A control method for shortening a start time of an electric vehicle quickly removes electricity remaining in a system without adding a separate component. The control method includes comparing a DC-link voltage in an inverter for driving a driving motor with a first reference value in a state in which the connection between a main battery and a vehicle system is released; checking a remaining voltage in the vehicle system and comparing the checked remaining voltage with a second reference value, when the DC-link voltage in the inverter is no less than the first reference value; removing the remaining voltage by operating an electric load in the vehicle so as to consume remaining electricity in the vehicle system, when the remaining voltage is no less than the second reference value; and connecting the main battery to the vehicle system by turning on a pre-charge relay and a main relay.

In recent years, green vehicles that can substitute for existing internal-combustion engine vehicles are actively developed due to a high oil price, regulations of carbon dioxide emissions, and the like. An electric vehicle traveling by driving an electric motor and a hybrid vehicle using an internal-combustion engine and an electric motor as a driving source have been or will be commercialized according to manufacturers.
An in-wheel motor vehicle, which has an electric motor (driving motor) mounted to each wheel using power of batteries as a power source, is being developed among electric vehicles. The in-wheel motor vehicle is a vehicle in which power is transmitted directly to each wheel by the electric motor disposed inside a wheel rim of the wheel.
Thus, in a case where the in-wheel motor is applied to an electric vehicle, a power transmission apparatus such as a transmission or differential gear can be omitted, so that it is possible to decrease the weight of the vehicle and to reduce energy loss caused by a power transmission process.
Recently, an electric bus having an in-wheel motor technique applied thereto (referred to as an 'in-wheel electric bus' hereinafter) has been developed. The in-wheel electric bus uses a high voltage (e.g., 486 to 784V) as compared with an ordinary electric vehicle.
Accordingly, a relay in a battery system is not turned off due to its fusion frequently in a hybrid electric vehicle (HEV), a plug-in hybrid vehicle (PHEV), an electric vehicle (EV), etc., using a high voltage, which is undesirable.
Accordingly, the high voltage in the battery system is not released, or a fire or the like occurs due to heat generated in a resistance load in the fusion of the relay.
Thus, when a high-voltage battery is re-connected to a load such as each in-wheel motor (i.e., an inverter in a motor controller) in a vehicle driving system (e.g., in a restart after idle stop), whether the relay is turned off is checked by verifying a remaining current and its charging state in the system, particularly before each relay of a power relay assembly (PRA) is turned on. Here, the PRA performs switching so that the power of the battery is selectively supplied to an electric load in a vehicle.
Typically, whether a relay is fused or not is verified by checking a DC-link voltage in an inverter for in-wheel motor as shown in FIG. 1 before a high-voltage battery (main battery) is connected to an inverter of each in-wheel motor (driving motor) (S2). In a case where it is verified that the DC-link voltage in the inverter is less than a reference voltage in the checking process, a pre-charge relay and a main relay (high-voltage (−)/(+) relay) are sequentially turned on (S3 and S5).
However, it takes a long time to check whether the relay is turned off by verifying the discharging state of remaining current until the remaining current in the system is discharged, i.e., until the DC-link voltage in the inverter is less than the reference value.
Accordingly, it takes a long time to check the status of the relay whenever the battery is connected to the in-wheel motor, since the in-wheel electric bus starts after the idle stop. This lengthens the start time of the in-wheel electric bus, which is undesirable.
FIG. 2 is a graph showing a state in which remaining current drops in a conventional system. Here, the vertical axis represents a remaining voltage (V) in the system, and the horizontal axis represents time (sec).
As shown in FIG. 2, it takes a long time until the remaining voltage gradually drops and then becomes less than the reference value. Hence, there is a problem in that inspection waiting time and control time are lengthened when the in-wheel electric bus starts.
A method of setting the reference value (V), at which the relay is re-joined, to be high is used for the purpose of shortening a start time of the in-wheel electric bus. In this case, although the relay is substantially fused, an instantaneous discharge is generated by another variable. Hence, there may exist a state in which the DC-link voltage in the inverter is less than the reference value (set to high as described above). Therefore, a need exists for performing a process of additionally verifying the state. Further, the number of variables increases, and therefore, the control becomes complicated.
Alternatively, a method of adding a discharging resistor to a single component in the system is introduced. In the method, a discharging resistor and a cable are additionally connected to a single component in the driving system of the in-wheel electric bus, e.g., a motor control unit (MCU), auxiliary machinery inverter, low-voltage DC/DC converter (LDC), high-voltage junction box, etc. The method, however, increases the number, size or price of the single component Therefore, the method has a negative influence on the optimization of the system.

Control method for shortening start time of electric vehicle


A system and method for performing automatic detection, storage, correlation and retrieval of specific electronic communications data from heterogeneous computer systems and storage with non-normalized representation of this data on a computer system running specialized software are provided.

Electronic communications play a large role in modern life, and this includes any modern business. Thus, it is very important for an application managing computerized database containing information relating to business activities to be able to keep full and up-to-date picture of the electronic communications data pertaining to these activities.
However, this may present a number of challenges, since there are many different internal and external systems used to perform communications: electronic mail (corporate and personal), instant messaging, social communications (such as Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, etc.), SMS, Web Logs, etc. In a large organization, employees can use a variety of ways to send and receive communications, and it may be problematic to ensure that the communications pertaining to business activities is properly archived in the system managing the company's data and can be readily found and accessed when the need arises.
As of today, the vast majority of data within a customer relationship management (CRM) system is entered by hand. This leads to three major issues. First, the amount of time that it takes a CRM system to become useful is directly proportional to the amount of time it takes to enter in the initial data set. This leads to longer ramp up times and higher initial costs for getting users onto a CRM system. It also leads to a delay in the user's ability to appreciate the usefulness of the CRM system. The second problem is the loss of the relationship aspect of Customer Relationship Management. Most associations of real-time data require manual input. This leads to a data gap between the interactions with a customer, and what is stored in the CRM system. This is compounded with the fact that most companies may go several months without any interactions with a customer at all so that the CRM system and the Company may lose grasp of that relationship. The third problem is when a Company representative is prepping for a call, they need to gather data from various sources (linked-in, google, corporate website, etc. to prepare themselves for that call since the data in their CRM system may very well be out of date, or not exist at all.
There are various existing solutions allowing exporting the data from one system storing the email or other electronic communications data into another, and electronic mail protocols allow for automatic creation of copies of messages sent and received for archival and search. However, these systems have substantial downsides, such as:                1. Operation requires client-side or peer-side software installation: Most of these systems need the user to explicitly install some software, which can depend on the computer platform, operating system and its version, email server software type and configuration, etc. and requires repeated maintenance and attention from a qualified professional. Both installation and maintenance of such a solution may carry a substantial cost both in time and money.        2. Control is user-based and manual: Many of these systems require explicit user-controlled action each time some data is to be copied from one system (such as email storage) to another (such as company business data management application), which leads to dependency on the user to always vigilantly keep both systems up-to-date. If a user is unable to perform needed actions to ensure replication, the data will be inaccessible to the company.        3. Limited support of communication technologies: Many of these systems work only with specific email server or client software. Therefore if the user chooses to perform the same tasks using different software solutions, the system is unable to ensure proper data sharing.        4. Many systems, while efficiently managing one specific type of communication, such as email and email-related information, are frequently unable to relate this information to other business data—such as information about clients, activities, orders—stored in different application.        5. Many of these systems target specifically only single type of electronic communication medium—such as email—and can not easily be extended to target emerging communication channels such as social networks, micro-blogging platforms, SMS communication, and other communication media.        6. Some communication systems perform well only when all communications are performed exclusively through the system. Thus, if a communication arrives through a channel that is not related to the system—such as email sent to a different mailbox or a text message—existing systems are either unable to integrate the information or require substantial work and technical expertise to do it.        7. Some communication systems do not have a way to distinguish between communications relevant to the business or personal data and correlate those business communications to such data while filtering out unrelated communication, which should not be archived since such information is not useful for business purposes. Some communication systems that allow such distinction require the user or supporting stuff to create complex sets of rules to achieve it and constantly maintain these rules to ensure they are up-to-date.
Thus, it is desirable to provide a system and method that overcomes the limitations of existing systems and it is at least to this end that the disclosure is directed.

System and method for intelligent data mapping, including discovery, identification, correlation and exhibit of CRM related communication data


A crossmember assembly is provided for a motor vehicle having a roof with first and second rails. Each rail has a width within a range of widths, with the first and second rails being spaced from one another by distance within a range of distances. The assembly includes a crossbar having first and second ends and movable along the rails. The assembly further includes a first clamp mechanism engaged with the first end for securing the crossbar to the first rail and a second clamp mechanism engaged with the second end for securing the crossbar to the first rail. Each of the first and second clamp mechanisms includes a stanchion attached to the crossbar and having a first rail gripping surface. Each of the first and second clamp mechanisms further includes a scotch yoke, which has a second rail gripping surface and is movable between clamped and unclamped states.

Modern vehicles have roof racks for increasing the cargo capacity of the vehicles. Non-limiting examples of cargo attached to roof racks can include skis, snowboards, bikes, cargo cages, or cargo containers. The roof rack can include two rails and multiple crossbars extending between the rails at fixed positions along the rails. The width of each rail and the distance between the rails can vary among vehicles of different makes, models, or production years. For that reason, each crossbar can have a fixed length and shape for attachment to only the rails on vehicles of specific makes, models, and production years.
Accordingly, there is a need in the art for a crossmember assembly that allows a crossbar to be attached to rails having one of a range of widths and spaced from one another by one of a range of distances.

Crossmember assembly with a scotch yoke for an adjustable roof rack of a motor vehicle


A method and a system determine a change of state of an autonomous device, such as an autonomous vehicle. A plurality of performance parameter values obtained by monitoring at least one performance parameter during the autonomous operation of the device is received. A performance quantity quantifying the quality of autonomous operation of the device, in particular the quality of driving of the autonomous vehicle, is determined based on the obtained performance parameter values and information associated with a flux of software and/or hardware related to the autonomous operation of the device. Further, a change of state value for the device is determined based on the performance quantity.

The present invention relates to a method and a system for determining a change of state of an autonomous device, in particular an autonomous vehicle.
Autonomously operating devices have already become part of everyday life. Such devices include, for instance, robot vacuum cleaners, smart homes, and autonomous vehicles. All these devices have in common that they operate based on highly specialized control software which is designed to process usually huge amounts of input data for controlling the behavior of the device. For example, these devices may comprise sensors for recognizing the environment. Hence, sensor data needs to be processed in order to navigate, react to and/or predict the evolution of the device's surroundings.
Such data processing is extremely complex given the number of different situations that may be encountered and the number of possible behaviors that may be adequate. Any situation which is not correctly interpreted by the software may lead to unwanted behavior or even an accident, resulting in damage to persons and costs. This not only places a huge burden on quality management, but also implies questions regarding liability issues. For example, it will be necessary to think about how devices capable of operating autonomously are insured, e.g. how insurance premiums may reflect the reliability of the autonomous device. Also, it has to be considered how the reliability of autonomously operating devices affects ancillary aspects such as part wear and its effects on inventory and supply chain, planning, part expected wear redesign, staffing levels to address false alarm rates for autonomous security devices and/or the same.
Further, in the realm of the Internet of Things (IoT) there are numerous peripheral devices that sense their environment in an intelligent manner. In a broad sense these might be referred to as autonomous as they share an important common trait—their AI control code bases are large, complex, and require frequent remote, over the air update. Also, these devices require regular evaluation to adjust and optimize mission. This, causes a dilemma: reliable extensive evaluation becomes difficult when there is code base flux due to remote updates.
The same problem exists in robotic Al controlled vehicles that are, for example, used in long duration military missions and environmental research. Their long mission period will also require frequent remote updates for code errors and/or new releases.
A further effect of the complexity of recognition and prediction performed by autonomous devices is the difficulty in assessing possible consequences of changes in the device design, be it by code changes in the software or replacement or upgrade of components or directly related code of hardware parts. For instance, it can be difficult sometimes to determine whether a certain behavior of the device is due to a particular situation or, say, a recent patch/update of the control software. Hence evaluation is usually done on a system basis using statistical testing. However, the frequency of patches/updates may interfere with conventional statistical testing methods.

Method and system for determining a state change of an autonomous device


A disposable downhole tool includes an elongated body and a compression element. The compression element is disposed about the elongated body. The compression element includes at least one preconfigured division at disposal of the disposable downhole tool.

Methods and apparatus for preparing and treating a well, and more particularly to a disposable downhole tool with a segmented compression element and method are disclosed.
In treating and preparing a subterranean well for production, a packer or plug is often used to isolate zones of the wellbore. Packers and plugs are selectively expandable downhole devices that prevent or control the flow of fluids from one zone of the wellbore to another. For example, during production enhancement operations a packer or plug may be used to isolate a treatment zone from the remaining zones of the wellbore.
Packers and plugs are run into a wellbore on a work string. Seal elements are expanded radially to seal the packer or plug against the wellbore. The seal elements may be hydraulically or mechanically expanded. After a packer has been set, it seals the annulus of the wellbore to block movement of fluids through the annulus past the packer location. After a plug has been set, it seals the entirety of the wellbore to block the movement of fluids past the plug location. A plug may include a check value to permit flow in one direction while preventing flow in the other direction. Once set, packers and plugs typically maintain the sealing engagement against the wellbore until released.
Packers and plugs may be retrievable or drillable (millable). A retrievable tool is typically released from the wellbore by manipulation of the connected work string and then retrieved to the surface. A drillable tool may be composition cast-iron disposed of by inserting a drill bit or other drilling tool into the wellbore and mechanically breaking up the tool by drilling.

Disposable downhole tool with segmented compression element and method


A method of forming a triple-well in a semiconductor device, includes the steps of forming a second conductivity type impurity region in a first conductivity type semiconductor substrate, forming an epitaxial layer on the semiconductor substrate, forming a second conductivity type first well in a first portion of the epitaxial layer, and a second conductivity type second well in a second portion of the epitaxial layer, and forming a first conductivity type first well in the first portion of the epitaxial layer, and a first conductivity type second well in a portion of the epitaxial layer between the second conductivity type first and second wells.

The present invention relates to a method for forming a triple-well in a semiconductor device, and more particularly, to a method for forming a triple-well, which is suitable for simplifying the fabrication process of the semiconductor device and for increasing its integration.
In fabricating a semiconductor device, it is sometimes required that a plurality of wells are formed in a semiconductor substrate in various forms. That is, the formation of a triple-well is often required in a semiconductor substrate.
FIGS. 1A to 1E are cross-sectional views for explaining a conventional method of forming a triple-well in a semiconductor substrate.
Referring to Fig. 1A, a photoresist mask 2 is formed on a semiconductor substrate 1 through photolithography, and n-type ions such as phosphorus P are ion-implanted (3) into the substrate 1 with a high energy using the photoresist mask 2. As a result, an n-shield region 4 is formed in the substrate 1.
Referring to FIG. 1B, the photoresist mask 2 is removed and photolithography is carried out to form a photoresist mask 5 defining a certain portion of the substrate, which is narrower than the n-shield region 4. Thereafter, p-type ions such as boron B are ion-implanted (6) into the substrate 1 using the photoresist mask 5 to form a p-well 7 in the n-shield region 4.
Referring to FIG. 1C, the photoresist mask 5 is removed and then a photoresist mask 8 is formed through photolithography, which exposes a portion of the substrate 1 away from the p-well 7. N-type ions such as phosphorus P are then ion-implanted (9) into the substrate 1 using the photoresist mask 8 to form an n-well 10 separate from the p-well 7 in the substrate 1.
Referring to FIG. 1D, the photoresist mask 8 is removed and a photoresist mask 11 is formed through photolithography, which exposes a portion of the substrate 1 between the p-well 7 and the n-well 10 and a portion of the substrate 1 adjacent to the p-well 7. P-type ions such as boron B are then ion-implanted (12) into the substrate 1 using the photoresist mask 11 to form a p-well 13. Then, diffusion and annealing processes are carried out through heat treatment, and a triple-well as shown in Fig. 1E is formed in the semiconductor device.
As described above, in the conventional method for forming a triple-well, a high-energy ion implantation is carried out to form a deep n-shield region. This generates many defects in the semiconductor substrate, deteriorating the characteristic of the semiconductor device. Also, since the junction depth of the n-well and n-shield region are different from each other, it is required that the n-well and n-shield region be formed through separate ion implantation. This complicates the fabrication process.

Method for forming a triple-well in a semiconductor device


A refrigerator includes a main body having a storage chamber; a shelf movably provided to the inside of the storage chamber; a guide unit guiding a movement of the shelf; and a transfer means provided at least one side of the shelf and transferring driving power for moving the shelf. Through such a configuration, it is possible to adjust height of the shelf, without drawing out the shelf to the outside of the storage chamber.

The present disclosure relates to a refrigerator, and more particularly, to a refrigerator, a door for a refrigerator, and a dispensing apparatus for a refrigerator that enable to obtain contents easily.
The present embodiment relates to a refrigerator, and more specifically to a refrigerator having a shelf that partitions an inner space of a chilling chamber.
Generally, a refrigerator, which is an apparatus for storing foods, generates cooling air using a cycle of compression-condensation-expansion evaporation.
Also, the refrigerator includes a plurality of storage chambers receiving foods for storing foods in a freezing state or a cooling state. And, one surface of the storage chamber may be opened to receive and take out foods and one side of the storage chamber is rotatably coupled with a refrigerator door.
Generally, the storage chamber is partitioned into a cooling chamber and a freezing chamber. And, the refrigerator may be sorted into a top mount type refrigerator wherein the cooling chamber is positioned on a lower side of the freezing chamber, a side by side type wherein the freezing chamber and the cooling chamber are provided left and right, and a bottom freezer type wherein the freezing chamber is positioned on the lower side of the cooling chamber and three doors are provided, according to an installation way of the cooling chamber and the freezing chamber.
Also, the storage chamber is provided with a plurality of shelves that partition an inner space into a predetermined size and receives foods.
Generally, the shelf is supported on both walls of the inside of the main body of refrigerator. In this case, the main body of refrigerator is provided with a supporting part supporting both sides of the shelf and the position of the shelf may be defined by the position of the supporting part. A plurality of supporting parts with different heights may be provided.
And, the position of the shelf may be changed to be supported by the supporting parts positioned at different heights. Therefore, when an interval between the shelves is controlled according to a height of an object received in the inside of the chilling chamber, the shelf should be drawn out to the outside and then be inserted again.
In the process, there is a risk that the object received on the shelf falls and there is a problem in that it is difficult to accurately control the position of the shelf according to the height of the object.


A calibrating method applied to an out-cell optical touch device relative to a display panel is disclosed. The calibrating method is suitable for the out-cell optical touch device that includes at least one signal sensor and at least two position sensors. The position sensors are respectively disposed on two adjacent sides of a frame of the out-cell optical touch device. The calibrating method includes acquiring a first value according to dimensions of the display panel, detecting a distance between the frame and sides of the display panel to acquire a second value, utilizing the first value and the second value to obtain an offset, and transforming touch coordinates detected by the signal sensor into screen coordinates applied for the display panel according to the offset.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an out-cell optical touch device, and more particularly, to an out-cell optical touch device and a related calibrating method capable of automatically executing coordinate amendment.
2. Description of the Prior Art
User inputs the control command via the keyboard, the mouse and peripheral devices to control the display without touch panel. Conventional technology disposes an out-cell touch device on the display, the out-cell touch device detects an amount and a movement of touch point so that the display without the touch panel can be controlled by touch function. Because the out-cell touch device is manually installed on the display, position of the out-cell touch device relative to the display is inaccurate, and coordinate amendment is executed by the out-cell touch device to prevent deviation between the actual touch position and the ideal control position. The conventional coordinate amendment is that the user manually touches four calibration points on the out-cell touch device, so as to obtain calibration information to calculate coordinate transformation between the out-cell touch device and the display. However, the transformed touch coordinates generated by the conventional coordinate amendment may have obvious deviation when the user does not accurately touch the predetermined calibration point. Design of an out-cell touch device and a related calibrating method without manual touch of the calibration point, which is able to effectively prevent artificial error, is an important issue in the touch display industry.

Out-cell optical touch device and related calibrating method


A door lock device for vehicle includes a latch mechanism adapted to be a vehicle door at an inner space of the vehicle door for holding the vehicle door in closing condition against a vehicle body and sifted between an engaging condition and a disengaging condition, a link mechanism for shifts the latch mechanism from the engaging condition to the disengaging condition by an operation of a door handle mechanism which includes a handle member and a frame member arranged in the inner space of the vehicle door for supports the handle member to the vehicle door and connection means for detachably connected with the frame member of the door handle mechanism.

An example of door lock device and opening operation member is disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No. 2001-336330. The disclosed document has disclosed about a door lock device, which has been attached at inside of a door. Further, a frame member installing an operation member such as an outside handle has been provided at the door. The outside handle et al. also attached at the interior of the door with the frame member.
Therefore, the door lock device and operation member such as outside handle have to individually attach to the interior of the door in assembling process of the door.


A reformer for a fuel cell system has at least a dual pipe configuration that forms independent spaces through which fuel containing hydrogen passes. The reformer includes a first reaction assembly for generating heat energy by an oxidation reaction of the fuel and a second reaction assembly for generating hydrogen gas from the fuel through a reforming reaction using the heat energy. The reformer further includes a first pipe, and a second pipe having a circumference significantly less than a circumference of the first pipe to thereby allow for positioning of the second pipe within the first pipe. An oxidation catalyst layer is formed in the second pipe, and a reforming catalyst layer is formed between the first pipe and the second pipe.

(a) Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a fuel cell system, and more particularly, to a fuel cell system employing a reformer with an improved structure.
(b) Description of the Related Art
A fuel cell is a system for producing electric power. In a fuel cell, chemical reaction energy between oxygen and hydrogen contained in hydrocarbon-group materials such as methanol, ethanol, and natural gas is directly converted into electric energy.
Depending on the type of electrolyte used, the fuel cell is classified into different types, including: phosphate fuel cell, molten carbonate fuel cell, solid oxide fuel cell, and polymer electrolyte or alkali fuel cell. Although each of these different types of fuel cells operates using the same principles, they differ in the type of fuel, catalyst, and electrolyte used, as well as in drive temperature.
A polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cell (PEMFC) has been developed recently. As compared to other fuel cells, the PEMFC has excellent output characteristics, a low operating temperature, and fast starting and response characteristics. The PEMFC has a wide range of applications. It may be used in vehicles, in the home and in buildings, and for the power source in electronic devices.
The basic components of the PEMFC are a stack, reformer, fuel tank, and fuel pump. The stack forms the main body of the fuel cell. The fuel pump supplies fuel in the fuel tank to the reformer. The reformer reforms the fuel to generate hydrogen gas, and supplies the hydrogen gas to the stack. Accordingly, the PEMFC sends the fuel in the fuel tank to the reformer by operation of the fuel pump, the fuel is reformed in the reformer to generate hydrogen gas, and the hydrogen gas undergoes an electrochemical reaction with oxygen in the stack to thereby generate electric energy.
In the above fuel cell system, the stack (where the generation of electricity takes place) is structured to include a few to a few tens of unit cells realized with a membrane electrode assembly (MEA), with separators provided on both sides thereof. In the MEA, an anode electrode and a cathode electrode are provided opposing one another with an electrolyte layer interposed therebetween. Further, the separator is typically realized using what is referred to in the art as a bipolar plate, and acts to separate each of the MEAs. The separator also functions to provide a pathway through which hydrogen gas and oxygen, which are required for fuel cell reaction, are supplied to the anode electrode and cathode electrode of the MEA. In addition, the separator functions as a conductor for connecting the anode electrode and cathode electrode of each MEA in series. Accordingly, hydrogen gas is supplied to the anode electrode and oxygen is supplied to the cathode electrode via the separator. Through this process, an oxidation reaction of the hydrogen gas occurs in the anode electrode, and a reduction reaction of the oxygen occurs in the cathode electrode. Electricity is generated by the movement of electrons occurring during this process. Heat and moisture are also generated.
The reformer in the fuel cell system described above is a device that generates hydrogen gas from fuel containing the hydrogen through a chemical catalytic reaction realized by heat energy. The reformer typically includes a reforming reactor that generates the heat energy and hydrogen gas from fuel, and a reducer for reducing the concentration of carbon monoxide contained in the hydrogen gas. The reforming reactor utilizes heat generation and heat absorption characteristics employing catalytic processes. In particular, the reforming reactor includes a heat generator for creating reaction heat through a catalytic oxidation reaction, and a heat absorber that receives the reaction heat and generates hydrogen gas through a catalytic reforming reaction.
However, since in the conventional reformer the heat generator and heat absorber are provided as independent units, efficiency of heat transfer is reduced as a result of heat exchange not occurring directly between the heat generator and heat absorber. This separate formation of the heat generator and heat absorber also increases the overall size of the system. Finally, fuel supplied to the reformer is pre-heated during the initial operation of the conventional fuel cell system, and the energy required for this process acts to reduce the overall efficiency of the system.


A process of concentration by precipitation of PrPsc for detecting or diagnosing PrPsc, wherein a tissue or biological fluid stemming from or obtained from an animal or human organism is brought together with an antibiotic from the family of aminoglycosides, preferably streptomycin or one of its derivatives. The use of such an antibiotic for eliminating PrPsc from a tissue or biological fluid and a kit for diagnosing pathologies associated with the presence of PrPsc is also disclosed.

The native or normal prion protein, designated "PrP" or "PrPc", for the cellular prion protein is a glycoprotein broadly expressed in the lymphoid and neuronal cells of mammals.
Conformational changes of PrPc result in the appearance and propagation of the protein pathogen PrPc that is resistant to the proteinase K. This protein pathogen can be indifferently called "PrPsc" or "PrPres." Accumulation of PrPsc in the organs of animals is at the origin of numerous diseases and especially of trembling in small ruminants, of the chronic cachetic disease (or chronic wasting disease "CWD") of the elk and antelope, bovine spongiform encephalopathy (ESB) and Creutzfeld-Jakob disease (MCJ) in humans.
The delayed appearance after an incubation period of 2 to 6 years and slow development of symptoms in cattle infected with ESB has considerably slowed the development of epidemiological models. ESB is transmissible by ingestion to humans and has resulted in the appearance of a new form of Creutzfeld-Jakob disease (vMJC).
Detection of the protein pathogen PrPsc is difficult in infected animals healthy before the development of the disease and especially in the blood and urine of diseased animals. It has been established that PrPsc present in animals intended for human consumption is transmitted to man by ingesting infected tissues. Thus, a major objective of public health is to avoid this transmission by detecting the presence of PrPsc in animals intended for human consumption to remove them from the food chain.
Detecting the presence of PrPsc in biological samples or in animals has thus become extremely important and several research teams are developing methods of immunological detections (WO 02/086551). Moreover, methods of complexing peptides, small molecules or inhibitors to PrPsc to treat vMJC constitute the subject of active research. However, prior methods have constantly come up against the difficulty of identifying PrPsc in a reliable manner when it is in a low quantity in a biological sample.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Agence Francaise de Securite Sanitaire des Aliments-AFSSA

Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique-CNRS


A method and apparatus to manage files of a portable device such as an mp3 player, a mobile phone, or a game console, the method comprising copying files to be played from a source server and storing the files in a file system on a folder-by-folder basis; determining the presence of files which have been changed in the portable device by checking the file system when the files are completely copied; and creating a playlist of the files, folder-by-folder, according to file path information of the file system when there are the changed files.

1. Field of the Invention
Aspects of the present invention relate to a file management system for a portable device, and more particularly, to a method and apparatus to manage a file that automatically creates a playlist in a portable device such as an mp3 player, a mobile phone or a game console.
2. Description of the Related Art
Generally, users need to view a playlist in order to use media in portable devices, such as mp3 players, mobile phones, or game consoles. In most portable devices, media that a user desires to play is managed using folders. However, since a file management method in portable devices utilizes a multimedia transfer protocol (MTP), the existing function of using folders is removed from the portable devices. Therefore, the conventional portable devices adopting the MTP need to additionally incorporate a playlist.
FIG. 1 is a flowchart of a method of creating a playlist in the conventional portable device. Referring to FIG. 1, the portable device is first connected to a personal computer (PC) (operation 110). Second, the Windows Media Player 10 program is opened in the PC (operation 120). Then, a playlist is created using the Windows Media Player 10 program (operation 130). FIG. 2A shows an example of creating a playlist using the Windows Media Player 10 program.
Next, the playlist created using the Windows Media Player 10 program is synchronized with media in the portable device (operation 140). FIG. 2B shows an example of synchronizing files in the playlist with the media in the portable device using the Windows Media Player 10 program. Finally the portable device is disconnected from the PC (operation 150).
As described above, when using the conventional portable device, users are inconvenienced in having to create a playlist using a specific program, such as the Windows Media Player 10 program.

Method and apparatus to manage files for a portable device


A plasma display panel including upper and lower substrates which are opposite to each other, a pair of upper electrodes formed to be spaced apart from each other on the lower surface of the upper substrate, a first dielectric layer coated on the lower surface of the upper substrate to bury the upper electrodes, partition walls installed to be spaced apart from each other on the lower substrate, for defining discharge spaces, lower electrodes formed of conductive wires on the upper substrate in the discharge spaces so as to be orthogonal to the upper electrodes, and a phosphor layer coated in the discharge spaces.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a plasma display panel, and more particularly, to a plasma display panel adopting a wire-type electrode.
2. Description of the Related Art
A plasma display panel includes two substrates on which a plurality of electrodes are formed, and gas filled between the two substrates. A discharge voltage is applied to the electrodes to discharge the gas. A phosphor material emits light by virtue of ultraviolet rays generated from the discharged gas, thereby forming a picture.
FIG. 1 shows an example of such a plasma display panel. Referring to FIG. 1, an upper electrode 13 is formed in strips on the bottom surface of an upper substrate 11, and buried by a first dielectric layer 14. A protection layer 15 such as a magnesium oxide (MgO) layer can be formed on the lower surface of the first dielectric layer 14.
A lower electrode 16 is formed in strips on a lower substrate 12 facing the upper substrate 11, so as to be orthogonal to the upper electrode 13. The lower electrode 16 is buried in a second dielectric layer 17. Partition walls 18 defining a discharge space are formed to be spaced apart from each other on the second dielectric layer 17. Red, green and blue phosphor layers 19 are coated between the partition walls 18.
In manufacturing the conventional plasma display panel, the electrodes 13 and 16 on the upper and lower substrates 11 and 12 are manufactured by a printing method of forming a pattern using a conductive paste, a photolithographic method using a photosensitive paste, a sputtering method, or a deposition method.
The partition walls 18 are also formed by placing a screen with a predetermined pattern on the lower substrate 12 and printing and curing a partition wall material. The phosphor layers 19 are formed between the partition walls 18 by the printing method, a dispensing method, or the photolithographic method.
However, these manufacturing methods require many unit processes and are very complicated. In particular, the printing method widely used in manufacturing partition walls provides repetition of an identical process, to increase the possibility of errors between processes. Therefore, the failure rate is high, and the reliability on the quality of products is thus degraded.
To solve the above problems, it is an objective of the present invention to provide a plasma display panel capable of simplifying the manufacturing process thereof and improving the reliability of the product quality by adopting a wire electrode or partition walls.
According to an aspect of the present invention to achieve the above objective, there is provided a plasma display panel comprising: upper and lower substrates which are opposite to each other; a pair of upper electrodes formed to be spaced apart from each other on the lower surface of the upper substrate; a first dielectric layer coated on the lower surface of the upper substrate to bury the upper electrodes; partition walls installed to be spaced apart from each other on the lower substrate, for defining discharge spaces; lower electrodes formed of conductive wires on the upper substrate in the discharge spaces so as to be orthogonal to the upper electrodes; and a phosphor layer coated in the discharge spaces.
The plasma, display panel further comprises: a second dielectric layer coated on the outer circumferential surface of the lower electrode; and a phosphor layer coated on the surface of the second dielectric layer.
According to another aspect of the present invention to achieve the above objective, there is provided a plasma display panel comprising: upper and lower substrates which are opposite to each other; a pair of upper electrodes formed to be spaced apart from each other on the lower surface of the upper substrate; a first dielectric layer coated on the lower surface of the upper substrate to bury the upper electrodes; partition walls formed of insulative wires and installed to be spaced apart from each other on the lower substrate, for defining discharge spaces; lower electrodes installed on the upper substrate in the discharge spaces so as to be orthogonal to the upper electrodes; and a phosphor layer coated in the discharge spaces.
According to still another aspect of the present invention to achieve the above objective, there is provided a plasma display panel comprising: upper and lower substrates which are opposite to each other; a pair of upper electrodes formed to be spaced apart from each other on the lower surface of the upper substrate; a first dielectric layer coated on the lower surface of the upper substrate to bury the upper electrodes; lower electrodes formed of conductive wires on the upper substrate so as to be orthogonal to the upper electrodes; a second dielectric layer coated on the lower substrate to bury the lower electrodes; partition walls formed of insulative wires and installed to be spaced apart predetermined distances from each other on the dielectric layer, for defining discharge spaces; and a phosphor layer coated in the discharge spaces.

Plasma display panel having electrodes formed of conductive wires


The present disclosure provides a method of heating a spin on coating (SOC) film on a wafer. The method includes actions S401 to S405. In action S401, a heating apparatus is provided. The heating apparatus includes a bake plate and an electromagnetic wave generator. In action S402, the bake plate is heated by a heating unit disposed in the bake plate. In action S403, the wafer is placed on the bake plate of the heating apparatus. In action S404, the electromagnetic wave generator generates an electromagnetic wave to heat the SOC film. The electromagnetic wave generated by the electromagnetic wave generator has a frequency within a range of 1 THz to 100 THz. In action S405, the wafer is removed from the bake plate of the heating apparatus.

Integrated circuits are generally made by photolithographic processes that use reticles (or photomasks) and an associated light source to project a circuit image on the surface of a semiconductor wafer. The photolithography process entails coating the wafer with a layer of photoresist, exposing the layer of photoresist and then developing the exposed photoresist. The coating of photoresist layer involves spin-coating a photoresist solution containing light sensitive materials onto a surface of the wafer. After the spin-coating, the photoresist layer is heated to evaporate solvent in the photoresist solution, and the photoresist layer is dried for subsequent exposure processes. A bottom anti-reflective coating (BARC) layer maybe provided between the photoresist layer and the wafer to prevent diffuse reflection. The BARC layer is also formed by a spin-coating process.
After spin-coating the BARC layer on the wafer, the BARC layer is heated to be dried. Then, the photoresist layer is formed on the dried BARC layer by spin-coating and heating. Usually, the BARC layer may be heated to a temperature within a range of 300° C. to 400° C., and the photoresist layer may be heated to a temperature within a range of 100° C. to 350° C.
Referring to FIGS. 1A to 1B, schematic diagrams showing a process of heating a BARC layer on a wafer are illustrated. As shown in FIG. 1A, a wafer 110 coated with a BARC layer 111 is placed on a bake plate 120 that has a heating target temperature (which may be as high as 350° C.). The wafer 110 is heated by the bake plate 120 to dry the BARC layer 111. After the BARC layer 111 is dried, the wafer 110 needs to be cooled to a room temperature for subsequent processes, as shown in FIG. 1B. Usually, temperature of the wafer 110 equals to room temperature after a spin-coating process. The wafer 110 may crack when placed on the bake plate 120 having a temperature as high as 350° C. In order to prevent wafer cracking, the wafer 110 may be heated by a two-action heating process as shown in FIG. 1C. In the two-action heating process, the wafer 110 is heated on a bake plate having a temperature below the heating target temperature, for example, 200° C. Then, the wafer 110 is heated on another bake plate having the heating target temperature of 350° C. When cooling the wafer 110, a two-action cooling process may also be applied (i.e., the wafer 110 is cooled on a cooling plate having a temperature of 200° C., and then cooled to the room temperature). Similar processes may be adopted for heating a photoresist layer on the wafer 110. However, such heating process is energy consuming. Also, wafer cracking or other defects are likely to occur when the wafer 110 undergoes such a large temperature variation process.
Accordingly, there is a need to improve photoresist layer and BARC layer heating process for wafers.

Method of heating SOC film on wafer by electromagnetic wave generator and heating apparatus using the same

XIA TAI XIN SEMICONDUCTOR (QING DAO) LTD.


According to an example, a transmitter transmits a plurality of optical signals of multiple wavelengths via an optical link to a receiver. An optical link tuner coupled to the optical link groups the plurality of optical signals into a first group of optical signals and a second group of optical signals, where the first group of optical signals has a first wavelength range and the second group of optical signals has a second wavelength range. The optical link tuner adjusts link tuning parameters associated with the first group of optical signals during a first phase, such that the second group of optical signals is propagated to the receiver without modifications to link tuning parameters associated with the second group, where during the first phase the receiver is to detect unplugging of the optical link based on the second group of optical signals.

Transmitters and receivers are used to perform communications over an optical link between electronic devices. A transmitter is used to transmit optical signals over the optical link which is received by a receiver. An optical link, such as an optical fiber or waveguide, may add noise to the signal propagated across optical link, and so the received signal may be a noisy version of the transmitted signal. In addition, the transmitted signal may be distorted if the amplitude response of the optical link over a frequency range is not flat.
Thus, before a transmitter and a receiver can successfully communicate data over an optical link, a link tuning process is performed over the optical link between the transmitter and the receiver. In some examples, the link tuning process includes equalization of the transmitter and the receiver so that optical signals may be communicated across the optical link with minimum distortion and losses. Equalization enables the optical signals to be accurately reproduced at the receiver and balances out the amplitude response of the optical signals over the frequency range.

Hewlett Packard Enterprise Development LP


Embodiments regard security descriptors for record access queries. An embodiment of a method includes: receiving a record access query, the query regarding records for a certain one or more users, groups, or both at a certain access level; searching one or more sharing tables of entities in a computing environment for security descriptors, each security descriptor being associated with a set of one or more users, groups, or both having access to one or more records of a set of records at an access level; identifying any security descriptors in the one or more sharing tables that relate to the certain one or more users, groups, or both with at least the certain access level; and searching the one or more records associated with each of the identified security descriptors according to the record access query.

The subject matter discussed in the background section should not be assumed to be prior art merely as a result of its mention in the background section. Similarly, a problem mentioned in the background section or associated with the subject matter of the background section should not be assumed to have been previously recognized in the prior art. The subject matter in the background section merely represents different approaches, which in and of themselves may also correspond to embodiments of the claimed inventions.
Complex computing networks in many organizations provide security access to records (which may be also be referred to as files or other similar terms) and associated documents based on sharing rules. The sharing rules may define a highly complex sharing model in a database. People and groups that use the sharing rules each have a share table in which all sharing for the records of that person or group are persisted. The share table is denormalized, in the sense that multiple records having been shared with same set of users with the same access levels are expressed as different rows. For example, after user A shares a file X with user B and user C, user D shares the file X with user B and user C. In this case, there are 4 shares to be tracked: A→B, A→C, D→B, and D→C.
However, this model suffers from significant inefficiency in terms of the selectivity of rows based on access levels. The inability to express sharing rules in a normalized manner when querying for records is problematic. If a user would like to discover all records or associated documents that the user owns or to which the user has access, the query may be based on the union of all records owned by the user, all records that have been shared with the user, all records in private online social network groups of which the user is a member, all records in online social network groups, and all records in libraries of which the user is a member. A query that executes the above logic may, for example, take more than a minute for an organization with a million records, which is unacceptable. Accordingly, it is desirable to provide techniques that enable a system to provide more efficient record queries.

Security descriptors for record access queries


The external flaps of a variable exhaust nozzle for a gas turbine engine are attached to the nozzle by a pair of pivotal rods attached to the nozzle's internal support structure and slidably fits into elongated spaced bushings extending along the longitudinal axis of the flaps formed in bosses extending orthogonally from the inner surface of the flaps. The attachment to the support structure includes a unison ball made from composite material that fits into a spherical track formed in a recess in the end of the rods. The method of installation is to insert one of the post into the first bushing that is offset from the second bushing. After the slight engagement of the first post, the second post is pivoted to align with its complementary bushing and the flap is positioned forward to fully engage the rods into the bushings. The aft end hinge of the flap is then attached, A limit pin that is attached to the post travels in a slot designed to limit the travel of the post. Another embodiment includes a damping function in the attachment.

The problem that is solved by the present invention is the means for attaching the variable external fairing (flaps) to the exhaust nozzle by making it less complicated in construction, easier to assemble and disassemble and generally obviate the heretofore known problems encountered with the previously designed flaps. As is well known, the external flaps of the heretofore known designs are kinematically positioned by as many as six (6) different attachments. Some of these attachments are buried in the attendant kinematic structure making it difficult to assemble and disassemble. Because of the location of the attachment mechanism in these heretofore known flaps, the operator that assembles and disassembles these parts could be subjected to sharp edges when reaching inside when securing and removing the various attachment components during these operations.
External flaps are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,813,395 granted to R. E. Meyers on Nov. 19, 1957 and assigned to United Technologies Corporation, the assignee common to this patent application and U.S. Pat. No. 3,954,225 granted to Camboulives et al on May 4, 1976. As noted from the specifications of these patents the attachment means are significantly different from the attachment means of the present invention and as will be described herein below, this invention simplifies the attachment structure and facilitates the assembly and disassembly of the external flaps.
This invention obviates the problems alluded to in the above paragraphs by including a sliding assembly at one end of the flap and a single attachment at the other end. The sliding assembly includes a pair of premounted rods or hinge links pivotally attached to the supporting structure in the exhaust nozzle. The rods may be permanently mounted during the build-up of the exhaust nozzle, so that they are already in place ready to receive the other attachment mechanism of each of the flaps. Complementary bushings are integrally formed on the flap and are adapted to accommodate the rods. In installing the flap to the exhaust nozzle, the operator positions the flap and aligns a first one bushing and further pushes on the flap so that first post engages its complementary bushing. The next post is aligned with its complementary bushing and the flap is positioned further so that the next post engages its complementary bushing and the flap is then moved to its desired position for full engagement of the rods with their respective bushings. Once this is accomplished the hinge on the opposite end of the flap is secured making the assembly and disassembly a relatively easy chore and avoiding the necessity of attaching components in blind locations which could be uncomfortable for the operator.

Attachment means for flaps of variable exhaust nozzle


An optical system for inspecting an area includes an optical housing and an optical element housed within the optical housing. The optical housing houses one or more optical fibers. The optical element housed within the optical housing focuses light onto the one or more optical fibers. A sealing member seals the optical element with respect to the optical housing. The sealing member includes a solidified glass frit material. In one example, the sealing member is disposed annularly between the optical housing and the optical element. A method of forming the optical system is also provided.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to boroscope assemblies, and more particularly, to sealing an optical element within a boroscope assembly.
2. Discussion of the Prior Art
Boroscopes are known and used in many different applications. Boroscopes are used, for example, to inspect an area by acquiring images of the area. Boroscopes commonly include boroscope probe tips for housing optical elements (e.g., lenses, fiber optic bundles, etc.) associated with the acquiring of images. In the past, a polyepoxide material (e.g., epoxy) was used to seal the optical elements and limit the passage of condensation, moisture, etc. into an interior of the boroscope probe tips.
However, the boroscope probe tips are used in areas that have relatively high temperature fluctuations. Further, depending on the particular area, the boroscope probe tips are exposed to relatively corrosive chemicals. This temperature fluctuation and/or chemical exposure is detrimental and corrosive to the seal, thus allowing for condensation, moisture, etc. to enter the boroscope probe tips.
Accordingly, it would be beneficial to seal optical elements within boroscope probe tips that withstand temperature fluctuations and chemical attacks.


An RF power detector having a wide dynamic range may comprise a chopping amplifier and is configured to detect pulsed high frequency RF signals. The chopping amplifier controlled by a bias current regulator amplifies and chops an RF signal by periodically enabling and disabling the amplifier according to a system clock. The chopped high frequency RF signal feeds a Schottky diode biased to operate in the square law region for weak signals. The Schottky diode voltage is tapped and high pass filtered. The voltage drives a logarithmic and linear converter. The converter outputs are summed to produce an output voltage that is a repeatable and stable monotonically increasing function of the RF power.

Many communications and RADAR systems operate at RF frequencies of Ku Band or higher. In many of these systems it is necessary to continuously monitor and adjust the transmitted RF power level and the gain of the receiver (or transmitter) in order to compensate for changing link conditions such as atmospheric changes in weather conditions, interference, movement or changes in orientation of the terminals. To accomplish this, RF power levels are sampled using an RF power detector and RF gain or signal levels are adjusted as appropriate. Since many transmission systems are pulsed in nature, the RF power detector for a pulsed transmission system must be able to react and settle to a stable measurement value fast enough to accurately measure the RF pulse before the pulse ends.
At these frequencies, commercially available RF power sensors have limited sensitivity, pulse settling speed, dynamic range and accuracy. They also tend to be large in size making them inadequate for many potential applications. A few commercially available RF power sensors have relatively small dimensions of less than 0.3″×2.5″×3″. These power detectors, however, have limited operating frequencies or environmental sensitivities that limit their use to applications with operating frequencies of 25 GHz or less or applications that have laboratory like environmental conditions.
RF power sensors operating in these regions have limited sensitivity, pulse settling speed, dynamic range and accuracy for a variety of reasons. The RF signals are frequently low in power have fairly low signal to noise temperature ratios. Inductive noise currents and component variations often add unwanted noise and errors. Temperature and environmental changes frequently effect component response and add Direct Current (DC) and low frequency biases into the amplification circuits. Other low frequency and DC noise sources sometimes introduce significant errors in power measurement.
Those skilled in the art will recognize that there is a need for a small sensitive and accurate RF power detector having a wide dynamic range for sensing short pulses of very high frequency signals in a variety of environments. The invention addresses this need as well as others.


A method of Auger Electron Spectroscopic (AES) analysis for a surface of an insulating sample. The method is characterized by performing an AES analysis after depositing a conductive layer of a designated thickness on the surface of a sample containing an insulating layer by means of an ion beam sputtering for the purpose of the preventing charge accumulation. The conductive layer preferably is deposited to have a thickness of at least 6 .ANG. to 50 .ANG. and a beam voltage used for applying the conductive layer is at least 3 Kev. The conductive layer is made of any of iridium(Ir), chrome(Cr) and gold(Au). Because any electron charge generated on the sample is discharged via the conductive layer, the AES analysis can be performed for a sample containing an insulating layer.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an analytical method of Auger Electron Spectroscopy (hereinafter referred to "AES") for a sample having an insulating layer, and more particularly, to an analytical method of Auger Electron Spectroscopy for an insulating sample for which charge accumulation effects are prevented.
2. Background of the Related Art
In general, semiconductor devices include various elements such as memories, LCD's and the like. Normally a number of analyses are performed for a sample, which was produced in the course of the fabrication of the semiconductor device, for the purpose of increasing yields and enhancing performance.
One typical analytical apparatus for such purposes is an Auger Electron Spectroscopy (AES) system that is used to analyze contamination or composition of the surface and depth of a sample's layers. AES analyzes the elements in a sample by shooting an electron beam onto a selected atom on the surface of the sample and scanning the kinetic energy of an auger electron resulting from the impact of the electron beam. Due to its excellent analytical performance on minute areas, AES is chiefly used to analyze the particles on the surface of a wafer, damaged parts of a semiconductor structure, and the composition of thin layers, e.g., Si.sub.3 N.sub.4, WSi.sub.2, TiN, PSG, or BPSG. In particular, AES is characterized by its high resolution due to the application of the electron beam.
A conventional AES system is incapable of analyzing an insulating layer through the use of an electron beam because of the charge accumulation effect of the insulating layer. Thus, the analysis is limited to a conductive sample that does not experience a charging effect.
The AES analysis may be performed using a method of depositing conductive materials such as gold on a sample for a scanning electron microscopic analysis. However, with a device such as a diode sputtering apparatus that is used for a general deposition, it is not easy to deposit a conductive layer with a thickness of less than 100 .ANG. to 150 .ANG., or to regulate the deposited layer to have a precise thickness of a desired level. When using an AES system that is restricted to operating with a conductive layer of about 30 .ANG. to 50 .ANG. in thickness, it is therefore impossible to perform an analysis for the surface of a sample on which a conductive layer of at least 100 .ANG. to 150 .ANG. in thickness was deposited.

Analytical method of auger electron spectroscopy for insulating sample


An improved soft style snowboard boot which is internally reinforced by a multi-piece boot support assembly that includes a rigid molded plastic shank portion, a semi-rigid molded heel cup portion, and a molded or die-cut plastic highback portion. The shank portion is designed to resist flex, and provide ergonomic support for the foot, and further includes molded-in features which permit positive mechanical fastening of conventional step-in binding attachment structure, to the outsole of the boot. A pair of length adjustable tensioning strap members are connected between the shank and highback portions and when tightened the straps induce a desired forward lean in the highback portion. The straps may be tightened independently of each other to provide a desired side bias, left or right, to the highback portion. In one embodiment, the straps are contained within the outer boot portion. In another embodiment, the straps are routed exteriorly of the outer boot portion for more convenient forward lean adjustment. In another embodiment, a linerless snowboard both with adjustable ankle support is disclosed. In still another embodiment, an all exterior version of the boot support assembly for a soft style snowboard boot is disclosed.

Conventional strap bindings for snowboards include a highback for supporting the calf region of the snowboarder. This highback structure effectively locks out the forward extension movement of the ankle, thus allowing the forces from the rider's legs to transfer directly into the heel side edge of the snowboard. Without this highback structure, the rider's leg muscles would have to lock out the ankle in order to "tip" the board onto its heel side edge in order to make a heel side turn.
Snowboard boots generally come in two varieties; soft boots and hard boots. Hard boots are generally limited to use in combination with plate bindings. Soft boots are widely used with strap bindings and they are very popular with snowboarders since they are easy to fit and are comfortable both on and off the snowboard.
With the advent of step-in bindings for snowboards, the external highback structure of the binding is eliminated. Unfortunately, the ankle support capability of conventional soft style snowboard boots is insufficient, in most cases, to provide effective support to the rider's ankle and lock out the forward extension of the rider's ankle movement. The ability of a snowboard boot and/or snowboard binding to effectively lock out a specific range of movement of the ankle is critical to the positive feel and turning control of the snowboard.
Accordingly, it would be desirable to internally reinforce a soft style snowboard boot so that it could provide the necessary ankle movement lock out and support functions associated with conventional highback strap bindings. Further, it would be desirable to provided such a reinforced soft boot which also retains the comfort and fit features associated with conventional soft style snowboard boots. As can be readily appreciated by anyone of ordinary kill in the art, the above noted design considerations are in conflict with each other.
Others have proposed to solve this problem in various ways. For example, published European Patent application EP 0 646 334 A1 discloses a soft boot insert which includes a heel cup/foot bed portion which is pivotally connected to an upper highback portion. Straps are connected between the highback portion to the lower foot bed portion adjacent both sides of the ball of the foot. A shortening adjustment of the straps provides a change in the forward lean of the boot insert by pulling the upper highback portion forwardly toward the toe end of the heel cup foot bed portion of the boot insert.
Blax of Germany is currently selling a version of this type of highback soft boot insert under the trade name of I-SPINE. The Blax system utilizes a single direction tension adjustment via a ladder strap that runs vertically up the back of the ankle.
K-2 Corporation of Vashon, Wash. currently markets a product that utilizes a non-adjustable reinforcement in the construction of the boot. This is little more than the typical thermal formed heel "counter" material used in shoe making to make the heel area ridged and not wrinkle.
The ski industry has proposed and produced many solutions to this problem. However, none of these solutions are appropriate for snowboarding applications since they also require locking out or restraint of the lateral ankle movement. While locking out the lateral ankle movement is essential for skiing, it is detrimental for snowboarding since lateral movement of the ankle is essential for performing even the most fundamental snowboarding maneuvers.
The present invention overcomes the above noted problems of the prior art by relocating the calf supporting highback structure of conventional strap bindings to the inside of the soft style snowboard boot. Just as in the case with conventional high back strap bindings, the same functional criteria apply for the improved reinforced snowboard boot of the present invention, in that the internal boot support structure must be able to lock out a specific range of movement of the ankle in such a manner that forces exerted by the leg will be efficiently transferred through the matrix of boot, binding and board so that turn initiating leg movement results in a more positive and direct rotation of the snow board along its lengthwise axis.


An integrated system includes a fuel cell assembly for supplying electrical power to a building, a furnace having a heating chamber and a heat exchanger for supplying heat to the building, and a reformer for providing a supply of reformate directly to the furnace and the fuel cell assembly. The system may include a controller for apportioning the supply of reformate to the fuel cell assembly and to the furnace in response to heating and electrical power needs of the building. In another embodiment, an integrated system includes a fuel cell assembly for providing electrical power to a building, a reformer/furnace unit comprising a chamber and a heat exchanger for providing heat to a building, and wherein fuel is reformed/oxidized in a fuel-rich environment in said chamber to produce a supply of reformate for said fuel cell assembly, and in a fuel-lean environment in said chamber for releasing heat. The system may also include a controller for operating the chamber between a fuel-rich and a fuel-lean environment in response to heating and electrical power needs of the building.

Residential and commercial buildings require heat, hot water, and electrical power. Typically, a furnace or boiler which burns fuel, e.g., oil, natural gas, or propane, will generally provide all of the heating needs in the residential or commercial building. A furnace generally consists of two basic components, a combustion chamber where the fuel is burned, and a heat exchanger where the hot combustion gases transfer heat to a distribution medium, e.g., water, steam, or air. In addition, the furnace, or a separate hot water heater may provide the hot water needs of the residential or commercial building.
Generally, a large, centralized power generation facility provides the electrical power needs of a residential or commercial building.
A fuel cell power system is also capable of providing electrical power. A fuel cell power system generally includes a fuel processor, a fuel cell assembly or stack, and a power conditioner. The fuel processor converts fuel, e.g., natural gas or propane, into a hydrogen-rich gas. The fuel processor generally includes a reformer for processing the fuel into a hydrogen-rich gas or reformate. For fuel cells having a Proton Exchange Membrane, desirably the fuel processor includes a carbon monoxide (CO) cleanup device which reduces the CO content of the reformate.
The fuel cell assembly or stack electrochemically converts hydrogen in the reformate, and oxygen in the oxidant, e.g., air, directly into DC electricity. The power conditioner converts the DC produced by the fuel cell stack to a more useful 120 or 220 VAC.
Attempts have been made for integrating a boiler or furnace with a fuel cell assembly for generating heat and electrical power. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,401,589 to Palmer et al. discloses the application of a fuel cell stack to a power generation system in which the waste heat of the system is utilized. For example, heat produced in a fuel cell stack may be used in a reformer or may be used for space heating. In addition, exhaust from a burner of a fuel processor may be connected to a turbine and a small generator to supplement the electrical power output from a fuel cell stack, or coupled with a heat exchanger to provide either process heating or space heating.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,335,628 to Dunbar discloses an integrated boiler/fuel cell system having a water recirculation loop that serves the dual purpose of acting as a cooling agent for a fuel cell and acting as a heat and/or water source for a boiler. Heat from the boiler may be used an energy source to reform natural gas for use in the fuel cell.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,432,710 to Ishimaru et al. discloses an energy supply system having a fuel cell, a reformer for providing a supply of reformate to the fuel cell, a separate boiler, and control means for optimizing energy costs, energy consumption, and emission of pollutants.
The above-noted prior art systems are limited in their integration of the boiler/furnace with a fuel cell power system by operating a reformer to optimize the production of hydrogen-rich reformate and in which the reformate from the reformer is directed solely to a fuel cell assembly.
Therefore, there exists a need for compact integrated systems having a fuel processor, a furnace, and a fuel cell assembly which overcome the limitations of the prior art for efficiently providing heat, hot water, and/or electrical power to a building.

Integrated full processor, furnace, and fuel cell system for providing heat and electrical power to a building


A radar antenna system, adapted to be supported on an aircraft for surveillance, employs a nonconducting disk radome structured with aerodynamic fairing and otherwise to produce relatively low aerodynamic drag. A plurality of struts are used to secure the disk radome to the aircraft with the disk radome generally extending in a solid horizontal reference plane. A plurality of elongated, relatively low gain radiating elements are supported by a ground-plane box within the disk radome, with the radiating elements distributed across the disk radome and disposed to radiate generally in the vertical direction. An electronic system is supported within the ground-plane box, and it includes respective transmit/receive circuits which send and receive radio frequency signals to and from the radiating elements. Power cables extend through the struts to couple signals between the electronic system in the disk radome and radar system level circuitry located externally of the disk radome.

The present invention relates to antenna arrays for radar systems, and, more particularly, to electronically steerable radar arrays adaptable for use in aircraft surveillance radar systems.
Antenna arrays for aircraft surveillance radar systems require high gain, wide-band operation and low aerodynamic loading with full 360 degree azimuth scanning capability. Such radar systems can be mounted on aircraft which operate in flight in an Airborne Early Warning (AEW) system.
The designs of prior AEW type antenna arrays have encumbered this type of antenna arrays with general inflexibility, excessive aerodynamic loading, disadvantages of mechanical scanning operation, and/or limited electronic scanning capability.
In prior antenna arrays having electronic scanning, large apertures placed parallel to the air stream have employed high-gain radiating elements and have thus provided high antenna gain with aerodynamic loading limited through control of the antenna frontal area. Dorsal fins, billboards attached to the sides of aircraft, triad phased and other structures have housed AEW type antenna arrays, but none of these approaches has been entirely successful in meeting gain, aerodynamic, and electronic scanning objectives together.
A basic problem results from the fact that placement of large apertures parallel to the air stream provides required high antenna gain but simultaneously makes it difficult to produce full-azimuth electronic scanning. Electronic steering systems in most prior art systems cannot provide beam steering sufficiently forward or aft to achieve 360 degree scanning primarily because of the side-looking location of radiating elements in the arrays placed parallel to the air stream.
In a more recent development, as disclosed in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 08/489,569, entitled INTEGRATED FULL COVERAGE ANTENNA MODULE, filed on Jun. 12, 1995 by Timothy G. Waterman et al, and assigned to the current assignee, an antenna array is provided with end fire arrays positioned on and under opposed side-looking arrays. This module achieves full scanning, but it employs high-gain, end-fired radiating elements with little or no elevation scanning capability, has otherwise generally limited scanning flexibility, and carries other disadvantages of the prior conventional side-looking antenna arrays.
A need has thus existed for a better antenna array adaptable for AEW surveillance applications with more flexible electronic scanning, reduced aerodynamic loading, and generally more effective surveillance.


The present invention provides methods for laser sealing of disk drive housings. In addition, laser sealed housings are provided. Laser sealing of hard drives, allows for the disk drive assembly to be maintained in an inert gas environment.

In the highly competitive disk drive industry, manufacturers continually strive for improved performance along several fronts. Perhaps best known are the ongoing efforts to increase data storage capacity within given size limits by increasing the density at which bit-encoded data may be stored. Closely related, are the attempts to arrange the disk drive components to more effectively utilize available space, either to reduce the size of the drive, or to provide a drive of the same size with increased storage area, improved operating efficiency, or both. Moreover, there is effort to continuously improve drive performance and life.
Typically a disk drive will include a rigid and stationary housing, at least one storage disk, and a means for supporting the data storage disk inside the housing for rotation about a spindle axis relative to the housing. A drive typically further includes a transducing head for writing bit-encoded data onto the recording surface of the disk, and for reading bit-encoded data previously stored on the recording surface. An actuator means is provided inside the housing for controllably positioning the transducing head relative to the recording surface. Controlling electrical circuitry controls the rotation of the disk, the positioning of the transducing head and the writing and reading of the bit-encoded data. The control circuitry includes a circuitry layer, several electrical circuit panels, and means for bonding the electrical circuit plant panels to the circuitry layer to position the circuit panels apart from one another. A mounting means secures the circuit panels integrally with respect to the housing. The housing preferably is a rigid structure constructed of material capable of protecting the drive over its lifetime.
It has been observed that replacing the gas contents or interior environment of a disk drive with an inert gas, such as, for example but not limited to helium, improves drive performance by decreasing the power necessary to operate the drive. In addition, replacing the interior environment of the disk drive with an inert gas decreases turbulence and vibration. However, current methods of disk drive housing manufacture do not provide for a gas-tight or impermeable housing. Thus, in the ever-continuing requirement for improved disk drives, it is of interest in the art to develop improved disk drives, gas-tight disk drive housings, and methods of manufacture therefor.

Method and apparatus for a laser-welded disk drive housing


Electro-osmotic infusion of ground water or chemically tailored electrolyte is used to enhance, maintain, or recondition electrical conductivity for the joule heating remediation technique. Induced flows can be used to infuse electrolyte with enhanced ionic conductivity into the vicinity of the electrodes, maintain the local saturation of near-electrode regions and resaturate a partially dried out zone with groundwater. Electro-osmotic infusion can also tailor the conductivity throughout the target layer by infusing chemically modified and/or heated electrolyte to improve conductivity contrast of the interior. Periodic polarity reversals will prevent large pH changes at the electrodes. Electro-osmotic infusion can be used to condition the electrical conductivity of the soil, particularly low permeability soil, before and during the heating operation. Electro-osmotic infusion is carried out by locating one or more electrodes adjacent the heating electrodes and applying a dc potential between two or more electrodes. Depending on the polarities of the electrodes, the induced flow will be toward the heating electrodes or away from the heating electrodes. In addition, electrodes carrying a dc potential may be located throughout the target area to tailor the conductivity of the target area.

The present invention relates to remediation of volatile contaminants from soil, particular to soil remediation using joule heating technology, and more particularly to electro-osmotic infusion of ground water or chemically tailored electrolyte to enhance, maintain or recondition electrical conductivity for the joule heating remediation technique.
Removal of volatile contaminants, such as gasoline products and industrial wastes, from the soil is being carried out using the known joule heating remediation technique, wherein heating electrodes are utilized to vaporize and drive the contaminants toward an extraction well. A major problem with the joule heating technique is the non-uniform heating of near-electrode soils because of electrode geometry and electrical current distribution. High electrical current densities occur in the soil around the electrodes, which have diameters of less than one foot, when potential differences of several hundred volts are applied to an electrode array. This can result in extremely nonuniform heating of the target soil layer or formation and in total dryout of the near-electrode soil and the complete loss of electrical continuity between electrodes long before significant heating of the far-electrode soil region has been achieved.
The typically low permeability of the joule heating target layer, such as clay, makes it very difficult, if not impossible, to mitigate such effects by simply pumping water into the electrode wells. It has been found that temperatures of many hundreds of degrees can occur near a heating electrode while sub-boiling temperatures exist only a few feet away. Even though electrodes may be separated by fifty or more feet across a zone of contamination, the actual heating effects may be quite localized, involving the soil only a few feet from the electrode. It has also been found that simply adding water to an electrode well to prevent dryout may compound rather than mitigate the problem. First, the water added cannot flow into the target soil layer to prevent dryout because of the low permeability of that layer. Second, adding water to a hot well produces steam at the well that represents thermal energy lost to the target soil layer. Third, the steam produced can flow into adjacent higher permeability layers so that the temperature and saturation of these layers increases, which increases the electrical conductivities of these adjacent layers, causing a shunt of current around the target layer and subsequent decrease in the heating of that layer.
The above problems relating to soil remediation by joule heating techniques are overcome by the present invention which involves a process in which electro-osmotic infusion is utilized to provide a supply of electrolyte or ground water to the zone of intense heating around the joule heating electrodes. This is achieved by applying a direct current (dc) electrical field between electrode wells emplaced in the target soil layer or formation. The application of the dc electric field interacts with the pore scale distribution of ions to produce a net flow of pore fluid toward electrodes having one of the polarities. Induced flows by electro-osmosis are known and have been used extensively in civil engineering applications to dewater and stabilize soils. The electro-osmotic induced flows can be used to infuse electrolyte with enhanced ionic conductivity into the vicinity of the electrodes, maintain the local saturation of the near-electrode soil region, and resaturate a partially dried out zone.

Electro-osmotic infusion for joule heating soil remediation techniques

The Regents of the University of California


An AC adapter assembly having an adapter with an AC input and a DC output, a wall socket connector that includes an AC input connector member configured for insertion into the input of the adapter and a plurality of prongs configured for both insertion into a wall socket and movable from an in-use position to a storage position and the wall socket connector is configured to remain within the thinnest dimension of the adapter; and a DC connector is described.

Mobile PCs, e.g. laptops, are common portable electronic devices. Many mobile PCs use an AC (alternating current) adapter that converts the alternating current from a wall outlet to DC (direct current) when a laptop is not running exclusively on a portable power source, e.g. batteries. An IEC-320 C8 Low Current Power Inlet Connector is a component very commonly used in conventional AC adapters at the inlet to the AC adapter. While the inlet of the AC adapter may be described as a generally universal component, wall socket connectors linking the wall socket to the IEC-320 C8 Low Current Power Inlet Connector vary in function and structure.
One wall socket connector available for use with mobile PCs is a separate cable for connection between the wall socket and the IEC-320 C8 inlet. This cable is typically bulky and limits the mobility of the PC, as the user must carry a bag in order to carry the adapter which they also must carry in order to recharge the batteries. Another, wall socket commonly referred to as a "duckhead" includes both the plug that fits into the adapter and the requisite prongs that connect the wall socket protruding from a single plastic shell. While some "duckheads" have movable prongs, most do not.
Non-movable prongs that protrude from the plastic shell hinder transport of the AC adapter and increase the risk of damage to the prongs during transport as well as objects that may scrape against the prongs.


A process for patterning a nanocarbon material includes a step of forming a nanocarbon layer on a substrate; a step of forming a first metal layer on the nanocarbon layer to pattern the first metal layer, the first metal layer containing at least one selected from the group consisting of zinc, tin, indium, aluminum, and titanium; and a step of etching the nanocarbon layer with oxygen plasma using the first metal layer as a positive pattern. Also, a method for manufacturing a semiconductor device including a semiconductor layer containing a nanocarbon material includes a step of patterning a nanocarbon material by the above process; and, a semiconductor device containing a nanocarbon material includes a semiconductor layer including a nanocarbon sub-layer patterned by the process.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a process for patterning a nanocarbon material, a semiconductor device including a patterned nanocarbon material, and a method for manufacturing such a semiconductor device.
2. Description of the Related Art
Since H. W. Kroto, R. E. Smalley, and R. F. Curl discovered soccer ball-shaped molecules, called fullerenes, consisting of 60 carbon atoms in 1985 and S. Iijima discovered tubular structures, called carbon nanotubes, including rolled graphene sheets in 1991, various applications of these materials have been actively investigated.
The carbon nanotubes have excellent field emission properties, high heat conductivity, low weight, and high density; intercalate or deintercalate lithium ions due to electrochemical reaction; act as conductors or semiconductors depending on their chirality; and provide high-density currents. Therefore, carbon nanotubes have been investigated for applications in electrodes for display devices such as field emission displays (FEDs), applications in electrodes for lithium secondary batteries, applications in semiconductor devices such as field effect transistors, and applications in mechanical components.
In order to form channel layers or wiring layers containing the carbon nanotubes to manufacture semiconductor devices such as FETs, the following procedure is usually used to form carbon nanotube patterns: (i) a procedure including a step of forming a catalyst layer containing a transition metal element for selectively growing carbon nanotubes on a wafer to pattern the catalyst layer and a step of forming a carbon nanotube layer on the resulting catalyst layer by a chemical vapor deposition (CVD) process such as a plasma-enhanced CVD process or a thermal CVD process using a source gas containing hydrocarbon or (ii) a procedure including a step of forming negative patterns on a wafer using a photoresist material, a step of forming a carbon nanotube layer over the negative patterns and the wafer, and a step of removing the negative patterns and portions of the carbon nanotube layer that lie on the negative patterns by a lift-off process.
Procedure (i) has problems in that conditions for selectively growing the carbon nanotubes must be found, it is difficult to remove the catalyst layer on which the carbon nanotube layer is placed, and configurations of the devices are therefore limited. Procedure (ii) has a problem in that the temperature at which the carbon nanotube layer is formed must be lower than the heat-resistant temperature of the resist material.
Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2002-75960 discloses a technique for etching a carbonaceous material such as diamond-like carbon, carbon nanotube, fullerene, or graphite using a mask made of a material, resistant to oxygen plasma, containing an oxide such as silicon dioxide. For this technique, a process for forming the mask is, however, limited to a sputtering process or a CVD process using an organometallic compound. The technique therefore has a problem in that it is difficult to form an oxide layer for forming the mask without damaging a nanocarbon material and also has a problem in that such a nanocarbon material is deteriorated or damaged during the etching of the oxide layer. In particular, when the oxide layer is formed on the nanocarbon material by a sputtering process, the following problems occur: damages due to argon ions, the oxidation of the nanocarbon material, and the formation of a nonuniform oxide layer. When a silicon dioxide layer is formed by a CVD process using a compound such as tetraethoxysilane, the layer usually contains carbon and uniform layer, resistant to oxygen plasma, is therefore difficult to form. Furthermore, when the mask is removed by a dry etching process using halogen plasma, insulating films containing halogen are usually formed on the nanocarbon material.
Accordingly, the following process has been demanded: a process for patterning a nanocarbon material without deteriorating or damaging the material. Such a process is useful in manufacturing high-performance devices such as field effect transistors (FETs) and FEDs containing a nanocarbon material such as carbon nanotubes.

Process for patterning nanocarbon material, semiconductor device, and method for manufacturing semiconductor device


The present invention provides compositions and methods useful in the treatment of wounds, particularly in reducing or preventing scar formation, particularly hypertrophic scar or keloid formation. The invention thus further provides methods of treatment, including methods useful in hypertrophic scar or keloid revision as well as prophylactic, scar inhibiting methods.

There are many situations in medicine where a wound does not heal properly, such as from compromised wound healing that delays or prevents resolution of a wound. There are further wound healing events, however, that can limit resulting function or cosmesis. Exemplary undesired results include hyperplastic responses that produce extensive scarring, keloids, or wound contracture that compromises function and mobility.
Hypertrophic scars occur when the body overproduces collagen, which causes the scar to be raised above the surrounding skin. Hypertrophic scars often take the form of a red raised lump on the skin and usually occur within four to eight weeks following wound infection or wound closure with excess tension and/or other traumatic skin injuries. Keloid formation in particular is a very challenging wound healing problem. Keloids are defined as benign fibrous (fibroblastic or myofibroblastic) proliferations resulting in soft tissue tumors. The benign hyper-proliferative growth of dense fibrous tissue in keloids develops from an abnormal healing response to a cutaneous injury and is dissimilar to normal wound healing and scarring, including hypertrophic scarring. These differences manifest in cellular processes, collagen production and deposition, continued growth beyond the boundaries of the original wound, and a high recurrence rate after excision. Unlike normal scars or hypertrophic scars, keloids contain fibroblasts that overproduce type I procollagen, VEGF, TGFβ1/β2, PDGF-α receptors, and have reduced growth factor requirements, with either lower rates of apoptosis or a down-regulation of apoptotic genes (Robles, et al., Clinics in Dermatology, 2007). These aberrant fibroblast processes have demonstrated increased production of collagen and extracellular matrix in vitro and in vivo. X-ray diffraction examination of normal, hypertrophic, and keloid scars demonstrates that rather than the collagen fibrils running parallel to the scar line (normal scar) or slightly aligned to the scar line (hypertrophic scars), the collagen fibrils of keloid scars present no specific orientation of the collagen at all (Koonin eta al., S. A. Medical Journal 1964). Additionally, this collagen has been termed "keloid collagen" since the deposition pattern, mixture of collagen types (greater abundance of type III later replaced by type I), and overabundance are unlike other tissue or scar types (Cheng et al. African Journal of Biotechnology 2011). Finally, unlike normal scars or hypertrophic scars, the propensities for recurrence in keloid scars have been reported at 45-100%, and keloids are resistant to known treatments used for scars or hypertrophic scars (Robles, et al., Clinics in Dermatology 2007).
Compositions to promote wound healing have been described with the use of collagen, the main structural protein of the body. In particular, compositions of collagen combined with a glycosaminoglycan, the structural polysaccharides of the body, have also been described to promote wound healing or act as tissue templates for wound repair. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,837,024 describes promoting wound healing by contacting a surface of a wound with a suspension of particles of collagen and a glycosaminoglycan. U.S. Pat. No. 4,280,954 describes a composite material containing collagen and a mucopolysaccharide (glycosaminoglycan) that is useful as a degradable surgical prosthesis such as a synthetic skin Compositions using denatured collagen have also been described in wound healing compositions with polysaccharides. U.S. Pat. No. 6,261,587 and U.S. Pat. No. 6,713,079 describe compositions of gelatin and dextran or heparin to be used to stimulate vascularization and promote wound healing. There still remains a need for methods and compositions useful in wound treatment, particularly in addressing keloids and hypertrophic dermal healing.

Methods and compositions for wound treatment