A computer system having a bridge and I.sup.2 C EEPROMs is provided with a host I.sup.2 C controller implemented in the bridge for accelerating the reading of the I.sup.2 C EEPROMs. The host I.sup.2 C controller accelerates the reading of I.sup.2 C EEPROMs by executing current address reads of the I.sup.2 C EEPROM when a requested slave address matches a current slave address stored in a current slave address register, and the requested EEPROM address matches a current EEPROM address stored in a current EEPROM address counter. The host I.sup.2 C controller thus eliminates the use of software to track the read accesses of a plurality of masters to an I.sup.2 C EEPROM and also eliminates the use of bus command protocols to support both random reads and current address reads to an I.sup.2 C EEPROM.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a host I.sup.2 C controller for accelerated reading of I.sup.2 C EEPROMs.
2. Description of the Related Art
Use of I.sup.2 C (Inter-Integrated Circuit) devices in personal computer systems has become prevalent. Today's I.sup.2 C bus is typically used to communicate with a Serial Presence Detect (SPD) device on memory modules (DIMMs), Extended System Configuration Data (ESCD) storage devices, temperature sensors, and even batteries. An SPD device may hold data on the speed, size, or type of the related module. The device typically used as an SPD device or an ESCD storage device is an I.sup.2 C EEPROM.
A read access to a random address of an I.sup.2 C EEPROM is referred to as a Random Read command. A Random Read command is issued by a master such as firmware running on a controller, code residing in an embedded controller, an application, or the operating system itself. According to I.sup.2 C EEPROM protocol, a Random Read command requires a "dummy" byte write sequence to load a data word address into the EEPROM. The data word address informs the EEPROM of the memory location that a master is seeking to access. The "dummy" byte write also allows the master to send a control byte to the I.sup.2 C EEPROM. The control byte typically includes a four bit slave type, three device select bits, and a read/write bit which is set to a write operation. Because most accesses to EEPROMs are reads from a random address, and the "dummy" byte sequence may be comprised of two or three bytes depending on the size of the EEPROM's address space, the "dummy" byte write sequence is communication overhead that has slowed data accesses to I.sup.2 C EEPROMs.
I.sup.2 C EEPROMs also support a Current Address Read command. A Current Address Read command is a read access to the next sequential address of the EEPROM. After each read or write operation, the address counter of an EEPROM maintains the last accessed address, incremented by a byte or word. Because the address counter already holds the address to be accessed, a Current Address Read command is executed without the overhead of the "dummy" byte write sequence. Since a Random Read command requires a "dummy" byte write sequence, a Random Read command has twice the access time of a Current Address Read command. Thus, the approach has been to reduce communication overhead by minimizing the issuance of Random Read commands.
To determine when a Current Address Read command may be issued instead of a Random Address Read command, software has been used to determine when requested data is at an address contiguous to a previously accessed EEPROM address. When a read request is to the next sequential EEPROM location, the software issues a Current Address Read command instead of a Random Read command. Because, for example, multiple portions of a system's BIOS attempt to access I.sup.2 C EEPROMs through a host I.sup.2 C controller, complex software has undesirably been necessary to keep track of the last EEPROM address accessed while taking account of intervening reads by those different portions of code.
Also, in order to support both a Current Address Read command and a Random Read command, two command sets had to be defined as bus command protocols. Such bus command protocols have been used with buses compatible with I.sup.2 C protocol. For example, Intel has defined for its System Management Bus a first command protocol, Receive Byte, corresponding to a Current Address Read command, and a separate command protocol, Read Byte, corresponding to a Random Read command. Intel's System Management Bus has I.sup.2 C as a backbone. Thus, the capability of selecting either a Random Read command or a Current Address Read command when appropriate has undesirably required code that supports two different command protocols. Further, I.sup.2 C controllers, which serve as an interface between a microprocessor and an I.sup.2 C bus, have not, so far as is known, played a role in tracking EEPROM read accesses.

Host I.sup.2 C controller for selectively executing current address reads to I.sup.2 C EEPROMs


In general, this disclosure describes techniques for managing user profiles and associated processes of a multi-user computing device. For example, a computing device executes processes associated with a plurality of active user profiles of the computing device, and determines that an aggregate memory allocation of the plurality of active user profiles exceeds a threshold. Responsive to the determining, the computing device selects an active user profile for which to stop activity and automatically stops the activity associated with the selected active user profile.

Mobile computing devices, such as mobile phones and tablet computers, are becoming increasingly powerful and ubiquitous in use. Software applications for these computerized devices are becoming widely available and offer extensive and ever increasing functionality. As a result, mobile computing devices are capable of processing a wide variety and potentially sensitive or personal information (e.g., documents, e-mails, and pictures) for display (e.g., on a screen) or otherwise for output to a user.
Certain mobile computing devices can operate in a limited access state that prevents an unauthorized user from accessing applications and information stored within the computing device, thereby effectively "locking" the computing device. For example, some mobile computing devices require a user to provide a specific input to lock and/or unlock the device. While the locking techniques can provide security for information contained within the device as well as protection from accidental inputs, once the device is unlocked, the computing device provides access to the applications and information stored within the computing device to any user who provides the specific input to unlock the device.


A device for ablating tissue is provided. The device comprises a conductive element with a channel for irrigating fluid formed therein, which is in contact with a non-conductive microporous interface. All or a portion of the interface may be removable. When the interface is removed, a portion of the conductive element is exposed for use in ablating tissue. Methods of using the device and of removing the interface are also provided.

This invention relates to ablation devices that are used to create lesions in tissue. More particularly, this invention relates to conductive elements for use in such devices which vary in length and which incorporate improved methods of irrigation delivery.
The action of the heart is known to depend on electrical signals within the heart tissue. Occasionally, these electrical signals do not function properly. The maze procedure is a surgical operation for patients with chronic atrial fibrillation that is resistant to medical treatment. In this procedure, incisions are created in the right and left atria to produce an orderly passage of the electrical impulse from the SA node to the atrioventricular node. Blind passageways are also created to suppress reentry cycles. Currently, the lesions may still be created using a traditional cut and sew technique. The scar tissue resulting from the procedure results in a non-conductive lesion.
Ablation of cardiac conduction pathways in the region of tissue where the signals are malfunctioning is now being used to replace the surgical incisions. Ablation is also used therapeutically with other organ tissue, such as the liver, prostate and uterus. Ablation of organic tissue is also used in several surgical procedures, for both diagnosis and therapy.
In one type of procedure, one or more electrodes at the tip of an electrophysiology ablation device allow the physician to measure electrical signals along the surface of the heart (mapping). When necessary, in another type of procedure, the physician can also ablate certain tissues using, typically, radio frequency (RF) energy conducted to one or more ablation electrodes. During tissue ablation, energy is used to create lesions in the tissue for different purposes. High levels of energy are used to cut and remove tissue (electrosurgery). Lower levels of energy are used to cause cell damage but leave the structure intact so that electrical pathways are blocked within the tissue.
A variety of devices, such as catheters, are used to ablate tissue. Typically, such devices include a conductive tip, which serves as one electrode in an electrical circuit. The electrical circuit is completed via a grounding electrode that may also be on the device or may be coupled to the patient. By controlling the level of energy transmitted to the electrode, the surgeon is able to control the amount of heat generated for the purposes described above.
Irrigation of the ablation site cools the electrode. Irrigated ablation is also known to create deeper lesions that are more likely to be transmural. Transmurality is achieved when the full thickness of the target tissue is ablated.
During ablation, irrigation of the ablation site helps to cool the ablation electrodes, thereby reducing overheating in the vicinity of the electrodes. Undesirable consequences of overheating include the excessive coagulation of blood and the unintended destruction of healthy tissue adjacent the ablation site. The efficient cooling of the linear ablation electrode permits longer lesions to be created by permitting higher ablation energy without resulting in excessive electrode heating.
Typically, delivery of irrigation to the site is accomplished using a separate irrigation source which may pump into the ablation device or which may pump directly to the target tissue site. This requires a separate device that may not deliver irrigation as site-specifically as desired.
Furthermore, there is relatively high hydraulic impedance to saline flow at the distal end (towards ablation site) of a typical ablation device. In comparison, the hydraulic impedance to flow is lower at the proximal end (towards user) of the device. This sometimes results in more irrigation fluid being distributed at the proximal end than at the distal end.
Additionally, there may also be difficulties with electrical impedance to saline flow in a typical ablation device. This may be particularly true in a hemostat-type ablation device. In such a device, the target tissue is positioned between the two jaws of the hemostat, both of which carry ablation electrodes. If the tissue is shorter than the length of the hemostat jaws, a saline bridge may form between the hemostat jaws due to the surface tension of the fluid. This saline bridge is a low electrical impedance pathway. Electrical flow may, therefore, occur preferentially towards the bridge and yield unreliable ablation.
Irrigation fluid may also not be evenly distributed along a single electrode because of the impedance factors described above. Uneven distribution of fluid may result in an uneven lesion. In some cases, the tissue may not receive any irrigation in some areas. The electrode may contact the surface of the target tissue in these unirrigated areas, causing sticking or even charring.
Additionally, longer electrodes are sometimes desired to create longer lesions. These electrodes have a larger pressure drop along their length. This results in greater fluid flow from the proximal end than the distal end and thus irrigation is unevenly distributed which may result in sticking of the ablated tissue to the electrode. Currently an electrode of a given length is needed to create a lesion of a given length. If a lesion of a different length is desired, a new electrode must be used.
It would be desirable therefore to provide a means to control and vary irrigation.
It would further be desirable to facilitate control of lesion length.
It would further be desirable to provide a means for evenly irrigating an ablation electrode and concomitant target tissue site.
It would further be desirable to provide a means for evenly irrigating ablation electrodes of variable length.
It would further be desirable to provide a device in which irrigation capabilities and ablation capabilities are integrated.
One aspect of the present invention provides a device for ablating organic tissue. The device includes a conductive element, a fluid component in communication with the conductive element and a non-conductive interface positioned adjacent the tissue to allow the fluid to pass through the interface and contact the tissue. The conductive element may be, for example, a metallic coil with a lumen, a spring with a lumen or a wire. The diameter of the conductive element may be greater than the diameter of the interface. The conductive element and the interface may be the same. The interface may be microporous. The interface may also be of a variable length and a portion of the interface may be removable. The interface may be perforated, may comprise openings that are slidably or rotatably opened. The interface may be non-conductive or conductive. The interface may lie between the conductive element and the tissue surface. The interface may encircle the conductive element and the fluid component. The interface may be a rigid structure, a fluid saturated gel, or a microporous section of the fluid component. The interface and the fluid component may be the same. The fluid component may be a non-porous coating. The device may also include means for flowing the fluid component through the interface, such as an infusion pump.
Another aspect of the invention provides a device for creating ablations of variable length, comprising a conductive element having a channel formed therein, the channel operatively adapted to receive irrigating fluid; and a removable non-conductive interface in communication with the conductive element. The device may include a support element in communication with the conductive element. The support element may be a slotted tube. The conductive element may be a slotted tube.
Another aspect of the invention provides a device for creating ablations of variable length, comprising a non-porous tube operatively adapted to receive irrigating fluid therein, a conductive element in communication with the tube and a removable non-conductive interface in communication with the conductive element. The non-conductive interface may be a portion of the non-porous tube. The non-conductive interface may be micro-porous. The non-conductive interface may be rigid.
Another aspect of the present invention provides a device for creating ablations of variable length, comprising a non-porous tube operatively adapted to receive a hydrogel, a conductive element in communication with the tube and a removable non-conductive interface in communication with the conductive element. The non-porous tube may be slotted.
Another aspect of the present invention provides a method of ablating organic tissue. The method includes providing a conductive element having a channel formed therein, the channel operatively adapted to receive irrigating fluid; and a removable non-conductive interface in communication with the conductive element. The method also includes removing a portion of the interface to expose a portion of the conductive element and ablating the tissue with the exposed portion of the conductive element. The interface may be perforated. The interface may be disposable. The interface may be reusable. The interface may also be a removable tip.
The foregoing, and other, features and advantages of the invention will become further apparent from the following detailed description of the presently preferred embodiments, read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. The detailed description and drawings are merely illustrative of the invention rather than limiting, the scope of the invention being defined by the appended claims in equivalence thereof.

Variable length electrodes for delivery of irrigated ablation


The present application provides novel process for the preparation of glycopyrrolate tosylate.

Glycopyrronium tosylate, also known as (1,1-dimethylpyrrolidin-1-ium-3-yl) 2-cyclopentyl-2-hydroxy-2-phenylacetate; 4-methylbenzenesulfonate or glycopyrrolate tosylate, is an anti-muscarinic agent. Other glycopyrrolate salts are used as antiasthmatic or antispasmodic agents administered either intravenously, orally or topically in accordance with the medical indication. Glycopyrronium bromide and glycopyrronium tosylate have been clinically tested for the topical treatment of hyperhidrosis.
Glycopyrronium tosylate has the following chemical structure:

Several syntheses of glycopyrrolate tosylate have been disclosed, one of which is the conversion of the glycopyrrolate bromide (commercially available as "glycopyrrolate") into the tosylate. However, these syntheses have been prone to give rise to high levels of by-products, which is highly undesirable and requires further purification processes. Typical syntheses of the glycopyrrolate tosylate have been disclosed in the following patent documents: U.S. Pat. No. 9,006,461, WO 2010/115937 and U.S. Pat. No. 7,915,303.
Acknowledgement of the above references herein is not to be inferred as meaning that these are in any way relevant to the patentability of the presently disclosed subject matter.
There is therefore an unmet need for a process for the preparation of glycopyrrolate tosylate from the glycopyrrolate bromide that affords a pure glycopyrrolate tosylate via an efficient and straightforward process.

Process for the preparation of glycopyrrolate tosylate


An organic light-emitting display panel having a display area and a non-display area surrounding the display area and includes a base substrate, an organic light-emitting layer, a pixel definition layer, and a microlens layer that are located in the display area is disclosed. The organic light-emitting layer is located at a side of the base substrate and includes light-emitting units. The pixel definition layer includes first openings, and each light-emitting unit is located in one of the first openings. The microlens layer is located at a side of the pixel definition layer facing away from the base substrate and includes at least one first microlens. An orthogonal projection of the first microlens on the base substrate is located between orthogonal projections of two adjacent first openings on the base substrate.

Compared with liquid crystal display panels, organic light-emitting display panels have advantages such as being lighter and thinner, having higher luminance, lower power consumption, quicker response, higher definition, better flexibility, and higher luminous efficiency. The organic light-emitting display panels have gradually become the mainstream display technology. The luminescence principle of the organic light-emitting display is as follows. Holes generated by an anode and the electrons generated by a cathode of an organic light-emitting element are driven to move by an electric field. The holes and electrons are injected into a hole transport layer and an electron transport layer, respectively, and migrate to an organic light-emitting material layer. When the holes and electrons meet in the organic light-emitting material layer, energy exciton is generated, and thus light-emitting molecules in the organic light-emitting material layer are excited to generate visible light.
The organic light-emitting display panel includes multiple layers with different refractive indexes, which causes light emitted by a pixel to be reflected and refracted in many paths and cannot be emitted from directly above the pixel, affecting the luminance. In addition, light reflected and refracted at a large angle may reach adjacent pixels, causing a color mixing.

Organic light-emitting display panel and organic light-emitting display device

WUHAN TIANMA MICRO-ELECTRONICS CO., LTD.

WUHAN TIANMA MICROELECTRONICS CO., LTD. SHANGHAI BRANCH


A mobile projectile launcher is disclosed having a tiltable launching platform for supporting a plurality of canisters in each of which projectiles to be launched are stored and fired, a support plate pivotally connected to a horizontal cargo bed, and at least one linear actuator by which the support plate is swingable from a closed position substantially perpendicular to the cargo bed to an open position substantially parallel to the cargo bed. The support plate is made of a material that is resistant to the projectile plume following launching and is sufficiently sturdy to support a technician during the loading of projectiles when set in an open position, yet is adapted to protect and hide the loaded canisters when set in a closed position.

Rocket launchers are mounted for transport in different ways, for instance on tracked carriers, trucks or on trailers that may be attached or detached from vehicles. In certain cases the direction of firing is parallel to the direction of travel of the vehicle. In other cases, the direction of firing is perpendicular to the direction of travel of the carrier. The term "front" and "rear" will be used in this specification and claims as defined with respect to the direction of firing, irrespective of whether said direction is parallel or perpendicular to the direction of travel of the carrier or vehicle.
In the prior art, the canisters in which rockets are contained prior to being launched are generally exposed. Military personnel mechanically couple the canisters to a launcher, electronically connect the launcher to the rockets during launching and trial studies, and load the rockets within the canisters. Military personnel need also to carry out required maintenance of the canisters and launchers, as well as other types of preparation, prior to the launching of the rockets. Since the canisters occupy the whole width of the vehicle, which is limited by mobility requirements, operators have to stand on neighboring canisters or on the ground, while carrying out these tasks, usually in an inconvenient and/or unsafe position.
Prior art carriers for a rocket launcher also suffer from other drawbacks. Firstly, when the rockets are fired, streams of hot gases are discharged from the unobstructed rear of the canister and impact the ground, possibly igniting a fire in surrounding brush or other combustible matter, particularly if many rockets are fired at short intervals. Also, the impact of the plume onto the ground raises dust and even small stones, which are harmful to the personnel and to the launcher equipment, and which also expose the location of the launcher to the enemy during firing. Secondly, are exposed when the canisters are transported, and are therefore susceptible to bomb fragments, exposure to enemy observation, or even to terrorist activities.
It is an object of the present invention to overcome said drawbacks of prior art rocket launcher carriers.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a rocket launcher carrier which shields and hides the rockets during transportation.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a rocket launcher carrier which prevents the rocket plume from impacting the surrounding ground, so as to avoid ignition of combustible matter or to avoid detection during launching.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a rocket launcher which facilitates the access of personnel to the canisters when desired.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a rocket launcher of limited width, to simplify transportation and to increase the number of possible locations from which rockets may be launched.
It is yet a further object of the present invention to provide a rocket launcher carrier which allows for military personnel to work conveniently and safely during the loading, connection and maintenance of canisters.
Other purposes and advantages of the invention will appear as the description proceeds.

Mobile carrier for a projectile launcher

Rafael-Armament Development Authority Ltd.


A process of implementing, or engineering, topology-dependent functions based on a formal description of the Substation Automation system, includes performing a topology analysis of the current single line state. A topology interpreting implementation replacing complex topology analysis logics can include the project specific static single line topology and the connection to the real process state data. All information can be delivered in an IEC 61850 conforming SCD file. The interface description for controlling and monitoring the load transfer application can be generated automatically from the SCD file.

Substations in high and medium-voltage power networks include primary devices such as electrical cables, lines, bus bars, switches, power transformers and instrument transformers, which are generally arranged in switch yards and/or bays. These primary devices are operated in an automated way via a Substation Automation (SA) system. The SA system includes secondary devices, among which Intelligent Electronic Devices (IED) responsible for protection, control and monitoring of the primary devices. The secondary devices may be hierarchically assigned to a station level or a bay level of the SA system. The station level often includes a supervisory computer that includes an Operator Work Station (OWS) with a Human-Machine Interface (HMI) and running a station-level Supervisory Control And Data Acquisition (SCADA) software, as well as a gateway that communicates the state of the substation to a Network Control Centre (NCC) and receives commands from it. IEDs on the bay level, also termed bay units, in turn are connected to each other as well as to the IEDs on the station level via an inter-bay or station bus primarily serving the purpose of exchanging commands and status information.
A communication standard for communication between the secondary devices of a substation has been introduced by the International Electrotechnical Committee (IEC) as part of the standard IEC 61850 entitled "communication networks and systems in substations". For non-time critical report messages, section IEC 61850-8-1 specifies the Manufacturing Message Specification (MMS, ISO/IEC 9506) protocol based on a reduced Open Systems Interconnection (OSI) protocol stack with the Transmission Control Protocol (TCP) and Internet Protocol (IP) in the transport and network layer, respectively, and Ethernet and/or RS-232C as physical media. For time-critical event-based messages, such as trip commands, IEC 61850-8-1 specifies the Generic Object Oriented Substation Events (GOOSE) directly on the Ethernet link layer of the communication stack. For very fast periodically changing signals at the process level such as measured analogue voltages or currents section IEC 61850-9-2 specifies the Sampled Value (SV) service, which like GOOSE builds directly on the Ethernet link layer.
SA systems based on IEC61850 are configured by means of a standardized configuration representation or formal system description called Substation Configuration Description (SCD). An SCD file includes the logical data flow between the IEDs on a "per message" base, i.e. for every message source, a list of destination or receiver IEDs, the message size in terms of data set definitions, as well as the message sending rates for all periodic traffic like reports, GOOSE, and SV.
Substation Automation (SA) systems include a number of basic SA functions for protection, control and monitoring of the substation, and which functions relate to individual pieces of primary equipment or to entire substation bays. In addition, higher-level applications are provided, which involve at least a station level operator HMI and/or the connection to a remote operation place or network control center by means of a gateway. Known applications are used as operator support or for automating handling of emergency situations within the station. They require operational information from more than one piece of primary equipment, even from more than one bay, and hence are termed "inter-bay", "station-level", or "distributed". In addition to a possible primary functional or operational goal, a configuration of such inter-bay applications therefore also relies on the dynamic switchyard configuration or topology, as well as the basic SA functions used to gather data from the switchyard and execute commands on it. Known inter-bay functions are station-level interlocking, station and bay level switching sequences, transformer parallel control, transformer auto close functions, as well as any other kind of load transfer and/or shedding.
Conventionally, inter-bay functions are engineered or implemented on top of an existing SA system, the latter providing the process state information and some means to control the process. This engineering is done manually, by instantiating the needed function blocks and connecting them signal-wise to the existing SA system.
In the context of the present disclosure, a load transfer function or application is understood to involve and coordinate substation primary devices in order to maintain, following a failure or emergency, a supply of power to the loads connected to the substation in a sustainable way, e.g., without overloading the substation equipment that is not affected by the failure. By way of example, a transformer auto-close function transfers or assigns, in case of a failure of a coupling transformer, the load previously supplied via the failed equipment to other coupling transformers. In simple cases, where only two in-feeding bays or in-feed related bus bar sections exist and where the relations between load and transport capacity are known in advance, it is straightforward to determine which circuit breakers need to be closed to transfer the load. However, in more complex single line configurations an analysis of the current or instantaneous state, based on a current state of a plurality of switching elements, is needed to determine the circuit breaker to be closed in a particular fault case.
Load transfer functions can be triggered by failures of in-feeding or transporting parts, and are used in different variants in the substation automation area, often in medium voltage systems for industrial processes. One example is the high speed in-feed transfer, where two bus bar segments each have one or more in-feeds, feeding the load at the appropriate bus bar segment. A failure at one of the in-feeds leads to a protection trip disconnecting this in-feed. The resulting drop of frequency due to the overload triggers the closing of the bus section between the two bus bar segments, thus sharing the remaining in-feeds with all loads. In this simple topology, no topology analysis is necessary—the drop of frequency signals an overload situation, which then leads to a load transfer to the one still healthy bus bar segment.
Another example is the transformer auto close function, where two pairs of transformers coupled at the HV side feed two different bus bar segments at the MV side, to each of which approximately half of the total load is connected. Any three out of the four transformers can sustain the sum of all loads. Therefore in case of a transformer trip due to some protection functions, the load of the affected transformer pair, together with the remaining transformer of the affected pair, has to be transferred or assigned to the unaffected transformer pair.
In case of a simple bus bar scheme the logic to decide if a situation allows a load transfer and which circuit breakers to close for the load transfer is relatively simple. In more complex bus bar situations a complex logic is required, the implementation and testing of which is specific for each project or single line diagram, as well as error prone due to the complexity. Finally, at network level, as opposed to substation level, e.g. in distribution automation, topology based function implementations are used for load balancing, load shedding or system reconfiguration, based on an implementation specific topology representation. However, in this case, the configuration input of the correct network topology is likewise far from being trivial.
According to the patent application EP-A 1191662 an engineering wizard for an SA function can automatically generate the data flow between IEDs and a function configuration, based on known switchgear parameter values and function block allocation to the switchgear as obtained from a Substation Configuration Description. In particular, the configuration of a first SA function involves allocating this function to a primary device and an IED. Following this, a primary device model and a topology model are used to automatically determine second, more basic, SA functions, of which data or procedures are specified by the first SA function during operation. If specified, the corresponding communication links between the first SA function and the second SA functions are determined automatically on the basis of a communication model representing communication means.
The patent application EP-A 2088444 proposes that protection, measurement and control IEDs in a substation compute, according to interlocking rules or physical principles as well as a knowledge of the dynamic topology of the substation, for every switch they control if that switch may be operated safely, in contrast to a conventional and separate programming of the interlocking logic for each IED. To this purpose, the IEDs have access to the substation electrical topology, to the real-time information generated by other IEDs, and to the rules for interlocking. The disclosure takes advantage of a standardized Substation Configuration Description (SCD) of the substation for which the SA system is intended, as well as of a standardized description of the implemented device functions or capabilities of an individual IED. In particular, the substation topology is available from the substation configuration description (SCD file in IEC 61850 format), the real time information about the position of switches and line voltage/current can be read over the IEC 61850 protocol and the rules are available in script form. This concept applies both to simulated and real devices, and greatly increases system testing possibilities by supporting an efficient configuration of a simulation.

Implementing substation automation load transfer function


An aircraft 1 with a spiral inducing assembly 2 which is capable of inducing the aircraft to travel in a continuous spiralling motion without the aircraft rolling. Two fins 6 and 17 are attached to a tube 3a that is able to rotate around the encircled part of the fuselage. The fins 6, 17 are able to rotate in a pivoting manner on the rotatable tube 3a with respect to the rotatable tube 3a, thereby changing their pitch relative to the longitudinal axis of the rotatable tube 3a. Rotation of the rotatable tube is achieved by using an electric motor 3b turning a wheel 3c. The wheel 3c makes contact with the rotatable tube. When pitched at an angle to the longitudinal axis in unison, both fins 6, 17 would exert a lateral force on the rotatable tube 3a. But as the rotatable tube is pushed sideways, it rotates, and hence the lateral direction of push constantly revolves, causing a spiralling motion of the aircraft when in flight. The rotation of one fin causes the rotation of another fin.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention is related to the field of aviation dealing with missiles and military attack airplanes.
The aim of this invention is to provide an aircraft that has higher chance of surviving attacks from anti-aircraft weapons when flying over enemy territory than aircraft currently in use. The aircraft according to this invention is fitted with a mechanism that enables the aircraft to travel in a continuous spiralling motion while flying over enemy teritorry, without the need for a pilot to make continues control adjustments. The mechanism is such that once activated, the spiralling motion is automatic. The mechanism can aslo be dis-engaged by a pilot when so desired. The spiralling motion is achieved during flight without having to roll the aircraft.
While a pilot flying a conventional aircraft such as a jet fighter could make the conventional aircraft fly in a spiralling motion, this could only be achieved if the pilot kept making continuous control changes with his own arm. This could become quite tiresome and strenuous after a while and would require continued concentration, if the spiralling was achieved without rolling the aircraft. Rolling the aircraft, as in the form of a barrel roll, may seem like an easy alternative, but continuous rolling would make a pilot dizzy after a while, leading to loss of control, and if close to the ground, a potential for a crash. A continuous rolling motion would also make it hard for the pilot to observe enemy territory, navigate and make target selection. That is, using a sustained rolling motion in order to achieve a prolonged spiralling motion would not be practical.
The aircraft in this invention would allow the pilot to operate conventional controls in a conventional manner, as when flying in a smooth manner, while the aircraft continued to travel in a spiralling motion. The advantage of this is that the pilot would be able to continue to observe enemy territory and would be free to concentrate on targeting enemy sites while the aircraft flew in an evasive manner.
2. Description of the Related Art
U.S. Pat. No. 5,322,243 in the name of Stoy shows a missile with variable pitch fins on a rotatable tube that are moved by independent actuators, and a computer to control the operation of the actuators. While the intention of Stoy wasn't to provide a missile that could travel in a continuous spiralling motion, such a motion could be achieved by the missile shown in Stoy's patent with appropriate programming of the controlling computer. The current invention provides a mechanical means for inducing a spiralling motion in an aircraft that does not need a computer to control the position of the fins on a rotatable tube to induce a spiralling motion in the aircraft.


A planar electron emitter, based on the existence of quasi-ballistic transport of electrons is disclosed. In its preferred embodiment the planar electron emitter structure consists of a body of finite gap pure semiconductor or insulator, the said body of macroscopic thickness (˜1 mm) being terminated by two parallel surfaces and of a set of two electrodes deposited/grown on the said two free surfaces such that when a low external electrical field (˜100 V/cm) is applied to this structure, consisting of two electrodes and the said semiconductor or insulating body sandwiched between them, a large fraction of electrons injected into the said semiconductor or insulator body from the negatively charged electrode (cathode) is quasi-ballistic in nature, that is this fraction of injected electrons is accelerated within the said semiconductor or insulator body without suffering any appreciable inelastic energy losses, thereby achieving sufficient energy and appropriate momentum at the positively charged electrode (anode) to be able to traverse through the said anode and to escape from the said structure into empty space (vacuum), said semiconductor or insulator body comprises a material or material system having a predetermined crystal orientation.

The present invention concerns quasi-ballistic transport of electrons in high resistivity semiconductors or insulators, when exposed to small (around 100 V/cm) electric fields. Quasi-ballistic transport means that electron scattering is reduced to a minimum so that the electron mean free path becomes macroscopic. This effect has so far only been detected in semiconductors when very large electric field strengths are applied over very short distances and/or the semiconductor is cooled down to very low temperatures. A semiconductor or insulator material with the above properties will hereafter be mentioned Quasi-Ballistic Semiconductor or QB-Sem.
The quasi-ballistic transport can be utilised in a number of ways. In this application these will be separated into two major fields:    1. Electron transmitting semiconductors, where it is the transport properties of the quasi-ballistic electrons inside the material which are the characteristic property, and    2. Electron sources, where it is the property of quasi-ballistic electrons to be emitted from the substrate which are the characteristic property.
None of the relevant prior art mentions ballistic electrons in highly resistive semiconductors or insulators, neither when exposed to large electrical fields. This fact is due to the general opinion of quasi-ballistic transport in semiconductors. The possibility of quasi-ballistic transport in high resistive materials is counter intuitive and have therefore never been sought for so far. The understanding of the essential physics of this quasi-ballistic transport process have been that, as long as the applied electrical field E is within ohmic range (mobile charge carriers' concentrations and electrical mobility are constant and independent of the electric field E) and the thickness of the said piece of semiconducting or insulating material is larger than the mean free path of the mobile charge carriers (at best of the order of some one to two thousand Angstroms), then the current component from ballistic electrons is negligibly small, leading to essentially zero value of electron emission. (For references, see S. M. Sze: Physics of semiconductor devices; John Wiley 1981 or K. W. Boer: Survey of semiconductor physics, vol. II; Van Nostrand Reinhold 1992)
1. Electron Transmitting Semiconductors
The quasi-ballistic transport of electrons in high resistivity semiconductors or insulators, when exposed to small (around 100 V/cm) electric fields, is a property, which can be used in more or less any semiconductor component or device.
Semiconductor components and devices cover a vast field of applications and the patents and references within the area are numerous. Four major classes of applications have been made with examples of products in each class.
Class A: Rectification and Charge (Information) Storage.                Semiconductor components/devices in this class include Schottky barrier diodes (U.S. Pat. No. 5,627,479 and EP672 257 B1), bipolar p-n, p-i-n diodes, thyristors as well as a number of unipolar devices such as MIS (Metal-Insulator-Semiconductor) diodes, CCD (Charge-Coupled Devices), MIS tunnel diodes, MIS switch diodes, IMPATT (Impact Ionisation Avalanche Transit Time) and BARITT (Barrier Injection and Transit Time) diodes and other related Transit Time devices.
Class B: Photo-Sensing and Photo-Emitting Devices                This class of semiconducting components/devices include among others LEDs' (Light Emitting Diodes), Photodiodes, Semiconducting Lasers, Avalanche diodes and other photoconducting devices for light to electrical signal conversion purposes.
Class C: Amplification and Non-Volatile Memory                Applications of the present invention in this class of semiconductor components/devices include bipolar transistors and bipolar unijunction transistors, together with a number of unipolar components and devices inclusive FETs (Field Effect Transistor), JFETs (Junction Field Effect Transistor), MESFETs (Metal-Semiconductor Field Effect Transistor), MOSFETs (Metal-Oxide-Semiconductor Field Effect Transistor) and Non-Volatile Memory devices. Particularly relevant in relation to present invention within this class are tunnel transistors, TEDs (Transferred-Electron Devices) and other ballistic (Hot Electron) transistors and/or devices.
Class D: Optical Image Detection, Formation and Processing                Semiconductor camera, Conversion of electrical signals to 2D-optical images/signals, 2D-optical image/signal brightness/contrast amplification and spatial magnification.
Ballistic or hot electron devices as they are sometimes called, have been anticipated (see for example S. M. Sze: Physics of semiconductor devices; John Wiley 1981, p. 184, but also K. W. Boer: Survey of semiconductor physics, vol. II; Van Nostrand Reinhold 1992, p. 1265 and 1247), but the proposed structures are costly to produce and unreliable, requiring extremely small dimensions (of the order of one hundred Angstroms) and high electrical fields.
2. Electron Sources
The present invention relates to a general class of electron devices termed "electron sources" and more specifically to a subclass termed "planar electron sources". All of these devices provide a beam of electrons that can move through the empty space and be used for various technological applications.
The essential requirement for all electron sources is to provide sufficient amount of electrons at the emitting surface of the device (the surface of the device facing the vacuum) with sufficient amount of energy (3-5 eV in most cases) and a velocity in the direction of emitting surface in order that these electrons can surmount the energy barrier at the emitting surface—vacuum interface and escape from the material into vacuum. The energy barrier is roughly given by the energy difference between the vacuum level and the electron chemical potential at the emitting surface. The necessary amount of energy can be supplied by any of the following means:                Heating the emitting surface ("Thermal emission" electron sources)        Establishing a sufficiently high electrical field in the region emitting surface-vacuum ("Field emission" electron sources)        Sufficient acceleration of electrons within the bulk region of the device in the direction towards the emitting surface ("Tunnelling field emission" and/or "Quasi-ballistic field emission" electron sources).        Illumination of the emitting surface with help of photons or other energetic particles ("Photo emission" electron sources).        Lowering of the said energy barrier at the emitting surface-vacuum interface ("Negative electron affinity emission" electron sources).or by the combination of any of the above methods.
While for some applications a point source electron beam is required, where the electrons are subsequently accelerated and electro-optically modulated, there are a large number of technological applications, where a planar source of electrons is required and/or would be advantageous. All of the prior art to be used in these applications, relate to small pointlike emission regions from a specific material detail at that point. A larger planar electron emitter can only be achieved by making an array of such small regions. Moreover, most devices need an opening in the anode for the electrons to escape into vacuum.
There is a very large number of inventions, as can be seen for example from citations in the U.S. Pat. No. 5,703,435 (December 1997) and the U.S. Pat. No. 5,534,859 (September 1996), that all relate to planar electron emitters with the main emphasis on the use of these inventions as basic building blocks in field emission Flat Panel Displays.
Most of the prior art can be broadly divided into two classes.
Class 1
In the first class the emitting cathode-anode structures are usually of all solid state construction and are formed from a combination of metallic, semiconducting and insulating materials in order to establish the necessary conditions for the electron field emission to take place at the anode surface-empty space interface. The intentions of these devises are to improve electron emission efficiency, all using the same basic cathode with several substances disposed thereon. Electrons are emitted from the semiconductor surface into free space though an aperture of the anode. The principle is to narrow the semiconductor-free space barrier and to give the electrons the momentum to escape and/or tunnel through the electric potential barrier of an anode. Any of the above mentioned means can be applied in order to increase the electron emission current Iem.
It is a particularly characteristic feature of a majority of solid state devices in class one of the prior art, that the necessary large external voltages have to be applied over relatively very short distances (of the order of the electron mean free path), in order to generate sufficiently strong electric fields that facilitate the generation and the acceleration of electrons. These electrons then travel along what could be called quasi-ballistic trajectories in the said strong electric field (usually undergoing also an avalanche multiplication here) towards the surface of the emitting anode. At the same time however, they loose, on their way, an appreciable amount of energy through inelastic collisions (scattering). The present understanding is that large voltages are needed in order to obtain considerable emission of electrons through this method. If the applied electrical field E is to small (within ohmic range, mobile charge carriers' concentrations and electrical mobility are constant and independent of the electric field E) and the thickness of the semiconducting or insulating material Lsam (FIG. 2) is larger than the mean free path of the mobile charge carriers (at best of the order of some one to two thousand Angstroms), then the electrical current component Ibal is negligibly small, leading to essentially zero value of the electron emission current Iem (FIG. 2).
Some selected prior art of class 1 are commented below, others are referred in the end of the paragraph.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,536,193 Relates to a method of fabricating a field emitter using the steps of; dispersing small pieces of wide band gap material on a substrate, cover it with a metal, etching the metal away until the wide band gap material comes forth, making small peaks for emitting electrons.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,463,275 Describes only electron emitting devises comprising a layered structure of at least three specialty chosen semiconductor materials
U.S. Pat. No. 4,801,994 Relates to a three-layer semiconductor structure, where the middle layer is supposed to be an intrinsic semiconductor, which supposedly should conduct electrons with very low losses.
EP 504 603 B1 Consists of disposing a complex structure of semiconductors with special impurity levels such as to influence the different depletion regions. The description discloses the use of a Schottky barrier metal-semiconductor junction in order to improve emission efficiency.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,554,859, U.S. Pat. No. 4,303,930 and GB 1 303 659 cover areas similar to EP 504 603 B1
Other relevant references are: Metal-Insulator-Metal electron field emitters (Physical Review Letters Vol. 76, 17 (1996), 320), but also electron field emitters containing various forms of diamond-like components (U.S. Pat. No. 5,631,196, U.S. Pat. No. 5,703,435 and the citations there-off).
Class 2
In some cases of the said prior art, the features characterising class one (combination of more or less planar metallic, semiconducting and insulating materials of various thickness) are combined with feature concerning the formation/concentration and shaping of the necessary electrical field. The emitting cathode in this case is usually prepared in order to facilitate electron field emission from a single point. This is obtained either through covering the material with a low electron work function at small local areas and/or shaping the material geometrically to create an emissive point or peak.
Some selected prior art of class 2 are commented below, others are referred in the end of the paragraph.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,229,682 Concerns a field electron emission device, in which electrons enter free space directly from a part of the emitting electrode pointing through an aperture in the opposite electrode and interjacent layer. The electrons are not traversing any interjacent semiconductor or insulator layer. The emitting electrode is shaped in order to have a part that peaks through the aperture in the opposite electrode and interjacent layer. A flat panel display is made by an array of such electrodes.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,712,490 Concerns a photocathode device, comprising several semiconductor layers disposed on a window layer, the semiconductor layers chosen; to optimise the ability to absorb photons, that is photoconductivity, to increase the diffusion length of those electrons. The invention does not disclose an optically transparent electrode to be disposed between the window layer and the first semiconductor layer (see 3rd column, line 11)
U.S. Pat. No. 5,528,103 As U.S. Pat. No. 5,229,682, but also comprising focusing ridges, for the purpose of generating an electrical field causing the electrons emitted from the gate electrodes in between them, to converge into a narrow band, not for absorbing electrons. Moreover these electrodes/ridges have to be conductive (though otherwise stated in col. 7, line 27) in order to serve their purpose.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,212,426 As U.S. Pat. No. 5,229,682, but also comprising an integral control for each electrode (pixel) using built in transistors for controlling the supply of electric charge to each emitting electrode
U.S. Pat. No. 4,823,004 Relates to a device for analysing the ballistic trajectories of electrons through a material, as well as gaining information about the material bulk structure by analysing the ballistic trajectories.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,444,328 Relates to a method for building up high voltage electron emitting semiconductor structures in a way which makes electrically breakdown less probable.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,631,196 As U.S. Pat. No. 5,229,682, but with the emitting electrode being flat, the parts peaking through the aperture in the opposite electrode and interjacent layer being replaced by impurity doped diamond parts as the electron emitting substance.
Other relevant references are: U.S. Pat. No. 4,683,399, EP 150 885 B1, EP 601 637 A1, U.S. Pat. No. 5,340,997 and the citations there off).
Exceptions
Exceptions from above classes include devices in which electrons are emitted into the empty space between a cathode and the anode by applying sufficient electrical voltage between them. The emitting cathode in this case is usually either covered by a material with a low electron work function and/or it is geometrically shaped in order to facilitate electron field emission. An example of such a device is:
U.S. Pat. No. 5,703,435 Concerns a field emission cathode in which the material of the electron-emitting layer comprises either a mixture of graphite and diamond crystallites or amorphic diamond.
Applications
In order to utilise electron transmitting semiconductors and electron sources in applicable devices, several extensions have to be made to the basic components described in the prior art.
The emitted electrons might not have the sufficient energy to serve their purpose and have to be further accelerated. This will typically be carried out by having an "accelerating electrode" at some distance from the emitting surface at a high positive electrical potential thereby accelerating the emitted electrons to higher energies in the interjacent empty space.
For the electron-light conversion purposes, the appropriate "luminophor" materials can be incorporated within the anode structure, the said anode structure being either an integral part of the cathode-anode structure or part of the "accelerating electrode" separated from the cathode-anode structure by a finite empty space.
The applications of electron source devices typically include all forms of electron microscopy, Planar electron beams lithography, electron guns for evaporation of materials, x-ray tubes, electron multipliers (photomultipliers, two-dimensional particle/EM radiation detector arrays), electron beam welding machines, Flat Panel Displays (based on electron field emission), and some fast ballistic semiconductor components and devices.
Lithography Prior Art
A single very important application of the present invention is in the field of Lithography (Microlithography) and more specifically in the field of what has been termed in the literature as Planar Electron Beam Lithography (PEBL). Lithographic steps are essential during the process of Integrated Circuit (IC) production. The lithographic part of IC production consists in principle in repetition of the steps of resist deposition onto the surface of a wafer, of the exposing parts of the resist with radiation (photons, electrons or ions) by a "writing tool", and finally of resist removal. Optical, x-ray and Electron/Ion Beam Lithographs are the known methods that can, at least in principle, accomplish the necessary lithographic tasks during the IC production. The optical lithography is the standard, well-matured industrial technology; its major drawback is the optical diffraction limit on the smallest features that can be printed. In the further strife for decreasing the size of the IC components and ICs in general, this has to be considered as a major drawback. By using electrons as radiation source, the optical diffraction limit is not present. The schematic diagram of the principle behind the Planar Electron Beam Lithography, used in the prior art, is shown in FIG. 8. It uses a basic structure consisting of cathode 1, a thin dielectric film 24, an electron absorbing template 19 and the anode 4. Electrons quantum tunnel through thin dielectric film 24 and emerge into free space FS through the surface S4 only at places, where the anode is in direct contact with the dielectric film. These electrons are then accelerated and projected onto the wafer with pre-deposited electron sensitive resist layer 6. In H. Ahmed et al (incl. some of the inventors of the present invention) "Proceedings of the Conference on Microlithography"; Cavendish Laboratory, Cambridge 1989, it is shown and demonstrated experimentally how to carry out Planar Electron Beam Lithography in practice. In this prior art, the electron lithographic projection system has been demonstrated using a prior art planar electron emitter. However, the accessible electron emitters suffer from other drawbacks: Planar electron emitters suitable for this purpose can expose entire wafers with one broad beam, but, at the necessary voltages, these planar electron emitters have extremely short lifetimes due to the effects caused by the necessary large fields and short distances.
The present invention offers a solution to this problem.
It is a disadvantage of the existing field emission planar electron devices, that large external voltages have to be applied over relatively very short distances (of the order of the electron mean free path) in order to generate sufficiently strong electric fields that facilitate the generation and the acceleration of electrons.
It is another disadvantage that this requirement of relatively very high local electrical fields over relatively very short distances, together with the quality of the material at hand, lead in its consequence, to shorter electron mean free path (larger scattering rates) that in turn effectively sets the limit on possible physical distances within the said devices that electrons can move through without too appreciable energy losses.
It is a further disadvantage that, due to the above mentioned effects, either only a small portion of these electrons have sufficient energy to escape through the (emitting) surface of the anode into a space next to the cathode-anode structure.
It is a still further disadvantage that these devices in general have quite low electron emission currents Iem (FIG. 2) and high background current Iback (FIG. 2),
It is a still further disadvantage of the existing field emission planar electron devices, that they suffer from shortcomings such as too large electrical power consumption per square centimeter of electron emitting surface,
It is a still further disadvantage that the above mentioned effects results in low electron emission efficiency.
It is a still further disadvantage of the existing field emission planar electron devices that they are often unstable and liable to dielectric breakdown that generally seriously limits their lifetime.
It is a still further disadvantage of said devices that they suffer from frequently overheating due to large energy losses in the critical areas of the said devices (high electric fields over very short distances).
It is a still further disadvantage that scaling-up of these planar electron field emission devices (increasing the electron emitting area of the cathode) poses a severe problem.
It is a still further disadvantage of said devices that they use non-standard expensive materials.
It is a still further disadvantage of the existing field emission planar electron devices, that the constructions are too complex.
It is a still further disadvantage of the planar electron emitters emitting a broad beam suitable for the exposure of wafers in the fabrication of IC's, that they have an extremely short lifetime (less than 30 minutes), which makes them unsuitable for Planar Electron Beam Lithography.
Electron Transmitting Semiconductors
The present invention aims at solving the above mentioned disadvantages by using the existence, under proper operating conditions and in certain simple semiconductor and insulator structures, of quasi-ballistic electrons.
It is an object of the present invention to make available a semiconductor or insulator substrate in which electrons move along quasi-ballistic trajectories when said substrate is subjected to low applied external electric fields (≦100 V/cm). The electrons (quasi-ballistic electrons) move along these trajectories from one side of the substrate (surface S2, FIG. 3) to the other side (surface S4), and are accelerated to energies sufficient to escape into vacuum through the electron emitting surface S4. (From now on said substrate is also referred to as Quasi-ballistic semiconductor substrate—"QB-Sem substrate").
It is another object of the present invention to make available a QB-Sem substrate in which the quasi-ballistic electrons suffer almost no energy losses and momentum changes while moving through the QB-Sem substrate.
It is a further object of the present invention to make available a QB-Sem substrate in which no heat is generated when the substrate is used for quasi-ballistic transport of quasi-ballistic electrons.
It is a still further object of the present invention to make available a QB-Sem substrate in which quasi-ballistic transport is possible at low (ohmic) electrical fields and can take place over macroscopic distances.
It is a still further object of the present invention to make available a QB-Sem substrate in which electron velocities are not limited by high electrical field mobility saturation effects.
It is a still further object of the present invention to make available a QB-Sem substrate in which the electron behaviour is similar to the behaviour of electrons in vacuum tubes.
It is a still further object of the present invention to make available a QB-Sem substrate, which do not require high electrical fields and extremely small substrate thickness (of the order of one hundred Angstroms).
It is a still further object of the present invention to make available a QB-Sem substrate from which simple design, robust, relatively cheap, high reliability and long lifetime semiconductor components can be produced.
It is a still further object of the present invention to make available a QB-Sem substrate to be used in the field of electron-optical applications.
It is a still further object of the present invention to make available a QB-Sem substrate to be used in the design and production of semiconductor components and devices and Integrated Circuits (ICs).
It is a still further object of the present invention to make available a QB-Sem substrate in which the anomalously low power dissipation by QB-electrons within the QB-semiconductor contributes to the solution of the heat generation problem when high packing densities of components in the ICs are used.
It is a still further object of the present invention to make available a QB-Sem substrate so that the design of "Hot Electron" devices does not have to rely on thin film complicated multistructures that are often unreliable and costly to produce.
It is a still further object of the present invention to make available a QB-Sem substrate, which do not require high electrical fields, so that the degradation of the various semiconductor devices through irreversible dielectric breakdown is essentially eliminated.
It is a still further object of the present invention to provide QB-Sem substrates, which are fully integrable with the existing Semiconductor Technology.
It is a still further object of the present invention to provide QB-Sem substrates, which are fully integrable with the existing Integrated Circuit Technology and Production.
It is a still further object of the present invention to provide QB-Sem substrates from which the design of fast high frequency semiconductor components and devices are under no geometrical constraints.
It is a still further object of the present invention to provide QB-Sem substrates with which new design concepts for semiconductor components/devices and/or physical apparatuses are possible.
It is a still further object of the present invention to provide QB-Sem substrates with life times of the same order of magnitude (or longer than) as the usual Semiconductor Industry products.
The effect that, in QB-semiconductors, electrons that can move quasi-ballistically over macroscopic distances at low applied electrical fields, as disclosed by the present invention, will have a major impact on design and construction/manufacture of many semiconductor components and devices of both bipolar and unipolar variety. These will be used either as single units or as components/parts within Integrated Circuits' architecture.
Electron Sources
It is an object of the present invention to provide electron emitters in which the emitted electrons use macroscopic quasi-ballistic trajectories (these trajectories are many hundreds of microns long) in a piece of QB-Sem substrate subject to low externally applied electrical fields (≦100 V/cm). These electrons (quasi-ballistic electrons), moving along these trajectories from one side of the substrate (surface S2, FIG. 3) to the other (surface S4) are accelerated, increasing thereby their energy, and escape into vacuum through the electron emitting surface S4.
It is another object of the present invention to provide planar electron emitters, which are characterised by very low applied electric fields/voltages.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide planar electron emitters, which are characterised by very low power dissipation.
It is a still further object of the present invention to provide thin (≦1 cm) planar electron emitters with all solid state construction.
It is a still further object of the present invention to provide planar electron emitters in which the macroscopic emitting surface has no subdivisions.
It is a still further object of the present invention to provide planar electron emitters characterised by the simplicity and robustness of the assembly (FIG. 3).
It is a still further object of the present invention to provide planar electron emitters characterised by the self supporting structure of the assembly.
It is a still further object of the present invention to provide planar electron emitters in which there are no limits to geometrical scaling-up of electron emitting surface.
It is a still further object of the present invention to provide planar electron emitters in which the electron emission area is large and only limited by the lateral size of the QB-semiconductor wafer, which is today some 800 cm2 (this limit can be of course be overcome by building modules).
It is a still further object of the present invention to provide electron emitters suitable for Planar Electron Beam Lithography
The number of technological applications of the planar quasi-ballistic electron emitter is very large and it is the intention of the authors of the present invention to claim also the use of the present invention in these. These applications include methods and apparatuses/products such as Planar electron beam lithography, Field emission Flat Panel Displays, High speed (low-dissipation) signal transmission devices, High efficiency detectors, efficient Light sources, Electron emission microscopy, Two-dimensional electromagnetic radiation and/or particle detector arrays, High speed, easily integrable semiconductor components, Semiconducting devices using ballistic electrons, variety of (novel) electron sources and many others.


Systems and methods dynamically form a context group that has a plurality of members and propagate payload data between the members. A database associates a context identifier (ID) of the context group with a user ID of each member. A context manager, communicatively coupled with the database, receives a join context request containing the context ID and a user ID from each said member, creates the context group, if not existing, within the database in response to the join request, and adds the user ID, if not existing, of each said member to the database in association with the context ID. A payload handler receives payload data from one of said members and propagates the payload data to other said members of the context group.

A presence system collects real-time presence information about an individual, applies one or more rules that deduce a status of that individual from that information, and then publishes that information to one or more acquaintances of that individual (known as watchers). Although the presence information is typically ascribed to an individual, the presence information is typically received from devices associated with that individual. For example, a computer associated with (and used by) the individual may send a message to the presence system indicating that it is being used by the individual. The presence system thereby implies that the individual is proximate to that computer when the computer indicates it has user interaction.
Presence systems can be based on an Instant Messaging like paradigm where there is typically a single context (for example, logged in or online with a device) and the people who can see each other's presence in that single context are previously known to each other as part of their buddy list system.
Presence systems can also be based on gaming/chat rooms where there is a fixed set of contexts (e.g., a game room or a chat room) and people that join those contexts can see each other. These contexts typically stay for a long period and people can remain anonymous.
Typically, a presence server written for one of the paradigms above cannot be used practically for the other.
FIG. 1 shows one prior art presence system 100. A presence server 102 of system 100 receives presence information 122 relating to an individual 110 from at least one source, such as a device 104 used by individual 110. Individual 110 subscribes to services of presence server 102 and provides rules as to how presence information 122 is handled and published by presence server 102. In FIG. 1, acquaintances 112 and 114 of individual 110 also subscribe to presence server 102 and are authorized by individual 110 to receive published presence information 124 associated with individual 110 (and based upon presence information 122). Specifically, acquaintance 112 utilizes a watcher device 106(1) to receive presence information 124(A) from presence server 102, and acquaintance 114 utilizes a watcher device 106(2) to receive presence information 124(B) from presence server 102. Devices 104 and 106 may represent a device selected from the group including: mobile phones, personal digital assistants (PDAs), smart phones, and personal computers.
In operation, device 104 allows individual 110 to send presence information 122 (such as a current location, and an activity such as working) to presence server 102, which in turn publishes (i.e., sends) presence information 124 to acquaintances 112 and 114, thereby informing them of changes in the status of individual 110. Specifically, devices 106(1) and 106(2) do not request status information 124(A) and 124(B), respectively, from presence server 102, but are notified directly upon changes to the stored presence of individual 110.
Where device 104 represents a mobile phone, an associated service provider (or the phone itself if it includes GPS functionality) may determine a location of device 104 automatically and send this location as presence information 122 to presence server 102. Thus, published presence information 124 may include location information of device 104, which is also assumed to be the location of individual 110.
Presence server 102 may represent similar social networking services, such as Facebook™, where individual 110 describes current activities and feelings for publication to a network of authorized 'friends'. Presence server 102 may also represent more than one presence server and social networking server that interact to receive and publish presence information.
In conventional presence systems, such as shown in FIG. 1, when presence status of an individual changes, presence information is published only to authorized subscribers (i.e., acquaintances of the individual) of that information. Scalability of conventional presence is poor: the more subscribers to an individual's presence information, the more work is required to publish that information. Presence information of an individual cannot be received without subscribing to that information through the presence server, and being authorized by the individual to receive that information. Presence information is not available to a third party unknown to the individual.
Further, since there are many difference presence systems, certain acquaintances of the individual may subscribe to a different presence system that the one subscribed to by the individual. Often, to overcome this limitation, the individual would subscribe to more than one presence system such that acquaintances would be allowed to receive published presence information from the individual.

Contextual presence system and associated methods


A filter cartridge (10), in this case comprising an injection moulded cylindrical plastics body (11) having spaced anti-tracking ribs (12) which are disposed unevenly along the inner surface (13) of the hollow body (11). First and second paper rolls as filter elements (14 and 15) have been pushed under compression into the hollow body (11) and are separated by spacer means (16) located centrally within the hollow body (11). Spacer means (16) is made from two separate spacers (18) which are generally made in the form of a spoked wheel type arrangement. Each spacer (18) comprises an outer ring (19) and an inner ring (20), the inner ring (20) has four apertures or recesses (21) on its top and offset by 45 degrees equally on its opposite side are four more equally spaced apertures (21) making a total of eight, the apertures provide flow through passages (21) through the inner ring (20), plastic connector portions (22) extend radially between the rings (19 and 20).

Filters are known that employ an outer filter body holding disposable filter cartridges, the outer body usually has a cylindrical housing and a cap, a coaxial return pipe usually has a threaded end and the cap screws onto the threaded end to clamp the cartridges in operative position in the housing. Liquid flows though an inlet, through filter media in the cartridges and out through the return pipe. Spent cartridges are simply exchanged with new ones. Typical cartridges are known that are made from a paper roll held in a plastics or metal cylinder. An example is described in WO/0037232. There are various alternative constructions and flow modalities used.
European patent application No. P 0 556 506A1 describes a modular filter system consisting of cartridges made from a tightly wrapped paper filter media retained in a plastic casing. The plastic casing has integrally formed grate-like configuration on its top and bottom surfaces to allow fluid to enter an exit the filter. The casing is also dimensioned to closely surround the paper media. The filter cartridges are stackable within the filter housing which can retain a plurality of cartridges thereby increasing the capacity of the filter. Each casing is made from identical top and bottom halves where the cylindrical walls clip together around the paper roll. When two cartridges are used the grid like top of one cartridge a butts the grid-like bottom of the other so that liquid flows from one cartridge to the next in series. Thus liquid flows one way, from one end only and is recovered out the other end. The central pipe in this case is an inlet pipe rather than a return pipe.
Other arrangements are known where liquid flows simultaneously into the filter in opposite directions and is recovered centrally, see for example Australian Patent 729523 and U.S. Pat. No. 4,792,397.
Australian Patent 729523 and WO/0037232 describe an injection moulded filter cartridge filled with a paper roll filter media. Unlike the cartridge of European patent application No. P 0 556 506A1, the cartridge is open ended and does not employ grate-like ends. This allows a press to be used to insert paper rolls under pressure. In one cartridge opposite ends of the cartridge are completely open so the cartridge is effectively a tube with two back-to-back paper rolls separated by gauze providing a return flow path. The paper rolls have a central bore made of cardboard for a return pipe. Thus when the cartridge is clamped inside a filter container liquid flows from an inlet in the container in both ends of the cartridge, through the paper rolls and is recovered by flowing out the ends of the paper rolls through a common return path formed by the gauze to the central return pipe. The gauze separates the confronting ends of the rolls and provides a flow path for the filtered liquid. Gauze is also used in the arrangement of Australian patent 659793 to separate two paper rolls in a metal cannister.
In U.S. Pat. No. 4,792,397 back-to-back paper rolls are used in a similar arrangement Australian Patent 729523 and WO/0037232 except instead of gauze being used to separate the rolls U.S. Pat. No. 4,792,397 uses a specially made fluid collector between the rolls. The fluid collector has closely spaced concentric ridges projecting from opposite sides of a substantially flat portion, pressure equalisation holes pass through the flat portion. The ridges push into the paper rolls on opposite sides of the collectors. Gaps in each ridge allows radial return flow to the central return pipe.
In Australian patent 650176 a metal canister is provided with end wall depressions to improve radial return flow. In Australian patent application 59243/00 a fluid collector is provided in an end wall of the housing, the fluid collector has lands in the form of sectors of a circle separated by radial flow passages.
The prevailing design criteria adopted in all these instances is to support the paper across its ends in an effort to maintain the return flow and minimise blockages that might impede flow as the paper collapses. Since the filters are pressurised as the filter media ages and becomes loaded it may distort in the region of the return flow leading to blockages. The gauze may become depressed by the paper being forced across the gap. Thus in the above examples it is usual to provide a substantial amount of support at the end of the paper roll with fluid collectors with relatively large flow paths being preferred to wire gauze.
The present invention adopts a completely different approach to the problem of supporting the roll while maintaining greater efficiency of return flow across the filter.


An EEPROM includes an array of memory cells divided into a plurality of memory blocks in a semiconductor well region in a substrate. Each block includes series arrays of FATMOS transistors each acting as one memory cell, wherein binary information may be stored in a selected cell transistor by causing carriers to tunnel between the floating gate thereof and the well region. In each block, word lines are connected to the control gates of cell transistors; control lines are to select transistors provided in the series arrays of cell transistors, with which bit lines are associated. A block-erase operation is performed such that a desired one of the memory blocks is selected for erase, while forcing the remaining memory blocks to remain non-erased. To do this, a first voltage is applied to those of the word lines of the selected block, while applying a second voltage to the remaining word lines of the non-selected blocks, the control lines of all the blocks, and the well region.

Field of the Invention
This invention relates to semiconductor memory devices, and more particularly to non-volatile memory devices that are programmable and may be electrically erased by the user. The invention also relates to electrically erasable programmable read-only memory devices having an array of memory cells each of which includes one floating gate tunneling field effect transistor.

Electrically erasable programmable read-only memory with block-erase function


A tubular film for fixing a unit of an image forming apparatus includes a rib portion as an engage portion at its one end. For forming the rib portion, a groove is provided at an end of a cylindrical member, as an inner mold, and/or a tubular mold member as an outer mold, and a film to be the rib is rolled along the groove.

This invention relates to a tubular film including circular, tubular, cylindrical, ring or belt type films used as a conveyance belt for conveying fine parts at predetermined positions assuring high-precision positional information, or used in an airtight container for containing a product or the like, and a tubular-film manufacturing method. The present invention can be mainly used as a functional part of an image forming apparatus.
Especially, the technique of the present invention is preferable to manufacture a fixing film of an image fixing unit used in an image forming apparatus such as a copier, a printer and a facsimile apparatus.
Known conventional tubular-film manufacturing methods are:
(1) Press heat-melt molding represented by an inflation method; PA1 (2) Casting and centrifugal molding methods of applying a predetermined amount of liquid-state resin or its precursor to inner circumferential surface or outer circumferential surface of a tubular mold, and through desolvent and chemical reaction, removing the formed film from the mold; PA1 (3) As proposed by Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open Nos. 63-34120 and 63-34121, a lining method of: rolling a film sheet around a core member, melt-joining both ends of the film, and lining the inner surface of a hollow tubular member with the roll of the film sheet; and PA1 (4) A method for manufacturing a polytetrafluoroethylene tubular member proposed by Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 52-117377.
Note that as prior applications, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open Nos. 3-25477, 3-266870, 4-9989 and 4-292680 by the present applicant are known.
In the heat-melt molding (1), when the tubular film formed by the inflation method is removed from the mold the film may be deformed. In a case where this tubular film is used as a fixing film of a fixing unit of an image-forming apparatus as shown in FIG. 25, he deformed part causes degradation of image quality.
Regarding the casting method and centrifugal method (2), to obtain a uniform film thickness, liquid-density management, dry and reaction atmosphere adjustment, and solvent processing at a drying step increase costs. In addition, for the centrifugal molding, a large-scale device must be used.
The lining (3) of the hollow tubular member can obtain a lining layer of a uniform thickness. However, to obtain a tubular film from the lining layer, separation of the film from the inner circumferential surface of the hollow tubular member may not be successfully done due to tight adherence between the film and the inner circumferential surface of the tubular member.
The main purpose of the conventional methods (1) to (5) is to manufacture a tubular film of a uniform thickness. When the tubular film of a uniform thickness obtained by any of methods (1) to (5) is rotated, meandering of the film occurs. To solve this problem, it is necessary to strictly manage measurement precision of drive roller and the like.


A food scoring knife of the presently preferred embodiment has an ergonomic handle portion and a head portion. A bottom edge of the handle portion is convex, while a bottom edge of the head portion is linear. During scoring, the user applies gentle pressure to the scoring knife, in particular, by placing fingers on a tapered finger rest, and at gripping indented sides of the handle portion. A tapered blade in the bottom edge of the head portion has a sharp cutting edge angled back toward the handle portion. The sharp edge slashes the surface of the food item as the scoring knife is pulled by the user. The convex bottom edge helps the user avoid dragging a bottom surface of the handle portion along the food item while scoring.

The present invention relates to a food scoring knife, in particular, an ergonomic food scoring knife for scoring bread dough.
In order to facilitate rising in the desired area of the loaf, and to avoid bulging, cracking, and exploding of the expanding loaf, the surface of the bread dough needs to be slashed. When the surface is slashed, the dough is able to vent and release pressure built up in the dough caused by the oven heat during the baking process.
The dough is generally slashed down the middle of the loaf, and/or around the sides. Decorative slashes are often used for bread such as baguettes. These decorative slashes are diagonally placed at spaced apart intervals along the top surface of the dough.
In an effort to avoid the dreaded explosion in the baking oven, the user often slashes the dough too deeply using a standard kitchen knife. The dough should be slashed to a depth that does not exceed about xc2xc inch, which would seem to be too shallow to the untrained baker. It is therefore desired to have an instrument that slashes dough to a maximum depth of about xc2xc inch.
A food scoring knife of the presently preferred embodiment has an ergonomic handle portion and a head portion. A bottom edge of the handle portion is convex, while a bottom edge of the head portion is linear. During scoring, the user applies gentle pressure to the scoring knife, in particular, by placing fingers his paper or fee is being deposited with the on a tapered finger rest, and at gripping indented sides of the handle portion. A tapered blade in the bottom edge of the head portion has a sharp cutting edge angled back toward the handle portion. The sharp edge slashes the surface of the food item as the scoring knife is pulled by the user. The convex bottom edge helps the user avoid dragging a bottom surface of the handle portion along the food item while scoring.

Food scoring knife and method for scoring


An image reproducing apparatus includes a slot which holding a magnetooptical disk. A plurality of image folders are formed in the magnetooptical disk. The folders manage a plurality of image files. When the magnetooptical disk is inserted in the slot and an information search mode is selected, folder Nos. of the folders are detected by a CPU. The detected folder Nos. are displayed on a screen by a character generator. When any folder No. displayed on the monitor is selected, the number of image files managed by the folder holding the selected folder No. is detected by the CPU. The detected number of image files is displayed on the monitor screen by the character generator.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to image reproducing apparatuses and, more particularly, to an image reproducing apparatus which is applicable to a digital camera for reproducing from a recording medium any image file of a plurality of image files managed by a plurality of folders holding folder Nos. different from one another.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In digital cameras, an image file including an image signal which took a picture are recorded on a recording medium. Therefore, the greater the capacity of a recording medium, the more likely to save an image file. However, the greater the number of image files to be recorded, the more difficult it becomes to operate, thus decreasing operationality.


A method implemented in a mobile communications network supporting coordinated multiple point transmission and reception (CoMP) is disclosed. The method includes transmitting, to a user equipment (UE), data in a physical downlink shared channel (PDSCH), and transmitting a reference signal to the UE, wherein a union of resource elements (REs) allocated for reference signals transmitted from a subset of a plurality of transmission points (TPs) in a CoMP set are excluded from resource mapping for transmitting the data to the UE. Other methods, systems, and apparatuses also are disclosed.

The present invention relates to coordinated multiple point transmission and reception (CoMP) and more particularly to channel state information (CSI) feedback and physical downlink shared channel (PDSCH) mapping for CoMP.
We investigate the channel state information (CSI) feedback and the resource mapping for cooperative communication or specifically, coordinated multipoint transmission and reception (CoMP) which is now in discussion for release-11 3GPP standardization. In particular, we first present a CSI feedback framework with better tradeoff between the performance and the feedback overhead. It has been agreed that three CoMP transmission schemes, namely, joint transmission (JT) or joint processing (JP), coordinated scheduling or beamforming (CS/CB), and dynamic point selection (DPS), are supported in the new 3GPP cellular system. To support all possible CoMP transmission schemes, we proposed the CSI feedback schemes based on the size of measurement set which is configured by the network and signalled to the user terminal or user equipment (UE). Then we provide the resource mapping solutions for the problems related to different cell-specific reference signal (CRS) in different cells and consequently the collision between the CRS and the data sent on the physical downlink shared channel (PDSCH). We also address the PDSCH mapping to solve the mismatch of the PDSCH starting points due to the different size of orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) symbols allocated for the physical downlink control channel (PDCCH) transmission.
[1] 3GPP, "Evolved Universal Terrestrial Radio Access (E-UTRA); Physical channels and modulation. TS 36.211 V10.1.0".
[2] NTT DoCoMo, "Investigation of specification impact for Rel. 11 CoMP" 3GPP TSG RAN WG1 R1-112600 Meeting #66, Athens, Greece, August 2011.
[3] 3GPP, "Evolved Universal Terrestrial Radio Access (E-UTRA); Physical layer procedures. TS 36.213 V10.1.0".

Coordinated multiple point transmission and reception


A removable cooler on the memory module wherein the PC board is able to attach on the memory module without any modification. The cooler contains a heat sink module and a cooler module. The heat sink module is combined by two heat conductive heat sinks placed oppositely and screwed or tenoned on the memory module to stimulate heat exchange above the extension part of the heat sinks. The cooler module could be a fan or heat conductive tube. As a fan, it could be buckled on the memory module socket for the extension part of the heat sinks to stimulate heat exchange. As a heat conduction tube screwed or tenoned against the extension part of the heat sinks, it stimulates heat exchange and provides heat dispensation function to assure the performance of the memory module.

Traditionally, during the run time of a PC, the electronic components inside and memory module generate lots of heat, especially the new memory module required by high-level computers. The temperature of the memory module going up continuously affects operation performance, even causes the memory module to break down. Currently, a cooler designed for such a heat dispensation problem of the memory module is still unavailable.
In view of such the unavailability, the inventor of the present invention was devoted to finding a solution and accomplished structural improvement for cooler.