading, or the charge transporting layer, it is recommended that the width of the linear electrode of the first conductive member be 5 to 30% of the pitch for the linear electrodes of the second photoconductive layer to prevent the latent image forming process in recording and the charge-recoupling process from being affected.
When the first conductive member and the electrode constituting the second electrode layer are linear electrodes, the linear electrodes of the first conductive member being disposed in the second electrode layer, it is preferable that each linear electrode of the first conductive member be disposed between linear electrodes of the second electrode layer so that they are in parallel with one another, and be not permeable to the electromagnetic wave for reading to prevent the electromagnetic wave from getting into the photoconductive layer for reading and deteriorating the reading resolution.
Further, with the radiation solid-state detector according to the present invention, it is preferable that a second conductive member for causing the latent image charges to have the same potential be discretely provided in the charge storing section for each pixel for an image represented by the electric signal. Particularly, it is recommended that the second conductive member be provided on the face (boundary) of the photoconductive layer for recording which is for the photoconductive layer for reading.
Here, the phrase xe2x80x9cbe provided for each pixelxe2x80x9d means that preferably one conductive member is provided for each pixel so that the charges around the pixel can be concentrated on the pixel central portion in reading by causing the latent image charges to have the same potential, and does not involve the style in which a number of conductive members are disposed at random for one pixel, so that when reading the charges around the pixel cannot be concentrated on the pixel central portion.
The word xe2x80x9cdiscretelyxe2x80x9d means that the respective conductive members are disposed in a state isolated from one another, i.e., in the floating state in which they are not connected to one another. When a plurality of conductive members are provided for one pixel, it is preferable that the members for one pixel be electrically connected to one another.
The size of this second conductive member is preferably set at a value approximately equal to the pixel pitch. Or, it may be set at a value smaller than the pixel pitch, say, less than half, and the second conductive member may be disposed in the pixel central portion to concentrate the latent image charges on the pixel central portion. The size of this second conductive member refers to the diameter for a circular conductive member, and the length of each side for a square conductive member. The shape of the conductive member may be any shape, such as a circle and a square.
When a detector with which the electrode constituting the second electrode layer and the first conductive member are a stripe electrode, and the linear electrodes constituting both electrodes are disposed so that they orthogonally intersect each other is used, the electric field is concentrated on the location where both linear electrodes cross. It is therefore preferable that, by disposing the second conductive member in correspondence with the location where both linear electrodes cross, the charge concentration efficiency be increased. In recording, the second conductive members may be left open.
The radiation solid-state detector according to the present invention may have a charge transporting layer, which acts roughly as an insulator for the latent image charges, and roughly as a conductor for charges opposite in polarity to the latent image charges between the photoconductive layer for recording and the photoconductive layer for reading, and the charge transporting layer may form the charge storing section. Alternatively, the radiation solid-state detector may have a trap layer for catching the latent image charges between the photoconductive layer for recording and the photoconductive layer for reading, the trap layer forming the charge storing section.
When the radiation solid-state detector is to have a charge transporting layer or a trap layer, the first conductive member may be provided at the boundary between the photoconductive layer for reading and the trap layer or at the boundary between the photoconductive layer for reading and the charge transporting layer, or in the charge transporting layer or in the trap layer. Further, the second conductive member may be provided at the boundary between the photoconductive layer for reading and the charge transporting layer, or at the boundary between the photoconductive layer for reading and the trap layer.
The radiation image recording method according to the present invention is a radiation image recording method which projects radiation onto the above-stated radiation solid-state detector to store the charges of the quantity corresponding to the dose of the projected radiation in the charge storing section of the radiation solid-state detector as latent image charges for recording of radiation image information as a static latent image in the charge storing section,
wherein a control voltage to adjust the electric field formed between both electrode layers by a DC voltage applied across the first electrode layer and the second electrode layer in the radiation solid-state detector is applied to the first conductive member.
The phrase xe2x80x9cprojects radiation onto the radiation solid-state detectorxe2x80x9d means that the radiation for recording which carries radiation image information about the subject is directly or indirectly projected onto the detector, and is not limited to the radiation for recording being directly projected onto the detector, meaning that, by projecting the radiation onto a scintillator (a fluorescent body), for example, the light, such as fluorescence, emitted by excitation on the radiation for recording is projected onto the detector.
The term xe2x80x9ccontrol voltagexe2x80x9d means a voltage of a magnitude with which the first conductive member can have a specified effect on the latent image charge storing process in recording, and it can be set at a voltage of a magnitude which provides roughly the same electric field as that which would be formed if the first conductive member were not provided.
Further, by positively bringing the control voltage close to or away from the potential at the second conductive layer, the region in which latent image charges are formed can be provided with a change. As a result, the signal taking-out efficiency and the reading response speed can be improved.
The control voltage may be either a DC voltage or an AC one. The AC voltage is not limited to the sinusoidal wave, and may be of any waveform, provided that it can improve the signal taking-out efficiency and the reading response speed.
The radiation image reading method is a radiation image reading method which, from the above-stated radiation solid-state detector in which radiation image information has been recorded as a static latent image, reads out the radiation image information, wherein the charges corresponding to the latent image charges stored in the charge storing section of the radiation solid-state detector are read out through the first conductive member to provide an electric signal at a level corresponding to the quantity of the latent image charges.
The phrase xe2x80x9cthe charges are read out through the first conductive memberxe2x80x9d means that the charges are read out at least through the first conductive member, and in addition to the current flowing between this first conductive member and the electrode of the second electrode layer, the current flowing between the electrode of the first electrode layer and the electrode of the second electrode layer may also be detected.
The electromagnetic wave for reading may be a continuous wave generated continually or a pulse wave generated in the form of a pulse, but, the pulse wave permits a higher current to be detected, allowing a pixel having a small quantity of latent image charges to be detected as a sufficiently high current, which means, it can substantially improve the S/N ratio, which is advantageous.
However, when the pulse wave is used with a detector with which the electrode constituting the second electrode layer and the first conductive member are a stripe electrode, and the linear electrodes constituting both electrodes are disposed so that they orthogonally intersect each other, the electric field is concentrated at the location where both linear electrodes cross, and the latent image charges are also concentrated at this location. It is therefor preferable that the electromagnetic wave for reading be projected onto the location in the photoconductive layer for reading which corresponds to this crossing location. When a detector with which a second conductive member is provided is used, the latent image charges are stored, being concentrated on the second conductive member, and it is therefore preferable that the electromagnetic wave for reading be projected at least onto the location in the photoconductive layer for reading which corresponds to the location where this second conductive member is provided. In this reading, the second conductive member may be left open.
The radiation image recording device according to the present invention is a radiation image recording device which realizes the above-stated radiation image recording method, comprising:
voltage application means which applies a DC voltage across the first electrode layer and the second electrode layer in the radiation solid-state detector, and
control voltage application means for applying, to the first conductive member, a control voltage to adjust the electric field formed between both electrode layers by a DC voltage applied by the voltage application means.
The radiation image recording device according to the present invention is a radiation image recording device which realizes the above-stated radiation image recording method, comprising image signal acquisition means which, by reading out the charges corresponding to the latent image charges stored in the charge storing section of the radiation solid-state detector through the first conductive member, provides an electric signal at a level corresponding to the quantity of the latent image charges.
When a detector with which the electrode of the second electrode layer and the electrode of the first conductive member are a stripe electrode, and the linear electrodes of the first conductive member are disposed so that they almost orthogonally intersect the linear electrodes of the second electrode layer is used, it is preferable that, by carrying out switchover so that only the linear electrode corresponding to the scanning position in scanning with the reading light is connected to the first electrode layer and the linear electrodes of the second electrode layer, the distributed capacitance which does not contribute to the signal reading be reduced.
The basic detector to which the present invention is to be applied may be any detector, provided that it is a detector with which electrodes are stacked so that they sandwich the photoconductive layer for recording and the photoconductive layer for reading, and it is preferable that the present invention be applied, particularly, to a detector (a static recorder) which has been proposed by the present applicant in the above-mentioned Japanese Patent Application No. 10 (1998)-232824, and Japanese Patent Application No. 10 (1998)-271374.
With the radiation solid-state detector according to the present invention, the first conductive member for outputting an electric signal at a level corresponding to the quantity of the latent image charges is provided between the second electrode layer and the first electrode layer, and therefore another capacitor can be formed between the charge storing section which is formed between the photoconductive layer for recording and the photoconductive layer for reading, and the first conductive member. The transported charges having a polarity opposite to that of the latent image charges stored in the charge storing section by recording can also be provided for the first conductive member by charge-recoupling in reading. The quantity of the transported charges distributed to the capacitor formed between the electrode of the second electrode layer and the charge storing section, through the photoconductive layer for reading, can be reduced to below that when this first conductive member is not provided. The quantity of the signal charges which can be taken out from the detector to the outside can be increased to improve the reading efficiency.
With the radiation image information reading method and device according to the present invention, the signal charges representing radiation image information are read out from the detector according to the present invention in which the radiation image information has been recorded, through the first conductive member, for providing an image signal at a level corresponding to the quantity of the latent image charges stored in the charge storing section. Therefore, more charges can be read out from the detector, which allows the reading efficiency to be increased, a larger signal to be obtained, and the S/N ratio for an image to be improved.
Providing the first conductive member will have practically no great effect on the thickness of the photoconductive layer for recording or the photoconductive layer for reading, which means that the response in reading will not be adversely affected, and as stated in Japanese Patent Application No. 10 (1998)-232824 and Japanese Patent Application No. 10 (1998)-271374, for example, by decreasing the sum of the thickness of the charge transporting layer and that of the photoconductive layer for reading to below the thickness of the photoconductive layer for recording, the response in reading can be enhanced. In other words, according to the present invention, the high speed response in reading can be maintained, while the reading efficiency can be increased to a level still higher than that obtained when a conventional detector is used.
Further, with the radiation image information reading method and device according to the present invention, a control voltage to adjust the electric field formed between the first electrode layer and the second electrode layer is applied to the first conductive member, which allows the signal taking-out efficiency and the reading response speed to be improved.
If the detector is that with which the second conductive member for causing the latent image charges to have the same potential is provided discretely in the charge storing section for each pixel for an image represented by the electrical signal, all the latent image charges for each pixel stored on the second conductive member can be caused to have the same potential, which allows the reading efficiency to be increased to a level higher than that obtained when the second conductive member is not provided. This is because the latent image charges are held at the same potential in the range of the second conductive member, therefore, the latent image charges around the pixel, which are generally difficult to read out, can be moved to the central portion of the second conductive member, i.e., the pixel central portion, as the reading progresses, so long as they are in the range of the second conductive member, which means that the latent image charges can be sufficiently discharged.
In addition, the pixel can be formed at the fixed location where the second conductive member is disposed, which allows the structure noise to be compensated for.
Further, if the size of the second conductive member is set at a value smaller than the pixel pitch, and disposed in the central portion of the pixel, the shape of the electric field formed in reading can be such that the electric field is attracted toward the second conductive member, therefore, the latent image charges can be stored, being concentrated on the pixel central portion, which means the sharpeness of the image can be improved.
If the second conductive member is provided, the latent image charges can be stored with no charge transporting layer or trap layer, which means, device formation can be performed more easily.
When the detector having a charge transporting layer or trap layer is provided with the second conductive member, the charge storing effect of such a layer can also be utilized. In other words, if the size of the second conductive member is set at a value smaller than the pixel pitch, and such a layer is not provided, a problem arises that the charges which have not been caught by the second conductive member cannot be stored as latent images, resulting in the quantity of the stored charges being decreased, although they contribute to the improvement in sharpness. Contrarily, when such a layer is provided, the charges are caused to be stored as latent image charges, so that the sharpeness can be improved without the quantity of the stored charges being reduced.
As with a detector, and a recording device and reading device as proposed in the above-mentioned Japanese Patent Application No. 10 (1998)-232824, etc. by the present applicant, the present invention is intended to provide compatibility between the high speed response in reading and the efficient signal charge taking out, and to offer a radiation solid-state detector which makes it possible to provide still higher performance than that of the device as stated in Japanese Patent Application No. 10 (1998)-232824, a method and device for recording of radiation image information in this detector, and a method and device for reading out the radiation image information from the detector in which the radiation image information has been recorded.

Radiation solid-state detectors, and radiation image record-reading method and device using the same