In a laser-engravable flexographic printing element, the relief-forming layer comprises a conductivity carbon black having a specific surface area of at least 150 m2/g and a DBP number of at least 150 ml/100 g. Flexographic printing plates are produced by a process in which a printing relief is engraved into said flexographic printing element by means of a laser system.

In direct laser engraving for the production of flexographic printing plates, a printing relief is engraved directly into a relief-forming layer suitable for this purpose with the use of a laser or of a laser system. The layer is decomposed in the areas in which the laser beam is incident on it and is removed substantially in the form of dusts, gases, vapors or aerosols. A development step as in the case of conventional processes—thermally or by means of washout agents—is not required.
Although the engraving of rubber printing cylinders by means of lasers has in principle been known since the 1960s, laser engraving has acquired broader economic interest only in recent years with the arrival of improved laser systems. The improvements of the laser systems include in particular better focusability of the laser beam, higher power and computer-controlled beam modulation.
With the introduction of new, more efficient laser systems, however, the question regarding particularly suitable materials for laser-engravable flexographic printing plates is also becoming more and more important. Particularly in the engraving of high-resolution printing plates or very fine relief elements, problems now occur which played no role at all in the past because laser systems in any case did not permit the engraving of very fine structures. Improved laser systems thus lead to new requirements with respect to the material.
In direct laser engraving, it should be noted in particular that the relief-forming layer which is engraved by means of the laser also forms the subsequent printing surface. All defects which occur during the engraving are thus also visible on printing. In direct laser engraving, in particular the edges of the relief elements must therefore be formed particularly precisely in order to obtain a crisp printing image. Frayed edges or beads of molten material around relief elements, i.e. melt edges, have a considerable adverse effect on the printed image. Of course, the finer the desired relief elements, the more important are these factors. EP-B 640 043 and EP-B 640 044 have proposed amplifying laser-engravable flexographic printing elements and if necessary adding materials which absorb laser radiation for improving the sensitivity. The use of carbon black is also proposed without this being specified more precisely.
Carbon black is not a defined chemical compound; instead, there is a very large number of different carbon blacks which differ with regard to preparation process, particle size, specific surface area or surface properties and which accordingly also have a very wide range of chemical and physical properties. For further details, reference may be made, for example, to H. Ferch, Pigmentruβe, edited by U. Zorll, Vincentz Verlag, Hanover, 1995. Carbon blacks are frequently characterized by the specific surface area, for example determined by the BET method, and the structure. A skilled worker in the area of carbon blacks understands structure as meaning the linkage of the primary particles to form aggregates. The structure is frequently determined by means of the dibutyl phthalate (DBP) adsorption. The higher the DBP adsorption, the higher the structure.
The conductivity carbon blacks form a special class of carbon blacks. In general, carbon blacks having a DBP adsorption of more than 110 ml/100 g and a relatively high specific surface are referred to as conductivity carbon blacks (Ferch loc.cit., p 82). Conductivity carbon blacks are usually used for making nonconductive materials electrically conductive with the addition of a very small amount.
The use of carbon black in laser-engravable flexographic printing elements has also been described by EP-A 1 080 883, WO 02/16134, WO 02/54154 or WO 02/083418. Said publications, however, disclose not conductivity carbon blacks but carbon blacks having a relatively small specific surface area and small DBP number.
EP-A 1 262 315 and EP-A 1 262 316 disclose a process and a laser system for the production of flexographic printing plates. The laser system described operates with a plurality of laser beams which may have different power and/or wavelength, and by means of which the surface regions of the printing plate and deeper regions can each be processed separately. Reference is made to the possibility of making the surface of the flexographic printing element used different to the regions located underneath. However, the documents contain no proposals at all with regard to a specific chemical composition for the surface or the regions located underneath.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a one-layer or multilayer laser-engravable flexographic printing element which also permits the engraving of fine relief elements with high precision without the occurrence of melt edges. It should be suitable in particular for engraving using modern multibeam laser systems.
We have found, surprisingly, that this object is achieved by the use of conductivity carbon blacks of the type defined at the outset. The flexographic printing elements can be engraved with high resolution without melt edges and other adverse effects being observed. The result was surprising in particular because said carbon blacks are by no means those which have the highest sensitivity to laser radiation.
Accordingly, flexographic printing elements for the production of flexographic printing plates by means of laser engraving have been found, which at least comprise, arranged one on top of the other,                a dimensionally stable substrate and        at least one relief-forming, crosslinked elastomeric layer (A) having a thickness of from 0.05 to 7 mm, obtainable by crosslinking a layer which comprises at least one elastomeric binder (a1), a substance (a2) absorbing laser radiation and components for crosslinking (a3),wherein the substance absorbing laser radiation is a conductivity carbon black having a specific surface area of at least 150 m2/g and a DBP number of at least 150 ml 100 g.

Laser-engravable flexographic printing element containing a conductive carbon black and method for production of flexographic printing forms


The axle welder can be easily configured and adjusted to accommodate axle assemblies of varying axle shaft lengths, hub styles (“straight” and “drop axle”) and lug bolt configurations. The axle welder uses a sliding carriage that slides along the support frame at one end of the welder to accommodate differing shaft lengths. The axle welder also includes a pair of pivoting hub lifts that accommodate both straight and drop axle style axle hubs using modular mounting plates. Modular mounting plates (“hub adaptors”) fitted to the hub lifts accommodate hub assemblies with differing lug bolt patterns. The axle welder is built on a rectangular frame that supports a pair of weld units and articulated electrode arms. The axle welder also includes a pair axle supports for carrying the axle shafts within the support frame. A shaft drive pivotally mounted to the support frame lowers to engage and rotate the axle shaft and hub assemblies in unison during the welding process.

Axle assemblies of the type used in trailers include hub assemblies welded to axle shafts. To accommodate differing trailer designs and applications, axle assemblies are manufactured to various axle lengths. In addition, axle assemblies may use "straight" or "drop axle" hub assemblies with various hub sizes and lug bolt configurations.
Conventional manufacturing methods for axle assemblies are labor and time intensive. Axle assemblies are typically manually welded axle shafts between wheel hub assemblies. The welding process requires specific fixtures to hold the hubs and shafts in proper alignment during the welding process. The fixtures vary with every different hub assembly and shaft length.
The axle welder of this invention automates the process of joining hub assemblies to axle shafts and can be easily configured and adjusted to accommodate axle assemblies of varying axle shaft lengths, hub styles ("straight" and "drop axle") and lug bolt configurations. The axle welder uses a sliding carriage that slides along the support frame at one end of the welder to accommodate differing shaft lengths. The axle welder also includes a pair of pivoting hub lifts that accommodate both straight and drop axle style axle hubs using modular mounting plates. Modular mounting plates ("hub adaptors") fitted to the hub lifts accommodate hub assemblies with differing lug bolt patterns. The axle welder is built on a rectangular frame that supports a pair of weld units and articulated electrode arms. The axle welder also includes a pair of axle supports for carrying the axel shafts within the support frame. A shaft drive pivotally mounted to the support frame lowers to engage and rotate the axle shaft and hub assemblies in unison during the welding process.
The above described features and advantages, as well as others, will become more readily apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art by reference to the following detailed description and accompanying drawings.


A tread board for a treader includes a base board, an elastic layer disposed on top of the base board, a laminate layer disposed on top of the elastic layer, and a surface layer of a smooth surface disposed on top of the laminate layer. The elastic layer provides a buffering function to reduce impact on the user's feet, making the treader safe and comfortable to use. The smooth surface of the surface layer reduces friction between the tread belt and the surface layer and reduces the load of the motor, thereby prolonging the useful life of the tread belt and the motor.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to a tread board for a treader, and more particularly to a tread board that is safe and comfortable to use and that prolongs the life of the tread belt and the motor of the treader.
2. Description of the Prior Art
FIG. 1 shows an elevational view of an ordinary treader. A tread board is disposed at the bottom end of the treader. The "tread board" used herein refers to the board which is surrounded by the tread belt on the upper and lower sides thereof and on which users tread. The conventional tread board is usually hard and non-elastic. When a user runs on the tread board, his/her feet may easily hurt or twist as the direct impact on the feet when they touch the hard tread board is great.


A measurement system for examining a section of tissue on a patient in which electric current and/or voltages are applied to a patient in at least one location and are measured on the section of tissue to be examined by at least one electrode of a contact surface of the measurement system. As a result, conclusions can be drawn about the interior of the section of tissue to be examined. The electrode is at least partially surrounded by a conductor element for contacting with a potential which deviates from that of the conductor element.

From the prior art, for example from the SIEMENS brochure "TransScan TS 2000" (internal No BKW 62014 WS 10994), measuring arrangements for examining tissue sections of a patient are known, in which the electrode array is surrounded by an electrical conductor element in the form of a metal strip ("guard ring"), the metal strip and the electrodes of the electrode array being operated with an identical potential. Although this improves the detectability of conductivity inhomogeneities of the tissue section to be examined, undesired signal intensifications occur at the image edges of the impedance image.

Measurement system for examining a section of tissue on a patient and the use of a measurement system of this type


There is disclosed an apparatus for mounting antennas on a utility pole. The apparatus comprises a group of brackets that encircle the utility pole and support the antennas. Each bracket comprises at least one support arm capable of attaching to an antenna and a faceplate that presses against the surface of the utility pole. The apparatus also includes tightening or closure means, such as nut and bolt assemblies, that connect the brackets together. When tightened, the tightening means draw the brackets encircling the utility pole closer together, thereby pressing the faceplates of each bracket more firmly against the utility pole. This clamps the apparatus tightly in place at selected points on the utility pole.

In recent years there has been a rapid growth in the use of wireless devices, including one-way and two-way pagers, cellular phones, personal communication services (PCS) systems, and personal computers (PCs) equipped with cellular modems or wireless network cards. To support this growth, wireless service providers have dramatically increased the amount and the density of wireless network infrastructure deployed nationwide.
The large number of subscribers and the many applications for wireless communications have created a heavy subscriber demand for RF bandwidth. To maximize usage of the available bandwidth, a number of multiple access technologies have been implemented to allow more than one subscriber to communicate simultaneously with each base transceiver station (BTS) in a wireless system. These multiple access technologies include time division multiple access (TDMA), frequency division multiple access (FDMA), and code division multiple access (CDMA). These technologies assign each system subscriber to a specific traffic channel that transmits and receives subscriber voice/data signals via a selected time slot, a selected frequency, a selected unique code, or a combination thereof.
To further augment the capacity of their wireless networks and provide coverage to greater numbers of subscribers, wireless service providers increasingly are using a larger number of smaller-sized cell sites to cover the same amount of territory. Since each cell site covers a relatively smaller geographical area, each cell site generally also encompasses a smaller number of subscribers, all other things being equal. This allows greater reuse of frequency bands, time slots and codes in FDMA, TDMA and CDMA wireless networks.
However, the use of a larger number of smaller cell sites also increases the infrastructure equipment required by a wireless network. For example, doubling the number of cells sites covering a particular territory generally doubles the number of base transceiver stations, the number of antennas, the number of antenna poles, and the like.
To offset increased infrastructure equipment requirements, wireless service providers seek to minimize the equipment cost, installation costs, and maintenance costs. The use of standard commodity equipment is encouraged. It also is particularly helpful to use infrastructure equipment that is multi-purpose, adaptable, quickly installed, and easy to disassemble and service.
Much of the antenna equipment that has been installed, however, is inflexible, difficult to maintain, and/or custom-made to fit specific systems. For instance, many base station antennas are mounted on fixed platforms that are rigidly or permanently attached to utility poles. This makes moving, replacing, and/or adjusting the antennas difficult and more expensive.
There is therefore a need in the art for improved antenna mounting equipment that is more adaptable and easier to maintain and adjust. In particular, there is a need for antenna mounting equipment that is simple to attach to, or detach from, a utility pole. More particularly, there is a need for antenna mounting equipment that uses standard parts, but which can be adapted for use with utility poles of varying diameters and cross-sectional shapes.


A remote control apparatus performs: calculating a path and a moving speed to reach a desired destination from a current position of the control target apparatus; measuring a communication delay time between the remote control apparatus and the control target apparatus; estimating an overshoot region based on the communication delay time, a stored size of the control target apparatus, and the moving speed; predicting whether the control target apparatus will contact with a peripheral object(s), based on the path, the overshoot region, and stored peripheral object information of the control target apparatus; calculating the moving speed information to be given to the control target apparatus so that a moving direction of the control target apparatus changes by a predetermined value or more when predicted that the control target apparatus will contact with a peripheral object(s); and transmitting a control signal including the moving speed information to the control target apparatus.

With spread of internet or the like and increase in communication speed in recent years, efforts to build a remote control system are underway, the remote control system remotely controlling a control target apparatus such as an AGV (Automated Guided Vehicle), a drone, a construction machine, a security robot, a disaster rescue robot, a remote surgery support robot, and a mobile robot located in a remote place. In general, in such a remote control system for remotely controlling a control target apparatus, a wireless communication network such as LTE (Long Term Evolution), WiMAX (Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access), wireless LAN (Wireless Local Area Network) and/or the like is often used between the control target apparatus and the communication network.
As a remote control system using such a wireless communication network, for example, Patent Literature (PTL) 1 discloses an operation control system for remotely controlling a plurality of autonomous mobile bodies (corresponding to a control target apparatus) running in a factory or the like. In PTL 1, a centralized control apparatus (corresponding to a remote control apparatus) acquires position information from each autonomous mobile body via a wireless transmission path (corresponding to a wireless communication network), and instructs a destination to each autonomous mobile body depending on a transport instruction given from outside. Also, the autonomous mobile body to which the destination is instructed makes a running plan configured by a running route or the like and moves to the destination.
However, in the wireless communication network, data packet loss, communication delay or fluctuations thereof may occur due to change in received signal quality, communication line congestion or the like, and the stability of a remote control system controlling in real-time may deteriorate. For example, transmission of a control signal from the remote control apparatus is delayed by occurrence of data packets loss, communication delay, or fluctuation thereof in a communication network, which may cause a possibility that the control target apparatus moves more than expected (overshoots). If the control target apparatus overshoots, the control target apparatus may collide with a peripheral object(s) such as wall.
Therefore, studies are underway to develop technology that enables safely performing remote control even if a communication delay or fluctuation thereof occurs between the remote control apparatus and the control target apparatus.
As such a technology, for example, in PTL 2, in a system that a user of a collision prevention apparatus (corresponding to a remote control apparatus) remotely controls a mobile robot (corresponding to a control target apparatus) via a data communication network (corresponding to a communication network), safety is improved by issuing a warning sound before the mobile robot collides with an obstacle to make the user recognize the obstacle. In detail, the collision prevention apparatus maps a collision expecting region where the mobile robot may collide with the obstacle based on information including video information captured by a camera of the mobile robot, and when the mobile robot approaches the obstacle, warns the user by a warning sound prior to a predetermined collision expected time based on the information.
Also, in PTL 3, in a system in which an operator of an operation control apparatus (corresponding to a remote control apparatus) remotely controls a controlled object (corresponding to a control target apparatus) via a communication path (corresponding to a communication network), safety is improved by notifying the operator that the controlled body and an obstacle located around the controlled body are approaching each other before contacting each other. In detail, the controlled object performs: specifying a distance between the controlled object and the obstacle; acquiring an estimated value of the required transmission time (corresponding to a communication delay) in the communication path; and transmitting a notification to the operation control apparatus that the controlled object is approaching the obstacle at such a time to reach the operation control apparatus via the communication path from the controlled object, before the controlled object comes to contact with the obstacle, based on a distance and an estimated value of the transmission required time.
Furthermore, in PTL 4, safety is improved by autonomously controlling a moving speed of a mobile robot (corresponding to an apparatus to be controlled) before the mobile robot comes to contact with an obstacle. In detail, the mobile robot performs: detecting the obstacle; calculating a distance to the obstacle; calculating a moving speed at which the mobile robot can stop before contacting the obstacle based on the calculated distance; and moving at a calculated moving speed in a moving direction received from a monitoring center.    [PTL 1] JP2005-242489A    [PTL 2] JP5323910B2    [PTL 3] JP2010-248703A    [PTL 4] JP2006-285548A

Remote control apparatus, system, method, and program


A sigma-delta circuit with time sharing architecture includes a coefficient generation element, a sigma-delta processing element, and a storage element. The coefficient generation element is used for generating coefficients for sigma-delta operations. The sigma-delta processing element is used for executing sigma-delta operations according to the coefficients generated by the coefficient generation element. The storage element is used for storing results of the sigma-delta operations executed by the sigma-delta processing element. The sigma-delta circuit is used for executing a plurality of orders of sigma-delta operations through the coefficient generation element, the sigma-delta processing element and the storage element.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a sigma-delta circuit and related method, and more particularly, to a sigma-delta circuit and related method with a time sharing architecture.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Recently, audio processing is implemented by general microprocessors such as central processing units (CPU) or digital signal processors (DSP). Another method for audio processing is implemented in field programmable gate arrays (FPGA), due to operational frequency of sigma-delta modulators being low enough to be implemented in FPGA easily. The sigma-delta modulators are already widespreadly applied to analog-to-digital converters (ADC) and digital-to-analog converters (DAC), because of the sigma-delta modulators having a capability of noise shaping to restrain quantized noise within signal bandwidths and to raise the signal to noise ratio further. Hence, the sigma-delta modulators are popular in application circuits with high resolution and middle (or low) speed.
Please refer to FIG. 1. FIG. 1 is a diagram of a first order sigma-delta modulator 10 in the prior art. The first order sigma-delta modulator 10 includes an adder 12, an integrator 13, a quantizer 14, a digital-to-analog converter 16, and a filter 18. Principles of the sigma-delta modulator 10 are rough estimating signals firstly to calculate errors, and then after integration, the errors are further compensated. As shown in FIG. 1, an input signal In1 and a feedback signal SFB of the digital-to-analog converter 16 are inputted into the adder 12 and are subtracted to generate an error signal Se. The error signal Se is integrated by the integrator 13 and then is quantized by the quantizer 14. Due to quantized errors resulting in noise being quantized, the noise should be filtered out by the filter 18 to finally output an output signal Out1.
Please refer to FIG. 2, which is a diagram of a second order sigma-delta modulator 20 in the prior art. The second order sigma-delta modulator 20 includes the adder 12, the integrator 13, a second adder 22, a second integrator 23, the quantizer 14, a digital-to-analog converter 16, and a filter 18. Orders of the sigma-delta modulator 20 depend on amount of feedback loops. As shown in FIG. 2, the input signal In1 and the feedback signal SFB of the digital-to-analog converter 16 are inputted into the adder 12 and are subtracted to generate the error signal Se. The error signal Se is integrated by the integrator 13 to generate an integration signal Si. The integration signal Si and the feedback signal SFB of the digital-to-analog converter 16 are inputted into the second adder 22 and are subtracted, and then are integrated by the second integrator 23 and are quantized by the quantizer 14. Due to quantized errors resulting in noise being quantized, the noise should be filtered out by the filter 18 to finally output the output signal Out1. Hence, the second order sigma-delta modulator 20 totally processes sigma-delta operations two times.
On this account, with the increasing of the orders of the sigma-delta operations, the circuit of the sigma-delta modulators becomes more and more complicated. Please refer to FIG. 3, which is a diagram of a fifth order sigma-delta modulator 30 in the prior art. As shown in FIG. 3, the fifth order sigma-delta operations are executed by a first sigma-delta processing element PE1, a second sigma-delta processing element PE2, a third sigma-delta processing element PE3, a fourth sigma-delta processing element PE4, and a fifth sigma-delta processing element PE5. Each sigma-delta processing element (PE1˜PE5) at least includes a multiplier, an adder, and an integrator. For example, the second sigma-delta processing element PE2 includes the multipliers a(2), b(2), g(1), and c(2), the integrator 332, and the adders 321 and 322. As shown in FIG. 3, a first order sigma-delta operation is processed on the input signal In1 by the first sigma-delta processing element PE1, and then a second, a third, a fourth, and a fifth order sigma-delta operations are processed on it sequentially. After finishing five orders of sigma-delta operations, the result is quantized by a quantizer 34 and then is delayed for a clock period by a delay unit 37 to finally output the output signal Out1. The five orders of the sigma-delta operations on the input signal In1 are obtained through the fifth order sigma-delta modulator 30. However, the fifth order sigma-delta modulator 30 needs at least eight adders, eighteen multipliers, and five integrators, which will waste hardware areas.
Direct implementations of audio processing will waste too much hardware areas and cost due to the audio processing only having frequencies of KHz. Hence, most designs are implemented by general microprocessors such as central processing units (CPU) or digital signal processors (DSP) recently, but their hardware cost is too high and will result in raising operational frequencies, which is difficult to be implemented in FPGA. In the prior art, sigma-delta circuits with multiple orders need a lot of adders, multipliers, and integrators. The more orders of the sigma-delta circuits that are used, the more adders, multipliers, and integrators are needed. These elements will increase not only manufacture cost but also hardware areas.

Sigma-delta circuit and related method with time sharing architecture


Moisture curable compositions including silylated polymers and methods for producing the same are provided. A two component moisture curable system for producing a cured or cross-linked silylated polymer having improved compression set properties is provided. The two component system comprises a first formulation and a second formulation. The first formulation comprises a silylated polymer, water, and filler and the second formulation comprises the silylated polymer, a curing catalyst comprising at least one Brønsted acid, and a moisture scavenger. The final cured formulation may have a compression set, determined by ASTM D395 or ISO 815-1, of less than 100%, and in some examples less than 50% and in some examples less than 15%. This demonstrated improvement in compression set not only allows the silylated polymers to be used in applications where cyclic loads are applied but also enhances product durability.

1. Field of the Invention
Embodiments of the invention generally relate to moisture curable compositions including silylated polymers and methods for producing the same.
2. Description of the Related Art
Polyurethane (PU) prepolymers have been widely used in adhesive and sealant applications owing to their superior performances and relatively low cost. In recent decades, however, isocyanate-containing polyurethane prepolymers have faced increasing environmental regulation due to the presence of free isocyanates. As a result, for many applications, conventional polyurethane prepolymers have now been replaced with isocyanate-free alternatives, for example, silylated polymers.
Silylated polymers or crosslinkable silane-terminated polymers (STPs) are widely used as raw material polymers in coating materials, adhesives, sealing materials, elastomers and the like (CASE applications) for architectural or industrial use. Silylated polymers typically comprise polyether polyols and reactive alkoxysilane end groups. Depending on end-use applications, the mechanical property requirements of a cured silylated polymer varies significantly.
Although silylated polymers offer many advantages over polyurethane prepolymers, opportunities for improvement exist. One such opportunity involves the reduction of compression set in cross-linked or cured silylated polymers. Compression set is a measure of the deformation of a polymer after it has been exposed to compressive stress under controlled time and temperature conditions. Compared to cross-linked or cured polymers made from polyurethane prepolymers cross-linked or cured polymers made from silylated polymers were found to have high compression set, which prevents the products from being used under cyclic/dynamic loads, such as gaskets and sealing rings. For parts made from silylated polymers used in applications exposed to long term continuous load or infrequent load/unload cycles, product durability is of concern.
Therefore, there is a need for cross-linked or cured silylated polymers and compositions having cross-linked or cured silylated polymers exhibiting improved compression set properties.

Compression set property in silylated polymers


An electronic control device capable of responding to at least two work parameters of an internal combustion engine for activating a warning device which includes at least two work parameter sensor switches and a warning device electrically connected to the parameter sensor switches in such a manner that a small excess over a given threshold value of a work parameter in the sensor switches activates the warning device.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to an electronic control device associated with an internal combustion engine, and more particularly to an electronic control device which responds to at least two work parameters of an internal combustion engine.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Customarily, motor vehicles having internal combustion engines are equipped with controls which respond to various work parameters of the engines. Such controls usually function in such a manner that a sensor monitors a work parameter when the engine is running, and an indication of the parameter is either shown in a continuous display Or otherwise. In the usual case, there is only one display occurring in response to the work parameter exceeding a given threshold value. Internal combustion engines are commonly provided with a warning light that goes on when the oil pressure reaches an unacceptable low value. Furthermore, it has been common practice in motor vehicles having water-cooled internal combustion engines to provide an indicator for the cooling water temperature. For this purpose, a sensor is used to measure the cooling water temperature which is generally displayed by way of an analog display instrument. In a large number of motor vehicles, the temperature sensor is connected with a thermostat which activates a fan to further assist the cooling water control mechanism.
The engine temperature and the cooling water temperature are parameters which can only be changed very slowly over a long period of time. Therefore, the possibility exists that the exceeding of a given maximum temperature can take place unnoticed, due to the fact that the driver cannot detect or pay attention to a steady increase in the temperature. As a result of this situation, there is the possibility of irreparable damage to the engine after a long period of operation at unacceptably high temperatures, even though the excess over the threshold value for the cooled water temperature or the engine temperature was correctly indicated.
Another possible cause for the unnoticed passing of a permissible threshold value of a work parameter in an internal combustion engine, especially in today's motor vehicles, is the fact that the vehicle operator is under intense stress resulting from heavy traffic for long periods of time, and cannot pay attention to the indicators on the dashboard. Furthermore, the operator of a motor vehicle can be in a special situation, such as driving through a construction site on an expressway, or having to encounter many traffic lights and a variety of traffic signs which may expose the driver to a high level of irritation, resulting in the driver's not paying attention to the optical indicators on the dashboard.
There is a further possibility that a standard thermostat for measuring cooling water temperature may break down, leading to a simultaneous failure of the cooling water temperature indicator. In such a case, the exceeding of the permissible threshold temperature is not shown, which can also lead to damage to the engine.


A communication apparatus includes: a controller that determines a time stamp as a starting point and a unit period of the time stamp starting from the starting point; an encapsulator that synchronizes, starting from the starting point, a GPIO (General Purpose Input/Output) signal from a Master with the time stamp to generate one of a first GPIO packet including all pieces of sampling data sampled at a constant sampling period and a first GPIO packet including sampling data sampled at a sampling interval according to a frequency of logical changes of the GPIO signal and sampling position information; a LINK that generates an Up link packet including the first GPIO packet; and a PHY that transmits a transmission signal to a communication partner apparatus, the transmission signal conforming to a predetermined communication protocol and including the Up link packet.

The present disclosure relates to a communication apparatus, a communications system, and a communication method.
A technology in which in the case where data communication is performed between a Master and a Slave, serial communication is performed between a SerDes for the Master (hereinafter, referred to as M_SerDes) and a SerDes for the slave (hereinafter, referred to as S_SerDes) is proposed. The serial communication between the two SerDeses is performed by transmission/reception of packets via a predetermined communication protocol.
Meanwhile, for example, GPIO (General Purpose Input/Output) communication is performed between the Master and the M_SerDes and between the Slave and the S_SerDes.

Communication apparatus, communications system, and communication method

Sony Semiconductor Solutions Corporation


A fuel injection device for a combustion chamber of a gas turbine with a liquid-cooled injection nozzle having a coolant tube which surrounds a fuel-conducting tube at a distance and which terminates in an annular chamber in the vicinity of the nozzle exit opening, or which constitutes this annular chamber which directly surrounds the fuel-conducting tube, wherein a separating wall element which surrounds the fuel-conducting tube is provided inside the coolant tube upstream of the annular chamber, viewed in the flow direction of the fuel, which divides the interior of the coolant tube into two chamber segments, wherein the first chamber segment is connected with a feed conduit and the second chamber segment with a removal conduit for the coolant.

In regard to the technical field, reference is made, besides EP 0 689 006 Al, also to WO 94/08179.
Liquid-cooled fuel injection nozzles are particularly employed in connection with staged gas turbine combustion chambers, wherein a so-called main burner is temporarily switched off. In order to prevent that the amount of fuel, which is in the injection nozzle even when it is switched off, cokes under the high temperatures which can be attained by such an injection nozzle projecting into the combustion chamber, a coolant, preferably fuel, is conducted through this injection nozzle, i.e. guided into a wall area of the injection nozzle and is retrieved again, of course without getting into the combustion chamber, by means of which an intensive cooling of the injection nozzle takes place. The two references mentioned above disclose such fuel injection devices with such liquid-cooled injection nozzles, but these fuel injection devices are relatively complicated in their structure.

Fuel injection device with a liquid-cooled injection nozzle for a combustion chamber of a gas turbine


Emitter widths of 0.3 .mu.m on double polysilicon bipolar transistors are achieved using O.8 .mu.m photolithography and a double spacer process. The emitter width reduction is confirmed with structural and electrical measurements. The double-spacer device exhibits superior low current f.sub.T and f.sub.max.

Devices for consumer wireless applications require low power and low cost while maintaining sufficient RF performance. Double-polysilicon bipolar processes for RF applications have been demonstrated. Other recently published work has shown that improvements in low power performance can be achieved by scaling the emitter width. Scaling the emitter width provides an additional degree of freedom in the design of low power, low noise amplifiers (LNAs). The noise figure (N.F.) of a LNA is constrained by the transistor base resistance. Typically, a minimum width transistor is chosen and the length is increased until the base resistance drops sufficiently to meet the N.F. specification. Unfortunately low power operation fixes the maximum collector current, so lengthening the transistor decreases collector current density which causes f.sub.T and f.sub.max drop. A narrower emitter reduces the intrinsic portion of base resistance, hence a shorter emitter length is needed to meet the N.F. specification. The shorter emitter length results in higher f.sub.T and f.sub.max at a given collector current.
For the double-polysilicon transistor structure, the emitter width can be reduced by increasing the spacer width. Introducing a wider spacer, however, increases the separation between the emitter and the base polysilicon and requires additional process optimization. A longer extrinsic base drive is needed to address the increase in base link resistance while simultaneously avoiding low breakdown voltage or the increase in emitter-base tunneling current. In addition to disturbing the details of the emitter-base junction, forming a wider spacer involves significant re-optimization of the deposition thickness and etch selectivity of the layers forming the composite spacer. Another conventional method of emitter scaling involves improving the photolithographic tools to print smaller geometries. This path, however, incurs additional equipment cost.

Double-spacer technique for forming a bipolar transistor with a very narrow emitter


An object of the present invention is to obtain a fuel cell power generation equipment most suitable for a portable power source without requiring any auxiliary equipment such as a separator and a fluid feeder. According to the present invention, a fuel cell power generation equipment is provided, in which an anode for oxidizing fuel and a cathode for reducing oxygen are formed with an electrolyte membrane in between and liquid is used as a fuel, wherein one or more air vent holes are provided on a wall surface of a fuel container 1, multiple unit cells having an electrolyte membrane, an anode and a cathode are mounted on a wall surface of said fuel container, and the unit cells are electrically connected each other.

The present invention relates to a fuel cell power generation equipment comprising an anode, an electrolyte membrane, a cathode and a diffusion layer, wherein fuel is oxidized at an anode and oxygen is reduced at a cathode, in particular, compact type portable power source using liquid fuel such as methanol as a fuel and mobile electronic devices using this power source.
Recent progress in electronics technology has contributed to miniaturizations of telephone set, notebook type personal computer, audio visual devices or mobile information terminal devices, and their use is increasingly prevailing as portable electronics devices.
Heretofore, these portable electronics devices were driven by a secondary battery, and have been developed through the appearances of new type secondary batteries from sealed lead battery to Ni/Cd, Ni/hydrogen and further Li ion batteries, and modifications to more compact and light weight types and higher energy density types. In any of these secondary batteries, cell active materials to enhance an energy density or cell structure having a higher capacity have been developed and efforts have been paid to obtain a power source with longer service time per one charge.
However, secondary batteries still have many problems for a long continuous drive of portable electronics devices because charging is indispensable after consuming a certain amount of power, and a charging equipment and a relatively longer charge time are required. Now, portable electronics devices are progressing towards devices requiring a power source enabling to supply a higher output density and a higher energy density, that is, a power source with a longer continuous service time, in response to an increasing volume of information and a higher communication speed in the future. Therefore, a need for a compact power generator (a micro power generator) serviceable without charging has been heightened.
As a power source responding to such requirement, a fuel cell power source is considered. Since a fuel cell directly converts electrochemically a chemical energy of fuel to an electric energy and does not require a driving unit like in a power generator using an internal combustion engine such as a usual engine-driven generator, its realization as a compact power generator device is highly possible. A fuel cell also does not require to temporary stop an operation of equipment for charging as in a usual secondary battery, because it can continue a power generation so long as a fuel is supplied.
For these requirements, a solid polymer type of fuel cell (PEFC: Polymer Electrolyte Fuel Cell) is known as a battery with a high output density, which generates power by oxidizing hydrogen gas at an anode and reducing oxygen at a cathode using an electrolyte membrane made of a perfluorocarbon sulfonic acid based resin.
To further miniaturize this fuel cell, for example, as disclosed in JP-A-9-223507, a compact type of PEFC power generation equipment has been proposed, in which cylindrical batteries equipped with anode and cathode electrodes at inner and outer surfaces of hollow fiber type electrolyte are assembled, and hydrogen gas and air are fed to inner and outer parts of the cylinder, respectively. However, in the application to a power source for portable electronics devices, a large volume of fuel tank should be provided due to a lower volume energy density of a fuel because the fuel used is hydrogen gas.
This system also requires auxiliary equipment such as an equipment to feed a fuel gas or an oxidizing gent gas (such as air) to a power generation equipment or to humidify electrolyte membrane to maintain the cell performance, which complicates a composition of power generation system and thus the system is not sufficient to attain miniaturization.
In order to raise a volume energy density of fuel, it is effective to use a liquid fuel and to eliminate auxiliary equipment to feed a fuel or an oxidizing agent to cell to obtain a simple composition. Such example has been proposed in JP-A-2000-268835 and JP-A-2000-268836, disclosing a direct type methanol fuel cell (DMFC: Direct Methanol Fuel Cell) using methanol and water as fuels.
This power generation equipment has an anode which is arranged in a manner to contact with outer wall side of a liquid fuel container via a material to feed liquid fuel by a capillary force, and is further composed of a solid polymer electrolyte membrane and a cathode connected sequentially.
This type of power generating equipment features in a simple composition not to require any auxiliary equipment to feed a fuel and an oxidizing agent thanks to a diffusive feed of oxygen to outer surface of a cathode which is exposed to ambient air, and also in a requirement for an electrical connection only without any separator as a connecting part for unit cells when multiple cells are combined in series.
However, since an output voltage per unit cell of DMFC under load is 0.3 to 0.4 V, DMFC requires a connection of cells in series by using multiple fuel tanks attached to a fuel cell to respond to a voltage required by portable electronics. Miniaturization of power generation equipment also requires increased number of cells in series and reduction of a fuel container volume per unit cell, remaining a problem that fuel container is divided into multiple containers in response to a number of cells in series.
In addition, a continuous service becomes difficult unless some discharging mechanism is realized for a gas generated in a liquid fuel tank by an oxidation reaction at an anode with an operation of this acid type electrolyte fuel cell.
An object of the present invention is to provide a fuel cell power generation equipment easily and continuously serviceable by feeding a fuel, without charging after consumption of a certain amount of power like a secondary battery, and a system using a fuel having a high volume energy density.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a compact power source most suitable for portable use as well as portable electronics devices using the same, wherein a fuel cell power generation equipment is composed of unit cells comprising an anode, an electrolyte membrane and a cathode laminated with a separator having a conductive fluid channel structure in between to obtain a specified voltage, the power source being a compact fuel cell without having an auxiliary equipment such as a fluid feeding mechanism instead of a conventional fuel cell having a fluid feeding mechanism which enforces passing through of a fuel and an oxidizing agent gas, enabling feeding a liquid fuel to each unit cell in any position of power source, and having a discharging function for a gas oxidized and generated in an anode from a fuel container.

Fuel cell power generation equipment and a device using the same


Polycarbonate compositions are disclosed. The compositions comprise a polycarbonate polymer (A) having repeating units derived from 2-phenyl-3,3-bis(4-hydroxyphenyl)phthalimidine (PPPBP); a polycarbonate polymer (B) which is different from polymer (A); and an impact modifier (C) which is different from polymer (A) and polymer (B). The resulting composition has an improved combination of properties, particularly heat resistance, low temperature impact performance, and viscosity. Also disclosed are articles formed from such compositions.

The present disclosure relates to thermoplastic polycarbonate compositions having, among other characteristics, improved heat resistance. In particular, the disclosure relates to such polycarbonate compositions, and polycarbonate blends thereof, having improved heat resistance, impact performance, and/or flow properties. Also included herein are methods for preparing and/or using the same, as well as articles formed from such compositions/blends.
Polycarbonates (PC) are synthetic thermoplastic resins derived from bisphenols and phosgenes, or their derivatives. They are linear polyesters of carbonic acid and can be formed from dihydroxy compounds and carbonate diesters, or by ester interchange. Polymerization may be in aqueous, interfacial, or in nonaqueous solution. Polycarbonates are a useful class of polymers having many desired properties. They are highly regarded for optical clarity and enhanced impact strength and ductility at room temperature or below.
Impact modifiers are incorporated into polymeric resins to improve the impact strength of finished articles made from such resins. Exemplary impact modifiers include acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene (ABS) and methacrylate-butadiene-styrene (MBS) polymers. ABS and MBS polymers are synthetic thermoplastic resins made by polymerizing acrylonitrile or methacrylate, respectively, with styrene in the presence of polybutadiene. The properties of ABS and MBS can be modified by varying the relative proportions of the basic components, the degree of grafting, the molecular weight, etc. Overall, ABS and MBS are generally strong and lightweight thermoplastics.
Blends of polycarbonates with ABS or MBS, or PC/ABS or PC/MBS blends, are also well-known. For example, SABIC Innovative Plastics provides such blends commercially under the brand name CYCOLOY®. These amorphous thermoplastic blends have many desired properties and/or characteristics, including high impact strength, heat resistance, good processability, weather and ozone resistance, good ductility, electrical resistance, aesthetic characteristics, etc. They are widely used in the automotive market, for producing appliance and electrical components, decorative articles, medical devices, and office and business equipment such as computer housings, cell phone casings, etc.
There remains a need in the art for thermoplastic polycarbonate compositions having improved heat resistance. Desirable features of such materials include, among others, excellent mechanical properties and ease of manufacture.


Methods of forming solid pharmaceutical compositions comprise solubilizing water-soluble polymers and amino acid-based components having molecular weights ranging from about 100 daltons to about 200,000 daltons or pharmaceutically acceptable salts thereof in solvents; and separating the solvents from the water-soluble polymers and the amino acid-based components or pharmaceutically acceptable salts thereof to form solid pharmaceutical compositions comprising the water-soluble polymers and the amino acid-based components or pharmaceutically acceptable salts thereof.

The present invention generally relates to pharmaceutical compositions and methods of making the same.
Amino acid-based materials, particularly high molecular weight amino acid-based materials such as peptides, proteins, and enzymes, are known to be useful in a number of therapeutic indications. For example, materials such as somatostatin and somatotropin are typically employed as growth hormone regulators. Additionally, somatostatin may be used in the treatment of hemorrhage of gastro-duodenal ulcers.
Traditionally, formulations containing these materials have been formed by various freeze-drying techniques. A solution containing an amino acid-based material is typically loaded into containers (e.g., vials) and the temperatures of the solutions are lowered until it is frozen. These temperatures may reach as low as -60.degree. C. The temperature of the solutions are then slowly raised, typically over the course of a number of days until the diluent is sublimed out under high vacuum, and the desired composition is obtained. The final composition is typically present in the form of a dried powder.
Notwithstanding any potential advantages, the above process suffers from various drawbacks. The freeze drying process is typically time consuming, tedious, and expensive in that it involves multiple steps over a prolonged period of time. Additionally, the processing equipment can limit the production batch size to what can fit into the lyophilizer. Moreover, the final product in the form of a dried powder comprising the peptides, enzymes, or proteins often must be maintained in a reduced temperature environment in order for the pharmaceutical materials to remain stable.
A method for forming immobilized enzymes by using a spray drying process is proposed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,051,362 to Soehiro. A given enzyme is disclosed to be dissolved in an aqueous solution of styrylpyridinium group- or styrylquinolinium group-containing poly(vinyl alcohol). The enzyme-containing aqueous solution is then spray dried, and the resulting dry particles are subsequently subjected to a photo-crosslinking step. The '362 patent may be considered disadvantageous because it requires using a specifically-tailored solvent material, namely the modified poly(vinyl alcohol). Moreover, the use of photo-crosslinking involves an additional operation which adds time and expense to the above process.
Thus, there is a need in the art for a process for producing amino acid-based materials which is more efficient than current conventional processes. For example, it would be advantageous if the process did not require a photo-crosslinking step. It would be desirable if such a process could utilize existing solvents, buffers, and the like. It would also be desirable to be able to produce large quantities of drug/drug product in one batch or a continuous process operation. Additionally, the ability to stabilize the amino acid-based materials in dry form without the need for refrigeration would be desirable.

Spray drying of pharmaceutical formulations containing amino acid-based materials


In a plasma addressed liquid crystal display panel comprising a channel substrate, a cover sheet, a layer of twisted nematic liquid crystal material, an upper substrate, and an array of electrodes on the lower surface of the upper substrate, ##EQU1## where V.sub.x is the voltage that will turn a simple TN liquid crystal cell from the off state to X% transmissive in a normally black mode, d.sub.TD is the thickness of the cover sheet, d.sub.LC is the thickness of the liquid crystal layer, .epsilon..sub.TD is the dielectric constant of the cover sheet, .epsilon..sub..perp. is the perpendicular dielectric constant of the liquid crystal material, and .epsilon..sub..parallel. is the parallel dielectric constant of the liquid crystal material, and d.sub.LC .DELTA.n.sub.LC is in the range from about 0.4 to 0.5, where .DELTA.n.sub.LC is the difference in refractive indices for the liquid crystal material.

This invention relates to a plasma addressed liquid crystal display panel with an optimized relationship between liquid crystal parameters and cover sheet thickness.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,077,553 discloses apparatus for addressing data storage elements. A practical implementation of the apparatus shown in U.S. Pat. No. 5,077,553 is illustrated schematically in FIG. 2 of the accompanying drawings.
The display panel shown in FIG. 2 comprises, in sequence from below, a polarizer 2, a channel substrate 4, a cover sheet 6 (commonly known as a microsheet), a layer 10 of twisted nematic (TN) liquid crystal material, an array of parallel transparent data drive electrodes (only one of which, designated 12, can be seen in the view shown in FIG. 2), an upper substrate 14 carrying the data drive electrodes, and an upper polarizer 16. The channel substrate 4 is typically made of glass and is formed with multiple parallel channels 20 in its upper main face. The channels 20 are filled with an ionizable gas, such as helium. A ground electrode and a strobe electrode (not shown) are provided in each of the channels 20. The channels 20 are orthogonal to the data drive electrodes and the region where a data drive electrode crosses a channel (when viewed perpendicularly to the panel) forms a discrete panel element 26. Each panel element can be considered to include elements of the layer 10 and the upper and lower polarizers 2 and 16. In the case of a color display panel, the panel elements include color filters (not shown) between the layer 10 and the upper substrate 14. The region of the upper surface of the display panel that bounds the panel element constitutes a single pixel 28 of the display panel.
As explained in U.S. Pat. No. 5,077,553, when a suitable potential difference is established between the strobe and ground electrodes in one of the channels, the gas in that channel forms a plasma that provides a conductive path at the lower surface of the cover sheet 6. If the data drive electrode is at ground potential, there is no significant electric field in the volume element of TN liquid crystal material and the pixel is considered to be off, whereas if the data drive electrode is at a substantially different potential from ground, there is a substantial electric field in that volume element of liquid crystal material and the pixel is considered to be on. An extended light source (not shown) is provided beneath the panel. In the event that a pixel is off, the upper polarizer passes light received from the volume element of liquid crystal material and the pixel is illuminated, whereas if a pixel is on, the upper polarizer blocks light received from the volume element of liquid crystal material and the pixel is not illuminated. Black surround material (not shown) is provided between adjacent panel elements in order to absorb stray light and preserve maximum contrast between a pixel that is on and a pixel that is off.
The simple twisted nematic (TN) liquid crystal display panel that is shown in FIG. 3 comprises lower and upper substrates 40, 42 having respective arrays of electrodes 44, 46 thereon, with the two arrays of electrodes being oriented perpendicular to each other as rows and columns respectively, and a layer 48 of TN liquid crystal material between the two substrates. A rectangular matrix of pixels is defined by the crossing areas of the row and column electrodes. As in the case of the PALC display panel shown in FIG. 2, there is a lower polarizer 50 beneath the lower substrate 40 and an upper polarizer 52 above the upper substrate. An extended light source (not shown) is provided beneath the panel, and in the event that a pixel is off (no potential difference between the row and column electrodes), the upper polarizer passes light received from the volume element of liquid crystal material and the pixel is illuminated, whereas if a pixel is on, the upper polarizer blocks light received from the volume element of liquid crystal material and the pixel is not illuminated.
Manufacturers of TN liquid crystal materials typically characterize their materials by three voltage values, V.sub.90, V.sub.50 and V.sub.10. V.sub.90 is the voltage that must be applied between a row electrode and a column electrode of a simple TN cell of the kind shown in FIG. 3 to switch the pixel at the crossing of the row and column electrodes from the off state to 90 percent transmissive in a normally black mode. Similarly, the voltages V.sub.50 and V.sub.10 are the voltages that must be applied in order to turn the cell from the off state to 50 percent transmissive and 10 percent transmissive, respectively, in a normally black mode. Typical values for the V.sub.10, V.sub.50 and V.sub.90 are 1.5 volts, 2.0 volts and 3.1 volts. The dynamic range of the voltage required to operate the simple TN cell is therefore only about 2 volts.
The physical mechanism whereby a panel element of the PALC display panel shown in FIG. 2 switches between the off and on states is the same as that for the panel element of the simple TN liquid crystal display panel shown in FIG. 3. However, in a PALC display panel, the plasma functions as the row electrode, and therefore the potential difference between the row electrode and the column electrode is distributed between the cover sheet and the layer of liquid crystal material. Consequently, the dynamic range between the voltage V.sub.th (the maximum voltage at which a panel element of a PALC display panel passes substantially all of the light) and the voltage V.sub.on (the minimum voltage at which the panel element blocks substantially all of the light) is substantially higher than the corresponding voltage for a simple TN cell.
In many PALC displays that have been described in the literature, the difference V.sub.dynamic between V.sub.th and V.sub.on is 30 volts or more. It would be desirable if the value of V.sub.dynamic could be reduced to below 25 volts, and preferably as low as 18 volts, because this would give benefits in reduced cross talk between data drive electrodes, reduced power consumption, and reduced cost of circuits for driving the data drive electrodes. However, the literature regarding PALC display panels does not indicate a relationship between V.sub.dynamic and quantified or quantifiable features of the panel such as to allow one to design a PALC display panel so that V.sub.dynamic will have a desired value.
Manufacturers of TN liquid crystal materials are able to exercise a small degree of control over the perpendicular and parallel dielectric constants of the material without affecting the optical properties of the PALC display panel, and the thickness and the dielectric constant of the cover sheet can be varied without affecting the optical properties of the display panel. However, the thickness of the liquid crystal layer affects the optical properties of the panel as well as the electrical properties.
The contrast ratio of a TN liquid crystal display panel depends on viewing angle. One of the practical applications of the TNLC display panel is in the monitor of a laptop computer. It is generally agreed that the monitor of a laptop computer should be able to provide a contrast ratio of 10:1 over a range of angles from 45.degree. to the left of normal, 45.degree. to the right of normal, 30.degree. up from normal and 10.degree. down from normal. The resulting polyhedron defines a desired viewing solid. Practical application of a PALC display panel overlap to some extent those of a TNLC display panel, and accordingly the viewing solid requirements for a PALC display panel are, in some cases, similar to those for a TNLC display panel.

Plasma addressed liquid crystal display panel with optimized relationship between liquid crystal parameters and cover sheet thickness


A channel transponder tests a circuit in a communication network. The channel transponder includes short reach receiver circuitry, long reach transmitter circuitry, long reach receiver circuitry, generator circuitry, short reach transmitter circuitry, and a connector. The short reach receiver circuitry receives a first short reach signal. The long reach transmitter circuitry transmits a first long reach signal based on the first short reach signal. The long reach receiver circuitry receives a second long reach signal. The generator circuitry generates a test signal. The short reach transmitter circuitry transmits a second short reach signal based on the second long reach signal and transmits the test signal from the generator circuitry to the circuit wherein the test signal is monitored over the circuit to determine performance of the circuit. The connector connects the generator circuitry to the short reach transmitter circuitry.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention is related to the field of telecommunications, and in particular, to methods and systems for testing a circuit in a communication network.
2. Description of the Prior Art
As is known, telecommunication service providers have created cross country or ultra long haul networks. These networks are driven, in part, by the nature of Internet and data traffic and by ever expansive enterprise networks. Voice traffic, on the other hand, is characterized as more regional and served principally by metropolitan and regional networks. Network planners visually depict these two developing traffic patterns as network overlays, served by different transmission equipment. Internet and data traffic over these networks has been increasing at a significant rate and currently dominates voice traffic for many long distance service providers.
Telecommunication service providers continually look toward new technologies leading to greater network carrying capacity, or bandwidth, and increasing transmission distances, which are the length separations between system transmitting and receiving terminals. DWDM is the favored optical technology for increasing bandwidth on an optical fiber. DWDM operates by multiplexing and transmitting a number of signals, i.e. OC-48/STM-16, OC-192/STM-64, or OC-768/STM-256, simultaneously at different wavelengths on the same optical fiber. As a result, a single optical fiber provides a number of virtual optical fibers by carrying a number of simultaneous signals. This permits greater network traffic through increased bandwidth.
The most aggressive service providers have deployed 40 channel DWDM systems with transmission distances limited to around 500 km before requiring Optical-Electrical-Optical (O-E-O) regeneration of the optical bit streams. Thus, DWDM systems are connected back-to-back for cross country connectivity. In order to overcome these limitations, DWDM system manufacturers are presently offering to at least double both channel count and transmission distance. More elaborate technologies will lead to greater length (x) bandwidth products and true ultra-long haul systems.
Along with the interests aimed at increasing both transmission length and bandwidth, a greater importance is being placed on developing more efficient network management tools and test equipment. Service providers have been instrumental in driving this development and embedding performance measures and diagnostic tools into their system elements. Circuit tests that are performed by field technicians include, for example, tests for optical power levels, loss of signal modulation, and code violations.
Currently, field technicians cannot trouble-shoot an entire cross country DWDM circuit without tremendous group coordination. Each cross country DWDM circuit comprises a number of sub-circuits that must be administered by a local field technician during a test. For example, a circuit from State 1, which is located in one region of a country, to State 4, which is located in a distant region of the country, might comprise multiple, sequential sub-circuits from State 1 to State 2, State 2 to State 3, and State 3 to State 4. During a test, a local field technician for a sub-circuit can only monitor and trouble-shoot their individual sub-circuit. Therefore, to obtain information relating to another sub-circuit, a field technician must either communicate with another field technician who is monitoring the other sub-circuit or rely on personnel in a Network Operation Center (NOC) that can survey the entire circuit.
Less reliance on the NOC is desired. It is impractical for a NOC to be heavily involved in turn-up testing or prolonged maintenance tasks. A NOC should rather be focused on in-service traffic management.
Currently, field technicians test circuits with a device that has both a transmitter for transmitting a test-drive signal on a circuit and a receiver for receiving the test-drive signal after it is returned from a far end of the circuit. The transmitter/receiver couples to a near end of the circuit at, for example, a fiber access panel. A variety of tests are routinely performed via the transmitter/receiver unit that include tests for optical power levels, loss of signal modulation, and code violations. Much of the time of circuit testing is spent, based on actual field experience, in performing continuity tests on turn-up testing before final Bit Error Ratio (BER) testing. This may be easily handled by keying in a number of B1 byte errors and confirming counters correctly incremented downstream; some technicians may use simple on/off laser control and look for Loss of Signal (LOS) and Loss of Frame (LOF) at downstream system ingress and egress points. Lacking continuity may require an installations technician to be dispatched to trouble-shoot and complete a cross-connect.
Each of these tests requires careful attention to detail. Since the transmitter/receiver and the fiber access panel are typically of an open-chassis design, they provide a potential electrical shock hazard to the field technician, who manipulates pushbutton operators located directly on the transmitter/receiver. Also, the field technician is limited to working proximate to the transmitter/receiver in order to operate the device. This disadvantageously limits the field technician's zone of movement during testing.
It is therefore desirable to empower field operations by providing the tools and test equipment to efficiently manage turn-up and maintenance requirements.

Systems and methods for testing a circuit in a communication network


A super-junction trench MOSFET with Resurf Stepped Oxide is disclosed. The inventive structure can apply additional freedom for better optimization and manufacturing capability by tuning thick oxide thickness to minimize influence of charge imbalance, trapped charges, etc. . . . . Furthermore, the fabrication method can be implemented more reliably with lower cost.

Compared to convention trench MOSFET, conventional super-junction trench MOSFET is more attractive due to its higher breakdown voltage and lower specific Rds (drain-source resistance). As is known to all, super-junction trench MOSFET is implemented with p type column structure and n type column structure arranged in parallel and connecting to each other on a heavily doped substrate, however, the manufacturing yield is not stable because it is very sensitive to fabrication process and conditions such as: the p type column structure and n type column structure dopant re-diffusion induced by subsequent thermal processes, trapped charges within the column, etc. . . . . All that will cause a hazardous condition of charge imbalance to the super-junction trench MOSFET. More specifically, these undesired influences become more pronounced at narrower column width for lower voltage ranging under 200V.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,601,597 disclosed a method to avoid the aforementioned p type column structure and n type column structure dopant re-diffusion issue by setting up p type column formation process at last step after all diffusion processes such as: sacrificial oxidation after trench etch, gate oxidation, p body formation and n+ source formation, etc. . . . have been done. The fabricated super-junction trench MOSFET is shown in FIG. 1A.
However, the disclosed process is not cost effective because that, first, the p type column structure is formed by growing additional p type epitaxial layer after deep trench etch; second, additional CMP (Chemical Mechanical Polishing) is required for surface planarization after the p type epitaxial layer is grown; third, double trench etches are necessary (one for shallow trench for trenched gate formation and another for deep trench for p type column structure formation), all the increased cost is not conductive to mass production. Moreover, other factors such as: trapped charges within the column structure causing charge imbalance is still not resolved.
Prior arts (paper "Industrialization of Resurf Stepped Oxide Technology for Power Transistors", by M. A. Gajda, etc. and paper "Tunable Oxide-Bypassed Trench Gate MOSFET Breaking the Ideal Super-junction MOSFET Performance Line at Equal Column Width", by Xin Yang, etc.) disclosed structures in order to resolve the limitation caused by super-junction trench MOSFET, as shown in FIG. 1B and FIG. 1C. Except for different technical names (structure in FIG. 1B named with RSO: Resurf Stepped Oxide and structure in FIG. 1C named with TOB: Tunable Oxide-Bypassed), both structures in FIG. 1B and FIG. 1C are basically same which can achieve lower specific Rds and higher breakdown voltage because the epitaxial layer has higher doping concentration than conventional MOSFET.
Refer to FIG. 1B and FIG. 1C again, both structures have deep trench with thick oxide along trench sidewalls and bottom into drift region. Only difference is that, while structure in FIG. 1B has single epitaxial layer while structure in FIG. 1C has double epitaxial layers (Epi 1 and Epi 2 as illustrated in FIG. 1C, Epi 1 supported on heavily doped substrate has lower doping concentration than Epi 2 near channel region). Due to the p type column structure and n type column structure interdiffusion, both structures in FIG. 1B and FIG. 1C do not have charge imbalance issue, resolving the technical limitation caused by super-junction trench MOSFET, however, the benefit of structures in FIG. 1B and FIG. 1C over super-junction trench MOSFET only pronounces at voltage ranging under 200V, which means, the conventional super-junction trench MOSFET has lower Rds when bias voltage is beyond 200V.
Therefore, there is still a need in the art of the semiconductor device fabrication, particularly for super-junction trench MOSFET design and fabrication, to provide a novel cell structure, device configuration and fabrication process that would resolve these difficulties and design limitations.

Super-junction trench MOSFET with resurf step oxide and the method to make the same


The present invention relates to a dental material comprising a thermoset methacrylate-based polymer resin and cellulose nanocrystals, wherein the cellulose nanocrystals have been modified to be hydrophobic.

The main function of a dental adhesive is to attach a dental filling composite on the surface of dentin, whenever a tooth has to be filled after the removal of a dental caries. However, known dental adhesives, which are generally methacrylate-based, have some problems with long-term durable attachment to the structure of dentin due to the hydrophilic nature of the dentin. As a result, adhesives may lack elasticity, and dental fillings may crack in their entirety. There exists thus a need to provide a dental adhesive that has better long-term properties than previously known adhesives.
Dentin is the major part of a tooth, located under the layer of protective enamel. In the root of the tooth, it is supported by cementum, which attach on the socket with a membrane known as periodontal ligament. Moreover, dentin encloses a space known as pulp cavity, which is filled by pulp. Dentin is generally a vital tissue, and similar to enamel, formed of minerals which concentration is however less compared to the tissue of enamel. Measured by weight, the composition of dentin is 68% minerals, 21% organic materials and 11% of water. The minerals are hydroxyapatite crystals, whereas the organic content of the dentin is 90% collagen and 10% non-collagen, including inter alia proteins, lipids, growth factors and enzymes.
Indeed, dentin has a complex structure, and the composition can be specified into different types of dentins. The peripheral outer layers of dentin are less mineralized than circumpulpal dentins, which form the majority of the dentin. Circumpulpal dentin forms the bulk of dentin, and it contains odontoblasts, the constant creators of new dentin. However, the circumpulpal dentin layer is not homogeneous, and it can further be characterised to be composed of intertubular dentin and peritubular dentin. Intertubular dentin is an essential part of the circumpulpan dentin, since its extracellular organic matrix is composed mostly of fibrous protein collagen type I.
Cellulose is a biopolymer, which can be found from several different sources, varying from plants to bacteria and algae. Due to the sustainable origin, as well as the high strength and stiffness coupled with relatively low density, cellulose has been widely examined during the past decades. Especially nanocelluloses, which can be further divided to nanofibrillar celluloses (NFCs) and cellulose nanocrystals (CNCs), have shown potential to be used as a reinforcement material and modification platform in different biomedical applications. Generally, nanometre scale, isolated cellulose structures are defined as nanocelluloses. Several designations for CNCs can be found in the literature, including whiskers, nanocrystals, nanoparticles, nanofibers, microcrystallites and microcrystals.
Document US 2011/201755 discloses thermoplastic nanocomposite material based on nanocrystalline cellulose. The document does not provide any thermoset polymers to be combined with the nanocrystalline cellulose.
An aim of the present invention is thus to provide a dental material that at least partially overcomes the problems of prior art. Indeed, it is an object to provide a dental material that has both hydrophilic and hydrophobic properties and is thus capable of attachment to the structure of dentin and to conventional dental filling materials.

Nanocrystalline cellulose containing dental material


A dynamic random access memory (DRAM) device can include a plurality of memory cells. Each memory cell can include a charge storing structure and an access device comprising an enhancement mode junction field effect transistor (JFET). The DRAM device can further include a plurality of sense amplifiers that each generates an output value in response to a signal received at respective sense amplifier inputs, and a plurality of bit lines, each bit line coupling a plurality of memory cells to at least one input of at least one of the sense amplifiers. A method can fabricate such DRAM devices.

Dynamic random access memories (DRAMs) enjoy wide application as storage circuits in electronic devices due to their compact cell size and relatively low power consumption. A typical conventional DRAM device can include an array of DRAM memory cells, each of which can be formed by a metal-oxide-semiconductor (MOS) type access transistor and a storage capacitor. In a write operation to a conventional DRAM cell, a storage capacitor can be charged via the source-drain path of the MOS access transistor to store one logic value (i.e., "1"), or discharged to store another logic value (i.e., "0"). To retain data, the MOS access transistor is turned off. In order to ensure that valid data continues to be stored, conventional DRAM cells must be periodically refreshed to account for leakage from the storage capacitors.
In a read operation, a MOS access transistor can be turned on, connecting the corresponding storage capacitor to a bit line. As a result, a potential change can occur on the bit line according to whether the corresponding storage capacitor is charged or not charged. Typically, a data value can be sensed by a MOS transistor based sense amplifier.
Conventionally, even in an off state, an access transistor can leak current from its corresponding storage capacitor. This can be particularly true as transistor sizes continue to shrink. Thus, to account for more leakage, refresh rates can be increased, thus increasing power consumption, and/or capacitor size can be increased. However, larger capacitor sizes require more integrated circuit (die) area, leading to increased cost per die.
In addition to MOS access transistor leakage, another drawback to conventional DRAM devices can be susceptibility to radiation induced events, sometimes referred to as "single event upset" (SEU). In particular, SEU can result in a change in threshold voltage of a MOS transistor. That is, SEU can result in undesirably large leakage in a MOS access transistor. To compensate for such an event, a storage capacitor size can be increased, but this can lead to increased costs, as noted above. In the case of a sense amplifier MOS transistor, an SEU event can cause a mismatch in otherwise matching transistors, which can lead to erroneous data sensing.

Dynamic random access memory having junction field effect transistor cell access device


The invention provides a system for passive measurement of atmospheric temperature using a passive direction detector for detecting the energy of a narrow wavelength band emanating from a volume of atmospheric gas. The resulting signal can be associated with an effective temperature. The effective temperature can be associated with an effective range. The system generates a temperature map which can determine, at predetermined time intervals, atmospheric temperatures in an azimuth plane associated with a predefined range from the detector. The temperature map can then be used to calculate temperature gradients that in turn can be used to compute the vertical wind vector difference and to determine the presence of clear air turbulence.

Knowledge of wind speed and direction at various altitudes is valuable to aircraft pilots for numerous reasons. Two reasons include fuel consumption and safety. At cruising altitude an aircraft's fuel consumption could be reduced if the pilot was aware of and took advantage of more favorable wind patterns, such as a lower head wind or a higher tail wind. On long haul flights, the selection of favorable winds would result in significant cost savings to the airline.
However, currently there are no effective methods or apparatus for passive profiling atmospheric winds ahead of an aircraft during flight. Active systems using Doppler LIDAR are expensive and have limited range. One method for determining fuel-efficient aircraft altitudes is described in Gary, U.S. Pat. No. 4,474,062. This concept is based on determining the air density at altitudes in the vicinity of the aircraft's present altitude by use of a microwave radiometer to detect the thermal emission from oxygen to indicate the air temperature at a particular altitude. The temperature is then used to determine the air density at that altitude. Since the weight of the aircraft is known during the flight as the fuel is consumed, it is possible to calculate the aircraft weight-to-air density ratio, W/d. This ratio has an optimum value (depending on the type of aircraft) for which the fuel consumption is minimum. The pilot then has the option to change altitude to achieve a more favorable W/d ratio. This method for determining fuel efficient aircraft altitudes is inadequate since it is based only on the determination of the aircraft weight to air density ratio and doesn't take into account the wind speed and direction at the altitude that has the optimum value of W/d. As a result, it may be determined, for example, that the optimum W/d ratio is at an altitude 4000 ft above the present aircraft altitude. If the pilot increases his altitude by 4000 ft and then finds a significant increase in the head winds, this situation could completely negate any fuel efficiency savings due to having a more optimum W/d ratio.
In Gary, U.S. Pat. No. 4,346,595, it is asserted that by knowing the altitude of the local tropopause, it is possible to find efficient flight altitudes by flying about 2000 ft above the tropopause when traveling in a westerly direction and about 2000 ft below the tropopause when going in an easterly direction. The tropopause is generally a broad transitional zone between the troposphere and the stratosphere. From an operational standpoint, it is not practical to use the tropopause as a reference from which to make altitude changes. In addition, the system described in Gary does not take into account local variation in winds that may be present at the new altitudes.
Clear air turbulence (CAT) is a major safety concern for large commercial aircraft. CAT is a weather phenomenon that is due to vertical wind shear in the atmosphere. It usually occurs in temperature inversion layers typically found in the tropopause. CAT results in a rapidly changing airflow over the lift surfaces of the aircraft. Should the forward velocity of the air over the lift surfaces suddenly decrease, the lift will decrease. In this situation, the aircraft may experience a forced descent due to the down flowing air mass and also by an apparent loss in forward air speed. It is thus desirable that an onboard weather system be capable of providing an advanced warning of such wind conditions.
Since the conditions that result in clear air turbulence are not visually apparent nor are they generally detectable by active sensors such as radar, there have been a number of attempts to detect wind shear and clear air turbulence conditions by passive detectors. In particular, attempts have been made to sense air temperature gradients, which are associated with air turbulence, by detecting the radiation emanating from the atmosphere ahead of the aircraft in the infrared and microwave spectral regions. The intensity of the detected radiation varies with the atmospheric temperatures along the line of sight of the detector. Typically these passive systems use a radiometer to measure the thermal radiation from one of the atmospheric gases such as carbon dioxide (CO.sub.2), oxygen (O.sub.2) or water vapor (H.sub.2 O) to determine changes in the spatial temperature profile in front of the aircraft. Examples of such approaches based on the infrared emission of CO.sub.2 are provided in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,475,963, 3,735,136, 3,780,293, 3,935,460, 4,266,130, 4,427,306, 4,937,447, 4,965,572, 4,965,573, 5,105,191, 5,276,326 and 5,285,070. Other approaches determine atmospheric temperature by measuring the microwave emission from O.sub.2 as described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,359,557, 3,380,055, 4,346,595, and 5,117,689. Systems for measuring atmospheric temperature based on infrared emission from H.sub.2 O are described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,266,130 and in the paper by Kuhn et al, "Clear Air Turbulence: Detection by Infrared Observations of Water Vapor" in Science, Vol. 196, p. 1099, (1977). In addition, there have been several papers written describing these types of passive infrared systems including: S. M. Norman and N. H. Macoy, "Remote Detection of Clear Air Turbulence by Means of an Airborne Infrared System" AJAA Paper No. 65-459 presented at the AIAA Second Annual Meeting, San Francisco, Calif., Jul. 26-29, 1965; and R. W. Astheimer, "The Remote Detection of Clear Air Turbulence by Infrared Radiation" in Applied Optics Vol. 9, No. 8, p.1789 (1970). In U.S. Pat. No. 4,346,595, Gary describes a microwave radiometer for determining air temperatures in the atmosphere at ranges of about 3 km from the aircraft for the purpose of detecting the height of the tropopause and the presence of temperature inversions. He teaches that by flying the aircraft above or below the tropopause or temperature inversion layer, it is possible to avoid CAT. Since the effective range of the microwave radiometer is relatively short, the system doesn't provide sufficient warning time for the aircraft to avoid the CAT condition. The present invention has detection ranges on the order of 100 km which will allow time for the aircraft to change altitude to avoid CAT.
A number of the above systems were not successful or were only partially successful because they were based solely on the measurement of atmospheric temperature in order to predict the presence of turbulence. A more reliable indication of atmospheric turbulence can be realized by determining the Richardson number, Ri. The use of the Richardson number to determine the stability of the atmosphere is well known in meteorology (see, for example, D. Djuric, Weather Analysis, Prentice Hall, Englewood Cliffs, N.J., 1994, p. 64). In the present invention, the Richardson number is used to indicate the probability of CAT. In U.S. Pat. No. 5,117,689, Gary discussed the correlation of the reciprocal of the Richardson number with the occurrence of CAT conditions. The Richardson number, Ri, contains two components: (1) the vertical lapse rate of potential temperature and (2) the wind shear which is related to the horizontal temperature gradient. A number of the prior art discussions measure the vertical temperature lapse rate. Gary used the inertial navigation system (INS) to measure the East-West and North-South components of the wind (the wind shear) along with a microwave radiometer to measure the air temperature vertical lapse rate. This information is then used to calculate the Richardson number or its reciprocal. The deficiency of the system described in this patent (U.S. Pat. No. 5,117,689) is that it determines the Richardson number at relatively close ranges (less than 3 km) and therefore does not provide advance warning of the CAT condition and that it measures the wind shear only at the aircraft.
Previous approaches for the determination of the range and probability of CAT can be summarized as follows:
U.S. Pat. No. 5,276,326 to Philpott determines turbulence as a function of temperature vs. range through the analysis of infrared radiometer signals at two or more discrete wavelengths. The temperature associated with a given range as a function of wavelength is then derived through a matrix inversion process. This transition is difficult and requires noise and error free input data to yield valid results. The present invention overcomes this difficulty by using only one wavelength. Gary overcomes the multiple wavelength difficulty in U.S. Pat. No. 4,346,595 by measuring effective temperature and range at a single wavelength, however no attempt is made to determine the probability of clear air turbulence using the Richardson number (Ri). In U.S. Pat. No. 5,117,689, Gary teaches the significance of the Richardson number in CAT prediction but does not suggest a method to derive Ri directly from radiometric measurements of horizontal and vertical temperature lapse rates obtained by combining azimuth and elevation scanning with the aircraft motion to produce a temperature map.

Apparatus and method for determining wind profiles and for predicting clear air turbulence