Embodiments for at least one method and apparatus of controlling a dead time of a switching voltage regulator are disclosed. One method includes generating a regulated output voltage based upon a switching voltage. The method included generating the switching voltage through controlled closing and opening of a series switch element and a shunt switch element, wherein the dead time comprises time that both the series switch element and the shunt switch element are open. The duration of the dead time is adjusted based on a rate of change of the switching voltage.

Switched-mode DC-DC converters are commonly used to provide the voltage required for operating electronic circuits from a differing supply voltage with minimal losses. An example of a DC-DC converter (in this case a buck converter, configured to reduce the supply voltage) is depicted in FIG. 1. Although a buck converter is shown in FIG. 1, it is to be understood that the discussion below applies to any converter configuration.
In the configuration shown in FIG. 1, the series switch (hereinafter SW1) and the shunt switch (hereinafter SW2) are alternately closed in order to provide a varying output voltage to the load. Simplified control waveforms for the switches are depicted in FIG. 2. When the series switch SW1 is on, current flows from the input voltage through SW1 to the output inductor Lout. When the series switch SW1 is off, and the shunt switch SW2 is on, the inductor draws current from the ground node through SW2, which acts as a synchronous rectifier. (It is also possible to have the current decrease to 0 or become negative during this portion of the operating cycle.) The duty cycle D is defined as the proportion of time during which SW1 is on:
  D  =            T      on                      T        on            +              T        off
In normal steady-state continuous-mode operation, when parasitic losses can be neglected, the output voltage is proportional to the duty cycle:Vout=DVin
If both switches are on simultaneously, current can flow through them directly from the input voltage supply to ground. This "shoot-through" current can be very large, since its only impediment is the on-resistance of the switches. Shoot-through current does not flow through the load and so is wasted, degrading the efficiency of the converter. Therefore, shoot-through is to be avoided. In order to accomplish this end, "dead times" are normally provided at the end of each switch on-time, during which both switches are off.
During the dead times, current continues to flow due to the influence of the typically large-value output inductor Lout. Since both switches are open, this current will charge or discharge the parasitic capacitance of the switch node, which is typically small. As a consequence it is often the case that the potential at the switch node VSW, hereinafter referred to as the switching voltage, will change rapidly during the dead times. In the typical continuous-conduction case where the current through the inductor is positive at all times in the switching cycle, the voltage VSW will fall (become more negative), as depicted in FIG. 3.
During the dead time DT1, at the beginning of which the switch potential is already near 0, VSW becomes negative. If DT1 is too long, the body diode of the switch FET SW2 turns on (or the FET itself will turn on as an MOS diode), and current starts to flow out of the diode into the output inductor. Body diode current degrades converter efficiency, due to dissipation as it flows through the diode of P=IBVF, where VF is the forward voltage of the diode and IB is the body-diode current. The forward voltage of a junction diode is typically about 0.7 V (for MOSFET devices, the diode voltage can be higher or lower than 0.7V, but there is still loss). In application where the output voltage is modest (e.g. 1 to 5 V), this represents a substantial additional loss mechanism. Therefore, when current flow through the output inductor is positive during DT1, it is best to make the dead time DT1 as short as possible consistent with avoiding shoot-through current.
Note that in the case where the instantaneous current flowing through the inductor is negative during DT1, the voltage VSW increases towards VIN during the dead time. The best efficiency is obtained when DT1 is long enough that the node voltage reaches VIN, at which point SW1 is turned on. Since there is no voltage across SW1 when it is turned on, there is no switching loss. This is known as Zero Voltage Switching (ZVS). However, for small negative currents, long dead times are needed, so efficiency benefits must be balanced against duty cycle constraints, as described below.
During the dead time DT2, at the beginning of which the switch potential is near the input potential VIN, VSW falls towards 0, discharging charge stored on the parasitic capacitance of the VSW node into the load. If SW2 is turned on at the moment that VSW reaches 0 V, all the energy stored in SW2 will have flowed to the load, and since there is no voltage across SW2 at the moment of switching, there is no power dissipated during the switching transition (This is ZVS operation for DT2). If DT2 is allowed to become too long, the switch node voltage again becomes negative, and body diode current may flow, increasing dissipation and decreasing efficiency. It is desirable to choose DT2 to approximate ZVS as closely as possible to achieve maximum efficiency, without extending the time excessively so as to avoid body diode current.
The dead times required for efficient operation vary with the node capacitances, output inductance, applied voltage, and output current. In applications where the output current is substantially constant and known a priori, it may be possible to use fixed values for both DT1 and DT2 and achieve good efficiency. However, in applications where the output current experiences wide and frequent variations, dead time adjustments are helpful for maintaining good efficiency. This is of particular import for high-frequency converters using switching frequencies fsw>10 MHz, since the loss associated with switching transitions is linear in the frequency of occurrence of those transitions.
Therefore, it is of interest to adjust the dead times used in converter operation to obtain optimal efficiency, particularly in the case where output voltages comparable to the forward voltage of the body diode are contemplated.
A variety of approaches have been reported to achieve this end. The dead times may be set by design, but in this case variations in device characteristics due to processing variations are not accounted for, and changes in load current cannot be accommodated without degraded efficiency. In order to avoid shoot-through current, dead times must be set excessively long, leading to low efficiency from body-diode conduction. Adjustments may be made in the dead times when the final device or assembly is tested, to correct for process variations, but variations in temperature and operating current are not accounted for, again forcing the adjusted dead times to be set conservatively to avoid shoot-through current, thereby failing to achieve optimal efficiency.
Adaptive gate control may be used, in which the zero-crossing times are sensed directly by gates attached to the switching node and the SW2 control node. Such techniques are suitable for low-frequency converters (with switching frequencies of 100 kHz or less). However, when higher frequencies are used, especially in high-frequency converters using switching frequencies fsw>10 MHz, the delays in the control circuitry are comparable to the switching times, and accurate operation is difficult to achieve.
Predictive control of dead times, in which overlap in one switch cycle is used to adjust the dead time employed in the next switch cycle, has been reported. Predictive and loop control methods correct for the sensitivity of the control procedure to delays in the sensing circuitry, but require that zero crossings be accurately detected, which is again difficult in the case of high-frequency operation.
The use of converter duty cycle D as a surrogate for efficiency has been described. The duty cycle required to produce a given output voltage is minimized when dissipation in the converter is minimized. Dead times DT1 and DT2 may be adjusted while monitoring the resulting changes in the duty cycle, until a minimum in duty cycle D is found. This approach does not require fast sensing of the switching node, but because the derivative of D with respect to the dead times is being measured, it is necessary to wait for the controller to stabilize for each measurement if good accuracy is to be obtained.
This approach is acceptable when adaptation of the dead times is infrequent and long adaptation periods are allowed. However, in applications where load conditions change frequently and adaptation must proceed quickly, such long calibration times are not acceptable. For example, when a converter is used to supply a power amplifier used in Wideband Code-Division Multiplexed (WCDMA) communications, the transmitted power is modified for each 667-microsecond slot during closed-loop power control. Improved system efficiency is achieved by changing the voltage supplied to the power amplifier each time the requested RF power is changed. Any calibration process must take place in a time much shorter than 667 microseconds to be useful. If twenty steps are required to optimize each dead time, and each step requires 100 switching periods to perform, a conventional 1 MHz converter requires 4 milliseconds to find the optimal dead times, much longer than the slot time. Even if a much higher switching frequency (for example, 20 MHz) is used, 200 microseconds is required to establish optimal values for operation in a 667-microsecond slot, which is relatively wasteful.
Finally, some methods include the use of a memory or lookup table, possibly in combination with dead-time-based calibration, for fast dead time adaptation. This approach provides rapid adaptation if fast memory access is available. However, appropriate sensors are required, at least for the DC output current. While it is straightforward to sense output current using a resistive sensor, efficiency is degraded when a large sense resistance is employed, and noise margins are degraded if a small resistor is used. Various alternatives for current sensing have been reported, but these approaches generally add to power consumption and thus degrade efficiency. Furthermore, in any lookup table approach, a relatively complex periodic calibration is required to guard against variations in temperature and device aging.
It is desirable to have methods and apparatuses for setting optimal device times in a switched-mode converter which is fast, adaptable to varying temperatures, voltages, and currents, and suitable for use with high switching frequencies.

Controlling a dead time of a switching voltage regulator


A molded suture retainer is provided for retaining and storing sutures. Both absorbable and nonabsorbable sutures fabricated from natural or synthetic materials can be advantageously retained and stored therein. The retainer is characterized by a wide spiraling oval passageway with minimal convolutions covered by a cover sheet. The length of the passageway is preferably proportional to 1/3 to 1/2 the overall length of the suture to be retained therein. Recesses are provided for receiving package stabilizing agents and/or needle parks. Sutures packaged in accordance with the invention exhibit fewer kinks and bends than prior packaged sutures.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to packaging of sutures and, more particularly, to improved packages for sutures to improve loading and handling characteristics thereof.
2. Description of the Related Art
This invention relates to molded suture retainers and their use for packaging sutures, including nonabsorbable and synthetic absorbable sutures, to improve the out of package flexibility and handling characteristics of the sutures after storage. Sutures can be either monofilament or braided and are available in a wide variety of materials including cotton, silk, stainless steel, catgut, and dacron, nylon or other synthetic materials.
Synthetic absorbable sutures are typically formed using polymers and copolymers of glycolic acid (i.e., hydroxyacetic acid), the cyclic dimer of glycolic acid ("glycolide"), lactic acid, the cyclic dimer of lactic acid ("lactide") and related monomers, polydioxanone, polytrimethylene carbonate, polyalkylene glycol, polycaprolactone, their copolymers, etc.
Many types of packages for sutures are known in the art including those described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,917,878; 2,949,181; 2,965,225; 3,043,067; 3,143,209; 3,147,861; 3,163,288; 3,202,272; 3,221,873; 3,256,981; 3,280,971; 3,315,802; 3,319,782; 3,338,401; 3,357,549; 3,490,192; 3,613,879; 3,627,120; 3,642,126; 3,648,949; 3,8766,068; 3,939,969; 4,014,433; 4,069,912; 4,089,410; 4,135,623; 4,168,000; 4,249,656; 4,261,463; 4,284,194; 4,369,880; and, 4,549,649.
Nonabsorbable sutures may be packaged and/or sterilized using conventional techniques without concern for degradation of the suture material through hydrolysis. Synthetic absorbable sutures, in contrast, typically are packaged in moisture impervious foil laminate envelopes wherein the suture is wound in a FIG. 8 pattern on a paper retainer. Typical retainers of this type are shown in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,131,195, 4,192,420, 4,249,656, 4,253,563 and 4,063,638.
Molded suture packages having narrow convoluted passageways configured to predetermine the coil of the suture are also known. For example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,338,401 and 3,490,192 disclose molded suture packages wherein one or more elongated sutures are retained in a coiled narrow passageway having a plurality of convolutions therein. These passageways are proportioned to accommodate an entire length of the suture end to end without folding. These passageways are typically molded into a plastic carrier material and define a small diameter hollow plastic tube. The patents also discuss the loading of sutures into the passageways using a vacuum. Molded retainers have been used to package some nonabsorbable sutures, but have not been adopted for widespread use in packaging sutures, particularly synthetic absorbable sutures.
Typical commercially available synthetic absorbable sutures are packaged under extremely dry conditions, and are relatively stiff and inflexible upon removal from the packaging. Such sutures exhibit "memory" which causes the suture to retain or resume the customary figure 8 or coiled shape assumed by sutures packaged in such a configuration in a cardboard or paper retainer. This effect is undesirable since the suture must be straightened prior to use. The figure 8 configuration has also been found to introduce undesirable kinks and binds in the suture. It is believed that the extremely dry conditions required for packaging prior synthetic absorbable sutures, together with the suture memory effect created by such packaging and the number and radius of curvature of the convolutions required to accommodate full length sutures may combine to make it difficult or impossible to withdraw the suture from such packaging without breaking the suture or detaching the needle from an armed suture. This is particularly believed to be true in the case of sutures having lengths in excess of 20 inches wherein the passageways must be compressed and convoluted in order to accommodate the suture end to end.
Therefore, it would be highly desirable to provide a molded suture retainer and method of loading same which permits the suture to be stored more efficiently without the introduction of kinks and bends.
Accordingly, it is one object of the invention to provide a molded suture retainer which permits easy installation, storage and removal of sutures without kinks and bends therein.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a molded suture retainer and method of loading same which provides more efficient loading, storage and removal of long length sutures.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a molded suture retainer for efficiently storing surgical sutures fabricated from hydrolytically unstable polymers.
These and other highly desirable and unusual results are accomplished by the present invention in a molded suture retainer which permits the loading and efficient storage of sutures and easy removal without kinks and bends.
Objects and advantages of the invention are set forth in part herein and in part will be obvious herefrom, or may be learned by practice with the invention, which is realized and attained by means of the instrumentalities and combinations pointed out in the appended claims.
The invention consists of the novel parts, constructions, arrangements, combinations, steps and improvements herein shown and described.


An image processing device includes a memory portion for storing an ejection amount conversion table showing a relationship between image data serving as reference and a fluid ejected from a fluid ejecting head for a predetermined number of pixels, and an ejection amount estimation unit which estimates an ejection amount of the fluid from input image data on the basis of the ejection amount conversion table stored in the memory portion.

1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to an image processing device, an image processing method, and an image processing program.
2. Related Art
As one of ink jet type printers, there is a line head printer equipped with a print head which is called a line head and does not move. The line head printer can considerably improve the print speed. In the line head printer, a print paper curl occurs because a new ink droplet is placed on the print paper before a previously placed ink droplet dries to improve the print speed. In order to suppress the paper curl, a method of reducing an ink hit amount at a position where it is anticipated that the amount of ink placed on the print paper (ink hit amount) is larger than a predetermined amount may be adopted. However, such a method requires estimating the ink hit amount before ink is discharged by driving the line head.
However, the ink hit amount is obtained on the base of on/off information and the weight of ink of a dot for a pixel after producing the final output image data. JP-A-2007-58768 discloses a technique of grasping ink consumption before printing is performed by a user.
According to JP-A-2007-58768, it is possible to recognize normal ink consumption in which the contents of document are not considered before printing. However, the technique disclosed in JP-A-2007-58768 relates only to the normal ink consumption. Accordingly, in the case of trying to reduce the ink hit amount in order to suppress the curl, it is impossible to perform such reduction of the ink hit amount as long as actual ink hit amount is not grasped. Further, in the line head printer, since the print speed is very high, data processing as well as reduction of the ink hit amount must be performed at high speed.

Image processing device, image processing method, and image processing program


Embodiments of the present invention provide a radiation image detector and a manufacture method to produce the radiation image detector. The radiation image detector includes: a radiation conversion layer, configured to convert a radiation image into a visible light image; an image sensing layer for visible light, including a pixel array formed by a plurality of photosensitive pixels, configured to detect the visible light image; and a microlens layer, disposed between the radiation conversion layer and the image sensing layer, the microlens layer including a lens array formed by multiple micro convex lenses, and optical axes of the micro convex lenses being perpendicular to the image sensing layer. In addition, both the radiation conversion layer and the microlens layer have curved surface structures that are bended in the same direction that non-parallel radiations, emitted from an X-ray generator, will impinge perpendicularly on the radiation conversion layer.

Flat panel radiation image detectors have been widely used to monitor digital medical diagnosis and radiation therapy in real time. Compare with conventional radiation image detectors, such detectors have relatively a high speed, a low cost, a low exposure, high image quality, and perhaps other advantages. They are convenient for data storage, transmission, and operation, and can be integrated into digital medical systems. The development of TFT-LCD and solar cell technologies has made dynamic X-ray imaging on the flat panel radiation image detector feasible. The dynamic X-ray imaging is not only used in applications of large size medical images, such as chest fluoroscopy and cardiovascular examinations, but also have been gradually adopted in dentistry and other application fields where small areas are regions of interest for diagnosis via imaging.
The flat panel radiation image detectors can be classified into direct conversion detectors and indirect conversion detectors by detection principle and structure. An indirect conversion detector mainly includes a radiation conversion layer and an optical image detector. The radiation conversion layer can convert radiations into visible light, and the optical image detector includes multiple optoelectric converters. Electron-hole pairs are generated when the visible light is impinging on the optoelectric converters. The electron-hole pairs are separated by an electric field. The separated electrons and holes subsequently move to anodes and cathodes of the optoelectric converters, respectively, and are stored there. As such, electrical signals are generated and output to an external circuit, and finally X-ray image acquisition is completed.
In a radiation imaging system, radiations such as X-rays are generated and emitted by an X-ray generator, commonly referred to as an X-ray tube, which is in vacuum condition during operation. When an electron beam is accelerated by a strong electric field and bombarded on a metal target, the bombardment of high-speed electrons on metal atoms causes the atoms to emit X-ray according to a theory of bremsstrahlung radiation. X-rays are emitted from the metal target, pass through an output window, and irradiate a human body through a series of collimators and energy filters. Some unabsorbed X-rays irradiate on a flat panel X-ray image detector positioned right behind the human body. The X-ray image detector first converts the X-rays into a visible light image, and then obtains an electronic image through a visible light image detector.
Along the whole journey from emission from the X-ray tube to interaction with the X-ray detector, the X-ray beam is continuously diffused in a divergent manner, starting from a focal point where the electron bombardment occurred. As consequence, X-ray photons impinging on the X-ray image detector in various oblique angles. The luminance and resolution of an image obtained will gradually vary from the center to borders of the X-ray image detector. Due to a magnification effect originated from divergent X-ray beams, the image is distorted at edges of the detector. Therefore, it is a primary objective of this invention to provide a solution at a device level and at a system level to tackle these problems.

Radiation image detector and manufacture method thereof


A compound represented by formula (I):

As semiconductor microfabrication employing a lithography process, lithography processes employing ArF excimer laser (wavelength: 193 nm) an exposure system have been intensively studied. A photoresist composition for such lithography process generally contains an acid generator and a resin which varies its solubility for an aqueous alkali solution by the action of an acid.
US2007/122750 discloses a photoresist composition which comprises a resin having structural units represented by the following formulae.

Compound, resin, photoresist composition, and method for producing photoresist pattern

Abstract: A compound represented by formula (I):

Abstract: wherein                T1 represents a single bond or a C6-C14 aromatic hydrocarbon group,        L1 represents a C1-C17 divalent saturated hydrocarbon group in which a methylene group may be replaced by an oxygen atom or a carbonyl group,        L2 and L3 each independently represent a single bond or a C1-C6 divalent saturated hydrocarbon group in which a methylene group may be replaced by an oxygen atom or a carbonyl group,        ring W1 and ring W2 each independently represent a C3-C36 hydrocarbon ring,        R1 and R2 each independently represent a hydrogen atom, a hydroxyl group, or C1-C6 alkyl group,        R3 and R4 each independently represent a hydroxyl group, or C1-C6 alkyl group,        R5 represents a hydroxyl group or a methyl group,        m represents 0 or 1, and        t and u each independently represent an integer of 0 to 2.


A sample and hold circuit having low distortion at a large full power bandwidth utilizes a compensation capacitor which is connected across the input and output of an output stage of the sample and hold circuit and is driven by the output current signal, i.e. slew current I.sub.S, of the input stage. A hold capacitor is also included and arranged in parallel with the compensation capacitor to be voltage driven. The hold capacitor has a capacitance much larger than that of the compensation capacitor and a voltage equal to voltage of the compensation capacitor. A switchable voltage buffer for isolating the hold capacitor from the output of the input stage and for driving the hold capacitor, independently from the slew current, to a voltage value equaling the voltage of the compensation capacitor is also provided.

The present invention generally relates to a sample and hold circuit, and more particularly, a sample and hold circuit having low distortion at a large full power bandwidth.
Typically, a sample and hold circuit has an output which is proportional to the input until a "hold" signal is received. Upon receipt of that signal, the amplifier output is maintained essentially constant even though there may be changes in the input signal.
As shown in FIG. 1, the conceptual design of an integrating sample and hold circuit (Harris part no. HA5320, HA5330 U.S. Pat. No. 4,636,744) comprises a first independent amplifier 1, hereinafter sometimes referred to as the transconductance stage, and a second independent amplifier 2, having a high input impedance, these amplifiers 1, 2 being respectively connected by a sampling switch S.sub.1. The transconductance stage provides an output current or slew current I.sub.S which is equal to the transconductance of the first independent amplifier 1 times the voltage of the input signal thereto With sampling switch S.sub.1 closed, a hold capacitor C.sub.H, connected at respective ends to the input and output terminals of the second amplifier 2, is charged by the slew current I.sub.S when an input signal is applied to the input of the first amplifier 1.
Upon receipt of the "hold" command, the sampling switch S.sub.1 is opened, thus leaving the hold capacitor C.sub.H charged at the instantaneous value of the input signal. Capacitor C.sub.H is not discharged because the second amplifier 2 has a high input impedance so that the output of the second amplifier 2 remains essentially steady for a period of time. The "hold" signal may be generated by an external circuit (coupled to a process or experiment) or by a computer or digital control unit under control of the storage program.
The integrating type sample and hold circuitry illustrated in FIG. 1 is advantageous due to the switch stage operating at virtual ground. This allows for a charge injection compensation, leakage cancellation, signal independent pedestal error and the like. The hold capacitor C.sub.H must be large in order to store charge to accomplish the sample and hold function and unfortunately, the hold capacitor C.sub.H must be slewed by the transconductance stage under large signal conditions. This is disadvantageous because to achieve a large full power bandwidth of, for example, 500 kHz, along with a sizable hold capacitor C.sub.H, the front end slewing current I.sub.S must be unreasonably large.
Assume a full power bandwidth (FPBW) defined as as follows: ##EQU1## wherein SR=the slew rate, V.sub.a =sine wave amplitude and the slew rate is the same as the droop rate. Thus, for a full power bandwidth of 500 kHz at low distortion, the slew rate must be even greater than what is assumed above and thus the slew current would also be even greater.
For the sake of discussion, assume a factor of 2.0 slew rate advantage. Thus, the slew rate minimum is 500 Hzk.times.2.times..pi. which equals 31.4 V/uS and for low distortion use 2.0.times.31.4 V/microseconds which equals 62.8 V/microseconds. Assuming a hold capacitance of 110 pf, the parasitic capacitance of 10 pf gives a total slew capacitance of 120 pf. The slew current necessary is thus: EQU I.sub.slew =62.8 V/microseconds.times.120 pf=7.52 mA.
This is a very large current value to bias a differential pair on a circuit with a total current supply in the 10 mA range.
Therefore, it is an object of the present invention to eliminate the need to drive the hold capacitor of an integrating type sample and hold circuit with the slew current provided at an output of a transductance stage of the sample and hold circuit.
It is a further object of the present invention to eliminate the need for any distortion producing slew enhancement stages to provide a good full power bandwidth with low distortion.
It is yet another object of the present invention to provide a sample and hold circuit in which the front end is biased at a more reasonable current and a greater full power bandwidth is achieved.
These and other objects are provided, in accordance with preferred embodiments of the present invention, by a sample and hold circuit having low distortion at a large full power bandwidth, the circuit comprising an input stage having at least an input for receiving a signal to be sampled and an output for providing an output signal representative of an instantaneous value of the signal to be sampled. Connected via a sampling switch to the output of the input stage is an output stage having a compensation capacitor which is driven by the output signal, i.e. slew current I.sub.S, of the input stage. The compensation capacitor has a charge value or voltage representative of the instantaneous value of the output signal of the input stage, the compensation capacitor being connected across the input and output of the output stage. A hold capacitor is also included and arranged in parallel with the compensation capacitor. The hold capacitor has a capacitance much larger than that of the compensation capacitor and a voltage equal to voltage of the compensation capacitor. A switchable voltage buffer for isolating the hold capacitor from the output of the input stage and for driving the hold capacitor to a voltage value equaling the voltage of the compensation capacitor is also provided, the voltage buffer deriving its current independently from the slew current I.sub.S.
This arrangement combines the advantages of an integrating type sample of hold circuit with the advantages of a buffer type sample of hold circuit. In that one of the major disadvantages of the integrating type of sample and hold circuit is that the hold capacitor also doubles as the compensation capacitor, preferred embodiments of the present invention avoid the need to drive the hold capacitor with the transductance stage slew current I.sub.S by buffering the hold capacitor with a voltage buffer and providing a compensation capacitor, with a small capacitance which is slewed by the slew current I.sub.S of the transconductance stage so as to greatly reduce the slew current requirements. This arrangement allows the compensation capacitor to be made as small as possible for bandwidth needs and the hold capacitor as large as needed for the sample and hold requirements. Thus, the hold capacitor is driven by a voltage provided by the voltage buffer and not the slew current I.sub.S and therefore slewing does not occur at the hold capacitor but only at the smaller compensation capacitor.
This arrangement further provides the advantage that, because the compensation capacitor can be much smaller than the hold capacitor, the slew current I.sub.S needed to drive the compensation capacitor is reduced. Moreover, there is an elimination of the need for any distortion producing slew enhancement stages and a good full power bandwidth is achieve with lower power.
Thus, the performance improvements provided by preferred embodiments of the present invention include a reduction in the power requirements for achieving a given large power bandwidth, a greater full power and small signal bandwidth as well as improved hold characteristics resulting from a large hold capacitor. As a result, increasing the hold capacitor no longer causes bandwidth and speed trade-offs, specifically, lower drop rate, lower pedestal error, as well as lower drift current requirements. Further, low distortion is provided because no slew enhancement circuit or parallel circuits are needed to achieve the high slew rate and high full power bandwidth, and improved acquisition time is achieved resulting from the high slew rate and high power bandwidth combination.
Other objects, advantages and novel features of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description of the invention when considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.


A control system for an electric shift apparatus for a motor vehicle having an automatic transmission. The apparatus includes a power module adapted to be mounted on the housing of the transmission proximate the transmission mode select shaft and a control module adapted to be mounted in the passenger compartment. The power module includes an electric motor driving a speed reduction unit which in turn drives the transmission mode select shaft. The control module includes a logic module and a plurality of push button members corresponding respectively to the transmission shift positions. An encoder wheel provides a constant coded signal indicating the instantaneous position of the transmission mode select shaft. The logic module compares the present transmission position to the selected shift position and generates a signal to the motor to move the mode select shaft in a direction to achieve the selected shift position and stop the motor assembly when the encoder signal matches the selected shift position. The logic module provides a closed loop control system which, in the situation where the requested new position is only one position away from the present transmission position, moves the mode select shaft at a relatively slow speed and, in the situation where the requested position is more than one position away from the present transmission position, initially moves the mode select shaft at the relatively rapid speed and thereafter, as the mode select shaft reaches a position within one position of the requested position, moves the mode select shaft at the relatively slow speed to ensure accurate positioning of the mode select member without overshoot.

This invention relates generally to electric shift apparatus especially suited for use with a motor vehicle having an automatic transmission and more particularly to a control system for such an electric shift apparatus.
Motor vehicles since their inception have required some manner of gear change mechanism to satisfy the varying torque and speed requirements encountered during the typical duty cycle of a motor vehicle. For many years these gear change mechanisms were manual in the sense that they required an operator input from a shift lever or the like to effect each desired gear change ratio. More recently, so called "automatic" transmissions have become popular in which much of the shifting is done without operator input in response to speed and throttle opening parameters. These automatic transmissions typically include a mode select member on the transmission housing movable between a plurality of selected positions corresponding to a respective plurality of shift modes within the transmission. The mode select member is moved between its several shift positions via a cable or linkage mechanism extending from the mode select member to a suitable gear selector lever located in the passenger compartment of the vehicle.
More recently, control systems have been developed for motor vehicle automatic transmissions wherein electrical signals are generated by a suitable action on the part of the driver and transmitted electrically to some manner of power means arranged to move the mode select member. Examples of such control systems are shown for example in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,790,204, 4,817,471, 4,841,793 and 4,843,901, all assigned to the assignee of the present application. Whereas the control systems of these patents have proven to be generally satisfactory, it is important that the control system operate in a manner to move the mode select member rapidly between its various positions and yet ensure that each position is arrived at cleanly, positively, and without overshoot.

Control system for electric shift apparatus


A specimen for analyzing the shape of an antistatic antifouling layer and a method for preparing the same are provided. The specimen includes Pt coated on an antistatic antifouling layer comprising a conductive polymer formed on a polymer substrate, so that a contrast difference between the polymer substrate layer and the antistatic antifouling layer is caused by the diffusion of Pt by means of the conductive polymer and the dyeing effect of the antifouling layer. Accordingly, it is possible to clearly distinguish the shape of the antistatic antifouling layer formed on the polymer substrate by using TEM.

A polarizing plate protective film protects the surface of a product by sticking to a polarizing plate and a backlight unit in the LCD manufacturing process. As the polarizing plate protective film, a polyethylene terephthalate (PET) film is generally used. In order to prevent contamination of the film, an antifouling layer having a thickness of several tens of nanometers is coated thereon. Further, this protective film is removed from the process at the final stage of the LCD module production process. Defect occurs due to weak static electricity of about 1 kV to 5 kV generated when the film is peeled off, and the defect rate is known to be about 20%. Therefore, an antistatic antifouling layer made by mixing a conductive polymer such as poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene)polystyrene sulfonate (PEDOT:PSS) with a binder such as polyurethane is coated on a PET film to prevent the defects caused by static electricity.

Specimen for analyzing shape of antistatic antifouling layer and method for preparing same


A seating structure having a fabric with a weave pattern for supporting the body of a user. The fabric includes a plurality of strands of multifilament yarn and a plurality of monofilaments running generally perpendicular to the strands. At least some of the monofilaments are arranged in pairs. The monofilaments in each pair weaving alternatively above and below some adjacent strands and crossing over each other between other adjacent strands.

The present invention relates generally to office chairs, and more particularly, to a height-adjustable, tiltable office chair which supports the body of a user in ergonomically desirable positions for performing various tasks.
Office chairs are typically configured to allow tilting of the seat and backrest as a unit or tilting of the backrest relative to the seat. In chairs having a backrest pivotally attached to a seat in a conventional manner, the movement of the backrest relative to the seat can create shear forces acting on the legs and back of the user. These shear forces tend to cause an uncomfortable puling of the user""s clothing. In an attempt to compensate for these shear forces, some office chairs include a backrest which pivots while the seat tilts, such as those disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,859,801 (Moore) and 4,429,917 (Diffrient). To provide a chair which naturally conforms to the pivotal movement of both the legs and trunk of a user between tilt positions, it is desirable to provide a chair having a seat and backrest which pivot generally about the axis of the hip joints of the user.
To further ensure comfortable tilting between tilt positions and enhance the comfort of a user while in a given tilt position, it is desirable to provide a chair having a tilt mechanism with an effective pivot point about the ankles of the user. Such an ankle tilt feature decreases the effort required to tilt the chair, reduces the pressure of a forward edge of the seat acting on the underside of a user""s leg, and allows the feet of the user to remain flat on a floor.
Although some tilting chairs have incorporated such an ankle tilt feature, none have comprehensively addressed the overall body posture and relative positioning of body parts for ensuring comfort and minimizing fatigue regardless how intensely a user works. In most office enviromnents, a worker performs several tasks such as writing at a desk, dictating, using the telephone, or typing at a video display terminal (VDT). Not only do such tasks vary in the inherent intensity of the work being performed, but an individual may also desire to increase or decrease the work intensity of a given task. As a result, the optimal position of the body for ensuring comfort and minimizing fatigue also varies. Thus, it is desirable to provide a chair which automatically supports the body parts of a user in ergonomically optimal positions for performing intensive, moderate, or relaxing modes of work. It is also desirable to provide adjustable armrests for positioning the arms of a user in optimal locations for various tasks regardless of the size and shape of a user.
A related disadvantage of conventional office chairs is the configuration and material of the seat and/or backrest. Such seats typically include single or multi-density foam padding with a covering such as cloth, leather or the like. This type of seating provides a deformable cushion which conforms to the user""s buttocks. However, a deformable cushion does not provide a self-adjusting support which varies according to the position of the user and the tilt position of the seat. Such seating also tends to provide insufficient aeration since it acts as another layer of clothing. In chairs incorporating flexible membranes, the membranes are typically attached directly to the frame of a seat. Often the membrane is attached to the frame by wrapping edge portions of the membrane around spaced apart rods which define the frame. The membrane of such a seat is difficult to repair and/or replace since the chair would typically have to be disassembled to allow such maintenance. In addition, the structural requirements of such an attachment limits the shape and size of the frame and the membrane.
Typically, the seats of office chairs are supported by a single stage telescoping column which provides for vertical adjustment of the seat. These columns include a gas spring mounted in a telescoping tube which is slidable within a base tube. In accordance with guidelines set by the American National Standards Institute (A.N.S.I.) and Business and Institutional Furniture Manufacturer""s Association (B.I.F.M.A.), conventional office chairs in the United States are typically adjustable from a seat height of about 16.0 inches from a floor to about 20.5 inches from a floor. Nevertheless, it is desirable to exceed this range of height adjustment to account for very small or large users and to accommodate the international population in general.
Typically, it is difficult to exceed this range of height adjustment with seats which tilt about the knees or ankles of a user. To offset the moments acting on single stage support columns, pneumatic manufacturers typically set a minimum overlapping distance of 2.95 inches (75 mm) between the tubes. Because such xe2x80x9cankle tiltxe2x80x9d and xe2x80x9cknee tiltxe2x80x9d chairs have relatively large tilt housings, it is difficult to provide a lower minimum and higher maximum seat height while maintaining the required overlapping distance between the tubes. These types of tilting chairs also impart a greater moment on the tubes since the pivot axis is offset from the support column. It is therefore desirable to provide a vertically adjustable support column having a greater overlapping distance to permit a greater stroke which decreases the minimum height and increases the maximum height of a chair seat.
Briefly stated, the invention is directed to an office chair having a seat, a back and a pair of armrests which support the body of a user in ergonomically desirable positions for performing various tasks.
In one aspect of the invention, a linkage assembly is adapted to allow the seat and back to tilt downwardly and rearwardly and to allow pivotal movement of the seat about a pivot axis in substantial alignment with the hip joints of a user to inhibit shear forces from pulling the clothing on the body of a user.
In another aspect of the invention, the linkage assembly is adapted to allow the seat and back to tilt downwardly and rearwardly such that the seat pivots about an effective pivot point at substantially the ankle of a user having feet resting on a floor.
In yet another aspect of the invention, a vertically adjustable column includes an outer guide tube, an intermediate telescoping tube slidably positioned within the outer guide tube, and an inner telescoping tube slidably positioned within the intermediate tube. The outer guide tube is mounted to a support stand and the inner tube has an upper portion thereof connected to a seat support member. A gas spring is provided and includes a cylinder mounted within the inner tube, a piston rod extending outwardly from the cylinder and having an end connected to a bottom portion of the outer guide member, and a control pin assembly mounted to an upper portion of the cylinder for operable engagement with an actuator member. The piston rod is extensible between a collapsed position in which the cylinder and inner tube are substantially within the intermediate tube and the intermediate tube is substantially within the outer guide tube, and a raised position in which a portion of the cylinder and inner tube extend outwardly from the intermediate tube and a portion of the intermediate tube extends outwardly from the outer guide tube.
In another aspect of the invention, the seat and back of the chair include a frame member having an central opening therethrough and a receptacle formed around the perimeter thereof. A membrane of elastic material covers the central opening and is adapted to be attached to a carrier member which fits inside the receptacle.
In yet another aspect of the invention, a pair of armrests are adapted to be mounted to the chair to allow pivotal movement thereof in a plane substantially perpendicular to the general plane of the back to accommodate the angle at which the forearms of a user are positioned.
In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the linkage assembly includes a pair of first links having an end pivotally attached to the lateral portions of the seat to define a pivot axis in substantial alignment with the hip joints of a user. A pair of second links have a first section rigidly connected to the first links and the back and a second section angled downwardly from the first section. The second section terminates in an end pivotally mounted to a forward portion of the base member. A restraining link has one end pivotally attached to a rear portion of the seat and another end pivotally attached to the base member to limit tilting of the seat. The first links, second links, and restraining links are configured to create an effective pivot point of the seat at substantially the ankles of a user having feet resting on a floor. Thus, the seat pivots about the hip axis of a user such that the angle therebetween increases as the back and seat tilt rearwardly.
The chair preferably includes a bowed section to support the lumbar region of a back of a user. The greater rearward tilting of the back relative to the seat automatically lowers the bowed section to accommodate the changing position of the lumbar region of the user.
Preferably, the chair also includes a height adjustable, flexible strap member positioned horizontally across the back at approximately the lumbar region of the back of a user. The strap member is also laterally adjustable to provide a desired tension for supporting the back of the user. The armrests are preferably adapted to tilt with the back such that the angle therebetween remains constant during tilting. Preferably, the armrests are height adjustable relative to the back frame by a pawl and rack mechanism.
In addition, the membrane of elastic material is preferably pre-stretched prior to insertion of the carrier member in the receptacle to accommodate for the contour of the body of a user. The carrier member is preferably of one-piece construction and is adapted to be press-fit in the receptacle portion of the membrane is preferably molded with the carrier member. The carrier member can also be configured to snap-fit into the frame member receptacle, and the edge portion of the membrane can be welded to the carrier member.
The embodiments of the present invention provide significant advantages over other tiltable office chairs. For example, in the most preferred embodiment, the seat and back naturally conform to the body of a user during tilting of the chair to-thereby reduce shear forces acting on the thighs and trunk of the user and minimize pressure acting on the underside of the user""s thighs at the knees. This chair also automatically supports the body of the user in ergonomically desirable positions for performing tasks of varying intensity. The user""s weight is distributed evenly and shifts of the center of gravity are compensated for to allow the user to maintain equilibrium and good balance. Thus, the user""s body is positioned to reduce fatigue, allow proper alignment for performing various tasks, achieve maximum alertness or relaxation, and ensure overall comfort. Moreover, the range of vertical adjustment of the chair is increased to allow a lower minimum height and higher maximum height than conventional office chairs.
The present invention, together with further objects and advantages, will be best understood by reference to the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

Seating structure having a fabric with a weave pattern


The present invention relates to a system for heat refinement by utilizing waste heat in a conduct (6) comprising a first cycle (2), an evaporator (4) In which the circulating working fluid is evaporated to gas, a compressor (8) that compress the gas, a condenser (10) that condenses the gas to a condensate and releases heat to a passing heat carrier in the condenser, and an expansion valve (14) that expands the condensate and bring back the working fluid to the evaporator (4). The system further comprises a second cycle (16; 16a-d) is attached to the first cycle (2), a turbine (18), which supplies gas from the evaporator (4), whereby an expansion occurs, whereafter condensate is brought back to the evaporator (4).

Large amounts of waste heat of varying temperature are produced in Sweden and in the rest of the world. This heat is often disposed of to the surroundings, for example to lakes, watercourses, etc. Vast economical and environmental advantages can be reached if this waste heat can be refined. Around the world there is industries that is in need of large amounts of heat at high temperature and that produces large amounts of waste heat at lower temperatures. In Sweden there is example of utilization of waste heat for heating purposes, for example to the district heating net-work, from processes that requires a great deal of energy. Depending on the waste heat temperature, there can be some limitations in the utilization, such as temperature demand on the district heating network, distance between waste heat and the district heating network, etc. However, sometimes the waste heat surplus cannot be used at all for heating purposes, depending on the time of the year or that there is no addressee of the heat.
EP-A2-1174590 discloses a method and an apparatus for production of electricity, where a liquid such as water is evaporated in a first system and transfer heat through an evaporator to a cooling agent that circulates in a second system, separated from the first system, where the cooling agent expands and produces electricity. The evaporation occurs at a relatively high temperature, about 200° C.


A hair brush device with an elongated handle and a powder compartment mounted to one end. The power compartment includes a bottom surface and a perpendicularly extending peripheral wall that includes bristles perpendicularly mounted to the bottom wall and protrude outwardly through its outer surface. A cover is hingedly and removably mounted to the powder compartment and has an internal surface further including a mirror member mounted thereon. The handle member comprises two halves that are longitudinally joined together by hinges and cooperatively define several cavities for storing cosmetics and applicators.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to hair brushes, and more particularly, to such brushes that include a vanity mirror and compartments for other popular accessories and products.
2. Description of the Related Art
There have been many designs for hair brushes that include a number of accessories for grooming in the past. However, none of these devices have combined the features of the present invention, including a detachable vanity mirror, that provide a volumetric efficient storage of the different accessories and products typically used by women to fix their hair, powder their faces and color their eyelashes, and other areas of their faces.


An assembly of a pulmonary venting catheter and a pacing wire disposed therethrough whereby the pacing wire is extended from the distal end of the catheter tube during pacing mode, eliminating the need for exchanging the venting catheter with a pacing catheter to begin pacing after venting. The pacing wire includes a flexible distal end for a first conductor to conductively engage heart tissue after the pacing wire is extended from the catheter distal end; a second conductor, also exposed outside the catheter distal end, completes the circuit. The pacing wire is lockable in unextended and extended positions at the proximal end portion of the assembly. A method for venting and pacing a patient's heart during cardiac surgery is described, which includes retracting the catheter distal end from the pulmonary artery after venting mode, into the right ventricle during pacing mode, whereafter the pacing wire is extended for pacing.

Minimally invasive cardiac surgery entails the performance of heart surgery through very small incisions. Due to the limited size of the incisions, the patient's heart is not completely exposed. To assure a good or stable heart rhythm during and or after heart surgery, temporary pacing wires, which electrically stimulate the heart, are often sewn to the heart surface, and are used until patient self-pacing is achieved. This can be very difficult to do in some types of minimally invasive cardiac surgery cases without increasing the amount of heart dissection that is done, or increasing the risk of bleeding due to wire placement.
Minimally invasive cardiac surgery is known to utilize catheters that are placed into and along the patient's vasculature to allow safe initiation of cardiopulmonary bypass through catheters via small incisions. During cardiopulmonary bypass, blood is removed from the patient's pulmonary artery and the heart is stopped. The aspirated blood is then oxygenated by a medical apparatus and is then returned to the patient's arterial system at an appropriate location spaced from the heart, such as into a peripheral artery. Once the patient's heart function is undertaken by the cardiopulmonary bypass machine, the surgery can be safely performed through small incisions. The bypass procedure generally utilizes, along with several other catheters, a pulmonary venting (draining) catheter that is placed into and through the vasculature, preferably the jugular vein and superior vena cava, into and through the heart's right atrium and right ventricle, and into the pulmonary artery. The catheter distal end is then left in the pulmonary artery so that drainage of blood is by way of the distally open intake lumen of the catheter. One such pulmonary venting catheter is the ENDOVENT® catheter manufactured by Edwards Lifesciences Corp. (Irvine, Calif.).
It is known to provide a pacing wire into a patient where the distal wire end does not require sewing the tip to heart tissue. By use of a Swan-Ganz PACEPORT® pacing wire manufactured by Edwards Lifesciences Corp., a bipolar pacing wire is introduced into the patient's vasculature and the distal pacing wire end enters into the heart's right ventricle until it becomes engaged against the inner surface of the ventricle, termed intracardiac pacing. This catheter is utilized after pulmonary venting has been performed and after the venting catheter has been withdrawn from the patient. The bipolar pacing wire includes two conductive electrodes that are insulated from each other, one of which extends to the distal wire end, while the other concludes proximally of the distal wire end and is exposed to engage nearby right ventricle tissue. The distal wire end portion is so made to be extremely flexible so as not to damage the heart (or other) tissue of the patient, whereby a length of the distal end portion lies along and against the heart surface for best results. Such intracardiac pacing is performed during weaning from cardiopulmonary bypass, and also for post-operative management to improve cardiac output.
Generally, in the course of performing minimally invasive cardiac surgery without the use of pacing wires sewn to the patient's heart, the pulmonary vent must be exchanged with a pacing catheter that contains the pacing wire through the use of an introducing catheter. This requires a sterile technique with limited access to the head and neck of the patient during the procedure. Additionally, the heart may not have adequate flow or any native activity, making it a challenge to advance the pacing catheter into the right ventricle, and further out into the pulmonary artery. This may lead to numerous problems, including: the catheter being positioned in an incorrect location; the introducing catheter may become bent during the exchange, trapping the pacing catheter; or, the pacing catheter may loop, knot, perforate the heart, damage the heart valves, or become entangled in the chordae tendinae, etc.
It would be desirable to have a catheter assembly and a method of use of same that simplifies the minimally invasive cardiac surgery procedure, reduces the total time needed therefor in patients, and eliminates the need for additional heart surface stitches, among other desirable features, as described herein.

Catheter for minimally invasive cardiac pacing surgery and method of use

Rutgers, The State University Of New Jersey


A stereoscopic image display device and a method for manufacturing the same are disclosed, in which switching between a two-dimensional image and a three-dimensional image is performed using an electro wettable material depending on whether a voltage is applied. The stereoscopic image display device comprises a display panel; a first electrode formed on one surface of the display panel; a wall formed to divide a plurality of lens areas at the boundary of the respective lens areas on the first electrode; an electro-wettable material included in the wall; a first substrate formed on the wall to face the display panel; and a second electrode formed at the center of each wall on the first substrate.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a display device, and more particularly, to a stereoscopic image display device and a method for manufacturing the same, in which switching between a two-dimensional image and a three-dimensional image is performed using an electro-wettable material depending on whether a voltage is applied.
2. Discussion of the Related Art
It is expected that services for high rate information based on a high speed information communication network will be developed from a simple type service such as 'hearing and speaking' service of a phone to a multimedia type service such as 'seeing and hearing' service based on a digital terminal, which processes text, audio, and video. Ultimately, it is expected that the simple type service will be developed to a three-dimensional stereoscopic information communication service that allows a user to stereoscopically see, feel and enjoy beyond the realm of time.
Generally, a stereoscopic image that expresses a three-dimension is obtained by the principle of stereo vision through two eyes. Since binocular parallax, i.e., the distance between two eyes is about 65 mm, the left eye and the right eye see different images from each other due to such a difference in their positions. The difference between images due to the difference in positions of two eyes will be referred to as binocular disparity. The three-dimensional stereoscopic display device allows the left eye to see an image only on the left eye and the right eye to see an image only on the right eye by using the binocular disparity.
In other words, left/right eyes see different two-dimensional images, and if the two images are transferred to the brain through the retina, the brain mixes the images with each other to reproduce depth and reality of the original three-dimensional image. This ability will generally be referred to as stereography, and if this ability is applied to a display device, the device will be referred to as a stereoscopic display device.
Meanwhile, the stereoscopic display device can be divided depending on elements that realize 3-dimension (3D). For example, a driving mode of the stereoscopic display device, which drives the stereoscopic display device to have a light path difference such as a lens by using a liquid crystal layer, will be referred to as a liquid crystal field lens mode.
Generally, a liquid crystal display device includes two electrodes facing each other, and a liquid crystal layer formed between the two electrodes, wherein liquid crystal molecules of the liquid crystal layer are driven by the electric field generated by applying a voltage to the two electrodes. The liquid crystal molecules have polarization properties and optical anisotropy. In this case, the polarization properties means that molecular arrangement is switched depending on the electric field as electric charges in the liquid crystal molecule are grouped at both sides if the liquid crystal molecule is arranged in the electric field. The optical anisotropy means that a path or polarizing state of emitting light is switched depending on an incident direction or polarizing state of incident light due to a thin and long structure of the liquid crystal molecule and the molecular arrangement.
In this case, the liquid crystal layer shows the difference in transmittance due to the voltage applied to the two electrodes and displays images by varying the difference per pixel.
Recently, a liquid crystal lens electrically driven has been developed, in which the liquid crystal layer serves as a lens by using the properties of the liquid crystal molecule.
In other words, the lens controls the path of the incident light per position by using the difference in refractive index between a material constituting the lens and the air. If the liquid crystal layer is driven by forming the electric field generated by applying a different voltage to each position of the electrodes, the incident light upon the liquid crystal layer brings different phases per position. As a result, the liquid crystal layer can control the path of the incident light like the actual lens.
Hereinafter, a general liquid crystal field lens will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.
FIG. 1 is a sectional view illustrating an effect of the difference in light path of a general liquid crystal field lens.
The general liquid crystal field lens includes first and second substrates facing each other, and a liquid crystal layer formed between the first and second substrates.
In this case, a first electrode is formed on the first substrate at a first distance from the first substrate, and a second electrode is formed on the second substrate.
Liquid crystals are arranged depending on the electric field formed between the first electrode and the second electrode when a voltage is applied, whereby an effect similar to that of the lens can be obtained by the difference in light path caused by arrangement of the liquid crystals per region as shown in FIG. 1. In this case, as the strongest electric field is applied to the center of the first electrode, the liquid crystal lies down, whereby the shortest light path is obtained. If the liquid crystal becomes far away from the center of the first electrode, it becomes erect, whereby the light path becomes longer, and an effect like a parabolic lens is obtained.
The aforementioned liquid crystal field lens is attached to the display device, and displays a stereoscopic image depending on the voltage is applied.
In this case, the display device and the liquid crystal field lens require a process of respectively forming independent panels and bonding the panels to each other. When the panels are bonded to each other, miss-alignment between a lens area of the liquid crystal field lens and a pixel of the display device may occur. This means that three-dimensional display cannot be performed normally.
Also, as the liquid crystal field lens and the display device are independently provided, they require at least two glass substrates, respectively. In order to obtain a stereoscopic image display device, at least four glass substrates are required. For this reason, problems occur in that it is difficult to obtain a slim device and the cost and process steps are increased.
As described above, the aforementioned stereoscopic image display device according to the related art has the following problems.
The stereoscopic image display device based on a liquid crystal field lens is obtained by filling a liquid crystal layer between upper and lower substrates of a display device at a certain thickness and attaching the liquid crystal filed lens, which serves as a lens depending on that a voltage is applied, thereto.
In this case, at least four glass substrates are required, whereby the cost and thickness are increased. Also, in case of the liquid crystal field lens, the liquid crystal layer requires a thickness more than the height of the desired lens, whereby a long time is required to form the liquid crystal layer having the thickness and the liquid crystal may not be filled fully. Also, misalignment may occur in the bonding process of the liquid crystal field lens and the display device. Accordingly, it is required that the aforementioned stereoscopic image display device should be formed at a different structure to have a slim size.
As the case may be, in addition to the liquid crystal field lens, a lenticular lens sheet may be attached to the display device. In this case, problems occur in that misalignment may occur between the lenticular lens sheet and the display device and image switching between a two-dimensional image and a three-dimensional image cannot be performed.

Stereoscopic image display device and method for manufacturing the same


A beverage mixer and heater device includes a container disposable on a base. The container includes a heating element and a faucet. A cup indentation extends into the base underneath the faucet. The device also include means for aligning the faucet of the container with the cup indentation of the base, including a mating electrical plug disposed between the base and the container with one portion electrically coupled to the heating element of the container and another portion carried by the base. The base has a bottom with an inward and downward taper under the faucet to facilitate the base tipping from an upright configuration to a tipped configuration in a direction of the faucet. A method for making a hot beverage includes simultaneously turning the hot beverage with the mixing assembly and dispensing the hot beverage through a faucet coupled near a bottom of the container.

The present invention relates generally to a beverage mixer and heater for use in making hot beverages, such as a cocoa or hot chocolate, coffee, cappuccinos and lattes.
Hot drinks have become increasingly popular. Such drinks include hot chocolate, cappuccinos and lattes. Such drinks often require more complicated processing and/or more complex ingredients. For example, such drinks can include heating or brewing ingredients, steamed ingredients, foamed or frothed ingredients, etc. Typically, such drinks are available at specialty stores, such as coffee shops, and are made with expensive and complicated, commercial grade equipment or specialty machines. Therefore, it is often difficult to make such drinks at home. One disadvantage with making such drinks at home is that they are of poorer quality due to the inadequacies of typical kitchen appliances. For example, the various ingredients can separate, such as the foam or froth separating from the coffee or cocoa.
Various devices have been proposed to make hot drinks. An example of such a device is the Mr. Coffee® Cocomotion® hot chocolate maker by Sunbeam Products, Inc., Boca Raton, Fla. 33431. See also U.S. Pat. No. 6,318,247. Such devices heat and stir beverages in a vessel with an integral heating element and an integral mixing motor. The heating element and mixing motor are disposed in an integral base of the vessel. The vessel has an upper pouring chute at an upper edge to pour the contents from the vessel. The vessel and/or base have an enlarged bottom portion so that the lowermost portion of the base is widest.
One disadvantage of such devices is the difficulty of pouring the heated drinks. The device must be tipped, including the integral heater and integral motor, to pour the contents. In addition, such devices often require that the device be shut off, and be unplugged, before the contents are poured, allowing for separation of the ingredients. It will be appreciated that once the motor or mixer stops turning, the contents can begin to separate, with the frothy portion rising to the top and the beverage portion settling to the bottom. In addition, it will be appreciated that as the vessel is tipped, the frothy portion floats while the beverage portion runs out of the vessel. Thus, a frustrating an inconsistent dispensing experience can result.
Other devices have been proposed to froth milk to be added to hot drinks. An example of such a device is the Froth au Lait™ hot milk frother by Froth au Lait, Torrance, Calif. 90501. See also U.S. Pat. No. 6,283,625. Such devices are similar to those described above, but have a container with a pair of paddles and removable from a base with a heater and a motor. The container has an upper pour chute at an upper edge of the container to pour the contents from the container. The container and base also have an enlarged bottom portion so that the lowermost portion of the base is widest. Such devices are used to froth milk, which is then added to the desired beverage. In addition, such devices teach to shut off the device once the heating a frothing cycle is complete, and allowing the hot milk to settle. The hot milk can then be poured from the top by tilting the container, or the froth can be spooned from the container.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.


The present invention relates to a method and apparatus of forming a sputter target assembly having a controlled solder thickness. In particular, the method includes the introduction of a bonding foil, between the backing plate and the sputter target, wherein the bonding foil is an ignitable heterogeneous stratified structure for the propagation of an exothermic reaction.

Cathodic sputtering is a widely utilized means for the deposition of thin layers of materials onto substrates. Generally, this process requires a gas ion bombardment of the target having a face formed of a desired material that is to be deposited as a thin film or layer on the substrate. Ion bombardment of the target not only causes atoms or molecules of the target material to be sputtered, but imparts considerable thermal energy to the target. This heat is dissipated by use of a cooling fluid typically circulated beneath or around a backing plate that is positioned in heat exchange relation with the target.
The target forms a part of a cathode assembly which together with an anode is placed in an evacuated chamber that contains an inert gas, preferably argon. A high voltage electrical field is applied across the cathode and anode. The inert gas is ionized by collision with the electrons ejected from the cathode. Positively charged gas ions are attracted to the cathode and, upon impingement with the target surface, dislodge the target material. The dislodged target materials traverse the evacuated enclosure and deposit as a thin film on the desired substrate that is normally located proximate the anode.
In conventional target cathode assemblies, the target is attached to a non-magnetic backing plate. The backing plate holds the sputter target in a sputtering chamber and also provides structural support to the sputter target. The backing plate is normally water-cooled to carry away the heat generated by the ion bombardment of the target. Magnets are typically arranged beneath the backing plate in well-known dispositions in order to form the above-noted magnetic field in the form of a loop or tunnel extending around the exposed face of the target.
In order to achieve good thermal and electrical contact between the target and the backing plate, these members are commonly attached to each other by use of soldering, brazing, diffusion bonding, clamping, epoxy cements, or with interlocking annular members. The technique selected is dependent on the characteristics of the joined materials and on the desired properties and characteristics of the target assembly.
The soldering technique is typically utilized to join a ferromagnetic sputter target, by way of example, pure nickel (Ni) and Ni-based alloys, such as NiFe and NiFeCo; pure iron (Fe) and Fe-based alloys, such as FeTa, FeCo and FeNi; pure cobalt (Co) and Co-based alloys, such as CoCr and CoCrPt. The target is typically bonded to the backing plate by means of a solder which may have a melting point of about 140 to 220° C., such as indium-tin, tin-lead, or tin-silver-copper. Heating of the target and backing plate to such temperatures to melt the solder is problematic in that it may affect the target microstructure. Further, due to the large difference in thermal expansion properties between the two parts, part warpage and differential part contraction may occur.
Vascak et al (U.S. Pat. No. 5,230,462) relates to solder bonding a sputter target to a backing plate for subsequent use in a sputtering operation. The solder is wetted onto the confronting sides of the backing plate and the target, submerging the backing plate and target in a solder bath and subsequently pressing the wetted parts into contact.
Koenigsmann et al (U.S. Pat. No. 6,708,870 B2) discloses a combination of solid-state bonding and securing a target insert to a backing plate with a filler metal surrounding the perimeter of a cooling or backing plate.
Ohhashi et al (U.S. Pat. No. 5,693,203) discloses the use of solid state bonding to avoid the high pressure and temperatures typically required for diffusion bonding. This patent describes pressing a metal foil between a backing plate and a sputter target to form a solid state bond.
The present invention provides several advantages over the related art. In particular, the present invention provides a solder bonding technique including the application of bonding foil between the target and the backing plate and igniting same to produce enough energy to melt the solder applied to the target and backing plate. Minimal heating of the assembly is observed and the process allows the solder layer thickness to be carefully controlled.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a target assembly with uniform target material thickness and symmetric magnetic leakage flux.
Other objects and aspects of the present invention will become apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art upon review of the specification, drawings and claims appended hereto.

Method for forming sputter target assemblies having a controlled solder thickness


A locking mechanism (100) includes one or more casters (102,103,104,105) coupled to a frame (101). A lift mechanism (106,107) is distally extendable from the frame to elevate the casters. A pivoting bar (108) is pivotable relative to the frame to distally extend the lift mechanism from the frame. A foot pedal (113) is pivotable relative to the pivoting bar between a closed position and an angularly displaced open position. When in the angularly displaced open position, the foot pedal can extend distally from the pivoting bar.

Technical Field
This disclosure relates generally to locking mechanisms, and more particularly to locking mechanisms for caster assemblies.
Background Art
For a device that sits on wheels or casters, it can be desirable to provide a locking mechanism that selectively allows a user to prevent the wheels or casters from rolling. These locking mechanisms can be configured as friction devices that selectively rest against the wheels or casters to prevent them from turning. Alternatively, the locking mechanism can prevent an axle connected to the wheels or casters from turning. Motion transfer locks have even been developed for preventing hospital beds and other objects supported by wheels or casters from moving. These motion transfer locks "lock" the bed or other object by raising the wheels or casters off the ground.
Prior art locking mechanisms can be difficult and cumbersome to operate. It would be advantageous to have an improved locking mechanism suitable for use on hospital beds and other devices.
Skilled artisans will appreciate that elements in the figures are illustrated for simplicity and clarity and have not necessarily been drawn to scale. For example, the dimensions of some of the elements in the figures may be exaggerated relative to other elements to help to improve understanding of embodiments of the present disclosure.

Locking mechanism with pivotable foot actuation lever


An electronic circuit that is normally used in a car cigarette lighter adapter is disclosed. It is designed to meet the high performance requirements of the Apple Computer specification for charging iPod and iPhone, while still retaining low cost. The circuit is composed of input protection components, surge regulator, FET switch, inductor-capacitor smoothing filter, gate drive components, voltage regulator, current regulator, current sense element, and voltage reference.

1. Field of Invention
The present invention relates generally to electrical chargers for electronic devices. More specifically, the present invention relates to vehicle electrical chargers for electronic devices with universal serial buses (USB).
2. Description of Related Art
Since Apple Inc. has sold hundreds of millions of portable personal electronic devices such as iPods®, iPhones® and iPads®, a means to recharge their internal batteries while being used in the car is necessary. This is normally accomplished with a device that plugs into the vehicle's cigarette lighter socket that converts the vehicles loosely regulated voltage of 13.8 volts to the USB standard of 4.75 to 5.25 volts.
Various cabling arrangements are being used from a standard USB cable to different length coil cords. The electronic circuits are typically step-down switching regulators. Most manufacturers of these adapters want to have them certified by Apple Inc. as "Works With iPhone®" and/or "Made for iPod®". To get this certification, the adapter must meet all the requirements of the Apple Inc. specification. When marketing a product in such a competitive environment, price is of prime concern.


According to one embodiment of the present invention, there is provided a system for allocating bandwidth in a network to a plurality of traffic classes. Each traffic class has a first bandwidth allocation. The system comprises a network manager which is configured to determine a bandwidth utilization for each traffic class, to determine an amount of unused network bandwidth, to calculate second bandwidth allocations for each traffic class by allocating a share of any determined unused network bandwidth between at least some of the traffic classes, and to update, in accordance with the second bandwidth allocations, a routing table accessible by routers in the network.

Computer networks are used extensively in many different configurations and in many different environments, from single host networks to networks connecting hosts in their hundreds, thousands, hundreds of thousands, and beyond.
Typically, hosts connect to a computer network through a network switch or router, and in large networks each switch or router may be connected in turn to further switches or routers. Such interconnected network topologies generally enable any host connected to the network to be able to send data to and receive data from any other host connected to the network. Hosts may include any suitable computing device.
However, since the bandwidth of any given computer network is limited by its physical characteristics it is possible for a host making excessive use of the available bandwidth to disrupt the network activities of other hosts. One way to prevent this is to use physically separate computer networks for different for types of data or applications, thereby ensuring that a host cannot disrupt the network traffic of other hosts. However, such an approach is generally costly and is difficult to implement.

Method and system for allocating bandwidth

Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.


Embodiments of the present disclosure relate to methods and apparatuses for transmitting and receiving reference signals. In transmitting reference signals, reference signals are transmitted using a first group of configuration resources within a first transmission resource group; and the reference signals are transmitted using a second group of configuration resources within a second transmission resource group. The first group of configuration resources are determined based on allocated resource configurations for the reference signals and the second group of configuration resources are a subset of the first group of configuration resources.

Multi-antenna techniques can significantly increase data rates and reliability of a wireless communication system. The performance can be in particular improved if both the transmitter and the receiver are equipped with multiple antennas, which results in a multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) communication channel. Such systems and/or related techniques are commonly referred to as MIMO.
The Long Term Evolution (LTE) standard is currently evolving with enhanced MIMO support. A core component in LTE is support of MIMO antenna deployments and MIMO related techniques. Currently one-dimensional (horizontal) antenna array can provide flexible beam adaption in the azimuth domain only through the horizontal precoding process, while fixed down-tilt is applied in the vertical direction.
With the development of the Active Antenna Array (ASS), a full dimensional MIMO (FD-MIMO) was proposed since it was found that a full MIMO capability can be exploited through leveraging two-dimensional (2D) antenna planar such that the user-specific elevation beamforming and spatial multiplexing on the vertical domain are possible.
In LTE Rel. 13, for FD-MIMO, Channel State Information Reference Signals (CSI-RS) ports for 2D antenna arrays were increased to 12/16 for Class A CSI-RS (i.e., non-precoded CSI-RS), and antenna configurations (N1, N2)=(2,3), (3,2), (2,4), or (4,2) were used and both Code Division Multiplexing (CDM)-2 and CDM-4 were adopted for Class A CSI-RS. Moreover, technologies for further FD-MIMO enhancement are also required to be studied. For non-precoded CSI-RS enhancement, it was already proposed to extend the existing numbers {1, 2, 4, 8, 12, 16} of CSI-RS antenna ports for support of {20, 24, 28, 32} CSI-RS ports with mechanism for reducing the overhead for CSI-RS transmission.
In 36.211 d00 of Rel. 13 Agreements in RAN1 #84, there are described patterns for 12-port and 16-port CSI-RS. Regarding 16-port CSI-RS Resource Element (RE) mapping for CDM-4, an antenna configuration (N, K)=(8, 2) is used; 8 REs for mapping a legacy 8-port CSI-RS are partitioned into two groups of 4 REs; and each group of 4 REs forms a CDM group and antenna port numbering and Orthogonal Cover Code (OCC) allocation are defined in Table 1
TABLE 1Antenna Port Numbering and OCC Allocations(16-port CSI-RS RE mapping for CDM-4)OCCCSI-RS portsindicesRE locations15, 16, 19, 200, 1, 2, 3RE locations for antenna ports {15, 16, 19, 20} for the first 8-port resource17, 18, 21, 220, 1, 2, 3RE locations for antenna ports {17, 18, 21, 22} for the first 8-port resource23, 24, 27, 280, 1, 2, 3RE locations for antenna ports {15, 16, 19, 20} for the second 8-port resource25, 26, 29, 300, 1, 2, 3RE locations for antenna ports {17, 18, 21, 22} for the second 8-port resource
FIG. 1 illustrates the CSI-RS pattern for 16-port CSI-RS RE mapping for CDM-4, wherein a CDM group comprises 4 RE and two CDM group forms 8 REs for mapping a legacy 8-port CSI-RS as illustrated by bold line blocks in FIG. 1.
Regarding 12-port CSI-RS-RE for CDM-4, an antenna configuration (N,K) (4,3) is used; 4 REs for mapping legacy 4-port CSI-RS comprise a CDM group and antenna port numbering and OCC allocation is defined in Table 2.
TABLE 2Antenna Port Numbering and OCC Allocations(12-port CSI-RS RE mapping for CDM-4)CSI-RS portsOCC indicesRE locations15, 16, 17, 180, 1, 2, 34 REs corresponding to the 1st resource19, 20, 21, 220, 1, 2, 34 REs corresponding to the 2nd resource23, 24, 25, 260, 1, 2, 34 REs corresponding to the 3rd resource27, 28, 29, 300, 1, 2, 34 REs corresponding to the 4th resource
FIG. 2 illustrates the CSI-RS pattern for 12-port CSI-RS RE mapping for CDM-4, wherein a CDM group comprises 4 REs but these 4 REs are two separate groups of REs as illustrated by bold line blocks in FIG. 2. In addition, FIG. 3 illustrate the sequence wp′(i) for CDM-4, which is an OCC sequence with a length of 4.
For CDM-2, in 36.211 d00 of the Rel. 13 Agreements, Class A CSI-RS resource port numbers used for the k-th component resources with Rel-12 port number p′ are given as follows:
      p          (      k      )        =      {                                                                      p                ′                            +                                                N                  2                                                k                                      ,                                                                              p                ′                            =              15                        ,            16            ,            …                                                              ,                          14              +                              N                2                                                                                p                ′                            +                                                N                  2                                                                  (                                      k                    +                    K                    -                    1                                    )                                                      ,                                                                              p                ′                            =                              15                +                                  N                  2                                                      ,            …                                                              ,                          14              +              N                                          wherein k indicates the index of the component resources, p′ indicates the Rel-12 port number, N indicates the number of ports in each component resource and K indicates the number of component resources. FIG. 4 illustrates CSI-RS pattern for 16-port CSI-RS RE mapping for CDM-2, which comprises two 8-port configurations.
In addition, it was further proposed to using CSI-RS of 0.5 RE/RB/port in RAN1 #82. In the proposed scheme, not all the CSI-RS ports are located within a signal PRB but ports are multiplexed in adjacent PRB in FDM manner. In the case of normal CP 16, the CST-RS ports include frame structure types 1 and 2 each comprising 8 CSI-RS ports. The first 8 CSI-RS ports (i.e. ports 15-22) are located in the even-numbered PRBs and the second 8 CSI-RS ports (i.e. ports 23-30) are located in odd-numbered PRBs.

Methods and apparatuses for transmitting and receiving reference signals


A jack-up rig for offshore operations comprises a hull. In addition, the rig comprises a support leg moveably coupled to the hull. The support leg has a central axis, an upper end, and a lower end opposite the upper end. Further, the support leg is adapted to be axially raised and lowered relative to the hull. The rig also comprises a ballast tank movably coupled to the support leg. The ballast tank is adapted to be axially raised and lowered relative to the support leg and the hull.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates generally to offshore structures. More particularly, the invention relates to offshore platforms for drilling and production operations. Still more particularly, the present invention relates to jack-up rigs with adjustable ballast and buoyancy moveably coupled to their legs.
2. Background of the Technology
A jack-up rig is a type of mobile offshore structure equipped with long support legs that are lowered to the sea floor. A jack-up rig typically includes a floating hull, drilling rig supported on the hull, and a plurality of elongate legs coupled to the hull. The hull is typically towed to the desired offshore drilling location with its legs in a raised position. Upon arriving at the desired location, the legs are lowered to the sea floor, and the hull is jacked out of the water, thereby providing a raised platform for offshore drilling and/or production operations. The hull, which supports the drilling rig, is raised above the sea surface to a desired height, thereby allowing wave, tidal, and current loads to act on the comparatively smaller legs as opposed to the larger hull and drilling rig.
When the legs of a jack-up rig are lowered to the sea floor, they are typically "preloaded" to securely drive the legs into the sea bottom. Traditionally, the preload is provided by the weight of the hull, the weight of the drilling rig and other equipment supported by the hull, and the weight of ballast water that is added to the hull. In most cases, the ballast water is pumped into ballast tanks located within the hull. The additional weight provided by the water ballast facilitates and controls the penetration of the legs into the sea floor, thereby securely setting the jack-up rig. However, the additional weight provided by water ballast in the hull increases the total load supported by the hull and the jacking systems that move the legs relative to the hull. For a hull or jacking system having a particular maximum load capacity, the added weight of the water ballast reduces the capacity available for other equipment and/or quarters on the hull.
Accordingly, there remains a need in the art for improved systems and methods for preloading the legs of a jack-up rig. Such systems and methods would be particularly well received if they offered the potential to reduce ballast loads on the hull, thereby enabling the hull to support additional equipment and/or quarters.

Jack-up rig with leg-supported ballast loads


A method for manufacturing interdigitated back contact photovoltaic cells is disclosed. In one aspect, the method includes providing on a rear surface of a substrate a first doped layer of a first dopant type, and providing a dielectric masking layer overlaying it. Grooves are formed through the dielectric masking layer and first doped layer, extending into the substrate in a direction substantially orthogonal to the rear surface and extending in a lateral direction underneath the first doped layer at sides of the grooves. Directional doping is performed in a direction substantially orthogonal to the rear surface, thereby providing doped regions with dopants of a second dopant type at a bottom of the grooves. Dopant diffusion is performed to form at the rear side of the substrate one of the emitter regions and back surface field regions between the grooves and the other at the bottom of the grooves.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to methods for fabrication of interdigitated back contact photovoltaic cells.
2. Description of the Related Technology
Interdigitated back contact (IBC) cells are photovoltaic cells having both emitter contacts and base contacts at the rear side of the cells, the emitter contacts and base contacts being interdigitated for separate collection of electrons and holes. Eliminating front side contacts avoids the need for making a trade-off between shading losses and series resistance. Fabrication processes for IBC cells often require several masking steps and alignment steps, because at the rear side of the cells there is a need for separating emitter regions and base regions and for separating and properly aligning emitter contacts and base contacts.
Methods have been proposed for reducing the complexity of process sequences for manufacturing IBC cells. For example, in "Realization of self-aligned back contact cells", Electrochemical and Solid-State Letters, 11 (5), H114-H117, 2008, P. Papet et al describe a process sequence wherein only one lithography step is used and wherein no alignment steps are needed afterwards. Separation between emitter contacts and base contacts is obtained by chemical etching of grooves in a silicon substrate using a metal mask, wherein underetching of the mask leads to the formation of cantilevers, the cantilevers being sufficiently large (a few micrometers) to avoid short circuits between both contact types after metal deposition.
In "Super self-aligned technology for backside contact solar cells: a route to low cost and high efficiency", IEEE PVSC 1990, P. Verlinden et al propose a method for fabricating backside contact photovoltaic cells, the method requiring only one photolithography step without alignment. Separation between n+ doped regions and p+ doped regions at the rear side of the cells is obtained by chemically etching grooves in the silicon substrate using an oxide mask and underetching the mask such that oxide cantilevers are formed at the sides of the grooves. The bottom and the sidewalls of the grooves are thermally oxidized to provide a passivation layer, and a silicon nitride layer is deposited on top of the oxide layer. Next, using anisotropic Reactive Ion Etching, and using the cantilevers as a mask, a window is opened in the oxide layer and the nitride layer at the bottom of the grooves. The silicon oxide layer and the silicon nitride layer remain at the sidewalls of the grooves. A boron predeposition is then performed and both doping regions (n+ emitter region and p+ region in the base) are diffused in a single high temperature step. In order to provide a separation between n+ doped regions and p+ doped regions, the silicon oxide/silicon nitride stack present at the sidewalls of the grooves is used as a masking layer. For forming emitter contacts and base contacts, an Al layer is deposited by vacuum evaporation which features a very poor step coverage, such that the presence of the cantilevers leads to a separation between emitter contacts and base contacts.

Fabrication method for interdigitated back contact photovoltaic cells