A negative voltage level shifter having simplified structure includes a first inverter, a pass unit, a voltage-dividing unit, a second inverter, and a third inverter. The first inverter is powered with a positive supply voltage. Both the second and third inverters are powered with a negative supply voltage. The first inverter inverts an input signal for generating a first internal signal. The pass unit functions to forward the first internal signal to become a second internal signal when the first internal signal has a voltage greater than a threshold voltage. The voltage-dividing unit is employed to generate a third internal signal having a voltage divided from the negative supply voltage and the second internal signal. The second inverter inverts the third internal signal for generating a fourth internal signal. The third inverter inverts the fourth internal signal for generating an output signal.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a negative voltage level shifter, and more particularly, to a negative voltage level shifter having simplified structure.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Historically, the primary mode of reducing power consumption in electronic circuits has been to insistently scale down the power supply voltage. Recently, a move to 1.8 V power supply has been popularized among low-power and high-speed circuit designers. However, problems may arise when a low-voltage integrated circuit is coupled to a high-voltage integrated circuit, or when the output signal of an integrated circuit having positive operating voltage swing is utilized for driving another integrated circuit having negative operating voltage swing. That is, when a front-end integrated circuit having a first operating voltage swing is coupled to a back-end integrated circuit having a second operating voltage swing, the first operating voltage swing of the output signal generated by the front-end integrated circuit is required to be converted into the second operating voltage swing by making use of a voltage conversion interface.
Please refer to FIG. 1, which is a circuit diagram schematically showing a prior-art negative voltage level shifter. As shown in FIG. 1, the negative voltage level shifter 100 comprises a first voltage level processing unit 110, an inverting unit 150, and a second voltage level processing unit 160. The negative voltage level shifter 100 is powered with a positive supply voltage Vcc, a negative supply voltage −Vpp, and a middle negative supply voltage −Vpp/2. The negative voltage level shifter 100 receives an input signal Sin having a positive operating voltage swing, e.g. between 0V and the positive supply voltage Vcc, generated by a first circuit unit 101 and functions to convert the input signal Sin into an output signal Sout having a negative operating voltage swing, e.g. between 0V and the negative supply voltage −Vpp, for use in a second circuit unit 102. The first voltage level processing unit 110 is employed to convert the input signal Sin into a first internal signal Sintx1 having an operating voltage swing between −Vpp/2 and Vcc. The inverting unit 150 is utilized for inverting the first internal signal Sintx1 to generate a second internal signal Sintx2 having an operating voltage swing between −Vpp/2 and 0V. The second voltage level processing unit 160 is employed to convert the second internal signal Sintx2 into the output signal Sout having desired negative operating voltage swing between 0V and −Vpp.
The first voltage level processing unit 110 comprises an inverter 120, PMOS (P-type metal oxide semiconductor) transistors 126 and 127, and NMOS (N-type metal oxide semiconductor) transistors 131 and 132. The NMOS transistors 131 and 132 are electrically connected to form a latch circuit 140. The inverting unit 150 comprises a PMOS transistor 151 and an NMOS transistor 152. The second voltage level processing unit 160 comprises PMOS transistors 161˜163 and NMOS transistors 171˜173. The PMOS transistor 161 and the NMOS transistor 171 are electrically connected to form an inverter 170. The NMOS transistors 172 and 173 are electrically connected to form a latch circuit 190. That is, the negative voltage level shifter 100 performs a negative voltage level shifting operation based on two voltage level processing units 110, 160 interfaced by the inverting unit 150. Since the circuit operation of the negative voltage level shifter 100 is performed with the aid of two negative supply voltages −Vpp and −Vpp/2, more complicated peripheral circuits are required to generate the negative supply voltages −Vpp and −Vpp/2. Furthermore, during the circuit operation of the negative voltage level shifter 100, the maximum voltage stress, occurring to the PMOS transistors 126, 127 and the NMOS transistors 131, 132, 152, reaches a high voltage drop of (Vcc+Vpp/2), i.e. between the positive supply voltage Vcc and the middle negative supply voltage −Vpp/2. In view of that, the circuit of the negative voltage level shifter 100 is complicated and costly due to the demand of latch circuits and high voltage transistors for use therein.

Negative voltage level shifter having simplified structure


To provide a vehicle monitor apparatus capable of acquiring more information through effective utilization of an image taking region of a camera on the occasion of taking interior and exterior images of a vehicle with the camera.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to vehicle monitor apparatus and, more particularly, to a vehicle monitor apparatus provided with a camera in a vehicle interior and adapted to monitor the interior and exterior of a vehicle with the use of images taken with this camera.
2. Related Background Art
In recent years, there are the known vehicle interior monitor apparatus for monitoring the vehicle interior, in order to permit a taxi driver to check a passenger and ensure the security thereof, or in order to monitor acts of a child in the vehicle. For example, the vehicle interior monitor apparatus disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2001-119687 (Patent Document 1) is equipped with a video camera arranged as directed backward, on a support of an inner mirror of the vehicle. The apparatus is arranged to monitor the vehicle interior, while displaying an image taken with this video camera, on a monitor display provided in a region where a driver can visually recognize the image.
There are also the known monitor apparatus with a drive recorder, for example, for prevention of an accident of the vehicle, for investigation of the cause in the event of occurrence of an accident, and so on. For example, the safety drive recorder disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 11-142181 (Patent Document 2) is arranged to record and save images taken with a plurality of small cameras.
Furthermore, the automobile monitor system disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2003-182454 (Patent Document 3) is also known as an apparatus capable of taking images of plural regions around the vehicle with a camera. In this monitor system, the camera is disposed in the vehicle interior and this camera is arranged to take a forward image of the vehicle and also take a backward image of the vehicle reflected by a mirror. In this manner, the monitor system is able to take both the forward and backward images of the vehicle with only one camera.    [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2001-119687    [Patent Document 2] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 11-142181    [Patent Document 3] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2003-182454
Incidentally, either of the vehicle interior monitor apparatus disclosed in the foregoing Patent Document 1 and the drive recorder disclosed in the foregoing Patent Document 2 is arranged to take the image with the camera or the images with the cameras. For this reason, the apparatus can be provided with the camera that can be used for both of the monitor of the vehicle interior and the drive recorder. In this case, the camera needs to take the forward and backward images of the vehicle, and the use of the mirror as in the monitor system disclosed in the forgoing Patent Document 3 enables the single camera to take the forward and backward images of the vehicle.
However, when the camera is provided in the vehicle interior to monitor the outside of the vehicle, the camera must be located at a position where it does not block the driver's view. Positions not to block the driver's view are limited, and are, for example, somewhere on a ceiling of the vehicle interior, above the inner mirror, or inside the inner mirror. When the camera was mounted at such a location to take the exterior image outside the vehicle, there was the problem that the hood of the vehicle or the like was taken in the image to fail effective utilization of the image taking region and decrease the volume of information relative to the imagable region.
An object of the present invention is therefore to provide a vehicle monitor apparatus capable of acquiring more information through effective utilization of an image taking region of a camera on the occasion of taking interior and exterior images of a vehicle with the single camera.

Abstract: A vehicle monitor apparatus 1 is provided with a drive recorder 11 and a reflecting mirror 12. The drive recorder 11 is provided with a camera 14 and the camera 14 is arranged to take a forward image of the vehicle 2. In an image taking region of the camera 14, the reflecting mirror 12 is located in a range where a hood 23 should be imaged if the reflecting mirror 12 were excluded, and the camera 14 takes an image of an exterior situation outside the vehicle viewed through a windshield 22, and an image projected by the reflecting mirror 12.


A depth camera assembly (DCA) determines depth information within a local area. The DCA may selectively process a subset of data captured by an imaging sensor and obtained from the imaging sensor, such as pixels corresponding to a region of interest, for depth information. Alternatively, the DCA may limit retrieval of data from the imaging sensor to pixels corresponding to the region of interest from the imaging sensor for processing for depth information. The depth processing may include a semi-global match (SGM) algorithm, and the DCA adjusts a number of neighboring pixels used for determining depth information for a specific pixel based on one or more criteria. In some embodiments, the DCA performs the depth processing by analyzing images from different image sensors using left to right and right to left correspondence checks that are performed in parallel.

This present disclosure generally relates to depth estimation from image data, and more specifically in the context of a headset.
Headsets in an artificial reality system often include or are paired with depth estimation systems that may determine depth information of environments of the artificial reality system. Conventional manners of determining depth information rely on detection and ranging sensors, such as ones that use radio waves, light beams, or sound waves to determine distance between the headset and objects in a local area surrounding the headset. For example, many headsets use LIDAR to determine distances to objects in a local area surrounding the headset. However, LIDAR implementations often require a column of light emitters that is rotated to generate a depth map of a local area, which is difficult to implement in a headset.
Additionally, increasing resolutions of cameras has increased proliferation of three-dimensional vision systems. In a three-dimensional vision system, images of an object or local area are captured by multiple cameras. The captured images are provided to a computing device, which analyzes the images to generate a three-dimensional graphical reconstruction of the object or local area.
However, combining images of different views of an object to generate the three-dimensional graphical reconstruction of the object or the local area is computationally intensive. This use of computational resources increases the time to generate the graphical reconstruction of the object or of the local area. Increased time to generate the graphical reconstruction of the object limits potential use of three-dimensional vision systems to implementations that are tolerant of delays from image capture to generation of graphical reconstructions of objects and to implementations having significant consumption of power and of computational resources.

Selective processing or readout of data from one or more imaging sensors included in a depth camera assembly


A composite particulate material useful in analytical separations processes includes a carbon coating deposited through chemical vapor deposition on a substantially metal-free inorganic oxide particle. The resultant laminate material may be tuned for desired sorption rates and selectivities with respect to analytes of interest.

An important property of high-pressure liquid chromatography (HPLC) separation media is that it must be highly and selectively retentive for the analyte of interest. Interest in carbon sorbents for HPLC is motivated by their ability to retain very polar analytes that would not be significantly retained or would not otherwise be separated on traditional C18-modified silica bonded phases. The unique selectivity originates from the fact that pure graphite is a crystalline material made up of sheets containing large numbers of hexagonally arranged sp2 hybridized carbon atoms linked by conjugated pi-bonds. These highly hydrophobic but exceptionally polarizable sheets of carbon have a high affinity for analytes that are also highly polarizable, highly polar or can accept a hydrogen bond. For example, polar nitrobenzene (π*dipolarity ˜1.11) is much more retained on carbon than is benzene (π*˜0.52). This is in contrast to conventional alkyl bonded phases that do not easily retain polarizable molecules.
There are many examples of applications that take advantage of the selectivity property including separation of water soluble micropollutants from water, drug metabolites, and pesticides. Additional applications include benzene and naphthalene sulfonates, acidic pesticides, and highly hydrophilic metabolites in blood and urine [10].Carbon also has advantages over synthetic polymeric supports that can shrink and swell as the solvent, pH, and ionic strength are changed. Other applications specific to carbon include selectivity for planar molecules. One example application for carbon sorption media is the trace extraction of coplanar polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), dibenzo-p-dioxins and dibenzofurans from other PCB congeners.
Particles useful as separation media in HPLC have many requirements that are met by most HPLC phases on the market today. This is in large part due to the fact that modern HPLC particles are based on porous silica. Commercially available silica particles for HPLC are typically stringently monodisperse and are mechanically strong enough to withstand packing pressures far exceeding 5000 psi. The particles are also spherical and are chemically stable in neutral and acidic solutions. Furthermore, the pore diameters of the silica are appropriately sized (60-350 Å) for liquid analysis and surface areas are high (>100 m2/g). Selectivity for analytes can be tuned to give supports whose surfaces have been bonded with various silanizing agents that impart a unique surface on the silica particle. The surface of the silica is often completely covered and is chemically homogeneous, as is well known in the art. However, complete surface coverage is not necessarily a requirement for desirable separations as is also well known in the art.
Carbon-coated sorption media has been widely employed for chromatographic support phase, including for HPLC phases. Carbon is an ideal adsorbent for a variety of analytes studied in HPLC, and therefore its use has been widely accepted.
The use of chemical vapor deposition (CVD) processes to produce carbon coatings has been extensively studied. Such processes are used, for example, to carbon coat nuclear materials or to infiltrate porous bodies so as to produce lightweight structural materials. This topic is discussed in more detail in The Chemistry and Physics of Carbon, 173-263 (P. Walker et al., eds. 1973), the disclosure of which is incorporated by reference herein.
Commercially available carbon-based supports useful for HPLC applications include carbon-clad zirconia/titanium and porous graphitic carbon (PGC). U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,254,262, and 5,108,597 describe the cladding of carbon on metal oxide particles such as zirconia. The inventors emphasize how to achieve monodispersity, extreme pH stability, and high efficiency. Using low pressure, high temperature vapor deposition, a carbon separation material was procured by pyrolizing a variety of saturated and unsaturated hydrocarbons on zirconia at 700° C. in a flow through horizontal rotary reactor. The residual exposed hard Lewis acid sites on the zirconia substrate causes irreversible adsorption of many Lewis bases. Thus, the adoption of this phase has been limited. Furthermore, the method and apparatus and process conditions as described in the patent has been found to be inadequate for obtaining coatings on silica particles.
In response to the fact that the process based on U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,254,262 and 5,108,597 is inadequate for obtaining significant carbon coatings on silica, Paek et al. described a process for obtaining carbon coated silica particles by first depositing metals (ex. Alumina) on the surface of the silica particles with subsequent carbonization by chemical vapor deposition using the method published in the aforementioned patents (Journal of Chromatography A Volume 1217, Issue 42, 15 Oct. 2010, Pages 6475-6483.) The Authors demonstrated that the coated materials could be packed into HPLC columns and that acceptable chromatographic performance could be achieved. This approach, however, also suffers from exposed Lewis acid sites, similar to that described above with respect to U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,254,262 and 5,108,597.
K. Unger et al. (U.S. Pat. No. 4,225,463) describe porous carbon support materials based on activated carbons and/or cokes. The materials are prepared by treating hard activated carbon or coke particles with solvents, and then heating them at 2400-3000° C. under an inert gas atmosphere. The resulting support materials are described as having a carbon content of at least 99 percent, a specific surface area of about 1-5 m2 per gram, and a particle size of about 5-50 μm. The resulting surface area and pore size are not generally reproducible. In addition, residual metals in the material adsorb analytes. It is generally understood that these materials are not useful for analytical separations.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,431,821 describes coating an oligomeric acetylene based polymer on the surface of porous silica with subsequent carbonization in a flow through batch reactor. The carbon source is deposited on the surface by evaporation and is subsequently carbonized. The make-up gas does not carry a carbon source. This material suffers from blocked pores, which limits its utility in HPLC.
Leboda et al. (Chromatographia, 13, 703 (1980); Chromatographia, 14, 524 (1981); Chromatographia, 13, 549 (1980)) describe chemical vapor deposited (CVD) methylene chloride on porous silica surfaces at 300-500° C. with subsequent deposition of a variety of aromatic alcohols (n-octanol) as a post treatment to complete the surface coverage. Leboda et al. used two methods to make the particles. First, Leboda et al. describe the two-hour pyrolysis of dichloromethane (CH2Cl2) on partially dehydroxylated silica gel (particle size range 0.15-0.30 mm) at 500° C. and atmospheric pressure in an autoclave. Additionally, Leboda et al., Chromatographia, 12, No. 4, 207-211 (1979) describe the catalytic decomposition of alcohol onto the surface of Si02 in an autoclave, at a pressure of 25 atmospheres and a temperature of 350° C. for 6 hours. The resulting material possesses a surface having from "a few to several dozen percent carbon on the surface." The problem with this technique is that the particles are not mixed as the reaction occurs thus producing irregular coatings. Leboda et al. have also described a low pressure rotary reactor for the production of carbon coated particles to improve the mixing. Leboda et al. also describe seeding carbon deposition on the silica surface by depositing metals such as iron or alumina. This approach generally clogs the pores and gives poor chromatographic performance.
Leboda et al. further describe carbon-silica adsorbents obtained as a result of n-amyl alcohol pyrolysis. They concluded that these materials have a better ordered and more spatially developed structure of the carbon deposit than those obtained by dichloromethane pyrolysis. The carbon deposit formed by n-amyl alcohol pyrolysis is a better catalyst of carbonization than the deposit formed by dichloromethane pyrolysis.
Porous graphitic carbon is the most commercially successful HPLC carbon stationary phase on the market. It is prepared by filling the pores of a silica gel with a polymer comprising carbon, thermolyzing the polymer to produce a silica/carbon composite, dissolving out the silica to produce a porous carbon, and subjecting the porous carbon to graphitizing conditions. U.S. Pat. No. 4,203,268 describes a method for producing a porous carbon material suitable for chromatography or use as a catalyst support, which involves depositing carbon in the pores of a porous inorganic template material such as silica gel, porous glass, alumina or other porous refractory oxides having a surface area of at least 1 m2/g, and thereafter removing the template material. The resulting carbon is not a true graphite, but it does have a structure similar to two dimensional graphite making it chromatographically essentially indistinguishable from carbon that has been graphitized. Even though the material is mechanically stable enough to be used as a HPLC stationary phase, the material suffers from an expensive manufacturing process and is also 100% carbon, thus the phase is often prohibitively retentive. In addition, it has been reported that this phase is not stable at pressures exceeding 5000 psi and that the column life at those high pressures is short. Recent trends toward higher pressures (>5000 psi) have become a key trend in which is commonly employed in HPLC and it is clear that these particles will not withstand these ultra high pressures.
O. Chiantore et al., Analytical Chemistry, 60, 638-642 (1988), describe carbon sorbents which are prepared by pyrolysis of either phenol formaldehyde resin or saccharose on spheroidal silica gels coated with these materials. The pyrolysis is performed at 600° C. for one hour in an inert atmosphere, and the silica is subsequently removed by boiling the material in an excess of a 10% NaOH solution for 30 minutes.
Chiantore et al. conclude that, at the temperatures employed in their work, the carbonaceous polymer network that is formed still maintains the chemical features of the starting material. To obtain carbons where polar functional groups have been completely eliminated, the authors conclude that high temperatures (greater than 800° C.) treatments under inert atmosphere are necessary.
In addition to materials which comprise a carbon matrix or core, other HPLC chromatographic support materials are known which have a carbon coating on a substrate of silica. For example, N. K. Bebris et al., Chromatographia, 11, 206-211 (1978) describe the one-hour pyrolysis of benzene at 850° C. onto a substrate of Silochrom C-120, a macroporous silica (Si02) which contains particles of irregular form with an average size of 80 μm. Benzene pyrolysis was also carried out at 750° C. onto a substrate of Spherisorb S20W, a metals rich silica gel which contains spherical particles of diameter 20 μm. All of these efforts have been conducted on metals rich silica gel.
P. Carrott et al., Colloids and Surfaces, 12, 9-15 (1986) cracked furfuraldehyde vapor on precipitated silica at a temperature of 500° C. for various times, to achieve carbon loadings of 0.5, 8.6 and 16 percent. Carrott et al. conclude that the external surface of the resulting carbon-coated silica was hydrophobic, while the internal surface was hydrophilic, indicating that the internal surfaces are not well coated.
H. Colin et al., J. Chromatography, 149, 169-197 (1978) compare non-polar chemically-bonded phases (CBP), pyrocarbon-modified silica gel (PMS) and pyrocarbon-modified carbon black (PMCB) as packings for reversed phase HPLC. These phases all suffer from blocked pores and poor chromatographic performance.
Catalyst supports have also been prepared by deposition of carbon on alumina. For example, S. Butterworth et al., Applied Catalysis, 16, 375-388 (1985) describe a y-Al203 catalyst support having a coating of carbon deposited by vapor-phase pyrolysis of propylene. The pure phase y-Al203 substrate was ground to 12×37 mesh, had a bimodal pore size distribution based around mean diameters of 110 nm, and a surface area of 130 m2/g. When the vapor phase pyrolysis was performed from a flowing gas mixture of argon and propylene at 673 K, Butterworth et al. describe that the pure phase y-Al203 was completely covered at a carbon loading of 7 wt-%.
Certain metal oxides have been coated with carbon for use as nuclear reactor fuels. For example, P. Haas, Chemical Engineering Progress, 44-52 (April 1989) describes that small spheres of oxides of U, Th and Pu were required for high-temperature, gas-cooled nuclear reactor fuels. These fuels were coated with pyrolytic carbon or other ceramics to serve as "pressure vessels" which contain fission products.
FIG. 1 summarizes relevant prior art for carbon based particles that have been employed in HPLC. FIG. 1A shows a Type A silica that has been coated with pyrolytic carbon. In this case, either a metal is deliberately placed on the surface or is incorporated on the surface in various oxidation states and chemical forms. These sites act as nucleation sites for carbon formation on the surface. As is shown in the FIG. 1A, certain analytes can interact with the uncovered metals or with the uncovered Si—OH groups which become activated with an adjacent metal. One example of a common effect of these metal groups is increased retention of basic analytes under acidic eluent conditions. As previously noted, Paek et al. have deliberately placed metal on the substrate surface to aid carbon deposition. FIG. 1B shows a zirconia substrate that has been coated with a pyrolitic carbon. This material is not fully covered, so any Lewis base analytes may interact with the uncovered zirconia substrate and greatly increase retention or in some cases, prevent elution. It is a well known practice in the art to place a competing Lewis base into the eluent so as to compete with the analyte for the Lewis base sites on the chromatographic substrate. FIG. 1C. shows the surface of porous graphitic carbon. This material has been fully graphitized and is 100% carbon. It is well known that very polar analytes or planar species are highly retained on these materials. It is also clear that in contrast to other prior art materials, this material does not have any substrate. The absence of substrate has its advantages and disadvantages. It is well known that substrate-less materials are not useful for separations exceeding 400 bar as they are not typically mechanically stable or the packed bed is not stable at those hydrostatic pressures. It is significant to note that since the surface is 100% carbon, it can not be tuned and thus retention can not be tuned without unique and exotic mobile phase additives.
The particles of the present invention do not have the same problems as carbon coated on zirconia. These particles are free from residual Lewis Acid sites and will elute strong Lewis bases without a Lewis base eluent modifier such as phosphate. Even if enough coverage of the base zirconia is achieved so that an eluent modifier is not required, peak tailing associated with Lewis acid and Lewis base interaction will still be observed. In addition, the present invention teaches that in order to achieve a significant amount of carbon coating in a reasonable amount of time, one may employ increased pressure in the reactor to improve the level of carbon source present for reaction.
Our co-pending patent application number PCT/US 11/21537 describes a fluidized bed useful for obtaining carbon coated particles, and is incorporated herein by reference. The present invention is primarily directed to particles for HPLC, which are much smaller in diameter compared to solid phase extraction media. We have found that it is preferable to provide a fluidized bed reactor with a diameter of less than 6″ ID for HPLC particles. Advantages of such reactor size include better control of vapor deposition, better reproducibility of the fluid bed, and less loss of end product. In one embodiment, the fluidized bed diameter of the present invention is 3 inches. In yet another embodiment, the reactor diameter is 1 inch. Reactor lengths of 10-50 inches generate economically significant volumes.
Silica particles are known in the art to be classified as Type A or Type B, wherein Type B silica contains less than 20 ppm total metals, and Type A silica typically contains greater than 75 ppm total metals. For the purposes hereof, the term "metals" is intended to mean any element from the alkali, alkaline, transition, post transition, lanthanides, and actinide elemental groups, as is well understood in the art of chromatography. Common examples of metals found as impurities in silica may include sodium, calcium, iron, titanium, and zirconium, though it is also contemplated that any metal may be present as a contaminant in the particulate substrate. Metals are heat and electrical conductors, malleable, and can form cationic or ionic bonds with non-metals. Metals are considered as impurities that are detrimental to the goals of chromatographic separation due to the tendency to acidify the free silanol groups, and to render the separation generally less reproducible.
While carbon coatings on Type A silica have been described as a result of the beneficial metal nucleation sites available in Type A silica, efforts to carbon coat Type B silica have heretofore been unsuccessful. It has been found that Type B silica may be advantageous as an HPLC support because it is ultra pure and is virtually metals free. Metals that are incorporated into the silica backbone or are bonded or are adsorbed on the surface can cause a variety of deleterious effects on chromatography as is commonly described in the art. The metals found in Type A silica can be elemental, oxides, ions, or any other metal form and include but are not limited to zirconia, titanium, iron, aluminum, magnesium, sodium, calcium, potassium, chromium, copper, and zinc. High levels of residual metals in Type A silica cause increased retention of amines and generally result in less reproducible chromatographic elutions.
Using the particles, method, and apparatus of the present invention, we have discovered that carbon may be successfully coated on substantially metal-free inorganic oxide substrates, such as Type B silica. In addition, we have found that desirable carbon loading can be achieved on such substrates that are fully or partially hydroxylated. In a preferred embodiment, the substrate of the present invention has a total metals content of less than 50 ppm. However, it is anticipated that a Type A silica could be carbonized with the method of the present invention and then post treated with an acid to reduce the total metals to a desired level such as less than 50 ppm.
Conventional coating techniques fail to yield a chromatographically significant coating of carbon on low-metal substrates unless the surface has been pre-treated with a metal as disclosed by Paek et al. The present invention introduces a method for obtaining carbon coatings on substantially metal-free substrates, such as Type B, silica to form a desirable chromatographic support media.
Furthermore, the present coating technique is applicable to a multiplicity of low or no metal substrates. The present invention is effective in coating particles of various diameters and pore sizes. Using the methods of the present invention, carbon may also be coated on superficially porous particles to provide for ultra-fast separations.
Another issue in the manufacture of chromatographic-grade carbon-coated silica is that the small diameter silica particles (<10 μm) tend to cling to the walls of the reactor. Carbon-coated zirconia or large (>30 μm diameter) silica particles do not pose such problem because, unlike small silica particles, these particles are free flowing and much more dense. Particle caking and static cling of small diameter silica particles results in agglomeration in the reactor and inhomogeneous reaction, thus causing irreproducible retention times for select analytes in chromatographic analysis. We have also found that small particles are more likely to be carried by the carrier gas out of the reactor zone. If a horizontal rotary reactor is used, upon completion of the reaction, uncoated particles that have been carried out of the reactor zone are inevitably mixed with the coated particles. The present invention overcomes this problem by implementing a fluidized bed reactor with a specific filter at the outlet of the reactor.
In addition to the above, the prior art is silent regarding the utility of tuning or pre-selecting the amount of carbon deposited on the substrate for sorbent and separation applications. The present invention provides the selection of various amounts of carbon deposited on various types and sizes of particles. Thus, the retention time of a selected analyte may be pre-determined by the extent of the carbon loading applied to the substrate

Carbon composite materials for separations


A catalyst for the selective oxidation of alkanes and alkenes has been developed. The catalyst consists of a noble metal component such as platinum and a SbOx component. A unique feature of the catalyst is that the noble metal component is present as particles of which from about 1 to about 30 mole % of each particle is in the form of a noble metal/Sb alloy. Optionally a modifier and/or a refractory inorganic oxide may also be added to the catalyst. A process for preparing the catalyst is also presented.

The selective oxidation of various hydrocarbons to oxygen containing compounds (aldehydes, ketones) has received considerable attention since the oxygen containing compounds have many commercial applications. Usually the reaction involves the selective oxidation of olefins to aldehydes or ketones. However, it would be more beneficial to convert alkanes to aldehydes and ketones.
The art discloses some catalysts which are stated to be useful for the selective oxidation of alkanes. For example the use of scheelite type oxides has been reported in Appl. Catal. 70, 189 (1991). The use of V--Sb--O has been reported in Appl. Catal. 33, 343 (1987). The use of di-vanadyl pyrophosphate to produce methacrolein from isobutane has been reported in U.S. Pat. No. 5,329,043. The use of gold and/or silver containing vanadium pyrophosphate catalysts is reported in JPO5178774-A. Finally, U.S. Pat. No. 5,191,116 discloses a molybdenum hetero-polyacid catalyst.
In contrast to this art, applicants have developed a simple catalyst which is very active in the conversion of both alkanes and alkenes to oxygen containing organic compounds. This catalyst contains a noble metal such as platinum and an SbOx component where x varies from about 1.5 to about 2.5. The catalyst is characterized in that the noble metal particles and the SbOx component form an alloy. Finally, the catalyst can also contain a promoter and/or a refractory inorganic oxide.

Selective oxidation catalyst process for preparing the catalyst and process using the catalyst


The invention relates to an apparatus and method for manufacturing molten iron. The method for manufacturing molten iron includes producing a mixture containing iron by drying and mixing iron-containing ore and additives, passing the mixture containing iron through one or more successively-connected fluidized beds so that the mixture is reduced and calcined to thereby perform conversion into a reduced material, forming a coal packed bed, which is a heat source in which the reduced material has been melted, charging the reduced material to the coal packed bed and supplying oxygen to the coal-packed bed to manufacture iron, and supplying reduced gas exhausted from the coal-packed bed to the fluidized bed, wherein in the conversion of the mixture to a reduced material, oxygen is directly supplied and combusted in an area where reduced gas flows to the fluidized bed. The apparatus for manufacturing molten iron of the invention uses this method for manufacturing molten iron. Through use of the invention, the reduced gas passing through the fluidized beds may be improved, and cohesion of the iron-containing fine ores may be prevented.

(a) Field of the Invention
The invention relates to an apparatus and method for manufacturing molten irons, and more particularly to an apparatus and method for manufacturing molten irons that supplies oxygen and water to a fluidized-bed reactor for increasing a temperature in the fluidized-bed reactor to thereby manufacture molten irons.
(b) Description of the Related Art
The iron and steel industry is a core industry that supplies the basic materials needed in construction and in the manufacture of automobiles, ships, home appliances, and many of the other products we use. It is also an industry with one of the longest histories that has advanced together with human progress. In an iron foundry, which plays a pivotal roll in the iron and steel industry, after molten iron (i.e., pig iron in a molten state) is produced using iron ore and coal as raw materials, steel is produced from the molten iron and is then supplied to customers.
Approximately 60% of the world's iron production is realized using the blast furnace method developed in the 14th century. In the blast furnace method, cokes produced using iron ore and bituminous coal that have undergone a sintering process as raw materials are placed in a blast furnace, and oxygen is supplied to the furnace to reduce the iron ore to iron to thereby manufacture molten iron. The blast furnace method, which is a main aspect of molten iron production, requires raw materials having a hardness of at least a predetermined level and grain size that can ensure ventilation in the furnace. Coke in which specific raw coal that has undergone processing is needed as a carbon source to be used as fuel and a reducing agent. Also, sintered ore that has undergone a successive compacting process is needed as an iron source. Accordingly, in the modern blast furnace method, it is necessary to include raw material preparation and processing equipment such as coke manufacturing equipment and sintering equipment. Therefore, not only is it necessary to obtain accessory equipments in addition to the blast furnace, but equipment to prevent and minimize the generation of pollution in the accessory equipment is needed. The amount of investment, therefore, is considerable, ultimately increases manufacturing costs.
In order to solve these problems of the blast furnace method, significant effort is being put forth in iron foundries all over the world to develop a smelting reduction process that produces molten irons by directly using fine coal as fuel and as a reducing agent, and also directly using fine ores, which are used in over 80% of the world's ore production, as an iron source.
As an example of such a smelting reduction process, U.S. Pat. No. 5,584,910 discloses a method of manufacturing molten iron that directly uses fine coals and fine ores. A method is disclosed in this patent for producing a molten pig iron or molten steel preliminary product from a charge material that partially includes fine iron ores. The fine iron ores are directly reduced into sponge irons in at least one fluidized-bed reactor, and the sponge iron is melted in a melting region by supplying carbon carriers and an oxygen containing gas. Reduced gas that is generated in this process is provided to the fluidized-bed reactors, then is exhausted as an exhaust gas after undergoing reaction.
When compared to the conventional blast furnace method, since the above method for manufacturing molten iron uses fine iron ores and fine coals instead of lump ores and cokes, the advantage is realized in which the range of grain sizes of raw coal is wide. Further, equipment stoppages and re-starting are easy. However, as a result of using the fine iron ores as raw material and also using multiple stages of fluidized-bed reactors, it is not easy to adjust an inner state of the fluidized-bed reactors, and in particular, an inner temperature thereof.
Accordingly, in order to adjust an inner temperature of the fluidized-bed reactors, a method is used in which a separate combustion chamber and burner are provided to an exterior of the fluidized-bed reactors to thereby increase the temperature of a gas supplied to the fluidized-bed reactors. However, when the reaction gas that is increased in temperature passes through a dispersing plate provided to induce uniform gas flow in the fluidized-bed reactors, ore particles contained in the reaction gas form a compound having a low melting point such that the dispersing plate becomes blocked, thereby making it impossible to perform fluidized bed reduction process.

Apparatus for manufacturing molten irons to improve operation of fluidized bed type reduction apparatus and manufacturing method using the same

Research Institute of Industrial Science & Technology

Voest-Alpine Industrieanlagenbau GmbH & Co.


Methods and apparatuses for electromagnetic support tooling for use in composite part curing are described. In one example, a support tooling, such as a mandrel, includes an elastomeric housing that has ferromagnetic components. The mandrel also has electro-magnetic coils positioned within the elastomeric housing and operable to generate magnetic fields to repel or attract the ferromagnetic components of the elastomeric housing to the electro-magnetic coils. When the ferromagnetic components of the elastomeric housing are repelled by the electro-magnetic coils, the elastomeric housing has a rigid surface state. When the ferromagnetic components of the elastomeric housing are attracted to the electro-magnetic coils, the elastomeric housing is collapsed.

Composite parts, such as those used in the manufacture of aircraft, can be constructed using various production methods, such as filament winding, tape placement, overbraid, chop fiber roving, coating, hand lay-up, or other composite processing techniques and curing processes. Most of these processes use a rigid cure tool/mandrel on which composite material is applied and then cured into a rigid composite part. For example, automated fiber placement (AFP) machines may be used to place fiber reinforcements on molds or mandrels to form composite layups. Following, composite parts may be cured within an autoclave that applies heat and pressure to the part during a cure cycle.
Some composite part geometries include internal cavities that may require a tool such as a supporting bladder that is placed in the cavity to ensure that the part geometry is properly maintained during application of composite material or when processed under autoclave pressure. The supporting bladder may be an inflatable bladder that can easily fit into an internal cavity prior to cure and then be inflated during an autoclave cure process so as to react to the autoclave pressure force applied to the part. Typically, such inflatable bladders are pressurized by venting them to the autoclave pressure through a vacuum bag.
However, the bladders that are used to support a composite part (e.g., a stringer or other longitudinal structural piece in a framework) for autoclave curing may not suitable when alternatively curing the part out-of-autoclave (e.g., as performed with repairs). In this case, the part and the bladder are exposed to different temperature and pressure conditions than in an autoclave such that an inflatable bladder may not perform properly and could in fact negatively impact final part characteristics. This creates a need for a support tool that can fit into a composite part cavity prior to cure, can conform to the internal geometry of the part cavity during out-of-autoclave curing, and finally can reduce in size to be removed from the part after cure.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Electromagnetic support tooling for composite part curing


A semiconductor device includes a vertical field-effect transistor having a substrate of first conduction type in a substrate base, a drain electrode formed on a first surface of the substrate, an epitaxial layer of first conduction type formed on a second surface of the substrate, a source region of first conduction type formed on the semiconductor base, a source ohmic contact metal film in ohmic contact with the source region, trenches formed from the second surface of the semiconductor base, and a gate region of second conduction type formed along the trenches. The semiconductor device further includes a gate rise metal film in ohmic contact with the draw-out layer of the gate region on the bottom of the trenches and rising to the second surface of the semiconductor base, and a gate draw-out metal film connected to the gate rise metal film from the second surface of the semiconductor base.

This invention relates to a semiconductor device, or in particular to a structure of a silicon carbide semiconductor device having a vertical field-effect transistor.
Silicon carbide (SiC) has a breakdown voltage about ten times as high silicon (Si). In the case where silicon carbide is used for the vertical field-effect transistor, therefore, the drift layer (epitaxial layer) for maintaining the withstanding voltage can be reduced in thickness and increased in concentration for a lower loss. One of the power semiconductor devices using SiC is a junction FET (JFET) or a static induction transistor (SIT).
JP-A-9-508492 PCT (Patent Document 1) (FIGS. 6 to 11), Materials Science Forum Vols. 433-436 (2003) pp. 777-780 (Non-Patent Document 1), and IEEE ELECTRON DEVICE LETTERS VOL. 24, NO. 7, JULY 2003, pp. 463-465 (Non-Patent Document 2) disclose a semiconductor device utilizing the properties of SiC. in the semiconductor disclosed in these documents, an n+ substrate and an n− epi-layer constituting a drain region are formed from a first surface of the SiC semiconductor base, and an n+ source region is formed along a second surface thereof. Deep trenches are formed from the second surface, and a p+ gate region is formed along the trenches. This p+gate region extends to a position in contact with the n+ source region. Between adjoining trenches, a source electrode is formed through a source contact layer in contact with the surface of the n+ source region existing along the second surface. This source electrode extends not only on the surface of the n+ source region but also, beyond the surface of the insulating material in the trenches, extends over the entire length of the second surface of the semiconductor base. On the other hand, a gate contact layer adjoining the p+ gate region is formed on the bottom of the trenches. These JFET and SIT are transistors for turning on/off the current through the depletion layer expanding to the channels between the p+ gate regions of a pair of adjacent trenches. By minimizing this channel width, what is called a "normally-off" transistor is realized which holds the off state even in the case where the gate voltage is zero.
Non-Patent Document 1 discloses the fact that assuming that the concentration of the n epi-layer constituting a drift layer is 3E15/cm3 or 3×105/cm3, the channel width is 2.0 μm, the trench depth is 2.0 μm and the gate voltage Vg is 0 V, the withstanding voltage of 650 V and the forward current density of 250 A/cm2 can be realized.


A method of transitioning between homogeneous charge compression ignition and spark ignition in a combustion chamber of an engine that is configured for homogeneous charge compression ignition under at least some engine operating conditions and for spark ignition under at least some engine operating conditions, the method comprising heating contents of the combustion chamber with a glow plug prior to transitioning between homogeneous charge compression ignition and spark ignition.

Internal combustion engines convert chemical energy in a fuel to mechanical energy. As part of the conversion, the fuel can be combusted, thus causing hot combustion products to expand within the engine. The expansion of the combustion products can be used to move mechanical components of the engine, such as pistons. Combustion reactions can have several products, or emissions, some of which can be undesirable. For example, when hydrocarbons are used as fuel, combustion products can include HC, CO, CO2 and NOx.
An internal combustion engine may operate in one or more combustion modes. One example mode is spark ignition (SI), where an electric spark from a sparking device is used to initiate combustion of an air and fuel mixture. Another example mode is homogeneous charge compression ignition (HCCI), where an air and fuel mixture achieves a temperature where autoignition occurs without requiring a spark from a sparking device. In some conditions, HCCI may have greater fuel efficiency, reduced NOx production, and/or other advantages compared to SI. However, in some conditions, such as with high or low engine loads and/or high or low engine speeds, it may be difficult to achieve reliable HCCI combustion.
Numerous attempts have been made to design a dual combustion mode engine that is configured to utilize SI during some conditions and HCCI during other conditions. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 6,619,254 describes a dual combustion mode engine that uses SI and HCCI. Further, a third combustion mode is described where under certain operating conditions the pressure, temperature, and composition of the charge are set in such a way that the self-ignition capability is just short of being reached, and an external energy source in the form of an electric spark or an additionally injected quantity of fuel is used to trigger ignition.
The inventors herein have recognized disadvantages with previous attempts at HCCI operating mode engines, including dual mode engines that use SI combustion at least some of the time. Since SI combustion is generally hotter than HCCI combustion, when switching from SI operation to HCCI operation, there is a period when the temperature of combustion is decreasing with each combustion event and a hybrid SI-HCCI combustion occurs. Similarly, when switching back into SI operation, the temperature of combustion is expected to increase back up to SI levels during the hybrid combustion phase. This hybrid combustion is suboptimal in terms of stability, efficiency, and emissions generation. If not well controlled, such a hybrid combustion can cause misfire, and in an extreme case, combustion can cease altogether.
Furthermore, if a spark assist is used during transition periods between SI and HCCI operation, some of the benefits of HCCI may not be fully realized. In particular, NOx emissions and/or fuel economy may be less favorable than if HCCI was used without spark assist.
Thus, it may be advantageous to improve transition control of a plural combustion mode engine (e.g., SI/HCCI), with or without using a spark assist. In one approach, transition control may be addressed by heating contents of a combustion chamber with a device having a small thermal inertia (e.g., a glow plug) when transitioning between SI and homogeneous charge compression ignition. In this way, it may be possible to decrease SI or hybrid SI/HCCI in favor of HCCI, thus further realizing benefits of HCCI.

System and method for facilitating homogeneous charge compression ignition


A self-rectified device is provided, comprising a bottom electrode, a patterned dielectric layer with a contact hole formed on the bottom electrode, a memory formed at the bottom electrode and substantially aligned with the contact hole, and a top electrode formed on the bottom electrode and filling into the contact hole to contact with the memory, wherein the top electrode comprises a N+ type semiconductor material or a P+ type semiconductor material, and the memory and the top electrode produce a self-rectified property.

1. Field of the Invention
The disclosure relates in general to a memory device, a method for manufacturing the same and application of the same, more particularly to a self-rectified device, a method for manufacturing the same, a three-dimensional structure applying with the same and a reading method of a 3D memory device having self-rectified memory cells.
2. Description of the Related Art
A nonvolatile semiconductor memory device is typically designed to securely hold data even when power is lost or removed from the memory device. Various types of nonvolatile memory devices have been proposed in the related art. Also, manufactures have been looking for new developments or techniques combination for stacking multiple planes of memory cells, so as to achieve greater storage capacity. For example, several types of multi-layer stackable thin-film transistor (TFT) NAND-type flash memory structures have been proposed.
Resistive random-access memory (RRAM or ReRAM) is a non-volatile memory type. Resistive memories attract much attention due to its simple MIM (Metal-Insulator-Metal) structure and promising scalability. Different forms of ReRAM have been disclosed, based on different dielectric materials, spanning from perovskites to transition metal oxides to chalcogenides.
Resistive memory device, as the example of the transition metal oxide memory (transition metal oxide resistive memory (TMO ReRAM), and etc.) is a group of two-terminal memory devices that stores the data by different resistance levels. Take a typical ReRAM device with a WSixOy memory and a TiN top electrode for example, hereinafter TiN/WSi3Oy device. FIG. 1 shows a DC bipolar operation of the typical TiN/WSixOy device. The typical TiN/WSixOy device shows very high initial resistance indicating good and uniform oxidation. An initial negative forming voltage is required to bring a high resistance state (HRS) to a low resistance state (LRS). In FIG. 1, the SET state is reached after forming by a negative voltage. Then the cell can be switched in bipolar mode with positive voltage for the RESET state, and negative voltage for the SET state. FIG. 2 shows an AC operation of the typical TiN/WSixOy device. The cell can be switched in bipolar operation like DC switching. The typical TiN/WSixOy device can be reset by applying a positive pulse (to reach the RESET state), and set by applying a negative pulse (to reach the SET state), similar to WOx ReRAM.
FIG. 3 shows the cycling tests with verification of the typical TiN/WSixOy device, and the device being cycled more than 30K times with 10×HRS/LRS ratio. In the cycling tests, the cycling endurance of the typical TiN/WSixOy device is more than 30K times, and 10× resistance window is well maintained by the usual program-verifying algorithm. The TiN/WSixOy ReRAM presents the typical ReRAM property similar to the conventional bipolar ReRAM. When an array with the typical TiN/WSixOy ReRAM is constructed, transistors should be included in the array structure, and each of the transistors functions as the switch of the memory cell.
Additionally, since NAND Flash can stack up vertically with many layers, two-dimensional (2D) ReRAM has little advantage in cost. Three-dimensional (3D) stacking of ReRAM turns out very challenging since (1) the lack of good bipolar selecting device, and (2) the difficulty of decoding a 3D array of 2-terminal devices. Thus, it is also desirable to develop and realize a 2D cross point array and a 3D ReRAM with excellent electrical properties, such as a self-rectifying property, and the reliability and stability of data storage.

Self-rectified device, method for manufacturing the same, and applications of the same


Systems and methods for Artificial Intelligence (AI)-based analysis of oral reviews are provided. An example method includes prompting a user to provide an oral review concerning a subject; providing the user with an interface configured to receive the oral review; receiving, via the interface, the oral review concerning the subject in a free format; generating, based on the oral review, a text for review and presenting the text for review to the user; and providing, to the user, an option to publish the text for review via at least one social media. Generating the text for review may include removing filler words from the oral review and converting the oral review from the free format to a format according to a grammar rule of at least one human language.

Questionnaires are one of the tools used by service providers to receive customer feedback with regard to the services they provide. Conventional review collection systems typically ask users to fill out questionnaires that can include multiple pages of questions. Some questions may relate to the subject of the review, e.g., a service, while other questions may ask users to rate the service on a scale of one to ten. Still other questions may ask users to provide their opinion in a free form. However, users may find it too time-consuming to go through multiple page documents, answer multiple questions, and provide written opinions. Moreover, some users may not have or want to spend time on writing a free format review.


Embodiments include a reflowable grid array (RGA) interposer, a semiconductor packaged system, and a method of forming the semiconductor packaged system. The RGA interposer includes a substrate having vias and zones, where the zones have embedded heaters. The heaters may include first traces, second traces, and via filament interconnects. The vias may have a z-height greater than a z-height of the heaters, and each of the zones may have a grid pattern. The RGA interposer may include first and second layers in the substrate, where the first layer includes the first traces, the second layer includes the second traces, and the second layer is over the first layer. The grid pattern may have parallel first traces orthogonal to parallel second traces to form a pattern of squares, where the pattern of squares has the first traces intersect the second traces substantially at right angles.

For the past several decades, the scaling of features in integrated circuits has been a driving force behind an ever-growing semiconductor industry. Scaling to smaller and smaller features enables increased densities of functional units on the limited real estate of semiconductor devices. For example, shrinking the size of a semiconductor package lends to the fabrication of products with increased capacity, such as reflowable grid array (RGA) packages. The drive for ever-more capacity, however, is not without issue. The necessity to optimize the performance of each device becomes increasingly significant.
The existing technology of RGA packages is typically based on embedded serpentine-like copper traces positioned in a defined area, which generally only covers approximately one-tenth of the area that needs heating. These RGA packages may provide adequate control for heating in general, but are greatly influenced by the overall package size. In addition, theses existing RGA packages are greatly limited by the controller designs that limit the number of zones that can be heated in such packages.
For example, some of the existing solutions of the RGA packages allow heating in the package substrates by ensuring that the zone (or area of coverage) of the packages substrates have an average temperature. One major problem, however, is that these RGA packages do not provide pin-point accuracy when heating, thereby the RGA packages can typically have many thermal variations across the zone which creates inefficiencies in the heating process.

Reflowable grid array to support grid heating


A swivel tether for attaching a camera via a cord to an object, the swivel tether including a side release buckle system having a ball joint connection that allows for 360 degree swivel functionality. This permits the camera to rotate freely without adding tension or twisting of the cord attached thereto and without causing a threaded connection between an end of the cord and the camera to become unthreaded due to rotation of the camera. The ball joint connection may be configured in the plug connection component of the side release buckle system. The side release buckle system also includes a slide lock switch operative to lock plug and socket portions of the buckle system together to prevent unintentional release of the buckle system when fastened.

Conventional tethers for cameras may be used to selectively couple a camera or similar device to other objects, including shoulder straps, camera bags, wrist straps, belt straps, etc. This allows the camera to be secured to other objects during transport or use of the camera, which facilitates ease of use and may act as a safety measure to prevent the camera from falling if it slips from a user's grip. Often, the end of the tether near the camera is coupled to a loop or ring that is fixedly or selectively coupled to the camera. In some cases, the loop or ring includes a threaded shaft configured to threadably engage with a threaded socket of the camera, such as a tripod socket on the camera body or lens.


A color-tunable OLED device comprising: a charge-carrying cathode layer and a charge-carrying anode layer disposed parallel to each other; at least a first organic light-emitting unit and a second organic light-emitting unit disposed between the cathode and anode; and at least one charge-generating layer disposed between the cathode and anode, wherein the charge-generating layer is a charge-carrying layer of lesser lateral conductivity than the anode and cathode, and said charge-generating layer is electrically connected without additional circuit elements to another charge-carrying layer and disposed such that at least one organic light-emitting unit is wedged between two directly-connected charge-carrying layers, and at least one organic light-emitting unit is not thusly wedged.

The field of OLED devices has drawn much attention in recent years. Such devices promise that OLEDs can be used for clear and vibrant displays, e.g. in televisions, smartphones, and other display-centric devices. Another area in which OLEDs hold promise is in the area of lighting. OLED panels could be used to replace large area lighting, e.g. overhead lighting. Advantages of such OLED lighting is that the panels can produce light with relatively low power requirements and little heat as a by-product, reducing electricity usage. Such panels also have the possibility of long lifetimes, reducing the need to replace the lamps at regular intervals. OLED lighting can also be made adjustable so that the lighting level can varied depending upon need.


A fan holder includes at least one frame, a first lateral plate, and a second lateral plate. The frame has a first side surface and a second side surface opposite to each other, and the first side surface and the second side surface respectively have a positioning member and a slot. Each frame can be selectively combined with each other through the first side surface and the second side surface. The first lateral plate has a positioning trough, and the second lateral plate has a stopper. The first lateral plate and the second lateral plate are detachably disposed on the first side surface and the second side surface respectively. The positioning member is interlocked with the positioning trough, and the stopper is inserted in the slot. The fan is disposed in the fan holder, and the fan holder is fixed to a case of an electronic device, so as to provide an air flow to cool the electronic device.

1. Technical Field
This disclosure relates to a fan holder, and more particularly to a fan holder, which can be combined with same kind of fan holders.
2. Related Art
With the advance of computer technology, the heat generated by the electronic devices, such as computers or servers, increases as well, which may lead to instability and low performance of the electronic devices. The electronic devices sometimes install multiple integrated circuits, such as CPUs or GPUs, which generate a lot of heat.
On the other hands, in order to protect these electronic components, cases are set up outside these electronic components. Therefore, when the integrated circuits are operating, a lot of heat are generated and can not be exhausted efficiently, such that the operation of these electronic components is affected. Generally, fans are a low-cost and effective cooling device.
In conventional fan modules, multiple fans are disposed in a large frame, and each fan is respectively fixed to the frame by screws in an ordered manner, so as to generate a maximum air flow. The above fan modules provide protection and fixation for the fans, but a lot of hardware cost and installation time are required when the kind of fan module is applied to computer devices requiring multiple fans. Besides, when the fan modules need to uninstall, auxiliary tools like a screwdriver are required, causing a lot of inconvenience.
For different kinds of electronic devices, the positions of the electronic components are different, so the positions of the heat sources are different as well. Therefore, the positions of the fans should be adjusted as well, but fans in conventional fan modules can not adjust according to the positions of the heat sources. At this time, new frames are needed for cooling needs and old frames are replaced, resulting in waste and increased production costs.
Therefore, how to make the fan module flexible and easy-adjusting according to different cooling needs is an important issue for the manufactures of fans and electronic devices.


In accordance with various aspects of the present invention, provided is an extremely compact, simple, and cost-effective approach for aligning optical fibers in an optical fiber fusion splicer. The basis of this alignment method is an “S”-Curve Piezo Bending Actuator. The device comprises a thin strip of elastically flexible material (such as spring steel, beryllium copper, or fiber reinforced polymer) that is coated in four areas with a piezoelectric material (such as barium titanate or other known compounds).

Transmission of data via optical fibers, serving as optical fiber waveguides, is widespread in many applications and industries, such as the telecommunications and computer industries. In many applications, electrical signals are converted into light pulses and propagated through optical fiber. The lights pulses leaving the optical fiber can then be converted back into electrical signals and processed.
Fiber optics has many advantages in many industries. For example, the use of optical fibers can result in significant improvements in bandwidth over more traditional means of communications. Another benefit is that optical fiber connections are far less vulnerable to electromagnetic disruptions and nuclear radiation, than other transmission mediums. In fact, fiber optics are now widely used in aerospace and shipboard applications for many of these reasons.
In many situations repair of optical fibers is required in the field. Such repair typically requires splicing fibers together using a splicer. Splicing operations in the field can be hampered by the environment and limited length of slack in the fiber that may be accessible for the technician to manipulate into a splicing device. Accordingly, there is a need for reliable portable fiber splicers that can be used in the filed, so are not overly large or cumbersome.
Optical fiber waveguides in common use share a number of structural features. The waveguide almost invariably comprises a thin, elongated fiber core responsible for conducting the light and at least one additional layer. Most often the fiber core is highly pure glass surrounded by a first and intimately bonded layer termed a cladding and an outer layer called a buffer. The cladding, usually also glass, has an index of refraction lower than that of the core to insure that light is constrained for transmission within the core by total internal reflection. Typically, the buffer is composed of plastic or polymer and serves to protect the inner layers mechanically and to prevent attack by moisture or other substances present in the fiber's environment. Commonly a plurality of individual fibers (in some cases as many as a thousand) are bundled together and enclosed in a protective jacket to form a cable.
Commonly used fibers may further be classified as multimode or single mode. Multimode fibers typically comprise cores having diameters of 50-62.5 μm but in some cases up to 100 μm. Single mode fibers generally have a much smaller core that may be 9 μm or less in diameter. The glass cladding diameter is most commonly 125 μm but sometimes is 140 μm (with a 100 μm core). The exterior diameter is largely a function of the buffer coating, with 250 μm most common, although some fiber coatings may be as much as 900 μm in diameter. Alignment of fibers is a crucial part of the preparation for any splicing operation, but is especially challenging for single mode fibers that have small core diameter. In order to produce a high quality, low-loss splice, the two opposing ends to be joined must be aligned laterally to within a small fraction of the core diameter. Of course, the smaller the fiber diameter, the smaller the allowed deviation from perfect abutting alignment that may be tolerated.
Most fiber optic data transmission systems transmit information using electromagnetic radiation in the infrared band, including wavelengths such as 850 nm for multimode fibers and 1310 and 1550 nm for single mode fibers. The nomenclature "light" is invariably employed for this radiation, even though the cited wavelengths fall outside the range visible to humans.
Mechanical and fusion splicing are the two typical approaches for splicing optical fibers. Mechanical splicing is accomplished by securing the ends of two fibers in intimate proximity with an aligning and holding structure. Often the fibers are inserted into the opposing ends of a precision ferrule, capillary tube, or comparable alignment structure. The fibers are then secured mechanically by crimping, clamping, or similar fastening. Mechanical splicing is conceptually simple, and minimal apparatus is required to effect splicing, but a mechanical splice tends to have relatively high and undesirable insertion loss, typically 0.20 dB. In addition, mechanical splices are generally weaker than the underlying fiber and are vulnerable to degradation of the optical quality of the splice over time, especially under adverse environmental conditions such as varying temperatures and high humidity. Mechanical splices are generally regarded as being temporary expedients at best and are not useful for high bandwidth systems or permanent joints.
Fusion splicing entails the welding of the two fibers, by softening and joining the ends of the fibers to each other. Heat is typically used to induce softening using a small electric arc struck between miniature pointed electrodes mounted in opposition and substantially perpendicular to the common axis of the fibers. Upon cooling, a strong, low-loss joint is formed. Fusion splices exhibit very low losses along with high stability and durability. A heat-shrinkable tube is typically applied over the completed joint for protection, which replaces a buffer coating removed prior to splicing.
For a low insertion loss splice the axes of the fibers must be collinear, within about 0.1 degree, and aligned laterally within a small fraction of the core diameter to achieve the desired loss of less than about 0.03 dB. This required precision of alignment presents a substantial technical challenge, especially with single-mode fibers having cores approximately 9 μm diameter. Three general approaches have been used. Mechanical fixturing can be used, such as the alignment ferrules and other forms of pre-aligned V-grooves and the like. These purely mechanical approaches do not reliably produce splices that maintain less than 0.10 dB loss.
More sophisticated approaches employ some form of optically assisted fiber positioning. For example, profile alignment system (PAS) is an approach where the splicing apparatus incorporates an optical system that acquires images of the two fibers taken in two lateral directions, allowing the fibers to be positioned in two directions orthogonal to the mutual fiber axes. PAS systems can incorporate either manual positioning or computerized image processing to optimize fiber alignment. However, the diffraction limit and the resolution of available electro-optic cameras restrict the precision achievable with PAS, even in systems based on visible light with wavelengths of about 400-700 nm. The effectiveness of PAS in aligning small diameter, e.g., single mode fibers, is limited.
Still more advanced positioning methods employ measurement of actual light transmission between the fibers being joined, where the positioning of the fibers is adaptively adjusted to maximize light transmission prior to the fusion operation. This approach can permit alignment better than that achievable with PAS systems, but requires carefully controlled laboratory conditions.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,077,579 to Bush, et al. described the use of piezoelectric bimorphs in fusion splicers as a means for aligning fibers to be spliced, as shown in FIG. 1 herein. Each side is coated with a single connected area, providing a continuous curve along the length of the substrate, as shown in FIG. 2. If one end is rigidly mounted, and voltages are applied to create a linear displacement of the distal end, a corresponding angular displacement I produced. If this angular displacement were conveyed to the optical fiber to be aligned, the angular displacement would produce unacceptable results. Therefore, prior art systems employ bimorph benders in pairs, connecting rigid blocks in a parallelogram arrangement as shown in FIG. 1. Blocks 8 and 9 are connected by a pair of piezo bimorphs. Flexible mounting arrangements (10a, 10b, 11a, 11b) are provided, to accommodate the continuously curved nature of the simple bimorphs. However, the need for connecting blocks, flexible mountings, and paired bimorphs adds to the cost, complexity, and difficulty of alignment using such prior art devices.
To date, the methods and apparatus for carrying out splicing aided either by the PAS, transmission-based alignment, and piezoelectric bimorphs techniques have not been well suited for use outside the laboratory or other similar workplaces. The required equipment lacks the flexibility, versatility, and ruggedness needed for field use. Moreover, present equipment is cumbersome and often not operable in the confined spaces frequently encountered during field service.

Compact, active alignment fusion splicer with automatic view-angle compensation


A non-pneumatic wheel is provided having a continuous loop reinforcement assembly that can support a load and have performance similar to pneumatic tires. Various configurations of a non-pneumatic wheel, including variations of the continuous loop reinforcement assembly, are provided. One or more resilient spacers can be positioned with the continuous loop reinforcement assembly and can be configured for the receipt of a matrix material.

The pneumatic tire is a known solution for compliance, comfort, mass, and rolling resistance; however, the pneumatic tire has disadvantages in complexity, the need for maintenance, and susceptibility to damage. A device that improves on pneumatic tire performance could, for example, provide more compliance, better control of stiffness, lower maintenance requirements, and resistance to damage.
Conventional solid tires, spring tires, and cushion tires, although lacking the need for maintenance and the susceptibility to damage of pneumatic tires, unfortunately lack its performance advantages. In particular, solid and cushion tires typically include a solid rim surrounded by a resilient material layer. These tires rely on compression of the ground-contacting portion of the resilient layer directly under the load for load support. These types of tires can be heavy and stiff and lack the shock absorbing capability of pneumatic tires.
Spring tires typically have a rigid wood, metal or plastic ring with springs or spring like elements connecting it to a hub. While the hub is thereby suspended by the springs, the inflexible ring has only a small contact area with the road, which offers essentially no compliance, and provides poor traction and steering control.
Accordingly, a non-pneumatic wheel having performance characteristics similar to pneumatic wheel would be useful. More particularly, a non-pneumatic wheel that does not require an air inflation pressure in order to provide performance characteristics of a pneumatic tire would be beneficial. Such a non-pneumatic wheel that can a constructed with a hub or connected to a hub for mounting on a vehicle or other transport device would also be very useful.

Structurally supported, non-pneumatic wheel with continuous loop reinforcement assembly

COMPAGNIE GENERALE DES ETABLISSEMENTS MICHELIN


An interferential stimulator for applying two medium frequency alternating currents of slightly differing frequencies to the body of a living being so that they cross and interact to produce a low frequency therapeutic current at a selected point. A fixed frequency is generated and applied to the skin through a first electrode pair. A second frequency, differing from the first by from about 1 to 150Hz is applied through a second electrode pair. The electrodes are arranged to deliver a localized stimulation. At the crossing point of the four electrodes a low frequency beat or pulse is produced by the heterodyne process for specific point stimulation. The stimulator may be operated in any of several modes. First, constant stimulation may be applied at fixed frequency difference between electrodes. Second, the frequency difference can be decreased abruptly and returned to the original frequency difference over about 1 second. Third, the frequency difference can be decreased abruptly about 50% and returned over a typically 8 second period. Fourth, a gradual about 50% drop in frequency difference may be accomplished gradually and returned over typically a 10 second period. This device has been found to be useful in reducing pain, and appears to provide benefits in reducing edema and inflammation, increasing blood flow and reducing muscle spasms.

This invention relates in general to electrotherapy apparatus and, more specifically to an interferential generator for treating a living body with low frequency therapeutic current at a selected point.
A wide variety of transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) devices have been developed to deliver electrical current to an area of a living body, typically a human being, to alleviate pain. Typical of these is U.S. Pat. No. 4,989,605 to Rossen, which applies a carrier signal to the skin through an electrode. The signal is in the form of D.C. bursts in the frequency range of 10,000 to 19,000Hz which is modulated on and off at a lower frequency. Other typical TENS type devices include the microprocessor controlled device for applying a low frequency pulse train and a modulated high frequency pulse train to a patient through an electrode as disclosed by Padjen et al in U.S. Pat. No. 4,719,922, a device in which a constant current square wave signal is directed into the body between two electrodes as described by Hudleson et al in U.S. Pat. 4,232,680 and a device in which a high frequency low amperage current is applied to a body through an electrode as described by Liss et al in U.S. Pat. No. 3,902,502.
The prior art TENS devices deliver a wide area stimulation, rather than the generally preferable localized stimulation. Also, prior art devices tend to provide a uniform signal throughout a treatment. The body tends to accommodate to the stimulation, lessening its effectiveness over time. While of varying effectiveness, the prior devices are not as effective as would be desired in treating pain and other conditions. Thus, there is a continuing need for electrotherapy devices of improved effectiveness.

Interferential stimulator for applying low frequency alternating current to the body


The present invention utilizes operation of a valve actuator to generate electrical power. A portion of the mechanical energy generated by operation of a valve actuator is converted to electrical energy. The mechanical energy may be converted to electrical energy at the same time as the valve actuator is operating or the mechanical energy may be stored for later conversion. A valve actuator may be operated manually, electrically, pneumatically, or hydraulically. Generated electrical energy may also be stored.

Valve actuators are used to operate valves and are manufactured in numerous shapes, sizes, forms and have a wide variety of utilities. It is common for an operator of a valve actuator to want to know the specific position of a valve. Absolute encoders and incremental encoders have been utilized with valve actuators to determine the position of a valve. The encoders monitor the position of the valve actuator to determine the corresponding position of a valve.
Absolute encoders utilize a unique signature for each position of a valve actuator. Absolute encoders often comprise either a single disc or multiple discs that are rotated as a valve actuator moves to different positions. The single or multiple discs of an absolute encoder have markings, different combinations of which provide a unique signature for each position of a valve actuator. This unique signature can be analyzed at any time to determine the position of the valve actuator.
Incremental encoders, on the other hand, do not have a unique signature for each position of the valve actuator. Instead, incremental encoders monitor changes in the valve actuator relative to an arbitrary starting point, such as the fully closed position of a valve. An incremental encoder, also referred to as a relative encoder, may be a single disc with a series of duplicate markings around the edge of the disc. As the disc is rotated, each time one of the marks passes a point, a change in position is recorded. For example, if a disc had one hundred marks around the edge of the disc, the disc could be rotated multiple times and so that several hundred marks could be counted to indicate changes in position. As long as the marks are recorded in the memory of a computer, then the valve actuator position is known and can be indicated by on-board electronics using status contacts, data bits in user readable data registers, or alpha-numeric displays.
Valve actuators will often have a handwheel, as well, in case the electric motor should either fail or there should be a power failure, so that manual operation of the valve is available. However, a loss of power could result in an erroneous position indication if the handwheel is moved while the power is down and there is no backup or redundant power supply. After the handwheel is moved, the lack of updating can result in a valve actuator indicating one position, when in fact, the valve is in a different position. Actuators using absolute encoders automatically correct the position indication as soon as power is restored. Acuators using incremental encoders must have a backup or redundant power supply to allow them to avoid total loss of position knowledge during a power outage. For this case, when power is lost, the incremental encoder either reverts to its startup position, or its current count is saved to a non-volatile memory location in the on-board electronics. If the handwheel is moved on an incremental encoder system, the electronics will continue to track the position as long as the backup or redundant supply remains alive. If, however, the backup or redundant power supply dies (ex: dead battery), then the incremental encoder based actuator system will lose its proper sense of position if the user moves the handwheel after the backup or redundant power supply dies. Incorrect position information could, in turn, lead to valve damage and incorrect operation of a process controlled by the valve. Either absolute or incremental encoder based systems can maintain proper position information on loss of normal power, as long as there exists a backup or redundant power supply. An absolute encoding system may lose its ability to indicate the proper position during a total power loss, but it will immediately recover on the restoration of power. The incremental system, on the other hand, will need to be recalibrated after a total power loss if the user has also moved the handwheel during the power outage. Users are typically reticent to move a valve that is operating in an active process just to recalibrate the position sensor. To do so, even on a single valve, often requires a complete plant shut down.
The sensing of position information from either an absolute or an incremental encoder requires electrical power. Additionally, when an incremental encoder is used, there is an additional power requirement for storing position information in a memory. Absolute encoders do not require the storage of position information since the information can be readily ascertained from the absolute encoder. Valve actuators that utilize incremental encoders require battery back-up to maintain position information in the event of a power failure. For both absolute and incremental encoders, a back-up power source is necessary to display position information during a primary power failure.
There is a need in the art for electronically displaying updated position information during manual operation of a valve actuator without the need for a back-up battery. A need exists in the art for powering the other electronic components of a valve actuator. Additionally, there is a need in the art for providing electrical power to hydraulic and pneumatic valve actuators without the need for supplying electricity from an external source.


A flag or pennant which having a sheet of flexible material fixed to an elongated staff of closed cell thermoplastic foam material which is sufficiently rigid to be self supporting and sufficiently resiliently flexible to bend and sufficiently soft to compress when the staff is thrust forcibly against a person. More specifically, the staff is made of polyethylene having a density range of 3.5 pounds per cubic foot to 6.5 pounds per cubic foot.

The present invention relates generally to a hand held flag or pennant of the type used for parades, sporting events, political rallies, parties, company outings, or other festive occasions. The invention is specifically directed to hand held toy flags primarily for use by children.
A traditional hand held toy flag consists of a sheet of flexible material such as cloth, paper, or plastic fixed to a staff of relatively stiff or rigid material such as a wooden dowel or a plastic rod. When children run with a traditional flag or use the flag in a vigorous "horsing around" manner, there is a chance that injuries could occur to the user of the flag or to bystanders. Injuries such as a poke int he eye can also occur to bystanders during normal use of the flag such as waving the flag at a parade or sporting event in close proximity to other people. These and other difficulties experienced with prior art flags and pennants have been obviated by the present invention.
A principle object of the present invention is the provision of a hand held flag assembly which is substantially less hazardous to use that conventional hand held flag assemblies.
Another object of the present invention is the provision of a hand held flag assembly which is rigid enough to be waved effectively and soft and flexible enough to be substantially safer than conventional flag assemblies.
A further object of the invention is the provision of a hand held flag assembly which is made of a material that is non-toxic.


A motor includes a rotor with a shaft that extends axially, a stator that surrounds a radial outer side of the rotor, a heat sink that is axially above the stator and provided with cavities that pass conductors therethrough and extend axially, and a substrate that is axially above the heat sink and includes an electronic component mounted thereon, wherein the heat sink includes a contact surface that contacts the substrate or electronic component directly or via a heat dissipating member and an exposed surface that does not come into contact with other members, wherein the exposed surface is located closer to an outer edge than the cavities.

One of the known motors is an electromechanical motor, in which a motor main body with a rotor and stator and a control section with electronic components and a substrate that controls the motor main body are integrated together.
When using solder to connect the coil wires and the substrate, if the amount of solder is too small, the resistance of electric current is lowered, resulting in heat generation. If the amount of solder is too large, the solder may flow into the motor main body and conduct electricity to other members. If the solder is placed only on the top surface of the substrate, cracks may occur in the solder, causing a conduction defect.
Moreover, in a conventional structure in which a heat sink and the substrate are brought into contact with each other, there was no easy way of checking whether they are securely connected with solder. Furthermore, even if solder is visible on the top surface of the substrate, it is not possible to check whether the inside of holes in the substrate and the bottom surface of the substrate are soldered.
An electric power steering device equipped with such a motor requires inspection, making the process complicated.

Motor and electric power steering device