Systems and methods for molecular self-assembly are provided. The molecular self-assembly receives a substrate that includes one or more regions of dielectric material. A molecularly self-assembled layer is formed on an exposed surface of the dielectric material. The molecularly self-assembled layer includes material(s) having a molecular characteristic and/or a molecular type that includes one or more of a molecular characteristic and/or a molecular type of a head group of molecules of the material, a molecular characteristic and/or a molecular type of a terminal group of molecules of the material, and a molecular characteristic and/or a molecular type of a linking group of molecules of the material. The molecular characteristic(s) and molecular type(s) are selected according to at least one pre-specified property of the molecularly self-assembled layer.

The manufacturing of various electronic devices (including but not limited to for example, microprocessors, storage devices, graphic processors, analog to digital converters, digital to analog converters, signal processors, image processors, etc.) now requires the cost-effective production of very small structures and features, e.g., structures and features having a characteristic dimension at the micrometer or nanometer size scale. This manufacturing includes the formation of electrically conductive material(s) (e.g., aluminum, copper, etc.) and electrically insulating dielectric material(s) (e.g., silicon dioxide, silicon nitride, etc.) on or as part of a substrate. Moreover, the electrically conductive material(s) are typically separated by regions of dielectric material(s) so as to define electrical elements (e.g., transistors, capacitors, etc.) and interconnections between such electrical elements.
Many electronic devices include multiple layers of electrical elements and/or interconnections (e.g., interconnect layer(s)). Each interconnect layer comprises conductive material(s) separated by dielectric material(s). As an example, a first layer of dielectric material is formed on an electrically conductive material (first conductive layer). A second layer of dielectric material is formed on the first layer of dielectric material. Trenches (e.g. lines) are formed in the second layer of dielectric material, and vias (e.g., holes) are then formed in the first layer of dielectric material. Electrically conductive material is subsequently formed in the trenches and vias so as to electrically connect the now electrically conductive trenches (second conductive layer) to the electrically conductive material (first conductive layer) through the now electrically conductive vias.
Copper is commonly used as the electrically conductive material in electronic devices. Copper can be used to fill trenches and/or vias (or other, similar features) of an electronic device. A description of a method for forming a copper interconnection between electrical elements formed in or on a substrate (e.g. semiconductor) follows. The formation of a copper interconnection etches a structure (e.g., trenches and/or vias) in a dielectric material (e.g., silicon dioxide). A barrier layer (e.g., tantalum and/or tantalum nitride) is formed on the dielectric material. The barrier layer prevents diffusion of copper into the dielectric material. The barrier layer should also adhere well to the dielectric material and to the copper subsequently formed on the barrier layer. A seed layer of copper is formed on the barrier layer. Copper is then formed to fill the trench or via using a bulk formation process (e.g., an electrochemical deposition process).
The formation of copper interconnects includes two copper formation steps and because copper formed using the bulk copper formation process does not nucleate and/or adhere well on the formed barrier layer. This necessitates the formation of a copper seed layer, using a process other than a bulk formation process, on which the bulk copper does nucleate and/or adhere, for example, by providing an electrochemically reactive layer for subsequent electrochemical deposition of copper. Additionally, the two copper formation steps and are used because the copper seed layer formation step by itself (e.g., physical vapor deposition, sputtering) does not adequately fill the vias and trenches because of non-conformal step coverage produced by the physical vapor deposition process (e.g., breadloafing or excessive overhang of deposited material at the top of a trench, via or other feature).
In an alternative process or method for forming a copper interconnection between electrical elements formed in or on a substrate (e.g. semiconductor), the seed layer can be a material (e.g. ruthenium, platinum, etc.) other than copper on which copper formed using the bulk copper formation process does nucleate and/or adhere well (e.g., electrochemical deposition). In another variant, the barrier layer formed can be a material like ruthenium on which copper can be satisfactorily formed (e.g. with good nucleation and/or adhesion) during the bulk formation so as to eliminate the need for the copper seed layer.
Physical vapor deposition (PVD) has been used to form a barrier layer in methods such as those described above with reference to FIGS. 1 and 2. However, as feature sizes shrink, the barrier layer (which has higher resistivity as compared to copper) consumes an increasing percentage of the total interconnect (e.g. via and line) volume for a fixed barrier layer thickness which limits the overall conductivity of the interconnect structure(s). It therefore has become necessary to form or deposit ultra-thin barrier materials (e.g., on the order of less than 50 angstroms thick) to maximize copper volume within the interconnect structure(s). Overhang or breadloafing has increasingly become a problem when using PVD to form an ultra-thin barrier layer. One approach to reduce this problem has been the use of ionized PVD (and can be in conjunction with resputtering) whereby sputtered atoms of the barrier layer material are ionized and made to move more directionally toward the bottom regions of features which reduces overhang. Resputtering enables some localized shaping and/or redistribution of deposited material.
One limitation of ionized PVD is that the achievable step coverage (or conformality of the deposited material with respect to the substrate topography) is lower than desired, e.g., can be less than 20% for 5:1 aspect ratio (height to width), 0.1 μm via structures, especially at the via mid to lower sidewall regions. Also, the trench and via bottom and sidewall surfaces can be roughened as a result of the ionized PVD process; this can produce an increase in electron scattering effects with an undesirable increase in line and via resistance. Additionally, PVD processes are line-of-sight which may not produce process results across an entire substrate that are as uniform as desired because the location of a feature on the substrate and characteristics of the feature (e.g., aspect ratio, orientation) can affect the step coverage achieved for that feature.
Recently, atomic layer deposition (ALD) has been used in barrier layer formation. The use of ALD to form a barrier layer can mitigate problems encountered in the use of PVD. For example, ALD enables uniform, conformal deposition of ultra-thin barrier layers that have become necessary to accommodate the increasingly small features and structures being formed on semiconductor substrates. Relative to PVD, ALD can also provide improved repeatability of process results, as well as more uniform process results across an entire substrate. However, the reactants (e.g., precursor, reactants, and carrier gases, etc.) used in an ALD process are undesirably susceptible to diffusion into the dielectric material (particularly the porous low-k dielectric materials that are increasingly being used). In addition, ALD barrier layers often suffer from poorer adhesion properties (e.g., copper adhesion to ALD TaN is worse than to PVD Ta).
A combination of PVD and ALD has also been used. However, while this can alleviate some of the problems described above, others persist. The most significant ongoing problem is the incompatibility of ALD barrier materials with porous dielectric materials due to the diffusion of the ALD reactants into the pores of porous dielectric materials.
Molecular self-assembly is a technique that can be used to produce very small structures and features, e.g., structures and features having a characteristic dimension at or below the nanometer size scales. Molecular self-assembly can be used to produce a variety of material formations, such as molecular monolayers (often referred to as self-assembled monolayers, or SAMs), molecular multilayers and nanostructures (e.g., nanotubes, Buckey balls, nanowires). For example, a SAM has been used as a barrier layer (replacing the deposited barrier layer, as described above) that inhibits diffusion of copper into a dielectric material. However, this SAM inhibits copper diffusion into SiO2 or fluorinated SiO2, both of which are non-porous dielectric materials.
Porous dielectric materials provide additional challenges to inhibiting diffusion because the pores of porous dielectric materials provide another diffusion pathway for foreign material (e.g., barrier layer material, copper) into the dielectric material. SAMs have been proposed for use as bulk diffusion barrier layers, especially for use with dense dielectric materials such as silicon dioxide. There is a need for the prevention of diffusion of foreign material through the exposed pores of porous dielectrics.
Incorporation By Reference
Each publication, patent, and/or patent application mentioned in this specification is herein incorporated by reference in its entirety to the same extent as if each individual publication and/or patent application was specifically and individually indicated to be incorporated by reference.

Molecular self-assembly in substrate processing


A rack server includes multiple power supply backplanes and multiple Fan Controller Boards (FCBs). The power supply backplanes each have a connection unit. The connection unit has multiple connection terminals. One of the connection terminals is coupled to a ground terminal. Positions of the connection terminals of the connection units coupled to the ground terminal are different from each other. The FCBs are coupled to one of the corresponding power supply backplanes respectively. The FCBs each include an addressing circuit and a microcontroller. The addressing circuit is coupled to the connection terminals of the corresponding connection unit, and is used to generate an address signal by detecting and according to a coupling relationship between the connection terminals and the ground terminal. The microcontroller is coupled to the addressing circuit, and is used to receive the address signal, so as to generate corresponding address information.

1. Technical Field of the Invention
The disclosure relates to a server, and more particularly to a rack server configured for providing an addressing operation.
2. Description of the Related Art
Generally, in the framework of a rack server, a plurality of Fan Controller Boards (FCBs) are arranged to control operations of corresponding fans, so as to perform heat dissipation on the rack server. Furthermore, the plurality of FCBs are connected to, for example, a Rack Management Controller (RMC). In order to perform management in a unified manner, the RMC accesses information of each of the plurality of FCBs. In other words, a user may control the operation of the plurality of FCBs through the RMC.
However, the plurality of FCBs are required to be modularized in order to meet requirements on costs. That is, the design of all FCBs in a rack server is required to be the same. Nonetheless, given that both hardware addressing and software addressing cannot be achieved when the plurality of FCBs are modularized, the RMC is unable to know a corresponding position of each FCB in the rack server.
In other words, when a certain FCB is abnormal or faulty, the RMC cannot determine accurately which FCB is abnormal or faulty. Hence, the user is unable to know which FCB is faulty immediately. As a result, corresponding processing cannot be performed, which incurs inconvenience of use, management and subsequent processing in terms of operating the rack server.

Rack server with a ground element having a plurality of protrusions for interconnecting a plurality of power supply backplanes

Inventec (Pudong) Technology Corporation


A trigger lock that can be mounted to the trigger guard of a handheld firearm. The trigger lock has a cover assembly displaceably mounted to a lock housing assembly. The cover assembly is displaceable between a locked position and an unlocked position. A mount adapter is removeably mated to a housing body within the lock housing assembly. The removeable mount adapter has a mount surface shaped to correspond with the outer surface of the trigger guard, allowing the trigger lock to be used on various makes and models of firearms. The trigger lock includes a locking means which in one embodiment has a lock rotor with a camming surface to displace one or more locking members into the cover assembly.

1. Technical Field
The present invention generally concerns safety devices for handheld firearms. Specifically, it concerns a trigger lock which mounts to the trigger guard of a handheld firearm and restricts access to the firearm trigger.
2. Description of the Related Art
Firearm safety devices prevent unwanted or accidental discharge of firearms. Some devices are built into the firearm by the manufacturer while others are an aftermarket item installed on the firearm. If a safety device falls within the latter category, it must account for design variations present between firearms in the marketplace and should be able to provide safety regardless of the firearm design.
Trigger locks are one type of aftermarket safety device. Traditional trigger locks use a keyed lock and the trigger cannot be pulled unless an authorized person—i.e., the person with a key—inserts the key into a keyhole and unlocks the device.
Operating keyed trigger locks is often a cumbersome process that is impractical in emergency situations. For example, locating the key, inserting it into the keyhole, and operating the lock in the dark—when a suspected intruder has entered a person's home and the user is in distress—may not be possible given the circumstances. Therefore, a need exists for a trigger lock that can be quickly deactivated yet still provide safety against unauthorized use.


A point-to-point microwave radio link that operates in a Frequency Division Duplex (FDD) mode using direct digital modulation with a Continuous Phase Shift Keyed (PSK) scheme. The transmit signal is generated by a circuit that uses a Voltage-Control Oscillator (VCO) operating in a microwave radio band to obtain the modulated signal. The VCO output is fed to a phase modulator to obtain the modulated signal. The output of the VCO is then frequency multiplied by the predetermined factor to produce the modulated microwave output signal at the desired band.

The need to transport high-bandwidth signals from place to place continues to drive growth in the telecommunications industry. As the demand for high-speed access to data networks, including both the Internet and private networks, continues to evolve, network managers face an increasing need to transport data signals over short distances. For example, in corporate campus environments, it is often necessary to implement high-speed network connections between buildings rapidly and inexpensively, without incurring commitments for long-term service contracts with local telephone companies. Other needs occur in residential areas, including apartment buildings, and even private suburban neighborhoods. Each of these settings requires efficient distribution of high-speed data signals to a number of locations.
An emerging class of products provides a broadband wireless access solution via point-to-point communication links over radio carrier frequencies in the microwave radio band. The telecommunications transport signals may be provided on a wire, but increasingly, these are provided on optical fiber media. An optical to electrical conversion stage is thus first required to convert the baseband digital signal. Next, a microwave frequency radio is needed to up-convert the broadband digital signal to a suitable radio carrier frequency. These up-converters are typically implemented using multi-stage heterodyne receivers and transmitters such that the input baseband signal is modulated and then up-converted to the desired radio frequency. In the case of an OC-3 rate optical transport signal having a bandwidth of 155 MegaHertz (MHz), the input signal may be up converted to an ultimate microwave carrier of, for example, 23 GHz, through several Intermediate Frequency (IF) stages at lower radio frequencies.
Other implementations may use optical technologies to transport the signal over the air. These technologies use optical emitters and detectors operating in the high infrared range. While this approach avoids conversion of the optical input to an electrical signal, it has certain limitations. First, the light wave carrier has a narrow beamwidth, meaning that the transmitter and receiver must be carefully aligned with one another. Light wave carriers are also more susceptible to changes in physical conditions. These changes may be a result of changes in sunlight and shade exposure, or foreign material causing the lenses to become dirty over time. Other problems may occur due to vibrations from nearby passing automobiles and heating ventilating and cooling equipment. Some members of the public are concerned with possible eye damage from high powered lasers.
The present invention is a point-to-point microwave radio link that operates in a Frequency Division Duplex (FDD) mode using separate microwave band radio frequency carriers for each direction. The transmitter uses direct digital modulation to convert an input baseband optical rate signal to the desired microwave frequency carrier. The direct digital modulation is implemented using a Phase Shift Keyed (PSK) scheme. The design may be targeted for operation at unallocated frequencies in the millimeter wave spectrum, such from 40-320 GHz.
In one embodiment, the transmitter is implemented using a direct multiplication followed by a phase shifter. With this arrangement, the transmitter uses a stable voltage controlled oscillator operating in the 10-13 GHz band. The oscillator output is then up-converted to the desired microwave range. For operation in the 40-52 GHz range, this may be a single stage times four (xc3x974) frequency multiplier for operation at a higher range, such as from 81-87 GHz, a second, times two (xc3x972) multiplier may also be employed.
The frequency multiplier output feeds a phase modulator and/or attenuator circuit. In particular, the frequency multiplier output is fed to a phase modulator that deviates the phase of the multiplied output carrier by a desired amount. The phase deviator may be one or more circulators in this preferred embodiment. A bandpass filter and power amplifier may typically be inserted prior to the phase shifter.
The direct digital modulation transmitter may also be implemented using a sub-phase implementation. In this approach, a stable voltage controlled oscillator operating in the 10-13 Giga Hertz (GHz) band is once again used. This oscillator feeds a phase modulator circuit that operates over a narrower phase range than would otherwise typically be used. For example, the phase deviation range is typically only a fraction of the ultimately desired phase deviation range of the output microwave signal. The phase modulator is thus preferably chosen so that it deviates the phase by a desired output amount divided by a particular factor.
That same particular factor is then used by an output frequency multiplier to multiply the phase modulated signal to a higher output carrier frequency. A bandpass filter and power amplifier may then be used to feed a final stage filter prior to forwarding the signal to a transmit antenna.
The phase deviation of the phase modulator in this sub-phase embodiment is preferably chosen to be the reciprocal of the multiplication factor implemented by the frequency multiplier. For example, the phase modulator may implement phase shifts of 0, 22.5, 45, and 67.5 degrees when a frequency multiplier having a multiplication factor of four (4) is applied to an input 10 GHz range VCO signal. After being subjected to the multiplication body output multiplier, the desired output phases of 0, 90, 180, and 270 degrees are provided.
Likewise, in a case where a multiplication factor of 8 is introduced in the output signal processing chain, the phase deviation may be further reduced accordingly. In such an instance, where the output carrier signal generated from the 10 GHz VCO is ultimately multiplied up to a range of 80 GHz, the sub-angle phase deviations implemented by the phase modulator would be 0, 11.5, 22.5, and 33.75 degrees.
If amplitude modulation is also desired, an attenuator may be inserted in-line prior to the phase deviator. This allows multi-level modulation schemes such as QAM to be employed.
The receiver uses a similar but inverse signal chain consisting of a microwave oscillator, frequency multiplier, and bandpass filter. A single down conversion stage is all that is required. By inserting the frequency multiplier between the oscillator and down converter mixer, the local oscillator remains offset by a wide margin from the input RF carrier frequency. This permits the receiver image reject filters to be implemented more easily.
This scheme provides a low cost alternative to traditional approaches, since the base band modem and multiple RF stages are eliminated. Because there are no heterodyne stages, there also are no images of the modulated baseband signals created on either side of the carrier frequency. Thus, image reject filters are not necessary.
Direct digital modulation also only creates modulation artifacts at high multiples of the VCO center frequency. This allows the output bandpass filters to be implemented using inexpensive waveguide technologies that can easily reject the harmonics of the VCO output, as opposed to more stringent filters that might otherwise be required to reject the harmonics of the baseband signal.

Optical to microwave converter using direct modulation phase shift keying


A vehicle includes an internal combustion engine, a first hydraulic pump/motor coupled with the internal combustion engine, and a second hydraulic pump/motor is coupled with at least one driven wheel of the vehicle. A clutch establishes a driving connection between the first hydraulic pump/motor and the internal combustion engine, and selectively interrupts the driving connection when disengaged. At least one vehicle accessory device is coupled to the first hydraulic pump/motor. The at least one vehicle accessory device is operable under power of the internal combustion engine when the clutch is engaged and the internal combustion engine is running, and the at least one vehicle accessory device is operable directly by the first hydraulic pump/motor operating in a motor mode when the clutch is disengaged, regardless of whether or not the internal combustion engine is running. A corresponding method of operating the vehicle is also provided.

The present invention relates to hybrid vehicles. More particularly, the invention relates to an accessory drive arrangement in a hybrid vehicle.
Hybrid vehicles can include multiple drive sources, such as an internal combustion engine and an alternate drive source that is not powered by gasoline or another fossil fuel. Hybrid vehicles can achieve fuel consumption reductions by using a regenerative drive strategy in which electrical, mechanical, or hydraulic energy is stored during braking and later used to power the vehicle via the alternate drive source. Additional fuel savings can be achieved by using an start/stop strategy in which the operation of the internal combustion engine is automatically stopped and started based on driving conditions (e.g., the engine can be automatically turned off when the vehicle is cruising (i.e., not accelerating), coasting, braking, and/or comes to a stop, and subsequently automatically re-started as needed).
A variable transmission device may be used in a hybrid vehicle to provide seamless gear ratio changing for driving the wheels of the hybrid vehicle at various speeds while keeping the internal combustion engine's operating speed at a particular speed that results in maximum efficiency. One known type of variable transmission device is a serial hydraulic infinitely variable transmission (IVT), which establishes a hydraulic fluid connection in the drive train to provide seamless "shifting" between forward speed ratios, a neutral state, and reverse speed ratios. At least one known vehicle configuration utilizing a serial hydraulic IVT is described in U.S. Pat. No. 7,793,496. The U.S. Pat. No. 7,793,496 discloses various vehicle transmission configurations in which at least two hydraulic pump/motors are arranged in series along the vehicle drive train. The hydraulic pump/motors operate in various modes and speeds to modulate the speed of a driven wheel(s) somewhat independently from the operating speed of the on-board internal combustion engine.
Most conventional vehicles include a series of mechanically engine-driven accessory devices (e.g., oil pump, engine coolant pump or "water pump", air conditioning compressor, alternator, power steering pump, brake hydraulic pump), some of which are desirable to keep running even when the internal combustion engine is turned off in the start/stop strategy. To keep such accessory devices running, the vehicle must be provided with additional drive means for driving the accessory devices at times of temporary engine stoppage, necessarily adding cost and complexity to the vehicle.


A recording apparatus includes a recording section that performs recording on a recording medium, a housing that stores the recording section, a recording medium cassette that is detachably mounted on the housing and has a cassette body that holds the recording medium in the vertical position, and a holder that holds the recording medium that has been fed from the cassette body and has been recorded in the recording section on the outer surface of the cassette body in the vertical position.

1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to recording apparatuses including a recording medium cassette that is detachably mounted and stores recording media in the vertical position so that desired recording is performed on the recording medium that has been fed from the recording medium cassette.
2. Related Art
JP-A-2003-127484 discloses a paper output section that is mounted on a vertical type recording apparatus that performs recording on a recording medium and holds the recording medium (recording paper) in the vertical position after recording is performed on the recording medium that has been fed from a sheet feeding section that stores recording medium in the vertical position. The paper output section is fixedly provided in the recording apparatus separately from the sheet feeding section at a different position.
Further, JP-A-2010-235311 discloses a recording medium cassette (sheet feeding cassette) that is detachably mounted on a horizontal type recording apparatus and includes a cassette body (main tray) that is capable of storing recording media (recording papers) and a paper output tray that is stacked on the cassette body and holds recording media after recording is performed.
The paper output section of the vertical type recording apparatus as disclosed in JP-A-2003-127484 has a problem in that the recording medium stored in the paper output section after recording is difficult to be removed by a user when the height of the recording medium is smaller than that of the paper output section.
In the recording medium cassette of the horizontal type recording apparatus as disclosed in JP-A-2010-235311, the output recording medium is placed on the paper output tray. Accordingly, the recording medium after recording is performed can be removed by removing the recording medium cassette, even if the recording medium has small size. However, if the recording medium cassette for the horizontal type recording apparatus is applied to the vertical type recording apparatus, the output recording medium may lean, since the output recording medium cannot be held in the vertical position. In this case, the subsequent recording media to be output cannot be appropriately delivered to the holding position. Further, if the recording medium cassette is removed from the recording apparatus with the recording medium leaning, the recording medium may be damaged after recording is performed. Therefore, it is not possible to apply such a recording medium cassette to the vertical type recording apparatus.


The present invention relates to a foldable tactile display (1) and a method of operating it. The foldable tactile display comprises a plurality of actuators (2), one or more sensors (3-6), and a computing unit (7). The computing unit is able to control the plurality of actuators in response to the received command signals and sensor signals. In an embodiment, the tactile foldable display is used in connection with multimedia content. The foldable tactile display may be in the form of a tactile blanket.

Haptic technology provides an interface to a user via the sense of touch by applying forces, vibrations and/or motions to the user, i.e., in haptic technology a haptic device may provide stimulation to the user. When the stimulation is directed to perception by touch, the device is often referred to as a tactile device. One example of a known haptic device is a game controller. A game controller could, for example, be used to simulate a race car steering wheel by providing the user with the "perception of the road". As the user makes a turn or accelerates, the steering wheel responds by resisting turns or slipping out of control. A game controller can also be configured for tactile feedback that is perceived via the skin, such as a vibration, e.g., in response to the user's car touching the guardrail.
An example of a tactile device is disclosed in the English patent GB 2 241 894. In this patent a massage mat consists of cells disposed in a rectangular form, enveloped, for example, in synthetic leather, and controlled by an external control unit. Specifically, the massage is manually activated by the user by pushing the buttons on the controller, thus deciding massaging area, intensity and duration of the action.
While the massage mat offers a tactile sensation to the user, it is limited to a single person usage and controlled manually by the user herself, thus supporting only a one-way type of communication (i.e., from the control unit to the mat of cells).


A diagnostic tool is disclosed for accurately and rapidly diagnosing the condition of an ailing organ. Although applicable to numerous organ and organ systems, this application particularly illustrates the concept of conjunctive marker utilization as it relates to diagnosing and distinguishing congestive heart failure. The invention particularly relates to the conjunctive utilization of cardiac Troponin I (cTn-I) and natriuretic peptide, e.g. ANP, pro-ANP, BNP, pro-BNP and CNP as a retrospective tool for diagnosing the underlying mechanism of heart failure and as a prospective analytical device for monitoring disease progression and efficacy of therapeutic agents.

Congestive heart failure (CHF) effects approximately 4.8 million Americans. About 400,000 new cases are diagnosed annually and the condition is responsible for approximately 200,000 deaths per year. These statistics, in conjunction with the approximately;1 million hospitalizations annually attributable to CHF, result in an annual expenditure on the order of $10 billion.
CHF represents a condition which occurs when heart function becomes insufficient to meet the needs of the vital systems and tissues of the body. The inability of the heart to pump sufficiently is correlated to the measured ejection fraction, which is the percent of the blood pumped out during each heartbeat. An ejection fraction of between 50% and 75% is considered normal. This inability can be caused by failure of one or more sides of the heart, typically the left but also the right side; such failure can result from systolic or diastolic dysfunction, and may be represented by an ejection fraction of less than 50% and a resultant backup of fluid and accumulation of fluid in the lungs. Although less common, right-sided heart failure will result in fluid backup that manifests in a swelling of the veins and surrounding body tissues, inadequate tissue perfusion, fatigue and poor exercise tolerance. In addition, heart failure can result from diastolic dysfunction. This can result from disorders such as hypertension, valvular disease, transient ischemia, infiltrative disorders or congenital conditions such as hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. Although there are cases of pure diastolic dysfunction from infiltrative disorders such as amyloidosis or fibrosis, heart failure patients often have a combination of both systolic and diastolic dysfunction contributing to CHF.
The underlying reasons for this failure in heart functionality are varied. Thinning and weakening of the ventricle walls leads to dilation and a loss of pumping ability (systolic dysfunction). Alternatively, loss of elasticity results in a stiffening, which may result in a diminished volume of the heart's chambers and loss of pumping capacity (diastolic dysfunction) and cardiac output. Additionally, abnormalities in the functioning of the heart's valves can lead to insufficient cardiac output, for which the body attempts to compensate by causing the heart to increase its heart rate, hypertrophy and/or dilate. The compensation mechanisms utilized by the body may lead to architectural changes in the form of remodeling (especially after MI) or adaptation of the heart muscle, ultimately leading to irrevocable loss of function. Related causes of cardiac failure may be one or more conditions such as coronary artery disease, ischemic heart damage, e.g. damage resulting from a heart attack, uncontrolled hypertension, the direct and/or indirect effects of diabetes on the heart, valvular heart disease, cardiomyopathy, autoimmune response, disease and abuse by external agents such as alcohol, tobacco, anabolic steroids, and the like.
Historically, the preliminary diagnosis of CHF requires a history and a physical examination during which the condition is often characterized by various signs and symptoms of intra-vascular and interstitial volume overload, including shortness of breath, irregular heart rate, abnormal heart rate and signs of edema. To determine the severity and prognosis of CHF and to more clearly characterize a particular patient's condition, further diagnostic tests are usually needed.
Tests which further illustrate the mechanical condition of the heart are often useful, such tests include, but are not limited to, exercise stress testing, electrocardiogram, radionucleidangiography, echocardiography, chest X-ray and angiography. Echocardiography is presently considered an important diagnostic test for CHF. By using ultrasound to provide real time imagery of the beating heart, valve function and blood flow through the heart can be readily ascertained. Systolic function and diastolic function or some combination thereof is determinable through echocardiography.
Laboratory tests including but not limited to blood and urine testing are often helpful. These may indicate abnormalities in liver function, kidney function, cholesterol levels; blood sugar levels, hemoglobin levels, thyroid hormone levels and ANP, BNP, pro ANP, pro-BNP.
The diagnostic methods for diagnosing and distinguishing CHF, as outlined above, require numerous steps, expensive technology, and trained personnel for their performance and subsequent analysis. Patients may also be exposed to risk of radiation from nuclear studies or invasive procedures, i.e. heart catheterization. If a method and device could be provided for distinguishing and diagnosing CHF via a simplified body fluid test, the results of which could be interpreted by a lay person, a long felt need would be satisfied.

Conjunctive analysis of biological marker expression for predicting cardiac mortality


The invention relates to a method for protecting a DPF in the exhaust section of an internal combustion engine of a motor vehicle from unintentional combustion of soot in the DPF. According to the invention, the motor vehicle is a hybrid vehicle having at least one electric machine and is able to be driven exclusively by one or more electric machine(s) for some time. The vehicle is operated in a DPF protection mode if the system detects that unintentional combustion of soot is taking place or threatening to take place in the DPF, initiating an automatic decoupling of the combustion engine from the wheel drive train, forward propulsion demands by the driver are met exclusively with the aid of the one or more electric machine(s), and the combustion engine is switched off completely or is operated with stable stoichiometric combustion.

The present disclosure relates to a method for protecting a diesel particulate filter (DPF) in the exhaust section of an internal combustion engine of a motor vehicle from unintentional combustion of soot in the DPF and high temperatures with the DPF and to a motor vehicle set up to carry out the method.
A wall flow DPF in the exhaust section of the internal combustion engine of a vehicle stores solids contained in the exhaust gas, in particular soot, primarily on the wall of the DPF. The solids which have accumulated on the internal wall of the DPF increase flow resistance and hence exhaust gas backpressure, reducing engine power and increasing fuel consumption. In order to return the exhaust gas backpressure to its desired value, the DPF may be regenerated upon accumulation of a pre-determined mass of soot build-up within the DPF. Regeneration can be done passively through the engines exhaust heat or may be initiated intentionally by a control system.
In the case of a DPF which is heavily laden with soot, the exothermal heat generated in regeneration may raise the temperature of the DPF to a point that may compromise its structural of chemical integrity leading to degradation of the DPF system. This degradation to the DPF can be lessened by monitoring the temperature of the exhaust gas emerging from the filter, for example, and reducing the oxygen concentration in the exhaust gas entering the DPF to very low levels if combustion of soot in the DPF occurs unintentionally or at temperature above a determined degradation threshold is detected, thus reducing the exothermal reaction resulting from the combustion of soot. Lowering the oxygen concentration of exhaust gas can be achieved by operating in stable stoichiometric combustion conditions wherein substantially all (e.g., more than 98% of) fuel is combusted, which leads to sustained low oxygen concentrations in the engine exhaust gas and hence to a reduction in the soot combustion rate in the DPF. As an alternative, the exhaust gas mass flow through the DPF may be set to zero by switching off the internal combustion engine completely. However, in the case of lean burn engines such as diesel engines, it is not possible to operate the internal combustion engine a stoichiometric conditions over a wide range of engine operating states.
The inventors recognized the above interrelated issues, and that these operating constraints may be advantageously addressed in hybrid vehicles by initiating a DPF protection mode when exhaust temperature from the DPF exceed a threshold by decoupling the combustion engine from the wheel drive train during regeneration such that the vehicle is propelled solely by the electric motor, and the engine speed and/or load can be set to a range enabling stable combustion at stoichiometry. Further, by coupling the engine to an alternator generating power for a motor battery, fuel loss can be mitigated and battery charge preserved.
It will be understood that the summary above is provided to introduce in simplified form a selection of concepts that are further described in the detailed description. It is not meant to identify key or essential features of the claimed subject matter, the scope of which is defined uniquely by the claims that follow the detailed description. Furthermore, the claimed subject matter is not limited to implementations that solve any disadvantages noted above or in any part of this disclosure.

Method for protecting a DPF of an internal combustion engine


An obtuse angle range adjustable square provides an extended angle adjustment that minimizes the user's reach distance required to mark framing cuts. The frame of the obtuse angle range adjustable square has a triangular section and an extended slot extension section that allows a pivoting guide mounted on the frame to be set to a range of acute and obtuse angles providing flexibility in the use of the square. The pivoting guide may be stably rested on a framing member edge to mark the transverse side of the member.

1. Field of the Invention
This application relates to a construction tool used to layout cuts to be made to the framing of a structure and the method of using the tool. The tool includes an extended arc adjustment range that provides for more flexibility and greater user safety in the layout of a building framing.
2. Description of Related Art
Framing squares are known in the art. U.S. Pat. No. D290,092 (Bies), U.S. Pat. No. 4,742,619 (Swanson), U.S. Pat. No. 5,170,568 (Wright), U.S. Pat. No. 6,727,555 (Moore), and U.S. Pat. No. 7,114,264 (Hurley et al.) show an evolution in right-triangular roofing squares. This provides a tool that makes it difficult to mark roof rafter cuts used to align the rafter ends for fascia board attachment. This is due to the need for the user, who is on the top of the adjacent wall, to lean far out from the wall to mark the cut, as the square needs to be on the opposite side of the cut mark. A square that requires less user reach is needed.

Obtuse angle range adjustable square and method


A surface acoustic wave (SAW) based thin film deposition monitor device and system for monitoring the deposition of ultra-thin films and nanomaterials and the analysis thereof is characterized by acoustic wave device embodiments that include differential delay line device designs, and which can optionally have integral reference devices fabricated on the same substrate as the sensing device, or on a separate device in thermal contact with the film monitoring/analysis device, in order to provide inherently temperature compensated measurements. These deposition monitor and analysis devices can include inherent temperature compensation, higher sensitivity to surface interactions than quartz crystal microbalance (QCM) devices, and the ability to operate at extreme temperatures.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to thin film deposition monitoring and analysis of thin films, and in particular, to apparatus, systems, devices, and methods for monitoring the deposition of ultra-thin films and nanomaterials, and analyzing the properties thereof using surface acoustic wave technology.
2. Description of Related Art
Thin films are deposited by many means, including but not limited to evaporation (thermal or e-beam), sputtering (DC or RF), chemical vapor deposition (CVD), plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD), laser assisted deposition, atomic layer deposition (ALD), and others. The most appropriate technique with which to deposit a film depends on characteristics of the particular film, including composition, electrical conductivity, thermal behavior, physical properties (such as melting point), etc. Films can be relatively thick (microns), or as thin as an atomic layer, can be continuous or discontinuous, and can have properties characteristic of the bulk material deposited, or can have widely different properties, including but not limited to nanostructures and nanomaterial based properties. In almost all cases, the thickness and other properties of the film such as conductivity, viscoelastic properties, and others are important to the ultimate function of the film. Having a real-time deposition monitor capable of monitoring deposition rate, and monitoring properties of the films during deposition and after deposition is complete, is beneficial for process control and optimization of such deposition processes. This has been recognized for decades, and much literature exists related to different ways to implement thing film deposition monitors, although historically this work has focused on "thin" films in the thickness range of microns. It is only relatively recently that the need has emerged for monitoring ultra-thin and nanostructured material deposition.
Widespread commercial application of nanomaterials has been hindered by a lack of measurement techniques capable of providing information on material quality and uniformity for use in manufacturing process control. This is true for a range of promising nanomaterials, from nanocluster metal films to molecularly imprinted polymers, and especially carbon nanotubes. Carbon nanotubes have unique thermal, electrical, and physical properties that make them well suited to many applications, including conductive and high-strength composites, nanometer sized electronics, energy storage, energy conversion, hydrogen storage, and field emission devices such as flat panel displays. R. H. Baughman, A. A. Zakhidov, W. A. de Heer, "Carbon Nanotubes—the Route Toward Applications", Science, Vol 297, 2 Aug. 2002, 787-792. While specific commercial applications have been realized, particularly for multiwalled nanotubes (MWNTs) which have been used as electrically conductive additives in polymers and plastics since the early 1990s, manufacturing issues such as polydispersity in nanotube type, impurities, and high cost for high purity single wall nanotubes (SWNTs) limit the widespread adoption of this potentially beneficial technology.
The commercial potential for deposition monitor devices that are the subject of embodiments of the invention is therefore related to the commercial potential for nanomaterials, the most promising of which are single walled and multiwalled carbon nanotubes. A brief description of selected current and potential applications is included below.
Multiwalled carbon nanotubes have been commercially utilized in significant quantities as electrically conductive additives to plastics and polymers since the early 1990s, an application that is tolerant of MWNTs with relatively high defect densities. R. H. Baughman, A. A. Zakhidov, W. A. de Heer, "Carbon Nanotubes—the Route Toward Applications", Science, Vol 297, 2 Aug. 2002, 787-792. Commercial automotive gas lines and filters use fillers with conductive MWNTs that dissipate the static charge buildup that could lead to explosions. SWNTs and MWNTs also appear promising as additives to plastics for enhanced strength and thermal conductivity. The high electrochemically accessible surface area of CNT arrays combined with their electrical conduction properties make them promising materials for use in high capacity "supercapacitors", which could find widespread use in hybrid vehicles. R. H. Baughman, A. A. Zakhidov, W. A. de Heer, "Carbon Nanotubes—the Route Toward Applications", Science, Vol 297, 2 Aug. 2002, 787-792. Nanotube actuators operate at voltages one to two orders of magnitude lower than piezoelectric or electrostrictive actuators, making them promising for low power applications (and reduction in power consumption for any application). R. H. Baughman, A. A. Zakhidov, W. A. de Heer, "Carbon Nanotubes—the Route Toward Applications", Science, Vol 297, 2 Aug. 2002, 787-792. Field emission devices are another very promising CNT application, particularly for flat panel displays, an area actively being developed by industry. The commercial competitiveness of these displays, which can potentially have higher brightness, lower power consumption, faster response rate, and wider viewing angle than other current display technologies, will depend on the successful development of electronic technologies needed for addressing, and on concurrent advances in competitive display technologies such as LCD and non-CNT LED displays. R. H. Baughman, A. A. Zakhidov, W. A. de Heer, "Carbon Nanotubes—the Route Toward Applications", Science, Vol 297, 2 Aug. 2002, 787-792.
Silicon based electronics have become smaller and smaller over the past few decades, producing faster processors with increased computational power. This size reduction process, however, is fundamentally limited by the physical and electrical properties of the materials being used. Carbon nanotubes are extremely promising for use in nanometer-sized electronics, allowing smaller devices with better thermal (power handling) properties and faster computational speeds. IBM has been a pioneer in developing these devices, demonstrating arrays of CNT based transistors in 2001 (Science, Vol 292, Issue 5517, Apr. 27, 2001), and logic devices with CNTs shortly thereafter (Nanoletters, Aug. 26, 2001 Web edition).
Hydrogen storage in nanotubes is another potential use, although their promise is not as clear for this as it is for other applications. R. H. Baughman, A. A. Zakhidov, W. A. de Heer, "Carbon Nanotubes—the Route Toward Applications", Science, Vol 297, 2 Aug. 2002, 787-792.
Widespread adoption of CNTs for these and other applications has been hindered by manufacturing issues, including difficulty in obtaining homogeneous samples of one type of CNT, and impurities resulting from the manufacturing process. These issues are more significant for applications that will not tolerate high defect densities, such as nanoscale electronics, and result in higher costs for high purity NT materials. While costs have dropped greatly in the past decade, further cost reductions, particularly for high purity SWNTs, will be needed for adoption in certain commercial applications. The deposition monitor technology that is the subject of embodiments of the present invention will provide a manufacturing process monitoring and quality control tool, allowing for thermal decomposition studies of CNT batch samples, evaluation of CNT physical and electrical properties, and potentially real-time monitoring of CNT formation within growth systems. Such a tool would enhance CNT manufacturing capabilities, reducing product costs and accelerating adoption of these promising materials in a plethora of applications.
In order to provide an understanding of the aspects of the devices and systems described in embodiments of the present invention, it is necessary to first discuss conventional film deposition monitors, and specifically quartz crystal microbalance (QCM) technology and its drawbacks related to the use of QCM devices to monitoring deposition of ultra-thin films.
Deposition Monitors:
Conventional film deposition monitors include acoustic, optical, and impedance-based techniques. Acoustic techniques include QCM, thin film bulk acoustic resonator (FBAR), and SAW approaches. Each of these areas is discussed below. Optical techniques include optical absorption or attenuation, optical reflection, and optical fiber techniques. Impedance-based techniques include measurement of film conductivity based on step coverage, and others.
QCM Deposition Monitors:
Quartz crystal microbalance (QCM) devices rely on a thickness shear resonant condition in a bulk crystal (usually AT-quartz), the frequency of which is changed by the deposition of materials on the device surface. These devices were first investigated almost 50 years ago, and it is well known that for rigidly adhered acoustically thin films, the change (reduction) in frequency of resonance caused by addition of the film is proportional to the added film mass multiplied by the square of the resonant frequency of the QCM (M. Thompson and D. C. Stone, Surface-Launched Acoustic Wave Sensors, John Wiley & Sons Inc., NY, 1997), while the low electromechanical coupling coefficient of quartz means that film electrical properties do not impact device response. This simple relationship has made the QCM a very useful tool in the manufacturing of thin films of many kinds over the past few decades. Metal, dielectric, and other film deposition systems used in the manufacture of electronic components generally utilize QCM film thickness monitors to ensure proper film deposition rates and thicknesses. Systems such as electron beam deposition, sputtering, and chemical vapor deposition can all make use of this technology to monitor film deposition conditions. Typical commercial deposition monitors claim resolutions that are on the order of 1-2 angstroms for film thicknesses of 1000 angstroms or less. However, deposition of ultrathin films (under 50 angstroms thick) and nanostructured materials present particular challenges, and QCM devices are of limited usefulness for monitoring the deposition of these materials. The sensitivity of the QCM to thermal transients when the shutter is opened in an e-beam system, for example, may result in slight errors in the reported deposition rate and film thickness. For nanostructured films, such errors can result in film morphologies that differ widely from the desired films. In addition, deposition of multiple films can easily push the device into a regime of lower sensitivity as the overall film thickness increases. In addition to monitoring film deposition, QCM devices have (in the past) achieved widespread use as a method for monitoring molecular contamination of surfaces in manufacturing and clean room applications (these applications have since transitioned to surface acoustic wave (SAW) monitors due to enhanced sensitivities).
Recently, QCM devices have been used as a tool to characterize nanomaterials such as carbon nanotubes, and for molecular and biological imprinting and sensing research. Drop-casting of solutions containing carbon nanotubes onto QCMs has been studied by researchers at the University of Maryland Baltimore County (UMBC) and the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST). S. Hooker, A. Kar, and R. Schilt, "Evaluation of Quartz Crystal Microbalance Thermal Analysis in Characterization of Carbon Nanotube Purity", Poster session, 3rd NASA-NIST Workshop on Nanotube Measurements, September 26-28, NIST, Gaithersburg Md.; H. Wilson, S. Hooker, and A. Kar, "Purity of Carbon Nanotubes: Separating the Nanotube from the Dispersant in Thermal Decomposition Profiles", Poster session, 3rd NASA-NIST Workshop on Nanotube Measurements, September 26-28, NIST, Gaithersburg Md. These studies have shown promising results for using the QCM devices to evaluate sample homogeneity, and to study the thermal decomposition properties of the CNT samples. Molecular imprinting has been studied as a means to produce sensor materials selective for both molecular analytes and biological moieties such as cells and microorganisms. QCM devices have been useful tools for measurement of such sensor films. P. A. Lieberzeit, G. Glanzing, M. Jenik, S. Gazda-Miarecka, F. L. Dickert, and A. Leidl, "Softlithography in Chemical Sensing—Analytes from Molecules to Cells", Sensors 2005, 5, 509-518; M. Penza et. al, "Carbon nanotubes-coated multi-transducing sensors for VOCs detection", Sensors and Actuators B: Chemical, Vol. 111-112, 11 Nov. 2005, 171-180; H. Chen et. al., "The application of CNT/Nafion composite material to low humidity sensing measurement", Sensors and Actuators B: Chemical, Vol. 104, 3 Jan. 2005, 80-84; M. Consales et. al., "Carbon nanotubes thin films fiber optic and acoustic VOCs sensors: Performance analysis", Sensors and Actuators B: Chemical, Vol. 118, 25 Oct. 2006, 232-242. Dissipation monitoring of QCM devices (QCM-D) utilizes these devices in a dynamic mode—the drive energy to the QCM is switched off, and the decay of the damped oscillation is measured. This technique can be used to provide additional information about adhered layers, and has been applied primarily in polymeric and biological research. A. Jaiswal, "In-Situ Characterization of Polymer Layer Formation by Quartz Crystal Microbalance with Dissipation Monitoring (QCM-D)", Nanotech 2007 Conference.
The QCM devices discussed generally operate in the low MHz range—often 5 MHz to 15 MHz. These devices are limited to low frequency operation because the crystal substrate thickness determines the operating frequency, and higher frequencies would require very thin, fragile crystals. Theoretical mass detection limits of typical QCM devices are generally in the 10−12 gram (picogram) range. M. Thompson and D. C. Stone, Surface-Launched Acoustic Wave Sensors, John Wiley & Sons Inc., NY, 1997.
QCM TGA Monitors:
Recently, quartz crystal microbalance (QCM) devices have been utilized as a measurement platform to perform microscale thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) of nanoparticles, thin films, and other materials. Mansfield, E. et. al., "Quartz Crystal Microbalances for Microscale Thermogravimetric Analysis", Anal. Chem. 2010, 82, 9977-9982; Mansfield, E. et. al., "Applications of TGA in quality control of SWCNTs", Anal Bioanal Chem (2010) 396:1071-1077. This approach has the benefit of requiring only micrograms of sample, compared to several milligrams of sample required by conventional TGA techniques. This work has shown that QCM-based TGA can provide a 3-fold increase in resolution compared to the state-of-the-art using standard TGA techniques. Mansfield, E. et. al., "Quartz Crystal Microbalances for Microscale Thermogravimetric Analysis", Anal. Chem. 2010, 82, 9977-9982. However, the cited work performed measurements in a batch type operation, where QCM crystals with samples were measured, removed from their fixtures for heating to a pre-selected temperature and cooling, and then re-inserted into their fixtures for subsequent measurement of the QCM.
Embodiments of the present invention provide significant improvements over this type of QCM, in that real-time in-situ measurements can be made as temperature varies to provide immediate feedback on reaction kinetics and sample properties as the sample is heated and cooled.
FBAR Deposition Monitors:
Film bulk acoustic resonators (FBARs) are acoustic resonant devices produced by layering materials with differing acoustic properties to form an acoustic cavity structure suitable to sustain resonance at a particular frequency. FBAR devices have been used by Larson as film deposition monitors. Larson, J. D., et. al., "Systems and methods of monitoring thin film deposition", U.S. Pat. No. 6,668,618, 2003. In this example, as in the SAW application discussed below and in Hemphill, R. B., "A surface wave thickness monitor for thin evaporated films", Proceedings of the IEEE International Ultrasonics Symposium, p. 525-529, 1984, a reference acoustic device of the same type (FBAR or SAW) that is shielded from deposition of the film being deposited is used to provide a reference response during deposition. This reference device can be thermally coupled to the acoustic device exposed to film deposition, allowing unambiguous separation of film thickness and thermal effects.
SAW Deposition Monitors:
Since 1979, surface acoustic wave (SAW) devices have been recognized as a promising alternative to QCMs for sensing applications requiring higher sensitivity and lower detection limits. H. Wohltjen and R. Dessey, Anal. Chem., 1979, 51, 1458, 1465. The ability of SAW devices to perform as an analytical tool to evaluate changes in the properties of deposited films was also recognized some time ago, as in Wohltjen's work on thin film polymer characterization. H. Wohltjen and R. Dessey, Anal. Chem., 1979, 51, 1470. Due to construction of SAW devices, the operating frequency can be set independently of the crystal substrate thickness, by patterning interdigital electrodes on the crystal surface with selected pitch. Typical SAW device operating frequencies range from 50 MHz to 3 GHz. Since the mass sensitivity of these devices is (to first order) proportional to the square of the operating frequency, SAW devices have substantially higher mass sensitivity. In 1984, Wohltjen argued that SAW devices at 3 GHz with active surface areas of 10−4 cm2 would have a realistic detection limit of roughly 3×10−15 grams (femtograms), taking into consideration typical measurement system noise. H. Wohltjen, Sens. Actuators, 1984, 5, 307. Thus, SAW microbalances are capable of two to three orders of magnitude greater mass sensitivity than QCM devices. Also in 1984, Hemphill published his work on a SAW thickness monitor for thin evaporated films. Hemphill, R. B., "A surface wave thickness monitor for thin evaporated films", Proceedings of the IEEE International Ultrasonics Symposium, p. 525-529, 1984. This approach utilized an evaporated shorting layer on the surface of the SAW propagation path to short out the electric field at the surface of the device. This made the monitor insensitive to changes in conductivity of the film being deposited, making it sensitive only to the mass and viscoelastic properties of the film. While useful for certain films, this prevented use of film conductivity as a parameter for deposition monitoring. This work (Hemphill, R. B., "A surface wave thickness monitor for thin evaporated films", Proceedings of the IEEE International Ultrasonics Symposium, p. 525-529, 1984) also discusses the use of this device to measure relatively thick films, with thicknesses of up to 100 microns or more.
Molecular contamination monitors adopted SAW microbalances as an improvement over QCM devices several years ago. "Monitoring Molecular Contamination of Critical Surfaces in Semocinductor Manufacturing", Application Note, Particle Measurement Systems, 2002, www.pmeasuring.com; D. Rodier, "Method and apparatus for monitoring molecular contamination of critical surfaces", U.S. Pat. No. 6,945,090, 2005, the disclosure of which is herein incorporated by reference in its entirety. These contamination monitors measure the accumulation of contamination on critical surfaces such as silicon dioxide, metals, and polymers relevant to the semiconductor manufacturing clean room environment. Carbon nanotubes have also been used on SAW devices as chemically selective elements for vapor sensing (M. Penza, F. Antolini, and M. V. Antisari, "Carbon nanotubes as SAW chemical sensors materials", Sensors and Actuators B: Chemical, Vol. 100, 1 Jun. 2004, 47-59; M. Penza, F. Antolini, and M. V. Antisari, "Carbon nanotubes-based surface acoustic waves oscillating sensor for vapor detection", Thin Solid Films, Vol. 472, Issues 1-2, 24 Jan. 2005, 246-252), as have numerous metal oxide and polymer films (M. Thompson and D. C. Stone, Surface-Launched Acoustic Wave Sensors, John Wiley & Sons Inc., NY, 1997). In addition to being highly mass sensitive, with acoustic wave velocity changing with deposited mass on the surface, SAW devices respond to changes in other parameters of coating films and fluids in contact with the device surface. Film conductivity will change the SAW propagation velocity and attenuation if a substrate such as lithium niobate (which has a high electromechanical coupling coefficient) is used. Physical film or fluid properties, such as stiffness, elasticity, viscosity, etc. also alter device performance measurably, producing changes in velocity and/or attenuation. Various surface launched acoustic wave propagation modes can be used to generate surface wave devices that will operate in either liquid or gaseous media, and the device can be optimized for the anticipated environment. Finally, SAW devices are extremely rugged and can operate over a very wide temperature range. With colleagues, the inventor is currently developing sensors for NASA applications that require operation at temperatures ranging from cryogenic to almost 1000° C. These devices have thus far been demonstrated to tolerate repeated cycling from cryogenic (liquid nitrogen) temperatures to room temperature, and from room temperature to temperatures in excess of 300° C. This operating temperature range has been demonstrated successfully using both single crystal quartz and lithium niobate substrates. The upper limit on device testing has been limited by our test capability. Fundamentally, the upper limit on operating temperature for quartz devices is limited (to no more than 500-550° C.) by the crystalline α-β phase transition that occurs at 573° C., although traditional quartz devices operate near ambient room temperatures in order to take advantage of the zero first order temperature coefficient of frequency near room temperature. Lithium niobate devices can operate at higher temperatures than quartz, and devices fabricated on langasite, langanite, or langatate can operate up to 1000° C. or more.

Surface acoustic wave monitor for deposition and analysis of ultra-thin films


The fuel injection system for injection carburetors is provided with an air section of regulator and a fuel section of regulator which are arranged opposedly to each other on both the sides of a suction tube, and a connecting member equipped with a fuel injection valve for controlling fuel injection from the fuel section of regulator into the suction tube. The air section of regulator comprises a depression chamber and an air chamber which are separated from each other by a diaphragm, whereas the fuel section of regulator comprises a fuel chamber and a fuel injection chamber which are separated from each other by another diaphragm and communicated with each other through an orifice. The depression chamber is so adapted as to receive negative pressure from a venturi in the suction tube. The connecting member is connected between said two diaphragms and is urged so as to close the fuel injection port with the fuel injection valve. This fuel injection system is simple in the structure thereof, manufacturable at a low cost, has high responsibility in variation of fuel injection rate relative to variation of flow rate of air to be sucked and assures high metering accuracy of fuel to be injected.

1. Field of the Invention:
The present invention relates to a fuel injection system for injection carburetors which adjusts fuel injection rate adequately on the basis of negative pressure produced dependently on air flow rate.
2. Description of the Prior Art:
The fuel injection system of this type has already been disclosed, for example, by Japanese Preliminary Patent Publication No. Sho 63-5150. This conventional fuel injection system is adapted to control flow rate of fuel to be injected into a suction tube through a fuel jet from a fuel chamber so as to balance fuel pressure downstream the fuel jet communicated with the fuel chamber with negative pressure produced in the venturi by arranging a regulator consisting of a depression chamber and a fuel pressure chamber which are divided by a diaphragm, and by introducing negative pressure from the venturi arranged in the suction tube into the depression chamber of the regulator.
This conventional fuel injection system comprises a long fuel passage from the fuel pressure chamber to the fuel nozzle, thereby posing problems that ignorable time lags are produced between variation of flow rate of the air flowing through the suction tube and variation of flow rate of the fuel injected through the fuel nozzle, and that the fuel injection system itself has a complicated structure.

Fuel injection system for injection carburetors


A display module, a terminal device and a bendable cover, where the bendable cover includes a flexible substrate and hard plates. The flexible substrate has a hard area and a bending area. A quantity of hard areas is the same as a quantity of the hard plates, where the hard areas are in a one-to-one correspondence with the hard plates, and each of the hard plates is located on a surface of a corresponding hard area. There is a bending area between two adjacent hard areas. Under an effect of external force, the bendable cover is capable of bending along the bending area.

As a display screen of a terminal device (for example, a smartphone) is becoming larger and thinner, an area of the terminal device is becoming larger, and consequently it is more difficult for a holder of the terminal device to hold the terminal device with one hand. Therefore, providing a bendable terminal device becomes a hotspot of current technical researches.
The terminal device usually includes a display screen and a cover covering a surface of the display screen. Correspondingly, when the terminal device is bendable, the cover also should be bendable. However, an existing cover is usually a non-bendable glass cover, or an existing cover breaks down after being bent. Therefore, it is currently urgent to provide a bendable cover.

Bendable cover, bendable display module, and bendable terminal device


Method and system for restricting a first node in a broadcast domain of an IP (Internet Protocol) network from communicating with one or more other nodes. Each of the first node and the one or more other nodes has a respective translation table that maps an IP address to a respective physical address of all nodes with which the first node and the one or more other nodes have communicated. Embodiments of the invention describe obtaining communicated data including address resolution messages and accessing an address resolution table representative of address resolution activity in the network. Responsive to the communicated data indicating that the first node is communicating with other nodes, restricting the first node from communicating by generating and conveying a restricting address resolution message using information stored in the address resolution table, the restricting address resolution message including a substitute physical address.

FIG. 1 is a schematic illustration of IP networks 101, 106 including nodes. The figure illustrates two optional network topologies while those versed in the art will appreciate that many other topologies are possible and hence the illustrated topologies are not limiting. Hereinafter, every physical element connected to the network constitutes a node. The illustrated network 101 constitutes a Local Area Network (LAN), which is connected to the Internet 102 via a router 103. The router 103 can connect directly to end nodes 104, including workstations, such as a personal computer (PC), servers such as UNIX workstations, terminals such as X-terminals etc. Alternatively, the router 103 can connect to one or more hubs 105, to which additional end nodes 104 can connect. It is noted that the hub 105, in this case, is a simple hub (i.e., it is a non-switched hub) and hence the nodes connected thereto are in the same broadcast domain as the end nodes connected to the router 103. Furthermore, those versed in the art would appreciate that a router can have more than one network interface card, connecting it to different networks or portions of networks, hence it should be appreciated that hereinafter (throughout the specification) the router 103 represents one interface, connecting the router to the network 101. It is also noted that routers (such as router 103), hubs (such as hub 105), end nodes 104 and other physical elements including a network interface constitute together "nodes". 106 is another example of an IP network, which includes a switch 107 to which end nodes 104 are connected. It is appreciated that like network 101, network 106 also constitutes one broadcast domain. In addition, those versed in the art would appreciate that it is possible to connect network 106 to the Internet via a router (such as router 103), yet, it was already indicated that the router may have several network interface cards, and indeed in FIG. 1 two such network interface cards exist, one for connecting the router to the network 106 and one for connecting it to the Internet 102. Hence, only the NIC connecting the router to the network 106 is considered to be a member in the broadcast domain and therefore in FIG. 1 it appears that only part of the router is part of the network while another part thereof is external thereto.
There are several network protocols known in the art, which allow different functionalities in a communication network. For example, Request For Comments (RFC) 826 (published in 1982), which is publicly available and incorporated herein by reference, deals with converting protocol addresses (e.g. IP addresses) to local network addresses (e.g., Ethernet addresses), a protocol known as Address Resolution Protocol (ARP).
According to RFC 826, when a packet is sent down through the network layers, routing determines the protocol address of the next hop for the packet and on which piece of hardware it expects to find the station with the immediate target protocol address. In the case of the 10 Mbit Ethernet, address resolution is needed and some lower layer (probably the hardware driver) must consult the Address Resolution module (perhaps implemented in the Ethernet support module) to convert the <protocol type, target protocol address> pair to a 48.bit Ethernet address. The Address Resolution module tries to find this pair in a "translation table" or "ARP cache". If it finds the pair, it gives the corresponding 48.bit Ethernet address back to the caller (hardware driver) which then transmits the packet. If it does not find the pair, it probably informs the caller that it is throwing the packet away (on the assumption the packet will be retransmitted by a higher network layer). It then causes this packet to be broadcast to all stations on the Ethernet cable originally determined by the routing mechanism.
When an address resolution packet is received, the receiving Ethernet module gives the packet to the Address Resolution module, which merges the <protocol type, sender protocol address, sender hardware address> triplet into its local translation table before checking whether it should generate a reply. Note that if an entry already exists for the <protocol type, sender protocol address> pair, then the new hardware address supersedes the old one. Then, if the opcode is a REQUEST and the target protocol address matches the protocol address of the receiving machine, the receiving machine generates a REPLY, transmitting it to the machine that generated the REQUEST. In addition, it is noted that upon communicating with a machine remote to the LAN, it is the router's physical address that is resolved instead of the machine's address.
According to RFC 826, it sometimes happens that a host goes down or moves (e.g., when the protocol address (such as an IP address) is reassigned to a different physical piece of hardware). In order to keep the translation table up-to-date, it is possible to perform timeouts, wherein after a suitable timeout constituting an "ARP-check-timeout", the machine considers removing an entry therefrom. It may send an address resolution packet with opcode REQUEST (i.e., an ARP request) directly to the Ethernet address in the table. If a REPLY (i.e., an ARP reply) is not seen in a short amount of time, the entry is deleted from the translation table.
It should be noted that according to RFC 826, the Address Resolution Protocol and packet format described therein are allowed to be used for non-10 Mbit Ethernets. Therefore, hereinafter, instead of referring to an "Ethernet address", reference is made to a "physical address", which is more general.
It is noted that according to several address resolution protocols, operating systems maintain two different predetermined values for ARP-check-timeout, namely, an in-session-ARP-check-timeout and an out-of-session-ARP-check-timeout, wherein the in-session-ARP-check-timeout is longer than the out-of-session-ARP-check-timeout. For example, Microsoft Windows® operating systems (including, e.g., Microsoft Windows 2000®, Microsoft Windows XP® and Microsoft Windows 2003®) maintain an in-session-ARP-check-timeout of 10 minutes, i.e., these operating systems maintain an entry in their translation table for 10 minutes (while in session) before they send an ARP request to this entry's respective target node and before they remove the entry from the translation table. If no session is presently in the middle, Microsoft® Windows® operating systems (including, e.g., Microsoft Windows 2000®, Microsoft Windows XP® and Microsoft Windows 2003®) maintain an out-of-session-ARP-check-timeout of 2 minutes.
In addition, according to several address resolution protocols, when sending an address resolution packet with opcode REQUEST before removing an entry from the translation table, the address resolution packet is broadcasted instead of sending it directly to the physical address in the table.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,124,197 ("Security apparatus and method for local area networks", published in 2006) describes a method and apparatus for controlling data link layer access to protected servers on a computer network by a client device. Address resolution requests broadcast on the network by the client device seeking access to any network device are received and then processed to determine whether the client device is unknown. If the client device is unknown, restriction address resolution replies are transmitted to the protected devices to restrict access by the client device to the protected devices and allow access to an authentication server. The authentication server is monitored to determine if the client device is authorized or unauthorized by the authentication server. If the client device is authorized, access is allowed to the protected devices. If the client device is unauthorized, blocking address resolution replies are transmitted on the computer network to block access by the client device to all other network devices.
WO2005/053230 ("Method and system for collecting information relating to a communication network", published in 2005) discloses a method and a system for collecting information relating to a communication network. Data conveyed by nodes operating in the communication network is detected in a manner that is transparent to the nodes. The detected data is analyzed for identifying information relating to the communication network and for identifying missing information. According to WO2005/053230, in order to complete the missing information, one or more of the nodes are queried.

Method and system for restricting a node from communicating with other nodes in a broadcast domain of an IP (internet protocol) network


The invention relates to a method for the non-destructive ultrasound inspection of a high-pressure line as a testing piece by means of the pulse-echo method, where the high-pressure line is conveyed to a near-field range of at least one ultrasonic transducer and an ultrasonic pulse is emitted with a perpendicular sound incidence on the high-pressure line in such a way that the high-pressure line is completely captured in its cross section by the near-field sound emission caused by the ultrasonic transducer, and the reflected ultrasonic pulse(s) is/are received by the ultrasonic transducer and/or, optionally, further ultrasonic transducers, the associated echo delay times are recorded and, optionally, evaluated.

It is known to test high-pressure lines, in particular also metal high-pressure lines for a fuel injection system, for manufacturing or material flaws by means of pressurization. In the process, the pipes are usually pressurized with a pressure above the actual operating pressure, under provisions regarding pressure increase and retention time of the testing pressure, in order to carry out a reject test. As is known, this test is deficient because it does not enable any information about the inner structure of the pipes. Structural flaws in the inner structure of the pipes, which may not lead to an acute failure of the pipes, but which nevertheless constitute a risk of future failure, are not recognized in this way. Attempts for inspecting the pipes in a non-destructive and volume-oriented manner made so far failed because of the costs, with respect to the usual radiography-based inspections.
On the other hand, and in particular where ultrasound was concerned, the prejudice prevailed with regard to these high-pressure lines, which, compared to the usual test specimens for ultrasonic testing, generally had small dimensions, that ultrasound was not suitable, due to the comparatively large dimensions of the sound transducers, and could not be coupled in in a reproducible manner for the purpose of an inspection. In addition, there is the problem, as a rule, that these pipes are not configured in a straight line, so that the usual approaches such as those that are customary in the inspection of gas or oil pipelines, and which provide, for example, an irradiation angled in circumferential direction of the tube in order to cause a sound propagation in the circumferential direction, fail in the inspection of high-pressure lines because the required angle for the defined angled emission of the ultrasonic transducer into the test piece cannot be maintained, or at least not reproducibly.

Non-destructive inspection of high-pressure lines

GE Sensing & Inspection Technologies GmbH


A method of protecting a component, in particular a turbine blade, from the effects of hot corrosion includes the steps of applying a chromium diffusion coating to the component and applying a coating of a ceramic material to one or more selected regions of the chromium diffusion coating. The selected regions are regions which, in subsequent use of the component, are subjected to temperatures lower than a predetermined temperature. The ceramic material preferably includes a binder combined with a metal oxide. In a preferred embodiment, a turbine blade is coated over the whole of its internal and external surfaces with the chromium diffusion coating; an aluminum diffusion coating is then applied, through a mask, to the aerofoil surfaces and the internal surfaces of the blade; the mask is removed and the ceramic material is applied as an overlay to the chromium diffusion coating in a region between the platform and the root of the blade.

So-called Type I and Type II hot corrosion can be controlled by adding chromium to the surface of a component by a process known as chromising. This produces a diffused chromium barrier on the component substrate. U.S. Pat. No. 6,283,715, published on 4 Sep. 2001, describes the use of such a diffused chromium layer on the surface of a turbine blade, and specifically on a part of the blade below the so-called platform and on an aerofoil part above the platform.
While the use of a diffused chromium layer by itself offers good protection against Type II corrosion, protection against the higher-temperature Type I corrosion usually requires the addition of diffused aluminum, which results in a chrome-modified aluminide coating on the substrate surface. Such a constitution is also described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,283,715, the aluminum diffusion layer being applied to the chromium diffusion layer in the aerofoil region above the platform. This patent also describes the application of an overlay layer in the form of a ceramic coating, which serves as a thermal barrier coating to insulate the underlying layers. This overlay is applied to the aerofoil part of the blade only.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,270,318, published on 7 Aug. 2001, describes a turbine blade, in which the area between the platform and the root is coated with a ceramic overlay. U.S. Pat. No. 6,296,447, published on 2 Oct. 2001, discloses a turbine blade having an upper platform surface which is coated with a first layer, which may be a diffusion aluminide layer, followed by a second, ceramic layer. A similar coating arrangement is employed on the pressure side of the aerofoil of the blade in question.

Method of protecting a component against hot corrosion and a component protected by said method


A timepiece (7) including hands (4, 5), direction determining means (10, 11, 14, 12) including data input means (14) arranged for inputting the geographical coordinates of a "target" location in data processing means (12). This timepiece is characterized in that said direction determining means are formed of an antenna (10) and a GPS type receiver (11) for determining the geographical coordinates of the location in which said timepiece (7) is situated, and in that the 6 o'clock-12 o'clock axis of said timepiece (7) is used as a reference axis, and in that at least said first hand (4, 5) is arranged so as to be able to indicate the direction of the "target" location with respect to said reference axis. Such a structure is improved in that it does not need to refer to magnetic north to determine the direction of the "target" location.

The present invention concerns a timepiece including a GPS receiver, arranged for indicating the direction of a "target" destination or location from a "source" location where the GPS receiver is situated.
Timepieces able to indicate a particular direction are already known. By way of example, European Patent Application No. 95120717.4 can be mentioned, which discloses a timepiece arranged for indicating the direction of Mecca. This Application discloses an analog timepiece which incorporates a compass used to provide a reference axis (which is supplied by the direction of magnetic north).
One problem encountered in a timepiece including a compass lies in the fact that the permanent magnet associated with the compass is disturbed by the magnetic environment of the timepiece assembly. This problem becomes particularly inconvenient when the clockwork movement includes magnetic masses. One incomplete solution to this problem consists in moving the permanent magnet away from the magnetic masses, i.e. increasing the space requirement of the timepiece, which is contrary to the constant preoccupation of watchmakers. Moreover, such timepieces do not provide a simple solution for determining the direction of a "target" location. Such determination must take account of complex physical data such as the deviation between magnetic north and geographical north.
One difficulty for timepiece manufacturers consists in achieving an arrangement for such a timepiece which allows the desired direction to be provided, whilst attending to the usual constraints within the horological industry, such as space requirement.
A conventional solution to the aforementioned difficulty consists in incorporating, within an analog timepiece, a so-called GPS receiver. It will briefly be recalled that the abbreviation GPS designates a device connected to the Global Positioning System, which typically picks up coordinates and time data from a satellite. By way of example, this receiver needs to pick up signals transmitted by four different satellites to determine a location in a three dimensional space (latitude, longitude, altitude). The structure and operation of such a receiver are widely described in the state of the art, in particular in "Radionavigation Systems" by Borge Forssell.
By way of example, International Patent Application No. WO 96/21139 may be cited. This Patent Document mentions the fact that a GPS receiver can be used in a an analog timepiece, without a compass also being used therein. With reference to FIG. 2 of said International Patent Application, the hands of said timepiece indicate an angle W, which allows the timepiece user to move in the direction of a target direction Pn.
However, the Applicant of the present invention has noted that a GPS receiver arranged in an analog timepiece, does not, in itself, allow the direction of the target direction which the timepiece user wishes to know to be provided. Indeed, the Applicant of the present invention observes that said GPS receiver allows said user's spatial position coordinates to be provided, i.e. the direction of the target location in the referential formed by the four satellites, the coordinates of the target location having been previously stored in said GPS receiver. In other words, said user needs to use a reference axis, with respect to which the direction of the location can effectively be defined.

Timepiece including a GPS receiver, arranged in particular, for indicating the direction of a "target" location


A computer implemented method for creating a page including content includes the steps of inserting, with a computing device, one or more placeholders in the page, requesting, with a computing device, parameters, receiving, with a computing device, meta data in response to the step of requesting parameters, creating, with a computing device, frames in the page based on the meta data at positions corresponding to the placeholders, requesting, with a computing device, content, receiving, with a computing device, content in response to the request for content, and placing the content in the frames for display on a display device.

Much on-line content, such as content presented in web pages, is provided free of charge to the user. Web site owners and content owners utilize various revenue models to monetize the content. Advertising models are the most common revenue model on the web today. Web site owners and content owners are compensated by directly or indirectly allowing ads to be displayed in connection with the content.
There are two primary ad revenue models on the internet, CPM and CPC. "CPM" stands for "cost per thousand" (where M denotes "mille", meaning "thousand" in Latin). In this model, the site owner charges advertisers a rate (for example 10 cents per thousand) based on the number of the advertiser's ads shown to site visitors. "CPC" stands for "cost per click". In this model, advertisers are charged based on the number of times users click on links in the ads. Ads may be served by the site owners or through a third-party ad network service, such as Google™ Adsense™.
In a simple form, ads can merely be displayed in a static manner along with content. An early form of internet advertising was the static "banner" ad, i.e. a single advertisement displayed across the top portion of the web page along with the content. However, in recent years, the serving of ads has become more sophisticated and, thus, more complex. For example, plural ads are displayed on a web page in coordination with each other. Also, ads are presented as static images, video clips, audio clips and the like. As a result, many guidelines and standard practices have emerged regarding the display of plural ads in coordination with each other and in coordination with content. For example, the Interactive Advertising Bureau ("IAB"), a trade association of leading media and technology companies who are responsible for selling a majority of online advertising in the United States, has promulgated such guidelines.
Recently, it has become desirable to serve ads in an even more complex manner. For example, various business models require that rules be applied to serving ads. An advertiser might want to be guaranteed that their ad will not be displayed on a page with an ad for a competitor. Also, it may be desirable to display an ad at a specified frequency or it may be desirable to display multiple ads in synchronization with each other. Such rules are difficult to implement when displaying ads in a refreshable manner.
For example, when an ad is to be changed, i.e. refreshed, the entire page can be refreshed by making a new request to the server. However, this requires that the entire process of making the page be reiterated, including making new ad requests from the ad network services serving ads on the page. Such a process is resource intensive.
While the system and method is described herein by way of example and embodiments, those skilled in the art recognize that the platform for serving on-line advertisements is not limited to the embodiments or drawings described. It should be understood that the drawings and description are not intended to limit embodiments to the particular form disclosed. Rather, the intention is to cover all modifications, equivalents and alternatives falling within the spirit and scope of the invention defined by the appended claims. Any headings used herein are for organizational purposes only and are not meant to limit the scope of the description or the claims. As used herein, the word "may" is used in a permissive sense (i.e., meaning having the potential to), rather than the mandatory sense (i.e., meaning must). Similarly, the words "include", "including", and "includes" mean including, but not limited to.