The system for detecting volatile organic compounds (VOCs) of this present invention comprises a detecting material made by blending a nano-material and a conductive polymer. The system for detecting VOCs presents the property of high sensitivity, high sensing accuracy, quick response, and real-time VOC detecting, and is demonstrated in the present work for commercialization usage. The system for detecting VOCs can be easily operated to detect VOC without electronic detecting method, and hence this invention can reduce a lot of operation energy and procedure. Furthermore, when adding inorganic nanoparticles, the area of VOC exposure of this invention is increased and the molecular morphology variation of the detecting material is enhanced, and hence the detecting activity of the system for detecting VOCs is improved.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a detecting system, and more particularly, to a system for detecting VOCs, a method for forming the mentioned system, and the utility of the mentioned system.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Today, the majority of typical volatile organic compounds with toxic, explosive, flammable, and environmental hazards have been widely used in the manufacture of various industrial products, and all sorts of chemical experiments. In a variety of industrial products and its research, such as semiconductor, petrochemical, and chemical, volatile organic compounds (VOCs) are often used during production of those industrial products as reagents, solvents, additives, intermediate or final product. For example, VOCs can be used in the development of pharmaceutical, cleaning fluid, oil, and the like. In general, those volatile organic compounds are very dangerous to people and environment, because they are explosive, flammable, and toxic. If VOCs are leaked out, it may bring about serious calamity, such as explosion, fire accident, etc., cause people huge damage on health and wealth, and bring acute problem of environmental pollution. For example, on May 17, 2012, in one chemical plant in Changhua County, Taiwan, Changhua Coastal Industrial Park, there was a huge explosion because of accident during toluene stirring, and the explosion resulted in one death and 13 injuries. In another case, a refinery explosion in Texas city, U.S.A. due to the leakage of volatile organic compounds which caused over 100 people injured and 15 confirmed death. Therefore, it should be extremely careful on the storage tanks, the pipes, and any processing about volatile organic compounds. In addition, if exposed to volatile organic compounds, it is in a high proportion that people will have allergies as asthma, cancer, and other diseases. Therefore, in order to protect human health and the environment, be subject to the harm caused by the leakage of volatile organic compounds or vaporization thereof, it is an extremely important matter to timely and accurately monitor the storage and transport of volatile organic compounds. The detection of toxic compounds is not only to ensure the safety of human health and property, but also to avoid the occurrence of environmental disasters.
The study of detecting VOC began in 1982 by Dodd and Persaud et al. Dodd and Persaud et al demonstrated the concept of electronic noise, based on an electronic apparatus similar to the human nose. The electronic apparatus was able to identify the smell characteristics around different compounds by detecting resistivity, voltage, current, frequency rates of change, and the like. Some methodologies are recently applied to commercial available sensor products, for example, semiconductor sensing method, catalytic combustion method, electrochemical sensing method, infrared sensing method, etc. Most of these sensor products are extremely expensive, for instance, an infrared sensor for sensing the leakage of VOCs costs over 130,000 US dollars. Apparently, the popularization of these sensor products is limited by the expensive cost. Especially, to our best knowledge today, there is still no commercial VOC sensor that can be massively equipped anywhere including each joint between transporting pipes, each switch of storage tanks, or other all high risky regions that VOC may be leaked out.
The common VOCs detecting technology is as the following. One commonly detecting technology is resistive measurement. A resistive measurement is performed by detecting the concentration of known volatile organic compounds via the changes of resistance. But, the lifetime of the detective material of resistive measurement is about 1 year. Another detecting technology is performed by employing detective material as the target detecting substrate. The target detecting substrate can bond with specific detective target, and the variation of the spectrum, such as fluorescent spectrum or Raman spectrum, of the target detecting substrate molecular with the specific detective target is recorded to determine the types and the concentration of organic compounds. The mentioned target detecting substrate is expensive, and the mentioned measurement is complicate and with long time. Still another VOC detecting technology is employing IR (infrared) spectroscopy to determine the type and concentration of organic compounds directly. The IR spectroscopy measurement is not widely used in industry because of the expensive cost, difficult maintenance, sensitive to moisture, and complicate testing sample collection and preparation. Accordingly, the development of a volatile organic compound(s) detecting system is the major target for the current industry development.

System for detecting volatile organic compounds and the method for forming the same and utility thereof


In one aspect, the invention provides a security laminate comprising a retroreflective layer comprising a plurality of retroreflective microbeads partially embedded in and protruding from a beadbond layer and having image receptive material disposed around the protruding microspheres. In another embodiment, the security laminate further comprises indicia patterns viewable in retroreflective light. In another embodiment, the security laminate is imaged on the image receptive material.

The invention relates to security laminates for use as a security feature on or in documents.
Documents of value such as passports, identification cards, entry passes, ownership certificates, financial instruments, and the like, are often assigned to a particular person by personalization data. Personalization data, often present as printed images, can include photographs, signatures, fingerprints, personal alphanumeric information, and barcodes, and allows human or electronic verification that the person presenting the document for inspection is the person to whom the document is assigned. There is widespread concern that forgery techniques can be used to alter the personalization data on such a document, thus allowing non-authorized people to pass the inspection step and use the document in a fraudulent manner.
A number of security features have been developed to authenticate the document of value, thus preventing forgers from producing a document, which resembles the authentic document during casual observation, but lacks the overt or covert security features known to be present in the authentic document. Overt security features include holograms and other diffractive optically variable images, embossed images, and color-shifting films, while covert security features include images only visible under certain conditions such as inspection under light of a certain wavelength, polarized light, or retroreflected light. Even more sophisticated systems require specialized electronic equipment to inspect the document and verify its authenticity. Often, these security features are directed at verifying the authenticity of the parent document, but convey little information regarding the authenticity of the personalization data. Further features that convey information about, or prevent, tampering with the personalization data are needed.
Of particular interest today is the ability to be able to determine that a forgery has been attempted without the need to resort to a special tool. There is a strong desire to be able to determine such tamper attempts using normal lighting conditions such as diffuse incandescent or fluorescent light sources.
Commonly, the personalization data on documents of value is protected by encapsulation of the printed images between laminated layers, one or more layers of such laminates often being designed to show visible evidence of tampering. Production of a document which protects the personalization data by encapsulation requires hardware which can perform the combined functions of printing and heat laminating, often including the associated functions of roll feeding and die cutting. While such hardware is available, it can be rather complex and expensive, often beyond the reach of smaller issuing authorities.
Of additional concern is that typically the laminate and the data being protected by the laminate are resident in two discrete and separate layers and it is a commonly attempted practice to carefully separate the two layers and alter the data without inflicting any visible damage to the security document. There would be great utility and value in a technology which enabled simple, fast and inexpensive production of personalized documents of value having durability and tamper resistance.


Apparatus and process for the manufacture of articles to be worn on the lower torso of a wearer, such as disposable absorbent article like diapers, training pants, adult incontinence articles, feminine care articles and the like. In particular to such articles and to the equipment and the process for manufacturing such articles, especially when different sizes or types of the article are to be prepared on the same equipment.

It is a long lasting desire in the manufacture of articles, and especially of disposable absorbent articles, such as diapers, or at least pre-cursors thereof, to produce various sizes on one and the same manufacturing equipment without tedious, costly, and time consuming change of size specific parts of the equipment.
In JP2004-248825 (Zuiko—Takao) the processing of a sheet in the manufacturing of apparel such as underpant/trouser and diaper is described. The apparels of different sizes are processed in the same apparatus, only by changing the introduction position of the sheets of a constant length.
In US2003/0047273 (Zuiko—Kojo) a semi finished product is manufactured by changing circumferential velocity of the rotating unit, according to the size of semi finished product for each process cycle.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,828,367 (ELASTELLE FONTANILLE—cited in US'273) shows the manufacturing of products such as disposable briefs wherein a flexible non-elastic element on which is fixed locally at least one stretched elastic element adapted to confer on the the non-elastic element the faculty of stretching, the elastic element being fixed in position in the stretched condition. The method comprising essentially the steps of: causing a continuous strip of the non-elastic element to travel, without being subjected to deformation, at a constant speed and always in the same direction; simultaneously causing at least one continuous tape or band of the elastic element to move in the same direction and at the same speed as the strip.
The combining of various webs is a well known operation, such as described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,059,710 (K-C/Rajala), wherein a primary component is cut from a web and is transferred to overlay on a secondary web. The secondary component is then cut on the die to a longer extension, with its longitudinal center coinciding with that of primary component. The combined primary and secondary component are transferred to an embossing roll and engraved with identical shapes. All the die rolls run at different speeds and the center of the components are coincided by adjusting the rotational phase angle of any one of the cutting die rolls.
EP974323A1 (Schmitz) shows a transporting apparatus for manipulating a continuous web which has support surfaces lying in an arc around the circumference of a circular path, which with web loop forming means give variable velocity difference between the adjacent web supports, are rotated about the axis of the circular path, such that distances between adjacent supporting surfaces vary upon rotation. EP1004285A1 (Schmitz) discloses a web handling process, wherein a web portion moves quicker when a portion is cut into separate lengths, than when it is cut off the web. The web portions are applied to a receiving web, which is then cut.
In WO2006103487A1 (Schmitz, C4S) the described method involves a moving web material from a web supply unit towards a process end section along an overall web path. A web path splitting unit positioned along the overall web path is provided. The web path is divided on the web path splitting unit into web sub-paths. The web material is transferred out of initial contact regions of a web support unit into an operating region of the web support unit. The web material is transferred out of the initial contact regions of web support unit into the operating region, thus precisely handling the web material in an efficient manner.
However, in none of the cited documents there is taught a way how to allow manufacturing articles of varying sizes over a very wide size range essentially uninterruptedly ("on the fly") at high speeds, nor how to design a respective equipment. Also, nowhere is taught how to make both a closed pant structure in the same machine as an open type diaper without changing significant parts of the manufacturing line.

On the fly size change apparatus and process for articles to be worn on the lower torso of a wearer and such articles


A data communication device comprises an input circuit (DRTC) that converts external data (XDT) into internal data (IDT) on the basis of a sampling signal (SP). A synchronization circuit (SYNC) provides the sampling signal (SP) on the basis of an oscillator signal (OS) and a synchronization value (SV). The synchronization value (SV) is representative of a number of cycles of the oscillator signal (OS) contained within a time interval for a unit of external data. The synchronization value (SV) is an initial value (IV) during an initial synchronization phase and a measured value (MV) during a measurement-based synchronization phase. A control circuit (IFC) carries out a calibration step in which the initial value (IV) is a preprogrammed reset value (RV) and in which the measured value (MV) is stored as a calibration value (CV). The control circuit (IFC) applies the calibration value (CV) as the initial value (IV) in subsequent initial synchronization phases.

An aspect of the invention relates to a data communication device. The data communication device may be, for example, a device that communicates data in accordance with a universal serial bus (USB) standard. Other aspects of the invention relate to a method of manufacturing such a data communication device, a method of data communication, a computer program product, and a data processing system. The data processing system may comprise, for example, a desktop or laptop computer and a security device that exchange data in accordance with the USB standard. The security device may be in the form of, for example, a smartcard in accordance with the ISO7816-12 standard or a token that can be coupled to a USB port of the computer.
United States patent application published under No. 2004/0148539 describes a device that generates a local clock period from a USB downstream-received bit-serial signal. The device does not require the use of a crystal or resonator. Counters are used to determine a first number of periods of a free-running high-frequency clock signal contained within a known number of bit periods of the downstream-received bit-serial signal. The first number of periods is divided by the known number of bit periods of the received bit-serial signal to determine a second number of periods of the free-running high-frequency clock signal comprised in a single bit period of the received bit-serial signal. The local clock period is generated on the basis of the free-running high-frequency clock signal and the second number of periods. The local clock period may be phase-locked with the received bit serial signal. The local period is updated on an ongoing manner by downstream known received traffic.


Observation-based user profiling and profile matching are provided. The network behavior of users of a computer-implemented social network are observed and used for user profiling. By observing network behavior instead of necessarily relying on user self-reported data, accurate and objective user profiles can be formed; user profiling is accomplished based on the observed network behaviors with or without the knowledge of the user being profiled. The observed network behaviors can include the customization of a visual graphic, a media preference, a communication preference, or a selection of words from a wordlist. The user profiles can be with respect to a domain and two or more users can be matched based on their profiles with respect to the same domain. User ratings and profile updating based on the ratings are also provided.

Many Internet-based or web-based social networks are powerful tools to connect people separated by potentially vast distances. Social networks currently allow users to build a user profile and connect to friends whom the user may or may not already know from other social means. Some existing social networks, particularly dating websites, offer suggestions to their users for possible matches with other users. Typically, these matches are suggested based on characteristics provided in the user profiles.
User matching found in existing web-based social networks, however, suffer from the fact that they rely on user self-reported data to build a user profile. For example, dating websites typically provide surveys for their users to fill out. The surveyed users are then matched with suggested counterparts based on the survey data. With user profiles strictly reliant on self-reported data, users can easily provide an inaccurate portrayal of themselves. In other words, users are likely to game the system to attempt to look better or different than their actual selves. Since users are matched based on their profiles, inaccurate user profiles would naturally lead to improper or imperfect matches.
Furthermore, the user surveys provided by existing social networks typically ask the users to answer direct questions related to a particular subject. Therefore, the surveys are only relevant to one or a small number of topics or subjects and can be completely useless for user profiling with respect to other topics. In this scenario, additional user surveys may be required when the social network attempts to match users for other purposes. The additional surveys would be an annoyance to the users of the social network. For the example of dating websites, the user surveys generally contain questions related to particular romantic interests of the user. Though these questions may be relevant to dating, they may be completely irrelevant for another purpose, such as a community service event.
The present invention addresses at least the difficult problems of user profiling and profile matching.

Matching users based on behavior in a social network


Error mitigation techniques are provided for video coding system in which input frames are selected for coding either as a Random Access Pictures (“RAP frames”) or as a non-RAP frame. Coded RAP frames may include RAP identifiers that set an ID context for subsequent frames. Coded non-RAP frames may include RAP identifiers that match the RAP identifiers that were included in the coded RAP frames. Thus, in the absence of transmission errors, a coded non-RAP frame should include a RAP identifier that matches the identifier of the preceding RAP frame. If the identifier of a non-RAP frame does not match the identifier of the RAP frame that immediately preceded it, then it indicates that a RAP frame was lost during transmission. In this case, the decoder may engage error recovery processes.

The present invention relates to video coding systems and, in particular, to techniques that maintain synchronization between encoder and decoders in such video coding systems in the presence of transmission errors.
In video coding systems, a video encoder may code a source video sequence into a coded representation that has a smaller bit rate than does the source video and, thereby, may achieve data compression. The encoder may code processed video data according to any of a variety of different coding techniques to achieve compression. One common technique for data compression uses predictive coding techniques (e.g., temporal/motion predictive coding). For example, some frames in a video stream may be coded independently of other frames (I-frames) and some other frames (e.g., P-frames or B-frames) may be coded using other frames as prediction references. P-frames may be coded with reference to a single previously-coded frame (called, a "reference frame") and B-frames may be coded with reference to a pair of previously-coded reference frames. The resulting compressed sequence (bit stream) may be transmitted to a decoder via a channel. To recover the video data, the bit stream may be decompressed at the decoder by inverting the coding processes performed by the coder, yielding a recovered video sequence.
A variety of coding protocols such as H.264 and the forthcoming HEVC (current under draft as ITU-T doc. JCTVC-J1003_d7), define processes that develop coding states during a video coding session. That is, as frames are coded in their respective I-, P- or B-frame coding modes, they may be coded using parameters that are selected with reference to a coding state that is defined by previously-coded frames. Thus, proper coding and decoding of a given frame may rely on the coding state that is established by other frames. When frames are lost, for example, due to transmission errors that arise between the encoder and the decoder, synchronization of state can be lost.
Modern coding protocols define classes of frames, called Random Access Pictures ("RAP frames" herein) that reset coder states to known values. Examples of RAPs are Instantaneous Decoding Refresh ("IDR") pictures in H.264/AVC, and IDR pictures, Broken Link Access ("BLA") pictures and Clean Random Access ("CRA") pictures in HEVC. Typically, each RAP frame defines boundaries between other coding structures supported by the protocol such as Groups of Pictures ("GOPs"). Upon receiving a RAP frame, a decoder clears its reference picture cache, resets internal states such as frame numbers, picture order counts, temporal motion vector prediction caches, etc., based on a specified schedule. If such RAP frames are lost during coding sessions, it can cause disastrous mismatches between the encoder's state and the decoder's state, as the encoder codes new frames based on an expectation that the decoder will have processed the RAP frame properly (e.g., cleared the reference picture cache and reset its states). When a RAP picture is lost and a decoder receives subsequent frames after the RAP, it can continue decoding these frames with the wrong states. In real-time video communication applications, therefore, the use of RAP pictures in the middle of the transmission usually is avoided.
RAPs can be valuable as they can be used to reset video coding sessions from any previous mismatch, or invalid states inside the decoder. Therefore, the inventors perceive that it would be useful to engage in coding protocols in which an encoder may transmit RAP pictures in the middle of a coding session, without suffering from serious consequences when RAPs are lost during transmission.

Error resilient transmission of random access frames and global coding parameters


A switch assembly comprises a substrate (10) having conductive traces providing contacts (23) on the substrate (10) and a connector (21) positioned over the substrate (10). The connector (10) includes an actuator area (33) and a selectively conductive area (22) located perpendicular to the actuator area (33). The selectively conductive area (22) is located over the contacts (23) and is made electrically conductive with the contacts (23), when the connector (21) is shorted with an actuator, the actuator area being at a fight angle to the conductive traces.

The present invention relates to switch assemblies in general and particularly to elastomeric type switches.
Elastomeric switches are used in many electronic devices such as appliance control panels, automotive dashboards, consumer toys, industrial controls, and control panels for radios, such as in a keypad assembly. This type of switch enjoys several advantages over conventional rocker, toggle or key switches. They can provide a liquid tight front surface, making them quite useful in environments where a switch or switch assembly might be exposed to liquid spills, corrosive chemicals, or moisture. They offer a reduced thickness, due to the absence of mechanical parts such as springs, rockers, wiring fasteners, and large housings. This feature is extremely desirable in applications such as thin calculators and other portable consumer electronic devices that must be worn on the person or carried in a pocket. Because of the absence of such parts, they have a lower cost of materials and assembly. This factor is quite important in consumer electronics. They provide a momentary contact, as opposed to permanent contact switch. This is important in applications such as calculators where a circuit is meant to be only briefly actuated.
A typical elastomeric switch is constructed much like a conventional switch, that is a movable contact is used to momentarily complete the connection between two sides of a circuit that are normally not connected. In flat elastomeric switches, often called membrane switches, the normally nonconnected sides of the circuit are formed on the surface of a rigid or flexible printed circuit board. The printed circuit board is usually placed underneath the switch actuator assembly. The bottom printed circuit board usually contains other circuitry to interconnect the switch or switches to the remainder of the electronic device.
However, when the elastomeric switch is used in an electronic product where the controls are at fight angles to the main bottom circuit board, such as in a front panel assembly for a mobile radio, the switch printed circuit board is usually placed on a side, in parallel with and behind the switch actuator assembly. One such side orientation uses the switch board assembly--a printed circuit board, or flex circuit, with popple domes, mechanical switches, or elastomeric membrane switches assembled to it--mounted to a structure that orients it at a right angle to the main board surface.
The conventional elastomeric switch board assembly, mounted on a side or flat, often includes a movable contact which consists of a flexible plastic sheet having a conductive area that serves to complete the circuit on the printed circuit board, underneath, when it is moved into contact on top of it. The conductive area on the flexible sheet is arranged so as to be facing the circuit board and is aligned so as to be directly opposite the stationary contacts on the circuit board. When a force is applied to the exterior side of the flexible sheet, the movable contact is displaced into engagement with the stationary contact to close the switch.
With all of its subcomponents, this switch board assembly still has to be electrically connected to the main printed circuit board by some additional structure. Hence, in the conventional universal front panel assembly, the side printed circuit board is an additional component to the bottom printed circuit board. This side board is hoped to be eliminated, along with other components.
One mounting approach to eliminate the additional side printed circuit board utilizes through-hole mechanical switches that are attached to a frame which supports the switches at a right angle to the board surface. Therefore, what is needed is a reduction in necessary component parts for a perpendicularly mounted control panel while providing the advantages of thinness of the elastomeric switches.


A new and distinct cultivar of Poinsettia plant named xe2x80x98Eckaleezaxe2x80x99, characterized by its inflorescences with rose red-colored flower bracts; dark green-colored leaves with red-colored petioles; uniform and mounded plant habit; early flowering; and excellent post-production longevity.

Euphorbia pulcherrima.
The present Invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Poinsettia plant, botanically known as Euphorbia pulcherrima Willd., and hereinafter referred to by the name xe2x80x98Eckaleezaxe2x80x99.
The new Poinsettia a product of a planned breeding program conducted by the Inventor in Encinitas, Calif. The objective of the breeding program is to create new Poinsettia cultivars having flower bracts with desirable colors, uniform plant habit and excellent post-production longevity.
The new Poinsettia is a naturally-occurring whole plant mutation of a unnamed proprietary induced mutation, not patented, that originated by exposing unrooted cuttings of the Euphorbia pulcherrima Willd. cultivar Eckabish, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 11,200, to gamma radiation. The new Poinsettia was discovered and selected by the Inventor as a single plant within a population of plants of the irradiated selection on or about Dec. 31, 1998, in a controlled environment in Encinitas, Calif.
Asexual reproduction of the new Poinsettia by terminal cuttings taken at Encinitas, Calif., since January, 1999, has shown that the unique features of this new Poinsettia are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations of asexual reproduction.
The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined to be the unique characteristics of xe2x80x98Eckaleezaxe2x80x99. These characteristics in combination distinguish xe2x80x98Eckaleezaxe2x80x99 as a new and distinct cultivar:
1. Inflorescences with rose red-colored flower bracts.
2. Dark green-colored leaves with red-colored petioles.
3. Uniform and mounded plant habit.
4. Early flowering, natural season flower maturity date is November 26 for plants grown in Encinitas, Calif.; response time, about 8.5 weeks.
5. Excellent post-production longevity.
Plants of the new Poinsettia are most similar to plants of the cultivar Eckabish. In side-by-side comparisons conducted in Encinitas, Calif., plants of the new Poinsettia differed primarily from plants of the cultivar Eckabish in the following characteristics:
1. Plants of the new Poinsettia had longer leaves than plants of the cultivar Eckabish.
2. Flower bract color of plants of the new Poinsettia was darker red than flower bract color of plants of the cultivar Eckabish.


A system includes a structure and a circuit. The circuit is mounted to the structure. The circuit includes a sensor, a non-volatile memory, and a voltage sensitive switch. The memory and the voltage sensitive switch are connected for recording an event sensed by said sensor. The recording only uses power derived from the sensor. One embodiment of the circuit includes a processor connected for receiving a signal derived from the sensor. In this embodiment the non-volatile memory is connected to the processor for receiving and storing data derived from the signal. In one embodiment a first energy storage device is connected to receive energy from the sensor. The voltage sensitive switch is connected for releasing energy from the first energy storage device when energy stored in the first energy storage device exceeds a threshold. The processor and the non-volatile memory are connected for receiving power from the released energy.

Several types of sensors generate a voltage or current when excited by an event, including piezoelectric sensors, thermocouples, pressure sensors, and displacement sensors. For example, when a piezoelectric sensor is flexed it generates a voltage that depends on the magnitude of flexing. The voltage generated can be supplied to a circuit that may record data regarding bending, tensile, and compression events sensed by the piezoelectric sensor, as described in the '693 patent and the '059 patent application. Circuits for non-volatile recording of data from an event have needed a source of power, such as may be supplied by a wired source of power or by an energy storage device, such as a capacitor or battery. The energy storage device could be recharged by energy harvesting. For example, piezoelectric devices have been used to harvest energy from a structure subject to strain or vibration, as described in the '693 patent. This energy could then be stored and used to power the circuit for logging data from sensors, processing the data, and transmitting the data.
A circuit that records an event sensed by a sensor using only energy provided by that event was described in the commonly assigned '059 patent application. In this regard, the '059 application describes a system for electronically recording an event that provides mechanical energy to a structure. The system includes the structure and an event sensing and recording node. The event sensing and recording node is mounted on the structure and includes a sensor and a first electronic memory. The sensor includes a device for converting the mechanical energy into an electrical signal. The first electronic memory uses energy derived from the electrical signal for electronically recording the event. All energy for sensing the event and recording the event in the first electronic memory is derived from the mechanical energy. A circuit was also described in that the '059 application that allows for measuring the magnitude of that event. That patent application also provided several uses for the circuit.
As the '059 application noted, "advantageously, the system uses little energy for recording the event and it can harvest that energy from the event itself." The '059 application also noted that the "event logging circuit [of the '059 application] is self-powered because electricity generated by one of the piezoelectric sensors of [the] array . . . [of the '059 application], as it senses an event, is the electricity used for logging that event in a memory location of [the] event logging circuit . . . . While another source of power may be needed for circuits that read that memory or that take further action based on data in that memory, the event logging circuit itself is self-powered since the event it is detecting is the sole source of energy for operation of the event logging circuit to log the event in its memory. The . . . inventors [of the '059 application] have also found a way to arrange these circuits to provide a self-powered recording indicating the magnitude of the event."
The present application provides an alternate scheme for using energy from an event sensed by a sensor to power a circuit for recording that event and for measuring its magnitude.


A system and method for encouraging a user of a recreational vehicle to wear safety equipment is described. The helmet contains a microprocessor and sensors to determine if the helmet is worn. The helmet communicates with the vehicle and the vehicle either disables operation or allows limited operation if the helmet is not worn. On motorized vehicles, the motor operation is restricted. On human powered vehicles mechanical resistance may limit operation.

Field of the Invention
The present invention is directed to recreational vehicles, in particular the communications between a recreational vehicle and safety equipment.
Description of the Related Art
Many people use human powered or recreational vehicles such as ATVs (all-terrain vehicles), on and off road motorcycles, UTVs (utility task vehicle), snowmobiles, bicycles, kayaks, motor boats, tractors, go carts, lawn tractors, dune buggies, golf carts, skateboards, scooters, self-balancing devices (Segway, RYNO, UNI-Cub, hoverboards and similar devices), skis, etc. It is much safer to operate these vehicles with safety equipment such as a helmet, a life jacket or similar device. This invention provides a means for encouraging the use of these safety devices by the users of the vehicles by limiting the functionality of the vehicle if the safety equipment is not worn. Simply disabling the vehicle when a helmet is missing was considered, but deemed to be undesirable and perhaps dangerous to the user. If a helmet is lost by the user many miles into the woods, the user's survival may be in peril if the user cannot get the vehicle to return him home. So the present invention limits functionality and performance while still allowing the user to return home.
Other systems have used interlocks to prevent the vehicle from starting, but these other systems allow the user to easily defeat the system or use a lot of power to operate. For instance, Piero Bossi's European Patent application EP 0346300A1 teaches the disabling of a moped when a helmet is not present. Similarly, Hong-Woo Lee and Kim Duck-soo teach an interlock device that prevents the starting of a motorcycle when the helmet is not present in Korean patent KR 101385146. However, each of these teachings fail to account for many aspects of the present invention, for instance neither allow the vehicle to operate when the helmet is missing, potentially creating a safety issue if the helmet is lost when deep in the woods.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.


It is an object of the present invention to obtain a vacuum chucking which can vacuum suck a wafer even if dusts attach thereon. The main body of vacuum chuck (101) has a plurality of block grooves (125) on the surface on which the wafer (1) is sucked and fixed, in which vacuum evacuation paths (105) each for vacuum evacuating each block groove (125) are provided for each block groove (125). When the wafer (1) is sucked and fixed under low pressure, even if the degree of vacuum in one of the block grooves (125) decreases due to attachment of dusts on part of the suction surface, or the like, the wafer (1) can surely be sucked and held.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a semiconductor producing apparatus for forming thin films on wafer surfaces using reaction gasses, and also to a wafer vacuum chucking device, a gas cleaning method or a method of forming various kinds of nitride films in such semiconductor producing apparatus. The semiconductor producing apparatus of the present invention is most effectively used with the Low Pressure CVD (Chemical Vapor Deposition) devices, but also can be used with other types of semiconductor producing devices for forming thin films, processings and the like.
2. Description of the Background Art
A conventional semiconductor producing apparatuses, and a wafer vacuum chucking device, a gas cleaning method and a nitride film forming method in the semiconductor producing apparatus will be respectively described below.
First, FIG. 54 is a top view showing the structure of a conventional wafer vacuum chucking device described in Japanese Patent Laying-Open No.2-67745, for example, and FIG. 55 is a sectional view taken along the VI--VI line in FIG. 54. In FIG. 54, 101 denotes a vacuum chuck main body, 1 denotes a wafer to be sucked and fixed (hereinafter, the term "wafer" implies a semiconductor wafer except extra notation), and 103 denotes a vacuum suction groove formed on a wafer suction surface and communicating as one groove in the suction surface, 104 denotes a vacuum evacuation hole formed at the center of the suction surface, and 105 denotes a vacuum evacuation path opening to the vacuum evacuation hole 104 and passing through the chuck main body 101, which is connected to a vacuum pump not shown through a vacuum pipe 106.
In such a conventional wafer vacuum chucking device formed as described above, the wafer 1 is provided on the suction surface of the chuck main body 101 and evacuation in the vacuum evacuation groove 103 is started through the vacuum pipe 106, the vacuum evacuation path 105 and the vacuum evacuation hole 104, then a differential pressure is caused between the pressure inside the vacuum evacuation groove 103 and the external pressure, and the wafer 1 is sucked and fixed on the suction surface with the differential pressure.
Next, FIGS. 56 and 57 are diagrams showing a semiconductor producing apparatus (so called, the batch processing type) implementing the method of forming silicon nitride films described in Japanese Patent Publication No. 60-10108, for example. In FIGS. 56 and 57, 2 denotes a tube-shaped reaction chamber, 4 denotes a wafer heating source, and 501 and 502 denote reaction gas supplying lines.
In the thin film forming method using the apparatus, a plurality of wafers 1 to be processed are arranged and held in the tube-shaped reaction chamber 2, and dichlorosilane (SiH.sub.2 Cl.sub.2) and ammonia (NH.sub.3) are caused to flow from the reaction gas supplying lines 501 and 502 under low pressure to deposit silicon nitride films, where the deposition temperature used is in the range of 650-800.degree. C.
In the above-described method, in order to surely keep the uniformity of film thickness of the plurality of wafers 1, the temperature distribution in the tube-shaped reaction chamber 2 is controlled so that the temperature of the wafers 1 increases from the upper stream to the lower stream of the gas to compensate for a decrease in the deposition rate due to consumption of the reaction gas. Also, in order to surely keep the uniformity of film thickness in the surface of wafer 1, the pressure in the reaction chamber 2 is kept low, that is, about 0.5 Torr.
Next, FIG. 59 shows a semiconductor producing apparatus described in the Japanese Patent Laying-Open No. 54-160172, the Japanese Patent Laying-Open No. 3-291381 and the like, for example. In FIG. 59, 701 denotes a reaction container providing a cylindrical inner tube 702 therein, which forms a reaction space 3 inside thereof. 704 denotes a wafer holding board arranged in the reaction space 3, which has structure for holding a large number of semiconductor wafers 1. Heater 4 is a wafer heating source for heating the semiconductor wafers 1, which is provided around the peripheral wall of the reaction container 701.
501 denotes a reaction gas line for introducing dichlorosilane which is a material gas into the reaction space 3, and 502 is a material gas supplying line for introducing ammonia which is another reaction gas into the reaction space 3. These reaction gas supplying lines 501 and 502 are provided passing through the reaction container 701, respectively, having the upstream side where the gas flows from connected to material gas supplying sources (not shown) and the downstream side to which the gas flows opening to the lower part of the reaction chamber 2.
7 denotes a reaction exhaust pass for exhausting the gas in the reaction container 701. The reaction exhaust pass 7 has its one end opening to a space formed on the outer peripheral side of the inner tube 702 inside the reaction container 701 and the other end connected to an exhaust device not shown in the figure. The pressure in the reaction container 701 is generally reduced by exhausting the internal gas through the reaction exhaust pass 7.
In the semiconductor producing apparatus having such structure, first, the semiconductor wafers 1 are heated through the peripheral wall of the reaction container 701 by the heater 4. The temperature at this time is approximately 700.degree. C. Subsequently, dichlorosilane and ammonia are introduced in the reaction space 3 from the separated reaction gas supplying lines 501 and 502. The two kinds of reaction gasses supplied into the reaction space 3 in this way are thermally decomposed in the vapor phase in contact with the heated semiconductor wafers 1. Then, the product produced by this reaction is deposited on the semiconductor wafers 705 to form silicon nitride films.
Next, FIG. 60 is a sectional diagram showing an outline of a conventional semiconductor device (so called the single wafer processing type) described in the Japanese Patent Laying-Open No. 3-184327, for example. In FIG. 60, 1 denotes a wafer, 2 denotes a reaction chamber for accommodating the wafer 1, 5 denotes a vacuum chuck on which the wafer 1 is provided, 204 denotes a vacuum drawing hole opening to the vacuum chuck 5, 4 denotes a wafer heating source provided in the vacuum chuck 5 for heating the wafer 1, 6 denotes a gas nozzle for supplying reaction gas into the reaction chamber 2, 3 denotes a reaction space in which the reaction is caused, and 7 denotes a reaction gas exhaust path for exhausting the gas in the reaction chamber 2 after the reaction.
For forming a thin film in such a structure, first the wafer 1 is conveyed by a conveying device (not shown) and provided on the vacuum chuck 5. Next, vacuum exhaust is performed from the vacuum drawing hole 204 opening to the vacuum chuck 5 to suck the wafer 1. The reaction gas is supplied into the reaction chamber 2 from the gas nozzle 6. At this time the wafer 1 is heated through the vacuum chuck 5 by the wafer heating source 4, so that the reaction gas is caused to react on the wafer 1 to form a thin film on the wafer 1.
Now, in such processes, the wafer 1 must be heated to a high temperature such as 600-800.degree. C. Also, since the quality and the growth rate of the reaction product film depend on the temperature of the wafer 1, the wafer 1 must be uniformly heated to a predetermined temperature in order to form the reaction product film with uniform quality and thickness. Furthermore, contamination to the wafer 1 and the thin film formed on the surface of the wafer 1 must be avoided.
Next, FIG. 61 is a sectional diagram showing structure of a gas seal portion of a reaction chamber in the conventional semiconductor producing apparatus (low pressure CVD apparatus) referred in the Japanese Patent Laying-Open No. 2-143526, for example. In FIG. 61, 305 denotes an o-ring, 317 denotes a process tube, 318 denotes a cap, 319 denotes a manifold, 320 denotes an inactive gas supplying hole for introducing inactive gas (N.sub.2)into the gap portion between the cap 318 and the manifold 319 and the gap porion between the process tube 317, the cap 318 and the manifold 319, and 306 denotes a water cooling portion formed in the manifold 319.
In the above-described structure, the temperature in the process tube 317 is kept high, and thermal chemical reaction of the introduced reaction gas is caused on the wafer (not shown) in the process tube 317 to form thin films. At this time the o-rings 305 serve as gas seals from outside, and water is passed to the water cooling portions 306 to cool and protect the o-rings 305 to prevent degradation of the sealing function and damage due to heat. As a result, the temperature in the vicinity of the o-ring 305 decreases, but invasion of the reactive gas into the vicinity of the o-ring 305 is prevented by introducing the inactive gas into the gap portion to prevent adhesion of reaction by-product.
Next, the conventional gas cleaning method will be described referring to FIG. 62. Generally, in a semiconductor producing apparatus, thin film material deposits or attach not only on the wafers but also on wall surfaces of the apparatus and members such as a susceptor exposed in the reaction chamber, so that these are removed by causing etching gas into the reaction chamber as shown in the Japanese Patent Laying-Open No. 3-41199. FIG. 62 shows the processing temperature for removing surplus deposition substances without producing undesirable effects on the carbon material forming the susceptor and the like in this gas cleaning method, where it is indicated that the temperature of 200-300.degree. C. is suitable.
Next, referring to FIG. 63, the structure of supplying reaction gas in the conventional semiconductor producing apparatus will be described. Conventionally, when forming a thin film for semiconductor with the single wafer processing type low pressure CVD, as shown in the Japanese Patent Laying-Open No. 3-287770, for example, a nozzle head with structure simply having a large number of through holes has been used to make the flow of reaction gas uniform to form a thin film having uniform thickness.
For example, the case in which two kinds of reaction gases are lead to a heated wafer and decomposition reaction is caused to form a film is shown in FIG. 63. In FIG. 63, 51 denotes a susceptor, 604 denotes first reaction gas, 605 denotes second reaction gas, 606 denotes a mixture gas transfer path, 6 denotes a gas nozzle, 3 denotes a reaction space and 7 denotes a reaction gas exhaust path.
In this apparatus, for example, the first reaction gas 604 and the second reaction gas 605 are led to the mixed gas transfer path 606 by means of separated pipings and sprayed toward the wafer 1 through the large number of through holes of the gas nozzle 6. The wafer 1 is provided on the susceptor 5 heated by the wafer heating source 4 and the supplied reactive gases are subjected to the decomposition reaction above the wafer 1 and then exhausted from the reaction gas exhaust path 7 and processed. The gas nozzle 6 may be provided so that the through holes face perpendicularly to the wafer 1, or may be provided inclining by 20-45.degree. with respect to the wafer 1 as shown in FIG. 63.
The wafer vacuum chucking device shown in FIGS. 54 and 55 utilizes the differential pressure as described above, in which it is assumed to be used under the normal atmospheric pressure, and chucking under low pressure is not considered in which the differential pressure is difficult to be obtained. Accordingly, when sucking to fix a wafer under low pressure with its processed surface being faced downwards, the degree of vacuum in the entire vacuum suction groove 103 which communicates as one in the entire suction surface decreases if the airtight condition in the vicinity of the wafer is broken due to adhesion of dust on the suction 'surface, cuts on the suction surface, curves of the wafers and the like, and, furthermore, since the pressure in the exterior is reduced, sufficient differential pressure can not be obtained, resulting in a problem that the wafer may drop or may not be sucked at the first stage.
Next, in the nitride film forming method using the conventional batch processing semiconductor producing apparatus described referring to FIGS. 56 and 57, or FIG. 59, there has been a problem as will be described below.
First the by-products (mainly ammonium chloride) produced in the reaction of dichlorosilane and ammonia may cause dust, resulting in a problem that the productivity of the semiconductor chips is considerably decreased.
Also, the low pressure atmosphere must have been realized with pressure lower than 1.0 Torr in the reaction chamber 2 to suppress production of the ammonium chloride, and dichlorosilane and ammonia must have been mixed in that atmosphere. Furthermore, the wall of the reaction chamber 2 must have been maintained at a high temperature (not less than 200.degree. C.) to prevent adhesion of the ammonium chloride. That is to say, the process in forming films is limited, which causes a problem that films can not be formed with appropriate device structure under optimum process conditions.
Also, in forming capacitor films for semiconductor or the like where the capacitor capacitance is secured in a small area, the film thickness is extremely small and it is required to form films having complicated cubic shapes with uniform film thickness because the surface area of the capacitor must be secured. Furthermore, to obtain a larger number of semiconductors from a single wafer to decrease cost of the semiconductor, the diameter of the wafer is on an increase. When processing wafers with large diameter by the method described in the Japanese Patent Publication No. 60-10108 with FIGS. 56, 57 and the like, however, there is a problem that the variation in the film thickness distribution in wafer increases.
Also, in order to realize film thickness with good reproducibility, the balance between the wafer temperature and the amount of reaction gas must be controlled. In the method shown in the Japanese Patent Publication No. 60-10108 with FIGS. 56, 57, i.e., in the method using the batch processing CVD apparatus, although the temperature distribution in the tube-shaped reaction chamber 2 is controlled so that the. wafer temperature increases from the upstream side to the downstream side of the gas to suppress variation of film thickness of a plurality of wafers 1, where the accuracy has a limitation. So, the number of wafers 1 processed at the same time is decreased and wafers 1 called dummy wafers are provided instead in the actual process, but it results in a problem of incurring a decrease of yield, that is, an increase in cost.
Furthermore, the properties of the underlying part in formation of the capacitor film must be accurately controlled to form extremely thin films with good reproducibility, but the method described in the Japanese Patent Publication No. 60-10108 (so called batch processing method) in which a plurality of wafers 1 are collectively processed at the same time had a problem that such control can not be made.
On the basis of such background, the CVD apparatus called the single wafer processing type (such as one described in the Japanese Patent Laying-Open No. 3-184327) described before referring to FIG. 60 has been developed there years. When using the single wafer processing CVD apparatus, however, there has been a problem that the pressure in the reaction chamber 2 must be increased to several Torr-several tens Torr from the conventional value 0.5 Torr to secure the productivity similar to the case using the conventional batch processing CVD apparatus.
The ammonium chloride produced when dichiorosilane or titanium tetrachloride and ammonia are used as reaction gases has such saturated vapor pressure characteristics. as shown in FIG. 58, that the ammonium chloride is solidified and attached unless the temperature of the wall of the reaction chamber is maintained at the high temperature as described above. The temperature of the wall of about 150.degree. C. was satisfactory with the low pressure in the reaction chamber being 0.5 Torr. However, there have been problems such as that the wall temperature must be increased to 250.degree. C. to inhibit the solidification of ammonium chloride if the pressure in the reaction chamber is increased to value from several Torr to several tens Torr, with the result that a vacuum seal member (o-ring) made of rubber generally used to maintain the vacuum state can not be used, and that the films can not be formed under the most suitable precess conditions.
Also, since the structure of the single wafer processing CVD apparatus is more complicated than that of the batch processing CVD apparatus, it is much in need to use metal materials such as SUS. However, the metal materials generally corrode more possibly due to chlorine at high temperature, causing a problem that it is limited to expensive metal materials with high corrosion resistance such as Inconel and glass materials such as quartz.
Also, in the conventional single wafer processing semiconductor producing apparatus shown in FIG. 60, since the high temperature portion of the vacuum chuck 5 is exposed to the reaction gas, a film is attached to the high temperature portion to cause occurrence of dust. If the reaction gas is corrosive gas, the wafer heating source 4 with high temperature corrodes to cause a problem. Furthermore, since the high temperature portion heated by the wafer heating source 4 and the reaction space 3 in which the wafer 1 is provided and reaction is executed are the same, there has been a problem that the wafer 1 and the thin film formed on the wafer surface may be contaminated from the wafer heating source 4 and the high temperature portion in the vicinity thereof.
Also, the wafer holding mechanism is the vacuum chuck 5, so that a vacuum layer is formed in the space between the wafer 1 and the wafer holding mechanism to considerably increase the thermal resistance between both, with the result that the temperature of the wafer heating source 4 must be increased to heat the wafer 1 to a high temperature (600 to 800.degree. C., for example) when forming a film. Furthermore, there has been a problem that the temperature distribution on the wafer 1 could not be made uniform if there were variations in the distribution of generation of heat by the wafer heating source 4.
Next, in the conventional semiconductor producing apparatus having the gas seal portion shown in FIG. 61, the effect of diffusion of reactive gas is large under low pressure such as several Torr as shown in the Japanese Patent Laying-Open No. 2-143526, therefore a large amount of inactive gas must be introduced to inhibit the diffusion and prevent invasion of reactive gas. Furthermore, there has been a problem that the inactive gas is introduced into the reaction chamber through a narrow gap portion in that structure, so that it will be jetted out into the reaction chamber even if a small amount of reaction by-products is attached.
Next, the conventional gas cleaning method described referring to FIG. 62 has a problem that even a surface of the susceptor on which the surplus depositions are not attached may be etched. The temperature of the susceptor generally increases to the second highest in the semiconductor producing apparatus, where that of the heater which is a heating source is the highest, and carbon coated with SiC is often used as material of the susceptor. The temperature in the apparatus is increased in cleaning to decrease the cleaning time, and it is a matter of course that the temperature of the susceptor also increases in this case. However the susceptor has some surface on which no surplus deposition is attached because they are in contact with the wafer and also has some part on which a large amount of surplus depositions are attached right in the vicinity thereof. Accordingly, there has been a problem that the surface having no surplus depositions attached thereon may be etched if the temperature is increased to 200-300.degree. C. or higher as described before to reduce the cleaning time.
Next, the structure of supplying reaction gas shown in FIG. 63 has a problem that, when a silicon nitride film is formed using SiH.sub.2 Cl.sub.2 and NH.sub.3 as reaction gases, these reaction gases produce the by-product NH.sub.4 Cl (white solid substance) even if they are mixed at room temperature, with a result that a portion in which the two kinds of reactive gases are mixed, especially the outlet portion of the piping for SiH.sub.2 Cl.sub.2 connected to the mixture transfer path 606 may be clogged and that foreign substances may attach on the wafer 1.
Also, if the two kinds of reaction gases are mixed and the reaction gas is supplied onto the wafer 1 through the gas nozzle 6 to form a thin film, there has been a problem in the uniformity of film thickness. For example, the data example of the film thickness distribution in 6-inch wafer surface formed with the above-described apparatus is shown in FIG. 64. In the film forming conditions, the total pressure was 30 Torr, the SiH.sub.2 Cl.sub.2 flow rate/NH.sub.3 flow rate diluted with N.sub.2 flow were respectively 10 sccm/40 sccm diluted with 550 sccm, and the wafer surface temperature was 700.degree. C. The data shows pattern of the film thickness distribution inclining on one side, where the film thickness on the side closer to the piping for SiH.sub.2 Cl.sub.2 is especially large. This indicates a problem that the reaction gases SiH.sub.2 Cl.sub.2 and NH.sub.3 are not mixed uniformly enough.

Semiconductor producing apparatus, and wafer vacuum chucking device, gas cleaning method and nitride film forming method in semiconductor producing apparatus


The present invention relates to a gradient index progressive addition spectacle lens that provides improved optical performance and a wide visual field. The lens comprises a plurality of axially layered and bonded lens sections of continuous curvature at least one of which has a refractive index gradient oriented transverse to a meridian of the lens that functions as a progressive intermediate vision zone between viewing portions of different refractive index that provide the refractive powers for corresponding vision portions of the lens. The other layer(s) of the lens incorporates a generally constant or similarly changing refractive index.

Progressive addition spectacle lenses are visual aids used in the management of presbyopia, the condition wherein the accommodative function of the eye is partially or fully lost. The Vision Council of America defines a progressive lens as a lens designed to provide correction for more than one viewing distance in which the power changes continuously rather than discretely. The power change of a progressive lens may be derived by modifying the surface curvature of a lens or the refractive index of the optical material comprising the lens, or both. A number of gradient index lens types have been proposed for use as progressive addition lenses. These lenses provide a change or gradient of refractive power over what may be termed a progressive intermediate vision or transition zone of the lens through a corresponding change in refractive index of the optical media comprising the lens, theoretically providing the advantage of reducing or avoiding the astigmatism associated with non-rotationally symmetric aspheric surface contours common to conventional progressive addition lenses. Due to problems associated with these designs, including issues and difficulties relating to manufacturing, there has been no commercialization of gradient index progressive power lenses. In order to provide adequate power for both distance and near vision functioning, a significant amount of refractive index change in the optical material is required. Ion exchange methods, proposed by some to achieve a refractive index change, may tend to offer both an undesirable gradient index profile and less than the needed power change for a progressive addition spectacle lens. Lenses produced by diffusion methods likewise have failed to provide adequate add power or realize commercial success.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,485,556 to Naujokas describes a multifocal plastic ophthalmic lens wherein there is provided a major lens portion of one index of refraction and a minor lens portion of a different index of refraction with a uniform index gradient therebetween. The plastic materials are produced by a process in which an interface is established between monomeric liquids and diffused over time in an isothermally controlled environment and then polymerized.
This lens at first appears to be capable of providing the stated distance and near vision properties. A ray tracing of the lens in accordance with the parameters set forth in the patent shows that only when a significantly high plus power configuration is utilized can an add power of even 1 diopter be achieved. Using the refractive indices of 1.5 and 1.6 identified in the patent a calculated plus power of 4.714 diopters is needed in the distance vision portion to achieve the only slightly greater power of 5.714 diopters in the near vision portion, thus the lens is useful only to those needing high plus power correction for distance vision. Furthermore, if a prescription incorporating cylinder power is produced on either the front or back surface, the cylinder power will vary and cause aberrations as a result of the changing refractive index.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,042,936 to Guilino et al. describes a progressive ophthalmic lens comprising a distance portion, the refractive power of which being designed for distance vision, a reading portion, the refractive power of which being designed for near vision, and an intermediate portion, in which the refractive power along the main line of vision at least partially increases continuously from the refractive power of the distance portion to the reading portion. A refractive index of the lens material varies along the main line of vision at least in the intermediate portion so as to at least partially contribute to the increase in refractive power and correction of aberrations.
According to the specification, each of two progressive ophthalmic lenses in front of the left or right eye is provided with a main point of vision (distance reference point) Bf for distance vision and a main point of vision (near reference point) Bn for near vision. Furthermore as stated, the distances y'BF and y'BN of the distance or near reference point from the apex of the lens have the following values:    Y'BF=4.0 mm, and y'BN=−14 mm
In other words, the main point for distance vision is 4 mm above the apex of the lens and the main point for near vision is 14 mm below the apex of the lens. Also stated in the specification, the refractive index function is a) solely a function of the coordinate y' so that by varying the refractive index, the increase in refractive power is produced only along the main meridian, or b) a function of the coordinate y' and x' so that not only the increase in refractive power along the main meridian, but also the correction of imaging errors on the main meridian and borne by the varying refractive index. Supported by the patent's drawings 4a and 4b respectively the index of refraction is shown in 4a to decrease below the main point for distance vision 4 mm above the apex of the lens to the main point for near vision at the −14 mm location, and well beyond. In fact the refractive index changes most dramatically below the −14 mm mark to the −20 mm mark (1.57 to 1.51[0.06 index units] over 6 mm) and comparatively least above the −14 mm mark to the 4 mm point for distance vision (1.57 to 1.604 [0.034 index units] over 18 mm). What this means is that the so-called reading portion has the most increase in refractive power change, and therefore fits more the definition of the intermediate portion, and the intermediate portion, from 4 mm to −14 mm, has comparatively the least increase in refractive power change, and therefore fits more the definition of the reading portion. A lens with altogether different refractive properties is needed to provide good optical qualities for a progressive ophthalmic lens.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,148,205 to Guilino et al. describes an ophthalmic lens having a front and an eye-facing boundary surface and a varying refractive index, which contributes to the correction of aberrations. The ophthalmic lens is distinguished by having at least one system of surfaces a given level (n(x,y,z)=const.) with a constant refractive index, which are spaced the same distance at all points in the direction of their surface normals (parallel surfaces), and which, respectively their extension, intersect the axis connecting the lens apexes of the front surface and the eye-facing surface. This patent describes a lens with a refractive index variation which depends on both the coordinate z lying in the direction of connecting axis of the apex of the lens and the coordinates x,y being perpendicular to the connecting axis, and therefore permits correcting aberrations and minimizing the critical lens thickness in a very simple manner. According to the specification, the gradients may be utilized for generating an astigmatic and/or progressive refractive power, with the design of the surface not or only partially contributing to the astigmatic and/or progressive refractive power. The bulk of the patent is directed to the use of what may be termed axial or modified axial refractive index gradients for the correction of aberrations and minimizing critical lens thickness. Only incidentally is there mention of the use of such refractive index gradients for a progressive addition spectacle lens. Such a design would appear to be very similar to that described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,042,936 to the same inventor filed less than one year earlier. Regardless whether the refractive index increases or decreases with increasing values of Z, such a progressive lens would suffer from similar or identical problems as the U.S. Pat. No. 5,042,936 lens referenced and described above.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,861,934 to Blum et al. describes a refractive index gradient lens comprising a composite of at least three different and separately applied layers, each layer having a different refractive index which allow for a progressive multifocal lens having a wide and natural progression of vision when looking from far to near. A transition zone disposed between a base and an outer layer includes a distinct and separately applied transition layer or layers having an effective refractive index which is intermediate between the refractive indices of the base and outer layers, and preferably approximates the geometric mean of the refractive indices of the base and outer layers. This transition zone may include multiple transition layers, with each transition layer having a different and distinct refractive index. In this lens invention the refractive indices of the base, outer and transition layer(s) are each constant throughout their respective layers. Included within the lens design is a region of varying thickness which defines a progressive multifocal zone. The technique of employing a transition zone having an intermediate refractive index is used in order to render the progressive multifocal area as invisible as possible. As stated in the patent, by way of example only, if the preform has a refractive index of about 1.50 and the outer layer has a refractive index of about 1.70, the refractive indices of three transition layers in a transition zone may be about 1.54, 1.60 and 1.66 as the layers progress from the preform to the outer layer. In this invention the gradient index does not contribute to the progressive power as in the previously mentioned prior art patents; rather, within the lens is a region of varying thickness which defines a progressive multifocal zone.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,942,339 to Dreher describes a multifocal or progressive lens constructed with a layer of variable index material, such as epoxy, sandwiched in between two lens blanks. The inner epoxy coating aberrator has vision zones configured to correct aberrations of the patient's eye and higher order aberrations. The variable index coating that comprises the inner layer of this lens does not provide the progressive add power of the lens, rather as stated in the patent it corrects for aberrations of the patient's eye. The lens has many of the limitations typical of aspheric progressive lenses.

Multi-layered gradient index progressive lens


A PWM controller has a line voltage input that allows using a start-up resistor for both start-up and power-limit compensations so that it can save the power consumption, ease the PCB layout, and shrink the power supply size. In the integrated circuit, a current switch used for both start-up and line voltage sensing is composed of a diode and a switch transistor. A current multiplier is used to improve the precise by canceling the impact of the integrated resistor's absolute value, which is composed of a transistor loop, a constant current and a reference current. Thus, by properly selecting the value of the start-up resistor, an identical output power limit for low line and high line voltage input can be achieved.

The PWM is a traditional technology used in the switching mode power converter to control the output power and achieve the regulation. Most of the equipments, such as mobile phone, TV game, computer and so on are using PWM power converters to supply power and charge battery. Various protection functions such as over-voltage and over-current protection are built in the power supply to protect the power supply and the load from permanent damage. The function of output power limit is generally used for the over-load and short circuit protection.
Referring to FIG. 1, it shows a conventional application circuit of the PWM power supply. A PWM controller 10 controls the power output and achieves the regulation. The operation of PWM-control starts on the charging of a start-up capacitor 18 via a serial start-up resistor 12 when the power is turned on until the supply voltage VCC reaches the threshold voltage, and then the PWM controller 10 starts to output a PWM signal and drive the entire power supply. After the start-up, the supply voltage VCC is provided from the auxiliary bias winding of the transformer 20 through a rectifier 19. A resistor 11 that is connected serially with the power metal-oxide semiconductor field-effect transistor (MOSFET) 17 determines the maximum output power of the power supply. The method is to connect the voltage (VS) of resistor 11 to the current-sense input of the PWM controller 10. If the voltage VS is greater than the maximum current-sense voltage such as 1V, the PWM controller 10 will disable the output of its OUT pin and restrict the maximum power output of the power supply. The energy stored in an inductor is given by
                    E        =                                            1              2                        ×                          L              p                        ×                          I              p              2                                =                      P            ×            T                                              (        1        )
Where Ip and Lp are the peak current and the primary inductance of the transformer 20 respectively, and T is the PWM switching period. The peak current Ip can be expressed as follows:
                              I          p                =                              Vin                          L              p                                ×                      t            ON                                              (        2        )
Where tON is the turn-on time of the PWM signal in which the power MOSFET 17 is switched on, and Vin is the input line voltage. Thus the output power (P) of a PWM power supply can be calculated as follows:
                    P        =                                                            Vin                2                            ×                              t                ON                2                                                    2              ×              T              ×                              L                p                                              ×          η                                    (        3        )
Where η is the energy transfer ratio from primary to secondary. Assuming the load is constant, as Vin varies from low to high, the output voltage (Vout) will be kept constant by automatically adjusting the tON through the feedback control loop of the power supply, and tON can be calculated from the equation (4) and the equation (5).
                    Vin        =                                                            N              ×                              (                                  1                  -                  D                                )                                      D                    ×          Vout                                    (        4        )                                D        =                                              t            ON                    T                                    (        5        )
Where N is the turn-on ratio, but the maximum tON is restricted and can be expressed as the equation (6) when the voltage in the VS pin is higher than a power limit voltage Vlimit, such as 1V in the PWM-control IC UC384X.
                              t          ON                =                                            V              limit                        ×                          L              p                                            Vin            ×            Rs                                              (        6        )
Rs is the resistance of a current sense resistor 11 which is added between the source of the power MOSFET 17 and the ground for current sensing. Furthermore, the maximum output power (Pmax) is also affected by the PWM controller's 10 response time tD. From the moment that the voltage in the VS pin is higher than the power limit voltage to the moment that the PWM controller's 10 OUT pin is actually off, there is a delay time tD. Within this delay time tD, the power MOSFET 17 is still on, and it will continue delivering power. Therefore, the actual turn-on time of the PWM signal is equal to tON+tD, and the actual maximum output power (Pmax) becomes as follows:
                              P          max                =                                            V              in              2                        ×                                          (                                                      t                    ON                                    +                                      t                    D                                                  )                            2                                            2            ×                          L              p                        ×            T                                              (        7        )
Although the tD time is short, generally within the range of 150˜200 ns, the higher the operating frequency is, the more impact is caused by tD because the switching period T is short and tD becomes relatively more important. Normally, tD is a constant time determined by the controller's speed. Thus, the maximum output power Pmax from the equation (7) will vary as the input line voltage Vin varies. When the safety regulations are taken into consideration, the range of the input line voltage Vin is from 90Vac to 264Vac, wherein the output power limit (PHight) of the power supply in high line voltage (Hight) is many times higher than the output power limit (PLow) in low line voltage (Low). If power limit voltage Vlimit is constant, the max output power Pmax will vary with the line voltage, as shown in FIG. 2. That's why line compensation is needed. And, a high voltage across the resistor 13 causes inconvenience for the component selection and printed circuit board (PCB) layout.

PWM controller with constant output power limit for a power supply


A method for managing storage devices includes, in response to a first determination that a first cloud storage device is inaccessible to a local storage device, obtaining metadata objects from a second cloud storage device, identifying, based on a sync time analysis, at least one metadata object of the metadata objects to be deleted, initiating the deletion of the at least one metadata object on a second cloud storage device, wherein the second cloud storage device is accessible to the local storage device, and updating, after initiating the deletion of the at least one metadata object, a namespace on a local storage device.

Computing devices generate and storage large amounts of data. Over time, the data that is stored may be transferred to a remote storage system. Depending on how the data is initially stored by the computing device, and how the data is stored on the remote storage system, it may be difficult to efficiently manage the locally stored data and the remotely stored data.

Method and system to efficiently recovering a consistent view of a file system image from an asynchronously remote system


A novel semiconductor device is provided.

With the increase in screen size, a television (TV) capable of displaying high-resolution images has been desired, and ultra-high-definition television broadcasting has been promoted. Experimental 8K digital television broadcasting started in 2016, and the full-scale launch of the broadcasting is planned. Accordingly, various electronic devices that are compatible with 8K broadcasting have been developed (e.g., Non-Patent Document 1).
Flat panel displays typified by liquid crystal display devices and light-emitting display devices are widely used for displaying images. As a semiconductor material of transistors included in these display devices, silicon, for example, is chiefly used. Recently, a technique in which a transistor using a metal oxide is used in a pixel of a display device has also been developed (e.g., Patent Documents 1 and 2).

Abstract: The semiconductor device has a function of changing a pixel selection period in accordance with a distance from a driver circuit. Specifically, when the distance between a first pixel and the driver circuit is longer than the distance between a second pixel and the driver circuit, the pulse width of a selection signal supplied to the first pixel is set larger than the pulse width of a selection signal supplied to the second pixel. Accordingly, writing of image signals to pixels provided far from the driver circuit can be accurately performed while the selection period for pixels provided near the driver circuit is kept short.

Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.


Apparatuses and methods are provided where a predefined voltage may be applied in a feedback circuit of a voltage regulator, the feedback circuit coupling and output terminal with an adjust terminal of the voltage regulator.

Apparatuses are known which provide an output voltage at a constant value. One kind of such apparatus is a low-dropout voltage regulator. Here, by means of a feedback circuit, the output voltage is provided at a comparably small difference with respect to a reference voltage. Sometimes the ratio of output voltage with respect to the reference voltage is referred to as gain of the low-dropout voltage regulator. Devices are known which provide a fixed gain typically being larger than unity. However, the fixed character of the gain may impose certain restrictions on system design of electronic circuits. In this regard, increased flexibility in the control of the gain of a low-dropout voltage regulator is sometimes desirable.


In an approach to determining a time before a recipient views a communication, a computer receives a communication from a sender in a collaboration application. The computer determines one or more attributes of the communication, the attributes including at least a recipient of the communication, and a plurality of viewing data for the recipient of the communication. The computer determines, based, at least in part, on the one or more attributes of the communication and the plurality of viewing data for the recipient, a time before the recipient views the communication in the collaboration application.

Collaboration applications, including messaging and social network communication platforms, allow users to send messages, post comments or chat in real time with other users online at the same time. Due to social media features like instant messaging and chat, which allow users to send quick messages built into the social media websites, social networking has become a popular forum for communication. With the increasing use of social networking within corporate and personal communication, including internet discussion forums and other social media websites, there is increased need for individuals to efficiently use this social network communication. In certain cases, a reply to a message or invitation may be urgent; however, the recipient may not be able to view the information in order to timely reply.
Particularly, on a discussion forum, a user can submit a question or topic and receive replies from other users. A forum can contain a number of sub-forums, each of which may have several topics. Within a forum's topic, each new discussion is called a thread, and can be replied to by as many people as so wish. A sender may create a post that requires a quick response; however, if the post is submitted at a time when few people are available to leave feedback or the post becomes buried within multiple replies from other users, the sender may receive a delayed response.

Determining a time before a post is viewed by a recipient

International Business Machines Corporation


Methods, systems and computer program products for providing modifications to an electronic messaging space to enhance presentation of content in a video broadcast are provided. Aspects include receiving electronic messaging space data including a location and a message content for each of a plurality of electronic messaging spaces. Aspects also include determining that a target electronic messaging space is visible in a video broadcast. Responsive to determining a location depicted by the video broadcast, aspects include determining a location of the target electronic messaging space and a message content displayed by the target electronic messaging space. Aspects also include causing the target electronic messaging space to modify the display of the message content for improved presentation via the video broadcast.

The present invention generally relates to electronic advertisements, and more specifically, to providing modifications to an electronic messaging space to enhance the presentation of content in a video broadcast.
Companies spend a lot of money on public messaging spaces, such as billboards, to present advertisements or other messaging to the public. It is not uncommon for public spaces containing such advertisements to be filmed and broadcast by television networks, online streaming services, or other such video distribution networks. For example, sports arenas where sports are regularly filmed commonly include electronic signage and popular city centers such as Times Square that can include multiple electronic billboards may be the sight of frequent news broadcasts. While the owners of the advertising spaces may receive extra viewership of their advertisements during such broadcasts, they often do not receive the full benefit of the video broadcast exposure because the billboards and advertisements are generally not likely to be oriented to face the camera or configured for optimal viewing on a video broadcast.

Modification of electronic messaging spaces for enhanced presentation of content in a video broadcast

INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION


A 5-IDT longitudinally coupled resonator-type SAW filter has a balanced-to-unbalanced conversion function. In areas where first to fifth IDTs are adjacent to each other, each IDT includes a narrow-pitched electrode finger portion. The IDTs are configured such that one condition selected from among conditions (1) to (3) and one condition selected from among conditions (4) to (6) are satisfied when the numbers and pitches of electrode fingers in the narrow-pitched portions of the first to fifth IDTs are denoted by N1 and P1, N2a and P2a, N2b and P2b, N3 and P3, N4a and P4a, N4b and P4b, and N5 and P5, respectively:                Conditions (1): When N1=N3=N5, 0.992≦P1/P3≦1.008 and P1=P5                     (2): When N1=N5<N3, 0.9≦P1/P3<1 and P1=P5             (3): When N3<N1=N5, 1 <P1/P3≦1.1 and P1=P5             (4): When N2a=N2b=N4a=N4b, 0.991≦P2a/P2b≦1.009 and P2a/P2b=P4b/P4a             (5): When N2a=N4b>N2b=N4a, 1<P2a/P2b≦1.1 and P2a/P2b=P4b/P4a             (6): When N2a=N4b<N2b=N4a, 0.9≦P2a/P2b<1 and P2a/P2b=P4b/P4a

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to balanced SAW filters having a balanced-to-unbalanced conversion function, and more particularly, to a balanced SAW filter including a 5-IDT longitudinally coupled resonator-type surface acoustic wave filter including five IDTs.
2. Description of the Related Art
As band-pass filters, surface acoustic wave filters have been widely used for RF stages of mobile communication apparatuses, such as cellular phones. In recent years, there has been a demand for surface acoustic wave filters of this type having a balanced-to-unbalanced conversion function, that is, a so-called balun function. Under such circumstances, recently, longitudinally coupled resonator-type surface acoustic wave filters have been used as band-pass filters for RF stages since longitudinally coupled resonator-type surface acoustic wave filters support higher frequencies and easily achieve the balanced-to-unbalanced conversion function.
A longitudinally coupled resonator-type surface acoustic wave filter having a balanced-to-unbalanced conversion function is disclosed in Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2004-96244 described below. FIG. 13 is a schematic plan view showing an electrode structure of the surface acoustic wave filter disclosed in Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2004-96244. A surface acoustic wave filter 101 includes five IDTs 102 to 106 disposed along a surface-acoustic-wave propagation direction. Reflectors 107 and 108 are disposed on both sides in the surface-acoustic-wave propagation direction of an area in which the IDTs 102 to 106 are disposed.
The IDTs 103 and 105 are commonly connected to an unbalanced terminal 111 with a one-port surface acoustic wave resonator 109 therebetween. The IDT 104, which is disposed in the middle, is divided into two portions in the surface-acoustic-wave propagation direction and includes first and second sub-IDT portions 104a and 104b. The IDT 102 and the sub-IDT portion 104a are commonly connected to a first balanced terminal 112. The sub-IDT portion 104b and the IDT 106 are commonly connected to a second balanced terminal 113.
With the five IDTs 102 to 106 connected as described above, the balanced-to-unbalanced conversion function is achieved. The 5-IDT longitudinally coupled resonator-type surface acoustic wave filter 101 achieves the advantages of reducing the insertion loss within a pass band, allowing easy adjustment of terminal impedance, and achieving further reduction in size. In addition, the total number of electrode fingers of the IDTs 103 and 105 connected to the unbalanced terminal 111 is smaller than the total number of electrode fingers connected to the balanced terminal 112, that is, the total number of electrode fingers of the IDT 102 and the sub-IDT portion 104a, or the total number of electrode fingers connected to the balanced terminal 113, that is, the total number of electrode fingers of the IDT 106 and the sub-IDT portion 104b. Thus, an impedance of the balanced terminals 112 and 113 is two to four times the impedance of the unbalanced terminal 111.
However, depending on a design parameter, the 5-IDT surface acoustic wave filter 101 generates an unwanted ripple within a pass band.

Abstract: When Conditions (1) and (4) are selected, Condition (7): N1≠N2a or P1≠P2a is satisfied.


The invention discloses synergistic pharmaceutical composition comprising an antibiotic and sophorolipid, to effectively combat the problem of antibiotic resistance by increasing the permeability of the antibiotic drugs across the outer membrane of bacteria. The sophorolipid being amphiphilic in nature can span through the structurally alike cell membrane and facilitate the entry of antibiotic drug molecules.

The advent of antibiotics for treating bacterial infections is considered as one of the major advances in modern medicine. However, compared with other drugs, the lifetime of antibiotics for clinical use has been substantially limited by the phenomenon of antibiotic resistance (Rossolini and Thaller 2010). Owing to the use and misuse of antimicrobials during past decades, majority of clinically important bacteria have developed multiple antibiotics resistance. Such infections are severe, difficult to manage and require longer and more complex treatments (Levy and Marshall 2004; Aiyegoro et al. 2011; Alanis 2005). In this scenario, it is imperative to develop new antimicrobials or new practices of delivery that are effective for the treatment of infectious diseases caused by drug-resistant microorganisms (Aiyegoro et al. 2011).
To overcome the problem of antibiotic resistance, the approaches such as nanotechnology, genomics are being developed (Allahverdiyev et al. 2011; Rossolini and Thaller 2010). However, these approaches require detailed study for each drug, response by the target organism and are specific in nature. Combined antibiotic therapy is an alternative approach which is being practiced against Tuberculosis for over fifty years involving the drugs with different modes of action (Englander and Friedman 2010). Based on this approach, the drug synergism between antibiotics and bioactive plant extracts has also been demonstrated (Adwan and Mhanna, 2008).
Further, biosurfactants are coming up as emerging class of biomedical compounds that are suitable alternative to synthetic medicines and antimicrobial agents, and could be used as safe and effective therapeutic agents or probiotics, especially at a time when drug resistance among causal organisms for many life-threatening diseases is on the rise (Singh and Cameotra 2004). Sophorolipid (SL) is a promising candidate for such applications being produced by non pathogenic yeasts, such as Candida bombicola, Candida apicola and Candida bogoriensis. They are generally present in the form of disaccharide sophoroses (2-O-β-D-glucopyranosyl-D-glucopyranose) linked β glycosidically to the hydroxyl group at the penultimate carbon of fatty acids (Bisht et al. 1999). These SLs possesses not only antimicrobial action but also act as antifungal, antialgal, antimycoplasma and antiviral agents (Van Bogaert et al. 2007). The proposed primary mechanism of action of these surfactants is membrane lipid order perturbation, which compromises the viability of microorganisms (Azim A et al. 2006). Moreover SLs offer the advantages of biodegradability, low ecotoxicity and the production based on renewable-resource substrates. The US FDA has also approved biosurfactants/sugar esters for the use in food and pharmaceuticals. SLs are not irritating to the skin, do not trigger allergic reactions and have an oral safety level which is greater than or equal to 5 mL/kg weight. Cytotoxicity was evaluated with human epidermal keratinocytes and was proven to be low (Van Bogaert et al. 2011).
Sun, X. et al., 2004 have demonstrated the synergistic effects of combination of SL and loess for harmful algal bloom mitigation to bring down the effective dose of both when used individually (Sun et al. 2004). MannosylErythritol Lipid-A, a type of glycolipidic biosurfactant containing cationic liposomes promoted the gene transfection efficiency five to seven times with mammalian cultured cells (Inoh et al. 2001).
Antibiotic agents are thought to diffuse freely through the cell wall of gram-positive bacteria. However, in gram-negative bacteria the diffusion of a given antibiotic agent depends on the permeability of the outer membrane. This permeability is determined by the particular structure of the membrane, which is composed of proteins and an asymmetric lipid bilayer (Gutmann et al. 1984). The outer membrane of bacteria contains various protein channels, called porins, which are involved in the influx of various compounds, including several classes of antibiotics. Bacterial adaptation to reduce influx through porins is an increasing problem worldwide that contributes, together with efflux systems, to the emergence and dissemination of antibiotic resistance. Gram-negative bacteria are responsible for a large proportion of antibiotic-resistant bacterial diseases. These bacteria have a complex cell envelope that comprises an outer membrane and an inner membrane that delimit the periplasm (Pagès et al. 2008). Thus while addressing the issue of antibiotic resistance, enhancing the permeability of drugs is of fundamental importance.
Combined antibiotic therapy has been shown to delay the emergence of bacterial resistance and also produces desirable synergistic effects in the treatment of bacterial infections (Adwan and Mhanna 2008). Also in case of nanoparticles, when they are used together with antibiotics; advantage is conferred that if bacteria have resistance against one of the components, a further component could kill them in a different manner (Rai et al. 2010).
The sophorolipid combinations with one or more known antiviral agents or one or more known spermicidal agents to produce alternative antiviral agents and spermicidal agents reported in US 20120231068 (Gross, Richard A).
In the light of the above, there is a need in the art to develop en effective antibiotic composition that can be successfully used against antibiotic resistance. Further, it is evident that none of the prior art reports a synergistic pharmaceutical composition comprising sophorolipid in combination with an antibiotic.

Pharmaceutical composition comprising sophorolipid in combination with an antibiotic

Council of Scientific & Industrial Research