A piston deceleration system includes an elongated piston shaft having an intermediate stop member and a second stop member formed thereon. A piston member is slidably seated on the elongated shaft between the intermediate stop member and the second stop member. A tank member is provided having a first end surface with a first opening and a shaft aperture formed therein and a second end surface having a second opening formed therein. The piston shaft is slidably positioned into the tank member through at least the first end surface shaft aperture. A shaft shock absorbing member is positioned between the intermediate stop member and the piston member on the piston shaft, and a piston shock absorbing member is positioned between the piston member and the second end of the tank member.

(1) Field of the Invention
This invention generally relates to a device for enabling a quiet ejection of launched items from a launch tube. More particularly, the invention relates to piston deceleration system utilizing an arrangement and shape of bumpers and a modified piston shaft.
(2) Description of the Prior Art
The current art for submarine launch systems for three inch devices was developed in the early 1960""s. The launch systems utilize a basic design as shown and described in connection with FIGS. 1A-1C, hereinbelow. Because these systems create a cavitation or water hammer during launch, they are incapable of conducting a quiet launch.
Thus, a problem exists in the art whereby it is necessary to remove the cavitation or water hammer effect in order to produce a quiet launch.
The following patents, for example, disclose various types of piston control, but do not disclose an arrangement and shape of pistons or shaft as does the present invention which permits a quiet launch.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,561,248 to Quin et al.;
U.S. Pat. No. 4,609,135 to Elliesen;
U.S. Pat. No. 5,224,413 to Herner; and
U.S. Pat. No. 5,850,776 to Takeuchi et al.
Specifically, Quin et al. disclose a hydraulic shock-absorbing jack particularly for use underwater which includes a cylinder in which a piston associated with an actuated rod is slidable. The piston defines within the cylinder a first actuating chamber provided with a first inlet for actuating liquid and connected to an accumulator of elastically variable volume, and a second actuating chamber provided with a second inlet for actuating liquid. The rod is mounted to be slidable relative to the piston such that, in the event of a shock applied to the rod which would otherwise cause an increase in the volume of the second chamber, the rod alone moves relative to the piston without affecting the volume of the second chamber. The rod is provided with an enlarged head located in the first chamber and preventing its disengagement from the piston.
The patent to Elliesen discloses a sound-dampened driving apparatus for fasteners wherein a main valve means is arranged above a working cylinder of the apparatus and movable within a cylindrical bore. When the main valve means is in its lower at rest position, the main valve means separates the working cylinder from a source of compressed air and connects the cylinder to the atmosphere. When the main valve means is in its upper actuating position, the working cylinder is connected to the source of compressed air and the valve means blocks the cylinder connection to the atmosphere. The space above the main valve member within the cylindrical bore is capable of being alternately connected to either the atmosphere or compressed air, and includes a sound dampening means arranged in the space above the main valve member.
Herner discloses an impact dampening ring having a primary bumper and a secondary bumper for dampening the engagement of a piston against and end of a power cylinder. The primary bumper has a curved or arcuate surface for initial engagement with the end of the cylinder and the secondary bumper has a flat surface for secondary engagement with the end of the cylinder. The engagement of the primary and secondary bumpers dampens the impact and prevents the piston from directly engaging the end of the power cylinder. A mounting flange on the impact dampening rings provides a means for mounting the impact dampening ring onto a mounting surface of the piston. A seal along the outer perimeter of the impact dampening ring provides a fluid tight seal for the piston inside of the power cylinder.
Takeuchi et al. disclose a fluid pressure cylinder including a cylinder body, a piston accommodated in the cylinder body to define first and second pressure chambers therein, means for supplying fluid to each chamber to reciprocate the piston between a first stroke end and a second stroke end, first and second bumper surfaces, an annular cushion retainer connected to the first bumper surface, and an elastomeric cushion for deforming and cushioning an impact produced when the piston reaches the first stroke end. The bumper surfaces approach each other when the piston reaches the first stroke end and separate from one another when the piston moves toward the second stroke end. The cushion has a shape corresponding generally to a hollow conical section. The cushion includes a base section retained by the cushion retainer and a buffer section joined to the base section. The buffer section has an outer surface for contacting the second bumper surface and an inner surface that faces the first bumper surface. The outer surface forms a circular seal with the second bumper surface when the piston approaches the first stroke end. The cushion is flexed such that the buffer section moves toward the first bumper surfaces. The buffer section moves away from the first bumper surface when the piston moves towards the second stroke end.
It should be understood that the present invention would in fact enhance the functionality of the above patents by providing both a unique arrangement and shape of shock absorbing members within a launcher impulse tank assembly and structuring the piston assembly itself to aid in the shock absorption of the piston stroke.
Therefore it is an object of this invention to provide a piston deceleration system for absorbing a piston shock at one end of the stroke.
Another object of this invention is to provide a piston deceleration system utilizing a unique arrangement of deflection bumpers for reducing shock within an impulse tank assembly.
Still another object of this invention is to provide a piston deceleration system utilizing a unique shape of deflection bumpers that prevents cavitation within an impulse tank assembly.
A still further object of the invention is to provide a piston deceleration system which is integrated into existing piston systems without substantial modification.
Yet another object of this invention is to provide a piston deceleration system which is simple to manufacture and easy to use.
In accordance with one aspect of this invention, there is provided a piston deceleration system including an elongated piston shaft, a piston member slidably seated on the elongated piston shaft, a tank member having a first opening formed in a first end surface thereof and a second opening formed in a second end surface thereof, the elongated piston shaft being reciprocally inserted into the tank member through the first end surface. An intermediate stop limit member is formed on the elongated piston shaft between the piston member and the first end of the tank member. A shaft shock absorbing member is positioned between the stop limit member and the piston on the elongated piston shaft, and a piston shock absorbing members is positioned between the piston member and the second end of the tank member on the elongated piston shaft. Each of the plurality of shock absorbing members absorbing a shock of the reciprocating piston member.

The United States of America as represented by The Secretary of the Navy


Provided is a photographing apparatus. The photographing apparatus may illuminate auto focus (AF) auxiliary light onto a subject without regard to an opening/closing of a flash because the flash may illuminate the light out of a main body even when the flash is received in the main body in a retracted position.

The present invention relates to a photographing apparatus, and more particularly, to a photographing apparatus capable of illuminating an auto focus (AF) auxiliary light without regard to the opening/closing of a flash since the flash may disperse light to outside of a main body of a camera even when the flash is included in the main body of the camera.
Recently, digital single-lens reflex (DSLR) cameras that provide photographs of high image quality and generate digital images have been widely distributed. Here, of the DSLR cameras, a single-lens reflex camera is one in which an image of a subject is transferred to a viewfinder and light is transmitted to a photographing sensor through one lens. Compact digital cameras are twin lens reflex cameras which have been widely distributed. Therefore, an image shown to a user and an image that is actually captured are different from each other, and thus, the image transferred to a sensor may be displayed on a screen.
In conventional DSLR cameras, a mirror is formed on an optical axis of the lens to rotate within a predetermined angle range with respect to the optical axis. The light of an object, as obtained from the lens, is reflected by the mirror and focused on a focusing plate, and thus, the user may identify the image focused on the focusing plate using a pentaprism and a viewfinder. At this time, when a shutter-release signal is input, the mirror rotates within a predetermined range with respect to the optical axis and rises to escape from the optical axis of the lens. In addition, when the shutter is opened by a driving control of a shutter driving circuit, the image of the subject is formed on an imaging device.
The conventional DSLR cameras generally include a flash, which is equipment for lighting a photographing scene by generating an instant flash. The light emission of the flash is made for 1/1000 sec., and a color temperature at this time is generally about 5,500 K. The flash may be multifunctional, however, the flash is generally used to light the photographing scene when the light intensity is low.
Digital cameras mostly adopt an auto focus (AF) function, which automatically focuses the subject by measuring a distance to the subject. However, when there is no sufficient contrast on the subject in a dark scene, it is difficult to determine the position of the subject, and thus, the focusing cannot be performed. Therefore, in recent digital cameras, an AF auxiliary light is illuminated onto the subject in order to compensate for the lack of brightness.
FIG. 1 shows a conventional DSLR camera.
Referring to FIG. 1, the conventional DSLR camera 10 additionally includes an AF auxiliary light source 11. Therefore, when the environment surrounding a subject is dark, the AF auxiliary light source 11 illuminates light onto the subject to perform an AF operation.
However, in this case, since the additional AF auxiliary light source 11 is included to perform the AF operation, a structure of the camera becomes complex, the volume and weight of the camera increase, and fabrication costs of the camera also increase.
On the other hand, a flash 12 is opened to illuminate the AF auxiliary light onto the subject, and then, the AF operation may be performed.
However, the AF auxiliary light is only illuminated onto the subject only when the flash 12 is opened and the flash 12 emits light whenever photographing, and thus, the photographing may not be performed according to the user's intention. Moreover, the flash 12 is opened when the AF operation is performed and closed when the AF operation is not performed, and thus, the user may experience this inconvenience.

Photographing apparatus having a folding flash unit


The invention relates to a method of fabricating a composite material connecting rod, the method comprising the step of cutting out a pattern presenting two opposite edges from a composite fiber fabric made up of a plurality of superposed primary plies that are bonded together in such a manner that the primary plies can slide relative to one another, rolling the pattern into a tube in such a manner that the primary plies slide relative to one another to give a chamfer shape to the two edges, and joining together the chamfer-shaped edges so that they overlap.

Connecting rods are known that comprise a hollow body of composite material, e.g. obtained by winding a filament around a mandrel, or indeed by winding a ply of woven fibers.
The thickness of the hollow body is obtained by winding the filament or the ply through an appropriate number of turns.
Composite material connecting rods are also known in which the hollow body is made by stacking plies. The state of the art is illustrated by the following patent documents: U.S. Pat. No. 5,798,013, DE 20 119 287, EP 0 678 681, U.S. Pat. No. 5,033,514, DE 3 726 340.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Method of fabricating a composite material connecting rod


The invention relates to a mold for manufacturing a stick, in particular for cosmetic use. The side wall of said mold has zones of weakness for making the mold easier to deform radially, said zones of weakness being obtained by means of recesses formed in the side wall of the mold and extending longitudinally over substantially the entire height of the mold starting from its bottom end.

European patent application EP-A-0 686 468 discloses a method of manufacturing lipstick sticks.
That known method uses a flexible mold which is thermally conditioned prior to introducing therein a predetermined quantity of a composition in the molten state for constituting a lipstick stick after it has cooled and solidified.
The stick is unmolded in two stages.
In a first stage, suction is applied to the outside of the mold, but at its top end only, so as to cause said top end to expand and provide annular clearance around the stick inside the mold.
This clearance enables the stick to be engaged in an extractor member, e.g. constituted by the cup of a lipstick case, while the bottom portion of the stick continues to be held by the mold.
In a second stage, once the extractor member has been engaged on the stick, suction is exerted on the outside of the mold over its entire height so as to separate the bottom portion of the stick from the mold, thereby facilitating removal of the stick.
The material selected for making the mold must satisfy various requirements, and in particular:
it must be physically and chemically compatible with the stick-constituting composition;
it must withstand the temperature of said composition in the molten state, i.e. about 100° C.;
it must withstand the mechanical and thermal stresses to which it is subjected during a stick-manufacturing cycle; and
it must be dimensionally stable.

Mold for manufacturing a stick of cosmetic product


Disclosed is a method and system for determining composition of a fuel entering a combustor. The method includes determining a temperature of the fuel entering the combustor, calculating a first estimated total fuel flow utilizing fuel properties and fuel nozzle effective area (Ae), and calculating a second estimated total fuel flow utilizing an aero-thermal cycle model analysis. The first estimated total fuel flow is compared to the second estimated total fuel flow and a lower heating value of the fuel is determined from a difference between the first estimated total fuel flow and the second estimated total fuel flow. A method and system for controlling a gas turbine includes calculating effects of the fuel composition on performance of the gas turbine and comparing one or more performance parameters to one or more parameter limits. One or more machine controls of the gas turbine are changed based on the results of the comparison.

The subject invention relates to gas turbines. More particularly, the subject invention relates to the identification and integration of fuel composition information into the cycle and combustion models used to control the gas turbine.
Performance of gas turbines is sensitive to the composition of the fuel feeding the gas turbine combustion system. Uncompensated variation in fuel composition can lead to combustion instabilities (dynamics), increased emissions including NOx and CO, lean blow-out, and reduced flameholding margin or flashback. Timely understanding of varying fuel composition can aid optimization of the combustion system by the gas turbine control system. One method of accomplishing compensation for varying fuel composition includes direct measurement of fuel composition that can be accomplished by a variety of technologies, many of which are costly, slow in response, or otherwise undesirable for control purposes.

Method and system to determine composition of fuel entering combustor


A circuit verification apparatus for verifying justice of wiring connections of PWB is provided. The circuit verification apparatus includes a net list reduction part for generating a reduction net list in which unnecessary components and connections for verification are eliminated from connection relationships for all components used in the PWB; a connection rule for defining conditions of a pair of start point and end point of each expected connection by using variables and function; a rule expanding part for developing the connection rule by using conditions of a pin specified to the start point, determining end point conditions corresponding to the start point and generating a post-development rule including developed conditions of the start point and end point; and a net list and rule matching verification part for verifying matching state of each connection with referring to the reduction net list and the post-development rule, and outputs a verification result.

In accordance with progress of semiconductor technology, an electronic circuit board mounting a large number of LSIs (Large Scale Integrated circuit) on a printed wiring board (PWB) is widely used. Among such LSIs mounted on the PWB, the LSI having a large number of pins on it is also increasing.
In a design and development work of PWB, it needs to verify whether the design of wiring for the LSI mounted on the PWB are logically correct and whether wiring connections are correctly connected to proper points. In order to perform this kind of verification, it needs enormous amount of descriptive rules for defining each wiring connection on the PWB (hereinafter this rule is called as a connection rule). Therefore, big amount of man power is spent for producing the connection rule used in the verification work of each PWB, and long retrieval time among all connection rule for finding necessary connection rule which is suitably used in a respective proper verification work is necessary, and also many resources are needed for storing such enormous amount of connection rule in a verification apparatus.
The following patent documents disclose technologies relating to various verification works which are needed for efficiently performing design and development works of PWB on which plural LSIs are mounted.
Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 1991-028971 discloses technology for a verification method of mask patterns which are required when mask layout data of LSI is created. According to this patent document, this technology can reduce verification processing time by performing verification of a plurality of cell data, which compose the mask layout data, at once in a cell level.
Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 1994-120345 discloses technology relating to a layout verification work for an LSI design. According to this patent document, this technology can exclude a comparison mistake in comparison process of comparing between layout data and circuit data for a repeated structured cell part by using an electronic computer, and it can efficiently performs a design check work.
Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 1997-167170 discloses technology relating to a design work of an electronic circuit having regular and repeated structures like a semiconductor memory and a liquid crystal display panel. According to this patent document, this technology can automatically perform a verification processing which is equivalent to the process in which the whole electronic circuit having regular and repeated structures is processed at once. This technology is characterized by setting regular and repeated structure model which can determine the regularity and individual data as structure definition information.
Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 1997-237289 discloses technology for automatically generating the hardware description which is used for logic verification of an electronic circuit and is generated from a circuit diagram of the electronic circuit. According to this patent document, this technology can automatically generate the hardware description, which represents logic functions of the electronic circuit for the logic verification, from the circuit diagram without changing connection information on the circuit diagram. This technology is characterized in that deletion information for analog components, like resistors, which are shown in the circuit diagram and are not needed for the logic verification, is added, and the deletion information is effectively used for generating the hardware description automatically.
Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 1998-254938 discloses technology for converting a large-scale digital analog mixed circuit into a suitable circuit to be used for high speed and efficient digital simulation. According to this patent document, this technology can efficiently perform model conversion according to conversion rules for the digital analog mixed circuit, and a converted circuit in accordance with the characteristics of the logic simulator to be used is obtained.

Circuit verification apparatus, a method of circuit verification and circuit verification program


A method for fabricating submicron lines over a semiconductor material by creating a narrow hard mask over the material using a narrow void-producing process. The narrow void is thus used as a mask to form lines that are narrower than those that can be produced by current lithography techniques. The method can also be used to create sharp emission tips for field effect display devices.

Often times in semiconductor wafer fabrication, it is desirable to fabricate a line having closer tolerances than photolithography or other line-forming methods. These close-tolerance lines are utilized for field effect devices and other integrated circuit devices produced on semiconductor wafers. In the past, it has been necessary to either purchase expensive precision fabrication equipment or relax the tolerances. Accordingly, it would be desirable to have a method for fabricating a close-tolerance line or sharp tip without requiring close-tolerance precise fabrication equipment. One example of use of this line would be for a narrow gate on a MOS FET device.

Method for fabrication of close-tolerance lines and sharp emission tips on a semiconductor wafer


According to various embodiments, a shipping label validation system is provided for determining whether a shipping label is valid or counterfeit. The system may be used, for example, by a shipping entity (e.g., a common carrier) to prevent counterfeiting by generating and embedding onto the shipping label a shipping label hash index based upon at least a portion of the data located on the shipping label. The shipping label data may include, for example, a sender's address, recipient's address, package weight, tracking number, routing code, service code, and/or MaxiCode. The system may also be used to detect existing counterfeit shipping labels by independently generating a confirmation hash index based upon the same portion of the data used to calculate the shipping label hash index. In various embodiments, the system identifies counterfeit shipping labels based upon any discrepancies revealed when comparing the shipping label hash index to the confirmation hash index.

Shipping carriers (e.g., common carriers, such as United Parcel Service, Inc. (UPS), FedEx, United States Postal Service (USPS), etc.), transport packages to and from a variety of clients for different purposes. Generally, the shipping carriers route, track, and identify such packages with shipping labels that contains pertinent information such as a recipient address, a tracking number, and/or a routing code. Upon affixing the shipping labels to the packages, subsequent transport of the packages is governed largely by the information contained on the shipping labels. Unfortunately, the shipping labels rarely convey whether payment has indeed been received. To shipping carriers, whose revenue depends on payments received to transport the packages, verification that shipping labels are valid (e.g., that payment has indeed been received) remains important. In the past, efforts have focused on the use of physical identifiers (e.g., micro printing, taggants, encryption, e-signature, general machine-readable codes, etc.) to deter or detect counterfeit shipping labels. Such physical identifiers often introduce minor inaccuracies into the shipping label and/or may be hacked easily by those in the counterfeiting business. With access to counterfeit shipping labels, shippers could potentially ship packages without having to submit payment for transport costs, which in turn hurts the shipping carriers' revenue stream. Thus, a need exists to provide systems and methods to effectively deter and detect counterfeit shipping labels prior to the execution of the package shipping process.

Systems and methods for a secure shipping label


An apparatus which transmits data and control information which indicates at least one of a demodulation method and a decoding method of the data using an optical signal, includes: a modulator configured to perform modulation in which a rate of change of a polarization state of light is changed according to the control information, and modulation in which a characteristic of light which is different from the rate of change of the polarization state is changed in accordance with the data; and an emitting section configured to emit light, on which modulation is performed using the modulator, to another communication apparatus via a free space.

Japanese Laid-open Patent Publication No. 2005-223944, for example, discusses an optical transmission system in which, in communication which uses optical fiber, control information is transmitted by adding an overhead bit to a main signal, and the main signal is demodulated at the reception side. In addition, U.S. Pat. No. 7,580,632, for example, discusses a method in which, in communication which uses optical fiber, a data signal and a path identification (ID) are transmitted by performing modulation using a tone according to the path ID with respect to an optical data signal.
In addition, Xinhui Zhao, Yong Yao, Yunxu Sun, and Chao Liu, "Circle Polarization Shift Keying With Direct Detection for Free-Space Optical Communication", Journal of Optical Communications and Networking, Vol. 1, Issue 4, Sep. 1, 2009, pp. 307-312, for example, discusses a method in which, in free space optical communication, information is detected using a reception side polarization beam splitter by carrying information, which is different from a main signal, on the polarization wave itself by changing the status of polarization (polarization state) of single polarization. In addition, Mark D. Feuer, Vinay A. Vaishampayan, V. Mikhailov, and P. Westbrook, "Digital Lightpath Label Transcoding for Dual-Polarization QPSK Systems", OFC/NFOEC 2011, JWA28, for example, discusses a method in which, in optical fiber communication where a main signal is transmitted by polarization multiplexing, the polarization state is changed by biasing the frequency of modulation data in the transmitted light, and the change in the polarization state is read using a reception side polarimeter.
However, in the techniques in the related art, in free space optical communication, there is a problem in that it is difficult to stably transmit data by superimposing control information which indicates a demodulation method or a decoding method of the data, without adding an optical component. For example, when the control information is superimposed and transmitted by performing intensity modulation with respect to an optical data signal, it is difficult to receive control information at the reception side, because loss of an optical signal which is intensity modulated is large in a free space. In addition, an optical component such as a polarizer is desirable at the reception side when control information is superimposed and transmitted by changing the polarization state.

Transmission device, receiving device, and communication method


An automotive seat reclining device includes a first rotation member connected to one of a seat back and a seat cushion and having an internal gear and a bearing sleeve coaxial with the internal gear, a second rotation member connected to the other of the seat back and the seat cushion and having an external gear and a bearing bore coaxial with the external gear, a pair of wedge members disposed in a circular eccentric space between the bearing sleeve and the bearing bore and a drive member inserted in the eccentric space to move the mesh of the internal and external gears by pushing the wedge members and rotate the second rotation member relative to the first rotation member. Each of the wedge members has an inner circumferential surface formed with a recessed section and two contact sections for contact with an outer circumferential surface of the bearing sleeve.

The present invention relates to an automotive seat reclining device having a pair of wedge members to hold a seat back tightly at a desired angular position relative to a seat cushion without causing play in the seat back due to tilting of the wedge members.
Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 2004-33401 discloses an automotive seat reclining device that has a seat back angle adjustment mechanism equipped with a differential gear unit to pivot a seat back electrically at a high reduction gear ratio and thereby adjust the seat back to a desired angular position with respect to a seat cushion.
The differential gear unit generally includes a first rotation member (or bracket) coupled to either one of the seat cushion and the seat back and formed with an internal gear and a bearing sleeve, a second rotation member (or bracket) coupled to the other of the seat cushion and the seat back and formed with an external gear and a bearing bore, a pair of wedge members disposed within a circular eccentric space between an outer circumferential surface of the bearing sleeve and an inner circumferential surface of the bearing bore and biased away from each other by a spring and a drive member inserted in the eccentric space to move the mesh of the internal and external gears circumferentially together with the wedge members and thereby rotate the second rotation member relative to the first rotation member in a direction opposite to the rotation direction of the gear mesh. Each of the wedge members has an inner circumferential surface formed with a protrusion for sliding line contact with the outer circumferential surface of the bearing sleeve.


A preparation method of a color film layer, a display substrate and a preparation method thereof. The display substrate includes a bearing layer and repeating units, each repeating unit including a green film layer, a red film layer and a blue film layer, which are provided on the bearing layer and directly contacting a first surface of the bearing layer. On a plane parallel to the first surface of the bearing layer, in each repeating unit, the red film layer is provided on a first side of the green film layer, the blue film layer is provided on a second side of the green film layer opposite to the first side; one of the red film layer and the blue color film layer covers part of the green film layer; one part of the green film layer does not overlap with the red film layer and the blue film layer.

Organic light-emitting display (OLED) devices have a wide range of applications in the display field due to their advantages, such as self-luminescence, wide viewing angle, and fast response speed. Silicon-based OLED microdisplays are especially widely used, and can be applied to head-mounted video players, head-mounted home theaters, head-mounted virtual reality simulators, head-mounted game player, pilot helmet systems, and head-mounted medical diagnostics System, etc.
The performance of silicon-based OLED microdisplays is better than that of conventional silicon-based liquid crystal microdisplays. Silicon-based OLED microdisplays have the advantages of extremely fast response speed, good low-temperature characteristics, low power consumption, good mechanical properties, and strong shock resistance. The silicon-based OLED microdisplay includes an anode, a cathode, and a functional layer of organic material between the anode and the cathode. The light-emitting process and principle of silicon-based OLED microdisplays are that holes are injected from the anode and electrons are injected from the cathode, and the injected holes and electrons are transferred to the light-emitting center through the carrier transport layer in the functional layer of the organic material, and then the holes and electrons are combined to emit light.

Preparation method of color film layer, display substrate and preparation method thereof


A method for charging an electric vehicle during a travel of the electric vehicle, with the following steps: Providing a mobile charging device, arranging the mobile charging device underneath the traveling electric vehicle, fastening the mobile charging device to a bottom of the electric vehicle, transferring electric energy out of the mobile charging device to the battery of the electric vehicle, separating the mobile charging device from the bottom of the electric vehicle and providing the mobile charging device again.

Electric vehicles, in particular electric cars, comprise an electromotor for generating a propulsion and comprise a battery which stores electric energy, and for operating the electromotor. The electric energy stored in the battery determines a range of the electric vehicle, i.e., limits a maximum driving stretch without a recharging of the battery of the electric vehicle. Maximum ranges of current electric vehicles are usually approximately 500 km.
The charging of the battery can take a long time. Starting from a low charging state of the battery to a full charge can take several hours of charging time. For charging, the electric vehicle is connected to a stationary, i.e. fixed charging station or the like and cannot be moved during the charging time.
Once the battery has reached a critical, low charging state during a travel, i.e., the electric energy stored in the battery gets low, the travel must be interrupted for charging the battery, which adversely affects the handling of the electric vehicle. In order to avoid an interruption of the travel, the battery must be sufficiently charged in time before a travel is undertaken, as a result of which a spontaneous and uninterrupted travel over a long driving stretch is practically excluded. Aside from this, a charging of the electric vehicle during the travel and consequently a rather long interruption of the travel is basically unavoidable for the driving stretch which is longer than the range of the electric vehicle. In addition, environmental factors such as, for example, an air temperature, a detour or a high traffic volume can reduce the range of the electric vehicle in an unforeseen manner.
Accordingly, there is a need to improve the manageability of the electric vehicle, in particular for long driving stretches. In order to avoid interruptions of a travel of the electric vehicle for charging the battery, solutions are considered which allow a charging during the travel, that is, do not require any standing time of the electric vehicle at a charging station.
DE 10 2012 214 750 A1 offers such a solution and discloses a method for charging an electric vehicle during a travel of the electric vehicle. In the method, electric energy is transferred from an overhead line to the electric vehicle via a charging vehicle galvanically connected by a sliding contact to the overhead line. During the transfer of the electric energy the electric vehicle is mechanically and electrically connected to the charging vehicle by a coupling device and travels at a predetermined distance behind the charging vehicle.
This method does make possible a charging of the battery of the electric vehicle during the travel. However, the necessary infrastructure is very complex since appropriate overhead lines must be provided over long travel sections. In addition, the electric vehicle necessarily moves during the entire charging time in the track and at the speed of the charging vehicle, which greatly limits the agility of the electric vehicle and the travel time can be lengthened as a consequence of the charging.
DE 10 2015 225 789 A1 discloses another mobile charging device. The mobile charging device comprises a battery and travels on demand from an available system independently (autonomously) to a position of an electric vehicle in order to transfer electric energy stored in the battery by a coupling device which is both mechanical as well as electric to a battery of the electric vehicle. The transfer of the electric energy can also take place during a travel of the electric vehicle.
Accordingly, this solution is based on the fact that the mobile charging device comprises a comprehensive self-driving function. It makes do without an expensive infrastructure such as an overhead system and can also ensure a charging of the battery of the electric vehicle even in areas without a charging station or in an electric vehicle broken down far from a charging station.
However, it requires a mobile charging device which moves independently in street traffic. Such a mobile charging device is very complex and increases the density of the street traffic, i.e. dense traffic, and also increases the risk of an accident for each participant in the street traffic. In addition, the mechanical coupling between the mobile charging device traveling in front and the electric vehicle following it can be considered as disadvantageous.
Another method for charging a vehicle battery of an electric vehicle during the travel of the electric vehicle is described in DE 10 2016 014 034 A1. In this method the electric vehicle travels behind a mobile charging station at the same speed as the mobile charging station. During this time, electric energy is transferred from the mobile charging station via a magnetic induction path to the battery of the electric vehicle, wherein the magnetic induction path is formed by an induction plate arranged on a rear side of the mobile loading station and by an induction plate arranged on a front side of the electric vehicle.
Accordingly, a mechanical coupling between the mobile charging station and the electric vehicle is not provided. However, the electric vehicle must also travel in this solution at the same speed as the mobile charging station and at a predetermined distance behind the mobile charging station in order to ensure a functioning of the magnetic induction path during the charging time.

Mobile charging device for an electric vehicle


An integrated circuit, or portion thereof, such as a CMOS device, includes an epitaxially grown dielectric on a silicon carbide base. The epitaxially grown dielectric forms a gate dielectric and the silicon carbide base serves as a channel region for the CMOS device. In various embodiments, the epitaxially grown dielectric may be a crystalline carbon or carbon-containing film.

A significant trend throughout IC development has been to reduce the size of the components of the IC's. As the size is reduced, the performance requirements of the materials of the components become more stringent. For CMOS devices (e.g. CMOS transistors) in particular, increased performance requirements have generally been met by aggressively scaling the thickness of the gate dielectric and the length of the channel of the transistors. As continued attempts have been made to scale down CMOS technology, however, the performance requirements for the CMOS devices have proven so stringent that scaling of either the gate dielectric and/or the channel length has become a very difficult and/or impractical solution for meeting the high performance requirements.
A gate dielectric thickness of about ten Angstroms and smaller is anticipated in next generation CMOS devices. Such thin gate dielectrics face high gate leakage current, which is detrimental to device performance and overall power consumption.
It has been suggested to use dielectric materials having a dielectric constant (K) in a range of about 7 to 30 as the gate dielectric for CMOS devices. Such a range for K is considerably larger than that for silicon dioxide (K=3.9), which is commonly used as the gate dielectric. Such higher-K dielectric materials have the potential to reduce gate leakage current and thus enable much thinner gate dielectric layers for the smaller dimensions required for new CMOS devices.
However, the higher-K dielectric materials have several limitations that have made it difficult to incorporate these materials into CMOS devices. For instance, the processes for forming the higher-K dielectric materials are generally not compatible with conventional CMOS fabrication processes. Therefore, incorporation of such materials into CMOS devices can require significant changes to the CMOS fabrication processes, which can significantly affect the cost of the resulting CMOS devices.
Additionally, the higher-K dielectric materials do not form a good interface with the silicon-based materials onto which the dielectric material must be deposited. Problems thus arise at the interface between the higher-K dielectric material and the substrate and gate electrode. For example, high interface traps may be created between the material layers (especially between the gate dielectric and the substrate). Also, channel carrier mobility may be degraded by the higher-K dielectric materials. Additionally, the higher-K dielectric materials have problems with fixed dielectric charges and thermal stability. Furthermore, the presence of the higher-K dielectric materials may limit the temperature at which further processing may be performed.
To meet the increased performance requirements of the smaller CMOS devices, it has also been suggested to increase the mobility of the carriers in the channel region. For example, strained-Silicon ("strained-Si" or "SSI") may be incorporated into the channel region, since strained-Si is known to have greater carrier mobility characteristics than does the silicon that has been more commonly used in the channel region of CMOS devices. (K. Rim, S. Koester, M. Hargrove, J. Chu, P. M. Mooney, J. Ott, T. Kanarsky, P. Ronsheim, M. Ieong, A. Grill, and H.-S. P. Wong, "Strained-Si NMOSFETs for High Performance CMOS Technology," 2001 Symposium on VLSI Technology Digest of Technical Papers, 2001, p. 59.) Additionally, strained silicon carbide ("strained-SiC") may be incorporated into the channel region, since strained-SiC also has greater carrier mobility characteristics. (Akira Yamada, Tatsuro Watahiki, Shuhei Yagi, Katsuya Abe, and Makoto Konagai, "Epitaxial Growth of Strained Si1-xCx on Si and Its Application to MOSFET," International Symposium on Quantum Effect Electronics, 2002.)
Formation of a strained-Si layer on a semiconductor wafer has been done in a variety of ways. One technique involves complex fabrication processes, which includes multiple epitaxial growth steps. For example, a relatively thick, graded buffer silicon-germanium (SiGe) film 100 is epitaxially grown onto a silicon, or semiconductor, substrate 102, followed by epitaxial growth of a relaxed SiGe film 103 onto the buffer SiGe film 100 and epitaxial growth of a strained-Si layer 104 onto the relaxed SiGe film 103, as shown in FIG. 1. The strain in the strained-Si layer 104 is induced by the underlying SiGe films 100 and 103. The buffer SiGe film 100 is typically formed with a graded concentration of Ge in the Si, wherein the concentration of the Ge is slowly increased as the buffer SiGe film 100 is grown on the substrate 102. In order to produce high quality strained-Si it is essential to carefully control the stoichiometry of the layer during the SiGe epitaxial growth process. Thus, the introduction of the gases into the epitaxial growth reactor chamber (not shown) must be carefully varied during fabrication of the buffer SiGe film 100. In this manner, the spacing between the atoms in the crystalline structure of the buffer SiGe film 100 is slowly increased from the beginning 106 to the surface 108 of the buffer SiGe film 100. When the relaxed SiGe film 103 and the Si layer 104 are epitaxially grown on top of the buffer SiGe film 100, the increased spacing is effectively maintained between the Si atoms which leads to a straining of the Si layer 104.
A conventional CMOS device 110, having a conventional gate oxide region 118 and conventional source, drain and gate electrodes 112, 114 and 116, is then fabricated on top of the strained-Si layer 104. The increased spacing between the Si atoms in the strained-Si layer 104 enhances the mobility of the carriers in the channel region, which is formed in the strained-Si layer 104 under the gate oxide 118 and between the source and drain 112 and 114.
The presence of the strained-Si layer 104 sets limitations on the temperatures at which any subsequent processing steps may be performed, thereby limiting the flexibility with which the subsequent processing steps may be performed. Furthermore, the relatively thick SiGe film 100 acts as a thermal insulation layer, so the CMOS devices formed thereon are susceptible to self-heating during operation of the IC, thereby degrading the performance capability of the IC. Also, isolation of the CMOS device 110, typically with shallow trench isolation, must be defined in both the strained-Si layer 104 and the SiGe films 100 and 103 as well as in the silicon substrate 102, which adds to the complexity of the overall IC fabrication. Furthermore, this technique is prone to defects, which may occur in the SiGe films 100 and 103 and, thus, propagate into the strained-Si layer 104 and higher layers of materials. Such defects may involve threading dislocations in the crystalline structure of the various layers as well as "misfit" dislocations at the interface between the relaxed SiGe film 103 and the strained-Si layer 104. The dislocations, as well as precipitates nucleated at the dislocation core area, negatively impact carrier mobility, gate oxide quality and overall device performance.
The use of the strained-SiC film in the channel region of the CMOS device 110, as shown in FIG. 2, may be simpler than the strained-Si technique described above. An epitaxial growth process is performed to grow a crystalline SiC film 120 on the silicon substrate 102. Since carbon is a smaller atom than silicon, the presence of the carbon in the SiC film 120 induces a tensile strain in the crystalline lattice of the SiC film 120 due to the underlying silicon substrate 102, which enhances the mobility of the carriers therein. The CMOS transistor 110, having the source, drain and gate electrodes 112, 114 and 116 and the gate oxide region 118, is then fabricated on top of the strained-SiC layer 120, with the gate oxide region 118 being deposited onto the epitaxially grown SiC film 120.
Neither of these carrier-mobility-improvement techniques compensates for the problems that arise in the use of the suggested higher-K dielectric materials for the gate oxide region 118. In particular, the inferior interface between the gate oxide region 118 and adjacent layers remains a significant issue for the CMOS processing. Special care must be taken in the formation of the gate oxide region 118 and in many subsequent processes. Additionally, the strained-Si layer 104 sets limitations on the temperatures at which any subsequent processing steps may be performed, thereby limiting the flexibility with which the subsequent processing steps may be performed. Therefore, the resulting over-all fabrication is quite complex, time-consuming and costly.
It is with respect to these and other considerations that the present invention has evolved.

Apparatus and method of manufacture for integrated circuit and CMOS device including epitaxially grown dielectric on silicon carbide


A control system for a four-wheel drive vehicle includes a first differential provided between a front shaft and a rear shaft and a second differential provided between a right wheel and a left wheel. The control system comprises a first device provided in the first differential for restricting a differential between the front shaft and the rear shaft, a second device provided in the second differential for restricting a differential between the right wheel and the left wheel, and a device for controlling the restricting operations carried out by the first device and the second device. The controlling device includes a device for controlling operational timings in the first device and the second device so that the timing when the first device maintains the first differential in locking condition is different from the timing when the second device maintains the second differential in locking condition.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a control system for a four-wheel drive vehicle and, in particular, to a control system for a four-wheel drive vehicle having differential restricting devices.
2. Description of the Related Art
A four-wheel drive vehicle is, in general, provided with a center differential, mounted between a front propeller shaft and a rear propeller shaft, for compensating the differential, between front wheels and rear wheels, and a rear differential mounted between right and left rear wheels.
For example, Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 62-166,114 discloses a four-wheel drive vehicle which comprises a front differential, a center differential and a rear differential, each of the differentials including a differential restricting device such as a clutch. The differential restricting device can be operated so as to be in a locking condition or an unlocking condition based on the various traveling conditions of the vehicle such as traveling on a rough road, traveling in a straight line, accelerating condition and traveling in a braking condition, which conditions are determined based on data representing wheel rotating speed and steering angle. The stability, braking performance, acceleration performance and the like of the vehicle can be improved by such operations of the differential restricting device.
Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 62-166,113 discloses a four-wheel drive vehicle with a center differential restricting device. The center differential restricting device controls a torque to be transmitted based on a differential rotating number between front wheels and rear wheels. The torque is controlled so as to decrease when the differential rotating number between the front wheels and the rear wheels is relatively small. As a result, a good differential operation and a good differential restricting operation of the vehicle can be obtained.
Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 63-251,327 discloses a four-wheel drive vehicle with a center differential restricting device which is automatically locked when the vehicle is starting. As a result, when the vehicle is starting, a driver does not need to operate manually a center differential so as to be locked, and a differential locking operation can be carried out with certainty.
In the above mentioned conventional four-wheel drive vehicle, the Plural differentials may be locked at the same time by the differential restricting devices. If the plural differentials are locked at the same time, the driving torque changes rapidly and so called torque shock occurs. Moreover, since all differentials are operated to be in locking condition and in unlocking condition under substantially the same conditions at almost same time by the differential restricting devices, hunting phenomena might occur simultaneously in all of the differential restricting devices under a certain driving condition. Furthermore, the respective differential restricting devices are provided with electro-magnetic or fuel-operated multiplate clutches. Where the differential restricting devices are provided with the electro-magnetic multiplate clutches, large electric load is generated in a control system since all electro-magnetic multi-plate clutches are operated simultaneously.

Control system for four-wheel drive vehicle


An image forming apparatus, as a displaying device, displays the 2nd printing page out of a plurality of printing pages on an operation panel when the 1st to 10th images were allocated to each of the printing pages. The image forming apparatus maintains an allocation state of the 1st printing page anterior to the 2nd printing page and changes an allocation state of at least one of images corresponds to the contact points with the operation panel, when the image forming apparatus receives a gesture operation moves the contact points. The starting points of the contact points are in the 2nd printing page displayed on the operation panel.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a displaying device having a touch panel type displaying unit. More specifically, this invention relates to a displaying device for displaying a printing page to which images are allocated.
2. Description of the Related Art
An electrophotography image forming apparatus includes a MFP (Multi Function Peripheral), a facsimile device, a copying machine, a printer, and so on. The MFP has a scanner function, a facsimile function, a copying function, a function as a printer, a data transmitting function, and a server function.
A conventional image forming apparatus has a preview function for previously checking the result of the printing. According to this function, a conventional image forming apparatus displays the images of the documents read by a scanner, etc. simulating the printing result (as preview images) on a display unit, etc. of an operation panel of the image forming apparatus. The user can simply check the direction of the documents, the image size, and so on.
Some conventional image forming apparatuses have a touch panel type operation panel. The user can instinctively operate such an image forming apparatus by performing a touch operation and a gesture operation to the display unit of the operation panel.
The documents 1 and 2 below disclose the processes to be executed when the image forming apparatus is displaying a preview image on a display unit of an operation panel and receives a gesture operation by a user. Document 1 below discloses an information processing device changes a setting of the N in 1 printing to the 2N in 1 printing (N is the natural number) when the images of the first and the second pages generated under the setting of the N in 1 printing are placed with space between them, the user carried out a drag operation for moving the page image of the second page to a position aligned with the page image of the first page, and the user carried out a drop operation.
Document 2 below discloses an image processing device having a recognition unit for recognizing a track of coordinate information input by the user via an operation unit as a gesture, and a setting unit configures the settings for processing image data according to the gesture recognized by the recognition unit. The setting unit configures the different settings (for example, settings of a stapling position, 2 in 1, and so on) based on a position of the gesture.                Document 1: Japan Patent Publication No. 2006-277057        Document 2: Japan Patent Publication No. 2011-138237
Image forming apparatus usually reduces all the images in a file at a constant magnification ratio and allocates the same number of images to each page when receiving a setting of the N in 1 printing as a print setting of a file.
The user checks the preview images of a file under the setting of the N in 1 printing and may discover problems, for example the characters in a particular image in the file is too small and hard to read. In this case, the user hopes to change the size and/or the orientation of the particular image, maintaining the size and/or the orientation of the other images in the file. However, a conventional image forming apparatus reduces all the images in the file at the constant magnification ratio and allocates all the images in the file in the same direction to printing pages. The user can not change the allocation state of a particular printing page partially. Hence, the convenience was hampered.

Displaying device having touch panel type displaying unit


A method of constructing a sensor includes depositing a first material in a predetermined arrangement to form a structure. The depositing results in at least one void occurring within the structure. The method further includes depositing a second material within the voids. The second material may have electrical properties that vary according to deformation of the second material. The method also includes providing electrical access to the second material to enable observation of the one or more electrical properties. A sensor includes a structure that has one or more voids distributed within the structure. The sensor also includes a material deposited within the one or more voids. The material may be characterized by one or more electrical properties such as piezoresistivity. The sensor includes a first contact electrically coupled to a first location on the material, and a second contact electrically coupled to a second location on the material.

Creating custom sensorized structures for the human body can be time and cost intensive, and in many cases each particular user requires redesigning it from the start. Streamlining the capability to embed sensing elements into structures can provide greater quantitative feedback to users, medical practitioners, researchers for ergonomic comfort, patient exercise progress during a physical therapy regime, monitoring tools for patient evaluation, and assistive tools worn daily to improve quality of life.


A method for automatically changing the speed of a dump truck for use as a construction vehicle which is capable of improving the fuel cost by utilizing the engine output effectively and efficiently, improving the durability of the power transmission system and giving the driver a comfortable ride. According to this automatic speed change method, a desired, optimum speed stage which meets the loading condition of the dump truck and/or the engine output condition can be selected by using controllers each having a built-in computer.

As for the method of automatically changing the running speed of a vehicle wherein the output side of the engine is connected to a torque converter provided with a lock-up clutch, the output side of the torque converter is connected to the input side of a hydraulically actuated power transmission or speed change gear having a plurality of speed stage clutches. The output side of the power transmission is connected through a differential gear mechanism to the left and right drive wheels. An automatic speed change method has been known wherein speed increasing points and speed decreasing points, i.e., speed change points, are set on the basis of the relationship between the tractive force at each of the speed stages of the power transmission when the engine is developing a maximum speed and the vehicle speed at that time. The vehicle speed is detected from the number of revolutions of the engine and the like. When the thus detected vehicle speed exceeds a speed change point, an automatic speed changeover to a next speed stage can be made.
For example, as shown in FIG. 1, the arrangement is made such that speed change points f.sub.1 to f.sub.6 are set from the relationship between the tractive forces when the engine is developing a maximum output at forward first to seventh speeds F.sub.1 to F.sub.7 and the running speeds of the vehicle. When the vehicle speed exceeds each of the speed stages, it is automatically changed over to a next speed stage.
That is to say, the maximum outputs of the engines mounted on dump trucks for use as construction vehicles are not so high as those outputs required for them, and the weight of such vehicles in a loaded condition varies significantly from that in an unloaded condition. Further, because the loadage and the gradient of roads on which vehicles run vary so much, the loading imposed on dump trucks for use as construction vehicles fluctuates largely. Also since it is difficult to detect the cargo on board and the gradient of roads with a high accuracy, it has been a common practice for dump trucks for use as construction vehicles to set speed change points which correspond always to the maximum output condition developed by the engine mounted on each of them, assuming cases where the loading imposed on them is high, and to run them with their engines developing maximum outputs.
In the above-mentioned conventional automatic speed change method, in case the loading on a vehicle is extremely light as, for example, in the case of an unloaded vehicle running on a flatland or in case a loading on the vehicle is comparatively light as in the case of the vehicle in a light load condition running up a slope, the output developed by the engine is not utilized fully thus consuming extra fuel ineffectively. This is because the output required for a dump truck for use as a construction vehicle in the above-mentioned light load condition is in fact less than the maximum output developed by the engine. Further, in mining stopes etc., a plurality of dump trucks for use as construction vehicles having different engine outputs usually run along the same course. So, it is not allowed for only one truck to run at a higher speed than the others at a maximum output developed by its engine; rather, the truck must be driven at a lower speed which is adjusted to the lower speeds of other vehicles. Therefore, vehicles with higher engine outputs are required to run at a lower speed stage; that is, at a higher number of revolutions of the engine thereof, resulting in increases in the fuel consumption rate.
Whilst, as to the engine output, there are cases where even when a vehcile is driven at a speed stage higher than the current running speed, the same tractive force can be obtained. In FIG. 1, if a vehicle subjected to a load, for example, at point "a" is running at a speed of V.sub.1, then the vehicle speed is set at the forward fifth speed F.sub.5, whilst from the viewpoint of the tractive force (engine output), it becomes possible for the vehicle to run at the speed stage for the forward sixth speed F.sub.6.
Whilst, in case a dump truck for use as a construction vehicle which is running on a flatland at a high speed stage runs up a slope, for example, or in case the running condition of the vehicle is changed over to an idling condition by reducing the degree of opening of the accelerator to zero, it is required for the vehicle to make a number of speed changes in turn from high speed stages to low speed changes in a short time. If such speed changes are made a plurality of times in a short time, then excessive forces tend to be exerted on the power transmission system from the transmission or speed change gear to the drive wheels thus impairing the durability of the power transmission system and causing shocks each time a speed change is made and also causing plural changes in the vehicle speed thereby giving the driver rough ride.
Further, as for the conventional speed change operation for the above-mentioned dump trucks for use as construction vehicles, there has been known a speed change operational method wherein a speed change is made in a condition that the lock-up clutch is disconnected and the output side of the engine is connected through a torque converter to the input side of the power transmission or speed change gear and, after the completion of the speed change, the lock-up clutch is connected again so that the output side of the engine may be connected directly to the input side of the power transmission.
In such a speed change operational method, when the vehicle is in a normal running condition, the engine output can be directly transmitted to the power transmission not through the intermediary of the torque converter thus reducing the power losses. Each time a speed change is made, the engine output is input or transmitted through the torque converter to the power transmission so that even if the revolving speed of the input shaft of the power transmission does not correspond to that of the output shaft, the shocks due to speed changes can be absorbed by the torque converter to some degree thereby reducing the magnitude of such shocks.
However, if after the completion of a speed change and when connecting or engaging the lock-up clutch, the number of revolutions of the engine does not correspond to that of the input shaft of the speed change gear, then a shock due to a speed change will occur.
When, for example, a speed change to a speed stage lower than the present speed stage, i.e., a shift-down operation is made, the load imposed on the engine will increase, thus causing a reduction in the number of revolutions of the engine so that when the lock-up clutch is connected the number of revolutions of the engine becomes lower than that of the input shaft of the power transmission or speed change gear thereby causing a shock due to the speed change.
Further, as for the conventional speed change operation, there has been known a speed change operational method wherein the supply of the pressurized fluid discharged by a pressurized fluid source to each of a plurality of speed stage clutches is controlled by each of the speed change valves associated therewith, and a progressive pressure increasing valve for gradually raising the fluid pressure in the pressurized fluid supply source is provided so that, when supplying the fluid under pressure to a predetermined speed stage clutch, the fluid pressure can be increased progressively to ensure smooth connection or engagement of the speed stage clutch without causing any shocks due to a speed change.
Each of the speed stage clutches comprises a plurality of clutch plates which are rendered operative when they are urged into contact with one another and which are rendered inoperative when they are separated from one another. If the time required until the fluid pressure is increased to a predetermined value becomes longer, then each of the speed stage clutches can be engaged more smoothly. However, on the other hand, a longer time is required to make a speed change. Whilst, if the fluid pressure is increased to a predetermined value in a short time, then the time required for the speed change can be reduced, but on the other hand the speed stage clutch is engaged quickly thus causing a big shock due to the speed change. For this reason, the time required for increasing the fluid pressure to a predetermined value is usually set at one intermediate value of the two; that is to say, progressive pressure increasing characteristics are set by means of a progressive pressure increasing value.
Whilst the loading imposed on the dump trucks for use as construction vehicles varies remarkably between loaded and unloaded conditions, and so they are driven repeatedly in heavy and light load conditions. When the vehicle is running in a heavy load condition, a high load is applied to the power transmission so that the torque transmitted thereby becomes high, whilst when running in a light load condition, a low load is applied to the transmission so that the torque transmitted thereby becomes low.
If the torque transmitted to the power transmission is high, the clutch plates tend to slip, while, if the torque is low the tendency to cause slipping of the clutch plates is reduced. Therefore, if as mentioned above, the time required for increasing the fluid pressure to a predetermined value is constant and if the torque transmitted to the power transmission is high, the time required until the clutch plates are engaged completely without causing any slip to ensure satisfactory power transmission tends to increase thus increasing the time required for making a speed change. Whilst, in case the torque transmitted to the power transmission is low, it becomes possible to attain a condition that satisfactory power transmission can be made in a short time thereby increasing the tendency of occurrence of big shocks due to a speed change.

Method of automatically changing the speed stage of a vehicle based on vehicle loading


An assembly adapted to facilitate the disposing and treating of a biodegradable material that produces an unpleasant odor when it is watered and stirred and fragmented. The assembly includes a container and a fitting for accepting and retaining the insertive coupler of a standard garden hose. In addition, a pressure nozzle is in fluid communication with the fitting for receiving water from the fitting and expressing the water under pressure. Finally, a nozzle-retaining apparatus is oriented so that the water expressed from the nozzle is directed into the container at an angle adapted to produce a stirring motion within the container.

Pet waste, or more specifically, pet fecal matter, is a problem and an ever-increasing one. Exposure to pet waste, in its worst case, can cause minor ill health and numerous, sometimes serious diseases. The offensive odor of pet waste alone makes it more than a mere nuisance. Disposing of pet waste in a manner that is both responsible and economical requires a solution.
Today, the generally accepted method of disposal of pet waste, particularly in high-density or urban areas, is to wrap pet waste in plastic and deposit it in a municipal garbage can. This practice however, can pose health hazards. In some population areas, pet owners are required to dispose of pet waste in a manner so as to avoid posing a health hazard. Trash Haulers and Recycling Technicians are of particular concern. As the value of recycling increases, and as trash and recycling companies continue to increase the number of people hired to separate recyclable products from general rubbish, the concern for health in these areas will continue to grow as well. Also, a growing number of unauthorized individuals—the homeless, for example—who sift through trash cans looking to recover valuable items can also be exposed to this type of health hazard.
It should be understood that canine waste specifically is the primary concern due to the nature of its content, predominantly meat products which are particularly offensive in decaying form, and due to the sheer volume of material produced collectively by large numbers of dogs. Pet waste, in all of its forms from all types of pets, however, is of similar concern.
As with large municipal sewage treatment plants, the addition of water to facilitate and accelerate the breakdown is quite necessary. The process of mixing pet waste with water, and the churning action necessary to accelerate the breakdown of the combined material, however, can quickly produce offensive, noxious, and sometimes overwhelming odors. It can be a very unpleasant task for a user to remain near the pet waste as this process is taking place.
Stationary devices that treat waste eventually fill up past the point at which they remain effective. There are several reasons they do so: 1) they contain an over-abundance of non-biodegradable material, such as rocks, twigs, etc. that is added inadvertently, and 2) the residue of decayed mass accumulates past the point at which the soil can sufficiently absorb additional material. The end result requires the user to either remove the contents manually or abandon the unit and acquire another for the same purpose. The options are time-consuming and costly.
There exist today several pet waste disposal systems that allow the treatment of pet waste by the pet owners or pet caregivers. Of those, some incorporate the soil to bury pet waste and utilize the natural breakdown and decay process(es) found in common soil. Those same systems advocate the addition of chemicals to assist the decay process. Only one recommends the addition of water but does not give the operator a convenient way to do so, nor does it allow the advantage of doing so from a sufficient distance away from the unit so as to avoid offensive odors. None use the force of water as a means to churn, mix, and fragment waste.


The present invention provides a method for treating a substrate that supports metal fine particles for forming a plating layer on a circuit pattern or TSVs in various substrates, in which further micronization treatment is enabled compared with the conventional methods, and the formation of a stable plating layer is enabled. The present invention is a method for treating a substrate, the method including bringing a substrate into contact with a colloidal solution containing metal particles in order to support the metal particles that serve as a catalyst for forming a plating layer on the substrate, in which the colloidal solution contains metal particles formed of Pd and having a particle size of 0.6 nm to 4.0 nm and a face-to-face dimension of the (111) plane of 2.254 Å or more. When an organic layer such as SAM is formed on a surface of the substrate before this treatment, the binding force of the Pd particles can be increased.

In the processes for producing printed boards, LSI substrates and the like that are mounted in various electronic devices, electroconductive metal layers that constitute wirings, electrodes and the like are formed. These electroconductive metal layers have been conventionally formed by using combinations of thin metal film forming processes based on physical deposition methods such as a vapor deposition method and a sputtering method, or chemical deposition methods such as a CVD method, and patterning processes such as photolithography and etching.
Furthermore, along with the higher density of electronic devices in recent years, the number of exemplary applications of multilayer LSI substrates and 3D-ICs that use TSVs (through-silicon vias) is ever increasing. The TSVs used in these are formed by sequentially laminating a barrier layer, a seed layer, and a filling material layer over through-holes (via holes) provided in a substrate. At this time, a physical deposition method or a chemical deposition method is applied to the formation of the various metal layers as well.
However, in the thin metal film forming process described above, physical deposition methods have a problem of poor step coverage, in addition to the necessity of large-sized vacuum apparatuses. The problem of step coverage becomes an obstacle particularly to the application to TSVs. On the other hand, in view of chemical deposition methods, there is a problem that the metal compounds used as raw materials are expensive, and there is a concern about an increase in the thin film production cost since the processes themselves are highly expensive and require high temperatures. Furthermore, although chemical deposition methods exhibit satisfactory step coverage when compared with physical deposition methods, it is difficult in many cases to perform uniform film formation over the bottoms of via holes having high aspect ratios.
Thus, investigations have been conducted on the utilization of a plating method as a method of forming a high quality metal film at low cost. Particularly, more attention is paid to electroless plating, which is a technique intended for producing micronized and complicated metal wirings and is also capable of coping with precision processed products. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a method of attaching metal catalyst particles of Ag and Pd to a substrate, and performing electroless plating by using these catalyst particles as the nuclei for plating. This method is also applicable to a TSV substrate embedding process.
Furthermore, Patent Document 2 discloses a method of using precious metal particles as catalyst particles for circuit pattern formation. In this method, a predetermined compound is applied on a substrate prior to the adsorption of precious metal particles, thereby a self-assembled monolayer (hereinafter, may be referred to as SAM) is formed, and precious metal fine particles are adsorbed thereon. The SAM is applied in order to adsorb precious metal fine particles at desired locations in a desired pattern on the substrate, and to also maintain a stable adsorption state.

Method for treating substrate that support catalyst particles for plating processing


The present invention discloses a method for the removal of a number of molecular contaminants from surfaces within a device. A purge gas containing oxygen and/or water is introduced into the interior of the device, contacting at least a portion of the interior surfaces. A contaminated purge gas is produced by transferring a portion of the contamination from the interior surfaces into the purge gas. The contaminated purge gas is removed from the device and the process is continued until the contaminant concentration in the contaminated purge gas is below a predetermined level.

In the manufacture of high purity products such as silicon wafers intended for semiconductor substrates or in the photolithography steps of manufacture of semiconductors, it is necessary to maintain a high degree of cleanliness. The products themselves must be clean, the atmospheres surrounding them throughout the manufacturing process must be clean, and the steps and equipment used in the manufacture must not impair cleanliness. It is well known that with the minute sizes of circuitry and components incorporated into semiconductor chips, even extremely small contaminant particles when deposited on chip surfaces are destructive of the chips. It is common for loss rates of wafers and chips during manufacturing due to system contamination to be a significant portion of the total production.
Manufacturers of wafers and chips have been engaged in extensive and continual efforts to improve on the cleanliness of their fabrication facilities ("fabs") including efforts to have manufacturing and process materials and gases be of high purity. Such efforts have been generally successful in the past, in that gases with purities defined by contaminant levels in the parts per million (ppm) and even into the parts per billion (ppb) ranges have been achieved. Generally improvements in process system cleanliness have paralleled increases in the component density of chips and reductions in the size of chip components and circuitry.
However, the ability of the prior art to achieve such parallel improvements in gases has more recently been severely taxed as the size of chip components has continued to decrease and component density has continued to increase. With the movement to 198 nm and 157 nm semiconductor technologies the ability of the products to tolerate contamination has substantially decreased, and process gases which previously were of adequate purities are no longer suitable. Scale-up techniques which previously achieved adequate improvements in the purity of such gases have been found to be ineffective in these "ultra high purity" (UHP) systems in which the lower nm level technologies are produced. Further, at the lower levels materials which were previously considered minor contaminants have been found to act as major contaminants, and the prior art gases have been found to be ineffective in removing such contaminant materials.
Ultrahigh purity products and process tools are susceptible to airborne molecular contaminants (AMCs) that can reduce product quality and yield. AMCs include, but are not limited to SOx, NOx, siloxanes, organophosphates, ammonia, moisture, oxygen and hydrocarbons (>4 carbons).
In the production of wafers for the semiconductor industry, there are three major sources of contamination, wafer storage containers (also known as foups) themselves; clean room air that enters the container as the wafers are moved between tools and the wafers themselves that may leech contaminants during the manufacturing and photolithography process. Methods have been developed to sufficiently reduce water and oxygen contamination in the manufacturing process. Additionally, methods have been developed for the removal of reaction products of the wafer with water and oxygen (e.g. silicon oxides) that can form on the surface of the wafers. However, technologies have not developed for the efficient removal of a number of airborne contaminants and their resulting reaction products on wafers.
Various contaminants have different effects. For example, in photolithography simple hydrocarbons that can condense on the lens assembly and result in transmission loss. Heavy hydrocarbons and significant concentrations of light hydrocarbons irreversibly deposit on optical surfaces and become graphitized by ultraviolet (UV) exposure. In a similar manner, Si containing organics, e.g. siloxanes, react under UV irradiation to produce SiO2 crystallites that refract and absorb the incident light. Other AMCs, e.g. NOx and SOx, typically wherein 0<x≦3, cause optical hazing. Basic AMCs, e.g. amines, quench the photoacids, in addition to causing optical hazing. In the context of photolithography, oxygen and water can be deteremental to the production process and are typically to be considered AMCs. Recently, its has been reported by Veillerot et al. (Solid State Phenomena Vol. 92, 2003, pp 105-108) that atmospheric hydrocarbon contamination has a detrimental impact on 4.5 nm gate oxide integrity.
Approaches being tried to reduce this contamination include large-scale chemical filtration of the cleanroom air, moving from open to closed cassettes, and nitrogen purging of wafers during storage and transport. Nitrogen purging of UHP (Ultra High Purity) components such as valves and gas delivery piping, has been practiced for many years, and can be effective in removing oxygen and water. However, large scale use of nitrogen for purging large volume IC process equipment and large numbers of cassettes can be expensive and present a serious asphyxiation hazard. Additionally, it is suspected that nitrogen purging of hydrocarbon contaminated surfaces is not completely effective in removing the hydrocarbons.
Methods for analysis of contaminants in gas streams are well known. FIG. 1 (Prior Art) is a schematic flow diagram of a double dilution system 100 coupled to a gas chromatograph gas analysis system 120. The double dilution system 100 comprising mass flow controllers 106, 108, 110, and 112 enable the precise dilution of a gas standard 114 with a carrier gas 102 over a range of six orders of magnitude (106). Commonly available gas standards in the part per million (ppm) range can be effectively diluted to the part per trillion (ppt) range with system 100. The dilution system 100 can be coupled to a gas chromatograph system 120 for the purposes of calibrating the response of the chromatograph 126, by connecting the output 116 of the dilution system to the input 122 of the chromatographic gas analysis system 120. A cold trap 124 accumulates condensed hydrocarbons in the sample, prior to injection into the gas chromatograph 126. In this manner, the effective sensitivity of the chromatograph can be increased and ppt level hydrocarbon concentrations reliably measured.
FIG. 2 (Prior Art) is a calibration graph 200 of signal response area 204 versus sample hydrocarbon concentration 202 for various hydrocarbon molecules including benzene 206, toluene 208, ethyl-benzene 210, meta, para-xylene 212, ortho-xylene 214, a second toluene 216, for the analysis system 120 coupled to dilution system 100. The data 220 show a linear response relationship between the peak area 204 and concentration 202 over almost six orders of magnitude, with a minimum sensitivity of 1 ppt.
FIG. 3 (Prior Art) is a graph 300 of time 302 versus gas chromatograph 126 detector signal 304 for a sample containing 1 ppt each of benzene, toluene, ethyl-benzene, and xylene. Here it can be seen that 1 ppt level concentrations for each of the hydrocarbons in the mixture result in clearly distinguished peaks for benzene 306, toluene 308, ethyl-benzene 310, and xylene 312.

Method for the removal of airborne molecular contaminants using water gas mixtures


The present disclosure provides for a system for rapidly generating minimum length pilot training schedules which uses a branch and bound, and a mixed integer programming model with constraints to produce student and resource schedules at a device period level for all pilots of an airline.

Pilot staffing and training is one of the most complex and costly problems facing the major airlines. If not managed effectively, an airline cannot survive, not to mention profit, in the competitive air transportation market.
By way of example, Continental Airlines provides both domestic and international service to more than 100 destinations around the world. They operate 325 aircraft of nine different fleet types flying 1400 daily flights. Their 5000 pilots are stationed at three domestic and two international crew bases. At least twice a year, Continental conducts a system bid award. These awards provide an opportunity for pilots to use their seniority to increase their pay and improve their work schedules by changing their position (base, fleet, and seat), and provide a way for the airline to adjust staffing levels in response to retirements, attrition, and changes in their business plan. In an average system bid award, 15-20% of the airline's pilots receive new positions.
Prior to the deployment of the invention as described and claimed herein, Continental manpower planners with expert knowledge took more than two weeks to manually generate a single, partial, sub-optimal transition plan based on ensuring adequate staffing levels with no detailed consideration of costs. This manual solution did not include a training schedule. Planners would build the training schedule month by month using pen and paper to implement a training plan.
There is a wide variety of prior art which discloses both manual and computational solution methods for overcoming simple scheduling problems. None of the known prior art compares to this invention in scope or complexity. Some prior art, however, serves as basic building blocks for this invention. For example, branch and bound techniques are powerful tools used by operations research practitioners to solve difficult combinatorial problems. For a detailed description of branch and bound techniques, see pp. 515-526 of Introduction to Operations Research, by Frederick S. Hillier and Gerald J. Lieberman, McGraw-Hill, Inc., New York, 1995. The discussion includes an introductory example with a graphic illustrating a branch and bound tree. See also "Class Scheduling for Pilot Training" by Xiangtong Qi, Jonathan Bard, and Gang Yu, submitted for publication to Operations Research, June 2001, in which one of the inventors of the current invention disclosed part of the current invention, and the co-authors of the article provided a good overview of similar but not directly applicable prior art. In addition, "Scheduling Pilot Training", by Mikael Rittri and Goran Allerbo of Carmenta AB, presented at ILOG International Users Meeting, October 2000, describes a different solution strategy without mixed integer programming models or use of branch and bound techniques, and which fails to address contractual rules such as days off rules, and requirements for recurrent training.
The invention described and claimed herein has been developed as part of an integrated decision support system by CALEB Technologies Corp. of Austin, Tex., to face the training scheduling challenge. More particularly, the invention is required to schedule hundreds of pilots simultaneously for multiple different types of curriculum over a planning horizon of up to one year. Each training class has a variable start date, and the training schedules which are generated must conform to complex contractual and operational constraints. Schedules cannot be generated weekly or monthly and then repeated, due to the varying requirements for training over time. The invention minimizes pilot time spent in training, while maximizing training resource utilization. Large volumes of data are managed and state-of-the-art optimization modeling and solution techniques are employed to efficiently allocate human and training resources, and attain optimal operational and financial performance. The invention has recently been deployed at Continental Airlines, and has demonstrated remarkable savings with a positive effect on Continental's operations.
In response to a system bid award, the airline builds a transition plan that establishes the timing and number of pilot hires, training assignments, advancements, and releases. Based upon the above information, the invention builds a training schedule detailing all training events for each student and training resource.
By using the invention, a complete, optimized solution is obtained rapidly that includes a training schedule which complements the transition plan for the entire planning horizon. In the execution of the solution process, classes are addressed one at a time, then two at a time, then three at a time, and so forth as long as time allotted to the solution process remains. Thus, step by step refinement of the training schedule occurs until either all classes are handled at the same time or no time remains for the solution process. When the solution process has progressed to all classes being handled at the same time, a complete optimized solution is said to have been generated. The primary objective of the training schedule is to minimize the number of pilot days required to teach a fixed curriculum for each pilot with limited training resources. The training schedule which is produced by the invention is constrained by physical limits of the training resources, and contractual limitations imposed by the pilots' contract with the airline. The planning horizon during which training is to occur is variable, but is generally 12 months in duration. By using the invention to create training schedules, certain benefits are realized including training cost savings from better utilization of expensive resources, and reduced time for pilots to complete training.
As the training scheduling problem was studied, it was determined that the problem was too large and too complex to solve with a single model or solution method. The invention therefore decomposes the problem into two parts which are used for each fleet. The first part is a unique branch and bound algorithm where branch and bound trees are used to schedule daily activity for all classes. A single branch and bound tree is not used to schedule all of the classes for a fleet because it is too time consuming. A series of branch and bound trees are used progressively, therefore, to schedule subsets of classes until all classes are scheduled. In the second part, a mixed integer programming model is used to refine the solution from the branch and bound algorithm to obtain a detailed hourly assignment of resources to students and to include time for recurrent training.
In accordance with the invention, training schedules for entire airlines may be both generated and optimized rapidly (from seconds to minutes) to produce minimum length training schedules to ensure that all training requirements are met through efficient use of training resources.

Rapid generation of minimum length pilot training schedules


A bipolar transistor comprising a semiconductor substrate, of a first conductivity type, a retrograde well serving as the collector and having a second conductivity type opposite to the first, a base active region having a first conductivity type, a region serving as an emitter of the second conductivity type, the regions being bordered on either side by insulating regions. According to the invention, the transistor includes at least one second conductivity type zone serving as the collector contact, located in a region of the retrograde well at a distance from the base zone and extending away from said base zone no further than level with the insulating zone. The invention is applicable to making BI-MOS or BI-CMOS circuits.

In the prior art, French patent application No. 2 626 406 proposes a bipolar transistor which is compatible with MOS technology. As can be seen more clearly in FIG. 1, the bipolar transistor T is made on a semiconductor substrate 1 having a first conductivity type, e.g. P type. Starting from a main face of the substrate 1, the following are formed: firstly lateral insulating zones, thick partitions, or thick oxide zones 2 by the conventional local oxidation of silicon (LOCOS) technique, and secondly an active transistor junction region 3 constituted by a retrograde well making it possible to obtain high concentrations at depth by deep implantation in conventional manner. The retrograde well 3 which acts as a collector possesses a second conductivity type opposite to the first, namely N type in the chosen preferred example.
A base active region 4 having P-type conductivity and disposed between base contact regions 5 on either side thereof is installed in a surface plane of the collector region 3 between two insulating zones 2. The regions 5 are highly doped on the surface after the emitter and spacers have been formed as described below so as to form base contact regions of very low resistivity referred to as extrinsic base regions 9.
An active emitter region 6 of the N.sup.+ type is formed to cover substantially the same face of the substrate over the base region 4. The emitter region 6 is covered by an emitter contact region 7 made of tungsten silicide WS1.sub.2. An insulating layer 10 of silicon oxide is then deposited on the main face of the substrate and windows are formed therein by local photo-etching so as to give access to the base contact regions 5 and so as to implant a collector contact region 11 of the N.sup.+ type formed between two insulating zones 2. Metallization is then performed to obtain metallic contacts 12 and 14 through the windows, respectively for the collector (contact 12) and for the base (contact 14).
Such a transistor whose structure is self-aligned at emitter-base level serves to improve the emitter-base system at high current densities. Although such a structure provides undeniable advantages over the state of the art, it should nevertheless be understood that this transistor has high collector resistance. In addition, forming a surface collector contact gives rise to additional unwanted resistance.
The present invention therefore seeks to propose a bipolar transistor which is compatible with MOS technology and whose collector resistance is considerably improved compared with the known solutions in the state of the art.

Collector of a bipolar transistor compatible with MOS technology

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