A series of spectacle lenses, where the position of use of the spectacle lenses in front of the eyes of the respective spectacle wearers, nominal variables at the intersection points of first lines of sight are essentially identical to the respective eye-sided or object-sided surfaces of the spectacle lenses. Each first line of sight is a predetermined, eye-sided line of sight, that intersects a pupil center point and an optical eye rotation point of the respective eye. All of the first lines of sight exhibit a predetermined, identical eye-sided visual angle. The nominal variables for each intersection point consist of one or more of a maximum permissible difference between a predefined value of a spherical refractive power and an actual value of a spherical refractive power in the position of use, a maximum permissible difference between a predefined value of an astigmatism and an actual value of an astigmatism in the position of use, a maximum permissible difference between a predefined value of a cylinder axis position and an actual value of a cylinder axis position in the position of use of the respective spectacle lens of the series as well as a method for the production of a spectacle lens.

The present invention relates to a series of spectacle lenses and a method for the production of a spectacle lens.
Conventional progressive lenses are distinguished by an area for distance vision (hereinafter referred to as the distance zone) and an area for near vision (hereinafter referred to as the near zone). The distance zone is usually arranged in an upper area; and the near zone, in a bottom area of the spectacle lens. A distance reference point is a point of the distance zone, at which the prescribed distance power, i.e., in particular the prescribed spherical power is achieved. A near reference point is a point of the near zone, at which the near power, i.e., the distance power plus addition is achieved. In a prism reference point the prismatic effect, in particular the prism and the prism thinning, is achieved.
In a so-called transition or progressive zone, the refractive power of a progressive lens increases progressively from the distance zone to the near zone. The increase in the refractive power from the distance zone to the near zone corresponds to the addition. In the progressive zone it is possible to see clearly the intermediate distances.
It is well known that in the production of progressive spectacle lenses the surface design of the progressive spectacle lenses is highly dependent on the prescription, in particular on the base curve and the addition. The surface properties of progressive lenses vary widely as a function of the various prescriptions, in order to exhibit the same imaging properties in the position of use thus, in the position, in which the spectacle lens is located in front of an eye of a spectacle wearer. In the case of two spectacle lenses exhibiting identical addition, but different spherical prescriptions, the corresponding surfaces differ not only in the surface power in order to achieve the different power, but also in the surface astigmatism in order to cope with varying optical paths. As a consequence, methods have been developed to achieve visual defects of similar size independently of the base curve.
Furthermore, it is known that the imaging properties inside a base curve can vary widely, because different spherical and astigmatic prescriptions can be produced from a progressive surface by varying the prescription surface. In order, however, to carry this out optimally, the surface properties of the progressive surfaces must change. As a consequence, instead of the single spherical or toric prescription surfaces, atoric prescription surfaces are used. The necessary surface modifications were produced with the atoric, instead of the progressive, surface, in order to achieve the same properties in the position of use.
Finally it is also known that not only the prescription (that is, the desired spherical, cylindrical and prismatic effect) has an influence on the position of use and must be compensated for by the shape of the progressive surface, but also the arrangement of the spectacle lens in front of the eye has an effect. Parameters, which have also been taken into consideration, are the pupil distance, the cornea vertex distance, the pantoscopic angle of the spectacle lens and the frame disk angle. These and other parameters comprise the customer-specific parameters. Taking into consideration the customer-specific parameters, the progressive surfaces of progressive spectacle lenses are calculated and finished for the specific customer.
The object of the present invention is to provide spectacle lenses that give the spectacle wearer an enhanced feeling of visual quality.
This object is achieved with the series of spectacle lenses, as claimed in claim 1, and the method for producing a spectacle lens, as claimed in claim 7. Preferred embodiments and design variants are the subject matter of the dependent claims.
As one example, the maximum permissible difference between a predefined value of a spherical refractive power and an actual value of a spherical refractive power in the position of use may be approximately 1.0 dpt, 0.5 dpt or 0.12 dpt.
As a further example, the maximum permissible difference between a predefined value of an astigmatism and an actual value of an astigmatism in the position of use may be approximately 1.0 dpt, 0.5 or 0.12 dpt.
As yet further example, the maximum permissible difference between a predefined value of a cylinder axis position and an actual value of a cylinder axis position in the position of use may be approximately 25°, 10° or 2°.
One aspect of the present invention provides a series of spectacle lenses, wherein each spectacle lens of the series comprises an eye-sided surface and an object-sided surface; the eye-sided and/or the object-sided surface of each spectacle lens of the series is designed in such a manner that in the position of use of the spectacle lenses in front of the eyes of the respective spectacle wearers, the nominal variables at the intersection points of the first lines of sight are essentially identical to the respective eye-sided or object-sided surfaces of the spectacle lenses; each first line of sight is a predetermined, eye-sided line of sight, which intersects a pupil center point and an optical eye rotation point of the respective eye; and all of the first lines of sight exhibit a predetermined, identical eye-sided visual angle; the nominal variables for each intersection point consist of                a maximum permissible difference between a predefined value of a spherical refractive power and an actual value of a spherical refractive power in the position of use, and/or        a maximum permissible difference between a predefined value of an astigmatism and an actual value of an astigmatism in the position of use, and/or        a maximum permissible difference between a predefined value of a cylinder axis position and an actual value of a cylinder axis position in the position of use of the respective spectacle lens of the series.
The technical terms that are used correspond to the technical terms, as defined in the pertinent standards, such as DIN EN ISO 8624, DIN 58208, DIN EN ISO 13666, DIN 5350 and DIN EN ISO 8980-2. Furthermore, in addition to the cited standards, reference is made to the definitions in the technical manual "Optics of the Eye and Visual Aids", by Dr. Roland Enders, 1995, Optische Fachveröffentlichung GmbH, Heidelberg, and in the technical manual "Optics and the Technology of Spectacles" by Heinz Diepes and Ralf Blendowski, 2002, Verlag Optische Fachveröffentlichung GmbH, Heidelberg. For the definition of terms, the cited standards and the cited books are an integral part of the disclosure of the present patent application.
The position of use may be defined, for example, by means of a standardized position of use. In using the spectacle lenses of the series according to a standardized position of use, the eye rotation center distance is approximately 27.4 mm or approximately 27.9 mm or approximately 28.5 mm or approximately 28.8 mm; the forward tilt, i.e., the pantoscopic angle is approximately 8 deg.; the face form angle is approximately 0 deg.; the pupil distance is approximately 63 mm; the cornea vertex distance is approximately 15 mm; the object distance in the distance reference point is approximately 0 dpt; and the object distance in the near reference point is approximately −2.5 dpt.
Preferably the eye-sided and/or object-sided surface of each spectacle lens of the series of spectacle lenses is configured in such a manner that each spectacle lens can be arranged in front of precisely one eye of precisely one spectacle wearer. With such a configuration of the eye-sided or object-sided surface, the above design can be simplified for a first line of sight. The first line of sight of the spectacle wearer is a stationary coordinate system of a head of the spectacle wearer. The first line of sight is preferably defined in spherical coordinates in the fixed coordinate system of the head of the spectacle wearer. The predetermined eye-sided visual angle corresponds to the spherical coordinates of the line of sight in the coordinate system of the head of the spectacle wearer. The spherical coordinates are determined in the conventional manner. For example, reference is made to the definition of spherical coordinates in the "Handbook of Mathematics" by Dr. Helmut Wörle and Hans-Joachim Rumpf, 1992, R. Oldenburg Verlag GmbH, Munich. With respect to the definition of spherical coordinates, this book constitutes an integral part of the disclosure of the present patent application. A base plane, described in the "Handbook of Mathematics" may be, for example, a plane, which includes two intersecting straight lines. For example, a straight line may be a straight line connecting two pupil centers of the spectacle wearer. At the same time the eyes are in a position, in which the spectacle wearer is looking in the zero gaze direction. As an alternative, the first straight line may also be the straight line connecting both optical eye rotation points of both eyes of the spectacle wearer. The second straight line may be, for example, a straight line, which intersects the first straight line and which is oriented parallel to the zero gaze direction of the spectacle wearer. The base line, which is also described in the "Handbook of Mathematics" may be, for example, a line, which, starting from the optical eye rotation point of an eye, is oriented parallel to the zero gaze direction of the spectacle wearer. Therefore, the base line lies in the base plane. If the spectacle wearer looks in the zero gaze direction, the base line corresponds to the first line of sight. If, however, the spectacle wearer does not look in the zero gaze direction, the first line of sight does not correspond to the base line. Rather the first line of sight intersects the base plane. The visual angles correspond to the angles, as presented in the "Handbook of Mathematics."
The center of the pupil or rather the center point of the pupil within the meaning of the invention is preferably the center point of a geometric diaphragm of the eye. The pupil center or rather the pupil center point may also be the center point of a sensory diaphragm of the eye. Furthermore, the pupil center or rather the pupil center point, may be, according to the invention, the apex of the cornea.
In other words, the visual angles of a line of sight may be given as the spherical coordinates of the line of sight in the stationary coordinate system of the head. Therefore, the angles are clearly defined on the basis of a base plane and a base line of the coordinate system. The base plane is defined, for example, by the two optical eye rotation points of the spectacle wearer and the zero gaze direction. The base line is, for example, a line of sight in the zero gaze direction. The spherical coordinates of a line of sight are the angles that the line of sight enters into with the base plane and the zero gaze direction. If, for example, the line of sight is projected on the base plane, an angle of the spherical coordinates is the angle between the projection of the line of sight on the base plane and the line of sight. Another angle of the spherical coordinates is the angle between the projection of the line of sight on the base plane and the zero gaze direction, where the zero gaze direction, the line of sight and the projection of the line of sight on the base plane intersect respectively the eye rotation point. In other words, the spherical coordinates are clearly defined preferably by means of the eye rotation point, the zero gaze direction and the two angles, described above.
The coordinate system is advantageously stationary in the reference system of the head of the spectacle wearer. That is, when the head is moved, the visual angle coordinates are not modified.
If the series of spectacle lenses includes spectacle lenses for a plurality of spectacle wearers, for example for five spectacle wearers, a coordinate system is defined for each spectacle wearer in the reference system of a head of each spectacle wearer. Therefore, for five spectacle wearers there exist five independent coordinate systems. Furthermore, for each spectacle lens, which is arranged in front of an eye of one of the spectacle wearers, a first intersection point is defined, at which the first line of sight pierces the eye-sided and/or the object-sided surface of the spectacle lens. In other words, a first line of sight is given in coordinates of the respective coordinate system of each spectacle wearer. Therefore, the first line of sight exhibits identical visual angles for each spectacle wearer—that is, identical coordinates in spherical coordinates in each of the coordinate systems of each spectacle wearer. Expressed differently, a first intersection point is defined for each spectacle wearer. Therefore, the first intersection point is the intersection point of the first line of sight with one of the surfaces of the spectacle lens that is arranged in front of the eye of the respective spectacle wearer.
In conformity with the above example, the five spectacle wearers have five first lines of sight and also five first intersection points. Thus, the visual angles (that is, the spherical coordinates of each first line of sight in the customer-specific coordinate system) are identical. The coordinates of the respective intersection points in the coordinates systems of the respective spectacle lenses may be different from each other. For example, the coordinates of each intersection point in the coordinate system of the associated spectacle lens are given in Cartesian coordinates. The Cartesian coordinates of the five exemplary points are preferably not identical.
The first line of sight has unambiguous coordinates in the coordinate system of the head of the first spectacle wearer. That is, the visual angle in the spherical coordinates of each line of sight can be clearly defined in the coordinate system of the first spectacle wearer. Similarly the first line of sight has unambiguous coordinates in the coordinate system of the head of the second spectacle wearer.
Thus, the coordinates of the first line of sight in the coordinate system of the head of the first wearer are identical to the coordinates of the first line of sight in the coordinate system of the head of the second wearer. For the second spectacle wearer an intersection point of the first line of sight is defined. Thus, just like the first line of sight of the first spectacle wearer in the coordinate system of the first spectacle wearer, the first line of sight of the second spectacle wearer in the coordinate system of the head of the second spectacle wearer exhibits identical visual angles (that is, identical spherical coordinates in the coordinate system of the head of the second spectacle wearer). The same applies to the third, the fourth, and the fifth spectacle wearer. The number of spectacle wearers is not limited to five, but rather there may be any arbitrary number of spectacle wearers.
Furthermore, the eye-sided and/or the object-sided surface of each spectacle lens of the series is configured preferably in such a manner that in the position of use of the spectacle lenses in front of the eyes of the respective spectacle wearers the nominal variables at the intersection points of n-th lines of sight are in essence identical to the respective eye-sided or object-sided surfaces of the spectacle lenses; each n-th line of sight is a predetermined eye-sided line of sight, which intersects a pupil center point and an optical eye rotation point of the respective eye; all n-th lines of sight exhibit a predetermined, identical eye-sided visual angle; and the visual angles of all n-th lines of sight are different from the visual angles of the other lines of sight.
In this case n is a whole number greater than or equal to 2. Thus, the visual angles of all n-th lines of sight are different from each other so that there are no two lines of sight i and j that exhibit identical visual angles.
In other words, the above properties of the spectacle lenses of the series of spectacle lenses are not limited to the respective first lines of sight. Rather the above properties apply to any arbitrary number of lines of sight, where the number can be n lines of sight. Preferably the properties apply to n=2, especially preferably n=10, in particular n=100 lines of sight.
For example, the above properties may apply to two lines of sight per spectacle wearer that is, a first and a second line of sight per spectacle wearer. In the event of a plurality of spectacle wearers, a first and a second line of sight may be given for each spectacle wearer, where the visual angles of the first lines of sight are identical for each spectacle wearer. The visual angles of the second lines of sight are also identical for each spectacle wearer. However, the visual angles of the first lines of sight are different from the visual angles of the second lines of sight. That is, the first line of sight of a spectacle wearer is different from the second line of sight of the same spectacle wearer. If n is preferably equal to 100, then the first, the second, the third, and the one hundredth line of sight exhibit different visual angles. That is, the first, the second, the third, . . . and the one hundredth line of sight of one and the same spectacle wearer are not identical. In the event of a plurality of spectacle wearers the first lines of sight exhibit identical visual angles. That is, the first line of sight of each wearer has identical visual angles that is, identical spherical coordinates in the preferably stationary coordinate system of the head of the respective wearer. The same applies to the second lines of sight, the third lines of sight, . . . and the one hundredth lines of sight.
Preferably at least one line of sight is arranged in such a manner that the intersection point, assigned to the line of sight, lies on one side of the principal line. In other words, for each spectacle wearer there exists at least one line of sight that intersects on one side of the principal line the eye-sided and/or the object-sided surface of the spectacle lens in the position of use in front of the eye of the spectacle wearer. In the position of use the principal line coincides preferably in essence with the principal line of sight when looking downward.
For example, all intersection points lie outside of or on the side of the principal line. In particular, all of the intersection points lie outside of or on the side of the progressive zone and/or outside of the near zone and/or outside of the distance zone of the respective spectacle lens. In other words, preferably all predefined lines of sight of a spectacle wearer, to which the above properties apply, intersect the eye-sided and/or object-sided surface of each spectacle lens, arranged in front of the eye of the spectacle lens, on the side of the progressive zone and/or the near zone and/or the distance zone.
In particular, it applies to all of the aforementioned lines of sight preferably that the visual angle with respect to the zero gaze direction is larger than preferably approximately 10 deg. In other words, it applies to the spherical coordinates of each line of sight that the spherical coordinates are preferably greater than approximately 10 deg.
In particular, the series of spectacle lenses comprises single vision spectacles and multi-focal spectacles.
Furthermore, preferably all spectacle lenses of the series exhibit in essence the same addition and/or in essence the same spherical refractive power.
Preferably the series of spectacle lenses comprises a plurality of spectacle lenses for one and the same spectacle wearer. The spectacle lenses exhibit all preferably different configurations of the eye-sided and/or object-sided surfaces. Owing to the different surface shapes of the eye-sided and/or object-sided surfaces, the spectacle lenses can be arranged in different positions of use in front of the eye of the spectacle wearer. In other words, the customer-specific parameters, which correspond to the various spectacle lenses, vary.
However, the series of spectacle lenses may also comprise a plurality of spectacle lenses for various spectacle wearers. Therefore, the eye-sided and/or object-sided surfaces of the spectacle lenses are configured to correspond to identical prescriptions. In other words, the spectacle lenses exhibit identical spherical powers, cylinder values and axis positions of the cylinders, which correspond in essence to the prescribed values, where the prescribed values are essentially identical. That is, the spectacle wearers, who wear the respective spectacle lenses, exhibit in essence the same ametropia.
It is especially preferred that the eye-sided or object-sided surface of each spectacle lens of the series is different from the eye-sided or object-sided surface of the respective other spectacle lenses of the series.
In other words, the various spectacle lenses of the series may exhibit in essence an identical addition and/or in essence an identical spherical refractive power. However, owing to the different customer-specific parameters that is, the different arrangements of each spectacle lens in front of an eye, the optimized surfaces of the various spectacle lenses differ from each other.
Preferably the eye-sided and/or the object-sided surface of each spectacle lens of the series is configured in such a manner that in the position of use of the spectacle lenses in front of the eyes of exactly one predetermined spectacle wearer, the nominal variables at the intersection points of the first lines of sight are essentially identical to the respective eye-sided or object-sided surfaces of the spectacle lenses.
In other words, the present invention relates preferably to a series of spectacle lenses, wherein each spectacle lens of the series comprises an eye-sided surface and an object-sided surface; the eye-sided and/or the object-sided surface of each spectacle lens of the series is configured in such a manner that in the position of use of the spectacle lenses in front of one eye (or both eyes) of exactly one predetermined spectacle wearer, the nominal variables at the intersection points of a first line of sight are essentially identical to the respective eye-sided or object-sided surfaces of the spectacle lenses; the first line of sight is a predetermined, eye-sided line, which intersects a pupil center point and an optical eye rotation point of the respective eye; and the first line of sight exhibits a predetermined eye-sided visual angle; the nominal variables for each intersection point consist of                a maximum permissible difference between a predefined value of a spherical refractive power and an actual value of a spherical refractive power in the position of use, and/or        a maximum permissible difference between a predefined value of an astigmatism and an actual value of an astigmatism in the position of use, and/or        a maximum permissible difference between a predefined value of a cylinder axis and an actual value of a cylinder axis in the position of use of the respective spectacle lens of the series.
The above applies in particular preferably to a plurality of n lines of sight, where n is preferably two, furthermore preferably five, especially preferably 100 lines of sight.
Furthermore, the present invention applies to a method which is intended for producing a spectacle lens by means of a prefabricated spectacle lens and comprises the following steps:                selecting a prefabricated spectacle lens;        specifying a first intersection point of a surface of the prefabricated spectacle lens in a coordinate system of the prefabricated spectacle lens;        defining a visual angle of a first, eye-sided line of sight, which pierces the surface of the prefabricated spectacle lens in the position of use in front of an eye of a spectacle wearer at the first intersection point, where it holds:(φ1, ψ1)=sIP(x1, y1);        specifying the nominal variables g(φ1, ψ1) of the first line of sight;        assigning the nominal variables g(φ1, ψ1) of the first line of sight as the nominal variables f(x1, y1) of the first intersection point (x1, y1) by means of the equationf(x1, y1)=g(sIP(x1, y1))
and                calculating the spectacle lens in consideration of the nominal variables f(x1, y1) of the first intersection point (x1, y1), starting from the prefabricated spectacle lens, where the nominal variables of the first intersection point consist of        a maximum permissible difference between a predefined value of a spherical refractive power and an actual value of a spherical refractive power in the position of use, and/or        a maximum permissible difference between a predefined value of an astigmatism and an actual value of an astigmatism in the position of use, and/or        a maximum permissible difference between a predefined value of a cylinder axis position and an actual value of a cylinder axis position in the position of use of the spectacle lens series.
the first line of sight (S1) is a line, which intersects at least one pupil center point and an optical eye rotation point of an eye; and
sIP is a coordinate transformation, by means of which the coordinates (x1, y1) of the first intersection point in the coordinate system of the prefabricated spectacle lens are transformed into visual angles (φ1, ψ1) of the first eye-sided line of sight in consideration of the customer-specific parameters of the prefabricated spectacle lens in the position of use.
Preferably the prefabricated spectacle lens is not the actually finished spectacle lens, but rather only a data set of a calculated spectacle lens. In particular, the parameters, which are intended for one position of use in front of the eye and which are used for determining or rather calculating the prefabricated spectacle lens and for determining the visual angle of the first, eye-sided line of sight, correspond to the parameters of the position of use of the finished spectacle lens in front of the eye.
In other words, the customer-specific parameters of the finished spectacle lens correspond to the customer-specific parameters, which were used for calculating or determining the prefabricated spectacle lens.
The prefabricated spectacle lens may be, for example, a progressive spectacle lens, which was determined or rather calculated in a conventional manner. In particular, the prefabricated spectacle lens may be determined or rather calculated in the conventional manner with nominal variables as a function of the Cartesian coordinates of the prefabricated spectacle lens.
Preferably the method is carried out by means of n different intersection points. Therefore, at each intersection point exactly one line of sight pierces the surface of the prefabricated spectacle lens; and the respective visual angles of the n lines of sight are different from each other.
If the prefabricated spectacle lens is calculated in the conventional manner with no supporting points or rather calculation points, the number of lines of sight or intersection points corresponds preferably to the number of supporting points or rather calculation points that is, n=no. The supporting points or rather the calculation points are preferably the points of the eye-sided and/or object-sided surface of the prefabricated spectacle lens, by means of which the shape of the corresponding surface is calculated in order to achieve, for example, a predetermined prescription (within the nominal variables).
In other words, the inventive method may be used preferably with a plurality of n lines of sight. Therefore, the intersection point of the first line of sight, the intersection point of the second line of sight, the intersection point of the third line of sight, . . . and the intersection point of the n-th line of sight are specified; and the visual angles of the corresponding lines of sight are defined. In so doing, the visual angles are given in spherical coordinates. In this respect the corresponding coordinate system is a stationary coordinate system with respect to the head of the spectacle wearer and/or a plurality of spectacle wearers.
Furthermore, taking into consideration the customer-specific parameters of the prefabricated spectacle lens, the coordinates of the n intersection points can be transformed preferably into the respective coordinates of the corresponding n lines of sight by means of the coordinate transformation SIP. Expressed differently, with the coordinate transformation SIP the coordinates of each intersection point in the preferably Cartesian coordinate system of each spectacle lens can be transformed into visual angles that is, spherical coordinates in the respective coordinate system of a head of a wearer or a head of a plurality of wearers.
It is especially preferred that the inventive method is carried out again for each spectacle lens of a series of spectacle lenses.
Preferably one or more intersection points of a respective surface of a plurality of prefabricated spectacle lenses is/are specified in the respective coordinate system of the prefabricated spectacle lenses. For example, a first, a second, a third, . . . and a one hundredth intersection point for the respective surface of the spectacle lenses are specified for the respective surface of each prefabricated spectacle lens. The coordinates of the first, the second, the third, . . . and the one hundredth intersection point are given in the respective coordinate system of the respective spectacle lens. The coordinates of the first intersection point are identical in the respective coordinate system of the respective spectacle lens. Similarly the coordinates of the second intersection point in the coordinate system of the respective spectacle lens are preferably identical. The same applies to the coordinates of the third to one hundredth intersection points.
Furthermore, the intersection points are not limited to 100 intersection points. Rather it is possible that an arbitrary number of n intersection points may be specified.
The surface of the prefabricated spectacle lens, whose intersection points are specified, may be, for example, an object-sided surface. It may also be an eye-sided surface of the prefabricated spectacle lens.
In another preferred embodiment of the method of the present invention, in a first step                at least one reference intersection point (xR, yR) of a surface of a reference spectacle lens is determined in a coordinate system of the reference spectacle lens,        each reference intersection point (xR, yR) is assigned a nominal variable f(xR, yR),        for each reference intersection point (xR, yR) of the reference spectacle lens in the position of use in front of an eye, a visual angle (φ, ψ) of an eye-sided line of sight is determined in the coordinate system of the eye, said line of sight piercing the surface of the reference spectacle lens in the respective reference intersection point (xR, yR), where it holds true:(φ, ψ)=sIP(xR, yR),        the nominal variable of each reference intersection point of the reference spectacle lens is assigned to the nominal variable of the associated line of sight, where it holds true,g(φ, ψ)=fR(xIP(φ, ψ))
and
xIP is a coordinate transformation, by means of which the visual angles of each line of sight are transformed into coordinates of a corresponding reference intersection point in the coordinate system of the corresponding reference spectacle lens in consideration of the customer-specific parameters of the corresponding reference spectacle lens in the position of use.
As a consequence, a reference spectacle lens is specified preferably before a spectacle lens or a series of spectacle lenses are produced. The reference spectacle lens has preferably a mean spherical power and a moderate astigmatism with a mean axial position that is, a central cylinder with a mean cylinder axis position. Furthermore, preferably average customer-specific parameters are used to represent the reference spectacle lens. Such a spectacle lens may be calculated or determined and optionally also produced, for example, by means of a conventional optimization method. A reference intersection point or a plurality of reference intersection points is/are determined on a surface, which may be an eye-sided or an object-sided surface of the reference spectacle lens. For each of the reference intersection points the nominal variable is known, and/or each of the reference intersection points is assigned a predetermined nominal variable.
Furthermore, for each reference intersection point a line of sight is defined and/or determined. In the position of use of the spectacle lens in front of the eye of an exemplary spectacle wearer said line of sight pierces the corresponding reference intersection point.
In the coordinate system of the spectacle wearer that is, in the coordinate system that is stationary with respect to the head of the spectacle wearer, the visual angles of the respective lines of sight are defined in spherical coordinates. Then the nominal variables of the reference intersection points are assigned to the respective lines of sight, which pierce the corresponding reference intersection points. If, for example, only one reference intersection point is chosen, then the nominal variable of the line of sight, which pierces the reference intersection point in the position of use of the spectacle lens, corresponds to the nominal variable of the reference intersection point. If, for example, a first and a second reference intersection point are specified, the nominal variable of the first intersection point is assigned to the first line of sight, which pierces the first intersection point. Correspondingly the nominal variable of the second intersection point is assigned to the second line of sight, where the second line of sight pierces the surface of the reference spectacle lens at the second intersection point. The same applies correspondingly to a plurality of reference intersection points.
Then the nominal variables of the corresponding lines of sight are used in the inventive method in order to produce one or more spectacle lenses. Therefore, the spectacle lenses may differ by means of the varying customer-specific parameters. Consequently the number of lines of sight, which are used in a preferred embodiment of the inventive method, correspond preferably to the number of points, by means of which the reference spectacle lens is calculated and/or determined. That is, the number of lines of sight corresponds preferably to the number of specified nominal variables.
Furthermore, the method is carried out preferably according to the first step for at least one spectacle lens that is different from the reference spectacle lens.
It is especially preferred that the method is carried out again according to the first step for each spectacle lens of a series of spectacle lenses.
In other words, the nominal variables are given as a function of the Cartesian coordinates of the reference intersection points of the reference spectacle lens; and the lines of sight, which belong to the reference intersection points, are assigned the nominal variables of the corresponding reference intersection points. Thus, the nominal variables may be presented as functions of the visual angles of the respective lines of sight. For any arbitrary number of spectacle lenses, which are then to be produced, the nominal variables are used as a function of the visual angles of the lines of sight. Therefore, for each intersection point of a spectacle lens the corresponding line of sight is determined; and in particular the visual angles of the corresponding line of sight are determined. The nominal variables are assigned to the intersection points of the prefabricated spectacle lenses by distributing the nominal variables as a function of the lines of sight and/or the visual angles of the lines of sight. With these nominal variables the prefabricated spectacle lens can be completely calculated and/or defined and produced.
In other words, in the position of use for the respective spectacle wearer all spectacle lenses of a series of spectacle lenses, which are produced according to the above method, exhibit the same optical quality in a predetermined gaze direction. In this respect the optical properties of the respective spectacle lenses may certainly differ as a function of the Cartesian coordinates of the respective spectacle lenses.
Furthermore, it is not necessary to carry out the assignment of nominal variables for all possible lines of sight and/or various visual angles of lines of sight. Rather, it is enough to assign a certain quantity of lines of sight. For example, the number of lines of sight may depend on a variable of the eye-sided and/or object-sided surface. Preferably the lines of sight may be selected and/or arranged in such a manner that the distance between two adjacent lines of sight in spherical coordinates is preferably approximately 2 deg., in particular preferably approximately 1 deg.
Optionally the nominal variables may be interpolated for lines of sight that are not determined. If, for example, intersection points are specified in such a manner that the intersection points of the corresponding lines of sight are not assigned any nominal variables, the nominal variables of such lines of sight may be interpolated by means of the nominal variables of the adjacent lines of sight.
Another aspect of the present invention is the use of at least one spectacle lens of a series of spectacle lenses for correcting the optical ametropia of at least one spectacle wearer. Thus, said at least one spectacle lens of the series comprises an eye-sided surface and an object-sided surface; the eye-sided and/or the object-sided surface of said at least one spectacle lens of the series is designed in such a manner that in the position of use of said at least one spectacle lens in front of the eyes of the respective spectacle wearers, the nominal variables at the intersection points of the first lines of sight are essentially identical to the respective eye-sided or object-sided surfaces of said at least one spectacle lens; each first line of sight is a predetermined, eye-sided line of sight, which intersects a pupil center point and an optical eye rotation point of the respective eye; and all of the first lines of sight exhibit a predetermined, identical eye-sided visual angle; the nominal variables for each intersection point consist of                a maximum permissible difference between a predefined value of a spherical refractive power and an actual value of a spherical refractive power in the position of use, and/or        a maximum permissible difference between a predefined value of an astigmatism and an actual value of an astigmatism in the position of use, and/or        a maximum permissible difference between a predefined value of a cylinder axis position and an actual value of a cylinder axis position in the position of use of said at least one spectacle lens of the series.
Furthermore, the above statements regarding the series of spectacle lenses also apply in an analogous manner to the use of said at least one spectacle lens of the series of spectacle lenses.
The invention is described below with reference to the attached drawings of preferred embodiments, which are included by way of example.

Series of spectacle lenses and associated production method


This document describes systems and processes for forming stone slabs, which may be suitable for use in living or working spaces (e.g., along a countertop, table, floor, shower surrounds, tiles, or the like). In some embodiments, the stone slabs may be processed by partially filling a mold with a particulate mineral mix, and preparing a top surface of the particulate mineral mix to received one or more additional materials.

Stone slabs are a commonly used building material. Granite, marble, soapstone, and other quarried stones are often selected for use as countertops due to their aesthetic properties. Stone slabs may also be formed from a combination of natural and other materials that can provide improved qualities such as aesthetic characteristics, reproducibility, and stain-resistant or heat-resistant properties. Stone slabs have been made from a combination of particulate mineral material and binder, such as a polymer resin or cement. Some stone slabs are manufactured to have a particular aesthetic appearance, such as an aesthetic appearance that has a predetermined pattern or design, emulates quarried stone, or that accentuates particular aesthetic features.


A method for manufacturing an LED package includes providing a substrate including an insulating layer inlayed with first and second electrodes. The first and second electrodes define a chip fastening area. An LED chip is fastened on the chip fastening area and electrically connected to the first and second electrodes. A buffer layer including a shelter and grooves is brought to be located over the substrate wherein the shelter covers the chip fastening area and the grooves are located over portions of the substrate beside the first and second electrodes. A reflecting layer is formed in the grooves of the buffer layer by injecting liquid material into the grooves. The buffer layer is removed after the liquid material is solidified and a through hole is defined. An encapsulant is formed to cover the LED chip by injecting the encapsulant into the through hole and the chip fastening area.

1. Technical Field
The present disclosure relates to methods for manufacturing light emitting devices, and more particularly, to a method for manufacturing an LED (light emitting diode) package, wherein the LED package can be manufactured more quickly and have a more reliable structure in electrical connection.
2. Description of Related Art
LEDs (Light-Emitting Diodes) have many advantages, such as high luminosity, low operational voltage, low power consumption, compatibility with integrated circuits, easy driving, long term reliability, and environmental friendliness. Such advantages have promoted the wide use of the LEDs as a light source. An LED package generally includes a substrate, a pair of electrodes formed in the substrate, a reflector mounted on the substrate, an LED chip mounted on the substrate, surrounded by the reflector and electrically connected to the pair of electrodes, and an encapsulant received in the reflector and sealing the LED chip. Generally, the substrate and the reflector are formed by insert molding technology, wherein the pair of electrodes is put in a mold firstly before injecting material for forming the substrate and the reflector into the mold. The LED chip is then mounted on the substrate and the encapsulant is then applied into the reflector. However, the mold used during the insert molding and the pair of electrodes are not completely smooth, whereby gaps may be formed between the mold and the electrodes. Thus, the plastic forming the reflector and substrate is easy to infiltrate into the gaps between the electrodes and the mold, thereby to form an insulating layer over the electrodes, which can cause a failed electrical connection between the LED chip and the electrodes in the following operation for electrically connecting the LED chip and the electrodes. In addition, the LED chips are put into the reflectors one by one, which is time consuming.
What is needed, therefore, is a method for manufacturing an LED package which can overcome the limitations described above.

Advanced Optoelectronic Technology, Inc.


Molecular layer deposition of silicon carbide is described. A deposition precursor includes a precursor molecule which contains silicon, carbon and hydrogen. Exposure of a surface to the precursor molecule results in self-limited growth of a single layer. Though the growth is self-limited, the thickness deposited during each cycle of molecular layer deposition involves multiple “atomic” layers and so each cycle may deposit thicknesses greater than typically found during atomic layer depositions. Precursor effluents are removed from the substrate processing region and then the surface is irradiated before exposing the layer to the deposition precursor again.

Silicon nitride dielectric films are used as etch stops and chemically inert diffusion barriers. Other applications benefit from the relatively high dielectric constant, which allows electrical signals to be rapidly transmitted through a silicon nitride layer. Conventional methods for depositing silicon nitride by chemical vapor deposition work for substrate temperatures more than 250° C. (often much more).
Silicon carbide offers improved performance as an etch stop, diffusion barrier and has a higher dielectric constant. Silicon carbide has been typically used as a substrate for incorporation as active devices but not as a layer deposited on a patterned substrate during formation of semiconducting devices. The cause of this relegation involves the difficulty in etching silicon carbide. The cause may further relate to the typically high deposition substrate temperatures necessary for many prior art silicon carbide chemical vapor deposition techniques. High temperatures, at the very least, may result in diffusion which would degrade electrical characteristics of miniature electrical devices.
Thus, there remains a need in the art for silicon carbide deposition processes appropriate for low deposition substrate temperatures which also offer enhanced control of deposition parameters. This and other needs are addressed in the present application.


A stack of an organic planarization layer (OPL) and a template layer is provided over a substrate. The template layer is patterned to induce self-assembly of a copolymer layer to be subsequently deposited. A copolymer layer is deposited and annealed to form phase-separated copolymer blocks. An original self-assembly pattern is formed by removal of a second phase separated polymer relative to a first phase separated polymer. The original pattern is transferred into the OPL by an anisotropic etch, and the first phase separated polymer and the template layer are removed. A spin-on dielectric (SOD) material layer is deposited over the patterned OPL that includes the original pattern to form SOD portions that fill trenches within the patterned OPL. The patterned OPL is removed selective to the SOD portions, which include a complementary pattern. The complementary pattern of the SOD portions is transferred into underlying layers by an anisotropic etch.

The present disclosure relates generally to a method of forming nanoscale structures, and more particularly to a method of inverting tones of two-dimensional self-assembled sublithographic nanoscale structures, and structures for implementing the same.
As integrated circuit densities have scaled, the use of grating based patterning techniques and unidirectional design has become an integral part of pattern formation technology. Grating fabrication can be effected using a variety of techniques including direct self-assembly, sidewall image transfer, pitch split lithography, extreme ultraviolet lithography, electron beam lithography, and interference lithography.
The grating pattern needs to be customized in order to form a circuit pattern. The ability to register customizing shapes to the grating pattern imposes a limitation on the spatial frequency (pitch) of the grating structure.
Directed self-assembly is a technique for forming a sublithographic line/space pattern utilizing the phase separation of a block copolymer thin film. The resolution and the critical dimension (CD) of the pattern are controlled by the composition of the copolymer. The methods of aligning the phase separated copolymers include chemical epitaxy and graphoepitaxy. The advantages of direct self-assembly include a high resolution of features at dimensions less than 10 nm, compatibility with existing lithography techniques, and the ability for frequency multiplication and space subdivision.
Directed self-assembly, however, requires a template layer to induce the alignment of phase separated polymers to the shape of the template layer. Thus, a pattern that can be formed by direct self-assembly alone is limited by requirements on the pattern of the template layer.

Tone inversion of self-assembled self-aligned structures

International Business Machines Corporation


A specimen loading method for loading a specimen that contains water into a specimen chamber of a charged particle beam device, includes: a step (S100) of mounting the specimen on a specimen support; a step (S102) of covering a predetermined area of the specimen with a water retention material; a step (S104) of evacuating the specimen chamber in which the specimen having the predetermined area covered with the water retention material is placed; and a step (S106) of exposing the predetermined area covered with the water retention material.

A water-containing specimen is normally observed using a scanning electron microscope (SEM) in a state in which the water-containing specimen has been frozen. In this case, however, the original state of the specimen may not be observed since the water contained in the specimen is not present in the form of a liquid.
In order to observe the original state of a water-containing specimen, it is necessary to keep the water contained in the specimen in a liquid phase. In order to keep the water contained in the specimen in a liquid phase when observing the specimen using a low-vacuum-mode scanning electron microscope, it is necessary to maintain the pressure inside the specimen chamber at about 650 Pa, and maintain the temperature of the specimen at 0° C. to 1° C.
However, when a water-containing specimen that is observed using a scanning electron microscope is loaded directly into the specimen chamber, evaporation of water may occur (i.e., the specimen may dry) during an evacuation step that is performed to achieve the observation conditions. Moreover, the temperature of the specimen may decrease due to heat of evaporation that is generated when the water evaporates from the specimen, whereby the specimen may freeze.
For example, Patent Literature 1 discloses a scanning electron microscope that includes a microinjection device that supplies a trace amount of liquid through a thin tube that is provided from the wall of the specimen chamber to the specimen stage. It is possible to prevent a situation in which the specimen dries by utilizing the scanning electron microscope disclosed in Patent Literature 1. However, since it is necessary to provide the thin tube that connects the inside and the outside of the specimen chamber, the device configuration necessarily becomes complex.

Specimen loading method, specimen stage, and charged particle beam device


A performance management method is operable for use with a performance management system linked to a telecommunication network. The method comprises receiving a problem report from a femtocell of a plurality of femtocells communicatively coupled to the telecommunication network. The femtocell is configured to provide communications from at least one mobile device to the telecommunication network through a broadband connection. The problem report identifies a fault being exhibited by a femtocell and a performance parameter identifying a degradation in the performance of the femtocell. The method includes analyzing the performance parameter for determining a corrective action to be performed in an environment linked to the femtocell. The method includes performing the corrective action in the environment linked to the femtocell.

Embodiments relate to the field of performance management systems. In particular, embodiments relate to a method and apparatus for collecting performance management data from a plurality of femtocells in a telecommunications network.
Telecommunication companies are now introducing the concept of femtocells which can be installed in a subscriber's home. A femtocell is a small cellular base station which is typically, designed for use in residential premises or for small business. A femtocell connects to a service provider's telecommunication network via a broadband connection. Currently it is possible to connect two to four active mobile phones in a residential setting. A femtocell allows service providers to extend service coverage in indoor environments, especially where access would otherwise be limited or unavailable.
The introduction of femtocells into a 3G mobile networks will vastly increase the number of femtocells to be managed. The Operations, Administrations and Maintenance (OAM) approach that is currently being studied by Third Generation Partnership Program (3GPP) indicates that continuous supervision of a home femtocell is not feasible due to the high number of femtocells that are expected to be deployed in residential and non-residential premises. This implies that a continuous OAM connection from a femtocell to the service provider's operation system will not be supported. Therefore, there will be no OAM mechanism, for the mobile service provider to be notified of problems that occur in the home femtocell.

Performance management for a telecommunication network


A neural logic unit network acting as an agent to achieve machine or device consciousness and intent is disclosed.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates generally to the field of cognitive sensor systems for robotics, surveillance, and machine and device interactivity with humans and other machines and devices.
More specifically, the invention, characterized as The Agent for Consciousness and Intent (The Agent), provides cognitive sensor systems with the means for consciousness, including awareness of self and surroundings, and conscious decision making Hyper Aware Logic embodies The Agent.
2. Description of the Related Art
The invention is based upon decades, even centuries, of thoughts and research into the seat of consciousness within animal brains (references 1-14). As asserted by Koch and Crick (reference 2): consciousness and the sense of self are as well developed in lower life forms as they are in humans; consciousness is not to be confused with intelligence. Intelligence is the domain of the unconscious brain. Intelligent behavior absent consciousness, however, is probably not possible. Today neuroscience (reference 13) is increasingly focused on the neural correlates of consciousness and Pulvermuller's most recent work (reference 5) provides an understanding of how assemblies of neurons from all over the brain relate, for example, sensor outputs to motor responses and form these assemblies adaptively. Based upon clues within the body of this research, the invention was conceived to fill the missing link in artificial intelligence, which up to now has been largely based upon computer science and largely ignored integration with sensors and action. The missing link in the prior art is a first person singular, that is, an agent that is conscious and makes judgments and decisions based upon the options and conclusions provided by computer science. The IBM science paper (reference 6) reports a good example of hardware and software that emulate the unconscious activities of the brain's visual system in recognizing, tracking, and characterizing objects and activities within a scene. Consciousness is not addressed; such a machine will not converse with its owner or make informed decisions on its own. The purpose of the invention is to add The Agent to smart devices and machines to allow them to communicate verbally, to act, and to be aware of the consequences of actual and anticipated actions.
IBM, in particular, has used the largest available supercomputers, made famous by Watson that defeated humans at television (Jeopardy) and chess games. Watson is a good example of an unaware very capable machine, based upon massively parallel computer circuits to execute previously generated instructions. Lacking an Agent of Consciousness, Watson's decision making is rule-based and well suited to chess, a game with a complete set of fixed rules. Allow the rules to change with circumstances that Watson cannot sense and it becomes lost. This becomes exacerbated when changes result from Watson's own actions, of which it is unaware. Humans and animals interact with their environments in real time and are completely aware of their own responses, as well as the effects of their actions because there is a "they" there; each one has a sense of self and makes decisions with immediate feedback from its sensing of actual results as the action unfolds. Each one has an Agent of Consciousness and Intent that senses itself and its environment while its unconscious brain analyzes what is being sensed and prepares menus for the next step; the decision maker is the animal or human conscious self, The Agent.

Hyper aware logic to create an agent of consciousness and intent for devices and machines

Abstract: More specifically, an agent of consciousness and intent (The Agent) is disclosed consisting of neuronal logic units upon which are mapped and connected to the individual outputs of the host system's entire sensorium and which neuronal logic units are activated by the simultaneous presentation of the results of the host system's recognition, tracking, analyzes and characterization computations similar to those performed by biological unconscious brains.

Abstract: The embodiment of the assembly of neural logic units is referred to as Hyper Aware Logic.


An optical device is capable of controlling a projector, wherein the projector is capable of wirelessly receiving an image signal from a data source, combining an identification signal into the image signal to generate a projection signal, and projecting a projection image according to the projection signal. The optical device includes an optical sensor. The optical sensor is capable of sensing the identification signal of the projection image, outputting a detection signal corresponding to the identification signal and wirelessly transmitting the detection signal to the projector. A projection system including a projector and an optical sensor is provided as well.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention generally relates to an optical device and a projection system, and more particularly, to an optical device with an optical sensor and a projection system.
2. Description of Related Art
FIG. 1 is a diagram of a conventional projection system 100. Referring to FIG. 1, the projection system 100 includes a projector 110, a personal computer (PC) 120 and a mouse 140. The projector 110 is connected to the PC 120 through a transmission line 122, and the mouse 140 is connected to the PC 120 through a signal line 124. The PC 120 transmits an image signal to the projector 110, so that the projector 110 projects a projection image 130. A user operates the mouse 140 to generate a corresponding position signal so as to control the moving of a cursor 150 in the projection image 130.
From the user's viewpoint, the relative position and arrangement of the projector 110, the PC 120, and the mouse 140 are limited by the lengths of the transmission cable 122 and the signal cable 124. Thus, inconvenience in using the projection system 100 may be caused if the transmission cable 122 and the signal cable 124 are too short. On the other hand, the user needs to sit or stand near the PC 120 to operate the mouse 140 so as to control the cursor 150 when the user gives a briefing. However, it's difficult for the user to closely interact with other participants.
On pages 51-61 of the specifications of Dell's projector model 4610X, the above-mentioned connection between the projector and the PC is realized in a wireless manner so that the projector receives the image signal from the PC and then projects the image according to the received image signal. However, when the user utilizes the projector of the above-mentioned model, the moving of the cursor in the image is controlled by an indication device (for example, mouse) connected to the PC.

Optical sensor and projection system thereof


A fire suppressant mixture comprising: an organic or supplemental organic fire suppressant compound; a halogen element, and an organic compound, wherein the organic fire suppressant compound, the halogen element and the organic compound are combined such that a boiling point of the mixture is lower than the boiling point of the organic fire suppressant. In some embodiments, the organic fire suppressant compound is FK 5-1-12 and the organic compound is carbon dioxide. In other embodiments, the mixture is supplemented with an additional organic compound such as CF3I or 2,2-Dichloro-1,1,1-trifluoroethane (R123), or an halogen element. In some embodiments an inorganic pressurizing gas, such as nitrogen, is also added.

Aircraft operating conditions provide unique challenges for the design of aircraft fire suppression systems. For example, aircraft fire suppression systems must work at a wide range of temperatures. These temperature may range from +105° C. when the aircraft is on the tarmac on a hot day, to as low as −55° C. when the aircraft is at high altitudes.
For more than 50 years Halon 1301 has been the agent of choice for aircraft engine, auxiliary power unit (APU), and cargo fire suppression applications. Halon 1301 has a number of specific desirable properties that make it a popular choice for aircraft fire suppression systems. For example, Halon 1301 has a low boiling point and a high vapor pressure, which facilitates agent-air mixing and distribution throughout the fire zone. In addition, the −58° C. boiling point of Halon 1301 and its ability to freely vaporize at each point of discharge are desirable physical properties. However, due to the ozone depleting potential of Halon 1301 (Bromotrifluoromethane), manufacturing of the material ceased in most countries in 1995.
In many current systems, Halon 1301 is stored in a pressurized bottle, which uses nitrogen as a pressurizing gas. Nitrogen pressure beyond the natural vapor pressure of Halon 1301 is needed to provide system discharge energy at low temperatures. Nitrogen dissolved in the Halon solution also improves vaporization and breakup of liquid drops of Halon 1301 at low temperature similar to a "popcorn" effect.
Aircraft fire suppression systems are usually designed based on the weight of the agent required to achieve a specific minimum agent concentration in the fire zone immediately after the bottle discharges. The fire suppression system should be designed to function properly at the minimum operating temperature for the application. The minimum operating temperature is often the worst case scenario for the fire suppression system because agent vapor volume and vapor pressure decrease with decreasing temperature.
Another important consideration in the design of the fire suppression system is agent distribution. Agent distribution throughout the fire zone depends on the agent's ability to mix with air entering the fire zone at each discharge location. The presence of clutter in the fire zone may present challenges to the line-of-sight transport between the discharge location and the fire threat.
Currently, there are no known fire suppression and extinguishing compounds that have the characteristics and capabilities of Halon 1301 but are also environmentally friendly.

Fire suppressing materials and systems and methods of use


A distributed database system maintains data for a logical table by storing, on a plurality of storage nodes, a collection of key-item pairs. The distributed database system receives a query of the logical table, and identifies one or more portions of a key specified by the query. Based on the one or more portions of the key, the distributed database causes at least one of a get, range query, or scan operation to be performed by one or more of the storage nodes. Results for the query are generated based on one or more items obtained by performance of the operation.

Distributed database systems may be called upon to provide scalable and reliable access to data. In some distributed database systems, the system maintains data on a cluster of servers and replicates data between the servers. In some cases, the servers may each operate as independent entities, and no one server is considered to be the master. A distributed database system employing this approach may provide increased scalability and reliability compared to some systems. However, further improvements to scalability and reliability may be made. Support for multitenancy in such systems may also be improved.

Query language operations using a scalable key-item data store


A negative impedance circuit includes: a differential circuit stage; a positive feedback path from an output of the differential circuit stage to a first input of the differential circuit stage; and a negative feedback path from the output of the differential circuit stage to a second input of the differential circuit stage. The negative feedback path includes a first transistor, and a unitary gain path from the output of the differential circuit stage to the second input of the differential circuit stage, the unitary gain path coupled to ground via a reference impedance. The positive feedback path includes a second transistor. The first and second transistors are coupled in a current mirror arrangement and have respective control electrodes configured to be driven by the output of the differential circuit stage, where the negative impedance circuit causes a negative impedance at the first input of the differential circuit stage.

Various types of analog circuits benefit from the possible use of negative impedance circuits.
Also, various types of arrangements are known and adopted for providing negative impedance circuits.
Circuits jointly adopting positive and negative feedback are exemplary of such arrangements: for instance, so-called negative capacitance converters are known wherein a high negative capacitance may be implemented in a process involving low-density capacitors.
These known arrangements may exhibit limitations related, for instance, to an undesirably high ratio of the resistances included in the negative feedback path which may translate into a limitation in the input signal dynamics.

Negative impedance circuit and corresponding device


The apparatus comprises two containers, which are adapted to be connected to a vacuum pump. The upper container contains a rotationally symmetrical guiding body. A distributing space is defined by the shell of the upper container and the closed peripheral surface of the guiding body and extends from the cover of the upper container to pipe lengths, which terminate at their lower end over cups arranged in the lower container. As a result, the apparatus permits an economical making of molds in series and meets the requirements arising in practice regarding the batchwise processing of batches in quantities which vary within an extremely wide range.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to an apparatus for making molds for making metal castings, which molds are made from a liquid to pasty composition, which contains in an aqueous phase a binder and, in addition, at least one mineral solid substance, particularly cristobalite, said apparatus comprising two approximately concentrically arranged containers, which are arranged one over the other and adapted to be vacuum-tightly sealed and to be connected to a vacuum pump by lines which are adapted to be shut off, which apparatus also comprises a plurality of pipe lengths, which are arranged in a circular array and interconnect the containers and are adapted to be shut off by respective shut-off valves and serve to transfer the composition from the upper container into the lower container and have inlets, which are open at the bottom of the upper container to a distributing space, which is defined on one side by the cylindrical vertical shell of the upper container and on the other side by a flow guiding surface, and have outlets which are disposed in the lower container over respective cups, which are to be filled.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In a known apparatus of that kind the composition is mixed by means of rotating mixing members in the upper container under a reduced pressure and by said mixing members is also caused to flow or urged into the inlets of the pipe lengths. In the lower container the composition falls from the pipe lengths into the cups to fill the same also under a reduced pressure. The mixer is entirely disposed in the upper container and comprises a drive motor having an output shaft which extends almost as far as to the cover and which carries revolving stirring blades, which extend in a stirring compartment between the housing of the drive motor and the cylindrical shell of the upper vessel. By means of an at least partly perforate, profiled sheet metal element the stirring compartment is separated from a compartment that is disposed in the upper portion of the upper vessel and in which rotatable blades are disposed, which are mounted on the output shaft and can be operated to transfer a pulverulent mixture, e.g., of dry gypsum and cristobalite, from the upper compartment into the water-containing stirring compartment through the perforations of the profiled sheet metal element so that the composition can be formed in the lower compartment. Because the mixing members rotate in the upper container, the known apparatus must be filled to a relatively high degree if an intensive mixing of the composition is to be effected within a tolerable time and a cleaning of the apparatus with a reasonably small loss of material is to be permitted. But a processing of the composition also in small quantities will be required, e.g., in the making of small, high-quality casting molds, particularly if the setting time is shortened by the use of chemical accelerators.
It is also known to provide only one evacuated vessel for a venting of the cups when they are filled under atmospheric pressure. In that case the composition is formed by stirring under atmospheric pressure outside the evacuated vessel. Compared to the operation of the known filling apparatus which has been described first hereinbefore and in which the cups are filled at the same time the processing described in the second place, which is often adopted in small plants, involves a relatively high expenditure of time and labor.

Apparatus for making molds for making metal castings


A high-temperature-stable hollow profile is described. The hollow profile is provided with side walls and transverse walls. Wall thicknesses of the side walls and of the transverse walls increase in cross-section from a central region to a corner region of the hollow profile.

Hollow profiles with thermally stable properties are used, for example, as force-bearing mountings for process goods or as kiln accessories in high temperature processes. The hollow profiles have, preferably, round, rounded, or rectangular cross-sections. The hollow profiles are exposed during manufacture and use to mechanical and thermomechanical loads under high temperatures or temperature change cycles. Appropriate rigidity against point, line, and area loads and high stability, in particular against point loads in the itch region, are necessary. An additional problem occurs with unsintered and mechanically unstable pre-products of the hollow profile in the manufacturing process. The pre-products may be plastically deformed under their own weight. To minimize the problems, according to the prior art, very thick wall thicknesses have been selected for hollow profiles.

Saint-Gobain Industriekeramik Roedental GmbH


A PET image reconstruction method, including: 1) injecting a PET radioactive tracer into a biological tissue, scanning by a PET device, and detecting and counting coincidence photons to obtain an original protection data matrix; 2) establishing a measurement equation model; 3) splitting the reconstruction problem into a first sub-problem and a second sub-problem; 4) solving the first sub-problem by a filtered back-projection layer, solving the second sub-problem by an improved denoising convolutional neural network, where the filtered back-projection layer and the improved denoising convolutional neural network are connected in series to form a filtered back-projection network (FBP-Net); 5) inputting original projection data into the FBP-Net, and using an image as a tag to adjust parameters of the FBP-Net to reduce an error between an output of the FBP-Net and the tag; and 6) inputting projection data to be reconstructed into the trained FBP-Net to obtain a desired reconstructed image.

The disclosure relates to the field of biomedical image analysis, and more particularly to a positron emission tomography (PET) image reconstruction method involving a filtered back-projection algorithm and a neural network.
Positron emission tomography (PET) is an imaging technique that uses radioactive substances to visualize and measure metabolic processes in the body. PET is mainly used in the area of medical imaging for detecting or measuring changes in physiological activities like metabolism, blood flow, regional chemical composition, and absorption, and therefore, also called a functional imaging technique. However, disadvantages including low resolution, low counting rate, and noise are associated with the PET imaging.
To acquire high-quality PET images, PET reconstruction algorithms such as analytical reconstruction algorithms, iterative reconstruction algorithms and deep learning reconstruction methods are used. In the analytical reconstruction algorithms such as filtered back-projection (FBP) algorithms, frequency-domain filtering is performed on the sinogram on the basis of the central slice theorem, and back projection is then performed. The reconstructed images obtained by such methods contain much noise and wheel-like artifacts. The iterative reconstruction algorithms use a Poisson or Gaussian mode to describe noise and establish a reconstructed target function. To suppress noise in a reconstructed image, priori constraints such as Markov random fields or TV are often added in the target function. There is a wide variety of priori forms, so it is difficult to determine which priori form is optimal. Compared with the analytical reconstruction algorithms, the iterative reconstruction algorithms suppress noise in the reconstructed image by using a noise model. However, the iterative reconstruction algorithms have a large amount of computation and slow speed, and the priori forms and hyper-parameters are selected by experience, without uniform standards.
In recent years, deep neural networks have been used to reconstruct PET images. The relatively mature deep neural network structures such as U-net, generative adversarial networks (GANs) or encoding-decoding structures are used to input, into a neural network, sinograms or low-quality reconstructed images obtained by a conventional method, and high-quality reconstructed images are output by supervised learning by the neural network. Although these methods have made some achievements in reconstruction, the networks used by these methods look like black boxes and are difficult to interpret. In addition, to achieve better results, these methods are often trained by a large amount of high-quality data which is scarce in the field of medical images.

Positron emission tomography image reconstruction method


A method of accessing services from a mobile communication device. The method comprises presenting service visual representations on a display of the device, wherein each of the service visual representations provides an interface for invoking a service, selecting advertisements for media content from a media content repository, wherein the selecting is based at least in part on the device, presenting the selected advertisements as thumbnail images on the display of the device, wherein each thumbnail image is coupled to metadata that define methods for invoking at least some of the services associated with the service visual representations, and when a first thumbnail image associated with a first selected advertisement is selected and dragged to the position of a first service visual representation, invoking a first service associated with the first service visual representation based on a method defined by metadata coupled to the first thumbnail image.

Mobile communication devices such as mobile phones may provide a variety of communication services including voice communication, short message service messaging (texting), and data communication. Data communication may comprise downloading content from network content servers and uploading content such as pictures to a network server, such as a social networking site. A variety of after-market or third party applications may be installed on mobile communication devices to provide amusement and/or utility to the user. Some third party applications may be self-contained and provide all their functionality by executing independently on the mobile communication device. Other third party applications may provide their functionality at least in part based on delegating some processing to computer systems accessed via a communication network. Some of these third party applications may access or provide access to network services.

Method of accessing services from a mobile communication device


A hoof shoe having a locus of flexing through spaced resin portions across interruptions is applied or formed in situ. The method includes cleaning the surface of the shoe area of the horse hoof of debris, applying preshaped resin portions arranged in a horseshoe pattern or depositing unshaped resin portions onto the cleaned hoof surface in the horseshoe pattern, and shaping the resin portions arranged in an intended horseshoe shape.

STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT
Not applicable.
Not Applicable.
1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to revolutionizing the art of horseshoeing. More particularly, the invention relates to forming horseshoes in place, i.e. in situ. More broadly, the invention relates to the addition to hoofs of various animals needing hoof protection. More particularly, the invention provides the benefits of shoeing to horses and other animals in an especially convenient and effective manner. The invention provides, for example, with respect to horseshoes, for the shoeing of horses with a resin composition that sets up instantly in situ on the horse""s hoof in the near form of a horseshoe and is then trimmed to a perfect shape. The invention enables the periodic renewal of horseshoes with a minimum of effort, readily affords local variation in shoe thickness to compensate for hoof irregularities, and ensures an effective protection for the horse""s hoof. The invention further relates to providing horseshoes that are locally flexible formed on the hoof or applied to the hoof pre-formed with variations in flexibility built into the shoe structure by having a locus of flexing at one or more locations as an alternative to or in alternating relation with built-up horseshoe sections. The invention further relates to providing a locus of flexing in a horseshoe and the formation of shoes having a horseshoe pattern comprising a plurality of resin portion deposits spaced from each other across an interruption between adjacent resin portions arranged in a horseshoe pattern, the several resin portions defining a reduced thickness in the horseshoe at a location where flexibility is desired. The resin portions can be formed in situ or formed in a connected relation away from the hoof, such as with additional resin portions connecting the primary resin portions as a web between relatively thicker primary resin portions, the thinner regions providing a locus of flexibility, and the thus arranged portions attached to the hoof as an integral horseshoe.
2. Description of the Related Art
Horseshoes have been fabricated of metals for centuries and more recently from synthetic materials, but always by prefabricating the shoe and then applying the prefabricated shoe onto the horse""s hoof. See, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,699,861 to Sigafos where a kit for horseshoeing is described. The problems of prefabricated horseshoes, whether of metal or plastic is that the shape of the hoof to be shod varies making the application of a prefabricated shoe a process of trial and error, and a highly skilled and therefore expensive-to-obtain art. Also, some hoofs need a thicker section in one place than in another. It is economically infeasible to market or inventory all the possibilities that may be encountered. A number of applications for horseshoes, however, will respond to a standardized size and shape shoe, particularly where flexibility in shoe movement is desired. The present invention provides both in-situ formed and preformed shoes with flexibility features.
What is needed is a more flexible approach, one that allows customizing of the shoes to the hoof on site without onerous or costly effort. It is accordingly an object of the invention to provide an in situ shoeing method and product. It is a further object to provide a system for the creation on the hoof itself of the shoe. It is a further object to reduce inventory requirement to merely a variously applicable resin system that is applied to the hoof in custom fashion without custom inventory. A further object of the invention is to deposit onto a prepared hoof shoeing surface an unshaped resin mass, that may comprise an intimate admixture of reactive resin components, forming the mass into in a profile approximating the intended shoe, that is malleable albeit non-flowing when applied, and modifiable to the desired exact contour to achieve any thickness, any thickness variation along the extent of the shoe, and of course a precise registration of the deposited resin system with the hoof contour without difficult bending of strong, prefabricated materials. It is a still further object to provide a mass resin system typically comprising A and B sides of a resin in the form of reactive thermosetting resin precursors, e.g. comprising urethane resin precursors, that is thixatroped to have a consistency allowing the resin during reaction to a formed, cured or hardened to a state to stand on the hoof shoeing surface without excessive flow off the surface. A further object is the provision of an animal or horse shoe of an intended profile comprising the resin mass in substantially the intended profile in situ on a horse hoof surface, more particularly a synthetic organic resin horseshoe formed in situ on a horse hoof surface, and the combination of a horse having a hoof, and a synthetic organic resin horseshoe attached to said hoof, the horseshoe having been preformed with local variations in flexibility or formed in situ from the resin mass on the horse hoof. Other objects include: forming while shoeing a moisture barrier on the hoof surface, through the adhesion of the applied resin mass to the hoof surface material; providing a repair system for shoed hooves by addition of more resin mass where wear has occurred, which is effective because the resin mass in many embodiments will adhere to its previously cured self; preventing the horse from pulling a shoe, i.e. removing a shoe on an adjacent hoof with another hoof through a purchase gained at the so-called lip protruding rearwardly from the conventional horseshoe by eliminating the lip protrusion altogether with careful tailoring of the shoe so as to be narrow on the hoof; equalizing pressure on the hoof all about the hoof surface as an improvement over the use of nails which become as many as seven or more points of pressure; enabling shoeing of horses whose hooves are worn too much to tolerate nailing, but will accept a shoe formed in situ; adding spring to the horse""s step through the resiliency of the in-situ-formed horseshoe, the profile of which can be modified to add a spring function; improving traction by customizing the shoe bottom surface to the anticipated terrain; adding color at the shoe, bodily or in accents, or other optical effects including patterns and glitter to reflect the stable that trained the horse, or a cause or event; and to have or provide a layer of resiliency at the hoof for comfort and longevity of the horse.
These and other objects of the invention to become apparent hereinafter are realized in the method for building a horseshoe of an intended shape in situ, including cleaning the surface of the shoe area of horse hoof of debris, shaping a temporarily generally malleable mass of resin on the cleaned hoof surface into generally a horseshoe-shape, and locally modifying the exposed surfaces of the horseshoe mass to conform to the final intended horseshoe shape on the shoe area surface after general malleability in the resin is lost, and the horseshoe product of the method.
In this and like embodiments, typically, the resin selected is one that self-adheres to the shoe area surface, and there is included also precoating the shoe area surface under the mass with a thin layer of the mass or similar resin having less than 25% of the depth of the intended horseshoe shape, selecting as the resin a reaction product of thermosetting resin precursors, selecting as the resin precursors thermosetting urethane resin precursors.
In a further embodiment, the invention provides a method for building a horseshoe of an intended shape in situ, including cleaning the surface of the shoe area of horse hoof of debris, applying a preshaped mass of resin on the cleaned hoof surface in generally a horseshoe-shape, and precoating the surface with a resin acting to bond the shaped mass to the surface before application of the shaped mass, and the product of the method.
In this and like embodiments, typically, the method further includes locally reshaping the horseshoe mass to conform to the intended horseshoe shape on the shoe area surface, selecting as the precoating resin the same resin as the shaped mass resin.
The invention further provides in combination, the indicated preshaped mass a resin adhesive adhering the mass of resin to the surface, the resin adhesive being distributed on the surface.
In a further embodiment, the invention provides a method for building a horseshoe of an intended shape in situ, including cleaning the surface of the shoe area of a horse hoof of debris, collecting an unconfined malleable resin mass beyond the shoe area surface, applying the mass onto the cleaned hoof surface in a generally horseshoe-shaped form, and then locally modifying the exposed surfaces of the horseshoe mass to conform to the final intended horseshoe shape on the shoe area surface.
In this and like embodiments, typically, the method further includes selecting as the resin mass a mass that self-adheres to the shoe area surface, and selecting as the resin mass a mass comprising a mixture of thermosetting resin precursors, such as thermosetting urethane resin precursors.
In a further embodiment, the invention provides a method for building an animal shoe of an intended shape in situ, including cleaning the surface of the shoe area of debris, depositing onto the cleaned hoof surface a flowable shoe preform comprising a resin mass having a depth and width of profile generally conforming to the intended shoe shape in the shoe area surface adhering relation, reducing the mass to a non-flowable state to retain substantially all the mixture on the shoe area surface, and then locally mechanically modifying the mass to modify its profile to conform to the final intended shoe shape on the shoe area surface.
As in previous embodiments, in this and like embodiments, typically, the method includes selecting as the mass a mass that self-adheres to the shoe area surface, selecting as the mass a mass that comprises reactive resin precursors in intimate admixture in a common vessel, the mass being reduced to a nonflowable state by reaction of the precursors, such as thermosetting resin precursors, e.g. thermosetting urethane resin precursors such as diphenylmethane diisocyanate, polyol, a thixatroping amine, such as a thixatroping primary or secondary amine, like meta xylene diamine.
The invention further includes the products of the foregoing methods.
In a further embodiment, there is provided a method for building a horseshoe in situ including cleaning the surface of the shoe area of horse hoof of debris, depositing onto the cleaned hoof surface a flowable horseshoe perform comprising an intimate curable mixture of urethane resin precursors comprising diphenylmethane diisocyanate and a polyoxyproplyene oxide polyol and meta xylene diamine at a depth and width profile greater than the intended horseshoe shape at a viscosity to remain on the surface, curing the mixture to a non-flowable mass in less than one minute, and shaping the horseshoe preform to reduce its profile to a final intended horseshoe shape on the surface, and the product thereof.
Other products of the invention include a horseshoe of an intended profile, the horseshoe comprising a resin mass formed in substantially the intended profile in situ on a horse hoof surface, suitably formed of a synthetic organic resin, the combination of a horse having a hoof, and a synthetic organic resin horseshoe attached to the hoof, the horseshoe having been formed in situ on the horse hoof, and the combination of: a horse having a hoof, and a synthetic organic resin horseshoe attached to the hoof, the horseshoe having been formed in situ on the horse hoof from a resin mass deposited on the hoof at a depth and width profile approximating the intended horseshoe shape.
In a further aspect, the invention provides a method of building a horseshoe of an intended shape in situ, including cleaning the surface of the shoe area of horse hoof of debris, applying a non-shoe shaped formless mass of resin to the cleaned shoe area surface as a series of spaced individual resin portions arranged as an interrupted shoe-shape, hardening the resin portions in place, and locally modifying the exposed surfaces of the deposits to conform to the final intended horseshoe shape.
The invention further provides a method of building a flexible horseshoe for attachment to a hoof surface, the horseshoe having a locus of flexing, including cleaning the surface of the shoe area of horse hoof of debris, arranging successive non-shoe shaped formless resin portions as a series of spaced individual resin portions arranged as a shoe-shape with interruptions between adjacent resin portions, the shoe shape having a locus of flexing at one or more of said interruptions, hardening said resin portions, locally modifying the exposed surfaces of said portions to conform to a horseshoe shape, and attaching said horseshoe shape to said hoof.
In these and like embodiments, typically, the deposits each have an individual given vertical extent, and there is included also connecting adjacent ones of the deposits with additional resin portions of lesser vertical extent than the given vertical extents of the adjacent deposits, selecting as the resin one that self-adheres to the shoe area surface, precoating the shoe area surface under the shapeable mass with a thin layer of the mass having less than 25% of the depth of the intended horseshoe shape, selecting as the resin a reaction product of thermosetting resin precursors, and selecting as the resin precursors thermosetting urethane resin precursors.
In its product aspects, the invention provides the products of the foregoing methods, and a flexible horseshoe having a locus of flexing, the horseshoe comprising a generally horseshoe-shaped series of resin portions deposited onto a horse shoe area and hardened in situ, the resin portions being spaced from each other across intervening interruptions, at least one of the interruptions defining a locus of flexing in the horseshoe.
In these and like embodiments, typically, the deposited resin portions each have an individual given vertical extent, and there is included also connected adjacent ones of the deposits with additional resin portions of lesser vertical extent than the given vertical extents of the adjacent deposits.
In a further embodiment there is provided a flexible horseshoe having a locus of flexing, the horseshoe comprising a generally horseshoe-shaped series of interconnected resin portions fixed onto a horse shoe area, the resin portions being spaced from each other across intervening interruptions, at least one of the interruptions defining a locus of flexing in the horseshoe.
Typically, in this and like embodiments, the locus of flexing is transverse to the longitudinal axis of the horseshoe and located within the front, rear or between the front and rear thirds of the horseshoe, or in the rear third of the horseshoe and generally parallel with the longitudinal axis of the horseshoe.
The invention thus provides a horseshoe of an intended profile, the horseshoe comprising a resin mass formed from an unshaped mass into substantially the intended profile in situ on a horse hoof surface, a synthetic organic resin horseshoe from an unshaped resin mass in situ on a horse hoof surface, the combination of a horse having a hoof, and a synthetic organic resin horseshoe attached to the hoof, the horseshoe having been formed from an unshaped resin mass in situ on the horse hoof, the combination of a horse having a hoof, and a synthetic organic resin horseshoe attached to the hoof, the horseshoe having been formed in situ on the horse hoof from an unshaped resin mass deposited on the hoof at a depth and width profile approximating the intended horseshoe shape. The present hoofs can comprises synthetic organic resin hardened in situ on a hoof, wherein the resin exhibits an optical effect other than its natural appearance.
Still further, the invention provides a method of protecting a horse hoof from moisture accumulation between shoe and hoof, including cleaning the hoof surface of debris and forming on the cleaned hoof a horseshoe from an unshaped adherent resin mass that adheres to the hoof surface in moisture excluding relation, a method of protecting a horse hoof from uneven pressure on the hoof from horseshoe, including clearing from the hoof all nails and previous shoe, and forming on the cleaned hoof a horseshoe from an unshaped adherent resin mass that adheres to the hoof surface in shoe-forming relation, a method of maintaining a horse hoof shoe against wearing from an intended shape, including cleaning the shoe surface of debris, and restoring the intended shape to the shoe through the added application of an adherent resin mass, and a method of increasing the stepping comfort of a horse, including providing and maintaining as the horse hoof shoe a shoe comprising a resin having a resilience to be reduced temporarily in vertical profile when the horse puts its weight upon the shoe.


A semiconductor memory device includes a memory cell and a dummy cell. The amount of leakage current per unit area in a capacitor in the dummy cell is larger than that in a capacitor in the memory cell.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to semiconductor memory devices and methods for fabricating the same, and more particularly relates to semiconductor memory devices which include stacked capacitors, and methods for fabricating the same.
2. Background Art
Among DRAMs (dynamic random-access memories), which have been downsized continuously, particularly for DRAMs including stacked capacitors, high-dielectric-constant insulating films, made of Ta2O5, Al2O3, HfO2 or the like, have been proposed and many of those films have been put into practical use in order to achieve a certain amount of accumulated charge.
However, it has been known that the reliability of these high dielectric constant materials and ferroelectric materials deteriorates due to plasma damage or the like caused when interconnection is formed after formation of capacitors, e.g., when contacts connected to the upper electrodes are formed. To overcome this, several methods for avoiding such plasma damage have also been proposed.
Hereinafter, a ferroelectric memory and a method for fabricating the same, disclosed in Japanese Laid-Open Publication No. 2002-198494, will be described with reference to FIG. 28.
As shown in FIG. 28, a first interlayer dielectric film 112 is formed on a semiconductor substrate 100 having memory cell transistors and doped layers 111 formed therein. In the first interlayer dielectric film 112, first plugs 113, which are connected to the memory cell transistors, and a second plug 114, which is connected to one of the doped layers 111, are provided. Next, capacitor lower electrodes 115, which are connected to the first plugs 113, a capacitor insulating film 118, which is formed of a ferroelectric film, and a capacitor upper electrode 119, which extends beyond the outside of the capacitor insulating film 118 and is electrically connected to the second plug 114, are formed in this order over the first interlayer dielectric film 112. Subsequently, a second interlayer dielectric film 120 is formed over the capacitor upper electrode 119. Then, a third plug 121 for connecting the other doped layer 111 and an upper interconnect 122 is formed through the interlayer dielectric films.

Semiconductor memory device and method for fabricating the same