A stabilized composition comprising at least one adrenergic compound and at least one antioxidant selected from the group consisting of a bisulfite, a metabisulfite and a sulfite compound.

Solutions of adrenergic compounds, in particular epinephrine and modifications thereof, find wide application for medicinal purposes. Epinephrine is one of the neural hormones responsible for the regulation of the heart, blood pressure, airway resistance, and energy metabolism. Epinephrine generates an inotropic effect, wherein it increases the heart rate, the force of contraction of the heart, narrows the blood vessels thus increasing blood pressure, reduces airway resistance to make it easier to breathe, and raises blood glucose and blood fatty acids to supply the body energy during stress. Its uses include at least combatting low blood pressure during hemorrhagic, allergic or anaphylactic shock; opening the airways during asthmatic attack; restricting the distribution of locally administered drugs such as local anaesthetics; reducing nasal congestion; and/or performance aid in emergency situations.
Catechol compounds such as epinephrine are sensitive to oxidation to o-quinones, which can react further to form highly coloured compounds. Epinephrine can thus react to form adrenochrome, a highly coloured indole derivative. The rate of this reaction increases with pH, temperature and by the presence of metal ions, such as aluminium from various rubbers and iron from amber glassware. Epinephrine solutions may also lose potency as a result of racemisation and protection from light minimises this form of instability.
The modification or degradation of the catechol amines is undesirable for a number of reasons. Modification of the catechol amine results in loss of titer of the active ingredient, formation of compounds which may have undesirable physiological effects, and the appearance of a dark colour, which makes the solution offensive and unmarketable. The initial loss of active compound due to auto-oxidation during the preparation and packaging of such a solution is substantial despite the fact that such procedures are carried out as nearly as practically possible in an inert atmosphere and such a solution must be stored under refrigeration in order to decrease the rate of deterioration of the compound and thus prolong its shelf-life.
It is standard practice, in order to stabilise adrenergic compounds such as catechol amines against auto-oxidation, to combine therewith an antioxidant. Various antioxidants which have been used to stabilise catechol amine solution in a variety of formulations such as aerosols, eye-drops, injections etc, include: metabisulfite, bisulfite, sulfite, ascorbic acid, thiglycollate, thioglycerol, cysteine, propyl gallate and formaldehyde sulfoxylate.
A commercially available epinephrine formulation is the Epipen® formulation. The composition of the Epipen® formulation, designed to deliver a minimum of 0.3 g epinephrine in a 0.3 ml injection volume, is as follows:
Epinephrine1.1mgSodium chloride6.0mgSodium metabisulfite1.7mgHydrochloric acidto pH 3.4Water for injectionto 1ml
GB 425,678 discloses a process for producing a substantially stable anesthetic solution for local anesthesia containing an acid salt of an anesthetic, epinephrine or a physiological equivalent normally requiring an acid to keep it stable and an antioxidant, which comprises adjusting the pH value of the solution by a buffer so that the solution has a pH value within a range from approximately 5.7 up to approximately neutral. Sodium bisulfite is mentioned as antioxidant.
GB 930,452 and U.S. Pat. No. 3,149,035 disclose stable pharmaceutical solutions of a catechol amine comprising an aqueous solution of the catechol amine together with oxine, boric acid, and sodium bisulfite, said solutions having a pH of 6.5-6.8.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,966,905 discloses stabilised catechol amine solutions comprising a catechol amine, a polyvinylpyrrolidone, borate and a physiologically acceptable antioxidant selected from the group consisting of ascorbic acid, erythorbic acid, acetylcysteine, and thioglycerol, at a substantially neutral or mildly basic pH.
CA 981182 discloses the stabilisation of I-epinephrine in a local anesthetic solution by using a combination of three specific antioxidants, i.e. bisulfite, ascorbic acid and thioglycerol, said solution comprising a local anesthetic selected from mepivacaine, bupivacaine and lidocaine, l-epinephrine, bisulfite, ascorbic acid and thioglycerol, and wherein said solution is of a pH of approximately 4.
US 2008/0269347 A1 discloses epinephrine formulations comprising epinephrine, EDTA, and at last one antioxidant, wherein the antioxidant is selected from the group consisting of cysteine, citric acid, thioglycerol, acetylcysteine, and a combination thereof.
DD-A1-150 694 discloses a formulation containing epinephrine hydrogen tartrate and sodium metabisulfite.
WO 94/13274 discloses formulations containing dobutamine hydrochloride and sodium metabisulfite.
WO 97/16196 discloses a formulation containing epinephrine and sodium metabisulfite.
WO98/20869 discloses a formulation containing epinephrine and sodium metabisulfite.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,734,438 discloses a formulation containing norepinephrine and sodium bisulfite.
There remains a need for a stabilised composition having an improved shelf-life stability with a substantially reduced susceptibility of light induced, thermal and oxidative degradation.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Stabilized composition comprising at least one adrenergic compound


A method of fabricating a semiconductor device is provided. First, a stacked structure is formed on a substrate. The stacked structure includes, from the substrate, a dielectric layer and a conductive gate in order. An ion implant process is performed to form doped regions in the substrate on the opposite sides of the stacked structure. Thereafter, source-side spacer is formed on a sidewall of the stacked structure. A thermal process is performed to activate the doped regions, thereby forming a source in the substrate under the sidewall of the stacked structure having the source-side spacer and a drain in the substrate on another side of the stacked structure.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a non-volatile memory and fabricating method thereof, and more particularly, to a flash memory having a non-symmetrical spacer structure and method of fabricating the same.
2. Description of Related Art
A typical flash memory has a floating gate and a control gate fabricated using doped polysilicon. To program data into the memory, suitable programming voltages are applied to the source, the drain and the control gate of a flash memory cell, so electrons can flow from the source to the drain through a channel. In the foregoing process, some of the electrons may penetrate through a tunneling oxide layer underneath the polysilicon floating gate and distribute evenly across the entire polysilicon gate. This phenomenon of electrons penetrating through the tunneling oxide layer into the polysilicon gate is called tunneling effect. In general, tunneling effect can be classified according to the conditions into the so-called channel hot-electron injection and the so-called Fowler-Nordheim (F-N) tunneling. Data is normally programmed into a flash memory through channel-hot electron injection and erased from the flash memory through source-side or channel area F-N tunneling.
FIGS. 1A and 1B are schematic cross-sectional views showing the process of fabricating a conventional flash memory.
As shown in FIG. 1A, a substrate is provided. Then, a tunneling oxide layer 102, a floating gate layer 104, an inter-gate dielectric layer 106 and a control gate layer 108 are sequentially formed over the substrate. Afterwards, an ion implant process 112 is performed to form a doped region 114 in the substrate 100 on the sides of the floating gate 104, respectively.
As shown in FIG. 1B, an annealing process 116 is performed to activate the doped region (refer to 114 in FIG. 1A) so that a source 118a and a drain 118b are formed in the substrate 100. The ion implant process 112 in FIG. 1A may damage a portion of the exposed edges of the tunneling oxide layer 102 and lead to degradation of the tunneling oxide layer 102 that affects the reliability of the device. Therefore, an additional thermal oxidation process is performed when the source 118a and the drain 118b are formed so that the tunneling oxide layer 102 is re-oxidized to increase the thickness of the exposed edges 102a. As a result, the tunneling oxide layer is re-strengthened and electrical stress in this region is reduced.
However, as shown in FIG. 1B, thickness tedge at the edge of the tunneling oxide layer 102 or the inter-gate dielectric layer 106 is thicker than thickness tcenter at the center. This difference in thickness is a big disadvantage to control of the gate-coupling ratio (GCR) between the floating gate and the control gate and may affect the operating voltage and speed of the device. Furthermore, the area between the tunneling oxide layer 102 and the channel (that is, the area between the source 118a and the drain 118b) is related to the erase operation of the flash memory. The increased edge thickness of the tunneling oxide layer 102 is also a big disadvantage to the erasing operation provided by the device.


A subsea fuel cell and system adapted for long duration use. The subsea fuel cell comprises a fuel cell stack and a water discharge system. In alternate embodiments, the subsea fuel cell can further comprise an impurity discharge system.

Several types of equipment used downhole in oil and gas wells, or beneath the surface of the sea adjacent to offshore wells, are electrically operated or actuated. Examples of such equipment include certain wireline tools and remote well telemetry equipment. The electrical power required can be provided by connecting the device to a surface power source via electrical cables, or by placing a power source near the site of the device itself. Often it is not practical to use electrical cables running from the surface to the subterranean or subsea site of the electrically-powered device, because of the great distance involved, or because the cables can interfere with the passage of other equipment through the wellbore, and are vulnerable to being damaged during well operations.
Batteries can be used as a local source of power for downhole and subsea electrical devices, but are subject to their own problems. For example, increasing the power and energy generation capacity of a battery generally requires a proportionate increase in the size of the battery, which can present difficulties given the space constraints that exist in wellbores. Also, batteries will typically need to be electrically recharged at some point, thereby often making it necessary to provide some type of recharging equipment in physical proximity to the battery.
Fuel cells make use of an electrochemical reaction involving a fuel and an oxidant in a cell that comprises an anode, cathode, and electrolyte, to generate electricity without also generating the unwanted by-products associated with combustion, while providing relatively higher energy efficiency. Thus, fuel cells potentially have a number of advantages over other power generation or storage means in many applications. The fuel cells of the present invention can be used in a variety of applications. Although the invention is primarily described herein in relation to applications involving subterranean wellbores, it should be understood that the invention can be used in applications other than wellbore applications.


An adapter for use with a drive tool such as a ratchet will enable a user to reach a fastener that is otherwise difficult to reach. The adapter includes a first drive member having a recess in a distal end for connection to the drive tool and, in the proximal end, a center axial blind bore and a plurality of equally spaced blind bores radially spaced from the center bore. A second drive member also has a means for connecting it at the distal end thereof to a socket or to a screwdriver bit. At its proximal end the second drive member has a center axial blind bore and a plurality of equally spaced blind bores radially spaced from the center bore. The drive members are connected together by a first bar having equal length cylindrical legs angled relative to each other, with each leg being rotatably received in a corresponding center bore. A plurality of second bars, each having equal length cylindrical legs angled relative to each other, span the distance between the drive members, with the legs being slidably and rotatably received within corresponding radial blind bores of the drive members. As one drive member rotates on its axis the second bars cause the other drive member to rotate on its axis so as to impart rotation to the fastener being driven thereby.

Sockets are typically driven or controlled by a tool which imparts rotation to the socket so that it can turn a nut or the head of a screw or bolt. The tool may be a torque wrench, or a ratchet, or a straight bar tool. Usually the torque wrench or ratchet drives the socket at a 90.degree. angle relative to the tool itself. A straight bar tool may have the drive connection to the socket at 90.degree. to the tool or the drive portion of the tool may be included in a universal joint connection at one end of the tool. Tools which connect directly to the socket, either by a direct connection or by a universal joint connection, are fine for driving sockets when there is unimpeded access to the nut or bolt, for example, that is to be turned thereby. However, when access to the nut or bolt, for example, is awkward or is impeded by intervening material it becomes necessary to use an extension between the tool and the socket itself, with the extension bridging the gap between the tool and the socket.
Extensions for driving sockets at a distance from the tool can take several forms. The extension can be straight, with a square drive pin at one end and a square recess at the other end. The recess would engage the drive pin of the tool while the drive pin of the socket would accept the socket for driving purposes. The extension could also be one in which there are two components connected together by a universal joint such that the extension would be able to accommodate various angles between the drive portion and the driven portion thereof. Unfortunately, angular extensions or adapters using a universal joint have difficulty in imparting adequate torque through angles greater than 45.degree., as they tend to bind. There is therefore a need for a better extension or adapter which will permit the use of sockets or other tools at angles greater than 45.degree..

Angular drive adapter for sockets and the like


An article for high temperature service is presented herein. One embodiment is an article including a substrate having a silicon-bearing ceramic matrix composite; and a layer disposed over the substrate, wherein the layer includes silicon and a dopant, the dopant including aluminum. In another embodiment, the article includes a ceramic matrix composite substrate, wherein the composite includes a silicon-bearing ceramic and a dopant, the dopant including aluminum; a bond coat disposed over the substrate, where the bond coat includes elemental silicon, a silicon alloy, a silicide, or combinations including any of the aforementioned; and a coating disposed over the bond coat, the coating including a silicate (such as an aluminosilicate or rare earth silicate), yttria-stabilized zirconia, or a combination including any of the aforementioned.

The present technology generally relates to high temperature machine components, such as components used in gas turbine assemblies, and to methods for protecting machine components from exposure to high temperature environments.
Ceramic materials containing silicon and metal alloys containing silicon have been proposed for structures used in high temperature applications as, for example, gas turbine engines, heat exchangers, internal combustion engines, and the like. Ceramic matrix composites (CMCs) that contain silicon carbide, such as composites including a silicon carbide matrix and silicon carbide reinforcement, have been used for these high temperature applications. However, the environments characteristic of these applications often contain reactive species, such as water vapor, which at high temperatures may cause significant degradation of the material structure. For example, water vapor has been shown to cause significant surface recession/thickness loss and mass loss in silicon-bearing materials. The water vapor reacts with the structural material at high temperatures to form volatile silicon-containing species, often resulting in unacceptably high recession rates.
Environmental barrier coating (EBC) systems are applied to silicon-bearing materials and other material susceptible to attack by reactive species, such as high temperature water vapor. EBC systems provide protection by prohibiting contact between the environment and the surface of the material. EBC systems applied to silicon-bearing materials, for example, are designed to be relatively stable chemically in high-temperature, water vapor-containing environments. One EBC system, as described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,410,148, comprises a silicon or silicon-containing bond layer (also referred to herein as a "bond coat") applied to a silicon-bearing substrate; an intermediate layer comprising mullite or a mullite-alkaline earth aluminosilicate mixture deposited over the bond layer; and a top layer comprising an alkaline earth aluminosilicate deposited over the intermediate layer. In another example, U.S. Pat. No. 6,296,941, the top layer is a yttrium silicate layer rather than an aluminosilicate.
Although turbine components and other articles that include such protective systems as described above have provided good performance, the prevailing trend towards harsher service conditions, including, for instance, increased operating temperatures for improved turbine efficiency, creates a continuing need in the industry for components with even higher temperature capability, along with methods for fabricating such articles.


A device for measuring an ionization current of a spark plug of a type with a resonant structure, including a motor vehicle ignition system, the spark plug being coupled to a generator including a regulating capacitor. The generator includes a polarizer that polarizes the spark plug, connected between the generator and the spark plug, and a device that measures ionization current of the spark plug, connected between the regulating capacitor and ground.

The present invention relates, generally, to the measurement of an ionization current of a spark plug, in particular of resonant structure type spark plugs, used in ignition systems for motor vehicles.
The invention is particularly suitable for so-called "radiofrequency" ignition systems comprising multiple-spark type resonant structure spark plugs or BME.
These ignition systems using alternating currents are described, for example, in the French patent applications FR 2 859 830, FR 2 589 869 and FR 2 859 831, in the name of the Applicant.
At the end of the compression cycle, the spark plug is responsible for forming an electrical arc, the energy of which is sufficient to trigger the process of ignition of the gaseous mixture contained in the combustion chamber of the engine.
This electrical arc corresponds to the ionization of the gaseous mixture located between the electrodes of the spark plug, respectively a positive central electrode and a ground electrode.
However, on combustion of the mixture, after the spark has been generated by the spark plug, the flame edge can be propagated. Its blast can push back a portion of the mixture against the walls of the cylinder and the top of the piston.
The rise in pressure and temperature is so great that the fuel can remain jammed against the walls, reach its self-ignition point and then ignite in several places.
The result of this is microexplosions producing vibrations in the acoustic domain (between approximately 5 and 10 kHz). These vibrations are very strong and can rapidly create hot spots which further accentuate the problem. The accumulation of microexplosions will break off or melt a small quantity of metal on top of the piston and/or on the walls of the cylinder, which can, after some time, result in the destruction of the piston and of the walls of the cylinder.
It is possible to detect the appearance of these knock phenomena, by measuring the ionization current, that is, the current passing through the spark plug. In practice, an ionization current appears through the spark plug as if a resistor were temporarily placed at the terminals of the electrodes (according to a first approximation).
For this, the measurement means or sensors must be able to operate in a very narrow bandwidth, for example of around 7 kHz.

Method for measuring an ionization current of a spark plug of the type with resonant structure and corresponding device


A method and apparatus for cleaning and treating teeth and gums, for the removal of plaque and calculus build-up on teeth, and for the prevention of plaque and calculus formation on teeth thus reducing or eliminating susceptibility of dental and gum related diseases. The method comprises the passing of fluid particles through a magnetic field of a predetermined minimum strength wherein the fluid particles are caused to flow through the magnetic field in a south pole to north pole direction. The magnetically treated fluid is then applied to the teeth and gums. A preferred embodiment comprises a conventional, pulsating, high velocity fluid stream, tooth and gum cleaning machine for delivery of the magnetically treated fluid to the surface of the teeth and gums.

I. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a new method and apparatus for cleaning and treating teeth and gums, and in particular, to a new method and apparatus of interrupting and arresting the natural formation of plaque and calculus on teeth.
II. Prior Art and Other Considerations
The use of magnetic fields to treat various properties of fluids, particularly water, is well-known within the realm of industrial and/or commercial activity. Typically, such treatment has been used in the prevention of scale build-up or to prevent the formation of encrustations on surfaces generally associated with the various aqueous environments inherent to such industrial or commercial activities. Devices for propelling pulsating jet streams of fluid against the surfaces of teeth and gums for the purpose of oral hygiene are well-known in the prior art.
Dental diseases are caused by microbial infections involving identified microbial populations. These populations utilize colonization as a pathogen modality and colonization is thought to be dependent upon plaque formation. Accordingly, by the prevention of plaque and calculus formation on teeth, dental diseases could also be prevented.
Due to the presence of electrovalent bonding, the removal of plaque and calculus, once formed, from the surfaces of teeth presents a very difficult task. At the present time, devices or methods for the "effective" removal of plaque and calculus from the surfaces of teeth are limited to either the metal tools and procedures used by dentists or dental personnel to scrape away such build-up or to the use of ultra sonic techniques. While both techniques have generally proven to be effective in removing plaque and calculus from the surfaces of teeth, neither technique is available to the general public without professional supervision and/or assistance and the associated expense.

Method and apparatus for cleaning teeth and gums


A fiber distribution cabinet comprises an outer shell having at least one door for accessing an interior thereof. A module support frame is located inside the outer shell. At least one input distribution module, having a plurality of input distribution connector adapters, is attached to the module support frame. The cabinet further includes at least one optical splitter module attached to the support frame. The optical splitter module has a plurality of splitter connector adapters. Also provided is a connector holder support frame carrying a plurality of removable connector holders for maintaining a multiplicity of output connectors.

The present invention relates generally to outdoor cabinets where fiber optic connections can be made to customers of high-speed data services. More particularly, the present invention relates to an improved outdoor cabinet in which signals from feeder cables are split and distributed to the respective customers.
The ability of high-quality optical fiber to transmit large amounts of information without appreciable signal degradation is well known. As a result, optical fibers have found widespread use in many applications, such as voice and data transmission. Initially, optical fiber was often limited to such uses as trunk line communications or commercial settings requiring high rates of data throughput. More recently, however, the need for greater bandwidth in residential settings has brought optical fibers directly into homes and other premises.
Typically, information is fed from a central office of the data service provider using feeder cables made up of multiple optical fibers. For example, a typical feeder cable may have 12, 24, 36 or 48 individual optical fibers, each of which is capable of carrying a tremendous amount of information. While some customers may require all of the bandwidth provided by one of the optical fibers in the feeder cable, most subscribers (e.g., residential subscribers) do not. Instead, each of these feeder fibers may be distributed to a number of individual subscribers using an optical fiber splitter. It will be appreciated that the data service provider often needs to connect or disconnect service to customers in a given area. Specifically, all premises in the area equipped with optical fiber to the premises may not desire the data service at a certain point in time.
Most US-based passive optical network (PON) systems use a fiber distribution hub and a fiber distribution hub splitter. Although this technology generally meets service provider network requirements, the typical fiber distribution hub and fiber distribution hub splitters use proprietary splitters, a fixed internal cabling methodology and are difficult to service.
The present invention recognizes the foregoing considerations, and others, of the prior art.

Optical fiber distribution cabinet for outdoor use


The invention provides a feeding unit for a metallic linear material having an irregular shaped section applicable to a continuous manufacturing apparatus for a fastener stringer, the feeding unit comprising the seventh and eighth rollers rotatably supported at their fixed positions, the ninth and tenth rollers opposing the seventh and eighth rollers and rotatably supported at both ends of a movable roller support member, wherein the roller support member is rotatably supported around its center and urged elastically in a direction perpendicular to a straight line connecting the centers of roller shafts of the seventh and eighth rollers, thereby the feeding roller protecting the metallic linear material from easily slipping out of feeding rollers, returning the linear material to its original track immediately even if the linear material slips out for a while, and feeding the metallic linear material stably and securely without damaging the linear material or ratchet wheel.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a feeding unit for metallic linear material applicable to a continuous manufacturing apparatus for fastener stringer which intermittently feeds an engaging element metallic linear material for a slide fastener to an engaging element implanting section, the metallic linear material having a substantially Y-shaped section molded preliminarily by rolling.
2. Description of the Related Art
As for this kind of slide fastener engaging element, a long metallic linear material having a circular section is formed into a substantially Y shape in its lateral section through a plurality of mill rolls, and is intermittently fed by an amount corresponding to a single engaging element and successively cut out into a predetermined thickness by a cutting punch and a cutting die to obtain an engaging element material. By molding its engaging head into a mountain like shape by a forming punch and a forming die, an engaging element (hereinafter referred to as a linear engaging element) is molded. Usually, the cutting punch is fixed to a part of the machine frame, and the cutting die and forming die are integrated with a ram, and at the time of retraction, cut out a linear material with the cutting punch. Then, the forming punch is actuated to mold the linear material into a mountain like shape at its retraction stop end. Thereafter, the ram advances toward an engaging element attaching portion of a fastener tape, and a pressurizing punch is actuated at its advancement stop end position, so that right and left leg portions of the engaging element are pressurized and attached to the engaging element attaching portion of the fastener tape. After the engaging element is attached to the fastener tape, an intermittent feeding portion is actuated so as to intermittently feed the fastener tape by an equal pitch. Such a molding method for a linear engaging element has been disclosed in, for example, Japanese Patent Publication No. 59-51813.
FIG. 5 of patent document 1 shows a schematic configuration of a linear material feeding unit for intermittently feeding the metallic linear material by an amount corresponding to a single engaging element. A conventional linear material feeding unit intermittently rotates a ratchet wheel by a ratchet pawl provided at a front end of a cam driven mechanism which is reciprocated by a rotation of a cam provided on a main shaft. A rotation of the ratchet wheel is transmitted to a drive roller of the linear material feeding unit which shares a supporting shaft with the ratchet wheel, so that the metallic linear material is nipped by a pair of rollers comprising the drive roller and a driven roller and is intermittently fed synchronously with attachment of the engaging element. At this time, if an interval between the drive roller and the driven roller is set up, the interval is unchanged.
The above-mentioned metallic linear material has a substantially Y-shaped section comprising a head portion for forming a head of an engaging element and leg portions for forming right and left leg portions of the engaging element. Thus, a continuous convex row is provided along the peripheral face of the drive roller, and a concave groove is provided along the peripheral face of the driven roller. On the other hand, because the metallic linear material has an irregular shaped section, the metallic linear material may be fed in a twisted state although slightly by the time when it reaches the drive roller. When the metallic linear material is fed from between the drive roller and the driven roller, the metallic linear material is nipped between the convex row of the drive roller and the concave groove of the driven roller such that the convex row of the drive roller is fitted to between the right and left leg portions of the metallic linear material while the concave groove in the driven roller is fitted to the head portion of the metallic linear material.
A contact pressure applied to the metallic linear material between the rollers needs to be increased in order to feed the metallic linear material having such an irregular shaped section securely without any slippage by nipping with the pair of the drive roller and driven roller. On the other hand, both the sectional areas of the head portion and the right and left leg portions of the metallic linear material having the irregular shaped section are small, and the linear material is often fed in a twisted state, though it is slight, by the time when it reaches the drive roller and the driven roller. Even if the linear material is introduced into between the rollers in such a twisted state, the metallic linear material is caught between the rotating rollers in the twisted state, so that the metallic linear material is damaged seriously.
Further, the metallic linear material having the irregular shaped section is likely to slip out of fitting between the drive roller and the driven roller with acceleration of manufacturing speed. If the metallic linear material slips out of the fitting condition, it cannot return to its original fitting condition easily, so that the sectional shape of the metallic linear material is deformed. Also, as described above, if the metallic linear material is caught between a drive roller and a contact roller, an excessive load is applied to the drive roller, thereby finally stopping the rotation. At this time, not only the metallic linear material is damaged, but also the ratchet wheel or ratchet pawl which rotates the drive roller is damaged.
It can be considered to elastically urge the driven roller to the drive roller in order to eliminate such an inconvenience. However, according to such a conventional method of feeding the metallic linear material with the drive roller and drive roller in one pair, the contact pressure of each roller with respect to the metallic linear material needs to be set high in order to exclude the aforementioned slippage. When the metallic linear material is caught between both the rollers, the driven roller cannot move against a strong elastic force, thereby still damaging the metallic linear material and the ratchet wheel and the like. If only the pair of the drive roller and driven roller is provided, when a metallic linear material slips out of the rollers, a track of the slipped linear material changes. Thus, the linear material cannot return to its original nipping condition, thereby causing the same inconvenience as described above.
The present invention has been achieved to solve such a problem, and an object of the invention is to provide a feeding unit for metallic linear material applicable for a continuous manufacturing apparatus for a fastener stringer, the feeding unit protects the metallic linear material from slipping out of feeding rollers easily, and even if the linear material slips out for a while, returns it to its original track immediately, thereby feeding the metallic linear material securely despite its irregular shaped section without damaging the linear material or ratchet wheel.

Feeding unit for engaging element metallic linear material in continuous manufacturing apparatus for fastener stringer


An exhaust gas sampling device coupled to an aftertreatment system for treating exhaust gas flowing therethrough. The exhaust gas sampling device comprises an inlet passage, an outlet passage, a sensor passage, and a sensor. The inlet passage extracts a portion of the exhaust gas from the aftertreatment system, and the portion of the exhaust gas has a physical property that that is substantially similar to an equivalent physical property of a cross section of the exhaust gas flowing through the aftertreatment system. The sensor passage is positioned fluidly between the inlet passage and the outlet passage, and the sensor is in fluid communication with the sensor passage for providing a signal indicative of a property of the portion of the exhaust gas. The outlet passage reintroduces the portion of the exhaust gas back into the aftertreatment system.

In an internal combustion engine, when combustion occurs in an environment with excess oxygen, peak combustion temperatures increase, leading to the formation of unwanted emissions, such as NOx. This may be aggravated in internal combustion engine applications through the use of turbochargers operable to increase the mass of fresh air gas flow, and hence increase the concentrations of oxygen and nitrogen present in the combustion chamber of the engine when the temperature is high during or after a given combustion event.
Conventional NOx reduction techniques may be implemented, such as including a NOx emissions filter in-line with the exhaust stream. With such techniques, it is typically useful to determine the NOx content of the exhaust gas exiting the engine. The NOx content of the exhaust gas, produced by the engine, may be determined directly with a conventional NOx sensor. In typical applications, the NOx sensor is exposed to the exhaust gas to produce a signal that is, hopefully, indicative of the NOx content of the exhaust gas. In reality, however, the signal may be indicative of an unrepresentative, localized reading, and such readings are often times taken in a harsh environment, resulting in premature sensor failures.


The present invention provides a hybrid compressor system in which its configuration is simplified, its cost and size are reduced, and its reliability is enhanced. In the hybrid compressor system which selectively transmits a driving force of an engine and a driving force of a motor being mounted on a vehicle to a compressor of a vehicle air conditioning device to drive the compressor, the motor is provided with a one-way clutch which selectively transmits the driving force of the motor to the compressor 1.

The present invention relates to a hybrid compressor system mounted in a vehicle which stops a vehicle-driving power source during idling for selectively transmitting a driving force of the vehicle-driving power source and a driving force of a motor mounted on the vehicle to a compressor of a vehicle air conditioning device, thereby driving the compressor.
In a related hybrid compressor system, it is proposed to transmit a driving force of an engine to a compressor by engaging or disengaging an electromagnetic clutch, and to transmit a driving force of a motor to the compressor by engaging or disengaging a one-way clutch. The one-way clutch is brought into a transmitting(connecting) state when the motor is driven, and is brought into an idling(disconnecting) state when the engine is driven.


A numerical vital relay driver serving as an independent arbiter of vital railway (control) system operation constituting a checkword translator for receiving system checkwords from a system processor in the form of "N" bit NISAL parameters and for implementing a hardware algorithm utilizing the checkwords. It also consists of variable waveform data tables, including means for translating the data in the tables into a periodic signal, wherein it is insured that only if the checkwords are present and correct within a specific check period and the operation of the hardware algorithm is correct, will the desired periodic signal be produced.

The present invention relates to apparatus and techniques for performing vital processing in the context of a railway system that provides vital operation by which is meant that the system exhibits vital or fail safe characteristics, well-known to those skilled in the art.
More specifically, the invention constitutes an advancement over an original VRD (Vital Relay Driver) concept as embodied in the vital relay driver circuit assembly for a system known as VPI (Vital Processor Interlocking), VPI having been described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,831,521 and related patents such as: U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,498,650; 4,949,273; and 4,790,972.
The so-called VPI system and related systems are based, for the most part, on a logic scheme known as NISAL (Numerically Integrated Safety Assurance Logic), particular applications of which are described, for example, in U.S. Pat. No. 4,181,849, U.S. Pat. No. Reissue 30,986, U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,740,972 and 4,611,291.
The significant problem which has been presented in systems designs such as VPI and the like, is that the VRD (Vital Relay Driver) portion of the system gives rise to a deficiency because of its deviation from numerical safety assurance concepts that form the foundation of the remainder of the VPI system. The reason for this is that quantitative analysis has not been practical--because of the inordinate time consumption involved--with respect to safety assurance logic implementation of the VRD portion of the VPI design; i.e., painstaking safety analysis of software and hardware has been required. The results of the calculation of a "Probability Of Unsafe Event" for highly integrated electronic devices is impossible to substantiate with formal analysis. All possible failure modes and the associated effects cannot be demonstrated.
Accordingly, it is a primary object of the present invention to provide a VRD which overcomes the aforenoted problem. The new design for the VRD uses a discrete hardware circuit which implements a NISAL-based safety check algorithm only. Thus there is no software, microprocessors, etc., used in the present invention implementation of the VRD concept.
Another object is to provide a unique implementation of the contemplated VRD, henceforth, called NVRD (Numerical Vital Relay Driver). It will be understood that the philosophy of having any failure involving the corruption of one or more checkwords or failures within the hardware to lead directly to an infinitely random signal output from the checkword evaluator is not per se different in principle; however, the particular implementation as will be described is unique.

Systems safety vital arbiter employing numerical techniques


A hydraulic steering system for a tractor is provided which can be operated in a conventional steering mode or in a fast steering mode. In conventional steering mode, a conventional steering wheel and steering motor direct pressurized oil to the steerable wheels for selecting the turning direction, the turning angle, and the speed with which the turning angle is achieved. In fast steering mode, a fast-turning valve is controlled by the operator to direct oil directly to the steerable wheels, thereby by-passing the steering motor. The conventional steering wheel and steering motor continue however to control the steering operation.

The present invention relates to a hydraulic steering system for vehicles utilizing hydraulic steering motors and, more particularly, to a steering system that can be used on agricultural machines, such as tractors, earthmoving machines, or any loading and unloading machine in general.
As is known, steering action consists in selecting the turning direction (right or left), the turning angle (how many degrees each wheel is to be turned with respect to an initial vertical wheel plane), and the speed with which the turning angle is achieved, all of which may be performed by the operator using, for example, a steering wheel connected to a hydraulic steering motor.
In certain operating conditions of the machines referred to above, the operator is forced to turn the steering wheel rapidly to turn the vehicle as quickly as possible.
It should be pointed out that, in this context, the term xe2x80x9cconventional modexe2x80x9d is intended to mean any wheel steering action performed using a steering wheel, a hydraulic steering motor, and a hydraulic steering actuating device, and is normally performed by the operator during normal use of the vehicle, and in particular at fairly high vehicle travelling speeds.
xe2x80x9cFast modexe2x80x9d, on the other hand, is intended to mean a steering mode in which the hydraulic steering motor is in some way bypassed and pressurized oil is fed directly to the steering actuating device. This second mode is designed to reduce the effort required of the operator, especially when maneuvering the vehicle in the farm yard, when making tight U-turns at the end of a field, or in loading applications. In all these situations, xe2x80x9cconventional modexe2x80x9d would call for strenuous, continuous and fast operation of the steering wheel.
In certain recent solutions, to permit easier handling of the steering system, xe2x80x9cjoysticksxe2x80x9d have been provided, which are separate from the steering wheel and are activated by the operator when there is a need to switch from xe2x80x9cconventionalxe2x80x9d to xe2x80x9cfast modexe2x80x9d steering. Joystick devices, however, disconnect the steering wheel completely from the xe2x80x9cfast modexe2x80x9d device.
It would be desirable to provide a steering mechanism that can be utilized with hydraulic steering motors and provide a fast mode of operation.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a steering device for rapidly activating the steering cylinders, but still using a steering wheel as a steering control device in terms of direction, angle and speed.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a fast steering system where the fast mode of operation can only be implemented at low vehicle travelling speeds.
It is still another object of the present invention to provide a fast mode control device located on the vehicle steering wheel itself.
It is an advantage of this invention that the steering can be controlled at all times from the steering wheel, even when in a fast mode of operation.
It is another advantage of this invention that the system can be configured so that the fast mode of operation can be implemented only by first pushing a fast mode button and then turning the steering wheel.
It is a feature of this invention that the release of the push button for implementing the fast mode of operation will restore the normal mode of operation of the steering system.
It is still another advantage of this invention that the release of the push button for implementing the fast mode of operation will immediately restore the normal mode of operation of the steering system.
In is another feature of this invention that a failure of the hydraulic pump allows for an emergency steering mode of operation.
It is still another feature of this invention that a spring 41 of the change valve 40 and the depressurization of the drive conduit 79 upon failure of the hydraulic pump ensure that the manual emergency steering mode of operation can be restored to the steering system.
It is yet another feature of this invention that the fast mode of operation can only be implemented only at low vehicle speed under the control of an electronic control unit.
It is yet a further feature of this invention that the fast mode of operation can be engaged by activating a button located on the steering wheel, or at any point in the cab within easy reach of the operator.
It is yet another advantage of this invention that the fast mode of operation can be selectively and conveniently engaged.
According to the present invention, there is provided a hydraulic steering system having a fast steering mode the in which the same steering mechanism is operable to select the turning direction, the turning angle, and the speed with which said turning angle is reached.
These and other objects, features and advantages are accomplished according to the instant invention by providing a hydraulic steering system for a tractor which can be operated in a conventional steering mode or in a fast steering mode. In the conventional steering mode of operation, a conventional steering wheel and steering motor direct pressurized oil to the steerable wheels for selecting the turning direction, the turning angle, and the speed with which the turning angle is achieved. In the fast steering mode of operation, a fast-turning valve is controlled by the operator to direct oil directly to the steerable wheels, thereby by-passing the steering motor. The conventional steering wheel and steering motor continue, however, to control the steering operation as in the conventional steering mode of operation.


An apparatus for positioning the electrode assembly of a corona treater includes a rotatable cylinder to which the electrode assembly is attached. A counterweight is disposed on the cylinder substantially opposite the electrode assembly and the counterweight causes a torque equal and opposite to that created by the electrode assembly. A pneumatic piston is utilized to rotate the cylinder between its operative and threading positions.

The present invention relates to corona treaters and more specifically to an assembly for positioning the electrode assembly in the corona treater.
In the past, the electrode assembly of a corona treater has been held in position by gravity and/or a biasing spring. When the assembly was moved to a threading position, the biasing spring would be overcome and the electrode assembly would be repositioned to its treating position by the spring and/or gravity. This gravity/spring combination severely limits the positions in which the station may be mounted. For example, stations cannot be located alongside or below the web because the gravity/spring system would not maintain the electrode assembly in the proper position without modifying the assembly which adds to the cost and makes installation more complex.
It is an object of the present invention to provide an electrode assembly positioning apparatus that is completely independent of gravity and thus allows installation of the station in any position.

Electrode assembly positioning apparatus


A scanning system is provided for identifying wafers contained within a semiconductor process tool chamber. The scanning system includes bar code scanner attached to a window through the process tool chamber. The bar code scanner can read a bar code displayed on a cassette of wafers while the cassette is contained within a high vacuum, particle-free environment of the process chamber. The window is provided by forming an appeture through the chamber wall. Thereafter, a window assembly, including an interface plate, a transparent member, and a retainer are attached to the load lock chamber wall, generally in alignment with the appeture formed therein. The window assembly permits the displayed bar code to be illuminated with light generated by the scanner. Additionally, the window assembly permits the bar code assembly to detect light reflected from the displayed bar code. The scanner generates a signal as a function of the reflected light which in turn is used to access a memory to identify information relating to the wafers contained within the chamber.

1. Field of the Invention
The Present invention relates generally to the art of semiconductor manufacturing and, more particularly, to an apparatus and method for identifying wafers contained inside a process tool chamber.
2. Description of the Relevant Art
Particle contamination of wafers is a serious problem in semiconductor manufacturing. During manufacturing, unprotected wafers may be exposed to airborne particles particularly when the wafers are transported from one process tool to another. Often times, these particles land on the surface of an unprotected wafer and create shorts or other performance degrading deformities in the underlying semiconductor device. Accordingly, it becomes important to avoid exposing wafers to foreign particles.
Semiconductors are manufactured in clean room environments which employ sophisticated filter systems to remove a significant amount of airborne particle contaminates. In particular, the filter systems provide a constant air flow vertically directed from ceiling to floor. Micro filters placed at the beginning of the air flow trap minute particles before they enter the clean room. The air flow ends at the clean room floor where air is recirculated back to the ceiling and filter system. Although the filters remove a significant amount of contaminates from the clean room, particles remain which may cause wafer contamination.
Semiconductor manufacturing involves a succession of processing steps whereby silicon wafers are transformed into integrated circuits. Each process step usually involves using one of several different types of process tools, including ion implanters, etchers, etc., each of which is usually contained in the clean room. Between process steps, wafers in cassettes are physically moved from one tool to another. During transfer, the wafers are tracked to ensure that they are directed to the proper process tool for subsequent processing. Prior to the present invention, cassettes of wafers were tracked using a hand-held bar code scanner (not shown). A clean room worker typically would remove a cassette from one process tool, and physically transport a cassette to a subsequent process tool for further processing. Before loading the cassette into the subsequent processing tool, the clean room worker scans a bar code displayed on a side of the cassette which contains identification information of the wafers therein in order to verify the next processing step. Often times due to simple oversight the wrong cassette is loaded into the process tool after scanning thereby resulting in wafer misprocessing. Further, movement of the hand-held bar code scanner disrupts particles resting thereon causing them to become airborne thus creating an enhanced risk that exposed wafers will be contaminated.

Scanning system for identifying wafers in semiconductor process tool chambers


A video-enabled baby monitoring system including at least two separate units, and typically at least three separate units. The first unit is a transmitter with a camera feature which captures motion and includes microprocessors which generate a series of video signal codes which are transmitted at specific radio frequencies to a dedicated receiver unit. The transmitter unit also includes an infrared light source and a sound capture source, where the sound capture source generates sound signal codes. The second unit is a receiver unit with a display screen, a video-off button and frequently a total power off button. A third unit which provides for enhanced, convenient data transfer from the transmitter unit may be selected from a number of adaptor docking stations; or a smart phone platform; or a docking cradle with Wi Fi capability.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a video-enabled baby monitoring system which can transmit information to a variety of platforms, including, for example, intranet, internet, telephone line, and smart phone.
2. Description of the Background Art
This section describes background subject matter related to the disclosed embodiments of the present invention. There is no intention, either express or implied, that the background art discussed in this section legally constitutes prior art.
The development of wireless technology has made possible the transfer of various kinds of data rapidly, including high resolution images. The present invention makes use of this technology in combination with numerous other technologies to provide a baby monitoring system which provides advantages over other baby monitoring systems of the kind commonly known in the art.
A method and apparatus applying digital image filtering to color filter array data is described in U.S. Pat. No. 7,570,810 to Rai et al., issued Aug. 4, 2009. The invention relates to a method and graphics controller for processing an image where color filter array (CFA) data representing an image is received from a digital image capture device into a buffer, a digital filter effect is applied to the CFA data to generate filtered CFA data representing a filtered image, and the filtered image is displayed in real time on a display.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,603,080 to Richenstein et al., issued Oct. 13, 2009, describes a multiple channel wireless communication system. The invention relates to a wireless headphone device which may include a receiver for receiving a wireless digital signal containing a plurality of digital audio streams combined with control codes according to a predetermined format. A manually operated selector switch is used to select one or more of the plurality of digital audio streams to be produced as audio for the user. A decoder is used to extract the selected audio streams from the received signal in accordance with a predetermined format and for responding to the control codes in the received signal to perform predetermined functions. A wireless headphone system may include a receiver which is responsive to a transmitted digital bitstream in which a plurality of audio input channels are combined with control data, for decoding and demultiplexing the digital bitstream. A manual selector switch may be used for selecting one or more of the audio input channels to be decoded and demultiplexed by the receiver from the transmitted encoded digital bitstream. A sound producing device is used to selectively reproduce one or more selected audio channels in accordance with the control data.
While the multiple channel wireless communication described above with reference to U.S. Pat. No. 7,603,080 relates to audio streaming, it will be apparent to one of skill in the art of digital data streaming that a similar kind of system may be used to produce a wireless digital signal containing a plurality of digital image streams as well.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,822,387 to Gross, issued Oct. 26, 2010, describes a remote monitoring process. The invention is related to a remote monitoring device which is integrated as part of a cell phone or personal digital assistant. By sharing computing resources of a communications transceiver, the cost of a monitoring device is said to be significantly reduced, while still permitting sufficient functionality to effectively observe an area of interest, such as a child's sleeping area. An alert is generated and transmitted to an observer using a separate transceiver when activity at the monitored area meets a specified threshold. The activity may be related to sound or video.
A child monitor system with content data storage is described in U.S. Pat. No. 7,973,665 to Desrosiers which issued Jul. 5, 2011. The invention relates to a child monitor system which includes a child unit having a sensor to capture content, and a parent unit having a processor and a user interface communicatively coupled with the processor to reproduce the content captured by the sensor. The child unit and the parent unit are said to be configured to communicate via a wireless communication link carrying content data representative of the captured content. The system further includes a memory communicatively coupled with the child unit or the parent unit and configured for non-volatile storage of the content data.
A method, system, and computer program product for managing controlled residential or non-residential environments is described in U.S. Pat. No. 8,116,889 to Krzyzanowski et al., issued Feb. 14, 2012. The invention relates to a control server, or similar central processor which manages the distribution of data (including audio and video), voice, and control signals among a plurality of devices connected via a wired and/or wireless communications network. The devices include audio/visual devices, such as televisions, monitors, PDA's, notepads, notebooks, MP3, portable stereo, and other similar devices known in the art. The devices may be household appliances, such as lighting, ovens, and alarm clocks, for example. The control server supports video/audio serving, telephony, messaging, file sharing, internetworking, and security. A portable controller allows a user to access and control the network devices from any location within a controlled residential and/or non-residential environment, including its surrounding areas. The controllers are enhanced to support location-awareness and user-awareness functionality.
A system of managing communication network capacity is described in U.S. Pat. No. 8,135,388 to Gailloux et al., issued on Mar. 13, 2012. The invention relates to a system for managing communication network capacity, where the system includes a processor, a data store, an analysis component, and a message component. The data store stores information associated with communication metrics for customers. The analysis component, when executed by the processor, determines a mean and standard deviation for the communication metrics based on the stored information. The analysis component also determines whether the stored information associated with communication metrics for one of the customers is a predefined number of the standard deviation from the mean for more than a predefined number of days. The message component, when executed by the processor, sends a message to one of the customers in response to a determination that stored information associated with the communication metrics for one of the customers is the predefined number of the standard deviation from the mean for more than the predefined number of days. This system is designed to determine excessive usage, which is used to help determine whether customers may need a different service plan for a digital communications company, and to determine message priority within a large system, for example.
A system and method for management of a shared frequency band is described in U.S. Pat. No. 8,175,539, to Diner et al., issued May 8, 2012. The invention relates to a system, method, software and related functions for managing activity in a radio frequency band that is shared, both in frequency and time, by signals of multiple types. Signals occurring in a frequency band are detected by sampling part or the entire frequency band for time intervals. Signal pulse energy in the band is detected and is used to classify signals according to signal type. Using knowledge of the types of signals occurring in the frequency band and other spectrum activity related statistics (referred to as spectrum intelligence), actions can be taken in a device network or network of devices to avoid interfering with other signals, and in general optimize simultaneous use of the frequency band with the other signals. The spectrum intelligence may be used to suggest actions to a device user or network administrator, or to automatically invoke actions in a device or network of devices to maintain desirable performance.
The references discussed above are only a very small portion of the references which exist in the art. Applicant is providing these references because the kind of technology described in these references could be used in combination with other technology to implement portions of the elements which make up applicant's invention. Applicant hereby incorporates by reference the subject matter of all of the references discussed above, so that it is clear that applicant's description is fully enabling.

Baby monitoring system including video enhancement capability operable at various frequencies


Wired connector assembly systems and methods involve fixing a connector in an assembly station and following, by an assembler, a set of instructions indicating a set of wires and a respective set of terminal portions of the connector in which the set of wires are to be seated. A controller of the assembly station then monitors a pulling force on the connector via each seated wire to verify proper wire-terminal portion seating. After completing the set of instructions, including verifying each proper wire-terminal portion seating, the connector is released from the assembly station and a fully assembled wired connector is obtained.

Wired connectors typically comprise a connector defining a plurality of terminal portions where a plurality of respective wires are seated (i.e., physically secured to create an electrical connection). During assembly of wired connectors, an assembler typically employs a "push-click-tug" procedure where each wire is inserted by the assembler into its respective terminal portion until a click indication is observed. After observing this click indication, the assembler then tugs on the wire to ensure it can withstand a certain tension or pulling force. This assembly process typically involves the assembler following a printed diagram or some other static instruction display, which is prone to assembler misinterpretation, particularly for less experienced users. In addition, there is a large amount of variability in the tension or pulling force applied by each assembler during the tug portion of the push-click-tug method, which could result in wires that are improperly seated in the connector. As a result, a large number of wired connectors do not pass testing, leading to decreased first time quality (FTQ) metrics and increased costs to fix improperly assembled wired connectors. Accordingly, while these conventional assembly systems and methods work well for their intended purpose, an opportunity exists for improvement in the relevant art.
The background description provided herein is for the purpose of generally presenting the context of the disclosure. Work of the presently named inventors, to the extent it is described in this background section, as well as aspects of the description that may not otherwise qualify as prior art at the time of filing, are neither expressly nor impliedly admitted as prior art against the present disclosure.

Terminal un-seated tester for smart kitting of wired connectors


The disclosed computer-implemented method for tuning application network behavior may include identifying an application for a closed operating system. The closed operating system may prevent applications from implementing machine-level traffic control for network traffic. The method may include determining an expected network behavior of the application, intercepting network traffic of the application on the closed operating system, determining whether the intercepted network traffic conforms to the expected network behavior, and modifying, based on the determining whether the intercepted network traffic conforms to the expected network behavior, the network traffic. Various other methods, systems, and computer-readable media are also disclosed.

As wireless networks and other computer networks become more prevalent, computing devices can remain always connected. Mobile devices such as smartphones may always have access to mobile networks. With such connectivity, security becomes a more important consideration. Applications may become infected with malware or otherwise compromised, which may result in leaking sensitive data to unauthorized machines.
Traffic control software, such as firewalls and other similar applications which may control machine-level network traffic, may be deployed on computing devices to control or tune network traffic of each application. However, many mobile device platforms utilize closed operating systems. Closed operating systems, based on closed source code, often prevents applications from controlling machine-level network traffic. Traffic control software may not be available for closed operating systems for tuning network behavior of applications.
The instant disclosure, therefore, identifies and addresses a need for systems and methods for tuning application network behavior.

Systems and methods for tuning application network behavior


The magnetic tape recording head of the present invention is formed with magnetic poles that are comprised of a laminated NiFeN/FeN structure. The method for fabricating the magnetic poles utilizes an additive photolithographic technique including a bilayer liftoff resist. In this fabrication method magnetic pole trenches are formed in the bilayer liftoff resist such that an undercut exists in the liftoff layer. Thereafter, the laminated NiFeN/FeN structure is sputter deposited into the trench, followed by the wet chemical removal of the bilayer resist.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to magnetic tape recording head devices, and more particularly to a process for fabricating magnetic poles for such heads utilizing a bilayer photoresist where the pole pieces are fabricated utilizing a metal sputtering process to form a laminated NiFeN structure.
2. Description of the Prior Art
To improve the performance characteristics of magnetic tape recording systems, new materials for forming the shields and poles of magnetic read/write heads and new manufacturing processes are continually being developed. Such magnetic head materials must be particularly wear resistant, as compared to materials for other,magnetic heads, in that physical contact between the magnetic tape and the magnetic head occurs during the read/write process. Therefore, many magnetic shield and pole forming materials utilized in manufacturing magnetic heads for hard disk drives are not suitable for use in magnetic tape head devices because the materials lack the required wear resistance properties necessary for magnetic tape heads.
A material that is suitable for use in a magnetic tape head is a high magnetic moment laminate material consisting of alternating layers of nickel iron nitride (NiFeN), and iron nitride (FeN). This laminate material can be created utilizing an RF diode sputter deposition process, such as is described in xe2x80x9cMagnetic Properties of FeAIN Films at Elevated Temperaturesxe2x80x9d by P. Zheng, J. A. Bain, and M. H. Kryder in J. Appl. Phys. 81 (8), Apr. 15, 1997. The present invention is a magnetic head for magnetic tape systems that is composed of the NiFeN/FeN laminate material and a method for manufacturing it.
The manufacturing method of the present invention is an additive process. That is, generally, utilizing photolithographic techniques, a resist layer is formed on a substrate and holes or trenches of a desired shape are formed in the resist layer. A desired metal (or other material) layer is then deposited on top of a resist layer such that it fills the holes and trenches. Thereafter, the resist (along with the metalization layer on top of the resist) is next removed, such that the desired feature within the holes and trenches remains. This additive process is contrasted with a subtractive process which generally starts with the deposition of a metalization layer, followed by photolithographic steps which result in blocks of resist formed above areas of the metalization layer that are desired to be retained. Thereafter, the metalization layer is removed in all uncovered areas, leaving the portions of the metalization layer that are covered by the resist. The resist is then removed such that the desired metalization features remain. While the additive and subtractive processes generally described above may yield the same ultimate result, they are significantly different with regard to materials utilized, process parameters utilized and their suitability in the manufacturing of a particular device.
With regard to the NiFeN/FeN laminate metalization layers utilized in the present invention, the use of a subtractive process is generally unsuitable for manufacturing purposes because of the large quantity of NiFeN/FeN that must be removed, and particularly because the removal of the NiFeN/FeN laminate layers in a subtraction process must be accomplished utilizing a dry etching process, such as an ion beam etching process, which can result in the redeposition of removed material and significant clean up problems that result therefrom, as is well known to those skilled in the art. Wet chemical etching of the NiFeN/FeN, an alternative subtractive process, is not practical for manufacturing because the NiFeN and FeN layers etch at different rates, leaving ragged, poorly defined edges in the final patterned structure. Therefore, the present invention utilizes an additive process and, significantly, it utilizes a bilayer liftoff resist, as is generally known to those skilled in the art, which enables the removal of the NiFeN/FeN laminate utilizing a chemical solvent, thereby avoiding any redeposition problems and creating a manufacturing process that is suitable for commercial product development. Such a bilayer liftoff process is generally taught in U.S. Pat. No. 5,532,109, entitled: Azo Dyes as Adhesion Promotion Additive in Polydimethylglutarimide, issued Jul. 2, 1996 and naming as inventors Mohammad T. Krounbi, Alfred Renaldo (an inventor hereof) and Dougas Werner, and assigned to International Business Machines Corporation, the assignee hereof.
The magnetic tape recording head of the present invention is formed with magnetic poles that are comprised of a laminated NiFeN/FeN structure. The method for fabricating the magnetic poles utilizes an additive photolithographic technique including a bilayer liftoff resist. In this fabrication method magnetic pole trenches are formed in the bilayer liftoff resist such that an undercut exists in the liftoff layer. Thereafter, the NiFeN/FeN laminated structure is sputter deposited into the trench, followed by the wet chemical removal of the bilayer resist.
It is an advantage of the magnetic tape recording head of the present invention that it is fabricated with a laminated NiFeN/FeN structure.
It is another advantage of the magnetic tape recording head of the present invention that it is fabricated utilizing a bilayer photolithographic technique which reduces cleanup problems.
It is a further advantage of the fabrication method of the present invention that it utilizes photolithographic fabrication technique including a bilayer liftoff resist.
It is yet another advantage of the fabrication process of the present invention that the patterned structures of the sputter deposited NiFeN/FeN are well formed and free of distortion.
It is yet a further advantage of the fabrication process of the present invention that it utilizes an additive photoresist process including a bilayer photoresist, wherein undercuts are formed in the liftoff layer, such that clean edges of the sputter deposited NiFeN/FeN poles are formed.
These and other features and advantages of the present invention will no doubt become apparent to those skilled in the art upon review of the following detailed description which makes reference to the several figures of the drawings.

Bilayer liftoff process for high moment laminate


In a heating device, a detector detects AC voltage of the AC power source. A control device detects a zero-cross timing of the AC voltage by using the detector and generate a signal having a high level period of time, a low level period of time, a rising transition changing from a low level to a high level, and a falling transition changing from the high level to the low level. The signal is such a form that at least one of the rising transition and the falling transition is in incoincidence with the zero-cross timing. The control device controls the heating switch to perform a switching action in which the heating switch is rendered on when the zero-cross timing is detected during the high level period of time and rendered off when the zero-cross timing is detected during the low level period of time.

Conventionally, components of image-forming devices have been driven by AC power supplied from a commercial power supply. Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2012-208450 describes a technology for controlling electricity conducted to a heater by switching a conduction signal at a timing based on the detection timing for zero-cross points in the outputted AC voltage. With this type of image-forming device, it is desirable to synchronize the timing at which the conduction signal is switched with the timing at which a zero-cross point is detected in order to reduce noise and power consumption.

Heating device controlling heating switch to perform switching action based on signal


An intrusion detector for monitoring a space has a sensor for generating detection signals in response to detections of events occurring in the space and an indicator for receiving the detection signals and for generating detection indications in response thereto. A controllable switch is operably interposed between the sensor and the indicator and operates to connect or disconnect the sensor and the indicator. A switch control circuit is connected to the switch. A test trigger device is connected to the control circuit to generate an initiate-test signal to the control circuit. The control circuit is also connected to the sensor and receives and counts detection signals. The control circuit controls the operation of the switch by generating a switch control signal in response to the initiate-test signal and to the counting of detection signals.

Various security alarm devices are well known in the art. These devices sense various physical parameters in a space being monitored to detect unusual conditions indicating the presence of a potential alarm situation. There are many types of such devices, such as for example motion detectors based on detection of changes in infrared radiation patterns, motion detectors based on reflection of microwave or of ultrasonic signals transmitted into the space, vibration sensors, contact detectors, glassbreak detectors and so on. Some detectors combine different technologies into a single device.
Each of the devices in a security system is connected to communicate to an alarm panel. The panel monitors the status of all of the devices in the system and the system as a whole. When a valid alarm condition arises, the panel communicates same, usually by the public telephone system, to an outside agency such as the police or more commonly in recent years an alarm monitoring agency.
As is also well known in the art, many alarm devices, in addition to their primary sensing functions, have a tamper alarm associated with them. If a tamper sensor in the device (frequently, a tamper switch held in a normal position) is disturbed, the device reports an alarm condition to the panel.
It is desirable to test the proper operation of an alarm device when it is initially installed and, thereafter, on a regular basis.
Some alarm devices, e.g. passive infrared (PIR) motion detectors and microwave motion detectors, are quite directional in their coverage. A PIR detector, in particular, defines via its lens and sensor sub-systems a very specific coverage pattern in which there are multiple zones. Consequently, when detectors of this kind are installed, they should be properly aligned to provide the proper coverage in the premises to be protected. Subsequently, after installation, their continued proper alignment should be periodically checked.
The testing and checking of an alarm device is frequently done by means of a walk-test. To perform a walk-test, for example on a PIR motion detector, the person doing the test carefully walks through the space intended to be monitored by the detector. As he walks through the space, he watches for a detection response from the detector. Usually, the detector is provided with a small lamp, such as an LED, which lights when a detection has been sensed. In this manner, the person can assess whether the detector is identifying movement in the proper physical space where it is desired to detect such movement. If necessary, the detector can be adjusted or replaced to provide the correct coverage. As will be appreciated, a proper walk-test should be done carefully.
In a conventional hard-wired system, namely a system in which the various alarm devices draw their power from either the AC power lines or from a central power source, conserving energy at the device typically is not a primary consideration. Accordingly, in such systems, the walk-test indicator lamp can be permanently enabled, such that even when no specific walk-test is being done the walk-test lamp will light when a detection occurs. This means that, for example in an office setting, during the day as people walk by the detector, the walk-test lamp would be constantly turning on and off.
Such continuous detection activity would, however, represent an unnecessary energy drain on a battery-powered, wireless detection device. Accordingly, it is desirable in a wireless device to have all circuits active only when it is necessary for them to be active. This means enabling them and disabling them under the appropriate conditions or at the appropriate times. Thus, a walk-test circuit or lamp should only be enabled or engaged when it is necessary to perform a walk-test.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,499,012 discloses such a system in which operation of a tamper switch triggers enablement of the walk-test circuit and also operation of a timer. When a predetermined time is reached, the walk-test circuit is disabled. In other words, a limited period of time is available during which a walk-test can be performed. At the end of the pre-determined period, the ability to continue with a walk-test is terminated. To operate the tamper switch in the first place, it is usually necessary for the user to climb up (on a ladder, chair or the like) to reach the device because typically the alarm devices are often placed up high where they are not easily or accidentally disturbed.
The design disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,499,012 can however be problematic. If the walk-test period is set too short and a walk-test has not been concluded when the timer times out, the user may simply not proceed further with the test because he would have to climb-up to the sensor a second time, operate the tamper switch again, and then proceed with the test, all of which may be inconvenient. The result would be an incomplete and unreliable test. Even if the user makes the effort to climb-up and operate the tamper switch again, in a second test, the positioning of the detector may have been disturbed or changed by the second operation of the tamper switch with the result that the second test may not quite match up or be aligned with the partial and incomplete first test. The continuity, reliability and thus results of the walk-test may therefore be suspect. Alternatively, if the user knows in advance that there is insufficient time for conducting a complete and careful proper walk-test, then he may be encouraged to perform the walk-test quickly with less precision and care than would be desired. The result in all such cases would be that the test may not be reliable.
On the other hand, if the walk-test period is set too long, then there may be many more detections than is necessary (for example, after the walk-test per se has been concluded, other people walk by the detector causing detections to be annunciated on the walk-test lamp) with attendant unnecessary energy drain on the battery.
In addition to the above, it will be appreciated, that different people will take different amounts of time to conduct a proper walk-test according to their personal preferences. As a result, it can be difficult or impossible to set a single pre-determined time which would be satisfactory to all users.

Test indicator control circuit for security alarm device


The present disclosure pertains to an image sensor, including: a first photosensitive layer (2) for sensing blue light; a second photosensitive layer (3) for sensing green light; a third photosensitive layer (4) for sensing red light; and a fourth photosensitive layer (5) for sensing infrared light, wherein the first, second, third and fourth photosensitive layer are stacked on each other and each comprise a Perovskite material.

Generally, image sensors are known, which are typically semiconductor devices that convert an optical image (i.e. incident (image) light) into an electric signal. Known examples of image sensors include i.a. a charge coupled device (CCD) and a complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor (CMOS) image sensor.
Furthermore, active-pixel sensors (APS) are known which, generally, are implemented as an image sensor including an integrated circuit containing an array of pixel sensors, wherein each pixel, for example, contains a photodetector and an active amplifier.
Typically, CMOS sensors are less expensive than CCD sensors, but, generally it is known that the active circuitry in CMOS pixels occupies an area on the surface which is not light-sensitive and which reduces the quantum efficiency of the device, and thus also reduces the fill factor. It is known to address this issue by using backside illumination sensors.
For current conventional 3D integrated CMOS image sensors it is known to have a backside illumination structure which has a photo diode unit including photo diodes formed therein, and transfer gate transistors, which accordingly correspond to the photo diodes, a wiring line unit having transistors for signal processing and controlling, a color filter array (CFA), and a micro-lens array.
For achieving wavelength separation, a color filter array (CFA) may be employed, where RGB color filters are arranged on a square grid of sensor.
For a fixed number of pixels, it is generally known that the cost per image sensor may decrease by shrinking the pixel dimensions. However, the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) and dynamic range of image sensors with small pixels may become limited. For this reason it is known that high performance image sensors have larger pixels, e.g. in the order of tens of micrometers in one dimension, while inexpensive and low performance imagers may have pixel dimensions of, e.g., approximately one micrometer.
In order to keep the image sensor resolution, one approach is to replace the color filter array. Another approach is to replace the photoactive material silicon, since silicon has a poor absorption coefficient.
Although there exist techniques for color filtering, it is generally desirable to provide an image sensor and an electronic device having a color filtering capability.


Disclosed is a fullerene derivative represented by the following formula (1):

1. Field of the Invention
An aspect of the present invention relates to at least one of a fullerene derivative and a method for manufacturing a fullerene derivative.
2. Description of the Related Art
A fullerene discovered in 1985 is a third allotrope of carbon wherein 60 or more carbon atoms are bonded spherically. Attention is being paid to a fullerene represented by C60 or C70 as a new functional material for an electronic component, a drug, a cosmetic, or the like, due to its specific molecular shape.
For a method for synthesizing a fullerene, an arc discharge method, a resistance heating method, a laser evaporation method, a combustion method, a thermal decomposition method, and the like have been known, and soot that contains a fullerene is produced in any of the above manufacturing methods. A fullerene soluble in an organic solvent, such as C60, C70, C76, C78, C82, or C84 is obtained by subjecting such soot to extraction with an organic solvent. Furthermore, it is possible to modify such a fullerene chemically to improve its solubility in an organic solvent or water.
One of promising applications of a fullerene is an organic photoelectric conversion element, such as an organic thin film solar cell or an organic photosensor, and in particular, an organic thin film that is formed in a coating process is actively being studied and developed because it is expected that its production cost is low. [6,6]-phenyl-C61-butyric acid methyl ester (that may be referred to as "[60]PCBM" below) is a representative electron acceptor material soluble in an organic solvent and is frequently used for such applications.
However, in a case where [60]PCBM is combined with an electron donor material such as poly(3-hexylthiophene) to fabricate an organic thin film solar cell, there are problems that it is not possible to provide a sufficiently high open circuit voltage (Voc) because a LUMO level of [60]PCBM is comparatively low and it is not possible to provide a sufficiently high value of short circuit current (Jsc) because a molar absorption coefficient of [60]PCBM in a visible light region is comparatively small.
In recent years, attention is being paid to a fullerene derivative with a substituent introduced at 1,4-positions of a fullerene backbone (that may be referred to as a "1,4-adduct") as a fullerene derivative capable of solving such problems. In general, a 1,4-adduct is such that extension of a π-electron system on a fullerene backbone is smaller than that of a 1,2-adduct such as [60]PCBM and accordingly its LUMO level is comparatively high, so that it is possible to expect an increase in its open circuit voltage (Voc). Furthermore, a 1,4-adduct has a characteristic absorption peak near 450 nm in a visible light region, so that it is also possible to expect an increase in a short circuit current (Jsc).
In general, as an alkyl group is introduced to a fullerene backbone, its solubility in an organic solvent is improved to increase its compatibility to a coating process. However, an alkyl group is consequently disadvantageous for controlling a LUMO level of a fullerene derivative, because it is difficult to provide a considerable influence on an electronic state of a fullerene backbone. On the other hand, as an aryl group is directly introduced to a fullerene backbone, it is possible to control a LUMO level of a fullerene derivative comparatively easily because it is possible for an electronic state of an aryl group to provide a significant influence on an electronic state of a fullerene backbone although an effect of improving its solubility in an organic solvent is small due to its rigidity. Hence, it is possible to expect that a 1,4-adduct substituted with an alkyl group and an aryl group at a 1-position and a 4-position of a fullerene backbone respectively is a fullerene derivative material with a high solubility and a facilitated control of an electronic state and is excellent as an acceptor material for a photoelectric conversion element, but a practical example of synthesizing such a material is limited.
In Y. Matsuo et al., Chem. Asian J. 8, 121-128 (2013), a fullerene derivative substituted with an aryl group and a silylmethyl group at a 1-position and a 4-position of C60 respectively is synthesized. A synthesis method in Y. Matsuo et al., Chem. Asian J. 8, 121-128 (2013) is a method such that C60 is first reacted with an aryl Grignard reagent, subsequently treated with water to obtain a hydroarylated body as an intermediate and further with a strong alkali to eliminate a hydrogen atom therefrom and thereby produce a fullerene anion, and it is reacted with an alkyl halide group to obtain a target substance. However, this method has a problem that the kind of a substituent capable of being introduced to an alkyl group or an aryl group is limited because a Grignard reagent, a strong alkali, and the like are used. In Y. Matsuo et al., Chem. Asian J. 8, 121-128 (2013), only a fullerene derivative having a substituent could be synthesized wherein the substituent is an alkoxy group, an alkylamino group, an alkyl halide group, or a silyl group.
On the other hand, it becomes clear that a phase separation structure of a current mainstream bulk-hetero-junction-type photoelectric conversion element influences a performance of the element. For a factor influencing a phase separation structure, it is possible to provide a solubility of a material to be used, a compatibility among materials, a solvent to be used for coating, a thermal annealing condition, or the like, and a substituent on a fullerene derivative is important because a solubility or a compatibility with a donor material is significantly influenced thereby. For a representative example of a substituent of a fullerene derivative for influencing a characteristic of a photoelectric conversion element, it is possible to provide an ester structure (an oxycarbonyl group or a carbonyloxy group) for [60]PCBM. K. Moriwaki at al., Tetrahedron 66, 7316-7321 (2010) describes that solubilities of fullerene derivatives with no ester structure, similar to [60]PCBM, in an organic solvent are lower than that of [60]PCBM and characteristics of photoelectric conversion elements using these derivatives are different from one another, and accordingly, suggests that presence or absence of an ester structure in a fullerene derivative influences a phase separation structure for a bulk hetero-junction structure. As described above, a fullerene derivative with an introduced substituent that contains an ester structure is important for controlling a phase separation structure for a bulk hetero-junction structure.
However, as described above, it is not possible for a synthesis method described in Y. Matsuo et al., Chem. Asian J. 8, 121-128 (2013) to synthesize a fullerene derivative having a highly reactive substituent that contains an ester structure. That is, it has not been possible to realize synthesis of a 1,4-adduct that is substituted with an alkyl group for ensuring a solubility in an organic solvent and an aryl group for facilitating a control of a LUMO level and further contains an ester structure in a portion of those groups to control a phase separation structure appropriately.

Fullerene derivative and method for manufacturing a fullerene derivative

Abstract: wherein FLN is a fullerene backbone, R1 is a substituted or non-substituted alkyl group with a carbon number less than or equal to 24, and Ar1 is a substituted or non-substituted aryl group with a carbon number less than or equal to 24.


A display uses a projector to project an image onto a holographic diffuser. The holographic diffuser scatters light of the projected image to at least one holographic element having optical power, which forms an image in angular domain for a direct observation by a user. The holographic diffuser and the holographic optical element, such as a freeform lens or a reflector, may be disposed on a transparent substrate in which the image light propagates. The architecture that immerses a display (HOE diffuser) and the eyepiece lens into the substrate may reduce the form factor of the system compared to the VR headset architecture, while being suitable for operation in AR configuration.

Head mounted displays (HMD), helmet mounted displays, near-eye displays (NED), and the like are being used for displaying virtual reality (VR) content, augmented reality (AR) content, mixed reality (MR) content, etc. Such displays are finding applications in diverse fields including entertainment, education, training and science, to name just a few examples. The displayed VR/AR/MR content can be three-dimensional (3D) to enhance the experience and to match virtual objects to real objects observed by the user. Many new applications in areas where visual information presentation is required become possible.
To provide better optical performance, HMD systems and modules may include a large number of components such as lenses, waveguides, display panels, gratings, miniature light sources, etc. Because a display of an HMD or NED is usually worn on the head of a user, a large, bulky, unbalanced, and/or heavy display device would be cumbersome and may be uncomfortable for the user to wear. Compact, lightweight, and efficient head-mounted display devices and modules are therefore desirable. It is further desirable to retain wide field of view and large eyebox size of a compact display system.


A tool case has a lid and a base, and a panel arranged therebetween. Various structures are used to trap or otherwise retain tools, tool items or other stored items, such that they cannot accidentally fall out of their “home” positions, but such that they are readily removable by the user when desired. Such structures include, for example, retractable stops, depressions beneath stored items, weight-biased pivoting of holders, spring biasing of holders, trapping of items by the lid or by other item holders within the case, and various clip arrangements. Preferably the lid is transparent, and the tools or other items are arranged by height in step-wise fashion, the panel being stepped accordingly, to maximize visibility.

This invention relates to tool cases, particularly those which hold a variety of items, and particularly to features which provide easy access to those items.
It is common to store tools, tool bits, drill bits or other items in tool cases, usually by some sort of snap-in arrangement or similar. Because the stored items generally must be somehow secured so that they do not accidentally move around within the case or fall out of the case when the case is opened, the stored items are often difficult to remove.

Tool cases with easy removal of stored items


Embodiments are disclosed for disabling/re-enabling head tracking for spatial audio applications. In an embodiment, a method comprises: obtaining, using one or more processors of an auxiliary device worn by a user, motion data; tracking, using the one or more processors, the user's head based at least in part on the motion data; determining, using the one or more processors, whether or not the user is walking based at least in part on the motion data; in accordance with determining that the user is walking, determining if a source device configured to deliver spatial audio to the auxiliary device is static for a specified period of time; and in accordance with determining that the user is walking and the source device is static for the specified period of time, disabling the head tracking.

Spatial audio creates a three-dimensional (3D) virtual auditory space that allows a user wearing a headset to pinpoint where a sound source is located in the 3D virtual auditory space, while watching a movie, playing a video game or interacting with augmented reality (AR) content on a source device (e.g., a computer screen). Existing spatial audio platforms include a head tracker that uses a video camera to track the head of a user and provide the user a visual anchor to the source device. If the source device is a mobile device (e.g., smartphone, tablet computer), then the source device and the headset are free to move relative to each other, which may adversely impact the user's perception of the 3D spatial audio. In some scenarios, the user may become temporarily distracted and walk away from the source device causing the user to lose their visual anchor to the source device.

Disabling/re-enabling head tracking for distracted user of spatial audio application