An RF coupler is used to measure transmitted power and receiver sensitivity of an avionics RF transceiving system (e.g., a secondary radar transponder). The coupler physically mates with (e.g., by conformally enveloping) an airborne type blade antenna mounted to the fuselage of an aircraft. The construction and theory of operation of such a coupling device for coupling RF energy into an antenna is disclosed. The coupling device provides receiver sensitivity measurements and produces rectified pulses or DC levels for the purpose of measuring transmitter power. The system measures such parameters in the extreme near-field (e.g., about 0.1 wavelength) to simplify the measurements and to isolate the measurements from errors due to standing waves and the presence of other nearby objects.

It is necessary to periodically measure the operating characteristics of airborne RF transceiving systems (e.g., secondary radar transponders) to facilitate adjustments and to ensure that they are operating properly. Unfortunately, it is typically time consuming, difficult and complicated to remove such a system from the aircraft for testing purposes--and in any event it is desirable to test the entire system as installed on the aircraft (including the antenna and associated RF cabling and connections). Accordingly, for these and other reasons it is generally desirable or necessary to make measurements such as receiver sensitivity and transmitted power with the system in place on the aircraft.
In the past it has been difficult to accurately measure such parameters of avionics RF transceiving systems while the systems are installed on the aircraft. Extraneous objects (e.g., wings and other structures on and off the aircraft) make such "in place" measurements difficult and inaccurate. For example, measurement difficulties arise due to RF field perturbations in the vicinity of the airborne antenna. Pick-up antennas have in the past been positioned within a few wavelengths of the airborne antenna of the system under test in order to couple RF power to and from the system. However, measurements made in this way are subject to errors due to near-field effects and standing waves caused by other objects within a few wavelengths of the pick-up antenna and/or the airborne antenna.
To alleviate this problem, pick-up antennas have sometimes been placed far away (e.g., thirty or more wavelengths) from the airborne antenna. At these distances, however, the reduced power levels of the received signals become troublesome. In addition, it is more difficult to assure at such large distances that the pickup antenna is located a predetermined distance from the airborne antenna (the accuracy in positioning the pickup antenna directly determines the accuracy of the resulting measurements in most cases).
Much prior work and analysis has been done in regard to the use of near-field measurements of avionics type and other RF radiators for ascertaining various antenna characterstics (e.g., radiation patterns). The following is a non-exhaustive listing of prior publications and patents relating to some such prior work:
U.S. Pat. No. 4,468,669 to Wang et al; PA1 U.S. Pat. No. 3,760,271 to Bach, Jr. et al; PA1 U.S. Pat. No. 3,641,439 to Asian; PA1 U.S. Pat. No. 4,588,993 to Babij et al; PA1 U.S. Pat. No. 4,704,614 to Poirier et al; PA1 U.S. Pat. No. 4,453,164 to Patton; PA1 U.S. Pat. No. 5,001,494 to Dorman et al; PA1 Kunath et al, "Near-Field Antenna Testing Using the Hewlett Packard 8510 Automated Network Analyzer", Paper, Antenna Measurement Techniques Assoc. Meeting, Philadelphia, Pa., NASA, 9 pp, (8-11 October 1990); PA1 R. I. Gray, "Measurement of Antenna Near-Fields", technical memorandum no. W-7/67, AD849027, Weapons Development Evaluation Lab., U.S. Naval Weapons Lab., Dahlgren Va., 7 pp, (March 1967); and PA1 Hanfling, "Planar Near-Field Measurements for Aircraft Antenna Applications", Raytheon Co., Bedford, Mass., 1979 Antenna Applications Symposium, Univ. of Illinois and Electromagnetic Sciences Div. of RADC, Hanscom, AFB at Allerton Park, Monticello, Ill., (26-28 September 1979).
The Hanfling et al. reference discusses, beginning at page 6, the difficulties of far field testing of installed airborne RF systems, and discloses a complicated technique using inverse Fourier transformations to measure the radiation pattern of a fuselage mounted broadbeam avonics antenna. However, it appears that a complicated x-y-z type rotating arm sensor shown in Hanfling's FIG. 12 would be required to obtain the data needed to perform such an analysis.
Wang et al. teaches a twin lead transmission line RF source for making near-field sensitivity measurements of a phased array type radar antenna.
Gray teaches a circular loop probe for measuring the levels of E and H fields in the near-field to provide measurements relating to hazards of electromagnetic radiation to ordnance.
Kunath et al. teach near-field testing of a large microwave radar antenna using an automated network analyzer connected to a probe (see FIG. 1).
Bach, Jr. et al. and Asian teach various non-antenna type probes for measuring power density in the near-field. However, such probes (e.g., diode arrays and thermocouples) would not be useful for measuring RF receiver sensitivity and have other problems as well.
Babij et al., Poirier et al., Patton and Dorman et al. teach additional complicated arrangements for mapping the radiation pattern of antennas based on near-field measurements.
There may be representative teachings in the prior art in addition to the references cited above. For example, it is generally known to place a small sensing antenna or probe a small distance from a radiating antenna for determining, for example, whether or not the radiating antenna is radiating a signal and for monitoring such radiated signal. Additionally, a manufacturer of military antennas several years ago advertised an antenna assembly including a probe disposed integrally within the antenna assembly itself. The advertised antenna assembly had two connectors: one for coupling RF energy to/from the antenna; and the other for connection to the probe. The probe may have been used for monitoring characteristics relating to the radiated output power of the antenna.
While much work has been done in the past relating to near-field measurements of RF transceiving systems, certain major problems have not been solved. For example, near-field measurements in the past have been costly and complicated. No simple, inexpensive device or system has been readily available in the past to provide accurate near-field measurements of certain parameters (e.g., radiated power level; and RF receiver sensitivity) of great importance to the testing of installed avionics RF systems. In addition, prior near-field measuring techniques required great attention and skill in order to provide accurate results. It would be highly desirable to provide a measuring technique that could provide accurate, repeatable results when performed by relatively unskilled technicians.
The present invention solves these and other problems inherent in prior art approaches by providing a low-cost RF probe and associated system that can be used for quickly, easily and relatively accurately measuring the transmitter radiated power and receiver sensitivity of an RF transceiving system (e.g., of the type mounted on the fuselage of an aircraft) while avoiding the standing wave and other troublesome effects encountered using past near-field antenna testing techniques.
In accordance with one aspect of the present invention, a coupling device is provided that makes use of the very close near-field at a distance so small that standing waves and the perturbations of nearby objects have very little effect on the measurements. For example, the near-field is used for measuring the sensitivity of the system by placing the signal injection so close to the antenna of the system under test that disturbances from objects in the far and intermediate fields have very little effect on the coefficient of coupling.
In accordance with another aspect of the present invention, the probe is placed so close to the antenna under test (e.g., 0.1 wavelengths away) that substantially only the tangential E field (and substantially no H field or radial E field) is coupled between the probe and the antenna. Measurements are simplified by the ability to ignore the effects of the H field and the radial E field.
In accordance with yet another feature provided by the present invention, a probe assembly is provided which is capable of mating with an antenna structure (e.g., the airborne blade type antenna of a secondary radar transponder antenna of the type that may be found on the fuselage of some aircraft). Such mating is providing by structure which conformally envelopes at least a portion of the antenna. By so mating the probe assembly with the antenna under test, a predetermined near-field spacing and alignment is accurately provided between a short RF pickup element contained within the probe assembly and the antenna under test. Measurements can thus be performed rapidly and accurately by a relatively unskilled technician--avoiding the need for complicated calibration procedures and equipment.

RF coupler for measuring RF parameters in the near-field


In order to improve visibility and hence to reduce the risk of accidents, a load-carrying rope, for example a wire rope, is equipped with a number of luminous elements. A luminous element may in this case assume the position of a wire or of a braid, may be integrated in an insert, or may be guided in the spaces between wires or braids and preferably within the theoretical rope circumference. The luminous element may also itself be composed of luminous elements which are twisted together, spiralled, or laid in so as to form braids. For strain relief, the luminous elements may be equipped with a reinforcement in the form of a strand, or with a mesh.

The invention relates to a luminous wire rope which provides improved visibility for safety or aesthetic purposes.
Ropes and, in particular, wire ropes are used in various applications in the form of braided or spiral ropes. Braided ropes are used as conveyor and towing ropes for railroads, as crane and elevator ropes and for other purposes. They are also used as winch ropes for winches, for example for piste vehicles, helicopters, ships, cross-country vehicles and the like.
Braided ropes are composed of braids which are laid in a helical shape around an insert (core), and which are themselves formed by wires. Spiral ropes are used in various embodiments (open, half-closed or fully closed) as supporting, guidance, tensioning or terminal ropes for cable cars, in cable works, in architectural cables and for other purposes. Spiral ropes are composed of wires which are twisted together in a helical shape and laid around an insert, generally a core wire (core). Wire ropes composed of drawn steel wires are of major importance owing to their high load strength with comparatively small cross sections. A wire rope of this type is disclosed, for example, in the document EP-A-685592.
Ropes have the disadvantage that they are difficult to see against a terrain background which can lead to accidents if they are not adequately marked.
A light-emitting rope is known, for example, from the document JP-A-1200388. A luminous effect is accordingly produced by a light-emitting area with phosphorescent pigments and with a further light-emitting area with a reflective structure, at least on the outer surface of the main body of the rope.
A rope which is used as a holding rope and pulling rope and having a light function is known, for example, from the document CH-A-674967. In this case, reflective or self-luminous substances are incorporated in the fibers of the rope by means of a finishing process.
The present invention is in contrast based on the object of providing a rope which avoids the necessity for separate marking or for providing a light in the vicinity, at least at times, during its use.


An image forming apparatus includes an image bearing member, a process member that acts on the image bearing member, a voltage application unit that applies a voltage to the process member, a current detection unit that detects an electric current that flows to the image bearing member, and a control unit that causes the voltage application unit to apply voltages respectively having positive and negative polarities to the process member, to determine a surface potential of the image bearing member based on a detection result acquired by the current detection unit, and to output information about a usage amount of the image bearing member according to the determined result.

1. Field
Aspects of the present invention generally relate to an image forming apparatus including a function of detecting a surface potential of an image bearing member on which a latent image is formed.
2. Description of the Related Art
An electrophotographic image forming apparatus includes a photosensitive drum serving as an image bearing member. The photosensitive drum is used when the image forming apparatus forms an electrostatic latent image and develops the formed electrostatic latent image with toner to form a developer image (image). When the electrostatic latent image is formed on the photosensitive drum, a surface of the photosensitive drum needs to be charged. A charge amount necessary to charge the surface of the photosensitive drum is changed depending on various factors such as environment in which the image forming apparatus is used, a film thickness and sensitivity of the photosensitive drum, and a variation of circuit elements in, for example, a high-voltage circuit used for a charging operation. A change in the charge amount causes a variation in a potential difference (also called a back contrast) between the charge amount of the photosensitive drum and a development voltage (also called a development bias) used to develop the latent image with toner. Such a variation may degrade image quality or affect a toner consumption amount.
Moreover, when the photosensitive drum has been used for a long time, a surface layer of the photosensitive drum becomes abraded. This significantly decreases a charge amount, causing degradation in image quality including generation of a defective image and a decrease in image density.
Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2000-347545 discusses a method for suppressing image quality degradation due to deterioration in the photosensitive drum. According to this method, a surface potential of the photosensitive drum is detected by a surface potential measuring unit, and an image forming condition is controlled according to the detection result.
However, the method using the surface potential measuring unit discussed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2000-347545 can only detect a local potential on the photosensitive drum. Consequently, in a case where the surface potential measuring unit detects a surface potential of the photosensitive drum with dust and toner attached to the surface of the photosensitive drum, the surface potential cannot be accurately detected. Thus, it has been desired that the surface potential of the photosensitive drum is detected with accuracy regardless of the surface state of the photosensitive drum.

Image forming apparatus and image forming system


A lidar system, preferably including one or more transmit modules, beam directors, and/or receive modules, and optionally including one or more processing modules. A method of lidar system operation, preferably including: emitting light beams, receiving reflected light beams, and/or analyzing data associated with the received light beams.

Typical lidar systems and methods are limited to a single beam of light per emitter and/or detector. As such, it may be impractical for such systems and methods to employ more than a few beams of light, thereby limiting their performance. Thus, there is a need in the object detection field to create a new and useful lidar system and method of operation.


The present invention relates to a method and an apparatus for single sign-on in a mobile communication system. A method in which a browsing agent performs single sign-on in a mobile communication system according to the present invention comprises: a step of transmitting user-supplied identifier to a relay party (RP); a step of receiving, from said RP, a message indicating that a browser should be re-directed to said RP; a step of transmitting an identifier of an authentication agent to an open ID provider (OP)/network application function (NAF); and a step of transmitting, to the authentication agent, the identifier of the authentication agent or a message that triggers to make an inquiry into the identifier of the authentication agent. According to the present invention, a single sign-on procedure may be performed in a safer manner.

Single Sign-On (SSO) is an access control method which makes it possible for a user to logs in once and gains access all permitted resources. In the case of using SSO, the user can log in all available servers automatically using one user ID and password.
The conventional SSO method has security vulnerability in the ID transmission and authentication procedure for SSO. Such security vulnerability brings on fishing attack.

Method and apparatus for single sign-on in a mobile communication system


A computer implemented method of processing an image for display on a mobile communication device includes extracting a portion of an image based on an image map. The image map relates to the portion of the image. The method also includes generating a document that comprises the extracted portion of the image and transmitting the generated document to a remote device for display. The method may also include assigning a selectable link to the extracted portion of the image and receiving a request from the remote device for an initial document having the image and image map. Additionally, the method may include storing in a database the generated document and transmitting the stored generated document in response to future requests for the initial document.

As computers and computer networks become more and more able to access a variety of graphical information, people are demanding more ways to obtain that information. Specifically, people now expect to have access, on the road, in the home, or in the office, to information previously available only from a permanently-connected personal computer hooked to an appropriately provisioned network. They want images of current people in the news from their cell phones, e-mail with photographs of family from their personal digital assistants (PDAs), and up-to-date documents with embedded pictures from their palm tops. They also want all of this information when traveling, whether locally, domestically, or internationally, in an easy-to-use, portable device.
Portability generally requires a device small in size, which in turn limits the screen area available for displaying content. This limitation may require the portable device to reduce images to an illegible or unrecognizable state when displayed on a small screen. Alternatively, the image may be displayed at a larger size, but a user must scroll to see some parts of the image.
Additionally, some images may be associated with image maps that defined portions of the image as "hotspots," or links, a user may select to perform an action, such as navigating to a web page. Some current portable devices do not maintain the link with the defined portions of the image. Instead, the devices separate the links from the image and list them as textual links outside the image. These separated links, however, are no longer associated with the context provided by the image to guide the user in selecting the links. The separation of the links from the graphical context can confuse the user as to the content of the links.


A magazine for a fastening tool drives one or more fasteners into a workpiece. The magazine generally includes an outer case and an inner rail movable relative to the outer case. The inner rail is extendable from the outer case to permit adding the one or more fasteners to the magazine. A bar extends between a front end and a rear end of the inner rail. A pusher bearing slidably receives the bar. A spring biases the pusher bearing toward the front end. A pusher block is coupled to the pusher bearing and disposed over the bar. The pusher block is operable to rock about the pusher bearing as the pusher block is sliding through the inner rail to urge the one or more fasteners toward the front end.

A number of pneumatically and electrically operated tools have been developed to drive fasteners, such as staples and nails, into workpieces. Typically, these tools employ a magazine for holding a plurality of the fasteners and feeding the fasteners into a nose of the tool prior to driving the fasteners into the workpiece.
Despite the widespread use of such tools, it is known that fasteners being fed through the magazine and into a driver blade channel formed in the nosepiece of the fastening tool can jam. In this regard, stack-up tolerances of all of the components of the magazine, plus imperfections in the fasteners, can contribute to the fasteners jamming in the magazine. While jammed fasteners can be readily evacuated from the magazine and the nose, there remains room in the art for improvement.

Pusher bearing and pusher block for magazine


An artwork assemblage is created by the providing of a base plate, with initially directing a writing instrument about a top surface of the base plate to effect creation of a picture outline imparting outline lines upon the base plate top surface. A woodburning tool is subsequently utilized to impart heated, inscribed lines tracing the picture outline. A paint brush is utilized to impart paint and a covering surface such as varnish and the like to the top surface. A lace framework is secured to a continuous side wall of the base plate, wherein subsequently illumination bulbs are mounted within through-extending bores directed from the top surface to a bottom surface of the base plate, with electrical lines and a battery supply mounted to the bottom surface of the base plate.

1. Field of the Invention
The field of invention relates to artwork classifications, and more particularly pertains to a new and improved woodburning picture method wherein the same is arranged to effect amusement and entertainment of individuals simultaneously creating artwork upon a base plate for subsequent mounting.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Artwork of various types are utilized in the prior art to create aesthetic and pleasing shapes and forms for entertainment and amusement of individuals. Such artwork is exemplified in U.S. Pat. No. 4,578,131 to Hawkins setting forth a three-dimensional sculptured painting sculptured over a top surface of a base plate to create a three-dimensional effect of layers.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,113,099 to Beckerman sets forth a wood carving kit to carve grooves to create an artwork product.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,631,847 to Colin; 3,826,020 to Zutz; and 4,255,873 to Eberle are further examples of multi-dimensional artwork creations.
As such, it may be appreciated that there continues to be a need for a new and improved woodburning picture method as set forth by the instant invention which addresses both the problems of ease of use as well as effectiveness in construction and in this respect, the present invention substantially fulfills this need.

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North Fork Manor Apts. 209 B-6 401 Elizabeth St.


It is an object of the invention to obtain a generator motor for vehicles that can increase generated power or generated torque by a special positioning of permanent magnets in gaps between predetermined claw magnetic poles. The invention provides a generator motor for vehicles that includes a stator and a rotor provided rotatably within the inner periphery of the stator. The rotor includes: a pair of pole cores with plural claw magnetic poles formed on outer peripheral sides thereof, the plural claw magnetic poles of respective pole cores facing opposite to each other and meshing; plural permanent magnets that are arranged in the spaces between the claw magnetic poles adjacent to one another in the rotor circumferential direction; and a magnetic field coil that is mounted inside the pole cores. In the generator motor for vehicles, each permanent magnet02 is positioned toward one of the claw magnetic poles away from the center in the circumferential direction of the space between the claw magnetic poles.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a generator motor for vehicles that is mounted on a vehicle and functions as a generator or a motor.
2. Description of the Related Art
Conventionally, it is known that one generator motor in a vehicle drives vehicle-mounted devices and as well performs such functions as generating power for battery charging at the time of engine start and idling stop. When a magnetic field rotor with a magnetic field coil wound around pole cores having claw magnetic poles is used in this generator motor for vehicles, there is known a technique for mounting permanent magnets between the claw magnetic poles neighboring one another along the periphery of the pole cores. The permanent magnets are polarized in a direction opposite to the direction of leakage flux between claw magnetic poles to reduce the leakage fluxes between the claw magnetic poles or relax magnetic saturation due to the magnetic field main magnetic flux. Magnetic fluxes are interlinked with a stator core to increase effective magnetic flux which contributes to power generation or torque generation, whereby output of the generator and the motor is improved.
As an AC generator using permanent magnets, for example, JP-A-10-4661 (page 2, FIGS. 1 to 3) discloses an AC generator that includes a magnetic field coil for exciting a core of a rotor, plural magnets disposed in the core independent from one another, and magnet holding members that connect the plural magnets and are mounted together with the magnets. A molded product made from a nonmagnetic substance, resin, or the like is used as the magnet holding members.
Improvement of generated torque is desired in a generator motor for vehicles. In particular, in a generator motor for vehicles for providing an idle stop function, it is necessary to increase generated torque for engine start, that is, starting torque for a motor. In addition, recently, in the generator motor for vehicles, it is also necessary to increase output of power generation because of the increase in the number of electric devices mounted on a vehicle. In a generator motor having permanent magnets in a rotor, generated torque and amount of power generation increase if the volume of the permanent magnets (magnet power) is increased. However, the permanent magnets are expensive and it is likely that centrifugal force in high-speed rotation of the rotor increases and the permanent magnets scatter when the volume of the permanent magnets increase. Thus, it is desirable that output is improved without increasing the volume of the permanent magnets.
In the conventional technique described above, since the plural permanent magnets are connected and held by holding members to be mounted among the claw magnetic poles, there is the advantage that workability in mounting the permanent magnets is improved and the permanent magnets can be held surely. However, since the permanent magnets are closely mounted in magnet holding sections of the holding members provided among the claw magnetic poles, there is no room for trying new arrangements of the permanent magnets. In addition, since there is no space between the claw magnetic poles and the permanent magnets, it is likely that problems occur because stress is caused by temperature changes due to the difference in thermal expansion of the claw magnetic poles and of the permanent magnets.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.


Residual, refractory or relapsed cancer is treated by immunostimulation in the presence of allogeneic immune effector cells, optimally in combination with radiation therapy. The methods of the disclosure induce a systemic allogeneic anti-tumor immune response that results in tumor regression in untreated sites of disease, i.e. non-injected, non-irradiated, etc.

Cytoreductive therapy and allogeneic bone marrow or blood stem cell transplantation (HCT) is a treatment strategy that utilizes the administration of anti-cancer drugs and/or radiation therapy for the purpose of killing cancer cells and transplantation of hematopoietic cells to "rescue" or restore bone marrow blood and immune cell production. There can be significant side-effects, but type and severity of the side effects are influenced by the degree of HLA matching between donor and recipient; the condition and age of the patient; the specific treatment regimen; and the degree of suppression of the immune system.
Graft-versus-host disease is a common complication of allogeneic stem cell transplant. In this reaction, lymphocytes from the donor attack cells in the body of the recipient, particularly in the skin, gastrointestinal tract and liver. Common symptoms of acute graft-versus-host disease are skin rashes, jaundice, liver disease and diarrhea. Graft-versus-host disease also increases a patient's susceptibility to infection. Graft-versus-host disease can develop within days or as long as 3 years after transplantation. Graft-versus-host disease can also have an anti-cancer effect because donor lymphocytes can kill cancer cells as well as normal cells. When donor lymphocytes kill cancer cells, it can be referred to as graft-versus-tumor effect.
For patients who do not achieve or sustain a complete response to primary therapy, stem cell rescue by allogeneic HCT is often the treatment of choice. Allogeneic HCT can be considered a treatment option for select patients, especially those who have bone marrow involvement or who have relapse of diagnosis after autologous HCT. Allogeneic HCT can induce prolonged remissions and even cure some patients with chemotherapy refractory disease. An important mechanism of cancer eradication comes from the recognition of residual host tumor cells by donor-derived immune cells contained in the donor graft; termed the graft versus tumor (GVT) effect. This concept was initially developed from studies that used T-cell-depleted donor grafts in which graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) was eliminated. Without donor T-cells, patients suffered a high incidence of disease recurrence.
The demonstration that donor immune-mediated mechanisms are critical in controlling residual disease challenged the concept that relatively toxic full-dose chemoradiation is required for cure following allogeneic HCT. Transplant regimens that use significantly lower doses of chemoradiation, termed reduced intensity conditioning (RIC), that at the same time remain sufficiently immune-ablative to allow full donor hematopoietic cell engraftment have shifted the burden of tumor eradication to GVT effects. In an effort to reduce GVHD without compromising GVT reactions, a model has been developed for clinical practice where patients who receive low-dose total lymphoid irradiation (TLI) combined with depletive T-cell antibodies (anti-thymocyte serum) are infused with donor grafts. The majority of patients developed sustained donor-derived hematopoiesis and had a very low incidence of acute GVHD and non-relapse mortality.
Irrespective of whether a full dose or RIC transplant approach is pursued, relapse and disease progression remain the single largest cause of treatment failure after allogeneic HCT. Disease relapse after allogeneic HCT portends a poor outcome as typically allogeneic HCT was performed as a "last effort" for cure. Patients who experience relapse of lymphoma after allogeneic HCT remain in a unique circumstance in that they have progressive host-derived lymphoma with mixed (5-95%) or complete (>95%) donor hematopoietic cell chimerism. In some settings the 3-year cumulative risk of relapse after transplantation is 37% for patients who achieve complete donor hematopoietic cell chimerism and 78% among patients with mixed donor chimerism.
Interventions to treat relapsed disease included chemotherapy and/or radiation therapy (RT), withdrawal of immunosuppression or donor lymphocyte infusion (DLI). Despite these interventions, overall survival from time of relapse at 5 years is poor. Salvage treatment with radiation to bulky or symptomatic sites with or without chemotherapy induced responses in the majority of patients (>50%), yet the responses were generally of short duration (<6 months). Alternatively, in the absence of GVHD, DLI can be given yet this strategy is often complicated by the subsequent development of severe GVHD.

The Board of Trustees of the Leland Stanford Junior University


Oxide materials having a composition described by the formula SrBi.sub.2.00- Ta.sub.2.00-x Nb.sub.x O.sub.9, where x ranges from 0.00 to 2.00 and is controlled to within about 1%, are provided having improved high temperature performance. A batch of the desired composition is initially prepared by conventional processes to provide a nominal composition that may be close to the desired composition, but not the exact desired composition. A portion of the batch is processed to form a thin film, the stoichiometry of which is then analyzed. The batch composition is then modified by adding thereto a quantity of one or more of the constituents to bring the batch composition to the desired stoichiometry. Further improved high temperature performance is achieved with values of x within the range of about 0.10 to 1.9, and more preferably, about 0.4 to 0.7, and most preferably about 0.56. The thus-modified metal organic acid salt solutions provide ceramic thin films having improved electrical properties (particularly consistent properties from batch-to-batch, improved ferroelectric remnant polarization, and much improved high temperature performance) as compared to the thin films prepared from unmodified solutions. The present invention provides for new materials, particularly new niobium-substituted, bismuth-layered structured materials and a process to make these materials on a consistent batch-to-batch basis.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to improved layered bismuth oxide ferroelectric materials and a process for fabrication of the materials into devices via the metal-organic decomposition method.
2. Description of Related Art
A new class of layered ferroelectric materials having a layered perovskite structure have begun finding use as thin ferroelectric films in radiation-hard, non-volatile microelectronic memories, high dielectric constant capacitors, energy storage devices, and the like. These layered materials comprise complex oxides of metals such as strontium, calcium, barium, bismuth, cadmium, lead, titanium, tantalum, hafnium, tungsten, niobium, zirconium, scandium, yttrium, lanthanum, antimony, chromium, and thallium that spontaneously form layered crystalline lattices that include alternating layers of distinctly different sublattices, such as ferroelectric and non-ferroelectric sublattices. Generally, each layered material will include two or more of the above metals. For example, strontium, bismuth, and tantalum form the layered material strontium bismuth tantalate, SrBi.sub.2 Ta.sub.2 O.sub.9 (SBTO).
In addition to having good values of the ferroelectric parameters, it is also important that the physical quality of the ferroelectric films be suitable for use in manufacturing processes. For example, the film should have a relatively uniform grain size, which results in better thin film quality, i.e., films free of cracks and other defects. The film grain size should also be small compared to the thickness of the film; otherwise, the roughness of the film can be comparable to the thickness and other dimensions of the device components, which makes it difficult or impossible to fabricate devices within tolerances, with concomittant short circuits and other electrical breakdowns. Further, it is important that the fabrication processes be ones that can be performed relatively rapidly, since long processes are more expensive in terms of the use of facilities and personnel.
A variety of techniques has been disclosed for fabricating such layered ferroelectric materials; see, e.g., U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,434,102 and 5,439,845, both issued to H. Watanabe et al. The wafer is baked to dry the precursor and annealed to form a layered material on the wafer. Each metal in the ferroelectric material is formed separately as a carboxylate and the carboxylates are combined prior to application to the wafer. The carboxylates may be formed (in the case of strontium) by reacting the metal with a carboxylic acid. For the case of the other metals, these may be formed by reaction of a carboxylic acid with a metal alkyl or aryl or, more preferably, with a metal alkoxide.
The technique of Watanabe et al employs metallo-organic decomposition (MOD) to form the layered ferroelectric materials. These materials have the formula (rewritten) SrBi.sub.4-2x+.alpha. {(Ta.sub.1-y Nb.sub.y).sub.x (Ti.sub.z Zr.sub.1-z).sub.2-2x }.sub.2 O.sub.15-x 6x, where 0.ltoreq.x.ltoreq.1.0, 0.ltoreq.y.ltoreq.1.0, 0.ltoreq.z.ltoreq.1.0, and x-2.ltoreq..alpha..ltoreq.1.6(2-x).
In another technique, described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,316,579, issued to L. D. McMillan et al, fine mists of liquids are generated, using a rotating turbine blade disposed within an enclosure. A mixture of a liquid and a carrier gas are flowed into the enclosure such that it immediately impacts on the rotating turbine blade disposed near a lower end of the enclosure, and the resulting mist is withdrawn under vacuum near an upper end of the enclosure. The fine mists are used in the chemical vapor deposition of thin films of complex chemical compounds, such as ferroelectrics.
Applications of the layered ferroelectric materials include non-volatile memories (see, e.g., U.S. Pat. No. 5,406,510, issued to T. Mihara et al) and ferroelectric capacitors (see, e.g., C. A. Paz de Arujo et al, "Fatigue-free ferroelectric capacitors with platinum electrodes", Nature, Vol. 374, pp. 627-629 (13 Apr. 1995)).
Previous work in the art of ferroelectric materials has concentrated on the bismuth layered structure SrBi.sub.2 Ta.sub.2 O.sub.9 (SBTO). It has been shown that this material can produce devices with much improved retention of polarization and fatigue (useful number of cycles of polarization) as compared to other ferroelectric metal oxides (for example, lead zirconium titanate PZT!). Symetrix Corporation and its licensee, Kujundo Chemical of Japan, offer for sale a liquid source and process to construct BSTO material and devices. However, the inventors of the present invention have found that the supplied chemicals and process do not give devices with consistent electrical properties nor devices with sufficient properties at elevated temperatures.
In the patents and publications listed above, Symetrix Corporation describes liquid source materials and a process to produce bismuth-layered ceramic thin film ferroelectric devices. Both Symetrix, and their licensee (Kojundo Chemical) offer for sale the liquid source to the material, named "Y1", which is disclosed as the bismuth-layered structure SrBi.sub.2 Ta.sub.2 O.sub.9. According to the Symetrix disclosures, a liquid source containing a metal salt--organic acid mixture having the stoichiometry of Bi.sub.2.18 Sr.sub.0.99- Ta.sub.2.00 gives on processing the desired Y1 material. However, in the experience of the present inventors, the liquid source of Y1 supplied by either Symetrix or Kojundo does not on processing always give Y1 ferroelectric films of consistent electrical quality. Also, the Y1 thus formed, even in its best examples, does not have sufficient high temperature performance to meet the critical needs of the military and space systems hardware electronics applications.
Thus, a need remains to provide a liquid source that upon processing gives mixed metal oxide films of reproducible stoichiometry, and particularly ferroelectric films of consistent electrical quality and high temperature performance.

Process for making stoichiometric mixed metal oxide films


A mixing unit for mixing rubber has a mixing chamber and at least one rotor positioned therein. A drive, for driving the at least one rotor, is positioned exterior to the mixing chamber. The at least one rotor has a shaft penetrating outwardly from the mixing chamber and connected to the drive. An inlet opening is positioned at the top side of the mixing chamber. A first closure closes the inlet opening. An outlet opening is positioned at the bottom of the mixing chamber and can be closed by a second closure. At least one first connector is provided for affecting pressure in the mixing chamber. An air-tight enclosure for the shaft penetrating from the mixing chamber is provided. The enclosure has at least one second connector for affecting pressure in the enclosure.

The present invention relates to an elastomer mixing unit, especially a mixing unit for rubber and rubber mixtures, with a mixing chamber, one or two rotors arranged in the mixing chamber and having shafts that penetrate the sidewalls of the mixing chamber, respectively, its housing. An inlet opening that is closed off is provided at the top. An outlet opening that can be closed off by a flap is provided for removing the mixed material. The mixing unit has one or more connectors for a suction line or a compressed air line for affecting the pressure within the mixing chamber.
In certain situations it is expedient to produce rubber mixtures in a vacuum or to perform mastication of natural rubber at increased air pressure. It is known to evacuate the mixing chamber with a suction line by providing suction within the area of the closeable inlet opening of the mixing unit. This type of mixing is, however, unsatisfactory because the rotor shafts must be positioned exterior to the mixing chamber and must be driven exterior to the mixing chamber. The required penetration of the sidewalls of the mixing chamber, respectively, of the mixing chamber housing and the thus resulting leaks prevent a sufficiently great pressure difference relative to the atmosphere.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a mixing unit of the aforementioned kind with which in the mixing chamber a sufficiently high pressure or vacuum can be produced with simple technical means.


A toy and reciprocating lamp holder arrangement includes a toy body holding a power drive, and a lamp holder unit coupled to the power drive, the lamp holder unit including a shell, two eccentric wheels revolvably mounted inside the shell, a shaft coupled between the eccentric wheels, a gear transmission mechanism driven by the power drive to turn the eccentric wheel and the shaft, and a plurality of cylindrical lamp holders arranged around the shaft between the eccentric shells coupled to respective annular tracks on the eccentric wheels, the cylindrical lamp holders being reciprocated along radial guide grooves on the shell when the power drive is started.

The present invention relates to a toy and reciprocating lamp holder arrangement which comprises a toy body holding a power drive, and a lamp holder unit holding a plurality of radially arranged cylindrical lamp holders, the lamp holders being reciprocated when the power drive is started.
Various toys are known having movable parts driven by power drive means carried thereon through transmission means. These toys are less attractive because they are simply driven to turn or to oscillate movable parts thereof.

Toy and reciprocating lamp holder arrangement


An electrode catheter includes a metal inner tube with distal and proximal ends and an outer tube formed of a synthetic resin so as to cover the outside surface of the inner tube. The inner tube has a helical slit formed from the distal end to a predetermined position, and one or more insulated wires are laid inside the inner tube from the proximal end to the distal end portion. One or more electrodes are disposed on the outer tube, with the wires extending out of the inner tube through the slit and connected to the electrodes. This electrode catheter possesses high pushability and torque-transmission capability along with a high flexibility and kink resistance, and can be easily inserted into a desired position of complexly branched thin blood vessels without kink or breakage of the wires caused by collapse of the lumen.

This invention relates to an electrode catheter which is inserted into the body of a patient for an electrophysiological examination, especially to an electrode catheter for use in the electrophysiological examinations made prior to the therapies for tachycardiac arrhythmia such as WPW (Wolff-Perkinson-White) syndrome or paroxysmal supraventricular tachycardia.
The electrophysiological examination made prior to the therapies for tachycardiac arrhythmia is conventionally performed by using a plurality of electrode catheters whose structure is such that one or two to ten electrodes are secured to the outside surface of the distal end portion, and the lead wires of the electrodes are extended through the inside of the hollow catheter to the proximal end for connection to a measuring apparatus. In the electrophysiological examination for bypass pathway-caused arrhythmia such as WPW syndrome, the bypass pathway which exists in the annulus of cardiac valves must be located- Since a thick coronary sinus runs in the annulus of mitral valve, measurements in the left heart portion can be performed relatively easily by inserting the multi-electrode catheter into the coronary sinus. However, there is no thick vein running in the annulus of tricuspid valve in the right heart portion. The right coronary artery running in this area is thin, and hence it is difficult to insert the conventional multi-electrode catheter into the right coronary artery. If the catheter could be inserted into the right coronary artery, there is a danger of causing acute myocardial infraction by obstructing the blood flow. For this reason, measurements in the annulus of tricuspid valve is performed by inserting an electrode catheter with an electrode at the tip into the right ventricle and moving the measuring position one point after another, resulting in a very cumbersome examination which takes a few hours.
Since the conventional examination is performed by using electrode catheters equipped with a small number of electrodes as described above, it takes a long time to locate the bypass pathway accurately. On the other hand, electrodes must be disposed at large intervals in order to measure over a wide area in a short time by a catheter with a small number of electrodes. It is difficult to locate the bypass pathway accurately by such a catheter with a small number of electrodes disposed at large intervals. Further, it is also difficult to increase the number of electrodes of the conventional electrode catheter in order to solve this problem. If the number of electrodes is increased, the number of signal transmitting wires must also be increased, resulting in a larger outside diameter of the catheter which makes examination of the right heart portion difficult.
An electrode probe to solve the above problem was proposed by the same inventors as of this application in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 335460/1994.The electrode probe has a plurality of electrodes which are formed by winding 12 wires for signal transmission on a PTCA guide wire made of Ni-Ti alloy and removing the insulating coating of the wires at the distal end portion of the winding.
This conventional electrode probe (electrode catheter) is relatively easy to insert into normal blood vessels. However, when there are lesions such as aneurysm and arteriovenous teratoid tumor in blood vessels, an electrode catheter must be inserted to an intended position by way of complexly branched thin blood vessels. To be easy to insert into thin blood vessels, an electrode catheter must have a high pushability which faithfully transmits a move in the axial direction applied to the proximal end portion to the distal end, a high torque transmitting ability which faithfully transmits a turn around the axis applied to the proximal end portion up to the distal end, and a high kink-resistance which prevents the catheter from collapsing at a bend in a blood vesseL However, the conventional electrode probe does not have sufficiently high pushability and torque transmitting ability because of the insufficient rigidity of the center wire which is made thin, though it has a high kink-resistance.
In addition, to lay the wires inside the catheter tube, a process which forms holes in the wall of the catheter tube, passes the wires through the holes from the inside to the outside of the catheter tube, and connects the wires to their corresponding electrodes is needed. This process can be applied to conventional electrode catheters whose inner tube diameter is equal to or greater than 2 mm and whose have up to three electrodes, though the working is difficult. However, for an electrode catheter whose inner tube diameter is 1.5 to 1.0 mm or smaller and whose has three electrodes, as thin as a guide wire, it is very difficult to form holes in the wall of the tube and to pass the wires through the thus-formed holes.
Further, if the outside diameter of a conventional electrode catheter is reduced, the diameter of the inner tube also becomes smaller. When the outside diameter is 1.0 mm, for example, the inside diameter becomes 0.6 mm since the wall thickness of about 0.2 mm is required to be usable as a catheter If the diameter of the wires used is 0.1 mm and 20 wires are laid inside the catheter, the lumen of the catheter is almost fully filled with the wires. When a bending stress is applied to this catheter, the catheter bends and exerts a stress on the lead wires which almost fully filling the lumen. The catheter collapses when an excessive bending stress is applied, exerting a greater stress on the wires. Since the wires almost fully filling the lumen of the catheter, deformation of the catheter exerts a stress on the wires, and the wires can break in the worst case.
The strength of the catheter decreases to provide the plural holes (especially, above four electrodes) to pass the wires to a catheter. The catheter may be broken at a part of the catheter provided many holes. This invention has been made in consideration of the above conventional electrode catheters. The object of this invention is to provide an electrode catheter whose number of electrodes can be increased without increase of the diameter, the problem with the conventional electrode catheter, and which has a high torque transmission capability, flexibility, and kink-resistance.


A system and method are presented for controlling a process applied to a structure comprising at least one of material removal and material deposition processes. The system comprises: a heating radiation source configured and operable to generate a temperature field profile across a processing area of the structure; and a control unit configured and operable to control operation of said heating radiation source in accordance with a predetermined pattern map within the processing area, so as to create a corresponding pattern selective profile of said temperature field across said processing area providing desired pattern selective distribution of at least one parameter characterizing the process applied to the processing area of the structure.

The present invention is in the field of manufacture of patterned structures, and relates to a method and system for controlling the patterning stage, in particularly useful for manufacturing semiconductor devices.
The manufacture of semiconductor devices includes several procedures applied to a semiconductor wafer to define active and passive elements of the device. The semiconductor wafer is prepared and one or more layers are deposited thereon. Thereafter, the process of photolithography is performed, in which the surface of a wafer is formed with a pattern conforming to circuit elements. An etching (material removal) process applied to the uppermost layer follows the photolithography. Etch pattern is usually filled with desired material/materials, and Chemical Mechanical Polishing (CMP) is applied to remove excess of material/s, create flat top surface, etc. These steps of material deposition and material removal are repeated to create a desired multi-layer patterned structure. Thus, the structure undergoing the inspection is that resulting from the final etching procedure, i.e., with the complete layer pattern.
Techniques for controlling the material removal processes have been developed. For example, WO 2015/101989, assigned to the assignee of the present application, describes a surface planarization system utilizing an external energy source for generating a localized energy distribution within a processing region, and a control unit for operating the external energy source to create, by the localized energy distribution, a predetermined temperature pattern within the processing region. The temperature pattern is such that different locations of the processing region are subjected to different temperatures. This provides that when a sample (e.g. semiconductor wafer) during its interaction with an etching material composition is located in the processing region, the temperature pattern at different locations of the sample's surface creates different material removal rates by the etching material composition (different etch rates).
Methods for control of material removal rate with wafer temperature for Dry etch are also known. For example, US 2014/0220709 describes a technique for controlling CD and CD uniformity with trim time and temperature on a wafer by wafer basis, according to which a plasma processing system is utilized having a wafer support assembly including a plurality of independently controllable temperature control zones across a chuck and a controller that controls each temperature control zone. For all these cases wafer is heated through a special chuck that allows to create radial distribution of the temperature and/or "localized" heating with a "spatial" resolution of a few millimeters.

Method and system for processing patterned structures


A DC—DC converter is provided for converting an input voltage to a first output voltage. The input voltage is input to a first selecting switch, controlled by a first signal, and a second selecting switch. A first capacitor has one end, input by the first signal, and the other end, electrically coupled to the first selecting switch and outputs a first control voltage to control the second selecting switch. A second capacitor has one end, input by a second signal, and the other end, electrically coupled to the second selecting switch and outputs a first storage voltage. The first select switch outputs the first storage voltage as the first output voltage according to the first control voltage. The first or the second signal comes to a first and a second voltage levels by turns and they come to the first or the second level at a different time point.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates in general to DC—DC converters, and more particularly to DC—DC converters that are capable of outputting three times amplified, and two times amplified and inverted voltages.
2. Description of the Related Art
DC—DC converter is a circuit device that receives an input DC voltage and produces a DC output voltage. DC—DC converters have been used to amplify DC voltages, or to invert input DC voltages and output them as negative voltages. Due to their ability to receive low input voltages and consume low power, DC—DC converters have been widely used in all types of electronic products.
Low temperature poly-Si LCDs (liquid crystal display) are equipped with the technology to integrate circuits onto the glass substrate. Thus, integrating the DC—DC converter onto the LCD panel can result in many advantages including the reduction of the surrounding area, the ability to have low voltage supply and a single DC voltage source input, the reduction in production costs, and the ability to apply in mobile electronic products.
FIG. 1A is a circuit diagram of the traditional DC—DC converter. DC—DC converter 100, applying the theory of charge pump, uses clock signals {overscore (φ1)}, φ2, φ1 and φ2 to control transistors SW1, SW2, SW3 and SW4, and converts input voltage VDD to output voltage Vo1 of 2VDD. Then DC—DC converter uses clock signals φ2, {overscore (φ2)}, {overscore (φ2)} and {overscore (φ2)} to control transistors SW5, SW6, SW7 and SW8, and converts the value of output voltage Vo1 to an output voltage Vo2 of 3VDD, and also uses clock signals φ2, φ2, {overscore (φ1)}, and φ1 to control transistors SW9, SW10, SW11 and SW12, and converts output voltage Vo1 to output voltage Vo3 of −2VDD.
As shown in FIG. 1B, at time T1, the voltage level of clock signal φ1 is at VDD, the voltage level of clock signal φ2 is at 3VDD, and the voltage level of clock signal {overscore (φ1)} is at −2VDD. At this time, transistor SW1 and SW4 turn on, but transistor SW2 and SW3 remain off, making the voltage across capacitor C1 to equal VDD. At time T2, clock signal φ1 is at −2VDD, clock signal φ2 is at 0V, clock signal {overscore (φ1)} is at VDD, and clock signal {overscore (φ2)} is at 3VDD. At this time, transistors SW1 and SW4 are turned off, and transistor SW2 and SW3 are turned on, causing output voltage Vo1 to become 2VDD. In addition, at time T2, transistors SW5 and SW7 are turned on, and SW6 and SW8 are turned off, causing the voltage across C2 to be VDD. And transistors SW10 and SW11 are turned on, and transistors SW9 and SW12 remain off, causing the voltage across C3 to be 2VDD.
At time T3, clock signal φ1 is at signal level VDD, clock signal φ2 is at 3VDD, clock signal {overscore (φ1)} is at −2VDD, and clock signal {overscore (φ2)} is at 0V. At this time, transistors SW5 and SW7 are turned off, and transistors SW6 and SW8 are turned on, causing output voltage Vo2 to become 3VDD. And transistors SW10 and SW11 are turned off, and transistors SW9 and SW12 are turned on, causing output voltage Vo3 become −2VDD.
However, the described DC—DC converter 100 must use additional shift register 110 and 120 to convert clock signal CLK individually into the described clock signals φ1, {overscore (φ1)}, φ2 and {overscore (φ2)}, as shown on FIG. 1C. Only then the DC—DC converter 100 can output the expected two times amplified, three times amplified, and two times amplified and inverted output voltages. However, the positive bias VDD and negative bias −2VDD of level shifter 110, and the positive bias 3VDD of level shifter 120 are provided by the DC—DC converter 100, thus, this structure will not only increase the loading of DC—DC converter 100, but also aggravate the time required for DC—DC converter 100 to output stabilized voltage.
FIG. 2 is a circuit diagram of the DC—DC converter disclosed by U.S. Pat. No. 6,509,894. DC—DC converter 210 or 220 uses the clock signal HCK of the shift register (not shown on the figure) on the panel of low temperature poly-Si LCD as the clock signal, and uses inverter 211 and 212 or inverter 221 and 222 to output clock signals φ11 and φ12 or clock signals φ21 and φ22. The clock signals are used to charge and discharge the capacitors C11 and C12 or C21 and C22 to control transistors T11, T12 and T13 or transistors T21, T22, and T23, and cause DC—DC converter 210 or 220 to be able to amplify the DC input voltage to produce twice amplified and inverted output voltages.
However, the high voltage levels of clock signal HCK of the shift register (not shown on the figure), located on the panel of the low temperature poly-Si LCD, are mostly at 3.3V. In order to produce a positive output voltage 2VDD of 9˜10V, and a negative output voltage −VDD of −6.5V˜−5V, the DC input voltage VDD and the positive bias voltage VDD of inverter 211, 212, 221 and 222 must be equal to 5V. Thus, the DC—DC converter of the LCD as disclosed by U.S. Pat. No. 6,509,894 must use an additional 5V DC voltage source and thereby increases the production cost of the system and the power consumption.

DC-DC converter for converting an input voltage to a first output voltage


Described are systems, media, and methods for discovery of media relevant to a user and sharing the media with the user.

More photos are being snapped today than at any other point in history. The explosion in popularity of phones equipped with cameras, paired with steady development in photo-sharing software has led to staggering statistics: 33% of the photos taken today are taken on a smartphone; over 1 billion photos are taken on smartphones daily; and 250 million photos are uploaded to Facebook every day. Despite the great opportunity for consumption of all these photographs, today's simplistic tools for sharing and viewing them leave much to be desired.

Discovery and sharing of photos between devices


An electrically erasable and programmable memory in which control gate transistors have been suppressed includes memory cells each with an access transistor and a floating gate transistor. A word line decoder is connected to word lines of the memory cells by a selection line connected to the gate terminals of the access transistors of the word line, and by a control gate line connected to the control gates of the floating gate transistors of the word line. Thus the voltage applicable to the gate terminals of the floating gate transistors is no longer limited by the voltage susceptible of being obtained on the source terminal of the control gate transistors.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to electrically erasable and programmable memories.
The present invention more particularly relates to an erasable and programmable memory, comprising memory cells, each incorporating a floating gate transistor connected in series with MOS access transistor.
2. Description of the Related Art
FIG. 1 represents an example of EEPROM memory cell of the type mentioned hereinbefore, comprising a floating gate transistor FGT which drain terminal is connected to the source terminal of an access transistor AT. The gate terminal of the AT transistor is connected to a word line R and the drain terminal of the AT transistor is connected to a bit line BL.
FIGS. 2A and 2B show the cell represented in FIG. 1 in top view and cross-sectional view, respectively. The cell is embedded in a substrate type p in which three regions 1, 2, 3 doped n+ are formed, respectively constituting the region of the drain of the FGT transistor, the region of the source of the AT transistor, and eventually the region of the drain of the AT transistor. The memory cell comprises:
a source terminal SC of the transistor FGT, embedded on the source region 1 of the FGT transistor,
a floating gate FG and a control gate CG of the transistor FGT, superimposed, which are formed above an intermediate region between regions 1 and 2, and above a portion of region 2,
a gate terminal R of the AT transistor formed above an intermediate region between regions 2 and 3, and
a drain terminal BLC of the AT transistor, formed on the drain region 3 of the AT transistor.
The operation of such a memory cell is based upon the tunneling effect (or Fowler-Nordheim effect) and consists in causing moves of the threshold voltage of the FGT transistor by transferring or removing charges into/from the floating gate FG through a thin oxide layer located between the doped region 2 and the floating gate. An erasing or programming operation of the memory cell consists of injecting or extracting electrical charges into/from the floating gate of the FGT transistor by Fowler-Nordheim effect. The FGT transistor has a threshold voltage VT1 (equal to approximately −2 V) in programming state, and a threshold voltage VT2 superior to the voltage VT1 (equal to approximately 4 V) in erasing state. When a read voltage Vread comprised between VT1 and VT2 is applied to its control gate CG, the transistor FGT remains in blocking state if it is erased, which conventionally corresponds to a logic "0", and it is in conducting state if it is programmed, which corresponds to a logic "1". It will be understood that an inverse convention can be retained.
FIG. 3 represents an example of EEPROM memory of the type mentioned hereinbefore. The memory comprises groups of M memory cells, each group being able to memorize a word of M bits (8 in the example of the figure, that is, a byte). For simplicity reasons, this figure only represents one group of memory cells, belonging to a column of rank k and to a word line R(i) of rank i. This group of memory cells arranged in line comprises a control gate transistor CGT which source terminal is connected to all the gates terminals of the transistors FGT of the group, and which gate terminal is connected to all the gates terminals of the access transistors AT of the group and to a selection line SEL(i). The sources terminals of the FGT transistors of the memory cells are connected to a global source line SL, usually controlled by a simple transistor which switches it to ground or to high impedance. Each of the drains terminals of the AT transistors of the group is connected to a bit line BL(j,k) (j being an integer between 0 and M-1). The CGT transistor provides the connection of the gates terminals of the FGT transistors of the group of memory cells with a control gate line CG(k) of the group. That way, the cells can be erased in parallel by putting them in a state conventionally associated to the value 0, the state in which they have a threshold voltage of high value.
The operations of erasing and programming memory cells are carried out thanks to latches of bit line BL(j,k) gathered into sets of latches of bit line BLL, latches of control gates lines CGL, one word lines decoder RDEC having one output per word line R(i), and one column control unit SD.
FIG. 4 represents a set of 8 groups of memory cells, as represented in FIG. 3, each group being able to memorize a word. On that figure, the groups are gathered into columns of ranks k, k+1 and into word lines of ranks i−1, i, i+1, i+2. Thus, each selection line SEL(i) is connected to the gates terminals of the AT transistors of the groups located on the same line. The source lines of the groups of each column are connected to a global source line SL.
Collective erasing of the FGT transistors of a group of memory cells belonging to a word line of rank i and a column of rank k, is carried out by applying a voltage Vpp1, of 12 V for example, on the control gate CG of the FGT transistors, via the control gate transistor CGT of the group, while the source line SL is applied 0 volt and the drain terminal of the FGT transistors via the access transistors AT is at a floating potential or high impedance. Individual programming of FGT transistors is carried out by applying the Vpp1 voltage to the drain terminals of the FGT transistors via the access transistors, while the control gate of the FGT transistors is at 0 volt, and the source line SL is applied a floating potential.
The table 1 below sums up the values of the control signals applied during the operations of erasing, programming and reading of memory cells.
TABLE 1OperationControl signalERASINGPROGRAMMINGREADINGSEL(i)Vpp2Vpp2VDCSEL(l) (l ≠ i)VrefVrefVrefCG(k)Vpp1VrefVreadCG(n) (n ≠ k)FloatingFloatingFloatingBL(j, k)FloatingVpp1VsenseBL(m, n) (m ≠ j, n ≠ k)FloatingFloatingFloatingSLVrefFloatingVref
In that table, the voltage Vref is equal to 0 V (ground), the voltage Vpp2 is equal to 15 V, the voltage VDC is comprised between 3 and 5 V, the voltage Vread is comprised between the threshold voltages VT1 and VT2 and the voltage Vsense is of approximately 1 V.
The currents resulting from the Fowler-Nordheim tunneling effect in the FGT transistors mainly depend on the thickness of the tunnel oxide layer between the doped region 2 and the floating gate FG, and on the electrical field which is proportional to the voltage applied to the floating gate transistor FGT and to the capacitive coupling factor between its floating gate FG and its control gate CG, compared to the coupling of the latter with the drain terminal and the source terminal of the transistor, as well as with the rest of the cell.
It is known that the threshold voltage VT of a floating gate transistor increases if the applied voltage and the coupling factor are increased, and if the thickness of the oxide layer is decreased. However, reducing the thickness leads to reducing the period during which the floating gate can keep its charge, that is, the time for the memory cell to memorize data, which should be of several years. Consequently, so as to increase the speed of the memory, or to reduce the length of programming and erasing operations, the applied voltages should be increased and the coupling factor should be reduced. The coupling factor is hard to reduce and especially if there is an attempt to reduce the size of the memory cells at the same time. The increase of the voltages applied to the memory cells is also limited by the breakdown voltage of the drain or source junctions between the regions doped n+ and the substrate p. The breakdown voltage depends on the technology used. In the example described hereinbefore, the breakdown voltage is slightly superior to 12 V. Therefore it is not possible to submit the junctions (drain-gate) of the transistors to voltages deviations superior to 12 V.


A method and apparatus for use with an oxidizer assembly of a fuel cell system in which the oxidizer assembly has an oxidizing unit for oxidizing anode exhaust gas containing electrolyte particulates and is adapted or conditioned so as to enable the electrolyte particulates to be removable from the assembly and to be removed from the assembly, and wherein the conditioning and removing occur with the oxidizing unit retained in the oxidizer assembly. The fuel cell system is also adapted so that such conditioning and removing occur with the oxidizing assembly retained in the fuel cell system.

This invention relates to fuel cell systems and, in particular, to the removal of electrolyte from gas oxidizers used in such systems.
A fuel cell is a device which directly converts chemical energy stored in hydrocarbon fuel into electrical energy by means of an electrochemical reaction. Generally, a fuel cell comprises an anode and a cathode separated by an electrolyte, which serves to conduct electrically charged ions. Fuel cells operate by passing a reactant fuel gas through the anode, while passing oxidizing gas through the cathode. In order to produce a useful power level, a number of individual fuel cells are stacked in series with an electrically conductive separator plate between each cell forming a fuel cell stack.
Molten carbonate fuel cells ("MCFCs") operate by reacting oxygen in the oxidizing gas and free electrons at the cathode to form carbonate ions, which migrate across the molten carbonate electrolyte to the anode to react with hydrogen and produce water, carbon dioxide and electrical power. The electrolyte in the MCFCs comprises a molten carbonate salt mixture, which usually includes lithium carbonate, potassium carbonate, or a combination of lithium and potassium carbonates. Because the operating temperature of the MCFC is approximately 550-650° Celsius, the electrolyte is in liquid state during MCFC operation.
Typical MCFC systems include an anode exhaust gas oxidizer unit downstream from the fuel cell anode, which comprises an oxidation catalyst for oxidizing hydrogen, carbon monoxide and unreacted hydrocarbons in the anode exhaust to produce oxidizing gas suitable for adding to the air or oxidant gas for supply to the fuel cell cathode. In some cases, the oxidizer unit is incorporated into an exhaust gas oxidizer assembly which includes a mixer which precedes the oxidizer unit. In this assembly, the anode exhaust gas stream and the cathode supply air or oxidant are first mixed in the mixer and then the mixed gases are fed into the oxidizing unit for oxidizing the exhaust gas via exposure to the oxidation catalyst in the unit. The resultant gas which is rich in oxidant and carbon dioxide is then fed to the cathode of the fuel cell.
U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/187,495, assigned to the same assignee hereof, discloses an example of such an anode exhaust gas oxidizer assembly employing a mixer/eductor and an oxidizer unit in which the gas oxidizer catalyst block of the oxidizer unit interfaces with the outlet of the mixer/eductor. In this oxidizer assembly, the gas mixture of anode exhaust gas and air enters the oxidizer catalyst block through the inlet face of the catalyst block coupled to the outlet of the mixer. In the oxidizer block, the gas mixture undergoes a combustion reaction to oxidize hydrogen, carbon monoxide and hydrocarbons present in the mixture.
During the fuel cell stack operation, some electrolyte particles are in a gas phase and are released from the electrolyte layer of the fuel cell into the anode exhaust stream. After the hot anode exhaust stream is mixed with cool air in the mixer, the temperature of the resulting gas mixture is approximately 300 to 400° Celsius. Due to the cooling of the anode exhaust, the electrolyte particles in gas phase in the exhaust stream are transformed from gaseous particles into solid electrolyte particulates. These particulates are deposited on the walls of the mixer and at the inlet face of the oxidizer catalyst block. The electrolyte particulate deposits on the inlet face of the oxidizer catalyst block create a partial obstruction of the flow path of the gas mixture into and through the oxidizer catalyst, resulting in an increased pressure drop across the catalyst block and thus an increasing difference between the pressure of the anode exhaust stream and the cathode inlet stream. In addition, the blockage by the electrolyte deposits changes the flow distribution through the catalyst block, resulting in a larger difference in temperature distribution from one end of the catalyst block to the other.
The performance and efficiency of a fuel cell stack is sensitive to pressure changes in the fuel cell assembly. Particularly, the increasing pressure difference between the anode and the cathode streams due the aforementioned accumulation of electrolyte particulate deposits on the oxidizer catalyst affects the thermal profile and voltage variations of the fuel cell stack. Moreover, electrolyte particulate deposits deactivate the oxidizer catalyst which affects the hydrocarbon combustion efficiency.
Accordingly, in order to maintain the pressure difference between the anode outlet and the cathode inlet streams constant, it is necessary to remove the electrolyte particulate deposits from the inlet face of the anode gas oxidizer catalyst. In addition, removal of electrolyte particulates reduces the deactivation of the oxidizer catalyst and improves fuel cell performance.
Conventionally, electrolyte particulates have been removed from the anode gas oxidizer catalyst by washing the oxidizer catalyst with a solvent suitable for removal of alkali carbonate compounds. This method, however, requires the fuel cell plant to be shut down and the oxidizer assembly to be disassembled to remove the catalyst block for washing. As a result, the efficiency of the fuel cell power plant declines and maintenance costs of fuel cell power plant operation significantly increase. Therefore, an in-situ method of removal of electrolyte particulates is needed so as to avoid these disadvantages.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide for removal of electrolyte particulates from an oxidizer assembly having an oxidizer unit of a fuel cell system which does not require the removal of the oxidizer unit from the oxidizer assembly.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide the aforesaid electrolyte particulate removal in a manner which does not significantly affect the performance of the fuel cell system.

In-situ removal of electrolyte from gas oxidizer


A controller for a SIMO DC-DC converter operable in CCM and DCM receives a signal representative of an inductor current, and signals representative of a first and a second DC-DC converter output. The controller has a first and second output adapted to control electronic switches coupled to a first and second output filter, and a third and fourth output adapted to control current in an inductor. The controller controls the outputs based upon the inputs by determining a desired PWL inductor current and current waveform, and determines pulsewidths of the outputs, to match the inductor current to the desired PWL. A timer controls pulsewidths of the outputs and the controller dynamically selects DCM or CCM to maintain the first and second DC-DC converter outputs at predetermined levels. In embodiments, the desired PWL inductor current is one or both of a desired valley current and a desired peak current.

Single-Inductor-Multiple-Output (SIMO) converters use one inductor to regulate multiple output voltages by time sharing the inductor, this is done by time-sharing the inductor among the multiple outputs in an operating cycle. Typical SIMO converters on the market operate only in discontinuous conduction mode (DCM) where the inductor current reaches zero during each cycle. Such DCM converters are unable to fully utilize the inductor saturation current rating because discontinuous mode typically can at most deliver Isat/2. Furthermore, operation at the limit of Isat/2 is typically inefficient due to the large inductor current ripple. Increasing the maximum load current capability requires both increasing the peak current and decreasing the pulse-width to maintain constant output voltage ripple (without increasing output capacitance).

Current-controlled, single-inductor, multiple-output, DC-DC converter with continuous conduction and discontinuous conduction modes


A method of controlling the point spread function of an image projected with said image being diffused by a filter; said point spread function is a result of the application of spatial filter(s) on said image; with said control of the point spread function effected by varying the distance between such image and said spatial filter(s) and varying the bidirectional scattering transmission function of the spatial filter(s). Said spatial filter may be a holographic diffuser, which by method of manufacture has a well defined bi-directional scattering transmission spread function. Control of said spread function is particularly useful to maintain image quality while abating moiré interference in situations where two periodic patterns are layered causing moiré interference.

There are two main types of displays used in computer monitors, passive matrix and active matrix. Passive-matrix displays use a simple grid to supply the charge to a particular pixel on the display. Creating the grid starts with two glass layers called substrates. One substrate is given columns and the other is given rows made from a transparent conductive material. This is usually indium tin oxide. The rows or columns are connected to integrated circuits that control when a charge is sent down a particular column or row. The electro-optical material is often sandwiched between the two glass substrates.
A pixel is defined as the smallest resolvable area of an image, either on a screen or stored in memory. Each pixel in a monochrome image has its own brightness, from 0 for black to the maximum value (e.g. 255 for an eight-bit pixel) for white. In a colour image, each pixel has its own brightness and colour, usually represented as a triple of red, green and blue intensities. To turn on a pixel, the integrated circuit sends a charge down the correct column of one substrate and a ground activated on the correct row of the other. The row and column intersect at the designated pixel and that delivers the voltage to untwist the liquid crystals at that pixel.
The passive matrix system has significant drawbacks, notably slow response time and imprecise voltage control. Response time refers to the display's ability to refresh the image displayed. Imprecise voltage control hinders the passive matrix's ability to influence only one pixel at a time.
When voltage is applied to change the optical state of one pixel, the pixels around it also partially change, which makes images appear un-sharp and lacking in contrast.
Active-matrix displays depend on thin film transistors (TFH). Thin film transistors are tiny switching transistors and capacitors. They are arranged in a matrix on a glass substrate. To address a particular pixel, the proper row is switched on, and then a charge is sent down the correct column. Since all of the other rows that the column intersects are turned off, only the capacitor at the designated pixel receives a charge. The capacitor is able to hold the charge until the next refresh cycle; and if the amount of voltage supplied to the crystal is carefully controlled, it can be made to untwist only enough to allow some light through. By doing this in very exact, very small increments, displays can create a grey scale. Most displays today offer 256 levels of brightness per pixel.
Displays that can show colours may have three sub-pixels with red, green and blue colour filters to create each colour pixel. Through the careful control and variation of the voltage applied, the intensity of each sub-pixel can range over 256 shades. Combining the sub-pixels produces a possible palette of 16.8 million colours (256 shades of red×256 shades of green×256 shades of blue). These filters are arranged such that they form vertical red, green and blue stripes across the panel.
The frequency spectrum of radiation incident upon a detector depends on the properties of the light source, the transmission medium and possibly the properties of the reflecting medium. If one considers the eye as a detector the human visual system can sense radiation that has a wavelength between 0.6 nm and 380 nm. Hence this is described as the visual part of the electromagnetic spectrum. Humans perceive certain frequency distributions as having different colours and brightness. A scheme was devised to describe any perceived colour and brightness via adding three basis spectral distributions with various weights. For example in the 1931 CIE colour space any perceivable colour may be described by the following equation:C=xrX+yrY+zrZ Where C is the colour being described, Xr, Yr and Zr are the weights and X, Y and Z are 1931 CIE tristimulis curves which are graphs of the relative sensitivity of the eye Vs wavelength. For any given colour, the weights may be determined by the following equations:
            x      r        =          (              ∫                              C                                      (              λ              )                                                      X                                      (              λ              )                                                      ⅆ            λ                              )                  y      r        =          (              ∫                              C                                      (              λ              )                                                      Y                                      (              λ              )                                                      ⅆ            λ                              )                  z      r        =          (              ∫                              C                                      (              λ              )                                                      Z                                      (              λ              )                                                      ⅆ            λ                              )
The 1931 co-ordinates are formed via the following normalisation:
            x      r        =                  X        r                              X          r                +                  Y          r                +                  Z          r                                y      r        =                  Y        r                              X          r                +                  Y          r                +                  Z          r                                z      r        =          1      -              x        r            -              y        r
These may be plotted on the 1931 CIE diagram. The spectral locus defines the pure spectral colours, that is the perception of radiation with a specific wavelength. Colour co-ordinates that are closer or farther from pure spectral colours are described as being more or less saturated respectively. The value of the y coordinate multiplied by 683 is also referred to as the luminance denoted by the symbol L.
The perception model described above accurately predicts that colours on addressable objects can be formed by mixing small areas of three basis colours with modulated intensities which are close in either close spatial or temporal proximity. If the basis colours are plotted on the CIE diagram then the enclosed triangle contains all the colours producible by the system. The enclosed area is called the colour gamut and hence a addressable object with a larger area can addressable object a greater variation in colour and has a greater colour gamut.
Displays employ several variations of liquid crystal technology, including super twisted nematics, dual scan twisted nematics, ferroelectric liquid crystal and surface stabilized ferroelectric liquid crystal. They can be lit using ambient light in which case they are termed as reflective, or backlit and termed transmissive. There are also emissive technologies and reflective technologies such as Organic Light Emitting Diodes and electronic ink which are addressed in the same manner as Liquid Crystal displays.
At present there exist displays that by various means enable the stacking of addressable object planes at set distances. As well as the binocular depth cue, they feature intrinsic motion parallax, where the x and y distance changes between objects displayed on different planes depending on viewing angle. Additionally separate focal planes may be literally be brought in and out of focus depending on the focal length of the lens in the viewers eye. These displays consist of a high-brightened backlight, a rear image panel which is usually an active matrix, colour liquid crystal display, a diffuser, a refractor and a front image plane which are laminated to form a stack. There are generally colour filter stripes as mentioned above, and a black matrix on each display which defines the borders of the pixels. However it should be appreciated that the following discussion applies to all addressable object planes that are addressed by passive or active matrices or have colour filters arranged in any periodic pattern, or any optically active periodic pattern. The displays are close to each other, as far as the viewer is concerned they form two similar, but not identical periodic patterns on the retina. This is because the solid angle subtended by the repeating patterns is different, which causes the colour stripes and black matrix boundaries to have slightly different pitches when projected onto the retina.
These conditions are sufficient to cause a phenomenon called moiré interference, which is characterized by large, annoying vertical red, green and blue stripes. The diffuser combats the interference by spreading the intensity distribution of the image formed by the colour filters. However while this may help remove moiré it has the effect of changing the bidirectional scattering transmission function of the sub-pixels, smearing them to a point spread function thus effectively reducing the resolution of the display. Therefore to make a good display or optical system where the image remains sharp and the amplitude of the moiré interference is hardly noticeable, these two conflicting factors must be carefully controlled.
Typically the diffuser is of the form of a chemically etched series of surface features on a thin (0.000115 meter), birefingent substrate such polyester. If the pattern was viewed under a microscope at 1000× magnification it would be undulating in topology. Because of the polarised nature of the displays this can cause the total luminance, which is evaluated at the front display by the viewer, to be reduced because it changes the degree and polarization orientation from the optimum. A similar pattern is available on a non-birefringent surface such as acrylic but this substrate cannot be made thin enough as not over-blur the rear most pixels. In general one cannot easily control the angular distribution of the light as it exits a typical diffuser. Also because there is an extra layer in the optical stack, extra air-plastic or air-glass interfaces are formed causing back reflections. These decrease the brightness of the display because at least 4% of the light is directed towards the backlight, as opposed, to the viewing direction. The ratio of the reflected and transmitted radiation is given by Fresnel's equations which are well known in the art. Note that if a ray is at some angle from the normal significantly more than 4% of light may be reflected. This reflected light may also be re-reflected out to the viewer, but may not appear to come from the correct origin, reducing the contrast of the display. Also because the film is on a separate sheet it has the tendency to deform due to the heat from the high-brightness backlight which is visible to the viewer and can exasperate the sharpness problem described above. Point spread functions for typical, commercially available diffusers are circularly symmetric, that is their gain is constant for a given radius.
A holographic diffuser is a transparent or translucent structure having an entrance surface, an exit surface, and light shaping structures formed on its entrance surface and/or in its interior. These light shaping structures are random, disordered, and non-planar micro sculpted structures.
These structures are created during recording of the medium by illuminating the medium with a speckle pattern produced in conjunction with coherent light or the combination of incoherent light and a computer-generated mask which simulates speckle. The speckle produced changes in the refractive index of the medium which, when developed, are the micro-sculpted structures. These light shaping structures diffract light passing through the holographic diffuser so that the beam of light emitted from the holographic diffuser's exit surface exhibits a precisely controlled energy distribution along horizontal and vertical axes. Holographic diffusers can be used to shape a light beam so that over 90% (and up to 95%-98%) of the light beam entering the holographic diffuser is directed towards and into contact with a target located downstream of the holographic diffuser. A holographic diffuser can be made to collect incoming light and either (1) distribute it over a circular area from a fraction of a degree to over 100 degrees, or (2) send it into an almost unlimited range of elliptical angles. For example, a 2 degree×50 degree. holographic diffuser will produce a line when illuminated by a LED or laser and a 35 degree×0.90 degree. Thus a holographic diffuser is not a typical example of a diffuser, since it may send most of the incoming light out at elliptical angles and these particular angles may be finely controlled.
The following discussion describes pixel patterns used in the imaging industry. For the purposes of illustration it is assumed a sub-pixel is a 0.1 mm×0.3 mm rectangle, with the long axis of the rectangle in the y direction and a pixel is a 0.3 mm×0.3 mm square, however it should be appreciated that a pixel can be any shape that is possible to tessellate and a sub pixel can be any one of a set of shapes which are possible to tessellate in combination. To define this rigorously consider a set of regular points in 2D space forming a lattice and the same collection of pixels or sub-pixels at these points. Then the pixel pattern is wholly described by the lattice and the collection of sub-pixels or pixels at that point which are called a basis. The lattice can in turn be described by a primitive lattice cell comprised of two linearly independent vectors which form two sides of a parallelogram.
The following radio metric quantities will be used throughout this specification are defined below:
Luminous Flux is the flow rate of visual energy and is measured in lumens.
Illuminance is a measure of photometric flux per unit area, or visible flux density. Illuminance is measured in lux (lumens per square meter).
Luminance is the illuminance per solid angle.                To appreciate the solid angle concept consider a spherical surface of radius r containing an area element ΔA. The solid angle at the centre of the sphere is defined to be
  ΔΩ  =                    Δ                                                  A                    r        2              .
Pixels on a transmissive addressable object will be capable of maximum and minimum luminous states. Labelling the maximum state as Lb and the minimum as Ld then the contrast ratio is described by
      C    r    =            L      b              L      d
The term contrast ratio is usually abbreviated to just contrast.
From http://www.cquest.utoronto.ca/psych/psy280f/ch5/csf.html "The contrast sensitivity function (CSF) plots the contrast sensitivity for the human visual system (1/(contrast threshold)) for all spatial frequencies. Viewers are most sensitive to intermediate frequencies (˜4-8 cycles per degree). Viewers are less sensitive to lower frequencies, and less sensitive to higher frequencies.
The CSF shows us the observer's window of visibility. Points below the CSF are visible to the observer (those are the points that have even higher contrasts than the threshold level). Points above the CSF are invisible to the observer (those are the points that have lower contrasts than the threshold level). The lowest visible frequency (at 100% contrast) is the low frequency cut-off, and the highest visible frequency (at 100% contrast) is the high frequency cut-off."

Method to control point spread function of an image