The present invention provides, in one aspect, a method of imaging a microelectronics device 100. The method comprises cleaning, when contaminants are preset, a sample of a microelectronics device 100 to be imaged with a first solution comprising hydrofluoric acid, an inorganic acid and water, exposing the sample to a second solution comprising hydrofluoric acid, an inorganic acid and an organic acid, wherein the second solution forms a contrast between different regions within the sample, and producing an image of the contrasted sample.

The continuing push to produce faster microelectronic devices with lower power consumption has resulted in the miniaturization of such devices. In particular, smaller gate length and channel lengths are conducive to the low voltage and faster operation of transistor devices, such as complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) transistors. However, with shrinking process geometries, a number of new design problems arise.
For instance, as gate dimensions are reduced, it has become necessary to adjust and better control the dimensions of the channel and doped regions of the substrate that are associated with the gate. This is necessary to prevent a number of short channel effects such as, threshold voltage variation, drain induced barrier lowering (DIBL), punch-through, leakage currents, hot carrier injection, and mobility degradation.
Consider, for instance, the dimensions of shallow junctions and pocket region structures. Shallow junctions, also referred to as source drain extensions, or light or medium-doped drain (LDD and MDD, respectively) regions, are implanted as extensions to the larger and more heavily doped source and drain regions, to reduce hot carrier injection-induced damage to gate dielectric layers and improve short channel effects. Hot carriers, electrons with higher than average energy, form because of the stronger electric fields produced in small transistor device geometries. Shallow junctions, implanted before sidewall formation and source and drain implantation, provide a doping gradient between the source and drain regions and the channel. The lowered electric field in the vicinity of the channel region of such devices reduces the formation of hot carriers.
Sub-0.1 micron transistor devices are also highly susceptible to leakage currents, or punch-through, when the transistor is off. These conditions can arise when the shallow junctions and the source/drains are not properly formed. Thus, leakage currents can be reduced if the shallow junctions are formed with well-defined boundaries, as exemplified by an abrupt decrease in dopant concentration, to support low-voltage operation of the transistor and to define the width of the channel region of the transistor.
Unfortunately, however, it can be very difficult to ascertain any irregularities in these shallow junctions or source/drain areas using standard imaging techniques. This is largely attributable to the fact that these shallow junctions do not show up in the cross section scans of an imaging tool, such as a scanning electron microscope (SEM) or a transmission electron microscope (TEM). Thus, it can be very difficult to ascertain with any degree of certainty what structural defects or irregularities might exist in the junction or gate areas of the microelectronics device.
Accordingly, what is needed in the art is an improved method of obtaining an image of the junctions areas of a microelectronics device.

Chemical etch solution and technique for imaging a device's shallow junction profile


A water/slurry containment device for core drilling can contain and allow water/slurry to be extracted while the coring is occurring rather than allowing a puddle to form with more extensive cleanup required afterward. The device contains the water/slurry mix so that none escapes the confines of the device, so that water can be used in the core drilling. Water is essential to the life of the diamond coated bit and it keeps dust and noise to a minimum. The device includes a base plate with a collector ring that can rest on a surface to be core drilled. A notch can be cut in the collector ring and/or base plate to allow water and slurry to be removed from the device while core drilling.

The present invention relates to core drilling accessories and, more particularly, to a water/slurry collection device used for core drilling.
Currently, either a clay mixture is used to build a dam around each hole before drilling, which is extremely labor intensive, or there are some plastic or rubber collars that are very light, and tend to wear out or get abused in the construction environment. Typically, many use a pump-up sprayer which usually holds no more than one or two gallons of water and the water is sprayed on the outside of the bit, which does not assure that the diamonds are properly cooled. A typical core drill rig has a flow through collar whereby the water is injected directly through the hollow bit to the work.
The resulting slurry creates a wet, slick area on the surface being core drilled. After the drilling, much time and effort are required to clean up the area. Occasionally, people have had slip and fall injuries due to the slurry being left or unattended. Damage has been done to adjacent surfaces due to the slurry not being controlled.
Existing systems are too light, time consuming, complicated, wear out too easily, or are too expensive. By having a fresh flow of water, the bit is kept free of the products of coring which often includes metal particles from rebar or reinforcing wire which, if not continuously flushed from the cut, puts needless wear on the bit and can overload or overheat the drill motor.
As can be seen, there is a need for a core drilling accessory that can contain and extract water/slurry while coring is occurring rather than allowing a puddle to form with more extensive cleanup required afterward.


Aspects of the invention provide an apparatus for cleaning airfoils inside a gas turbine compressor. In one embodiment, an apparatus for cleaning at least one airfoil within a turbine compressor, includes: a hose for applying cleaning material to the at least one airfoil; and an articulation assembly for articulating a nozzle of the hose, the articulation assembly including: a main shaft attached to the hose at a first end; and an articulating trigger for rotating the first end of the main shaft. The apparatus may further include a borescope attached to the articulation assembly and a borescope monitor for viewing the at least one airfoil via the borescope.

One of the factors that is analyzed in trying to increase gas turbine efficiency, performance, and reliability is compressor fouling. Compressor fouling is caused by contaminants, such as oil, particulates, and harmful chemicals, which are ingested in the turbine. These contaminants, if not properly removed, result in efficiency losses and cause corrosion. Corrosion is one of the leading causes of gas turbine failure.
Currently, gas turbine compressors are cleaned using a water wash process that injects water and detergent through an inlet of the gas turbine at low spinning speeds. This process only cleans forward compressor stages, due to the required water nozzle pressure. Further, this process only cleans the exposed side (suction side) of the blades (i.e., airfoils). Due to heavy deposits on the blades that were not removed from the water wash method, extensive field corrosion inspections could not reveal whether the airfoil surface was corroded, since the airfoil surfaces is not cleaned effectively from the water wash.

Dry ice cleaning apparatus for gas turbine compressor


A forward error correction (FEC) decoder is configured to find an alignment of a code block in a data stream by attempting to fully or partially decode one or more data windows of a predetermined size in the data stream. The predetermined size is a size of each codeword. The FEC decoder selects a first data window of the predetermined size, attempts to decode the first data window based on a particular error control coding method, and determines whether a valid codeword can be identified by attempting to decode the first data window. In response to determining that a valid codeword can be identified, the FEC decoder determines that an alignment of the codeword with the first data window is found. Otherwise, the FEC decoder selects a second data window of the predetermined size and attempts to decode the second data window.

In some digital communication systems, data is encoded into codewords via a particular error control coding method. In some cases, the codewords are then divided into fixed-sized frames. As the propagation channel does not have a concept of frames or separated data units, the sender and receiver have to recognize frame borders in the data stream. This process of recognizing the borders of each data frame is called frame synchronization.
In conventional frame synchronization schemes, syncwords are inserted into the modulated symbol streams. In particular, a syncword (also referred to as a sync sequence) is inserted between two frames of codewords, each of which has a predetermined number of codewords. The receiver has a synchronizer (which is often a special circuit) configured to detect these known syncwords, and their positions are used to identify the beginning and end of a frame of codewords.
In general, a synchronizer operates in two basic modes, namely, an acquisition mode and a lock mode. In the acquisition mode, the synchronizer searches the syncword to establish synchronization. Once the synchronization is achieved, the synchronizer enters the lock mode and passes data frames to the next stage with syncwords stripped off. In the lock mode, the syncwords are usually detected or confirmed at the predicted positions.
The subject matter claimed herein is not limited to embodiments that solve any disadvantages or that operate only in environments such as those described above. Rather, this background is only provided to illustrate one exemplary technology area where some embodiments described herein may be practiced.

Alignment detection by full and partial FEC decoding


A method of conveying articles on a transport vehicle from a first location to a second location spaced from the transport vehicle including the step of providing a conveyor system comprising (a) a cart for supporting an article, (b)mechanism for guiding the cart along a predetermined path between the first location and the second location, and (c) mechanism for supporting at least part of the guiding mechanism on a subjacent surface. The method further includes the step of assembling at least part of at least one of the guiding mechanism and the supporting mechanism on site. The method also includes the steps of placing the cart on the guiding mechanism, placing an article from the transport vehicle on the cart, translating the cart with the article thereon from the first location to the second location along the predetermined path, and removing the article from the cart at the second location.

This invention is directed to a system and a method of assembling and using the system for conveying articles from a first location to a second location. In particular, this invention is directed to a system and method for conveying articles along a predetermined path from a first location where the articles are unloaded from a transport vehicle to a second location, as in a warehouse.
Unloading articles from a transport vehicle into a warehouse can be a time-consuming, labor-intensive process. The use of fork lifts, the palletization of shipments, and the construction of docks designed to limit the height differential between the floor of the transport vehicle and the floor of the warehouse may have served to reduce the costs associated with unloading transport vehicles in some situations. In other situations, these measures may be of little practical advantage.
For example, during the early stages of construction of a warehouse, it is commonly necessary to unload transport vehicles carrying modular shelving to be installed in the warehouse for the storage of palletized goods. This modular shelving consists of a series of substantially vertical, trussed uprights and a series of substantially horizontal beams disposed at spaced intervals along the uprights to form the shelves on which the palletized goods may be stored. According to the size of the pallets which are to be placed on the horizontal beams for storage, these uprights and beams can be quite wide and long. While the uprights and the beams can be formed into bundles for transport, each of the bundles being secured together using a metal band or strap, the bundles are substantially larger and more unwieldy than the more regularly-shaped palletized loads commonly unloaded from transport vehicles.
Under the construction conditions commonly present at the time when the shelving is to be unloaded, the transport vehicle commonly cannot be brought closer than a remote location ten or twelve feet from the edge of the loading dock. To exacerbate matters, the ground between the transport vehicle is commonly broken terrain, made up of a mixture of sand, gravel and mud.
In those instances where a dock and finished apron exists, and the transport vehicle can be brought in close enough to reach the dock edge, the tight spacing of the transport vehicles along the edge of the dock may prevent a fork lift from approaching the bundles in such a way that the fork lift can be used to any significant mechanical advantage. Additionally, the slope of the apron may be such that unloading is further complicated, or that the bundles may have a tendency to slide off of the arms of the fork lift.
As a result, a hodgepodge of unloading techniques have been put into practice in the industry to remove the bundles, of shelving material from the transport vehicles in this environment. For instance, one technique has been to unbundle the materials on or near the transport vehicle and to transport the individual pieces one at a time into the warehouse, using four to six workmen. This technique may be especially time consuming, and typically may not be very cost-effective. Additionally, the technique may expose the workmen unnecessarily to work-related injury.
A common alternative technique under construction conditions is to use all-terrain fork lifts to approach the transport vehicle parked at the remote location at a construction site and remove a bundle from the transport vehicle. With the assistance of two or more workmen to prevent the bundle from becoming separated from the fork lift, the fork lift operator then proceeds to direct the fork lift backwards and forward in small angular increments until a first end of the bundle rests on the upper edge of the dock.
The fork lift operator may then allow a second end of the bundle to come to rest on the ground in the area of broken terrain between the dock and the transport vehicle. The second end can then be elevated using the fork lift (now approaching the bundle from the end instead of the side) a jack, or even manpower, until the first and second ends are essentially level and the bundle is essentially parallel to the floor of the warehouse. To keep the first and second ends leveled, often wedges are inserted between the second end and the ground.
Once the bundle has been raised, the bundle can be moved so that it rests entirely on the floor of the warehouse by pushing or dragging the bundle at the first end using manpower or a fork lift. Alternatively, two fork lifts can be used, one at the first end and moveable along the warehouse floor and one at the second end and moveable along the broken terrain below the dock, to raise the first and second ends of the bundle slighty to allow for a space between the bundle and the floor of the warehouse while the bundle is moved into the warehouse. As a further alternative, the bundle can be raised by passing a chain around the bundle and using a fork lift on the dock to raised the bundle from the ground level to the dock level.
The technique becomes even more complicated when the uprights and beams must be passed through a doorway from the dock into the warehouse. Often, the doorways are not large enough to accommodate the uprights and beams when these materials are in the orientation which is easiest for the fork lifts. As a consequence, the uprights and beams must be manually maneuvered, or jockeyed, through the doorways.
The techniques presently in use in the industry, as outlined above, may have several significant drawbacks. The most immediate drawback may be the cost of conducting the unloading operation. Sizeable capital outlays may need to be made to purchase or rent the forklifts, jacks and supports used to remove the bundles from the transport vehicle, move the bundles to the dock edge, level the bundles at the dock edge, and then move the bundles off the dock edge and into the warehouse. Sizeable labor expense may also be incurred for the services of the at least one, and possibly two or three, skilled fork lift operators and the two or more workmen necessary to unload each bundle from the transport vehicle.
This technique also causes costs which are not directly assignable as costs of the unloading operation, but which may come about as a direct result of doing business using the techniques outlined above. For example, the uprights and the beams are commonly painted prior to shipment and installation. When the bundles of uprights and beams are taken off the transport vehicle, rested along the edge of the dock, and then pushed or pulled along the warehouse floor, a considerable amount of paint may be removed from the uprights and the beams. Additional damage can be caused to the uprights and the beams, not to mention to the structure, when the uprights and beams are dragged through the doorway from the dock into the warehouse.
Even the arms of the fork lift, or the surfaces of the jacks or chains used to raise the materials to dock level, can cause damage to the materials, especially if the bundles become separated from the arms of the fork lift or if the bundles break open. Damage can also be caused by the arms of the forklift to the uprights of the shelving material because the arms are substantially horizontal, while the struts of the uprights in contact with the arms can be at a 30 or 40 degree angle to the horizontal.
Consequently, the uprights and beams may need to be repainted or replaced. If repainted, then the costs of the paint, the freight charges spent shipping the paint, and the man-hours spent painting the uprights and beams should be added to the costs of using this technique. If the uprights or beams must be replaced, then the cost of replacing the uprights or beams, including the associated freight, should be factored into the costs of this technique.
Additionally, given the size and weight of the bundles, and the rather complicated nature of the procedure, it is not uncommon for the workmen and the fork lift operators to become injured. This is especially true if one of the straps which holds the bundle together snaps under the forces caused by dragging or pushing the bundles over the dock edge. The costs of worker injures, including possible hospitalization and man-hours lost, should thus be added into the overall costs of using this technique.
Additional costs more difficult to quantify in monetary terms may also be incurred by the installer a consequence of using these standard techniques. For example, the damage caused to shelving may create a great deal of customer dissatisfaction as the customer loses opportunities because of the delays in installation caused by the need to repaint or replace damages uprights or beams.
Therefore, there exists a need to develop a system and method for transporting these heavy, unwieldy bundles from the transport vehicle to the warehouse floor for installation, which method should address one or more of the disadvantages outlined above of the present technique for unloading these bundles. Moreover, generally, there exists a need to develop a system and a method for unloading heavy, bulky, clumsy objects from transport vehicles and to transport these objects over broken terrain substantial distances into a warehouse.
According to an aspect of the present invention, a method of conveying articles on a transport vehicle from a first location to a second location spaced from the transport vehicle including the step of providing a conveyor system comprising (a) a cart for supporting an article, (b) mechanism for guiding the cart along a predetermined path between the first location and the second location, and (c) mechanism for supporting at least part of the guiding mechanism on a subjacent surface. The method further includes the step of assembling at least part of at least one of the guiding mechanism and the supporting mechanism on site. The method also includes the steps of placing the cart on the guiding mechanism, placing an article from the transport vehicle on the cart, translating the cart with the article thereon from the first location to the second location along the predetermined path, and removing the article from the cart at the second location.
Moreover, where the supporting mechanism further includes a plurality of upright support segments and a plurality of trusses, the step of assembling at least part of at least one of the guiding mechanism and supporting mechanism on site may include the steps of placing the support segments at regular intervals along the predetermined path, and connecting the trusses between adjacent support segments. Additionally, the step of connecting the trusses between adjacent support segments may include the step of locking the trusses to the support segment. Where the support segments have a plurality of tabs attached thereto, the trusses have a plurality of couplings thereon, the tabs and the couplings having holes formed therethrough, the step of locking the trusses to the support segments may include the steps of aligning the holes in the tabs with the holes in the couplings, and passing a fastener through the holes.
Moreover, where the support segments have a variable height in a vertical direction, the step of assembling at least part of at least one of the guiding mechanism and supporting mechanism on site may include the step of adjusting the height of the support segments so that there is a decreasing height in a vertical direction of the support segments over a distance at least partially between the first location and the second location.
Moreover, where the supporting mechanism further includes a plurality of support segments and a first and second plurality of trusses, the step of assembling at least part of at least one of the guiding mechanism and supporting mechanism on site may include the steps of placing the support segments at regular intervals in two lines along the predetermined path, connecting the first plurality of trusses between adjacent support segments, both adjacent support segments disposed in one of the two lines along the predetermined path, and connecting the second plurality of trusses between adjacent support segments, one of the support segments connected by the second plurality of trusses disposed in one of the two lines and the other support segments connected by the second plurality of trusses disposed in the other of the two lines.
Moreover, where the guiding mechanism includes a plurality of rail segments, the step of assembling at least part of at least one of the guiding mechanism and supporting mechanism on site may include the steps of placing the rail segments at least partially on the supporting mechanism and along the predetermined path, and joining adjacent rail segments. Additionally, the step of joining adjacent rail segments may include the step of locking adjacent rail segments together. Also, where the rail segments have first and second ends, a first plurality of rail segments having a hole formed through the first and second ends, a second plurality of rail segments with first and second ends having extension plates attached to the first and second ends, and the extension plates extending beyond the first and second ends and having holes formed therethrough, the step of locking adjacent rail segments may include the steps of aligning the holes in the ends of the first plurality of rail segments with the holes in the extension plates formed in the second plurality of rail segments, and placing a fastener through the holes.
Moreover, the step of assembling at least part of at least one of the guiding mechanism and supporting mechanism on site may include the step of assembling the supporting mechanism so that the supporting mechanism is freestanding independently of the transport vehicle.
Moreover, the method may include the step of marking at least a part of the supporting mechanism and guiding mechanism different colors to assist in assembling at least part of at least one of the guiding mechanism and the supporting mechanism on site.
Moreover, the method may include the step of placing visible indications on at least part of the supporting mechanism and guiding mechanism to assist in assembling at least part of at least one of the guiding mechanism and the supporting mechanism on site.
Moreover, the method may further include the step of disassembling the supporting mechanism and the guiding mechanism after the article is removed from the cart.
Moreover, the method may further include the step of locking the cart to the guiding mechanism to prevent the cart from moving in other than the predetermined path. Additionally, where the cart has a wheel with a running surface and a groove formed in the running surface, the guide mechanism including a rail complementary to the groove along the predetermined path, the step of locking the cart to the guiding mechanism to prevent the cart from moving in other than the predetermined path may include the step of fitting the rail into the groove in the wheel of the cart.
Thus, the present invention may provide a system and method for unloading transport vehicles which reduces the costs of such an operation both in terms of monetary outlays and man-hours spent.
The present invention may provide a system and method for unloading transport vehicles which reduces the amount of damage caused to objects unloaded using alternative methods, and consequently reduces the costs of replacing or repairing the objects relative to alternative methods.
The present invention may provide a system and method for unloading transport vehicles which is highly adaptable, and can be adjusted to conform to the surrounding terrain, including broken terrain and sloped terrain.
The present invention may provide a system and method for unloading transport vehicles which is light weight and portable.
The present invention may provide a system and method for unloading transport vehicles which is relatively compact and portable.
The present invention may provide a system and method for unloading transport vehicles which is easy to assembly, both in terms of the tools and the time required for assembly.
The invention is also directed to a method of conveying an article from a first location to a second location. The method includes the steps of providing a conveyor system with a cart and at least one guide rail that has a broken down state and an assembled state. With the conveyor system at a first site in a broken down state, the conveyor system is placed in an assembled state wherein the cart is movable guidingly along the at least one guide rail between the first and second locations. With the cart at the first location, an article is loaded onto the cart. The cart with the article loaded thereon is moved to the second location. At the second location, the article is removed from the cart. After removing the article from the cart, the conveyor system is placed in the broken down state.
The method may further include the step of re-placing the conveyor system into the assembled state after the article is removed from the cart and the conveyor system is placed in the broken down state.
The method may further include the steps of moving the conveyor system from the first site to a second site after the article is removed from the cart and the conveyor system is placed in the broken down state. At the second site, the conveyor system may be re-placed into the assembled state.
The method may include the steps of locating a second article on the cart at a third location with the conveyor system at the second site and with the second article on the cart, guidingly moving the cart from the third location to a fourth location. The second article may be unloaded from the cart at the fourth location.
In one form, with the conveyor system in the broken down state, the at least one rail and cart are separated from each other.
In one form, the at least one rail consists of first and second elongate rails each with a length and spaced from each other in a direction transverse to the length of the first and second elongate rails. The first and second elongate rails are separated from each other and the cart with the conveyor system in the broken down state.
In one form, the elongate rail includes first and second elongate segments and the first and second elongate segments are separated from each other with the conveyor system in the broken down state.
In one form, the conveyor system further includes a support made up of multiple elements which maintain the at least one rail in an elevated position relative to a subjacent support surface with the conveyor system in the assembled state. With the conveyor system in the broken down state, the multiple elements of the support are separated from each other and the cart and the at least one rail.

Method of conveying articles from a transport vehicle


A highly linear mixer and method for cancelling field effect transistor channel resistance modulation are provided. At least a portion of the voltage of an input signal is added to a drive signal to cancel distortion arising from modulation of the voltage of the input signal.

1. Field
The present disclosure relates to a mixer, and more particularly to a field effect transistor (FET) mixer having reduced levels of intermodulation distortion.
2. Related Art
A mixer circuit converts radio frequency (RF) power into power at another frequency to make signal processing easier and more efficient. More particularly, a RF input signal is converted, i.e., shifted, by the mixer circuit into an intermediate frequency (IF) output signal. A mixer circuit will also be referred to as a mixer herein. Mixers are a fundamental component of communication systems, providing improved filtering and easier implementation of low noise/high gain amplification at the intermediate frequency than possible when processing signals at the radio frequency.
A mixer converts the RF input signal into the IF output signal by multiplying the RF input signal with a local oscillator (LO) input signal which provides the power, i.e., voltage, for the conversion. A LO input signal is often referred to as LO drive. In an ideal mixer, multiplication of the RF input signal with the LO input signal would result in two only outputs: a first one at the frequency sum of the RF input signal and LO input signal, and a second one another at the frequency difference between the RF input signal and LO input signal. These can be easily filtered to obtain the desired IF output signal and to reject the other. In practice, however, a mixer generates undesirable intermodulation products, i.e., intermodulation distortion, which obscure the desired IF output signal. Intermodulation distortion results from non-linear mixer response to RF input signals. Intermodulation distortion typically begins to appear in a mixer's output when the power level of the RF input signal increases beyond the +1 dB compression point, to be discussed further below.
A third-order intermodulation product occurs, most typically, when a second input signal arrives at the mixer input along with the desired RF input signal. Of the different intermodulation products which may be produced by a mixer, the third-order intermodulation product is closest in frequency to the desired IF output signal. Because of the closeness of the frequency of the third-order intermodulation product to the desired frequency of the IF output signal, it is oftentimes difficult to filter out the third-order intermodulation product, e.g., remove or suppress from the IF output signal. Third-order intermodulation distortion generated by a mixer will be discussed further below.
Mixer performance can be measured in various ways. One measure is known as dynamic range. A mixer's dynamic range defines the range of RF input signal power over which a mixer provides useful operation, i.e., the range of RF input signal power in which a non-degraded IF output signal is generated by the mixer. The upper limit of the dynamic range is typically defined as the +1 dB compression point of the mixer. The lower limit of the dynamic range is generally defined as the noise figure of the mixer.
As the power level of the RF input signal increases from zero, the power level of the IF output signal linearly follows. However, at a certain RF input signal power level the IF output signal power level no longer follows the RF input signal in linear progression. At this point the power level of the IF output signal increases at a slower rate until the power level of the IF output signal becomes almost level. The RF input signal power level above which the IF output signal deviates from linearity is known as conversion compression and is another mixer performance measure.
Conversion loss, expressed in dB, is another measure of mixer performance. Conversion loss describes the efficiency of a mixer in providing frequency translation between the RF input signal and the IF output signal and relates to loss of power between the RF input signal and the IF output signal during frequency translation. Thus, conversion loss is equal to the ratio of the power level of the IF output signal to the power level of the RF input signal at a specified power level of the LO drive. A specified power level for the LO drive is necessary because conversion loss varies as the power level of the LO drive varies.
The RF input signal power level at which the conversion loss increases by 1 dB is known as the +1 dB compression point and is still another mixer performance measure. The +1 dB compression point is utilized as the top of the dynamic range because RF input signal power beyond the +1 dB compression point generally is not converted into the desired IF output signal, but instead converted into heat and intermodulation products, i.e., distortion. Thus, the +1 dB compression point is the maximum RF signal input power level at which the mixer is designed to be used. In general, the +1 dB compression point is 5 to 10 dB lower than the LO drive power.
Introduced above, the lower limit of the dynamic range of a mixer is, by usual convention, defined to be the noise figure of the mixer. Noise figure, yet another mixer performance measure, is a measure, expressed in dB, of the degradation of the signal to noise ratio caused by the mixer. Noise figure is calculated by dividing the signal-to-noise ratio at the RF signal input by the signal-to-noise ratio at the IF signal output. Noise figure is typically +1 dB above a mixer's conversion loss.
Another measure of mixer performance reflects a mixer's ability to suppress IF output signal distortion caused by third-order intermodulation products and is known as a third-order intercept point, commonly abbreviated IP3. IP3 is expressed in dBm and is determined using the "third-order intercept" technique for modelling nonlinear systems and devices. This mathematical construct is based upon low order polynomials derived by Taylor series expansion.
Output IP3 and input IP3 are both commonly specified for mixers. Output IP3 is the difference between a mixer's input IP3 and the mixer's conversion loss. Thus, higher conversion losses result in lower output IP3.
A mixer's input IP3 is a theoretical point on a RF input signal power versus IF output signal power curve where the power level of the desired IF output signal and power level of the third-order intermodulation products become equal in amplitude as the power level of the RF input signal is raised. In other words, input IP3 is the point of intersection of an extrapolation of the linear primary response of the mixer and the third-order intermodulation response of the mixer past the +1 dB compression point until they equal each other. A higher input IP3 indicates better mixer performance, reflecting a mixer's ability to handle higher RF input signal power levels before third-order intermodulation products cause distortion in the desired IF output signal.
Three typical types of mixer circuits are single ended mixer circuits, balanced mixer circuits, and double balanced mixer circuits. Several prior art double balanced mixers are known. One such known double balanced mixer design uses a schottky diode quad, or ring, circuit that uses four diodes with all of the diodes pointed in the same direction. Another known double balanced mixer design is known as a called a star circuit and uses two diodes pointing toward a central node and two diodes pointing away from the central node. Double balanced mixers with schottky diodes typically have an input IP3 of 25 to 30 dBm, with 30 dBm being the practical upper limit of the design type. As the input IP3 of a schottky diode double balanced mixers approaches 30 dBm, the mixer becomes both difficult to tune and expensive, which increases both the manufacturing complexity and cost. Another draw back to the diode-based double balanced mixer design is that they require large LO drive levels to obtain a high input IP3, which for many applications and systems is not practical.
Another type of double balanced mixer circuit uses field effect transistors (FET) as the mixing element instead of diodes. Double balanced FET-based mixers, often referred to as FET mixers, or resistive mixers, can achieve a higher value of input IP3 than diode-based mixers. It is common for double balanced FET mixers to have an input IP3 greater than 30 dBm. However, in these FET-based mixers the increased IP3 comes at the cost of higher conversion losses and higher noise figures.
FIG. 1 shows a schematic diagram of a known double balanced resistive FET mixer 10 which attempts to address these shortcomings. The circuit design of mixer 10 attempts to achieve high input IP3 performance of other FET-based mixers, while also having a low noise figure and without having substantial conversion loss. Commercially available FET mixers having design similar to that shown in FIG. 1 are the HJK series of FET mixers available from the manufacturer Mini-Circuits® of Brooklyn, N.Y., 11235. The HJK series manufacturer reports performance characteristics of its double balanced resistive FET mixers of up to 38 dBm output IP3 with a LO drive level of 19 dBm.
The double balanced resistive FET mixer 10 of FIG. 1 has a design similar to the well known diode-based quad mixer, introduced above. Mixer 10, a passive device, includes four identical field effect transistors Q1, Q2, Q3, Q4 arranged in a quad configuration and which function as mixing elements. When a field effect transistor is conducting it is said to be in an 'on' state. Likewise, when a field effect transistor is not conducting it is said to be in an 'off' state.
The double balanced resistive FET mixer 10 also includes a local oscillator input terminal LO connected to balanced-unbalanced (balun) LO transformer T1. The LO input terminal receives a local oscillator input signal (i.e., LO drive), and LO balun T1 couples the received LO input signal to the gate terminal G of each respective FET Q1, Q2, Q3, Q4.
Mixer 10 also includes a radio frequency input terminal RF connected to balanced-unbalanced (balun) RF transformer T2. The RF input terminal receives a radio frequency input signal, and RF balun T2 couples the received RF input signal to the FETs Q1, Q2, Q3, and Q4. Also included in mixer 10 is an intermediate frequency output terminal IF connected to balanced-unbalanced (balun) IF transformer T3. IF balun T3 couples output from each FET Q1, Q2, Q3, Q4 to the IF output terminal.
Each respective FET Q1, Q2, Q3, Q4 has a gate terminal G for controlling whether that FET is conducting or not conducting, as is well known in the art. Thus, when one of FETs Q1, Q2, Q3, Q4 is conducting it can be described as being 'gated on'. With reference to FIG. 1, the gate terminal G of FET Q1 is connected to the gate terminal G of FET Q3, and the gate terminal G of FET Q2 is connected to the gate terminal G of FET Q4. FET Q1 and FET Q3 can be referred to as gate-connected FET pair Q1,Q3. Likewise, FET Q2 and FET Q4 can be referred to as gate-connected FET pair Q2,Q4.
It will also be recognized by those having familiarity with field effect transistors that in addition to gate terminal G, each of the four FETs Q1, Q2, Q3, Q4 also has two terminals between which current can flow. By convention, one is known as the source terminal and the other is known as the drain terminal, dependent upon the direction of current flow between the two terminals. Source terminals and drain terminals of the same FET are structurally identical. As also will be recognized, current flow direction in a FET can be controlled such as by biasing one and/or the other of these two terminals. Because each of the FETs Q1, Q2, Q3, Q4 is built symmetrically from a source-to-terminal perspective, and because during operation of the mixer 10 each of the FETs Q1, Q2, Q3, Q4 is operated without biasing either of these two terminals, each of the FETs Q1, Q2, Q3, Q4 may be thought of as a symmetrical device having equivalent source and drain terminals. Accordingly, source terminals and drain terminals are not differentiated in FIG. 1.
During operation of mixer 10, when the LO input signal is in its positive half-cycle, two gate-connected FETs conduct, while the other two gate-connected FETs do not conduct. The converse is true when the LO input signal is in its negative half-cycle. The LO input signal switches Q1 and Q3 on and off in anti-phase with Q3 and Q4. The frequency at which the gate-connected FET pairs switch state, i.e. switch from conducting to not conducting, is dependent upon the frequency of the LO input signal at LO.
In general, current flow between source and drain terminals is controlled by gate voltage (the voltage between the gate and source terminals). A threshold voltage of a typical FET, such as FETs Q1, Q2, Q3, Q4, is defined as the gate voltage at which a conductive channel is formed between source terminal and drain terminal. Thus, if the gate voltage is below the threshold voltage, an FET is in the 'off' state, and if the gate voltage is above the threshold voltage, an FET is in the 'on' state.
In mixer 10 a gate bias at the gate terminal G of each FET Q1, Q2, Q3, Q4 alters gate voltage at the gate G, As will be understood from the above, when gate bias causes the gate voltage at any one of the FETs Q1, Q2, Q3, Q4 to rise above threshold voltage, that one FET begins to conduct. It will readily be understood that gate-connected FET pair Q1,Q3 share the same gate bias, as do gate-connected FET pair Q2,Q4
Gate bias in Mixer 10 can be introduced in two ways. Typically, gate bias is generated by gate current that flows at the positive peak of the voltage swing of the LO input signal. Alternatively, gate bias may be supplied externally by optional voltage source Vg and associated biasing circuitry (not shown in FIG. 1). As shown in FIG. 1, optional voltage source Vg is applied to LO drive through LO balun T1 to provide gate bias.
Operation of mixer 10 having gate bias generated by gate current will now be described. When the LO input signal drives the gate terminals G of FET pair Q1,Q3 more positive than their voltage, the behaviour of FET Q1 and FET Q3 can each be approximated as a simple resistive connection, i.e., channel, between the RF balun T2 and IF balun T3. And similarly, when the LO input signal drives gate terminals G of FET pair Q2,Q4 more positive than their voltage threshold, the behaviour of FET Q2 and FET Q4 can likewise be approximated as simple a resistive connection, having an opposite polarity than that of FETs Q1 and Q3, between RF balun T2 and IF balun T3. This polarity shift between baluns T2 and T3 driven by the LO input signal provides the desired mixing action. The resistance of a conducting FET can be referred to as FET channel resistance and will be further described below.
Introduced above, field effect transistors Q1, Q2, Q3, and Q4 are considered to be symmetrical devices. However, the approximation of entirely symmetrical behaviour for each of the FETs Q1, Q2, Q3, and Q4 such that each FET Q1, Q2, Q3, Q4 acts as a simple resistive connection, i.e., channel, when gated on is not accurate. This is because the voltage of the RF input signal at the RF terminal, i.e., the RF voltage, is not static, but rather varies. As the RF voltage varies, the voltage drop across a conducting FET Q1, Q2, Q3, Q4 likewise varies.
The value of the FET channel resistance of a conducting FET Q1, Q2, Q3, Q4 is dependent upon the voltage between that FET's gate terminal G and the more negative one of that FET's source terminal and drain terminal. Thus, the FET channel resistance between RF balun T2 and IF balun T3 through a conducting FET Q1, Q2, Q3, Q4 is not constant. It is modulated by and dependent upon the amplitude of the RF voltage at any given time. Accordingly, the FET channel resistance of a conducting FET in mixer 10 can more accurately be referred to as modulated FET channel resistance.
The varying FET channel resistance, modulated by RF voltage, present in each FET Q1, Q2, Q3, Q4 of mixer 10 causes undesirable intermodulation distortion, including third-order intermodulation distortion, in the IF output signal of mixer 10.

Highly linear mixer and method for cancelling FET channel resistance modulation


Methods for generating a virtual world are described. The virtual world may comprise a three-dimensional gameworld associated with a video game. The virtual world may be represented by a plurality of voxels arranged in a three-dimensional grid. Each voxel of the plurality of voxels may be associated with various attributes such as one or more color values, an opacity value, a location within the virtual world, a fill value, and a cubify value. In some embodiments, the virtual world may be generated or edited using a computer graphics editing tool that assigns one or more cubify values to one or more voxels using a voxel selection tool, such as a cubify brush. A voxel's cubify value may be used to determine how the voxel is rendered by a rendering engine, for example, whether the voxel is rendered as a rectilinear cube or as a smooth isosurface.

Video game development may refer to the software development process by which a video game may be produced. A video game may comprise an electronic game that involves human interaction by a game player of the video game for controlling video game objects, such as controlling the movement of a game-related character. The video game may be displayed to the game player via a display device, such as a television screen or computer monitor. The display device may display images corresponding with a gameworld or virtual environment associated with the video game. Various computing devices may be used for playing a video game, generating game-related images associated with the video game, and controlling gameplay interactions with the video game. For example, a video game may be played using a personal computer, handheld computing device, mobile device, or dedicated video game console.

Cubify brush operation for virtual worlds


There is disclosed a patient table for NMR mammography comprising a test subject for and two openings with are intended for inserting a breast in each case, coils being present in the immediate vicinity thereof, characterised in that in the region of an opening, below the table, a band (3) is attached, which is guided medially inwardly from the outside of the table or of the test subject, here surrounds the breast cranially or caudally, and then runs from the medial side, bearing against the breast for caudal or cranial contact with the breast, the ends of the band (13) being guided laterally outwardly, where they run adjacent to one another.

The invention relates to a patient table for NMR mammography comprising a test subject for and two openings with are intended for inserting a breast in each case, coils being present in the immediate vicinity thereof.
The mammary carcinoma, as one of the most dangerous malignant tumours, is one of the most frequent causes of death of women due to its wide incidence. Greatest importance is therefore attached to preventive examinations for early detection. As imaging examination processes, X-rays are used in X-ray mammography, in other examination procedures ultrasound (sonography) and, recently, nuclear spin tomography processes are more often used. In the latter case, it has been found that the sensitivity, that is to say the sensitiveness of the detection of cancerous tissue, is higher than in the case of investigation with X-rays or ultrasound. The investigation principal consists essentially in the fact that protons in a constant magnetic field obtain an external energy supply due to an alternating electromagnetic field, which leads to an excitation of the spin energy. With relaxation, that is to say after the return to its initial state, a radio wave is emitted from the spin, which can be registered by means of suitable detectors. The greater the number of protons, as occur, in particular, to an elevated extent in water-containing tissue, the higher is the signal density that is emitted and measured. Anatomic anomalies can be thereby diagnosed and assessed. For breast examinations, contrast agents are applied, which accumulate to a particular degree at places where an elevated blood flow predominates, and which lead to a substantial improvement of the imaging quality and its meaningfulness. The further development and improvement of such devices for mammography are an object of the subsequent invention.
NMR mammography is performed in such a manner that the patient is caused to lie face down on a patient table, where the breasts are in each case threaded into an opening and examined below the table. For this purpose, in the direct vicinity of the tissue to be investigated, the receiver coils for the emitted radio waves are attached.
The present invention has taken the development of this device for mammography as its object and aims to allow the examination to be performed in the shortest time possible and to obtain an optimum image quality.
This object is achieved according to the invention in that, in the region of an opening, below the table, a band is attached, which is guided medially inwardly from the outside of the table or of the test subject, here surrounds the breast cranially or caudally, and then runs from the medial side, bearing against the breast for caudal or cranial contact with the breast, the ends of the band being guided laterally outwardly, where they run adjacent to one another.
The fundamentals of the proposals according to the invention consist in the finding that a fixing of the breast on all sides ensures that there is no relative movement of the measurement object during the time of the imaging, and consequent fuzziness, and at the same time that the number of layers to be imaged, irrespective of whether they extend in the transverse or sagittal direction, are minimized because of the compression of the breast. The smaller the number of layers to be recorded for imaging the entire object, the faster the imaging can be performed. If the tissue region to be received is greatly reduced in its dimensions, the imaging can be performed faster than would be the case with the imaging of breasts of larger dimensions.
The proposed solution consists in using a band, which is guided medially inwardly from the outside of the table or of the test subject, here surrounds the breast cranially or caudally, and then runs from the medial side, bearing against the breast for caudal or cranial contact with the breast. The band is then guided laterally outwardly and then ends on or in the vicinity of the starting point of the band. The fixing with the aid of the band takes place in that the band is tensioned in the axial direction and is then tensioned in the axial direction outwardly in the lateral direction with respect to the plane of the body, and compression of the breast on all sides thereby takes place. The band forms a virtually closed loop, which is laid around the breast and drawn together to fix it. In practice, it is unimportant whether both ends of the band undergo tensile loading in the axial direction or whether one end is fixed and only the other end is subject to tension. The tension compresses the breast around the entire circumference and inwardly in a radial direction and leads to a fixing for the duration of the NMR imaging. The fixing is conducted by a single continuous tension in the axial direction at the end of the band.
Within the scope of the invention, it is inconsequential in what manner the tensile forces are exerted, that is to say whether it is a manual or motor-driven tensioning operation. A further substantial advantage can also be seen in the fact that, in the fixed state, tissue samples can be taken by puncturing the bands with a biopsy needle. The fixed state permits a particularly precise and targeted removal of the respective tissue.
For the concrete constructional design and implementation of the concept according to the invention, there are various possibilities within the scope of the invention. Particularly preferred is a solution in which a pressure block is used which is disposed in a lateral direction outside the breast and which serves for the reception of the outgoing and also of the returned band at its ends. To this end, two slits running approximately perpendicular to the body plane are provided at a distance from one another, which serve for the threading in of the two ends of the band, the ends projecting outwardly. In the medial direction, starting from the pressure block, specifically essentially concentric to the breast opening, the bands form a sling in such a manner that on guiding in of the breast there is first a spacing between the breast and band. If a tension is now exerted in the axial direction at one or both of the ends, specifically from laterally outside the pressure block, this leads to the loop being pulled together and the breast itself being completely encircled, even with the inclusion of the pressure block. The axial tension is continued until a resistance indicates the area contact with the breast tissue and the desired compression has built up. In principle, it is conceivable for not only the belt to be axially tensioned, but also for the pressure block to be additionally displaced in the medial direction. The result is that, with a single tensioning movement and therefore very rapidly, a fixing of the breast at all sides can be performed in a very short time.
For the guiding of the band, in expedient embodiments, various measures are conceivable. After the band in the starting position must release the opening for threading in the breast, otherwise the introduction would be prevented or at least made difficult, it is advisable to temporarily outwardly secure the belt in the edge region of the opening or in the radial direction. For this purpose, the band has on its outer surface a hook-and-loop fastener, which cooperates with the corresponding counter surface. If tension is then exerted on the band in the axial direction, the hook-and-loop fastener is released and the band can be moved towards the centre point of the opening, that is to say towards the centre of the breast, and the desired fixing can be thereby performed.
A further possibility consists in the fact that the pressure block is located opposite a bridge, through which the band was threaded. By this measure, the opening is first kept clear by the band, so that the threading in of the breast is also made easier here and, under tension, the band that is fixed on the bridge will then move the pressure block towards the bridge and in this manner transform to the fixing position.
In a constructional alternative of great importance, it is proposed to lead the band in the form of a polygon, in particular of a rectangle, in a plane that is also parallel to the plane of the body, and at the corner points to apply a deflector roller in each case, which cause the bands to describe an angle of 90 degrees and more, and are assigned to the two pressure rollers, which ensure that the band, both incoming and outgoing, is pressed on the deflector roller by the pressure roller in the direction of the (local) angle-bisector, and thus, as a result, moves the pressure rollers approximately towards one another. The pressure rollers ensure that the band remains in body contact over the entire circumference and the deflector roller itself remains spaced so that no contact can occur. The pressure rollers have the consequence that the band is guided over the entire circumference of the deflector roller. The adaptation and fixing of the breast is performed in such a manner that the corner points consisting of the two pressure rollers and the deflector roller can be traversed via a slide in two directions, for example with the aid of cross slides in the manner of a Cartesian coordinate system, and can be moved towards one another to the extent that the band comes into contact with the breast on all sides. The movement of the corner points is solved in that a tension is exerted on the band in the axial direction so that the corner points are "pulled together" against a restoring force. With this constructional solution, too, it is unimportant whether one end of the belt is spatially fixed and only the other end can be tensioned or whether both ends of the belt, which then come to lie directly against one another, are tensile-loaded simultaneously or independently of one another.
With this device, too, a rapid fixing of the breast, with the desired advantages, is then obtained.
In an expedient embodiment, it is proposed, both in the fixing unit and/or in the bands, to fit coils, which can be medially or laterally pushed in or plugged in
In the case of the bands themselves, they may be sterile products that permit tissue samples to be taken. It is also conceivable that a mesh with openings, known as a "grid" in technical language, can be introduced into the bands.
The considerations until now have been limited to achieving a compression and fixing of the breast in a plane parallel to the plane of the body. In a further embodiment, it is therefore advisable to cause the coil to approach and press on from below, that is to say perpendicular to this plane, and therefore towards the nipple, in order to achieve a compression and the desired minimization of the breast volume to be examined from this side, too. By means of the fixing element, which is equipped with coils, a movement perpendicular to the above-described plane takes place, so that, as a result, a three-dimensional fixing of the breast is obtained. By means of the further coil, a considerable improvement of the image quality is additionally obtained.
For the test subjects, it is often experienced as unpleasant that the body weight is supported on the substrate almost entirely via the breast bone (sternum). It is therefore advisable to mount supports such that they can be upwardly traversed in a direction perpendicular to the patient table and outside the sternum and to support the body thereby. In this manner, a distribution of the flow of forces and a reduction of the spot pressure loading are achieved, which the test subject experiences as pleasant.


An LED lighting tube having a first segment, a second segment, and a rotating connector between the segments. Each segment has an elongated cylindrical housing, an aperture in the sidewall of the cylindrical housing, a reflector centered within the aperture, a circuit board within the cylindrical housing, and a rotatable electrical coupling connected to an outer end of the cylindrical housing. The circuit board has an LED that aligns with the aperture. The rotatable electrical coupling has a limiter insert that provides a rotative stop, a collet that at least partially surrounds the limiter insert and is rotatable about the limiter insert, and an interface connector secured to the limiter insert and in electrical communication with the circuit board. The rotatable electrical coupling permits the LED lighting tube to connect to a light fixture while also permitting the cylindrical housing to rotate relative to the light fixture. The rotation of the collet about the limiter insert is limited by the rotative stop.

Although fluorescent lights have been a staple in industrial, commercial, and residential lighting for some time, recent developments with light emitting diodes (LED) provide benefits over standard fluorescent systems. For example, LED systems feature low energy consumption, long lamp life, and reduced maintenance costs. In addition, LED give off no infrared or ultraviolet light and contained no mercury or PCBs.
Existing devices directed to replacing florescent systems with LED have several shortfalls that are addressed by the current invention. For example, the current inventive device is designed to integrate into existing standard linear fluorescent fixtures. The segments of the lamp are also able to rotate for precise aiming of the LED, and this rotation is limited to prevent over-rotation and associated problems. Moreover, the degree of rotation can be precisely measured by indications on the device, and the device can be locked into a particular position to prevent undesired further rotation.

LED lighting tube with rotational end caps


Graphical interactive prediction evaluation is provided. An extrapolation threshold value is computed using an extrapolation threshold function with an explanatory variable value of each of a plurality of explanatory variables read for each observation vector of a plurality of observation vectors. A model is fit to the observation vectors. Model results are presented in a display that include a first value for each explanatory variable. An indicator of a second value of at least one of the explanatory variables that is different from the first value is received. An extrapolation value is computed using an extrapolation function with the second value and the first value of others of the explanatory variables. The extrapolation value is compared to the extrapolation threshold value. An extrapolation indicator is presented in the display when the comparison indicates that the second value is an extrapolation.

In training or fitting a model, optimal settings or model exploration may extrapolate beyond the correlation structure of the data used to train or fit the model. The user may be unaware of the extrapolation. For example, a user may be exploring model results presented graphically in a graphical user interface and extrapolate beyond the correlation structure of the data without being aware that the exploration is in an extrapolated space. Extrapolation is risky for a number of reasons:                predictions rely on model assumptions that may become more invalid the further the prediction is from the original data,        prediction uncertainty increases the further the prediction is from the original data, and        extrapolations may involve combinations of the data that cannot be realized physically. For example, the temperature and pressure of a system are positively correlated. It may not be physically possible to set a temperature variable value to an extremely high value, and a pressure variable value to an extremely low value.

Analytic system with extrapolation control in interactive graphical prediction evaluation


A debris separator for a dredge pump includes a body portion having a top ll, a bottom wall, first and second side walls, and an aft end wall, the aft end wall defining a separator outlet for connection to the pump, a funnel portion having an entry end defining a separator inlet and a larger discharge end fixed to a forward inlet end of the body portion. The separator further includes a door hingedly mounted on the body portion first side wall and spring biased to a closed position overlying an opening in the first side wall, and a floor in the body portion slanted toward the bottom wall and toward the first side wall opening. Thus, upon stopping of the pump, back pressure is generated in the body by backflow of water into the separator. Backpressure causes the hinged side door to open. Heavy objects which have fallen to the slanted floor, due to the reduction of flow velocity through the separator, are flushed out of the separator with discharge water. When the discharge line empties, or the pump is restarted, the door closes under the spring bias.

(1) Field of the Invention
This invention relates to separator devices and more particularly to a separator device of the type adapted to intercept and discard heavy objects drawn into an intake in communication with a dredge pump, slurry pump, or the like.
(2) Description of the Prior Art
In dredging operations, wherein water and silt, as from a water body bed, are ingested by a body connected to a rotary pump, and passed through the body and through the pump toward a dump location, an ever-present hazard is the occasional relatively large heavy object, particularly unexploded ordnance, ingested into the system. If the object reaches the pump, the pump may be extensively damaged and if the object is explosive, obviously a threat to life can be activated.
Accordingly, there is a need for a separator between the water inlet and the pump inlet for automatically separating out such objects and discharging such objects from the water flow stream prior to the entry of the object into the pump inlet.

Debris separator for dredge or slurry pump

The United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Army


An apparatus and method is disclosed for transmitting signals over a signal conductor using a precompensated driver that does not use a current source, and which drives the signal conductor with an impedance similar to the characteristic impedance of the signal conductor. Since no current source is used, the precompensated driver can operate at very low supply voltage.

1. Field of the Invention
The current invention generally relates to semiconductor products. More specifically, the current invention relates to high speed precompensated drivers
2. Description of the Related Art
Components in electronic systems are generally interconnected by signal conductors, also known as transmission lines, which carry information sent from a first semiconductor chip to a second semiconductor chip. Such signal conductors are generally characterized by their inductance per unit length, capacitance per unit length, and attenuation per unit length. Skin effect attenuation on such signal conductors will distort a transmitted signal. This attenuation is frequency dependent and affects both the amplitude and phase of the transmitted signal. The skin effect attenuation reshapes data pulses in the transmitted signal and smears the signal in time so that adjacent bits overlap and interfere at a receiving end of the signal conductor. The arrival time of each bit in the transmitted signal becomes dependent on a preceding bit pattern. This is referred to as ISI (intersymbol interference) or pattern dependent jitter. ISI becomes very pronounced with long signal conductors and high frequency data streams.
Precompensation, also known as transmitter equalization, can be used to reduce ISI due to the effects of attenuation on the signal conductor. A high pass filter cascaded with the cable will equalize the frequency response of the signal conductor and reduce distortion on the transmitted signal. With precompensation the equalizing high pass filter is implemented as a digital filter combined with an output driver that drives the transmitted signal onto a proximal end of the signal conductor.
FIG. 1A illustrates the ISI on an unequalized signal conductor; FIG. 1B illustrates how ISI can be dramatically improved with precompensation. In FIG. 1A, signal 2A is the signal driven at the proximal end of the signal conductor and signal 4A is the signal as received at a distal end of the signal conductor. Note that, in FIG. 1A, the output driver always drives the same voltages (+0.5 uplevel, −0.5 downlevel, as the "relative signal level" in FIG. 1A). Signal 4A reaches a much higher voltage at the distal end of the signal conductor when a positive relative signal level is driven for a relatively long time. It is apparent from inspection of FIG. 1A that arrival time of a particular pulse is very dependent upon the preceding pattern of pulses. It is doubtful that signal 4B can be reliably received at all, since, as shown at approximately 42 nsec, a brief negative pulse following a long pulse barely falls under a relative signal level of zero, which is the switching threshold of a receiver at the distal end of the signal conductor. FIG. 1B shows how a relatively sophisticated precompensation scheme can make pulses transmitted at the proximal end of the signal conductor arrive at the distal end of the signal conductor at predictable times and with similar amplitudes. The output driver drives signal 2B at the proximal end of the signal conductor. It will be noted that, depending on a prior pattern of switching, the output driver drives the proximal end of the signal conductor with different amplitudes at different times determined by a digital filter that implements the equalizing high pass filter.
The signal conductor has a frequency response, or transfer function, Hsc; the digital filter has a frequency response, or transfer function, of Hdf. The overall frequency response (transfer function) of the digital filter and the signal conductor is Hoverall=HscHdf. If Hdf=1/Hsc the overall response is undistorted. In practice, the digital filter in a particular precompensated driver design is only an approximation of the ideal, and considers only a small history of preceding patterns. The embodiment of a practical digital filter is typically limited by the designer for economic reasons in the number of voltage levels that can be driven and the duration that each voltage level is driven.
A previous design of a precompensated driver, U.S. Pat. No. 6,690,196, by Cecchi, et al, teaches a simultaneous bi-directional I/O system comprising precompensated output drivers. The output stage in this patent switches on one or more CMOS current sources of values suitable to transmit signals down a signal conductor according to the digital filter design.
Current sources, such as those described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,690,196 require sufficient voltage supplied to the driver output to operate. Voltage supplies applied to modern semiconductor technologies have been of decreasing voltage for many years, and the trend to drop the voltage of the supply voltage even further is strongly motivated by increasingly thin oxides and FET (field effect transistor) channel lengths. Therefore, use of current sources in the output stage is becoming increasingly difficult. Another drawback of current sources is their high output impedance. Although high speed systems typically are designed with termination of similar impedance to a characteristic impedance of the signal conductor, as determined by the inductance per unit length and capacitance per unit length, such terminators take up area on the semiconductor chips.
Therefore, there is a need for a precompensated driver that embodies a precompensated driver transfer function that does not require current sources in the output stage, and provides proper termination in the output stage.

Pre-emphasis driver with constant impedance

International Business Machines Corporation


A write-protect button is designed to be retrofitted into an intact floppy disk which has been constructed with a write-protect assembly but without the write-protect button. The present invention also includes a method of retrofitting the write-protect button into an intact floppy disk without dismantling the disk.

Computers use a variety of systems to "write" or store programs and data. Examples of systems include electromagnetism and lazer-written processes such as flop-optics. The write/read head in the computer drive converts electric code signals from the computer into magnetic codes recorded on the surface of the disk. The disk drive then reverses this process to "read" the disk. A general discussion of this process may be found in Macaulay, D., 1988, The Way Things Work, Houghton-Mifflin Company, Boston, pp. 302-303 and 340.
A floppy disk is a flexible magnetic disk used in a disk drive of a computer to store or retrieve programs and data. The disk is inserted into the disk drive of the computer by hand. The disk is protected by a jacket in which a window is cut to expose the surface of the disk. Inside the disk drive, the head travels along the window as the disk rotates inside the jacket. The jacket also prevents the disk from damage during the handling process.
There are two common types of floppy disks in the computer industry: a 31/2 inch size disk and a 51/4 inch disk. The present invention is specifically directed to the 31/2 inch size disk, illustrated in FIGS. 1-3 and described later in this disclosure, primarily because it incorporates a write-protect system comprising a small window extending through the disk jacket. The write-protect system is intended to prevent inadvertent erasure of the information recorded on the disk. By obstructing the window with a write-protect button, also described later in this disclosure, the disk operates in the "write/read" format. When the window is not blocked, the disk only serves in the "read only" format.
The 51/4 inch disk has a similar write/read capability; however, the write/read assembly in the 51/4 inch disk usually includes a notch formed on the edge of the disk. In order to change the "read only" format of the 51/4 inch disk into a "write/read" format, the notch must be filled in. Disclosures such as U.S. Pat. No. 4,649,452 to Brugman, U.S. Pat. No. 4,658,317 to Lievsay, Jr., U.S. Pat. No. 4,771,354 to Zschau, U.S. Pat. No. 4,757,407 to Simokat, U.S. Pat. No. 4,969,060 to O'Neill, and U.S. Pat. No. 4,618,060 to Tarter all illustrate various forms of write-protect clips designed to be retrofitted onto a 5-inch floppy disk to turn the disk into a "read only" disk.
Reference is made to U.S. Pat. No. 4,409,630 to Saito, which discloses a write-protect tab assembly including a write-protect button slidably mounted in a pocket formed in the jacket of a computer disk. U.S. Pat. No. Re. 33,961 to Swinburne et al. is also directed to a write-protect tab assembly for a floppy disk jacket. Unlike Saito, the Swinburne et al. tab is designed to snap onto or be "encaptured" by a jacket base before the cover of the jacket enclosing the floppy disk is attached to the base. Apparently, the cover must sometimes be removed from the base after the jacket has been assembled and sealed. In the Saito disclosure, the write-protect button is not "encaptured" in the floppy disk jacket. When the jacket assembly is subsequently disassembled, the button falls out during the handling process. Swinburne et al. resolve this problem by slidably attaching the button to the base so that it will not fall out. However, the tab is not designed to be retrofitted into an assembled floppy disk jacket.
Computer floppy disks are commonly prepared with a write-protect assembly, as disclosed in the '630 patent to Saito and the '961 patent to Swinburne et al. The assembly gives the computer disk owner the option of using the disk in the "write/read" mode, in which the computer operator can read, enter and delete information from the disk or the "read only" mode, in which the operator can read information from the disk but not insert or delete information. This capability is accomplished by a slidable button, which will be described further on in this disclosure.
Many of the disks currently being produced for consumer use, especially the pre-programmed disks, i.e., disks containing previously entered software for use by a computer operator in the operator's computer, do not contain the slidable write-protect button in the floppy disk jacket. Thus, the "read only" window cannot be blocked which leaves the disk in the "read only" format. Unless the window can be obscured somehow, the disk is suitable only for reading the information previously placed on the floppy disk. This makes the floppy disk unfit for further use after the information has been transferred onto a computer disk hard drive. Presently, there is no means to retrofit a floppy disk with a write-protect button.

Installable write-protect button for floppy disk


A portable, individual, collapsible latrine especially suitable for outdoor use including military personnel. The latrine comprises a pair of generally rectangular shaped members, preferably of a molded plastic material, fitting one inside the other and hingedly connected, to form a collapsible frame. A pair of straps connect the upper ends of the two frame members to limit the extent of opening, and to support weight placed on the lid (namely the weight of a user). A lid (also of a molded plastic material) is hingedly connected to one of the frame members, preferably by means of a “living hinge” molded into the material. A disposable bag fits into an opening in the lid, for capturing human waste, with material in the bag to at least partially absorb the waste. A supply of toilet tissue, bags, and absorbent material are carried on the frame by removable cords. Retainer straps are provided on both sides of the latrine, with at least one end removably mounted by a hook-and-loop fastener, for secure yet releasable holding of equipment, for example a weapon.

This invention relates generally to apparatus for use in personal hygiene matters in a "field" (that is, not in a home or other structure) setting. With more particularity, this invention relates to a novel type of portable latrine, which is collapsible for easy carrying and storage on any civilian or military vehicle by straps or bungee cords, is preferably made from light weight and inexpensive materials, and comprises additional attributes which make it desirable for use by humans, including but not limited to military personnel in the field.


Methods for the production and use of stable complexes of duplex nucleic acid molecules and oligonucleotides are presented. These complexes can be used for the detection and purification of a known nucleic acid target as well as the manipulation of a defined nucleic acid target sequence.

In the presence of ATP, the Escherichia coli RecA protein, or a homologous recombination protein from another organism, catalyzes strand exchange between a number of substrates, including between single- and double-stranded DNAs. A RecA protein coated single-stranded oligonucleotide interacts with double-stranded target nucleic acid sequence homologous to the oligonucleotide in a process called "synapsis." During synapsis an intermediate containing hybridized, partially joined molecules is formed followed by branch migration to form fully hybrid molecules between the original single- and double-stranded DNAs. The extent to which the nucleic acid molecules hybridize is dependent upon the extent of their homology and hybridization between two nucleic acids that are not completely complementary is stabilized in the presence of RecA.
RecA protein can form stable complexes with short oligonucleotides, at least approximately 9 nucleotides in length, in the presence of the non-hydrolyzable ATP analog, ATP-γ-S. These RecA coated nucleic acid complexes can then be mixed with target double-stranded nucleic acid to form triplex nucleic acid structures or "single D-loops," which are extremely unstable in the absence of RecA. Upon removal of RecA protein the single D-loop joints are stable in supercoiled but very unstable in relaxed DNA.
Addition of a second oligonucleotide that recognizes the strand of the target nucleic acid opposite to the first oligonucleotide results in the formation of a complement-stabilized or "double" D-loop structure. Although this structure is more stable after removal of RecA than the single D-loop structure, the stability depends on the length of the oligonucleotides, and when two DNA oligonucleotides are used the oligonucleotides generally must be at least about 80 nucleotides. See, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,670,316, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. Previous efforts to enhance the stability of a double D-loop after removal of RecA involve complex dideoxyoligonucleotides which comprise unusual secondary structures. See, for example, international patent application WO 00/63365, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.
When a linear, double-stranded nucleic acid target and oligonucleotides homologous to the end of the target are used, the structures that are formed at the end of the linear duplex are a subcategory of double D-loops designated "Y-loops". Y-loops can be formed by the same methods used to form double D-loops.
A need exists for stable oligonucleotide:target nucleic acid complexes made using simple, inexpensive oligonucleotides.

Genomics applications for modified OLIGO nucleotides


A method of sharing a target object which includes: obtaining a geo location of a first user; obtaining a focus of the first user to a target object; determining a distance to the target object from the first user; determining the geo location of the target object; obtaining a geo location of a second user; transmitting the geo location of the target object to the second user; prompting the second user to focus on the target object; and displaying the target object to the second user. The method may be implemented on one or more computer devices. There is also a computer program product and a system for sharing a target object between a first user and a second user.

The present invention relates to the sharing of objects between users and, more particularly, relates to a first user sharing an image of an object with a second user which may include highlighting the viewed object to the second user wherein both first user and second user have head mounted computer devices.
Head mounted devices for viewing objects are well known. One such head mounted device is Google Glass in which a pair of glasses has a video display and computer device in the frame of the glasses. The head mounted device may be used for a number of functions including taking pictures, sending images, and communicating with others by Wi-Fi or cellular technology.
Objects may be viewed by such head mounted devices. However, when a first user is viewing an object some distance away (such as a deer in the woods) and wants to point out the object to a second user, it may be difficult to explain the object and its location sufficiently so that a second user can find and view the object.


It is provided a novel method of producing polarization inversion parts by electric field polling process wherein the polarization inversion part extends to a deeper point from the surface of a substrate. The polarization inversion part is produced by electric field polling process using a comb electrode having a plurality of electrode portions 5 and a feeding portion 1. Each electrode portion 5 has a base portion 6 extending from the feeding portion 1 and a plurality of conductive portions 5a, 5b and 5c separated from the base portions 6, and the conductive portions have an average length “d” of 4 μm or longer and 9 μm or shorter. Alternatively, each electrode portion 5 has a base portion 6 extending from the feeding portion 1 and a plurality of conductive portions 5a, 5b and 5c separated from the base portion 6, and the conductive portion 5b at the tip end of the electrode portion has a length “db” smaller than the length “da” of the conductive portion 5b nearest to the base portion.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a method of producing polarization inversion parts by means of an electric field poling process.
2. Related Art Statement
A second harmonic generation device based on a quasi-phase-matching system has a ferroelectric single crystal, such as lithium niobate or lithium tantalite single crystal, with periodic polarization inversion structure formed therein. The device can generate light of selectable wavelengths in a range from ultraviolet to infrared ray. Such device can be applied in various fields including an optical disk memory, medical, opto-chemical and various kinds of optical measurement uses.
It is necessary to form deep polarization inversion structure in a ferroelectric single crystal, for attaining a high conversion efficiency in a second harmonic wave generation device. According to the method described in Japanese Patent publication No. H11-72809A, the surface of a substrate of a ferroelectric single crystal is inclined with respect to the polarization axis of the crystal by 3° and a comb electrode and rod-shaped electrode are formed on the surface of the substrate. Several low resistance portions are formed between the tip end of each electrode piece of the comb electrode and the rod-shaped electrode. Direct current voltage is then applied on the comb and rod-shaped electrodes, so that polarization inversion parts are formed corresponding with the electrode pieces of the comb electrode as well as the low resistance portions, as shown in FIG. 28 of H11-72809A. Specifically, it is described that the length of the low resistance portion may preferably be 10 to 30 μm and may be 20 μm, for example.

Production method for polarization inversion unit


A method for treating a gas is shown which includes the steps of: injecting a powdered compound into the gas line, injecting an aqueous phase in droplet form into the line, capturing pollutants from the gases, and recovering the powdered compound separately. The step for injecting an aqueous phase in droplet form is done so as to moisten those particles of powdered compound in the gas line, when they are injected.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method for treating gases having a predetermined flow direction in a gas conduit comprising the steps                a) injecting a powdery compound into the flue gas conduit at an injection point of a powdery compound, via a powdery compound injection piping, said injection piping having an external face and an internal face arranged so as to be in contact with said powdery compound, so as to allow formation of a cloud or flow of particles of powdery compound in said gas conduit,        b) injecting a monophasic liquid aqueous phase, as droplets, into said gas conduit,        c) capturing pollutants of the gases with said powdery compound, and        d) separately recovering said powdery compound enriched in pollutants and the gases depleted in pollutants.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Typically, the treatment of gases, in particular flue gases, requires reduction of acid gases, notably HCl, SO2 and/or HF, which reduction may be carried out under dry conditions, by injecting a substance, often mineral, dry and powdery into a flue gas flow or through a filter-bed comprising solid particles either fixed or in motion. In this case, the powdery compound generally comprises a calcium-magnesium compound, in particular lime, preferably slaked or hydrated lime or a sodium compound like a sodium carbonate or bicarbonate. Other mineral compounds may also be used notably those used for reducing dioxins, furans and/or heavy metals including mercury, like for example, those based on phyllosilicates, such as seplolite or halloysite or the like.
The present invention is more particularly directed to methods for reducing acid gases in gases, in particular flue gases, by injecting a powdery product having capabilities of capturing acid pollutants in the gas flow in order to improve the reducing yields of the acid gas components of the treated gases.
More particularly a treatment of these flue gases with powdery hydrated lime is known, improved by the use of humidified hydrated lime instead of dry powdery hydrated lime. Indeed, the absorption of the pollutants of the gas phase by the particles of the solid phase is improved by the presence of water. Sometimes such a flue gases treatment is described as a semi-dry method. A method of using hydrated lime and water is also known wherein milk of lime is injected into the flue gases flow. Unfortunately, the injection of milk of lime assumes the implementation of specific means (dispersion turbines, circulation pump) which are energy consuming and subject to wear and to erosion and may lead to clogging problems. Documents CN 2011 68568 and JP 10-216 572 each propose an alternative intended to solve the clogging problems by making the milk of lime suspension in situ during the injection. For this purpose, a lance consisting of two concentric tubes, i.e. an internal tube and an external tube, is used. The water is injected via the internal tube while the hydrated lime is injected via the external tube. According to CN 2011 68568, the position of the internal tube may be adjusted relatively to the position of the external tube and it is therefore possible to have an internal tube for the water having a protruding or retracted output orifice or further at the same level with respect to an output orifice of hydrated lime of the external tube.
According to these documents, the design of the spraying lances imposes that the water projection tube be internal to the tube for projection of powdery hydrated lime. Therefore the result of this is that the sprayed lime encounters an obstacle within the external spraying tube which lies in the Internal tube for projecting water. In this way, the hydrated lime comes into contact with the generally metallic and cold surface of the internal tube, on which the lime tends to be clogged.
Further, according to these documents, the humidity level of the hydrated lime induces a water/lime mass ratio from 5 to 6 in order to form a suspension in situ. This suspension actually provides an ancillary detrimental effect for the treatment of flue gases in that the gas is further significantly cooled upon injection of hydrated lime. This assumes the availability of sufficiently hot flue gases in order for depollution to be effective; however this is not sought today while industrialists have an increasingly pronounced tendency of recovering at best the heat of the flue gases for economical and environmental reasons.
Moreover, when the hydrated lime comes into contact with a cold surface, as this is the case of the surface of the internal tube for projecting water of these documents, condensation occurs within the hydrated lime projection tube, which also has the result of promoting clogging of the projection tube and thus perturbing the injection of lime into the flue gases flow.
Finally, a water/lime mass ratio as high as the aforementioned one assumes availability and large consumption of water.
A device for injecting lime into flue gases is also known, wherein the powdery or hydrated lime injection piping is surrounded by an external concentric piping through which gas is injected (cf. US 2012/0251423).

Method and device for treating gas by injecting a powdered compound and an aqueous phase