An image capture system for a theme park includes fixed image capture areas spaced throughout the theme park. Each fixed image capture area includes at least one camera, and a kiosk coupled to the at least one camera. The kiosk includes an identification (ID) reader to read a park guest ID presented by a park guest, and a processor to activate the at least one camera to take a photo of the park guest based on the ID reader reading the park guest ID. The processor also links the park guest ID with the photo. A server is coupled to the fixed image capture areas to store each photo with the linked park guest ID.

When visiting a theme park, such as Disney and Universal, for example, it is common for guests to be approached by a theme park photographer to have their photo taken as a souvenir that can later be retrieved at a designated area. For each park guest and their group having their photo taken, a printed ticket with a number corresponding to their particular photo is given to them by the theme park photographer.
The number on the printed ticket typically corresponds to a bar code that is associated with the photo or photos taken by the theme park photographer of the park guest and their group. A different bar code is used for each park guest and their group having their photo taken.
To associate the bar codes with the photos being taken, a personal digital assistant (FDA) is used. Each theme park photographer has a FDA coupled to their camera via an interface cord. The theme park photographer uses the FDA to first read or scan a bar code. The bar code is usually taken from a tablet of bar codes carried by the theme park photographer. After the photos of a park guest and their group have been taken, they are then transferred to the FDA. The FDA includes software that associates the bar code with the corresponding photos taken of the park guest. This process is repeated for each group of park guests having their photo taken.
The theme park photographer later transfers the stored photos and corresponding bar codes in the PDA to a photography database. Prior to leaving the theme park, the park guest can present their printed ticket at a photography gift shop. The photography database is searched using the number on the printed ticket which corresponds to the bar code used to identify their photos.
A drawback of using theme park photographers to capture the experiences of theme park guests is cost. The use of theme park photographers is labor intensive. In addition, theme park photographers typically roam around the theme park, which means that park guests may miss out on the opportunity to have their photo taken a certain spots that are very scenic and reflective of their experiences at the theme park.

Park guest-activated image capture system for theme parks and associated methods


Sodium sulphate and/or sodium carbonate containing material from a cellulose pulp mill, such as fly ash from a recovery boiler, or a by-product from a chlorine dioxide production plant, is brought into contact with a a gas containing hydrocarbons and/or hydrogen sulphide which chemically reacts with the material to produce sodium sulphide. Preferably the gas contains one or both of ethene and hydrogen sulphide. The sodium sulphide produced is used to effect sulphate cooking of cellulose pulp. The gas may be brought into contact with the melt of a soda recovery boiler to increase its sulphidity, either prior to, after, or simultaneously with bringing the gas into contact with the material. The sources of the fly ash and melt may be a soda recovery boiler combusting black liquor under oxidizing conditions.

During the manufacture of chemical cellulose pulp in the pulp and paper industry the waste liquor obtained, known as "black liquor", is typically combusted in a soda recovery boiler to recover chemicals and heat. In a conventional recovery boiler the process chemical is recovered by injecting the black liquor into the boiler, so that it dries rapidly and is combusted under reducing conditions, and a melt is produced. The melt primarily contains sodium carbonate, sodium sulphide and sodium sulphate. A number of other compounds are also present, but as far as the pulp manufacture is concerned, the main components are Na.sub.2 CO.sub.3 and Na.sub.2 S. Cooking chemicals are produced from the melt for the manufacture of pulp, and it is often preferable that the sulphidity of the cooking liquors is high. A high sulphidity liquor is preferred at the beginning of the cook, and a low sulphidity liquor in later stages. Thus it is desirable to produce cooking liquors of different sulphidities for different stages of the cook.
The flue gases of a soda recovery boiler contain significant amounts of "fly ash", which is separated in an ash cone and in electrostatic filters prior to the flue gas being removed from the boiler. The main components of the fly ash are sodium sulphate and sodium carbonate. Normally this ash is recirculated to the soda recovery boiler by mixing it with strong black liquor to be introduced into the recovery boiler. This adds to the ash load of the soda recovery boiler and thus also increases the sulphur emissions and intensifies boiler corrosion.
According to the present invention it is possible to prevent the return of ash to the recovery boiler, whereby it is possible at the same time to decrease the sulphur load of the boiler. According to the present invention the chemicals of the ash separated from the flue gases of a boiler are recovered by manufacturing sodium sulphide therefrom, which can be used for producing cooking chemicals, most preferably to increase the sulphidity of cooking liquor produced from the recovery boiler melt.
Often more than 90% of the fly ash of the soda recovery boiler is sodium sulphate. The ash usually contains about 10-20% of the entire sulphur load supplied to the recovery boiler. Sodium sulphate powder is also generated as a byproduct of ClO.sub.2 production, which powder is normally used as a make-up chemical and therefore is dissolved into black liquor before the black liquor is concentrated. This dissolution results a higher sulphur load to the boiler.
Sodium sulphide may be manufactured from sodium sulphate according to the following reaction equation (1): Na.sub.2 SO.sub.4 +C.sub.2 H.sub.4 .fwdarw.>Na.sub.2 S+2 H.sub.2 O+2 CO. Also other hydrocarbons may take part in the reactions.
Ethene, C.sub.2 H.sub.4, may be brought to the pulp mill from outside as additional chemical or it may be produced from the gases at the pulp mill containing methyl mercaptan and/or dimethyl sulphide (DMS). A sulphate mill produces a large volume and variety of sulphurous gases. Gases containing organic sulphur compounds may be generated by pressure heating black liquor, for example according to the process described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,929,307. Methyl mercaptan is oxidized to DMS, which further splits forming hydrogen sulphide and ethene, when the gas is heated, or DMS oxidizes when the pressure of the oxygen is higher, forming sulphur dioxide and ethene.
This invention takes advantage of the reducing gases coming from a black liquor heat treatment unit (U.S. Pat. No. 4,929,307) by using them directly in the reduction of the sodium sulfate based salts (i.e. from the recovery boiler or from ClO.sub.2 generation) without any dissolution into black liquor and without any dead load increase of the boiler. Thus the invention helps to increase boiler capacity and prevent corrosion.
Ethene (or a like hydrocarbon), or gas containing ethene and hydrogen sulphide, is brought into contact with the material containing sodium sulphate, so that sodium sulphide is generated according to the reaction (1) above. By means of this reaction, it is possible to adjust the sulphidity of the cook by adding it to a portion of white liquor, which is generated by causticizing the green liquor produced from the melt of a soda recovery boiler. Thus two different white liquors can be produced, one the original white liquor, the other white liquor enriched with sodium sulphide. The liquor high in sulphur can be used at the beginning of the cook, and the liquor having a lower sulphur content at later stages. Alternatively, it is possible to dose the generated sodium sulphide as a separate chemical directly to the digester, preferably at the beginning of the cook.
By way of the present invention, it is possible to affect positively the sulphidity of the pulp digesting process. The present invention also has the advantage that a portion of the sulphur, the fly ash, does not recirculate to the soda recovery boiler, so that the sulphur load of the recovery boiler diminishes and thus also the sulphur emissions and corrosion are correspondingly decreased.
It is the primary object of the present invention to reduce sulphur emissions from, and corrosion of, a soda recovery boiler, while at the same time facilitating the production of high sulfidity, and different sulfidity, sulfate pulp cooking liquors. This and other objects will become clear from the detailed description and appended claims.

Method of treating material containing sodium sulphate and/or sodium carbonate in a pulp mill


A power and signal transmission device for a spindle of a machine tool is provided. The power and signal transmission device includes a spindle fixing portion, a shaft rotating portion, a power transmission component and a signal transmission component. The spindle fixing portion is provided with a power input end, a primary side power induction coil, a secondary side signal induction coil and at least one signal output end. The shaft rotating portion is provided with a joining end surface for bonding to a holder, a secondary side power induction coil and a primary side signal induction coil, and is rotatable with respect to the spindle fixing portion. The power transmission component transmits an electrical energy from the power input end. The signal transmission component transmits a holder signal to the signal output end. Each of the power and signal transmission components includes at least one elastic pogo pin.

In response to the rapid development in the application of composite material, the ultrasonic processing technology has become more and more popular. To meet the high-speed requirement of the spindle, early brush conduction method may easily result in abrasion or cause damage. Furthermore, due to high-speed friction, the brush may even generate sparks which affect high-speed operation.
Furthermore, early circuit design of the power transmission component is too complicated and is susceptible to damages. To the worse, the production line may come to a standstill and the repair may take a long time. Therefore, it has become a prominent task for the industries to effectively resolve the problem of power transmission and provide a power transmission component having the features of small volume, huge current resistance, and easy maintenance.

Power and signal transmission device for spindle of machine tool

INDUSTRIAL TECHNOLOGY RESEARCH INSTITUTE


A multi-piece solid golf ball has a core, an envelope layer encasing the core, an intermediate layer encasing the envelope layer, and a cover which encases the intermediate layer and has formed on a surface thereof a plurality of dimples. The envelope layer is formed of an inner envelope layer, an intermediate envelope layer and an outer envelope layer. The inner, intermediate and outer envelope layers, the intermediate layer and the cover are each formed primarily of a resin material which may be of the same or different types, and the core is formed primarily of a rubber material. The golf ball has an excellent flight performance and also excellent controllability in the short game. In addition, it has a good feel on impact and an excellent scuff resistance.

The present invention relates to a multi-piece solid golf ball composed of a core, an envelope layer, an intermediate layer and a cover that have been formed as successive layers. More specifically, the invention relates to a multi-piece solid golf ball which, when used by those golfers among professionals and skilled amateurs who, on striking a ball with a driver, tend to generate shots having a rather low spin rate and a low launch angle, has an excellent flight performance and also excellent controllability in the short game that are acceptable to such users, and which moreover has both a good feel on impact and an excellent scuff resistance.
Key performance features required in a golf ball include distance, controllability, durability and feel. Balls having these qualities in the highest degree are constantly being sought. Among recent golf balls, a succession of balls having multi-piece structures which are typically composed of three pieces have emerged. By having the structure of a golf ball be multilayered, it is possible to combine many materials of different properties, thus enabling a wide variety of ball designs in which each layer has a particular function.
In particular, multi-piece solid golf balls having an optimized hardness relationship among the respective layers encasing the core, such as the intermediate layer and cover, have come into widespread use. Recently, in addition to the flight performance of a ball, the durability of the ball to repeated impact (which inhibits crack formation) and the scuff resistance (which inhibits burr formation on the ball surface) have also become important factors in evaluating ball performance. Therefore, a major challenge is to design the thickness and hardness of the respective ball layers in such a way as to maximize these effects.
With regard to golf balls for professionals and other skilled golfers in particular, there exists a desire for the development of balls in which the thickness and hardness of each layer encasing the core, such as the intermediate layer and the cover layer, have been highly optimized in order to provide the ball with a good feel and excellent durability and to achieve a superior distance performance in the high head speed range as well as precise controllability on shots with an iron and on approach shots.
Golf balls having such a multilayer structure have been disclosed in, for example, JP-A 2009-160407, U.S. Pat. No. 6,302,808, JP-A 2001-017569, JP-A 2001-017570, JP-A 2001-037914, JP-A 2008-149131, JP-A 2009-095365 and JP-A 2009-095369. However, further improvements in the spin rate and feel, and in the initial velocity control, are desired.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.


By using a CBN synthesis catalyst containing a CBN synthesis catalyst component coated with an organic substance for producing cubic boron nitride (CBN), the CBN can be produced at a high transformation ration and a high yield ratio. Each of the CBN grains produced through this method has a sharp shape with a highly developed (111) plane, exhibits high strength, and exhibits a small reduction in strength due to heating. The amount of catalyst component contained in the CBN is 7.5×10−4 mol or less per 1 mol of CBN.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to cubic boron nitride (hereinafter referred to as CBN) employed in a grinding wheel or a similar device; to a CBN synthesis catalyst (hereinafter may be referred to as solvent) employed for producing CBN from hexagonal boron nitride (hereinafter referred to as HBN); and to a method for producing CBN by use of the CBN synthesis catalyst.
2. Background Art
CBN is second to diamond in hardness and has chemical stability higher than that of diamond. Thus, cubic boron nitride is increasingly employed as abrasive grains for producing grinding material, polishing material, or cutting material. A variety of methods for producing cubic boron nitride have been proposed. Among them, best known and widely employed in the industrial field is a method in which HBN is maintained in the presence of a CBN synthesis catalyst substance under conditions where cubic boron nitride remains thermodynamically stable (approximately 4 to 6 GPa, approximately 1,400 to 1,600° C.), to thereby transform hexagonal boron nitride into cubic boron nitride (see, for example, Patent Documents 1 to 7). CBN synthesis catalysts known to be employed in the above production include an alkali metal, an alkaline earth metal, an alkali metal nitride, an alkali metal boronitride, an alkaline earth metal nitride, an alkaline earth metal boronitride, and other similar compounds, and these compounds are used singly or in combination of two or more species. Since these CBN synthesis catalysts are usually added to HBN serving as a starting material, the catalysts are generally used in the form of powder, agglomerates, etc. so as to readily form a mixture with HBN.
These CBN synthesis catalysts, having high reactivity with oxygen, water, or a similar substance, are readily deteriorated to form substances such as oxides, hydroxides, or carbonates. As has been known, when the catalytic performance of the catalysts is thus deteriorated, characteristics of formed CBN, its production yield, and other properties are adversely affected. Therefore, these CBN synthesis catalysts are handled with the utmost care in a chamber such as a gloved box where dry nitrogen gas flow or similar gas flow is maintained so as to prevent deterioration or denaturation of the CBN synthesis catalysts caused by contact with water moisture, oxygen, carbon dioxide, etc.
As has also been known, deterioration of these catalysts is promoted by oxygen or water contained in raw material during synthesis of CBN. In this connection, there has been disclosed a method for preventing deterioration of a CBN synthesis catalyst including, for example, removing an oxygen source (predominantly containing oxides such as boron oxide) contained in starting HBN (see, for example, Patent Documents 8 to 13). These documents also disclose a method for removing an oxygen source such as boron oxide contained in starting HBN during synthesis, which method includes adding a carbon source to the starting material, and a method for removing an oxygen source, which method includes reducing starting HBN before performing synthesis of CBN; heating starting HBN to which a carbon source has been added; or a similar step.
Through any of these methods, the oxygen source contained in starting HBN is decreased, thereby preventing deterioration of the catalyst, leading to enhanced CBN characteristics and improved production yield.
Patent Document 1    Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open (kokai) No. 58-84106 (U.S. Pat. No. 4,551,316)
Patent Document 2    U.S. Pat. No. 2,947,617 specification
Patent Document 3    Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open (kokai) No. 59-57905
Patent Document 4    Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open (kokai) No. 59-73410
Patent Document 5    Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open (kokai) No. 59-73411
Patent Document 6    Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open (kokai) No. 59-18105
Patent Document 7    Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open (kokai) No. 2002-284511 (U.S. Pat. No. 2003-170,161 A1)
Patent Document 8    Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open (kokai) No. 2-35931 (U.S. Pat. No. 5,000,760)
Patent Document 9    Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open (kokai) No. 2-36293 (U.S. Pat. No. 5,000,760)
Patent Document 10    Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open (kokai) No. 2-233510
Patent Document 11    Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open (kokai) No. 2-115034
Patent Document 12    Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open (kokai) No. 59-217608
Patent Document 13    Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open (kokai) No. 1-168329
Patent Document 14    Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open (kokai) No. 58-120505
Patent Document 15    Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open (kokai) No. 48-55900
Patent Document 16    Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open (kokai) No. 3-80929 (EP No. 0,402,672 A)
Patent Document 17    Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open (kokai) No. 5-146664 (EP No. 0,512,762 A)
As is described in the above disclosed methods, CBN grown inhibitors such as boron oxide contained in the starting HBN are removed through addition of a carbon source to HBN, thereby attaining effects such as ready production of crystals having sharp edges or large crystals by virtue of reduced inhibition of development of crystal plane; ready formation of CBN nuclei; and enabling synthesis under milder conditions. In other words, the carbon source employed in these methods is considered to provide the effect of removing impurities contained in starting HBN and to provide the effect of enhancing characteristics and production yield of CBN.
However, even when the impurities contained in the starting HBN have been removed, the strength of the formed CBN is not sufficiently enhanced, and drop in strength caused by heating remains large. Such an unsatisfactory strength is conceived to be attributed to a catalyst component incorporated into CBN during synthesis of CBN. As has been also reported (see, for example, Patent Documents 14 to 17), incorporation of the added carbon source makes CBN more breakable.
Therefore, when a grinding wheel is fabricated from such a CBN product, CBN particles are readily worn out or broken during use of the grinding wheel under severe process conditions such as high load grinding. Thus, CBN having high strength and high heat resistance has been keenly demanded. Needless to say, although conventional CBN synthesis catalysts to which no carbon source has been added exhibit no drop in strength of CBN crystals—such a drop in strength being caused by incorporation of the carbon source—the conventional catalysts exert no effect of removing a CBN growth inhibitor contained in starting HBN, and desired improvement in characteristics and production yield of CBN may fail to be attained due to the presence of a growth inhibitor, incorporation of impurities into CBN, or other factors.

Cubic boron nitride, catalyst for synthesizing cubic boron nitride, and method for producing cubic boron nitride


Embodiments of apparatuses, systems, methods for monitoring wound pH are disclosed. In some embodiments, a wound dressing includes one or more optical sensors configured to measure a change in color of a pH-sensitive adhesive that changes color in response to changes in wound exudate pH. In some embodiments, the wound dressing may further comprise hydrophilic channels that direct wound exudate to a pH-sensitive material over the optical sensors. Such dressings may also be used in combination with a negative pressure wound therapy system.

The treatment of open or chronic wounds that are too large to spontaneously close or otherwise fail to heal by means of applying negative pressure to the site of the wound is well known in the art. Negative pressure wound therapy (NPWT) systems currently known in the art commonly involve placing a cover that is impermeable or semi-permeable to fluids over the wound, using various means to seal the cover to the tissue of the patient surrounding the wound, and connecting a source of negative pressure (such as a vacuum pump) to the cover in a manner so that negative pressure is created and maintained under the cover. It is believed that such negative pressures promote wound healing by facilitating the formation of granulation tissue at the wound and assisting the body's normal inflammatory process while simultaneously removing excess fluid, which may contain adverse cytokines and/or bacteria. However, further improvements in NPWT are needed to fully realize the benefits of treatment.
Many different types of wound dressings are known for aiding in NPWT systems. These different types of wound dressings include many different types of materials and layers, for example, gauze, pads, foam pads or multi-layer wound dressings. Topical negative pressure therapy, sometimes referred to as vacuum assisted closure, negative pressure wound therapy, or reduced pressure wound therapy, is widely recognized as a beneficial mechanism for improving the healing rate of a wound. Such therapy is applicable to a broad range of wounds such as incisional wounds, open wounds and abdominal wounds or the like.
One example of a multi-layer wound dressing is the PICO dressing, available from Smith & Nephew, which includes a wound contact layer and a superabsorbent layer beneath a backing layer to provide a canister-less system for treating a wound with NPWT. The wound dressing may be sealed to a suction port providing connection to a length of tubing, which may be used to pump fluid out of the dressing and/or to transmit negative pressure from a pump to the wound dressing. Additionally, RENASYS-F, RENASYS-G, RENASYS-AB, and RENASYS-F/AB, available from Smith & Nephew, are additional examples of NPWT wound dressings and systems. Another example of a multi-layer wound dressing is the ALLEVYN Life dressing, available from Smith & Nephew, which includes a moist wound environment dressing that is used to treat the wound without the use of negative pressure.
The pH of a wound bed may provide valuable information regarding the state of wound healing. For example, researchers have found that prolonged chemical acidification of a wound bed may increase the healing rate in chronic wounds, speculating that such improved healing involves an increase in tissue oxygen availability through oxygen dissociation and reduced toxicity of bacterial end products, therefore stimulating wound healing. Chronic wound fluids generally contain elevated protease levels, which may have deleterious effects on wound healing, degrading de novo granulation tissue and endogenous, biologically active proteins such as growth factors and cytokines. The wound bed pH of chronic wounds tends to be alkaline or neutral (approximately pH of 7-8) when compared to intact surrounding skin (approximately pH of 5.5) but the pH of a chronic wound trends toward an acidic state during epithelialization. Protease activity is pH sensitive, peaking at about pH 7-8, but decreasing rapidly under more acidic conditions. When a wound is kept under more acidic condition, the fibroblasts proliferate more actively and the wound's healing process is stimulated to a greater extent than when in a neutral or alkaline condition.
However, prior art dressings for use in negative pressure wound therapy or other wound therapy provide little visualization or information of the condition of the wound beneath the dressing. This can require the dressing to be changed prematurely before the desired level of wound healing has occurred or, for absorbent dressings, prior to the full absorbent capacity of the dressing being reached to allow the clinician to inspect the healing and status of the wound. Some current dressings have limited and/or unsatisfactory methods or features of providing information of conditions of the wound, such as the pH. Therefore, improved monitoring of wound healing and/or wound pH is desirable.
Additionally, nearly all areas of medicine may benefit from improved information regarding the state of the tissue, organ, or system to be treated, particularly if such information is gathered in real-time during treatment. Many types of treatments are still routinely performed without the use of sensor data collection; instead, such treatments rely upon visual inspection by a caregiver or other limited means rather than quantitative sensor data. For example, in the case of wound treatment via dressings and/or negative pressure wound therapy, data collection is generally limited to visual inspection by a caregiver and often the underlying wounded tissue may be obscured by bandages or other visual impediments. Even intact, unwounded skin may have underlying damage that is not visible to the naked eye, such as a compromised vascular or deeper tissue damage that may lead to an ulcer. Similar to wound treatment, during orthopedic treatments requiring the immobilization of a limb with a cast or other encasement, only limited information is gathered on the underlying tissue. In instances of internal tissue repair, such as a bone plate, continued direct sensor-driven data collection is not performed. Further, braces and/or sleeves used to support musculoskeletal function do not monitor the functions of the underlying muscles or the movement of the limbs. Outside of direct treatments, common hospital room items such as beds and blankets could be improved by adding capability to monitor patient parameters.
Therefore, there is a need for improved sensor monitoring, particularly through the use of sensor-enabled substrates which can be incorporated into existing treatment regimes.

Ph sensing for sensor enabled negative pressure wound monitoring and therapy apparatuses


An image forming apparatus includes a main housing, a drawer, and a drum unit. The drawer is movable between an accommodated position at which the drawer is accommodated in the main housing and a pulled-out position at which the drawer is pulled out from the main housing. The drum unit is attachable to the drawer in a state where the drawer is located at the pulled-out position. The drum unit includes a first photosensitive drum, a second photosensitive drum, and a waste toner pipe allowing passage of waste toner from the first photosensitive drum and waste toner from the second photosensitive drum.

Conventionally, an image forming apparatus includes a main housing and a drawer. The drawer is movable between an accommodated position and a pulled-out position. In a state where the drawer is located at the accommodated position, the drawer is accommodated in the main housing. In a state where the drawer is located at the pulled-out position, the drawer is pulled out from the main housing. The drawer has a first photosensitive drum and a second photosensitive drum.

Image forming apparatus including drawer and drum unit attachable to drawer and having first photosensitive drum and second photosensitive drum


The present disclosure provides a shift register, a driving method thereof, a scan driving circuit and a display device. The shift register includes: a first node control module configured to control level at the first node based on an input signal and a second clock signal; a second node control module configured to control level at a second node based on the input signal, the first clock signal, the second clock signal, a low level signal and a high level signal; and an output control module configured to control the output terminal to output high level or low level based on level at the first node, level at the second node and the second clock signal. The second node can be provided with a relatively low level, which is conductive to maintaining a normal output of the shift register.

With the rapid development of the flat panel display technology, an Organic Light Emitting Display (OLED for short) is more and more widely applied due to its excellent characteristics such as self-luminescence, high brightness, wide viewing angle, and rapid response.
In order to drive organic light emitting components in the OLED to emit light, an organic light emitting display panel includes a scan driving circuit, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2. FIG. 1 is a circuit structure diagram of a shift register provided in the prior art, and FIG. 2 is an operating sequence simulation diagram of the shift register provided in the prior art. It has been found that when writing a low level to a node N2 by using a low level signal provided by a low level signal terminal VGL in phase P3, the low level is not low enough. This might easily result in that the level at the node N2 could not switch on the transistor M9, and thus leads to an error occurring in an output of the shift register.

Scan driving circuit, driving method, and display device


A system for generating an energy use model of a building includes a processing circuit operable to receive building data indicative of a first type of building variable and to receive additional building data correlated to an energy use of the building. The processing circuit is also operable to determine a portion of the building variable that is uncorrelated with the additional building data. The processing circuit is further operable to use the additional building data and the uncorrelated portion of the building variable to generate the energy use model of the building.

The present disclosure generally relates to energy conservation in a building. The present disclosure relates more specifically to generating an energy use model for a building using one characteristic of the building, such as the building's water consumption, as a proxy for another characteristic, such as the building's occupancy, within the building's energy use model.
Many commercial buildings today are equipped with a variety of energy-consuming devices. For example, a commercial building may be equipped with various heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) devices that consume energy to regulate the temperature in the building. Other exemplary types of building equipment that consume energy may include lighting fixtures, security equipment, data networking infrastructure, and other such equipment.
The energy efficiency of commercial buildings has become an area of interest in recent years. In many areas of the world, electrical generation and transmission assets have or are reaching full capacity. Because commercial buildings consume a good portion of the generated electricity in the United States and elsewhere, a major strategy for solving energy grid problems is to implement energy conservation measures (ECMs) within buildings. ECMs may also provide a financial benefit to the operator of a building, since the cost for the building's energy consumption can be reduced by implementing ECMs.
In general, ECMs involve first identifying potential areas of improvement and then taking the appropriate corrective measures. For example, the energy consumption of a building's lighting may be identified as a potential area of improvement and energy-efficient lighting may be installed in the building as an ECM. To identify potential areas of improvement, various metrics may be obtained regarding the building's energy consumption. For example, the building's energy consumption, typically measured in megawatt-hours (MWh), or the building's energy demand, typically measured in megawatts (MW), may be recorded and analyzed to identify trends and patterns in the building's energy use. A technician trained to analyze such data may then review the metrics for the building and suggest the implementation of one or more ECMs.
Numerous factors may affect a building's energy usage profile (e.g., the building's energy consumption and demand). For example, a building's energy use may be affected by the weather (e.g., more energy may be needed to heat the building on a cold day and vice-versa), the building's occupancy, the day of the week (e.g., more energy may be consumed during the workweek than on a weekend), and other such factors. These factors may independently affect the energy usage profile of the building or may be interrelated. For example, the occupancy of the building may drop on the weekend or during a major snowstorm. Thus, the energy needs of a building at any given time must be put into context before a meaningful analysis can be performed.
Identifying potential areas for improvement to a building's energy efficiency may involve a degree of uncertainty, particularly with regard to the potential cost savings realized by implementing an ECM. In some cases, information regarding the factors that affect a building's energy usage profile may not be available or fully known. For example, the occupancy of a commercial building may not be known precisely, unless the building is a secure environment (e.g., each person that enters or exits the building must pass through a security checkpoint, scan a security badge, etc.). Variations in the factors over time may also lead to potential estimation errors. Because of this uncertainty, some ECM providers, such as companies that sell energy-efficient building equipment, guarantee the financial savings to a commercial building's operator. Any energy or cost savings shortfalls that are realized after installation of the upgraded equipment may be borne by the ECM provider. Thus, an accurate energy use model for a building may decrease potential liability for an ECM provider and create realistic expectations of the building's operator regarding the implementation of ECMs.

Systems and methods for generating an energy use model for a building


A light analysis system for analyzing light transmitted through an ampoule includes a housing having at least one. receptacle for the ampoule, a cover for substantially preventing ambient light from affecting the receptacle and having an interior reflective surface, and a master control system. Each receptacle includes at least one light source and a photodetector positioned such that the light from the light source passes through the receptacle (and thereby the ampoule and its contents) prior to entering the photodetector. According to one preferred aspect of the invention, the receptacles are provided preferably at a 30xc2x0 to 45xc2x0 angle relative to vertical. According to another preferred aspect of the invention, the light source is at least one LED which is directed to transmit light upward into the reflective surface of the cover such that the light is reflected by the cover downward into the receptacle toward the photodetector. The master control system permits user input, operates the light analysis system, and provides a user-readable display for the output of the results of the light analysis of the contents of the ampoule in the receptacle. The apparatus may include a large number of receptacles suitable for laboratory use or may include fewer or one receptacle suitable for home or portable use. Power supply circuitry is provided facilitating the use of the apparatus in a variety of environments.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates broadly to analytical instruments. More particularly, this invention relates to light analysis and power systems for an analyzer apparatus.
2. State of the Art
Analysis systems require that a test sample be subject to light analysis to determine the contents or a change in contents of the sample. For example, water test kits are used to determine the bacteriological activity within water. In some water test kits, a water sample is taken in an ampoule containing an enzyme or reagent, thereby causing a colorimetric change to the water. The light transmitted through the water sample is then measured to determine the contents of the ampoule.
While the prior art does include a number of analysis systems, such existing systems have a number of serious drawbacks. First, many analyzers are often bulky. The bulk reduces the portability of the device and inhibits the use of such a device in the field. In fact, most analyzers are not intended to be portable and therefore generally have limitations on the type of power input which can be used to power the system.
Second, where light is axially transmitted through an ampoule containing a sample, a large number of components are often required at both ends of the ampoule for light emission and light detection. However, this configuration requires a relatively larger apparatus and also requires that the circuitry be spread out throughout the apparatus.
It is therefore an object of the invention to provide an apparatus which centralizes all componentry of the light emission and detection system.
It is another object of the invention to provide a light analysis apparatus which is substantially free from error due to ambient light.
It is also an object of the invention to provide a light analysis apparatus which is capable of operating with a variety of power sources.
It is a further object of the invention to provide a portable and relatively low cost light analysis apparatus.
In accord with these objects, which will be discussed in detail below, a light analysis system for analyzing light transmitted through an ampoule is provided. The light analysis system includes a housing having at least one receptacle (or nest) for an ampoule, a cover for substantially preventing ambient light from affecting each receptacle and having an interior reflective surface, and a master control system. Each receptacle includes at least one light source and a photodetector positioned such that the light from the light source passes through the receptacle (and thereby the ampoule and its contents) prior to entering the photodetector. According to one preferred aspect of the invention, the receptacles are provided preferably at a 30xc2x0 to 45xc2x0 angle relative to vertical. According to another preferred aspect of the invention, the light source is at least one LED which is directed to transmit light upward into the reflective surface of the cover such that the light is reflected by the cover downward into the receptacle toward the photodetector.
The master control system permits user input, operates the light analysis system, and provides a user-readable output which displays the results of the analysis of the contents of the ampoule in the receptacle.
The apparatus may include a large number of receptacles suitable for laboratory use or may include fewer or even a single receptacle suitable for home or portable use. Power supply circuitry is provided facilitating the use of the apparatus in a variety of environments, e.g., in the field, in a laboratory, or in a vehicle.
Additional objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon reference to the detailed description taken in conjunction with the provided figures.


A method of processing a workpiece in a plasma reactor includes coupling RF power from at least three RF power source of three respective frequencies to plasma in the reactor, setting ion energy distribution shape by selecting a ratio between the power levels of a first pair of the at least three RF power sources, and setting ion dissociation and ion density by selecting a ratio between the power levels of a remaining one of the three RF power sources and an applied magnetic field. The three respective frequencies can be an LF frequency, an HF frequency and a VHF frequency, wherein the first pair corresponds to the LF and HF frequencies and the second pair corresponds to the HF and VHF frequencies.

Technological advances in semiconductor device fabrication involve dramatic reduction in device feature size or critical dimension, so that openings formed between multiple insulated conductor layers, as one example, tend to be deeper and have greater aspect ratios. The present invention overcomes the difficulties in forming such structures by controlling the plasma ion density in the bulk plasma, the plasma ion energy distribution in the plasma sheath and the ion dissociation in the bulk plasma can independently and simultaneously. The present invention therefore fulfills the need to implement plasma processes in which the selections of ion density, ion energy distribution and ion dissociation are made without limiting one another.

Independent control of ion density, ion energy distribution and ion dissociation in a plasma reactor


A process is disclosed for making CF3CF═CHF or mixtures thereof with CF2═CFCHF2. The process involves (i) contacting CHCl2CF2CF3, and optionally CHClFCF2CClF2, in a reaction zone in the presence of a catalytically effective amount of dehydrofluorination catalyst to produce CCl2═CFCF3, and, if CHClFCF2CClF2 is present, CClF═CFCClF2; (ii) contacting CCl2═CFCF3 and CClF═CFCClF2, if any, formed in (i) with hydrogen fluoride (HF) in a reaction zone, optionally in the presence of a fluorination catalyst, to produce CClF═CFCF3, and if CClF═CFCClF2 is present, CF2═CFCClF2; (iii) contacting CClF═CFCF3 and CF2═CFCClF2, if any, formed in (ii) in a reaction zone with H2 in the presence of a catalyst comprising a catalytically effective amount of palladium supported on a support of chromium oxide, fluorinated chromium oxide, chromium fluoride, aluminum oxide, aluminum fluoride, and/or fluorinated alumina to produce a product mixture comprising CF3CF═CHF, and if CF2═CFCClF2 is present, CF2═CFCHF2; and (iv) recovering CF3CF═CHF, or a mixture thereof with CF2═CFCHF2, from the product mixture formed in (iii); and optionally (v) separating at least a portion of any CF3CF═CHF in the product mixture formed in (iii) from the CF2═CFCHF2 in the product mixture formed in (iii).

As a result of the Montreal Protocol phasing out ozone depleting chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) and hydrochlorofluorocarbons (HCFCs), industry has been working for the past few decades to find replacement refrigerants. The solution for most refrigerant producers has been the commercialization of hydrofluorocarbon (HFC) refrigerants. The new hydrofluorocarbon refrigerants, HFC-134a (CF3CH2F) being the most widely used at this time, have zero ozone depletion potential and thus are not affected by the current regulatory phase out as a result of the Montreal Protocol. The production of other hydrofluorocarbons for use in applications such as solvents, blowing agents, cleaning agents, aerosol propellants, heat transfer media, dielectrics, fire extinguishants and power cycle working fluids has also been the subject of considerable interest.
There is considerable interest in developing new refrigerants with reduced global warming potential, as well as zero ozone depletion potential, for the mobile air-conditioning market, and in other refrigeration applications.
HFC-1225ye (CF3CF═CHF), having zero ozone depletion and a low global warming potential, has been identified as a potential refrigerant. U.S. Pat. No. 5,396,000 discloses a process for producing HFC-1225ye by dehydrofluorination of CF3CFHCF2H (HFC-236ea). There is a need for new manufacturing processes for the production of HFC-1225ye.
1,1,2,3,3-Pentafluoro-1-propene (CF2═CFCHF2, HFC-1225yc) is useful as a monomer for the manufacture of fluoropolymers.

Processes for producing pentafluoropropenes and azeotropes comprising HF and certain halopropenes of the formula C

Abstract: Also disclosed are azeotropic compositions involving CCl2═CFCF3 and HF; involving CCl2═CFCF3, CClF═CFCClF2 and HF; involving CClF═CFCF3 and HF; involving CClF═CFCF3, CF2═CFCClF2 and HF; or involving CF2═CFCHF2 and HF.


The present invention provides a process for preparing monoiodinated aromatic compounds that are useful as intermediates for preparing charge transporting and hole transporting amino compounds and have high purity with high yield and at low cost. A process for preparing aryl iodide compounds comprises reacting an aryl halide compound with a metal iodide, a metal catalyst and a catalyst coordinating ligand in at least one solvent to form an aryl iodide; and purifying the aryl iodide. A triarylamine compound and a process for preparing a triarylamine compounds reacting the aryl iodide with a diarylamine is also provided. Further, a photoconductive imaging member comprising a charge transport layer that comprises at least one triarylamine compound prepared reacting the aryl iodide with a diarylamine is provided.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to processes for preparing iodoaromatic compounds. This invention further relates to the use of iodoaromatic compounds in the formation of triarylamine hole transport small molecules, which may be used in electrophotography.
2. Description of Related Art
Electrophotographic imaging members (i.e. photoreceptors) are well known. Electrophotographic imaging members are commonly used in electrophotographic (xerographic) processes and may comprise a photoconductive layer including a single layer or composite layers. These electrophotographic imaging members take many different forms. For example, layered photoresponsive imaging members, such as those described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,265,990 to Stolka et al., which is incorporated by reference in its entirety, are known in the art.
More advanced photoconductive photoreceptors containing highly specialized component layers are also known. For example, a multilayered photoreceptor employed in electrophotographic imaging systems sometimes includes one or more of a substrate, an undercoating layer, an intermediate layer, an optional hole or charge blocking layer, a charge generating layer over an undercoating layer and/or a blocking layer, and a charge transport layer (including a charge transport material in a binder). Additional layers such as one or more overcoating layer or layers are also sometimes included.
Various compounds are known for their uses as charge transporting materials, including hole transporting materials, in charge transporting layers of electrophotographic apparatuses, including pyrazoline compounds such as those disclosed in JP-B-37-10696, triarylamine compounds such as those disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,180,730 to Klupfel et al., stilbene compounds as disclosed in published unexamined Japanese Patent Application JP-A-58-198043, hydrazone compounds as disclosed in JP-B-55-42380, oxadiazone compounds as disclosed in JP-B-34-5466, butadiene compounds as disclosed in published unexamined Japanese Patent Application JP-A-63-314554, and so on, are known. Among these compounds, triarylamine compounds are of particular importance, in view of high charge-transporting and hole-transporting ability (mobility), and various triarylamine compounds have been disclosed, e.g., in JP-A-1-280763, JP-A-2-178666, JP-A-2-178667, JP-A-2-178668, JP-A-2-178669, JP-A-2-178670, JP-A-2-190862, JP-A-2-190863, JP-A-2-230255, JP-A-3-78755, JP-A-3-78756, JP-A-3-78757, JP-A-3-114058, JP-A-4-133064, JP-A-4-193852, JP-A-4-312558, JP-A-5-19509, JP-A-5-80550, and JP-A-5-313386.
It is generally known that triarylamine compounds can be synthesized by coupling an arylamine compound with an aryl halide, usually an aryl bromide or an aryl iodide, using a copper catalyst. Aryl iodides are preferred due to the low reactivity of aryl bromides during tertiary amine formation.
Typically, large-scale production of triarylamine small molecules is accomplished by use of an Ullmann condensation reaction, such as those illustrated in reaction schemes (1) and (2):
[Insert Chemical Drawing (1)]

[Insert Chemical Drawing (2)]

The use of Ullmann condensation reactions in the production of tertiary amines, specifically triarylamines, is described in detail in, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,764,625 to Turner, et al., the entire disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference.
In such Ullmann condensation reactions, aromatic halides, such as aryl iodides, are reacted with aromatic amine compounds in the presence of a base, a copper catalyst and, optionally, an inert solvent. Aromatic iodides possess a much higher reactivity than other aromatic halides in these reactions. Typically, aryl iodides have higher kinetic rates of product formation than other aromatic halides, as illustrated by the reduced reaction times necessary to produce higher yields of highly pure products than with other aromatic halides. Thus, aryl iodides are key substrates in the Ullmann condensation reactions traditionally used to manufacture triarylamine hole transport small molecules.
However, the benefits of using aryl iodides to form triarylamines by Ullmann condensation are not without cost. Aryl iodides are generally more expensive than aryl bromides or aryl chlorides.
The formation of aryliodides by iodinating an aromatic compound with a sulfuric acid catalyst in a mixed water/acetic acid solvent, using iodic acid and iodine, as shown in Ann., 634, 84 (1960) is known, as exemplified by the iodination of biphenyl in reaction scheme (3). Reaction scheme (3) represents a common, currently employed manufacturing method for 4-iodobiphenyl.
[Insert Chemical Drawing (3)]

In this reaction, biphenyl is iodinated by a hypervalent iodine species, prepared from elemental iodine and periodic acid in a strongly acidic solution. Preparation of monoiodo compound by this method is difficult, at least because over-iodination occurs. In the reaction scheme (3) above, the reaction mixture contains starting material, 4-iodobiphenyl, and 1,4-diiodobiphenyl. In order to prepare the mono-iodo compound for use in an Ullmann condensation, extensive purification by recrystallization is necessary, and yields of only about 60% can be obtained.
Iodination with periodic acid is carried out with ease. However the reaction selectivity is low. The reaction product is a mixture of monoiodo and diiodo compounds. When a subsequent amination reaction is carried out using this mixture, the reaction product after amination also comprises a mixture. Since impurities in the amination product have detrimental effects on the electrical characteristics of the charge transport material, purification of the product is required. The molecular weight of the impurities is large enough to render purification by distillation, etc., impractical. Thus, a very expensive purification method, such as a column purification, etc., must be used. In addition to the expense of iodine, a method in which many diiodo byproducts are formed is a costly process for preparing arylamine compounds.
Also, the solubility of diiodo compounds is very low, the diiodo compound cannot be removed from the product by recrystallization, which may be easily incorporated into industrial operations at low cost. Therefore, for product mixtures containing about 10% or more of diiodo compounds, purification by distillation is required.
The monoiodo compound, in contrast, has a high boiling point and a high melting point. For these reasons, high vacuum conditions are required in the distillation of monoiodo compound, and the product recovered by distillation is apt to solidify and become difficult to handle. When the mixture to be subjected to distillation contains a large amount of diiodo compounds, distillation must be carried out multiple times. The purity of the product subjected to a single distillation is lowered by "splashing" of the distillation mixture, resulting in contamination of the distillation product by diiodo compounds. Thus, fractional distillation is required to purify the monoiodo product from a reaction mixture containing a large amount of diiodo compounds. The more involved purification process complicates operation and increases manufacturing costs.
Also, Ann., 634, 84 (1960) describes carrying out the iodination reaction in a saturated solution of an aromatic compound to increase the selectivity of monoiodo compound formation. This method, however, does not provide a low-cost product having sufficient purity as a raw material used for a charge transporting material.
The present invention is provided to solve the problems described above. That is, the present invention provides a low cost route to iodoaromatic molecules, having high yields of highly pure monoiodo compounds, and thus a low cost route to triarylamine hole transport small molecules.

Process for preparing iodoaromatic compounds and using the same


The inventive stand alone mechanism converts video data from an original format such as VHS or digital video to an optical media such as a CD-RW or DVD-RW and prepare it for use in non-linear computer applications such as video editing and production in a single step conversion process. The inventive mechanism will also insert index markers into the video data. The markers could be time based or scene transition based.

The photo imaging aspects of personal computer (PC) market is growing. Digital cameras allow for digital image capture. These images are then downloaded from the camera to the PC for processing and printing. The increase in PC processing power is enabling even richer image content to be processed, namely video data. Due to the large size of video data files, video data exceeds the capacity of floppy drives, including large capacity drives such as a ZIP drive, and will quickly fill up hard drives. Thus, there is a strong need for off-line storage, such as CD-RW and DVD media.
Additionally, tens of millions of video cameras have been sold that have recorded millions of hours of video data. This data is stored on magnetic media which degrades over time. The life of a tape is much less than the life span of a person. A tape a person makes of their children when the children are small will probably not be usable when the children are retired. The shelf life of tapes varies greatly with environmental conditions. Typically, tape life is substantially less than the life of optical media like CD, CD-RW, and DVD. Therefore, there is a strong need to preserve data for a longer period of time.
Current computer systems use a video capture unit to convert a video stream into digital video stored on the hard drive. Connection to the PC is through a computer interface such as parallel PCI or SCSI and may be internally or externally mounted. A separate software program controls the capture and compression of video. Currently used compression formats typically include MPEG-1, MPEG-2, AVI, or MJPEG. Another software program would then be used to manipulate or edit the video data once the data is on the hard drive. Editing could include the addition of movie effects such as titling, overlays and transition effects. Yet another software program would then be used to store the video data onto another storage mechanism such as a DVD, tape or CD-RW disc.
One problem with the current technology is installation. Installing the video capture unit and the various software programs is time consuming and tedious. Moreover, the different elements may not be compatible with the host computer system or each other. For example, the video capture unit may not operate with the host computer system because the parallel port of the system does not conform to the standards required by the video capture unit. These challenges are beyond the scope of many video camera users to solve. Also existing host system hardware and software components may interfere with the operation of the video capture unit and video software programs, e.g. the system sound card may inject noise into the video audio signal as the signal is transferred through the parallel port via the video capture unit. These challenges are beyond the scope of many video camera users to solve.
Another problem is that the video capture unit does not index the converted data stream. In other words, the video capture unit does not mark scene transitions, e.g. the transition from a vacation verse video segment to a birthday party video segment. The capture unit merely converts the data stream into a digital stream. Thus, for a user to locate a particular video segment in the stream is difficult and time consuming, as the entire video stream must be linearly reviewed by the user.
Therefore, there is a need in the art for a video data transfer mechanism with automatic indexing that is simple to use, does not require a PC, and allows easier post-processing of video data on most computer systems.

Converting analog video data into digital form

Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.


An optical sheet has a large number of cylindrical lens elements provided successively on one of principal faces thereof. The cylindrical lens elements have a hyperboloidal face or a paraboloidal face and have a finite focal distance on the emission side of illumination light. Where a Z axis is taken in parallel to a normal line direction to the optical sheet and an X axis is taken in a direction of the row of the cylindrical lens elements, a cross sectional shape of the cylindrical lens elements satisfies Z=X2/(R+√{square root over ( )}(R2−(1+K)X2)) (where R is the radius of curvature of a distal end vertex, and K is a conic constant).

This invention relates to an optical sheet for enhancing the directivity of light and a backlight and a liquid crystal display apparatus which include the optical sheet.
In recent years, to a liquid crystal display apparatus which includes a liquid crystal panel, it is a significant subject to enhance the display luminance together with reduction of the power consumption in order to raise the commodity value of the liquid crystal display apparatus. In such a situation as just described, it is demanded strongly to improve the optical gain on the backlight side. Thus, it has been proposed, as a method which satisfies the demand, to provide a liquid crystal display apparatus with a prism sheet which includes a prism array on the emitting side of illumination light (refer to, for example, Japanese Patent No. 3147205).
FIG. 1 shows an external appearance of a conventional prism sheet. FIG. 2 shows a shape of an XZ section of the conventional prism sheet. The prism sheet can separate an incident light ray into a first-order transmission light component T1 which is transmitted directly through a prism lateral face, a return light component R which is reflected by the prism lateral face and then reflected by the other prism lateral face so that it is returned to the incidence side, and a second-order transmission light component T2 which is reflected by the prism lateral face and then transmitted through the other prism lateral face so that it is emitted to a front face of the prism sheet depending upon the incident angle.
The first-order transmission light component T1 is a light flux component which includes light emitted in a front face direction and is utilized effectively. The return light component R is a light flux component which enters and is diffused and reflected by the diffusion sheet, which is regarded as a light emitting face (planar light source), and is effective to increase the luminance of the light emitting face. The second-order transmission light component T2 is a light flux component which is emitted to the wide angle side outside an effective angular field of view of the liquid crystal panel and does not contribute to enhancement of the luminance.
In this manner, the conventional prism sheet refracts and transmits incident light therethrough to condense the incident light in the front face direction thereby to improve the directivity characteristic so as to increase the front face luminance. Further, since reflected light is diffused and scattered by the diffusing sheet which is regarded as a light emitting face (planar light source) to increase the luminance of the light emitting face, the front face luminance increases.
As described above, the conventional prism sheet can separate an incidence light ray into one of the first-order transmission light component T1, second-order transmission light component T2 and return light component R depending upon the incidence angle of the incidence light.
In the conventional prism sheet, as seen in FIG. 2, part of a light flux emitted from an off-axis imaginary light source is totally reflected by one of lateral faces of the prism sheet and re-enters the other lateral face, whereafter it advances in the inside of the sheet and is re-utilized as the return light component R. Or, the part of the light flux is effectively utilized, after multiple reflections thereof, as the first-order transmission light component T1 or as the return light component R to the light source side.
However, some light flux emitted from an off-axis imaginary light source is totally reflected by one of lateral faces of the prism sheet and then is refracted by and transmitted through the other lateral face so that it makes the second-order transmission light component T2 which is emitted to the wide angle side outside the effective angular field of view of the liquid crystal panel. The second-order transmission light component T2 is a light flux component which is ineffective to improvement of the luminance.
Further, depending upon the angle dependent characteristic of a polarized light separation sheet disposed on the succeeding stage, extreme deterioration of the polarized light separation characteristic is sometimes caused by the directivity of incident light, which makes an obstacle to effective luminance enhancement to the liquid crystal panel side.
Further, where the prism sheet described above is interposed between a diffuser and a liquid crystal panel, external appearance blurring appears. Therefore, it is demanded to suppress occurrence of external appearance blurring.
Accordingly, it is a first object of the present invention to provide an optical sheet which implements a high luminance distribution within a predetermined angular field of view and can suppress appearance of a second-order transmission light component T2 to enhance the luminance and a backlight and a liquid crystal display apparatus which include the optical sheet.
It is a second object of the present invention to provide an optical sheet which implements a high luminance distribution within a predetermined angular field of view and can suppress appearance of a second-order transmission light component T2 to enhance the luminance and besides can suppress, where a prism sheet is provided between a diffuser and a liquid crystal panel, appearance of external appearance blurring and a backlight and a liquid crystal display apparatus which include the optical sheet.

Optical sheet, backlight and liquid crystal display apparatus


A central support tube includes an annular array of tonal tubes positioned thereabout, with each of the tubes suspended by an associated support line, that in turn is secured to a plurality of support pins directed into the central support tube. A cylindrical tuning disc is suspended below the central support tube for communication by the tonal tubes.

1. Field of the Invention
The field of invention relates to windchime apparatus, and more particularly pertains to a new and improved windchime apparatus permitting modification of tonal response of the apparatus relative to gyration of the various components.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Windchime structure of various types have been utilized throughout the prior art and exemplified by the U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,854,214; 4,967,633; and U.S. Pat. No. 317,419.
The instant invention attempts to overcome deficiencies of the prior art by providing for a windchime apparatus arranged for ease of adjustment of tonal response of the windchime structure and in this respect, the present invention substantially fulfills this need.

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A joint connecting a cylinder actuator of a trim tab to a watercraft includes a first part couplable to a wall of the watercraft, a second part couplable to the cylinder actuator, a pin coupled to one part and a pin seat formed in the other part. In one embodiment, the seat is defined by a portion of a circular cylindrical surface having an opening on one side. The surface portion has an angular extension larger than 180°, and the pin has a correspondingly cylindrical portion with a laterally flattened surface for introduction into the opening of the pin seat. The opening of the cylindrical pin seat and the flattened portion/s of the pin are in such reciprocal angular positions that the two joint parts are operably connectable and disconnectable by disposing them in a relative angular position, which cannot be attained in the mounted operating condition.

Many watercrafts currently use trim tabs mounted to the transom for attitude control during navigation. Trim tabs, which are also known as "stabilizers", "trim controls" or "flaps", are movable plate-like extensions of the hull, usually made of metal, that are hinged to the transom flush with the keel and driven by one or more cylinder actuators to variously tilted positions relative to the keel.
Like in aircraft flaps, appropriate control of watercraft trim tabs provides control of the hydrodynamic force which tends to lift the stern, and consequently lower the bow, thereby ensuring the ideal pitch attitude for navigation in a variety of conditions, for instance according to load distribution, speed, weather and other variables.
Each trim tab is generally driven by a cylinder actuator having ends hinged to the transom and to the trim tab. Such cylinder actuators may be of a hydraulic or electric type and are well known in the art. For instance, U.S. Pat. No. 5,881,666 discloses an electrical cylinder actuator. The actuator disclosed in this document, like all currently available actuators, has slots at its ends for pins designed to secure it to corresponding fixing plates having a coaxial lug integral with the trim tab and with the transom to form hinge connections that allow oscillation of the trim tab according to the length of the piston rod. These connections are obtained by fastening the fixing plates to the corresponding surfaces of the trim tab and/or the transom, by transversely fitting the slots of the cylinder into alignment with the lugs and by axially mounting a pin into the slots/lugs so aligned. Otherwise, the cylinder may be equipped with a hinge already mounted to a fixing plate to be fastened to the corresponding surfaces of the trim tab and the transom. In both cases, the mounting/removal process is particularly laborious and generally requires highly skilled personnel. On the other hand, the cylinder actuator, like any materials designed to operate in contact with seawater, is subjected to wear and often requires maintenance, and hence repeated mounting/removal procedures.

Hinge joint for cylinder actuators of watercraft trim tabs, trim tab and trim tab control system


A non-transitory computer-readable medium for storing an image processing program configured to enable a computer to execute a shaping step of shaping an input image generated through capturing via an optical system by using a characteristic of the optical system and an image-pickup condition, a blurring step of blurring an image shaped in the shaping step, and a dividing step of dividing the input image into a plurality or layered images according to an object distance. The computer executes the shaping step based upon distance information of an object contained in each layered image.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image processing method, an image processing apparatus, a non-transitory computer-readable medium, and an image-pickup apparatus.
2. Description of the Related Art
An image captured through a wide-angle lens, an image captured by an image-pickup apparatus having a small image sensor size, and an image captured by an image-pickup apparatus having a small aperture diameter or a large F value has a deep depth of field with few blurs from a short-distant view to a long-distant view. In order to emphasize the main object and to relax the atmosphere, there have been proposed a variety of methods of blurring a captured image.
For example, Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. ("JP") 2000-259823 proposes a method for obtaining distance information at a plurality of focus detection points for auto focusing (AF) and for blurring an input image. JP 11-41512 proposes an averaging method of pixel values in a user specified area in order to blur an input image. A. Rosenfeld (author), Makoto Nagao (translator), "Digital Picture Processing," Kindai kagaku sha Co., Ltd. (1978), proposes a variety of image processing methods of correcting a deteriorated input image. Other prior art contain Ren Ng et al., "Light Field Photography with a Hand-Held Plenoptic Camera," Stanford Tech Report CTSR, February of 2005.
JP 2000-259823 and 11-41512 discuss methods of blurring the input image based upon the pixel value of the input image, but the pixel value of the input image is influenced by the optical characteristic of the image-pickup optical system regardless of the size of the image sensor and the focal length. An image shape formed on the image sensor is different from the object even at the in-focus position. At the in-focus position, the object in the periphery of the image is asymmetrically deformed due to the coma and the astigmatism. The image also deforms due to the diffraction. At a defocus position, the image deforms due to the vignetting in addition to the aberration and the diffraction. When a blur is added to an image that has deformed due blurring of the aberration, blurring of the diffraction, and blurring of vignetting, a blurring shape is unexpectedly different from one supposed by the object shape.
For example, if a circularly symmetrical blur is added to a captured image (input image) of an object illustrated in FIG. 19A, the blurring shape is as expected from the object shape, as illustrated in FIG. 19B. However, when the captured image is influenced by the coma, the captured image of the object illustrated in FIG. 19A deforms as illustrated in FIG. 19C. If circularly symmetrical blurring is applied to this image (the image of FIG. 19C), the blurring shape is subject to the coma as illustrated in FIG. 19D.
If the captured image is influenced by the astigmatism, the captured image illustrated in FIG. 19A deforms as extending in a specific direction. The image at the defocus position deforms due to blurring of the aberration and blurring of vignetting, for example, into an image lacking of part in the image illustrated in FIG. 19A. In other words, in order to obtain a good blurring shape as expected from the object shape, it is necessary to restrain image deformations caused by blurring of aberration, blurring of the diffraction, and blurring of vignetting.
FIG. 20A is a graph illustrating the partially saturated brightness in an input image. In each of FIGS. 20A to 20C, an abscissa axis denotes a space coordinate and an ordinate axis denotes a brightness value. Herein, the saturation value is defined as a maximum brightness value that can be expressed in a digital image. If a blur is added to the brightness distribution of the image illustrated in FIG. 20A in which the brightness is partially saturated in the input image, a curve of the brightness distribution will be milder as illustrated in FIG. 20B than that of FIG. 20A. FIG. 20C illustrates an image obtained with a smaller F value (or under a brighter condition) than that of the image of FIG. 20A in order to blur an image with a shallow depth of field. The image illustrated in FIG. 20B is darker than that of FIG. 20C because the brightness is reduced. In other words, blurring cannot be well reproduced in an area of the brightness saturated part in an image captured with a small F value simply by blurring the input image.

Image processing method, image processing apparatus, non-transitory computer-readable medium, and image-pickup apparatus


A method for detecting the quality of cell culture fluid based on Raman spectral measurement. The method comprises the following steps: collecting cell culture fluid; collecting, processing and analyzing a Raman spectral signal; measuring an original Raman spectral signal of a metabolite in the cell culture fluid using a Raman spectra technique; determining whether the original Raman spectral signal is qualified, and carrying out data signal processing on the qualified original Raman spectral signal to obtain analyzable signals; and then carrying out difference statistical analysis on the analyzable signals to obtain difference signals; carrying out modeling using the difference signals; classifying the difference signals using a support vector machine; and distinguishing the spectral signals of normal and abnormal cell culture fluid to obtain a quality result of the cell culture fluid. Difference signals in cell culture fluid are detected by means of Raman spectra to detect the quality of the cell culture fluid, thereby achieving the purpose of non-invasive evaluation of a cell growth state; and the method is convenient, effective and low-cost, and can achieve large-scale industrialization and streamlining.

A rapid, efficient, and noninvasive assessment method can be developed by using Raman spectroscopy combined with chemometrics methods to evaluate cell culture medium with complex components, thereby determining the cell growth status. Since complex sample preparation is not required and water has no signal interference, Raman spectroscopy has significant advantages in detection of multi-component aqueous solutions. Spectral technology is convenient to operate, low in cost and widely applied to the medical field, and has breakthroughs in application concepts and technical innovation.
In practical applications, cell activity identification technology which is rapid, accurate, and low in cost is urgently needed. Low molecular weight metabolites, as final products in cellular regulation process, can reveal the response of biological system to changes in nutrients and environmental factors, reflecting cell viability more quickly. Therefore, cell growth quality can be assessed by measuring changes in metabolite and medium consumption preferences in the cell culture medium.
In terms of the mechanism of cell culture medium affecting cell development, more studies in the early stage focuses on the analysis of certain specific metabolites to be used as a biomarker for characterizing the cell development potential. However, due to the sequence and diversity of metabolite levels, there is currently no clear biomarker which can be applied in all culture conditions and culture processes, and it is inconclusive as to which components play a central role in cell growth activity. Recent studies have focused on the analysis of the whole metabolic fingerprint, i.e., a dynamic quantitative analysis of all low molecular weight compounds (relative molecular weight <1000) in specific physiological or developmental cells.
The current research on assessment of cell culture medium by Raman spectroscopy is still in development. In the prior art, five kinds of mixture solutions with clear chemical components, such as various amino acids, various organic acids or inorganic acids, were detected by AVALON Raman spectrometer. Principal component analysis and independent soft mode cluster analysis were used for data analysis and comparison, and the established analysis model can accurately identify the culture medium quality. In addition, Raman spectroscopy was used to detect various CHO (Chinese hamsters Ovary) cell culture mediums, and the least squares method was used for data analysis. A method of noninvasive real-time determination of glucose and lactic acid in culture medium by Raman spectroscopy was established. Based on the current research, by detecting the Raman spectrum of the culture medium of the same type of cells under the same culture condition, and using a support vector machine method to classify and model the data, the present disclosure establishes a perfect data acquisition, preprocessing, and data modeling process, and achieves efficient and non-invasive cell growth activity identification, which can be further popularized for clinical application.

Method for detecting quality of cell culture fluid based on Raman spectral measurement

SUZHOU BASECARE MEDICAL DEVICE CO., LTD.


Method for stabilizing the updated model (13) in iterative seismic data inversion so that the model-simulated data for the next iteration does not “blow up.” A Projection Onto Convex Sets (“POCS”) operator is defined that converts the matrix corresponding to the model to a positive semi-definite matrix. The stability projection operator may be looped with physical constraint projection operators until the model converges (15). The resulting stable and constrained model is then used to simulate seismic data in the next cycle of the outer iteration loop (16).

During seismic survey of a subterranean region, seismic data are acquired typically by positioning a seismic source at a chosen shot location, and measuring the seismic reflections generated by the source using receivers placed at selected locations. The measured reflections are referred to as a single "shot record". Many shot records are measured during a survey by moving the source and receivers to different locations and repeating the aforementioned process. The survey can then be used to perform Full-Wavefield Inversion, which uses the information contained in the shot records to determine physical properties of the subterranean region (e.g., speed of sound in the medium, density distribution, etc . . . ) Full-Wavefield Inversion is an iterative process, each iteration comprising the steps of forward modeling to create model data and objective function computation to measure the similarity between model and field data. Physical properties of the subsurface are adjusted at each iteration to ensure progressively better agreement between model and field data. Modification of subsurface properties needs to be carried out in such a way that known relationships between various properties are not violated. The update process typically generates several trial models, which may become unstable, leading to a "blow-up" (unbounded growth of the solution, until the numbers become so large that they can no longer be represented in a computer) of numerical simulations. Mathematically, a stable model corresponds to a positive semi-definite matrix of elastic constants (a matrix is positive semi-definite when all of its eigenvalues are non-negative), which enter as coefficients into the wave equation. The wave equation can be written in many different forms, depending on the level of physics that needs to be included in a simulation. For example, elastic propagation (a fairly general case) is described byρ(x)∂t2u(x,t)−∇·T(x,t)=g(x, t)T(x,t)=C(x):∇u(x,τ)≡cijkl(x)∂kul(x,τ)′where T is the stress tensor, x is a vector representing the three spatial coordinates, t is time, g is a source function, and cijpq, is a fourth-order tensor of elastic constants.
For convenience, cijpq is often mapped into a 6×6 matrix using Voight notation (Tsvankin (2005), see pg. 8):CIJ=cijkl, whereI=iδij+(1−δij)(9−i−j);J=kδkl+(1−δkl)(9−k−l);The CIJ matrix (or an equivalent matrix that represents the fourth-order tensor cijpq) needs to be positive definite (Helbig (1994), chapter 5).Current Technology
At a given iteration n of inversion, a model update usually involves computing a search direction sn (this is usually accomplished by computing the gradient of an objective function ƒ; often sn=−∇ƒ is used) and performing a "line search", i.e., evaluating objective functions for various trial models which are created through a linear combination of a current model and the search direction:mn+1=mn+αsn
The search direction is scaled by a "step size" α and added to the current model mn. The value of the scalar α that produces the best value of the objective function is selected and a new updated model is formed using this value. Sometimes (usually if the step size α is chosen to be too large) mn+1 may become physically infeasible and lead to a blow-up in numerical simulations. The blow-up may occur even if the model is unstable at only a few spatial locations. If this happens, one is forced to choose a different (usually smaller) step size, thus slowing down the inversion process.
Besides feasibility (stability) constraints described above, it may be appropriate to impose other constraints, e.g., require that all model parameters lie within a certain predetermined interval ("box constraints"). Such constraints are typically incorporated into the inversion process using penalty functions, Lagrange multipliers, or Projection Onto Convex Sets (POCS). The first two methods are appropriate when constraints are "soft", i.e., can be violated at intermediate steps and need to be satisfied only at convergence. The last method, POCS, is appropriate for both soft and "hard" constraints (i.e., constraints which cannot be violated and need to be satisfied for all intermediate models). A conventional way of applying POCS to enforce soft constraints is to perform a projection at the end of the line search:mn+1=P[mn+αsn],where P is a projection operator. Hard constraints can be enforced in a similar manner:mn+1=mn+β(P[mn+asn]−mn).Fixing α, applying the projection operator P before the line search starts, and then performing a line search with 0<β<1 guarantees that all intermediate models will satisfy the desired constraint.

Using projection onto convex sets to constrain full-wavefield inversion


Improved scanning methods for use in a scanning particle beam microscop reduce the effects of surface charge accumulation, increasing linearity and precision. More particularly, signal distortion is reduced by scanning across an object along a line in a first direction to produce a first signal, scanning across the object along the identical line in an opposite, anti-parallel, direction to produce a second signal, and combining the first and second signals. This technique is referred to as scan reversal. Baseline drift is substantially canceled out of the resulting signal. According to another technique imaging of a general circular high-aspect-ratio structure is enhanced by identifying approximately the center of the structure, electrostatically scanning a particle beam along a multiplicity of radii of the structure, detecting particles emitted from the surface of the structure being examined to generate a detection signal, and using the detection signal to form an enhanced image of the generally circular high-aspect-ratio structure. This technique is referred to as radial scanning. According to a further technique, the effects of surface charging are reduced by identifying features of an object in a low magnification image and scanning a particle beam across the object discontinuously, only in portions of an image field containing the features of interest. The "background" of the image field is therefore not charged, improving imaging of the features of interest. This technique is referred to as structured scanning.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to particle beam metrology wherein a particle beam device such as a scanning electron microscope is used to perform critical dimension measurements of objects, for example integrated circuit wafers.
2. State of the Art
It is known to use electromagnetic systems in microscopes such as scanning electron microscopes (SEM) for measurement and inspection purposes. Scanning electron microscopes are often used in place of traditional optical microscopes for microelectronics inspection and metrology applications in semiconductor manufacturing. The metrology tools are often used, for example, for measuring patterns (i.e. critical dimensions) formed on semiconductor wafers during fabrication.
The short wavelengths of scanning electron microscopes have several advantages over conventionally used optical microscopes. For example, scanning electron microscopes can achieve resolutions from about 100 .ANG. to 200 .ANG., while the limit of resolution of optical microscopes is typically about 2500 .ANG.. Further, scanning electron microscopes provide depth of field several orders of magnitude greater than optical microscopes. Despite the accuracy and precision of present scanning electron microscopes, enhanced instrument specifications and capabilities are required as parameters (e.g. critical dimensions) to be inspected come within the sub-micrometer ranges.
An article entitled "Microelectronics Dimensional Metrology in the Scanning Electron Microscope", Parts I and II, Solid State Technology, by Michael T. Postek et al. (November 1986), describes a typical SEM wafer inspection system. As described therein, a focused electron beam is scanned from point to point on the specimen surface in a rectangular raster pattern. Accelerating voltage, beam current and spot diameter are optimized for the specific application and specimen composition.
As the scanning electron beam contacts the surface of the specimen, backscattered and/or secondary electrons are emitted from the specimen surface. Semiconductor inspection, analysis and metrology is performed by detecting the backscattered and/or secondary electrons. A point by point representation of the specimen is obtained on a CRT screen as the electron beam controllably scans the specimen.
Conventionally, a particle beam device such as a scanning electron microscope 7, shown in FIG. 1, includes a voltage source 11. The voltage source 11 is connected to an electron source 13 that directs a narrow beam of highly accelerated electrons towards a specimen stage 18 via a plurality of electron lenses L.sub.1, L.sub.2, and L.sub.3. The electron beam is indicated by the dashed line 14. The electron beam may be focused onto a wafer stage of the scanning electron microscope using an autofocus technique.
As further shown in FIG. 1, a cylindrical column 17 houses the electron source 13 and the lenses L.sub.1, L.sub.2, and L.sub.3. The column 17 is normally referred to as an electron optical column and includes a chamber, indicated in the drawing as 17A, that surrounds and supports a specimen stage 18. Together, the optical column 17 and the chamber 17A represent the body of the scanning electron microscope.
The scanning electron microscope 7 of FIG. 1 further includes an electrostatic deflection system for selectively scanning the electron beam across the specimen stage 18. The deflection system includes, for example, four pairs of electron beam scanning coils, designated D.sub.1 through D.sub.4. The scanning coils are located within optical column 17 for focusing the electron beam on the surface of the specimen held on stage 18. The pair of deflection coils D.sub.1 and D.sub.2 are connected to sawtooth voltage generator 19, and the pair of deflection coils D.sub.3 and D.sub.4 are connected to sawtooth voltage generator 20.
The electron beam scanning coils D.sub.1 through D.sub.4 deflect the electron beam 14 in two, generally perpendicular, directions. In the drawing, the deflection directions are designated as the x-direction and the y-direction, respectively. The x-direction and the y-direction typically are in a plane perpendicular to the direction of beam 14, but strict orthogonality is not required. For present purposes, it can be assumed that coils D.sub.1 and D.sub.3 deflect the scanning beam in the x-direction and that coils D.sub.2 and D.sub.4 deflect the scanning beam in the y-direction.
An electron collector 22 is arranged near the surface of a stage 18 which is exposed to beam 14. The electron collector is connected to an amplifier 23 which provides signals to an analog-to-digital converter 43 for transforming the collected electron current to digital signals which may be subsequently displayed on a video display 49.
In operation, saw-tooth generators 19 and 20 provide time-varying voltage signals to electron beam scanning coils D.sub.1 and D.sub.4 such that beam 14 is deflected across specimen stage 18 in a predetermined scanning pattern. The saw-tooth generators 19 and 20 typically operate synchronously to drive the electron beam across stage 18 in the x-direction at a constant rate, with each scan beam deflected in the y-direction to form a series of generally parallel scanning lines.
During operation of the FIG. 1 scanning electron microscope, collector 22 detects changes in the electron current at stage 18. Thus, as the electron beams scans a specimen on stage 18, changes in the composition, texture and topography of the specimen causing amplitude variations of the electron current detected by collector 22. With each complete scanning sequence, an image corresponding to features of the specimen can be created.
Traditional methods of electron imaging rely on secondary electron emission and, as a result, have limited capability for extracting information from the base of sub-micrometer contact holes and other high-aspect-ratio structures. Such a high-aspect-ratio contact hole is a common feature of semiconductor wafers and is shown in FIG. 2. A layer of resist 31 has been used to pattern a sub-micrometer contact hole in a layer of oxide 33 coated on the surface of a wafer 35. The height h of the contact hole is considerably greater than the width w of the contact hole such that h/w>>1. Typical values of h and w might be 2.0 .mu.m and 0.5 .mu.m respectively, giving an aspect ratio of 4:1.
The difficulty of imaging high-aspect-ratio structures using traditional methods of secondary electron imaging holds particularly true for structures with nearly vertical profiles. Because of the insulating properties of oxide and photoresist, directing a primary electron beam onto the wafer structure causes negative surface charge to accumulate at the surface of the photoresist layer as illustrated at FIG. 3. A few volts of surface potential can severely disturb the secondary electron image, since secondary electrons (SE) are typically emitted with energies less than 10 electron volts. In cases of severe charging, commonly encountered when imaging contact holes, secondary electron emission from the base may be shut off entirely. Attempts to control surface fields have been only partially effective and may themselves introduce artifacts by modulating the landing energy of the primary electron beam.
Charge accumulation on photoresist structures surrounding the features to be measured is a common cause of non-linearity and distortion not only in the case of contact holes but also in the case of photoresist lines and other features in general. Referring to FIG. 4A, as an electron beam is scanned across a photoresist line 71, charge accumulation on the surface of the photoresist line begins as the beam contacts the surface of the photoresist line and continues at a constant rate as the beam traverses the photoresist line such that, by the time the beam leaves the surface of the photoresist line, a significant amount of charge has accumulated, resulting in a baseline shift of the resulting signal.
Conventional scanning techniques have only contributed to the problem of charge accumulation. When a measurement is to be performed of a feature in an image field, conventionally, the entire image field is scanned. For example, referring to FIG. 5A, measurements may be required of the contact hole 73, the isolated line 75, and the dense line 77. Despite these features occupying only a portion of the image field 79, conventionally, the entire image field is scanned. As a result, scan accumulation occurs even in areas where no information is being generated, adversely affecting accuracy in those areas where information is being generated.
In the prior art, contact holes, as with other object features, have been raster scanned as shown in FIG. 6A. In addition to surface charging, raster scanning of contact holes has another significant drawback. To facilitate detection of the edge of the contact hole, the "attack angle" of the particle beam to the contact hole should ideally be perpendicular. In FIG. 6A, this ideal attack angle is approximated only near the horizontal radius of the contact hole. For scans above and below this medial line, the attack angle becomes smaller and smaller (and thus poorer and poorer) as the distance from the medial line increases. Edge detection therefore becomes difficult.
Accordingly, a need exists for improved imaging techniques for extracting information from the base of sub-micrometer contact holes and other high-aspect-ratio structures. A further need exists for methods of reducing the distortion effects of baseline drift during scanning of photoresist structures. In general, a need exists for improved scanning methods that reduce the deleterious effects of surface charge accumulation, improving precision and linearity.

Scanning techniques in particle beam devices for reducing the effects of surface charge accumulation


A device and method for controlling the amount of fuel supplied to an internal combustion engine as a function of operating characteristics such as the pressure in the intake manifold, the engine speed, coolant temperature and intake air temperature, where a load signal formed from pressure and engine speed values is corrected by a correction factor F.sub.CORR as a function of the temperature, and when forming the correction factor F.sub.CORR, the influences of the engine temperature and/or the intake air temperature on the load sensing are weighted separately as a function of the operating point.

German Patent No. DE 44 44 416 describes a "Process for Influencing the Fuel Metering in an Internal Combustion Engine," and discusses the creation of a correction factor in fuel metering, where the values for the intake air temperature and the engine temperature are used to form variables that describe the heat flow to and from the intake system. This process takes into consideration the wall film behavior, which involves the deposition of fuel on the inside walls of the intake air manifold, and the air/fuel mixture supplied to the combustion chambers particularly for the non-steady operation of the internal combustion engine.
European Patent No. EP 482 048 describes a process for controlling an internal combustion engine, where a correction factor is derived to correct a basic value of the fuel. This correction factor is obtained from an engine characteristics map whose input variables are the intake air mass and the difference between the temperatures of the intake air and the cooling water.
Finally, European Patent No. EP 264 332 describes a temperature-dependent correction method for fuel metering using the difference between the temperatures of the coolant and the intake air, where this difference can be multiplied by a value that depends on engine speed and load.
A known shortcoming in these conventional systems is that they are not capable of yielding satisfactory results in all cases. Therefore, an object of the present invention is to optimize the equipment for controlling the amount of fuel to be supplied to an internal combustion engine in a wider array of cases than in the conventional systems.

Device and method for controlling the amount of fuel supplied to an internal combustion engine