A photographic silver halide emulsion comprising silver chlorobromide grains containing at least 80 mol % silver chloride or silver chloride grains is disclosed, wherein tabular grains having a thickness of less than 0.5 .mu.m, a diameter of at least 0.5 .mu.m and an aspect ratio of at least 2/1 account for at least 50% of the total projected area of the silver halide grains, and the tabular grains are formed in the presence of a compound of metal belonging to Group VIII of the Periodic Table. The high silver chloride content emulsion has a sensitivity as high as that of a silver iodobromide emulsion.

In photographic processing for photographic light-sensitive materials, it is desired to shorten the processing time and reduce the amount of waste solutions that are generated in processing.
A high-sensitivity negative type photographic light-sensitive material generally employs a silver iodobromide emulsion; however, in order to satisfy the above noted requirements, a silver chlorobromide emulsion or a silver chloride emulsion having a high solubility is useful. On the other hand, for reducing the amount of processing waste, it is desirable to increase the image density using a smaller amount of silver, and also it is well known in the art that tabular silver halide grains provide favorable properties with respect to sensitivity, graininess, sharpness, color sensitizing efficiency, etc.
Silver halide grains having a high silver chloride content, i.e., as high as 50 mol %, (hereinafter, "high silver chloride content grains") generally have a cubic structure. To form tabular grains having a high silver chloride content, various specific means must be employed.
Methods for preparing tabular silver chlorobromide grains are known including, for example, (1) simultaneously introducing an aqueous solution of a chloride and an aqueous solution of a silver salt in a dispersion medium in the presence of ammonia by a double jet method as described in JP-B-64-8324 (the term "JP-B" as used herein means an "examined Japanese patent publication"), (2) reacting an aqueous silver salt solution and an aqueous solution of a chloride-containing halide in the presence of aminoazaindene and a thioether bond-containing peptizer as described in JP-B-64-8326, (3) simultaneously introducing an aqueous solution of a silver salt, an aqueous solution of a chloride, and an aqueous solution of a bromide to a dispersion medium while keeping the mol ratio of chloride ion to bromide ion in the range of from 1.6:1 to 258:1, and keeping the total concentration of halogen ions in the range of from 0.10 to 0.90 normal as described in JP-A-58-111936 (the term "JP-A" as used herein means an "unexamined published Japanese patent application"), (4) introducing silver ion into a dispersion medium containing at least 0.5 molar chloride ion and a gelatin deflocculant formed from methionine of less than 30 .mu.mol per gram as described in JP-A-62-163046, (5) contacting a chloride-containing halide and a water-soluble silver salt in a dispersion medium in the presence of a crystal habit changing amount of aminoazapyridine and the salt thereof as described in JP-A-63-281149, (6) mixing an aqueous silver salt solution and an aqueous halide solution in the presence of thiourea or a thiourea derivative or using a gold compound as described in JP-A-63-213836, (7) forming the silver halide grains in the presence of a compound having a sulfur ion in a heterocyclic ring thereof as described in JP-A-63-2043, and (8) forming the silver halide grains in the presence of a carbonyl compound containing a sulfur ion in the molecule thereof or a sulfone compound as described in JP-A-63-41845.
However, a silver chlorobromide emulsion tends to fog and has a low light sensitivity as compared to a silver iodobromide emulsion. Also, the application of a silver chlorobromide emulsion is limited to color photo- graphic papers and light-sensitive materials for making printing plates using a relatively high intensity exposure.
For solving the above noted problems of high silver chloride content emulsions, various techniques have been proposed.
For example, JP-A-58-95736, JP-A-58-108533, JP-A-60-222844, and JP-A-60-222845 disclose that for imparting high sensitivity to a high silver chloride content emulsion, it is effective to form a grain structure having a high silver bromide content layer in the silver halide grains. The present inventors have found that although high sensitivity is obtained using these techniques, desensitization tends to occur when pressure is applied to the emulsion. Also, tabular silver halide grains having a uniform grain size distribution are difficult to prepare, such that the emulsion is not practically employed. Furthermore, it has also been found that by using these methods, it is difficult to sufficiently improve the reciprocity law failure of the high silver chloride content emulsion.
JP-A-51-139323, JP-A-59-171947 and British Patent 2,109,576A described that high sensitivity is obtained and the reciprocity law failure is improved by introducing to the silver halide emulsion a compound of a metal belonging to Group VIII of the Periodic Table.
Also, U.S. Pat. No. 4,269,927 describes that high sensitivity is obtained by incorporating cadmium, lead, zinc, or a mixture thereof in a surface latent image-type high silver chloride content emulsion having a silver chloride content of at least 80 mol %.
However, by using the above-described method, although a small increase in sensitivity and improvement in reciprocity law failure is observed, the resulting high silver chloride content emulsion does not provide practically useful performance.
Furthermore, European Patent 336426Al discloses a technique of obtaining high sensitivity by forming a high silver chloride content emulsion in the presence of six-coordinate complex of rhenium, ruthenium, or osmium having a cyan ligand.
However, the sensitivity attained is far inferior to that of a silver iodobromide emulsion which is generally used.


A light weight conventional robot and method for use in connection with the surface preparation of large objects. The robot has a tool attached to an object flange which is supported by a collapsible member, allowing the tool to move to and fro. The member is pivotally mounted to a base so that the tool may be manipulated in all directions. There are at least three independently mountable blocks which allow the robot to be easily adapted to the work envelope without any change to the envelope itself. Tensile members connect the mounting blocks to the object flange to control the movement of the tool. The tensile members may be one continuous non-accumulating member or separate members which respectively allow the robot to move in two or three degrees of freedom, by varying the length of each member.

Conventional robot mechanisms use rigid links articulated at a plurality of joints or sliding within guiding bearings relative to each other. Such mechanisms, because their links are usually loaded in a bending mode, always yield heavy robots in relation to their load carrying capability. The ratio of robot weight to its payload may range between 100 to over 1000, with the ratio increasing for robots having larger working envelopes. For example, an automotive painting robot that carries 5 kgs of payload may weigh as much as 1000 Kgs with a ratio of 200. Using the same robot for painting aircraft, for which the working envelope is particularly large, additional positioning structures and mechanisms weighing several tons must be added. Such structures are complex, heavy and costly to install, align, and maintain. Their drives consume considerable energy, they use valuable space, require special costly considerations to avoid damaging collisions with the work objects of the robots.
Some prior art has adopted tensile members such as is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,666,362, Landsberger, et al, issued May 19, 1987, wherein a passive compressive central spine is compressed against the pull forces of tensile cables. Such mechanisms are known as parallel link mechanisms, wherein motion is actuated by links that are all anchored to one common base. This is in contrast with serial type robot mechanisms wherein several links may be stacked in series with each other with one or more links anchored to a base.
Parallel link mechanisms having relatively long links offer advantages over serial link mechanisms for constructing robots with large work envelopes. Their relative component simplicity, low weight, and the application of driving forces directly to the payload, hence requiring minimum driving power, are attractive features. However, such advantages are less relevant for mechanisms providing a small working or motion envelope or are limited to orientation control such as robotic wrist actuation. It is even disadvantageous to have long links anchored to a robot base and remotely actuating the orientation function of a robot wrist, since such links would have excessive compliance and are difficult to construct with necessary accuracy by virtue of their length.
It is therefore preferable for robot construction to use a parallel link type mechanism where it has the advantage, of positioning when the work envelope is large. It may then be complemented with a simpler serial linkage for orientational adjustments, or additional short positional moves whenever additional degrees of freedom are required. Some prior art, such as that disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,666,362 employs driving methods which cause the actuators to be loaded continuously against a passive central repulsive force, regardless of the motion or load of the mechanism thus consuming energy unnecessarily. It is preferable, of course, that the loading of actuators be devoted to the productive function of the mechanism and be relieved of internal loads.
Furthermore, all conventional robots, including prior art robots of the parallel link type, are built with a common base supporting the structure of the robot. Such a common base is inflexible and allows limited installation possibilities. Therefore, it is desirable to have a robot that can be mounted to fit the environment of its application such as by attaching it selectively to existing building structures by locating the supporting points favorably to minimize the loading on the robot components, increase the work envelope, and avoid interferences with surrounding equipment and structures.


Compounds and compositions are provided that bind to the CCR4 chemokine receptor and which are useful for treating diseases associated with CCR4 activity, such as contact hypersensitivity.

Chemokines are chemotactic cytokines that are released by a wide variety of cells to attract macrophages, T cells, eosinophils, basophils and neutrophils to sites of inflammation (reviewed in Schall, Cytokine, 3:165-183 (1991), Schall, et al., Curr. Opin. Immunol. 6:865-873 (1994) and Murphy, Rev. Immun., 12:593-633 (1994)). In addition to stimulating chemotaxis, other changes can be selectively induced by chemokines in responsive cells, including changes in cell shape, transient rises in the concentration of intracellular free calcium ions ([Ca2+])i, granule exocytosis, integrin upregulation, formation of bioactive lipids (e.g., leukotrienes) and respiratory burst, associated with leukocyte activation. Thus, the chemokines are early triggers of the inflammatory response, causing inflammatory mediator release, chemotaxis and extravasation to sites of infection or inflammation.
There are four classes of chemokines, CXC (α), CC (β), C(γ), and CX3C (δ), depending on whether the first two cysteines are separated by a single amino acid (C—X—C), are adjacent (C—C), have a missing cysteine pair (C), or are separated by three amino acids (CX3C). The a-chemokines, such as interleukin-8 (IL-8), melanoma growth stimulatory activity protein (MGSA), and stromal cell derived factor 1 (SDF-1) are chemotactic primarily for neutrophils and lymphocytes, whereas β-chemokines, such as RANTES, MIP-1α, MIP-1β, monocyte chemotactic protein-1 (MCP-1), MCP-2, MCP-3 and eotaxin are chemotactic for macrophages, T-cells, eosinophils and basophils (Deng, et al., Nature, 381:661-666 (1996)). The C chemokine lymphotactin shows specificity for lymphocytes (Kelner, et al., Science, 266:1395-1399 (1994)) while the CX3C chemokine fractalkine shows specificity for lymphocytes and monocytes (Bazan, et al., Nature, 385:640-644 (1997).
Chemokines bind to specific cell-surface receptors belonging to the family of G-protein-coupled seven-transmembrane-domain proteins (reviewed in Horuk, Trends Pharm. Sci. 15:159-165 (1994)) which are termed "chemokine receptors." On binding their cognate ligands, chemokine receptors transduce an intracellular signal through the associated heterotrimeric G protein, resulting in a rapid increase in intracellular calcium concentration. There are at least twelve human chemokine receptors that bind or respond to β-chemokines with the following characteristic pattern: CCR1 (or "CKR-1" or "CC-CKR-1") to MIP-1α, MIP-1β, MCP-3, RANTES (Ben-Barruch, et al., J. Biol. Chem., 270:22123-22128 (1995); Neote, et al., Cell, 72:415425 (1993)); CCR2A and CCR2B (or "CKR-2A"/"CKR-2A" or "CC-CKR-2A"/"CC-CKR2A") to MCP-1, MCP-3, MCP-4; CCR3 (or "CKR-3" or "CC-CKR-3") to eotaxin, RANTES, MCP; (Ponath, et al., J. Exp. Med., 183:2437-2448 (1996)); CCR4 (also referred to as "CKR4", "CC-CKR4" or "CMKBR4"), to TARC, MDC (Imai et al. (1998) J. Biol. Chem. 273:1764-1768); CCR5 (or "CKR-5" or "CC-CKR-5") to MIP-1α, RANTES, MIP-1β (Sanson, et al., Biochemistry, 35:3362-3367 (1996)); CCR6 to MIP-3 alpha (Greaves, et al., J. Exp. Med., 186:837-844 (1997)); CCR7 to MIP-3 beta and 6Ckine (Campbell, et al., J. Cell. Biol., 141:1053-1059(1998)); CCR8 to I-309, HHV8 vMIP-I, HFV-8 vMIP-II, MCV vMCC-I (Dairaghi, et al., J. Biol. Chem., 274:21569-21574 (1999)); CCR9 to TECK (Zaballos, et al., J. Immunol., 162:5671-5675 (1999)), D6 MIP-1 beta, RANTES, and MCP-3 (Nibbs, et al., J. Biol. Chem., 272:32078-32083 (1997)), the Duffy blood-group antigen to IL-8, Groα, RANTES, MCP-1 (Chaudhun et al. (1994) J. Biol. Chem. 269:7835-7838, Murphy et al. (2000) Pharm. Rev. 52:145-176) and CCR10 to CTACK, CCL28 (Jarmin et al. (2000) J. Immunol. 164:3460-3464, Homey et al. (2000) J. Immunol. 164:3465-3470, Wang et al. (2000) J. Biol. Chem. 275:22313-22323).
Chemokine receptors, such as CCR1, CCR2, CCR2A, CCR2B, CCR3, CCR4, CCR5, CCR6, CCR7, CCR8, CCR9, CXCR1, CXCR2, CXCR3, CXCR4, CXCR5, CX3CR1 and XCR1 have been implicated as being important mediators of inflammatory and immunoregulatory disorders and diseases, including asthma and allergic diseases, as well as autoimmune pathologies such as rheumatoid arthritis and atherosclerosis.
The CCR4 chemokine receptor, first identified by Power et al. (Power et al. (1995) J. Biol. Chem. 270:19495-19500), is expressed primarily in peripheral blood T lymphocytes. CCR4 is involved in T lymphocyte homing to the skin and lungs (see, e.g., Campbell et al. (1999) Nature 400:776-780, Gonzalo et al. (1999) J. Immunol. 163:403-411, Lloyd et al. (2000) J. Exp. Med. 191:265-273, Kawasaki et al. (2001) J. Immunol. 166:2055-2062).
The identification of compounds that modulate the function of CCR4 represents an attractive approach to the development of therapeutic agents for the treatment of inflammatory conditions and diseases associated with CCR4 activation, such as psoriasis, asthma and allergic diseases.


An image sensing unit is disclosed. In one aspect, the sensing unit includes optical sensors for acquiring a two dimensional (2D) image from a subject and micro-structures for supporting the optical sensors and adjusting the heights of the optical sensors.

1. Field
The described technology generally relates to an image sensing unit, a three dimensional (3D) image processing apparatus, a 3D camera system, and a 3D image processing method.
2. Description of the Related Technology
A 3D image display device provides different images to the left eye and the right eye of a user such that the user watches a stereoscopic image. The 3D image display device needs to use 3D image information obtained by a 3D camera system in order to generate a 3D image.
3D camera systems include a system using two cameras that respectively capture a left-view image and a right-view image and a system that records 3D image information by simultaneously acquiring 2D image information and distance information using a single camera.
The above information disclosed in this Background section is only for enhancement of understanding of the background of the described technology and therefore it may contain information that does not form the prior art that is already known in this country to a person of ordinary skill in the art.

Image sensing unit, 3D image processing apparatus, 3D camera system, and 3D image processing method


A shifting tool is provided for locating and actuating downhole tools in a downhole tubular string, such as sleeve valves spaced along a completion string. The shifting tool includes dogs at ends of two or more radially controllable, and circumferentially spaced support arms. The arms are manipulated with an axially movable arm-constrictor spider for engaging radially variable cams on the sides of the arms. The spider includes cam follower tabs to cam the arms radially inward for in and out of hole movement, and for releasing the arms for sleeve locating and sleeve profile engagement. The tabs are radially inset from the arms to minimize obstruction of a tool annulus and interference damage when travelling along the downhole string.

It is well known to line wellbores with a completion string, liners or casing and the like and, thereafter, to create flowpaths through the casing to permit fluids, such as fracturing fluids, to reach the formation therebeyond. One such conventional method for creating flowpaths is to perforate the casing using apparatus such as a perforating gun, which typically utilize an explosive charge to create localized openings through the casing. Alternatively, the casing can include pre-machined ports, located at intervals therealong. The ports are typically sealed during insertion of the casing into the wellbore, such as by a dissolvable plug, a burst port assembly, a sleeve or the like. Optionally, the casing can thereafter be cemented into the wellbore, the cement being placed in an annulus between the wellbore and the casing. Thereafter, the ports are typically selectively opened by removing the sealing means to permit fluids, such as fracturing fluids, to reach the formation.
Typically, when sleeves are used to seal the ports, the sleeves are releasably retained over the ports, also known as sleeve valves, and can be actuated to slide within the casing to open and close the respective ports. Many different types of sleeves and apparatus to actuate the sleeves are known in the industry. Fluids are directed into the formation through the open ports. At least one sealing means, such as a packer, is employed to isolate the balance of the wellbore below the sleeve from the treatment fluids.
A variety of tools are known for actuating sleeves in ported subs including the use of shifting tools, profiled tools and packers. In U.S. Pat. No. 6,024,173 to Patel and assigned to Schlumberger, a shifting tool and a position locator is disclosed for locating a downhole device and engaging a packer element within moveable member and operating the device using and applied axial force to shift the member.
In Canadian Patents 2,738,907 and 2,693,676, both to NCS Oilfield Services Canada Inc., a bottom hole assembly (BHA) is deployed at an end of coiled tubing and located adjacent a ported sub by a sleeve locator. The BHA has a sealing member and also includes an anchor in a tool similar to a releasable bridge plug or well packer, which are set inside the ported sub fit for shifting a sliding sleeve and opening ports to the wellbore. The sealing member, the releasable anchor and incorporation of a sleeve locator, all of which must be cooperatively locatable within the sleeve housing, requires a sleeve housing of significant length and related expense. Further, without additional components, the releasable anchoring system is generally limited to downhole actuation of the sleeve.
In Applicant's pending application published as US20170058644A1 on Mar. 2, 2017, the entirety of which is included herein by reference, a shifting tool was disclosed using keys or dogs for engaging profile in sleeves. Dogs at ends of radially controllable, and circumferentially spaced support arms are actuated radially inward to overcome biasing for either into and out-of-hole movement, and for releasing the arms for sleeve locating and sleeve profile engagement. The dogs can be positively lock in the sleeve profile for opening and closing. The positive engagement and compact axial components results in short sleeve valves. The tool includes an arm-encircling ring for controlling radial positioning. The encircling ring is situated within the narrow annular space formed between the tool and the sleeve which is at greater risk of interference.
There is interest in the industry for robust apparatus and methods of performing completion operations which are relatively simple, reliable, that could also provide uphole sleeve actuation on demand and which reduce the overall costs involved.


A hip-stretching device includes a mat having an upper surface. The mat is configured for placement on a support surface to support a back of a subject lying in a supine position on the upper surface of the mat. The hip-stretching device includes first and second pockets associated with the mat. The first and second pockets each have an opening configured to removably receive an inflatable bladder for selectively placing the inflatable bladder in one of the first and second pockets. The first and second pockets each position an inflatable bladder received therein under a hip area of the subject when the subject is lying in the supine position on the upper surface of the mat. Inflation of the inflatable bladder imparts a force to the hip area of the subject to elevate the hip area to provide a hip flexor stretch to the subject.

Stretching of the hip is a common and important activity. Athletes stretch to prepare their bodies for a sporting event. Likewise, patients stretch to aid in the recovery and rehabilitation process after experiencing a traumatic event, and in the interest of preventing subsequent injury. The psoas major, psoas minor and iliacus muscles (collectively "the hip flexors") of each hip joint are commonly stretched by a person lying in a supine position (lying face up). In the supine position, the person grasps a knee of one leg and brings it toward their chest. The person extends their other leg and holds this position for a period of time to stretch the hip flexor on the extended leg. After the hip flexor is stretched for the desired period of time, the person switches to the other leg and repeats the process to stretch the other hip flexor.


A system and method for controlling a fraction motor in a hybrid vehicle includes varying a traction motor torque in response to an engine cylinder misfire. The traction motor torque is varied to compensate for an engine torque shortfall due to the engine cylinder misfire, reducing a torque imbalance caused by the misfire.

A hybrid electric vehicle includes an engine and a traction motor, each with a torque delivery path to traction wheels. The engine includes a plurality of cylinders within which combustion takes place to produce torque on a crankshaft. Under some circumstances, a cylinder may misfire, or produce reduced torque or no torque. If a cylinder continuously misfires, a torque imbalance arises among the cylinders, leading to variations in the torque provided to the crankshaft.

Engine torque imbalance compensation in hybrid vehicle


A joint structure for an independent system designed to improve the maintenance performance of a rear wheel suspension. Rear wheel axles extend leftward and rearward from a final case supported by the rear portion of a body frame to independently suspend respective left and right rear wheels. The respective rear wheel axles are coupled to left-hand and right-hand joints on the left and right sides, respectively, of the final case. A driven sprocket engaging with a chain is attached to the left-hand joint and a separate holder is detachably attached to the front of the final case. A joint-part shaft of the right-hand joint is supported by the final case via a bearing and also a brake disk is attached thereto. A male-shaped joint-part shaft integrally extending from the left-hand joint is fitted into the female-shaped joint-part shaft for integrally rotatable coupling.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a joint structure for an independent suspension and more particularly to a coupling structure advantageous to respective outer races constituting left and right joints.
2. Description of Background Art
Examples of a coupling structure for respective outer races constituting left-hand and right-hand joints in an independent suspension include the following structure: A joint-part shaft is provided for each of the outer races and fitted from the left and right to a tubular member formed with spline grooves on the internal surface thereof. Thus, the tubular member is spline coupled to the left-hand and right-hand joint-part shafts for spline coupling, whereby the left-hand and right-hand outer races are indirectly coupled to each other via the tubular member. (For example, see Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. Sho 63-90486.)
The structure for coupling the left-hand and right-hand outer races via the above-mentioned tubular member has a problem in that it is difficult to ensure a necessary wheel stroke because of the following: Since the left-hand and right-hand outer races are independently coupled to the tubular member, a lateral widthwise distance is increased according to the intervention of the tubular member, which may provide an excessive joint angle in a limited tread. Therefore, there arises a problem in that it is difficult to ensure a necessary wheel stroke.

Joint structure for independent suspension


X-ray detecting devices and apparatus for analyzing a sample using the same are disclosed. A disclosed X-ray detecting device has an X-ray detector to detect X-rays emitted from a sample. The X-ray detector includes a collimator to collimate the X-rays, an electron trap to remove electrons included in the collimated X-rays, a window to transmit the X-rays and defining an interior space of the X-ray detector, a crystal to receive the X-rays which pass through the window and to generate a corresponding electric current, a field effect transistor to generate a signal in response to the electric current, and a vacuum pump to create a vacuum within the interior of the X-ray detector containing the field effect transistor and the crystal to suppress noise associated with at least one of the crystal and/or the field effect transistor.

An X-ray detector is an apparatus, for example one used for EDX (Energy Dispersive X-ray Spectroscopy), used for qualitative analysis such as for examining the compositional analysis of a sample.
When an electron collides with the sample, various kinds of electrons, ions, characteristic X-rays, etc., are emitted. An X-ray detector, such as an EDX, detects the emitted characteristic X-rays and expresses them according to the energy band of a beam. The characteristic X-rays have a magnitude that is energy-specific for each material. Therefore, a computer analyzes the material by comparing the magnitude of energy with pre-stored values of the magnitudes of energies for various materials.
These days, X-ray detectors and scanning electron microscopes are frequently used together. A scanning electron microscope may be used to perform a structural analysis of a sample. The scanning electron microscope scans electrons to perform this structural analysis. X-rays are generated by collision of the scanning electrons on the sample. These X-rays may be collimated by an X-ray detector. Therefore, when the scanning electron microscope and the X-ray detector are combined, structural analysis and compositional analysis may be performed at the same time.
FIG. 1A is a schematic diagram of a conventional EDX. Referring to FIG. 1A, a conventional EDX includes a cryo compressor 101, a filter 103, an isolation block 105, a cooler head 107, a manual valve 109, an electrical isolator 111, a main chamber 113, an X-ray detector 100, an I/O panel 115, and an EDX rack 117. Among the components of the conventional EDX, the X-ray detector 100 will be described hereinafter, with reference to FIG. 1B.
FIG. 1B shows a typical structure of a conventional X-ray detector 100. As shown in FIG. 1B, the conventional X-ray detector includes an X-ray collimator 120 for collimating the X-ray, an electron trap 130 for eliminating electrons from the collimated X-ray, a window 140 for transmitting the X-ray and sealing an interior of the X-ray detector so as to vacuumize the interior of the X-ray detector 100, a crystal 150 for generating an electric current corresponding to the energy of the X-ray, and a field effect transistor (FET) 160 for generating a voltage signal corresponding to the electric current generated by the crystal 150.
Since the crystal 150 and the FET (which are main parts of the X-ray detector) produce substantial noise at high temperatures, the crystal 150 and the FET are cooled to reduce the noise, and the X-ray detector 100 is sealed and maintained in a vacuum state. A vacuum is created within the interior of the X-ray detector to prevent contamination therein, oxidation of a filament, electric discharge, etc.
The noise produced by the crystal 150 decreases as the temperature thereof becomes lower. However, the noise of the FET only decreases until a certain temperature is reached; then, as the temperature becomes excessively low, the noise associated with the FET rises again. Therefore, an appropriate temperature must be maintained by a heater. Although not shown in the accompanying drawings, a heater is provided in the X-ray detector and is controlled by an external control module.
The inside of the X-ray detector 100 is cooled by liquid nitrogen (LN2). To this end, a cryostat 200 is provided. The cryostat 200 is connected to an X-ray detecting device including the X-ray detector 100.
The liquid nitrogen is contained in the cryostat 200 and is usually consumed at a rate of about 1.1–1.3 liters a day.
Therefore, liquid nitrogen is periodically supplemented from a liquid nitrogen tank 300. The liquid nitrogen supplemented from the liquid nitrogen tank 300 to the cryostat 200 passes through a filter to prevent the inflow of foreign particles.
As described above, since the conventional X-ray detector 100 is used while being connected to the cryostat 200, various inconveniences including the periodic or aperiodic supplement of the liquid nitrogen and replacement of the filter occur.
In addition, since these are consumables, the maintenance cost is increased.


Methods and apparatuses for ECC (error code correction) are disclosed herein. In one embodiment, for example, a method for ECC can include receiving a data stream, decoding the data stream according to a first directional ECC scheme, and decoding the data stream according to a second directional ECC scheme. The method also includes outputting an indication of ECC failure if an error count of the first directional ECC scheme or the second directional ECC scheme is below a first threshold value. The method further includes outputting an indication of ECC failure if an unmodified count of the first directional ECC scheme or the second directional ECC scheme is below a second threshold value.

Please refer to FIG. 1 which describes the flow of recording data to a Digital Versatile Disc (DVD). General, a DVD 60 can record various types of digital information 10, such as video, audio, data and other analog data that has been converted to corresponding digital data via some digital to analogue (A/D) conversion. As illustrated by FIG. 1, digital data 10 need to go through data compression 20, data security 30, error correction 40 and modulation/demodulation 50 in order to have data written in or data retrieve from the disc.
In greater details, when recording digital data 10 to DVD 60, digital data 10 must go through source code encoder 22, data encryption 32, error correction encoding 42 and modulation 52. Most of the error control encoding uses the Reed-Solomon Product Code (RSPC). Modulation 52 involves performing the Eight-Fourteen Modulation (EMF).
On the other hand, when reading the content stored in the DVD, the content must go through demodulation 54, error correction decoding 44, data decryption 34 and data decoding 24. EFM is used to perform demodulation 54. The error control decoder uses RSPC to decode.
Please refer to FIG. 2(a). FIG. 2(a) illustrates the information field of DVD. DVD information format is made of sectors; each sector is 2064 byte in size. Each information field 70 has 16 sectors, thus as shown in FIG. 2(a), an information field 70 is 172 byte by 192 byte.
Now please look at FIG. 2(b) which illustrates an ECC block. During error correction encoding 42, the outer parity code field 80 of 172 bytes by 16 bytes is added to information field 70. Next, a piece of inner parity code 90 of 10 bytes by 208 bytes is inserted between information field 70 and outer parity code 80. This brings the size of ECC block 100 to 182 bytes by 208 bytes. After EFM modulation, the ECC block can then be recorded to DVD.
Similarly, data read from DVD needs to be demodulated before they could be written into memory in 182 byte by 208 byte chunks and error corrected and decoded.
During error control decoding, the PI in each row is used to detect and correct errors occurred in certain bytes within the same row. For an example, bits B0,172˜B0,181, PI of the row zero of information field 70 is used to correct N bytes of error between B0,0 to B0,171. If greater than N bytes of error occurred, these errors will not be able to be corrected. In this example, when mark erasure is used, 10 bytes of errors can be corrected. When mark erasure is not used, a maximum of 5 bytes can be corrected. The use of PI to perform error correction is known as the PI procedure.
Furthermore, PO could be used to detect and correct certain number bytes of error within the same column. For an example, B192,0˜B207,0 could be used to correct M bytes of error between B0,0 and B191,0. When the number of errors exceeds M between B0,0 and B191,0, they cannot be corrected. In theory, when mark erasure is used, a maximum number of 16 bytes of error could be corrected as oppose to 8 bytes when mark erasure is not used. The procedure of using PO to do correction is known as the PO procedure.
Please now turn to FIG. 3. The illustration depicts an error control decoder device used in prior art DVD devices. The device consists of a data buffer 306 for storing error correction code blocks read from the disk; an error control decoder 310 which further consists an ECC decoder flow controller 312 for controlling the ECC procedure; an ECC engine 314 consisting of a plurality of decoding modules that operate in the manner as a finite state machine in order to decode information with various decoding methods which usually contain at least one PI procedure and at least one PO procedure; an EDC engine 316 for checking errors of target error correction block. The ECC decoder flow controller 312, ECC engine 314 and EDC engine 316 could be implemented with logic circuit or microprocessor microcode. In order to communicate the principal of the present invention, storage medium (such as optical disc, hard disc, and etc.) shown in illustrations and control unit within the storage device are shown as one element called storage medium and control unit 304. The storage medium and control unit 304 exchanges data with host 300 via bus 302.
In prior practice, storage medium and control unit 304 sends not-yet-decoded ECC block to data buffer 306 via bus 302 at the beginning of a decoding session. This block of data sent becomes the "target" ECC block. Next, ECC decoder flow controller 312 initializes and selects either a PI procedure or a PO procedure within the ECC engine 314 and proceeds with decoding. If a PI procedure is selected, EDC engine 316 determines if the block of data passes error correct and terminates the error code control decoder process. Failure in passing the error correct test implies that errors within the target ECC block could not be corrected by the PI procedure. ECC decoder flow controller 312 then check if retry count has met the maximum value; before the retry value reaches the maximum value, ECC decoder flow controller 312 will increment the retry value and proceed with PO procedure.
At the completion of PO procedure, EDC engine 316 performs error detection on the target ECC block. Passing the error detection means data within the target ECC block are correct. This means the target ECC block has had all error corrected and the error code control decoder has completed its task. However if the target ECC block does not pass error detection, it means there are some errors within the block that cannot be corrected with PO procedure. ECC decoder flow controller 312 then check if retry value has met the maximum value; before the retry value reaches the maximum value, ECC decoder flow controller 312 will increment the retry value and proceed with PI procedure. Once the retry value reaches the maximum value, the ECC decoder flow controller 312 will declare an ECC failure since repeating PO and PI procedures were not able to completely correct errors.
Please refer to FIG. 4(a) which depicts the flow of determining failure in prior art. Decoding procedure is initialized before an ECC decoder flow controller 312 can select PI or PO procedure within the error code correction process. As mentioned above, the error code correction process contains at least one PI procedure and at least one PO procedure. Hypothetically, the error detection determines if the ECC block passes error detection procedure 104 after a PI process 102, the information in the block is assumed to be all correct and thus the error correction 114 has been completed and the whole error code control decoding procedure has been completed. Whereas if the ECC block did not pass the error detection test, this implies there are some errors that could not be corrected with PI procedure. Then the retry value is checked (106), if the retry value has not reached the limit, retry value is incremented (107) and PO procedure 108 is carried out.
After PO procedure 108, the error detection coded decoder procedure determines whether the ECC block has passed error detection 110. Passing error detection test 110 means that data in the information sector is correct and has passed error correction 114. Therefore the error detection control decoder procedure could be terminated. On the other hand, if the ECC block did not pass the error detection test, there are some errors the PO procedure could not fix. Then, before the retry value reaches limit (112), retry value is incremented by 1 (113) and PI procedure 102 is carried out. In the case of retry value has reached maximum and the PI and PO procedure did not complete error control decoder procedure, the ECC process has failed (116).
In the previously error control decoding procedures, ECC failure is determined by whether the retry value has reached a certain limit. In some circumstances, for example when (N+1)byte*(M+1) byte of data within the information filed are erroneous, then no matter how many times the device re-attempts to perform error correction, the error control decoding procedure can not be completed. When ECC failure occurs, the target ECC block goes repeating steps 102, 104, 106, 107, 108, 110, 112 and 113 until the retry value reaches limit before reaching ECC failure (116) Thus, a failed error correction could not be identified before the retry value reaches limit. This mechanism could possibly waste system resources by repeating unnecessary PO and PI procedure.
The use of mark erasure provides a better tolerance to errors. Please now turn to FIG. 4(b) which illustrates another known procedure for determining ECC failure. The most significant difference between this drawing and FIG. 4(a) is that the PO and PI procedure in this illustration each have two different approaches. This example has;                1. mark erasure PO procedure 401,        2. mark erasure PI procedure 402,        3. PO procedure without mark erasure 403, and        4. PO procedure PI procedure without mark erasure 404.When a decode failure occurs, the row and column number (YNUM) where failure occurred is noted. When 0<YNUM≦ERA_max (ERA_max is 10 in PI procedure and 16 in PO procedure), another round of mark erasure procedure will be necessary. In this example, when PI procedure 404 results in decode failure, the position is marked and then, (1) mark erasure PO procedure 401 is executed. However, if YNUM is greater than ERA_max (ERA_max in PI procedure is 10 and in PO procedure is 16), another round of decoding procedure without mark erasure should be carried out, which would be (3) PO procedure without mark erasure 403 in the above list.
When continuous (4) PI procedure without mark erasure 404 and (1) mark erasure PO procedure 401 does not decode all data, the relationship between YNUM and ERA_max are examined again. When 0<YNUM≦ERA_max, (2) mark erasure PI procedure 402 will be performed. On the other hand, if YNUM<ERA_max, then (4) PI procedure without mark erasure 404 would be carried out. Furthermore, if continuous (3)PO procedure without mark erasure 403 and (2) mark erasure PI procedure 402 does not lead to decoding all data, YNUM and ERA_max is compared again to enter into (1) mark erasure PO procedure 401 when 0<YNUM≦ERA_max) or (3) PO procedure without mark erasure 403 if YNUM>ERA_max.
When the ECC block passes error detection after a certain procedure, the data within target ECC block are correct. In other words, the error correction is completed. This means the error control decoding procedure is completed and following procedures are ready to be commenced. Note that this is not illustrated in the drawing. The main disadvantage of the above described flow control is the possibility of missing some opportunities of successfully decoding all data. Please refer to FIG. 5, which is an example of an ECC block with decode failure bytes. Decode failure bytes are marked with "*". Suppose this ECC block goes through the procedure illustrate by FIG. 4(b), it will, for example, first go through (4) PI procedure without mark erasure 404. When the number of decode failure on a particular row is greater than 5 and smaller than 10, YNUM comes into the picture and helps decide which procedure is to be used next. In this example, YNUM is 8, so 0<YNUM≦ERA_max (ERA_max in PI procedure is 10 and ERA_max in PO is 16) and a round of mark erasure procedure is carried out. In this particular example, decode failure byte after executing PI procedure 404 is marked before ECC block is applied with (1) mark erasure PO procedure 401. Nevertheless, the decode failure row number is very close to the upper limit and there are some data yet to be tested for decode error. The end result is an unsuccessful decoding. This mechanism performs in such a manner that an appropriate PI procedure without mark erasure step 404 will not come into the decoding flow, causing the decoding process to repeat ineffectively. The purpose of the present invention improves on the above mention flaws of prior art.

Method and apparatus for error code correction


A walking aid supporting the weight of the body of an aided person. The walking aid being programmable and specialized according to each of the left and right bearings. The walking aid comprises a support structure mounted on wheels and includes a bottom element and a top element for supporting the person. The top element being rendered mobile relative to the bottom element along a vertical axis by a sliding system actuated by an actuator system. The aid comprises a system of gravitational-force sensors, which performs the weighing of the top element, and a system for measuring the position of the lower limbs of the person. The actuator system is controlled by the system of gravitational-force sensors, and is further controlled by a system for programming and managing support based on the measurement of the position of the lower limbs of the person.

Walking aid devices for individuals are currently known, notably implemented in the context of reeducation for recovering the patient's motor skills. Devices of this kind that can be cited include rolling walkers, consisting of a structure intended to support the weight of the assisted individual and mounted on castors. This type of device, while it allows for real deambulation, does however prove insufficient to allow for a support of the individual that is suited to his or her specific motricity problems, and/or to an active reeducation that evolves and is perfectly appropriate to each individual, whatever his or her particular needs are. Furthermore, the support in this case is provided only by the force of the arms of the user, which is unsatisfactory from the point of view of usage comfort.


An oil pump includes first and second control chambers, a biasing mechanism, and a changeover mechanism. The changeover mechanism connects the first control chamber with a drain portion when a valving element is in a first position, introduces a discharge pressure into the first and second control chambers when the valving element reaches a second position, and drains oil of the second control chamber to the drain portion and introduces the discharge pressure into the first control chamber when the valving element reaches a third position. The changeover mechanism changes from the first position to the second position, when the discharge pressure becomes higher than a pressure level at which the cam ring can move against a set load of the biasing mechanism, and is lower than a pressure level at which a biasing force of the biasing mechanism is increased in a stepwise manner.

The present invention relates to a variable displacement oil pump adapted to supply working fluid as a hydraulic pressure source.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,794,217 discloses a previously-proposed variable displacement oil pump which is applied to an internal combustion engine for an automobile.
The variable displacement pump disclosed in this patent is a vane-type variable-displacement oil pump. In this technique, an eccentricity amount of a cam ring is controlled in two stages according to rotational speed of the engine, on the basis of spring force of a spring and biasing force of a discharge pressure introduced into two control oil chambers which are separately formed between a pump housing and the cam ring. The spring is provided to bias the cam ring in a direction (hereinafter referred to as "eccentric direction") that increases the eccentricity amount of the cam ring relative to a rotation center of a rotor. The discharge pressure introduced into the two control oil chambers acts to bias the cam ring in a concentric direction (i.e., opposite to the eccentric direction) against the spring force of the spring. Accordingly, the oil pump can supply oil to a plurality of devices which desire discharge-pressure values different from each other.
Specifically, when the engine rotational speed rises, the discharge pressure is introduced into one of the two control oil chambers. Then, when the discharge pressure reaches a first predetermined oil-pressure value which is a first equilibrium pressure, the cam ring moves somewhat in the concentric direction against the spring force of the spring. Then, if the engine rotational speed further rises, the discharge pressure is introduced also into another of the two control oil chambers in addition to the one of the two control oil chambers. Then, when the discharge pressure reaches a second predetermined oil-pressure value which is a second equilibrium pressure, the cam ring moves further in the concentric direction against the spring force of the spring.


Embodiments generate panoramic image data with variable zoom settings. Embodiments display for a camera lens a two-dimensional representation of a geographic area encompassing a geographic location of the camera and other geographic areas within a field of view of the lens. Embodiments determine geographic coordinate points for the geographic areas and capture panorama photograph data in response to rotation of the camera while dynamically changing a zoom setting of the lens to match distances from the camera lens to the geographic coordinate points determined for each of the different locations.

Panoramic photography refers to capturing images with horizontally elongated fields of view. Digital cameras may capture (create) a panoramic image in response to a user physically moving the camera lens or body along a specified direction while the camera captures image data, wherein internal software executes and combines the image data obtained at different vantage points into one image. Generally, an electronic image sensor captures a reference optical image sample data while the camera is moved by a user or automated mechanisms through an optical path, wherein optical image stabilization (OIS) components eliminate distortions to the image data cause by motion of the camera while capturing the panoramic image data, such as jittering vibrations imparted by a user operating the camera.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Panoramic photograph with dynamic variable zoom

International Business Machines Corporation


A modular retaining wall composed of prefabricated concrete elements incorporating a panel with rearwardly extending legs, and a method of constructing the modular retaining wall in a straight or drafted configuration. The rearwardly extending legs have holes that can be used for lifting and moving the individual elements. The holes can also be used for attaching mechanical elements that anchor the panel to the earth if the conditions of the slope require the retaining wall to be reinforced and anchored. The holes are in the legs, and not on the panel. Therefore, the integrity of the panel remains structurally sound and is not compromised, improving the overall stability of the wall. All that is required to produce a drafted wall is to rearrange the positioning of the panel with respect to the ground under the wall.

1. Field of Invention
This invention relates to retaining wall in particular, to retaining walls constructed of prefabricated modular elements that support a natural or man-made slope.
2. Description of Prior Art
It is desirable in certain excavations to provide support for a natural or excavated slope to prevent its collapse. In practice, retaining walls are used to support, protect and stabilize slopes. Many factors enter into the engineering of a retaining wall based on the conditions of a particular slope, the load demands of the wall, and the wall's dimensions. In the past, retaining wall installation was time consuming and expensive. Prior art retaining walls begin with skeletal elements, usually made of metal, that are installed in the slope. Secondary operations are necessary to complete the wall, for example applying concrete surrounding the skeletal elements.
It is known in the art to create a wall using tiles having outwardly projecting flanges to improve the wall's resistance to rain, ice, snow and fire. U.S. Pat. No. 368,387 to Donaldson discloses a weather boarding or siding comprised of individual rectangular tiles having outwardly-projecting flanges or ledges arranged on opposite sides of the tile. The lower edge of the flange has a series of perforations and is secured to a frame of a house or other structure by nails or screws inserted through the perforations. The flange of an adjoining tile covers the flange having attaching means, concealing the fasteners from view.
The flange along the upper edge of the tile is beveled in one direction. The flange along the lower edge of the tile is beveled in the reverse direction. Thus when adjoining tiles are connected, the flanges overlap one another and the beveled edges form a dovetailed joint. This beveled flange arrangement is required to connect the adjoining edges of the tiles together and prevent the edges from displacing relative to each other.
However, this type of tile is not suitable for a retaining wall because the tile's construction is not self-supporting. Each tile is individually fastened to a frame. The edges do not abut each other, but merely overlap. The dovetailed joint between adjoining tiles is required to prevent mating edges from displacing. Without the dovetail, the tiles disclosed in Donaldson would slip and move.
As discussed above, each of the tiles disclosed in Donaldson must be secured to a frame. The tiles are not capable of standing on their own. The perforations for securing the tiles are located in the flanges on the tile's surface. The perforations on the tile's surface compromise the structural integrity of the tile.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,718,792 proposes prefabricated retaining wall elements that provide a process for facing and supporting slopes in a minimum number of operations. This prior art retaining wall is provided as a plurality of prefabricated elements having edges that are designed to connect to neighboring elements. The prefabricated elements are solid, and interconnect with each other, providing a stable support under load or against external forces.
A drawback to this type of prefabricated retaining wall element is that it is necessary to compromise the integrity of the element in order to anchor the element. The element is provided with an insert into which a mechanical extension device is inserted and fixes the panel to the earth underlying the retaining wall.
The insert is a reinforced area having a hole for the ground anchor. The reinforced hole is made directly into the panel. This hole in the flat panel disrupts the integrity of the panel which reduces the overall stability and strength of the entire retaining wall.
In any prior art retaining wall system it is necessary to use temporary bracing to hold the wall in place until the earth is backfilled. This is a time consuming and costly disadvantage that has yet to be overcome with a practical solution until the present invention.
There exists a need for a retaining wall system that will not require jeopardizing the integrity of the elements to anchor them to the earth. There is also a need for simplifying the construction of a retaining wall by eliminating the need for temporary bracing to hold the wall in place until it is completed. The present invention proposes an improved prefabricated cast concrete retaining wall element that overcomes the disadvantages discussed above relating to prior art retaining wall systems.


A drawing processing apparatus for performing tessellation processing, comprising a pixel shader and a texture unit. An internal division operation part of the pixel shader issues texture load instructions to the texture unit, specifying parametric coordinate values of a patch of a parametric surface, and thereby acquires internal division factors interpolated based on the parametric coordinate values from the texture unit. The internal division operation part issues texture load instructions to the texture unit further, specifying the internal division factors acquired from the texture unit as new interpolation factors, and thereby acquires control points internally divided based on the internal division factors in advance from the texture unit. Based on the internal division factors corresponding to the parametric coordinate values, the internal division operation part performs recursive internal division operations on the control points acquired from the texture unit, thereby determining a point on the parametric surface corresponding to the parametric coordinate values.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates a drawing processing apparatus, a texture processing apparatus, and a tessellation method for processing drawing data.
2. Description of the Related Art
When generating three-dimensional models of drawing objects, free-form surfaces are often used so as to render more complicated shapes. Among the techniques for rendering free-form surfaces, NURBS (Non-Uniform Rational B-Spline) curves or NURBS surfaces are in widespread use since they have the advantage that smooth curves or surfaces can be rendered with a smaller number of control points. Aside from control points, NURBS has a lot of shape-operating parameters such as weights and knots, which allow local modifications in shape. NURBS also has excellent rendering capabilities such that arcs, straight lines, and conic sections including parabolas can be expressed systematically. In three-dimensional computer graphics, technologies for rendering drawing models created in NURBS data are being sought after.
Objects smoothly rendered in the form of NURBS, Bezier, or other parametric surfaces are represented by parameters such as control points. This allows a reduction in the amount of data as compared to polygonal models in which three-dimensional objects are expressed as sets of polygons such as triangles. In some applications including network games, three-dimensional model information is transmitted over networks. The object representation using free-form surfaces is suited even to such network applications because of the smaller amount of data.
When drawing three-dimensional models rendered in free-form surfaces, the free-form surfaces are divided into polygons, and rendering algorithms are applied thereto for the sake of drawing processing. To divide a free-form surface into polygons, the values of parameters in the equation of the NURBS- or otherwise-defined parametric surface are changed at predetermined pitches, whereby vertexes on the parametric surface are determined directly. These points are then connected to generate the polygons. As a result, the parametric surface is subdivided into a lot of polygons with a predetermined number of divisions. This processing is called tessellation processing.
In the tessellation processing, determining the coordinate values of the vertexes on a parametric surface requires that computing be repeated on the control points that define the shape of the parametric surface. This tessellation processing, when implemented by software, consumes a considerable computing time due to the large amount of calculation. The tessellation processing is thus not suited to three-dimensional computer graphic applications that need to display the result of drawing in real time. The tessellation processing is also difficult to implement by hardware since high memory capacities are required in order to store the data necessary for the tessellation processing and intermediate calculation results.
Attempts have thus been made to reduce the amount of computation and the amount of memory by limiting the degree of freedom of the surface, by such means as decreasing the number of divisions in the tessellation processing with a reduction in the amount of computation, reducing the number of control points, and using simpler curve equations. In consequence, however, the objects to be drawn are rendered in coarse polygons, which has produced the problem that CG images of sufficient quality cannot be generated.

Drawing processing apparatus, texture processing apparatus, and tessellation method


A composite machining tool includes a tool body with at least one cutting edge and at least one grinding region. The grinding region is located adjacent to the cutting edge such that there is a gap between the grinding region and the cutting edge and such that when the tool performs a machining action the cutting edge and the grinding region act together on a material surface.

Polymer Matrix Composite (PMC) materials have become increasingly important in many demanding fields of engineering. PMCs are typically made up of a matrix component—a polymer-based resin, and a reinforcing component—a fibre such as carbon, glass or aramid. It is by combining the complementary mechanical properties of these two components that PMCs can be engineered to suit a wide range of applications. Well known PMC materials are carbon-fibre and glass-fibre reinforced polymer composites, although many other types are in use.
The structure of PMC materials means that they can exhibit a very high strength-to-weight ratio and elastic modulus. This makes them particularly suitable for application in industries where strength and weight are key considerations, such as aerospace, automotive, sports equipment and renewable energy. Many of the industries that use PMCs also demand parts to be produced reliably, with a high quality of surface finish and to within extremely fine tolerances.
The high strength, high elastic modulus and physical structure of PMC materials, while vital to their application, do present difficulties during part manufacture. When subjected to machining with existing tools, PMC materials are often found to be difficult to cut, abrasive to tooling and susceptible to delamination and splintering. This leads to part irregularity and poor finish quality which is unacceptable in many of the most demanding applications.
In order to generate high quality components, current machining technology has to rely on a separate finishing process, which is carried out with different tooling and usually on an entirely different machine. This reduces the speed of manufacture and cost effectiveness of PMC materials and is a barrier to their wider use.
It is known to coat the surface of existing tooling with small particles in the hope that they may act as an abrasive. This approach has been found to be unsatisfactory because the presence of an abrasive on a cutting region of the tool prevents the cutting action from being performed properly and can potentially cause high levels of tool wear.
It is an aim of the present invention to at least partly mitigate the above-mentioned problems.


The invention relates to cleaning compositions in the form of microemulsions for cleansing the skin or for the manual cleaning of hard surfaces. These cleaning compositions consist of oil, water, surfactant and cosolvent. As surfactant, use is made of a surfactant system consisting of 80-100% alkylpolyglycoside and 0-20% auxiliary surfactant, of anionic, nonionic or betaine type, whose choice is largely arbitrary. The cosolvent is an oligoester of polybasic carboxylic or hydroxycarboxylic acids with C.sub.1 to C.sub.4 alcohols. The microemulsions are highly stable and can be diluted in water without problems.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to mild, surfactant-containing compositions in the form of microemulsions for cleansing the skin and for cleaning hard surfaces.
2. Description of the Related Art
While the use of macroemulsions as cleaning compositions for virtually all surfaces has long been known, corresponding microemulsions have been described only recently. In contrast to thermodynamically metastable macroemulsions, microemulsions are equilibrium systems, and are therefore completely stable. Based on the high level of fine division of the system, its free energy is negative as a result of the strong increase in dispersion entropy, despite the infinite, although very small, surface tension, and the system is therefore stable. A consequence of the fine division--diameters of around 10 nm (5 to 100 nm) are typical as opposed to >1 .mu.m in the case of macroemulsions--is the transparency or translucency of the liquids. Microemulsions therefore often give the impression of being true solutions. They consist of the two mutually immiscible liquids, generally water and an apolar liquid, of the surfactant or surfactant mixture, and usually of a cosolvent, occasionally also referred to as cosurfactant. Typical cosolvents are lower alcohols of 3 to 5 carbon atoms. Their effect is firstly to reduce the surface tension between the two liquids, as well as that of the surfactant, and additionally to model the interfacial film (cf. D. Langevin, Mol. Cryst. Liquid Cryst. 1986, 138, 259-305).
Microemulsions as cleaning systems have been described since the mid-1980s. For instance, the patent applications EP-A-0 137 616 and EP-A-0 160 762 claim liquid heavy-duty detergents in the form of an O/W microemulsion consisting of terpenes, paraffins, alkyl-aromatics and/or halogenated hydrocarbons as fat-dissolving solvents, water, customary surfactants, especially based on petrochemicals; electrolytes and amines as stabilizers. Cleaners for hard surfaces that are in the form of microemulsions are claimed by EP-A-0 316 726, EP-A-0 368 146, EP-A-0 620 271 and DE-A-37 16 526. They comprise customary surfactants, cosolvents such as water-soluble alcohols, polypropylene glycols, monoalkyl ethers of glycols, aliphatic carboxylic acids or phosphoric esters, in addition to fragrances and/or hydrocarbons as apolar liquids and, if desired, electrolyte. Finally, the documents EP-A-0 478 086 and WO 92/03528 describe specific cleaners having disinfecting and abrasive properties, respectively, for hard surfaces, that are in the form of microemulsions. They are based on customary, predominantly petrochemical surfactants and customary cosolvents, the latter document making mention, alongside many other types of surfactant, of alkylpolyglucosides.
The use of alkylpolyglucosides as a basic surfactant in microemulsions has been known for some years (cf. H. Luders and D. Balzer, Proc. 2nd World Surfactant Congr. 1988, Paris, Vol. II, 81-93). Nevertheless, this property, unlike that of, for example, fatty alcohol oxethylates, was always associated with the use of customary cosolvents, such as C.sub.3 -C.sub.6 alcohols, alkylglycols, alkyloligoglycols, amines, etc., all of which are unacceptable in odor and/or objectionable on toxicological grounds, so that there is virtually no question of using these microemulsion systems as manual cleaning liquids, let alone in cosmetic applications. In the context of the latter, however, alkylpolyglucosides are of particular interest. Thus, human toxicological tests (DKT) have shown that these compounds are particularly skin-friendly in comparison with other surfactants widely used in cosmetology. The reason for this may lie in the lower degreasing effect in comparison with, say, fatty alcohol ether sulfates, as has been shown in degreasing tests on pigskin loaded with radiolabeled sebum.
This greater skin mildness is also achieved in the case of mixtures of C.sub.10 C.sub.12 -and/or C.sub.12 C.sub.14 -alkylpolyglucosides with ether sulfates, as shown by the much higher residual radioactivity in relation to pure ether sulfate. Consequently, it should also be possible to use alkylpolyglycosides in the form of aqueous microemulsions for cosmetic applications in particular. Similar comments apply to all cleansing processes where the surface of the skin may come into contact with the cleansing liquid. Implicit in this objective, however, is that it is possible to find suitable cosolvents which do not have the above-mentioned disadvantages but are toxicologically unobjectionable and at least neutral in terms of odor.

Microemulsion cleaning compositions containing surfactant


Apparatus and method for comparing corresponding acoustic resonances in liquids. The present invention permits the measurement of certain characteristics of liquids which affect the speed of sound therein. For example, a direct correlation between the octane rating of gasoline and the speed of sound in a gasoline sample has been experimentally observed. Therefore, changes in the speed of sound therein can be utilized as a sensitive parameter for determining changes in composition of a liquid sample. The present apparatus establishes interference patterns inside of a liquid without requiring the use of very thin, rigorously parallel ceramic discs, but rather uses readily available piezoelectric transducers attached to the outside surface of the usual container for the liquid and located on the same side thereof in the vicinity of one another. That is, various receptacle geometries may be employed, and the driving and receiving transducers may be located on the same side of the receptacle. The cell may also be constructed of any material that is inert to the liquid under investigation. A single-transducer embodiment, where the same transducer provides the excitation to the sample container and receives signals impressed therein, is also described.

The present invention relates generally to measurement of acoustic resonances in liquids and, more particularly, to the identification of certain properties of liquids through the comparison of their corresponding acoustic resonant frequencies.
Various state and federal laws require that the octane ratings posted on gasoline pumps at gas stations are within certain limits of accuracy. Octane rating is a number indicating the degree of knocking of a fuel mixture under standard test conditions. To prevent the fuel-wasting, potentially damaging engine knock at all engine speeds and loads, gasoline must have high antiknock quality (octane number) throughout its entire distillation range.
Early in the study of engine knocking, it was recognized that the chemical structure of fuel hydrocarbons largely determines their tendency to cause knock, and that straight-chain paraffins are more prone to knocking than branched-chain paraffins, olefins, or cyclic hydrocarbons. Soon after the discovery of antiknock additive agents, it became evident that a yardstick was needed for measuring the antiknock quality of motor fuels. In 1926, Ethyl Corporation developed the octane scale, which has become the worldwide standard for that purpose. For the zero of the scale, a straight-chain hydrocarbon, n-heptane, is selected since it burns with considerable knock. For 100, a non-knocking branched-chain hydrocarbon 2,2,4-trimethylpentane (often incorrectly referred to as isooctane) is chosen. By blending these two hydrocarbons in varying percentages, a primary reference fuel can be produced to match the knock resistance of any gasoline sample. Octane number is defined as the percentage of isooclane required in a blend with n-heptane to match the knocking behavior of the gasoline being tested. Thus, if a blend of 87% 2,2,4-trimethylpentane and 13% n-heptane is required to match the knock resistance of a particular gasoline sample when both are run in a test engine under specified conditions, the sample is said to have an octane number of 87.
The CFR (Cooperative Fuel Research) knock-test engine has been adopted as the standard for determining octane number. Basically, it is a single-cylinder, four-stroke engine in which the compression ratio can be varied at will. Auxiliary equipment includes means for detecting pressure impulses from detonation, an electronic amplifier, and a meter to record knock intensity. To determine a fuel's antiknock quality, the CFR engine is operated on the fuel under a standard set of conditions, and its compression ratio is adjusted to give a standard level of knock intensity. The method is cumbersome and time-consuming, and the equipment is expensive. For frequent monitoring of gasoline octane rating at gas stations and at distillation plants, a simpler method is needed.
It has been known for several decades that it is possible to set-up acoustic interference patterns inside a liquid if the liquid is contained within two parallel-plate acoustic transducers. Generally, one uses thin quartz disks for transducers. One transducer is excited by a swept sine signal while the other transducer picks up the signal that results from interferences within the liquid at certain fixed frequencies which depend on the separation between the two transducers and the speed of sound in the liquid. The interferences are detected as resonances and can be easily observed using commercially available electronics. This conventional resonator technique as described requires very thin and fragile quartz discs which must be kept in contact with the liquid inside a chamber.
Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide an apparatus for comparing corresponding acoustic resonant frequencies of liquids in identical receptacles.
Another object of the invention is to provide an apparatus for determining the resonant frequencies of liquids without contacting the liquid.
Yet another object of the present invention is to determine the identity of liquids and other characteristics thereof which affect the speed of sound therein from a comparison of their corresponding acoustic resonances.
Additional objects, advantages and novel features of the invention will be set forth in part in the description which follows, and in part will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon examination of the following or may be learned by practice of the invention. The objects and advantages of the invention may be realized and attained by means of the instrumentalities and combinations particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

The Regents of The University of California


An organic light emitting display apparatus that has high (or improved) contrast and/or impact resistance. The organic light emitting display apparatus includes: a substrate; an organic light emitting device on the substrate to display an image; a sealing member on the organic light emitting device; a semitransparent film on a surface of the sealing member facing away from the organic light emitting device to transmit a portion of external light and to reflect another portion of the external light; a passivation film on the semitransparent film to protect the semitransparent film; and a transmissive black layer between the sealing member and the organic light emitting device to increase contrast, wherein the semitransparent film has a refractive index greater than that of the passivation film.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an organic light emitting display apparatus, and, more particularly, to an organic light emitting display apparatus with high contrast and/or impact resistance.
2. Description of the Related Art
Organic and inorganic organic light emitting display apparatuses are flat panel display apparatuses that can be made to be relatively thin and portable. In addition, organic and inorganic organic light emitting display apparatuses are emissive type (or self-emissive type) display apparatuses that have relatively wide viewing angle, high contrast, and short response time. Also, the organic light emitting display apparatuses, in which a light emitting layer is formed of an organic material, have higher brightness, lower driving voltage, and shorter response time than the inorganic light emitting display apparatus, and can also provide multi-colored images.
Flat panel display apparatuses are manufactured to be relatively lightweight and thin so that the flat panel display apparatuses can be portable and be used outdoors. However, when the flat panel display apparatuses are used outdoors, the contrast and visibility of the flat panel display apparatuses may be reduced due to the reflection of sunlight. In particular, for organic light emitting display apparatuses, the reflection of sunlight at a metal reflection film of the organic light emitting display apparatuses can be severe.
Also, there is a high possibility that an external surface of the organic light emitting display apparatuses can be damaged by external impact.

Organic light emitting display apparatus


A line of stick-style deodorants and antiperspirants that, in addition to their normal use, are infused with a vast array of vitamins and minerals that can be absorbed into the body upon application to provide consumers with a unique, easy, and hassle-free means of achieving optimal daily vitamin intake.

The following includes information that may be useful in understanding the present invention(s). It is not an admission that any of the information provided herein is prior art, or material, to the presently described or claimed inventions, or that any publication or document that is specifically or implicitly referenced is prior art.
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to the field of deodorants and antiperspirants and more specifically relates to a specialty deodorant inclusive of a topical composition suitable to be applied to a body to decrease body odor and to achieve added health benefits.
2. Description of the Related Art
According to the Institute of Medicine of the National Academies, vitamins and minerals are substances the body needs in small amounts for normal growth, function, and health. In addition to facilitating normal body functions, mental alertness, and resistance to infection, vitamins enable the body to process proteins, carbohydrates, and fats. Many vitamins also help to produce blood cells, hormones, genetic material, and chemicals in the nervous system. Unlike carbohydrates, proteins, and fats, vitamins and minerals do not provide calories; however, they assist the body in releasing and using calories from food. These micronutrients are not naturally created by the body, so they must be taken from food or, in many cases, from supplements. Offered in pill form, vitamin and mineral supplements are taken by millions of Americans, both children and adults, every day. Many times these may be forgotten in the everyday rush.
Whether vitamin A for healthy vision, bone growth, and reproduction; calcium for strong teeth and bones and for muscle and nerve function; or vitamin C to maintain skin integrity and to fortify the immune system, many medicine chests and kitchen cabinets are filled to bursting with bottles of vitamin supplements. While vitamins are important for optimal health, many consumers would readily attest that it can be a daunting challenge to keep up with such a plethora of supplements while also having to remember the recommended daily dosage of each one, especially on hectic and busy days. In addition, these pills tend to be quite large and hard to swallow, while also producing an unpleasant taste. For these reasons, many health conscious consumers may inadvertently forget to take a needed vitamin or worse, decide the effort is too overwhelming or unappealing and opt to not take vitamins at all.
Individuals often wear deodorant such that offensive odors are minimized and controlled or masked. Deodorants are not multi-functional in conventional offerings.
Various attempts have been made to solve problems found in deodorant compositions art. Among these are found in: U.S. Pat. No. 8,187,578 to David William Walling et al; U.S. Publication No. 2005/0142085 to Katsuhiko Takeuchi et al; and U.S. Publication No. 2006/0239939 to Tadahiro Hiramoto et al. This prior art is representative of deodorant and antiperspirant compositions. None of the above inventions and patents, taken either singly or in combination, is seen to describe the invention as claimed.
Ideally, a topical composition applied to a body to decrease body odor system while introducing the body to needed health promoters should be user-friendly and safe in-use and, yet may operate reliably and be manufactured at a modest expense. Thus, a need exists for a topical composition applied to a body to decrease body odor system infused with at least one daily supplement that is absorbed into the body upon application providing the user with a convenient means to achieve optimal daily supplement intake while applying the topical composition in a form of deodorant and to avoid the above mentioned problems.


A rotating cutting tool configured to rotate around an axis of rotation in a rotary direction, and a support pad for such a tool is disclosed. The support pad defines a central longitudinal axis and has a first longitudinal edge side, an opposite second longitudinal edge side, a first transversal edge side and an opposite second transversal edge side. The support pad includes a first support surface, which is convexly curved as viewed in a plane perpendicular to the central longitudinal axis and a first recess, which extends into the first support surface in a direction from the first longitudinal edge side towards the second longitudinal edge side. The first recess extends to a final position on the first support surface.

A support pad, sometimes referred to as a support bar, guide pad, or guide bar is used during cutting in metals and other hard materials on for instance cutter heads of deep-hole drilling tools. The purpose of the support pad is to support and guide the deep-hole drilling tool by sliding against the wall of the hole being drilled, and also to prevent wear of the cutter head.
In addition to the supporting function, the support pad also contributes to finishing and smoothing of the surface of the wall of the hole.
The support pad is subjected to strong wear due to the high temperature load in the contact zone between the support pad and the wall of the hole. The wear and the temperature load constitutes a problem, which can lead to heat cracks in the support surface of the support pad, which eventually could lead to breakage of the support pad.
In the prior art, see below, this problem has been addressed by supplying cooling and/or lubricating liquids to the contact zone in order to reduce the heat load.
 US 2013/0051944 discloses a support guide pad for a rotating cutting tool rotating around an axis of rotation in a rotary direction. The support pad defines a central longitudinal axis and has a first longitudinal edge side, an opposite second longitudinal edge side, a first transversal edge side and an opposite second transversal edge side. The support pad includes a support surface, which is convexly curved as viewed in a plane perpendicular to the central longitudinal axis. Lubricating grooves extends in the support surface in a direction from the first longitudinal edge side. In one embodiment, the grooves extend to the second longitudinal edge side. In another embodiment, the grooves extend to the first transversal edge side.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,602,028 discloses a support pad for a rotating cutting tool rotating around an axis of rotation in a rotary direction. The support pad defines a central longitudinal axis and has a first longitudinal edge side, an opposite second longitudinal edge side, a first transversal edge side and an opposite second transversal edge side. The support pad has a first contact surface and a second contact surface, which are convexly curved.
WO2012/172537 discloses a support pad for a rotating cutting tool rotating around an axis of rotation in a rotary direction. The support pad defines a central longitudinal axis and has a first longitudinal edge side, an opposite second longitudinal edge side, a first transversal edge side and an opposite second transversal edge side. The support pad has a first convex contact surface and a second convex contact surface.
WO 2009/030188 discloses a support pad for a rotating cutting tool rotating around an axis of rotation in a rotary direction. The support pad defines a central longitudinal axis and has a first longitudinal edge side, an opposite second longitudinal edge side, a first transversal edge side and an opposite second transversal edge side. The support pad includes a support surface. Channels for cooling and/or lubricating liquid extend to an area in the proximity of the support pad for cooling and/or lubrication thereof.

Support pad and cutter head for rotating cutting tool


A new type of heater support structure for YIG sphere support rods used in high frequency YIG oscillators and filters. The heater structure employs a rubber O-ring stretched around the perimeter or one or more rubber rods threaded through holes perpendicular to the rod support holes in the heater block and positioned such that the rods deform the rubber and are thereby pressed against a surface of the rod support hole. In alternative embodiments, V-grooves are formed in the heater block to support the rods. The heater block is brass in some embodiments and barium titanate in others. For brass blocks, the rods are beryllium oxide For barium titanate heater blocks, the rods can be either beryllium oxide or barium titanate.

The invention pertains to the field of YIG devices, and, more particularly, to the field of heater designs for YIG spheres.
YIG devices must typically operate over a very wide range of temperatures. Since certain properties of YIG spheres are temperature dependent, the practice was adopted in the prior art of using heaters to heat the rods which support the YIG spheres thereby heating the spheres. This caused the temperature of the spheres to be under the control of the designer of the YIG device and not be subject to the ambient conditions. This allowed the designer to have better control over the performance of the YIG device by reducing the effect of ambient temperature as a design factor.
FIG. 1 shows an early prior art YIG filter heater design. A heater block 10 supports a brass collet 12 of a sphere support assembly. The brass collet 12 is coupled to a beryllium-oxide rod 14 which has a YIG sphere 16 mounted at the tip thereof. Typically, the YIG sphere is 0.010 to 0.026 inches in diameter. The heater block 10 has a slot cut therein which is crimped before the brass collet is inserted so as to form a press fit between the heater block and the brass collet to provide solid contact for better heat transfer efficiency. Twin heater pellets 20 and 22 are affixed to flat surfaces 24 and 26 of the heater block so as to transfer heat to the heater block from the positive temperature coefficient barium titanate heater pellets that function as heater elements.
This design was used in the early 1980's. The drawback of this design was that the only contact between the heater block and the brass collet was at the crimped edge of the heater block. This led to a small area of contact between the heater block and the brass collet which impaired the heat transfer efficiency. Also, the heat transfer path from the heater pellets and YIG sphere was complex in that many interfaces had to be traversed. Specifically, heat from the heater pellet passes to the heater block and from there to the brass collet. From the brass collet, the heat passes to the beryllium-oxide rod and from there to the YIG sphere.
FIG. 2 shows a later prior art heater design. In this design a brass heater block 30 has holes formed therein to receive the beryllium-oxide rod 34 of each of a plurality of YIG support rods. Hole 40 is typical of these holes. The sphere rod 34 of each YIG support rod assembly rests in a corresponding trough 36 formed in a step part 38 of the heater block so as to be aligned with the hole 40. The sphere rods are clamped down to the heater block in their respective troughs by a beryllium copper spring clip 42 which is fastened to the heater block via a pair of screws 44 and 46. A rubber gasket 48 may be interposed between the spring clip and the heater block.
The design of FIG. 2 is very complicated to manufacture and does not always apply equal clamping pressure to each sphere rod assembly. This tends to result from bowing of the spring clip caused by the pressure exerted by the screws 44 and 46. This tendency is somewhat alleviated by the inclusion of the gasket 48, but results in a design which is overly complicated and difficult and expensive to manufacture.
In another prior art design by Trak Microwave, Inc., a heater block having a piano wire spring element incorporated therein was used to support the YIG support rod. The piano wire was run through the heater block in such a way that when the YIG support rod was inserted, the piano wire was deflected so as to bias the YIG support rod against the wall of the guide hole.
Therefore a need has arisen for a simple, easy to manufacture heater design which applies equal pressure to all sphere rod assemblies to clamp all rods to the heater block and insure equal heating of each sphere.

Low profile heater and support assembly for YIG spheres


In the semiconductor laser or electro-absorption optical modulator that includes strained quantum well layers as active layers, making laser characteristics or modulator characteristics adequate has seen the respective limits since band structures, especially, ΔEc and ΔEv, have been unable to be adjusted independently.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to optical semiconductor devices, and more particularly, to a communications semiconductor laser, an optical modulator, both for use as an optical-fiber transmission light source, and an electro-absorption light source that is an integrated unit of both.
2. Description of the Related Art
The proliferation of the Internet on a worldwide scale is increasing the data traffic of optical communications networks each year. In response to this increase, the semiconductor-based transmission light sources and optical modulators that are among the key devices in optical-fiber communications networks, or electro-absorption light sources that are each an integrated unit of the former two types of devices are required to ensure even higher performance in terms of, for example, speed and electric power consumption. Along with these demands for higher performance, optical devices with active layers formed of InGaAlAs-based materials have been actively developed in recent years to replace the conventional devices that use InGaAsP-based materials. The multi-quantum-well (MQW) structures that use InGaAlAs-based materials are preferable to the structures that use InGaAsP-based materials. As shown in FIG. 4, the value of ΔEc:ΔEv, the rate of the discontinuity of the conduction band between each quantum well layer and barrier layer in an MQW structure, to the discontinuity of the valence band in the MQW structure, is 4:6 in InGaAsP-MQW, whereas the value of ΔEc:ΔEv in InGaAlAs-MQW is 7:3. In the InGaAlAs-MQW structure, therefore, electrons smaller than holes in effective mass are liable to be confined within the quantum well layers more easily and holes larger than electrons in effective mass are prone to be distributed more evenly over each quantum well layer within the MQW structure. Reference number 15 in FIG. 4 denotes a quantum well layer of the InGaAlAs-MQW structure, 16 a barrier layer thereof, 17 a quantum well layer of the InGaAsP-MQW structure, and 18 a barrier layer thereof. Since the effective mass of electrons in a semiconductor is less than one-sixth of that of holes, it can be seen that in terms of band structure, the InGaAlAs-MQW structure is preferable to the InGaAsP-MQW structure.
The preferableness of the InGaAlAs-MQW structure in terms of band structure, however, is conditional upon no application of strain to the quantum well layers or the barrier layers. The improvement of a differential gain is required for faster operation, and strain is applied to the quantum well layers as one method of increasing a differential gain. Strain application to the semiconductor deforms the valence band structure and separates the heavy holes and light holes that have been degenerate. Consequently, the influence of valence band mixing diminishes and effective mass decreases. Applying this method to the quantum well layers, therefore, increases an optical gain and a differential gain. Further increasing the number of quantum wells correspondingly improves the differential gain. Dislocation occurs in the semiconductor crystal if the number of quantum wells is increased under the state where strain is applied only to the quantum well layers. For this reason, it is very effective to adopt a strain-compensated structure in which strain is applied to barrier layers in a direction reverse to that of strain application to quantum well layers. Hereinafter, the compressive strain applied to the wafer is expressed with a plus (+) sign, and the tensile strain applied is expressed with a minus (−) sign.
The application of strain, however, shifts the 'end of band' of the semiconductor, resulting in a ratio different from the ΔEc:ΔEv ratio obtained under no strain. For example, in the quantum well structure having a 1.5%-strained quantum well layer and a −0.55%-strained barrier layer with respect to an InP wafer, ΔEc:ΔEv is almost 5.9:4.1. Also, in the quantum well structure having a −1.2%-strained quantum well layer and a 0.55%-strained barrier layer, ΔEc:ΔEv is almost 6.4:3.6. These values indicate that an InGaAlAs-based quantum structure in which strain is applied to quantum well layers in order to enhance performance is not always preferable in terms of band structure. In the conduction band, a carrier overflow of electrons occurs, and in the valence band, holes are liable to exist unevenly within the MQW structure. This is due to the fact that the ΔEc and ΔEv values that denote band discontinuity are determined by the composition ratio and strain level of InxGayAl(1-x-y)As, and more particularly, due to the fact that it is almost impossible to change ΔEc and ΔEv independently. Therefore, if the bandgap of the barrier layer (shortening the composition wavelength) is increased in an attempt to suppress the carrier overflow of electrons in the conduction band, both ΔEc and ΔEv will increase and holes will be easier to exist unevenly over each quantum well layer in the valence band. As a result, overall laser characteristics inclusive of a differential gain will not improve.
Furthermore, experimental results by the present inventors obviously indicate that increases in ΔEv of InGaAlAs-MQW lasers increases device resistance. FIG. 5 shows the relationship between the threshold current (Ith) data that the inventors measured in InGaAlAs-MQW ridge waveguide lasers, and the device resistance value standardized with mesa stripe width (Wa). Changing the threshold current by varying cavity loss in terms of edge reflectivity, for example, changes device resistance, even for the same waveguide structure including the same active layers. The symbol Δ in the figure denotes a laser in which a barrier layer was created with an InGaAlAs composition wavelength of 0.92 μm (bandgap: 1.348 eV), and the symbol ◯ denotes a laser in which a barrier layer was created with an InGaAlAs composition wavelength of 1.0 μm (bandgap: 1.239 eV). Both laser structures are the same, except for the composition wavelength of the barrier layer. As can be seen from the figure, the device resistances with the composition wavelength of 1.0 μm are lower than those with the composition wavelength of 0.92 μm. In consideration of the ratio between electrons and holes in terms of effective mass, and the ratio between ΔEc and ΔEv, the reason for the reduction in the resistance is attributable to the magnitude of ΔEv in the valence band. In other words, ΔEv of the barrier layer with the 0.92-μm composition wavelength, with respect to that of the quantum well layer, is 156 meV, whereas ΔEv of the barrier layer with the 1.0-μm composition wavelength is 123 meV. This difference appears as the difference in device resistance.
For these reasons, with the conventional technology, because of ΔEc and ΔEv being independently uncontrollable, it has been very difficult to obtain a device that simultaneously achieves the improvement of a differential gain and the improvement of laser characteristics, such as reduction in device resistance.
Other problems associated with the relationship between ΔEc and ΔEv also occur in electro-absorption optical modulators. If ΔEv is larger, the event of pile-up occurs when a reverse voltage is applied at an eletcro-absorption optical modulator. Holes cannot be removed from the MQW structure in the pile-up phenomenon. This results in optical signals being deteriorated by the particular pattern of the optical signals or in optical-fiber long-distance transmission being impeded by dynamic fluctuations in optical wavelength, called "chirping." Decrease in the bandgap of the barrier layer (extending the composition wavelength) reduces ΔEv and thus suppresses the pile-up event. However, since ΔEc is also reduced at the same time, the resulting quantum effect in the conduction band is diminished and this blurs the absorption edge of the semiconductor bandgap. Accordingly, the problem occurs in that even when the reverse voltage is not applied, i.e., even at a '1' level, light is absorbed and its extinction ratio deteriorates. This problem is also due to the independent uncontrollability of ΔEc and ΔEv.
A semiconductor multilayer structure based on another conventional technology, and an optical control device using the semiconductor multilayer structure are disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-open No. 2003-329988. According to this disclosure, a 1.8-nm-thick In0.8Ga0.2As film is used to form quantum well layers, and a 5.5-nm-thick AlAs0.55Sb0.45 or AlAs0.5Sb0.5 film is used to form barrier layers. This device utilizes the large ΔEc value of a conduction band to achieve high-speed optical switching based on the intersubband transition between the first level and second level in the conduction band. However, this technology is not used in regard to whether ΔEv and ΔEc are independently adjustable, and the improvement of a differential gain that is an object of the present invention is not described in the above disclosure. In addition, since the type of input signal is light, no description is given of reduction in device resistance. According to the above disclosure, ΔEv is at least 280 meV. In addition, all layers of the device, such as the cladding layers, except in quantum well layers, are not doped with the dopant because of its operating principles.

Abstract: This invention is constructed by stacking an n-type InGaAlAs-GRIN-SCH layer 3, an MQW layer 4, a p-type InGaAlAs-GRIN-SCH layer 5, a p-type InAlAs electron-stopping layer 6, and others, in that order, on an n-type InP wafer 1; wherein the MQW layer 4 includes InGaAlAs-strained quantum well layers and InGaAlAsSb-formed barrier layers each having strain of an opposite sign to the strain applied to the quantum well layers.