The present invention provides a switchable wide band receiver front end device for a multiband receiver which includes a broadcast signal receiver (1) for receiving broadcast signals within multiple receiving frequency bands, which are divided into channels; a wideband low noise amplifier (2) connected to the broadcast signal receiver (1) for amplifying the broadcast signals of all frequency bands and for outputting amplified output signals which are branched to multiple switches (11, 12, 13) of a switching device (10), wherein the number of switches (11, 12, 13) corresponds to a total number of receiving frequency bands; multiple filters (22, 23, 24) each connected to a respective switch (11, 12, 13), wherein each filter passes all signals within an associated receiving frequency band; a mixer (30) connected to the output side of each filter for mixing the filtered signals with a locally generated mixing signal from a frequency synthesizer to produce intermediate frequency signals; and a controller (14) for outputting a first control signal to the switching device (10) for switching on one of the switches, whereby one of the multiple receiving frequency bands is selected, and for outputting a second control signal to the frequency synthesizer (31) to generate a mixing signal corresponding to the selected receiving frequency band.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a switchable wide band receiver front end or front end device for a multiband receiver.
2. Prior Art
Although applicable to any digital, mobile system, the present invention and its underlined problems will be discussed with particular reference to GSM mobile systems.
In general, GSM is designed as an international digital cellular service. Originally, the 900-MHz band was reserved for GSM services, wherein the frequency band from 890 to 915 MHz is reserved for the uplink and the frequency band from 935 to 960 MHz is reserved for the downlink, i.e. sending data from a base station to a mobile station.
Since GSM first entered commercial service in 1992, it has been adapted to work at 1800 MHz for the Personal Communications Networks PCN in Europe and at 1900 MHz for Personal Communications System PCS in the United States. Accordingly, there exist three main GSM systems operating at three different receiving frequency band. Therefore, a mobile station including a wide band receiver front end has to be switchable between the different receiving frequency bands to be operable in different areas having different GSM standards.
FIG. 1 shows a conventional receiver front end for switching between multiple receiving frequency bands RX1 to RXn using a switching means SW which is connected on its input side to an antenna A. The switching means SW of this conventional receiver front end comprises multiple switches S1 to Sn, wherein the number of those switches corresponds to the number of receiving frequency bands RX1 to RXn. Each of the switches S1 to Sn is connected to a narrow band LNA which amplifies the received signal within the predetermined receiving frequency band via a respective bandpass filter BP11 to BP1n. Each of the multiple narrow band low noise amplifiers LNA1 to LNAn is connected on its output side to bandpass filters BP1 to BPn which suppress all signals outside of the corresponding receiving frequency band. Each of the filtered output signals is mixed with a corresponding locally generated mixing signal LO1 to LOn from a frequency synthesizer by multiplication within an associated mixer M1 to Mn and passed to a further narrow-banded bandpass filter BP having a bandpass frequency characteristic to pass only the signal which has a frequency in the range of the chosen physical channel. Accordingly, in a GSM system, the bandwidth of the narrow bandpass filter BP is approximately 200 kHz.
As can be seen from FIG. 1, a conventional receiver front end comprises multiple low noise amplifiers LNA1 to LNAn and multiple mixers M1 to Mn, wherein the number of the low noise amplifiers and the mixers corresponds to the number of different receiving frequency bands which have to be received by the mobile station. For instance, within a mobile station designed to receive a broadcast signal in the downlink frequency bands of GSM 900, GSM 1800 and GSM 1900, three different low noise amplifiers and three different mixers have to be employed. This has the drawback that many components have to be integrated within a mobile station, thus increasing its total production cost and making a further miniaturization difficult.
It is therefore desired to provide a wide band receiver front end for a multiband receiver which is able to switch between multiple receiving frequency bands, but uses a minimum number of different components, thus lowering the production costs and facilitating a miniaturization of the mobile phone.
The invention provides a switchable wide band receiver front end device for a multiband receiver having the features of claim 1.
Particularly, the switchable wide band receiver front end device for a multiband receiver according to the present invention comprises:
a broadcast signal receiving means for receiving broadcast signals within multiple receiving frequency bands, wherein each frequency band is divided into a plurality of channels,
a wide band low noise amplifier connected to said broadcast signal receiving means for amplifying the.broadcast signals of all receiving frequency bands outputting an amplified output signal which is branched to multiple switches of a switching means, wherein the number of said switches corresponds to the number of receiving frequency bands,
multiple filters each connected to one of said switches, wherein each filter has a bandpass filtering characteristic to pass all signals within an associated receiving frequency band,
a mixing means connected to the output side of each filter mixing the filtered signal with a locally generated mixing signal from a frequency synthesizer to produce an intermediate frequency signal, and
a control means outputting a first control signal to said switching means for switching on one of said switches wherein one of said multiple receiving frequency bands is selected and outputting a second control signal to said frequency synthesizer to generate a mixing signal corresponding to the selected receiving frequency band.
In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, a mixing means is an image rejection mixer.
This has the particular advantage that the requirements with respect to the filters are not so high, i.e. the suppression or attenuation of undesired signal components, in particular at the image frequency performed by the filters, does not need to be as high as in the case of using a normal mixing means. Accordingly, a lower number of in-series-connected filters or more simple filters can be used, thus reducing further the production cost and facilitating the miniaturization of the mobile phone.
The principle idea of the present invention resides in using a wide band low noise amplifier which amplifies the broadcast signals of all desired receiving frequency bands and to substitute the plurality of mixers within a conventional receiver front end by only one mixer.
Further preferred embodiments of the invention are listed in the dependent claims.
According to a preferred embodiment, the output side of the mixing means is an IF-filter provided having a filtering characteristic to pass all signals within a narrow frequency band around a predetermined intermediate frequency.
According to a further preferred embodiment, the wide band receiver front end comprises a further switching means having multiple switches each connected to the output side of a filter, wherein said switching means is provided on the input side of said mixing means for inhibiting interactions between the filters.
Providing such a further switching means has the particular advantage that interactions between the different filters which are caused by the direct connection are suppressed.
According to a further preferred embodiment, the mixer is an image reject mixer, wherein on the input side of said image reject mixer, the received signal is branched to a first signal branch and a second signal branch each comprising a normal mixer, wherein the input signal is mixed in the first signal branch with said locally generated mixing signal which is phase-shifted by a first phase-shifting means to produce a first mixing product signal which in turn is phase-shifted by a second phase-shifting means and wherein the input signal is mixed in the second signal branch with said locally generated mixing signal directly to produce a second mixing product signal which is added on the output side of said image rejection mixer to said phase-shifted first mixing product signal to produce said intermediate-frequency signal.
According to a first preferred embodiment, the first and second phase-shifting means of the image reject mixer each performs a phase-shift of 90xc2x0.
According to a further preferred embodiment, the switching means is a high power antenna microwave monolithic integrated circuit having multiple receiving faults and a switching speed of about 100 ns.
According to a further preferred embodiment, the receiving frequency bands are downlink frequency bands of a GSM telecommunication system.
According to a further preferred embodiment, the wide band receiver front end is capable of receiving three different frequency bands, wherein the first receiving frequency band is the downlink frequency band of GSM 900, the second receiving frequency band is the downlink frequency band of GSM 1800 and the third receiving frequency band is the downlink frequency band of GSM 1900.
According to a further preferred embodiment, the IF-filter has a narrow frequency passband of 200 KHz corresponding to a frequency width of a physical GSM channel.
According to a further preferred embodiment, the control means detects automatically on which receiving frequency band data is broadcast from a transmitting base station and generates said first control signal such that this receiving frequency band is selected.
According to a further preferred embodiment, the filters are selected from a group consisting of surface acoustic wave filters and dielectric filters. In principle, all kinds of filters are possible, such as helical filters, multilayer filters, etc.
According to a further preferred embodiment, said wide band low noise amplifier amplifies the received broadcast signal within a wide frequency band which includes more than one of the desired multiple receiving frequency bands.
According to a further preferred embodiment, said wide frequency band of said wide band low noise amplifier includes the downlink frequency bands of. GSM 900, GSM 1800 and GSM 1900.
According to a further preferred embodiment, said wide band frequency band ranges from 100 MHz to 2000 MHz.
According to a further preferred embodiment, the locally generated mixing signals are chosen such that the frequency difference between said mixing signals is minimal.
According to a further preferred embodiment, the frequency of the intermediate frequency signal which is output by said mixing means is 400 MHz.
According to a further preferred embodiment, the signal noise components at the image frequency are suppressed.
According to a further preferred embodiment, the low noise amplifier only covers two or more frequency bands.
According to a further preferred embodiment, the switches and the filters are placed between the antenna and the low noise amplifier.
According to a further preferred embodiment, at least some of the switches are replaced by matching circuits.
According to a further preferred embodiment, more narrow banded filters are provided for filtering one or more of the frequency bands, instead of one filter covering the entire receiving band, preferably the GSM 1800 is split into two filters, the first covering the band from 1805 to 1845 MHz and the second covering the band from 1845 to 1880 MHz.

Switchable wide band receiver front end for a multiband receiver


Embodiments of the disclosure enable one or more transactions to be processed with secured authentication. A system server receives a request for authentication for an article associated with a first user that is associated with a user account, identifies one or more client devices associated with one or more secondary users that are associated with the user account, communicates with the one or more client devices to obtain biometric data associated with the one or more secondary users, determines whether to approve the request for authentication based on the biometric data associated with the one or more secondary users, and, on condition that the request for authentication is approved, generates an authentication token. Aspects of the disclosure leverage authentication technology to authenticate one or more identities of one or more users to allow the users to confirm that an article is associated with another user.

For hard or physical copies of a document, a hand-written signature may be used to demonstrate that an author of the signature has approved or agreed to the content of the document. Under some circumstances, the signature may be used to legally bind the author to act (or not act) in accordance with the contents of a document. For this reason, at least some documents require that the signature be witnessed by a person who can confirm that the author signed the document.
The concept of signing a physical copy of a document has been applied to at least some electronic documents. For example, at least some known mechanisms for signing an electronic signature include inputting a particular sequence of keystrokes associated with a user (e.g., a password, a personal identification number (PIN)). However, an integrity of a password or PIN may be compromised if a person other than the user acquires possession of the password or PIN.

System and method for processing a transaction with secured authentication


A circuit includes both a frequency locked loop (FLL) and a phase locked loop (PLL) to control the frequency and phase of a controlled oscillator with respect to a data signal. The FLL includes a frequency setting register that provides a digital control word to a digital-to-analog converter for causing the frequency of the controlled oscillator to equal the frequency of the data signal. The PLL has a phase detector for causing the phase of the controlled oscillator to approximate the phase of the data signal. The inventive circuit also includes a lock detector for determining whether the phase error between the controlled oscillator and the data signal is constant. When phase lock is achieved, a counter is enabled to count a periodic reference signal and to produce an overflow signal when a given count is exceeded. The overflow signal is selectively coupled to the frequency setting register in order to reduce the phase difference between the controlled oscillator and the data signal. In this manner, low phase error may be obtained in a first-order PLL system, thereby avoiding jitter peaking associated with second-order PLL systems.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to the use of a Phase-Locked Loop (PLL) in conjunction with a Frequency-Locked Loop (FLL), for use in digital communication systems and other applications.
2. Description of the Prior Art
When sending digital data over relatively long distances from one system to another, the source clock used to transmit the data needs to be recreated at the receiver in order to re-time the data. Using a PLL, or alternatively a PLL combined with a FLL to do this timing recovery is common practice. PLL's are feedback circuits where the phase of an incoming signal is compared to an internal signal using a circuit known as a phase detector. The output of this comparison is fed into the internal signal generator, often called the voltage controlled oscillator (VCO), which then adjusts its frequency to be closer to the incoming frequency. Often the phase detector output is filtered such that the VCO correction does not respond immediately to the latest input. The circuit used to do this filtering is known as a loop filter. A PLL system that uses a loop filter is known as a second order PLL because of the mathematical representation of this feedback system. A PLL system with no loop filter is known as a first order PLL for the same reason.
One consequence of a second-order PLL is that its frequency response to jitter (i.e. phase modulation of the incoming data) can have a magnitude that is greater than unity for some frequency ranges. This is known a jitter peaking, and can have negative consequences in digital communication systems. This is because as data gets passed from one re-timing circuit to the next, the magnitude of the jitter at these frequencies is amplified. This ultimately negatively affects overall system performance. Designers of PLL's used in these types of applications often go to great lengths to insure that their circuit has minimal jitter peaking; see, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,036,298. However, this often causes them to make compromises in other aspects of the PLL's performance. A first order PLL has no jitter peaking by definition. However, it has several undesirable characteristics. One is that it can achieve phase lock at an arbitrarily large phase error. This can result in the system being on the edge of losing phase lock, at which point errors in the data received will result. Another undesirable characteristic is that it does not filter high frequency jitter that is on the data. Finally a first order system will have worse data dependent jitter because of the drift in phase that will occur between phase corrections. A second order system can be designed to have near zero phase error, filter out high frequency jitter and have low data dependent jitter.
The addition of an FLL to the PLL, referred to as a FLL/PLL herein, can create a system where the FLL does adjustment to the VCO based on frequency information of the incoming signal compared to the VCO; see, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,773,085. A system can be designed using this approach whereby the FLL does the early correction over a relatively wide range of frequencies. This lessens the performance needs of the PLL and can thus make the PLL design job easier. As is further known in the art, PLL's can be built as 1) all analog, 2) mixed analog and digital or 3) all digital. The significant advantage of analog designs, and potentially mixed analog and digital designs, is that they can recover clock at data rates that are very high. But the design and manufacture of analog parts is usually more difficult Also, they can require additional parts on a board such as discrete filter components. The all-digital approach has the advantage that it is easy to design, build and use, although it typically achieves clock recovery at lower data rates than the analog technique.

First order FLL/PLL system with low phase error


An associative memory comprises an array of memory cells arranged in rows and columns, each row comprising a plurality of segments each of which comprises a set of said memory cells, wherein each memory cell has compare circuitry for comparing input data with data stored therein and for generating a cell match signal when said input data matches said stored data and match signal combining circuitry for receiving a match signal from a preceding cell in the set and operable to generate a logical value dependent on the match signal of the current cell and the match signal of the preceding cell whereby each segment generates a resultant segment logical value, the memory further comprising combinatorial logic circuitry associated with each row for combining said resultant segment logical values to generate a final output match signal for that row.

The present invention relates to an associative memory of the type commonly known as a CAM.
As is well known in the art, such memories comprise an array of memory cells, each holding a data bit, the cells being arranged in rows and columns. Each row normally holds a word, for example of 32 bits. Data can be read and written into a CAM in a manner similar to that for a random access memory (RAM). In addition, a CAM cell has an additional function in that it provides a match signal indicating whether a data word input to the CAM array matches a data word already stored in the array. This function can be used to quickly check the contents of the CAM for a word match, by inputting a data word and generating a match signal for any row of the CAM in which all bits of the data word match the bits stored in memory cells of that row. When the match signal for the row is high, this indicates that the input data word is stored in the CAM array.
To perform this function, each CAM cell generates a local or cell match signal which indicates if data input to the cell matches the data already stored in the cell. In order to determine whether or not a complete word is matched, these local match signals need to be somehow combined to generate a match signal for a row. It will readily be appreciated, that as soon as one of the cells fails to match, the match signal for the row is low.
FIG. 1 illustrates output circuitry for a CAM row which represents one known way of generating the match signal for a row. It is assumed herein that there are 32 cells in each row of the CAM, representing a 32 bit word to be matched. Each cell of the row is associated with a respective drive output transistor 20, 21 . . . 232 which receives at its gate the local match signal m0, m1 . . . m32. A precharge transistor 4 receives an active low precharge signal PC at its gate for precharging. Holding circuitry 6 serves to assist in holding the match signal high, in a manner which is known in the art.
According to this arrangement, the match outputs m0, m1 . . . m32 drive the output transistors 20, 21 . . . 232 in parallel. If any one of the local match signals is low, the output signal MATCH at a so-called common node 8 will be caused to fall.
A disadvantage of this arrangement is that it requires precharge and hold circuitry as represented by transistor 4 and holding circuitry 6, the precharge transistor 4 being required to precharge the common node 8 high in between each match cycle. The precharge logic requires timing analysis etc., which makes it potentially complex to operate.
According to an alternative known arrangement, the cell match signals are supplied in pairs to respective AND gates. The outputs of these AND gates are likewise supplied in pairs to a subsequent logic stage of AND gates. Thus, the match signals are combined in pairs to generate a final logical value for the match signal for each row. For a row of 32 bits, six stages of logic gates are required. Although this overcomes the problems associated with the need for precharge circuitry, the distance between the stages is large, requiring large drive transistors to encompass the distances. However, it is frequently the case that the drive transistors are not utilised, for the simple reason that many of the match outputs will be zero. Thus, this design is inherently redundant.
It is an aim of the present invention to provide an associative memory in which the match cell is generated in an easier and more efficient manner.
According to the present invention there is provided an associative memory comprising an array of memory cells arranged in rows and columns, each row comprising a plurality of segments each of which comprises a set of said memory cells, wherein each memory cell has compare circuitry for comparing input data with data stored therein and for generating a cell match signal when said input data matches said stored data and match signal combining circuitry for receiving a match signal from a preceding cell in the set and operable to generate a logical value dependent on the match signal of the current cell and the match signal of the preceding cell whereby each segment generates a resultant segment logical value, the memory further comprising combinatorial logic circuitry associated with each row for combining said resultant segment logical values to generate a final output match signal for that row.
For a better understanding of the present invention and to show how the same may be carried into effect, reference will now be made by way of example to the accompanying drawings, in which:


Methods and related systems for extinguishing a fire in a volume which includes pre-positioning a fire extinguishing medium in or near the volume. The medium includes at least two reactants, typically an oxidant and a reducing agent which are activated manually or automatically in response to the fire causing the two reactants to react with each other and to form an aerosol capable of interacting with the propagation centers of the fire, interrupting the propagation of the fire, and thereby extinguishing it.

The present invention relates to fire extinguishing methods and associated systems and, more particularly, to methods and related systems which do not involve halocarbons and which are highly effective in extinguishing fires, even when relatively small quantities of chemicals are used.
The present invention relates, in particular, to methods and systems for volume fire extinguishing. Volume fire extinguishing involves the temporary creation of an atmosphere which is incapable of sustaining combustion within the volume to be protected, typically a relatively confined volume.
One of the volume fire extinguishing methods in most widespread use at present includes the introduction of volatile halocarbons, such as Halon 1301, for example, into the volume to be protected. Halocarbons have excellent fire extinguishing capacity which is attributable to their being inhibitors of combustion. Halocarbons actively interfere with the chemical reactions taking place in the flame and effectively inhibit them.
Furthermore, halocarbons have a number of desirable properties such as low toxicity. In addition, halocarbons gases can be rather easily liquefied under pressure, making them easily storable in the liquefied state. Halocarbons do not adversely affect equipment and other materials with which they come in contact.
Nevertheless, halocarbons suffer from a fundamental disadvantage, namely, they are known to interact with ozone, which leads to the destruction of the earth's ozone layer. According to the 1987 Montreal Protocol, which prescribed a number of international measures for the protection of the earth's ozone layer, the use of halocarbons is to be completely banned by the year 2000.
It is thus quite urgent to find alternative volume fire extinguishing means which could successfully act as a replacement for halocarbons. A successful replacement for halocarbons would possess a volume fire extinguishing effectiveness at least equal to that of halocarbons, yet would be ecologically safe.
Two basic types of such ecologically benign fire extinguishing materials are presently known. The first includes inert gaseous diluents, such as carbon dioxide, nitrogen water vapor, and the like. The second type includes fire extinguishing powders based on mineral salts, such as carbonates, bicarbonates, alkali metal chlorides, ammonium phosphates, and the like.
As presently implemented, both types of materials suffer from serious disadvantages. Inert gaseous diluents are largely ineffective in disrupting the reactions taking place in the flame. Rather, inert diluents act by diluting the air in the volume being protected, thereby lowering the oxygen concentration below that required to sustain the combustion. An example of the use of inert diluents is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,601,344 to Reed which relates to a gas generating composition containing glycidyl azide polymer and a high nitrogen content additive generates large quantities of nitrogen gas upon burning and can be used to extinguish fires.
For relatively airtight volumes, the amount of diluent required roughly equals the amount of air already in the volume prior to combustion. If the volume to be protected is not airtight, the required volume of the inert diluent must be several times that of the protected volume.
Fire extinguishing methods based on inert dilution require relatively large amounts of diluent and are appreciably less effective and reliable than extinguishing with halocarbons.
Volume fire extinguishing with the help of powders is carried out by dispensing a powder aerosol in the volume to be protected. The aerosol envelops the flame thereby suppressing it. It is believed that powders chemically interrupt combustion by forcing the recombination and deactivation of chain propagators responsible for sustaining the combustion process in the focus of fire.
Such recombination is believed to occur both at the surface of the solid particles of the aerosol and, to some extent, also in reactions of the chain propagators with gaseous products of the evaporation and decomposition of powders in the flame. Chain propagators are gaseous atomic particles or radicals having a free valence, which serve to initiate and sustain the branched chain reactions characteristic of combustion processes in combustible substances containing carbon.
However, the efficiency of presently implemented volume fire extinguishing with the help of powders is also of limited efficacy because of the comparatively low dispersity of the fire-extinguishing powders. The particle size of presently used powders ranges from about 20 to about 60 microns. Such large particles have a relatively low surface to volume ratio. Since the desired reactions take place largely on the surface of the particles, a given amount of such powders has a limited capacity for interrupting the chain reactions and putting out the fire.
Further, it is difficult to prepare an aerosol of such powders which will distribute uniformly throughout the volume to be protected. It is, in addition, difficult to ensure that the powder particles, once formed, will stay in their original suspended state while stored for a sufficiently long period prior to use so as to maintain the viability of the product as a fire extinguishing composition. Finely-dispersed powders have a strong tendency to agglomerate, or cake, during storage. Such agglomeration greatly hinders the dispensing of the material from its storage container during use. Furthermore, whatever particles are able to leave the storage container and come in contact with the fire, are relatively coarse-grained powder particles, having a relatively low surface area to volume ratio and thus possessing reduced fire extinguishing capacity per unit weight.
Attempts have been made to solve the problems associated with the long-term storage of finely divided powders. Exemplary of such attempts is U.S. Pat. No. 4,234,432 to Tarpley, which discloses a powder dissemination composition in which the powder is contained in a thixotropic gel which prevents the agglomeration, sintering and packing of the powder material. The finely divided powder has at least a bimodal particle distribution size distribution encapsulated in a gelled liquid. The method appears to be complex, requiring the fabrication of a powder of well-defined particle size distribution.
In at least one case, attempts have been made to get around the storage problems by creating storing reaction precursors rather than the actual powders. U.S. Statutory Invention No. H349 to Krevitz et al. discloses reagent compositions which are chemically inert when solid and are chemically active when molten. The reagent compositions may comprise a first substance such as a high molecular weight wax or polymer and a second substance which is dissolved, dispersed, or encapsulated in a solid matrix of the first substance. The second substance is a highly chemically reactive compound such as a strong base or a strong acid. As solids, the reagent compositions are inert. When molten, the second substance is exposed and the resultant liquid solutions are highly reactive.
There is thus a widely recognized need for fire extinguishing methods and systems which are at least as effective as those involving the use of halocarbons but which are ecologically safe.
Specifically, there is a clear need for, and it would be highly advantageous and desirable to have, fire extinguishing methods and systems which use chemicals which do not adversely affect the earth's ozone layer and which are capable of putting out fires quickly and efficiently.


Compressibility-reducing artifacts are added to redundant areas of color images and video sequences. A first artifact change is made to a luminance component of a redundant area, and at least one other artifact change is made to chrominance components of the redundant area. The artifact changes are perceptively balanced such that the artifacts are not perceptible when the image is displayed on a monitor. However, the artifacts reduce redundancy in the image and, therefore, reduce compressibility of the image. In order to recompress a copied image, either the quality of the image must be reduced or file size of the image must be increased. Increasing file size will make redistribution impractical. Consequently, attempts to make and redistribute unauthorized copies of video images and sequences will be discouraged.

The invention relates to image and video display. More specifically, the invention relates to methods and apparatus for discouraging the unauthorized copying and distribution of compressed color images and video sequences.
Digital Versatile Disc (DVD) players are providing consumers with access to wide screen movies having high quality images and high fidelity sound. The high quality format of the DVD players brings theatre-like entertainment to the home.
The same high quality format can also be viewed on a monitor of a computer having a DVD-ROM drive and associated electronics. The DVD-ROM drive reads a DVD-ROM disc and outputs a stream of data compressed according to an MPEG standard. The DVD-ROM electronics decodes the compressed data into uncompresssed data, converts the uncompressed data to RGB signals, and sends the RGB signals to the computer monitor via a cable for display.
However, the cable between the computer and the monitor is unsecured. Therefore, uncompressed data sent to the monitor can be intercepted, recompressed and redistributed. In the past, the high cost of compression technology would have provided a barrier to such copying and redistribution, particularly with regard to video images. However, with compression technology decreasing in cost and software compression being made commercially available, the barrier is being overcome.
Unauthorized copying is not restricted to DVD discs. Unauthorized copying also applies to color images of large sizes. The barrier of copying and compressing the large images has already been overcome. Many software applications allow an image to be compressed, typically using a lossy compression scheme such as JPEG or MPEG.
Additionally, the growing availability of digital images and video sequences over the Internet has increased the need to discourage unauthorized copying and redistribution.
Home copying and professional piracy are great threats to artists, producers and copyright owners. There is a need for discouraging the unauthorized copying and distribution of images and video sequences.

Apparatus and method for reducing compressibility of unauthorized copies of color images and video sequences


A multi-purpose protective pad for use on a shoulder safety belt in a vehicle. The pad includes opposing flap portions which have mating fasteners thereon so that the pad can be extended around the shoulder belt and then the opposing flaps of the pad can be attached together. The pad protects the neck of a passenger from abrasion caused by the safety belt. The pad includes a built-in hidden waist belt for securing the pad around the waist of a user so that the pad can be used as a fanny pack. When the waist belt is left in place, the pad can be used as a wallet or personal organizer.

All vehicles are now equipped with shoulder safety belts at the factory. These belts include a belt portion which extends from behind the passenger, over one shoulder, across the chest, and then is secured to a waist belt. The portion of the belt which extends over the shoulder and across the chest often contacts and rubs against the neck of the passenger. This is particularly a problem for passengers who are short. Although pads have been proposed to be placed on a shoulder belt, such pads have had limited utility.
There has not heretofore been provided a removable protective pad for use on shoulder safety belts which can also be removed and used as a wallet or fanny pack or as a personal organizer.


A drilling rig is provided which is adapted to selectively drill using coiled tubing and jointed-pipe. The rig includes a base, a mast, a top drive slidably mounted to said mast for performing jointed-pipe operations, and a tubing injector for performing coiled tubing operations, mounted on said mast for selective movement from a first position in which the injector is in line with the mast and a second position in which the injector is out of line with the mast to permit jointed-pipe operations by the top drive. The rig is uniquely suited to easily and quickly assemble bottom hole assemblies (BHA's), and to connect such BHA's to coiled tubing.

The use of coiled tubing (CT) technology in oil and gas drilling and servicing has become more and more common in the last few years. In CT technology, a continuous pipe wound on a spool is straightened and pushed down a well using a CT injector. CT technology can be used for both drilling and servicing.
The advantages offered by the use of CT technology, including economy of time and cost are well-known. As compared with jointed-pipe technology wherein typically 30–45 foot straight sections of pipe are connected one section at a time while drilling the well bore, CT technology allows the continuous advancement of piping while drilling the well significantly reducing the frequency with which such drilling must be suspended to allow additional sections of pipe to be connected. This results in less downtime, and as a result, an efficiency of both cost and time.
However, the adoption of CT technology in drilling has been less widespread than originally anticipated as a result of certain problems inherent in using CT in a drilling application. For example, because CT tends to be less robust than jointed-pipe for surface-level drilling, it is often necessary to drill a pilot hole using jointed-pipe, cement casing into the pilot hole, and then switch over to CT drilling. Additionally, when difficult formations such as boulders or gravel are encountered down-hole, it may be necessary to switch from CT drilling to jointed-pipe drilling until the formation is overcome, and then switch back to CT drilling to continue drilling the well. Similarly, when it is necessary to perform drill stem testing to assess conditions downhole, it may again be necessary to switch from CT drilling to jointed-pipe drilling and then back again. Finally, a switch back to jointed-pipe operations may be necessary to run casing into the drilled well. These types of situations require the drilling manager to switch back and forth between CT drilling rigs and jointed-pipe drilling rigs, a process which results in significant down-time as one rig is moved out of the way, and another rig put in place.
Another disadvantage of CT drilling is the time-consuming process of assembling a BHA (bottom-hole-assembly—the components at the end of the CT for drilling, testing, etc.), and connecting the BHA to the end of the CT. Presently, this step is performed manually through the use of rotary tables and make/breaks. Not only does this process result in costly down-time, but it can also present safety hazards to the workers as they are required to manipulate heavy components manually.

Drilling rig apparatus and downhole tool assembly system and method


A visual display is provided comprising a plurality of pixels each of which comprises: a surface having an area less than one square millimiter comprising first and second regions having surface finishes; and a thin planar panel having first and second sides having surface finishes, wherein the panel is rotatably coupled to the surface so as to rotate between a first and a second position about an axis parallel to the surface; wherein the panel in the first position is positioned over the first region with its second side facing the first region and wherein in the second position the panel is positioned over the second region with its first side facing the second region.

The invention relates to visual display systems and in particular to flat-panel displays produced using micro-machining techniques
Flat-panel video displays are ubiquitous components of many consumer, industrial and military products and devices. They are found in computer laptops, automobile dashboards, microwave ovens and a myriad of other machines and devices with which man interacts.
Active-matrix liquid-crystal displays dominate the market for high quality high-resolution flat-panel displays. However, these displays are relatively expensive and the amount of power they consume when operating is relatively large in comparison to the amount of power readily available from many battery driven devices.
The need and desire to incorporate visual displays into more and more products, ranging from portable GPS baedekers to toys, has created a strong demand and expanding market for inexpensive flat-panel displays that can provide high quality images and operate with low power consumption.
In response to the demand, new types of flat panel displays have been developed based on the processing of silicon using MEMS technology. MEMS technology enables microstructures having features on the order of a few microns to be formed on appropriate silicon substrates. The technology can therefore be used to produce xe2x80x9cpixelxe2x80x9d sized devices, on silicon, that process light. Arrays of these devices are useable to form flat-panel displays that are potentially inexpensive, that operate with low energy consumption and provide high-quality images.
Most flat-panel displays produced using silicon technology belong to one of two general types. A flat-panel display of a first type has pixels each of which comprises a liquid crystal cell formed on a silicon substrate. Light, which may be ambient light or light from an appropriate light source, illuminates the pixels. Transmittance of the liquid crystal in each pixel for the light determines how bright the pixel appears. The transmittance of the liquid crystal is controlled by voltage on electrodes in the pixel. A pattern of pixels having varying levels of brightness is formed on the display to produce an image by controlling the voltage on the electrodes in each pixel of the display. Images provided by this type of display generally suffer from low brightness and low contrast.
A flat panel display, hereinafter referred to as a xe2x80x9cmicro-mechanical displayxe2x80x9d, of a second type, has pixels each of which comprises at least one movable structure micro-machined on a silicon substrate. The position of the at least one moveable structure in each pixel controls how bright the pixel appears by controlling an amount of light that the pixel reflects or diffracts. Generally, the position of the at least one moveable element is controlled by electrostatic forces between the at least one moveable element and electrodes in the pixel that are generated by applying appropriate voltages to the electrodes. Often the voltages are relatively high and moving the at least one moveable element requires a relatively large expenditure of energy. Usually, in these types of displays, brightness and image contrast are dependent upon viewing angle, as measured with respect to the normal to the plane of the display, and decrease as the viewing angle increases. Some of these displays require an internal light source that consumes relatively large amounts of power when operating.
A micro-mechanical display in which the at least one moveable structure in pixels in the display comprises a plurality of parallel flexible reflecting ribbons is described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,841,579 to D. M. Bloom et al, which is incorporated herein by reference. The flexible ribbons in a pixel of the display are normally located parallel to the plane of the substrate on which the pixel is formed at a small distance above the plane. The ribbons are controllable to be depressed towards the substrate by electrostatic forces that are generated by voltages applied to electrodes in the pixel.
To form an image on the display, the pixels in the display are illuminated with light from a suitable light source so that light is incident on the pixels at a given angle with respect to the plane of the display. When alternate ribbons of the plurality of ribbons in a pixel are depressed, the plurality of ribbons in the pixel form a diffraction grating that diffracts some of the incident light at an angle such that the pixel appears bright to a user of the display. If alternate ribbons are not depressed, the plurality of ribbons in the pixel reflect the incident light at a different angle such that light from the pixel does not reach the eye of the user and the pixel appears dark. An appropriate pattern of bright and dark pixels forms the image on the display. The patent describes methods for using pixels of the type described to produce a flat-panel displays that provide color images.
Another type of micro-mechanical display is described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,636,052 to S. C. Arney et al, which is incorporated herein by reference. In this flat-panel display the at least one moveable element in a pixel is a membrane. The membrane is flexibly supported so that it is parallel to the substrate with a small air gap between the two. Light that is incident on the pixel is reflected by both the substrate and the membrane. The height of the air gap determines whether the reflected light from the membrane and the substrate interfere constructively or destructively and therefore if the pixel appears bright or dark respectively. An addressable electrode in the pixel, when charged attracts the membrane towards the substrate thereby controlling the height of the air gap and therefore whether the pixel is bright or dark. In order to displace the membrane, relatively high voltages, on the order of tens of volts, must be applied to the addressable electrode.
It would be advantageous to have a flat panel display that uses ambient light, without the need for a separate light source, and that can provide high quality high contrast images while operating at low voltages with low power consumption.
An aspect of some preferred embodiments of the present invention is related to providing a micro-mechanical flat-panel display that uses ambient light and provides high-contrast images at substantially all viewing angles with respect to the plane of the display.
An aspect of some preferred embodiments of the present invention is related to providing a flat-panel display that operates with low power consumption.
An aspect of some preferred embodiments of the present invention is related to providing a flat-panel display that operates using electrical power supplied at low voltages.
An aspect of some preferred embodiments of the present invention relates to providing a flat-panel display that provides black and white and/or gray level images.
An aspect of some preferred embodiments of the present invention relates to providing a flat-panel display that provides color images.
An aspect of some preferred embodiments of the present invention relates to providing a micro-mechanical flat-panel display formed on a substrate and having pixels that comprise a moveable element.
In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the moveable element is formed in the shape of a thin planar panel having first and second relatively large face surfaces and thin edges. The panel, hereinafter referred to as a xe2x80x9cflipperxe2x80x9d, is hinged to the substrate in such a way that it is rotatable from one to the other of two limiting positions about an axis of rotation that is parallel to the surface of the substrate. The limiting positions are hereinafter referred to as xe2x80x9conxe2x80x9d and xe2x80x9coffxe2x80x9d positions. The flipper is preferably at least partly formed from a conducting material.
In the on position the first face surface faces a user looking at the display and is visible to the user. The second face surface of the flipper faces the substrate, facing away from the user, and is not visible to the user. In the off position the second face surface faces the user and is visible the user while the first face surface faces the substrate. Preferably, in the on and off positions, the plane of the flipper is close to and substantially parallel to the surface of the substrate. Preferably, the flipper rotates through approximately 180xc2x0 about the axis of rotation to rotate between on and off positions.
According to an aspect of some preferred embodiments of the present invention, rotation of the flipper is controllable so that the flipper is bistable. The flipper is either in the on position or in the off position and remains in one position until it is controlled to rotate to the other position. When the flipper is either in the on or off position the pixel consumes little or substantially no energy.
An aspect of some preferred embodiments of the present invention relates to providing addressable electrodes for each pixel in the substrate to which voltages are applied in different configurations so as to control rotation of the pixel""s flipper. For some voltage configurations applied to the electrodes, electrostatic forces generated between the flipper and the electrodes prevent the flipper from rotating between on and off positions. In these voltage configurations, substantially no current flows in the pixel and therefore the pixel consumes little or no energy. In other voltage configurations, electrostatic forces between the flipper and the electrodes generate a torque that rotates the flipper from one to the other of the on and off positions.
According to another aspect of some preferred embodiments of the present invention, the first face surface of the flipper in a pixel has a first color and the second face surface of the flipper has a second color. In addition, substantially all surfaces in the pixel that are visible when the flipper is in the on position, in which position the first face surface of the flipper is visible, are colored to have the same color as the first face surface of the flipper. Similarly, substantially all surfaces in the pixel that are visible when the flipper is in the off position, in which position the second face surface of the flipper is visible, are colored to have the same color as the second face surface of the flipper. As a result when the flipper is in the on position the pixel appears to have the first color and when the flipper is in the off position the pixel appears to have the second color.
In some preferred embodiments of the present invention the first color is white and the second color is black. In these preferred embodiments of the present invention pixels in the display are white when the flipper is in the on position and black when the flipper is in the off position and the display provides black and white images.
In some preferred embodiments of the present invention in which the first color is white and the second color is black, gray level images are provided. A gray level for a pixel is achieved, in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention, by switching the pixel""s flipper between on and off positions so rapidly that the brain does not discern that the pixel is either black or white. Instead the brain perceives that the pixel is gray. The gray level perceived is determined by the ratio between the times that the flipper is in the on position and the off position.
In some preferred embodiments of the present invention gray level images are achieved by grouping pixels in a flat panel display into xe2x80x9csuper-pixelsxe2x80x9d. A super pixel comprises a plurality of pixels, for example three pixels, each of which is contiguous with at least one other pixel in the super pixel. A super pixel is small enough so that the eye does not distinguish whether a single pixel in the super pixel is black or white. Instead the eye integrates the stimuli received form the pixels in the super pixel and perceives an average of the received stimuli which is a gray level. For example, a super pixel with three black and white pixels can provide four gray levels of luminance.
In other preferred embodiments of the present invention the first color of pixels in a super pixel is red (R), green (G) or blue (B) and the second color is black. Pixels in the super pixel are therefore R, G or B when their flipper is in an on position and black when their flipper is in an off position. Super pixels comprising xe2x80x9ccolorxe2x80x9d pixels are useable, in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention to provide a color flat-panel display.
An aspect of some preferred embodiments of the present invention relates to providing a pixel, hereinafter referred to as a xe2x80x9cmulti-flipper pixelxe2x80x9d that comprises at least two flippers. The axes about which flippers rotate between on and off positions are congruent or parallel and close to each other. The flippers are flipped back and forth between on and off positions and lie on each other in much the same way that pages in a book are flipped back and forth and lie on each other when the book is lying open on a table.
There is therefore provided in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention a visual display comprising a plurality of pixels each of which comprises: a surface having an area less than 1 square millimeter comprising first and second regions having surface finishes; and a thin planar panel having first and second sides having surface finishes, wherein the panel is rotatably coupled to the surface so as to rotate between a first and a second position about an axis parallel to the surface; wherein the panel in the first position is positioned over the first region with its second side facing the first region and wherein in the second position the panel is positioned over the second region with its first side facing the second region.
Preferably when the panel is in the first position it obscures substantially all of the first region. Additionally or alternatively, when the panel is in the second position it preferably obscures substantially all of the second region.
In some preferred embodiments of the present invention the plurality of pixels is produced using micro-machining technology. The surface in some preferred embodiments of the present invention has an area less than 0.25 square millimeters. The surface in some preferred embodiments of the present invention has an area less than 5000 square microns. In some preferred embodiments of the present invention the surface has an area less than 2000 square microns.
According to some preferred embodiments of the present invention the first and second regions of the surface have first and second planar electrodes respectively. Preferably, at least one of the first and second electrodes has at least one non-conducting protuberance on its surface.
Additionally or alternatively, the panel is preferably formed from a conducting material. Preferably, at least one side of the panel has at least one non-conducting protuberance thereon. Additionally or alternatively, the first and second sides preferably have a non-conductive coating.
Alternatively or additionally, the panel is preferably rotated between first and second positions by electrostatic forces acting on the panel that are generated by applying voltages to the first and second electrodes and to the panel. Preferably, the panel is rotated from the first position to the second position by grounding the second electrode and applying a same voltage to the first electrode and the panel. Preferably, the panel is rotated from the second position to the first position by grounding the panel and the second electrode and applying a voltage to the first electrode. Alternatively or additionally, the panel is preferably rotated from the second position to the first position by applying a same voltage to the second electrode and the panel and grounding the first electrode.
In some preferred embodiments of the present invention, the panel is rapidly rotated between first and second positions in a time shorter than the response time of the eye so that the pixel appears to have a finish that is a mix between the finishes of the first side and the second region and the finishes of the second side and the first region.
In some preferred embodiments of the present invention the finish of the first region and the finish of the second side of the panel are the same. In some preferred embodiments of the present invention the finish of the second region and the finish of the first side of the panel are the same. In some preferred embodiments of the present invention the finish of the first region appears white. The finish of the first region displays a color that is a color of a tristimulus set of colors in some preferred embodiments of the present invention. The finish of the first region is luminescent in some preferred embodiments of the present invention. In some preferred embodiments of the present invention the finish of the second region displays a color of a tristimulus set of colors. The finish of the second region is luminescent in some preferred embodiments of the present invention. In some preferred embodiments of the present invention the finish of the second region appears black.
In some preferred embodiments of the present invention, at least one pixel of the plurality of pixels comprises at least one additional thin panel that has first and second sides having surface finishes and the at least one additional panel is rotatably coupled to the surface of the at least one pixel so as to rotate between first and second positions about an axis that is parallel to the surface.
Preferably, all the axes about which panels of the at least one pixel rotate are substantially coincident. Additionally or alternatively, panels of the at least one pixel that are in the first position are preferably positioned one over the other in a stack over the first region with their second sides facing the first region and panels in the second position are positioned one over the other in a stack over the second region with their first sides facing the second region. Preferably, a top-most panel in a stack of panels substantially obscures all panels below the top-most panel and the first region or the second region so that at any one time the at least one pixel displays only two of the surface finishes.
All panels of the at least one pixel are preferably formed from conducting material. Preferably, at least one side of at least one panel of the at least one pixel has at least one non-conducting protuberance thereon. Additionally or alternatively at least one side of at least one panel of the at least one pixel has a non-conducting coating.
Additionally or alternatively, panels of the at least one pixel are rotated between the first and second positions by electrostatic forces acting on the panels, the electrostatic forces being generated by applying voltages to the first and second electrodes and to panels of the at least one pixel.
Preferably, a topmost panel in a stack of panels in the first position is rotated to a second position with all panels in the first position and the first electrode grounded. Preferably when there is at least one panel in the second position, a voltage is applied to a topmost panel in the second position and the second electrode is grounded to rotate the topmost panel in the first position. When there are no panels in the second position preferably a voltage is applied to the second electrode to rotate the topmost panel in the first position.
Additionally or alternatively, a topmost panel in a stack of panels in the second position is rotated to a first position with all panels in the second position and the second electrode grounded. Preferably, when there is at least one panel in the first position, a voltage is applied to a topmost panel in the first position and the first electrode is grounded to rotate the topmost panel in the second position. Preferably, when there are no panels in the first position a voltage is applied to the first electrode to rotate the topmost panel in the second position.
Alternatively or additionally, a topmost panel of at least one panel in the second position is rotated to a first position by grounding the first electrode and applying a first voltage to the topmost panel in the second position. Preferably, when there is at least one panel in the first position a second voltage is applied to a topmost panel of the at least one panel in the first position and all other panels in the first position are grounded and wherein the second voltage is different from the first voltage. Additionally or alternatively, when there is at least one panel beneath the topmost panel in the second position, the first voltage is applied to a panel immediately below the topmost panel in the second position and all other panels in the second position and the second electrode are grounded. Alternatively or additionally, when there are no panels below the topmost panel in the second position the first voltage is applied to the second electrode.
In some preferred embodiments of the present invention, when at least one panel of the at least one pixel is in the first position and at least one panel is in the second position, the first side of a topmost panel in the first position and the second side of a topmost panel in the second position have a same finish. Preferably, the first region and the second side of a topmost panel in the second position have a same finish when all of panels of the at least one pixel are in the second position. Preferably, the second region and the first side of a topmost panel in the first position have a same finish when all panels of the at least one pixel are in the first position. Preferably, no two same finishes display a same color.
In some preferred embodiments of the present invention each of the same finishes displays a different gray level.
In some preferred embodiments of the present invention at least one of the same finishes is luminescent.
In some preferred embodiments of the present invention the at least one pixel comprises two panels. Preferably, each of the same finishes is a different color of a tristimulus set of colors.
In some preferred embodiments of the present invention a tristimulus set of colors is RGB.
In some preferred embodiments of the present invention, at least one panel of at least one pixel of the plurality of pixels is formed with at least one through hole near an edge thereof. Preferably, the at least one pixel comprises at least one bracket fastened to the surface, the at least one bracket having a U-shaped member having legs wherein, the U-shaped member passes through one of the at least one through hole so as to rotatably mount the at least one panel to the surface.
Preferably, the at least one panel is formed with at least one slot in the edge that joins with one of the at least one through hole through which a U-shaped member passes. Preferably the bracket of the U-shaped member that passes through a through hole joining with a slot comprises a septum that is positioned in the slot and wherein the septum limits motion of the at least one panel parallel to the edge.
In some preferred embodiments of the present invention at least one panel of at least one pixel of the plurality of pixels is formed with a protuberance at both ends of a single edge thereof. Preferably, the at least one pixel comprises two brackets fastened to the surface of the pixel, wherein each bracket comprises a U-shaped member having two legs wherein the U-shaped member of each bracket loops around a different one of the protuberances so as to rotatably mount the at least one panel to the surface. Preferably, at least one of the brackets has a surface that presses against an end of one of the protuberances wherein the surface limits motion of the at least one panel parallel to the single edge.
Additionally or alternatively the at least one panel is formed with clearance slots that enable the at least one panel to rotate from the first position to the second position without the at least one panel making physical contact with a bracket that couples a different one of the at least one panel to the surface.
Alternatively or additionally at least one of the brackets is preferably fastened to the surface of the at least one pixel at a single localized region of the bracket that is located near to one of the legs. Alternatively or additionally at least one of the brackets is preferably fastened to the surface of the at least one pixel at two localized regions of the bracket wherein each of the localized regions is located near to a different one of the legs.
Alternatively or additionally at least one of the brackets that couples the at least one panel to the surface of the at least one pixel is preferably formed from a conducting material. Preferably, the surface of the at least one pixel comprises at least one electrode in addition to the first and second electrodes. Preferably, the at least one bracket formed from the conducting material is fastened to one of the at least one additional electrodes. Preferably, when regions of the at least one panel are in physical contact with the electrode or the conducting bracket, the panel is in electrical contact with the electrode. Preferably, voltage is applied to the panel by applying voltage to the electrode.
In some preferred embodiments of the present invention, the first and second regions of the surface of at least one pixel of the plurality of pixels are planar and wherein an angle between the plane of the first region and the plane of the second region is less than 180xc2x0. Preferably, the angle is greater than 140xc2x0. More preferably the angle is greater than 160xc2x0.
There is further provided in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention a micro-machined bracket for mounting a shaft to a surface so that the shaft is rotatable comprising: a U-shaped member having two legs connected by a bridging element; and a base member attached to one of the legs; wherein the base member is attached to the surface and the shaft is captured between the surface and the legs and bridging element of the U-shaped member.
There is further provided in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention a micro-machined bracket for mounting an element comprising two collinear shafts to a surface so that the element is rotatable about the shafts and wherein the shafts are separated by a space, the bracket comprising: a U-shaped member having two legs connected by a bridging element; a base member attached to one of the legs; and a septum; wherein one of the base member is attached to the surface and the shaft is captured between the surface and the legs and bridging element of the U-shaped member and wherein the septum is located in the space between the shafts.


A method of making a composite from a composition including a metal oxide precursor and polymer precursor by exposing the metal oxide precursor to a gas having a humidity level of about 40% to about 70% for at least about one hour.

Titanium oxide is a metal oxide semiconductor which, upon illumination with photon energy higher than its band gap, produces electrons and holes in the conduction band and valence band, respectively. These photo-generated electrons and holes can combine with surface adsorbed species (e.g., water and oxygen) to form highly reactive radical species such as hydroxyl radical (.OH) and superoxide anion (O2.−). These reactive species have strong oxidizing power and can oxidize most organic compounds. As a result, the presence of these reactive species provides photocatalytic activities to the surface of the titanium oxide particles. Reactive species are typically produced only when titanium oxide is illuminated with UV light (e.g., having a wavelength less than 380 nm).

Method of making a composite from metal oxide and polymer precursors


A device mounting method capable of efficiently, accurately arraying micro-devices on a circuit board is provided. The method includes a device separating step of separating a plurality of LED chips, which have been arrayed with a specific period on a wafer, into individual LED chips while keeping the arrayed state of the LED chips as it is, a device re-arraying step of handling the individually separated LED chips so as to re-array the LED chips at intervals of a value equivalent to the period multiplied by a specific magnification, and a device transferring step of transferring the re-arrayed LED chips on a mounting board while keeping the re-arrayed state of the LED chips as it is.

The present invention relates to a device mounting method, and particularly to a technique of mounting micro-semiconductor devices, which have been cut from a wafer, in a matrix array on a circuit board. More specifically, the present invention concerns a technique of producing an image display by two-dimensionally arraying light emitting diodes on a circuit board.
FIG. 11A is a schematic perspective view showing one example of an image display used for a flat type TV set. As shown in this figure, wiring portions 108 and extraction electrodes 108a for external connection are formed on the surface of a circuit board (mounting board) 7 typically made from alumina. Some of the wiring portions 108 are taken as pad electrodes, and light emitting diodes (LED chips) are fixed on the pad electrodes by die-bonding.
FIG. 11B is a schematic partial sectional view of the image display shown in FIG. 11A. As shown in this figure, the surface of the circuit board, excluding the wiring portions 108 and the extraction electrodes 108a, is covered with a black resin 123. The LED chip has a P/N junction layer. A pad electrode 122 is formed on the top of each of the LED chips. The pad electrodes 122 of the LED chips are electrically connected to the extraction electrodes 108a by wire bonding using fine wires 120. When a current is supplied to each of the LED chips with the pad electrode 122 taken as the positive side and the wiring portion 108 taken as the negative side, the P/N junction layer of the LED chip emits light, resulting in a desired display.
In general, semiconductor devices such as LED chips are formed on wafers by using a semiconductor fabrication process. In this case, the number of chips to be formed on each wafer becomes larger as the size of the chips becomes finer. The sizes of LED chips have been reduced to a level of, for example, 20 μm×20 μm. On the other hand, in some applications of image displays, the tendency toward higher definitions and larger sizes of the image displays has been increased. Typically, there has been already realized a plasma display of a type in which pixels of the number of about four millions are formed on a display board having a diagonal dimension of 50 inches. Such production of a plasma display, however, has a problem that the work of accurately arraying a large number of, for example, several millions of individual micro-devices, such as LEDs, of a size of about 20 μm×20 μm on a mounting board having a diagonal dimension of 50 inches, takes a lot of labor and also a lot of working time on the basis of the existing mounting technique. To cope with such a problem, various methods have been proposed; however, any one of the methods seems to reach the practical level. For example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,783,856 and 5,824,186 have disclosed a technique of providing a large number of recesses in a mounting board at positions where chips are to be arrayed, wherein micro-chips are automatically fitted in the recesses by making use of a fluidic motion; however, such a method is not necessarily effective for a device which cannot neglect not only positions but also orientations of the chips to be mounted. Japanese Patent Laid-open No. Sho 56-17385 has proposed a technique of repeating transfer of chips so as to move the chips from a wafer side to a mounting board side; however; this document does not disclose any concrete means for efficiently arraying micro-chips on a large-sized mounting board.

Method of transferring and mounting elements


A mechanism for air assisted ball-lift that supplements current ball elevator mechanisms used to return bowling balls to the bowler. When the bowling ball is gravity fed onto the top pad, the trigger is depressed causing the mechanism to raise. The bowling ball is moved vertically by the use of an air cylinder in order to positively engage the ball elevator mechanism.

1. Field of Invention
This invention relates to a bail-lift in an AMF 8270 and 8230 machine but not limited to an AMF bowling machine, specifically to an improved manner of returning bails for a bowling machine.
2. Description of Prior Art
AMF 8270 and 8230 bowling machines use kicker rollers to force the ball to elevate on a slanted flooring until it reaches the ball-lift assembly to return the ball. This system often causes ball damage from the kickers when any item delays the ball from getting into the ball-lift immediately, oil gets on rollers, or the rubber/urathane is worn and exposes steel parts that can grind on the ball.
The AMF 8270 and 8230 ball return system has multiple moving parts and belts that often break and require many hours of maintenance.
The new AMF posi-lift does not damage the ball near as often, but is very expensive to change to if you are operating AMF 8270 and 8230 machines. This system also has many moving parts as well that require many hours of maintenance.
With all of the above mentioned ball-lifting systems, if failure occurs during a league the customers often are required to wait long periods of time while the system is being repaired.

Vertical ball-lift with pneumatic actuator


A hook and jack handle assembly in which the hook is retained within the tubular jack handle during use of the assembly in operating a vehicle jack. To this end, a tubular end portion in a jack handle has inserted therein a hook-shaped end piece having a pre-formed indentation. The tubular wall of the jack handle is displaced within the pre-formed indentation such that the end piece is prevented from slipping out of the jack handle during use.

This invention relates to vehicle jacks and, more particularly, to an improved handle for actuating such jacks.
Motor vehicles have traditionally been equipped with a spare wheel to use in the event that one of the tires became flat or disinflated. Along with a spare wheel, some means for raising the vehicle in order to change the wheel must be provided. This means of lifting the vehicle has usually been some form of vehicle jack.
Some vehicle jacks have heretofore been designed to be positioned underneath the vehicle, usually just to the inside of the tire to be changed and the designated lifting point is generally the axle or other nearby wheel support structure. These jacks may be either of a scissors-type or a telescoping-type and normally utilize a screw drive. In both cases, a rotary force is applied to an operator or coupling on the end of a screw drive to either raise or lower the vehicle depending upon whether the rotary motion is clockwise or counterclockwise.
To impart that rotary motion to the jack, a handle is attached to the jack spindle both, to transmit the rotary motion to the jack and, to help position the jack at the proper lifting location underneath the vehicle. The jack handle must be long enough to reach from the perimeter of the vehicle to the jack which is positioned underneath the vehicle while still allowing enough room for the operator to apply the rotary motion to the end of the handle remote from the jack.
Some of the current jack handles on the market have a solid metal end with a generally L-shaped tip or hook on one end of the jack handle. This hook is engaged with an operator on the base of the jack which allows the jack handle to be used to push and pull the jack to position it underneath the vehicle. Furthermore, the hook drivingly engages the jack operating coupling and transmits the necessary rotary motion and torque from the jack handle to the jack screw in order to lift the vehicle.
Referring to FIG. 1, to manufacture the hook and jack handle assembly, a hook 14 is formed in a first end 13 of a solid metal end piece 12 which has an opposite end 18 with a noncircular cross-section. The opposite end 18 of the end piece 12 is inserted into a tubular section 20 of the jack handle 22 and then held in place while a stake or crimp (not shown) is applied to the outer surface of the tubular section 20. In theory, the crimp should simultaneously form mating depressions in both the tubing wall 16 and opposite end 18 of the end piece 12, which should secure the end piece 12 to the end of the jack handle 22 and prevent the end piece 12 from separating from the jack handle 22 during normal use.
In practice, however, often, this is not what happens. As the crimp punch displaces the material in the tubing wall 16, the tubing wall material is merely compressed and thinned out to form a notch 26 between the crimp punch and the end piece 12, as shown in FIG. 1. The tubing wall does not displace the adjoining material in the end piece 12 as one would expect. If the crimping force is increased with the intent of causing the punch to penetrate into the end piece material, the tubing wall 16 is often punched through as shown at notch 28 in FIG. 2. Alternatively, only an extremely thin section of tube wall 16 is left in the depression formed in the end piece 12, which will not adequately retain the end piece 12 in the jack handle 22 when forces such as an axial load are applied to the hook and jack handle assembly.
In order to meet the torque requirements placed on the hook and jack handle assembly, the tensile strength of the end piece 12 is greater than the tensile strength of the tubular section 20 of the jack handle 22. This would account for the softer tubing wall 16 not being able to displace the harder end piece material. Also the thin tubing wall 16 presents a much less substantial structure than the solid end piece 12. Thus, the tubing wall 16 is simply displaced by the punch instead of being able to work the material of the end piece 12.
As a result of the tubing wall 16 not displacing the material in the end piece 12, the minimal contact between the end piece 12 and tubing wall 16 at the crimp area creates a frictional force that temporarily holds the end piece 12 in place within the jack handle 22. Once the jack handle is used, however, the forces applied to the hook 14 and jack handle 22 can cause the tubular section 20 to relax slightly, that is, to deflect or move, and the contact between the tubular section 20 and end piece 12 is lost. The end piece 12 with hook 14 can then be easily dislodged from the jack handle 22 when longitudinal forces apply an axial load, such as when the hook and jack handle assembly is used to pull the jack (not shown) from underneath the vehicle.
There is thus a need to provide a hook and jack handle assembly in which the hook will not unexpectedly separate from the jack handle during normal use of the vehicle jack.


Each of the cellular telephones is adapted to receive a paging signal and to transmit a voice channel signal on a voice channel frequency in response to the paging signal. The alert system includes a receiver tuned to receive the voice channel frequency. A trigger circuit is connected to the output of the receiver to be activated by the receiver when the receiver receives a voice channel signal on the voice channel frequency. An alert is produced by either an audio signal generator, a vibratory generator or a radio mute, and each of the latter is connected to the ouput of the trigger. Thus, an alert is provided on receipt of an incoming telephone call.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to an incoming call alert system for use with cellular telephones. More specifically, the invention relates to such a system which is physically separate from and which is not wired to the cellular telephone in association with which it is used.
2. Description of Prior Art
It is known in the art to provide circuitry or the like for modifying the alert systems (e.g. ringers) of cellular telephones. Examples of such modifications are illustrated in, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,076,968, Wattenbarger, Feb. 28, 1978, U.S. Pat. No. 4,214,131, Bush et al, Jul. 22, 1980 and U.S. Pat. No. 5,025,467, Wheller, Jun. 18, 1991. Typically, the cellular telephones have to be opened up to receive the circuitry or to be wired thereto.
Thus, the '968 patent teaches a telephone set which includes circuitry for automatically controlling the intensity of the ringer. The ambient noise is detected by a noise measuring circuit whose output is fed to a control circuit. The ringer intensity is then set by the control circuit. As seen in FIGS. 1 and 2 of the '968 patent, the ringer is physically wired to the transmitter and the receiver and the signals travel along the conductive wiring. Accordingly, the set would have to be opened to install the circuitry.
The purpose of the '131 invention is to provide an electronic circuit to replace electromechanical ringers of a telephone set. The electronic circuit is illustrated in FIG. 5 of the patent. At recited in the abstract, the electronic ringer can be use ". . . either as a replacement for that ringer in existing telephone instruments or as a part of the original manufactured instrument". When used as a replacement it would of course be necessary to open up the telephone set to install the electronic circuitry.
The '467 reference includes a "remote" telephone ringer for use in a cellular telephone in a car. The ringer produces a loud, but pleasant, ring so that the user can be alerted to an incoming call even if he is some distance from the car. However, once again, the ringer is wired to the cellular telephone set. Thus, the wire 80 is connected into the cellular telephone. Accordingly, although the cellular telephone does not have to be opened to install the entire ringing system, it nevertheless does have to be opened for an installation of the ringing system to work with the cellular telephone.
In any case, signals are sent by wire from the cellular telephone to the ringing system.
It is also known that some cellular telephones do suffer from their inability to produce a loud enough audio alert signal, and from their inability to provide a non-audible alert signal when an audible alert signal would be inconvenient.
For example, when travelling in a car with the windows opened and the car radio turned ON, the background noise will typically mask the cellular telephone ringer so that telephone calls could be missed. Also, when attending meetings or when in restaurants, it could be disruptive to receive an audible alert signal so that it would be advantageous to have a non-audible alert signal so that the telephone owner will be alerted about a telephone call without providing any disruption.

Incoming call alert system for cellular telephones without wired connection thereto

Developpement des Technologies M.W.M. Inc.


A scanner for removing paperclips from a sheaf of papers, with a paper lifting tray operable to move the sheaf of papers in a vertical direction, a pushdown bar configured to move in a vertical direction and make contact with the sheaf of papers on the paper lifting tray and apply a force in an opposite direction from the direction in which the paper lifting tray moves, the force being sufficient to hold the sheaf of papers in place, and with a removal bar configured to move in a direction that is coplanar with the paper lifting tray and orthogonal to the vertical direction, wherein the removal bar is configured to come into contact with the sheaf of papers and push a paperclip off of the sheaf of papers.

Currently, when a paperclip is used to hold documents together, a person must manually remove the paperclip from the document in order to process the document using a scanner. A scanner can include a scanner, fax machine, copy machine, etc., and can further be connected to a network such as a local area network (LAN), or the Internet, for example. While removing a paperclip from one sheaf or file of papers can be inconvenient, repeating this process hundreds or thousands of times can be very tedious and time consuming.
For example, if an organization, for example a hospital, is digitizing paper records and wishes to scan thousands of documents, it can cost substantial amounts of time and money to manually remove paperclips from the files and papers before scanning. Automating the paperclip removal process can greatly increase the efficiency and throughput of digitizing documents with a scanner. The present disclosure has been made in light of the above issues.

Scanning system with automatic paperclip remover


The present invention relates to a choke with two coils and a core for interleaved applications in step-up or step-down circuits or power factor compensation circuits. The core comprises several core sections with several lateral legs and a middle leg, whereby the core is designed such, that a coupling factor k of the two coils is smaller than 3%-5%. Furthermore, the core is designed such, that the core section form two loops with the middle leg as a common section, whereby each of the two coils lies on different loops outside of the common section. The lateral legs have a cross section A1 and the middle leg for the common section has a cross section A2<2×A1.

In the following, the term "choke" relates to a configuration from one or several coils placed on a common core.
A step-up or step-down circuit refers to a circuit, which can increase or decrease a direct-current voltage. Step-up and Step-down circuits operate according to similar principles like power factor compensation filters and partially use the same components.
A power factor correction is imposed in Germany for electric loads over 75 watt since 1 Jan. 2001 by the electromagnetic compatibility norm (EMC). Power factor describes the rate between the value of the effective power and the apparent power. A value less than 1 means that the apparent power, which is drawn from the power grid, is larger than the effective power, so that the power grid is additionally loaded by the apparent power, which has to be provided and transported and which partially has to flow back through the power grids. Hereby greater losses occur in the grid and the grid has to be dimensioned larger than actually necessary. Power factor correction filters make sure that the power factor is as close as possible to 1, i.e. only pure effective power is drawn from the power grid. In an active power factor correction (PFC) the drawn current is readjusted to the time dependent sinus shape voltage of the power grid.
A central component of step-up, step-down circuits and of PFC is a choke, which is in principle used to temporarily store Energy and release it on requirement. The following explanations confine on the use of the choke in PFC filters. However, similar reasoning is also true for step-up and step-down circuits.
A switch connected downstream of the choke which can adjust the coil output to a reference potential, is opened and closed by a controlling device so as on the one hand to deliver sufficient power to an electric load, but on the other hand so that the current of the grid voltage curve drawn from the grid is in-phase.
In a further development the input power voltage is divided between two coils which can be operated independently from one another. In general the switches are operated inverse to one another, i.e. if one switch is opened, the other switch is closed. In such an "interleaved" operational mode a choke branch (master) is directly controlled by the regulation circuit, i.e. the switching times for the choke are directly controlled by the regulation. The second choke branch (slave) generally follows the master with a phase shift of 180 degrees. Such an interleaved working arrangement has the advantage, that a more efficient power factor correction can be achieved. Since each choke has to cope with only half of the output power, smaller components can be dimensioned, so as to improve the power loss and heat generation and allow for smaller PFC-circuits. It is to be noted, that a correct functioning is possible also at other phase shifts <180°. That is, in general, the phasing can be variable. However, the majority of applications operate with a phase shift of 180°.
Active PFC circuits usually consist of a rectifier with a step-up convertor directly attached downstream with a coil and a switch, which charges a large capacitor to a voltage above the peak voltage of the grid network alternating current. FIG. 1A schematically shows the principles of a step-up circuit in interleaved technology. At the input the input voltage VIN is applied to the two choke coils L1 and L2 and the input current IIN is divided between the two chokes. At the output of each coil or choke L1 or L2 a switch S1 or S2, respectively, can set the output L1 or L2 controlled by a regulation circuit (not shown) to a reference potential. The outputs of coils L1 and L2 are connected through a diode to the capacitor COUT, which, in interaction with the coils L1 and L2 increases the voltage (step-up circuit) and smoothes the voltage, so that it can be delivered to the load resistance RLOAD.
The opening and closing times of switch S1 are set by a controller (master), which ensures that on the one hand the load RLOAD is provided with sufficient current IOUT and on the other hand the input voltage IIN is following in-phase the input voltage VIN. The switch S1 follows the switch S1 phase shifted by 180 degrees (slave). This causes in principle a pulse width modulation of the input current, in which the pulse width is controlled by a controller. FIG. 1B shows the switching characteristics of the switches S1 and S2. The time in which switch S1 is closed is denoted as Ton and is variable according to the controller. In the time in which switch S1 is closed, switch S2 is opened (180 degree phase shifted). The overall time, which consists from the sum of the time Ton, in which the switch S1 is closed and the time Toff, in which the switch is opened, is denoted as period T and is constant. The duty cycle D=Ton/T is variable and dependent on the controller. In FIG. 1b a constant duty cycle D of 0.5 is shown.
FIG. 1C shows the currents I1 and I2 through the coils L1 and L2. The current I1 through coil L1 consists from a direct current component Idc1 and a ripple component Iac1, generated by the switching processes. Accordingly, the current I2 through the coil L2 consists from a direct current component Idc2 and a ripple component Iac2 (alternating current component caused by switching processes). Since the switches are connected with a phase shift by 180 degrees, the phase shift between Iac1 and Iac2 is 180 degrees. On the capacitor COUT the currents I1 and I2 are added. I.e. the complete direct current component results in Idc=Idc1+Idc2. From Idc1=Idc2=IIN/2 follows for Idc that Idc=IIN. For the complete ripple current component (alternating current component) follows Iac=Iac1−Iac2, since Iac1 and Iac2 are phase shifted by 180 degrees. This, however, is only true for a duty cycle of D=0.5, i.e. for ton=toff. I.e. for a duty cycle of D=0.5 the ripple current components mutually compensate. At different duty cycles the ripple current components do not precisely compensate each other. In any case, on the whole, in the interleaved design the ripple current component is reduced giving a smoother current curve.
It should be noted, that at a phase shift of 180° the ripple current maximum in the middle leg is reached at a duty cycle of D=0.5. The interleaved choke, however, also functions at other phasings <180°. Hereby only the duty cycle D, at which the maximum of the alternating current ripple occurs, is shifted. I.e. that in general the phasing can be variable. However, the majority of applications operates at a phase shift of 180°.
Chokes for use in interleaved step-up circuits and PFC steps are known from state of the art. In the simplest case two coils are wound on a common core, like for example shown in U.S. Pat. No. 6,362,986 B1 of the Volterra company. FIG. 2 schematically shows the coil arrangement of this patent with switches 40 for the interleaved operation mode. The two coils 20 and 30 are arranged on a common ring-shaped core 10, i.e. the pair of coils 20, 30 works with a strong magnetic coupling, similar to a transformer. Since the magnetic flows from the coils sum up, the core geometries are correspondingly large, so as to reach a high magnetic conductivity and at the same time not to stress the core up to the saturation magnetization.
U.S. Pat. No. 8,217,746 B2 describes a further development of a choke coil for interleaved PVC circuits, in which the coil core for the two coils is designed such that the two coils are only weakly magnetically coupled. FIG. 3 shows a schematic view of the coil- and core configuration of U.S. Pat. No. 8,217,746 B2. The core consists from two E-shaped parts 110 and 120, which are separated from one another by an I-shaped part 130. The coils 20 and 30 are wound on the middle legs of the E-shaped parts 110 and 120. Since the magnetic flows Φ1 and Φ2 in the coils 20 and 30 from the middle legs of the E-shaped parts divides between the lateral legs of the E-shaped parts, the cross section A2 of the lateral legs can be half the size of the cross section A1 of the middle legs. Since the coils 20 and 30 are wound or connected in phase opposition, the direct current components of the magnetic flows Φ1 or. Φ2 of the coils 20 and 30 in the I-shaped portion of part 130 extent compensate one another to a large, so that the cross section of the I-shaped part 130 can be designed smaller than the cross section A1 of the middle legs of the E-shaped parts 110 and 120. By connecting the two E-shaped parts 110 and 120 and of the I-shaped part 130 air gaps 140 are formed at the joints.


A distillation apparatus having applicability to an air separation plant in which a distillation column is suspended within a containment sleeve from a main heat exchanger or a head condenser of the distillation column. The suspension of the distillation column is flexible so that the distillation column can assume a vertical orientation under influence of gravitational force to be self-leveling.

The present invention relates to a distillation apparatus having applicability to air separation in which a main heat exchanger and one or more distillation columns are enclosed within a sleeve-like containment. More particularly, the present invention relates to such an apparatus in which a distillation column is suspended within the containment from the main heat exchanger or from a head condenser so that the distillation column assumes a vertical orientation under influence of gravitational force.
Mixtures are distilled by contacting liquid and vapor phases of the mixture on liquid-vapor contact elements contained within a distillation column. The liquid-vapor contact elements can be trays, random packing and structured packing. Constant vapor and liquid flow rates are desired across the distillation column in order the distillation column to be efficiently utilized and to have predicable performance characteristics. In order to promote constant liquid and vapor flow rates, distillation columns are erected so that they will assume a vertical orientation. However, in case of small plants, for instance, packaged air separation plants which are encased in vacuum insulated enclosures, the assurance of vertical orientation can be problematical. One attempt to solve this problem can be found in U.S. Pat. No. 5,205,042. In this patent, a liquid nitrogen assist plant is disclosed that employs a distillation column connected to a storage container. The distillation column and storage containing are enclosed within a vacuum insulated container. A suspended mass and locator ring, referable to the orientation of the distillation column, are used to level the vacuum insulated container so that the distillation column will be erected in the necessary vertical orientation.
As will be discussed, the present invention provides a distillation apparatus in which the distillation column is self-leveling and thus, the deployment of the apparatus of the subject invention is far simpler than prior art plants such as packaged air separation plants.


A launcher mechanism for flying an article, the mechanism includes a handle, a release means, a cooperating means and a linking material. The arrangement being such that the cooperating means on the article is engaged with the release means, which is linked by the linking material to the handle. The article can be thrown by swinging the handle, the path of the article being guided by the path swept by the handle, until the impetus of the article is sufficient to part the increasingly separable engagement between the release means and the cooperating means. The article is released with a forward momentum.

At present when launching or throwing aeroplanes, darts or arrows there are inherent limitations because of the amount of force which can be created by a persons throwing arm action.
Slings provide added leverage, however these have an inherent limitation in that the pocket of a sling is typically unsuitable for a wide variety of articles.
Other launchers have included a stick and string arrangement, with the string being knotted and clipped onto an article such as a toy aeroplane.
Such a system is described in U.S. Pat. No. 1,400,097. The string is pulled or swung with the aeroplane attached. The string is then stopped or the direction in which the string is pulled is reversed and the string releases from the clip. This may deflect the path of the aeroplane or reduce its momentum.
An object of this invention is to overcome at least in part the above-identified disadvantages and to provide a launcher mechanism for flying or throwing an article.
A further object of the invention is to provide a launcher mechanism which offers some control over the launch impetus of an article and allows for a follow through of the throwing action.
A further object of the invention is to provide a launcher mechanism which offers a useful alternative choice.
Further objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following descriptions which are given by way of example only.