A spectrophotometer, ellipsometer or polarimeter or the like system with a spectroscopic source of wavelengths and a detector with multiple detector elements for simultaneous monitoring of a number of wavelengths in an environmental control chamber which optionally provides for secured sample entry, and methodology of use.

It is known to place ellipsometers and polarimeters and the like into environmental chambers where wavelengths which are absorbed by oxygen and water vapor and the like are utilized. However, all known system which do so presently are monochromater based. That is data is taken at a sequence of single wavelengths. Said approach is slow. Further, a recent PCT Published Application by Beaglehole, WO 2004/070363 A1, (PCT/NZ2004/000009), describes the positioning of a sample to be subjected to investigation using electromagnetic radiation be present in a sealed container which prevents contamination thereof during storage and sample analysis. A semicircular window through which electromagnetic radiation can be entered at any of many Angles-of-Incidence radially along a perpendicular to the surface of said semicircular window is also described.
Continuing, as general background, it is noted that Ellipsometry is a well known means by which to monitor samples. In brief, a polarized beam of electromagnetic radiation of one or more wavelengths is caused to impinge upon a sample, along one or more angles of incidence and then interact with a sample. Beams of electromagnetic radiation can be considered as comprised of two orthogonal components, (ie. "P" and "S"), where "P" identifies a plane which contains both an incident beam of electromagnetic radiation, and a normal to an investigated surface of a sample, being investigated, and where "S" identifies a plane perpendicular to the "P" plane and parallel to said surface of said sample. A change in polarization state in a polarized beam of electromagnetic radiation caused by said interaction with a sample, is representative of properties of said sample. (Note Polarization State basically refers to a magnitude of a ratio of orthogonal component magnitudes in a polarized beam of electromagnetic radiation, and a phase angle therebetween.) Generally two well known angles, (PSI and DELTA), which characterize a sample, at a given Angle-of-Incidence, are determined by analysis of data which represents change in polarization state. Additional sample identifying information is often also obtained by application of ellipsometry, including layer thicknesses, (including thicknesses for multilayers), optical thicknesses, sample temperature, refractive indicies and extinction coefficients, index grading, sample composition, surface roughness, alloy and/or void fraction, parameter dispersal and spectral dependencies on wavelength, vertical and lateral inhomogenieties etc.
Continuing, Ellipsometer Systems generally include a source of a beam of electromagnetic radiation, a Polarizer means, which serves to impose a linear state of polarization on a beam of electromagnetic radiation, a Stage for supporting a sample, and an Analyzer means which serves to select a polarization state in a beam of electromagnetic radiation after it has interacted with a sample, and pass it to a Detector System for analysis therein. As well, one or more Compensator(s) can be present and serve to affect a phase angle change between orthogonal components of a polarized beam of electromagnetic radiation.
It is noted that Spectroscopic Ellipsometer Systems utilize a Source which simultaneously provides a plurality of Wavelengths, which Source can be termed a "Broadband" Source of Electromagnetic radiation.
A number of types of ellipsometer systems exist, such as those which include rotating elements and those which include modulation elements. Those including rotating elements include Rotating Polarizer (RP), Rotating Analyzer (RA) and Rotating Compensator (RC). The presently disclosed invention can comprise a Rotating Compensator Ellipsometer System. It is noted that Rotating Compensator Ellipsometer Systems do not demonstrate "Dead-Spots" where obtaining data is difficult. They can read PSI and DELTA of a Sample over a full Range of Degrees with the only limitation being that if PSI becomes essentially zero (0.0), one can't then determine DELTA as there is not sufficient PSI Polar Vector Length to form the angle between the PSI Vector and an "X" axis. In comparison, Rotating Analyzer and Rotating Polarizer Ellipsometers have "Dead Spots" at DELTA's near 0.0 or 180 Degrees and Modulation Element Ellipsometers also have "Dead Spots" at PSI near 45 Degrees. The utility of Rotating Compensator Ellipsometer Systems should then be apparent. Another benefit provided by fixed Polarizer (P) and Analyzer (A) positions is that polarization state sensitivity to input and output optics during data acquisition is essentially non-existent. This enables relatively easy use of optic fibers, mirrors, lenses etc. for input/output.
A Search for relevant Patents was conducted. Most important is a Patent to Johs et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,872,630, from which the present Application is derived as a CIP via intervening CIP Applications. Said 630 Patent describes:                A spectroscopic rotating compensator sample investigation system comprising a source of a polychromatic beam of electromagnetic radiation, a polarizer, a stage for supporting a sample, an analyzer, a dispersive optics and at least one detector system which contains a multiplicity of detector elements, said spectroscopic rotating compensator sample investigation system further comprising at least one compensator(s) positioned at a location selected from the group consisting of:                    before said stage for supporting a sample;            after said stage for supporting a sample; and            both before and after said stage for supporting a sample;                        such that when said spectroscopic rotating compensator sample investigation system is used to investigate a sample present on said stage for supporting a sample, said analyzer and polarizer are maintained essentially fixed in position and at least one of said at least one compensator(s) is caused to continuously rotate while a polychromatic beam of electromagnetic radiation produced by said source of a polychromatic beam of electromagnetic radiation is caused to pass through said polarizer and said compensator(s), said polychromatic beam of electromagnetic radiation being also caused to interact with said sample, pass through said analyzer and interact with said dispersive optics such that a multiplicity of essentially single wavelengths are caused to simultaneously enter a corresponding multiplicity of detector elements in said at least one detector system.Said 630 Patent also, amongst other disclosure, describes a Mathematical Regression based Calibration procedure which makes possible the use of essentially any compensator regardless of non-achromatic characteristics.
Another Patent to Johs, from which the 630 Patent was Continued-in Part, is U.S. Pat. No. 5,666,201, filed Sep. 20, 1995. The focus in said 201 Patent comprises a detector arrangement in which multiple orders of a dispersed beam of electromagnetic radiation are intercepted by multiple detector systems. However, claim 8 in the 201 Patent, in combination with a viewing the Drawings therein, provide conception of the Spectroscopic Rotating Compensator Ellipsometer, as Claimed in claim 1 of the JAW 630 Patent and, in fact, the 630 Patent issued in view of a Terminal Disclaimer based upon the 201 Patent. A CIP of the 630 Patent, is U.S. Pat. No. 6,353,477 to Johs et al. which describes prefered multiple element compensators.
Also disclosed is U.S. Pat. No. 5,706,212, Issued Jan. 6, 1998, and Filed Mar. 20, 1996 for an Infrared Ellipsometer System Regression based Calibration Procedure. Said 212 Patent describes use of an Substantially Achromatic Rotating Compensator and application of Mathematical Regression in a Calibration procedure which evaluates calibration parameters in both rotating and stationary components. The 212 Patent describes that 2 OMEGA and 4 OMEGA associated terms are generated by a detector of a signal which passes through a compensator caused to rotate at a rate of OMEGA. Said 630 Patent was Continued-in-Part therefrom, as is the present Application via an intervening Patent Application. It is noted that the 212 Patent Application was filed four months prior to the earliest priority Patent Application, of Aspnes et al. Patents, (ie. U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,320,657 B1, 6,134,012, 5,973,787 and 5,877,859), the later of which was Filed on Jul. 24, 1996.
Relevant Patents to Aspnes et al. are U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,320,657 B1, 6,134,012, 5,973,787 and 5,877,859. These Patents describe a Broadband Spectroscopic Rotating Compensator Ellipsometer System wherein the Utility is found in the use of a "substantially Non-Achromatic" compensator, (see claim 1 in the 657 Patent), and selecting a Wavelength Range and Compensator so that "an effective phase retardation value is induced covering at least from 90 degrees to 180 degrees", (012 Patent), over a range of wavelengths of at least 200-800 nm. The 787 and 859 recite that at least one wavelength in said wavelength Range has a retardation imposed of between 135 and 225 Degrees, and another wavelength in the wavelength Range has a retardation imposed which is outside that retardation Range. The Utility of the Therma-wave Patents derives from the identified conditions being met so that at least one of a 2 OMEGA and a 4 OMEGA coefficient provided by a detector provides usable information at a wavelength, even when said coefficient does not provide usable information at other wavelengths. Again, the identified Aspnes et al. Patents recite directly, or describe the presence of a "substantially-non-Achromatic" compensator, while, it is noted at this point, the invention disclosed in this application utilizes what are properly termed substantially-achromatic or Psuedo-Achromatic compensators. It is further noted that the U.S. Pat. No. 5,716,212, from which this application Continues-in-Part, was filed prior to Jul. 24, 1976 filing date of the 859 Aspnes et al. priority Patent Application. The disclosed invention then has Priority to simultaneous use of 2 OMEGA and 4 OMEGA signals provided from a detector in a spectroscopic rotating compensator ellipsometer system which utilizes "Other-Than-Substantially Non-Achromatic" Compensators, namely "Substantially-Achromatic" or "Pseudo-Achromatic" Compensators, to characterize samples, emphasis added.
Two Patents which identify systems which utilize Polychromatic light in investigation of samples, U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,596,406 and 4,668,086 to Rosencwaig et al. and Redner, respectively, were also identified.
Also identified is a Patent to Woollam et al, U.S. Pat. No. 5,373,359 as it describes a Rotating Analyzer Ellipsometer System which utilizes white light. Patents continued from the 359 Woollam et al. Patent are, U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,504,582 to Johs et al. and 5,521,706 to Green et al. Said 582 Johs et al. and 706 Green et al. Patents describe use of polychromatic light in a Rotating Analyzer Ellipsometer System.
A Patent to Johs et al., No. 6,034,777 describes application of ellipsometry in an evacuated chamber comprising windows.
A Patent to Johs, U.S. Pat. No. 5,929,995 is disclosed as it describes application of ellipsometry in an evacuated chamber comprising windows.
A Patent to Bernoux et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,329,357 is identified as it describes the use of optical fibers as input and output means in an ellipsometer system.
A Patent to Burns et al., U.S. Pat. No. 4,875,773 is disclosed as it describes an Optical System for a Multidetector Array Spectrograph.
A Patent to Freeouf, No. 6,414,302 is disclosed as it describes a High Photon Energy, (up through 10eV), Range Reflected Light Characterization System.
A Patent to Aspnes et al., No. 5,091,320 is disclosed as it describes application of ellipsometry with an evacuated chamber.
A Patent to Hartley, No. 4,770,895 is disclosed as it describes application of ellipsometry with an evacuated chamber.
A Published Patent Application by McAninch, No, 2002/0149774 A1 is disclosed as it describes purging a measurement region near a substrate in a metrology tool.
A J. A. Woollam CO. Flyer titled VUV-VASE (Registered Trademark), is disclosed as it describes a monochromater based rotating analyzer ellipsomete system in a purged chamber.
A Patent to Ivarsson, U.S. Pat. No. 6,493,097 is disclosed as it describes a Detector Array in an analytical instrument using electromagnetic radiation.
A Patent to Azzam, U.S. Pat. No. 5,337,146 is disclosed as it describes a spectrophotometer comprising a linear array detector.
A Patent to Wilkins et al., U.S. Pat. No. 6,031,619 describes an imaging spectrometer with a CCD Matrix or Row detector.
A Patent to Imai et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,818,596 is disclosed as it describes use of purging gas to prevent contaminants on samples, but does not disclose ellipsometry or a multiple detector element detector array.
A Published Patent Application by McAninch, No, 2002/0149774 A1 is disclosed as it describes purging a measurement region near a substrate in a metrology tool.
A Published Patent Application by Wang et al., No. 2003/0071996 A1 is disclosed as it involves purging of the environment of one beam in a system involving two beams.
A Published Patent Application by Eckert et al., No. US 2003/0150997 A1 is disclosed as it describes use of VUV wavelengths and purging.
Regarding Articles,
An Article titled "A New Purged UV Spectroscopic Ellipsometer to Characterize Thin Films and Multilayers at 157 nm", Boher et al., Proc. SPIE, Vol. 3998, (June 2000) is disclosed as it describes a UV Spectroscopic Ellipsometer in combination with Purging.
A presentation titled "Characterisation of Thin Films and Multilayers in the VUV Wavelength Range Using Spectroscopic Ellipsometry and Spectroscopic Photometry", Boher et al., 157 nm Symposium, May 2000) is disclosed as it describes a UV Spectroscopic Ellipsometer.
A paper titled "Progress in Spectroscopic Ellipsometry: Applications from Ultraviolet to Infrared", Hilfiker et al., J. Vac. Sci. Technol. A, (July/August 2003) is disclosed as it discusses use of broadband wavelengths.
A paper titled "Atomic Scale Characterization of Semiconductors by In-Situ Real Time Spectroscopic Ellipsometry", Boher et al., Thin Solid Flims 318 (1998) is disclosed as it mentions multichannel detectors.
A paper titled "Optical Characterization in the Vacuum Ultraviolet with Variable Angle Spectroscopic Ellipsometry: 157 nm and below", Hilfiker et al., Proc. SPIE Vol. 3998 (2000) is disclosed as it describes use of the J. A. Woollam CO. VUV-VASE which is a monochromater based purged system.
A paper titled "Feasibility and Applicability of Integrated Metrology Using Spectroscopic Ellipsometry in a Cluster Tool", Boher et al., SPIE Vol. 4449, (2001) is disclosed as it describes a multichannelellipsometer applied outside an environmental chamber. This application required electromagentic radiation to pass through windows to reach a sample.
Four papers authored or co-authored by Collins, which describe use of multichannels and rotating element ellipsometers, including rotating compensator, but not in an environmental chamber are:                "Characterization of Wide Bandgap Thin Film Growth Using UV-Extended Real Time Spectroscopic Ellipsometry Applications to Cubic Boron Nitride", Zapien et al., J. of Wide Bandgap Materials, Vol 9, No. 3 (January 2002);        "Automated Rotating Element Ellipsometers: Calibration, Operation, and Real-Time Applications", Collins, Rev. Sci. Instrum. 61 (8) (August 1990);        "Waveform Analysis With Optical Multichannel Detectors: Applications for Rapid-Scan Spectroscopic Ellipsometers", An et al., Rev. Sci. Instrum. 62(8), (August 1991); and        "Multichannel Ellipsometer for Real Time Spectroscopy of Thin Film Deposition for 1.5 to 6.5 eV", Zapien et al., Rev. Sci. Instrum. Vol. 71, No. 9, (September 1991).
A book by Azzam and Bashara titled "Ellipsometry and Polarized light" North-Holland, 1977 is disclosed and incorporated herein by reference for general theory.
As well, identified for authority regarding regression, is a book titled Numerical Recipes in "C", 1988, Cambridge University Press.
While it is known to place ellipsometer systems outside environmental control chambers which require entering an electromagnetic beam through window, no prior art teaches a spectroscopic ellipsometer of any type which comprises a Detector system comprised of a multiplicity of detector elements, which detector elements simultaneously detect a multiplicity of wavelengths, said spectroscopic ellipsometer being contained within an environmental chamber, particularly when combined with the presence of a secured sample entry means.

Ellipsometer or polarimeter and the like system with multiple detector element detector in environmental control chamber including secure sample access


A method and system for providing a magnetoresistive structure is disclosed. The magnetoresistive structure includes a pinned layer, a nonmagnetic spacer layer, a free layer, a filter layer, a specular layer, a barrier layer, and a capping layer. The nonmagnetic spacer layer resides between the pinned layer and the free layer. The free layer is electrically conductive and resides between the filter layer and the nonmagnetic spacer layer. The specular layer includes a first material and is electrically insulating. The barrier layer resides between the specular oxide layer and the capping layer. The barrier layer is nonmagnetic and includes a second material different material from the first material. The capping layer includes a third material different from the second material.

In the effort toward achieving higher data density on recording media, spin filters have become of interest for use in magnetoresistive (MR) read heads. FIG. 1 is a diagram of a conventional spin filter 10. In general, the conventional spin filter 10 would be incorporated into a MR read head (not explicitly shown), which would include leads electrically connected to other electronics to drive current through the conventional spin filter 10 during reading. In such an application, current is generally driven in the current perpendicular to the plane (CPP) configuration. The CPP configuration is in the z-direction depicted in FIG. 1.
The conventional spin filter 10 includes a seed layer 20, an antiferromagnetic (AFM) layer 30, a pinned layer 40, a nonmagnetic spacer layer 50, a free layer 60, a filter layer 70, a specular oxide layer 80, and a capping layer 90. The seed layer 20 is used to provide the appropriate surface for growing the AFM layer 30 with the desired crystal structure. The AFM layer 30 is used in pinning the magnetization of the pinned layer 40. The pinned layer 40 may be a synthetic pinned layer, including ferromagnetic layers 42 and 46 separated by an electrically conductive spacer layer 44 that is typically Ru. The electrically conductive spacer layer 44 has a thickness configured to ensure that the ferromagnetic layers 42 and 46 are antiferromagnetically coupled. Thus, the magnetization of the ferromagnetic layer 42 is pinned by the AFM layer 30. The magnetization of the ferromagnetic layer 46 is set because it is strongly antiferromagnetically coupled to the magnetization of the ferromagnetic layer 42. The nonmagnetic spacer layer 50 is typically electrically conductive, for example Cu. The free layer 60 is ferromagnetic and typically includes materials such as CoFe. The filter layer 80 has a high electrical conductivity and typically includes materials such as Cu. The specular oxide layer 80 may be a nano-oxide and typically includes materials such as alumina. The combination of the filter layer 70 and the specular oxide layer 80 ensures adequate specularity of scattering of electrons from the free layer 60 that are incident on the specular oxide layer 80. Consequently, the magnetoresistance of the conventional spin filter 10 is adequate. The capping layer 90 is typically oxidized Ta.
Although the conventional spin filter 10 functions, there are drawbacks to the use of the conventional spin filter 10. Insertion of the specular oxide layer 80 can increase the coercivity of the free layer 60, which is undesirable. Furthermore, the specular oxide layer 80 is generally a nano-oxide that can continue to oxidize during processing. The signal may degrade during the lifetime of the conventional spin filter 10. The conventional spin filter 10 thus suffers thermal instabilities and may have reduced reliability.
Analogous conventional spin filters are described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,795,279 B2; U.S. Pat. No. 6,556,390 B1; U.S. Pat. No. 5,898,612; U.S. Pat. No. 6,407,690 B1; U.S. Pat. No. 6,764,778 B2; U.S. Pat. No. 6,700,753 B2; U.S. Pat. No. 6,775,111 B2; U.S. Pat. No. 6,591,481; U.S. Pat. No. 6,613,380 B1; U.S. Pat. No. 6,636,398 B2.
Accordingly, what is needed is a system and method for providing a spin filter having improved thermal stability, signal sensitivity, and/or reliability.

Magnetoresistive structure having a novel specular and filter layer combination


There is provided a generator system for internal combustion engines, which can produce power efficiently at all times irrespective of the engine speed even for use in an internal combustion engine operated at variable speeds such as a vehicle engine. An AC generator electronic control unit (ACG.ECU) 3 determines a rotation speed N2 of a rotating electromagnetic field to be generated by a rotor 1R based on a mechanical rotation speed N1 of the rotor 1R in an alternator 1 such that the relative speed N of the rotating magnetic field to a stator 1S agrees with the maximum efficiency speed of rotation Nx. Then the ACG.ECU 3 sends the determined value to a rotating electromagnetic field controller 2a. The rotating electromagnetic field controller 2a controls phases of AC power to be supplied to a three-phase coil 11 of the rotor 1R to generate a rotating electromagnetic field with the rotation speed N2.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a generator system for internal combustion engines which converts rotational energy into electrical energy and, more particularly, to a generator system for internal combustion engines which can produce electric power efficiently at all times irrespective of the engine speed even for use in an internal combustion engine operated at variable speeds such as a vehicle engine.
2. Description of the Related Art
A generator system for vehicles or ships includes an alternator (AC generator; ACG) with its rotating shaft coupled through an alternator belt to a crank shaft of an engine; a rectifier for converting AC power into DC power, the AC power generated by the alternator according to the engine speed; and a regulator for controlling the voltage level of the DC power according to the voltage at a battery.
FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram showing a structure of a conventional alternator 50, in which a DC field coil 53 is wound around a rotor 52 integrally formed with the rotating shaft and a three-phase coil 55 is wound around a stator 54. In the condition that the DC field coil 53 is excited by supplying direct current from the battery (not shown), the rotor 52 is rotated to create an alternative magnetic field. Consequently, the three-phase coil 55 of the stator 54 generates AC power with a frequency corresponding to the rotation speed of the rotor 52. Such a conventional alternator is an AC generator using a synchronous motor. In some cases, the rotor 52 may be provided with a permanent magnet instead of the DC field coil 53.
In recent vehicles, power consumption has increased because of current tendencies to electrify or electronically control vehicle parts including the engine and to widely use audio and navigation systems. This requires the alternator to increase the capacity of power generation. The electric power generated by the alternator is reduced as its rotation speed drops. It is therefore necessary to increase the ratio of the alternator speed to the engine speed so that sufficient generated power can be obtained even at low engine speeds such as 1000 r.p.m or less. In many cases, the pulley ratio is set twice or more for that purpose.
On the other hand, high velocity revolution and low idling of the engine is accelerated as the engine output and efficiency increase. For this reason, the ratio of the minimum and maximum engine speeds is becoming larger. When the pulley ratio is set higher for the electric power required at low engine speeds, the alternator speed tends to exceed the maximum rate determined from mechanical restrictions in high velocity revolution. This also causes increased fan noise at high revolution of the engine and hence degradation of the engine. Further in the generator system for vehicles, since the crank shaft of the engine and the rotating shaft of the alternator are coupled by the alternator belt at all times, rotation losses in the alternator (e.g., belt driving torque and/or cooling fan resistance) occurs even when the alternator is not required to generate electric power due to fully charged battery. This causes lowered engine efficiency or increased fuel cost.
As previously discussed, the conventional generator system for internal combustion engines operated at variable speeds such as vehicle engines can not take a highly set ratio of the alternator speed to the engine speed from the point of view of the durability and the quality or performance of the alternator. This causes insufficient generated energy especially in a range of low velocity revolution of the engine.
In order to set the ratio of the alternator speed to the engine speed arbitrarily, for example, Japanese Patent Publication No. sho 62-33465 proposes a mechanism for mechanically changing the diameter of the alternator driving pulley. However, such a mechanism for mechanically changing the speed causes a complicated and large-scale structure.

Generator system for internal combustion engine


A focus monitor method comprising preparing a mask comprising a first and second focus monitor patterns and an exposure monitor pattern, the focus monitor patterns being used to form first and second focus monitor marks on a wafer, and the exposure monitor pattern being used to form exposure meters on the wafer, obtaining a exposure dependency of a relationship between a dimensions of the focus monitor marks and the defocus amount, forming the focus monitor marks and exposure monitor mark on the wafer, measuring a dimension of the exposure monitor mark to obtain an effective exposure, selecting a relationship between the dimensions of the focus monitor marks and the defocus amount corresponding to the effective exposure, measuring a dimensions of the first and second focus monitor marks, and obtaining a defocus amount in accordance with the measured dimensions of the focus monitor marks and the selected relationship.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a focus monitor method and mask suitable to setting focus conditions in a projection exposure apparatus relevant to the manufacture of semiconductor devices and LCD devices and the like.
2. Description of the Related Art
Among techniques of measuring a defocus amount with high accuracy and simplicity, a method as described hereinafter is known (for example, as disclosed in Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2001-100392). According to this technique, a focus monitor mask in which a pattern (focus monitor pattern) capable of detecting focus variations is disposed, a line width of a post-transfer monitor mark is measured by using a linewidth measuring apparatus (optical linewidth measuring apparatus, such as an SEM or the like) or a linewidth measuring functionality built in an exposure apparatus itself, a variation amount of focus is obtained thereby.
According to the focus monitor pattern described in the above patent publication, the defocus amount independently from exposure can be measured even when the exposure. However, depending on a set exposure, a sensitivity of calibration curve can undesirably varied due to the exposure. The set exposure is set by a layer of a device. However, when a large difference takes place between set exposures for layers, there can occur a case in which the large deviation from an optimal exposure for the focus monitor pattern (the exposure range in which exposure dependency is law in the calibration curve). To address such a problem, it is ideal to optimally design the focus monitor pattern by the layer. However, the creation of the pattern is a time-and-cost consuming process, so that a more simple technique has been demanded.
As described above, the technique gives rise to the problem in that when exposure is performed with the exposure largely deviating from the optimal exposure for the focus monitor pattern, the exposure dependency takes place in the calibration curve, resulting in a large tolerance of the amount of the defocus to be obtained.


A triggering unit is disclosed for use in triggering a safety device in a motor vehicle to protect an occupant of the vehicle in an impact situation in which the vehicle impacts with an impacting object. The triggering unit is configured to actuate the safety device only for total stiffness between the vehicle and the impacting object exceeds a predetermined stiffness value. The unit incorporates a calculating arrangement to calculate stiffness from two or more sensed parameters.

1. Field of the Invention
THE PRESENT INVENTION relates to a triggering unit and more particularly relates to a triggering unit configured to trigger or control the actuation deployment of a safety device in a motor vehicle.
2. Description of Related Art
It has been proposed to provide many safety devices in motor vehicles such as air-bags and safety-belt pretensioners. It is necessary to provide a triggering device to trigger such a safety device at an appropriate instant during an accident situation. In recent years many safety devices have been developed which may be deployed in different modes, depending upon the severity of the crash. For example, the amount of gas injected into an air-bag or the tension applied to a safety belt pretensioner may be selected in dependence upon the severity of the crash. Therefore a triggering arrangement should ideally be able to trigger a safety device and also should be able to control or adapt the deployment or actuation of the safety device so that the safety device is deployed or actuated in an appropriate manner depending upon the severity of the crash.
When a crash detector system only has to determine whether a safety device should or should not be actuated or deployed, a single sensor could be utilised in the form of a central accelerometer. The signal derived from the accelerometer indicates the degree of deceleration of the vehicle, and thus this signal is used to control the deployment of the safety device.
With a single central accelerometer it is exceedingly difficult to determine the severity of a crash before the time which the safety device should be actuated or deployed. It is more common now to use safety systems where the severity of the crash must be determined and the designers of these systems have determined that a single central accelerometer is not sufficient. It has been proposed to use an additional accelerometer, or, alternatively, to use some sort of "radar" mounted in the front of the vehicle to determine the relative speed between the vehicle and an object with which the vehicle is going to collide just before the collision. The radar may be a doppler radar or may be an ultrasonic radar.
When a system of this type is utilised, the threshold change in velocity necessary for deployment or actuation of the safety device may be adjusted in dependence upon the measured relative speed between the vehicle and the object with which there is to be a collision. The present invention seeks to provide an improved triggering unit which may provide an enhanced operating characteristic.


When a person uses a first portable music player to wirelessly transmit a tune to a person with a second player in a social networking transaction for playing by the second player for a limited time, if the second person subsequently purchases an unrestricted version of the tune, the first person is compensated.

Portable media players have been provided that enable a person with a first player to wirelessly transmit a favorite tune to a person with a second player that is compatible with the first, promoting social interaction. Typically, the second player is permitted by means of software interlocks to play the tune only for a limited time, e.g., for three days, and/or only for a limited number of plays, e.g., three. Then, the second person must purchase the tune for his own player if he wants to keep playing it. Thus, the paradigm not only promotes social interaction but also sales of popular tunes.
The present invention understands that this paradigm can be improved to be even more compelling in terms of social interaction and sales generation.

System and method for revenue sharing for multimedia sharing in social network


An apparatus for assisting in the transfer of an image from an image bearing member onto a copy substrate, comprises an image bearing member carrying an image to be transferred, a feed mechanism for feeding a copy substrate to the image bearing member, and a transfer assist mechanism movable to an activated position bearing on the substrate to maintain the substrate in contact with the image bearing member to assist in transferring the image thereto, and to a de-activated position. A sensor generates a signal in response to passage of the leading edge and the trailing edge of the substrate to ascertain an actual length of the substrate as it moves to the image bearing member. A controller is operable to direct the transfer assist mechanism to move to the activated position and then to direct the transfer assist mechanism to move to the de-activated position after a de-activation dwell time. The de-activation dwell time is at least initially a nominal dwell time based on an expected length of the substrate from its leading edge to its trailing edge. The controller is operable to change the de-activation dwell time from the nominal dwell time in response to the determination of the actual length of the substrate.

The function of transfer assist blades is generally for pressing a copy substrate into intimate contact with the toner particles on a selectively charged imaging surface, such as a photoreceptor, during image transfer from the charged imaging surface onto the copy substrate. In particular, non-flat or uneven image support substrates, such as copy sheets that have been mishandled, paper that has been left exposed to the environment, or substrates that have previously passed through a fixing operation (for example, heat and/or pressure fusing) often tend to yield imperfect contact with the photoconductive surface. Some printing applications require imaging onto high quality papers having surface textures which prevent intimate contact of the paper with the developed toner images. In duplex printing systems, even initially flat paper can become cockled or wrinkled as a result of paper transport and/or the first side fusing step. Also, color images can contain areas in which intimate contact of toner with paper during the transfer step is prevented due to adjacent areas of high toner pile heights.
The lack of uniform intimate contact between the imaging surface and the copy sheet in these situations can result in spaces or air gaps between the developed toner powder image on the selectively charged imaging surface and the copy substrate. When spaces or gaps exist between the developed image and the copy substrate, various problems may result. For example, there is a tendency for toner not to transfer across gaps, causing variable transfer efficiency and, under extreme circumstances, creating areas of low toner transfer or even no transfer, resulting in a phenomenon known as image transfer deletion.
In order to minimize transfer deletions, transfer assist blades (TABs) have been utilized to press the back of the copy substrate against the imaged area of the charged imaging surface. The transfer assist blade is typically moved from a non-operative position spaced from the copy substrate, to an operative position in contact with the copy substrate. A mechanism supporting the TAB is operable to press the TAB against the copy sheet with a typically pre-determined force sufficient to press the copy substrate into contact with the developed image on the photoconductive or other charged imaging surface in order to substantially eliminate any spaces therebetween during the transfer process.
For a number of reasons, no portion of the transfer assist blade should contact the imaging surface. Such contact may result in the pick up of residual dirt and toner from the charged imaging surface onto the portion of the transfer assist blade that contacts the imaging surface. More significantly, contact of the TAB with the charged imaging surface risks abrading the surface, thereby adversely affecting subsequent image quality and shortening the expected life of the expensive photoreceptor or other charged imaging surface.
In order to ensure that a transfer assist blade does not contact the imaging surface beyond the sides of the copy substrate perimeter, either the transfer assist blade is shortened to correspond to the narrowest copy sheet width expected to be processed in the printer, or the effective length of the transfer assist blade is varied to correspond to the width of the substrate. An apparatus such as that disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,687,480, issued to Obrien et al., is capable of varying the effective length of the transfer assist blade to account for different substrate widths.
As explained above, it is important that the TAB be raised and lowered so as not to contact the photoreceptor or other charged imaging surface when the substrate is not in contact with the TAB. As a counterpoint, it is also important that the TAB contact the back of the copy substrate as close as possible to the leading and trailing edges of the copy substrate in order to ensure contact in all imaging areas. A high degree of accuracy is therefore required in timing engagement and disengagement of the TAB with the copy substrate. Such engagements and disengagements of the TAB are generally designed as timed sequences in relation to paper path speed and the sensed width in the paper path of the copy substrate. As an example, U.S. Pat. No. 6,556,805, issued to Kuo et al., teaches a method of activating TAB segments by rotating one or more cam shafts, thereby pressing the TAB into contact with the copy substrate when the appropriate cam lobe has been rotated. Another system for activating TAB motions is taught in U.S. Pat. No. 6,188,863, issued to Gross et al. Any number of other systems have been utilized and many more are possible.
In the typical cam system, there is a timing delay between commencement of rotation by the cam shaft and contact between the TAB and the copy substrate. Similarly, there is a timing delay between sensing of the leading or trailing edge of a copy substrate and actuation or deactivation of the cam shaft rotation or other mechanism that urges the TAB toward the copy substrate. Such timing sequences are typically handled during machine design and initial system calibration. Conventionally, the calibration is performed manually by such means as attaching an ink pad to the blade, measuring the length of the mark that the pad makes on the back of a copy sheet, and calculating the required adjustment time to achieve the desired length of such mark.
As printing system speeds increase, the speed of the copy substrate along the paper path increases, and TAB activation and deactivation must be timed more perfectly to ensure proper placing of the TAB as close as possible to the leading and trailing edges. Moreover, initial calibrations of the timing sequence may be obsoleted as components affecting the sequence are replaced over time with replacement components that vary slightly in response time, size, shape, etc. In particular, a replacement TAB can vary slightly in length, thickness, position within its mounting, and each of these factors may affect the timing of TAB contact with a copy substrate. Additionally, normal wear and tear and "settling in" of cams, motors, gears, photoreceptor belts, and other components can affect the precise timing sequence of TAB actuation apparatus. Additional calibrations are possible but typically require the time, expense, and labor of service and maintenance calls. It is advantageous for electrostatographic imaging systems utilizing TAB-type devices to have a timing adjustment system wherein the timing of TAB activation and deactivation is adjusted to account for any of the changes that may affect the TAB timing sequence.
In one such system, disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,485,224 issued to Gross et al., there is provided an apparatus for adjusting the timing of contact between a transfer assist blade and a charged imaging surface in order that the timing be automatically adjusted within specifications. The apparatus comprises an imaging apparatus for developing a partially toned pattern having about 20 to about 80 percent coverage in a region of a charged imaging surface; a transfer assist blade movable between a position engaged with a surface and a position disengaged from the surface, and a drive device for imparting engagement and disengagement motion to the transfer assist blade. The drive device has an activation time for engaging the transfer assist blade with the surface and a deactivation time for disengaging the transfer assist blade from the surface. A toner area coverage measuring device measures the percentage of the partially toned region that is covered by toner and feeds data to a controller for adjusting the timing of activation of the drive device. In particular, the apparatus in the '224 patent utilizes the toner area coverage measuring device to determine whether the time of activation has resulted in engagement of the transfer assist blade outside of the specifications. If so, the controller automatically adjusts the timing of activation accordingly. The disclosure of the '224 patent is incorporated herein by reference, and especially the description of the TAB drive device and the controller.
In response to the needs left unmet by these prior systems, an apparatus is provided for assisting in the transfer of an image from an image bearing member onto a copy substrate that comprises an image bearing member carrying an image to be transferred, a feed mechanism for feeding a copy substrate to the image bearing member, and a transfer assist mechanism movable to an activated position bearing on the substrate to maintain the substrate in contact with the image bearing member to assist in transferring the image thereto, and to a de-activated position. A sensor generates a signal in response to passage of the leading edge and the trailing edge of the substrate to ascertain an actual length of the substrate as it moves to the image bearing member. A controller is operable to direct the transfer assist mechanism to move to the activated position and then to direct the transfer assist mechanism to move to the de-activated position after a de-activation dwell time. The de-activation dwell time is at least initially a nominal dwell time based on an expected length of the substrate from its leading edge to its trailing edge. The controller is operable to change the de-activation dwell time from the nominal dwell time in response to the determination of the actual length of the substrate.
A method is further provided for operating a transfer assist mechanism to bear on a substrate passing over an image bearing member for transferring an image onto the substrate. The method comprises activating the transfer assist mechanism to bear on the substrate, determining a nominal dwell time for de-activation of the transfer assist mechanism as a function of an expected length of the substrate, sensing an actual length of the substrate as it is conveyed to the image bearing member, and changing the dwell time for de-activation as a function of a comparison between the actual length and the expected length.


A watercraft employs three or more supercavitating hydrofoils. The elements that connect the hydrofoils to the hull may flex to thus raise or lower the hydrofoils relative to the hull. The relative motion between the hydrofoils and the hull is dampened by shock absorbers or the like. A control system operated by the pilot may apply forces tending to raise or lower the hydrofoils relative to the hull. The stern hydrofoil is mounted on a support that also carries a power driven propeller and a rudder.

Water, although soft and compliant at low speed, is hard and non-compressible at high speed. Therefore, a wave at 10 knots is displaced whereas at 100 knots is very difficult to displace. Travel over a surface at high speed requires an entirely different mechanism than traveling over that same surface at slow speed. The slow speed being that which we feel when a normal unassisted human contacts the water.
While traveling in a high velocity vehicle, the characteristics of a sea state can therefore appear to change so that resembling a hilly desert or rocky terrain which will rapidly destroy an un-cushioned or non-suspended vehicle attempting to travel across this surface at high speed.
The typical approach to high speed water travel has been hydroplanes or surface effect vehicles which rise slightly above the wave action either by:
(a) riding on a column of air trapped between two sponsons which contact the water surface. This action is known as flying "in ground effect" and, although possible, is inherently unstable, as executed by the typical hydroplane with no controllable air foils. This situation is like flying an airplane without horizontal and vertical stabilizers, trim, flaps etc., i.e., flight without control, precariously balanced on a column of air, subject to blow over with the slightest change of wind or wave condition.
(b) riding on a bubble of air created by forcing air into an area beneath the hull, which is encircled by a skirt or flexible seal, thereby creating an area of higher pressure beneath the hull which lifts the craft off the surface of the water. This system requires large docking or landing areas, similar to airports, in which to operate due to a lack of accurate steerage and immediate control.

Watercraft with vertically movable hydrofoils


A number of cam-operated devices such as power tools (10) are described, the tools having a rotary drive device (24) for rotating a drive shaft (36) having a cylinder cam (42) mounted thereon. A pair of cam followers (54) are located within a cam track (44) provided on the cam member (42), such that rotation of the cam (42) causes axial movement of the cam followers (54), which may be attached to a drive shaft (48) and a tool bit (12). A range of shapes of cam track (44) are described, each of which is non-sinusoidal in shape. Various embodiments of the invention provide non-sinusoidal cam tracks having forward or rearward throw sections which are respectively steeper, shorter, or provide greater acceleration of the cam followers than sinusoidal cam tracks of equivalent wavelength and amplitude. Related piston and cylinder devices and reciprocal drive devices are also described.

A number of types of reciprocating power tools are in general use for various tasks, for example, saws, scrapers, hammers and the like. Commonly such tools are hydraulically or pneumatically powered; however, such power means necessitate the use of a noisy and bulky compressor or the like in conjunction with the tool itself, resulting in a limited range of utility of the tools, and such tools cannot easily or efficiently attain high speeds of reciprocation.
An alternative arrangement is to convert rotary movement provided by for example an electric motor into reciprocating movement of the tool bit. One means for achieving this conversion is to use the motor to drive the rotation of a cam bearing a sinusoidal cam track, and to provide the tool bit with a pair of cam followers which interact with the cam track. As the cam rotates, therefore, the cam followers will be driven forward and backward along the sinusoidal cam track, so driving the tool bit forward and backward. Such arrangements are described in previous patent applications GB 2 219 958A and W093/11910 by the same inventor, the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.
While such arrangements have numerous advantages over pneumatically or hydraulically powered devices, it has until now been thought that provision of a sinusoidal cam track is an essential element of the invention.
International Patent Application WO93/23655 the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference, by the same inventor, describes a number of piston and cylinder devices wherein the piston is in the form of a cam member with a sinusoidal cam track in which are disposed a pair of fixed cam followers. Reciprocating movement of the piston (driven, for example, by combustion of a fuel in the chamber formed by the cylinder) is accompanied by a rotary motion imparted by the interaction of the cam followers and the cam track. The rotary motion may be used to drive an output member in a rotary action.
It is among the objects of embodiments of the present invention to obviate or alleviate disadvantages of the prior art.
It is further among the objects of embodiments of the present invention to provide a cam operated device which provides a greater acceleration of the member being driven on the forward and/or backward throw than that provided by prior art devices.
It is further among the objects of certain embodiments of the present invention to provide an electrically-driven reciprocating power tool which provides a greater impact velocity of the tool bit for a given power input than known electrically-driven reciprocating power tools.


The present disclosure includes a device for reshaping a heart valve. The device may include a central ring about a central axis and a plurality of arms coupled to the central ring, each of the arms coupled to the central ring at a pivot point at a first end of the arm, the arm comprising an attachment feature at a second point along the arm, the pivot point configured to allow movement of the arm about the pivot point through a plane extending radially from the central axis through the arm. Additionally, the plurality of arms may be contractable and may be extendable such that the hooks extend beyond a dilated heart valve. The present disclosure also includes associated methods and systems.

The present disclosure addresses heart valve incompetency. For example, heart disease can cause the chambers of the heart to expand and weaken. With specific reference to the mitral valve, as the left ventricle dilates, the papillary muscles are displaced. Consequently, the annulus of the mitral heart valve dilates, excessively. In this state of dilation, valve leaflets no longer effectively close, or coapt, during systolic contraction. Consequently, regurgitation of blood occurs during ventricular contraction and cardiac output is decreased.
This condition is typically addressed by open-heart surgical implantation of an annuloplasty ring. A surgeon positions the annuloplasty ring proximate the valve annulus and sutures it in place thereby restoring the valve annulus to approximately its native circumference. The valve leaflets can then function normally again.

Systems and methods for reshaping a heart valve


A cooking device has a cooking chamber as well as a cooking chamber outlet for a fluid. An air trap is provided downstream of the cooking chamber outlet. A device outlet is arranged in turn downstream of the air trap. A water reservoir is located in the air trap. A connection pipe leads from the water reservoir in the air trap into the cooking chamber. Associated with the connection pipe is a transport means, which permits a controllable supply of fluid from the water reservoir in the air trap into the cooking chamber.

Cooking devices are used for the preparation of foods. The foods located therein are heated. During this process, vapors or steam or also other fluids are formed, which must be removed. For this reason, a cooking chamber outlet, through which these fluids then pass to a cooking device outlet or waste water connection and are disposed of, is generally located in the base of the cooking chamber of the cooking device.
Such a cooking device with a cooking chamber outlet for a fluid, a device outlet, a water reservoir, a connection pipe from the water reservoir into the cooking chamber, a transport means associated with the connection pipe for the controllable supply of fluid from the water reservoir into the cooking chamber, and a distribution means for the fluid in the cooking chamber is known from the patent document DE 20 2004 000 106 U1, for example.
Moreover, it is necessary that the cooking chamber of cooking devices is regularly cleaned. There have already been a series of proposals to automate this cleaning process as far as possible. The patent documents DE 197 30 610 C1, EP 0 892 220 B1, DE 100 17 966 A1, DE 101 09 247 A1, the subsequently published EP 1 364 166 B1 and DE 20 2004 000 106 U1 describe respective cooking devices, which perform such an automatic cleaning of the cooking chamber and its fittings, i.e. using a circulation-type principle. What the configurations all have in common is that the device outlet is closed by means of a valve or another assembly. A container is thus formed. This container can be the cooking chamber itself, or an additional container can also be arranged in the waste water pipe. If the cooking chamber is to be cleaned in this case, the cooking chamber or the container is filled with a cleaning liquid and the liquid is then distributed in the cooking chamber by means of a circulation pump.
The closed device outlet is then opened again to pass the now used liquid out of the cooking device again.
This process is controlled by means of an electronic device control system for the automatic cleaning.
While this automatic cleaning is indeed quite effective, certain aspects still cause problems therein. This applies in particular to the closing process of the device outlet. For example, if the locking device provided for this should not function as a result of a malfunction or if it is also only partially impaired, then this also compromises the main purpose of the entire cooking device, since the contaminated liquid can no longer exit from the cooking chamber, for example. Then, the entire cooking device can no longer be used, although only an ancillary unit with a subsidiary purpose is affected.
However, at least cleaning is already rendered impossible as a result.
Moreover, the cross-sections of the relevant pipe sections for a closure are relatively large for technical reasons. The diameters generally lie between 30 mm and 70 mm. As a result of this, the appropriate devices for closing these pipes are also quite expensive.
In contrast, it is an object of the present invention to permit an automatic cleaning for such cooking devices with a design that is as simple as possible, but also substantially technically reliable.

Cooking device with a cooking chamber outlet

MKN Maschinenfabrik Kurt Neubauer GmbH & Co.


The present invention is related to a ferroelectric storage medium for ultrahigh density data storage device and a method for fabricating the same. A supercell having high anisotropy is formed by controlling crystal structure and symmetry of unit structure (supercell) of artificial lattice by using an ordered alignment of predetermined ions having orientation of (perpendicular) deposition direction. Unit atomic layers of oxides having different polarization characteristic are deposited so that the supercell itself shows electric polarization having only two, upward and downward directions as one block of supercell having single-directional polarization. Oxide artificial lattices can be formed so as to have solely 180 degree domain structure, thus a single electric domain having improved anisotropic characteristic can be formed, thereby allowing capability of ultrahigh density data storage and long term data retention.

Recently, with the change into a knowledge-based society, where information resources are important, and the increase in data volume used by individuals, the need for data storage devices has been ever increasing. Also, with the rapid development and the increasing demand in fields such as large volume data storage devices, information appliance devices, personal portable information devices, and digital image devices, requiring data storage, the demand for ultra small, high density nonvolatile data storage media is increasing. Conventional hard disks have difficulties in miniaturization and are less feasible in high density integration due to their limitations due to the ultra-paramagnetic feature, which is a unstable data stage caused by thermal energy. Meanwhile, at present, with flash memories, it is difficult for the integration density to reach the data storage capacity of hard disks, and CDs and DVDs representing optical data storage devices can not overcome their limitation due to the light wavelength, which is required in response to a high degree of integration. Thus, as an alternative, recently, various kinds of scanning probe type data storage devices and storage media are being studied. Scanning probe type data storage devices are meant by devices utilizing Atomic Force Microscopes (AFM), which use forces between atoms, and Scanning Probe Microscopes (SPM) such as Scanning Tunneling Microscopes (STM).
For the Scanning Probe Microscope type data storage devices, studies have been made concerning thermal recording type polymers, magnetic recording type ferromagnetic materials, organic thin films or phase transition materials using change of electric conductivity according to phase transition, and static electric force type ferroelectric media using surface charge change, as data storage media. As methods for writing/reading such a storage medium, one method is the use of electrical/magnetic forces, which forms domains through reversal of electric/magnetic polarization of ferroelectric or ferromagnetic material by applying an external electric/magnetic field on a scanning probe, and another method is a thermal method, that is, the forming of well-shaped deformations or changing the electric conductivity on the surface of a polymer by applying heat on the storage medium through a probe. The method of thermal writing/reading is disadvantageous in that it has a low speed of operation, a limited number of times that the writing can be repeated, and high power consumption. Also, the method of electric conductivity change is disadvantageous due to the oxidation of the storage medium and abrasion of the probe.
Thus, as a method for overcoming such problems and disadvantages, the use of ferroelectric storage media is being actively studied. The principle of writing a data storage medium by using a ferroelectric storage medium is as follows. A probe, instead of an upper electrode, contacts the ferroelectric storage medium, which is formed on a lower electrode, so as to form a capacitor structure. Then, by applying an external voltage on the probe, the electric polarization of the ferroelectric thin film is changed toward the direction of the electric field. Thus, by placing the probe on a predetermined point of the surface of the ferroelectric thin film, and by applying a voltage on this point, a domain (data bit) can be formed by arranging electric polarization of a ferroelectric material into a predetermined direction, enabling a data write operation. Also, if an AC voltage having uniform frequency is applied between the probe and the lower electrode, the amplitude of the ferroelectric thin film is changed by the electric force among the electric polarization of the ferroelectric material in accordance with the applied AC voltage, and thus such change of the amplitude changes the minute force between the probe and the ferroelectric thin films, and the magnitude of such change differs according to the direction of the domain. Therefore, data can be read by analyzing it. If a ferroelectric thin film is used for a storage medium, it will have advantages of high speed of data read/write, low power consumption, and ability of repeated writing. However, there is much to be done for solving the problems of this technology.
At present, as ferroelectric materials, peroveskite oxides having the crystal structure of ABO3 are being studied. The representing materials thereof include BaTiO3, (Pb,Zr)TiO3(PZT), and LiTaO3. The peroveskite oxide having the crystal structure of ABO3 has an isotropic cubic crystal structure showing the six directional electric polarizations upward, downward, leftward, rightward, frontward and backward by minute displacement of ions in the peroveskite oxide. Therefore, eventually its electric polarizations are displaced to have 90 degree directional differences with each other. Therefore, it has a 90 degree domain structure. Such 90 degree domain structure generates mechanical strains between 90 degree domains and makes its electric polarization unstable, and as a result, it has been difficult to fabricate a ferroelectric storage medium including the 90 degree domain structure in nano-scale as a unit bit for data storage. Also, if the electric polarization has a 90 degree domain structure, the long term stability of electric polarization in the domain will be decreased due to strains therebetween, so the remaining polarization in the structure becomes gradually decreased, which would result in disappearance of long term ability of data storage and errors in read operation of the stored data. That has been the great obstacle in industrialization of the ferroelectric data storage medium. Furthermore, as a thin film type storage medium is fabricated in nano-scale thickness, its electric polarization becomes unstable due to the finite size effect, lowering stability of the storage medium.
Recently, it was reported that at least a 20 nm scale bit can be produced by uniformly arranging the direction of polarization in the material through epitaxial growth of a PZT thin film, being capable of storing tens of Gbit/cm2 data (Applied Physics Letters, P. Paruch et al., Vol 79, 530 (2001)). However, there is a difficulty in forming a bit because poly domains including 90 degree domains can be easily formed due to lattice strains between a substrate and a thin film during the epitaxial growth of the PZT thin film. Also, it requires a process for fabricating a thin film in atomic scale with a high degree of surface flatness, and thus it still has a problem of retaining time in data storage.
In one effort to overcome the above problems, Cho group in Japan recently reported that an at least 8 nm scale bit with very small thickness, which enables 10 Tbit/inch2 of data storing ability when analyzed by a Scanning Nonlinear Dielectric Microscope (SNDM), is formed from a layer of LiTaO3 single crystals by using mechanical chemical polishing. However, this technology (mechanical chemical polishing) requires a very delicate process of fabricating single crystals into a very thin layer.

Ferroelectric oxide artificial lattice, method for fabricating the same and ferroelectric storage medium for ultrahigh density data storage device

Sungkyunkwan University Foundation For Corporate Collaboration


In performing a down-shift based on a driver's intention of deceleration, an engine output increasing control is started at a time when a transfer torque capacity of the releasing clutch becomes small or zero and the actual oil pressure decreases to an initial oil pressure, not causing an acceleration feeling even upon the engine output increase. For estimating a time when which the real pressure of the releasing clutch decreases to a level of not higher than the initial pressure, the response of the real pressure relative to an oil pressure command value for the releasing clutch is approximated using a transfer characteristic of “first order lag+time delay.” An estimated real oil pressure obtained based on the transfer characteristic is compared with the initial pressure. It is determined a start timing of the engine output increasing control has been reached upon decrease of the estimated pressure to the initial pressure.

Many of the recent automatic transmissions for automobiles are of a construction wherein the states of engagement of plural frictional engaging elements, including hydraulic clutches and brakes, are switched from one to another state by operation of a hydraulic control circuit, whereby plural shift ranges are attained. In an automatic transmission of such a construction, when a sufficient engine brake force is not obtained even if an accelerator is turned OFF for example on a downhill, a driver turns OFF an overdrive switch or switches a shift lever from D Range to S or L Range to effect a down-shift, thereby increasing the engine brake force.
When a down-shift for increasing the engine brake force is performed on the basis of a driver's intention of deceleration (e.g., decelerating operation) and with the accelerator OFF, the transmission gear ratio of the automatic transmission becomes larger as a result of the down-shift and therefore it is necessary to so much increase the rotational speed of the engine. However, in an operation mode requiring such an engine brake, the throttle valve is usually closed, so that an output-side torque is transmitted to the engine side by the transfer of torque through frictional engaging elements which are for attaining a shift range after the down-shift, whereby the rotational speed of the engine is increased. Consequently, the time required for the shift becomes longer and the effect of engine brake may not be obtained at a required timing, or an inertia torque induced with an increase in the rotational speed of the engine appears as a braking torque for the vehicle, with a consequent temporary increase of the engine brake force and generation of a shift shock. Moreover, if the transfer torque of the frictional engaging elements is suddenly increased for example by a hydraulic control of the automatic transmission, the rotational speed of the engine increases quickly and hence the shift time becomes shorter, but the braking torque increases rapidly, resulting in the shift shock becoming more marked.
With a view to solving such problems, a control technique is proposed in Japanese Patent No. 2924463. This control technique uses engine output increasing means for increasing an engine output temporarily when an automatic transmission is shifted down to a lower speed range in which engine brake acts with an accelerator substantially OFF and a timer for measuring an elapsed time from a predetermined measurement start point such as, for example, a shift output point at which a hydraulic control circuit is switched from one to another state at the time of down-shift. According to this proposed control technique, an engine output increasing control by the engine output increasing means is started on the basis of the elapsed time measured by the timer so that the rotational speed of the engine increases after a high speed range-side frictional engaging element which is released at the time of down-shift begins to slip and until complete engagement of a low speed range frictional element which is brought into engagement at the time of down-shift. The control start timing is set on the basis of a vehicular operating condition (more specifically, the temperature of oil in the hydraulic control circuit or the rotational speed of the engine) which exerts an influence on at least one of engagement/release delay times of the frictional engaging elements and an engine output increase delay time.
In the Japanese patent No. 2924463 it is also disclosed that there is a delay time until actual release or engagement of a frictional engaging element in an automatic transmission and there also is a delay time after a throttle angle control for increasing the engine output has been performed and until actual increase of the engine output and that therefore, by setting the start timing taking those delay times into account, the shift time is shortened while suppressing the occurrence of a shift shock. Also, according to the disclosure of the patent in question, it is preferable to control the degree of opening of a throttle valve so that the engine speed increases in conformity with a slip start timing of the frictional engaging element on the high speed range side.
In JP-7-247874A, with a view to solving the foregoing problems, there is disclosed a technique in which, when an automatic transmission is shifted down by manual operation to a low speed range undergoing the action of engine brake with an accelerator substantially OFF, the amount of intake air is increased and restoring (fuel injection) from fuel cut is performed to increase the engine output. According to this technique disclosed in the '874 publication, an ISC valve for idling control is opened to increase the amount of intake air before the shift is started in the above shift-down, and when the start of the shift is detected by a change in rotation of a rotating member, the supply of fuel is resumed by a fuel cut restoring control to increase the engine torque, thereby shortening the shift time and preventing the occurrence of a shift shock. In JP-10-18877A there is proposed a technique in which, taking note of a shift shock diminishing effect by an engine output increasing control in down-shift, a torque increase quantity by the engine output increasing control is made larger in an automatic down-shift according to a preset shift schedule than in manual down-shift. According to this proposed technique, in manual down-shift, the torque increase quantity is made relatively small for generating a moderate shift shock which affords a deceleration feeling, while in an automatic down-shift involving execution of a shift independently of operation performed by a driver, the torque increase quantity is made relatively large so as not to let the driver feel a shift shock.
However, the delay time until actual release or engagement of the associated frictional engaging element referred to above at the time of down-shift varies depending on not only the temperature of oil in the hydraulic control circuit or the engine speed but also the vehicle speed or the torque acting on the frictional engaging element when the down-shift control is performed. Particularly, at the time of down-shift, since the accelerator pedal is substantially fully closed, it is necessary to take into account that an arbitrary drive torque below the road load (below the torque required for constant speed running at the speed of the time point concerned) is applied from the engine side. The delay time is also influenced by an operating condition including a slip control for a lock-up clutch being executed. Therefore, in a timer-based setting of a control start time, the throttle valve position control (engine output increasing control) cannot always be started at an appropriate timing even if the influence of the oil temperature or the engine speed is taken into account. Thus, there is a fear that the start timing of the throttle valve position control may be offset from the appropriate timing and the driver may be given an acceleration or a shock by the throttle valve position control during down-shift. Besides, for appropriately setting a reference value of the timer taking the influence of the oil temperature and engine speed into account, not only it is necessary in a conforming process to set a reference value based on repeated experiments but also it is necessary to again set the timer reference value in the case where there arises the necessity of changing the oil pressure removing method due to a change of specification for the hydraulic shift control. Thus, not only the logic becomes complicated but also it is necessary to set many parameters and the parameter conforming work is very troublesome.
Moreover, even if the engine output increasing control is started in a proper manner, an unpleasant shock will be induced if a termination timing of the control is not appropriate. For example, in the foregoing down-shift, if an engagement-side frictional engaging element has a sufficient transfer torque capacity and if the engine output increasing control is continued in this state even after the down-shift reaches a nearly terminated state, an increased engine output causes the vehicle to be accelerated by a gear on the low speed range side, so that an unpleasant shock as a push-out feeling is developed. Conversely, if the engine output increasing control is terminated in a state in which the engagement-side frictional engaging element does not yet have a transfer torque capacity sufficient for terminating the down-shift, the frictional engaging element acts in a direction in which the progress of the down-shift is decelerated, so that not only the shift time is not shortened, but also a strong deceleration shock is developed by both a decrease of the engine torque resulting from termination of the control and a coast torque applied from the vehicle side.
Further, it is necessary that the engine output quantity increased in the down-shift be controlled to a proper quantity conforming to conditions. More particularly, in the case where the output increase quantity is excess, not only an excess increase of the engine speed occurs and an extra time is taken until the end of shift, but also, for decreasing the increased engine speed by the engaging force of the engagement-side frictional engaging element, a thermal load on the frictional engaging element increases and there occurs a shift shock based on inertia energy. On the other hand, in the case where the output increase quantity is deficient, there arises the same condition as in the conventional shift control for increasing the engine speed by the engagement-side frictional engaging element and therefore the inertia torque consumed for increasing the engine speed cannot sufficiently mitigate the shift shock which is for becoming a vehicle braking torque. Thus, it is necessary that the output increase quantity in the engine output increasing control in the down-shift be set and controlled so as to afford a desired engine speed change quantity in the down-shift.
Since the engine output increasing control is performed by an increase of the intake air quantity and the supply of fuel proportional thereto, not depending on a driver's operation, the application of the same control also to a down-shift based on a predetermined shift schedule taking into account a slow deceleration such as that in street running or running on a congested road affords the shift shock diminishing effect disclosed in JP-10-18877A, but causes the generation of noise due to a sudden increase of the engine speed and the deterioration of fuel economy due to an increase of fuel consumption resulting from this control, and is therefore not advisable.


Aspects of the present invention provide a display support arm assembly that includes a proximal housing supporting at least one proximal shaft, a distal housing spaced from the proximal housing and supporting at least one distal shaft, and at least one link extending from the at least one proximal shaft to the at least one distal shaft. The at least one link is coupled for pivotal movement about an axis of the at least one proximal shaft. The display support assembly also includes a gas strut extending between the proximal housing and the distal housing. The gas strut provides substantially constant force throughout a range of the vertical adjustment of the display support arm. The display support assembly further includes at least one torque element associated with either or both of the at least one proximal shaft and the at least one distal shaft.

Display supporting apparatuses for supporting flat screen or flat panel displays have been disclosed in the prior art. For example, a display support arm assembly is disclosed in U.S. Patent Publication No 2012/0006767, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety for all purposes. However, there remains a need for improved display support arm assemblies such as display supporting apparatuses offering the advantages of the present invention, which will become apparent from the description of the invention provided herein and the appended drawings.

Display support arm assembly for mounting a display


An liquid crystal display (LCD) including an LCD panel and a light guiding plate disposed on the rear of the LCD panel. The light guiding plate includes a main body, a fixing part extended from a side of the main body, and a protrusion formed on a rear of the light guiding plate and on a boundary area of the fixing part and the main body.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a liquid crystal display, and more particularly, to a liquid crystal display comprising a light guiding plate or a diffusion plate to lead light generated in a light source to a rear of an LCD panel.
2. Description of the Related Art
In general, a liquid crystal display ("LCD") is a device for displaying images, with liquid crystal cells are aligned in a matrix form where the light transmittance of the cells is adjusted according to an image signal. The LCD forms images on an LCD panel using light radiated from a backlight unit.
The LCD includes an LCD panel in which liquid crystal cells are formed in a pixel unit and aligned in a matrix form, a backlight unit providing light to the LCD panel, and an accommodating container accommodating the backlight unit. Further, the backlight unit includes a light guiding plate disposed in a rear of the LCD panel and a light source unit disposed along one lateral side of the light guiding plate. The light guiding plate is accommodated in the accommodating container. In order to secure or fix the light guiding plate, there are formed one or more fixing parts on at least one lateral side of the light guiding plate. The fixing parts are settled in a groove disposed in a side of the accommodating container, where the fixing parts are extended from the light guiding plate.
The LCD has been widely employed in computer monitors and a television monitors but also in a display apparatus for a navigator system and a portable display apparatus for a notebook computer, a mobile phone, or the like. Apparatus employing the LCD are vulnerable to external impact and damage. Therefore, it is desired to protect the LCD from the external impact and reduce or prevent damage to the LCD.
If the LCD is not sufficiently strong or damage resistant in its configuration, components inside the LCD may be damaged by the external impact. The light guiding plate is especially fragile against the external impact since it is a plate shape with a predetermined thickness. A boundary area defined by a main body of the light guiding plate and a fixing part thereof, is especially loaded when the external impact is applied to the LCD, making the LCD susceptible to easily being damaged, such as by a crack being generated.
A crack may also be easily generated in a diffusion plate employed in a direct type LCD for substantially the same reasons discussed above for the light guiding plate.

Liquid crystal display comprising a light guiding plate comprising a protrusion and method having the same


A radio telephone for use in wireless telecommunication has a transmitter/receiver unit (4), a control unit (5), a first antenna (1), the properties of which are optimized for use in stand-by mode, and a second antenna (2), the properties of which are optimized for use during ongoing calls, said second antenna being electrically engageable and disengageable with the transmitter/receiver unit. The radio telephone further has an antenna switch (3), which is arranged to operatively connect the transmitter/receiver unit (4) to either the first antenna (1) or the second antenna (2), said antenna switch supplying the control unit (5) with control signals (7) in response to at least the electrical engagement status of the second antenna. The control unit prevents ingoing as well as outgoing calls from being established, as long as the second antenna according to said control signals is indicated to be electrically disengaged.

Nowadays, wireless telecommunication is at least as common as the more conventional wired form of telecommunication. An increasing part of the population in almost every country uses wireless radio telephones, especially cellular telephones, in the daily life. The term "radio telephone" includes all portable equipment, which may be used for radio communication, e.g. cellular telephones, so-called personal communicators or organizers, etc. The predictions for the future further indicate an even more frequent use of such telephones, and in a not too distant future it is possible that wireless telecommunication systems will become more common than the ones using wires.
In mobile telephone systems, or so called cellular telephone systems, a telephone company--public or commercial--provides a number of geographically distributed base stations. Each base station is arranged to cover a certain area, a so-called cell, and the various areas are selected in such a way, that they to the highest possible extent together cover a continuous geographical area. The base stations are arranged to forward incoming and outgoing calls to and from any mobile stations, such as radio or mobile telephones, present in the area, and hence each base station is connected to the public wired telecommunication network. A mobile station in a modern telecommunication system, such as GSM (Global System for Mobile Service), has two main modes of operation, the first of which being during ongoing calls with an intense communication between the mobile station and the base station in question. The second mode of operation is the stand-by mode, i.e. when the mobile station is not serving any ongoing call, a certain communication with the base station, however, still occuring at a regular basis. For instance, when the user turns on his mobile station, the mobile station will search for available base stations and select the one with the highest signal strength. Then the mobile station reports its presence to the selected base station. The mobile station will then regularly receive information from the base station, for instance frequency synchronization information. If the signal strength turns out to be lower than the signal strength of any other available base station, a switch to the latter normally occurs (so-called hand-over). Furthermore, a bidirectional so-called handshake communication takes place between the mobile station and the base station, when an incoming call is to be established. Thanks to the above it is possible to provide services like roaming (the system detects and keeps record of subscribers for the moment being abroad), SMS (Short Messages Services; transmission of short text messages to be presented on the telephone display), and CB (Cell Broadcast; broadcast messages from, e.g. a public authority to several mobile telephones present in a cell).
Other kinds of wireless telecommunication are known, which are not connected to the public wired telephone network. One example is dispatching applications, i.e. non-public radio systems used by e.g. taxi services, the police authorities, or transportation companies. Another example is local or global paging systems, and yet another one is cordless telephone systems, such as DECT (Digital European Cordless Telephone System).
For speech or data information to be transmitted in a wireless way in a communication system mentioned above, transmitters as well as receivers of electro-magnetic energy are required. In the transmitter as well as the receiver the information is electrically processed, regardless whether it is an analog or digital communication system. The transmitter as well as the receiver are connected to conversion means, such as an antenna, for conversion between electrical and electromagnetic energy. The wireless information transmission is effected by the radio frequent electro-magnetic fields generated around the transmitter antenna and propagated away from the antenna, then by the speed of light reaching the receiver antenna.
Various demands are placed upon the mobile station antennas in a modern mobile telephone system, since the antennas are heavily used during ongoing calls as well as during stand-by mode, as described above. Financial demands as well as claims for cost-efficiency are obvious. Another common demand is a long operation time between battery chargings, and to be able to fulfil such a demand the mobile station has to preserve the amount of electrical energy available, thereby requiring a high antenna conversion efficiency. Usually, the antenna and signal quality requirements are stricter during ongoing calls than during stand-by mode.
Furthermore, the physical dimensions of the mobile telephone are very important. For a mobile telephone to be regarded as useful by the users of today, a low-weight, compact and yet robust format is required; preferably, the mobile telephone should fit inside jacket pockets, handbags, etc, or it should be possible to carry the telephone by the waistbelt by means of a beltclip. The demands on compactness and robustness obviously also apply to the mobile telephone antennas.
During ongoing calls a mobile telephone is normally positioned in close vicinity of the user, and, as a consequence thereof, the user's body--the hand and the head in particular--will inevitably affect the signal properties of the antenna. Such interaction between the body and the near field of the antenna usually results in deteriorated antenna properties, mainly due to reflections and absorption losses. Specifically, this signal degradation will increase, if the distance is reduced between the antenna and the body, and obviously, there is a severe difficulty in achieving a high antenna efficiency as well as physical compactness and robustness at the same time.
Various antenna types are used in the mobile stations of today, for instance half or quarterwave whip antennas, dipole antennas, helix antennas, etc. Different antenna types are suitable to different extents when it comes to signal properties and antenna efficiency. For instance, the helix antenna is often used, since--thanks to its helical shape--it may be given a compact size and a good resistance against damages. However, it does not show an antenna efficiency as good as that of a half-wave whip antenna.
Due to space considerations mobile telephones are furthermore often provided with extendable whip antennas, which in some cases are supplemented by separate external antennas for use in stand-by mode, since a whip antenna fully retracted into a metal telephone housing is isolated from its surroundings with respect to its signal emission. The international patent publication WO 93/01659 from Motorola, Inc., discloses a radio telephone, whose antenna may be moved between a retracted and an extended position. The telephone has two different operating modes, in dependency of the antenna being extended or not. These operating modes may for instance be related to the display being lit or not, the keypad being engaged or disengaged, or to different levels of transmission effect.

Radio telephone with separate antenna for stand-by mode


An improved blast liner assembly for use in gravel packing or fracturing operations wherein solid materials, in slurry form, are flowed out of the flowbore of a working tool and into the annulus of a wellbore. The blast liner is a cylindrical member that provides a protective shield to the interior retaining section. An angular flow diverter is provided within the blast liner and has a plurality of angled flow diversion channels formed into the inner surface of the blast liner body. Flow of slurry through the blast liner will cause the blast liner to rotate within the retaining section due to the reaction forces imparted to the blast liner from diverting the slurry flow. In this manner, the impingement area presented by the blast liner is increased, and the life of the blast liner extended. The blast liner may also be caused to move axially within the retaining section to further increase the impingement area.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates generally to devices and methods for improved fracturing and/or gravel packing operations within a wellbore. In more particular aspects, the invention relates to the protection of devices that are used to place gravel or proppants in such operations.
2. Description of the Related Art
There are times during the life of a well that it is necessary to flow granular or pelletized solid materials, in a slurry, into a wellbore in order to improve wellbore operation or to extend the life of the well. Two of the more common techniques are gravel packing and fracturing of a formation using a fracturing fluid having proppant therein. During gravel packing, gravel is pumped down a tubing string into a wellbore and placed, where desired, using a cross-over tool with suitable exit ports for placement of the gravel in desired locations within the wellbore. In fracturing operations, a fracturing agent is flowed into the wellbore under very high pressure to fracture the formation that immediately surrounds the borehole, thereby creating improved flowpaths for hydrocarbons to enter the wellbore from the surrounding formation. The fracturing agent, a fluid, often contains a proppant, which is in granular or pelletized form. Typical proppants includes peanut shells, sand, ceramics, and other materials known in the art. Proppants are flowed into the fractures created by the fracturing agent and remain there after the fracturing agent has been removed from the wellbore in order to help prop the fractures open and allow the improved flow to continue.
While gravel packing and fracturing operations are often necessary, they do create significant erosion wear upon the components of the production assembly as the gravel or proppant is flowed into the wellbore. Erosion damage to the production assembly, if significant, can result in a loss of production containment in the wellbore. One area that tends to receive the most severe damage is around the exit port where the solid material exits the crossover tool and enters the inside of the production assembly. In order to counter this significant wear damage, devices have been developed that are better able to withstand the wear associated with these operations. Typically, a wear sleeve or blast liner will be placed proximate the exit port, or the exit port will actually be disposed through this wear sleeve or blast liner. There is, however, some disagreement over the preferred composition of a wear sleeve or blast liner that should be used. Materials that are harder, and less subject to deformation, also tend to be more brittle. Additionally, regardless of the material that is used to form the sleeve or liner, the concentration of erosive forces upon the liner/sleeve will always tend to shorten the life of the placement components.
The present invention addresses the problems of the prior art.


A solenoid-driven automatic bus transfer switch may automatically transfer one or more electrical loads from a first power source to a second power source, or vice versa, in the event of a power failure or other casualty that affects either power source. The transfer switch may be operated in response to the energization of a solenoid coil, which causes a main shaft having a transfer element to rotate from being in contact with the first power source to being in contact with the second power source. The transfer element may be spring-mounted to the shaft, which ensures that a sufficient electrical contact exists between the surfaces of the transfer element and the respective leads of the first and second power sources, regardless of any wear or degradation that may be experienced at any of the surfaces.

Many electrical loads are aligned to receive electrical power from multiple sources (i.e., from both a normal power supply and a backup power supply), such that a power failure or casualty associated with one power source does not preclude the electrical loads from operating with power from another power source. Where an electrical load is particularly vital, an automatic bus transfer switch may be installed to automatically transfer the electrical load from one power source to another power source, such as from a normal source to a standby source (e.g., a backup generator or supplemental power supply).
The ability to transfer one or more loads from a first power source to a second power source may require fast-acting transfer components that are designed to quickly open a connection between the loads and the first power source, and close a connection between the loads and the second power source, in a sufficiently short period of time to ensure that the loads remain energized in the event of a power failure or casualty associated with the first power source.
For significantly large loads, including high-voltage or high-power three-phase alternating current (AC) loads, the equipment for providing power to such loads from multiple power supplies typically includes heavy-duty conductive bus bars or contacts. Because automatic transfer switches typically require the rapid opening and closure of such assemblies in a moment's notice, the physical effects of arcing, sparking, friction or other adverse effects experienced by such transfer switches during normal operation may result in an uneven or unpredictable degradation of such assemblies over time. Moreover, where the electrical loads are intended to operate in rugged, ever-changing and unstable environments, such as those encountered aboard a maritime vessel, such a transfer switch must provide reliable means for ensuring that power is transferred from the first power source to the second power source time and time again, regardless of the extent of the wear or degradation of any of the components of the transfer switch.

Solenoid-driven automatic transfer switch


A method and apparatus for selectively enhancing contrast depending on the level of incoming video signals while preserving colors are provided. An apparatus for enhancing the contrast and brightness of a video signal displayed on a display device includes: a first luminance level transformation circuit that receives luminance and chrominance signals, reduces the level of the luminance signal in response to a first control signal, and outputs the chrominance signals and the luminance signal whose level has been reduced; an image converting circuit that receives the output signals from the first luminance level transformation circuit and converts the received signals into RGB video signals; and a second luminance level transformation circuit that receives the RGB video signals from the image converting circuit, concurrently increases the respective levels of the RGB video signals in response to a second control signal, and outputs the RGB video signals whose levels have been increased. It is desirable that the display device is a color display tube (“CDT”), a thin film transistor liquid crystal display (“TFT-LCD”), or a plasma display panel (“PDP”).

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to video image signal processing, and more particularly, to an adaptive contrast and brightness enhancement method and apparatus for preserving colors of an image being displayed on a display device.
2. Description of the Related Art
It is known in video image processing that in an environment where the dynamic ranges of video images output to a display device are restricted, the levels of incoming video images are controlled or transformed by a non-linear function to enhance the contrast of these video images. In this case, the non-linear function is already fixed, or made variable based on the histogram of input video images.
Where the levels of incoming video images are simply transformed by the non-linear function, an undesirable white element is generated and saturation is reduced. The contrast at a specific level of the video images within a limited range may improve, but, to improve contrast while maintaining color hues, an approach to adjusting gain depending on the brightness direction components of RGB vectors of incoming video images has been proposed. This approach involves increasing the expansion gain of a signal, which is close to an achromatic color due to its large brightness direction component while decreasing the expansion gain of a signal having a high saturation and a large color-difference component.
This technique makes it possible to increase the overall brightness while maintaining the saturation of colors. However, it has a drawback in that adjusting gain only according to the colors of an image makes selective expansion depending on the luminance level of a video image impossible and saturation occurs due to expansion of the dynamic range.
A need therefore exists for a system and method for selectively increasing contrast depending on the level of an incoming video signal while preserving color.

Adaptive contrast and brightness enhancement with color preservation