A method for synchronizing a service clock at a destination node with a service clock at a source node is provided. The method includes receiving data packets from a source node at at least one port of the destination node. At the destination node, the method determines control values for a numerically controlled oscillator for a plurality of time periods. The method selectively uses the control values to set the frequency of a service clock at the destination node for use in receiving data packets.

Asynchronous Transfer Mode (ATM) is a packet oriented technology which permits continuous bit rate signals carrying one or more of voice, video, and data, to be conveyed across a broadband network within packets. ATM is suitable for the transport of bursty traffic such as data, as well as accommodating constant or continuous bit rate signals. In delivering continuous bit rate traffic (e.g., T1, DS3 signals) in a broadband network, a service clock controlling a destination node buffer must operate at a frequency precisely matched to that of a service clock at a source node in order to avoid buffer overflow or underflow and resulting loss of data.
One problem with synchronizing the service clock at the destination node with the service clock at the source node is "cell jitter" that is inherent in the use of an ATM network. Cell jitter is the random delay and aperiodic arrival of cells at a destination node. In other words, cell jitter means that all of the cells or packets that travel between a source node and a destination node do not take the same amount of time to travel through the ATM network. Thus, it is difficult to use the cell arrival times to directly synchronize the frequency of the service clock at the destination node with the service clock at the source node.
Numerous schemes have been proposed to provide a mechanism for synchronizing the service clocks of source and destination nodes in the presence of cell jitter. This is also referred to as "service clock recovery." Descriptions of many of these schemes are provided in Fleischer et al. U.S. Pat. No. 5,260,978 (the '978 Patent). The '978 Patent incorporated by reference. Perhaps the most elegant and widely accepted of the service clock recovery schemes is known as synchronous residual time stamp (SRTS or RTS) encoding. SRTS encoding is specified, for example, in T1.630, Annex A for delivering T1 service over an ATM network.
The '978 Patent describes one embodiment of SRTS encoding. A free running four bit counter is used at the source node to count cycles of a common network clock. At the end of every residual time stamp (RTS) time period formed by 3008 service clock cycles (i.e., eight cells of forty-seven bytes of data each), the current four bit count of the four bit counter is transmitted in the ATM adaptation layer (AAL1) by using one bit in every other byte of the AAL1 for eight cells. It should be noted that the AAL1 is the overhead byte which accompanies the forty-seven bytes of data to constitute the forty-eight-byte payload of an ATM cell. The ATM cell also includes five additional bytes of header. The four-bit SRTS provides sufficient information for unambiguously representing the number of network clock cycles within a predetermined range.
The clock recovery at the destination node according to the '978 Patent involves determining from the received RTSs the number of network clock cycles in each RTS period, and generating a pulse signal from the network clock in which the periods are determined by the number of network clocks represented by the received RTSs . The pulse frequency is then multiplied by 3008 in order to recover the source node service clock.
While the clock recovery mechanism of the '978 Patent might be suitable for recovering the source node service clock, it is neither the only recovery mechanism possible, nor necessarily the most optimal mechanism for recovering the source node service clock.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,608,731, entitled Closed Loop Clock Recovery for Synchronous Residual Time Stamp (the '731 Patent) describes another service clock recovery technique using SRTS. The '731 Patent describes an apparatus with a digitally controlled oscillator at the destination node. A local RTS-related value is generated at the destination node based on the output of the digitally controlled oscillator. RTS values from incoming data packets are compared to the local RTS-related values generated at the destination node. This provides a feedback error or control signal. The control signal is used to adjust the digitally controlled oscillator at the destination node. With the feedback loop as provided, when the destination node clock is faster than the source clock, the error signal will cause the destination node clock to slow, and vice versa. Unfortunately, the complex circuitry used in this closed loop must be replicated for each port at the destination node. Further, this closed loop solution suffers from problems common to closed loop control circuits.
For the reasons stated above, and for other reasons stated below which will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon reading and understanding the present specification, there is a need in the art for an improved circuit and method for service clock recovery.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Circuit and method for service clock recovery


A detachable metal binder designed to be detached from a file when needed by a user and a file having this detachable metal binder. A detachable metal binder in which a bottom plate (20a) is mounted on a spine (10a) of a cover (10) by means of a connecting pin (14) comprises restricting means (24) provided in each corner of the bottom plate (20a), the restricting means comprising a locking hole portion (24b) for locking a clamping portion (14c) of the connecting pin (14), a passing-through hole (24c) through which the clamping portion (14c) is allowed to pass, and a guiding opening (24a) for establishing a communication between the passing-through hole (24c) and the locking hole and allowing the movement of a shaft portion (14b) of the connecting pin (14) that connects an extended diameter head portion (14a) and the clamping portion (14c) thereof. A file comprising a cover (10) and a metal binder adapted to be mounted on a spine (10a) of the cover (10) in which the afore-mentioned restricting means (24) is provided in each corner of the bottom plate (20a) and in which a restriction opening (15) that allows the clamping portion (14c) of the connecting pin (14) to pass therethrough is formed in the spine (10a) at positions corresponding to the restricting means (24).

Generally, a file with a metal binder, as shown in FIG. 6, is comprised of a cover (10) and a metal binder (20), in which a bottom plate (20a) of the metal binder (20) is mounted on a spine (10a) of the cover (10). In FIG. 6, the referenced symbol, 10b indicates a front cover or a back cover of the cover (10), and the referenced symbol, 20b indicates a side plate of the metal binder (20), respectively.
In this type of file, both of the cover and the metal binder are made firmly and connected fixedly each other through a connection pin such as a rivet, and it is well-known that this kind of file is broadly used as a file of relatively large capacity.
The conventional file with the metal binder involves, however, the following problems.
Namely, in the conventional file, the cover and the metal binder are made firmly and connected fixedly, but the "fixed connection" has difficulty in a recycling of natural resources for separating (or assorted collection) a file (disposal) into a cover (paper) and a metal binder (metal). Accordingly, the conventional file has been required to be separated into the cover and the metal binder when desired by a user.
The purpose of the present invention is to provide a detachable metal binder designed to be detached from a file when needed by a user, and a file with the detachable metal binder.

Detachable metal binder and file with the detachable metal binder


A system and method to perform automatic phase reversal detection are described. The system includes a first subsystem and a second subsystem configured to be synchronized with the first subsystem. A controller is configured to receive a first input from the first subsystem or the second subsystem and a second input from the first subsystem or the second subsystem and perform phase reversal detection based on the first input and the second input.

The subject matter disclosed herein relates to synchronizing two power supplies by matching their electrical parameters.
In a power plant, for example, the generator must be synchronized with the electrical grid before operating breakers to physically connect the generator to the grid. Specifically, four parameters—voltage, frequency, phase difference, and phase sequence—must match between the two sides for successful synchronization. The controller making a determination of when to close the breaker to connect the generator to the grid will see a mismatch when the potential transformers on the generator side and the potential transformer on the grid side are not wired consistently at the controller. Because the controller assumes that the wiring is correct, any mismatch will lead the controller to instruct the turbine governor to increase the speed in order to bring the phase difference to zero. Thus, when a phase difference is the result of wiring error rather than a mismatch of parameters, the controller can cause severe damage to plant systems including the generator, breaker, and transformer.

System and method to perform automatic phase reversal detection


A multichannel optical spectrum slicer is able to convert a broad-band continuous spectral light into discontinuous multiple wavelength lights.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention concerns a multichannel optical spectrum slicer for outputting discontinuous multichannel lights of different wavelengths or multiple wavelength lights from a broad band continuous spectrum source having a wavelength region of a predetermined range, which is suitable as a light source for inspection and evaluation of optical parts, devices and systems in the wavelength division multiplexer for use in optical communications systems.
2. Statement of the Related Art
In optical communication using optical fibers as signal transmission lines, TDM(time division multiplexing) transmission has been conducted so far with an aim of higher bit-rate transmission of a great amount of information and, recently, WDM(wavelength division multiplexing) transmission has been noted for transmitting a further great amount of information along with popularization of internets.
The WDM transmission is a mode for multiplex transmission of a plurality of light signals of different wavelengths by way of a single optical fiber. Optical signals from light sources of different wavelength are synthesized by an optical multiplexer into a single optical fiber on the transmission side, while an optical signal from the optical fiber is separated on every wavelength by an optical demultiplexer and convert the same into electric signals by a photoreceiving device on the receiving side.
In this constitution, a plurality of signals independent of each other can be transmitted by using a single optical fiber, to provide advantages capable of bilateral transmission, transmitting different kinds of signals such as analog signals and digital signals simultaneously, and transmitting signals at high speed and of large capacity while dividing them into channels each at low speed and of small capacity.
By the way, for conducting the WDM transmission, a light source device for outputting light at a predetermined wave length has been obtained mainly by controlling the wavelength of a laser light source or transmitting a light outputted from an light emission diode through an interference filter to selectively take out a light at a desired wavelength.
However, since any of the light sources described above can output only the light at a single wavelength, when a plurality of lights of different wavelengths are intended to be multiplexed, light sources are required by the number of channels, to increases the cost.
In the WDM transmission, it is desirable to increase the density by setting the wavelength spacing between each of transmission lights to 1 nm or less (typically 50 and 100 GHz by frequency spacing).
However, even when the laser light sources are used by the number corresponding to the number of channels, it is practically difficult to control the wavelength of each laser light at a high accuracy and output discontinuous multiple wavelength lights with a spacing of 1 nm or less between each of adjacent lights.
Further, since the interference filter for use in high DWDM(dense wavelength division multiplexing) transmission has a multi-layered structure of 50 to 100 layers, it is extremely difficult to design and manufacture the filter such that discontinuous multiple wavelength lights can be outputted with the wavelength spacing of 1 nm or less between each of adjacent lights by controlling the thickness for each of the layers.
Furthermore, in the WDM transmission, it is important that spectrums of multiple wavelength lights do not overlap with each other in a state where the lights of different wavelengths are synthesized or separated such that lights of wavelengths adjacent with each other cause no cross-talk.
As another subject, since lights of various wavelengths transmit through optical parts, devices and systems in the WDM optical communication, it is necessary to previously recognize the optical characteristics of them to all of such wavelengths and this may be confirmed by entering discontinuous multiple wavelength lights having a desired wavelength spacing to the optical parts, devices and systems and detecting the characteristic of emission light.
In view of the above, it is a first technical subject of the present invention to provide a multichannel optical spectrum slicer capable of outputting discontinuous multiple wavelength lights having a desired wavelength spacing from a broad band continuous spectral source in a simple structure and at a reduced cost without using special light sources or filters.
A second object of the present invention is to enable easy measurement for modal birefringence and/or polarization mode dispersion of a birefringent device used for such channel optical spectrum slicer.
For solving the subject, the present invention provides a multichannel optical spectrum slicer for converting a light incident from a broad band continuous spectrum light source having an optional wavelength region into discontinuous multiple wavelength lights, and outputting the same, comprising:
a birefringent device such as a birefringent single-mode optical fiber or uniaxial single crystal member having two polarization axes each orthogonal to an optical axis (z) and
linear polarizers disposed at the light incident end and the light emission end of the birefringent device with the direction of polarization being inclined by about 45xc2x0 relative to each of polarization axes.
According to the invention, when a broad band continuous spectral source having an optical wavelength region transmits the linear polarizer on the incident side, it is converted into linearly polarized lights each in 45xc2x0 direction and entered to the birefringent device to form a light polarized along axis x (x-polarized light) and a light polarized along axis y (y-polarized light) each transmitting along the optical axis, in which the light intensity is identical between both of the polarized light components.
Since the refractive indexes nx and ny of the birefringent device are different with respect to the two polarization axes, a difference in the velocity is caused between the x-polarized light and the y-polarized light to form a phase difference at the emission end.
Accordingly, when the lights transmit the linear polarizer on the emission side, 45xc2x0 components of the x-polarized light and the y-polarized light are synthesized, and the identical spectral components interfere with each other, so that a comb type spectrum of the discontinuous multiple wavelength light is observed in the spectral region by wavelength scanning of the emission light by a spectral analyzer or the like.
Modal birefringence xcex94n=nxxe2x88x92ny of the birefringent device can be determined by the following equation, assuming the frequency spacing between adjacent spectrums of the observed discontinuous multiple wavelength lights as vp and the known length of the birefringent device as L0:
xcex94n(v)=c/{vp(v)xc2x7L0}
Further, the polarization mode dispersion PMD of the birefringent device can be determined correctively by using the modal birefringence xcex94n as:                               PMD          =                                    ⅆ              Δβ                        /                          ⅆ              ω                                                                    =                                    Δ                                            xe2x80x83                                                                            n                                                        (                    v                    )                                                  /                c                                      +                                          (                                  v                  /                  c                                )                                                          {                                                      ⅆ                    Δ                                                                          xe2x80x83                                                                                n                                                                    (                        v                        )                                                              /                                          ⅆ                      v                                                                      }                                                              Δβ    =          2                    xe2x80x83                  π                    xe2x80x83                          v        ·        Δ                          xe2x80x83                                    n                                (            v            )                          /        c                  ω    =          2                    xe2x80x83                  π                    xe2x80x83                  v
Then, discontinuous multiple wavelength lights with a predetermined frequency spacing vp can be outputted by using a birefringent device made of the identical material and setting the length L=c/(xcex94nxc2x7vp), based on the thus determined modal birefringence xcex94n.

Multichannel optical spectrum slicer and method of measuring modal birefringence and/or polarization mode dispersion of slicer itself

Abstract: This spectrum silcer comprise a birefringent device (F1) and linear polarizers (P0, P1). A birefringent device (F1) such as a birefringent single-mode optical fiber or uniaxial single crystal has two polarization axes (x, y) each orthogonal to an optical axis (z). Linear polarizers (P0, P1) are disposed at the input and the output ends of the birefringent device (F1) with the direction of polarization (A) being inclined by about 45xc2x0 relative to each of the polarization axes (x, y).

Abstract: Further, when birefringence devices (F1, F2) are disposed in plurality between each polarizer (P0-P2), the spectrum separation is enhanced more.


An apparatus is provided for determining thickness and thermal conductivity for an insulative coating disposed on a substrate in an object. The apparatus includes a source for rapidly applying a multiple optical pulses on a surface of the object, where the surface comprises the insulative coating. The system further includes a recording system configured to collect data representative of the propagation of the optical pulses in the object. The apparatus further includes a processor coupled to the recording system and configured to receive the data from the recording system and configured to determine a thickness value and a thermal conductivity value for the insulative coating.

The present invention in accordance with certain embodiments, relates to a nondestructive testing technique for determining thickness, as well as conductivity of an insulative coating. More particularly, the present invention provides a high-speed infrared transient thermography method and apparatus for measuring thickness and conductivity for an insulative coating.
Over the years, various nondestructive ultrasonic measurement techniques have been utilized to determine the cross-sectional thickness of cast metal or other solid objects. Unfortunately, conducting ultrasonic measurements to examine the cross-sectional thickness generally necessitates a cumbersome and time-consuming mechanical scanning of the entire surface with a transducer. In addition, to facilitate intimate sonic contact between the transducer and the object surface to provide proper propagation of ultrasonic waves into the object, a stream of liquid couplant must be applied to the surface, or, alternatively, total immersion of the object in the couplant must be accommodated. Such accommodations, however, are not practical or even feasible for numerous structural and material reasons. Moreover, ultrasonic systems capable of scanning and analyzing geometrically complex parts are typically very expensive and complicated. In addition, a mechanical scanning of the transducer over the surface of a large object can be a time consuming process, increasing costs and production times.
In contrast, infrared (IR) transient thermography is a somewhat more versatile nondestructive testing technique that relies upon temporal measurements of heat transference through an object to provide information concerning the structure and integrity of the object. Heat flow through an object is substantially unaffected by the micro-structure and the single-crystal orientations of the material of the object, therefore, an infrared transient thermography analysis is essentially free of the limitations this creates for ultrasonic measurements. Additionally, transient thermographic analysis approach is not significantly hampered by the size, contour or shape of the object being tested and, moreover, can be accomplished ten to one-hundred times faster than most conventional ultrasonic methods, particularly when testing objects with large surface areas.
Conventionally, an infrared (IR) video camera has been used to record and store successive thermal images (frames) of an object surface after heating it. Each video image is composed of a fixed number of pixels, each pixel representing a small picture element in an image array or frame. Each pixel corresponds to a rectangular area, called a resolution element, on the surface of the object being imaged. Because, the temperature at each resolution element is directly related to the intensity of the corresponding pixel, temperature changes at each resolution element on the object surface can be analyzed in terms of changes in pixel contrast.
One known contemporary application of transient thermography is the ability to determine the size and relative location (depth) of flaws within solid non-metal composites; another application of transient thermography is for determining the thickness of metal objects. Some attempts have been recently made to measure the thickness of insulative coating as well. These include modeling techniques where the insulative coating thickness may be obtained by fitting the coating data to a model and comparing it with known thickness standards. Unfortunately, these techniques include point-by-point measurement of the coating thickness, and therefore take time and are complex computationally. Another aspect to thickness measurement for insulative coatings is that as the coating ages the thermal conductivity of the coating changes and affects the thickness of the coating. Therefore, there is also a need for determining the thermal conductivity as well for the insulative coating for accurate thickness measurement.
Therefore, there is a need for a technique that can measure quantitatively, the absolute thickness for insulative coating without using the thickness standards.

Method and apparatus for nondestructive evaluation of insulative coating


A rotor shaft sealing method for an oil-free rotary compressor is provided, with which occurrence of lubrication oil intrusion into the compression chamber of the compressor which is liable to occur when negative pressure is produced in the compression chamber, is prevented. With a rotor shaft sealing structure composed such that two shaft seal means are provided in the rotor casing between the oil lubricated bearing and the compression chamber such that an annular airspace is formed between the two shaft seal means, at least one communicating hole is provided to communicate the annular airspace to the outside of the rotor casing, and the annular airspace of the male rotor shaft sealing part and the annular airspace of the female rotor shaft sealing part are connected by a between-rotor shaft communication passage, pressurized air is supplied to the annular airspaces by which lubrication oil intrusion into the compression chamber is prevented.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a rotor shaft sealing method and structure of an oil-free rotary compressor such as a tooth type rotary compressor, whose sealing structure can prevent lubrication oil of the drive mechanism of the rotor from leaking into the compression chamber of the compressor even when the pressure of the compression chamber becomes lower than atmospheric pressure, which occurs under some operation condition of the compressor.
2. Description of the Related Art
Generally, a tooth type rotary compressor consists of two rotors, a male rotor and a female rotor, each having claw-like teeth, or lobes. The rotors turn in opposite directions without contact to each other to compress gas trapped in the compression pockets formed between the lobes and inner surface of a compressor casing as the rotors rotate. As the rotors do not contact with each other and with the inner surface of the compressor casing, the rotors do not wear and have a long life. Further, lubrication of the rotors is not needed because of non-contact engagement of the rotors, and clean compressed gas not contaminated with lubricant can be obtained. Compression ratio obtained by this type of compressor is relatively low, and required high compression ratio is obtained with high efficiency in many cases by composing a two-stage compressor unit comprised of a lower pressure stage compressor and a higher pressure stage compressor connected in series and driven separately. Working of the tooth type compressor will be explained hereunder referring to FIG. 6a to FIG. 6d
In FIG. 6a, a male rotor 02 having claw-like lobes engages with a female rotor 03 having claw-like lobes with very tight clearances in a compressor housing 01. Gas g to be compressed is sucked from a suction opening 04 into the compressing chamber as the rotors 02 and 03 rotate in directions indicated by arrows. In FIG. 6b, the suction opening 04 is closed by the rotors 02, 03, and the sucked gas g is confined in a pocket surrounding the lobes of the female rotor 03 and in a pocket surrounding the lobes of the male rotor 02. The rotors convey the gases confined, or trapped in the pockets from the suction side to the pressure side as shown in FIG. 6c, where the pockets are communicated and the volume of the sum of the two pockets reduces as the rotors rotate and the gases are compressed until the female rotor 03 uncovers the discharge port 05. In FIG. 6d, the discharge port 05 is uncovered by the female rotor 03 and the compressed gas c between the rotors is discharged through the discharge port 05.
It is necessary requirement for an oil-free rotary compressor such as an oil-free tooth type compressor that lubrication oil for lubricating rotor shaft bearings is prevented from leaking into the compression chamber of the compressor in order to supply clean compressed gas not containing the lubrication oil. Positive pressure is produced in the compression chamber in load operation of the compressor, but when the compressor is operated under no load, pressure in the compression chamber becomes negative, for the upstream side of the suction port of the compressor is shut by a suction closing mechanism. When pressure in the compression chamber becomes negative, intrusion of lubrication oil supplied to the rotor bearing into the compression chamber through the shaft seal may occur.
Rotor shaft sealing structure of a screw compressor type supercharger is disclosed in Japanese Laid-Open Utility Model Application No. 3-110138 (hereinafter "JP 3-110138"). The sealing structure is composed such that a lip seal (contact seal) and a non-contact seal are located between rotor shaft bearing and the compression chamber, an airspace is formed between both the seals, a communicating passage is provided to allow the airspace to communicate with outside air, and a check valve is provided in the communicating passage to allow outside air to be sucked into the airspace when negative pressure is produced in the airspace.
With the above-described construction, pressure difference between the compression chamber and the airspace is reduced through the non-contact seal having fin-like annular protrusions such as a labyrinth seal. When pressure in the compression chamber is positive, higher than atmospheric pressure, escaping of the positive pressure air in the compression chamber passing through the communicating passage is prevented by the check valve closed by positive pressure in the communicating passage, and when pressure in the compression chamber is negative, the check valve is opened by negative pressure in the communicating passage and outside air is sucked into the air space, thus the airspace serves as a pressure equalizer room. In this way, intrusion of the lubrication oil into the compression chamber is prevented by maintaining the airspace not lower in pressure than that in the bearing part.
A rotor shaft sealing structure disclosed in Japanese Laid-Open Patent Application No. 7-317553 (hereinafter "JP 7-317553") relates also to shaft sealing structure of a screw compressor type supercharger. The shaft sealing structure is composed such that a contact seal (lip seal, for example) for sealing lubrication oil lubricating the rotor shaft bearing and a pressure fluctuation alleviating member (a piston ring movable in axial direction, for example) are located between rotor shaft bearing and the compression chamber, an airspace which serves as a pressure equalizer room is formed between the contact seal and the pressure fluctuation alleviating member, and a communicating passage opened into outside of the compressor.
However, with the sealing structure disclosed in the JP 3-110138, in a case where leakage of lubrication oil occurs from the bearing part to the airspace through the lip seal, oil leaked to the airspace is difficult to escape outside because of the presence of the check valve in the communicating passage. When pressure in the compression chamber becomes negative while the leaked lubrication oil is present in the airspace, the lubrication oil residing in the airspace is apt to be ingested into the compression chamber.
Further, in a case where the communicating passage is clogged for any reason, the leaked lubrication oil accumulates in the airspace without being allowed to escape outside, and the leaked lubrication oil accumulated in the airspace is easily ingested into the compression chamber when negative pressure is produced in the compression chamber.
According to the sealing structure disclosed in the JP 7-317553, the communicating passage for communicating the airspace surrounding the rotor shaft to the outside of the compressor is not provided with a check valve. However, a means for allowing lubrication oil leaked into the airspace to escape outside in a convincing way is also not disclosed in JP 7-317553. Further, a means for allowing lubrication oil accumulated in the airspace when the communicating passage is clogged to escape outside is not disclosed in either JP 3-110138 or JP 7-317553. Further, in the above references, the rotor shaft sealing structure is composed such that atmospheric air can be introduced into the airspace as a pressure equalized room, however, sealing effect will be increased by introducing air pressurized to a pressure higher than atmospheric pressure to the pressure equalized room.

Rotor shaft sealing method and structure of oil-free rotary compressor


Orthodontic articles and polymerizable resin compositions are described. The orthodontic article comprises a cured composition comprising the reaction product of free-radically polymerizable resin comprising 30 to 70 wt. %, inclusive, of at least one urethane component, and 25 to 70 wt. %, inclusive, of reactive diluent(s) comprising at least one monofunctional (meth)acrylate monomer. The polymerizable resin comprises no greater than 35 wt. % of reactive diluent(s) having a high affinity for water. Reactive diluent(s) such as monofunctional (meth)acrylate monomers having a high affinity for water have low log P values. In one embodiment, the polymerizable resin comprises at least one acidic monomer.

The use of stereolithography and inkjet printing to produce three-dimensional articles has been known for a relatively long time, and these processes are generally known as methods of so called 3D printing (or additive manufacturing). In vat polymerization techniques (of which stereolithography is one type), the desired 3D article is built up from a liquid, curable composition with the aid of a recurring, alternating sequence of two steps: in the first step, a layer of the liquid, curable composition, one boundary of which is the surface of the composition, is cured with the aid of appropriate radiation within a surface region which corresponds to the desired cross-sectional area of the shaped article to be formed, at the height of this layer, and in the second step, the cured layer is covered with a new layer of the liquid, curable composition, and the sequence of steps is repeated until a so-called green body (i.e., gelled article) of the desired shape is finished. This green body is often not yet fully cured and must, usually, be subjected to post-curing. The mechanical strength of the green body immediately after curing, otherwise known as green strength, is relevant to further processing of the printed articles.
Other 3D printing techniques use inks that are jetted through a print head as a liquid to form various three-dimensional articles. In operation, the print head may deposit curable photopolymers in a layer-by-layer fashion. Some jet printers deposit a polymer in conjunction with a support material or a bonding agent. In some instances, the build material is solid at ambient temperatures and converts to liquid at elevated jetting temperatures. In other instances, the build material is liquid at ambient temperatures.
One particularly attractive opportunity for 3D printing is in the direct creation of orthodontic clear tray aligners. These trays, also known as aligners or polymeric or shell appliances, are provided in a series and are intended to be worn in succession, over a period of months, in order to gradually move the teeth in incremental steps towards a desired target arrangement. Some types of clear tray aligners have a row of tooth-shaped receptacles for receiving each tooth of the patient's dental arch, and the receptacles are oriented in slightly different positions from one appliance to the next in order to incrementally urge each tooth toward its desired target position by virtue of the resilient properties of the polymeric material. A variety of methods have been proposed in the past for manufacturing clear tray aligners and other resilient appliances. Typically, positive dental arch models are fabricated for each dental arch using additive manufacturing methods such as stereolithography described above. Subsequently, a sheet of polymeric material is placed over each of the arch models and formed under heat, pressure and/or vacuum to conform to the model teeth of each model arch. The formed sheet is cleaned and trimmed as needed and the resulting arch-shaped appliance is shipped along with the desired number of other appliances to the treating professional.
An aligner or other resilient appliance created directly by 3D printing would eliminate the need to print a mold of the dental arch and further thermoform the appliance. It also would allow new aligner designs and give more degrees of freedom in the treatment plan. Exemplary methods of direct printing clear tray aligners and other resilient orthodontic apparatuses are set forth in PCT Publication Nos. WO2016/109660 (Raby et al.), WO2016/148960 (Cinader et al.), and WO2016/149007 (Oda et al.) as well as US Publication Nos. US2011/0091832 (Kim, et al.) and US2013/0095446 (Kitching).

Orthodontic articles comprising cured free-radically polymerizable composition with improved strength in aqueous environment


Novel methods of detecting and treating breast cancer are described.

Breast cancer is the second leading cause of cancer death among women in the United States and is the leading cause of death among women aged 30-70. (Abeloff, M. D., Curr. Opin. Oncol., 8:447-448 (1996) ). The inheritance of germ-line mutations in autosomal dominant susceptibility genes appears to be responsible for 5-10% of all breast cancer cases (Fitzgerald, M. G., et al., New Engl. J. Med., 334:143-149 (1996) ), and up to 36% of the cases diagnosed before age 30. BRCA1 was the first isolated breast cancer susceptibility gene (Langston, A. A., et al., New Engl. J. Med., 334:137-142 (1996); Couch, F. J. and Weber, B. L., Hum. Mutat., 8:8-18 (1996) ) and mutations in BRCA1 alone account for approximately 45% of the families with high incidence of breast and ovarian cancer (Chen, Y. M., et al., Science, 272:125-126 (1996); Sully, R., et al., Science, 272:123-126 (1996) ). In addition, a second breast cancer susceptibility gene, BRCA2, has been isolated recently (Wooster, R., et al., Nature, 378:789-792 (1995); Tavtigian, S. V., et al., Nat. Genet., 12:333-337 (1996) ).
However, the majority of breast carcinomas appear to be sporadic and have a complex accumulation of molecular and cellular abnormalities that constitute the malignant phenotype. A number of somatic gene alterations, such as loss of expression of specific tumor suppressor genes, have been found to occur in primary human breast tumors (Borg, A., et al., Cancer Res., 52:2991-2994 (1992); Eeles, R. A., et al., Cancer Surveys, 25:101-124 (1995) ). Additionally, there is considerable evidence that genetic alterations in growth factor signaling pathways can contribute to human breast malignancies. In this regard, activation of different proto-oncogenes has been found in primary breast tumor (Berns, E. M., et al., Cancer Res., 52:1036-1039 (1992); Borg, A., et al., Brit. J. Cancer, 63:136-142 (1991); Gullick, W. J., et al., Brit. J. Cancer, 63:434-438 (1991) ). Thus, there is considerable importance in identifying, at a molecular level, factors that contribute to the progression from normal growth towards malignancy.

Methods of detection and treatment of breast cancer


A method for heat treatment of a semiconductor wafer placed on a support. The method includes subjecting the wafer to a heat treatment with a slow temperature rise from an initial temperature to a treatment ending temperature, and minimizing slip lines that would otherwise result in the wafer from the heat treatment by introducing at least one temperature plateau of constant temperature and of predetermined duration in the heat treatment before reaching the treatment ending temperature. The method reduces the temperature gradients on the wafer to minimize slip lines in the wafer resulting from the heat treatment.

This invention generally relates to heat treating wafers for use in microelectronics, optics and optoelectronics applications. In particular, the invention relates to a high temperature heat treatment process (or annealing) for a semiconductor wafer placed on a support, wherein the process includes a slow rise in temperature up to a treatment ending temperature.
The term "high temperature" annealing means annealing in which at least some phases take place at temperatures exceeding a value on the order of 800° C. Thus, high temperature annealing processes means those that typically take place at temperatures on the order of 800 to 1200° C. These temperatures may be treatment ending temperatures.
In the case of multi-layer wafers, the different layers in the wafer may be assembled together by bonding. The term "bonding" means bringing two surfaces into intimate contact, to create a hydrogen bond or Van der Waals type bond between the two surfaces. This type of bonding may also be denoted as "molecular bonding".
For example, a SMART-CUT® type process could be used to bond layers. This type of process includes a layer transfer, with detachment occurring at a weakened zone that was created by implantation of atomic particles in a donor substrate. The layer to be detached is bonded onto a support before detachment occurs. A general description of the steps of this process can be found in the book entitled "Silicon-On-Insulator technology: Materials to VLSI, 2nd edition", by Jean-Pierre Colinge (Kluwer Academic Publishers) at pages 50–51. Thus, it is advantageous to use the SMART-CUT® type process for manufacturing Silicon-On-Insulator (SOI) wafers. Note that other types of processes also include bonding between two wafers.
In general, bringing two wafers into intimate contact is not sufficient for making a strong and permanent bond. Conventionally, a multi-layer wafer is exposed to an additional heat treatment to stabilize the bonding interface between the two wafers. This heat treatment typically increases the temperature of a multi-layer wafer, such as an SOI, to a final temperature on the order of 1100° C. Thus, this is an example of a "high temperature" annealing process.
In particular, when manufacturing an SOI, the heat treatment usually occurs in two phases:                A preliminary phase corresponding to a wafer surface oxidation step. This phase creates an oxide layer that will subsequently be eliminated, and the temperature during this first phase is on the order of 950° C.        A stabilization phase for the bonding interface. During this phase, the temperature is increased to reach a temperature of the order of 1100° C.
During the stabilization phase, the temperature rise occurs along a straight gradient and corresponds to a linear temperature increase. The slope is typically about 5° C. per minute. Such a rise in temperature corresponds to a slow temperature rise. A "slow" temperature rise means an average temperature increase following a general average rate of change of less than 20° C. per minute. A problem related to the second phase (and more generally to stabilization annealing of a multi-layer wafer or even a single wafer) is that the slow temperature rise generates "slip line" type defects. The slip lines may appear anywhere on the surface of the wafer, particularly at the periphery of the wafer and elements supporting the wafer in the annealing oven or furnace. This is illustrated in prior art FIGS. 1–3.
FIGS. 1A and 1B are two different images of slip lines 10 taken by using a scanning electron microscope (SEM) on an SOI. In particular, these defects can be observed from the edge of the SOI.
FIG. 2 illustrates another view of slip lines of an SOI that occurred following a stabilization annealing process. This image was generated by a KLA Tencor SPI® type instrument. In this figure, the slip lines are circled and are distributed such that they remain close to the periphery of the wafer.
FIG. 3 shows another view of an image similar to that of FIG. 2, made on an exposed silicon wafer that was subjected to a high stabilization temperature annealing process of the same type as that applied to the SOI. FIG. 3 also illustrates slip lines (again circled) at the periphery of the wafer. This type of slip line is obviously a disadvantage, and may occur particularly after performing a stabilization anneal of a bonding interface.
In general, slip lines can occur after any high temperature annealing that includes a slow temperature rise up to an end of treatment temperature, applied to a wafer made from one or several semiconductor materials.

Method for heat treating a semiconductor wafer

S.O.I.Tec Silicon on Insulator Technologies S.A.


Apparatus and methods of reducing power consumption in solid-state storage devices such as solid-state disks (SSDs) that can reduce idle power levels in an SSD, while maintaining low resume latency upon exiting a reduced power state. By arranging a storage controller and at least one NAND flash package of the SSD in separate power islands, storing context information for the SSD in at least one page buffer of NAND flash memory within the NAND flash package on one power island upon entering the reduced power state, and, once the context information is stored in the page buffer, allowing the NAND flash memory to enter a standby mode, placing the storage controller on the other power island in a predefined low power mode, and removing power from any unneeded components on the same power island as the storage controller, a scalable approach to reducing idle power levels in the SSD can be achieved.

Solid-state storage devices such as solid-state disks (SSDs) have been increasingly employed in laptop and tablet computers, as well as computerized devices such as smartphones. A typical SSD includes a non-volatile storage medium such as NAND or NOR flash memory for storing digital information in an array of memory cells. Because the digital information is stored in the non-volatile NAND/NOR flash memory of the SSD, it can persist in the computer system/computerized device even if power is lost to the SSD. After power is restored to the SSD, a host computer within the system/device can access the digital information from the SSD.
Due in no small part to the widespread use of SSDs in laptop and tablet computers as well as smartphones, techniques for reducing power consumption in SSDs have gained increased attention in recent years. One goal of such techniques is to reduce idle power levels in the SSDs. To achieve such reduced idle power levels, some conventional computer systems, computerized devices, and/or SSD subsystems have been configured to remove power from all unneeded components of an SSD as the SSD enters a reduced power state, such as the known "Partial", "Slumber", or "DevSleep" reduced power state. To maintain low resume latency as the SSD exits its reduced power state, some conventional computer systems, computerized devices, and/or SSD subsystems have been further configured to store context information for the SSD (e.g., information pertaining to media encryption keys used for storage devices that perform encryption, etc.) in memory that has a power source distinct from that of the SSD. For example, some conventional computer systems, computerized devices, and/or SSD subsystems have been configured to store such context information for an SSD in volatile static random access memory (SRAM) within a storage controller of the SSD, or in an off-chip SRAM or dynamic random access memory (DRAM).

Method for reducing power consumption in solid-state storage device


A mechanical resonator capable of providing an intrinsically high mechanical quality factor in immersion is provided. The resonator includes a membrane attached at its perimeter to a frame, such that a front side of the membrane is in contact with the liquid, and the back side of the membrane is not in contact with the liquid or the frame. The membrane can act as a mechanical resonator. The quality factor of this resonator is enhanced by providing a pressure release boundary region on the frame in proximity to the membrane and in contact with the liquid. The pressure release boundary region provides a soft boundary condition, in the sense that a mechanical impedance on the solid side of the solid-liquid interface is less than the liquid mechanical impedance. Providing such a soft boundary condition reduces the mechanical energy loss due to excitation of waves in the liquid, thereby improving resonator quality factor. Such high-Q resonators are particularly useful for sensor applications.

Resonant mechanical structures are commonly employed as sensor elements for detecting the presence of biological or chemical analytes. Such detection is typically based on functionalizing the resonant mechanical structure such that the analyte or analytes of interest can bind to the mechanical resonator, if they are present. The binding of analytes to the mechanical resonator alters the resonant frequency of the mechanical resonator due to the mass of the bound analytes. Measurement of the resonant frequency of the mechanical resonator can thereby provide a sensitive indication as to the presence of the analytes.
In order for such sensors to provide high sensitivity, it is important for the mechanical resonator to have low mechanical loss, which is frequently expressed in terms of the resonator having a high quality factor (i.e., high Q). High Q results in a reduction of measurement noise, thereby improving sensitivity. However, it is challenging to provide high-Q mechanical resonators for use in liquid immersion applications, because liquid loading of the mechanical resonator due to immersion tends to significantly and undesirably decrease resonator Q.
In U.S. Pat. No. 6,906,450, resonator Q in immersion is electronically enhanced by providing electronic feedback control of the mechanical resonator. However, imposing a requirement on the sensor control electronics to provide appropriate Q-enhancing feedback may conflict with other sensor design considerations. Accordingly, it would be an advance in the art to provide mechanically resonant sensors having intrinsically high Q in fluid immersion.

High quality factor resonators for liquid immersion biological and chemical sensors

The Board of Trustees of the Leland Stanford Junior University


Tension within a power transfer system is measured by tension evaluator that includes an actuator, a first sensor, and a second sensor. The actuator applies a first load and a second load to a chain. The chain is moved a first amount of deflection in response to the first load and the chain is moved a second amount of deflection in response to the second load. The first sensor senses an event. A third amount of deflection is associated with the event. The second sensor senses an amount of travel of the chain between the second amount of deflection and the third amount of deflection.

Power transfer devices (PTDs) such as chains and belts are utilized in a multitude of machines. Typically, PTDs are separated into types based upon the type of impact encountered during operation. For example, belt and chain conveyors with relative small load fluctuation, centrifugal blowers, and the like generally fall into a smooth impact category. In contrast, presses, construction and mining machines, vibrating machines and the like fall into a high impact category. Between these categories, engines and other general machines are typically classified in a moderate impact category. To facilitate proper operation, these PTDs, are installed under a relatively precise amount of tension. In addition, the tension of the PTD is typically monitored periodically to facilitate continued proper operation and increase the longevity of the machine. The amount of tension varies according to the type of impact and load anticipated. In general, an insufficiently tensioned PTD is prone to slippage, excessive vibration, chain slap, and the like. While excessive tension may lead to accelerated bearing failure and breakage.
It can be important that PTDs are tensioned to a high degree of precision in some circumstances, for example, in relatively high technology applications, such as some in the aerospace industry. In this regard, conventional manners of measuring PTD tension generally involve a human operator with a spring gauge and a machinist ruler. The spring gauge is utilized to load the PTD a precise amount while the ruler or calipers are utilized to measure deflection of the PTD. However, mechanical areas of airframes are often quite cramped, making these measurements difficult and time consuming. In addition, without precise reference points from which to make these measurements, reproducibility is difficult to achieve.
Accordingly, it is desirable to provide a method and apparatus capable of tension measurement that overcomes the disadvantages described herein at least to some extent.


The invention is directed to a synthetic hoisting rope comprising a solid core surrounded by a first braided layer of a first set of strands that is surrounded by a second braided layer of a second set of strands.

Conventional hoisting ropes for cranes are steel wire ropes (SWRs). Although SWRs provide good mechanical properties, they are also associated with corrosion, (re)lubrication requirements, heavy weight and safety issues upon breaking of the wire. As improved alternatives to SWRs, synthetic hoisting ropes, i.e. hoisting ropes based on synthetic (polymer-based) fibers, have been proposed. Synthetic ropes are based on non-metallic materials such as polymer-based fibers and have shown favorable mechanical properties combined with typical low weights. However, providing synthetic hoisting ropes with similar mechanical and shape related characteristics as SWRs have proven to be challenging.


Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on a computer storage medium, for tracking group members' proximity include associating a plurality of sensors with an application installed on each of a plurality of user devices and assigning each of the sensors to a corresponding one of the user devices. Assignments received on one of the user devices are wirelessly communicated to at least one other of the user devices, and proximity of each of the sensors to the corresponding user device is monitored. Status information is communicated between two or more of the user devices, and the status information indicates proximity of sensors to the corresponding user device and/or sensor assignments.

This specification relates to monitoring proximity for tracking members of a group.
In crowded locations, particularly in locations with distractions (e.g., shopping malls or museums) families, tourist groups, or other groups can have difficulty maintaining contact with one another or keeping track of where others in the group are located. Communication by mobile phone is one option for staying in contact, but not everyone in the group necessarily has a mobile phone, particularly if some members of the group are young or otherwise require closer monitoring. Systems exist for monitoring location of objects using, for example, radio frequency identification (RFID) techniques, such as in the shipping industry or for purposes of determining whether an object leaves a defined perimeter, but such systems are generally not conducive to monitoring people particularly in large or public areas and require significant infrastructure support.


A system can receive fault likelihood data about a subterranean environment and apply a binary mask filter using a tuning parameter to convert the fault likelihood data to binary distribution data having a plurality of pixels arranged in a plurality of profiles in at least two directions. The system can perform, for each profile of the plurality of profiles, fault skeletonization on the binary distribution data to form fault skeletonization data with pixels connected that represent part of a fracture. The system can convert the fault skeletonization data to seismic volume data and combine and filter the seismic volume data in the at least two directions to form combined seismic volume data. The system can output the combined seismic volume data as an image for use in detecting objects to plan a wellbore operation.

Hydrocarbon exploration is the search for hydrocarbons, such as oil or gas, within a subterranean formation. Interpretation of faults in seismic data has a significant impact on hydrocarbon exploration, reservoir characterization, and field development workflows. The faults may represent drilling hazards, an indication of fluid migration of reservoirs, and an indication of compartmentalization of reservoirs. Thus, a comprehensive understanding of faulting in a reservoir may provide significant value for efficient development of hydrocarbon resources.

Fault skeletonization for fault identification in a subterranean environment


Doped crystalline compositions (e.g., single domain crystals) of MTiOAsO.sub.4 (wherein M is K, Rb and/or Cs) are disclosed which contain at least about 10 ppm total of Fe, Sc and/or In dopant. Also disclosed is a flux process which is characterized by adding said dopant to a melt containing the components for forming MTiOAsO.sub.4, in an amount effective to provide a doped single domain crystal of MTiOAsO.sub.4 containing at least 10 ppm of said dopant.

Crystals of KTiOPO.sub.4 and its analogs are considered highly useful because of their nonlinear optical properties. U.S. Pat. No. 3,949,323 teaches the use of flaw-free crystals in nonlinear optical and electro-optical applications. Of the KTiOPO.sub.4 family of materials arsenate analogs (e.g., KTiOAsO.sub.4) have been recognized as having larger electro-optic coefficients, larger nonlinear susceptibility and/or broader transparency in the infrared than KTiOPO.sub.4 ; and thus can provide an improved alternative for KTiOPO.sub.4 in many applications, see, for examples, Ballman et al., Appl. Phys. Lett 54 (9), 783-785 (1989) and Cheng et al., J. of Crystal Growth, 110, 697-703 (1991).
Since KTiOPO.sub.4 and its isomorphs are known to decompose upon melting, hydrothermal and flux methods have commonly been used to grow crystals of these compounds. U.S. Pat. No. 4,305,778, as well as others teach preparation of the crystals by hydrothermal methods.
A desire for larger crystal size, better quality and greater durability, as well as the technical complexity of hydrothermal processes have led to continued interest in flux growth techniques and to the development of a variety of flux processes. In U.S. Pat. No. 4,231,838 crystal growth is carried out by heating certain mixtures of MTiOXO.sub.4 with a nonaqueous flux M/X/O (where M is selected from K, Tl, and Rb and X is selected from P and As) or their precursors to produce a nonaqueous melt. Crystal growth is affected by the use of a temperature gradient or by slow cooling of the melt at a rate of not greater than 5.degree. C./hour.
Some flux growth methods have included the use of other fluxes to improve various aspects of crystal production. The use of tungstic anhydride flux is described by Ballman, et al., "Growth of Potassium Titanyl Phosphate (KTP) from Molten Tungstate Melts" J. of Crystal Growth 75, 390-394 (1986) to improve the yield of quality crystals. The use of tungstate and molybdate fluxes for crystal growth is described in Cheng et al., "Crystal Growth of KTiOPO.sub.4 isomorphs from tungstate and molybdate fluxes" J. of Crystal Growth 110, 697-703 (1991). An improved flux process for producing KTiOPO.sub.4 and isomorphs using dopants selected from Ga, Al, and Si to lower the ionic conductivity of the resulting crystal is described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,084,206.
While reasonably large single crystals of KTiOAsO.sub.4 can be grown by the known flux processes, the resulting crystals are known to generally contain fine microscopic domains of thin (roughly about 5 to 50 .mu.m) layers of randomly oriented crystals running parallel to the natural faces (e.g., (011)) of KTiOAsO.sub.4. This random multidomain structure renders the KTiOAsO.sub.4 crystals useless for many electro-optic, piezoelectric and nonlinear optical applications. For example, Jani et al., Appl. Phys. Lett., 60 (19), 2327-2329 (1992) discloses that multidomain KTA crystals result in optical parametric oscillators with very low efficiency. G. M. Loiacono et al., Appl. Phys. Lett., 61(8), 895-897 (1992), indicates that the presence of domains in KTA causes a lack of second harmonic generation signal. There is thus a need for methods for conveniently providing potassium titanyl arsenate crystals which are useful for electro-optic, piezoelectric and nonlinear optical applications.

Doped crystalline titanyl arsenates and preparation thereof


A system and method are provided for configuring an antenna array having a predetermined number of antennas. After providing an antenna correlation matrix for all antennas with regard to a mobile terminal, the antenna array is virtually partitioned into two or more sub-arrays based on the antenna correlation matrix such that correlations among antennas within each sub-array are higher than correlations among antennas belonging to different sub-arrays. One or more beamforming weights are generated corresponding to each antenna within the sub-arrays for applying to one or more signals transmitted therefrom, and at least one predetermined multiple-input-multiple-output (MIMO) mechanism is further applied among the sub-arrays by treating each sub-array as a virtual antenna.

In wireless communication systems, adaptive antenna arrays are used for offering significant capacity improvements, especially in an interference-limited environment. See, e.g., J. Liberti, T. Rappaport, "Analytical results for capacity improvements in CDMA", IEEE Transactions on Vehicular Technology, vol. 43, pp. 680-690, 1994, and J. Winters et al., "The impact of antenna diversity on the capacity of wireless communication systems," IEEE Transactions on Communications, vol. 42, pp. 1740-1751, 1994. This technology offers the ability to eliminate same cell interference for mobile stations being served simultaneously. It offers the prospect of a reduction of inter-cell interference. It also increases the signal-to-noise ratio of a particular mobile station being served and therefore enables an increase in user data rate. These benefits and advantages result in either higher data throughputs, or the ability to service more mobile stations simultaneously, within a given cell or service infrastructure.
Adaptive antenna array is used to improve the performances of wireless communication systems. There are two types of adaptive antenna array: diversity antenna array and beamforming antenna array. In a diversity antenna array, the data stream are coded in space and time and sent from multiple low-correlated antennas to achieve diversity gain. On the other hand, beamforming array utilizes the spatial directivity and provide beamforming gain. Spatial directivity requires a good correlation among antennas.
The multiple antennas of the array are typically deployed at the base station of each cell, and the signals transmitted or received by the antennas are linearly combined with certain complex weights. Different antenna weights are used to extract the signals transmitted to or received from different mobile stations within the cell. By properly adjusting the antenna weights, the multiple antennas can improve the signal-to-interference ratio (SIR) through beamforming, interference cancellation and receive diversity.
With spatially separated antennas in the antenna array, beamforming becomes practical for both transmit and receive modes. Focusing radiant energy in the direction of a mobile station reduces the amount of overall power needed to be generated by the base station. Antenna array technology can be used to focus power coming from the mobile station to the base station via a reverse link or an uplink, as well as from the base station to the mobile station via a forward link or downlink.
Usually, during transmit mode, a wide transmit beam is desired so that the transmit beam, and its associated pilot, reaches all of the mobiles within the service area or sector, since the base station does not initially know where any particular mobile would be within that area. After a particular mobile station is located within the service area of the base station, narrower transmit beams may be employed to divide and concentrate limited base station power among all of the mobile stations being served simultaneously.
In base station receive mode, very narrow beams are highly desirable in order to provide multiple beam diversities and concentrate the signal energy from a particular one of the mobiles operating within a particular one of the available service channels and to exclude or reduce signal energies from other mobiles within the same service area using other ones of the available service channels. Narrow beamforming creating very narrow beams with high antenna array gains at the base station for both receive and transmit modes typically requires more antenna elements.
In the conventional art, two antenna arrays may be used with each one performing beamforming separately. Then, taking each antenna array as a single antenna independent from the other, a transmit diversity process is performed between these two antenna arrays. An alternative to that is to use one antenna array, but calculate two weights from the uplink signal for the antenna array. These two weights are then applied to the transmit signal to form two transmitted signals, forming two 'virtual antennas'. Transmit diversity will then be implemented for these two 'virtual antennas'.
Transmit beam forming requires a good correlation among antennas to achieve beam forming gain, while transmit diversity scheme requires independent or low correlation among antennas to achieve diversity gain. Apparently, these two requirements, that is, good antenna correlation for beam forming and low antenna correlation for diversity, are contradictive.
Furthermore, the antenna correlation has a dynamic characteristic as it depends on the air channel between the antenna array and the antenna on the mobile terminal that it communicates with. For example, in a case of point-to-multipoint systems (PMP, like cellular), for terminals at locations with line-of-sight or near line-of-sight condition, the base station antennas will have high correlations. On the contrary, if the terminals are located with non-line-of-sight conditions and the channels experience heavy multi-paths, the base station antennas will have no or little correlation.
Conventional methods do not take into account the antenna correlations when combining beamforming and transmit diversity for an antenna array. For example, some conventional methods use two transmitter antenna arrays (or one transmitter antenna array with a fixed sub-array partition). The fixed sub-array partition does not take into account the antenna correlations, and does not change or update over time. Some other conventional methods do not physically partition the antenna array into two sub-arrays. Instead, they use two weights (i.e., beamforming) to form two virtual antennas, and apply diversity between these two virtual antennas. Weights are calculated through covariance matrices. They need beamforming for all antennas and the antenna correlations are not taken into account.
Therefore, there exists a need to provide an improved wireless communications system benefiting simultaneously from both diversity and beamforming gains, taking into account the correlations among antennas.

Method and system for partitioning an antenna array and applying multiple-input-multiple-output and beamforming mechanisms


A memory device includes a plurality of channels, a plurality of first charge storage sites coupled to first sides of respective ones of the channels, and a plurality of second charge storage sites coupled to second sides of respective ones of the channels. The first charge storage sites correspond to first memory cells and the second charge storage sites coupled to second memory cells. At least one of the channels is a dummy channel not connected to a bit line, and a blocking layer is contiguously formed around the first and second charge storage sites and the channels.

1. Field
One or more embodiments described herein relate to memory devices.
2. Description of the Related Art
In a process of manufacturing a vertical non-volatile memory device, an insulation layer and a sacrificial layer may be alternately and repeatedly formed on a substrate. Holes may be formed through the insulation layers and the sacrificial layers, and oxide/nitride/oxide (ONO) layers and channels filling the holes may be formed. An opening may be formed through the insulation layers and the sacrificial layers, and the sacrificial layers exposed by the opening may be removed to form a gap exposing the channel. A gate electrode may be formed to fill the gap.

Vertical memory devices and methods of manufacturing the same


A method to calculate energy demand in an energy generation, transmission and distribution network including one or more power plants based on different energy source types including renewable energy, a communications system and one or more local consumption metering units. A customer demand profile for one or more customers is provided. A customer-specified proportion of power demand to be supplied from a given energy source type is registered. A total predicted energy demand dependent is calculated in part on an accumulated demand for the given energy source type.

The consumption of energy and especially electricity is increasing worldwide; however, installing new large-scale distribution, transmission and/or generation capacity has become increasingly difficult. This is due to factors including increased load on the environment in the form of CO2 emissions and to an unwillingness to invest in a de-regulated and/or fast-changing market. Increased consumption of energy coupled with reduced investment in physical plant, particularly of the traditional energy generation types has contributed to a diminished safety margin between available supply and instantaneous demand. Calculating energy demand forecasts has consequently become more complicated and fluctuations in consumption harder to predict within tighter margins between capacity and demand.
An example of an energy supply system is disclosed in European Patent Specification EP 0 568 822 B1. A system is disclosed for optimising an energy output of a single power generating unit in which an energy output is produced from a combination of different energy sources, a sources that have lesser environmental impacts. The total energy output for that generating unit is optimised at least in part so as to achieve a low or minimised generation of environmental pollutants.
Some recent energy systems have improvements based on Internet communication and/or standards associated with the Internet. U.S. Pat. No. 5,862,391 describes an extensive power management system for electrical power distribution comprising computers equipped for bus communication over a Modbus fieldbus connected to one or more DDE servers (Dynamic Data Exchange). The computers contain various software packages involved in monitoring and controlling selected aspects of power usage/consumption. Communications are described using TCP/IP (Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol) via Ethernet LANs (Local Area Networks).
EP 814 393 A1 describes use of the Internet as a part of a method to communicate with electrical components, principally appliances in the home, for the purpose of supervision and control. The method requires an intelligent socket to be added to each appliance together with the use of signals superimposed on a power distribution network to communicate control signals.

Method and system to calculate a demand for energy


Y image, M image, C image and a mixed-dye image wherein Y, M and C are mixed are prepared by an image forming apparatus, analytical density for each of Y, M and C components in their complementary color wavelength regions is measured by a densitometer for each of Y image, M image and C image, then Y image, M image, C image and a mixed-dye image are read by the aforesaid image reading apparatus and spectral densities for in B, G and R wavelength regions are obtained. A conversion function for obtaining analytical density from spectral density is obtained from the spectral densities obtained by the image reading apparatus and the analytical density obtained through measurement by a densitometer.

The present invention relates to an image processing method and an image forming method for obtaining a conversion function for obtaining analytical density representing an amount of dye from spectral densities of a color image.
Heretofore, various methods have been developed for improving color reproducibility of a color image in reading a color image by an image reading apparatus through reflected light and making a print on an image forming apparatus from spectral density of a color image read by the image reading apparatus in the wavelength regions of the primary colors of R (red), G (green) and B (blue). Generally, a color image is formed by cyan (C), magenta (M) and yellow (Y) dyes under the subtractive color mixing principle. FIG. 16 shows the spectral absorption characteristics of each dye and the spectral absorption characteristics of a color image formed by mixing these dyes. As can be seen from the spectral absorption characteristics of each dye, for example, the yellow dye absorbs not only light in the blue wavelength region which corresponds to the complemental color wavelength region of the yellow dye, but also slightly absorbs the light in the red wavelength region and the green wavelength region. Accordingly, when spectral densities of the yellow dye are measured, the spectral densities of db(Y), dg(Y) and dr(Y) are obtained. Likewise, when spectral densities of the magenta dye are measured, the spectral densities of db(M), dg(M) and dr(M) are obtained, and when spectral densities of the cyan dye are measured, the spectral densities of db(C), dg(C) and dr(C) are obtained. There is the following relationship among these spectral densities.
Db=db(Y)+db(M)+db(C) PA1 Dg=dg(Y)+dg(M)+dg(C) PA1 Dr=dr(Y)+dr(M)+dr(C) PA1 W.sub.kl : Ratio of secondary absorption density (density of l primary color) to main density (density of k primary color) of subtractive dye (k.noteq.l=r,g,b) PA1 .alpha.ij: Matrix coefficient PA1 a magenta image employing only a magenta dye and a cyan image employing only a cyan dye by an image forming apparatus, PA1 a step to obtain spectral density in each of red, green and blue wavelength regions through reflected light for each of the aforementioned yellow image, magenta image and cyan image, PA1 a step to obtain, by the use of a densitometer, analytical density for each of the yellow image in the blue wavelength region, the magenta image in the green wavelength region and the cyan image in the red wavelength region, and PA1 a step to obtain, from the spectral density obtained by the image reading apparatus and from the analytical density obtained by the densitometer, the conversion function that is used for obtaining the analytical density from the spectral density. PA1 a step wherein a mixed-dye image in which at least two kinds of dyes out of yellow dyes, magenta dyes and cyan dyes are mixed is made by the image forming apparatus, and PA1 a step to obtain a spectral density signal for each of red, green and blue of the aforementioned mixed-dye image through reflected light by the use of the aforementioned image reading apparatus. PA1 a step wherein a color image is read by an image reading apparatus through reflected light and thereby photometry densities for red, green and blue are obtained, PA1 a step to obtain analytical density from spectral density based on the conversion function for obtaining analytical density from spectral density obtained by the image processing method described in one of the aforementioned methods 1 to 13, and PA1 a step to determine, based on the analytical density mentioned above, an amount of yellow dyes, an amount of magenta dyes and an amount of cyan dyes all in an image forming apparatus, and thereby to make a print. PA1 a step to store in a memory medium the conversion function for obtaining analytical density from spectral density obtained by the image processing method described in one of the aforementioned methods 1 to 13 and PA1 a step to obtain analytical density from the spectral density based on the conversion function stored in the memory medium mentioned above. PA1 (A) forming a yellow image with a given amount of yellow dye alone, a magenta image with a given amount of magenta dye alone and a cyan image with a given amount of cyan dye alone; PA1 (B) obtaining spectral densities of each of the yellow image, the magenta image and the cyan image in the red, green and blue wavelength regions; PA1 (C) obtaining an analytical density of an yellow component in the blue wavelength region from the yellow image, an analytical density of a magenta component in the green wavelength region from the magenta image, and an analytical density of a cyan component in the red wavelength region from the cyan image; PA1 (D) forming a mixed-dye image by using at least two of the given amount of yellow dye, the given amount of magenta dye, and the given amount of cyan dye so that the mixed-dye image comprises at least two of a yellow component, a magenta component and a cyan component; PA1 (E) obtaining spectral densities of the mixed-dye image in the red, green and blue wavelength regions; PA1 (F) determining an analytical density of the yellow component in the blue wavelength region, an analytical density of the magenta component in the green wavelength region and an anlytical density of the cyan component in the red wavelenght in the mixed-dye image on the basis of the analytical densities of the yellow, magenta and cyan components in their complementary color wavelength regions obtained from the yellow, magenta and cyan images; and PA1 (G) arranging, for each of the yellow, magenta and cyan images and the mixed-dye image, the spectral densities in the red, green and blue wavelength regions obtained in the steps (B) and (E) so as to correspond to the analytical densities of the yellow, magenta and cyan components in their complimentary color wavelength regions obtained in the step (C) and (F), thereby obtaining a conversion function to obtain analytical densities of yellow, magenta and cyan components in their complementary color wavelength regions in a color image from spectral densities of the color image in the red, green and blue wavelength regions.
Each spectral density from db(Y) to dr(C) in the right side of the above formulas is called an analytical density. In contrast, each spectral density of Db, Dg and Dr in the left side of the above formulas is called an integral density.
The spectral densities of a color image obtained by an image reading apparatus are integral densities. That is, in the integral density Db in the blue wavelength region, an analytical density db(M) of magenta dye in the blue wavelength region and an analytical density db(C) of cyan dye in the blue wavelength region are added with the analytical density db(Y) of yellow dye in the blue wavelength region, wherein the magenta and cyan dyes are not a blue wavelength absorbing dye respectively, and, on the other hand, the yellow dye is a blue wavelength absorbing dye. Accordingly, although the analytical density db(Y) of yellow dye in the blue wavelength region represents an amount of the yellow dye, the integral density Db in the blue wavelength region is not equal to the analytical density db(Y) of yellow dye in the blue wavelength region. That is, the integral density Db in the blue wavelength region is not equal to the amount of the yellow dye which is the blue wavelength absorbing dye. Consequently, if the printing is conducted by an image outputting apparatus on the basis of the integral densities, color contamination may take place, resulting in that it may be difficult to reproduce a high quality image. Incidentally, the analytical density db(Y) of yellow dye in the blue wavelength region is called the primary density in the blue wavelength region, on the other hand, the analytical density db(M) of magenta dye and the analytical density db(C) of cyan dye in the blue wavelength region are called the auxiliary absorption densities in the blue wavelength region.
When an original image is a transmission document, a conversion function represented by Expression [1] is used for obtaining the analytical density from the spectral densities which are integral densities. ##EQU1## I.sub.r, I.sub.g, I.sub.b : Spectral density (Integral density) A.sub.r, A.sub.g, A.sub.b : Analytical density
This method is effective for a transmission original image. However, when reading a color image through reflected light, it does not always agree with Expression [1] due to an influence of scattering or the like. When reading a color image through reflected light, it is known that correct analytical density can not be obtained by a conversion function of Expression [1].
It is therefore known that a conversion function represented by Expression [2] is used for obtaining analytical density which is more accurate. ##EQU2## I.sub.r, I.sub.g, I.sub.b : Spectral density (Integral density) A.sub.r, A.sub.g, A.sub.b : Analytical density
This method can provide analytical density more effectively than the method of Expression [1]. However, even this method can not offer the correct analytical density because it is difficult to prepare the aimed color chip accurately, though many color chips representing analytical density determined by an image forming apparatus and a matrix coefficient is obtained by the use of the color chips. Further, considerable length of processing time is required for obtaining analytical density, which is a disadvantage.
Further, there is a problem that analytical density can not be obtained correctly through Expressions [1] and [2] especially in a high density area and a low density area, because a ratio of secondary absorption density to primary density of dyes for subtractive color process varies depending on an amount of the primary density of the subtractive dyes.
In addition, Japanese Patent O.P.I. Publication No. 88344/1992 discloses a method wherein a color reflection original image is read by an image reading apparatus, analytical density is obtained by using a ratio of secondary absorption density to primary density of color materials for subtractive color process and a coefficient indicating an index from spectral density of each primary color read by the image reading apparatus, and a print is made by an image forming apparatus based on the obtained analytical density.
In the method mentioned above, a color transmission-type original image made of photographic emulsions of a color reflection original image is prepared, and a coefficient indicating an index is obtained from the relation between transmission density of the color transmission-type original image and reflection density of the color reflection original image. However, the ratio of secondary absorption density to primary density of dyes for subtractive color process varies depending on the primary density of the dyes for subtractive color process due to an influence of scattering on the reflection original image. Therefore, the analytical density obtained in a low density area or a high density area in particular does not agree with an actual analytical density and thereby color reproduction in high fidelity can not be carried out, which is a problem.
In conventional technologies employing many chromaticities including those disclosed in Japanese Patent O.P.I. Publication No. 117567/1988, arbitrary input signals are given to an image forming apparatus in advance, various prints are made, and thereby the relation between the input signals for the image forming apparatus and the chromaticities (for example, chromaticity of L*a*b* color specification system, chromaticity of L*u*v* color specification system, and chromaticity of XYZ color specification system, etc.) is obtained in advance, then a color reflection original image is read by an image reading apparatus, chromaticities are obtained from photometry values of each primary color of the color reflection original image read by the aforesaid image reading apparatus, and thereby optimum input signals for the image forming apparatus are selected based on the obtained chromaticity.
However, in these conventional technologies employing chromaticities (for example, chromaticity of L*a*b* color specification system, chromaticity of L*u*v* color specification system, and chromaticity of XYZ color specification system, etc.), it is required to prepare many accurate standard color chips with known chromaticities in advance for obtaining a function (three-dimensional LUT or three-dimensional matrix) for converting the photometry values obtained by the image reading apparatus into chromaticities, and it is further required to convert the photometry values obtained by the image reading apparatus into chromaticities by using the function mentioned above and also to convert the chromaticities to input signals for the image forming apparatus. For obtaining the function (three-dimensional LUT or three-dimensional matrix) for converting from the chromaticity to an input signal for the image forming apparatus, there are required complicated processes wherein various kinds of color chips by means of input signals established in advance are prepared, each color chip is subjected to photometry by means of an image reading apparatus, and obtained photometry values are converted to chromaticity values. Further, in order to obtain these two functions correctly, standard color chips are required to be selected appropriately and the kinds of color chips prepared by the image forming apparatus need to be selected appropriately. The reason for this is that when either of a standard color chip for obtaining a chromaticity correctly from an image reading apparatus and a color chip for obtaining accurately an output value for an image forming apparatus is not prepared appropriately, correct color reproducing capability can not be obtained. In particular, when an individual image reading apparatus and an individual image forming apparatus are used in combination, chromaticity aimed by one apparatus is easily deviated from that aimed by the other apparatus, causing color reproducibility to be poor.
In addition, there is a problem that the time for computing process is long because of the combination of three-dimensional or higher computing processes in two steps including that from a photometry value to a chromaticity and that from a chromaticity to an input signal for an image forming apparatus.

Image processing method and image forming method


A transmission system is provided for transmitting power from an engine to a milling rotor in a cold planer. The transmission system includes a first circuit, a second circuit, and a shaft. The first circuit is disposed in a first plane and configured to be operatively driven by the engine. The second circuit is disposed in a second plane substantially parallel to the first plane and configured to operatively drive the milling rotor. The shaft couples the first circuit to the second circuit wherein the engine and the milling rotor are axially offset.

Cold planers are machines used during paving operations to remove a layer of material, such as asphalt, off the ground surface with its milling rotor. A cold planer typically has a transmission system that couples an engine to a milling rotor.
In some cases, cold planers may offer limited spaces for installation of transmission systems. The limited space poses tight space constraints during an installation of the transmission system, thus making the transmission system difficult to connect at positions of the engine and the milling rotor. For example, space constraints may require the gearing for the engine and the milling rotor to be disposed in non-coaxial and non-coplanar relation to each other. Thus, large-scale manufacturers of construction machinery, such as cold planers, may sometimes find themselves in situations where the transmission systems are difficult to install due to the tight space constraints. This situation makes installation of the transmission systems complex. Alternatively, it can be difficult to install a rotor onto the transmission system when the manufacturer or customer desires to couple milling rotors of different widths to an existing engine.
One way known to deal with this situation is to install gearing boxes within the transmission system. However, these gearing boxes are bulky and lose power during the transmission from the engine to the milling rotor. The transmission losses subsequently affect the overall productivity of the cold planer. Further, these gearing boxes experience overheating during operation thus requiring cooling systems to keep the transmission system from overheating. Typical cooling systems include pumps, compressors, and cooling lines, and installation and operation of these cooling systems may incur additional expenses. Typical transmission systems are also heavy and difficult to transport from one place to another along with the associated cooling systems.
In order to mitigate the aforesaid situations, manufacturers may redesign various parameters of the machine in order to accommodate different rotor sizes. Conversely, the manufacturers may produce altogether different machines that individually cater to specific size requirements of the milling rotor. However, the aforesaid processes may be expensive and time consuming.
GB Patent 2 449 916 relates to a variable ratio belt drive comprising a first belt, a compound double pulley having a first variable diameter pulley engaged by the first belt and a second variable diameter pulley engaged by a second drive belt. The compound double pulley is arranged such that increases in an effective diameter of one pulley produce corresponding reductions in effective diameter of the other pulley. The belt drive further comprises a third spring-loaded variable diameter pulley which also engages the second drive belt, and a control actuator for varying the effective diameters of the first and second drive pulleys thus varying an overall ratio of the belt drive. Although the variable ratio belt drive accounts for an axial offset between a load and a prime mover, it does not account for cases where an axial and planar offset exists between the load and the prime mover.

Transmission system for transmitting power from engine to milling rotor in cold planer