A photosensitive resin composition for use in forming a relief structure, which comprises, in specific proportions, a liquid photosensitive resin component comprising a urethane prepolymer and an addition-polymerizable ethylenically unsaturated monomer; a photopolymerization initiator; a thermal polymerization inhibitor; and a specific unsaturated amine compound. The photosensitive resin composition exhibits excellent performances such that it does not suffer from tunnel phenomenon which is frequently observed in relief formation with respect to conventional photosensitive resin compositions, so that a photoresin relief structure made therefrom not only is characterized with a tunnel-free structure and excellent mechanical properties, but also exhibits excellent performances.

1. Field Of The Invention
The present invention relates to a novel photosensitive resin composition for use in forming a relief structure. More particularly, the present invention is concerned with a photosensitive resin composition which can advantageously be used for forming a relief structure without forming tunnel-like voids in the relief portions thereof, so that a relief structure having no undesired voids can be obtained.
2. Discussion Of Related Art
In recent years, the photosensitive resin industry has made rapid progress, and photosensitive resins are now utilized in a wide variety of fields. For example, photosensitive resins have been used as materials for producing a lithographic printing plate, a relief printing plate and a gravure printing plate, a mold and a relief article, and used as materials for forming etching resists useful in producing a printed circuit, an integrated circuit and a shadow mask, and also used as a photosensitive vehicle for a coating material, an adhesive and a printing ink.
Particularly, photoresin relief plates which are produced from a photosensitive resin are widely used in a variety of fields of printing in place of stereotypes, metallic plates and rubber plates which have been widely used. This is because a photoresin plate exhibits excellent performance such that not only can high printing speed and high quality impressions be obtained, but also cost is reduced and the working environment is improved. For example, photoresin relief plates are utilized in the field of commercial printing, such as news paper printing, printing of business forms, printing of books and magazines, printing of labels and seals or printing of catalogs and posters as well as in the fields relating to the manufacture of a flexographic printing plate use, for example, in corrugated board printing and in the manufacture of stamps. Representative photoresin relief plates include a relief printing plate, a PS (presensitized) plate and a flexographic printing plate.
The above-mentioned photoresin relief plate and photoresin mold are generally prepared by imagewise exposing a photosensitive resin layer provided on a support to actinic rays through an image-bearing transparency, such as a negative film; washing out the unexposed (uncured) areas of the photosensitive resin layer with a developer (such as an organic solvent, an aqueous alkaline solution, an aqueous solution of a surfactant, or water); and effecting post-exposure treatment, followed by drying.
In the production of a photoresin relief plate having a large depth of relief and in the production of a photoresin mold, the amount of the photosensitive resin which is unexposed and therefore remains uncured after the imagewise exposure of the photosensitive resin layer, is large. Therefore, in such cases, a liquid photosensitive resin is frequently used rather than a sheet-type solid photosensitive resin. The use of a liquid photosensitive resin is advantageous in that not only is the liquid resin useful for producing a photoresin plate having a desired thickness but also its use allows for easy removal of the uncured resin, as compared with the use of a solid photosensitive resin.
Various types of liquid photosensitive resin compositions have been known for forming a relief plate or a relief mold. Particularly, for producing a photoresin relief plate or mold having not only a relief depth as large as 2 mm or more, but also a good balance of mechanical properties and an excellent light stability, there is widely used a polyester-polyether block urethane prepolymer having an addition-polymerizable ethylenically unsaturated group at both terminals thereof [see, for example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,960,572 and 4,006,024 (these U.S. Patents correspond to Japanese Patent Application Publication Nos. 52-7761, 52-36444, 54-9921 and 52-7363) and Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open Specification Nos. 55-127551 and 55-153936].
An example of processes for producing a relief plate or a relief mold, in which a liquid photosensitive resin composition is used, is described below, with reference to FIG. 1. In FIG. 1, a process is diagrammatically illustrated for producing a relief plate by using a liquid photosensitive resin composition. First, image-bearing transparency 2 (such as a negative film) having transmitting pattern 2a is placed on lower glass plate 1, and image-bearing transparency 2 is pressed onto glass plate 1 by means of cover film 3. Spacer 4 is disposed on cover film 3 along the periphery of cover film 3 and a liquid photosensitive resin is poured onto cover film 3 into the cavity formed by spacer 4. Support 5 is laminated onto the resultant photosensitive resin layer. Then, an upper light source box which contains upper glass plate 6 and upper light source 7 is pulled down, so that upper glass plate 6 is pressed against support 5 to adjust the thickness of the photosensitive resin layer to a desired thickness defined by the thickness of spacer 4. The photosensitive resin layer having a desired thickness is irradiated with actinic rays emitted from upper light source 7, thereby effecting back exposure to control the relief depth (which means the distance between the top of relief portion 11 and the upper surface of base layer 14 in FIG. 2), and then irradiated with actinic rays emitted from lower light source 8, to thereby effect imagewise exposure for forming a relief. Numerals 9 and 10 designate the cured portion and uncured portion of the photosensitive resin layer, respectively. Subsequently, the photoresin layer is subjected to development, post exposure and drying, thereby obtaining a desired photoresin relief plate or a photoresin relief mold.
However, in the above-mentioned process for the production of a photoresin relief plate or a photoresin relief mold by the use of a liquid photosensitive resin, when a conventional photosensitive resin composition based on the above-mentioned polyester-polyether block urethane prepolymer, is employed to form a photosensitive resin layer, a phenomenon is frequently observed such that particularly with respect to relief portions having a relatively small width, such as a fine-line image or letter, relief formation is accompanied by the formation of tunnel-like voids at a middle portion of the height (depth) of the relief or at a lower portion of the relief, which lower portion is near the base layer (or near the support when no base layer is formed). This phenomenon is hereinafter referred to as "tunnel phenomenon". Conventional photosensitive resin compositions are likely to suffer from the tunnel phenomenon, especially when their relief depth is greater than about 1.5 mm.
The reason why tunnel phenomenon occurs when conventional photosensitive resin compositions are used, is believed to reside in the fact that conventional photosensitive resin compositions, when being exposed to actinic radiation, cannot form a preliminary semi-cured structure throughout the thickness of the resin layer in the course of the curing toward the final three-dimensional structure, which semi-cured structure exhibits mechanical strength sufficient to resist the flow of the resin. That is, a conventional photosensitive resin composition is three-dimensionally cured, without forming such a semi-cured structure during the course of the curing, when it absorbs a considerable amount of actinic rays, wherein after the amount of irradiated actinic rays reaches a threshold value, the rate of the formation of three-dimensional structure sharply rises to lose the balance of the cured portion and the uncured portion, thereby causing the uncured portion of the resin to flow out of its original position to form a void, i.e., a tunnel. It should be noted that the tunnel phenomenon cannot be suppressed simply by improving the sensitivity of a photosensitive resin composition, particularly when the relief depth is greater than about 1.5 mm.
FIG. 2 diagrammatically shows a side view of a relief plate having a defective relief portion in which a tunnel-like void (hereinafter referred to simply as "tunnel") is formed. In the relief plate of FIG. 2, the photoresin relief layer provided on support 5 comprises base layer 14 and, formed thereon, desired perfect relief portion 11 and defective relief portion 12 which has tunnel 13 (a hole formed in the relief portion).
When a relief plate having a tunnel, such as the relief plate shown in FIG. 2, is utilized as a printing plate to conduct relief printing, serious problems are likely to occur such that a sufficient printing pressure cannot be exerted on the defective relief portion having the tunnel, so that the inking and ink transferability of the relief portion becomes unsatisfactory or the defective relief portion is broken and comes off during the printing operation. On the other hand, when such a defective relief structure having a tunnel is used as a mold, problems are likely to be encountered such that when a liquid or powdery material to be molded is poured into the mold, the material flows into the tunnel and solidifies therein, so that the resultant molded article cannot be released from the mold. Further, when the defective mold having a tunnel is used for producing a sheet with a relief by a sheet molding method, it is likely that the applied pressure is not effectively exerted on the top portion of the defective relief due to the presence of the tunnel, so that a molded sheet having a desired high precision relief cannot be obtained.
It is known that the occurrence of tunnel phenomenon can be suppressed by increasing the time for exposure for producing a relief. However, even when the time for the relief-forming exposure is increased, it is not possible to completely suppress the occurrence of tunnel phenomenon. Moreover, an increase in the time for relief-forming exposure inevitably causes excessive exposure of the photosensitive resin composition, so that the breadths or widths of the screen dark portions (shadow portions) and complicated letter portions of the relief disadvantageously become large and the breadths or widths of the reverse image portions of the relief disadvantageously become small, so that a relief pattern with high precision cannot be obtained with high resolution.
In order to suppress the occurrence of tunnel phenomenon, it has also been attempted to use a light source having a high intensity for relief-forming exposure, and successful results have been obtained to some extent. However, a light source having a high intensity is expensive, and when the area of the photosensitive resin to be exposed to light is large, the cost of the light source inevitably becomes large, thereby rendering it impossible to utilize this method practically.
It is possible to repair a defective photoresin relief having a tunnel by a method in which an uncured photosensitive resin is filled in the tunnel and irradiated with actinic rays to thereby cure the filled photosensitive resin. However, this method is disadvantageous in that it can be performed only by a worker who is very skilled with this cumbersome repair operation, and it requires additional time. Therefore, this method cannot be practically employed to solve the problem of the occurrence of tunnel phenomenon.
It has also been proposed to employ a photosensitive resin composition comprising a combination of a special monomer having a low cure-shrinkage properties and a sensitizer for suppressing the occurrence of tunnel phenomenon (see Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open Specification No. 60-24542). This method is effective for suppressing the occurrence of tunnel phenomenon of a type which is caused due to the shrinkage of the photosensitive resin composition upon curing thereof. However, this method cannot effectively prevent tunnel phenomenon of another type which is caused due not to the cure-shrinkage of the photosensitive resin but to the flowing of the photosensitive resin during the curing reaction.
It has also been proposed to incorporate a tertiary amine having no addition-polymerizable ethylenically unsaturated double bond into a photosensitive resin composition in order to increase the photopolymerization rate of the resin composition. However, this method is disadvantageous in that the occurrence of tunnel phenomenon cannot be satisfactorily suppressed. Moreover, since the above-mentioned tertiary amine having no addition-polymerizable ethylenically unsaturated double bond, does not serve as a copolymerizable monomer, the tertiary amine remains unreacted in the cured photoresin relief even if the amount of the tertiary amine used is small, so that the smell of the amine, which is known to be very unpleasant, is emitted from the ultimate relief structure, which inevitably limits the use of the ultimate relief structure product.
Further, it has been proposed to incorporate acrylamide or methacrylamide substituted with N-dialkylaminoalkyl into a photosensitive resin composition in order to improve the properties of the ultimate relief structure product (see Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open Specification No. 63-305346). The incorporation of acrylamide or methacrylamide substituted with N-dialkylaminoalkyl into a photosensitive resin composition exhibits some effectiveness of increasing the sensitivity of the composition. However, this method has no effect of suppression of the occurrence of tunnel phenomenon.

Photosensitive resin composition for use in forming a relief structure


A method for monitoring a process output with a highly abridged spectrophotometer. The method includes securing spectral data for each spectral primary used in a process, measuring spectral data with a highly abridged spectrophotometer for a sample produced by the process, determining an estimated weight for each spectral primary in the sample, and computing spectral data representative of the sample based on the secured spectral data and the determined estimated weight for each spectral primary in the sample.

This application discloses an invention that is related, generally and in various embodiments, to systems and methods for monitoring a process output with a highly abridged spectrophotometer.
There are various types of spectrophotometers, and some are significantly more expensive than others. The relatively high cost of such devices is generally related to the number of measurements the spectrophotometer is configured to make over a given range of light wavelengths. For example, some of the more expensive spectrophotometers are scanning spectrophotometers which are configured to scan a constant bypass function across a given spectrum, thereby measuring reflectances at a multitude of different points across the spectrum. With some scanning spectrophotometers configured to scan at intervals of less than one nanometer (e.g., 0.2 nanometers), such scanning spectrophotometers provide a wealth of spectral data that may be used to generate a spectral curve that accurately represents the sample being measured. As known to those skilled in the art, spectral curves may be used in a number of applications. For example, spectral curves may be utilized to control the quality and consistency of a process output, to determine the color of a process output, etc. Although the accuracy generally provided by such scanning spectrophotometers can be useful in various applications, their initial expense is cost-prohibitive for many applications.
In some applications, to reduce the initial expense, a high-quality abridged spectrophotometer can be used in lieu of a scanning spectrophotometer. In general, abridged spectrophotometers measure reflectance of an object at a fixed number of points over a range of wavelengths of light. The number of points varies based on the cost and quality of the abridged spectrophotometer. If an abridged spectrophotometer measures reflectance at a significant number of points across a measured range of wavelengths, it can often perform quite similarly to a scanning spectrophotometer. For example, an abridged spectrophotometer that provides 128 spectral bands across the visual spectrum (e.g., approximately 400 nm to 700 nm) would provide spectral curves that reasonably approximate the spectral curves generated from a scanning spectrophotometer on most reflective surfaces. However, as the number of spectral bands is reduced, the agreement between the spectral curve produced by a scanning spectrophotometer and an abridged spectrophotometer begins to diverge. Also, if the object being measured has sharp spectral transitions, as would be the case for the measurement of didymium glass, the abridged spectrophotometer may fail to measure spectral information that falls between two measured wavelengths, thereby compromising the accuracy of the resulting spectral curve.
As manufacturers try to develop more affordable spectrophotometers, they often reduce the number of spectral bands measured to reduce the cost of the spectrophotometer. For example, an industry standard has developed whereby many abridged spectrophotometers manufactured today measure only thirty-one spectral bands across the visual spectrum. Although the spectral curves provided by such abridged spectrophotometers are generally acceptable for a number of applications, the initial expense of such abridged spectrophotometers is still cost-prohibitive for many applications.
To address the need for a low-cost abridged spectrophotometer, some manufacturers have developed highly abridged spectrophotometers that provide less than thirty-one spectral bands across the visual spectrum. These low-cost abridged instruments also may have uneven spacing of the bandpass filters across the measured spectrum as lower cost components are employed. The agreement of the spectral curves produced by the highly abridged spectrophotometers and higher quality spectrophotometers is relatively poor on most measured materials. Therefore, the highly abridged spectrophotometers are not currently being utilized in applications which require the level of accuracy generally provided by the higher quality spectrophotometers.

Systems and methods for monitoring a process output with a highly abridged spectrophotometer


Apparatus for performing chemical analysis wherein a cuvette holds a sample under examination and a support carries a dispenser head carrying two one-shot dispensers each in the form of a pressurized container holding a liquid reagent, of which a metered does is delivered into the cuvette through a discharge tube fixed to the dispenser head when the body of the container is displaced relative to said discharge tube.

Chemical analysis using liquid reagents is widely practiced in many fields, and most especially in medical diagnosis. The term "liquid reagents" encompasses reagents which in their pure or normal state might not be liquid but which have been rendered liquid in some manner such as by dissolving the reagent in a suitable carrier.
Typically, in chemical analysis a sample of the substance to be analysed is placed, sometimes following dilution, in a receptacle commonly known as a cuvette. Measured quantities of one or more liquid reagents are added to the sample in the cuvette and the resulting mixture is then monitored for a change in some selected property. In theory, almost any property could be monitored, but for reasons of practical convenience the property monitored is almost always an optical property. Commonly the mixture will be monitored for a change in colour (i.e. a change in the degree to which one or more specific wavelengths of light are absorbed or transmitted). Other optical properties which may be monitored are turbidity and fluorescence. Non-optical properties which may be monitored are electrical conductivity and pH. In all cases, the chemical reagent or reagents chosen and the property monitored are selected so that the presence or absence of a chemical or type of chemical in the sample can be detected by the presence or absence or the nature of a change in the monitored property of the mixture.
Presently available analytical equipment normally uses peristaltic or piston pumps to deliver the reagents to the cuvette containing the sample. However, these pumps are unreliable and may suffer from leaking seals and split pump tubes. Additionally, the analysers suffer from poor reproducibility of analytical results because the pumps cannot be highly accurate in the quantities of reagents delivered.
A further requirement for accurate analysis is that the liquid reagent should be of good quality and uncontaminated. It is increasingly common for liquid reagents to be pre-packed in bottles which allow improved quality control and security and minimises contamination during storage. When needed, a bottle of a particular reagent is opened and provided as a reservoir for a pump in the analyser apparatus. However, once opened the bottles are subject to contamination if the entire contents of the bottle is not used immediately.
The pumps increase the weight and bulk of the apparatus, and normally need to be driven by motors powered by main electricity. This limits the degree to which such apparatus is portable. Additionally, the pump motors are a source of heat whereas many chemical reagents are heat sensitive. Accordingly, if heat from the pump motors is not to cause deterioration of the reagents the apparatus must be designed to hold the reagent reservoirs or bottles spaced from the pump motors, which tends to increase the size of the instruments and also increases the length of pump tubing which must be employed.

Method and apparatus for chemical analysis


Shape data of a patient's crown and volumetric imagery of the patient's tooth are received. A determination is made of elements that represent one or more crowns in the shape data. A computational device is used to register the elements with corresponding voxels of the volumetric imagery. A tooth shape is determined from volumetric coordinates and radiodensities.

An intra-oral imaging system is a diagnostic equipment that allows a dental practitioner to see the inside of a patient's mouth and display the topographical characteristics of teeth on a display monitor. Certain three-dimensional (3D) intra-oral imagers may be comprised of an intra-oral camera with a light source. The 3D intra-oral imager may be inserted into the oral cavity of a patient by a dental practitioner. After insertion of the intra-oral imager into the oral cavity, the dental practitioner may capture images of visible parts of the teeth and the gingivae. The 3D intra-oral imager may be fabricated in the form of a slender rod that is referred to as a wand or a handpiece. The wand may be approximately the size of a dental mirror with a handle that is used in dentistry. The wand may have a built-in light source and a video camera that may achieve an imaging magnification, ranging in scale from 1/10 to 40 times or more. This allows the dental practitioner to discover certain types of details and defects of the teeth and gums. The images captured by the intra-oral camera may be displayed on a display monitor and may be transmitted to a computational device.
Cone beam computed tomography (CBCT) involves the use of a rotating CBCT scanner, combined with a digital computer, to obtain images of the teeth and surrounding bone structure, soft tissue, muscle, blood vessels, etc. CBCT may be used in a dental practitioner's office to generate cross-sectional images of teeth and the surrounding bone structure, soft tissue, muscle, blood vessels, etc. During a CBCT scan, the CBCT scanner rotates around the patient's head and may obtain hundreds of distinct CBCT images that may be referred to as CBCT imagery. The CBCT imagery may be transmitted to a computational device. The CBCT imagery may be analyzed to generate three-dimensional anatomical data. The three-dimensional anatomical data can then be manipulated and visualized with specialized software to allow for cephalometric analysis of the CBCT imagery.

Integration of intra-oral imagery and volumetric imagery


A polarizing hood including a first polarized filter with the center of the filter removed. Placed forward and in front of the first polarized filter is a second linear polarized filter substantially the size of the hole in the first polarized filter and is held in place by a clear lens. The polarization may be adjusted. In response to light collocated with an objective lens shined through the first polarizing filter, the light become polarized. The reflected polarized light returns through the second polarized filter, and full polarization is accomplished with respect to the viewing camera.

In general, light can be described as a transverse electromagnetic wave and thus its interaction with matter can depend on the orientation of the electric field vector. Such phenomena and interaction are called polarization effects. Various optical elements can change the polarization of a light beam. A polarizing filter may be used to select which light beams/rays are viewed by a lens. Linear Polarizing (PL) and Circular Polarizing (PL-CIR) filters may remove unwanted reflections from non-metallic surfaces such as water, glass, etc. In some cases, use of a polarizing filter may also enable colors to become more saturated and appear clearer, with better contrast.
Historically, a lens of a camera may be fitted with a single polarizer to filter the light from the sun. However, in certain situations it may be advantageous to provide a secondary light source to a lens and/or camera.
Accordingly, there exists a need for a polarizer and that polarizes its own light source and reflects the polarized light back through another polarizing lens into the receiving lens. There also exists a need for a removable hood when polarization is not desired. There also exists a need for the level of polarization to be adjustably controlled.


A converter includes a DC input; a transformer including first and second primary windings, first and second secondary windings, and first and second feedback windings; a first field-effect transistor; a second field-effect transistor; and a drive circuit connected to the first and second field-effect transistors. The drive circuit includes a bias circuit that applies a bias voltage to gates of the first and second field-effect transistors via the first and second feedback windings during start-up of the converter, wherein the bias voltage is reduced to zero or substantially zero after start-up of the converter; and a reset circuit that resets the bias circuit when the converter is turned off. The converter is a self-oscillating push-pull DC-DC converter.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to power conversion, and more specifically, the present invention relates to a circuit and method for driving FETs (field-effect transistors) in a saturating self-oscillating push-pull isolated DC-DC converter.
2. Description of the Related Art
Bipolar junction transistors (BJTs) have been used as driving switches in saturating self-oscillating push-pull isolated DC-DC converters. However, because BJTs are current-controlled devices, they generally exhibit larger switching losses than voltage-controlled devices, such as MOSFETs (metal-oxide-semiconductor field-effect transistors). These switching losses become a significant source of power loss in a saturating self-oscillating push-pull isolated DC-DC converter that is operated at relatively high switching frequencies.
Accordingly, when BJTs are used in a saturating self-oscillating push-pull isolated DC-DC converter, the transformer of the DC-DC converter must be designed with a high number of primary turns and/or a large cross-sectional core area to lower the switching frequency. Furthermore, BJTs typically have gains that vary widely with temperature, which can result in a number of problems, including difficulty during start-up at low operating temperatures.

Method of driving FETs in saturating self-oscillating push-pull isolated DC-DC converter


Embodiments of the present disclosure disclose a method and an apparatus for protecting a subscriber access network, and relate to the field of communications. The method includes: connecting a Broadband Network Gateway BNG device and N predetermined Digital Subscriber Line Access Multiplexers DSLAMs to an aggregation device AGG; allocating an active BNG interface for each of the N DSLAMs, allocating a standby BNG interface set for the N DSLAMs to obtain a backup relationship, and sending the backup relationship to the AGG (102); and backing up subscriber data on the DSLAMs to the standby BNG interface set, so that when an active BNG interface fails, the AGG switches subscribers on a DSLAM served by the failed active BNG interface to a standby BNG interface in the standby BNG interface set.

At present, subscriber terminal devices such as computers, IPTV (Internet Protocol Television) Set Top Boxes, or VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) all need to access a BNG (Broadband Network Gateway) to apply for IP addresses and relevant configurations from the BNG to get the network access capabilities. The BNG may be accessed by tens of thousands of subscribers or hundreds of thousands of subscribers generally. If the BNG fails, many subscribers will be affected. Therefore, when an operator constructs a network, the protection of the subscriber access network must be considered.
In the prior art, the solution to protecting a subscriber access network is a PPPoE (Point-to-Point Protocol over Ethernet) cold backup solution. In the solution, the BNG is a BRAS (Broadband Remote Access Server); PPPoE packets of subscribers on a DSLAM (Digital Subscriber Line Access Multiplexer) are sent to an active BRAS and a standby BRAS simultaneously, or are sent to different interfaces of the same BRAS simultaneously, where one interface is an active BRAS interface and the other interface is a standby BRAS interface.
After analyzing the prior art, the inventor finds the following problem:
In the prior art, because the backup relationship in the PPPoE cold backup protection solution is fixed, when the active and standby BRAS interfaces both fail, a subscriber is unable to access the network, which affects the subscriber service greatly.

Method and apparatus for protecting subscriber access network


A method of generating MRI signals with fat suppressed steady state free precession (SSFP) contrast without requiring any additional scan time over standard SSFP procedures and with comparable signal to noise ratio (SNR) to other techniques. Oscillating steady state free precession is employed to achieve the fat suppressed MRI signals. In the oscillating steady state sequence, a pattern of tips and precession is repeated every Ntips repetition time in order to produce useful contrasts. In a described embodiment, a specific oscillating sequence has four tips in a repetition interval with four steady states being produced. With equal precession in each repetition time, the sequence of complex tips can be determined by an inverse Shinnar-LeRoux (SLR) transform.

This invention relates generally to magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), and more particularly the invention relates to MRI in which signal from fat is suppressed.
Refocused steady-state free precession (SSFP) experiments provide high SNR in relatively short scan times, but often suffer from extremely bright signal from fat. In many clinical applications of MR, bright fat signal can interfere with the desired signal (from water), making diagnosis more difficult.
Several techniques exist for fat suppression in non-refocused (xe2x80x9cspoiledxe2x80x9d) imaging experiments, but these methods are incompatible with refocused SSFP. Recently, a few techniques have been proposed that can suppress fat in refocused-SSFP sequences, but most require an increase in scan time, and can suffer from inconsistent or incomplete fat suppression. See, for example, Vasanawala et al. U.S. Pat. No. 6,307,368; Deimling U.S. Pat. No. 6,339,332; and Scheffler et al., Magn Reson Med, 45 (6); 1075-1080, 2001.
The present invention is directed to a method of generating image with fat-suppressed SSFP contrast without requiring any additional scan time over standard SSFP procedures and with comparable signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) to other techniques.
In accordance with the invention, oscillating steady-state free precession is employed to achieve fat suppression in MRI signals. The invention is particularly useful for fat suppressed images in areas of motion such as the heart, where rapid imaging is imperative in order to reduce motion-related signal artifacts. The method can be more robust than current techniques, making it an attractive alternative for clinical use in a variety of studies including cartilage imaging, abdominal imaging, and coronary artery imaging, for example.
Briefly, in an xe2x80x9coscillatingxe2x80x9d steady state sequence, a pattern of tips and precession is repeated every Ntips TRs in order to produce useful contrast. In one embodiment, a specific oscillating sequence has Ntips=4, but sequences with other repetition intervals that generate interesting contrast can be used. With a repetition interval of 4xc2x7TR, four distinct steady states are produced.
The invention and objections and features thereof will be more readily apparent from the following detailed description and dependent claims when taken with the drawings.

Fat suppression in MRI using oscillating steady-state free precession

The Board of Trustees of the Leland Stanford Junior University


A method for assisting in stripping a substrate from a charge receptor that is operable to transfer marking material to the substrate at a transfer zone, comprising determining the solid area coverage of the transfer marking material at a leading region of the substrate at the leading edge thereof, moving the substrate through the transfer zone, and applying a stripping force to the leading region of the substrate as a function of the solid area coverage operable to at least partially strip the leading region of the substrate from the charge receptor when the leading region of the traverses the transfer zone.

The present disclosure relates to systems and methods for stripping a substrate from an image transfer unit, such as photoreceptors found in printers, photocopiers, facsimile machines and the like.
One type of known printing system or digital imaging system is depicted in FIG. 1. Printing jobs are submitted from a print controller client 10 to a print controller 12. The print controller client 10 may be an electronic copier, printer, facsimile or computer that creates or transmits digital image data. A pixel counter 14 is incorporated into the print controller to count the number of pixels to be imaged with toner on each sheet or page of the job, for each color. The pixel count information is stored in a memory of the print controller 12. Job control information, including the pixel count data and digital image data, are communicated from the print controller 12 to a control unit 20. The digital image data represents the desired output image to be imparted on at least one sheet of a substrate. The control unit 20 may be a microprocessor or other control device.
A photoreceptor surface 26 advances sequentially through various xerographic process stations in the direction indicated by arrow 26. The surface 26 may be a charge retentive surface on a photoreceptor belt, such as an active matrix photoreceptor belt. Other types of photoreceptors, such as a photoreceptor drum, may be substituted for the belt 26 for sequentially advancing through the xerographic process stations. A portion of the photoreceptor belt 26 passes through charging station A, where a charging unit 28 charges the photoconductive surface of photoreceptor belt 26 to a substantially uniform potential. Preferably, charging unit 28 is a corona-generating device such as a corotron.
Subsequently, the charged portion of photoreceptor belt 26 is advanced through imaging/exposure station B. The control unit 20 receives the digital image data from the print controller, processes and then transmits this digital image data to an exposure device 30 located at imaging/exposure station B. The device may be a raster output scanner (ROS) or other xerographic exposure device, such as a plurality of light emitting diodes (an LED bar). The output of the exposure device causes the charge retentive surface of the photoreceptor belt 26 to be discharged at certain locations on the belt in accordance with the digital image data output from the digital image generating device. Thus, a latent image is formed on photoreceptor surface 26.
Next, the photoreceptor surface 26 advances the latent image to a development station C, where toner is electrostatically attracted to the latent image using commonly known techniques. The latent image attracts toner particles contained in a developer unit 36, forming a toner powder image thereon. Alternatively,the developer unit 36 may utilize a hybrid development system in which the developer roll, better known as the donor roll, is powered by two developer fields (potentials across the air gap). The first field is the ac field which is used for toner cloud generation. The second field is a dc developer field which is used to control the amount of toner mass developed on the photoreceptor belt 26. Appropriate developer biasing is accomplished by way of a power supply. This type of system is a non-contact type in which only toner particles are attracted to a latent image and there is no mechanical contact between the photoreceptor belt 26 and the toner delivery device. However, the developer unit 36 may utilize a contact system as well.
Subsequent to image development, a substrate S is moved into contact with toner images at transfer station D. The substrate S is obtained from a supply and advanced to transfer station D by any known sheet feeding apparatus (not shown). The substrate S is then brought into contact with the photoconductive surface of photoreceptor belt 26 in a timed sequence so that the toner powder image developed thereon contacts the advancing substrate S at transfer station D. Transfer station D preferably includes a transfer unit 40. Transfer unit 40 may include a corona-generating device, such as a corotron. The corona-generating device sprays ions onto the backside of substrate S. These ions attract the oppositely charged toner particle images from the photoreceptor belt 26 onto the substrate S. A detack unit 46, such as a detack corotron, is provided for facilitating stripping of the substrate S from the photoreceptor belt 26.
After transfer, the substrate S continues to advance toward fuser station E on a conveyor belt (not shown) in the direction of arrow 44. Fuser station E includes a fuser unit 42, which includes fuser and pressure rollers to permanently affix the image to the substrate S. After fusing, the substrate is the advanced in a known manner to a catch tray, stacker, finisher or other output device (not shown), for subsequent removal from the print engine by the operator.
After the substrate S is separated from photoconductive surface of photoreceptor belt 26, the residual toner particles carried by the non-image areas on the photoconductive surface are removed therefrom. These particles are removed at cleaning station G, using, for example, a cleaning brush or plural brush structure or any number of well known cleaning systems.
Control unit 20 regulates the various print engine functions. The control unit 20 is preferably a programmable controller (such as a microprocessor), which controls the print engine functions. The control unit 20 may provide a comparison count of the copy sheets, the number of documents being recirculated, the number of copy sheets selected by the operator, time delays, jam corrections, etc. The control of all of the exemplary systems heretofore described may be accomplished by conventional control switch inputs from the printing machine consoles selected by an operator.
As is known, as a portion of the photoreceptor belt 26 passes through the charging station A, the charging unit 28 charges the photoconductive surface of the belt portion to a relatively high, substantially uniform potential. This potential is conventionally a negative voltage −V0, which is typically between −600V and −600V. At the imaging station B, the charged portion of the photoconductive surface is exposed to the scanning device 30, which is controlled by the control unit 20 as a function of signals from the print controller 12. The print controller 12 conveys digital signals representing the desired output image that is obtained from the print controller client 10. When exposed at the exposure station B, the photoreceptor surface is selectively discharged to a level of about −60V to −80V. Thus, after exposure, the photoreceptor belt 26 contains a monopolar voltage profile of high voltage, corresponding to charged areas, and low voltage, corresponding to discharged or background areas. This monopolar voltage profile forms the electrostatic latent image.
At the development station C, toner particles are provided that are attracted to the electrostatic latent image. In a known non-contact developer unit, a donor roller is powered by first field, which is an ac field adapted for toner cloud generation, and a second field, which is a dc field used to control the amount of developed toner mass on the photoreceptor surface. At the transfer station G, positive ions applied to the backside of the substrate S by the transfer unit 40 attract the negatively charged toner powder previously applied to the photoreceptor surface 26. In a typical system, the positive ions are generated by a transfer corotron that includes at least one wire, or coronode, which functions to generate electric fields. The necessary electrical field is provided by applying a particular bias to the corotron, which in the case of a transfer corotron is typically a substantially DC voltage or current bias. The actual voltage on the transfer corotron may be changed for different paper types and altitudes, etc., but the transfer current is typically kept constant. The magnitude of the positive transfer voltage may be approximately equal to the lower negative voltage at the imaging station, or between about +60V and +80V.
The detack unit 46 is also typically a corotron to which an electrical bias is applied. A common detack corotron is powered by an alternating current with a DC bias. The detack corotron is operable to generate an electrical field capable of neutralizing the charge on the substrate that attracts the substrate to the photoreceptor surface 26. More particularly, certain detack corotrons deposit both positive and negative ions onto the back of the substrate at the frequency of the line source until the net charge on the back of the sheet rapidly approaches the potentials on the photoreceptor surface 26. Once the potential is neutralized, the substrate tends to separate from the photoreceptor surface, sometimes assisted by a mechanical stripper inserted between the substrate and surface. The magnitude of the neutralizing potential may be approximately equal to the maximum negative potential at the imaging station, or between about
It is known that higher neutralizing charges at the leading edge of the substrate will assist in stripping. On the other hand, it is also known that these higher detacking charges reduce the efficiency of the transfer unit 40, or lead to other undesirable effects such as image washout in the leading edge region or increased instability of the unfused transferred image on the substrate. There is a need for a system and method that can adjust the detacking levels to balance the need to assist in stripping a substrate from a photoreceptor surface and the desire to maintain the print quality as high as possible.

Systems and methods to assist in stripping a substrate from an image transfer unit


An electrical inductance overflow switch comprises a housing with an upper portion with a main central tube with a hole from top to bottom. A sideways extension runs outwards from the tube and terminates with a mounting clamp with gripping serrations. The lower portion of the housing has an open lower end with legs and a closed upper end coupled to the upper portion forming a continuous passageway through the main tube. A switch subassembly has a shaft between enlarged upper and lower ends. The shaft coupled has an inner wire passageway and is coupled at the upper end with the tube of the housing. A donut-shaped rigid electrically conductive float. A central hole in the float moves freely up and down the bearing surface. A washer shaped induction disk is coupled to the top of the float. A plurality of wires are contained within the passageway of the shaft.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an electrical inductance overflow switch system and more particularly pertains to allowing a user to safely and conveniently control the level of a fluid in an air conditioner tray by the activation and deactivation of the production of the fluid.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The use of switches of known designs and configurations is known in the prior art. More specifically, switches of known designs and configurations previously devised and utilized for the purpose of activating and deactivating a switch through known methods and configurations are known to consist basically of familiar, expected, and obvious structural configurations, notwithstanding the myriad of designs encompassed by the crowded prior art which has been developed for the fulfillment of countless objectives and requirements.
By way of example, U.S. Pat. No. 6,362,742 to Serenil, Jr. discloses a safety float device for air conditioning units. U.S. Pat. No. 4,757,305 to Peso discloses a water level indicator. U.S. Pat. No. 4,633,673 to Morrison et al. discloses an emergency shutoff for air conditioners. U.S. Pat. No. 2,600,659 to C. J. Koch, Jr. discloses a combined float and mercury switch. U.S. Pat. No. 3,110,161 to Maleck discloses a float switch assembly for air conditioning apparatus. Lastly, U.S. Pat. No. 2,981,196 to Zimmermann et al discloses a condensate pump and control means.
While these devices fulfill their respective, particular objectives and requirements, the aforementioned patents do not describe an electrical inductance overflow switch system that allows allowing a user to safely and conveniently control the level of a fluid in an air conditioner tray by the activation and deactivation of the production of the fluid.
In this respect, the electrical inductance overflow switch system according to the present invention substantially departs from the conventional concepts and designs of the prior art, and in doing so provides an apparatus primarily developed for the purpose of allowing a user to safely and conveniently control the level of a fluid in an air conditioner tray by the activation and deactivation of the production of the fluid.
Therefore, it can be appreciated that there exists a continuing need for a new and improved electrical inductance overflow switch system which can be used for allowing a user to safely and conveniently control the level of a fluid in an air conditioner tray by the activation and deactivation of the production of the fluid. In this regard, the present invention substantially fulfills this need.
In view of the foregoing disadvantages inherent in the known types of switches of known designs and configurations now present in the prior art, the present invention provides an improved electrical inductance overflow switch system. As such, the general purpose of the present invention, which will be described subsequently in greater detail, is to provide a new and improved electrical inductance overflow switch system and method which has all the advantages of the prior art and none of the disadvantages.
To attain this, the present invention essentially comprises an electrical inductance overflow switch for allowing the user to safely and conveniently control the level of a fluid in an air conditioner tray by the activation and deactivation of the production of the fluid. First provided is a switch housing fabricated of a rigid material. The switch housing has a lower portion and an upper portion. The upper portion has a main central tube. The main central tube is in a round tubular cylindrical configuration. The main central tube has a top end and a bottom end and a circumferential wall there between. A hole is provided through the length of the main central tube running from the top end to the bottom end. A rectilinear sideways extension runs outwards from the main central tube and terminates with a mounting clamp. The mounting clamp has a generally flat, U-shaped configuration with an outer surface and an inner surface. A pair of gripping serrations on the surfaces allow the clamp to grip a recipient surface. The lower portion of the housing has a generally round configuration with an inner face and an outer face and a wall thickness there between. The lower portion has an open lower end 40 with a plurality of downwardly projecting legs. The lower portion also has a closed upper end coupled to the upper portion. A central passageway is provided through the upper end of the lower portion forming a continuous passageway through the main tube to the top end. Next provided is a switch subassembly. The switch subassembly has a switch shaft. The switch shaft is fabricated-of a rigid electrically insulating material and has a generally round cylindrical configuration with an enlarged upper end and an enlarged lower end and a bearing surface there between. The upper end of the shaft is coupled with the main central tube of the housing. The lower end of the shaft includes a flanged end piece. The shaft has an inner wire passageway running from the top of the shaft to between about sixty-five percent and seventy-five percent of the length of the shaft. The subassembly also has a float fabricated of rigid electrically conductive material. The float is in a donut-shaped configuration with a top side and a bottom side and a thickness there between. A central hole runs through the float. The hole is sized to allow the float to move freely up and down the bearing surface. A washer shaped induction disk fabricated of a buoyant material is coupled to the top of the float. Next provided is a plurality of wires. The wires are contained within the passageway of the shaft. The wires are continuous and pass through the shaft up through the hole in the main central tube. In this manner, the wires will provide a signal to activate an electrical component when the float is at the bottom of the shaft; and the wires will provide a signal to inactivate an electrical component when the float is at the top of the shaft.
There has thus been outlined, rather broadly, the more important features of the invention in order that the detailed description thereof that follows may be better understood and in order that the present contribution to the art may be better appreciated. There are, of course, additional features of the invention that will be described hereinafter and which will form the subject matter of the claims attached.
In this respect, before explaining at least one embodiment of the invention in detail, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited in its application to the details of construction and to the arrangements of the components set forth in the following description or illustrated in the drawings. The invention is capable of other embodiments and of being practiced and carried out in various ways. Also, it is to be understood that the phraseology and terminology employed herein are for the purpose of descriptions and should not be regarded as limiting.
As such, those skilled in the art will appreciate that the conception, upon which this disclosure is based, may readily be utilized as a basis for the designing of other structures, methods and systems for carrying out the several purposes of the present invention. It is important, therefore, that the claims be regarded as including such equivalent constructions insofar as they do not depart from the spirit and scope of the present invention.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a new and improved electrical inductance overflow switch system which has all of the advantages of the prior art switches of known designs and configurations and none of the disadvantages.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a new and improved electrical inductance overflow switch system which may be easily and efficiently manufactured and marketed.
It is further an object of the present invention to provide a new and improved electrical inductance overflow switch system which is of durable and reliable constructions.
An even further object of the present invention is to provide a new and improved electrical inductance overflow switch system which is susceptible of a low cost of manufacture with regard to both materials and labor, and which accordingly is then susceptible of low prices of sale to the consuming public, thereby making such electrical inductance overflow switch system economically available to the buying public.
Even still another object of the present invention is to provide an electrical inductance overflow switch system for allowing a user to safely and conveniently control the level of a fluid in an air conditioner tray by the activation and deactivation of the production of the fluid.
Lastly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a new and improved electrical inductance overflow switch comprising a housing having a lower portion and an upper portion with the upper portion having a main central tube with a top end and a bottom end and a hole running from the top end to the bottom end with the tube having a sideways extension running outwards from the tube and terminating with a mounting clamp having gripping serrations. The lower portion of the housing has an open lower end with a plurality of downwardly projecting legs and a closed upper end coupled to the upper portion forming a continuous passageway through the main tube to the top end. A switch subassembly has an enlarged upper end and an enlarged lower end with the upper end of the shaft coupled with the tube of the housing and with the shaft having an inner wire passageway running from the top of the shaft with the subassembly also having a float fabricated of rigid electrically conductive material having a donut-shaped configuration with a central hole running there through with the hole sized to allow the float to move freely up and down the bearing surface. The float has a washer shaped induction disk coupled to the top of the float. A plurality of wires are contained within the passageway of the shaft.

Electrical inductance overflow switch system


A ventilation system includes a cavity, a fluid motive force device, and a motive fluid supply system. The cavity includes different ventilation level requirements for a plurality of modes of operation. The fluid motive force device includes a suction port, an outlet port, and a motive fluid inlet port. The suction port is coupled in flow communication with the cavity to be vented. A flow supply to the motive fluid inlet port determines a ventilation flow through the suction port. The motive fluid supply system is coupled in flow communication with the motive fluid inlet port. An operation of the motive fluid supply system determines a flow of motive fluid from the motive fluid supply system to the motive fluid inlet port. The flow of motive fluid to the motive fluid inlet port generates a ventilation flow through the suction port approximately matching a current ventilation demand of said cavity.

The field of the disclosure relates generally to gas turbine engines and, more particularly, to a system and method for powering an eductor in gas turbine engines.
At least some known gas turbine engines include a low pressure compressor rotatably coupled to a low pressure turbine through a shaft. Typically, the shaft is supported by one or more bearings. Sumps or regions around the bearings are typically vented to prevent oil and other fluids from entering other portions of the engine. The sump is constantly venting during operation of the gas turbine engine. However, during some operational modes, the sump needs help venting. An eductor typically helps vent the sump by channeling a fast moving fluid past a nozzle coupled in flow communication with the sump. The Venturi effect causes a drop in pressure at the tip of the nozzle and draws the air out of the sump, through the nozzle where it mixes with the fast moving fluid, and out of the eductor. However, the sump does not require constant forced venting. As such, the flow of fast moving fluid to the eductor is regulated by a valve and other corresponding valve equipment. The valve and other corresponding valve equipment add weight to the engine.

System and method for engine eductor powered by alternate managed air system


A soldering system includes M soldering tools, where M is .gtoreq.1 and is an integer and N soldering tips where N is .gtoreq.1 and is an integer with one of the N tips attached to one of the M soldering tools. The soldering system also includes a control circuit connected to the one tool having the one tip attached to it. The control circuit maintains the one tip at a desired temperature. The control circuit has a device for inputting the desired temperature at which the control circuit maintains the temperature of the one tip. In a preferred embodiment, each of the N tips have an identity and each of the M tools have an identity. The control circuit maintains the one tip attached to the one tool at a desired temperature which is inputted into the control circuit through the input device. The control circuit identifies which of the N tips is attached to the tool by the identity of the one tip attached to the one tool being inputted into the control circuit through the input. The control circuit also determines the identity of the one tool connected to the control circuit.

The present invention relates to soldering systems, and specifically to microprocessor-controlled soldering systems which enable a desired temperature to be maintained in one of a number of soldering tips used in the system. The desired temperature, tool and tip are inputted by a user, and a microprocessor evaluates the information selected with its data base to control the soldering operation.
Soldering tools are used to provide for a multitude of permanent electrical and mechanical connections. For each such connection, there is typically an optimum tip style, temperature, and solder formulation for the location of the connection. In order to accommodate all possible connections and soldering materials, a multitude of different tools and tips are required from which the proper selection can be made. The apparatus providing the heat to the tips must have different power ratings to be compatible with the particular tip employed. Users often have a large array of tools and tips accessible for use in one of the multitude of soldered connections to insure an optimal connection. Even if the user has access to a multitude of tips and tools, often the desired temperature for which a given tool was rated is not accurate. There can be oscillations in the tip temperature or droop present in he tool that are not properly compensated during operation, rendering the tool inappropriate for the task.
The present invention overcomes the problems noted above by means of a controlled soldering system that can provide a desired temperature to a tip and otherwise accommodate a particular soldering environment. The desired temperature is selected by a user and inputted into a microprocessor controlled system. The desired temperature is then maintained over the course of the soldering operation. The system has the flexibility to be programmed for a variety of tips and tools.
More specifically, the soldering system comprises a number M of soldering tools, where M is an integer .gtoreq.1, and a number N of soldering tools, where N is an integer .gtoreq.1. The soldering system also includes a control circuit connected to a selected tool having one of the tips attached thereto. The control circuit provides for inputting the desired temperature by the user and maintaining the temperature of the one tip to that input. The control circuit identifies which of the N tips is attached to the M tool by interrogating certain information inputted into the control circuit by the user.
The above is a brief description of the prior art and features of the invention. Other advantages will be apparent to those skilled in the art from the detailed discussion of the preferred embodiment which follows.

Microprocessor controlled soldering station


A wiper blade assembly includes a rubber blade, a vertebrae holding the rubber blade, a yoke for supporting the vertebrae and a connector having arms for engaging the vertebrae, the rubber blade and the yoke at a common point for connecting the assembly together. The arms have projecting portions secured in openings in the vertebra with each arm having an outwardly opening groove receiving an engaging portion of the yoke and inwardly directed serrations engaging opposite sides of the blade.

1. Field of The Invention
This invention relates to an wiper blade apparatus for wiping a wiped surface of a windshield or the like, for example, of an automobile, by sliding the blade rubber in contact with the wiped surface.
2. Description of The Prior Art
Heretofore, there has been used a wiper blade as shown in FIG. 4 to FIG. 6 for example.
Namely, a wiper blade apparatus 100 shown in figures is attached with connector 103 at either end of a vertebra 102 holding a blade rubber 101 which is in contact with a wiped surface (not shown) on a windshield or the like, and is attached to said connector 103 with a yoke 105 fitted to a blade lever L connected with a wiper are 104.
The blade rubber 101 is provided with a long shaped contact portion 101a in contact with the wiped surface (not shown) on the windshield or the like, and an insert portion 101b having a T-shaped cross section and inserted into the vertebra 102 on the upper side of said contact portion 101a in FIG. 5.
The vertebra 102 is provided with a hollow portion 102a for holding the insert portion 101b of the blade rubber 101 and an upper plate 102b on the upper side of the said hollow portion 102a in FIG. 5. And the vertebra 102 is provided with openings 102d piercing connecting plates 102c, 102c through in the horizonal direction in FIG. 6, as positions near to both ends thereof on the upper and lower side in FIG. 4.
The connector 103 is provided with a projection 103b raising upward from a base 103a at the lower side in FIG. 6 and fitting into the hollow portion 102a of the vertebra 102, and arms 103c protruding upward from the base 103a on both sides said projection 103b and having elasticity slightly in the right and left direction in FIG. 6. And the connector 103 is provided with said arms 103c including engaging parts 103d engaged with the openings 102d of the vertebra 102 respectively, and also with fitting parts 103e to be attached to the yoke 105.
Furthermore, the yoke 105 is provided to one end near to either end of the vertebra 102 with inlaying parts 105a which hold the upper plate 102b of the vertebra 102 slidably in its longitudinal direction by fitting into the fitting parts 103e provided to the connector 103 and are engaged with the connector 103 in which the engaging parts 103d are pressed onto the openings 102d of the vertebra 102, and provided with holding parts 105b which hold the upper plate 102b of the vertebra 102 slidably in its longitudinal direction at another end near to the center of the vertebra 102.
Thereby, engaging the engaging parts 103d provided to the arms 103c of the connector 103 with the openings 102d of the vertebra 102 after inserting the insert portion 101b provided to the blade rubber 101 into the hollow portion 102a, holding the vertebra 102 in the position near to the center by the holding parts 105b provided to the yoke 5, and fitting the inlaying parts 105a provided to the yoke 105 into the fitting parts 103e provided to the connector 103, the connector 103 is so structured as to be engaged with the yoke 105 in which the engaging part 103d provided to the connector are pressed onto the openings 102d provided to the vertebra 102.
However, in the above mentioned conventional wiper blade apparatus 100, the connector 103 is engaged with the vertebra 102 in a state of inserting the blade rubber 101 into the vertebra 102, and the yoke 105 is engaged with said connector 103. Therefore, because the blade rubber 101 is not fixed to the yoke 105 fitted to the blade lever L connected with the wiper arm 104, the blade rubber 101 sometimes moves in the vertebra 102 in the longitudinal direction and sometimes slips down from the vertebra 102. In such a case, there is a problem since it is impossible to wipe the wiped surface satisfactorily, and is therefore impossible to keep the field of view from the driver's seat in favorable state. Accordingly, it is damaged to use a wiper blade apparatus which is possible to hold the blade rubber 101 to the yoke 105 securely so as not to disconnect the blade rubber 101 from the vertebra 102 and possible to keep the field of view in favorable state for a long time when the wiped surface is wiped.


A crystalline semiconductor film in which the locations and sizes of crystal grains have been controlled, is prepared, and a TFT capable of high speed operation is realized by employing the crystalline semiconductor film as the channel forming region of the TFT. An organic resin film (2 in FIG. 1) having a predetermined shape is provided on a substrate (1), whereupon an inorganic insulating film (3) and an amorphous semiconductor film are formed. Subsequently, the amorphous semiconductor film is crystallized by laser annealing. The material and thickness of the organic resin film (2) in the predetermined shape or those of the inorganic insulating film (3) are properly regulated, whereby the cooling rate of the semiconductor film is lowered to form a first region (4a) in which crystal grain diameters are large.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a semiconductor device having a circuit which is configured of thin film transistors (hereinbelow, abbreviated to "TFTs"), and a method of fabricating the semiconductor device. By way of example, it relates to an electrooptic device which is typified by a liquid crystal display panel, and an electronic equipment in which such an electrooptic device is installed as a component.
Incidentally, here in this specification, the expression "semiconductor device" is intended to signify general devices which can function by utilizing semiconductor properties, and it shall cover all of electrooptic devices, semiconductor circuits and electronic equipment.
2. Description of the Related Art
There has been developed a thin film transistor (hereinbelow, abbreviated to "TFT") which employs as its active layer a crystalline semiconductor film prepared in such a way that an amorphous semiconductor film is formed on an insulating substrate having a light transmissivity, such as of glass, and then crystallized by laser annealing, thermal annealing or the like. A glass substrate of barium borosilicate glass, aluminoborosilicate glass or the like is often employed as the insulating substrate. Although such a glass substrate is inferior to a quartz substrate in the point of a heat resistance, it is inexpensive on the market, and hence, it has the merit of being capable of the easy manufacture of a large area substrate.
The laser annealing is known as a crystallizing technique which can crystallize the amorphous semiconductor film by bestowing high energy on only this film without considerably raising the temperature of the glass substrate. In particular, an excimer laser which produces a large power in a range of short wavelengths is considered most suited for this use. The laser annealing with the excimer laser is carried out in such a way that a laser beam is worked by an optical system so as to define a spot or a line on a surface to-be-irradiated, and that the surface to-be-irradiated is scanned by the worked laser beam (i.e., that the projected position of the laser beam is moved relatively to the surface to-be-irradiated). The excimer laser annealing with, for example, the rectilinear laser beam is also capable of laser-annealing the whole surface to-be-irradiated by the scanning in only a direction orthogonal to the longitudinal direction of the surface, and it is excellent in productivity. It is therefore becoming the mainstream as the manufacturing technology of a liquid crystal display device employing TFTs.
The laser annealing is applicable to the crystallization of various semiconductor materials. So far, however, a high field-effect mobility has been realized by employing a crystalline silicon film for the active layer of each TFT. The technology has incarnated a liquid crystal display device of monolithic type wherein pixel TFTs constituting pixel units, and the TFTs of driver circuits to be disposed around the pixel units are formed on a single glass substrate.
However, the crystalline silicon film prepared by the laser annealing has been formed in the shape of the aggregate of a plurality of crystal grains, and the locations and sizes of the crystal grains have been random. It has accordingly been impossible to form the crystalline silicon film with the locations and sizes of the crystal grains designated. The interfaces of the crystal grains (grain boundaries) have involved causes for degrading the current transport characteristics of carriers under the influences of recombination centers and trapping centers ascribable to amorphous structures, crystal defects etc., and potential levels at the grain boundaries. Nevertheless, it has been next to impossible that a channel forming region, in which the property of a crystal affects the characteristics of the TFT seriously, is formed of a single crystal grain with the influences of the crystal grains excluded. Until today, therefore, the TFT which employs the crystalline silicon film as its active layer has not attained characteristics comparable to those of a MOS transistor which is fabricated on a single-crystal silicon substrate.
As a method for solving such a problem, it is considered an effective expedient to enlarge the crystal grains and to control the locations of the large crystal grains, thereby to eliminate the crystal grain boundaries from the channel forming region. By way of example, "Location Control of Large Grain Following Excimer-Laser Melting of Si Thin-Films", R. Ishihara and A. Burtsev, Japanese Journal of Applied Physics, vol. 37, No. 3B, pp. 1071-1075, 1988, discloses a method which realizes the location control of crystals and the enlargement of grains by controlling the temperature distribution of a silicon film in three dimensions. According to the method, a film of refractory metal is formed on a glass substrate, the metal film is overlaid with a silicon oxide film which partially differs in thickness, and an amorphous silicon film is formed on the surface of the silicon oxide film. It has been reported that crystal grain diameters can be enlarged to several [μm] by irradiating both the surfaces of the resulting substrate with excimer laser beams.
The Ishihara et al. method features that the thermal characteristics of the subbing material of the amorphous silicon film are locally changed to control the flow of heat into the substrate and to afford a temperature gradient. To that end, however, the three-layer structure of the refractory metal layer/silicon oxide layer/semiconductor film is formed on the glass substrate. It is structurally possible to fabricate a TFT of top gate type by employing the semiconductor film as an active layer. Since, however, a parasitic capacitance is incurred by the silicon oxide film interposed between the semiconductor film and the refractory metal layer, the power dissipation of the TFT increases, and the high speed operation thereof is difficult of attainment.
On the other hand, the Ishihara et al. method is considered to be effectively applicable to a TFT of bottom gate type or inverse stagger type by employing the refractory metal layer as a gate electrode. In the three-layer structure, however, even when the thickness of the semiconductor film is excluded, the total thickness of the refractory metal layer and the silicon oxide layer is problematic. More specifically, since a thickness suitable for the crystallizing process does not always agree with a thickness suitable for the characteristics of the TFT element, both the optimum design of the structure for the crystallizing process and the optimum design thereof for the element characteristics cannot be satisfied simultaneously.
Besides, when the refractory metal layer having no light transmissivity is formed on the whole surface of the glass substrate, a liquid crystal display device of transmission type cannot be fabricated. The refractory metal layer is useful in the point of a high thermal conductivity. Since, however, a chromium (Cr) film or titanium (Ti) film used as the refractory metal material exhibits a high internal stress, a problem will occur as to the close adhesion of the metal film with the glass substrate at a high possibility. Further, the internal stress may possibly exert influence even on the semiconductor film overlying the metal film and act as a force distorting the crystalline semiconductor film formed.
Meanwhile, for the purpose of controlling into a predetermined range a threshold voltage (hereinbelow, denoted as "Vth") which is an important characteristic parameter for the TFT, it has been required besides the control of the valence electrons of the channel forming region, to lower the charged defect densities of the subbing film and a gate insulating film which are respectively formed of insulating films in close touch with the active layer, and to consider the balance between the internal stresses of both the films. A material containing silicon as a constituent element, such as the silicon oxide film or an oxidized silicon nitride film, has been suitable for such requirements. Accordingly, the formation of the refractory metal layer for affording the temperature gradient is apprehended to collapse the aforementioned balance.

Semiconductor device, and method of fabricating the same

Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.


A touch substrate is disclosed. The touch substrate comprises: a base substrate; a plurality of first electrode chains, each first electrode chain comprising a plurality of drive electrodes; a plurality of second electrode chains, each second electrode chain comprising a plurality of sensing electrodes, the plurality of second electrode chains and the plurality of first electrode chains crossing each other, and gaps being formed between adjacent drive and sensing electrodes; a plurality of first conductor structures, each being arranged within one corresponding gap and electrically insulated from the first and second electrodes; and a plurality of second conductor structures, each being provided in a central region of a corresponding sensing electrode and electrically insulated from the sensing electrode. A method of manufacturing the touch substrate and a display device comprising the touch substrate are also disclosed.

Touch panels may comprise resistance-type touch panels and capacitance-type touch panels based on principles of operation. Currently, capacitance-type touch panels are increasingly applied in electronic products. A capacitance-type touch panel operates based on current induction between the touch panel and a human body, that is, capacitance-type touch panel is a touch panel in which a touch signal is generated through a combination of characteristics of electrode(s) and a human body. When a human body (finger) touches a screen of a touch panel, a coupling capacitance will be formed between the finger and a conductor layer of the touch panel under an electric field from the human body, such that a current will be generated and flow from the electrode of the touch panel to the touch point, thereby the position of the touch point can be calculated accurately.
The existing touch panel, however, is relatively onefold in structure, and its capacitance Cm is not compatible with a capacitance value of available touch drive chips, resulting in a great barrier to application of such touch panel. Especially, touch IC (Integrated Circuit) manufacturers have their own patents regarding patterns of touch electrodes due to their earlier planning schemes and their own ICs bound with the patents. If a TP company manufactures dies and produces TPs by using ICs and patterns of touch electrodes from A company, and thereafter due to some reasons, the company needs to use ICs from B company instead of the ICs from A company, the dies previously manufactured cannot be used anymore due to the patents, even if the ICs from B company may also normally match with the patterns of touch electrodes from A company, and new dies need to be manufactured using the patterns of touch electrodes from B company, which will result in a great loss for the TP company.

Touch substrate and method of manufacturing the same, and display device

HEFEI XINSHENG OPTOELECTRONICS TECHNOLOGY CO., LTD.


A checkout device with a barcode reading apparatus, scale, and electronic article surveillance (EAS) system. The checkout device includes a scale including a base portion and a weigh plate over the base portion, a security label deactivation system between the base portion and the weigh plate, and a barcode reading apparatus including a first barcode reader adjacent the scale including a first aperture, and a second barcode reader between the base portion and the weigh plate including a second aperture. The weigh plate includes a third aperture over the second aperture.

The present invention relates to product checkout devices and more specifically to a checkout device including a barcode reading apparatus, scale, and electronic article surveillance (EAS) system.
Common checkout devices include combinations of barcode readers and scales. One example of such a checkout device is the NCR 7875 checkout device.
Another example of a checkout device includes a barcode reader and an integrated EAS system and is illustrated in U.S. Pat. No. 5,059,951.
It would be desirable to produce a checkout device with a barcode reading apparatus, scale, and EAS system.
In accordance with the teachings of the present invention, a checkout device including a barcode reading apparatus, scale, and electronic article surveillance (EAS) is provided.
The checkout device includes a scale including a base portion and a weigh plate over the base portion, a security label deactivation system between the base portion and the weigh plate, and a barcode reading apparatus including a first barcode reader adjacent the scale including a first aperture, and a second barcode reader between the base portion and the weigh plate including a second aperture. The weigh plate includes a third aperture over the second aperture.
It is accordingly an object of the present invention to provide a checkout device including a barcode reading apparatus, scale, and an electronic article surveillance (EAS) system.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a method of integrating a barcode reader, scale, and an electronic article surveillance EAS system into a single checkout device.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a method of combining an EAS system into a dual-aperture barcode reader.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a method of combining an EAS system, a scale, and a dual-aperture barcode reader.

Checkout device including barcode reading apparatus, scale, and EAS system


A laser unit containing a laser package, in which a laser element has been hermetically sealed, is connected with a converging optical system unit containing a converging optical system. The laser unit is provided with a laser package holder, which comprises a holder main body for supporting the laser package and a connecting member. The converging optical system unit is provided with a converging optical system holder, which comprises a holder main body for supporting the converging optical system and a connecting member having been welded to the connecting member of the laser package holder. A thermal conductivity of the holder main body of the laser package holder is set to be larger than the thermal conductivities of the connecting member of the laser package holder and the connecting member of the converging optical system holder.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a laser module. This invention particularly relates to a laser module, which comprises a laser element, a converging optical system for converging a laser beam having been radiated out from the laser element, and an optical fiber for receiving the laser beam having been converged by the converging optical system, the laser element and the converging optical system having been combined into a unit.
2. Description of the Related Art
So-called pig tail types of laser modules have heretofore been proposed. The proposed laser modules comprise a laser package, which is provided with a laser beam transmissive window for radiation of a laser beam and in which a laser element has been hermetically sealed, a converging optical system for converging the laser beam having been radiated out from the laser package, and an optical fiber for receiving the laser beam having been converged by the converging optical system, at least the laser package and the converging optical system having been combined into a unit.
By way of example, a laser module, wherein the laser package and the converging optical system have been accommodated in an identical holder, and wherein an end section of the optical fiber on the laser beam incidence side is also accommodated within the holder, has been disclosed in, for example, Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2004-288879. Also, a laser module, wherein the laser package and the converging optical system have been accommodated respectively in different holders, wherein the holder accommodating the laser package and the holder accommodating the converging optical system have been welded to each other, and wherein a receptacle for receiving the end section of the optical fiber on the laser beam incidence side has been fitted to the holder accommodating the converging optical system, has been disclosed in, for example, Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 7(1995)-168064.
From the view point of the easiness of the welding of members to each other, general-purpose properties, and the like, ordinarily, a stainless steel (SUS304) has heretofore been utilized as the material of the aforesaid holder. The stainless steel (SUS) has a comparatively low thermal conductivity of approximately 16 W/mK. By virtue of the low heat diffusing characteristics, the stainless steel is appropriate for the welding operation.
As the laser element, a laser element having a comparatively low output power, such as an infrared semiconductor laser element, which produces a laser beam having a wavelength of 980 nm and has an output power of 90 mW, has heretofore been utilized. An electric power-to-laser beam conversion efficiency of the infrared semiconductor laser element is estimated to fall within the range of 40% to 60%, and the quantity of heat released from the laser element at the time of the output power of 90 mW is estimated to fall within the range of 60 mW to 135 mW.
Recently, it is studied to utilize an ultraviolet semiconductor laser element (i.e., a broad area semiconductor laser element), such as a GaN type of an ultraviolet semiconductor laser element, which has a high output power, e.g. an output power falling within the range of 200 mW to 500 mW, as the aforesaid laser element. The electric power-to-laser beam conversion efficiency of the ultraviolet semiconductor laser element, such as the GaN type of the ultraviolet semiconductor laser element, is estimated to fall within the range of 20% to 25%, and the quantity of heat released from the laser element at the time of the output power of 500 mW is estimated to fall within the range of 1.5 W to 2 W. The quantity of heat released from the ultraviolet semiconductor laser element is approximately five to six times as large as the quantity of heat released from the infrared type of the semiconductor laser element. Therefore, in cases where the holder made from the stainless steel (SUS304) having the low thermal conductivity is utilized, the heat released from the ultraviolet semiconductor laser element is not capable of being dissipated sufficiently.
Also, regardless of the types of the laser elements, in the cases of a beam combining type of module utilizing a laser package, in which a plurality of laser elements have been hermetically sealed, as the number of the laser elements becomes large, the total heat release quantity within the laser package becomes large. Therefore, in cases where the holder made from the stainless steel (SUS) having the low thermal conductivity is utilized, the heat released from the laser elements is not capable of being dissipated sufficiently.
If the heat released from the laser element is not capable of being dissipated sufficiently, the problems will occur in that the life time of the module becomes short due to thermal deterioration of the laser element, and the like. In, for example, Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2004-288879, a heat dissipating structure, in which the heat dissipation is performed with a temperature control unit, such as a Peltier element, fitted to a laser package, is described as the related art. Also, in, for example, Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2004-288879, there is disclosed a heat dissipating structure, wherein a stem (2), which is made from a material having good thermal conduction characteristics, such as CuW, and which has an L-shaped cross-section, is fitted to a laser package, and wherein the heat dissipating characteristics are enhanced without a temperature control unit being utilized.
However, with the conventional techniques, in which the temperature control unit or the stem (2) having the L-shaped cross-section is fitted to the laser package in order for the heat dissipating characteristics to be enhanced, the problems occur in that the number of parts is not capable of being kept small, the cost is not capable of being kept low, and the size of the module is not capable of being kept small.
Also, in, for example, Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 7(1995)-168064 disclosing the laser module, wherein the laser package and the converging optical system have been accommodated respectively in different holders, and wherein the holder accommodating the laser package and the holder accommodating the converging optical system have been welded to each other, nothing is disclosed with respect to a heat dissipating structure to be utilized in cases where a high output power laser element is utilized.


The present invention includes a partial register write handler. The write handler receives either two or three operands. An execution unit operates on portions of two operands, rather than on full operands. The result of the execution unit has fewer bits than an "additional" operand, which may be any of the two or three operands received by the write handler. An output multiplexer receives all of the bits of an execution unit result and selected bits of the additional operand, and produces an output that has as many bits as the additional operand. If the output of the multiplexer is a string of bits, the string of bits contains the execution unit result as a substring of bits. The remaining bits of the output of the multiplexer are selected from the additional operand.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to the field of computer operation, and more specifically to register files in a computer.
2. Description of the Related Art
The original 8086 used eight general purpose registers in a sequential processor. Each instruction was received and was processed one at a time. However, as processors have become pipelined to achieve higher clock rates, dealing with instructions has become more problematic. Pipelined instructions have added complexity in dealing with bypassed operands, and have made handling partial registers more difficult. Pipelined processors have been able to process instructions out of order, "shelving" instructions until all operands needed for the operation are valid.
When an instruction that requires operands is received, the pipelined processor has typically responded by examining the register file to determine whether all of the operands are available. If some operands are not available, the instruction is "shelved" until the operands become available. An instruction may remain shelved for several clock cycles. For example, this could occur when operands missing from an instruction must be read from a memory having a high latency. While an instruction is shelved, however, later instructions received by the processor may attempt to update the values of the operands that were available in the shelved instruction. Consequently, performing operations out of order can be a complicated task, as updates to operand values require complicated register file management.
Similarly, instructions have been allowed to produce intermediate values, which have not been ready to be written to the register file. "Intermediate" values refer to those values generated by an execution unit such an arithmetic logic unit (ALU), but which may not be complete. When an instruction that has generated a result is not yet known to be on the execution path, the instruction is not yet known to be complete. For example, consider an instruction to add the values of AX and BX and place the result in AX. The value of BX may be available, but the original value of AX may not be available. In such a case, the instruction is not complete; an operand is still necessary to complete the operation. The result, therefore, is "intermediate" in that it depends on a yet-to-be-determined value. Such intermediate values may not be written to the register file until the instruction is known to be complete.
Instructions are not known to be complete until all older instructions in the instruction path have completed and have not encountered any exceptional conditions. However, pipelined processors have generally been permitted to execute instructions on intermediate data, and then later to determine that the intermediate data is valid and may be written to the register file. Pipelined processors have therefore achieved much of their speed performance by allowing results to be used before those results are committed to the register file.
When a processor has received updates for some, but not all, of the operands needed for a particular operation, the pipelined processor has required additional logic to prevent use of "old" values for the missing operands. Handling instructions out of order can greatly complicate this task. Moreover, when partial register handling has been supported, updates to a portion of a register have complicated handling the register, where portions of the register have been valid and portions of the register have been invalid.
Intermediate results have therefore been held in a pending state until written to the register file. The pending state has been implemented as an additional "pending" file somewhat structurally similar to, and in some implementations larger than, the register file. Bypassing, or reading intermediate values from the pending state, has allowed pipelined processors to execute instructions before determining that the instructions that had generated those intermediate values are complete.
Typically, the pending state has been implemented as a number of stages along a pipeline. Data has been copied from one stage to the next until, at the final stage, that data has been written to the register file. At each point along the pipeline, data has been available to "younger" instructions, with more recent updates to the register value being written to the first stage of the pipeline. Instructions have been able to select values from the various stages of the pipeline, and from the register file.
To handle the relatively large number of sources (the various stages of the pipeline and the register file) from which an instruction can read values of an operand, a bypass multiplexer ("bypass multiplexer") has typically been included. The implementation of the bypass multiplexer, however, is different in many CISC architectures than it is in RISC architectures, because the former supports partial register write operations, while the latter does not.
The x86 instruction set originally supported eight 16-bit general purpose registers, four of which could be divided into two 8-bit general purpose registers. Division of registers AX, BX, CX, and DX allowed byte-access (8-bit access) to the upper and lower bytes of these registers. As a result, not only have registers AX, BX, CX, and DX been supported, but also registers AH, AL, BH, BL, CH, CL, DH, and DL, referring to the high-order byte and low-order byte within each 16-bit register. The register count effectively increased to 16 registers: registers AX, BX, CX, DX, AH, AL, BH, BL, CH, CL, DH, DL, SP, BP, SI, and DI. Registers SP, BP, SI, and DI have not been divided.
Moreover, with the introduction of the 386, the x86 architecture grew to support 32-bit registers. However, the prevalence of code using the original 16-bit register set instruction set necessitated support of both 16-bit and 32-bit register sizes. The 386 instruction set allowed access to all the aforementioned registers, as well as allowing access to "extended" (32-bit) registers. The 16-bit registers were considered partial registers of the new 32-bit registers. Each instruction was provided with four partial register options: the instruction could select the full "extended" register, or the "lower" 16-bits of the extended register, or the high-order byte or the low-order byte of the lower 16-bit register.
For example, in the 386 instruction set, an instruction was permitted to access an extended register, for example EAX. Such an access would access bits [31:0] of a 32-bit register. Another instruction could access a 16-bit register, for example AX. Such an access would access bits [15:0] of the same 32-bit register. Another instruction could access an 8-bit register, for example, AL. Such an access would access bits [7:0] of the same 32-bit register. Another instruction could access another 8-bit register, for example, AX. Such an access would access bits [15:8] of the same 32-bit register.
In part due to the problem of handling partial registers in a pipelined processor, and in part due to the low cost of registers, RISC microprocessors have not supported partial register write operations. Adding registers has become far less expensive than dividing existing registers, particularly in light of the added complexity. Therefore, the RISC processor historically has operated on registers in their entirety. Consequently, the bypass multiplexer in a pipelined RISC processor configuration has been required only to select one of the sources (the various stages of the pipeline or the register file) from which an instruction can read values of an operand.
On the other hand, CISC architectures allow a variety of portions of the registers to be altered. A pipelined CISC processor configuration that allows portions of registers to be operated upon has typically required an additional field to indicate which portion of the register has been updated between one stage and the next. The same result stage registers have been used for the result, and the additional field has been used to indicate how to write (commit) the result to the register file at the end of the pipeline. Since CISC architecture allows a variety of portions of registers to be altered, the bypass multiplexer must select more than one place that an operand might be found, since portions of that operand may be generated by different instructions.
These approaches have proven unsatisfactory. The implementation of the bypass multiplexer has proven extremely complicated in CISC architectures. A particularly problematic example is the situation in which multiple instructions have written to different portions of a register, and then an instruction requiring the value of the register is encountered. In such a case, various stages of the pipeline contain different portions of the register value to be used. According to one approach, the instruction requiring the value of the register has caused the bypass multiplexer to select from the relatively large number of sources of values. According to another approach, the instruction requiring the value of the register has been stalled until enough of the results have been written that the operand comes from a single result register or from the register file itself. According to still another approach, a combination of complex multiplexing and stalling has been used.

Method and apparatus for handling partial register accesses