A method is disclosed for identifying potential drilling hazards in a wellbore, including measuring a drilling parameter, correlating the parameter to depth in the wellbore at which selected components of a drill string pass, determining changes in the parameter each time the selected components pass selected depths in the wellbore, and generating a warning signal in response to the determined changes in the parameter. Another disclosed method includes determining times at which a drilling system is conditioning the wellbore, measuring torque, hookload and drilling fluid pressure during conditioning, and generating a warning signal if one or more of maximum value of measured torque, torque variation, maximum value of drill string acceleration, maximum value of hookload and maximum value of drilling fluid pressure exceeds a selected threshold during reaming up motion of the drilling system.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to the field of drilling wellbores through the earth. More specifically, the invention relates to systems and methods for acquiring data related to wellbore drilling, characterizing the data according to the particular aspect of drilling being performed during acquisition, and determining the possibility of encountering particular drilling hazards by analyzing the data thus characterized.
2. Background Art
Drilling wellbores through the earth includes "rotary" drilling, in which a drilling rig or similar lifting device suspends a drill string. The drill string turns a drill bit located at one end of the drill string. Equipment forming part of the drilling rig and/or an hydraulically operated motor disposed in the drill string rotate the drill bit. The drilling rig includes lifting equipment which suspends the drill string so as to place a selected axial force on the drill bit as the bit is rotated. The combined axial force and bit rotation causes the bit to gouge, scrape and/or crush the rocks, thereby drilling a wellbore through the rocks.
Typically a drilling rig includes liquid pumps for forcing a drilling fluid called "drilling mud" through the interior of the drill string. The drilling mud is ultimately discharged through nozzles or water courses in the bit. The drilling mud lifts drill cuttings from the wellbore and carries them to the earth's surface for disposition. Other types of rigs may use compressed air as the fluid for lifting cuttings and cooling the bit. The drilling mud also provides hydrostatic pressure to prevent fluids in the pore spaces of the drilled formations from entering the wellbore in an uncontrolled manner ("blowout"), and includes materials which form an impermeable barrier ("mud cake") to reduce drilling fluid loss into permeable formations in which the hydrostatic pressure inside the wellbore is greater than the fluid pressure in the formation (preventing "lost circulation").
The process of drilling wellbores through the earth includes a number of different operations performed by the drilling rig and its operating crew other than actively turning and axially pushing the drill bit as described above. It is necessary, for example, to add segments of drill pipe to the drill string in order to be able to deepen the well beyond the end of the length of the drill string. It is also necessary, for example, to change the drill bit from time to time as the drill bit becomes worn and no longer drills through the earth formations efficiently. The foregoing examples are not an exhaustive list of such non-drilling operations performed by a typical drilling rig, but are recited here to explain limitations of prior art drilling data recording and analysis systems.
Drilling data recording and analysis systems known in the art make recordings of measurements made by various sensors on the rig equipment, and in some cases from sensors disposed within the drill string, with respect to time. A record of the position of the drill string within the wellbore is also made with respect to time (a time/depth index). Typically, prior art systems use the recorded data and recorded time/depth index to make a final, single record of rig operation and sensor measurement data with respect to depth, wherein the presented data represent monotonic increase with respect to depth. For example, measurements made by sensors in the drill string performed "while drilling" are typically only presented in the final record for the first time each such sensor passes each depth in the wellbore. Data measured during subsequent movement of particular sensors by particular depth intervals may be omitted from the final record.
As is well known in the art, however, a substantial amount of the time during drilling operations the depth of the wellbore is not, in fact, increasing monotonically, but may include operations in which the drill string, for example, is removed from the wellbore, is moved up and down repeatedly, or remains in a fixed axial position while it is rotated and the drilling fluid is circulated. The rig operations which do not result in monotonically increasing depth with respect to time may incur exposure to drilling hazards such as stuck pipe, blowout or lost drilling fluid ("lost circulation"). Drilling data recording systems known in the art do not make effective use of drilling parameters measured during non drilling operations for the purpose of identifying and mitigating the risk of encountering drilling hazards.
It is also known in the art that certain drilling parameters measured during non-drilling operations, such non drilling operations including, for example, withdrawing the drill string from the wellbore ("tripping out"), inserting the drill string into the wellbore ("tripping in") and adding a segment of drill pipe to the drill string to enable further drilling ("making a connection"), may change over time due to conditions in the wellbore changing over time. For example, a formation that has a fluid pressure therein substantially lower than the hydrostatic pressure of the wellbore may cause a large amount of "filter cake" (compressed drilling fluid solids) to build up at the wellbore wall. Over time this filter cake may become so thick as to make it difficult to remove the drill string from the wellbore, or may risk the drill string becoming stuck in the wellbore. Drilling parameters which may change over time may include, for example, the amount of force needed to withdraw the drill string from the wellbore, the amount of torque needed to overcome friction in the wellbore and resume rotary drilling after making a connection, and an amount of fluid pressure in the wellbore due to moving the drill string axially along the wellbore ("swab" and "surge" pressures). It is desirable to have a system which records drilling parameters with respect to time, determines wellbore depth of the drill string with respect to time, automatically determines the actual operation performed by the drilling rig and analyzes data with respect to the operation, and provides the wellbore operator and/or drilling rig operator with indications of unsafe conditions in the wellbore as the drilling parameters change over time.

System and method for interpreting drilling date


A system for preparing a pre-assembled hanger support. The system includes a bending tool operable to form a bight in the distal end of a structural wire, the bight having a transverse tail extending away from the shaft of the structural wire. The system also includes a wrapping tool having a drive rotor with a clip attachment interface that removably supports a hanger clip and provides selective rotation of the hanger clip and the structural wire, a wire support brace that supports the shaft of the structural wire in substantial alignment with the axis of rotation of the drive rotor, and a tail stop positioned to restrain the rotation of the transverse tail. The hanger clip is supported about the structural wire and positioned within the bight, and together the hanger clip and structural wire are installed onto the clip attachment interface, so that selective rotation of the drive rotor rotates the hanger clip and shaft of the structural wire causing the restrained transverse tail to wrap around the shaft and secure the hanger clip within an eyelet formed in the structural wire, thereby forming the pre-assembled hanger support.

It is common for dropped or false ceilings in office buildings, warehouses and the like to be suspended from an overhead support structure. The suspended ceiling typically comprises a frame network that is suspended by hanger supports made from fasteners and structural wire, and removable panels which are supported by the frame. Removal of the panels provides access to electrical wiring, telephone wiring, plumbing and ventilation ductwork, etc., that is located in the space between the suspended ceiling and the overlying support members.
As a result of the distance between the ground level and the overhead support members, as well as the number of hanger supports required to suspending the frame network, it can be extremely inconvenient and time consuming for an installer to carry fasteners, wire, and tools up and down a ladder and to move the ladder from location to location. Accordingly, hanger support assembly systems have been developed which permit the installer to secure a fastener to an overhead support structure and to install the structural wire to the fastener in situ while remaining on the ground. These systems typically require the fastening tool to be attached to an extension pole and lifted overhead to install the wire and fastener. While potentially saving time by avoiding the need to climb up and down a ladder, the quality of the connections between the structural wires and the fasteners attached to the overlying support members can suffer, resulting in costly and time-consuming rework or an inadequately suspended frame network.

System for preparing pre-assembled hanger supports


Methods and apparatus for key distribution in a conditional access system, assuming that the set of all user nodes which the system can accommodate is a complete set, and a subset is composed of all user nodes or part of user nodes. One method comprises: decomposing said subset into at least one secondary subset; assigning a different user key to each secondary subset, each said user key being transmitted to all users in a corresponding secondary subset; encrypting an entitlement key by using each said user key so as to generate a cipher text corresponding to each said secondary subset; and combining said cipher text to generate a media key control block and transmitting said media key control block to all users in said subset. Since a classification method of a binary tree and a multiple tree is used, the invention can save a lot of network resources.

A CA system is vital to a cable/satellite pay-TV broadcaster, and the most important part in a CA system is how to add legal users (paid users) into the system and remove illegal users from the system dynamically. The basic architecture of a CA system is EMM (entitlement management message), ECM (entitlement control message), CW (control word), Stream. As shown in FIG. 1, an operator (transmitting side) broadcasts EMM and ECM to each legal user through network broadcasting, the EMM contains a message to be transferred to each user (receiving side) and this message contains an entitlement key (i.e. media key, MK) needed by the user. Each user's device filters the EMM when receiving it, and upon obtaining the message to be transferred to the user in the EMM, the message is decrypted by using a user key (distributed to the user by way of smart card or other means) obtained in advance from the operator so as to obtain the entitlement key therein, then the entitlement key is used to decrypt ECM to obtain CW that is used to encrypt video streams (e.g. MPEG-2). Thus, legal users can watch an encrypted video program by using the entitlement key dynamically distributed to them by the operator, while unpaid users (illegal users) can not watch the encrypted video program due to not obtaining the entitlement key.
In this CA system, EMMs play an important role for distributing the entitlement key. But unfortunately, the length of EMM is quite long in most CA systems. Generally, the length is proportional to the number of users within the CA system, which may grow tremendously in a large system. Because of its length, more bandwidth may be taken to broadcast EMMs, and sometimes, users have to turn on their set-top boxes in order to receive EMMs. Since TS stream of MPEG-2 allows to combine many code streams together, EMM and ECM are transferred together with video streams instead of being transferred through a single channel. Also, EMM varies once a month while ECM varies once per ten seconds, so the bandwidth occupied when they are transmitted can severely influence the receiving and viewing of video programs. This situation causes some services like PPV (Pay Per View), IPPV (Impulsive Pay Per View) and Near-VOD quite inconvenient. For example, in a traditional CA system with 10,000 users, if 1% users (100 users) want to leave the system, the system has to send to each user among the left 9,900 users an EMM containing information of each user, notifying them to change their group and the original entitlement keys they own. Thus it will occupy a large amount of bandwidth to broadcast these notifications, thereby wasting a lot of resources.

Key distribution in a conditional access system

International Business Machines Corporation


Processes for manufacturing dihalopyridines without the use of copper salts are described. Additional processes for manufacturing dihalopyridines from niacinamide are described.

Dihalopyridines comprise an important group of compounds useful as intermediates in the manufacture of several commercial materials. For example, 2,3-dichloropyridine is an important raw material for the preparation of crop protection agents, pharmaceuticals and other fine chemicals. A need exists for efficient and practical processes for the manufacture of 2,3-dichloropyridine that are environmentally benign.
2,3-Dichloropyridine has been made from 5,6-dichloronicotinic acid by decarboxylation and from 3-amino-2-chloropyridine by diazotization/chlorination. The manufacture of 2,3-dichloropyridine from 3-amino-2-chloropyridine using a modified Sandmeyer reaction approach has also been reported. The Sandmeyer reaction generally requires preparation of a diazonium salt from 3-amino-2-chloropyridine with an alkali nitrite followed by reaction in the presence of a copper(I) or copper(II) salt. Stoichiometric amounts of the copper salts are typically used to provide efficient preparation of the dichloropyridine from the diazonium salt, resulting in the need for costly recovery of expensive and potentially toxic copper by-products from the process waste stream. Additionally, isolation of the 2,3-dichloropyridine is usually accomplished by extraction of the 2,3-dichloropyridine from the reaction mixture with a water immiscible solvent followed by removal of the solvent adding to the amount of waste that must be processed.
A process for the preparation of 2,3-dibromopyridine involving temperature dependent displacement of chloride by bromide during the diazotization of 3-amino-2-chloropyridine, followed by addition of CuBr in 48% HBr resulting in high yields of 2,3-dibromopyridine has been previously disclosed.
Although diazonium salts are usually prepared in a separate step and subsequently added to a mixture containing the copper salt, requiring the accumulation of potentially hazardous amounts of the unstable diazonium salt, the addition of sodium nitrite to a solution of 3-amino-2-chloropyridine containing copper salts leading to 2,3-dichloropyridine has been disclosed.
Several processes for providing the starting material for the Sandmeyer reaction, e.g. 3-amino-2-chloropyridine, have been previously disclosed, including chlorination of 3-amino-pyridine using chlorine or hydrogen peroxide and hydrogen chloride. Formation of 3-amino-pyridine from niacinamide has also been previously disclosed.
A process for the manufacture of dihalopyridines has been discovered that does not require the use of expensive and potentially environmentally harmful copper salts, does not require the use of multiple reaction vessels, and does not require the use of additional solvents for isolation of the dihalopyridine.
In one embodiment of the invention, a process is described for the manufacture of a compound of formula (A)
wherein
X1 and X2 are in each instance independently selected from the group consisting of Cl and Br;
Y represents from 0 to 3 substituents independently selected in each instance from the group consisting of halide, CN, NO2, OH, optionally substituted alkyl, optionally substituted aryl, and optionally substituted heteroaryl; and
wherein the process comprises the step of adding a first liquid mixture comprising a metal nitrite salt to a second liquid mixture comprising a compound of formula (B)
a hydrohalic acid, and an iron(III) compound.


A vehicle control apparatus is provided which can detect a rotating speed drop of an engine generated together with a clutch connection so as to be set to a trigger of a control start. An engine rotating speed at a time of issuing the trigger is set to a target rotating speed, and a rotating speed feedback control having an engine torque as an operation amount is carried out. An ignition retard and a fuel cut are provided as an operator for engine torque in addition to an intake air amount operation by an electronically controlled throttle.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a control apparatus of a vehicle mounting an engine thereon.
2. Description of Related Art
In the case that a driver performs a rough starting operation (clutch operation or accelerator pedal operation) at a time of starting in a manual transmission loaded vehicle (hereinafter, refer to as an MT vehicle), there is a case that an extreme drop of an engine rotating speed or an engine stall is generated. This is because the engine rotating speed is lowered if a clutch torque (corresponding to a load torque in the case of viewing from the engine side) in accordance that a connection of the clutch is advanced, and a clutch torque begins to get over a shaft torque of the engine. Accordingly, in order to inhibit the engine rotating speed from being lowered at a time of connecting the clutch, it is necessary for the driver to further step on an accelerator pedal at a suitable timing and to adjust an engine torque in such a manner as to overcome the load torque.
This operation can be comparatively easily performed on the basis of a longtime accumulation of experience, for an expert driver, however, it is hard for an inexperienced driver to accurately execute this operation. Accordingly, it is desirable to carry out the engine torque operation mentioned above in a vehicle side for compensating a skill of the driver. However, in a conventional engine control system using a mechanical throttle, since a throttle valve corresponding to a main torque control device works with the accelerator pedal, a freedom of the engine torque control is low, and it is hard to execute the torque operation in the engine side at a time of starting.
On the other hand, in recent years, there comes into practical use an engine control system using an electronically controlled throttle in place of the conventional mechanical throttle. In this system, since a throttle opening degree can be set with respect to an accelerator opening degree, a control freedom of the engine torque is high. Accordingly, in the system using the electronically controlled throttle, there have been laid open several techniques for controlling the torque control of the engine in such a manner as to assist the starting operation of the driver.
For example, in patent document 1 (JP-A-2001-73840), there is described a technique for switching a relation between "accelerator opening degree and throttle opening degree" which is generally set linear to a nonlinear relation. The feature of this technique exists in setting the throttle opening degree to an open side in comparison with the normal time with respect to the accelerator opening degree, near the accelerator opening degree which is normally used for connecting the clutch, in the case of a vehicle speed range in which the starting operation is expected. In accordance with this setting, it is possible to adjust the engine torque for overcoming the load torque at the starting time without the driver deeply stepping the accelerator pedal, and it is possible to lighten the load of the driver.
In the technique described in the patent document 1, an increment of the throttle opening degree is calculated in accordance with a feedforward control having the accelerator opening degree as an input. However, the accelerator operation and the clutch operation of the driver are various at a time of starting the MT vehicle, and the accelerator opening degree range normally used at the starting time and the increasing range of the throttle opening degree do not necessarily coincide for some driver, so that there is a case that the torque assist effect can not be sufficiently obtained.
Further, in the range in which the throttle opening degree is set larger with respect to the accelerator opening degree, since a throttle opening degree change is sensitive with respect to the accelerator operation, there has been generated a problem that it is hard to adjust the engine rotating speed before connecting the clutch, or the engine rotating speed does not rise up linearly at a time of racing.


There is provided an adapter device for connecting and interfacing a transceiver module in conformance with first mechanical specifications and first connector specifications into a host socket adapted to receive transceiver modules in conformance with second mechanical specifications and second connector specifications. The adapter device comprises: a rigid-flex circuit board having first and second levels of rigid circuit board portions and a flexible circuit board portion interconnecting the two levels to convey high-speed electrical signals therebetween, the two levels being integral with said flexible circuit board portion; a first connector mounted on the first level of rigid circuit board and in conformance with the first connector specifications, for electrically connecting the transceiver module to the adapter device to convey high-speed signals; and a second connector mounted on the second level of rigid circuit board and in conformance with the second connector specifications, for electrically connecting the adapter device into the host socket to convey high-speed signals.

Optical transceiver modules are used in telecommunication and data communication networks to interface network equipment with the physical transmission layer. Industry Standards such as the 100 G Form-factor Pluggable Multi-Source Agreement (CFP MSA), CFP2 and CFP4 MSA, define the form factor and the electrical and mechanical requirements of hot-pluggable optical transceiver modules. Such hot-pluggable optical transceiver modules are widely used in the telecommunication industry for their ability to interface generic network equipment with a wide variety of optical fibers and modulation formats, thereby providing network equipment with great flexibility.
Industry Standards on hot-pluggable optical transceiver modules are in constant evolution. For example, the CFP MSA provides for a transition from CFP to CFP2 and to CFP4, each specifying 100 G optical transceiver modules with progressively smaller form factors. Of course, the same scenario occurs for 10 G optical transceiver modules such as the Small Form-factor Pluggable Multi-Source Agreement (SFP MSA) with the enhanced SFP (SFP+). As the telecommunication and computer network industry migrate from one form factor to another, prior equipment, including network equipment (e.g. Ethernet switches, network interface cards, etc.) as well as test and measurement equipment, may become obsolete. An adapter device designed to change a previous form factor host socket into one for receiving a more recent form factor transceiver module may extend the lifetime of equipment without any permanent physical change to it and may then also provide more flexibility to support transceivers of multiple form factors.
Adapters exist in the industry for fitting transceiver modules of a given form factor to host sockets adapted to receive transceiver modules of another larger form factor. However, as the form factors become smaller, it becomes more difficult to fit the transceiver module and the required electrical connections and electronics into an adapter, so that it fits in the form factor corresponding to the host socket.


According to a method of measuring a thickness, to measure a thickness d of a liquid crystal layer 11, a property of reflected light is utilized, in that the light returns maintaining the same polarizing plane as that of an entrance when a polarizing plane-maintaining condition is satisfied in which a difference in optical path lengths between an ordinary ray and an extraordinary ray of the reflected light is a sum of an integer multiple of the wavelength and a half-wavelength or an integer multiple, to find a wavelength at which the polarizing plane-maintaining condition is satisfied. A reasonable xcex94nxc2x7d is thereby found. This is performed for a plurality of wavelengths to find a relational expression of a wavelength and xcex94nxc2x7d. A known combination of a wavelength xcex and xcex94n is assigned to the relational expression to find d.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method and a device for measuring a thickness of a birefringent body having a birefringent index An that is uniform in the thickness direction, such as an alignment-treated liquid crystal layer included in a liquid crystal display element.
2. Description of the Background Art
Liquid crystal display elements are utilized as displays in significantly wide-ranging areas, since they have small power consumption and small size, and are lightweight. In recent years, color liquid crystal display elements of a reflection-type have, among others, come into practical use, and the demand therefor has rapidly expanded.
A reflection-type color liquid crystal display, a conventional reflection-type liquid crystal display and a conventional transmission-type liquid crystal display are herein described for their respective characteristics. A conventional transmission-type liquid crystal display 111 includes, as shown in FIG. 20, a liquid crystal cell 100 constituted by a pair of transparent substrates 12 with outer sides interposed by polarizing plates 14 or elliptical polarizing plates. A voltage applied to a liquid crystal layer 11 changes an alignment of liquid crystal molecules and controls an polarization state of light transmitting through the liquid crystal layer. The light transmits through polarizing plate 14 of an exit side, with the controlled polarization state, so that a difference in brightness is generated in accordance with the polarization state, resulting in a desired display. Further, a conventional transmission-type liquid crystal display 112 also uses, as shown in FIG. 21, liquid crystal cell 100 which is basically the same as that of the transmission-type, and a reflector 15 is further attached to an outer side of polarizing plate 14 of a backside, for displaying.
However, along with finer picture elements attained in recent years, a conventional method in which reflector 15 is attached to the outside for displaying on conventional reflection-type liquid crystal display 112 have caused a problem in that an image is doubled due to a parallax generated by the thickness of substrate 12 and polarizing plate 14 between reflector 15 and liquid crystal layer 11. Particularly when it comes to a color display, the doubled image causes color mixture, which significantly lowers a display quality. Further, when the color display is performed using a micro color filter, light entered at an angle passes through color filters of different colors at an incoming side and an outgoing side, lowering color saturation and thereby greatly degrading color reproduction property.
To solve this problem, a configuration is proposed, as shown in FIG. 22, in which reflector 15 is disposed within liquid crystal cell 101. Because this configuration can suppress the doubled image due to the parallax and degrading of the color reproduction, reflection-type color liquid crystal display 113 mainly uses such a configuration in which a reflector is disposed within liquid crystal cell 101. In reflection-type color liquid crystal display 113, light is reflected by reflector 15 within liquid crystal cell 101, which is different from conventional reflection-type liquid crystal display 112 in which light transmitted through liquid crystal cell 100 is reflected after it completely exits from the liquid crystal cell.
Further, in reflection-type liquid crystal displays 112 and 113, light passes through the same liquid crystal layer 11 twice, so that the thickness of liquid crystal layer 11 has greater effects on the display quality, compared to that of a transmission-type liquid crystal display. This is because a magnitude of a change provided by a member having birefringence to the polarization state of the light entered thereto is proportional to the birefringent index (also referred to as xe2x80x9crefractive index anisotropyxe2x80x9d) and the thickness of the member.
Thus, measurement of the thickness of liquid crystal layer 11, i.e. a so-called xe2x80x9ccell gap,xe2x80x9d for measuring the thickness and uniformity has more significant meaning than the case with the conventional transmission-type liquid crystal display, in order to maintain the display quality of the reflection-type color liquid crystal display.
A conventional technology for measuring a thickness of a liquid crystal layer (hereinafter referred to as xe2x80x9ccell gapxe2x80x9d) is a measurement method disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 4-307312 (hereinafter referred to as xe2x80x9cconventional method 1xe2x80x9d). In the conventional method 1, light enters into a liquid crystal cell via a polarizer arranged in a direction which is +45xc2x0 rotated from an allignment direction of an entrance light side of the liquid crystal cell. Further, exit light transmitted through the liquid crystal cell exits via a polarizer arranged in a direction which is +45xc2x0 rotated from an alignment direction of an exit light side of the liquid crystal cell, to measure an intensity of the exit light. An operation is performed from a value of a wavelength at which the measured exit light intensity assumes a maximal value or a minimal value, to find a value of a cell gap. In the conventional method 1, the operation is performed using
xcex94nxc2x7d=xcexoxc2x7(mo2xe2x88x92"THgr"2/xcfx802)1/2
as a condition of the maximal intensity, and
xcex94nxc2x7d=xcexo((moxe2x88x92xc2xd)2xe2x88x92"THgr"2/xcfx802)1/2
as a condition of the minimal intensity. The respective variables represent the values below.
xcex94n: birefringent index (xcex94n=extra ordinary index nexe2x88x92ordinary index no)
xcexo: wavelength to be maximum or minimum
mo: degree
"THgr": twist angle of the liquid crystal layer
An example of a conventional technology for measuring the cell gap by utilizing reflected light is a measurement method disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 10-232113 (hereinafter referred to as xe2x80x9cconventional method 2xe2x80x9d). In the conventional method 2, mercury lamp light is projected on a substrate to fluorescence-excite alignment films for liquid crystal alignment formed at inner sides of upper and lower substrates, and images are formed for the radiance on a CCD (Charge-Coupled Device) by a lens to measure the cell gap by calculating a distance between the alignment films of the upper and lower substrates from the distance between the images.
The conditional equations by which the exit light intensity is maximum or minimum, used in the conventional method 1, are the equations used only for the transmission-type liquid crystal cell. That is, it is assumed that the entered light passes through the liquid crystal layer only once during which the light is polarized. In the reflection-type liquid crystal cell, however, the light passed through the liquid crystal layer and was polarized is reflected at the reflector, and again passes through the liquid crystal layer for further polarization before exiting. Therefore, the operation for the conventional method 1 cannot be applied, as it is, to the reflection-type liquid crystal cell.
Further, there may be a reflection-type color liquid crystal display, in which a portion of the reflector not used for display, for example, a portion corresponding to a gap between electrodes, is removed by etching or the like. In such a case, the measurement of the cell gap appears to be possible by the conventional method 1, by utilizing transmitted light leaking from the portion where a reflection layer is removed. However, etching of the reflector generates a step in the liquid crystal layer between an etched portion and a nonetched portion, resulting in a possible value difference between the etched portion and a picture element portion used for display. Thus, there is a need, after all, for measuring the cell gap of the picture element portion. Thus, it is required to use the reflection light rather than the transmission light to measure the cell gap.
The conventional method 2 in which the cell gap is measured by using the reflected light is described in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 10-232113, such that a liquid crystal cell to which liquid crystal is not yet injected is particularly to be measured. The conventional method 2 forms an image of fluorescence generated from an alignment agent on a CCD sensor, assuming that no liquid crystal exists within the liquid crystal cell, so that the cell gap cannot be measured after the injection of the liquid crystal cell.
However, the cell gap is greatly changed after the injection to the liquid crystal cell, depending on temperature at the time of injection, leaving time after completion of injection, viscosity of liquid crystal, and amount of dispersion of a spacer placed in a gap of substrates and its particle diameter. Therefore, the cell gap measurement only for the non-injected liquid crystal cell cannot perform sufficient quality control of the liquid crystal cell. It is essentially desirable to control the cell gap after liquid crystal injection in order to control the quality of the liquid crystal cell.
Thus, an object of the present invention is to provide a method and a device for measuring a thickness of a birefringent body having a birefringent index xcex94n which is uniform in the thickness direction, such as an alignment treated liquid crystal layer, using reflected light rather than transmitted light.
To achieve the object described above, according to an aspect of the present invention, a method of measuring a thickness d of a liquid crystal layer having alignment-treated upper and lower surfaces and a birefringent index xcex94n which is uniform in the thickness direction, in a reflection-type liquid crystal display element including the liquid crystal layer between a pair of substrates and having a reflection region at least in a part of one of the substrates, includes a light-receiving step of entering light from a light source into the liquid crystal layer via a first polarizing means and receiving, via a second polarizing means, reflected light exited from the liquid crystal layer by reflecting at the reflection region; a dispersing step of spectrally resolving the reflected light received by the light-receiving means to detect a relation between a wavelength xcex and a reflected light intensity; a wavelength deriving step of finding a wavelength satisfying a polarizing plane-maintaining condition in that the reflected light returns maintaining a same polarizing plane as a polarizing plane at the time of the entering, i.e., that a difference in optical path lengths between an ordinary ray and an extraordinary ray of the reflected light is a sum of an integer multiple of a wavelength and a half-wavelength, or an integer multiple of a wavelength; xcex94nxc2x7d deriving step of finding a reasonable xcex94nxc2x7d from the wavelength found by the wavelength deriving step and a known twist angle of the liquid crystal layer to find a relation between the wavelength and xcex94nxc2x7d from a plurality of combinations of the wavelength and xcex94nxc2x7d; and a thickness deriving step of finding d by assigning a known combination of wavelength xcex and xcex94n to the relation.
By using the steps described above, the reflected light is utilized rather than transmitted light, so that an accurate measurement can also be performed for a reflection-type liquid crystal cell, irrespective of presence/absence of the transmitted light. Further, the steps are for detecting a change of the polarization state and no imaging of the reflected light is required, so that the thickness measurement can be performed irrespective of the property of the reflection region, such as being specular and diffusible.
Preferably, the wavelength deriving step is performed by finding a value of a wavelength at which the reflected light intensity assumes an extreme value. By using the step, the wavelength that satisfies the polarizing plane-maintaining condition can easily be found from a spectrum, and thus the measurement can readily be performed.
More preferably, a Jones matrix is used in the xcex94nxc2x7d deriving step. By employing this step, the variation of the polarization state can be expressed only by applying a mechanical calculation, and thus the operation for obtaining thickness d can be simplified.
More preferably, in the case that xcex2/xcfx80 is n or n+{fraction (1/2)} (n is an integer) and xcex1=xcex94nxc2x7dxcfx80/"THgr"xcex . . . (equation 1) and xcex2="THgr"xc2x7(1+xcex12)1/2 . . . (equation 2) in which "THgr" is a known twist angle of the liquid crystal layer, a reasonable value of xcex2/xcfx80 is found from wavelength xcex when a polarizing plane of the reflected light is maintained, the twist angle "THgr", and the equations 1 and 2, and a relation between the wavelength and xcex94nxc2x7d is found by a calculation from the obtained value of xcex2/xcfx80.
By employing the steps described above, unreasonable values of xcex2/xcfx80 are eliminated, such that an approximation representing the most reasonable relation between the wavelength and xcex94nxc2x7d can be found.
Preferably, a transmission axis of the first polarizing means and a transmission axis of the second polarizing means are orthogonal to each other. By using this step, the spectrum of the exit light will be a minimal value of 0 at the wavelength satisfying the polarizing plane-maintaining condition, which facilitates finding of the wavelength.
Preferably, a transmission axis of the first polarizing means and a transmission axis of the second polarizing means are parallel to each other. By using this step, the spectrum of the exit light will be a maximal value at the wavelength satisfying the polarizing plane-maintaining condition, which facilitates finding of the wavelength.
Preferably, when an angle formed by the transmission axis of the first polarizing means and a direction of alignment on a plane of the liquid crystal layer contacting a substrate to which the light enters is assumed to be xcfx86, the light-receiving step, the dispersing step and the wavelength deriving step are performed for a plurality of xcfx86s in a range of 0xc2x0 to 90xc2x0. By employing these steps, the values of xcex2xcfx80 can be obtained for a plurality of wavelengths xcex by a plurality of xcfx86s, and thus the measurement can accurately be performed.
Preferably, a Cauchy dispersion formula is used in the xcex94nxc2x7d deriving step. By using this step, an approximation of wavelength xcex and xcex94nxc2x7d can be obtained even for the measurement only for one xcfx86, and thus the thickness measurement can be simplified.
According to another aspect of the present invention, the reflection region has a diffusibility and light is received by the light-receiving means at a position off a positive reflection direction corresponding to the entering. By employing this step, a positive reflection component from an upper substrate can be excluded, so that the thickness measurement can be performed also for the reflection-type liquid crystal cell using the reflector having diffusibility, without any effect caused by the positive reflection component from the upper substrate.
According to one aspect of the present invention, a device for measuring a thickness includes a light source; a first polarizing means for transmitting light from the light source; a second polarizing means for transmitting reflected light reflected at an object to be measured; a light receiving means for receiving the reflected light transmitted through the second polarizing means; a dispersing means for spectrally resolving the reflected light received by the light-receiving means to detect a relation between a wavelength xcex and a reflected light intensity; a wavelength deriving means for finding a wavelength satisfying a polarizing plane maintaining condition in that the reflected light returns maintaining a same polarizing plane as a polarizing plane at the time of the entering, i.e. that a difference in optical path lengths between an ordinary ray and an extraordinary ray of the reflected light is a sum of an integer multiple of the wavelength and a half-wavelength, or an integer multiple of a wavelength; a xcex94nxc2x7d deriving means for finding a reasonable xcex94nxc2x7d from the wavelength found by the wavelength deriving means and a known twist angle of the liquid crystal layer to find a relation between the wavelength and xcex94nxc2x7d from a plurality of combinations of the wavelength and xcex94nxc2x7d; and a thickness deriving means for finding d by assigning a known combination of wavelength xcex and xcex94n to the relation.
By using the configuration described above, the reflected light is utilized rather than transmitted light, so that an accurate measurement can also be performed for a reflection-type liquid crystal cell. Further, detection is performed for a change of the polarization state, so that the thickness measurement can be performed irrespective of the property of the reflection region, such as being specular and diffusible.
More preferably, the wavelength deriving means is performed by finding a value of a wavelength at which the reflected light intensity assumes an extreme value. By using the configuration, the wavelength that satisfies the polarizing plane-maintaining condition can easily be found from a spectrum, and thus the measurement can readily be performed.
More preferably, a Jones matrix is used in the xcex94nxc2x7d deriving means. By employing this configuration, the variation of the polarization state can be expressed only by applying a mechanical calculation, and thus the operation for obtaining thickness d can be simplified.
More preferably, in the case that xcex2/xcfx80 is n or n+xc2xd (n is an integer) and xcex1=nxc2x7dxcfx80/"THgr"xcex (equation 1) and xcex2="THgr"xc2x7(1+xcex12)1/2 . . . (equation 2) in which "THgr" is a known twist angle of the liquid crystal layer, a reasonable value of xcex2/xcfx80 is found from wavelength xcex when a polarizing plane of the reflected light is maintained, the twist angle "THgr", and the equations 1 and 2, and a relation between the wavelength and xcex94nxc2x7d is found by a calculation from the obtained value of xcex2/xcfx80.
By employing the configuration, unreasonable values of xcex2/xcfx80 are eliminated, such that an approximation representing the most reasonable relation between the wavelength and xcex94nxc2x7d can be found.
More preferably, a transmission axis of the first polarizing means and a transmission axis of the second polarizing means are orthogonal to each other. By this configuration, the spectrum of the exit light will be a minimal value of 0 at the wavelength satisfying the polarizing plane maintaining condition, which facilitates finding of the wavelength.
More preferably, a transmission axis of the first polarizing means and a transmission axis of the second polarizing means are parallel to each other. By this configuration, the spectrum of the exit light will be a maximal value at the wavelength satisfying the polarizing plane-maintaining condition, which facilitates finding of the wavelength.
More preferably, when an angle formed by the transmission axis of the first polarizing means and a direction of alignment on a plane of the liquid crystal layer contacting a substrate to which the light enters is assumed to be xcfx86, the light receiving means, the dispersing means and the wavelength deriving means are used for a plurality of xcfx86s in a range of 0xc2x0 to 90xc2x0. By employing the configuration, the values of xcex2/xcfx80 can be obtained for a plurality of wavelengths xcex by a plurality of xcfx86s, and thus the measurement can accurately be performed.
Preferably, the xcex94nxc2x7d deriving step uses a Cauchy dispersion formula. By using the configuration, an approximation of wavelength xcex and xcex94nxc2x7d can be obtained even for the measurement only for one xcfx86, and thus the thickness measurement can be simplified.
According to another aspect of the present invention, the reflection region has a diffusibility and light is received by the light-receiving means at a position off a positive reflection direction corresponding to the entering. By employing this configuration, a positive reflection component from an upper substrate can be excluded, so that the thickness measurement can be performed also for the reflection-type liquid crystal cell using the reflector having diffusibility, without any effect caused by the positive reflection component from the upper substrate.
To achieve the object described above, according to another aspect of the present invention, a method of measuring a thickness d of a liquid crystal layer having alignment-treated upper and lower surfaces and a birefringent index xcex94n which is uniform in the thickness direction, in a reflection-type liquid crystal display element including the liquid crystal layer between a pair of substrates and having a reflection region at least in a part of one of the substrates, includes a light-receiving step of entering light from a monochromatic light source, with a wavelength at which birefringent index xcex94n of liquid crystal is known, into the liquid crystal layer via a first polarizing means and receiving, via a second polarizing means, reflected light exited from the liquid crystal layer by reflecting at the reflection region; a rotational light-receiving step of receiving light while changing a rotational angle which is an angle formed by the first and second polarizing means and the liquid crystal layer when seen from above, maintaining an angle formed by respective transmission axes of the first polarizing means and the second polarizing means to be constant by engaging with the light receiving step; an angle deriving step of finding the rotational angle satisfying a polarizing plane-maintaining condition in that the reflected light returns maintaining a same polarizing plane as a polarizing plane at the time of the entering, i.e., that a difference in optical path lengths between an ordinary ray and an extraordinary ray of the reflected light is a sum of an integer multiple of a wavelength and a half-wavelength, or an integer multiple of a wavelength; and a thickness deriving step of finding d from a reasonable xcex94nxc2x7d selected in accordance with a relation between desired wavelength and xcex94nxc2x7d derived from an angle found by the angle deriving step and a known twist angle of the liquid crystal layer.
By using the steps described above, the reflected light is utilized rather than transmitted light, so that an accurate measurement can also be performed for a reflection-type liquid crystal cell, irrespective of presence/absence of the transmitted light. Further, the steps are for detecting a change of the polarization state and no imaging of the reflected light is required, so that the thickness measurement can be performed irrespective of the property of the reflection region, such as being specular and diffusible. Furthermore, the monochromatic light source with the wavelength at which birefringent index xcex94n of liquid crystal is known is used, so that xcex94nxc2x7d at the wavelength at which xcex94n is known can directly be obtained without an approximation. Thus, the measurement of d can further be accurately performed without being affected by accuracy of the approximation.
Preferably, the angle deriving step is performed by finding a value of the rotational angle at which the reflected light intensity assumes an extreme value. By using the step, the rotational angle that satisfies the polarizing plane-maintaining condition can easily be found from a variation of intensity, and thus the measurement can readily be performed.
More preferably, a Jones matrix is used to find xcex94nxc2x7d in the thickness deriving step. By employing this step, the variation of the polarization state can be expressed only by applying a mechanical calculation, and thus the operation for obtaining thickness d can be simplified.
More preferably, using the Jones matrix, in the case that an angle formed by a transmission axis of the first polarizing means and a direction of alignment on an entrance side surface of the liquid crystal layer is assumed to be xcfx86, and that a twist angle of the liquid crystal layer is assumed to be "THgr" a reasonable value of xcex94nxc2x7d/xcfx80 is found from an angle xcfx86 at which a polarizing plane of the reflected light is maintained and from the known twist angle "THgr", to find xcex94nxc2x7d at a wavelength xcex from an obtained value of xcex94nxc2x7d/xcex.
By employing the steps described above, unreasonable values of xcex94nxc2x7d/xcfx80 are eliminated such that the most reasonable xcex94nxc2x7d/xcex can be obtained, and xcex94n and xcex are known values, so that d can be found.
Preferably, a transmission axis of the first polarizing means and a transmission axis of the second polarizing means are orthogonal to each other. By using this step, the intensity of the exit light will be a minimal value of 0 at the rotational angle satisfying the polarizing plane-maintaining condition, which facilitates finding of the rotational angle.
Preferably, a transmission axis of the first polarizing means and a transmission axis of the second polarizing means are parallel to each other. By using this step, the intensity of the exit light will be a maximal value at the rotational angle satisfying the polarizing plane-maintaining condition, which facilitates finding of the rotational angle.
According to another aspect of the present invention, the reflection region has a diffusibility and light is received by the light-receiving means at a position off a positive reflection direction corresponding to the entering. By employing this step, a positive reflection component from an upper substrate can be excluded, so that the thickness measurement can be performed also for the reflection-type liquid crystal cell using the reflector having diffusibility, without any effect caused by the positive reflection component from the upper substrate.
A device for deriving an angle according to the present invention includes a monochromatic light source; a first polarizing means for transmitting light from the monochromatic light source; a second polarizing means for transmitting reflected light reflected at an object to be measured; a light-receiving means for receiving the reflected light transmitted through the second polarizing means; a rotational light-receiving means for receiving light while changing a rotational angle which is an angle formed by the first and second polarizing means and the liquid crystal layer when seen from above, maintaining an angle formed by respective transmission axes of the first polarizing means and the second polarizing means to be constant by engaging with the light receiving means; and an angle deriving means for finding the rotational angle satisfying a polarizing plane-maintaining condition in that the reflected light returns maintaining a same polarizing plane as a polarizing plane at the time of the entering, i.e. that a difference in optical path lengths between an ordinary ray and an extraordinary ray of the reflected light is a sum of an integer multiple of the wavelength and a half-wavelength, or an integer multiple of a wavelength.
By using the configuration described above, the reflected light is utilized rather than transmitted light, so that an accurate measurement can also be performed for a reflection-type liquid crystal cell. Further, detection is performed for a change of the polarization state, so that the rotational angle satisfying the polarizing plane-maintaining condition can be derived irrespective of the property of the reflection region, such as being specular and diffusible. The obtained rotational angle can be utilized for finding a cell gap d.
To achieve the object described above, according to another aspect of the present invention, a device for measuring a thickness includes a monochromatic light source; a first polarizing means for transmitting light from the monochromatic light source; a second polarizing means for transmitting reflected light reflected at an object to be measured; a light receiving means for receiving the reflected light transmitted through the second polarizing means; a rotational light-receiving means for receiving light while changing a rotational angle which is an angle formed by the first and second polarizing means and the liquid crystal layer when seen from above, maintaining an angle formed by respective transmission axes of the first polarizing means and the second polarizing means to be constant by engaging with the light receiving means; an angle deriving means for finding the rotational angle satisfying a polarizing plane-maintaining condition in that the reflected light returns maintaining a same polarizing plane as a polarizing plane at the time of the entering, i.e. that a difference in optical path lengths between an ordinary ray and an extraordinary ray of the reflected light is a sum of an integer multiple of the wavelength and a half-wavelength, or an integer multiple of a wavelength; a xcex94nxc2x7d deriving means for finding a relation between a wavelength xcex and xcex94nxc2x7d from an angle found by the angle deriving means; and a thickness deriving means for finding d by using wavelength xcex and a known xcex94n.
By using the configuration described above, the reflected light is utilized rather than transmitted light, so that an accurate measurement can also be performed for a reflection-type liquid crystal cell. Further, detection is performed for a change of the polarization state, so that the thickness measurement can be performed irrespective of the property of the reflection region, such as being specular and diffusible. Furthermore, the monochromatic light source is used, so that And obtained at the wavelength of the light source can directly be utilized without use of an approximate expression, as long as birefringent index xcex94n of liquid crystal corresponding to the wavelength is known. Thus, the measurement of d can further be accurately performed without being affected by accuracy of the approximate expression.
More preferably, the angle deriving means is performed by finding a value of the rotational angle at which the reflected light intensity assumes an extreme value. By using the configuration, the rotational angle that satisfies the polarizing plane-maintaining condition can easily be found from a variation of intensity, and thus the measurement can readily be performed.
More preferably, a Jones matrix is used in the xcex94nxc2x7d deriving means. By employing this configuration, the variation of the polarization state can be expressed only by applying a mechanical calculation, and thus the operation for obtaining thickness d can be simplified.
More preferably, using the Jones matrix, in the case that an angle formed by a transmission axis of the first polarizing means and a direction of alignment on an entrance side surface of the liquid crystal layer is assumed to be xcfx86, and that a twist angle of the liquid crystal layer is assumed to be "THgr", a reasonable value of xcex94nxc2x7d/xcfx80 is found from an angle xcfx86 at which a polarizing plane of the reflected light is maintained and from the known twist angle "THgr", to find xcex94nxc2x7d at a wavelength xcex from an obtained value of xcex94nxc2x7d/xcex.
By employing the configuration, unreasonable values of xcex94nxc2x7d/xcex are eliminated such that the most reasonable xcex94nxc2x7d/xcex can be found, and xcex94n and xcex are known, so that d can be found.
More preferably, a transmission axis of the first polarizing means and a transmission axis of the second polarizing means are orthogonal to each other. By this configuration, the intensity of the exit light will be a minimal value of 0 at the rotational angle satisfying the polarizing plane maintaining condition, which facilitates finding of the rotational angle.
More preferably, a transmission axis of the first polarizing means and a transmission axis of the second polarizing means are parallel to each other. By this configuration, the intensity of the exit light will be a maximal value at the rotational angle satisfying the polarizing plane-maintaining condition, which facilitates finding of the rotational angle.
More preferably, the reflection region has a diffusibility and light is received by the light-receiving means at a position off a positive reflection direction corresponding to the entering. By employing this configuration, a positive reflection component from an upper substrate can be excluded, so that the thickness measurement can be performed also for the reflection type liquid crystal cell using the reflector having diffusibility, without any effect caused by the positive reflection component from the upper substrate.
Further, to achieve the object described above, a device for deriving a wavelength according to the present invention includes a light source; a first polarizing means for transmitting light from the light source; a second polarizing means for transmitting reflected light reflected at an object to be measured; a light-receiving means for receiving the reflected light transmitted through the second polarizing means; a dispersing means for spectrally resolving the reflected light received by the light-receiving means to detect a relation between a wavelength xcex and a reflected light intensity; and a wavelength deriving means for finding a wavelength satisfying a polarizing plane-maintaining condition in that the reflected light returns maintaining a same polarizing plane as a polarizing plane at the time of the entering, i.e., that a difference in optical path lengths between an ordinary ray and an extraordinary ray of the reflected light is a sum of an integer multiple of the wavelength and a half-wavelength, or an integer multiple of a wavelength.
By using the configuration described above, the reflected light is utilized rather than transmitted light, so that an accurate measurement can also be performed for a reflection-type liquid crystal cell. Further, detection is performed for a change of the polarization state, so that the wavelength can be derived irrespective of the property of the reflection region, such as being specular and diffusible.
The foregoing and other objects, features, aspects and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description of the present invention when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

Method and device for measuring thickness of liquid crystal layer


A method and apparatus of cofiring hazardous organic waste in solid, pasty, greasy or sludge form by introducing it directly into the burning zone of an industrial rotary kiln and burning the waste in the burning zone simultaneously with cement, lime or lightweight aggregate. Specifically disclosed are five exemplary embodiments for introducing the waste directly into the burning zone of the kiln, i.e., (1) through a side opening in the kiln, (2) ballistically, (3) by pre-mixing with a powder or granular material and pneumatically injecting the non-sticky mixture, (4) by shredding steel drums containing the waste and thereafter separating the drum fragments and mixing the remaining waste with powder or granular material (i.e. as in (3) and (5) by pregasification of the waste.

Growing environmental concern makes it more and more difficult to dispose of hazardous waste in direct land-filling, by storage in surface impoundments, by deep well injection, by dumping or simple burning off at sea.
It is therefore expected that in the future, incineration or thermal oxidation at high temperature will play an increasing role as an environmentally acceptable way of destroying hazardous organic waste.
Incineration is an engineered process that employs thermal decomposition via thermal oxidation at high temperature (normally 900.degree. C./1650.degree. F. or greater) to destroy the organic fraction of waste and reduce volume. Generally, combustible wastes or wastes with high organic content are considered most appropriate for incineration. However, technically speaking, any waste with a hazardous organic fraction, no matter how small, is at least a functional candidate for incineration. For instance, significant amounts of contaminated water are currently incinerated in the United States. Contaminated soils are also being incinerated with increasing frequency.
The minimum temperature required for incineration ranges from 875.degree. C./1610.degree. F. for incineration of municipal garbage, to 1400.degree. C./2550.degree. F. for the incineration of the most stable organic components such as PCB, dioxin, DDT and residues from the production of polyvinyl halogenides. The residence time at the high temperature should be at least 2 seconds.
A separate technology, that of producing cement clinker in cement kilns, also involves high temperature burning. While liquid wastes have in the past been burned in cement kilns, no effort has been made to employ cement production in conjunction with the destruction of highly hazardous solid or semi-solid contaminants. The reason is that while liquid waste can be fired using conventional oil burners similar to fuel oil burners, no technology for introducing solid or semi-solid hazardous waste into the burning zone of rotary kilns has been available. The scope of the present invention is to provide such a technology.
In this regard, the incinerating of liquid contaminants in cement kilns has been as much for the purpose of obtaining inexpensive fuel for the kiln. Thus a cement kiln operator may be willing to actually pay for contaminated oil or the like.
The burning of liquid organic hazardous wastes allows for the recovery of substantial amounts of energy from waste materials. The production of cement is a highly energy intensive process. Energy costs generally account for 33 to 40 percent of the cost of producing clinker. Waste fuels typically have a heat content comparable to coal. By injecting liquid organic wastes into the kiln as a supplemental fuel, cement kilns may greatly reduce their use of primary fuels, thus providing substantial savings to the manufacturer.
The present status of hazardous waste incineration in cement kilns is that only liquid waste is burned in the firing end of the kiln. Most of the kilns burning liquid waste are wet process kilns, at least in the United States. The reason is presumably that wet process kilns are particularly fuel inefficient, for which reason operators of wet kilns have been strongly motivated to find ways to lower their fuel bill. Another reason is that wet kilns can accept high inputs of chloride without expensive modifications (up to 0.8% Cl on clinker basis), whereas dry process kilns with 4-stage preheaters are limited to a chloride input of 0.015% (precalciner kilns) to 0.023% (preheater kilns) on clinker basis. If the chloride input exceeds these figures, the kilns will have to be equipped with costly by-pass installations which in the most extreme case (a precalciner kiln with 100% by-pass for kiln tube gas) will permit a total chloride input of about 0.8% Cl on clinker basis.
The gas exit temperature from the kiln tube typically is about 1100.degree. C., which however drops to 820.degree. C. (preheater kilns) or 900.degree. C. (precalciner kilns) a few tenths of a second after the gas leaves the kiln tube (see FIG. 1) when raw meal is introduced into the stream of kiln gas. The gas taken out through the by-pass is quenched with cold air to even lower temperatures to permit the handling of the by-pass gas.
For this reason it is not possible to introduce chlorinated waste into the back end of preheater kilns, or to fire it into a precalciner since a temperature of at least 1200.degree. C. at 2 seconds gas retention time is required. Non-chlorinated solvents (as for instance turpentine, xylenole, etc.) may be burned in precalciners or introduced into the back end of preheater kilns without problems, and non-chlorinated solid waste may be used in the same way. It has for some years been common to introduce automobile tires in the back end of preheater kilns where they burn without problems.
Cement kilns have the potential to dispose of large volumes of organic waste. For example, by replacing 35 percent of its coal consumption by burning waste fuels, a typical cement kiln could burn on the order of 100 tons of hazardous wastes per day. Such substitution rates have been achieved with liquid organic waste.
The situation changes drastically, however, when solid or semi-solid residues are concerned. With respect to these, companies may be required to pay ransom amounts to have them removed and destroyed in an environmentally acceptable manor. The lack of a heretofore available effective and low cost means of disposing of such wastes has resulted not only in high removal and treatment costs, but in unsafe or illegal dumping with almost incalculable damage to the environment.

Method of cofiring hazardous waste in industrial rotary kilns


A method for communicating video data is provided that includes generating a plurality of error correction code bits and positioning the error correction code bits in a stream of image data such that the stream of image data is encoded. The stream of image data may then be received and encoded in order to convert the stream of image data into a digital visual interface (DVI) format. The stream of image data may then be decoded such that the stream of image data may be displayed in the DVI format. The stream of image data may then be received and checked for one or more errors using the error correction code bits.

Effective data communications are critical for systems attempting to transport information from one point to another. The ability to communicate information while maintaining the integrity and the accuracy of associated data is a significant challenge in many communications environments, including video applications associated with image data propagation. Effective image data communications may form the basis for image quality at a receiving end of a system. Image quality is generally of prime importance in video applications and may represent the performance parameter that most often controls system characteristics and corresponding results.
Where image data is transported without processing, the image data should be generally the same at both source and destination points or nodes. In cases where the image data receives some processing, the original image data should be recoverable at any number of points downstream of the source that originally communicated the image data. Such an objective may be difficult where image data is transported through noisy channels or through poorly functioning components that compromise the integrity of the data or corrupt the transmission of the propagating data. Some deficiencies may be expected or normal, however these errors, glitches, or other defects found in the image data should still be kept to a minimum. Deficiencies in data propagation can cause a number of problems in video environments, most of which may generally result in inadequate image quality caused by faulty data propagation techniques or substandard communication architectures.

System and method for communicating image data using error correction coding


A method calibrates a battery allowing calibration data linked to its state of health to be memorized. The method includes determining at least one characteristic state of the battery, between fully charged and fully discharged, by detecting a peak in variation of the derivative of its open-circuit voltage while charging or discharging the battery, or at least one characteristic state when it is fully charged or fully discharged, or defined by crossing of a voltage, or current, threshold in a constant current, or constant voltage, phase while charging or discharging the battery. The method also includes defining a reference state of the battery based on this characteristic state and measuring the open-circuit voltages of the battery in the reference state for multiple different states of health and memorizing these calibration data including at least some pairs of actual state of health/open-circuit voltage values in an electronic memory.

The invention relates to a method for estimating the state of health of a battery. It also relates to a method for calibrating a battery, and a method for managing a battery. Lastly, it also relates to a battery management system implementing this method for estimating the state of health of a battery.
The management of batteries in the prior art makes use of an indicator representative of the aging of a battery, often referred to as its state of health or SOH. This indicator, sometimes also referred to as its state of life, is usually expressed as a percentage of the initial capacity of the battery when new, which capacity is measured in this initial state or provided by the manufacturer of the battery. The SOH is commonly used in the diagnosis of a battery. Its evaluation is important for effectively controlling the operation of the battery, as well as for optimally managing the end of its life.
In a first approach, the actual value of the SOH is measured by carrying out a capacity test, consisting in successively fully charging then fully discharging the battery under chosen current and temperature conditions. While discharging, the quantity of charge released is measured, thereby allowing the actual capacity of the battery, and hence its SOH, to be deduced. The advantage of this method is that the actual value of the SOH is obtained, since it is based on a real measurement. However, its drawbacks are that it takes a substantial amount of time, consumes power, and requires an intervention in the battery that is sometimes incompatible with the normal use thereof, i.e. supplying power in order to implement a certain real application: it then requires this application to be paused so that the battery test can be carried out. For this last reason, this first approach is considered to be intrusive since it generally requires the normal use of the battery to be put on hold.
In order to overcome the drawbacks of measuring the actual SOH, other, less intrusive approaches exist, based on the estimation thereof. By way of example, a common method for estimating the SOH consists in tracking the variation in the resistance of the battery, or, by extension, tracking one or more impedance parameters of the battery. Battery fatigue is indeed generally accompanied by a variation in these parameters. The drawback of this method is that the loss of capacity of the battery is not measured directly, but instead estimated on the basis of the variation in a different parameter, while being highly dependent on the measurement of the temperature. However, the variation in losses of capacity and in increases in resistance, or impedance, does not follow laws that can be generalized for all batteries, nor for all aged states of batteries. Thus, there are situations in practice where the increase in the resistance of a battery is sometimes negligible while the battery is undergoing a substantial loss of capacity, and vice versa. This estimation method is therefore not sufficiently reliable, and is often complex due to it requiring additional calculations based, for example, on prior learning in order to attempt to overcome its failings.

Method for estimating the state of health of a battery


A semiconductor device comprising a capacitor having a lower electrode of a Si-containing material, an aluminum oxide film formed on the surface of the lower electrode, a dielectric film of Ta.sub.2 O.sub.5 formed on the aluminum oxide film and an upper electrode provided on the dielectric film.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a semiconductor device and a method for preparing the same, and more particularly to a DRAM made of a material of high dielectric constant and including a capacitor using the material, and method for preparing the DRAM.
2. Description of the Related Art
A capacitor must keep its capacitance at a specified degree as cell sizes are reduced following development of DRAMs of higher density. A material of high dielectric constant and a capacitor construction using the material as well as a stacked capacitor of a larger surface area and a thin film dielectric have been researched in this regard. Ta.sub.2 O.sub.5 capacitor dielectric film has been given attention as a thin film dielectric of high dielectric constant. But, the Ta.sub.2 O.sub.5 dielectric film is provided with a lower electrode using a polysilicon film or silicide film (e.g., WSi.sub.2), so that it does naturally have SiO.sub.2 formed at an interface between Ta.sub.2 O.sub.5 and polysilicon, leading to deterioration of a practical dielectric constant of the capacitor.
Also, the Ta.sub.2 O.sub.5 film generally causes high leak current and is difficult to be employed by itself.

Semiconductor device and method for preparing the same


The present invention provides an optical device integrating an active device with a passive device without any butt joint structure between two devices. The optical integrated device of the invention includes a GaAs substrate, first and second cladding layers, and an active layer sandwiched by the first and second cladding layers. These layers are disposed on the GaAs substrate. The GaAs substrate provides a first region and a second region. The active layer comprises of the first active layer disposed on the first region and the second active layer disposed on the second region of the GaAs substrate. The first active layer has a quantum well structure whose band-gap energy smaller than 1.3 eV, while the second active layer has a quantum well structure whose band-gap energy is greater than that of the first active layer.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an optical device that monolithically integrates an optically active device and an optically passive device.
2. Related Prior Art
Japanese patent published as S63-196088 has disclosed a semiconductor laser diode, an edge portion of which is widened in the band-gap energy by the diffusion of zinc (Zn) atoms. This edge portion functions as a window region for the coherent light. This window region with widened band-gap energy may prevent the laser from the COD (Catastrophic Optical Damage) and the degradation thereby.
Japanese patent published as 2001-148531 has disclosed an optically integrated device that includes an optical waveguide and an optical amplifier both provided on single GaAs substrate. The optical amplifier, optically coupled with the optical waveguide, comprises of an active layer made of GaxIn1-xNyAs1-y, first and second cladding layers sandwiching the active layer therebetween. The waveguide comprises a core made of GaInNAs or GaAs, and first and second cladding layers sandwiching the core.
Optical integrated devices applicable in a wavelength range longer than 1 μm may be processed on currently available InP substrate with 3-inch diameter. A semiconductor materials with greater band-gap energy than that of Inp does not lattice-match to InP. Accordingly, in the InP system, which means that semiconductor materials considered have a lattice constant matching to that of InP, materials having comparably greater band-gap energy may not apply to the optical confinement layer and the cladding layer. This means that the band-gap difference between the active layer and layers surrounding the active layer, such as cladding layer and optical confinement layer, is not ensured, thereby reducing the carrier confinement into the active layer and degrading the performance of the device against the temperature.
The former Japanese patent, S63-196088, has related to the facet protection of the optical cavity, not relates to the optical integrated device. While, the latter Japanese patent, 2001-148531, has related to the optical integrated device applicable in the longer wavelength band. This integrated device includes an active layer made of GaInNAs related material. Since the lattice constant of GaInNAs matches to that of the GaAs, the GaAs wafer with relatively large size, 6-inches, may be used. Moreover, since the GaAs related material, such as AlGaAs and AlGaInP and having comparably greater band-gap energy than InP, may be applicable to the cladding layer and the confinement layer, the band-gap difference between the active layer and the cladding layer becomes large, accordingly, the carrier confinement within the active layer becomes effective. Therefore, in the optical integrated device using GaInNAs, the performance against the temperature may be drastically improved as compared with the InGaAs(P)/InP system.
In such optical device integrating the active device with the passive device, the light processed in the active device is necessary to be not absorbed in the passive device. Accordingly, the band-gap energy of the passive device must be greater than that of the active device. On the other hand, both devices must be smoothly coupled to each other to eliminate the reflection of light at the interface therebetween. Therefore, the latter Japanese patent has disclosed a butt joint structure, in which the optically active layers of both devices are physically come into contact after independently processed or one of active layers is processed to come into contact to the other active layer that is processed in advance.
However, in this butt joint structure, the layer structure in the active device and that in the passive device are occasionally different to each other, at least two structures may not be completely identical in the physical dimensions to each other, so the mode field diameter of the light in the active device and that in the passive device becomes different, accordingly, the reflection of light is inevitably induced at the interface.
Moreover, in the butt joint structure, the passive device is independently formed after the formation of the active device, i.e. the epitaxial layers for the passive device is, after the etching of layers for the active device, grown on thus etched portion. However, an extraordinary layer may be formed at the second growth, and this extraordinary layer degrades the interface and the optical coupling thereof which increase the reflection at the interface. Thus, the butt joint structure lacks the reliability and degrades the performance of the optical integrated device.


A thermoplastic polymer composition primarily comprising polylactic acid or a copolymer of lactic acids and the other hydroxycarboxylic acids than lactic acids, industrial fabrics which can be degraded into nontoxic water and carbon dioxide within a relatively short period under the natural environment, and flexible containers, water shielding sheets and resin coated-cloth ventilation tubes which are prepared from the industrial fabrics.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a woven fabric for industrial materials which is prepared from a thermoplastic polymer composition primarily comprising polylactic acid or a copolymer of lactic acids and the other hydroxycarboxylic acids than lactic acids (generic name of the polylactic acid and the copolymer will hereinafter be referred to simply as a lactic acid base polymer) and can be degraded under natural environment, and a composite sheet fabricated from said woven fabric. Further, the invention relates to flexible containers, water shielding sheets and resin coated-cloth tubes for ventilation (or resin coated-cloth ventilation tubes) which can be obtained using the composite sheet.
2. Related Art of the Invention
Woven fabrics of synthetic resin filaments which have been developed for industrial uses are plain weave fabrics, twill weave fabrics and satin weave fabrics of nylon, polyester, polypropylene and polyethylene. These synthetic resin fabrics are excellent in mechanical strengths and thus widely used for mesh sheets in a site of building and construction. Further, composite sheets prepared from these fabrics are used for flexible containers, water shielding sheets and resin coated-cloth ventilation tubes in a construction site. These industrial materials are excellent in folding ability, air leakage resistance, waterproofness, welding ability, weatherability and flexibility, and are hence useful for a site of building, construction and mining.
Although woven fabrics made of the above synthetic resins and a composite sheet fabricated from the woven fabric have some excellent properties, refuse disposal of them causes environmental problems. Because these materials are made of synthetic resins which are not degraded almost under the natural environment, they have a very slow rate of degradation and thus remain semipermanently when discarded as refuse and buried under the ground. Disposal of these plastics in the ocean causes damage of a view or destruction of the living environment of marine organisms.
On the other hand, polylactic acids and a copolymer of lactic acid and the other hydroxycarboxylic acids than lactic acids have been developed as thermoplastic polymers having degradability. These polymers can be completely biodegraded within a few months to an year in an animal body. When the polymers are placed in soil or sea water, they start to decompose within a few weeks in a moist environment and disappear within several years. Further, final degradation products of these polymers are lactic acid, carbon dioxide and water which are nontoxic to human body.
Polymers of lactic acid are usually prepared from a cyclic dimer of lactic acid which is called lactide, and U.S. Pat. Nos. 1,995,970, 2,362,511, and 2,683,136 have disclosed a polymerization process of lactide. U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,636,956 and 3,797,499 have disclosed a process for copolymerizing lactic acid and glycolic acid. In the copolymerization of lactic acid and other hydroxy carboxylic acid copolymer, lactide and a cyclic ester intermediate, for example glycolide, i.e., a dimer of glycolic acid, are used for polymerization.
Although the above degradable polymers are widely used for medical materials, for example, suture, absorbent cotton and so on, woven fabric of the above degradable resins and a composite sheet fabricated from the woven fabric have been unknown for use of many industrial materials.

Industrial woven fabric and composite sheet comprising same


An adhesive composition comprising natural rubber based particles uniformly dispersed in a radiation setting compound is cured by radiation to make a pressure-sensitive adhesive layer on a substrate, thereby: sufficient adhesiveness is obtained; different fillers sufficiently charged; drying time after application is short; both overall application and pattern application are readily performed; application can be performed on different substrates; and sufficient adhesive strength between the substrate and the pressure-sensitive adhesive layer can be realizes. This adhesive composition may be manufactured by: mixing aqueous emulsion 31 containing the natural rubber based particles 30 and the radiation setting compound 32; elevating a temperature of the mixture while stirring; removing vaporized water in the aqueous emulsion; and replacing the water as the medium wherein the natural rubber based particles are dispersed with the radiation setting compound.

Conventionally in the sheet carrying information is carried on the layered face, a pressure-sensitive adhesive layer is set on the layered face all over, partially or linearly in the pattern touching oppositely so that the layered sheets adhere each other, usually when layered. In this pressure-sensitive adhesive which is also referred to as self-adhering pressure-sensitive adhesive, each polymer adheres closely through self-diffusion or anchor effect by strong pressure exerted in the state where adhesive layers are touched oppositely each other, and perpetual adhesiveness or detachable adhesiveness is embodied depending on the composition type or degree of pressuring.
As an example of such sheets for carrying information, a postcard system and the like which have concealability and confidentiality have been made practicable becoming popular.
Examples of postcard systems include those where postcards carrying different information such as private business, copied and printed information are folded, cut-folded or where separate post cards are layered.
In these postcard systems, an adhesive layer is bonded by pressure detachably in different modes of layering to hide concealable and confidential information before mailed, then the hidden information is red by the recipient's detaching the layered face.
Further, other examples of postcard systems which have concealability and confidentiality include the one where an adhesive layer is bonded by pressure undetachably to confidential information before mailed, then the hidden information is red by the recipient's tearing off the adhering part and reopening the layered face.
Adhesive composition forms to be applied on the substrate of the sheet for carrying information such as concealable and confidential postcard systems described above include solution, aqueous solution, emulsion (latex), nonsolvent and solid. Adhesive compositions in the form of aqueous solution and emulsion are generally aqueous while those in the form of solution, nonsolvent and solid are generally nonaqueous.
As aqueous pressure-sensitive adhesive compositions, emulsions of natural rubber latex are popular which have advantages including that they have high adhesive strength, different fillers may be added, they can be applied also on the high absorption substrate such as high quality paper. However, natural rubber emulsions are not suitable for pattern application where partial area is applied because viscosity of the emulsion is low, the applied part of the substrate contracts and so on, though overall application can be exerted easily. In addition, drying after application sometimes requires long time because the medium is water.
On the other hand, as nonaqueous pressure-sensitive adhesive compositions, radiation setting medium including acrylic ones are commonly used, for example, acrylic cured material which is cured by radiation such as an ultraviolet ray, electron ray, X-ray, I-ray and g-ray is used as a pressure-sensitive adhesive as described in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 10-265742. For such radiation setting pressure-sensitive adhesive compositions, there are advantages including that drying time after application is short, both overall and pattern application can be easily exerted. However, sometimes lacked adhesive strength and sufficient filler could not be added as well as they had sometimes difficulty when applied on high absorption substrate such as high quality paper because they were readily absorbed in the substrate.
Further, when two pressure-sensitive adhesive layers obtained from adhesive compositions described above were bonded by pressure, thereafter, when the pressure-sensitive adhesive layer bonded by pressure was detached, detachment between the substrate and the pressure-sensitive adhesive layer sometimes occurred resulting in damaging the information because adhesive strength between the substrate and the pressure-sensitive adhesive layer was insufficient.

Radiation hardenable adhesive composition containing dispersed natural rubber fine particles


A method, system, and computer program product for network-connected devices.

The present disclosure relates to networked devices, and more particularly to deployment, automatic configuration, identification and access of devices on a network. Embodiments of the present disclosure generally relate to improvements to networking systems including, but not limited to, networking of consumer devices.
As increasingly more devices (e.g., servers, computers, phones, equipment, appliances, etc.) are connected to the Internet, the need to connect them in a meaningful, fast, secure, and cost-effective way becomes increasingly difficult. Specific scalability challenges related to Domain Name System (DNS) capability and Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) certificate deployment are evident. The function of the DNS, carried out by one or more DNS servers, is to associate various information with Internet domain names. More specifically, it translates more easily memorized domain names (e.g., www.example.com) to their associated numerical IP addresses (e.g., IPv4 or IPv6 addresses) needed for the purpose of locating computer services and devices worldwide. DNS servers resolve (e.g., translate to an IP address) a domain name (e.g., www.example.com) in a hierarchical manner, looking first at the top level domain or TLD (e.g., ".com"), then the domain name (e.g., "example"), and then the sub domain (e.g., "www"). More sub domains (e.g., a second sub domain, a third sub domain) can be included in the URL (e.g., m.www.example.com), limited by a maximum of 123 levels, and a maximum of 253 characters for the entire domain name.
An SSL certificate is a digital certificate that authenticates the identity of a web site, application, or device and encrypts exchanged information (e.g., 256-bit encryption) using SSL technology. SSL certificates can secure a single domain name with a single domain certificate (e.g., www.example.com), secure multiple domain names with a multi-name certificate (e.g., both www.example.com and mail.example.com), and secure multiple subdomains of a domain with a wildcard certificate, for example, (e.g., *.example.com). There is an annual cost (e.g., USD $150-$300) and setup resources required (e.g., for generating the CSR, private key, renewal, etc.) when deploying wildcard certificates.
Legacy DNS capability in consideration of SSL certificate limitations presents challenges to secure and cost-effective Internet device scalability. In particular, the handling of wildcards in both the DNS and SSL certificates impacts scalability. For example, legacy DNS capability (e.g., as outlined in Network Working Group RFC 4592, and RFC 1034 sections 4.3.2 and 4.3.3) will only accept wildcards in the left-most subdomain (e.g., *.example.com). To have multiple subdomains translate to two different servers (e.g., servers s1 and s2 to manage resource loading), multiple wildcard DNS records unique to each server (e.g., *.s1.example.com and *.s2.example.com) are required. Likewise, a wildcard SSL certificate can only serve one subdomain level (e.g., *.s1.example.com), so a separate certificate for each server would be required, given the aforementioned DNS addressing limitation. The restrictions of these legacy protocols and systems therefore limit the scaling of devices on the Internet (e.g., adding servers, subdomains, etc.) in a secure and cost-effective manner (e.g., minimizing the deployment of SSL certificates, managing server loading).
Furthermore, legacy networking environments and systems often include a web server (e.g., Apache web server) that receives mapping directives such as:
ProxyPass/foo/http://s1.example.com/
This directive, for example, will direct a request for "http://example.com/foo/device1" to be mapped into a proxy request to "http://s1.example.com/device1". This mapping can, for example, direct a user request to host server at "example.com" for connection to "device1" to be redirected to a remote server at "s1.example.com" associated with (e.g., physically co-located with) "device1" to complete the connection. Similarly, the reverse mapping, ProxyPassReverse/foo/http://s1.example.com/converts or maps, for example, "http://s1.example.com/device1" back to "http://example.com/foo/device1" before forwarding the response from the server at "s1.example.com" back to the user. From the user or client side, the request satisfied by the server at "s1.example.com" appears to have been satisfied by "example.com".
While the aforementioned legacy structure (e.g., syntax and semantics) for proxy server mapping provides some simplification of addressing multiple network servers and devices, the structure has limits to scaling of devices on the Internet (e.g., adding devices, servers, subdomains, etc.) in a flexible and efficient manner. Techniques are needed to address the problem of flexibly and efficiently mapping to a large number of devices connected to the Internet using domain names.
The above scenario is further complicated by the fact that many sorts of devices can be connected via the Internet. However, applications pertaining to certain types of connected devices rely on characteristics of the connected network that can be set up during the course of installation and configuration. Legacy installation and configuration fails to account for the specifics of certain connected devices, and in some cases, legacy installation and configuration relies on pre-existing network component configurations that may not fully serve the needs of the aforementioned connected devices. Further, techniques are needed to address the problem of deployment and ongoing management of internet connected devices. The hereinabove problems with deployment are exacerbated since Device deployers and manufacturers need a way to identify deployed devices to the Internet in a way that provides security and authentication. Legacy techniques as are used by applications such as Dropbox and YouTube have offered developers app identification codes ("id's") and/or shared keys that were typically embedded in the app or device. Unfortunately, legacy use of such keys did not include security such as authentication and encryption. Implementation of security was left up to the user. In many cases, identification codes ("id's") and/or shared keys and were often left open in plain text (e.g., unencrypted), and accessible in plain text at or from the device, and/or embedded in plain text in various components of the application (e.g., in plain text embedded in the binary modules of the application).
Techniques are needed to address the security problems that developers and manufactures face, namely how to identify their deployed devices to Internet edge services in a way that provides a specified level of security and authentication. Security and authentication becomes increasingly more important as increasingly more devices (e.g., servers, computers, phones, equipment, cameras, appliances, etc.) are connected to the Internet. The need to connect them in a meaningful, fast, secure, and cost-effective way becomes increasingly difficult. Specific scalability challenges related to managing the messaging between devices are evident.
There are legacy approaches that enable inter-device communication (e.g., between a home security camera and a homeowner's smartphone). However, these legacy techniques are not well suited to quickly and cost-effectively enable communications from a large number of devices (e.g., all security cameras of a multi-national corporation). Specific challenges arise in balancing the connection and messaging load on the communication system servers. Techniques are therefore needed to address the problem of cost-effectively scaling the communications with an increasing number of devices connected to the Internet.
None of the aforementioned legacy approaches achieve the capabilities of the herein-disclosed techniques for deploying and maintaining Internet-connected networked devices. There is a need for improvements.

Deploying and managing networked devices