A method for inspecting a joint of an assembly, in particular an assembly of a motor vehicle, consisting of two components joined together by a joining process, includes the method steps of: orienting an inspection device with respect to at least one region of the joint to be tested, imaging an actual image of the joint to be tested on a display device; and displaying joint information relating to the joint to be tested of the assembly via the display device.

The invention relates to a method for inspecting a joint of an assembly, in particular of an assembly of a motor vehicle, consisting of at least two components that have been joined together in a joining method.
Methods for inspecting manufacture of components are known from the prior art. These methods provide, for example, the use of a fault detection unit for detecting a structural fault of a component and the determination of a piece of fault information. These known methods, however, essentially relate to the manufacture of components.
There exists, however, the requirement of inspecting, not the actual manufacture of a component, but a joint consisting of at least two components that have been joined together to form an assembly, in particular an assembly for installation or installed in or on a motor vehicle.
The underlying object of the invention is to provide a method that enables a simple, fast and reliable inspection of a joint.
The object is achieved by means of a method for inspecting a joint of an assembly according to the independent claim. The corresponding dependent claims relate to potential embodiments of the method.
The invention relates to a method for inspecting a joint of an assembly, in particular of an assembly of a motor vehicle, consisting of at least two components that have been joined together in a joining method, with the following method steps: (a) orienting an inspection device toward at least one area of a joint to be inspected, (b) reproducing a real image of the joint to be inspected on a display device, and (c) displaying a piece of joint information relating to the joint to be inspected of the component assembly via the display device.
The joint to be inspected can, for example, have been manufactured using a joining method implementing a form-fit, force-fit and/or materially bonded connection. In particular, this can be a joining method based on molding, casting, welding, soldering and/or bonding. A composite joining method and/or a pressing joining method are also conceivable for the formation of the joint to be inspected of the component assembly. The at least two components that have been joined together can consist of the same or different materials or material structures, that is, for example, of metal and/or plastic. For example, steel, aluminum can be used as metal. The joining method for a metal material can be, for example, a metal welding method, a pressure welding method, a resistance (pressure) welding method and/or a remote laser welding method. For example, polyvinyl chloride can be used as plastic. The joining method for a plastic material can be, for example, a PVC welding method. In the case of a weld connection formed by a welding method, in particular of a resistance spot weld connection, two, three or four weldable components, in particular sheet metal parts, can be conjointly connected in the depth direction at a weld connection zone. The weld connection to be inspected can be a butt weld between two or more pieces of sheet metal, a fillet weld between a tube and a piece of sheet metal or a fillet weld between two pieces of sheet metal. Finally, the joint can comprise an adhesive connection with an adhesive seam.
By means of the automated and/or manual orientation of the inspection device, for example, by an inspector, an area to be inspected of the joint can be selected and/or a desired viewing orientation, a viewing angle and/or a viewing distance can be chosen.
The reproduction of a real image of the joint to be inspected on a display device is typically to be understood as an active or passive representation of an image of the joint to be inspected on the display device. An active representation can occur, for example, by means of the active reproduction, supported by electronics, of the real image of the joint to be inspected on a screen. A passive reproduction can occur in the form of a viewing of the real image of the joint to be inspected by an inspector through an area, configured to be at least transparent, of the display device. The area to be inspected of the joint is reproduced in this case as a real image on the transparent area of the display device, for example on a lens forming part of a pair of so-called smartglasses, and perceived by the inspector. In other words, the inspector can examine the area to be inspected of the joint by looking through the transparent area of the display device. A real image can be reproduced on the transparent area here. In general, this can occur through the use of so-called augmented reality systems. These systems enable an optical overlaying of the real environment with a computer-generated virtual environment. Virtual information can be herein, for example, displayed on a display or projected onto a lens and brought into a superimposed position with the real environment.
The inspection device can be formed in an assembly shared with the display device, which can comprise a capturing device, i.e., for example, a camera, and simultaneously a display device, i.e., for example, a display. The inspection device and/or the display device can thus be configured as a portable electronic end device or as an electronic mobile device. For example, a smartphone, a tablet computer and/or a portable computer (e.g., laptop) can be used as an electronic end device. In particular in cases where the location of the joint to be inspected is in an area that is difficult to access and/or dangerous for an inspector, an arrangement of the display device at a distance from the inspection device can be expedient. It can thus be provided, for example, that the inspection device is arranged by way of a holding means on welding tongs, a gluing robot or a welding robot, and thus renders possible a control of the position and/or size of, preferably all, welding and/or bonding spots or welding and/or bonding seams, in particular automatically, in serial production. For example, an image of the joint to be inspected taken by the inspection device can be transmitted wirelessly or via a cable connection to the display device for display or output at the same.
An inspection of at least one area of the joint to be inspected can be performed by the inspector that includes the real image of the joint to be inspected reproduced on the display device and the joint information displayed on the display device. The inspection preferably comprises a comparison of the real image of the joint to be inspected reproduced on the display device and the joint information displayed on the display device. The inclusion of the real image reproduced on the display device and the simultaneously display of the joint information makes it possible for the inspector to capture the essential information for the assessment and thus for the inspection of the joint without having to avert his gaze from the display device. The displayed joint information can comprise alphanumeric characters and/or graphic elements. For example, which joined components are involved (e.g., assembly number), which inspection actions the inspector has to perform (e.g., an inspection plan) and/or which areas of the joint are to be inspected can be indicated to the inspector in text form.
If the inspection comprises a comparison, the inspector can perform an assessment of the extent to which a reproduced real image corresponds to a displayed piece of joint information, in particular to a piece of target joint information. For example, it can be indicated that a first and a second area must have a special geometry, i.e., for example, a curvature, and the inspector assesses whether these curvatures are present. The target joint information thus corresponds to a predefined target state of the joint. Target joint information can at least partially comprise a piece of information relating to a geometry, a temperature, a position, an orientation and/or a tolerance of a defined target state of the joint to be inspected. In particular in the case of a weld connection, the displayed target joint information can comprise target data for a position (angle, position, orientation, start and/or end), dimension (length and/or thickness) of a joint, i.e., for example, of a weld seam, and/or at least one of the two components to be joined, i.e., for example, to be welded.
The joint information can be displayed at least partially as at least a piece of target joint information comprising a spot, line and/or surface-area range of a predefined target state of the joint to be inspected. The inspection of the joint can in particular comprise a determination, to be made by the inspector, that the reproduced real image is in contact with, and/or a defined area thereof lies within, a spot, line and/or surface-area range of the target joint information. By means of the display of a piece of target joint information comprising spot, line and/or surface-area ranges, the inspector can perform a comparison of the target joint information with the displayed real image that is to be considered in view of this information in a simple manner. A surface-area range can also comprise a perspective representation so that it is also possible to display surface-area ranges that appear three-dimensional. It is thereby also easily possible to compare a piece of three-dimensional joint information in the form of a perspective representation with the displayed real image of the joint. The contact or non-contact and/or the lying-within or not-lying-within of a defined area of the reproduced real image can thereby be executed easily by the inspector. The image assessed by an inspector can also be stored and, if necessary, documented whenever a display or reproduction of the real image and of the target joint information occurs on a display device configured as a display. The target joint information can at least partially concern a piece of information relating to a geometry, a temperature, a position, an orientation and/or a tolerance of a defined target state of the joint to be inspected. In particular, the inspection of the target joint information with the reproduced real image can comprise a measuring of the joint to be inspected so that the determination of measurement values occurs through a comparison of the reproduced real image with a reference means, for example a length measurement scale, by the inspector.
It can be provided that a real image of the joint to be inspected is captured by a capturing unit arranged in particular on the inspection device. The capturing unit can be configured, for example, as an optical capturing device, i.e., for example, as a camera, and reproduce or display the captured image and/or a captured image sequence or a film of at least a part of the joint to be inspected, preferably in real time, on the display device provided with an optical output means. The optical output means can comprise a display or an arrangement consisting of a projection surface and a projector projecting onto the latter. The projection surface can be opaque, translucent or transparent.
As an alternative or in addition to a capturing of the real image of the joint to be inspected, it can also be provided that, by reproducing the real image of the joint to be inspected on at least one transparent area of the display device, a reproduction of at least a part of the joint to be inspected is made available to the inspector for an inspection or for a comparison with a piece of joint information. For example, the transparent area of the display device can be configured as part of a lens, wherein the joint information is projected onto the lens via, for example, a projector. The real image of the joint to be inspected, which is to be provided to the inspector for the inspection and is displayed or provided by means of the display device, can be observed as the reproduction, to be located on the lens, of the real image. This image is perceived by the inspector while looking through the lens during the observation of the joint to be inspected through the lens. In the case of a display device comprising a plurality of optical elements, the reproduction of the real image of the joint to be inspected formed on the eyepiece lens or the optical element closest to the eye can be understood as the reproduction of the real image on the display device.
It can further be provided that there occurs (a) a display of at least one reference marking on the display device and (b) an orientation of the inspection device in relation to the joint and/or an adjustment of the at least one reference marking in such a manner that the at least one reference marking is brought into a predetermined relative position, in particular into alignment, with at least one real reference element. By means of the reference marking indicated on the display device and the defined relative orientation of the same to a real reference element also reproduced on the display device, in particular a graphically displayed piece of joint information can be brought into a suitable relation and/or connection with the real image of the joint reproduced by the display device. This allows the inspector to conduct an inspection or a comparison of the joint to be inspected in a faster, easier and more reliable manner. In addition to bringing a reference marking into alignment with a reference element by means of the movement of the inspection device, alternatively or additionally, an adjustment of a display option, e.g., a scaling of the displayed graphic joint information, can be carried out. A change in a scaling of the displayed graphic joint information can also make it possible for a piece of graphic joint information to be displayed with the real image of the joint reproduced on the display unit in a manner that is suitable for the inspector. The reference element used can be, for example, a prominent area, i.e., for example, a rise, an edge, a depression, of the joint itself. A reference marking could also be provided specifically for this purpose on at least one of the components to be joined together. Finally, alternatively or additionally, another element can also act as a reference marking, which is mounted, for example, on a body which is, at least in the state of the inspection of the joint by the inspector, in a predefined position and/or orientation relative to the joint to be inspected. For example, this can be a holder that holds the component assembly provided with the joint.
A further advantageous method step provides for the execution of a computer-based measurement process on the joint to be inspected, in particular before or during the inspection of the joint, in order to generate a piece of measurement process information, in particular comprising a measurement result, and for the inclusion of the measurement process information in the displayed joint information. The computer-based measurement process can be executed by a measurement process device. The measurement process device can be configured as a separate element and/or as a unit integrated in the inspection device. As the measurement process takes place before or during the inspection of the joint to be carried out by an inspector, the inspector can be provided with helpful information for the assessment of the quality of the joint through the provision of the measurement process information and in particular through the provision of measurement results from the measurement process. For example, an upstream measurement process comprises the inspection of whether a weld spot lies within a first geometrically defined surface area, i.e., for example, a first circular area (tolerance circle) and simultaneously does not extend beyond a second geometrically defined surface area, i.e., for example, a second circular area. In this case, a joint spot to be qualified as "good" could be provided. This information of the "good" joint spot can be displayed to the inspector as joint information so that this information is available to the inspector during the visual inspection and so that this joint location thus need not be inspected further by the inspector either. Alternatively or additionally, areas of the joint identified as "not good" by the computer-based measurement process can be output to the inspector as areas to be inspected or as areas to be assessed, preferably can be displayed in a manner graphically coupled with the CAD data generated in connection with the computer-based generation of the joint.
The computer-based measurement process can preferably be run in an automated manner, i.e., an automated capturing of at least one area of the joint could be measured in a measurement process step and the resulting measurement result could be displayed to the inspector as part of the joint information. The measurement process can comprise, for example, an ultrasound measurement, a computer tomography measurement and/or an image contrast and/or image brightness measurement. The measurement result of the measurement process can be output to the inspector as a measurement result (good/bad) and/or as a measurement value (numerical value).
In particular, a comparison of the measurement result with a predefined target measurement result in order to determine a piece of deviation information and an inclusion of the deviation information in the displayed joint information can prove to be advantageous. The deviation information included in the joint information indicates to the inspector whether and, if appropriate, to what degree there is a qualitative and/or quantitative deviation of at least an area of the joint in comparison with a target measurement result.
In an advantageous further development, the deviation information is output as a deviation marking that is superimposed at least in areas on the real image of the joint reproduced on the display device, in this case the "reading" of the deviation information is simplified for the inspector. The deviation information can also comprise a piece of "good" information. The deviation information can give the inspector an indication that at least the area relating to the deviation information is "not good". In this case, the inspector, by specifically inspecting the area in question, could, if appropriate, nevertheless make a "(still) OK" assessment. To this end, the inspector may, if appropriate, fall back on information and/or considerations that would not be realizable in the computer-based system or only realizable with a disproportionately high investment in their automation.
A further advantageous and optional aspect of the method comprises the fact that at least one piece of joining process information used in a joining process that forms the joint to be inspected and/or derived from a joining process that forms the joint to be inspected is included in the displayed joint information. For example, geometry data used to carry out the joining process as well as data (e.g., process variables) from the joining process carried out as a welding process, such as, for example, a current density, a temperature distribution, a welding current, a welding voltage and/or a tong pressure, can be included in the displayed joining process information. The joining process information can preferably be correlated with geometry data, in particular CAD data of the weld spots, of the joint to be inspected. This renders possible the provision of area-specific joining process information for the joint to be inspected. The geometry data used in the joining process can be based on CAD data and in particular also on volume data. For example, the data sets of the weld spots constructed in CAD could also be considered for the subsequent joint information, thus for example as target joint information of the geometric configuration of the weld spot in question. Alternatively or additionally, a piece of joining process information can be, for example, output, according to which a temperature distribution for a certain spot of the joint, i.e., for example, for a weld spot, was too hot. This "too hot" information is displayed to the inspector, and the inspector is thereby placed in the position to include this information in a consideration or assessment of the joint. The same applies, of course, to other temperature deviations.
The result to be determined by the inspector or his or her assessment of the joint to be inspected can be recorded or documented in an input device by entering a piece of assessment information at least in areas relating to the joint. Preferably, a storage of the assessment information occurs in a data storage device, wherein, optionally, there can additionally occur a correlation of the assessment information to a piece of information relating to an assembly area and/or assembly identification, the joining process, the assessment, the joining process and/or the measurement process. By means of such a documentation of the inspection result assessed by the inspector, it is possible, for example for a post-production worker, to revert to the inspection result at a later point in time and/or at another site, for example at a post-production processing station. The input device and/or the data storage device can be arranged or configured on the inspection device and/or on the display device.
The inspection result entered by the inspector into the input device and/or the automated measurement result of the measurement process can be used as an input signal for an automated, in particular robot-based, reworking of the joint, at least in areas, and/or different countermeasures. A potential different countermeasure is an intervention in the joining process control and the modification of a joining process variable. This countermeasure prevents a fault pattern for joining processes of subsequent component assemblies to be joined together.
The inspection method can be further simplified for the inspector when, through the output of a request, in particular via the display device, the inspector is requested to enter a piece of assessment information via an input device for a piece of deviation information indicating a deviation of a measurement result from a predetermined target measurement result at least in areas. It is rendered possible that the inspector does not have to search for "problem areas" of the joint requiring his/her assessment on his/her own, but rather that the areas to be inspected are indicated to the inspector. It is thereby largely prevented that an inspector "overlooks" an area to be inspected of the joint.
The inspection method can also be simplified by displaying a piece of geometric joint information, in particular a piece of geometry information derived from CAD data of the joint to be inspected, in a first window area of the display device and displaying a piece of information relating to an assembly area and/or assembly identification, a joining process, a deviation, an assessment and/or a measurement process in a second window area of the display. The spatial separation of the geometric joining process information from, for example, a further piece of joining process information can make it easier for the inspector to grasp the respective information quickly and reliably. Preferably, at least the first window area and the geometric joining process information displayed therein can be brought into a superimposed position in relation to the real image reproduced on the display device. The superimposition can occur when the joint information displayed on the display device and the real image of the joint are shown on a display. Alternatively or additionally, the superimposition can also occur on a transparent display element, while an inspector reproduces the joint under inspection as a real image on the transparent display device when looking through the transparent display element.
In addition to the method, the invention also relates to a device for the inspection, in particular by a person, of a joint of an assembly consisting of at least two components, typically in or on a motor vehicle, that have been joined together in a joining method, comprising an inspection device for carrying out the method according to the invention.
All advantages, details, variants and/or features of the method according to the invention and its embodiments and realizations are also transferable or can be applied, to the device according to the invention.
The invention is explained in greater detail with the aid of exemplary embodiments in the drawings.

Bayerische Motoren Werke Aktiengesellschaft


An off-premises method and apparatus for the interdiction of unauthorized channels of a broadband cable television signal includes common circuitry for adjusting the amplitude and equalization levels of the broadband CATV signals and one or more subscriber modules for generating jamming signals of different frequencies which are used to interdict one or more unauthorized channels. Each subscriber module is associated with a subscriber and is programmable and addressable to adjust the jamming parameters of that subscriber independently of other subscribers. Each subscriber module circuit comprises a plurality of latches, each of which is associated with one of a plurality of digital to analog converters. Each of the digital to analog converters drives one or more frequency agile oscillators with its analog output to generate the jamming signals. The subscriber module is based on a sequential state machine which loads frequency control words corresponding to the jammed channels from a frequency control memory into each latch on a cyclic basis. The basic cycle of the jamming machine includes the blanking of the frequency agile oscillator, the loading of a frequency control word into an associated latch and digital to analog converter to hop the oscillator to the next frequency, and then the unblanking of the oscillator to generate the new frequency. The state machine is adapted to vary the hopping rate, the frequency at which the system moves from channel to channel, to provide flexibility in providing various jamming effectiveness. The hopping rate is programmable and addressable and can be adjusted over a considerable range without affecting the substantially constant blanking period between hops.

1. Technical Field
The invention relates to cable television (CATV) interdiction systems and, more particularly, to a method and apparatus for controlling the jamming parameters in such systems.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In the past, a scrambler has been provided to encode premium television channels at a headend of a cable television system. The applied scrambling precluded reception by an unauthorized converter/decoder at a connected premises. Data representing the channels or tiers of programming to which the subscriber was entitled were addressably transmitted to a particular converter/decoder and stored in an authorization memory. As a result of the addressed transmission, a subsequently transmitted program would be authorized by selectively enabling the decoder portion of the converter/decoder to decode the scrambled premium channel or program.
The provision of one scrambler per premium channel at the headend and the inclusion of a descrambler in each converter/decoder at the premises of the television receiver was particularly expensive. Furthermore, providing a converter/decoder on premises has turned out to be a great temptation to service pirates who imaginatively seek ways to receive premium channels. As a result, cable television equipment manufacturers have entered into a veritable war with such pirates resulting in complicated service authorization protocols, which in some instances involve multiple layers of encryption by both in-band and out-of-band data transmissions thereby further increasing the costs of the converter/decoder. In addition, scrambling systems may leave artifacts in the final signal.
Consequently, the cable industry has reviewed other technology developed in the early stages of cable television, such as the application of negative and positive traps, and more recent techniques, such as interdiction, to improve CATV systems.
A relatively recent technique for premium channel control is the interdiction system, so called because of the introduction of an interfering signal into a premium channel at the subscriber's location. Most embodiments consist of a pole-mounted enclosure located outside the subscriber's premises designed to serve one or more subscribers. This enclosure contains at least one microprocessor controlled oscillator and switch control electronics to secure several television channels. Control is accomplished by injecting an interfering or jamming signal into unauthorized channels from this pole-mounted enclosure.
For the sake of efficiency, it is known to utilize one oscillator to jam several premium television channels. This technique not only reduces the amount of hardware required, but also maximizes the system flexibility. The jamming signal frequency is moved as a function of time from channel to channel. The oscillator is frequency agile and hops from jamming one premium channel frequency to the next. Cable television channels and, of course, premium service channels may extend over a wide range of frequencies, for example, from 54 Mhz. up to and including 1000 Mhz. Thus, if only one oscillator were provided, it would have to be frequency agile over a wide range.
One such system, illustrated in U.S. Pat. No. 4,450,481 by Dickenson, has a single frequency agile oscillator which provides a hopping gain-controlled jamming signal output to four high frequency electronic switches. In this system, each switch is associated with one subscriber drop. Under microprocessor control and depending on which subscribers are authorized to receive transmitted premium programming, the microprocessor selectively gates the jamming signal output of the single oscillator via the switches into the path of the incoming broadband television signal to each subscriber. Consequently, an unauthorized subscriber upon tuning to a premium channel will receive the premium channel on which a jamming signal of approximately the same frequency has been superimposed.
A significantly more advantageous interdiction system is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,912,760 by West, Jr., et al. which controls a plurality of frequency agile oscillators for each subscriber. Each voltage controlled oscillator is allocated a continuous band of frequencies consistent with the elimination of jamming signal harmonics which could disturb authorized programming at a higher channel frequency. The interdiction apparatus includes generating and storing frequency control words for operating the voltage controlled oscillators consistent with a headend selected jamming factor for a particular channel to be jammed and addressably transmitted and stored premium programming authorization data. In U.S. patent application Ser. No. 07/476,041, filed Feb. 6, 1990, by West, Jr., et al., the method of programming the time slots of the West I system to vary the dwell time and jamming factor of the jamming signals for different premium channels is disclosed.
The system in West I and West II was configured in such a way that different channels can be programmed with a variable jamming factor. This provides a channel with a programmable number of time slots which can be assigned and a variable dwell time for a given hopping rate. This variability is necessary because it has been recognized that the effectiveness of a jamming signal should be different for specific channels because not all channels have the same information content. Interdiction works most effectively by destroying the entertainment value of the channel and can be accomplished in a number of ways.
For example, channels which have considerable video content may have to be jammed with a larger number of time slots than those which do not. This is true for many types of premium viewing including adult type channels where the video portion should be entirely obscured. However, for many other types of channels jamming with single or a small number of time slots provides enough interference with the channel information to discourage watching unless the jamming signal is removed.
It has additionally been found that other types of variations in the jamming parameters of an interdiction system can increase jamming effectiveness. A pulse jamming method has proved to be effective in many instances where total obscuration of the video is not needed. In pulse jamming, the jamming signal for a specific channel is turned on and interdicts the channel for a particular duration and then is turned off for a particular duration. This pulsing of the jamming signal provides enough interference with the channel that, even when the channel is in the clear for short periods of time, its entertainment value is lost. Pulse jamming is more difficult to do in a time slot based system such as West I and West II because the jamming energy is already being time shared between several channels. To have an effective and efficient interdiction system, the jamming energy available when a channel is in the clear when operating in pulsed mode should be reallocated to other jammed channels without having to reprogram the time slots. Therefore, it would be advantageous to provide a method of combining pulse jamming with the programmable time slot jamming technique of West I and II.
Further, it has been noted that the hopping rate can affect the jamming effectiveness of a system. For channels with a greater jamming factor (more time slots) it is more effective to have a faster hopping rate. For channels with a lower jamming factor (less time slots) it is more effective to have a slower hopping rate. With faster hopping rates and more time slots the obscuration of the video signal is ensured. With a slower hopping rate and less time slots, many television receivers tend to lose vertical synchronization so that the video portion of the program will roll.
Because of the flexibility in the channel line-up and multitude of service tiers demanded by today's subscribers, system operators need to have a combination of these methods to discourage unauthorized viewing of premium channels. It would be advantageous to provide an interdiction system with a variety of variable jamming parameters such as variable dwell time, variable hopping rate, and pulsed mode to be able to modify jamming effectiveness based on channel line-ups, number of pay channels and other system factors. It would be further advantageous to provide combinations of these variable jamming parameters to generate the optimal jamming effectiveness for a particular system configuration.

Interdiction method and apparatus with constant blanking and variable dwell times


A light-emitting diode or device (LED) package includes a substrate, a white LED above the substrate, and a violet LED or laser above a wavelength converter of the white LED or laterally offset from the wavelength converter.

When illuminated by daylight, untreated white items, such as fabrics made from natural fibers, tend to appear yellow or ivory to the naked eye. These fibers absorb the blue content of incident white light, resulting in a reflected light that appears yellowish.
Designers incorporate Fluorescent Whitening Agents (FWAs) into dyes, inks and even laundry detergent to brighten fabrics. These agents absorb photons with wavelengths in the near ultraviolet, violet, and deep blue spectrum, which are difficult for the human eye to see. The energy of the absorbed photons is re-emitted by the fabric in the form of photons with longer wavelengths, typically in the blue spectrum. By incorporating FWAs into fabrics, designers can compensate for the natural deficiency of the blue spectral content in reflected light from white fabrics.
Traditional white light-emitting diodes or devices (LEDs) produce white light from blue emitting LEDs covered with a yellow emitting phosphor. Such white LEDs do not have sufficient spectral content in the near ultraviolet, violet, and deep blue spectrum to activate the FWAs in white objects.
US 2015/0049459 discloses a light emitting module with a first light emitting element having an emission peak in the wavelength range of 400-440 nm and a second light emitting elements having an emission peak in the wavelength range from 440-460 nm. The first and the second light emitting element are located below a wavelength converting element. The wavelength converting element is arranged to receive light from the first light emitting element and being capable of emitting light having an emission peak in the green to red wavelength range. The module provides white light with a "crisp white" effect.

High luminance crisp white LED light source


In an embodiment a method is performed by a network access device (NAD). The NAD transfers a first HTTPS request from a client computer (UE) to an identity provider computer (IdP). The NAD transfers, from the IdP, a preceding redirected URL in response to the first HTTPS request, to the UE and configured to cause the UE to redirect to said preceding redirected URL. Over a secure network link, the NAD receives a particular request specifying said preceding redirected URL, from the UE. Responsive to receiving the particular request, the NAD generates a response, comprising a subsequent redirected URL and a session identifier, and configured to cause the UE to redirect to the IdP over an HTTPS connection. The NAD transfers said subsequent redirected URL over the secure network link to the UE. The NAD transfers a second HTTPS request, comprising the session identifier, from the UE to the IdP.

The approaches described in this section could be pursued, but are not necessarily approaches that have been previously conceived or pursued. Therefore, unless otherwise indicated herein, the approaches described in this section are not prior art to the claims in this application and are not admitted to be prior art by inclusion in this section.
In distributed computer networks, authenticating users of costly, complex software-as-a-service (SaaS) systems is subject to well-known security issues relating to managing the online identities of users and providing effective corporate access to application systems. Single sign-on (SSO), using the security assertion markup language (SAML), is a solution to such issues in some contexts. An identity provider (IdP) computer typically authenticates an enterprise user using form-based authentication. The IdP computer sends a SAML assertion to a web service provider with attribute data about an authenticated subject, who typically is a user seeking access to a SaaS system. In many cases the subject in question has already authenticated to a personal computer or smartphone, for example, by logging in with a username and password to an app or application on a client computer or smartphone, and that device has also authenticated to a network according to a network security protocol. It would be useful to accomplish SaaS authentication without requiring the user to enter credentials a second time. There are attempts to address these issues, but they fail to do so in a secure manner with end-to-end security for all communication.
One solution involves a network access device (NAD), such as a router or switch, attaching a session identifier to a message in transit from a client to an IdP. That solution may give false confidence that the session identifier is not exposed to capture or spoofing, because the solution is based on a hypertext transfer protocol (HTTP) session that can be captured, spoofed, or succumb to other attacks such as a man-in-the-middle (MitM). Simply stated, HTTP should not be used to transport a secret across an insecure network. The problem is exacerbated when an IdP resides beyond a local network, such as in a shared datacenter or cloud computing facility. The insecurity of HTTP cannot be fixed by merely changing the communication to HTTP secure (HTTPS), because that would require a NAD to intercept and alter a message between a client and an IdP, which in itself is a MitM attack that could disturb a user experience by triggering a certificate warning or a connection refusal.
Thus, there has been no secure and seamless way to transport a session identifier between a client, a NAD, and an IdP during an SSO flow between the client and a web service provider. Lacking end-to-end security, attempted solutions fail to protect against eavesdropping or modification of a session identifier early in the SSO flow. A way is needed that provides a seamless user experience and allows for secure distribution of a session identifier between a client, a NAD, and an IdP.

Secure transmission of a session identifier during service authentication


A method for controlling a wireless terminal operating in a hibernation cycle alternating between a wake mode and a hibernation mode includes communicating with a first wireless network during a first waking period having a first duration, and with a second wireless network during a second waking period following the first waking period. The second waking period is extended to a second duration, greater than the first duration, responsively to detecting that the second wireless network is different from the first wireless network. Network information relating to the second wireless network is received during the second waking period.

In some wireless communication applications, mobile wireless terminals alternate between a hibernation mode and a wake mode. In one typical example, the hibernation mode is substantially longer than the wake mode. Accordingly, networks that support such devices are referred to as a low duty cycle (LDC) networks, and the mobile terminals that operate in such networks are referred to as LDC terminals. LDC terminals are small-size communication devices used in a variety of position tracking, tagging, telemetry and similar applications. LDC terminals operate such that each terminal wakes-up to receive and transmit data for only a small percentage of the time. This low duty cycle operation minimizes the utilization of the air interface and the energy consumption from the terminal's power source.

Adaptive wake-up period of roaming wireless terminals


An improved test target pattern that can be used in the testing of image quality for digital images taken with a camera module, the camera module either being a stand-alone product or being incorporated into a device such as a mobile telephone. With the present invention, several different image quality aspects can be monitored and measured using a single test pattern. Previously, multiple test patterns would have had to have been used for such a task.

In recent years, the popularity of "camera phones " has increased exponentially. A larger and larger percentage of mobile telephones are being built with a camera module, which enables users to quickly and easily take digital photographs and transmit them to other devices and users.
In one typical camera phone, the phone includes a camera module 110 depicted in FIG. 1. The camera module 110 can be a stand-alone device or can be incorporated into another electronic device, such as a portable telephone. The camera module 110 includes a housing 111 which contains at least one lens 112, a primary memory unit 114, a camera processor 116, and at least one image sensor 118. The primary memory unit 114 can be used to store digital images and computer software for performing various functions in the camera module 110, as well as to implement the present invention. A removable, secondary memory unit 120 in the form of a memory card can also be included in the digital camera to provide extra memory space. The at least one image sensor 118 can be a charge coupled device (CCD), a complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS), or another system. The camera module 110 may also include at least one motion sensor 130 operatively connected to the camera processor 116. When a picture of an object 128 is taken, the at least one lens 112 focuses the image onto the at least one image sensor 118 which records light electronically. The camera processor 116 then breaks this electronic information down into digital data which can be stored on the primary memory unit 114 and/or the secondary memory unit 120.
As camera-telephone combinations have become more common, users' expectations of the quality of pictures taken with the devices have also risen. Users are often no longer satisfied with digital images of a quality which was considered acceptable only a few years ago. As a result of these increased expectations, manufacturers must pay more attention to the quality of the images that are produced by their camera-phones.
There are several technical parameters that are used to describe different aspects of image quality in an image. For one, systems often monitor and measure the sharpness of an image produced by a camera. The sharpness may vary in different parts of the image, and the center area of an image is typically sharper than corner areas. Still further, systems monitor the amount of noise that is present in an image. For instance, smoothly colored areas sometimes will not be smooth, instead possessing a certain degree of graininess or noise. Systems also monitor whether the colors in the captured image are correct.
Systems also monitor whether geometric shapes in an image are distorted. Distortion can be defined as the departure of the image geometry formed by a real imaging system from that of ideal perspective projection. Distortion has the effect of shifting image points from their ideal locations, but it does not induce blurring to the image. In general, distortion is position dependent over the image area and has a vectorial character, i.e. image points are shifted both in radial and tangential directions. With distortion, straight lines may become curved in some situations.
It is often important to perform many separate measurements of the various image quality parameters. For example, a set of sample camera modules could each be measured under different operating conditions. In such a situation, it is important to have a measurement setup that yields the parameters of interest quickly and conveniently in order to maintain a low cost for performing the measurements.
Currently, technical image quality parameters are often measured so that there is a different test setup for each parameter. Some measurements are test chart-based, while others use special instruments to perform the measurements. In addition, tests have to be performed under many different conditions, such as under different camera settings, different camera-to-subject distances, and different field of views (i.e., different zoom settings or cameras with different focal lengths). Performing these measurements can become extremely expensive if several different test setups are required. Typically, even with chart-based measurements, if the field of view is changed, test charts of different sizes are required.
There are several standards that describe how a single technical parameter can be measured. Some examples include the ISO 12233: MTF measurement standard (also referred to as the spatial frequency response); the ISO 9039: Optics and optical instruments standard, which pertains to a quality evaluation of optical systems and the determination of distortion; and the ISO 15739: Photography standard, which relates to electronic still-picture imaging and noise measurements. Another system uses a rectangular checker board pattern to calibrate the cameras and/or camera modules. Such a system is described in Shu, C., Brunton, A., Fiala, M., "Automatic Grid Finding In Calibration Patterns Using Delaunay Triangulation, " National Research Council of Canada report NRC-46497/ERB-1104, 2003.

Scalable test target and method for measurement of camera image quality


A laminated inductor includes a laminate formed by stacking insulating sheets on which coil conductors are formed, and outermost insulating sheets. The coil conductors are connected in series by via-holes to form a coil. The direction in which the insulating sheets are stacked is perpendicular to input/output external electrodes, and is parallel to a mounting surface. The thickness of the outermost insulating layer is set larger than the radius of a rounded corner of the laminate and the length of a folded portion of the external electrode.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to laminated electronic components such as laminated capacitors, laminated inductors and laminated LC filters, and the like.
2. Description of the Related Art
Laminated electronic components are known which include a laminate formed by stacking internal electrodes and insulating sheets. In this type of component, the insulating sheets used have an approximately equal thickness. Since an external mechanical shock easily causes a break or other damage in the corners of the laminate, the laminate is processed by barrel polishing by rounding the laminate corners to prevent the break or other damage.
As shown in FIG. 9, an electronic component 51 is shown having a structure in which the direction for stacking internal electrodes (not shown) and insulating sheets 52 is perpendicular to external electrodes 53 and 54 formed on two opposing sides of a laminate of the sheets. Mechanical stress exerted in the barrel polishing process for preventing breakage in the laminate corners decreases the interlayer adhesion at corners 55. As a result, interlayer peeling may occur easily at the corners 55.
Mounting the electronic component 51 on a circuit base member 61 causes an external mechanical stress (e.g., a stress caused by thermal expansion and contraction in soldering, a warp of the circuit base member 61, and so forth) exerted through solder fillets 62 and 63. This stress concentrates on the interface between the external electrodes and the insulating sheets 52 or the mutual interfaces of the insulating sheets 52. Thus, there is a possibility of interlayer peeling occurring at the corner 55 where interlayer adhesion decreases due to the mechanical stress in barrel polishing.


A modem includes a base unit for transmitting a data signal, and a communication card which receives the data signal from the base unit over a wireless medium and which performs echo canceling on the data signal. The base unit is in communication with a telephone line and receives an original signal from the telephone line. The base unit generates an RF modulated signal based on the original signal. The base unit includes a transmitter for transmitting the data signal. Circuitry in the base unit receives the original signal from the telephone line and generates a combined data signal from the original signal and echo signals and maintains a peak voltage of the combined signal which is within the linear amplification region of the transmitter.

Computers typically connect to networks, such as the Internet, through a "wired" device, such as a modem. Wired, in this context, refers to wired connections, such as telephone lines, Ethernet cable, and the like.
There are limitations associated with the use of wired devices. For example, wired devices have limited portability, since their operation is dependent upon on a wired connection. The installation options for wired devices are also limited, since wired devices require a nearby telephone jack or outlet.


A method for processing a carrier may include forming at least one recess structure at least one of over and in the carrier; and annealing the at least one recess structure such that at least one hollow chamber is formed by material of the at least one recess structure, wherein the at least one hollow chamber may form an optical alignment structure.

Manufacturing a chip or an integrated circuit may in general include various layering and patterning processes, e.g. for processing a power chip, and therefore, a plurality of alignments may be necessary during processing. According to this, the alignment marks used for the positioning of the carrier during the processes, e.g. during layering, patterning or ion implantation, may degrade during the plurality of processes; and therefore may be visible in less quality and may be detectable in less accuracy, so that the alignment marks may need to be refreshed several times during manufacturing a chip. In various processes, the alignment marks may be covered with an additional material and, therefore, may be not suitable to enable an accurate alignment. Commonly used alignment marks may not be stable at high processing temperatures, e.g. larger than 1000° C.

Method of processing a carrier with alignment marks


An electrical connector is disclosed to include an electrically insulative housing, which has relatively higher first stop walls and relatively lower second stop walls each defining with the first stop walls a respective terminal slot, first terminals mounted in the terminal slots and protruding over the first stop walls for the contact of an external electronic device, and second terminals mounted in the terminal slots and movable relative to the first terminals and partially protruding over the second stop walls for the contact of the first terminals upon loading of the external electronic device.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to electrical connectors and more particularly, to an electrical connector designed for compression contact with a chip module.
2. Description of the Related Art
Currently, some electronic products (such as computers) use a LGA (Land grid array) module for performance enhancement. A LGA module uses laminate substrate to form the landing pad and the exposed pad. A conventional electrical connector for use with a LGA module, as shown in FIGS. 11 and 12, an electrically insulative housing 50, a plurality of terminals 60 respectively mounted in the electrically insulative housing 50, and a plurality of solder balls 70 respectively provided at the bottom side of each of the terminals 60 and soldered to a circuit board (not shown). Each terminal 60 has a top spring arm 602, which has a tip terminating in a contact portion 601. During installation, the chip module (not shown) is pressed on the contact portions 601 of the terminals 60, achieving electric connection with the circuit board. Because the top spring arm 602 and the contact portion 601 protrude over the top side of the electrically insulative housing 50, the terminals 60 bias toward one side and tend to be forced out of place during installation of the chip module. Further, the complicated architecture of the terminals 60 requires much installation space, not suitable for a high density installation. After installation of the terminals 60 in the housing 50, a relatively higher inductance effect tends to be produced between each two adjacent terminals 60, not suitable for the transmission of a high frequency signal.
Therefore, it is desirable to provide an electrical connector that eliminates the aforesaid drawbacks.


The invention relates to a pneumatic spring device for a motor vehicle, including a rolling piston (4), a pneumatic spring cover (5) axially movable thereto, and an interposed elastomer covering as rolling bellows (6) with a trapped compressible air volume. According to the invention, at least one additional spring element (3) is connected in series to the pneumatic spring (2), with a radial bearing (14) of the rolling piston (4) and/or the pneumatic spring cover (5) being integrated as torsion compensation.

The invention relates to a pneumatic spring device for a motor vehicle.
A generic pneumatic spring device includes a generally known pneumatic spring which includes a rolling piston, a pneumatic spring cover which is moveable in axial relation to the rolling piston, and an interposed elastomer bellows configured as a rolling bellows with trapped compressible air volume. The spring action of such a pneumatic spring is based on the compression of air in the trapped air volume, with the air volume decreasing during spring compression as the rolling bellows rolls off. As a result, the air pressure rises in the air volume, resulting in a spring force in combination with the effective area of the pneumatic spring.
Such a pneumatic spring is disadvantageous because it normally exhibits a firm behavior of the spring characteristic at small amplitudes of greater excitation frequency. This behavior is also described as harshness. Moreover, rolling bellows in such pneumatic springs normally involve so-called transverse bellows, which have a natural torsion leading to a torsion moment in the pneumatic spring. This torsional moment has an adverse effect on the axle as additional resistance in opposition to the spring compression. This results in a reduction in comfort in such air-sprung vehicles.
Further, a spring device of a chassis is known with a combination of a spring element and a position control, wherein a shock absorber can be omitted (DE 10 2004 010 301 A1). Particular properties of the afore-described generic pneumatic spring device are not indicated here.

Pneumatic spring device for a motor vehicle


A signal processing apparatus includes one or more processors. The processors acquire a plurality of observed signals acquired from a plurality of microphone groups each including at least one microphone selected from a plurality of microphones. The microphone groups include respective microphone combinations each including at least one microphone, the combinations are different from each other, and at least one of the microphone groups includes a plurality of microphones. The processors estimate a mask indicating occupancy for each of time frequency points of a sound signal of a space corresponding to the observed signal in a plurality of spaces, for each of the observed signals. The processors integrate masks estimated for the observed signals to generate an integrated mask indicating occupancy for each of time frequency points of a sound signal in a space determined based on the spaces.

A signal processing technique has been proposed. The signal processing technique is a technique observing a signal in which target sound (for example, speech) and background noise (for example, non-speech) exist in a mixed state with a plurality of microphones, and extracting only the target speech from the observed signal.
For example, a proposed technique is a technique of inputting a feature extracted from an observed signal to a neural network learned in advance, and determining the target, sound occupancy and the noise occupancy for each time frequency. The target sound occupancy and the noise occupancy are used for, for example, design of a beamformer suppressing a noise signal in the observed signal, and extracting the sound signal from the observed signal. Another proposed technique is a technique of acquiring a plurality of observed signals, applying an estimation unit to determine target sound occupancy and noise occupancy for each time frequency point for each of the acquired observation signals, with one channel of the observation signals as an input, averaging the acquired target sound occupancies and the noise occupancies, to acquire final target sound occupancy and final noise occupancy. A neural network is used for estimating target sound occupancy and noise occupancy for each time frequency point. The neural network is learned in advance such that target sound occupancy and noise occupancy are output on the basis of the feature extracted from the observed signal.
However, there are cases where target sound is not determined (extracted) with high accuracy in prior art. For example, in the technique using a neural network to which a signal of one channel is input, processing cannot be changed according to the position and the direction in which the sound source exists. For this reason, for example, it is impossible to determine that the sound is target sound when the sound source exists in a specific space, and determine that the sound is obstructing sound when the sound source exists in a space other than the specific space. Means for Solving the Problem

Signal processing apparatus, signal processing method, and computer program product


A pipetting device having a modular pipetting unit including a pipetting tip for pipetting of fluid samples and a pump conduit for transferring a negative or positive pressure to the pipetting tip is disclosed. The pipetting tip and a portion of the pump conduit adjoining the pipetting tip mutually define a fluid sample conduit for receiving the fluid samples. The modular pipetting unit is detachably attached to an automated positioning device for positioning the modular pipetting unit. A system and method for pipetting of fluid samples using such a pipetting device are also disclosed wherein pipetting of the fluid samples is performed in such a manner that each pipetted fluid sample volume is smaller than a volume of the fluid sample conduit.

In consideration of the fact that there is an ongoing increase in (bio-)chemical and genetic analyses and assays, a strong demand for the automated pipetting of fluids can be observed.
In recent years, many efforts have been made to develop new automated pipetting devices most often provided with a plurality of pipettes enabling plural pipetting operations in parallel. Each of the pipettes is provided with a pipetting tip connected to a pump by means of a pump conduit to transfer pump-generated negative or positive pressure to the pipetting tip for aspirating and dispensing of fluids, respectively. Conventionally, plunger pumps are being used for pipetting operations which advantageously allow for high-precision pipetting of fluids, however, typically are heavy in weight and thus may not be moved together with the pipetting tips due to an undesired strong increase in inertia. This especially applies to the case of independently operable pipettes requiring each pipette to be provided with a separate plunger pump.
Hence, plunger pumps are kept stationary when moving the pipetting tips and, for instance, are fixed to a base-plate, which, however, enlarges the overall dimensions of the automated pipetting device and hinders an integrated and compact design of the pipettes. Moreover, lengthy pump conduits in-between pump and pipetting tips aggravate various maintenance tasks (e.g. leakage detection) and disadvantageously enlarge dead volumes which, however, essentially influence precision of pipetting operations.
US-patent application No. 2008/0019878 A1 to Trump discloses a positioning device for pipettes in which a profiled rail accommodates a pump drive. While such positioning device makes the pump drive an integrated part of the profiled rail, such construction, however, disadvantageously requires the positioning device to be newly adjusted each time the pump drive has to be serviced. For that reason, maintenance of the pump drive due to failures will result in undesirably high costs. Furthermore, irrespective of the fact that plural pipettes require a rather complex construction, the positioning device may not be readily adapted to varying demands.

Pipetting device, modular pipetting unit, pipetting system and method for pipetting of fluid samples


A magnetic sensor comprises a substrate, magnetoresistive element of a spin-valve type, a bias magnetic layer (or a permanent magnet film), and a protective film, wherein the bias magnetic layer is connected with both ends of the magnetoresistive element and the upper surface thereof is entirely covered with the lower surface of the magnetoresistive element at both ends. Herein, distances between the side surfaces of the both ends of the magnetoresistive element and the side surfaces of the bias magnetic layer viewed from the protective film do not exceed 3 μm. In addition, a part of the bias magnetic layer can be covered with both ends of the magnetoresistive element, and an intermediate layer is arranged in relation to the magnetoresistive element, bias magnetic layer, and protective film so as to entirely cover the upper surface of the bias magnetic layer.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to magnetic sensors of the spin-valve type using giant magnetoresistive elements (or GMR elements) and manufacturing methods therefor.
This application claims priority on Japanese Patent Application Nos. 2003-421236, 2003-199280, and 2003-199281, the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.
2. Description of the Related Art
Conventionally, various types of magnetic sensors, which use spin-valve type magnetoresistive elements such as giant magnetoresistive elements (or GMR elements) whose resistances change when exposed to magnetic fields, have been developed and put into practical uses.
For example, a GMR element comprises a pinned layer whose magnetization direction is pinned in a prescribed direction and a free layer whose magnetization direction changes in response to an external magnetic field, wherein it presents a resistance responding to a relative relationship between the pinned layer and free layer in the magnetization direction, whereby it is possible to detect the external magnetic field by measuring the resistance thereof.
The GMR element included in the magnetic sensor is formed by fine line patterns, which are folded in a zigzag manner multiple times, whereby it is possible to increase the overall path length within a very small area and to thereby increase the impedance, by which it is possible to reduce an electric current being consumed.
In the aforementioned GMR element having zigzag patterns, folded portions (or bent portions) of fine lines are formed by magnetoresistive films, which may make the sensitivity direction of the GMR element non-uniform; in other words, this damages the linear relationship (or linearity) between the external magnetic field and the resistance of the magnetoresistive element; hence, it becomes difficult to accurately measure the intensity of the magnetic field.
In consideration of the aforementioned drawback, there has been developed a magnetic sensor using a GMR element having zigzag patterns in which the bent portions are formed by nonmagnetic films. Examples of conventionally-known magnetic sensors are disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2000-206217 and Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2002-299728.
Compared with the magnetic sensor whose bent portions of GMR elements are constituted by magnetoresistive films, the aforementioned magnetic sensor can accurately measure the intensity of the magnetic field, whereas it may be insufficient for the aforementioned magnetic sensor to maintain the uniaxial anisotropy in the free layer of the magnetoresistive film due to the nonmagnetic films corresponding to the bent portions. For this reason, when a disturbance magnetic field having a relatively high intensity is applied to the magnetic field from the exterior, the magnetization direction of the free layer may not match (or restore) the initial magnetization direction thereof; thus, it may not be always possible for the magnetic sensor to measure the intensity of the external magnetic field with a good reproducibility.
In addition, there has been developed another magnetic sensor in which in order to maintain the uniaxial anisotropy in the free layer of the GMR element, a bias magnetic layer (corresponding to a permanent magnet film composed of a ferromagnetic substance) is arranged in contact with both ends of the magnetoresistive film in proximity to the bent portions of the GMR element.
In the aforementioned magnetic sensor, the GMR element having zigzag patterns is constituted by the magnetoresistive film and nonmagnetic film, wherein the permanent magnet film is arranged in proximity to the bent portions in the resistance circuitry thereof. That is, this magnetic sensor is very complicated in structure and is very difficult to manufacture.
FIG. 49 is a cross-sectional view diagrammatically showing the constitution of a conventionally-known magnetic sensor, which is disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Publication No. H12-137906, for example.
The magnetic sensor of FIG. 49 comprises a substrate 201 composed of a quartz or silicon wafer having a prescribed thickness, a magnetoresistive element 202 composed of a GMR element arranged on the substrate 201 , an embedded film 203 composed of a nonmagnetic material arranged on the substrate 201, a bias magnetic layer 204 composed of a permanent magnet film, which is connected to both ends of the magnetoresistive element 202 and is arranged on the substrate 201 via the embedded film 203, a first protective film 205 composed of a silicon oxide film and a second protective film 206 composed of a silicon nitride film by which the overall surface of the magnetoresistive element 202 and the bias magnetic layer 204 is covered.
The first protective film 205 and the second protective film 206 can be collectively referred to as a protective film 207.
In the aforementioned magnetic sensor, the overall upper surface of the bias magnetic layer 204 is not entirely covered with the lower surface of the magnetoresistive element 202 at its both ends. For this reason, the magnetoresistive element 202 is connected in such a way that it overhangs a part of the upper surface of the bias magnetic layer 204. This magnetic sensor may cause a separation of the protective film 207 in the interface between the bias magnetic layer 204 and the protective film 207 during a heat-cool cycling test (or a thermal cycling test), for example. That is, it is demanded to provide a magnetic sensor having a sufficiently high degree of environmental durability.

Magnetic sensor and manufacturing method therefor


A printing apparatus includes a printing unit for printing visual information on a non-recording surface of a rotatably driven recording medium by discharging ink droplets. A control unit controls movement of the printing unit in a radial direction of the recording medium, and discharge timing of the ink droplets. The printing unit prints the visual information by multi-path printing by printing on a same radius position of the non-recording surface by discharging ink from different ink discharge nozzles. The control unit controls the printing unit so as to print with a first printing pattern having a first number of paths and a second printing pattern having a second number of paths. The first printing pattern is used on other locations of the non-recording surface and the second printing pattern is used when printing on an innermost periphery region of the non-recording surface.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to printing apparatuses, printing methods, and computer programs, and more specifically, to a printing apparatus for printing on a non-recording surface of a recording medium that is detachably attached and rotatably driven, a printing method, and a computer program.
2. Description of the Related Art
A printing apparatus for printing information by dropping ink droplets from an ink droplet discharge nozzle for discharging ink droplets with respect to a non-recording surface of a disc-shaped recording medium such as CD, DVD, and Blu-ray disc (trademark) is known. A method of printing on the non-recording surface of the recording medium includes a method of moving the ink droplet discharge nozzle from the peripheral edge part towards the central part of the recording medium in a radial direction of the recording medium while rotating the recording medium, and dropping ink droplets onto the non-recording surface of the recording medium. An example of a printing apparatus for printing by such printing method is described in, for example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2008-27535.
Multi-path printing is one example of a method of printing on a non-recording surface of a recording medium. The multi-path printing completes printing of visual information by discharging ink from different ink droplet discharge nozzles to the same radius position of the non-recording surface. Through printing by discharging ink from different ink droplet discharge nozzles to the same radius position of the non-recording surface, even if a certain ink droplet discharge nozzle is not able to discharge the ink droplets due to reasons such as clogging of ink, printing can be carried out by discharging ink from another ink droplet discharge nozzle so that the radius position that is not discharged with ink does not exist, which improves the printing quality (see e.g., Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2008-27535).

Printing apparatus, method and program for inner peripheral printing of rotatably driven media


Disclosed is a jump rope comprising: an oil impregnated bushing; having a pair of handles with an external surface treatment. Additionally, the rope may include a fastener attached to each end and secured within the head of the jump rope yet still free to rotate about an axis formed by the centerline of the rope body. In some configurations a universal joint is attached to each end and secured to the jump rope handle, with one end of the input yoke acting as a column for rotation and one end of the output yoke used to secure the rope, and both free ends of each yoke attaching to the cross-trunnion to complete the assembly.

A traditional jump rope mainly comprises a rope and a pair of handles where the rope exits the end of the handle. While jumping rope the handles are held by the user and do not rotate in the user's hands but rather the rope rotates independent of the handles. Under this circumstance, the rotational friction and drag that are generated limit the maximum rotational speed of the rope. In speed competitions, is it desirable to have a jump rope with the highest rotational speed. Further, this requires a rope with the least amount of friction and air resistance to achieve the highest number of rotations in the least amount of time.
Jumping rope is an activity that is not only considered suitable for competition or recreation, but also provides a beneficial workout, similar to jogging or cycling. Jumping rope has been shown to achieve a "burn rate" of up to 700 calories per hour of vigorous activity, with about 0.1 calories consumed per jump. Ten minutes of jumping rope is roughly the equivalent of running an eight-minute mile.
Although jumping rope can be an excellent source of aerobic activity, depending on the choice of rope, some ropes exhibit failures such as handle separations, fraying of cables, and burrs after being cut to length making them not suited for the long term use that would occur with users relying on jumping rope for consistent aerobic activity. The exposed ends of the rope can also present a safety concern during use if not properly trimmed after sizing. Therefore, it is also desirable to have a rope whose ends are protected and captured within the head of the jump rope handles.
Another common problem with existing jump ropes is exhibited when the ropes ends are fixed at the rotational component or head of each handle and are not permitted to rotate freely within the head of the jump rope. Under this circumstance, undesirable torque can be built into the rope when the handles are inadvertently rotated perpendicular to the point where the rope accesses the handle unit. This torque in the rope presents a problem during use, as the ropes rotation is no longer uniform making it difficult to predict the rope placement while jumping rope. Therefore, it is desirable to have a rope whose ends are free to rotate about an axis formed by the centerline of the rope body. Existing jump ropes have attempted to address this problem by placing a collar or stop at each end of the rope. In these collar or stop type designs, the jump rope meets the intent of avoiding toque build up in the rope, but presents a new problem with the jump rope handles not remaining fixed to each end of the rope. The result is one or more handles displaced along the length of the rope with excess rope extended beyond the handle component, making the rope not equipped for jumping.


A novel composition, system and method thereof for improving beam current during boron ion implantation are provided. The boron ion implant process involves utilizing B2H6, BF3 and H2 at specific ranges of concentrations. The B2H6 is selected to have an ionization cross-section higher than that of the BF3 at an operating arc voltage of an ion source utilized during generation and implantation of active hydrogen ions species. The hydrogen allows higher levels of B2H6 to be introduced into the BF3 without reduction in F ion scavenging. The active boron ions produce an improved beam current characterized by maintaining or increasing the beam current level without incurring degradation of the ion source when compared to a beam current generated from conventional boron precursor materials.

Ion implantation is an important process in semiconductor/microelectronic manufacturing. The ion implantation process is used in integrated circuit fabrication to introduce dopant impurities into semiconductor wafers. The desired dopant impurities are introduced into semiconductor wafers to form doped regions at a desired depth. The dopant impurities are selected to bond with the semiconductor wafer material to create electrical carriers and thereby alter the electrical conductivity of the semiconductor wafer material. The concentration of dopant impurities introduced determines the electrical conductivity of the doped region. Many impurity regions are necessarily created to form transistor structures, isolation structures and other electronic structures, which collectively function as a semiconductor device.
The dopant impurities are generally ions derived from a source dopant gas. An ion-source filament is used to ionize the dopant gas source into the various dopant ionic species. The ions produce a plasma environment within the ion chamber. The ions are subsequently extracted from the ion chamber in the form of a defined ion beam. The resultant ion beam is typically characterized by a beam current. Generally speaking, a higher beam current can allow more dopant ionic species to be available for implantation into a given workpiece, such as a wafer. In this manner, a higher implant dosage of the dopant ionic species can be achieved for a given flow rate of source dopant gas. The resultant ion beam may be transported through a mass analyzer/filter and then transported to the surface of a workpiece, such as a semiconductor wafer. The desired dopant ionic species of the beam penetrate the surface of the semiconductor wafer to form a doped region of a certain depth with desired electrical and/or physical properties.
Boron implantation has been widely used in the semiconductor industry to modify electrical properties of the doped regions and is recently gaining traction in other applications where desired regions are doped with impurities to tailor physical properties of the doped region. The increasing use for boron implant steps during device fabrication is requiring a need for an improved process for implantation of B ions that can offer improved B+ beam current (i.e., sustained or increased beam current generated without shortened ion source life). It should be understood that the terms "B ions", "B ionic species", "B ionic dopant species" and "B+ ions" will be used interchangeably herein and throughout the specification. The ability to implant B ions at an improved B+ beam current will allow end-users to perform increasing boron implant steps with higher equipment throughput and gain productivity improvements.
Boron trifluoride (BF3) is a dopant gas source typically utilized in the semiconductor industry for boron implantation. However, BF3 has proven limited in its ability to generate B+ ions and thereby establish the higher beam currently demanded by today's applications. In order to increase the generation of B+ ions, the end-user can change various process parameters. For example, the end-user can increase the energy inputted to the ion source, otherwise referred to in the industry as the operating arc voltage of the ion source. Alternatively, the extraction current can be increased. Still further, the flow rate of BF3 introduced into the ion source chamber can be increased. However, such changes in the operation of the ion implant chamber can result in detrimental impact on the ion source components and reduce the ion source lifetime as well as the efficiency of the ion source of generating stable B+ ion beam during its extended operation. A stable B+ ion beam is defined by the uniform beam profile and continuous supply of the B+ beam at a desired beam current without interruption that may be caused by beam glitching or drop in beam current output. For example, as the walls of the arc chamber increase in temperature during a typical ion implant process, active fluorine that is released from BF3 can more rapidly etch and erode the tungsten chamber walls, which can cause the cathode to be more susceptible to increased deposition of W-containing deposits. The W-containing deposits reduce the ion source's ability to generate the threshold number of electrons necessary to sustain the plasma and generate B+ ions. Additionally, more active fluorine ions are available to propagate the so-called detrimental "halogen cycle" by which increased chemical erosion of the ion source chamber wall and other chamber components can occur. Accordingly, operating the ion source chamber at higher energy levels in an attempt to increase ionization of BF3 has the potential for shorter ion-source life, thereby rendering this mode of operation undesirable. Additionally, higher flow rates of BF3 tends to produce more active fluorine ions that causes chemical erosion of the ion source chamber wall and undesirable deposition on high voltage components resulting in arcing. These process modifications tend to shorter ion-source life, thereby making such modes of operation undesirable.
Currently, there are no viable techniques for maintaining or increasing the beam current of B+ ion without damaging the ion source chamber components. As such, there remains an unmet need to develop compositions, systems and methods of use thereof to improve the beam current of the desired boron ion species without compromising the ion source life.

Boron-containing dopant compositions, systems and methods of use thereof for improving ion beam current and performance during boron ion implantation