An anchoring part, comprising: an anchoring rod that has a plurality of side walls, and a plug hole extending along a height direction of the anchoring rod; a head portion that surrounds the anchoring rod and is disposed at an upper end of the anchoring rod; at least one elastic fin that is formed by extending outwardly obliquely from at least one of the sidewalls; wherein the anchoring rod further comprises a plurality of corner portions connecting adjacent sidewalls, the plurality of corner portions being provided with locking notches at the positions adjacent to a lower surface of the head portion, respectively.

In the automobile industry, it is frequently needed to use an anchoring part together with a fastening part (e.g., a bolt) to connect an inner layer panel and an outer layer panel (or other components) together. A mourning step usually includes: pre-inserting the anchoring part into a mounting hole of the inner layer panel, covering the outer layer panel over the inner layer panel, and then causing the fastening part to pass through the outer layer panel and be inserted into the anchoring part, and securely connecting the inner and outer layer panels together by securing the fastening part in the anchoring part.
The anchoring part employed in the prior art has drawbacks that an insertion force is too large but an anti-pulling force is not large enough. If the insertion force of the anchoring part is too large, it will be time-consuming and laborious for workers to mount. Meanwhile, if the anti-pulling force of the anchoring part is not large enough, a small pulling force will cause the anchoring part to be accidentally pulled out of the inner layer panel.

Anchoring part and apparatus for connecting two parts


A sliding door automatic closing device is provided whereby a cylindrical tube is attached to the sliding door and a pulley housing is rotateably mounted to the top of the cylindrical tube. A cable is attached at one end to a cable housing, the housing mounted onto the frame header, and the cable is attached at a second end to a weight within the cylindrical tube. The bearing-mounted pulley housing allows the sliding door panel to breakout when needed and then be returned to its original position for continual use of the automatic closing feature without any mechanical adjustments. The bearing-mounted pulley housing, cable, and cable housing all remain in their original planar positions relative to the sliding door panel header; that is, these components do not breakout along with the sliding door panel.

1. Brief Description of the Related Art
Various prior art door-closing systems have been disclosed that self-close patio sliding doors with bottom tracks. Typically, these prior art devices utilize cylindrical tubes having a weight that is connected to a cable, the cable passes over a pulley, and the pulley is anchored in the doorjamb. Each of these door-closing systems utilizes a valve means at the bottom of the tube to control the flow of air passing therethrough.
Typical prior art sliding door closers are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,334,444 to Hargrove (hereinafter, "the '444 Patent"), and U.S. Pat. No. 4,884,369 to Tatham (hereinafter, "the '369 Patent"). As with typical prior art devices, the '444 Patent and the '369 Patent teach that when a door is opened, a weight rises in the tube; when the door is released, the weight drops in the tube according to the port adjustment in the tube, and the door closes. (See the '444 Patent, Column 5, Lines 54-61; and the '369 Patent, Abstract).
Another prior art device, U.S. Pat. No. 4,649,598 to Kinsey, et al. (hereinafter, "the '598 Patent"), utilizes a weight and pulley system such as that described above with respect to the '369 Patent, together with a pneumatic seal located at the top of the weight and designed to buffer the speed at which the door closes. (See the '598 Patent, Column 3, Lines 47-56).
However, none of the prior art devices provide an automatic door-closure mechanism for a set of sliding doors that permit the sliding doors to fully break out into an open position whereby the first sliding door is placed into an open position by sliding over, and proximate to, a second door, and the set of both doors is opened with respect to a door frame.
As an example, there remains a need within hospitals that utilize trackless breakout sliding doors in Intensive Care Units (ICU). These doors allow ICU rooms to maintain a negative pressure which is required because the hospitals are utilizing these rooms as isolation units for persons with a contagious disease. One way to have these rooms pressurized is to have the doors closed all of the time. In recent years, the demand for the automatic self-closing device has become more prevalent.
In other situations such as clean rooms, there also is a need for this self-closing device to inhibit the entry of dust and other particles into the clean room. It is has been found that clean rooms also can be negative pressure rooms. Alternatively, automatic self-closing doors might be desirable to keep particles or odors inside a room such as in laboratories where there is chemical testing, mixing, and any odors that are unwanted in other areas of the facility.
An automatic self-closing device also provides an appropriate fire door protection where typical trackless sliding doors may be used. When the smoke detectors and alarms go off, a magnet will disengage and the door closure device will automatically close the door panel to cut down on drafts from one area.
With hotels, homes, and office buildings, there is a need for a more efficient closing device for the sliding door. An improved automatic closing device for sliding doors will improve energy efficiency, convenience, security, and safety. Any improvement in self-closing doors known in the prior art will therefore be an improvement in these areas as well.
Based on the shortcomings of the prior art described above and other known prior art, the object of this present invention is to provide an automatic closing device for both the trackless breakout sliding door and the patio sliding door. Another object of the present invention is to provide additional unique features for an automatic closing device including a novel pulley housing, alternative cable fabrication material, alternative means for attaching the cable to the trackless breakout sliding door, alternative pulley housing fabrication material and alternative weighted piston fabrication material.
2. Description of the Invention
The present invention comprises an automatic door-closing device used on trackless breakout sliding doors typically installed in hospitals for ICU doors, clean room facilities, fire doors, and laboratories. This automatic door-closing device also can be used on patio sliding doors for energy efficiency, convenience, security, and safety of having a patio sliding door automatically closed.

Automatic door closure for breakout sliding doors and patio doors


A safety net apparatus for preventing objects from being flung from a luggage compartment into the passenger space of a motor vehicle. The apparatus includes a safety net which can be pulled out and used at different pull out lengths from a winding shaft rotatably supported within a housing of the apparatus. The winding shaft includes a blocking device adapted for blocking rotation of the winding shaft as a consequence of an object being flung into the safety net for preventing further unwinding of the safety net from the winding shaft as a consequence of the forces acting on the net. Alternative blocking devices are disclosed which can be either manually operated, or which can be operated in response to acceleration or deceleration of the vehicle, acceleration in the rotary speed of the winding shaft, or transverse forces acting on the winding shaft.

Known safety net arrangements, such as shown in DE 43 36 380 C2, have an elongated housing provided with a run-out slot extending in a longitudinal direction. In the housing, a winding shaft is rotatably supported whereby one edge of a safety net is secured thereto. The other edge of the safety net is connected to a tension rod or pull out member which, when the safety net is in its wound up position, lies on the run-out slot and prevents further winding-up. The pull out member serves as an anchor when the safety net is tensioned and secured in the interior of the vehicle.
With the aid of a spring mounted within the housing and connected to the winding shaft, the winding shaft is biased in a wind-up direction. The length of the safety net in the unwound state generally is such that no significant supply of safety net remains on the winding shaft when the pull out or tension member is suspended in the vehicle.
If in the event of a collision of the vehicle objects present in the loading or trunk compartment of the passenger car are flung against the tensioned safety net and a small residual amount of the safety net will unwind from the winding shaft. This residual amount is necessary in order to accommodate tolerances in the car body within which the safety net is installed. The residual amount is so small, however, that no appreciable ballooning of the net occurs which could impair the protective functioning of the safety net. In other words, it will not allow the object to penetrate too far into the passenger space.
Such safety nets are needed not only when the rear seat bench of a station wagon is set upright, but when, for the purpose of increasing the cargo space capacity, the rear seat back is laid down. In this case, the housing of the safety net arrangement is at a much greater distance from the roof and correspondingly a greater length of safety net is necessary in order to provide the desired functioning. Conversely this means that with the back seat upright, the tensioned safety net amount would still be too great for a the usual effect. The objects flung into the net would unwind this great amount of safety net from the winding shaft so that there would arise a large balloon extending into the passenger space.
In order to avoid this ballooning effect in the case of an incompletely drawn-off safety net, it is known to provide on the run-slot of the housing a comb-like structure. This comb springs back opposite the plane in which the safety net is normally moved in drawing-out from the housing in order to hamper the pulling-out of the safety net as much as possible. The object flying into the safety net causes the safety net to be pressed against this comb so that the comb teeth hook in the meshes of the safety net.
Such arrangement has substantial disadvantages. First, when drawing out the safety net, it is not always ensured that the safety net will engage and be stuck in the comb teeth. Further, as a result of such engagement, when it does occur, wear or possible damage can occur to the net, which causes the net to age prematurely. A further substantial disadvantage lies in impairment of the safety net. It cannot be avoided that the comb teeth in a collision accident possibly cut through the threads of the safety net or cause them to tear, which creates the danger of failure of the safety net.


Filament stress in a newly spun filament is reduced in that the air friction between the filament and the contiguous air layer is prevented or limited. For this purpose an air current is generated, flowing in the running direction of the yarn at a speed which is the same or approximately the same as the surface speed of the filament. The air current can be guided on to the filament surface through a tube.

The invention concerns a process for producing (spinning) filaments made, e.g., from polyester, polyamide (polycondensate) or polypropylene. Devices appropriate to the process are also proposed.
For reasons of efficiency, increasing the delivery speed of filaments formed by pressing a melt through a spinning nozzle is a constantly sought objective. The magnitude of this "delivery speed" is not an absolute value that can be applied to every spinning process. Rather, it depends on the yarn which is to be spun. There is a fundamental distinction, for example, between technical and textile yarns, and textile yarns themselves are now being spun as either POY (partially oriented yarn) or FDY (Fully Drawn Yarn).
The pursuit of higher delivery speeds is currently limited by known effects of the delivery speed, these effects resulting mainly from changes in the morphology of the polymer from which the filament is formed. These changes, for example, reduce the strength or stretch of the yarn so that it is no longer suitable for its intended purpose. This also applies, indirectly, to cases in which the process ceases to be controllable at higher speeds, resulting in uncontrollable changes (and consequently non-uniform yarn characteristics) and/or yarn breakages (running problems).
1. Object of the Invention
The object of this invention is to achieve increased delivery speed while maintaining the same yarn characteristics and/or improved yarn characteristics while maintaining the same speed.
2. Prior Art
It has been known in the art for at least twenty years that, at higher delivery speeds, the frictional forces between the yarn and its accompanying or contiguous air layer can affect the yarn characteristics that can be achieved (U.S. Pat. No. 4,049,763). At the same time, it has been proposed to prevent these frictional forces by generation of an "assisted" accompanying air current to restore the positive characteristics of the slow process (U.S. Pat. No. 4,185,062 and U.S. Pat. No. 4,202,855). The proposed solution--an accompanying air current--had been proposed a long time previously, but for other reasons (U.S. Pat. No. 2,252,684). The term "assisted accompanying air current" here denotes the effect of special devices which generate an accompanying air current which is distinguished from an accompanying air current which is produced in any case as a result of entrainment with the yarn as the latter passes through the air. The above proposals all provided for the generation of the assisted air current following solidification of the yarn.
At the same time, it was proposed to subject the yarn to a tensile force before it had become solidified (U.S. Pat. No. 3,706,826). This tensile force can be generated by an air current. A similar proposal appears again somewhat later in U.S. Pat. No. 4,49 6,505 (=EP56 963), in which the air current is generated by an aspirator, following passage of the yarn through a heating zone adjoining the spinning nozzle. The heating zone is not included in WO 90/02222, in which the aspirator is connected to the spinning nozzle through a "spinning chamber".
Related or modified proposals have subsequently been put forward; for example, the proposal whereby, following passage through the spinning nozzle, the yarn passes through a shaft in which a predefined pressure is maintained (U.S. Pat. No. 4,702,871; 4,863,662 and U.S. Pat. No. 4,973,236). Special sealing devices are required to maintain the pressure within the shaft. This problem is circumvented in U.S. Pat. No. 5,034,183 and U.S. Pat. No. 5,141,700 (=EP-244217) in that the air (after it has been used for maintaining a predefined pressure) is discharged from the shaft at an increased speed.
The objectives of these latter proposals are not made clear. All are obviously intended to produce advantageous effects of one type or another. The patent specifications mentioned do not state whether phenomena other than empirically determined phenomena are involved. In some cases, the descriptions indicate the objective of selective application of a tensile force to the yarn close to the spinning nozzle.
For reasons of completeness, reference is made here to devices used for delivering yarns in the formation of non-woven products (e.g. U.S. Pat. No. 3,707,593). These devices are not relevant to the present invention, for reasons already stated in EP 244217 and not repeated here.

Melt spinning process to produce filaments


A toothbrush is provided for cleaning and/or massaging of teeth and gums having a mechanical vibratory element and a head having cleaning/treating elements on a plurality of different types of cleaning areas which provide for an enhanced cleaning, scrubbing and massaging effect. The cleaning/treating elements have different physical characteristics so that in addition to providing a varied cleaning/treating effect from the cleaning/treating elements themselves there is enhanced treatment as a result of the movement of the cleaning/treating elements imparted by the mechanical vibratory device.

A powered toothbrush is designed to assist a user by mechanically moving the head of the toothbrush. One approach is to provide a vibratory element in the body of the toothbrush. U.S. Published Application No. 2002/0124333 relates to a mechanical vibratory device which causes the head part to vibrate. The vibratory device is accommodated in a front head part of the toothbrush, or in a neck-part region adjacent to the head part, said neck part connecting the head part to the handle, and is operatively connected to a power source, accommodated in the handle, via electrical connections running in the neck part, a vibration-dampening element preferably being provided in order to prevent vibration transmission to the handle, this achieves the situation where the vibrations which effect the improved cleaning action are produced predominantly in the head part and can only be felt to a slight extent in the handle, as a result of which comfortable handling of the toothbrush is achieved.
A number of approaches have been taken to provide flexibility to the bristles during use of a toothbrush. U.S. Pat. No. 5,970,564, for example, relates to a toothbrush having an elastomeric ridge wherein there is a center array of bristles and there is a side array of bristles mounted in elastomeric boots. A number of patents relate to a toothbrush head having sets of bristles, each of which is mounted to a non-rigid or elastic support element. Examples of these approaches are found in U.S. Pat. Nos. 1,770,195, 2,244,098, 6,161,245 and 6,311,360 and in French Patent No. 38440.
The head of a conventional toothbrush typically has a flat or slightly altered surface to which cleaning elements are attached. Usually the cleaning elements are strands of plastic material(s) formed into tufts, bundles or other groupings. A goal of many toothbrushes is to accommodate the cleaning element profile to that of the teeth being cleaned. Achieving that goal is complicated by the difficulty in matching a toothbrush profile to the complex surface of a typical set of human teeth. The latter generally lie in a "C" shaped curve which presents the need for a brush to address a convex outer curve and a concave inner curve. In addition, the toothbrush should be capable of cleaning irregularities on the tooth surface as well as the interproximal area between teeth.
It is well known that the ideal brushing technique from a dental hygiene perspective is an up and down stroke along the vertical surface of teeth which massages the gums while cleaning the teeth. However, due to a number of factors, including ergonomic difficulties, haste, lack of education or the like, few consumers use the recommended brushing technique. Rather, the typical consumer brushes across their teeth in a horizontal motion rather than a vertical movement. Various approaches have been taken by others to translate horizontal brush movement into partial vertical movement of the bristles or cleaning elements.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,783,869 relates to translation of horizontal to vertical movement of cleaning elements through use of a helix groove in a movable shaft within a toothbrush handle. The groove receives a pin which rides in the groove. This mechanism causes the toothbrush head to partially rotate or oscillate as the handle moves left-to-right or vice versa in the user's mouth. That rotation or oscillation causes the cleaning elements to move in a vertical plane perpendicular to movement of the toothbrush handle.
Other mechanisms for movement include an arcuate shaped base for a toothbrush head aligned with the longitudinal axis of the head, wherein a movable arcuate block having cleaning elements is flexibly mounted on the toothbrush head such that the block is free to slide on the head in a manner whereby the cleaning elements may travel in a vertical direction generally transverse to the typical side-to-side motion of the toothbrush; and a pivotal mounting of cleaning elements allowing for the elements to move up and down in concert with a side-to-side stroke along the teeth;
A toothbrush head should provide both proper support for the bristles, and be flexible enough during use to allow the bristles to conform to the shape of a user's mouth or teeth. Additionally, construction techniques should be inexpensive, versatile and consistent.
In an attempt to meet these criteria, a process known as "Anchor Free Tufting" ("AFT") has been used in the formation of toothbrush heads. In such an AFT process, a head plate for holding toothbrush bristles, and for eventual insertion into a toothbrush body, is typically formed of a rigid plastic that is conducive to sonic welding. The head plate is formed with a solid perimeter and defines a field of variously shaped and sized holes within this perimeter. Fibers that are to form the tufts are then placed in the holes in the field of the head plate, and the backs of the tufts are melted together to fix their position relative to one another.
The tufted head plate is then inserted into a predefined receiving portion of the head portion of a toothbrush handle and is sonically welded into place. The brush is then end-rounded and packaged for sale as a traditional toothbrush.
However, this manufacturing process results in a toothbrush with a very rigid head that does not easily conform to the physical characteristics of a user when brushing. Therefore, it would be desirable to provide a toothbrush that can be conveniently manufactured by the above process, but provides the desired flexibility of the head of the toothbrush during use.
It would also be desirable if a toothbrush could be provided having various cleaning/treating elements on a head, such as bristles with different degrees of flexible mounting, to have a enhanced cleaning effect when moved by a mechanical vibratory element.
Further, there is a continuing need in the art for new combinations and arrangements of bristle tufts to provide improved stiffness to enhanced plaque and debris removal, especially within interproximal spaces.

Toothbrush with enhanced cleaning effects


A retroreflective sheet and a fabrication method thereof are provided, the retroreflective sheet including a base, a bonding layer formed on the base, a colored layer formed to be thicker in a non-reflective region NRA2 than in a reflective region RA2 to have a concavo-convex surface on the bonding layer, and having a fluorescent function or a phosphorescent function or having the both fluorescent and phosphorescent functions, a reflective layer formed in the concave portion of the reflective region RA2 on the surface of the colored layer, and a light concentrating layer having a plurality of beads aligned therein on the reflective layer. Thus, since a step is not generated between the reflective region and the non-reflective region, the light reflective member can be prevented from being delaminated from the body when used, and also, the light reflective member can be simply formed in the reflective region of the colored layer.

A retroreflective sheet is a reflector that reflects incident light in a direction in which the light is made incident as it is. The retroreflective sheet is processed to have a desired shape and pattern on a body surface in a form of a sheet and attached to a traffic sign or a selected portion of a uniform of a fireman and so on, with an adhesive or through sewing or the like, having enhanced visibility, so as to be easily viewed or recognized even in a dark environment. Thus, when the retroreflective sheet is attached to clothes worn by people, who work on the roads or in a dangerous place, such as sweepers, firemen, policemen, factory workers, construction crew, safety men and so on, a location of a wearer can be clearly recognized by those around, obtaining a great effect in terms of protection and safety of the wearer.
The retroreflective sheet is formed to have a stripe pattern that a reflective region reflecting incident light and a colored fluorescent region are alternated on a base. The reflective region is configured as a light concentration layer formed by attaching beads to a reflective layer deposited with a metal such as aluminum or the like, and the fluorescent region is configured as a fluorescent material layer coated with an organic binder including fluorescent pigment.
FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view of a conventional retroreflective sheet.
The conventional retroreflective sheet is formed to have reflective regions RA1 and non-reflective regions NRA1 alternated in a stripe shape. In the retroreflective sheet, a bonding layer 13 and a colored layer 15 are sequentially stacked on a base 11, and light reflective members 23 each consisting of a reflective layer 17 and a light concentrating layer 21 are formed to be alternated in a stripe pattern on the colored layer 15. A portion in which the light reflective member 23 is the reflective region RA1 and the other remaining portions exposing the colored layer 15 without having the light reflective member 23 is the non-reflective region NRA1.
The reflective layer 17 is formed by depositing a metal, such as aluminum or the like, having excellent light reflective characteristics on a lower surface of the light concentrating layer 21 including a plurality of beads 19 to concentrate (or condense) incident light, and reflects light.
The retroreflective sheet having the foregoing configuration reflects incident light by the light reflective members 23 formed in the reflective regions RA1 to easily recognize it on its periphery even at night or in a dark area. That is, in the light reflective member 23 consisting of the light concentrating layer 21 and the reflective layer 17, the light concentrating layer 21 concentrates incident light and the reflective layer 17 reflects concentrated light, emitting light in a stripe pattern, whereby the retroreflective sheet can be easily recognized around it even at night with a small amount of light or although it is located in a dark area.
FIGS. 2A to 2E are views illustrating a process of fabricating a retroreflective sheet according to the prior art.
Referring to FIG. 2A, a bid alignment layer 27 is formed on a carrier film 25. The carrier film 25 is formed as general paper or the like, and the bead alignment layer 27 is made of a synthetic resin having viscosity characteristics.
Further, the light concentrating layer 21 is formed by sprinkling a plurality of beads 19 on the entire surface of the bead alignment layer 27 such that the plurality of beads 19 form a layer. Here, the plurality of beads 19 are made of a transparent non-vitreous ceramic or a transparent synthetic resin, and fixed to the bead alignment layer 27 having viscosity characteristics such that they do not move, to form the light concentrating layer 21.
Subsequently, a metal such as aluminum (Al), silver (Ag), copper (Cu), zinc (Zn), tin (Sn) or the like having excellent light reflecting characteristics is deposited on the light concentrating layer 21 to form the reflective layer 17. The light concentrating layer 21 and the reflective layer 17 constitute the light reflective member 23.
Referring to FIG. 2B, the structure in which the bead alignment layer 27 and the light reflective member 23 consisting of the light concentrating layer 21 and the reflective layer 17 are sequentially stacked on the carrier film 25 is cut to have a strip pattern with a certain width RA1.
Referring to FIG. 2C, the bonding layer 13 and the colored layer 15 are sequentially stacked on the base 11, separately from the process of FIGS. 2A and 2B. The colored layer 15 may have a fluorescent function or a phosphorescent function or may have the both functions.
Referring to FIG. 2D, the structure, in which the bead alignment layer 27 and the light reflective member 23 consisting of the bead alignment layer 27 and the light concentrating layer 17 are sequentially stacked on the carrier film 25, to be cut to have the certain width RA1 in a stripe pattern in FIG. 2B, is attached to the colored layer 15 such that the reflective layer 17 of the light reflective member 23 is bonded to the colored layer 15. Thus, the portions the colored layer 15 to which the reflective layers 17 of the light reflective members 23 of the structure cut to have the certain width RA1 in a stripe pattern are attached become the reflective regions RA1 and the other remaining portions to which the reflective layers of the light reflective members 23 are not attached become non-reflective regions NRA1.
Referring to FIG. 2E, the carrier film 25 and the bead alignment layer 27 are removed. Accordingly, the light concentrating layer 21 of the reflective region RA1 is exposed, completing a retroreflective sheet having the reflective region RA1 and the non-reflective region NRA1 confined therein.
However, in the foregoing retroreflective sheet according to the prior art, since the light reflective member 23 is formed only in the reflective region, not in the non-reflective region, a step is formed between the reflective region and the non-reflective region, causing a problem in which the light reflective member formed in the reflective region is easily delaminated from the body. In addition, since the light reflective member together with the carrier film are cut, attached to the base, and then, the carrier film including the bead alignment layer as a light reflective film is delaminated, the manufacturing process is complicated.

Retroreflective sheet and fabrication method thereof


The multi-band antenna structure includes a first antenna having a band width about a middle frequency and a second antenna spaced and electrically isolated from the antenna. Ends of the second antenna are shorted to each other and the antenna floats electrically. The first and second antennas are planar and superimposed in parallel planes. At least two layers of dielectric material of a thickness is between the two antennas. A third layer of dielectric material of a third thickness is between the two antennas.

The present disclosure is directed generally to a composite antenna structure having the ability to receive or transmit on multiple frequency bands, and more specifically to a composite antenna structure to receive low as well as high frequencies, for example, Digital Video Broadcasting (DVB), analog TV as well as Universal Mobil Communications System (UMTS) and WLAN in different licensed or unlicensed bands.
The receiver antenna represents an important part of any communication system. The antenna dimensions are inverse proportional with the frequency. As the frequency becomes larger the optimal antenna becomes smaller. For multiple communication protocols, spread over various frequency bands, using a single antenna becomes a challenging task.
The trend in the wireless mobile industry is to aggregate multiple communication protocols in a single device. With the new Digital Signal Processors (DSP) capable of executing over 10 billion instructions per second, currently it is possible to run multiple communication protocol on the same platform. In Software Defined Radios (SDR), the same processor is able to run different base band communication protocols. The real challenge is the antenna and the Radio Frequency (RF) front end. Each communication protocol requires a different antenna and a different RF front end raising cost and real estate issues.
One composite antenna structure which operates in multiple frequency bands is disclosed in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/859,169 filed Jun. 3, 2004 for "Modified Printed Dipole Antennas For Wireless Multi-band Communication System" by Emanoil Surducan, Daniel Iancu, and John Glossner. Those multi-band antennas are designed for WLAN dual frequency bands of, approximately 2.4 GHz and 5.2 GHz, and GSM and for 3G multi-band wireless communication devices, of approximately 0.824-0.960 GHz, 1.710-1.990 GHz and 1.885-2.200 GHz.
The effort to miniaturize the antenna and add more frequency bands to an existing antenna structure is not trivial. As the dielectric constant increases, the antenna will concentrate more energy resulting in less bandwidth and lower efficiency. To add more frequency bands meta materials are used on the ground plain in a periodic structure as reported in Alexander A. Zharov, Ilya V. Shadrivov, and Yuri S. Kivshar "Nonlinear Properties of left-handed Metamaterials," Phys. Rev. Lett. 18, July 2003, 91:3, pp 37401-1 to 4. A combination of composite magneto-dielectric substrate is used to increase the bandwidth and efficiency as described in Hosein Mosallaci, Kamal Sarabandi, "Engineered meta-substrates for antenna miniaturization"—Proceeding of URSI EMTS 2004, Vol. 1, pp. 191-193, Pisa, Italy.
An antenna with low reluctance material positioned to influence radiation pattern is described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,982,335. An antenna system with active spatial filtering surface is described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,806,843. A planar receiving TV antenna with broadband is described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,860,019.
The miniature micro-strip composite multi-band antenna of the present disclosure allows the reception of various signals in different frequency bands with a single antenna. The composite antenna is shown as constructed as a microstrip dipole antenna with a shorted antenna placed in the near field. The technique is applicable for communication protocols at any frequencies. As an example, the present multi-band antenna structure adds more received frequency bands to the UMCS bands and, especially at low frequencies, 100 to 1000 MHz. It also exhibits increased gain in these bands.
The multi-band antenna structure includes a first antenna having a first band width about a first middle frequency and a second antenna spaced and electrically isolated from the first antenna. Ends of the second antenna are shorted to each other and the second antenna floats electrically. The first and second antennas are planar and superimposed in parallel planes. At least first and second layers of dielectric material of a first and second thickness respectively are between the two antennas. A third layer of dielectric material of a third thickness is between the two antennas.
The total thickness of the three layers is less than the quarter wave length of the lowest middle frequency. The first thickness of the first layer adjacent the first antenna is greater than the third thickness of the third layer adjacent the second antenna, and the first and third layers have the same permittivity. The second thickness of the second layer between the first and third layers is greater than the first thickness of the first layer, and the second layer has a low permittivity than the first and third layers.
The antenna structure has at least one band with a middle frequency below 1 gigahertz and an S11 of less than −10 dB and VSWR of less than 2. Alternatively, the antenna structure has at least one band with a middle frequency below 2 gigahertz and an S11 of less than −10 dB and VSWR of less than 2, and at least two band with a middle frequency above 2 gigahertz and an S11 of less than −10 dB and VSWR of less than 2.
The first antenna may include a matching circuit connected between a feed terminal, a ground terminal and the antenna. The antenna structure may include an electrically floating split ring resonator spaced from the first and second antennas. The second antenna and the resonator are in a common plane which is parallel to a plane of the first antenna.
These and other aspects of the present disclosure will become apparent from the following detailed description of the disclosure, when considered in conjunction with accompanying drawings.


Disclosed is a rotary cutter including a first roll and a second roll. With contact peripheries of the first roll being pressed against contact peripheries of the second roll, the first roll and the second roll are driven to rotate in synchronism with each other so that a first cutting blade is opposed to a second abutment at a distance apart and a second cutting blade is opposed to a first abutment at a distance apart. When fed between the first roll and the second roll, a workpiece is cut only halfway through the thickness from both sides thereof.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a rotary cutter which comprises two rolls for holding a workpiece such as fibrous sheet therebetween so as to make cuts in the workpiece only halfway through its thickness from both sides thereof, and also relates to a method for manufacturing a fibrous product using the rotary cutter.
2. Description of the Related Art
Rotary cutters comprising two rolls have been widely used for making a desired pattern of cuts in fibrous products such as a nonwoven fabric, a stack of nonwoven fabrics, a stack of a nonwoven fabric and a fiber bundle layer, etc.
FIG. 9 is a perspective view showing a conventional rotary cutter 1 of this kind.
The rotary cutter 1 comprises a die roll 2 and an anvil roll 3 with their axes arranged parallel with each other. The die roll 2 includes a rotary shaft 4, a periphery 5 formed with a desired radius about the roll axis of the rotary shaft 4, and a plurality of cutting blades 6 projecting radially from the periphery 5. The die roll 2 is provided at its axially opposite ends with contact peripheries 7 and 7, which are formed with a radius slightly larger than the radius of the periphery 5. The cutting blades 6 projects lightly beyond the peripheries 7 and 7 to have their edges located radially outside the peripheries 7 and 7. On the other hand, the anvil roll 3 includes a rotary shaft 8 and a periphery 9 formed with a desired radius about the roll axis of the rotary shaft 8.
In this construction, the distance between the roll axis of the die roll 2 and the roll axis of the anvil roll 3 can be kept constant with the contact peripheries 7 and 7 kept in contact with the periphery 9 of the anvil roll 3. In addition, the cutting blades 6 provided on the die roll 2 can be pressed with desired force against the periphery 9 of the anvil roll 3 by pressing the contact peripheries 7 and 7 against the periphery 9 of the anvil roll 3 with desired force.
When the die roll 2 and the anvil roll 3 are driven to rotate in the directions of the arrows in synchronism with each other and a workpiece W is fed between the die roll 2 and the anvil roll 3, the workpiece W is locally cut by the cutting blades 6 with the workpiece W held between the edges of the cutting blades 6 of the die roll 2 and the periphery 9 of the anvil roll 3.
For example, the workpiece W comprises a substrate sheet Wa such as nonwoven fabric and fiber bundle layers Wb disposed on two sides of the substrate sheet Wa. The fiber bundle layer Wb is a bundle of fibers which individually extend continuously in a feed direction of the workpiece W. In other words, the individual fibers constituting the fiber bundle layer Wb extend in MD without interruption, before cutting with the cutter roller 1. The fiber bundle layers Wb are bonded to the substrate sheet Wa at bond lines Wc which are arranged at regular intervals in the feed direction (MD). When fed between the die roll 2 and the anvil roll 3, the workpiece W is held between the cutting blades 6 and the periphery 9 at positions between adjacent bond lines Wc, whereby the substrate sheet Wa is cut together with the fiber bundle layers Wb, forming cut lines Wd.
Thus, the fiber bundle layers Wb on two sides of the substrate sheet Wa are individually cut into separate portions each of which is fixed to the substrate sheet Wa at one bond line Wc so as to have ends obtained by formation of the cut lines Wd function as free ends. The resulting workpiece W can be used as a cleaning article for wiping the floor and the like, wherein the fiber bundle layers Wb are expected to have an effect of collecting dust like a brush.
In the rotary cutter 1 shown in FIG. 9, however, since the cutting blades 6 project radially beyond the contact peripheries 7 and 7 to have the edges strongly pressed against the periphery 9 of the anvil roll 3 so that the substrate sheet Wa can be cut together with the fiber bundle layers Wb, the edges of the cutting blades 6 tend to generate heat due to high pressure between the cutting blades 6 and the periphery 9. Therefore, if the fiber bundle layers Wb are formed of thermoplastic resin fibers, the fibers constituting the fiber bundle layers Wb may be thermally fusion-bonded to each other or to the substrate sheet Wa along the cut lines Wd.
This results in that the individual fibers constituting the fiber bundle layers Wb are hardly separated from each other in the workpiece W having passed through the cutting process, so that when used as a cleaning article, for example, the fiber bundle layers Wb cannot take on a suitable brush-like form, whereby an expected duct collecting effect cannot be obtained.
In order to prevent the individual fibers constituting the fiber bundle layers Wb from being thermally fusion-bonded to each other along the cut lines Wd, accordingly, the workpiece W may be cut by adopting a so-called half-cut technique in which a workpiece is cut from one side only halfway through its thickness, instead of cutting the substrate sheet Wa and the fiber bundle layers Wb all together under high pressure. In this case, since the cutting force acts on only one of the fiber bundle layers Wb, thermal fusion-bonding between individual fibers can be eliminated or suppressed.
Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 10-76494 discloses such a half-cut technique. In the technique disclosed in the above-identified Patent Publication, the edges of the cutting blades 6 of the rotary cutter shown in FIG. 9 are formed with a radius smaller than the radius of the contact peripheries 7 and 7 so that the blade edges do not come into contact with the periphery 9. When the workpiece W is fed between the die roll 2 and the anvil roll 3, accordingly, the cutting blades 6 penetrate halfway through the thickness of the workpiece W.
However, if the half-cut technique disclosed in the above-identified Patent Publication is adopted to cut the workpiece W shown in FIG. 9, the two fiber bundle layers Wb disposed on two sides of the substrate sheet Wa cannot be cut at once.

Rotary cutter and method for manufacturing fibrous product using the same


A method employing rapid vapor deposition (RVD) deposits a dielectric material on small features of a substrate surface. The resulting dielectric film is thicker, faster growing, shows better gap fill performance and has improved film properties compared to films resulting from silicon precursors with identical alkoxy substituents on silicon. The method includes the following two principal operations: exposing a substrate surface to a metal-containing precursor gas to form a substantially saturated layer of metal-containing precursor on the substrate surface; and exposing the substrate surface to a mixed alkoxy-substituted silicon-containing precursor gas to form the dielectric film.

It is often necessary in semiconductor processing to fill a high aspect ratio gap with insulating material. As device dimensions shrink and thermal budgets are reduced, void-free filling of high aspect ratio spaces (AR>3.0:1) becomes increasingly difficult due to limitations of existing deposition processes. The deposition of doped or undoped silicon dioxide assisted by high density plasma CVD, a directional (bottom-up) CVD process, is the method currently used for high aspect ratio (AR) gap-fill. Evolving semiconductor device designs and dramatically reduced feature sizes have resulted in several applications where High Density Plasma (HDP) processes are challenged in filling the high aspect ratio structures (AR>7:1) using existing technology (see, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 6,030,881, which is hereby incorporated by reference herein for all purposes). For structures representative of 65 nm and 45 nm technology nodes, engineering the gap-fill process becomes structure dependent, hence the process needs to be reoptimized, a task of considerable complexity, every time a new structure needs to be filled.
Chemical vapor deposition (CVD) has traditionally been the method of choice for depositing conformal silicon dioxide films. However, as design rules continue to shrink, the aspect ratios (depth to width) of features increase, and traditional CVD techniques can no longer provide adequately conformal films in these high aspect ratio features.
An alternative to CVD is atomic layer deposition (ALD). ALD methods involve self-limiting adsorption of reactant gases and can provide thin, conformal dielectric films within high aspect ratio features. Atomic Layer Deposition (ALD) is a method with which extremely conformal films can be deposited. ALD methods have been developed for the deposition of SiO2 film. Because the ALD approach deposits only one atomic layer per cycle, it is extremely slow. Recently a method has emerged for self-limiting conformal film growth of multiple SiO2 layers per deposition cycle. See, Hausmann, D.; Becker, J.; Wang, S.; Gordon, R. G. Science 2002, 298, 402 and Miller, K. A.; John, C.; Zhang, K. Z.; Nicholson, K. T.; McFeely, F. R.; Banaszak Holl, M. M. Thin Solid Films 2001, 397, 78.
An ALD-based dielectric deposition technique typically involves adsorbing a metal containing precursor onto the substrate surface, then, in a second procedure, introducing a silicon oxide precursor gas. The silicon oxide precursor gas reacts with the adsorbed metal precursor to form a thin film of metal-doped silicon oxide. One drawback, however, to ALD is that the deposition rates are very low. Films produced by ALD are also very thin (i.e., about one monolayer); therefore, numerous ALD cycles must be repeated to adequately fill a gap feature. These processes are unacceptably slow in many manufacturing environment applications.
A related technique, referred to as rapid vapor deposition (RVD) processing, is another alternative. RVD is similar to ALD in that reactant gases are introduced alternately over the substrate surface, but in RVD the silicon oxide film can grow more thickly. Thus, RVD methods allow for rapid film growth similar to using CVD methods but with the film conformality of ALD methods.
It is desirable to improve the performance of RVD techniques, leading to improved film growth rate, greater self-limiting film thickness, reduced aluminum (or other catalyst) content, and decreased film moisture and OH content. Additionally, it is desirable to use precursors with lower melting points and higher volatility.

Mixed alkoxy precursors and methods of their use for rapid vapor deposition of SiO


A seat slide apparatus for a vehicle includes an upper rail, a lower rail, a lock mechanism including a lock lever that includes an engaging portion engageable and disengageable relative to an engaged portion formed at the lower rail, and an unlock operation inhibition apparatus including a mass member arranged at an inner void of the upper rail, a moving axis forming member forming a moving axis of the mass member, and a restriction portion inhibiting a movement of the mass member on the moving axis, the unlock operation inhibition apparatus restricting the engaging portion from moving to disengage from the engaged portion by the movement of the mass member on the moving axis to a position at which the mass member interferes with the lock lever in a case where a collision load greater than a retraining force specified for the restriction portion is input.

A known seat slide apparatus for a vehicle generally includes an upper rail supporting a seat at an upper side and a lower rail supporting the upper rail to be movable relatively to the lower rail. In addition, the known seat slide apparatus basically includes a lock mechanism configured to restrict a relative movement of the upper rail relative to the lower rail. Further, the known seat slide apparatus may include an unlock operation inhibition apparatus that inhibits an unlock operation of the lock mechanism caused by a collision load.
For example, JP01-162827U, which will be hereinafter referred to as Reference 1, discloses a seat slide apparatus for a vehicle including a lock mechanism that includes a projection member rotatably supported by rotation the upper rail and an engagement bore formed at the lower rail so as to restrict a relative of the upper rail relative to the lower rail by the engagement of the projection member with the engagement bore. A rotation plate corresponding to the unlock operation inhibition apparatus is provided at the lock mechanism to rotate on a basis of a collision load. The rotation of the rotation plate inhibits the rotation of the projection member to disengage from the engagement bore. JP02-126937U, which will be hereinafter referred to as Reference 2, discloses a seat slide apparatus for a vehicle including a latch plate corresponding to the aforementioned projection member in Reference 1 rotates together with an operation lever shaft pivotally supported by the upper rail. An inhibition member corresponding to the unlock operation inhibition apparatus that linearly moves on a basis of a collision load is provided to inhibit the rotation of the operation lever shaft.
According to each of the aforementioned seat slide apparatuses disclosed in References 1 and 2, a main portion of the unlock operation inhibition apparatus projects upwardly or laterally. Therefore, mountability of the unlock operation inhibition apparatus relative to a vehicle may be deteriorated. In addition, an occurrence of malfunction caused by an intrusion of foreign substance or affected by temperature change, for example, and/or a reduction in life time may occur.
A need thus exists for a seat slide apparatus for a vehicle which is not susceptible to the drawback mentioned above.


A method for controlling a scanning signal of a light-electric position measuring arrangement, the method includes in a first mode of operation providing the scanning signal to a control device and the control device comparing an amplitude of the scanning signal with a predetermined level and makes a differentiation as to whether the amplitude lies above or below the predetermined level. In a second mode of operation the method includes reducing the amplitude of the scanning signal by attenuating light within a light beam path, and the reduced amplitude is compared with the predetermined level and generating an indication which is suitable for controlling a basic setting of a scanning head relative to a scale.

Applicant claims, under 35 U.S.C. § 119, the benefit of priority of the filing date of Jun. 25, 2005 of a German patent application, copy attached, Serial No. 10 2005 029 553.3, filed on the aforementioned date, the entire contents of which is incorporated herein by reference.
1. Field of Invention
The present invention relates to a position measuring arrangement, having a scale, a scanning head, and a control device for comparing an amplitude of the scanning signal with a predetermined level. The present invention further relates to a method for controlling scanning signals.
2. Discussion of Related Art
The control of position-dependent scanning signals of a position measuring arrangement is necessary in particular during the mounting of the position measuring arrangement or after the position measuring arrangement has been mounted in order to assure the longest possible measuring operations. The signal quality and the measurement accuracy are considerably dependent on the exact adjustment of the scanning head in relation to the scale. In order to assure a high degree of measuring accuracy in connection with an incremental position measuring arrangement, the scanning signal generated by the scanning head should have a high and level amplitude, as well as a mutual phase shift φ of 90°. The amplitude is affected by the distance between the scanning head and the scale, and the phase shift by the tilt of the scanning head relative to the measuring direction.
These parameters of the analog scanning signals can be represented very well by an oscilloscope. To this end the two scanning signals, which have been phase-shifted by 90° in relation to each other, are fed to the two channels of a dual-beam oscilloscope, so that a Lissajous figure is created on the display screen. The radius of the Lissajous figure constitutes a measurement of the amplitudes, as well as the phase relationship, of both scanning signals.
For simplifying the checking of position-dependent scanning signals, a position measuring arrangement has been proposed in EP 0 514 081 B1, which is laid out for controlling the amplitude of analog scanning signals. The position measuring arrangement contains a first control device which makes a differentiation as to whether the amplitude is located above or below a predetermined level, wherein the level corresponds to an error level, below which the scanning signal is not dependable, but above which the scanning signal is dependable and can be used for position measuring. It has been found that the control of a correct installation of a position measuring arrangement is not possible by this error level. Therefore, for controlling the correct installation, a second error level was used for comparison with the amplitude of the scanning signal, which is considerably larger than the first error level, in order to generate by this second error level an indication which is suitable for the installation control. A second control device is provided for this. Therefore two control devices are required for controlling the amplitude of the scanning signal after the installation of the scanning head, i.e. for controlling the basic setting, and during the subsequent measuring operation.

Position measuring arrangement and method for controlling scanning signals of the position measuring arrangement


A random number generator having a simple construction which generates physical random numbers necessary for encryption. The random number generator has an amplifier to amplify noise signals generated from a noise source and digitizer to digitize the amplified noise signals. The digitizer includes a serial register.

Random numbers are necessary for data encryption. Random numbers include so-called pseudo-random numbers which are generated by programs and the pseudo-random numbers are commonly used.
However, the pseudo-random numbers are not suitable for encryption because rules for generating such pseudo-random numbers can be easily estimated. In terms of security, genuine random numbers with no generation rule are more preferable.
Random phenomena occurred in nature may be used as physical random numbers. And it is necessary to have a physical random number generator with a simple structure which can provide random numbers to personal computers or portable terminals for various applications including encryption programs for confidential documents, games, electronic authentication, and numeral simulation (Monte Calro method) and the like.
The present invention has been accomplished in view of the above problem, and it is an object of the invention to provide a random number generator with a simple structure to generate physical random numbers necessary for encryption.


System and method multitask prediction. The system include a computing device. The computing device has a processer and a storage device storing computer executable code. The computer executable code is configured to: provide a head entity and a document containing the head entity; process the head entity and the document by a language model to obtain head extraction corresponding to the head entity, tail extractions corresponding to tail entities in the document, and sentence extraction corresponding to sentences in the document; predict a head-tail relation between the head extraction and the tail extractions using a first bilinear layer; combine the sentence extraction and a relation vector corresponding to the predicted head-tail relation using a second bilinear layer to obtain a sentence-relation combination; and predict an evidence sentence supporting the head-tail relation using a third bilinear layer based on the sentence-relation combination and attention extracted from the language model.

The background description provided herein is for the purpose of generally presenting the context of the disclosure. Work of the presently named inventors, to the extent it is described in this background section, as well as aspects of the description that may not otherwise qualify as prior art at the time of filing, are neither expressly nor impliedly admitted as prior art against the present disclosure.
Relation extraction (RE), which extracts relations between pairs of entities in plain text, is an important task in Natural Language Processing (NLP). It has downstream applications to many other NLP tasks, such as knowledge graph construction, information retrieval, question answering and dialogue systems. RE may be achieved by hand-built patterns, bootstrapping methods, supervised methods, distance supervision, and unsupervised method. Those methods often involve using neural models to learn the relations. Progress has been made on neural models for RE. However, those neural models and related database only considers intra-sentence relations.
Therefore, an unaddressed need exists in the art to address the aforementioned deficiencies and inadequacies.

System for entity and evidence-guided relation prediction and method of using the same

BEIJING WODONG TIANJUN INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY CO., LTD.

JD.COM AMERICAN TECHNOLOGIES CORPORATION


A platform mountable in a lower part of a die casting machine below the platens. The platform includes at least one pair of first and second coupled plates, the first plate affixed to an underlying base of the platform. The second plate is movable between first retracted positions overlaying the first plate to a second extended end-to-end co-planar position relative to the first plate to form an elongated co-planar platform surface. The base can support two pairs of coupled and longitudinally spaced first and second plates. An actuator coupled to each second plate for moving each second plate between the first retracted position and the second extended position.

The present disclosure relates, in general, to platforms and die casting machines and, more particularly, platforms mountable in die casting machines.
Die casting is a common manufacturing process in which molten metal is injected at a high pressure into a metal mold. The die casting machine includes a die assembly formed of one die mounted on a stationary or fixed platen in the machine frame and second die mounted on a movable platform which slides along tie rods in the top and bottom part of the machine frame.
Typically, after the dies have been opened and the formed metal part removed, the dies are sprayed to lubricate and clean the dies for a subsequent casting operation. The spraying operation introduces fluid or oils in between the open dies and platens, which falls to a pit in the bottom portion of the machine frame. Metal flash from a die casting operation also falls into the pit.
Frequently one or more operators enter the die casting machine when the dies are in the open position for maintenance, die cleaning, spraying, etc. One or more platforms have been mounted in the lower portion of the machine frame below the movable dies. An example of a prior art platform is shown in FIGS. 1A, 1B and 1C. A support plate is mounted on a scissors linkage to be elevatable to a selected height to accommodate different height workers. Typically, two such plates are mounted in a spaced apart manner across the lateral width of the die casting machine, generally over covers mounted on the die casting machine linear guides. One manually inserted bridge element spans the space between the two plates as shown in FIG. 1B. Due to the need for worker's safety, the bridge element is necessarily made of a strong metal construction and typically weighs about 30 pounds. In this manner, the bridge element and the two elevatable plates form an elongated platform across the width of the die casting machine to support a worker during machine maintenance.
However, such platforms have inherent safety hazards, in addition to the need for the worker to carry a 30-pound bridge element and attach it to spaced elements to the pair of elevatable trays.
The aforementioned fluid overspray, oil, grease and metal flash accumulates in the bottom portion or pit of the die casting machine and can accumulate on top of the linear guides covers and the platform plates. These accumulated fluids and metal flash pose a safety hazard to workers entering the die casting machine.
Further, there is a large lateral gap and a height differential between the operator platforms on opposite sides of the die casting machine and the elevated position of the plates and bridge elements inside of the die casting machine. This gap, which may exceed 13 inches in length in addition to a 13-16 inch drop in height elevation from the nearby operator's platform, also poses a significant hazard to machine workers.
While addressing the safety hazards posed by prior art platforms mounted inside of die casting machines, the large size of the machine, in particular the movable die platen, needs to be taken into account since any platform mountable within the die casting machine must be stored below the bottom edge of the movable platen to provide platen clearance during die casting operations.

Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America, Inc.


There are provided systems and methods for wireless beacon devices for use in tracking user locations during group travel. A user may take a trip on a vehicle, such as a bus, train, cruise ship, or other large travel vehicle. The users may disembark the vehicle in order to visit a location but plan to travel further on the vehicle. Thus, when the vehicle is attempting to leave the location where the users have left the vehicle, the vehicle may be required to again account for each passenger. The vehicle may utilize a wireless beacon located near an entrance and/or onboard the vehicle to account for each passenger. The wireless beacon may connect to a communication device of each user when the communication device is in proximity to the wireless beacon and, thus, inform the vehicle's operator that each user in located on the vehicle.

A user, such as a traveler or vacationer, may take a trip using a vehicle, such as a bus, train, airplane, boat, or other sub-types of vehicle, such as cruise ships and limousines. While travelling on the vehicle, the vehicle may make stops, where one or more users may disembark the vehicle, for example, to visit the location the vehicle has stopped, purchase goods at the location, and/or to end the user's trip on the vehicle. The vehicle may have plans to continue travelling to another destination with one or more of the users who have left the vehicle at the location. The vehicle may set a time where every user should return to the vehicle. However, some users may lose track of time or become lost at the location and not know when or how to return to the vehicle. Thus, the vehicle runs the risk of either leaving passengers or deviating from a planned schedule. Moreover, the user may return to the vehicle but be unaccounted for by the vehicle's operator, for example, if they have return to a room without checking in with a vehicle attendant. Thus, the vehicle may be unaware when all the users return to the vehicle and the vehicle is ready for departure.
Embodiments of the present disclosure and their advantages are best understood by referring to the detailed description that follows. It should be appreciated that like reference numerals are used to identify like elements illustrated in one or more of the figures, wherein showings therein are for purposes of illustrating embodiments of the present disclosure and not for purposes of limiting the same.

Devices for use in tracking user locations during group travel


An improved CCD image sensor which contains a plurality of photodetectors is provided with a transfer gate and uses a CCD as a scanner for reading signals, and having photo diodes which are connected consecutively to both the left and right sides of VCCD region and, in the parts without VCCD region, are disposed repeatedly parallel to each other separated by an interval of the width of the channel stop region. A 4 phase clock signal consisting of 4 fields is used for operation of said CCD image sensor. The resultant CCD image sensor has an increased photodetector area which can provide high resolution of video.

The present invention relates to a CCD image sensor, and more particularly, to a CCD image sensor which provides improved picture resolution.
CCDs, i.e., charge coupled devices are mainly used for fabricating solid state image sensors or CCD image sensors.
A solid state image sensor is a semiconductor such as silicon onto which a plurality of photodetector and scanner are disposed and can, with a proper photodetector, provide image sensing from the visible region to the infrared region.
As a scanner for solid state image sensor, metal oxide semiconductor (MOS) switches or CCDs have been principally used.
The MOS switch has a problem that it cannot be used for detecting weak signals in which a high signal to noise ratio is required, since the spike noise which occurs during the operation thereof results in a lowering of the signal to noise ratio. Thus, they are hardly used now.
The CCD allows a use of any type of photoconductor as the MOS switch does. In case that the CCD is employed as a scanner, it is preferable to design the CCD part, particularly vertical charge coupled device (hereinafter referred to as a VCCD) in such a way that its surface is as small as possible so that more effective surface of photodetector may be available. This is more important when an interlace manner is adopted, in which a CCD is disposed between photodetectors.
As photodetectors, PN junctions, metal insulator semiconductor (MIS) structures, Schottky junctions and the like are commonly used.
The scanning method using CCDs as a scanner include interlace and non-interlace methods.
In non-interlace method, one frame consists of a plurality of field and the data of input field are scanned to the screen in an order that they are inputted as shown in FIG. 1(a).
The numbers 1, 2, 3 . . . in FIG. 1(a) represent that the scanned fields are displayed according to their input order.
In interlace method, one frame consists of even and odd fields and data of the odd fields and then data of the even fields are scanned to the screen in turn.
In FIG. 1(b), numbers 1 and 2 represent odd and even fields, respectively.
The non-interlace method can acquire the accurate actual image of a moving subject due to rapid scanning speed, so that it may be used for military equipment, for example, missile tracking. Its defect is that the video image is vibrated.
The interlace method can provide a stable video image because the scanning speed is low compared to the non-interlace method. However, a rapidly moving subject is displayed in two images. Therefore, it is not suitable for military equipment but may be used for TV broadcasting of NTSC or PAL signals.
The structure of the above conventional CCD image sensor for interlace method will be described with reference to the accompanying FIG. 2(a) to (e).
Hereinafter, the odd-numbered horizontal line in which photo diodes (PD) are disposed is referred to as an odd horizontal line and the even-numbered horizontal line is referred to as an even horizontal line.
FIG. 2(a) shows a block diagram of a CCD image sensor in the conventional interlace method. Each photo diode (PD) is connected consecutively to a corresponding VCCD region (VCCD) in such a way that output video signal charge may be transferred to VCCD in only one direction while each VCCD region (VCCD) is connected to the HCCD region (HCCD) so that signal charges coming out of each photo diode (PD) may be transferred to HCCD region (HCCD) through the first to fourth VCCD clock signals (V.phi..sub.1 -V.phi..sub.4) consisting of 4 phases.
FIG. 2(b) shows a layout diagram of a CCD image sensor according to a structure of FIG. 2(a). A channel stop region (ST) is formed between VCCD region (VCCD) and photo diode (PD). Odd gate electrode (PG.sub.1) to which the first and second VCCD clock signals (V.phi..sub.1, V.phi..sub.2) are applied is formed from VCCD region (VCCD) to channel stop region (ST) so that said odd gate electrode (PG.sub.1) may be connected to corresponding transfer gate (TG.sub.1) of photo diode (PD) disposed in the odd horizontal line while even gate electrode (PG.sub.2) to which the third and fourth VCCD clock signals (V.phi..sub.3 -V.phi..sub.4) are applied, are formed from channel stop region (ST), VCCD region (VCCD) to photo diode (PD) so that said even gate electrode (PG.sub.2) may be connected to corresponding transfer gate (TG.sub.2) of photo diode (PD) disposed in the even horizontal line.
The desired numbers of the odd gate (PG.sub.1) and even gate (PG.sub.2) may be formed consecutively in the same form. They are separated from each other by an insulating material which is not shown.
As a material for transfer gates (TG.sub.1, TG.sub.2), and odd and even gate electrodes (PG.sub.1, PG.sub.2), poly silicon was used.
The odd gate electrode (PG.sub.1) consists of the first odd gate electrode (PG.sub.1a) which is formed under the photo diode (PD) in the odd horizontal line and to which the second VCCD clock signal (V.phi..sub.2) is applied and the second odd gate electrode (PG.sub.1b) which is formed in the upper region of the photo diode (PD) in the odd horizontal line, to which the first VCCD clock signal (V.phi..sub.1) is applied and which is connected to the transfer gate (TG.sub.1) of the photo diode (PD) formed in the odd horizontal line.
The even gate electrode (PG.sub.2) consists of the first even gate electrode (PG.sub.2a) which is formed under the photo diode (PD) in the even horizontal line and to which the fourth VCCD clock signal (V.phi..sub.4) is applied and the second even gate electrode (PG.sub.2b) which is formed in the upper region of the photo diode (PD) in the even horizontal line, to which the third VCCD clock signal (V.phi..sub.3) is applied and which is connected to the transfer gate (TG.sub.2) of the photo diode (PD) formed in the even horizontal line.
The first to fourth VCCD clock signals (V.phi..sub.1 -V.phi..sub.4), which are of four phases, consist of even and odd fields. The clocking of the VCCD will be hereinafter described in more detail.
FIG. 2(c) shows a cross sectional view taken along the a--a' line of FIG. 2(b). A p-type well 200 is formed on the n-type substrate (100). An n-type photo diode (PD) and n-type VCCD region (VCCD), which are formed in the even horizontal line, are disposed consecutively apart from each other by the width of a channel stop region (ST). A transfer gate (TG.sub.2) for connecting the photo diode (PD) and the VCCD region (VCCD) is formed in the upper region of the space by which the photo diode (PD) and the VCCD region (VCCD) are separated from each other and, in the upper region of surface of the VCCD region (VCCD), the second even gate electrode (PG.sub.2b) of even gate electrode (PG.sub.2), to which the third VCCD clock signal (V.phi..sub.3) is applied, is connected to the corresponding transfer gate (TG.sub.2) of the photo diode (PD) in even horizontal line.
The p-type well 200 consists of shallow (200a) and deep (200b) p-type wells in order to control the over flow drain (OFD) voltage.
On the surface of photo diode (PD), a p.sup.+ -type thin film 300 is usually formed to apply the initial vias. The figure P.sup.+ under the channel stop region (ST) represents channel stop ion.
FIG. 2(d) shows a cross sectional view taken along the c--c' line of FIG. 2(b). In FIG. 2(d), a p-type well 200 is formed on an n-type substrate 100, and n-type photo diode (PD) and n-type VCCD region (VCCD) in the even horizontal line are disposed consecutively apart from each other by a distance of channel stop region and the first even gate electrode (PG.sub.2a) of the even gate electrode (PG.sub.2) to which the fourth VCCD clock signal (V.phi..sub.4) is applied, is formed in the upper region of the surface of the VCCD region (VCCD).
In FIG. 2(d), like FIG. 2(c), conventional p.sup.+ -type thin film 300 is formed on the surface of photo diode (PD) and the figure p.sup.+ shown under the channel stop region (ST) represents p.sup.+ -type ion for a channel stop region. The p-type well 200 consists of shallow (200a) and deep (200b) p-type wells In order to control the OFD voltage.
Accordingly, the transfer gate (TG.sub.1) of the photo diode (PD) formed in the odd horizontal line can be driven only by the first VCCD clock signal (V.phi..sub.1) which is applied to the second odd gate electrode (PG.sub.1b) of the odd gate electrode (PG.sub.1). Further, the transfer gate (TG.sub.2) of the photo diode (PD) formed in the even horizontal line can be driven only by the third VCCD clock signal (V.phi..sub.3) which is applied to the second even gate electrode (PG.sub.2b) of the even gate electrode (PG.sub.2).
The second VCCD clock signal (V.phi..sub.2) which is applied to the first odd gate electrode (PG.sub.1a) of the odd gate electrode (PG,) and the fourth VCCD clock signal (V.phi..sub.4) which is applied to the first even gate electrode (PG.sub.2a) of the even gate electrode (PG.sub.2) have a function of shifting the image signal charge coming out of the photo diodes (PD) formed in the odd and even horizontal lines to a HCCD (Horizontal Charge Coupled Device).
Hereinafter, operation of the conventional CCD image sensor will be described with reference to the accompanying FIG. 3(a) which shows a timing diagram of the first to fourth VCCD clock signals (V.phi..sub.1 -V.phi..sub.4) which are of 4 phases.
Each clock signal consists of two fields, i.e., one odd field and one even field.
In the odd field, a transfer gate driving voltage (V.sub.1) of high level state (15V) is involved in the first VCCD clock signal (V.phi..sub.1) which is applied to the second odd gate electrode (PG.sub.1b) of the odd gate electrode (PG.sub.1).
In the even field, a transfer gate driving voltage (V.sub.2) of high level state (15V) is involved in the third VCCD clock signal (V.phi..sub.3) which is applied to the second even gate electrode (PG.sub.2b) of the even gate electrode (PGs).
First, when in the odd field, the first to fourth VCCD clock signals (V.phi..sub.1 -V.phi..sub.4) are applied simultaneously, the transfer gates (TG.sub.1) of the photo diodes (PD) formed in each odd horizontal line are turned on simultaneously by the transfer gate driving voltage (V.sub.1) involved in the first VCCD clock signal (V.phi..sub.1).
Accordingly, an image signal charge generated at the photo diode (PD) is transferred to the VCCD region from which it is moved again to the HCCD region by the clocking operating of VCCD.
FIG. 3(b) shows a pulse waveform diagram of the applied first to fourth clock signals (V.phi..sub.1 -V.phi..sub.4) in the unit section (K) of FIG. 3(a).
The image signal charge coming out of the photo diode (PD) by serial clocking operations as shown in FIG. 3(b) is moved in a vertical direction to the HCCD region (HCCD).
The second VCCD clock signal (V.phi..sub.2) which is applied through the first odd gate electrode (PG.sub.1a) of the odd gate electrode (PG.sub.1) formed under the odd horizontal line has a function of shifting the image signal charge coming out of the photo diode (PD) in the odd horizontal line by said first VCCD clock signal (V.phi..sub.1) to the HCCD region (HCCD) by aid of said first VCCD clock signal (V.phi..sub.1).
In the even field of FIG. 3(a), when the first to fourth clock signals (V.phi..sub.1 -V.phi..sub.4) are applied simultaneously, the transfer gates (TG.sub.2) of the photo diodes (PD) formed in each even horizontal line are turned on by the transfer gate driving voltage (V.sub.2) involved in the third VCCD clock signal (V.phi..sub.3).
Accordingly, an image signal charge generated at the photo diode (PD) in the even horizontal line is moved in a vertical direction to the HCCD region by the clocking operation, like in FIG. 3(b) for odd fields.
The fourth VCCD clock signal (VO.phi..sub.4) which is applied through the first even gate electrode (PG.sub.2a) of the even gate electrode (PG.sub.2) formed under the even horizontal line has a function of, together with the third VCCD clock signal (V.phi..sub.3), shifting the image signal charge coming out of the photo diode (PD) in the even horizontal line by said third VCCD clock signal (V.phi..sub.3).
Use of VCCD clock signals of 4 phases makes it possible to transfer more image signal charge than if VCCD clock signals of 2 phases were used.
According to the above description of operation, first, the image signal charges of the photo diodes (PD) disposed in the odd horizontal line are scanned to the screen in due turn by the first to fourth VCCD clock signals (V.phi..sub.1 -V.phi..sub.4) which are of 4 Phases through the VCCD region (VCCD) and HCCD region (HCCD). Then, the image signal charges of the photo diodes (PD) disposed in the even horizontal lines are scanned to the screen in due turn through the VCCD region (VCCD) and HCCD region (HCCD).
The above explained scanning method is called the interlace method.
As shown in FIG. 2(a), when the signal charge of the photo diodes (PD) disposed in the odd horizontal line, referred to as 1, and the signal charge of the photo diode (PD) disposed in the even horizontal line, referred to as 2, a state of the screen (the frame) consisting of pixels which are displayed by said image signal charges 1 and 2 may be shown as FIG. 3(c).
However, such a CCD image sensor of the prior art has problems that, although said CCD image sensor using the interlace method is widely used for TV broadcasting of NTSC or PAL signals, the VCCD region, which does not participate in receiving the image signal, is too broad in view of the total chip surface of said CCD image sensor since the VCCD is disposed between photodetectors. Consequently, it is hard to obtain a high resolution video due to restriction in increasing the photodetectors for improving resolution with defined chip size.

CCD image sensor with four phase clocking mechanism


The present invention provides a method for determining the TBN of a used lubricating oil by measuring with a single device at least one element, such as sulfur, and correlating the measured amount to the oil's TBN. Preferably, a spectroscopic device is used to make the measurement.

Chemical and physical analysis of lubricants is often used to provide information about the condition of the lubricant as well as the wear status of equipment in which the lubricant is used. Most often a lubricant sample is taken from the equipment in which it is used and is sent to the laboratory for analysis, where several analytical tests are performed to determine a number of chemical properties. Among the key analyses performed on engine oils are those for TBN and wear debris elements. Sending lubricant samples to a laboratory for analysis, however, does not provide the equipment operator any immediate information about the condition of the lubricant. This lapse in time can be critical to the operation of the equipment.
To help minimize the time required to obtained analytical results, various on-site or on-line devices have been proposed to monitor the condition of the lubricant as well as the wear status of the equipment being lubricated. Many of these devices include multiple analyzers. In this regard see, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,982,847; U.S. Pat. No. 6,561,010 B2; U.S. Pat. No. 5,987,976; US 2004/0123644 A1; U.S. Pat. No. 5,537,336; U.S. Pat. No. 6,779,505 B2; and PCT WO 01/36966 A2.
In U.S. Pat. No. 5,537,336 there is disclosed an oil test assembly that includes an infrared spectrometer (IR) and an emission spectrometer for measuring wear debris elements. TBN is one of the lube oil properties measured by IR.
Similarly, U.S. Pat. No. 6,561,010 B2 and PCT WO 01/36966 A2 disclose an apparatus for analyzing a machine fluid that also employs multiple sensors. In this instance at least one of the sensors is a viscosity sensor. Wear debris elements are measured by x-ray fluorescence (XRF) spectroscopy. TBN may be inferred by IR.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,779,505 B2 uses a similar method for controlling lube oil feed rates in certain diesel engine applications, where wear debris is measured by XRF and TBN is measured by IR.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,982,847 discloses a method for measuring wear metal in lubrication oils by XRF. Measurement of TBN is not taught.
US 2004/0123644 A1 discloses a method for measuring volatile components in an oil.
None of these devices measures TBN and wear debris elements with a single analyzer. Such a device is highly desired for many applications, since it decreases complexity and maintenance, resulting in increased reliability. A single on-line device would be highly advantageous for real-time analysis.

Determination of total base number in marine engine lubricants by elements

ExxonMobil Research and Engineering Company


A fast-write, high picture-quality LCD (Liquid Crystal Display) compatible with a high-resolution, large-sized liquid crystal panel. An output amplifier circuit of a liquid crystal driver circuit includes an amplifier configuration, which functions as an amplifier that amplifies the predetermined gray-scale voltage for output and as an amplifier that buffers the predetermined gray-scale voltage and outputs with no amplification, and a circuit for switching the above two types of amplifiers. In each horizontal period, a liquid crystal panel is driven by the amplified output for a predetermined period and by the buffered output for the rest of the period. A precharge control circuit is provided to check whether the gray-scale voltage is to be amplified depending upon display data.

The present invention relates to a liquid crystal driver circuit which displays data on a liquid crystal display, and more particularly to a liquid crystal driver circuit which applies a drive voltage to a liquid crystal panel at a high speed.
As described in "An 8-bit Digital Data Driver for Color TFT-LCDs", pp. 247–250, in SID DIGEST, 1996, the data driver circuit (liquid crystal driver) of a conventional liquid crystal display (LCD) buffers a liquid crystal application voltage corresponding to display data generated by a digital-to-analog converter (DAC) circuit with the use of an output amplifier circuit before output. The output amplifier circuit, composed of a voltage follower circuit, applies a gray-scale voltage of the DAC circuit directly to the liquid crystal panel pixels to display data.

Liquid crystal driver circuit and LCD having fast data write capability


Methods and systems are provided for secure device binding that provides user convenience through avoiding repetitive logging in when changing apps or moving from website to website. A mobile device undergoes binding to an account so that customers do not always have to enter their password when going through a financial transaction process, on a known (e.g., registered) mobile device. A device may be bound during an initial login, and once logged in, the user can select an option to be “remembered” so that the user need not re-login on the same device for future visits with an app or to a website that shares the service provider library.

1. Technical Field
The present disclosure generally relates to electronic commerce conducted over a network using a mobile or other consumer electronic device and, more particularly, to providing a secure device binding that provides user convenience through avoiding repetitive logging in when changing apps or moving from website to website.
2. Related Art
Electronic commerce generally refers to the buying and selling of products or services over electronic networks such as the Internet and other computer networks using electronic devices such as mobile phones with mobile web browsers, smart phones, and electronic note pads. The huge volume of electronic commerce has given rise to a need for the ability to make secure transactions, such as payments for purchases, over the network. There are several service providers that facilitate electronic commerce by providing services to make payments and perform other transactions with security. For example, one service provider describes itself as acting like a digital wallet where the customer can securely store the customer's payment options—such as the customer's bank account and credit card—so that when the customer wants to make a payment, the customer doesn't have to pull out his or her credit card or type his or her billing information every time. This service provider provides a service that can be invoked from a participating merchant's website, for example, by simply clicking on the service provider's checkout button at the merchant website, which redirects the customer to a login page of the service provider where the customer can securely log in to his or her service provider account and select his or her preferred payment method. Then, for example, payment is made to the merchant by the service provider, and the customer is redirected back to the merchant website where the customer may confirm his or her purchase.

Quick payment using mobile device binding


A solar water desalination and purification device includes an outer liquid-tight containment and an inner liquid-tight containment disposed within the outer containment. The outer containment collects liquid that forms from condensing water vapor that evaporates within the inner containment and passes through the inner containment material. The inner containment is made from hydrophobic material that allows water vapor to pass through the material as the sunlight evaporates the contaminated water within the inner containment. An inlet communicates with the inner containment for allowing the contaminated water to fill the inner containment. An outlet communicates with the outer containment to allow discharge of condensed water vapor collected within the outer containment to be used as drinking water.

In any survival or military scenario, fresh drinking water is always a critical requirement to sustain life. Recreational water enthusiasts and military personnel from all branches of the DoD (especially sea-going troops) can suddenly and unexpectedly find themselves in a survival situation where the absence of drinking water may be fatal. The human body cannot live without fresh water (one cup of water per day is the absolute minimum in ideal environmental conditions). Spare drinking water and reverse-osmosis pumps are commonly available in larger survival kits (e.g., on life rafts and seat kits); however, the ability for individuals to carry emergency drinking water, or the technology to produce drinking water, is non-existent in current recreational or military survival equipment.
Civilian boaters, military personnel, and other sea-going persons, and hikers have a need for a portable personal passive solar water desalination/purification device. There are many documented cases of people going overboard when trying to relieve themselves. If mariners have the ability to always be equipped with an extremely compact water purification system (carried on their person at all times), their chances of surviving an accidental fall overboard will increase significantly. For persons engaged in land-based activities or ground-based military personnel, the device can be carried on their person to enhance their chances of surviving a land-based emergency or mission.
Military and survival experts have expressed the need for a compact water purifying technology that can be carried on the person to complement existing personal passive lifesaving technologies, i.e., ESFS (U.S. Pat. No. 6,066,016)(floatation) and the military-approved SEE/RESCUE® streamer (U.S. Pat. No. 5,421,287).

Solar water desalination/purification device


A low-noise voltage regulator circuit with quick disablement includes an amplifier for outputting a driving voltage according to a reference voltage, a feedback voltage on a feedback node, and an enable signal; an output transistor coupled among the amplifier, an output node, and a first voltage source for outputting an output voltage at the output node; a first discharge transistor having a first size and coupled among the enable signal, the output node, and the feedback node; and a second discharge transistor having a second size being different than the first size and coupled among the enable signal, the feedback node, and a second voltage source; wherein when the enable signal disables the amplifier, the enable signal turns on the first discharge transistor and the second discharge transistor such that the output voltage is quickly pulled down to close a level provided by the second voltage source.

The present invention provides a low-noise voltage regulator circuit and an operating method thereof for quickly disabling the voltage regulator circuit, and more particularly, to a low-noise voltage regulator circuit and an operating method thereof that utilize an enable signal for connecting an output node, through a feedback node, to a ground voltage source so as to quickly pull down the output voltage of the low-noise voltage regulator circuit.
In all kinds of electrical products on the market, a voltage regulator circuit is often used to execute the work of voltage regulation and to provide a stable voltage to other circuit modules in the electrical product. For example, in many micro-controller systems, used for providing a different bias between the I/O circuit and the other core circuit which is used to execute numeral operations and data management, a voltage regulator circuit often provides a bias to the I/O circuit and the core circuit according to the direct voltage and the output voltage. Please refer to FIG. 1. FIG. 1 is a diagram of a related art voltage regulator circuit. An external device is connected to the voltage regulator circuit shown in FIG. 1 (ex. the above-mentioned core circuit). The related art voltage regulator circuit 10 comprises an amplifier circuit 12, an output transistor 14, and a loading module 16. The loading module 16 comprises a loading capacitor CL and two loading resistors RL1, RL2. The loading capacitor CL and these two loading resistors RL1, RL2 are connected to an output node NOUT and a second voltage source VSS. The second voltage source VSS typically provides a low DC voltage or a ground voltage. The amplifier circuit 12 comprises a first receiving terminal Na1 and a second receiving terminal Na2. The first and second receiving terminals Na1, Na2 are commonly regarded as two differential input terminals. The first receiving terminal Na1 is electrically connected to a reference voltage generator 13 for receiving a reference voltage, and the second receiving terminal Na2 is electrically connected to a feedback node NF1 for receiving a feedback voltage. The reference voltage is generated from the reference voltage generator 13. The amplifier circuit 12 outputs a driving voltage to the output transistor 14 through the output terminal Np1 for controlling the bias of the gate of the output transistor 14 according to the reference voltage, the feedback voltage, and an enable signal ENABLE.
In this related art embodiment, the output transistor 14 is designed to be a P-channel MOS (PMOS) transistor. The gate of the output transistor 14 is electrically connected to the amplifier circuit 12 through the node Np1, the drain of the output transistor 14 is electrically connected to the output node NOUT, and the source of the output transistor 14 is electrically connected to a first voltage source VCC. The first voltage source VCC provides a high DC voltage for this system. For example, if the voltage regulator circuit is applied to a micro-controller system, the first voltage source VCC is set as a DC voltage of 3.3V. It means that the DC voltage 3.3V is the DC bias, which is provided to the micro-controller system and the voltage regulator circuit 10. The external devices 18 needs to be biased at a lower voltage, for example, 2.5V. So the task of the voltage regulator circuit 10 is to utilize the DC voltage 3.3V (the first voltage source VCC) to generate a steady output voltage 2.5V on the output node NOUT for the external devices 18. Referring to FIG. 1 again, the output node NOUT is connected to the loading capacitor CL, which has a fixed capacitor value. The loading capacitor CL can be used to regulate the output voltage and suppress the noise. When the loading capacitor is charged to serve as a steady state, it can establish a steady-state output voltage. The output voltage is provided to the external devices 18 as a bias voltage. On the other hands, a feedback voltage on the feedback node NF1 is generated by dividing the output voltage based on the two loading resistors RL1, RL2. The feedback voltage is then fed back to the amplifier circuit 12.
The related art driving operation of the voltage regulator circuit 10 is described as follows. The first voltage source VCC provides a high DC voltage to the voltage regulator circuit 10 while the second voltage source VSS provides a low DC voltage to the voltage regulator circuit 10. After the enable signal ENABLE provides a high DC voltage to the amplifier circuit 12, the amplifier circuit 12 and the voltage regulator circuit 10 is enabled. In steady state, the amplifier circuit 12 will typically output a low driving voltage to the gate of the output transistor 14 through the output node Np1 such that the first voltage source VCC and the output node NOUT are connected. In the very beginning, the voltage between the source and drain of the output transistor 14 almost equal to the voltage difference of the DC voltage VCC and VSS, and therefore conducts a large current from the source to the drain, which in turn charges the loading capacitor CL. During the charging process, the output voltage on the output node NOUT will be increased until reaching a steady state level. When it reaches the steady state, the amplifier circuit 12 would have the feedback voltage equal to the reference voltage. The steady output voltage can thus be supplied to the external devices 18. Once the output voltage somehow varies, the amplifier circuit will generate an appropriate driving voltage for regulating the output voltage.
When disabling the operation of the related art voltage regulator circuit 10, the enable signal ENABLE is changed to provide, say, a low DC voltage to the amplifier circuit 12. The enable signal ENABLE with a low voltage level will stop the operation of the amplifier circuit 12 and force the amplifier circuit 12 to output a high driving voltage to the gate of the output transistor 14. Because the output transistor 14 is a PMOS transistor, the high driving voltage turns off the output transistor 14, and the connection between the first voltage source VCC and the output node NOUT is broken. It means that the first voltage source VCC no longer provides a high DC voltage to the output node NOUT. In such a case, the voltage regulator circuit 10 starts to discharge itself through the loading module. However, the loading capacitor CL leads to a finite duration of the discharging time, which implies that the voltage regulator circuit 10 is not only disabled slowly but also not able to provide a precise and stable output voltage. Moreover, the increase of the discharging time implies an increase in power consumption as well as the inability to disable the output voltage precisely and promptly. Therefore, the related art voltage regulator circuit 10 has its drawbacks while be used in the portable electronic systems (ex. notebooks and PDAs) where low power consumption and precise and stable controls of the output voltage are of concern.
To solve the above-mentioned problem, a voltage regulator disclosed in the U.S. Pat. No. 6,362,609 speeds up the operation in that the voltage regulator circuit 10 with the basic structure mentioned above stops outputting the output voltage through utilizing an additional transistor added to the voltage regulator circuit 10. The operation of the related circuit has been fully described in the specification of the patent, and the lengthy description is not repeated.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Fast-disabled voltage regulator circuit with low-noise feedback loop and operating method thereof