A multichannel wavelength demultiplexer has two or more cascaded birefringent filter stages for dividing an input signal consisting of a plurality of adjacent channels of optical signals among a number of outputs, each of said filter stages having a transmission function with even symmetry about optical frequencies at the centers of both the longest and the shortest wavelength channels. This symmetry, common to all transmission functions, permits all birefringent filter stages to be constructed from sequences of the same one size crystal element, thereby greatly lowering the cost of construction because solely one size crystal element is fabricated, tested and assembled. A multichannel multiplexer, identical to the above defined demultiplexer, but operated in reverse, is set forth. A combination multichannel wavelength demultiplexer/remultiplexer consists of a single birefringent filter stage for use in conjunction with multichannel multiplexer/demultiplexer to divide a common set of adjacent wavelength channels on its primary input between its primary and secondary outputs in any combination, and simultaneously to accept at its secondary input different optical signals within the same wavelength channels as those exiting its secondary output and recombine them to exit at its primary output, wherein said single filter stage has a transmission function with even symmetry about optical frequencies at the centers of both the longest and the shortest wavelength channels. This symmetry, common to its transmission function and to those of said multichannel multiplexer/demultiplexer, permits all birefringent filter stages to be constructed also from sequences of the same one size crystal element.

This invention pertains generally to the field of fiber optic communications and more particularly to optical components used in such communication systems. Specifically it pertains to optical birefringent filters adapted for use in optical wavelength division multiplexers, demultiplexers and splitters.
In the communications art, the terms "multiplex" and "demultiplex" are often used in several senses. In a specific sense, a multiplexer is a device for combining two or more signals to create a composite signal for transmission on a single channel, while a demultiplexer is a device used to separate two or more signals that were previously combined by a compatible multiplexer and transmitted over a single channel. Thus, a multiplexer and a demultiplexer are essentially complementary devices. A multiplex operation is the simultaneous transmission of two or more signals over a single channel by time division, frequency division, or phase division.
In the case of optical signals, frequency division multiplexing is usually referred to as wavelength division multiplexing and makes use of passive optical filters which are bidirectional by nature. Because of this bidirectionality a wavelength multiplexer, which combines two or more different wavelength signals for transmission on a single carrier medium, such as an optical fiber, can function in reverse as a demultiplexer to separate a multiplexed signal from a single carrier medium into its two or more different wavelength component signals. Such a multiplexer/demultiplexer device, often referred to generically as a multiplexer or less frequently as a demultiplexer, is used at each end of a carrier medium to allow the simultaneous transmission of two or more different wavelength signals in either or both directions.
In the present application, as well as in the prior patents discussed in this application, all of which are assigned to the same assignee, the terms "multiplexer" and "demultiplexer" are used generically, except where the context requires otherwise.
Optical birefringent filters of the type first described by Solc are particularly adaptable for use in wavelength division multiplexers and demultiplexers because they consist of an essentially lossless sequence of birefringent crystal elements between two polarizing devices. Their transmission characteristics are even periodic functions of optical frequency that may be shaped as desired by choosing an appropriate number of equal length elements and their rotational orientations according to a synthesis procedure outlined by S. E. Harris, E. O. Ammann, and I. C. Chang, J. Opt. Soc., Amer. 54(10), 1267, (1964).
P. Melman, W. J. Carlsen, and B. Foley, Elect. Lett. 21(15), 634(1985), used a single birefringent element between two polarizing beam splitters to make a polarization insensitive wavelength multiplexer/demultiplexer that is useful in fiber optic systems. They first split the input beam into two orthogonal plane polarized components that passed in parallel through the birefringent element and then were recombined in the second polarizing beam splitter to provide two output beams consisting of the input light separated according to wavelength.
Carlsen and Melman proposed an n channel multiplexer/demultiplexer configured as a tree structure of n-1 two-channel multiplexers/demultiplexers, each with a single birefringent element. See U.S. Pat. No. 4,566,761 issued Jan. 28, 1986, and U.S. Pat. No. 4,685,773 issued Aug. 11, 1987, a continuation-in-part thereof. However, a sequential configuration of only log.sub.2 n stages is possible when each stage contains several birefringent elements in a Solc-type filter. See U.S. Pat. No. 4,745,591, issued May 7, 1988 to B. Foley. In the left to right demultiplexer mode of operation disclosed in the Foley patent, each stage would have a transfer function approximating a square wave, and successive stages would have halved periods. An input beam with n wavelength components would be demultiplexed into two, four, and finally n output beams each containing only one wavelength. Successive stages would consist of two polarizing beam splitters between which would be located an appropriate number of elements to achieve the desired transfer function.
The prior art relative to the present invention is the configuration disclosed by B. Foley in U.S. Pat. No. 4,745,591. It consists of two successive stages of Solc-type filters, each consisting of several birefringent elements between polarizing beam splitters as shown in FIGS. 1a, 1b and 1c of this application. In the left to right demultiplexer mode of operation, these stages separate an input beam 20 into four output beams 21, 22, 23, and 24. Each output contains light wavelengths in only one of the optical wavelength bands determined by the filter transmission functions 81 and 82 shown in FIGS. 2a and 2b. The device is reversible, and in the right to left multiplexer mode, four separate beams 21, 22, 23, and 24 entering on the right merge and exit as beam 20, provided that each consists only of light within the optical wavelength bands determined by the same transmission functions.
In terms of its operation as demultiplexer, referring to FIGS. 1a, 1b, and 1c, input beam 20 enters beam splitter prism 10 where only its vertically polarized component 13 is reflected by dielectric multilayer coating 12 and thereby separated from its horizontally polarized component 14 which continues into the sequence 15 of eleven birefringent crystal elements. Component beam 13 is again reflected internally in prism 10 at facet 16 which is parallel to the plane of coating 12, FIGS. 1a and 1b, and also traverses sequence 15 parallel to component beam 14. After undergoing wavelength dependent polarization changes, both enter beam splitter 11 where component 13 is again internally reflected and recombined with component 14 at dielectric multilayer coating 17. Vertically and horizontally polarized components of beams 13 and 14 are reflected or transmitted respectively by this polarizing coating 17. Wavelength components of input beam 20 that fall within channels A and B of transmission function 81 of FIG. 2a undergo essentially no net change in polarization state in traversing Solc-type filter sequence 15 and appear in beam 18, while wavelength components that fall within channels C and D are essentially converted to the orthogonal polarization state and appear in beam 19.
The second filter stage functions in essentially the same manner except that it is rotated in orientation by 90 degrees such that its parallel input beams 18 and 19 are processed independently. Each is separated by input polarizing beam splitter 26 into horizontally and vertically polarized components which traverse sequence 27 of five birefringent crystal elements and recombine in output polarizing beam splitter 28. Wavelength components of input beams 18 or 19 that fall within channels A and C of transmission function 82 of FIG. 2b undergo essentially no net change in polarization state in traversing Solc-type filter sequence 27 and appear in beams 21 and 23, while wavelength components that fall within channels B and D are essentially converted to the orthogonal polarization state and appear in beams 22 and 24.. Together the two stages separate wavelength components of input beam 20 within channels A, B, C, and D of FIGS. 2a and 2b into the four output beams 21, 22, 23, and 24 respectively.
In this prior art four-channel multiplexer/demultiplexer, transmission function 82 of FIG. 2b spans two channels per period and is obtained using a synthesized Solc-type birefringent filter consisting of 5 quartz crystals 5.978 mm long. The longer period transmission function 81 of FIG. 2a spans four channels per period and its birefringent filter requires 11 quartz crystals 3.008 mm long to achieve an equally sharp wavelength cutoff characteristic. The former has even symmetry about optical frequencies centered in each channel A through D, while the latter has even symmetry about optical frequencies midway between channels A and B and midway between channels C and D. These symmetry frequencies correspond to the beginning and midpoints of the two even periodic transmission functions. Although the crystal lengths are approximately in 2:1 ratio because of the 1:2 ratio of the periods, the offset between the beginnings of the periods prevents them from being in an exact 2:1 ratio. Thus, the best prior art requires crystal elements of different sizes in each stage, leading to complex calculations of size and increased costs of manufacture and assembly.

Optical wavelength multiplexer/demultiplexer and demultiplexer/remultiplexer


A directional locking caster convertible between a locked position and an unlocked position by application of a lateral force. Also disclosed are transport devices including the caster. Additionally, a transport device including a directional locking caster that is convertible from a locked position to an unlocked position via a cable release.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to directional locking wheel casters.
2. Background Information
A typical shopping cart has four off-center axis wheels; two freely swiveling front wheels and two fixed straight rear wheels. As a result, the shopping cart can be easily turned and moved in a forward direction. However, due to the fixed rear wheels, the shopping cart cannot be easily pushed backward or sideways.
A hospital bed, a medical utility cart, and a luggage trolley typically include four freely swiveling off-center axis wheels. These transport items can be pushed in any direction, e.g., forward, backward and sideways. However, as all four wheels are free to swivel, these transport items are hard to maneuver in a straight direction while being pushed. They tend to swing to the left or right uncontrollably. For example, a hospital bed is routinely moved by two people; one in front to guide the front end in the desired direction and one in back to push it forward.
Attempts have been made to solve the above-described problems by employing a locking caster. See for example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,583,858; 5,040,265; and 5,263,226. The casters described in these patents have one or more deficiency rendering them unsuitable for solving the design problem. The deficiencies include (i) a locking mechanism that swivels together with the wheel, rendering the locking mechanism susceptible to physical damage, (ii) a spring exerting a constant pressure against the rotation wheel, resulting in premature wear of the wheel surface and failure of the locking mechanism if the wheel surface is not clean, and (iii) an unlocking mechanism that requires reversing direction of the wheel rotation.
The need exists for an improved directional locking caster to overcome the drawbacks of existing caster designs.

Directional lock with release for a pivoting caster


A photoelectric smoke detector 1 for detecting smoke particles 4 is disclosed, the smoke detector 1 comprising: a light emitting element 5, a light receiving element 6 for receiving light 8 emitted by the light emitting element 5 and scattered by the smoke particles 4 and for outputting a detection signal 12 obtained by photoelectrical converting the received light 10, 11, an amplifier circuit 13 for amplifying the detection signal 12 and providing an amplified output signal 14, wherein the amplified output signal 14 may be divided into an offset-signal 20 and an amplified detection signal 21, whereby the photoelectric smoke detector 1 is adapted to operate in a pulsed mode, so that the detection signal 12 comprises high-frequency components, whereby the amplified detection signal 21 is determined by high-frequency components of the detection signal 12 and that the offset-signal 20 is determined by low-frequency components of the detection signal 12 and/or by low-frequency components of at least an intermediate signal based on the detection signal 12, and whereby the amplifier circuit 13 is adapted to transfer the high-frequency components with a higher gain and to transfer the low-frequency components with a lower gain in order to improve the signal ratio between the amplified detection signal 21 and the offset-signal 20.

The invention relates to a photoelectric smoke detector, more specifically the invention relates to a photoelectric smoke detector for detecting smoke particles comprising a light emitting element, a light receiving element for receiving light emitted by the light emitting element and scattered by the smoke particles and for outputting a detection signal obtained by photo-electrically converting the received light, and an amplifier circuit for amplifying the detection signal and providing an amplified output signal, wherein the amplified output signal may be divided into an offset-signal and an amplified detection signal, whereby the photoelectric smoke detector is adapted to operate in a pulsed mode, so that the detection signal comprises high-frequency components. The invention furthermore relates to a process for testing the photoelectric smoke detector.
Photoelectric smoke detectors are widely used in private households as well as in industrial or public environments as detecting devices, which allow an early detection of smoke particles and therefore an early detection of fire.
A photoelectric smoke detector and a disaster monitoring system using a photoelectric smoke detector is disclosed in the European Patent Application EP 755 037 A1, probably representing the closest prior art. The smoke detector comprises a light emitting element for emitting light, a light receiving element for receiving the light emitted from said light emitting element and outputting a detection signal obtained by photo-electrically converting the received light and a calculation/comparison unit for calculating the level difference or the level ratio between the light emission zero point detection signal from said light receiving element which has received the light from said light emitting element and the putting-off zero point detection signal from said light receiving element when said light emitting element is put off and comparing the level difference or the level ratio with a preset determination level and a determination unit for determining the normality or the abnormality of the operation of said light emitting element, said light receiving element and a peripheral circuit from the result of comparison effected by said calculation/comparison unit.

Photoelectric smoke detector and process for testing the photoelectric smoke detector


A feed-through capacitor in which a composite dielectric layer made of a mixed material containing a resin material and dielectric material powder is arranged between a feedthrough terminal and an outer electrode terminal surrounding this feedthrough terminal, a capacitance being formed between the feedthrough terminal and the outer electrode terminal.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to feed-through capacitors having a structure comprising a feedthrough terminal and an outer electrode terminal surrounding through a dielectric layer which in turn surrounds the feedthrough terminal.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In a magnetron in a microwave oven or the like, a filter circuit is generally inserted into a power supply line so as to prevent a microwaves from leaking as noise via the power supply line or the like. Two conventional types of feed-through capacitors used in this type of filter circuit are respectively shown in FIGS. 9 and 11.
Each of the feed-through capacitors is constructed by using a dielectric block made of ceramics obtained by molding a ceramic dielectric material having a high dielectric constant in a block shape and sintering the same.
A dielectric block 4 of a feed-through capacitor 1 is shown in a cross-sectional view in FIG. 9 and is shown in perspective in FIG. 10. This dielectric block 4 is approximately elliptical in cross section and has two through holes 2 and 3 penetrating from its upper end surface to its lower end surface. Electrodes 6a and 6b separated by a slit-shaped groove 5 are formed on the upper surface of the dielectric block 4, while an electrode 7 is formed on the lower end surface thereof. The electrodes 6a and 6b and the electrode 7 are opposed to each other, two capacitances being formed therebetween.
Connecting terminal boards 11 and 12 are respectively soldered to the electrodes 6a and 6b formed on the dielectric block 4, as shown in FIG. 9. A hole 11a is formed in the connecting terminal board 11. A feedthrough terminal 13 is inserted into the hole 11a and is soldered or welded to the inner peripheral surface of the hole 11a. As obvious from FIG. 9, the feedthrough terminal 13 is inserted into the through hole 2 with it not being in contact with the inner peripheral surface of the through hole 2 of the dielectric block 4.
Similarly, the other feedthrough terminal 14 is inserted into a hole 12a formed in the other connecting terminal board 12 and is soldered or welded to the inner peripheral surface of the hole 12a.
A ground terminal board 16 is soldered to the electrode 7 on the lower end surface of the dielectric block 4. The ground terminal board 16 has a hole 16a for pulling out the feedthrough terminals 13 and 14 to pass downward. The electrode 7 is soldered to the outer peripheral surface of the hole 16a. An insulating case 17 and another insulating case 18 are respectively arranged above and the below the connecting terminal board 16. Insulating resin 19 is filled in the insulating cases 17 and 18.
A feed-through capacitor 21 shown in FIG. 11 is constructed by using a dielectric block 25. In the dielectric block 25, electrodes 22 and 23 are formed on the inner peripheral surfaces of through holes 2 and 3 in which feedthrough terminals 13 and 14 are respectively inserted. In addition, an electrode 24 is formed on the outer side surface of the dielectric block 25 so as to be opposed to the electrodes 22 and 23.
The electrodes 22 and 23 in the through holes 2 and 3 and the electrode 24 formed on the outer side surface of the dielectric block 25 are opposed to each other with the dielectric block 25 being interposed therebetween, a capacitance being formed therebetween.
The feedthrough terminals 13 and 14 are directly soldered to the electrodes 22 and 23 in the through holes 2 and 3 of the dielectric block 25 by solder 26. In addition, the dielectric block 25 is inserted into a hole 27 provided in a ground terminal board 16. The electrode 24 formed on the outer side surface of the dielectric block 25 is soldered to the ground terminal board 16.
Insulating cases 17 and 18 are respectively arranged on one side and the other side of the ground terminal board 16. Insulating resin 19 is filled in the insulating cases 17 and 18.
The feed-through capacitors constructed by using the dielectric blocks 4 and 25 obtained by molding the ceramic dielectric material in a block shape and sintering the same as described above can easily satisfy the following performance requirements for a filter circuit in the magnetron in the microwave oven.
(a) filter performance; to absorb noise in a frequency band of the television or radio wave (30 to 300 MHz) and in the microwave range (1 GHz or higher) and prevent conduction and radiation to the exterior.
(b) voltage proof performance; to withstand a rush pulse and a rise pulse of 10 to 20 kV.sub.O-P at the time of the oscillation of the magnetron.
In particular, the filter performance described above in
(a), a requires real capacitance of 100 pF or more in the frequency range of a television or radio wave, which is easily satisfied by using a ceramic dielectric body. In addition, the noise in the microwave band is mainly radiation noise. However, the use of the ceramic dielectric body makes it easy to damp the radiation noise.
In the conventional feed-through capacitors using the dielectric blocks 4 and 25 obtained by molding the ceramic dielectric material in a block shape and sintering the same, however, the shapes and the structures of the dielectric blocks 4 and 25 are complicated. Consequently, the feed-through capacitors have the disadvantage in that the fabrication of the dielectric blocks 4 and 25 having such complicated shapes and structures is very troublesome, resulting in increased cost.
Furthermore, in the above described feed-through capacitors, high voltage performance is also required. Accordingly, the outer peripheral surfaces of the dielectric blocks 4 and 25 are molded and enclosed by insulating resin of the epoxy resin system 19. However, the coefficient of linear expansion .alpha. and the modulus of elasticity E of the dielectric blocks 4 and 25 are significantly different from those of the feedthrough terminals 13 and 14 and the insulating resin 19. Consequently, the conventional feed-through capacitors 1 and 21 also have the disadvantages in that the insulating resin 19 and the dielectric blocks 4 and 25 can be, for example, crazed, cracked or stripped off in performing a test of a thermal cycle such as a heat cycle.


A photoresist coating and developing apparatus 1 includes a photoresist film forming unit that forms a photoresist film on a substrate; a heat treatment unit that heats the substrate on which the photoresist film is formed by the photoresist film forming unit; a cooling unit that cools the substrate, on which the photoresist film is formed and which is heated by the heat treatment unit, to normal temperature; a heating unit 61 that heats the substrate, which is cooled to normal temperature by the cooling unit, to a predetermined temperature; a load-lock chamber L1 that unloads the substrate under depressurized atmosphere to expose the photoresist film; and a transfer device 62 that transfers the substrate from the heating unit 61 to the load-lock chamber L1.

As a semiconductor device has been getting miniaturized, a line width is required to be about 20 nm or less. In order to get such a line width, development of an extreme ultraviolet light (hereinafter, referred to as "EUV light") exposure apparatus using an EUV light as an exposure light or an electron beam exposure apparatus using an electron beam as an exposure light has been progressing. In the EUV exposure apparatus, since the EUV light cannot penetrate the atmosphere, a photoresist film is exposed under vacuum. Further, in the electron beam exposure apparatus, since the electron beam is emitted from an electron gun, a photoresist film is exposed under vacuum. Meanwhile, since coating or developing photoresist on a wafer is carried out under an atmospheric pressure, a load-lock chamber serving as an interface unit is indispensable between the photoresist coating and developing apparatus and the exposure apparatus (see, for example, Patent Document 1).    Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent Laid-open Publication No. 2008-34739
However, when photoresist patterns each having a line width of about 20 nm or less are formed through an exposure process, alignment of patterns may be deviated due to thermal expansion of a wafer. Accordingly, temperature of the wafer under an exposure process needs to be maintained at a constant temperature. For this reason, the EUV exposure apparatus or the EB exposure apparatus is provided with a temperature control device and, thus, a temperature of the wafer can be controlled to be, for example, 23±0.02° C.
Further, in order to improve throughput, a temperature of a wafer needs to be quickly adjusted. Thus, the temperature of the wafer needs to be controlled in a photoresist coating and developing apparatus before the wafer is loaded into an exposure apparatus.
Considering these circumstances, the inventors of the present invention examined a control of the temperature of the wafer in the photoresist coating and developing apparatus. As a result of the examination, it has been found that even if the temperature of the wafer is precisely controlled in the photoresist coating and developing apparatus, the temperature of the wafer is greatly decreased due to adiabatic cooling occurring when depressurization is carried out in the load-lock chamber, and, thus, it is useless to control the temperature in the photoresist coating and developing apparatus.
Hereinafter, there will be explained how much a temperature of the wafer is decreased with reference to a result of an experiment conducted by the present inventors in a process of completion of the present disclosure. FIG. 1 shows a change in temperature of a wafer in a load-lock chamber. To be specific, in this experiment, a thermostat plate was provided in a load-lock chamber and a temperature of the thermostat plate was preset to be about 30° C. Then, a wafer equipped with a temperature measurement sensor (hereinafter, referred to as "test wafer") of which a temperature had been preset to be about 23° C. was provided in the load-lock chamber. With depressurization in the load-lock chamber, a change in the temperature of the test wafer with time was recorded. In this experiment, the test wafer was mounted on the hot plate at the time indicated by an arrow A1 of FIG. 1, the temperature of the test wafer was increased to about 28° C. Then, depressurization was carried out at the time indicated by an arrow A2 of FIG. 1.
It can be seen from FIG. 1 that if depressurization is carried out in the load-lock chamber, the temperature of the test wafer is sharply decreased. To be specific, the temperature of the test wafer was decreased by about 15° C. in about 40 seconds. Thereafter, the present inventors tried to control the temperature of the test wafer to be about 23° C. by using the hot plate but the temperature did not return to about 23° C. even at the time indicated by an arrow A3, i.e., about 4 minutes after the depressurization start time (the time indicated by the arrow A2).
Further, it can be seen that the temperature of the test wafer is varied in the range of ± about 0.4° C. in the surface at the loading time (indicated by the arrow A1) but it is greatly varied in the range of ± about 1° C. at the time of the lowest temperature (for reference, a plurality of curves in FIG. 1 shows a change in temperature at each measurement point in the test wafer but specific descriptions of the measurement points are omitted). It takes a long time to precisely control a temperature of the wafer after loading the wafer of which a temperature is non-uniformly changed into the exposure apparatus, which causes a decrease in the throughput.
In view of the foregoing problem, the present disclosure provides a photoresist coating and developing apparatus, a photoresist coating and developing method and an interface apparatus capable of reducing a change in temperature of a wafer when the wafer is transferred from the photoresist coating and developing apparatus to an exposure apparatus via a load-lock chamber.

Photoresist coating and developing apparatus, substrate transfer method and interface apparatus


A heat dissipation structure capable of improving heat dissipation efficiency and regulating temperature distribution of a surface of a housing is provided. A heat dissipation structure 300 is provided in a housing 200 that accommodates a heat generating source 102 therein, the heat dissipation structure 300 including: top surface parts 213 and 223 opposed to each other, in which the top surface part 213 includes a plurality of concave-shaped parts 213B-F that are aligned, the top surface part 223 includes a plurality of concave-shaped parts 223B-F that are aligned, the concave-shaped parts 213B-F of the top surface part 213 are opposed to the concave-shaped parts 223B-F of the top surface part 223, outlets 213A are formed in the concave-shaped parts 213D, 213E, and 213F, and outlets 223A are formed in the concave-shaped parts 223C, 223D, 223E, and 223F.

In general, an apparatus that includes a heat generating source inside a housing includes a heat dissipation structure in order to prevent the temperature in a component group/area such as the heat generating source itself or components in the vicinity of the heat generating source where a high temperature above a certain level is not allowed from being increased. This heat dissipation structure releases heat generated in a heat generation unit such as the heat generating source to the air inside the housing by convective heat transfer. Specifically, this heat dissipation structure lowers the temperatures of parts whose temperatures should be lowered via a component such as a heat sink that improves heat dissipation efficiency, via a component that diffuses and regulates the heat dissipation path, or in a direct way.
Heat of the air inside the housing that has been received from the heat generation unit and whose temperature is high is released to an inner surface of an adjacent outer shell of the housing by convective heat transfer. Heat of the outer shell of the housing that has been received from inside the housing is conducted in the outer shell of the housing, and is then released to the air outside the housing from the surface of the outer shell of the housing.
Further, in general, in order to further lower the temperatures of the parts whose temperatures should be lowered, a method of adding a heat movement path, which path is due to movement of air, such as providing ventilation holes in the outer shell of the housing for ventilation, is typically used. In this natural air cooling, basically, an air flow that air is sucked in from holes positioned to be below the heat source in the gravitational direction, and air which received the heat from the heat source is exhausted from holes positioned to be above the heat source is formed. Therefore, in order to further facilitate heat dissipation due to this convection and improve the efficiency, the amount of inflow and outflow of the air is preferably increased. That is, it can be said that the greater the number of holes and the larger the size of each of the holes become, the larger the amount of heat released to the air outside the housing becomes.
However, the temperature in an area near the exhaust holes of the housing becomes higher than that in a case in which exhaust holes are not provided since the amount of heat received due to convective heat transfer from the air is large in the area near the exhaust holes of the housing. In general, an allowable temperature of the surface of the housing is defined for each apparatus in view of usage and safety considerations. Therefore, it is required to make the temperature in the local area near the exhaust holes whose temperature becomes high equal to or smaller than the defined allowable temperature.
On the other hand, in order to maximize the heat dissipation efficiency from the surface of the housing to the air outside the housing due to the convective heat transfer, it is desirable that the temperature of the surface of the housing be a high temperature and the temperature distribution thereof be uniform as much as possible as long as the temperature does not exceed the defined allowable temperature.
International Patent Publication No. WO 2014/192764 discloses a housing including a heat dissipation part having a plurality of holes provided in a lower part and an upper part of a rear cabinet of a TV receiver. Further, the rear cabinet disclosed in International Patent Publication No. WO 2014/192764 is tilted forward toward an upper side. Therefore, in International Patent Publication No. WO 2014/192764, a plurality of recessed parts are formed in an inclined part of the rear cabinet, and holes for exhaustion are provided in each of the recessed parts, whereby the size of each of the holes is made uniform and the heat is uniformly released.
In the housing disclosed in International Patent Publication No. WO 2014/192764, however, the temperature distribution and the like due to the distance from the heat generating source to the exhaust hole varying is not taken into account, and it is thus possible that there is a locally high temperature part on a surface of the housing.
As described above, it is difficult to regulate a balance between occurrence of a locally high temperature area on the surface of the housing due to the arrangement of a large number of exhaust holes and equalization of the temperature distribution of the surface of the housing in high dimensions. Therefore, it is difficult to achieve a heat dissipation state optimal for an apparatus that includes the heat generating source inside the housing.


A restraint for the hands of a handcuffed person includes a fabric pouch having a drawstring, and grommets along an edge thereof. The drawstring has a ring at one portion, and a spring clip at an opposing portion. The pouch is placed over both hands of a handcuffed person, the drawstring pulled tight by means of the spring clip which is passed through the ring and attached to a grommet. A plastic liner may be installed in the pouch prior to use to protect and collect evidence from a suspect's hands.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to handcuffs, and more particularly to a cover, restraint and evidence protector for the hands of a handcuffed person,
2. Description of the Prior Art
Handcuffs are used to control prisoners or others at arrest, during transfer, and similar circumstances. Although such use may limit the handcuffed person's arms, his hands are still free. Cases of a handcuffed prisoner gaining access to weapons are known, as well as escape from vehicles by opening doors. Also, a prisoner may have incriminating evidence on his hands which can be lost during transport.
One attempt in the prior art to provide protection from a prisoner's hands is shown in Bible U.S. Pat. No. 4,741,051. A protective mitt is placed over the handcuffed hands, and attached by a tie wrap which must be threaded through four small holes in the mitt. The disadvantages of the Bible device is that the mitt is not completely closed, and difficulty may be experienced in threading the tie wrap with an uncooperative prisoner. A shackle formed from two separate mitts is taught by James U.S. Patent No. 404,544. McKenzie U.S. Pat. No. 1,529,546, discloses a rigid mitt that holds a prisoner's hands palm to palm, with each thumb separated and relatively immobile.
There is a need for a simple, compact cover and restraint that may be carried by an officer, which can be quickly installed, and which includes means for protecting evidence on the hands.


A tire dressing applicator assembly comprises a linearly arranged series of toroidally-shaped plastic rollers having one or more beveled edges and reinforced for shape retaining purposes by pins which extend axially through the bodies of the elements outboard of a center opening which is adapted to receive a support shaft.

Commercial car wash operations often include optional extra cost features such as undercarriage wash, rust inhibitor application and tire dressing application. One known method of tire dressing application comprises an elongate pad of foam plastic which can be saturated with tire dressing by means of internal nozzles and brought into a position where the outer surface of the pad engages the sidewall of the tires of a vehicle which is rolling past the applicator on a conveyor. This applicator is shown in U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,936,104, 6,461,685 and 6,461,429. A similar applicator, shown in U.S. Pat. No. 6,260,226, uses rotating brushes made of tightly bunched radian strands of absorbent material. Water and dressing are sprayed into the brushes in sequence.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.


Housings for terminations or interconnections of flat electrical cable have integral cable-clamping means to compensate for variations in cable thickness at cable exits and can accommodate one or two cables at an exit. The cable-clamping means are integral cable-engaging platforms which upon cable surface engagement as the pair of housings are secured together, are deflectable against spring bias into respective transverse relief slots therebehind. The cable-engaging platforms remain in compression against the one or two cables at the cable exit and provide insulation, vibration resistance and strain relief, protecting the termination or interconnection site.

U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,859,204; 4,867,700; 4,915,650 and 4,900,264 disclose electrical terminations of terminals to ends of flat power cable, and interconnections between respective flat power cables. The cable is of the type entering commercial use for transmitting electrical power of for example 75 amperes nominal, and includes a flat conductor one inch wide and about 0.020 inches thick with an extruded insulated coating of about 0.0004 to 0.008 inches thick over each surface with the cable having a total thickness averaging about 0.034 inches. The cable could also have a pair of parallel spaced coplanar flat conductors having insulation extruded therearound and therebetween, defining power and return paths for electrical power transmission. Similar cable could have a thinner conductor members and have a total thickness of about 0.017 inches.
In U.S. patent application Ser. Nos. 4,900,264 and 07/454,656 filed Dec. 21, 1989, are disclosed electrical interconnections of one dual conductor flat power cable to another, forming a splice or tap interconnection between the cables which mechanically joins the cables and electrically interconnects the respective ones of the pairs of cable conductors. The cables are first stacked in parallel one atop the other, with the ones of the conductors of each cable to be interconnected being adjacent each other. In certain embodiments thereof a main cable and a tap cable exit one end of the interconnection, while only the main cable exits the opposed end; thus there are two cable thicknesses exiting one end while only one cable thickness exits the other end
It is desired that the housing means be adapted to compensate for one or two cable thicknesses, and also for variations in the thicknesses of each cable, within a limited range of thicknesses.
It is desired that the housing means structurally engage the opposed major cable surfaces at the cable exits at all thicknesses of exiting cable within the range.
It is further desired that the engagement be under compression to provide strain relief benefits.


The present invention is directed toward apparatuses, devices, methods, kits, programs, and combinations to disperse and/or project light. For example, in one embodiment of the present invention where a light effect of glowing, diffuse, and projected light is desired, one lens is provided that diffuses light in one section of the lens and is substantially clear in another section to allow substantially all the light to pass through the lens. In other embodiments to obtain the same effect, one or more lenses diffuse light while one or more other lenses are clear to allow substantially all the light to pass through the lens.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention generally relates to multi-clarity lens that diffuse and/or project a light source.
2. Description of the Background of the Invention
Lenses that diffuse light are known in the art. Devices that incorporate lenses are also known. One such device is a lighting unit for use with common household lighting fixtures that uses an illumination system near a wall or surface for creating an image of light thereon by passing radiant light through a convergent refracting lens. The lens in one instance is decorative in shape and embellished with etched, drawn, painted or applied designs for projecting the image.
Other devices that project light are nightlights that have a neon lamp or a number of light-emitting diodes (LED's) as the light source that are arranged in series with a current-limiting capacitor. In some cases, lighting devices emit different colors of light such as from multiple LED's.
Other devices that project light include a fragrance diffuser that is plugged directly into a wall socket and generates heat to facilitate diffusion of an active material, such as an air freshener or insect control material. Such diffusers are also known as heat-assisted evaporative dispensers.
One particular type of diffuser that plugs into a wall employs a liquid or gel air-treating composition in an enclosure having a permeable membrane, with all or part of the enclosure formed of a polymeric film. When heated, the air-treating composition migrates through the membrane and is released as a vapor at an outer surface. The use of this type of permeable polymeric membrane controls the dispensing of air-treating vapors and tends to eliminate great variations in rate of dispensing over the life of the product. Another conventional type of diffuser employs a liquid air freshener such as scented oil or a liquid insect repellant contained in a clear plastic container or bottle having a wick. One diffuser employs a ring-type heater mounted in the air freshener to vaporize and disperse the liquid contained in the container. Another device for evaporating a liquid from a container having a wick utilizes a sliding part coupled to a housing to displace and axially guide the container in a non-rotating manner in relation to a heating element to regulate an evaporation rate of the liquid. One vapor dispensing unit uses a variable temperature heater configured as a positive temperature coefficient (PTC) heater to control the evaporation level of fragrance. Yet another vaporizing device uses a guidance system between a refill bottle having a wick and a housing unit to aid in guiding a refill bottle unit relative to the housing unit and to center the wick contained in the refill bottle unit relative to a heating element contained within the housing unit when the refill bottle is inserted into the housing unit.
In some instances, a liquid evaporator uses a refill bottle that has an engagement portion that engages a casing of the liquid evaporator and a release that causes deformation of the receiver and to allow release of the container from the casing.
Various types of fragrance dispensers other than the evaporative type use an electrostatic vapor or an aerosol generator for supplying aromatic oil, deodorant, disinfectant, fumigant, fungicide, insecticide or bactericide, to a room. In some cases, an adjustable aerosol dispenser is provided for supplying different amounts of fragrance into a room according to sensed light, odor, sound, etc. In other cases, a device is provided for emitting a vaporized substance into the atmosphere according to the setting of a timer. In yet other cases, an electrostatic sprayer that sprays insecticides is controlled according to selected "on" times and "off" times and also incorporates a sensor to sense the available power for continued operation. Other dispensers have an ultrasonic liquid atomizer with automatic frequency control, or have timers for controlling the operation of the dispensers according to preset times.
Additional dispensers of a type often referred to as diffusers have a fragrance warmer that incorporates a plug-through capability and an incandescent nightlight. Incandescent nightlights, however, suffer from various disadvantages. For example, incandescent bulbs produce considerable heat. When incandescent nightlights are used in connection with a diffuser of volatile active material, the heat generated by the incandescent nightlight tends to affect the rate at which the active material is diffused. Thus, when the nightlight is turned on, the active material may, for example, diffuse too quickly. Also, because of the added heat, it is difficult to regulate the rate at which the active material is diffused. Another disadvantage of using incandescent bulbs as nightlights is that the bulbs tend to consume relatively large amounts of energy. Since nightlights are often left on for extended periods of time in multiple rooms of a house, this energy consumption may be a significant consideration.
Various techniques, such as using different incandescent bulbs and using bulbs of varying size or power rating, have been used in an attempt to reduce heat produced and power consumed by nightlights. These techniques, however, have yielded only minor reductions in heat emission and energy consumption, and come at a cost to performance of the nightlight.
Another problem with conventional diffusers is that the diffusers do not make effective use of lighting elements. For example, lighting elements in conventional diffusers are typically not used to generate aesthetic lighting displays, such as multicolored displays, color-changing displays, projection displays, shine-through displays, or the like. A still further problem is that conventional diffusers are limited in use to locations where wall sockets are already exist. Wall sockets are often located in places that are less than ideal for placement of diffusers, such as near the floor, in a corner, etc. This limitation on the location of diffusers is even more problematic for diffusers that have a lighting element or display, since the diffuser often cannot be located in a user's line of sight, thereby limiting the effectiveness of the lighting element. Yet another problem is that conventional diffusers typically do not have suitable controllability for varying the emission of light and/or fragrance. In particular, such diffusers seldom have fragrance dispensers that are easily and precisely adjustable to vary a fragrance intensity or diffusion rate.


There is provided an amplifier circuit. The amplifier circuit includes an amplifying unit including at least one transistor; at least one first bias circuit unit including a resistor and connected to the at least one transistor; and at least one second bias circuit unit connected between an input terminal to which an input signal is applied and the at least one transistor so as to block an input signal having a frequency higher than a first frequency or having a frequency lower than a second frequency. The amplifier circuit according to embodiment of the present invention may prevent thermal runaway, remove a harmonic component from an input signal to be amplified and suppress oscillations.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an amplifier circuit including a transistor, and more particularly, to an amplifier circuit capable of preventing thermal runaway and optimizing response characteristics in a frequency band to suppress oscillations and remove harmonic components.
2. Description of the Related Art
An amplifier circuit, a circuit amplifying an input signal to generate an output signal, is widely used in electronic device power supply systems as well as in amplifying a communication signal of a wireless communication device. An amplifier circuit may include a bias circuit applying a bias signal for operating the amplifier circuit in a voltage or current form, in addition to an amplifier circuit amplifying an input signal to generate an output signal.
An amplifier circuit generally includes a plurality of elements such as an operational amplifier, a transistor, a resistor, and the like, and receives power required for driving from battery voltage, power supply voltage, or the like, input to the electronic device. In this case, in consideration of the characteristics of an electrical element, heat may be generated in the amplifier element during signal amplification. In the case in which the generated heat is not efficiently controlled, a thermal runaway phenomenon may occur, deteriorating the performance of, or even destroying, the amplifier element.
The thermal runaway phenomenon may be a serious problem, particularly in an amplifier circuit including a plurality of transistors. When a temperature of a transistor operating as a signal amplifier element within the amplifier circuit increases, a beta (β) value corresponding to a ratio between a collector current and a base current of the transistor decreases, and a larger base current is generally required in order to maintain current in a collector terminal connected to an output terminal. Therefore, in order to apply the larger base current thereto, voltage may be increased, whereby the thermal runaway phenomenon may occur.
In the following related art document, Patent Document 1 discloses an amplifier circuit including a plurality of transistors. The amplifying circuit includes a resistor connected between a direct current (DC) bias signal input terminal and a base terminal of the transistor in order to prevent a thermal runaway phenomenon. However, since only a capacitor and a resistor are connected to a signal input terminal RF_IN through which a wireless signal to be amplified is input, and the base terminal of the plurality of transistors, an effect of suppressing oscillations or transmitting only a signal having a specific frequency band may not be expected.

Amplifier circuit and operating method thereof


The present invention relates to a method of operating a pump generating a flow of a fluid with a pressure, the method comprising operating the pump with a pump speed S satisfying the equation S=Ssimple(1+COR(t)); wherein S is the pump speed, Ssimple is the pump speed disregarding any compression and/or expansion of the fluid, t is a time, and COR(t) is a time dependent correction function; wherein the time dependent correction function COR(t) is a product of a corrective amplitude Acor and a time-dependent function f(t), i.e., COR(t)=Acor·ƒ(t); and wherein the corrective amplitude Acor is set based on a measure for the flow and a measure for the pressure. The present invention also relates to a corresponding use, a pump, a pump system and an HPLC system.

While the invention will be described with a particular focus on HPLC, it is not necessarily limited to this application. In HPLC (and also in other applications), pumps are used to generate a flow of a fluid (e.g., a liquid) with a pressure. Such pumps are supposed to convey a flow in the low-pulse to pulse-free range at high pressure. What is used for this purpose are pumps that work based on the displacement principle with pistons having a cyclical effect. For bridging the suction period, pumps with a first and a second head/pair of pistons are used. Both heads can be arranged in parallel with regard to fluidics, so that one piston is always conveying while the other one is suctioning. Such an arrangement is described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,752,385 A, for example. As an alternative, the two heads can also be arranged in series, so that the second piston is conveying when the first one is suctioning, and that the first piston is conveying when the second one is sucking while at the same time being filled by the first piston. Such an arrangement is described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,681,513 A, for example.
One problem to be solved will be described in the following based on the example of a serial double piston pump (while it is noted that the present invention is not limited thereto, but may also comprise other embodiments). FIG. 1 shows a serial double piston pump in a schematic rendering. It comprises a working head 10 inside of which a movable working piston 11 is located. The sealing against the outside is provided by means of a seal 17. The working head has an inlet valve 15 and an outlet valve 16 that are switched in such a manner that the liquid can be sucked in via an inlet connection 14, and that it can be passed on via a connection capillary 24. A pressure sensor 13 can be arranged inside the pump head of the working head in order to determine the pressure in the interior of the working head. The free volume 12 in the interior of the working head can be decreased by the forward displacement of the working piston 11, i.e. in the right direction of the image, or can be increased by a backward movement, i.e. in the left direction of the image. The drive that is necessary for this purpose is not shown in the Figure to providing a clearer illustration. Further, there is a compensation head 20 with a balance piston 21, a seal 27, a free volume 22, and a pressure sensor 23. The compensation head is connected to the connection capillary 24 and to an outlet capillary 30 which provides the conveyed liquid for the HPLC system in a direct manner without any valves. Because the connection capillary 24, the compensation head 20 and the outlet capillary 30 are directly connected to each other, the same pressure is respectively present in these parts, which in the following will be referred to as the system pressure.
The shown components merely serve as examples for explaining the invention. The application to further embodiments will be described below.
The shown pump usually works in a cyclical manner in order to create a continuous flow at the exit. In a first phase of the pump cycle that is referred to as the suction phase, the working piston 11 moves backward and suctions in liquid from the solvent reservoir while the balance piston 21 moves forward, thus maintaining the flow at the pump exit and/or the system pressure. During this procedure, the inlet valve 15 is opened and the outlet valve 16 is closed. The suction phase ends shortly before the balance piston reaches the front end of its duty stroke and thus cannot convey any more liquid.
In a second phase that is referred to as the pre-compression phase, the working piston 11 moves forward to bring the previously suctioned-in liquid to the same high pressure as the one that is present at the pump exit and in the free volume 22 of the compensation head. In the course of this process, the inlet valve 15 closes, with the outlet valve 16 also remaining closed for the time being. This process is referred to as pre-compression, since the liquid has to be regarded as being compressible at the high pressures that are usual in HPLC. During the pre-compression, the balance piston 21 continues to maintain the flow and/or system pressure. The pre-compression phase ends when the pressure in the working head 10 reaches the system pressure, so that the outlet valve 16 opens and both free volumes 12 and 22 are connected to the outlet capillary 30. During the pre-compression phase, the working piston travels the length of the pre-compression path, which depends on the compressibility of the liquid as well as on the pressure inside the compensation head.
In a subsequent third phase (which may be referred to as the conveying phase), the outlet valve 16 is opened, so that the movement of the balance piston 21 as well as of the working piston 11 contributes to the total flow that is provided at the pump exit. In order to avoid an undesired increase of the total flow, the piston speeds have to be accordingly adjusted in such a manner that what results in sum at the pump exit is the desired total flow again. The exact manner in which this occurs depends on the specific technical realization of the pump. In any case, the balance piston 21 must be pulled back in time before the beginning of the next pump cycle or the next suction phase in order to refill the compensation head. In pumps according to the state of the art, this is done either in the third or in an additional fourth phase. When it comes to understanding the invention, it is noted that the flow provided at the pump exit in the third and, where applicable, in the fourth phase depends on the sum of the two piston speeds (with the correct algebraic sign). In the following, the phases following the pre-compression phase are referred to in a generally summarized manner as the conveying phase, independently of any specific technical realization.
The above explanations serve merely for providing an understanding of the invention and are only meant to explain the general working principle of pumps. However, the use of the invention is not limited to the described realization, while it is carried out in such a pump or pump system in some embodiments.
One problem arises as a result of the fact that, during the pre-compression, compression work is applied to the fluid/liquid which is present in the free volume 12 of the working head 10, which leads to this fluid/liquid being heated. This compression work is the greater the higher the pressure and the compressibility of the liquid. Thus, after pre-compression, the pre-compressed liquid inside the working head 10 is warmer than the working head 10 and the working piston 11.
No further compression work is performed following pre-compression, since the pressure in the free volume 12 remains substantially constant after the outlet valve 16 is opened. The previously heated liquid cools off especially at the beginning of the conveying phase due to the contact with the surrounding structural components of the pump, so that its volume and/or pressure changes.
This volume contraction decreases the flow that is provided at that time, which leads to a temporary drop in the provided flow. This is repeated with every pump cycle, and in total manifests as an undesired periodic flow error of the pump. With high pressure gradient pumps (HPG), in which different solvents of multiple individual pumps are mixed, such pulsations additionally manifest as fluctuations of the solvent composition. All these effects lead to a deterioration of the chromatographic reproducibility, which represents an important criterion for the quality of a chromatography system, and they corrupt the signal-to-noise ratio of the detection unit of the chromatography system.

Method of pump operation, use of the method in HPLC, pump, pump system, and HPLC system


A power unit connected to a power distribution bus operates in one of several modes to either store excess electrical energy from the power distribution or supply electrical energy to the power distribution bus to account for a detected demand/need. The power unit includes turbomachinery having components connected via a shaft, a generator connected to convert rotational energy associated with the turbomachinery to electrical energy for distribution on the bus, and a motor connected to convert electrical energy distributed by the bus to motive energy used to accelerate the turbomachinery components. A power controller monitors the voltage on the distribution bus. In response to excess voltage on the distribution bus, the power controller connects the motor to the bus to cause the excess electrical energy to be converted to motive energy that is used to accelerate the turbomachinery. In response to a voltage shortage on the distribution bus, the power controller connects the generator to the bus to convert rotational energy stored by the turbomachinery to electrical energy that is supplied to the bus.

The present invention relates generally to electrical power systems, and in particular to an integrated power unit for storing and supplying power to electrical systems on-board an aircraft.
Typical aircraft systems employ several sources of electrical power, each source providing a particular utility during different stages of flight. For instance, an aircraft may employ batteries, an integrated power pack (IPP), and main engines for generation of electrical power. In a typical system, the batteries supply electrical power to the IPP when the aircraft is on the ground. The IPP uses the electrical energy provided by the battery to rotate turbomachinery associated with a gas turbine engine to speeds sufficient for light-off of the gas turbine. Following light-off, the gas turbine associated with the IPP is accelerated to a self-sustaining speed at which point battery power is removed. Rotational energy provided by the combustion of the gas turbine is converted to electrical energy by a generator and distributed to electrical loads associated with the aircraft. In particular, electrical energy provided by the IPP is typically employed to provide starting power to the main engines. Electrical energy provided by the IPP is converted by a motor to rotational energy that is used to accelerate the main engine to speeds sufficient for light-off of the main engine. Following successful light-off of the main engine, the IPP may be shut-down, with a generator coupled to the main engine providing the electrical energy consumed by the aircraft.
In addition to these desired sources of power, many aircraft employ electrical loads that may contribute electrical energy to the distribution system. Electric motors used to convert electrical energy provided by the distribution system to mechanical energy to drive a mechanical load, such as aircraft flight control surfaces, may themselves be driven by the load such that the motor operates as a generator and provides electrical energy back onto the distribution bus. The electrical energy provided by some of the loads may result in substantial spikes in voltage provided onto the distribution bus. Typical systems dissipate this excess electrical power by converting it to heat. It would be beneficial if this excess energy could be stored rather than merely dissipated.

Integrated power unit as energy storage device for electrical power system


A hard mask etch stop is formed on the top surface of tall fins to preserve the fin height and protect the top surface of the fin from damage during etching steps of the transistor fabrication process. In an embodiment, the hard mask etch stop is formed using a dual hard mask system, wherein a hard mask etch stop layer is formed over the surface of a substrate, and a second hard mask layer is used to pattern a fin with a hard mask etch stop layer on the top surface of the fin. The second hard mask layer is removed, while the hard mask etch stop layer remains to protect the top surface of the fin during subsequent fabrication steps.

Advances in semiconductor manufacturing technology have led to the integration of billions of circuit elements, such as transistors, on a single integrated circuit (IC). In order to integrate increasing numbers of circuit elements onto an integrated circuit, it has been necessary to reduce the dimensions of the transistors. Non-planar, fin-based MOSFETs have enabled increased performance for a smaller device footprint. Wrap-around gates due to higher control of short channel effects such as parasitic capacitance and off-state leakage. Taller fins enable greater drive current, but fin height can be reduced by damage incurred to the top surface of the fin during the fabrication process due to etching of other device components.

Fin structure having hard mask etch stop layers underneath gate sidewall spacers


A PLL is integrated on the same chip as a programmable logic circuit and interconnected therewith in any of several useful ways. In one aspect of the invention, the output frequency of the PLL may be connected to the clock input of registers in the programmable logic circuit. If the PLL performs frequency multiplication, the chip then becomes a high-speed state machine synchronized to a lower-frequency input clock. In another aspect of the invention, the signal present at different parts of the phase lock loop may be provided to inputs of the programmable logic circuit. In another aspect, outputs of the programmable logic circuit may be used to control the operation and/or characteristics of various components in the PLL. For example, if a counter is included in the phase lock loop for causing the loop to generate a frequency multiple of the input signal, the counter may be made programmable according to outputs of the state machine. Similarly, the characteristics of the phase detector or loop filter may be dynamically adjusted according to outputs of the state machine. In yet another aspect of the invention, an output of the programmable logic circuit is, or is used to generate, one of the inputs to the phase detector in the PLL.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates generally to programmable logic devices, and more particularly to a programmable logic device having an on-chip analog functional block, such as a phase lock loop.
2. Description of Related Art
Programmable logic devices such as the programmable array logic (PAL) device offer digital designers a flexible and cost-effective implementation for complex logic circuits. PAL is a trademark of Monolithic Memories, Inc. A typical PAL includes a fuse-programmable or electrically erasable programmable array of AND gates, and a fixed array of OR gates. In some programmable logic circuits, the OR array is itself programmable. The outputs of the combinatorial logic arrays of programmable logic circuits may be coupled directly to an I/O pin, or input to clockable registers. In many devices, registered outputs are fed back to the inputs of the combinatorial array. Some programmable logic circuits also include a clockable input synchronizing register located between an input pin and one of the inputs to the combinatorial array.
Programmable logic circuits having clockable registers are ideal for use as state machines or, as they are sometimes called, sequencers. A state machine includes a number of registers, which store the current state of the machine, and a combinatorial logic array, for providing the next state to be stored in the registers. Inputs to the combinatorial array are provided both from external pins and from previous outputs of the state registers fed back to inputs. In all programmable logic devices currently available, the clock signal which is used to clock the various registers is supplied from outside the chip, either directly or via the logic array.
The programmable logic device has given the digital designer a means of reducing circuit size through higher integration, ease of design and documentation by software specification, and security of keeping the design proprietary. There is currently no equivalent to the programmable logic circuit in the analog realm. The semi-custom "analog array" is bringing large scale integration to the analog designer, but the approach is still very expensive. Part of the reason for the lag between the analog and digital worlds is that designers typically try to accomplish analog functions by performing an analog-to-digital conversion as soon as possible, implementing the solution in the digital realm and then performing a digital-to-analog conversion as the final step.
All the programmable logic devices currently on the market are entirely digital in nature, with no analog components included. Even at the board level it has been unusual for system designers to incorporate digital programmability in an analog functional block since the design engineer must be confident designing with both analog and digital parts. There are currently no devices on the market, as far as Applicants are aware, where a circuit has both analog and digital components working together to accomplish a programmable function. Fixed function devices exist (such as the Am8151 color palette) which incorporate both analog and digital components, but until now all of these devices have lacked the flexibility of programmability.


An insole can include: an upper conductive ground plane layer; an upper compressible insulating layer physically coupled to the upper conductive ground plane layer; a conductive sensor layer physically coupled to the upper compressible insulating layer, the conductive sensor layer comprising one or more sensors are configured to a force applied to the insole by the foot; a lower compressible insulating layer physically coupled to conductive sensor layer; a lower conductive ground plane layer physically coupled to the lower compressible insulating layer and electrically coupled to the upper conductive ground plane layer; and at least one computational unit communicatively coupled to the one or more sensors. The upper conductive ground plane layer and the lower conductive ground plane layer are configured to substantially electrically shield the upper compressible insulating layer, the conductive sensor layer, and the lower compressible insulating layer from the shoe and the foot. Other embodiments are disclosed.

In many sports and other activities, people find it useful to measure and analyze physical conditions caused by a foot in order to improve physical performance. In addition, people with medical conditions may want to monitor various parameters related to walking and other movements of their feet.
A number of electrical devices are known for measuring a force caused by a foot. However, these devices have various drawbacks. Some devices require custom-built footwear to be constructed in order to measure forces caused by the foot, and cannot readily be used with an athlete's existing footwear. Many devices require an inconvenient and unsightly wire connection to a measurement apparatus, which is either obtrusively worn on the body or which must be carried along to a new location every time the athlete moves. In addition, various wireless measurement devices exist but these devices can be expensive and/or can lack reliable and accurate measurements.
Accordingly, a need or potential for benefit exists for an unobtrusive device capable of sensing a physical condition caused by a foot and communicating information regarding the foot to the user.
For simplicity and clarity of illustration, the drawing figures illustrate the general manner of construction, and descriptions and details of well-known features and techniques may be omitted to avoid unnecessarily obscuring the invention. Additionally, elements in the drawing figures are not necessarily drawn to scale. For example, the dimensions of some of the elements in the figures may be exaggerated relative to other elements to help improve understanding of embodiments of the present invention. The same reference numerals in different figures denote the same elements.
The terms "first," "second," "third," "fourth," and the like in the description and in the claims, if any, are used for distinguishing between similar elements and not necessarily for describing a particular sequential or chronological order. It is to be understood that the terms so used are interchangeable under appropriate circumstances such that the embodiments described herein are, for example, capable of operation in sequences other than those illustrated or otherwise described herein. Furthermore, the terms "include," and "have," and any variations thereof, are intended to cover a non-exclusive inclusion, such that a process, method, system, article, device, or apparatus that comprises a list of elements is not necessarily limited to those elements, but may include other elements not expressly listed or inherent to such process, method, system, article, device, or apparatus.
The terms "left," "right," "front," "back," "top," "bottom," "over," "under," and the like in the description and in the claims, if any, are used for descriptive purposes and not necessarily for describing permanent relative positions. It is to be understood that the terms so used are interchangeable under appropriate circumstances such that the embodiments of the invention described herein are, for example, capable of operation in other orientations than those illustrated or otherwise described herein.
The terms "couple," "coupled," "couples," "coupling," and the like should be broadly understood and refer to connecting two or more elements or signals, electrically, mechanically and/or otherwise. Two or more electrical elements may be electrically coupled but not be mechanically or otherwise coupled; two or more mechanical elements may be mechanically coupled, but not be electrically or otherwise coupled; two or more electrical elements may be mechanically coupled, but not be electrically or otherwise coupled. Coupling may be for any length of time, e.g., permanent or semi-permanent or only for an instant.
"Electrical coupling" and the like should be broadly understood and include coupling involving any electrical signal, whether a power signal, a data signal, and/or other types or combinations of electrical signals. "Mechanical coupling," "physically coupled," and the like should be broadly understood and include mechanical coupling of all types.
The absence of the word "removably," "removable," and the like near the word "coupled," and the like does not mean that the coupling, etc. in question is or is not removable.

System and insole for measuring information from the foot of a user and related method of providing same


A data communication method, and a user equipment relate to the communications field and implement isolation for programs using a container technology. The user equipment includes a host machine running on a hardware layer of the user equipment, and at least one container running on the host machine, where each container corresponds to a different container instance. The user equipment determines whether an application program runs in a safe mode when a start instruction for running the application program is received, and performs security authentication with a server when the application program runs in the safe mode. The user equipment starts the application program in a container instance selected by a user when the security authentication succeeds, and performs data communication with the server using a communication channel corresponding to the selected container instance.

Bring your own device (BYOD) refers to using one's own device, for example, a mobile intelligent terminal such as a mobile phone or a tablet computer to work, that is, installing enterprise software on one's own device and setting enterprise resources to work. For an enterprise, BYOD imposes a great challenge on enterprise information security. High security becomes a primary problem to be resolved in an enterprise-level BYOD solution.
Currently, most of solutions to resolving a security problem of BYOD are to make special customization of an intelligent terminal, and make special customization of user software in order to ensure security of enterprise data. Further, BYOD can be used only when mobile informatization client software is installed on a mobile terminal. For example, a smartphone is used as a terminal carrier, and a server is deployed in the enterprise and used for interworking between a mobile phone and a computer network such that the mobile phone can interact with almost all enterprise-level services and management systems such as an office system and a financial system of the enterprise. However, such a solution requires to perform customized development or modification on user software for an enterprise, which may increase difficulty of solution implementation and increase expenditure input of the enterprise.

Data communication method, user equipment, and server


A handgun support device includes a handgun rest for supporting at least a portion of a grip of a handgun therein, where the handgun rest includes a wall portion, and a back support for at least a portion of a back side of the grip of the handgun, the back support protruding from a back side of the wall portion and including a hole or gap to allow a thumb of a user to be placed through an opening thereof to support the handgun against the wall portion of the handgun rest with the user's fingers and opposing thumb. The handgun rest further excludes a front support for at least a portion of a front side of the grip of the handgun. Still yet, the handgun support device includes a rigid structure extending from the handgun rest for being held against an external support.

Conventional handgun designs inherently cause threat to the users of such handguns, particularly upon firing. For example, when a semi automatic handgun is fired, the handgun slide is blown back by the explosion of the ammunition. Any finger, face, or eye near a semi automatic handgun slide during firing is in danger of being seriously injured. As another example, when a revolver handgun is fired the explosive gases escape from the front of the revolver's cylinder and the revolver's barrel. Any finger near the front of the revolver's cylinder during firing is in danger of being seriously injured.
Moreover, while in many cases the purpose of a handgun is defensive (i.e. to prevent life from being taken), conventional handgun designs do not inherently help prevent inadvertent damage to third parties upon firing. For example, shot placement accuracy is critical when dealing with life threatening situations. Poor shot placement can cause failure to protect life, and poor shot placement can cause innocent life to be taken. Thus, every round fired from a handgun has the potential of causing death or serious injury.
While existing handgun add-ons have been introduced to alleviate at least some of the above issues inherent with handguns, these handgun add-ons have exhibited various limitations. For example, existing handgun add-ons have physically attached to the handgun, therefore changing the basic operation of the handgun.
There is thus a need for addressing these and/or other issues associated with the prior art.


Various implementations described herein are directed to a method for managing a workflow for an oilfield operation. The method may include receiving a request to perform the task workflow. The method may also include loading an adapted task workflow based on historical information. The method may further include receiving an input pertaining to one or more tasks of the adapted task workflow. In addition, the method may include determining whether the one or more tasks have been completed based on the received input.

Oilfield operations may involve various sub-surface activities used to locate and gather hydrocarbons. Various tools, such as seismic tools, may be used to locate the hydrocarbons. One or more wellsites may be positioned along an oilfield to locate and gather the hydrocarbons from subterranean reservoirs of an oilfield. The wellsites may be provided with tools capable of advancing into the ground and removing hydrocarbons from the subterranean reservoirs. Production facilities may be positioned at surface locations to collect the hydrocarbons from the wellsites. Fluid may be drawn from the subterranean reservoirs and passed to the production facilities via transport mechanisms, such as tubing. Various equipment may be positioned about the oilfield to monitor and manipulate the flow of hydrocarbons from the reservoirs.
In one scenario, one or more tasks may be performed before, during, and/or after the oilfield operations. These tasks may relate to, for example, conducting maintenance and/or inspections of oilfield equipment, managing inventory, tracking containers and/or jobs, or other tasks known to those skilled in the art. In another scenario, results of the tasks may be recorded by a field engineer at the wellsite using a paper form, where the results may be entered via handwritten text.

Managing a workflow for an oilfield operation


A printing medium for the printing of images thereon to form a document by the printer of a standard facsimile machine in a manner which renders the document unreadable to a casual observer. There is a strip of a flexible printing medium receivable by the facsimile machine for passage therethrough past the printer thereof. The printing medium has a surface for receiving an image from the printer. Additionally, there is a strip of an obscuring medium removably attached to the printing medium along an edge thereof in a manner which will allow the obscuring medium to pass through the facsimile machine in combination with the printing medium. The obscuring medium has an obscuring portion covering a printing surface of the printing medium upon which the printer prints images for rendering printing on the printing medium unreadable to a casual observer. Four embodiments are disclosed for use in both thermal and plain paper facsimile machines.

This invention relates to facsimile transmission systems and methods for sending a document between a sender and a receiver by facsimile in a manner which prevents unauthorized casual reading of the document, and, more particularly, to a printing medium for the printing of images thereon to form a document by the printer of a standard facsimile machine in a manner which renders the document unreadable to a casual observer comprising a strip of a flexible printing medium receivable by the facsimile machine for passage therethrough past the printer thereof, said printing medium having a surface for receiving an image from the printer; and, a strip of an obscuring medium removably attached to the printing medium along an edge thereof in a manner which will allow the obscuring medium to pass through the facsimile machine in combination with the printing medium, the obscuring medium having an obscuring portion covering a printing surface of the printing medium upon which the printer prints images for rendering printing on the printing medium unreadable to a casual observer.
In the above-referenced, co-pending '700 application, the teachings of which are incorporated herein by reference, a method and associated apparatus is disclosed by means of which a document can be transmitted between a sender and a receiver by facsimile in a manner which prevents unauthorized casual reading of the document. A pair of patterns are alternately placed over the document while it is scanned (either by a photocopy machine or the scanning head of a facsimile machine). Each pattern contains white portions on a transparent background thus creating transparent portions. The patterns are complementary and mutually exclusive; that is, the "A" pattern has white portions where the "B" pattern has transparent portions, and also vice versa. Thus, when a document is scanned through the "A" pattern, a first partial document is produced. Similarly, when the document is scanned through the "B" pattern, a second partial document is produced. The partial documents can also be produced by software operating on a document produced by a word processing program. Regardless of the method of origination, the two partial documents are then transmitted by facsimile to the receiver. At the receiving end, the two partial documents are difficult to read and understand, at least to the casual observer. To "read" the original document, the intended receiver makes a copy of one of the two partial documents on a transparency and only has to place the transparency over the other partial document in proper registration in order to view (and copy, if desired) the reconstructed document.
In the above-referenced, co-pending '975 application, the teachings of which are also incorporated herein by reference, a method and associated apparatus are disclosed whereby the transparency and the other partial document are adhesively connected together to form a complete document which can be stored, copied, read, etc., with convenience.
As will be recognized readily by those skilled in the art, the foregoing methods and apparatus of the co-pending applications of which this is a continuation-in-part are directed to a security facsimile transmission system wherein the secure transmission is initiated by the sender. What is also needed is a security facsimile transmission system wherein the secure transmission can be under the control of the receiver.
Wherefore, it is the object of this invention to provide a facsimile transmission receiving medium onto which a received facsimile from a standard facsimile machine can be printed in a manner which will make the resultant copy virtually unreadable to the casual observer.
It is another object of this invention to provide a facsimile transmission receiving medium onto which a received facsimile can be printed in a manner which will make the resultant copy virtually unreadable to the casual observer whether the standard facsimile machine receiving and printing the document being transmitted is of the thermal printing variety or of the type printing on plain paper employing a toner.
Other objects and benefits of this invention will become apparent from the detailed description which follows hereinafter when taken in conjunction with the drawing figures which accompany it.

Thermally-activated receiving medium for use in a facsimile transmission system


A Process for the treatment or removal of impurities, such as arsenic, antimony or bismuth, generated as by-products during smelting and refining of copper concentrates, comprises subjecting the by-products to pressure oxidation along with a copper concentrate in a hydrometallurgical copper extraction process or the treatment of impurities when present in a concentrate by subjecting the concentrate to a hydrometallurgical extraction process.

This invention relates to a process for the treatment or removal of impurities such as arsenic, antimony and bismuth, such as, for example, generated as by-products during smelting and refining of copper concentrates or when present in an ore or concentrate being treated by a hydrometallurgical metal extraction process. It also relates to the treatment of other impurities, such as fluoride and mercury.
Arsenic, antimony and bismuth are often found in naturally occurring copper (sulphide) ores, and therefore each or several of them are often a minor constituent of copper concentrates which are obtained from sulphide ore by means of the well-established floatation processes.
These elements have little or no commercial value in copper concentrates, unlike other base metals which may also occur in copper concentrates, such as zinc, nickel or cobalt, but instead constitute deleterious impurities which must be removed during the subsequent refining process on the concentrate, otherwise the product of such refining process, i.e. copper metal, will be impure and lose value.
If copper concentrates containing such deleterious impurities are processed by the conventional smelting and refining processes, the impurities are commonly separated out at different stages of the process into a variety of by-products.
The by-products may be solids, such as fine dusts collected from the smelter, or liquids, such as purge streams, derived from the gas cleaning section of an acid plant attached to the smelter.
These by-products, due to their hazardous or toxic nature, are often difficult and expensive to dispose of. In addition, these materials are regulated and usually cannot be disposed of in a general tailings area where the tailings from the concentration process are frequently sent. As a result, concentrates containing the impurities are often too expensive to process and the metal values cannot be recovered economically.
Another impurity which sometimes occurs in copper sulphide ores is fluorine. It can generally be separated out at the concentration stage fairly efficiently, by rejecting the fluoride-containing minerals to the tailings stream, but in some circumstances concentrates do contain significant amounts of fluorine. This causes difficulty for the smelting and refining process, and therefore there is a maximum allowed level of fluorine in concentrates, above which it is a penalty element, and above a certain higher level may even preclude the sale of the concentrate.
According to the invention there is provided a method of treating a by-product from a copper smelting or refining process, which by-product contains an element selected from the group consisting of As, Sb, Bi and Hg, comprising the steps of: subjecting a copper ore or concentrate also containing iron and a source of bisulphate or sulphate ions to pressure oxidation at an elevated temperature and pressure in the presence of oxygen and an acidic solution containing halide ions; and subjecting said by-product to the pressure oxidation together with said ore or concentrate to obtain a resulting pressure oxidation slurry containing copper and a compound of said element.
Also according to the invention there is provided a method of treating a copper ore or concentrate also containing fluoride comprising the steps of subjecting the ore or concentrate along with a source of bisulphate or sulphate ions to pressure oxidation at an elevated temperature and pressure in the presence of oxygen and an acidic solution containing halide ions, the halide ions being selected from the group consisting of chloride ions and bromide ions, to obtain a resulting pressure oxidation slurry; subjecting the slurry to a liquid/solid separation step to obtain a resulting pressure oxidation filtrate and a solid residue; and continuously recycling the pressure oxidation filtrate to the pressure oxidation thereby to solubilize the fluoride up to a saturation concentration in the pressure oxidation filtrate, to establish an equilibrium condition whereby no further nett dissolution of fluoride takes place and substantially all fluoride in the ore or concentrate goes into the solid residue.
Further according to the invention there is provided a method of dispensing with an impurity contained in a copper ore or concentrate, which impurity is in the form of an element selected from the group consisting of As, Sb, Bi and Hg, comprising the steps of subjecting a copper ore or concentrate also containing iron and a source of bisulphate or sulphate ions to pressure; oxidation at an elevated temperature and pressure in the presence of oxygen and an acidic solution containing halide ions; and subjecting said by-product to the pressure oxidation together with said ore or concentrate to obtain a resulting pressure oxidation slurry containing copper and a compound of said element.
Further objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the description of preferred embodiments of the invention below.

Process for the treatment or removal of impurities in a hydrometallurgical extraction process


A system (800) for minimizing a crest in a multi-tone drive signal in a vibratory meter (5) is provided. The system (800) includes a drive signal generator (810) configured to generate the multi-tone drive signal for the vibratory meter (5) and a drive signal detector (820). The drive signal detector (820) is configured to receive the multi-tone drive signal, determine a first maximum amplitude of the multi-tone drive signal having a component at a first phase, determine a second maximum amplitude of the multi-tone drive signal having the component at a second phase, and compare the first maximum amplitude and the second maximum amplitude.

Vibratory meters, such as for example, Coriolis flow meters, liquid density meters, gas density meters, liquid viscosity meters, gas/liquid specific gravity meters, gas/liquid relative density meters, and gas molecular weight meters, are generally known and are used for measuring characteristics of fluids. Generally, the vibratory meters comprise a sensor assembly and a meter electronics. The material within the sensor assembly may be flowing or stationary. Each type of sensor assembly may have unique characteristics, which a meter must account for in order to achieve optimum performance. For example, some sensor assemblies may require a tube apparatus to vibrate at particular displacement levels. Other sensor assembly types may require special compensation algorithms.
The meter electronics, among performing other functions, typically include stored sensor calibration values for the particular sensor assembly being used. For example the meter electronics may include a reference sensor time period (i.e. the inverse of the reference resonant frequency). The reference sensor time period represents a fundamental measurement performance of the sensor geometry for a specific sensor assembly, as measured in the factory under reference conditions. A change between a sensor time period measured after a vibratory meter is installed at a customer site and a reference sensor time period may represent physical change in the sensor assembly due to coating, erosion, corrosion, or damage to conduits in the sensor assembly, in addition to other causes. A meter verification or health check test can detect these changes.
The meter verification test is typically performed using a multi-tone drive signal, which may also be referred to as a multi-sine, multi-component, or the like, drive signal that is applied to the sensor assembly. A multi-tone drive signal is typically comprised of a resonant component, or drive tone, that is at the resonant frequency of a sensor assembly and a plurality of non-resonant components, or test tones, that have frequencies spaced apart from the drive tone frequency. This is distinct from an approach where multiple test tones are cycled sequentially. Any time-variance in the system (e.g. temperature-dependent effects, changes in flow) could corrupt a characterization of the frequency response of the sensor assembly if the sequential tone approach is used. The multi-tone drive signal is advantageous because the sampled data is obtained simultaneously.
However, the multi-tone drive signal will have crests that form when the components constructively interfere. When these crests exceed a power capacity of a drive circuit (commonly called saturation), clipping and intermodulation distortion may be present in the multi-tone drive signal. These intermodulation distortions can cause a characterization of the sensor assembly's frequency response to be inaccurate. Accordingly, there is a need to minimize the crests in the multi-tone drive signal.

Minimizing a crest in a multi-tone drive signal in a vibratory meter


A fractional-volatilization separator includes a liquid inlet port for receiving a liquid mixture and a liquid waste outlet port for draining the liquid mixture. The fractional-volatilization separator includes a separator body having an interior wall portion connecting the liquid inlet port and the liquid waste outlet port. The fractional-volatilization separator includes a carrier gas inlet port coupled with the separator body for receiving a carrier gas, and a carrier gas outlet port coupled with the separator body for expelling the carrier gas. The interior wall portion is configured to cause the liquid mixture to flow from the liquid inlet port across the interior wall portion to the liquid waste outlet port to enhance evaporation of a first component part from a second component part of the liquid mixture as the carrier gas flows from the carrier gas inlet port to the carrier gas outlet port.

Fractional distillation may be used to separate a sample mixture into its component parts (fractions). One technique for performing fractional distillation employs a boiling pot and a condenser to heat a sample mixture so that a more volatile component will concentrate to a greater degree in the vapor leaving the mixture. Another distillation technique bubbles a gas through a liquid mixture, causing components to evaporate from the mixture. Rotary evaporators may also be used to increase the surface area of a liquid mixture as a flow of gas is directed onto the mixture. However, these techniques may be difficult to implement with continuous flow-through applications, where it may be necessary to clean equipment when sample mixtures are changed.


An autonomous mobile device that moves while autonomously avoiding zones into which entry should be avoided even if no obstacle exists therein includes a laser range finder that acquires peripheral obstacle information, a storage unit that stores an environment map that shows an obstacle zone where an obstacle exists, and a no-entry zone map which shows a no-entry zone into which entry is prohibited, a self-location estimation unit that estimates the self-location of a host device by using the obstacle information acquired by the laser range finder and the environment map, and a travel control unit that controls the host device to autonomously travel to the destination by avoiding the obstacle zone and the no-entry zone based on the estimated self-location, the environment map, and the no-entry zone map.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an autonomous mobile device which autonomously moves to a destination.
2. Description of the Related Art
A conventional autonomous mobile device autonomously moves to a destination while avoiding obstacles by using map information showing the shape of obstacles such as walls, and a horizontal distance from a host device to the obstacle measured by a distance sensor (for instance, refer to Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2005-157625).
Meanwhile, zones into which the entry by the autonomous mobile device should be avoided are not necessarily limited to zones containing obstacles. For example, in an environment of a hospital or the like, as zones into which the entry by the autonomous mobile device should be avoided, there are stepped zones such as stairs where the autonomous mobile device is unable to travel and zones such as treatment rooms of patients that would be dangerous if the autonomous mobile device were to travel therein. In the foregoing case, even if it is a zone where an obstacle does not exist, it is necessary to perform control to avoid entry of the autonomous mobile device into such zone. Nevertheless, with the autonomous mobile device described in Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2005-157625, it is not possible to detect the foregoing zones into which entry by the autonomous mobile device should be avoided unless an obstacle exists therein. Thus, the autonomous mobile device is unable to move while autonomously avoiding zones into which entry should be avoided even though no obstacle exists therein.