A bearing assembly with a sensor, includes an annular, synthetic resin sensor holder supported on an outer race using a circumferential groove of the outer race so as to be strongly fixed in position by a spring member having circumferential half-split elastic recovery portions. The spring member is a square sectional wire and includes a main portion fitted in an annular groove of the sensor holder, and opposite end portions that circumferentially protrude from the annular groove and are located inside an open recess of the sensor holder. The opposite end portions of the spring member overlap axially when fitted in the annular groove, and abut and are deflected when one of the end portions is shifted to remove the overlapping. Forces caused by elastic recovery of the deflected end portions increase the force of the main portion pushing the sensor holder in a radially outward direction.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a bearing assembly including a rolling bearing and a sensor for detecting e.g. rotational angle, temperature or vibration.
2. Description of Related Art
Bearing assemblies of this type are typically used to control e.g. the rotational speed, rotational direction or rotational angle of a motor shaft or an axle of an automobile. The rolling bearing of such a bearing assembly includes a stationary bearing race adapted to be fitted to a stationary member such as a motor housing or an automotive suspension, and a rotary bearing race adapted to be coupled to a rotary shaft. A sensor holder carrying a sensor and wires is supported on the stationary bearing race (see e.g. Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2005-249545).
The sensor holder is typically formed by injection-molding e.g. a thermoplastic resin because such a holder can be formed easily and insulated easily. If the outer race of the rolling bearing is used as the stationary bearing race, the sensor holder is provided with a positioning portion formed with a rib. The positioning portion is fitted into the outer race from one axial end of the outer race until the rib is engaged in a circumferential groove formed in the radially inner surface of the outer race, thus radially positioning the sensor holder relative to the outer race while preventing separation of the sensor holder by the engagement of the rib and the peripheral wall of the circumferential groove. The sensor holder is thus supported by the outer race. (See for example Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2009-074687).
The sensor holder disclosed in Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2009-074687 is an annular member having circumferential ends. The circumferential ends of the sensor holder can be moved toward and away from each other by elastically deforming the sensor holder. When fitting the positioning portion in the outer race, the sensor holder is elastically deformed so that its circumferential ends move toward each other, thereby allowing the rib to be easily engaged in the circumferential groove of the outer race. With the sensor holder supported by the outer race, the sensor holder is fitted in a radially compressed state. Thus, the spring member applies to the sensor holder a spring force that tends to move its circumferential ends away from each other, thereby more rigidly fixing the sensor holder to the outer race.
Typically, the spring member is a C-shaped, snap ring-shaped, circular member which can be fitted in an annular groove formed in the sensor holder so as to extend between the circumferential ends of the sensor holder and having circumferential ends. When the spring member is fitted in the annular groove with its circumferential ends located close to each other, the spring member elastically pushes the sensor holder radially outwardly, and the spring member can be fixed to the sensor holder.
In a different arrangement, with the rib fitted in the circumferential groove, a spring member is pushed into between circumferential ends of the sensor holder and secured to the sensor holder. This spring member comprises free end portions adapted to be deflected when the sensor holder is pushed into between the circumferential ends of the sensor holder, and an intermediate portion connecting together the free end portions. Using the elastic force when the free end portions are deflected, the circumferential end portions of the sensor holder are biased away from each other. This elastic force also serves to more strongly fix the spring member
In Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2009-074687, to easily secure the spring member to the sensor holder, the spring member is provided with circumferential half-split elastic recovery portions having a split structure, like a snap ring shape or a split groove shape caused by the free end portions.
However, in the spring member disclosed in Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2009-074687, the sensor holder is strongly fixed depending on the elastic recovery characteristic of both of the elastic recovery portions having the split structure. The elastic recovery portion itself has the limitation of increasing the elastic recovery characteristic. As such, when a diameter of the sensor holder is increased corresponding to an increase in diameter of the outer race, there is a possibility of being insufficient to strongly fix the sensor holder. For example, since a bending radius of the concentric C-shaped, snap ring-shaped spring member having the circumferential half-split elastic recovery portions becomes large, the spring forces transferred to the opposite end sides of the sensor holder have a tendency toward reduction. Further, the spring member, in which opposite free end portions are formed as the circumferential half-split elastic recovery portions, is formed by injection molding. As such, the spring member lacks the elastic recovery characteristic of the free end portions, and thus there is no choice but to increase the elastic recovery characteristic within a range in which injection molding synthetic resins are selected.


According to an embodiment, a semiconductor device 1 includes a semiconductor substrate 50 including an upper surface, a trench electrode 22 provided inside a trench 20 formed on the upper surface, and a trench insulating film 21 provided between the trench electrode 22 and the semiconductor substrate 50. The semiconductor substrate 50 includes a first semiconductor layer of a first conductivity type, a lower end of the trench electrode 22 reaching the first semiconductor layer, a deep layer 19 of a second conductivity type partially provided on the first semiconductor layer in contact with the trench insulating film 21, a second semiconductor layer of the second conductivity type provided on the first semiconductor layer and on the deep layer 19 in contact with the trench insulating film 21, and a third semiconductor layer of the first conductivity type provided on the second semiconductor layer above the deep layer 19.

The present disclosure relates to a semiconductor device and a method of manufacturing the same. The present disclosure relates to, for example, a semiconductor device including an IGBT having a trench gate structure and a method of manufacturing the semiconductor device.
The IGBT (Insulated Gate Bipolar Transistor) has a parasitic NPN structure due to its structure. When this parasitic NPN structure operates, an overcurrent flows, which leads to a risk of destroying the IGBT. Specifically, when a high voltage state and high current state such as a short circuit (load short circuit, earthing fault, and powering fault) occurs, a base potential of the parasitic NPN structure rises due to an avalanche current. This causes the parasitic NPN structure to operate and latch-up, resulting in the destruction of the IGBT. For IGBTs such as inverter applications, the time to destruction (short-circuit tolerance) in a short-circuited state is regarded as an important spec. In designing, the conduction ability is lowered intentionally, so that the amount of a current at the time of a short circuit is reduced, and a high short-circuit tolerance is achieved. However, intentional lowering of the conduction ability leads to an increased conduction loss. As described above, in the IGBT, there is a trade-off relationship between the conduction ability (saturation voltage) and the short-circuit tolerance.

Semiconductor device with a trench electrode provided inside a trench formed on an upper surface of the semiconductor substrate and method of manufacturing the same


A vehicle test system according to the present invention intends to comprehensively manage and operate multiple types of test apparatuses to smoothly perform vehicle development, problem correction, and the like. For this purpose, the vehicle test system includes an actual running data acquisition apparatus that acquires actual running data that is data related to states inside and outside of a vehicle in running on a road; multiple types of test apparatuses each of which performs a drive test or an operation test of a vehicle or a part of the vehicle in accordance with set test conditions; and a test condition data generation apparatus that from the actual running data, generates test condition data indicating test conditions necessary to reproduce a part or all of the running states indicated by the actual running data in a test apparatus specified from among the multiple types of test apparatuses.

In order to develop vehicles and/or solve problems, various test apparatuses such as a chassis dynamometer for testing completed vehicles and an engine dynamometer for examining engines themselves as parts of vehicles have been used.
Such test apparatuses are adapted to be able to produce a simulated or virtual load or environment supposed to be produced during an actual run and make the load or environment act on respective parts of a vehicle by setting predetermined test conditions.
The load or environment can also be obtained by, for example, actually running a car on a road. Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication JP-A2001-108580 describes that actual road gradients are measured while running a car at the gradients, and test conditions making loads equivalent to the measured gradients act on a vehicle are set in a chassis dynamometer. Also, Japanese Patent No. 4173112 describes that test conditions to be given to a brake dynamometer for testing vehicle brakes are set on the basis of actual running data obtained through an actual test course run.
However, in any of the above-described configurations, every time the type of a test apparatus is changed, test conditions suitable for a changed test apparatus should be calculated from actual running data, or a data format should be converted. That is, there exists a problem of difficulty to comprehensively manage and operate multiple types of test apparatuses for testing a vehicle and respective parts of the vehicle.

Vehicle test system, test condition data generation apparatus, and vehicle test method


The present invention relates to an optical pickup and a disc drive for preventing aberrations of laser light due to variations in temperature and humidity to ensure satisfactory characteristics of the laser light. A compound lens (14) is disposed in the optical path of the laser light, which is emitted by a light-emitting device (11) to be incident on a beam splitter (15), and in the optical path of the laser light, which exits from the beam splitter to be incident on a photodetector (13). The compound lens includes a diffractive section (23) for diffracting the laser light and a lens section (24) having a predetermined function for the laser light. The compound lens is formed by integrating individual sections including the diffractive section and the lens section. The compound lens is provided with a passage hole (14c) that lets in the laser light emitted by the light-emitting device to be incident on the beam splitter.

Disc drives for recording and/or playing back information signals on a disc recording medium are known. Such disc drives have an optical pickup that moves in the radial direction of the disc recording medium, which is loaded on a disc table, to irradiate the disc recording medium with laser light.
The optical pickup has a movable base that moves in the radial direction of the disc recording medium. The movable base includes, for example, predetermined optical components (optical elements and parts). Some optical pickups include a compound lens having several functions for the laser light emitted by a light-emitting device.
Each optical component disposed on the movable base and the optical path of the laser light in a conventional optical pickup including the compound lens will now be described (see FIG. 6).
In the optical pickup, a mounting plate a is disposed on the movable base, which is not shown in the drawing.
This mounting plate a is a thin box having an opening. The mounting plate a has a metal lead frame, not shown in the drawing, for electrically connecting the optical pickup to the outside.
The mounting plate a holds a light-emitting device b. A mounting block c, referred to as a submount, separates the mounting plate a and the light-emitting device b. The light-emitting device b is an edge-emitting device, which emits laser light in the lateral direction.
The mounting plate a holds a reflective mirror d adjacent to the light-emitting device b. The reflective mirror d has a reflective surface e.
The mounting plate a holds a photodetector f on the other side of the reflective mirror d from the light-emitting device b.
The mounting plate a is equipped with a compound lens g covering the light-emitting device b, the reflective mirror d, and the photodetector f. The compound lens g is made of a transparent resin such as polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA).
A transform lens section h and a diffractive section i are separately formed on the top surface of the compound lens g. The transform lens section h is positioned above the reflective surface e of the reflective mirror d; the diffractive section i is positioned above the photodetector f.
A diffractive element j and a focal length adjusting lens section k are separately formed on the bottom surface of the compound lens g. The diffractive element j is positioned below the transform lens section h; the focal length adjusting lens section k is positioned below the diffractive section i.
A beam splitter l is disposed on the other side of the compound lens g from the mounting plate a. The beam splitter l has a splitting surface m.
A reflective prism n is disposed adjacent to the beam splitter l.
A collimator lens o, a waveplate p, and an objective lens q, in that order, are disposed on the other side of the beam splitter l from the compound lens g.
The light-emitting device b emits linearly polarized laser light, which is then reflected by the reflective surface e of the reflective mirror d to be incident on the compound lens g.
The diffractive element j diffracts this laser light incident on the compound lens g into three light beams. The transform lens section h of the compound lens g changes the divergence angle of the diffracted laser light. This process is referred to as numerical aperture (NA) transformation. The resultant laser light is then incident on the beam splitter l.
The laser light incident on the beam splitter l passes through the splitting surface m to be incident on the collimator lens o.
The laser light incident on the collimator lens o is collimated to be incident on the waveplate p, which circularly polarizes the laser light.
The laser light circularly polarized by the waveplate p is incident on the objective lens q, which focuses the laser light on a recording surface of a disc recording medium r.
The recording surface of the disc recording medium r reflects the laser light focused thereon. The reflected laser light then returns through the objective lens q to be incident on the waveplate p, which linearly polarizes the laser light again.
The linearly polarized laser light passes through the collimator lens o to be incident on the beam splitter l. The splitting surface m of the beam splitter l bends the optical path of the laser light 90° to guide the laser light to the reflective prism n.
The optical path of the laser light guided to the reflective prism n is bent 90° by the reflective prism n to be incident on the compound lens g.
The diffractive section i diffracts the laser light incident on the compound lens g into three light beams. The focal length adjusting lens section k adjusts the focal length of the laser light.
The laser light then exits from the compound lens g to be incident on the photodetector f, which performs photoelectric conversion on the laser light. The laser light is output as electrical signals, which, for example, are played back as information signals on the disc recording medium r. The three light beams diffracted by the diffractive element j are used for detecting tracking error signals, while those diffracted by the diffractive section i are used for detecting focusing error signals.
The above compound lens g is a single component that integrates several functions for the laser light. The single component, which has a complicated shape, can readily be made of a resin body. Therefore, the compound lens g can reduce the number of components and production cost of a disc drive.
A compound lens g made of resin unfortunately exhibits changes in its characteristics attributed to changes in its volume and refractive index by variations in temperature and humidity. In particular, aberrations result from such changes in the characteristics during the outward journey of the laser light from the light-emitting device b to the disc recording medium r. These aberrations deteriorate the information signals provided from the disc recording medium r.
For example, a compound lens g made of PMMA in a dry state or in a water-saturated state exhibits changes of up to 0.05% in refractive index and up to 0.04% in thickness. This change in thickness results in a change of up to 0.35% in the optical distance between the light-emitting device b and the objective lens q. For example, a compound lens g with a thickness of 2 mm along the optical axis exhibits a change of up to 7 μm in the optical distance.
Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide an optical pickup and a disc drive that solve the above problem, that is, that prevent aberrations of laser light attributed to variations in temperature and humidity, to ensure satisfactory characteristics of the laser light.

Optical disc with an improved compound lens


A raster unit generates graphic data for specific regions of a display device by processing each graphics primitive in a sequence of graphics primitives. A tile coalescer within the raster unit receives graphic data based on the sequence of graphics primitives processed by the raster unit. The tile coalescer collects graphic data for each region of the display device into a different bin before shading and then outputs each bin separately.

1. Field of the Invention
Embodiments of the present invention relate generally to graphics processing, and, more specifically, to a rasterization tile coalescer and reorder buffer.
2. Description of the Related Art
In a conventional graphics pipeline, graphics primitives are received by a raster unit in a specific order, known as "API order." The raster unit rasterizes each graphics primitive into samples that reside within one or more specific screen regions, referred to as "screen tiles," and then sends a "packet" of samples associated with each screen tile to downstream units for further processing. The downstream units may perform memory access operations for each received packet.
When rasterizing a given graphics primitive, the raster unit may generate packets associated with several different screen regions spanned by that graphics primitive. The downstream units that receive these packets may then need to perform memory access operations that target different memory regions, where each different memory region stores data corresponding to a different packet. Accordingly, processing packets of samples on a per-primitive basis may cause a sequence of non-local memory access operations. Non-local memory access operations are inefficient and may reduce the throughput of a graphics pipeline.
Accordingly, what is needed is a more efficient technique for sending packets of samples to downstream units in a graphics processing pipeline.

Rasterization tile coalescer and reorder buffer


A method of forming a spacer for a vertical transistor is provided. The method includes forming a fin structure on a substrate, depositing a first spacer on exposed surfaces of the substrate to define gaps between the first spacer and the fin structure and depositing a second spacer on the exposed surfaces of the substrate in at least the gaps.

The present invention relates to semiconductor devices, and more specifically, to fabrication methods and resulting structures for a vertical transistor having dual bottom spacers.
As demands to reduce the dimensions of transistor devices continue, new designs and fabrication techniques to achieve a reduced device footprint are developed. Vertical-type transistors such as vertical field effect transistors (vertical FETs) have recently been developed to achieve a reduced FET device footprint without comprising necessary FET device performance characteristics. When forming these vertical FETS, spacers need to be provided between and around vertical structures.
The formation of such spacers can be problematic, however, especially in the case of bottom spacers that run along upper substrate surfaces. Indeed, bottom spacer formation often requires that a directional deposition process be executed and, while directional deposition processing is possible, this type of processing often requires additional treatments aimed at removing deposited materials from fin sidewalls. In other cases, directional deposition processing leads to loading effects that can be problematic for tight-pitch structures in aggressively scaled devices.

Method of forming vertical transistor having dual bottom spacers

INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION


The invention is directed to techniques for handling a client-oriented request within a data-storage system. Handling of a client-oriented request enables direct communication between a client and the system thus offloading any servers"" burden of handling client requests. Furthermore, in some situations, such handling of the client-oriented request within the data storage system enables reduced traffic through the cache of the system, and reduced traffic between the system and external devices. In one arrangement, the data storage system includes a set of ports for connecting to an external host, a cache for buffering data exchanged between the external host and a set of storage devices, and a set of interface circuits including front-end interface circuits interconnected between the cache and the set of ports, and back-end interface circuits interconnected between the cache and the set of storage devices. The interface circuits are configured to receive a client-oriented request from the external host and perform a server-oriented operation in response to the client-oriented request.

A typical data storage system operates as a large storage device for one or more external host computers (or simply hosts) by responding to block-based input/output (I/O) requests that direct the data storage system to perform load and store operations. Examples of block-based communications include small computer systems interface (SCSI) commands, Enterprise System Connection (ESCON) signals, Fibre Channel communications, and the like.
In some client/server configurations, hosts operate as servers that provide services (e.g., client-oriented access to a data storage system) to one or more other computers called clients. In contrast to block-based communications which servers and data storage systems use to communicate with each other, clients and servers typically communicate with each other using client-oriented and server-oriented communications (hereinafter, generally referred to as client-oriented communications). Examples of client-oriented communications include Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol (TCP/IP) communications, Gigabit Ethernet signals, Asynchronous Transfer Mode (ATM) communications, and the like.
In one configuration, a client can retrieve data from a data storage system by sending a client-oriented request (e.g., a TCP/IP signal) to a server (i.e., a host). The server then provides a block-based request (e.g., a SCSI signal) for data blocks containing the data to the data storage system. Next, the data storage system provides the requested data blocks (e.g., a SCSI signal) to the server in response to the block-based request. The server then extracts the data from the data blocks, and provides that data to the client (e.g., via a TCP/IP signal). Further details of this configuration will now be provided with reference to FIG. 1.
FIG. 1 shows a conventional data storage network 20 having a client/server configuration which utilizes a data storage system. The data storage network 20 includes a client system 22, a server system 24, and a conventional data storage system 26. The client system 22 runs an application front-end 28, such as a graphical user interface (GUI), that enables a user to communicate with the server system 24. The server system 24 runs an application back-end 30 and a storage manager 32. The application back-end 30 includes a client services module 34 for handling requests from clients, and a back-end processing module 36 for performing back-end processing operations.
As further shown in FIG. 1, the data storage system 26 includes front-end circuitry 38, a cache 40, back-end circuitry 42, and disk drives 44-1, . . . , 44-N (collectively, disk drives 44). The cache 40 operates as a buffer for data exchanged between the server system 24 (an external host system) and the disk drives 44. Additionally, the front-end circuitry 38 operates as an interface between the server system 24 and the cache 40. Similarly, the back-end circuitry 42 operates as an interface between the cache 40 and the disk drives 44.
In some data storage systems, the front-end circuitry 38 includes multiple front-end circuits and the back-end circuitry 42 includes multiple back-end circuits for redundancy (i.e., fault tolerance) and load balancing purposes. An example of such a data storage system is the Symmetrix which is manufactured by EMC Corporation of Hopkinton, Mass.
For illustration purposes, suppose that the data storage network 20 operates as a flight reservation system. That is, suppose that a user can operate the client system 22 to (i) find empty seats on particular flights of an airline, and (ii) purchase tickets to reserve such seats. To this end, the disk drives 44 of the data storage system 26 store a database containing records of all seats for all flights of the airline. The storage manager 32 of the server system 24 operates as a database engine that manages the database, and performs database queries on the database (i.e., performs search and filter operations on the database to find particular records) on behalf of the application back-end 30 running on the server system 24. The client services module 34, which provides client services to the application front-end 28 running on the client system 22 (e.g., finds empty seats on particular flights), is capable of submitting such queries to the storage manager 32 (i.e., database engine). Similarly, the back-end processing module 36, which performs back-end processing on the server system 24 (e.g., allocates and schedules airline resources and inventories, prints tickets for newly reserved seats on a nightly basis, etc.), is also capable of submitting queries to the storage manager 32. In response to the queries from the client services module 34 and the back-end processing module 36, the storage manager 32 communicates with the data storage system 26 using block-based communications (e.g., SCSI signals). An example of such a storage manager is Oracle Database Server which is manufactured by Oracle Corporation of Redwood Shores, Calif. An example of how a user operates the flight reservation system 20 will now be provided.
Suppose that the user wishes to reserve an empty seat on a particular flight. The user enters a request for empty seats on the particular flight using the application front-end 28 running on the client system 22. In response, the client system 22 sends a client-oriented request 46 (e.g., a TCP/IP signal) to the server system 24. The client-oriented request 46 requests all empty seats on the particular flight. In response to the client-oriented request 46, the client service module 34 of the application back-end 36 directs the storage manager 32 (i.e., the database engine) to perform a database query on the database stored in the disk drives 44. In particular, the application server module 34 specifies the particular flight, and indicates that it wants all empty seats on that particular flight. In turn, the storage manager 32 sends a block-based request 48 (e.g., SCSI commands) for the entire database (i.e., all seats for all flights of the airline) to the data storage system 26.
When the data storage system 26 receives the block-based request 48 from the storage manager 32 of the server system 24, the data storage system 26 provides a block-based response 50 (e.g., a SCSI signal) containing the entire database. In particular, if the database is un-cached, the back-end 42 copies the database from the disk drives 44 to the cache 40. Then, the front-end 38 transfers the copied database from the cache 30 to the storage manager 32. If copies of any portions of the database resided within the cache, the front-end 38 can transfer those cached copies from the cache to the storage manager 32 without having to load new copies of those portions from the disk drives 44.
When the storage manager 32 receives the database, the storage manager 32 queries the database to obtain all empty seats on the particular flight. In particular, the storage manager 32 searches the database records which contain all seats for all flights of the airline to determine which seats are for that particular flight, and which of those seats are empty. In some configurations, the transfer of the copied database from the disk drives 44 to the server system 24, and the database query operations, occur incrementally and concurrently to improve response time. The storage manager 32 then provides the query results to the client services module 34 which conveys this information in the form of a server-oriented response 52 (e.g., a TCP/IP signal) to the application front-end 28 running on the client system 22. Once the user knows which seats on the particular flight are empty, the user can reserve one of the empty seats on the particular flight by further communicating with the server system 24 which accesses the database again in a similar manner to that described above.
In some configurations, the server system 24 can use hash tables to improve response times to client-oriented requests. For example, in the above-described flight reservation system, the server system 24 can generate a hash table that identifies all empty seats of all flights, and store that hash table on the data storage system 26. In particular, the back-end processing module 36 of the server system 24 can (i) direct the storage manager 32 to read the entire database from the data storage system 26, (ii) generate a hash table that references all of the empty seats on all of the flights by querying the database, and (iii) store the generated hash table on the data storage system 26. The back-end processing module 36 can do this when server system 24 is less busy (e.g., late at night or early in the morning). When a user at the client system 22 later submits the client-oriented request 46 for all empty seats on a particular flight, the server system 24 can retrieve the hash table (rather than the entire database) from the data storage system 26 and identify the empty seats on the particular flight by searching the hash table. Since the hash table is generally much smaller than the database itself, the server system 24 requires less time to respond to the client-oriented request 46 (i.e., to retrieve and search the hash table) thus providing less network traffic and a response time that is superior to the configuration that requires reading the entire database from the data storage system 26 and searching that database.
Unfortunately, there are deficiencies to the earlier-described conventional data storage network of FIG. 1. First, there typically is a large amount of traffic that passes through the cache 40 of the data storage system 26. For example, in the earlier-described flight reservation scenario, the entire database (e.g., the whole seating plan for all of the airline flights) typically is copied from the disk drives 44 into the cache 40 in response to the block-based request 48 (e.g., a SCSI command), and then transferred from the cache 40 to the server system 24. Such an operation typically results in heavy cache usage that produces congestion within the cache 40 which interferes with other unrelated load and store operations, i.e., creates contention situations requiring coordinated use of the cache 40 in order to handle the other data transfers. Additionally, such an operation typically results in a high retrieval latency, particularly when the size of the database is very large, since larger databases require more time to load from the disk drives 44 and pass through cache 40. Furthermore, such an operation places a heavy incentive on increasing the size of the cache 40 to alleviate the cache utilization issues thus increasing the cost of the cache 40 (i.e., memory costs). Even if the size of the cache 40 is increased in order to decrease cache contention, the opportunity to improve performance by re-using cached data at the data storage system 26 (i.e, data stored in the cache 40) could be minimal since the server system 24 will likely cache the data there as well.
Another deficiency of the conventional data storage network 20 of FIG. 1 is that there typically is a large amount of traffic between the server system 24 and the data storage system 26. In the flight reservation example, the entire database containing seat information for all seats on all flights of the airline is transferred from the data storage system 26 to the server system 24 (e.g., SCSI signals) in response to a single user request for empty seats on a particular flight. Such a transfer results in poor retrieval latency as well as consumes bandwidth between the data storage system 26 and the server system 24 that could otherwise be used for other communications (e.g., bandwidth that the server system 24 or other hosts could use to access other data within the data storage system 26).
A further deficiency of the conventional data storage network 20 of FIG. 1 is that the server system 24 is burdened with having to provide all data access services to all clients (e.g., operations of the client services module 34) as well as traditional back-end processing (e.g., standard operations of the back-end processing module 36). For example, in the earlier-described flight reservation scenario, the storage manager 32 performs database queries for clients (e.g., the client system 22) thus consuming processing cycles that otherwise could be spent elsewhere, e.g., on traditional back-end processing operations. Moreover, the storage manager 32 of the server system 24 is often a bottleneck to clients accessing the data storage system 26.
There are deficiencies with the above-described hash table configuration as well. In particular, the server system 24 is now required to periodically retrieve the entire database from the data storage system 26 in order to generate the hash table. The server system 24 then needs to implement a mechanism to keep the hash table updated and synchronized with the database. Such a mechanism can be extremely complex if multiple servers need to coordinate contention for the hash table as well as for the database itself.
Another deficiency is that some configurations may include multiple server systems 24 for load balancing and/or fault tolerance. In such configurations, the server systems 24 typically coordinate access to the database by communicating with each other through a network, i.e., through xe2x80x9cmultiple server intercommunicationxe2x80x9d. For example, when one server system 24 updates a record, that server notifies the other server systems 24 through the network that it has reserved that record, updates the record and then notifies the other server systems 24 through the network that it has unreserved that record. Accordingly, server systems 24 can create excessive network traffic coordinating access to the database.
In contrast to the earlier-described conventional data storage network 20 of FIG. 1 which has a server system 24 receiving a single client-oriented request (e.g., a TCP/IP request) and submitting a block-based request 48 (e.g., a SCSI command) to the data storage system 26 for an entire database (or hash table) in response to the client-oriented request, the invention is directed to techniques for handling a client-oriented request within a data storage system. Handling of a client-oriented request enables direct communication between clients and the data storage system thus offloading the burden of handling certain client requests from the server. Furthermore, in some situations, such handling of the client-oriented request within the data storage system enables reduced traffic through the cache of the data storage system, and reduced traffic between the data storage system and external devices e.g., results of database queries can be transferred rather than entire databases. For example, if database queries are performed within the data storage system itself, database transfers and extensive multiple server intercommunication through a network can be avoided (e.g., extensive reserve/unreserve notifications between servers becomes unnecessary) since servers no longer need to coordinate database accesses on behalf of clients.
One arrangement of the invention is directed to a data storage system having a set of ports for connecting to an external host (e.g. a server), a cache for buffering data exchanged between the external host and a set of storage devices, and a set of interface circuits including (i) multiple front-end interface circuits interconnected between the cache and the set of ports, and (ii) multiple back-end interface circuits interconnected between the cache and the set of storage devices. The set of interface circuits is configured to receive a client-oriented request (e.g., a Gigabit Ethernet signal) from the external host and perform a server-oriented operation in response to the client-oriented request. By way of example, the external host can be a client, and the server-oriented operation can be a database query (e.g., filter/sort based on field1=xe2x80x9cXxe2x80x9d, field2=xe2x80x9cYxe2x80x9d) performed (within the data storage system) on a database on behalf of the client. Accordingly, a server system does not need to perform the database query as in the conventional data storage network 20 of FIG. 1, and there is no need to transfer the entire database from the data storage system to such a server system. Since the burden of handling such a client-oriented request is not placed on the server system (if one exists), the server system has more capacity to perform other operations such as additional back-end processing operations.
In some arrangements, the client-oriented request identifies a database and a database query operation, and the multiple front-end interface circuits are configured to perform the database query operation on any cached portions of the database residing in the cache in response to the client-oriented request. In these arrangements, the multiple back-end interface circuits are configured to perform the database query operation on un-cached portions of the database residing in the set of storage devices in response to the client-oriented request. Accordingly, the entire database does not need to pass through the cache in response to the client-oriented request. Rather, the interface circuits can perform the database query such that, in response to the client-oriented request, only the results of the query pass through the cache and eventually to the external host.
In one arrangement, the un-cached portions of the database are stored in the set of storage devices in a distributed manner. Here, each of the multiple back-end interface circuits is configured to perform, in response to the client-oriented request, the database query operation on a respective un-cached portion of the database stored in a storage device to which that back-end interface circuit connects. Accordingly, each back-end interface circuit does not need to query the entire database. Rather, each back-end interface circuit can simply query a respective un-cached portion of the database if such a portion exists. The back-end interface circuit can then cache the results of the query (e.g., individual records).
In other arrangements, the client-oriented request identifies a web address. In these arrangements, the multiple front-end interface circuits are configured to provide, from the cache, cached portions of web content corresponding to the web address identified by the client-oriented request in response to the client-oriented request. Additionally, the multiple back-end interface circuits are configured to retrieve, from the set of storage devices, un-cached portions of web content corresponding to the web address identified by the client-oriented request in response to the client-oriented request. That is, the back-end interface circuits can cache the un-cached portions of the identified web content. Accordingly, the data storage system essentially can operate as a web server that services web clients (external hosts) without any need for a dedicated external host to operate as a server system.
In some arrangements, the un-cached portions of web content identify an additional web address. In these arrangements, the multiple back-end interface circuits are further configured to (i) detect the additional web address in the web content while the multiple back-end interface circuits retrieve the un-cache portions from the set of storage devices, and (ii) cache, from the set of storage devices, web content corresponding to the additional web address in response to detection of the additional web address. Accordingly, the data storage system can pre-fetch web content (e.g., another web page, a banner, an image, etc.) that is likely to be requested by a subsequent request to reduce data retrieval latency.
In some arrangements, the client-oriented request identifies a file name and a directory name, and the multiple front-end interface circuits are configured to provide, from the cache, cached portions of a file corresponding to the file name and the directory name identified by the client-oriented request in response to the client-oriented request. In these arrangements, the multiple back-end interface circuits are configured to provide, from the set of storage devices, un-cached portions of the file corresponding to the file name and the directory name identified by the client-oriented request in response to the client-oriented request. Accordingly, the data storage system can essentially operate as a file server that services clients, e.g., a network file system (NFS) server that services NFS clients, without any need for a dedicated external host to operate as a server system.
In other arrangements, the set of storage devices store, in a single directory corresponding to the directory name identified by the client-oriented request, both (i) the file corresponding to the file name and the directory name identified by the client-oriented request and (ii) another file. In these arrangements, the multiple back-end interface circuits are further configured to (i) detect existence of the other file while the multiple back-end interface circuits retrieve the un-cache portions from the set of storage devices, and (ii) cache, from the set of storage devices, the other file in response to detection of the existence of the other file. As such, the data storage system can pre-fetch files in the same directory that are likely to be requested by a subsequent request to reduce data retrieval latency.
In one arrangement, the data storage system further includes a set of network adaptors for sending client-oriented communications to the external host and receiving client-oriented communications from the external host. Here, the set of network adaptors is interconnected between the multiple front-end interface circuits and the set of ports. The set of network adaptors enable external hosts to communicate with the data storage system without using block-based communications (e.g., SCSI commands, ESCON communications, etc.). Even servers, which are configured to access the data storage system in a client-like manner using client-oriented requests, can access the data storage system without using block-based communications.
The features of the invention, as described above, may be employed in data storage networks, systems, devices and methods and other computer-related components such as those manufactured by EMC Corporation of Hopkinton, Massachusetts.

Techniques for handling client-oriented requests within a data storage system


A group or solo monitoring system and method for collision avoidance that uses a transceiver circuitry mounted on a vehicle. The circuitry can include a microprocessor, a memory having stored therein non-transitory instructions for programming the microprocessor, a visual indicator, an audio indicator, a user interface including a display screen and navigation buttons, an RF transceiver with antenna, and a power supply. Non-transitory instructions stored in memory configure and control the microprocessor to enable a user to enter data into the memory via the user interface via the display screen and navigation buttons. A vehicle group can be formed and a proximity perimeter created about the group. Visual and audio alerts are issued to avoid a collision in the event that a non-group vehicle has been detected as having penetrated the proximity perimeter and is closing in on at least one vehicle of the group.

There is a need for a monitoring and collision avoidance system for groups of vehicles travelling together, as in convoy, with respect to encountering individual or similar groups of vehicles, to avoid collisions. For example, a group of snowmobiles or other such vehicles travelling over unmarked terrain are in danger of meeting a similar group of snowmobiles, particularly at blind corners.

Group monitoring and collision avoidance system and method which is mounted on a vehicle


An image processing method, an electronic device, and a storage medium are described. The image processing method may include acquiring a first face information set output by face recognition operation; acquiring recognition duration of the face recognition operation; determining a preview image at a time point earlier than an output time point by the recognition duration, the output time point being a time point when first face information set is output; and binding the first face information set with the determined preview image.

Besides a basic image-shooting function, an electronic device may also provide an image processing function, such as beautifying and modifying a face in an image. Face information in an image is recognized before the face in the image is processed. At present, after a camera on an electronic device is started, the electronic device may capture images of external scenes in real time through the camera, and display the captured images as preview images of the external scenes. Meanwhile, the captured images are sent to a face recognition module integrated in the electronic device, for face recognition. When the face recognition module outputs face information, the face information is bound with a preview image at the time point when the face information is output, and used as the face information of the preview image. However, as the face information is not recognized from the preview image, it will adversely affect the accuracy of subsequent image processing of the preview image.

Image processing method, electronic device and storage medium

GUANGDONG OPPO MOBILE TELECOMMUNICATIONS CORP., LTD.


A batteryless starting and ignition system for a conventional automotive internal combustion engine includes a battery replacement circuit which simulates the effect of an operational automotive lead-acid battery in the engine electrical circuit while the engine is running. A jumper cable connector is wired across the replacement circuit to facilitate jump starting of the engine. The system is particularly useful to replace automotive batteries in irrigation systems in which automotive engines are adapted to drive irrigation pumps continuously for periods up to six months.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention is directed to a batteryless starting and ignition system for an internal combustion engine, and more particularly to such a system including a battery replacement circuit which is connected in place of a conventional automotive lead-acid battery. A jumper cable connector is wired across the replacement circuit and a compatible jumper cable connector is provided to jump start the engine from an external power source.
2. Description of the Related Art
In portions of the western United States, massive agricultural irrigation systems often use standard automobile internal combustion engines to drive irrigation pumps. It is estimated that there are upwards of 100,000 of these automobile engines pumping water through irrigation systems in Western Kansas and Eastern Colorado alone. Generally the engines have been converted to run on natural gas, which is distributed to the engines via gas pipelines often paralleling the irrigation systems.
A typical operating cycle for these engines includes starting them up in the spring months and leaving them running continuously until the growing season is over in September or October. Thus, the engines are often in continuous operation for six months or more.
Although such engines are usually started only once or twice per year, it has been customary to provide a dedicated automotive lead-acid battery for each engine, with the batteries generally hauled out to the engines in the spring and removed in the winter. The batteries generally just sit beside or beneath the engines and are constantly exposed to the weather. This constant exposure to the elements, plus the fact that the batteries are continuously charged for months at a time, tends to severely shorten the effective battery life, with batteries often having to be replaced each season, or, at best, after two seasons. Furthermore, the irrigation systems are usually in remote locations and battery theft and/or vandalism is a constant problem. Of course, if a battery is removed or destroyed while an engine is running, the engine will shut off. The net effect is that each automotive battery is generally used for, at best, eight or so engine starts before it is discarded or stolen.
It would be desirable to simply omit the automobile batteries from irrigation system engines and just jump start the engines each spring from a service vehicle. To accomplish this, since all such engines include an electrical system with a conventional alternator and voltage regulator, the lead-acid battery would need to be replaced with a circuit which "fools" the voltage regulator and alternator by simulating the closed circuit effect of a lead-acid battery.

Batteryless starting and ignition system and method for internal combustion engine


The invention relates to sustained pulsewise release pharmaceutical preparation which comprices drug-containing polymeric material layers (layers A) and polymeric material layers containing the drug in question only in a slight amount or free of the drug (layers B) disposed alternatingly, with the whole surface extending in the direction perpendicular to the layer plane being coated with a polymeric material which is insoluble in water or scarcely soluble in water (polymeric material C).. This pharmaceutical preparation of this invention is designed so that active ingredients which should desirably be released pulsewise can be released therefrom in a pulse-like and clinically significant manner and thereby the pharmacological effects of said active ingredients can be maintained for a prolonged period of time.

This invention relates to sustained release pharmaceutical preparations capable of releasing active ingredients sustainedly and in a pulse-like manner. More particularly, the invention relates to sustained release pharmaceutical preparations designed so that active ingredients which are desirably released pulsewise, such as biologically-active trace substances [e.g. peptide protein type active substances (e.g. hormones, cytokines), postaglandins, steroids, vitamins and the like], other active trace substances, anticancer agents and antibiotics, can be released therefrom in a pulse-like and clinically significant manner and thereby the pharmacological effects of said active ingredients can be maintained for a prolonged period of time.
Hithertofore various dosage forms and systems have been designed in an attempt to attain sustained release of drugs in a manner such that the drug concentrations can be maintained at clinical therapeutic levels. They bring sustained release to many kinds of drugs. However, as far as biologically-active trace substances, such as peptide protein type active substances (e.g. hormones, cytokines), prostaglandins, steroids, vitamins and the like, are concerned, the conventional modes of administration which allow continuous drug release are not always appropriate, since, in living organisms, said substances are to be released in a pulsating or pulse-like manner and living organisms have a function to suppress effect of such substance in case of giving them from inside or outside over the physiological level.
For example, it is known that luteinizing hormone (LH) is secreted in ovarectomized rhesus monkeys at about 60-minute intervals [Endocrinology, 87, 850-853 (1970)] and that, in rats, physiologically, growth hormone is secreted at intervals of about 3.5 hours [Endocrinology, 98, 562 (1976)]; it is also known that negative feedback is involved in the mechanisms of regulation of growth hormone (hGH) secretion, and it is reported that, in rats, administration of GH causes decreases in pituitary weight and GH content and an increase in somatostatin quantity in the hypothalamus [Life Sci., 24, 1589 (1979)]. Therefore, artificial continuous administration of such substances in large quantities is undesirable to living organisms in many cases.
Pulsewise administration of anticancer agents, antibiotics and the like is also desirable in certain cases. In particular, in the case of multiple drug therapy, pulsewise administration of several drugs differing in site of action in an effective order, for instance, can be expected to produce excellent effects in respect of efficacy, tolerance and reduced toxicity. From such viewpoint, pulsewise administration of drugs has been attempted.
Thus, for example, Langer et al. [J. Membrane Sci., 7, 333 (1980)] propose a pharmaceutical preparation for drug release by magnetic stirring, which comprises a drug substance and magnetic beads mixedly incorporated in a polymer (ethylene-vinyl acetate copolymer) matrix. Drug release is caused by vibrating the magnetic beads in the matrix by means of an external magnet. This preparation is indeed advantageous in that pulsewise drug release can be effected by actuating the external magnet intermittently, but the patient is restricted in his or her liberty by an external apparatus including said magnet. Moreover, continuous release at a certain rate is inevitable for structural reasons even when magnetic vibration is not effected, so that completely pulsewise release cannot be achieved.
Accordingly, an attempt has been made to attain liberation from external elements, decrease in complexity, and more complete pulsewise release. Thus, a sustained release composite preparation having a multi-layer structure as disclosed by Kaetsu et al. (specification of Japanese Patent Application laid open under No. 120618/81) can attain pulsewise drug release in an intrinsic and simple manner without using any external apparatus. Said preparation comprises alternatingly disposed drug-containing and drug-free layers, for example drug-containing layers and drug-free layers for envelopment of each drug-containing layer.
From the viewpoint of precise pulsewise release, however, such technique has room for improvement. There is a fear that in case of the sperical, cylindrical or sheet-type preparation, (disclosed in the specification of Japanese Patent Application laid open No. 120618/81) the release pulse becomes vague due to irregular erosion and diffusion.

Sustained pulsewise release pharmaceutical preparation

Sumitomo Pharmaceuticals Company, Limited


A liquid crystal display apparatus, which displays an image on the basis of an input image signal input from an outside, includes a liquid crystal display element, a processor that performs a plurality of processing to reduce disclination in the liquid crystal element with respect to the input image signal selectively or in combination so as to acquire an output image signal, and a liquid crystal driver that drives the liquid crystal display element using the output image signal.

Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a liquid crystal display apparatus.
Description of the Related Art
U.S. Pat. No. 6,727,872 discloses an image processing method for reducing potential differences corresponding gradation level (graduation value) differences between adjacent pixels so as to decrease liquid crystal orientation defective phenomenon referred to disclination.
Moreover, Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. ("JP") 2012-203052 discloses a liquid crystal display apparatus reducing both image quality deterioration, which dulls an edge of an image, and disclination.
Using the methods of U.S. Pat. No. 6,727,872 and JP 2012-203052 can control disclination.
However, the methods of U.S. Pat. No. 6,727,872, in which an edge of an input image signal dulls, is unsuitable for a video that includes characters and figures and is demanded for sharpness.
Meanwhile, the method of JP 2012-203052, in which brightness and a contrast ratio decreases, is unsuitable for a video that is demented for high brightness and high contrast ratio.


A sunlight measuring device that quantifies the accumulation of light at a particular site. The sunlight measuring device is a battery-operated device mounted on a stake for easy insertion into the ground. The device is placed at the intended site for growing a plant. The light that falls on the sunlight measuring device over a period of time is accumulated and the light accumulation is represented by a visual signal that indicates one of four light conditions: full sun, partial sun, partial shade, full shade.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to the field of devices that measure solar radiation. More specifically, this invention relates to a device that measures the amount of accumulated sunlight that is received at a specific location over a particular period of time.
2. Description of the Prior Art
All plants require some level of sunlight in order to grow and thrive. Evolution has created differences in the cell structure of plants and, as a result, different plants require different light conditions to grow. Some plants require full sunlight conditions throughout the day while others thrive in total shade.
Gardeners and landscapers are well aware of the need to match the light requirements of a plant with the light condition of specific planting site, but often lack the necessary tools to accurately measure accumulated sunlight conditions at the site over a period of time. The information typically provided on the label of a garden plant is very general, and with regard to the light condition required for the plant to thrive, the information is usually indicated only as: full sun, partial sun, partial shade, or full shade. It would be most helpful to gardeners to have a device that provides information about light conditions in terms that correspond to the terms used on the label and used by the general gardening public.
Sunlight measuring devices are widely available for use by professional photographers and gardeners. Many of these devices make spot measurements of light intensity at an instant in time. This information is of little value to a gardener, who needs to know the accumulated light condition of a particular site throughout the day. Other devices measure accumulated sunlight over a period of time, but provide the information in a form that is difficult for gardeners to evaluate, such as in sols/h and total sols per selected period of time. This requires that the gardener know how to equate the sols/h information with the usual light conditions indicators of full sun, partial sun, etc. that are typical for the garden industry. Still other devices are complicated to use because they require some data input effort on the part of the user.
What is needed, therefore, is a device that calculates accumulated sunlight over a given period of time at a particular site and presents the sunlight information to the gardener in gardener's terms that are comparable to the information on the typical plant label.


A foldaway balcony that includes a vertical support, a platform structure tiltably mounted to the vertical support and a barrier structure mounted on the platform structure. The platform structure includes a support structure and a floor structure which are tiltable separately from one another relative to the vertical support. The barrier structure includes barrier elements, hinged at the edge of the platform structure, and tiltable between a stowed position in which they lie inside the support structure, and a deployed position, in which they stand up relative to the support structure. A barrier element, connected to a distal side of the edge of the platform structure includes a first and a second pair of stanchions hinged to the distal side, a first and a second rod which interconnect the upper ends of the stanchions, and a handrail with parallel guides, in which are housed the first and the second rods.

A balcony of this type is described in the publication EP 2332820 A1 by the same applicant.
Balconies of foldaway type are in particular installed on luxury boats.
A problem which is encountered in the design of foldaway balconies attached to the sidewalls of boats consists in the fact that, sometimes, the extension in depth of the platform structure is not sufficient to allow the housing of sufficiently high barrier elements connected to the distal side of the platform structure. In EP 2332820 A1 this problem was resolved by proposing telescopically extendable stanchions, which are retracted in order to be able to be stowed within the platform structure. This expedient constitutes a complication from the point of view of the mechanization of the structure, since a dedicated actuating mechanism is required in order to extend/retract the stanchions.

Balcony with foldaway barrier, in particular for boats


An optical element includes a surface including a tilted profile having height differences, thereby providing cavities and elevations having a predetermined maximum height difference, and a transmissive layer that covers the cavities and the elevations of the optical element. A first height of the transmissive layer in the cavities is substantially equal or larger than the predetermined maximum height difference and the transmissive layer has a second height on the elevations and the second height is about 10-500 nm. The transmissive layer is enabled to optically filter incident radiation, and the optical element is a grating.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an optical element and a lithographic apparatus.
2. Description of the Related Art
A lithographic apparatus is a machine that applies a desired pattern onto a target portion of a substrate. Lithographic apparatus can be used, for example, in the manufacture of integrated circuits (ICs). In that circumstance, a patterning device, such as a mask, may be used to generate a circuit pattern corresponding to an individual layer of the IC, and this pattern can be imaged onto a target portion (e.g. including part of one or several dies) on a substrate (e.g. a silicon wafer) that has a layer of radiation-sensitive material (resist). In general, a single substrate will contain a network of adjacent target portions that are successively exposed. Known lithographic apparatus include steppers, in which each target portion is irradiated by exposing an entire pattern onto the target portion at once, and scanners, in which each target portion is irradiated by scanning the pattern through the projection beam in a given direction (the "scanning" direction) while synchronously scanning the substrate parallel or anti-parallel to this direction.
In a lithographic apparatus the size of features that can be imaged onto the substrate is limited by the wavelength of the projection radiation. To produce integrated circuits with a higher density of devices, and hence higher operating speeds, it is desirable to be able to image smaller features. While most current lithographic projection apparatus employ ultraviolet light generated by mercury lamps or excimer lasers, it has been proposed to use shorter wavelength radiation, e.g. of around 13 nm. Such radiation is termed extreme ultraviolet (EUV) or soft x-ray, and possible sources include, for example, laser-produced plasma sources, discharge plasma sources, or synchrotron radiation from electron storage rings.
In EUV lithography systems, submicron optical structures are present, facing the non-perfect vacuum. They are, for example, present on the surface of optical elements, e.g. EUV optical elements, like spectral purity filters (e.g. gratings), on reticles, and on image sensors. All these components are illuminated with EUV radiation. However, these structures get contaminated, for example, by debris particles from the radiation source or other particles that may be present in the non-perfect vacuum. For example, in a lithographic projection apparatus for EUV applications, it is necessary to prevent any stray particles or debris, that may be present in the apparatus, from reaching and becoming stuck to the reticle as they will otherwise be imaged on the wafer and can be printed in the final device. A too high level of contamination of the mask can lead to defect devices. Reticles can generally not be cleaned, or if cleanable, can only be cleaned a limited number of times.
In lithographic projection apparatus using relatively long wavelength ultraviolet radiation, particles are prevented from reaching the mask by a pellicle. A pellicle is a thin membrane transparent to the radiation used in the projection beam of the lithographic apparatus and located parallel to, but spaced from, the mask. Contaminant particles moving towards the mask contact and stick to the pellicle. To ensure that the particles stuck to the pellicle are not printed on the substrate, the pellicle is spaced from the mask by a distance greater than the depth of focus at mask level. However, state of the art and commercially available filters and pellicles are typically characterized by a relative high absorption for EUV radiation, when used in EUV applications, e.g. at 13.5 nm wavelength. Usually they also have a mechanical supporting structure consisting of a mesh of thin wires, whereby the wires also absorb EUV radiation. Hence, state of the art pellicles are not useful in EUV applications for protecting the mask.
Gratings can get contaminated too. Gratings for EUV radiation may include laminar sawtooth or square wave profiles, wherein on a mirror protrusions having a sawtooth or square wave profile, respectively, are laminarly arranged. See, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 6,678,037, the entire contents of which are herein incorporated by reference. Between such protrusions, contaminant particles may be collected, which are not easily removed.
In addition to gratings, mirrors, especially tilted multilayer stack mirrors (see for example Seely et al., Applied Optics 40, vol. 31, page 5565 (2001)), also have a profile with cavities and elevations, leading to the same problems of contamination and cleaning as mentioned above.
Further, lithographic projection apparatus may include an image sensing device, which may be mounted on the substrate table. Such an image sensing device is used to measure a mark pattern present in the patterning device, so as to determine a plane of best focus of the projection system ("lens"), lens aberrations and to align a substrate table with respect to the patterning device. Presently, an image sensor includes several separate sensors located behind detection structures that may take the form of gratings. See, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 6,747,282, the entire contents of which are herein incorporated by reference. Between these structures or protrusions contaminations may also be collected, which are not easily removed.

Optical element and lithographic apparatus


The present invention provides an optical transmitter for transmitting an optical signal using an optical fiber as a transmission medium. The optical transmitter comprises: a substrate having a through hole; and a light-emitting element disposed on a rear surface of the substrate and having a light-emitting portion. The through hole has an inner wall. The through hole has an inside diameter increasing from a rear surface side of the substrate toward a front surface side thereof. The light-emitting element is disposed so that the light-emitting portion is exposed within the through hole. The light-emitting portion radiates light beams toward a front surface of the substrate. The through hole is such that part of the light beams goes out the through hole without being reflected, and that the other light beams go out the through hole after being reflected from the inner wall thereof. It is possible to increase the coupling efficiency of the optical transmitter by effectively utilizing a light beam light having a wide radiation angle, and improve heat dissipation thereof, while achieving miniaturization and cost reduction of the optical transmitter.

There have been known optical transmitters using a light-emitting diode as a light source and a multimode optical-fiber as a transmission medium in domestic communications, in communications inside of motor vehicles and the like using LAN (Local Area Network). As prior arts associated with the present invention, the following are known.
(1) A photosemiconductor device characterized by comprising: a pair of conductive leads arranged facing each other; a metal container having a reflecting surface and disposed at a distal end of one of the conductive leads; a photosemiconductor element disposed on the reflecting surface of the metal container, one electrode of the photosemiconductor element being connected to one of the conductive leads; and a wire for connecting the other electrode of the photosemiconductor element to the other conductive lead (see, e.g., Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. Sho 58(1983)-56483).
(2) A light-emitting element for optical fiber coupling, which, via a transparent member, leads a light beam emitted from a light-emitting element pellet disposed on a light-emitting element supporter, the light-emitting element characterized by comprising the transparent member having a flat disc-shaped central portion and a peripheral portion, the flat disc-shaped central portion facing the light-emitting element pellet, the peripheral portion having a thickness decreasing as the distance from the center of the transparent member increases (see, e.g., Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. Sho 59(1984)-180515).
(3) A semiconductor light-emitting device characterized by comprising: a case; a light-emitting element accommodated in the case; lead members for supplying electric power to the light-emitting element from the outside; a connecting portion defined on the case for connecting an optical fiber to the case, the optical fiber guiding a light beam emitted from the light-emitting element so that the light beam is radiated via the optical fiber connected to the connecting portion; and a concave reflecting surface facing a light-emitting surface of the light-emitting element for reflecting the light beam emitted from the light-emitting element and thereby directing the light beam to a light-receiving surface of the optical fiber (see, e.g., Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. Hei 1(1989)-241185).
(4) A range finder measuring distances to a plurality of points, characterized by comprising a plurality of light-emitting sources and at least one photoreceptor, the light-emitting source being semiconductor chips respectively mounted on the bottoms of a plurality of recesses formed in a lead frame (see, e.g., Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. Hei 3(1991)-188312).
(5) A projector characterized by comprising (i) a half or less than a half of a paraboloid of revolution obtained by dividing a paraboloid of revolution by a face containing the axis of revolution, the half or less than half having a specular surface in the form of a paraboloid, and (ii) a light source arranged near a focal point on the paraboloid so that a center luminous flux of light emitted from the light source is incident on the specular surface (see, e.g., Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. Sho 62(1987)-17721).
(6) An optical coupling device for guiding, to a light-receiving surface at a proximal end of an optical fiber, a light beam emitted from a light-emitting element, the optical fiber being arranged facing the light-emitting element, the optical coupling device characterized by comprising: a transmissive-type light-collecting means arranged between the light-emitting element and the optical fiber for allowing a light beam emitted from the light-emitting element to pass through the transmissive-type light-collecting means so that the light beam is collected onto the optical fiber; and a reflective-type light-collecting means arranged around the transmissive-type light-collecting means, the reflective-type light-collecting means having a reflecting surface for reflecting a light beam radiated from the light-emitting element so that the light beam is collected onto the optical fiber, the reflecting surface of the reflective-type light-collecting means being a rotary elliptical surface, the rotary elliptical surface forming two focal points, the light-emitting element being arrange on one of the focal point, the light-receiving surface of the optical fiber being arranged on the other focal point (see, e.g., Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2002-40299).
(7) A structure for mounting a light-emitting diode comprising: a first lead frame having a chip-mounting seat with a photo penetration hole formed though the chip-mounting seat; an LED chip mounted on the first lead frame so that a light-emitting surface of the LED chip faces the photo penetration hole of the first lead frame; and a second lead frame bonded to a rear electrode of the LED chip by a wire, the structure characterized in that the LED chip, the wire, and distal ends of the respective first lead frame and second lead frame are covered with a transparent resin (see, e.g., Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. Sho 60(1985)-12782).
As a common optical transmitter for coupling an LED (light-emitting diode) and an optical fiber, there is known, for example, an optical transmitter, shown in FIG. 21, which is produced by transfer mold.
The optical transmitter 101 shown in FIG. 21 comprises a lead frame 105, an LED 103 arranged on the lead frame 105, a mold resin 109 that covers the lead frame 105 and the LED 103, a lens 104 formed of the same resin that forms the mold resin 109, and an optical fiber 102. Light beams radiated from the LED 103 are collected by means of the lens 104 onto the optical fiber 102.
However, there is a problem with this optical transmitter that it is difficult to couple light beams radiated form the LED 103 into the optical fiber 102 with high efficiency.
This problem is associated with a far field pattern (FFP) of an LED shown in FIG. 22. That is, the far field pattern of the LED is the Lambert Pattern where generally, the radiation intensity of the LED is represented by the cosine function. The far field pattern of the LED has a feature that a light beam from the LED has a wide radiation angle when compared with one from a semiconductor laser or the like. For this reason, in the optical system shown in FIG. 21, which is produced by transfer mold, a light beam having a wide radiation angle, of light beams emitted from the LED 103, cannot be coupled to the lens 104, giving rise to a loss.
One approach to this problem is to bring the lens 104 closer to the LED 103 for coupling a light beam having a wide radiation angle to the lens 104. However, bringing the lens 104 closer to the LED 103 causes the failure to ensure in a direction of the thickness of the optical transmitter a space required for wire-bonding of an electrode of the LED 103 to the lead frame. Further, the above approach requires that the lens 104 has a reduced focal length (i.e., that the lens 104 has a flattened curvature). With all these things considered, it is difficult to take the approach of bringing the lens 104 closer to the LED 104 to increase the efficiency of coupling in the optical fiber 102.
On the other hand, there have been proposed various methods of changing the optical path of a light beam having a wide radiation angle by reflecting the light beam from a concave mirror to increase the utility efficiency of light beams.
As a common optical transmitter utilizing a concave mirror, there is known, for example, one shown in FIG. 23.
In an optical transmitter 201, shown in FIG. 23, a substrate 205 has a concave portion in a part thereof. The concave portion serves as a concave mirror 108 having high reflectance and having an inside diameter gradually increasing from a bottom surface side thereof toward an upper edge side thereof. A LED 103 is disposed so that a rear surface side of the LED 103 (opposite a light-emitting surface 106) is in contact with the bottom surface side of the concave portion.
Of light beams radiated from the light-emitting surface 106 of the LED 103, a light beam having a wide radiation angle is reflected from the concave mirror 108 so that its optical path is changed toward a distal end of an optical fiber, not illustrated. Thus, even a light beam having a wide radiation angle can also be effectively used.
However, in an optical transmitter using a concave mirror, it is difficult to increase the coupling efficiency while achieving miniaturization and cost reduction of the optical transmitter.
That is, for example, in the optical transmitter 201 shown in FIG. 23, assuming that: the LED 103 is in the shape of a cube with a height of 300 μm and a width of 300 μm; the concave mirror 108 has a cone angle θ of 60°; and the concave portion has an inside diameter of φ 500 μm on the bottom surface side thereof, the concave portion needs to have a depth T0 of about 1.3 mm and an inside diameter R0 of 2 mm on the upper edge side in order for the concave mirror 108 to change the optical path of a light beam having a radiation angle of 45° or wider, of light beams radiated from the center of the light-emitting surface 106 of the LED 103. As a result, a lens with a diameter of φ 2 mm or greater is needed to collect and then couple into the optical fiber the light beams the optical paths of which have been changed by the concave mirror 108.
If the inside diameter of the concave mirror 108 on a side at which radiated light beams are raised, i.e., on the upper edge side, is as large as about φ 2 mm, there is a risk that, when a lens with a short focal length is used to collect light beams, the light beams may not be able to be coupled into the optical fiber because an NA incident to the optical fiber becomes so large that the light beams cannot be coupled into the optical fiber. On the other hand, when using a lens with a long focal length in order to take an advantage of a small incident NA, it is difficult to miniaturize the optical transmitter inclusive of the optical fiber.
Here, if the concave mirror 108 is curved, the optical transmitter can be slightly miniaturized, but is still larger than the one shown in FIG. 21. Further, a space needs to be provided at a portion of the concave mirror 108 for wire-bonding the electrode of the LED 103, which complicates the production process and widens a variation in transmission efficiency and thus a variation in the quantity of light coupled into the optical fiber. That is, depending on precisions in the location and shape of the concave mirror 108, the direction of light varies to result in variation in transmission efficiency, which widens a variation in the quantity of light coupled into the optical fiber. This creates the need to increase the dynamic range in optical transmission. Also, the substrate 205 needs to have therein the concave mirror 108, which results in a high cost. As has been explained above, in an optical transmitter using a concave mirror, after all, it is difficult to increase the coupling efficiency while achieving miniaturization and cost reduction of the optical transmitter.
Other than optical transmitters having the concave mirror, there are known one having a parabola-shaped mirror for improvement in coupling efficiency, one in which a mirror is provided on a side of a lens, and the like. These optical transmitters are problematic in that the number of components is increased to result in upsizing and a rise in the cost of the optical transmitters.
On the other hand, there is known an optical transmitter having (i) a lead frame with an opening formed therein and (ii) an LED having a light-emitting surface joined to the lead frame so that a light beam radiated from the light-emitting surface passes through the opening to be coupled into an optical fiber. In such an optical transmitter having the LED arranged on a rear surface of the lead frame, wire-bonding is made on the rear surface side opposite to the front surface side of the lead frame, i.e., to the side at a lens is provided. As a result, the lens (or the optical fiber) can be arranged close to the LED without considering a space required for the above-mentioned wire-bonding so that a relatively high coupling efficiency can be obtained.
However, only forming the opening through the lead frame for a light beam to pass through the opening does not make it possible to guide a light beam with a wide radiation angle to the lens at an effective angle. Therefore, it is eventually difficult to utilize a light beam with a wide radiation angle.
Meanwhile, in an optical transmitter, dissipation of heat generated in a light-emitting element is also important. If the optical transmitter is poor in heat dissipation, the temperature of a light-emitting element chip itself rises. Therefore, the magnitude of an electric current allowed to pass through the light-emitting element is limited, and the environment in which optical transmitters can be used is limited to make it impossible to use them in environments where the temperature is high such as motor vehicles and production facilities. For this reason, there is a need to reduce a thermal resistance of the LED chip and members around the LED chip. As a method of reducing the thermal resistance, there is known a method by disposing the LED chip on a substrate of a material good in heat dissipation. However, with this method there is a problem in that the thermal resistance of the LED chip itself cannot be reduced and that a high cost and upsized optical transmitters are resulted.
On the other hand, in the conventional optical transmitter 101 shown in FIG. 21, in which a surface of the LED 103 is covered with the mold resin 109, there is a problem in that a great thermal stress is created on the LED 103 when the ambient temperature varies, due to a large difference in a linear expansivity generally present between the LED 103 and the mold resin 109. For example, GaAs generally used in a red LED has a linear expansivity of about 6 ppm/K, while the material of the transparent mold resin such as an epoxy resin or the like has a linear expansivity of 60 ppm/K to 65 ppm/K, values substantially an order of magnitude greater. For this reason, there is a problem in that, in environments where wide temperature variations (e.g., from −40° C. to 110° C.) are encountered as expected in vehicle-installed devices and the like, a great thermal stress is applied onto the light-emitting surface of the LED 103 to make the light emission state unstable or make the LED 103 broken, or a bonding wire is ruptured due to a difference in linear expansivity between the bonding wire and the epoxy resin. Thus, it is difficult to gain a high reliability.


A printing method includes a step of dividing the to-be-printed surface 10 of a to-be-printed object 100 into a plurality of small to-be-printed surfaces 1a, 1b, . . . (a, b, . . . will be omitted below) and dividing a picture 20 to be printed on the to-be-printed surface 10 into small pictures 2 to be printed on the small to-be-printed surfaces 1, a step of a creating small developed picture 3 by developing each of the small pictures 2 into a plane, a step of putting ink on small printing original plate 30 corresponding to the small to-be-printed surface 1 according to the small developed picture 2, a step of a pressing small printing blanket 40 corresponding to each of the small to-be-printed surfaces 1 against the corresponding small printing original plate 30 and transferring the ink, and a step of printing the picture 20 on the to-be-printed surface 1 by pressing the small printing blanket 30 grasped by the arm of a multi-axis robot against the small to-be-printed surface 1 to print the small picture 2.

Contrivances have been made to improve printing precision in pad printing, gravure printing, screen printing, and other types of printing. For example, the inventor of the present invention disclosed an invention in which a printing pad is combined with an original plate in a letterpress to improve printing precision and thereby to enable color printing in many colors (see Patent Literature 1, for example).

Printing method and to-be-printed object


An ignition distributor cap having a first capacitor for detecting ignition voltage of a spark-ignition internal combustion engine to determine if misfire occurs. The ignition distributor cap has a coil contact tower connected to the secondary winding of an ignition coil of the engine, spark plug terminals connected to spark plugs of the engine, and a rotor connecting the coil contact tower to one of the spark plug terminals with a gap to generate an electric path carrying ignition voltage current produced at the ignition coil to the spark plug. In the ignition distributor cap, a conductor is located around the electric path keeping a predetermined distance from the electric path and forming a first capacitor such that the first capacitor constitutes a capacitive divider with a second capacitor for ignition voltage detection between the electric path and the conductor positioned at the coil contact tower or the individual spark plug terminals. A ceramic insulator can be positioned between the conductor and the electric path. The conductor can further be electrically shielded.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a technology for detecting misfire occurring during operation of a gasoline or other spark-ignition internal combustion engine and more particularly to an ignition distributor cap with a capacitor for detecting misfire for an internal combustion engine.
2. Description of the Prior Art
As is well known, in gasoline and other types of internal combustion engines a high voltage produced by an ignition coil is distributed to spark plugs at the engine cylinders by an ignition distributor or the like. At each cylinder, the resulting electric discharge between the spark plug electrodes produces a spark which ignites an air-fuel mixture that has been drawn into the cylinder and compressed at the proper time, causing the mixture to burn explosively. In the course of this ignition-combustion process in the internal combustion engine, the mixture may for some reason occasionally fail to burn properly. This is referred to as a misfire. Misfires can result from causes in either the fuel system or the ignition system. Misfires caused by problems in the fuel system are the result of an overly lean or overly rich air-fuel mixture. A spark is produced between the spark plug electrodes but the air-fuel mixture does not ignite. Misfires caused by problems in the ignition system are the result of spark plug electrode fouling or ignition circuit malfunctions which prevent normal spark discharge.
The occurrence of misfire in the course of engine operation not only degrades engine performance but may also cause after-firing of unburned gases in the exhaust system, which can damage the exhaust gas aftertreatment system and have other adverse effects. Moreover, since the occurrence of even a single misfire indicates a misadjustment or malfunction in the fuel or ignition system, prompt elimination of the problem is essential. Because of this, there is a strong need for development of a detector for detecting misfires as soon as they occur.
Only type of misfire detector that has been proposed is the mis-spark detector described in Japanese Laid-open Patent Publication No. 52(1977)-118135. As shown in FIG. 9, the detector includes a conductor 51 wrapped around a portion of a high-voltage (high tension) cable 50 of the engine ignition system so as to constitute a detection capacitor 52 (a type of capacitance probe) in which the insulation cladding 50A of the high-voltage cable 50 serves as the dielectric. A voltage divider capacitor 53 is connected between the capacitor 52 and ground so that the ignition voltage (secondary voltage of the ignition coil) applied to the conductive core 50B of the high-voltage cable 50 induces a voltage across the terminals of the capacitor 52 owing to its static capacitance. The induced voltage is statically divided by the capacitor 52 and the capacitor 53, and the voltage across the terminals of the capacitor 53 (the divided voltage) is forwarded as a detection voltage to an electronic circuit 54 for processing and discrimination. The electronic circuit 54 discriminates the occurrence of misfires from the difference between the wave form of the ignition voltage at the time of normal spark discharge and that at the time of no spark discharge (mis-sparking). Among the different types of misfires, the detector thus detects misfires that occur when no spark discharge is produced owing to a problem in the ignition system.
Another detector for detecting misfire in internal combustion engines is disclosed in the present assignee's Japanese Patent Application No. 3(1991)326509. In this detector, the ignition voltage is similarly detected from a high-voltage division, and misfire owing to causes in the fuel system is detected based on the fact that, even when spark discharge occurs, the wave form of the ignition voltage differs between the case where normal combustion occurs and the case where it does not.
In the conventional misfire detectors, as the means for detecting ignition voltage there is usually used a so-called capacitance probe constituted by wrapping a sheet or ribbon of conductor around the high-voltage cable of the ignition system so as to form a detection capacitor between the conductor and the core of the high-voltage cable via the insulation cladding of the high-voltage cable as the dielectric. However, the capacitance probe constituted in this manner has a major drawback that derives from the nature of the high-voltage cable of the ignition system. Because of its flexibility and elasticity, the high-voltage cable is highly susceptible to vibration. It is also easily affected by changes in the ambient humidity, wetting by leaking water, and fouling with oil, grime and the like. When a capacitor for use in detection is formed by wrapping a conductor ribbon around the cable, the static capacitance of the capacitor is apt to be changed from the proper value by shifting of the conductor caused by vibration as well as by changes in humidity, wetting with water and fouling with oil, grime and the like. Although some change in static capacitance can be tolerated if the capacitor is to be used only for checking the ignition voltage, even slight changes have to be avoided when it is used for misfire discrimination because such discrimination generally requires accurate detection not only of the ignition voltage but also of the ignition voltage wave form. The capacitance changes to which the prior art capacitance probe is susceptible degrade the detected voltage wave form and make it impossible to discriminate misfire with high reliability.
In addition, the insulation cladding of the high-voltage cable is generally formed of synthetic rubber, a material that is readily degraded when exposed to heat and fouling with oil and grime. This degradation of the insulation cladding after the detection capacitor has been formed by winding the conductor around the high-voltage cord not only produces a progressive change in the static capacitance of the capacitor over time but also increases the risk of electric insulation breakdown. In this latter case, the high ignition voltage can leak to the conductor wrapped thereon. When this happens, the high leak voltage is apt to be conducted to the electronic circuitry of the misfire detector, which it can damage or cause to malfunction.
In actual practice, moreover, the flexibility and elasticity of the high-voltage cable make the work of attaching the conductor for forming the capacitor on the insulation cladding of the high-voltage cable difficult and troublesome. Maintenance of the so-formed capacitor is also troublesome.
On the other hand, when normal combustion does not occur and ions are therefore not produced at the gap between the spark plug electrodes, natural discharge between the electrodes does not proceed smoothly following insulation breakdown. Instead, the charge developed between the electrodes may flow through the ignition system in reverse. This produces changes in the voltage wave form detected by the detection capacitor or other voltage detection means of the misfire detector and makes it impossible to discriminate the presence/absence of misfire accurately.
The engine compartments of most modern cars are tightly packed with various devices, components and wiring. In providing the detection capacitor of a misfire detector, the conductor for detection constituting a part of the detection capacitor generally ends up being close to some other electrically conductive component. In this case, any change in the distance between the conductor for detection and the nearby conductive component will substantially change the capacitance of the detection capacitor. In addition, the detection capacitor will pick up noise from the nearby conductive component. Since any such change in capacitance or introduction of a noise component adversely affects the ignition voltage wave form detected by the detection capacitor, the detection accuracy is degraded.

Ignition distributor cap with misfire detecting capacitor for internal combustion engine