A portable sensor device for obtaining physiological information, including cardiopulmonary information, from a human or animal subject. The device includes a housing having a lumen and a respiratory port in fluid communication with the lumen. The lumen can be divided into plural airflow tubes. Spirometric data can be integrated with non-spirometric cardiopulmonary data collected by the device. Additionally, the sensor device can be operably coupled to a bioactive composition delivery device. Methods for using the sensor device and methods for making the sensor device also are disclosed.

This invention relates to medical devices for sensing and measuring biological activity. More particularly, this invention relates to portable bio-sensors, including self-contained bio-sensors, capable of sensing and measuring cardiopulmonary activity.
A large number of chronic diseases are related to the dysfunction of the cardiopulmonary system. Modern lifestyles and environments predispose individuals to chronic obstructive pulmonary disorders (such as asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease) and ischemic heart disease. Moreover, the cardiopulmonary system is functionally interconnected in many respects, such that alterations in heart function are sometimes associated with changes in the lungs.
The prevalence of heart and lung disorders has led to the development of many devices for detecting and monitoring dysfunction in these organ systems. An example of such a device is the spirometer, which is an instrument for collecting data about breathing capacity and other pulmonary functions. Spirometers are utilized for diagnosis of lung diseases and conditions, such as asthma, chronic bronchitis, emphysema, and other chronic obstructive pulmonary disorders (COPD); black lung disease, asbestosis, and other occupational lung diseases; and cystic fibrosis and other congenital diseases.
Spirometers are often large, bulky devices located in a hospital, doctor""s office, or other clinical setting. In recent years, however, some portable spirometers have been designed and manufactured. These previously known portable spirometers share a similar design based around a single tube having a mouthpiece and an exhaust port. A person using a portable spirometer blows air into the mouthpiece, through the tube (where the airflow is measured by one or more sensors), and out the exhaust port. Raw data collected by the spirometer can be used to determine various spirometric parameters in a Pulmonary Function Test (PFT), such as vital capacity (VC), which is the maximum volume of air that can be expired slowly after a full inspiratory effort; forced vital capacity (FVC), which measures the volume of air expelled from the lungs with maximal force; tidal volume (TV), which measures the volume of air inspired or expired with each breath; total lung capacity (TLC), which is the total volume of air within the chest after a maximum inspiration; peak expiratory flow (PEF), which is a measure of the highest airflow rate from the lungs during forced exhalation; maximal voluntary ventilation (MVV), which is the volume of air expired during breathing at the maximal TV and respiratory rate for twelve seconds; and forced expired volume during the first second (FEV1), which is the volume of air forcibly expelled in one second of time. Other PFTs are disclosed in Beers, M. H. and Berkow, R. (eds), The Merck Manual of Diagnosis and Therapy (Merck Research Laboratories, Whitehouse Station, N.J., 1999), chapter 64.
Previously known spirometers, including portable spirometers, do have some limitations, however. For example, some spirometers can measure only a single parameter (such as only PEF), while other spirometers have a single tube of a fixed diameter and can accurately measure only airflow rates within a certain range. Moreover, most spirometers are limited to collecting only spirometric data and not any other potentially useful physiological data.
Disclosed is a sensor device for obtaining cardiopulmonary data from a subject. The sensor device includes an elongated housing having a proximal end, a distal end, and a lumen. The lumen can be divided into one or more airflow tubes. The proximal housing end defines a respiratory port that is in fluid communication with the lumen, and an airflow port is defined in the housing adjacent the distal end of the lumen. The airflow port also is in fluid communication with the lumen.
An airflow sensor is positioned within the lumen and is capable of measuring pulmonary airflow through the lumen as the subject exhales or inhales. Also positioned within the lumen is a non-spirometric cardiopulmonary activity sensor. A data processor is operably coupled to both the airflow sensor and the non-spirometric cardiopulmonary activity sensor. Thus, the sensor device is capable of integrated collection of cardiopulmonary data obtained via the airflow sensor and the non-spirometric cardiopulmonary activity sensor.

Multi-function sensor device and methods for its use

Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.


An electronic device is provided. The electronic device according to the present disclosure includes an optical system for generating light to implement an image and a display part for emitting the light provided from the optical system. The optical system includes an image source panel, a first projection lens for projecting light provided from the image source panel onto the display part, a second projection lens for projecting the light provided from the image source panel to the display part, wherein the second projection lens has a angle of view wider than a angle of view of the first projection lens, and a position changing part for switching positions of the first projection lens and the second projection lens to selectively match the first projection lens and the second projection lens to a path of the light provided from the image source panel. The electronic device of the present disclosure may be associated with an artificial intelligence module, a robot, an augmented reality (AR) device, a virtual reality (VR) device, a device related to a 5G service, and the like.

Virtual Reality (VR) refers to a certain environment, situation or technology itself which is produced by artificial technology using a computer or the like, is similar to reality but is not real.
Augmented Reality (AR) refers to technology that combines a virtual object or information with a real environment so that it seems to be an object existing in an original environment.
Mixed Reality (MR) or Hybrid Reality refers to technology that combines a virtual world and a real world to create a new environment or new information. Particularly, when a thing existing in real world and a thing existing in virtual world in real time may interact with each other in real time, this is referred to as mixed reality.
In this regard, the created virtual environment or situation excites a user's senses and allows the user to have spatial and temporal experience similar to the reality, thus allowing the user to freely move between reality and imagination. Furthermore, the user cannot only be immersed in such an environment, but also can interact with ones realized in this environment through manipulation or command using a real device.
Recently, research on a gear used in this technical field is actively conducted.


The present invention relates to a stent graft for implantation in vessels of a patient, wherein the stent graft has a hollow cylindrical main body made of a first prosthesis material, with a proximal end and a distal end, with a longitudinal axis c and a circumference u, at least one pocket element which is made of a second prosthesis material and which is mounted circumferentially on the outer face and/or inner face of the main body in order to form a circumferential closed pocket on a longitudinal portion of the main body, and at least one stent element which extends in a meandering formation around the main body and is received inside the pocket element.

The present invention relates to a stent graft for implantation in vessels of a patient, with a hollow-cylindrical body made of a prosthesis material, and with at least one stent element circumferentially extending the body.
Stent grafts of this type are well known in the prior art, for example from DE 103 37 739. These stent grafts are vascular prostheses, also referred to as endovascular stents/stent grafts, which are generally used to support unstable, brittle or thrombotic vessel walls and in particular to treat vessels affected by aneurysms. For this purpose, a stent graft is released at the diseased or damaged site of the vessel and restores the functionality of the original vessel or supports the still existing integrity of the vessel.
An aneurysm is understood here as a widening or bulging of an arterial blood vessel as a consequence of congenital or acquired lesions of the wall. The bulge in this case can affect the vessel wall as a whole or, in what is called a false aneurysm or dissection, blood flows from the lumen of the vessel in between the layers of the vessel wall and tears these apart from one another. Non-treatment of an aneurysm may lead to a rupture of the artery in advanced stages, after which the patient suffers internal bleeding. The cause of a thoracic and thoraco-abdominal aortic aneurysm may be arteriosclerosis, high blood pressure and inflammation processes of the vessel wall. Injuries of the thorax due to serious accidents may also lead to an acute or chronic aortic aneurysm.
A wide variety of stent grafts are used depending on the type of application. Here, a distinction is made between balloon-expandable and self-expanding systems. The self-expandable properties result from the use of self-expanding materials such as nitinol. Balloon-expandable systems are expanded by a radial force exerted from the inside, for example when they are mounted on a balloon.
The present application is concerned with the use of so-called self-expanding stent grafts or "covered" stents.
For the treatment of aneurysms or of vessels threatening to occlude, it is already known to stabilize the affected blood vessels by implantation of a stent/stent graft in order to avoid rupture of the vessel or generally to keep the vessel open. The self-expanding stent grafts used generally consist of a hollow-cylindrical metal frame or framework, of which the lateral surface is covered by a textile or polymer film, such that a hollow-cylindrical body is obtained. The biocompatibility of the materials used has the effect that the contact between the expanded stent graft and the vessel wall is free of complications.
Another function of the textile or polymer film is to prevent the passage of blood or of blood components or deposits through the wall of the stent graft and to prevent inward growth of tissue through the wall into the interior of the stent graft. This relieves the stress on the vessel wall at the implantation site of the stent graft and prevents possible embolisms at these sites.
The metal frame of such stent grafts generally consists, for example, of a wire mesh or of so-called stent springs, which are arranged one behind the other, extend in a circumferentially meandering formation and, if appropriate, are connected to one another by connecting struts made of wire, or which are merely connected to one another via the prosthesis material. The wire mesh or the stent springs are usually made of a shape-memory material, generally of nitinol, as a result of which, after insertion into a vessel for release, the stent springs return to the expanded state and the stent graft thus "opens up".
During the implantation of the stent, the latter is radially compressed such that its cross-sectional area decreases considerably. In order to produce the compressed state, the stent graft is introduced into a sleeve, also referred to as a sleeve catheter. For this purpose, the sleeve catheter has a circumference which is smaller than the circumference of the stent graft in the expanded state. Wth the aid of an insertion system, the stent graft is brought in the compressed state to the region of the site or aneurysm that is to be treated, where it is released, wherein the position of the stent graft can be monitored via X-ray markers. After the desired position or orientation of the stent graft is obtained, the sleeve catheter is pulled back, as a result of which the stent graft is released and can expand. By virtue of the resilience of the metal frame/framework, the stent graft expands again to its original shape and in so doing stretches its lateral surface, which lodges inside the blood vessel proximally and distally in relation to the aneurysm or to the site that is to be kept open. As a result of the pressure force between the stent graft and the vessel wall, the stent graft remains fixed in position at the desired location. In this way, the blood now flows through the stent graft, preventing further stressing of the bulge and ensuring the patency of the vessel.
When positioning the stent grafts, the lateral blood vessels branching off from the main vessel must not be cut off from the blood supply by the blood-tight prosthesis material. Therefore, many stent grafts have open zones or so-called fenestrations in the jacket material or prosthesis material, through which side branches, issuing from the stent graft and projecting into the lateral vessels, can be introduced and fixed on the stent graft. This also ensures a blood supply to the body regions that are supplied by the lateral vessels.
Due to the fact that the conditions are dependent both on the vessels to be treated and on the particular patient, it is entirely reasonable to produce stent grafts that are tailor-made with respect to the anatomy of the particular vessel. However, not only is this complicated in terms of the individual design as regards length and width, the actual production of the stents is also very complicated, expensive and labor-intensive, since in some cases only one specific prosthesis can be made.
In the production of stent grafts, particularly those that have meandering stent springs and are connected to one another only via the implant material and thus indirectly, the lateral surfaces are sewn onto the metal frame/framework manually by skilled workers, which is very time-consuming and costly.
There is therefore still a great need for stent/stent graft systems, or vascular prostheses, which permit versatile use in order to satisfy the different requirements, particularly as regards the individual configuration, of the respective vessels of different patients.
The object of the present invention is therefore to make available an alternative stent graft with which the above-described disadvantages of the stent grafts known in the prior art can be overcome, and with which the production is less time-consuming and less costly.


The present invention describes a method and an apparatus for eliminating image artifacts due to imaging of post spacers, or other small clusters of pixels that deviate from nominal performance of light valve technology. This invention is applicable to imaging technologies whose pixels are separately addressable.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is directed to imaging devices whose pixels are separately addressable, and more particularly to the elimination of artifacts in light valves and liquid crystal displays caused by post spacers and other departures from nominal operation.
2. Description of Prior Art
A typical light valve comprises a thin layer of liquid crystals interposed between two glass plates coated with thin layers of transparent conductors such as indium tin oxide and polymer alignment films. Light valves and liquid crystal displays generate images by modulating the amount of transmission, reflection and scattering of an incoming light source.
In a typical liquid crystal display polarizers are on the top glass plate as well as on the bottom glass plate. On reflective light valves, the bottom glass plate is replaced by a reflective mirror. The pixels are individually addressed by a matrix of conducting electrodes and typically driven by transistors fabricated on a silicon or amorphous silicon substrate.
The liquid crystals' orientation above each pixel can be changed, based on its optical anisotropy, by driving the transistor at different voltages. By changing the liquid crystals' orientation, incoming polarized light from one polarizer can be rotated, thereby determining the amount of light transmitted through the other polarizer. The amount of reflected or scattered light in a reflective light valve or a liquid crystal display is determined by the rotation of the polarized light and the reflection of the mirror layer.
During the assembly of light valves and liquid crystal displays it is critically important to maintain uniformity in the gap distance occupied by the liquid crystals. It is also critically important to prevent contamination of the liquid crystal layer. In the practical manufacturing of light valves and liquid crystal displays, the cost can be significantly reduced if the fabrication tolerances permit a small number of defective pixels whose operation is perceptibly different from nominal operating conditions. There are many reasons for these defects, such as shorts and opens in the conductor electrodes, transistors that operate away from nominal operating conditions, non-uniform charge retention, contamination during processing, defective mask steps during photo-lithography and non-uniform cell gap control.
In liquid crystal displays or projection systems it is essential to achieve a good cell gap control, even as simultaneously attempts are made to reduce voltage to the minimum level consistent with the driver technology employed. To obtain optimal response with many liquid crystal modes, such as twisted nematic for example, accurate control of cell gap is essential in order that uniform grey scale, fast switching speeds, and high contrast be maintained over the cell.
In modern display technologies, the liquid crystals operate in modes that require strict tolerance and uniformity in the cell gap over the full area of the display. One solution for maintaining a good cell gap between the glass layers is to use interposing post spacers in the pixel array region. Post spacers are sometimes referred to just as spacers or posts. Fortunately, when light valves based on silicon technology are used, it becomes fairly straight forward to place these spacers in the boundaries between the pixel mirrors within the cell. These boundaries are dark, so the spacers are not easily seen directly. However, the post still perturbs the liquid crystal alignment above the mirrors of the surrounding pixels, causing changes in the polarization efficiency of the liquid crystals in the region around the posts. Changes in the polarization efficiency change the luminance and the chrominance in the vicinity of post spacers when the light valve is imaged on the screen. Even with a minimum resolution post element, delineated by modern fine-line lithography, the posts will still show artifacts when imaged.
Shadowing from the rubbing of liquid crystals will make the imaged artifacts still more visible. The shape of the post can be physically modified to reduce post artifacts, but this increases the fabrication difficulty and does not provide a solution for artifact elimination over the full luminance range generated by the display.
These defects detract from the appearance of images and therefore limit the commercial usefulness of a display. What is needed is a way to deploy posts without creating imaged artifacts. This method must be robust in dealing with variability in cell process and changing illumination conditions.

Camouflage of imaged post spacers and compensation of pixels that depart from nominal operating conditions by luminance diffusion

International Business Machines Corporation


The present disclosure provides a set-voltage generation unit, a set-voltage generation method and a display device. The set-voltage generation unit includes a voltage generation circuit. The set-voltage generation unit is configured to generate a set voltage according to a gamma main voltage such that a ratio between a variation of the set voltage and a variation of the gamma main voltage is a voltage coefficient K, and K is a positive number less than or equal to 1.

During the operation of an OLED display device, it is affected by external factors (mainly referring to temperature) and instability of its own circuit, resulting in poor display performance.
The present disclosure provides a display device including: M rows and N columns of pixel circuits and N set-voltage generation units. The set-voltage generation unit includes a voltage generation circuit; the set-voltage generation unit is configured to generate a set voltage according to a gamma main voltage such that a ratio between a variation of the set voltage and a variation of the gamma main voltage is a voltage coefficient K, and K is a positive number less than or equal to 1. An output terminal of an n-th set-voltage generation unit is coupled with pixel circuits in the n-th column, and is configured to provide the set voltage for the pixel circuits in the n-th column. Both M and N are integers greater than 1, n is a positive integer less than or equal to N.
In implementation, the display device further includes a display substrate; the pixel circuits are disposed at a display area of the display substrate; and the set-voltage generation units are disposed at a peripheral area of the display substrate.
In implementation, the display device further includes a display substrate and a drive integrated circuit. The pixel circuits are disposed at a display area of the display substrate; and the set-voltage generation units are disposed in the drive integrated circuit.
In implementation, the display device further includes: N columns of detection lines, M rows of gate lines, N columns of data lines, M rows of compensation control lines and M rows of write control lines. The gate line is configured to output a gate drive signal, the data line is configured to output a real-time data voltage, the compensation control line is configured to input a compensation control signal, and the write control line is configured to input a write control signal.
A pixel circuit in an m-th row and an n-th column includes a light emitting element in the m-th row and the n-th column, a drive circuit in the m-th row and the n-th column, a display control circuit in the m-th row and the n-th column, a compensation control circuit in the m-th row and the n-th column, and a set-voltage write control circuit in the m-th row and the n-th column.
A drive circuit in the m-th row and the n-th column is configured to, under control of a control terminal thereof, drive the light emitting element in the m-th row and the n-th column.
A display control circuit in the m-th row and the nth column is coupled with the control terminal of the drive circuit in the m-th row and the n-th column; and is configured to, under control of a gate drive signal output by a gate line in the m-th row, perform display driving control on the drive circuit in the m-th row and the n-th column according to a real-time data voltage of a data line in the n-th column.
A compensation control circuit in the m-th row and the n-th column is configured to, under control of a compensation control signal input by a compensation control line in the m-th row, control a first terminal of the drive circuit in the m-th row and the n-th column to be coupled with a detection line in the n-th column.
A set-voltage write control circuit in the m-th row and the n-th column is configured to, under control of a write control signal input by a write control line in the m-th row, control a set-voltage write terminal in the m-th row and the n-th column to be coupled with the detection line in the n-th column.
An n-th set-voltage generation unit is configured to write a set voltage in the m-th row and the n-th column to the set-voltage write terminal in the m-th row and the n-th column, to control writing the set voltage in the m-th row and the n-th column to the detection line in the n-th column when the set-voltage write control circuit in the m-th row and the n-th column controls the set-voltage write terminal in the m-th row and the n-th column to be coupled with the detection line in the n-th column, m is a positive integer less than or equal to M.
In implementation, the compensation control circuit in the m-th row and the n-th column includes a compensation control transistor in the m-th row and the n-th column; and the set-voltage write control circuit in the m-th row and the n-th column includes a write control switch in the m-th row and the n-th column; a control electrode of the compensation control transistor in the m-th row and the n-th column is coupled with the compensation control line in the m-th row; a first electrode of the compensation control transistor in the m-th row and the n-th column is coupled with the first terminal of the drive circuit in the m-th row and the n-th column; a second electrode of the compensation control transistor in the m-th row and the n-th column is coupled with the detection line in the n-th column; a control terminal of the write control switch in the m-th row and the n-th column is coupled with the write control line in the m-th row; a first terminal of the write control switch in the m-th row and the n-th column is coupled with the set-voltage write terminal in the m-th row and the n-th column; a second terminal of the write control switch in the m-th row and the n-th column is coupled with the detection line in the n-th column.
In implementation, the drive circuit in the m-th row and the n-th column includes a drive transistor in the m-th row and the n-th column; and the display control circuit in the m-th row and the n-th column includes a data write transistor in the m-th row and the n-th column, and a storage capacitor in the m-th row and the n-th column.
A gate electrode of the drive transistor in the m-th row and the n-th column is the control terminal of the drive circuit in the m-th row and the n-th column.
A control electrode of the data write transistor in the m-th row and the n-th column is coupled with the gate line in the m-th row; a first electrode of the data write transistor in the m-th row and the n-th column is coupled with the data line in the n-th column; a second electrode of the data write transistor in the m-th row and the n-th column is coupled with the gate electrode of the drive transistor in the m-th row and the n-th column.
A first electrode of the drive transistor in the m-th row and the n-th column is coupled with the light emitting element in the m-th row and the n-th column; a second electrode of the drive transistor in the m-th row and the n-th column is coupled with the power supply voltage terminal.
A first terminal of the storage capacitor in the m-th row and the n-th column is coupled with the gate electrode of the drive transistor in the m-th row and the n-th column; a second terminal of the storage capacitor in the m-th row and the n-th column is coupled with the first electrode of the drive transistor in the m-th row and the n-th column.
In implementation, the set-voltage generation unit further includes an adjustment circuit; the adjustment circuit is configured to adjust the voltage coefficient K to be (a+1)/B according to the real-time data voltage, wherein "a" represents a gray scale corresponding to a real-time data voltage, "B" represents a total number of gray scales, "a" is 0 or a positive integer less than "B", and "B" is a positive integer.
In implementation, the voltage generation circuit includes an operational amplifier circuit and a voltage division circuit; the voltage division circuit is configured to divide the gamma main voltage to obtain a divided voltage, and input the divided voltage to a positive input terminal of the operational amplifier circuit; an inverting input terminal of the operational amplifier circuit is coupled with a reference voltage terminal; the operational amplifier circuit is configured to generate the set voltage according to the divided voltage and a reference voltage input by the reference voltage terminal.
In implementation, the set-voltage generation unit further includes an adjustment circuit; the adjustment circuit is configured to provide a voltage division adjustment signal to the voltage division circuit according to the real-time data voltage, so that the voltage division circuit controls a ratio between a variation of the divided voltage and the variation of the gamma main voltage to be equal to "b", and then the voltage coefficient K is adjusted accordingly to be (a+1)/M, wherein "a" represents a gray scale corresponding to the real-time data voltage, "M" represents a total number of gray scales, "a" is 0 or a positive integer less than "M", "M" is a positive integer; "b" represents a voltage division coefficient and is equal to K/A, and A is an amplification factor of the operational amplifier circuit.
In implementation, the voltage division circuit includes a first voltage division resistor and a second voltage division resistor; a first end of the first voltage division resistor receives the gamma main voltage; a second end of the first voltage division resistor is coupled with the positive input terminal of the operational amplifier circuit; a first end of the second voltage division resistor is coupled with the positive input terminal; a second end of the second voltage division resistor is coupled with a first voltage terminal; resistance values of the first voltage division resistor and the second voltage division resistor are adjustable.
In implementation, the voltage division adjustment signal includes a resistance value adjustment signal; the adjustment circuit is configured to transmit the resistance value adjustment signal to the first voltage division resistor and/or the second voltage division resistor according to the real-time data voltage and the gamma main voltage, to control adjustment of a resistance value Rz1 of the first voltage division resistor and/or a resistance value Rz2 of the second voltage division resistor, thereby adjusting the voltage coefficient K; Rz2/(Rz1+Rz2) is equal to "b".
The present disclosure provides a set-voltage generation unit including a voltage generation circuit. An output terminal of the set-voltage generation unit is coupled with a pixel circuit; the set-voltage generation unit is configured to generate a set voltage according to a gamma main voltage such that a ratio between a variation of the set voltage and a variation of the gamma main voltage is a voltage coefficient K, and K is a positive number less than or equal to 1.
In implementation, the set-voltage generation unit further includes an adjustment circuit. The adjustment circuit is configured to adjust the voltage coefficient K to be (a+1)/B according to a real-time data voltage, wherein "a" represents a gray scale corresponding to the real-time data voltage, "B" represents a total number of gray scales, "a" is 0 or a positive integer less than "B", and "B" is a positive integer.
In implementation, the voltage generation circuit includes an operational amplifier circuit and a voltage division circuit; the voltage division circuit is configured to divide the gamma main voltage to obtain a divided voltage, and input the divided voltage to a positive input terminal of the operational amplifier circuit; an inverting input terminal of the operational amplifier circuit is coupled with a reference voltage terminal; the operational amplifier circuit is configured to generate the set voltage according to the divided voltage and a reference voltage input by the reference voltage terminal.
In implementation, the set-voltage generation unit further includes an adjustment circuit; the adjustment circuit is configured to provide a voltage division adjustment signal to the voltage division circuit according to a real-time data voltage, so that the voltage division circuit controls a ratio between a variation of the divided voltage and the variation of the gamma main voltage to be equal to "b", and then the voltage coefficient K is adjusted accordingly to be (a+1)/M, wherein "a" represents a gray scale corresponding to the real-time data voltage, "M" represents a total number of gray scales, "a" is 0 or a positive integer less than "M", "M" is a positive integer; "b" represents a voltage division coefficient and is equal to K/A, and A is an amplification factor of the operational amplifier circuit.
In implementation, the voltage division circuit includes a first voltage division resistor and a second voltage division resistor; a first end of the first voltage division resistor receives the gamma main voltage; a second end of the first voltage division resistor is coupled with the positive input terminal of the operational amplifier circuit; a first end of the second voltage division resistor is coupled with the positive input terminal; a second end of the second voltage division resistor is coupled with a first voltage terminal; resistance values of the first voltage division resistor and the second voltage division resistor are adjustable.
In implementation, the voltage division adjustment signal includes a resistance value adjustment signal; the adjustment circuit is configured to transmit the resistance value adjustment signal to the first voltage division resistor and/or the second voltage division resistor according to the real-time data voltage and the gamma main voltage, to control adjustment of a resistance value Rz1 of the first voltage division resistor and/or a resistance value Rz2 of the second voltage division resistor, thereby adjusting the voltage coefficient K; Rz2/(Rz1+Rz2) is equal to "b".
The present disclosure provides a set-voltage generation method applied to the above set-voltage generation unit, including: generating, by the voltage generation circuit, a set voltage according to a gamma main voltage so that a ratio between a variation of the set voltage and a variation of the gamma main voltage is a voltage coefficient K, wherein K is a positive number less than or equal to 1.
In implementation, the set-voltage generation unit further includes an adjustment circuit; the set-voltage generation method includes: adjusting, by the adjustment circuit, the voltage coefficient K to be (a+1)/B according to a real-time data voltage; wherein "a" represents a gray scale corresponding to the real-time data voltage, "B" represents a total number of gray scales, "a" is 0 or a positive integer less than "B".
In implementation, the voltage generation circuit includes an operational amplifier circuit and a voltage division circuit; the step of generating, by the voltage generation circuit, a set voltage according to a gamma main voltage, includes: dividing, by the voltage division circuit, the gamma main voltage to obtain a divided voltage, and inputting the divided voltage to a positive input terminal of the operational amplifier circuit; generating, by the operational amplifier circuit, the set voltage according to the divided voltage and a reference voltage input by a reference voltage terminal.
In implementation, the voltage generation circuit further includes an adjustment circuit; the set-voltage generation method further includes: providing, by the adjustment circuit, a voltage division adjustment signal to the voltage division circuit according to a real-time data voltage, so that the voltage division circuit controls a ratio between a variation of the divided voltage and the variation of the gamma main voltage to be equal to "b", and then the voltage coefficient K is adjusted accordingly to be (a+1)/B; wherein "a" represents a gray scale corresponding to the real-time data voltage, "B" represents a total number of gray scales, "a" is 0 or a positive integer less than "B", and "B" is a positive integer; "b" represents a voltage division coefficient and is equal to K/A, and A is an amplification factor of the operational amplifier circuit.
In implementation, the voltage division circuit includes a first voltage division resistor and a second voltage division resistor; the voltage division adjustment signal includes a resistance value adjustment signal.
The step of providing, by the adjustment circuit, a voltage division adjustment signal to the voltage division circuit according to a real-time data voltage, so that the voltage division circuit controls a ratio between a variation of the divided voltage and the variation of the gamma main voltage to be equal to "b", and then the voltage coefficient K is adjusted accordingly to be (a+1)/B, includes: transmitting, by the adjustment circuit, the resistance value adjustment signal to the first voltage division resistor and/or the second voltage division resistor according to the real-time data voltage, to control adjustment of the resistance value Rz1 of the first voltage division resistor and/or the resistance value Rz2 of the second voltage division resistor, thereby adjusting the voltage coefficient K, wherein Rz2/(Rz1+Rz2) is equal to "b".

Set-voltage generation unit, set-voltage generation method and display device

HEFEI XINSHENG OPTOELECTRONICS TECHNOLOGY CO., LTD.


An anti-roll system using a caster control for use in vehicles and more particularly, a steering system having an anti-roll system which includes a plurality of links for easily converting the caster and adding an anti-roll function generated by turning the front wheels so as to realize a secure posture and improve the turning function of the vehicles.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an anti-roll system using a caster control for use in vehicles and more particularly, a steering system having a anti-roll system which includes an plurality of links for easily shifting the caster shifting of the caster occurs automatically during, and as a result of, turning the front wheels, so as to realize a secure vehicle posture and improve the turning function of the vehicle.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Generally, it is desired to improve the turning function of vehicles and to furnish a pleasant feeling of high security for the passengers in the vehicles.
Various types of mechanism have been developed in which, for example, the steering devices include the front wheels, suspension mechanisms, electric apparatuses and the like. However, there are many problems such as rolling, security, and the which the front wheels can particularly play a great role in solving.
Thus the front wheels can assist the steering mechanism in obtaining a more secure turning function. In this connection, the front wheels are connected to the front axle in a geometrical relationship thereto and such geometrically related installation is called a front-wheel alignment.
The front-wheel alignment consists of four factors as follows:
(1) a toe-in for preventing the trend of outward spreading of the wheels when the car is running; PA0 (2) a camber for alleviating the burden of manipulating the steering wheel and preventing the deflection of the front axle; PA0 (3) a caster for furnishing a direct-advancing ability and a restoring ability to the front wheels; and PA0 (4) a steering axis inclination for facilitating turning of the handle by furnishing a restoring ability to the steering-wheel.
Normally a positive caster is provided to the front wheels in order to improve the direct-advancing ability and the restoring ability in most cars. This positive (+) caster causes the body of the car to incline outwardly during turning. In particular, as shown in FIG. 6, a first rolling moment (hereinafter "Mi") is generated by the outward side inertia of the car body. A second rolling moment (hereinafter "Mc") due to the centrifugal force and depending on the turning radius and the car speed is also created. The sum of the two is a considerably large rolling moment (hereinafter "Mr (Mi+Mc)") generated when the car turns.
Accordingly, when the rolling moment Mr is large in a car, the rider experiences a feeling of insecurity to which the weight of the passengers actually contributes.
Due to this condition, many researchers have attempted to improve the turning performance of cars by inhibiting rolling during a turn. At present, however, most cars untilze a method whereby the lateral acceleration of the car is detected by means of a sensor, and rolling is inhibited by means of an hydraulic or pneumatic device based on the detected result.
Such hydraulic or pneumatic devices may also operate to inhibit rolling based upon detecting the car speed, the turning angle, the slope of the road, the condition of the road surface, and the like during the running of the car. Using the detected results, the overall stabilization of the posture of the car is maintained by raising or lowering the body of the car by means of physical force. This method provides a good result operationally, but suffers the disadvantage that a large number of components are required but and the hydraulic or pneumatic device is a technology-intensive device. Therefore, the method requires a large installation space and is expensive to manufacture. Particularly, in small cars, it requires so much of the design space that a limitation is imposed when assembling or disassembling the structure.

Anti-roll system using caster control for use in vehicles


A side-discharge muzzle brake includes a body, which includes an attachment portion and multiple ports located in the wall of the body. The side-discharge muzzle brake further includes a sleeve sized to slide over a portion of the body and to be rotatable around the body. The sleeve includes multiple openings. The side-discharge muzzle brake includes a securing assembly that allows that sleeve to be rotatable around the portion of the body in two directions for a full 360 degrees of rotation.

A muzzle brake is a device (e.g., an attachment) that attaches to a muzzle of a firearm. Typically, muzzle brakes are designed to reduce felt recoil that occurs when firing the firearm. Muzzle brakes reduce the felt recoil by venting expanding propellant gases in a direction transverse to the direction of extension of a barrel of the firearm through vents in the muzzle brake attachment located at the end of the barrel of the firearm. This results in the reduction of the felt recoil and consequently improves muzzle control.
However, muzzle brakes generally increase the volume of gas directed to the sides and rearward towards the shooter, resulting in a significant concussion affect. For this reason, a user may not desire to use the muzzle brake at a range, for example, when the user may be around other people who may have adverse reactions to the increased volume of gas directed toward the side and rear of the firearm. Therefore, the user may have to remove the muzzle brake while shooting at a range or around other people. On the other hand, the user may desire to use the same firearm for precise target shooting (e.g., shooting competition, hunting, etc.) and, having removed it for the range, would have to reinstall the muzzle brake. This may be undesirable because adding or removing a muzzle brake may significantly change the point of impact.
Thus, a solution is desired for a single muzzle brake device that may be implemented in a variety of different scenarios. Additionally, it is desired that such a solution would allow users to easily configure the muzzle brake device between different operating functions to accommodate the specific need.


The invention is of a halter top, thermoplastic resin film bag which is an improvement over the T-shirt type of bag, in that the base area where the gussets are sealed is strengthened by the trapezoidal configuration given to the bag of the invention.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to thin-film thermoplastic bag structures and, more particularly, is concerned with handled bag structures useful to transport goods such as groceries.
2. Brief Description of the Prior Art
The bag art is an old one and more recently has evolved from bags made of paper and cloth to flexible bags made of extruded films of a synthetic polymeric resin. An early U.S. Pat. (No. 1,253,269) issued to W. J. Moeller in 1918 described paper and cloth bags of a triangular, truncated construction. Subsequently, the U.S. Pat. No. 2,688,914 (Eckler) described envelopes for containing slices of citrus fruits, made of heat-sealable thermoplastic resins in the form of a flat trapezoidiform sack.
The use of flexible films of thermoplastic resins to fabricate bags and bag-like containers enabled the art to make containers in a variety of shapes including trapezoidal; see for example U.S. Pat. No. 3,003,681 issued in 1961 to Orsini.
Further improvements included the attachment of handles to the flexible bags; see U.S. Pat. No. 4,040,562 (Ward, et al.), also describing a flat, frusto-conical shaped bag.
In more recent years, the art has fastened its attention on development of tubular film bags having handles and suitable for use in carrying, for example, groceries from grocery markets. The special requirements of the grocery bag are high-tensile strength, impact and penetration resistance, and handle strength, the bag being tear resistant at stress points. Further requirements from the manufacturers' view point are extremely thin, flexible films having a minimum resin weight to promote low cost. Representative of the latter bags are those described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,165,832 (Kuklies, et al.) and 4,326,664 (Benoit, et al.). These bags, known in the art as "T-shirt bags" because of their handled shape, are prepared by blow extruding a film of resin in a tubular shape, folding the tube in a certain manner, and cutting continuous lengths of the extruded tube into appropriate sizes. The sides and ends may be heat sealed to close the bag structure. Techniques of extruding the films are also well known in the art; see for example U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,022,558; 4,118,453; 4,472,343; and 4,626,397.
Present commercially available T-shirt bags include straight gussets. These bags have inherent weak points at the middle zone of the bag bottom where the gussets are sealed to the base. The bags of the present invention have varying gusset depths (widths) below the handle area. This particular construction shifts the inherent weak points to the outer periphery of the bags where the loads are not usually as severe as they are at the base center of the bag. The invention is particularly useful in the construction of bags from polyolefin resins. In the prior art, polyolefin bags, particularly those made from high molecular weight-high density polyethylenes, are prone to develop holes when the bags are loaded and lifted. Even with linear low density polyethylene bags, the seal of the gussets at the base, having the same stress points, develops holes during use. This problem is substantially obviated by the particular construction of the bags of the present invention.


A system that enables network authorization status to be conveyed to the device requesting network services within or outside the scope of an authentication exchange is provided. The authorization status notification or information can be automatically generated or otherwise triggered by a request from the user or device. For instance, a query can be employed to solicit device authorization status related to a particular service or group of services. Additionally, authorization status notification can be automatically triggered based upon a change in the device authorization state.

Today, there continues to be an increase in the prevalence and utility of computer and communication networks. Increased connectivity has allowed people rapid access to vast amounts of information and services, whether through the Internet, intranets or other networks. Increased data accessibility continues to impact the behavior of organizations as well as individuals. For example, people utilize the Internet for diverse functions such as research, news, banking, correspondence and other uses too numerous to list.
Availability of wireless devices and networks has also increased the utility of networks. Many people utilize a mobile device, such as a cellular phone or smartphone, as a primary means of communication. In addition, functionality of such devices has increased to allow users to access voice-over-Internet-protocol ("VoIP") phone service, software applications, email access, Internet access and the like.
This unprecedented access to data and services has also led to various security problems. Enhanced accessibility of banking and credit information is connected to increase in profitability as well as frequency of identity theft. Additional security concerns include privacy of communications (e.g., telephone conversations, email, instant messaging, text messaging and the like). Network customers often expect and rely on network security to protect their data and communications. At the same time, the customers expect rapid and cost-effective communication and frequently real-time transmission of data.
The foundation of network security is the authentication of network entities. 'Authentication' refers to the validation of the claimed identity of an entity, such as a device, which is attaching to a network, or validation that a user, who is requesting network services, is a valid user of the network services requested. Authentication is often accomplished via the presentation of an identity and credentials (e.g., digital certificates or shared secrets). Initial authentication is typically performed for network admission control by a provider edge (PE) device (e.g., router, switch) when a consumer device such as a cable modem or mobile cellular handset connects to a service provider's network.
The effectiveness of other network security mechanics such as authorization, integrity check and confidentiality rely upon network entity authentication as well as continuity of service. 'Authorization' refers to an act of granting a device or user access to specific types of resources and/or services. This grant of access can be based upon a number of factors, including user authentication, services requested, device type, current system state, etc. As well, authorization can be restricted in a variety of manners, for example, scope of use, temporal restrictions, physical location restrictions, etc.

Network authorization status notification


A system and method of performing model-based refinement of a placement of components in integrated circuit generation select one of the components as a candidate component and postulate a move of the candidate component from an original position to a new position. The method includes defining nets associated with the candidate component. An initial perimeter and a new perimeter associated with each of the one or more nets are defined. The initial perimeter includes the candidate component at its original position and the new perimeter includes the candidate component at its new position. The method includes quantifying a change from the initial perimeter and the new perimeter and the original position and the new position, and obtaining a model of wires interconnecting the candidate component to the components of each of the nets. A result of the placement is provided for manufacture of the integrated circuit.

The present invention relates to the generation of an integrated circuit, and more specifically, to model-based refinement of the placement process in integrated circuit generation.
The generation of an integrated circuit (i.e., chip) involves a number of phases including the logic design, physical synthesis, routing, and manufacturing phases. Each of the phases can include multiple processes that can be performed iteratively. The logic design can provide a register transfer level (RTL) description. The physical synthesis phase includes identifying and placing components, such as gate logic, to implement the logic design. After optimizing timing and clocks, a netlist can be produced to indicate the interconnections among components. In the routing phase, the placement of wires that connect gates and other components in the netlist is defined, and in the manufacturing phase, the finalized design is provided for physical implementation of the chip. The placement process within the physical synthesis phase ultimately determines the wiring and wire lengths that are needed in the routing phase. The placement of components that minimizes wire lengths and wiring congestion is desirable.

Model-based refinement of the placement process in integrated circuit generation

INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION


Provided is a method of controlling adaptive auto exposure. In the method, a digital photograph captured from an object and a background is divided into an object region where the object is mainly located and a background region where the background is mainly located. Average luminances of the object and background regions are calculated, and a luminance difference between the average luminances of the object and background regions is calculated. If the luminance difference is within a predetermined range, an average luminance of the entire photograph is calculated by applying a weight to the average luminance of the object region, and exposure is controlled based on the calculated average luminance of the entire photograph so as to emphasize the object region.

The present disclosure relates to a method of controlling auto exposure of a digital camera, and more particularly, to a method of controlling adaptive auto exposure to emphasize an object by: dividing a digital photograph captured from an object and a background into an object region where the object is mainly located and a background region where the background is mainly located; calculating average luminances of the object and background regions; calculating a luminance difference between the average luminances of the object and background regions; calculating an average luminance of the entire photograph by applying a weight to the average luminance of the object region if the luminance difference is within a predetermined range, and controlling exposure based on the calculated average luminance of the entire photograph.
Improper exposure to light is one of important factors that affect image quality and result in poor-quality photographs. Although new features such as auto gain control algorism are added to recent cameras, such limitation cannot be completely removed.
Therefore are various methods for controlling exposure of digital cameras. However, such methods are not optimal, and thus images may be captured under improper exposure conditions. Particularly, handset devices such as cellular phones may be serious in this limitation. That is, images taken by using such handset devices have poor quality due to improper exposure caused by poor-quality optical devices, no-flash conditions, and no use of precise light adjusting devices.
It may be difficult to determine proper exposure. However, if general conditions are reviewed and the most important region is mainly considered, it may be possible to define optimal exposure based on central values of gray or luminance levels of regions according to situations or perceptions. In any cases, if a dynamic region of a scene is perceptually high, it may be generally difficult to obtain detail information.
Many auto exposure (AE) algorisms have been developed. However, such auto exposure algorisms are inaccurate or complex.

Method of controlling adaptive auto exposure based on adaptive region weight


A mounting assembly for securing an entertainment device to a vehicle seat having a pair of spaced headrest post guides extending through a top surface of the vehicle seat is provided. The mounting assembly includes a first bracket member having a first end and a second end opposite the first end. The first end and the second end each configured to attach to a respective headrest post guide with the first bracket member extending between the headrest post guides. A second bracket member is configured to support an entertainment device and is slidingly attached to the first bracket member and is selectively securable between forward and aft locations relative to the first bracket member to position the entertainment device rearwardly of the vehicle seat.

Portable entertainment devices including computer tablets, ebook readers, and smart phones are becoming increasingly popular and are now routinely carried to provide entertainment while traveling. In addition to portable entertainment devices, vehicle integrated entertainment devices are likewise becoming increasingly popular.
Conventionally, vehicle integrated entertainment devices also referred to as rear seat entertainment systems are mounted inside the back of a vehicle headrest. This requires expensive replacement headrests that are specifically manufactured for mounting a monitor within the headrest or requires the modification of the headrest so that a monitor may be fitted within the headrest. Because of this, there has been an increasing desire to mount, attached, or otherwise secure rear seat entertainment systems to the headrest posts of the vehicle seat to avoid having to purchase expensive replacement headrests or having to modify an existing headrest.
In an attempt to fulfill this desire, numerous devices have been employed that attached rear seat entertainment systems to headrest posts. While these devices heretofore meet their respective objectives and requirements, they have many drawbacks. The drawbacks include interfering with the operation of the headrest and an unattractive appearance. A further drawback is found in the non-standardized spacing between headrest posts, vehicle seat thickness, and headrest post placement between various vehicles across the same and different vehicle manufactures.
In addition to overcoming these drawbacks, there is an additional desire to be able to removably mount or secure a portable entertainment device to a vehicle seat for hands free operation.

Mounting assembly for securing an entertainment device to a vehicle seat


A collapsible playpen having a pair of spaced apart articulated end frames, wherein the end frames are separated by articulated upper and lower rails. The end frames and rails are constructed so that the playpen is collapsed by folding the lower rails to draw lower portions of the end frames together and simultaneously rotating the upper portion of the opposing end frames away from each other such that the distance between the upper portion of the end frames is greater than the distance between the lower portion of the end frames.

U.S. Pat. No. 4,376,318 to Cirillo discloses a portable playpen wherein the foldable playpen includes upper and lower retaining frames separated by vertical members. The end or side of the vertical structure members fold inwardly and released vertical members to provide a compact arrangement for carrying.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,837,875 to Shamie et al. discloses a folding playpen with attached fabric enclosure. A playpen includes a frame having floor supports with inner ends which are connected to each other by a hub that permits swinging of the floor supports in a horizontal plane from an in use position to a folded position. The uprights are connected by hinges to the outer ends of the floor supports. Bendable sides and end rails interconnect the tops and bottoms of the uprights. One of the cross-members can be removed whereas provided with a mechanism to permit its elongation, such that the frame can be folded with all other parts permanently connected to each other and without removing the fabric enclosure.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,070,716 to Satt et al. discloses a foldable playpen having two end portions and two side portions which are interconnected to form a substantially square frame. The two end portions are pivotal in a downward direction toward a center vertical leg located at each end and the side portions are pivotal inward bringing the two folded end portions together, to thereby fold the playpen.


A forward looking mirror device is disclosed which is useful for vehicles having side mounted rear view mirrors. The forward looking mirror device consists of first and second mirrors which are pivotally mounted in a housing, the first mirror moveable to collect an image from the front of the vehicle and the second mirror moveable to reflect the image from the first mirror to the driver. The first and second mirrors are mounted adjacent the rear view mirror of the vehicle. The second mirror is separated from the rear view mirror by a distance which is pre-selected to prevent the driver from focussing on both the rear view mirror and the second mirror simultaneously. The mirror assembly is mounted to the vehicle by adjustable arms, the length of said arms being adjustable to position the second mirror at the driver""s eye level.

The invention relates generally to reflective mirror assemblies which give the driver an enlarged visual field.
The number of large transport trucks on the highways have increased and truck drivers now routinely operate their vehicles for extended periods of times and for thousands if not millions of miles. Due to the number of trucks on the highways, the issue of truck safety has become more significant. Driver visibility is a key aspect of truck safety. Unfortunately, due to the size of most commercial vehicles, vehicle operators often have restricted fields of vision. This is particularly the case when a truck driver is traveling behind a truck trailer or other commercial vehicle. Given the size of the truck trailer, the driver in the truck immediately behind the trailer has a very restricted field of vision and cannot see what the traffic conditions are like ahead. As a result the driver has less time to respond to changing traffic conditions. In order to view the upcoming traffic conditions, the driver of the vehicle behind the trailer must move his vehicle to the left or right in order to view around the trailer in front of him. Because the trailer can be so wide, the vehicle driver must sometimes travel so far into the left or right lane that the lane is obstructed by his vehicle. Where the vehicle operator is following a trailer in a single lane highway, then the vehicle operator must travel into the oncoming lane in order to view around the trailer he is following.
Forward viewing mirror assemblies have been introduced in order to expand a vehicle operator""s field of view. These forward viewing mirror assemblies generally comprise a first mirror which is positioned to collect light from the front of the vehicle and a second mirror positioned relative to the first mirror to present the view from the first mirror to the driver. These mirror assemblies are often attached to the side of the vehicle thereby permitting a driver to have an extended field of view.
Unfortunately, existing forward viewing mirror assemblies are quite restricted in their use due to a variety of factors. Firstly, existing forward viewing mirror assemblies generally cannot operate effectively with existing rearview mirrors. Existing front view mirror assemblies can lead to eye fatigue and even driver confusion if they are combined with standard rearview mirrors. Furthermore, existing forward viewing mirror assemblies are quite restrictive in how they can be mounted thereby greatly decreasing their effectiveness. As a result, existing forward viewing mirror assemblies have not gained market acceptance, and there is a continuing need for an improved forward looking mirror assembly which can effectively be applied to existing motor vehicles.
The invention provides a forward-looking mirror assembly for use on a vehicle, such as a truck, that has a rear view mirror supported by a U-shaped yoke. The mirror includes a forward-looking mirror mounted to the support to gather an image forward of the vehicle, a viewing mirror mounted to the support to reflect that image, and mounting means for mounting the support together with the mirrors to the yoke. The mounting means include adjustment means for adjusting the position of the support relative to the yoke thereby to position the viewing mirror relative to the level of the driver""s eyes. The adjustment means preferably include an adjustable arm that extends between the yoke and the support.


The present invention concerns a method for determining if at least one interferer generated by cross polarization interference is present in a received frame. The method comprises the steps of: —analyzing the received frame using a sliding window which analyzes at least a part of a first and second planes of the received frame, —determining a factor of merit for each position of the sliding window, —comparing each factor of merit to a threshold in order to determine if at least one interfered zone is present in the received frame, —analyzing the factors of merit in order to determine the number of interferers which are present in each interfered zone, —determining the start/end positions of each interferer in the first and second planes of the received frame.

In satellite communication systems, multi-beam satellites are used for increasing the system capacity. In order to improve the frequency reuse factor without significantly increasing the interference, adjacent beams usually make use of the same frequency with different polarizations. In the adjacent beams, independent signals may be transmitted onto the same frequency band by means of two orthogonal polarizations, like for example horizontal and vertical polarizations. Impairments appear when the polarized waveform travels through the troposphere. Besides waveform attenuation, rain and ice depolarization effects are also present and the orthogonality may be lost, which leads to crosstalk between the two polarizations.

Method and device for determining if at least one interferer generated by cross polarization interference is present in received frame


A technique for electrochemical measurement of the corrosion current (corrosion rate) determines the electrochemical parameters that are necessary to calculate the corrosion rate as they are contained in the harmonic current response to a moderate amplitude sinusoidal voltage perturbation applied to the corroding metallic component. The harmonic current response is analyzed at frequencies .sub.1 f, .sub.2 f, .sub.3 f, .sub.4 f, .sub.5 f and the rectification current response of DC current to the presence of a 20-50 mV AC voltage perturbation at a frequency f. The free corrosion current density, the free corrosion potential and the Tafel coefficients are calculated. The Tafel coefficient or Tafel slope is a measure of the exponential dependence at the rate of corrosion in a material. From these data, the dissolution current is calculated, which in turn is integrated with respect to time to yield a cumulative mass loss.

This invention is directed generally to methods of measuring corrosion rate in metals. The above-referenced application described measurement of the corrosion rates of cathodically protected systems. In this application, methods are described for extending this analysis to calculation of corrosion rates at any applied potential (cathodic or anodic) or at the free corrosion potential.
In situ electrochemical techniques have already been applied successfully in measuring corrosion rates of freely corroding metals. Analysis of the response of an electrode to small amplitude (<10 mV) sinusoidal voltage perturbations forms the basis of the well established technique known as AC impedance spectroscopy. In studies of corrosion, a small amplitude perturbation is imposed about the free corrosion potential, and the impedance (Z=V/I, where .about. denotes a complex variable, V is voltage, and I is current) is extrapolated to a real value at low frequency to define a "corrosion resistance," R.sub.corr, that is characteristic of a particular electrode/electrolyte combination. The Stern-Geary relationship may be used to calculate the corrosion current, I.sub.corr, as follows: EQU I.sub.corr =.beta..sub.a .beta..sub.c /2.303 R.sub.corr (.beta..sub.a +.beta..sub.c) (1)
where .beta..sub.a and .beta..sub.c are the Tafel coefficients for anodic and cathodic partial reactions, respectively.
The derivation leading to Eq. 1 assumes that the corroding electrode responds linearly to the imposed electrical perturbations; that is, doubling the perturbing voltage amplitude results in a doubled current response (but an unchanged impedance). Since physical variables in all physically realizable systems must have a finite first derivative, it is always possible to achieve linear conditions by applying a perturbation of limitingly small amplitude. The nonlinearity of the current/voltage relationship in corroding systems prohibits the use of conventional AC impedance spectroscopy, either at DC potentials more than a few millivolts from the free corrosion potential or using other than a limitingly small perturbation. The reason is that, in a nonlinear system, the electrical perturbation, which is imposed on the system at a frequency of f, results in a response at .sub.2 f, .sub.3 f, .sub.4 f, etc., in addition to a DC component. Neither the fundamental response (.sub.o f) nor the total power response ##EQU1## can be analyzed to determine the corrosion resistance uniquely. The use of Eq. 1 to determine corrosion rates presumes that the term B=.beta..sub.a .beta..sub.c /(.beta..sub.a +.beta..sub.c) is known. In real systems, B may be difficult to determine without large voltage perturbations which may modify the surface of interest. Even if a value of B is determined by a second experiment, this value may vary during the course of an experiment. Values of R.sub.corr can thus only be used to give a qualitative indication of the corrosion rate.
A number of fairly common situations exist in which the potential of the metal of interest is much more than a few millivolts from the free corrosion potential; in these situations, the Stern-Geary relationship (Eq. 1) is invalid, as discussed above. For example, the well known corrosion control techniques of cathodic protection and anodic protection typically result in a shift in the potential of the metal by several hundred millivolts from the free corrosion potential. Similarly, large shifts in the potential can result when a metal is galvanically coupled to another dissimilar metal. Thus, a technique for monitoring corrosion rates at any potential without the need for separate measurements of .beta..sub.a and .beta..sub.c would be highly useful and have enormous potential for use.

Device for in situ monitoring of corrosion rates of polarized or unpolarized metals


Disclosed herein is a field effect transistor with a vertical channel and a fabrication method thereof. A channel region of the field effect transistor is a circular ring-shaped Si platform, which is formed over a substrate and perpendicular to the substrate; a source, which is made of polysilicon, is located at an upper end of the Si platform; a drain is disposed at an outside of a lower end of the circular ring-shaped Si platform; a gate is placed on an outer side surface of the circular ring-shaped Si platform; and an inside of the circular ring-shaped Si platform is filled with a dielectric material. In comparison with the conventional vertical structure MOSFET with a Si platform, the circular ring-shaped structure field effect transistor according to the invention can effectively suppress the short channel effect and improve the device performance.

A field effect transistor with a vertical channel is a new solution for obtaining a small-sized field effect transistor (MOSFET). A channel length of the field effect transistor with a vertical channel is not defined directly by a photolithography process, but by an etching process for silicon platform, an ion implantation process or an epitaxy process. Therefore, a short-channel device can be easily fabricated without the complicated photolithography process. Further, the fabrication process is completely compatible with technologies for a planar MOSFET. A device with a vertical channel is considered by academia and industry to be one of the most promising novel devices for replacing the planar MOSFET. Now, they have been applied into areas such as ROM and DRAM.
According to the fabrication process, the field effect transistor with a vertical may be divided into two types. As for one type, the vertical channel is formed by an etching process for silicon platform and an ion implantation process. In the other type, the vertical channel is formed by an epitaxy process. An advantage of the former is that the process is relatively simple, yet a disadvantage of which is that the length of the channel is difficult to be controlled precisely. By contrast, the length of the channel can be controlled through the epitaxy process in the latter, however, the disadvantage lie in the complexity of the process and the strictness of equipments and process conditions. A MOSFET with a vertical structure in which a source is formed of polysilicon is disclosed in a Chinese patent No. 02129384.8. According to this patent, an area of an active region can be effectively reduced and the channel length can be controlled in a better way. Further, this device can be compatible with bipolar devices, which laid a foundation for obtaining a BiCMOS. As an increase of the integrated degree and a shrink of the device size, a short channel effect in a conventional silicon platform structure is getting more obvious, which has a serious impact on device performance. Thus, it is necessary to propose a device structure, which is capable of suppressing the short channel effect of a device with a vertical silicon platform, and a fabrication method thereof.

Field effect transistor with a vertical channel and fabrication method thereof


The use of Salvia haenkei extract is described as a re-epithelizing and cicatrizing agent in the treatment of tissue lesions. Pharmaceutical compositions comprising Salvia haenkei extract and suitable pharmaceutically acceptable excipients for use in the treatment of tissue lesions are also disclosed.

In all living organisms, from invertebrates to the higher ones, the fundamental response to the loss or damage of a tissue is the restoration of tissue integrity. It is important to clarify the relationship between injury, repair, regeneration. A wound involves structural damage with loss of tissue; it is commonly referred to the local destruction of the skin. Similarly, cicatrization can be defined as the restoration of any part of the body even if the term is commonly used in relation to the body surface. Indeed, cicatrization is both a prerequisite for the regeneration of other tissues, and an actual and true regeneration, in which the re-growth of the coating epithelium and the underlying connective tissue is obtained.
The cicatrization of a wound involves several events: the regeneration of the destroyed tissue, for example the reconstitution of the epithelium, the regeneration of damaged connective tissue, the replacement of dead cells with fibrous tissue.
The abrupt application of a mechanical force on a circumscribed part of the body constitutes a trauma. The traumas can lead to continuous solutions of the lining tissues, with possible injury of the underlying ones, or they can determine the lesions prevalent in the internal organs.
The wound repair process takes place with an almost constant mechanism. It varies somewhat depending on the tissues and general conditions of the organism, but it occurs substantially in two ways: the regeneration of damaged cells with complete restitutio ad integrum, or the formation of a scar that partially replaces the damaged tissues. The first modality is also called repair by first intention, the second repair by second intention or cicatrization. The cells, molecules and mechanisms involved are similar in both conditions; however, in the formation of the scar the reparative process must cope with the replacement of a greater number of cells and, in this, fibroblasts and the production of extracellular matrix are favored.
The wound repair process takes place in various stages, namely: 1) coagulation formation; 2) invasion of the area by phagocytes; 3) proliferation of connective tissues; 4) re-epithelization; 5) remodeling of the area with scar formation. During periods of wound repair, hyaluronic acid, a highly osmotic hygroscopic molecule, allows the control of hydration, stimulating cell infiltration and acting as a promoter in the early stages of the inflammatory process.
The first stage immediately follows the production of the wound. The blood coming out of the vessels begins to coagulate, while the musculature contracts; when the wound is coagulated, the wound bottom will be occupied by a thick network of fibrin. Fibers of fibrin represent safe guides for the subsequent proliferation of fibroblasts. The reconstitution of the tissue takes place according to the orientation of these fibers that favor the contraction of the wound. In this phase, there is also an increase in the content of hyaluronic acid (HA) which forms a matrix to which the cells migrate from the surrounding tissues.
The second phase of the reparative process is characterized by the invasion of the area by phagocytes, i.e. mainly macrophages able to incorporate red blood cells, tissue debris and fibrin.
The third phase of the reparative process consists in the beginning of the proliferation of the connective cells: this affects almost simultaneously both fibroblasts and vascular sketches and is stimulated by growth factors of tissue origin, mostly of peptide nature, which promote the proliferation of fibroblasts (fibroblast growth factor or FGF) and endothelial cells (vascular endothelial growth factor or VEGF). On the morphological plane, the invasion of the coagulum fibroblasts begins around the 2nd-3rd day. As soon as they reach the coagulum, fibroblasts, whose protoplasm is methacromatic with toluidine blue, begin to surround themselves with a halo of extracellular metachromatic substance.
The phenomenon is a prelude to the reconstruction of the fundamental substance, which is precisely processed by these cells. At first, metacromasia seems to be mainly due to hyaluronic acid, then other polysaccharides and proteins appear. At this stage, the microscopic examination of the wound shows a strongly granular red surface, the granules are represented by newly formed capillaries, suggesting a favorable trend in the repair process. The wound in this stage is referred to as "granulating". Along with the morphological changes, biochemical processes proceed in the repair tissue; in particular the content of polysaccharides, first of all the hyaluronic acid, begins to increase, reaching the maximum peak between the second and third days.
The fourth phase of the repair process is the reconstitution of the epithelial lining. This phase, particularly important in the case of superficial wounds, overlaps with the previous ones, but actually begins immediately after the wound has been made. The first event concerning the epithelium is its retraction from the margins of the continuous solution, followed by the sliding towards the center of the wound of the cells of the deeper layers of the epidermis and, mainly, by the thorny layer.
The fifth phase of the repair process is the conclusive one. It is characterized by the progressive increase in the insoluble fraction of collagen and by the gradual replacement of hyaluronic acid with chondroitinsulphuric polysaccharides. The collagen fibers increase in thickness and in number, while the fibroblasts are transformed into fibrocytes. The total number of cells is progressively decreasing and the same happens for the capillaries. The tissue becomes increasingly ischemic. In the final stages of cicatrization, the connective is strongly ialinized and eosinophilic, with no trace of metacromasy, with bundles of elastic fibers intertwined with one another.
From what has been described, it is clear that in human beings the process of tissue repair and regeneration is fundamental to restore the functionality of any tissue subjected to a lesion.
The object of the present invention is therefore to find an effective remedy for the promotion of this process, which is also well tolerated by the organism and which can also be used in cases in which tissue repair, due to intrinsic or external factors, is delayed or compromised, such as in pressure sores, in the diabetic patient and in the elderly patient.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Use of a vegetal extract as an active agent in tissue re-epithelizing and cicatrizing processes


An ultra lightweight semiconductor device comprises a substrate electrode, a body of semiconductor material, and a top electrode, and is manufactured by a process wherein the thickness dimension of a portion of the substrate electrode is decreased so as to reduce the weight of the device. The portions of the device having a thick substrate serve to support and reinforce the device during processing and handling. These portions may subsequently be severed away to further reduce the weight of the device. Also disclosed are configurations of ultra lightweight semiconductor devices.

This invention relates generally to semiconductor devices. More particularly, the invention relates to ultra lightweight semiconductor devices and methods for their fabrication. In specific embodiments, the invention relates to ultra lightweight photovoltaic devices.
Weight is a very important factor in many semiconductor device applications. For example, large area photovoltaic generator arrays are frequently used as power sources in aerospace applications where weight is at a premium. The weight of photovoltaic devices is also of significant concern in other mobile applications, and in those particular applications in which transport of massive items is difficult. Specific power is a property of photovoltaic generator devices which is expressed in the units of watts per kilogram of generator weight. Conventional lightweight photovoltaic generators of the type employed in aerospace applications have a specific power rating of approximately 30-50 w/kg. Ultra lightweight photovoltaic generators which are based upon thin film semiconductor materials and which employ very lightweight substrates have been manufactured and such devices exhibit specific powers in the range of 500-1500 w/kg.
Heretofore, such ultra lightweight photovoltaic devices have been relatively difficult to fabricate since they are fabricated from a photovoltaic stock material comprised of a very thin substrate (typically less than 50 microns), having a number of submicron thick layers of semiconductor material supported on the substrate. The processing of such photovoltaic stock material into power generating modules generally requires that the photovoltaic material be cut to size, have current collecting leads affixed thereto, have interconnections established between subunits and that the material be encapsulated in a protective coating. The thin, lightweight nature of the material makes such processing difficult. U.S. Pat. No. 4,754,544, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference, discloses various methods for the fabrication of ultra lightweight photovoltaic generator arrays. As disclosed therein, a first side of a photovoltaic material is protected by a support/encapsulating layer while processing steps are carried out on a second side thereof. Such processing can include etching away some of the thickness of a support substrate to reduce its weight. The methods disclosed therein generally do not permit simultaneous access to both surfaces of a semiconductor device during processing steps; and accordingly, it would be advantageous to have a self-supporting ultra lightweight device which would eliminate the need for a separate support layer and which can provide a device which has increased strength in its end use applications. In addition, any such device configuration and methods should be compatible with conventional semiconductor device processing technology.
As will be explained in greater detail hereinbelow, the present invention provides ultra lightweight semiconductor devices and methods for their fabrication. The devices are capable of being supported without the requirement of an overall support layer. While the drawings, discussion and description presented herein are primarily directed toward photovoltaic devices and methods for their manufacture, it is to be understood that the principles of the present invention are applicable to any type of device comprised of semiconductor material supported upon a substrate member. As such, the present invention also has significant applicability in connection with the fabrication of other large area semiconductor devices such as photo sensors, electrophotographic receptors, large area circuits, memory arrays and the like.
There is disclosed herein a method for manufacturing a lightweight semiconductor device of the type comprising a substrate electrode, a top electrode, and a body of semiconductor material disposed therebetween in electrical communication with the top electrode and the substrate electrode. According to the present invention, a thickness dimension of the substrate electrode is decreased in a first area relative to the thickness dimension of the substrate electrode in a second area so as to define a first and second region of the semiconductor device wherein the thickness of the device in the first region is less than the thickness of the device in the second region. The thicker regions of the device provide support for the thinner regions, while the thinner regions serve to decrease the overall weight of the device.
In specific embodiments of the invention, the device is severed so as to separate the first, relatively thin region of the device from the second, relatively thick region of the device, and such severing generally takes place after at least some of the processing steps are completed. In specific embodiments of the invention in which the thick regions are severed from the thin regions, portions of the top electrode of the device are scribed away so as to delineate a boundary between the first and second regions of the device so that subsequent severing may take place along the scribed portions.
In specific embodiments, the thickness of the substrate may be reduced by etching with acid or alkali in those instances where the substrate is a metal, or by solvent treatment in those instances where the substrate is a polymeric material.
Also disclosed herein are self-supporting, lightweight semiconductor devices manufactured by the methods of the present invention.

Lightweight semiconductor device and method for its manufacture


A radio frequency (RF) transmitter system is presented having an input circuit for receiving an RF signal to be amplified and transmitted. A series circuit is provided which includes first and second cascaded amplifier networks located downstream from the input circuit and wherein the first amplifier network is located upstream from the second amplifier network and wherein the first and second networks respectively include first and second non-linear amplifiers that exhibit non-linear response characteristics to the RF signal and that introduce non-linear distortions into the RF signal and that the second network includes a filter that introduces linear distortions into the RF signal. The first correction circuit is located upstream from the series circuit for pre-correcting the RF signal in a manner to compensate for the linear and non-linear distortions introduced by the second amplifier network. A second pre-correction circuit is interposed between the first correction circuit and the first amplifier network for pre-correcting the RF signal to compensate for the non-linear distortions introduced by the first amplifier network. The second pre-correction circuit includes a third non-linear amplifier selected so as to exhibit a non-linear response characteristic to an applied RF signal similar to that of the first amplifier.

The present invention is directed to the art of RF broadcast transmission systems and, more particularly, to improvements in providing pre-correction of an information signal prior to amplification and transmission.
It is known that various communications systems require amplification of an information signal. The signal may be provided in an analog format or digital format and converted to an analog signal which is then applied to a high power amplifier.
An amplifier may be modeled as a simple gain block with constant gain. In reality, devices employed for amplifiers include bi-polar transistors, field effect transistors and the like. These devices typically do not have inherent input and output impedance that matches the desired source and load impedance. Matching circuits are employed to transform the amplifying device impedances to those of the desired source and load. These matching circuits do not have infinite bandwidth and therefore create linear distortions (sometimes referred to herein as memory-full distortions).
Amplifiers also create non-linear distortions (sometimes referred to herein as non-memory-full distortions). Fixed supply voltages ultimately limit the maximum available output power from an amplifier and determine the point of amplifier compression. Their mode of operation determines other potential distortions. For example, class A/B or class B amplifiers generate cross-over distortion.
In order to reduce amplifier memory-full and non-memory-full distortions, pre-correction circuits have been employed. Linear pre-correction circuits behave in such a way as to modify a signal input in time or frequency domain. Non-linear pre-correction circuits modify a signal in the amplitude or phase domain.
A transmitter amplifier may be modeled as a cascade of blocks consisting of linear and non-linear blocks. For a typical amplifier, these consist of a high power amplifier input network which has a filter, the amplifying device itself, and an amplifier output network which has a high power output filter. The distortion correction circuits may be arranged in inverse or reverse order in terms of pre-correction linear and non-linear distortion correcting circuits.
Reference is made to a co-pending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/312,354 filed on May 14, 1999 entitled BROADCAST TRANSMISSION SYSTEM WITH DISTRIBUTED CORRECTION and which was filed in the names of Edwin R. Twitchell and Robert J. Plonka and assigned to the same assignee as the present application and which co-pending application is herein incorporated by reference. FIGS. 2 and 3 herein are based on that application and each includes a power amplifier having an input filter and an output filter with the filters providing linear distortion to the information signal. The information signal is taken from a data stream that is supplied to pre-correctors located upstream from the power amplifier. The pre-correctors include a pair of linear equalizers and a non-linear corrector.
In accordance with the present invention there is provided a radio frequency (RF) transmitter system having an input circuit for receiving an RF signal to be amplified and transmitted. A series circuit is provided which includes first and second cascaded amplifier networks located downstream from the input circuit and wherein the first amplifier network is located upstream from the second amplifier network and wherein the first and second networks respectively include first and second non-linear amplifiers that exhibit non-linear response characteristics to the RF signal and that introduce non-linear distortions into the RF signal. The second network includes a filter that introduces linear distortions into the RF signal. A first correction circuit is located upstream from the series circuit for pre-correcting the RF signal in a manner to compensate for the linear and non-linear distortions introduced by the second amplifier network. A second pre-correction circuit is interposed between the first correction circuit and the first amplifier network for pre-correcting the RF signal to compensate for the non-linear distortions introduced by the first amplifier network. The second pre-correction circuit includes a third non-linear amplifier selected so as to exhibit a non-linear response characteristic to an applied RF signal similar to that of the first amplifier.

RF transmitter employing linear and non-linear pre-correctors


Addressability of instructions and the addressing of data ranges are extended. One or more operands obtained from fields explicitly specified by an instruction are overridden (i.e., ignored), and instead, an address based on the instruction (e.g., an instruction address) is substituted for the one or more operands. This provides an address having more bits than allowed by the operand being overridden, thereby extending addressability of the instruction and extended data range addressing. Further, in one aspect, additional bits may be added to one or more immediate fields of the instruction, thereby extending addressability of the instructions and extending data range addressing.

One or more aspects relate, in general, to processing within a computing environment, and in particular, to extending data range addressing within the computing environment.
Different computer system architectures offer data addressing with different displacements providing varying sizes of directly addressable data ranges. For instance, the Power Architecture, offered by International Business Machines Corporation, Armonk, N.Y., provides data addressing with a 16-bit displacement providing a 64 KB (kilobyte) directly addressable data range, while the x86 architecture, offered by Intel Corporation, provides data addressing with a 32-bit displacement providing a 4 GB (gigabyte) directly addressable data range.
The size of the directly addressable data range impacts and limits software applications. For instance, the size of global data areas, such as a Global Offset Table or Table of Contents used by software applications to locate global variables, is limited by the size of the directly addressable data range. As an example, if 16 bits is the maximum size of an immediate offset from a base register, then the size of the directly usable global data area is limited to 64 KB.
Previously, attempts have been made to overcome this limitation. In one approach, a 16-bit offset is used and an overflow of the global data area (e.g., GOT) is handled as a linker correction step. For instance, when an instruction to access a GOT entry overflows the 16 bits, an access to the GOT with a load is replaced by a branch to a subroutine, where each load has one separate subroutine that has a hardcoded return to the place where the subroutine was invoked to improve flexibility and performance. However, even with software optimizations, this can be prohibitive and lead to penalties in excess of 10% of the overall runtime.
In a further approach, a compiler generates a two instruction sequence for all accesses to handle the overflow. As an example, the load (ld) instruction of the following code fragment (where insn 0 and insn 1 represent arbitrary instructions preceding and following the ld instruction) may be replaced by a two instruction sequence.
insn 0ldr4, offset_of_a(r2)insn 1=>                In one example, the ld instruction is replaced by a two instruction sequence of addis and ld, where ld is a load instruction and addis is an add immediate instruction.
insn 0addisr4, r2, offset_of_a @ha;; high bitsldr4, offset_of_a(r4);; low bitsinsn 1
A two instruction sequence is generated by the compiler for all accesses, since the compiler does not know which GOT slots will be assigned by the linker outside of the 64 KB.
In yet a further approach, fusion is used, which enables the above sequence to be executed as three internal operations (iops), an example of which is:
insn 0iop: insn 0addisr4, r2, offset_of_a @ha;; high bits \ldr4, offset_of_a@l(r4);; low bits / -- fuseiop: ld r4,tooffset_of_a(r2)insn 1iop: insn 1
However, this may not be used for various types of instructions, including float, vector and/or store instructions, as examples, where the result of addis in R4 is not to be overwritten by the second operation. Consequently, the first instruction computing an intermediate result may not be optimized away.