A laser driver according to the present invention is adapted to keep the optical output power of a laser diode constant even if the temperature has changed or if the performance of the laser diode has deteriorated with time. The laser driver includes a photodiode, a current-to-voltage converter, a reference voltage generator, a transconductor, a holding capacitor and a drive current output circuit. The current-to-voltage converter converts an output current of the photodiode, which is provided to monitor the optical output of the laser diode, into a monitor voltage. The transconductor supplies an output current corresponding to a difference between the monitor voltage and a predetermined reference voltage. The drive current output circuit outputs a laser drive current corresponding to the voltage held by the holding capacitor, which is connected to the output terminal of the transconductor. The laser driver with this configuration performs a feedback control in such a manner as to equalize the monitor voltage with the reference voltage, thereby keeping the optical output power of the laser diode constant. As a result, high-precision and stabilized APC performance is realized.

The present invention generally relates to a laser driver for an optical signal transmitter in an optical communication system like a passive optical network (PON) system. More particularly, the present invention relates to a laser driver with an automatic power control (APC) function of maintaining constant optical output power responsive to a burst signal and irrespective of a variation in temperature.
In recent years, the optical subscriber systems are under vigorous research and development to set up a fiber-to-the-home (FTTH) communication network in the near future. However, it is economically difficult to introduce optical fibers into general home users. This is because an optical fiber has a gigantic transmission capacity, but is much more expensive than a conventional metallic communication line. Under the circumstances such as these, the PON system is expected to contribute much to the realization of the FTTH network considering the cost effectiveness thereof. The PON system can be less expensive, because a signal optical fiber extended from a base station is branched to provide bidirectional communication service for a great number of subscribers.
It is known that a semiconductor laser diode, which is ordinarily used for transmitting an optical signal in such an optical communication system, is highly temperature-dependent owing to the characteristics thereof. Specifically, if the laser diode is driven with a constant current supplied, the optical output power thereof decreases considerably with the rise in temperature. In addition, the performance of the laser diode deteriorates with time, and the optical output power also declines after years of operation. Accordingly, in general, a laser driver is constructed in such a manner as to maintain constant optical output power by monitoring the optical output power of the laser diode using a photodiode (PD) and feeding the information back to a laser driving section.
An exemplary laser driver with such a construction is disclosed in Japanese Laid-Open Publication No. 5-63273, for example. In this prior art laser driver, the optical output power of a laser diode is received by a monitoring photodiode. The output current of the monitoring photodiode is converted into a voltage. A difference between this voltage and a reference voltage is amplified by a differential amplifier. And then a current-supplying transistor is driven with the output of the differential amplifier.
According to the conventional construction, however, if the amplification factor of the amplifier for amplifying the difference between the output voltage of the monitoring photodiode and the reference voltage has varied due to a change in temperature, for example, the output current driving the laser diode also changes. Thus, it is difficult to attain high-precision APC performance in such a situation.
An object of the present invention is providing a laser driver realizing high-precision APC performance irrespective of the variation in characteristics of the components thereof.
Specifically, a laser driver for driving a laser diode according to the present invention includes a current-to-voltage converter, a reference voltage generator, a transconductor, a holding capacitor and a drive current output circuit. The current-to-voltage converter converts an output current of a photodiode, which is provided to monitor the optical output of the laser diode, into a voltage and then outputs the voltage as a monitor voltage. The reference voltage generator generates a predetermined reference voltage. The transconductor receives the monitor and reference voltages and supplies an output current corresponding to a difference between these input voltages. The holding capacitor is connected to an output terminal of the transconductor. And the drive current output circuit receives a voltage held by the holding capacitor as an input voltage and outputs a laser drive current corresponding to the input voltage. The laser driver is constructed to perform a feedback control in such a manner as to equalize the monitor voltage with the reference voltage.
According to the present invention, a feedback control is performed in such a manner to equalize the monitor voltage with the predetermined reference voltage. Thus, even if the current-to-optical-output conversion efficiency of the laser diode has changed due to variation in temperature or deterioration with time, the optical output power of the laser diode is kept constant. As a result, high-precision and stabilized APC performance is realized.
In one embodiment of the present invention, the current-to-voltage converter may include: an inverting amplifier receiving the output current of the photodiode; and a feedback resistor connected between input and output terminals of the inverting amplifier. In such an embodiment, the current-to-voltage converter is implementable to have a simple configuration.
In an alternate embodiment, the current-to-voltage converter may include: a transistor, the source and drain of which are connected to the input and output of the current-to-voltage converter, respectively, a constant voltage being applied to the gate of the transistor; a constant-current power supply connected to the source of the transistor; and a resistor connected to the drain of the transistor. In such an embodiment, the current-to-voltage converter can perform the current-to-voltage conversion stably with reduced power dissipation.
In another alternate embodiment, the predetermined reference voltage generated by the reference voltage generator is preferably controllable responsive to an external input. In such an embodiment, the optical output power of the laser diode is easily adjustable by controlling the reference voltage generated by the reference voltage generator.
In still another embodiment, the transconductor may include: a differential input stage for receiving two input voltages; a first current mirror circuit, the input of the first current mirror circuit being connected to one of two outputs of the differential input stage; a second current mirror circuit with two outputs, the input of the second current mirror circuit being connected to the other output of the differential input stage; a third current mirror circuit with two outputs, the input of the third current mirror circuit being connected to the output of the first current mirror circuit, the two outputs of the third current mirror circuit being connected to the two outputs of the second current mirror circuit, respectively; a fourth current mirror circuit including transistors of one conductivity type, the input of the fourth current mirror circuit being connected to one of the two outputs of the third current mirror circuit; and a fifth current mirror circuit including transistors of the other conductivity type, the input of the fifth current mirror circuit being connected to the other output of the third current mirror circuit. The outputs of the fourth and fifth current mirror circuits are connected to each other at a node, from which the current is output. In such an embodiment, an output current corresponding to a difference between the two input voltages can be obtained easily.
In still another embodiment of the present invention, the laser driver may further include a control signal generator for controlling the operations of the drive current output circuit and the transconductor responsive to a data signal. The control signal generator preferably activates the transconductor after a prescribed time has passed since the drive current output circuit was made to start to output the laser drive current by the control signal generator. In such an embodiment, it is possible to eliminate an error, which is caused by a delay between the output of the laser drive current and the conversion of the output current of the photodiode into the monitor voltage.
In still another embodiment, the laser driver may further include an adaptive bias circuit for charging or discharging the holding capacitor in such a manner as to reduce a difference between the monitor and reference voltages if the difference is larger than a predetermined value. In such an embodiment, high-speed APC response is realized.
In this particular embodiment of the present invention, the laser driver may further include a control signal generator for controlling the operations of the drive current output circuit and the adaptive bias circuit responsive to a data signal. The control signal generator preferably activates the adaptive bias circuit if the difference between the monitor and reference voltages is larger than the predetermined value after a prescribed time has passed since the drive current output circuit was made to start to output the laser drive current by the control signal generator. In such an embodiment, it is possible to eliminate an error, which is caused by a delay between the output of the laser drive current and the conversion of the output current of the photodiode into the monitor voltage.
In yet another embodiment, the laser driver may further include a transconductance controller for controlling a transconductance of the transconductor based on the predetermined reference voltage. In such an embodiment, the fluctuation in APC response time, which results from the assembling-induced variation, can be suppressed.
In this particular embodiment, the transconductance controller may control the transconductance by changing a bias current of a differential input stage included in the transconductor. In such an embodiment, the transconductance of the transconductor can be controlled easily.
In an alternate embodiment, the transconductor may include first and second differential input stages with mutually different transconductances. And the transconductance controller may control the transconductance by changing a bias current ratio of the first and second differential input stages. In such an embodiment, the transconductance can be controlled in a broader range.
In still another embodiment, a voltage held by a holding capacitor is preferably limited such that the laser drive current does not exceed a predetermined upper limit. In such an embodiment, it is possible to prevent the laser diode from being broken down due to an excessively large drive current.
In still another embodiment, the laser driver may further include an alarm circuit for outputting an alarm signal if a voltage held by the holding capacitor exceeds a predetermined upper limit and if the monitor voltage is smaller than a predetermined lower limit. In such an embodiment, a fault of the laser diode, if any, can be spotted easily.
An optical transceiver according to the present invention is adapted to establish an optical communication. The optical transceiver includes: a transmitter section for converting data to be transmitted into laser light by driving a laser diode and then transmitting the laser light; and a receiver section for converting the laser light received into received data. The transmitter section includes the laser driver of the present invention and drives the laser diode using the laser driver.

Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.


Novel silicone polymers are provided which possess grafted pendant hydrophilic polyalkylene oxide side chains and, optionally, reactive functional end groups. These features make them well suited for use in chemical, marine, biomedical and industrial applications, particularly those involving surface modifications.

Surfaces having non-fouling characteristics facilitate the development of advanced materials for use in biomedical and marine applications.
In medical applications, a major problem associated with implanted and blood contact biomaterials is the triggering of a number of undesired responses including inflammation, infection, thrombosis, fibrosis, allergy, and biomaterial induced cancer. These unwanted responses are triggered with the rapid accumulation of a large number of blood plasma proteins when the materials come in contact with blood (Wyszogrodzka and Haag, Biomacromolecules 2009 10:1043-1054; Castner and Ratner, Surf Sci. 2002 500:28-60; Ratner and Bryant, Annu. Rev. Biomed. Eng. 2004 6:41-75).
In marine environments, surfaces become fouled rapidly due to biofouling. Biofouling is the unwanted accumulation of microorganism, plants, algae and animals on artificial structures immersed in water, such as sea, river or lake water. Biofilm formation, which involves adhesion of bacteria and diatoms, is the first step in the process of biofouling. The specific or nonspecific recognition of adsorbed organic material by bacteria is the main driving force for their adhesion (Iguerb et al., Langmuir 2008 24:12272-12281; Geesey, Curr. Opin. Microbiol. 2001 4:296-300). Bacteria use exopolymers and a protein matrix to cement themselves to a surface. Although adhesion of organisms to the surface is complicated, marine organisms attach to surfaces by a primary mechanism that involves wetting of the surface by secretion of a protein or glycoprotein adhesive (Iguerb et al., Langmuir 2008 24:12272-12281).
Materials can be modified with a surface coating to become protein resistant (Ostuni et al., Langmuir 2003 19:1861-1872; Hester et al., Macromolecules 2002 35:7652-7661; Griesser et al., Smart Mat. Struct. 2002 11:652). Materials containing PEG self-assembled monolayers (SAM) are commercially available and are prominent protein resistant materials (Wyszogrodzka and Haag, Biomacromolecules 2009 10:1043-1054; Szleifer, Curr. Opin. Solid State Mater. Sci. 1997 2:337-344). However, the SAM approach is not suitable for broad practical use. Improved protein-resistant coatings and surface modifications are of broad continuing interest in many technological, industrial and medical fields.

Functionalized silicones with polyalkylene oxide side chains


In some embodiments, an apparatus can include a printed circuit board (PCB) that has layers and includes a first portion and a second portion. The first portion can have a data port and a power port. A first layer is associated with data of the first portion of the PCB, and a second layer is associated with power of the first portion of the PCB. The second portion can have a data port and a power port. A third layer is associated with data of the second portion, and a fourth layer is associated with power of the second portion. The first portion or the second portion can have vias defining an electromagnetic interference (EMI) shield. The apparatus can include a power filter and a data filter that can, respectively, isolate power and data of the first portion from the second portion.

Known printed circuit boards used in electronic components, computers, or internet of thing (IoT) devices are frequently miniaturized to facilitate reductions in size, weight, power consumption, and/or cost associated with the printed circuit boards. When designing a dense printed circuit board for electronic components, computers, or IoT devices, however, engineers often make compromises, which can result in reductions in security by combining and handling multiple types (e.g., based on sensitivities, classification, owners, and/or the like) of data and software present on the printed circuit board. Miniaturization and combining multiple types of data and software can be a good approach in some known applications in which such inherent security reductions are acceptable, and the security risks can be adequately addressed by known techniques. On the other hand, in some situations where sensitive data and/or software are handled, known dense computer boards can pose unacceptable risks of unauthorized access, monitoring, and/or tampering of sensitive data and/or software. Thus, a need exist for improved printed circuit boards.

Isolation of compartments in a layered printed circuit board, and apparatus and methods for the same


Methods are provided for hydrotreating high nitrogen feeds with improved results for nitrogen removal, aromatic saturation, and/or sulfur removal. The method includes hydrotreating the feed with a supported hydrotreating catalyst followed by a bulk metal catalyst, the hydrotreated effluent of which can be suitable for use as a feed to an FCC reactor.

Crude oils of different origins can contain varying levels of contaminants within the feed. In some instances, the contaminant levels in a crude oil can be characteristic of the regional source of the crude oil. For example, crude oils extracted from sources in California tend to have high levels of nitrogen contamination. When such a California crude enters a refinery, the high nitrogen levels may impact multiple processes within a refinery.
Conventionally, it is known that the amount of nitrogen in a feed can negatively impact the catalytic activity in hydrotreating processes. This can lead to difficulties, as hydrotreatment is one of the most prevalent processes used for removal of nitrogen.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,162,350 and 7,513,989 describe a bulk metal catalyst composition that can be used for various types of hydroprocessing. Suitable feedstocks are described as including feeds that contain "substantial" amounts of nitrogen. A feed having a nitrogen content of at least 10 wppm is noted as an example of a feed containing a "substantial" amount of nitrogen. It is also noted that feeds having greater than 500 wppm of nitrogen can be treated. Experimental examples are also described where a vacuum gas oil feed having a nitrogen content of 858 wppm is hydrocracking in the presence of a bulk metal catalyst.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,597,795 describes a method for hydrotreating a lubricant oil basestock using a supported hydrotreating catalyst followed by a bulk metal catalyst. The feedstock for the process is described as having a nitrogen content of up to 0.2 wt %. Examples are provided of hydrotreating vacuum gas oil feeds with nitrogen contents as high as 1573 wppm.

Hydroprocessing of high nitrogen feed using bulk catalyst

ExxonMobil Research and Engineering Company


A memory device includes a pair of complementary bitlines including a first bitline and a second bitline. A bitline precharge block is coupled between the first bitline and the second bitline. A sense amplifier is coupled to both the first bitline and the second bitline and a sense amplifier precharge block is coupled to the sense amplifier. The sense amplifier precharge block can be activated independently from the bitline precharge block. An isolation block is coupled between the pair of complementary bitlines and the bitline precharge block on one side and the sense amplifier and sense amplifier precharge block on another side.

Semiconductor devices are used for integrated circuits in a variety of electrical and electronic applications, such as computers, cellular telephones, radios, and televisions. One particular type of semiconductor device is a semiconductor storage device, such as a random access memory (RAM) device. RAM devices use an electrical charge to store information. Many RAM devices include many storage cells arranged in a two-dimensional array with two sets of select lines, wordlines and bitlines. An individual storage cell is selected by activating its wordline and its bitline. RAM devices are considered "random access" because any memory cell in an array can be accessed directly if the row and column that intersect at that cell are known.
A commonly used form of RAM is known as a dynamic RAM device. Dynamic random access memory (DRAM) has memory cells with a paired transistor and capacitor. One particular type of DRAM device is a synchronous DRAM (SDRAM) device, in which the memory cells are accessed synchronously. Synchronous dynamic random access memory often takes advantage of the burst mode concept to greatly improve performance by staying on the row containing the requested bit and moving rapidly through the columns. To achieve a high speed operation, a double data rate (DDR) architecture is often used, during which two data transfers are made per clock cycle, one upon the rising edge of the clock and the other upon the falling edge.
A number of techniques have been developed to increase the speed with which data can be read from or written to a memory array. For example, virtual channel SDRAMs are memories in which data of a segment from a memory bank are loaded into a memory channel. The segment is selected from a defined row of the memory bank. After buffer storage in the memory channel, the data are output via an interface via the specification of the column address. The use of the memory channel affords the possibility of buffer-storing data from a memory having a relatively long access time into a buffer memory having a short access time and subsequently outputting them. In this way, on statistical average the data can be read more rapidly from the memory. Power is required to transfer these segments into the channel.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,887,272, which is incorporated herein by reference, discloses an enhanced DRAM that contains embedded row registers in the form of latches. The row registers are adjacent to the DRAM array, and when the DRAM comprises a group of sub arrays, the row registers are located between DRAM sub arrays. When used as on-chip cache, these registers hold frequently accessed data. This data corresponds to data stored in the DRAM at a particular address. When an address is supplied to the DRAM, it is compared to the address of the data stored in the cache. If the addresses are the same, then the cache data is read at SRAM speeds. The DRAM is decoupled from this read. The DRAM also remains idle during this cache read unless the system opts to precharge or refresh the DRAM. Refresh or precharge occur concurrently with the cache read. If the addresses are not the same, then the DRAM is accessed and the embedded register is reloaded with the data at that new DRAM address. Asynchronous operation of the DRAM is achieved by decoupling the row registers from the DRAM array, thus allowing the DRAM cells to be precharged or refreshed during a read of the row register.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,586,078, which is incorporated herein by reference, discloses a DRAM that includes memory blocks in a form of division of shared sense amplifier configuration in which sub arrays and sense amplifiers serving as cache memories are alternately arranged in the X direction of a memory chip. The memory blocks are arranged in the Y direction. Data lines are formed in parallel with the Y direction for the corresponding sub arrays, for transferring data held in the sense amplifiers corresponding to the sub arrays. I/O pads are arranged in parallel with the X direction, for inputting/outputting data to/from the corresponding sub arrays via the data lines. When the shared sense amplifier configuration and sense amplifier cache system are achieved in a small area of the DRAM, the hit rate of the cache memories is increased, and data can be transferred at high speed by shortening data paths formed in the memory chip.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,528,552, which is incorporated herein by reference, discloses a dynamic random access memory device that causes sense amplifier circuits to serve as a cache memory for sequentially delivering data bits in the sense amplifier circuits, and a row address buffer unit is controlled independently of the sense amplifier circuits so as to change the row address signal without canceling the data bits in the sense amplifier circuits.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,566,118, which is incorporated herein by reference, discloses a dynamic DRAM device including a plurality of memory cell blocks associated with sense amplifier arrays as cache memories, and registers for storing addresses of the memory cell blocks to indicate the contents of the sense amplifiers. A refresh address for a self-refresh mode is sequentially generated to perform a refresh operation upon the memory cell blocks. When the refresh address coincides with a predetermined value, data of the memory cell blocks is read by using an address of one of the registers and is restored in a corresponding sense amplifier array.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,706,244, which is incorporated herein by reference, discloses a semiconductor dynamic random access memory device that has shared sense amplifier units used for not only amplification of data bits but also as a cache storage. A cache system incorporated in the semiconductor dynamic random access memory device individually controls the sense amplifier units to determine whether to allow an access to the selected sense amplifier unit, thereby enhancing the hit ratio.

Memory device and method using a sense amplifier as a cache


A system for connecting trailer towing components may have a pin having a first leg and a second leg. The system may also have a torsion bar having a first set of splines, and a main beam for a trailer. The main beam may have an insert adapted to selectively receive the torsion bar therein. The main beam may also have at least one guide aperture adapted to selectively receive one of the pin legs. The system may also have a secondary beam adapted to be selectively located at least partially within the main beam. The secondary beam may have apertures adapted to receive at least one of the legs of the pin and the torsion bar.

Trailers that are towed behind vehicles are well-known, and they are adapted for many different purposes. In many cases, the trailers have one or more members extending from, or comprising, a frame that extends toward a hitch (or similar device) on the vehicle that connects the trailer to the vehicle. The vehicles the trailers are connected to are often designed to withstand greater loads and may have better and more sophisticated suspension systems compared with the trailers. Many times vehicle operators drive their vehicles pulling a trailer in the same manner as if the trailer was not attached. In some cases, this results in the trailer experiencing high loads on many components. For example, the trailer members at or adjacent to the trailer/vehicle connection may be put under high torsional, lateral and/or longitudinal loads while the trailer is towed. These high loads may lead to premature fatigue and/or failure of the members.
Some attempts in the prior art exist that are designed to accommodate the loads experienced by these components. The prior art designs, however, are often complex, heavy and costly. The complexity of the prior art systems leads to additional failure modes. Further, the weight of the prior art systems decreases fuel economy of the towing vehicle and makes the trailer more difficult to manage. Additionally, the cost of the prior art systems often makes them prohibitive to consumers.
In view of the problems with the prior art, it would be advantageous to provide a system for connecting trailer towing components together that is capable of withstanding the various loads experienced by components. It would also be advantageous for the system to be lightweight and simple. The simple nature of the design reduces failure modes, makes it easy to manufacture and repair and keeps the overall cost low. Further, the lightweight nature of the system will make it easier to maneuver the trailer, as well as reduce fuel consumption of the towing vehicle.

System and method for connecting trailer towing components


A method is provided for immobilizing and preserving an immunologically reactive antigen substance such as antigenic cells or non-cell bound antigens for use in solid-phase immunoassay. The antigen substance is adsorbed and crosslinked on a support and contacted with a protecting solution and containing sugar and an antiseptic substance such as NaN.sub.3. The antigen substance is preferably centrifugally contacted with the support to shorten the time for adsorption. Crosslinking is with a solution of 1.0 to 5.0% formaldehyde or 0.003 to 0.06% glutaraldehyde. The antigenic cells can be a blood component such as platelets.

Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a technique applied to the immunological survey of the cells that are important in view of clinical medicine, or more specifically to the method for preserving antigenic cells for solid-phase immunoassay that comprises immobilizing various antigenic cells onto a solid support like a reaction vessel for typing of the various antigenic types expressed on the antigenic cells and for detection of the existence of the antibodies that neutralize the antigens of the cells.

Method of immobilizing and preserving an immunologically reactive substance


A user interacts with a computer system having a display unit, a processor, a memory and a Cartesian selection device by activating a first major feature; displaying a plurality of labels representing a plurality of options for said first major feature; selecting one of the options by manipulating the Cartesian selection device in a first axis; displaying a plurality of suboptions for the selected option; selecting one of the suboptions by manipulating the Cartesian selection device in a second axis; and selecting a second major feature by either selecting an indicia of the second major feature displayed on the display unit or using a hardbutton coupled to the processor. Both the first and second major feature comprising one of faxing, scanning, and voice mail functions. The user interface system for the computer system comprises a grid of possible user functions. The grid is made up of a plurality of rows and a plurality of columns. Each column within a row has a plurality of subrows, wherein each of the plurality of rows corresponds to a major feature of the computer system, each of the columns within each row corresponds to an option for the corresponding major feature, and each subrow within a column corresponds to a suboption. Only the active cell of the user interface system is displayed at any one time, the active cell being defined as the intersection of the selected row and column.

1. Field of the Invention
The area of the present invention relates to a multifunction office system and, more particularly, to a user interface having a collection of different interface elements for such a system.
2. Background Art
As more and more members of today's workforce have begun working out of their homes, a need has arisen for multifunction devices which incorporate two or more types of traditional office equipment within a single enclosure. One of the first such devices was the integrated telephone/answering machine. Although originally designed and used as a stand-alone device, the answering machine was quickly integrated with the telephone to provide a single, integrated device. More recently, equipment such as facsimile machines have been combined with telephone/answering machines to provide multifunction communications devices. In addition to home offices, such devices are used in a variety of small businesses.
In addition to the integrated fax/phone/answering machine, the personal computer has become a familiar fixture in home offices and small businesses. Typically, the computer will be equipped with a fax/modem, allowing for the transfer of electronic documents. Some personal computers also are equipped to operate as a telephone and digital voice mail system.
Some manufacturers have begun offering integrated office systems that combine many of the above features. For example, the QMS 2001 Knowledge System PC, available from QMS, Inc. of Mobile, Ala. combines an incoming/outgoing fax, a laser printer and a copier with a personal computer. This type of integrated system provides a consumer with a single piece of equipment capable of performing many of the tasks required in an office environment. However, prior integrated office systems of this type often prove intimidating to persons with little or no computer experience since the systems employ user interfaces which resemble those found in personal computers.
A user interface is something which bridges the gap between a human user who seeks to control a device and the hardware and/or software which actually controls the device. The familiar keypad of a touch tone telephone and the alphanumeric keyboard associated with a personal computer are such user interfaces. In addition to hardware components, graphical user interfaces have become an increasingly common feature of personal computers. Such interfaces are provided either as built-in portions of the computer operating system, as in the case of the MACINTOSH computer available from Apple Computer Inc. of Cupertino, Calif., or as add-on software products that can be purchased separately.
Regardless of whether the user interface is a hardware device or a software program (or, as is increasingly the case, a combination of both), the purpose of the user interface is, as indicated, to bridge the gap between the human operator and the device being utilized. For example, graphical user interfaces used with personal computers often have the ability to initiate execution of other, so-called, "applications programs". Examples of application programs might be spreadsheets, word processing programs, database programs, etc. The process of initiating execution of an application program is typically handled through the use of small graphical symbols known as "icons". The graphical user interface displays the icons on the computer screen, one icon for each application program that can be run. The human user initiates execution of an application program by selecting the corresponding icon, most often using a pointing device such as a mouse.
A conventional graphical user interface such as described above significantly reduces the amount of information that a user must recall in order to effectively use the computer. For example, instead of remembering the name of an application program, and the location of the program on a particular disk, the user need only remember that a particular icon is associated with the application program.
Like their graphical counterparts, hardware user interfaces also allow for ease of operation. For example, the familiar mouse associated with a personal computer allows a user to position the cursor and select from among the various icons displayed on a screen. By using the mouse the user is able to avoid having to perform a number of complex keystrokes.
In addition to graphical user interfaces, computer systems often provide user assistance in the form of help functions. Such functions are available in many operating systems and application programs. For example, some systems provide context sensitive "balloon help" where a user can learn more about an object represented on a computer screen by simply pointing to the object. Other applications programs provide a help menu which allows a user to select a help topic. Still other systems will ask users if they need help if it appears that they need help.
Conventional help functions are useful adjuncts to system and application software. They provide a convenient access to helpful information without requiring a user to study a detailed reference manual. However, such help functions tend to be quite limited. They typically are only passive providers of information and do not aid a user in accomplishing a desired task unless specifically selected.
Although graphical user interfaces and help functions generally provide for easier use of personal computers, a number of people, especially those with little or no computer training, are still reluctant to use personal computers. For many people there is nothing intuitive about graphical user interfaces which require one to use a mouse to select icons or pull down menus. Although many office workers are familiar with keyboards, when the keyboard becomes coupled to a personal computer it can present an intimidating object insofar as cryptic commands must be entered in order to access the computer's functions.
Integrated office systems have gained some popularity among computer savvy users, however, they offer little assistance for non-computer users. In part, this is due to the fact that these integrated systems rely on preexisting forms of user interfaces which, although familiar to computer users, are completely foreign to many people. For example, although the QMS 2001 Knowledge System provides front panel controls for a user to choose the number of copies and start/stop the copying process, all other functions must be accessed through software based on the Windows operating system developed by Microsoft Corporation of Redmond, Wash. This operating system provides a graphical user interface that must be accessed via the keyboard and/or a cursor pointing device. For many users, this will be an intimidating prospect and one which many will avoid altogether.
Accordingly, there exists a need for an integrated office system which combines the features of traditional office equipments and a personal computer but supports a user interface which non-computer savvy users will find easy to use.

User interface for all-in-one integrated office system


An alignment apparatus for use in an exposure system for exposing fine patterns on a wafer, the alignment apparatus comprising a light source optical system for emitting coherent alignment light, a positional deviation detecting optical system for receiving the alignment light reflected from the wafer, and a light-receiving optical system for detecting a positional deviation of the wafer on the basis of the alignment light received by the positional deviation detecting optical system. These three optical systems are arranged to be coupled through flexible optical fibers to each other. This coupling arrangement using the flexible optical fiber can reduce the size of the positional deviation detecting optical system whereby the positional deviation detecting optical system can be disposed directly under a projection lens of the exposure system, thereby accurately effecting the alignment of the wafer with respect to the projection lens.

The present invention relates to exposure systems for optically transferring patterns onto an object such as a wafer through a projection optical system, and more particularly to an alignment apparatus suitable for such an exposure system.
For manufacturing a semiconductor device, the overlapping exposure processes of a number of fine patterns having sizes below 0.5 .mu.m are required with respect to a wafer. An important problem in such exposure processes relates to the need for alignment between the number of fine patterns which requires the accuracy below 0.1 .mu.m. One known approach to resolution is disposed in the Japanese Patent Provisional Publication No. 63-78004 where a pair of first gratings on a reticle divide alight beam from a light source into a plurality of beams to selectively obtain a predetermined spectrum to project it onto a pair of second gratings on a wafer, and the second gratings are further exposed to two light beams so as to obtain two diffraction lights due to interference so that the two diffraction lights are compared in intensity with each other to effect the alignment between the reticle and the wafer.
However, there is a problem which arises with such an alignment arrangement in that the arrangement is effective only in the case that a projection optical system has high imaging performances with respect to both the exposure light and alignment light. For example, the glass material for constituting a refraction optical system is restricted in the case of using the ultraviolet light due to an excimer laser or the like as the exposure light and hence difficulty is encountered to constitute an achromatic projection optical system in which the chromatic aberration is corrected. Thus, the chromatic-aberration-corrected achromatic projection optical system is designed to sufficiently effect the color correction only in terms of the exposure light wavelength, thereby making it difficult to constitute the alignment system where the alignment light passes through a projection lens because an extremely great chromatic aberration occurs in terms of light with different wavelengths. If arranging the alightment system such that the alignment light does not pass through the projection lens, the projection lens is required to be arranged to cover the wafer whereby the exposure position of the wafer is greatly separated from the alignment position to lower the overlapping accuracy between a number of fine patterns.

Alignment apparatus for use in exposure system for optically transferring pattern onto object

Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.


A winding fixing device and method for a hollow-cylindrical high-voltage winding are disclosed, wherein the winding fixing device includes a pillar-like element having two axial ends, each of the two axial ends being configured to be connected to a respective retaining element which is arranged transversely with respect thereto. Each of the retaining elements is configured to be movable along the pillar-like element and detachable therefrom. A positioning region for arranging a hollow-cylindrical high-voltage winding is formed between the retaining elements, and spacing elements are configured to move axially along the pillar-like element. The spacing elements are configured to radially fix the hollow-cylindrical high-voltage winding when placed between the retaining elements by applying a tensile force to the retaining elements.

It is known that in energy distribution networks, high-voltage transformers can be used to carry out voltage transformation from a maximum voltage level, for example 380 kV, to a relatively low voltage level, for example 110 kV. Such transformers can have a rated power in a range from, for example, 50 MVA to several 100 MVA and can have, depending on their power, a weight of, for example, 200 t. Transformers in these voltage levels can be embodied as oil transformers, for example, the transformer core and the windings which can be embodied with three phases, can be arranged in an oil-filled transformer tank whose height, without discharge line insulated, can be several meters, for example 4 m or 6 m, and its length can be above 15 m. The size of one of the three hollow-cylindrical high-voltage windings arranged therein around a respective transformer core branch can be 3 m or greater having a diameter of 2 m or greater. The term high-voltage winding can include within the scope of this disclosure electrical windings for a rated voltage starting from several kV ranging to several 100 kV, wherein power ranges starting from at least several MVA ranging to several 100 MVA and above can be covered. For example, winding blocks which are pre-mounted and which are composed of a plurality of windings can be covered by the term high-voltage winding. For example, a plurality of hollow-cylindrical windings of various diameters can be arranged radially one in the other or a plurality of windings with the same or a similar diameter can be arranged axially one behind the other.
Transformers of this size class can be custom made items whose transportation from the transformer works to the end customer and back can involve logistical issues. In the case of reworking of transformers, for example in the case of repair works in situ, one or more high-voltage windings on an existing transformer may be replaced directly at the customer's premises. The transportation of the entire transformer from the customer into the transformer works and back is avoided and the repair or the reworking can take place more quickly. However, the new high-voltage windings or pre-mounted winding blocks are transported from the transformer works to the customer.
Such transportation may also be needed, for example, if, owing to an unequal capacity utilization at a number of transformer works of the same manufacturer structurally identical high-voltage windings or pre-mounted winding blocks are fabricated in different works. For example, in the case where the high-voltage windings have to be taken to the assembly site of the high-voltage transformer.
The high-voltage winding or a premounted winding block according to the known systems are transported in an upright position, wherein the winding or the winding axis thereof is oriented vertically since the fabricated high-voltage windings may not have sufficient mechanical stability to be able to be tilted. Breakage or at least deformation is not a desirable result. A vertical high-voltage winding, which is also transported with an upright orientation can also cause logistical expenditure on transportation in that given a height of for example, 5 m, transportation profiles, for example, for transportation by railroad or by truck, may be exceeded.
In accordance with an exemplary embodiment, a device is disclosed, which allows simplified transportation of a high-voltage winding and/or of a pre-mounted winding block.


A process is disclosed for reducing the concentration of a dialkyl ether in a mixture comprising the dialkyl ether and a dialkyl peroxide wherein the process comprises treating said mixture with a strong acid.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to the reduction of impurities in dialkyl peroxides. More particularly, the present invention relates to a method for reducing the concentration of dialkyl ethers in dialkyl peroxides.
2. Description of Related Art
Methyl t-butyl ether (MTBE) is a by-product formed during the manufacture of di-t-butyl peroxide (DTBP). MTBE is a suspected threat to human health. When DTBP is used to cross-link polyethylene (PE) pipe that may be used to transport potable water, the MTBE becomes an unwanted contaminant in the pipe. The MTBE can be leached out from the pipe and render the water foul-smelling and, possibly, hazardous to human health. See Announcement of the Drinking Water Contaminant List (Mar. 2, 1998, 63 FR 10273–10287).
Two reports in the literature that state that MTBE is formed as one of the decomposition products of DTBP are Batt, L. et al., J. Chemical Physics, 36:895–901 (1962) and Val'kovskii, D. G. et al., Izv. Akad. Nauk SSSR, Ser. Khim. 7:1319–27 (1963), (C. A. 59:68797).
Two patents report general methods for the purification of DTBP:
U.S. Pat. No. 4,900,850 discloses that a tertiary butyl alcohol/ditertertiary butyl peroxide azeotrope may be recovered from a product containing tertiary butyl alcohol and ditertiary butyl peroxide by distilling the tertiary butyl alcohol product to obtain an overhead fraction containing substantially all of the ditertiary butyl peroxide as a ditertiary butyl peroxide/tertiary butyl alcohol azeotrope and other contaminants. It is also disclosed that the ditertiary butyl peroxide can be recovered from the distillate fraction by extraction with water (e.g., in a countercurrent water extraction tower) to provide a ditertiary butyl peroxide product of any desired degree of purity.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,453,548 discloses a process for the separation of ditertiary butyl peroxide from tertiary butanol that includes the step of dehydrating the tertiary butanol to isobutylene and water.
The following three references indicate the treatment of DTBP with concentrated sulfuric acid caused significant degradation of the peroxide:
U.S. Pat. No. 3,917,709 discloses that tertiary aliphatic hydroperoxides and peroxides in the presence of a highly concentrated acid catalyst are converted to a mixture of ketones and alcohols in substantially quantitative yields. The corresponding secondary aliphatic hydroperoxides yield product mixtures of alcohols, ketones and aldehydes in varying proportions, depending upon the acid concentration employed.
Milas, N. et al., J. Am. Chem. Soc. 68:205–208, (1946) reported that when DTBP was dissolved in concentrated sulfuric acid, a polymeric hydrocarbon slowly separated from the solution.
Solyanikov, V. M. et al., Izv. Akad. Nauk SSSR, Ser. Khim. 6:1400–2 (1976) (C. A. 85:123082) reported that DTBP was decomposed by hydrochloric, perchloric, and sulfuric acids. This acid-catalyzed decomposition is said to give Me3C+ and Me3COOH. Deprotonation of the Me3C+ yields isobutene and homolysis of the Me3COOH yields free radicals.

Removal of dialkyl ethers from dialkyl peroxides


A moisture collection apparatus is provided to collect and store percolating ground water for increased water absorption by foliage growing above the moisture collection apparatus. In one embodiment, the moisture collection apparatus includes a first plurality of strands extending along a first direction, a second plurality of strands extending along a second direction and connected to at least one of the first plurality of strands, a plurality of channels extending along at least one of the first direction and the second direction, and a plurality of openings between adjacent strands of the first plurality of strands and adjacent strands of the second plurality of strands. In another embodiment, the first direction is substantially orthogonal to the second direction, such that the moisture collection apparatus forms a grid-like pattern of channels.

In general, plants are able to absorb only a portion of the water available to the plant through either rainfall or watering. The remainder of the water not initially absorbed by the plant is lost either through evaporation or percolation down through the soil. Conventional water collection apparatuses used in gardens generally consist of a semi-permeable or impermeable membrane, such as a thin plastic liner, spread across the soil in order to prevent the excess water from being lost due to percolation down through the soil. The plastic liner is generally buried several inches below ground level, and then covered with a layer of soil before planting the foliage in the soil. Thus, with conventional water collection apparatuses, the plants are permitted to grow above the plastic liner while the liner collects water near or below the roots of the plants. However, these conventional moisture collection devices are generally not resilient, and are thus vulnerable to tearing due to user handling or root growth penetration. Additionally, conventional apparatuses generally are not configured to permit the growth of roots through the apparatus and they inhibit the migration of insects which may be beneficial to the growth of the plants. Moreover, conventional moisture control devices, particularly non-porous liners, may provide inadequate drainage which can be harmful to the foliage growing above the device.
As such, there is a need for a water collection apparatus configured to collect and store water for plant absorption while still permitting the roots to grow below the apparatus and providing adequate drainage of excess water. Additionally, there is a need for a moisture collection apparatus that is both durable and easy to install across a cultivation region.


A MOS type semiconductor device has a gate whose length is 170 nm (0.17 .mu.m) or less, a junction depth of source and drain diffusion layers in the vicinity of a channel is 22 nm or less, and a concentration of impurities at the surface in the source and drain diffusion layers is made to 10.sup.20 cm.sup.-3 or more. Such structure is obtained using solid phase diffusion using heat range from 950.degree. C. to 1050.degree. C. and/or narrowing gate width by ashing or etching. The other MOS type semiconductor device is characterized in that the relationship between the junction depth x.sub.j nm! in the source and drain diffusion layer regions and the effective channel length L.sub.eff nm! is determined by L.sub.eff >0.69 x.sub.j -6.17.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a semiconductor device advantageous to miniaturization and a method of manufacturing the same.
2. Description of the Prior Art
There occurs the problem that, with development of miniaturization of MISFET (Metal Insulation Silicon Field Effect Transistor), the punch-through is apt to take place between the drain and source by the short-channel effect. With a view to solving this problem, a LDD (lightly doped drain) structure has been conventionally devised. Namely, this LDD structure is a structure having a lightly doped drain-source. When attention is drawn to, e.g., an n-channel MOSFET, the field oxide film sides of the drain region and the source region are caused to be an n.sup.+ layer and the channel formation layer sides thereof are caused to be an n.sup.- layer to set the impurity concentration at the channel side end portions of the drain and the source to a relatively lower value to thereby relax the drain electric field, to improve the withstand voltage, and to prevent the punch-through(penetration) between the drain and the source by the short-channel effect.
FIGS. 1A-1D show particularly a method of forming diffused layers serving as source and drain regions of a typical manufacturing process of a MOSFET having such LDD structure and its LDD elemental device structure.
In these figures, ion implantation for well is first implemented into a silicon substrate 701 thereafter to carry out extending diffusion of the implanted impurity to thereby form a well to subsequently carry out an ion implantation for prevention of parasitic channel. Thereafter, selective oxidation is implemented onto the substrate 701 surface to form field oxide film 702 to carry out isolation of the elemental device region (hereinafter simply referred to as the device region) from others. Then, a gate electrode material oxide film by thermal oxidation is formed on the entire surface of the region surrounded by the oxide film 702 on the substrate 701 to subsequently form a gate electrode material polycrystalline silicon (hereinafter polysilicon) film on the entire surface of the oxide film by using the LPCVD process so that its thickness reaches 2,000 angstroms. Thereafter, a mask of photoresist is formed on the polysilicon film serving as a gate electrode material by the optical lithography to implement patterning to the gate electrode material oxide film and the gate electrode material polysilicon film by using the RIE process thus to form a gate electrode comprised of a gate oxide film 703 and a polysilicon film 704 (FIG. 1A).
In the case where the MOSFET to be manufactured is a p-channel MOSFET, implantation of ions 705 of impurity BF.sub.2.sup.+ is then carried out under the condition of a low dose (about 1.times.10.sup.13 cm.sup.-2) and an acceleration voltage of about 30 KeV (FIG. 1B). In the figure, reference numeral 706 represents a low concentration ion implanted region which is to serve as a source formed by that ion implantation, and reference numeral 707 represents a low concentration ion implanted region which is to serve as a drain formed by that ion implantation.
Thereafter, a silicon oxide film is deposited on the substrate 701 entire surface by the LPCVD process so that its thickness reaches about 1000 angstroms to subsequently carry out the RIE process, thereby allowing oxide film portions 708, 709 in a side wall form to be left on the side surfaces of the gate electrode. Further, implantation of ions 705 of impurity BF.sub.2.sup.+ is in turn carried out ordinarily under the condition of a higher dose more than 1.times.10.sup.15 cm.sup.-2 and an acceleration voltage of about 30 KeV (FIG. 1C). Thus, a high concentration ion implanted region 710 is formed at the portion which is to serve as the source on the substrate 701, and a high concentration ion implanted region 711 is formed at the portion which is to serve as the drain on the substrate 701.
Then, the RTA (Rapid Thermal Annealing) process is carried out for 20 seconds at 1000.degree. C. Then, after activation of ion implanted impurity has been conducted, metal silicide films 714, 715 are formed on the surface portions of the respective ion implanted regions 710, 711 by the SALICIDE (Self Align Silicide) process to thereby carry out activation of impurity to form the source region comprised of a high concentration diffused layer 716 and a low concentration diffused layer 717 and the drain region comprised of a high concentration diffused layer 718 and a low concentration diffused layer 719. Thus, LDD structures (low concentration diffused layers 717, 719) shallow in depth which have a low carrier concentration in correspondence with a carrier concentration of the substrate 701 are formed on the both sides of the channel formation region below the gate oxide film 703 (FIG. 1D).
Meanwhile, although such LDD structure has an advantage of suppression of the short-channel effect as previously described, it has the problem that since the channel side portions of the drain and source are caused to have a low concentration, the resistance between the source and the drain increases by lowering of concentration, resulting in a lowered current drivability. For this reason, in the case where the short-channel effect is not so problem in relation to the power supply voltage specification, there were instances where such a LDD structure is not employed.
However, it is considered that the action of suppression of the short-channel effect by the LDD structure is very useful for miniaturization of MOSFET. In view of this, inventors conducted a simulation to study an optimum mode (structure, impurity profile, etc.) of this LDD structure. As a result, it is found that from the both points of view of suppression of the short-channel effect and assuring of a drivability, the construction in which a shallow diffused layer having high concentration which cannot be realized by optimizing the conventional method and a diffused layer required to have a certain depth when the salicide process is taken into consideration are provided is required.
To form the LDD structure as described above in practice, after a gate electrode has been formed on a silicon substrate via a gate oxide film, impurity ions are implanted at a low dose rate. Further, after an insulating film has been formed on a gate side wall, impurity ions such as arsenic are implanted at a high dose rate. By the above-mentioned process, a shallow diffusion layer of a low concentration can be formed near the gate, and a deep diffusion layer of a high concentration can be formed outside the shallow diffusion layer. Further, a saliside film is formed on the deep diffusion layer of a high concentration.
However, this method involves various problems as follows: In the LDD structure, although there exists such an effect as to suppress a short channel effect, since the channel side of the drain and source is low in concentration, the resistance between the source and the drain increases by that extent, so that a problem arises in that the current drive capability is lowered. Accordingly, there exists such a case that the LDD structure is not adopted, when the short channel effect is not important from the point of view of element reliability in relation to the supply voltage specifications.
In addition, in the prior art NMOS transistors, although the diffusion layer of the source and drain is formed by ion (e.g., arsenic) implantation, the maximum junction depth is 40 nm at its minimum, and it has been difficult to obtain the junction depth less than 40 nm. Furthermore, when the gate length is less than 0.17 .mu.m, since the short channel effect becomes prominent and further the threshold voltage Vth disperses, with the result that a serious problem arises in that the LSI characteristics fluctuate extremely large.
On the other hand, it is possible to form a shallow area of high concentration carriers, without forming the side wall insulating film on both sides of the gate. In this method, however, since the scaling rule cannot be applied to the contact resistance, in the indispensable saliside process, silicon is consumed at a composition ratio of silicon to metal contained in the metallic film formed on the substrate. Therefore, when the diffusion layer is formed shallow, the carrier concentration decreases at an interface between the metal siliside film and the substrate, so that the contact resistance increases and further the distance decreases from the electrode, through the interface of the source and drain diffusion layer regions and the source and drain diffusion layer regions, to the pn junction of the substrate. Consequently, leak current increases and further the depth of the diffusion layer (the degree of shallowness) is limited.
Further, in the conventional MOS transistors operative at room temperature, the minimum gate length obtainable was 70 nm (T. Hashimoto et al. "3V operation of 70 nm gate length MOSFET with new double punch through stopper structure", in Ext. Abs. of Ing. Conf. on Solid State Devices and Materials. pp 490 to 492, August 1992). In other words, it has been so far difficult from the technical point of view to from the MOSFET having a gate length less than 70 nm.
As described above, when MOSFET is miniaturized, although the LDD structure is suitable for suppression of the short channel effect, since the resistance between the source and the drain increases, there exists a problem in that the current drive capability deteriorates.

MOSFET with solid phase diffusion source


A method for generating an indoor environment model of a building. The method comprises forming a transmitter location model for defining positions of transmitters in said building using gathered information for establishing transmitter locations. The method further comprises receiving signal strength indicative measurements determined for a number of transmitters using at least one electronic communications device wherein the signal strength indicative measurements are based on a signal which has varying signal propagation characteristics in the indoor environment The signal strength indicative measurements are acquired from a number of known locations in the building, identifying discrepancies of signal transmittance in said indoor environment based on said signal strength indicative measurements in relation to said transmitter location model. The method further comprises determining locations of signal hindering elements causing said discrepancies and generating said indoor environment model including transmitter locations and said signal hindering elements.

Positioning services are today extensively used all over the world for various applications. A common and straightforward example is to use positioning services for navigation purposes, but position data may also be used indirectly, for instance by using position data for determining what kind of information to present to a user in a news feed.
Even though positioning services are commonly used today, many positioning services are only working adequately in an outdoor environment. A reason for this is that in the outdoor environment, information from a satellite can be received by a mobile phone or other similar device without being hindered, which may be the case when the mobile phone is inside a building. Since satellite communication is in many cases prevented by the building, alternative technical solutions for indoor positioning has been developed.
An example of such a technical solution is making use of that different transmitters in a building, e.g. WiFi Access Points, are communicating with the mobile phone in a location, and that a signal strength is depending on a distance between one of the transmitters and the mobile phone. By combining these facts, it is possible to generate a database of received signal strengths in different known locations and then using this database to determine position data for an unknown location after having measured the received signal strengths.
Even though there today are technologies available for indoor positioning there is a need for improved services in terms of for instance position accuracy. Having an increased position accuracy will have the positive effect that devices can interact with each other more easily. Further, there is a need for more energy efficient indoor positioning devices providing the service. There are several positive effects with such devices, on one hand a time between battery charging can be extended, and on another hand that a cost for the devices can be reduced.

Method for generating an indoor environment model and a method for determining position data for a location in an indoor environment


A method and device for detecting the temperature of a motor winding, a method and device for thermal protection of a motor are provided, the method for detecting the temperature of a motor winding includes: obtaining the temperature of the motor winding at a first time before a time step; calculating the temperature rise of the rotor equivalent body after the motor runs for the time step; then calculating the temperature of the motor winding after the motor runs for the time step by superposing the temperature rise of the rotor equivalent body after the motor runs for the time step on the temperature of the motor winding obtained at the first time. By the method for detecting the temperature of a motor winding, the real-time monitoring on the temperature of the winding is achieved, thus applying the ability of the motor and improving sensitivity.

When a motor operates, a part of electrical energy is converted into mechanical energy for being outputted, and a part of electrical energy is converted into heat energy to slowly spread to the air or other medium through materials of the motor structure. If the heat energy can not be transferred in time to the medium other than the motor, the temperature of the motor winding will rise, and when the temperature reaches a certain level, the motor is possible to burn out.
The common method for detecting the temperature of the motor winding is called as "over-current protection method", in which the running current of the motor is detected and when the running current reaches a specified value a specified action is executed for protecting the motor. Since the running current of the motor is not the only factor that causes heating and temperature rising of the motor winding and the growth speed of the temperature of the winding also relates to the thermal characteristic and load of the winding, the "over-current protection method" has shortcomings.
In addition, a more appropriate method is to embed a thermosensitive element in the dangerous heat source portion inside the motor to directly detect the temperature of heat source of the motor; and when the temperature exceeds the allowable value, actions related to the thermal protection of the motor will be started. This method has the advantage of accurately detecting temperature, but it needs to add an auxiliary device which has a high cost. Furthermore, for some small-sized motors, the installation of the thermosensitive element is too complex. In addition, the actual temperature of the dangerous heat source can not be detected unless the thermosensitive element sufficiently approximates to the dangerous heat source. However, for the motor, this is difficult to achieve.

Method and device for detecting winding temperature, method and device for thermal protection of a motor

Beijing Jingwei HiRain Technologies Co., Ltd.


This invention relates to control processors utilized in various control fields such as engine control, motor control, robot control, audio control, image control, etc. The control processor includes a data-flow processor for improving control performance of conventional control processors by providing parallel processing.

FIG. 1 is a view showing the organization of a control unit for an automotive engine which is currently available as commercial products and is put into practical service, while FIG. 2 is a view of the internal organization of the von Neumann type control processor utilized within the engine control unit of FIG. 1.
In these figures, the reference numeral 100 designates a von Neumann type control processor; reference numeral 101 designates a power transistor; reference numeral 102 designates an ignition coil; reference numeral 103 designates a distributor; reference numeral 104 designates a spark plug; reference numeral 105 designates an injector drive valve; reference numeral 110 designates an input/output portion of the processor 100; reference numeral 111 designates an analog/digital convertor (A/D convertor); reference numeral 112 designates a timer; reference numeral 113 designates a counter; reference numeral 114 designates a ROM; reference numeral 115 designates a RAM; reference numeral 116 designates an interrupt control unit; and reference numeral 117 designates a CPU.
The von Neumann type processor herein means a conventional processor which sequentially executes a stored program by means of a program counter.
Next, the method of operation is described.
Among the primary input signals inputted to the engine control unit 100 are: crank angle sensor signal which gives information with respective to the rpm of the engine and the ignition timings; air intake amount signal corresponding to the engine load; water temperature signal corresponding to the engine temperature; and the cell voltage which is the battery voltage. On the other hand, among the output signals are ignition control signal and injector drive signal.
This engine control unit 100 detects via the sensors the state of the engine, the rpm of the engine, the amount of air intake, and water temperature, calculates on the basis of these detected values the optimum ignition timings from the preset ignition timings, interrupts the primary current of the power transistor 101, and drives the ignition coil 102, thereby effecting the ignition timing control. Among the input signals, the idling detection signal is a digital-valued signal, by which only its state is shown, and which is read in via the I/O 110; the intake air amount signal, the water temperature signal, and the battery signal are inputted as analog values, and are converted into digital values by the A/D convertor 111.
With respect to the crank angle sensor signals, there are those which are inputted directly to the interrupt control unit 116 to generate an interrupt, and others which are demultiplied by the counter 113 measuring the predetermined number of the crank angle pulses and which are then inputted to the interrupt control unit 116 to generate an interrupt.
Next, the method by which the ignition timings are calculated utilizing these signals is described. First, the fundamental ignition timing (phase) .theta..sub.B is obtained from the air intake amount signal and the crank angle signal values. To this (obtained) value is added a water temperature correction (phase) .theta..sub.WT in accordance with the water temperature signal which is the engine warm state signal. A correction value which further advances from the time point 5 degrees before the top dead center (top dead center minus 5 degrees) is determined from these signals. The ignition timing (phase) .theta..sub.AD V is obtained by: EQU .theta..sub.AD V =.theta..sub.B +.theta..sub.WT
The actual ignition timing is determined with the crank angle sensor signal as the reference. FIG. 3 shows a conceptual view of this correction process. These processes of operations are effected by the CPU 117 of FIG. 2; its program is stored in the ROM 114, the RAM being utilized for maintaining the intermediate results. The CPU 117 is a von Neumann type computer having an address counter which shows the address of the ROM 114 having an executable program therein.
Further, the calculation of the injector pulses for the air intake/fuel control is effected as follows. The pulse width Ti is given by: EQU Ti=Fuel.times.K.sub.af .times.K.sub.wt .times.K.sub.VB
and is calculated on the basis of the air intake amount signal, the water temperature signal, the battery voltage, the crank angle sensor signal, and the idling signal.
Further, the software organization of these calculations are as shown in FIG. 4. The judgment with respect to whether it is a fuel cut or not is effected by the idling detection sensor by means of the interrupt routine of FIG. 11(b).
Further, for the execution of this software, the whole of the crank angle sensor (SGT) signal period is utilized as shown in FIG. 5, such that the three cycles of fuel injection, ignition timing, and the asynchronous injection are repeated every 180 degrees of the crank angle.
Since the conventional control processors are organized as described above, due to the improvement of the performance of the engine and the appearance of high rpm multi-cylinder engines, a severe problem has arisen that the processor is fully occupied by the processing of the interrupts so as to have no time for the execution of the main routine, and that the processing other than the fuel injection and the ignition timing controls is beyond its capacity and totally unpracticable.
This invention has been done to solve the above problems, and aims at obtaining a control processor which improves the engine performance in accordance with the utilization of the higher rpm multi-cylinder engines, and which effects high precision controls utilizing a variety of information from a multitude of sensors, so as to control a high performance engine utilized in high performance passenger automobiles, etc., which are good in the riding comfort, enhanced in fuel economy, and excellent in starting and idling characteristics.

Processor for control including a data-flow processor


Provided is a method for manufacturing a metal oxide hollow nanoparticles with excellent properties more easily and simply by a chemical vapor condensation employing metal β-diketonates as precursors, and a metal oxide hollow nanoparticles manufactured by the method. The method includes: preparing metal β-diketonate as a precursor; evaporating the metal β-diketonate at a predetermined temperature higher than a melting point of the metal β-diketonate; transferring the evaporated metal β-diketonate into a reaction region; thermally decomposing the transferred gaseous metal β-diketonate and simultaneously inducing a reaction of the transferred gaseous metal β-diketonate with oxygen to synthesize the metal oxide hollow nanoparticle; and condensing and collecting the synthesized metal oxide hollow nanoparticles.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method for manufacturing nanoparticles using a chemical vapor condensation process, and more particularly, to a method for manufacturing metal oxide hollow nanoparticles with excellent properties more easily and simply by a vapor synthesis process employing metal β-diketonate as a precursor, and metal oxide hollow nanoparticles manufactured by the method.
2. Description of the Related Art
Conventional metal oxide hollow particles originated from metal oxide or polymers are mainly applied to carriers of drugs, cosmetics, inks and so on and catalysts. Despite of this wide range of the applications, it is difficult to improve properties of the conventional metal oxide hollow particles because: sizes of the metal oxide hollow particles as manufactured are greater than several hundreds of nanometers; and using conventional synthesis methods, it is difficult to change various functional characteristics that are generally obtained by decreasing the metal oxide hollow particles to the size of less than 100 nm.
The mechanism for forming hollow particles largely relies on the conventional synthesis process. Examples of the conventional synthesis process are: a sol-gel process, which is a liquid phase synthesis method, a spray pyrolysis process, which is a gas phase synthesis method, and a spray drying process.
However, the above processes may cause a change in the microstructure of particles. In the case of the sol-gel process, a heat treatment for removing polymer core particles or interstitial organic materials is accompanied to form hollow structure. During the heat treatment, agglomeration of the particles and particle growth occur due to thermal coagulation of the particles. As a result, it may be difficult to manufacture hollow nanoparticles of less than 100 nm.
In consideration of the particle growth by the heat treatment, numerous studies have been actively continued to form a hollow structure through coating polymer core particles with sizes of several tens of nanometers. However, it may be very difficult to form a coating layer uniformly on the surface of each core particle with the size of less than several tens of nanometers. Therefore, successful synthesis of hollow nanoparticles with sizes of less than 100 nm has not been yet reported.
In the case of the gas phase synthesis processes such as spray pyrolysis process and spray drying process, a nozzle generates droplets of a precursor and, droplet sizes are in several microns. Hence, it may be difficult to manufacture hollow nanoparticles with sizes of less than 100 nm.

Method for manufacturing metal oxide hollow nanoparticles and metal oxide hollow nanoparticles manufactured by the same

Industry-University Cooperation Foundation Hanyang University


An improved juice extracting machine having an upper structure inside of which is housed a gear box connected to a motor reducer assembly, a feeding cone positioned within a fruit receptacle located over the upper structure, a protector covering a front face of the upper structure and including upper cylindrical and lower prismatic heads of the motor reducer assembly, a worm positioned within the protector, a juice reservoir received under a duct of the protector, and a lower structure attached to the upper structure. The lower structure receives a container therein for receiving solid and liquid residues of the juice extracting process. A collector is positioned adjacent the worm for receiving residues of a screen associated with the protector.

As known to all those persons skilled in the art, there is a great variety of juice extracting machines which are largely known and used. Such known machines are used to perform suitable juice extraction of the aforementioned fruits.
Among those known types of juice extracting machines, it should be cited a very conventional one comprising a vertically arranged electrical motor, at the end thereof a conical member is attached and against which half of any citric fruit is manually compressed. Said motor is housed inside a body generally made of plastic or metal whose top portion includes a receptacle for collecting the juice extracted by the conical member.
The above-mentioned kind of extracting machine has dimensions in conformity with specific purposes, such as for domestic use, or for industrial or commercial use. In the case of the first modality of use, it is called a fruit squeezer.
Nevertheless, there are other more sophisticated models intended to process fruit in a mechanical and automatic way, such as disclosed by Patent PI 9005883 for `JUICE EXTRACTING MACHINE` comprising basically a support structure inside which there is suitably arranged a drive unit engaged with a motor reducer assembly sealingly closed in its inner part. The respective axes of said assembly are horizontal to a front face of said basic support structure and are encased with corresponding upper cylindrical and lower prismatic heads; said upper cylindrical heads including concave recesses, while said lower prismatic heads include semispherical heads. A cutting blade is mounted between said upper cylindrical heads. Within said upper cylindrical and lower prismatic heads, there is a front cover which is transparent and includes lateral openings, said transparent cover defining a juice extracting chamber.
Despite of the efficiency proven by the above machine, it is noted the existence of some points to be improved mainly with respect to the fruits feeding to the extracting mechanism of said machine.
Another aspect to be improved relates to the elimination of the extracting residues which generally remain accumulated at the machine screen, because it lacks means to enable the residues to be withdrawn.
One objective of the present invention resides on the fact of providing an improved juice extracting machine having an outline different from the known types.
Another objective of the present invention is to provide an improved juice extracting machine with means to enable elimination of the residues resulting from the juice extraction, as these residues usually remain accumulated at the screen.
It is a further objective of the present invention to provide a juice extracting machine showing a better accommodation for the fruits to be processed, thereby improving its functionality.

rua Estilac Leal, 160 a, 174 A, Guarulhos


The present invention provides a surfactant composition containing a polyglycerol alkyl ether which is capable of exhibiting a high emulsification performance for silicone oils compounded in cosmetics, detergents, etc., by using a natural alcohol derived from oils and fats as a raw material thereof, a process for producing the surfactant composition in an effective manner, and a use of the surfactant composition. The present invention relates to [1] a surfactant composition including a specific polyglycerol monoalkyl ether (1) and a specific polyglycerol dialkyl ether (2), a mass ratio of [(1)/(2)] being from 65/35 to 75/25; [2] a process for producing the surfactant composition; [3] an emulsifier composition including the surfactant composition; and [4] a detergent composition including the surfactant composition.

It is known that a surfactant composition containing a polyglycerol monoalkyl ether and a polyglycerol dialkyl ether is suitably used in the applications such as cosmetics and detergents because the composition can exhibit a good emulsification effect for forming an emulsion having an excellent stability with time.
For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a polyglycerol alkyl ether-type nonionic surfactant having a polyglycerol monoalkyl ether content of 75% by weight or more and a polyglycerol dialkyl ether content of 5% by weight or less.
Patent Document 2 discloses a cosmetic composition or detergent composition containing a polyglycerol 2-ethylhexyl ether in which an average number of 2-ethylhexyl groups added to a polyglycerol is 1.5 or more.
Also, Patent Document 3 discloses a two-part hair dye composition having a gentle effect on skin which is free from sagging of foams for a period from application to hair up to rinsing because the hair dye composition can maintain a good foaming property even at a low temperature. The two-part hair dye composition disclosed in Patent Document is constituted of an alkaline agent and a hydrogen peroxide agent at least one of which contains a polyglycerol alkyl ether having a specific composition including 75% by weight or more of a polyglycerol monoalkyl ether (monoalkyl compounds), 5% by weight or less of a polyglycerol dialkyl ether (dialkyl compounds) and 20% by weight or less of a polyglycerol.


A multiprocessing uncompression mechanism takes advantage of existing multiprocessing capability within a database to perform dynamic uncompression of portions of a partially compressed database table that satisfy a query using processes that may be executed in parallel. Historical information is gathered for each query. Uncompression advice includes user-specified parameters that determine how the multiprocessing uncompression mechanism functions. The multiprocessing uncompression mechanism processes the historical information and uncompression advice to determine an appropriate task count for performing uncompression in parallel processes. The existing multiprocessing capability within the database then processes the tasks that perform the uncompression in parallel.

1. Technical Field
This disclosure generally relates to computer systems, and more specifically relates to database systems.
2. Background Art
Database systems have been developed that allow a computer to store a large amount of information in a way that allows a user to search for and retrieve specific information in the database. For example, an insurance company may have a database that includes all of its policy holders and their current account information, including payment history, premium amount, policy number, policy type, exclusions to coverage, etc. A database system allows the insurance company to retrieve the account information for a single policy holder among the thousands and perhaps millions of policy holders in its database. Retrieval of information from a database is typically done using queries. A database query typically includes one or more predicate expressions interconnected with logical operators.
Database compression has been known for some time as a way to reduce the size of a table that is not often used. In the prior art, if compression is performed, it is performed on an entire database table. Once a table is compressed, it cannot be queried until it is uncompressed. If the data in the table is then needed, the entire table must be uncompressed, then a query may be executed to access data in the table. The cost in processor overhead of compressing and uncompressing a database table can be significant, especially for large tables. For this reason, compression/uncompression schemes have typically been limited to applications when the likelihood of needing data that has been compressed is low.
The first related application referenced above provides a way to partially compress a portion of a database table without compressing all of the database table. Portions that may be compressed include columns, parts of columns, and rows. When a database table has one or more compressed portions, the issue now arises regarding how to deal with the compressed portions. The second related application referenced above provides a way to perform dynamic partial uncompression of a partially compressed database table as queries are executed. However, neither of these discuss performing partial uncompression of a partially compressed database table in parallel. Without a way to perform uncompression of portions of a partially compressed database table in parallel when executing a query, the performance of queries that result in dynamic uncompression of data will be limited.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Parallel uncompression of a partially compressed database table determines a count of uncompression tasks that satisfies the query

International Business Machines Corporation


A control system. An apparatus having a motor; a host processor for generating a message containing motor control information; a control board for receiving the message and for transmitting a command, corresponding to the message, to the motor; and a communications medium coupling the host processor and the control board. The communications medium supports a first communications path and a second communications path. The first communications path is for transmitting messages from the host processor to the control board. The second communications path is for transmitting messages from the control board to the host processor.

1. Field of Invention
The present invention relates to the field of control systems. In particular, the present invention describes a control system having improved reliability and extendibility for semiconductor processing equipment.
2. Description of Related Art
Semiconductor manufacturers use semiconductor wafers as the base for manufacturing integrated circuits. In one step of the manufacturing process, the wafers are put through a chemical-mechanical polishing step that leaves the wafers' surfaces covered in particles. Semiconductor manufacturers use double sided wafer scrubbers (scrubbers) to clean the semiconductor wafers after being polished. Double sided wafer scrubbers clean both sides of each wafer to remove these particles.
To reduce the risk of damaging the wafers, automated scrubbers have been developed. Scrubbers typically include a number of automated stations that operate together to clean wafers. Typically, to clean a wafer, the wafer must first be loaded from the cassette (a device for holding wafers), washed, brushed, dried, and then placed into another cassette. Typically, a scrubber cleans multiple wafers at the same time; one wafer being in each station.
Scrubber customers demand scrubbers that can continuously repeat the processing steps for many wafers with very few differences between the processing of individual wafers. This repeatability of the wafer processing is important to scrubber customers.
To reduce the costs of supporting scrubber customers, the reliability of the scrubbers must be very high. Typically, semiconductor equipment manufacturers sell their products globally. Therefore, correcting problems on a scrubber can be expensive as technicians may need to travel great distances at significant cost.
Scrubber customers often require special modifications to a basic scrubber design. For example, a customer may require that the scrubber's output station provide wafers to another semiconductor processing station. These special modifications can be expensive to implement.
One prior art scrubber, the DDS-200 Doubled Sided Scrubber, available from OnTrak Systems, Inc., of Milpitas, Calif., achieved many of these goals. However, customers continue to demand scrubbers with greater repeatability, higher reliability, and more features. To meet these customer demands, an improved control system is needed.


A telescoping leveler can include a housing having one end securable to a support column of an article of furniture and a threaded bore provided in an opposite end, a cylindrical intermediate member threaded on both an outside surface and an inside surface with the threaded outside surface threaded into the threaded bore of the housing, and a leveling glide having an upper threaded shaft portion that can be threaded into the threaded inside surface of the cylindrical intermediate member. The leveling glide can also have a lower foot portion. Additionally, a plurality of telescoping cylindrical intermediate members can be provided between the housing and the leveling glide. Furthermore, a stop means can be provided to prevent the threaded shaft and the intermediate members from being fully removed out of the threaded bore and threaded inside surfaces.

The present invention relates to a device for leveling an article of furniture. More particularly the invention relates to a telescoping leveler for an article of furniture such as, for example, a desk or table.
Traditionally, most desk tops have been supported by four conventional legs or alternatively by an opposed pair of vertical support panels. But, on more recent modular desks, the tops are supported on C-shaped, or inverted T-shaped, support columns, so that the vertical leg of the support columns can be offset rearwards, away from the swing of the user's feet.
In order to level these desks or other articles of furniture on uneven floors, screw in retractable levelers, i.e. "glides," can be provided at the base of each support column. Glide assemblies commonly utilize an internally threaded housing through which a threaded shaft is engaged. The threaded housing can either be attached to or be an integral part of the support column. The support column can be adjusted vertically by screwing the threaded shaft into or out from the housing. Examples of such leveling glides are described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,320,049 to Rowland and U.S. Pat. No. 5,203,528 to Oke.
It is often desirable to minimize the height of the front of the base portion of the support columns to maximize clearance for the user's feet to swing over them. However, reducing this height also restricts the adjustment range of the threaded shaft by reducing the space into which it can retract. Whenever there has been a need for a large leveling extension range of adjustment, the threaded shaft of the leveler necessarily had to be made long enough to provide for greater extension. This can result in the front of the base being objectionably tall to conceal the lengthened threaded shaft. Alternatively, an aperture can be provided in the front of the base and the threaded shaft can be permitted to extend through the aperture. However, this does not alleviate the problem of minimizing the height of the front of the base to maximize clearance. The threaded shaft extending upwardly can be just as much of an obstruction as if the front of the base were made tall enough to conceal the threaded shaft, and might even be more hazardous.
However, some C/T-shaped leg bases have been provided with a leveling mechanism in which the entire base of each support column can be pivoted relative to the support column. Although the height of the front of the base can be minimized, it can also be more costly to design and manufacture this type of an adjustment mechanism. Additionally, this type of leveling mechanism can be more difficult and time consuming to adjust.
Therefore, there is a need for a leveling glide which, for a given base height, can provide a greater extendible range so that the front of the base can be of minimal height to maximize clearance for a user's feet to swing over top of them. Furthermore, such a leveler can be as simple and easy to adjust as a common glide assembly using a threaded housing and threaded shaft.


A dynamic page template is populated with one or more digital content objects, comprising. For each digital content object, a locus is determined in relation to the dynamic page template. The locus specifies locations on the dynamic page template at which the digital content object can be placed. The digital content object is then placed on the dynamic page template at one of the locations specified by the locus. The digital content objects placed on the dynamic page template are algorithmically manipulated one or more times to change sizes and/or locations of one or more of the digital content objects. The dynamic page template is then output.

Taking digital pictures with a digital camera, and subsequently manipulating them using a computing device, has proven to be a popular activity with users. One type of application involves selecting a number of digital pictures for inclusion on a page template. A page template typically defines a background, and in the prior art, usually specifies a static number of positions at which digital pictures or other types of digital content objects, such as text or clipart, can be placed. After population of the digital page template with digital images, a user may print out the resulting page to share. A number of such pages populated with digital pictures may be printed in book form, for instance, to provide a user with a unique and custom product by which to share his or her digital pictures.
A difficulty with existing page templates is that they are typically static. That is, a given page template usually statically defines the number of digital pictures that can be placed on the page, as well as their locations and/or sizes. To provide users with a rich ability to place different numbers of photos at different locations and with different sizes on a given page, a page template designer may therefore have to create hundreds, if not more, of different page templates. Even then, users may still want to place their digital pictures in a way that is not provided by any of these different page templates. Thus, current approaches for existing page templates result in the page template designer having to engage in often tedious work to create large numbers of page templates, while potentially still not satisfying the expectations and needs of users.

Populating a dynamic page template with digital content objects according to constraints specified in the dynamic page template

Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.