A system, method, and computer program product for generating a regulated boosted load voltage. A comparator may use reduced versions of a reference voltage, a supply voltage, and a fed-back output load voltage to determine whether the output load voltage requires adjustment. If so, a controller may responsively vary the number of voltage boosting charge pumps connected in parallel to the load to best match a target voltage. The target voltage may be the reference voltage plus the supply voltage. A counter may track the number of active charge pumps, and may increment or decrement the number more slowly than the charge pumps operate. Loop gain may be limited by an integrating filter to prevent oscillation. The embodiments are of particular utility for signal conversion circuitry as they eliminate difficulties arising from gate-source voltage inadequacies and differences in switch transistors. A wider range of reference voltages may be accommodated.

The present invention relates to voltage booster systems and, in particular, to voltage booster systems that dynamically respond to changing demands of load device(s) that are to be powered by the booster systems. The voltage regulator may be implemented in an integrated circuit.
Voltage booster systems are used in a variety of electrical designs. Modern integrated circuits receive power from external supplies at a fixed voltage, such as 1.8V. Circuit designs within the integrated circuits may call for supply voltages at higher levels, for example up to 3.2V. In such circumstances, a voltage booster system may generate a voltage at a higher level to supply those circuits (herein, "loads").
Voltage booster systems are typically inefficient. They may include charge pumps or other circuits that push charge to the load at a predetermined rate. The load devices, however, typically consume power at rates that vary based on operational parameters based on dynamically changing utilization of the load, signal content being processed by the load, or other ambient circumstances. Thus, the voltage booster systems rarely meet the power requirements of the load devices precisely. When the output of a voltage booster system does not match the power requirements of its associated load device, it leads to inefficient power consumption by the integrated circuit. Accordingly, the inventors have identified a need in the art for a voltage booster system that varies its output dynamically in response to power demands of its load device.

System and method for generating a regulated boosted voltage using a controlled variable number of charge pump circuits


A core-shell structure with magnetic, thermal, and optical characteristics. The optical absorption band is tailorable by choice of the mixing ratio of the core/shell component to give the desired shell thickness. The core-shell structure is particularly suitable for biomedical applications such as MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) developer, specific tissue identification developer, and magnetic thermal therapy.

The present invention relates in general to core-shell materials. More particularly, it relates to core-shell structures with magnetic, thermal, and optical characteristics and manufacturing methods thereof.
Metal nanoshells are a novel type of composite nanoparticle consisting of a dielectric core such as silica covered by a thin metallic shell such as gold. Nanoshells possess highly favorable optical properties for optical imaging of tissue. The optical absorption of the gold shell includes the near-infrared (NIR) wavelength region (650˜900 nm), a region of high-physiological transmissivity, which allows the NIR to be used as an excited source of gold nanoshells to identify tissue.
On the other hand, superparamagnetic nanoparticles are of intense interest, magnetizing strongly under an applied flied, but retaining no permanent magnetism once the field is removed. The on/off magnetic switching behavior is a particular advantage in magnetic-related applications. However, superparamagnetic nanoparticles are usually formed in organic solution or hydrophobic micelle, and thus prone to aggregation or precipitation when entering into body. Furthermore, superparamagnetic nanoparticles are hard to modify, and the diameter is too large for application in biomedicine.
At present, research and development of nanoshells are focused on the optical properties of the metal shell, while that of superparamagnetic nanoparticles are confined to magnetic-related applications. The present invention hereby provides a core-shell structure combining magnetic, thermal, and optical characteristics.

Core-shell structure with magnetic, thermal, and optical characteristics and manufacturing method thereof

Industrial Technology Research Institute


A line-on-glass type liquid crystal display device, which includes a gate drive integrated circuit mounted on a liquid crystal display panel for supplying a gate signal to the liquid crystal display panel, and a data drive integrated circuit for supplying a data voltage to the liquid crystal display panel. Further, the data drive integrated circuit includes an output circuit having effective output channels to which the data voltage is supplied and dummy output channels to which at least any one of the data voltage and a common voltage is supplied. Also included is a channel selecting part for selectively supplying any one of the data voltage and the common voltage to at least anyone of the dummy output channels.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a liquid crystal display device, and more particularly to a line-on-glass type liquid crystal display device that prevents a deterioration in a picture quality of the liquid crystal display device.
2. Description of the Related Art
A liquid crystal display device controls the light transmittance of liquid crystal having dielectric anisotropy by using an electric field, thereby displaying a picture. Further, the liquid crystal display device includes a liquid crystal display panel having liquid crystal cells arranged in a matrix shape and a drive circuit for driving the liquid crystal display panel. The liquid crystal display panel controls the light transmittance of the cells in accordance with a pixel signal, thereby displaying a picture.
In addition, the drive circuit includes a gate driver for driving gate lines of the liquid crystal display panel, a data driver for driving data lines, a timing controller for controlling the drive timing of the gate driver and the data driver, and a power supply for supplying power signals required for driving the liquid crystal display panel and the drive circuits.
Further, the data and gate drivers are divided into a plurality of integrated circuits (ICs) made in a chip form. Each of the integrated drive ICs is mounted in an IC area opened on a TCP (tape carrier package) or is mounted on a base film of the TCP by a COF (chip on film) method. Each IC is also electrically connected to the liquid crystal display panel by a TAB (tape automated bonding) method. Further, the drive IC can also be directly mounted on the liquid crystal display panel by a COG (chip on glass) method.
The drive ICs mounted on the liquid crystal display panel by the COG method receive pixel data and control signals from the timing controller mounted on a main PCB (power control board) and power signals from the power supply through line-on-glass (LOG) type signal lines which are formed in the liquid crystal display panel and a corresponding FPC (flexible printed circuit).
Recently, even when the drive ICs are connected to the liquid crystal display panel through the TCP, the PCB is removed by adopting the LOG signal lines, thereby making the liquid crystal display device thinner. That is, the gate PCB which transmits relatively less signals is removed, and the signal lines which supply gate control signals and power signals to the gate drive ICs are formed in the LOG type lines on the liquid crystal display panel. Accordingly, the gate drive ICs mounted on the TCP receive the gate control signals from the timing controller and the power signals from the power supply through the following arrangement: main PCB→FPC->data PCB->data TCP->LOG signal line->gate TCP.
In more detail, FIG. 1 is a diagram representing an LOG type liquid crystal display device of the related art where a gate PCB is removed. As shown, the LOG type liquid crystal display device includes a main PCB 20 having a timing controller 22 and a power supply 24, a data PCB 16 connected to the main PCB 20 through a FPC 18, a data TCP 12 where a data drive IC 14 is mounted and which is connected between the data PCB 16 and a liquid crystal display panel 6, and a gate TCP 8 where a gate drive IC 10 is mounted and which is connected to the liquid crystal display panel 6.
Further, the liquid crystal display panel 6 is divided into a thin film transistor array substrate 2 and a color filter array substrate 4, which are bonded with a liquid crystal there between. Also, liquid crystal cells independently driven by the thin film transistors are respectively provided at each area defined by the crossing of gate lines GL and data lines DL of the thin film transistor array substrate 2. Each thin film transistor supplies a pixel signal from the data line DL to the liquid crystal cell in response to a scan signal from the gate line GL.
In addition, the data drive ICs 14 are connected to the data lines DL through a data pad of the liquid crystal display panel 6 and the data TCP 12, thereby supplying a data signal to the data line DL. Similarly, the gate drive ICs 10 are connected to the gate lines GL through a gate pad of the liquid crystal display panel 6 and the gate TCP 8, thereby supplying a gate signal to the gate line GL.
A LOG signal line group 26 include signal lines for power signals from the power supply 24 such as a gate low voltage, gate high voltage, common voltage, etc, and gate control signals supplied from the timing controller 22. On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 2, in an edge area of the color filter array substrate 4, a plurality of silver Ag dots 30a to 30d are formed to supply a common voltage to the common electrode formed in the color filter array substrate 4. That is, a common voltage VCOM from the common line LVCOM is supplied to the common electrode of the color filter array substrate 4 through the silver dots 30a and 30b.
However, as shown, the silver dots 30a to 30d are located in corner areas of the color filter array substrate 4. That is, in the related art, the part that supplies the common voltage VCOM is insufficient (e.g., too small of an area), therefore a picture quality deterioration phenomenon such as cross-talk, a greenish color, etc. is generated.

Liquid crystal display of line on glass type


A mixer included in a receiver of a wireless communication system is provided. The mixer includes a switching unit including a plurality of transistors receiving a Radio Frequency (RF) signal and a Local Oscillation (LO) signal, and outputting a baseband signal, and a voltage controller outputting a voltage control signal controlling a body voltage of at least one transistor from among the plurality of transistors to thereby control a threshold voltage of the at least one transistor.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to a second-order Input Intercept Point (IIP2) calibration method of a mixer in a receiver of a wireless communication system and the mixer using the same.
2. Description of the Related Art
A down-converter for down-converting Radio Frequency (RF) signals in a receiver of a wireless communication system includes a mixer, a local oscillator, and other similar components for down-converting RF signals, and the mixer on/off controls a switch to perform frequency down-conversion.
FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration of a receiver including a general mixer in a wireless communication system according to the related art.
Referring to FIG. 1, a receiver 100 includes a transmission (TX) chain 110 for performing frequency up-conversion, filtering, and other similar operations on transmission signals, a power amplifier 120 for amplifying the power of the transmission signals, an antenna 130, a duplexer 140, and a reception (RX) chain 150 for performing frequency down-conversion, filtering, and other similar operations on reception signals.
The RX chain 150 includes a Low Noise Amplifier (LNA) 151 for amplifying the reception signals, a mixer 153 for performing frequency synthesis of an RF signal and a Local Oscillation (LO) signal for frequency down-conversion, a Local Oscillator (LO) 155 for generating the LO signal, and a LO buffer 157 for buffering the LO signal. The mixer 153 performs frequency down-conversion by synthesizing an RF signal of a high frequency band received through the antenna 130 with the LO signal to output a baseband signal of a low frequency band.
The gain, noise, linearity, power consumption, and other similar characteristics of the mixer 153 are important factors for determining a performance of the mixer 153. In the case of a Frequency Division Duplex (FDD) system in which a TX chain and a RX chain operate together, for example, in an FDD system of a wireless communication system, such as a High Speed Packet Access (HSPA) system and a Long Term Evolution (LTE) system, the influence of Inter-Modulation (IM) due to transmission (TX) leakage, such as TX leakage of a TX jammer flowing from the TX chain to the RX chain through a duplexer, is also considered as one of important factors for determining the performance of a mixer.
In order to remove TX leakage, such as that from the TX jammer, in the receiver 100 illustrated in FIG. 1, a Surface Acoustic Wave (SAW) filter 160 is provided between the LNA 151 and the mixer 153. However, it is not preferable that the receiver 100 includes an additional device such as the SAW filter 160. Accordingly, a receiver having a passive switching mixer, instead of a SAW filter, may be used since the passive switching mixer has relatively lower power consumption than an active switching mixer, such as a Gilbert cell mixer, and has high linearity in view of third-order nonlinearity. Also, the passive switching mixer is less influenced by flicker noise since no Direct Current (DC) flows through the passive switching mixer. However, since the second-order nonlinearity or second-order Input Intercept Point (IIP2) of the passive switching mixer are decided by mismatch factors of a frequency down-converter in a receiver, like the active switching mixer, there is still reception sensitivity deterioration due to the TX jammer.
The IIP2 is a factor indicating the linearity of a circuit. Interference between channels having a small frequency difference or interfering signals in signal bands may distort a reception signal, and IIP2 is defined to indicate the linearity of a circuit through a relationship between the amplified amount of an input frequency and the amount of distortion due to second-order Inter-Modulation (IM2) among factors causing signal distortion. In more detail, if the power of a signal received by a receiver continues to increase, then the power of an IM2 distortion signal may also sharply increase. IIP2 is an amount of power at which the reception signal is expected to intersect the IM2 distortion signal, as seen from an input terminal of the receiver. Accordingly, in order to ensure high linearity in a wireless communication system, the IIP2 should be high, which leads to minimization of IM2 distortion. Thus, in a wireless communication system, a receiver should be designed such that a parameter representing IIP2 has a great value.
Also, in a mixer, causes of IM2 being a factor for determining IIP2 may be largely classified into three components, namely a component corresponding to a size of a mixer configured with transistors or a mismatch in a threshold Voltage (VTH) according to the size of the mixer, a component corresponding to coupling of different leakage signals between an RF input and an LO input, and a component corresponding to a path of a LO signal or a mismatch of LO AC-coupling. Accordingly, in order to optimize IIP2 and/or in order to improve layout symmetry and matching, a mixer may have a large size. Also, in order to make IIP2 stable against changes in Process-Voltage-Temperature (PVT) properties without using a SAW filter, studies into various IIP2 calibration methods are conducted.
As an example of related-art IIP2 calibration methods, there is a method of unequally adjusting the output symbols of a mixer to optimize IIP2. However, the method is mainly applied to a Gilbert-type active mixer having mixer load, and switches used in tunable mixer load may increase flicker noise of the mixer or deteriorate the linearity of the mixer, resulting in IQ imbalance. As another example, there is a method of performing unbalanced DC or DC offset injection on a baseband signal path to cancel the mismatch of a mixer. However, this method may produce an additional DC offset in a baseband filter terminal.
As another IIP2 calibration method, there is a method of finely adjusting a gate bias of a switch in a mixer to calibrate a threshold voltage or a size mismatch of the mixer. This method may reduce flicker noise or a DC offset, however, this method needs an accurate resolution setting for a Digital Analog Converter (DAC) used to control the mixer since IIP2 is sensitive to the gate voltage of the switch of the mixer. Also, due to an increase in a number of bits of control signals for controlling the mixer, the configuration of the DAC is complicated so that delay is generated upon calibration of IIP2.
The above information is presented as background information only to assist with an understanding of the present disclosure. No determination has been made, and no assertion is made, as to whether any of the above might be applicable as prior art with regard to the present invention.

Second-order input intercept point (IIP2) calibration method of a mixer in a wireless communication system and the mixer using the same


A method and system for decoding an encrypted file. A recipient computer: receives, from a sender computer, the encrypted file having a filename that includes an encoded address; parses the received filename; extracts the encoded address from the parsed filename; accesses a voice check ticket at the extracted encoded address; receives voice check text from the voice check ticket; visually displays the received voice check text on a computer display of the recipient computer; prompts the recipient to read aloud the displayed voice check text; receives an audio signal from a reading aloud, by the prompted recipient, of the displayed voice check text; transmits the received audio signal to a server computer; receives, from the server computer, an encryption key after the server computer has verified, from analysis of the audio signal, the recipient's voice; and decrypts the received encrypted file using the received encryption key.

E-mail allows persons (or even automatic robotics machines) to quickly and easily electronically send textual messages and other information such as, for example, a collection of pictures, sound recordings, and formatted documents to other e-mail users anywhere in the world. Anything that can be accessed as a file e.g., in hard disk folders or in network shared folders, can be included in an e-mail attachment. E-mail attachments can be images, documents, spread sheets, mp3 files, programs, and the likes. Once files are attached to an e-mail, the e-mail as well as the attached files can be transmitted over a communications network (e.g., the Internet) to other computer systems. A recipient user or other users accessing an attached file can detach the file to a local system storage for further processing.
A serious risk associated with the exchange of electronic information on open and unsecured networks, particularly on the Internet, is that an impostor could intercept an electronic communication, or access some of the information, such as an e-mail, and masquerade himself as the authorized recipient of said electronic communication.
It is often needed to deliver an electronic document to the intended recipient and then to make sure that the intended recipient, and not a different person, has indeed received the document. Likewise, it is often desirable to deliver an electronic document to the intended recipient and then to receive a confirmation that the intended recipient, after having received the document, has indeed opened and reviewed the content of the document.
Securing the delivery of documents to the intended recipients by verifying and confirming receipt of such delivered documents by the intended recipients may be needed, for example, in various legal or safety related applications. Furthermore, in such kind of applications, it is generally desirable that the recipient cannot easily repudiate receiving or viewing the document.
Previous approaches for securing the delivery to the intended and authorized recipients of electronic documents and files e.g., attached to e-mails, and obtaining receipt confirmations by the intended recipients, present some drawbacks. A first limitation is that generally the delivery confirmation can not positively demonstrate that the recipient actually has viewed, read or was otherwise made aware of the content of the received document. For example, according to the prior art methods based on providing a recipient private information, or digitally signing a confirmation message, the intended recipient may later repudiate the confirmation and assert that he or she did not send the confirmation. For example, the intended recipient may claim that the private information, such as a password, must have been compromised and was provided by another recipient. Also, an e-mail sender can receive an automatic confirmation that the e-mail has been successfully delivered to the recipient's e-mail server and that the e-mail has been opened, but there is not a verification and confirmation that the person who accesses and opens files attached to the e-mail is in fact the intended authorized recipient; moreover, there is not any confirmation about document opening i.e., if the recipient, being either the intended authorized recipient or another person, has in fact opened or read the files or documents attached by the sender to the delivered e-mail. In such a situation, the intended recipient may confirm that the e-mail has been received, but later deny that they actually were aware of the entire content of the e-mail and/or the content of the e-mail attached files.
While most of the modern e-mail systems enable to configure an e-mail to transmit a message to the sender confirming the reception and opening of the e-mail by the recipient (supposedly, by the intended recipient), there is no equivalent mechanism informing the sender that a file attached to an e-mail has been opened by the recipient. Moreover, there is no mechanism provided to assure and confirm to the sender of an e-mail that all files attached to the e-mail, even after being detached and saved for future processing, have been opened and accessed by the authorized intended recipient of said files.
As a consequence, there is a need for a method and systems enabling senders of electronic documents and files attached to e-mail to assure, verify and confirm in a non-repudiable manner the delivery of those documents and files to the intended recipients.

Secure delivery of files to authorized recipients

International Business Machines Corporation


A telephone handset restraining and release mechanism comprises a cup-shaped enclosure for receiving and restraining the transmitter end of a telephone handset. This cup-shaped enclosure is mounted to the top surface of a housing that also supports a receiver end restraining mechanism. The receiving end restraining mechanism comprises a roller mounted to a slidable bracket biased into a telephone handset restraining position by means of cushioning spring pads.

When telephone equipment having a telephone handset is utilized in environments subject to shock and vibration, it has been found advantageous to utilize a mechanism that restrains the handset from becoming unintentionally dislodged from a handset cradle. Typical environments that warrant the use of a restraining mechanism in accordance with the present invention include, but are not limited to, those frequently observed on board aircraft, maritime vessels, and high speed trains. In such environments, an unrestrained telephone handset may be unintentionally dislodged, possibly becoming a projectile and causing injury to personnel or damage to the handset or other equipment in close proximity to the handset.
There are many mechanisms described in the patent literature and available on the market that are intended to lock and thereby prevent unauthorized use of telephone equipment. Telephone handset locking mechanisms are intended for unintentional or intentional removal of the handset from the handset cradle, either accidentally, intentionally, or the result of the action of a child or a pet. The present invention is not intended as a telephone lock mechanism but rather as a restraining mechanism for a telephone handset and for one hand removal for use thereof.
Although considerable effort has been directed to developing a telephone handset restraining mechanism, not a locking mechanism, the results to date provide only restraining mechanisms utilizing complicated lever mechanisms requiring trigger operation for release of the telephone handset. These earlier efforts to find an acceptable telephone handset restraining and release mechanism tend to be rather difficult to operate in an emergency environment or when used in a mobile vehicle where the driver of the vehicle must remove the telephone handset at the same time as operating the vehicle.
One known latch mechanism restrains the telephone handset in the handset cradle by means of a latch mechanism built into the yoke portion of the handset. The latch mechanism restrains the handset by engaging the top of an upstanding pin attached to the telephone itself. This pin protrudes outward from the telephone base and is engaged by the latch mechanism when the handset is cradled. A release button is provided on the handset to disengage the latch mechanism from the pin. Unfortunately, this early attempt at telephone handset restraining requires a specially modified telephone set resulting in a costly initial purchase and replacement item.
Another known system for restraining a telephone handset utilizes an ordinary spring as part of a toggle type latch. In environments where vibration is present, designs using ordinary springs must be carefully analyzed or avoided. Every spring/mass system has a natural resident frequency and ordinary springs have little dampening. If an environmental vibration frequency matches the resonant frequency of the spring/mass system, the spring will not perform its desired function. For this reason, use of springs having a low dampening component are not preferred.


The sanitary handle apparatus provides a leveraged handle with a like-shaped rod within. The rod is partially exposed. A protective covering is fed onto the rod to prevent contact with germs and bacteria left by other individuals. The apparatus is especially useful for publicly and industrially used doors. The covering is an automatically feeding roll of hygienic, biodegradable paper or plastic rod covering. The roll is placed inside a durable, plastic or metal housing that operates via 12-volt, rechargeable battery packs and/or 12-volt transformer and also includes a motion sensor for motor activation.

Sanitation contributes to the health of all people, and a sanitation issue well recognized is that of public door handles, such as those used on restroom doors. Providing cleanliness of such handles has long been a challenge, one addressed by previously proposed devices, but a problem yet to be adequately solved. One basic concern is that a properly designed device should be separate from a given door, that is, a separate handle mechanism not requiring door replacement. Doors to publicly used restrooms and industrially used doors are often heavy, sometimes fire rated, and consequently expensive. It is therefore desirable to either install or replace a handle mechanism rather than an entire door, and it is also important to use existing latch mechanisms. Individual disposable handle protection devices have been proposed, but create the issue of disposable waste, an item often resulting in litter.
The amount of space required to sanitize a given door mechanism is of further concern. Most restrooms are already crowded. Further, health codes must be met, and some devices may not conform to such. Handles in the medical field are of concern also. Typical hospital doors, for example, are oversized and heavy, requiring a handle with enough leverage for a person to engage and disengage the latch. Hospital door handles are therefore typically of a leverage type, with extensions beyond that of a rotary knob mechanism. It is further desirable, in the interest of economy, to provide a portion of the handle with a sanitary cover, whereby excessive quantities of sanitation material are not expended. Another reason to provide only a portion of the leveraged handle with sanitary provision is that another part of the handle may need a more industrial surface, for use by gloved workman and the like, wherein the more fragile surfaces covered by the sanitary material are not used for heavy-handed operation of the handle. The present sanitary handle apparatus solves these problems in providing a sanitary means for protecting an individual from touching a handle surface previously touched by another.


An apparatus provides individual vehicle motorists with a simple, low-cost way to adjust and balance the pressure within their individual vehicle's tires without accidentally exceeding the maximum pressure level of the tires. The apparatus, interconnects the four tires with itself, and a pressure gauge and a conventional tire air-valve permits the internal air pressure of all four tires to be adjusted uniformly from one air source through a unique low cost combination of a commercial connector and a specially designed shut-off valve and to be disconnected without a loss of air in any of the four tires. If a pre-set air pressure level has been exceeded while air is being pumped into the tires, a safety air pressure-relief valve, coupled to a whistle, is triggered, notifying the motorist of this condition.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention pertains to an apparatus and a method for using it which makes it easy and affordable for the motorist to balance and adjust the air pressure of all four tires on individual vehicles rapidly and simultaneously, thereby providing a greater degree of safety resulting from the more even traction of all of the tires, while also providing a safety to prevent accidental over-inflation which could damage the tires and the apparatus.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The importance of properly inflating tires has been recognized in the prior art, but most of the effort has been directed toward the tires of commercial and industrial vehicles which are inevitably inflated to a much higher pressure than individual vehicles. Thus, attempts have been made to assure that the tires of large commercial and industrial vehicles retain a near-constant air pressure through an elaborate system of sensors, compressors, valves and hoses which increase the pressure in the tires or reduce it if the pressure is excessive. Some of these systems are "on board" and quite complex. Yet little has been done to present a simple, inexpensive and nearly fool-proof way for the owner and/or driver of an individual vehicle to equalize the tire pressure in all four tires on the vehicle. Even when a service station is at hand, the standard air pressure supply system available there makes it extremely difficult for the driver to equalize the pressure in all four tires on an individual vehicle either by increasing or decreasing it in each tire separately. The difficulty in balancing the pressure in the tires on an individual vehicle stems from a number of factors. Thus, in a service station, the gauge that is attached to the hose on the air pressure supply pump is frequently inadequately calibrated to read with accuracy the air pressure that is delivered. Repeated use may have damaged or contaminated the gauge so that it no longer reads the pressure that is delivered, even if it was originally calibrated to do so. Not uncommonly, the gauge will have such a large pressure-reading capacity that small variations in pressure will be difficult to read on the scale. Such gauges may have errors in pressure readings alone of as much as three percent of full scale. Since service stations also service large trucks and their high-pressure tires, the pressure gauges connected to their air pressure supply pumps will have a scale of two hundred psi, ie., two hundred pounds per square inch capacity or even more. If a three percent error exists, it could readily produce an error of as much as six psi in the reading, a very significant twenty-percent error for air pressure in the tires of individual vehicles which normally have tire pressures under thirty psi. Even if a more accurate manual tire gauge is used to determine the pressure in the tires, it is still extremely difficult to inflate all tires accurately to the same desired pressure. Frequently, poor lighting will contribute to that error. As a result, even if care is taken in an effort to inflate all the tires to the same pressure, there may still be differences of several pounds per square inch of pressure among the four tires on the individual vehicle.
It is also well known that an imbalance in air pressure among a set of tires on an individual vehicle can make driving hazardous, especially in periods of inclement weather when the roads are wet or icy. There is nothing currently available to the motorist, either at the service station or in the individual vehicle, that would permit him to inflate all of the tires of his individual vehicle accurately and safely to the same pressure. Yet his safety depends to a large degree on the condition of his tires and tire traction is a significant part of individual vehicle safety. Tire traction is directly related to the tire surface that is in contact with the road as well as to the condition of the road and its surface. A tire with higher air pressure will have less surface in contact with the road and, conversely, a tire with lower air pressure will have more surface in contact with the road. As a result, when the front tires have not been inflated evenly to the same pressure, there can be significant differences in traction between them, with a tendency for the individual vehicle to veer to one side. If the individual vehicle is traveling on a wet or icy road, an imbalance of pressure in the front tires is greatly magnified and can easily cause accidents. Similarly, dangerous conditions exist when the individual vehicle is being accelerated with either the front or the rear tires, or when the brakes are applied to the front or the rear tires when there is an imbalance of pressure in them. Again, this situation is made considerably more dangerous on a wet or icy road.
Consequently, there has existed a need for a better and faster way of balancing the pressures in tires of individual vehicles so that they are as evenly matched as possible. McAnally et al, U.S. Pat. No. 4,872,492 control the amount of pressure provided to individual pneumatic tires, but present difficulty in providing precise equalization of pressure in multi-tire application. Keys, U.S. Pat. No. 4,883,107, provides a dual valve stem which either contains an adapter or to which an adapter is attached; the tire is inflated to a higher pressure than needed and then, upon removal of the air chuck, the pressure in the tires automatically adjusts to a lower pressure through a system of counterbalanced springs. However, while at first sight this appears to be a good idea, there are problems with this patent. Thus, there are the definite dangers of contamination of the pressure-reduction valve, with a loss of air and the inaccuracies that would result therefrom. Besides, the adjustment device would have to be inherently accurate. Springs are notorious for binding and setting. There is nothing within the patent to indicate that an attempt was made to accurately measure the air pressures obtained in actual repeated tire pressure adjustments, i.e., to show that it does what it is supposed to do. For this specific design, it would appear that there could be a wide variation in tire pressures during the use of this device from one tire air-valve to another. Another objection would be the need to keep the device attached to the tire air-valve in light of the increase in torque that would be exerted on the tire air-valve by the additional length and weight of the dual valve stem with the adapter, coupled with the high probability of damage resulting from contamination, transportation/vibration and the possible contact the tire would make with the curb. Da Silva, U.S. Pat. No. 4,875,509 shows a device for simultaneously filling and equalizing the pressure in dual tires, but it is not portable. Moffett, U.S. Pat. No. 5,158,122 designs a portable device for use with dual pneumatic tires in which he patents a high-pressure locking tire chuck valve to secure air supplying hoses to dual pneumatic tire valves. This locking tire chuck valve was needed in his design because of the fact that the pressures in dual pneumatic truck tires may be as high as two hundred psi, i.e., pounds per square inch. But it is not needed here where individual vehicles have much lower tire pressures, i.e., in the twenty-four to twenty-eight psi region. There are other reasons for not using this valve here. Thus, this locking tire chuck valve is complex, not commercially available, and it would be far too costly to produce for use with equipment that would require four such valves for each item produced, as is the case here, making its use here economically undesirable. Moffett also provides an air-bleed valve to reduce manually the pressure in the dual pneumatic tires. This would be superfluous if a tire air-valve fulfills this function as it does here. Also, none of the approaches provide a safety device to prevent accidental over-inflation of the tires.
This invention attempts to overcome the problems and limitations of prior inventions so as to inflate all four tires on individual vehicles simply, safely, economically and simultaneously to the same pressure. It does not do so by relying upon the mechanical qualities of spring-loaded valves since these are unreliable and inaccurate, nor does it resort to the use of expensive components that would make the price excessive for the average motorist.
Instead, the invention relies upon the implementation of a scientifically known principle in a novel way that assures the equalization of the pressures in all four tires on an individual vehicle, and keeps the price down through the use of a low-cost, commercially available connector for attaching to the tire air-valves on all four tires of an individual vehicle. Air may then be added either by a foot-pressure air-pump or by an electrically-powered air-pump, the latter usually being powered from the cigarette lighter outlet of the individual vehicle. But, as was discovered during the use of these low-cost connectors, they do not possess an automated on/off capability when they are attached or detached to tire air-valves.
Thus, when these were tested for use with this invention, it was found that there was considerable air loss during the time when all the connectors were being detached from the four tire air-valves of the individual vehicle, with the greatest air loss occurring when the last tire was being disconnected. This could not be tolerated. A conventional hand-operated shut-off switch was added initially, but was eliminated when it was found that this would complicate the operation of the apparatus by requiring the motorist to turn it on and off repeatedly, thereby making the apparatus much less desirable. Consequently, it was determined that a simple, low-cost, automatic on/off capability (valve) was needed, one that would turn on and off as each connector was attached to a tire air-valve and then detached. Such a valve was designed specifically for this apparatus, with the objectives being low price, reliability and compatibility. It is attached by a clamp to the connector so that it is oriented in such a way that, at the moment of attachment to the tire air-valve, the connector will turn on the tire air-valve and then turn it off at the moment of detachment from the tire air-valve. The connector selected for use in this invention is used in high volume in many air-pumps, making it low in cost and commercially available. It is composed of a cylindrical body and a handle which, in the open position, protrudes in line with the cylindrical body, and wherein a piston located within the cylindrical body is locked in a downward position by pivoting the connector handle down into a ninety-degree position. The piston rests upon a rubber tube, confined top, bottom and outer diameter, within that cylindrical body, taking up about half of the lower open end of the cylindrical body used for attaching the tire air-valve. The rubber tube presses against the piston and prevents it from sliding down within the cylindrical body. When the connector is placed over the tire air-valve, the rubber tube within the connector fits loosely over the threaded portion of the tire air-valve. In order to fit the connector tightly to the tire air-valve, the handle on top of the connector is pivoted down into a ninety-degree position. This action depresses and advances both the piston and a centrally located, small-diameter rod attached to its end. As the piston advances, it compresses the rubber tube which, being confined top, bottom and outer diameter within the connector, can move in only one direction . . . curving inward . . . thereby taking up the space around the threaded portion of the tire air-valve and forming an air-tight connection with it, strong enough to resist internal air pressures of 50 psi. Simultaneously, the forward movement of the small-diameter rod centrally located on the piston causes it to impinge on the stem of the tire air-valve, depressing it and forcing the tire air-valve to open. The pivoting of the handle of the connector to the ninety-degree position, parallel with the cylindrical body, depresses the spring-loaded piston of the shut-off valve into the open position.
When all of the connections with the four tire air-valves have been made, air circulates to all the tires through a central air reservoir (composed for the sake of compactness of a hollow rectangular container with a tire air-valve located on one end), and the pressure then equalizes within the tires and the apparatus. The pressure within the tires can now be read on an air pressure gauge with a scale of fifty to one hundred psi, calibrated to be within one percent of full scale readings, and located on the side of the container opposite to the four outlets. Air pressure can be increased by supplying air from an air pump to the tire air-valve located at one end of the hollow rectangular container, or excess air can be released from it by depressing the valve stem until the desired pressure is read on the air pressure gauge. When the proper pressure reading has been obtained, the connectors are detached, one after another, from the threaded portion of each tire air-valve. This closes both the tire air-valves and the shut-off valves, while retaining the pressure within the tires. The tire air-valve caps are then replaced.
Since the possibility exists that, during the pumping of air into the apparatus, the air-pump may be left unattended and excessive pressure will be pumped into the tires, possibly resulting in damage to the tires and the apparatus, a safety air pressure-relief valve set to open at about thirty-five psi was incorporated within the apparatus and topped off with a whistle that allows the excess air to escape through it, making an audible whistling sound and thereby notifying the motorist that the safety air pressure-relief valve has gone off and that the air-pump should be disconnected.


An impact absorbing plate 31 is disposed between a front part 31z of the impact absorbing plate 31 and a vehicle body 11 so that a rupture generating part 44 ruptured by impact is extended in the front and rear direction of the vehicle, and the impact absorbing plate 31 is fixed to a front part 13a and a rear part 13b of the front seat bracket 13 provided in the vehicle body by rivets 33 and 33. A portion of front part 31z of the impact absorbing plate 31 is cut to form a cutoff part 45, and a front end 17a of a rail 17 provided in a seat section is attached to a convex part 35, which is molded so as to expand upward an inner side of the cutoff part 45, by a rivet 34.

The present invention relates to a vehicle seat provided with an impact absorbing plate for absorbing impact while being ruptured when a force of a specified level or higher is applied.
It is proposed (for example, see Patent Document 1) that a vehicle seat is provided with an impact absorbing plate for absorbing impact while being ruptured when a force of a specified level or higher is applied. The above-mentioned vehicle seat has a seat section that is connected to a vehicle body through the impact absorbing plate.
[Patent Document 1]
Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2001-260726 (FIG. 5)
Patent Document 1 will be described with reference to the following drawing.
FIG. 13 is a view explaining a basic structure of the related art vehicle seat and shows one side of a seat mount that is disposed between a vehicle body and a vehicle seat to support right and left sides of the vehicle seat.
The seat mount 100 includes a seat bracket 101 that is fixed to the vehicle body, a rail 103 that is disposed at an upper surface 102u of the seat bracket 101, a rail upper 110 that is slidably provided in the rail 103, and a impact absorbing plates 104F and 104R that are fixed to a lower surface of the seat bracket 101 by welding. In addition, a seat section is attached to the rail upper 110.
Through holes 103h and 103h are provided at a front part and a rear part of the rail 103, slots 101f and 101r are provided at the front and rear parts of the upper surface 102u of the seat bracket 101, and through holes 104h and 104h are provided at the impact absorbing plates 104F and 104R. A bolt 105 is passed into the through holes 103h, 101f, and 104h, and the passed bolt is threaded with a nut 106 from a downward of the impact absorbing plate 104F. Furthermore, the bolt 105 is passed into the through holes 103h, 101r, and 104h, and the passed bolt is threaded with the nut 106.
Moreover, when impact load is applied to the impact absorbing plates 104F and 104R so as to direct from the front to the rear, the impact absorbing plates 104F and 104R are ruptured by the bolts 105 and 105 to absorb the impact.
However, since the impact absorbing plates 104F and 104R are ruptured to absorb the impact in Patent Document 1, for example, the dimension of the through holes 104h and 104h or the bolts 105 and 105 provided in the impact absorbing plates 104F and 104R should severely be managed. In addition, the assembly management such as a lockup torque of the bolts is required. Therefore, to stabilize the rupture due to the impact load, complex management in manufacturing is required.
It is preferable to perform simply and stably the control of the impact load.


A new method of forming a metal oxide high dielectric constant layer in the manufacture of an integrated circuit device has been achieved. A substrate is provided. A metal oxide layer is deposited overlying the substrate by reacting a precursor with an oxidant gas in a chemical vapor deposition chamber. The metal oxide layer may comprise hafnium oxide or zirconium oxide. The precursor may comprise metal alkoxide, metal alkoxide containing halogen, metal xcex2-diketonate, metal fluorinated xcex2-diketonate, metal oxoacid, metal acetate, or metal alkene. The metal oxide layer is annealed to cause densification and to complete the formation of the metal oxide dielectric layer in the manufacture of the integrated circuit device. A composite metal oxide-silicon oxide (MO2-SiO2) high dielectric constant layer may be deposited using a precursor comprising metal tetrasiloxane.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a method of fabricating semiconductor structures, and more particularly, to a method of forming zirconium oxide, hafnium oxide, composite hafnium oxide-silicon oxide and composite zirconium oxide-silicon oxide in the manufacture of an integrated circuit device.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Semiconductor devices such as field effect transistors (FET) and random access memories (RAM) are common in the microelectronics industry. Performance of a MOSFET device can be enhanced in several ways. For example, the length of the gate electrode may be reduced. Alternatively, the thickness of the gate dielectric can be reduced. Either way, the MOSFET device performs faster.
The typical material for the gate dielectric is silicon dioxide. Continued scaling of CMOS technology toward 100 nanometer and lower feature sizes has caused a progressive reduction of the gate oxide to less than 60 Angstroms. There are several negative aspects of this approach. First, silicon dioxide is facing a fundamental scaling limit due to excessive direct tunneling current. Second, there are reliability concerns due to increased charge injection. Third, gate dopants can penetrate very thin silicon dioxide. Therefore, extensive studies have been focused on developing high dielectric constant metal oxide films to replace thermal silicon dioxide.
Performance of DRAM devices is enhanced as the unit capacitance of the stacked and trench structures are increased. To achieve this, capacitors of fin, crown, and chimney shapes have been proposed. However, the fabrication of these complex structures is difficult. Hence, as in MOSFET technology, the availability of high dielectric constant metal oxide films would improve the capability of the DRAM processes.
Many high dielectric constant gate dielectrics, such as Ta2O5, BST ((Ba,Sr)TiO3), and PZT (Pb(Zr,Ti)O3), have been investigated as replacements for silicon dioxide. However, Ta2O5 has serious problems such as crystallization at about 600 degrees C. and reduction by silicon. The problem of reduction by silicon causes a shortage of oxygen atoms which lowers the withstand voltage of the film. In B. Cheng et al, xe2x80x9cThe impact of high-k gate dielectrics and metal gate electrodes on sub-100 nm MOSFET""s,xe2x80x9d IEEE Transactions on Electron Devices, Vol 46, No. 7, pp.1537-1544, it is found that BST and PZT are not only thermally unstable with a silicon substrate but also have been found to cause fringing field induced barrier lowering (FIBL). In addition, the requirement of a barrier layer between the high k dielectric and silicon further illustrates the disadvantage of these materials.
In W. Qi et al, xe2x80x9cMOSCAP and MOSFET characteristics using ZrO2 gate dielectric deposited directly on Si, IEDM Technical Digest, pp.145-148, (1999), and in B. Lee et al, xe2x80x9cUltra thin hafnium oxide with low leakage and excellent reliability for alternative gate dielectric applications,xe2x80x9d IEDM Technical Digest, pp. 133-136, (1999), it is found that zirconium oxide (ZrO2) and hafnium oxide (HfO2) show promise for future gate dielectric applications. The stability of these materials on the silicon surface and the ability to form them without the need for an interface layer, such as silicate, makes zirconium oxide and hafnium oxide good candidates to replace silicon dioxide.
Deposition of hafnium oxide and zirconium oxide is presently achieved by DC magnetron reactive sputtering or by physical vapor deposition. These methods may be suitable for blanket deposition. However, they are not suitable for difficult topologies such as the high aspect ratio trenches that are typical to DRAM and embedded DRAM technologies. The film coverage at the sidewall and bottom is insufficient using these methods. Chemical vapor deposition (CVD) at a low temperature is preferred for improving the conformal coverage of the metal oxide film. However, a new set of precursors is required.
Several prior art approaches disclose methods to form either zirconium oxide or hafnium oxide or to related technology. U.S. Pat. No. 6,020,024 to Maiti et al teaches the formation of zirconium oxide or hafnium oxide over a silicon nitride oxidation barrier. The metal oxides are formed by first sputtering the metal onto the substrate and then performing an oxidation. Alternatively, CVD may be used to deposit metal oxide followed by an oxygen anneal to reduce oxygen vacancies in the film. No details are given regarding the precursors used in CVD deposition of the metal film. U.S. Pat. No. 6,013,553 to Wallace et al teaches the formation of zirconium oxide and hafnium oxide. Hafnium or zirconium is first deposited through evaporation, sputtering, or CVD. For CVD, the precursors include hafnium tetrachloride or zirconium tetrachloride and hydrogen. Oxynitridation is achieved through direct exposure to NO or through remote plasma of nitrogen followed by oxidation. U.S. Pat. No. 5,733,661 to Ue et al teaches the formation of composite hafnium oxide and/or zirconium oxide films containing anions of organic carboxylic salts and/or inorganic oxoacid salts. The composite hafnium oxide and zirconium oxide films have relative permittivity values of between 50 and 1000, which are at least twice that of the simple oxides of hafnium and zirconium. U.S. Pat. No. 5,487,918 to Akhtar teaches the formation of hafnium oxide by reacting a hafnium substrate with hexamethyldisiloxane vapor. U.S. Pat. No. 5,443,686 to Jones et al teaches the precoating of the interior wall of a CVD reaction chamber with a thin layer of hafnium oxide or zirconium oxide, which is inert to the etching gas introduced for the removal of the silicon deposits. U.S. Pat. No. 5,405,805 to Homma teaches the exposure of zirconium oxide and hafnium oxide as insulating films in semiconductor devices to an alkoxyfluorosilane vapor to reduce water content. U.S. Pat. No. 5,405,796 to Jones, Jr. teaches the use of zirconium oxide, among other dielectric materials, as a high permittivity dielectric in the formation of a capacitor for use in a memory cell. U.S. Pat. No. 5,290,609 to Horiike et al teaches the formation of zirconium oxide or hafnium oxide as an auxiliary dielectric layer to tantalum pentoxide in a semiconductor device. Although the method of deposition of the metal oxides is CVD, no details of the precursors are given. Finally, the formation of zirconium oxide and hafnium oxide by sputtering metal followed by oxidation or by sputtering metal oxide target is practiced in the prior art.
A principal object of the present invention is to provide an effective and very manufacturable method to form high dielectric constant materials in the manufacture of an integrated circuit device.
A further object of the present invention is to provide a method to form metal oxide as a high dielectric constant material.
Another further object of the present invention is to provide a method to form composite metal oxide-silicon oxide as a high dielectric constant material.
A yet further object of the present invention is to provide precursors for the chemical vapor deposition of zirconium oxide.
Another yet further object of the present invention is to provide precursors for the chemical vapor deposition of hafnium oxide.
Another yet further object of the present invention is to provide precursors for the chemical vapor deposition of composite zirconium oxide-silicon oxide.
Another yet further object of the present invention is to provide precursors for the chemical vapor deposition of composite hafnium oxide-silicon oxide.
In accordance with the objects of this invention, a new method of forming a metal oxide high dielectric constant layer in the manufacture of an integrated circuit device has been achieved. A substrate is provided. A metal oxide layer is deposited overlying the substrate by reacting a precursor with an oxidant gas in a chemical vapor deposition chamber. The metal oxide layer may comprise hafnium oxide or zirconium oxide. The precursor may comprise metal alkoxide, metal tetraalkoxide, metal tetraalkoxide containing halogen, metal xcex2-diketonate, metal fluorinated xcex2-diketonate, metal oxoacid, metal acetate, or metal alkene. The metal oxide layer is annealed to cause densification and to complete the formation of the metal oxide dielectric layer in the manufacture of the integrated circuit device.
Also in accordance with the objects of this invention, a new method of forming a composite metal oxide-silicon oxide high dielectric constant layer in the manufacture of an integrated circuit device has been achieved. A substrate is provided. A metal oxide-silicon oxide layer is deposited overlying the substrate by reacting a precursor with an oxidant gas in a chemical vapor deposition chamber. The metal oxide-silicon oxide layer may comprise hafnium oxide-silicon oxide or zirconium oxide-silicon oxide. The precursor comprises metal tetrasiloxane. The metal oxide layer is annealed to cause densification and to complete the formation of the metal oxide-silicon oxide dielectric layer in the manufacture of the integrated circuit device.

Method to form zirconium oxide and hafnium oxide for high dielectric constant materials

Chartered Semiconductor Manufacturing Ltd.


A diamino-xanthene colorant is provided having the following structure: ##STR1## where Y is a poly(oxyalkylene) substituent having a straight or branched polymer chain of at least 3 monomer units selected from ethylene oxide, propylene oxide, butylene oxide and glycidol;. R.sub.1 and R.sub.2 are independently selected from H, C1-C4 alkyl, C1-C4 alkoxy, Cl, Br and I; PA1 X is selected from H, SO.sub.3 --, CO.sub.2 -- and COOR.sub.3, where R.sub.3 is C1-C4 alkyl or aryl; and PA1 each Z is independently selected from SO.sub.3 --, CO.sub.2 --, COOR.sub.4, Cl and OH, where R.sub.4 is C1-C4 alkyl or aryl, and n is 0, 1, or 2; the colorant is synthesized by condensing two moles of an N,N-bis(poly(oxyalkylene))-p-methoxyaniline and o-formylbenzene sulfonic acid.

This invention relates to a novel poly(oxyalkylene) substituted xanthene colorant, and particularly, to a triphenylmethane derivative exhibiting improved water solubility and fugitivity. The method for making the xanthene colorant involves a condensation reaction of a N,N-bis(poly(oxyalkylene))-m-alkoxyaniline intermediate.
Xanthene dyes, and in particular 3-,6-diamino-xanthenes such as rhodamine dyes, are well known in the art as exemplified in the COLOR INDEX, 3rd. ed., Vol. 4., pp. 4419-4422 (1971). These dyes range from bright red to bright bluish red, and typically fluoresce orange or red upon exposure to ultraviolet light. Rhodamine dyes have found use in a variety of applications including coloring soaps and other cleaning products, water tracing and leak detection. While the dyes have gained wide acceptance throughout the industry, they have come under suspicion as being toxic and unsuitable for use when human exposure to the dye is expected. Less toxic rhodamines have been commercialized, such as Rhodamine WT. However, Rhodamine WT has relatively poor light fastness, and tends to stain skin, clothes and equipment.
Another category of triphenylmethane type xanthene dyes is exemplified by the compounds disclosed in Farber et al., U.S. Pat. No. 3,873,573; Hatano et al., U.S. Pat. No. 4,330,473; and Zink, U.S. Pat. No. 4,806,657. These diamino-xanthene dyes have amino groups in the 3- and 7- positions. In particular, the amino group in the 7- position may be phenyl substituted. The patents also disclose N-phenyl-p-methoxylaniline intermediates which may be reacted with a ketonic acid. These compounds are particularly useful as recording material, since opening the lactone ring of such compounds converts the faintly colored material to a dark green or black color.
Methods of improving the water solubility or fugitivity of dyes by providing one or more poly(oxyalkylene) substituents is known in the art. Examples of "fugitive tints" are disclosed in Kuhn, U.S. Pat. No. 3,157,633; Hauser et al., U.S. Pat. No. 4,144,028; and Brendle, U.S. Pat. No. 4,167,510. The aforementioned colorants have been found to be especially useful in the textile industry for identification of fibers and yarn during weaving or tufting. The colorants are easily removed to allow the textile product to be dyed a uniform color in subsequent stages of the manufacturing process. A large number of organic dyes have been synthesized with intermediates provided with poly(oxyalkylene) substituents and include azo, methine, anthraquinone and some triphenylmethane colorants. Nevertheless, attempts to synthesize poly(oxyalkylene) substituted xanthene dyes have not heretofore met with success.
Typical prior art processes for manufacturing rhodamine type dyes provide for condensing m-dialkylaminophenol with phthalic anhydride. A diagram of the synthesis of Rhodamine B, described in Venkataraman, THE CHEMISTRY OF SYNTHETIC DYES, Vol. II, pp. 750-54 (1952), is set forth below. ##STR2##
The final step of the condensation reaction is believed to be a ring closure involving the hydroxyl groups on the m-dialkylaminophenol residues, which together with the phthalic anhydride residue form a triphenylmethane compound. The exact mechanism is not known, however, an ether linkage is formed between the phenyl groups at the former site of the hydroxyl substituents to complete the ring.
In synthesizing a poly(oxyalkylene) substituted colorant, it is desirable to alkoxylate one or more of the reactants or intermediates which form the colorant. However, the intermediates used in a typical rhodamine synthesis may not be readily alkoxylated without adding poly(oxyalkylene) to sites on the intermediate which participate in colorant formation. Thus, despite a strong desire to provide a poly(oxyalkylene) substituted rhodamine colorant or other poly(oxyalkylene) substituted triphenylmethane type xanthene colorants to the market, such a product has not been available.

Poly(oxyalkylene) substituted xanthene colorant and method for making the same


The present invention provides an optical wavelength multiplexing transmission apparatus and an optical output control method for an optical wavelength multiplexing transmission apparatus in an optical wavelength multiplexing transmission system using a main signal light and an OSC light. The optical wavelength multiplexing transmission apparatus (10a) is made up of a first transmitting/receiving section (52a) a second transmitting/receiving section (52b) and an apparatus supervisory control unit (54). This can not only achieve quick restoration from troubles, but also stably calculate an optical output level even if a change of the number of wavelengths to be multiplexed takes place in a main signal light, and even save troublesome adjustments for the improvement of reliability of a transmission line while eliminating the need for a signal source for the adjustment of a receive optical level at the initial installation.

For fast transmission of a large volume of information, there has been employed a system based on an optical wavelength multiplexing transmission technique. This optical wavelength multiplexing transmission system is for transmitting a wavelength-multiplexed light with different wavelengths through one optical fiber. In recent years, an optical wavelength multiplexing transmission system, which provides a transmission rate of approximately 2.4 Gbps×16 waves (where "G" represents 109 and "bit per second" signifies transmission rate per second), has been put to practical use.
Furthermore, on the design of a transmission line used for the optical wavelength multiplexing transmission, it is technically required to suppress the non-linear effects of an optical fiber. Still furthermore, in a case in which the aforesaid optical wavelength multiplexing transmission system is used as a linear repeating system, the key is maintaining the gain fattening in an optical band the optical amplifier puts to use. For this reason, as one example of meeting such a technical requirement, there is a method in which an optical amplifier is controlled through the use of ALC (Automatic Level Control).
An optical wavelength multiplexing transmission system will first be described with reference to FIGS. 18 to 20 and an ALC will then be described with reference to FIGS. 21 and 22. In the following description, an optical amplifier will sometimes be referred to as an "optical AMP" or simply as an "AMP", and the contents thereof are the same.
FIG. 18 is a block diagram showing a transmission side WDM (Wavelength Division Multiplexing) terminal station. In FIG. 18, a transmission side WDM terminal station 100a is an optical wavelength multiplexing transmission apparatus designed to perform the multiplexing for a wavelength-multiplexed light and the demultiplexing thereof, and acts as a transmission terminal station. Moreover, this transmission side WDM terminal station 100a is made up of a multiplexing unit (MUX) 16a, an up main signal light amplifying unit 31, an OSC (Optical Supervisory Channel) light transmitting unit 113b, a control unit 113c and an optical output monitor 113a.
The multiplexing unit 16a accomplishes optical coupling, and the up main signal light amplifying unit 31 compensates for a drop of an optical level at optical multiplexing and dispersion compensation, or in a transmission line or the like. Moreover, the optical output monitor 113a monitors an optical output level from a coupler (optical coupler) 60a in the up main signal light amplifying unit 31 to issue an output monitor value. This output monitor value is inputted to the control unit 113c to implement the output control of the up main signal light amplifying unit 31 and the information transfer to the OSC light transmitting unit 113b.
In addition, the OSC light transmitting unit 113b is for wavelength-multiplexing a sub-signal light, functioning as a control signal, and a main signal light for the purpose of the supervisory control of a remote station (not shown). In this case, the sub-signal light is equally referred to simply as an "OSC light". This OSC light transmitting unit 113b is for carrying out the switching control between the ALC control for automatically controlling the optical output level and the AGC control (Automatic Gain Control) for variably controlling the gain, and further for transmitting the number of transmission wavelengths forming the ALC setting information and the information such as a transmission rate to a linear repeater or reception side WDM terminal station lying on the downstream side. These ALC control and AGC control will be described later with reference to FIGS. 21 and 22.
In the following description, a main signal light signifies an optical wavelength-multiplexed signal to be linearly repeated between WDM terminal stations, while an OSC light (sub-signal light) represents a single wavelength light for supervisory control which does not pass through an optical amplifier and which is terminated at each of repeating sections. This OSC light does not affect the passing of a main signal light and does not pass through an optical amplifier, and is used as a supervisory control channel or pilot light. This "pass" signifies that it is in a communication state. Although a WDM terminal station is equally referred to as a "WDM terminal device", in the following description it sometimes will be referred to simply as an "terminal station".
Moreover, in FIGS. 18 to 20, the same reference numerals as those used above denote the same or equivalent functions, and the further description thereof will be omitted.
FIG. 19 is a block diagram showing a WDM linear repeater. In FIG. 19, a WDM linear repeater 100b is an optical wavelength multiplexing transmission apparatus, and operates as a linear repeater (linear repeating device). An OSC light transmitted from a former station is received by an OSC light receiving unit 113d located on the wavelength-multiplexed light input side and the reception level is inputted as a reception value to the control unit 113c. Moreover, a wavelength-multiplexed light outputted from the up main signal light amplifying unit 31 is monitored in the optical output monitor 113a and the output monitor value is inputted to the control unit 113c. In the control unit 113c, an OSC transmission value is calculated on the basis of these values and is outputted to the OSC light transmitting unit 113b to be transmitted to an adjacent station (next station). Thus, information is transmitted through the use of an OSC light different from a main signal light.
FIG. 20 is a block diagram showing a reception side WDM terminal station. In FIG. 20, a reception side WDM terminal station 100c is also constructed as an optical wavelength multiplexing transmission apparatus, and works as a transmission (reception) terminal station. A main signal light from a transmission line is amplified in the up main signal light amplifying unit 31 and, following this, in a demultiplexing unit (DMUX) 16b, a received wavelength-multiplexed light is demultiplexed into lights with optical wavelengths λ1 to λ8 and then outputted.
In addition, the OSC light is received by the OSC light receiving unit 113d and the OSC reception value is inputted to the control unit 113c. On the other hand, for the main signal light, an output light level is monitored in the optical output monitor 113a and inputted as an output monitor value to the control unit 113c. On the basis of these values, the control unit 113c outputs an output control signal to a variable attenuator 31b in the up main signal light amplifying unit 31.
As described above, the transmission side WDM terminal station 100a, the WDM linear repeater 100b and the reception side WDM terminal station 100c, shown in FIGS. 18 to 20, are connected through optical fiber transmission lines, and a wavelength-multiplexed light comprising a main signal light and an OSC light is transmitted from the transmission side WDM terminal station 100a through the downstream side WDM linear repeater 100b to the reception side WDM terminal station 100c.
Furthermore, with respect to the output level control of an optical amplifier, a description will be given hereinbelow of ALC control and AGC control in a case in which the number of wavelengths to be multiplexed increases and decreases. The ALC control will first be described with reference to FIGS. 21(a) to 21(c) and the AGC control will then be described with reference to FIGS. 22(a) to 22(c).
FIGS. 21(a) to 21(c) are illustrations for explaining an ALC operation at an increase/decrease in number of wavelengths. As one example, a spectrum waveform shown in FIG. 21(a) has peak values L1 at two places on an optical wavelength axis (horizontal axis). In this state, when the number of wavelengths is decreased (contracted), one wavelength appears as shown in FIG. 21(b) and the peak value becomes higher than L1. On the other hand, if the number of wavelengths is increased (extended), three wavelengths appear as shown in FIG. 21(c) and the peak value becomes lower than L1.
FIGS. 22(a) to 22(c) are illustrations for explaining an AGC operation at an increase/decrease in number of wavelengths. In a state where peak values L2 exist as shown in FIG. 22(a), when the number of wavelengths is decreased, the peak values L2 remain intact as shown in FIG. 22(b). Even if the number of wavelengths is increased, the peak values L2 assume a constant value as shown in FIG. 22(c).
Meanwhile, a former-stage AGC amplifier 31a and a latter-stage AGC amplifier 31d are required to vary their output levels in accordance with the number of optical wavelengths to be multiplexed. If an increase/decrease in number of optical wavelengths takes place in a state where each of the optical amplifiers 31a and 31d conducts the ALC operation, each of the optical amplifiers 31a and 31d operates to maintain the optical output level to a constant value irrespective of the input level. Accordingly, in consequence, the output level per wavelength varies.
For this reason, at the increase/decrease in number of wavelengths, the control unit 113c switches the operation of each of the optical amplifiers 31a and 31d from the ALC control to the AGC control in a state where the ALC control level is fixed to a previous value, which makes no variation in optical output level for each optical wavelength even at the increase/decrease in number of wavelengths.
FIG. 23 is an illustration of a configuration of an optical wavelength multiplexing transmission system. In FIG. 23, in transmission lines, optical attenuators (optical PADs) 114 are provided, each of which attenuates the level of a wavelength-multiplexed light. The optical levels in the transmission lines are monitored by optical power meters 115 placed in the transmission side WDM terminal station 100a, the WDM linear repeater 100b and the reception side WDM terminal station 100c, respectively, thereby enabling the adjustment of the optical levels.
In the case of the optical wavelength multiplexing transmission shown in FIG. 23, the light to be transmitted is composed of multiple wavelengths and the non-linear effect due to the transmission optical fiber becomes noticeable; therefore, the optical power which can be sent to the transmission line has an upper limit. Moreover, due to the dynamic range determined by the NF (Noise Figure: noise characteristic) of an optical amplifier, the reception level of the optical amplifier is required to be severely adjusted up to several dBs.
For this reason, so far, for this optical input level adjustment, the optical level of a signal light has been measured by a level meter on the downstream side and the optical level adjustment has been made by the insertion of an optical attenuator (optical PAD) or variable attenuator (ATT) so that the optical level measured agrees with the input dynamic range, which requires a troublesome field adjustment work.
Accordingly, a supervisor is required to handle the troublesome field adjustment work resulting from a secular change of the optical PAD and others or environmental variation. Moreover, it is considered to eliminate the need for this manual work by automating the control and to implement the feedback control of the transmission level on the basis of the optical level (total optical level) of the total main signal light on the reception side.
However, the employment of this automation system becomes difficult because of the following circumstances (1) and (2) peculiar to a wavelength multiplexing transmission/linear repeating system, so effects are unobtainable.
(1) As a characteristic of an optical wavelength multiplexing transmission system, the total optical level varies in accordance with the number of wavelengths to be put to use. Moreover, in the case of varying due to the extension and contraction in the number of wavelengths or the shutdown (disconnection) of a wavelength-multiplexed light stemming from the troubles of lower-order (downstream) equipment, the total optical level varies in a short period of time. This provides a problem in that, if the control of the transmission optical level is made on the basis of the reception level of the total optical level, the disturbance of the optical level occurs due to the increase/decrease in number of wavelengths, the shutdown or the like, which leads to unstable transmission quality.
(2) Since a linear optical amplifying system issues an optical output only when a wavelength-multiplexed light is inputted thereto, it is required that the optical input is made through the use of a measuring instrument or the like at the adjustment in the field. This provides a problem in that, not until a wavelength-multiplexed light is actually inputted to an optical amplifier to make this optical amplifier initiate an optical output, the reception side receives a signal for the level adjustment.
In addition, Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. HEI 9-116504 discloses a method of measuring a property of an optical transmission line in which a wavelength-multiplexed signal light propagates, and an optical transmission line property measuring method in which a portion of light propagating on an optical transmission line is led to another optical transmission line for measuring optical power distributions of up and down signal lights with different wavelengths. However, this publication does not disclose the transmission/reception of control information using OSC light.
The present invention has been developed in consideration of these problems, and it is therefore a first object of the invention to, in an optical wavelength multiplexing transmission system which transmits a wavelength-multiplexed light while adjusting an optical level between optical amplifiers through the use of a main signal light and an OSC light, provide an optical wavelength multiplexing transmission apparatus and an optical output control method for an optical wavelength multiplexing transmission apparatus, capable of adjusting a transmission optical level through the use of the OSC light without delivering a main signal light by monitoring transmission output levels and receive input levels of the main signal light and the OSC light, thus enabling quick restoration from troubles.
A second object of the invention is to provide an optical wavelength multiplexing transmission apparatus and an optical output control method for an optical wavelength multiplexing transmission apparatus, capable of achieving stable calculation of an optical output level even when a change of the number of wavelengths of a main signal light to be multiplexed takes place.
A third object of the invention is to provide an optical wavelength multiplexing transmission apparatus and an optical output control method for an optical wavelength multiplexing transmission apparatus, capable of eliminating the need for a signal source for a receive optical level adjustment at the initial installation and eliminating the need for optical parts for the receive optical level adjustment by eliminating the troublesome adjustment for improving the reliability of the transmission lines, and capable of coping with a change with the passage of time on the transmission line loss after the field adjustment (level adjustment work in the field) or troubles, or a variation of the transmission line loss due to the moving without requiring the re-adjustment.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Optical wavelength multiplexing transmission apparatus and optical output control method for optical wavelength multiplexing transmission apparatus


A filter capable of being used in subterranean environments includes a filter medium. An erosion barrier is disposed along a common flow path with the filter medium for preventing erosion by particles in a fluid being filtered.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to filters for use in subterranean environments, such as in oil or gas wells, water wells, and geothermal wells, and in other applications in which it is desired to remove a liquid or gas from the ground without bringing soil particulates, such as sand or clay, up with the liquid or gas.
2. Description of the Related Art
Filters are frequently used in subterranean wells in order to remove particulates from liquids or gases produced by the wells. Typical particulates which need to be filtered out are sand and clay, and for this reason, well filters for this purpose are often referred to as sand screens.
A possible mode of failure of a well filter is one in which portions of the filter are eroded through by sand particles in the fluid being filtered. When the flow of fluid through the filter is slow, the erosion of the filter by the sand particles is quite gradual. However, under some circumstances, the fluid with the well is directed against the well filter at a high velocity, and the sand particles in the fluid produce an abrasive effect on the filter which is similar to sand blasting. Such high velocity fluid flows can occur when portions of the formation in which a well is formed become plugged up, so that fluids are forced through the unplugged portions at a higher velocity than normal. The sand in a high velocity fluid flow is able to abrade not only through the filter medium of a well filter but also through solid steel portions of the filter. Thus, high velocity flow of sand-containing fluids within a well can significantly shorten the lifespan of a well filter.


An exhaust emission control apparatus includes a NOX catalyst provided within an exhaust passage of an internal combustion engine where fuel combustion is continuously performed at a lean air/fuel ratio, and a reducing agent supply valve within the exhaust passage upstream of the NOX catalyst. If the NOX stored in the NOX catalyst is required to be decreased, a selector valve position is selected between a forward and a reverse flow positions so as to decrease a flow rate of the exhaust gas flowing through the NOX catalyst. Then a reducing agent is supplied upon elapse of a predetermined time period from the timing when the signal instructing to select the position of the selector valve. An oxygen sensor detects an oxygen concentration of the exhaust gas discharged from the NOX catalyst upon supply of the reducing agent. The elapsing time is corrected such that a peak value of the detected oxygen concentration accords with the target value.

1. Field of Invention
The invention relates to an exhaust emission control apparatus and a control method of an internal combustion engine.
2. Description of Related Art
There is a known internal combustion engine for combustion of fuel at a lean air/fuel ratio having a NOX catalyst disposed within an exhaust passage. The NOX catalyst stores NOX contained in exhaust gas flowing into the NOX catalyst at a lean air/fuel ratio, and reduces the stored NOX under the presence of a reducing agent contained in the exhaust gas upon decrease in the air/fuel ratio. The aforementioned internal combustion engine further includes a bypass passage that extends to branch off from the exhaust passage upstream of the NOX catalyst, and a bypass control valve that serves to adjust a flow rate of the exhaust gas flowing into the bypass passage so as to control the flow rate of the exhaust gas flowing through the NOX catalyst. A reducing agent supply valve through which the reducing agent is supplied to the NOX catalyst is disposed within the exhaust passage between the point where the bypass passage is branched and the NOX catalyst. In the above-structured internal combustion engine, the flow rate of the exhaust gas flowing through the NOX catalyst is temporarily decreased by the bypass control valve, and at the same time, the reducing agent is supplied from the reducing agent supply valve.
The above structure may decrease the quantity of the reduction agent which is required to set the air/fuel ratio of the exhaust gas flowing into the NOX catalyst to the rich or the theoretical state by decreasing the flow rate of the exhaust gas upon supply of the reducing agent through the reducing agent supply valve. As the space velocity of the exhaust gas within the NOX catalyst is decreased, the quantity of the reducing agent flowing through the NOX catalyst without causing reaction can be decreased, resulting in efficient use of the reducing agent.
The above-structured internal combustion engine controls the bypass control valve such that the flow rate of the exhaust gas flowing into the NOX catalyst sequentially changes from the timing when the flow rate begins decreasing until it resumes the originally set value. The reducing agent may be efficiently used at an optimum flow rate of the exhaust gas flowing through the NOX catalyst upon supply of the reducing agent through the reducing agent supply valve. It is, therefore, preferable to determine the timing at which the flow rate of the exhaust gas flowing through the NOX catalyst becomes the optimum value for the efficient use of the reducing agent. This makes it possible to supply the reducing agent through the reducing agent supply valve at the determined timing.
Each of the bypass control valves, however, widely varies in terms of performance. This may cause the flow rate of the exhaust gas flowing through the NOX catalyst to become larger or smaller than the optimum value even if the reducing agent is supplied at the determined timing.

Exhaust emission control apparatus of internal combustion engine and method thereof


A seating detector comprises a plurality of cells provided at a seating surface to be defined by rows and columns for detecting partial loads, an unevenness calculating means for calculating the number of cells when a partial pressure detected at the each cell is larger than a partial pressure detected at one abutting cell positioned next to the cell at one side thereof and a partial pressure detected at the other abutting cell positioned next to the cell at the other side thereof, or when a partial pressure detected at the each cell is smaller than a partial pressure detected at one abutting cell positioned next to the cell at one side thereof and a partial pressure detected at the other abutting cell positioned next to the cell at the other side thereof, and a determining means for determining that the seat is occupied by a child restraint system based on a comparison between the number of the cells and a threshold.

Recently, a vehicle equips an air bag apparatus at front portion thereof (on a driver seat or on a passenger seat) for improving safety on a collision. When the vehicle crashes into an object due to an accident, the air bag apparatus outputs a signal (an operation signal) to an air bag actuator based on a signal from the collision-detecting sensor for actuating an inflator and inflating the air bag instantaneously.
On this account, for improving the safety on the vehicle collision, a vehicle having a function for switching a place where the air bag is inflated considering a direction of the impact due to the vehicle collision has been on a market. In this case, the air bag needs to be actuated based on an accurate determination whether or not a passenger is sitting on the vehicle seat. The judge whether or not the passenger is sitting on the vehicle seat, especially on the passenger seat, needs to be done more precisely because such seat may be variously occupied by a adult, a children or a baby on a child seat (Child Restraint System, hereinafter referred to as CRS).
Known seating detectors are disclosed in JP2000-301980A2, JP2001-201412A2, JP2003-80989A2 and JP2002-87132A2.
In JP2000-301980A2 and JP2001-201412A2, the known seating detector proposes a method of a pattern matching for determining a characteristic difference between a CRS and human by examining pressure distribution patterns of each occupant. In JP2003-80989A2, the known seating detector proposes a method for determining a characteristic difference between a CRS and human by examining distances among each peak seating pressures.
In JP2002-87132A2, a known method for determining the occupant is disclosed. Such method determines types of occupant by means of a seating area (total load), template matching, and edges obtained by summing up load differences between the sensors. The values of the total load when the vehicle seat is occupied by the CRS are similar to the values of the total load and the width when the vehicle seat is occupied by an adult or a child, however, according to the template matching, a characteristic of the vehicle seat on which the CRS is attached is different from a characteristic of the vehicle seat which is occupied by human. In addition, according to the edge detection, an edge amount when the vehicle seat is occupied by the CRS is different from an edge amount when the vehicle seat is occupied by human. Thus, the CRS may be misclassified as human when the total load applied to the vehicle seat is relatively large due to a load applied to the vehicle seat when the seat belt is fastening tightly. To improve the detecting accuracy when a high load is applied to the vehicle seat, the template matching and the edge detection are applied to the seat detector.
According to the known seating detector disclosed in JP2000-301980A2 and JP2001-201412A2, the occupant may be misclassified when a shape of a bottom portion of the CRS is similar to a hip shape of human body because a calculated value of the pattern matching when the seat is occupied by the CRS becomes similar to a calculated value of human.
According to the known seating detector disclosed in JP2003-80989A2 the occupant may also be misclassified when the shape of the bottom portion of the CRS is similar to the hip shape of human body because a distance among each peak seating pressure when the seat is occupied by the CRS becomes similar to a distance of human.
According to the known seating detector disclosed in JP2002-87132A2, the occupant may also be misclassified when the shape of the bottom portion of the CRS is similar to the hip shape of human body. In addition, the occupant may be misclassified when a result of the template matching when the CRS is attached on the vehicle seat is similar to a result of the template matching when human is seating on the vehicle seat. Further, when the CRS includes a bottom whose shape cause a small pressure difference on the edge thereof, so that the detecting accuracy may be decreased.
Thus, a need exists for a seating detector to determine whether the seat is occupied by human or occupied by a CRS accurately.


A method and an apparatus for indicating the time to replace consumables in an image forming apparatus by receiving the current date and the critical time of the consumables from a host and comparing them. The apparatus and method include receiving information regarding replacement of the consumables from the host; comparing the received information regarding the replacement of the consumables to information on the critical time to replace the consumables; and when the comparison result indicates the need to replace the consumables, indicating the time to replace the consumables. The information regarding replacement of the consumables includes a current date, and the information on the critical time includes the critical time. The indicating of the time may include comparing the current date and the critical time and when the current date is the same as or greater than the critical time, determining that the consumables need to be replaced.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus. More particularly, the present invention relates to a method and an apparatus for indicating the time to replace consumables in an image forming apparatus by receiving the current date and the critical time for replacing consumables from a host and comparing the time to replace with the current date and critical time.
2. Description of the Related Art
FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a conventional image forming system. The image forming system comprises a host 100 and an image forming apparatus 200. The host 100 includes an application program 110, a graphics device interface (GDI) 120, an image forming apparatus driver 130, a user interface 140, and a spooler 150. The image forming apparatus 200, typically a printer, comprises a video controller 210, an engine controller 220, and a battery 230. The video controller 210 includes a non-volatile random access memory (NVRAM) 212 and a real-time clock (RTC) 214.
The application program 110 generates an object output using the image forming apparatus 200 and edits the object. The GDI 120, residing in an operating system of the host, receives the object generated at the application program 110 and transmits it to the image forming apparatus driver 130, and generates a command related to the object the image forming apparatus driver 130 is requesting.
The image forming apparatus driver 130 generates a command interpretable by the image forming apparatus 200. The user interface 140 for the image forming apparatus driver 130 provides environmental variables in order for the image forming apparatus driver 130 to generate the command. The spooler 150, a program residing in the operating system of the host, transmits the command generated by the image forming apparatus driver 120 to a physical input/output device (not shown) connected to the image forming apparatus 200.
The video controller 210 interprets the command generated by the image forming apparatus driver 130 and bitmaps an image, and then transmits the bitmapped image to the engine controller 220. The engine controller 220 transmits the bitmap image generated by the video controller 210 to printing media (not shown).
During printing, as shown above, consumables in the image forming apparatus 200 are used. The consumables are, for example, a developer, ink, and a fixer. Such consumables need to be replaced after a predetermined time regardless of how often printing was performed. For example, the developer should be replaced after a year.
The conventional image forming apparatus 200 determines the time to replace the consumables using the NVRAM 212, the RTC 214, and the battery 230. In other words, the critical time, which is the time when the consumables should be replaced, is stored inside the NVRAM 212. The critical time may be initialized when the product is produced and renewed when the consumables are replaced. The RTC 214 provides the current time using the power supplied from the battery 230. That is, the current time received from the RTC 214 is compared to the critical time stored in the NVRAM 212. If the current time is the same as or greater than the critical time, information that the consumables need to be replaced is indicated on an indicator (not shown) of the image forming apparatus 200, for example, a panel.
As described-above, the RTC 214 and the battery 230 are needed in order to indicate the time to replace the consumables on the panel. However, a low cost image forming apparatus may not include the RTC 214 and the battery 230. In this case, the user cannot be informed of the time to replace the consumables.
Japanese Published Application No. 2000-71581 discloses a printing system that predicts and indicates the date to replace a consumable by measuring the consuming rate of the consumable article. However, it does not disclose a method of indicating the time to replace the consumable regardless of how frequently the consumable article was used.

Method of and apparatus for indicating a time to replace consumables in an image forming apparatus


A two-stage technique for compressing radar data is disclosed in which, in the first stage, Constant False Alarm Rate (CFAR) compression is conducted using a median calculated from at least one dimension of radar data, which is then used to determine filtering threshold values for all dimensions of the radar data. The radar data is then compressed by filtering the radar data based on the filtering threshold values. In the second stage, peak detection is then performed on the compressed data to identify detected objects (targets). These and other embodiments are described herein.

Radar uses Radio Frequency (RF) signals to determine the location and/or movement of an object. Traditionally, "ping" radar (low-resolution radar) has been used in air defense systems, flight control systems, and many other applications. More recently, however, "imaging" radar (high-resolution radar) has provided a much higher-resolution image than ping radar can provide. The higher resolution provided by imaging radar can be used for object detection in automotive and other applications.
Throughput and memory demands for imaging radar, however, can be quite demanding. Constant False Alarm Rate (CFAR) or peak detection can be used, but traditional techniques can require a high degree of complexity and may have insufficient capabilities to process radar data from high-resolution imaging radar systems. Moreover, alternative techniques may be insufficiently accurate for automotive and/or other modern applications.