This invention employs a diamine electrolyte additive that enhances performance of lithium-ion batteries both at high and low temperatures, thereby minimizing the conventional performance gap across a wide temperature range, such as −30° C. to 60° C. At low temperatures, diamine additives can enhances cycling kinetics. At high temperatures, diamine additives can minimize capacity fading. In some variations, a lithium-ion battery electrolyte composition comprises a non-aqueous solvent, a lithium salt soluble in the non-aqueous solvent, and a diamine additive having the formula H2N—R—NH2, wherein R is an organic group such as (—CH2—)n, n=2-12.

Batteries based on lithium (Li), such as lithium-ion batteries, are attractive due to their high energy density compared to other commercial batteries. Li-ion batteries are used commercially in computers, cell phones, and related devices. Li-ion batteries have potential for use in electric vehicle/hybrid-electric vehicle (EV/HEV) applications. The most-suitable battery technology, which offers both a sufficient range and enough power to provide the acceleration required by today's drivers, is the lithium-ion battery system (Grove and Burgleman, The McKinsey Quarterly, December 2008).
In recent years, commercial efforts have attempted to improve lithium-ion batteries to meet the requirements demanded for target applications. Particularly for EV/HEV applications, high charge and discharge rates across a large temperature range (e.g., −30° C. to 60° C.) and long cycle life are critical requirements. Presently, these requirements have not been met. To date, a major technological bottleneck limiting the operation of Li-ion batteries over a wide temperature range is the electrolyte.
In a typical Li-ion battery, the Li+ cation moves from the anode to the cathode (discharging) or cathode to anode (charging). The electrolyte is normally a lithium salt in a non-aqueous solvent. Electrolyte additives are known in the art which possess specific properties to enhance battery function. Electrolyte additives are generally beneficial at either low or high temperature, but not across a wide range of temperatures. Typically, such additives exhibit specific functions to enhance battery discharge capacity and cycling stability. Some additives work very well for low temperatures but not at high temperatures, while other additives perform well at high temperatures but not at low temperatures.
In light of these and other shortcomings in the art, improved electrolyte additives are needed for Li-ion batteries. Improved electrolyte additives preferably minimize the battery performance gap between low and high temperatures, maintaining good function and cycle stability throughout a range of practical operation temperatures. What is particularly desired are electrolyte additives that are selected or designed to be effective at any practical temperature, by employing at least two different temperature-dependent chemical mechanisms suitable to confer benefits to battery performance.

Electrolyte additives for lithium-ion batteries


A water amount controlling switch structure of water injection gun, including a gun housing, a controlling pin, a water sealing gasket, a locating ring, an adjustment pin, a trigger, a push button, a pad member, a water sealing ring and three springs. The trigger is U-shaped and pivotally connected with an opening of a chamber of the gun housing. A lower portion of inner side of a middle board of the trigger is disposed with a projecting conic head pushing post. An upper section of the middle board is disposed with a push button notch. A lower edge of the notch is formed with a supporting slope face. The push button is received in the notch. An upper section of inner side of the push button is disposed with a hollow fitting post. A bottom edge of the push button is formed with a micro-adjustment slope face leaning against and engaging with the supporting slope face of the notch of the trigger. An end of the micro-adjustment slope face of the push button is disposed with a short horizontal section and a vertical engaging edge connected with the horizontal section. By means of the engagement between the supporting slope face of the trigger and the micro-adjustment slope face of the push button, the trigger can be freely pressed inward and located to micro-adjust the water amount and by means of pressing the push button, the trigger is restored to its home position to shut off the water.

The present invention relates to a water amount controlling switch structure of water injection gun, which can easily and quickly micro-adjust the water amount or shut off the water as necessary.
In the conventional water injection gun, the water flow is controlled by a front trigger type controlling switch. Such controlling switch can only keep a maximum water amount or shut off the water, while failing to micro-adjust water amount as necessary. This often leads to inconvenience in use of the water injection gun.

Water amount controlling switch structure of water injection gun


A seal includes an annular seal body formed of an elastomeric material and has opposing first and second circumferential surfaces and a sealing projection extending radially from the first circumferential surface. The projection has a frustoconical primary sealing surface with first and second axial ends and an axial length between the first and second ends. The projection is sealingly engageable with the inner surface of the outer member when the seal body is coupled with the inner member, such that substantially the entire axial length of the primary sealing surface is disposed against the inner surface of the outer member. Alternatively, the projection is sealingly engageable with the outer surface of the inner member when the seal body is coupled with the outer member, such that substantially the entire axial length of the primary sealing surface is disposed against the outer surface of the inner member.

The present invention relates to seals, and more particularly to lip seals operational at least partially at relatively low temperatures.
A conventional lip seal includes an annular elastomeric body with a generally semicircular lip that engages inwardly against a shaft or outwardly against a bore surface. During initial start-up of a machine incorporating the seal, the seal may experience inflexibility when the initial temperature is below the glass transition temperature of the particular elastomer. As such, the seal lip may permit leakage past the seal until the temperature increases above the glass transition temperature.

Seal having a lip optimized for low temperature applications


A method and electronic device for obtaining clear playback sound that is faithful to the original sound, in which data and audio data are played back under control of a CPU, and in accordance with the played-back audio data, a timer, which generates a CPU interrupt signal, is controlled and said interrupt signal is dynamically altered. The sound data obtained in accordance with the CPU interrupt signal is emitted to a speaker, thereby causing the timing of the second data and the timing of the CPU interrupt signal to agree with each other, thus reducing the burden on the CPU, and generating a clear playback sound from the speaker.

In an information device such as an entertainment system as exemplified by a TV game machine, game data can be stored (saved) to or read (loaded) from a memory card that is provided. In using such a memory card, the card is inserted into the main unit (parent machine) of the information device. For this purpose, the memory card has an interface for connecting it with the main unit (parent machine) of the information device and a nonvolatile memory element for storing data.
FIG. 1A is a block diagram of the key parts of such a memory card. This memory card 10 has a control unit 11 for controlling its operation, a connector 12 for connecting it to a mounting terminal provided in a slot of the information device, etc. that is the main unit, and a nonvolatile memory 16 for storing data. Connector 12 and nonvolatile memory 16 are connected by control unit 11.
Control unit 11 is, for example, a microprocessor (so labeled in the diagrams). Used as nonvolatile memory 16 is, for example, a flash memory such as an EEPROM (electrically erasable and programmable ROM). A microprocessor is sometimes also used in the connection interface with the information-device parent machine as a control unit for interpreting the protocol.
FIG. 1B shows the control elements in control unit 11 of memory card 10. The memory card has a main unit connection interface 11a for connecting with the main unit (parent machine) of the information device, etc., and a memory interface 11b for inputting and outputting data to and from the nonvolatile memory.
A video game device stores game data, etc. in an auxiliary memory and has the function of reading it out again, and the memory card 10 is used as such a video game device auxiliary memory.
FIG. 2 shows an example of a video game device that uses a memory card as an auxiliary memory. Main unit 2 of this conventional video game device 1 has a disk mounting unit 3, which is accumulated in a roughly rectangular housing and in the center of which is mounted an optical disk, which is a recording medium on which video game application programs are stored, reset switch 4 for resetting the game at will, a power switch 5, an open button 6, which opens the cover of the disk mounting unit, and, for example, two slots 7A and 7B.
Memory card 10, which is used as an auxiliary memory, is mounted in slots 7A and 7B, and data such as the results of a game played on video game device 1 is sent from a control unit (CPU) 19, which is built into main unit 2, and is written into nonvolatile memory 16.
Multiple operation devices (controllers) not pictured can also be connected to said slots 7A and 7B, allowing multiple game players to play competitive games, etc. Simultaneously.
Instead of memory card 10 connected to memory card slots 7A and 7B of the present machine of the entertainment system, it has been proposed that a portable electronic device having the function of executing a TV game or other program be connected detachably. That is, it has been proposed that at least part or all of a program such as a TV game be downloaded, the program itself be executed, and if the program is a game in which characters appear, it be given the function of being able to allow the growth, etc. of the characters in the game.
Such a portable electronic device (child machine) can be used without modification as a portable information terminal, and by having a communication unit with other devices (parent machine or child machines), its range of application as an information terminal can be expanded, thereby leading to the stimulation of new demand for the entertainment system.
Such a portable electronic device must have the sound functions of producing music and sound effects in the portable electronic device itself in order to execute, separately and independently from the parent machine, TV games, etc. downloaded from the parent machine when it has been removed from the parent machine.
On the other hand, the functions, size, and price of a portable electronic device impose certain restrictions on the CPU and sound-system devices that it can have inside it.
Under these circumstances, it is desirable to obtain sound that is a clear, faithful reproduction of the original sound built into the game software.
Therefore an object of this invention is to provide a method for obtaining, in an electronic device, clear playback sound that is faithful to the original sound.
Another object of this invention is to provide, in an electronic device, sound functions by which playback sound can be obtained that is faithful to the original sound.
Yet another object of this invention is to provide an electronic device that has sound functions by which playback sound can be obtained that is faithful to the original sound.
Still another object of this invention is to provide an entertainment system that has a portable electronic device that has sound functions by which playback sound can be obtained that is faithful to the original sound.

Method for generating playback sound, electronic device, and entertainment system for generating playback sound


A method of forming, filling and sealing a reclosable package with a slider activated zipper wherein a base film moves longitudinally to a filling station and, in a moving direction, away from said filling station. At the filling station a product is fed onto the base film. As the base film carrying product is moved from the filling station, a zipper with a slider attached is fed onto the moving film in the moving direction of the base film. The zipper has a first profile and a second profile, each of which has an attached web extending away from the slider. A top film is applied over the base film and the first profile web is sealed to the base film and the second profile web is sealed to the top film. The package is completed by transversely cross-sealing the base film and the top film together on opposite sides of the product. The base and top films may be formed from the same sheet folded over or may be formed from separate sheets.

The present invention relates to packaging and, in particular to the manufacture of slider zipper packaging on a horizontal form, fill and seal (FFS) machine.
Packaging with zippers has become increasingly popular as the primary packaging for a wide variety of goods, and, in particular for food products. Such zippers may be operated simply by pressing the profiles together or pulling them apart to close and open the zipper or by moving a slider along the zipper profiles to engage and disengage the zipper profiles. Slider activated zippers are becoming increasingly popular for primary packaging, perhaps because they impart to the consumer the perception of a more securely closed package and ease of operation. The addition of a slider to the zipper package makes it more difficult to assemble the package particularly if relatively high speed, automated equipment is to be used to form, fill and seal the package as is quite common in the food industry.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Form, fill and seal packaging method utilizing zipper with slider


A laminate article of manufacture comprising a plurality of ceramic layers interposed by at least one metallic interlayer and which possess superior resistivity to thermal shock induced crack formation.

The present invention relates to ceramic articles and, more particularly, to laminate ceramic stand-alone articles or coatings having novel material architecture, properties and uses. Most particularly, the present invention relates to ceramic/metal laminates having superior thermal shock induced crack formation resistance.
When monolithic ceramics are subjected to high heat transfer or rapid changes in temperature, damage in the form of cracks occurs due to high tensile stresses, inherent low fracture toughness, and the presence of processing flaws [1-4].
Quantitatively, thermal shock behavior is characterized by several material parameters. One group is combined into the thermal stress resistance parameter, R, in centigrade, expressed in terms of the ultimate tensile stress, "sgr"cr, the biaxial elastic modulus, Exe2x80x2=E/(1xe2x88x92xcexd), and the thermal expansion coefficient, xcex1:
R="sgr"cr/Excex1xe2x80x83xe2x80x83(1)
R is the lower bound for the maximum difference in temperature that a ceramic can withstand without cracking. Another parameter, known as the Biot modulus, xcex2, reflects the severity of the thermal shock conditions:
xcex2=th/kxe2x80x83xe2x80x83(2)
where t is the length scale (most often the thickness), h the surface heat transfer, and k the thermal conductivity [5].
Quenching in water generates severe conditions for thermal shock due to a phase transformation from water to vapor, hence the heat transfer is high. On the other hand, water quench presents some difficulties, which arise from the non-uniform heat transfer, which is a strong function of the local temperature [6]. The critical temperature, xcex94TC, is usually defined [4] as the temperature difference between the maximum temperature of the specimen (or even the furnace temperature) and the temperature of the quenched media prior to cracking. This critical temperature as a function of specimen thickness for several ceramics quenched in water was determined experimentally [4], and demonstrated increased critical thermal difference as the specimen""s thickness reduced. The severity of quenching in room temperature water compared with cooling in boiling water or other hot liquids was shown [4, 7].
While some materials, such as ordinary glass, can take a temperature shock of only 80xc2x0 C. before cracks initiate, others, like Silicon Nitride [4] can withstand sudden changes of more than 600xc2x0 C. Therefore, monolithic ceramics are not sufficiently strong to serve at high temperatures and in harsh environments when thermal shock must be taken into account [8].
It is well known that layered structure shells, such as nacre, are much s tougher than polycrystalline calcite [9, 10]. Recent work has shown that layered ceramic structures can absorb much higher mechanical energies even when individual ceramic layers experienced massive cracking at room [11, 12] and high temperatures [13]. A cost-effective way of making toughened ceramic laminate for use at high temperatures under bending was presented [14, 15]. A similar constitution, but with stronger interfaces, has been suggested lately [16]. Work by Marshall et al. [17] on alumina interlayers separating ceria doped zirconia shows that the presence of the interlayers prevents the spread of the damage zone ahead of the crack tip, while at the same time causing the transformation zone to spread laterally. This effect permits a considerable increase in the work that is absorbed by that zone.
One of the most efficient ways of absorbing energy is by plastic deformation of the material. Metal-ceramic laminates have been studied extensively [18-21] in this context. Such materials exhibit many attractive properties, but the relatively poor oxidation resistance of the metals, compared with that of ceramics, makes such materials unsuitable; for use at high temperatures.
There is thus a widely recognized need for, and it would be highly advantageous to have, ceramic material having an architecture devoid of the above limitations and which can withstand higher thermal shocks and which can therefore better suited for implementation in thermal shock involving applications.
A new material architecture with a view to increase the maximum difference in temperature that ceramics can withstand and still maintain structural integrity and strength is described herein. The new architecture is of ceramic layers alternating with metallic interlayers. In this system, the ceramic is the high melting point constituent, possessing high stiffness, high wear and fatigue resistance, and able to maintain these properties in a corrosive environment and at elevated temperatures. The metal interlayers provide the needed compliance, ductility, and toughness. The interface should be strong enough to prevent crack deflection and disintegration of the material.
Thus, according to one aspect of the present invention there is provided a laminate article of manufacture comprising a plurality of ceramic layers interposed by at least one metallic interlayer, such that a ductile behavior with energy dissipating feature is obtained.
According to yet another aspect of the present invention there is provided a laminate article of manufacture comprising a plurality of ceramic layers interposed by at least one metallic interlayer, such that a driving force in the laminate article is at least twice as much as compared with a similar monolithic ceramic article.
According to still another aspect of the present invention there is provided a laminate article of manufacture comprising a plurality of ceramic layers interposed by at least one metallic interlayer, such that a crack arrest mechanism is formed at ceramic-metal interfaces, thereby reducing crack formation when exposed to thermal shock, as compared to a similar monolithic ceramic article.
According to an additional aspect of the present invention there is provided a laminate article of manufacture comprising a plurality of ceramic layers interposed by at least one metallic interlayer, such that substantially no interaction between cracking mechanisms developing in one ceramic layer with those in adjacent ceramic layers are evident upon thermal shock.
According to yet an additional aspect of the present invention there is provided a laminate article of manufacture comprising a plurality of ceramic layers interposed by at least one metallic interlayer, such that a cracking mechanism in each ceramic layer is substantially an independent event associated with a maximum tensile stresses in that layer.
According to still an additional aspect of the present invention there is provided a laminate article of manufacture comprising a plurality of ceramic layers interposed by at least one metallic interlayer, such that a residual load to fracture of the laminated article following a thermal shock is at least two fold higher as compared to a similar monolithic ceramic article.
According to a further aspect of the present invention there is provided an article of manufacture comprising a bulk ceramic body being coated with a coat including a plurality of ceramic layers interposed by at least one metallic interlayer, such that such that a ductile behavior with energy,dissipating feature is obtained for the coat.
According to yet a farther aspect of the present invention there is provided an article of manufacture comprising a bulk ceramic body being coated with a coat including a plurality of ceramic layers interposed by at least one metallic interlayer, such that a crack arrest mechanism is formed at ceramic-metal interfaces, thereby reducing crack formation in the article when exposed to thermal shock, as compared to a similar monolithic ceramic article.
According to still a further aspect of the present invention there is provided an article of manufacture comprising a bulk ceramic body being coated with a coat including a plurality of ceramic layers interposed by at least one metallic interlayer, such that substantially no interaction between cracking mechanisms developing in one ceramic layer with those in adjacent ceramic layers are evident upon thermal shock.
According to an additional aspect of the present invention there is provided an article of manufacture comprising a bulk ceramic body being coated with a coat including a plurality of ceramic layers interposed by at least one metallic interlayer, such that a cracking mechanism in each ceramic layer is substantially an independent event associated with a maximum tensile stresses in that layer.
According to yet an additional aspect of the present invention there is provided an article of manufacture comprising a bulk ceramic body being coated with a coat including a plurality of ceramic layers interposed by at least one metallic interlayer, such that a residual load to fracture of the article following a thermal shock is at least two fold higher as compared to a similar monolithic ceramic article.
According to further features in preferred embodiments of the invention described below, the ceramic body (where applicable) and each of the plurality of ceramic layers are each independently of a ceramic material selected from the group consisting of Al2O3, SiC, AlN, B4C, ZrO2, Glass-Ceramics and Si3N4.
According to still further features in the described preferred embodiments the at least one metallic interlayer is selected from the group consisting of a metal and an alloy.
According to still further features in the described preferred embodiments the at least one metallic interlayer is of a metallic material selected from the group consisting of Ni, Al, Ti, Cu, Hf, Nb, Mo, Cr, Ta, Re, Rh and alloys thereof.
According to still further features in the described preferred embodiments the at least one metallic interlayer is of a brazing alloy.
According to still further features in the described preferred embodiments the brazing alloy is selected from the group consisting of CUSIL ABA (63% Ag, 35.25% Cu, 1.75% Ti), INCUSIL (59% Ag, 27.25% Cu, 12.5% In, 1.25% Ti), TICUSIL (68.8% Ag, 26.7% Cu, 4.5% Ti) and COPPER ABA (92.75% Cu, 3% Si, 2% Al, 2.25% Ti).
According to still further features in the described preferred embodiments the plurality of ceramic layers and the at least one metallic interlayer are layered by a bonding method selected from the group consisting of liquid state bonding, solid state bonding and transient liquid phase bonding.
According to still further features in the described preferred embodiments at least two of the plurality of ceramic layers are of a single ceramic material.
According to still further features in the described preferred embodiments at least two of the ceramic layers are of different ceramic materials.
According to still further features in the described preferred embodiments the at least one metallic interlayer includes a plurality of metallic interlayers.
According to still further features in the described preferred embodiments at least two of the plurality of metallic layers are of a single metallic material.
According to still further features in the described preferred embodiments at least two of the plurality of metallic layers are of different metallic materials.
According to still further features in the described preferred embodiments the at least one metallic layer is thinner that each of the plurality of ceramic layers.
The present invention successfully addresses the shortcomings of the presently known configurations by providing an article of manufacture or an article including same which is useful and superior in thermal shock involving applications.

Ceramic/metal laminate for thermal shock involving applications

Technion Research and Development Foundation Ltd.


The present disclosure describes techniques for identity-based RF circuitry compensation. In some aspects data from a wireless device is received via radio frequency circuitry, the data including an identifier that uniquely identifies the wireless device. Impairments of the radio frequency circuitry are estimated based on the received data and then the estimated impairments are associated with the identifier of the wireless device. In response to subsequently receiving data that includes the identifier, the radio frequency circuitry is compensated using the estimated impairments.

The background description provided herein is for the purpose of generally presenting the context of the disclosure. Work of the presently named inventors, to the extent it is described in this background section, as well as aspects of the description that may not otherwise qualify as prior art at the time of filing, are neither expressly nor impliedly admitted as prior art against the present disclosure.
Wireless communication networks allow electronic and computing devices to communicate data with other devices or networks via wireless links. Advancements in wireless communication technology have reduced the size, power consumption, and manufacturing costs of these wireless devices. One of these advancements is the migration to complimentary metal-oxide semiconductor (CMOS) based technology for radio frequency (RF) circuits and components. Producing circuits and components with CMOS technology typically offers cost, design, or density advantages over other traditional RF circuitry technologies.
Performance of CMOS-based circuits at RF frequencies, however, may not be optimal for wireless communication. To address these performance issues, impairments of RF circuitry are often estimated when establishing a wireless link with another wireless device. The impairments of the RF circuitry (e.g., RF circuitry based on CMOS technology) can then be compensated based on these estimates to improve communication performance of the wireless link. After compensation of the impairments, the estimated impairments are typically discarded—due to possible changes in characteristics of a wireless link, such estimated impairments may not be applicable to compensate RF circuitry as time progresses.

Method and apparatus for compensating impairments in radio frequency circuitry of a wireless device


A fiber Bragg grating (FBG) security component for single-party and multi-party monitoring is provided. The security component includes an optical fiber having a plurality of Bragg gratings. The Bragg gratings provide a spectral response that is randomized based on the manufacture of the security component. For single-party use, the spectral response provides a reproducible spectral signature when interrogated with an optical signal. For multi-party use, each party applies a known optical interrogation signal to the security component and applies an external stress known only to the respective monitoring party. The resulting shift in the spectral signature is unique to each monitoring party, making it extremely difficult to successfully counterfeit the security component's response for all such parties.

Tags and seals have been used throughout human history, originally to authenticate documents and to indicate whether tampering has occurred. In the last several decades, optical fibers have been used to verify authenticity and to detect for tampering. At the most basic level, optical fiber-based intrusion detection systems operate by detecting a break in the optical fibers that span an enclosure. Optical fibers have also been used to monitor intrusion by recording changes in the light that is returned through the optical fiber. (Allwood et al., "Optical Fiber Sensors in Physical Intrusion Detection Systems: A Review," IEEE Sensors Journal, vol. 16, pp. 5497-5509 (2016)). Generally, such systems require continual monitoring of light sent through the optical fiber. This is because changes to the fiber are generally not sustained beyond the actual intrusive event (e.g., changes caused by vibrations from intrusive activity result only in a transient signal that does not persist beyond the duration of the vibrations).
One can introduce periodic modulations of the refractive index of optical fibers over short distances (˜1 cm) with a spacing that is comparable to the wavelength of light sent through the fiber, such that the modulations form a Bragg reflector. This causes light in resonance (wavelength) with the structure to be reflected. When such a structure is illuminated with a broadband light source, the resonant portions of the spectrum being reflected toward the optical input can be monitored. Several such Bragg gratings, each with its own resonant frequency, can be assembled in a single fiber, creating resonant reflections of different frequencies of light. This technique has been used to measure stress in structures by affixing a fiber with these gratings to the structure. (Szillasi et al., "One year of FOS measurements in CMS experiment at CERN," Physics Procedia, vol. 37, pp. 79-84 (2012)). If the structure is deformed, it will also deform the fiber, causing a shift in the periodic structure of the grating which results in both a shift in the wavelength of the reflected light and changes in the shape of the reflected component.
Recent research has also proposed the continuous monitoring of security breaches using an array of fiber Bragg spectrometers in a floor mat to monitor for foot traffic. (Catalano et al., "An optical fiber intrusion detection system for railway security," Sensors and Actuators A: Physical, vol. 253, pp. 91-100 (2017)). Other research has proposed a tamper seal in which fiber and multiple grating structures are directly written into a thin glass slide which is then affixed over an integrated circuit. (Thiel et al., "Planar ultra thin glass seals with optical fiber interface for monitoring tamper attaches on security eminent components," Optics and Lasers in Engineering, vol. 98, pp. 89-98 (2017)).
Despite the foregoing improvements in optical fiber intrusion detection systems, there remains a continued need for an improved tamper evident seal for single and multi-party use, and, in particular, a fiber Bragg grating (FBG) security component.

Security component with fiber Bragg grating


Thinning agent supplying systems for use with spin-coating machines are disclosed. An example supplying system enables the stable supply of thinning agent for cleaning a wafer. The example system includes an input terminal; first and second tanks for receiving the thinning agent from the input terminal; first and second valves for controlling discharge of the thinning agent from the first and second tanks; a pressure-exerting unit for applying pressurized gas to discharge the thinning agent from the first and/or second tanks; and a de-gas unit for removing bubbles from the thinning agent discharged from the first and/or second tanks.

Generally, a semiconductor device may be formed by depositing multiple layers of thin films such as a poly-silicon layer, an oxide layer, a nitride layer and/or a metallic layer on a wafer and forming a pattern thereon after a photolithography process, an etching process, a diffusion process and/or an ion implantation process.
The photolithography process is a core technology for manufacturing semiconductor devices. In the photolithography process an integrated circuit pattern may be formed on a wafer by exposing a photo mask with a micro circuit formed therein to a certain light source. Light sources that are currently used in known photolithography processes include g line, I line, Deep Ultra Violet (DUV), KrF laser, etc. Photolithography processes use a photo resist layer, which consists of photosensitive polymer whose solubility changes in response to light exposure.
When exposed to light through the photo mask, the portion of the photo resist layer which is exposed to light is changed into soluble material or insoluble material in comparison with a portion of the photo resist layer that is not exposed to light. The soluble or insoluble materials respectively form positive or negative patterns in the photo resist layer if they are developed by a developing solution. The pattern formed in the photo resist layer serves as a mask in a post-photolithography process such as, for example, an etching process or an ion implantation process, etc.
The photo resist layer is generally coated on a wafer by a conventional spin coating apparatus such as the apparatus 100 shown in FIG. 1. The spin coating apparatus 100 comprises a chuck 10 for holding a wafer 1 using vacuum suction, a vertical drive axis 20 connected to a lower portion of the chuck 10, a spin driver 30 installed on one side of the vertical rotation axis 20, a carrier arm 40 for supplying resist solution, a carrier arm 50 for top edge bead removal (TEBR), and a nozzle 60 for back side rinse (BSR). The carrier arm 40 carries a nozzle unit 41 and is installed such that it can be horizontally and vertically moved so as to inject the resist solution (which is not shown) on an upper portion of the wafer 1 through the nozzles 42 of the nozzle unit 41. The carrier arm 50 for TEBR carries a nozzle unit 51 and is installed such that it can be horizontally and vertically moved so as to downwardly inject a solution (e.g., a thinning agent such as a solvent) for TEBR, on the upper portion of the wafer 1 through the nozzle 52. Also, the nozzle 60 for BSR is installed so as to upwardly inject a solution (e.g., a thinning agent such as a solvent) for BSR to a lower portion of the wafer 1.
The spin coating apparatus 100 of FIG. 1 spin-coats a photo resist layer (which is not shown) on a wafer 1 in accordance with the process illustrated in FIG. 2. That is, when the wafer 1 is positioned on the chuck 10 and secured thereto with vacuum suction, the vertical rotation axis 20 is rotated at high speed (e.g., in the clockwise direction) by a driving force applied by the spin driver 30 (Step S11). The wafer 1 is simultaneously rotated (e.g., in clockwise direction) together with the chuck 10. In the illustrated example, the wafer 1 is vacuum-sucked onto the chuck 10 such that its upper portion, (e.g., the surface on which a semiconductor device is to be formed), faces upward.
While the wafer 1 is rotated at a constant speed, the carrier arm 40 moves the nozzle unit 41 generally horizontally forward toward the chuck 10 to position the nozzles 42 vertically above the wafer 1 and then moves the nozzle unit 41 generally vertically downward to lower the nozzles 42 to a certain level above the wafer 1. Then, a certain amount of resist solution is downwardly injected onto a center region of the upper surface of the wafer 1 through the nozzles 42 of the nozzle unit 41. (Step S13). The nozzle unit 41 is then returned to its original position by the carrier arm 40. Since the wafer 1 is rotated at high speed, centrifugal forces spread the resist solution outward from the center region of the wafer 1 to the outer edge portion of the wafer 1 to coat the entire surface of the wafer 1 so as to form a photo resist layer having a uniform thickness.
When the photo resist layer is formed, contaminants such as dregs of the photo resist layer are likely to be left on the upper edge portion and the lower portion of the wafer 1. Such contaminants should be removed so as to prevent defects during post-processing.
To this end, the carrier arm 50 for TEBR moves the nozzle unit 51 generally horizontally forward to the upper edge of the wafer 1 and then moves the nozzle unit 51 generally vertically downward to lower the nozzle 52 to a certain level above the wafer 1. Then, a certain amount of TEBR solution (e.g., a thinning agent) is downwardly injected on the edge of the wafer 1 through the nozzle 52. (Step S15). The nozzle 52 is then returned to its original position by the carrier arm 50. Also, a certain amount of BSR solution (e.g., a thinning agent) is upwardly injected onto the edge of the wafer 1 through the nozzle 60. (Step S15).
Since the wafer 1 is rotated at high speed, a uniform width (e.g., about 3 mm) of the photo resist layer on the upper edge of the wafer 1 is removed together with contaminants of the photo resist layer on the lower portion of the wafer 1. This removal is carried out in order to remove contaminants such as dregs of the photo resist layer that may have been left on the upper edge and the lower portion of the wafer 1. The thinning agents for TEBR and BSR use the same kind of thinning agent (e.g., a solvent, etc).
When the TEBR and BSR processes are terminated, the spin driver 30 stops rotating the vertical rotation axis 20. The wafer 1 then stops rotating together with the chuck 10. (Step S17) The coating process of the photo resist layer for one wafer 1 is thus terminated.
The thinning agents supplied to the nozzles 305, 306 for TEBR and BSR are supplied by a thinning agent supplying system. A conventional thinning agent supplying system is constructed as shown in FIG. 3. The system of FIG. 3 comprises an input terminal 301 for receiving and supplying thinning agent, a storage tank 302 for receiving and storing thinning agent from the input terminal 301, a supply tank 303 for directly supplying thinning agent to the nozzles 305, 306 for TEBR and BSR, and a pump 304 for drawing thinning agent from the supply tank 303 and supplying the thinning agent to the nozzles 305, 306 for TEBR and BSR.
The storage tank 302 and the supply tank 303 have scale marks by which one identifies the respective level of thinning agent as "L (low)" and "H (high)". When the thinning agent in the storage tank 302 reaches the scale mark "L" of the storage tank 302, thinning agent is supplied from the input terminal 301 to the storage tank 302 until the level of agent reaches up to the "H" mark in the storage tank 302. When the thinning agent in the storage tank 303 reaches the "L" scale mark, thinning agent is supplied from the storage tank 302 to the supply tank 303 until the level of agent reaches up to the "H" mark. In other words, when the level of thinning agent in a respective tank 302, 303 falls to the "L" scale mark level, the respective tank 302, 303 receives additional thinning agent from its corresponding supply source until the tank 302, 303 is again filled to the "H" level.
The thinning agent drawn by the pump 304 is supplied from the tank 303 to the nozzles 305 and 306 for TEBR and BSR through a filter (which is not shown) for removing contaminants.
The thinning agent supplying system of the prior art, however, has certain problems. For example, bubbles are generated in the storage tank 302, the supply tank 303, and the supply pipe which may cause defects during the post-process, TEBR process.
Second, since the pump 304 is driven by N2 gas, fluid flow cannot be uniformly controlled. As a result, bubbles are generated at pump 304 when the pump 304 is driven.
Third, when the thinning agent reaches the "L" scale mark of the supply tank 303, thinning agent is supplied from the storage tank 302. However, the thinning agent in the storage tank 302 may reach the "L" scale mark before the supply tank 303 is refilled. In other words, the storage tank 302 is not always ready to supply thinning agent, which may interrupt smooth supply of the thinning agent.
Fourth, since the thinning agent is supplied from the input terminal 301 to the pump 304 through the storage tank 302 and supply tank 303, there are many places along the supply chain where a problem may occur. As a result, the equipment is subject to frequent breakdowns.


A process is provided for removing vapor phase selenium species produced by the combustion of selenium and sulfur-containing fuel of the kind used to generate electric power in conjunction with a flue gas desulfurization process. In one process embodiment the flue gas leaving the combustion system is humidified by the injection of atomized water or a dilute alkaline slurry at a selected location upstream of the flue gas desulfurization system to cool the flue gas from a temperature of about 300.degree. F. to a temperature of about 280.degree. F. so as to enhance the selenium removal efficiency. In another process embodiment the flue gas leaving the combustion system is first humidified to cool the flue gas from a temperature of about 300.degree. F. to a temperature of about 200.degree. F. so as to enhance the selenium removal efficiency, and then an alkaline sorbent material is injected into the humidified flue gas. Selenium species are removed from the flue gas with the particulates in a particulate control device between the combustion system and the flue gas desulfurization system.

Selenium is one of the potentially toxic trace metals found in the coal and lignite customarily used as energy sources for electric power plants. The combustion of selenium-containing coal or lignite typically produces selenium oxide (SeO.sub.2) in the flue gas, although there is some disagreement on this point. Selenium may predominate as the free element (Se.sub.6) in flue gas at flue gas temperatures around 150.degree. C. (302.degree. F.). Whether it is present as the oxide or the free element, the removal of selenium from flue gas prior to the discharge with the stack gases produced by the power generation process is highly desirable.
Virtually all of the selenium from the combusted coal or lignite is found in some form in the combustion waste gas. Typically, electric power plant waste gases are subjected to one or more treatments to remove particulates and controlled components such as sulfur oxides and nitrogen oxides. Particulates may be removed by electrostatic precipitators, baghouses and scrubbers designed to remove solid particles from gaseous media. After particulates are removed, the flue gas is generally directed to a flue gas desulfurization system where sulfur and nitrogen oxides are removed from the flue gas so that it meets standards for the discharge of stack gases to the environment. If selenium is not removed from the flue gas prior to the scrubbing of the gas in the flue gas desulfurization process, separation of the selenium from the flue gas desulfurization solids will be required after scrubbing, which can be difficult and costly.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,192,514 to Dismukes, which is commonly owned by the assignee of the present invention, discloses a method for the removal of gaseous selenium from flue gas. This method does not humidify the flue gas, but involves injecting ammonia into flue gas produced by coal combustion at a location between an air heater and a baghouse, although it is disclosed that the ammonia may also be added to the flue gas stream in the baghouse. However, ammonia is expensive and can be somewhat dangerous to handle.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,966,889 to Kakuta et al. describes a wet scrubbing process for removing selenium from waste gas, especially that produced by a glass melting furnace. The waste gas is contacted with an absorbing solution containing an alkali metal sulfite or bisulfite. An acid treatment reduces the selenium present in solution to metallic selenium. However, in this process, the waste gas is contacted with an excess of a water-based reagent and is thus closer to a wet flue gas desulfurization process scrubbing step. In the process described in this patent, selenium removal occurs simultaneously with the sulfur dioxide removal and, thus, does not avoid the problems which accompany high selenium concentrations in the liquid streams exiting the flue gas desulfurization system.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,281,402 to Gohara et al. discloses a method of saturating and humidifying flue gas in a flue gas desulfurization process to removal gaseous contaminants such as mercury. However, this is essentially a scrubbing process which uses recycled slurry to form a continuous liquid curtain through which the flue gas is passed. As a result, sulfur oxides would be removed with the contaminants, and it would be necessary to separate the contaminants from the sulfur oxide-containing scrubbing byproducts.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,130,012 to Prater et al. discloses a process for the recovery of selenium from the gaseous effluents produced by copper smelting. In this process an anionic surface active agent in an aqueous solution is used in conjunction with a selenium coagulant to remove and recover selenium values. It is not suggested that humidification of the flue gas in conjunction with the injection of alkaline materials could be employed to remove substantially all of the vapor phase selenium from a flue gas to be subjected to a flue gas desulfurization process.
In U.S. Pat. No. 4,273,747, Rasmussen discloses the removal of mercury from waste gases produced by the incineration of domestic waste. An aqueous liquid, which may be hydrated lime, is atomized into the waste gas stream, which is stated to have a temperature of at least 200.degree. C., in a quantity higher than required to cool the waste gas stream to a temperature of 160.degree. C., but lower than the temperature required to cause complete water evaporation. The mercury is separated out in the fly ash, which is recovered as a free-flowing powder. It is not suggested that this method could be used to effect selenium removal from selenium and sulfur oxides-containing flue gas produced by the combustion of coal. Moreover, the temperature of the flue gases produced by coal combustion is typically well below the 200.degree. C. temperature required by the Rasmussen process.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,435,980 to Felsvang et al. and the paper entitled "Air Toxics Control By Spray Dryer Absorption" by Felsvang et al. describe the removal of mercury vapor in dry flue gas desulfurization systems. In the method of U.S. Pat. No. 5,435,980, an aqueous suspension of a basic absorbent is atomized into hot flue gas in a drying chamber of a drying absorption zone. The chloride content of the flue gas or absorbent is adjusted to achieve high mercury removal. In the "Air Toxics Control" publication, mercury is removed by an activated carbon injection system upstream of a spray dryer absorber. Chlorine is added as required to enhance mercury removal when the chloride content of the coal is low. The "Air Toxics Control" publication suggests that other air toxics, including selenium and boron, could also be removed in a dry flue gas desulfurization system. However, these references do not suggest that the removal of vapor phase selenium across a wet flue gas desulfurization process could be achieved by humidification of the flue gas in conjunction with the injection of an alkaline material upstream of the scrubber in a flue gas desulfurization system.
The prior art, therefore, has failed to provide an effective method for efficiently and effectively removing substantially all of the vapor phase selenium from selenium and sulfur oxide-containing flue gas produced by a coal burning power generating plant across a wet flue gas desulfurization system. A need exists for such a method.

Flue gas humidification and alkaline sorbent injection for improving vapor phase selenium removal efficiency across wet flue gas desulfurization systems


A system and method evaluates a characteristic for suitability in classification of subjects. The system generates subject data including characteristic data and class data. The method includes arranging the subject data based on the characteristic data, and identifying the number of class changes from one class to another class in the arranged subject data. The number of class changes represents the suitability of the characteristic for classification of the subjects. The method further includes measuring the interval between class changes in the arranged subject data. The interval between class changes also represents the suitability of the characteristic for classification of the subjects.

The present invention relates generally to the field of signal processing. More specifically, the present invention relates to signal processing a characteristic signal of a subject.
In industrial automation, signal processing is used to classify an object being manufactured or processed based on a characteristic of the object. For example, an apple might be classified by a weight sensor configured to sense the weight of the apple. If the weight is greater than a predetermined weight, the apple is identified as xe2x80x9cgoodxe2x80x9d, and, if not, the apple is identified as xe2x80x9cbadxe2x80x9d.
However, the object can also be classified by other signals. For example, the apple might also be classified by acquiring a color digital image of the apple. If the apple is darker than a predetermined gray scale, or if the apple lacks sufficient red color, the apple is identified as xe2x80x9cbadxe2x80x9d. The challenge is to determine which characteristic (e.g., weight, color, gray scale, etc.) best classifies the objects into the desired classifications, so that the best characteristic can be used during production to automatically classify objects.
A standard method for evaluating the classification of objects has been implemented which assumes a bimodal distribution of the measured characteristic, the distributions assumed to be Gaussian. For example, referring to FIG. 1, this standard method generates a histogram 9 of the frequency of occurrence of different values of the characteristic. The x-axis represents the values of the characteristic (e.g., weight, color, etc.) and the y-axis represents the frequency of objects having that characteristic. A first mode 11 includes objects in a first class (e.g., xe2x80x9cbadxe2x80x9d objects) and a second mode 13 includes objects in a second class (e.g., xe2x80x9cgoodxe2x80x9d objects). According to this method, the mean values 17, 15 of each mode are identified, the variances of mean values 17, 15 are determined, and the distance 19 between mean values 17 and 15 is determined. The smaller the variances and the greater the interval between mean values 17, 15, the greater is the quality of the characteristic for classification of this object.
One drawback of this method is that characteristic distributions frequently are neither bimodal nor Gaussian and, thus, are incorrectly evaluated by this prior method. With reference to FIG. 2, a frequency distribution 21 of another characteristic is shown, in which mode 23 is not Gaussian. Further, mode 23 includes objects in a first class, mode 24 includes objects in a second class, and mode 26 includes additional objects in the first class. An example of such a distribution might be one in which the characteristic is the length of a wooden dowel, wherein xe2x80x9cgoodxe2x80x9d dowels must have a length within a certain tolerance. Thus, xe2x80x9cbadxe2x80x9d dowels have lengths greater than (mode 26) and less than (mode 23) xe2x80x9cgoodxe2x80x9d dowels (mode 24). Prior methods will not adequately evaluate the suitability of this characteristic for classification purposes, since the distribution in FIG. 2 is not Gaussian and not bimodal.
Accordingly, there is a need for a system and method for evaluating the suitability of characteristics for classification. There is further a need for such a system and method which is applicable to non-Gaussian distributions. Further still, there is a need for such a system and method which is applicable to non-bimodal distributions. There is also a need for such a system and method which is robust against noise.
According to an exemplary embodiment, a method of evaluating a characteristic for suitability in classification of subjects based on subject data is provided. The subject data includes characteristic data and class data. The method includes arranging the subject data based on the characteristic data, and identifying the number of class changes from one class to another class in the arranged subject data. The number of class changes represents the suitability of the characteristic for classification of the subjects.
According to an alternative embodiment, a method of evaluating a characteristic for suitability in classification of subjects based on subject data is provided. The subject data includes characteristic data and class data. The method includes arranging the subject data based on the characteristic data, identifying consecutive subject data having a class change, and measuring the interval between the two consecutive subject data. The interval between class changes represents the suitability of the characteristic for classification of the subject.
According to yet another alternative embodiment, a system for evaluating a characteristic for suitability in classification of subjects is provided. The system includes sensing means for acquiring characteristic data from a plurality of subjects and classification means for classifying each subject with one of a first class and a second class. The system further includes means for arranging the subject data based on the characteristic data and identifying the number of class changes from one class to another class in the arranged subject data. The number of class changes represents the suitability of the characteristic for classification of the subjects.

System and method for evaluating characteristics for suitability in classification


An LED projection lamp includes a light-emitting assembly and a main body. The light-emitting assembly at least includes a light source for generating light, and a rotating body disposed on a light path of the light for enabling the light to present a first effect. The main body includes an accommodating cavity for accommodating the light-emitting assembly. The main body includes a lens and a light-transmitting sheet, the lens emits a light having the first effect, and the light-transmitting sheet emits the light. A light-blocking member is disposed on an outer portion of the light-transmitting sheet, a light-transmitting hole is defined on the light-blocking member, and the light-transmitting holes enables the light to present a second effect.

An LED projection lamp is further called a linear LED projection lamp, and because an appearance of the LED projection lamp is in a long strip shape, some people call the LED projection lamp an LED strip lamp.
In recent years, as a new type of lamps, use of the LED projection lamp having an atmosphere effect is increasing, many consumers are attracted and the LED projection lamp has gradually become a new trend in market. The LED projection lamp is a lighting lamp having a decorative effect. A lighting effect of the LED projection lamp improves an overall atmosphere of surrounding environment. However, the existing LED projection lamp is single in lighting effect and cannot generate dynamic light effect.


A method for reducing deposits related to a reduction agent (RA) in a portion of an exhaust aftertreatment system (EAS) of an internal combustion engine (ICE) and comprising an injector for injecting the RA into said EAS, said portion located downstream of said injector, as seen in an intended direction of flow of exhaust gas in said EAS, said method comprising:                identifying for said ICE, a future operating sequence (FOS) comprising a first temporal portion (t1) and a second temporal portion (t2) subsequent to t1,        confirming that said FOS is suitable for reducing deposits and that said ICE operates in accordance with said FOS,        in response to said confirming being affirmative, injecting a first dosage (d1) of RA into said EAS during at least a part of said t1 and injecting a second dosage (d2) of RA smaller than d1 into said EAS during at least a part of t2.

Due to environmental concerns and legal demands, in applications using an internal combustion engine, it is desired to lower the fuel consumption and to reduce emissions such as carbon dioxide (CO2) and nitrogen oxides (NOx). To maximize fuel efficiency and minimize CO2 emissions, combustion is generally calibrated to high engine-out NOx emissions. The NOx emissions are reduced in an exhaust aftertreatment system, so that the overall emissions from the internal combustion engine and the exhaust aftertreatment system meet the demands One common way of reducing NOx includes a step of injecting a reduction agent, such as an aqueous urea solution, into the exhaust aftertreatment system. The reduction agent operates with a component of the exhaust aftertreatment system, e.g., a selective catalytic reduction catalyst, to reduce the amount of NOx.
Under ideal conditions, the urea is decomposed in the exhaust gas stream to ammonia, NH3. However, the decomposition of urea is largely affected by the temperature in the exhaust aftertreatment system, in particular the temperature in the portion of the exhaust aftertreatment system where the reduction agent is injected, and during some operating conditions the reduction agent is not fully decomposed. This may lead to accumulation of reduction agent related by-products in the liquid phase or solid phase on the inner walls of the exhaust aftertreatment system. The liquid phase may consist of e.g. molten reduction agent and biuret, while solid deposits may consist of e.g. cyanuric acid and ammelide. If excessive solid deposits related to the reduction agent are accumulated in the exhaust aftertreatment system, the performance of the exhaust aftertreatment system is deteriorated, which may lead to too high NOx emissions, increased reduction agent consumption and poor fuel economy. In the present context, the term deposits is used to denote reduction agent related by-products in both the liquid phase and solid phase.

Method for reducing deposits related to a reduction agent in a portion of an exhaust aftertreatment system


A smart node is provided for use in an optical communications network wherein the smart node comprising dynamically reconfigurable optical signal manipulation devices in combination with sensing devices and processors to provide real time closed and open loop control of various channels of the network.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to wavelength division multiplexed optical communication systems, and more particularly, to wavelength division multiplexed optical communication systems which include smart nodes having dynamic optical signal manipulation devices in combination with sensing devices and processors to provide real time closed and open loop control of various channels of the network.
2. Description of Related Art
Optical communication networks need links having nodes which include dynamically reconfigurable optical signal manipulation devices in combination with other sensing devices and processors to provide real time closed and open loop control of various channels of network.

Dynamically reconfigurable optical smart node


A retention apparatus for a semi-implantable hearing aid. In one embodiment, the retention apparatus includes a first surface and a second surface. One of the first and second surfaces includes a first portion and a second portion having a rounded transition therebetween for interfacing with a patient's skin. The rounded transition of the interfacing surface of the retention apparatus functions to distribute pressure resulting from the mutual magnetic attraction between an externally located magnet and an implanted magnet to permit increased magnetic forces therebetween and maintenance of a desired separation between an external coil and implanted coil.

Implantable hearing aids entail the subcutaneous positioning of some or all of various hearing augmentation componentry on or within a patient's skull, typically at locations proximal to the mastoid process. In a semi-implantable hearing aid, a microphone, signal processor, and transmitter may be externally located to receive, process, and inductively transmit a processed audio signal to an implanted receiver. The processed audio signal is provided to an implanted transducer, which stimulates a component of the auditory system to produce/enhance the sensation of sound for the patient.
In one example of a semi-implantable hearing aid, the implanted receiver is located beneath the skin of a patient, e.g. within the mastoid process, while the external transmitter is included in a housing detachably connectable to the patient proximate to the implanted receiver. In this characterization, the housing is connected to the patient via an implanted magnet oriented to produce a mutual attraction with a magnet located in the external housing. The external housing is typically positioned adjacent the implanted magnet on the patient's skull, e.g. behind the ear. The mutual attraction of the magnets serves to hold the external housing in place such that a desirable separation exists between a transmitting coil of the external transmitter and a receiving coil of the implanted receiver.
The desired separation is somewhat determined by the thickness and properties of the patient's skin separating the two magnets. As will be appreciated, since magnetic attractive force falls off rapidly with distance, in some cases the external housing may not be held securely against the skin of the patient. This in turn results in an undesirable separation or distance between the external and implanted coils. One solution to this problem is to use a stronger magnet(s) to connect the external housing. As will further be appreciated, however, the resulting pressure from the mutual attraction of the magnets may impair the circulation of blood in the capillaries of the patient's skin. Thus, it is desirable that the pressure applied on any part of the patient's skin be minimized to the extent possible. This often results in a tradeoff between avoiding pressure that may impair circulation and achieving a desired level of magnetic attraction, e.g. such that the external component is not held so loosely that an undesired coil separation exists.
As will also be appreciated, a tether including a means such as a clip for attaching to the patient, e.g. the patient's hair, may also be included on the external housing portion of the hearing aid. The tether functions as a safety link between the external housing and the patient to protect the external housing from falling and becoming damaged in the event that the magnetic attraction is broken during use.

Retention apparatus for an external portion of a semi-implantable hearing aid


A current sensor capable of detecting current magnetic fields generated by a current to be detected with high precision and stability while realizing a compact configuration is provided. The current sensor includes: a conductor generating a current magnetic field in accordance with supplied current to be detected; a magnetoresistive element including a free layer having a magnetization direction that varies in accordance with the current magnetic field, a pinned layer having the magnetization direction that is pinned to a direction orthogonal to the magnetization direction of the free layer under no current magnetic field, and an intermediate layer provided between the free layer and the pinned layer; and a bias applying means for applying, to the magnetoresistive element, a bias magnetic field along a direction same with the magnetization direction of the free layer under no current magnetic field.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a magnetic sensor capable of detecting a variation of a magnetic field with high sensitivity and further to a current sensor capable of detecting a variation of a current flowing through a conductor with high sensitivity.
2. Description of the Related Art
In measuring correctly a control current which flows through a circuit of control machinery, a method that resistances are connected in series within the circuit to measure a voltage drop of the resistances is applied in general. In this case, however, a load different from the control system is given, and there is a possibility that an adverse influence may be exerted on the control system. Consequently, a method of indirectly measuring a control current by detecting the gradient of a current magnetic field generated by the control current has been used. Specifically, a control current is supplied to a curved, U-shaped conductor, and variation of current magnetic fields produced around the curved conductor is detected by use of a Hall device (for example, refer to Japanese Patent Publication No. H07-123090).
However, the above-described current sensor has problems that a miniaturization is difficult and that the linearity of detection sensitivity relative to varied magnetic fields or high-frequency response are inadequate, etc. For this reason, a current sensor, in which a giant magnetoresistive element developing a Giant Magneto-Resistive effect (hereinafter referred to as GMR element) is arranged in a current magnetic field generated by the control current in order to detect its gradient instead of the Hall element, has been proposed. That current sensor using such GMR elements can improve the detection sensitivity and high-frequency response, and what is more, detection characteristics can be made stabilized against a temperature change.


In a system to separate shredded vegetable pieces, a slicer cuts a vegetable having leaves and a core into pieces to form a mixture of leaf and core pieces. The mixture then passes through a sorting mechanism that separates the core pieces from the mixture.

Packaged, pre-shredded vegetables, such as cabbages, have been processed and marketed for many years. Due to the hard and undesirable texture of the cabbage core, the process for commercially preparing shredded cabbage involves coring the cabbage before shredding the head (i.e., the leaves). Coring is typically accomplished manually using hand-held coring rings or blades. In general, the manual coring process is considered inefficient and labor intensive. In addition, if the whole cabbage is cored in the field, the cored area becomes exposed, subjecting that area to the potential risk of contamination and degradation during transport for subsequent processing.

System and method for processing shredded vegetables


A demagnetizing device includes, in one embodiment, a demagnetizer. The demagnetizer is operable to generate a corrective magnetic field. The corrective magnetic field is operable to act upon a ferrite-based core to maintain suitable performance of a network-connected device which includes such core.

In data networks, there is sometimes the need to include ferrite-based devices, such as network-connected devices having electrical transformers. Such a transformer has a ferrite core surrounded by coil windings. In regular operation of the transformer, the ferrite core maintains a relatively neutral or demagnetized state. However, from time to time, transient electrical current can flow through the data network, passing through the network-connected device. In time, the transient current can cause the ferrite core to become magnetized as a permanent or semi-permanent magnet.
When the ferrite core is magnetized, the ferrite core can produce a problematic magnetic field. For example, CATV networks have high bandwidths operable over a wide spectrum of frequencies to distribute RF data signals. The problematic magnetic field can cause various problems such as different RF frequencies resulting in frequency interference, spurious intermodulation effects that decrease available bandwidth in the circuit, a loss in signal strength and quality, and noise in the data network.
Therefore, there is a need to overcome, or otherwise lessen the effects of, the disadvantages and shortcomings described above.

Device and method for generating a corrective magnetic field for ferrite-based circuits


The power source board is arranged at a lower side on the back side of the main body of the image forming apparatus. The load control board is arranged at an upper side in a vertical direction of the power source board in such a manner that the load control board does not overlap with the power source board. For a board and load at a lower side when viewed from a load control board, a connector is arranged near the lower side of the load control board. For a board and load at an upper side of the load control board, a connector is arranged near the upper side of the load control board. Similarly, for boards and loads of right and left side, connectors are arranged near the respective right and left sides of the load control board.

Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an arrangement of boards, wirings and connectors in an image forming apparatus such as printer, multifunction peripheral etc.
Description of the Related Art
An arrangement of the components in the conventional general image forming apparatus is described with reference to FIG. 6. FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating the image forming apparatus when viewed from a back side of a main body. In FIG. 6, broken lines show components, which are invisible from the back side of the main body. Such components include photoreceptor drums 404, developing devices 405, an intermediate transfer belt 401, a laser exposure device 408, primary transfer roller 414, a fixing device 450, a sheet feeding cassette 421, a delivery tray 425, toner bottles 430Y, 430M, 430C, 430K and the like.
On the back side of the image forming apparatus, an image control board 503, connected to a user interface for controlling an image forming process, is arranged, when viewed from the back side, at an upper left part. A load control board 501 is arranged at an upper right part when viewed from the back side of the image forming apparatus in parallel with the image control board 503. The load control board 501 is used to control driving system load components and sensors of the image forming apparatus. A power source board 502 is arranged at a lower part when viewed from the back side. The power source board 502 is to distribute AC power supplied from a commercial power supply, or to convert the AC power into DC power. High voltage boards 504 and 505 are arranged near the photoreceptor drum 404 and the developing device 405. Motors 515 and 516 are arranged side by side with the high voltage board 504. The motors 515 and 516 are to drive the photoreceptor drum 404 and a screw in the developing device 405. Conveyance driving motors 512 and 513 are arranged near a recording paper conveyance path. The conveyance driving motors 512 and 513 are to drive rollers for conveying a recording paper from the sheet feeding cassettes 421.
The load control board 501 supplies control signal and power to the load components such as motors and each board. In U.S. Pat. No. 7,599,638B2, a board corresponding to a load control board is separated into two boards. The separated boards are arranged inside and outside by sandwiching a main body frame of an image forming apparatus in between to downsize the image forming apparatus.
Providing a simple structure by decreasing the length of wiring as much as possible is effective for reducing troubles relating to wiring such as a short circuit when assembling the image forming apparatus or when exchanging parts. It is also effective for reducing costs.
In the conventional image forming apparatus as shown in FIG. 6, the load control board 501 is arranged away from the respective load components and boards. Therefore, wirings for communicating control signal and wirings for supplying power are diagonally arranged on the back side of the main body. This increases the wiring length and costs. Also, there may increase a risk of a wiring short circuit when assembling or exchanging parts.
According to the image forming apparatus as described in U.S. Pat. No. 7,599,638B2, downsizing of the image forming apparatus is achieved, however, further improvement is still required for wiring.


A computer-implemented method performs foreground segmentation of an input image. The method receives a first foreground segmentation at a first resolution of the input image and determines a plurality of labelled seed points based on the first foreground segmentation of the input image. The method associates each of the plurality of pixels in the input image with one of the determined labelled seed points to obtain a second foreground/background segmentation of the input image, and performs foreground separation on the input image at a second resolution by classifying each of the segments of the second segmentation as one of foreground and background based on the label of the associated seed point.

A video is a sequence of images. The images are often referred to as frames. The terms 'frame' and 'image' are used interchangeably throughout this specification to describe a single image in an image sequence, or a single frame of a video. An image is made up of visual elements. Visual elements may be, for example, pixels, or blocks of wavelet coefficients. Visual elements may also be expressed in the frequency domain, such as by 8×8 DCT (Discrete Cosine Transform) coefficient blocks, as used in JPEG images, or 32×32 DCT-based integer-transform blocks as used in AVC or H.264 coding.
Image processing on a pixel level is often slow for mega-pixel or bigger images. By grouping connected pixels that share common properties such as intensity, colour or texture into a superpixel, the image can advantageously be analysed at a higher granularity level and consequently at a faster processing speed (or, alternatively, with fewer processing resources). Partitioning or separation of an image into such groups of pixels is known as superpixel segmentation. Superpixel segmentation is a pixel-based image segmentation method involving selection of initial seed points. This approach to segmentation examines neighbouring pixels of initial "seed points" and determines whether the pixel neighbours should be added to the region. The process is iterated on, until the optimum segmentation of the entire image is reached.
Change detection in video is an important low-level task for many computer vision applications. Changed pixels are classified as ForeGround (FG) and unchanged pixels are classified as BackGround (BG). By aggregating information from previously reproduced frames of a sequence, a background model of the captured scene can be constructed. An incoming frame is then compared against this background model for change detection.
Scene modelling, also known as background modelling, involves modelling the visual content of a scene, based on an image sequence depicting the scene. A common usage of scene modelling is foreground separation by background subtraction. Foreground separation is also described by its inverse; background separation. Examples of foreground separation applications include activity detection, unusual object or behaviour detection, and scene analysis.
There are pixel-based and block-based approaches for background modelling. The pixel-based approaches are very sensitive to non-stationary scenes or background. Block based approaches are less sensitive to local movement and are therefore more capable of dealing with non-stationary background. However, block-based approaches usually produce a Low-Resolution (LR) foreground detection. In some applications, such as green screening and object re-identification, it is important to have the foreground mask at pixel-level accuracy.

Superpixel-based refinement of low-resolution foreground segmentation


A hinge for mounting a door on a frame of a furniture articles includes a first hinge member such as a hinge cup to be mounted to the door, a hinge arm connected at one end of the hinge arm to the hinge cup on a pivot pin fixed in the hinge cup, and a second hinge member in the form of a hinge plate disposed on the other end of the hinge arm. The hinge plate includes an elongate opening with a centrally disposed first section and adjacent sections communicating with the first section through first and second gap formed by projections extending from opposing sides of the elongate opening towards one another. A fastening screw can be premounted in the hinge arm plate by insertion into the first section of the elongate opening. The fastening screw is provided with a threaded section which engages the projection. The threaded section of the fastening screw and an unthreaded section are configured, respectively, to prevent passage of the fastening screw out of the first section of the elongate opening but to enable passage of the fastening screw for adjustment of the hinge arm plate on the frame member with a slight loosening of the fastening screw.

1. Field of the Invention.
The present invention relates to a hinge for mounting a door on a frame of a furniture article and more particularly to a hinge which enables pre-mounting a fastening screw in the hinge arm fastening plate and vertical adjustment of the mounted door relative to the supporting frame member.
2. Description of the Prior Art.
Various types of hinges for mounting a door on a furniture article which enable vertical adjustment of the mounted door relative to the supporting frame member have been used in the furniture and cabinet industries for many years. One such device is known from U.S. Pat. No. RE 34,995, and another such device is known from U.S. Pat. No. 5,375,297. Neither of such devices provides for pre-mounting a fastening screw in the hinge arm mounting plate, and the present invention addresses this need and interest.


An improved fold out ramp system apparatus for a flat bed trailer includes a tapered tail end extending rearwardly from the trailer; at least one transition ramp having a front end pivotally secured to the trailer in close proximity to the juncture between the tapered tail end and the trailer; a clamping mechanism for selectively clamping the transition ramp in either an elevated configuration or a sloping configuration; and a tail ramp pivotally secured to a rear end of each of the transition ramps in end-to-end relationship. A brace pivotally connected to the tapered tail end is releasably connectable to the tail ramp to form a blocking configuration. A leaf spring having one end fixedly secured to the trailer is adapted to urge the transition ramp rear end upwardly to counter the weight thereof. Similarly, a torsional spring is adapted to urge the tail ramp free end upwardly relative to the transition ramp in order to counter the weight of the tail ramp. In a second embodiment of the invention, a coil spring replaces the leaf spring to urge the transition ramp upwardly to counter the weight thereof, and a pair of rotatable rods with handles are provided to lock the transition ramp in the elevated position and to lock the tail ramp in a travel position.

The present invention relates generally to a ramp system apparatus for loading materials and equipment and, more particularly, to such a ramp system apparatus on a trailer which folds out into a sloping configuration.
Trailers have long been used for transporting various loads, including equipment, large round hay bales, and other materials. For many applications, it is preferable that the trailer bed comprises a large unhindered flat area. This generally requires that the bed be positioned above the wheels such that fenders and wheel cowlings do not protrude above and interfere with the upper surface of the trailer bed. For trailers having loading ramps, the higher elevation of such an unhindered flat bed area generally requires that equipment and materials being displaced along those ramps experience radical shifts of their center of gravity during the loading process. This situation leads not only to substantially reduced stability during the loading process but also leads to a requirement of substantially greater thrust while displacing the load onto the trailer.
Another complication that sometimes arises with ramps occurs for those trailers wherein the ramps are separate accessories rather than remaining an integral part of the trailer apparatus. As a result, such ramps can be inadvertently misplaced and not be available when needed. Also, such ramps can sometimes bounce loose and be lost along a transportation route.
One common use of flat bed trailers is for transportation of large round hay bales. Various types of riggings, many haphazard, have been employed for securing such bales to the underlying trailer.
What is needed is a ramp system which is an integral part of a trailer whereby the ramps cannot bounce loose and which provides a loading arrangement causing less abrupt shifting of the centers of gravity of the equipment and materials being loaded onto the trailer. A simple, releasable mechanism is also needed for maintaining large round bales on a flat bed trailer while being transported.


In an image formation apparatus which receives data transmitted from plural external apparatuses connected through a network and processes the received data, transmission source lists associated with users of the image formation apparatus are stored in a memory, the transmission source list corresponding to the user authenticated with respect to the image formation apparatus is selected, it is judged, when the data is received from the external apparatus, whether or not transmission source information of the external apparatus has been registered on the transmission source list, and it is controlled based on the judged result whether or not to process the received data.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image formation apparatus which receives data transmitted from plural external apparatuses connected to the image formation apparatus through a network and then processes the received data, a data reception processing method which is adapted to perform the data reception and the received-data process, a storage medium which stores a computer-readable program for performing the data reception processing method, and the program itself.
2. Related Background Art
In recent years, according to development of network technology, a mode that a single printer connected to a single personal computer is used is changing to a mode that a single printer directly connected to a network is shared by plural users. Moreover, because the network is connected to the Internet nowadays, an Internet-ready printer which receives data through the Internet and then prints the received data is developed. In this kind of Internet-ready printer, a user authentication means which authenticates a user through a user name and a user password is provided within the printer so as to prevent unauthorized or unfair printing, whereby only previously permitted (authenticated) users (or host computers) can perform print processes by using this printer.
Moreover, in such an environment, to know and administrate which user (or host computer) uses the printer to what extent, a print administration system that a print server for administrating the use of the printer is installed and provided on the network and thus the user has to transmit a print job through the print server without exception is widely used.
In this kind of print administration system, the print server has a user authentication function to authenticate the user, a spool function to store the print job, a scheduling function to control the order of printing based on print jobs, and the like. Thus, it is possible to centralize various printer use conditions.
On one hand, in the Internet-ready printer which can perform the printing through the Internet because the network to which the printer belongs is connected to the Internet, everyone who can access the Internet can directly transmit the data to the Internet-ready printer through the Internet and thus cause the printer to output documents.
Here, it should be noted that the host computer denotes the computer which has a network address such as an IP address or the like.
In the above network-ready printer, there is a fear that a vicious user needlessly performs a great deal of printing through the network, whereby there is a problem that out of paper occurs due to the needless printing and thus the printer cannot be used any more.
For example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2003-114789 discloses two methods to be used in an image formation apparatus which receives data transmitted from plural transmission sources through a network and processes the received data. More specifically, in one method, information representing a user or a host computer of a data transmission source is obtained from the received data, it is judged whether or not the user or the host computer represented by the obtained information is included in the users or the host computers previously registered and stored in the memory of the image formation apparatus, and it is determined whether or not to perform a necessary process based on the received data in accordance with the judged result. Moreover, in the other method, it enables to register the user or the host computer permitted to perform the necessary process onto a permitted-host list, it enables to register the user or the host computer inhibited (or rejected) to perform the necessary process onto an inhibited-host (or rejected-host) list, it is judged whether or not the user or the host computer represented by the information obtained from the received data is included in the permitted-host list, it is further judged whether or not the user or the host computer represented by the information obtained from the received data is included in the inhibited-host list, and the necessary process based on the received data is performed in accordance with the results of the. permitted-host list judgment and the inhibited-host list judgment.
However, in the background related art as described above, the number of the users or the host computers capable of being registered in the inhibited-host list and/or the permitted-host list of the image formation apparatus is limited.
For this reason, for example, there is a problem that the user of the host computer in which the relevant user of host computer could not be additionally registered in the permitted-host list cannot use the image formation apparatus if the user does not reset or invalidate the permitted-host list.
Further, because the image formation apparatus merely includes one set of the inhibited-host list and the permitted-host list, for example, there is a problem that, if it intends to limit usable computers with respect to each individual or group, it is necessary to reset the permitted-host list with respect to each individual or group.
Furthermore, in the background related art as described above, setting can be changed any time. Thus, for example, there is a problem that, even while the user of the host computer to which access is permitted is performing communication, such communication is interrupted if the access is limited by changing the setting.

Image formation apparatus, data reception method, program for performing data reception method, and storage medium for storing program


A spray with carbon nanotubes and a method for spraying the spray to get an electron emitting source layer are provided. Choosing a proper and vaporizable solvent to disperse and suspend the carbon nanotubes scattered therein. To mixed up the carbon nanotubes with a binder or an additive to be the spray with a low viscosity. The solvent mixed is carried with a high-pressure air to spray uniformly on a negative conductive layer or a negative glass substrate, a thickness of a film sprayed by the solvent mixed can be adjusted and controlled by a spraying frequency thereof, and the film can be even and uniform and the carbon nanotubes can expose out easily to generate electrons and increase current density thereby in the spraying manner.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a technique of an electronic source arranged on a negative plate of a FED (Field Emission Display), and particularly relates to a technique adopted for spraying carbon nanotubes on a negative plate of a FED.
According to the present invention, the method provides a layer of a film sprayed by a solvent of a low viscosity and a high volatility with carbon nanotubes can expose the carbon nanotubes out of the layer of the solvent due to the spraying process under high-pressure air, because that particles from a binder or an additive with heavier specific weight deposit on a cathode or a surface of a negative glass substrate during the spraying process than that of the carbon nanotubes, so as to expose the carbon nanotubes out of the layer of the solvent under the high-pressure air for emitting large quantity of electrons and magnifying electric currents thereof.
2. Background of the Invention
The FED of the present invention is a device with a cathode electron emitter generating electrons within an electric field to excite phosphor materials covered on an anode thereof. The FED provides characteristics of lightweight and thin, sizes of an effective displaying area being adjustable to meet requirements, but without problems of view angles, which exist in a Flat LCD (Flat Liquid Crystal Display).
Referring to FIG. 1, a conventional FED 1a includes an anode 3a, a cathode 4a, and a rib 53 disposed between the anode 3a and the cathode 4a for separating the cathode 4 from the anode 3a, providing a support between the anode 3a and the cathode 4a, and including a vacuum cavity formed therebetween. See FIG. 1, the anode 3a includes a positive glass substrate 31a, an anode conductive layer 32a and a phosphor powder layer 33a; the cathode 4a includes a negative glass substrate 41a, a cathode conductive layer 42a and a electron emitting source layer 43a. With reference to the rib 53a in FIG. 1, the conventional FED 1a discloses functions, which the rib 53a provides, apparently for providing connections between the positive glass substrate 31a and the negative glass substrate 41a. By providing an electric field additionally, the electron emitting source layer 43a generates electrons and emits the electrons to the phosphor powder layer 33a of the anode 3a, and to avoid the positive glass substrate 31a electrically connecting the negative glass substrate 41a within the electric field, the rib 53a is supposed to be made of dielectric materials. According to a unit 5a shown in FIG. 1, includes an anode unit 51a and a cathode unit 52a, the rib 53a arranges between the anode unit 51a and the cathode unit 52a. Because the electrons generates due to the electric field (E), an electric field intensity thereof is in a direct proportion to a voltage adopted for the anode unit 51a and the cathode unit 52a, and in an inverse proportion to a distance between the anode unit 51a and the cathode unit 52a. The distance between the anode unit 51a and the cathode unit 52a obviously affect the electric field intensity thereof, therefore, even and uniform thickness of the electron emitting source layer 43a, the phosphor powder layer 33a and the rib 53a makes an important role in the conventional FED 1a and affect light uniformity thereof.
Recently, a newly carbon nanotube material is presented by Iijima in 1991 (see Nature 354, 56 (1991)). The newly carbon nanotube material provides a high aspect ratio, a high mechanical intensity and a high chemical resistance with a high abrasion resistance and a low threshold electric field, accordingly, the newly carbon nanotube material is applied to a filed emission electrons and to be studied broadly (referring to Science 269, p 1550 (1995); SID'98 Digest, p 1052 (1998); SID'01 Digest, p 316 (2001)). Wherein the so-called filed emission is a condition of a high electric field forcing on a material to diminish a thickness of an energy barrier thereof and electrons departing a surface of the material to be a free electron (with respect to J. Appl. Phys. 93, 7, pp 3504–3504 (1968)) by a quantum-mechanical tunneling effect. Thus, the electric currents due to the filed emission can be improved by the material surface with a low work function, the electrons generates without a constant heat source but with the material with the electric filed instead, and the filed emission device is called "cold cathode" thereby. The carbon nanotubes are adopted for the electron emitting source layer 43a of the negative glass substrate 41a of the conventional FED 1a.
Methods for producing an electron emitting source layer with the carbon nanotubes are in different manners. In an CVD (Chemical Vapor Deposition) process, a carbon atom is deposited to continue each carbon nanotube of a negative substrate, although the method can provides a uniform length with stably growth to the carbon nanotubes, costs thereof are still high and sizes thereof are under 20 inches. To conquer the difficulty mentioned above, a method providing each layer thereof with a thick-film process results in the electron emitting source layer manufactured by screen printing and patents or articles in periodicals of the like; however, referring to FIG. 2, a electron emitting source layer 60a still has problems to solve. First, pastes for screen printing needs a high viscosity with at least 100,000 centi poise (cPs) to maintain precisions and configurations of design patterns thereof, besides the pastes further include binders (such as glass powders or the like), surfactants and conductive agents (such as silver or the like). And it's so difficult to disperse the carbon nanotube evenly with such a high viscosity and to avoid an effect of aggregation of the carbon nanotubes, which disturb the uniform distribution of the electrons, that the method needs dispersants in addition, the pastes have complex ingredients so as to increase the costs and to hazard dangerous oxides after sintering. Second, for processing the screen printing, thickness of each layer thereof is limited by a minimum thickness according to an emulsion of a fabric of a screen plate, with respect to FIG. 2, the thickness of each layer thereof 60a usually is at least 10 μm (micro meter), and a plurality of meshes arranged on the fabric of the screen plate differ 4˜8μm height therefrom to vary the thickness distribution of the design patterns. Third, the carbon nanotube 62a has a good aspect ratio, which even reaches 40, but in a normal case, the carbon nanotube 62a has to restrict a height thereof to scatter in the pastes to avoid influencing the printing process. Furthermore, the pastes embrace the carbon nanotube 62a thereof due to at least 10 μm thickness; part of the carbon nanotube 62a is still covered by the binders or conductive agents 61a even after sintering. Thus, efficiency of generating electrons decreases, for example, an electron emitting source layer with a multiple wall carbon nanotube is processed by the screen printing method, and when the electron emitting source layer is within a electric field (E) of 4 voltage per micrometer (V/μm), the electron emitting source layer still has a current density of 10 milliamperes per centimeter square (mA/cm2) limited.
Requirements we need to meet include: how to cut off the costs of the electron emitting source layer with the carbon nanotube; how to control or correct errors the thickness of the electron emitting source layer, so that the FED can provide a uniform display; how to expose the carbon nanotube out of the electron emitting source layer to increase the current density. Therefore, we can provide a spray and a method of spraying with a carbon nanotube on an electron emitting source layer to meet requirements mentioned above. First, simplifying ingredients of the spray to reduce the costs. Second, controlling a thickness of the electron emitting source layer by the spraying process. Third, exposing the carbon nanotube out of the electron emitting source layer by the spraying process to increase the current density.
Hence, an improvement over the prior art is required to overcome the disadvantages thereof.

Spray with carbon nanotubes and method to spray the same