An air scoop that is installed in certain type recreational vehicles, commercial buses, and commercial 5th wheel trailers for creating drag when activated. The basic construction is a rectangular box like structure having a slanted front with a controlled front panel. The controlled front panel, when activated, extends the forward edge thereof into the air stream passing by the vehicle while moving. This opening of the front of the retangular box like structure allows air to enter and the amount of air that enters depends on the amount of opening of the controlled panel and the speed of the vehicle. Air is guided into the unit allowing some of the air to escape through perforations in the back panel. The amount of drag created can be controlled by adjusting the front controlled panel opening amount. When the panel is closed the air scoop has no other function. If necessary, this invention is easily detached from the vehicle.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention is unique in that it has limited application to certain type recreational vehicles, commercial buses and commercial 5th wheel trailers. This invention has no other function but to create drag when activated. The basic construction is a rectangular box like structure having a controlled front panel. The controlled front panel, when opened extends the forward edge thereof down/up into the air stream. Such opening of the front of the rectangular box like structure allows air to enter and the amount of air that enters depends on the amount that the controlled panel is opened and the speed of the vehicle. Air is not completely trapped inside the Air Scoop but escapes through the back panel thereof. The amount of drag created can be controlled by adjusting the front controlled panel opening amount. When the panel is closed the Air Scoop has no other function.
2. Description of Prior Art
Researching into the area of creating drag revealed little or no interest in it. What was found was a greater interest in reducing drag by various means. Drag as used in this invention is a new concept.

Air scoop for selectively inducing drag on a vehicle


A process for separating C.sub.60, C.sub.70, and higher fullerenes above C.sub.70 is provided. The process employs a chromatographic column utilizing a functionalized aromatic-containing resin as the stationary phase, an organic solvent as the mobile phase, and a mixture of fullerenes dissolved in the mobile phase.

A fullerene is a form of pure carbon that is arranged in a three dimensional cage-like structure. These structures are generally spherical or oblong with a central cavity. They are molecules having the formula C.sub.20+2m, wherein m is an integer. Use of the term "fullerene" herein refers to any fullerene or fullerene derivative, including metal encapsulating fullerene derivatives or metallic fullerene endohedral complexes, metallic fullerene exohedral complexes, and substituted fullerene derivatives or fulleroids.
The discovery of Buckminsterfullerene, a C.sub.60 spherical allotrope of carbon, as disclosed in Kroto, H. W., Heath, J. R., O'Brien, S. C., Carl, R. F., Smalley, R. E.; "C.sub.60 : Buckminsterfullerene"; 318 Nature, pp. 162-163 (November 1985), precipitated a flurry of activity directed to understanding the nature and properties of fullerenes. Since their discovery, they have been evaluated for their use as lubricants, semiconductors and superconductors.
Fullerenes have been synthesized by ablating graphite with a laser, by burning graphite in a furnace, and by producing an arc across two graphite electrodes in an inert atmosphere. Other techniques applied to synthesize fullerenes include using negative ion/desorption chemical ionization techniques and a benzene flame. The most common method for synthesis today is the Huffman-Kratschmer carbon arc method. It consists of heating pure carbon in the form of graphite to plasma temperatures by using graphite electrodes in an inert atmosphere (usually helium). This leads to the creation of a soot, from which the fullerenes may be separated. Approximately 10 to 15 percent of the soot contains soluble fullerenes.
The separated crude fullerene mixture consists of 65 to 85 percent C.sub.60 and 10 to 30 percent C.sub.70, with higher fullerenes making up the balance of material. Such higher fullerenes include all fullerenes greater than C.sub.70 and generally include the C.sub.72 -C.sub.200 as the soluble fullerenes.
Due to their highly similar structure, solubility, and reactivity, the only characteristic that significantly differentiates the various fullerenes is their molecular weight. Such similarities have made separation of the discrete fullerene components difficult. Many methods have been tried in an attempt to separate fullerenes but, until recently, few methods were successful.
Most known separation methods employ a column chromatography technique. Column chromatography uses a tube that is open at the top with a valve at the bottom to control the flow of liquid through the tube. The column is filled with a substance that has some affinity for the material that one is trying to separate (stationary phase). Prior to entering the column, the material to be separated is usually dissolved. After placing the material to be separated into the column, a solvent is poured through the column. The material to be separated has some affinity to the column's stationary phase and some affinity to the solvent, so it moves through the tube slower than the solvent. The various molecules one is trying to separate will have differing amounts of affinity to the stationary phase and a "banded" separated product will result.
Most attempts to separate fullerenes have required the use of large amounts of stationary phase and solvent and an inordinate amount of time to separate. The use of standard silica gel alone as the chromatography stationary phase does not work effectively and neutral alumina requires prohibitively large solvent volumes.
Fullerenes also have low solubilities in many common solvents, like hexane. Their low solubility in inexpensive, common solvents, contributes to the ineffectiveness of performing separations on common stationary phases such as silica gel. Continued investigation of the potential utility of these materials is dependent on developing separation methods which facilitate isolation of gram quantities of fullerenes.
Recently, it was discovered that the use of an activated charcoal and silica gel mixture can provide adequate and cost effective separation of gram quantities of C.sub.60 and C.sub.70. As disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,310,532, which is incorporated herein in its entirety by reference, Tour et al. found that activated charcoal columns containing Norit-A and silica gel efficiently separated C.sub.60. Further development led to a method for isolation of C.sub.70 by modifying the mobile phase. This process is disclosed in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 08/238,640 (filed on May 5, 1994) to Tour et al.), which is incorporated herein in its entirety by reference. These two developments have enabled the production of gram quantities of C.sub.60 and C.sub.70 fullerenes. Even with these improved techniques, however, the separation of gram quantities of C.sub.70 takes about 20 hours and a chromatography column one meter long. In addition, neither of these methods allows efficient isolation of gram quantities of the higher fullerenes (>C.sub.70). Although the procedures disclosed in the '532 patent and the '640 patent application work well for obtaining C.sub.60 and C.sub.70 fullerenes, the processes do not sufficiently separate the fullerenes greater than C.sub.70. These methods result in a coeluted mixture of the higher fullerenes.
A GPC method of separating fullerenes has been tried previously. In particular, standard gel permeation columns utilizing nonfunctionalized polystyrene as the stationary phase have been investigated. In such procedures, the stationary phase nonfunctionalized polystyrene has been highly crosslinked and highly porous. The amount of crosslinker utilized has usually been on the order of 10 to 20 percent by weight of the monomer. Such separation techniques have been unsuccessful in obtaining substantial amounts of separated fullerenes. These techniques have been completely unsuccessful in separating the higher order fullerenes above C.sub.70.
The desirability of obtaining purified fullerenes is indicated by typical prices on the market. Using today's separation techniques, C.sub.70 fullerenes can cost $325/gram (98% purity), C.sub.76 can cost $40/milligram (95% pure), and C.sub.84 can cost $30/milligram (95% pure). Typically the higher fullerenes are sold as a mixture of C.sub.84 and above fullerenes. Such unseparated mixtures can typically cost $15/milligram.
Higher fullerenes are currently separated either by high pressure liquid chromatography (HPLC) employing the Buckyclutcher I stationary phase, or by gel permeation chromatography (GPC). These methods of purification, however, have limitations. For example, they typically (1) have limited load capacities, (2) exhibit poor resolution of the higher fullerenes, (3) require multiple (as many as 30) passes through the column to obtain even sub-milligram amounts, and (4) require expensive specialty columns for efficient separation. Additionally, in order to maintain adequate separation profiles on most high pressure liquid chromatography-based stationary phases, potent fullerene solvents cannot be used, thereby inhibiting the dissolution of the higher fullerenes.
These current techniques simply do not provide adequate higher fullerene separations on a preparative scale. It would be desirable to develop procedures that could be used to isolate macroscopic quantities of the higher fullerenes.


A method for hosting and exhibiting virtual speed-dates between paired participants over a web-based platform for interactive display to viewers in a serialized show format. The platform is configured to simultaneously depict all participants live streams to viewers simultaneously. Speed-dates are limited by a timer, whereby, upon expiration of the timer, the participants encounter a selection screen in which they decide to “couple,” “connect,” or “cut,” indicating their level of desire in seeing their date again in a subsequent episode of the show. Participants are eliminated from the group of participants in accordance with the amount of people with whom they “couple” or “connect.”

It is human nature to be interested in relationship dynamics. People are commonly known to gossip about the relationships of friends and strangers alike. Furthermore, many individuals find following the relationships of celebrities a fun pastime, and they consume copious amounts of media dedicated to tracking the love lives of famous folks. In fact, this concept has inspired several popular television productions, such as The Bachelor, The Bachelorette, Love Island, and many more. These particular productions are quite popular within their respective local cultures, and many other countries around the world produce their own dating television shows that are enjoyed by millions of viewers.
Unfortunately, these shows tend to require a big time commitment from viewers, as they are designed to last for an entire season of television. Additionally, these shows are generally limited to conventional television viewership, providing little to no means by which the audience may vote on outcomes of the show, provide feedback, or otherwise (directly or indirectly) interact with the participants. If there were a way in which the audience could interact with the show itself, as well as with the participants, the concept could be made more immersive and therefore more entertaining for the viewers.
Online dating has grown in popularity in recent years, and individuals have warmed to the concept of meeting potential partners online. An assortment of popular matching websites and platforms currently exist on the market to facilitate the matching of strangers to one another. However, these platforms are strictly for those seeking to date; they are not oriented toward spectators, nor are they tailored specifically (and solely) for video-based dating in a television-show-like format. If there were a service that could combine these two elements, single people could find meaningful mates, and the entertainment value of their "first dates" could be captured for a viewing audience.
Video conferencing has gained traction in recent years given that (a) more people have reliable internet connections and (b) the hardware to support video streaming has become mainstream. Some dating platforms enable users to create brief asynchronous video messages and/or allow them to make direct communication via video calls. However, no existing dating platform enables outside viewers to watch these videos and video calls in a television-show-like manner, let alone permit them to provide live and interactive feedback to the daters.
Thus, there is a need for a new system and platform that successfully matches single individuals while simultaneously enabling an audience to watch their video-based internet dates. Such a system preferably includes interactive components that enable viewers to interact/communicate with participants during and after their video dates. Additionally, such a system preferably employs at least one secured server-computer, disposed in connection with the internet, to host multiple video calls for the purpose of simultaneous (concurrent) speed dates, each of which is viewable to the viewing audience from the first-person perspective of participants themselves.
While some prominent online-dating platforms provide a mechanism by which viewers may watch online video dates (such as Meet Group™ via their MeetMe™ product), these dates are isolated, one-off events. In contrast, the present invention provides an event-based show in which multiple (24 or more) individuals come together to date each other at a specific date and time. These events are shown in a series, similar to a serialized television show, and the platform provides a mechanism for the viewers to interact directly with participants. Additionally, unlike present audience mechanisms for viewing blind dates, the present invention's platform enables viewers to influence (through votes) which daters are eliminated from the next round of speed dates. Similarly, unlike other platforms, the platform and system of the present invention may deem one couple "champions" at the end of a season of shows, and this duo may be awarded a cash prize, vacation, or similar perk for participating.
Further, it is known that conventional streaming platforms have issues with latency. The aforementioned platforms deliberately sacrifice latency for video quality. Therefore, in a typical application that offers live streaming such as YouTube™ or Instagram™ live, viewers see/hear the media 10-45 seconds behind real-time. This high degree of latency is not prudent for a live interactive game show as posited by the system and platform of the present invention. Additionally, as a result of this latency, two-way interactivity becomes extremely out-of-sync and communication between parties loses its relevance and meaning because of the delays between viewers and content creators seeing each other's reactions.
In contrast, platforms equipped with low-latency, such as Zoom™, Google Meet™, Skype™, and similar platforms have limited room sizes. The quantity of participants/viewers are limited to a small number, generally around 50 per room. In contrast to the platform and system of the present invention, in conventional web conference platforms with low latency, viewers or participants are either locked into a single view of the event where they hear all participants or they are put into a breakout room where they can only see those in the breakout room. Therefore, current platforms, both those with low latency and those with deliberate delays are unsuitable to a live, interactive show with numerous viewers online, and a new system and platform is needed.
The platform of the present invention is configured to deliver on all fronts: low latency, large number of viewers, and multiple views of the room. Via the system and platform of the present invention, thousands of viewers can watch an event with sub-half-second latency enabling cutting-edge interactivity between content creators and viewers. Viewers can switch their perspective of the event to that of any of the cast members at any time, allowing them to see all the daters in the room, but hear only the dater in the date that they're focused on.

Interactive video-based speed-dating platform and system for providing an immersive online-streaming production


An electric submersible motor radial support bearing is described. An electric submersible motor includes a motor shaft extending longitudinally through a stator bore, the motor shaft bendable out of alignment with a longitudinal axis of the stator bore, a carrier keyed the stator bore, each rotor section of the motor separated from an adjacent rotor section by a roller bearing including a rounded roller cage between a rotatable inner race and a non-rotatable outer race, the inner race inward of the roller cage and rotatably secured to the motor shaft, the outer race having a curved inner diameter (ID) forming a roller cage socket, an outer diameter (OD) of the outer race non-rotatably secured to an ID of the carrier, the roller cage and outer race forming a spheroidal joint as the roller cage pivots off the longitudinal axis of the stator bore as the motor shaft bends.

1. Field of the Invention
Embodiments of the invention described herein pertain to the field of electric submersible pump (ESP) assemblies. More particularly, but not by way of limitation, one or more embodiments of the invention enable an electric submersible motor radial support bearing.
2. Description of the Related Art
Electric motors convert electrical energy into mechanical energy to produce linear force or torque and are used in many applications requiring mechanical power, such as pumps. In the case of an electric submersible pump (ESP), a multi-phase electric motor is typically used in conjunction with a centrifugal pump to lift fluid, such as oil or water, to the surface of a well. In particular, an ESP motor is typically a two-pole, three-phase, squirrel cage induction motor. The two-pole design conventionally runs at 3600 rpm synchronous speed at 60 Hz power. These electric motors include a stationary component known as a stator, and a rotating component known as the motor shaft. In ESP applications, the stator is energized by a power source located at the well surface and connected to the stator with an electric cable. The electricity flowing through the stator windings generates a magnetic field, and the motor shaft rotates in response to the magnetic field created in the energized stator. A rotor secured to the shaft rotates within the stator. The length of the shaft in ESP motors is long: typically between twenty-seven and thirty-two feet in length, although these shafts can potentially range anywhere from five to forty feet. To accommodate the length of the shaft in ESP applications, the rotor is divided into sections. The length of the wound stator determines the number of rotor sections.
Rotor sections are spaced apart from one another, and a stator bearing is located between each rotor section for maintaining the shaft in axial alignment. These radial support bearings are sometimes interchangeably referred to as "motor bearings", "rotor bearings" or "stator bearings." The stator bearings are non-rotating bearings that fit snuggly inside the stator bore. Conventional stator bearings are shaped like a hollow cylinder, with two parallel walls that extend on the inner diameter (ID) and outer diameter (OD) of the bearing. The outer wall is of constant radius and compressed against the stator bore. Typically, stator bearings do not rotate, but are permitted axial movement to accommodate thermal expansion during operation. Bearing sleeves are conventionally paired with the conventional stator bearings. Bearing sleeves are keyed to the shaft and rotate with the shaft inside the stator bearings. The stator bearings prevent the rotors from making contact with the stator bore. The motor is filled with high dielectric oil, which lubricates the bearings and transfers heat. Thus, these conventional bearings are hydrodynamic.
FIG. 1 illustrates a conventional stator bearing of the prior art. As shown in FIG. 1, conventional stator bearing 1000 is an annular cylinder. Conventional bearing outer diameter 1200 would be compacted against the stator bore with conventional anti-rotational tabs 1150 that lock conventional stator bearing 1000 to the stator of the ESP motor, although axial movement of conventional stator bearing 1000 may be permitted. Conventional bronze sleeve 1050 rotates inside conventional stator bearing 1000. A conventional key 1100 may lock conventional sleeve 1050 with the ESP motor shaft (not shown) that would extend through conventional sleeve 1050.
A plurality of stator bearings support the rotors on the common shaft. This arrangement is generally referred to as "a rotor stack". The rotor stack is nested inside a stator that completes the inner workings of the motor. The motor shaft ultimately couples with a pump, or series of pumps, which drives the pump to produce fluid to the surface. In the case of an ESP motor, the motor is typically coupled from bottom to top, to a seal section (motor protector), intake and centrifugal pump. In some instances such as in gassy wells, a gas separator or charge pump may also be included in the assembly. Each section of the ESP assembly has a central shaft. The shafts are all attached, typically by spline, such that as the motor shaft rotates, all the shafts rotate.
ESPs have been in use for nearly a century and little has changed mechanically from the historical design. Most improvements have been in the nature of better wire insulation, lubrication and bearing materials. Historical design, however, does not support the modern trend toward directional drilling, which causes bends in downhole wells. In directional drilling, the drill bit may be realigned from a traditional vertical direction to a horizontal direction to reach larger pockets of oil or other desirable resources. To reach resources in a horizontal direction the degree of the bend of the hole should be large enough to allow the ESP equipment to pass through without any yielding of flanges, bolts or housings. However, in some cases the exact depth and true distance to the bend required is unknown in advance. Unexpectedly, the ESP equipment may be required to bend more than the conventional tolerance (not to be exceeded) of 10 degrees/100 feet. A bend greater than 10 degrees/100 feet will almost certainly destroy the stator bearings, which may cause motor failure. As the motor shaft is forced to bend, the bending causes side loading at the rotor producing up to 400 pounds of side load on the stator bearings, leading to bearing failure.
Other components of ESP assemblies suffer from the same problem, for example radial support bearings in the seal section, in the pump or in stages, during installation of the assembly or whilst the assembly is operating, depending on which section of the ESP assembly settles in the bend.
As is apparent from the above, currently available ESP assemblies are not engineered to support modern wells that contain bends. Therefore, there is a need for an improved electric submersible motor radial support bearing to increase the bend tolerance of ESP assemblies beyond 10°/100 feet.

Electrical submersible motor radial support bearing


A cooperative catalyst system includes a Lewis acid and a Lewis base for the formation of non-isocyanate based polyurethane using a cyclic carbonate and an amine. A method of forming non-isocyanate based polyurethane includes providing a cyclic carbonate, an amine, and a cooperative catalyst system that has a Lewis acid and a Lewis base.

Polyurethane is a highly versatile class of material with a broad array of applications including, e.g., flexible foams, rigid foams, elastomers, and adhesives. Polyurethane may be used in, e.g., furniture, coatings, construction, biomedical applications, etc. Polyurethane is commonly formed by the reaction of a multifunctional isocyanate with a polyol. However, due to regulatory concerns associated with the use of isocyanates, non-isocyanate based formulations for forming polyurethanes are sought.

Catalyst for non-isocyanate based polyurethane


A matrix display apparatus is provided for displaying an image in accordance with display data. The display matrix comprises a plurality of scanning electrodes and a plurality of signal electrodes arranged in a matrix. A first driving circuit applies a plurality of selection voltages to the scanning electrodes. The scanning electrodes are divided into groups of h scanning electrodes. A selection voltage is applied to each of the plurality of scanning electrodes selected from the plurality of selection voltages in accordance with the selection pattern data. The second driving circuit provides a plurality of signal voltages to the plurality of signal electrodes. The second driver circuit comprises a memory for storing the display data for at least one group of h scanning electrodes and a selecting circuit for selecting a signal voltage applied to each of the plurality of signal electrodes.

The present invention generally relates to a driving apparatus and a driving method for a liquid crystal display having a plurality of row electrodes and column electrodes. More particularly, the present invention relates to a liquid crystal display or other matrix-type display apparatus suited to using a multiple line selection drive method, and relates specifically to an improvement of primarily the matrix-type display element module, controller, and signal electrode driver circuit.
In a simple matrix-type liquid crystal display commonly used for flat panel display devices, the display data from a microprocessor unit (MPU) is typically transferred to the LCD module (the liquid crystal display panel (LCD panel)), the scan electrode drive circuit (Y driver), and the signal electrode drive circuit (X driver) using one of two basic methods: using a matrix-type liquid crystal display element module controller (simply xe2x80x9cmodule controllerxe2x80x9d below), or using an X driver embedded in RAM.
The module controller method is described first. As with a CRT display apparatus, the module controller connected to the system bus reads the display data from video RAM (VRAM), and sends the data to the LCD module at a high frequency to refresh the display.
In the latter method, a dual port frame memory (built-in RAM) is provided in the X driver. This frame memory is directly accessed by the MPU via the data bus, control bus, or address bus irrespective of the LCD timing to generate the required control signal in the X driver by changing the display data in the frame memory. One scan line equivalent of display data is simultaneously read from the built-in frame memory to refresh the display.
With the module controller method above, VRAM data access and transfer coordinated with the LCD timing must be executed each time the display screen is changed, and it is therefore necessary for the VRAM, module controller, and LCD driver to constantly operate at a high frequency. In addition, the display refresh operation involves operation of the VRAM, module controller, and LCD driver. Operation of an LSI device at a high frequency clock results in through-current flowing to the plural CMOS devices used as circuit elements, increasing the total current consumption. Total current consumption also increases in direct proportion to the size of the LCD panel. In addition, while the VRAM is accessed by both the MPU and the module controller, a high speed clock must be used so that MPU access during the display refresh operation does not collide with module controller access, thus limiting the use of a low frequency operating module controller and limiting the processing ability of the MPU.
Operation at a low frequency clock is possible in the latter method above because there is no relationship between display data transfer and LCD timing. This method thus requires 10-100 times less power than the module controller method. When using a large liquid crystal panel, however, the number of X drivers must be increased.
The number of X driver output terminals is generally a multiple of ten (e.g., 160 pins) and not a power of two (e.g., 2n), however, because each RAM device built into the X drivers has an independent address area. When the internal memory of plural X drivers is addressed by the MPU, the MPU finds apparent gaps in the total memory area, and it is usually difficult to maintain a continuous sequence of addresses. As a result, the address coordination process of the MPU must be executed at high speed when the entire display area is changed at one time as during scrolling or panning operations, significantly increasing the processing load on the MPU.
It is, of course, possible to design the X driver ICs to have an exponent-of-two number of output pins, but this would seriously impair system interchangeability because compatibility with the number of electrodes in existing LCD panels would be lost. In addition, use of plural X drivers necessarily increases the number of chip selection buses, and sufficient space for this plural number of X drivers to be installed around the LCD panel must be provided. This reduces the display area ratio of the display panel, and inhibits the potential size reduction of the LCD module. The latter method above is therefore unsuited to large scale liquid crystal panels.
Matrix liquid crystal displays such as, twisted nematic (TN) and super twisted nematic (STN), are known in the art. Reference is made to FIGS. 21A-21E and FIG. 22 in which a conventional matrix liquid crystal display is provided. A liquid crystal panel generally indicated as 1 is composed of a liquid crystal layer 5, a first substrate 2 and a second substrate 3 for sandwiching the liquid crystal layer 5 therebetween. A group of column electrodes Y1-Ym are oriented on substrate 2 in the vertical direction and a plurality of row electrodes X1-Xn are formed on substrate 3 in substantially the horizontal direction to form a matrix. Each intersection of column electrodes Y1-Ym and row electrodes X1-Xn forms a display element or pixel 7. Display pixels 7 having the open circle indicate an ON state and those pixels having a blank indicate an OFF state.
A conventional multiplex driving based on the amplitude selective addressing scheme is known to one of ordinary skill in the art as one method of driving the liquid crystal cells mentioned above. In such a method, a selected voltage or non-selected voltage is sequentially applied to each of row electrodes X1-Xn individually. That is, a selection voltage is applied to only one row electrode at a time. In the conventional driving method, the time period required to apply the successive selected or non-selected voltage to all the row electrodes X1-Xn is as one frame period, indicated in FIGS. 21A-21E as time period F. Typically the frame period is approximate {fraction (1/60)} th of a second or 16.66 milliseconds.
Simultaneously to the successive application of the selected voltage or the non-selected voltage to each of the row electrodes X1-Xn, a data signal representing an ON or OFF voltage is applied to column electrodes Y1-Ym. Accordingly to turn on a pixel 7, the area in which the row electrode intersects the column electrode, to the ON state, an ON voltage is applied to a desired column electrode when the row electrode is selected.
Referring specifically to FIGS. 21A-21E, a conventional multiplex drive method of a simple matrix type liquid crystal and more specifically the amplitude selective addressing scheme is shown therein. FIGS. 21A-21C show the row selection voltage waveforms that is applied in sequence to row electrodes X1, X2 . . . Xn, respectively. More particularly, in time period t1, a voltage pulse having a magnitude of V1 is applied to row electrode X1, and a voltage of zero is applied to electrodes X2-Xn; in time period t2, a voltage pulse having a magnitude of V1 is applied to row electrode X2 and a voltage of zero is applied to electrodes X1 and X3-Xn; and in time period tn, V1 is applied to row electrode Xn and a voltage of zero is to electrodes X1-Xn-1. In other words, a voltage pulse having a magnitude of V1 is applied to only one row electrode Xi in time ti. Typically, ti is approximately 69 xcexc seconds and V1 is approximately 25 volts. As will be apparent to one who has read this description, all of the row electrodes are sequentially selected in time periods t1-tn or one frame period F.
FIG. 21D shows the waveform applied to column electrode Y1, and FIG. 21E shows the synthesized voltage waveform applied to the pixel 71,1 formed at the intersection of the column electrode Y1 and the row electrode X1. As shown therein, during time period t1, a voltage pulse having a magnitude of V1 is applied to row X1 and a voltage pulse of xe2x88x92V2 is applied to column electrode Y1. Typically, V2 is approximately 1.6 volts. The resultant voltage at pixel 71,1 is xe2x88x92(V1-V2). This synthesized voltage is sufficient to turn pixel 71,1 to its ON state.
One known problem with this method is that in order to select and drive the one line of the row electrodes, a relatively high voltage is required to provide good display characteristics, such as, contrast and low distortion. These conventional displays, requiring such a high voltage, also consume relatively more energy. When such displays are used in portable devices, they are supplied with electrical energy by, for example, batteries. As a result of the higher energy consumption, the portable devices have relatively shorter times of operation before the batteries require replacement and/or recharging.
Various attempts have been made to overcome this problem. For example, it has been suggested in xe2x80x9cA Generalized Addressing Technique for RMS Responding Matrix LCDs,xe2x80x9d 1988 International Display Research Conference, pp. 80-85. to simultaneously applying a row selection voltage to more than one row electrode.
As shown in FIGS. 23A-23D, a conventional method for driving a liquid crystal display by simultaneously selecting a group of more than one row electrode is shown. As shown therein, the n row electrodes are divided in j groups of row electrodes, each group comprising, for example, two row electrodes. In this example, row electrodes X1, X2; X3, X4; and Xnxe2x88x921, Xn, each form a group of row electrodes.
Referring again to FIG. 23A, that figure illustrates row selection voltage waveforms applied simultaneously to both row electrodes X1 and X2 in time periods t1 and t2 and a voltage of zero is applied to row electrodes X1 and X2 in the remaining time periods of frame period F. Similarly, FIG. 23B indicates the row selection voltage waveforms applied to row electrodes X3 and X4, during time periods t3 and t4 and a voltage of zero is applied to row electrodes X3 and X4 in the other time periods of frame period F. FIG. 23C illustrates the voltage waveform applied to column electrode Y1, and FIG. 23D indicates the synthesized voltage waveform applied to the pixel 71,1. Generally, t1, t2, . . . tn=69 xcexc seconds, V1 is approximately 17.6 volts and V2 is approximately 2.3 volts.
As shown in the example of FIGS. 23A-23D, every two row electrodes are selected in sequence. In the first selection sequence, two row electrodes, X1 and X2, are selected and row selection voltage waveforms such as that shown in FIG. 23A are applied to each row electrode. At the same time, the designated column voltage, which is described below, is applied to each column electrode, Y1 to Ym. Next, row electrodes X3 and X4 are simultaneously selected with substantially the same type of waveform voltages as that described above. At the same time, the column voltages Y1 to Ym are applied to each column electrode. One frame period represents the selection of all row electrodes, X1 to Xn. In other words, a complete image is displayed during one frame.
As will be explained hereinbelow, when h row electrodes are simultaneously selected, the voltage waveforms that apply the row electrodes described above use 2h row-select patterns. In the example illustrated in FIGS. 23A-23D, the number of row electrodes simultaneously selected is two, thus the number of row select patterns is 22 or4.
Moreover, the column voltages applied to each column electrode Y1 to Ym provide the same number of pulse patterns as that of the row select pulse patterns. That is, there are 2h pulse patterns. These pulse patterns are determined by comparing the states of pixels on the simultaneously selected row electrodes i.e., whether the pixels are ON or OFF, with the polarities of the voltage pulses applied to row electrode.
In this example, as shown in the previously described FIGS. 23A-23D when row electrodes X1 and X2 are selected and row voltages such as those in FIG. 23A and FIG. 24A are applied thereto and when the pixels on row electrodes X1 and X2 are ON and OFF, respectively, the voltage waveform applied the column electrode is voltage waveform Ya shown in FIG. 24B. When the pixels are OFF and ON, respectively, the column voltage waveform Yb is applied to the column electrode. In another example, when the pixels are both ON, a voltage waveform Yc is applied to the column electrode. Finally, when both pixels are OFF, the a column voltage waveform Yd is applied to the column electrode.
The above-mentioned column voltage waveforms Ya-Yd are determined as follows. At first, each pixel simultaneously selected is defined to have a first value of 1 when the voltage applied by the row electrode to the corresponding selected pixel is positive or a first value of xe2x88x921 when the row electrode is negative. Each of the selected pixels is defined to have a second value of xe2x88x921 when the display state is ON or a second value of 1 when display state is OFF. The first value is compared to the second value bit-by-bit, the difference between the number of matches, i.e., when the first value equals the second value, and the number of mismatches, i.e., when the first value does not equal the second value, is calculated. When the difference between the number of matches and mismatches for the simultaneously selected rows is two, V2 is applied; when 0, V0 is applied; and when xe2x88x922, xe2x88x92V2 is applied.
For example, when the pulse waveforms shown in FIG. 23A are applied to row electrodes X1 and X2, a column voltage having the waveform of Ya is applied. This column voltage is determined as follows. The pixels formed at the intersections of column electrode Y1 and rows electrodes X1 and X2 are in the ON and OFF states, respectively. For the purposes of this discussion, these pixels will be referred to as the first and second pixels, respectively. In other words, the first pixel has a second value of xe2x88x921 and the second pixel has a second value of 1. During the period ta, the first pixel has a first value of xe2x88x921 and the second pixel has a first value of xe2x88x921, since the row voltages X1 and X2 are both xe2x88x92V1. Referring to the first pixel, since the first value is xe2x88x921 and the second value is xe2x88x921, there is a match. With regard to the second pixel, the first value is xe2x88x921 and the second value is 1, thereby forming a mismatch. The difference between the number of mismatches and matches is 1xe2x88x921 or zero. Therefore, a voltage of 0 (zero) is applied to the column electrode in time ta. Next, concerning the pulse waveforms of the time interval tb, the applied voltage of row electrode X1 is positive and the applied voltage of row electrode pulse X2 is negative. Using a similar analysis as described above, the number of matches is zero and the number of mismatches is 2. Thus, xe2x88x92V2 volts will be applied to the second half of time interval t1.
As should now be apparent, the first values in time interval tc in FIG. 23A are xe2x88x921 and 1 because the applied voltage of row electrode X1 is negative and the applied voltage of row electrode X2 is positive. When these are compared with the second values of the first and second pixels of xe2x88x921 and 1, the number of matches is two and the number of mismatches is zero. The difference between the number of matches and the number of mismatches is 2. Thus, the column voltage of V2 volts will be applied in time interval tc.
In time interval td, the applied voltage of row electrodes X1 and X2 are both positive. Thus, the first values are 1 and 1. When compared to the pixel states of xe2x88x921 and 1, the number of matches is 1 and the number of mismatches is 1, thus the difference between the number of matches and the number of mismatches is zero. Accordingly, zero volts will be applied to Ya for the time interval td.
A summary of this analysis for time periods ta, tb, tc and td, is shown in Table A below:
As is readily apparent, the column voltage Ya corresponds to the column voltage pattern and is applied to the column to place the first pixel in its ON state and the second pixel in its OFF state.
As for the other column voltage waveforms, Yb to Yd, the voltages are selected under the same criteria as described above and are summarized in Tables B, C and D hereinbelow:
In the examples above, the first value is 1 when the row-select voltage has a positive polarity or the first value when the row-select voltage has a negative polarity. Additionally, the second value is xe2x88x921 when the display state of the pixel is ON, or 1 when the display state is OFF. The column voltage waveforms were selected by means of the difference between the number of matches and the number of mismatches. As will be appreciated by one of ordinary skill in the art, the sign conventions may be inverted. Moreover, it also is possible to set the column voltage waveforms with only the number of matches or the number of mismatches, without having to calculate the difference between the number of matches and the number of mismatches as explained below.
FIGS. 25A-25E illustrate another example of the prior art in which a plurality of row electrodes are divided into groups of row electrodes. The groups of row electrodes are selected in sequence and the row electrodes within each group are simultaneously selected. In this example, each group comprises three row electrodes that are simultaneously selected in order to generate a display pattern, as shown in FIG. 26.
In other words, initially three row electrodes, X1, X2 and X3, are selected and row selection voltages such as those shown in FIG. 25A are applied to these row electrodes, X1, X2 and X3, respectively. At the same time, the designated column voltages, to be discussed later, are applied to each column electrode Y1 to Ym. Next, row electrodes X4, X5 and X6, shown in FIG. 26, are selected and row selection voltages such as that in FIG. 25B are applied to these electrodes in the same manner as described above. At the same time, column voltages are applied to each column electrode, Y1 to Ym. As with the previous example, one frame period F is defined as the selection of all of the row electrodes, X1 to Xn. One image is completely displayed in one frame period, and plural images can be display by repeating this cycle continuously.
When each row voltage waveform described above has h as the number of row electrodes that are simultaneously selected, as in previous example, the number of 2h row-select pattern are used. In this example, the number of 23 or 8 patterns are used.
Moreover, as in the previous example, the column voltages applied to each column electrode, Y1 to Ym, are the same as the number of row-select patterns. Also, the voltage level of each pulse is such that the voltage that corresponds to the numbers of the ON state and the OFF state of the selected row electrodes is applied. In other words, the column voltage level is determined by comparing the row-select pattern and display pattern. Thus, for example, when the row voltage waveforms applied to row electrodes X1, X2 and X3, which are selected simultaneously in this example, have a positive pulse, they are ON, and when they have a negative pulse, they are OFF. The ON and the OFF of the display data are compared at each pulse and the column voltage waveforms are set according to the number of mismatches.
In other words, in the example of FIGS. 25A-25D, when the number of mismatches is zero, xe2x88x92V3 volts are applied; when it is 1, xe2x88x92V2 volts are applied; when it is 2, V2 volts are applied; and when it is 3, V3 volts are applied. The voltage ratios for V2 and V3 above are preferably such that V2: V3=1:3
In specific terms, in the case of the voltage waveforms applied to row electrodes X1, X2 and X3 in FIG. 25A, those waveforms are ON when the V1 volts are applied and OFF when the xe2x88x92V1 volts are applied. Referring to FIG. 26, the pixel is indicated as ON when there is a closed circle and OFF when there is a open circle. As shown in FIG. 26, the display states of the pixels that cross with column electrode Y1 and row electrodes X1, X2 and X3 are ON, ON and OFF, respectively. In contrast to this, the initial pulse pattern of the voltage applied to each row electrode, X1 , X2 and X3, is OFF, OFF and OFF, respectively. Comparing both in sequence, the number of mismatches is 2. Therefore, V2 volts are applied to the initial pulse pattern of the voltage applied to each row electrode Y1, as shown in FIG. 25C. Using a similar analysis, the second pulse pattern of the voltage that is applied to each row electrode, X1, X2 and X3, is OFF, OFF and ON, respectively. When compared in sequence the voltage pattern with the ON, ON and OFF sequence of the aforesaid pixel display pattern, all are mismatching. Since the number of mismatches is 3, voltage V3 is applied to the second pulse of column electrode Y1. As will be understood by one of ordinary skill in the art, by applying the above described analysis to the third and fourth time intervals, column voltages xe2x88x92V2 and xe2x88x92V2 are applied therein. Thus, a column voltage of xe2x88x92V3, V2, xe2x88x92V2 and xe2x88x92V2 is applied to provide the pixel states as shown in FIG. 26.
In the next time period, the next three row electrodes X4 to X6, are selected by applying selection voltages thereto, as shown in FIG. 25B. In accordance with the analysis described above, column voltages have the voltage levels that corresponds to the number of mismatches between the ON and OFF display states of the pixels formed at the intersection of the row electrodes X4 to X6 and the column electrode, and the ON and OFF states of pulse patterns of the synthesized voltages. FIG. 25D illustrates the resultant voltage waveforms that are applied to the pixels at the intersection of the row electrode X1 and column electrode Y1. That is, the synthesized waveform is resultant of the voltage waveform applied to row electrode X1 and the voltage waveform applied to column electrode Y1.
As indicated above, the method that simultaneously selects a plurality of row electrodes in a group and the selection of each group in sequence, has the advantage of the reducing the drive voltage level.
Referring now to FIGS. 27A-27C, the relationship between the transmissitivity of a pixel of a liquid crystal display and the applied voltage is shown therein. In a liquid crystal display driven in a conventional manner, after the selection voltage has been applied to a particular pixel, during the period until the next selection voltage is applied to that pixel, the brightness gradually decreases during the time t. This reduces the transmissitivity T in the ON condition and, on the other hand, slightly increase the transmissitivity T in the OFF condition. As shown in FIG. 21, such conventional displays have poor contrast between the ON condition and the OFF condition.
The following is a general discussion regarding the conventional method for simultaneously selecting multiple row electrodes.
A. Requirements
(1) The N number of row electrodes to be displayed are divided up into N/h non-intersecting subgroups.
(2) Each subgroup has h number of address lines.
(3) At a particular time, the display data on each column electrode is composed of an h-bit words, e.g.:
dk*h+1, dk*h+2 . . . dk*h+h; dk*h+j=0 or 1
Where 0xe2x89xa6kxe2x89xa6(N/h)xe2x88x921 (k: subgroup)
In other words, one column of display data is:
d1, d2 . . . dh . . . Subgroup 0
dh+1, dh+2 . . . dh+h . . . Subgroup 1
dNxe2x88x92h+1, dNxe2x88x92h+2 . . . dNxe2x88x92h+h . . . Subgroup N/hxe2x88x921
(4) The row-select pattern has 2h cycle and is represented by an h-bit words, e.g.:
ak*h+1, ak*h+2 . . . ak*h+h; ak*h+j=0 or 1
B. Guidelines
(1) One subgroup is selected simultaneously for addressing.
(2) One h-bit word is selected as the row-select pattern.
(3) The row-select voltages are:
xe2x88x92Vr for a logic 0,
+Vr for a logic 1,
0 volts or ground for the nonselected period.
(4) The row-select patterns and the display data patterns in the selected subgroup are compared bit by bit such as with digital comparators, viz. exclusive OR logic gates.
(5) The number of mismatches i between these two patterns is determined by counting the number of exclusive-OR logic gates having a logical 1 output.
Steps 1-4 are summarized by the following equation:   i  =            ∑              j        =        1            h                          a                              k            *            h                    +          j                    ⊕                        d                                    k              *              h                        +            j                                            xe2x80x83                                  (                      0            ≤            i            ≤            h                    )
(where ⊕ is an exclusive OR logic operation)
(6) The column voltage is chosen to be V(i) when the number of mismatches is i.
(7) The column voltages for each column in the matrix is determined independently by repeating the steps (4)-(6).
(8) Both the row voltage and column voltage are applied simultaneously to the matrix display for a time duration xcex94t, where xcex94t is minimum pulse width.
(9) A new row-select pattern is chosen and the column voltages are determined using steps (4)-(6). The new row and column voltages are applied to the display for an equal duration of time at the end of xcex94t.
(10) A frame or cycle is completed when all of the subgroups (=N/h) are selected with all the 2h row-select patterns once.
1 cycle=xcex94txc2x72hxc2x7N/h
C. Analysis
The row select patterns in a case in which there are i number of mismatches will now be considered. The number of h-bit row-select patterns which differ from and h-bit display data pattern by i bits is given by
hCi=h!/{i!(hxe2x88x92i)!}=Ci
For example, when the case for h=3 and row electrode selection pattern=(0,0,0) is considered, the results would be as shown in the table below:
These are determined by the number of bits of a word, not the row electrode selection patterns.
If the amplitude Vpixel of the instantaneous voltage that is applied to the pixel had a row voltage of Vrow and column voltage of Vcolumn, the synthesized voltage would be as follows:
Vpixel=(Vcolumnxe2x88x92Vrow) or (Vrowxe2x88x92Vcolumn)
Where, if Vrow=xc2x1Vr and Vcolumn=V(i), then Vpixel=+Vrxe2x88x92V(i) or xe2x88x92Vrxe2x88x92V(i).
If Vrow=xc2x1Vr and Vcolumn=xc2x1V(i), then Vpixel=Vrxe2x88x92V(i), Vr+V(i), xe2x88x92Vrxe2x88x92V(i) or xe2x88x92Vr+V(i).
That is:
Vpixel=|Vrxe2x88x92V(i)| or |Vr+V(i) |
As a consequence, the specific amplitude to be applied to the pixel is either xe2x88x92(Vr+V(i)) or (Vrxe2x88x92V(i)) in the selection row and is V(i) in the non-selection row.
In general, in order to achieve a high selection ratio, it is desirable that the voltage across a pixel should be as high as possible for an ON pixel and as low as possible for an OFF pixel.
As a result, when a pixel is in the ON state, the voltage |Vr+V(i)| is favorable for the ON pixel, and the voltage |Vrxe2x88x92V(i)| is unfavorable for the ON pixel. On the other hand, when a pixel is in the OFF state, the voltage |Vrxe2x88x92V(i)| is favorable for the OFF pixel, and the voltage |Vr+V(i)| is unfavorable for the OFF pixel.
Here, it is favorable for the ON pixel to increase the effective voltage and unfavorable for the ON pixel to decrease the effective voltage. The number of combinations that selects i units from among the h bits is:
Ci=hCi={h!}/{i!(hxe2x88x92i)!}
The total number of mismatches provides the number of unfavorable voltages in the selected rows in a column. The total number of mismatches is ixc2x7Ci in Ci row select patterns considered are equally distributed over the h pixels in the selected rows. Hence the number of unfavorable voltages per pixel (Bi) when number of mismatches is i can be obtained as given following;
Bi=ixc2x7Ci/h (units/pixel)
The number of times a pixel gets a favorable voltage during the Ci time intervals considered is:
Ai={(hxe2x88x92i)/h}xc2x7Ci
In addition:
{(hxe2x88x92i)/h}xc2x7Ci+(i/h)xc2x7Ci=(h/h) Ci=Ci
Accordingly, the following is obtained:
Ai=Cixe2x88x92Bi={(hxe2x88x921)!}/{i!xc2x7(hxe2x88x92ixe2x88x921)!}
Where: hxe2x89xa6i+1
To summarize the above:
Von(rms)={(S1+S2+S3)/S4}xc2xd
Voff(rms)={(S5+S6+S3)/S4}xc2xd                              S          1                =                              ∑                          i              =              0                        h                                                        Ai                                            (                                                      V                    r                                    +                                      V                                          (                      i                      )                                                                      )                                      2                                              (        favorable        )                                          S          2                =                              ∑                          i              =              0                        h                                                        Bi                                            (                                                      V                    r                                    +                                      V                                          (                      i                      )                                                                      )                                      2                                              (        unfavorable        )                                          S          3                =                              {                                          (                                  N                  /                  h                                )                            -              1                        }                                                        ∑                              i                =                0                            h                                                                  (                                  Ai                  +                  Bi                                )                                                          V                                  (                  i                  )                                2                                                                        xe2x80x83                                          S          4                =                              2            h                    ·                      (                          N              /              h                        )                                              xe2x80x83                                          S          5                =                              ∑                          i              =              0                        h                                                        Ai                                            (                                                      V                    r                                    -                                      V                                          (                      i                      )                                                                      )                                      2                                              (        favorable        )                                          S          6                =                              ∑                          i              =              0                        h                                                        Bi                                            (                                                      V                    r                                    -                                      V                                          (                      i                      )                                                                      )                                      2                                              (        unfavorable        )
In addition:
Vr/Vo=Nxc2xd/h . . . row selection voltage
V(i)/V0=(hxe2x88x922i)/h={1xe2x88x92(2i/h)} . . . column voltage, and
R=(Von/Voff)max={(Nxc2xd+1)/(Nxc2xdxe2x88x921)}xc2xd
As noted above and as shown in FIGS. 27A-27C, however, a liquid crystal display driven according to such a method has poor contrast between its ON and OFF states.
Moreover, as shown in FIG. 25, in such conventional driving methods, the pulse width applied to the row electrodes and the column electrodes narrows as the number of simultaneously selected row electrodes increases, and this increases the amount of crosstalk due to the distortion of the waveforms. This results in, for example, poor image quality. This problem becomes even more serious, for example, in a case in which gray shade display, which is caused by the pulse width modulation (PWM), takes place.
Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a matrix display apparatus, a matrix display control apparatus, and a matrix display drive apparatus suited to a low power consumption, large capacity display by improving the display data transfer method.
It is an object of the present invention to provide an apparatus that obviates the aforementioned problems of the conventional liquid crystal devices.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a liquid crystal display for displaying an image having high image quality.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a liquid crystal display with good contrast characteristics.
It is still another object of the present invention to provide a display with a reduced number of column voltage levels.
These and other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent upon a consideration of the following detailed description of the preferred embodiments of the present invention in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.
Although the detailed description and annexed drawings describe a number of preferred embodiments of the present invention, it should be appreciated by those skilled in the art that many variations and modifications of the present invention fall within the spirit and scope of the present invention as defined by the appended claims.
The present invention provides a method combining a module controller-type display device with a signal electrode (X) driver having a built-in frame memory that intermittently operates the oscillation source of a high frequency clock for the module controller during display data transfer.
Specifically, a matrix display apparatus according to the invention comprises a matrix display device of display elements arranged in a matrix pattern, a first random access memory device for storing the display data, a second random access memory device for storing the display data of at least part of the display elements, and a signal electrode drive means for reading the display data from the second memory device to apply a drive voltage to the signal electrodes of the matrix display device. This matrix display apparatus is characterized by an intermittent high frequency oscillator that oscillates according to changes in the display data stored in the first RAM device, and a display data transfer means for reading the display data associated with the change from the first RAM device according to the high frequency clock output from the intermittent high frequency oscillator, and transferring the read display data together with the high frequency clock to the second RAM device.
The matrix display control apparatus for this display apparatus comprises a low frequency oscillator for constantly generating a low frequency clock, a timing signal generator for generating a specified timing signal based on the low frequency clock from the low frequency oscillator, a display data refresh detection means for generating an intermittent control signal based on changes in the display data stored in the first RAM device, an intermittent high frequency oscillator that oscillates according to the intermittent control signal, and a display data transfer means for reading the display data associated with the change from the first RAM device according to the high frequency clock output from the intermittent high frequency oscillator, and transferring the read display data together with the high frequency clock to the second RAM device.
A matrix display drive apparatus comprises a second random access memory device for storing the display data of at least part of the display elements, reads the display data from the second RAM device, and applies a drive voltage to the signal electrodes of the matrix display device. The apparatus used in a display apparatus using this matrix display control apparatus comprises a timing signal generator for generating a write control signal and a read control signal at an offset timing within one scanning period based on the cycle signal received each scanning period, and a read/write means executes a read operation according to the read control signal and then executes a write operation according to the write control signal with both operations addressing the same address in the second RAM device.
A matrix display drive apparatus of this type preferably comprises a clock detection means for detecting when the high frequency clock used for display data transfer stops, and a write prohibit control means for preventing generation of the write control signal based on this detection signal.
The read/write means of this matrix display drive apparatus comprises a temporary storage means for sequentially storing at least one scan line of the incoming display data using the high frequency clock, and a buffer for writing to the second RAM device the stored display data from the temporary storage means according to a signal longer than one cycle of the high frequency clock.
In a matrix display drive apparatus using a multiple line selection drive method, the read/write means comprises a signal voltage state assignment means for extracting the signal voltage to be applied to the signal electrode from the display data read from the second RAM device and the voltage state of the scanning electrode of the matrix display device.
This signal voltage state assignment means specifically comprises a means for reading plural scan lines of display data from the second RAM device on a time-share basis, a temporary storage means that alternately waits for the read display data, a scan state setting means for specifying the voltage state of the scan electrode of the matrix display device, an anti-coincidence detector for detecting anti-coincidence between the plural scan line equivalent display data and the selected voltage state of the scan electrode, and a voltage selector for selecting the signal electrode voltage based on the anti-coincidence detection result.
In a differently configured matrix display drive apparatus using a multiple line selection drive method, the second RAM device comprises a memory array for storing plural scan lines of display data for one line address of the matrix display device, and the signal voltage state assignment means comprises a means for batch reading plural scan lines of display data, a scan state setting means for specifying the voltage state of the scan electrode of the matrix display device, and a voltage selector for selecting the drive voltage from the plural scan line display data read from the second RAM device and the selected voltage state of the scan electrode.
The present invention configured for a uniform distribution, multiple line selection drive method for a scan electrode drive apparatus using a multiple line selection drive method is characterized by a means for simultaneously selecting and cyclically scanning plural scan electrodes plural times within the period of the frame start signal.
A matrix display control apparatus thus comprised can reduce the total power consumption because of intermittent operation of the high frequency clock because the high frequency clock operates only when there is a change in the display data stored in the first RAM device, at which time the display data is transferred to the second RAM device. The processing load on the host MPU for the first RAM device can also be reduced because the transfer process to the second RAM device is executed not by the MPU but by an intermediary matrix display control apparatus. By cascade connecting the drive device of the signal electrodes, display data can be transferred according to the configuration of the matrix display device without being aware of the driver side memory configuration, and the address correlation process can be simplified. The display can also be refreshed faster because the display data for each scan line is stored in the second RAM device. By cascade connecting the signal electrode drive devices, the number of connections (e.g., the number of chip selection buses) between the matrix display control apparatus and drive devices can be minimized even in large capacity displays, and display devices with a large display area ratio can be achieved.
In addition, the second RAM device can be accessed with ease using time-share access timing during one scanning period. Greater tolerance is therefore achieved in the second RAM device access timing, improving data writing performance and making it possible to reduce the size of the transistors in the second RAM device. This also contributes to a reduction in driver chip size.
According to an additional aspect of the present invention, a multiplex driving method is provided for a liquid crystal display device having a liquid crystal layer disposed between a pair of substrates, a plurality of row electrodes arranged on one of the substrates and a plurality of column electrodes arranged on the other substrate. The method comprises the steps of sequentially selecting a group of the plurality of row electrodes in a selection period, simultaneously selecting the row electrodes comprising each group, and dividing and separating the selection period into a plurality of intervals within one frame period.
By adopting such a driving method, for example, after a selection voltage has been applied to a particular pixel in the initial frame, the voltage will be applied to that pixel several times during the period until the selection voltage is applied to that pixel in the next frame. This makes it possible to maintain brightness and prevent a reduction in contrast.
According to another aspect of the present invention, a first portion of a selection signal is sequentially applied to each of j groups of row electrodes in a first selection period of a frame, such that the first portion of the selection signal is simultaneously applied to i row electrodes in each of the j groups. A second portion of the selection signal is sequentially applied to the j groups of row electrodes in a second selection period of the frame, such that the second portion of the selection signal is simultaneously applied to the i row electrodes in each of the j groups.
According to a further aspect of the present invention, a display apparatus is provided comprising a display having a plurality of row electrodes and column electrodes, the row electrodes being arranged in groups. A drive circuit comprises a row electrode data generating circuit for generating row selection pulse data and a frame memory for providing display data. An arithmetic operation circuit calculates converted data in accordance with the row selection pulse data generated by the drive circuit and the display data provided by the frame memory. A column electrode driver is responsive to the converted data calculated by the arithmetic operation circuit for generating column data for the plurality of column electrodes. A row electrode driver is responsive to the row selection pulse data generated by said drive circuit for selecting in sequence each of the groups of row electrodes. The row electrodes comprising each of the groups are selected simultaneously, and scanning of one screen is performed a plurality of times in accordance with the row selection pulse data and the display data during one frame period. By having a drive circuit such as that described above, it is possible to execute the drive method described above easily and reliably.
In accordance with such a display device, the display device has a driving circuit which performs the steps of calculating the row-select pattern generated by the row electrode data generation circuit and the display data pattern on the plurality of row electrodes which are read in sequence from the frame memory. The row electrodes are then selected simultaneously with the row-select pattern. The driving circuit transfers the converted data, which is the result of the calculation, to the column electrode driver, and transfers the row data, which is generated by the row electrode data generation circuit, to the row electrode driver. Further, the driving circuit repeats the above-mentioned operation by the next row-select pattern data and display data pattern when scanning of one image is finished. The screen operation is repeated several times in one frame period. Thus, the display device according to the present invention has excellent contrast characteristics.
According to still yet a further aspect of the present invention, a method is provided for determining a number of voltage levels applied to each of m column electrodes in a liquid crystal display having a pair of opposing substrates, n row electrodes disposed on one of the substrates and the m column electrodes disposed on the other of the substrates, and a liquid crystal material disposed between the pair of substrates, n x m pixels being formed at the intersection of the n row electrodes and the m column electrodes. The n row electrodes are divided into j groups, each group having at least i row electrodes, i, j, n and m being positive integers greater than 1, i being less than n and j being less than n. A selection signal is applied sequentially to each of the j groups of row electrodes and simultaneously applied to each of the i row electrodes in a plurality of time periods for displaying an image in a frame period. The method comprising the step of, for each of the time periods, determining a first number of mismatches between the selection signal applied to the i row electrodes and display states of the pixels formed at the intersections of the i row electrodes and one of the m columns electrodes. A virtual selection signal is applied to a virtual row electrode and a second number of mismatches between the virtual selection signal applied to the virtual electrode and a display state of a virtual pixel formed at the intersection of the one column electrode and the virtual row electrode is determined. A third number of mismatches is defined by the sum of the first and second number of mismatches, and the virtual selection signal has a waveform and the virtual pixel has a display state such that the third number of mismatches is either an odd number or an even number. A number of matches between the selection signal applied to the i row electrodes and the display states of the pixels at the intersections of the i row electrodes and the one column electrode and between the virtual selection signal applied to the virtual row electrode and the display state of the virtual pixel formed at the intersection of the virtual electrode and the one column electrode is determined. The voltage level for each time period is a level corresponding to the difference between the third number of mismatches and the number of matches. The above-discussed process is repeated for each of the time periods.

Matrix display with signal electrode drive having memory


Hairpin-shaped heat exchanger tubes are guided with respect to a fin stack in which through-holes are formed in three or more lines. A guide apparatus includes: a first guide portion provided with a plurality of first guide pins that extend in an inclined direction; a second guide portion provided with a plurality of second guide pins that extend in an inclined direction in an opposite direction; a first guide pin axial direction moving apparatus that moves the first guide portion along an axial direction; a second guide pin axial direction moving apparatus that moves the second guide portion along an axial direction; a first guide pin row direction moving apparatus that moves the first guide portion along the row direction; and a second guide pin row direction moving apparatus that moves the second guide portion along the row direction. The hairpin-shaped heat exchanger tubes are held in gaps between the first guide pins and the second guide pins.

As depicted in FIG. 13, a heat exchanger, such as an air conditioner, is constructed by inserting heat exchanger pipes, in which a heating medium flows, into through-holes 11 in a fin stack 10 that has been produced by stacking a plurality of fins 9 in which the through-holes 11 are formed. Hairpin-shaped heat exchanger tubes 20, which are formed by bending copper pipes into U shapes at a central part thereof, are used as the heat exchanger pipes.
Since the hairpin-shaped heat exchanger tubes 20 are formed by bending elongated soft members such as copper pipes, a force that acts so as to widen the legs will inevitably be produced, and the bent tubes are also susceptible to twisting.
For this reason, when inserting the hairpin-shaped heat exchanger tubes 20 into the fin stack 10, a guide apparatus that keeps the two ends of each hairpin-shaped heat exchanger tube 20 at a constant width and holds the hairpin-shaped heat exchanger tubes 20 so as to prevent twisting is required.
Examples of conventional guide apparatuses are depicted in FIGS. 14 and 15.
The guide apparatus depicted in FIG. 14 is similar to the device depicted in FIG. 17 of Patent Literature 1 and is equipped with a regulating plate 22, in which a plurality of V-shaped cutaway portions 23 are formed, and a moving plate 24, which moves with respect to the regulating plate 22 along the direction in which the plurality of cutaway portions 23 are formed. Hook portions 26 formed in U-shapes are formed in the moving plate 24.
The interval between the V-shaped apexes of adjacent cutaway portions 23 is set so as to be equal to the interval between the through-holes 11 in the fin stack 10. By disposing the respective legs of the hairpin-shaped heat exchanger tubes 20 in the cutaway portions 23, it is possible to set the widths of the legs of the respective hairpin-shaped heat exchanger tubes 20 at the widths of the through-holes 11. When the moving plate 24 is moved, the hook portions 26 of the moving plate 24 hold the upper surfaces of the legs housed in the cutaway portions 23.
The guide apparatus depicted in FIG. 15 is similar to the apparatus depicted in FIG. 14 of Patent Literature 1, includes a guide portion 29, in which an elongated hole 28 with the same width as the width to be maintained by the tubes is formed, and a center pin (not illustrated) which is inserted into the elongated hole 28 in a direction perpendicular to the direction in which a hairpin-shaped heat exchanger tube 20 is inserted into the guide portion 29. The entry side of the elongated hole 28 in the guide portion 29 is formed so that its diameter gradually increases toward the outside, which means that even a hairpin-shaped heat exchanger tube 20 that has widened can be reliably inserted into the elongated hole 28.

Guide apparatus for hairpin-shaped heat exchanger tubes


A semiconductor apparatus includes a first substrate and a second substrate located over a first portion of the first substrate and separated from the first substrate by a buried layer. The semiconductor apparatus also includes an epitaxial layer located over a second portion of the first substrate and isolated from the second substrate. The semiconductor apparatus further includes a first transistor formed at least partially in the second substrate and a second transistor formed at least partially in or over the epitaxial layer. The second substrate and the epitaxial layer have bulk properties with different electron and hole mobilities. At least one of the transistors is configured to receive one or more signals of at least about 5V. The first substrate could have a first crystalline orientation, and the second substrate could have a second crystalline orientation.

Complimentary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) circuits are often formed on silicon substrates having a (100) crystalline orientation. Hybrid orientation technology (HOT) uses different crystalline orientations on a single substrate. For example, hybrid orientation technology could mix a (100) crystalline orientation substrate and a (110) crystalline orientation substrate on the same semiconductor wafer. This is typically done to help improve hole and electron mobilities within a semiconductor device.

Method for using hybrid orientation technology (HOT) in conjunction with selective epitaxy to form semiconductor devices with regions of different electron and hole mobilities and related apparatus


A highly sensitive and ultra-high density array of electromechanical nanowires is fabricated. Nanowires are extremely sensitive to the strain induced by the attachment of biological and chemical species. Real-time detection is realized through piezoresistive transduction from the specially designed materials that form the nanowires. These specially designed materials include doped silicon or germanium, doped III-V semiconductors such as GaAs, GaN and InAs systems, and ultra-thin metal films.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention is directed to the field of electromechanical piezoresistive nanowire arrays, and in particular nanowire arrays fabricated with doped silicon or germanium, doped III-V semiconductors such as GaAs, GaN and InAs systems, and ultra-thin metal films and used for real-time detection of biological and chemical analytes.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Quantification of Piezoresistors
Fundamentally, all strain gauges are designed to convert mechanical motion into an electronic signal. A piezoresistor is basically a device which changes its resistance when strained. The change in resistance is proportional to the strain experienced by the sensor. The strain sensitivity, which is also called the gage factor (GF), is given by:
                    GF        =                                            (                                                Δ                                                                                R                                R                            )                        /                          (                                                Δ                                                                                L                                L                            )                                =                                    (                                                Δ                                                                                R                                R                            )                                    Strain                                              (        1        )            where R is the resistance, and L the length of the piezoresistor. There are two components of the piezoresistive effect in most materials: (1) the geometric component and (2) the resistivity components.
When a conducting wire is stretched, it becomes longer and thinner. Its resistance increases according to the Ohm's law. A good example of geometric effect is the liquid strain gauge, such as those made of mercury. When compressed, a tube of mercury becomes shorter in length and larger in diameter to maintain a constant volume. The resistance of such a strain gauge is given by
                    R        =                                            ρ                                                                                L                        A                    =                                    ρ                                                                                L                2                                      V                                              (        2        )            where ρ is the resistivity, A is the cross sectional area, L is the length and V the volume of the strain gauge.
Therefore,
                    GF        =                                            (                                                ⅆ                                                                                R                                R                            )                        /                          (                                                ⅆ                                                                                L                                L                            )                                =          2                                    (        3        )            This means that all liquid gauges have a gauge factor of 2, since essentially all liquid medium is incompressible. Before replaced by solid stage strain gauge instruments, liquid gauges were extensively used in hospitals to monitor the fluctuations in blood pressure.
Metal wires can also be used as strain gauges. Normally metal cannot be treated as incompressible nor is its resistivity constant. The gauge factors can be expressed by following Ohm's law:
                              R          =                      ρ                                                                                L              /              A                                                                                ⅆ              R                        /            R                    =                                                                      ⅆ                                                                                ρ                                /                ρ                            +                                                ⅆ                                                                                L                                /                L                            -                                                                    ⅆ                                                                                A                                    /                  A                                                                                GF                                      =                                                                                ⅆ                                                                                R                                    /                  R                                                                      ⅆ                                                                                L                                    /                  L                                            =                              1                +                                  2                                    v                                +                                                                            ⅆ                                                                                ρ                                        /                    ρ                                                                              ⅆ                                                                                L                                        /                    L                                                                                (        4        )            In the above, v is defined as Poisson's ratio
  -                              ⅆ                                                    A                /        A                    2                                      ⅆ                                                              L                    /          L                      .  For different metals, this quantity depends on the material mechanical properties as well as the conduction mechanism. In general metals have gauge factors between 2 and 4.
In equation (3) above, the first component of the gauge factor is a pure geometrical mechanism, but piezoresistive sensing usually refers specifically to strain gauges in semiconductors, whose conducting band changes in response to stress. Some doped semiconductors have a gauge factor over 100 times greater than those attributable to geometric changes alone.
Gauge Factor  GF  =                    ⅆ        R            /      R                      ⅆ        L            /      L       TypeGFMetal foil1 to 5Thin-film metal~2Semiconductor 80 to 150Diffused semiconduetor 80 to 200

Strain sensors based on nanowire piezoresistor wires and arrays


The present invention is a method for comparing object data in an object domain with database data in a database domain. The method includes applying a first transfer function to the object data so as to generate a first transformed data. The method also includes applying a second transfer function to the database data so as to generate a second transformed data. Finally, the method includes comparing the first transformed data with the second transformed data.

The present invention relates to database systems. More specifically, the present invention relates to methods for simulating data types within a database system.
In conventional relational databases, all data are stored in named tables. The tables are described by their features. In other words, the rows of each table contain items of identical type, and the definitions of the columns of the table (i.e., the column names and the data types stored in the column) describe the attributes of each of the instances of the object. By identifying its name, its column names and the data types of the column contents, a table is completely described. Queries to a relational database are formulated in a query language. One such language is SQL (Structure Query Language) which is widely used in commercial relational data base systems. The data types offered by SQL can be classified as character arrays (names), numbers, and data types related to date and time.
Another recent technology for database systems is referred to as object oriented database systems. These systems offer more complex data types than those associated with conventional relational databases. In the context of object oriented data base models, an "object" includes both data and the functions (or methods) which can be applied to the object. Each object is a concrete instance of an object class defining the attributes and methods of all its instances. Each instance has its unique identifier by which it can be referred to in the database.
Yet another recent technology for database systems is referred to as object-relational (O-R) database systems. Generally speaking, object-relational database systems attempt to combine the advantages of the wide acceptance of relational databases and the benefits of the object oriented paradigm. There are generally two variants of O-R systems: one adds the capabilities to the database management system itself; the other is external to the database and addresses the "impedance mismatch" between objects and relational tables. Unless and until objects run in the database, such systems will be necessary. Some of these databases employ a data model that attempts to add object oriented characteristics to tables. All persistent (database) information is still in tables, but some of the tabular entries can have richer data structure.
The typical object-relational database is still relational because data is stored in tables of rows and columns, and SQL, with some extensions, is typically the language for data definition, manipulation, and query. As opposed to a strictly relational database system, however, an object-relational database system allows queries and commands to be made through an object oriented interface.
Certain object oriented languages for database management are known to include an ability to expand a data type system to include new and/or specialized data types. However, certain relational database languages, including many versions of SQL, do not accommodate creation of these new and/or specialized data types. In the context of object-relational database systems, it is not uncommon that queries expressed against objects are not allowed to reference custom data types. This is typically because the custom data types referenced in the context of the object system are not properly associated with any data types stored within the corresponding relational database system. This outcome is undesirable because, in some instances, the format of a data type utilized by the relational portion of the object-relational system is functionally inconvenient as compared to an alternate format that is supported by the object portion of the system. In other instances, the format of a data type utilized by the relational portion is structured to not meet a system operator's format expectations. In many cases, the object portion of an object-relational system is capable of supporting data types having a more effective or intuitive format than the data types supported by corresponding relational databases.


A dredge propulsion system mounted on the same boom as the cutter head. The propulsion system has one or more augers which can be operated individually to maneuver the dredge. In the preferred embodiment a pair of augers are mounted parallel to one another on a subframe which is connected to the boom of the cutter head. The subframe comprises a first member pivotally attached to the boom. Each auger is carried by a three bar linkage mounted to the first member.

Dredges are commonly used to remove sediments from the bottom of various bodies of water. This can involve everything from dredging sand from a river bottom to removing sludge from sludge pits.
Dredges typically have a hull which floats on top of the water. A boom with a cutter head is pivotally attached to the hull. When it is in the lowered position, the cutter head can be operated in combination with a pump to remove a slurry of material from the bottom of the body of water.
The operation of the cutter head requires a significant amount of force to stir and agitate the material on the bottom. Thus traditionally dredges have been located and moved using a set of cables spanning the body of water being dredged. The dredge traverses the body of water either by taking in and paying out cable using winches mounted on the dredge or by traveling along a single cable with a winch mounted on the dredge. Thus the dredge is limited in its scope of operation to a path of traversing the cables. In order to dredge additional areas the anchors on the end of the cables must be moved so that the dredge can traverse a new swath or path of area across the body of water. As one can imagine relocating a dredge in this manner can be very time consuming.
In addition to the time consuming nature of moving such a dredge, the cables also present a hazard to nearby boats and vessels. If the cables are overhead, they can severely limit the height of vessels able to operate adjacent to the dredge. Similarly if the cables are anchored underwater they present an unseen hazard to the other vessels operating in the area. This greatly reduces the depth of draft a vessel can have and safely operate in the area.
Other parties have seen the shortcomings of navigating dredges using such a cable system and have resorted to use of paddle wheels, however the paddle wheels only work when they are on the surface of the water or engaged with the bottom of the body of water. Dredges using paddle wheels will not work when the paddle wheels are not in either of these locations.
Further the paddle wheels are located on their own individual booms which can be raised and lowered. This is in addition to the boom to which the cutter head is mounted. During operation the forces exerted by the cutter head as well as those exerted by the paddle wheels must operate from the long lever arm created by the booms to which they are attached. This makes it very difficult to control the position of the dredge and often times the dredges equipped with such paddle wheels are operated with a cable and winch system in addition to the paddle wheels.
The dredge industry has thus had a long felt need for a propulsion system which can maneuver a dredge and also hold it in place while in operation. Further what is needed is a dredge propulsion system which can be quickly and easily used to maneuver about the body of water being dredged without having to relocate cables and anchors.
Additionally what is needed is a dredge propulsion system which does not present underwater and overhead hazards to surrounding vessels.


A variety of methods of forming polymer manifolds and the resulting manifold structures are described. The described manifolds are well suited for use in heat exchangers and a variety of other applications. In one aspect a polymer manifold includes a multiplicity of tubes having first ends that are received by a manifold housing. A polymer film is secured to the manifold housing and to the ends of each of the tubes. The film is arranged to seal the housing while leaving the openings of the tubes exposed to thereby create a manifold. In some embodiments, a potting material is used to reinforce the film. In a method aspect, a manifold may be formed by positioning first ends of the tubes in a manifold housing and welding a polymer film to the manifold housing and to distal tips of the tubes. Openings for the tubes are then formed in the film by directing heat towards the film which melts or vaporizes the film in the regions of the tube openings. A liquid coolant or potting material is placed inside of the chamber within the manifold housing that is sealed by the film during the heating to help prevent the heat from damaging the seals between the film and the tube tips or the film in the interstitial spaces between the tubes.

The present invention relates generally to manifolds and heat exchangers formed from polymer materials and to methods of producing the same.
Heat exchangers are used in a wide variety of applications and have a wide variety of geometries and designs for specific applications. Most often, heat exchangers are formed from a metal material such as copper, aluminum or stainless steel due to the favorable heat transfer characteristics that are displayed by such materials. Although metal heat exchanger designs work well for many applications, metals tend to be more expensive or more subject to corrosion than certain other materials such as plastics and there are some applications where it is desirable to form a heat exchanger from lower cost polymer materials.
One class of heat exchangers contemplate dividing a feed stream of one heat exchange medium into multiple streams that pass through a second heat exchange medium. Such heat exchanger typically employ inlet and outlet manifolds to divide and reunite the feed stream into/from a number of relatively narrow tubes that are arranged to pass through the second heat exchange medium. The fabrication of such manifolds can be difficult when the tubes and/or manifolds are formed from a plastic (or other polymer) material. Although polymer manifold and polymer heat exchanger designs exist, there are continuing efforts to provide improved manifold and heat exchanger designs that are well suited for use in specific applications. The present application describes a low cost polymer manifold design that is well suited for use in a variety of heat exchanger designs. The polymer manifold may also have extensive applications outside of the heat exchanger field.

Polymer manifold and polymer heat exchanger