Radiation-emitting semiconductor diodes in the form of diode lasers or LEDs are used inter alia in information processing systems. There is a particular demand for diodes having a low wavelength. A diode laser which emits at 633 nm is a particularly attractive alternative to a helium-neon gas laser.. A radiation-emitting semiconductor diode comprising a semiconductor body with a semiconductor substrate of a first conductivity type on which are present at least a buffer layer of the first conductivity type, a first cladding layer of the first conductivity type and made of InAlGaP, an active layer of InGaP or InAlGaP, and a second cladding layer of the second conductivity type and also made of InAlGaP does not fully meet these demands: either the wavelength is comparatively high owing to the occurrence of an ordered structure, or the morphology and crystal quality of the layers is poor.. According to the invention, the buffer layer of such a radiation-emitting semiconductor diode comprises aluminum-gallium arsenide, the aluminum content having at least a minimum value belonging to the band gap of the active layer. The minimum Al content is approximately 6 at % for an InGaP band gap of 1,88 eV, and approximately 9 at % for 1,92 eV. As a result, an active layer comprising InGaP emits, for example, at 650 nm while the semiconductor layers still possess a good crystal quality and morphology. When the active layer of a diode laser has a multiple quantum well structure with comparatively thick (approximately 5 nm) well layers, it even emits at 633 nm. In a method according to the invention, a comparatively high growing temperature--preferably approximately 760.degree. C.--and a buffer layer comprising AlGaAs with a suitable aluminum content are used. Ordering of the structure in semiconductor layers comprising InGaP and InAlGaP is counteracted by this.

Such radiation-emitting semiconductor diodes, especially if the wavelength of the emission is in the visible part of the spectrum, are suitable radiation sources--if designed as diode lasers--for inter alia information-processing systems such as laser printers with which information is written, optical disc systems such as Compact Disc (Video) (CD(V)) players or bar code readers, by which information is read, and Digital Optical Recording (DOR) systems, by which information is written and read. There are also numerous applications in optoelectronic systems for LED versions of such diodes.
Such a radiation-emitting diode and such a method for manufacturing same are known from the article "AlGaInP Double Heterostructure Visible-Light Laser Diodes with AlGaInP Active Layer Grown by Metalorganic Vapor Phase Epitaxy" by K. Kobayashi et al., published in IEEE Journal of Quantum Electronics, vol. QE-23, no. 6, June 1987, p. 704. In this article, a radiation-emitting semiconductor diode is described on which an active layer of InGaP is present on a substrate of n-GaAs between two cladding layers of InAlGaP. The semiconductor materials of these layers each comprise a mixed crystal having two sublattices in which the phosphorus atoms are present on the one sublattice and the atoms of the other elements, in this case In and Ga atoms for the active layer and In, Al, and Ga atoms for the cladding layers, are present on the other sublattice. A buffer layer of GaAs is present between the substrate and the first cladding layer. The wavelength of the emission of the diode, which is constructed as a laser here, is approximately 670 nm (i.e. the wavelength in photoluminescence is approximately 660 nm, which corresponds to a band gap of approximately 1,88 eV).
A disadvantage of the known radiation-emitting semiconductor diode is that the experimentally found wavelength for the emission is higher than the theoretically expected one: for example, the wavelength expected for an InGaP active layer is approximately 650 nm, whereas approximately 670 nm or more is often found in practice. A similar effect occurs in the case of cladding layers comprising InGaAlP, where the experimentally found band gap again is less than the theoretically expected one. The band gap of both the active layer and the cladding layer may be increased by increasing the aluminum content of these layers. This possibility is limited, especially for the cladding layers which contain indirect semiconductor materials, because progressive addition of aluminum results in an ever smaller increase in the band gap, and doping of the cladding layers becomes more difficult. As regards the active layer, another possibility is to make the latter thinner, which, however, renders manufacture more difficult. It was found experimentally that the use of misoriented substrates, for example (311) or (511) substrates, causes the experimental band gap--and thus the wavelength of the emission--to lie (much) closer to the theoretically expected value. The use of misoriented substrates, however, is more expensive and has the drawback that it restricts the choice of the longitudinal direction of the resonance cavity.

Radiation-emitting semiconductor device and method of manufacturing same


A sensor detection signal extracting circuit comprises a sensor, a control voltage generator, an adder, an amplifier, and a low-pass filter. The control voltage generator comprises two input terminals to one of which a voltage is applied based on the voltage source of the sensor. The output of the control voltage generator is added to the output of the sensor by the adder. The output of the adder is amplified by the amplifier, and its output is outputted to the output terminal and applied to the other input terminal of the control voltage generator through the low-pass filter. As a result, two loop systems are formed, that is, one loop for offsetting the change in the voltage of a voltage source applied to the sensor, and the other loop for offsetting a low frequency change such as that due to change in the environmental temperature. Therefore, the true output of the sensor can be obtained at the output terminal with little effect by the voltage change of the voltage source or by change in temperature.

The present invention relates to sensor detection signal extracting circuit, and more specifically to a circuit capable of exactly detecting the level of change in pressure by using a bridge circuit type sensor.
When a change in a physical quantity such as pressure, etc. is electrically detected by using a bridge-type sensor, a bridge circuit adjusts the balanced state with no pressure applied to the sensor, when pressure for example should be detected, and then tries to balance the output from the sensor at "0". However, due to the change in environmental temperature, it is hard for the bridge circuit to retain a balanced state even if the balanced state at "0" can be attained for a brief moment. As a result, an excess voltage is generated in the bridge circuit. Since the value of the excess voltage changes according to the voltage variation in the sensor's operational voltage source, the state of the sensor balanced at "0" cannot be retained for a long time. The unnecessary voltage generated at the output of the sensor is referred to as an "offset voltage".
Since the offset voltage is not necessary, it should be deleted, but by an effective circuit configuration.
An effective circuit should be designed to offset the above described offset voltage through feedback technology so that only the true output of the sensor, which changes according to a change in the physical quantity such as pressure, etc., can be obtained as the output of an amplifier.
FIG. 1 shows a circuit for explaining the configuration of the principle of a sensor detection signal, i.e. a sensor signal extracting circuit of the prior art technology. In FIG. 1, an appropriate voltage is applied to a sensor 1 used in the sensor detection signal extracting circuit. The sensor 1 is a bridge circuit type, and the balanced state is carefully retained as described above, though with an offset voltage generated. Therefore, the true sensor output determined depending on the change in the physical quantity such as pressure, etc. is outputted as superposed onto the offset voltage. The output of the sensor is applied to one input terminal of an adder 3. The output of the adder 3 is applied to the input terminal of amplifier G.sub.1. Then, the output of the sensor 1 is amplified by amplifier G.sub.1. The amplified signal is outputted to an output terminal Out, and applied to an integrator 4 functioning as a low-pass filter.
The integrator 4 is provided with operational amplifier A.sub.1, and the output of amplifier G.sub.1 is applied to the inverted input terminal (-) of operational amplifier A.sub.1 through resistor R.sub.1. The output of operational amplifier A.sub.1 is applied to the other input terminal of the adder 3, and fed back to the inverted input terminal (-) of operational amplifier A.sub.1 through capacitor C.sub.1. The cut-off frequency of the integrator 4 depends on the values of resistor R.sub.1 and capacitor C.sub.1. The cut-off frequency is set to a value a little lower than the minimum frequency of the frequencies of the signals contained in the true sensor output determined depending on the change in the physical quantity such as pressure, etc. so that the true output of the sensor can be separated from the offset voltage.
Capacitor C.sub.1 can be charged with a necessary voltage to eliminate the offset voltage outputted by the sensor 1. This voltage is applied to the adder 3 and added to the offset voltage outputted by the sensor 1. Hence, since this voltage applied from the integrator 4 to the adder 3 has a reversed polarity (equal in value but different in sign) to the voltage applied from the sensor 1 to the adder 3, they can be offset when added together by the adder 3, resulting in no offset voltage in the output of the adder 3. Therefore, only the true sensor output determined by the change in physical quantity such as pressure is outputted to the output terminal Out after being amplified to a predetermined level by amplifier G.sub.1.
Since the sensor 1 outputs an inevitable offset voltage, the offset voltage changes according to the change in the voltage of the sensor's operational voltage source 2. If the frequency of the change in the offset voltage is lower than the cut-off frequency of the integrator 4, then the voltage charged to capacitor C.sub.1 changes corresponding to the change in the offset voltage, thereby maintaining the capabilities of the sensor detection signal extracting circuit.
However, if the frequency of the change in the offset voltage is higher than the cut-off frequency of the integrator 4, then the change in the offset voltage can be controlled or removed by the operation of the integrator 4. Therefore, a voltage not reflecting the change in the offset voltage is applied to the adder 3 from the integrator 4. As a result, the offset voltage and the voltage outputted from the integrator 4 are not offset at the adder 3 to each other, resulting in the offset voltage remaining undesirably. Furthermore, since the residual voltage is amplified by amplifier G.sub.1, it is outputted to the output terminal Out. Therefore, a true sensor output determined depending on the change in physical quantity such as pressure, etc. cannot be outputted to the output terminal Out by the conventional sensor detection signal extracting circuit. This inconvenience occurs when the frequency of the change in the offset voltage is higher than the cut-off frequency of the integrator 4. However, if the cut-off frequency of the integrator 4 is set to an excessively high value, then the true output of the sensor cannot be separated from the offset voltage, and furthermore, unnecessary signals generated independently of the voltage change of the sensor's operational voltage source 2, such as a change in the offset voltage caused by an impact signal induced externally to the sensor 1 and the circuit, cannot be successfully removed.

Sensor detection signal extracting circuit with offset voltage cancelling ability

Kabushiki Kaisha Toyoda Jidoshokki Seisakusho


A piezoelectric actuator is described, for example for actuating a mechanical component, in which a piezoelectric element that produces tensile or compressive force acting on an actuation element is provided. The piezoelectric element has a multi-layer structure of piezoelectric layers with internal electrodes (2, 3) disposed between them. The contacting of the internal electrodes (2, 3) on alternate sides takes place by means of external electrodes (10, 11). External electrical connections (12) for the lateral contacting are affixed to an inactive end region (4, 5, 6, 7; 13, 14) in the multi-layer structure, which has a heat-conducting core (5; 14) with a favorable heat conductivity.

The invention relates to a piezoelectric actuator, for example for actuating a mechanical component, such as a valve or the like, comprising a piezoelectric element, which is provided with a multi-layer structure of piezoelectric layers with internal electrodes disposed between them and with external electrodes making electrical contact with the internal electrodes on alternate sides.
It is generally known that a piezoelectric element operating according to the piezoelectric effect can be constructed out of a material with a suitable crystalline structure. The application of an external electrical voltage causes a mechanical reaction of the piezoelectric element which, depending on the crystalline structure and the region to which the electrical voltage is applied, produces a compression or tension in a predictable direction.
The piezoelectric actuators mentioned above are frequently used in valve positioning. Among other things, their stroke capacity for actuating a valve tappet, for example, is relatively small and thermal expansion of the ceramic of the piezoelectric element can lead to a drift in the position of the valve tappet when the piezoelectric element is not triggered. Also, contact with the active parts of the piezoelectric actuator is difficult.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a piezoelectric actuator, which does not suffer from the above-described disadvantages.
The piezoelectric actuator described at the beginning, which can be used, for example, to actuate a mechanical component, advantageously has a piezoelectric element that generates a tensile or compressive force acting on an actuation element, which is provided with a multi-layer structure of piezoelectric layers with internal electrodes disposed between them and with external electrodes contacting the internal electrodes on alternate sides of the piezoelectric element.
In this connection, it is particularly advantageous that the external electrical connections for the lateral contacting are affixed to an inactive end region in the layer structure and the end region has a core with favorable heat conductivity. As a result, the external contacting of the piezoelectric actuator in inactive end regions that are not affected by tensile or compressive forces, which contacting must be reliably produced, can be easily combined with favorable heat dissipation in order to avoid the disadvantages described at the beginning.
In one advantageous embodiment, the inactive end region has a relatively thin, electrically insulating cover layer on the layer structure. The cover layer is provided with a heat-conducting core which in turn has electrically insulating ceramic layers affixed to its sides. The connection between the external electrodes and the external electrical connections can thereby be produced in the ceramic layers. Preferably this can be achieved by means of a solder layer which is applied to the respective ceramic layer in the vicinity of the external electrodes. In another likewise very advantageous embodiment, the inactive end region comprises an electrically insulating ceramic part in which the connection between the external electrodes and the external electrical connections can be produced at the sides. In this embodiment. a heat-conducting core is embedded in the ceramic layer. In a particularly preferable way, in the plane of the layers, the core has a round contour and is consequently disk-shaped on the whole.
These and other features of preferred improvements of the invention ensue from the claims, the specification, and the drawings, wherein the individual features can be realized singly or multiply in the form of sub-combinations in the various embodiments of the invention and in other areas and can represent advantageous and intrinsically patentable embodiments which are claimed herein.

Piezoelectric actuator for positioning with heat dissipating inactive end section


An inkjet recording method which prints out by ejecting onto a recording medium an ink set for inkjet use, wherein the ink set includes at least: a first liquid containing at least a coloring material, a water soluble solvent and water; a second liquid containing at least a coagulant, a water soluble solvent and water; and a third liquid containing at least a coagulant, a water soluble solvent and water; wherein, (A) printing modes include a single sided printing mode and a double sided printing mode, (B) when the single sided printing mode is selected printing is carried out by ejecting the first liquid and the second liquid, (C) when the double sided printing mode is selected printing is carried out by ejecting the first liquid and the third liquid, (D) the relationship 0.01<(P1-3)/(P1-2)<1 is substantially satisfied where (P1-2) represents the number of coarse particles of size 1 μm or larger of a mixed liquid, mixed in the application ratio per unit of surface area when the single sided printing is selected, of the first liquid and the second liquid, and where (P1-3) represents the number of coarse particles of size 1 μm or larger of the mixed liquid, mixed in the application ratio per unit of surface area when the double sided printing is selected, of the first liquid and the third liquid.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is related to an inkjet recording method and inkjet recording apparatus.
2. Description of the Related Art
Inkjet type printing, where ink is ejected from ink ejection ports formed from nozzles, slits, porous films and the like, is used on many printing type printers because of the compact size and low cost. Within inkjet type printing there are the following types which are superior in the provision of high resolution and high speed printing characteristics: piezo inkjet type, where the change in shape of piezoelectric elements is used to eject ink; together with, thermal inkjet type, where thermal energy causing a boiling phenomenon is used to eject the ink, Currently one of the important issues raised is increasing inkjet printing speeds and raising image quality when printing on ordinary paper. In order to achieve this there are image forming methods proposed (for example see Japanese Patent No. 2667401) where after a liquid, which comprises compounds with cation groups, is applied to a recording medium, and then the liquid penetrates into the recording medium, remaining in the medium. Then as soon as the liquid has disappeared from the surface of the medium, inks containing anion dyes are applied to form images.
Also proposed (for example see JPA No. 2001-294788) are color ink sets with the aim of high speed drying properties, high optical density, raised image quality comprising: black inks containing water and water-soluble solvents, where the drying time with ordinary paper is 5 seconds or less; color inks containing coloring materials, water, water soluble solvents, and coagulants which coagulate components of black ink, giving a drying-time of 5 seconds or less with ordinary paper.
Further still are proposed (for example see JPA No. 9-254376) methods of inkjet printing which allow double sided printing to be carried out on a recording medium comprising: selecting either double sided or single sided printing modes; when the double sided printing mode is selected then selecting a mode from between a treatment liquid using printing mode, where application of a treatment liquid is made to the recording medium, or a low density print mode, where the amount of ink ejected is decreased for the recording medium.
However, in the above methods, because the aim is to improve image quality, in the likes of optical density, bleeding, and inter color bleeding, not enough consideration has been made of drying time or fixation time. In particular, when undertaking high speed printing at the same time as double sided printing, because of contact of the printed surface with feeding rollers and such paper conveying structural elements just after printing, coloring material can get stuck to the paper conveying structural elements. This stuck on coloring material can be re-transferred onto the image area and it has become clear that dirty images can occur. Because of this, a technology which will provide satisfactory drying times and fixation properties, as well as improving image quality such as optical density, bleeding, and inter color bleeding, is required.

Ink jet recording method and ink jet recording apparatus

Abstract: Also, an apparatus which uses this recording method is described.


The present method includes an apparatus for filling and sealing an opening in a laminate and in particular sealing the cut-out notch area of a vehicle windshield. A mold fixture includes a mold, a backing plate, a sealant inlet and a vent. The mold has resilient sealant contacting surfaces that provide a smooth surface for forming the surface of the sealant filling the opening. The mold fixture is clamped to the laminate such that selected portions of the mold overlay the opening and remaining portions of the mold overlay selected portions of the laminate immediately adjacent the opening. Sealant is injected into a cavity formed by the laminate and the mold fixture to seal the opening. The sealant is allowed to cure to achieve a desired hardness and the mold fixture is then removed from the laminate.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to filling and sealing openings in a laminate and in particular to an apparatus and method for sealing the electrical connection area of an antenna formed between the two glass plies of a laminated transparency.
2. Technical Considerations
In the past, the traditional motor vehicle antenna for receiving and transmitting electromagnetic signals was a mast or whip-type antenna. Recently there has been a trend towards incorporating the antenna into the vehicle structure. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 3,987,449 to DeAngelis et al. discloses a wire antenna laminated within a vehicle windshield. U.S. Pat. No. 4,707,700 to Nagy positions an antenna within the roof structure of a vehicle. U.S. Pat. No. 5,416,491 to Nishikawa et al. forms antenna elements on a window using electroconductive ceramic paints. U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,768,037 and 4,849,766 to Inaba et al. and 5,355,144 to Walton et al. use a transparent electroconductive coating laminated between two glass plies to form an antenna. U.S. Pat. No. 5,083,1 35 to Nagy et al. utilizes a transparent coating in the form of a "T" to form an antenna. In each system, the connector arrangement conducts the signals received by the antenna to a receiver, for example a radio.
In order to feed the signals received by the antenna element to a signal receiving device, connectors, such as wires, braids or metal tabs, have been used. When the antenna is formed from electroconductive elements laminated with a transparency, e.g. a windshield, problems arise when these connector elements are also laminated within the transparency. In particular, it has been found that when incorporating these types of connectors between the plies of the glass laminate, air may be entrapped within the laminate in the vicinity of the connector. It is believed that the connector hinders de-airing of the laminate during a conventional roll prepress operation. The bubbles formed by the entrapped air detract from the aesthetics of the window as well as increase the possibility of delamination at or near the connector. To avoid this problem, a notch may be cut along the edge of one of the glass plies to facilitate electrical connection to antenna elements that extend within the notch area, e.g. as disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,987,449 and 4,849,766. A similar approach is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,213,828 to Winter et al. where electrical connection was required to be made to electroconductive elements of an electrically heatable windshield. To protect the connection and seal the notch area, the notch area is filled with a sealant material which is typically applied to the notch area and smoothed with a putty knife or other similar tool. As an alternative, tape may be used to cover the notch area and the sealant is injected into the notch beneath the tape. These sealing procedures are slow and do not provide consistent, reliable results. In particular, it is difficult to ensure that the notch area is completely filled. In addition, the exposed surfaces of the sealant material along the major surface of the windshield and along its edge may be irregular. This may pose a problem when adhesive is applied about the marginal edge of the windshield before it is mounted in a vehicle.
It would be advantageous to provide an arrangement where the notch area is effectively filled quickly and consistently, and further provides a smooth finish along the sealant surface.

Method for sealing an electrical connection to a laminated transparency


A duct access door to close and seal a circular opening in an HVAC duct is provided. The access door includes an outer cover which completely covers the circular hole and has a gasket for sealing against the duct. An inner panel fits within the circular hole and threaded fastener bias the outer cover towards the inner panel to seal the circular hole in the duct. Insulation may be provided between the outer cover and the inner panel of the access door if desired.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a Duct Access Door for sealingly closing a circular access hole formed in an air duct so that access to the interior of the duct can be gained as desired.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In modern heating, ventilating and air conditioning (HVAC) systems, sheet metal duct work is utilized to convey conditioned air throughout buildings. Conventionally, access holes are formed in the duct work at various locations for various purposes. The access holes may provide access to clean the interior of the duct work or to inspect turning vanes, fire dampers or other hardware inside the duct. Existing clamping type access doors are rectangular or oval in shape. Prior to this invention round holes were closed with simple patches that do not allow easy access later or more complicated doors which are more expensive.
Duct access doors in the prior art have been formed from sheet metal having an outer panel and an inner panel that are connected by bolts or other means of biasing them toward each other. A gasket is provided around the periphery of the access door. Because of the rectangular or oval shape of the prior art duct access parts, the inner panel of the door may be inserted into the duct while the outer panel of the door remains outside the duct. The two panels are then tightened together to clamp the duct wall between them so that the gasket engages the duct wall and one of the panels to seal the duct access port.


A method and system for estimating the visceral adipose tissue (VAT) of a subject comprising performing a dual-energy X-ray scan of the subject; generating at least one image of the subject from the dual-energy X-ray scan; identifying a region of interest; dividing the region of interest into a plurality of sections; generating a soft tissue composition profile for each of the plurality of sections, wherein the soft tissue composition profile identifies an edge of the subject, an outer edge of an abdominal wall of the subject, a subcutaneous region and a subcutaneous thickness for each of the plurality of sections; determining a subcutaneous adipose tissue (SAT) composition for each of the plurality of sections, wherein a subcutaneous fat fraction is used to calculate the subcutaneous fat and lean masses and/or volumes; and determining a VAT based on the determined SAT composition for each of the plurality of sections.

This disclosure relates generally to imaging methods and systems, and more particularly to medical diagnostic imaging methods and systems that acquire and process tissue information for measuring the visceral adipose tissue (VAT) of a subject.
Characteristics of a subject, such as body weight, fat mass, height, girth, gender, age, etc. are clinical descriptors useful by physicians to predict certain health risks that may increase or decrease mortality and morbidity risk. For example, the amount or type of abdominal fat, such as subcutaneous adipose tissue (SAT) or subcutaneous fat and VAT or visceral fat are associated with, and useful predictors of, an adverse metabolic risk profile and certain diseases, such as coronary heart disease, diabetes and stroke. In addition, measuring visceral fat, for example, can relate to metabolic syndrome (i.e., a combination of medical problems that can increase the risk of heart disease, diabetes and/or stroke). People suffering from metabolic syndrome can have some or all of the following: high blood glucose, high blood pressure, abdominal obesity, low high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol, high low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol, high total cholesterol and/or high triglycerides.
Conventional methods and systems for measuring VAT are mostly performed using anthropomorphic gauges, bioimpedance gauges, weight scales, etc. These devices often are not capable of providing accurate measurements of VAT because the actual fat content is not being measured, certain assumptions and/or estimates are made during the calculation process, and/or the devices are not exactly calibrated. Also, reproducibility may be difficult, leading to inaccurate comparisons between examinations.
Medical diagnostic imaging systems, such as computed tomography (CT) imaging systems or magnetic resonance (MR) imaging systems have also been used to measure VAT content. However, the use of these systems is often very costly and can expose a subject to high levels of ionizing radiation, for example, when using a CT imaging system. Additionally, these imaging systems are not always available for clinical use and may have long scan times. Moreover, certain measurements are inaccurate in larger subjects.
More sophisticated methods and systems for determining VAT often use simple models to approximate the abdominal volume of a subject from an estimate of subcutaneous fat thickness measurements. However, these methods and systems often fail to accurately estimate SAT, thereby resulting in an inaccurate estimate of VAT. For example, a normal dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) image of the abdomen is a planar two-dimensional (2D) image that cannot explicitly measure VAT because it cannot measure the thickness of SAT in the vertical plane. It has been very difficult to determine the thickness of the subcutaneous fat region around the abdomen, especially near the buttocks, since the models used in the past do not take into account differences in the thickness of the subcutaneous fat region around the abdomen near the buttocks.
Prior methods and systems for measuring or estimating VAT have subtracted an estimated SAT contribution from the total fat (SAT and VAT) of the entire abdominal region of interest of a subject. SAT is not 100% fat. It includes a combination of fat and lean components. The system and method of the present disclosure measures the fat fraction of the subcutaneous region, which is used to calculate the subcutaneous fat and lean masses and/or volumes for the superior anterior, superior posterior, and inferior anterior subcutaneous regions. Determining and accounting for the fat and lean components of SAT will reduce any error in the estimated SAT subtraction from the total fat (SAT and VAT) in the abdominal region of interest, thereby improving the VAT estimate.
Therefore, there is a need for a method and system to more accurately estimate VAT by determining and accounting for the fat and lean composition of SAT that will reduce any error in the estimated SAT subtraction from the total fat in the abdominal region of interest of a subject.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Method and system to improve visceral adipose tissue estimate by measuring and correcting for subcutaneous adipose tissue composition


There are provided methods and systems for identifying watermarked content. In one implementation, such a method includes receiving content including a digital watermark, and detecting the digital watermark, the detecting being performed without use of a decoder configured to read the digital watermark. In implementations in which the content includes an audio watermark, detecting the audio watermark includes filtering an audio frequency spectrum of the content, sampling the audio frequency spectrum to generate data corresponding to the content, determining a first audio level for searching the data based on the sampling, and searching the data at the first audio level. The content may be identified as watermarked content including an audio watermark when multiple, single frequency tones are detected.

Digital watermarking is a technique for embedding data in electronic content, such as audio-visual content, for example. A digital watermark is intended to go unnoticed by an ordinary consumer of the electronic content, but carries information that may be used for a variety of purposes. For example, an audio watermark embedded in an audio file or the audio component of audio-visual content is inaudible to a listener, but may be used to identify the producer or distributor of the content, or may identify the point of origin of the electronic file carrying the content. In addition, in the context of television (TV) transmission, watermarks may be used by rating agencies to track and identify programming content.
Communication of information via digital watermarks typically requires use of an encoder to embed the watermark into the content before its transmission, and use of a complimentary decoder for extracting or "reading" the watermark by its intended recipient. Without such a complementary decoder, a digital watermark embedded in content cannot be read, or even detected. In addition to their many legitimate uses, however, digital watermarks may be used by a contributor of content to a TV transmission to use that transmission as a vehicle for unauthorized communications. Those unauthorized communications may be undesirable for several reasons. For example, the TV network providing the transmission that includes the content carrying the unauthorized watermark is typically the Federal Communication Commission (FCC) licensee for the transmission, and may bear liability for the embedded watermark communication despite being ignorant of its presence. Consequently, a solution is needed for enabling identification of watermarked content as such without requiring use of the complementary decoder configured to detect and read a digital watermark.


A rewritable optical disk has a user recording area in which data is stored in a plurality of sectors, and a written sector flag zone radially separated from the user recording area. The written sector flag includes a plurality of written sector flags, each flag corresponding to one sector in the user recording area. Each written sector flag indicates by its setting whether or not information data has been written in its corresponding sector in the user recording area. The written sector flags are single bits, and are written using error correction. The written sector flags are written in sectors in the written sector flag zone. If a sector is determined to be "no good" and cannot be used for writing written sector flags, the written sector flags that would be written in the "no good" sector are written in the next good sector following the "no good" sector. An apparatus for writing and reading an optical disk with a written sector flag zone reads the written sector flags in the written sector flag zone. A write inhibitor, responsive to the read written sector flags, inhibits writing in a sector indicated as having data written in it. The apparatus is responsive to the write inhibitor and writes information data on the disk in a sector in which writing is not inhibited. The apparatus then writes the written sector flag corresponding to the sector to indicate that information data has been written in the sector.

The present invention relates to an optical disk, and more particularly preferably relates to a magneto-optical disk used as a postscript-type optical disk.
The prior art optical disk includes an optical disk (or postscript-type optical disk (WORM disk)) capable of writing predetermined information data once only, and a rewritable optical disk (or magneto-optical disk (MO disk)) capable of writing information data over and over again.
The WORM disk and the MO disk have different recording and reproducing principles and recording medium structures. Hence, a recording and reproducing apparatus that is capable of using both types of disk must use a recording laser with selectable power optimized for characteristics of each recording medium. Such an apparatus must also have a selectable reproducing equalizer characteristic.
WORM disks can use various types of recording media recording such as perforated disk, phase change disk, alloy type disk, and the like. Hence, to be able to record and reproduce any disk, the recording laser power and the reproducing equalizer characteristic of the recording and reproducing apparatus must be adjusted for the particular species of WORM disk used. Consequently, the construction of the recording and reproducing apparatus is complicated.
The ability of the WORM disk to write data only once is regarded by some as preventing tampering with the recorded data.
In practice, however, when writing information data, if a sector, which will be called an N.G. sector, with a write/read error is detected in the user recording area, a so-called alternation process is carried out. In the alternation process, information data that would otherwise be written in the N.G. sector is written in another sector instead of the N.G. sector. Consequently, the information data is, in effect, tampered with simply and undetectably. Therefore, the WORM disk can be regarded as being equivalent to the rewritable MO disk.
Further in WORM disk, flag information and other information for indicating whether or not certain sectors of the user recording area are unused or whether or not an alternation process has been carried out are written in each sector.
This means that, in a WORM disk, when searching for an empty sector by detecting whether or not certain sectors of the user recording area are unused, the flag information in each sector must be read. Also, error detection and correction must be applied to the content of the sector. The search process consequently requires considerable time.
If a certain sector of the user recording area is determined to be an N.G. sector, and an alternation process is carried out, the flag information read out for determining whether or not the sector is unused becomes uncertain. To restore certainty, the information data in the sector must be read out and error detection and correction applied. This is also unsatisfactory with respect to the time required for the process and its precision.
To solve such problems in detecting whether or not a predetermined sector of the user recording area is unused, and thus preventing overwriting a used sector, an MO disk, which is regarded as equivalent to a WORM disk may be used as a postscript-type optical disk.


A graphical user interface (GUI) application program has one or more screens and a number of objects hereinafter "field objects", each field object being uniquely associated with a single field in a screen. Each field object contains storage elements that hold data displayed in a screen's field. Each field object also contains storage elements that indicate functions that can be performed on data held in the field object. The field object may have at least three data member storage elements, one for holding data, another for holding a label, and yet another for holding a search operator. The GUI application program also includes field map storage elements, each of which maps a field in a screen to a corresponding column in the database, thereby allowing database queries to be created and performed dynamically on user entered field information. Such field map storage elements allow a database to be changed without affecting various parts, e.g. field objects and screen functions, of the GUI application program.

A conventional computer system 110 (FIG. 1) includes a central processing unit (CPU) 111, a monitor 112, a keyboard 113, a mouse 114 and a main memory 115. CPU 111 executes instructions of a computer application program (hereinafter "frontend application") 116 resident in main memory 115 to control screens, e.g. screen 117, displayed on monitor 12. Screen 117 has a number of fields, e.g. fields 118A-118N (where N is the number of fields in screen 117) that display information identified by labels 119A-119N. The information displayed in screen 117 is typically received from or transferred to a server 120 that runs a backend application 121 that uses a database stored in hard disk 122.
Fields 118A-118N in screen 117 typically include a scroll list 118N for displaying a limited amount of information from data base 122, e.g. rows ROW1, ROW2 and ROW3 of text respectively indicating each employee's first name, last name, and department. In this example, scroll list 118N does not display other information, e.g. each employee's date of birth, and salary. To view such information, the user selects, e.g. clicks on mouse 114 to select one of rows ROW1-ROW3 in scroll list 118N. Based on an employee's identification number, all information for a selected employee is filled in fields 11BA-118N-1 of screen 17. Thereafter, a user can modify information in fields 118A-118N-1 and update the selected employee's information in database 122. Alternatively the user can add the modified information as a new record to database 122.
The above-described frontend application 116 is a typical graphical user interface (GUI) application program that includes a number of screens (not shown) that must be painstakingly developed. For example, to develop a field 118A, a computer application developer first draws a rectangle as the outer boundary of field 118A. Then the developer draws a label 119A carefully, making sure that label 119A is in line with the drawn rectangle. In this approach, each of labels 119A-119N and the corresponding field 118A-118N are independent of each other except for physical proximity on screen 117. Therefore, if a field 118I is changed in size or position, the corresponding label 119I must also be changed in size or position to restore alignment.
Frontend application 116 includes instructions for each field 118I, to validate the information input by the user, and instructions to perform searches in database 122, for example, for all employee records that match a user-entered "last name" in field 118A. Specifically, frontend application 116 includes one or more predetermined database queries (e.g. in a structured query language SQL) to perform database searches using information retrieved from screen 117. The predetermined database queries are typically interspersed between instructions for controlling display of screen 117. Therefore, changing from one database to another requires considerable effort to replace all the predetermined database queries. Moreover, the database queries being predetermined limit the types of searches a user can perform.
Frontend application 116 also manages the temporary storage of data retrieved from database 122 and displayed in scroll list 118N. Management of such temporary storage by frontend application 16 can become a big chore if such software must be written independently for every screen.
So, developing, testing and maintaining a large frontend application with forty to fifty such screens, each screen having ten to twenty such fields becomes an unmanageable task, involving development of each field in each screen, coding of instructions for screen display, storage management and predetermined database queries, all of which are typically integrated together.
Object-oriented languages, such as C++ and SmallTalk allow packaging of data structures and functions together into "classes" that can be instantiated to form "objects." Multiple objects "inherit" data structures and functions from a common class. See "C++ Primer," 2nd Edition, Stanley B. Lippman, Addison-Wesley Publishing Company, Reading, Mass., 1991, that is incorporated by reference herein in its entirety.
UIM/X, a Motif based GUI builder made by Visual Edge Software, Ltd. and available from Black and White Software, Inc. 2155 So. Bascom Ave., Suite 210, Campbell, Calif. 95008, allows use of such objects, called "components" in UIM/X. UIM/X components allow functions to be reused and can simplify the above described unmanageable task. However, a developer must still develop, e.g. validation software to validate data entered by a user, and the predetermined queries of the type discussed above.

Field objects and a method for developing a graphical user interface containing the field objects


A field programmable gate array is described for use in a semiconductor chip such as a VLSI chip. The array is provided with variable wire-through porosity to allow for optimum chip-level routing through the array. This is achieved by dividing the array into blocks which can be individually assessed for required porosity. Then blocks that have been prefabricated with differing porosities are placed in the macro to optimize local chip level routing. The routing of wires is determined by developing a chip floor plan to include early timing allocation and a proposed placement of the array. The floor plan is then overlaid with critical logical wiring nets. From this, an initial selection of blocks is made based on proposed wiring density, and the macro is assembled with the blocks strategically placed therein. The procedure is likewise applicable to other types of densely obstructed cores embedded with a chip.

For the last past two decades, integrated circuits have been composed of logical and physical units made of gating elements and wiring elements to interconnect the logic. There has been a trend toward larger stand-alone functional units called macros. These macros use a substantial silicon area on a semiconductor chip. One of the newer units is an embedded field programmable gate array (FPGA) macro. These macros use up a large area of a chip and a significant portion of the wiring channels that pass through the chip. This factor creates an inability to wire through the chip in the area of the macro.
Currently, FPGAs are becoming an accepted component embedded within standard chip designs along with semi-custom cores and memory macros. Standard block design is a term that is used to describe NANDS, NORS and other types of individual books that comprise a logic family. The books are designed with standard block implementation with simple books, such as an inverter taking one block and more complex books taking several blocks. Technology has now migrated to less than 100 nm ground rules, or restrictions on how shapes can be laid out to enable a part to be made. Because of this trend, the performance effect due to wiring is becoming the primary factor of timing closure of the input and output signals. Depending upon the functions around the FPGA, the required porosity through the FPGA as initially designed may not match the required FPGA at a later time. These FPGAs are dense macros within the chip that require significant metal usage, often resulting in unacceptable wiring blockage such that key, timing critical wires must be routed around the macro, resulting in unacceptable timing delays. Accordingly, procedures for reducing or eliminating such timing delays are needed.
FPGAs are structures that are made up of collections of uniform slices. Each slice can be programmed for a segment of the total user function. In the previous implementations, FPGAs were often large dedicated chips. The current trend is to integrate these macros onto designs with other logic. As circuit density reaches 90 nm and less, the effective number of logic functions that can be integrated onto the chip is large enough to desire these FPGAs to be distributed throughout the design. Due to the significant usage of metal layers in FPGA circuitry, channels are blocked when the arrays are embedded in the chip. As a result, wires that need to travel from a circuit on one side of the FPGA to the other side within the chip will need to be routed around the FPGA. This can cause unacceptably long signal delays impacting overall chip performance and reliability because of the longer circuit paths. With current construction techniques, the embedded FPG arrays or other cores are fully obstructed on all layers. Because of the high blockage, or low porosity, power buses typically have only one contact with individual devices, resulting in relatively high effective resistance. One solution would be to place uniform wiring channels at regular intervals through an FPGA during the macro's design but, depending upon the usage, there may be either too many wiring channels or not enough. This is an inefficient use of the channels.
In Research Disclosure n337 05-92, dated May 1992, entitled "Adjustable Wiring Porosity in Flexible Gate array Design", J A Iadanza et al describe the adding of variable wire-through capability to a standard circuit or array design program to provide versatility to optimize use of first and second level wiring in a design. The capability allows minimization of space required for wiring in a wide range of array size and word dimensions. They go on to state that, in conventional engineering design system (EDS) programs, a fixed wiring porosity, e.g. 50%, has been used for first and second level wiring through macro-circuit elements from which large-scale circuit arrays are laid out (grown). By adding key words to the EDS program for porosity control for both first and second level wiring to those describing the number of words and bits per word, more efficient use of semiconductor area is achieved. Limits to array or word dimensions caused previously by fixed porosity are also eliminated. Thus, what they are achieving is the creation of a plurality of units having a variety of different PF factors. In this manner, the units can be interchanged to meet global wiring concerns without adversely impacting function performance.

FPGA blocks with adjustable porosity pass thru

International Business Machines Corporation


Apparatus includes a main body having a function of reducing performance of the apparatus during operation, an AC adapter which is connectable to the main body and supplies power to the main body from a commercial power source, and a rechargeable battery which is connectable to the main body and discharges to supply power to the main body. Apparatus operates without reducing the performance even while the power supplied from the AC adapter is turned off and the power is supplied from the battery during a peak shift period (e.g. mid-day summer where limiting the power supplied by the AC adapter is desirable) in a state where both the AC adapter and the battery are connected to the main body, and thereafter, the power supplied from the AC adapter is turned on and power is supplied to the main body from the AC adapter even during the peak shift period.

The present invention relates to electrical equipment such as a computer apparatus, and more specifically, to electrical equipment configured such that a power supply source such as an AC adapter and a battery which discharges after being charged are connectable thereto.
In various types of electrical equipment including information terminal equipment, represented by a notebook-type personal computer (notebook PC), personal equipment such as a PDA (Personal Digital Assistant), various types of portable audio equipment, a video camera, and the like, part of the time that the equipment receives a supply of power from a battery (a storage battery, a secondary battery or a battery) that is used over and over again while repeating charge and discharge, and a part of the time that the equipment receives power directly from a commercial power source through, for example, an AC adapter. A nickel hydrogen battery (NiMH battery) and a nickel cadmium battery, each of which has a relatively large capacity and is inexpensive, may be used as such a battery. Moreover, in some cases, the battery may be a lithium ion battery, in which energy density per unit weight is higher as compared with that of the nickel cadmium battery, a lithium polymer battery using solid polymer electrolyte instead of using liquid electrolyte, and the like.
Such electrical equipment, for example, the notebook PC, is sometimes configured such that both the AC adapter and the battery can be connected to a main body of a system thereof. In such a case, voltage of the AC adapter is higher as compared with voltage of the battery, and accordingly, power is supplied from the AC adapter to the system when both the AC adapter and the battery are connected thereto. In general, it is only in a case where the AC adapter is detached from the main body or a power supply path from the AC adapter is blocked by means of a switch or the like that the battery is used as a drive power source. Moreover, in a case where the AC adapter is connected to the main body, the battery is automatically charged by the AC adapter. For this reason, when the AC adapter is connected to the main body of the system, a large amount of power is constantly supplied thereto from the commercial power source.
Meanwhile, in recent years, "peak shift" has been studied to reduce peak power during a time such as a summer afternoon, when a demand for power is extremely large since power consumption rapidly increases due to, for example, use of air conditioners (for example, one o'clock through four o'clock during a daytime). Moreover, in Japan, a power expense at night is less expensive as compared with that in the daytime, and it has been requested to limit a supply of power from the commercial power source in the daytime.
For the subject described above, conventional technology exists which enables automatic switching between the AC drive and the battery drive in response to a time setting, thereby achieving effective utilization of power (for example, refer to Patent Document 1). Moreover, the applicants of the present invention have proposed a technology of optimizing power consumption. In this technology, together with a drive mode by the battery and a drive mode by the AC adapter, a dual mode of supplying power from both of the sources is provided as a power supply mode. Moreover, the invention allows selection of a source of power supplied to each subsystem depending on whether or not the battery can last until a shutdown time of stopping the supply of power from the AC adapter (for example, refer to Patent Document 2).
[Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2000-29576 (pp. 5-6, FIG. 2)
[Patent Document 2] Japanese Patent Laid-Open 2003-150281 (pp. 6-7, FIG. 2)
Moreover, for example, in the notebook PC, there is a power management function of limiting power consumption of the main body of the system. In a reduction operation of the power consumption by this power management function, for example, the operating speed of a CPU is reduced. One way to reduce operation speed of the CPU, for example, is so-called throttling, in which ON/OFF operation of the CPU is repeated to decrease apparent clock frequency. Another example of a way to reduce operating speed of the CPU is the Intel SpeedStep (registered trademark) Technology of the Intel Corporation, which is a technology of decreasing clock frequency of the CPU and the voltage supplied thereto. For example, when the notebook PC is driven by the battery, a power management for limiting discharge power is executed in order to prevent a temperature rise of a battery pack in which the battery is built.
Today, for example, there are notebook PCs installed with power-consuming, high-performance CPUs. At the same time, there are notebook PCs which support the peak shift function by utilizing technologies in the aforementioned Patent Documents 1 and 2. However, since each notebook PC is driven by a battery during the peak shift period, the aforementioned power management function limits the operation speed of the system to approximately, for example, 50% (lithium ion battery) or 37% (nickel hydrogen battery). Although portability is important in the notebook PCs, users use the notebook PCs in a similar manner to desktop PCs. Thus, the users naturally expect full-performance of the notebook PCs. However, in the case where the power management function works automatically, the operation speed of the CPU must be reduced upon power supply from a battery in the actual situation. This happens because, for example, the operation for reducing power consumption to prevent a temperature rise. Therefore, the notebook PCs do not sufficiently meet the demands of the users.

Alternating-source peak-shift power application system, method and program product


A plasma generation apparatus is provided which includes: an apparatus main body which has a microwave generation section which generates a microwave and a plasma generation nozzle which generates and emits a plasma gas based on the energy of the microwave; a microwave detection unit which detects a microwave leaking from the apparatus main body; and a control section which stops the microwave generation section from generating a microwave if the detection unit detects a microwave.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a plasma generation apparatus which irradiates a work to be processed such as a substrate with plasma, so that its surface can be cleaned or the surface quality can be reformed, and a work processing apparatus provided with this.
2. Description of the Background Art
A work processing apparatus is known which applies plasma to a work to be processed such as a semiconductor wafer. Thereby, it removes organic dirt from its surface, improves the surface's quality, etches the work, forms a thin film, eliminates a thin film, or conducts such another. A plasma processing apparatus is disclosed, for example, in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2003-197397 specification. A plasma generation nozzle is used which includes an interior electric conductor and an exterior electric conductor which are concentric with each other. Between both electric conductors, a high-frequency pulse electric field (i.e., a microwave) is applied, and thereby, not an arc discharge but a glow discharge is produced so that plasma can be generated. In this apparatus, a processing gas from a gas supply source makes its way from the base-end side to the free-end side while whirling round between the interior and exterior electric conductors. Thereby, denser plasma is generated and radiates from a nozzle attached to the free end toward a work to be processed. This helps secure plasma with a high density under a normal pressure.
The above described prior art offers the superior plasma processing apparatus which is capable of obtaining highly-dense plasma under a normal pressure. Such a plasma processing apparatus can be used under a normal pressure, and thus, it is often installed in an area with people coming and going. Hence, in order to prevent a microwave from leaking out, a decision is made whether or not a microwave is leaking, by simulating such or using a measuring device practically in a designing stage or at the time of shipment from a factory.
However, such an apparatus may be vibrated or given a shock when an earthquake occurs or the apparatus is moved for reinstallation. Besides, if a person handles the apparatus carelessly, or if it gets out of order, that can make an impact on it. Such an impact may cause, beyond expectations, a microwave to leak. Therefore, another such apparatus is embodied which has the following structure. The apparatus main body is covered with a shielding frame body which screens out or attenuates a microwave. Even if a microwave leaks inside, it is prevented from leaking outside. However, even if the microwave does not leak out, then depending upon its power (i.e., microwave power), the inside leakage can give heat to some places of the apparatus main body. This may cause some parts of the apparatus to malfunction.

Plasma generation apparatus and work processing apparatus


A one-dimensional LUT has been incapable of color matching. A three-dimensional LUT has been incapable of ensuring a color conversion accuracy enough to reproduce fine changes in color tone on a monochrome image. It has been impossible to suppress a storage capacity for a color conversion table by ensuring the accuracy.

A process of printing a monochrome image references a one-dimensional LUT (lookup table) or a three-dimensional LUT to convert RGB data (R: red, G: green, B: blue) on a display into CMYKlclm data (C: cyan, M: magenta, Y: yellow, K: black, lc: light cyan, lm: light magenta) and the like used on a printer. The one-dimensional LUT maintains correspondence between gradation value data of the monochrome image as 256 gradations of brightness components and gradation values of CMYKlclm ink. The three-dimensional LUT is similar to an LUT used for the color conversion of ordinary color images. The three-dimensional LUT evenly divides an sRGB to form cubic lattices and maintains correspondence between RGB data and CMYKlclm data at a given lattice point.

Color conversion program, apparatus, and method enabling high precision color conversion

Abstract: There is provided a color conversion table which has a plurality of pieces of reference color image data making correspondence between color data for a first image device and color data for a second image device and comprises a specified total information amount. The color conversion table is used to distribute the reference color image data over a prescribed area in a specified color space. Color data information for each reference color image data is increased more than a specified amount within a limit of the specified total information amount. Further, a color conversion table is created using an original table which highly accurately defines colors in part of the color conversion table. If these color conversion tables are referenced for color conversion, it is possible to suppress the storage capacity, provide color matching, and perform high accuracy color conversion.


There is provided a synthetic wood article formed as an irregularly shaped substrate. The substrate is made from at least one plastic and preferably from post-consumer plastics such as, for example, from disposed of PET bottles or PE trash bags. The article may have the appearance of a wood chip, bark, shredded wood, or sawdust. The substrate is formed by chipping, shredding, or pulverizing a solid piece of plastic which has been extruded. The substrate may have multi layers thereby presenting a wood grain appearance. A plurality of such articles may be used as a synthetic wood mulch.

This invention relates to ground covers and mulches. More particularly it relates to ground covers and mulches made of synthetic and, preferably, recycled materials. Hereinafter the term mulch shall be used to denote both a mulch and a ground cover.
Most mulches are made from wood chips, small chunks of bark, shredded wood and/or sawdust which are processed from trees, i.e. natural wood materials. Mulch helps retain moisture in the soil and adds aesthetic appeal to the ground.
One of the problems associated with the use of natural materials as mulch is the considerable expense associated therewith. In general, natural mulches are relatively heavy articles and are readily available only in certain parts of the country. Transportation costs from a wooded region to the places of use can be high. Furthermore, in that these materials are naturally occurring, the environment is affected when the trees which are the raw material for the mulch are cut.
At the same time, in every geographic region of the country enormous quantities of post-consumer plastics are being disposed of in landfills and are becoming a nightmare for waste management personnel. These post-consumer plastics include PET bottles, PET containers, nylons, PE trash bags, and other plastic articles.
With the high expense of natural mulches and the ready availability of post-consumer plastics, Earth Trends, Inc., assignee of this application, has proposed the manufacture of artificial pine needles utilizing post-consumer plastics as a primary feedstock. The use of an artificial pine needle used as a mulch is described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,855,166 issued Aug. 8, 1989 and assigned to Earth Trends, Inc. While the synthetic pine needle is a great stride toward providing a needed product made from post-consumer plastics, the pine needle represents only one of many types of mulches.
There have been other attempts to utilize synthetic mulches. One such attempt is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,794,726 issued to Fawcett et al. The Fawcett patent utilizes a mulch made of aluminum flakes bonded to a woven mesh so that the flakes will reflect the rays of the sun upwardly and will hold moisture in the ground.
Another attempt is described in U.S. Pat. No. 3,555,728 issued to Herns. The Herns patent shows a mulch made of an elongated sheet of flexible waterproof material having pockets spaced along the sheet. Old newspapers and the like are inserted into the pockets.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,166,340 issued to Pluenneke describes a growing pot which is lined with loose reclaimed used tire fibers.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,673,134 issued to Anderson shows a plastic film which may be used as an agricultural mulch.


The present invention relates to an assembly of two pairs of diodes in a single semiconductor substrate of a first type of conductivity, the first pair including a first diode in series with a second diode, the second pair including a third diode in series with a fourth diode, the two pairs of diodes being arranged in parallel. Each of the first and third diodes includes neighboring regions of distinct types of conductivity formed in a lightly-doped well of the second type of conductivity, these wells being separated; each of the second and fourth diodes includes separated regions of distinct types of conductivity; and metallizations connect the electrodes of the diodes to form the desired series-to-parallel assembly.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an assembly of protection diodes of low voltage level having a low protection voltage threshold that protect against electrostatic discharges. The present invention applies in particular to the protection of a hard disk read head.
2. Discussion of the Related Art
The increase of the storage capacities of hard disks requires the use of magneto-resistive read heads of very small dimensions. The new read heads allow disks to reach very high storage densities.
As very schematically illustrated in FIG. 1, a magneto-resistive head (MRH) 1 is generally connected to a support 2 by a thin sheet of a flexible material 3 on which are applied connection wires 4, 5, of the head. Flexible sheet 3 is of very small dimension. It has, for example, a length on the order of 5 to 10 mm and a width on the order of a few millimeters.
These heads are meant to be biased to a d.c. voltage on the order of a few hundreds of millivolts to optimize the reception of signals of very low amplitude on the order of one millivolt at frequencies higher than 100 MHz.
Given these very low voltage values, the heads, upon manufacturing and before their assembly in a circuit, are very sensitive to electrostatic discharges. It is known that electrostatic discharges can occur upon handling of the heads by tools or by hand. Electrostatic discharges can reach a few tens to a few hundreds of volts and are generally destructive to the headsso the manufacturing and assembly efficiency are extremely low.
These heads must be provided with protection against electrostatic discharges (ESD). The protection must:
be bi-directional, since ESDs can be positive or negative; PA1 have a very low protection voltage threshold; PA1 have a very low leakage current for the d.c. biasing of the head; and PA1 having a very low capacitance, so as not to attenuate the signals which, as previously indicated, can have a frequency higher than 100 MHz.
Further, the device has to be of very small dimension since it is desirable to be able to assemble it on flexible plate 3 without substantially increasing its inertia.
The conventional solution of protection against ESDs at very low threshold voltages is illustrated in FIG. 2. This solution includes arranging two pairs of diodes (D1-D2; D3-D4) in series, each of these pairs being in parallel and in opposition with respect to the other, across device 1 to be protected. However, the conventional solution to implement this assembly of four diodes D1 to D4 is not compatible with several of the conditions required for the protection of magneto-resistive heads. Indeed, discrete diodes, each mounted in a package or mounted together in a common package, are conventionally used. This has the disadvantage that the package inevitably has a non-negligible dimension and weight.

Device having a low threshold voltage for protection against electrostatic discharges


A method is used to switch a channel which is used for a communication between a transmitting end and a receiving end from a main channel to a protection channel. The method of the present invention allows automatic compensation for the loss caused by the switching of the channel to the protection channel. Furthermore, the level difference of the baseband signal outputs from each of the main channels can be automatically controlled to zero regardless of the main channel from which the channel is switched to the protection channel.

The present invention generally relates to methods and systems for switching the channel from a main channel to a protection channel, and more particularly to a method and a system for switching the channel from the main channel to the protection channel in a digital multiplexed radio equipment or the like.
FIG. 1 shows a baseband switching system for a basic radio line, where one protection (or auxiliary) channel is provided with respect to N channels which receive baseband signal inputs IN1 through INN. A bipolar switching part 11 of a receiving part is surrounded by a dotted line.
With respect to main channels 1CH, 2CH, . . . , NCH of the radio interval, bipolar switches TSW1, TSW2, . . . , TSWN made up of relays are provided in a transmitting part for the purpose of switching to a protection channel CH. On the other hand, in the bipolar switching part 11 at the receiving part, bipolar switches RSW1, RSW2, . . . , RSWN made up of relays are provided for the purpose of switching to the protection channel CH.
FIG. 2A shows the bipolar switch TSWi on the transmitting end, and FIG. 2B shows the bipolar switch RSWi on the receiving end, where i=l, 2, . . . , N.
In FIG. 2A, the bipolar switch TSWi connects the transmitting input of the main channel to the main channel when connected to a main port. On the other hand, the bipolar switch TSWi connects the transmitting input of the main channel to the protection channel when connected to a protection (auxiliary) port.
In FIG. 2B, the bipolar switch RSWi connects the main channel to the receiving output of the main channel when connected to a main port. On the other hand, the bipolar switch RSWi connects the main channel to the receiving output of the protection channel when connected to a protection port.
The bipolar switches TSWi and RSWi shown in FIGS. 2A and 2B are respectively connected in series relative to the protection line on the respective transmitting and receiving ends.
In the baseband switching system shown in FIG. 1, the bipolar switches TSW1 through TSWN and the bipolar switches RSW1 through RSWN are normally all connected to the main channels 1CH through NCH, and in case of no baseband signal and unipolar switching failure are transmitted to the protection channel CH. Accordingly, a signal SBB input from the baseband signal input IN2, for example, is output to the baseband signal output OUT2 via a path P1 in the radio interval.
For the sake of convenience, it is assumed that a failure is generated in the radio interval in the main channel 2CH or the path P1, for example. The failure may be caused by an equipment failure, a deterioration of the line quality and the like. In this case, the bipolar switch TSW2 on the transmitting side and the bipolar switch RSW2 on the receiving side are respectively switched and connected to the protection channel CH. As a result, the base band signal input IN2 is transmitted via the protection channel CH or a path P2 of the radio interval.
According to the baseband switching system shown in FIG. 1, the loss of the signal SBB in the normal state is only the attenuation caused by the bipolar switch RSW2 on the receiving side. In this case, the loss caused by the bipolar switch TSW2 on the transmitting side is neglected because this loss is compensated for by the radio equipment. But when the protection channel CH is used, the signal SBB passes via the path P2 and the loss of the signal SBB in this case is caused by the series connected bipolar switches RSW1 and RSW2 on the receiving side.
Hence, in the baseband switching system for a digital multiplexed radio equipment using N+1 channels, the use of the main channel which includes the failure is avoided by switching the channel from the main channel to the protection channel. The switching of the channel is made via relay contacts, that is, bipolar switching. As a result, the baseband signal of the main channel which includes the failure is transmitted via the protection channel, but the baseband signal is affected by the loss caused by the passing of the baseband signal through the bipolar switches in addition to the change in the length of the transmission path.
As may be seen from FIG. 1, the number of bipolar switches through which the baseband signal passes increases as the distance between the protection channel and the main channel which includes the failure increases, and the loss consequently increases. In addition, the baseband signal outputs which are affected by the loss are subject to losses which are different for each channel. As a result, the levels of the baseband signal outputs which are affected by the loss greatly differ, and this tendency become more conspicuous as the the number of main channel increases.
Conventionally, the above described loss is extremely small when the number of channels is relatively small, and the performance of the system can be maintained according to the specifications. For this reason, no compensation circuit is conventionally provided within the system to compensate for the above described loss, and the baseband signal which is actually affected by the loss is output as it is.
However, the number of channels requested by the customer in digital multiplexed radio equipments is gradually increasing in recent years. Hence, when the number of channels increases to 11+1 which is the maximum number of channels in the case of the 4 and 11 GHz band, for example, there are problems in that the loss can no longer be neglected and the performance of the system may no longer be maintained according to the specifications.

Method and system for making bipolar switching to protection channel


An aircraft has a main body with a circular shape and a circular outer periphery. One or more rotor blades extend substantially horizontally outward from the main body at or about the circular outer periphery. In addition, one or more counter-rotation blades extend substantially horizontally outward from said main body at or about the circular outer periphery, but vertically offset from the main rotor blades. The main rotor blades are connected to a first annular gear that rotates in a first direction and the counter-rotation blades rotate are connected to a second annular gear that rotates in a second direction that is opposite the first direction for anti-torque. Planetary gears simultaneously drive the first and second annular gear at about the same speed.

Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a design for an aircraft. More particularly, the present invention relates to an aircraft, and particularly a helicopter, having a circular shape and blades positioned about the outer circumferential periphery.
Background of the Related Art
In current helicopters, a mechanically intricate system featuring a vertical drive shaft (mast) connected to an engine (gas piston or jet turbine) turn a series of blades that are very elongated and narrow. The rotational spinning of the blades about the mast at a sufficient RPM creates a lift factor consistent with the Bernoulli Principle. One way to move the helicopter forward or backward, is to provide a mechanical assembly on the drive shaft that can change the angle of the shaft either forward or backward, thus tilting the blades forward to achieve forward movement and backward to achieve backward movement. Similarly, another intricate mechanical linkage allows for the pilot to change the blades' angle of attack thus increasing and decreasing the lift factor of the blades. The drive system is at a mechanical disadvantage since it is positioned at the vertical vertex of rotation, requiring a high horsepower requirement to provide ample RPMs for the greatly elongated and narrow blades to achieve lift.
This entire drive system is permanently affixed well above the helicopter's horizontal centerline. However, this creates a top heavy platform, and many helicopter crashes result in the craft rolling or flipping on contact. To prevent the main lift blades spinning force to cause the craft to spin uncontrollably, a geared mechanical link from the main engine and mast to a tail rotor counteracts the main blades effect and allows the craft to remain stable.
Despite many variations of airframe body designs (improved aerodynamic bodies), there remains essentially an identical center line torque at the vertex drive systems.

Aircraft having circular body and blades


A method is provided for patterning a semiconductor region, which can be heavily doped. A patterned mask is provided above the semiconductor region. A portion of the semiconductor region exposed by the patterned mask is etched in an environment including a polymerizing fluorocarbon, e.g., a chlorine-free fluorocarbon having a high ratio of carbon to fluorine atoms, and at least one non-polymerizing substance selected from the group consisting of non-polymerizing fluorocarbons, e.g. those having a low ratio of carbon to fluorine atoms, and hydrogenated fluorocarbons. The method preferably passivates the sidewalls of the patterned semiconductor region, such that a lower region of semiconductor material below the patterned region can be directionally etched without eroding the thus passivated patterned region.

The present invention relates to the processing of semiconductors, as, for example, in the fabrication of microelectronic devices and other micro-scale and nano-scale structures.
The patterning of semiconductor materials through etching is performed almost universally in the fabrication of microelectronic circuits and devices, as well as certain semiconductor elements and substrates used to interconnect microelectronic devices. The constant demand on the microelectronics industry to increase the speed and density of integrated circuits require that the dimensions of at least some microelectronic devices be reduced from one generation to the next.
However, as device sizes are reduced, difficulties are encountered in maintaining new device dimensions within tolerances. This is especially true of the critical dimension of a device. In integrated circuits, the critical dimension represents the smallest size of certain features, such as an element of a transistor. For example, the width of the gate conductor of a field effect transistor (FET) of an integrated circuit is generally fabricated to the critical dimension. Other features of a FET, such as the source and drain, may also need to be fabricated at the critical dimension. As these device elements are reduced in size, the difficulty of patterning them increases. The challenges of etching semiconductor materials to the correct physical dimensions is a growing concern.
The formation of gate conductors of FETs poses particular challenges. In some processes, a layer of intrinsic polysilicon, or at most lightly doped polysilicon, is deposited to a thickness of about 1500 Å on a gate dielectric. Thereafter, heavily doped p+ and n+ regions are formed in the uppermost 250 Å to 500 Å thickness of the layer by implanting dopants of respective types (e.g., boron as a p+ dopant, and phosphorous as an n+ dopant) in separate masked implantations. This results in a layered stack having a lower layer of intrinsic, or at most lightly doped, polysilicon and an upper layer of heavily doped polysilicon. The layered stack is then patterned by etching down to the gate dielectric to define the locations and widths of the gate conductors. Subsequent high temperature annealing then drives dopants from the upper polysilicon layer into the lower polysilicon layer to form p doped gate conductors of p-type FETs and n doped gate conductors of n-type FETs.
The patterning of the layered stack is performed efficiently when both the upper layer and the lower layer are patterned together by etching. However, heretofore, the patterning of a heavily doped polysilicon layer and an intrinsic or lightly doped polysilicon layer has posed difficulties for maintaining the critical dimension of the gate conductor.
FIG. 1 illustrates a problem of patterning both a heavily doped polysilicon layer and an essentially undoped layer according to the prior art. As illustrated in FIG. 1, an upper, heavily doped, polysilicon layer 37 (illustratively, n+ doped) is disposed above a lower, lightly doped (or not doped), lower polysilicon layer 39. In turn, the lower polysilicon layer 39 is disposed on a gate dielectric 30 (here, a gate oxide layer). In this example, the dopant concentration in the upper layer illustratively ranges from about 1018 cm−3 to 1021 cm−3, while the dopant concentration in the lower layer is typically below 1016 cm−3, and more commonly below 10 15 cm−3. The lower polysilicon layer 39 is not required to have any dopants present.
Thus, the upper layer has a dopant concentration that is two or more orders of magnitude higher than that of the lower layer. The upper and lower layers 37, 39 are parts of a gate conductor stack. The upper and lower layers 37, 39 are shown here after etching by a conventional single-step anisotropic vertical etch process, such as any of several known classes of directional etching processes, e.g., a reactive ion etch (RIE). Illustratively, the gate dielectric is a gate oxide, such as provided by thermal growth from an uppermost device region (not shown) of a semiconductor substrate (not shown). The substrate is typically a bulk substrate or semiconductor-on-insulator type substrate having a device region including silicon and/or silicon germanium.
The developed patterns of a photoresist imaging layer are shown as layer 35, and layer 36 is an anti-reflective coating (ARC) or other hardmask material (hereinafter "ARC layer") that is patterned according to the image patterns in the photoresist layer. ARC layer 36 helps to transfer the photoresist image patterns to the polysilicon layers 37 and 39 underlying it.
In an exemplary etching process according to the prior art, component gases present in the etching chamber include SF6, NF3 or HBr or a mixture thereof. As apparent from FIG. 1, the sidewall of the upper layer 37 has eroded significantly, such that the sidewalls 38 of the upper layer 37 are not straight. Rather, the sidewalls 38 have been undercut underneath the ARC layer 36. As a result, the dimension 40 of the bottom surface 33 of the upper layer 37 has become smaller than the dimension 42 at the top surface 34. While the lower layer 39 is potentially subject to some erosion and undercutting during etching, this problem affects the upper layer 37 disproportionately, because of its much higher dopant concentration (by orders of magnitude). Other etching mixtures are also problematic. For example, when the etchant includes NF3 mixed with a fluorocarbon having a low carbon to fluorine ratio (e.g. CF4), results are detrimental to the photoresist mask 35. A mixture of CF4 and SF6 has also been tried for etching heavily doped polysilicon. However, this chemistry has resulted in severe etch depth non-uniformity within the wafer when etching heavily doped polysilicon, which can impact the integrity of the patterned structures.
The effect of the problem is experienced most when the lower layer of polysilicon 39 is etched. Since the eroded upper layer 37 has a smaller dimension 40 than desired, this smaller dimension 40 is transferred to the critical dimension 44 of the lower layer 39 during etching. As a result, the critical dimension 44 of the gate conductor in contact with the gate oxide 30 becomes smaller than the desired dimension 42. Stated another way, the erosion of the upper layer 37 prevents the desired dimension 42 of the patterned ARC layer 36 from being transferred faithfully to dimension 44 of the lower layer 39 where the lower layer meets the gate oxide 30.
Thus, a solution is needed for etching a region of heavily doped semiconductor material to produce a patterned region having straight sidewalls, which avoids substantial sidewall erosion and undercutting. Having produced a patterned region having straight sidewalls, a region of lightly doped semiconductor material lying below the patterned region could itself be patterned more reliably to an intended dimension.

Method for patterning a semiconductor region


A delay element generates a delayed clock signal which transitions with a delay from a rising (or falling) of a reference clock signal by a delay amount determined based on an output of a loop filter. A signal generation circuit generates two signals which complementarily change according to rising and falling of the reference clock signal and a transition of the delayed clock signal. A charge pump circuit performs on the loop filter, according to these two signals, a push (or pull) operation during an interval extending from a rising (or falling) of the reference clock signal to the transition of the delayed clock signal and a pull (or push) operation during an interval extending from the transition of the delayed clock signal to a falling (or rising) of the reference clock signal.

The present invention relates to a delay locked loop circuit. The delay locked loop circuit (DLL) is used for detecting an optimum strobe point of a clock signal for a data signal during a memory access, or the like. For example, in the case of single data rate (SDR), the delay locked loop circuit detects a ½ phase of a reference clock signal, whereas in the case of double data rate (DDR), the delay locked loop circuit detects a ¼ phase or ¾ phase of the reference clock signal. In general, in a memory, or the like, the delay locked loop circuit is used for timing sequence control of a word line, a sense amplifier, or the like.
FIG. 16 shows a structure of a conventional delay locked loop circuit. A delay circuit 100 includes four delay elements 101 which are connected in series. The delay circuit 100 delays reference clock signal CLKr by one cycle to output delayed clock signal CLKd. A phase comparator 102 compares the phases of reference clock signal CLKr and delayed clock signal CLKd to output signal UP and signal DN according to the comparison result. A charge pump circuit 103 (including a loop filter) controls the delay circuit 100 based on signal UP and signal DN. The delay locked loop circuit having such a structure becomes stable when the phase of delayed clock signal CLKd is delayed from the phase of reference clock signal CLKr by one cycle, and at this point in time, the delay of delayed clock signal CLKd is locked.
In the delay locked loop circuit having the above structure, the delay element 101 at the first stage of the delay circuit 100 outputs a clock signal delayed by a ¼ phase (90°). The delay element 101 at the third stage of the delay circuit 100 outputs a clock signal delayed by a ¾ phase (270°).
In the conventional delay locked loop circuit, the driving capacity and load capacity are different between reference clock signal CLKr and the delay element 101. Therefore, it is difficult to improve the accuracy for ¼ phase and ¾ phase.
In the conventional delay locked loop circuit, the delayed clock signal is generated to have a delay of ¼ phase or ¾ phase from the reference clock signal irrespective of the duty ratio of the reference clock signal. Thus, for example, if the duty ratio of the reference clock signal is lower than 25%, the ¼ phase-delayed clock signal does not rise or fall during an on-duty period of the reference clock signal, and therefore, the conventional delay locked loop circuit cannot be used with DDR. That is, there is a possibility that the conventional delay locked loop circuit does not normally operate with a reference clock signal whose duty ratio is not 50%.
In the conventional delay locked loop circuit, based on its principle, signals UP and DN having extremely short pulses are output even after the delay of delayed clock signal CLKd is locked. Therefore, the conventional delay locked loop circuit has static jitters. Although the static jitters can be suppressed by decreasing a delay gain, the decrease of the delay gain deteriorates the response speed achieved till the delay is locked, i.e., delays the locking time. Alternatively, the static jitters can be suppressed by increasing the capacitance of a loop filter to have a larger filter time constant. However, in this case, the circuit scale increases.


An air inlet system for an internal combustion engine includes an inlet duct for furnishing air to the engine's cylinders, and a combination port formed within the inlet duct for inducting both recirculated exhaust gas and charge air into the engine. Mixing of the recirculated exhaust gas and the charge air is promoted by a flow director which is mounted at a downstream end of an EGR supply passage, as well as by a flow guide mounted upstream from the flow director, with the flow guide including an aerodynamic projection for causing charge air to move smoothly around the flow director and a swirl generator.

1. Field of the Invention
This disclosure relates to an air inlet system for furnishing charge air, including recirculated exhaust gas, to the cylinders of a reciprocating internal combustion engine.
2. Related Art
Diesel engines, while offering excellent fuel economy, must be controlled ever more stringently in terms of exhaust emissions, particularly oxides of nitrogen (NOx) and particulate matter. In an effort to control NOx without causing an undue loss in fuel economy, engine designers have relied upon increasingly higher amounts of exhaust gas recirculation (EGR). More specifically, EGR rates of approximately 30% at peak power conditions and 60% at low speed load are on the horizon. Unfortunately, it is difficult to furnish very high amounts of EGR to an engine's cylinders in a uniform manner; in other words, without providing too much EGR to one cylinder while too little to others. Maldistribution of EGR causes an engine to run rough and with unacceptable emissions. Although an extremely lengthy intake tract may be used to provide adequate mixing of EGR with the other components of charge air, a long intake tract may not be feasible, particularly in a vehicular application.
It would be desirable to provide an inlet system for an internal combustion engine, such as a diesel engine, having the capability of fully mixing large amounts of EGR in a charge air stream to prepare a uniform mixture for induction into the engine's power cylinders.

Air inlet system for an internal combustion engine


A digital image acquisition device has an image acquisition sensor, a shutter, an aperture and optical elements for focusing an image on the sensor. The device includes a light source located in the body of the device. The light source is periodically activated with one of the aperture or shutter closed, and the device derives a map of defects on the surface of the sensor from a calibration image acquired by the sensor when illuminated by the light source.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a digital image acquisition device, and in particular a camera, such as for example a digital single lens reflex (DSLR) camera, which is configured to mitigate problems that would otherwise be caused by dust particles or other defects in the electronic sensor of the acquisition device.
2. Description of the Related Art
A map of defects caused by dust particles present in optical elements of a digital image acquisition device may be generated, and used in processing images captured by the device. For example, FIG. 1 of US published patent application no. 2003/0193604 to Robins, which is hereby incorporated by reference, illustrates a set of LEDs 38 or 38a disposed within camera lens elements 42, 44, 46 and, with the lens cover 36, 36a in place, lighting the LEDs and acquiring a calibration image from the camera sensor to detect contamination of the camera lens elements.
In addition, published PCT application no. PCT/EP2004/010199, which is assigned to Fotonation and corresponding to one or more of seven sequentially numbered U.S. published applications nos. 2005/0068446-452, and no. 2005/0078173, all of which are hereby incorporated by reference, discloses building a statistical dust map based on information derived from one or more images acquired by a camera.

Digital image acquisition device with built in dust and sensor mapping capability


A flying toy has a spiral-shaped tail to which a head portion is coupled to effect a wiggling flight pattern of the toy. In preferred embodiments, the spiral-shaped tail is fabricated from a material that maintains the spiral shape of the tail during flight, and has a configuration effective to impart a wiggling motion of the tail.

Numerous flying toys with various attachments or streamers are known in the art. For example, single streamers attached to balls and other aerial toys are known from U.S. Pat. No. 5,660,576 to Winga or U.S. Pat. No. 4,696,472 to Meyer. In other examples (see U.S. Pat. No. 4,294,447 to Clark or U.S. Pat. No. 5,813,931 to Gormley), the inventors teach aerial toys with multiple streamers. Streamers may also have the shape of a sock as described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,634,643 to McEvoy or U.S. Pat. No. Re34,032 to Callaghan. Alternatively, a streamer may be rotatably attached to a kite as described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,624,648 to Waters, or the entire kite may be a rotating aerial object as taught by Schloss in U.S. Pat. No. 4,685,642. While streamers on balls and other aerial toys are often thought to be more attractive and inviting than toys without such appendages, the time flight of the toy is typically reduced due to the increase in drag.
In other known toys, a screw-shaped tail is part of a football as described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,120,398 to Myers. In such a toy, rotational momentum is provided to the football that spins along the central axis of the spiral-like tail. Similarly, as taught by Manning in U.S. Pat. No. 3,428,321, a fur fletched arrow has a fur wound along the shaft in a screw-like manner to rotationally stabilize flight of the arrow. The flight stability and even time of such aerial toys is typically increased, however, such toys often require substantial effort or velocity to achieve a spinning motion.
Further known toys with a coil are known from U.S. Pat. No. 5,727,984 to Lin in which a ball is rotatably attached to a coiled spring that is covered by a cloth to simulate a snake. When the ball is rolled on the ground, Lin describes the action of the coil as chasing after the ball while the ball is rolling. Similarly, as described in published U.S. App. No. 2002/0197933, a rolling coil is presented by Shea. As Shea's toy is intended for a cat, the size of the coil is limited to about 2 inches with a weight of less than 2 ounces to at least retain some functionality. Finally, an elastic coiled lasso is described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,554,684 to Marlin, wherein the lasso is held on one end by a user while the other end uncoils and wraps around a target before wrapping around itself. Therefore, while Lin, Shea, and Marlin include a coil in their toys, none of those toys is used or even fit for use as a flying toy.
Therefore, while numerous toys are known in the art, all or almost all of them suffer from one or more disadvantages. Consequently, there is still a need for improved toys, and especially flying toys.