An air conditioner for a vehicle is provided with an air conditioning unit for blowing conditioned air to a passenger compartment of the vehicle, multiple seat air conditioning units for respectively controlling temperatures of seats of the vehicle, and a control unit for controlling the air conditioning unit and the seat air conditioning units. The larger the difference between a target blowing-out temperature of the air conditioning unit and a compartment setting temperature of the passenger compartment, the larger the degree of influence of the target blowing-out temperature on a seat target blowing-out temperature in the calculation of the seat target blowing-out temperature, based on which the seat air conditioning unit is controlled.

Generally, a vehicle air conditioner is provided with an air conditioning unit for blowing conditioned air to a passenger compartment, a seat air conditioning unit for controlling temperature of a seat where a passenger sits, and a control unit for controlling the air conditioning unit and the seat air conditioning unit, for example, referring to JP-2002-144849A.
The control unit determines the operation state (transient state or steady state) of the air conditioning unit, then changing the control state of the seat air conditioning unit according to the determined result. Thus, an excessive cooling operation and an excessive heating operation of the seat air conditioning unit are restricted when the air conditioning unit is in the steady state.
In this case, the transient state (e.g., immediately after a start of the vehicle air conditioner) means that a difference between a temperature in the passenger compartment and a setting temperature of the passenger compartment is large. In the transient state, a degree of alienation between a target blowing-out temperature TAO (calculated by control unit) of the air conditioning unit and the setting temperature of the passenger compartment is large. The steady state means that the difference between the temperature in the passenger compartment and the setting temperature of the passenger compartment becomes small with an operation of the vehicle air conditioner or the like. In the steady state, the degree of alienation between the target blowing-out temperature TAO of the air conditioning unit and the setting temperature is relatively small.
However, in the vehicle air conditioner, the control unit determines the operation state (transient state or steady state) of the air conditioning unit, then providing different control operations responding to the determined result. Therefore, in this case, the air conditioning control is complicated.


A measuring device for measuring the alternating current (AC) loss of a high-temperature superconductor is disclosed. In accordance with an embodiment of the present invention, the device includes a pulse power supply unit, which outputs pulse power in a cycle, a lead wire, which is formed on both sides of the pulse power supply unit and applies the pulse power to a superconductor, a degaussing coil unit, which is connected to one side of the superconductor and cancels an inductive voltage, a shunt unit, which is serially connected between one side of the degaussing coil unit and one side of the pulse power supply unit, and a measurement unit, which is connected to both ends of the shunt unit and measures an electric current flowing through the superconductor.

1. Technical Field
The present invention is related to an AC loss measuring device for a high-temperature superconductor.
2. Description of the Related Art
Superconductors generally have no resistance to direct current (DC), and thus no loss. When alternating current (AC) flows in the superconductor, however, loss occurs in the superconductor if the current changes with time or the magnetic field changes with time.
Measurement of the AC loss is a very important factor in determining the cooling capacity and the heat inside connections. Moreover, since the AC loss is mainly caused by the change in current and external magnetic field, an alternating current is first applied and then the loss thereof is calculated in an AC loss measuring device for a superconductor.
In the conventional AC loss measuring device for a high-temperature superconductor, an electric current having a certain frequency and amplitude is applied to a superconductor, and then the waveform of the received voltage or electric current is measured. In this conventional method, however, the superconductor may be damaged if an electric current of about 35 A is applied to the superconductor for tens of seconds.
Also, in the conventional AC loss measuring device for a high-temperature superconductor, the preparation for normal operations takes tens of seconds.

AC loss measurement device of high-temperature superconductor


A sheet transport method and apparatus are provided for improving the handling of sheets control in printing systems. This automatic sheet transport system and method includes transporting a sheet in the printing machine via a transport belt circulating in a direction of transport, wherein a sheet contact surface of the circulating transport belt is made of an electrically non-conducting material. The method includes placing a sheet on an area of the transport belt and sucking or holding the sheet to the circulating transport belt by a negative pressure applied through the belt and also applying electrical charges to generate electro-static holding forces between the circulating transport belt and the sheet.

In the printing technology, different methods and apparatuses for transporting a sheet in a printing machine are known. DE 10113885 A1, corresponding to U.S. Pat. No. 6,993,278, for example shows a transport apparatus having a circulating transport belt, which is air-permeable, in order to allow sucking sheets via negative pressure to the transport belt. The force with which a respective sheet is adhered to the transport belt depends on the permeability of the suction belt, as for example defined by the size and the amount of through openings there through, as well as the amount of negative pressure applied. Inasmuch as the number and the size of the through openings should usually be kept small, in order to avoid influencing processes, which may act on the sheet being transported, a sufficient holding force may not be provided in all cases.
In DE 10319846 A1, corresponding to U.S. Pat. No. 6,745,001, an alternative transport apparatus having a circulating transport belt is described. In this transport apparatus the transport belt is electro-statically charged via a corona facing the transport belt, in order to adhere a sheet on that transport belt by electro-static forces. In those areas, in which a sheet contacts a thus electro-statically charged transport belt, a large holding force is provided. If the sheet, however, is not flat on the transport belt, when that charge is applied, the holding force only acts in the contact areas. If the sheet lies on the transport belt in a bowed manner, the electro-static forces acting in the contact areas would hold the sheet during the transportation in this bowed manner. This could substantially influence any process to be performed on the sheet during the transportation, such as for example printing an image on the sheet.

sheet transport apparatus and method for transporting a sheet in a printing machine


A multiple speed transmission includes an input and output; a first, second, third and fourth planetary gear sets, each gear set including a sun gear, a ring gear, a carrier, and pinions supported on the carrier and meshing with the sun gear and the ring gear; a first epicyclic gearing assembly including the first gear set, the second gear set, a first clutch, a first brake, a second brake, and first, second, third and fourth rotating members, said first clutch being operable to couple said first rotating member to the input, said first brake being operable to hold said fourth rotating member against rotation, and said second brake being operable to hold said second rotating member against rotation; and a second epicyclic gearing assembly including the third gear set, the fourth gear set, a second clutch, a third clutch, a third brake, and fifth, sixth, seventh and eighth rotating members, the third rotating member being secured to the eighth rotating member, said second control clutch being operable to couple said fifth rotating member to the input, said second control clutch being operable to couple said seventh rotating member to the input, said third brake being operable to hold the seventh rotating member against rotation, and said sixth rotating member being secured for rotation to the output.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to the field of automatic transmissions for motor vehicles. More particularly, the invention pertains to a kinematic arrangement of gearing, clutches, brakes, and the interconnections among them in a power transmission.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Light trucks have been offered for sale with a variety of optional axle ratios. Customers that plan to tow heavy trailers usually order axles for such trucks that have higher torque ratios in order to get better performance when the vehicle is heavily loaded. Customers that do not plan to tow heavy trailers choose axles with less torque multiplication in order to get better highway fuel economy.
The steeper axle ratios improve vehicle launch capability when loaded, but reduce fuel economy even when the vehicle is unloaded. Providing multiple axle ratios adds complexity at the vehicle assembly plant. Operators of light truck having 4×4 drivelines seldom use the low-range capability of a two-speed transfer case.
Light trucks having 4×4 drivelines frequently offer a low-range capability within the transfer case. A very low ratio in the transmission would allow this feature to be offered in trucks with 4×2 drivelines and reduce the cost of transfer cases.
Most operators of such vehicle are accustomed to and prefer that the transmission provide a small first gear-second gear step. Eight-speed transmissions that have been proposed have gear mesh losses that exceeded those of highly efficient six-speed transmissions.
There is a need for a transmission that provides sufficient speed ratio span, such that all vehicles can have superior towing capability and also have superior highway fuel economy whenever the vehicle is not towing a heavy load. In order to accomplish this objective, the transmission should provide similar ratios to a state of the art six speed automatic transmission plus an additional low range gear.


A biological sample measurement device comprising a main body case including a sensor mounting component; a measurement component including an input side; a controller connected to the measurement component, the controller including a measurement preparation mode and a measurement mode, the controller configured to determine whether there is an abnormality in the measurement component; a memory component connected to the controller; a switching component connected to the input side of the measurement component, a first reference resistor, and to the sensor mounting component; the switching component configured to switch between at least two states.

A conventional biological sample measuring device comprised a main body case having a sensor mounting component, a measurement component connected to the sensor mounting component, a controller connected to the measurement component, and a memory component connected to the controller.
A method in which a control liquid or a management chip is used to determine whether or not there is an abnormality in a biological sample measurement device has been proposed as a method for maintaining the measurement accuracy of the biological sample measurement device (see Patent Literature 1: Japanese Laid-Open Patent Application 2003-215122, for example).
However, a conventional biological sample measurement device was inconvenient to use in the following respects.
When it was determined whether or not there was an abnormality in a conventional biological sample measurement device, the determination was performed by mounting a dedicated management chip to the sensor mounting component, and it was confirmed from this determination that there was no abnormality in the biological sample measurement device. After this, a sensor for measurement was mounted to the sensor mounting component, and the measurement of a biological sample was carried out.
That is, prior to the measurement of the biological sample, a dedicated management chip had to be mounted to the sensor mounting component to determine whether or not there was an abnormality in the biological sample measurement device, and this made the device less convenient to use.


The present invention provides a semiconductor circuit board in which a conductor portion is provided on an insulating substrate, wherein a surface roughness of a semiconductor element-mounting section of the conductor portion is 0.3 μm or lower in arithmetic average roughness Ra, 2.5 μm or lower in ten-point average roughness Rzjis, 2.0 μm or smaller in maximum height Rz, and 0.5 μm or lower in arithmetic average waviness Wa. Further, assuming that a thickness of the insulating substrate is t1 and a thickness of the conductor portion is t2, the thickness of t1 and t2 satisfy a relation: 0.1≦t2/t1≦50. Due to above structure, even if an amount of heat generation of the semiconductor element is increased, there can be provided a semiconductor circuit board and a semiconductor device having excellent TCT characteristics.

Semiconductor chips (semiconductor elements) used for electronic control have been increasingly reduced in size, and the amount of heat generation from the chips grows steadily. Accordingly, it is important to improve heat dissipation in a semiconductor circuit board (including a module) mounted with semiconductor chips. The reason for this is that if a semiconductor chip exceeds the intrinsic temperature thereof even at only one point of the chip, the resistance of the chip changes to a negative-side temperature coefficient. This change causes a thermal runaway in which a power current flows intensively, thus instantaneously destroying the chip. That is, there is a demand for making heat dissipation designs in consideration of margins consistent with the electrical power loss of chips.
Thermal resistance (Rth) can be expressed by the formula Rth=L/(k×A). In the formula, Rth is thermal resistance, L is a heat transfer path, k is thermal conductivity, and A is a heat dissipation area. According to this formula, the thermal resistance (Rth) becomes lower with a decrease in the heat transfer path (L) and an increase in the thermal conductivity (k) and the heat dissipation area (A). Note that in general, the heat transfer path (L) corresponds to the thickness of a circuit board.
A commonly-known semiconductor device using a semiconductor chip involves contact among dissimilar materials, where the heat transfer path of the semiconductor device is represented as chip→solder→electrode circuit material→insulating substrate→back-side metal plate→solder→heat-dissipating member (heat sink). These heat mediums, except the heat-dissipating member, belong to an insulating circuit board. That is, the performance improvement of the semiconductor device cannot be achieved unless the insulating circuit board which accounts for most of the heat transfer path is superior in heat dissipation performance.
An Si chip which is the mainstream of current semiconductor chips has encountered its limit of response speed. Accordingly, the development of chips using SiC and GaN as next-generation semiconductor elements is moving ahead at a fast pace as a national project, with the aim of further downsizing equipment and improving the performance thereof. An SiC chip, in particular, is said to be usable at a temperature of up to 600° C., whereas the operable temperature of the mainstream of Si chips is 125 to 150° C. Thus, in addition to fast response speed, high operating temperature is another characterizing feature of the SiC chip.
If a conventional solder material is used to bond the chip and an electrode circuit material, however, the operating temperature decreases to the melting point of the solder material or lower. It is therefore not considered possible to take advantage of the chip's feature of being high in operating temperature. Under the current circumstances where a high-melting point solder material is being developed, any solder materials having a melting point of 600° C. or higher and sufficient reliability have not yet developed. A pamphlet of International Publication No. WO2007/105361 (Patent Document 1), for example, proposes using an Ag—Cu brazing material in place of high-melting point solder materials. It has been confirmed that use of such a high-melting point brazing material having a junction temperature of 600° C. or higher as described in Patent Document 1 enhances the reliability of junction (bonding) between the electrode circuit material and the semiconductor element to a certain degree.
On the other hand, attempts are being made to not only enhance the reliability of the junction but also further improve heat dissipation. For example, studies are being made of a method for directly bonding the semiconductor chip to the electrode circuit material without the interposition of any jointing materials, such as a brazing material, and a method for dissipating heat not only in a latitudinal direction but also in a lateral direction by thickening the electrode circuit material. In addition, whereas a single-sided cooling method in which a semiconductor chip is joined (bonded) to a heat sink through an insulating circuit board is the mainstream in a conventional semiconductor circuit board module, a double-sided cooling method or the like in which the semiconductor chip is cooled from both sides thereof has been put in use.

Semiconductor circuit board, semiconductor device using the same, and method for manufacturing semiconductor circuit board


Disclosed is a method for controlling an operational state of a medium access control layer in a broadband wireless access communication system. The method includes the steps of performing an uplink access of a contention-based scheme to an access point using resources required to perform the uplink access according to the contention-based scheme when data to be transmitted in an access state is detected, and being allocated resources required to perform an uplink access of a contention-free scheme from the access point in a case of failing in the uplink access of the contention-based scheme; and performing a state transition from the access state into the traffic state in a case of having been allocated the resource required for the contention-free scheme, and performing the uplink access of the contention-free scheme to the access point using the allocated resource in the traffic state.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a broadband wireless access communication system, and more particularly to an apparatus and a method for controlling the operational states of a medium access control layer.
2. Description of the Related Art
A 4th generation ('4G') communication system, which is a next generation communication system, is being actively designed and studied in order to provide users with services having various Qualities of Service ('QoS') at a high transmission rate. Meanwhile, a wireless local area network ('LAN') system and a wireless metropolitan area network ('MAN') system generally provide transmission speeds of about 20 Mbps to 50 Mbps. Therefore, the current 4G communication system is developing into a system that assures mobility and a QoS in the wireless LAN and MAN systems which inturn assure a relatively-high transmission speed.
In the following description, the broadband wireless access communication system will be explained with reference to FIG. 1.
FIG. 1 is a view showing a construction of a general broadband wireless access communication system.
Prior to the explanation of FIG. 1, it is noted that a wireless MAN system is a type of broadband wireless access communication system capable of providing a wider service coverage area and a higher transmission speed than that of a wireless LAN system. An IEEE (Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers) 802.16a communication system applies an orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) scheme and an orthogonal frequency division multiplexing access (OFDMA) scheme to a physical channel of the wireless MAN system in order to support a broadband transmission network. Since the IEEE 802.16a communication system applies the OFDM/OFDMA scheme to the wireless MAM system, the IEEE 802.16a communication system transmits a physical channel signal by using a plurality of sub-carriers, so that it is possible to transmit high-speed data. Meanwhile, an IEEE 802.16e communication system is achieved by supplementing the above-described IEEE 802.16a communication system to enable the mobility of an access terminal (AT). However, currently, the IEEE 802.16e communication system has not been standardized in detail.
Both IEEE 802.16a and IEEE 802.16e communication systems are broadband wireless access communication systems using the OFDM/OFDMA scheme. For the convenience of explanation, only the IEEE 802.16a communication system will be described below as an example. The IEEE 802.16a and IEEE 802.16e communication systems can use either the OFDM/OFDMA scheme or a single carrier (SC) scheme, but the following description will be given in consideration of only the OFDM/OFDMA scheme.
Referring to FIG. 1, the IEEE 802.16a communication system has a single cell structure and includes an access point (AP) 100 and a plurality of access terminals 110, 120, and 130 which are managed by the access point 100. The access point conducts signal communications with the access terminals 110, 120, and 130 by using the OFDM/OFDMA scheme.
The wireless MAN system is suitable for high-speed communication services because it has a wide service coverage area and provides a high transmission speed. However, since the wireless MAN system does not take into consideration the user's mobility, that is the mobility of an access terminal, handoff according to high-speed mobility of the access terminal is also not taken into consideration in the wireless MAN system. It is therefore necessary to develop a definite operation scheme of a medium access control ('MAC') layer which minimize power consumption of an access terminal moving at a high speed and supports an operation for a high-speed packet data transmission between the access terminal and an access point.

Apparatus and method for controlling operational states of medium access control layer in a broadband wireless access communication system


A method is provided for making a backing layer for an ultrasonic matrix array transducer useful in medical imaging and the like. A conductive grid is provided which includes a plurality of micro-contacts each joined together by a common base so that spaces are provided between the free ends of the contacts. A mold for the grid is filled with an acoustically absorbent material such that the absorbent material fills the spaces between the contacts, so as to produce a block when cured. The common base is removed so as to separate the contacts from one another within the block. Further machining exposes the opposite ends of micro-contacts so that a like number of contact faces or pads are provided at opposed surfaces of the backing layer. Improved transducer constructions are also disclosed.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to ultrasonic transducers such as used for diagnostic imaging, non-destructive material testing and treatment of human organs and to methods for making such transducers.
2. Background of the Invention
Many types of transducers have been developed for a variety of imaging applications. Ultrasonic devices such as single element, annular arrays, one-dimensional arrays, 1.5 dimensional linear arrays and two-dimensional (2D) matrix arrays are examples of devices used as medical transducers. Recently, matrix shaped ultrasonic transducers designed for three-dimensional (3D) imaging capabilities have been introduced into the marketplace. Reference is made, for example, to U.S. Pat. No. 5,732,706 (White et al) which discloses a piezoelectric matrix array transducer connected into an integrated circuit. For a matrix transducer, the active surface is generally square shaped and the elements are arranged in a N by N matrix fashion wherein each transducer is individually addressed so any focal depth can be electronically controlled. As disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,894,646 (Hanafy et al), typical manufacturing and interconnection methods for matrix transducers are based on the extension of existing manufacturing processes developed for one dimensional linear array transducers. However, these manufacturing methods have led to compromises in performance and to complexity in fabrication. Typically, a single flexible circuit or printed circuit board is used to connect the individual elements of a transducer array to a transducer cable. The use of this technique for a matrix array is not practical because the number of elements involved is significantly higher. For example, there may be 64 to 256 elements in a standard transducer, whereas a matrix transducer has up to 10,000 elements and potentially even more. Standard flexible circuits do not have the density required for this number of elements and thicker multilayer printed circuit boards, such as disclosed in the U.S. Pat. No. 5,855,049 (Corbett et al) degrade the performance of the transducer when placed between the piezoelectric material and the backing material.
According to the requirements of ultrasonic imaging, array transducers must exhibit acceptable acoustic performance to enable the system to provide high quality images. In general, matrix transducers must yield a 2D ultrasonic image quality approaching that obtained with linear array transducers, which means that individual transducer elements of the matrix must be designed to operate substantially identically to conventional transducers.
Ultrasonic transducers are designed to operate in a forward direction, meaning that, in medical applications, the ultrasonic transducer is pointed toward the organ to be imaged. As a consequence, such transducers are constructed to enhance sound propagation from the front face thereof and to minimize sound propagation from the back side thereof. The acoustic energy or reflections emanating from the rear face of the transducer is minimized by the use of a backing material.
Referring to FIG. 1, there is shown, in a cross-section, a typical prior art construction of a linear ultrasonic transducer. The transducer comprises the following components: a focusing lens 3, one or more impedance matching layers or members 2, a piezoelectric layer or member 1, an interconnect layer or member 5 and a sound absorbing backing layer or member 4. Typically, interconnect layer 5 is made of, or formed by, a flexible circuit or printed circuit board. A typical matrix array is shown in cross-section in FIG. 2. The matrix array is similar to the standard transducer except for the absence of a focussing lens and a much thicker interconnection layer 6, and includes an impedance matching layer 8, a further matching layer 9, a piezoelectric layer 7 and a sound absorbing backing layer 10. As illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2, the interconnect layer 5 or 6 is usually placed at the interface between backing layer 4 or 10 and the piezoelectric material 1 or 7.
Numerous techniques of 2D connection have been developed during recent years, but none of these has provided a satisfactory solution to the problems sought to be solved by the present invention. These prior art attempts sometimes include the use of so-called "visible" multi-layer circuits which dramatically degrade the transducer response from reflections and sometimes use a connecting method so complicated that the resulting transducer is simply too expensive and unreliable to manufacture.
A further patent of interest here is U.S. Pat. No. 5,267,221 (Miller). This patent discloses an acoustic transducer assembly having a one or two dimensional array of transducer elements, an electrical circuit element such as a printed circuit board and a backing block for interconnecting transducer elements to corresponding contacts or traces of the board. Individual contacts for each transducer element are provided on the top and bottom surfaces of the backing block. The backing block comprises acoustic attenuating material having conductors extending therethrough which interconnect each transducer element to a corresponding circuit contact. The conductors are implemented using thin conductors, conducting fibers or foils, and multiple thin conductors or conducting fibers or foils may be used for each transducer element. This method however requires complicated tooling and methods to align the individual conductors. Furthermore the conductors are so thin as to make it difficult to achieve a reliable contact, and the conductors can collapse if excessive force is exerted on the backing.
There exists a need for a new way of interconnecting individual matrix transducer elements so as to provide a high density of interconnects without compromising the acoustic performance of the transducers.

Method for providing a backing member for an acoustic transducer array


In a GPS receiver, power is conserved by powering down P-code circuitry during and utilizing C/A code circuits during times when interfering signals, such as spoofing signals, are not detected. When spoofing is detected, the P-code circuitry is powered up so that the GPS receiver can continue to operate in the presence of spoofing.

This invention pertains to Global Positioning System (GPS) radios, in general, and to power conservation in GPS radios in particular.
Power conservation is an important function in various radios. It is particularly important with battery powered radios such as Search and Rescue (SAR) transceivers of the type used in the location and rescue of crews of downed aircraft and in other search and rescue or retrieval activities.
Modern SAR transceivers include a GPS receiver module. The GPS module is used to precisely identify the location of the transceiver and/or to provide precise time of day indications for establishing rendezvous with rescuers. The GPS module automatically determines the location of the transceiver and the SAR transceiver may transmit the location of the transceiver in response to interrogation signals from an interrogation transceiver carried on a rescue vehicle, or may transmit the location information on a periodic basis. Such transceivers may be triggered into operation by an incident switch which is used to sense the occurrence of an event for which the SAR transceiver should be activated. The transceiver may have to operate over an extended period of time before a rescue is possible. It may be many hours, if not days, before a rescue operation may be implemented and successfully completed. Further, in the presence of interfering signals, the GPS receiver may need to implement various and more sophisticated techniques for ascertaining its precise location. Such additional techniques typically consume more power.
Hence, there exists a need for a GPS receiver with SAR capability having the ability to accurately and precisely determine it location, even in the presence of interfering signals, while efficiently managing its overall power cosumption.

Spoofer detection power management for GPS receivers


A microfabricated electron phase shift element is used for modifying the phase characteristics of an electron beam passing though its center aperture, while not affecting the more divergent portion of an incident beam to selectively provide a ninety-degree phase shift to the unscattered beam in the back focal plan of the objective lens, in order to realize Zernike-type, in-focus phase contrast in an electron microscope. One application of the element is to increase the contrast of an electron microscope for viewing weakly scattering samples while in focus. Typical weakly scattering samples include biological samples such as macromolecules, or perhaps cells. Preliminary experimental images demonstrate that these devices do apply a ninety degree phase shift as expected. Electrostatic calculations have been used to determine that fringing fields in the region of the scattered electron beams will cause a negligible phase shift as long as the ratio of electrode length to the transverse feature-size aperture is about 5:1. Calculations are underway to determine the feasibility of aspect smaller aspect ratios of about 3:1 and about 2:1.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to electrostatic electron beam phase control, more specifically to microfabricated (also known as micromachined) electrostatic electron beam phase control, and still more specifically to micromachined electrostatic electron beam phase control in an electron microscope for contrast enhancement.
2. Description of the Relevant Art
A standard way that people currently address the problem of producing usable amounts of image contrast for weak phase objects is to operate an electron microscope in a substantially out-of-focus condition. This practice only produces a significant amount of contrast over a limited range of spatial frequency, also known as resolution. At resolutions both below and above a selected range, however, the contrast either remains weak or oscillates undesirably from positive to negative contrast.
A less standard approach for contrast enhancement, which is apparently not yet used in practice, is to shift the phase of the scattered electrons relative to the unscattered beam by placing a thin film of uniform thickness (of an appropriate material, such as carbon) at the back focal plane, with a small hole in the center for the unscattered beam. This approach is partially effective, but comes at the cost of losing about ⅓ of the scattered electrons, because these are scattered a second time by the thin film.
The publication "Uber die Kontraste von Atomen im Elektronenmikroskop" by Hans Boersch, Jun. 18, 1947, which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety, relates to electron microscope contrast.
The publication "LIGA Micromachining and Microdevices Using Deep Etch X-ray Lithography at Beamline 3.3.2" by Boehme and Wiberk, undated, which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety, relates to LIGA micromanufacturing.
The publication "Intro to electron optics" located at http://www.bio.umass.edu/microscopy/technai/tem/eointro.htm, which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety, relates to electron optical systems.
The publication "Particle-Particle Interaction Effects in Image Projection Lithography Systems" by S. D. Berger, D. J. Eaglesham, R. C. Farrow, R. R. Freemean, J. S. Kraus, and J. A. Liddle of AT&T Bell Laboratories, Murray Hill, N.J., which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety, relates to electron Coulomb interactions.
The publication "Aberration Correction In Electron Microscopy" by the Material Science Division of Argonne National Laboratory, Jul. 18-20, 2000, which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety, relates to improvement in aberrations in electron microscopes.
The publication "Electron interference: mystery and reality" by Hannes Lichte, Dresden University, Mar. 28, 2002, which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety, relates to electron interference effects.

The Regents of the University of California


A method and system for providing a magnetic element is disclosed. The method and system include providing a ferromagnetic pinned layer, providing a free layer, and providing a spacer layer between the pinned layer and the free layer. The pinned layer and free layer are ferromagnetic and have a pinned layer magnetization and a free layer magnetization, respectively. The spacer layer is nonmagnetic. In one aspect, the free layer is configured to have an increased magnetic damping constant. In another aspect, the method and system also include providing a second pinned layer and a second spacer layer between the free layer and the second pinned layer. In this aspect, the first pinned layer and/or the second pinned layer are configured such that a forward torque and a reflected torque due to a current driven through the magnetic element in a current-perpendicular-to-plane configuration are substantially equal and opposite.

FIGS. 1A and 1B depict conventional magnetic elements 10 and 10′ that can be used to read magnetic recording data. The conventional magnetic element 10 is a spin valve and includes a conventional antiferromagnetic (AFM) layer 12, a conventional pinned layer 14, a conventional conductive spacer layer 16 and a conventional free layer 18. Other layers (not shown), such as seed or capping layer may also be used. The conventional pinned layer 14 and the conventional free layer 18 are ferromagnetic. Thus, the conventional free layer 18 is depicted as having a changeable magnetization 19. The conventional conductive spacer layer 16 is nonmagnetic. The AFM layer 12 is used to fix, or pin, the magnetization of the pinned layer 14 in a particular direction. The magnetization 19 of the free layer 18 is free to rotate, typically in response to an external magnetic field. The conventional magnetic element 10′ depicted in FIG. 1B is a spin tunneling junction. Portions of the conventional spin tunneling junction 10′ are analogous to the conventional spin valve 10. Thus, the conventional magnetic element 10′ includes an AFM layer 12′, a conventional pinned layer 14′, a conventional insulating barrier layer 16′ and a conventional free layer 18′ having a changeable magnetization 19′. The conventional barrier layer 16′ is thin enough for electrons to tunnel through in a conventional spin tunneling junction 10′.
Depending upon the orientations of the magnetization 19/19′ of the conventional free layer 18/18′ and the conventional pinned layer 14/14′, respectively, the resistance of the conventional magnetic element 10/10′, respectively, changes. When the magnetization 19/19′ of the conventional free layer 18/18′ is parallel to the magnetization of the conventional pinned layer 14/14′, the resistance of the conventional magnetic element 10/10′ is low. When the magnetization 19/19′ of the conventional free layer 18/18′ is antiparallel to the magnetization of the conventional pinned layer 14/14′, the resistance of the conventional magnetic element 10/10′ is high.
In order to read data, the conventional magnetic element 10/10′ is brought into proximity with a magnetic media near the air-bearing surface (ABS). The conventional free layer 18/18′ responds to the varying magnetic field from the recording media. As a result, the magnetization 19/19′ of the conventional free layer 18/18′ will be substantially parallel or antiparallel to the magnetization of the pinned layer 14/14′. To read the data stored in the recording media, therefore, the resistance of the conventional magnetic element 10/10′ is determined. The resistance of the conventional magnetic element 10/10′ is sensed by driving a current through the conventional magnetic element 10/10′. Current may be driven in a CIP (current-in-plane) configuration or in a CPP (current perpendicular to the plane) configuration. In the CPP configuration, current is driven perpendicular to the layers of conventional magnetic element 10/10′ (up or down, as seen in FIG. 1A or 1B).
In higher density recording applications beyond one hundred gigabits per square inch, the CPP configuration is an attractive candidate for use in a read head. However, when the sizes of the conventional magnetic elements 10/10′ are shrunk down to deep submicron sizes (approximately <0.2 μm), a newly discovered phenomenon called the spin transfer effect can become dominant. The spin transfer effect is described more fully in J. C. Slonczewski, "Current-driven Excitation of Magnetic Multilayers," Journal of Magnetism and Magnetic Materials, vol. 159, p. L1-L5(1996). When a spin polarized current traverses a magnetic multilayer stack such as the conventional magnetic element 10/10′ in a CPP configuration, a portion of the spin angular momentum of electrons incident on a ferromagnetic layer may be transferred to the ferromagnetic layer. In particular, electrons incident on the conventional free layer 18/18′ may transfer a portion of their spin angular momentum to the conventional free layer 18/18′. As a result, a spin-polarized current can affect the direction of the magnetization 19/19′ of the conventional free layer 18/18′. If the current density is sufficiently high (approximately 107-108 A/cm2) and the conventional free layer 18/18′ is sufficiently thin, for instance, less than approximately ten nanometers for Co, the magnetization 19/19′ of the free layer may actually be switched due to spin transfer. According to Slonczewski's model, the switching current density Jc for the free layer of a simple trilayer spin transfer stack (for example, thick Co/Cu/thin Co) is proportional to:αtMs[Heff−2πMs]/g(θ)
where:
α=the phenomenological Gilbert damping constant;
t=the thickness of the free layer;
Ms=saturation magnetization of the free layer;
Heff=effective field for the free layer;
g(θ) reflects the spin-transfer efficiency
Thus, depending upon the values of the constants and fields described above, the magnitude of the spin transfer effect varies. The spin transfer effect can result in an asymmetric bias of the conventional free layer 18/18′ and in magnetic noise in a magnetic recording read head.
Accordingly, what is needed is a system and method for reducing noise due to the spin transfer effect. The present invention addresses such a need.

Magnetoresistive element having reduced spin transfer induced noise


A manufacturing method of a thin-film head includes the steps of, laminating and patterning a soft magnetic layer with iron alloy that contains silicon and aluminum through a base layer on a substrate; laminating an insulating layer on the patterned soft magnetic layer; performing a chemical-mechanical polishing of a surface of the laminated insulating layer and the patterned soft magnetic layer with a first acid slurry; forming a lower shield layer by a mechanical polishing with a second weak acid, or neutral slurry with a pH different from that of the first slurry; and forming a lower shield gap layer and a magnetoresistive effect layer on the lower shield layer.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a polishing method of a soft magnetic layer in a thin-film magnetic head having the soft magnetic layer with iron (Fe) alloy that contains silicon (Si) and aluminum (Al), a manufacturing method of a thin-film magnetic head and a thin-film magnetic head.
2. Description of the Related Art
In general, nickel-iron (NiFe) alloy (permalloy) is used as soft magnetic material for a shield layer. In the case of manufacturing a magnetoresistive (MR) effect read head element of a thin-magnetic head by stacking a lower shield layer with permalloy, it is preformed to planarize the surface of the stacked lower shield layer by a chemical-mechanical polishing (CMP). This planarization is preformed to stabilize photo accuracy in forming the MR layer or the lead conductor layer on the lower shield layer.
As the CMP method of permalloy, Japanese patent publication No. 2004-268182A discloses the polishing method which includes, polishing with a acid polish liquid whose pH is more than or equal 1 and less than 7, and then polishing the alkali polish liquid whose pH is more than 7 and less than or equal 14.

Manufacturing method of a thin-film magnetic head


A method for controlling an intensity of light entering a vehicle is provided. The method includes determining an operational status of a display device in the path of the light entering the vehicle, and receiving, by a computing device, an intensity of light present in the vehicle using at least one light sensor. The method also includes comparing the intensity of light with a predefined intensity threshold, and activating a light damping mechanism when the measured light intensity exceeds the predefined intensity threshold and when the operational status of the display device is active, wherein the light damping mechanism facilitates at least one of reducing the intensity of light interacting with the display device and reducing light from the display device reflecting off a window.

The field of the disclosure relates generally to vehicle sun screen/shade systems and more particularly, to systems that selectively control the intensity and amount of light entering a vehicle.
Entertainment displays have been used in vehicles for many years. In at least some known systems the displays are positioned in the rear of the vehicle to enable viewing by passengers in the rear seats. Other known systems allow viewing by a passenger seated in the passenger seat and/or by the driver. Such displays enable viewers to enjoy video entertainment, such as a movie or video game, and/or view information such as the environment to the rear of the vehicle while the vehicle is driving rearwardly. The entertainment display may reduce boredom during long drives for young or difficult passengers, or provide needed information to a driver, such as a local road map.
Known systems typically include transparent materials, such as glass. However, depending on the amount, direction, and/or intensity, light entering the vehicle may irradiate the display. Moreover, light irradiating the display may have an adverse effect on the viewing of the images displayed, such as by creating glare and/or reducing contrast. Currently, known systems may allow users to manually adjust the brightness level of the display to improve viewing conditions. However, even increasing the brightness level of known displays may be insufficient to overcome the adverse effect of the light. Increases in the brightness level of the display reduce the image quality of the video as compared to videos displayed during normal viewing.
Furthermore, in known systems, light from the display may cause adverse reflections on the inside surface of vehicle windows that can result in double images. More specifically, adverse reflections typically occur at night during low light conditions when the light from the display interacts with the glass of the window and is reflected to the eye-point of a viewer.

Systems and methods to automatically reduce an amount of light interacting with a vehicle display


In the control system of an automatic transmission for a motor vehicle wherein power delivered from an engine is transmitted to a gear shift mechanism through a damper and then transmitted from the gear shift mechanism to driving wheels through a starting clutch, when an engine speed detected by engine speed sensor (in FIG. 1) is not higher than a predetermined value in the engine starting operation, an engageable element (in FIG. 1) constituting the gear shift mechanism is released, and when the engine speed is higher than the predetermined value, the engageable element is brought into engagement, thereby to alter the resonance point of a rotary system including the damper and to prevent the damper from resonating, so that a vibration of large amplitude does not occur in the engine starting operation.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an automatic transmission for a motor vehicle. More particularly, it relates to the control system of an automatic transmission wherein power delivered from an engine is transmitted to a gear shift mechanism through a damper, and the power is transmitted from the gear shift mechanism to driving wheels through a starting clutch.
2. Description of the Prior Art
There has heretofore been known an automatic transmission of so-called "friction start type " which starts a motor vehicle by bringing a starting clutch into engagement.
By way of example, the official gazette of Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 165149/1992 discloses an automatic transmission wherein power delivered from an engine is transmitted through a damper to a gear shift mechanism which consists of a stepless transmission device and planetary gears for switching forward/reverse movements, and the power is transmitted from the gear shift mechanism to driving wheels through a starting clutch.
With the prior-art automatic transmission, the starting clutch should preferably be held in complete or full engagement from the low rotational speed of the engine in order to enhance fuel consumption. It is recommendable for such complete engagement to bestow a small spring constant on the damper for absorbing a torque fluctuation, and to shift the resonance point (namely, resonance frequency) of a system including the damper, into the speed zone of the engine lower than the idling rotational speed thereof.
However, when the damper of the small spring constant is employed in this manner, the rotational speed of the engine traverses the resonance point in the engine starting operation of the motor vehicle. This poses the problem that a vibration of large amplitude takes place in the motor vehicle.

Control system for an automatic transmission clutch in an engine starting operation


The disk lubricant tank of the present invention includes a lubricant bath cover device that resides on the lubricant bath surface to suppress surface waves. The bath cover includes a plurality of finger-like projecting members that define a plurality of disk passage slots therebetween. A plurality of disks are disposed upon a disk holding mandrel and are lowered into the lubricant bath. Each disk passes through a separate disk passage slot during the dipping process. The finger-like projections reside on the bath surface between the disk to suppress surface waves that would otherwise impinge upon side surfaces of the disk, leading to lubricant overcoat areas upon the side surfaces of the disk. Therefore, hard disks of the present invention are formed with a more uniform lubricant coating wherein unwanted lubricant overcoat areas formed by surface waves in the lubricant bath are suppressed.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to lubricant coatings for hard disks for hard disk drives, and more particularly to devices and methods to suppress surface waves in a disk lubricant dipping tank.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Hard disks that are utilized in hard disk drives are typically coated with a thin lubrication film to protect the surface of the disk during usage. A common method for applying the lubrication film to the disks is by use of a lubrication tank in which the disks are submerged in a lubricant bath and slowly withdrawn from the bath. It is desirable that the thin lubrication film form a single uniform film coating on the surface of the disk for optimum disk drive performance at the disk magnetic head interface. However, it has been found that unwanted variations in the thickness of the thin lubricant film are typically created when the lubricant film is applied utilizing the disk dipping tank method.
A reason for the creation of unwanted multiple layers of lubricant upon portions of the disk surface is the existence of small surface waves within the lubricant bath as the disks are removed from the bath. These surface waves cause the meniscus at the intersection of the disk surface with the lubricant bath surface to rise and fall. With each such rising and falling of the meniscus a thickened lubricant line is applied to the surface of the disk. The lubricant is dispersed in a highly volatile carrier fluid which rapidly evaporates from the surface of the disk, such that the thickened lubricant line from the surface wave remains upon the disk surface.
The present invention provides a solution to this problem by minimizing the surface waves of the lubricant bath to create a more uniform lubricant coating upon the disk surface.

Disk lubricant tank insert to suppress lubricant surface waves

Hitachi Global Storage Technologies Netherlands B.V.


Techniques for detecting an island in a system including a node that is operatively coupled to a primary power source (e.g., grid) and one or more distributed power generation sources are disclosed. In one embodiment, a current pulse is included in the output of a distributed power source. The grid voltage is monitored at the node to determine if a pulse-related disturbance occurs. If the grid is present, no pulse-related disturbance will manifest. If grid is down, then a pulse-related disturbance will manifest. Detection of the pulse-related disturbance is used to signal island detection.

Existing conventional centralized power systems generally include a single utility that supplies power to a grid, where users (commercial and residential power consumers) are connected to the grid. Electrical service can thus be provided by the utility to the consumers. Such centralized systems are beneficial in that they do not require a comprehensive power management scheme. This is because there is only one utility providing power.
However, power shortages and deregulation of electric companies in the United States has given rise to increased demand for independent energy sources that can co-exist with the electric utility, and supplement its capacity. Independent energy sources include, for instance, photovoltaics, wind, hydro, fuel cells, storage systems (e.g., batteries), superconductors, flywheels, capacitors, diesel engines, Stirling engines, gas turbines, and micro-turbines.
Given the availability of such independent energy sources, a typical goal in energy production is to interconnect any number of independent energy sources together with the central utility power source on a single power grid, or to develop smaller local area grids with multiple independent energy sources. In such a decentralized, distributed power generation system, each of the independent energy sources draws power from the grid when needed, and delivers power to the grid when an excess exists. This arrangement effectively supplements the capacity of the central utility, and enables the independent sources to buy and sell their energy.
However, unlike a centralized system, a decentralized local grid power system requires interconnection of the multiple energy sources and a comprehensive management scheme. For example, the proper grid voltage must be maintained with multiple power sources connected to the grid. In addition, large scale integration of independent power sources requires an interface between the grid and the power sources to regulate the power from/to the grid, and to monitor and regulate the activity. Each independent source's power must be converted to have parameters (e.g., phase and magnitude) that accommodates the grid parameters.
In addition to power conversion requirements, there is also a requirement that each independent source must be adapted to disconnect from the grid when the grid becomes unstable in order to avoid islanding. Islanding, also referred to as run-on, is the continued operation of a grid-coupled power converter, generator, or independent power source when the utility grid has been switched off, cut-off, or the distribution lines have been damaged.
Under such conditions, no power is delivered from the utility side and all independent sources should be disconnected from the grid. Such disconnects are intended to prevent the power of an independent source from feeding back through the grid to other power lines. The independent source can still supply power to its load if necessary. Without such disconnects, unsafe conditions may result, such as hot power line that is supposed to be de-energized for repairs.
Power quality is also a concern, as the voltage, frequency, harmonic content, and other parameters of the grid might go outside acceptable bounds. This condition presents a hazard to loads on the grid, such as computers and other sensitive electronics that might be damaged by an unstable or otherwise non-conforming grid. Moreover, the distributed generating equipment connected to the grid can be damaged due to grid parameter fluctuations, which may further present a safety hazard to the property and persons nearby such equipment.
Conventional schemes that have been proposed or implemented to eliminate the islanding problem, however, have only achieved marginal success and are generally considered unreliable. In particular, each of the available techniques are associated with non-detect zones, where islanding may still occur given a particular set of conditions. Thus, even though such schemes may work some percentage of the time, the associated risks to life and property remain substantial.
Many of the potential grid faults that could interrupt the flow of power from utility power stations to consumers could be repaired safely without affecting consumers if there was a reliable anti-islanding technique. It would allow the local reticulation lines, or any grid connected inverters connected to them, to be powered down safely with no risk of electrical shock.
What is needed, therefore, is an anti-islanding technique that reliably eliminates islanding conditions in all likely distributed generation situations.

Anti-islanding techniques for distributed power generation


Methods and systems for treating waste water in residential, industrial and agricultural environments are disclosed. The methods and systems for treating waste water can be localized and self-contained with no need to channel sewage to a remote location. The waste water treatment methods and systems result in recycled clean water, concentrated effluent, and disposable solids. The recycled water can be used for landscaping and domestic use. The concentrated effluent can be channeled to an anaerobic digester to generate biogas, such as hydrogen, methane, and/or carbon dioxide, which can be used to generate power or as fuel for heating and/or cooking. The disposable solids may be used as fertilizer for farming or gardening.

Shortages of energy and water are significant global problems. Solutions are being developed to the problems, generally utilizing energy efficient technology to achieve balance with our earth. The present invention approaches its solution from often over-looked areas: household waste and farming waste.
The current state of the art technology is piping sewage (or waste water) to a centralized municipal waste water treatment plant, usually miles away. Capital costs of the plant, costs of channeling or transporting the waste water to the plant, and environmental concerns are a few of the issues which might put this type of system in a disadvantageous position in the foreseeable future.


A nonvolatile memory array has two or more stacked layers of memory cells (10). The bottom layer may comprise a planar, X-cell, or buried N++ FAMOS transistor array and the top layer preferably comprises a planar transistor array. An epitaxial silicon layer (36) provides the substrate for the second layer. The stacked layer structure allows a two-fold increase in memory density without scaling the device sizes.

Nonvolatile memory designs constantly strive to achieve a greater density of memory cells on a single chip. In order to increase cell density, much effort has been placed in reducing the size of the devices used to implement the memory array. Present-day designs are incorporating submicron memory cells (devices using less than one micrometer design rules) in order to achieve the higher density.
Ultimately, devices will become so small that further scaling is not possible. As the devices are scaled, other problems are encountered in metal interconnect layers and the gate oxide layers. While it is expected that devices will continue to be made smaller, the advances and chip density are not expected to be nearly as great as the density increase which has occurred over the last ten years.
Further, the state-of-the-art submicron devices suffer reliability problems. As each generation of scaled-down device emerges, it is expected that they too will suffer initial reliability problems.
Therefore, a need has arisen in the industry for a transistor structure which will increase the density of nonvolatile memory arrays using reliable design rules, presently in the range one to two micrometers.

Method of forming a nonvolatile stacked memory


Organometallic linear polymers containing metallocene, inorganic units (such as silicon and boron), and acetylenic units which display superb processability, and which are readily converted to a thermoset through the acetylenic groups, yielding high temperature thermosetting polymers and ceramics that exhibit outstanding long-term thermal (high char yield) and magnetic properties and synthesis of these.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a new class of transition metal containing linear polymers of varying molecular weight that are useful for conversion to high temperature thermosets and ceramics. These new materials have repeat units that contain alkynyl groups for cross-linking purposes along with organotransition metal complexes, silyl, siloxyl, boranyl, or di(silyl or siloxyl)carborane units. These novel linear polymers with the metal units in the backbone are soluble in most organic solvents and can be easily fabricated from the melt into shaped components, which enhance their importance for high temperature structural, magnetic, and microelectronic applications. Cross-linking of alkynyl groups is known to occur by either photochemical or thermal processes.
2. Technology Background
The incorporation of transition metals into a polymer structure has long been seen as a good way of preparing materials with different properties from conventional carbon-based polymers. Small molecule transition metal complexes and solid state compounds possess an array of interesting high temperature, hardness, redox, magnetic, optical, electrical, and catalytic properties. In addition, the rich diversity of coordination numbers and geometries available for transition elements offer the possibility of accessing polymers with unusual conformational, mechanical, and morphological characteristics.
The development of polymers with transition metals in the main chain structure would be expected to provide access to processable, specialty materials with similarly attractive physical properties that would be of interest as pyrolytic precursors to metal-containing ceramics. Transition metal-based polymers might also function as processable precursors for making metal-containing ceramic films and fibers with high stability and desirable physical properties. Most transition metal-based polymers reported to date, however, do not contain units for conversion to a thermoset and thus afford low char yields at elevated temperatures.
Despite early synthetic problems of constructing macro-molecular chains, researchers have now prepared a variety of metal-containing polymers with novel properties. Ferrocene-based polymers appear to be particularly promising as reported by Ian Manners in Chain Metals, Chemistry In Britain, January 1996, pp. 46-49. Because of ferrocene's ability to release and accept an electron reversibly, there is considerable interest in developing these materials as electrode mediators and in energy storage devices.
These mediators, for example, facilitate electron transfer between an enzyme such as glucose oxidase, where the redox active sites are buried in a protein sheath and an electrode. Ferrocene-based polymers have been successfully used as electron relays in electrochemical biosensors for measuring glucose levels. Scientists have also fabricated microelectrochemical devices such as diodes using ferrocene-based polymers.
Other studies have reported on the formation of Fe-Si-C materials from the pyrolysis of iron containing polymers. See, for example: (1) Tang, B. Z.; Petersen, R.; Foucher, D. A.; Lough, A.; Coombs, N.; Sodhi, R.; Manners, I. J Chem. Soc., Chem Commun. 1993, 523-525; (2) Peterson, R; Foucher, D. A.; Tang, B. Z.; Lough, A.; Raju, N.P.; Greedan, J. E.; Manners, I. Chem. Mater. 1995, 7, 2045-2053; and (3) Ungurenasu, C. Macromolecules 1996, 29, 7297-7298; (4) Hodson, A. G. W; Smith, R. A. Transition Metal Functionalised Polysiloxanes as Precursors to Magnetic Ceramics, Faculty of Applied Sciences, University of the West of England, Bristol, BS16 1QY.
Spirocyclic [1]-ferrocenophanes have been reported to function as convenient cross-linking agents for poly(ferrocenes) via thermal ring-opening copolymerization reactions by MacLachlan, M. J.; Lough, A. J.; and Manners, I, in Macromolecules, 1996, 29, 8562-8564.
The use of ring-opening polymerization (ROP), a chain growth process, is reported by I. Manners in Polyhedron, Vol. 15, No. 24. pp 4311-4329, 1996 to allow access to a range of high molecular-weight polymers with skeletal transition metal atoms having novel properties.
Several poly(ferrocenylsilanes) have been synthesized and converted into ceramics upon heating to 1000.degree. C. under inert conditions. See, for example, Pudelski, J. K.; Rulkens, R.; Foucher, D. A.; Lough A. J.; MacDonald, P. M. and Manners, I., Macromolecules, 1995, 28, 7301-7308. The ceramic yields by thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), however, were in the range of 17 to 63%.
Alternative transition metals such as ruthenium have also been reported as being incorporated into a metallocenophane structure by Nelson, J. A.; Lough, A. J., and Manners, I in "Synthesis and Ring-Opening Polymerization of Highly Strained, Ring-Titled[2]Ruthenocenophanes" Angew. Chem., Int. Ed. Engl. 1994, 33, 989-991 and in "Synthesis, Structures, and Polymerization Behavior of Di-silane-Bridged and Bis (disilane) -Bridged[2]Ruthenocenophanes" in Organometallics 1994, 13, 3703-3710. Novel ruthenium or iron containing tetraynes as precursors of mixed-metal oligomers are reported in Organometallics 1996, 15, 1530-1531. Mixed valence diferrocenylacetylene cation compounds have been reported in the Journal of the American Chemical Society, 96:21, 1974, pp. 6788-6789.
The synthesis and characterization of linear boron-silicon-diacetylene copolymers is reported by R. A. Sundar and T. M. Keller in Macromolecules 1996, 29, 3647-3650. Additionally, the efficient, "one-pot" synthesis of silylene-acetylene and disilylene-acetylene preceramic polymers from tri-chloroethylene is reported in the Journal of Polymer Science: Part A: Polymer Chemistry, Vol. 28, 955-965 (1990).
Furthermore, the preparation and reactions of decachloroferrocene and decachlororuthenocene is disclosed in the Journal of the American Chemical Society, 95, 870-875 (1973). Symmetrically disubstituted ferrocenes are discussed in the Journal of Organometallic Chemistry, 27 (1971) pp. 241-249 as well as ferrocenyl-acetylene being disclosed in the J. Organometal. Chem., 6 (1966) pp. 173-180 and 399-411. Ferrocenyl- and 2-thienylarylacetylenes are reported by M. D. Rausch; A. Siegal and L. P. Kelmann in J. of Org. Chem. 1966, Vol. 31 p. 2703-2704.
Ferrocenyl ethylene and acetylene derivatives are also reported by P. L. Pauson and W. E. Watts in J. Chem. Soc. 1963, 2990-2996. Studies on the reactions of ferrocenylphenylacetylene and diferrocenyl-acetylene are reported in the Journal of Organometallic Chemistry, 149 (1978) 245-264. The chemistry of .pi.-bridged analogues of biferrocene and biferrocenylene is discussed in the Journal of Organic Chemistry, Vol. 41, No. 16, 1976, 2700-2704. The synthesis of 1', 6'-bis (ethynyl) -biferrocene and metal complexes referring to non-linear optics is presented in Polyhedron, Vol. 14, No. 19, pp. 2759-2766 (1995).
In addition to these documents discussing the various compounds and polymers, the catalytic graphitization by iron of isotropic carbon is reported in Carbon, Vol. 21, No. 1, pp. 81-87, 1983. Preceramic polymer routes to silicon carbide are disclosed by Richard M. Laine in Chem. Mater. 1993, 5, 260-279; and the comprehensive chemistry of polycarbosilanes, polysilazanes and polycarbosilazanes as precursors of ceramics is thoroughly reported in Chem. Rev., 1995, 95, 1443-1477.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,800,221 and 4,806,612 also respectively disclose silicon carbide preceramic polymers and preceramic acetylenic polysilanes which may be converted into ceramic materials.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,241,029 and 5,457,074 disclose diorganosilacetylene and diorganosilvinylene polymers which can be thermally converted into silicon carbide ceramic materials.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,851,491 discloses polyorganoborosilane ceramic polymers which are useful to generate high temperature ceramic materials upon thermal degradation. U.S. Pat. No. 4,946,919 also relates to boron-containing ceramics formed from organoboron preceramic polymers which are carboralated acetylenic polymers.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,272,237; 5,292,779; 5,348,917; 5,483,017 disclose carborane-(siloxane or silane)-unsaturated hydrocarbon based polymers reported to be useful for making high temperature oxidatively stable thermosets and/or ceramics.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,552,505 discloses copolymers formed from aromatic acetylenic monomers or prepolymers formed therefrom and carborane-(siloxane or silane)-unsaturated hydrocarbon polymers reportedly useful to form articles, adhesives, matrix materials, or coatings, or which may be pyrolyzed to form carbon-ceramic composites. Each of the documents cited herein contains valuable information and each is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety and for all purposes.
Most of the carborane-siloxane and/or carborane-silane polymers made by others have elastomeric properties rather than properties of more rigid polymeric products like thermosetting polymers or ceramics. There is a need for polymers that behave less like elastomeric polymers and more like thermosets and which, upon pyrolysis, form ceramics.
There is, therefore, a need for oxidatively stable materials having thermosetting properties for making rigid components therefrom which withstand high temperatures and which have high strength and high hardness properties and/or which optionally may have magnetic properties.
Furthermore, there is a need for transition metal-based polymers which contain units for conversion to thermosets and which afford high char yields at elevated temperatures. There is also a need for such polymers which would be useful precursors to novel materials unavailable from other sources, and which may exhibit unique nonlinear optical (NLO) properties.

Linear metallocene polymers containing acetylenic and inorganic units and thermosets and ceramics therefrom

The United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Navy


A method is provided for control of transition between combustion modes of a direct-injection engine operable in a homogeneous charge compression ignition (HCCI) mode at lower loads and a spark ignition flame propagation (SI) mode at higher loads. The engine includes a variable valve actuation system including two-step high and low lift valve actuation and separate cam phasing for both intake and exhaust valves. The method includes operating the engine at steady state, with fuel-air-exhaust gas mixtures at predetermined conditions, for each speed and load, and controlling the engine during mode changes between the HCCI mode and the SI mode by switching the exhaust and intake valves between low lift for HCCI operation and high lift for SI operation. High load may be an SI throttled mode with an intermediate unthrottled mode (SI/NTLC} in which transition between HCCI and SI/NTLC modes requires switching only the exhaust valve lift and transition between SI/NTLC and SI throttled modes requires switching only the intake valve lift, with predetermined phase adjustments in the valve timing phasing.

To improve thermal efficiency of gasoline internal combustion engines, dilute combustion—using either air or re-circulated exhaust gas—is known to give enhanced thermal efficiency and low NOx emissions. However, there is a limit at which an engine can be operated with a diluted mixture because of misfire and combustion instability as a result of a slow burn. Known methods to extend the dilution limit include 1) improving ignitability of the mixture by enhancing ignition and fuel preparation, 2) increasing the flame speed by introducing charge motion and turbulence, and 3) operating the engine under controlled auto-ignition combustion.
The controlled auto-ignition process is sometimes called the Homogeneous Charge Compression Ignition (HCCI) process. In this process, a mixture of combusted gases, air and fuel is created and auto-ignition is initiated simultaneously from many ignition sites within the mixture during compression, resulting in very stable power output and high thermal efficiency. Since the combustion is highly diluted and uniformly distributed throughout the charge, the burned gas temperature, and hence NOx emission, is substantially lower than that of the traditional spark ignition engine based on propagating flame front, and the diesel engine based on an attached diffusion flame. In both spark ignition and diesel engines, the burned gas temperature is highly heterogeneous within the mixture with very high local temperature creating high NOx emissions.
Engines operating under controlled auto-ignition combustion have been successfully demonstrated in two-stroke gasoline engines using a conventional compression ratio. It is believed that the high proportion of burned gases remaining from the previous cycle, i.e. the residual content, within the two-stroke engine combustion chamber is responsible for providing the high mixture temperature necessary to promote auto-ignition in a highly diluted mixture. In four-stroke engines with traditional valve means, the residual content is low, controlled auto-ignition at part load is difficult to achieve. Known methods to induce controlled auto-ignition at part load include: 1) intake air heating, 2) variable compression ratio, and 3) blending gasoline with fuel that has wider auto-ignition ranges than gasoline. In all the above methods, the range of engine speeds and loads in which controlled auto-ignition combustion can be achieved is relatively narrow.
Engines operating under controlled auto-ignition combustion have been demonstrated in four-stroke gasoline engines using variable valve actuation to obtain the necessary conditions for auto-ignition in a highly diluted mixture. Various fueling controls including split and single injections have been proposed for use in conjunction with valve control strategies to maintain stable auto-ignition combustion across a variety of engine load conditions.
In commonly assigned U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/899,457 an exemplary fuel injection and valve strategy for stable, extended controlled auto-ignition is disclosed. Therein, during operation with low part load, a first injection of fixed amount of fuel during the negative valve overlap period is followed by a second fuel injection during the subsequent compression stroke. The injection timing for the first injection retards and the injection timing for the second injection advances in a continuous manner as the engine load increases. During operation with intermediate part load, a first injection of fuel during the negative valve overlap period followed immediately by a second injection of fuel during the subsequent intake stroke supports auto-ignition. Optimal separation of the two injections is around 30 to 60 degrees crank angle. The injection timings of both injections retard in a continuous manner as the engine load increases. And, during operation with high part load, a single fuel injection during the intake stroke supports auto-ignition. The injection timing retards as the engine load increases.
Lean air-fuel ratio operation is the preferred mode from low load to high part loads for best fuel economy. However, as the engine load or fueling rate increases, the engine-out NOx emission also increases. Above a certain engine load, the level of NOx emission can exceed a limiting value. The NOx aftertreatment conversion efficiency reduces drastically if a traditional three-way after treatment device is used with lean engine operation. A switch from lean to stoichiometric engine operation is therefore necessitated at some point as load increases such that the traditional three-way after treatment device can be used for effective NOx emission control.
Further extension of the mid load operation limit of a gasoline direct-injection controlled auto-ignition combustion engine that is capable of using a conventional three-way after-treatment system as an emission control device can be achieved by employing a fuel injector with multiple injection capability and a spark plug. A first fuel injection occurs during early intake stroke to form a lean air-fuel mixture throughout the combustion chamber near the end of the compression stroke. A second fuel injection occurs in either the later part of the intake stroke or the compression stroke to create a stratified air-fuel mixture with ignitable mixture near the spark plug. The spark plug is used to ignite the ignitable mixture and its timing strongly influences the combustion phasing. The spark-ignition combustion works as an ignition source to trigger the auto-ignition of the surrounding lean mixture to burn at a target crank angle after TDC of the compression stroke. In this way, a mixed-mode combustion process that consists of two separate yet related processes is realized. Further, the engine is operated at the stoichiometric air fuel ratio with external EGR dilution so a traditional after-treatment device is sufficient for engine-out emission control. The external EGR dilution also acts as an effective combustion rate control parameter during the auto-ignition combustion phase. The high load limit of a gasoline direct-injection controlled auto-ignition combustion engine is expanded by more than 10% with acceptable maximum rate of pressure rise or amplitude of pressure oscillation.
While the advances outlined above have successfully demonstrated controlled auto-ignition capabilities at steady state conditions, rapid load changes or transients may introduce undesirable combustion results. Commonly assigned and co-pending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/366,217 describes a system and method for robust auto-ignition combustion control during load transients between low load and high part load. For engine operations with lean air-fuel ratio without external EGR, feed forward control with lookup tables and rate limiters is sufficient to ensure no misfiring and partial-burn during low load to high part load (and vice versa) transitions. However, load transitions between high part load and medium load benefit from feedback control to adequately address misfiring or partial-burns. Commonly assigned and co-pending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/367,050 describes a system and method for robust auto-ignition combustion control during load transients between high part load and medium load.
With all the attempts in expanding the range of engine operation with controlled auto-ignition as described above, a limit is reached beyond which controlled auto-ignition combustion is not possible. In order to operate the engine throughout the needed speed and load ranges, traditional SI engine operation is needed. Smooth transitions between controlled auto-ignition and traditional SI combustion is therefore required.

Method for transition between controlled auto-ignition and spark ignition modes in direct fuel injection engines


An arrangement for an engine positioned in a cowling of an outboard motor and having an output shaft arranged to drive a water propulsion device of the motor is disclosed. The engine has a first end and a second end and a centerline passing through the ends, at least one combustion chamber, an intake system positioned along a first side of the engine for delivering air to the combustion chamber, a lubricating system including an oil filter for delivering lubricant to the engine and an ignition system including an ignition coil for charging an ignition element corresponding to the combustion chamber. The ignition coil and oil filter are positioned along a second side of the engine opposite the intake system and arranged to reduce the transfer of heat from the filter to the coil, with the oil filter having an outermost portion which is positioned outwardly of the engine between the centerline and a second line which extends parallel to the centerline and passes through an outermost portion of the ignition coil.

Watercraft are often powered by an outboard motor positioned at a stem of the craft. The outboard motor has a powerhead and a water propulsion device, such as a propeller. The powerhead includes a cowling in which is positioned an internal combustion engine, the engine having an output shaft arranged to drive the water propulsion device.
Generally, the motor is connected to the watercraft in a manner which permits the motor to be "trimmed" up and down. For example, the motor may be connected through a horizontally extending pivot pin to a clamping bracket which attaches to the watercraft In this manner, the motor may be moved in a vertical plane about the axis of the pin. This allows an operator of the watercraft to raise the propeller out of the water of place it deep in the water dependent upon the trim angle of the motor.
In addition, the motor is arranged to turn left and right about a generally vertically extending axis. This arrangement permits the operator of the watercraft to change the propulsion direction of the motor, and thus change the direction in which the watercraft is propelled.
The size of the motor, especially the powerhead portion which includes the motor, effects the air drag associated with the watercraft. It is desirable for the motor to have a small profile to reduce the air drag. In addition, it is generally desirable for the engine to be compact, since this makes the task of trimming and turning the motor less difficult
Several problems arise when reducing the size of the engine to reduce the size of the motor. A primary problem relates to the heat generated by the engine. As stated above, the engine is positioned in a cowling, and as such the heat generated by the engine is trapped in the cowling, resulting in high temperatures within the cowling.
At the same time, in order to reduce the size of the engine, the engine components are generally placed very close to one another. Heat may be transferred between closely positioned components, damaging more heat sensitive components. This problem is especially acute in the outboard motor setting since the temperature in the cowling is already quite high.
An engine arrangement for an engine powering an outboard motor which is compact and reduces the problems associated with the transfer of heat between one or more components is desired.


A packet alignment system for pre-processing/aligning incoming packets may comprise one or more registers for receiving control signals and data signals. An aligner may cyclically shift said data signals to form a plurality of shifted data words. A plurality of pipe registers may collect and generate an adjusted control signal for each one of the plurality of shifted data words. A filtering logic may identify one of the plurality of shifted data words as a desired aligned data word. The filter logic may also be configured for registering header data, payload data and ECRC data contained in the desired aligned data word in a header register, a payload register and an ECRC register, respectively. An output interface may generate an outgoing signal and provide data from at least one of the header register, the payload register and the ECRC register.

High-speed serial implementations are frequently utilized for computer internal data communications. Examples include, but are not limited to, PCI Express, Serial Attached SCSI, and Serial ATA. Such serial implementations generally utilize packet-based interfaces. Within the integrated circuits that implement such interfaces, serial bit streams are converted into parallel packet-based data streams (e.g. data bus) in order to reduce internal clock rates to manageable frequencies. As the speeds of such serial interfaces increase, widths of the packet-based data streams may be increased accordingly to keep clock speeds reasonable. In such implementations, it is common for an interface to allow a packet to start with any byte alignment on the data bus. It is also common that packet transmissions are not synchronized with the internal clock, i.e., a packet-based transmission may start and end at any time relative to the internal clock.

Method and apparatus to align and standardize packet based parallel interfaces


A coupling for a solenoid and a lead frame includes plurality of terminals. Each terminal includes a plurality of terminal guides. A lead frame defines a plurality of slots. A plurality of locating and support channels are defined adjacent each slot, wherein each of the plurality of terminals are coupled to a respective slot on the lead frame, and the plurality of terminal guides on each terminal are located in the plurality of locating and support channels defined adjacent a respective slot.

The present disclosure relates generally to solenoid couplings, and more particularly to a coupling for a solenoid and a lead frame.
Conventional electrical connections for a solenoid have used a direct plug-in or bayonet-type connection. Conventional solenoids sometimes fail to maintain in proper connection and alignment due to vibrations and other forces that cause the solenoid to be decoupled from the lead frame.
Accordingly, it would be desirable to provide an improved coupling for a solenoid and lead frame.


A product catalog related to an image reading apparatus includes a recording medium having a first side and a second side, at least one description region provided on an arbitrary one of the first and second sides of the recording medium and including characters and/or graphics describing the image reading apparatus, and at least one image evaluation pattern provided on an arbitrary one of the first and second sides of the recording medium and including a pattern for evaluating a performance of the image reading apparatus which processes the pattern.

1. Field of Invention
The present invention generally relates to product catalogs, and more particularly to a product catalog which has the function of a test chart which is used to evaluate the performance of image processing apparatuses such as facsimile machines, optical character readers (OCRs), image scanners and optical filing systems.
2. Description of Related Art
Recently, the use of various kinds of image processing apparatuses has become popular. Not only the skilled operators, but also the general user who is a non-expert are now using such image processing apparatuses. For example, the use cf optical filing systems and OCRs is successively becoming more popular, and image scanners provided in facsimile machines and personal computers are not only used in offices but also often used in homes.
When adjusting the image processing apparatus, when the image processing apparatus is set up, and when checking the operating state of the image processing apparatus during use, a test chart is used to evaluate the performance of the image processing apparatus. For example, the test chart can be used to evaluate the image quality obtainable by the image processing apparatus. The test chart itself and the use thereof are known. As examples of the known test charts, there are the color test charts and the facsimile test charts established by The Institute of Image Electronics Engineers of Japan.
The test chart is primarily used to confirm the required image reproducibility when producing the image processing apparatus, operating tile image processing apparatus, and attending to the maintenance of the image processing apparatus. In addition, since many image processing apparatuses process color images, the test chart must be made by taking into account the color or hue.
Conventionally, various standards such as the conditions related to the thickness of the printing paper used, the smoothness of the printing paper used and the like were prescribed for the test charts. In addition, because the test charts are made with a high precision to guarantee a common evaluation reference, the tests charts were relatively expensive and had to be handled with care. If the test charts were stained or undergo discoloring, color fading or the like due to poor handling, it became difficult if not impossible to make an accurate image evaluation.
Accordingly, the kind of printing paper used, the printing density, the hue, the size of characters and lines, the arrangement of the characters and lines or the like are accurately determined with respect to the test chart. For example, the printing paper used for the test chart has superior characteristics for all of the basic weight (g/m.sup.2), the thickness, the smoothness, the gloss, the anti-elasticity and the like. The production cost of such a test chart which satisfies all of the requirements is thus high, and the test chart must be handled with care. For this reason, it is not very desirable that the test chart is carried by a person for business purposes.
The test chart which satisfies the above described standards is essential when testing the image processing apparatus upon completion, and testing the image processing apparatus after completion such as repairing the image processing apparatus and replacing the parts of the image processing apparatus.
However, after the thorough adjustments are completed, when the image processing apparatus is delivered, and after the final tests are completed after a large repair is made at the factory, it is unlikely that the completed state of the image processing apparatus will greatly deviate from the adjusted values by the time the image processing apparatus is set up. In other words, a big problem is very unlikely to occur from the time when the image processing apparatus is adjusted at the factory to the time when the image apparatus is set up.
Therefore, when setting up the image processing apparatus and during use of the image processing apparatus, it may not be essential to use the highly accurate test chart for the purpose of testing and adjustment.
On the other hand, a product catalog describes the features or characteristics, the (how to use) directions and the like of the product. From the point of view of business, the product catalog is essential to inform the user of the features or characteristics of the product. The product catalog is generally completed before sales of the new product, and reserves of the product catalog are usually kept thereafter.
Hence, the test chart used for the image evaluation, and the product catalog, were conventionally understood to be and treated as completely unrelated and independent materials. In other words, the test chart was used exclusively at the factory and by the service people who make the adjustments at the time the image processing apparatus is set up, repair the image processing apparatus, and make the periodic check (maintenance) of the image processing apparatus. On the other hand, the product catalog was used exclusively for business and distributed to the user. However, this was not always convenient for the service people and the user.
It is possible to print on the product catalog a comparison of the new image processing apparatus and the old image processing apparatus. For example, such a comparison may included photographs of the images obtained by the new and old image processing apparatuses. However, the photographs of the images obtained by the new and old image processing apparatuses are of course not identical to the actual images obtained, and the user may not always be persuaded by such photographs.
Hence, when demonstrating the performance of the image processing apparatus to the user, it is conceivable to use the test chart to enable the user to actually compare the differences in the performance of the new image processing apparatus and the old image processing apparatus, for example. However, because the test chart is originally made to provide a general-purpose reference for judging the performance of the image processing apparatus, a certain test chart used for the demonstration may be unsuited for emphasizing the advantageous features or characteristics of the new image processing apparatus.
On the other hand, the user may wish to take home various test charts and compare the images obtained during the demonstration with the images obtained by his image processing apparatus when the test charts are used at his home. However, as described above, the test charts are relatively expensive and it is undesirable to distribute the test charts to the user when the cost is considered. Furthermore, even if it were possible to reduce the cost of the test charts, the manufacturer would have to distribute both the product catalog, and the test charts, and it would be inconvenient for both the manufacturer and the user to keep and carry the product catalog and the various kinds of test charts for the same product.

Product catalog having image evaluation chart


A method and system for handling working of a Low Duty Cycle (LDC) mode of one or more Base Stations (BS) in a wireless communication network. The method includes defining one or more LDC patterns based plurality of LDC parameters associated with one or more BS where the plurality of LDC parameters includes an active period, an inactive period and a start frame offset of the one or more BS in the wireless communication network. The method then sends the one or more LDC patterns notifying Available Interval and Unavailable Interval of each of the one or more patterns to a Mobile Station (MS) by broadcasting one or more LDC patterns, unicasting the one or more LDC pattern to the MS, multicasting the one or more LDC pattern to a group of MSs or send the one or more LDC patterns to one or more MS in a pre-provisioned way.

A femtocell is a low power Base Station (BS) which is typically intended for home or Small Office Home Office (SOHO) usage unlike the typical macro BS. The SOHO is a high power base station commonly used in the wireless cellular systems. Moreover, a femtocell can be deployed as Closed Subscriber Groups (CSG) BS in which only a pre-subscribed and/or a configured Mobile Stations (MSs) are allowed. Femtocells can also be configured to be Open Subscriber Group (OSG) femtocells which allow all subscribers to access the femtocell for communication.
In a geographic location, there can be dense deployment of femtocells to support wireless communication. However, such deployment can inevitably cause the femtocells to interfere with each other. For instance a macro cell user which is near to a femtocell can experience interference from the femtocell. Similarly, a femtocell user may experience interference from the macro cell in Downlink (DL). Likewise, a femtocell BS can experience interference from a nearby macro cell user in Uplink (UL). On similar lines a femtocell can cause interference to operation of nearby femtocells.
In such a scenario, a Self Organizing Network (SON) can be used to automatically mitigate the interference. On the other hand in CSG femtocells, there can be a scenario where there are no users under it for a significant portion of the time. For example, during a daytime the users are in office, hence a femtocell BS in their home is causing interference to nearby femtocell/macro cell users besides wasting power in broadcasting its system information and causing interference to nearby femtocell/macro cell users. This interference scenario is much more apparent in a situation when the femtocell and the macro cell are deployed in the same frequency allocation (FA).
In order to reduce the interference from the femtocells and to save on the operating power of the femtocell, there exist a method which proposes to switch the femtocell into a Low Duty Operation (LDO) mode in which the femtocell switches into a period of activity and inactivity. Thus during the active period the femtocell broadcasts its preamble while during the inactive period the femtocell shuts its preamble transmission as well. The femtocell will be in Low Duty Cycle (LDC) mode until an MS comes under the femtocell and the femtocell is intimidated about it. However, the important issues of how to help an MS efficiently scan and search femtocells in LDC mode do not exist.
Hence, there exists a need for a method that provides efficient working of the LDC Mode operation of the femtocell.

Method and system for efficient support low duty mode in femtocells