A method of controlling a semiconductor device using a microcomputer having a timer is provided. An interrupting step interrupts the semiconductor device using the timer, by generating a control signal for controlling a timing of turning on/off the semiconductor device. The interrupting step is performed in accordance with an interrupting signal which is input to the microcomputer at every occurrence of a predetermined period. The interrupting step comprises a setting step of giving a set value to the timer and a calculating step of determining a set value for a subsequent interrupting step, such that the set value determined in the calculating step is given to the timer in the setting step of the subsequent interrupting step. Therefore, a longer time can be allowed for determining a set value for the timer, and the processing speed required for the microcomputer can be reduced.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method of controlling a signal generator that uses a microcomputer having a timer and turns on/off a semiconductor device by means of the timer.
2. Related Background Art
There have hitherto been known various signal generators for switching semiconductor devices.
Particularly, microcomputers having timers are capable of switching semiconductor devices at higher frequency than the operating frequencies of the microcomputers because the timers operate in parallel with the programs of the microcomputers and signals are outputted from I/O ports.
Such microcomputers having timers are used to control various semiconductor switches. Typically, such a microcomputer controls the semiconductor main SW circuit of a power converter or a semiconductor circuit in a motor drive for a camera or a VTR.
As a representative example of controlling the turning on/off of a semiconductor device by means of the microcomputer, the following will describe a power converter for photovoltaic power generation and a method of controlling the same.
FIG. 2 is a block circuit diagram showing the power converter for photovoltaic power generation. Direct-current power from a solar battery connected to an input terminal is converted to alternating current power by a DC/AC converter circuit which is constituted of a push-pull section 241, an inverting section 242 and so on, and the converted power is outputted from an output terminal. In the push-pull section, two switching elements are subjected to PWM control, direct-current power is subjected to DC/AC conversion, and a voltage is increased by a transformer. Thereafter, passage is made through a diode bridge and an inductance, so that a sinusoidal waveform is generated with full-wave rectification.
The following will describe a method of generating a driving signal of a switching element in the push-pull section. A reference sinusoidal waveform pattern having been recorded in a ROM beforehand is multiplied by a current command value commanded by MPPT (maximum power point tracking) of the solar battery, so that an instantaneous current command value is generated. Then, the instantaneous current command value generated thus is compared with an instantaneous current detection value, which is generated by converting the output of an output current detector to digital data by means of an AD converter in a microcomputer. Then, a Duty value (a ratio of an ON period to a switching period) for correcting an error is calculated. A timer set value is calculated according to the calculated Duty value and the timer set value is stored in a register for a timer, so that the timing of turning on/off the switching element is controlled. In this case, a control flowchart shown in FIG. 13 is obtained. The following will specifically describe switching control using the microcomputer having the timer that realizes the control flow of FIG. 13.
In the control of the switching element, a single (increment) timer in the microcomputer, four registers in the microcomputer and two I/O ports are used. In the microcomputer used in this control, when the timer counter value of the timer agrees with (compare match) a value set in the register, the output of the I/O terminal becomes High or Low, so that the turning on/off of the switching element is controlled.
For more details, specific numeric values are substituted in the following explanation. For example, it is presumed that a microcomputer having an operating frequency of 20 MHz is used, a switching frequency is 20 kHz, and a Duty set value obtained by operations is 50%.
When the values of timer registers TIMR 1 to 4 and the value of the timer counter agree with one another, the I/O terminals have output states shown in FIG. 3. In such a setting, in order to set the Duty set value at 50%, the timer registers need to be set so that TIMR1=250, TIMR2=500, TIMR3=750 and TIMR4=1000 are obtained. In this case, a relationship between the values of the timer counters and the outputs of the I/O terminals is obtained as FIG. 4. When the value of the timer counter agrees with 250 that is the set value of the TIMR1, a High signal is outputted from an S1 terminal. When the value of the timer counter agrees with 500 that is the set value of TIMR2, a Low signal is outputted from the S1 terminal. When-the value of the timer counter agrees with 750 that is the set value of TIMR3, a High signal is outputted from an S2 terminal. When the value of the timer counter agrees with 1000 which is the set value of TIMR4, a Low signal is outputted from the S2 terminal. A timer counter is reset at 0 at the same time and counting is restarted from 0. Actually the set values of the timer registers are changed repeatedly every time a duty ratio is calculated. Control is performed so that a sinusoidal wave with full-wave rectification is outputted to the input of the inverting section 242 by resetting a duty ratio.
Namely, a period during which the value of the timer counter is counted from 0 to TIMR4 (fixed at 1000 in the present example) is referred to as a switching period. During this period, processing in the PWM setting loop of FIG. 13 is performed. For example, when a switching frequency is 20 kHz, the loop is performed 20000 times per second. In many cases, a switching frequency of a power converter for photovoltaic power generation is set around 20 to 40 kHz in consideration that the maximum frequency of an audio frequency is 16 kHz.
In recent years, a power converter-integrated solar cell module has been developed in which power converters of equal capacities (about 100 W) are mounted on the back of a single solar cell module. The power converters used in the module are integrally mounted on the solar cell module. It is desirable that such power converters be small in size (100 to 300 cc). Hence, a switching operation is performed faster in the power converter and the internal components (high-frequency transformer, coil, capacitor) of the power converter are miniaturized.
Further, as a power converter for similarly outputting a sinusoidal waveform, power converters for driving motors are known in general.
In the power converter for driving a motor, the amplitude of a sinusoidal waveform is stored beforehand in a semiconductor memory as a digital value of about 8 to 16 bits, the value is converted to PWM control signals shown in FIG. 5, and the signals are outputted, so that switching elements (FIG. 6) arranged in a full bridge configuration are controlled and a sinusoidal waveform is outputted.
However, the conventional controlling method causes the following problem: in the power converter for photovoltaic power generation, feedback control using an output current value is performed as shown in FIG. 13 and thus an arithmetic quantity is increased in the microcomputer. At this point in time, since it takes a long time to calculate a duty ratio and set the timer register, a period generating no signal is more likely to appear in some relationships between the set value of the timer register and the count value of the timer count.
The following explanation will be made with specific numeric values. It is assumed that in the step of calculating a duty ratio and the step of setting a timer register value in an interrupting step before a predetermined period, TIMR1=350, TIMR2=500, TIMR3=850, and TIMR4=1000 set for the four time registers as shown in FIG. 7. Currently setting is made so that when the timer counter has a value of 350, the S1 terminal is placed in a High state, when the timer counter has a value of 500, the S1 terminal is placed in a Low state, when the timer counter has a value of 850, the S2 terminal is placed in the High state, when the timer counter has a value of 1000, the S1 terminal is placed in the Low state. It is assumed that when the current output current value is detected and a duty ratio is calculated, timer register values set in the step of setting timer register values are calculated so as to have TIMR1=200, TIMR2=500, TIMR3=700, and TIMR4=1000 as shown in FIG. 7. At this point in time, since it takes a long time to calculate a duty ratio, the timer counter has already exceeded the value of the timer register TIMR1. In this case, the signal of the I/O terminal remains in the Low state. For example, when the calculation of a duty ratio is completed by the timer counter, in the case where the count value is already 250, High output is not made from the S1 terminal. Namely, when 200 serving as the current set value is written at the time of changing the set value of TIMR1, the timer counter already exceeds 200, which is the set value of TIMR1, and thus a High signal is not outputted from the S1 terminal as shown in FIG. 8. The set value of TIMR3 is also changed from 850 to 700 immediately after the set value of TIMR1 is changed. In this case, since the timer counter has not reached the set value of TIMR3, a High signal is normally outputted from the S2 terminal. As a result, since the High signal is not outputted from the S1 terminal, a switching element Q1 is not driven and only one side of the push-pull section is turned on.
Such a signal waveform dropout may generate noise from a transformer connected to the subsequent stage of the switching element or may cause a time period when voltage is applied only to one side of the transformer. Hence, the transformer may have biased magnetization and may not function as a power conditioner. Particularly, since a waveform dropout frequently occurs when a duty ratio increases, biased magnetization arises a serious problem.
In order to solve the problem, a microcomputer with a high computing speed may be used to perform a Duty operation and a Duty setting before a waveform is generated. However, the microcomputer has to have high processing speed.
Since the high-speed microcomputer is expensive with a high power consumption, a power converter has low efficiency, a higher temperature, and a large peripheral circuit. Particularly when power converters are manufactured with small sizes and capacities, disadvantageous conditions are imposed.
Further, a method of limiting the maximum duty ratio so as to secure a calculating/setting time is available. In this method, the ON period of the switching element is shortened and thus a power cannot be fed sufficiently to the output side.
Furthermore, in the power converter having a transformer, an ON time (duty ratio) has to be equal at the switching of Q1 and Q2. If two switching elements are different in ON time, positive and negative voltages applied to the transformer disagree with each other. This state is the same as the application of direct-current voltage to the transformer. The transformer has biased magnetization as in the case of a waveform dropout and may not normally operate as a power conditioner.


An apparatus and method for bending and/or tempering glass substrate(s) are provided. The amount of near-IR radiation which reaches the glass to be bent and/or tempered is limited (e.g., via filtering or any other suitable technique). Thus, the IR radiation (used for heating the glass) which reaches the glass to be bent and/or tempered includes mostly mid-IR and/or far-IR radiation, and not much near-IR. In such a manner, coating(s) provided on the glass can be protected and kept at lower temperatures so as to be less likely to be damaged during the bending and/or tempering process. Heating efficiency can be improved.

Devices and methods for heat bending glass sheets are well known in the art. For example, see U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,383,990; 6,240,746; 6,321,570; 6,318,125; 6,158,247; 6,009,726; 4,364,766; and 5,443,669.
FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating a conventional apparatus and method for heat bending glass sheets in making a laminated product such as a vehicle windshield. Vehicle windshields are typically curved, and thus require first and second curved (as a result of heat bending) glass sheets laminated to one another via a polymer interlayer. First glass substrate 1 has a multi-layer solar control coating 3 thereon (e.g., low-E coating including at least one IR reflecting layer of a material such as Ag); while second glass substrate 5 is not coated.
Referring to FIG. 1, two flat glass substrates 1, 5 are placed in a bending furnace (e.g., on a bending mold) in an overlapping manner by interposing an optional lubricating powder (not shown) such as sodium hydrogen carbonate, cerite, magnesium oxide, silica, or the like between contacting surfaces of the two glass substrates. The glass substrates 1, 5 are then heated using infrared (IR) emitting heating elements 7 to a processing temperature(s) near a softening point of the glass (e.g., from about 550 to 850 degrees C., more preferably from about 580 to 750 degrees C.) in order to soften the overlapping glass substrates 1, 5. Upon softening, the glass substrates 1, 5 (including any solar control coating 3 thereon) are bent by their deadweight (i.e., sagging) along a shaping surface of a bending mold (not shown) into the desired curved shape appropriate for the vehicle windshield being made. A press bending apparatus may optionally be used after the glass is sufficiently softened (the press bending may be conducted as the final step before cooling the glass).
After being heat bent in such a manner, the bent glass substrates 1, 5 (with solar control coating 3 still on substrate 1) are separated from one another and a polymer inclusive interlayer sheet (e.g., PVB) is interposed therebetween. The glass substrates 1, 5 are then laminated to one another via the polymer inclusive interlayer 9 in order to form the resulting vehicle windshield shown in FIG. 2.
Different vehicle windshield models require different shapes. Some shapes require more extensive bending than others. As windshields requiring extensive bending are becoming more popular, the need for high performance solar control coatings (e.g., including one or more IR reflecting Ag layers) has also increased. An example high performance solar control coating 3 is disclosed in WO 02/04375 (and thus counterpart U.S. Ser. No. 09/794,224, filed Feb. 28, 2001), both hereby incorporated herein by reference.
Unfortunately, it has been found that when using conventional glass bending techniques, certain solar control coatings cannot on a regular basis withstand the bending process(es) sometimes used. Set forth below is an explanation as to why certain solar control coatings have a hard time withstanding conventional heat bending processes without suffering undesirable damage.
Conventional glass bending heating elements emit IR radiation 8 in the near, mid and far IR ranges. By this we mean that heating elements 7 emit each of near-IR (700–4,000 nm; or 0.7 to 4.0 μm), mid-IR (4,000–8,000 nm; or 4–8 μm), and far-IR (>8,000 nm; or >8 μm) radiation. In certain instances, the near-IR range may be considered from 0.7 to 3.0 μm and the mid-IR range from 3–8 μm. Herein, IR radiation is defined as wavelengths of 0.7 μm and above with known constraints.
Each of these different types (i.e., wavelengths) of IR radiation impinges upon the glass substrates 1, 5 to be heated and bent. Certain IR radiant heaters work in a manner such that turning up the power for the same results in significantly more near-IR radiation being emitted. In any event, much of the IR radiation that reaches the glass to be bent is in the near-IR range, as the peak of this IR radiation is often in the near-IR range. In certain example instances, at least about 50% of the IR radiation that reaches the glass to be bent is in the near-IR range, sometimes 70% or higher. For instance, a heater with black body properties operating at 538 degrees C. emits 32.8% of its energy from 0.7 to 4 μm, 44.7% from 4 to 8 μm and 22.5% in wavelengths greater than 8 μm. A heater with black body properties operating at 871 degrees C. emits 57.6% of its energy from 0.7 to 4 μm, 31.9% from 4 to 8 μm and 10.5% in wavelengths greater than 8 μm. A heater with black body properties operating at 1,094 degrees C. emits 68.7% of its energy from 0.7 to 4 μm, 24.4% from 4 to 8 μm and 6.9% in wavelengths greater than 8 μm. The total power emitted increases with temperature proportional to the absolute temperature raised to the fourth power. For the three temperatures listed above, the total emitted power is approximately 15, 63 and 125 watts/inch square, respectively. The power for 0.7 to 4 μm is 4.9, 36.3, and 85.9 watts/inch square, respectively.
As shown in FIG. 3, it has been found that typical soda lime silica glass (often used for substrates 1, 5) has a high absorption of IR radiation in the mid-IR and far-IR ranges. In other words, soda lime silica glass absorbs much of incident IR radiation at wavelengths above about 3–4 μm (microns). It is believed that this absorption in the mid and far-IR ranges is due to at least water, Si—O and Si—O—H absorption in the glass matrix. FIG. 3 shows that soda lime silica glass is substantially opaque to IR radiation above 3–4 μm, but rather transmissive of IR radiation below 3–4 μm. Unfortunately, this means that a significant amount of IR radiation in the near-IR range (from 0.7 to 3–4 μm) is not absorbed by the glass substrate(s) 1 and/or 5 and as a result passes therethrough and reaches solar control coating 3. As used herein, the phrase "from 0.7 to 3–4 μm" means from 0.7 μm to 3 and/or 4 μm. The amount of energy in this wavelength band (watts/inch2) increases as the temperature of the elements increases. Typically, the power applied in later times in the bending process is substantially higher than earlier times so that the amount of energy not absorbed by the glass and thus by the coating increases as the bending process proceeds.
Unfortunately, certain of this near-IR radiation which is not absorbed by the glass substrate and thus reaches solar control coating 3, is absorbed by the coating 3 (e.g., by Ag layer(s) of the coating) thereby causing the coating 3 to heat up. This problem (significant heating of the coating) is compounded by: (a) certain solar control coatings 3 have a room temperature absorption peak (e.g., of 20–30% or more) at wavelengths of approximately 1 μm in the near IR range, at which wavelengths the underlying glass is substantially transmissive, and (b) the absorption of many solar control coatings 3 increases with a rise in temperature thereof (e.g., sheet resistance Rs of Ag layer(s) increase along with rises in temperature). In view of (a) and (b) above, it can be seen that the peak absorption of certain solar control coatings 3 at near-IR wavelengths of about 1 μm can increase from the 20–30% range to the 40–60% range or higher when the coating temperature increases from room temperature to 500 degrees C. or higher, thereby enabling the coating to heat up very quickly when exposed to significant amounts of near-IR wavelengths. The temperature of the coating may be mitigated by conduction of the absorbed energy into the bulk glass, but the rate of this process is finite. If energy is applied to the coating faster than it can be dissipated into the bulk, a thermal gradient is created leading to substantial overheating of the coating. The potential for coating overheating is often highest in the later stages of the bending process when the glass and coating are near the softening point, e.g., due to the higher amounts of near-IR heat being generated by the heating element(s) and due to absorption of the coating being higher.
Coating 3 is more susceptible to being damaged when it is unnecessarily heated up during the glass bending process. When coating 3 is damaged, the bent glass substrate 1 with the damaged coating thereon is typically discarded and cannot be commercially used.
This problem (i.e., coating overheating) also affects the shapes that can be attained in the bending process. If heat is applied only from one side (e.g., from the top in FIG. 1), the presence of the coating on substrate 1 versus substrate 5 limits the radiant energy that can be absorbed by the substrate 5; so the substrate 1 may become more soft than substrate 5. This means that substrate 1 must often be overheated in order to enable substrate 5 to reach a desired temperature for sagging to a desired shape. Application of heat to both the top and bottom (see FIG. 1) provides radiant heat directly to both substrates, but also causes the coating to receive double the amount of energy potentially leading to overheating.
It can be seen that certain solar control coatings 3 have a narrow thermal stability range that can limit the shape (i.e., degree of bending) of glass attainable in a bending process. Highly bent windshields often require higher bending temperatures and/or long bending times which certain coatings 3 cannot withstand given conventional glass bending techniques.
An object of this invention is to minimize the time and peak temperature attained by a solar control coating 3 during a heat bending process for bending and/or tempering a glass substrate that supports the coating.
Another object of this invention is to provide an apparatus and/or method for heat bending and/or tempering glass substrates/sheets, designed to reduce the amount of near-IR radiation that reaches the glass substrate(s) to be bent.
Another object of this invention is to provide a filter for filtering out at least some near-IR radiation before it reaches a glass substrate to be bent and/or tempered. This can enable a solar control coating supported by the glass substrate to reach a lesser temperature than if the filter was not provided.
By enabling the maximum coating temperature to be reduced, certain embodiments of this invention can realize one or more of the following advantages: (a) the solar control coating is less likely to be damaged during the bending and/or tempering process of an underlying glass substrate, (b) higher degrees of bending of an underlying glass substrate can be achieved without damaging the solar control coating; and/or (c) power consumption of the heater may be reduced in certain instances.
Another object of this invention is to fulfill one or more of the above-listed objects.
In certain example embodiments of this invention, one or more of the above-listed objects is/are fulfilled by providing a method of bending and/or tempering glass, the method comprising: providing a glass substrate having a solar control coating thereon; directing IR radiation at the glass substrate in order to heat the glass substrate to a temperature of at least about 550 degrees C. for bending and/or tempering; and wherein less than about 30% (more preferably less than about 20%, and even more preferably less than about 10%) of the IR radiation reaching the glass substrate is at wavelengths from 0.7 to 3.0 μm (i.e., in the near-IR range).
In other example embodiments of this invention, one or more of the above-listed objects may be fulfilled by providing an apparatus for bending and/or tempering glass, the apparatus comprising: a heating element for directing infrared (IR) radiation toward at least one glass substrate to be bent and/or tempered, the IR radiation from the heating element comprising near-IR radiation and mid-IR radiation; and a near-IR filter located between the heating element and the glass substrate, the near-IR filter for filtering out at least some near-IR radiation from the IR radiation received by the filter from the heating element.
In another embodiment of this invention, a plurality of near-IR filters may be provided (i.e., so that the near-IR filter is segmented). This enables power to be more easily spatially distributed when desired for tailoring the bending process (e.g., it is easier to heat one part of the glass more than another part of the glass).

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Apparatus and method for bending and/or tempering glass

Centre Luxembourgeois de Recherches pour le Verre et la Ceramique S.A. (C.R.V.C.)


An optical semiconductor device includes a light emitting element having a first surface and a second surface, the first surface having a first electrode provided thereon, the second surface being located on the opposite side from the first surface and having a second electrode provided thereon; a first conductive member connected to the first surface; a second conductive member connected to the second surface; a first external electrode connected to the first conductive member; a second external electrode connected to the second conductive member; and an enclosure sealing the light emitting element, the first conductive member, and the second conductive member between the first external electrode and the second external electrode, and being configured to transmit light emitted from the light emitting element.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an optical semiconductor device having a light emitting element incorporated therein and a method of manufacturing the optical semiconductor device.
2. Description of the Related Art
An optical semiconductor device using a light emitting diode (LED) as a light emitting element is one of examples of conventional optical semiconductor devices. This light emitting diode employs a shape as shown in FIG. 19, for example. Specifically, an optical semiconductor device 100 as a whole has a bullet shape, having a curved surface through which light is emitted from a light emitting diode serving as a light emitting element. A first lead frame 101 has a basin-shaped concave section 102 formed therein and a LED chip 103 is die-mounted on a bottom part of the concave section 102. Electrodes of the LED chip 103 are electrically connected to the first lead frame 101 via a metal wire 104 by wire bonding. Moreover, the LED chip 103 is also electrically connected to a second lead frame 105 via another metal wire 104.
The inside of the concave section 102 is sealed with a transparent resin 106 that contains phosphor. Therefore, the LED chip 103 is also covered with the resin 106. Meanwhile, a side surface of the concave section 102 functions as a reflection plate or a so-called reflector. When the LED chip 103 emits light, the light is emitted in a direction of an arrow indicated in FIG. 19.
The first lead frame 101 having the LED chip 103 mounted on the concave section 102, and the second lead frame 105 connected to the LED chip 103 via the metal wire 104, are sealed by a sealing resin. The first lead frame 101 and the second lead frame 105 partially protrude from one end of an enclosure 107 in which all the foregoing components are sealed. Moreover, as described above, another end of the enclosure 107 is formed into the curved surface and functions as a lens for outputting the light emitted from the LED chip 103.
Another type of a conventional optical semiconductor device is a light emitting diode package as disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2006-310753, for example. This light emitting diode package has a LED element die-mounted on a package substrate and the LED element and the package substrate are connected through a bonding wire so as to be connected electrically to each other.

Optical semiconductor device and method of manufacturing optical semiconductor device


A selectable one-way clutch includes an inner member having a plurality of clutch teeth on an outer perimeter thereof. An outer clutch assembly includes at least one side plate supporting a plurality of pivoting pawls engageable with the clutch teeth of the inner member and an actuator operable to engage the plurality of pivoting pawls to selectively allow and or prevent the plurality of pivoting pawls from engaging the inner member. The at least one side plate includes an opening therethrough with a plurality of inner peripheral notches corresponding to the plurality of clutch teeth that allow the inner member to be received through the opening in the at least one side plate during assembly.

This section provides background information related to the present disclosure which is not necessarily prior art.
Many of today's power transmissions, especially multi-speed automatic shifting power transmissions, have one or more one-way clutches. One-way clutches have one direction of operation for performing a torque-transmitting function and in the other direction of operation permits free rotation between the two members, which are connected with the one-way clutch device. The one-way clutch can include inner and outer races, one of the races, generally the outer race is held stationary by a portion of the transmission housing. The other race of the torque-transmitting one-way clutch is connected with a gear element within the transmission.
When the gear element attempts to rotate in one direction, the one-way clutch will lock-up between the gear member and the transmission housing thereby holding the gear member stationary such that a ratio is established within the transmission. When the gear member is driven or rotated in the opposite direction, the one-way clutch permits free rotation between the inner and outer races such that the gear connected therewith is free to rotate relative to the meshing members.
There have been a number of proposals for one-way clutches wherein an actuator mechanism is provided to cause the one-way clutch to be energized in one direction of operation during a portion of the torque-transmitting function and upon actuation of the control mechanism or actuator, the one-way device is operable to be able to transmit torque in the opposite direction of rotation so as to provide a selectable one-way clutch.


To enable a common inversion driving even in an LCD having a large size and a high definition. A common capacitance is significantly reduced by making most of scanning lines in a floating state during the common inversion. In addition, the timing for floating the scanning lines is changed depending on the polarity of the common potential. Specifically, if a pixel switching element is an N channel type, the scanning lines are floated when the common potential is high. If the pixel switching element is a P channel type, the scanning lines are floated when the common potential is low.

1. Field of Invention
The present invention relates to a method of driving a liquid crystal display device, a liquid crystal display device, and a portable electronic apparatus, and more specifically, it relates to a common inversion driving method of a liquid crystal display device using an active matrix substrate.
2. Description of Related Art
Recently, liquid crystal display devices using active elements such as a thin film transistor have been widely used in the fields of a notebook PC or a monitor. In the liquid crystal display device using typical nematic liquid crystal materials, it is necessary to adopt an alternating current driving method in which a polarity of a voltage to be applied to the liquid crystal is inverted for every predetermined time in order to secure reliability. Generally, a difference in voltage to be applied to the liquid crystal for a white display and a black display is in a range of 3 through 5 V. Therefore, in order to implement the alternating current driving method, when the fixed potential are applied to a electrode (common electrode) of a substrate opposing an active matrix substrate with liquid crystal interposed therebetween, a signal having a voltage amplitude of 6 through 10 V should be applied to a pixel electrode on the active matrix substrate. However, since a process of high pressure resistance is required to output a signal having a voltage amplitude of 5 V or more from a typical IC (integrated circuit), a manufacturing cost increases. To avoid this problem, there has been proposed a common inversion driving method in which input signals are decreased by alternating-current driving the potential of the common electrode (see, Patent Document 1).
Now, a 1H common inversion driving method executing a common inversion and a polarity inversion of the voltage applied to the liquid crystal for every scanning line selection cycle (1H cycle) will be described with reference to FIG. 12. Herein, it is supposed that the liquid crystal display device operates, for example, in a normally white mode and has an N-channel thin film transistor as a pixel switching element.
A reference symbol Vcom(1) denotes a potential of the common electrode, and when an auxiliary capacitor Cs is formed, an auxiliary capacitor common electrode also has the same value. The Vcom(1) is periodically inverted between potentials VcomH and VcomL in the case of the common inversion driving method. In addition, a reference symbol VG1 to n(2-1 through 2-n) denotes a potential applied to the nth scanning line from a scanning line driving circuit. For every inversion of the Vcom(1), a selection potential VGON is sequentially applied to one scanning line for turning on the pixel switching element. At other times, one of the potentials VGOFFH and VGOFFL is selected according to the potential Vcom(1) and then applied as a non-selection signal for turning off the connected pixel switching element. Herein, the non-selection signal has two different levels VGOFFH and VGOFFL according to the potential Vcom(1) in order to secure reliability of the pixel switching element. This is disclosed in, for example, Patent Document 2 in detail. A reference symbol VS1 to m(3-1 through 3-m) denotes a video signal potential applied to a data line from a data line driving circuit, and has an amplitude between VVIDEOH and VVIDEOL. If the liquid crystal material or the gap is selected such that a white (transparent) display is implemented when the liquid crystal element is interposed between electrodes having a potential difference of ±VWHITE, and a black (non-transparent) display is implemented when the liquid crystal element is interposed between electrodes having a potential difference of ±VBLACK, it is possible to obtain VcomH≧VVIDEOH>VVIDEOL≧VcomL, and VcomH−VVIDEOH=VVIDEOL−VcomL=VVWHITE, VcomH−VVIDEOL=VVIDEOH−VcomL=VBLACK.
The potential of VS1 to m(3-1 through 3-m) is applied to the pixel electrode through the pixel switching element connected to the scanning line having a selection potential VGON. Herein, if VPIX4-1-1 through VPIX4-n-m denotes potentials of the pixel electrodes connected between an mth data line and an nth scanning line, VPIX4-1-1 and VPIX4-1-2 are charged with the potentials VS1 and VS2 of the data lines 1 and 2, respectively, and become potentials VVIDEOH and VVIDEOL when the scanning line 1 is the selection potential VGON. In this case, the common potential is VcomH, and to the liquid crystal on the pixel electrode corresponding to VPIX4-1-1, a potential of VVIDEOH−VcomH=−VWHITE is applied.
The potential of VS1 to m(3-1 through 3-m) is applied to the pixel electrode through the pixel switching element connected to the scanning line having a selection potential VGON. Herein, if VPIX4-1-1 through VPIX4-n-m denotes potentials of the pixel electrodes connected between an mth data line and an nth scanning line, the potentials VPIX4-1-1 and VPIX4-1-2 are charged with the potentials VS1 and VS2 of the data lines 1 and 2, respectively, and become potentials VVIDEOH and VVIDEOL when the scanning line 1 is the selection potential VGON. In this case, the common potential is VcomH, and to the liquid crystal on the pixel electrode corresponding to VPIX4-1-2, a potential of VVIDEOL−VcomH=−VBLACK is applied. In other words, the pixel corresponding to VPIX4-1-1 is subjected to a transparent (white) display, and the pixel corresponding to VPIX4-1-2 is subjected to a non-transparent (black) display.
Subsequently, the common potential is inverted to VcomL when the scanning line 2 is selected, the pixel electrodes corresponding to VPIX4-1-1 and VPIX4-1-2, respectively, are in the floating state because the switching electrode is a high resistance state. Therefore, supposing that capacitive elements except for the common electrode and the capacitor line are negligible, the potentials VPIX4-1-1 and VPIX4-1-2 are simultaneously dropped by the amount of change of the potential (VcomL−VcomH) of the common electrode due to the capacitive coupling. As a result, the pixel corresponding to VPIX4-1-1 maintains the transparent (white) display, and the pixel corresponding to VPIX4-1-2 maintains the non-transparent display (black). As described above, even though the common potential is repeatedly inverted, the potential difference from the pixel electrode connected to the scanning line of the non-selection potential is not altered. Therefore, the same grayscale display can be maintained until the next scanning line becomes the selection potential.
On the other hand, VPIX4-2-1 and VPIX4-2-2 are charged with the potentials VS1 and VS2 of the data lines 1 and 2 when the scanning line 2 is the selection potential (VGON), and become potentials VVIDEOL and VVIDEOH, respectively. In this case, a potential of VVIDEOL−VcomL=VWHITE is applied to the liquid crystal on the pixel electrode corresponding to the VPIX4-2-1 and a potential of VVIDEOH−VcomL=VBLACK is applied to the liquid crystal on the pixel electrode corresponding to the VPIX4-2-2, so that a transparent (white) display and a non-transparent (black) display are implemented, respectively. However, they have voltage polarities opposite to those of the pixels corresponding to VPIX4-1-1 and VPIX4-1-2. Similarly to the above description, though the common potential is inverted after the scanning line 2 becomes a non-selection potential, the potential difference between the common potential and the pixel potential is not altered, so that the display is retained. When the scanning line becomes the selection potential again in the next frame after the rewriting time according to a refresh rate, the common potential is VcomL if the scanning line 1 becomes the selection potential VGON, and the common potential is VcomH if the scanning line 2 becomes the selection potential VGON. Moreover, a polarity of the potential across the liquid crystal element is inverted with respect to the previous frame. Therefore, an alternate driving of the liquid crystal can be implemented. Until now, the conventional 1H common inversion driving method has been described.
According to this method, the amplitude of the input video signal from an external IC is 3 through 5 V. Therefore, it is possible to use a commercial IC made by typical CMOS processes, a manufacturing cost can be reduced. This is the same because an IC for outputting video signals is necessary in the case of an analog driving method in which video analog signals are inputted, even when driving circuits of the active matrix substrate are provided externally, as well as when the driving circuits are embedded in the active matrix substrate, and a power source IC for supplying DC power source to a DAC or a decoder is necessary in the case of a digital driving method in which the DAC or the decoder is embedded. In addition, the common inversion driving method is an effective method even in the case of a power source and driving circuit embedded LCD in which the power generating circuit is embedded in the active matrix substrate, since the circuit size and the current consumption increase and the reliability of the thin film transistor is badly influenced as the voltage range of the generated power source becomes wider, [Patent Document 1] Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 62-49399 [Patent Document 2] Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2001-306041

Method of driving liquid crystal display device, liquid crystal display device, and portable electronic apparatus


A system including an internal combustion engine provides the motive power source to for charging batteries of an electric motor powered vehicle. The engine has a rotating annular cylinder which is rotated in a predetermined ratio to oscillation of a plurality of pairs of oscillating pistons in the cylinder, the pistons being so oscillated so that adjacent pistons are moved alternately apart from one another and toward one another for the respective strokes of the internal combustion engine and having intake ports, exhaust ports and ignition means on the rotating annular cylinder located by the rotation of the cylinder between adjacent pistons according to the firing order and cycle of the engine. The engine includes the use of unitary in place of articulated, oscillating crank arms to transmit power from the torque tubes to the crankshaft and the use of pistons having gabled surfaces that are rigidly connected to the torque discs. In addition to the engine, the system includes transmission means for reducing the torque speed of the crankshaft and an alternator for charging the batteries of the electric motor powered vehicle.

The oscillating piston/rotating cylinder engine has been described in P. E. Morgan, U.S. Pat. No. 3,516,392. In this type of engine, an annular cylinder is rotated in a predetermined ratio to the oscillations of a plurality of pairs of oscillating pistons contained within the cylinder. The pistons are oscillated so that adjacent pistons in each pair are moved alternately toward and away from each other for the respective strokes of a four-stroke cycle internal combustion engine. Intake ports, exhaust ports, and ignition means in the rotating cylinder are located by the rotation of the cylinder with respect to the pistons in accordance with the firing order and cycle of the engine. While the Morgan engine is capable of favorable efficiencies as compared with those of conventional reciprocating piston engines, increasingly rigid standards of fuel economy and emissions control have made further improvements in mechanical and thermal efficiency highly desirable. In this regard, for example, the Morgan engine has a relatively large number of moving parts that add weight and complexity, and create friction losses, while the design of the pistons (essentially disc-shaped, with flat sides) does not optimize the extraction of useful energy from combustion during the power stroke.
It would be highly desirable, therefore, to improve the Morgan engine, whereby the advantages of the basic oscillating piston/rotating cylinder design are retained, while increasing efficiency by reducing the number of moving parts and optimizing piston design.
Engineers in the automobile industry have worked years to perfect an electric motor powered vehicle that could operate in the same performance envelope as the modern piston engine, hydrocarbon fueled automobile. With the population explosion ongoing and the large increase in the operation of modern transportation vehicles, the environment is being damaged and no satisfactory solution has been available.

Electrical charging system for an electric powered vehicle


An animal stanchion having fixed stanchion structure and a pivotal release stanchion laterally spaced apart to define a head opening and a latching mechanism which includes a first latch coupler attached to the fixed stanchion structure for receiving and releasably holding a second latch coupler and a control rod mounted adjacent to the first latch coupler for rotatable positioning to a first position to make contact with the second latch coupler at any point along the control rod's longitudinal axis to release it and to rotate to a second position to permit engagement of the second latch coupler with the first latch coupler.

1. Technical Field
This invention relates to animal stanchions, and more particularly to automatic locking cattle stanchions having opened, closed and downed animal positions.
2. Background
Safety stanchions to hold, and selectively release cows during feeding, milking, veterinary care, pregnancy testing and even calving, are very commonly used throughout the United States. They are found in feed lots, ranching operations, dairies and virtually any other activity where cattle and dairy cows are tended to. They have some common characteristics, in that they are usually fabricated in long strings of individual stanchions connected between top and bottom rails and set in concrete which are used to separate the animals from the feed bunker.
In the typical prior art cattle stanchion being manufactured today, the head opening for the animal is typically defined between a stationary, vertically-oriented stanchion, and a pivotal release stanchion, which when tilted in one direction enlarges the upper part of the opening so that the animal can put its head through. As the animal lowers its head to reach the feed, the pivotal release stanchion pivots to a more vertical position, where it automatically latches in place to define the closed position. In the closed position the animal cannot withdraw its head from the stanchion and is effectively held in place. If the animal becomes distressed and falls down, or is knocked down by an adjacent animal, the stanchion can be individually released to a downed cow position by releasing the latch on the release stanchion and allowing it to pivot in the opposite direction to enlarge the opening in the lower portion of the head opening so that the downed animal can remove its head.
These long strings of cattle stanchions serve many useful functions which include, but are not limited to, permitting each animal equal access to the feed bunker for equal portion sizing, for holding the animals close together where they are most comfortable since they are instinctually herd animals, and to immobilize the animal for veterinary care, such as dehorning, vaccinating, pregnancy testing and a host of other types of uses.
Control of the latch mechanism for the release stanchion in the prior art has traditionally been accomplished by means of a control rod, which is mounted atop the top rail. In the prior art the control rod contains one of two cooperating parts of a latch mechanism for the release stanchion, with the other cooperating part of the latch mechanism attached to the top of the pivotal release stanchion. The typical prior art safety stanchion assembly contains a control rod which provides for the following lock and release functions: a locked open position where the release stanchion automatically falls to the open position where the upper portion of the opening is enlarged to enable an animal to insert its head and then lower its head, swinging the release stanchion out of the way as it reaches for feed; an open to automatic closed position where when the animal lowers its head the release stanchion locks in place in the closed position to automatically lock the animal in the stanchion; a manually operable downed cow position wherein the rancher or dairyman can release an individual animal that has fallen down by manually pivoting the release stanchion to the downed cow position; and a locked closed position to lock all of the stanchions in a closed position to either keep the animals from inserting their heads through the stanchions, or to keep all of the animals contained within the stanchions.
Considerable effort has been expended in the prior art to build safe to operate and effective latching mechanisms. The reason for this is the safety issue, since large animals can exert considerable and sudden forces to the pivotal release stanchions, especially when startled or distressed.
The problem in the prior art comes not from the effectiveness of the prior art latching mechanisms, although some latching mechanisms work much better than others, but rather from the fundamental design which requires one cooperating part of the latch mechanism is attached to the pivotal release stanchion, and the other is attached to the control rod which is mounted above the top rail. Since they must be stoutly built to restrain the animals, strings of cattle stanchions are fabricated of metal, usually steel and metal, including steel, expands and contracts with changes in temperature. Since these continuous strings of cattle stanchions can literally include hundreds of stanchions, all in one continuous row, the amount of expansion and contraction can be considerable.
In the prior art, the fixed vertical stanchions are usually anchored in concrete and firmly attached to the upper and lower rails. In a like manner, the pivotal release stanchion is also attached to a pivot support bar of some sort, which itself is attached to the upper and lower rails, thereby locking this portion of the assembly firmly together. At the same time, the control arm, which may be fabricated of a different metal alloy, is usually mounted to be both rotatable and slideable. It is normally of a different dimension than the top rail. Thus, even though it is mounted above the top rail, it is free to expand and contract differently than the rigid support structure to which it is mounted.
In the prior art, if you have a string of stanchions of any significant number, it is quite common that all of the couplers on the slideable and rotatable control arm will align with the matching latch couplers on the pivotal release stanchions in the morning when the entire assembly is cold, and in the warm summer afternoon, have enough expansion of the control arm, such that the control arm coupler mechanisms will line up with the pivotal release stanchion couplers at one end of the string, but not at the other.
As a result, in the prior art, considerable expense and effort is made to provide control arm length adjustment features so as to keep all of the control arm couplers aligned with the mating couplers of the pivotal release stanchions across the entire length of the string of stanchions. It is not uncommon for the rancher or dairyman to have to readjust the control arm lengths with each change of season, and in some areas of the country where there are significant temperature differentials between cold nights and warm days, to have to readjust the control arms on a daily basis.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to eliminate the need to adjust the length of the control arm to continually realign the cooperating coupler portions of the latching mechanism so that adjustments for variations in length due to expansion and contraction of the stanchion materials is eliminated.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a latching mechanism which is simple, effective and safe for the operator.


Computed axial tomography images of different respiratory phases of lungs are obtained, where the intensity of the image measures lung density. One image is deformed to the coordinate space of the other image, and the differences between the intensity values of the other image as compared to the mapped image are evaluated as measures of ventilation.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to methods and systems of determining pulmonary function, and in particular to methods and systems using computed tomography.
2. Background Description
Currently, pulmonary ventilation is performed using single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT), a nuclear medicine imaging procedure, which is more expensive and time consuming than computed axial tomography (CAT scan, or CT). Furthermore, the resolution of SPECT is significantly poorer than that of CT. What is needed is a method for measuring lung ventilation that uses CT.

Method and system for using computed tomography to test pulmonary function


An electrical connecting device for inserting a male plug connector of an electronic component, consisting of a strip of electrically conductive material having a central portion with an opening for introducing the male plug connector and, symmetrically on both sides of the central portion, two longitudinal portions each having an intermediate insertion section in which a contact blade is formed which is delimited by a cut-out, and a terminal section for being plugged into a support. The strip of material is folded to form a parallelepiped cage delimited by the central portion and by the two intermediate insertion sections formed so that their contact blades each define a contact area for a male plug connector introduced into the cage, and a section which may be plugged into a support consisting of two terminal sections placed against one another.

1. Field of the Invention
An electrical connecting device is configured for inserting a male plug connector of an electronic component such as a fuse or relay. These connecting devices are particularly suitable for forming connecting elements for the electrical connection of an electronic component on a support such as a printed circuit.
2. Description of the Related Art
Current connecting devices for inserting male plug connectors of electronic components are traditionally made up of metal reinforcements integrated and assembled inside a plastic shell, providing these connecting devices with very good mechanical resistance. Such connecting devices, however, have two significant principal drawbacks. More specifically, each type of connecting device is allocated to a specific electronic component due to the fact that the features (shape of plugs, number of plugs, relative positioning, etc.) of the plug connectors able to be inserted into a plastic shell are fixed. Thus, this design necessitates the production of many different types of connecting devices. Furthermore, such connecting devices have also been shown to have robustness problems leading to faults in the electrical contact.
In order to alleviate these drawbacks, a further solution produced connecting devices without a plastic shell and suitable for allowing the insertion of a single male plug connector. According to this design, the individual connecting devices are arranged and fixed on a support, in quantities and according to a distribution depending on the number and arrangement of plug connectors of the electronic components to be connected to the support.
On the basis of this principle, moreover, a first solution produced "double-material" connecting devices formed from a metal reinforcement, for example made of a copper-based material, arranged inside a ring for inserting a male plug connector, for example made of a steel-based material. Such a design allows the production of connecting devices that have good robustness, both thermal and mechanical. However, it has been shown to lead to relatively high production costs.
A second solution produced "single material" connecting devices made up of a single metal reinforcement, and thus at a cost and price which is considerably lower than that of the "double-material" connecting devices. Nevertheless, such "single material" connecting devices have been shown, however, to have frequent problems with thermal and mechanical robustness.

Electrical connecting device for inserting a male plug connector of an electronic component such as a fuse or relay


A weighted training bat formed of wood and having a handle and a barrel. The barrel has an elongated hollow cavity formed into a distal end thereof and an outer cavity portion having internal threads. Lead which has been poured or cast-in-place into and filling the proximal portion of the cavity, when solidified, adheres to the interior surface of the cavity to resist loosening, the lead adding weight at and evenly astride the sweet spot of the bat. An elongated wooden screw having external threads is tightly engaged into internal threads in the cavity so the screw bears against the lead to further prevent loosening of the lead. The threads are permanently glued and an outer end of the screw is formed to blend with the contour of the end of the barrel.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to the field of training baseball bats, and more particularly to such a training bat which utilizes a cast-in-place lead within a cavity which spans the sweet spot of the bat and which is permanently held in place by multiple retaining means to insure that the lead does not become dislodged or loose within the bat.
2. Description of Related Art
The use of training bats which are weighted to enhance the muscle, speed and coordination skills of the batter are well known. One such well-known technique is the temporary addition of a weighted ring or donut slid over the handle of the bat and which is sized to be retained from slipping off the barrel of the bat while the batter takes practice swings before coming to the plate for either batting practice or during a game.
Other prior art devices which have been patented are also well known. U.S. Pat. No. 514,420 to Jacobus discloses a bat with an axial perforation longitudinally formed in the body wherein one or more heavy weights are inserted, the outer end of the cylindrical perforation is securely closed with a threaded cylindrical plug. A similar metal bat is disclosed by Shroyer, Jr. in U.S. Pat. No. 1,499,128.
Owen, et al. teaches a weighted baseball bat in U.S. Pat. No. 3,116,926 and a warm-up bat with an integrally molded weight is taught by Hundley in U.S. Pat. No. 4,763,899. Another weighted practice bat is taught by Rewolinski in U.S. Pat. No. 5,277,421 and a weighting system for sports balls and hitting implements is taught by Becker in U.S. Pat. No. 6,254,502.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,280,353 to Brundage teaches a training bat with weights formed in a hollow cavity in the barrel portion and an interesting training ball bat is taught by Mabry in U.S. Pat. No. 6,561,930. Chang discloses a wood baseball bat with movable weights along an axial direction of the core in U.S. Pat. No. 6,767,299.
A baseball-training bat with interchangeable threaded weight plugs is taught in U.S. Pat. No. 6,918,843 to Franssen. A newly published pending patent application for a training bat and method is disclosed in U.S. Pub. US2005/0096161 in Gallagher.
The present invention provides a weighted training bat which adds a cast-in-place lead weight into a cylindrical hole bored into a conventional wooden bat and which is secured in place by multiple retaining means including an elongated threaded wooden screw permanently glued in place to insure that the lead does not become dislodged or loose within the bat during batting practice.


A system for remotely sensing a target material in situ include a broad-band laser source, at least one tunable filter coupled to the source laser for generating a swept-frequency signal an optical device for splitting the swept-frequency signal into a first illumination signal and second illumination signal, a first optical path for directing the first illumination signal unto the target material and receiving a reflected signal from the target material, a second optical path for receiving the second illumination signal and generating a spectral reference signal, and a controller coupled to the first optical path and the second optical path for adjusting the frequency and spatial resolution of the laser source based at least in part on a comparison of the spectral reference signal and the reflected signal.

Remote sensing of geometric shapes and locations of a target material has proven to be valuable in a number of fields, including for the study of geological formations. Conventional technologies include light detection and ranging ("lidar"), which is generally recognized as an "active" remote sensing technique that uses a single laser frequency to actively illuminate a target and determine range. Although a single frequency laser intensity value can offer some information about a target material's composition, identifying the chemical composition of the target material, such as specific mineralogy, cannot be accomplished by using a single frequency lidar instrument. A more complete spectral analysis of a target material requires multiple discrete frequencies to be simultaneously collected. Matching of separately obtained lidar information with hyperspectral data can require costly post-processing to perform resolution matching and illumination matching.
In addition, conventional spectral analysis techniques utilize spectral samples over multiple wavelengths of naturally occurring electromagnetic radiation, e.g., sunlight, to identify a target chemical composition. Such techniques are commonly referred to as "passive" remote sensing in that light is passively collected rather than actively directed at a target material. Spectral image analysis of passively collected data also requires considerable post-processing to extract meaningful results. Commercially available instruments cannot be dynamically modified during acquisition to collect maximum resolution of a target material based on real-time feedback from the instrument during acquisition.
Further, conventional spectral imaging techniques utilizing natural electromagnetic radiation are characterized by incomplete spectral coverage in the reflected infrared spectral region due to absorption of frequencies, e.g., 1400-1600 nm and 1800-2000 nm, from long transit distance through the atmosphere, e.g., several tens of kilometers. Using wide spectral bands, e.g., many tens of nanometers wide, is known to yield blurred spectral samples when inspecting the target material's spectral composition. Typically, many narrow bands are required, e.g., approximately 1 nm wide, to discretely determine chemical attributes of the target.
As such, a need exists to remotely sense target shape and target composition simultaneously across several hundred discrete wavelengths (˜1 nm wide) while minimizing costly post-processing to perform resolution matching and illumination matching.

System and method for interrogation of target material in situ


A multiplexed packetized data stream carrying real-time multimedia programs is received at a first hardware demultiplexer. Based on a user input, a video and timing portion of a program associated with the multiplexed packetized data stream can be stored for subsequent display. One type of subsequent display is time shifted display, where the stored portion of the program is played back while new portions of the program are being stored. During time shifted play back, a second hardware demultiplexer can be used, so that one demultiplexer stores new data and maintains a current clock value while the other decodes and displays the stored data.

Systems for time shifting a viewed program are known in the industry. For example, if a viewer is interrupted by a phone call during a television program, the program can be recorded for a few minutes and then played back from the point of interruption while addition video information is continually recorded. One prior art method of accomplishing time shifting is to capture the rendered video signal. When the rendered signal is an analog signal it is digitized and stored. When the rendered signal is a digital signal it can be captured directly. Once captured, the rendered digital data can be stored directly. A digital signal stored directly can require a large amount of storage space, even when only a few minutes of video are captured. The digital signal can be compressed to reduce the amount of storage space required. However, compressing a video signal requires additional processing power, resulting in additional costs.
As the use of digital video data becomes increasingly common, a method and apparatus for time shifting a digital program that is more efficient than those known in art would be advantageous. One known method to provide digital video data is to provide the data using a specific protocol that has the ability to transmit the digital video data in a compressed format. An example of one such format is known as MPEG-2, and has been approved by the International Organization for Standards (ISO) Moving Pictures Experts Group (MPEG group). MPEG-2 is a versatile communication standard that gives theoretical explanations needed to implement an MPEG-2 decoder through the syntax and semantics of coded bit-streams. MPEG-2 is an open standard and continues to evolve and be applied to a wide variety of applications ranging from video conferencing to High Definition Television (HDTV). The MPEG-2 standard, as a generic and open standard, is intended for variety of audio/video coding applications.
One method of transporting large amounts of various types of transport stream data is to use a multiplexed packetized data stream capable of carrying real-time multimedia programs. One example of a multiplexed packetized data stream is described in the standard ISO/IEC 13818-1 and will be referred to as a transport stream. Transport streams generally offer robustness for noisy channels and can carry multiple programs (like multiple TV services) within the same multiplex. The transport stream is based on 188 byte long packets that are well suited for hardware error correction and processing schemes needed in noisy environments, such as coaxial cable television networks and satellite transponders. Such a transport stream facilitates fast program access, channel hopping and synchronization between multiple programs within the transport stream.
A transport stream consists of fixed length packets based on 4 bytes of header followed by 184 bytes of data payload, where data payload is obtained by partitioning larger data blocks. For example, an elementary stream (ES) is a set of data generally consisting of compressed data from a single source, such as a video or audio source, with some additional ancillary data for identification, characterization and synchronization. ES streams are first packetized into either constant length or variable length Packetized Elementary Stream packets (PES packets) consisting of header and payload. Each PES packet header starts with start code (ox000001) followed with the stream id byte identifying type of ES underneath.
PES packets from various elementary streams are merged together to form a program (service) with its own system time clock (STC). All ES component streams within one program are synchronized have periodic PTS stamps corresponding to the STC counter to indicate the proper timing for each ES.
The relatively long and most often variable length PES packets are further packetized into shorter TS packets having a constant size of 188 bytes. A small and constant TS packet size makes error recovery easier and faster. Usually, the transport stream carries several programs, each with its own STC. Each TS packet consists of a TS Packet header with optional Adaptation Field followed by useful data payload containing portion of a PES packet. The TS header consists of a sync byte, flags, indicators information for error detection and timing and Packet_ID (PID) field used to identify elementary stream carried underneath of a PES packet. In addition to identifying specific elementary streams, one PID is used to identify a program specific Information (PSI) table data.
Each TS PSI table is sent in sections, usually occupying one or more TS packets. Four types of PSI tables exist: 1) Program Association Table (PAT) listing unique program_number (as an identifier of each program in one multiplex) and PID of the PMT table; 2) Program Map Table (PMT) listing PIDs of all component streams making a given program. PMT may be constructed for each program separately or be common for a group of programs; 3) Conditional Access Table (CAT) identifying PID of Entitlement Management Messages and ID of used conditional access system if any scrambling of TS or PES packets is done; 4) Private Table carrying Network Information Table (NIT) or private data.
The Hierarchical structure which exists between ES streams, PES and TP packets is illustrated in prior art FIGS. 1–4.
A method and apparatus for efficient time shifting of multiplexed packetized data streams, such as a packet stream, would be advantageous.

System for digital time shifting and method thereof


A method of managing the valves of a simulated moving bed separation system comprising at least one column of adsorbent beds split into several zones delimited by injection and draw-off points, allowing finer monitoring of a determined concentration profile. The method comprises, during each period between the shift times of the injection and draw-off points, in opening and closing a first valve located at one end of a zone according to a determined law, while opening and closing the valve downstream from the first valve in relation to the direction of flow of the recirculation flow, according to the same law with a lag, referred to as overlap time, in relation to the first valve, which is less than or equal to the period, the law imposing a constant total flow rate for the flow passing through the two consecutive valves throughout the overlap time. Applications are any simulated moving bed separation system, preferably those used for relatively small-tonnage production such as fine petrochemistry, pharmaceutical industry, certain food processing industries, etc.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a method of managing the valves of a simulated moving bed separation system, allowing finer monitoring of a determined concentration profile.
2. Description of the Prior Art
As already described in French patent 2,762,793 filed by the assignee, a simulated moving bed (SMB in abbreviated form) separation system, also referred to as simulated countercurrent (SCC in abbreviated form) separation system, comprises (FIG. 1) a series of beds filled with adsorbent which are arranged in a closed loop. A fluid circulation is established through this loop. The loop or column is divided into a succession of zones (Z1 . . . Z4), generally four, each zone consisting of a certain number of beds. Lines are connected to the loop between the various zones, allowing injection of a feedstock (A+B) at least one of the components of which is to be separated and of an eluent (S) which mainly contains the desorbent, or draw-off of an extract (Ex) which mainly contains the preferably adsorbed component or of a raffinate (Raf) which mainly consists of the least preferably adsorbed elements.
The term adsorbent is used here in its most general sense. It can be an adsorbent such as a molecular sieve, zeolitic for example, or an adsorbent of ion-exchange resin type.
The extract can contain, in addition to the preferably adsorbed product, other products circulating in the column that will have to be separated in distillation columns outside the adsorption column, thus allowing obtaining the product or products at the required purity level.
In the case of a real countercurrent (RCC) separation system, a fixed and constant concentration profile develops along separation column 1. The position of the injection points of feedstock A+B, of eluent S, and of the draw-off points of extract Ex and of a raffinate Raf remains fixed. Adsorbent solid 3 and fluids 2 circulate in a countercurrent flow. A solid driving system and a recycle pump P, both arranged on the location of the column (at the junction of zones Z1 and Z4 where the only species present, in the liquid as well as in the solid, is the eluent), respectively allow sending the solid back from the base to the top, and conversely the liquid from the top to the base.
In the case of a simulated countercurrent (SCC) separation system, the injection points of the feedstock and of the eluent and the draw-off points of the raffinate and of the extract are periodically moved forward in the direction of circulation of the fluids. All of the injection and draw-off points move forward at each period by the same increment of a length equal to one bed, so that the length of each zone or, which is equivalent, the number of beds per zone, remains unchanged.
A concentration profile of the various species present, which is going to move along the loop mainly according to the recirculation flow which is entirely recycled to the top or to the bottom of the column depending on the direction of circulation selected, generally from the top of the column downwards, is established in the column.
All the injection and draw-off lines of a connection separating two consecutive zones are thus shifted simultaneously at each period ΔT upwards or downwards according to the direction of circulation of the recirculation flow, and after a certain time called cycle time, they are back in their initial position.
If all the connections are numbered from 1 to N, for example from the top to the bottom of the column, the position of the feedstock and eluent injection points and of the raffinate and extract draw-off points can be defined at each period by assigning to each flow the number of the connection corresponding thereto.
For example, S (1)/Ext (5)/Feedstock (9)/Raff (13) means that the feedstock is injected at connection 9, that eluent S is injected at connection 1, that raffinate Raf is drawn off at connection 13 and that extract Ex is drawn off at connection 5.
The column diagrammatically shown in FIG. 1 comprises 15 connections, delimiting 15 beds, and each connection is provided with at least one injection line and at least one draw-off line.
At the time T0, the positions of the eluent, of the extract, of the feedstock and of the raffinate are thus: 1, 5, 9, 13. At the time T0+ΔT, the positions all increase by one increment and respectively become 2, 6, 10, 14, at the time T0+2*ΔT, they become 3, 7, 11, 15, etc. It is understood that, after the time T=T0+15ΔT, the positions of the injection points and of the draw-off points are back in their initial position.
The number of beds assigned to each zone can also be determined. Zone 1 being defined as located between the eluent injection line and the extract draw-off line therefore comprises 5−1=4 beds. Similarly, zone 2 is defined as located between the extract draw-off line and the feedstock injection line, and comprises 9−5=4 beds. Zone 3 is defined as located between the feedstock injection line and the raffinate draw-off line and comprises 13−9=4 beds. Zone 4 is defined as located between the raffinate draw-off line and the eluent injection line and comprises 3 beds.
In brief, the characteristics of a simulated moving bed are defined by the zones which comprise each a determined and whole number of beds, and a synchronized displacement by one bed at each period ΔT of all the injection and draw-off lines, which allows to maintain the length of each zone constant.
Selection of the period ΔT and of the injection and draw-off flow rates is determined so as to maximize the purity of the product to be upgraded at a given yield, or conversely to maximize the yield for a fixed purity as described in the aforementioned French patent 2,762,793.
A SCC separation system has two drawbacks inherent in the concept of simulated moving bed which causes continuous displacement of the concentration profiles of the various species present in the column in relation to the RCC system wherein these profiles would be stationary:
1) the length of a zone can only be a whole number of beds because a zone is precisely defined by the connections that surround it, therefore by the number of beds contained between said connections, and
2) during the draw-off period, the profile moves before the draw-off point by the length of a bed, which leads to draw off over a certain length of a bed around the optimum point, without being permanently on this optimum point precisely, as it would be the case with a RCC since the profiles are stationary in this case.
French patent 2,785,196 1 (EP-1,128,881) filed by the assignee describes a method allowing improvement of the purity of the raffinate or of the extract by dividing the position shift period into several subperiods during which the length of certain zones can vary.
In each subperiod, a zone has a decreased length and another zone has a length increased by the same quantity, so that the total length of the zones or length of the column remains the same.
At the next subperiod, the zone whose length has been decreased remains the same, but the zone whose length has been increased moves forward to become the immediately consecutive zone in the direction of flow of the fluids in the loop, and so forth up to the initial situation at the end of the period.
Everything goes off as if, over the period, the column had worked on average with zones of lengths different from their physical lengths. During the period, it is therefore all of the connections that are concerned by the displacement of the injection and draw-off points, which in practice leads to an extremely delicate and high-frequency management of the valves controlling injection and draw-off.
Furthermore, the method of operation described in the aforementioned French patent 2,785,196 is based on a completely separate opening and closing of the consecutive valves insofar as there is no temporal overlap. Each injection (respectively each draw-off) is carried out through a single injection (respectively draw-off) point.
French patent 2,721,528 and corresponding U.S. Pat. No. 5,578,215 describes a method allowing improvement of the purity of the raffinate or of the extract by slightly changing the shift period of the injection or draw-off positions of each bed in relation to a fixed value ΔT so as to take account of the molecular sieve filling differences of each bed or of the adsorbent phase quantity differences from one bed to the next.
The method described in this patent permutates the injection and draw-off streams independently of one another and at programmed time intervals so that, after N permutations, each stream has passed through the whole of the closed loop.

Method of managing the valves of a simulated moving bed separation system


A semiconductor device isolation structure includes a trench formed in a substrate vertically from the major surface of the substrate, a trench plug for filling the trench, and a buried insulation region formed under the trench adjacent thereto, and a method of the same includes the steps of forming a trench in a substrate and vertically from the major surface of the substrate, selectively implanting oxide ions under the trench of the substrate, and forming a trench plug so as to fill the trench.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a semiconductor device isolation structure and its fabricating method and, more particularly, to a semiconductor device isolation structure which is suitable for a high-density integrated circuit, and its fabricating method.
2. Discussion of Related Art
As a semiconductor device gets highly integrated, it is required to reduce the size of a device isolation region. In general, semiconductor devices are isolated with a trench isolation structure which can be prepared in a manner that a trench is formed in a designated portion and then filled with trench-filling material such as an insulating material. With the high integration of a semiconductor device, however, the above-described conventional semiconductor device isolation structure and its fabricating method involve some problems in that the trench cannot be completely filled with the trench-filling material and a void is generated in the trench according to the increase in the aspect ratio of the trench.
FIGS. 1a, 1b and 1c are flow diagrams illustrating the trench isolation structure and its fabricating method in accordance with an example of the prior art.
The conventional trench isolation structure in FIG. 1c comprises a substrate 11, a trench formed as deep as desired, and a trench plug 18' which is an insulating material of one or more kinds.
Referring to FIG. 1a, after the trench is formed in the substrate 11, there are sequentially formed a silicon oxide layer 171, a silicon nitride layer 172 and a BPSG (Boron Phospho Silicate Glass) layer 18. In this structure, the BPSG layer 18 may have a void 20 due to a high aspect ratio. Therefore, a heat treatment is carried out on the BPSG layer 18 so as to reflow it, as shown in FIG. 1b. Then, as shown in FIG. 1c, the trench plug 18' is formed by an etch-back on the BPSG layer 18. The reference numeral 12 of FIGS. 1a, 1b and 1c depicts a silicon oxide layer which is a part of a mask layer used in the process for forming the trench.
The above-described conventional trench isolation structure has some advantages in that a heat treatment is needed for reflowing the BPSG layer 18 because the void 20 is generated and, as illustrated in FIGS. 1b and 1c, the surface of the BPSG layer 18 is not uniform after it reflows.
FIGS. 2a through 2d are flow diagrams illustrating the trench isolation structure and its fabricating method in accordance with another example of the prior art.
As shown in FIG. 2d, the trench isolation structure disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,099,304 comprises a substrate 21, a trench formed in the substrate 21, and a trench-filling material layer which includes a first trench-filling material layer 281' of polysilicon and a second trench-filling material layer 282' of BPSG.
Referring to FIG. 2a, after the trench is formed in the substrate 21, there are sequentially formed a silicon oxide layer 271 and a silicon nitride layer 272. Then, a polysilicon layer 281 is deposited on the above structure so as to fill the trench.
Referring to FIG. 2b, an etch-back is performed on the polysilicon layer 281 so that the first trench-filling material layer 281' is remained and fills a part of the trench. Then, as shown in FIG. 2c, a BPSG layer 282 is formed on the entire surface of the structure so as to fill the rest part of the trench which is filled with the first trench-filling material layer 281'.
In the next, as shown in FIG. 2d, a selective etching is carried out on the BPSG layer 282 so as to remove all portions except the trench and thereby form the second trench-filling material layer 282' that completely fills the rest part of the trench. After that, there is formed a silicon oxide layer 29 covering the silicon nitride layer 272 and the second trench-filling material layer 282'. The reference numeral 22 of FIGS. 2a through 2d depicts a silicon oxide layer which is a part of a mask layer used in forming the trench.
However, the device isolation structure disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,099,304 involves a problem in that an additional process for forming another filling material layer must be carried out so as to fill the trench. Further, BPSG requiring a heat treatment for a reflow is used as a trench-filling material in the prior art. Therefore, for a second generation's highly integrated circuit that requires a low heat cycle, the BPSG used as a trench-filling material has a fatal disadvantage in that it is difficult to meet the conditions for an ion-implantation to form a junction.

Trench isolation structure of a semiconductor device and a method for thereof


An optical element is disclosed which includes a multilayer film having a light-transmission function for light in the entire wavelength range impinging thereon at a predetermined incident angle and a polarization splitting function for S-polarized light and P-polarized light impinging thereon at another incident angle. The optical element includes two entrance surfaces, one emergence surface, three transmissive surfaces each of which faces a reflective image-forming element, and first and second optical structures respectively formed along first and second planes intersecting each other. The all normals to the above surfaces and the first and second planes are parallel to a same plane. The optical element satisfies 45°<θ0<75°, where θ0 is a smaller one of angles made by the first and second planes.

The present invention relates to an optical element using in an image projection apparatus which includes a reflective image-forming element.
A so-called three-plate type reflective projector performs color separation of illumination light of a blue wavelength range, a green wavelength range, and a red wavelength range, and color combination of image light modulated by each of three reflective image-forming elements. Elements such as a dichroic element and a polarization beam splitter are therefore arranged between the reflective image-forming element and the projection lens.
In a known general three-plate type reflective projector, between one reflective image-forming element and a projection lens, at least two elements are provided which perform color separation or color combination and have a splitting film forming an angle of 45° with respect to the optical axis of an illumination optical system. In other words, in the projector, three or four elements including a dichroic element and a polarization beam splitter are arranged.
Such a projector using three reflective liquid crystal panels respectively corresponding to a blue wavelength light, a green wavelength light and a red wavelength light and performing color separation and color combination by the dichroic element and the polarization beam splitter has been disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2001-154152.
Moreover, in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2002-162520, a prism type element which performs color separation, polarization beam splitting, and color combination in one element has been disclosed. This prism type element has a configuration in which three wavelength-selective polarization splitting films are arranged in a cube. In the cube, three surfaces each of which forms an angle of 45° with respect to two surfaces contacting one of three sides gathering to one apex and includes the one side, are formed. In other words, three 45° surfaces passing one apex are formed. And desired wavelength-selective polarization splitting films are arranged along these 45° surfaces.
On the other hand, as an optical thin film such as a polarization splitting film, a multilayer film is used in many cases. Moreover, it is also known that utilizing the fact that P-polarized light is transmitted therethrough at Brewster's angle can provide a polarization splitting film with a wide polarization beam splitting wavelength range.
In 'Li Li and J. A. Dobrowolski, Appl. Opt., vol. 39, p. 2754, 2000' a polarization beam splitter which reflects P-polarized light and transmits S-polarized light has been disclosed. In the polarization beam splitter, light impinges at a large incident angle that is larger than a critical angle obtained from the refractive index of a prism and a low refractive-index thin film. In usual, although total reflection occurs and light is not transmitted through the thin film, since the film thickness of the low refractive-index thin film is equal to or smaller than the wavelength of the light, attenuated total reflection occurs and thereby light is transmitted through the thin film. Utilizing the attenuated total reflection can provide a polarization beam splitter which reflects P-polarized light, transmits S-polarized light, and has a wider incident angle range, a wider polarization beam splitting wavelength range and a higher extinction ratio, as compared to those of a common polarization beam splitter using Brewster's angle.
Moreover, in Japanese Patent Laid-open Nos. 2006-47903 and 2006-79058, a wavelength-selective polarization splitting film has been disclosed, which transmits S-polarized light and reflects P-polarized light in a specific wavelength range, and reflects S-polarized light and transmits P-polarized light in another specific wavelength range. In these documents, a multilayer polarization splitting film having a wavelength-selective function is obtained by utilizing attenuated total reflection and using a specific film configuration.
In a projector disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2001-154152, first, illumination light is color-separated into light of two wavelength ranges (first and second wavelength lights) and light with one wavelength light (third wavelength light). After that, the first wavelength light and the second wavelength light are color-separated and color-combined, and finally, the first wavelength light, the second wavelength light and the third wavelength light are color-combined. Therefore, two elements for performing color separation or color combination are required in the optical path of one wavelength light. Therefore, in the whole projector, four elements are required, and thereby the configuration thereof becomes complicated. Moreover, the optical path length thereof becomes long, thus, in order to secure required amount of the luminous flux, each of the elements becomes also large. Furthermore, since the back focus of a projection lens becomes long, the projection lens itself becomes also large.
Moreover, in a prism type element disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2002-162520, the first wavelength light, the second wavelength light and the third wavelength light are color-separated and color-combined by one element. However, there is a boundary line due to a beam splitting film in each of all optical path surfaces in the prism type element. Among them, a boundary line existing in an optical surface for a reflective liquid crystal panel largely influences images, and thereby each wavelength light from each of the panels becomes light being substantially in parallel with respect to another wavelength-selective polarization splitting film other than two wavelength-selective polarization splitting films acting as beam splitting films. Since the incident angle with respect to the wavelength-selective polarization splitting film of the light is large, the reflectance thereof for the light becomes high. As a result, a ghost is likely to occur.
On the other hand, a conventional optical thin film has a characteristic in which, depending on the incident angle of light, a light-transmission action appears strongly or a reflection action appears strongly. For example, in the polarization beam splitter using Brewster's angle, if the incident angle of P-polarized light deviates from the conditions of Brewster's angle, reflection will occur. Therefore, it has been difficult to obtain the light-transmission action by an incident angle different from Brewster's angle at which polarization beam splitting is performed.
The polarization beam splitter disclosed in 'Li Li and J. A. Dobrowolski, Appl. Opt., vol. 39, p. 2754, 2000' also does not have a function of causing light components in the entire visible wavelength range impinging on its polarization beam splitting surface at different incident angles to be transmitted therethrough.
Moreover, even the wavelength-selective polarization splitting films disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-open Nos. 2006-47903 and 2006-79058, do not have a function of causing light components impinging thereon at different incident angles to be transmitted therethrough.

Optical element and image projection apparatus


A method of manufacturing a semiconductor monocrystalline mirror-surface wafer includes at least a gas phase etching process and a mirror-surface polishing process. The mirror-surface polishing process is composed of coarse polishing and finishing polishing, and only the coarse polishing is performed prior to the gas phase etching process, while the finishing polishing is carried out after the gas phase etching process. In addition, a heat treatment process is performed after the gas phase etching process but before the final cleaning process. The heat treatment process also serves as a donor-annihilation heat treatment process. The method can manufacture semiconductor monocrystalline mirror-surface wafers having a high degree of flatness, while resolving the problems involved in the conventional method; i.e., haze produced on a wafer surface, the introduction of strain and defects in the surface, high cost, and low productivity.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method of manufacturing semiconductor monocrystalline mirror-surface wafers having a high degree of flatness which method includes a gas phase etching process, and more particularly to a method of manufacturing semiconductor silicon mirror-surface wafers, and to semiconductor monocrystalline mirror-surface wafers having a high degree of flatness manufactured by this method.
2. Description of the Related Art
As shown by the process flow chart in FIG. 6, a conventional method of manufacturing semiconductor silicon mirror-surface wafers has generally comprised a slicing process A in which a monocrystalline ingot produced with a monocrystalline production apparatus is sliced so as to obtain thin disk-like wafers; a chamfering process B in which the peripheral edges are chamfered so as to prevent generation of cracks and defects in the wafer obtained in the process A; a lapping process C in which the chamfered wafer is lapped so as to have a flat surface; an etching process D in which the working damage remaining in the chamfered and lapped wafer surface is eliminated; a primary mirror-surface polishing process E in which the surface of the etched wafer is coarsely polished, a finishing mirror-surface polishing process F in which the surface of the wafer which has been subjected to the primary mirror-surface polishing is subjected to finishing mirror-surface polishing; and a final cleaning process G in which the wafer which has been subjected to finishing mirror-surface polishing is cleaned so that the polishing material and foreign matter attached to the wafer is removed.
In some cases, the mirror-surface polishing process involves three stages of polishing; namely a primary polishing, a secondary polishing, and a finishing polishing, or even more stages, so as to provide good flatness and surface roughness.
Furthermore, in those cases where wafers are produced from an ingot of semiconductor silicon manufactured according to the Czochralski method, a donor-annihilation heat treatment for eliminating the effect of resident oxygen donors is generally carried out before the mirror-surface polishing process; for example, immediately after the etching process D.
However, the above-described conventional method of manufacturing semiconductor mirror-surface wafers involves many processes and is complicated; moreover, even though the production cost is therefore high, the conventional method is still unable to provide the exacting degree of flatness demanded by the higher degrees of integration of recent leading semiconductor devices.
Thus, research and development of various techniques has continued, with a view of increasing the degree of integration of future semiconductor devices and increasing the diameter and improving the flatness of wafers.
Among them, a particularly important technique known as PACE (plasma assisted chemical etching) has been developed recently (for example, see Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open (kokai) Nos. 5-160074, 6-5571, and 7-288249).
In this method, the thickness of a wafer is made uniform through gas phase etching. The amount of material removed by plasma etching is controlled through measuring the thickness distribution of the wafer and then controlling the speed of the nozzle which scans over the wafer in accordance with the thus measured distribution. By this means, the wafer thickness is rendered uniform and the wafer is rendered very flat.
If the PACE process is inserted after the finishing mirror-surface polishing process F of the conventional method of manufacturing semiconductor monocrystalline silicon mirror-surface wafers shown in FIG. 6, the degree of flatness of the wafer (TTV, total thickness variation; i.e., the difference between the maximum thickness and the minimum thickness over the entire surface of a wafer), can be markedly improved (see FIG. 5B) as compared with the case of the conventional method (see FIG. 5A). Hence, a satisfactorily high degree of flatness required for future semiconductor mirror-surface wafers can be obtained through this method.
However, although the aforementioned PACE technique greatly improves wafer flatness, a new roughness with a periodicity of about 0.01-5 .mu.m, known as haze, is inevitably produced on the surface since the wafer is exposed to high energy plasma, and the surface roughness which has been improved by the finishing mirror-surface polishing is inevitably affected adversely. Thus, in order for this haze to be removed, a special polishing known as "touch polishing" must be performed so as to remove the material in a thickness of about 10 nm.
Furthermore, PACE is liable to introduce damage and defects in the wafer surface, and a further process such as a polishing, etching, or heat treatment must be performed in order to remove such damage and defects after the PACE treatment.

Method of manufacturing semiconductor monocrystalline mirror-surface wafers which includes a gas phase etching process, and semiconductor monocrystalline mirror-surface wafers manufactured by the method