A divider/combiner circuit for dividing or combining radio frequency power applicable to communication units utilizing a microwave band or the like. The divider/combiner circuit includes first, second and third nodes with a first transmission line electrically coupled to the first node and to the second node. In addition, the divider/combiner circuit includes a second transmission line electrically coupled to the first node and to the third node. An adjusting circuit is electrically coupled to the second node and to the third node. The adjusting circuit includes a resistance and a phase shifter. The resistance is located between points having substantially equal phases with respect to the second node and to the third node, respectively.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a divider/combiner and more particularly to a divider/combiner for dividing or combining radio frequency power applicable to communication units utilizing a microwave band or the like.
2. Description of the Related Art
In recent years, various kinds of communication units like cellular phone units have remarkably been popularized. Reflecting such tendencies, it has become more and more necessary to further improve the performance of power dividers/combiners operating in a microwave band and power amplifiers using various kinds of semiconductor devices such as transistors and field effect transistors (FETs). In addition, researches have also been vigorously carried on for developing such units operating in a higher frequency band (i.e., a so-called "millimeter wave band"). Thanks to such rapid development, some of such units have already been used practically.
A Wilkinson type radio frequency (hereinafter abbreviated as "RF") power divider/combiner is known as a representative conventional RF power divider/combiner. FIG. 1 is an equivalent circuit diagram of a conventional Wilkinson type RF power divider/combiner. When the divider/combiner shown in FIG. 1 is used as a divider, a node 101 receives RF power and nodes 102 and 103 output the received RF power. On the other hand, when the divider/combiner shown in FIG. 1 is used as a combiner, the nodes 102 and 103 receive the RF power and the node 101 outputs the received RF power.
Herein, the impedance of a circuit connected to the node 101 will be denoted by Z1 while the impedance of circuits connected to the nodes 102 and 103 will be denoted by Z23. By setting the characteristic impedances of transmission lines 111 and 112 to be about .sqroot.(2.multidot.Z1.multidot.Z23) and the lengths of the transmission lines 111 and 112 to be about .lambda./4, an impedance matching is realized between the divider/combiner and an external circuit connected to the divider/combiner. By providing a resistor 121 having a resistance of about 2.multidot.Z23 between the nodes 102 and 103, an electrical isolation is realized (in this specification, the expression "an isolation is realized" will always mean that an electrical isolation is realized) between the nodes 102 and 103.
The isolation between the nodes 102 and 103 is realized because the RF power passing through two paths is cancelled by each other, as will be described later. Suppose the RF power is input through the node 102 and output through the node 103. Then, one path is formed by the node 102, the transmission lines 111 and 112 and the node 103, while the other path is formed by the node 102, the resistor 121 and the node 103. Since the lengths of the transmission lines 111 and 112 are about .lambda./4, a phase difference between the RF power passed through one of these two paths and the RF power passed through the other path becomes about .pi. rad at the node 103 (i.e., the phase difference is about 180.degree.). Thus, by adjusting the resistance of the resistor 121, the RF power (input through the node 102 and passed through these two paths is cancelled at the node 103. In other words, the nodes 102 and 103 are electrically isolated from each other with respect to the RF power.
However, in accordance with conventional technologies, only a case where an impedance having a real component (i.e., a resistance component) is connected to each of the nodes 101, 102 and 103 has been considered.
On the other hand, a power amplifier described in Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 7-263981 provides a specific measure for suppressing a parasitic oscillation in a power amplifier using a power divider/combiner. In this patent publication, it is described that a gain is decreased by inserting a resistor element and a phase delay element, which are serially connected to each other, in between the two transmission lines of the power divider, thereby preventing the oscillation.
The phase delay element described in this patent publication is asymmetrically disposed with respect to the resistor element. In such an arrangement, since the phases of the RF power input to the resistor element are not the same, the resistor element consumes the power. The power amplifier described in this patent publication has a problem in that the output power and the gain of the power amplifier are disadvantageously decreased because of the power lost by the resistor element.
Furthermore, it is generally critical for an amplifier using a power divider/combiner to realize an isolation between the nodes. However, the power amplifier described in this patent publication cannot surely realize the isolation between the nodes.
FIG. 2 is an equivalent circuit diagram of a conventional Wilkinson type power divider, in which one input signal is divided into three and then output through three nodes (i.e., the division number is three). The Wilkinson type power divider shown in FIG. 2 includes: nodes 201, 202, 203 and 204; transmission lines 211, 212 and 213; and resistors 221 and 222. In order to simultaneously realize the impedance matching and the isolation, the lengths of the transmission lines 211, 212 and 213 must be set at about .lambda./4. Thus, the transmission line 213 must be laid out in a meander line shape. However, as the division number becomes larger, it becomes more and more difficult to lay out the transmission lines so that all of these lines have an equal length.
In the conventional Wilkinson type power divider/combiner shown in FIG. 1, as the operating frequency becomes higher, the distance between the nodes 102 and 103 becomes more and more critical so that the characteristics of the isolation between the nodes 102 and 103 are adversely deteriorated. To sum up, conventional RF power dividers/combiners have the following problems.
(1) In conventional RF power dividers/combiners, it has been difficult to simultaneously realize an impedance matching and an isolation if an impedance having an imaginary component (i.e., a reactance component) is connected to either an input node or an output node. That is to say, it is a novel idea conceptualized by the present inventors for the first time that an impedance matching and an isolation are simultaneously realized even if an impedance having a reactance component is connected to either an input node or an output node, as will be described later.
(2) In conventional power amplifiers using RF power dividers/combiners, it is difficult to realize an impedance matching and an isolation between the gate terminals thereof and similar problems are also caused between the drain terminals thereof, because the input/output impedance of a FET ordinarily has an imaginary component.
(3) In conventional power amplifiers using RF power dividers/combiners, an equal potential is provided to the gates and the nodes of a plurality of FETs. Thus, when the FETs have different threshold voltages, the output waveform becomes adversely asymmetric so that the RF power division/combination efficiency is deteriorated.
(4) In conventional RF power dividers/combiners using transmission lines, as the division (or combination) number becomes larger, it becomes more and more difficult to equalize the lengths of all the lines. Thus, when the lengths of the lines become different, the impedances cannot be matched any longer and the isolation cannot be realized satisfactorily.
(5) In conventional RF power dividers, in the case where the distance between the output nodes cannot be neglected with respect to the wavelength, the isolation between the output nodes cannot be realized satisfactorily.

Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.


A liquid crystal display device includes an array of pixels each including a plurality of sub-pixels, a plurality of pixel electrodes disposed in the respective sub-pixels, and a plurality of common electrodes disposed in the respective sub-pixels. The common electrode disposed in each of the sub-pixels in one of the pixels on each row is connected to the common electrodes disposed in the corresponding sub-pixels in the others of the pixels on the each row, to form a group of common electrodes connected together.

There is known a LCD device including a plurality of sub-pixels in each pixel of the LCD device. Examples of such a LCD device include a transflective LCD device wherein each pixel includes a sub-pixel corresponding to a transmissive area and a sub-pixel corresponding to a reflective area. In the transflective LCD device, if a lateral electric field mode, such as an IPS (in-plane-switching) mode or FFS (fringe-field-switching) mode is adopted, a black-white inversion problem is known, wherein display of a dark state and display of a bright state are reversed between the transmissive area and the reflective area such that the transmissive area assumes a normally black mode and the reflective area assumes a normally white mode, as described in Patent Publication JP-2003-344837A, for example. In a typical longitudinal (vertical alignment) mode, the problem of black-white inversion is optically solved by inserting a λ/4 film. However, in the lateral electric field mode, the technique of inserting the λ/4 film cannot be adopted.
Patent Publication JP-2007-041572A describes a technique for solving the above black-white inversion problem without inserting a λ/4 film. In the technique of this publication, the black-white inversion problem is solved in a specific drive scheme by applying voltages that provide reversed gray-scale levels to the reflective area and the transmissive area. FIG. 15 shows the circuit configuration of a pixel in the LCD device described in JP-2007-041572A. Each pixel 50 includes a first common electrode 53 corresponding to the reflective area 51, second common electrode 54 corresponding to the transmissive area 52, and pixel electrodes 55 and 56 in the reflective area 51 and the transmissive area 52, respectively, to which a common data signal is applied. The liquid crystal (LC) layer in the reflective area 51 is driven by the electric field generated between the pixel electrode 55 and the first common electrode 53, whereas the LC layer in the transmissive area 52 is driven by the electric field generated between the pixel electrode 56 and the second common electrode 54.
In the technique of JP-2007-041572A, the signal applied to the first common electrode 53 and the signal applied to the second common electrode 54 are reversed. For example, when 5V is applied to the pixel electrodes 55 and 56, 0V and 5V are applied to the first common electrode 53 and the second common electrode 54, respectively. In this configuration, 5V is applied to the LC layer in the reflective area 51, whereas 0V is applied to the LC layer in the transmissive area 52. Thus, LC molecules in the LC layer are turned only in the reflective area 51, whereby the problem of black-white inversion is solved.
JP-2007-041572A describes the relationship of potential inversion between the first common-electrode signal and the second common-electrode signal in each pixel; however, the publication is silent to the relationship in the common-electrode signal between adjacent rows of the pixels in the whole display area of the LCD device. In addition, there is no teaching as to the technique for generating the common-electrode signal and as to the electric connection in the display area.

Liquid crystal display device with common electrode line and seal member at different positions


A dynamic and differential CMOS logic style is disclosed in which a gate uses a fixed amount of energy per evaluation event. The gate switches its output at every event and loads a constant capacitance. The logic style is a Dynamic and Differential Logic (DDL) style. The DDL style logic typically has one charging event per clock cycle and the charging event does not depend on the input signals. The differential feature masks the in-put value because a precharged output nodes is discharged during the evaluation phase. The dynamic feature breaks the input sequence: the discharged node is charged during the subsequent precharge phase.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to logic and methods for signal-independent power consumption to withstand differential power analysis and other side-channel attacks.
2. Description of the Related Art
Electronic banking, e-commerce, virtual private networks and so on cannot operate without encryption technology and a secure implementation of the encryption technology. To obtain security, many strong encryption algorithms have been developed. While usually strong against mathematical attacks, Side Channel Attacks (SCAs) can reveal the secret key through information leaked by the hardware implementation of the encryption module. Differential Power Analysis (DPA) is based on the fact that logic operations have power characteristics that depend on the input data. Statistical analyses of measured power traces can be used to link the switching activities of the circuit to the secret key.
Different techniques have been tried to prevent this information leakage. On the algorithmic level, random process interrupts interleave dummy instructions to avoid sequential execution of the algorithm. Integration techniques, however, are able to resynchronize the power traces. Masking is a technique that prevents intermediate variables from depending on the knowledge of an easily-accessible subset of the secret key. DPA has been modified to handle masking. On the architectural level, techniques include adding random power consuming operations and duplicating logic with complementary operations. These procedures merely lower the side channel information and might easily be disabled through tampering. Active power signal filtering with power consumption compensation, passive filtering, battery on chip and a detachable power supply influence the power transfer itself. The first method lags behind the fast power fluctuations and physical dimensions limit the latter three.
None of the above methods provide satisfactory protection against attacks based on DPA.

Dynamic and differential CMOS logic with signal-independent power consumption to withstand differential power analysis

The Regents of the University of California


A photoelectric conversion apparatus has an element separation structure that is adequate as to crosstalk between pixels and excellent in FPN characteristics. The photoelectric conversion apparatus comprises a semiconductor substrate of a first conduction type, a plurality of first semiconductor regions formed in a surface of the semiconductor substrate and having the opposite conduction type to that of the substrate, a second semiconductor region having the same conduction type as the first semiconductor regions and disposed between the plurality of first semiconductor regions thus formed, and a third semiconductor region disposed between the first and second semiconductor regions having the first conduction type, and having an impurity concentration higher than that of the semiconductor substrate.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to one-dimensional or two-dimensional photoelectric conversion apparatus and image reading apparatus used in facsimile machines, digital copiers, X-ray image pickup apparatus, or the like, and more particularly, the invention concerns an element separation structure used therein.
2. Related Background Art
A reading system using a reduction optical system and a CCD type sensor has been used heretofore as a reading system in facsimile machines, digital copiers, X-ray image pickup apparatus, or the like, but with the development of photoelectric conversion semiconductor materials typified by hydrogenated amorphous silicon (hereinafter referred to as a-Si), recent development is remarkable in so-called contact type sensors in which photoelectric conversion elements and signal processing sections are formed in a large-area substrate and which is arranged to read information on an information source using an optical system of magnification of unity.
FIGS. 7A to 7C are cross-sectional views to show structures of conventional photoelectric conversion apparatus as disclosed in Japanese Laid-open Patent Application No. 54-146681.
FIG. 7A shows a cross-section of an array composed of two elements, in which reference numeral 1 designates an n.sup.+ type Si substrate, 2 a high-resistance n.sup.- layer, 3 a plurality of isolated zones of p.sup.+ layer, and 4 electrodes. As shown in the drawing, the apparatus is normally reverse-biased, and load resistors R.sub.1, R.sub.2 are connected between the p-type electrodes 4 and a bias power supply. Among carrier pairs occurring near the border between the two elements, holes are attracted to the p.sup.+ zone 3 by an electric field, but some of them also flow into the adjacent element because of diffusion due to concentration gradient, thereby causing crosstalk. This did not allow the distance between elements to be decreased to below several tens of .mu.m.
FIG. 7B is a cross-sectional view to show another conventional example, in which reference numeral 21 designates a high-concentration n.sup.+ type silicon substrate, 22 a high-resistance and low-concentration n.sup.- silicon layer having the same conduction type as the substrate does, and 23, 24 a plurality of p.sup.+ type regions of the opposite conduction type to that of the n.sup.- layer 22, which are separated from each other, thus forming a plurality of elements (photosensor elements) 25, 26 in p-n.sup.- -n.sup.+ structure. Further, numeral 27 denotes a high-concentration n.sup.+ region formed relatively deeply, and 28, 29 low-concentration p.sup.- regions formed relatively shallowly.
In the elements of this structure, curved lines indicated by dotted lines in the n.sup.- layer 22 indicate the electric field. Horizontal components of the electric field prevent the carrier pairs occurring near the border between the p.sup.+ regions 23, 24 with reception of incident light from diffusing to the adjacent element as the holes are subject to drift to the p.sup.+ regions 23 or 24 of the element 25 or 26 which has received the incident light. The holes near the n.sup.+ layer 27 at the border and near the border with the substrate 21 also tend to be separated by the horizontal components of the electric field.
FIG. 7C shows an example in which the n.sup.+ region 27, shown in FIG. 7B, is formed still more deeply down the surface of the substrate 21. When a part of the field is connected with the substrate 21 through the n.sup.+ layer 27 in this way, element separation becomes better.
FIG. 8 is a schematic cross-sectional view to show the structure of a semiconductor photodetector as another conventional example disclosed in Japanese Patent Publication No. 64-6547.
In the drawing, an n.sup.- layer 72 is epitaxially grown, for example, on a p.sup.+ type semiconductor layer 71 which serves as a substrate, and between p.sup.+ layer 73 and n.sup.+ layer 74 there is provided a p.sup.- layer 70 having an impurity concentration higher than that of the n.sup.- layer 72 and not higher than one fifth of that of the p.sup.+ layer 73.
Numerals 75, 76, 77 denote electrode leads, and reverse bias V.sub.e is placed through the electrode leads 75, 77 between the n.sup.+ layer 74 and the p.sup.+ layer 71 which is the substrate, thereby forming respective diodes.
Under such bias setting, the carriers (electrons) diffusing horizontally go into the n.sup.+ layer 74 to recombine therewith, thereby obtaining photodiodes in an array structure nearly perfect in signal separation between the elements and very low in crosstalk.
However, in the cases where, in the substrate with plural photosensor elements formed therein, element separation is effected by the semiconductor regions of the same conduction type as that of substrate in order to collect the horizontally diffusing holes as described in the above conventional examples, there is a problem to be solved in that crosstalk characteristics between elements are still inadequate.
There is another problem, that injected carriers from a peripheral circuit system to the substrate become false signals, which facilitates degradation of characteristics in FPN (Fixed Pattern Noise).

Photoelectric conversion apparatus and image reading apparatus with good crosstalk characteristics


A lithographic projection apparatus includes a beam path for a beam of radiation, a projection system, a support structure for supporting a patterning device and a substrate holder for holding a substrate. The beam path includes a radiation system for providing the beam of radiation, and the projection system projects the beam of radiation patterned by the patterning device onto a target portion on the substrate. At least one chamber that includes at least part of the beam path. A purge gas supply subsystem is coupled to the chamber for supplying a flow of purge gas to the chamber, and a control unit is arranged to switch the purge gas supply subsystem between at least two different modes of operation. The control unit controls the purge gas supply subsystem to supply mutually different respective non-zero flow rates of the purge gas to the chamber in the different modes of operation.

The term "patterning device" as here employed should be broadly interpreted as referring to a device that can be used to endow an incoming radiation beam with a patterned cross-section, corresponding to a pattern that is to be created in a target portion of the substrate; the term "light valve" can also be used in this context. Generally, the pattern will correspond to a particular functional layer in a device being created in the target portion, such as an integrated circuit or other device (see below). Examples of such patterning devices include:
A mask. The concept of a mask is well known in lithography, and it includes mask types such as binary, alternating phase-shift, and attenuated phase-shift, as well as various hybrid mask types. Placement of such a mask in the radiation beam causes selective transmission (in the case of a transmissive mask) or reflection (in the case of a reflective mask) of the radiation impinging on the mask, according to the pattern on the mask. In the case of a mask, the support structure will generally be a mask table, which ensures that the mask can be held at a desired position in the incoming radiation beam, and that it can be moved relative to the beam if so desired;
A programmable mirror array. One example of such a device is a matrix-addressable surface having a viscoelastic control layer and a reflective surface. The basic principle behind such an apparatus is that (for example) addressed areas of the reflective surface reflect incident light as diffracted light, whereas unaddressed areas reflect incident light as undiffracted light. Using an appropriate filter, the undiffracted light can be filtered out of the reflected beam, leaving only the diffracted light behind; in this manner, the beam becomes patterned according to the addressing pattern of the matrix-addressable surface. An alternative embodiment of a programmable mirror array employs a matrix arrangement of tiny mirrors, each of which can be individually tilted about an axis by applying a suitable localized electric field, or by employing a piezoelectric actuation device. Once again, the mirrors are matrix-addressable, such that addressed mirrors will reflect an incoming radiation beam in a different direction to unaddressed mirrors; in this manner, the reflected beam is patterned according to the addressing pattern of the matrix-addressable mirrors. The required matrix addressing can be performed using a suitable electronic device. In both of the situations described hereabove, the patterning device can comprise one or more programmable mirror arrays. More information on mirror arrays as here referred to can be gleaned, for example, from U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,296,891 and 5,523,193, and PCT patent applications WO 98/38597 and WO 98/33096, which are incorporated herein by reference. In the case of a programmable mirror array, the support structure may be embodied as a frame or table, for example, which may be fixed or movable as required; and
A programmable LCD array. An example of such a construction is given in U.S. Pat. No. 5,229,872, which is incorporated herein by reference. As above, the support structure in this case may be embodied as a frame or table, for example, which may be fixed or movable as required.
For purposes of simplicity, the rest of this text may, at certain locations, specifically direct itself to examples involving a mask and mask table; however, the general principles discussed in such instances should be seen in the broader context of the patterning device as hereabove set forth.
Lithographic projection apparatus can be used, for example, in the manufacture of integrated circuits (ICs). In such a case, the patterning device may generate a circuit pattern corresponding to an individual layer of the IC, and this pattern can be imaged onto a target portion (e.g. comprising one or more dies) on a substrate (silicon wafer) that has been coated with a layer of radiation-sensitive material (resist). In general, a single wafer will contain a whole network of adjacent target portions that are successively irradiated via the projection system, one at a time. In current apparatus, employing patterning by a mask on a mask table, a distinction can be made between two different types of machine. In one type of lithographic projection apparatus, each target portion is irradiated by exposing the entire mask pattern onto the target portion in one go; such an apparatus is commonly referred to as a wafer stepper or step-and-repeat apparatus. In an alternative apparatus—commonly referred to as a step-and-scan apparatus—each target portion is irradiated by progressively scanning the mask pattern under the projection beam in a given reference direction (the "scanning" direction) while synchronously scanning the substrate table parallel or anti-parallel to this direction; since, in general, the projection system will have a magnification factor M (generally <1), the speed V at which the substrate table is scanned will be a factor M times that at which the mask table is scanned. More information with regard to lithographic devices as here described can be gleaned, for example, from U.S. Pat. No. 6,046,792, incorporated herein by reference.
In a manufacturing process using a lithographic projection apparatus, a pattern (e.g. in a mask) is imaged onto a substrate that is at least partially covered by a layer of radiation-sensitive material (resist). Prior to this imaging step, the substrate may undergo various procedures, such as priming, resist coating and a soft bake. After exposure, the substrate may be subjected to other procedures, such as a post-exposure bake (PEB), development, a hard bake and measurement/inspection of the imaged features. This array of procedures is used as a basis to pattern an individual layer of a device, e.g. an IC. Such a patterned layer may then undergo various processes such as etching, ion-implantation (doping), metallization, oxidation, chemo-mechanical polishing, etc., all intended to finish off an individual layer. If several layers are required, then the whole procedure, or a variant thereof, will have to be repeated for each new layer. Eventually, an array of devices will be present on the substrate (wafer). These devices are then separated from one another by a technique such as dicing or sawing, whence the individual devices can be mounted on a carrier, connected to pins, etc. Further information regarding such processes can be obtained, for example, from the book "Microchip Fabrication: A Practical Guide to Semiconductor Processing", Third Edition, by Peter van Zant, McGraw Hill Publishing Co., 1997, ISBN 0-07-067250-4, incorporated herein by reference.
For the sake of simplicity, the projection system may hereinafter be referred to as the "lens"; however, this term should be broadly interpreted as encompassing various types of projection system, including refractive optics, reflective optics, and catadioptric systems, for example. The radiation system may also include components operating according to any of these design types for directing, shaping or controlling the projection beam, and such components may also be referred to below, collectively or singularly, as a "lens". Further, the lithographic apparatus may be of a type having two or more substrate tables (and/or two or more mask tables). In such "multiple stage" devices the additional tables may be used in parallel, or preparatory steps may be carried out on one or more tables while one or more other tables are being used for exposures. Dual stage lithographic apparatus are described, for example, in U.S. Pat. No. 5,969,441 and WO 98/40791, both incorporated herein by reference.
Although specific reference may be made in this text to the use of the apparatus according to the invention in the manufacture of ICs, it should be explicitly understood that such an apparatus has many other possible applications. For example, it may be employed in the manufacture of integrated optical systems, guidance and detection patterns for magnetic domain memories, liquid crystal display panels, thin film magnetic heads, etc. The skilled artisan will appreciate that, in the context of such alternative applications, any use of the terms "reticle", "wafer" or "die" in this text should be considered as being replaced by the more general terms "mask", "substrate" and "target portion", respectively.
In the present document, the terms "radiation" and "beam" are used to encompass all types of electromagnetic radiation, including ultraviolet (UV) radiation (e.g. with a wavelength of 365, 248, 193, 157 or 126 nm) and extreme ultra-violet (EUV) radiation (e.g. having a wavelength in the range 5-20 nm), as well as particle beams, such as ion beams or electron beams.
The beam path is sensitive to the presence of substances such as water, oxygen and carbohydrates. In gaseous or vapor form, theses substances absorb radiation from the beam, in particular, when a UV beam is used. In addition, decomposition products of these substances, which can be formed under the influence of irradiation by the beam, can cause damage to the optical elements in the beam path, which negatively affects patterning of the substrate.
To prevent the effects of such substances it is known to inject a flow of inert purge gas (such as nitrogen gas) into the chambers that house the beam path. The continuous supply of purge gas drives out unwanted gases from the beam path. Condensed material is also purged, when it evaporates or sublimates when the substances have been driven from the atmosphere of the beam path. Of course, the evaporation or sublimation generally takes more time than the driving out of gaseous substances, but ultimately all forms of unwanted substances are driven from the beam path.
The lithographic projection apparatus includes a conditioning unit for the supply of purge gas. The conditioning unit purifies the purge gas and stabilizes its temperature before supplying the purge gas to the chamber that contains the beam path. When the apparatus is switched on, the supply of purge gas starts. After a time sufficient to evaporate or sublimate and drive out all unwanted substances, operation of the apparatus can be used safely to project the patterned beam onto substrates. The apparatus processes successive substrates while it maintains a continuous flow of purge gas.
When the apparatus has to go down for maintenance that involves opening the chamber, the supply of purge gas is switched off. This is done for safety reasons because the purge gas, even if not poisonous in itself, can form a health hazard when it drives out oxygen from the room where the apparatus is located. Switching the purge gas off also prevents a waste of purge gas. After maintenance, the apparatus has to start up again and the unwanted substances have to be driven out. The time needed to drive out the substances extends the down-time due to maintenance. This reduces the economic return on the projection apparatus. Similarly, down-time due to power failures that cause the conditioning unit to stop operating includes the time needed to start up the apparatus.

Lithographic apparatus, device manufacturing method, and device manufactured thereby


An image capture device includes an image sensor. The image sensor includes a temperature sensor for measuring temperature measurements of the image sensor. A timing generator is coupled to the image sensor for applying an electronic shutter pulse to the image sensor to drain away all charge in photodiodes of the image sensing region prior to image capture. A reading component is coupled to the temperature sensor for reading the temperature measurements from the temperature sensor. The image capture device is configured to prevent erroneous temperature readings by the reading component resulting from substrate punch-through from the application of the electronic shutter pulse.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention includes an image sensor including a temperature sensor and operable to use the temperature sensor compatibly with an electronic shutter pulse. The present invention also includes a method of compatibly using the temperature sensor and the electronic shutter pulse.
2. Description of the Related Art
Performance of an integrated circuit, such as an image sensor, can be dependent on the temperature of the integrated circuit. As one example, dark current inside an image sensor is highly temperature dependent. The dark current increases with an increase of temperature of the integrated circuit and higher dark current degrades the performance of the image sensor. Higher dark current impacts the dynamic range and the dark reference level of the image sensor and can cause various defects in captured images. The image sensor is also susceptible to permanent damage if the temperature becomes too high.
The image sensor can include a temperature sensor, such as a temperature diode, for measuring the temperature of the image sensor. The measurements from the temperature diode can be read by a reading component, such as an analog-to-digital converter, and a processor connected to the reading component can control a thermoelectric cooler coupled to the image sensor based on the temperature measurements.
When voltage is applied across the temperature diode to forward bias the diode, current flows through the diode. The relationship between the voltage across the diode and the current through the diode is temperature dependent. In other words, at the same voltage, the current increases with the temperature. Likewise, at the same current, the absolute value of the voltage decreases with the temperature. When the relationship between voltage across the diode and the current through the diode is calibrated for the image sensor, the temperature of the image sensor can be determined by reading one of these parameters while setting the other parameter at a constant.
One advantage in some types of image sensors, e.g., an interline transfer image sensor, is the ability to apply a global reset to an image sensing region of the image sensor by applying a high voltage pulse to the substrate of the image sensor to drain away all charge in photodiodes of the image sensing region prior to image capture. The high voltage pulse is referred to as an electronic shutter pulse. However, when voltage associated with the electronic shutter pulse is sufficiently high, e.g., above 17V, substrate punch-through occurs, which increases the voltage across the temperature diode. Since the temperature measurement from the temperature diode is dependant on the relationship between the voltage across the diode and the current through the diode, the voltage increase across the temperature diode due to the substrate punch-through from the electronic shutter pulse disadvantageously alters the temperature measurement from the temperature diode.
In other words, the electronic shutter pulse causes substrate punch-through at the diode and corrupts readings from the temperature diode, thus making the temperature diode and the electronic shutter pulse incompatible features. The voltage increase across the temperature diode from the electronic shutter pulse can also cause damage to the reading component. There remains an opportunity to design a circuit that can determine the temperature of the image sensor without corruption from the application of the electronic shutter pulse.

Image sensor including temperature sensor and electronic shutter function

SEMICONDUCTOR COMPONENTS INDUSTRIES, LLC


In a fuel vapor release suppression system for a fuel tank, a main tank and a sub tank communicate with each other, and the sub tank and a canister communicate with each other. When the main tank has a higher temperature, fuel vapor of the main tank is supplied to the sub tank where the fuel vapor is liquefied. When the main tank has a lower temperature, fuel vapor of the sub tank is supplied to the main tank. At this time, low concentration fuel vapor is supplied from the canister to the main tank, thereby accelerating generation of fuel vapor corresponding to sub tank fuel vapor pressure, so that the sub tank fuel vapor pressure decreases. Therefore, liquefaction is accelerated in the sub tank when the main tank temperature increases. Thus, fuel vapor generated in a fuel tank is effectively liquified irrespective of ambient air temperature.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a fuel vapor release suppression system for a fuel tank, in which a main tank and a sub tank communicate with each other via a communication passage, and the sub tank and a canister communicate with each other via a charge passage.
2. Description of Related Art
Japanese Patent Publication No. 3659005 discloses an automobile fuel tank arrangement wherein a sub tank is provided separately from a main tank, and is placed in a low temperature environment as compared with the main tank. In this arrangement, fuel vapor is supplied from a gas-phase portion of the main tank, having a higher temperature, to a liquid-phase portion of the sub tank, having a lower temperature, and is liquefied therein. In addition, the liquefied fuel is returned to the main tank, thereby reducing the load on a canister that is charged with fuel vapor and lowering the concentration of fuel vapor that is purged from the canister into an intake passage of an engine to reduce the influence on combustion of the engine.
In this conventional arrangement, fuel vapor generated in the main tank can be liquefied in the sub tank when the temperature of the sub tank is lower than that of the main tank, but the fuel vapor cannot be liquefied when the temperature of the sub tank is higher than that of the main tank. Therefore, in order to enable constant fuel vapor liquefaction, the temperature of the sub tank is required to be lowered by using a cooling device, leading to a problem that the power consumed by the cooling system imposes a burden on the vehicle battery.

Fuel vapor release suppression system for fuel tank


A piston arrangement including a track and a piston moveable within a cylinder; wherein the track is adapted to rotate relative to the cylinder about an axis of rotation and has a cam surface and an edge surface extending away from the cam surface; wherein the piston is coupled to the track by a follower running on the cam surface; wherein the cam surface is shaped such that, as the track moves relative to the cylinder, the piston head moves in reciprocating motion within the cylinder in accordance with the path of the cam surface; wherein a stabilising element is connected to the piston, the stabilising element extending below the piston head and comprising a contact surface which engages the edge surface of the track.

A conventional piston arrangement used, for example, in internal combustion engines comprises a piston head moveable within a cylinder coupled to a crankshaft by a con-rod. In an alternative piston arrangement a piston head may be coupled to a track having a cam surface, the piston head being provided with one or more cam followers which run along the track to control movement of the piston head. The present invention relates to improvements in the power transfer mechanism coupling a piston head to a track in such an alternative piston arrangement.


A disengageable master carrier assembly for a motor driven drapery is provided, having a master carrier block section and a locking block section. The locking block section has entrance ramps and a detent pocket sized to receive an engagement member mounted to the master carrier block section. The master carrier block assembly has a support arm for supporting a leading edge of drapery fabric, the support arm being supported by a first resilient member. The engagement member is sized for fitting into the detent pocket of the locking block member and is resiliently urged by a second resilient member disposed between a movable portion of the support arm and the engagement member such that the engagement member will be displaced into its engaged position in the detent pocket when the engagement member is aligned with the detent pocket and will be moved to its disengaged position when the support arm is moved to its disengaged position.

Drapery support systems that permit opening and closing of the draperies are well known. Such systems commonly consist of an aluminum, steel or plastic headrail that contains a series of roller or sliding carriers. These carriers have drapery fabric or material connected to them by some form of a drapery hook or other means. Depending on the form of pleating, these carriers are spaced at approximately three inches. Also depending on the pleating system the individual carriers may or may not be not directly connected to each other. In the most common form they are indirectly connected by means of the suspended drapery fabric. A lead carrier or master carrier is normally connected to the foremost end of the drapery fabric.
The master carrier is most commonly attached to a drive cord that is guided inside the metal or aluminum headrail, between the side walls of the headrail. At each end of the headrail, the drive cord is normally guided through a free-wheel pulley at the non-drive end and through a drive pulley at the drive end. In its most common manually operable form, the drive cord is guided down vertically at the drive end where it loops down. By pulling one end of the looped down cord the drapery will be closed, by pulling the other end the drapery will be opened. Some drapery systems do not have a drive cord, but are operated by pulling a wand that is connected to the drive carrier. Instead of being actuated by a cord, some systems are driven by a steel wire or a belt.
Drapery systems may consist of one panel which opens towards one end only (one-way opening), or they may consist of two panels which then close towards the center and open by pulling the panels each to one end (center opening). In the case of very long windows, more than two panels may be hung from the same headrail, for simultaneous opening with a single drive motor.
To avoid excessive wear and tear of drapery fabrics, it is generally not recommended to open and close drapery panels by pulling on the drapery fabrics or materials themselves. Especially on cord actuated systems, the required force to pull a drapery open or close by means of pulling the fabric instead of the cord may require considerable force and result in damage to the fabric or the system.
Motor powered drapery systems are known in either a direct drive version or an indirect drive version. In a direct drive version, the motor is directly connected to the headrail and the rotation power is transmitted to the drive cord or belt via a gear mechanism. An indirect drive version includes cord-drive motors that are normally mounted at some distance below the drapery headrail and have a vertical loop of the drive cord that extends below the headrail, guided through a pulley attached to the motor. Cord drive motors are usually hard to conceal, tend to require more maintenance for cord adjustments, and are usually less powerful than direct drive motors. Cord drive motors are more commonly used to retrofit manual cord driven drapery systems.
Direct drive drapery motors are normally outfitted with a pulley or sprocket that provides traction to rotate the drive cord, belt or wire. The master carrier of the drapery system is normally attached to the drive belt, cord or wire by means of a fixed connection.
Because direct drive motors are normally fully concealed behind the drapery fabric it is often not apparent to a user that a drapery system is motorized. An unsuspecting user may be tempted to start pulling on the fabric to open or close a drape which will require rotation of the motor. However, since such rotation is prevented by the direct drive connection, this could create damage to the mechanism or fabric if excessive force were applied by the user.
To prevent such damage from occurring by inadvertent manual operation by a user, it is necessary to have a method or mechanism to permit easy manual movement of the drapery fabric without damage to the electric drive system, such as by means of a disconnect between motor and drive cord, belt or wire when there is no current applied to the motor. There are currently two methods to achieve this: the electro magnetic shaft disconnect and the overlap master disconnect.
The electromagnetic shaft disconnect consists of a motor shaft that connects the drive shaft of the direct drive motor with a cord drive pulley. By applying power to the motor, magnets in the electromagnetic disconnect get actuated and pull the shaft end into a matching opening of the drive pulley, thus establishing a fixed connection between motor and drive wire. The disadvantage of this system is that it is most commonly operated by drive motors that are started and stopped by means of current sensing. They require considerable torque surges and as a consequence tend to be noisy.
Prior art disconnecting devices exist most commonly in two versions. The first version consists of a spring loaded nipple attached to the traveling master carrier which matches with a depression in a connector block mounted against the inside of a perforated drive belt. Because of space considerations, the microdimensions make the system extremely sensitive to wear and permit only very light drapery weight loads.
The other commonly known version consists of a master carrier featuring a single levered arm provided with one single multipurpose spring. By pulling the far end of the drapery downward, the levered arm frees the locking pin from the portion of the master carrier that is connected to the drive belt. This way the drapery fabric can be moved by hand.
The disadvantage of this system is that there is only one spring to handle both the drapery load function and the locking spring function. This requires that the spring action be strong enough to carry the drapery load, keep it in position and pull the arm back into position, but not so strong that it would prevent the locking pin from sliding back into its connector. The use of a single spring for this dual purpose severely limits the maximum allowable load on the arm. Currently this is commonly limited to a maximum of 0.5 kg vertical load.
The load limitation imposed by the single arm and single spring concept of the prior art places severe limitations on the motorized drapery system. In many instances motorized systems are used to eliminate the need for manual operation of large and heavy drapery systems. Weight limitations impose severe restrictions on the range of applications. Furthermore the maximum allowable weight due to the spring capacity can easily be exceeded, which would cause the load to lower the levered arm and free the connection between master carrier and drive belt. This would result in a malfunction of the motorized system when power is applied.

Drapery master carrier with automatic disengager


A method for detecting an occurrence of interference between a return of a radar wave which has been transmitted by a radar and has an oscillating amplitude in time and a radio wave transmitted by some other radar, Includes steps of: detecting extremal points of an incident radio wave in which the radio wave transmitted by the other radar is superposed on the return of the radar wave, extracting, sequentially in time, an emerging pattern of the extremal points of the incident radio wave within each of periods of time to obtain a series of emerging patterns of the extremal points, detecting a period during which the emerging pattern of the extremal points is irregular among the series of the emerging patterns of the extremal points, and determining that the interference occurs during the detected period of time.

1. The Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method for a radar for detecting interference between the radar and some other radar. The present invention further relates to an interference detecting device for a frequency modulated continuous wave (FMCW) radar and to the FMCW radar equipped with the interference detecting device using the method for detecting interference between the radar and some other radar.
2. Description of the Prior Art
A number of automotive radar systems which are suited to vehicle safety systems, for example, crash protection systems that minimize the effects of an accident, reversing warning systems that warn the driver that the vehicle is about to back into an object such as a child or another vehicle and the like, are known. Hence, it is important for these automotive radar systems to provide the driver with some information as to the nature or location of a target object. One target characteristic of great importance is the distance from the radar to the target object (the downrange distance). In particular, if there are multiple target objects, distances to those target objects are important information for the driver. Thus, it is obvious that radars that provide accurate downrange information for multiple target objects are desired.
The simplest automotive radar systems use a continuous wave (CW) radar in which a transmitter continuously transmits electromagnetic energy at a single frequency. The transmitted electromagnetic energy is reflected by a target object and received by the radar receiver. The received signal is shifted due to Doppler effect by movement of the target object relative to the radar. The CW receiver filters out any returns without a Doppler shift, i.e., targets which are not moving with respect to the radar. When the receiver detects the presence of a Doppler shifted signal, the receiver sends a notification containing information about presence of the target object.
Another type of radar is a two-frequency CW radar. The two-frequency CW radar transmits electromagnetic energy at a first frequency and a second frequency. The transmitted energy is reflected by a target object and received by a two-frequency receiver. The receiver measures the difference between the phase of the signal received at the first frequency and the phase of the signal received at the second frequency. The distance to the target object can be calculated from the measured phase difference. Unfortunately, the two-frequency CW radar performs poorly when there are multiple target objects at different ranges, and thus the range measurement obtained from a two-frequency CW radar in the presence of multiple target objects unreliable.
There have been known FMCW radars used as vehicle-mounted radars to detect the presence of target object or obstacles, distance to a preceding vehicle, and relative speed of the preceding vehicle from the vehicle equipped with the FMCW radar.
In order to detect target characteristic such as presence of a preceding vehicle, downrange distance to the preceding vehicle, and relative speed of the preceding vehicle, the FMCW radar transmits a radar wave via a directional antenna unit. The frequency of the radar wave is modulated so as to linearly vary in time. After the target object reflects the radar wave, the reflected radar wave is received by the radar and transformed into a received signal to be subjected to signal processing for obtaining the target characteristic. The FMCW radar mixes the transmission signal and the received signal to produce a beat signal. The beat signal is subjected to a frequency analysis, for example, a fast Fourier transformation (FFT) and the like, to obtain the peak frequencies of the beat signal (beat frequencies) from which the distance to the target object and the relative speed between the FMCW radar and the target object can be determined. The frequency spectrum has peak intensities in the intensity versus frequency characteristic curves. The beat frequencies have the peak intensities.
During those operations, there is a possibility that the FMCW radar receives not only the reflected wave from the target object, but also a radar wave transmitted from some other radar installed in another vehicle, such as a vehicle running on the same or other side of the road (e.g., a preceding vehicle or an oncoming vehicle). That is, interference between the FMCW radar with which the subject vehicle is equipped and the other radar installed in the other vehicle may occur. As a result of interference, it is hard to detect the beat frequencies accurately, and the distance to the target object such as the preceding vehicle or the relative speed of the target object cannot be accurately detected.
In Japanese Published Patent Application No. 2002-168947, Hirata et al. discloses an FMCW radar which provided with an interference detecting unit that determines whether or not the FMCW radar is interfered with by some other radar. The interference detecting unit of Hirata et al. determines whether or not interference between the FMCW radar equipped with the interference detecting unit and the other radar occurs based on an incident radio wave received by the FMCW radar or a beat signal which is generated from radar wave transmitted from the FMCW radar and the incident radio wave received by the FMCW radar. The incident radio wave may include not only return of the radar wave reflected from a target object, but also radio wave transmitted from the other radar or return of the radar wave from an obstacle located out of a measuring distance range (radar range) of the FMCW radar. In more detail, the interference detecting unit of Hirata et al. determines occurrence of interference, if either the amplitude of the incident radio wave or the beat signal is higher than a predetermined amplitude threshold value, or a beat frequency that is a frequency component at which an intensity peak can be found in frequency spectrum characteristic of the beat signal is higher than a predetermined frequency threshold value.
The method that is adopted by Hirata et al. and is based on comparison of the amplitude of the incident radio wave or the beat signal with the predetermined amplitude threshold value is performed is derived from the following idea: when interference between the FMCW radar and some other radar occurs, a radio wave transmitted from the other radar is superimposed on return of the radar wave reflected from a target object. Hence, the amplitude of incident radio wave which enters the FMCW radar or a beat signal which is generated by mixing a radar wave transmitted from the FMCW radar and the incident radio wave should be increased as compared with cases where no interference present.
The method that is adopted by Hirata et al. and is based on comparison of the beat frequency component with the predetermined frequency threshold value is performed is derived from the following idea: when the beat frequency that is the frequency component at which intensity peak can be found in frequency spectrum characteristic of the beat signal is higher than a predetermined frequency threshold value, the origin of the beat frequency component can be attributed to some obstacle located out of a measuring distance range (radar range) of the FMCW radar.
However, the methods of Hirata et al. may give an erroneous determination of presence of interference in the case where the amplitude of a radio wave transmitted from some other radar is low. That is, when the absolute amplitude of an incident radio wave or a beat signal is not so high to exceed a threshold value, the interference detecting unit of Hirata et al. can not detect occurrence of interference. Further, if low frequency noise is superimposed on the incident radar wave or the beat signal due to some reason, for example, short distance between a transmitting antenna through which the radar wave is radiated from the FMCW radar and a receiving antenna by which the incident radio wave is received, and the like, the absolute amplitude of the incident radio wave or the beat signal may exceed the threshold value, even if interference is absent.
In Japanese Published Patent Application No. 2006-300550 and the corresponding U.S. Pat. No. 7,187,321, Watanabe et al. discloses an FMCW radar that has an improved accuracy for detecting occurrence of interference using variations of absolute amplitude of an incident radio wave received by the FMCW radar or a beat signal which is generated from radar wave transmitted from the FMCW radar and the incident radio wave received by the FMCW radar. In the FMCW radar of Watanabe et al., the incident wave or the beat signal is sampled at a predetermined interval to generate amplitude data. The variations of the absolute amplitude of the incident radio wave or the beat signal are calculated by comparing two sampled absolute amplitude values at neighboring sampling points. If the maximum amplitude of the variations exceeds a predetermined value, it is determined interference occurs. If the predetermined interval at which the incident wave or the beat signal is sampled becomes shorter, it may be possible to detect occurrence of interference even if the amplitude of a radio wave transmitted from some other radar is low. However, shortening the predetermined interval may not be recommended because this leads to increasing the amount of computation in some situation, for example, where it is not easy to perform large scale computation by a vehicle-mounted FMCW radar.
Further, as previously discussed about the methods of Hirata et al., if low frequency noise is superimposed on the incident radar wave or the beat signal, the variations of the amplitude of the incident radio wave or the beat signal may exceed the threshold value, even if interference is absent.
Further, if the method of Watanabe et al. is combined with method for detecting direction of a target object such as the multiple signal classification (MUSIC) method in which incident radio wave entering a radar is received by a plurality of receiving antennas to generate a plurality of data signals each of data signals being generated by incident radio wave received by the corresponding one of the receiving antennas, and from the historical data of the plurality of data signals are constituted a self-correlation matrix by which the direction of the target object can be calculated, detection of occurrence of interference between the radar and some other radar is important because an erroneous detection of occurrence of interference at some moment influences on the accuracy of detection of direction of a target object over a long time subsequently.
Therefore, it is desired a radar that is capable of reducing computational cost to detect occurrence of interference between the radar and some other radar reliably, and to measure target characteristic such as presence of a target object within the measuring distance range of the radar system, distance between the radar system and the target object, and relative velocity of the target object to the radar system accurately, even if some large or long obstacles such as trucks and lorries, or large and long buildings such as a freeway bridge and its piers exist beyond the measuring distance range of the radar, and even if there are multiple target objects within the measuring distance range of the radar.

Method for detecting interference in radar system and radar using the same


A method of controlling an actuator includes determining a function of an actuator value based on a cost function index that represents a relationship between a tone reproduction curve error and the actuator value necessary to achieve a tone reproduction curve target, determining an actual tone reproduction curve error from an obtained sample of a tone reproduction curve and controlling the actuator based on the function and actual tone reproduction curve error to move to a point that represents the tone reproduction curve target. A Xerographic system includes an actuator, an input device that inputs the cost function index and a controller that controls the Xerographic system to obtain the sample, determine an actual tone reproduction curve error from the sample, and control the actuator based on the cost function index and the actual tone reproduction curve error to move to a point that represents the tone reproduction curve target.

1. Field of Invention
Actuator systems and methods that control printing systems by adjusting tone reproduction curve targets using real-time feedback control.
2. Description of Related Art
In copying or printing systems such as a Xerographic copier, laser printer or inkjet printer, a common technique for monitoring the quality of prints is to artificially create a test patch of a predetermined desired density. The actual density of the printing material, toner or ink for example, in the test patch can then be optically measured to determine the effectiveness of the printing process to place the correct quantity of material on the printed sheet.
With laser printers, a charge retentive surface or photoreceptor is used to form an electrostatic latent image that causes toner particles to adhere to areas on the surface that are charged in a particular way. An optical device, often referred to as a densitometer, may be used for determining the density of toner on the test patch (that can assume halftone levels from 0 to 100%) along the path of the photoreceptor and directly downstream of the development unit. The printing system may perform a process to periodically create test patches at the desired halftone levels at predetermined locations on the photoreceptor by deliberately actuating the exposure system.
The electrostatic latent test patch is then moved past a developer unit. Toner particles within the developer unit are caused to adhere to the test patch electrostatically. The developed test patch is moved past the densitometer disposed along the path of the photoreceptor and the specular reflectance and or diffuse reflectance of the test patch is measured. The density of toner on the patch varies in relationship to both the specular reflectance and diffuse reflectance of the test patch.
Xerographic test patches that are used to measure the deposition of toner on the photoreceptor, and thereby regulate the deposition of toner onto paper and control the tone reproduction curve (TRC) are traditionally printed in inter-document zone regions of photoreceptor belts or drums. Generally, each patch is a small square that is printed at a predefined halftone level. This practice enables the sensor to infer the TRC. The number of patches to monitor and regulate can range from 1 to the full number of halftone levels the system is capable of addressing.
Many Xerographic printing system process control systems adjust physical actuators such as developer bias, charge level and raster output scanner (ROS) intensity to maintain the TRC as measured by an in-line optical sensor. In the example presented here the controls maintain the TRC at three control points, though more or less control points can be used. Currently, there are insufficient actuators and insufficient latitude to control the entire TRC to the desired accuracy across the expected set of disturbances anticipated in a customer environment. The variation can cause objectionable color changes, especially in overlay colors that are printed using more than one of the printer primary colors.
Accordingly, because of the difficulty in monitoring and controlling the toner development process, various approaches have been devised.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,963,244 to Mestha et al. discloses sensing the TRC at discrete intervals and doing a least squares fit to project an entire TRC. The tone reproduction curve is recreated by providing a look-up table for reconstruction of the TRC. The look-up table incorporates a co-variance matrix of elements containing end-tone reproduction samples. The matrix multiplier responds to sensed developed patch samples and to the look-up table to reproduce a complete tone reproduction curve. A controller reacts to the reproduced tone reproduction curve to adjust machine quality.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,749,020 to Mestha et al. discloses TRC variations using a set of orthogonal basis functions. The basis functions are derived by decomposing sample tone reproduction curves to provide a predicted tone reproduction curve. The predicted tone reproduction curve is melded with a discrete number of tone reproduction samples to produce a reconstructed TRC for machine control.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,035,152 to Craig et al. discloses a method for measuring tone reproduction curves. A setup calibration TRC is generated based on preset representative halftone patches. A test pattern including a plurality of halftone patches is marked in the inter-document zone of the imaging surface. A relative reflection of each of the halftone patches is entered into a matrix and the matrix is correlated to a plurality of print quality actuators. A representative TRC is generated based on the matrix results. A feedback signal is produced by comparing the representative TRC to the setup calibration tone curve and each of the print quality actuators is adjusted independently to adjust printing machine operation for print quality correction.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,777,656 to Henderson discloses using lookup tables to adjust a measured TRC to match a target TRC. The method of maintaining tone reproduction for printing includes the steps of marking representative halftone targets on an imageable surface with toner sensing an amount of toner on each of the representative halftone targets, generating a representative TRC based on the sensed amount of toner on the representative halftone targets, producing a feedback signal generated by comparing a representative TRC to a setup calibration tone curve and adjusting pixel data of each pixel of the final halftone image to compensate for deviation between the representative TRC and the setup calibration tone curve.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,649,073 to Knox et al. discloses a method and apparatus for calibrating gray reproduction schemes for use in a printer. The calibration system includes a test pattern stored in a memory and providing a plurality of samples of combinations of printed spots printable on a media by the printer. A gray measuring device is included to derive a gray measurement of the samples of printed spots. A calibration processor correlates the gray measurements with a combination of spots having a particular spatial relationship and derives parameters describing the printer response to the combination. The calibration processor generates from the derived parameters at least one non-linear gray image correction function then stores the generated gray image function calibration in a calibration memory. A means is provided to apply the gray image correction stored in the calibration memory to calibrate a printer using a halftone pattern.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,612,902 to Stokes discloses a method and system for automatically characterizing a color printer. A relatively few number of test samples are printed and measured to create an analytic model which characterizes a printer. The analytical model is used in turn to generate a multi-dimensional look-up table that can then be used at one time to compensate image input and create a desired visual characteristic in the printed image.
Because of the potential near-degeneracy, e.g., ill-conditioned behavior, of the TRC response to actuator adjustments, Xerographic conditions arise under which holding fixed test patch targets can require driving the xerographic actuators to their limiting values. As discussed above, deadbanding has been introduced to mitigate these problems. However, while deadbanding can reduce the likelihood of forced excursions, deadbanding treats all actuator levels equally and does not adjust the actuators to preferable values while satisfying the constraint to keep the TRC within the specified dead band. Undesirable actuator levels may continue to be used because there is no restoring function to recenter the undesirable actuator level once within the deadband. Undesirable actuator levels are those that result in image quality defects that are not embodied by the TRC (even though the TRC is maintained close to target). Current systems can also exhibit increased color variability even under Xerographic conditions that would normally permit tight control to the TRC patch targets.

Tone reproduction curve (TRC) target adjustment strategy for actuator set points and color regulation performance trade off


The invention relates to the use of specific tripeptides for the treatment of neurodegenerative diseases, and to pharmaceutical compositions comprising the tripeptides. The tripeptide derivatives satisfy the following formula (I): wherein X represents OH, (C1-5) alkoxy, NH2, NH—C1-5-alkyl, N(C1-5 alkyl)2; R1 is a residue derived from one of the amino acids Phe, Tyr, Trp, Pro, which each may be optionally substituted with one or more (C1-5)alkoxy groups, (C1-5)alkyl groups or halogen atoms, as well as Ala, Val, Leu or Ile; R2 is a residue derived from one of the amino acids Gly, Ala, Ile, Val, Ser, Thr, Leu and Pro; Y1 and Y2 independently from each other represent H or (C1-5)alkyl; R3 and R4 independently from each other represent H, OH, (C1-5)alkyl or (C1-5)alkoxy, provided that R3 and R4 are not both OH or (C1-5)alkoxy; and R5 represents H, OH, (C1-5)alkyl or (C1-5)alkoxy; or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof.

Neurodegenerative diseases are characterised by a degradation or degeneration of nerves which are generally caused by apoptosis. Examples of neurodegenerative diseases include Alzheimer's disease, mild cognitive impairment, Parkinson's disease as well as AIDS-related neurological disorders. For example, in Alzheimer's disease, the nerve degradation leads to a disruption of the ability to remember, speak, think and make decisions. The reasons for these disorders are not known in detail. On the biochemical level, a change in the cortical cholinergic systems with a decrease in the formation of the neurotransmitter acetylcholine is detectable. In the cerebral cortex of patients suffering from Alzheimer's disease, the acetylcholine concentration is decreased by 20 to 40%. As a result thereof, nerve ends are attacked, and this leads ultimately to the death of the cerebral cells, particularly those of the hippocampus.
In light of these observations, therapeutic approaches for Alzheimer's disease therefore address the stabilisation of the acetylcholine concentration, particularly by inhibiting acetylcholine esterase which degrades acetylcholine to acetate and choline. However, the use of acetylcholine esterase inhibitors shows the drawback that this results in an only temporary improvement which is not suitable for stopping or even reversing the nerve degeneration.
On the other hand, so-called neurotrophic factors or neurotrophines are known to which a significant influence on the survival, growth and differentiation of discrete neuronal populations is ascribed. The neurotrophine family includes nerve growth factor (NGF), brain derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), neurotrophine-3 (NT-3), neurotrophine-4 (NT-4) and the CNTF-family (ciliary neurotrophic factor). Neurotrophines are small basic proteins with a molecular weight of 26 to 28 kDa. NGF is the best characterised member of the neurotrophine family which shows activity in many different tissues.
In the peripheral nervous system (PNS) NGF is critical to the development of sympathetic and certain sensory nerves. In the central nervous system (CNS), NGF serves a trophic role in the development and maintenance of cholinergic neurons of the basal forebrain. It also plays a role in adult CNS tissues in neuronal regeneration.
It is known that cholinergic neurons produce acetylcholine in the presence of NGF rather than in its absence. Moreover, it has also been demonstrated that the administration of NGF to primates leads to the regeneration of cholinergic cell bodies. Based on this finding it is assumed that an altered activity of NGF may thus be a starting point for the degeneration of cholinergic neurons. At least theoretically it thus appears that neurotrophic substances are suitable for the treatment of neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's disease. However, these physiologically occurring substances have a short action radius similar to autocrine or paracrine substances. Therefore it is until today not possible to use common therapeutical routes (enteral or parenteral) for their application, as they are processed proteolytically in the blood circulation and other tissues and are thereby inactivated. Besides, it is known that they do not pass the blood-brain barrier (BBB) which is a prerequisite of CNS activity.
Clinical trials carried out with recombinant human neurotrophines have failed so far. A conceivable intracerebral administration should be excluded by practical consideration. Therefore, a transfer of results from in vitro experiments with NGF or other neurotrophines, as well as with fragments of these peptides, to a possible therapeutic application is not possible.

Tripeptides and tripeptide derivatives for the treatment of neurodegenerative diseases


A Unified Memory Architecture (UMA) using intelligent media memory provides an improved way of solving the granularity and memory bandwidth problems in the electronic computer memory system. A specially designed memory chip is attached to an existing attachment point of the system by integrating the bus interface on the memory chip. The memory chip additionally integrates on-chip data-intensive computation functions with the dynamic random access memory (DRAM) macros. Two system attachment points for the new integrated DRAM and logic chip are disclosed; the first using the local central processing unit (CPU) bus interface, and the second using a combination of the main memory bus and an alternative system bus such as a Peripheral Component Interconnect (PCI) bus.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to a memory system for electronic computer systems and the like, and more particularly to an improved method and apparatus for a computer memory system where high-bandwidth and flexible frame-buffer configuration are needed, without granularity problems, for image and graphics drawings as well as screen refresh operations in a high resolution video display.
2. Background Description
The original International Business Machines (IBM) personal computer (PC) display memory comprised a reserved sixty-four kilobyte (64 KB) block of random access memory (RAM) address space of which 4 KB was used for a monochrome character based display adapter and 16 KB was used for an optional color graphics display adapter (CGA). The additional reserved address space was intended for higher resolution displays than the original monochrome and color graphics displays. This memory address allocation was based on the one megabyte (1 MB) of addressing available to the 16-bit internal architecture of the Intel 8088 microprocessor used in the IBM PC. To provide backward compatibility, this "legacy" address space was retained in successive generations of microprocessors and operating systems. The first of the higher resolution displays was the enhanced graphics adapter (EGA) display specification, and this was followed by the video graphics array (VGA) display specification.
Today, PCs are being used for ever more demanding display functions, especially in multi-media applications and computer aided design (CAD) and graphics rendering applications. Multi-media applications include full motion video clips using the Motion Picture Expert Group (MPEG) standard. CAD and graphics rendering applications are used to generate three dimensional (3D) views which may be used to "visualize" a physical structure including a simulated walk through the structure.
These demanding display functions require more and more memory allocations, but simply adding memory addresses dedicated to the display function does not solve the problem and, in fact, creates new problems. First of all there is a data rate or bandwidth problem in simply getting the data in memory to the display adapter that generates the displayed image. Secondly, some proposed solutions to the data rate problem in turn create a granularity problem. These and other display problems are expected to become worse in the future.
One approach to solving the display memory problems is the adoption of the Unified Memory Architecture (UMA) specification where the main memory and frame-buffer are combined into a single memory system. This architecture has the advantage that it can reduce the total memory capacity by flexibly sharing the memory area for main memory and frame-buffer and can solve the granularity problem for low-end PCs. However, UMA display systems are known to have performance problems when the graphics performance and resolution demands increase.

Intelligent media memory statically mapped in unified memory architecture

International Business Machines Corporation


A system for communicating information between a central site and a remote site includes a central network access device operable to receive a broadcast signal from the central site and to condition the broadcast signal to facilitate its transmission to the remote site using a satellite system. The central network access device further operable to receive from a wide area network an incoming signal originating from the remote site, and to condition the incoming signal for receipt by the central site.

The present invention relates to the field of data communication, and more particularly to a system and method for hybrid satellite and terrestrial communication.
Modern corporations require systems for effectively and efficiently communicating information between a central site and a multitude of geographically dispersed related entities. For example, a petroleum corporation may have its headquarters located in Houston, Texas, and thousands of franchise station locations dispersed throughout the country, or throughout the world. The central corporate headquarters may desire to transmit information to some or all of the remote franchise stations, and the franchise stations may desire to reply to the headquarters"" transmission.
One method for communicating between a central site and a plurality of remote sites is to use two-way satellite communications. Communicating information from a central site to a plurality of remote sites can be very effective, particularly where the remote sites are numerous and geographically dispersed, and especially where the central site desires to transmit a common signal to all sites simultaneously. A problem with this approach, however, is that return communications (remote site to central site) are expensive. This expense can be attributed, for example, to the high cost of satellite equipment that must be capable of transmitting as well as receiving information, as well as the cost of purchasing valuable satellite bandwidth. The satellite bandwidth expense is particularly troubling where each remote site is transmitting only a few bits of information, such as a conformation of receipt of the central site""s signal. In that case, having thousands of remote sites each purchasing a channel of satellite bandwidth to transmit a few bits of information is extremely wasteful. Still another problem with this method is that conventional satellite communications do not allow for performance monitoring or flow control of the signals being broadcasted.
In accordance with the present invention, a system and method for hybrid satellite and terrestrial communication are provided that substantially eliminate or reduce disadvantages or problems associated with previously developed systems and methods.
In one embodiment, a system for communicating information between a central site and a remote site includes a central network access device operable to receive a broadcast signal from the central site and to condition the broadcast signal to facilitate its transmission to the remote site using a satellite system. The central network access device is further operable to receive from a wide area network an incoming signal originating from the remote site, and to condition the incoming signal for receipt by the central site.
Technical advantages of the present invention include the provision of a system and method using a satellite system to communicate broadcast signals from a central site to one or more remote sites, and a wide area network to communicate incoming signals from the remote sites back to the central site. The invention provides a highly effective system for two-way communication between a central site and one or more remote sites, while eliminating high costs associated with conventional two-way satellite communication systems. With respect to broadcast signals from the central site to the remote sites, the invention capitalizes on the distance insensitivity and common signal broadcast capabilities of satellite systems. On the return signal side, the invention takes advantage of the significant flexibility and scalability of wide area network communication.
The invention provides an advantage of facilitating functions such as performance monitoring and flow control of signals in either direction. If conservation of bandwidth is important, an encapsulator within the central network access device may be deactivated, resulting in central site transmitting a nailed-up version of the broadcast signal to the remote sites. If, however, a higher level of service is desired, such as having the ability to monitor performance and/or control flow of the broadcast signal, the invention provides the flexibility to encapsulate the broadcast signal to take advantage of these and other features typically associated with wide area network signals.
Network access devices associated with the central site and the remote sites are non-proprietary, standards-based equipment. In other words, signals emerging from each device are based on industry standards and are in a non-proprietary format. In this way, the invention provides an advantage of facilitating hybrid satellite/terrestrial communications without requiring encoding and decoding signals in a proprietary format. Furthermore, off-the-shelf standards-based components, such as frame relay access devices (FRAD) and Very Small Aperture Terminal (VSAT) satellite connection equipment, can be implemented with little or no modification. This enables network customers to implement the present invention with minimal equipment costs by building on their existing equipment investments.
Other technical advantages are readily apparent to one of skill in the art from the attached figures, description, and claims.

System and method for hybrid satellite and terrestrial communication


A light collimating and diffusing film and a method for making the film are provided. The film includes a plastic layer having a first side and a second side opposite the first side and at least a first peripheral edge. The first side has a first textured surface, wherein between 7 to 20 percent of slope angles on the first textured surface proximate a first axis has a value between zero and five degrees. The first axis is substantially parallel to the first peripheral edge. The plastic layer collimates light propagating therethrough.

A light diffusive film has been developed for receiving light and diffusing the light. The light diffusive film is manufactured using multiple manufacturing steps. First, a plurality of polystyrene beads are disposed in an acrylate solution. The acrylate solution is then applied to a surface of a plastic film. Thereafter, the plastic film is heated to cure the acrylate and to bond the polystyrene beads to the plastic film. A significant drawback with the manufacturing process of the light diffusive film is that it requires several relatively complex steps to coat the film with the acrylate solution and polystyrene beads. Further, the manufacturing process is relatively expensive to perform.
Accordingly, there is a need for a light diffusive film that can be manufactured using a simplified process without utilizing polystryene beads or an acrylate solution.

Light collimating and diffusing film and system for making the film


The invention relates to a special device for the purification of diesel exhaust gases, which device comprises, in the flow direction of the exhaust gas, an oxidation catalyst, a diesel particle filter with catalytically active coating, and, downstream of a device for introducing a reducing agent from an external reducing agent source, an SCR catalyst. The oxidation catalyst and the catalytically active coating of the diesel particle filter contain palladium and platinum. The ratio of the noble metals platinum and palladium in the overall system and on the individual components, oxidation catalyst and catalytically coated diesel particle filter, are coordinated with one another in such a way as to obtain firstly an optimum NO/NO2 ratio in the exhaust gas upstream of the downstream SCR catalyst, and secondly optimum heating and HC conversion behaviour during an active particle filter regeneration.

The invention relates to a special device for the purification of diesel exhaust gases, which device comprises, in the flow direction of the exhaust gas, an oxidation catalyst, a diesel particle filter with catalytically active coating, and, downstream of a device for introducing a reducing agent from an external reducing agent source, an SCR catalyst.
The untreated exhaust gas of diesel engines contains, in addition to carbon monoxide CO, hydrocarbons HC and nitrogen oxides NOx, a relatively high oxygen content of up to 15% by volume. Said untreated exhaust gas also contains particle emissions which are composed predominantly of soot residues and possible organic agglomerates and which arise from partially incomplete fuel combustion in the cylinder.
Adhering to future legal exhaust-gas limits for diesel vehicles in Europe, North America and Japan, necessitates the simultaneous removal of particles and nitrogen oxides from the exhaust gas. The harmful gases carbon monoxide and hydrocarbons from the relatively lean exhaust gas can easily be made harmless by oxidation at a suitable oxidation catalyst. Diesel particle filters with and without an additional catalytically active coating are suitable units for the removal of the particle emissions. On account of the high oxygen content, the reduction of the nitrogen oxides to form nitrogen ("denitrogenization" of the exhaust gas) is more difficult. A known method is selective catalytic reduction (SCR) of the nitrogen oxides at a suitable catalyst, SCR catalyst for short.
Said method is presently the preferred option for the denitrogenization of diesel engine exhaust gases. The reduction of the nitrogen oxides contained in the exhaust gas takes place in the SCR method with the aid of a reducing agent which is introduced into the exhaust strand in a dosed fashion from an external source. As reducing agent, use is preferably made of ammonia or of a compound which releases ammonia, such as for example urea or ammonium carbamate. The ammonia, which is possibly generated in situ from the precursor compound, reacts at the SCR catalyst with the nitrogen oxides from the exhaust gas in a comproportionation reaction to form nitrogen and water.
At present, in order to satisfy the upcoming legal standards, a combination of the different exhaust-gas purification units is inevitable. A device for the purification of diesel engine exhaust gases must comprise at least one oxidationally active catalytic converter and, for denitrogenization, an SCR catalyst with an upstream device for introducing reducing agent (preferably ammonia or urea solution) and an external reducing agent source (for example an auxiliary tank with urea solution or an ammonia store). If it is not possible by optimizing the combustion within the engine to keep the particle emissions sufficiently low that they can be removed by means of the oxidation catalyst by direct oxidation with oxygen, the use of a particle filter is additionally necessary.
Corresponding exhaust-gas purification systems have already been described; some are presently at the practical testing stage.
For example, EP-B-1 054 722 describes a system for the treatment of NOx and particle-containing exhaust gases, in which system an oxidation catalyst is connected upstream of a particle filter. Arranged at the outflow side of the particle filter are a reducing agent source and a dosing device for the reducing agent, and an SCR catalyst. In the method described here, the NO2 proportion in the exhaust gas and therefore the NO2/NOx ratio is increased by means of the at least partial oxidation of NO at the oxidation catalyst, with the NO/NO2 ratio preferably "being set to a predetermined level which is an optimum for the SCR catalyst".
Said NO/NO2 ratio which is an optimum for the SCR catalyst is 1 for all presently known SCR catalysts. If the NOx contained in the exhaust gas is composed only of NO and NO2, then the optimum NO2/NOx ratio is between 0.3 and 0.7, preferably between 0.4 and 0.6 and is particularly preferably 0.5. Whether said ratio is attained upstream of the SCR catalyst in a system according to EP-B-1 054 722 is dependent on the exhaust-gas temperature and therefore on the operating state of the engine, on the activity of the oxidation catalyst and on the design and soot loading of the diesel particle filter which is connected downstream of the oxidation catalyst.
The untreated exhaust gas of conventional diesel engines contains only a very low proportion of NO2 in the NOx. The main proportion of the nitrogen oxides is nitrogen monoxide NO. As said untreated gas passes over the oxidation catalyst, NO is at least partially oxidized to form NO2. The rate of NO2 formation is dependent on the activity of the oxidation catalyst and on the exhaust-gas temperature. If a significant quantity of soot is deposited on the diesel particle filter which is arranged at the outflow side, then the NO2 proportion present in the NO downstream of the oxidation catalyst is, with sufficient exhaust-gas temperature, further reduced. Since NO is predominantly formed from the NO2 during the oxidation of soot with NO2, however, no denitrogenization of the exhaust gas takes place as a result. Said denitrogenization must take place by means of the downstream SCR catalyst, for which purpose the NO2/NOx ratio must be set to an optimum value over the entirety of oxidation catalyst and diesel particle filter. EP-B-1 054 722 however does not provide any technical teaching as to how said setting of the NO2/NOx ratio in the exhaust gas upstream of the SCR catalyst can be realized over the entirety of the oxidation catalyst and filter.

Device for the purification of diesel exhaust gases


A converter building including at least one room having a solid room wall enclosing an interior space and an electrical active part contained in the interior space, the room wall having at least one opening, which is designed such that it allows a human to enter the interior space. The opening is sealable, the room wall encloses the interior space in a gas-tight manner when the opening is sealed, and the interior space contains a dielectric insulation medium including a dielectric insulation component other than air.

HVDC (high-voltage, direct current) electric power transmission systems use direct current for the bulk transmission of electrical power. In particular for the transmission over long distances, HVDC systems suffer lower electric losses than alternating current (AC) systems.
Electric energy generated in e.g. large wind farms is typically collected in AC offshore stations and transmitted to HVDC offshore stations where the conversion from AC to DC is performed.
The platform of these stations comprises a converter building in which the respective electrical active parts are arranged. The size and weight of the converter building and of the platform, respectively, are related to the power capacity of the station.
For example, the platform of a 1000 MW HVDC station has a weight of roughly 10,000 tons. The volume of the respective converter building is typically in the order of several 10,000 m3. In a conventional Dolwin converter, for example, one valve hall alone typically has a size in the order of about 10,000 m3.
At present such platforms must be large in size in order to handle the required amounts of electric power. High voltages are needed to keep the currents, electric losses and conductor or cable cross-sections sufficiently low. High voltages need long insulation distances and thus require a lot of space, if air is used as the insulation medium. Air, while having the advantage of being available ubiquitously at no cost, has a rather low insulation performance. Furthermore, installation of a platform comprising a converter building of this weight and size may require cranes with extremely high capacity which are rarely available. Thus, conventional HVDC offshore stations suffer from their enormous size and weight.
A reduction in size and weight of the platform and the converter building is highly desirable to simplify the complexity of installation, operation, maintenance, and deconstruction of conventional stations.


The play feature of the invention consists of a rotary wheel having a plurality of ball receiving sockets located therein. The wheel is rotated such that an empty socket is disposed in a ball receiving position. During the course of play, the game player can direct a ball into the socket where it is retained. The wheel is then rotated to expose another empty socket into which a player can direct a second ball. Once all of the sockets are filled with balls, the game's microprocessor will rotate the wheel to return the balls to the playfield for multiple ball play. The wheel is rotated by an electric motor that is controlled by optical sensors.

The invention relates, generally, to pinball games and, more particularly, to an improved play feature for such games.
Pinball games typically include an inclined playfield supporting a rolling ball and a plurality of play features. The game player controls flippers mounted on the playfield to direct the pinball at selected play features thereby scoring points and generating game features.
In the typical pinball game, a single pinball is used on the playfield at a time with the game player controlling that single pinball to create game action. Recently pinball games have been developed in which multiple pinballs are discharged onto the playfield simultaneously such that the game player must attempt to control the action of multiple balls. As will be apparent, the use of multiple balls greatly increases the difficulty and excitement of game play and enhances the appeal of the game to potential players.
In order to create multiple ball play, mechanisms are provided on the playfield that retain the extra ball or balls until the game player achieves a predetermined game objective, for example, attaining a particular score or striking a particular target or series of targets. When the game objective is achieved the game's microprocessor activates the ball retaining mechanism to put the extra ball in play. Typically these mechanisms consisted of relatively simple ball poppers.
While such a mechanism accomplishes multiple ball play, it is desirable for manufacturers to continuously modify such play features to maintain player interest. Thus, an improved multiple ball mechanism is desired.

Rotary ball receptacle for a pinball game