Radio equipment for communicating digital data includes a clock modulation part for angular-modulation of a clock signal by a given modulation signal; and a data processing part processing the digital data based on the clock signal angular-modulated in the clock modulation part and producing angular-modulated digital data. In the radio equipment, levels of harmonics generated from the clock signal and the digital data are reducible.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to radio equipment for transmitting a digital signal and its peripheral apparatus, and more particularly, to radio equipment and its peripheral apparatus for suppressing interference to a radio signal which is generated by the digital signal.
2. Description of the Related Art
Recently, a variety of radio communication systems such as a portable telephone service system are developing and a wide range of radio frequencies are used for the systems. For such a system using a wide range of radio frequencies, a digital modulation method capable of achieving higher usage efficiency of the frequencies is being used instead of an analog modulation method. For example, portable telephone service systems operating at the 800-MHz band and 1.5-GHz band are already in commercial use by the digital modulation method of xcfx80/4-shifted quadrature phase shift keying (QPSK).
Further, transmission rate and processing speed of the digital signal also increase according to development of LSI technologies. Therefore, frequencies of a timing clock of the digital signal and a clock for processing the digital signal increases close to a carrier frequency for radio transmission.
Since the digital signal and the clock signal are formed by rectangular waves, these signals have a number of high-order harmonic components. Frequencies of the harmonic components are spread to UHF and VHF bands. Therefore, when the frequencies of the harmonic components are present in a receiving frequency band of a radio signal, the harmonic components enter a receiving circuit of radio equipment as interference and have influence on a desired signal. The harmonic components are obtained by Fourier-expanding a digital signal k(t) as follows:       k              (      t      )        =            A      /      2                  {              1        +                  "AutoLeftMatch"                                    (                              4                /                π                            )                                                  [                                                cos                                                        xe2x80x83                                                                          ω                    o                                                      t                                -                                                      (                                          1                      /                      3                                        )                                                      cos                                                        xe2x80x83                                                      3                                                        ω                    o                                                      t                                +                                                      (                                          1                      /                      5                                        )                                                      cos                                                        xe2x80x83                                                      5                                                        ω                    o                                                      t                                -                                                      (                                          1                      /                      7                                        )                                                      cos                                                        xe2x80x83                                                      7                                                        ω                    o                                                      t                                                        xe2x80x83                                                      …                                            ]                                }
According to the above equation, the harmonic components have odd-order frequency components.
In general, to miniaturize size of the radio equipment, radio parts and digital signal processing parts are arranged close to each other in the same housing. To improve transmission quality and to reduce power consumption, a highly-sensitive receiver has also been developed. Therefore, in such a configuration, the above-mentioned interference due to harmonics may cause a larger problem.
In Japanese Laid-Open Patent Applications No.3-255510 and No.5-90987, methods of frequency-modulating a clock signal of a clock oscillator for a control circuit such as a CPU are disclosed. By the frequency modulation, the spectrum of harmonics of the clock signal is spread, and levels of high-order harmonics may be reduced. Therefore, interference to a receiving circuit may also be reduced. More specifically, Japanese Laid-Open Patent Application No.5-90987 shows an embodiment in which the above-mentioned method is applied to radio equipment using an analog modulation and demodulation method.
However, in radio equipment using a digital modulation and demodulation method, a digital signal such as transmission data as well as the clock oscillator of the control circuit also generates high-order harmonics. When increasing frequency deviation of the modulation of the clock signal in the control circuit to further reduce the level of the harmonics of the clock signal, an error may occur in an operation of the control circuit. Furthermore, the clock frequency is increasing, and the high-order harmonics may easily have influence on the radio signal.
FIG. 1 shows a block diagram of typical digital radio equipment. The equipment 1 shown in FIG. 1 includes a transmission part and a reception part. The transmission part comprises a data processing circuit 2, a modulator 4, and a transmitting circuit 6. The reception part comprises a receiving circuit 8, a demodulator 10, and a data processing circuit 12. The data processing circuit 2 includes a speech CODEC 16 and a signal processing circuit 18. The data processing circuit 12 includes a signal processing circuit 20 and a speech CODEC 22.
In the speech CODEC 16, a speech signal is converted to digital data based on a timing clock from a clock oscillator 30. In the signal processing circuit 18, the digital data is formatted in a format suitable for being transmitted. For example, when the radio equipment 1 operates in a time division multiple (TDM) system, the digital data is distributed to TDM frames. When the modulation method is QPSK, the digital data is separated to an I (in-phase) channel signal and a Q (quadrature phase) channel signal.
In the modulator 4, the digital data processed in the signal processing circuit 18 is filtered, and a first local signal is digitally modulated by the filtered digital data. For the digital modulation, phase modulation such as QPSK and frequency modulation such as GMSK are usable. An output signal of the modulator 4 is converted to a radio signal by the transmitting circuit 6, and is transmitted through a filter 40 to an antenna 42.
A radio signal which has come through the antenna 42 and the filter 40 is received in the receiving circuit 8, and is converted to an intermediate frequency signal. The intermediate frequency signal is demodulated in the demodulator 10 to reproduce digital data at a baseband frequency. The reproduced digital data is processed to digital data including a timing clock for the speech CODEC 22 in the signal processing circuit 20, and is converted to a speech signal in the speech CODEC 22.
The speech CODECs 16, 22 and the signal processing circuits 18, 20 may be commonly constructed with a digital signal processor (DSP). Timing clocks from the clock oscillator 30 are provided to the speech CODECs 16, 22, and DSP clocks from the clock oscillator 32 are provided to the signal processing circuits 18, 20. The speech CODECs 16, 22 and the signal processing circuits 18, 20 are connected to CPU 14 operable with a CPU clock provided from a clock oscillator 34 through a bus line.
In such a circuit configuration, the digital data is generated based on the timing clock for the speech CODEC and is formed by the rectangular waves. Therefore, the digital data includes a number of high-order harmonic components. When a frequency of one of the high-order harmonic components is close to the radio channel frequency, the harmonic component shown in a dotted line (A) may cause interference during operation of the receiving circuit 8.
The clock oscillators 30, 32 which generate the timing clock and the DSP clock for generating and processing the digital data have respectively high-frequency clock sources. Therefore, the high-frequency clock sources also generate high-order harmonic components which influence the receiving circuit 8. The interference is shown in dotted lines (B) and (C).
Further, the demodulator 10 commonly has a clock recovery circuit for recovering a timing clock to reproduce the baseband signal. Therefore, the clock recovery circuit and the reproduced baseband signal also generate high-order harmonic components which influence the receiving circuit 8. The interference is shown in a dotted line (D).
The CPU clock operating the CPU 14 and input and output data flowing through the bus line also generate high-order harmonic components which may cause interference. The interference is shown in dotted lines (E) and (F).
Still further, peripheral apparatuses such as a personal computer, a facsimile, a television, a radio, and a global positioning system (GPS), which are located close to the digital radio equipment 1, also have many clock oscillators. Therefore, harmonics are generated from those clock oscillators and harmonics are also generated from digital signals transmitting through cables which connect the peripheral apparatuses. These harmonics also influence the receiving circuit 8 of the digital radio equipment 1 as interference is shown in dotted lines (G) and (H).
Next, a detail description will be given of the interference by the timing clock generated in clock oscillator 30.
For example, when a bit rate of the timing clock is 11.2 kbps, the clock oscillator 30 has a 2.688-MHz clock source, and a signal divided by 24 is used as the timing clock. In this case, a 163-order harmonic of an output of the 2.688-MHz clock source is a 438.144-MHz signal. If a radio channel is used at a frequency of 438.150 MHz, the harmonic frequency is close to the radio channel frequency. The harmonic may interfere with the radio channel being received.
FIG. 2A and FIG. 2B show signal space diagrams when a QPSK signal is received with interference. FIG. 2A shows the signal space diagram at an instant of time, and FIG. 2B shows the signal space diagram averaged over a given time period. When the high-order harmonic component of the clock is added to an ideal QPSK signal, as shown in FIG. 2A, four ideal signal points of the QPSK signal are shifted by interference in the same direction. However, the shifted direction rotates about each signal point according to a frequency difference between the radio channel and the interference (in the previous example, 6 kHz). As a result, as shown in FIG. 2B, in averaging over the given time period, the four ideal signal points respectively spread in a circle form. The interference becomes a bright-line interference. When a size of the circle exceeds a decision level, an error occurs.
As mentioned above, in conventional digital radio equipment, since the data is formed by the digitally-shaped clock, the harmonics are generated from the digital data and the clock. Namely, the interference which did not occur in analog radio equipment is newly generated for the receiving circuit in digital radio equipment.
Further, for improving frequency utility and services, the data transmission speed needs to be increased. For this requirement, the clock sources of the clock oscillator for generating the timing clock and the DSP oscillator for processing the digital data tends to have a higher frequency. On the other hand, in a relatively low radio frequency, the digital modulation and demodulation methods are being used. Therefore, a level of interference due to the harmonics of the clock used for the digital data increases, and the interference may strongly influence the radio receiving circuit.
It is an object of the present invention to provide radio equipment and its peripheral apparatus in which harmonics generated by a digital signal are reduced and interference with a radio receiving circuit are also reduced. This permits the disadvantages described above to be eliminated.
The object described above is achieved by radio equipment for communicating digital data comprising: a clock modulation part for angular-modulation of a clock signal by a given modulation signal; and a data processing part processing the digital data based on the clock signal angular-modulated in the clock modulation part and producing angular-modulated digital data; wherein levels of harmonics generated from the clock signal and the digital data are reducible.
According to the above-mentioned radio equipment, the clock processing the digital data is angular-modulated and the spectrum of harmonics of the clock is spread. Therefore, the level of the harmonics is reduced and the interference due to the harmonics is prevented from influencing a radio receiving circuit in the radio equipment and external radio equipment.
The object described above is also achieved by radio equipment for communicating digital data comprising: a reception part for receiving a radio signal; a demodulation part demodulating the radio signal from the reception part and producing digital data; a clock recovery part for recovering a recovered clock in relation to the digital data from the demodulation part; and a recovered-clock modulation part angular-modulation of the recovered clock from the clock recovery part by a given modulation signal; wherein levels of harmonics generated from the recovered clock signal and the clock recovery part are reducible.
According to the above-mentioned radio equipment, the recovered clock is angular-modulated and the spectrum of harmonics of the recovered clock is spread. Therefore, the level of the harmonics is reduced and the interference due to the harmonics of the recovered clock is prevented from having an influence on a radio receiving circuit in the radio equipment and external radio equipment.
The object described above is also achieved by a clock modulation module comprising: a clock modulation part for angular-modulation of a clock signal by a given modulation signal; and a data processing part processing digital data for radio communication based on the clock signal angular-modulated in the clock modulation part, and producing angular-modulated digital data; wherein levels of harmonics generated from the clock signal and the digital data are reducible.
According to the above-mentioned clock modulation module, the clock for processing the digital data is angular-modulated and the spectrum of harmonics of the clock is spread. Therefore, the level of the harmonics is reduced and the interference due to the harmonics of the clock is prevented from having an influence on an apparatus located close to the clock modulation module.
The object described above is also achieved by radio equipment for receiving a radio signal modulated by angular-modulated digital data, the radio equipment comprising: a reception part receiving the radio signal; a demodulation part demodulating the radio signal in synchronization with frequency and phase variation of the angular-modulated digital data so as to produce digital data in which an angular modulation component is avoided.
According to the above-mentioned radio equipment, the angular-modulated digital data is demodulated in synchronization with frequency and phase variation of the angular-modulated digital data. Therefore, the angular-modulated digital data is properly demodulated without being influenced by the angular modulation.
The object described above is also achieved by the radio equipment mentioned above, wherein the radio equipment further comprises an interference detection part detecting interference to a received signal, and operation of the clock modulation part is based on an output of the interference detection part.
According to the above-mentioned radio equipment, when no interference is detected, the clock is not modulated. Therefore, at this time, the modulation of the clock is prevented from having an influence on other circuits.
The object described above is also achieved by the radio equipment mentioned above, wherein the radio equipment further comprises an interference channel table which stored receiving channels which are subjected to interference by harmonics generated in the radio equipment, and the clock modulation part operates when one of the receiving channels stored in the interference channel table is used.
According to the above-mentioned radio equipment, when a signal is received on the receiving channel which is not subjected to interference created by the harmonics of the clock, the clock is not modulated. Therefore, at this time, the modulation of the clock is prevented from having an influence on other circuits.
The object described above is also achieved by the radio equipment mentioned above, wherein the clock modulation part operates only during reception of a radio signal.
According to the above-mentioned radio equipment, when no signal is received, the clock is not modulated. Therefore, at this time, the modulation of the clock is prevented from having an influence on other circuits.
The object described above is also achieved by the radio equipment mentioned above, wherein the radio equipment further comprises a signal processing part which communicates the digital data by use of a time division multiple, a time interval of a time division frame given by integral multiples of a period of the given modulation signal for angular-modulation of the clock signal in the clock modulation part.
According to the above-mentioned radio equipment, the time interval of the time division frame is given by integral multiples of the period of the given modulation signal. No portion of the digital data in the frame is out of the frame and the amount of the transmission data in one frame is maintained. Therefore, influence due to the modulation of the digital data may be reduced.
The object described above is also achieved by an apparatus comprising: a control circuit processing data based on a clock signal; a transmission line transmitting angular-modulated data; and a modulation-component avoiding part, connected to the transmission line, to avoid a modulation component from the angular-modulated data from the control circuit so as to produce data in which the modulation component is avoided; wherein levels of harmonics generated from the angular-modulated data from the transmission line is reducible.
According to the above-mentioned apparatus, the data from the control circuit is angular-modulated by the given modulation signal, and the data is provided to other circuits after the modulation component in the data is avoided. Therefore, the level of the harmonics of the clock signal passing through the transmission line may be reduced, and the modulation of the data is prevented from having an influence on other circuits. More specifically, when the apparatus includes the radio equipment, the harmonic generated from the transmission line is prevented from influencing the receiving circuit.
The object described above is also achieved by an apparatus comprising a modulation-component avoiding part avoiding a modulation component from angular-modulated data transmitted from a first apparatus through a transmission line, and producing data in which the modulation component is avoided.
According to the above-mentioned apparatus, after the modulation component in the angular-modulated data coming from the first apparatus through the transmission line is avoided, the data is provided to other circuits. Therefore, the level of the harmonics of the angular-modulated data may be reduced, and the modulation of the data is prevented from having an influence on other circuit processing.
The object described above is also achieved by radio equipment for communicating digital data comprising: a clock oscillator generating a clock signal; and a carrier generation part generating a carrier based on a reference signal; wherein frequency of the reference signal is given by integral multiples of frequency of the clock signal.
According to the above-mentioned radio equipment, when the frequency of the reference signal is given by integral multiples of the frequency of the clock signal, frequency of higher-order harmonic of the clock signal may be identical to one of the carriers. In this case, interference due to the harmonic may be removed by demodulation using an offset control.
The object described above is also achieved by an apparatus positioned adjacent to radio equipment, comprising: a reference signal receiving part receiving a reference from the radio equipment for generating a carrier; and a control circuit operating based on the reference signal.
The object described above is also achieved by radio equipment positioned adjacent to a peripheral apparatus, comprising: a clock signal receiving part receiving a clock signal from the peripheral apparatus; and a carrier generation circuit generating a carrier based on the clock signal received from the peripheral apparatus through the clock signal receiving part.
According to the above-mentioned apparatus, the reference signal in the radio equipment is used as a clock of the control circuit. According to the above-mentioned radio equipment, the clock signal in the peripheral apparatus is used as the reference signal for generating the carrier. Therefore, the frequency of the harmonic generated from the control circuit in the apparatus may be identical to the frequency of the receive carrier of the radio equipment. In this case, interference to the receiving circuit due to the harmonic may be removed by demodulation using the offset control.
The object described above is also achieved by radio equipment comprising a reference signal connection part connecting, to a peripheral apparatus, at least one of a reference signal for generating a carrier and signals given by dividing the reference signal.
According to the above-mentioned radio equipment, the reference signal of the radio equipment may be easily provided to the peripheral apparatus.
The object described above is also achieved by radio equipment for receiving a signal modulated by digital data comprising: a reception part receiving the signal; a demodulation part demodulating the signal to produce digital data, the demodulation part comprising a carrier recovery part recovering a carrier from the signal; and a clock oscillator generating a clock signal; wherein frequency of a recovered carrier from the demodulation part is given by integral multiples of frequency of the clock signal.
According to the above-mentioned radio equipment, the frequency of the higher-order harmonic of the clock signal may be identical to one of the carrier frequencies. Therefore, the higher-order harmonic of the clock signal may have the same phase as that of the reference signal for detection. In this case, interference due to the harmonic may be removed by demodulation using the offset control.
The object described above is also achieved by an apparatus positioned adjacent to radio equipment, comprising: a recovered-carrier receiving part receiving a recovered carrier recovered from a received signal in the radio equipment; and a control circuit operating based on the recovered carrier.
According to the above-mentioned apparatus, the recovered carrier in the radio equipment is used as a clock of the control circuit in the apparatus. Therefore, the frequency of the harmonic generated from the control circuit in the apparatus may be identical to one of the carrier frequencies in the radio equipment. Therefore, the higher-order harmonic of the clock signal may have the same phase as that of the reference signal for detection. In this case, interference to the receiving circuit in the radio equipment due to the harmonic may be removed by demodulation using the offset control.
The object described above is also achieved by radio equipment comprising a recovered-carrier connection part connecting a peripheral apparatus to a recovered carrier recovered from a received signal.
According to the above-mentioned radio equipment, the recovered carrier in the radio equipment may easily be provided to the peripheral apparatus.
The object described above is also achieved by radio equipment for communicating digital data comprising: a clock oscillator generating a clock signal; an interference detection part detecting interference with a received signal; and a clock control part changing frequency of the clock signal so that the interference detected in the interference detection part decreases.
According to the above-mentioned radio equipment, as a result of changing the clock signal frequency, frequency of the harmonic of the clock signal may be identical to the received signal frequency. In this case, interference with the receiving circuit in the radio equipment due to the harmonic may be removed by demodulation using the offset control.
The object described above is also achieved by radio equipment for communicating digital data comprising: a timing clock oscillator generating a timing clock signal; a digital data generation part generating the digital data based on the timing clock signal; a transmission part transmitting a carrier modulated by the digital data; a reception part receiving a signal on a receiving channel; and an interference channel table storing receiving channels which are subjected to interference by harmonics of the timing clock signal and the digital data; wherein frequency of the timing clock signal is changed when one of the receiving channels stored in the interference channel table is used.
According to the above-mentioned radio equipment, the frequency of the timing clock signal is changed when one of the receiving channels stored in the interference channel table is used. Therefore, the harmonic of the timing clock signal is prevented from interfering with the receiving channel.
The object described above is also achieved by radio equipment having a reception part and a control part, the radio equipment comprising: a clock oscillator generating a clock signal in the control part; a phase shift part shifting the clock signal by 180 degrees; an adjustment part adjusting a level ratio of a 180-degree shifted clock signal to the clock signal; and an interference detection part detecting interference to a received signal in the reception part; wherein the level ratio is adjusted in the adjustment part so that a harmonic of the clock signal and a harmonic of the 180-degree shifted clock signal cancel each other and the interference is reduced.
According to the above-mentioned radio equipment, interference to the received signal due to the harmonic of the clock signal may be reduced.
Other objects and further features of the present invention will be apparent from the following detailed description when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

Radio equipment and peripheral apparatus


Sound absorbing board (10) is made from recycled high density foam granulate (12) that has been mixed with a binder (14) and consolidated under pressure. Pores (16) are present in spaces between the granules. Each granule includes small pores (18). Sound is absorbed by thermal diffusion and viscous friction.

The present invention relates to sound absorbing material, to a method of using sound absorbing material and to a method of making sound absorbing material.
In a known sound absorbing material relatively soft, low density particles are glued together with the glue filling the spaces between the particles. The particles are approximately 5 to 20 mm in diameter. However such material is only able to absorb a relatively small amount of high frequency sound and a significant amount of medium and low frequency sound is reflected or transmitted through the material rather than being absorbed.
It is an object of the present invention to attempt to improve the acoustic performance of consolidated particulate material and to overcome at least some of the above described or other disadvantages.
According to one aspect of the present invention sound absorbing material includes a plurality of pieces connected together, each piece including pores extending at least partially into the pieces, the material also including openings extending at least partially through the material between adjacent pieces.
The pieces may comprise foam such as polyurethane foam. The foam may be recycled. The foam may be a high density foam or medium density foam, for instance having a density of more than 25 or less than 150 or preferably in the region of 100 to 120 kg/m3, before the pieces are connected together.
The pieces may be connected together by adhesion, such as by a binder. The binder may comprise less than 50% or less than 40% or more than 10% or more than 20% or in the region of 35% of the mass of the material.
The material may have been compressed down during manufacture by more than 25% or less than 75% or preferably in the region of 50%.
The porosity of the material may be less than 80% or more than 20% or more than 40% or in the region of 65%.
The material may have an initial porosity, before compression of more than 80% or in the region of 95%.
The material prior to consolidation may have a flow resistivity of less than 300 or less than 150 or more than 20 or more than 40 or in the region of 80 kPascals×sec/m2.
The material may have a Youngs modulus of more than 105 or less than 109 or approximately 107 Pascals.
The material may have a density of less than 800 or less than 600 or more than 100 or more than 200 or in the region of 400 kg/m3.
The ratio of the space provided by the pores to the total space in the material may be more than 60 or more than 70 or more than 80 or in the region of 85%. The ratio of the space provided by the openings to the total space in the material may be less than 40 or less than 30 or less than 20 or in the region of 15%.
The mean cross-sectional area of the pores may be less than 1.6 mm2 or less than 0.25 mm2 or more than 0.003 mm2 or more than 0.012 mm2 or in the region of 0.05 mm2.
The mean cross-sectional area of the openings may be less than 2 mm2 or less than 1.5 mm2 or more than 0.05 mm2 or more than 0.1 mm2 or in the region of 1.2 mm2.
The material may comprise vehicle sound absorbing material or construction sound absorbing material.
The mean cross-sectional dimension of the pieces in the material may be less than 10 or more than 0.5 or in the region of 3 to 5 mm.
At least one of the pores may be connected to at least one of the openings and preferably several pores are connected with several openings.
The material may be arranged to absorb more than 70 or more than 80 or more than 90% of the sound at at least one frequency. That frequency may be greater than 500 or greater than 600 or less than 6000 or less than 4000 or in the region of 800 Hz. Alternatively or additionally, that frequency may be more than 1100 or more than 1200 or less than 1600 or less than 1500 or in the region of 1300 Hz. The material may be arranged to absorb more than 70 or more than 80 or more than 90% of the sound at at least two spaced frequencies. The material may be arranged to absorb more than 30 or more than 40 or in the region of 50% or more of the sound at frequencies between the two spaced frequencies.
The material may comprise board material which may be less than 50 or less than 40 or more than 5 or in the region of 10 mm thick. The board material may be self supporting. The board material may be flexible.
The present invention also includes a method of using sound absorbing material as herein referred to comprising attaching the sound absorbing material to a vehicle or attaching the sound absorbing material to a construction.
The present invention also includes a method of making sound absorbing material comprising connecting a plurality of pieces together with each piece including pores extending at least partially into the pieces and the pieces also including openings extending at least partially through the material between adjacent pieces.
The method may comprise adhering the pieces together.
The method may comprise compressing the pieces, for instance by more than 25% or less than 75% or in the region of 50%.
The present invention also includes a method of making sound absorbing material as herein referred to.
According to a further aspect of the present invention a method of absorbing sound comprises using sound absorbing material as herein referred to.
The method may comprise sound travelling along a pore and then an opening connected to that pore or, alternatively or additionally, along an opening and then along a pore connected to that opening.
The present invention includes any combination of the herein referred to features or limitations.

Ventures and Consultancy Bradford Limited


Certain example embodiments of this invention relate to the development of temperable UV blocking coatings having enhanced UV blocking efficiency and aesthetic appearance on stock sheets of glass substrates using large-scale wet coating manufacturing methods. A glass substrate is provided. A base coat is curtain coated on the glass substrate from a oxide precursor material including zinc, cerium, titanium, and silicon precursor materials. The base coat is cured. A top coat is roll coated, directly or indirectly, on the base coat, with the top coat being a sacrificial cross-linked organic polymer-based layer. The substrate is heat treated with the base coat and the top coat thereon. The base coat and the top coat are substantially uniform in thickness, and the heat treating removes substantially all of the top coat while causing substantially no cracking in the base coat.

Heat resistant UV blocking coatings are known in the art. For example, see U.S. patent documents U.S. Pat. No. 5,480,722 and 2002/0122962A1.
Wet chemical routes to produce heat resistant UV blocking coatings based on cerium oxide are known. Cerium oxide also may be combined with silica and/or titania to enhance the quality of the films. For instance, the addition of titania further enhances the UV blocking efficiency of ceria. Unfortunately, however, the resulting films tend to produce a yellowed transmitted color. Also, the refractive index of ceria-titania composite coatings tend to be significantly higher than that of flat glass substrates, which are normally used to support deposited coatings for window applications. As a result, these coatings tend to be highly reflective and also tend to exhibit an interference color pattern, which are generally undesirable for window applications.
In order to suppress these undesired effects, multi-layer oxide coatings of varying indexes have been tried. Unfortunately, however, the application of multiple oxide layers is not attractive for commercial applications, including wet chemical methods, because of the complexity of manufacturing processes and associated higher yield losses.
Interference effects of high refractive index ceria-titania coatings also may be reduced by increasing coating thickness. Unfortunately, however, thicker coatings tend to be undesirably yellow.
The addition of silica to ceria and ceria-titania coatings also could significantly reduce the refractive index of the coatings. Thus, reflection and interference effects of the resultant coatings could be reduced. Because silica is transparent in the UV region, the addition of higher levels of silica to ceria-based coatings increases coating thickness requirements in order to achieve adequate UV blocking. The higher the thickness, however, the greater the tendency for coatings to develop micro-cracks during high temperature heat treatment processes such as, for example, tempering and heat strengthening of glass substrates.
In view of the foregoing, it will be appreciated that there is a need in the art for UV blocking coatings having enhanced UV blocking efficiency, aesthetic appearances that have reduced amounts of undesirable optical effects (such as yellowish color, interference patterns, etc.), and that are less likely to develop micro-cracks after high temperature heat treatment. It also will be appreciated that there is a need in the art for methods of making the same.
The term "substantially crack-free" does not imply the absence of all cracks; rather, it means that to the extent that any cracks form in the coating during production, the cracks (if any) do not substantially interfere with the overall structure, function, and operation of the UV coating, either alone or in the layered stack.
In certain example embodiments of this invention, a method of making a coated article is provided. A glass substrate is provided. A base coat is curtain coated on the glass substrate, with the base coat including zinc, cerium, titanium, and silicon. The base coat is cured. A top coat is roll coated, directly or indirectly, on the base coat, with the top coat being a sacrificial cross-linked organic polymer-based layer. The substrate is heat treated with the base coat and the top coat thereon. The base coat and the top coat vary in thickness by no more than 15% prior to the heat treating.
In certain example embodiments of this invention, a method of making a coated article is provided. A glass substrate is provided, with the glass substrate having thereon (a) a base coat curtain coated from an oxide precursor material including zinc, cerium, titanium, and silicon, and (b) a sacrificial cross-linked organic polymer-based top coat roll coated on the base coat. The substrate is heat treated with the base coat and the top coat thereon, with the heat treating removing substantially all of the top coat from the base coat and causing substantially no cracks to form in the base coat. The base coat is formed from an oxide precursor comprising 40-80 mol % zinc, 5-50 mol % ceria and titania, and 0-10 mol % silane. The base coat and the top coat vary in thickness by no more than 10% prior to the heat treating.
In certain example embodiments of this invention, a coated article is provided. The coated article includes a glass substrate. A base coat is on the glass substrate, with the base coat including zinc, cerium, titanium, and silicon and being curtain coated from an oxide precursor material. A sacrificial cross-linked organic polymer-based top coat is roll coated on the base coat. The substrate with the base coat and the top coat thereon are heat treatable such that substantially all of the top coat is removable from the base coat while causing substantially no cracks to form in the base coat. The base coat is formed from an oxide precursor comprising 40-80 mol % zinc, 5-50 mol % ceria and titania, and 0-10 mol % silane. The base coat and the top coat are applied so as to vary in thickness by no more than 5% prior to any heat treatment.
The features, aspects, advantages, and example embodiments described herein may be combined to realize yet further embodiments.

Coated glass substrate with heat treatable ultraviolet blocking characteristics


A composition of a value added RFCC catalyst and a process of preparation of a composition for a dual function additive catalyst from a spent catalyst are disclosed. The value added spent FCC catalyst offers improved performance, options such as either employing as an additive for passivation of both vanadium and nickel and enhancing catalytic activity, for initial start-up or make-up for attrition losses. The value addition process does not harm any of physical properties of starting material with respect to ABD, attrition index, surface area and particle size distribution. Value added catalyst can be used in a range from 1-99 wt % in fluid catalytic cracking process in which, feeds may have higher metals and carbon.

The present invention relates to Fluid Catalytic Cracking (FCC) catalysts and the process for preparation wherein the value added FCC catalyst composition offering dual functions of simultaneous passivation of metals and also for enhancement of catalytic activity of host Resid Fluid Catalytic Cracking (RFCC) catalyst for processing heavy metal laden feeds in petroleum processing industry. This invention also relates to various value addition processes of spent FCC catalyst.
Fluid Catalytic Cracking (FCC) catalysts used today in cracking process are not so cost effective hence increasing cost of crude is forcing refineries to process the hydrocarbon feeds having high carbon residue, nitrogen, aromatics and heavy metal contaminants such as nickel and vanadium to be efficiently used in the refinery industry. Among all the contaminants present in feeds, metal contaminants pose the greatest challenge, as some of them permanently cripple the catalytic activity while some metals produce undesired products such as coke and dry gas. Nickel is well known for dehydrogenation of feed and products under normal FCC operation conditions thereby producing higher coke and dry gas. These effects are predominant with catalysts having higher surface area. Vanadium, unlike nickel, is known for zeolite destroying property and for even worse effects by hopping from aged catalyst particle to fresh catalyst particle while carrying out the destructive action. Vanadium pentoxide, formed during severe regeneration operation, gets converted to vanadic acid which reacts with structural alumina of zeolite and also with structure supporting rare earth species. Presence of vanadium in the feed can permanently reduce activity of the FCC catalyst. Processing such feeds create increasing demand for catalysts having higher metal tolerance. Such a process which processes heavy feeds sourced from streams such as inter oil, heavy oil, deashphalted oil, short residue, heavy gas oil, coker gasoil having nickel in the range 8-50 ppm and vanadium in the range 15-120 ppm while employing high matrix metal tolerant catalysts is known as Resid Fluid Catalytic Cracking (RFCC). Spent catalysts in these processes, accumulate total metals in the range 1-3 wt %. As discussed earlier, nickel and vanadium are the most prominent among all the metals requiring remedy for their undesired properties. Besides, as the catalyst produces higher coke while processing resid feeds, for withstanding higher temperature of catalyst regeneration process, hardware needs to have improved metallurgy. Catalysts employed for RFCC operations need to be robust towards high temperature regeneration, steam stripping and metal environment under the dynamic conditions of RFCC operation. Due to higher rate of catalyst deactivation in presence of metals and operational severity, catalyst make-up rate is higher in case of RFCC, which is in the range 4-15 wt % of inventory against 0.4-5 wt % in case of FCC. It may be noted, due to lower deactivation rate and having lower metals in spent FCC catalysts, there is a significant activity left in such spent catalysts and used for initial start-up or for make-up in RFCC/FCC units.
Catalyst manufacturers, often produce less robust catalysts which are cheaper and produced from normal NH4Y zeolite and conventional binders. Such catalysts on withdrawal from the plant cannot be re-employed for start-up or for make-up in case of RFCC units. On the contrary, RFCC catalysts are produced from thermally stable high silica-alumina USY zeolites and employing components desired for high temperature operation, enhancing metal stability etc. Inference can be drawn; catalysts employed for VGO/soft feed processing may not be suitable for RFCC operation. RFCC operation, besides employing high active thermally stable catalysts may additionally use metal passivator additives. Though, it is desirable to reuse spent or E-catalyst from FCC for RFCC start-up or for make-up in view of improving the economy of process, often due to requirement of higher metal and thermal stability, spent catalysts could not be exploited for RFCC. The present invention describes a process and composition for the preparation of RFCC catalyst from spent FCC catalyst for further use in RFCC.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,520,797 and U.S. Pat. No. 4,359,379 describe processes for the fluid catalytic cracking of heavy oils rich in Ni and V by withdrawing a portion of ferrite-containing catalyst particles circulating in a fluid catalytic cracking apparatus, by using a magnetic separator.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,188,995 refers to a process in which spent metal-contaminated zeolite-containing catalytic cracking catalyst is reactivated by a process which comprises contacting the spent catalyst with at least one dissolved carboxylic acid and at least one antimony compound. This invention more particularly describes a method of reactivating spent, metal-contaminated zeolite-containing catalytic cracking catalysts. In another aspect, this invention relates to a catalytic cracking process employing a reactivated spent catalytic cracking catalyst.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,151,391 refers to a process in which, spent metal contaminated zeolite-containing catalytic cracking catalyst composition is reactivated by a process which comprises contacting with an aqueous solution of HCl and/or HNO3 and/or H2SO4. Thus reactivated catalyst composition can be employed in a catalytic cracking. Further this invention relates to a method of reactivating spent, metal-contaminated zeolite-containing catalytic cracking catalysts. In another aspect, this invention relates to a catalytic cracking process employing a reactivated spent catalytic cracking catalyst.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,888,919 refers to a process in which a spent zeolite-containing hydrocarbon cracking catalyst is treated by regenerating it to remove carbonaceous deposits. A portion of the regenerated catalyst is withdrawn from the circulating catalyst inventory of a hydrocarbon processing unit and slurried with a liquid containing an activating agent. This invention relates to process for improving the activity of fluid catalytic cracking (FCC) or moving bed cracking (TCC) catalyst, including any additives containing zeolitic material as one of the active components and which may be employed with each type catalyst, which process can be integrated with the operations of the hydrocarbon processing unit in which the catalyst is employed.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,919,787 refers to a process for an improved method for passivating metals in a hydrocarbon feedstock during catalytic cracking. Further this invention involves contacting the feedstock with a passivating agent comprising a precipitated porous rare earth oxide, alumina, and aluminum phosphate precipitate. The passivating agent may be coated on a cracking catalyst, be part of the matrix of a cracking catalyst, or be added to the cracking operation as discrete particles.
Patent number EP73874B1 discloses Immobilisation of vanadia deposited on catalytic materials during the conversion of oil that contains coke precursors and heavy metals. US application 20100025297A1 discloses additives for metal contaminant removal. catalytic cracking additives comprising a metal trapping material; and a high activity catalyst. This invention is directed to processes for the catalytic cracking of feedstock comprising contacting said feedstock under catalytic cracking conditions with a composition comprising a bulk catalyst and a catalytic cracking additive, wherein the catalytic cracking additive comprises a metal trapping material; and a high activity catalyst.
Therefore, there is a need to provide an improved process and a catalyst composition for converting low activity, low metal tolerant spent FCC catalyst to an efficient catalyst composition to be used in RFCC process for enhancing metal tolerance and also for enhancing catalytic activity of host catalyst for a more efficient and cost effective method.
The present invention is aimed at avoiding or overcoming the difficulties or limitations encountered to provide an improved process and a catalyst composition for catalytic cracking of heavy oils in petroleum processing industry.
It will be advantageous to have a composition and an efficient process to prepare the composition for employing low activity, low metal tolerant spent FCC catalyst for further use in RFCC in enhancing metal tolerance and also in enhancing catalytic activity of host catalyst.
It will be advantageous to have a product from spent catalyst, which will enhance the catalytic activity and selectivity of spent catalysts in adverse RFCC operation conditions.
It will also be advantageous to have an efficient process and a product from spent catalyst, which will enhance the catalytic activity and selectivity of spent catalysts in adverse RFCC operation conditions.
Furthermore, a product and process for improving thermal and metal stability of spent catalyst through impregnation with metal passivation composition, while this value added spent catalyst can be employed as an additive in RFCC process will be beneficial.
Still further, a process for the preparation of a thermal and metal stable RFCC catalyst from spent catalyst for processing metal laden heavy feeds will be advantageous.
It will be also advantageous to have a process, by which application of metal passivation composition on spent catalyst, enhances crystallinity and surface area of a host catalyst.
Process and composition for preparation of a thermal and metal tolerant catalyst from spent FCC catalyst which can be employed in RFCC process as an additive or as a whole metal tolerant RFCC catalyst will be beneficial.
The present invention is aimed to provide an efficient process and a composition for employing low activity, low metal tolerant spent FCC catalyst for further use in RFCC in enhancing metal tolerance and also in enhancing catalytic activity of host catalyst.
It is another advantage of the invention to provide an efficient process and a product from spent catalyst, which will enhance the catalytic activity and selectivity of spent catalysts in adverse RFCC operation conditions.
It is yet another advantage of the invention to provide a process for improving thermal and metal stability of spent catalyst through impregnation with metal passivation composition, while this value added spent catalyst can be employed as an additive in RFCC process.
It is still another advantage of the invention to develop a process for the preparation of a thermal and metal stable RFCC catalyst from spent catalyst for processing metal laden heavy feeds.
It is yet another advantage of the invention to provide a process, by which application of metal passivation composition on spent catalyst, enhances crystallinity and surface area of a host catalyst.
It is yet further advantage of the invention to develop a process and composition for preparation of a thermal and metal tolerant catalyst from spent FCC catalyst which can be employed in RFCC process as an additive or as a whole metal tolerant RFCC catalyst.

Value added spent fluid catalytic cracking catalyst composition and a process for preparation thereof


Control and management of communication traffic. IP packet filtering occurs in an operating system kernel implementation of, for example, the TCP/IP protocol suite. Access rules are expressed as filters referencing system kernel data; for outbound processing, source application indicia is determined; for inbound packet processing, a look-ahead function is executed to determine target application indicia; and responsive to the source or target application indicia, filter processing is executed.

1. Technical Field of the Invention
This invention pertains to control and management of communication traffic. More specifically, it relates to the use of filtering in the control and management of communication traffic.
2. Background Art
Referring to FIG. 1 in connection with FIG. 2, in a network system including two nodes 30, 32 connected by, for example, the Internet 40, the nodes are typically connected through router 35, 37 firewalls 36, 38, respectively. The case is commonly encountered where traffic between nodes 30, 32 is to be restricted based on something other than data in the packet 140. For most business, not all applications are created equal: some data deal with sensitive matters, and usage is restricted to groups or individuals. There is, in this instance, a need to restrict certain types of traffic by group or application, and the data required to do so is typically not available in packet 140.
Internet protocol (IP) packet filtering, in the context of the TCP/IP protocol suite, is the base technology commonly implemented in firewalls 36, 38 and related systems. It is important for network integrity and security. Virtual private network (VPN) technology based on the Internet protocol security (IPsec) protocols also utilizes packet filtering. VPNs are an important enabler for e-business, both for consumer-to-business (C2B) and business-to-business (B2B) activity.
C2B and B2B applications of VPN technology today must rely on attributes actually contained within the IP packets 140 for their security, or be handled at the application level. This is because IP packet filtering is done based on data actually contained within the datagram 140, either the IP header 142, ULP headers 144, or possibly, the payload portion 154 of the packet.
Since packet filtering does not provide the necessary capabilities, if additional control and management of aspects of communication traffic are necessary, three techniques are used: (1) application level control, (2) proxy server control, or (3) add packet data control. According to (1), controls are built into the application, such as server application 42. In this case, server application 42 includes configuration capability to control its traffic based on user ID or profile. For example, individual applications 42 may have their own user authorization lists or exit programs allowing control over what users may do. This approach is not centralized and is not standard. Each application may do control differently, and each application must be configured. According to (2), a proxy server 34 controls applications that go into a node 30 from node 32. An application or set of applications or servers is be 'front-ended' by a proxy server 34 which intercepts traffic for its configured applications and performs checking on what users may access. Proxy server 34 creates what looks like node 30, to node 32, but passes through to node 30 only authorized traffic, other traffic being blocked or discarded with, perhaps, an error message. This technique centralizes things somewhat, but has performance problems because traffic comes in from router 35 and up through the stack to an application layer, the proxy 34 has to pretend that it is an application, and then send data back down the stack, and the real server 30 must do the same. Both techniques (1) and (2) address the problem of data required for control logic in the application not existing in the datagram (aka packet), so the control decision is moved up in the application layer where the required data normally resides. The application layer typically knows the user ID which is requesting data. According to (3), additional required data 152 is added in the packet 140, and this allows filter rules to be written. Thus, application level information 152 may be added to a variety of IP packets 140, so that these decisions can be made about the traffic. However, this makes the packets non-standard, in the sense that these special headers require special function associated with the stack.
The above control and management techniques have various deficiencies, including lack of centralized control when spread over multiple applications and servers, increased overhead when the entire protocol stack must be traversed by IP packet traffic in the case of application control 42 or proxy servers 34, lack of consistency when applying control files, authorization lists, etc. for different applications or servers from different vendors, and lack of security.
It is an object of the invention to provide an improved system and method for control and management of aspects of communication traffic.
It is a further object of the invention to provide a system and method for control and management of aspects of communication traffic within filtering.
It is a further object of the invention to provide a system and method for centralizing communication management and control within filter rules.
It is a further object of the invention to provide a system and method having reduced overhead for controlling and managing communication traffic, without requiring that IP packet traffic traverse the entire protocol stack to be disallowed.
It is a further object of the invention to provide a system and method having improved consistency, with all the rules for access expressed in the same way.
It is a further object of the invention to provide a system and method for managing and controlling communication traffic having improved security through visibility and coherence by centralizing the access rules and centralizing associated logging.

System and method for IP packet filtering based on non-IP packet traffic attributes

International Business Machines Corporation


A DRAM with an address space divided into blocks, in which storage cells of individual blocks can be activated by a row address signal (RAS) furnished by a controller. Each individual block can then be activated by an independent activation signal derived from the row address signal. The activation signals for different blocks are supplied to the different blocks in succession with a partial time overlap, so that the obtained data rate is increased relative to activation of only one block, owing to partial time activation of at least two different blocks.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention concerns a dynamic random-access memory (DRAM) with an address space divided into blocks, in which memory cells of individual blocks can be activated by a row address signal (RAS) delivered by a controller.
The address space of DRAMs are known to be divided into several blocks that are disposed physically in a row next to each other and logically in two rows next to each other. Viewed logically, two superimposed blocks of the two rows then form a single block. However, the access time for accessing data in the memory blocks is time consuming.
2. Summary of the Invention
It is accordingly an object of the invention to provide a DRAM that overcomes the above-mentioned disadvantages of the prior art devices of this general type, having a particularly short cycle time and thus permitting even more rapid data access.
With the foregoing and other objects in view there is provided, in accordance with the invention, a dynamic random-access memory (DRAM) having an address space divided into blocks, including: memory blocks having storage cells; a controller furnishing a row addressing signal (RAS); the memory blocks activated by activation signals derived from the row address signal and each of the memory blocks having an independent activation signal; and the activation signals for different memory blocks supplied in succession to the different memory blocks in a partial time overlap, so that an obtained data rate is increased as a result of partial simultaneous activation of at least two of the different memory blocks relative to an activation of only one memory block.
The task is solved in a DRAM according to the invention of the type mentioned at the outset, in that each individual block can be activated by an independent activation signal derived from the RAS signal. The activation signals for different blocks are supplied in succession in partial time overlap to the different blocks, so that the obtained data rate, as a result of partially simultaneous activation of at least two different blocks, is increased relative to the activation of only one block.
In the DRAM according to the invention, which, as further explained below, has a cycle time of about 60 ns and therefore is also referred to as a fast RAS cycle (FRC) DRAM one or more of the unactivated blocks can be activated before the activity of at least one previously selected block is completed. The cycle time of the RAS signal can thus be significantly shortened and reduced to about half. The shortening of cycle time is achieved, in particular, by a shorter precharging time in the RAS cycle.
If the ordinary longer precharging time is considered again, one can convert without difficulty from a normal mode of the existing DRAM to the FRC mode of the DRAM according to the invention. A xe2x80x9cjumpxe2x80x9d between the normal mode and the FRC mode is therefore possible without a time loss.
Whereas, as explained above, an address restriction to 0.05% of the total address space is present in the FPM operation, the restriction is significantly lower in the FRC DRAM according to the invention: successive X addresses in the FRC DRAM according to the invention may not lie in the same storage block. Therefore, in a 4 M DRAM, after an X address that lies, say, in block 0, blocks 1 to 3 are available (compare FIG. 1), which means that 75% of the address space is freely available. In a 16 M DRAM this percentage of freely available addresses is even greater.
In the DRAM according to the invention the activation signals for the individual blocks are generated independently of each other. This can occur, for example, by deriving the beginning and end of an activation signal from the RAS signal. However, it is also possible to derive only the beginning of the activation signal from the RAS signal and then adjust the end of the activation signal by an internal timer. The restore timing is generated in the individual storage blocks, i.e., for these blocks individually, and not centrally, as previously done.
The same applies to the drive voltage and the decoder voltage of the word lines.
When a DRAM according to the invention has 4 independent blocks, i.e., a 4 M DRAM is present, a lower value X address can be used for block selection. The probability that two consecutive addresses lie in the same block can then be substantially reduced. Under practical conditions, a large number of addresses are accessed sequentially anyway, so that the addresses of the same block can scarcely occur in succession.
When the controller uses two different timings, which operate depending on the distance from the last access address, it is possible without difficulty for access to the same block to occur not in succession. The same can also be achieved by corresponding storage of an additional bit.
The DRAM according to the invention permits a cycle time gain in 4 blocks of about 55% of the cycle time of a normal DRAM during sequential access, 67% of the cycle time of a normal DRAM during statistical access and about 60% of the cycle time of a normal DRAM during practical use.
Since the activation signals in the DRAM according to the invention are derived from the RAS signal, a CAS-before-RAS mode is not possible.
Other features which are considered as characteristic for the invention are set forth in the appended claims.
Although the invention is illustrated and described herein as embodied in a DRAM, it is nevertheless not intended to be limited to the details shown, since various modifications and structural changes may be made therein without departing from the spirit of the invention and within the scope and range of equivalents of the claims.
The construction and method of operation of the invention, however, together with additional objects and advantages thereof will be best understood from the following description of specific embodiments when read in connection with the accompanying drawings.

DRAM including an address space divided into individual blocks having memory cells activated by row address signals


The present invention relates to a touch panel which can detect touch securely without being affected by drive of an underlying display panel and shield external static electricity, securely, the touch panel includes a substrate having an active region and a peripheral region surrounding the active region; a plurality of first electrodes and second electrodes formed on the active region in a row direction and a column direction, respectively; a plurality of pad electrodes on one side of the peripheral region; routing lines for connecting ends of the first electrodes and the second electrodes to the pad electrodes, respectively; and a transparent conductive layer formed at the peripheral region to cover the routing lines.

1. Field of the Disclosure
The present invention relates to touch panels, and more particularly to a touch panel which can detect a touch securely without being affected by drive of an underlying display panel and securely shield external static electricity.
2. Discussion of the Related Art
Currently, as the time turns into a full scale information oriented time, a display field in which an electric information signal is expressed in a visual sensation has been developed rapidly, and, meeting to this development, various kinds of flat display devices have been developed, which have excellent features of slimmer, lighter, and lower power consumption, to replace present cathode ray tube CRT, rapidly.
As specific examples of the flat display devices, there are the liquid crystal display device LCD, a plasma display panel device PDP, a field emission display device FED, and an electro luminescence display device ELD each of which essentially has a flat display panel in common for producing a picture. The flat display panel is provided with one pair of transparent insulating substrates bonded opposite to each other with a unique light emitting or polarizing material layer disposed therebetween.
Recently, requirements for addition of a touch panel to the liquid crystal display device are increasing for perception of a portion of the touch panel touched with a hand or additional input means and transmission of additional information matched to the touch.
Depending on touch sensing types, in the touch panels, there are a resistive type, a capacitive type, and an infrared ray sensing type, and, recently, the capacitive type is paid attention in small sized models, taking convenience of fabrication, sensing capability, and so on into account.
A related art liquid crystal display device will be described with reference to the attached drawings.
FIG. 1 illustrates a plan view of a related art touch panel, and FIGS. 2A and 2B illustrate enlarged plan views of A and B regions in FIG. 1, respectively.
Referring to FIG. 1, the related art touch panel is formed on a substrate 20 provided with an active region A/A at which touch sensing is made, and a peripheral region around the active region A/A.
Referring to FIGS. 2A and 2B, the active region A/A has a plurality of electrodes 21 formed thereon for detecting touch.
The electrodes 21 have ends having connection electrodes 30 connected thereto respectively, and each of the connection electrodes 30 has one side connected to a routing line 31 which is connected to a pad electrode 35 formed at one side of a peripheral region.
Though not shown, the pad electrodes 35 are connected to an FPC (not shown) having a touch controller which applies a signal to the pad electrodes 35.
All of the connection electrodes 30, the routing lines 31 and the pad electrodes 35 can be formed of the same material and on the same layer at the peripheral region. For an example, the connection electrodes 30, the routing lines 31 and the pad electrodes 35 can be formed of a metal having a good conductivity and a good light shielding characteristic.
Since the routing lines 31 are exposed from the substrate 20 except the pad electrodes 35 connected to the FPC and the connection electrodes 30 connected to the electrodes 21, as shown in FIG. 2B, there is no means for protecting the routing lines 31.
Consequently, at the time noise caused by external static electricity infiltrates, there is no means for shielding the noise.
And, when the touch panel is attached to a display device (not shown), such as the liquid crystal display panel, a position of the touch panel through which the routing lines 31 pass becomes to match with a circuit at the periphery of the display device, causing a problem of EMI (Electro-Magnetic Interference) taken place when the underlying display device is driven.
Thus, the related art touch panel has the following problems.
The routing lines exposed from the peripheral region of the touch panel causes noise when the external static electricity infiltrates thereto, affecting driving of the touch panel.
And, when the touch panel is attached to the liquid crystal display device, EMI interference takes place at a portion the circuit of the liquid crystal panel overlaps with the routing lines, causing malfunction of the touch.


An expandable filter cartridge for installation in the filter housing of a vehicle includes a rectangular frame having top and bottom legs and side legs. The side legs of the frame are extendible and retractable in length to configure the frame between a relatively compact size for insertion into the filter housing and a relatively expansive size for spanning the interior dimensions of the filter housing. The filter cartridge is installed by being inserted while in its compact configuration into a slot in the filter housing and, once inside, expanded to span the interior dimensions of the housing.

Filters are used in virtually all air conditioning and HVAC systems to filter out and remove a wide variety of airborne contaminates such as dust, dirt, pollen, bacteria, spores, and the like. Usually, one or more filter cartridges comprising a frame supporting a field of an appropriate filter medium is installed in a filter housing that positions the filter in the path of air flowing through the system. As air is circulated through the system, it passes through the filter medium, which collects the airborne contaminates while allowing the filtered air to pass. Periodically, such filters become so clogged with filtered matter that they begin to restrict the flow of air through the system and must be replaced. To this end, most filter cartridges are designed to be removed easily from their filter housings and replaced with a fresh cartridge.
Automobile heating and air conditioning systems are also usually provided with a replaceable filter or filters to remove airborne particles. This is particularly true of newer cars and trucks, which are often subject to regulations requiring that air be filtered as it is circulated into the cabin of the vehicle. Providing a car or truck with a filter element that is easily replaceable has proven to be a challenge, especially for passenger cars. The reason is that the filter element must be relatively expansive in surface area to accommodate the air flow of the vehicle's HVAC system. However, there usually is insufficient space under the dash of the vehicle or under the hood in some cases to provide a slot or opening in the filter housing long enough to accommodate a filter of such size.
As a solution to this space problem, auto makers have developed matable filter segments, each of which is narrow enough to be inserted into a short slot in the filter housing. These segmented filters are installed by being inserted one by one into the short slot. As each filter segment is inserted, it is pushed up manually above the position of the slot so that the next successive filter segment can be inserted into the slot. In some cases, the filter segments have edges configured to couple together as each filter segment is slid in under the previous segment. In this way, a unitary filter cartridge spanning the interior dimensions of the filter housing is progressively built up as each successive filter segment is inserted. The filter slot can then be closed for operation of the HVAC system. When it is desired to remove the filter for replacement, the slot is opened and the filter segments are progressively pulled out of the filter housing through the narrow slot, whereupon a new filter can be installed in successive segments as discussed above.
While segmented filters have proven functional in automotive HVAC systems, they have nevertheless been plagued with a variety of problems inherent in their design. First, the filters are relatively expensive to manufacture since each individual filter segment must be manufactured separately and three or more segments are required for each installation. Perhaps more problematic, however, is the inherent cumbersome and difficult procedure required to remove and replace the filter segments. In many instances, the filter housing and the filter slot therein is hidden beneath a cramped dash or under a cramped hood. As a result, a mechanic often must remove and install filter elements while lying prone on a floorboard or in some other relatively contorted position. To make matters worse, the installation of new filter elements sometimes must be done by feel in vehicles where the filter slot is not readily visible. As a result of such difficulties, it is not uncommon for less dedicated mechanics simply to remove an old clogged filter and close up the filter housing slot without installing a new filter. This leads ultimately to contamination and deterioration of the HVAC system because airborne bacteria and particles that are not filtered tend to collect on evaporators and working components of the HVAC system over time requiring a complete disassembly and cleaning.
Accordingly, there exists a need for an improved filter cartridge for installation in filter boxes located in cramped locations of vehicles. The cartridge should be inexpensive to manufacture, efficient in operation, and should be simple and easy to install, even when such installation must be accomplished by feel. It is to the provision of such a filter cartridge that the present invention is primarily directed.


The present invention relates to a method of changing a recording mode from CAV (Constant Angular Velocity) mode to CLV (Constant Linear Velocity) mode in the middle of recording data to a disk recording medium. A method according to the present invention reads ATIP-framed data encoded in a wobble signal formed along a spiral physical track while recording input data to a recording medium, and detects a sync signal contained in the read ATIP-framed data. Another method measures the frequency of a low-frequency component of the wobble signal instead of reading ATIP-framed data. These two methods determine, in common, when to change the recording mode from CAV to CLV based on the period of the detected sync signal or the measured frequency. The present invention makes it possible to record input data to an entire area of a disk more rapidly without fatal errors such as imperfect writing. As a result, total recording time can be reduced with stable recording guaranteed.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method of changing a recording mode from CAV (Constant Angular Velocity) to CLV (Constant Linear Velocity) in the middle of recording data to a disk recording medium.
2. Description of the Related Art
In general, a disk recording device writes input data at a speed slower than 2×, so that it writes data to a writable disk such as CD-R and CD-RW at CAV mode for entire recording area of the disk.
In the meantime, the recording speed of a disk recording devices are becoming increasingly faster, which requires faster rotation speed of a writable disk. In the CAV mode, the linear velocity is increased in proportion to a radius as a recording point goes outward. However, if the linear velocity becomes faster than a critical speed, the properties of the medium are not sufficiently changed by an incident writing beam, or data to be write becomes underrun because the data writing rate becomes higher than maximum encoding rate of an installed encoding hardware.
Therefore, it is required that CAV mode should be changed to CLV at an appropriate point of a disk as shown in FIG. 1 under the condition of an increase in recording speed.

Method of changing a rotating mode between constant angular velocity and constant linear velocity


The present disclosure provides various bus bar connectors configured to draw power from a bus bar at non-discrete locations. In one aspect, a bus bar connector may include a connector housing having a slot. The slot may be configured to allow the connector housing to grip a bus bar at different locations. First and second electrical contacts may be disposed on opposite sides of the slot. The bus bar connector includes mounting members for securing the connector housing against an enclosure for the bus bar and a spring clip that can be to attach to upper and lower outer surfaces of the connector housing to provide an amount of contact force onto the outer surface of the connector housing. The amount of contact force enables the first and second electrical contacts to securely grip the bus bar.

In electrical power distribution, bus bars are strips of material (e.g., copper) used to conduct electricity within an apparatus, such as a distribution board, switchboard, and substation. These bus bars are designed to distribute electricity to separate components connected to the apparatus. Typically, the apparatus may be pre-configured at certain locations to facilitate connections between the bus bar and the separate components. However, some components of different shapes and sizes are unable or rather difficult to connect to a bus bar at these pre-configured locations.

Pitch agnostic bus-bar with pitch agnostic blind mate connector


The present invention provides a two phase heat generation system (10) having a primary pressure vessel (108), an, interior vessel (122) spaced from the primary pressure vessel (108) defining a water jacket cavity (124) and a combustion chamber (125), the water cavity (124) being in fluid communication with the combustion chamber (126), the combustion chamber (126) having a combustion burner (144) for controlling combustion, a delivery conduit (136) being in communication with the combustion chamber (126) for delivering gas and compressed air into the combustion chamber (126) and an outlet passage (164) being in communication with the combustion chamber (126) for delivering of a two phase product.

1. Technical Field
The present invention relates generally to heat generation systems, and more particularly to a two phase heat generation system.
2. Discussion
Under conventional technology, heat generation systems include multiple types of equipment ranging from a simple space heater to an industrial boiler. These various types are powered by a variety of energy sources. Examples range from coal generated electrical current powering a heating element of a space heater to the combustion of natural gas in a conventional boiler. For each type of equipment, a single phase product is delivered as the end product of the consumption of energy for the intended end use. For example, the combustion of natural gas in a gas forced air furnace produces combustion gases (heat) for the end use. Conversely, the combustion of natural gas might alternatively ultimately produce steam for the end use. In either scenario and under conventional methods, the simultaneous delivery to the end use of two phases of product from one source is unique.
In conventional boiler technology where natural gas is used as the source of energy, the limitation of delivering a single phase product to the end use is further limited by the fact that heat, the primary energy from the combustion of natural gas is lost to the environment rather than serving the purpose for the end use. This limitation results in significantly reduced efficiency and accompanying expense. Additionally, the limitation of 1) single phase product and 2) loss of energy to the environment is compounded by the necessity of constructing comparably larger heat generation systems to compensate for these limitations in order that sufficient energy is delivered to the end use. These detriments are further compounded when the end use requires a two phase product rather than the traditional single phase product of the conventional technology. In such instances, as for example in U.S. Pat. No. 5,217,076, the ability to efficiently perform the end use, i.e., for U.S. Pat. No. 5,217,076, to facilitate the recovery of oil from subsurface deposits is diminished.
When the end use is as reflected in U.S. Pat. No. 5,217,076, under conventional methods delivering product uniformly and efficiently into deep formations has proven to be less than successful. This is in part due to the above referenced detriments associated with conventional heat generation systems and in part due to limitations in the injection/field assemblies that are used with the conventional technology to deliver product into a geological formation. Efforts at resolving the detriments in delivering product efficiently and effectively have also proven less than successful.
It is therefore desirable to provide a two phase heat generation system which has comparably inexpensive construction costs, operating costs, an efficiency approaching 90 to 100%, two phase product from one source and for oil recovery end uses an improved system of delivery.
Accordingly, it is an object to the present invention to provide a two phase heat generation system having a primary pressure vessel, at least one interior vessel contained within the primary pressure vessel defining a combustion chamber, at least one interior vessel contained within the primary pressure vessel defining a water cavity, the water cavity being in fluid communication with the combustion chamber, a combustion burner contained within the combustion chamber for controlling combustion, at least one port in communication with the combustion chamber for delivering gas and compressed air and at least one outlet in communication with the combustion chamber for delivering a two phase product from the combustion chamber.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a two phase heat generation system that simultaneously delivers super heated steam and non-condensable inert gases at various pressures and temperatures.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a two phase heat generation system that is 90 to 100% efficient.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a two phase heat generation system that delivers significantly more BTUs/day than conventional comparable methods.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a two phase heat generation system that is comparably less expensive to construct and operate.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a two phase heat generation system that provides an injection/field assembly for delivering two phase product.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a two phase heat generation system that provides injection of formation friendly water.

Two phase heat generation system and method


A sintered structure and method for forming it are disclosed. The method includes obtaining core-shell particles having a core material and a shell material, forming the particles into a powder compact, and annealing the powder compact at an annealing temperature. The shell material is a metal that diffuses faster than the core material at the annealing temperature and diffuses to the contacts between the core-shell particles during annealing to form sintered interfaces between the core-shell particles. The sintered structure can have discontinuous regions of shell material between the sintered interfaces. The core material can be a metal, semiconductor or ceramic. The core material can be copper and the shell material can be silver. The sintered interfaces can be almost purely shell material. The annealing temperature can be significantly lower than the temperature needed to form interfaces between particles of the core material without the shell material.

The present invention relates to sintering of core-shell metal, semiconductor, and ceramic powders to form structures and porous films.
With the European Union and Chinese bans of Lead-Tin (Pb—Sn) eutectic solder for electronic interconnects, the microelectronics research community has been examining a range of possible Pb-free alternatives for interconnection, even non-solder based technologies. The dominant Pb-free solders currently used in high-volume consumer electronics are near eutectic Tin-Silver-Copper (Sn—Ag—Cu or SAC) alloys, with some use of Sn—Cu alloys with ternary additions to modify wetting and interactions with substrate materials. Although consumer electronics have transitioned almost entirely to Pb-free solder interconnects, their poorer drop/impact behavior compared with Sn—Pb eutectic, their higher processing temperatures (240° C.) relative to Sn—Pb eutectic (220° C.), their highly anisotropic solidification, thermal expansion, and mechanical behavior, and their propensity to spontaneously form tin whiskers have left the microelectronics industry looking for improved interconnect solutions.
The electronics industry is searching for alternatives to tin-lead and lead-free solder alloys for board level interconnection, flip-chip and other area array interconnections, thermal interface materials, and die attach materials. Sintering of Cu—Ag core shell particles is an exemplary embodiment disclosed herein for these applications. The sintered Cu—Ag does not form tin whiskers, a reliability risk for lead-free solders, because the interconnect material Cu—Ag does not contain tin. The Cu—Ag core-shell particles are more mechanically and chemically compatible than solder with Cu board pads and traces and with metal leads and lead-less interconnects on the components.
The printed electronics industry is searching for a method to create more dimensionally stable, more corrosion resistant, and cheaper metallic interconnections than pure Ag nanoparticles. The printed electronics industry is also searching for a method to create sintered semiconductor layers at temperatures far below those required to sinter semiconductor particles without the shell. Embodiments disclosed herein include a breakup of the metal shell into isolated metal particles which produces structures that behave electrically as a semiconductor and not a metal. This approach can work for amorphous semiconductor powders as well as crystalline powders.
Embodiments disclosed herein can also benefit the sensor industry by allowing for the joining of higher temperature sensor materials with fast diffusing shell materials. Embodiments disclosed herein can also benefit other industries which require assembly of particles to form continuous structures at temperatures where the core particles do not sinter.
A solderless nanotechnology based on low temperature sintering is disclosed with exemplary embodiments of Cu—Ag core-shell nanoparticles to form porous interconnections that have the potential to replace traditional solder joints as well as high-Pb and Au-containing solder alloys used for high temperature die attach of semiconductor devices. For Cu—Ag core-shell particles, Ag diffusion from the particle surfaces to particle-particle contacts during heating leads to enhanced interparticle sintering compared with uncoated Cu nanoparticles. Microstructural, thermal and electrical characteristics of the sintered structures indicate that Cu—Ag core-shell sintering may be a viable route to a solderless alternative to Pb-free solders with a joint formation temperature less than or equal to Sn—Pb eutectic.
Enhanced sintering of Cu—Ag core-shell nanoparticles was observed to occur by fast diffusion of Ag at 220° C. from particle surfaces, leading to the formation of sintered necks of Ag at the initial particle-particle contacts. In comparison with similar sized pure Cu nanoparticles after annealing and the Cu—Ag nanoparticles before annealing, Cu—Ag particles had higher densities. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and energy-filtered TEM shows that the sintered necks were primarily or pure Ag and that the particle surfaces away from the contacts were nearly Ag-free, in contrast to the uniform shell thickness of the as-synthesized Cu—Ag core-shell nanoparticles. The extent of neck formation in the final sintered structure can be controlled by the choice of the initial Ag layer thickness.
A method is disclosed for forming a sintered structure at an annealing temperature. The method includes obtaining core-shell particles having a core material and a shell material, forming the core-shell particles into a powder compact in which the core-shell particles are in physical contact, and annealing the powder compact at the annealing temperature. The shell material is a metal material that diffuses faster than the core material at the annealing temperature and the faster diffusing shell material diffuses to the contacts between the core-shell particles during the annealing to form sintered interfaces between the core-shell particles that are in physical contact. The core material can be a metal, semiconductor or ceramic material. The core material can be copper and/or the shell material can be silver. The sintered interfaces can be almost purely composed of the shell material.
The core material and the shell material can have limited mutual solubility at the annealing temperature. The core material and the shell material can be materials that do not form an intermediate phase between the core and shell materials at the annealing temperature. The annealing temperature can be significantly lower than the temperature needed to form sintered interfaces between particles of the core material without the shell material. The annealing step can be performed in an annealing atmosphere that promotes diffusion of the shell material at the annealing temperature, where the shell material may not be prone to diffuse at the annealing temperature in a standard air atmosphere. The annealing step can be performed long enough to form discontinuous regions of the shell material in the sintered structure between the sintered interfaces. The annealing step can cause an increase in the density of the core-shell particles in the powder compact. The core-shell particles can have an average diameter of approximately 470 nm. The average thickness of the shell material on the core-shell particles can be approximately 7 nm.
A sintered structure is disclosed that includes a sintered core-shell compact made of a plurality of core-shell particles sintered at an annealing temperature, where each of the plurality of core-shell particles has a core material and a shell material, the shell material being a metal material that diffuses faster than the core material at the annealing temperature. The sintered core-shell compact includes a plurality of sintered interfaces between the core-shell particles that are in physical contact. The core material can be copper and/or the shell material can be silver. The core material can be a metal material, a semiconductor material, or a ceramic material. The sintered core-shell compact can be formed so it does not include an intermediate phase material between the core and shell materials. The sintered interfaces may be almost purely composed of the shell material. The sintered core-shell compact can include discontinuous regions of the shell material on the sintered core-shell particles between the sintered interfaces.

Shell activated sintering of core-shell particles


A method of removing mercury from flue gases from combustion plants, such as for example power plants or waste incineration plants, is achieved in which mercury-containing flue gases are brought into contact with an adsorption reagent either directly or indirectly by being contained in an absorption reagent, whereby mercury is substantially adsorbed by the adsorption reagent during this contact. After adsorption has occurred the adsorption reagent is separated from the flue gases and subsequently from the absorption reagent and added to an aqueous solution containing an oxidizing agent, whereby the adsorbed mercury dissolves as Hg2+. The Hg2+-containing solution is subsequently separated from the adsorption agent and the Hg2+ then is removed from the solution. This method enables the mercury to be removed from flue gas in a simple and economical manner.

Flue gases from combustion installations, such as power plants or waste incineration plants, contain a number of pollutants, which must be removed from the flue gas before they are released to the environment. Modern combustion installations are equipped with flue gas cleaning devices, which remove sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxides, hydrogen halides and entrained ash contained in the flue gas.
In addition to the pollutants referred to above, the flue gas contains traces of heavy metals, which must be removed from the flue gases due to their toxicity. One particularly poisonous heavy metal contained in the flue gas is mercury. This is washed out of the flue gas in conventional wet flue gas desulfurization (FGD) plants and flows with the waste water from the FGD into the FGD waste water treatment (WWT) plant. The mercury dissolved in the FGD waste water is precipitated in the WWT in a low-solubility form together with other solid materials in the form of FGD-WWT sludge. As a result of the contamination with mercury, this FGD-WWT sludge can, however, not be burned but must be disposed of as hazardous waste.
European application EP 0 792 186 B1 discloses a cleaning method of flue gases, with which mercury can be removed from the flue gases. For this purpose, the flue gases are subjected to a wet scrubbing process, wherein this wet scrubbing process is conducted with the addition of activated carbon particles, which adsorb the heavy metals and, in particular, mercury. The activated carbon particles are then separated from the suspension produced in the wet scrubbing process and recirculated into the wet scrubbing process, whereby a fraction of the particles is tapped off and thermally desorbed. The thermal desorption is complex in regards of process technology and is thus expensive.

Method for removing mercury from flue gas after combustion


A core slip apparatus for winding strips into coils includes a roller sleeve mounted on an arbor. Cores mounted on the sleeve are used to form the coils as the arbor rotates. The roller sleeve prevents friction between the core and the arbor thereby insuring that the winding proceeds properly and is not affected by the weight of the coil.

a. Field of Invention
This invention pertains to an apparatus for winding elongated strips of material, such as metal strips, into a coil, and more particularly to an apparatus with a core slip member having roller sleeve for eliminating friction with the coil core.
b. Description of the Prior Art
Core slip winding devices are available commercially which, as shown somewhat schematically in FIG. 1, may consist of a rotating drum 2 which supports a plurality of cores 4 and a plurality of axially spaced separators 6. The last separator 6' is positioned against a solid plate 8. A spring 10 cooperates with a knob and screw arrangement 12 and 14 to apply an axial pressure on the cores 4 and separators 6. Separators 6 are keyed (by keying means not shown) to the drum 2 so that the separators and the drums are rotating together. The cores 4 have an inner diameter slightly larger than the outer diameter of drum to allow the cores 4 to slip with respect to the arbor as the drum rotates. This prior art mechanism may be disposed for example down stream of a slitting mechanism which continuously slits a wide sheet into narrow parallel strips 16. The ends of each of these strips 16 are secured to a core 4 so that as the strips 16 come off the slitter, the drum 2 is driven a speed slightly higher than the speed of the slitter allowing the strips to be wound simultaneously into individual coils by the apparatus of FIG. 1. Because the cores 4 are allowed to slip with respect to drum 2, each strip is allowed to wind at its own pace thereby compensating for the difference in thickness between the strips 16. The tension applied to each strip during winding is applied and controlled by the separators 6. One problem with this arrangement is that as more and more strip material 16 is wound on a core 4, the weight and the size of the coil increases thereby increasing the frictional force between the core 4 and the drum 2. As a result, when each coil strips becomes relatively large, especially if the strip 16 is made of a metal, and hence it is heavy, the tension on the strip is affected by the weight of the coil, resulting in an uneven coil.

Core slip apparatus for winding strips into coils


A door assembly includes an inner panel and an outer panel that cooperate to define a door cavity therebetween and a window frame that defines a window opening. The door assembly further includes a division post defining a glass run channel extending from the window opening into the door cavity. A bracket member is rotatably connected to the division post.

A vehicle door typically includes a window that is selectively movable between an open position and a closed position. In the closed position, the window completely obstructs a window opening. In the open position, at least part of the window opening is unobstructed. The door typically includes glass run channels that guide the movement of the window between the open and closed positions. More specifically, the glass run channels restrict the fore/aft and inboard/outboard movement of the window, while permitting up and down movement between the open and closed positions.