Thin film electronic devices (or stacks integrated with a substrate) that include a permeation barrier formed of a thin layer of metal that provides a light transmitting and electrically conductive layer, wherein the electrical conductive layer is formed on a surface of the substrate or device layer such as a transparent conducting material layer with pin holes or defects caused by manufacturing and the thin layer of metal is deposited on the conductive layer and formed from a self-healing metal that forms self-terminating oxides. A permeation plug or block is formed in or adjacent to the thin film of metal at or proximate to the pin holes to block further permeation of contaminants through the pin holes.

Materials that are electrical conductors and are also relatively transparent (or highly transmissive of light) are extensively used in electronics applications and in a wide variety of electronic devices. Such materials may be labeled transparent conducting (TC) materials and are often provided in a multi-layered device or substrate using thin film technologies. For example, one of the most widely used commercial TC materials is indium-tin oxide (ITO), which may be applied as a thin film or layer (e.g., a layer of material that has a thickness less than about 1 micron) to a supporting substrate of glass, ceramic, plastic, or other light transmitting material. TC materials are used in solar or photovoltaic cells and in many other electronic devices such as in touch screens and the like. TC materials are also widely used in organic electronics applications including organic light emitting diodes (OLEDs) in which the emissive electroluminescent layer is composed of a film of organic compounds.
To function properly, the TC materials or substrates containing thin films of such materials typically have desired levels of transparency and electric conductivity. Additionally, it is often desirable that the TC substrates be flexible or otherwise resist cracking. Further, many applications such as OLED devices should be protected from moisture and gases as the functionality of a TC material layer may be ruined or degraded by water or exposure to oxygen and other gases. For example, a photovoltaic cell may be exposed to flexing and bending due to wind and other forces and may also be exposed to moisture and other environmental elements that can degrade effectiveness of the cell. Hence, there have been significant efforts to provide thin film devices or substrates with TC material layers that meet transparency and conductivity while including separate permeation bathers and satisfying other demands such as lower costs and ease of manufacture.
Providing a TC material with high conductivity and transparency has proven challenging to thin film device developers. In general, conductivity and transparency are inversely related in most common forms of transparent conductors such as transparent conducting oxides or TCOs, and, as a result, a material with higher conductivity may have lower transparency and vice versa. ITO has been widely used as the transparent conductor in electronic devices because it provides a balance between transparency and conductivity. However, indium is relatively expensive as it is typically produced as a byproduct of zinc mining and it is a rare metal. Less expensive alternatives such as doped zinc oxide (ZnO) and other TC materials have been used in some devices as the transparent conductor but process sensitivities and lower conductivity/transparency performance issues have limited the commercial acceptance of these substitutes for ITO. Attempts to lower the costs associated with use of ITO and other TC materials have included using less material, i.e., depositing a thinner TC layer. However, the use of thinner layers of the TC material when combined with repeated bending and other stresses often results in cracks in the brittle TC material, and these cracks often unacceptably increase resistivity (i.e., lower conductivity) of the TC layer.
In some efforts to overcome existing limitations of the TC materials, thin film device developers have used films of a metal such as silver, gold, or copper in conjunction with the TCO. The film of metal is provided to enhance the conductivity of the TCO layer while attempting to maintain a desired level of transparency. In such devices, the substrate can be designed to have a metal layer and a TCO layer that provides a higher light transmission than the metal layer or film by itself and also higher conductivity than the TCO material by itself. As a result, these devices may use thinner TC layers (i.e., use less TCO material) while providing the same or enhanced conductivity and/or light transmission. These devices have not been widely adopted commercially in part because these devices often have to be relatively thick. Specifically, the deposition of metals such as silver may involve islanding problems that make it difficult to apply a thin film of the highly conductive metal. Additionally, a non-conformal coating of such metal has decreased conductivity. Hence, these devices typically have a metal layer applied over the transparent conductor that is 7 to 10 nanometers (nm) or more thick to achieve desired conductivity.
In addition to providing transparency and conductivity, many electronic devices such as photovoltaic devices and devices with OLEDs must be protected from environmental contaminants such as moisture and air. A substantial cost of many thin film electronic devices is associated with incorporating a barrier or coating to try to prevent oxygen, water, and/or other environmental contaminants from reaching sensitive electronic components such as the TC layer. While relatively thick metal coatings are used to provide such protection in some packaging, these layers are not transparent which makes them unacceptable for many applications such as solar cells, and the permeation barrier may still not be adequate for the particular device. Particularly, some applications (e.g., organic-based electronic devices such as OLEDs for displays or organic photovoltaics) may use permeation rates for water/oxygen less than about 10−6 grams/m2-day. As a point of comparison, typical permeation rates of water through 4-mil PET is about 10 grams/m2-day at standard test conditions of 40° C. and 40 percent relative humidity. Layers of inorganic coatings such as oxides and nitrides (e.g., aluminum oxide, silicon oxide, and silicon nitride) are often used in conjunction with a plastic substrate to reduce the permeation by a factor of 10 to 1000. Permeation drops as the inorganic thickness increases, but it reaches a lower limit for film thicknesses of a few hundred to about 2 thousand Angstroms.
The lower limit for permeation is associated with the inevitable presence of film defects such as pinholes, cracks, scratches, and the like. This has been found to be true for a wide range of materials and deposition techniques such as physical vapor deposition by evaporation or sputtering and for plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition. In an attempt to disconnect the pinholes and cracks, layers of organic materials have been incorporated in some devices, but research indicates that due to the relatively thick geometry of these layers the water/oxygen transport was simply delayed and not blocked (i.e., the overall permeation rate is not substantially reduced). Hence, the diffusion rate through these multiple layer configurations is approximately the same as through a single inorganic layer of sufficient thickness. Another permeation barrier technique has attempted to address the problem with pinholes by constructing a conformal pinhole-free inorganic oxide coating using atomic layer deposition (ALD) to apply the barrier layer, and, in tests, these barriers achieve significant improvements in the permeation rate of water/oxygen. Unfortunately, the use of oxides and similar materials is not acceptable in many settings where high conductivity is desired as these materials have high resistivity. Additionally, oxide layers are often brittle and may often crack when stresses are applied or may propagate cracks that form in the underlying layers.
The foregoing examples of the related art and limitations related therewith are intended to be illustrative and not exclusive. Other limitations of the related art will become apparent to those of skill in the art upon a reading of the specification and a study of the drawings.

Thin film electronic devices with conductive and transparent gas and moisture permeation barriers


A universal modulator architecture for generating various band efficient waveforms, such as QPSK 8 PSK, 16 PSK, 16 QAM, 12/4 QAM, 32 QAM and 64 QAM and higher. The modulator includes one or more biphase modulators coupled to one or more QPSK modulators. Each of the bi-phase modulators includes a pair of switchable attenuators for varying the degree of phase shift of the symbols to form the various constellations for the 8 PSK, 16 PSK, 16 QAM 12/4 QAM, 32 QAM and 64 QAM and higher signals. The architecture is expandable to generate higher order modulation formats, such as 256 QAM, 512 QAM and 1024 QAM and above. The architecture is also expandable to support non-linear predistortion.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a modulation apparatus and more particularly to a universal modulator architecture for generating various band efficient signals, such as 8 PSK, 16 PSK, 16 QAM, 32 QAM, 64 QAM and 12/4 QAM.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Bandwidth efficiency is important in digital communication systems. It is the ratio of the rate of information transmission to the bandwidth required for the system to operate properly. The increasing demand for information transmission and limited resource of bandwidth allocations has focused interest on communications systems offering a high level of bandwidth efficiency.
Digital communication systems typically operate by sending symbols between a transmitter and a receiver selected from a predetermined alphabet of symbols, where each symbol represents some number of information bits. The required bandwidth is related to the rate of symbol transmission is typically expressed in terms of number of symbols per second. A strategy for increasing the bandwidth efficiency of a digital communication system is to use a larger alphabet of symbols where each symbol represents more information bits.
For example, in a simple biphase shift keyed system, an alphabet of two symbols is used. Each symbol represents a single bit (1 or 0). The phase of a constant amplitude carrier signal is shifted by 0° or 180° to represent each of the two symbols. Each symbol is represented by a dot as shown in FIG. 1a.
Increasing the alphabet of transmitted symbols to four allows two bits of digital information to be transmitted on each symbol. This is referred to as quadraphase shift keying (QPSK). The carrier is transmitted at one of four possible phases, separated by 90°, to represent each symbol as illustrated in FIG. 1b. Such QPSK modulation techniques are known in the art and described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,440,259; 5,615,230; 5,440,268; 5,550,868; 5,598,441; 5,500,876 and 5,485,489, hereby incorporated by reference.
This may be extended to 8 PSK and 16 PSK, where an alphabet of eight or sixteen symbols represent three or four bits of digital information. The carrier is then transmitted at one of eight or sixteen phases separated by 45° or 22.5°, for example as shown in FIGS. 1c and 1d. Note that in all the above cases the amplitude (distance to the origin on the plot) is constant for all symbols.
The reduced angular separation of transmitted symbols increases the likelihood of erroneous symbol decisions in the receiver resulting in information bit transmission errors. This limits the usefulness of larger alphabets of PSK symbols.
By varying the amplitude in addition to the phase of a carrier, the communication system may operate with a larger symbol alphabet while preserving the separation of symbols in the receiver. A modulation format that exploits this is known as quadrature amplitude modulation (QAM) is illustrated in FIGS. 1e–1g. 16 QAM, 32 QAM and 64 QAM transmit four, five and six bits of information with each symbol respectively. Note that multiple amplitudes and phases differentiate the symbols. Such QAM modulation techniques are relatively well known in the art. Example of such QAM modulation techniques are discussed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,612,651; 5,343,499; 5,363,408 and 5,307,377, hereby incorporated by reference.
FIG. 1h illustrates 12/4 QAM which is a special case of 16 QAM. Only two values of amplitude are used for 12/4 QAM as compared with three for 16 QAM. The lower amplitude symbols are separated by 90° and the larger amplitude symbols are separated by 30°. 12/4 QAM is a desirable alternative to 16 QAM because it makes more efficient use of limited transmitter power.
The modulators for generating bandwidth efficient signals, such as QPSK and QAM signals are relatively complex. Serial modulators are known for generating PSK waveforms. However, such serial modulators do not have the capability for amplitude modulation and thus cannot be used in QAM applications. Parallel modulators are also known that are adapted to provide both phase and amplitude modulation, making such modulators suitable for both QPSK and QAM applications. However, the complexity and critical alignment of such parallel modulators make such modulators relatively expensive. A digital vector modulator is also known which overcomes many of the problems mentioned above. However, such digital vector modulators are only suitable for use at lower data rate applications.
In order to obviate the need for different modulators for different modulating techniques, a universal architecture for a modulator is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,648,985. In particular, the '985 patent discloses a universal architecture for generating both QAM and PSK signals. Unfortunately, such a universal modulator is not suitable and cannot be used for other band efficient modulation techniques, such as FSK.


The invention relates to an electric lamp, the cap (3) of which has at least two resilient tabs (8), which are each provided with a latching lug (8a), and an attachment ring (6), which is mounted so that it can rotate about its ring axis, the tabs (8) bearing against the inside of the attachment ring (6) with a clamping fit, and the inside having wall areas which are at different distances from the ring axis. By rotation of the attachment ring (6), pressure is exerted on the tabs (8) and the latching connection of the latching lugs (8a) in the lamp holder is released.

An electric lamp with twist mounts bases are known, for example, in German Utility Model 296 16 116. The lamp described in the abovementioned Utility Model is an incandescent lamp which is intended to be used in a motor vehicle for generating the brake light, tail light or indicator light functions. In this lamp, depending on the use desired, the lamp cap is designed either as a plug connector or is equipped with sliding contacts for mounting on printed circuit boards.

Electric lamp with rotatable base including compressed contacts

Patent-Treuhand-Gesellschaft fuer elektrische Gluehlampen mbH


The storage media recording/writing system includes a media drive circuit, a head retaining means, a head moving means, a head drive circuit, a signal processing circuit, and a controller to control these. The head drive circuit possesses a first semiconductor integrated circuit having an amplifier that amplifies the read signal from the head, and a second semiconductor integrated circuit placed between the first semiconductor integrated circuit and the signal processing circuit, which has a circuit that receives write data from the signal processing circuit and generates a drive signal to drive a write head. Further, the first semiconductor integrated circuit is mounted on a part near the front of the head retaining means, and the second semiconductor integrated circuit is installed on the side of the moving means.

The present invention relates to a storage media reading/writing system, specifically to a reading/writing semiconductor integrated circuit that amplifies a signal read from a head or drives the head by a write signal in the storage media reading/writing system of the magnetic recording system, which is a technique effective for use in a hard disk drive.
Generally, the hard disk drive is provided on the side of a carriage 130, as shown in FIG. 23, with a reading/writing semiconductor integrated circuit (hereunder, referred to as read write IC) 220 that amplifies a signal read from a magnetic head or drives the magnetic head by a write signal to move an arm 120 furnished with the magnetic head for reading data stored in a magnetic disk 100 as storage media; and, the read write IC 220 and the magnetic head are connected usually with a bendable cable called the FPC (Flexible Printed Circuit). Further, in the hard disk drive containing plural magnetic disks as shown in FIG. 23, the read write IC is designed as an IC for multiple channels that processes, with one IC, the signals from the plural magnetic heads provided correspondingly with the plural magnetic disks each.
Differently from a semiconductor memory, the magnetic disk drive includes physically movable parts that delay the read and write speed of data, which is disadvantageous, and there is a demand for a still further increase in the speed. In order to enhance the data transfer speed in the magnetic disk drive, it is needed to increase the rotational speed of a disk, namely, a spindle motor, and also to accurately perform the servo control of a voice coil motor that moves the spindle motor and the carriage. Also, the read write IC is required for a high-performance circuit design, so as to amplify high frequency signals.
The applicant of this invention has succeeded in the development of a magnetic disk drive and a high-performance read write IC that permit such a high-speed rotation and an accurate servo control in the high-speed rotation and a high-frequency operation. However, the inventors found a problem that an increase of the data transfer speed will accompany a deterioration of the SN ratio relating to the read signal and the write signal. The inventors examined the cause and source of the problem, accordingly.
As the result, the inventors found that the noises of high-frequency components are created at the magnetic head (especially during writing), and in such a configuration that the read write IC is installed on the carriage and the magnetic head located on the front of the arm is connected to the read write IC with a cable, if the length of the cable is very long, it will function as an antenna to pick up high frequency noises; and the noises picked up by the cable deteriorate the SN ratio since a signal transmitted through the cable is very weak.
Accordingly, the inventors investigated the possibility of shortening the length of the cable that connects the magnetic head and the read write IC by installing the read write IC on the arm. However, the installation of the read write IC on the arm increases the weight of the arm, which interferes with the seek operation, and a large size IC is not permitted to be mounted on the arm. From such circumstances, the inventors reach an idea to divide the functions of the conventional read write IC into plural chips, and to install only the IC on the arm that is connected directly to the magnetic head and has a minimum configuration of a read amplifier and a write amplifier to electrically drive the head, whereby the aforementioned problem can be solved.
Now, in order to solve the problem similar to the above problem, the Japanese Published Unexamined Patent Application No. Hei 3(1991)-108120 discloses an IC that splits the read write IC and installs an IC including a control circuit on the side of the movable arm, and installs an IC chip having a write circuit or a read circuit on the side of the head slider. This prior art presents an example of an IC chip that reduces the load impedance of the write circuit to make a quick rise of the current, and has the write circuit to guarantee a good writing that is installed on the side of the head slider.
Further, this prior art describes that the wiring length between the head IC and the magnetic head has to be made as short as possible, since the noise level mixed in the reading signal is proportional to the wiring length between the head IC and the magnetic head and a longer wiring length produces larger noises. In other words, the prior art considers it desirable to provide an IC chip having a read circuit and a write circuit on the side of the head slider, in view of the characteristics of the read circuit and the write circuit; however, since such an arrangement increases the weight of the head slider to deteriorate the tracking ability, conceivably the invention proposes to provide the IC chip having the read circuit or the write circuit on the side of the head slider. At least, the prior art does not disclose at all the positive aspect of installing an IC chip having only the read circuit on the side of the head slider.
Further, in those days when the aforementioned prior art was proposed, the IC was sealed in a resin package in general, and there was not available a recently developed mounting technique that does not use a package, such as the flip chip. Therefore, the weight of the present IC is considerably reduced, compared to the times of the application of the prior art, and it becomes less significant in view of the weight to divide the read write IC into an IC chip including the control circuit installed on the side of the movable arm and an IC chip having the write circuit or the read circuit installed on the side of the head slider. In short, it is reasonable to understand the prior art, from the spirit of the invention to reduce the load impedance, as a technique maintaining it desirable to install an IC chip including the write circuit and the read circuit on the side of the head slider, when the problem of the weight is resolved.
However, the inventors of the present invention found a further problem that the installation of an IC chip having the write circuit and the read circuit on the side of the head slider, accompanying the adoption of the flip chip mounting technique, does not very much aggravate the tracking ability of the head, however the power consumption in the chip increases and generates more heat, whereby a suspending part of the head retaining means thermally deforms to deteriorate the positioning accuracy. Concretely, first the reading is executed in the write mode, and the positioning of the head is executed on the basis of the signal readout, and then the writing is started; however, provided that the write circuit is installed near the head, a great amount of currents flows during the writing to raise the temperature of the chip, which leads to a fear of thermally deforming the head suspending part, and finally dislocating the head.
Especially in the flip chip mounting technique, the thermal capacity of a chip diminishes by the extent that the chip does not wear a package, and the thermal transmission between the chip and the head suspending part is bettered in comparison to an IC sealed in a package; and therefore, the head suspending part becomes still easier to thermally deform (stretch and shrink). The aforementioned prior art does not disclose at all a conception of dividing the chip from the viewpoint of the thermal deformation of the head suspending part, accompanied with a heat generated in the chip.
It is therefore an object of the invention to provide a storage media reading/writing system that prevents a thermal deformation of the head suspending part due to the write current, and achieves a highly accurate writing and reading.
Another object of the invention is to provide a storage media reading/writing system that permits the reading of data at a high speed without lowering the SN ratio.
Another object of the invention is to provide a storage media reading/writing system that permits the reading and writing of data at a high speed without a hindrance to the seek operation.
The foregoing and other objects and the novel features of the present invention will become apparent from the descriptions and the accompanying drawings of this specification.
The typical aspects of the invention disclosed in this application will be outlined as follows.
According to one aspect of the invention, the storage media recording/writing system includes a media drive circuit, a head retaining means, a head moving means, a head drive circuit, a signal processing circuit, and a controller. Further, the head drive circuit includes a first semiconductor integrated circuit having an amplifier that amplifies the read signal from the head, and a second semiconductor integrated circuit arranged between the first semiconductor integrated circuit and the signal processing circuit, which has a circuit that receives write data from the signal processing circuit and generates a drive signal to drive a write head. The head is mounted on the front of the head retaining means, and the first semiconductor integrated circuit is mounted on a part near the front, and the second semiconductor integrated circuit is installed on the side of the moving means.
According to the forgoing construction, the semiconductor integrated circuit to electrically drive the head is made up with two semiconductor integrated circuits, in which the first semiconductor integrated circuit having a read circuit is disposed on a part near the front of the head retaining means (arm), and the second semiconductor integrated circuit having a write circuit is disposed on the side of the head moving means (carriage). Therefore, if a write current flowing through the second semiconductor integrated circuit during writing raises a temperature of the chip, the head retaining means is unsusceptible to transmission of a heat, and is able to avoid a displacement of the head due to the heat generated. The construction also shortens the signal lines connecting the head and the semiconductor integrated circuit containing the read circuit to make the signal lines immune from noises, and thereby achieves a data reading at a high speed without deteriorating the SN ratio. Further, the semiconductor integrated circuit to electrically drive the head is constituted by two semiconductor integrated circuits, and one is mounted on the head retaining means (arm) and the other one is mounted on the head moving means (carriage); and accordingly, the system succeeds in restricting the weight increase of the semiconductor integrated circuit mounted on the arm to thereby achieve a high-speed reading and writing without a hindrance to the seek operation.
Further, when the head retaining means has an immovable part (base part) disposed near the moving means and a movable part (suspending part) disposed to face the recording media, it is preferable to install the first semiconductor integrated circuit on the movable part of the head retaining means. This construction shortens the distance between the head and the first semiconductor integrated circuit containing the read circuit, compared to a case of the first semiconductor integrated circuit being installed on the immovable part, and makes the read signal lines still more immune from noises.
Also, it is preferable to make up the immovable part of the head retaining means with a member of a high rigidity, and to make up the movable part with a thin plate member having a more elasticity than that of the immovable part. The front of the head retaining means is needed to deform, when the recording media rotates to generate a buoyancy acted on the head, and it is possible to use a head retaining member whose cross-sectional area decreases gradually toward the front; however, it is more advantageous in view of workability to make up the immovable part with a member of a high rigidity, and the movable part with a thin plate member having an elasticity.
According to another aspect of the invention, in the storage media recording/writing system, the first semiconductor integrated circuit and the second integrated circuit are connected with a bendable wiring cable, and the first semiconductor integrated circuit is coupled with the wiring cable through bumps of a fusible metal on a specific position thereof. This construction allows connection of the two semiconductor integrated circuits with a general-purpose cable such as a FPC, and facilitates the coupling of the cable and the first semiconductor integrated circuit, thus achieving reduction of the cost.
According to another aspect of the invention, the head is driven by a voltage signal from the write circuit provided in the second integrated circuit. The drive of the head by the voltage signal permits lowering the output impedance of the write circuit, thereby enhancing the settling of the current flowing through the head, and achieving a high-speed writing.
According to another aspect of the invention, the circuit to generate the drive signal supplied to the head for writing includes a resistor for an impedance matching that has the same resistance as the characteristic impedance of a wiring to connect the head and the second semiconductor integrated circuit. This construction prevents a signal reflection at the end of the signal line to achieve a high-speed writing. Here, the resistor for the impedance matching is preferably configured with a variable resistor such that the resistance can be adjusted. Thereby, if the length of the wiring to connect the head and the second semiconductor integrated circuit containing the write circuit and the type of the cable used are different in the system, the resistance can be adjusted to overcome the differences.
According to another aspect of the invention, on the first semiconductor integrated circuit, the bumps for terminals connecting with the second semiconductor integrated circuit are arrayed along one side of a chip on which the first semiconductor integrated circuit is formed, and the bumps for terminals connecting with the head are arrayed along the other side of the chip. Further, two rows of the bumps are mounted on the wiring cable along the cross direction thereof. Thereby, the breadth of the wiring cable can be reduced, compared with a case of the bump rows arrayed along the longitudinal direction of the cable.
According to another aspect of the invention, the first semiconductor integrated circuit includes a compensation circuit that compensates a deterioration of a frequency characteristic of a gain and a bandwidth, accompanied with dispersions of the resistance of the head. This restricts a deterioration of the frequency characteristic of the gain and the bandwidth, even if there are dispersions of the resistance of the head.
According to another aspect of the invention, the first semiconductor integrated circuit and the second semiconductor integrated circuit are connected to each other with two power supply lines and two transmission lines. This construction reduces the number of the signal lines, and achieves a further weight reduction of the head retaining means to realize a smooth and accurate seek operation of the arm.
According to another aspect of the invention, the head is configured with a read head and a write head. The employment of a head suitable for reading and a head suitable for writing allows a high-speed reading/writing and a high-accuracy reading/writing.
Further, preferably the first semiconductor integrated circuit and the second semiconductor integrated circuit are connected to each other only with two power supply lines and two transmission lines. This facilitates the assembly work of the head, and further reduces the weight of the arm that retains the head, which effects a further smooth and accurate seek operation of the arm.
According to another aspect of the invention, when the system incorporates a plurality of the heads, a plurality of the first semiconductor integrated circuits are provided corresponding to the number of the heads, and the second semiconductor integrated circuit is provided as a common circuit to a plurality of the first semiconductor integrated circuits. This reduces the number of the chips constituting the system, and facilitates the assembly.


A system and method for scanning objects using a non-translational x-ray diffraction (XRD) system is disclosed. The system includes a scanning area through which an object to be scanned traverses and a distributed x-ray source having a plurality of focal spot locations. The distributed x-ray source is affixed on the scanning area and is configured to emit x-rays towards the object as a series of parallel x-ray beams. A stationary detector arrangement is affixed on another side of the scanning area generally opposite the distributed x-ray source and is configured to measure a coherent scatter spectra of the x-rays after passing through the object. A data acquisition system (DAS) is connected to the detector arrangement and is configured to measure the coherent scatter spectra, which is utilized to generate XRD data and determine a material composition of at least a portion of the object from the XRD data.

Embodiments of the invention relate generally to x-ray diffraction (XRD) systems and, more particularly, to an x-ray source and detector configuration in a non-translational XRD system.
In recent years, the detection of contraband, such as explosives, being transported in luggage and taken onto various means of transportation has become increasingly important. To meet the increased need for such detection, advanced Explosives Detection Systems (EDSs) have been developed that can not only detect suspicious articles being carried in the luggage but can also determine whether or not the articles contain explosive materials.
These detection systems, at a minimum, include computed tomography (CT) machines that are capable of acquiring mass and density information (as well as additional information, such as an effective atomic number) on items within luggage. To acquire more detailed and highly selective information on luggage being scanned, explosives detection devices based on x-ray diffraction (XRD) can be employed in combination with the CT system to provide complementary information relative to the data from the CT system, thereby improving the overall detection performance of the EDS. That is, the complementary information gained from the XRD system, when combined with the CT data, can provide higher detection sensitivity with reduced false alarms as compared to CT data alone, thus resulting in less manual or follow-on inspection needed to clear the alarms and preventing inspection system backup.
Commercial designs of XRD systems, however, limit the throughput achievable in existing EDSs that combine various scanning and detection technologies. That is, XRD systems presently in use typically emit a highly collimated X-ray beam that is small in diameter toward a region of interest (ROI) in an object to be interrogated. To investigate additional ROIs in the object, the object has to be repositioned and/or the x-ray source and detector combination has to be mechanically repositioned to illuminate the new ROI. This repositioning of either the object or of the collimator/detector arrangement in the system can lead to increased scanning time and greatly reduce baggage scanning rates.
Therefore, it would be desirable to design an apparatus and method for reducing the scanning time of objects in an XRD system. It would also be desirable to control the XRD system to interrogate ROIs in the object based on data acquired from a separate imaging system to further increase efficiency in operation of the XRD system.

X-ray source and detector configuration for a non-translational x-ray diffraction system


A MEMS switch has a base formed from a substrate with a top surface and an insulator layer formed on at least a portion of the top surface. Bonding material secures a cap to the base to form an interior chamber. The cap effectively forms an exterior region of the base that is exterior to the interior chamber. The MEMS switch also has a movable member (in the interior chamber) having a member contact portion, an internal contact (also in the interior chamber), and an exterior contact at the exterior region of the base. The contact portion of the movable member is configured to alternatively contact the interior contact. A conductor at least partially within the insulator layer electrically connects the interior contact and the exterior contact. The conductor is spaced from and electrically isolated from the bonding material securing the cap to the base.

A wide variety of devices use MEMS switches to selectively transmit current between two points. To that end, MEMS switches often include movable microstructure, such as a cantilevered arm, that is selectively brought into contact with an adjacent conductor. An actuation electrode (or other actuation mechanism) can apply a force, such as an attractive electrostatic force, to the cantilevered arm, urging the arm toward the adjacent conductor. Contact between the arm and the adjacent conductor closes a circuit, permitting current to flow across the switch between the two desired points. Conversely, when the arm and adjacent conductor do not contact, the circuit is open, thus preventing current flow.
The movable microstructure generally must be protected from the environment. If not, then environmental contaminants can severely damage the fragile microstructure, rendering the switch inoperable. Accordingly, MEMS switch microstructure typically is encapsulated within a wafer-level package, such as a cap, to protect the fragile microstructure. Undesirably, caps can increase the risk of a short circuit from the intended closed circuit.

MEMS swtich with internal conductive path


An exercise system consisting of an inflatable assembly and stackable weight elements that can be used to support the inflatable assembly at different elevations. The inflatable assembly presents an inflated curved surface for body support. The stackable weight elements each have annular bodies that can be selectively filled with fill material. Each of the stackable weight elements have crenelated sections that intermesh when the stackable weight elements are vertically and concentrically stacked. The intermeshing of the stackable weight elements enables the stackable weight elements to remain highly stable when stacked and used to support the half-ball assembly.

1. Field of the Invention
In general, the present invention relates to exercise devices, such as inflated exercise balls and half-balls, that are used as body support surfaces while exercising. More particularly, the present invention relates to support structures used to selectively elevate such exercise balls and half-balls to various heights, and/or significantly stabilize exercise balls and half-balls when positioned with the inflatable dome side facing down. The present invention also relates to exercise weights that can be selectively filled with water.
2. Prior Art Description
Exercise trainers have discovered that there are many benefits that can be obtained by having a person support his/her body upon a large inflated ball while performing certain exercises. The inflated ball provides a soft rounded surface that prevents contact injuries. Furthermore, having a person balance his/her weight upon the curved surface causes that person to flex and exercise a larger variety of muscle groups. As such, certain exercises become more effective.
Large diameter exercise balls provide a wide surface upon which a person can easily rest his/her body. However, large diameter exercise balls can often be too high and too unstable to use for may types of exercises. Conversely, small diameter round exercise balls can support the body at a more comfortable height. However, small diameter balls do not provide a large enough area to safely and comfortably support a user's body and are also too unstable for many exercises. To eliminate the disadvantages of both large diameter exercise balls and small diameter exercise balls, half-ball assemblies have been developed in the exercise industry. Half-ball assemblies provide a large inflatable half-ball. The inflated half-ball provides the same support to a person as does a large diameter ball, since it has an inflatable dome the same diameter as the full ball. However, since only a half-ball is provided, the support provided is only half as high and mimics the height of a small diameter ball but the inflatable half-ball is more stable making it suitable for many more exercises. A prominent half-ball assembly being commercially sold is the BOSU® balance trainer created by Bosu Fitness LLC of San Diego, Calif.
Half-ball assemblies can also be used with the inflatable dome side facing down. In this orientation, the half-ball assembly is more unstable than it is with the dome side facing up. Although half-ball assemblies enable users to engage in many exercises, the utility of half-ball assemblies can be significantly increased for a wider group of people when they can be safely elevated and/or significantly stabilized when the dome side faces down.
In U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2013/0017937 to Guarrasi, entitled Training Device For Balance Agility And Proprioception, a device is disclosed where a half-ball assembly can be positioned atop stacked risers in order to change the elevation of the half-ball assembly. However, the risers provided merely stack atop one another and do not mechanically engage either the adjacent risers or the half-ball assembly. The consequence is that the half-ball assembly can easily be shifted and dislodged off the risers during exercise. As a result, the riser and the base of the half-ball assembly must be made particularly wide in relation to the diameter of the half-ball assembly. The use of a wide base and a wide riser mandates that a person cannot step particularly close to the half-ball assembly while exercising. This limits the number of exercises that can be comfortably performed on the assembly.
A need therefore exists for a half-ball assembly that has the ability to be selectively elevated, yet remains highly stable when in an elevated condition when the dome side is facing up. A need also exists for a half-ball assembly that mechanically engages its supports to create a stable structure that can have a small width in relation to the elevated height of the half-ball structure. A need also exists for a half-ball assembly that can be significantly stabilized when the dome side faces down. These needs are met by the present invention as described and claimed below.

Exercise system with weighted stackable base elements


The invention provides dye mixtures for application to human hair, the dye mixtures comprising polyphenolic materials, these materials being obtained from botanical sources. Preferably, the botanical source is fruit, especially fruit selected from blackcurrants, blackberries, blueberries, bilberries, cranberries, grapes, chokeberries, Saskatoon berries, sea-buckthorn, mulberries acai, cherries, red cabbage and/or figs. Preferably, the polyphenolic materials comprise anthocyanin compounds which, most preferably, are aglycone anthocyanidins or glycosylated anthocyanins of the formula (III):

Semi-permanent hair coloration is an increasingly significant activity on a global basis, with the numbers of people using hair colorants, both in professional salons and in their own homes, increasing at a rapid rate. However, due to the chemical nature of many hair dyes, the users of these products are exposed to significant health risks, and there would be clear benefits for those who do apply hair colorants themselves, or undergo professional hair colouring treatments, in the development of alternative natural, non-toxic, non-carcinogenic products and application methods, which would minimise any potential hazards to human health.
Many commercial hair dyes are synthetically derived from petroleum feedstocks, and their manufacture frequently involves handling hazardous intermediates and the consumption of large volumes of petroleum based solvents. Furthermore, present hair coloration techniques typically involve the waste of up to 95% of the colour applied, which thereby is discharged to watercourses. Clearly, therefore, there would be considerable benefit in the development of biodegradable colorants, extracted from natural sources, and involving the use of benign technologies.
There has previously been interest in various colorants which occur in natural products, and one class that has received some attention is the group of polyphenols known as anthocyanins. Various prior art documents are available which teach the use of these materials in cosmetic products.
Thus, for example, PL-B-192692 teaches a method of obtaining anthocyanin dyes, and recovering the dyes from plant production wastes. Specifically, the patent discloses the extraction of anthocyanin dyes from coloured fruits, such as blueberry, black rose and black chokeberry, and their subsequent purification and use in food, cosmetic and pharmaceutical products. A specific method for pre-treatment of the fruit, and its extraction and subsequent purification by adsorption/desorption is provided. However, the authors offer no specific mention of other fruit sources, and neither is there any reference to the use of the product, or of any related formulation.
The website of a US cosmetic producer/supplier, Act by Nature LLC (http://actbynature.com/), advertises a variety of all-natural hair colorants, including "revolutionary patent pending natural permanent hair colour, colouring tints, and colour enhancing solutions made using 100% plant derived dyes". However, limited technical information is provided regarding the nature of these dyes, although a general list of ingredients for hair dye formulations is available, and this list includes anthocyanins amongst the key ingredients. However, no further information is provided.
US-A-2006/246025 relates to natural fast-drying hair fixative compositions comprising polysaccharides, but is principally concerned with polysaccharide-based delivery systems comprising a combination of a linear polysaccharide such as pullulan and a monohydric alcohol, and includes no reference to any colouring system.
JP-A-62153211 is concerned with the use of anthocyanins in hair care products, and discloses hair preparations containing anthocyanins for dandruff control. However, it appears that the action of the disclosed anthocyanin ingredients is specifically in the control of dandruff in the disclosed hair tonics, since no mention is made of dyeing activity. Specific anthocyanin structures (I) are disclosed, although the document is silent regarding source fruit and methods of extraction and purification.

The disclosed hair preparations for control of dandruff contain at least one compound selected from anthocyanins (I) (wherein R1 and R2 are independently H, OH, or MeO; R3 and R4 are independently H or β-glucoside). Polyoxyethylene oleyl alcohol ether, delphinidin and a fragrance are added to ethanol and the alcoholic phase is added to water containing glycerine to give a hair tonic.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,620,410 teaches hair care compositions which are designed to provide increased protection from ultraviolet radiation. The disclosed formulations comprise grape skin extract, and are alleged to display anti-UV radiation properties. It is believed that the grape skin extract will inevitably contain anthocyanins, although the document contains no specific disclosure of anthocyanins, or of any other anthocyanin sources; in addition, the patent fails to teach or suggest the use of any extract for the purposes of hair coloration.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,241,785 relates to flavyllium-type compounds and their use in dyeing keratinous fibres, with particular emphasis on human hair. These derivatives are members of a chemical class to which anthocyanins belong. However, the disclosed compounds are obtained synthetically, and not via the extraction of fruit. Furthermore, the patent specifies compounds (II) having particular substitution patterns, thereby excluding anthocyanins.

JP-A-4119179 teaches a specific anthocyanin compound—cyanidin 3-O-arabinoside—for use in dyeing wool in combination with quercetin glucouronide. However, whilst the document teaches formulation of the dye, no information is provided with regard to the source of the anthocyanin, or its recovery. Furthermore, the patent concerns the dyeing of a fibre, with specific mention being made of silk and wool, and requires dyeing conditions of pH≦2.5 combined with a temperature 95° C. for 1 hour, conditions which would be wholly inappropriate for dyeing human hair. Despite its proposed use as a dye, the document makes no mention of the application of the material to hair, or indeed its use in any cosmetic application.
US-A-2007/0251024 teaches the application of natural colorants to hair in a process requiring the inclusion of a mordanting agent, such as a mineral or metal salt, in the hair dyeing process. The inventors describe the inclusion of the mordant to provide substantivity between the dye and hair fibre, inferring that in the absence of the mordant dyeing would not be possible as the limited affinity of the dyes would not allow sufficient build-up of colour on the hair fibre. The claimed invention is, in many ways, analogous to centuries-old wool dyeing processes which require application of natural dyes with a mordant. However, the document contains no suggestion of the application of natural polyphenols as dyes without a mordant.
The literature provides few examples relating to the dyeing of textile fibres with anthocyanin based dyes, although there have been recent reports of the successful application of an aqueous extract of grape pomace to dye cotton pre-mordanted with tannins, and bleached wool yarn, in each case yielding red/violet shades. The dyeings in this study were conducted by exhaustion methods, employing aqueous dyebaths with or without metal salt (or tannin) mordant added to the solution.
The increasing demand for dyes for use in the dyeing of human hair which are free from potential health hazards has presented an opportunity for manufacturers to exploit dyes such as anthocyanins, which are available from natural sources via clean technologies, for such purposes. However, there is at present no satisfactory commercial process for the production of dyes in this way. The present inventors have, therefore, investigated the production of colorants from natural sources, and have developed a range of natural compounds, and methods for their production, which facilitate the production of safe, commercially viable, hair dyes.

Abstract: wherein R1 and R2 are, independently, H, OH or OCH3, R3 is OH (aglycone anthocyanidins) or a glycosyl group (glycosylated anthocyanins), and x is a counter-ion. The invention also provides methods for the preparation of these dye mixtures and for the use of the dye mixtures in the semi-permanent coloration of human hair.


A pneumatic spring for a running gear of a motor vehicle, including a pneumatic spring cover and a pneumatic spring piston, wherein a pneumatic spring bellows composed of elastomer material is braced in air-tight fashion between the pneumatic spring cover and the pneumatic spring piston, wherein the pneumatic spring bellows is at least partially surrounded by a sleeve-like outer guide, wherein a corrugated bellows surrounds the pneumatic spring bellows and the outer guide, and wherein, between the outer guide and the corrugated bellows, there is provided a separately formed, air-permeable fastener by which the corrugated bellows is fixed to the outer guide.

Pneumatic springs or pneumatic spring struts which are braced between a running gear and a body of a motor vehicle and which have a pneumatic spring bellows, which in turn is fastened between a pneumatic spring cover and a pneumatic spring piston, are known in a multiplicity of embodiments. During operation, the pneumatic spring is subject to an internal positive pressure. The pneumatic spring bellows rolls under load and during spring deflection movements so as to form a roll fold on the outer contour of the concentric pneumatic spring piston which, in the case of a pneumatic spring strut, is fastened to a cylinder tube of the shock-absorbing damper.
In the case of pneumatic springs in the passenger motor vehicle sector, pneumatic spring bellows with the thinnest possible walls are used because these ensure a high level of rolling comfort. In order, in the case of these, to realize a satisfactory load-bearing capacity of the system as a whole, the pneumatic spring bellows or the pneumatic springs are equipped with outer guides, specifically with a tubular sleeve surrounding the pneumatic spring bellows, as a supporting corset or supporting body. It is accordingly possible, for example, for a thin pneumatic spring bellows with a thin light metal sleeve as a supporting body to be optimized for high internal pressures, and thus for high load-bearing capacity, while simultaneously having good harshness characteristics. Here, the outer guides are designed and arranged such that the pneumatic spring bellows can roll, on the one hand, on the outer side of the pneumatic spring rolling piston and, on the other hand, on the inner surface of the outer guide.
This however has the disadvantage that such pneumatic spring bellows, in relation to thick-walled and thus more robust pneumatic spring bellows in the utility vehicle sector, react very much more sensitively to deposits and foreign bodies on the rolling surfaces. The comfortable pneumatic spring bellows, when it rolls over deposits or foreign bodies, very readily reacts with intense abrasion or destruction of its filigree reinforcement members, which can result in failure of the pneumatic spring.
It is therefore necessary that the roll folds of the pneumatic spring bellows be afforded particular protection, which is achieved by way of a protective bellows or corrugated bellows surrounding the pneumatic spring. In particular in the case of externally guided pneumatic springs, use is made of a corrugated bellows to protect the pneumatic spring bellows against fouling (for example dust, sand or stones from the road during driving operation), such as is known for example from DE 103 02 495 A1, incorporated herein by reference. The use of a corrugated bellows however gives rise to the problem that, during spring deflection movements of the pneumatic spring, the air volume of the space surrounded by the corrugated bellows simultaneously changes, and thus an exchange of air must take place between the air enclosed by the corrugated bellows and the contaminated air outside.
In the case of a pneumatic spring strut, the corrugated bellows is attached to the lower end of the shock-absorbing damper piston and to the lower end of the outer guide, such as emerges for example from DE 10 2013 211 644 A1, incorporated herein by reference. The corrugated bellows is fastened to the outer guide in sealed fashion and to the piston with ventilation openings, such that a certain exchange of air can take place at the piston end. It is sought in this way to ensure that no dirt can enter the interior of the corrugated bellows from above, and the dirt that has entered by being sucked in can escape to the outside again in the direction of the running gear.
The arrangement of the corrugated bellows vent at the bottom, facing toward the running gear, of the corrugated bellows has the effect that, during spring compression movements of the pneumatic spring, owing to the associated decrease in volume in the corrugated bellows interior, the air is discharged downward in the direction of the running gear, the pneumatic spring bellows simultaneously exposes an increasing region of the contact surface on the outer guide, and the pneumatic spring rolling piston covers a potentially fouled region. During spring extension movements of the pneumatic spring, owing to the increase in volume in the corrugated bellows interior, potentially contaminated air is sucked in from below, and the pneumatic spring bellows simultaneously covers an increasing and potentially fouled region of the contact surface on the outer guide and exposes contact surface on the piston. A disadvantage is thus that, during spring deflection movements, dust and/or foreign bodies are sucked into the interior of the corrugated bellows. This becomes a problem if such material does not escape to the outside again but passes into the rolling region of the pneumatic spring bellows, which has the effect that the corrugated bellows has lost its required protective function, and damage to the pneumatic spring bellows is not ruled out.
In the case of a pneumatic spring such as is known from DE 10 2009 003 829 A1, incorporated herein by reference, the corrugated bellows is fastened to a collar or projection of the outer guide. The collar is part of the outer guide and has a vent in the form of multiple ventilation bores. Since the pneumatic spring is situated in an upside-down position, the collar of the outer guide faces toward the running gear. The ventilation of the corrugated bellows thus takes place at the bottom of the corrugated bellows. This type of fastening necessitates a certain spacing between outer guide and corrugated bellows, which however has a disadvantageous effect on the usable pneumatic spring bellows volume owing to the small available structural space. An outer guide of said type is also disadvantageous in the manufacturing process, because further manufacturing steps are necessary, for example the deformation of the collar and the formation of the ventilation bores.


An electrophotographic photoconductor has an electroconductive support, and a photoconductive layer which is formed thereon and contains as an effective component an aromatic polycarbonate resin having a structural unit of formula (1), two structural units of formula (1) and (2), or a repeat unit of formula (3): ##STR1##. wherein R.sup.1 and R.sup.2, Ar.sup.1 to Ar.sup.8, X, Y, s and n are as specified in the specification. The above-mentioned aromatic polycarbonate resin is provided with charge transporting properties.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an electrophotographic photoconductor comprising an electroconductive support, and a photoconductive layer formed thereon, comprising an aromatic polycarbonate resin. In addition, the present invention also relates to the above-mentioned aromatic polycarbonate resin with charge transporting properties.
2. Discussion of Background
Recently organic photoconductors (OPC) are used in many copying machines and printers. These organic photoconductors have a layered structure comprising a charge generation layer (CGL) and a charge transport layer (CTL) which are successively overlaid on an electroconductive support. The charge transport layer (CTL) is a film-shaped layer comprising a binder resin and a low-molecular-weight charge transport material (CTM) dissolved therein. The addition of such a low-molecular-weight charge transport material (CTM) to the binder resin lowers the intrinsic mechanical strength of the binder resin, so that the CTL film is fragile and has a low tensile strength. Such lowering of the mechanical strength of the CTL causes the wearing of the photoconductor or forms scratches and cracks on the surface of the photoconductor.
Although some vinyl polymers such as polyvinyl anthracene, polyvinyl pyrene and poly-N-vinylcarbazole have been studied as high-molecular-weight photoconductive materials for forming a charge transporting complex for use in the conventional organic photoconductor, such polymers are not satisfactory from the viewpoint of photosensitivity.
In addition, high-molecular-weight materials having charge transporting properties have been also studied to eliminate the shortcomings of the above-mentioned layered photoconductor. For instance, there are proposed an acrylic resin having a triphenylamine structure as reported by M. Stolka et al., in "J. Polym. Sci., vol 21, 969 (1983)"; a vinyl polymer having a hydrazone structure as described in "Japan Hard Copy '89 p. 67"; and polycarbonate resins having a triarylamine structure as disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,801,517, 4,806,443, 4,806,444, 4,937,165, 4,959,288, 5,030,532, 5,034,296, and 5,080,989, and Japanese Laid-Open Patent Applications Nos. 64-9964, 3-221522, 2-304456, 4-11627, 4-175337, 4-18371, 4-31404, and 4-133065. However, any materials have not yet been put to practical use.
According to the report of "Physical Review B46 6705 (1992)" by M. A. Abkowitz et al., it is confirmed that the drift mobility of a high-molecular weight charge transport material is lower than that of a low-molecular weight material by one figure. This report is based on the comparison between the photoconductor comprising a low-molecular weight tetraarylbenzidine derivative dispersed in the photoconductive layer and the one comprising a high-molecular polycarbonate having a tetraarylbenzidine structure in its molecule. The reason for this has not been clarified, but it is suggested that the photoconductor employing the high-molecular weight charge transport material produces poor results in terms of the photosensitivity and the residual potential although the mechanical strength of the photoconductor is improved.
Conventionally known representative aromatic polycarbonate resins are obtained by allowing 2,2-bis(4-hydroxyphenyl)propane (hereinafter referred to as bisphenol A) to react with phosgene or diphenylcarbonate. Such polycarbonate resins made from bisphenol A are used in many fields because of their excellent characteristics, such as high transparency, high heat resistance, high dimensional accuracy, and high mechanical strength.
For example, this kind of polycarbonate resin is intensively studied as a binder resin for use in an organic photoconductor in the field of electrophotography. A variety of aromatic polycarbonate resins have been proposed as the binder resins for use in the charge transport layer of the layered photoconductor.
As previously mentioned, however, the mechanical strength of the aforementioned aromatic polycarbonate resin is decreased by the addition of the low-molecular-weight charge transport material in the charge transport layer of the layered electrophotographic photoconductor.
The electrophotographic process is one of the image formation processes, through which the surface of the photoconductor is charged uniformly in the dark to a predetermined polarity, for instance, by corona charge. The uniformly charged photoconductor is exposed to a light image to selectively dissipate the electric charge of the light-exposed area, so that a latent electrostatic image is formed on the photoconductor. The thus formed latent electrostatic image is developed to a visible image by a developer comprising a coloring agent such as a dye or pigment, and a binder agent such as a polymeric material.
Fundamental characteristics required for the photoconductor used in such an electrophotographic process are: (1) chargeability to an appropriate potential in the dark, (2) minimum dissipation of electric charge in the dark, and (3) rapid dissipation of electric charge when exposed to light.
However, the conventional photoconductive materials are not always satisfactory in light of the above-mentioned fundamental characteristics for the photoconductor and the mechanical durability.

Electrophotographic photoconductor and aromatic polycarbonate resin for use therein


A platform and a method for dynamic software license are disclosed. The dynamic software license platform comprises a license pool, a register manager, a user configure unit and a license manager. The register manager receives a software application from a user end. The user configure unit grants a setting permission to the user end in response to the software application, and allows the user end to submit a license setting according to the setting permission. The license manager adds the software license provided by the software supplier to the license pool, and dynamically provides the software license from the license pool unit according to the license setting.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates in general to a software license, and more particularly to a platform and a method for dynamic software license.
2. Description of the Related Art
Electronic devices may be equipped with various software programs to produce corresponding functions. For example, a personal computer may be equipped with operating system, anti-virus software, imaging software, scanning software, drawing software, photo software, editing software, word processing software or tool software. Conventionally, after a user purchased software and installed it to a personal computer, the user needs to get on line to perform authentication to obtain a software license. However, the conventional software marketing mode has gradually found it difficult to satisfy the user end's needs. Therefore, how to provide a dynamic software licensing mechanism has become a prominent task for the industries.

Platform and method for dynamic software license


The present invention relates to a wind turbine having a wind turbine tower with a nacelle provided on the top to which a rotor hub with one or more wind turbine blades is rotatably mounted by a rotor shaft. A generator is arranged in the nacelle, wherein the superconducting rotor coils induce a current in the stator coils when the rotor is rotated, and wherein the stator coils are arranged in at least four phases. One or more converter modules convert the power output from the generator so that it matches the power of a power grid. The generator side of the converter modules comprises a number of rectifying circuits equal to the phases in the generator, while the power grid side comprises a number of inverting circuits equal to the phases of the power grid. This allows the transient of the electromagnetic brake torque relative to the nominal electromagnetic torque of the generator to be reduced. The ripples of the electromagnetic torque are also reduced since the switching frequency of the converter is increased. This in turn reduces the mechanical stresses occurring in the drive train in the event of a failure or error occurring in one of the converter modules. The present invention also relates to a method of operation of such a wind turbine where the defective converter module is selectively switched off and the wind turbine is put into operation again at a lower operation level.

It is known that wind turbines of today comprise a nacelle coupled to the rotor hub and the wind turbine blades in which a generator and a converter are arranged. The generator transforms the mechanical energy from the rotating rotor shaft into an electrical energy which is then transferred to the converter. The converter is coupled to a power grid and converts the power output from the generator into a power output which matches that of the power grid.
Until recently it has been known to use permanent magnet generators (PMGs) in wind turbines which in the recent years have increasing both in size and power output. This means that the generator in the wind turbines also has to increase in size and weight which make the generators more expensive and more difficult to handle during installation. As the power output of the wind turbines increased to over 6 MW, a conventional generator or PMG would no longer be suited for such large wind turbines due to the required size and weight of such generators. Such large and heavy generator would mean that the wind turbine tower would have to be significantly reinforced and/or the generator would have to be installed in sections due to the limited lifting capacity of the crane used to install the wind turbine.
During the recent years, high temperature superconductors have become commercially available allowing the latest generation of wind turbine generators (high temperature superconductive (HTS) generators) to be used in large wind turbines. A person skilled in the art knowing the problems of the PMG and wanting to improve the generator design for large wind turbines would then be motivated to use to a HTS generator instead.
Such a HTS generator allows the current density for the rotor coils to be considerably increased which in turn means that the power density of the generator also increases. This allows the size and weight of the HTS generator to be reduced while maintaining a high power output and also reducing the costs of such large wind turbines. The reliability of the drive train and the service intervals may be further increased by using a direct drive coupling to the rotor hub instead of a gearbox coupling which is sensitive to wind gusts and mechanical stresses in the drive train.
The HTS generator typically comprises three phases inducing a high magnetic field inside the generator due to the high current density in the rotor coils which in turn forms a high electromagnetic torque in the rotor and hence the rotor shaft. GB2416566A discloses such a wind turbine in which the HTS generator is coupled to the rotor hub. The HTS generator is then coupled directly to a converter via a three-phased coupling. The converter comprises a rectifying unit coupled to the generator and a rectifying circuit coupled to the power grid using three phases, wherein a DC link is arranged between the rectifying unit and the inverting circuit. "Superconducting devices in wind farm" by Xiaohang Li discloses a similar wind turbine with a hybrid drive train comprising a simple gear system coupled to a HTS generator. The HTS generator is coupled to a converter via a three-phased coupling which matches the phases of the power grid.
These configurations have the disadvantage that when a failure in the converter is detected, such as a short circuit occurring in at least one of the IGBTs, the wind turbine has to stop the operation of the drive train and the rotation of the wind turbine blades. The short circuit will cause the generator to initiate a brake torque which is nine to ten times greater than the nominal torque of the generator. This may lead to serious damage of the drive train, in particular the generator, the rotor shaft, the rotor hub, and the wind turbine blades, due to extreme decelerations of the rotating parts.
This problem arises when the person skilled in the art wants to improve the generator design for large wind turbine by using a HTS generator, as the PMG does not suffer from the same problem due to the relative low current density occurring in its rotor coils.
US 2009/0295168 A1 discloses a wind turbine comprising a super conducting generator having a stator assembly and a rotor assembly arranged relative to the stator. The stator assembly comprises a plurality of double helix shaped windings that define the stator coils which are arranged relative to each other in series to form six or twelve phases. This document is silent about how the multiple phases are coupled to the rest of the drive train of the wind turbine.
DE 4032492 A1 discloses an electrical machine comprising a converter unit coupled to a generator having at least two sets of stator windings via switching means. The switching means are used to select between different configurations between the sets of stator windings that make up the stator coils. When the switching means are turned off, each set forms at least three phases that are in-phase with the other two sets. When the switching means are activated, the sets are combined to form a hybrid configuration having six or twelve phases. In this configuration, each set of stator coils is coupled to the same converter unit where switches are used to control the number of phases between the generator and the converter unit.

Wind turbine having a HTS generator with a plurality of phases


In a preferred embodiment, a method of authenticating an identification article, the identification article having thereon first and second optical strips bearing compound diffraction grating patterns, each optical strip including at least first and second diffraction grating elements, the method comprising: optically reading the first optical strip to detect when the first diffraction grating elements are present; and simultaneously optically reading the second optical strip to detect the relationship of the first and second diffraction grating elements on the second optical strip relative to the first diffraction grating elements on the first optical strip, thereby to develop an optical signature for the identification means.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to identification means having diffraction gratings and magnetic strips disposed thereon provided for security and authentication and, more particularly, but not by way of limitation, to novel method and apparatus for reading diffraction gratings on such an identification means when the magnetic strip thereon has been deGaussed.
2. Background Art
In the parents of the present application, and particularly in Ser. No. 07/921,460, there is described method and apparatus for reading a compound diffraction grating and an associated magnetic strip. Such optical images and magnetic strips are provided on identification means, such as credit cards, to assist in authentication of the identification means and to prevent or deter forgery of such identification means.
While the inventions described in the above-referenced applications provide a high level of security, a problem exists when the magnetic strip has become totally or partially deGaussed, either intentionally or accidentally. In such cases, when a deGaussed credit card is presented for a purchase, for example, the credit card will be rejected by the local authentication reader and the clerk may simply enter the identification number that is printed or embossed on the card without the authenticity of the card being verified by the local reader. Unscrupulous persons knowing of this possibility may intentionally degauss an invalid or forged credit card in the hope that the clerk may follow the above procedure.
Accordingly, it is a principal object of the present invention to provide method and apparatus for reading diffraction gratings on identification means when the magnetic strip thereon has been deGaussed.
It is a further object of the invention to provide such method and apparatus that are easily and economically employed.
Other objects of the present invention, as well as particular features, elements, and advantages thereof, will be elucidated in, or be apparent from, the following description and the accompanying drawing figures.

Optical method and apparatus for authenticating degaussed magnetic identification means


An inboard beam includes a body having an upper flange and a lower flange coupled thereto. The upper flange includes a first upper inboard aperture and an upper outboard aperture formed therein. The lower flange includes a first lower inboard aperture and a lower outboard aperture formed therein. An upper beam fitting is coupled to the upper flange and lower beam fitting is coupled to the lower flange. The upper beam fitting includes a first upper inboard post. The upper beam fitting includes an upper outboard post extending parallel to the inboard post. The lower beam fitting includes a first lower inboard post. The lower beam fitting includes a lower outboard post extending parallel to the lower inboard post.

This section provides background information to facilitate a better understanding of the various aspects of the disclosure. It should be understood that the statements in this section of this document are to be read in this light, and not as admissions of prior art.
Rotor systems of rotor-wing and tiltrotor aircraft include a yoke connected to a drive mast that is driven by a power source. The yoke transfers torque provided by the power source to rotor blades. The yoke is connected to the rotor blades with inboard and outboard beam assemblies via a grip. Depending on aircraft configuration, the yoke may be manufactured of steel for strength or composite material for weight savings. The grip is typically manufactured of composite material. The inboard and outboard beam assemblies include bearings that accommodate forces acting on the rotor blades allowing each rotor blade to flex with respect to the yoke and mast and other rotor blades. A distance between the inboard and outboard beam assemblies is dependent on the particular aircraft configuration. Each aircraft configuration has an optimal distance for that particular aircraft's loads and dynamics.

Inboard beam with pin system for anti-rotation and centrifugal force retention


A fifth wheel helper is adapted to be inserted underneath a fifth wheel hitch plate to hold it in a horizontal position so that the truck can be pulled forward after the king pin of the trailer has been trapped behind the fifth wheel. The fifth wheel helper comprises a solid piece of material having a tapered first end and a flat second end and an indentation on an underside thereof for engaging a truck frame rail to hold the fifth wheel helper underneath the hitch plate. A safety bolt is provided for locking the fifth wheel helper on the truck frame rail.

1. Field of the Invention
The current invention relates to a system for releasing a towing unit from a towed unit, e.g., a trailer. In particular, the invention is adapted to assist the driver of a towing unit with releasing a king pin of the trailer from a locked position behind the fifth wheel of the commercial towing unit.
2. Background Art
The interlocking apparatus for connecting a truck and trailer is comprised of components on both the truck and the trailer, which mate to achieve a mechanical connection. Typically, the truck is equipped with a locking assembly, known in the heavy trucking industry as a fifth wheel hitch, and the trailer is equipped with an apparatus known in the industry as a king pin. The king pin extends downwardly from an underside of the trailer, perpendicular to a bolster plate to which it is attached, the bolster plate being mounted to the bottom surface of the trailer. The fifth wheel hitch includes a rearwardly pivoting hitch plate having a throat with its open end facing rearward to receive the king pin as the truck is backed toward the trailer. The fifth wheel hitch also includes a locking mechanism for locking the king pin in the throat of the hitch plate. The hitch plate is generally slanted downwardly toward the rear of the truck.
To couple a vehicle, such as a commercial truck, to a trailer, the driver must continually estimate the position of the vehicle, relative to the trailer, while maneuvering the vehicle into alignment with the trailer. In practice, this may involve exiting the truck to determine the position of the truck relative to the trailer and then re-entering the truck to maneuver it into alignment. In addition, the driver utilizes his rear view side mirrors to approximate the lateral alignment between the truck and trailer. It is also necessary to align the trailer king pin vertically with the throat in the hitch plate. This is done by a conventional lift mechanism in the trailer that raises and lowers the front end of the trailer. Vertical alignment is often judged only by xe2x80x9cfeel,xe2x80x9d or guess. This practice often leads to high or low coupling and, possibly, lateral misalignment between the truck and trailer.
When backing up the towing unit, the driver often experiences difficulty in aligning the throat of the hitch plate with the king pin. For instance, the height of the king pin relative to the throat may be such that proper mating between the two will not be achieved, even though the two may be laterally aligned. In these instances, the front lower edge of the trailer may crash into the fifth wheel hitch plate (trailer and king pin too low) or the cab of the truck may crash into the body of the trailer (trailer and king pin too high). With an optimum connection, the weight of the trailer will rest upon the fifth wheel hitch plate, which normally has a downward angle. As the trailer weight is applied to the hitch plate, the angle of the fifth wheel hitch plate will flatten out into a horizontal position beneath the trailer and match the aforementioned bolster plate in a face to face manner. In this instance, the king pin will enter the throat of the hitch plate and be locked in place.
However, it is the situation of having a king pin too high, the king pin passes entirely over the top of the hitch plate and becomes trapped behind (i.e., in front of the front edge of ) the fifth wheel. That paves the way for the current invention. When the cab of a truck is driven back far enough to hit the front portion of the trailer, a situation arises where the king pin can be trapped behind the fifth wheel. This occurs because the fifth wheel hitch plate is mounted with a pivotal mount that allows the trailer weight to flatten out the fifth wheel. When the king pin is slightly higher than the open receiving portion of the fifth wheel hitch plate, the king pin will maintain enough weight to force the fifth wheel hitch plate to horizontally position itself as the king pin passes over the hitch plate. However, at such time as this occurs, the king pin will not enter the throat and lock, but rather pass completely over the top of the fifth wheel hitch plate. Once the king pin passes the hitch plate, the fifth wheel hitch plate pivots back to the standard rear-facing angle, where it is positioned behind the king pin. At this point, the king pin is locked or trapped and can no longer become free of the fifth wheel without further human assistance.
The most common remedy for this situation involves a set of rather dangerous circumstances. A second person must assist the driver by standing in the rear of the towing unit, usually between the sets of rear tires. This is due to the natural slant of the fifth wheel hitch plate that must be forced into a horizontal position. The second person must push the front of the fifth wheel hitch plate in a downward direction, or lift the rear in an upward direction. Commonly a crow bar or scrap metal is used in order to cause the pivotal fifth wheel to lie back in the horizontal position. Meanwhile, the driver pulls forward unable to see the person assisting him because the standing location is a blind spot for the driver. The potential for accidents is high and the results desired are not always guaranteed.
In the event that the prior remedy should fail, Hi-lows are pulled off of the job and placed on either side of the trailer in order to lift it far enough for the driver to pull the truck forward and release the king pin. The final alternative is attaching a wrecker to the front portion of the trailer and raising the king pin thus, allowing the driver to pull forward. Both situations give rise to wasted time and money for the driver and for the workers being pulled off of their jobs.
As the case is once in a while, the driver of a commercial vehicle could be picking up a trailer after working hours. In the event that a king pin is locked, a driver could be stuck for hours waiting for someone to come along and help. This causes unnecessary frustration on the driver and a time restraint on meeting a deadline for delivery often associated with the trucking industry.
As a result, systems have been developed to provide an output signal to the driver indicating the position of the truck relative to the trailer. Notably, known systems are targeted toward xe2x80x9cball and hitchxe2x80x9d coupling market and are not easily adaptable to the heavy trucking industry.
Known alignment systems use a variety of technologies to measure lateral offset and vertical alignment. Primarily, these systems utilize infrared sensor technology with a modulated pulsed beam. As such, these systems are limited in range (typically less than 20 feet) and require separate sets of infrared sensors on the towing and towed units, respectively, to indicate the lateral offset and vertical alignment. Also, because the infrared emitters and sensors are required on both the towing and towed units, the system must include a remote, powered transmitter on the towed unit. Clearly, these systems are limited in their application, inconvenient, and relatively expensive. In addition, should the maneuvering system fail, there is no safe procedure for releasing the trapped king pin.
The fifth wheel helper is designed to assist the driver of a commercial towing unit with the ability to release a locked king pin without the assistance of another person. Quite simply, the fifth wheel helper attaches to the frame of a towing unit just under the fifth wheel. Thus, causing the fifth wheel to lay in a horizontal position flush under the king pin. This allows the driver to pull safely forward without fear of another person physically holding the fifth wheel in the horizontal position.
The physical structure of the fifth wheel helper is a metal reinforced two by four block of wood. A second embodiment would be of hard plastic, or steel. One side is angled to slide under the fifth wheel and an indentation on the under side allows the invention to rest on the frame of the towing unit. Due to potential variations in frame size, a locking bolt is in place to tighten the grip of the fifth wheel helper to the frame. This is to prevent the fifth wheel helper from falling while the driver is pulling forward.
The main objective of the fifth wheel helper is to promote safety in the joining procedure between the towing unit and the commercial trailer, once a locked king pin situation arises. The opportunity for losing limbs or life is too high when a second person must stand in the driver""s blind spot between sets of tires.
Additional safety is obtained when thought is directed towards the hours of wasted time that truck drivers must make up in order to beat deadlines. A rushed freight driver is a dangerous hazard to the safety of not only themselves, but other road traffic as well.


Disclosed are waterborne, stable photoresist compositions and methods of their preparation and use. The compositions are characterized by increased shear and storage stability. The photoresist composition comprises an aqueous emulsion of a 22% or less neutralized carboxylated resin and non-ionic surfactant containing poly(ethylene-oxide) segments, photopolymerizable monomer and photoinitiator. Neutralization is accomplished using either an organic or an inorganic base or mixtures thereof. The photoresist compositions are useful to selectively coat and protect surfaces subjected to corrosive environments, e.g., etchant processes, in the production of circuit traces for electronic circuit boards.

The use of photoresists in the course of manufacture of printed circuit boards and the like, is well-known and well-established. Basically, the process comprises forming a layer of a photoresist material (or, simply, "resist") upon an appropriate substrate; patternwise exposing the layer to actinic radiation; and then "developing" the exposed layer by removal of uncured portions of the layer not exposed to the radiation. In particular, a photoresist technique is used to produce patterned images for selective etching of a metal substrate, for the plating of a metal upon a substrate, and for the application of a solder to a substrate.
Much emphasis is placed on efforts to avoid the use of organic solvents in the preparation and use of photoresists. Increasingly, photoresist systems based on water are being used and can be supplied in film or liquid form. See, for example U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,100,047, 4,564,580 and 4,133,909 which describe aqueous coatings; and U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,953,309 and 4,361,640 which teach compositions that can be developed with aqueous solutions. Another aqueous processable photopolymerizable composition is described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,510,230, disclosing organic acids employed within an acid binder photopolymer composition to decrease scum or stain on a copper surface.
Aqueous emulsions, while more environmentally acceptable, are often plagued with stability problems associated with the processing and applications of the emulsions. In processing of the aqueous emulsions, high shear rates are frequently used in the emulsification process, especially in the case of direct emulsification of previously synthesized polymers. In many cases the emulsions are then concentrated by evaporation of water and/or organic solvents, often under vacuum and with heat and mechanical shear stress applied (e.g. wiped film evaporators). In the cases where organic solvents are emulsified along with other water-insoluble components, the evaporation process itself can be mechanically stressful as the solvent vapors must pass through the surfactant boundary, thus disrupting the stabilizing forces. Finally, the emulsions are frequently formulated with other additives using high shear rates to mix the components. Examples range from pigment grinding, a very high shear process, to simple admixing of water soluble additives. Often times these additives, examples of which include water-dispersable thickeners and organic cosolvents, can increase emulsion sensitivity to mechanical or thermal stress.
In application, aqueous emulsions may be applied as coatings to substrates using a variety of methods which may involve a range from a very low shear to a very high shear process. Among the higher shear processes are spraying and roll-coating processes. Roll-coating can be especially stressful due to longer exposure time of the emulsion composition to high shear (i.e., in the roller nips). For practical utility, it is imperative that the emulsion composition does not degrade or coagulate under such conditions.
Optimization of surfactants has traditionally been the approach taken to overcome shear stability problems in aqueous emulsion systems. However, high levels of surfactants are often required to provide stability, but excessive levels of surfactants can cause additional problems. These additional problems include foam stabilization during high shear process which can lead to the formation of bubbles or pinholes in the final film product. Excessive levels of surfactants can also lead to adhesion failure at the substrate/coating interface and sensitivity of the resulting coating to water or humidity.
Consequently, there exists a need for photoresist materials, and processes associated therewith, which meet the requirements for a waterborne, liquid applied contact imageable photoresist and yet possess mechanical or shear stability while minimizing the need for surfactants.

Stable, ionomeric photoresist emulsion and process of preparation and use thereof


The invention relates to a process for the preparation of propylene carbonate, which process involves contacting propylene oxide with carbon dioxide at a temperature of from 150° C. to 250° C. in the presence of a recycled tetraalkylphosphonium bromide catalyst.

Propylene carbonates are important intermediates in a number of different processes, for instance, as the replacement of highly toxic phosgene as carbonylating agents in processes such as the production of isocyanates or polycarbonates.
Another important use of propylene carbonates is the production of 1,2-propanediol by catalyzed hydrolysis. The propylene carbonates can also be used for the preparation of dimethyl carbonate, which has raised interest for use as octane enhancers in fuels as a replacement for methyl tert-butyl ether.
It has been found advantageous if the process can be carried out at a relatively high temperature such as of from 150 to 250° C. while the catalyst is recycled. It was found that such process makes efficient use of the starting compounds while an efficient heat-integration is possible. However, the combination of high temperature and catalyst recycle requires the catalyst to be very stable.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,153,333 describes a process for the conversion of epoxy resins at a temperature of from 60 to 160° C. with the help of quaternary phosphonium compounds. The catalyst remains in the final product in the exemplified process.
Phosphoniumbromide catalysts are mentioned in prior art such as U.S. Pat. No. 2,994,705, U.S. Pat. No. 4,434,105, WO-A-99/57108 and EP-A-776,890. However, there is no teaching in any of these documents on what catalyst is to be used if the propylene carbonate manufacture is to be carried out a temperature of from 150 to 250° C. and with recycle of the catalyst.

Process for the preparation of propylene carbonate


A computer implemented method for analyzing network connections includes identifying a connection of interest and a corresponding set of connection data. The method additionally includes generating one or more saliency maps corresponding to the connection of interest. The method additionally includes mapping the generated one or more saliency maps to underlying protocols and fields, and identifying one or more values corresponding to each of the underlying protocols and fields. The method additionally includes extracting general correspondences from the identified one or more values corresponding to each of the underlying protocols and fields.

The present invention relates generally to the field of network analysis, and more specifically to detecting underlying rules in a network.
Deep learning provides high performance solutions for asset inventory, asset monitoring, and other network traffic analysis. Asset management for enterprise includes several key tasks, including asset inventory, asset lifecycle management, and asset monitoring. Deep models offer the capabilities of much higher performance with respect to metrics such as precision, recall, f1-score, and the like.
Saliency maps are an image processing technique used to differentiate visual features in images. For example, full color images are converted to black and white images in order to analyze and depict the strongest colors present in the image. Other examples may include using night vision technologies to detect and depict light sources, wherein green may be used to depict brightness and black depicts dark areas. Saliency map concepts are described herein as extended to applications beyond image analysis, and on the basis of features which may be used to describe data other than strictly image data.

International Business Machines Corporation


Blockade of mismatch repair in a plant can lead to hypermutation and a new genotype and/or phenotype. One approach used to generate hypermutable plants is through the expression of dominant negative alleles of mismatch repair genes in transgenic plants or derived cells. By introducing these genes into cells and transgenic plants, new cell lines and plant varieties with novel and useful properties can be prepared more efficiently than by relying on the natural rate of mutation. Moreover, methods to inhibit the expression and activity of endogenous plant MMR genes and their encoded products are also useful to generate hypermutable plants.

Within the past four years, the genetic cause of the Hereditary Nonpolyposis Colorectal Cancer Syndrome (HNPCC), also known as Lynch syndrome II, has been ascertained for the majority of kindreds affected with the disease (1). The molecular basis of HNPCC involves genetic instability resulting from defective mismatch repair (MMR). To date, six genes have been identified in humans that encode proteins which appear to participate in the MMR process, including the mutS homologs GTBP, hMSH2, and hMSH3 and the mutL homologs hMLH1, hPMS1, and hPMS2 (2-7). Germline mutations in four of these genes (hMSH2, hMLH1, hPMS1, and hPMS2) have been identified in HNPCC kindreds (2-7). Though the mutator defect that arises from the MMR deficiency can affect any DNA sequence, microsatellite sequences are particularly sensitive to MMR abnormalities (8,9). In addition to its occurrence in virtually all tumors arising in HNPCC patients, Microsatellite Instability (MI) is found in a small fraction of sporadic tumors with distinctive molecular and phenotypic properties (10).
HNPCC is inherited in an autosomal dominant fashion, so that the normal cells of affected family members contain one mutant allele of the relevant MMR gene (inherited from an affected parent) and one wild-type allele (inherited from the unaffected parent). During the early stages of tumor development, however, the wild-type allele is inactivated through a somatic mutation, leaving the cell with no functional MMR gene and resulting in a profound defect in MMR activity. Because a somatic mutation in addition to a germ-line mutation is required to generate defective MMR in the tumor cells, this mechanism is generally referred to as one involving two hits, analogous to the biallelic inactivation of tumor suppressor genes that initiate other hereditary cancers. In line with this two-hit mechanism, the non-neoplastic cells of HNPCC patients generally retain near normal levels of MMR activity due to the presence of the wild-type allele (11-12).
While MMR is a conserved process found in bacteria, yeast and mammalian cells (14-16), its activity has not been confirmed in plants. While sequences homologous to MMR genes have been identified in Arabidopsis thaliana, it is not known if they are functional in plants in the process of MMR (17-18). There is a need in the art for identification of the processes involved in genome stability in plants. There is a continuing need for methods and techniques for generating genetic diversity in agriculturally important crops.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Method for generating hypermutable plants