A sensor (1) for capacitively measuring the distance to a stationary or passing object. The sensor has an electrode (2) that capacitively couples with the object and is formed from an electrically conductive ceramic material. The electrode is substantially surrounded by a housing (4) formed from an electrically non-conductive ceramic. The electrically conductive and electrically non-conductive ceramic materials are chosen to that they have the similar thermal expansion coefficients so that the sensor remains virtually stress free at high temperatures.

In many industrial measurement applications there is a need for a sensor that can be used at high operating temperatures to measure the distance to either a stationary or passing object. A typical application is the measurement of clearance between the tip of a gas turbine engine blade and the surrounding casing. In this situation the operating temperature of the sensor can reach 1500° C. Other applications including molten metal and molten glass level measurement, for example, have similar operating temperature requirements.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,760,593 (BICC plc) describes a conventional sensor having a metal or metal-coated ceramic electrode that couples capacitively with the stationary or passing object. The electrode is connected directly to the centre conductor of a standard triaxial transmission cable and is surrounded by a metal shield and an outer housing. The metal shield and the outer housing are connected directly to the intermediate conductor and the outer conductor of the triaxial transmission cable respectively. Electrical insulation is provided between the electrode and the shield and also between the shield and the housing. The insulation can be in the form of machined ceramic spacers or deposited ceramic layers.
One problem with these conventional sensors is that they utilise an alternating combination of metal and ceramic materials. As the operating temperature of the sensor increases, the metal components tend to expand more than the ceramic components. This often results in stress fractures forming in the ceramic spacers or layers, which reduce their electrical performance and may even result in the disintegration or de-lamination of the ceramic components. Not only does this cause the sensor to fail electrically, but the disintegration or de-lamination of the ceramic components also allows the metal components to vibrate and this can result in the mechanical failure of the complete sensor assembly.
Gas turbine engine manufacturers now require an operating lifetime of at least 20,000 hours for sensors that are to be fitted to production models. Although conventional sensors have been successfully used at high operating temperatures for short periods of time, it is unlikely that they will ever be able to meet the required operating lifetime because of the inherent weakness of the sensor assembly caused by the different thermal expansion properties of the metal and ceramic components.
A further problem is the way in which the electrode, shield and outer housing are connected to the transmission cable. With conventional sensor designs, the conductors of the transmission cable are directly connected to the electrode, shield and outer housing at a high temperature region (i.e. a part of the sensor that reaches an elevated temperature in use). Many types of transmission cables (in particular those where the conductors are insulated using mineral compounds) cannot be used at high temperatures and often fail after a short period of time. Furthermore, some conventional sensors do not have a hermetic seal between the transmission cable and the rest of the sensor assembly. This can allow moisture to penetrate the sensor assembly and reduce the performance of the sensor.


A switch assembly for an electronic device comprises a switch mount and a keycap. The switch mount has a slide switch with a slide switch base and a slide switch actuator. The keycap is positionable for slidable movement relative to the switch mount and is coupleable to the slide switch actuator. The keycap has an exposed portion slidable by a user between at least a first position and a second position to execute a first control function. The keycap is depressible in at least one of the first and second positions to execute a second control function.

This application relates to controls for electronic devices, and more specifically to a dual-mode switch usable in a mobile device.
As mobile devices increase in complexity, new approaches to providing users with control over their devices in multiple modes of operation are needed. The current array of hardware buttons, switches and other controls on the face and sides of a mobile device fulfills many requirements, but users still fumble, miss connections, have embarrassing moments and lose productivity because they cannot quickly execute a simple operation to control the device's behavior. This is especially true while users are attempting to control their devices while on the go or preoccupied with other activities.


In a metal negative electrode, a current collector includes a through-hole or a recess provided to extend from a front surface of a planar plate toward a back surface of the planar plate. A distance from a midpoint of a joining boundary to a point on a surface of the current collector is designated as a region dividing distance, the point defining a distance less than a maximum distance between the midpoint and a side or a surface of the current collector. In the current collector, a first region is a region defined by distances from the midpoint, the distances being a distance equal to the region dividing distance and distances greater than the region dividing distance, and, in the current collector, a second region is a region defined by distances from the midpoint that are less than the region dividing distance. A volume reduction ratio of the first region is greater than a volume reduction ratio of the second region, the volume reduction ratio of the first region being a ratio with respect to a volume of the first region determined assuming that the through-hole or the recess is not present, the volume reduction ratio of the second region being a ratio with respect to a volume of the second region determined assuming that the through-hole or the recess is not present.

In the related art, a variety of metal-air batteries including a metal negative electrode and an air electrode have been proposed. PTL 1 discloses that a zinc material in the form of a sheet or a powder is used as an active material in a negative electrode for a metal-air battery. In a case where the powder is used, for the purpose of increasing the reaction area, the negative electrode is formed by compression-bonding the zinc powder onto a metal sheet or a metal mesh. Furthermore, PTL 2 discloses a metal-air battery having a three-electrode system that includes a metal negative electrode, an air electrode for discharging, and a positive electrode for charging; the metal-air battery is used as a secondary battery.

Negative electrode for metal-air battery


A web browser displays a set of search results from a web search, each search result indicating a link to a web page. Responsive to selection of a first of the set of search results for exclusion from display, a subset of one or more of the set of search results that indicate related links is identified. The related links comprise links have a same domain name as the link of the first search result. The first search result and the subset of the set of search results are excluded. The search results are displayed without the excluded ones of the set of search results.

Embodiments of the inventive subject matter generally relate to the field of data processing, or, more specifically, administration of search results.
Often when a user is doing a web search via a search engine, such as the Google search engine, the Yahoo! search engine, or the Ask Jeeves search engine, many search results link to the same web site or even the same web page. Such duplicate search results occur because the same search keywords occur more than once on the same web page or web site. Such duplicate search results may yield inefficiencies in searching because many of the search results in a set of search results displayed on several screens of data from the same search may represent links to sites or pages already visited and found to be of no interest.

International Business Machines Corporation


A method and a sensor device for determining particle emissions from exhaust gases of a combustion engine substantially during the use in an exhaust pipe system or a corresponding exhaust gas duct, in which method emitted particles contained in the exhaust gases are charged and the particle emissions are determined by measuring the electric charge carried by the emitted particles in the exhaust gas duct. The emitted particles are charged by varying the way of charging or the charging power with respect to time in such a manner that as a result of the charging, emitted particles brought into at least two different electrical charge states are present, wherein the charge of the emitted particles is further determined as a difference value/values measured from the emitted particles brought into said at least two different electrical charge states.

Exhaust gas emissions from traffic, particularly road traffic, constitute a significant part of harmful emissions inflicted by human activity on the environment. In addition to the detrimental gaseous emissions, such as carbon monoxide (CO), hydrocarbons (HC) and nitrogen oxides (NOx), the fine particles contained in exhaust gases from vehicles have been found to be a significant health hazard, and therefore, certain upper limits for fine particle emissions have also been set by legislation. The trend is to continuously and gradually reduce said limit values and simultaneously to bring them to a uniform international level. Authorities setting the limit values for exhaust gas emissions include, for example, the European Commission and the United States Environmental Protection Agency (US-EPA).
Simultaneously with the development of combustion engine technology with the aim of always reducing the exhaust gas emissions, the control and diagnostic systems of the engines become more and more significant. A common concept in the field is so-called OBD (On-Board Diagnostics) sensors, which refer to sensors controlling the control systems of a vehicle and/or monitoring the function of certain components in the vehicle.
OBD sensors will also be increasingly used to control that particle emissions from the exhaust gases of vehicles remain within allowed limit values. A particular application in view of this invention is the checking, indication and/or control of the function of so-called particulate traps used in the exhaust gas systems of vehicles. These particulate traps are used especially in the exhaust gas systems of Diesel vehicles. Having collected particles for a given time, such a particulate trap requires so-called regeneration, in which regeneration the particles contained in the particulate trap are typically burnt by methods known as such, for example by increasing the temperature of the particulate trap and by simultaneously introducing into the particulate trap a sufficient quantity of air required for burning the soot particles.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,939,466 presents a measuring method and a device for indicating the operation of renegenerating the particulate trap of a Diesel vehicle. The arrangement is based on the use of an electrical charge sensor placed after the particulate trap in the exhaust duct. The particles developed during the regeneration have a natural electrical, typically positive charge which can be detected by a sensitive charge sensor placed in the exhaust duct. According to the teachings of said reference, the charge sensor can be an inductive annular electrode, or it may also have a net-like structure. The sensor is capable of detecting when the regeneration of the particulate trap occurs.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,456,883 presents a method and a device for determining the operation of a combustion engine by measuring particle emissions from the exhaust gases. The measuring arrangement comprises an electrostatic sensor placed in the exhaust duct to detect the periodic particle emissions from the different cylinders of the engine on the basis of the natural charge obtained by the particles in connection with the combustion. The cyclic measurement result can be averaged to determine the average particle emission, or the measurement result can be analyzed with respect to time to detect problems occurring in the operation of a single cylinder.
In the above-mentioned techniques for detecting particles under exhaust duct conditions by utilizing the natural charging of the particles, problems are caused by the fact that the natural charging of the particles is dependent on a large number of different factors, such as the quality of the fuel as well as, in a very complex way, the operating conditions and the loading of the engine. Furthermore, when a particulate trap or filter is used before the measuring point, the measurement result is also affected by the fact that the particulate trap or filter, as such, affects the electric charge of the particles passed through in a very complex way.
Solutions are also known from prior art which do not rely solely on the natural charging of particles contained in the exhaust gas but which use a separate charger for charging the particles before the measuring point.
JP 63255651 discloses a particle measuring sensor in which particles contained in exhaust gas are charged by a cathode electrode, and when they further impinge on an anode electrode, their electrical charge is detected on the basis of a sensitive current measurement.
JP 60100046 discloses a particle measuring sensor placed in an exhaust duct and comprising charging electrodes placed before measuring electrodes in the flow direction of the exhaust gas. By the high-voltage charging electrodes, particles contained in the exhaust gas are negatively charged before they are detected by the measuring electrodes.
However, when a separate charger is used according to the prior art for charging the particles, the following problems will be caused in practice.
In principle, the exact measurement of the number of the particles will require that also the charge of the particles must be known exactly. In the solutions of prior art, the measurement result will be affected by the natural charge obtained by the particles in connection with the combustion, because said charge is added to the charge obtained by the particles in the charger. This will cause a significant inaccuracy in the measurement result. The effect of the original, natural charge of the particles can be reduced by using sufficiently long retention times as well as a sufficiently high charge density for the particles in the charger, wherein all the particles are charged substantially in the same way, achieving a balanced charge. In practice, however, the result is that impractical large-size and powerful chargers must be used in vehicles. Furthermore, such powerful chargers act, as such, partly in the manner of an electrical filter and tend to remove some of the particles to be measured from the range of the charger. Thus the particles accumulated in the charger induce both a measuring error and the soiling of the charger.
In all cases, for measuring particle emissions on the basis of the electrical charge of the particles after a particulate trap or filter placed in the exhaust duct, one must measure relatively small currents, typically in the order of picoamperes, due to the relatively small number of the particles. This is difficult to implement under the demanding conditions of the exhaust duct, particularly for the following reasons. First of all, the temperature of the exhaust gases is high, typically several hundreds of degrees centrigrade at the measuring point, which causes significant leakage currents in the insulators of the electrodes placed in the exhaust duct and, further, significant current noise and drift of bias currents due to the elevated temperature of the components at the measuring amplifier placed in the vicinity of the electrode. Secondly, the exhaust gases contain impurities which soil the insulators. In the long run, the soiling of the insulators will increase leakage currents and noise in the current signal to be measured, thereby causing an increasing error in the measurement results. A quite significant problem in the measuring devices placed in the exhaust duct is the soiling induced by soot particles which may involve both actual clogging of the sensor structure and impairing of the insulation capacity of all the electrical insulators connected to the sensor. Moreover, the soot deposits interfere with the operation of the ionization or charger electrodes.

Method and a sensor device for measuring particle emissions from the exhaust gases of a combustion engine


A dye-donor element for thermal dye transfer comprising a support having on one side thereof a dye layer and on the other side a slipping layer comprising a binder containing polyalkylsilsesquioxane particles wherein less than about 8% of the particles have a diameter of >0.8 .mu.m.

In recent years, thermal transfer systems have been developed to obtain prints from pictures which have been generated electronically from a color video camera. According to one way of obtaining such prints, an electronic picture is first subjected to color separation by color filters. The respective color-separated images are then converted into electrical signals. These signals are then operated on to produce cyan, magenta and yellow electrical signals. These signals are then transmitted to a thermal printer. To obtain the print, a cyan, magenta or yellow dye-donor element is placed face-to-face with a dye-receiving element. The two are then inserted between a thermal printing head and a platen roller. A line-type thermal printing head is used to apply heat from the back of the dye-donor sheet. The thermal printing head has many heating elements and is heated up sequentially in response to one of the cyan, magenta and yellow signals. The process is then repeated for the other two colors. A color hard copy is thus obtained which corresponds to the original picture viewed on a screen. Further details of this process and an apparatus for carrying it out are contained in U.S. Pat. No. 4,621,271, the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated by reference.
A problem has existed with the use of dye-donor elements for thermal dye-transfer printing because a thin support is required in order to provide effective heat transfer. For example, when a thin polyester film is employed, it softens when heated during the printing operation and then sticks to the thermal printing head, preventing donor transport. A slipping layer is typically provided to facilitate passage of the dye-donor under the thermal printing head.
Dye diffusion thermal printing requires intimate contact between the thermal head and the slipping layer of the dye-donor element to transfer as much energy as possible from the thermal head to the donor. More efficient heat transfer results in higher transferred dye densities and faster line times.
It is well known in the thermal printing art that particles can be used in the slipping layer to keep the thermal print head free of dirt and debris. The particles can be large organic particles or smaller inorganic particles. The abrasive action of the particles cleans the thermal print head.

Slipping layer for dye-donor element used in thermal dye transfer


A ramp voltage is applied through a current limiter 2 to a DUT 3. Setting as a reference time point (t.sub.1) a time when a ramp portion of the response voltage V of the DUT 3 has settled to a prescribed value (for example, when the voltage gradient is reduced by a predetermined rate to the ramp rate RR/2), the measurement is carried out, at time t.sub.2, after a predetermined interval from the reference time t.sub.2. Accordingly, a breakdown voltage is measured before the response voltage V of the DUT 3 is influenced by heat, etc., power consumption is reduced and an excessive stress is not applied to the DUT 3, so that no damage or burning occurs in the DUT 3.

Semiconductor devices have recently been developed to have a microstructure, and thus they show a marked tendency to be easily damaged or burned with an applied stress, such as Joule heat or the like. This damage of the semiconductor device occurs when a voltage for a breakdown-voltage measurement is applied to a device under test (DUT). That is, when a breakdown-voltage measurement is carried out for a diode or other element, the DUT is temporarily left in a break-down state many times, so that a current flowing through the DUT is regarded as a pulsed current. The DUT suffers from not only a micro-stress due to the pulsed current, but also from a macro-thermal stress due to heat which is caused by the pulsed current and the breakdown voltage.
Both manual and automatic measuring operations have been conventionally adopted for a breakdown voltage of a semiconductor device, and a manner of depressing the above stress as much as possible has been utilized. A curve tracer, for example, is used in the manual measuring operation. As shown in FIG. 1, a DUT is supplied with a half-wave voltage V.sub.HS that has a peak value higher than a breakdown voltage V.sub.BD of the DUT in the neighborhood of a peak portion of the sine wave, as indicated by an oblique line portion of FIG. 1. The breakdown voltage at a predetermined current value is visually measured by an operator. Representing a period of V.sub.HS and a duration time of the breakdown state by T and t.sub.BD respectively, the ratio of the breakdown duration to the measuring time is equal to t.sub.BD /T. For example, in the case where a visual observing time is 3 seconds and t.sub.BD /T is 0.1, the breakdown state is continued over 300 ms. Therefore, the stress described above would not be removed for an extended period, and thus the DUT would be damaged or burned.
On the other hand, a ramp voltage generator, for example, may be used in the automatic measuring operation. In this operation, the rise-up of a ramp voltage is set to start at a predetermined time t.sub.O, as shown in FIG. 2, and a predetermined voltage is applied to the DUT. When a response voltage V reaches a prescribed value, the DUT suffers from a breakdown,.and a breakdown current rapidly flows through the DUT. At this time, a current limiter interposed between the ramp voltage generator and the DUT is actuated to limit the current flowing through the DUT to a predetermined value, whereby the response voltage V of the DUT is controlled to remain constant. Then, after a predetermined amount of time has elapsed from the time t.sub.O, the response-voltage V at a time t.sub.11 is measured to obtain the breakdown voltage V.sub.BD at the predetermined current. A ramp rate (RR) of the ramp voltage is determined in consideration of (1) the slew rate of a measuring system, (2) an electrostatic capacity of the DUT and (3) a set value I.sub.LIM of the current limiter.
The breakdown voltage is divergent, even for similar kinds of DUTS, and frequently varies, e.g., from 10 V to 100 V, which could be problematic. For example, in comparison of response voltages V.sub.A and V.sub.B of DUTs A and B of FIG. 3B, the ramp rates of the respective DUTs are equal to each other, but the response voltage V.sub.B of the DUT having a lower breakdown voltage suffers from breakdown at an earlier time than the response voltage V.sub.A. Therefore, a time interval T.sub.B from the breakdown time of V.sub.B to a measuring time t.sub.M is longer than a corresponding time interval t.sub.A. Further, in comparison of response voltages V.sub.B and V.sub.C of DUTs B and C, the response voltage V.sub.C has a higher breakdown voltage than the response voltage V.sub.B, but the interval (or measuring time) T.sub.C of V.sub.C is longer than the measuring time T.sub.B of V.sub.B because V.sub.C has a higher ramp rate than V.sub.B.
Therefore, measurements under the same conditions cannot be performed for the DUTs A, B and C, and thus there occurs a problem that a uniform measurement procedure can not be used for all DUTS. In addition, in a case where the breakdown continues for a long time (e.g., the case of DUTs B and C whose response voltages are shown in FIG. 3B), the stress becomes excessive; that is, the DUT is damaged or the breakdown voltage varies due to the stress itself. The breakdown voltage also varies due to heat which is caused by the stress. Therefore, there occurs a problem in that the breakdown voltage under a prescribed condition can not be accurately measured. Moreover, there is a further problem in that an expensive ramp voltage generator capable of altering a ramp rate must be used.
Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to overcome the above disadvantages, and in particular to provide methods and apparatus, for measuring a breakdown voltage, by which thermal stress is largely reduced and highly accurate measurements are obtained. A further object of the present invention is to provide means for measuring a breakdown voltage under uniform measuring conditions, so that automatic measurements may be obtained with high reproducibility.

Method and apparatus for measuring the breakdown voltage of semiconductor devices


A sampling device is described for analysis of a substance, wherein the substance is selected from the group consisting of isocyanates, aminoisocyanates, isothiocyanates, anhydrides, amines and carboxylic acids and can be present in both gas and particle phases in an air flow passed, for sampling, through the sampling device, said device comprising:                a) an adsorption device comprising a coating, wherein said coating comprises a reagent mixture in the form of one or more primary or secondary amines and an acidic compound having the ability to form a salt (or ionic bond) with the amine(s) for adsorption of and reaction with the substance in the gas phase of the air flow; and        b) a filter device comprising said mixture of amine(s) and acidic compound for adsorption of and reaction with the substance in the particle phase of the air flow.

Polyurethane (PUR) products frequently occur in industry, in particular in manufacturing and handling polyurethane foam, elastomers, adhesives and lacquers. Polyurethane is produced by the reaction of a bifunctional isocyanate with a polyfunctional alcohol. The satisfactory technical qualities of polyurethane have resulted in a large increase of its use and application fields during the last decade. In connection with thermal decomposition of polyurethanes, however, the formation of isocyanates, aminoisocyanates and amines might occur, and extremely high contents can be found in air, e.g. when welding automobile sheet steel. Besides the known types of isocyanate, also new types of aliphatic isocyanates have been detected, in connection with e.g. heat treatment of car paint. Most of the isocyanates formed have been found to be represented by so-called low-molecular isocyanates. During short periods of time (peak exposure) particularly high isocyanate contents can be present, as is the case, for instance, when welding. Of all the dangerous substances on the limit value list, isocyanates have the lowest permissible contents. Exposure to this new type of isocyanates was previously unheard of. Isocyanates in both gas and particle phase have been detected in connection with welding, grinding and cutting of painted automobile sheet steel, and respirable particles in high contents containing isocyanates have been detected. In thermal decomposition products of painted automobile sheet steel, detection has been made of, among other things, methyl isocyanate (MIC), ethyl isocyanate (EIC), propyl isocyanate (PIC), phenyl isocyanate (PhI), 1,6-hexamethylene diisocyanate (HDI), isophorone diisocyanate (IPDI), 2,4- and 2,6-diisocyanate toluene (TDI) and 4,4-methylene diphenyldiisocyanate (MDI).
In thermal decomposition of phenol/formaldehyde/urea-(FFU)-plastic, isocyanic acid and methyl isocyanate are formed. FFU plastic is used, among other things, in wood glue and as a binder in mineral wool (and bakelite), which is frequently used as insulation for ovens and furnaces in industrial and domestic use. New fields of application in which exposure to isocyanates has been detected are the soldering and processing of printed circuit boards in the electronic industry, the welding, grinding and cutting of painted sheet steel in the automobile industry and the welding of lacquered copper pipes. Isocyanates have a varying degree of toxicity to the organism depending on their chemical and physical form. As a result, the hygienic limit values have been set at an extremely low level in all countries. For the exposed individual, the degree of exposure to isocyanates varies considerably in different operations during a working day and in connection with breakdowns. Thermal decomposition products from PUR constitute a special problem, since new and completely unknown isocyanates are formed, whose toxicity has not yet been analyzed in a satisfactory manner. Furthermore, the increasingly sophisticated measuring methods have revealed exposure to isocyanates in an increasing number of operations in industry.
To sum up, there is a number of operations in numerous working areas where people are daily exposed to or at risk being exposed to isocyanates at a varying degree. Considering the ominous tendency of isocyanates to cause respiratory diseases and the fact that there are some carcinogenic substances among the thermal decomposition products of polyurethane, e.g. 2,4-diamine toluene (TDA), 4,4-methylene diamine (MDA) and MOCA, it is very important to measure in a reliable, sensitive and rapid manner any presence of isocyanates, but also other decomposition products dangerous to health, in environments where there is such a risk.
Due to the high degree of reactivity of the isocyanates with other substances containing active hydrogen, the major part of the methods utilized for measuring in air flows are based on derivatisation in connection with the sampling step in order to protect the isocyanate group and allowing a selective determination of the isocyanates. A number of reagents and methods have been presented for the determination of isocyanates. However, there is only a limited amount of information about the reaction rate of isocyanates, and losses due to the presence of interfering substances has been reported, for instance, for 1-(2-methoxyphenyl)piperazine (2 MP) and MAMA as derivatisation reagents for 2,4- and 2,6-TDI. A method recently developed by the present inventor has a number of advantages in comparison with the above-mentioned MAMA method. This new method, which is called the DBA method due to the use of di-n-butylamine as reagent, allows the analysis of several new types of isocyanates and has been suggested as an international ISO reference method. The DBA method is based on the gathering of isocyanates in impinger bottles containing DBA in toluene and having a filter which is coupled in series and situated after the impinger bottle in the flow direction. In a sampling process, DBA solution and toluene are added to an impinger bottle. Subsequently, the sample flow is calibrated. An air flow is drawn through a tube immersed in the reagent solution, and isocyanates in the air flow react with DBA in the solution. Non-reacted gaseous isocyanates which have passed the solution are drawn through a filter which is provided with a reagent and arranged in connection with the suction device. Thus on this filter isocyanates which have not reacted with the reagent solution are bound. After completed sampling, the DBA solution with bound isocyanates is conveyed to and the filter is applied to one and the same test tube for further transport to an analysis step. Impinger bottles containing 10 ml 0.01 mole DBA in toluene have been used. Deuterium-labeled isocyanate DBA derivates are added to the samples and used as internal standards. Carbamate esters are formed by adding 2 ml 5 M NaOH, 10 μl pyridine and 50 μl ethyl chloroformate to the samples. The so-called DBA method has been tested for isocyanates in connection with spray painting with two typical biuret and isocyanurate adducts, HDI, IPD, polymeric MDI, TDI and thermal decomposition products from PUR plastic. High reaction rates for the reaction of the isocyanates with DBA have been observed, and the method is not sensitive to interfering substances. Since DBA is easy to eliminate in connection with the processing of the sample, the subsequent chromatographic determination is facilitated, which allows the use of the reagent in high contents. Before the chromatographic determination, the organic phase is separated and evaporated until it is dry. The rest is dissolved in 500 μl acetonitrile, after which the solution is injected into a liquid chromatographic (LC-mass-spectrometric (MS) system.
Other methods used for the determination of isocyanates have a number of drawbacks. Among other things, isocyanates which are present in both gas phase and particle phase in the air flow cannot be bound to the reagent in a satisfactory manner. Isocyanates which are present on and/or in particles, such as dust, will not be completely accessible to analysis, but will be polymerized to a kind of lump. Moreover, the reaction of the reagent with isocyanates is slow and negatively affected by interference from other substances present. In addition, the minimal sampling volume is about 0.5 l air, whereas the air flow which is obtained by means of a battery-operated air pump usually amounts to about 1 l/min. Furthermore, conventional sampling devices require manual adding of solvents and reagents as well as manual dismounting to convey the reagent liquid and the filter with bound isocyanates to the final analysis test tube. Another drawback is that such a sampling device can be tampered with to obtain false results.
In view of this, there is a great demand for an improved device and an improved method for sampling isocyanates, but also other products dangerous to health, such as aminoisocyanates, amines, isothiocyanates, anhydrides and carboxylic acids, in a rapid, reliable, precise and tamperproof manner.


A demodulator includes: a Michelson interferometer having: a half-mirror which splits an optical signal, emits a first split light to a first optical path, and emits a second split light to a second optical path; a first reflector which reflects the first split light to the half-mirror; and a second reflector which reflects the second split light to the half-mirror, wherein the half-mirror recombines the first split light and the second split light, and emits a recombined optical signal while splitting the recombined optical signal; and an balanced optical detector which receives the recombined optical signals from the Michelson interferometer, and generates a demodulated signal based on the two recombined optical signals. The length difference between the first optical path and the second optical path is set so that the second split light has a delay time equal to a one-bit period, with respect to the first split light.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a demodulator for a differential phase shift keying signal in optical fiber communication, particularly optical fiber communication using DWDM (Dense Wavelength Division Multiplexing).
2. Description of the Related Art
Recently, in order to accommodate requests for a higher speed and larger capacity of a network in accordance with rapid development of the Internet, optical fiber communication in which information is transmitted not in the form of an electric signal but in the form of an optical signal that uses an optical fiber as a transmission path has been developed and put to practical use. In such optical fiber communication, in order to realize a higher speed and a larger capacity, attention is given to DWDM (Dense Wavelength Division Multiplexing) in which plural optical signals of different wavelengths are recombined and transmitted through one optical fiber by using the property of light that "light beams of different wavelengths do not interfere with each other".
In optical fiber communication in which DWDM is used, an optical signal which is modulated by DPSK (Differential Phase Shift Keying) or DQPSK (Differential Quadrature Phase Shift Keying) is mainly transmitted, and a received optical signal is demodulated by a demodulator comprising a delay interferometer.
For example, JP-T-2004-516743 discloses a demodulator which demodulates a DQPSK-modulated optical signal in optical fiber communication in which DWDM is used. FIG. 4 is a block diagram of the configuration of the demodulator.
As shown in FIG. 4, the related demodulator 60 is configured by: a first branch path 61 and a second branch path 62 which are formed by an optical fiber; a first Mach-Zehnder interferometer 63 and a second Mach-Zehnder interferometer 64 which are of the optical waveguide type; a first balanced optical detector 65; and a second balanced optical detector 66.
The first optical fiber 61 splits a DQPSK-modulated optical signal (hereinafter, referred to as DQPSK optical signal) transmitted from an optical fiber F, and transmits a split signal to the first Mach-Zehnder interferometer 63. The second branch path 62 splits the DQPSK optical signal transmitted from the optical fiber F, and transmits a split signal to the second Mach-Zehnder interferometer 64.
The first Mach-Zehnder interferometer 63 is configured by a first optical waveguide 63a, a second optical waveguide 63b, a third optical waveguide 63d, and a fourth optical waveguide 63e. The first optical waveguide 63a has an optical path length which is longer by ΔL1 than that of the second optical waveguide 63b, the DQPSK optical signal transmitted from the first optical fiber 61 is split, and a split signal is transmitted to the third optical waveguide 63d. The second optical waveguide 63b has a predetermined optical path length, the DQPSK optical signal transmitted from the first optical fiber 61 is split, and a split signal transmitted to the fourth optical waveguide 63e.
The optical path length difference ΔL1 between the first optical waveguide 63a and the second optical waveguide 63b is set so that the DQPSK optical signal transmitted through the first optical waveguide 63a has a delay time which is equal to one period of the modulation rate, i.e., a symbol period with respect to that the DQPSK optical signal transmitted through the second optical waveguide 63b. A predetermined voltage is applied by a voltage applying apparatus (not shown) to give a phase shift of π/4 to the DQPSK optical signal transmitted through the second optical waveguide 63b.
The DQPSK optical signals transmitted from the first optical waveguide 63a and the second optical waveguide 63b are recombined, and transmitted as a first recombined optical signal to the third optical waveguide 63d and the fourth optical waveguide 63e. The third optical waveguide 63d transmits the first recombined optical signal transmitted from the first optical waveguide 63a, and emits the signal toward a first light receiving element 65a of the first balanced optical detector 65. The fourth optical waveguide 63e transmits the first recombined optical signal transmitted from the second optical waveguide 63b, and emits the signal toward a second light receiving element 65b of the first balanced optical detector 65. The third optical waveguide 63d and the fourth optical waveguide 63e are configured so as to have the same optical path length.
The second Mach-Zehnder interferometer 64 is configured by a first optical waveguide 64a, a second optical waveguide 64b, a third optical waveguide 64d, and a fourth optical waveguide 64e. The first optical waveguide 64a has an optical path length which is longer by ΔL1 than that of the second optical waveguide 64b, the DQPSK optical signal transmitted from the second optical fiber 62 is split, and a split signal is transmitted to the third optical waveguide 64d. The second optical waveguide 64b has a predetermined optical path length, the DQPSK optical signal transmitted from the second optical fiber 62 is split, and a split signal is transmitted to the fourth optical waveguide 64e.
Similarly in the first Mach-Zehnder interferometer 63, the optical path length difference ΔL1 between the first optical waveguide 64a and the second optical waveguide 64b is set so that the DQPSK optical signal transmitted through the first optical waveguide 64a has a delay time which is equal to a symbol period with respect to that the DQPSK optical signal transmitted through the second optical waveguide 64b. A predetermined voltage is applied by the voltage applying apparatus (not shown) to give a phase shift of −π/4 to the DQPSK optical signal transmitted through the second optical waveguide 64b.
The DQPSK optical signals transmitted from the first optical waveguide 64a and the second optical waveguide 64b are recombined, and transmitted as a second recombined optical signal to the third optical waveguide 64d and the fourth optical waveguide 64e. The third optical waveguide 64d transmits the second recombined optical signal transmitted from the first optical waveguide 64a, and emits the signal toward a first light receiving element 66a of the second balanced optical detector 66. The fourth optical waveguide 64e transmits the second recombined optical signal transmitted from the second optical waveguide 64b, and emits the signal toward a second light receiving element 66b of the second balanced optical detector 66. The third optical waveguide 64d and the fourth optical waveguide 64e are configured so as to have the same optical path length.
The first balanced optical detector 65 comprises the first light receiving element 65a and second light receiving element 65b which output an electric signal in accordance with the light intensity of the first recombined optical signal. Electric signals output from the first and second light receiving element 65a, 65b are subjected to an balancing process to output a first demodulated signal x. The second balanced optical detector 66 comprises the first light receiving element 66a and second light receiving element 66b which output an electric signal in accordance with the light intensity of the second recombined optical signal. Electric signals output from the first and second light receiving element 66a, 66b are subjected to an balancing process to output a second demodulated signal y.
As described above, the demodulator comprises: the first Mach-Zehnder interferometer 63 having the two optical waveguides which apply the delay time that is equal to the symbol period, and the phase shift of π/4 to the DQPSK optical signal; and the second Mach-Zehnder interferometer 64 having the two optical waveguides which apply the delay time that is equal to the symbol period, and the phase shift of −π/4 to the DQPSK optical signal. Therefore, the obtained first and second demodulated signals x, y are signals indicative of a binary code.
A demodulator which demodulates a DPSK-modulated optical signal is requested to comprise one Mach-Zehnder interferometer. That is, such a demodulator is configured only by, shown in FIG. 4, the first branch path 61, the first Mach-Zehnder interferometer 63, and the first balanced optical detector 65. In this case, in the first Mach-Zehnder interferometer 63, it is not necessary to give the phase shift to the DPSK-modulated optical signal transmitted through the second optical waveguide 63b.
As described above, in the related demodulator, a Mach-Zehnder interferometer of the optical waveguide type is used. Consequently, there arise the following problems.    (1) In order to stabilize characteristics of optical waveguides, a highly accurate temperature control is required. This makes the apparatus cost to be increased, and the apparatus size to be enlarged.    (2) Optical waveguides are easily affected by mechanical stress, and characteristics of optical waveguides are dispersed.    (3) Although not illustrated in FIG. 4, usually, a Mach-Zehnder interferometer is connected to an balanced optical detector by an optical fiber. Therefore, an optical signal transmitted from the Mach-Zehnder interferometer is delayed by the optical fiber.    (4) It is difficult to ensure the reproducibility of the ±π/4-phase shift process on a DQPSK optical signal.
Because of the problems, the related demodulator cannot perform stable and correct demodulation.


A device for detecting elevations and/or depressions on bottles, in particular in a labeling machine, the device comprising a lighting unit with a light screen for generating a light reflection on a bottle to be examined and at least one camera for detecting the light reflection. By areas of varying luminance being formed on the light screen, molding seams can be reliably detected over a large area of the bottle wall and embossings can be located in various rotational positions of the bottle. The invention also relates to a method for applying the device.

Elevations and/or depressions on bottle surfaces can occur e.g. at molding seams and relief-like impressions at the bottle body, the so-called embossings.
Bottles with a molding seam, such as bottles for beverages, must be preferably labeled such that the molding seam is not covered by the label. Furthermore, the label is possibly to be oriented with respect to an embossing. To detect the position of a molding seam or an embossing and permit later rotation of the bottle to a desired position, it is known to examine a lamp reflection formed on the bottle body for irregularities in various rotational positions of the bottle. In the process, normally only a portion of the molding seam or the embossing, respectively, can be detected by the lamp reflection.
DE 10 2004 040 164 A1, for example, describes a semicircular, uniformly illuminated lamp shade arranged coaxially around the axis of symmetry of a bottle to be examined and comprising an aperture through which the surface of the bottle is examined for irregular reflections by means of a camera. In case of profiled bottle surfaces, however, the edges of the light reflections can have an irregular shape and be difficult to detect exactly in a low-contrast representation. Furthermore, the molding seam might only be represented in a small area at the edge of the light reflection. With the known technique, the molding seam is therefore not always reliably detected.
Embossings are preferably arranged in the area of the shoulder of the bottle. In the usual horizontal viewing direction of the camera, the embossing is then often located outside of the lamp reflection. Therefore, comparably low-contrast, irregular reflections are formed at the embossing the shape of which changes while the bottle is rotated.
Due to these problems, a check measurement with an additional fine adjustment of the bottle is required. This requires an additional inspection device and much space in the labeling machine which is not desired.

Device for detecting elevations and/or depressions on bottles, in particular in a labeling machine


Backup systems and methods are disclosed for a virtual computing environment. Certain examples include a system having a backup management server that communicates with a host server having at least one virtual machine. The management server coordinates with the host server to perform backup copies of entire virtual machine disks from outside the guest operating system of the virtual machine. In certain examples, such backup systems further utilize a volume shadow copy service executing on the host server to quiesce virtual machine applications to put data in a consistent state to be backed up. The backup system then utilizes hypervisor snapshot capabilities of the host server to record intended changes to the virtual machine disk files while such files are being copied (e.g., backed up) by the host server. Such recorded changes can be later committed to the virtual machine disk files once the backup operation has completed.

1. Field of the Invention
Embodiments of the invention relate to performing storage operations in a virtual environment and, in particular, to performing backup operations of one or more virtual machines.
2. Description of the Related Art
Many companies take advantage of virtualization solutions to consolidate several specialized physical servers and workstations into fewer servers running virtual machines. Each virtual machine can be configured with its own set of virtual hardware (e.g., processor, memory, ports, and the like) such that specialized services that each of the previous physical machines performed can be run in their native operating system. In particular, a virtualization layer, or hypervisor, allocates the computing resources of one or more host servers into one or more virtual machines and further provides for isolation between such virtual machines. In such a manner, the virtual machine is a representation of a physical machine by software.
Associated with each virtual machine is at least one virtual machine disk that is located in one or more files in a datastore. The virtual machine disk can be copied, moved, backed up, or the like, similar to a general data file. However, when a virtual machine is powered on, or executing on the host computer, the virtual machine disk is generally locked against access from outside the virtual machine. As a result, to perform a full backup of a virtual machine disk, certain conventional backup systems and methods require powering down the virtual machine prior to performing the backup operation.
To avoid the costly downtime in powering down a virtual machine, certain systems perform backup operations from inside the guest operating system of the virtual machine. This approach, however, also has significant drawbacks in that such backup copies, being performed from within the guest operating system, cannot capture a backup of the entire virtual machine.

Systems and methods for performing backup operations of virtual machine files


A printing head cleaning apparatus usable with an image forming apparatus includes a spraying unit to spray a quantity of cleaning solution using a sprayer and a cleaning shuttle to carry the spraying unit. The spraying unit includes a cleaning solution tank to store the cleaning solution sprayed by the sprayer, a spraying cam to operate the sprayer to selectively spray a quantity of the cleaning solution, and a cam driving member to cause the spraying cam to rotate according to movement of the cleaning shuttle.

1. Field of the Invention
The present general inventive concept relates to an image forming apparatus. More particularly, the present general inventive concept relates to a printing head cleaning apparatus usable with an image forming apparatus having a plurality of printing heads that are disposed in a direction transverse to a travel direction of a printing medium, the image forming apparatus having the same, and a method to clean the printing heads.
2. Description of the Related Art
Image forming apparatuses, especially inkjet image forming apparatuses, using ink to form images, may include a shuttle head type, having a carrier formed to reciprocate a printing head to fire ink, and an array head type, having a plurality of printing heads arranged to correspond to a size of a printing medium in a direction transverse to a transferring direction of the printing medium. A printing head usable with the array head type inkjet image forming apparatus may be formed in approximately half or more of the size of the printing medium in a direction transverse to a transferring direction of the printing medium. Two or more printing heads may be arranged in one row or in two rows. The array head type inkjet image forming apparatus may be configured so that the printing heads are stationary and the printing media are moved.
The shuttle head type inkjet image forming apparatus is cheap, has a simple structure but is slow to print. The array head type inkjet image forming apparatus is expensive and has a complex structure compared with the shuttle head type inkjet image forming apparatus, but can print at high speed and/or in high resolution.
However, in inkjet image forming apparatuses having nozzles to fire ink regardless of the shuttle head type and the array head type, ink that has not been moved to the printing medium during a printing operation may remain on the nozzle of the inkjet head after the printing operation. Therefore, if the inkjet image forming apparatus has not been used for a long time, the remaining ink may be solidified and clog the nozzle so that the printing operation cannot be performed normally. In other words, when the inkjet image forming apparatus has not been used for a period of time, the remaining ink may react with outside air so as to be solidified on the nozzle of the printing head. Also, the remaining ink may be solidified with contaminants, such as dust entering from the outside, to clog the nozzle. A phenomenon in that the nozzle is clogged with the solidified ink and/or contaminants is referred to as 'nozzle clog'. The nozzle clog deteriorates printing quality.
When the nozzle clog occurs, ink is solidified on a nozzle surface of the printing head. Therefore, even when the nozzle surface is cleaned using a dry wiping apparatus, such as a cleaning wiper unit formed to contact and clean the nozzle surface of the printing head before or after the printing operation, it is difficult to remove the solidified ink from the nozzle surface.
To solve this problem, it has been required to develop a printing head cleaning apparatus that can dissolve and remove the solidified ink from the nozzle surface of the printing head.

Printing head cleaning apparatus, image forming apparatus having the same and method to clean printing head


An electrical connector assembly comprise a chip module (2) formed a number of protrusions (21) extending outwardly from sidewalls thereof, a bracket (1) comprising a number of receiving sections (11), a number of housings (4) each having a plurality of terminals (5) assembled therein and received in the corresponding receiving section respectively, and each housing (4) disposed a number of supporting members (3) corresponding to the protrusions (21) for interferingly engaging with the protrusions (21) to supporting the chip module (2) thereon.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to electrical connector assemblies, and more particularly to an electrical connector assembly able to provide a good engagement between a chip module and an electrical connector therein
2. The Background of the Invention
Connectors for removably mounting a chip module on a PCB are known as electrical connectors. A typical electrical connector includes an insulative housing, a multiplicity of terminals received in the housing in a rectangular array.
An electrical connector includes an insulative housing, a number of terminals, a chip module received in the housing. The housing defines a number of passageways for receiving the terminals therein. Generally, the chip module is configured as a rectangular shape and the housing defines a cavity for receiving the chip module therein, and the chip module is usually engaged with housing with the whole outer sidewalls abutting against inner sidewalls of the housing, wherein the engagement between the housing and the chip module is usually interference fit. So the geometry of the chip module is demanded rigidly and the tolerance between the housing and the chip module is hard to control, especially the tolerance thereof after bake process, in addition, the chip module is figured to a normal rectangular shape with coplanar sidewall surface so that when the tolerance of the chip module needed to amend, the whole sidewalls of the chip module need to be grinded thereby the cost paid on it higher and the time taken on it more.
What needed, therefore, is an improved electrical connector assembly able to provide a simplified engagement between the electrical connector and the chip module.


An electric motor drive-type power steering system includes a steering gear, a first motor constantly connected to the steering gear for supplying thereto a steering assist force, and a second motor connectable to the steering gear by way of an electromagnetic clutch for selectively supplying a steering assist force to the steering gear in addition to the steering assist force by the first motor. The first and second motors and the electromagnetic clutch are controlled so that both of the first and second motors are put into action when the vehicle speed is lower than a predetermined value and only the first motor is put into action when the vehicle speed is higher than the above mentioned predetermined value. The first motor is of a smaller maximum output type as compared with the second motor.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates in general to power steering systems for automotive vehicles and more particularly to an electric motor drive-type power steering system having an electric motor for supplying a steering assist force to a steering gear for thereby multiplying a steering effort applied to the steering gear by way of a steering wheel.
2. Disclosure Information
Heretofore, the power steering systems of the hydraulic pump drive-type were mainly used. However, many of the power steering systems produced by various car makers these days are of the electric motor drive-type as disclosed in Japanese Provisional Publication No. 61-110668. For example, the power steering system is provided with sensors for detecting the steering effort applied to the steering wheel and the vehicle and supplying signals representative thereof to the controller so as to control increase and decrease of a steering assist force to be supplied from the electric motor to the steering gear in accordance with the steering effort and the vehicle speed.
The prior art electric motor drive-type power steering system is adapted to multiply the steering effort by using a single electric motor and for this reason has the following problems.
At low vehicle speed such as the case when the vehicle starts from a standstill condition (vehicle speed is zero), the reactions transferred from the road wheels to the steering gear are large so that a high output motor is necessitated for meeting the requirement of large steering assist force.
At middle to high vehicle speed, the reactions transferred from the road wheels to the steering gear are not so large, so a low output motor can be used at low to middle vehicle speed. However, in order to meet the requirement at low vehicle speed it has been the practice to utilize a high output motor also at middle to high vehicle speed. The high output motor however has a large rotational inertia and therefore has a problem of being poor in responsiveness, particularly when the direction of turning of the steering wheel is changed, that is, the direction of steering the vehicle is changed.

Electric motor drive-type power steering system


An ultrasonic irradiation apparatus irradiates ultrasonic waves onto a wide area having three-dimensionally curved surfaces. An ultrasonic irradiator having a plurality of ultrasonic transducer is arranged in a plane. The position of at least a portion of the ultrasonic transducers is mutually and flexibly changeable in three dimensions. Ultrasonic transducers are installed on a surface of a flexible and/or elastic sheet member or net member. The ultrasonic irradiator may include a plurality of ultrasonic transducers formed on a flexible piezoelectric sheet member, including driving electrodes arranged on one surface and opposed electrodes arranged on another surface. The ultrasonic irradiator may be installed on or inside of a flexible planar bag containing a fluidic ultrasonic conductive medium. A mechanism is provided for moving or tilting the ultrasonic irradiator with respect to the object, or a band-holding member may be provided for fitting the irradiator to the object.

The inventor of the present invention conducted research and discovered that fats within a living body were decomposed (lipolysis) by irradiating the living body with ultrasonic waves having a specific frequency. A patent application regarding an ultrasonic wave irradiation apparatus was filed and published as PCT Publication Number WO 99/39677 on Aug. 12, 1999.
In the practice of the previous invention, it was required to irradiate the living body with ultrasonic waves. The living body has wide three-dimensionally curved surfaces composed of complicated uneven surfaces such as, e.g., the abdominal region, the thighs, the buttocks or the chin. Therefore, it is difficult to evenly irradiate the surface of a living body with ultrasonic waves.
To solve such a problem, in the published international patent application, there was disclosed:
(1) an apparatus, having an ultrasonic transducer arranged on a side wall of a bath tub, for irradiating a living body via hot water in the bath tub with ultrasonic waves generated by the ultrasonic transducer;
(2) an apparatus, having an ultrasonic transducer arranged on the bottom of a water chamber having an upper side thereof left open, for irradiating, with ultrasonic waves, a living body contacting the water on the upper opening area via the water in the water chamber; and
(3) an apparatus, having an ultrasonic transducer arranged within a shower head, for irradiating, with ultrasonic waves, a living body via water or hot water flowing out from the shower head.
It has been known to irradiate with ultrasonic waves for, e.g., enhancing beauty, acceleration of blood circulation and for curing stiffness in the shoulder or lumbago, and some conventional ultrasonic irradiation apparatuses have been known for these purposes. The conventional ultrasonic irradiation apparatus has a single ultrasonic transducer having a diameter of about 20 to 50 mm, and irradiation, with ultrasonic waves, over a desired wide area of a living body is performed by scanning the living body surface with an acoustic output part of the apparatus.
In the conventional ultrasonic irradiation apparatus, ultrasonically irradiating the living body having three-dimensionally curved surfaces is easily conducted without large size equipment such as a bath tub, a water chamber or a shower system, because scanning can cover the living body surface to some extent. But, when the scanning area becomes wider, in the conventional system it requires a long time to scan wider areas because of the time required to manually scan the single ultrasonic transducer to accumulate the necessary irradiation dose (intensity of irradiation×the accumulated time of irradiation) per unit surface area. Hence, the work load for an operator, such as a doctor, becomes heavier.
In the published international patent application, an apparatus has been disclosed, having a single ultrasonic transducer and an acoustic lens arranged in front of the ultrasonic transducer, for irradiating a living body with ultrasonic waves through a bag containing an ultrasonic conducting medium such as, e.g., water or jelly. In the system of the published patent application, it is possible not only to make close contact with a living body via the water bag, but also to expand the area of irradiation greater than using a sole ultrasonic transducer, due to a function of the acoustic lens, and thereby one is able to effectively scan the living body.
However, in the case where the area to be scanned is wider, the system disclosed in the published international patent application has the same problems as the conventional ultrasonic irradiation apparatus. In other words, it takes a long time to scan wider areas and the load imposed on the operator becomes heavier.
Further, in the apparatus for irradiating ultrasonic waves via a bag containing an ultrasonic conducting medium, the distance between the acoustic lens and a window portion of the bag, which outputs ultrasonic waves and which is in contact with the living body, must become longer to make the irradiation area wider, and thus the amount of water is increased. As the result, the pressure of the water weight is transferred to the living body, and it is difficult to make adjustments so as to partially support and lessen the pressure due to such weight. Further, in the apparatus for irradiating with ultrasonic waves via the bag containing the ultrasonic conducting medium, the position of the living body to be irradiated with ultrasonic waves is limited because, if the irradiation direction to the living body is not vertical, the output window of the bag is greatly deformed by gravity and thereby it is difficult to scan smoothly.


A fuel cell vehicle including a fuel cell, a traveling motor, a secondary battery, a predetermined device, an air tank, an electric air feeder, and a control unit is provided. The fuel cell is mounted to a vehicle, and at least has a pair of electrodes that pinch an electrolyte membrane, the pair of electrodes including a catalyst. The traveling motor is driven by a generated power of the fuel cell to provide a driving force to a driving wheel. The secondary battery is charged with the generated power. The predetermined device is driven by an air pressure and has a predetermined function of the vehicle. The air tank stores a compressed air for driving the predetermined device. The control unit controls (i) a charge of the secondary battery, (ii) an operation of the air feeder, (iii) an power generation and (iv) a feeding destination.

Patent document 1: JP-A-2007-220323
Dissolution and elution of a catalyst component (e.g. Pt, Rh, Pd, or the like) in an electrode catalyst in a fuel cell have been studied conventionally. Many research findings reported about a mechanism of the dissolution and the elution. According to a certain report, since a platinum oxide dissolves in a solution, it is supposed that platinum may dissolve via the platinum oxide. As an electric potential in the solution becomes high, the amount of the elution of platinum may become large, and the platinum oxide formation may be promoted. When cell voltage (corresponding to an electric potential in a fuel cell) becomes high, platinum or the like in an electrode catalyst layer in the catalyst component may be easily eluted. The elution of platinum or the like may cause degradation and a performance deterioration of the fuel cell.
Electrical voltage generated by a fuel cell changes according to an output of the fuel cell. When the output of the fuel cell becomes high, the voltage of the fuel cell will decrease. When the output of the fuel cell becomes low, the voltage of the fuel cell will increase. In this case, accompanying with a change of voltage, platinum or the like in, especially, a cathode catalytic layer of an oxidant electrode may be eluted, and a performance deterioration of the fuel cell may be caused.
For example, in patent document 1, in order to prevent degradation and a performance deterioration of the fuel cell, when a state of charge (SOC) of a secondary battery is higher than 10%, an output control portion restricts the output of the fuel cell. In addition, the voltage of the fuel cell may not be lower than a predetermined voltage. Accordingly, an electrical potential of the oxidant electrode in the fuel cell is kept high, a variation of the electrical potential of the oxidant electrode is kept low. An oxide layer in a platinum surface of the cathode catalytic layer of the oxidant electrode may not be reduced and may not elute. In addition, it may be possible to prevent the platinum from eluting when a brake pedal of a vehicle is stepped on, the output of the fuel cell becomes low, and the electrical voltage of the fuel cell becomes high.
The inventor of the present invention has found the following with respect to a fuel cell. In patent document 1, when a state of charge of the secondary battery is high, it is required that an auxiliary machine consumes a generated power of the fuel cell or the output of the fuel cell should be reduced. However, in this case, deterioration of fuel efficiency, degradation or a performance deterioration of the fuel cell may occur.


A controller controls a drive waveform generator to apply a predetermined voltage to a piezoelectric element and deform the piezoelectric element, thereby moving a lens. The controller acquires the position of the lens based on a magnetic field intensity detected by a Hall device. A shock detection circuit measures a voltage generated by deformation of the piezoelectric element caused by an external shock. The controller determines whether or not the voltage measured by the shock detection circuit is larger than a predetermined threshold, and detects positional misalignment of the lens. When detecting the positional misalignment, the controller resets the lens at a position acquired before the shock was applied.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an imaging device, a lens drive control method and a recording medium.
2. Description of the Related Art
Conventionally, user's manipulation of an external lever or the like changes over the image magnification powers and focal distances of a camera-mounted cellular phone and a camera unit for which miniaturization and flattening are demanded. There is a camera unit which has a downsized step motor and an AF (Auto Focus) function of moving an imaging lens by the step motor.
The use of a step motor limits the miniaturization of a camera unit. In place of this type of camera unit, recent camera units have a piezoelectric element (piezo element) which is used to move a lens. Using the piezoelectric element makes it possible to further lighten and miniaturize the camera units. Piezoelectric elements have a deformation characteristic in accordance with an applied voltage. A camera unit with the piezoelectric element having such a characteristic applies an appropriate voltage to the piezoelectric element to deform the element, thus driving an imaging lens. A device which drives a lens by a piezoelectric element is disclosed in, for example, Unexamined Japanese Patent Application KOKAI Publication No. 2004-294759.
The vibration of a vibration type actuator using the piezoelectric element becomes driving force to move the lens. Because the lens is movable in a vibration direction, if an external shock or the like is applied to the lens and a lens drive device after the lens is moved to a right position, the lens is moved to a wrong position. Shooting in this state raises problems such that a zoom magnification differs from one desired by a user and a focus is missed. Such problems may be overcome by providing some mechanism for fixing a lens at the correct position, which would enlarge the lens drive device and complicate control of lock/release of the lens.
Those problems are not limited to a camera-mounted cellular phone, and also arise in an optical system using the vibration type actuator.

Imaging device, lens drive control method and recording medium

Casio Hitachi Mobile Communications Co., Ltd.


Integrated circuit memory devices with page copy flag cells include an array of memory cells and a plurality of flag cells coupled thereto which retain a flag to indicate whether a respective page of memory cells contains data copied in an inverted format from another page of memory cells. The memory cells and flag cells may comprise EEPROM cells and each page of memory cells preferably shares a word line with a respective flag cell. The flag may constitute a logic 1 (or logic 0) signal stored in the flag EEPROM cell to indicate whether the data in the corresponding page of memory is a true or an inverted copy of a page of data copied from another page at a different address. A page buffer is also provided to retain data read from a page of memory and read from a corresponding flag cell, and an exclusive OR gate for inverting the data outputted by the page buffer if the flag has been set and passing the outputted data unchanged if the flag has not been set.

Semiconductor memory devices for storing data can typically be categorized as either volatile memory devices or nonvolatile memory devices. Volatile memory devices lose their stored data when their power supplies are interrupted, however nonvolatile memory devices retain their stored data even when their power supplies are interrupted. Thus, nonvolatile memory devices are widely used in applications where the possibility of power supply interruption is present.
Conventional nonvolatile memory devices include a type of electrically erasable programmable read only memory (EEPROM) device typically referred to as a flash EEPROM device. Flash EEPROM devices typically include a semiconductor substrate of first conductivity type (e.g., P-type), spaced source and drain regions of second conductivity type (e.g., N-type) in the substrate, a channel region at a face of the substrate, between the spaced source and drain regions, a floating gate for storing charge carriers when the device is programmed and a control gate which overlies the floating gate, opposite the channel region. Conventional flash EEPROM integrated circuit memory devices may contain column-by-column arrays of NAND EEPROM cells having the general construction illustrated in cross-section and schematically by FIGS. 11.58 and 11.59 from a handbook by B. Prince et al. entitled Semiconductor Memories, John Wiley & Sons Ltd., pp. 603-604 (1991); and in an article by M. Momodomi et al. entitled An Experimental 4-Mbit CMOS EEPROM with a NAND Structured Cell, IEEE Journal of Solid State Circuits, Vol. 24, No. 5, p. 1238 October (1989). Typical schematic and cross-sectional layouts of arrays containing NAND EEPROM cells are also more fully described in commonly assigned U.S. Pat. No. 5,546,341 to Suh et al. entitled Nonvolatile Semiconductor Memory.
Operation of a flash EEPROM device is typically divided into three modes including programming, erasing and reading. Programming of a flash EEPROM device is typically achieved by biasing the drain region to a first positive bias, relative to the source region, and biasing the control gate to a second positive bias which is greater than the first positive bias. In the absence of any stored charge on the floating gate, these biases cause the formation of an inversion-layer channel of electrons at the face of the substrate, between the source and drain regions. As will be understood by those skilled in the art, the drain-to-source voltage accelerates these electrons through the channel to the drain region where they acquire sufficiently large kinetic energy and are typically referred to as "hot" electrons. The larger positive bias on the control gate also establishes an electrical field in a tunneling oxide layer which separates the floating gate from the channel region. This electric field attracts the hot electrons and accelerates them toward the floating gate, which is disposed between the control gate and the channel region, by a process known as tunneling. The floating gate then accumulates and traps the accumulated charge. Fortunately, the process of charging the floating gate is self-limiting. The negative charge that accumulates on the floating gate reduces the strength of the electric field in the tunneling oxide layer to the point where it is no longer capable of accelerating "hot" electrons from the drain side of the channel region.
As will be understood by those skilled in the art, the accumulation of a large quantity of trapped charge (electrons) on the floating gate will cause the effective threshold voltage (V.sub.th) of the field effect transistor comprising the source region, drain region, channel region and control gate to increase. If this increase is sufficiently large, the field effect transistor will remain in a nonconductive "off" state when a predetermined "read" voltage is applied to the control gate during a read operation (i.e., V.sub.th >V.sub.read). In this state, known as the programmed state, the EEPROM device may be said to be storing a logic 0. Once programmed, the EEPROM device retains its higher threshold voltage even when its power supply is interrupted or turned off for long periods of time.
Erasing of the EEPROM device may also be achieved by removing the stored charge from the floating gate. The erasure process can be achieved, for example, by grounding the control gate and applying a positive bias to the substrate (e.g., 10-20 Volts). Accordingly, flash EEPROM devices typically require bulk erasure of large portions of an array of cells since the effects of applying a large substrate bias typically cannot be confined to a single EEPROM cell.
Reading of the EEPROM device is achieved by applying a predetermined read voltage (V.sub.read) to the control gate, typically via a word line connecting a row (i.e., page) of identical EEPROM devices or "cells", and applying a positive bias to the drain region, typically via a bit line connecting a column of identical EEPROM cells. If the EEPROM device is programmed, it will not conduct drain current (I.sub.ds) and the bit line will remain at the positive bias. However, if the EEPROM device has not been programmed (or has been erased), it will heavily conduct and pull the bit lie down to ground potential (GND). In this state, the EEPROM device may be said to be storing a logic 1. Thus, by monitoring the bit line current and voltage, the programmed state (i.e., 1 or 0) of the EEPROM device can be determined.
During the performance of a reading operation, it may become necessary to perform a page copy operation by copying data read from a first page of memory cells at a first address to a second page of memory cells at a second different address. As illustrated by FIG. 1, a conventional page copy operation typically includes the steps of reading data from a first page of memory cells 101 in an array 100 to a page buffer 300 and then to a storage device 400 external to the page buffer 300. Next, the data in the storage device 400 is returned to the page buffer 300 and then reprogrammed into the second page of memory cells 102 using conventional programming operations. The operations illustrated by FIG. 1 are more fully described by FIG. 2 which illustrates the timing of signals required to perform a conventional page copy operation. As will be understood by those skilled in the art, the signal CLE represents the command latch enable signal, the signal ALE represents the address latch enable signal, the signal WE represents the write enable signal and the signal RE represents the read enable signal. Referring now to FIG. 2, after applying a read command "00h" through an input/output (I/O) terminal during interval T1, addresses of three cycles are provided during interval T2 so that the memory device 100 outputs as a batch the data stored in all the memory cells of the first page 101 (designated by the addresses) through the bit lines. The output data is then sensed and temporarily retained by the page buffer 300 during interval T3. The read enable signal RE is then toggled to commence serial transfer of the retained data from the buffer 300 to the external storage device 400 during interval T4. A data loading command "80h" is then input and addresses of three cycles are applied during interval T5. The data stored in the storage device 400 in then loaded into the page buffer 300 during interval T6. Finally, a page programming command "10h" is inputted during interval T7 so that all memory cells in the second page 102 can be programmed during interval T8. Unfortunately, the page copy operations illustrated by FIG. 1 require external storage 400 and typically require that such external storage be loaded serially from the page buffer 300 and downloaded serially to the page buffer 300, which can very time consuming.
To address the limitations associated with the memory device and page copy operations illustrated by FIG. 1, alternative page copy operations were developed. For example, FIG. 3 illustrates a second conventional method for performing page copy operations. According to this method, a first page 101 of data is read into a page buffer 300 where it is retained in an inverted format. The retained data is then stored back into the memory 100 at an address of a second page 102. However, these page copy operations are limited because the copy of the original data from the first page is not stored as a "true" copy but is stored as an inverted copy. Accordingly, during subsequent read operations, it is possible for data errors to occur if the inverted copy is treated as a true copy.
Thus, notwithstanding the above described memory devices and methods for performing page copy operations, there continues to be a need for improved memory devices and methods for performing page copy operations which do not require external memory, serial loading or downloading operations and are not subject to the risk of data errors when true copies of data are not stored during page copy operations.

Integrated circuit memory devices having page flag cells which indicate the true or non-true state of page data therein and methods of operating the same


Provided are a connecting structure and a hydraulic drive device capable of simply and reliably connecting two shaft bodies together while appropriately preventing rotation and runout therebetween. The connecting structure includes a first shaft body and a second shaft body connected to each other at respective end portions and provided so as to be rotatable integrally with each other about a rotation axis. An anti-runout support portion of the first shaft body and that of the second shaft body are engaged with each other so as to restrict relative movement between the first and second shaft bodies with respect to a radial direction. An anti-rotation support portion of the first shaft body and that of the second shaft body are engaged with each other so as to restrict relative movement between the first and second shaft bodies with respect to a rotation direction about the rotation axis.

A mechanism in which two shaft bodies are connected together and caused to axially rotate has been used in various fields.
For example, Japanese Patent Application Publication No. Hei 10-257815 (the '815 Publication) discloses a vehicle speed detector for a grass mowing machine. In this vehicle speed detector, a rotary shaft is connected to an output shaft of a hydraulic motor, and a rotational speed detection gear is mounted to a distal end of said rotary shaft so as to be rotatable integrally therewith. A rotational speed of the rotational speed detection gear is detected to determine a rotational speed of the output shaft of the hydraulic motor.
In order for two shaft bodies to be connected together so as to be rotatable integrally with each other, the two shaft bodies need to be firmly secured to each other so that rotation and runout between the two shaft bodies are appropriately prevented.
The anti-rotation function as described herein refers to preventing relative movement (displacement) between shaft bodies with respect to an axial rotation direction. Without such rotation being appropriately prevented, the two shaft bodies cannot axially rotate integrally with each other, so that there occurs trouble such as idle rotation. The anti-runout function, on the other hand, refers to preventing relative movement (displacement) between shaft bodies with respect to a direction perpendicular to a rotation axis. Without such runout being appropriately prevented, there occurs displacement between rotation axes of the two shaft bodies, so that the two shaft bodies cannot axially rotate integrally with each other.
In the above-mentioned vehicle speed detector of the '815 Publication, a screw portion is formed at an end portion of each of the output shaft and the rotary shaft, and the screw portions of the output shaft and the rotary shaft are engaged with each other, thus connecting the output shaft and the rotary shaft together. In performing such screw connection, a connection operation for appropriately engaging the screw portions with each other tends to become complicated. Furthermore, in a case where a force such as vibration is applied to a connection section where the output shaft and the rotary shaft are connected together, the engagement between the screw portions might be gradually loosened with time, resulting in disconnection therebetween. Moreover, preferably, a configuration for connecting the two shaft bodies together is formed in a simple and less costly manner.

Connecting structure and hydraulic drive device


Groups of products stacked on edge are wrapped in sealed stick packs by a method that involves passing a sheet (4) of heat-sealable wrapping material around each group (1) of products (2) and sealing the two side edges (8) in such a way as to fashion a tubular wrapper (12) with end portions (14) projecting axially from the assembled group (1), then spreading each end portion (14) flat by inserting a tongue (16) and heat-sealing each relative pair of flattened edges to render the wrapper airtight. Thereafter, the sealed ends are subjected to a cold crimping action from which each end portion (14) emerges with two impressed crease lines (24) positioned to delimit a central portion (25) that will be folded directly against the corresponding end face of the group (1), and two lateral portions (26) that will be folded inwards over the central portion (25).

As a rule, products wrapped in stick packs for general retail are of typically flat parallelepiped shape and ordered into a wrappable group one beside the next, with the larger faces disposed transversely to the predominating axis of the assembled group. Accordingly, the group of products will present at least one relatively small transverse dimension, and the stick pack is fashioned using simple heat seal jaws by which the projecting edges of a tubular wrapper formed around the group can be gripped and secured tight against the ends of the group without generating random creases or other imperfections that might in time allow air into the finished pack.
The above considerations do not apply to another type of stick pack on general sale, in which the products are again ordered one beside the next with the larger faces in mutual contact, though in this instance forming a much more compact group generally of square or rectangular section. The ends of this type of stick are ordinarily not sealed, but simply folded. In the event of a sealed end being required for this second type of stick pack, the seal is obtained starting from a tubular wrapper of which the trimmable ends project an appreciable distance beyond the end faces of the group of products. By virtue of this extra length, the opposite edges presented by each end of the wrapper can be pinched together. Sticks presenting this type of seal are however not readily acceptable in terms of appearance, difficult to stack, unable to retain the wrapped products in close contact one with another, and inclined to break or tear open easily at the ends.
The prior art also embraces a method for forming packets of the type described above, disclosed in patent DE 3420023 by the same applicant, which envisages the step of fashioning a tubular wrapper initially around the group of stacked products and then closing the ends of the wrapper. The process of closing each end includes a first step in which the ends are drawn flat, by inserting flat spreader means, and united by the action of sealing and crimping means designed to impress crease lines on each of the flattened ends so as to facilitate a subsequent folding step. In practice, the final step occurs with the sealed and crimped end already presenting a central portion, and two lateral portions delimited on either side of the central portion by the crease lines. The central portion is folded against the end face of the group of products and the lateral portions are then folded over the central portion.
The method described above likewise presents certain drawbacks connected principally with the step in which the sealing and crimping operations occur. In effect, a dependable closure of the ends cannot be assured when the sealing and crimping steps are combined, since the sealing jaws are not able to unite the edges of the wrapper faultlessly along the crease lines.
The object of the present invention is to set forth a method and a device free of the drawbacks mentioned above, by means of which products stacked on edge and in contact one with the next by way of their larger faces can be packaged in a sealed wrapping.

Method and device for wrapping groups of stacked products in the manufacture of sealed packs

Azionaria Costruzioni Macchine Automatiche A.C.M.A. S.p.A.


An image sensor with sampling control system including a sensor unit 1 having a number of pixel circuits arranged in matrix, a memory unit 2 having a number of memory circuits 12 arranged in matrix, each memory circuits being corresponding to respective pixel circuits, a first horizontal shift register 9 writing a pixel read-out pattern into said memory circuits in accordance with an externally supplied sample selection signal, a first vertical shift register 8 for generating signals for writing and reading said pixel read-out pattern into and out of said memory circuits, a second vertical shift register 7 driven in synchronism with said first vertical shift register 8 for supplying a pixel value read-out signal to said pixels circuits, a second horizontal shift register 3 for outputting pixel values selected in accordance with the pixel read-out pattern, a third horizontal shift register 4 for outputting all pixel values, and a switch unit 6 for selectively reading the pixel values out of any one of said second and third horizontal shift registers in accordance with a node signal.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image sensor with signal processing system, and more particularly to an image sensor with sampling control system. Such an image sensor with sampling control system may be advantageously applied to a field of developing a robot vision system as well as a field of image measurement.
2. Description of the Related Art
In general, in an image processing system an image is picked-up by an image acquisition device such as a CCD camera to derive an analog image signal, and after converting the analog image signal into a digital image signal by an analog-digital converter, the thus converted digital image signal is supplied to a digital image processing device. In order to increase an image processing speed, these devices have been designed to have high operating speed. However, since the image signal outputted from the image acquisition device is a serial signal, the overall processing speed is limited. In HDTV, a high speed operation is realized by deriving the image signal by means of two pixel read-out lines.
On the other hand, in accordance with a progress in VLSI technology, it has become possible to arrange various peripheral circuits around an image sensing unit on a single semiconductor chip. There have been proposed image sensors with various image processing systems. Such image sensor is called a computational image sensor or smart image sensor, in which an image sensing section and an image processing section are formed on a same semiconductor chip.
Heretofore, there have been proposed an image sensor with random access system, an image sensor with skip access system, an image sensor with block address system and a polar coordinate type image sensor.
FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a known typical image sensor with random access system. This image sensor includes an imaging cell array 51, a row decoder 52, a column decoder 53, a column selector 54 and an output section 55, all of these components being formed on a single semiconductor chip. In this known image sensor, coordinates of pixels within a given block on the imaging cell array 51 are denoted from an external with a unit of row and column. That is to say, an input value r from the row decoder 52 and an input value c from the column decoder 53 are converted into coordinates, and a pixel value of the denoted coordinates is selectively read-out. In this known image sensor, respective pixels of the imaging cell array 51 have to be accessed, and thus address information is always required for performing the random access.
Also in the known image sensor with block access control system as well as in the known image sensor with skip access control system, the read-out of the image signal is performed principally in accordance with the access with a unit of row and column. Therefore, by inputting row and column addresses, a pixel value of a pixel at denoted row and column can be deleted or selected, and an image signal can be selectively read out of a desired block on the imaging cell array. Furthermore, by performing a sub-sampling for pixel array, a size of an output image can be reduced. However, in these image sensors, pixel values could not be read out of a smaller area than the block denoted by the row and column information.
In the polar coordinate type image sensor, a central portion and a peripheral portion of the image sensing section are formed by imaging cell arrays arranged with different density. That is to say, the central portion is composed of pixels arranged with a higher density and the peripheral portion is composed of roughly arranged pixels. Therefore, it is possible to attain a higher resolution in the central portion than the peripheral portion. In this manner, the polar coordinate type image sensor can resemble a fovea of a human eye. However, since the central and peripheral portions are constructed fixedly, upon unifying this image sensor with a vision system, the image sensor has to be always moved in accordance with a movement of a focus. Furthermore, this image sensor could be used only to an application resembling a fovea of a human eye, and therefore a range of application is limited.
In the above mentioned image sensor with random access system, an image signal can be read out of an arbitrarily selected or denoted pixel or pixels, but this control requires always pixel address information, and thus high speed access could not be realized.
In the image sensor with skip address system as well as in the image sensor with block access system, an image signal can be read out of any desired block denoted on the imaging cell array, but an image signal could not be read out of an area smaller than the block denoted by the row and column information. For instance, a single pixel could be not be selectively read out.
In the polar coordinate type image sensor, since the pixels are arranged in accordance with a fixed pattern resembling a fovea of a human eye, the application is limited.
The present invention has for its object to provide a novel and useful image sensor with sampling control system, in which access to respective pixels as well as pixels within any desired block can be performed without requiring address information, a control of image resolution can be performed with a pixel unit, and a high speed access can be attained.
It is another object of the invention to provide an image sensor with sampling control system, in which a sampling corresponding a fovea of a human eye can be performed while a focus movement within an image pick-up plane is not required when the image sensor is unified with a vision system, and a versatile sampling can be carried out without being limited to a fovea of a human eye.
According to the invention, an image sensor with sampling control system comprises:
a sensor unit having a number of pixel circuits arranged in matrix;
a memory unit having a number of memory circuits arranged in matrix, the number of said memory circuits being equal to that of said pixel circuits, a first horizontal shift register for writing memory values constituting a pixel read-out pattern into said memory circuits in accordance with a sample selection signal;
a first vertical shift register for generating a signal for writing said memory values into said memory circuits as well as a signal for reading said memory values out of said memory circuits;
a second vertical shift register driven in synchronism with said first vertical shift register to generate a signal for reading out pixel values from said pixel circuits as well as a reset signal to said pixels circuits;
a second horizontal shift register for outputting pixel value or values selected in accordance with the memory values stored in said memory circuits;
a third horizontal shift register for outputting all pixel values; and
a switch unit for controlling of read-out of the pixel values from any one of said second and third horizontal shift registers in accordance with the memory values stored in the memory circuits.
In the image sensor with sampling control system according to the invention, all the above mentioned components may be formed on a single semiconductor chip. Furthermore, by suitably selecting said memory values denoting the pixel read-out pattern, any desired sampling can be performed at a high operating speed.
In a preferable embodiment of the image sensor with sampling control system according to the invention, each of said memory circuits of the memory unit includes three NMOS switches, an electrical energy storing element and an inverter.

Image sensor with sampling control system


An embodiment of the invention provides a passive device cell. The passive device cell has a substrate layer, a passive device, and an intermediary layer formed between the substrate layer and the passive device. The intermediary layer includes a plurality of LC resonators.

1. Technical Field
The invention relates generally to a passive device, and more particularly, to a passive device that is separated from a substrate layer by an intermediary layer.
2. Related Art
Passive devices are circuit components that are incapable of generating power gain; in other words, they cannot amplify signals. Capacitors, inductors, and resistors are some well-known examples of passive devices. Generally speaking, in an integrated circuit (IC), passive devices are formed on a layer above the substrate. When the current flowing through a passive device is changing, the time-varying current will induce eddy currents in the underneath substrate, causing some energy to be wasted. The energy waste may deteriorate the passive device's performance.

Passive device cell and fabrication process thereof