An iterative decoding device includes a decoder, a dual mode determination unit and a dual mode scaling unit. The decoder is utilized for receiving a set of soft information (SI) and iteratively decoding the set of SI and updating the set of SI accordingly to generate a set of updated SI. The dual mode determination unit is coupled to the decoder for generating a determination result according to the set of updated SI. The dual mode scaling unit is coupled to the dual mode determination unit and the decoder for scaling the set of updated SI according to the determination result to generate a set of scaled SI acting as an input of the decoder for next iteration.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an iterative decoding device and relative decoding method, and more particularly, to an iterative decoding device and related decoding method capable of improving error correction performance.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The communication of information between computers and other electronic devices can be achieved by using a variety of different specifications and technologies. For example, channel coding and error correction are used to reduce error of received signal due to distortion or other interference. Such encoding and error correction techniques can be achieved by using the encoder and decoder at the both end of transmission channel.
For example, any decoding algorithms for low density parity check code (LDPC code), such as belief propagation algorithm, normalized min-sum algorithm (NMSA), and offset min-sum algorithm (OMSA), can be applied to the receiver for decoding the received codeword. In general, an iterative decoder is used to provide decoding results converged to the correct codeword. For example, a message-passing algorithm (MPA) based on soft decision may be used for LDPC decoding at the receiving end. A plurality of received bits (e.g. a plurality of channel results) can be regarded as a plurality of variables representing probability of value "0" or value "1". The plurality of variables may be represented by a plurality of log likelihood ratios (LLRs) in the decoding algorithm. In the message passing algorithm, the soft information (e.g. LLR) is passed from a bit node to a check node and syndrome of current iteration is calculated. After that, the soft information can be passed from the check node to the bit node and the same procedure is repeated iteratively until the convergence condition is reached (e.g. the check parity of syndrome are all zero). LDPC code is a well-known technique and has been introduced in a large number of materials, such as U.S. published patent application No. 2011/0307755, "STRUCTURED LOW-DENSITY PARITY-CHECK (LDPC) CODE" and U.S. Pat. No. 7,707,479, "Method of generating structured irregular low density parity checkcodes for wireless systems".
However, for the LPDC decoding, the soft information may be gradually enlarged for improving the reliability of the determination during the iterative decoding process, so that the soft information would exceed the range of finite word length, thus resulting in decoding errors. Therefore, the soft information needs to be scaled to prevent the soft information from exceeding the range of finite word length. For example, please refer to FIG. 1, which illustrates a schematic diagram of a conventional iterative decoding device 10. The iterative decoding device 10 includes a decoder 100 and a scaling unit 102. The decoder 100 is used for receiving a set of soft information Si, iteratively decoding the aforementioned soft information and updating the aforementioned soft information accordingly to generate a set of updated soft information USi. The scaling unit 102 is coupled to decoder 100 for scaling the updated soft information USi to generate a set of scaled soft information SSi acting as an input of the decoder 100 for next iteration in order to avoid the soft information exceeding the range of finite word length during the iterative decoding process. However, the method can only be applied to a regular LDPC decoder, but can not be applied to an irregular LDPC decoder for improving error correction performance of the irregular LDPC decoder. Thus, the prior art has to be improved.

Iterative decoding device and related decoding method for irregular low-density parity-check code capable of improving error correction performance


In a method and apparatus for estimating a downhole fluid parameter include a body having an elongated cavity defined by an electrically conductive inner surface, an central electrical conductor located coaxially within the cavity, wherein an annular region is defined by the cavity inner surface and an outer surface of the electrical conductor. A fluid is conveyed to the annular region. A first electrode is coupled to the central electrode, a second electrode coupled to the central electrode, and at least one intermediate electrode coupled to the central electrode between the first electrode and the second electrode. An input signal is applied to the central electrode and first and second output signals are emitted from the second electrode intermediate electrode. The output signals are used in part to estimate the fluid property of the fluid existing in the annular region.

1. Technical Field
The present disclosure generally relates to well bore tools and in particular to methods and apparatus for estimating fluid properties downhole.
2. Background Information
Oil and gas wells have been drilled at depths ranging from a few thousand feet to as deep as 5 miles. Wireline and drilling tools often incorporate various sensors, instruments and control devices in order to carry out any number of downhole operations. These operations may include formation testing, fluid analysis, and tool monitoring and control.
Formation testing may include any number of evaluations and estimations. In some cases, it is desirable to understand fluid content for formation fluids produced from a subterranean formation and/or the content of drilling fluids used during drilling operations.
One method and apparatus for estimating fluid properties is a two-port, transverse electromagnetic mode, coaxial waveguide flowline sensor as described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,677,631, which is hereby incorporated by reference.
There is a need for determining downhole fluid properties such as capacitance and conductance over an entire range of fluid properties from dry gas to saltwater.

High resolution capacitance high conductivity fluid sensor


A method of forming patterns and an apparatus for carrying out the same whereby semiconductor integrated circuits and the like are manufactured using reduction projection alignment. The invention primarily involves projecting patterns of a first substrate onto the surface of a second substrate via an optical projector to form a projection image of the patterns on the second substrate surface. A phase difference pattern is furnished on the plane or its equivalent where the patterns of the first substrate are located. The phase difference pattern affords a predetermined phase difference to the light passing therethrough. Light is irradiated at the phase difference pattern via the optical projector to project the phase difference pattern onto a detecting plane in the position equivalent to the surface of the second substrate. This forms a projection image of the phase difference pattern on the detecting plane. An optical detector is used to detect the light intensity distribution of the projection image of the phase difference pattern projected onto the detecting plane. The detected light intensity distribution is represented by detection signals which are processed so as to obtain the relative positional relationship between the focal plane of the patterns and the detecting plane by use of the optical projector. Finally, the position of the second substrate is controlled so that the position of the detecting plane coincides with that of the focal plane on the basis of the relative positional relationship obtained.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method of forming patterns and an apparatus for carrying out the same whereby fine patterns are formed easily and with precision. More particularly, the invention relates to a method of forming patterns and an apparatus for carrying out the same in conjunction with the manufacture of large scale integrated circuits (LSI's) by use of projection aligner.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Fine patterns of semiconductor integrated circuits and the like are formed by the so-called reduction projection aligner. What the aligner does is to project by exposure, on a reduced scale, circuit patterns drawn on a mask or reticle (both are generically referred to as the reticle) onto a substrate (generally called the wafer) through an exposure lens. The circuit pattern image must be focused on the wafer surface precisely, i.e., with a good resolution. Recently developed reduction projection aligners tend to have greater numerical aperture (NA) than earlier models. The reason for this improvement is to further reduce optically printable line widths (below the submicron order). The novel capability involves reduced practical depths of focus of the projection lens. This means a greater need for more precise alignment of the projection image plane (focal plane) with the wafer surface. That precise alignment needs to be achieved by aligners equipped with a focusing function.
One such aligner with the focusing function is disclosed illustratively in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. SHO/60-168112. The disclosed apparatus varies the distance between wafer and projection lens in the optical axis direction to obtain the best focal plane through detection. Another aligner with the focusing function is disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. SHO/61-290306. This apparatus involves initially forming interference fringes on the wafer by use of two light beams and then varying the distance between wafer and projection lens in the optical axis direction so as to obtain the plane where the diffracted light intensity from the wafer is the highest. Another aligner with the focusing function, disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. HEI/1-262624, illuminates fiducial marks at different incident angles using two light beams of different polarization characteristics. The projected images of the fiducial marks are used to scan reticle marks. The resulting position error in the scanning direction allows a focal error to be calculated, whereby correct focusing is achieved. Yet another aligner with the focusing function is disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. SHO/60-78454. The apparatus first calculates the accumulated amount of heating in the projection lens arrangement caused by the incident light irradiated thereto. The calculated amount of heating is used to vary the air pressure in the enclosed space within the projection lens arrangement so as to obtain the best focal plane.
The apparatus disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. SHO/60-168112 requires shifting the wafer bit by bit in the optical axis direction. In each of the slightly shifted positions, the wafer marks need to be detected and their image contrasts obtained. Although the amount of focal error is accurately detected and the error is compensated with high reliability, it takes time for the apparatus to attain correct focusing. This tends to reduce the throughput of the apparatus. The apparatus disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. HEI/1-262624 offers improved levels of throughput because it detects the amount of focal error from the detected marks based on a single scan using two light beams of different incident angles. However, this apparatus cannot secure a sufficiently large difference between the two incident angles because it illuminates the fiducial marks at these angles using P and S waves obtained by passing the light through divided polarizers at the fiber tip. Furthermore, because the P and S waves are detected with two different detectors for comparison, the detectors may develop a detection error that stems from their potentially different detection characteristics. This adversely affects the reliability of the detected results.
The apparatus disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. SHO/60-78454 compensates any focal plane error by calculating the amount of focal error based on the accumulated amount of heating in the projection lens arrangement. One disadvantage of this apparatus is that it is difficult to ascertain whether correct focusing is really attained. Minute and unpredictable ambient changes can lead to a focusing error, which cannot be compensated. This has a detrimental effect on the reliability of the apparatus.
As described, most prior art aligners with the automatic focusing function have been deficient in calibrating the operating conditions of the focusing mechanism by detecting precisely and quickly that focal plane of the projection optics which changes over time, and in accurately positioning the wafer surface to the correct focal plane under the calibrated operating conditions.

Method of forming patterns and apparatus for carrying out the same


This gripping hand has a base member and a number of fingers arranged about an axis line passing through the base member, wherein each of the fingers has a flexible finger part having flexibility and a finger base member for supporting the basal end side of the flexible finger part, the gripping hand is provided with a number of link mechanisms that are supported by the base member and that support the respective number of finger base members, and each of the link mechanisms allows the finger base member supported thereby to move relative to the base member such that the orientation of the finger base member supported thereby does not substantially change relative to the base member.

There is a known gripping hand provided with: a base member that is formed by connecting eight link members in series and that can be deformed into a regular octagonal shape and a rectangular shape; and a plurality of fingers each of which is supported by any of the eight link members of the base member, wherein each of the fingers has a plurality of joints, and the shape of the base member is changed according to the shape of a grasp object (refer to, for example, Japanese Unexamined Patent Application, Publication No. 2010-076050).
There is also a known gripping hand provided with: a base member formed by connecting four link members in a manner arranged in a prescribed direction; and a plurality of fingers supported on one side and other side of the base member in the above-described prescribed direction, wherein each of the fingers has a plurality of joints, the base member is deformed so that the four link members are arranged in one straight line when a large object is to be gripped, and the link members in the middle in the above-described prescribed direction are folded so that the link members at the one end and the other end in the above-described prescribed direction approach each other when a small object is to be gripped (refer to, for example, Japanese Unexamined Patent Application, Publication No. 2008-178939).
There is also a known gripping hand provided with: a base member; and a plurality of fingers each of which is mounted on the base member so as to be swivelable, wherein each of the fingers has a plurality of joints, and a grasp object is gripped by bending the joints of each of the fingers (refer to, for example, Japanese Unexamined Patent Application, Publication No. 2015-533669).


A method for automatically testing an electronic circuit with a capacitive sensor having two capacitors is provided, wherein the common electrode of the capacitors moves relative to each fixed electrode. The electronic circuit includes a sensor interface that includes a charge transfer amplifier unit, an integrator unit connected to the amplifier unit to provide measurement output voltage, and an excitation unit. The excitation unit inversely polarizes each fixed electrode at high or low voltage or discharges the capacitors. The method includes several successive measurement cycles each divided into a first phase discharging capacitors by output voltage and a second phase for polarizing the fixed electrode of the first capacitor at high voltage and inversely polarizing the fixed electrode of the second capacitor at low voltage. In the measuring cycles, a test phase replaces a second polarizing phase in at least one cycle in every two successive measurement cycles.

In such capacitive sensors, the common moving electrode forms part for example of an armature elastically held between the two fixed electrodes. This common electrode is capable of moving some distance in the direction of one or other of the fixed electrodes via the action of a force or a pressure, for example. At rest, this common electrode is normally equidistant from the two fixed electrodes. This defines equal capacitive values for the two capacitors. When the common electrode moves via the action of a force or pressure or another physical quantity to be measured, the capacitive value of each sensor varies inversely. The interface circuit connected to the capacitive sensor is thus for providing an output signal in the form of a voltage depending upon the variation in the capacitances of the two capacitors.
The output voltage may vary linearly in an ideal case relative to the movement of the common moving electrode, which is not theoretically entirely the case if the interface circuit is integrated into a semiconductor substrate. Stray capacitors, which are added to the capacitors of the sensor, normally have to be taken into account. These stray capacitors are practically independent of the movement of the common electrode, which can create certain non-linearities. The same is true for a MEMS type sensor integrated in a semiconductor substrate, which is connected to the interface circuit to form the electronic circuit. Consequently, the electronic circuit output voltage cannot vary linearly in accordance with the movement of the common moving electrode as a function of an electrostatic force to be measured.
Generally, in order to measure a force, acceleration or pressure, the fixed electrodes of the two capacitors are polarized or excited cyclically by voltages of opposite polarity relative to an intermediate or median voltage at rest. These two polarizing voltages are for example that provided directly at the terminals of a continuous voltage source, such as a battery, namely a low voltage, which can be earth, and a high voltage. By polarizing the two fixed electrodes at different voltage levels, the charge difference across the moving electrode can be measured and converted into an output voltage of the electronic circuit. Several cycles or successive measuring periods are necessary and are each divided at least into a phase of polarizing the fixed electrodes and a phase of discharging the fixed electrodes by the output voltage. When the output voltage is stabilised at its final value, the total charge transfer of the moving electrode becomes zero. This output voltage can be provided, sampled, to a processing circuit able to provide acceleration, force, pressure or angular velocity data depending upon the structure of the sensor.
In order to check the proper operation of this type of electronic circuit with a capacitive sensor, a functionality test must be carried out either at the beginning of the operation thereof, or during force, acceleration, or pressure measuring cycles. In order to do this, an electrostatic force is deliberately and cyclically generated replacing, at least one in two times, a polarizing phase with a test phase. In this test phase, a single fixed electrode of one of the capacitors is polarized for example at the high voltage of the continuous voltage source without polarizing the other fixed electrode. Because of this unbalance, a mechanical force is thus produced on the moving electrode which will tend to be directed towards the polarized fixed electrode. At the end of this automatic test, the stabilised output voltage value enables the electrostatic force, deliberately generated for the electronic circuit operation check, to be estimated. If this test was carried out during measurement of a real force, the value of the output voltage will cumulate or subtract the dependence of the real force and the generated electrostatic force.
One embodiment of an electronic circuit with a capacitive sensor for implementing the automatic test method is shown in FIG. 1, in addition to the various measuring cycle phases illustrated by a time diagram of voltage signals at the sensor in FIG. 2. The electronic circuit shown is based on an electronic circuit disclosed in the article by Messrs H Leutold and F Rudolph, which appeared in the review entitled, "Sensors and actuators" A21-A23 (1990), pages 278 to 281, and also in FR Patent No. 2 720 510.
The electronic circuit 1 shown includes a capacitive sensor 2 and an interface circuit connected to the sensor for providing a measuring output signal Vm. Capacitive sensor 2 includes two differential mounted capacitors having a common electrode Cm able to move between two fixed electrodes to define two capacitors C1 and C2. The electronic interface of sensor 2 of electronic circuit 1 includes a charge transfer amplifier unit 4, which is connected at input to the common electrode Cm, an integrator unit 5 for permanently providing at output a voltage Vm equal to the integral of the charges provided by amplifier unit 4, and an excitation unit 3 for cyclically polarizing the fixed electrodes at determined voltage levels.
The charge transfer amplifier unit 4 includes an operational amplifier 10, three capacitors C3, C4 and C5 and two switches 16 and 17. The inverting input of this amplifier is connected to common electrode Cm. The capacitor C3 in parallel with switch 16 are connected between the inverting input and the output of amplifier 10. Capacitor C4 is connected between the output of amplifier 10 and the input of integrator unit 5. Capacitor C5 is connected between the non-inverting input and a voltage reference terminal Vref, which may be for example equal to VSS. Finally, switch 17 is arranged between the output of integrator unit 5 and the non-inverting input of amplifier 10.
Integrator unit 5, which follows charge transfer amplifier unit 4, includes two input switches 18 and 19, an operational amplifier 11 and an integration capacitor Cf. This capacitor Cf is connected between the inverting input and the output of amplifier 11, which supplies the output voltage Vm of integrator 5. The input switch 18 is arranged between the output terminal of capacitor C4 of charge transfer unit and the non-inverting input of amplifier 11. The potential of this non-inverting input of amplifier 11 is fixed at the voltage reference Vref. Switch 19 is arranged between the output terminal of capacitor C4 of charge transfer unit 4 and the inverting input of amplifier 11.
Excitation unit 3 includes four switches 12, 13, 14 and 15, which can be formed by MOS switching transistors in the integrated circuit. The first switch 12 is arranged between the output of integrator 5 and the fixed electrode of capacitor C1. The second switch 13 is arranged between the output of the integrator and the fixed electrode of capacitor C2. The third switch 14 is arranged between the high voltage terminal VDD of a continuous voltage source and the fixed electrode of capacitor C1. Finally, the fourth switch 15 is arranged between the low voltage terminal VSS of the voltage source and the fixed electrode of capacitor C2.
In the normal electronic circuit operating mode, each cycle or successive measuring period is divided into two successive phases P1 and P2 as shown in part in FIG. 2. Passage from one phase to the other is controlled by clock signals that are not shown so as respectively to open or close the switches. Each switch is switched on or off taking account of time overlap or non-overlap conditions for each phase. For the first phase P1, switches 12 and 13 are closed (switched on) in order to discharge the two capacitors completely using output voltage Vm as shown by the diagrams of voltages VC1, VCm and VC2. Switches 16, 17 and 18 are also closed, whereas switches 14 and 15 are open (switched off) in this first phase P1. In the second phase P2, switches 14 and 15 are closed, whereas switches 12, 13, 16, 17 and 18 are open. In this second phase P2, voltage VDD is applied to the fixed electrode C1 seen in the VC1 diagram, whereas voltage VSS is applied to the fixed electrode C2 seen in the VC2 diagram. If the moving electrode has moved a certain distance in the direction of one or other of the fixed electrodes, the capacitances of the capacitors will vary inversely. This will lead to a difference in the charge accumulated by each capacitor, which also depends upon the voltage Vm applied previously to each electrode of the capacitors.
In order to carry out the automatic test of electronic circuit 1 in a conventional manner, an electrostatic force has to be generated electronically to emulate, for example, an acceleration or another physical quantity. In order to do this in the measurement cycles, the second phase P2 is replaced at least once every two successive cycles by a test phase TF as shown in FIG. 2. In this test phase TF, only the fixed electrode of capacitor C1 is polarized at the high voltage VDD, whereas the fixed electrode of capacitor C2 is kept at the value of the preceding output voltage Vm, just like moving electrode Cm. In this test phase TF, only switch 14 is closed, since there is no next integration operation when this electrostatic force is generated. The moving electrode is deliberately mechanically drawn towards the single polarized fixed electrode of capacitor C1, which emulates, for example, an acceleration to be measured. The movement of this moving electrode, due to the force generated during each test phase TF, is thus measured in the measurement cycles via a second measuring phase P2 that occurs once every two times alternately with each test phase.
After several operating cycles for the automatic test, the final value of voltage Vm supplies an indication of the deliberately generated electrostatic force. FIG. 2 only shows the final stabilised Vm value shown in voltage diagram VCm. Since the moving electrode has moved in the direction of the fixed electrode of capacitor C1, this output voltage Vm is above the intermediate or median rest voltage (VDD+VSS)/2.
It will be noted that with an automatic operating test of the electronic circuit as described above, the electrostatic force generated is obtained in each test phase by polarizing only one of the fixed capacitor electrodes via the high voltage of a continuous voltage source. This polarization of one of the fixed electrodes could also be carried out with the low voltage. Consequently, this electrostatic force is greatly dependent upon the high or low voltage value which may vary given that it is supplied by a battery, which can be discharged, which is a drawback. Moreover, with an automatic test of the prior art, it is not possible to adjust or program a determined electrostatic force as a function of any type of capacitive sensor to be tested, which constitutes another drawback.

Method of automatically testing an electronic circuit with a capacitive sensor and electronic circuit for the implementation of the same


A lithium ion secondary battery of an embodiment includes: a battery can; an electrode assembly in the battery can formed by rolling up a positive electrode, a separator and a negative electrode; an organic electrolyte solution in the battery can; a positive electrode lead in the battery can connected to the positive electrode; a negative electrode lead in the battery can connected to the negative electrode; and an overcharge preventer in the battery can; a cap body sealing the battery can; a positive electrode terminal fixed to the cap body and connected to the positive electrode lead; and a negative electrode terminal fixed to the cap body and connected to the negative electrode lead.

In recent years, automobiles using secondary batteries as energy sources have been put into practical use, for the reduction of carbon-dioxide emissions, concern over the depletion of fossil fuels such as gasoline. The secondary batteries are required to be high in output power, high in energy density, reduced in size and weight, low in price, or the like, and the improvement in safety and durability is also indispensable for the secondary batteries.
Lithium ion secondary batteries are known as high energy-density secondary batteries for automobiles. The high energy-density lithium ion secondary battery typically has an electrode assembly obtained by rolling up a positive electrode and a negative electrode stacked with a separator interposed therebetween, impregnated with an organic electrolyte solution, and enclosed in a battery can.
Because of the use of an organic electrolyte solution in the lithium ion secondary battery, in the case of reaching an overcharge condition, there is a possibility of not only increasing the battery voltage, but also increasing the pressure gas inside the battery, and further increasing the temperature in the battery, thereby leading to situations such as leakage of the electrolyte solution and rupture of the can. The secondary batteries for automobiles are expected to be subjected to the frequent repetition of charge and discharge, and measures against overcharge are thus taken to ensure safety.
As a conventional measure against overcharge, it is known that when the voltage between terminals of a zener diode exceeds a predetermined range, an opening formed in an exterior member is released by a heat generation unit to discharge gas generated by overcharge from the inside of the exterior member.
In addition, as other measure against overcharge, it is also known that safety is ensured by providing a temperature fuse inside a battery, and providing an overcharge preventer for interrupting a charging current by melting down the temperature fuse when the temperature of an electrode assembly is increased.


The one step process of removal of chromophore/dye/organic pollutant from a solution comprising a polymer free titanium oxide gel i.e. high zeta potential is disclosed. The concentration of the chromophores is removed up to 95-100%.

The textile and dye industries are considered to be two of the most polluting industries. While the concentration of colored components or colour contributing components in the effluent may be very small and may not be always toxic, they are a cause for substantial public apprehension due to the intense and unacceptable-colour of the effluents. Physical, chemical, biological and physico-chemical methods have been tried to treat these chromophores with various advantages and disadvantages. The approach seems to now have changed from their treatment to their removal. The factors to be considered with regard to removal by physical, chemical, biological and physico-chemical methods include cost, effectiveness, colour, need for large areas of space, ease of use, generation of concentrated sludge, large quantity of dissolved solids posing problems for its recycle or its safe disposal in the environment amongst others.
Research on novel photocatalysts using semiconductor materials (e.g., titanium dioxide) has been consistently conducted for scientific and commercial purposes. Particularly, titanium dioxide photocatalysts have been used as a means to remove pollutants causing serious environmental problems.
An article titled "Sol-gel synthesis of Au/Ti02 thin films for photo catalytic degradation of phenol in sunlight";—in Journal of Molecular Catalysis A: Chemical 243 (2006) 68-76; by R. S. Sonawana, M. K. Dongare discloses preparation of AuATiO2 thin films used in photocatalytic decomposition of organic matter and capable of being reused repeatedly.
Photocatalytic degradation of various types of dyes such as Alizarin S, Crocein Orange G, Methyl Red, Congo Red, Methylene Blue and other organic pollutants in water by UV-irradiated titania is disclosed in an article titled "Photocatalytic degradation of various types of dyes in water by UV-irradiated titania" by Hinda Lachheb, Eric Puzenat, Ammar Houas in Applied Catalysis B: Environmental Volume 39, Issue 1, 8 Nov. 2002, Pages 75-90.
An article titled "Tailored titanium dioxide photocatalysts for the degradation of organic dyes in wastewater treatment: A review by Fang Han, Venkata Subba et al in applied Catalysis A: General Volume 359, Issues 1-2, 15 May 2009, Pages 25-40; discloses photocatalytic decomposition of organic pollutants and organic dyes from industrial waste water effluents involving TiO2 or modified TiO2.
An article titled "Preparation of titanium(IV) oxide thin film photo catalyst by sol-gel dip coating" in Materials Chemistry and Physics 77 (2002) 744-750 by R. S. Sonawane, S. G. Hegde, M. K. Dongare discloses TiO2 films which were used for photo catalytic decomposition of salicylic acid and methylene blue.
An article in International Journal of Photoenergy Volume 2009, Article ID 962783, 8 pages doi: 10.1155/2009/962783 titled "Nanosized TiO2 photocatalyst powder via sol-gel method: effect of hydrolysis degree on powder properties" by Nor Hafizah and lis Sopyan discloses synthesis of nanosized TiO2 powder via sol-gel method using titanium tetraisopropoxide (TPT) as the precursor in methanol for degradation of phenol and other organic pollutants.
An article titled "Photocatalytic degradation of an azo dye in a tubular continuous-flow photoreactor with immobilized TiO2 on glass plates" by Behnajady M. A. et al in Chemical engineering journal. ISSN 1385-8947, 2007, vol. 127, no1-3, pp. 167-176 discloses the photocatalytic degradation of C.I. Acid Red 27 (AR27), an anionic monoazo dye of acid class in aqueous solutions in a tubular continuous-flow photoreactor with immobilized TiO2 on glass plates. It was observed that the removal efficiency increases as the light intensity increases but it decreases when the flow rate is increased. The final outlet stream of the photoreactor showed complete mineralization of the dye.
A disadvantage associated with the use of titanium dioxide as a photocatalyst is that light of short wavelengths in the ultraviolet (UV) region is required. Also, TiO2 absorbs only 3-5% energy of the solar spectrum. For these reasons, there is a continuing need to modify pure titanium dioxide to develop photocatalytic materials capable of possessing photocatalytic activity even under visible light.
Further, molecular modification achieved in the prior art processes are complex and depend on the monomer concentration, bimolecular condensation rate and functionality that depends on the hydrolysis rate. Moreover, TiO2 is used as thin films or in polymer gel powder. The photocatalytic activity is observed to be low due to low porosity and low surface area.
Also, TiO2 films for photocatalytic decomposition of organic matter suffer from drawbacks of efficiency and versatility. The thin film comprises 100% TiO2, where the gel of the invention has been prepared with extremely low concentrations of Ti salts. Further, the Ti film is limited in its ability to treat a variety of dyes as compared to the gels of the invention exemplified herein.
Therefore there still remains a need in the art to provide a simple process for the removal of chromophores. Also, the process should be such that the treated effluent appears colorless after removal of the chromophores. Preferably, the sludge generated from the process should be easily degradable without further elaborate processes requiring time and energy resources. Further, it would definitely be advantageous if the process of the invention removes chromophores and simultaneously removes other pollutants such as phenol, methanol, formalin, hexamine and such like from the effluents, since their removal is also a challenging task to meet the environmental regulations.

Removal of organic dyes and organic pollutants by titanium peroxide gel

COUNCIL OF SCIENTIFIC & INDUSTRIAL RESEARCH


This invention relates to a flat float glass that can be prestressed or transformed into a glass ceramic with high quartz mixed crystals or keatite mixed crystals. To eliminate undesirable surface defects during floating and to achieve superior characteristics of the glass or of the glass ceramic, in particular with regard to a low coefficient of thermal expansion and high light transmittance, the glass has a concentration of less than 300 ppb Pt, less than 30 ppb Rh, less than 1.5 wt. % ZnO and less than 1 wt. % SnO2, and is refined during melting without the use of the conventional fining agents arsenic oxide and/or antimony oxide.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a flat float glass that can be prestressed or transformed into a glass ceramic with high quartz mixed crystals or keatite mixed crystals.
2. Background of the Invention
Numerous applications of glass require flat glass, e.g. glass in the form of glass sheets or panels to be used as view windows and for display purposes. These flat glass items are manufactured from molten glass using methods of the prior art such as rolling, drawing, casting and floating.
On account of high surface quality requirements, special importance has been acquired by float glass, which is widely used in the glass industry. In the manufacture of glass sheets using the float glass method, a ribbon of glass is drawn from the glass-melting furnace and then, to smooth the surface, the glass, while still deformable, is drawn over a metal bath (e.g. consisting of molten tin). The glass thereby "floats" on the liquid metal. After it is removed from the metal bath, the glass sheet is cooled and then cut to length into individual segments. The result is a flat glass that has parallel and fire-polished surfaces and a high surface quality.
Using the float glass method, flat glass can be manufactured from different glass materials. For example, the prior art describes the use of the float process to manufacture mirror glass, such as borosilicate glass or aluminosilicate glass, for example, in addition to conventional soda lime glass.
Soda lime glasses are defined as glass that is manufactured essentially from the raw materials silicon dioxide (SiO2), lime (CaCO3) and soda (Na2CO3). Soda lime float glass can thereby also be thermally prestressed and thus meets the requirements for safety glass. To achieve this thermal prestress, the prior art describes the heating of cut-to-length sheets of float glass to approximately 600° to 700° C., followed by a very rapid cooling by a current of cold air. As a result of this heating and rapid cooling process, strong compression stresses are induced in the surface of the glass, along with tensile stresses in the interior of the glass. This combination of stresses results in a significant increase in the bending tensile strength of the glass, a lack of sensitivity to rapid temperature fluctuations and high elasticity. When extremely severe loads are applied, this type of prestressed glass breaks into a plurality of pellet like pieces that do not have very jagged edges. Soda lime float glass is therefore used widely, e.g. in architectural glazing or as curved windows for glazing automobiles.
Soda lime glass can also be chemically prestressed.
In chemical prestressing, the compression stress in the surface of the glass is achieved by ion exchange. Larger-radius ions that penetrate into the glass from outside thereby replace smaller ions. As a result of the greater amount of space occupied by the penetrating ions, a high compression stress is achieved in the surface, which increases the strength of the glass by a factor of 5 to 8.
The ion exchange is generally performed using alkali atoms, either in fused salts or by means of applied pastes. One conventional treatment uses potassium atoms that replace sodium atoms in the glass. One essential requirement is that the treatment take place below the transformation temperature of the glass, because otherwise the compression stress decreases significantly because of the heat. Chemically hardened glass of this type is used for special applications, such as in the aviation and aerospace industries, for centrifuge glass and in the lighting sector.
Borosilicate glass is a silicate glass that contains between 7% and 15% boron oxide. On account of its composition, it has a high temperature resistance and a very high hydrolytic and acid resistance. Like soda lime glass, it can be floated and thermally prestressed and is fined during manufacture using NaCl. Borosilicate flat glass is therefore used in applications that require increased chemical resistance and increased temperature stability, preheat resistance.
Aluminosilicate glass is a silicate glass that has as its essential component aluminum trioxide as well as other oxides. This category includes glass from the LiO2—Al2O3—SiO2 system. A glass of this type can also be floated and thermally prestressed, and can be fined with SnO2, for example. Aluminosilicate float glass also has an improved chemical resistance and higher temperature stability, and also has the advantage that it is free of alkali components which makes it suitable for use as a substrate glass in display technologies.
It is generally known that aluminosilicate glass from the LiO2—Al2O3—SiO2 system can be converted into glass ceramics with high quartz mixed crystals or keatite mixed crystals as the principal crystal phases. Glass ceramic therefore consists of a crystal phase and a residual glass phase. The initial glass is obtained by normal glass manufacturing methods. After melting and fining, the glass conventionally undergoes a hot forming by rolling casting or pressing. Then the glass is subjected to a heat treatment, as a result of which the glass is partly transformed under controlled conditions into a fine-grain crystal phase.
A key characteristic of these glass ceramics is that they can be used to manufacture materials that, in the temperature region of room temperature to about 700° C., have an extremely low coefficient of thermal expansion α20/700<1.5×10−6/K. These glass ceramics are therefore used in transparent form, for example for fireproof glass, as view windows in stoves and furnaces or as cookware, as well as for substrate material for wafer stages or mirrors for telescopes. The transparent glass ceramics can be colored dark by the addition of colored oxides. This dark coloration is desirable, for example, when the glass is used as a cooking surface, to conceal the technical components that are installed underneath the cooking surface.
In the large scale industrial manufacture of glass ceramics, arsenic oxide and/or antimony oxide are generally used as fining agents. These fining agents are compatible with the required glass ceramic characteristics and result in good seed, or bubble, qualities or low numbers of seeds, or bubbles, in the melt. Even if these substances are incorporated into the structure of the glass, they have disadvantages from the point of view of safety and environmental protection, because special precautionary measures have to be taken during the production and preparation of the raw material on account of evaporation from the melt, as well as during post-processing, recycling and disposal.
It is known that the manufacture of glass ceramic products occurs in different stages. After the melting and the hot forming, the material is conventionally cooled to below the transformation temperature of the glass. The initial glass is then converted by controlled crystallization into the glass ceramic article. This ceramization takes place in a two stage temperature process, in which first, by nucleus formation, at a temperature between 600° C. and 800° C. nuclei are generated, conventionally from ZrO2—TiO2 mixed crystals. During the subsequent temperature increase, the high-quartz mixed crystals form on these nuclei at the crystallization temperature of approximately 800to 900° C. The transformation into the keatite mixed crystals takes place in a temperature region from about 900° C. to 1200° C. As a rule, glass ceramics with keatite mixed crystals as the principal phases are translucent or opaque with a white color and a slightly higher coefficient of thermal expansion than glass ceramics that have high quartz mixed crystals as the principal phase.
To simplify the manufacture of such glass ceramics with an initial float glass, attempts have been made, as described in U.S. Pat. No. 3,804,608, for example, to perform the ceramization as early as in the float bath, to thereby obtain the glass ceramics directly during the float process. However, a temperature gradient over the thickness of the glass strip is produced by the hot float bath and the cold top surface of the glass, which results in crystals that grow aspherically perpendicular to the surface. As a result of the crystallization during the float process, a number of disruptive mechanical and magnetic anisotropies of characteristics are generated.
GB 1 383 201 further describes the floating of Li2O—Al2O3—SiO2 glass ceramics with TiO2, ZrO2 or P2O5 as nucleation agents, which are crystallized by the temperature, control during the floating on the molten unwetted metal (tin). This publication describes the necessary temperature control in the float, namely first a rapid cooling followed by a temperature increase, to first perform nucleus formation and then crystallization. In the float, to achieve the high heating and cooling rates, vertical separations extend from the ceiling of the float bath to just above the glass, to separate different temperature zones like individual compartments. The different zones are heated in the tin bath and above the glass strip. Because this publication relates primarily to the manufacture of the floated glass ceramic and not to the unceramized glass that is poured onto the float bath as such, this prior art publication contains no reference to any undesirable surface defects in the glass during the floating. Because the teaching of this prior art patent is limited to the crystallization of the glass that is still in the float, the problem of the formation of undesirable crystals in the glass is not discussed. During the manufacture of float glass from the Li2O—Al2O3—SiO2 system, however, disruptive surface defects occur in the glass and have an adverse effect on the surface quality, as will be described in greater detail below. On account of the economic advantages that can be achieved, moreover, it is also necessary with a glass composition in the Li2O—Al2O3—SiO2 system to manufacture thermally prestressed glass and to realize applications based on it. However, this type of manufacture is not possible with the glass ceramic product described in the above referenced GB patent.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.


A hydraulic motor for generating electricity with a water holding container with a conduit extending downwardly to a distribution valve assembly. A hydraulic shock valve assembly connected to a port in the conduit, adjacent to the distribution valve assembly, periodically imparts a shock to the water entering the distribution valve assembly with some water collected by a holding tank. The distribution valve assembly permits the water to go through to move a piston assembly. The moving valve member quickly moves from two end positions a spring loaded actuating mechanism that is unstable when the distal end of the valve rod reaches a predetermined position. The piston assembly also actuates as a wheel assembly that in turn drives an actuating valve assembly driving the hydraulic shock valve assembly and an electric generator that in turn powers a pump to bring water from the holding tank to the container.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a hydraulic motor and, more particularly, to such a motor that converts the kinetic energy of a body of liquid into electrical energy.
2. Description of the Related Art
Several designs for electricity-generating hydraulic devices have been designed in the past. None of them, however, include a mechanism that uses the water hammer effect (or hydraulic shock) of a moving liquid to activate an electric generator. See The effects to hydraulic shock, in many instances, have adverse effects such as the possible implosion of water pipes. To alleviate this effect pressure relied valves or slow closing valves are used. The present invention, on the other hand, uses the hydraulic shock effect to enhance the force applied to piston assembly 40 to generate a reciprocating motion to drive the rest of the elements. There are no hydraulic motors that utilize this effect to generate electric energy as described and claimed herein.

Hydraulic motor for generating electricity


A plurality of emitters are attached serially along a continuous length of thread at spaced-apart locations. A first of the emitters is attached to a conduit, whereby subsequent emitters are drawn into the conduit as the conduit is drawn from the extrusion head. Each subsequent emitter is supported as it is drawn into and attached to the conduit. The emitters may be fixedly or releasably attached to the thread. If releasably attached, the thread may be detached from each emitter after the emitter is attached to the conduit. In this case, the thread may be formed as a loop that travels around a continuous path.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to the production of drip irrigation lines, and particularly to the production of such drip lines in which emitters are fixed in a conduit at spaced-apart locations.
2. Related Art
U.S. Pat. No. 3,981,452 of Eckstein describes a method of manufacturing a continuous drip irrigation line by inserting drip emitters into a continuous and uninterrupted conduit. These emitters are cylinders having an outer surface structured to cooperate with the enclosing conduit to form pressure-reducing passageways. This method was further extended by Mehoudar as is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,022,940 to provide for the insertion of emitters that take up less than the full periphery of the conduit. The emitters are inserted into the extruded conduit by means of a mechanical pusher that is electrically or pneumatically driven and electronically controlled. The pusher pushes each emitter through the cross head and then retreats.
The insertion speed of the pusher must be controlled so that as the emitter reaches the molten conduit coming out of the cross head, it has the same speed as the conduit. This prevents breaking or collapsing of the conduit and allows heat welding of the emitter to the conduit. Further, the pusher has to be withdrawn from the conduit to its start position before the next emitter can be inserted in the conduit. This reciprocating motion is a time consuming process and is limited to the mechanical capabilities of the pusher and associated controller and emitter feed mechanism.

Method and apparatus for producing drip irrigation conduit


An improved coding and decoding process is disclosed to determine the ending state of a convolutional decoding using Viterbi algorithm without the use of tail bits. The most important information bits are first coded with a block code. The block code word and the rest of the information bits are then split into several bursts. Each burst is coded with a convolutional code. The most important information bit part of the block code word is then placed in the beginning of the code burst for the convolutional encoder. The parity bit part can be placed between the end of the most important information bit part and the end of the code burst. In the convolutional decoding process for each burst, the ending state is determined by detected valid block code word after combining the convolutional decoding processes for all the bursts. The performances of average BER and missed detection rate can be optimized by moving the placement of the parity bit in each message code burst.

The invention generally relates to methods and apparatus for coding and decoding signals and, more specifically, to methods and apparatus for convolutional decoding.
The instant invention is directed to improving the communication of digital radio information. Digital information may be conceptualized as a message composed of binary bits of information, where each bit can either be a ONE or a ZERO. Any given message is then just a string comprising a number of ONEs interspersed with a number of ZEROs. It will be appreciated that any string of L bits can represent one of 2.sup.L unique messages.
One of the fundamental difficulties encountered by radio communications systems is the presence of noise in the communications channels. Noise can cause serious problems in a digital communications environment. Noise encountered during digital radio communications can result in bit errors in the transmitted information. The bit errors, in turn, may render the information useless, or worse (e.g., the receiving system determines the information to be correct when it is actually in error). In order to combat noisy channels, and thereby reduce bit errors, digital radio communications systems typically employ both error detecting and error correcting circuits.
A simple example of error detection coding is as follows: for any one digital message add an identical copy of that message to the original message, transmit both the original and copy, and perform a bit-by-bit comparison of the received message with the received copy. For each bit position, any disagreement between the message and the copy is evidence of a transmission error. The total number of disagreements for a message is a quantitative measure of the reliability of the data transmission. However, it will be appreciated that the total number of disagreements is an inexact measure of reliability because simultaneous errors at the same bit position in both the message and the copy are not recognized as disagreements.
A common technique for error detection is the use of a Cyclic Redundancy Check (CRC). A CRC involves creating a set of parity bits at the transmitter from the information bits desired to be transmitted. The parity bits constitute a "check word" specific to a given message. The check word may be appended to the message so that both are processed through the same transmitter, both are transmitted through the communications channel together, and both are processed through the same decoder at the receiver. A CRC calculator in the receiver may then generate parity bits corresponding to the decoded message bits that were received. The receiver-calculated check word may then be compared with the decoded check word that was received with the message. Any non-compliance indicates an error detected in the transmission.
By way of contrast, a simple example of error correction coding is transmitting several identical copies of a given message and performing a bit-by-bit comparison of all messages received at the receiver. Whether a bit of the message output from the receiver should be a ONE or a ZERO may be decided on the basis of comparing all the bits received for each position of the message and allowing the majority of agreeing bit values received for that bit position to determine the output. Transmission errors generally may be assumed to be randomly distributed among the message copies and will thus be less likely to occur at the same bit position in a majority of the copies, allowing the receiver to determine the correct bit value for each position.
A well known technique for error detection and correction is the use of block codes. Block codes divide the sequence of source digits into sequential blocks of L digits. Each L digit block is mapped into a unique n digit block of output digits, known as a codeword, where n>L. Coded and uncoded blocks are compared on the basis that both systems use the same total time duration for a transmitted message. A block code can be linear or nonlinear. A linear block code can be either cyclical or non-cyclical. A cyclical block code can have correction and detection capability. The ratio of total number of information bits to the total number of bits in the code word (L/n) is referred to as the code rate, and is a measure of code efficiency. The difference (1-L/n) is called the redundancy. The encoder is said to produce an (n, L) code. Block codes are memoryless codes because each output code depends on only one source L-bit block and not any preceding blocks or digits. The lower the code rate, the more efficient the code is. However, block coding has a limited error detection capability. If the number of error bits exceeds the error detection capability of the block code, the decoding process may output a valid code word which is not the transmitted code word. In this case, a missed detection occurs.
Another well known technique for error correction include the use of convolutional codes. Convolutional codes, unlike block codes, depend on the immediately preceding stream of received message bits. In convolutional coding, information bits are encoded and decoded in such a way as to determine bits which are destroyed in transmission. A convolutional code is typically described by the rate of the code, its constraint length, and various parity equations.
For example, a convolutional code having a rate of L/n, wherein n coded bits are produced for each set of L information bits, a constraint length of k, can be implemented in a shift register of length k minus one bit. At each interval, L information bits are shifted into the register and n bits are produced to be transmitted. The coded bits are combinations (linear algebraic functions) of the contents of the shift register and the most recent input bit. These combinations vary, depending on the convolutional code used. Unlike block codes, the coded bits from a convolutional code can not be grouped as information bits and parity bits.
The transmitted bits are decoded at the receiver. The receiver knows the code parameters for the corresponding code used by the transmitter/encoder in order to decode the information. Convolutional decoding corrects errors by determining the information where a bit error has occurred, based upon the past received bits, since the encoded bits are derived from several adjacent information bits.
The error-correcting code attempts to remove any errors that might have been introduced by the channel. Of course, not all errors are correctable. Therefore, error detecting codes are used to determine when error correction can be made and appropriate action taken to correct the bits detected in error. Thus, convolutional error correcting codes can be used in conjunction with error detection codes, such as the CRC, to provide a more robust communications system allowing for both the detection and correction of bit transmission errors.
Convolutional coding is one of the best coding schemes for digital communications where energy efficiency dominates in importance. Among the various decoding methods for convolutional codes, Viterbi's maximum likelihood algorithm is one of the best techniques. One form of Sequential Maximum Likelihood sequence estimation (SMLSE), the Viterbi algorithm permits equipment simplification while obtaining the full performance benefits of maximum likelihood decoding. The decoder structure is relatively simple for short constraint length codes, making decoding feasible at high rates of up to 100 Mbits per second. A complete description of Viterbi's algorithm can be found in "The Viterbi Algorithm" by G. David Fornay, Jr. Proceedings of the IEEE, Volume 61, No. 3, March 1973.
The maximum-likelihood receiver implies selecting a code word closest to the actual received message word. Because there are 2.sup.L code words, the maximum likelihood decision involves storage of 2.sup.L words and their comparison with the received word. However, for a large L, the calculations needed would be extremely difficult, resulting in overly complex decoders, making such calculations impractical.
A major simplification was made through Viterbi or SMLSE. Turning to FIGS. 1A and B, the state and trellis diagram for a Rate=1/2 and k=3 convolutional coder is shown. In FIG. 1A, note for an encoder having four states that each of the four states (A, B, C, and D) has only two predecessors; that is, each state can be reached through two possible states only, and only the path that agrees most with a received sequence (the minimum distance path) need be retained for each state. FIG. 1B depicts a trellis diagram showing the possible relations between states. Given a received sequence bit, a path in the trellis diagram is determined so that the output sequence from the decoder is the one that most agrees with the received sequence.
For example, suppose the first six digits received are 010001. Consider two paths of three branches for six digits leading to each of the states A, B, C, and D in FIG. 1A. Out of the two paths reaching each state, only the one that agrees most with the received sequence 010001 is retained. This is often referred to as the minimum distance path. The retained path is called the survivor. There are two paths 000000 and 111011 that arrive at the third level state A. These paths are at distances of two and three, respectively, from the received sequence 010001. Hence, the survivor at the third level state is 000000. The procedure is repeated for states B, C, and D. For example, the two paths reaching to the third level state C, the state after three branches, are 001110 and 110101, at distances of five and two, respectively, from the received sequence of 010001. Hence, the survivor at the third level state C is 110101. Similarly, the survivors are determined at the third level states B and D. With four paths eliminated, the four survivor paths are the only contenders. The reason for eliminating the other four paths is as follows: the two paths merging at the third level state A, for example, imply that the previous two data digits are identical. Hence, regardless of what the future data digits are, both paths must merge at this state A and follow a common path in the future. Clearly, the survivor path is the minimum distance path between the two, regardless of future data digits. Then all that needs to be remembered are the four survivor paths and their distances from the received sequence.
Once the survivors at all of the third level states have been determined, the next two received digits are examined. Suppose these are 11 (i.e., the received sequence is 01000111). The two survivors that merge into the fourth level state A are now composed. These are the survivors at states A and C of the third level, with paths 00000000 and 11010111, respectively, at distances of four and two, from the received sequence 01000111. Hence, the path 11010111 is the survivor at the fourth level state A. This procedure is repeated for states B, C, and D, and continues in this manner until the end. Note that only two paths merge at each state and there are only four contending paths (the four survivors at states A, B, C, and D) until the end. Finally, it can be determined how to terminate the trellis and ultimately decide on one final path rather than four. This can be done by forcing the last two digits at the encoder to be, for example, 00. This forces the final state of the code to be A (note that the last two dated digits 00 corresponds to state A). Consequently, the ultimate survivor is the survivor state A after insertion into the coder of two dummy 00s, called tail bits, and transmission of the corresponding four code digits. In terms of the trellis diagram, this means that the number of ending states is reduced from four to two (A and C) by insertion of the first zero into an ending single state A by insertion of the second zero.
By specifying the starting bit and ending bits known as tail bits, the decoder can decode when a complete code word has been received. However, this results in an increased overhead because the ending bits need to be coded in addition to the actual message information bits. In order to reduce this overhead, a technique known as tail-biting is used. According to this technique, the same starting and ending state is used (e.g., forcing the starting and ending state to be 00 in the example above). However, the reduction in overhead comes at the price of not knowing the beginning state or ending state. This tradeoff increases the decoder complexity by at least a factor of two. It should be noted that, while tail-biting provides good performance at low bit error rates (BERs), it provides a degraded performance at higher BERs.
A third method for determining an ending state is to use the accumulated error metric associated with each state. Then, the ending state is chosen that has a minimum accumulated error metric. This technique, however, results in higher average BER.
In order to overcome these various problems, a flexible algorithm which can be used to optimize missed detection rate and bit error rate by detecting the correct ending state for each burst of a convolutionally encoded data stream is needed.

Convolutional decoding with the ending state decided by CRC bits placed inside multiple coding bursts


An apparatus and method for controlling access to information based on content of the information and user identity. The apparatus includes a video display that displays the information to be viewable by one or more users. A user-recognition input device determines that an additional user is newly present in a given area having access to the display. A blocking device coupled to the user-recognition input device selectively blocks display of the information based on whether the additional user is newly present. In one embodiment, the user-recognition input device includes a video input device, and a feature recognition device operable to distinguish between two or more users based on one or more video features of the users. In another embodiment, the user-recognition input device includes an audio input device, and an audio feature recognition device operable to distinguish when an additional user arrives. In yet another embodiment, the user-recognition input device includes a movement-detection device operable to distinguish when an additional user arrives.

Television and other video presentations (including, for example, computer screens) often contain content or material that is unsuitable for viewing by certain users. Conventional means for restricting user access to certain content include locks that prevent tuning to certain channels by unauthorized users. For example, many parents would like to prevent their young children from viewing programming that is oriented towards adults, particularly programming that includes violent or sexual content. Channel locks that prevent tuning to certain channels without a password, but once unlocked, manual intervention is required to prevent the viewing of a channel's content by persons for whom that content is unsuitable.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,031,228, which is hereby incorporated by reference, describes an image recognition system for identifying each of a plurality of patterns in an image, such as the individual faces of members of an audience. For example, predetermined individual members of a television viewing audience in a monitored area can be identified, in order to determine the viewing habits of each individual in a household.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,164,992, which is hereby incorporated by reference, describes an image recognition system for identifying members of an audience by resemblance to one of a reference set of face images of individuals.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,619,251, which is hereby incorporated by reference, describes a system for two-way CATV and remote control. One embodiment includes a parental-control unit which controls whether a specific program is decoded from a television signal that has a jamming signal.
Thus there is a need for automatic and easier ways to control access to television programming and computer-displayed information based on which users are present in the room having the television or display.

Apparatus and method for user-based control of television content


Boat hulls are prepared by positioning reinforcing material in a mold, applying vacuum to firmly hold the reinforcing material against the mold, positioning a fiberglass-resin mixture over the reinforcing material, placing a vacuum bag over the fiberglass mixture, and evacuating the vacuum bag to press the fiberglass mixture against the reinforcing material to bond the fiberglass mixture to the reinforcing material. Also discloses a boat hull construction.

The present invention forms a reinforced boat hull structure by placing reinforcing materials inside a hull mold and forming same to the hull shape by locally applied vacuum ports. While vacuum continues to be applied a fiberglass matting and resin mixture is applied to the inner surface of the reinforcing material and hull mold, bonding the fiberglass mixture to the reinforcing material by curing, thereby obtaining a reinforced hull structure.
Conventional fiberglass hull construction is obtained by providing a mold, laying fiberglass matting and bonding compound inside the mold to form the exterior shape of the hull, placing a vacuum bag over the mold inner space, evacuating the air inside the mold interior under the bag so as to cause the bag to collapse against the freshly applied fiberglass mixture and thus forcing it against the mold inner surface. The vacuum, hence pressure for hull forming, cannot be applied until the entire fiberglass matting and bonding compound is applied over all the mold form and access to the matting-compound mixture is denied while the vacuum bag is in place and vacuum applied. Installing reinforcing materials or adjusting the matting-compound mixture is not possible while the vacuum is present. Moreover, attaching reinforcing materials, as ultra high molecular weight polyethylene (UHMW) to the exterior surface of the hull is currently accomplished by the use of mechanical fasteners, screws, etc., which are inherently weaker than a fully bonded, laminate construction.
It is a principal objective of the present invention to provide an improved procedure for forming reinforced boat hulls and improved boat hull constructions which conveniently enables one to obtain a fully bonded, laminate construction, and especially to enable one to conveniently attach reinforcing materials to the external surface of the hull while obtaining a fully bonded laminate.
Further objects and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the following discussion.

Method for production of boat hulls and boat hull construction


An atmosphere controlled workpiece heating chamber includes a spaced apart multiple gas flow means combination which avoids contamination of the atmosphere within the chamber from ambient atmosphere such as air. In one form, the chamber includes a gas diffuser as one flow means, and a heating means, both of which are readily removable, and easily and accurately replaceable.

This invention relates to a workpiece heating chamber, and, more particularly, to a workpiece heating chamber having a controlled internal atmosphere.
Welding of certain metal articles, for example gas turbine engine components made of a high temperature Ni base superalloy, is conducted at elevated temperatures within a chamber in which the atmosphere is controlled to be non-oxidizing. Typically argon gas is used for that purpose. An operator such as a welder applies a weld metal, for example in the form of a metal rod, to a portion of the article, frequently in the repair but also in the original manufacture of the article. Associated with the chamber is a heat source such as a high temperature heat lamp capable of heating at least a portion of the workpiece and the metal rod used for welding to an appropriate temperature range.
Several problems exist with such apparatus currently in use. One is that contamination of the atmosphere within the chamber by oxygen has occurred as a result of ambient air seeping into the chamber. One area of contamination entry has been observed to be at an operator access port through which the operator works; another such area is at a joint between the heat source and a wall of the chamber. The presence of an oxidizing material such as oxygen from air can reduce weld quality, resulting in weld cracks. In addition, the presence of oxygen in such a chamber can result in poor flowablity of the weld material as well as in detrimental inclusions in the weld itself. Another problem with known apparatus relates to the accurate and reproducible alignment of the heat source, which must be replaced from time to time, with a position within the chamber at which the workpiece is held for welding. As a result of problems such as these, known chambers were unable to maintain a consistent non-oxidizing temperature condition during welding.

Heated chamber including an open wall with a gas curtain


Blades are used in association with snow buckets articulated from snow-removing vehicles. In a preferred embodiment, the snow bucket comprises rotatably mounted about its lateral sides, a floating snow blade outwardly projectable substantially horizontally in front of the lower portion of each of the side walls of the bucket, as to float according to the conformation thereunder and to confine and to force the snow between the snow blades and the bucket to enter the bucket and to shovel it and thereby increasing the snow content of a bucket per stroke. Preferably, the floating snow blades are outwardly projectable substantially horizontally in alternation, in front of or in the back of, the lower portion of each of said side walls.

1. Field of the invention
This invention relates to blades for snow-removal vehicles and vehicles therewith. This invention is particularly directed to blades to be used in association with snow buckets articulated from snow-removing vehicles to enable larger charges of snow per stroke and reduce the filling time of buckets.
2. Description of related art
Normally the snow-removal vehicles that are known, are provided with a bucket articulated by a hydraulically-operated lifting arm. Several back and fore strokes are required to fill in the bucket as the snow is tending to move away from the bucket. The prior art offers no solution to reduce the amount of strokes required. These strokes are time consuming though they are required to remove the spilling of snow. No solution is taught in the prior art.
Brownly teaches, in U.S. Pat. No. 4,208,812 dated Jun. 24, 1980, a hydraulically-actuated snow plow attachment swingable in a vertical plane to inhibit the lateral flow from a snow plow blade having no lateral walls or sides.
Klett teaches, in U.S. Pat. No. 4,010,561 dated May 8, 1977, a earth-moving scraper with a pivotally adjustable router bit to fracture the soil ahead of both sides of the cutting edges of the scraper.
Arnold teaches in U.S. Pat. No. 3,854,608 dated Dec. 17, 1974, a backhoe bucket having two sections. Another backhoe bucket is disclosed in Clark, in U.S. Pat. No. 3,724,899 dated Apr. 3, 1973.
Majkrzak teaches, in U.S. Pat. No. 4,986,012 dated Jan. 22, 1991, a motorized rotary blade snowblower. The snow blower has a housing which covers the rotary blades and a drift cutting arm that is fastened to and upwardly extends from the sides of the housing in a working position.
W.W. Wolfe et al, teach, in U.S. Pat. No. 3,034,237 dated May 15, 1962, multi-function attachments, one of which is a removable scoop as shown in FIG. 6 of said Patent.
Magee et al, teach in U.S. Pat. No. 2,763,944 dated Sept. 25, 1956, bulldozer blades slidably mounted in front of a bulldozer blade.
Steinhoff teaches, in U.S. Pat. No. 4,707,936 dated Nov. 24, 1987, an attachment comprising a side plate to a snow blade.
Schneider teaches, in U.S. Pat. No. 3,373,515 dated Mar. 19, 1968, a side plate to the blader of a grader.
Martel et al, teach in Canadian Pat. No. 944,950 dated Apr. 9, 1974, an attachment for support from a rear mounted grader blade, whereby manure may be mounted.
As far as applicant is aware there is no existing blade for snow-removal vehicles. By "snow-removal vehicles" or "snow-removal vehicle" throughout the specification including the disclosure and claims, is meant those not merely pushing the snow but removing it by shovelling it with snow buckets articulated from snow-removing vehicles.

Blades for snow-removal vehicles and vehicles therewith


Embodiments of mechanisms for controlling a gas flow in an interface module are provided. A method for controlling a gas flow in an enclosure includes providing the enclosure which is capable of containing a substrate. The method also includes providing a gas into the enclosure. The method further includes cleaning the gas. In addition, the method includes actuating the gas to generate the gas flow, and the gas flow passes through the substrate when the substrate is located in the enclosure.

Integrated circuit (IC) technologies are constantly being improved. Such improvements frequently involve scaling down device geometries to achieve lower fabrication costs, higher device integration density, higher speeds, and better performance. Along with the advantages from geometry size reductions, improvements to the mechanisms to manufacture and produce integrated circuits are being made.
Semiconductor integrated circuits are produced by a plurality of processes in an integrated circuit fabrication facility. These processes, and associated fabrication tools, may include thermal oxidation, diffusion, ion implantation, RTP (rapid thermal processing), CVD (chemical vapor deposition), PVD (physical vapor deposition), etching, and photolithography. During the fabrication stages, products (such as semiconductor substrates) are transported within the fabrication facility and fabrication tools. For example, after a processing step, the semiconductor substrates are removed from a process chamber where processing techniques are performed and transferred to a carrier where the semiconductor substrates are temporarily staged. During the above-mentioned transfer, the semiconductor substrates are exposed to the surrounding environment, which may include undesired airborne molecular contamination, and the semiconductor substrates may become contaminated.
Since a critical requirement for semiconductor manufacturing is the absence of contaminants on the wafer processing surface, a system and method for providing a protective environment is accordingly desired.

Mechanisms for controlling gas flow in enclosure

TAIWAN SEMICONDUCTOR MANUFACTURING CO., LTD


The semiconductor device system includes multiple stacked substantially identical semiconductor devices each including a first side and an opposing second side. First and second pads are disposed at the first side of the semiconductor device, while third and fourth pads are disposed at the second side of the semiconductor device. First interface circuit is electrically coupled to the first pad and the third pad, while second interface circuit is electrically coupled to the second pad and the fourth pad. The second interface circuit is separate and distinct from the first interface circuit. At least one first semiconductor device of the multiple semiconductor devices is offset from other of the multiple semiconductor devices such that the fourth pad on the first semiconductor device is aligned with, and electrically connected to, the first pad on an adjacent one of the multiple semiconductor devices. In some embodiments, the first pad is associated with a first capacitance, while the second pad is associated with a second capacitance that is smaller than the first capacitance.

As computer systems evolve, so does the demand for increased memory for such systems. To increase memory density, some memory packages consist of several integrated circuit (IC) dies stacked one on top of the other. These stacked multi-die packages increase the capacity of each memory device without requiring additional space on the underlying circuit board or memory module. Furthermore, Thru-Silicon Via (TSV) technology is emerging as a popular solution for enabling the largest number of die-to-die interconnect in multi-die packages.
There are, however, a number of drawbacks associated with stacked multi-die packages, especially when TSV's are used as the interconnection means. For one, it is often desirable from a manufacturing cost perspective that all of the dies in the stack are derived from the same mask set, i.e., that all of the dies in a stack are substantially identical. When identical dies are stacked in a package and interconnected by TSV's, however, it is often difficult to selectively enable different modes of operation to a subset of the dies within the stack. For example, if the TSV's interconnect the stacked devices at the input/output ("IO") pad of each die, there will be a large aggregation of capacitance at that point. In particular, each die contributes capacitance associated with that die's IO pad metal, IO device loading, IO devices, and electrostatic discharge (ESD) device loading. With such a large aggregated capacitance, the stack of die would become severely limited in operational speed compared to one of the die on its own.
In other stacked multi-die packages, the TSV's may interconnect the stacked dies internally, "behind" the IO system, using some sort of multi-drop data bus topology. In these packages, one of the dies acts as the "bus master", while others act as "slave devices." If the dies are substantially identical, it is difficult to designate one of the devices as the "bus master" without utilizing bus-multiplexing circuitry that is non-optimal from a cost and performance perspective.
In yet other stacked multi-die packages, it may be possible to add one or more manufacturing steps to modify some features or connections on some of the devices to facilitate die stacking Performing such modifications, however, adds significant manufacturing and inventory control costs. As a result, the complexity and manufacturing and assembly costs for the stacked semiconductor device assembly are increased substantially.
As such, it would be highly desirable to provide a stacked die assembly that utilizes substantially identical dies and that enables selective modes of operation for at least a subset of the dies in the stack.
Like reference numerals refer to the same or similar components throughout the several views of the drawings.


A shock absorbing member may include a cylindrical member that is configured to receive an impact load axially applied and to be axially collapsed, a wood member that is received in the cylindrical member while an axial direction of annual rings thereof is aligned with an axial direction of the cylindrical member, and positioning means for positioning axially both end portions of the wood member relative to axially both end portions of the cylindrical member such that a clearance can be formed between an outer surface of the wood member and an inner wall surface of the cylindrical member over an entire circumference thereof. The wood member and the cylindrical member are configured to receive the impact load in an axial direction thereof.

Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 2001-246995 discloses an art relating to a shock absorbing member that is configured to be capable of receiving an impact load generated in the event of a vehicle collision or other such accidents and absorbing the impact load.
As shown in FIG. 19, a shock absorbing member 100 described in Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 2001-246995 is composed of an aluminum alloy cylindrical housing 102 and a high rigidity foamed elastic body 104 that is received within the housing 102. The shock absorbing member 100 may be used for a bumper, a door impact beam or other such devices of a vehicle, so as to receive an impact load generated in the event of a vehicle collision by a side surface of the cylindrical housing 102 and to absorb the impact load and vibration energy.
In the shock absorbing member 100 described above, the impact load of the vehicle can be received mainly by the housing 102. That is, the impact load cannot be received only by the foamed elastic body 104. Therefore, in a case that the shock absorbing member 100 is used under a high load condition, the cylindrical housing must be increased in strength. For that purpose, it is necessary to take measures such as increasing a wall thickness of the housing 102, or dividing an interior portion of the housing 102 into a plurality of compartments using partitions or other such members. As a result, the shock absorbing member 100 can be increased in weight and can be structurally complicated. This may lead to increased costs.
Thus, there is a need in the art to provide an improved shock absorbing member.


An electrostatic discharge protection circuit is disclosed. A method of manufacturing a semiconductor structure includes forming a semiconductor controlled rectifier including a first plurality of fingers between an n-well body contact and an anode in an n-well, and a second plurality of fingers between a p-well body contact and a cathode in a p-well.

Modern electronics achieve high levels of functionality in small form factors by integrating multiple functions onto a single chip. A common fabrication process that allows high levels of integration at a relatively low cost is complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor (CMOS). CMOS processes build a combination of p-type and n-type metal-oxide-semiconductor field-effect transistors (MOSFETs) to implement logic gates and other types of digital circuits.
Chips may be exposed to ESD events leading to potentially large and damaging currents within the integrated circuit. Increasing integration densities and performance demands on CMOS chips have resulted in reduced device dimensions. The reduction in dimensions has increased the susceptibility of integrated circuits to ESD events. Manufacturers, assemblers, and users of integrated circuits therefore take precautions to avoid ESD-based damage. For example, ESD prevention can be incorporated into the integrated circuit and may include special design techniques for input/output (I/O) pins and pads to prevent damage to the chip during handling from the time that the chip is manufactured until the time that the chip is installed on a circuit board.
Effective ESD protection for a power supply pad typically requires a circuit that provides a low impedance path to shunt ESD currents away from the integrated circuit during the ESD event, but remains in a high impendence state when the integrated circuit is powered under non-ESD conditions. Circuits that include a clamp device, such as a semiconductor-controlled rectifier (SCR) are often used to provide this type of ESD protection in CMOS applications. An SCR typically provides a high level of ESD protection at a low capacitance, which is desirable for high frequency circuits such as application specific integrated circuit (ASIC) high speed serial (HSS) links and the like.

SCR with fin body regions for ESD protection


A packaging apparatus 10 including a cabinet 11 provided with a door 12 which is movable relative to an axis opening 13. Within the cabinet 11 is a packaging machine 15 with which there is associated a former 14. The former 14 is movably supported for movement between an operative position aligned with the packaging machine 15, and a service position spaced laterally toward the access opening 13.

Packaging machines employ a former to transform stripped bag material into a tubular configuration into which the product to be packaged is delivered. The tubular bag material is subsequently longitudinally and transversely sealed and transversely cut to form discreet bags of product.
The formers are generally located within a cabinet provided with a door. Frequently, the former needs to be removed and replaced for servicing and other requirements. To do so, an operator much reach into the cabinet, lift the former and remove it from its "saddle".
If the former is provided with a gas supply, the operator must disconnect conduits attached to the former so that the former may be removed.
The above-discussed method of removing and disconnecting the former is difficult and time-consuming as the former is spaced inwardly of the cabinet from the door.


A ZIF PGA socket includes a first housing and at least one second housing slidably received in the first housing. The at least one second housing defines a plurality of passageways for retaining corresponding number of contacts therein. Each contact has a first portion fixed in the passageway, a second portion fixed to a printed circuit board and a third portion deformably connected between the first portion and the second portion. When the at least one second housing is moved with respect to the printed circuit board, the third portion of the contact deforms to absorb stress to the second portion of the contact.

1. Field of The Invention
The present invention relates to a socket for a CPU module, and especially to a two-layer ZIF PGA socket whereby a related CPU module may be mounted thereto with zero insertion force and the ZIF PGA socket may be operated to electrically connect with the CPU module without moving the CPU module in a lateral direction.
2. The Prior Art
Conventional ZIF PGA sockets normally comprise a cover defining a plurality of upper passageways therein and slidably engaging with a base which defines a corresponding number of lower passageways retaining contacts therein. The upper passageways and the lower passageways are in constant communication with each other. A cam is received in a space defined between the cover and the base and operative to move the cover along the base thereby positioning the socket at either a loosened status ready for insertion of pins of the CPU or a tightened status forcing the pins of the CPU to abut against the corresponding contacts. When the socket is in the loosened status, the pins of the CPU are inserted into the upper passageways and the lower passageways with a substantially zero insertion force, but are not in electrical contact with the contacts retained in the lower passageways. The cam is then operated to drive the cover to move laterally along the base thereby urging the pins of the CPU module to electrically connect with the contacts of the base. The CPU module is moved by the cover of the socket when the socket is changed from the loosened status to the tightened status.
The CPU module is commonly engaged with a heat sink for heat dissipation. However, due to the high density of modularization, the CPU module is heavy and has a large dimension. Thus, the addition of the heat sink causes the assembly of the CPU module and the heat sink to be larger and heavier whereby operation of the cam to laterally move the CPU module is laborious.
To solve the problem, U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/138,188, which is assigned to the same assignee as the present invention, discloses a three-layer ZIF socket comprising an upper layer defining a plurality of first passageways for receiving CPU pins when the CPU rests thereon, a lower layer defining a plurality of second passageways for receiving soldering tails therein, and a middle layer movably retained between the upper and lower layers and defining a plurality of third passageways for receiving bridging terminals therein. Each soldering tail has a lower portion soldered on a printed circuit board and an upper portion extends into the corresponding third passageway. The upper and middle layers are dimensioned so that the CPU pin is positioned in the first and third passageways. The bridging terminal is movable by the middle layer to be selectively displaced between a first position where the soldering tail and the CPU pin are not connected, and a second position where the soldering tail and the CPU pin are electrically connected by the bridging terminal. In such a three-layer socket, the CPU pins remain stationary yet can still electrically connect with the printed circuit board via movement of the middle layer. However, the middle layer is apt to warp after manufacture due to its large area thereby adversely affecting the movement between the upper and bottom layers. Moreover, such a three-layer structure requires two kinds of terminals (soldering tails and bridging terminals) which increases manufacturing costs. Additionally, the profile of the three-layer socket is higher compared to the two-layer socket and violates the miniaturization trend of the computer industry.
Hence, it is requisite to provide a low profile ZIF socket which does not move the CPU module laterally when the CPU module is changed between the tightened status and the loosened status.

Contact of a ZIF PGA socket and the socket using the same


A safety system for automatically shutting off the power-take-off of a tractor in an emergency to thereby stop the machine being driven by the power-take-off. The system includes at least one machine sensor for detecting the presence of a foreign body adjacent a portion of the machine, and a shut-off, responsive to the sensor, for shutting off the power-take-off when the sensor detects the presence of a foreign body adjacent the machine. Sensors can also be provided to monitor the power-take-off shaft The sensors are preferably a photocell. The system optionally include an alarm that sounds when the sensor detects the presence of a foreign body adjacent the machine.

This invention relates to a safety system for power-take-off, and in particular to a safety device that automatically shuts off the power-take-off in an emergency.
Tractors are usually provided with a power-take-off so that the power of the tractor can be used to drive various pieces of machinery, for example augers and grinders. The machine is connected to the power-take-off of the tractor with a power-take-off shaft. The controls for the power-take-off are all on the tractor, and should an emergency arise, often the only way to turn off the machine is by turning off the power-take-off on the tractor. However, the tractor controls are often left unattended while the implement is being used, particularly on a small farm. There have been several reported instances where the operator has become entangled with the machine or the power-take-off shaft, and sustained serious injuries because he or she could not reach the controls to turn off the power-take-off. These injuries have been compounded by the delay in assistance, because it was not readily apparent to passers-by that anything was amiss.
The safety system of the present invention is adapted for use with a machine that is being driven by the power-take-off of a tractor. Generally, the system comprises at least one sensor for detecting the presence of a foreign body adjacent the machine and/or the power-take-off shaft. A shut-off, responsive to the sensor, automatically shuts off the power-take-off when the sensor detects the presence of a foreign body. The system may optionally be provided with an alarm that is activated when the power-take-off is shut off, to summon assistance. Thus, when a person, animal, or object approaches selected portions of the machine and/or the power-take-off shaft, the sensors detect its presence, and the power-take-off is shut off. The sensors are preferably positioned to shut off the power-take-off before any serious injury has occurred. The sensors must be positioned, however, to allow proper functioning of the machine without unnecessary interference.
The safety system is of simple and relatively inexpensive construction. The system can be easily retrofit to existing tractors and machines, as well as be provided on new equipment. The sensors can be positioned about the machine and the tractor so as not to interfere with the normal operation of the equipment, and are preferably only activated when the power-take-off is being used. The sensors preferably anticipate potential injuries by detecting the presence of foreign objects where they should not be, and shutting off the power-take-off, to prevent the machine from causing injury to persons or animals, and damage to property. An automatic alarm can be provided to promptly summon help, in the event the operator is unable to do so, or is not present.
These and other features and advantages will be in part apparent, and in part pointed out hereinafter.