Apparatus and method for converting a series of discrete units of incoming digital data into a set of integer values and representing said values holographically, by dimensionalizing multiple aspects of reference laser signal, and multiplexing said aspects at the same storage location. The integer set is represented logarithmically by manipulating the dimensionalized aspects in a hierarchical order, resulting in a 16-fold increase in data density at the same physical storage location, as compared with a conventional binary storage system.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to method and apparatus for the representation, storage and transmission of digital data, and particularly relates to high capacity data storage and retrieval.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Conventional techniques for data storage and handling, such as punched paper cards and tape, magnetic disk and tape devices, semiconductor chips, and recently developed optical storage devices, employ a two state or binary signal known as a "bit" as the basic unit of data representation. Because of the two-stage nature of the bit, data is represented in the form of binary numbers, as it is in the main memory and central processing unit of digital computers.
To represent numerical data such as integers and real numbers, groups or bytes of 16, 32, or 64 bits are commonly formed as the fundamental storage unit. For example, a 16 bit word can represent integer numbers from -32,767 to +32,767. Text characters, like alphabetic upper and lower-case letters, are represented by standardized values of an eight bit storage unit known as the "byte".
Binary representation of digital data, although in common and widespread use, is not the most efficient utilization of storage media. Various attempts have been made to record more information within each physical storage unit of the recording medium. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,544,961 describes a device which magnetically records digital information using two parameters of the recording medium: the polarity of flux change in, and the length of breaks between, magnetized regions.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,969,593 discloses an optical sound recording system for use with motion picture film, in which independent sound channels may be recorded on the same track by using hue variations in superimposed, but different colors. These approaches thereby provide recording systems wherein information is stored via the variations in discretely separate, varying parameters.
Holography provides another approach to digital data recording. An overview of this technology is given in Handbook of Optical Holography (Ed. Caulfield, A. J., Academic Press Inc. 1979, Chap. 10). This storage method typically provides a set of superimposed "pages", wherein each page is a two-dimensional matrix of binary digital cells.
It is helpful to describe data recording systems in terms of recording vectors, or dimensions. In U.S. Pat. No. 4,544,961, the recording vectors, or dimensions, were the flux polarity and the spacing between magnetized regions. In U.S. Pat. No. 3,969,593, the recording vectors, or dimensions, were the two colors whose hues were varied to independently store ,the two soundtracks at the same location. As used herein the term "vector" will be used to denote a detectable variable associated with a unit of storage area on the recording medium.
In conventional binary storage systems, storage capacity is simply a linear function of bit density. In multiplexed systems, wherein more than one item of recorded information may be superimposed at a common location, storage capacity increases exponentially with the addition of each recording vector. Since each vector can reside in one of a variety of states, the representational power of each storage unit is equal to the product of the number of states in which each vector can reside, thereby yielding the exponential relationship.
The multiplexed quantization of these aforementioned systems can be characterized as non-logarithmic, in that each vector of one multiplexed storage unit can exist in one state. Therefore, just one value can be recorded on each vector of each multiplexed unit. In the '961 system, for example, the value of the recorded flux change is either positive or negative at the location of interest In the '593 system, each color has a single hue value at a given location on the film.

Hierarchically multiplexed optical recording system for storage of digital data


This disclosure is directed to systems and methods for automatically controlling various lights of a vehicle. The systems and methods are configured to determine whether a vehicle is being driven off-road or on a public road, determine a first light activation condition that is based on whether the vehicle is being driven off-road or on the public road, and execute a vehicle lights control procedure to grant to a driver of the vehicle on-off control of a first light in the vehicle based on the first light activation condition and to withdraw grant of the on-off control of the first light based on a second light activation condition.

Vehicle manufacturers typically manufacture various types of vehicles that may appeal to various segments of the market. For example, a vehicle manufacturer may manufacture a sedan that appeals to a first segment of the market, a van that appeals to a second set of the market, and a sports utility vehicle that appeals to a third segment of the market. Most of these vehicles are sold with a set of accessories that are built into the vehicle during manufacture, and some others that are offered as optional accessories for purchase by a buyer if so desired. For example, most vehicles typically include an audio system of some kind, such as an infotainment system that includes a radio, a CD player, and a universal serial bus (USB) interface coupled to an audio amplifier. The infotainment system may be built into the vehicle during manufacture, and the purchase price of the vehicle typically includes a cost of the infotainment system.
In another example, a vehicle dealership may offer a buyer an option to purchase a set of customized wheels in place of the factory-installed wheels. Some customers, particularly customers who would like to purchase a sports utility vehicle for off-road use, may opt to purchase the customized wheels as well as other optional accessories such as additional lights for off-road use.
The vehicle dealership may agree to install the additional lights in accordance with certain rules and guidelines that the dealership deems appropriate. For example, the dealership may agree to install fog lights in a sports utility vehicle, recognizing that such installation does not violate state or local laws. However, the dealership may balk at installing an array of high-powered lights upon the hood of a sports utility vehicle because the use of such a high-intensity light source on a public highway may cause problems to drivers of other vehicles. The buyer may then decide to have the light assembly installed on the vehicle by an independent installer after purchasing the vehicle. In at least some cases, the buyer and the installer may be unaware of, or choose to ignore, rules and regulations that prohibit or regulate the installation and use of such high-intensity light assemblies.
Furthermore, a first set of rules and regulations that may be applicable to the use of accessory lights of a vehicle in a first country or region, may not be applicable, or may be different than, a second set of rules and regulations that are applicable in a second country or region. Consequently, it may be difficult for a driver of a vehicle to use an accessory light (such as the high-powered light array) in accordance with applicable rules and regulations when driving through the first country and the second country.
It is therefore desirable to address at least some of the issues described above, and more particularly to address existing issues with respect to the use of accessory lights in a vehicle.

Systems and methods for controlling vehicle lights


In regard to a semiconductor device having a multilayered wiring board where a semiconductor chip is embedded inside, a technology which allows the multilayered wiring board to be made thinner is provided. A feature of the present invention is that, in a semiconductor device where bump electrodes are formed over a main surface (element forming surface) of a semiconductor chip embedded in a chip-embedded wiring board, an insulating film is formed over a back surface (a surface on the side opposite to the main surface) of the semiconductor chip. As a result, it becomes unnecessary to form a prepreg over the back surface of the semiconductor chip. Therefore, an effect of thinning the chip-embedded wiring board in which the semiconductor chip is embedded is obtained.

The present invention relates to a semiconductor device and its manufacturing technique. In particular, it relates to a technique effectively applicable to a semiconductor device where a semiconductor chip is embedded inside a multilayered wiring board and its manufacturing technique.
There is disclosed in Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2007-214535 (Patent Document 1) a technique about a printed-wiring board with a built-in semiconductor element that has excellent adhesiveness to an overlying wiring board without being affected by insufficient sealing or excessive sealing. The printed-wiring board with a built-in semiconductor element is configured so that at least the lower surface is covered with an insulating film (insulating film 106), and that an insulating layer (insulating layer 108) is formed on the side and upper part of the semiconductor element. The method for manufacturing the printed-wiring board with a built-in semiconductor element comprises the steps of: mounting a semiconductor element onto a base board and covering at least a lower surface of the semiconductor element with an insulating film; laminating and stacking semi-cured insulating sheets on the side of the semiconductor element; and laminating and stacking semi-cured insulating sheets above an upper part of the semiconductor element.
According to Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2005-39094 (Patent Document 2), a cavity is provided inside a wiring board and a semiconductor chip is disposed inside the cavity. To be specific, for example, the semiconductor chip is arranged in the cavity through an adhesive resin. According to another embodiment, for example, a thermosetting adhesive tape is bonded to the back surface of the semiconductor chip.
According to Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2007-150002 (Patent Document 3), as shown in FIG. 29 of Patent Document 3, a back surface of the semiconductor IC is covered with a resin layer through a die attach film.
According to Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2008-10885 (Patent Document 4), as shown in FIGS. 26 and 27 of Patent Document 4, a semiconductor chip is bonded to a wiring board using a film-like resin (die attach film).    [Patent Document 1] Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2007-214535    [Patent Document 2] Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2005-39094    [Patent Document 3] Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2007-150002    [Patent Document 4] Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2008-10885

Semiconductor device and method of manufacturing the same


A method of fabricating a TFT and IPS with reduced masking operations includes a substrate, a gate, a layer of gate dielectric on the gate and surrounding substrate surface and a semiconducting metal oxide on the gate dielectric. A channel protection layer overlies the gate to define a channel area in the semiconducting metal oxide. A S/D metal layer is patterned on the channel protection layer and a portion of the exposed semiconducting metal oxide to define an IPS area. An organic dielectric material is patterned on the S/D terminals and at an opposed side of the IPS area. The S/D metal is etched to expose the semiconducting metal oxide defining a first IPS electrode. A passivation layer covers the first electrode and a layer of transparent conductive material is patterned on the passivation layer to define a second IPS electrode overlying the first electrode.

In active matrix liquid crystal displays (AMLCD) and active matrix organic light emitting displays (AMOLED), there are requirements of conductive layers for different functionalities. For example, a metal layer is needed for the scan line and another metal layer is needed for the data line. These two lines cross over each other and cannot be formed during the same metal level steps. The conductivity of the metal lines for the data and scan lines is very critical and cannot be made from relatively low conductivity transparent material because of the conductivity requirement. Also, a transparent conductive layer is needed as the electrode for transmissive LCDs or bottom emitting OLEDs. It is not easy to combine or form the transparent conductor with the other metal lines. Each of the metal lines needs to be patterned in separate lithographic steps and contributes to the number of mask levels. Also, in the fabrication of AMLCDs and AMOLEDs there is another mask level, used in the formation of a spacer (in the case of an AMLCD), or a bank (in case of an AMOLEDs). It will be understood that banks or spacers are used to separate various layers in a complete display, e.g. a backplane from an emission layer. Each mask level in a process adds to the complexity and cost of the process.
More specifically, it has been noted that IPS (in-plane-switch) LCDs have become popular because of their wide viewing angle, insensitivity to finger-touching the viewing screen and better contrast. The insensitivity feature is important because many of the modern devices are at least partially controlled by touching the viewing screen. The problem with the IPS type of LCDs is that two patterned transparent electrodes are needed which results in a requirement of seven (7) patterning steps. This invention builds on the novel fabrication process for AMLCDs and AMOLEDs of the parent application in which the number of mask levels is reduced and reduces the number of mask levels required in the fabrication process of metal-oxide based TFT backpanels for IPS LCDs.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a new and improved fabrication process for metal-oxide based TFT backpanels for IPS LCDs in which the number of mask levels is reduced.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a new and improved metal-oxide based TFT backpanel for IPS type of LCDs which is more compact and includes fewer layers of material.
It is yet another object of the present invention to provide a new and improved metal-oxide based TFT backpanel for IPS LCD with reduced power consumption.


A process for removing dopant ions from a semiconductor substrate includes exposing the substrate to a non-aqueous organic solvent in liquid and/or vapor form.

The present disclosure relates to device fabrication and in particular, to a process for removing dopant ions from a semiconductor substrate.
In device fabrication, dopant or impurity ions are introduced into the semiconductor material to alter its electrical conductivity. One technique of introducing dopant ions into the semiconductor material is with an ion implanter. An ion implanter typically uses a high current accelerator tube equipped with steering and focusing magnets to bombard the surface of the semiconductor material with dopant ions to impart the desired electrical properties. These dopant ions are implanted into the top layer of the semiconductor material and just below the surface, changing the conductivity of a precise region. To create a p-type region, an acceptor ion such as boron, gallium or indium is implanted. To create an n-type region, a donor ion such as antimony, arsenic, phosphorous or bismuth is implanted.
As the ions enter the material, they collide with target atoms and come to rest at an average depth below the surface of the substrate. The average depth at which the ions are distributed varies with the implant energy as well as with the target material and the species of ion being implanted. For a given target material and ion species, higher energy generally corresponds to a deeper penetration of the ions into the material. The dose or the total number of ions entering the target is controlled by monitoring the ion current during implantation as well as the time of implantation.
A variation of conventional ion implantation is a plasma ion immersion process, wherein the material itself is placed directly in the plasma source while applying an accelerating bias (on the order of a few kV) to the material. This is an attractive alternative to conventional ion implantation techniques as high dose rates (in the range of 1015/cm2 min) can be achieved at lower energies with less cost intensive ion implantation equipment modification. Typically the target to be implanted is placed directly in the plasma and then biased to a negative potential in order to sufficiently accelerate positive ions into the target for implantation.
Gaseous diffusion of dopants is another method employed to form doped regions. A gas or vapor containing the desired dopants is deposited onto the wafer and then thermally diffused into the substrate surface, such as by chemical vapor deposition.
An alternative to ion implantation and gaseous diffusion processes is the use of a doped dielectric film as a dopant diffusion source. In this alternative approach, a doped dielectric film such as boron silicate glass or arsenic silicate glass, is deposited onto a substrate and used as a source of dopant ions which are diffused into the substrate to form doped regions. For example, doped dielectric films are deposited at temperatures less than 500xc2x0 C. in a deposition chamber, and subsequently heated at temperatures greater than 500xc2x0 C. in a different chamber, such as an annealing furnace, to perform the dopant diffusion to form the doped region.
All of the above described processes for introducing dopant ions have a propensity for forming dopant ions at the surface. Depending on the device properties, the presence of dopant ions at the surface may be deleterious to device performance. Control of the dopant ions is critical to device performance because, as noted, diffusing or implanting dopant ions changes the electrical characteristics of the semiconductor material. Diffusion or implantation of the ions into undesired areas or regions can detrimentally affect device performance. For example, diffusion or implantation of arsenic dopant ions into a shallow trench isolation region can cause parasitic lateral leakage. Shallow trench isolation regions are typically fabricated into the integrated circuit to isolate neighboring devices. Leakage underneath the shallow trench isolation region from one device to another is exacerbated by the presence of dopant ions, thereby detrimentally affecting device performance. Another example of damage caused by ions implanted or diffused into undesired areas may occur during the fabrication of vertical DRAM cell array devices. In the vertical DRAM cell, the sidewalls of the isolation trench are used as the channel of the array device. The presence of dopant ions in the sidewalls, e.g., arsenic ions, would undesirably create large fluctuations on the array device threshold voltage. The noted examples are exemplary only and are used to highlight the potential problems caused by the presence of unwanted dopant ions in the semiconductor material.
Cleaning methods are frequently employed during the fabrication process to remove contaminants and residues from the wafer resulting from the various processing steps. These cleaning processes are generally aqueous based and are optimized for removing inorganic, organic and/or particulate matter. The so-called xe2x80x9cRCA cleanxe2x80x9d has been the standard cleaning sequence utilized by the industry for cleaning silicon wafers for the past two decades. An RCA clean process comprises a multitude of steps that may be implemented in whole, or in part, at various stages during manufacture of the semiconductor circuit.
The RCA process includes a so-called xe2x80x9cpiranhaxe2x80x9d cleaning step. The piranha cleaning step typically comprises dipping the wafers in an inorganic oxidant, such as a solution containing sulfuric acid and hydrogen peroxide. This step is intended to remove organic material from a surface of the semiconductor article. A typical piranha cleaning solution would comprise hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) and sulfuric acid (H2SO4) in a ratio of about 1:5 to about 1:50 (hydrogen peroxide:sulfuric acid). The wafers are then rinsed with deionized water. The deionized water rinse typically occurs at room temperatures, commonly from about 18xc2x0 C. to about 23xc2x0 C. Preferably, the rinse utilizes water with a high resistivity, such as from about 10 megohms-centimeter to about 18 megohms-centimeter.
The wafers are then subjected to a so-called xe2x80x9cHF cleanxe2x80x9d. The HF clean is typically used to remove an oxide film from the surfaces of the semiconductor wafers. Such oxide film may be formed, for example, during the above-discussed piranha clean or due to exposure of the semiconductor wafer or other article to air or other sources of oxygen, e.g., hydrogen peroxide. The HF clean typically involves dipping the wafers in a solution of water and hydrofluoric acid, with the water: hydrogen fluoride ratio commonly being in the range of from approximately 1000:1 to approximately 100:1. The wafers are then rinsed with deionized water to remove hydrogen fluoride and various materials loosened from the surface of the wafer.
The wafers may then be subjected to a so-called xe2x80x9cStandard Clean 1xe2x80x9d step, commonly referred to as an xe2x80x9cSC1xe2x80x9d step. The SC1 step is principally directed to removing various particulate materials from the semiconductor surfaces which can more easily attach as a result of the surface being made hydrophobic by the hydrogen fluoride cleaning step explained above, step 1C. In a typical SC1 step, the wafers are submerged in a solution of water, hydrogen peroxide and ammonium hydroxide (for example 5:1:1 by volume), at temperatures from about 75xc2x0 C. to about 80xc2x0 C. for a time of from about 2 minutes to about 15 minutes. The wafers are then rinsed with deionized water to remove the SC1 solution from the wafers.
The wafers may also be subjected to a so-called xe2x80x9cStandard Clean 2xe2x80x9d step, commonly referred to as an xe2x80x9cSC2xe2x80x9d step. The SC2 step is thought to desorb atomic and ionic contaminants from the wafers. In particular, the SC2 step is intended to remove metals deposited on the wafer surface during the HF cleaning step and SC1 step. In a typical SC2 step, the wafers are submerged in a solution of H2O:HCl:H2O2 (for example 6:1:1 by volume). The SC2 step can be carried out at temperatures which are elevated above fabrication room temperatures. Examples of elevated temperatures sometimes used are from about 75xc2x0 C. to about 80xc2x0 C. The SC2 step can be effected for various times, for example for times from about 1 to about 10 minutes. The wafers are then subjected to a deionized water rinse, similar to the rinse described above regarding SC1, to remove the above-described SC2 solution from the wafers.
Conventional cleaning methods generally modify the wafer surface to remove contaminants and are not effective for removing dopant ions from the surfaces of the semiconductor substrate.
A method for removing dopant ions from an undesired area of a semiconductor substrate includes exposing the undesired area to a non-aqueous organic vapor, wherein the undesired area includes a surface containing the dopant ions; and removing the vapor and dopant ions from the undesired area of the substrate. Exposing the undesired area to the vapor preferably occurs prior to formation of a surface oxide layer in the undesired area. The dopant ions are selected from the group consisting of arsenic, gallium, indium, phosphorous, boron, antimony and bismuth ions. In a preferred embodiment, the vapor is hexamethyldisilizane.
In another embodiment, a method of cleaning a surface of a partially manufactured integrated circuit subsequent to implantation or diffusion of dopant ions into the surface includes coating the surface containing dopant ions with a non-aqueous organic solvent. The solvent is preferably selected from a group consisting of ketones, polyhydric alcohols, cyclic ethers and esters. The method further includes removing the solvent and dopant ions from the surface.
Other embodiments of the invention are contemplated to provide particular features and structural variants of the basic elements. The specific embodiments referred to as well as possible variations and the various features and advantages of the invention will become better understood when considered in connection with the detailed description and drawings that follow.

Process for removing dopant ions from a substrate

International Business Machines Corporation


A combustor according to the invention includes a combustor basket to which air A is supplied from the outside, a plurality of first nozzles that are annularly provided along the inner periphery of the combustor basket and that supply premixed gas M of the air and fuel to the inside of the combustor basket, and a transition piece in which the combustor basket is connected to a base end thereof and which burns the premixed gas supplied from the first nozzles, thereby forming a flame front spread to the outer periphery side toward the leading end in an axial direction, wherein each first nozzle supplies the premixed gas with fuel concentration changed around the center axis of the first nozzle such that the flame front has a uniform temperature in the axial direction.

In the past, in the field of gas turbines, there has been a gas turbine that uses a premixed combustion type combustor as a combustor that blows fuel into compressed air, thereby performing combustion. As the premixed combustion type combustor, there is a combustor that includes a combustor basket to which compressed air is supplied from a compressor, a plurality of main nozzles annularly disposed along the inner periphery of the combustor basket, and a pilot nozzle that is disposed on the center axis of the combustor basket and that holds a pilot flame. This type of combustor performs premixed combustion by supplying premixed gas of fuel and compressed air to the inside of the combustor basket by the main nozzles and igniting the premixed gas using the pilot flame.
For example, in Patent Document 1 below, a premixed combustion burner is constituted of a fuel nozzle, a burner cylinder that surrounds the fuel nozzle so as to form an air pathway between the burner cylinder and the fuel nozzle, and a swirler that is disposed at plural places in the circumferential direction of the outer peripheral surface of the fuel nozzle and which swirls air flowing therethrough. In this combustor, a vortical air flow is generated on the downstream of the swirler by forming a cutout portion in a trailing edge portion on the inner periphery of the swirler, and thus the fuel concentration of the premixed gas is made uniform in the radial direction of the air pathway, whereby suppression of an increase in NOx and prevention of reversion (flashback) of a flame are attempted.


In one embodiment, a control circuit configured for an interleaved switching power supply, can include: (i) a feedback compensation signal generation circuit configured to sample an output voltage of the interleaved switching power supply, and to generate a feedback compensation signal; (ii) a first switch control circuit configured to compare a first branch voltage signal that represents an inductor current of a first voltage regulation circuit against the feedback compensation signal, where when the first branch voltage signal is consistent with the feedback compensation signal, a first switch on signal is generated to control a first main power switch of the first voltage regulation circuit to be on for a predetermined time, and then off; and (iii) a second switch control circuit configured to compare a second branch voltage signal that represents an inductor current of a second voltage regulation circuit against the feedback compensation signal.

Switch mode power supplies can efficiently convert electrical power from a source to a load, or to several different loads, with each corresponding to a different output. The main transistor of a switching-mode supply can switch between on and off states at a given operating frequency, and voltage regulation can be achieved by varying the ratio of the on-to-off time of the main transistor. Switch mode power supplies may have relatively high power conversion efficiency, as compared to other types of power converters. Switch mode power supplies may also be substantially smaller and lighter than a linear supply due to the smaller transformer size and weight.

Control circuit of interleaved switching power supply and control method thereof

Silergy Semiconductor Technology (Hangzhou) LTD


The present disclosure relates to a communication technique and system for combining IoT technologies with 5G communication systems to support a higher data rate after 4G communication systems. The present disclosure can be applied to intelligent services based on 5G communication technologies and IoT-related technologies such as smart home, smart building, smart city, smart car or connected car, healthcare, digital education, retail business, and security and safety. Provided are is a method and apparatus for supporting the licensed-assisted access (LAA) technology in a wireless communication system. The method for a user equipment (UE) may include: sending a first report message containing information on whether the LAA technology is supported to a base station (ENB) supporting a first communication technology; detecting usage of a second communication technology in a first band of the unlicensed spectrum; and sending, upon detecting usage of the second communication technology in the first band, a second report message containing information on usage of the second communication technology to the ENB.

To cope with the increasing demand for wireless data traffic after commercialization of 4G communication systems, active efforts are underway to develop enhanced 5G or pre-5G communication systems. As such, 5G or pre-5G communication systems are referred to as beyond 4G communication systems or post LTE systems. To achieve high data rates, use of the extremely high frequency (mmWave) band (e.g. 60 GHz band) is expected in a 5G communication system. To reduce propagation pathloss and to increase propagation distance at the mmWave band, use of various technologies such as beamforming, massive MIMO, full dimensional MIMO (FD-MIMO), array antenna, analog beamforming and large scale antenna are under discussion for 5G communication systems. To enhance system networks, various technologies such as evolved or advanced small cell, cloud radio access network (cloud RAN), ultra-dense network, device-to-device (D2D) communication, wireless backhaul, moving network, cooperative communication, Coordinated Multi-Points (CoMP) and interference cancellation are under development for 5G communication systems. In addition, for 5G communication systems, hybrid FSK and QAM modulation (FQAM) and sliding window superposition coding (SWSC) are under development for advanced coding modulation (ACM), and filter bank multi carrier (FBMC), non-orthogonal multiple access (NOMA) and sparse code multiple access (SCMA) are under development for advanced access.
Meanwhile, the Internet is evolving from a human centered network where humans create and consume information into the Internet of Things (IoT) where distributed elements or things process and exchange information. Big data processing through cloud servers and IoT technology are being combined into the Internet of Everything (IoE). To realize IoT services, base technologies such as sensing, wired/wireless communication and network infrastructure, service interfacing and security are needed, and technologies interconnecting things such as sensor networks, Machine-to-Machine (M2M) or Machine Type Communication (MTC) are under development. In IoT environments, it is possible to provide intelligent Internet technology services, which collect and analyze data created by interconnected things to add new values to human life. Through convergence and combination between existing information technologies and various field technologies, IoT technology may be applied to various areas such as smart homes, smart buildings, smart cities, smart or connected cars, smart grids, health-care, smart consumer electronics, and advanced medical services.
Accordingly, various attempts are being made to apply 5G communication systems to IoT networks. For example, sensor networks and machine-to-machine or machine type communication are being realized by use of 5G communication technologies including beamforming, MIMO and array antennas. Application of cloud RANs to big data processing may be an instance of convergence of 5G communication technology and IoT technology.
In recent years, with rapid advances in wireless communication technologies, mobile communication systems have evolved across generations. Currently, the long term evolution (LTE) system attracts attention as a fourth generation mobile communication technology. To meet explosive growth in traffic demand, various techniques including carrier aggregation (CA) have been introduced to the LTE system. In most cases, a single carrier is used in communication between a user equipment (UE) and a base station (eNB). When carrier aggregation is employed, a primary carrier and one or more secondary carriers may be used in communication between a user equipment (UE) and a base station (ENB), significantly increasing the data transfer rate by an amount corresponding to the number of secondary carriers. In LTE, the primary carrier is termed a primary cell (PCell), and a secondary carrier is termed a secondary cell (SCell). A CA-capable UE may connect to a single PCell and up to four SCells.
The LTE system is a communication system that originally operates in a licensed frequency band allocated by the government. Recently, to meet explosive growth in traffic demand, an active discussion is under way about the use of the LTE technology in the unlicensed frequency band, which is currently used for wireless LANs, Bluetooth, and the like. This is referred to as Licensed-Assisted Access (LAA) to unlicensed spectrum.
To combine carrier aggregation with LAA, it is possible to consider a scenario where the PCell uses a licensed band frequency and the SCell uses an unlicensed band frequency on the basis of LAA.
However, the unlicensed band is already populated by different types of systems such as Wi-Fi and Bluetooth. While a UE is using a Wi-Fi network operating at a specific frequency of the unlicensed band, when an LTE ENB configures the UE with an LAA cell operating at the same unlicensed band frequency, it may be not possible to simultaneously utilize the two technologies at the same frequency.

Method and apparatus for supporting licensed-assisted access technology in wireless communication system


A carton (12) includes a first wall (22) and a second wall (20). The first wall (22) includes a first edge (21) and a second edge (23) that are opposed to one another. The first wall (22) and the second wall (20) are adjoined along the first edge (21). The carton (12) includes a handle (30). The handle (30) includes a handle opening (80) that is elongated along a longitudinal axis that extends transversely to the first edge (21). The handle opening (80) is configured to be engaged no closer to the second edge (23) than to the first edge (21).

Carton manufacturers often face the challenge of providing a carton having ergonomic handle openings that are sufficiently strong to withstand the stress generated by the weight of articles enclosed. There is a continuing need for improved handle configurations that are stronger and provide a carton manufacturer savings such as with the lessened amount of material that is needed when a carton has a more robust handle. Therefore, a heretofore unaddressed need exists in the industry to address the aforementioned deficiencies and inadequacies.


A recording apparatus includes a plurality of feeding units each configured to feed a sheet, a conveyance unit configured to convey the sheet to this recording unit, a first detection unit provided on an upstream side of the recording unit in a direction in which the sheet is conveyed and configured to detect whether there is the sheet, a driving control unit configured to control driving of a motor for conveying a roll sheet fed from a roll sheet feeding unit, and a determination unit configured to determine the feeding unit that feeds the sheet to the recording unit. If the first detection unit detects that there is the sheet, the driving control unit drives the motor in a direction for rewinding the roll sheet, and the determination unit executes the determination processing for the feeding unit based on an output value associated with the driving of the motor.

Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a recording apparatus on which a plurality of types of sheets, such as a cut sheet and a roll sheet, can be loaded.
Description of the Related Art
Some printers are capable of printing data on both a roll sheet and a cut sheet, and such a printer has an operation mode for the roll sheet and an operation mode for the cut sheet. Conventionally, the operation mode for the roll sheet and the operation mode for the cut sheet have been switched based on a user's selection of a switching button on an operation panel. Therefore, a problem has arisen when the user has loaded the roll sheet although having selected the operation mode for the cut sheet, or when the user has loaded the cut sheet although having selected the operation mode for the roll sheet.
To solve this problem, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2012-139998 proposes a method for distinguishing between the roll sheet and the cut sheet and automatically setting an appropriate operation mode. More specifically, a printer includes conveying rollers that convey both the roll sheet and the cut sheet, a roll-sheet conveying unit that rotationally conveys the roll sheet, and a sensor that detects whether there is a sheet on a downstream side of the conveying rollers. Then, the printer rotates the roll sheet in a direction for rewinding the roll sheet with use of the above-described conveying unit, and detects whether the detection of the sensor on the downstream side of the conveying rollers changes to absence of the sheet. After the sheet is detected by a detecting unit, the printer causes the roll-sheet conveying unit to perform the conveyance operation, and, after that, determines that the loaded sheet is the cut sheet if the sheet is detected again by the detecting unit while determining that the loaded sheet is the roll sheet if the sheet is not detected by the detecting unit.
However, the method discussed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2012-139998 not only requires the sensor on the downstream side of the conveying rollers but also requires a driving unit such as a motor for automatically separating the conveying rollers from each other when rewinding the sheet by the roll-sheet conveying unit, a sensor for detecting a position, and the like, thereby resulting in a cost increase. Further, in a case where the printer is a printer that supports various sheet sizes including 10 inches to 60 inches, such as a large-format printer, a weight of the sheet considerably varies depending on a width and a length of the sheet. Therefore, an attempt to rewind the sheet without separating the conveyance rollers from each other leads to such a nip pressure that merely rewinding the roll sheet triggers a rotation, which results in a reduction in a performance of conveying the sheet in a normal case.
Further, if the winding of the roll sheet is loosened or the roll sheet is unwound at an end of the roll sheet, the printer incorrectly determines that the loaded sheet is the cut sheet. Therefore, this method involves a problem of being unable to set the appropriate operation mode.
Further, in a case where the printer includes a plurality of roll sheet feeding units, which sheet feeding unit feeds the roll sheet may be unable to be determined depending on a position of a leading edge of the roll sheet. This case leads to a problem of being unable to drive an appropriate driving unit for a sheet feeding operation.

Recording apparatus, and method for controlling recording apparatus


A frequency translator is usable in a switching DC-DC converter of the type operating as a voltage regulator and as a battery charger. The frequency translator receives at inputs a division voltage (VFB) proportional to a present value of the output voltage (VOUT) of the DC-DC converter, a reference voltage (VREF) correlated to a nominal value of the output voltage (VOUT), and a limiting signal (VL) indicative of a normal operation or of current limitation operation of the DC-DC converter, and supplies at an output a bias current (IBIAS) which is supplied to an input of an oscillator supplying at an output a comparison signal (VC) presenting a periodic pattern with a frequency which is correlated to the bias current (IBIAS). In particular, the frequency translator operates in a way such as to regulate a frequency translation of the comparison signal (VC) as a function of the difference between the division voltage (VFB) and the reference voltage (VREF) only when the DC-DC converter is operating in the current limitation condition.

FIG. 1 illustrates, and indicates as a whole by the reference number 1, a known step-down DC-DC converter usable as a voltage regulator. In particular, to provide an example, in FIG. 1 a DC-DC converter is illustrated having a Buck circuit configuration; however, this should not be deemed limiting, in that considerations altogether similar to the ones that are made in what follows for this type of circuit configuration also apply to DC-DC converters having Boost and Flyback circuit configurations.
According to what is illustrated in FIG. 1, the DC-DC converter comprises an input terminal 2, set, when in use, at an input voltage VIN, and an output terminal 4 supplying an output voltage VOUT lower than the input voltage VIN.
The DC-DC converter 1 comprises a first and a second switch 6, 8, typically formed of bipolar transistors or p-channel or n-channel MOSFET transistors, the opening and closing whereof are controlled in phase by a driving stage 10. In particular, the first switch 6 presents a first terminal connected to the input terminal 2 of the DC-DC converter 1, and a second terminal connected, via a diode 12, to ground, whilst the second switch 8 presents a first terminal also connected to the input terminal 2 of the DC-DC converter 1 via a sense resistor 14, and a second terminal connected, via the diode 12, to ground.
The DC-DC converter 1 further comprises an inductor 16 connected between the second terminals of the switches 6 and 8 and the output terminal 4; a capacitor 18 connected between the output terminal 4 and ground; and a voltage divider 20 formed of two resistors 22, 24 connected between the output terminal 4 and ground and presenting an intermediate node 26 on which a division voltage VFB is present, which is proportional, through the division ratio, to the output voltage VOUT supplied by the DC-DC converter 1.
The DC-DC converter 1 moreover comprises a differential voltage error amplifier (VEA) 28 presenting an inverting terminal connected to the intermediate node 26 of the voltage divider 20 and receiving from the latter the division voltage VFB, a non-inverting terminal receiving a reference voltage VREF, and an output terminal supplying an intermediate voltage VM and connected to a non-inverting terminal of a differential comparator 30, known as PWM (Pulse Width Modulator) comparator, and hereinafter indicated by this name, which in turn presents an inverting terminal connected to the output terminal of an oscillator 32 supplying a comparison voltage VC presenting a sawtooth waveform and having a preset frequency upon which the switching frequency of the DC-DC converter 1 depends, and an output terminal connected to the input of the driving stage 10 of the switches 6 and 8.
In particular, the PWM comparator 30 basically acts as a pulse width modulator and supplies at an output a voltage having a square waveform, the duty cycle whereof is a function of the voltage supplied by the voltage error amplifier 28, and the frequency whereof depends upon the frequency of the comparison voltage VC supplied by the oscillator 32.
Finally, the DC-DC converter 1 comprises a fixed threshold current limiting stage having the purpose of protecting the DC-DC converter 1 against current overloads and basically consisting of a differential comparator 34, hereinafter indicated as CURL comparator, presenting an inverting terminal and a non-inverting terminal connected across the sense resistor 14 and an output terminal issuing a limiting signal VL supplied to the driving stage 10; in particular, the CURL comparator 34 carries out the comparison between the voltage present across the sense resistor 14 and a preset reference voltage programmed inside it: if the voltage present across the sense resistor 14 is less than or equal to the reference voltage programmed inside it, then the limiting signal VL switches to a low logic level indicative of the absence of overloads, and the driving stage 10 continues to operate in a normal way, controlling opening and closing of the switches 6 and 8 at a nominal switching frequency correlated to the frequency of the comparison voltage VC supplied by the oscillator 32, whereas if the voltage present across the sense resistor 14 is greater than the reference voltage programmed inside it, then the limiting signal VL switches to a high logic level indicative of the presence of overloads, and, in response to the switching of the limiting signal VL from the low logic level to the high logic level, the driving stage 10 controls opening of the switches 6 and 8, so as to interrupt the current supplied to the DC-DC converter 1.
The opening of the switch 8 causes the voltage across the sense resistor 14 to become zero, and thus causes the limiting signal VL generated by the CURL comparator 34 to switch again to the low logic level, and consequently the driving stage 10 to return to conditions of normal operating.
As a result, as long as the overload persists, the limiting signal VL supplied by the CURL comparator 34 continues to switch between the high and low logic levels, thus generating a pulse train which, when supplied to the driving stage 10, causes switching of the operation of the DC-DC converter 1 between a normal operation, in which opening and closing of the switches 6 and 8 is controlled at a preset frequency correlated to that of the sawtooth voltage supplied by the PWM comparator 30, and an current limitation operation, in which opening of the switches 6 and 8 is controlled in order to interrupt the current supplied to the DC-DC converter 1.
The operation of the DC-DC converter 1 is in itself known and will here be referred to solely as regards the aspects necessary for understanding the problems lying at the basis of the present invention. In particular, the DC-DC converter 1 presents a single operating mode in which the voltage error amplifier 28 carries out regulation of the output voltage VOUT so that this remains constant as the current required by the load connected to the output terminal of the DC-DC converter 1 varies.
In FIG. 2 there is illustrated and indicated by 40 a known step-down DC-DC converter usable as a battery charger, in which identical parts or parts equivalent to the ones of the DC-DC converter 1 are designated with the same reference numbers.
In particular, the DC-DC converter 40 differs from the DC-DC converter 1 by further comprising a sense resistor 42 connected in series to the inductor 16 and interposed between the inductor 16 and the output terminal 4 of the DC-DC converter 40; a filtering stage 44, made typically using an operational amplifier and presenting a first input terminal and a second input terminal connected across the sense resistor 42, and an output terminal supplying a voltage equal to the filtered voltage VFR present across the sense resistor 42; and a differential current error amplifier (CEA) 46 presenting an inverting terminal connected to the output terminal of the filtering stage 44, a non-inverting terminal receiving a reference voltage VR, and an output terminal connected to the inverting terminal of the PWM comparator 30 through a decoupling diode 48, which presents the anode terminal connected to the inverting terminal of the PWM comparator 30 and the cathode terminal connected to the output terminal of the current error amplifier 46.
In particular, the reference voltage VR is generated by causing a constant current, supplied by a current generator 52 connected in series to a resistor 50, to flow in the resistor 50 itself; the reference voltage thus obtained is then taken across the resistor 50.
The operation of the DC-DC converter 40 is in itself known and will here be referred to solely as regards the aspects necessary for understanding the problems lying at the basis of the present invention. In particular, it is pointed out that the DC-DC converter 40 presents two operating modes. A first operating mode is that in which the current error amplifier prevails over the voltage error amplifier and carries out regulation of the battery charging current, during which the charging current is constant at the programmed value and the voltage present across the battery increases from the initial value, typically zero, to its full charge value, whereas the second operating mode is that in which the voltage error amplifier prevails over the current error amplifier and carries out regulation of the voltage of the battery, during which the charging current decreases until it goes to zero and the battery voltage remains fixed at the full charge value.
Both of the DC-DC converters described above present a drawback due to the fact that the time of intervention of the CURL comparator 34 for limiting the current supplied by the DC-DC converters when overloads are present at output (for example, upon switching-on of the DC-DC converters when the capacitor 18 must be charged) is not zero and depends on the response time with which the DC-DC converters react to such variations.
Consequently, in the cases where heavy overloads or short circuits at output, or else at switching-on, occur, the CURL comparator 34 by itself does not suffice to limit the output current in that, in these conditions, the inductor 16 is charged with a current having a slope greater than the slope with which it is discharged, thus leading to a divergence of the output current.
In the literature there exist various methods for creating a current limitation system that is effective against short circuits and overloads.
A very well known method is based upon the so-called principle of frequency translation, i.e., based upon the reduction of the switching frequency of the DC-DC converter in the presence of overloads or short circuits, that is upon the reduction of the switching frequencies of the switches 6 and 8.
In FIG. 3 there is illustrated and designated by 60 a frequency translation DC-DC converter, usable as a voltage regulator.
The DC-DC converter 60 presents a circuit topology very similar to that of the DC-DC converter 1; for this reason, identical parts or parts equivalent to those of the DC-DC converter 1 will be identified with the same reference numbers.
The DC-DC converter 60 differs from the DC-DC converter 1 by further comprising a frequency translator 62 presenting a pair of input terminals 62a, 62b connected to the inverting and non-inverting terminals of the voltage error amplifier 28 and receiving, respectively, the division voltage VFB and the reference voltage VREF, and an output terminal 62u issuing a translation regulating signal supplied to an input terminal of the oscillator 32 and consisting of a bias current IBIAS for the oscillator 32 itself, which is designed so as to supply at an output a comparison voltage VC of a sawtooth or triangular waveform, the frequency whereof is proportional to the bias current IBIAS.
The operation of the DC-DC converter 60 is in itself known and will here be referred to solely as regards the aspects necessary for understanding the problems lying at the basis of the present invention. In particular, in conditions of short circuit or switching-on of the DC-DC converter 60, the output voltage VOUT is initially zero, in that the capacitor 18 is discharged, the bias current IBIAS supplied to the oscillator 32 assumes a minimum value, the comparison voltage VC supplied by the oscillator 32 consequently assumes a minimum value, and hence the switching frequency of the switches 6 and 8, which is controlled by the driving stage 10 and is in turn a function of the frequency of the comparison voltage VC, also assumes its minimum value.
As the output voltage VOUT increases, the bias current IBIAS increases accordingly, and the switching frequency of the switches 6, 8 tends to go to its nominal value.
A frequency translator 62 of the type described above is not, however, usable in the DC-DC converter 40 operating as a battery charger on account of the presence of the dual operating mode, i.e., as a current regulator and as a voltage regulator, of the DC-DC converter 40.
In fact, in both operating modes, under normal operating conditions, the DC-DC converter 40 should function at the nominal switching frequency; instead, with the frequency translation modality illustrated in FIG. 3 this is not possible in that, during the current regulation operating mode, since the output voltage VOUT varies from the zero value to the nominal value, the frequency translator 62 would control translation of the switching frequency of the DC-DC converter 40 even though no overload is present at output.

Frequency translator usable in a switching DC-DC converter of the type operating as a voltage regulator and as a battery charger, and method of frequency translation therefor


An improved stacked type photovoltaic device comprises a plurality of stacked photovoltaic elements wherein at least one element thereof comprises a semiconductor layer (a) having a refractive index na and a semiconductor layer (b) having a refractive index nb and a semiconductor layer (c) is inserted therebetween as an antireflection layer; wherein said semiconductor layer (c) has constitutent elements having a composition ratio different from the composition ratio of the constituent elements of both said semiconductor layer (a) and (b) and said semiconductor layer (c) has a refractive index nc=.sqroot.na.nb and a thickness d=.lambda./4.sqroot.na.nb, in which .lambda. represents a peak wavelength of the spectral sensitivity of an adjacent photovoltaic element positioned in the direction of light transmission.. The semiconductor layer (c) may also be constituted by a semiconductor film having an elemental composition comprising other elements in addition to the constituent elements of the semiconductor layer (b).

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an improved stacked photovoltaic device having an antireflection layer which excels in photovoltaic properties and provides an improved photoelectric conversion efficiency. More particularly, the present invention relates to an improved stacked photovoltaic device comprising a plurality of photovoltaic elements (cells) and including an antireflection layer provided in the interface between two constituent semiconductor layers which excels in photovoltaic properties and provides an improved photoelectric conversion efficiency.
2. Background Of The Invention
As a photovoltaic device for power sources of civilian equipment, solar cells, etc., there has been proposed a photovoltaic device utilizing a pn junction formed by ion spiking or thermally diffusing impurities into a single crystal substrate, for example( made of silicon (Si) or gallium arsenide (GaAs), or formed by epitaxially growing a layer doped with impurities on such a single crystal substrate. However, since the device uses a single crystal substrate as described above, it requires a high temperature process exceeding 1000.degree. C. upon production and it is difficult to fabricate the substrate into a thickness of several hundreds of micrometers or below, reduction of the cost is not easily attained.
A hydrogenated amorphous silicon (hereinafter referred to as "a-Si:H") photovoltaic device proposed by D. E. Carlson in 1976 can be produced by depositing an a-Si:H layer to a thickness of less than 1 .mu.m at a temperature of lower than 300.degree. C. on an inexpensive substrate such as glass and, accordingly, remarkable cost reduction can be expected. In view of this, various researches have been made therefor.
Further, the performance of the device has been improved in recent years, to such an extent of about 10-12% of photoelectric conversion efficiency with a device of small area, as can be applied to solar cells for a power supply.
Further, in the a-Si:H photovoltaic device and the photovoltaic device using an alloy of a-Si:H (they are hereinafter referred to as "a-Si:H system photovoltaic device"), a structure capable of effectively utilizing photon energy in a wide range of wavelength components of sunlight can be attained by successively stacking layers of different optical band gaps (Eg) or conduction types.
The features of the a-Si:H system photovoltaic device will be described below.
As shown in FIG. 5, since sunlight has a peak at a wavelength of about from 500 nm to 600 nm and has components ranging from 300 nm to 1500 nm, it is desirable for a solar cell to absorb wavelength components in a range as wide as possible. By the way, the wavelength region of light that can be absorbed in a solar cell is generally determined by the optical band gap (hereinafter referred to as "Eg") of semiconductors used in the solar cell. Generally, a semiconductor can absorb only light of wavelength shorter than light of energy corresponding to Eg.
Since there is an approximate relationship between the energy h.nu. (unit: eV) and the wavelength .nu. (unit: nm) of the light given as: .lambda.=1240/h.nu., a semiconductor of smaller Eg can utilize light of longer wavelength. For instance, since an a-Si:H semiconductor layer prepared by using monosilane (SiH.sub.4) as the starting material gas by means of a glow discharge decomposition method (GD method) has an Eg of about 1.7 eV, it can absorb sunlight of 300 nm to 730 nm in wavelength. Further, an a-SiGe:H semiconductor film prepared by using SiH.sub.4 gas and germane gas (GeH.sub.4) as the starting material gases by the GD method is advantageous since it has an Eg of about 1.4 eV and can absorb sunlight of 300 nm to 885 nm in wavelength and, accordingly, the number of electron-hole pairs to be excited is great and as a result, more short-circuit photocurrent (hereinafter referred to as "Isc") can be obtained.
On the other hand, since an a-SiC:H film prepared from SiH and CH as the starting material gases by the GD method has an Eg of about 2.0 eV, it can absorb the sunlight only within a range of wavelength from 300 nm to 620 nm and Isc is small, thus there is a difficulty in applying to a solar cell.
By the way, as a factor for determining the efficiency of a solar cell, there is the open circuit voltage (herein-after referred to as "Voc") in addition to the Isc. The value of Voc tends to increase as Eg of the semiconductor layer used (particularly, an i-type layer) becomes greater. For instance, when a non-doped a-Si:H film is used as the i-type layer, the value for 0.7 V when using the above-mentioned non-doped a-SiGe:H film as the i-type layer. Further, if the non-doped a-SiC:H film is used, the value of Voc is about 1.1 V. Accordingly, it is recognized that the voltage is low although the photocurrent is large in the semiconductor film of small Eg. On the other hand, in a semiconductor film of large Eg, although the voltage is high and there is an advantage that the great energy possessed by photons of short wavelength light can be used effectively, it has a drawback of not being capable of absorbing longer wavelength light and the photocurrent is small.
Accordingly, conventional photovoltaic devices still have a drawback that the energy of a wide range of wavelength components in the sunlight can not sufficiently be utilized.
The foregoing is not related only to the a-Si system photovoltaic devices. Similar relationships between Eg and solar cell characteristics can also be recognized in the photovoltaic devices using other kinds of semiconductor materials.
E. D. Jackson proposed an idea for improving the foregoing situation in 1960 (refer to U.S. Pat. No. 2,949,498). In his proposal, a plurality of photovoltaic elements using semiconductor materials of different Eg values are stacked in such an order that the Eg value becomes smaller from the side of incident light and the elements are connected in series. With such a constitution, light of short wavelength (high energy) is absorbed in the photovoltaic elements using semiconductors of large Eg and the energy thereof is effectively outputted as a voltage. On the other hand, light of long wavelength that can not be absorbed in these photovoltaic elements is absorbed in photovoltaic elements using semiconductors of small Eg, whereby the energy of light of wavelength components within a wide range of the sunlight is effectively utilized. However, the proposal employs a complicated structure in which three kinds of photovoltaic elements prepared independently are connected in series by way of wirings and this lacks in practical usefulness in view of the production cost, reliability, etc.
Further, photovoltaic devices in which a plurality of a-Si photovoltaic elements are stacked have been proposed by Japanese patent Laid-open Sho.55(1980)-111180 and Sho.55(1980)-125680. According to these proposals, since any desired number of a-Si:H layers can be stacked as the layers having necessary conduction type and there is no requirement for connecting individual photovoltaic elements in series by means of wirings, practical utility may be obtained to some extent. However, it has not been intended in these proposals to effectively utilize the light energy in terms of Eg for each of the semiconductors of the photovoltaic elements. Further, Japanese Patent Laid-open Sho. 58(1983)-116779 and Sho. 58(1983)-139478 have proposed a-Si:H system photovoltaic devices in which photovoltaic elements of different Eg are stacked, but these proposals are similar to those made by Jackson described above.
None of these photovoltaic devices having a stacked structure (hereinafter referred to as "stacked type photovoltaic device") can sufficiently satisfy the characteristic requirements of a photovoltaic device, particularly, photoelectric conversion efficiency, and there is much room for improvement.

Stacked photovoltaic device with antireflection layer


The present invention provides novel radioiodinated fatty acids. Also provided are methods of preparation of said radioiodinated fatty acids from non-radioactive precursors, as well as radiopharmaceutical compositions comprising such radioiodinated fatty acids. The invention also provides in vivo imaging methods using the radioiodinated fatty acids.

Under normal conditions, the human heart derives more than 60% of its energy from the oxidative metabolism of long chain fatty acids. In the ischaemic myocardium, however, oxidative metabolism of free fatty acids is suppressed, and anaerobic glucose metabolism predominates. Metabolic imaging can therefore provide useful information in the diagnosis and monitoring of various forms of heart disease.
Fatty acids have been radiolabelled with 11C and 18F for PET imaging, and 123I and 99mTc for SPECT radiopharmaceutical imaging [Eckelman et al, J. Nucl. Cardiol., 14, S100-S109 (2007)]. Eckelman et al stress that radiolabelling with an isotope other than 11C is in fact labelling a fatty acid analogue, and that care is needed that the substituent does not affect the ability of the analogue to trace important steps of the metabolic pathway.
Taki et al [Eur. J. Nucl. Med. Mol. Imaging, 34, S34-S48 (2007)] point out that early radioiodinated fatty acid analogues based on iodo-alkyl substituents were found to suffer significant in vivo metabolic deioidination. Radioiodinated fatty acid analogues incorporating iodo-phenyl moieties such as 123I-BMIPP and 123I-IPPA have, however, become established agents for such metabolic imaging (Taki et al, cited above):
                where I*=123I.
The applications of "click chemistry" in biomedical research, including radiochemistry, have been reviewed by Nwe et al [Cancer Biother. Radiopharm., 24(3), 289-302 (2009)]. As noted therein, the main interest has been in the PET radioisotope 18F (and to a lesser extent 11C), plus "click to chelate" approaches for radiometals suitable for SPECT imaging such as 99mTc or 111In. 18F click-labelling of targeting peptides, giving products incorporating an 18F-fluoroalkyl-substituted triazole have been reported by Li et al [Bioconj. Chem., 18(6), 1987-1994 (2007)], and Hausner et al [J. Med. Chem., 51(19), 5901-5904 (2008)].
WO 2006/067376 discloses a method for labelling a vector comprising reaction of a compound of formula (I) with a compound of formula (II):

a compound of formula (III) with a compound of formula (IV)

in the presence of a Cu(I) catalyst, to give a conjugate of formula (V) or (VI) respectively:

wherein L1, L2, L3, and L4 are each Linker groups;                R* is a reporter moiety which comprises a radionuclide.
R* of WO 2006/067376 is a reporter moiety which comprises a radionuclide for example a positron-emitting radionuclide. Suitable positron-emitting radionuclides for this purpose are said to include 11C, 18F, 75Br, 76Br, 124I, 82Rb, 68Ga, 64Cu and 62Cu, of which 11C and 18F are preferred. Other useful radionuclides are stated to include 123I, 125I, 131I, 211At, 99mTc, and 111In.
WO 2007/148089 discloses a method for radiolabelling a vector comprising reaction of a compound of formula (I) with a compound of formula (II):

or, a compound of formula (III) with a compound of formula (IV):

in the presence of a Cu(I) catalyst to give a conjugate of formula (V) or (VI) respectively:

wherein:                L1, L2, L3, and L4 are each Linker groups;        R* is a reporter moiety which comprises a radionuclide.
In both WO 2006/067376 and WO 2007/148089, metallic radionuclides are stated to be suitably incorporated into a chelating agent, for example by direct incorporation by methods known to the person skilled in the art.
WO 2006/116629 (Siemens Medical Solutions USA, Inc.) discloses a method of preparation of a radiolabelled ligand or substrate having affinity for a target biomacromolecule, the method comprising:                (a) reacting a first compound comprising                    (i) a first molecular structure;            (ii) a leaving group;            (iii) a first functional group capable of participating in a click chemistry reaction; and optionally,            (iv) a linker between the first functional group and the molecular structure, with a radioactive reagent under conditions sufficient to displace the leaving group with a radioactive component of the radioactive reagent to form a first radioactive compound;                        (b) providing a second compound comprising                    (i) a second molecular structure;            (ii) a second complementary functional group capable of participating in a click chemistry reaction with the first functional group, wherein the second compound optionally comprises a linker between the second compound and the second functional group;                        (c) reacting the first functional group of the first radioactive compound with the complementary functional group of the second compound via a click chemistry reaction to form the radioactive ligand or substrate; and        (d) isolating the radioactive ligand or substrate.
WO 2006/116629 teaches that the method therein is suitable for use with the radioisotopes: 124I, 18F, 11C, 13N and 15O with preferred radioisotopes being: 18F, 11C, 123I, 124I, 127I, 131I, 76Br, 64Cu, 99mTC, 90Y, 67Ga, 51Cr, 192Ir, 99Mo, 153Sm and 201Tl. WO 2006/116629 teaches that other radioisotopes that may be employed include: 72As, 74As, 75Br, 55Co, 61Cu, 67Cu, 68Ga, 68Ge, 125I, 132I, 111In, 52Mn, 203Pb and 97Ru. WO 2006/116629 does not, however, provide any specific teaching on how to apply the method to the radioiodination of biological molecules.
WO 2010/129572 describes PET radiotracers for imaging fatty acid metabolism and storage having one of the following formulae:
                where: n is 10-24, m is 1-10 and X is a halogen.
WO 2010/129572 teaches that at least one atom of the above chemical structures can be a radionuclide, preferably a positron-emitting radioisotope. 18F is the main radioisotope described. The structures shown would not be expected to be suitable for labelling with radioiodine, since if X were to be iodine that requires an iodoalkyl group, and such groups are known to be unstable with respect to deiodination in vivo.
Kim et al [Bioconj. Chem., 20(6), 1139-1145 (2009) disclose 18F-labelled fatty acid analogues for PET imaging of myocardial metabolism:

The 18F-fatty acids were prepared via click cycloaddition, wherein an 18F-alkyne was coupled to an azido-fatty acid, to generate the triazole ring.
PET imaging with 18F typically requires the availability of a cyclotron facility on the same site as the hospital, since 18F has a short half-life (110 minutes) and the desired radiotracer needs to be synthesised. The availability of cameras suitable for PET imaging is consequently much less widespread than SPECT cameras. There is therefore still a need for alternative radioiodinated fatty acids suitable for more routine clinical imaging, especially using SPECT radiopharmaceutical imaging.
The longer half-life of 123I compared to 18F enables the cyclotron for its production to be up to one day's transport time from the end user. This makes it possible for a single cyclotron to be able to supply a continent rather than a city, as is the case with 18F fluorine production.


A rotary drill bit having blades with cutting elements disposed on exterior portions thereof may be formed with either a continuous cutting zone or a substantially continuous cutting zone between the last cutting element on each blade and an adjacent gage pad. Such rotary drill bits may have improved steerability during the formation of a directional wellbore and/or may experience substantially reduced wear on gage pads and/or portions of each blade adjacent to respective gage pads. For some rotary drill bits an additional cutter may be disposed in one or more gage pads adjacent to the last cutting element. For other rotary drill bits a gage cutter may be disposed between and in close proximity to both the last cutting element and adjacent portions of the associated gage pad.

Various types of rotary drill bits, reamers, stabilizers and other downhole tools may be used to form a bore hole in the earth. Examples of such rotary drill bits include, but are not limited to, fixed cutter drill bits, drag bits, PDC drill bits and matrix drill bits used in drilling oil and gas wells. Cutting action associated with such drill bits generally requires weight on bit (WOB) and rotation of associated cutting elements into adjacent portions of a downhole formation. Drilling fluid may also be provided to perform several functions including washing away formation materials and other downhole debris from the bottom of a wellbore, cleaning associated cutting elements and cutting structures and carrying formation cuttings and other downhole debris upward to an associated well surface.
Fixed cutter rotary drill bits often have a bit body with a plurality of blades disposed on exterior portions of the bit body. Each blade typically includes a plurality of cutting elements or cutters disposed on exterior portions thereof. A gage pad may often be formed on each blade. Various types of compacts and cutting elements have sometimes been disposed within a gage pad. Cutting elements and/or compacts may sometimes be inserted into respective holes (not expressly shown) in exterior portions of a gage pad. Cutting elements disposed in such holes may sometimes be referred to as "drop in" cutting elements or cutters.
Gage pads typically cooperate with each other to define in part the largest outside diameter portion of an associated fixed cutter rotary drill bit. The gage pads may also define in part a nominal inside diameter of an associated wellbore formed by the fixed cutter rotary drill bit. At least one blade (and typically more than one blade) of prior fixed cutter rotary drill bits may often be formed with a significant gap or empty zone between the last cutting element on at least one blade and adjacent portions of an associated gage pad.
This gap may be formed because a typical cutter layout procedure usually starts with the first cutter disposed closest to bit center and towards the last cutter closest to the beginning of the associated gage pad following a specific overlapping rule. When the distance between the last cutter and the beginning of the associated gage pad is not big enough to fit another cutter, an empty zone or gap is typically formed on at least one blade.
Such gaps may have dimensions equal to or greater than corresponding dimensions of the last cutting element disposed on at least one blade. As a result, such gaps may leave partially uncut rings of formation material on the side wall of a wellbore formed by an associated rotary drill bit. For some applications noncutting elements such as tungsten carbide buttons or compacts may be placed within such gaps. For many straight hole drilling applications such noncutting elements may not interact with adjacent formation materials. However, for directional drilling, applications such noncutting elements may more frequently interact with the side wall of a wellbore because of side cutting action of an associated drill bit. The interaction of gage pads and noncutting elements with the side wall of a wellbore usually results in greater forces being applied to the associated drill bit as compared to forces applied to the bit when conventional cutting elements interact with adjacent formation materials. As a result, steerability of the associated drill bit may be significantly reduced.
Partially uncut rings of formation material may cause increased wear on gage pads of blades trailing a gap or noncontiguous cutting zone on at least one leading blade. Partially uncut rings of formation material may increase wear on exterior portions of at least one blade at the associated gap. Partially uncut rings of formation material may also reduce steerability of an associated fixed cutter rotary drill bit during directional drilling.
Various prior art references show examples of fixed cutter rotary drill bits having blades with a plurality of cutting elements or cutters disposed immediately adjacent to each other extending from an associated gage pad towards a bit rotational axis of an associated rotary drill bit. See for example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,607,024 and 5,265,685. Such cutting element layout procedure will often lead to 100% overlap, in a rotated profile, of the cutting elements having the same radial locations. As a result, uncut rings on the hole bottom may be formed which reduces significantly the rate of penetration and causes uneven wear of cutting elements. In addition, forming such rotary drill bits with cutting elements substantially covering all exterior portions of each blade extending from the associated gage pad may significantly increase costs associated with manufacturing such rotary drill bits. Also, placing a large number of cutting elements immediately adjacent to each other on exterior portions of an associated blade may be relatively difficult. Forming respective pockets or sockets in which each cutting element may be securely engaged generally takes up a significant amount of available space on each blade.

Rotary drill bit with improved steerability and reduced wear


Tungsten-halogen lamps operating at temperatures above 250.degree. C. which contain a mixture of phosphine, hydrogen, bromine and inert gas have been found to have superior life and lumen maintenance when the atomic ratio of phosphorus to bromine in the lamp is in the range of from 0.4-2.5.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a fill suitable for use with tungsten halogen lamps and lamps using same. More particularly, this invention relates to a tungsten halogen lamp operating at a temperature greater than 250.degree. C. and having improved life which comprises a hermetically sealed, light transmissive, vitreous envelope containing a tungsten filament and a mixture of inert gas, hydrogen, phosphorus and bromine wherein atomic ratio of phosphorus to bromine ranges from 0.4-2.5.
2. Background of the Disclosure
Tungsten halogen lamps which comprise a hermetically sealed vitreous, light transmissive envelope enclosing a tungsten filament and containing a fill comprising a halogen gas are well known to those skilled in the art. These lamps operate on a tungsten-halogen cycle which is a regenerative, continuous process in which a halogen containing tungsten compound is produced when the halide combines chemically with particles of tungsten evaporating from an incandescent tungsten filament. Subsequent thermal decomposition of these so formed halogen containing tungsten compounds at the filament returns the tungsten particles back to the filament. For the most part, one or more bromine compounds are used for the halide fill in such lamps along with an inert gas, such as argon. Phosphorus or phosphorus compounds which act as oxygen getters are also employed in the fill. Bromine compounds known to be useful for such fills include hydrogen bromide HBr, methyl bromide CH.sub.3 Br, dibromomethane CH.sub.2 Br.sub.2 and bromoform CHBr.sub.3. Thus, U.S. Pat. No. 3,712,701 discloses the use of hydrogen bromide as well as these bromine containing single carbon atom hydrocarbon compounds. This patent also discloses the use of phosphonitrilic bromides. U.S. Pat. No. 4,629,935 discloses a fill consisting of a mixture of phosphine and methyl bromide wherein the mass ratio of the carbon to the phosphorus in the fill resulting from such compounds ranges from about 4/1 to about 1/1. It is also known that the use of carbon containing compounds in tungsten-halogen lamps can result in the tungsten filament becoming brittle due to the presence of the carbon in the lamp. This embrittlement becomes particularly significant in filaments made of fine tungsten wire having a diameter of less than 0.005 inches and U.S. Pat. No. 4,629,936 suggests various ratios of phosphorus compounds to carbon containing compounds, along with the presence of yellow phosphorus in the lamp, as a possible solution to this problem. The example in this patent employed a mixture of methyl bromide and phosphine, but the amounts of these materials used in the example are not given. The preferred phosphine to methyl bromide mass ratio was said to be from 30/1 to 1/1.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,748,376 discloses that additional problems occur with tungsten halogen lamps when the lamps operate at relatively cool temperatures such that the interior wall surface of the vitreous envelope is less than 200.degree. C. The operation of lamps at these low temperatures is disclosed in this patent as resulting in premature blackening of the glass envelope. Such blackening is believed to be from tungsten transfer from the filament onto the inner envelope surface due to failure of the tungsten cycle. This problem is overcome by using a fill in the envelope which includes bromine, phosphorus, carbon and an inert gas, with a phosphorus to carbon mass ratio in the range of approximately 10/1 to 1/1. Phosphine, methyl bromide, dibromomethane, bromoform and cyanogen (C.sub.2 N.sub.2) are disclosed as being suitable as components of the lamp fill. This patent also discloses that adding too much phosphine to the fill also results in lamp darkening.

Tungsten halogen lamp including phosphorous and bromine


A vehicle memory key is configured for storing user preferences in a memory such as an encoded magnetic strip. The vehicle memory key is inserted into a key receptacle associated with operating the vehicle and one or more vehicle systems. A first insertion orientation of the key relative to the key receptacle is associated with a first set of user preferences and a second insertion orientation is associated with a second set of user preferences.

The present invention is generally related to vehicle systems. In particular, the present invention is related to vehicle ignition keys having coded records for identifying and asserting user preferences associated therewith.
As vehicles and associated vehicle systems become more complex and feature rich, use and control thereof becomes more complicated. With the advent of vehicle-based Internet access, control complexity further increases. Not only may different users have different preferences or permissions for access, but Internet based services such as vehicle tracking may expand the way the Internet is used in the vehicular context. In addition, different users may prefer different settings for basic vehicle control systems.
As an example of basic vehicle system control, many vehicle seat position controls allow precise control of seat position, seat back position, seat angle, lumbar support, headrest support, seat height, and more. For vehicles serving several different drivers, managing seat position settings may become cumbersome particularly for persons having seat control requirements differing drastically from the previous driver. When the control of additional systems are considered, such as, for example, radio settings, climate control settings, and the like, the degree of complexity associated with control and management of preferences and settings can increase dramatically.
Some systems such as that described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,230,084, B1 issued to Kijima, et al., on May 8, 2001 provide sophisticated vehicle system characteristic monitoring and adjustment for each driver. The problem of managing individual driver preferences is addressed by the use of a system which reads an IC card to determine user preferences. The IC card described in Kijima may store one or more driver""s preferences and may be inserted into a card reader associated with the vehicle. Copies of a master IC card may be distributed to drivers or alternatively each driver may have an individualized card.
In other sophisticated systems, such as that described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,216,068 B1 issued to Gimmler et al. on Apr. 10, 2001, driver behavior is sensed and long-term, short-term, and steady-speed components are used to perform adjustments in accordance with a corresponding adjustment characteristic. It should be noted that the system described in Gimmler et al appears to perform behavior-adaptive control regardless of specific knowledge about the individual driver and merely adapts based on continuing input from vehicle system behavior sensors. In still another system described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,278,986 B1, issued to Kimihira et al. on Aug. 21, 2001, a machine such as an engine, is trained to suit the characteristics of a user and/or using conditions.
In still other systems such as that described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,999,104 and U.S. Pat. No. 6,005,488 issued to Symanow et al. on Dec. 7, 1999 and Dec. 21, 1999 respectively, user controls may be reprogrammed to control different aspects of a device without changes to the device or software. None of these systems however address the need to easily determine and assert a particular user""s preferences. Such easy assertion would not require, for example, a complicated, separate card reader, or the like.
Consequently, it would be desirable to provide a means to easily identify and assert a user""s vehicle system preferences including Internet controls. Such easy assertion would preferably be associated with part of the normal operation of the vehicle, e.g. during ignition or the like.
According the present invention is directed to a vehicle memory key having two sides with different user preference related information encoded on each side. During normal operation of the vehicle, e.g. during key insertion for ignition, one side of the key is read and one set of user preferences asserted, and when the key is inserted such that the other side of key is read a different set of user preferences is asserted.
In one embodiment, the vehicle memory key of the present invention may be configured for storing user preferences in a memory such as an encoded magnetic strip or the like. The vehicle memory key may preferably be capable of being inserted into a key receptacle associated with operating the vehicle, e.g. an ignition module or cylinder, which may further be coupled to one or more vehicle systems. A first insertion orientation relative to the key receptacle may be associated with a first set of the user preferences, for example, for a first user. The first set of user preferences may be stored in a first portion of the memory such, for example, a magnetic strip. A second insertion orientation relative to the key receptacle may be associated with a second set of the user preferences stored in a second portion of the memory. It will be appreciated that the second set of user preferences is different from the first set of user preferences and is preferably associated with a different user, although it is possible that two different sets of preferences for the same user may be stored on respective sides of the vehicle memory key.
In the vehicle memory key of the present invention, first and second portions of the memory respectively may be configured to contain encoded information, e.g. magnetically encoded information associated with the first and second set of user preferences. The encoded information is then capable of being read by a reading device associated with the key receptacle, e.g. a device capable of reading the magnetically encoded information. It should also be noted that in accordance with alternative exemplary embodiments, the first set of user preferences is selectively associated, e.g. through the use of a switch or the like on one side of the vehicle memory key, with more than one user, and the second set of user preferences is selectively associated, e.g. through the use of another switch or the like on the other side of the vehicle memory key, also with more than one user.
In accordance with various exemplary embodiments, it will be appreciated that the one or more vehicle systems may include one or more of a window control system, a seat position control system, a steering column position control system, an audio control system, a video control system, a vehicle use tracking system, an Internet interface control system, a climate control system, a ride control system, a mirror control system, and a navigation system, or the like.
In a method for determining user preferences in accordance with exemplary embodiments of the present invention, user preferences associated with the vehicle may be stored in a memory, the vehicle memory key capable of being inserted into a key receptacle associated with operating the vehicle and one or more vehicle systems. A first set of the user preferences may be associated with a first insertion orientation relative to the key receptacle by storing the first set of user preferences in a first portion of the memory, and a second set of the user preferences may be associated with a second insertion orientation relative to the key receptacle by storing the second set of user preferences in a second portion of the memory. It should be noted that the second set of user preferences is preferably different from the first set of the user preferences.
Information associated with the first and second set of user preferences may be encoded in the first and second portions of the memory respectively such that the encoded information from the first portion of the memory may be read if the vehicle memory key is inserted in the first insertion orientation, and the encoded information from the second portion of the memory may be read if the vehicle memory key is inserted in the second insertion orientation. The user preferences may be asserted in the one or more vehicle systems which systems may include one or more of a window control system, a seat position control system, a steering column position control system, an audio control system, a video control system, a vehicle use tracking system, an Internet interface control system, a climate control system, a ride control system, a mirror control system, and a navigation system, or the like. In accordance with alternative exemplary embodiments, multiple portions of the first set of user preferences may be selectively associated, e.g. through the use of a switch, with a more than one user, and multiple portions of the second set of user preferences may similarly be selectively associated with more than one user.
In accordance with yet other alternative exemplary embodiments of the present invention, a system for asserting user preferences in a vehicle may include a vehicle memory key for storing, in a memory, user preferences associated with one or more vehicle systems of the vehicle. The vehicle memory key has a first insertion orientation associated with a first set of the user preferences stored in a first portion of the memory; and a second insertion orientation associated with a second set of the user preferences stored in a second portion of the memory. The second set of user preferences is preferably different from the first set of the user preferences. The system may also preferably include a key receptacle for receiving the vehicle memory key. The key receptacle may be associated with operating the vehicle, e.g. an ignition module or cylinder. The key receptacle may be configured to read the first or the second set of the user preferences when the key is inserted in the first or second insertion orientation. One or more vehicle system control modules may be coupled to the key receptacle such that they may be configured to receive the first or second set of user preferences read by the key receptacle. The system may further be equipped with a reading device associated with the key receptacle, and the first and second portions of the memory respectively may contain encoded information associated with the first and second set of user preferences. The encoded information is preferably capable of being read by reading device.
As previously described, the one or more vehicle systems may include one or more of a window control system, a seat position control system, a steering column position control system, an audio control system, a video control system, a vehicle use tracking system, an Internet interface control system, a climate control system, a ride control system, a mirror control system, and a navigation system, or the like. In accordance with various alternative exemplary embodiments, the first set of user preferences may be selectively associated, e.g. through the use of a switch, with a more than one user, and the second set of user preferences may be selectively associated, e.g. with another switch, with a more than one user on the other side of the vehicle memory key.
In still another exemplary embodiment in accordance with the present invention, a method may be used for determining user preferences associated with one or more vehicle systems of a vehicle using a vehicle memory key. The exemplary method includes storing user preferences associated with the vehicle in a memory associated with the vehicle memory key, associating a first set of the user preferences with a first insertion orientation relative to a key receptacle by storing the first set of user preferences in a first portion of the memory, and associating a second set of the user preferences with a second insertion orientation relative to the key receptacle by storing the second set of user preferences in a second portion of the memory. It will be appreciated that the second set of user preferences is preferably different from the first set of the user preferences. The vehicle memory key may be inserted into the key receptacle which may further be associated with operating the vehicle and the vehicle systems. Once inserted, the first set of user preferences may be read from the first portion of the memory if the vehicle memory key is inserted in the first insertion orientation, and the second set of user preferences may be read from the second portion of the memory if the vehicle memory key is inserted in the second insertion orientation. The user preferences may then be asserted in the one or more vehicle systems; such as one or more of a window control system, a seat position control system, a steering column position control system, an audio control system, a video control system, a vehicle use tracking system, an Internet interface control system, a climate control system, a ride control system, a mirror control system, and a navigation system, or the like. The first set of user preferences may alternatively be selectively associated with a first more than one user, e.g. through the use of a switch, and similarly the second set of user preferences may be selectively associated with more than one user.
In still another embodiment, a vehicle memory key stores user Internet preferences associated with one or more vehicle Internet terminals in a memory. The vehicle memory key is preferably capable of being inserted into a key receptacle associated with operating the vehicle and Internet related vehicle systems. The vehicle memory key preferably comprises a first insertion orientation relative to the key receptacle, associated with a first set of user Internet preferences stored in a first portion of the memory. A second insertion orientation relative to the key receptacle may further be provided, the second insertion orientation associated with a second set of user Internet preferences stored in a second portion of the memory. It should be noted that the second set of user preferences is preferably different from the first set of the user preferences. The first and second portions of the memory respectively contain encoded information associated with the first and second set of user Internet preferences which information is preferably capable of being read by a reading device associated with the key receptacle. It should be noted that the one or more Internet related vehicle systems may preferably include one or more of an Internet based vehicle use tracking system, and an Internet access control system. The user Internet preferences may include one or more of: vehicle use tracking system settings and Internet access control settings. The first set of user Internet preferences may be selectively associated with a first one user, and the second set of user Internet preferences may be selectively associated with a second user different from the first one user.
It is to be understood that both the forgoing general description and the following detailed description are exemplary and explanatory only and are not restrictive of the invention as claimed. The accompanying drawings, which arc incorporated in and constitute a part of the specification, illustrate an embodiment of the invention and together with the general description, serve to explain the principles of the invention.