A catalyst comprising at least one support, at least one element from groups 8, 9 or 10 of the periodic table, at least one element from group 14 of the periodic table, at least one element from group 13 of the periodic table, at least one alkali or alkaline-earth metal, and, optionally, at least one halogen in an amount in the range from 0 to 0.2% by weight with respect to the total catalyst weight, the catalyst being characterized in that the accessibility of the element from groups 8, 9 or 10 is more than 50%. The invention also concerns a process for preparing a catalyst and the use of the catalyst in a process for dehydrogenating paraffins containing 3 to 22 carbon atoms per molecule.

The invention relates to catalysts used in converting hydrocarbons and in particular to the paraffin dehydrogenation reaction. The invention pertains to a novel catalyst and to the preparation method carried out to synthesise it. The invention also relates to the use of said catalyst in paraffin dehydrogenation.
Alkenes constitute the feed of choice for the petrochemical industry. Steam cracking and catalytic cracking processes constitute the principle sources of alkenes. However, those two processes also produce by-products and the demand for specific alkenes which would be more expensive to produce by cracking is increasing.
For this reason, in some cases the direct production of alkenes remains an unavoidable step. This is the case with propylene, isobutene and long chain linear alkenes for producing polypropylene, MTBE and LAB (linear alkyl benzene) respectively.
The principal limitations of the dehydrogenation reaction are that the thermodynamic equilibrium limits the degree of conversion per pass and that the reaction is highly endothermic. These two features are determining factors in choosing process techniques and also in the design of the catalyst.
Thus n-paraffins containing 10 to 14 carbon atoms are generally dehydrogenated at temperatures of about 450-500xc2x0 C. with a degree of conversion per pass in the range 10% to 25%, limited by the thermodynamics.
A high temperature operation is necessary to keep the degree of conversion close to the thermodynamic equilibrium, but a high temperature also encourages a certain number of side reactions, leading to a poor quality product. Such reactions include those leading to the formation of light products (cracking, hydrogenolysis), highly unsaturated compounds precursors of carbonaceous deposits, i.e., deactivation initiators (dehydrocyclisation, deep dehydrogenation) such as aromatic compounds or diolefins, and skeletal isomerisation reactions responsible for the formation of branched molecules. Because of such secondary reactions, under these particularly severe operating conditions it is very difficult to keep the activity high over long periods.
Means for limiting such secondary reactions can be aimed at the process and/or the catalytic formulation. Thus European patent EP-B1-0 462 094 claims adding hydrogen to the feed in H2/hydrocarbon mole ratios in the range 0.5 to 1.9. The purpose of adding hydrogen is to limit or retard the formation of coke on the catalyst surface without observing a negative effect on n-paraffin conversion.
A further solution proposed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,448,165, 3,907,921 and 5,233,118 consists of injecting a small quantity of water and/or sulphur with the hydrocarbon feed to be dehydrogenated. The water can be injected at a rate which is constant or which gradually increases with the catalyst function time. It was reported that an optimum as regards performance was obtained by increasing the injection of water with the temperature of the reactor during the operating cycle.
The other route which has been explored, again to improve the catalytic system performance, in particular stability, consists of determining the optimum physico-chemical properties. Thus U.S. Pat. No. 4,716,143 uses a catalyst based on a supported platinum such that the platinum distribution is limited to the external surface of the support over a maximum thickness of 400 xcexcm. The advantage of such a choice resides in the fact that distribution at the periphery of the support can limit side reactions and as a result can improve catalyst performance. However, that type of distribution can only rarely produce platinum/modifier atomic ratios which are homogeneous on the particle scale (nanometers). Further, an excess concentration of active phase on the surface can cause diffusional limitations on the catalyst grain level (extragranular diffusion) and thus reduce the overall yield of the reaction.
The most frequently used platinum modifiers include elements from groups 14 and 13 and in particular tin (U.S. Pat. No. 3,745,112). The role of the tin present on the surface of the catalyst in the oxidation state +2, or more preferably +4, is to minimise the isomerisation and cracking reactions which occur at the acid sites of the support. A further example of a platinum modifier is indium, cited in particular in U.S. Pat. No. 4,551,574, European patent EP-B-0 183 861 and Japanese patent JP-B-91041211. Indium improves stability by also inhibiting secondary deep dehydrogenation reactions (polyolefins) and skeletal isomerisation reactions (branched hydrocarbons). It should be noted that the promoting power of such elements as regards platinum is also well known within the well-studied context of catalytic cracking catalysts.
As regards platinum based catalysts, because of the high cost of platinum, there is an interest in dispersing the metallic phase to the best extent, i.e., in increasing the proportion of noble metal in contact with the surface and the molecules to be transformed. It is important to develop a maximum specific metal surface area (surface area expressed per gram of metal) to obtain as high a degree of conversion as possible. Thus a drop in accessibility equivalent to an increase in particle size or a rearrangement of elementary particles is highly prejudicial to the productivity of the reaction. Thus one aims to minimise the particle size during preparation and to maintain this dispersion high, but thermodynamically unstable. The presence of a sufficient quantity of chlorine can constitute an answer to this problem. Chlorine is known to have a stabilising and even a re-dispersing effect on very small platinum particles. U.S. Pat. No. 4,430,517 cites an example of a chlorine content of more than 2.5% by weight for a platinum content of 0.75% by weight, corresponding to a Cl/Pt atomic ratio of about 19. That stabilising effect has also been known for a long time for catalytic reforming catalysts (U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,479,109, 2,602,772). However, while in the latter case, cyclisation and skeletal isomerisation reactions are highly desirable, in the case of dehydrogenation in general and dehydrogenation of paraffins containing 6 to 22 carbon atoms in particular, these reactions constitute side reactions which should be limited to avoid rapid deactivation of the catalyst. Thus adding chlorine causes a problem as a result of the secondary reactions which it encourages.
In order to limit secondary reactions, depositing an alkali or alkaline-earth, the role of which consists of contributing to neutralisation of the acid sites of the support with a weak and medium force, is important. Even a limited addition of lithium (0.1% by weight) can neutralise these acid sites which are responsible for the formation of isomerised and light products (cracking reactions). Aromatic compound formation is also reduced by adding lithium. However, this addition is also known to entrain a reduction in the total activity of the catalyst. This reduction is often linked to a phenomenon of coating the metallic phase with the alkali metal.
Conventional preparation methods cannot deposit sufficient amounts of alkali, in particular lithium, without producing a large drop in the accessibility of the platinum in the presence of a small quantity of a halogen. Studies in the literature have demonstrated this phenomenon when impregnating lithium into platinum based catalysts (Passos, Schmal, Frety, Catalysis Letters 14 (1994) 57-64).
To overcome this phenomenon, one route proposed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,536,695 consists of depositing lithium on an alumina support and carrying out a high temperature heat treatment to form a surface aluminate phase (LiAl5O8 or LiAlO2). Platinum can then be deposited at the end of this step using a precursor, preferably an organic precursor. The use of an acid solution of a mineral precursor (hexachloroplatinic acid or hexahydroxyplatinic acid) suffers from the disadvantage of partially dissolving the aluminate support formed and thus leading to a loss of alkali metal. Further, inverting the aluminate formation and platinum deposition steps cannot be envisaged, since the heat treatment necessary for forming the aluminate phase, carried out at about 800xc2x0 C., causes very substantial sintering of the platinum by particle aggregation. Further, the use of organic solutions is of low industrial importance because of the environmental problems and safety concerns linked thereto.
Finally, the support can also play a substantial role in the stability of the catalytic system as taught by patents U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,672,146 and 358,920. The pore size and void fraction parameters developed by pores over 60 or 100 nm in size (macropores) determine the final transport properties especially in the case of sterically hindered hydrocarbon molecules (long chains, for example).
The invention provides a catalyst comprising a support, at least one element from groups 8, 9 or 10 of the periodic table (xe2x80x9cHandbook of Physics and Chemistryxe2x80x9d, 76th edition), at least one element from group 14 of the periodic table, at least one element from group 13 of the periodic table, at least one alkali or alkaline-earth metal from the periodic table, and optionally at least one halogen in an amount in the range 0 to 0.2% by weight with respect to the total catalyst weight, said catalyst being characterized in that the accessibility of the element from groups 8, 9 or 10 is more than 50%. The invention also concerns a process for preparing a catalyst and the use of the catalyst in a process for dehydrogenating paraffins containing 3 to 22 carbon atoms per molecule, The term xe2x80x9caccessibilityxe2x80x9d as used in the present invention means the quantity of the element from groups 8, 9 or 10 accessible to the feed to be converted with respect to the total quantity of the element from groups 8, 9 or 10 present on the catalyst.
The invention enables a novel supported catalyst to be prepared which contains both an alkali or alkaline-earth metal in an amount of more than 500 ppm and particles of metals from groups 8, 9 or 10 with an accessibility of more than 50% while keeping the chlorine content to below 0.2% by weight. It has been discovered that the fact that it contains little chlorine, a stabilizing agent for small platinum particles, for the type of support under consideration, does not result in an accelerated aging of the catalyst by sintering but can substantially reduce the secondary reactions cited above. Finally, it has also been discovered that this catalyst can undergo a regenerative treatment by coke combustion without altering catalytic performance.
The catalyst of the invention comprises a support, at least one element from groups 8, 9 or 10, at least one additional element selected from group 14 elements, at least one additional element selected from group 13 elements, at least one alkali or alkaline-earth and optionally at least one halogen in a maximum amount of 0.2% by weight with respect to the total catalyst weight.
The metal from groups 8, 9 or 10 is selected from platinum, palladium, rhodium, ruthenium, osmium, iridium, iron, cobalt and nickel, preferably selected from noble metals from groups 8, 9 or 10 and preferably platinum, where the content is in the range 0.01% to 5% by weight with respect to the total catalyst weight, preferably in the range 0.05% to 1%.
The group 14 metal is selected from tin, germanium and lead, preferably tin, in an amount in the range 0.01% to 5% by weight with respect to the total catalyst weight, and more preferably in the range 0.1% to 1%.
The group 13 metal is selected from indium, gallium and thallium, preferably indium, in an amount in the range 0.005% to 3% by weight with respect to the total catalyst weight, and more preferably in the range 0.01% to 1%.
The alkali metal is selected from lithium, sodium, potassium and caesium, preferably potassium, in an amount in the range 0.05% to 3% by weight with respect to the total catalyst weight, more preferably in the range 0.1% to 1%. If the catalyst contains it, the halogen is preferably chlorine in an amount in the range 0 to 0.2% by weight, preferably in the range 0 to 0.15%.
The invention is characterized in that the accessibility of the group VIII metal is more than 50%, preferably more than 60% and still more preferably more than 70%. The accessibility of the group VIII metal is measured by H2/O2 titration.
The catalyst supports of the invention are generally porous solids selected from refractory oxides, such as aluminas, silicas, magnesia, titanium oxide and zinc oxide. These last two oxides can be used alone or mixed with alumina. Further, the supports are preferably transition aluminas or silicas with a specific surface area in the range 25 to 300 m2/g, preferably in the range 80 to 200 m2/g. Natural compounds such as kieselguhr or kaolin can also be suitable as supports for the catalysts of the invention.
Preparation of the catalyst of the invention comprises, for example, successive steps for depositing, using any technique known to the skilled person, a group 13 metal, then a step for depositing a group 14 metal and a step for depositing a metal from groups 8, 9 or 10. These deposition steps can be carried out in any order. The metals are deposited such that the accessibility of the metal from groups 8, 9 or 10 is more than 50%. The metals can be deposited by dry impregnation or excess impregnation or by an ion exchange method. Calcining can be carried out by passing a stream of air at a temperature of about 500xc2x0 C. with the aim of decomposing precursors and forming the metallic phases, and the desired interactions.
In accordance with the invention, the alkali or alkaline-earth metal is deposited by bringing the support into contact with at least one solution containing at least one precursor of at least one alkali or alkaline-earth metal. Deposition of the alkali or alkaline-earth metal is characterized in that the pH of the solution comprising the alkali or alkaline-earth metal precursor is less than 2. The solution comprising the alkali metal can also contain at least one metal from groups 8, 9 or 10 and/or at least one metal from group 14, and/or at least one group 13 metal. The pH of the solution comprising the alkali metal can be brought to a value of 2 or less using any method known to the skilled person. As an example, an acid selected from nitric acid, hydrochloric acid, sulphuric acid or hydrofluoric acid can be added. The pH is preferably adjusted by adding nitric acid.
A final heat treatment is aimed at decomposing the alkali metal precursor and eliminating the major portion of the halogen injected during the preceding operations. This step will be carried out, for example, by exposing the catalyst to a 1/1 molar air/water mixture at a temperature of about 500xc2x0 C. for a period of 2 to 4 hours. This dehalogenation operation can optionally be carried out after depositing metals from groups 14 and 13 and from groups 8, 9 or 10. In the latter case, a heat treatment in dry air of the same type as above completes preparation of the catalyst.
Any other preparation method which is known to the skilled person may also be suitable, provided that the accessibility of the metal from groups 8, 9 or 10 is more than 50%.
The metal from groups 8, 9 or 10 can be introduced using any precursor which is known to the skilled person, such as halogenated salts and organometallic compounds. Preferably, a precursor of a metal from groups 8, 9 or 10 which is soluble in an aqueous medium, such as chloroplatinic acid, is used.
The alkali metal, the group 14 metal and the group 13 metal can be introduced using any known precursor. As an example, decomposable salts can be used in the form of chlorides, bromides, nitrates, carbonates or acetates. It is also possible to use organometallic salts of metals from groups 14 and 13 such as tetrabutyltin or triphenylindium.
In one particular implementation of the invention, the precursor of the group 14 and/or precursor of the group 13 metal can be an organometallic compound with a carbon-group 14 or 13 metal bond, which is soluble in an aqueous medium. As an example, a tin complex from the alkyl allyl family can be used.
The invention also concerns the use of the catalyst in a hydrocarbon conversion process. As an example, the catalyst can be used to dehydrogenate paraffin feeds containing 3 to 22 carbon atoms, preferably 5 to 20 carbon atoms per molecule. This reaction is generally carried out at an operating pressure in the range 0.02 to 2 MPa, preferably in the range 0.05 to 0.5 MPa and at a temperature in the range 300xc2x0 C. to 800xc2x0 C., preferably in the range 400xc2x0 C. to 550xc2x0 C. The hydrogen/hydrocarbon mole ratio is generally in the range 0 to 20 and is preferably in the range 0 to 10. The hourly space velocity (expressed in liters of hydrocarbon per liter of catalyst per hour) is generally in the range 10 to 100 hxe2x88x921. The operating conditions can be adjusted within a wide range, depending on the nature of the treated feeds and the catalytic performances aimed at by the user in particular as regards olefin yield.

Catalyst comprising an element from groups 8, 9 or 10 with good accessibility, and its use in a paraffin dehydrogenation process


A method for communication in a receiver (20) includes receiving over a wireless communication channel a signal that carries at least a control channel. A first estimate of a response of the wireless communication channel is computed using a first estimation process having a first latency, and the control channel is decoded based on the first estimate. Upon identifying, based on the decoded control channel, a time period during which no data channel is to be addressed to the receiver, circuitry (24) of the receiver is shut down for at least part of the identified time period. A second estimate of the response is computed using a second estimation process having a second latency, higher than the first latency, and a data channel that is addressed to the receiver is decoded based on the second estimate.

Reduction of power consumption is a prime consideration in the design of communication equipment, and particularly in battery-operated wireless communication terminals. Some wireless terminals reduce power consumption by intermittently shutting down Radio Frequency (RF) circuitry. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 7,881,252 and U.S. Patent Application Publication 2010/0284379, whose disclosures are incorporated herein by reference, describe a wireless receiver with intermittent shut-off of RF circuits. The terminal includes an RF receiver, which is configured to receive and down-convert an RF signal. The RF signal includes a sequence of downlink frames, each downlink frame including at least a map zone followed by a data zone.
The map zone contains an indication of a time allocation in the data zone during which downlink data will be transmitted to the terminal. An analog/digital (A/D) converter converts the output signal from the RF receiver into a stream of digital samples. A digital processing circuit processes the digital samples so as to identify the time allocation and to recover the downlink data transmitted during the identified time allocation, while shutting down the RF receiver during at least one interval during the downlink frame that is outside the identified time allocation.

Intermittent shutoff of RF circuitry in wireless communication terminals


Provided are methods and devices for data superimposition, in which an imaging device comprises a diffuser and a holographic layer to provide a real or virtual image for an observer. In one variant, diffuser and holographic layer are provided on different sides of a transparent carrier. In other embodiments, the imaging device and holographic layer are arranged in smart glasses.

Devices for data superimposition are increasingly used to provide data to a user in a simple manner. The term "data" should here by understood in general terms. Superimposed data can comprise, for example, images, videos, symbols, characters and/or numbers. Such data are here preferably represented such that a user can perceive both the data and an environment.
An area of use of such devices for data superimposition is the automotive field, for example to provide data to a driver of a vehicle, for example to a driver of a car, during driving. This can be done in particular by way of corresponding elements in a windshield of a vehicle. In this way, the driver has no need to specially aim their gaze onto a display for example of an instrument panel to receive data, but can perceive said data without significantly averting their gaze from the road. Such devices are known for example from DE 10 2008 039 737 A1.
Another area of use is what are known as smart glasses, in which data are superimposed on a spectacle lens. With a transparent spectacle lens, the user is then able to simultaneously perceive the data and their environment.
The devices for data superimposition described in the present application, however, can also be used in other applications, in particular generally in all transparent carriers, for example transparent panes. For example, the devices described can also be used for transparent panes of vehicles other than cars, such as trains, buses, ships or aircraft, but also in the property sector for window panes. Ultimately, the devices described can be used wherever variable contents are to be represented and/or generated. For example, it is possible to use the devices described to make indication elements having illumination functions, such as vehicle tail lights, variable.
In various applications, for example in smart glasses or motorbike helmets, where there is not much space, compact solutions in particular are required. In addition, it is desirable to represent images in a plurality of planes. There is additionally a requirement in smart glasses to connect the superimposition of data with an optical correction function of the spectacle lenses, as in the case of conventional glasses.


In a copper plating process, a seed layer is uniformly deposited over a surface, including lining a high aspect ratio trench defined by that surface. A mask layer is provided using a process that fails to deposit in the trench. In one exemplary embodiment, the failure is due to the decrease in the isotropic flux of neutrals toward the bottom of the trench. Copper is subsequently electroplated. Because the seed layer is exposed only within the trench, copper deposits only therein. The self-aligned mask prevents plating outside of the trench. A chemical-mechanical planarization step removes the mask and the seed layer extending beyond the trench, leaving a copper structure within the trench. The structure may serve as a conductive line, an interconnect, or a capacitor plate.

In fabricating a semiconductor device, it may be desirable to include copper as part of the device due to copper's low resistivity and ability to carry high current densities. Unfortunately, the use of copper is somewhat problematic. For instance, attempting to deposit a relatively large amount of copper directly onto a dielectric material results in poor adhesion. This can be particularly troublesome if the underlying surface has a variable topography, such as an insulating surface defining a trench. Assuming that it is desirable to fill the trench with copper, one known method of accomplishing this task is to first line the trench with a seed layer, which provides nucleation sites for the subsequent formation of copper. Known materials for such a seed layer include copper itself or aluminum. One known method of depositing the seed layer is physical vapor deposition (PVD). Such a process, however, not only lines the trench but also deposits the seed layer on surfaces outside of the trench.
Once the seed layer has been deposited, copper is then provided using one of several methods, such as electroplating. In that method, the in-process semiconductor device, which may still be part of an undiced semiconductor wafer, is exposed to a solution containing ions of the metal to be deposited. The wafer serves as the cathode and is connected at its edges to a negative terminal of a power supply. A suitable anode is also exposed to the solution and is connected to a positive terminal of the power supply. The power supply generates an electrical current which flows between the anode and the cathode through the solution. The electrical current causes an electrochemical reaction at the surface of the wafer, resulting in the metal ions in the solution being deposited thereon. Electroless deposition is also another option, wherein deposition occurs in an aqueous medium through an exchange reaction between metal complexes in solution and the particular metal to be coated; and an externally applied electric current is not required.
Regardless of the precise deposition process chosen, it is noteworthy that copper will deposit wherever the seed layer is exposed, including outside of the trenches, where copper is not necessarily desired. Thus, the excess copper must be removed using a process such as chemical-mechanical planarization (CMP). Doing so, however, may require multiple CMP steps depending upon the amount of excess copper to be removed and the presence of other layers, such as a barrier layer. This runs counter to the general desire in the art, which favors a minimum number of process steps, minimal process time, and the minimal use of materials such as CMP slurry and copper. In addition, attempts to remove the copper outside of the trench using CMP risks the phenomenon known as "dishing" concerning the copper remaining in the trench. This undesirable effect is further discussed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,080,656 by Shih et al. (hereinafter Shih).
Shih also proposes a solution to the dishing problem. After depositing a copper seed layer over a dielectric layer defining a trench, Shih proposes depositing a continuous insulating layer over the dielectric layer. Shih then patterns the insulating layer using photolithography in order to remove the portions of insulating material over the trench. Shih suggests using the same photo mask used to define the trench in the dielectric. Ideally, only the portion of the seed layer within the trenches remains exposed as a result of this process. Copper is subsequently electroplated and, because the portion of the seed layer external to the trench is covered by the insulating layer, plating does not occur in that location. Rather, plating is limited to the trenches. The purported result is a relatively easier CMP process that need only remove a small amount of copper, the insulating layer, and the seed layer. However, Shih's process requires that the photolithography step used to pattern the insulating layer be in perfect alignment with the photolithography step used to define the trenches in the dielectric. Otherwise, copper will form outside of the trench and copper formation inside the trench will be hindered. Moreover, assuming that such alignment is achieved, Shih's process still requires additional lithography and etching steps. As discussed above, there is an ever-present desire in the art to minimize the number of process steps needed to fabricate a semiconductor device.
Other fabrication problems occur in another, seemingly unrelated, area of semiconductor device fabrication; namely, plasma-assisted deposition processes such as plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD). Ideally, generating a plasma as part of the deposition process results in neutral particles that enhance deposition upon the surface of a workpiece. However, even with the enhancement that a plasma process provides, other factors may interfere with deposition. One such factor is the aspect ratio defined by a portion of the surface. The aspect ratio is defined as the depth of a feature divided by the width of a feature. If the surface defines a feature with a high aspect ratio, such as a deep trench with a narrow width, it is theorized that the isotropic flux of neutrals will decrease within the trench, thereby preventing deposition therein. In some circumstances, deposition does not occur at all within the trench.
This non-conformal deposition is an undesirable result in many instances of fabrication. For example, there are efforts in the art to use a plasma process in order to deposit polymer on the sidewalls of a trench. Doing so allows a decrease in a dimension of a feature. As a result, there are efforts by those skilled in the art to change the plasma-enhanced deposition process to allow a more uniform deposition.

Method of providing a structure using self-aligned features


A device including a drain, a channel, and a gate. The channel surrounds the drain and has a channel length to width ratio. The gate is situated over the channel to provide an active channel region that has an active channel region length to width ratio that is greater than the channel length to width ratio.

Integrated circuits include analog and digital circuits made up of circuit components, such as transistors, diodes, and resistors. Sometimes, the function of one component is provided by another component, such as when transistors are configured to provide the function of a diode or a resistor.
In some logic circuits, referred to as ratioed logic circuits, resistors are connected as loads to transistors. In a ratioed logic circuit inverter, a resistive pull-up is connected to a transistor pull-down. The resistance value of the resistive pull-up is chosen to provide a low output voltage in one logic state and to charge the output to a high output voltage in the other logic state. A higher resistance value provides a lower output voltage and reduces power consumption.
In some semiconductor processes, providing a resistor with a higher resistance value consumes a large amount of valuable real estate on the integrated circuit chip. To reduce the amount of real estate used, the resistor function can be provided with a transistor, such as by connecting the drain of a metal-oxide-semiconductor field-effect-transistor (MOSFET) to its gate. In some processes, providing a higher resistance value with a drain-to-gate connected MOSFET is difficult.

Device active channel length/width greater than channel length/width

HEWLETT-PACKARD DEVELOPMENT COMPANY, L.P.


A transmitting device includes a setting unit dividing a transmitting frequency bandwidth into frequency blocks each narrower than a receivable bandwidth of a receiving device, and setting a transmission rate in each of the frequency blocks so as to increase or decrease stepwise, and a receiving device receiving signal with the transmission rate being thus set includes a receiving unit receiving the signal in any one of a plurality of receiving segments falling within the transmitting frequency bandwidth, each having the receivable bandwidth and provided so that at least one of the frequency blocks included in each receiving segment is also included in at least one of other receiving segments.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a transmitting device that transmits the same information such as broadcast information to a plurality of receiving devices by use of a multicarrier transmission system and to the receiving device.
2. Description of the Related Art
Research and development have been progressed for a long time about a technology of transmitting the same broadcast information comprised of image data, voice data, etc as in the case of a TV broadcast, a radio broadcast, etc to a plurality of receiving stations. As to this type of technology, Patent document 1 discloses a technology of efficiently transmitting the broadcast information.
This related art is that a transmitting station generates plural data having different levels-of-detail (levels of data compression) about the same information, and transmits the respective pieces of data via a plurality of transmission channels, separately. FIG. 20 is a diagram showing an example of a transmitting method in this related art, and FIG. 21 is a diagram illustrating an example of information allocation related to the transmitting method in the related art.
In the examples illustrated in FIGS. 20 and 21, the plural data (#1 through #3), (#1 through #6) and (#1 through #9) having the different levels-of-detail, which comprises the same broadcast information, are generated. To be specific, the respective pieces of data are generated in a way that increases the level-of-detail of the broadcast information in the sequence of (#1 through #3), (#1 through #6) and (#1 through #9) and also increases a data size. Transmission of the data involves employing transmission channels CH1,CH2 and CH3 corresponding to receivable bandwidths of a receiving station, wherein each transmission channel is set to raise a transmission rate in the sequence of CH1, CH2 and CH3. The base station allocates the data to the channels having the lower transmission rate in the sequence from the smallest level-of-detail, and simultaneously transmits the broadcast information.
On the other hand, each receiving station sets the receivable band to any one of the transmission channels CH1, CH2 and CH3 corresponding to the receiving environment of the self-station, and receives the broadcast information that is transmitted from the base station. For example, the receiving station, which is in the good receiving environment, receives the broadcast information via the transmission channel CH3 having the high transmission rate and can therefore receive the broadcast information having the high level-of-detail. Conversely, even the receiving station, which is in the poor receiving environment, can receive the broadcast information via the transmission channel CH1 having the low transmission rate and can therefore receive the broadcast information, though low of the level-of-detail.
Namely, according to the related art, each receiver can receive the same information such as the broadcast information at the transmission rate (the level-of-detail) corresponding to the receiving environment.
The Patent document 1 is a "Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open Publication No. 2004-32604".
In the related art described above, however, N-staged adjustment of the transmission rate entails using N-pieces of transmission channels, and it is required that the same items of information having different levels-of-detail be allocated to the respective channels. In this case, the information (#1 through #3 in FIG. 21) having the minimum level-of-detail is allocated to all of the N-pieces of transmission channels.
Accordingly, if the related art described above takes a scheme enabling the transmission rate to be adjusted in detail at multi-stages, it follows that the information of the low level-of-detail is transmitted via the same number of channels as the number of rate-adjustable stages, resulting in a problem that the frequency usage efficiency declines.
Thus, the related art is, in the communication system of transmitting the same information such as the broadcast information to the plurality of receiving stations, hard to enable the transmission rate to be adjusted at the multi-stages and is disabled to sufficiently improve the transmission efficiency.

Transmitting device using multicarrier transmission system and receiving device


The invention described and claimed herein relates to a chemical vapor deposition process for depositing a zinc oxide coating on a substrate by delivering two gaseous precursor streams to a surface of the substrate, and mixing the gaseous precursor streams at the substrate surface for a time sufficiently short so as to form a zinc oxide coating at a deposition rate greater than 5 nm/second.

The present invention is related to a method of depositing a zinc oxide coating on a transparent substrate; more particularly, it is related to a chemical vapor deposition method of depositing a zinc oxide coating on a glass substrate.
Deposition of metal oxide coatings reacted with H2O has been reported in the patent literature. For example:
U.S. Pat. No. 4,751,149 describes a chemical vapor deposition (CVD) process for depositing zinc oxide films having certain properties which make them useful in photoconductive applications, such as in solar cells, and other photovoltaic devices. The deposition process includes introducing an organozinc compound, an oxidant and an inert carrier gas into a chamber containing a substrate heated to a temperature in the range of about 60° C. to 350° C. The resulting zinc oxide films are said to have a resistivity in the range of about 10−4 to 10−2 ohm centimeter. Such films contain hydrogen and may be fabricated to contain a Group III element by introducing volatile Group III compounds into the chamber along with the organozinc compound and oxidant.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,698,262 describes a method for making doped tin oxide coatings utilizing a uniform, vaporized reactant mixture containing an organotin compound, hydrofluoric acid, water and oxygen, and delivering the reactant mixture to a surface of a hot ribbon of glass, where the above-mentioned compounds react to form the fluorine doped tin oxide coating. The fluorine doped tin oxide coatings deposited in accordance with the invention exhibit lower sheet resistance and improved uniformity in sheet resistance over the coated surface of the glass substrate.
It would be desirable to be able to make zinc oxide films at high deposition rates by atmospheric pressure chemical vapor deposition during the float glass manufacturing process, utilizing relatively inexpensive precursor materials.

Method of forming a zinc oxide coated article


Retractable doors 22 to a washing chamber 20 of a washer 10 open automatically to allow a load to be processed to be wheeled into the chamber. The doors are fitted with blowout panels 42, 44. In an emergency, a worker trapped in the washing chamber can escape by pushing the blowout panels outward. A tilting floor assembly 70 includes a floor 76 supported on a frame 74 and a lifting mechanism 90 for selectively raising and lowering a side of the frame to tilt the floor. The floor is tilted automatically during a cleaning cycle to allow cleaning fluids to drain from the load, then leveled before opening of the doors for ease of removal of the load.

The present invention relates to the cleaning and disinfecting arts. It finds particular application in conjunction with the safe and expedient cleaning of animal cages and racks and pieces of healthcare and scientific equipment, such as hospital beds, wheelchairs, utensils, carts and instrument containers, and will be described with particular reference thereto. It should be appreciated, however, that the invention is also applicable to the cleaning of other large pieces of equipment, that are manually wheeled into housings that are hazardous to the operator in the event the operator is trapped inside.
Items such as animal cages and associated racks and large pieces of scientific and healthcare equipment are generally cleaned at frequent intervals to remove biological waste, such as urine, feces, and uneaten food. Thorough cleaning aids in preventing the spread of disease and reduces the development of unpleasant odors. Washers have been developed to handle the large scale cleaning and disinfecting of such items. Typically, the washers are large enough for a load to be processed to be wheeled manually into a washing chamber through a refrigerator-type door. The floor of the washing chamber is usually sloped to allow cleaning fluids, sprayed onto the load, to run off the load. The used fluid is collected in a pit or sump, below the washer.
When large numbers of items are to be cleaned, ease of loading and unloading is an important factor. Also, the typical washer is large and the space occupied by the washing chamber and washer door is of concern. In a typical washer, the washer door is manually operated and swings outward on hinges. The operator allows for the outward swing by parking the cage cart, temporarily, at a distance from the washer greater than the outward swing, before manually opening the door. After wheeling the load into the washer, the doors are locked and cleaning of the load commences. Another type of washer door folds inward as it opens, in concertina fashion. This allows the load to be rolled right up to the washer doors before opening them. However, the doors take up space within the washer when open, reducing the space available in the washing chamber for the load of to be processed. The chemicals and temperatures employed in such washers create an environment which is hazardous to operators that are accidentally trapped in the washing chamber during a wash cycle. Operators are sometimes called to work in the washing chamber between cycles such as for making repairs and for cleaning components of the washing chamber. In the event that the door is closed during this period and a washing cycle accidentally commenced, the operator has a fairly short period of time to exit the washing chamber before risking serious injury. Frequently, washers employ safety devices such as safety cables and latch mechanisms which allow the operator to open the doors from the inside. These safety devices are not always immediately accessible to the operator, particularly when the washing chamber is loaded with items to be processed. Further, visibility is often reduced during a cycle due to limited illumination of the chamber and the vapor generated by the incoming cleaning fluid. In combination with the panic often experienced by the operator, these factors sometimes inhibit the ability of the operator to exit the washing chamber quickly.
There remains a need for a door mechanism for a washing chamber which allows for ease of loading items to be processed into the washer and which permits rapid egress for an operator trapped in the chamber.
Cages and racks and other scientific and healthcare equipment often have flat, solid panels which tend to collect water. Puddled water impedes the wash water from striking the covered panel with full velocity and inhibits cleaning and rinsing. A number of systems have developed for tilting a moveable floor of the washing chamber to angle the load so that cleaning fluid runs off the normally horizontal parts of the load. In one tilting system, cables are connected to four corners of the floor. Four separate air cylinders are used to draw the cables selected distances for tilting the floor. Because of the cost and complexity of such systems for moving the floor, the floor is often permanently mounted in the tilted position. Between cycles, loading and unloading of the load is more difficult and a strain is put on the load and transfer carts. Further, in the event of a failure of the air supply for the air cylinders, the floor is not held in position. The sudden leveling of the floor poses a hazard to operators working inside the washing chamber.
A sump beneath the washing chamber collects the cleaning fluid as it drips from the load. To allow the cleaning fluid to pass easily into the sump, the floor generally comprises a series of spaced rails. In one type of washer, the floor of the washing chamber comprises two traveling rails, situated a spaced distance apart. The distance between the rails is adjustable to allow for different widths of loading trolleys to be wheeled into the washing chamber on the two rails. The space between the rails provides a direct access to the sump. The hot cleaning fluid which collects in the sump therefore poses a hazard to operators inside the washing chamber.
There remains a need for a tilting floor for the washing chamber of a washer that automatically levels the floor between cycles for ease of loading an unloading and that allows operators to work in safety within the washing chamber.

Automatic door and floor tilting system for a washer


A plaster agent comprising a water impermeable or water semipermeable film (layer a), one tackifier layer (layer b) laminated on one surface of said layer a, and another tackifier layer (layer d) laminated on said layer b through an intermediary knitted fabric having a weight per unit area of 10 to 100 g/m2 (layer c) comprising hollow fibers having pores extending therethrough in the outer peripheral direction and containing substantially no medicine internally thereof, and at least one of said layer b and said layer d containing a vaporizable or non-vaporizable medicine.

The present invention relates to a sustained released pharmaceutical plaster agent for percutaneous administration, and a method of preparing same. More specifically, the present invention relates to a plaster agent comprising a knitted fabric comprising specific hollow fibers and a tackifier (or adhesive) layer containing a medicine or drug and a film, and having a high safety factor, excellent sustained releasability and easy handleability, and to a process for efficiently preparing the same.
The present invention relates to a plaster agent containing nitric acid esters useful for the prophylaxis and amelioration of circulatory diseases, particularly cardiac diseases such as stenocardia and arrhythmia.
The present invention further relates to an estradiol-containing plaster agent useful for the prophylaxis and amelioration of disorders frequently observed in women after menopause, such as menopausal disorders, oestroporosis, and Alzheimer dementia.
The present invention further relates to a buprenorphin-containing plaster agent useful for the relief of pain after surgery, from various cancers, and from myocardial infarctions, and further, from lumbago, chronic articular rheumatism, trauma, and exodontia, in particular the pain accompanying various cancers, and as an anesthesia aid.
In the development of pharmaceuticals, simultaneously with the development of novel compounds having excellent pharmacological effects, various investigations have been made into changes of the dosage forms and an optimization of the administration forms, to to further enhance the effects of these novel compounds or compounds already used as pharmaceuticals.
For example, to prolong the persistency time of a pharmaceutical with a short half-life period, which is also a parameter of the effective persistency time of a pharmaceutical in the body, the development of slow release preparations has been made, which will enable the pharmacologically effective ingredient to be absorbed by the human body at the minimum effective level or higher and the maximum safe level or lower, i.e., in the effective level region in the blood, over a long time.
As examples of slow release preparations, there are known preparations for a percutaneous absorption such as ointments, sprays and coatings. These preparations are coated by hand onto the skin, and therefore, the dose is not constant, and further, a problem arises in that the ointment may adhere to and contaminate the clothing of the patient.
As measures for alleviating these drawbacks, there are known tape agents and plaster agents which incorporate a predetermined amount of a medicine and are molded to a predetermined size (e.g., see Japanese Unexamined Patent Publications (Kokai) Nos. 57-116011, 58-134020), and the use of the method using the tape agent and plaster agent can solve many problems due to the use of an ointment or spray coating.
Also, when a medicine is percutaneously administered, it is known that the ratio of the liver metabolism, which is the phenomenon whereby the pharmacological effect disappears upon receiving the metabolism of the drug in the liver, can be markedly alleviated compared with the case when the medicine is orally administered, and therefore, a tape agent and plaster agent (hereinafter referred to as plaster agent) is an excellent medicine administration form when the medicine can be percutaneously absorbed.
Nevertheless, frequent use of such a plaster agent has shown that some problems arise with the plaster agent of the prior art.
Among such problems, the most frequent is a skin rash generated at the site at which the plaster agent is plastered to a patient. Generally speaking, a sustained release preparation is frequently administered to a patient with chronic diseases, and therefore, the plaster agent is frequently used over a long term, and thus a skin rash is often generated. Further, a problem arises in that, once a skin rash is generated, the afflicted site is susceptible to a growth of the rash. According to statistics, the generation of a skin rash by a plaster agent occurs in 20 to 50% of all patients.
Another problem of the plaster agent is a change of the medicine level in the blood. The factors causing a change of this level in the blood are complicated, and include the plaster agent, the skin, and the human metabolism functions, and therefore, it is not easy to hold the medicine level in the blood at a constant value.
Still another problem concerns the handleability. More specifically, a skin rash could be more or less alleviated by making the support of the plaster agent as thin as possible, enhancing the flexibility, and making the plaster agent smaller to alleviate a skin rash caused by the plaster, but another problem arises in that it is very difficult to plaster the plaster agent correctly at a predetermined position on the patient. For example, recently, plaster agents containing as an effective component nitric acid esters are widely used as therapeutic agents for circulatory diseases such as stenocardia, but the above-mentioned various problems, particularly the skin rash problems, still remain and, therefore, plaster agents capable of stably maintaining the concentration of medicines in the blood and not having the above-mentioned problems are needed in this field.
On the other hand, as the cause of menopausal disorders, oestoroporosis, and Alzheimer dementia, frequently observed in women after menopause, a reduction of estrogen accompanying the menopause is regarded as important, and estradiol, estradiol and derivatives thereof have been clinically applied primarily as oral agents and injections.
When estrogen is frequently used, however, side effects such as an increase in an uterus body cancer are observed, and therefore, it is necessary to enhance the biological availability (hereinafter abbreviated as BA) during use, as much as possible, at a minimum necessary dose, while maintaining a stable medicine level in the blood.
Among various estrogens clinically applied, estradiol is one of the natural estrogens which are inherently synthesized and utilized in the living body, has a pharmacologically high activity, and although considered to be the most suitable estrogen for use as a pharmaceutical from the aspect of safety, it has been little used. This is because estradiol, when administered orally, is rapidly metabolized in digestive organs and the liver and the BA is lowered. To maintain the necessary drug level in the blood, a large amount of estradiol must be administered, but this means that an undesirable large amount of harmful metabolites by products will be produced in the blood.
The loss of the BA in estradiol can be markedly ameliorated by a percutaneous administration, and a stable drug level in blood can be still maintained.
Estradiol and derivatives thereof such as esters are known to be percutaneously absorbed, as disclosed in Japanese Patent Publication (Kokoku) No. 46-5427, Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication (Kokai) No. 57-154122, etc. Particularly, the plaster agent disclosed in Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication (Kokai) No. 57-154122 provides an excellent improvement of the BA and stabilization of the drug level in the blood. Nevertheless, although the estradiol-containing plaster agent compensates for a reduction of estrogen accompanying the menopause, the therapeutical period can last for several months to several years, and therefore, a steadfast compliance by the patient is an essential requirement. Particularly, in the presence of a plaster agent, although an uncomfortable feeling during plastering often exists, a generation of a skin rash is a serious problem, an insufficient consideration of this point has been made in the prior art.
In the prior art as described above, in the case of an oral agent, which requires a relatively lower compliance by the patient, the BA is lower and a generation of side effects is a serious problem, but in the case of a percutaneous absorption type plaster agent with a high BA and a stable medicine level in the blood, the problems of discomfort and a generation of skin rash remain.
To alleviate the feeling of discomfort, which is a drawback of the prior art, preferably the flexibility of the plaster agent is enhanced as much as possible and the size thereof made smaller. If the flexibility is made too high, however, the handling of the plaster agent will become very difficult and will reduce the practical applicability thereof. On the other hand, since the size of the plaster agent is proportional to the amount of medicine absorbed, i.e., the medicine level in the blood, if the necessary medicine level in the blood is determined, some means for enhancing the percutaneous absorbability is essential when making the size of the plaster agent smaller. Accordingly, if an absorption promoter is used for enhancing the percutaneous absorbability of the medicine, a problem arises in that a skin rash will occur more frequently. On the other hand, to alleviate the skin rash, the prior art has investigated a suitable selection of the tackifier and a reduction of a residual monomer or residual solvent in the tackifier, but fundamentally it is preferable to enhance the water vaporizability or gas permeability of oxygen and carbon dioxide of the plaster agent. The mere enhancement of the water vaporizability or gas permeability of the oxygen, however, may reduce the sealability of the plaster agent, and thus reduce the percutaneous absorbability of the medicine.
It is considered that 80% of patients at the late stage of cancer suffer unendurable pain, and currently 50 to 80% thereof are receiving therapy for a removal of the pain.
Recently it is considered that late stage cancer patients, substantially without hope from therapy, should pass their remaining time at home with their families, and accordingly, an analgesic which can be easily administered, has a required effect, and causes little side-effects has been developed.
Generally speaking, a therapy of pain is practiced for three ranks of the WHO cancer pain ladder. Namely, when pain is generated, first a non-opium type analgesic is used, and when this is not sufficient, a weak acting opium type narcotic is used, and when even that is not effective, a strong opium type narcotic is used. The unendurable pains experienced-by patients at the late stage of cancer are included in the second step and the third step, and as the drug therapeutical method for a therapy thereof, opium type narcotics are employed.
A representative weak opium type narcotic drug is codeine, and a representative strong opium type narcotic drug is morphine. The strength of the action thereof determines whether the drug is a weak opium type or a strong opium type, but various side effects are also taken into consideration. The side effects of opium type narcotics include nausea, vomiting, sleepiness, constipation, and mental disorders, and further, a drug resistance or habit occurs and diminishes the effects thereof during usage. In view of the seriousness of such side effects, even if the analgesic effect of such an opium type narcotic is high, the use thereof must be carefully considered under the present situation.
To solve these problems of opium type narcotics, attempts to alleviate the side effects by enhancing the analgesic effect by a chemical modification of the opium type narcotics have been made for many years.
One of the synthetic analgesics developed from such an investigation is buprenorphin. Buprenorphin is known to have an analgesic effect 25- to 50- fold of that of morphine, and to exhibit little side effects such as mental disorders, etc. Buprenorphin is commercially available as an injection in Japan, and suppositories have been also developed. Further, in other countries, sublingual tablets are commercially available. Investigations into the development thereof as an ointment have been also made.
Nevertheless, in the preparations of the prior art, problems arises in that the number of administrations is very high, and thus a recurrence of the pain begins unless the medicine is administered at a correct time, and further, the administration method is cumbersome. Also, according to the administration method of the prior art, the change in the drug level in the blood is great.
Buprenorphin is a preferable medicine with fewer side effects than morphine, but side actions similar to morphine will be generated by a continuous usage thereof over a long term.
The mechanism of the generation of side effects has not been clarified, but in view of the dose dependency, it is not preferable to enhance the level in the blood more than is necessary. If continuously used for a long term under the state in which the level in blood becomes higher than is necessary, not only is there an increased probability of this leading to serious side effects, but also there is a fear that, even within a short term, a serious side effect such as respiration suppression may be induced.
Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to obviate the above-mentioned problems of the prior art by providing a plaster agent having a high safety factor, excellent slow releasability and easy handleability, and a process for efficiently preparing same.
A further object of the present invention is to provide a plaster agent containing nitric acid esters having a high BA, a stable medicine level in the blood and having a high level of patient compliance by remarkably lowering the disadvantages, i.e., an uncomfortable feeling and the generation of a skin rash, of the conventional nitric acid ester-containing plaster agents.
A still further object of the present invention is to provide an estradiol-containing plaster agent having a high BA, a stable medicine level in the blood, and having a high level of patient compliance by remarkably lowering the disadvantages, i.e., an uncomfortable feeling and the generation of a skin rash, of the conventional estradiol-containing plaster agents.
A still further object of the present invention is to provide a buprenorphin preparation which can be administered by a simple method and has a stable medicine level in the blood.
Other objects and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the following descriptions.
In accordance with the present invention, there is provided a plaster agent comprising a water impermeable or water semipermeable film (layer a), one tackifier layer (layer b) laminated on one surface of said film, and another tackifier layer (layer d) laminated on said layer b through an intermediary knitted fabric having a weight per unit area of 10 to 100 g/m2 (layer c) comprising hollow fibers having pores extending therethrough in the outer peripheral direction and containing substantially no medicine internally thereof, and at least one of said layer b and said layer d containing a vaporizable or non-vaporizable medicine.

Plaster agent and method of preparing same


A scenario oriented information broadcasting system based on an Internet of Things is provided. A first electronic device provides first broadcast channels on an application and provides different first broadcast information respectively in the first broadcast channels via the Internet of Things. All or parts of contents of the first broadcast information are selected on the first electronic device based on a teaching scenario. The first electronic device identifies the second electronic device on which a user is logged into the application. After the second electronic device is successfully identified, the second electronic device can subscribe the first broadcast channel on the application, and then obtain and broadcast the first broadcast information via the Internet of Things. The first electronic device issues a subscription instruction to subscribe each of the second electronic devices, and receives a learning command from each of the second electronic devices.

Information technologies have become more and more widely used in education fields. More and more teachers teach students via an Internet of Things. When the teacher teaches the students how to write a complete code, the teacher triggers his computer to execute a broadcast program such that the complete code that is displayed on a screen of the computer of the teacher is synchronously displayed on screens of computers of the students. At this time, the students often use their own mobile phones to take pictures of the complete code on the screens of computers of the students. When the teacher instructs the students to practice writing code by themselves, the students directly copy the complete code from the pictures rather than write code by themselves. As a result, learning effects on the students are not good.

Scenario oriented information broadcasting system based on Internet of Things

Asia Eastern University of Science and Technology


A control controls starting of an AC rotary machine by calculating a resistance drop component, corresponding to a resistance drop of the AC rotary machine, based on a detection current, and adjusts angular frequency of an AC output voltage based on subtracting the resistance drop component from a voltage command, and, simultaneously, adjusting amplitude of the AC output voltage so that amplitude of an AC phase current may change in conformity with a predetermined function.

In a control apparatus for an AC rotary machine wherein the variable speed control of the AC rotary machine is performed by a power inverter without employing any rotational angular velocity detector for the AC rotary machine, a cost and wiring which are required for the rotational angular velocity detector can be omitted. Since, however, the rotational angular velocity detector is not employed, the rotational velocity of the AC rotary machine cannot be known when the AC rotary machine starts in a free-run state, that is, in a state where the power inverter stops a power inversion operation and where the AC rotary machine is rotating at any desired rotational velocity, so that a stable start is difficult to be performed without generating large fluctuations in the torque and rotational velocity of the AC rotary machine.
A start method wherein an induction motor is started without employing any rotational angular velocity detector is disclosed in JP 63-77397A (Patent Document 1). In Patent Document 1, the instantaneous magnetic flux vector signal and instantaneous generation torque signal of the motor are calculated using switch state signals for commanding the respective phase output voltages of a power inverter, the voltage detection value of a DC voltage source and the current detection value of the motor, and three control flags are generated using the instantaneous magnetic flux vector signal and instantaneous generation torque signal of the motor. Owing to the combination of the three control flags, the switching state of the power inverter is designated so as to generate a voltage vector optimizing a torque response, the generation torque of the motor is controlled so as to follow up a command value, and a magnetic flux vector is controlled so as to depict an approximate circular locus, so that the induction motor is started from a free-run state. In the start control, the angular frequency of an AC voltage in the power inverter is set higher than the highest angular frequency which arises in a normal operation, and a switch 4 on the DC input side of the power inverter is thereafter closed to pull in the motor.
Patent Document 1: JP 63-77397A


A select lever device for an automatic transmission includes: a torque sensor to detect an input torque to a drive shaft of a select lever; a select position sensor to detect the stroke angle of the select lever; a characteristic data storing unit in which a mechanical load characteristic of the select lever is stored; and a control unit to which signals and data of these elements are inputted. Further, the control unit includes an electric motor to output to the select lever assist torque for assisting the operating force by a driver, the assist torque being controlled based on the input torque to the select lever, the stroke angle of the select lever, and the mechanical load characteristic of the select lever.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a select lever device for an automatic transmission by which a driver can select one of select positions corresponding to a plurality of operating modes of the automatic transmission.
2. Description of the Related Art
This kind of select lever device for an automatic transmission is disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-open No. Hei 9-323559. This select lever device is disposed near a driver's seat in a passenger compartment, and when a driver operates a select lever, the operating force of this select lever is transmitted to the automatic transmission via a connecting cable, a connecting linkage, or the like, so that the operating modes of the automatic transmission are changed over from one operating mode to another according to the select position (such as P position for parking, R position for reverse drive, N position for neutral, or D position for forward drive).
For the operation of the select lever, torque generated by the operating force has to be larger than torque caused by the sum of a frictional resistance in the connecting cable or connecting linkage, a resistance generated when a detent pin gets over a cam top portion in a detent mechanism for detaining the select lever in the desired position, and others. Therefore, the conventional select lever device has a select lever long enough to reduce the required operating force, and its lever force is utilized to convert the driver's operating force to a larger torque in operating the select lever.
The conventional art, however, has a problem that the select lever has to be long in order to produce a sufficient lever force, which necessitates a large space. This reduces the freedom degree of the layout in the passenger compartment and results in restriction on the installation place of the select lever device. Consequently, the installation place of the select lever device is limited to the side of the driver's seat or the vicinity of a steering column.

Select lever device for automatic transmission


An apparatus and method is provided for monitoring a condition of a structure using a passive wireless antenna sensor having a known resonant frequency when mounted on the structure. A signal is transmitted with sweeping frequencies around a known resonant frequency to the passive wireless antenna sensor. A signal is received from the passive wireless antenna sensor and a resonant frequency of the passive wireless antenna sensor is determined based on the received signal. The determined resonant frequency is then compared to the known resonant frequency, whereby a change in the resonant frequency indicates a change in the condition of the structure.

Without limiting the scope of the invention, its background is described in connection with patch antennas. One system that uses patch antennas is taught in U.S. Pat. No. 7,006,044, issued to Choi, et al., for a microstrip patch antenna using MEMS technology. Briefly, a microstrip patch antenna is formed by using a microelectro-mechanical system fabrication technology. The microstrip patch antenna includes: a substrate provided with a ground formed on a bottom surface of the substrate, a feeding line formed on a top surface of the substrate for feeding an electric power, a coupling stub formed on the top surface of the substrate and electrically connected to the feeding line, a plurality of supporting posts erected on the top surface of the substrate, and a radiating patch formed on the supporting posts, thereby forming an area of air between the radiating patch and the top surface of the substrate.
Another system is taught in U.S. Pat. No. 5,970,393, issued to Khorrami, et al., for an integrated micro-strip antenna apparatus and a system that uses wireless communications for sensing and actuation purposes. Briefly, a system is taught for using a number of micro-strip antenna apparatus embedded in or mounted on the surface of a structure for enabling wireless communication of sensed and actuation signals. The micro-strip antenna apparatus may include smart materials or other substrates. If only a sensed operation is desired, the micro-strip antenna apparatus may be fabricated from only passive elements or materials. Furthermore, a micro-strip antenna apparatus is provided which enables simultaneous transmission/reception of sensing and actuation signals.
Finally, United States Patent Application No. 20070276294, filed by Gupta, et al. (now U.S. Pat. No. 8,070,695, teaches a strain monitoring system and apparatus. Briefly, a system for monitoring strain as an indicator of biological conditions, such as spinal fusion, glucose levels, spinal loading, and heart rate is disclosed. The system includes an inter-digitated capacitor sensor, and RF transmitter, and an associated antenna, all of which are microminiature or microscopic in size and can be implanted in a biological host such as a human or animal. An inductively coupled power supply is also employed to avoid the need for implantation of chemical batteries. Power is provided to the sensor and transmitter, and data is transmitted from the sensor, when an external receiving device, such as a handheld RF ID type receiver, is placed proximate the location of the implanted sensor, transmitter and inductively coupled power supply. The implanted sensor, transmitter and inductively coupled power supply can be left in place permanently or removed when desired.

Passive wireless antenna sensor for strain, temperature, crack and fatigue measurement

BOARD OF REGENTS, THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS SYSTEM


A projector having an ultrasonic speaker including an ultrasonic transducer for emitting an ultrasonic wave signal to a screen; a distance measuring device for measuring a distance between the ultrasonic transducer and the screen; and an ultrasonic frequency control device for controlling a frequency of the ultrasonic wave signal based on a measured result of the distance measuring device and a sound pressure of the ultrasonic wave signal emitted by the ultrasonic transducer, so that the ultrasonic wave signal has a predetermined sound pressure at or in a vicinity of the screen. The projector may include a storage device for storing a propagation loss characteristic in air of the ultrasonic wave signal emitted from the ultrasonic transducer. The ultrasonic frequency control device controls the frequency of the ultrasonic wave signal by referring to the propagation loss characteristic of the ultrasonic wave signal stored in the storage device.

It is conventionally known that ultrasonic speakers using a non-linear effect of the medium (i.e., air) on an ultrasonic wave (signal) can reproduce a signal in an audio (i.e., human-audible) frequency band, which has far higher directivity in comparison with normal speakers. Representative examples of the ultrasonic speaker employ a resonant ultrasonic transducer or an electrostatic ultrasonic transducer.
FIG. 11A is a diagram showing an example of the structure of the resonant (or piezoceramic) ultrasonic transducer, while FIG. 11B is a diagram showing an example of the structure of the electrostatic ultrasonic transducer (refer to Ryousuke Masuda, "Hajimeteno Sensa Gijutsu", Beginner's Books Series Vol. 2, Kogyo Chosakai Publishing Inc., pp. 131-133, Nov. 18, 1998).
The ultrasonic transducer shown in FIG. 11A is a bimorph ultrasonic transducer having two piezoceramic elements 161 and 162, a cone 163, a case 164, leads 165 and 166, and a screen 167. The piezoceramic elements 161 and 162 are adhered to each other, and the leads are respectively connected to the faces of the piezoceramic elements, on the opposite sides of the adhesion faces. The resonant transducer uses a resonance phenomenon of piezoelectric ceramics; thus, preferable ultrasonic transmitting and receiving characteristics are obtained in a relatively narrow frequency range in the vicinity of the resonance frequency.
The ultrasonic transducer shown in FIG. 11B is an electrostatic ultrasonic transducer having wide band frequency characteristics. As shown in FIG. 11B, the electrostatic ultrasonic transducer has a dielectric (material) 181 (i.e., an insulator) such as a PET polyethylene terephthalate) resin having a thickness of a few micrometers (approximately, 3 to 10 μm), as a vibrator. On the upper surface of the dielectric 181, an upper electrode 182, which is a foil made of metal, is integrally formed by vapor deposition or the like. In addition, a lower electrode 183 (a fixed electrode) made of brass is provided, which contacts the lower surface of the dielectric 181 which functions as a vibrating film or membrane. A lead 184 is connected to the lower electrode 183, and the lower electrode 183 is fastened to a base plate 185 made of Bakelite (a registered trademark of the Union Carbide Corporation) or the like. The dielectric 181, the upper electrode 182, and the base plate 185 are fixedly enclosed in a case 180, together with metal rings 186, 187, and 188, and a mesh 189.
On a surface of the lower electrode 183, which faces the dielectric 181, microgrooves having a (groove) width of approximately a few tens to a few hundreds of micrometers and having irregular forms are formed. The microgrooves function as gaps between the lower electrode 183 and the dielectric 181, which slightly change the distribution of electric capacitance between the upper electrode 182 and the lower electrode 183. Such microgrooves having irregular forms are formed by randomly scoring the surface of the lower electrode 183 with a file. Accordingly, the electrostatic ultrasonic transducer has an enormous number of capacitors having gaps whose areas and depths are not uniform, thereby rendering the ultrasonic transducer capable of producing sound in a wide frequency range in the frequency characteristics. The present invention uses an electrostatic ultrasonic transducer which will be explained in detail later.
As explained above, different from the resonant ultrasonic transducers, the electrostatic ultrasonic transducers are conventionally known as wide band transducers which can generate relatively high sound pressure over a wide frequency band.
However, when the above-explained electrostatic ultrasonic transducer is mounted into a projector so as to emit an ultrasonic wave signal onto a screen, the signal reflected by the screen may still include a strong ultrasonic wave due to strong directivity of the ultrasonic signal, and thus self-demodulation having directivity may occur after the reflection.
This phenomenon is not preferable for speakers used in projectors. More specifically, the reflected sound signal proceeds in the form of a beam and thus the spread of sound is reduced. This is a strong limitation when a number of people share images and sounds in a home theater or in an environment for the education/culture market, and a solution to this problem has been earnestly desired.

Projector and method of controlling ultrasonic speaker in projector


A safety pad or mattress such as for use in a crib prevents sudden infant death syndrome by ensuring an oxygenated breathing space beneath the infant. Reticulated foam or other air permeable material is made into the shape of a pad or even a mattress and covered with a fitted open weave fabric covering. An air tube is embedded in the pad or mattress and interconnected with an air pump which circulates fresh, i.e., oxygenated, air in a breathing space formed beneath an infant by the air permeable mattress. The forced air circulation flushes any exhaled carbon dioxide from the breathing space, even when the infant is face down or otherwise in a prone position on the mattress, to prevent carbon dioxide poisoning. The materials of the fabric covering and air permeable mattress permit any fluids regurgitated from the infant to drain away from the infant's face. A relatively tight fit for the fitted covering obviates loose fitting sheets to further prevent potential entanglement and suffocation of a recumbent infant.

The present invention relates in general to apparatus and method for the prevention of sudden infant death syndrome and in particular to an infant safety pad or mattress and corresponding method for the prevention of infant asphyxiation from carbon dioxide poisoning.
Several thousand apparently healthy infants (children under the age of 1 year) die each year in the United States from Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS). Deaths from SIDS have been estimated at 7,000 to 10,000 per year. See for example Womens Day, volume 55, issue 3, Jan. 7, 1992, pages 38 through 43; and USA Today, volume 117, issue 2626, February 1989, page 11. The occurrence of SIDS in a given family can be particularly devastating emotionally because, in general, there is no warning that the infant is at risk and the parent or care giver has no knowledge of any problem until he or she discovers an unconscious or deceased infant thought to be safely sleeping in its crib.
The specific cause of SIDS is generally unknown, which unfortunately leads to the result that heretofore there has generally been no known treatment and generally no means of prevention.
While no specific cause or causes of the medical disaster are known, the medical community has produced several different theories. One such theory is that the victim infant suffers from some form of neurological disorder (cause unknown and existence undetected). The disorder operates to interrupt the infant's breathing (sometimes referred to as the infant simply "forgetting" to breathe) and death results due to suffocation.
Another theory also suspects infant suffocation, but not due to any neurological disorder interrupting breathing. Instead, it is believed that the infant becomes fatally poisoned by exhaled carbon dioxide which has become trapped or accumulated and then rebreathed by the infant. The theoretical possibility of SIDS death caused by the rebreathing of expired gases, oxygen deficient air, and/or by blocked air passages in bedding has been discussed in the medical and other literature. See for example The Lancet, volume 337, issue 7852, May 25, 1991, pages 1244 through 1257; The Journal of the American Medical Association, volume 263, issue 21, Jun. 6, 1990, pages 2865 through 2869; The New England Journal of Medicine, volume 324, issue 26, Jun. 27, 1991, pages 1858 through 1864; and Time, volume 138, issue 1, Jul. 8, 1991, page 48.
The reason that carbon dioxide poisoning from rebreathing of exhaled gases is suspected is because heretofore the conventional wisdom (i.e., the prevailing advice) has been for small infants to be placed on their stomachs (i.e., a prone position) for best rest and sleep. The reason for this is well known to any parent or care giver; a young infant will frequently regurgitate (i.e., spit up) previously ingested fluids and sometimes become choked by reswallowing the matter. This is a very natural and relatively frequent occurrence, and entirely different from vomiting due to any illness, because the digestive system of the infant at birth and for a time period thereafter is generally inadequately developed so as to consistently retain fluids. Such regurgitation often accompanies burping or hiccups.
If an infant were to be placed on its back (i.e., a supine position) so as to keep its face open and unblocked for safe breathing, there is a recognized and significant risk of aspiration from simple regurgitation of fluids. Aspiration (i.e., taking foreign matter into the lungs during breathing) can result in fatal choking. Matter regurgitated by an infant in a supine position would frequently be retained by gravity in the infant's mouth and potentially reswallowed (aspirated) during breathing. Therefore, to prevent this possibility, infants have been traditionally placed prone or face down for rest or sleep.
The size and weight of a newborn infant's head is relatively large in relation to the remaining body of the infant, and particularly in relation to the initial strength of the infant. Oftentimes a newborn infant is not even able to raise its head adequately so as to turn from one check to another, or to simply raise its face from against the bedding which it rests. Adequate strength for such movements develops relatively quickly, but still may take several weeks or more. Even so, an infant can tire quickly from simply trying to raise its head. At such resting times, and from other movements, an infant may place its own face straight down onto a crib mattress and into the bedding materials, despite any resulting blockage of air passages.
All of the foregoing leads to the situation that even newborn infants are typically placed (at least initially) in a relative prone position (with their head typically turned to one side) for rest or sleep.
A typical conventional crib mattress for supporting an infant takes the form of some resilient or softened pad either relatively impermeable to air, or more often covered with a solid vinyl or plastic permanent covering so as to give form and shape to the mattress and particularly so as to prevent the mattress inner portion from becoming wet from infant regurgitation or other discharges. In other words, a vinyl mattress cover is readily cleaned if there is any spit up or diaper leakage from the infant.
At the same time, due to its relatively uncomfortable vinyl cover, the conventional crib mattress is often further covered with a cloth pad, sheet, baby quilt, or the like, all of which may be relatively loose fitting. In addition, a light blanket or similar object may be used to cover a portion of the infant for warmth. Still further, an infant or young child may have a cloth diaper or similar small blanket which it clutches or grasps in its hands and draws close to it, sometimes close to its face as it snuggles against such blanket or even against the mattress on which it rests.
The foregoing arrangement can result in a combination of materials from which a fragile but not unhealthy baby may be unable to become untangled (if entanglement occurs). As the accident events progress and an infant begins to rebreath the carbon dioxide which it exhales, it becomes weaker to the point of collapsing face down into the bedding mattress. It then continues to rebreath the exhaled carbon dioxide to the point of becoming unconscious, and the infant medically deteriorates from that point to the point of death.
The likelihood of carbon dioxide poisoning as a cause or major factor in SIDS has been regarded as so great and the certain results therefrom are so catastrophic that some pediatricians have recently begun recommending for the first time that infants be placed on their backs for sleeping (i.e., in a supine position). In other words, the previously recognized risk of aspiration from regurgitation by an infant sleeping on its back is believed by some as outweighed by the risk of asphyxiation from carbon dioxide poisoning by an infant sleeping in a prone position.
In the medical care field, it has heretofore been practiced to provide known sick or at risk patients "oxygen therapy." Where a patient has a particular respiratory condition or other demanding condition, pure oxygen or air with an enriched percentage of oxygen may be given to patients such as through either a mask applied to the patient's face or through a tent enclosing the head or upper body portion of the patient. Neonatal anesthesia masks exist but have not generally been used for an infant or small child who was not undergoing some specific therapy or which was not under some specific medical care.
Air circulation in a specific sense has heretofore been practiced in conjunction with certain mattress technology for the intended purpose of preventing and/or treating decubitus ulcers. Ulcerated areas of the skin or bed sores can occur from prolonged or excessive pressure to a specific body point during bed rest, and/or from trapped heat and perspiration. These conditions can be treated and/or prevented by the circulation of air in the vicinity of affected areas. Potentially affected areas typically include bony prominences, for example, such as at the patient's hips, knees, and ankle joints.
Bedford (U.S. Pat. No. 4,686,724) discloses air channels 19 through an open cell foam pad for the intended purpose of preventing decubitus ulcers. Plugs 21 and 22 may be removed from channels 19 in certain areas of the pad body for the creation of air channels in the corresponding area. Williams et al. (U.S. Pat. No. 4,620,337) discloses (column 1, lines 40 through 51) the use of inflatable cells which are alternately inflated and deflated (called alternating pressure pads) for preventing the formation of decubitus ulcers. In column 5, lines 10 through 15, the patent also refers to the use of rib design in the mattress for promoting air circulation between the pad and the patient to disperse body heat and reduce moisture build-up, both related to the formation of decubitus ulcers, and for promoting increased air flow through open cells of the foam pad. Baskent (U.S. Pat. No. 4,768,251) discloses in column 3, lines 4 through 55, the idea of using alternating peaks and valleys to form convolutions which allow air to pass around the peaks thereof through such valleys, again for the purpose of preventing the formation of decubitus ulcers.

Sudden infant death syndrome prevention apparatus and method


A sensing device includes a first substrate having a plurality of TSVs extending therethrough, and a second substrate positioned adjacent the first substrate, with the TSVs being electrically connected to the second substrate. At least one carbon nanotube sensor is positioned on the first substrate. Each of a plurality of contact pads is positioned on the first substrate and on one of the carbon nanotube sensors such that each contact pad is electrically connected to one of the TSVs and the one of the carbon nanotube sensors, and such that an end of the one of the carbon nanotube sensors is embedded in the contact pad.

Wire bonding is a traditional method to get electrical contact to a device such as a sensor on the top side of a substrate. Encapsulation is typically used to prevent mechanical damage to the fragile wire bonds. For devices that must be exposed to the environment, in particular sensors, the encapsulation must cover the wire bonds but leave the sensor area uncovered, which is difficult to make reliably and at large volumes through injection molding, epoxy micro pipetting, and dam and outside fill methods. Small sensor sizes may be necessary based on design considerations or to reduce cost by having more sensors per wafer. Wire bonding and encapsulating with an exposed device region is nearly impossible for small size devices. Additionally, for sensors immersed in an ionic liquid buffer such as for chemical, electrochemical, or biological sensors, any electrical connections to the device must be insulated from the buffer or ionic conduction will occur, reducing or disabling sensitivity.
The term Through Substrate Vias (TSVs) as used herein refer to an alternative to wire bonding, and provide connections to the device vertically through the substrate itself to soldered connections on the bottom of the substrate, connecting to another electrical device such as a printed circuit board.
It would be desirable to provide a sensor mounted to a substrate in use with a TSV that reduces or overcomes some or all of the difficulties inherent in prior known processes. Particular objects and advantages will be apparent to those skilled in the art, that is, those who are knowledgeable or experienced in this field of technology, in view of the following disclosure and detailed description of certain embodiments.

Sensor device with carbon nanotube sensor positioned on first and second substrates

Thermo Electron Scientific Instruments LLC


An electric motor having has a rotor and a stator with a stator core as well as an insulation assembly, which extend along a common longitudinal axis from a first end face to a second end face of the stator. The stator core is formed with bars arranged uniformly distributed on the circumference to accommodate conducting wires wound into coils. The insulation assembly has a first insulation element, second insulation elements, and a third insulation element. The first insulation element is arranged between conducting wires and the stator core; a respective second insulation element is arranged in an intermediate space formed between coils arranged to fit closely to one another; and the third insulation element is arranged on an inner side of the stator, the inner side pointing inward in the radial direction, in a manner so as to seal the inner side.

Compressors known from the prior art for mobile applications, particularly for climate-control systems of motor vehicles, to convey coolant through a coolant circuit, also characterized as coolant compressors, are often formed as a piston compressor with a variable piston displacement or as a scroll compressor, independently of the coolant. The compressors in this case are either driven by means of a belt pulley or electrically.
An electrically driven compressor has an inverter for driving the electric motor in addition to the electric motor for driving the respective compression mechanism. The inverter is used to convert direct current of a vehicle battery into alternating current, which is supplied to the electric motor by means of electrical connections.
Conventional electric motors of the electrically driven compressor are formed with an annular stator core with coils arranged thereon and a rotor, wherein the rotor is arranged within the stator core. The rotor and stator are aligned on a common axis of symmetry or the axis of rotation of the rotor, arranged enclosed by a housing with additional elements. In order to reduce the installation space within the motor vehicle, on the one hand, and to affix the stator within the housing, on the other hand, the distances between components of the electric motor are very small, particularly distances between the stator and housing.
The inverter has plug connections for connectors formed as separate components and pins for electrically connecting with connections of the electric motor, which, in turn, are electrically connected to connection lines of the conducting wires of the coils of the stator. The connection lines are routed on end faces of the stator core and, in doing so, are usually not covered by stator insulation, which at least partially encloses the stator core, for housing of the motor.
In order to simultaneously ensure an electrical connection and high insulation resistance, for example between the connection lines of the conducting wires, the connection lines and/or the conducting wires, also characterized as phase conductors, must be electrically insulated from one another and from other electrically conducting components of the stator as well as of the motor housing.
In addition, sufficient insulation distances required as a function of the voltage level must be ensured between electrically conductive components, for example to prevent short-circuits caused by insufficient creepage paths and air gaps. The insulation may also have defects and/or porosities, particularly so-called pinhole porosities, or pinholes, based on the production process and which significantly reduce insulation resistance, to the extent that the risk of a flashover increases, particularly to housing components. Depending on the quality of the coated copper wire, a certain maximum number of flaws is permitted per unit of length. If two of the copper wires, each having a flaw, are arranged next to each other and the flaws are positioned directly opposite or at least close to each other, the risk of an electric flashover between the copper wires is very great.
Thus, the requirements in an electrically driven compressor are extremely high, particularly due to operation in a high-voltage range, for example of up to 1000 V. International standards require, for example, that the creepage paths and air gaps between two conducting wires or electrically conductive components to be enclosed be at least 10 mm to 14 mm in the indicated voltage range. Within a cutting-edge electric motor for extra-high voltages (EHV) of about 400 V, in which the shortest air gap between two coils is typically about 4 mm and the shortest creepage path is typically about 5 mm, the insulation system for use with ultra-high voltages (UHV) of up to 1,000 V for hermetically sealed electric motors for climate-control applications represents the biggest challenge for the automotive industry. In this case, a simple pressing of two components against each other does not lead to elimination of a potential flow path for the leakage current flow. There is always a gap for the current flow between the aligned and adjacent components.
It is known from the prior art to provide insulation between the conducting wires wound into coils, the connection lines of the conducting wires, and the electrically conductive stator core. In addition, the wound conducting wires are to be routed, depending on the winding diagram, as connecting lines between the coils of a phase and the ends of the conducting wires in a predefined manner.
WO 2015 146677 A1 discloses an electrically driven compressor with a compression assembly, an electric motor for driving the compression assembly, and an inverter for supplying the electric motor with voltage. The electric motor has a rotor and a stator with electrically insulating bobbins arranged on the ends of a stator core formed in the axial direction, electrically insulating bobbins, as well as on coils arranged on the bobbins. The coils are formed from conducting wires wound about an area of the stator core extending inward in the radial direction as well as the bobbins arranged at the ends of the stator core.
In doing so, the most varied of components are used for the stator insulation. Individual insulators are provided between the areas of the stator core formed as bars and extending inward uniformly over the circumference of an outer wall in the radial direction and the coils. An insulator, which is formed as insulating paper or foil, is also arranged between all adjacently arranged coils or conducting wires wound into coils.
In addition, the electrically driven compressor for electric motors, which are part of the prior art, for achieving the necessary insulation distances provide for sufficiently large spacing between the connection lines of the conducting wires and other electrically conductive components of the compressor. In this case, a large installation space is needed for the motor and consequently also for the electrically driven compressor.

Device for driving a compressor with an insulation arrangement