In a product distribution management system in which a product is packaged in an outer case and delivered, a product wireless tag is attached to a product such as a toner cartridge, and a product wireless tag ID is written on the tag at a production factory. Then, at a product warehouse, an outer-case wireless tag is attached to the outer case in which the product is packaged, and an outer-case wireless tag ID is written on this outer-case tag. A correlation computer correlates the product wireless tag ID and the outer-case wireless tag ID with each other. At a customer's premises, the outer-case wireless tag ID can be used, and at a recovery/recycling factory, the product wireless tag ID can be used. Production information, delivery information and recovery information are correlated with the wireless tag ID's and integrally managed at a data center.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to distribution management of products, and in particular to a method and system for managing product distribution in which products are packaged in outer cases for delivery, and further particular to a distribution management of a product which is a toner cartridge.
2. Background Art
As a method for managing distribution of articles, a method is well known in which information identifying an article, such as the name of the article, is a bar code; a bar code label is attached to a surface of the article; and the bar code is read by a bar code reader.
The content of such a bar code is commonly an article name, and this data capacity may be insufficient to include individual information about the article, for example, a serial number among the same articles. Furthermore, as it is not possible to rewrite a bar code printed on a label, it is necessary to replace the bar code label with a new label if the data is changed. To attempt to address this problem, memory modules having a radio frequency identification (RFID) function, a large rewritable memory capacity have recently come to be used. The memory module having a RFID function is a small-sized module constructed by combining a rewritable memory on which data can be read and written with an antenna or the like, which provides a capability of performing wireless communication with an external reader/writer so that data can be written to the memory module with a RFID function and so that data stored therein can be read. An example of known memory modules with a RFID function is an IC card with a RFID function, a so-called wireless tag or ID tag to be attached to a part, and a RFID tag.
By using a memory module with a RFID function, such as a wireless tag, product data, such as quality data, can be stored along with identification data during or after production. Therefore, by attaching such a module to a product and distributing the module together with the product, quality data and the like specific to the product can be conveniently obtained anywhere. Furthermore, because data can be rewritten or additional data can be added, distribution management can be facilitated through use of additional data regarding the distribution history, for example.
For example, Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No. 2002-169879 discloses an individual management system for a white overall on which an ID tag has been attached. In the system described in this publication, an ID tag is sewn to a white overall. When the white overall is recovered from a customer, the ID tag is read and 'recover' registration is performed. Similarly, by reading the ID tag, 'accept' registration is performed at a warehouse; registration of 'receipt' into a factory is performed at a maintenance factory; processing is performed with a factory shipment terminal after washing or necessary repair has been performed; and delivery data is confirmed when the white overall is returned to the customer. Thus, by using an ID tag to obtain information about a product and performed at a processing at multiple distribution points through which the product flows, management of the product can be performed.
Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No. 2002-169879 describes a system in which a wireless tag attached to a product is used to perform distribution management. However, products are often packaged in outer cases and the like for delivery to customers. However, with this system, problems as described below remain.
Identification data or individual quality data of a product is specific to the product, and it is desirable that a wireless tag storing such data be directly attached to the product. However, when a product is packaged for delivery to a customer, it is more efficient and convenient to use a bar code or a wireless tag attached on the exterior of the package as it is then possible to read or write data without opening the package. In other words, distribution management can be performed using only a barcode or a wireless tag attached on an outer packaging case.
In such a case, if only the product without the outer packaging case is recovered, it is difficult to know the history of the recovered product because the product does not have a bar code or a wireless tag used for distribution management. Even if the product is recovered in any empty outer packaging case, the product is not necessarily returned in its original outer case, especially if some time has elapsed after it was taken out of the original outer case. Then, at this time, continuity of the data for distribution management may be broken.
Moreover, a database related to production and distribution from shipment to delivery of a product is commonly managed primarily by production and sales departments, while a database related to recovery of a product is often primarily managed by recycling and recovery departments. Therefore, the multiple databases are often utilized ineffectively and data is not correlated. In addition, the above described broken continuity of the data for the distribution management makes it more difficult to correlate the multiple databases with each other.
As described above, according to the prior-art technology, in the case where a product is packaged in an outer case for delivery to a customer, if the product and the outer case are separated from each other, the continuity of the distribution data of the product is lost. Accordingly, it is difficult to perform consistent distribution management throughout production, delivery, and recovery of the product.
Furthermore, correlation of a database for production and distribution of a product with a database for recovery of the product remains a troublesome and relatively difficult task. As a result, in the event that any problem arises in a product on the market, a great deal of time is required for retrieval of appropriate data, for example, for extraction of unrecovered products probably having same problem, it is difficult to respond quickly.

Product distribution management system, toner cartridge distribution management system, and product distribution management method


Two different communication terminals share a broadcast content received through a mobile broadcast service. If a mobile broadcast-sharing mode for sharing a broadcast content with a specific communication terminal is set, a mobile broadcast terminal extracts broadcast video data and broadcast audio data from a mobile broadcast signal being received. The mobile broadcast terminal converts a codec of the broadcast video data and the broadcast audio data into a codec used in video communication, and delivers at least one of the converted broadcast video data and the converted broadcast audio data through video communication formed to the communication terminal.

Along with the recent boom in third-generation mobile communication, mobile terminals for video calls have been widely spread. The third-generation mobile communications technology may not only perform video calls, but also transmit a large amount of multimedia at high speed and easily support an automatic global roaming service. Hence, this communication technology is expected to be widely used as the next-generation mobile communication.
Many standards proposed for mobile broadcast services based on mobile terminals include Digital Multimedia Broadcasting (DMB), Digital Video Broadcasting-Handheld (DVB-H), Digital Video Broadcasting-Convergence of Broadcast and Mobile Services (DVB-CBMS), and Open Mobile Alliance Mobile Broadcast Services Enabler Suite (OMA-BCAST), and the mobile broadcast services based on these standards are now available. In some countries including South Korea, DMB broadcast service over mobile terminals has now been commonplace, and many new services based on broadcasting-communication convergence have been proposed in succession.
As to the current situation regarding mobile broadcast services, since a mobile broadcast service is performed with a different standard in every area and every broadcast service provider supports a different mobile broadcast standard, terminals supporting mobile broadcast also support only predetermined standards.
Therefore, if a user, or a broadcast/communication subscriber, leaves a particular area with his/her mobile terminal, the user may enjoy only the limited broadcast services and may not receive a roaming service for mobile broadcast.

Method and apparatus for sharing mobile broadcast service


The present invention, generally speaking, provides efficient multi-rate trellis encoder and decoder structures. The trellis encoder allows for a variable number of uncoded bits to be represented in a transmit symbol. The decoder maps received symbols to a smaller constellation by dropping selected symbol bits, whereby, for each of multiple cosets, points within that coset are mapped to a fewer number of points. Substantial simplification of the decoder structure is therefore achieved.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to channel coding and decoding in digital communications, particularly high-speed, broadband wireline communications.
2. State of the Art
Channel coding refers to data transformations, performed after source encoding but prior to modulation, that transform source bits into channel bits. Trellis coding is one class of channel coding. Trellis encoders and decoders find widespread use in digital communications, an example of such use being xDSL modems such as HDSL2/G.SHDSL modems. One specific trellis decoder is the Viterbi decoder. Trellis encoders and Viterbi decoders are described, for example, in U.S. Pat. No. 5,457,705, incorporated herein by reference.
A block diagram of a known data transmission system using a trellis encoder and a Viterbi decoder is shown in FIG. 1 and includes a transmitter comprising convolutional encoder 41, mapping circuit 42 for setting an arrangement of signal points, and 8-PSK (phase shift keying) modulator 43 for phase-modulating which is supplied with 8 signal points generated by 23 bits, and a receiver comprising 8-PSK demodulator 44 and Viterbi decoder 45. Convolutional encoder 41 produces output signal points Y2, Y1, Y0 that are mapped into the position shown in FIG. 2 of the accompanying drawings by mapping circuit 42 and then modulated by 8-PSK modulator 43 for transmission to a transmission path. The 8-phase-modulated signal, with noise added during transmission, is demodulated into m-bit soft decision I channel, Q channel (I-ch., Q-ch.) data by 8-PSK demodulator 44. The m-bit soft decision I-ch., Q-ch. data are supplied to Viterbi decoder 45, which produces estimated information data d. Although different data transmission systems use different modulation coding arrangements, some of which may only be one-dimensional instead of two-dimensional (I, Q), the foregoing system may be regarded as exemplary for purposes of the present discussion.
A block diagram of a typical trellis encoder, or convolutional encoder, is shown in FIG. 3, operation of which will be described. Convolutional encoder 41 is supplied with parallel information bits X1, X2 that have been converted by serial/parallel converter 101 connected to input terminals 77, 78 of convolutional encoder 41. If the encoding ratio is 2/3, then exclusive-OR gates 85, 86 of convolutional encoder 41 output exclusive-OR of information bits X1, X2 supplied from input terminals 77, 78 and output signals from shift registers 82, 83, and are stored in respective shift registers 83, 84. At this point, convolutional encoder 41 outputs, as encoded data, output signals Y1, Y2 as respective information bits X1, X2 and redundancy bit Y0 from respective output terminals 80, 79, 81. Each time information bits X1, X2 are inputted, convolutional encoder 41 repeats the above operation and produces output data Y1, Y2, Y0. Output data Y1, Y2, Y0 are then mapped into the positions shown in FIG. 2 by mapping circuit 42 of FIG. 1. If there are three input information bits X1, X2, X3 and the encoding ratio is 3/4, then, assuming that convolutional encoder 41 is used, convolutional encoder 41 adds redundancy bit Y0 depending on information bits X1, X2 to information bits X1, X2, X3, and produces 4-bit output data.
Operation of Viterbi decoder 45 will be described below with reference to FIG. 4, FIG. 5, FIG. 6, and FIG. 7 of the accompanying drawings. FIG. 4 shows the trellis transition of convolutional encoder 41. FIG. 5 shows an ACS (add compare select) circuit composed of adders 50 through 53, comparator 54, and selector 55, and FIG. 6 also shows the ACS circuit. FIG. 7 shows Viterbi decoder 45. In FIG. 7, the m-bit soft decision I ch., Q ch. data decoded from an 8-PSK signal are supplied from input terminals 87, 88, respectively, to branch metric generator 89, which determines likelihood estimates (branch metrics) BM0, BM1, . . . , BM7 between the 8-phase signal points and reception points as shown in FIG. 2. The likelihood estimates BM0, BM1, . . . , BM7 are supplied to ACS circuit 90. To process a 0th state as shown in FIG. 5, branch and path metrics BM0xe2x80x2, PM0, branch and path metrics BM2xe2x80x2, PM2, branch and path metrics BM4xe2x80x2, PM4, and branch and path metrics BM6xe2x80x2, PM6 are added by respective adders 50, 51, 52, 53, and a path metric with maximum likelihood is calculated by comparator 54 and selected by selector 55 as a path metric PM0 on the next occasion. It is assumed that a path that has transited from a 4th state is selected. Upon selection of the path, the history data of the path stored in 4th-state shift register 75 (see FIG. 6) in path memory 91 is shifted to the right into 0th-state shift registers 73 by select signals SEL0 applied to selectors 56, 60, 64, 68, so that 0th-state shift registers 73 store two information bits xe2x80x9c01xe2x80x9d that are a transition output. Similarly, the above operation is simultaneously carried out with respect to the 1st, 2nd, . . . , 7th states by circuits based on the trellis transition shown in FIG. 4. Each time a received symbol is inputted, path metrics PM0-PM7 with maximum likelihood are detected by maximum likelihood decider 92, and the output signal from the final shift register which represents the state of the most likelihood path is selected by selector 72, thus producing estimates X2, X1 indicative of estimated decoded bits.
In order to cover a wide variety of services XDSL standards, such as G.SHDSL, typically specify more than one data rate. Moreover, past experience dictates the need for higher and higher data rates. There are various ways to address this issue of high data rate system with multi-rate functionality. One straightforward approach is to increase the bandwidth of the transmitted signal in proportion to the required data rate. However, this is not a very efficient use of the bandwidth. Another approach is to change the number of bits per symbols, i.e., more bits per symbols for higher data rates. In this approach it is not necessary to increase the bandwidth.
The difficulty of the variable bits per symbol is that if proper care is not taken, the associated trellis encoding/decoding arrangement can become unduly complex. What is needed is a careful design of the trellis encoding/decoding arrangement so that the multiple bits per symbol for various data rates can be used seamlessly. The present invention addresses this need.
The present invention, generally speaking, provides efficient trellis encoder/decoder structure that is suitable for accommodating multiple bits per transmitted symbol. On the encoder side for every rate we map the input bits to a transmitted symbol in such a way that the logic required for decoding the encoded bits is virtually the same irrespective of the number of bits per symbol. This results in greatly simplified decoder structure.

Unified technique for multi-rate trellis coding and decoding


The invention relates to an improved bitumen recovery process. The process includes adding water to a bitumen-froth/solvent system containing asphaltenes and mineral solids. The addition of water in droplets increases the settling rate of asphaltenes and mineral solids to more effectively treat the bitumen for pipeline transport, further enhancement, refining, or any other application of reduced-solids bitumen.

The economic recovery and utilization of heavy hydrocarbons, including bitumen, is one of the world's toughest energy challenges. The demand for heavy crudes such as those extracted from oil sands has increased significantly in order to replace the dwindling reserves of conventional crude. These heavy hydrocarbons, however, are typically located in geographical regions far removed from existing refineries. Consequently, the heavy hydrocarbons are often transported via pipelines to the refineries. In order to transport the heavy crudes in pipelines they must meet pipeline quality specifications.
The extraction of bitumen from mined oil sands involves the liberation and separation of bitumen from the associated sands in a form that is suitable for further processing to produce a marketable product. Among several processes for bitumen extraction, the Clark Hot Water Extraction (CHWE) process represents an exemplary well-developed commercial recovery technique. In the CHWE process, mined oil sands are mixed with hot water to create slurry suitable for extraction as bitumen froth.
The addition of paraffinic solvent to bitumen froth and the resulting benefits are described in Canadian Patent Nos. 2,149,737 and 2,217,300. According to Canadian Patent No. 2,149,737, the contaminant settling rate and extent of removal of contaminants present in the bitumen froth generally increases as (i) the carbon number or molecular weight of the paraffinic solvent decreases, (ii) the solvent to froth ratio increases, and (iii) the amount of aromatic and napthene impurities in the paraffinic solvent decreases. Further, a temperature above about 30 degrees Celsius (° C.) during settling is preferred.
In many instances, it may be advantageous to observe the particle size distribution (PSD) in a particular bitumen-froth mixture. This may be done to ensure that the resulting heavy hydrocarbon product meets pipeline specifications and other requirements and lead to adjustments in the recovery process. Various techniques such as optical, laser diffraction, electrical counting, and ultrasonic techniques have been used to determine PSD.
One reason for processing the heavy hydrocarbon product in such a process is to eliminate enough of the solids to meet pipeline transport specifications and the specifications of the refining equipment. For example, the sediment specification of the bitumen product as measured by the filterable solids test (ASTM-D4807) may be used to determine if the product is acceptable. As such, a higher settling rate of solid particles including mineral solids and asphaltenes from the froth-treated bitumen is desirable.
Methods to improve the settling rate of the minerals can significantly impact the efficiency of heavy hydrocarbon (e.g. bitumen) recovery processes. There exists a need in the art for a low cost method to produce bitumen which meets various sediment specifications.

Upgrading bitumen in a paraffinic froth treatment process


A new and distinct cultivar of Mandevilla plant named ‘Lanvermont’, characterized by its broadly upright to outwardly spreading plant habit; moderately vigorous growth habit; freely branching habit; glossy dark green-colored leaves; early and freely flowering habit; and flowers with deep red-colored petals with darker red-colored throats.

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Mandevilla plant, botanically known as Mandevilla sanderi and hereinafter referred to by the name 'Lanvermont'.
The new Mandevilla plant is a product of a planned breeding program conducted by the Inventor in Malause, France. The objective of the breeding program is to create new freely branching Mandevilla plants with numerous unique and attractive flowers.
The new Mandevilla plant originated from a cross-pollination conducted by the Inventor in Malause, France in July, 2016 of a proprietary selection of Mandevilla sanderi identified as code number si 10-0662-009, not patented, as the female, or seed, parent with a proprietary selection of Mandevilla sanderi identified as code number si 10-0265-096, not patented, as the male, or pollen, parent. The new Mandevilla plant was discovered and selected by the Inventor as a single flowering plant from within the progeny of the stated cross-pollination in a controlled greenhouse environment in Malause, France in June, 2017.
Asexual reproduction of the new Mandevilla plant by stein cuttings in a controlled greenhouse environment in Malause, France since August, 2019 has shown that the unique features of this new Mandevilla plant are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations.


Various embodiments for defragmentation of a storage volume in a computing storage environment by a processor device are provided. A volume table of contents (VTOC) is serialized for a volume scan operation. At least one dummy data set in the storage volume is allocated, to be subsequently filled with actual data pursuant to a degragmentation operation. Input/output (I/O) operations are allowed to occur.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates in general to computers, and more particularly to a method, system, and computer program product for optimizing defragmentation operations by temporarily VTOC locking in a computing storage environment.
2. Description of the Related Art
The majority of businesses in the world today use computers and computer operating systems to store and manage information. Typically, such information is stored and managed in interconnected storage systems. In today's current environment, data sets are constantly expanded and compressed, resulting in fragmentation in storage units (such as volumes). The most common solution to reducing such fragmentation is implementing a defragmentation operation, or "DEFRAG" job. DEFRAG may pass through an entire volume, moving datasets together so that the disk's free space is grouped together. Several passes are often required to defragment a volume.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Temporary VTOC locking during defragmentation

International Business Machines Corporation


A readily releasable wedge assembly for holding a wire rope in a socket comprises first and second wedge components and a release assembly. The first and second wedge components are joined together adjacent respective first ends thereof at a pin connection. The first and second wedge components have respective second ends opposite the first ends, which are spaced from the first ends in a longitudinal direction. The first and second wedge components are pivotable relative to each other about the pin connection and together define an outer periphery shaped to receive a wire rope. The release assembly is positioned between the second ends of the wedge components. The release assembly is threadedly actuatable to release the first and second wedge components from an expanded position and reconfigure the wedge assembly into a contracted position allowing the wedge assembly to be removed from a socket.

Wedge and socket assemblies are well known. Such assemblies are used to secure an end of a wire rope, such as in dragline and other applications where heavy loads are encountered. The wedge has a generally tapered shape that fits within a tapered passage of the socket. The wire rope is inserted through a passage, looped around the wedge and then routed back through the passage. When a load is applied through the wire rope, it tends to force the wedge into the socket.
Dismantling a wedge and socket connection can be very difficult. Even after the wire rope is cut, significant effort may be required to dismantle the wedge from the socket. Such efforts result in equipment downtime and increase the risk to personnel.

Readily releasable wedge assembly for holding a wire rope in a socket


A system for sealing a building air duct in response to a chemical or biological attack to prevent the building HVAC system from delivering the chemical or biological agent throughout the building. The system can include an inflatable bladder for disposition within an air duct, a source of gas for expanding the bladder, an initiator for initiating the gas expansion, and a detector for detecting the agent. One bladder is formed of a resilient material suitable for extending into duct corners. Another bladder is larger than the duct to be sealed and is formed of a non-resilient material capable of inflating and bunching into duct corners. One source of gas is a gas canister while another source of gas is a chemical composition capable of reacting and forming the gas. One bladder includes a foaming agent which can expand and solidify within the bladder. One initiator utilizes an electronic signal to initiate the gas expansion. Another initiator includes use of an RF signal to initiate the gas expansion. One agent detector samples duct air while another detector includes a horizon detector for detecting agents in the air outside the building.

The recent demise of the cold war and decline in super-power tensions has been accompanied by an increase in concern over the viability of weapons of mass destruction such as chemical and biological (CB) weapons. CB weapons include chemical agents such as phosgene, nerve agents such as Sarin, and biological agents such as anthrax or small pox. CB weapons may be delivered to occupants within a building by releasing the agents external to the building but close to an air intake of the building. The air intake may be located near the ground or near the roof or somewhere in between, depending on the building architecture. Agents may also be released within a public area of a building, and be dispersed to other, private areas of the same building. Agents released in one area of a building may be further dispersed by the heating, ventilating, and air conditioning (HVAC) system of the building. It is possible that building air may be removed from the room of release and dispersed by the HVAC system itself through the building. If building air is recycled by mixing return air with intake air, as is sometimes the case, either intentionally or inadvertently, then the HVAC system may effectively deliver an agent from one room to the entire building.
Agents may be delivered in vehicles giving some warnings as to the delivery, such as missiles. Agents may be delivered in vehicles giving no warning, such as a pedestrian held putative asthma inhaler activated near an air intake.
Certain buildings, such as key military sites, can be equipped or designed well in advance to deal with the use of CB weapons. Other buildings, however, such as hotels that are hosting dignitaries or a head of state may be more susceptible to a CB weapons attack. What would be desirable therefore, is a system for sealing air ducts of a building that can be placed and activated on short notice.

Method and apparatus for sealing building ductwork during chemical or biological attack


Embodiments herein describe techniques, systems, and method for a semiconductor device. Embodiments herein may present a semiconductor device having a channel area including a channel III-V material, and a source area including a first portion and a second portion of the source area. The first portion of the source area includes a first III-V material, and the second portion of the source area includes a second III-V material. The channel III-V material, the first III-V material and the second III-V material may have a same lattice constant. Moreover, the first III-V material has a first bandgap, and the second III-V material has a second bandgap, the channel III-V material has a channel III-V material bandgap, where the channel material bandgap, the second bandgap, and the first bandgap form a monotonic sequence of bandgaps. Other embodiments may be described and/or claimed.

The background description provided herein is for the purpose of generally presenting the context of the disclosure. Unless otherwise indicated herein, the materials described in this section are not prior art to the claims in this application and are not admitted to be prior art by inclusion in this section.
Traditional integrated circuits, e.g., metal-oxide-semiconductor field effect transistors (MOSFETs), may be based on silicon. On the other hand, compounds of group III-V elements may have superior semiconductor properties than silicon, including higher electron mobility and saturation velocity, leading to better performance for III-V MOSFETs, or III-V transistors. For example, III-V transistors may be used in radio frequency (RF) integrated circuits (ICs) to perform the functions for a RF system. Schottky diodes may be used at RF frontend for electrostatic discharge (ESD) protection of RF ICs. However, conventional Schottky diodes may provide limited protection for RF ICs.

Schottky diode structures and integration with III-V transistors


The present invention concerns a gas burner type combustion device called “burner” (B) projecting a mix of air and gas inflamed at the outlet of a pipe. The gas burner is fitted with a movable diffusion cone (200) whose tip (210) is located at least upstream from the flame creation zone so as to ensure the bursting of the air and gas mix, the relative displacement of the cone (200) according to the axis of diffusion defined by the flames allowing to adjust the strength of the latter.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention falls within the field of gas burner type combustion devices and more precisely to adaptations allowing to adjust the intensity and the form of the generated flame.
2. Related Art of the Invention
The applicant has noticed that various devices concerning the field of burners within the scope of thermal weed killing have inconveniences of which the main one are detailed below.
The gas burners disclosed in the French patents FR2752145, FR2792499 and FR2793415, constitute the basis of leaf-stripping and/or thermal disinfecting devices.
It would appear that these burners do not allow the actual and efficient working zone of the flames generated by the burner to be adjusted. Yet, proper thermal weed killing benefiting from a precise orientation and adjustment of the generated flames would be particularly efficient so as to avoid, on the one hand, any wasted use of gas and, on the other hand, a part of the vegetation being involuntarily subjected to said thermal treatment.
Likewise, the burners of the prior art are specifically configured for thermal weed killing of a type of vegetation or are used for a specific purpose and cannot be used for another purpose. Consequently, the thermal weed killing devices of the prior art do not have adjustable diffusers and classically equip their burners with a single nozzle creating a solitary shape. This lack of flexibility results in a wastage of energy as well as a restriction in the possible applications of said burners.
Another inconvenience that the applicant has noticed lies in the fact that the thermal weed killing devices of the prior art do not take into account the density of the weeds or vegetation to be killed and only offer a constant flux of gas despite variations in density.
The prior art also comprises more standard gas burners non-specific to thermal weed killing such as that disclosed in the U.S. Pat. No. 2,526,748 which proposes a burner with a conical orifice the inside of which is fitted with a flame diffusion cone as well as a guiding cone for the flames, said cones being of a set shape.
Such burners have the inconvenience of separating the gas and the air until their inflammation which results in a poor output. The diffusion cone bursts the flux of gas whereas the guiding cone bursts the air so as to lead it to the outlet of the gas spray nozzle. However, the air is not projected out of the cones. Moreover, the cones constituting the burners have the same conical shape which does not contribute to acceleration or a jet effect needed for a good projection of the flames.

Gas burner-type combustion device and method for operating same


This invention provides a stacked piezoelectric element that has excellent durability and reliability by ensuring reliable electrical conduction between internal electrode layer and conductive adhesive, and a method of fabricating such a stacked piezoelectric element, wherein the stacked piezoelectric element 1 comprises: a ceramic stack 10 constructed by alternately stacking piezoelectric layers 11 made of a piezoelectric material and internal electrode layers 21, 22 having electrical conductivity; and external electrodes 32 bonded to the side faces 101 and 102 of the ceramic stack 10 via an electrically conductive adhesive 31. The side faces 101 and 102 of the ceramic stack 10 are provided with electrode recesses 23 each formed by indenting a portion of the edge of each of the internal electrode layers 21, 22 in the stacking direction thereof thereby forming a gap between it and the overlying piezoelectric layer 11, and the conductive adhesive 31 is applied so as to enter the electrode recesses 23 from the side faces 101 and 102 of the ceramic stack 10.

In recent years, the development of automotive fuel injectors, etc., that use stacked piezoelectric elements as piezoelectric actuators has been proceeding to address automotive environmental problems and other automotive related issues such as fuel economy and exhaust emissions.
A stacked piezoelectric element generally comprises: a ceramic stack constructed by alternately stacking a piezoelectric layer made of a piezoelectric material and an internal electrode layer (or internal electrode) having electrical conductivity; and an external electrode bonded to a side face of the ceramic stack via an electrically conductive adhesive. An end face of the internal electrode layer is exposed in the side face of the ceramic body so that the end face contacts the conductive adhesive to attain electrical conduction (hereinafter sometimes simply called conduction) to the external electrode. In operation, a voltage is applied across the internal electrode layer, causing the piezoelectric layer to deform.
Such a stacked piezoelectric element is driven for use under severe conditions over a long period of time. There has therefore been the problem that the conductive adhesive may delaminate from the side face of the ceramic stack due to the stress, etc., caused by the deformation of the piezoelectric layer during operation. This has led to the possibility of a contact failure occurring between the internal electrode layer and the conductive adhesive, resulting in conduction failure. Furthermore, as the area of the end face of the internal electrode layer exposed in the side face of the ceramic stack is small, the possibility of the above failure dramatically increases in the event of delamination of the conductive adhesive.
To solve the above problem, various methods have been proposed to ensure good conduction between the internal electrode layer and the conductive adhesive.
For example, in Patent Document 1, a method is proposed that increases the area of the end face by shot blasting the side face of the stack block thereby causing the end of the internal electrode to protrude from the side face of the stack.
This method, however, involves manufacturing problems such as a difficult in quality control during volume production and the need for masking portions where shot blasting is not to be applied.
On the other hand, Patent Documents 2 and 3 each propose a method that forms an electrically conductive raised portion on the end of the internal electrode by metal plating. Further, Patent Documents 4 and 5 each propose a method that provides an electrically conductive protruding terminal on the end of the internal electrode.
However, with any of the above methods, the area of the end face of the internal electrode is nevertheless small, and there still exists the possibility that the conductive adhesive may delaminate, because the adhesive deteriorates and the adhesion drops as the piezoelectric layer is repeatedly stressed due to deformation and heat expansion during driving. Accordingly, it is difficult to solve the conduction failure problem.
The present invention has been devised in view of the above problem, and it is an object of the invention to provide a stacked piezoelectric element that has excellent durability and reliability by ensuring reliable electrical conduction between the internal electrode layer and the conductive adhesive, and a method of fabricating such a stacked piezoelectric element.

Stacked piezoelectric element and method of fabrication thereof


A metric network provides a descriptive model that explicitly expresses the relationships among all metrics of a business enterprise. Performance of each single business entity in the operational level is measured by a set of primitive metrics, each of which measures a specific aspect of the business entity. The primitive metrics construct the base on which the whole metric network is built.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to business method performance monitoring and analysis and, more particularly, provides models, technologies and tools to maintain all possible relationships between business metrics, and exploit these relationships for business analysis.
2. Background Description
An often-quoted axiom says, "You cannot manage what you cannot measure." This is also true for business. Nowadays, enterprises have realized that monitoring business performance in a continuously manner is crucial to achieve operational excellence, and to better align daily operations with long-term business strategies.
An enterprise executes various business processes in its every day operations. These processes often span several functional units within the enterprise, sometimes even extend to link with partners' processes; they usually involve many employee roles, assets, and resources; they may be supported by Information Technology (IT) systems, or be executed in ad hoc manner by humans manually. To monitor enterprise-wide business performance, we need to continuously collect metric data from these business processes, aggregate the lower-level operational metrics to build higher-level Key Performance Indicators (KPIs).

Method, apparatus and system for business performance monitoring and analysis using metric network


Systems and methods are disclosed for reshaping HDR video content to improve compression efficiency while using standard encoding/decoding techniques. Input HDR video frames, e.g., represented in an IPT color space, may be reshaped before the encoding/decoding process and the corresponding reconstructed HDR video frames may then be reverse reshaped. The disclosed reshaping methods may be combinations of scene-based or segment-based methods.

The present disclosure refers to video capturing and compression techniques.
The advance in High Dynamic Range (HDR) display technologies and the growing availability of video content captured by HDR cameras both call for the development of more efficient methods of coding and delivery of HDR video content. HDR video, in contrast to the conventional Standard Dynamic Range (SDR) video, embodies an increased number of luminance and color levels, resulting in an improved viewing experience of video images that better resembles a real-word color gamut. However, the tradeoff is an increased challenge in delivery of HDR content—compression techniques have to encode more data to meet bandwidth and minimum video quality requirements. This challenge is especially acute for applications requiring low bitrate compression (e.g., those involving video streaming).

Luma and chroma reshaping of HDR video encoding


A method and apparatus are provided for producing a reconstituted food product. The apparatus includes a co-extruder 11 in which a gelling agent 70 and a setting agent 80 are co-extruded into a process stream of comminuted food pieces in a flow passage, with the gelling agent and setting agent being separated by the process stream. The apparatus includes a static mixer 10 of part cylindrical wall elements 22 with inwardly protruding mixer elements 24 in which the process stream, including the gelling agent and setting agent are mixed and the grain and texture of the food pieces altered to produce a reconstituted food product that resembles whole food. The apparatus includes a tenderiser 200 for pre-treating the comminuted food pieces by compressing them between a stationary plate 202 and a vibrating plate 206 in a tapering cavity.

In many food processing operations, pieces of foods are produced that are regarded as being less valuable than other, typically larger pieces. Further, some food pieces can be produced that are less valuable than others, simply as a result of their qualities, e.g. some cuts of meat are less desirable than others because they are too tough.
A number of methods have been developed to produce reconstituted food products from such lower value food pieces, where the reconstituted food products have sizes and properties that make them more valuable than the lower value food pieces. Reconstitution is typically achieved by comminuting the food pieces and combining them with additives that will bind them together. The methods and recipes for producing reconstituted food products vary greatly, but typical examples are corned beef, sausages, and the like.
While existing methods of preparing reconstituted food products generally do not attempt to provide such a product, it would be greatly beneficial if a reconstitution process can provide a food product that resembles an unprocessed high value food product, e.g. if lower value cuts of meat, off-cuts, etc. can be processed to provide a food product that resembles a whole muscle of preferred cut of high quality meat.
Processes have been proposed for preparing such a reconstituted food product, e.g. in International Patent Application No. WO 2004/008876 (to Melnyczuk), the content of which is included herein in its entirety, by reference. However, existing food processing equipment and techniques are prone to a number of deficiencies which make them unsuitable for the preparation of a reconstituted food product as described above. In order to prepare a reconstituted food product as described above from food pieces, the pieces need to be combined with additives to bind them and to impart other desired characteristics to them, such as consistency and texture. These additives need to be evenly distributed in the process stream of food pieces to impart these characteristics evenly and this should be done before the additives react to bind the food pieces. Further, in order to provide a reconstituted food product that resembles a whole, high quality product, the food pieces also need to be processed to homogenise them while maintaining their structure and texture, produce a desired grain structure, etc. It has been proposed in WO 2004/008876 that this be done in a static mixer, but none of the prior art static mixers are particularly suitable for mixing these food pieces and additives, especially where the food pieces include elongate fibres or strands that have a tendency to catch on food processing equipment.
The term "static mixers" refers to a wide variety of devices that usually comprise an insert that is placed inside a tube through which a liquid, gel, paste or the like, flows. The purpose of the insert is typically to mix the flowing material to homogenise it, although it can also serve ancillary purposes such as agitation, comminution, etc.
Examples of static mixers of this type, are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,425,581 (to Palm) and 7,040,802 (to Füglister), which include mixer inserts that are received inside cylindrical tubes. However, when mixers are used in applications where they need to be cleaned regularly, such as in the food processing industry, and where aggressive mixing is required, such as in the processing of meat products, these configurations are not ideal, since the intricate geometries of the inserts make them difficult and/or costly to clean regularly, even when they have been removed from the cylindrical tubes.
An improved static mixer has been disclosed in WO 2004/008876, in which the elements that cause the mixing are in the form of blades that are fixedly attached to walling elements and the walling elements are positioned side-by-side to form the tube through which the material flows. This improvement allows the mixer to be disassembled very easily to a state in which its components can be cleaned easily and effectively. However, this mixer holds the disadvantages that the flow of material immediately downstream of the blades tends to stagnate in some instances and in some instances, inadequate mixing occurs largely because some of the material can pass between the blades along a three dimensional zigzag-like passage, rather than being adequately folded within the mixer.
Other deficiencies of existing food processing equipment relate to an inability to ensure even distribution of the additives in the food pieces in a continuous process that can be stopped and re-started relatively easily. The result of uneven distribution of additives is that some parts of the reconstituted food product will receive too much additive and thus set too firmly, while other parts will receive an insufficient dosage of one or more additives and thus either remain too soft, or not set at all. Preferably, the setting of food product inside processing equipment when the process is stopped, should be avoided or kept to a minimum, since the set or partially set food product will either need to be removed before the process can be re-started, or will disrupt product consistency.
Some methods of preparing reconstituted food products are carried out in batches in which the additives are added to the food pieces and they are thoroughly mixed and processed, e.g. as described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,603,054. However, the entire batch of the food pieces is brought into contact with the additives at the same time, which causes setting to begin, but the batch is processed further over a length of time and the degree of setting that has taken place in food pieces when they proceed to further processing varies.
One way to address this problem is by keeping batch sizes small so that the batch can be processed relatively promptly to minimise the variance during the course of processing, in the degree of setting that takes place. Production in small batches, in which the equipment has to be cleared of partially or fully set reconstituted product after each batch, is not cost effective.
Another way of addressing this problem is to add buffering agents to the food mixture to delay setting, e.g. to provide a typical window period of twelve hours. However, the use of buffering agents may require larger quantities of setting agents in the mixture, which could lead to secondary sineresis, especially if there is incorrect or inadequate mixing. During the window period, the mixture needs to be stored, which requires additional handling and storage facilities, which typically needs to be refrigerated. The likelihood of contamination of the food product is also typically increased during the additional handling and storage.
Continuous methods can be used for the production of reconstituted food products and examples of existing methods are provided in U.S. Pat. No. 5,783,241 and in WO 2004/008876, in which the gelling agents and setting agents are added to a product stream. However, as mentioned above, unless a buffering agent is used, setting commences as soon as the gelling agent and setting agent come into contact with each other and in existing processes, this occurs at some stage before the food product stream is finally processed. In particular, in WO 2004/008876, the additives are added to the process stream together, upstream of the static mixer and setting commences before the product stream is processed in the mixer. This has two disadvantages, the first being that it causes excessive setting of the product before or during mixing, that increases the energy requirement of the mixing process and reduces the effectiveness of the mixing process. The second disadvantage is that, in the event of a process stoppage, the mixture of gelling agent, setting agent and food pieces upstream of the static mixer will set and will need to be removed before the process can be re-started.
In some instances, especially if food pieces in the form of relatively tough meat is used, it is preferable to pre-treat the food pieces in a tenderiser, in order to increase the surface area of the food pieces that is exposed to additives and thus improve cohesion during setting, to reduce the size of inconsistencies in the food pieces, to provide a more natural looking grain, to achieve desired tenderness characteristics, to impart a texture to the food pieces that makes them more workable in the reconstitution process, and the like. However, existing tenderisers have been found not to perform adequately.
Existing methods of tenderising foods typically include percussive methods such as pounding with a mallet, penetrating methods in which needles or blades penetrate the food and tenderisers passing foods through counter rotating rollers or gears, such as that disclosed in European Patent No. EP 0930015 (to Bonon et al). Percussive tenderising is too time consuming to be used effectively on an industrial scale and penetrating methods of tenderising are not sufficiently effective in flattening food pieces while maintaining its fibre structure largely intact, as is preferable in pre-treatment for reconstitution of a food product, as described above. It is often difficult to control or adjust the extent of tenderisation in some roller/gear type tenderisers, with the result that the tenderised food pieces often lack the desired consistency and/or texture.
The tenderiser of EP 0930015 would impart most of the required characteristics to the food pieces, but has a number of disadvantages for use in pre-treatment of food pieces before reconstitution. In particular, food pieces are often not pulled into the gap between the rollers and simply roll around on top of the rollers. The use of this type of tenderiser also requires preparation of the food pieces before tenderising, e.g. by slicing the food in a particular way, that is cumbersome and/or costly. Further, the tenderiser of EP 0930015 is not well suited to tenderising pre-frozen meat, which can be very inhibiting since many bulk manufacturers prefer to use meat that can be sourced and stored frozen.
The reason for the unsuitability of the EP 0930015 tenderiser results largely from the dehydration of meat during freezing and defrosting, which causes the meat surface to be watery, resulting in meat pieces that are slippery and often do not pass through the rollers, but slide around on top of the rollers. Further, if a vacuum filler is used, the removal of unbound water from the defrosted meat causes a loss in mass and thus value and causes a loss in the lubricating effect of the moisture, thus making the meat pieces difficult to pump. A water binder can be added to the meat to compensate for the loss of lubrication and for ease of processing (relating to distribution of the gel and reduction of meat handling). This should preferably be done before the meat is tenderised, but the water binder causes the meat surfaces to be even more slippery and exacerbates the problem of meat pieces sliding around on top of the rollers. Further, the addition of a water binder causes the meat to stick to the rollers after the tenderisation and not to be removed entirely by the scrapers, especially in the event that the rollers have surface features on them (e.g. ridges, grooves or teeth). It is preferable that slices of meat are fed into the EP 0930015 tenderiser, rather than cubes, but it is difficult to cover slices evenly with a water binder.
The EP 0930015 tenderiser is also unsuitable for use in reconstitution, since it cannot be used for tenderising meat with a wide variety of characteristics, as is often the case in the typical supplies of meat for reconstitution. The tenderiser itself is large, but the process is slow, since only a few pieces of meat can be fed through at a time.
The present invention seeks to provide for the manufacturing of reconstituted food products, overcoming the drawbacks in the prior art. In particular, the present invention seeks to provide a static mixer that can impart adequate mixing to the material flowing through the mixer, while adequately maintaining the structure and texture of the material and that can be cleaned with relative ease and efficiency. The present invention also seeks to provide for continuous dosing, mixing, shaping and setting at a constant speed to provide a reconstituted food product with a consistent texture and cohesion, even if the manufacturing process is interrupted from time to time. The present invention further seeks to provide for tenderising of food pieces, prior to manufacturing of reconstituted food products.

Method and apparatus for the preparation of a reconstituted food product


A semiconductor device is provided. In one example, a semiconductor device has a D-HBT structure which include a base layer formed from InGaAs and an emitter layer and a collector layer both formed from InGaP in such a way as to hold said base layer between them, wherein said InGaAs has a composition such that the content of In is smaller than 53% and said InGaP has a composition such that the content of In is just enough to make the lattice constant of said emitter layer and collector layer equal to the lattice constant of said base layer. This semiconductor device realizes a large current gain while keeping the high-speed operation owing to the base layer of InGaAs having good carrier mobility. In addition, it can be formed on a large wafer as the substrate.

The present application relates to a semiconductor device, particularly to that of double heterojunction bipolar transistor.
Among high-power high-voltage amplifier devices are double heterojunction bipolar transistors (D-HBT for short hereinafter). They are classified into InGaAs/InP type and GaAs/InGaP or GaAs/AlGaAs type. The former is composed of the substrate of InP, the emitter and collector layers of InP, and the base layer of InGaAs, with lattice matching between the substrate and the layer placed thereon. The latter employs a substrate of GaAs, with lattice matching between the substrate and the layer placed thereon. The former is expected to excel the latter in performance (high speed operation and high voltage) because InP (for the emitter and collector layers) has a large band gap and a great carrier mobility (in the high field region) and InGaAs (for the base layer) has a greater carrier mobility than GaAs.
In the D-HBT of InGaAs/InP type constructed as mentioned above, the InGaAs base layer contains as much In as about 53% for lattice matching with the InP substrate. This makes the conduction band discontinuous between the emitter layer and the base layer or between the base layer and the collector layer, resulting in a spike-like energy barrier in their respective interfaces. The barrier existing in the emitter-base interface causes an offset voltage in the collector current-voltage characteristics, resulting in a dull rise current. In addition, the spike-like barrier existing in the base-collector interface limits the collector current, which leads to an increased power consumption at the time of operation with a large output.
One way to eliminate the discontinuity of conduction band between the emitter layer and the base layer and between the base layer and the collector layer, thereby removing the spike-like barrier, is to insert a transition layer between the emitter layer and the base layer and between the base layer and the collector layer, thereby making the conduction band continuous. An example of D-HBT of InGaAs/InP type with a transition layer is shown in FIG. 9 (which is a schematic sectional view). The D-HBT of InGaAs/InP type shown in FIG. 9 consists of InP substrate 101, InP sub-collector layer 102, InP collector layer 103, InGaAs base layer 104, transition layer 201, InP emitter layer 105, and InGaAs contact layer 106, which are arranged sequentially on top of the other.
The transition layer 201 is composed of alternately arranged layers of InGaAs and InAlAs. Alternatively, it is a layer of InGaAlAs with graded composition. The foregoing structure may be modified such that a thin sheet of dopant atoms is interposed between the emitter layer 105 and the transition layer 201, for example, Japanese Patent Laid-open No. 2004-88107.
There is another idea of improving operation speed and reducing offset voltage by forming a contact area from InP and InGaAs in superlattice structure between the collector layer and the base layer; the contact area produces a pseudo smooth connection between the conduction bands for example, Japanese Patent Laid-open No. Hei-4-251934.
In the case of D-HBT of InGaAs/InP type having lattice matching with the InP substrate as mentioned above, the base layer (InGaAs) contains as much In as about 53%, and the InGaAs compound of such a composition has an Auger recombination coefficient of 7×10−29 cm6/s, which is larger than that of GaAs (1×10−30 cm6/s). Therefore, the heavily doped InGaAs base layer has a higher recombination probability than the GaAs base layer.
The result of the foregoing is that the D-HBT of InGaAs/InP type with the InGaAs base layer has a smaller current gain than the D-HBT of GaAs/InGaP type or GaAs/AlGaAs type with the GaAs base layer.
Moreover, in the case of D-HBT of InGaAs/InP type having lattice matching with the InP substrate, the available wafer for the InP substrate is not so large as that for the GaAs substrate, and hence the D-HBT of InGaAs/InP type is more expensive than that of GaAs/InGaP type. For solution to these problems, there has been proposed a D-HBT of InGaAs/InP type which is formed on a GaAs substrate, with a metamorphic buffer layer interposed between them.
The disadvantage of this D-HBT is that forming the InGaAs/InP layer on the GaAs substrate in such a way as to achieve lattice matching with the InP substrate results in a large number of crystal defects at the time of crystal growing due to the large difference in lattice constant. This leads to the low yields and poor reliability of the semiconductor device formed thereon.


A duplexer includes: first and second filters including film bulk acoustic resonators (FBARs) arranged in a ladder form; first and second integrated-passive devices (IPDs) provided between a common terminal and the first and second filters; and a substrate on which the first and second filters and the first and second IPDs are mounted. The substrate includes conductive patterns that realize inductances connected between the first and second filters and ground. The first and second IPDs includes inductors connected to the first and second filters.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention generally relates to a filter using a film bulk acoustic resonator (hereinafter referred to as FBAR) used in mobile communications and high-frequency radio frequency communications such as cellular phones, PHS and wireless LAN. More specifically, the present invention relates to a duplexer equipped with a filter composed of multiple FBARs arranged and connected in a ladder form.
2. Description of the Related Art
Recently, there has been considerable activity in the development of filter elements used for high frequency communications and capable of allowing electric signals in a specific frequency range to pass by the combination of SAW or BAW resonators having a piezoelectric material (SAW is an abbreviation of surface acoustic wave, and BAW is an abbreviation of bulk acoustic wave). The filter devices that utilize SAW or BAW have a small outer size and a sharp roll-off characteristic, as compared to dielectric filters or ceramic filters, and are thus suitable for components for mobile communications such as portable phones, which are required to have a compact size and a wide comparative bandwidth. The SAW or BAW filter as described above may be typically a ladder-type filter in which resonators are arranged and connected in a ladder form. An exemplary ladder-type filter is illustrated in FIG. 1.
As is well known, the insertion loss and the out-of-band attenuation of the ladder-type filter can easily be controlled by simply changing the number of stages of the ladder form and the capacitance ratio of resonators in series and parallel arms. Further, the design sequence of the ladder-type filter is simple. From these viewpoints, the ladder-type filter is widely used. Japanese Patent No. 2800905 (Document 1) discloses a method of more flexibly changing the performance of the ladder-type filter. This method adds an inductance to a resonator in parallel or series. In the practical use of SAW or BAW, the inductance is implemented by a conductive pattern on an exposed or inner surface of a multilayered substrate or a wire. FIGS. 2 and 3 are equivalent circuits of filters having an additional inductance described above.
A duplexer is an applied component of the ladder-type filter of SAW or BAW. The duplexer is used for a communication apparatus having the functions of simultaneously sending and receiving signals at different frequencies, such as a CDMA system. The duplexer functions to suppress interference between the transmitted and received signals and allow only signals in a required frequency range to pass therethrough. Generally, the duplexer has an arrangement such that a transmit filter, a receive filter and a phase matching circuit are integrated into a single component. The transmit and receive filters are used as band-pass filters that allow the respective signals to pass therethrough, and are connected to an antenna. In this case, the transmitted and received signals may be interfered. The phase shifter, which functions as a phase matching circuit, is used to cope with the interference. The phase shifter is an electrical element having a combination of an inductance and a capacitance in the equivalent circuit. Japanese Patent No. 2905094 (Document 2) discloses a duplexer using SAW or BAW in which a distributed-constant line of a conductive pattern formed in a multilayered substrate is used as a phase shifter, as shown in FIG. 4. Japanese Patent No. 3487692 (Document 3) or Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2001-127588 (Document 4) discloses a combination of inductance and capacitance elements of the lumped parameter type such as a wound coil, chip inductor and a chip capacitor, which may be used along with a substrate or cap.
However, the conventional techniques have the following problems. As described in Document 3, the method disclosed in Document 1 uses the conductive pattern for the phase line, which occupies a two- or three-dimensional space. For example, a duplexer for the WCDMA band in a frequency range of 2 GHz requires two conductive patterns which are 0.6 mm thick and 25 mm long in order to shift the phases of the transmit and receive filters by 180 degrees with a conductive pattern that is made of alumina having a dielectric constant of 9.5 and a width of 0.1 mm and has a characteristic impedance of 50 Ω. As has been described, the additional inductance is generally used to improve the performance of the ladder-type filter. When the additional inductance is implemented by a conductive pattern, it is necessary to separate the conductive patterns from each other at a sufficient distance because a close arrangement of the conductive patterns results in coupling of the inductances and degrades the desired filter characteristics. However, the separate arrangement of the conductive patterns does not realize compact packaging of the duplexer.
The technique of realizing the phase shifter with inductance and capacitance of the lumped parameter type as described in Documents 2 and 3 may realize the compact phase shifter as compared to the phase shifter with the conductive patterns if the chip inductor, wound coil and/or chip capacitor are used as discussed in Documents 2 and 3. However, even when the 1005-size multi-purpose chip components (1.0×0.5×0.5 [mm]) that are currently available are used, the package has a size as large as 8×5.1×2.5 [mm] as described in Document 2. It cannot be said that the above size is small because the duplexers of 5 mm□ or 8 mm□ are currently available. In addition, the number of chips increases by the number of passive components, and the production cost increases.

Duplexer with filters including film bulk acoustic resonators


The present disclosure relates to a shift register, a gate driving circuit and a display apparatus, wherein the shift register outputs an output signal of each stage in a forward direction according to a forward scanning signal and outputs the output signal of each stage in a reverse direction according to a reverse scanning signal, each stage of the shift register includes a forward scanning switch module, a reverse scanning switch module, a pull-up driving module; a pull-up module; a pull-down driving module; a first pull-down module; and a second pull-down module. A bi-directional scanning can be achieved by using the forward scanning switch module and the reverse scanning switch module to control to input different signals to different modules.

Panel displays are developed rapidly since it is ultrathin in thickness and has energy-saving characteristics. Most of panel displays adopt shift registers. At present, not only the shift registers implemented by a Gate on Array (GOA) method can be integrated on a gate driving integrated circuit (IC), but also a process step for manufacturing a panel display can be reduced, so that cost of the panel display can be saved. Therefore, in recent years, the GOA technology is widely used in the process for manufacturing the panel display.
As shown in FIG. 1, it is a present GOA design scheme, a shift register on a gate driving circuit includes a plurality of shift register units S/R(1), S/R(2), S/R(3), . . . , S/R(N) being layered and in a cascade connection. Each of the shift register units S/R(n) (1≦n≦N) outputs a scanning signal via its own signal output terminal Output to a corresponding gate line G(n), a reset signal input terminal RST of S/R(n−1) and a signal input terminal InPut of S/R(n+1), and the scanning signal functions as resetting S/R(n−1) and starting S/R(n+1) respectively, wherein S/R(1) receives a frame start signal STV via its own signal input terminal.
Each of the shift register units receives a first supply voltage VSS and a second supply voltage VDD via a first supply voltage input terminal and a second supply voltage input terminal, respectively. Each of odd numbered shift register units receives a clock signal CLK via a clock signal input terminal CLK/CLKB, and each of even numbered shift register units receives a clock signal CLKB via a clock signal input terminal CLK/CLKB, said CLK and CLKB have phases opposite to each other.
A schematic internal structural diagram for said S/R(n) is as shown in FIG. 2.
An signal output terminal of S/R(n) outputs a scanning signal under the control of the scanning signal outputted from S/R(n−1) and the clock signal inputted from its own clock signal input terminal, that is, only a forward scanning for gate lines can be implemented from G(1) to G(N). However, in an actual application, a forward scanning may be required at some times, and a reverse scanning may be required at other times (that is, scanning from G(N) to G (1)), so the shift register in the prior art can not satisfy the actual requirements, that is; the shift register in the prior art has a problem of incapable of achieving a bi-directional scanning (that is, forward and reverse scanning).

Shift register, gate driving circuit and display apparatus

BEIJING BOE DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY CO., LTD.


Digital information can be carried on the fiber leg of an access network using binary modulation. Binary modulated data received at an O/E node can then be modulated onto an analog waveform using quadrature amplitude modulation or some other technique for modulating an analog waveform and transmitted over, for example, the coaxial leg of the network. The O/E node may also receive an analog signal, over the coaxial leg, modulated to carry upstream data from subscriber devices. The O/E node may demodulate the upstream signal to recover the upstream data and forward that upstream data over the fiber leg using a binary modulated optical signal.

Cable television (CATV) systems were initially developed to provide broadcast television content to subscriber premises over a wired connection. Early systems delivered analog television signals through a tree-and-branch coaxial cable architecture. These architectures also included numerous amplifiers, line extenders and other electronic components. CATV system operators subsequently began using hybrid fiber coaxial (HFC) networks that replaced a portion of a coaxial cable signal path with a more efficient fiber optic communication path. Typically, an HFC network uses fiber to carry signals optically from a hub or other location to optical/electrical conversion nodes ("O/E nodes"). The O/E nodes convert the optically transmitted signal to electrical signals that are transported from the O/E nodes to subscribers over coaxial cable.
Early HFC networks communicated analog NTSC signals in both the fiber and coaxial legs. Now, television has migrated to digital format. Providers, such as multiple service operators (MSOs), also employ HFC access networks to deliver high-speed data, telephony, video-on-demand (VOD) and numerous other services that rely on digital data. In effect, however, digital data is still carried over many HFC networks using analog signals. Specifically, digital data is often communicated in both the fiber and coaxial portions of an HFC network by modulating the phase and/or amplitude of a sinusoidal waveform. For example, a termination system, such as a cable modem termination system (CMTS), or other network element, may modulate digital data using quadrature amplitude modulation (QAM). This results in an analog signal in which digital data is represented by changes in the phase and/or amplitude of an analog radio frequency (RF) carrier wave. This analog signal is transmitted over the fiber portion of an HFC network by using a laser to generate that analog signal in optical form. An O/E node converts that optical analog signal to an electrical version of that signal and forwards it over the coaxial portion of the network. Ultimately, the electrical version of the modulated analog signal is received at a device in a subscriber premises and demodulated to recover digital data.


A current sense circuit, including a voltage regulator, for detecting current conducted by a device under test (DUT) for a wide range of currents, while still providing fine granularity for detecting low/small currents. Two current branches/paths may be established to the supply terminal of the DUT. A switching device, e.g. a transistor device, may be operated to enable a first current branch of the two current branches, or both current branches to conduct current, responsive to the size of the current flowing in the first current branch. The total current conducted by the DUT may be equivalent to a sum of the respective currents flowing in the two current branches. When the switching device is turned off, very small currents conducted by the DUT may be measured with fine granularity. When the switching device is turned on, substantially larger currents conducted by the DUT may be measured.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention is related to the field of electrical measurements, more particularly, to current sensing.
2. Description of the Related Art
Measuring, sensing and/or controlling current flow into and out of electronic circuits is an important requirement in many electronic systems, spanning a wide range of applications. There are numerous different current sensing techniques, which are as diverse as the applications that require monitoring current flow. Examples of systems that may rely on current sensing to perform essential functions include programmable current sources, overcurrent-protection and monitoring devices, various low-current systems, battery chargers, various power supplies, and circuits where the ratio of output current to input current is of importance. In addition, portable applications may also require dedicated current monitors that fit in a small package and operate with low quiescent current.
The two most common current-measurement/current-sensing methods are low-side current sensing and high-side current sensing. In the case of low-side current sensing, the current is sensed in the ground return path of the power connection to the monitored load or device under test (DUT), and generally flows in just one direction. Any switching that is performed is on the load-side of the current sense circuit. In the case of high-side current sensing, the current is sensed in the supply path of the power connection to the monitored load (in other words, the sensing path in this case typically includes the supply terminal of the load). Current generally flows in just one direction, with switching performed on the load side of the current sense circuit.
The low-side and high-side configurations have trade-offs in different areas. For example, the low-side resistor adds undesirable extraneous resistance in the ground path, while circuitry associated with the high-side resistor has to withstand relatively large common-mode signals. Overall, advantages of low-side current sensing include low input common-mode voltage, ground referenced output voltage, and easy single supply design. Disadvantages of low-side current sensing include the load being lifted from direct ground connection. Overall, advantages of high-side current sensing include the load being grounded. Disadvantages of high-side current sensing include high input common-mode voltages, and the need to level shift the output down to system operating voltage levels.
Full-range (i.e. high and low side) current sensing configurations are also used, where a bidirectional current is sensed in a bridge driven load, or unidirectional high side connection with a supply side switch. While full-range current sensors may require only one current sense resistor for bidirectional sensing, and feature convenient sensing of load current on/off profiles for inductive loads, they're also prone to wide input common-mode voltage swings, with the common-mode rejection also limiting high frequency accuracy in PWM applications. Some applications may require current sensing over a wide range of current values, with increased resolution when measuring smaller currents. Many present solutions for sensing current over a wide dynamic range use two current sense amplifiers with two values of sense resistors and a comparator, to allow for higher sensitivity and resolution of measurement for low currents while also sensing higher currents.


An aircraft control system for applying chemicals to an agricultural field in one of a plurality of flight patterns is provided. A global positioning system receiver receives radio frequency signals from satellites and the position of the aircraft is determined from the information contained in the received signals. An aircraft computer stores the surface coordinates of the field to be sprayed. The aircraft pilot enters the desired orientation, swath width and track width of the flight pattern into the computer. Based on the aforementioned information, the computer produces a flight pattern having the desired orientation and generates, via a pilot headset, audible signals representative of amount and direction of deviation from the desired flight pattern. The computer means may also automatically activate and deactivate chemical spraying upon entering and exiting, respectfully, the airspace above the field.

The present invention relates generally to chemical spraying of agricultural fields from an aircraft and, more particularly, to a control system and method for applying chemicals to an agricultural field wherein the chemicals are automatically released over the field as the aircraft travels along an appropriate flight pattern. Radio frequency signals from global positioning satellites are used to determine the instantaneous position of the aircraft relative to the flight pattern and the field.
Chemical spraying of field crops and orchards has long been widespread in the agricultural industry. During aerial spraying of chemicals on an agricultural field, the aircraft makes numerous sequential, adjacent passes, spraying a swath across the field during each pass. The aircraft pilot must carefully guide the aircraft to ensure that each of the successive traverses over the field is laterally spaced from the adjacent traverse by the proper distance in order to avoid either gaps or overlaps in spraying coverage. As will be appreciated, overlaps in spraying coverage result in spraying more chemicals on the field than desired. This is costly and may cause crop damage. Gaps between swaths, on the other hand, leave untreated areas in which crop growth may be poor.
Several methods for controlling swath width and placement have been devised in the past. For instance, commonly assigned U.S. Pat. No. 4,225,226 issued to Davidson et al discloses a laser guidance system for crop spraying aircraft. The crop spraying aircraft carries a rotating laser transmitter and receiver to transmit a laser beam onto a plurality of ground reflectors located at known positions relative to each other and to detect the subsequently reflected laser beams. The angular position of the aircraft is then determined by a microprocessor based on the reflected laser beams. Any deviation from a predetermined spraying path results in a microprocessor-generated error signal.
Other methods for controlling swath width and Location include using ground personnel holding flags at either end of the field to provide visual guidance to the aircraft pilot and dropping materials on the field from a dispenser mounted on the aircraft to provide a visual ground reference for the aircraft pilot on the next traverse. Numerous problems exist with the above described methods. The high chemical concentrations used by modern crop spraying aircraft, which allow such aircraft to cover larger areas with a given payload, have increased the health hazards associated with using ground personnel in close proximity to the chemical spraying. Further, overlapping of these higher concentration chemicals can damage or destroy crops to a greater degree.
Additional problems with previous systems involve the requirement of adjacent traverses and the manual operation of the chemical spraying device. To make sequential, adjacent traverses of a field, the pilot is required to execute a key-hole turn at the end of each pass. A key-hole turn consists, for example, of a 45 degree left turn, a 270 degree right turn and another 45 degree left turn in succession. The short radius turns and sharp turning angles required in previous methods significantly increase the possibility of aircraft aerodynamic stall.
Prior chemical spraying systems also require that the aircraft pilot identify the proper time to release the chemicals at the beginning of the swath and the proper time to shut off the spraying device at the end of the swath. Typically, these judgments are made based on visual perception of the aircraft pilot. Failure to turn the spraying device on or off correctly results in unsprayed crops or overspraying into neighboring land.
Accordingly, the need exists in the art for an improved control system and method for applying chemicals to an agricultural field by aircraft which dynamically detects position changes of the aircraft, automatically activates and deactivates the chemical spraying at the beginning and ending boundaries of the field, permits increases in the radius turn and turning angle of the flight paths, provides more accurate swath path control, allows alteration of the directional orientation of the swaths for optimal spraying coverage, and provides increased swath control to ensure uniform chemical coverage throughout the field.

Agricultural aircraft control system using the global positioning system


A solid electrolytic capacitor of this invention comprises an electrode provided with an anode lead; a dielectric oxide film, a solid electrolyte layer, a carbon layer, and a cathode layer, which are successively formed on the surface of the electrode; a positive terminal connected to the anode lead; and a negative terminal connected to the cathode layer by means of an electrically conductive adhesive; wherein at least one of the cathode layer and the electrically conductive adhesive comprises a polymer and an electrically conductive powder containing palladium. The capacitor displays little variation in the value of tan .delta. and slight changes in current leakage even when the capacitor is placed under conditions of high temperature and humidity. Moreover, electrical short-circuit failure of the capacitor rarely occurs.

1. Field of the invention:
The present invention relates to a solid electrolytic capacitor.
2. Description of the prior art:
Solid electrolytic capacitors ordinarily possess the structure shown in FIG. 1. This solid electrolytic capacitor is composed of an electrode 2 provided with an anode lead 1; a dielectric oxide film 3, a solid electrolyte layer 4, a carbon layer 5, and a cathode layer 6, which are successively formed on the surface of the electrode 2; a positive terminal 7 connected to the anode lead 1; and a negative terminal 8 connected to the cathode layer 6 by means of an electrically conductive adhesive 9.
A capacitor of this type can be manufactured, for example, in the following manner. First, the insulating plate 210 is attached to the root portion of the tantalum anode lead 1 of the porous tantalum electrode 2, and then the tantalum oxide dielectric film 3 is formed by anodic oxidation on the surface of the porous tantalum electrode 2. Next, the solid electrolyte layer 4, made of manganese dioxide, and the carbon layer 5 are successively formed on the surface of this tantalum oxide dielectric film 3. Then, an electrically conductive coating material containing silver, copper, nickel or carbon powder, etc., a polymer, and an organic solvent is applied and dried to form the cathode layer 6, thus obtaining the capacitor element 200. Next, the tantalum anode lead 1 of this capacitor element 200 is connected by welding to the positive terminal 7, and then, either by soldering or by application of an electrically conductive adhesive 9 containing silver, copper, nickel or carbon powder, etc., a polymer and an organic solvent, followed by drying, the cathode layer 6 is connected to the negative terminal 8. Next, the capacitor element 200 is covered with plastic 10 by the molding method in such a manner that the positive terminal 7 and negative terminal 8 extend in opposite directions to each other. As is required, the terminals 7 and 8 of the capacitor, which extend in opposite directions, are bent toward the inside in a downward direction relative to the body of the capacitor so as to conform with the end and bottom faces of the capacitor.
In the aforementioned conventional type of solid electrolytic capacitor, if either the cathode layer 6 or electrically conductive adhesive 9 are composed of silver powder and a polymer, then migration of silver occurs when the said capacitor is placed under conditions of high temperature and humidity, resulting in short-circuit failures and large current leakage.
On the other hand, if the cathode layer 6 and electrically conductive adhesive 9 are composed of copper powder and a polymer, or composed of nickel powder and a polymer, then, the said copper or nickel does not migrate, as does silver, even under conditions of high temperature and humidity. However, since copper and nickel powder are easily oxidized, the value of tan .delta. increases at high temperatures and high humidity.
If the cathode layer 6 and electrically conductive adhesive 9 are composed of carbon powder and polymer, then migration, as occurs in the case of silver, does not occur even under conditions of high temperature and humidity. However, because the specific resistance of carbon powder is large as compared with that of the aforementioned metal powders, the initial value of tan .delta. is extremely large.

Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.


A zoom optical system includes, in order from the reduction conjugate side to the magnification conjugate side, a first lens unit having a positive optical power; a second lens unit having a negative optical power; a third lens unit having a positive optical power; and a fourth lens unit having a negative optical power, wherein in an entire zoom range, a magnification-side conjugate position relative to a reduction-side conjugate position, and the position of a pupil of the zoom optical system relative to the reduction-side conjugate position are each substantially fixed, and the interval between the first lens unit and the second lens unit at a telephoto end is larger than the interval between the first lens unit and the second tens unit at a wide-angle end.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a zoom optical system which is used in an optical apparatus such as an image projecting apparatus and an exposure apparatus.
2. Related Background Art
Some of the optical apparatuses described above require a zoom optical system excellent in a telecentric characteristic on the object side and excellent in invariance of the positions of an object surface, an image plane and an exit pupil against variations in the focal length.
For example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2002-207167 discloses a zoom optical system in which a lens unit having a negative refractive power or a lens unit having a lens element having a strong negative refractive power is moved toward the object side as the focal length decreases, whereby the positions of an object surface, an image plane, an entrance pupil and an exit pupil are made invariant against variations in the focal length, as a zoom optical system suitable for an illumination optical system mounted on a projecting exposure apparatus.
It is conceivable that the zoom optical system disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2002-207167 is used for a projecting optical system of an image projecting apparatus projecting on a magnified scale an image of an original formed on a liquid crystal panel, or a part thereof.
However, if the liquid crystal panel is disposed on a reduction-side focal plane of the zoom optical system in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2002-207167, a sufficient back focus cannot be obtained because in the zoom optical system, a lens unit in the most magnification side (aperture stop side) has a positive refractive power. In so called a tri-panel type image projecting apparatus, a color synthesizing member synthesizing chromatic light of three colors of red, green and blue is disposed on the reduction side in the zoom optical system, but if a sufficient back focus is not obtained as described above, it is difficult to provide space for displacing the color synthesizing member.
In the zoom optical system disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2002-207167, a lens unit in the most reduction-side has a negative refractive power, and as the focal length decreases, a lens unit disposed in the most magnification side than the negative lens unit moves toward the magnification side, thus increasing the interval between both lens units. As a result, the effective diameter of the positive lens unit increases. Further, because the lens unit in the most reduction side has a negative refractive power, the numerical aperture (NA) on the reduction side decreases.
Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2002-207167 discloses the case where a lens unit in the most reduction side has a positive refractive power, however this lens unit considerably moves toward the magnification side as the focal length decreases, and therefore if the NA on the reduction side is increased, the effective diameter of the lens unit increases.
Namely, in this zoom optical system, a plurality of lens units are situated in the aperture stop side in a state of the minimum focal length (wide), and move toward the reduction-side focal plane side as the focal length increases, the effective diameter of the lens unit therefore tends to increase, and it is thus difficult to make the zoom optical system compact. Further, because the lens unit in the most magnification side has a positive refractive power, it is also difficult to provide a sufficient back focus. Moreover, the zoom optical system is based on a single-wavelength light source, and is not suitable for projection display of color images.


The present disclosure provides a system, apparatus and method to transport data across a network node, as part of a network infrastructure of an optical transmission system. According to the various embodiments of the disclosure, a base architecture is provided which includes interconnectivity providing high throughput, while mitigating factors which may lead to signal loss or signal degradation. The base architecture is easily expandable to accommodate additional traffic.

Optical transmission networks are deployed for transporting data across a network infrastructure. The network infrastructure may include, for example, long haul networks, metropolitan area networks, and networks employed in other optical communication applications. Hardware associated with the optical transmission system may be configured to allow for the transfer of information across the network infrastructure, from a source node to a destination node for example. A base architecture, as part of a node of a nodal system, may include a number of line modules or line cards configured to receive and send data on ports. The line modules are typically electronically coupled to each other through a series of interconnections provided on a backplane. Typically, the base architecture includes one or more systems which interconnect the various cards or modules to facilitate transmission of data through the node.
The backplane and various line modules, as part of the base architecture, are preferably configured to support high data or bit rates while mitigating signal degradation. For example, the data may be received by a node on a first port of a module and be transmitted across a length of a backplane, and finally exiting from the node on a second port of the module. With increasing demand for capacity, such base architecture systems are required to support ever increasing bit rates. However, at high bit rates, data signals may be subject to impairments including, but not limited to, insertion loss, return loss, and crosstalk.
What is needed is a base architecture for nodal systems which is configured to provide high data throughput without undesirable signal degradation, associated with insertion loss, return loss, and crosstalk for example. Further, what is needed is a base architecture which provides for minimal length interconnections between the various modules of the base architecture, requiring fewer layers as part of the backplane, for example, to provide desired connectivity leading to lower system costs and higher system performance.


Provided is a hidden speaker apparatus used as a sound apparatus in a digital TV. The hidden speaker apparatus includes a high range speaker that is disposed such that a sound output direction and a direction to a front side where a listener is present form an acute angle. The high range speaker mitigates high range sound attenuation of the hidden speaker apparatus.

1. Field of the Invention
The present general inventive concept relates to a hidden speaker apparatus that is used as a sound apparatus of electronic products such as a digital TV.
2. Description of the Related Art
Recently, as audio and video devices are becoming slimmer, a sound apparatus having a slim structure for the audio and video devices is being released. For example, digital TVs such as LCD TVs or PDP TVs are much slimmer than Braun tube TVs. Thus, a sound apparatus such as a hidden speaker apparatus, which is installed in a place to be invisible from a front side of an electronic product, such as on a lower surface of the electronic product, is used. However, sound output from the hidden speaker apparatus is not directly transmitted to the listener but collides against the surroundings, and thus, the sound may be lost in some ranges.