An ink jet ink composition comprises a liquid vehicle, a single dye component, a surfactant and a glycol. The dye is water soluble and selected from the group consisting of Direct Dyes, Acid Dyes and Food Dyes, and preferably from the group consisting of Direct Yellow 86, Acid Red 249, Acid Red 92 and Direct Blue 199. Concentration of the dye is preferably in the range of 1% to 2% by weight. Using the ink composition of the present invention, images are generated by a continuous stream digital color press ink jet printing apparatus. In a preferred embodiment, to optimize runnability and jet straightness, the digital color press employs a gold orifice plate having an orifice diameter in the range of 0.7 to 0.8 mil.

In continuous ink jet printing, ink is supplied under pressure to a manifold region that distributes the ink to a plurality of orifices, typically arranged in a linear array(s). The ink discharges from the orifices in filaments which break into droplet streams. The approach for printing with these droplet streams is to selectively charge and deflect certain drops from their normal trajectories. Graphic reproduction is accomplished by selectively charging and deflecting drops from the drop streams and depositing at least some of the drops on a print receiving medium while other of the drops strike a drop catcher device. The continuous stream ink jet printing process is described, for example, in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,255,754; 4,698,123 and 4,751,517, the disclosures of each of which are totally incorporated herein by reference.
Full color graphics printing with such continuous ink jet systems is being developed and practiced by Scitex Digital Printing, Inc., in Dayton, Ohio. One challenge with developing a digital color press is to formulate inks which will run in the digital color press. Existing ink formulations are two-dye inks. Such previous inks which were formulated for 120 and 240 dots per inch (dpi) systems were tried in the digital color press, but unfortunately exhibited severe raggedness after a very short time. Furthermore, the prints produced were poor quality and unacceptable.
One major difference between the digital color press and previous systems is the orifice diameter, which is significantly smaller in the DCP as compared to other systems (e.g., 0.7 mil in the DCP compared to 1.8 mils in the Scitex 5000 printer and 1.3 mils in the Scitex 3600). As the orifice diameter decreases, jet straightness and wetting of the orifices in the peg area become vitally important. The slightest deposit or a non-uniform wetting on the orifice plate may cause excessive raggedness of the jets and results in poor print quality.
It is seen then that there is a need for an ink formulation capable of producing high quality acceptable print, which will run in a digital color press system.

System and method for achieving runnability and jet straightness for a digital color press


Using an LiTaO.sub.3 or LiNbO.sub.3 substrate, a proton exchange layer in a grid pattern, namely sprout areas of polarization inversion, is firstly, formed on the surface of said substrate and, after formation of the pattern, heat treatment is executed at a temperature of 200.degree. C. or more and for a holding time of 10 minutes or less. By maintaining the temperature gradient up to said heat treatment point at 50.degree. C./min. or steeper and by maintaining the temperature decrease rate from said heat treatment point at 50.degree. C./min. or faster, polarization inverted areas are formed downwards from the proton exchanged areas, while in addition to making the top ends of said polarization inverted areas into an acute angle, the depth/weight ratio of the polarization inverted grids being formed is made to exceed 1, thus enabling the production of a high-efficiency SHG element.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a quasi-phase-matching-type second harmonic generating element (hereafter called SHG) using substrates of non-linear ferroelectric optical substances such as LiTaO.sub.3 (hereafter called LT) and LiNbO.sub.3 (hereafter called LN) and the production method thereof and also of enhancement of the output light and efficiency of the SHG element. 2. Related Art
In recent years, the conversion of semiconductor laser of a wave length of 830 nm into a blue light of half that wave length, 415 nm by use of SHG elements has gained considerable attention as a compact, light weight blue light source.
Especially, those quasi-phase-matching-type SHG elements which feature polarization inversion grids formed with a period of 1-10 micron to match the wave length of the SHG light being generated, are regarded as promising elements for their easy phase matching and high SHG efficiency.
For example, pages 731-732 of the Electronics Letters, 25, 11 (1989), introduce a method as shown in FIG. 2 wherein periodic grids are produced on an LN substrate 21 by Ti diffusion and are heated up to about 1,100.degree. C. to invert selectively the polarization of the periodic grid layers to form triangular polarization inverted areas 31 before producing a light wave guide 13 by means of the proton exchange method therein fundamental wave 14 is injected to obtain SHG light 15.
Also, when using LT substrates, for example, as described on pages 2,732-2734 in the Appl. Phys. Lett. 58 (24) (1991), a method as shown in FIG. 3 is being tested wherein periodic grids are produced on a substrate 11 made of LT by proton exchange rather than Ti diffusion, said periodic grids being heated up to about 600.degree. C. to invert selectively the polarization of the periodic grid layers to produce semi-circular polarization inverted areas 41 before producing a light wave guide 13 by means of the proton exchange method wherein fundamental wave 14 is injected to obtain SHG light 15.
Furthermore, a method to form the polarization inverted areas by means of the electron beam method is also introduced (on pages 828-829 in the ELECTRONICS LETTERS 9th May 1991, Vol. 27, No. 10) wherein it was reported that deep polarization inverted areas were successfully formed to penetrate through an almost l mm thick crystal.
With a quasi-phase-matching-type SHG element, it has been theoretically proved that the efficiency of SHG light generation depends on the cross-sectional shape of the polarization inverted areas and if the cross section is made in a rectangular shape, the efficiency of conversion to a second harmonic can be raised by 4 times or more as compared with that by a triangular shape cross section and, furthermore, the positional accuracy of the polarization converted layers becomes less critical (on pages 1-6 in the Intern. Conf. on Materials for Non-Linear and Electrooptics, Jul. 4-7, 1989).
Nevertheless, with the cross sectional shape of polarization inverted grids formed through the Ti diffusion method using an LN substrate of triangular shape as shown in FIG. 2 as numeral 31 and that of polarization inverted grids formed through the proton exchange method of semi-circular shape as shown in FIG. 3 as numeral 41, SHG light has not yet been generated with an efficiency near that of an SHG element with polarization inverted grids of an ideal rectangular cross-sectional shape.
Also, in Ti diffusion areas, more optical damage tends to occur wherewith the index of refraction changes by strong light and in the proton exchange areas, the non-linear optical coefficient deteriorates making it difficult to exhibit the innate efficiency of SHG generation.
Furthermore, the proton exchange treatment method previously employed includes, as shown in FIG. 9, storing the proton source acid 353 inside a glass container 351 installed in a constant temperature bath 354, a substrate 352 being dipped into said acid 353. In this case, however, the glass container 351 tends to be corroded by the proton source acid and the surface of the substrate tends to become coarse or even cracked by the difference in the crystal orientation, since proton exchange is made in all directions in the substrate, thereby opposing the chemically damaging orientation of the acid. Furthermore, in the conventional method, the formation of polarization inverted grids and production of the light wave guide must be processed separately, thus requiring photo-lithography to be performed two or more times.
With the SHG element as presented in the Applied Physical Letters, the depth of polarization inverted grids is very shallow at 1.6 microns while the width is at 2.1 microns and not particularly suitable as a large output element and heat treatment requisition also is very high at 550.degree. C. The reason for there being a restriction in the depth with such an SHG element is because the diffusion proceeds isotropically and in order to form periodical polarization inverted grids, said diffusion must be confined to a certain extent as otherwise said grids: merge with adjoining grids thus impeding the formation of polarization inverted grids.
With the method employing an electron beam to form polarization inverted areas, since grids are pictured successively by electron beam, the depth and width of the polarization inverted grids in the direction perpendicular to the optical axis intrinsically become uneven, making it difficult to maintain uniformity and to generate SHG light satisfactorily. Also, in this method, it is difficult to form polarization inverted areas of larger size because of the occurrence of electron charge up.

Second harmonic generating element and the production method thereof


System, methods and apparatus are described that facilitate transmission of data, particularly between two devices within an electronic apparatus. Data is selectively transmitted as N-phase polarity encoded symbols or as packets on differentially driven connectors. A desired operational mode for communicating between the two devices is determined, an encoder is selected to drive a plurality of connectors communicatively coupling the two devices, and a plurality of drivers is configured to receive encoded data from the encoder and drive the plurality of connectors. Switches may couple outputs of the selected encoder to the plurality of drivers. One or more outputs of another encoder may be caused or forced to enter a high impedance mode.

1. Field
The present disclosure relates generally to high-speed data communications interfaces, and more particularly, multiplexing the input and output pins of an application processor embedded in the cellular phone.
2. Background
Manufacturers of mobile devices, such as cellular phones, may obtain components of the mobile devices from various sources, including different manufacturers. For example, the application processor and a cellular phone may be obtained from a first manufacturer, while the display for the cellular phone may be obtained from a second manufacturer. Moreover, multiple standards are defined for interconnecting certain components of the mobile devices. For example, there are multiple types of interface defined for communications between an application processor and a display within mobile device. Some displays provide an interface that conforms to the Display System Interface (DSI) specified by the Mobile Industry Processor Interface Alliance (MIPI). Other displays may utilize other kinds of physical interfaces, which may be more efficient than the conventional DSI. It would be economical for the same application processor to be configured for use with more than one display interface.

N-phase polarity output pin mode multiplexer


An x-ray laminography imaging system and a positioning system to be used therewith. The positioning system is configured to move the object in the X, Y and Z-directions (i.e., pitch and roll) to ensure that the object planes of the object that are being imaged are at least substantially parallel to the focal plane of the imaging system. The object is positioned so that object planes associated with the X, Y and Z-coordinates of points along the contour of the surface of the object are at least substantially parallel to the focal plane of the imaging system during imaging of the object plane. Because some objects, such as printed circuit boards, for example, are sometimes warped, by ensuring that the object plane being imaged is at least substantially parallel to the focal plane of the imaging system, precise laminographs are obtained. The preciseness of the laminographs ensures that the cross-sectional slices of the object are accurate, which improves the robustness of an inspection system that uses x-ray laminography to inspect objects.

Laminography techniques are widely used to produce cross-sectional images of selected planes within objects. Conventional laminography requires coordinated motion of any two of three main components comprising a laminography system (i.e., a radiation source, an object being inspected, and a detector). The coordinated motion of the two components can be in any of a variety of patterns, including linear, circular, elliptical and random patterns. Regardless of the pattern of coordinated motion selected, the configuration of the source, object and detector should ensure that, during a cycle of the pattern of motion, any given point in the object plane (i.e., the plane of focus within the object) will always be projected onto the same point in the image plane (i.e., the plane of the detector), and that any point outside the object plane will be projected to a plurality of points in the image plane.
In laminography, it is important to keep the focal plane very thin. If the coordinated motion is as it should be, a sharp cross-sectional image of the plane within the object that is in focus will be formed on the detector. Cross-sections of the object that are not in the focal plane (i.e., background images) will be blurred on the detector. The result is a sharp image of the desired plane within the object. In a laminography system that has a field of view that is smaller than the object being inspected, it may be necessary to move the object around within the field of view (FOV) of the laminography system to obtain multiple laminographs which, when pieced together, cover the entire object. Movement of the object is frequently achieved by supporting the object on a mechanical handling system, such as an X, Y, Z positioning table, that can be moved in the X, Y and Z directions. The table is moved to bring the desired X, Y regions of the object into the field of view (FOV) of the laminography system. Once the X, Y region of the object to be imaged is within the FOV, the object is moved in the Z directions so that the planes within the object where the cross-sectional image is to be obtained are generally parallel to the focal plane of the laminography system. Once the desired planes within the object along the Z-axis have been imaged for a given X, Y region, the X, Y, Z positioning table moves the object so that the next X, Y region to be imaged is within the FOV of the laminography system. The desired planes within the object along the Z-axis are then imaged by moving the object to selected positions along the Z-axis. This process continues until all of the desired cross-sectional images, or slices, needed to inspect the object have been obtained.
While this method of moving the object in the X, Y and Z directions to perform laminography enables various areas and planes of the object to be imaged and analyzed, there are limitations associated with the speed and accuracy of existing mechanical positioning systems. These constraints effectively act to increase cycle time, thereby reducing the rates at which inspection can occur. Furthermore, with existing mechanical positioning systems, the mechanical motions produce vibrations that tend to reduce the system resolution and accuracy. In addition, the laminographs obtained by such systems may be imprecise.
Accordingly, a need exists for a laminography positioning system that improves the accuracy of the laminographs and that enables laminographic inspection to be performed with great precision and improved throughput.

X-ray laminography system having a pitch, roll and Z-motion positioning system


A template for weighting and placement of finger holes in a bowling ball has a meridian plane indicator and an angular indicator. The meridian indicator includes a scale which determines the distance between placements of finger holes and a thumb hole for bowling balls. A second scale is on the angular indicator to determine placement of a weighted center of gravity with respect to a bowling ball pin. The angular indicator is positioned with respect to the meridian plane indicator such that the meridian plane indicator forms the supplementary plane of the angle indicating member.

The present invention relates to bowling ball accessories and, more particularly, to a template to weight and determine placement of finger and thumb holes in a bowling ball.
As the bowling ball continues to develop and evolve, it is important to ensure proper weighting and finger hole spacing in the ball. In bowling balls which include weight blocks which are specifically positioned to provide the bowling ball with optimum performance, it is necessary to correctly weight as well as position finger and thumb holes in the ball.
With the advent of weight blocks and reference pins on bowling balls, weighting and positioning finger holes in the ball has become more complex. Ordinarily, to weight a bowling ball and position finger and thumb holes in the bowling ball, the craftsman positions the ball onto a weighting machine and, by eyeballing the bowling ball, rotates it to hopefully a desired weight position. After this was done, the ball is again eye-balled to provide a new center of gravity with respect to the old true center of gravity. Once this process is complete, the craftsman eyeballs the position of the pin with respect to the center of gravity. After this is done, the craftsman again eyeballs and position marks on the bowling ball where the finger and thumb holes are to be drilled into the bowling ball.
As can be imagined, the bowling ball, with its high tech design, has now been weighted and has had holes drilled into it which has been done by complete guess work. Therefore, the guess work will offset any benefit of the bowling ball's high tech design. Thus, the bowler is unable to obtain peak efficiency and performance from his bowling ball. Thus, it is desirous to provide a device which will enable accurate determination of weight and position of finger and thumb holes in the bowling ball.
It is an object of the present invention to provide the art with a template which enables accurate weighting of a bowling ball. The present invention provides a measuring device to determine accurate placement of finger and thumb holes in the bowling ball. The present invention provides a scale to determine angular displacement of the weighted center of gravity with respect to the weight block indicator pin. Also the invention provides a method of weighting and determining placement of finger and thumb holes in the bowling ball.
Depending upon the amount of weight which is shifted to one side of the bowling ball or the other, this shift will have an influence on the amount of hook in the bowling ball as it rolls down a lane. Also, depending upon the positioning of the weight block indicator pin with respect to the weighted center of gravity of the ball, this positioning will provide the desired position of the weight block which again has an affect on the hook of the ball as it rolls down the alley or lane. By accurately positioning the indicator pin with respect to the weighted center of gravity, the bowling ball is able to perform at its optimum performance level. Thus, it is highly important that the bowling ball be accurately weighted and the placement of the finger and thumb holes be accurately determined.
From the following drawings, detailed description and appended claims, other objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art.


In a conventional storm overflow chamber of a combined sewer system, inflowing floating debris do not flow into an intercepting pipe in a rainy weather, and flow out to a public water body, causing a water pollution in the public water body. According to a vortex flow type water surface control device for a draining device of the present invention, a control plate (6) higher than at least a separating weir (1) is provided between an opening of an inflow pipe (2) and an opening of an intercepting pipe (3) in a storm overflow chamber of a combined sewer system. Moreover, a guide wall (7) higher than at least the separating weir (1) is provided along the separating weir between the opening of the inflow pipe (2) and the separating weir (1).

FIG. 5A and FIG. 5B are respectively plan views of a storm overflow chamber of a conventional combined sewer system, FIG. 6A and FIG. 6B show a state in a fine weather of the storm overflow chamber of the combined sewer system in FIG. 5A. Reference numeral 2 denotes an inflow pipe which opens on a side wall forming the storm overflow chamber. Reference numeral 3 denotes an intercepting pipe which similarly opens on a side wall.
Reference numeral 4 denotes an outflow pipe. Reference numeral 1 denotes a separating weir which is provided in the storm overflow chamber, separates the opening of the inflow pipe 2 and the opening of the intercepting pipe 3 from an opening of the outflow pipe 4, and is higher than the opening of the outflow pipe 4.
Reference numeral 5 denotes floating debris which flow from the inflow pipe 2. FIG. 7A, FIG. 7B, FIG. 8A, and FIG. 8B show states in a rainy weather of the storm overflow chamber of the combined sewer system shown in FIG. 5A.
In the conventional storm overflow chamber shown in FIG. 5A, entire waste water containing the debris 5 flows from the inflow pipe 2 into the intercepting pipe 3 in a fine weather, and then flows into a sewage treatment plant, and a pump station as shown in FIG. 6A and FIG. 6B. Rain water flows into the storm overflow chamber along with waste water in a rainy weather as shown in FIG. 7A and FIG. 7B, and if a water quantity exceeds a certain quantity, the water overflows over the separating weir 1 interposed between the inflow pipe 2 and the outflow pipe 4, and a part of the waste water containing the debris flows out to a public water body via the outflow pipe 4 as shown in FIG. 8A and FIG. 8B.
As described above, in the conventional storm overflow chamber, the inflowing floating debris 5 do not flow into the intercepting pipe 3 in a rainy weather, and flow out to the public water body via the outflow pipe 4, constituting a cause of water pollution in the public water body. One reason is a hydraulic characteristic in the rainy weather in the conventional storm overflow chamber. In the conventional storm overflow chamber, a water surface gradient is formed from the inflow pipe 2 toward the intercepting pipe 3 in a fine weather as shown in FIG. 6A and FIG. 6B, the floating debris 5 thus are entirely brought by the flow into the intercepting pipe 3. However, in a rainy weather, the intercepting pipe 3 is submerged in the water, the water surface rises in a vicinity of the inlet of the intercepting pipe 3, and the water surface gradient from the inflow pipe 2 toward the outflow pipe 3 is not formed as in the fine weather as shown in FIG. 7A and FIG. 7B in a rainy weather. In this state, the floating debris 5 do not flow into the intercepting pipe 3, and remain in the storm overflow chamber. If the quantity of the water flowing into the storm overflow chamber increases, and the water depth consequently exceeds the height of the separating weir 1 in the storm overflow chamber, the water surface gradient is formed by an overflow over the separating weir 1 from the inflow pipe 2 toward the outflow pipe 4 as shown in FIG. 8A and FIG. 8B. On this occasion, the floating debris 5 are almost entirely brought by the flow out to the public water body via the outflow pipe 4.
As means to solve this problem, it is necessary to generate a flow which facilitates the flow of the floating debris 5 into the intercepting pipe 3 in the storm overflow chamber, and it is thus necessary to improve the conventional storm overflow chamber so as to reduce the floating debris which flow out to the public water body.

Vortex flow type water surface control device for draining device

Tokyo metropolitan Sewerage Service Corporation


There is provided a production method of a compound represented by the following formula (II) through a step of reacting a compound represented by the following General Formula (I) with a sulfur compound.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method for producing a thiolane skeleton-type glycoconjugate and the thiolane skeleton-type glycoconjugate.
2. Description of the Related Art
It is known that thionucleoside obtained by substituting an oxygen atom with a sulfur atom exhibits an antiviral activity or an antitumor activity.
For example, it is known that 1-(2-deoxy-2-fluoro-4-thio-β-D-arabinofuranosyl) cytosine has an excellent antitumor activity and is useful as a tumor therapeutic agent (refer to WO1997/038001A).
Therefore, studies on routes for synthesizing thionucleoside and synthetic intermediates thereof have been actively performed.
Among these, reactions for forming a thiolane ring are also widely studied and proposed (for example, refer to U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,243,425A, 7,148,223B, JP4719356B, WO1999/043690A, JP2007-514643A, JP4202327B, and JP2006-335737A).
On the other hand, although not a glycoconjugate, synthesis of a benzotetrahydrothiophene ring (refer to JP2006-335737A) and a synthesis reaction of iminosugar (refer to CN1010585855A and Synlett, 2010, No 3, p. 488-492) are also known.

Method for producing thiolane skeleton-type glycoconjugate, and thiolane skeleton-type glycoconjugate

Abstract: In General Formulas (I) and (II), R1 represents a hydrogen atom or an acyl group, R2 represents a hydrogen atom, a fluorine atom, an acyloxy group, an arylmethyloxy group, an allyloxy group, an arylmethyloxycarbonyloxy group, or an allyloxycarbonyloxy group, R3 represents a hydrogen atom or an acyloxy group, R5 represents an alkyl group or an aryl group, and X represents a leaving group. Here, in a case where R2 is a fluorine atom, an acyloxy group, an arylmethyloxy group, an allyloxy group, an arylmethyloxycarbonyloxy group, or an allyloxycarbonyloxy group, R3 is an acyloxy group.


Generating notifications comprising text and image data for client devices with limited display screens is disclosed. An image to be included in the notification is resized and reshaped using image processing techniques. The resized image is further analyzed to identify optimal portions for placing the text data. The text data can also be analyzed and shortened for including at the identified portion of resized image to generate a notification. The resulting notification displays the text and image data optimally within the limited screen space of the client device so that a user observing the notification can obtain the information at a glance.

Rapid developments that occurred in mobile data networks and content providing devices have made available numerous information sources to users. Different types of content items such as text, audio, video or combinations thereof are provided to the users at their various devices. Content providing devices not only include mobile devices like tablet devices and smartphones but also include wearable devices such as eye glasses or smart watches.

Automatically creating at-a-glance content


Scintillator arrays and methods of making scintillator arrays are provided. One scintillator array includes a scintillator substrate having a plurality of scintillators spaced apart by gaps within the scintillator substrate and a smoothing layer overlaying a surface of the scintillator substrate within the gaps. The smoothing layer includes an organically modified silicate. The scintillator array also includes an optical reflector layer overlaying a surface of the smoothing layer within the gaps.

X-ray detectors may be used in a variety of different applications, such as for x-ray Computed Tomography (CT) imaging. In CT imaging systems, an x-ray source and a detector array are rotated about a gantry within an imaging plane and around the subject. The x-ray source, typically x-ray tubes, emits a fan-shaped beam toward a subject or object, such as a patient or piece of luggage. The beam, after being attenuated by the subject, impinges upon an array of radiation detectors.
X-ray detectors typically include a collimator for collimating x-ray beams received at the detector, a scintillator array, and photodiodes. In operation, each scintillator of the scintillator array converts x-rays to light energy, which each scintillator then discharges to an adjacent photodiode. Each photodiode detects the light energy provided and generates a corresponding electrical signal. The outputs of the photodiodes are then transmitted to a data processing system for image reconstruction.
With respect to the scintillator array, current CT detector configurations include a pixelated ceramic of a scintillator material. In these scintillator arrays, the wafers are cut (e.g., using a wire saw) to form pixelated structures, forming a space or gap between the pixels which is also known as a kerf. In conventional designs, the kerf may be filled with an epoxy containing a reflecting or absorbing material.
However, as a result of the cutting and the coating and drying or curing process of the pixelated scintillator structure, a surface roughness, particularly around or along the edges of the pixels, may exist. This, roughness causes additional scattering and adversely affects the performance of the scintillator array.


A reflection hologram structure including a transparent substrate, and a pattern of shielded hologram containing regions and transparent regions disposed on the transparent substrate, the pattern being unresolvable to the viewer. The shielded hologram containing areas comprise hologram subregions and shielding subregions overlying the hologram subregions. The shielding subregions comprise for example, opaque regions or partially illumination transmissive regions.

The subject invention is directed generally to slant fringe reflection holograms, and more particularly to slant fringe reflection hologram structures that are substantially free of fringe breakout flare.
Slant fringe volume reflection holograms, wherein the hologram fringes are not parallel to the surfaces of the hologram, are being utilized in head-up displays for aircraft and automobile applications. An important consideration with slant fringe reflection holograms is fringe breakout flare which is a form of transmission hologram flare. Fringe breakout flare is the result of the fringes extending to and breaking the surfaces of the volume hologram to effectively form gratings at the surfaces which act as transmission holograms that are reconstructed by light from the outside such as sunlight at the appropriate angle. Fringe breakout flare is seen by the viewer as a series of rainbow-like patterns as one would see holding any transmission grating up to a light.
The problem of flare components in general has been addressed by procedures by reducing the reflections in the hologram construction system. However, since fringe breakout flare is inherent in slant fringe holograms wherein the fringes extend to and break the surfaces of the volume hologram, the cause of fringe breakout flare could not be removed by reducing construction system imperfections. A known technique directed specifically to reducing fringe breakout flare involves reducing the contrast of the fringes near the surfaces of the volume hologram. This technique produces holograms whose characteristics are difficult to predict and/or calculate, and may not be applicable to all holographic recording materials.

Reflection holograms without transmission ghosts


In general, according to one embodiment, there is provided an active material. The active material contains active material primary particles of a monoclinic niobium-titanium composite oxide. The monoclinic niobium-titanium composite oxide contains at least one element selected from the group consisting of Mo, V, and W. A content of the at least one element in the monoclinic niobium-titanium composite oxide is within a range of 0.01 atm % or more and 2 atm % or less. Each of the active material primary particles has an aspect ratio within a range of 1 or more and less than 4 of a primary particle and a crystallite size within a range of 5 nm or more and 90 nm or less.

Recently, a nonaqueous electrolyte battery such as a lithium-ion secondary battery has been developed as a battery having a high energy density. The nonaqueous electrolyte battery is expected to be used as a power source for vehicles such as hybrid vehicles or electric cars or a large-sized power source for electricity storage. Particularly, for use in vehicles, the nonaqueous electrolyte battery is desired to have other performances such as rapid charge-and-discharge performances and long-term reliability. The nonaqueous electrolyte batteries capable of performing rapid charge-and-discharge have the advantage that a charging time is considerably short. In hybrid vehicles on which the nonaqueous electrolyte batteries capable of performing rapid charge-and-discharge are mounted, power performance can be improved. Moreover, in the hybrid vehicles, regenerative energy can be efficiently recovered the power.
In order to enable rapid charge-and-discharge, it is necessary for electrons and lithium ions to be able to migrate rapidly between the positive electrode and the negative electrode. When a battery using a carbon based material in the negative electrode undergoes repeated rapid charge-and-discharge, dendrite precipitation of metal lithium occurs on the electrode. Dendrites cause internal short circuits, which can lead to heat generation and fires.
In light of this, a battery using a metal composite oxide as a negative electrode active material in place of a carbonaceous material has been developed. Particularly, in a battery using titanium oxide as the negative electrode active material, rapid charge-and-discharge can be performed stably. Such a battery also has a longer life than those using a carbonaceous material.
However, titanium oxide has a higher (nobler) potential relative to metal lithium than that of the carbonaceous material. Further, titanium oxide has a lower capacity per weight. Thus, a battery formed by using the titanium oxide has a problem such that the energy density is low.
For example, the potential of the electrode using titanium oxide is about 1.5 V based on metal lithium and is higher (i.e., nobler) than that of the negative electrode using the carbonaceous material. The potential of titanium oxide is due to the redox reaction between Ti3+ and Ti4+ when lithium is electrochemically inserted and extracted. Therefore, it is limited electrochemically. Further, there is the fact that rapid charge-and-discharge of lithium ions can be stably performed at an electrode potential as high as about 1.5 V. Therefore, it is substantially difficult to drop the potential of the electrode to improve energy density.
As to the capacity of the battery per unit weight, the theoretical capacity of a lithium-titanium composite oxide such as Li4Ti5O12 is about 175 mAh/g. On the other hand, the theoretical capacity of a general graphite-based electrode material is 372 mAh/g. Therefore, the capacity density of titanium oxide is significantly lower than that of the carbon-based negative electrode. This is due to a reduction in substantial capacity because there are only a small number of lithium-insertion sites in the crystal structure of titanium oxide and lithium tends to be stabilized in the structure.
In view of such circumstances, a new electrode material containing Ti and Nb has been examined. Particularly, in a monoclinic Nb—Ti composite oxide represented by TiNb2O7, during the Li-insertion into this composite oxide, charge compensation, in which Ti changes from tetravalence to trivalence and Nb changes pentavalence to trivalence, takes place. As a result, the monoclinic Nb—Ti composite oxide represented by TiNb2O7 exhibits a theoretical capacity of 387 mAh/g, and can exhibit a high capacity, and thus has been a focus of attention.

Active material, nonaqueous electrolyte battery, battery pack and battery module


The method of combusting lean fuel-air mixtures comprising the steps of:. a. obtaining a gaseous admixture of fuel and air, said admixture having an adiabatic flame temperature below a temperature which would result in any substantial formation of nitrogen oxides but above about 800.degree. Kelvin, PA1 b. contacting at least a portion of said admixture with a catalytic surface and producing reaction products, PA1 c. passing said reaction products to a thermal reaction chamber, thereby igniting and stabilizing combustion in said thermal reaction chamber.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to improved systems for combustion of fuels and to methods for catalytic promotion of fuel combustion. In one specific aspect the present invention relates to low thermal emissions combustors for gas turbine applications.
2. Brief Description of the Prior Art
Gas turbine combustors require the capability for good combustion stability over a wide range of operating conditions. To achieve low NO.sub.x operation with variations of conventional combustors has required operating so close to the stability limit that not only is turndown compromised, but combustion stability as well. Although emissions can be controlled by use of the catalytic combustors of my U.S. Pat. No. 3,928,961, such combustors typically also have a much lower turndown ratio than conventional combustors with efficient operation limited to temperatures above about 1400 Kelvin with an upper temperature limited not only by NO.sub.x formation kinetics but by catalyst materials survivability, thus limiting use in some applications.
The present invention meets the need for reduced emissions by providing a system for the combustion of fuel lean fuel-air mixtures, even those having exceptionally low adiabatic flame temperatures.


An electric brake system with a parking function is configured to actuate an electric motor when there exists a request to apply a parking brake. With the motor being actuated, the electric brake system moves a locking pin from an unlocking position to a parking/locking position. The electric brake system is further configured to prohibit the actuation of the electric motor even if the brake pedal is operated while the vehicle is at a stop and when the parking brake operation has stopped.

Old vehicle brake systems are mostly hydraulic ones which use hydraulic power as their driving source. However, with the introduction of sophisticated brake controls such as anti-lock brake systems (ABS's), electric brake systems are gathering much attention these days because electric brake systems are capable of improving the performance of these brake controls. Such an electric brake system includes an electric motor as a driving source for a braking mechanism for applying a braking force to each vehicle wheel, and configured to generate the braking force by actuating the motor when the brake pedal is operated.
The applicant of this application has proposed an electric brake system having the parking brake function, namely the function of continuously applying a parking brake to a wheel of a vehicle while the vehicle is parked (below-identified Patent document 1).
The electric brake system with a parking function disclosed in Patent document 1 includes an electric motor, a braking mechanism configured to press a friction pad against a rotor which rotates together with a wheel of a vehicle, under the power of the electric motor, thereby applying a braking force to the wheel, an intermediate gear disposed in the power transmission path through which the power of the electric motor is transmitted to the braking mechanism, and a locking pin capable of engaging in and disengaging from any one of engaging holes formed in a side surface of the intermediate gear. The locking pin can be advanced and retracted between a parking/locking position at which the locking pin is engaged in one of the engaging holes, and an unlocking position at which the locking pin is engaged in none of the engaging holes. By advancing the locking pin with a locking pin-driving locking actuator, the locking pin can be engaged in one of the engaging holes, thereby preventing rotation of the intermediate gear.
To apply the parking brake, the electric motor is actuated to apply the braking force, and with the braking force applied to the wheel, the locking pin is advanced by the locking actuator until the locking pin is engaged in one of the engaging holes formed in the side surface of the intermediate gear.
When the parking brake operation has completed, torque in the brake-releasing direction (reaction force torque) is being applied to the intermediate gear due to the reaction force to the pressing force with which the friction pad is pressed against the disk rotor, so that the locking pin is kept engaged in the engaging hole by the frictional resistance generated between the intermediate gear and the locking pin due to the reaction force torque. This allows the braking force to be continuously applied to the vehicle wheel even after the electric motor is de-activated, while the vehicle is parked.

Electric brake system with parking function


Methods for fabricating two-dimensional imaged metal articles on webs by electroless deposition of metal onto a catalytic pattern rotogravurely printed onto moving webs travelling at linear speeds of up to 500 meters/minute using low viscosity catalytic ink comprising polymer and compound, complex or colloid of a Group 1B or Group 8 metal. Such two-dimensional imaged metal articles comprise areas or fine lines, e.g. less than 100 micrometers wide, which are useful as electrical devices such as circuit connectors, antennas and the like or as mechanical devices such as levers, gears and the like. With modification of the metal component or addition of other materials, such two-dimensional imaged metal articles can be useful a electronic devices such as diodes, resistors, capacitors and the like or as energy conversion devices such as batteries, sensors or fuel cells. The catalytic inks have appropriate rheological properties of viscosity and surface tension that permit non-sagging, non-spreading images to be printed onto a web which can travel vertically into a drying zone.

Printing using catalytic inks has been practiced for producing patterns which are catalytic to electroless deposition for producing a variety of products including printed circuitry an decorative metal patterns. Typically catalytic inks contain a metal for catalyzing electroless deposition, e.g. copper, silver or a noble metal such as palladium. Such inks are used to produce catalytic patterns on a non-conductive substrate, e.g. by screen printing, by lettering from a felt tip pen, by ink-jet processes and the like. The metal components for catalytic inks have been in a variety of physical forms, e.g. dissolved salts, colloidal hydrosols, and particulates such as powder or flake. The inks have a wide range of rheological properties depending on the intended method of application. For instance, inks for application by ink-jet have especially low viscosity and consist essentially of palladium salt in an organic solvent. Inks for screen printing have especially high viscosity, e.g. are referred to as pastes, and consist typically of polymer binder and particulate metal.
The following patent publications disclose the production of printed circuit boards by electroless deposition on a catalytic ink pattern. EPO publication 0 132 677 discloses low viscosity ink (e.g. 0.3-100 cp) comprising a catalytic metal solution which is applied to a surface by an ink-jet or ink-mist process.
In U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,493,861 and 4,622,411 a catalytic pattern is formed by spraying through a template a palladium-containing alkyl resin solution; the patterned resin is hardened for 5 hours then electrolessly deposited with nickel. U.S. Pat. No. 4,622,411 also discloses the silk screen printing of palladium-containing prepolymer which is cured for 8 hours prior to electroless deposition of nickel.
In U.S. Pat. No. 4,322,457 catalytic patterns are formed by printing a surfactant ink which is dried, treated with a sensitizing agent, e.g. a tin salt, then catalyzed by treating with a palladium solution.
In U.S. Pat. No. 3,745,045 catalytic inks are based on epoxy paint containing metal flakes, e.g. of nickel or aluminum.
Screen printing of catalytic patterns requires the use of pastes having high viscosity due to high solids levels and particulates. Because of their viscosity such pastes typically have long drying times, e.g. at least about 1 hour. For instance, in U.S. Pat. No. 4,248,921 the paste comprises metal particles, metal salt and polymer; in U.S. Pat. No. 4,469,714 the paste comprises a thermosetting or U.V. curable resin containing finely divided palladium catalyst; in U.S. Pat. No. 4,832,989 pastes comprise copolymer binder, palladium compounds and inorganic particulate such as aerosols, titanium dioxide, talc and the like and illustrative pastes dry in about 1 hour at 100.degree. C.; in British Patent Specification 938,365 high viscosity (i.e. 200 poise) catalytic inks comprise phenolic resin, powdered metal (e.g. aluminum) and powdered silica; in Canadian Patent 1,271,374 pastes comprise a palladium compound and inorganic filler in a polyurethane solution and illustrative pastes dry in about 1 hour at 150.degree. C.; in PCT publication WO 88/02592 pastes comprise copolymer binder, inorganic particulate and palladium compounds and illustrative pastes dry in about 30 minutes at 150.degree. C.; in PCT publication WO 87/04190 high viscosity (15,000-200,000 cp) inks comprise polymer and metallic powder; and in U.S. Pat. No. 4,670,351 high viscosity (15,000 to 200,000 cp) inks comprise curable silicone and finely divided metal powder.
Japanese Kokai 59038370 discloses catalyst of fine metal powder in a polymeric binder; Japanese Kokai 62207878 discloses catalytic paste containing a palladium hydrosol, a surfactant and a water soluble binder; Japanese Kokai 62078179 discloses printing paste of high melt point metal powders; and Japanese Kokai 63270474 discloses aqueous catalytic ink comprising 0.2-0.8 wt. % silver salt, 40-60 wt. % starch base binder, 0.2-1.3 wt. % silane coupling agent and 0.5-3.5 wt. % sulfur compound.
Despite the variety of printing inks and techniques disclosed as useful for producing printed circuitry and other conductive metal devices, a major deficiency is the slow speed of the methods. For instance, the disclosed screen printing is typically carried out on stationary substrates using slow drying paste requiring a large holding area to dry the printed image. Although screen printing can be applied to a moving web, such processing is impractical due to the slow drying associated with typically disclosed pastes. Moreover, such pastes typically contain high levels of particulate solids which preclude the use of pastes for fine imaging. Although low viscosity inks are disclosed, the associated printing techniques, e.g. spraying through a template or ink-jet printing, are not typically fast when applied to moving webs.
Many of the problems of the prior art are overcome by the high speed printing methods of U.S. Pat. No. 4,368,281 which discloses the production of flexible printed circuits having line widths as little as 10 mils (250 micrometers) using a variety of printing techniques, e.g. flexographic, silk screen, intaglio, at speeds of 25-260 ft/min (8-80 meters/min) using a catalytic printing ink containing 12-15 percent by weight solids (palladium complex, a polymeric resin adhesive, pigment filler and crosslinking agent) and up to 88 percent by weight solvent. Depending on the printing technique, ink viscosity is adjusted e.g. 4000 cp for screen printing, 300-1200 for flexographic printing and 80-350 cp for intaglio printing, using a variety of fillers, preferably ferric oxide, or fast evaporating solvents, e.g. trichloroethane. It is disclosed that the ink should contain 8-15 weight percent filler. After drying in a hot (80.degree.-110.degree. C.) air blast, the ink is crosslinked by baking at 90.degree.-100.degree. C. for about a minute. Intaglio printing utilizes an engraved roll in which the web is deformed into the cavities to contact ink.
An object of this invention is to provide a improved method for fabricating articles such as printed circuits by electroless deposition on catalytic images formed on moving webs traveling at high speeds, e.g. up to 500 meters/minute, using catalytic inks comprising low levels of solids comprising polymer and catalytic metal.
Another object of this invention is to provide a method for printing on moving webs catalytic images in fine line widths, e.g. less than 100 micrometers, and as narrow as about 25 micrometers, which can be metal plated for utility as electrical, electronic, energy conversion and/or mechanical devices.
Still another object of this invention is to provide continuous methods of printing, drying and activating images of catalytic ink on moving webs and plating metal on the activated-imaged moving web.
These and other objects that will be apparent from the advantages described in the following specification and illustrative examples are met by the invention set forth in the following claims for methods of producing articles using catalytic inks.

Fabricating metal articles from printed images


A luggage handle includes a support unit, a control unit and an operation unit. The support unit includes an outer tube having at least one locking hole. The control unit includes a first casing, a second casing, a slide, a push spring, a push shank, an elastic member, a weight and a restoring spring. Thus, when the luggage handle is subjected to a larger shock, the weight is moved downward to move its stop block to abut the limit block of the slide to prevent the locking stub of the slide from being detached from the locking hole of the outer tube and to prevent the pull bar and the inner tube of the operation unit from being moved outwardly from the support seat of the support unit.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a handle assembly and, more particularly, to a retractable luggage handle.
2. Description of the Related Art
A conventional luggage handle comprises a support unit, a control unit and an operation unit. The support unit includes an outer tube having a side provided with at least one locking hole, and a support seat mounted on an upper end of the outer tube. The control unit includes a housing movably mounted in the outer tube of the support unit, a slide movably mounted in the housing and having a first end provided with a locking stub detachably locked in the locking hole of the outer tube and a second end provided with a driven portion, a push spring biased between the second end of the slide and the housing, a push shank movably mounted on the housing and having a lower end provided with a drive portion detachably pressing the driven portion of the slide and an upper end provided with a pressing portion, and an elastic member biased between the pressing portion of the push shank and the housing. The operation unit includes an inner tube movably mounted in the outer tube of the support unit and having a lower end connected with the control unit, a pull bar movably mounted on the support seat of the support unit and having a lower end connected with an upper end of the inner tube, a drive rod movably mounted in the inner tube and having a lower end abutting the pressing portion of the push shank to move the push shank of the control unit toward the slide of the control unit and an upper end provided with a thrust portion movably mounted on the lower end of the pull bar, and a push button movably mounted on the lower end of the pull bar and abutting the thrust portion of the drive rod to push the drive rod toward the push shank of the control unit.
In operation, the elastic member pushes the pressing portion of the push shank upward relative to the housing so that the drive portion of the push shank is moved upward to detach from the driven portion of the slide. At this time, the push spring pushes the slide toward the locking hole of the outer tube so that the locking stub of the slide is locked in the locking hole of the outer tube to lock the control unit onto the outer tube of the support unit and to lock the operation unit onto the outer tube of the support unit.
When the push button is pressed by a user, the thrust portion of the drive rod is moved downward to push the drive rod which pushes the pressing portion of the push shank to move the push shank of the control unit toward the slide of the control unit, so that the drive portion of the push shank is movable to press the driven portion of the slide to drive the slide outwardly relative to the outer tube and to detach the locking stub of the slide from the locking hole of the outer tube so as to unlock the control unit from the outer tube of the support unit and to unlock the operation unit from the outer tube of the support unit. Thus, the operation unit is movable freely relative to the support unit so that the pull bar and the inner tube of the operation unit can be pulled outwardly from the support seat of the support unit.
However, when the luggage handle is thrown during transportation, the luggage handle is easily subjected to a shock due to a hit or collision, so that the drive rod is easily moved downward due to the shock to push the push shank toward the slide and to detach the locking stub of the slide from the locking hole of the outer tube. Thus, the pull bar and the inner tube of the operation unit can be moved outwardly from the support seat of the support unit so that the pull bar and the inner tube are easily deformed or worn out due to a larger hit or collision.

Luggage handle whose pull bar will not be released suddenly due to an accidental shock or collision


According one embodiment, a method for manufacturing a semiconductor device is provided, which includes forming a pair of element isolation insulation films on a semiconductor substrate, forming a gate electrode structure on sides of the gate electrode structure, selectively removing oxide films that are formed on a top surface of the diffusion layer and a top surface of the gate electrode by placing the substrate in a gas atmosphere selected from the group consisting of F, Cl, Br, I, H, O, Ar, or N; and irradiating the semiconductor substrate with microwave radiation. The method also includes depositing a metal film on a top surface of the diffusion layer and a top surface of the gate electrode, and a silicide film is formed by heating the substrate.

In the process of manufacturing semiconductor devices, when forming a silicide film on a diffusion layer or a gate wiring layer, the natural oxide films, which are generated on the surface of the area where the silicide film will be formed, is removed in advance. To remove such oxide films, various wet etching and dry etching methods are used.
However, when removing such oxide films, portions of other films (for example, oxide insulating films used as the STI (Shallow Trench Isolation), oxide insulating films used as the side wall film of the gate wiring, and so on) are also removed. Removal of the other films can cause failure of the semiconductor devices, such as through current leakage in the device, etc.
Similarly, during etching processes for forming a contact hole, a part of the insulation film forming the side of the contact hole is etched. Additionally, in the cases where an insulating film is formed at the bottom of the contact hole, such as a borderless contact hole, the insulating film at the bottom of the contact hole is etched, which can lead to current leakage.

Manufacturing method of a semiconductor device


A measuring device for providing data corresponding to a geometric configuration in space, in the form of a flexible, compliant, measurement member capable of bending in at least one degree of freedom and extending along a medial axis or plane. The member has spaced flexure sensors distributed at known locations on the member and separated by known sensor spacing intervals to provide flexure signals indicating the local state of flexure present at the locations. The member comprises a multiplicity of formed, i.e. shaped, fibers, these fibers including sensing fibers having sensing portions which provide the flexure sensors, the sensing portions of different fibers being located at differing distances along the member so as to be located at the sensor spacing intervals, the formed fibers being in mutually supporting relationship, as by continuous or repeated contact with each other. Such fibers may constitute most or all of the member.

This invention relates to sensor technology. In particular, the invention relates to a tool or device for measuring the geometric location and configurations of objects in space. The invention is suited to robotic applications and to monitoring or measuring human geometry and motion. This invention represents modifications and improvements in the inventions described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,127,672, issued Oct. 3, 2000 to Lee Danisch, and PCT Appln. No. PCT/CA98/00213, published as WO98/41815, which are both incorporated by reference.
A preferred application, amongst others, is in the field of animation effected by motion capture of movements by the human body.
Various technologies have been applied to measure the location, orientation and surface shapes of objects in space.
In the field of robotics it is known to determine the location of a flexible member formed by a series of rigid, linked elements in space by measuring the angular degree of rotation existing at the various joints joining such linked elements.
Rotations in a flexible member include bending that is transverse to the longitudinal extent of the member; and twisting that occurs about an axis which is coincident with the longitudinal extent of the member. Both types of movement or distortions qualify as xe2x80x9cflexuresxe2x80x9d.
Twist is usually negligible in sensor structures based on cylinders, rods, and other solids with significant cross-sectional dimensions. However, it can be very advantageous to measure the presence of twist in elongate, flexible members that are rope-like in their flexibility. Such members would be very convenient for incorporation in garments.
Thus one object of the present invention is to provide an improved flexible member or reference platform equipped with distributed sensors wherein changes in the shape of the member are sensed by the sensors in such a way that the complete shape of the member can be found by calculations from the outputs of the sensors.
Another object of this invention is to provide an instrumented flexible member that is sufficiently compliant to substantially conform to the surface of a curved object and act as a sensor to provide electronically processable data as to the shape of that surface.
A variety of sensors exists for measuring the state of flexurexe2x80x94bend and twistxe2x80x94in an object; these include optical fibers and conductive metal fibers, i.e. wires. A convenient class of sensors particularly suited to this objective relies on fiber optics.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,321,257 to Lee Danisch, describes modified optical fibers that are provided with a light absorbent region on a portion of the outer fiber surface, especially on one selected side of the outer fiber surface, such region providing a bend sensor whereby the curvature at such modified region may be remotely detected by the change in the overall light transmission capacity of the fiber. This prior patent depicts, in FIG. 12, the deployment of clusters of modified fibers capable of detecting a bend at a particular location in three dimensional space. The associated fiber ends are all connectable at one end to a multi-fiber light source, light sensing and signal processing unit. These modified fibers, or so-called xe2x80x9cbend enhanced fibersxe2x80x9d, are referenced in the aforesaid ""672 patent.
The aforesaid U.S. Pat. No. 5,531,257 also discloses three optic fiber sensors mounted in parallel, with the sensors being sensitive to bending in separate directions, and which are used for resolving bends in multiple DOFs in a flexing structure. However, this prior patent does not suggest any method of dealing with twist, which would cause ambiguity or be undetectable in the readings of the patented sensor method of this ""257 patent. Accordingly, this patent does not deal with the problem of determining the complete position and orientation of a longitudinally extended structure based only on measurement of flexure.
Another problem with this simple structure is that when three straight fibers are bent, some will be extended and some compressed, due to difference in radius of curvature, which leads to significant errors in measurement.
A further paper on this subject by the inventor herein entitled xe2x80x9cLaminated Beam Loopsxe2x80x9d has been published in SPIE Vol. 2839, pp. 311-322, 1996. The contents of this paper, the above referenced United States patents and the published PCT application PCT/CA94/00314 are all incorporated by reference herein.
Optical fiber sensors can measure bend and, in accordance with the invention described in the aforesaid ""672 patent, twist, based on the disposition of the fiber and the location of the treated, light absorbing region of the fiber surface along the fiber. The sensitive region of the fiber can be contained within a running length of on the order of three millimeters to many centimeters for example 30 cm, depending on desired sensitivity and the dimensions of the fibers. This provides a corresponding span for the sampling of the average state of curvature of the sensing region of the optic fiber. Fiber optic technology is convenient for use in sensors because it is robust, benign and inexpensive. The aforesaid ""672 patent describes various forms of measuring tools which incorporate bend and twist sensors, of which the preferred forms are fiber optic based sensor systems that can provide remote information on the locations of objects in space, the shape of surfaces and changes in the shape of surfaces. However, the ""672 patent is not limited to fiber optic based sensors. Similarly, while the present invention will also be described principally in relation to fiber optics sensors, it is not limited to systems using such sensors.
The invention of the U.S. ""672 patent, according to one aspect, is a shape and position measuring tool which comprises the following features:
1. a longitudinally extending, flexible substrate having a compliant reference surface and being capable of bending in at least two degrees of freedom so as to be configurable in three dimensional space;
2. a plurality of spaced bend sensor means and a plurality of spaced twist sensor means each of said plurality of sensor means being respectively coupled to and positioned at specific discrete locations, on and at known respective bend sensor and twist sensor spacing intervals along the longitudinal extent of the substrate, to provide flexure signals indicating the respective local state of bend and twist present in the substrate at the respective locations where the respective bend sensor means and twist sensor means are coupled to the substrate;
3. sensor data processing means coupled to the bend sensor means and the twist sensor means for receiving signals therefrom and for presenting data on the geometric configuration of the reference surface of the substrate in three-dimensional space,
wherein the sensor data processing means operates by determining the geometric configuration of the substrate from the bend and twist signals derived from the flexure signals provided by the bend sensor means and twist sensor means at their specific locations and from the spacing intervals between such sensor means.
As indicated, the shape measuring tool of the ""672 patent included a flexible substrate which carried the bend and twist sensors at specific locations on the substrate. The substrates included ribbons (FIGS. 5, 6 and 8), and ropes (FIG. 7). Substrates of sheet form were also contemplated, including a planar array with substantial width as well as length, for example a xe2x80x9ckeyboardxe2x80x9d type of device.
The present invention is based on similar principles, but with the omission or minimization of the presence of a substrate for the support and positioning of flexure sensors.
The invention in its general form will first be described, and then its implementation in terms of specific embodiments will be detailed with reference to the drawings following hereafter. These embodiments are intended to demonstrate the principle of the invention, and the manner of its implementation. The invention in its broadest and more specific forms will then be further described, and defined, in each of the individual claims which conclude this Specification.
It has now been found possible and in some cases advantageous to construct flexible members similar to those described in the ""672 patent but wherein there is no substrate, or only a minimal substrate, additional to the fibers which provide the sensors.
Accordingly, the present invention provides in one aspect a measuring device for providing data corresponding to a geometric configuration in space, the device in one aspect being in the form of a flexible, compliant, measurement member capable of bending in at least one degree of freedom, the member extending along a medial axis or plane and having spaced flexure sensors distributed at sensing locales having known locations on the member and separated by known sensor spacing intervals to provide flexure signals indicating the local state of flexure present at said sensing locales.
According to one embodiment the measurement member comprises a multiplicity of formed fibers, as defined below, said formed fibers including sensing fibers having sensing portions which provide said flexure sensors, the sensing portions of different fibers being located at sensing locales at differing distances along said member so as to be located at said sensor spacing intervals, said formed fibers being in mutually supporting relationship, the overall form of the measurement member being substantially maintained by the form of the constituent fibers themselves or by their continuous or repeated contact with each other to enhance the strength or stability of the member. The fibers may have continuous or repeated connections with each other, such as by being interwoven or entwined to provide dimensional stability. Alternately, the fibers may be sufficiently rigid to be self-supporting without inter-fiber contact. The xe2x80x9cformxe2x80x9d of the device refers to the organization and placement of the fibers with their sensing portions, allowing that measuring device is, overall, flexible and capable of conforming to various shapes in space.
Such fibers are preferably obliquely deployed or formed in the sense that their sensing portions are obliquely oriented with respect to the extent of the member itself.
The term xe2x80x9cfiberxe2x80x9d in this context means an element of a member with primarily axial extent, its path describable by a space curve, which is a well-defined mathematical entity with mathematically defined bend and twist. The term xe2x80x9cfiberxe2x80x9d includes an element of polygonal cross-section.
The term xe2x80x9cobliquely formedxe2x80x9d in relation to fibers, or xe2x80x9cobliquely orientedxe2x80x9d in relation to sensing portions, means being non-straight or non-aligned with the medial axis or plane of the member when the medial axis or plane of the member is straight or flat, i.e. fibers have a two-dimensional or three-dimensional form when the overall member is straight or flat. These formed fibers are normally deployed in a cyclical or repeating pattern. Formed fibers may either be fibers such as optical fibers which have been heat treated while being deformed so as to have a permanent shape, or they may be non-straight merely by virtue, for example, of being twisted into the form of a rope or knitted or woven into a textile.
Formed fibers have the following useful properties for this invention:
a) Formed fibers have an ability to support each other by repeated contact or repeated connections amongst the fibers and along the member constituted by the fibers. This ability to support each other despite flexure of the member in one or more degrees of freedom preferably persists over a large angular range of both bend and twist. The mutual support between the fibers, which gives the member an integral structure, distinguishes the member of this invention from:
1) a mere bundle of loose fibers, and
2) multiple straight fibers held in a non-planar bundle by adhesives
b) The formed fibers can readily form cyclical structures, i.e. structures with repeating patterns, for example ropes, ribbons formed by adjacent wavy fibers, and woven or knitted textile type structures. Such structures may have cyclically repeating curves that take on cyclically repeating pairs of opposed deformations locally within each curve during curvature of the measuring device, without substantial changes in the net extension or compression of the fibers along the full extent of the device whereby said curvature can occur without overall slippage of fibers along their full length. Preferably, the fibers are optical fibers with loss zones having a circumferential orientation and axial placement along each fiber, said orientation and axial placement producing a desired circumferential orientation and axial placement of light loss with respect to the device resulting from the formed curves of the fibers, such that the loss geometry produces modulation of the light indicative of the position and orientation of the device.
c) Structures made of the formed fibers have an ability to flex over a large range of bend and twist without significantly slipping past each other either locally or over their complete extent, and without a substantial net extension or compression of the fibers axially along the member. When used in a rope, out-facing waves of one fiber are extended under tension, while in-facing waves of the same fiber compress, with the net extension being zero. Local slip is minimal and can be designed to be within the elastic limits of an adhesive, if any is used.
As an example of a two-dimensional (when flat) form of the invention, a multiplicity of formed fibers in the configuration of a wavy ribbon (wavy within its plane) may be used as a measurement instrument. Such ribbon may be affixed to a moving body and will follow the movements without buckling, because the formed waves are able to bend slightly within the plane of the ribbon throughout their lengths, thereby absorbing length differences inherent in measurements outside the neutral axis of a body. Similar attachment of an unwaved ribbon will result in buckling of the ribbon during axial compression. The waves also permit sensing of twist, which is impossible if the fibers are purely axial in lay.
Another aspect of the invention when the member is of an undulating or cyclical form is that flexure results in changes in the proximity (edge-to-edge) and register (axial loci change relative location axially along the fibers) between adjacent cycles of the formed shape, for example a helical shape. This occurs in cyclical fashion along the overall member, without an overall change in length of the fibers.
d) Formed fibers according to the invention provide the ability to sense twist, since the fibers have sensing portions which are obliquely oriented to the axial direction or plane of the member. A suitable structure may be made particularly sensitive to twist by having a wind-up/wind-down portion of the member that has extra twist present over a limited span that includes sensing portions. Such a structure may be tailored to be minimally responsive to bend, by adjustment of the extra-twist portion. A twist-sensitive portion of fiber gives a maximum response if oriented 45 degrees to the medial axis or plane of the member.
e) the invention provides a means of treating the fibers in their formation so that the imposed form imparts to treated zones desired three dimensional angular orientations within the member and bipolar response to curvature of the member. This can be made to occur even if the same zones had only axial orientation and unipolar response to curvature, when straight and flat.
In some circumstances, all the formed fibers extend substantially the full length of the member. In fact, the member may be made up entirely or largely of the formed fibers, so that the stiffness of the member is not substantially greater than the combined stiffness of the fibers. Similarly, the formed fibers may provide the major part of the tensile strength of the member. In particular cases, formed optical fibers which are sensing fibers, i.e. have sensing portions, may constitute a large portion, or virtually the whole of, the member.
It will be shown in this disclosure that cyclical structures enable an advantageous interplay between the cyclical form and the functions required of sensors on the fibers. These advantages hold even for structures that do not support each other as in a) above, but rather are relatively stiff so that the structure is a grouping of cyclical fibers held in interrelation by end supports. An example is three helixes like helical springs with a common central axis, held at the ends, for example, by disc-shaped plates, but that do not touch each other. Such a structure can bend and twist, has formed fibers, and provides an improved platform on which to place sensors. These structures are distinguished over the prior art in part by the fact that at least most of the formed fibers extend substantially the full length of the member so as to contribute materially to the strength of the member, and in one variant, no structure other than the fibers is necessary to maintain structural integrity.
In some cases, formed fibers, including sensing fibers, may make up most or all of an elongated member, but not all the formed fibers need extend the full length; this results in a tapered member in which each fiber extends just as far as is necessary along the member, to the point where it is required to sense bending or twist.
Generally, the member is elongated and the sensors are spaced along the member at said locations. In order to measure twist as well as bending, portions of at least some of the fibers which constitute the sensors are obliquely orientated to the longitudinal dimension of the member, preferably at 45 degrees, to the member medial axis for an elongate member. However, the member may also be in the form of a flexible sheet, with the sensors spaced all over the sheet. In such case, the sensing portions of at least some of the fibers are obliquely oriented either with respect to each other or with respect to the plane of the member.
For the elongated member, the invention works by sampling curvature at multiple, spaced intervals along the elongated member. The invention relies upon inter-referencing the position of flexure sensors located at known intervals along the member with the location of adjacent sensors so that the location of all sensors with respect to each other is known.
Bend can be measured about either one or two axes that are orthogonal to the longitudinal dimension of the member, depending on the nature of the member. Thus a measurement member of rope-like form would require that bending be sensed about two such axes, either directly or indirectly.
By providing a member which is deformable only in restricted degrees of freedom, the number of sensors required can be reduced. In one preferred configuration, the member is in the form of a ribbon formed of a series of fibers, for example optical fibers, connected together side-by-side. In such case bend sensors may be the only sensors required for measuring flexure of the ribbon in its permitted bending mode. This reduces the number of bend sensors needed per unit of length.
A ribbon is an article which is substantially limited to bending along its length about axes which are transverse to the longitudinal dimension of the ribbon and within the plane of the ribbon, while the ribbon remains free to twist about its longitudinal dimension. Thus a single bend sensor will suffice to measure bend at a location along a ribbon. To complete the definition of the geometric configuration of the ribbon-like member, twist must also be measured by twist sensors located at known intervals along the longitudinal extent of the length of the ribbon. Such bend and twist sensors may be interspersed with each other or be co-located along the ribbon. The ratio between such types of sensors may depart from a strict ratio of 1:1. Furthermore, in many cases each individual sensor is responsive to two or more degrees of freedom, such as two degrees of freedom of bend and one of twist, and the degrees of freedom are separately determined by mathematical operations involving all of the sensors in a similar region.
When the member is of a ribbon-like configuration employing both bend and twist sensors, freedom of movement and tracking of the geometric configuration of the ribbon in three dimensional space is nevertheless available. This is because the ability of a ribbon to twist allows portions of the ribbon to be re-oriented in any direction in space.
An elongated configuration for the invention can also be implemented by applying an instrumented planar fibrous tape of fibers assembled in the ribbon-type format helically to the outside, or inside, of a cylindrical flexure of resilient material, for example a hose. When a hose-like carrier is employed, sensor communications may pass through the core. While a carrier may contribute to the strength or stability of the member, the oblique orientation of the sensing portions of the fibers allow for bend and twist conditions to be monitored along the length of the member. The fibrous tape in such case contributes materially to the overall strength or stability of the composite member, preferably the greater portion. In the case of a helically coiled fibrous tape or ribbon, according to the invention, used in conjunction with a tubular carrier, counter-rotating helical components may be combined as in the structure of a) braided rope, or b) a layer wound clockwise, surmounted by a layer wound counterclockwise. This further enhances the mechanical stability of the structure, such as making it resistant to twisting.
The invention is an improvement over previous forms in that the fibers are either a) on the neutral axis of the member as in the case of a ribbon with side-by-side fibers or b) bend and twist without net elongation as in the case of rope and tube forms where outward-facing curves extend and inward-facing curves compress during curvature of the member.
Where the bend and twist sensors are sensing portions of optical fibers that have been rendered sensitive to their state of curvature as described above, the optical fibers which form the member, or a main part of the member, will usually have only one such sensing portion on each fiber, the positions of which are strategically arranged to sense bending at appropriate places on the member. However, the light sensing portions may be made specific to certain light wavelengths, and may be connected to light source and signal processing units which provide the different wavelengths and which distinguish between them, in which case each fiber can have several light sensing portions at different positions along its length and can produce information relating to bend at the different positions.
In the case of a ribbon that is generally constrained to exhibit bending about axes extending transversely to the ribbon""s length, the sensors may be portions of optical fibers that are aligned parallel to the plane of the ribbon and in the direction of its longitudinal length at the locations where bending information is required. The sensing portions of an optical fiber may be generally aligned to lie across the axis about which bending is to occur, e.g. the axes extending transversely to the length of a ribbon.
For convenience of signal processing in a ribbon member, both twist and bend at a single location can be measured using two bend sensors having their bend sensing portions oriented at angles with respect to each other. These bend sensors may or may not be looped optical fibers, as described in PCT Application PCT/CA94/00314 (published as WO 94/29671), and in the aforesaid ""672 patent. The directions of the sensing portions of the pair of fibers are preferably oriented at substantially the same angle off the longitudinal median line of the ribbon member and preferably at 45 degrees to the longitudinal dimension of the member for maximal effect. This permits two fibers to be used to measure both bend and twist at a single location by processing their outputs to extract their sum and difference signals as a measure of twist or bend. The referenced angular orientations simplify signal processing. With computational adjustments other angles would still be able to provide both twist and bend values from a splayed pair of sensors. Since the sensors will normally be operated in their linear ranges, the computations normally involve sums and differences of linear equations which are very amenable to high speed automatic computation.
By assembling distributed sets of sensors, flexure sensing regions may be formed not only linearly, as along a supporting rope or ribbon-like member, but also over an area of a flexible sheet-like member. The sensor portions can be in groups and can consist of bend and twist sensors, or dual-direction bend sensors, which are able to completely describe the shape of the sheet. Using data on the state of curvature at each sensing region, and knowing the separation between sensors, the signal detection system can construct a depiction of the shape of the sheet. With the sheet placed in contact with a geometric surface of unknown form, the shape of such surface can be measured, at least where the sheet and surface are in contact.
In all forms, the sensors for bend need not be co-located with the sensors for twist, and/or bend sensors need not be co-located with their differently oriented bend sensing mates. It is sufficient for them to be distributed along the member at known intervals that allow the configuration of the member to be determined.
Although most references herein have been made to inextensible flexures, extensibility can be allowed to exist in the member. Thus, a possible form of the invention could be a stretchable member wherein not only bend and possibly torsion are measured but also extension. The degree of extension must be detected to ensure that the spacings between the flexure sensors will be known. Extension sensors could include portions of conductive elastomers sensitive to extension. For convenience and to improve compliance, extension could be limited to a small increase in length beyond which the flexure becomes functionally inextensible. Alternatively, in a xe2x80x98doubly formed embodimentxe2x80x99, a sensor body with an elongate form (e.g. a tape, rope, rod, etc.) containing formed fibers with loss zones to sense its bend and twist is further formed (e.g. by heat treatment or adhesives) to follow a sinuated path, e.g. a helical path. The extension and compression of the resulting doubly formed member will be measured along with the other details of its shape as a consequence of measuring the aforesaid bend and twist and thereby determining position and orientation of all portions of the elongate sensory member.
In sensing members of this invention, formed largely or entirely of formed fibers, one of the most useful forms for bend and twist sensing is the helix, which is a cyclical 3 dimensional structure defined by constant bend and twist along its length when undeformed (unbent). Other useful forms for sensing members of the invention include loops and waves which are primarily 2 dimensional structures. Cyclical flexures provide many opportunities for exploiting shape sensing.
Many constructions are based on the helical form. A good example is rope, which comprises fibers wound into strands, which are in turn wound into the rope. The elastic tendency of the fibers to unwind from the strands is counteracted by winding the strands into rope in a direction opposite to that used to wind fibers into strands. Then any unwinding of the fibers tends to tighten the strands within the rope. Forces and moments within the system reach equilibrium to maintain the structure of the member. Another example of use of the helical form is the helical covering for wires and cables, formed from a bent and twisted band of metal or plastic.
Ropes, and other helical forms, are examples of cyclical members or flexures made up of formed fibers which provide repeating zones with similar orientations. This allows bend or twist sensing to be distributed along an extent of a single sensor fiber (or pair, or triplet, or larger subset of fibers at a known location) of a larger array of such subsets. The single sensor or grouping can take on the repeating characteristic, such as an orientation of 45 degrees to an axis, without requiring that all the fibers forming the entire member have that orientation.
Most cyclical structures provide flexibility while permitting significant lateral deflections. This is true of sinuous ribbons, ropes, and textiles (2D elongate, 3D elongate, and 2D or 3D elongate or planar structures respectively). A sinuous or wavy ribbon, i.e. wavy within its plane, which may be made by glueing sinuous fibers together, will be able to extend and compress during flexing of the body because the individual waves can extend and compress by bending within their planes. A helical rope can be twisted into a larger helix and a sinuous ribbon can also be twisted into a helix. The lateral deflections provided by cyclical structures are useful when the sensor must surround another body, such as a flexible endoscope whose shape is to be sensed, or carry elements such as wires or return fibers within its structure, or when the sensor has a multiplicity of fibers or wires that take up space. The combination of flexibility and lateral deflectability may be exploited to a high degree in sinuated, looped, and helical structures.
Ropes and textiles were invented millenia ago to conform to arbitrary surfaces, and employ the same sinuations, loops, helixes, braids, and woven or knitted elements that will be demonstrated herein for sensor structures which use formed fibers at least some of which are sensing fibers. Significant improvement over straight fibers attached to flexible substrates is effected by the use of cyclically repeating, sinuous fibers that form a sensing member through interrelationship without a separate substrate. Examples include ropes and textiles with sensing capabilities along the fibers.
Unless the sensing fibers (optical, wire, etc.) are at the neutral axis, some slippage between the fibers and any substrate used, in addition to the fibers, must be permitted to occur or bend and twist sensing will be compromised. This is because a length change must be accommodated for any in-extensible/incompressible flexure lying against or upon another similar flexure, when both are bent: both flexures can accommodate the same radius of curvature only if allowed to slip one upon the other. If slip is not allowed to occur, either one of the fibers will buckle in compression at the point of weakest attachment, or bend in a plane will be converted to twist or out-of-plane bending of the fiber. These problems can largely be avoided by forming the member from the fibers themselves, without any additional substrate.
The foregoing summarizes the principal features of the invention and some of its optional aspects. The invention may be further understood by the description of the preferred embodiments, in conjunction with the drawings, which now follow.


A system and method for determining a composite bounded probability distribution of values of a first parameter at one or more values of a second parameter. A bounded probability distribution of values of a common first parameter is defined for each of one or more values of a common second parameter. A composite bounded probability distribution is determined for the portfolio at a selected value of the second parameter by performing a frequency domain convolution using the bounded probability distribution of each object at the selected value of the second parameter.

Predictions of future value are critical in industries ranging from business planning to stock market prediction to health outcomes to military outcomes to political outcomes to horse racing.
For instance, Monte Carlo methods are used in insurance, investment, and other industries to predict likely outcome or future value. Monte Carlo methods (or Monte Carlo experiments) are a class of computational algorithms that rely on repeated random sampling to estimate likely outcome. Monte Carlo methods are especially useful for simulating complex non-linear systems with coupled interactions. These methods have been used to model phenomena with significant uncertainty in inputs, such as the calculation of risk in business. Related patents in this area include U.S. Pat. Nos. 8,095,392, 8,036,975, and their precedents.
In theory, Monte Carlo systems can handle arbitrarily large and complex systems provided sufficient rules and interactions are defined. In practice, often hundreds of thousands of trials need to be run to get rough approximations of likely outcomes. For example, 10 independent input variables trialed 10 times each yields 10 million system trial outputs (10{circumflex over ( )}10), yet if effects related to a single input are significantly non-linear, it is possible that maxima and minima will be missed by this rough sampling. Therefore, Monte Carlo-based predictions are costly in terms of the time and resources needed to perform the calculations. Further, many computer-based Monte Carlo methods require explicit statements (computer programmed rules) defining the complex relationships between inputs and outputs.
Neural Nets have been used to replace programmed rules by using learning sets to train the nets. In this approach, data replaces knowledge and understanding of interactions—the programmed rules. But, with sufficient and good training data, Neural Nets have been shown to predict not just optima, but also likeliness of outcome. Again, typically histogram approximations to probability distribution curves, surfaces, etc, are produced.
Genetic Algorithms, Particle Swarm methods, and other optimization techniques have been used to reduce the number of trials needed to find local and sometimes global optima, but typically at the expense of understanding interactions. Optimization methods work well when many inputs are involved to find the "best" but typically, these methods will not expose interactions or the solution space: A small cloud of points around "best outcome" is typically produced, along with tracks to that point, but a distribution describing the probability of the outcome or likelihood of second best—is not produced.
One major fault with most numerical methods—no matter how complex, is that they rely on a good understanding of the problem (the rules), or sufficient data to describe the solution space. Most numerical methods rely on explicit knowledge: who, what, where, when, how much, quantified statements of likelihood, facts. Yet most business decisions, and most other decisions people make, that is to say, attempts to predict future value or likelihood of outcomes (the subject of this patent), are made using both explicit knowledge and tacit knowledge. Explicit knowledge: who, what, where, when, how much, quantified statements of likelihood, facts. Tacit knowledge: why, beliefs, opinions, feelings, hunches, and other non-quantifiable statements of likelihood.
Methods have been developed that work to incorporate tacit domain expert knowledge, along with other processing tools like decision fault trees, decision maps, models, and other visualization tools like the process of U.S. Pat. No. 8,103,601. Fundamentally, these methods are trying to get at the fact that much of the knowledge used by business executives, and everyone else, to make decisions is tacit rather than explicit, and are incorporating expensive processes to turn that tacit knowledge into rules amenable to processing by logic trees and other numerical methods.
Business planners use methods such as Gantt charts, the Critical Path Method (CPM) and Program Evaluation Review Technique (PERT) to attempt to understand critical paths and time to completion. In one approach, the project planner assigns a minimum, maximum and expected duration to each task, earliest start and finish times and last start and finish times. A simulator calculates an ending date as a function of the minimum, maximum and expected durations, the earliest start and finish times and the last start and finish times. In one such approach, the minimum, maximum and expected duration assumptions for each task are modeled in the simulator using a triangular, beta or gamma distribution of possible duration values. Such an approach is described by Johnathan Mun in Advanced Analytical Models, John Wiley & Sons, Jun. 2, 2008. Such approaches are useful for scheduling but are less useful for predicting changes in value over time.

System and method for calculating future value


Concepts and technologies are disclosed herein for collecting and analyzing data in a distributed sensor network. The distributed sensor network can include a number of distributed sensor systems having data sources such as sensors, communication equipment, and/or other systems and components. The distributed sensor systems also can include lighting systems, if desired. The distributed sensor systems can collect data from the data sources and provide the data to a local or remote entity such as a data analysis engine. The data analysis engine can request data from the distributed sensor systems, receive the data, and analyze the data for various purposes.

This application relates generally to data collection and analysis. More specifically, the disclosure provided herein relates to collecting and analyzing data in a distributed sensor network.
Usage of cellular and/or other mobile communications network services has increased. In the case of cellular networks in particular, the growth in use of these networks has created some challenges with regard to capacity. In particular, overlap between cells can limit the number of users that can be simultaneously supported by a particular cellular tower. This problem can be particularly pronounced with macro cells, which may cover a large geographic area. Because of limited availability of frequencies for cellular communications, and because overlap of cells may further limit the ability to support a growing number of users, cellular network capacity challenges can cause dropped calls and/or other communication problems for users.
Macro cells also can pose other challenges for network operators. In particular, many macro cells support communications in large geographic areas. For example, some towers may support a geographic area that may have a radius over one or more miles. The network reporting mechanisms of the cellular equipment can provide a wealth of useful information. Some of the information, however, may not be useful since network operators may be able to garner only a limited understanding of a geographic area with which the data is associated. Thus, data indicating a number of users communicating via a particular macro cell may provide little useful information for network operators as geographic areas associated with a number of overlapping and/or adjacent cells may encompass an extensive geographic area.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Collecting and analyzing data in a distributed sensor network