The present invention relates to automated generation of multi-dimensional structure activity and structure property relationships.

With the development and implementation of High-Throughput Systems (HTS) the pharmaceutical industry faces more and more the problem of an adequate analysis of the obtained data. In particular, there is a need for conversion of information derived from multi-dimensional data matrixes into structural chemical information.
It is the object of the present invention to provide a method for automatic finding of potential correlations in complex data matrixes. It is a further object of the present invention to provide a user with chemical structural or chemical property information about the latent multidimensional cohesions. These objects are achieved with the features of the claims.
According to a first aspect, the present invention provides a method directed to the analysis of the effect of a structural fragment of a chemical structure on at least one biological descriptor.
The method according to the first aspect comprises the steps of:                A) providing data about at least one set of chemical structures;        B) providing data about at least one biological descriptor;        C) calculating structural fragments for each chemical structure;        D) associating said structural fragments for each chemical structure with said biological descriptor data in order to obtain a data matrix;        E) analysing the data in said data matrix with a view on the effect of a fragment of each chemical structure on said biological descriptor; and        F) visualizing the result of said analysis.
Preferably, in step e), each of the fragments calculated in step c) is linked to the biological descriptor data. This is preferably done using a partial-least-square method. Alternatively, neural networks, multiple linear regression, or support vector machines are used.
In step d) of the method of the first aspect of the present invention, the fragments are preferably selected on the basis of a predefined scaffold structure. In this context, the term "predefined scaffold structure" means a basic structure being selected by the user of the method, for example a chemist, and the fragments of such basic structure are varied. Predefined scaffolds structures can also be identified by an automated search for the most common chemical substructure. As an alternative, the present method encompasses that in step d) the fragments are generated on the basis of molecular fragments.
According to a preferred embodiment of the method according to the first aspect, step d) is followed by the step of calculating physico-chemical properties for each fragment. Preferably, step e) analyses the data in the data matrix with a view on the effect of a fragment and its physico-chemical properties on the biological descriptor. Each physico-chemical property of each fragment is preferably linked to the biological descriptor data.
According to a second aspect, the present invention provides a method directed to the analysis of the effect of physico-chemical properties of a chemical structure on at least one biological descriptor.
The method according to the second aspect comprises the steps of:                A) providing data about at least one set of chemical structures;        B) providing data about one biological descriptor;        C) calculating physico-chemical properties of each chemical structure;        D) associating said physico-chemical properties of each chemical structure with said biological descriptor data in order to obtain a data matrix;        E) analysing the data in said data matrix with a view on the effect of each physico-chemical property of each chemical structure on said biological descriptor; and        F) visualizing the result of said analysis.
Preferably, in step E), each physico-chemical property of each chemical structure is linked to said biological descriptor data.
The physico-chemical properties of said chemical structures or fragments are preferably selected from the group comprising hydrophilicity, hydrophobicity, electricity, shape, and amphiphilicity. However, the present invention is not limited to these properties. In this context, reference is made to Todeschini, Roberto Consonni, Viviana, Handbook of Molecular Descriptors, Methods and Principles in Medical Chemistry Vol. 11, WILEY-VCH, 2000.
According to the methods of the first and second aspect, the biological descriptor data are independently selected from pharmacological, toxicological, and pharmacokinetic data. For example, the at least one biological descriptor is selected from the group comprising descriptors relating to receptor activity, selectivity, bio-availability, and in vivo activity. However, these biological descriptors are only examples of a variety of descriptors that are preferably used in the present invention. Further examples of potential descriptors are given below.
Like in the method of the first aspect, the second aspect of the present invention preferably uses a partial-least-square method for analysing the data in the data matrix with a view on the effect of each physico-chemical property of each chemical structure on the biological descriptor (step E)). Alternatively, as mentioned above, neural networks, multiple linear regression, or support vector machines are used.
In the following, preferred features of the first and the second aspect are described.
Preferably, the visualisation of the results is made as a two-dimensional pattern or matrix dependent on the chemical structure and the biological descriptor(s), wherein the pattern represents a positive or negative effect of each of the fragments or each physico-chemical property on the biological descriptor(s). More preferably, the portions of the pattern representing a positive effect of each of the fragments or each physico-chemical property on the biological descriptor are highlighted different from the portions of the pattern representing a negative effect of each of the fragments or each physico-chemical property on the biological descriptor(s). Most preferably, the different portions are coloured differently.
The methods of the first or second aspect may further comprise the step of validating the result with an independent data set.
According to a further preferred embodiment, the methods comprise the step of automatically generating new molecules with favourable multi-dimensional profiles.
In the following, the method steps of the present invention are described in more detail. The methods of the present invention start with the data input (chemical structures and one or more biological descriptors with its activities). Preferably, at least three chemical structures, more preferably five, are provided as input data. Furthermore, the biological parameter or descriptor is provided as input data, and the activities of this descriptor. Preferably three activities are input, more preferably five activities for each biological descriptor.
Based on these input data, according to the method of the first aspect of the present invention, the fragments of the chemical structures are varied in order to obtain various sets for the data analysis, and the PLS is performed on these various data sets. As an example, the following equation is used according to the present invention:Y=a·FragmentA+b·FragmentB+ . . . +x·FragmentN+Z  (1)
wherein Y represents the activity value of the biological descriptor being provided as input, FragmentA through FragmentN represent the fragments that are considered, a through x are coefficients, and z is a constant. Each parameter FragmentI is either 1 or 0 dependent on whether the fragment is considered in the particular model or not.
This general formula shows that in principle a plurality of fragments can be considered for the data analysis. However, in practice, it is desirable to have only a few number of fragments in order to keep the number of necessary calculations at a reasonable minimum, and more importantly to ensure that the results can be interpreted and that the influence and effect of each fragment can be determined by the user.
According to the method of the second aspect of the present invention, again based on these input data, the physico-chemical properties of the chemical structures are for example calculated or read from a database, and the PLS is performed on these various models. As an example, the following formula is used according to the present invention:Y=a·property1+b·property2+ . . . +x·propertyN+z  (2)
wherein Y represents the activity value of the biological descriptor being provided as input, property1 through propertyN represent the physico-chemical properties that are considered, a through x are coefficients, and z is a constant. This general formula shows that in principle a plurality of properties can be considered for the data analysis. However, in practice, it is desirable to have only a few number of properties in order to keep the number of necessary calculations at a reasonable minimum, and more importantly to ensure that the results can be interpreted and that the influence and effect of each property can be determined.
Typically, equations (1) and (2) are solved for all activities provided as input data, i.e. the unknown coefficients and constant of these equations are calculated on the basis of the available equations, one for each activity.
Preferably, the coefficients are normalized and centralized so that they are comparable with each other (because they may have different dimensions).
According to the present invention, three aspects are an indication for the quality of the model (i.e. three quality parameters). First, the variable importance, i.e., the relevance of the fragment or physico-chemical property. Secondly, the absolute value of the calculated coefficients (in case PLS is used for the data analysis). If a calculated coefficient (of above equations (1) or (2)) is small, the effect of the associated variable is only small, even if this variable is an important one. Thirdly, the number of variables (fragments or physico-chemical properties) that are used. Basically, as mentioned above, the number of variables should be as small as possible in order to have a model that is interpretable by the user.

Automated generation of multi-dimensional structure activity and structure property relationships


A link apparatus of a variable rear spoiler for a vehicle, may include an outer linkage coupled to a motorized rotating drive shaft, a base bracket affixed to a vehicle body and a spoiler bracket connected to a rear spoiler, wherein the outer linkage determines a withdrawal height of the rear spoiler at a fully open state of the rear spoiler, and an inner linkage positioned inside of the outer linkage and coupled to the drive shaft, the base bracket, and the spoiler bracket, wherein the inner linkage determines a withdrawal angle of the rear spoiler at the fully open state of the rear spoiler.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a link apparatus of a variable rear spoiler for a vehicle, and more specifically to a link apparatus of a variable rear spoiler which is drawn and housed in accordance with vehicle speed.
2. Description of Related Art
As a vehicle is driven at increasing speeds, it is natural for the body of the vehicle to rise up, this causes the traction or grip of the tire to weaken thereby lessening the vehicle's stability and also limiting the vehicle from being driven at high speeds.
In order to prevent this, an attachment corresponding to a spoiler is necessary to place downward pressure on a body of a vehicle, the name 'air spoiler' is generally in accordance with the action of changing the airflow.
In recent years, a trend is growing for applying a variable rear spoiler which is drawn and housed in accordance with a vehicle speed matching with a gentrified vehicle, and FIGS. 1(A) and (B) are views of a rear spoiler 1 in a housed and drawn state.
The variable rear spoiler is typically drawn and housed by the rotational movement of a link device which receives power from a motor, wherein the link device as in the related art includes, a drive link 11 which rotates by receiving power from a motor. a fixing link 12 affixed to a vehicle body. an upper link 13 hinged to the drive link 11 and connected to a spoiler bracket 3. a rotary link 14 both ends of which are hinged to the fixing link 12 and the upper link. an intermediate link 15 connected to the rotary link 14, as shown in FIG. 2.
With respect to the link device when the rear spoiler 1 is withdrawn, as illustrated above, the drive link 11, fixing link 12, upper link 13, and the rotary link 14 are unfolded into a trapezoidal shape, and at this time the intermediate link 15 supports the rotary link 14, thereby becoming a structure for supporting load input from the spoiler 1.
However, according to the conventional link device, the intermediate link 15 is able to support the rotary link 14 only when the rear spoiler 1 is fully opened, thus the operation of the rear spoiler 1 needs to be set as a single stage control of a closed state (housed state) and a fully opened state (withdrawn state).
That is, according to the conventional link device, the rear spoiler 1 is unable to be controlled to the semi-open state, and thus electricity must be continuously applied to the motor so as to maintain the semi-open state. In this case, the load on the motor is increased and there is risk of damage, particularly reducing fuel efficiency.
In addition, according to the conventional link device, the intermediate link 15 is used for bearing the load applied while the rear spoiler 1 is in the fully open state, thereby increasing the number of components, weight, and costs.
In addition, according to the conventional link device, only the withdrawn height of the spoiler bracket 3 can be adjusted by the configuration of the upper link 13 and the rotary link 14 in accordance with the rotation of the drive link 11, and the withdrawn angle thereof cannot be adjusted, accordingly a withdrawn angle of a rotary variable rear spoiler 1 cannot be adjusted.
In addition, according to the conventional link device, a drive link 11, fixing link 12, upper link 13, and a rotary link 14 are arranged in a single type linkage to form a trapezoid shape while they are unfolded, and the torque and external force required to withdraw and house the rear spoiler 1 are concentrated on the single linkage and thus it causes a low load dispersion effect and a weak durability. Further, when the thickness of the links is increased to reinforce the durability of the links, the operation responsibility is reduced with increases in weight and cost occurring.
The information disclosed in this Background of the Invention section is only for enhancement of understanding of the general background of the invention and should not be taken as an acknowledgement or any form of suggestion that this information forms the prior art already known to a person skilled in the art.

Link apparatus of variable rear spoiler for vehicle


In one embodiment, a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus includes a polishing table configured to hold a polishing pad, a polishing head configured to hold a substrate to be polished by the polishing pad, and a polishing liquid feeder configured to feed a polishing liquid to the polishing pad. The apparatus further includes a heat exchanger configured to be placed on the polishing pad and control temperatures of the polishing pad and the polishing liquid, and one or more protruding portions provided on a side face or a bottom face of the heat exchanger.

In some cases, a CMP (chemical mechanical polishing) apparatus for polishing a wafer includes a heat exchanger for controlling temperatures of a polishing pad and a polishing liquid (slurry). In these cases, entry of the polishing liquid into an area between the polishing pad and the heat exchanger is desired, but how to cause the entry of the polishing liquid is a problem.

Semiconductor manufacturing apparatus and method of manufacturing semiconductor device


A structure is provided for significantly reducing the current excessively consumed for generating a high-speed clock signal necessary for signal processing, and significantly improve the jitter characteristics of the high-speed clock signal. The structure includes a reference-clock signal generation circuit, a time-base processing circuit, a PLL circuit, and a high-speed signal processing circuit. A low-speed reference-clock signal generated by the reference-clock signal generation circuit is provided to the PLL circuit. The PLL circuit generates a high-speed clock signal by multiplying the reference-clock signal by a factor of N. The factor N is at least 100. To reduce a jitter of the high-speed clock signal generated by the PLL circuit, a natural angular frequency ωn and a damping factor ζ that relate to the response characteristics of the system of the PLL circuit are set to range from 3 kHz to 10 kHz, and 0.01 or less, respectively.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a semiconductor integrated device equipped with a reference-clock signal generation circuit that generates a low-speed reference-clock signal, and a high-speed signal processing circuit that can conduct high-speed signal processing.
2. Related Art
A conventional semiconductor integrated device is equipped with, as shown in FIG. 6, a reference-clock signal generation circuit 1, a time-base processing circuit 2, a fundamental-frequency-oscillation circuit 3, a phase-locked loop (PLL) circuit 4, and a high-speed signal processing circuit 5.
In a semiconductor integrated device composed as illustrated, the reference-clock signal generation circuit 1 is constituted of a quartz-oscillation circuit etc., generating a low-speed reference-clock signal S1. The frequency of reference-clock signal S1 is, for example, 32 kHz.
The time-base processing circuit 2 conducts a variety of processes, such as dividing the reference-clock signal S1 fed from the reference-clock signal generation circuit 1 to generate (and output) time data (time information), handling interruptions into the high-speed signal processing circuit 5 based on the time data, and monitoring with a watchdog timer function.
The fundamental-frequency-oscillation circuit 3 is constituted of a quartz-oscillation circuit etc., and generates a medium-speed clock signal S2. The PLL circuit 4 generates a high-speed clock signal S3 by multiplying the clock signal S2 fed from the fundamental-frequency-oscillation circuit 3 by a factor of N. Here, the frequency of the clock signal S2 is, for example, several MHz. The factor N for the clock signal S2 is up to around several dozen.
The high-speed signal processing circuit 5 is driven by the clock signal S3, conducts predetermined data processing of a high-speed signal S4 that is input from the outside, and outputs a processed high-speed signal S5 to the outside.
The PLL circuit 4 shown in FIG. 6 is composed, in general, of a phase comparator, a loop filter, a voltage-controlled oscillator (VCO), and a frequency divider (for example, refer to Howard M. Berlin. Design of Phase-Locked Loop Circuits, with Experiments (PLL no sekkei to jitsuyou kairo. (Japanese translation)). Translated by Keiichi Miyata, et al. C-Task).
The characteristics of a PLL circuit composed as illustrated can be determined by analyzing the transfer characteristic of its feedback loop. Here, a natural angular frequency ωn and a damping factor ζ are considered to be important elements for specifying the response of the system of the PLL circuit.
If the frequency of the clock signal S3 is in the range between several MHz to several hundred MHz as in the conventional PLL circuit shown in FIG. 6, it is suggested that, in order to maximize the performance of that PLL circuit, the natural angular frequency con be several MHz and the damping factor ζ be within the range of 0.5 to 0.8 inclusive.
Moreover, in order for both the natural angular frequency an and the damping factor ζ to fall within the aforementioned ranges, the capacity of a capacitor used for the loop filter composing the PLL circuit is required to be large, and consequently, an external capacitor has been used conventionally.
However, the conventional semiconductor integrated device shown in FIG. 6 is equipped with the reference-clock signal generation circuit 1 and the fundamental-frequency-oscillation circuit 3, and there is a large difference in the frequencies of the signals generated by each of the circuits. For this reason, the fundamental-frequency-oscillation circuit 3 that has a higher oscillating frequency consumes more current than the reference-clock signal generation circuit 1 that has a lower oscillating-frequency. For example, provided that the oscillating frequency of the reference-clock signal S1 generated by the reference-clock signal generation circuit 1 is 32 KHz, and that the oscillating frequency of the clock signal S2 oscillated by the fundamental-frequency-oscillation circuit 3 is several MHz, the current consumed by the fundamental-frequency-oscillation circuit 3 becomes at least 100 times larger than that of the reference-clock signal generation circuit 1.
Moreover, in conventional semiconductor integrated devices, a capacitor used for a loop filter composing a PLL circuit is provided externally as described above, thus impairing the characteristics of the PLL loop.
In view of the above-mentioned problems, the present invention aims to provide a semiconductor integrated device that is able to significantly reduce the amount of current excessively consumed upon generating high-speed clock signals that are necessary for signal processing.
Furthermore, the present invention aims to provide a semiconductor integrated device that is able to significantly improve the jitter characteristics of high-speed clock signals that are necessary for signal processing when generating these high-speed clock signals, and to prevent malfunctions upon conducting signal processing with these clock signals.
Further, the present invention aims to provide a semiconductor integrated device which eliminates the need for an external capacitor, thereby cutting costs by reducing the number of unit items, and preventing its characteristics from worsening because of the use of such an external capacitor.

Semiconductor integrated device having reduced jitter and reduced current consumption


A method and apparatus for injecting fuel into a combustion chamber of an air compressing, spontaneous ignition, internal combustion engine are provided. An adjustment member of an injector is actuated electrically and is controlled via an electronic circuitry, with the fuel quantity being withdrawn from a pressure chamber. The adjustment member acts upon a release sectional area of a restrictor. An adjustment member in the form of a magneto strictive rod is provided. The release sectional area is controlled by a control voltage, generated by the electronic circuitry, and can be chronologically modulated.

The present invention relates to a method of injecting fuel into a combustion chamber of an air compressing, spontaneous ignition, internal combustion engine, with an adjustment member of a fuel injection nozzle or injector being actuated electrically and being controlled via an electronic circuitry, with the fuel quantity being withdrawn from a pressure chamber. The present invention also relates to various apparatus for carrying out such a method.
Increasingly stricter legislation with regard to the permissible levels of polluting emissions (hydrocarbons, nitrogen oxides), and also with respect to black smoke that is discharged, cause the developers of Diesel engines to strive to influence and control the course of combustion within an engine in such a way as to fulfill the aforementioned requirements.
The requirements for an ideal injection system are many, including, for example: performance range control of quantity, duration, and chronological beginning of "preliminary injection" and "main injection", which is ultimately a basis of an appropriate control of the fuel pressure in the injector chamber that determines the quality of the vaporization. With respect to a more uniform fuel distribution in the combustion chamber, it should furthermore be possible to be able to influence not only the mean drop magnitude (of the vaporized fuel), as well as the angle of the conical envelope, which includes the axial injection stream expansion, and t o do so intentionally within certain limits during an injection process It would also be advantageous to be able to additionally influence the penetration depth of the stream of drops into the combustion chamber.
Approaches that cover a portion of the aforementioned requirements have in the meantime become available via so-called pump-injector systems. The high injection pressure that can be realized therewith, accompanied by the resulting improved degree of vaporization of the fuel, explains, due to the better mixture preparation that is achieved, primarily the significant reduction in black smoke. Versions of the pump-injector system that are provided with by-pass pistons as means to realize a preliminary injection finally permit a shortening of the inition lag, resulting in a reduction in combustion noise. The realized performance range control of ignition start and ignition duration via electromagnetically controlled bypass valves (parallel to the injector) represents a high degree of flexibility with regard to influencing the course of combustion. The objective of ensuring for each load and speed point of the engine also always an optimum fuel introduction cannot always be fulfilled by the pump-injector concept. One of the problems is the dependency, which is known and encountered with conventional injection pumps, of the speed with which the injection quantity and pressure can be provided upon the momentary engine speed (displacement speed of the plunger). In order, for example to realize high injection quantities (per stroke) in respectively short time intervals at a low engine speed, another technique was required.
DE-OS 28 54 921 discloses an injector that is provided with electromagnetic actuation of the injector needle valve. A solenoid that actuates the injector needle valve can be excited by an electronic control mechanism. With such a feature the movement of the injector needle valve and hence the injection process, can be preprogrammed. However, the chronological movement progress of the injector needle valve is considerably limited by the inertia thereof, so that the possibilities for an electronic control can be utilized only to a limited extent precisely due to this inertia of the injector needle valve.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to induce the injected quantity of fuel as a function of time in order, for a more homogeneous mixture preparation, to be able to freely control the parameters of penetration depth and cone angle of the injection stream as well as the drop magnitude spectrum.

Method and apparatus for injecting fuel into a combustion chamber of an air compressing, spontaneous ignition, internal combustion engine


A soldering apparatus includes a conveyor adapted to carry assembled circuit boards through a soldering chamber. A wave of solder is created in the chamber. The chamber has a curtain at its entrance and a curtain at its exit. Gas distributors are located within the chamber and are able to introduce nitrogen into the chamber in order to create a non-oxidizing atmosphere in the vicinity of the wave. In operation, the wave of solder wets connecting points between the components and the board to form permanent joints on solidification of the solder. The bottom edge of the curtain is of a shape complementary to the front elevation of the assembled circuit boards to be soldered and is arranged such that the circuit boards just pass thereunder without making contact with it.

This invention relates to a method and apparatus for soldering. It is particularly concerned with the manufacture of circuit boards.
The manufacture of circuit boards is a well known industrial operation. Typically, electrical circuits are printed onto a board, and holes are drilled in the board at chosen locations to enable chosen circuit components to be inserted and to be soldered to electrical conductors on the board. The soldering operation is typically performed automatically or semi-automatically. Boards to be soldered are loaded in sequence onto a conveyor which advances them through an elongate chamber housing a soldering station. The soldering therefore takes place as the boards are advanced through the chamber.
There are two commercially important methods of soldering: reflow soldering and wave soldering. In fellow soldering, miniature electronic components are surface mounted on a printed circuit board to which a solder in a creamy or paste-like consistency has been applied by a method such as screen printing, stencilling or dispensing. The printed circuit board is then subjected to a sufficiently high temperature, generally 50.degree. C. greater than the melting point or liquidus of the solder alloy, to cause the alloy to liquery and to contact the components such that upon subsequent cooling of the printed circuit board, the components remain secured in place on the board by the solder. The heat can be supplied by, for example, infrared, vapour phase, heated conveyor belt or convective means. The solder conventionally comprises a soft powdered metal alloy dispersed in a liquid medium containing a flux, an organic solvent and a thickening agent selected to impart the desired consistency to the mixture.
Have soldering differs from reflow soldering in that the solder is not applied to the board in advance of the board's being carried through the soldering chamber. Instead, a vessel containing molten solder is located within the chamber and is arranged in conjunction with a pump to create a wave or waves of the solder. The circuit boards are each advanced through the soldering chamber in such spaced relationship to the wave or waves that appropriate amounts of solder are applied, as desired, to the components and that suitable solder joints are formed on cooling the boards. Typically, the boards are pre-treated with a flux at desired locations so that the solder is able to adhere to the surface at these locations.
In recent years, considerable research and development activity has been focused on optimizing the atmosphere in which the soldered joints are formed. In, for example, conventional wave soldering, the molten solder is oxidized when exposed to molecules of oxygen. The oxidized solder tends to form a surface oxide layer which is removed typically by a flux applied to the board before it is passed into the soldering chamber. Removal of the oxide enables the solder to wet the components to be soldered. Since the wave has a surface layer of molten solder which is continuously broken, a residue of oxide and solder, known as dross, collects within a vessel in which the solder is contained. Dross generation adds considerably to the cost of the wave soldering process owing to the lost value of the solder and the maintenance requirements it imposes. For example, it is necessary from time to time to remove dross from the vessel and to repair mechanical parts of the wave soldering apparatus damaged by its abrasive action. In addition, the dross itself can be a health hazard if the solder contains toxic components such as lead.
It has accordingly been proposed to blanket the entire surface of the wave with an atmosphere which is less reactive than air towards the solder. There is, however, a body of teaching in the art which requires the presence of oxygen in the soldering atmosphere. In particular, U.S. Pat. No. 4, 610,391 relates to an improvement in a process for wave soldering a workpiece in an atmosphere consisting essentially of air wherein (i) there is a first portion of the solder wave in which fluid motion can be observed, said first portion including an active dross forming area, and (11) there is a second portion of the solder wave which is the last portion of the solder wave with which the workpiece comes into contact. The improvement comprises replacing the atmosphere in contact with at least 50% of the surface of the active dross forming area with an inert gas, but preventing the atmosphere in contact with the surface of the second portion from becoming inert. Typically, two gas diffusers are employed. A first gas diffuser supplies an inert gas such as nitrogen to the front of the wave. A second gas diffuser applies a gas mixture typically containing from 18 to 50% by volume of oxygen (a balance typically being nitrogen) to the rear of the wave.
In EP-A-361 507, it is disclosed that in the presence of a soldering flux it is desirable to maintain an oxygen concentration in the range of from about 10,000 to 20,000 parts by volume per million in the vicinity of the solder wave. EP-A-0 330 867 discloses that this oxygen concentration can be as low as 10 parts by volume per million in a wave soldering process which employs no pre-treatment of the circuit boards or other components with flux.
EP-A-0 389 218 discloses that reflow soldering may be carried out in a low oxidizing atmosphere, preferably one containing no more than 1500 parts per volume per million of oxygen.
Notwithstanding the teaching in EP-A-0 330 867 A that wave soldering can be conducted without the pre-treatment of the printed circuit board with flux when the soldering atmosphere contains in the order of 10 parts by volume per million of oxygen, manufacturers still prefer to pre-treat the circuit boards with flux. The reasons are two-fold. First, difficulties arise in reliably and repeatedly being able to maintain in the soldering chamber an atmosphere having an oxygen concentration as low as 10 parts per million by volume even if, say, a source of substantially pure nitrogen (containing no more than 5 volumes per million of oxygen) is used to create the soldering atmosphere. Secondly, it is still found that some dross is formed even in low oxygen environments.
Although soldering flux is able to cater for the presence of oxygen in a soldering atmosphere, we nonetheless believe that there is a need to keep down the ingress of air into the soldering atmosphere. It is known to provide curtains at both the entrance to and exit from a soldering chamber in order to limit the ingress of air. Such curtains form a physical barrier to the ingress of air when nitrogen is supplied to the interior of the chamber. The curtains typically each comprise a number of fingers or filaments of rubber, thin metal sheet or glass fibres. The curtains typically totally obturate the entrance and exit to the chamber but are able to be displaced by advancing circuit boards to permit their entry to and exit from the chamber. We have surprisingly found that contact between such curtains, even though they are lightweight, and boards passing into the soldering chamber can displace some components sufficiently to impair their soldering and hence the quality of the finished circuit board. Although this problem can be overcome, by removing the curtains and increasing the flow of nitrogen used to form the soldering atmosphere, this practice leads to an undesirably high consumption of nitrogen if it is desired to maintain low oxygen concentrations within the soldering atmosphere. Me further believe that it is desirable to maintain a soldering atmosphere having a low oxygen concentration even if the boards are pre-treated with a soldering flux.
There is therefore a need in the art for an improved method and apparatus for soldering which facilitates the creation of soldering atmospheres containing only low levels of oxygen, but which overcome the above-described problem that arises with conventional curtains. The invention aims at meeting this need.

Non-oxidizing soldering chamber with shaped curtain and method of soldering


Object:

As described, for example, in Patent Document 1, a conventional capacitance switch includes a flexible substrate that is flexible and transparent, plural transparent electrodes formed in a region other than a peripheral portion of one surface of the flexible substrate, plural electrode wiring lines (wiring lines) formed in connection with the plural transparent electrodes. The capacitance switch is installed on a display device of a wristwatch, an in-vehicle equipment, or the like. A capacitor is formed between the plural transparent electrodes and a finger when the finger is selectively placed close to the plural transparent electrodes, and change in capacitance is detected.
Further, a so-called FPC integrated capacitance switch is also described in Patent Document 1. The FPC integrated capacitance switch is structured such that a portion of a peripheral portion of a flexible substrate is extended to form a flexible extended connection piece and such that plural electrode wiring lines (wiring lines) are disposed to extend on one surface of the extended connection piece to form an FPC portion. The capacitance switch body and the flexible substrate of the FPC portion are integrated, and thus it is unnecessary to separately prepare and connect an FPC. Therefore, the number of components can be reduced.
In addition, the capacitance switch may be structured such that an electromagnetic shield made of a transparent conductive film is formed on the other surface of the flexible substrate, which is opposite to the surface provided with the transparent electrodes, in order to reduce harmful noise that causes improper operations from the display device. In this case, a pair of electromagnetic shield wiring lines connected to the electromagnetic shield is formed to extend to the extended connection piece.

FPC integrated capacitance switch and method of manufacturing the same

Abstract: Object:

Abstract: To provide an FPC integrated capacitance switch and a method of manufacturing the same, which allow an FPC portion to have high electrical reliability when used in a bent manner and to have wiring lines to be densely arranged.

Abstract: Solution:

Abstract: The FPC integrated capacitance switch includes a transparent flexible substrate (1) including a sensor unit (11) and a tail portion (12), a plurality of electrodes (2) formed on a first main surface (1a) of the transparent flexible substrate (1) and in the sensor unit (11), a plurality of first electrode wiring lines (21), a plurality of second electrode wiring lines (22) arranged and formed in parallel in the tail portion (12) and made of a photoresist including conductive particles, an electromagnetic shield (3) formed on a second main surface (1b) of the transparent flexible substrate (1) overlapping in plan view a region including the plurality of electrodes (2), a pair of first electromagnetic shield wiring lines (31), a pair of second electromagnetic shield wiring lines (32) formed in the tail portion (12) to be arranged in plan view outward of a region including the plurality of second electrode wiring lines (22), the second electromagnetic shield wiring lines (32) being made of a photoresist including conductive particles, and an electromagnetic shield mask (33) formed on the second main surface (1b) of the transparent flexible substrate (1) overlapping in plan view the region including the plurality of second electrode wiring lines (22), the electromagnetic shield mask (33) including a light-shielding metal film.


An ignition coil device for an internal-combustion engine reduces the deterioration in reliability caused by heat stress. The ignition coil device is provided with: a case (5); a core (6) provided in the case (5); a primary coil (8) which is provided so that it surrounds the core (6) and which has a primary winding (13) trough which a primary current flows composed of a conductor wound around a bottomed cylindrical primary bobbin (12); a secondary coil (9) which is provided so that it surrounds the primary coil (8) and in which high voltage is generated by the interruption of the primary current; a stopper (21) which is provided at an opening (12a) of the primary bobbin (12) to close the opening (12a) of the primary bobbin (12); and an insulator (11) composed of a thermosetting resin which is provided in the case (5) to secure the primary coil (8) and the secondary coil (9) in the case (5). The stopper (21) prevents the insulator (11), which has not yet been thermally cured, from flowing between the core (6) and the primary bobbin (12) when it is charged into the case (5).

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an ignition coil device for an internal-combustion engine which has an open magnetic circuit structure.
2. Description of Related Art
FIG. 8 is a sectional view showing a conventional ignition coil device for an internal-combustion engine, and FIG. 9 is an enlarged view of an essential section of FIG. 8. The ignition coil device for an internal-combustion engine shown in the drawings is provided in a plug hole 4 formed by a cylinder head 1 and a cylinder head cover 3; it has a spark plug 2 inserted at the distal end thereof.
The ignition coil device for an internal-combustion engine is provided with: a bottomed cylindrical case 5; a columnar core 6 which extends along the center axis of the case 5 and which is composed of multiple layers of silicon steel plate strips; a primary coil 8 provided around the outer periphery of the core 6; a secondary coil 9 provided around the outer periphery of the primary coil 8, magnets 7 attached to both ends of the core 6 to prevent magnetic fluxes, which are generated in the primary coil 8, from saturating the core 6; a control circuit unit 10 which incorporates a power transistor (not shown) for controlling the supply of power to the primary coil 8 and which is provided above the core 6; a connector 19 having a terminal 18 electrically connected to the control circuit unit 10; and an insulator 11 composed of a thermosetting epoxy resin charged into the space in the case 5.
The primary coil 8 has a bottomed cylindrical primary bobbin 12 and a primary winding 13 constituted by a conductor wound around the primary bobbin 12. The secondary coil 9 has a bottomed cylindrical secondary bobbin 14 and a secondary winding 15 constituted by a conductor wound around the secondary bobbin 14.
In the aforesaid ignition coil device for an internal-combustion engine, the primary current supplied to the primary winding 13 of the primary coil 8 is interrupted by a signal from the control circuit unit 10 causing high voltage to be generated at the secondary winding 15. The high voltage is led to the spark plug 2 via a high-voltage terminal 16 and a spring 17 to cause a spark discharge at a gap 20.
In the conventional ignition coil device for an internal-combustion engine, the primary coil 8, the secondary coil 9, the core 6, and the control circuit unit 10 are disposed in the case 5, and the insulator 11, which is cured later, is charged into the case 5. After this, the insulator 11 is cured at a high temperature of about 130 degrees Celsius so as to secure the primary coil 8, the secondary coil 9, the core 6, and the control circuit unit 10 in the case 5. Hence, for example, during natural cooling after the heat curing, the force generated by the shrinkage of the insulator 11 is undesirably applied to the core 6 due to the difference in thermal expansion coefficients between the insulator 11 and the core 6, thus causing the core 6 to become distorted. This results in an increase of core loss which deteriorates the magnetic properties, and presents the problem of a lower output voltage of the ignition coil device for an internal-combustion engine.
Further, during the operation of a vehicle which incorporates this ignition coil device, the primary current flows into the primary winding 13, and the ignition coil device becomes heated due to the heat generated by the primary coil 8, the secondary coil 9, et., whereas it is subjected to natural cooling when operation is stopped. Thus, as the vehicle is repeatedly started and stopped, heat stress occurs mainly in the core 6, the insulator 11 placed between the core 6 and the primary coil 8, and the primary bobbin 12. As a result, cracks develop in components such as the insulator 11 and the primary bobbin 12, which in turn causes internal leakage and creates a problem in that, in the worst case, no output voltage is generated.

Ignition coil device for internal-combustion engine


The present invention generally relates to CRISPR systems or complexes, such as those with an escorted guide RNA.

Normal gene expression is a dynamic process with carefully orchestrated temporal and spatial components, the precision of which are necessary for normal development, homeostasis, and advancement of the organism. In turn, the dysregulation of required gene expression patterns, either by increased, decreased, or altered function of a gene or set of genes, has been linked to a wide array of pathologies.
Citation or identification of any document in this application is not an admission that such document is available as prior art to the present invention.

Escorted and functionalized guides for CRISPR-Cas systems


This invention relates to a cotton fibers suction pipe of spinning machine, the side of the cotton fibers suction pipe having at least one or more guide discharge tubes connected to an air extracting pump, the circumference of the cotton fibers suction pipe having a plurality of suction holes, each suction hole being fitted with a bushing, the bushing being made of insulating materials, each bushing having a bush part and a covering flanges, the bush part can be pushed into the suction hole and the covering flange covering edge of the suction hole, thus cotton or yarn fibers can pass through smoothly the suction holes when they are inhaled into the cotton fibers suction holes, the bushings can prevent the cotton or yarn fibers from gathering or attaching on the suction holes because the bushings can't produce static electricity to suck cotton or yarn fibers, furthermore the covering flange can prevent cotton or yarn fibers from scraping the edge of the suction holes, operator only need to replace the worn-out bushing with new one and don't need to disassemble the whole cotton fibers suction pipe for cleaning or trimming.

This invention relates to a cotton fibers suction pipe of spinning machine, especially a cotton fibers suction pipe having a plurality of insulating bushings installed respectively in the suction holes so as to prevent cotton fibers from gathering or attaching on the suction holes, furthermore the insulating bushing having a covering flange covering the edge of the suction hole to prevent cotton fibers from scraping edge of the suction hole, thus operator only need to replace the worn-out bushing with new one and don't need to disassemble the whole cotton fibers suction pipe for cleaning or trimming.
The conventional cotton fibers suction pipe is shown as FIG. 1 and FIG. 2, the cotton fibers suction pipe (A) being installed on the spinning machine for removing the cotton fibers (D) of cotton threads (C), the circumference of the cotton fibers suction pipe (A) having a plurality of suction holes (A11) furthermore the side of the cotton fibers suction pipe (A) having a guide discharge tube (B) connected to an air extracting pump, and two ends of the cotton fibers suction pipe (A) being blocked with a sealing cap (A12) respectively, thus cotton fibers (D) of a cotton threads (C) can be inhaled into the cotton fibers suction pipe (A) from the suction holes (A11) when the cotton threads (C) passing through the side of the cotton fibers suction pipe (A). But the conventional cotton fibers suction pipe (A) being made of iron, thus cotton fibers (D) may attach on the suction holes (A11) because the cotton fibers (D) can produce static electricity when they pass through the suction holes (A11), furthermore the edge of each suction hole (A11) would produce a rough surface after used for a certain time, thus cotton fibers (D) may be hooked by the rough part formed at edge of these suction holes (A11), operator must disassemble the whole cotton fibers suction pipe (A) from spinning machine so as to clean the cotton fibers (D) gathered or attached in the suction holes (A11), then trimming the rough surface of these suction holes (A11). It is inconvenient for operator to disassemble the whole cotton fibers suction pipe for cleaning or trimming.

Cotton fibres suction pipe of spinning machine


A method for the deposition of a soldering powder to an electronic circuit board includes the steps of imparting stickiness to an exposed metal surface of a substrate and depositing a soldering powder to the resultant sticking part in a liquid body. The method can further include the steps of heating the substrate, thereby fusing the soldering powder, and forming a solder circuit.

In recent years, a printed-wiring board having a circuit pattern formed on an insulating substrate, such as a plastic substrate, a ceramic substrate or a metallic substrate coated with plastic, has been developed. Means to configure an electronic circuit by soldering electronic components, such as an IC element, a semiconductor chip, a resistor and a condenser, on the circuit pattern has been widely adopted.
In this case, for the purpose of bonding the lead terminals of the electronic components at the stated parts of the circuit pattern, the procedure which comprises a step of preparatorily forming a thin layer of solder on the surface of a conductive circuit electrode on the substrate, printing a solder paste or a flux thereon, positioning and loading the electronic components thereon and then reflowing the thin layer of solder alone or the thin layer of solder in conjunction with the solder paste, thereby bonding the layer by soldering is generally followed.
Recently, the electronic circuit boards have been in need of satisfying the trend of fine pitch with a view to miniaturizing electronic products. Fine pitch parts, such as, for example, the LSI of the QFP (quad flat package) type and the CSP (chip size package) each having a pitch of 0.3 mm, and the FC (flip chip) having a pitch of 0.15 mm, have come to be mounted on the electronic circuit boards in numerous quantities. The electronic circuit boards, therefore, are required to have a fine solder circuit pattern which conforms to the fine pitch.
The formation of a solder circuit with a solder film on the printed-wiring board is being accomplished by the plating method, the hot air leveler (HAL) method, or the method which comprises a step of printing the paste of solder powder and a step of reflowing the printed paste. The method for producing a solder circuit by the plating technique, however, incurs difficulty in adding to the thickness of the solder layer, and the HAL method and the method resorting to the printing of a solder paste encounter difficulty in coping with the fine pitch pattern.
As a way of forming a solder circuit without requiring such a troublesome operation as aligning a circuit pattern, a method which comprises causing a stickiness-imparting compound to react with the surface of a conductive circuit electrode of a printed-wiring board, thereby imparting stickiness to the surface, depositing solder powder on the sticking part consequently formed and then heating the printed-wiring board, thereby melting the solder and forming a solider circuit has been disclosed (refer, for example, to JP-A HEI 7-7244).
By the method disclosed in JP-A HEI 7-7244, it has been made possible to form a fine solder circuit pattern by a simple operation and provide a highly reliable circuit board. Since this method effects dry deposition of the solder powder on the circuit board, it entails such problems as suffering the powder to be electrostatically deposited on an extraneous portion, inducing drift of the powder, interfering the fine spacing of a circuit board and preventing the powder from being efficiently utilized. These problems gain in conspicuousness particularly when the solder powder to be used has a very fine size.
This invention is aimed at solving these problems and, in the method which comprises causing a stickiness-imparting compound to react with the surface of a conductive circuit electrode of a printed-wiring board, thereby imparting stickiness to the surface, depositing solder powder on the sticking part consequently formed and then heating the printed-wiring board, thereby melting the solder and forming a solder circuit as disclosed in JP-A HEI 7-7244, at providing a method for the production of an electronic circuit board capable of realizing a still finer circuit pattern, an electronic circuit board provided with a very fine circuit pattern and endowed with high reliability, and a circuit board having mounted therein electronic components and enabled to materialize high reliability and high mounting density.

Method for production of electronic circuit board


According to the present disclosure, a method of operating a wind turbine (10) coupled to a power grid (92) for delivering electric power thereto is provided. The method includes: a) operating the wind turbine (10) in a noise reduction mode; b) determining whether the power grid (92) is in an unstable grid state corresponding to an increase of power demand; and, c) increasing the electric power delivered by the wind turbine (10) to the power grid (92) during a stabilization time period for supporting stabilization of the unstable grid. Further, the increasing of the electric power for supporting stabilization of the unstable grid is performed such that a resulting noise increase is below a selected upper level. In addition thereto, a control system and a wind turbine for performing the above method are provided.

The subject matter described herein relates, generally, to methods and systems for wind turbines, and more particularly, to methods and systems for reducing noise generation in wind turbines in an efficient manner.
At least some known wind turbines include a tower and a nacelle mounted on the tower. A rotor is rotatably mounted to the nacelle and is coupled to a generator by a shaft. A plurality of blades extends from the rotor. The blades are oriented such that wind passing over the blades turns the rotor and rotates the shaft, thereby driving the generator to generate electricity.
During operation of such known wind turbines, rotational transiting of the blades through air generates aerodynamic acoustic emissions in the form of audible noise. These acoustic emissions may produce noise with a decibel (dB) level that may approach or even exceed local regulatory levels. Accordingly, at least some methods exist for controlling noise from a wind turbine or a wind turbine installation including a plurality of wind turbines (i.e., a wind park). In particular, a wind turbine may be operated such that produced noise is below predetermined dB parameters. Such an operation of a wind turbine for reducing acoustic emissions is also known as noise reduction operation (NRO).
NRO typically implies that a wind turbine generates an electric power below the maximum possible power generation capacity of the wind turbine. Therefore, the operational state of a wind turbine under noise reduction operation is normally not directed to achieve a maximum power output but to comply with noise regulations applying to the wind turbine. However, during NRO, it is important to approach at maximum the capacity of a wind turbine for generating electric power.

Methods and systems for operating a wind turbine coupled to a power grid


Disclosure is a luminous pointer made of a light emission element of the inorganic substance dispersion type, high in accuracy of reading, and low in cost. The light emission element of the inorganic substance dispersion type is shaped as a rod, and includes a linear metal core, an electrically-insulating reflective layer made of an enamel and disposed on the core, a fluorescent light emission layer which is made of an enamel and a fluorescent substance dispersed therein and is disposed on the reflective layer, an electroconductive film disposed on the light emission layer and capable of being electrically connected to the core, and an outer electrically-insulating layer disposed on the film. The film has at least one slit which has a width smaller than the diameter of the luminous pointer and extends as a luminously visible portion in the longitudinal direction of the film. An intermediate electrically-insulating layer made of an enamel may be provided between the light emission layer and the film. The film is manufactured by applying an electroconductive paste or plating with a metal. In the light emission layer, the dispersed fluorescent substance may be provided only near the slit of the film.

The present device relates to a luminous pointer made of a light emission element which is of the organic substance dispersion type which can be accurately read and which is low in cost.
A light emission element of the inorganic substance dispersion type has been widely used for the measuring instrument of a motor vehicle, a show window or the like.
A conventional flat such element has the basic construction as shown in FIG. 7. The element includes a metal plate base 1, an electrically-insulating reflective layer 2 made of a vitreous enamel and disposed on the base, a fluorescent light emission layer 3 disposed on the reflective layer, a transparent electroconductive film 4 disposed on the light emission layer, and a transparent protective layer 5 disposed on the film. The reflective layer 2 is made of the vitreous enamel which is high in dielectric constant to increase an electrical field to be applied to the light emission layer 3 and is white in color for reflective purposes. The light emission layer 3 is made of an enamel and, a fluorescent substance dispersed therein. The film 4 is an ITO film indium-tin oxide or, more specifically, tin doped indium oxide or the like, and is formed on the light emission layer 3 by evaporative deposition, sputtering or the like. The transparent protective layer 5 constitutes the surface of the element, electrically insulates it from the outside, and protects the element. The element also includes an electrode 1a disposed on the metal plate base 1, and an electrode 4a disposed on the film 4. When a voltage is applied from a power supply 7 to the electrodes 1a and 4a through wires 6, the electric field is generated in the light emission layer 3 so that the fluorescent substance emits light. The flat element has been widely used for the dial of the measuring instrument of a motor vehicle or the like.
An art of manufacturing a luminous pointer which itself emits light and has the same light emitting function as the conventional light emission element is conceivable, but people have been hesitant to put the art into practical use, because of problems described from now on., Although the diameter of the pointer needs to be very small to enable accurate reading, it is difficult from viewpoints of material and processing to manufacture a light emission element which is of the inorganic substance dispersion type and is shaped as a pointer of 1.0 mm or less in diameter. This is one of the problems. Since the element includes an expensive ITO film as a transparent electroconductive film, the element is high in cost. This is another problem.


Disclosed is a method, composition and kit for preventing spoilage of feed in a bird feeder by use of a spoilage reducing composition that comprises an effective amount of a moisture absorbing material, an optional support material, and an optional functional additive that are formed into a shaped body that is combined with an bird feeder, bird feed and/or bird seed to effectively absorb water and water vapor thereby reducing spoilage of feed.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method, composition and kit for preventing spoilage of feed in a bird feeder by use of a spoilage reducing composition that comprises an effective amount of a moisture absorbing material, an optional support material, and an optional functional additive. The present invention also relates to methods and kits employing spoilage reducing compositions employed in the form of a shaped body, optionally a plurality of shaped bodies, optionally packaged in an outer packaging material and combined with a bird feeder, bird feed and/or plurality of bird seed to effectively absorb water and water vapor thereby reducing spoilage of feed in a bird feeder. The present invention also relates to a kit for preventing spoilage of bird feed with instructions for combining the spoilage reducing compositions with bird feeders, bird feed and/or a plurality of bird seed.
2. Background of the Related Art
Many different types and designs of bird feeders have been developed. Examples of several designs of bird feeders include those described by Kilham, U.S. Pat. No. 3,568,641; Leal, U.S. Pat. No. 407,863; Des, U.S. Pat. No. 231,369; Clarke, U.S. Pat. No. 4,259,927; McNeely, U.S. Pat. No. 444,598; Kuelbs, U.S. Pat. No. 471,327; Coffer, U.S. Pat. No. 4,940,019; Washam, U.S. Pat. No. 5,410,986; and Bloedorn, U.S. Pat. No. 5,924,381, all of which are hereby incorporated by reference.
These feeders however are prone to water and moisture intrusion, commonly due to rain, leaks, condensation and/or ambient humidity resulting from environmental exposure. Spoiling of feed and the generation of mold due to moisture and/or humidity in an animal feeder is a serious problem, and is particularly common to many bird feeders owing to the nature of the bird seed employed combined with environment exposure. Spoiled feed fusing to the feeder is also a common problem for the bird hobbyist, requiring frequent changing of the feed. Further, moisture-related feed spoilage can cause additional problems, including bird rejection of the feed, birds ingesting mold toxins from the spoiled feed, sprouting of bird seed, and feed fusing to the feeder causing cleaning problems.
Harmful mold toxins generated by spoilage are a critical problem affecting the health of the wild birds. Some of the most toxic compounds on earth are created by molds, for example, but not limited to mycotoxins. Even trace amounts of these mycotoxins can cause harmful or lethal effects to birds. One example is Aflatoxin, which is a particularly harmful by-product of Aspergillus parasititicus mold that commonly grows on grain. Amounts of this toxin as low as 0.1 micrograms can be lethal to many small birds. The more that seeds are exposed to moisture, the greater potential for Aflatoxin production.
Spoiled feed fusing to the feeder is a common problem for the bird hobbyist, prompting cleaning of the feeder and replacement of fouled feed. Moisture and spoilage is particularly a problem at the bottom, low or no-flow zones, dead-end areas, and areas within the feeder close to openings and/or exposed directly to the environment. High quality hulled and "no mess" feed are especially susceptible to spoiling, and commonly cause blocked feeder holes, agglomeration of seed, and subsequent loss of expensive seed. It is necessary for the feeder operator to frequently clean the feeder by removing feeder contents and washing the feeder due to these problems. Often a cleaning disinfectant needs to be used if food spoilage has occurred in order to remove residual molds and mold toxins and other decay byproducts.
Further, even if mold spoilage does not occur, humidity can accelerate aging of the seed, rancidity, and reduction in the quality of the seed, all resulting in potential bird rejection of the seed.
Many bird feeders have been designed to make it easier to clean the feeder after the feed has spoiled, but this is a belated solution. Cleaning a bird feeder that has moldy or caked-on seed is a messy and time-consuming task. Microbial inhibitors can be added to the seed and feeder, but this approach creates health risk issues for the birds, as many common microbial inhibitors are effective only at levels that are toxic to animals and birds when ingested.
What is needed is preventative method employing a spoilage reducing composition that prevents spoilage of feed in a bird feeder.

Spoilage reducing composition for bird feeders


A projector. The projector comprises a projection light source, a first digital micro-mirror device, and a second digital micro-mirror device. The projection light source emits a projection beam toward the first digital micro-mirror device. The first digital micro-mirror device reflects the projection beam to the second digital micro-mirror device. A first micro-mirror on the first digital micro-mirror device is rotated in a horizontal direction to adjust the horizontal position of the projection beam. The second digital micro-mirror device reflects the projection beam from the first digital micro-mirror device to a projection plate. Second micro-mirrors on the second digital micro-mirror device are rotated in a vertical direction to adjust the vertical position of the projection beam.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a projector, and in particular to a projector disposed in a portable electronic apparatus.
2. Description of the Related Art
MEMS technology is applied in many common apparatus or electronic products. The DMD (Digital Micro-mirror Device) produced by TEXAS INSTRUMENTS is a reflection device used in projection apparatus. The technology applied in DMD is DLP (Digital Light Processing). The DMD comprises many micro-mirrors, arrayed in a grid, each reflecting a light beam to form a pixel on a projection plate. The DLP has a three-color light source (red, green, and blue) which emits three colored light beams. The color light beams contact the micro-mirrors alternatingly, controlling the number of light beams reflected to the projection plate to represent the brightness and color of pixels, composing a complete full-color image.
Conventionally, the DMD is used in overhead projectors. However, since the DMD is a small device, it can be applied to a portable electronic apparatus like mobile phones or PDA, providing a small, convenient portable projector.
However, even though pixels may be dark, the projection light source emits the same quantity of light for each, despite the micro-mirror not reflecting the light to the projection plate. Thus, energy is wasted. Projectors utilizing DMD technology, if applied in a portable electronic apparatus, use excessive energy, creating a serious problem.

Projector for portable electronic apparatus


The present invention provides engineered phenylalanine ammonia lyase (PAL) polypeptides and compositions thereof, as well as polynucleotides encoding the engineered phenylalanine ammonia lyase (PAL) polypeptides. In some embodiments, the engineered PAL polypeptides are optimized to provide enhanced catalytic activity, as well as reduced sensitivity to proteolysis and increased tolerance to storage at elevated temperatures. In some embodiments, the engineered PAL polypeptides contain fewer phenylalanine residues than wild-type PAL polypeptides. The present invention also provides methods for the use of the compositions comprising the engineered PAL polypeptides for therapeutic and industrial purposes.

Phenylalanine ammonia lyase (PAL) along with histidine ammonia lyase (HAL) and tyrosine ammonia lyase (TAL) are members of the aromatic amino acid lyase family (EC 184.108.40.206-1.25 and 126.96.36.199). More specifically the enzymes having PAL activity (EC 220.127.116.11-1.25 and previously classified as EC126.96.36.199) catalyze the nonoxidative deamination of L-phenylalanine into (E)-cinnamic acid. PAL is a non-mammalian enzyme that is widely distributed in plants and has also been identified in fungi and a limited number of bacteria.
PAL enzymes may be used as a therapeutic protein for the treatment of the metabolic disorder, phenylalanine hydroxylase deficiency (PAHD), better known as phenylketonuria (PKU). PKU is an autosomal metabolic genetic disorder in which the hepatic enzyme phenylalanine hydroxylase (PAH) or one or more of the enzymes involved in the synthesis or recycling of the co-factor tetrahydrobiopterin, is partially functional or non-functional due to a mutation in the corresponding genes. This lack of functionality results in elevated levels of phenylalanine in the bloodstream. Depending on the type of mutation the concentration of phenylalanine in the blood stream of PKU patients is typically >360 μM. The phenylalanine is converted into phenylpyruvate (phenylketone) and other derivatives. In humans, if PKU is not treated early, high levels of phenylalanine and some of its breakdown products can cause significant medical problems including intellectual disability, microcephaly and seizures. Numerous studies have focused on the use of PAL in the treatment of PKU by enzyme substitution (Ambrus et al., Science 201:837-839 [1978]; Bourget et al., Appl. Biochem. Biotechnol., 10:57-59 [1984]; and Sarkissian et al., Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 96:2339-2344 [1999]).

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Engineered phenylalanine ammonia lyase polypeptides


A computerized system for enabling a user to compose a song comprises displaying a compose song screen to the user on a video display, the compose song screen including a play bar associated with the current time position of the song; enabling the user to create a first track of the song, wherein the track is associated with an instrument selected by the user, wherein notes of the instrument are assigned to respective keys on a computer keyboard, and wherein the user chooses a tempo for the song, wherein, upon initiating of recording of the track, keys pressed by the user on the keyboard (i) are translated into visual notes on the screen that move, at the tempo, across the play bar and (ii) generate audio output that corresponds to notes from the selected instrument. Multiple tracks, for different instruments, can be created and combined to create a multi-track song.

Traditionally, there has been a great divide between learning to play a real instrument and playing a toy instrument in conjunction with a simulated music computer or video game. Take, for example, a real guitar. A guitar is a stringed instrument that takes significant time and effort to learn to play. For example, an individual typically must take numerous lessons from a trained guitar player to learn properly how to hold the instrument, to play chords and notes, to tune the instrument, and to read music and play musical scores, and the like. Because of this difficulty and the need to learn from a trained musician, learning how to play a song of even moderate complexity requires some skill or natural ability and a significant time investment by the individual learning to play. These barriers not only can be demotivating, but require a high level of commitment and dedication (and, often, expense) trying to learn to play—with no guarantee that such effort and costs will be rewarded.
Today, there exists a disparity between (i) having fun playing a video game like "Guitar Hero®," "Rock Band®," "Jammit®," or the like with a toy instrument and (ii) actually playing a real instrument. To attempt to address this disparity, game makers have been making toy instruments for use with computer and video games more and more realistic and, hence, more complex and difficult to play, which defeats the purpose of playing a video game in the first place. In other words, it is becoming less fun for novices and casual gamers to try to play music video games as the "toy" instruments have become more realistic and require more actual skill with the instrument to be able to play the game well and to have fun. Thus, there exists a need to try to close the disparity between still having fun playing music video games while, at the same time, actually learning how to play real music without unnecessarily complicating the game instrument.
There is a need to be able to remove the upfront learning curve by using a computer keyboard or a virtual keyboard as the basis for playing notes and chords. Since most people today are familiar with where letters are on a computer keyboard, the upfront learning curve of learning to play music on a computer keyboard instrument is completely eliminated and songs of moderate difficulty can be played in the matter of hours.
There is also a need to be able to use a game style interface to learn how to play a computer keyboard instrument. A computer keyboard instrument allows a user to leverage their "built in" memory of typing to master relatively complex songs quickly. Such a system also enables a user to have fun playing a music video game as they receive feedback and learn what key to hit to play a specific note and how long to hold down such key to sustain the specific note.
There is a further need such that, once a user has obtained enough mastery of basic song patterns from playing the video game, such user can leverage that knowledge to use the system and computer keyboard instrument to compose original music, something typically reserved for accomplished musicians.
There is a need for a thriving, global user group and interactive community, in which songs can be played or created at the same time with friends, opponents, and bands within that user group and community.
By using the computer keyboard as the input for a new instrument type, such instrument would allow a user to play notes in an arcade-style setting while learning to play real music. There is a further need for a system in which, unlike with most conventional musical instruments, not only can the layout and method that notes are presented be dynamically and programmatically changed, but the scale that the computer keyboard is tuned for can be adjusted on a per song and per track basis. Such a system would ease the burden of learning to play songs that are performed in C major scale, in D scale, or any other scale.
Additionally, there is a need for a system in which the keyboard's octave range can be dynamically adjusted based off of the pitch range of a current music track being played by the system, which would make for a comfortable playing experience, regardless of the octave range within which the current instrument is performing.
There is a further need for a video or computer game experience (unlike the experience of "Guitar Hero®," "Rock Band®," "Jammit®," or the like) that plays exactly what notes the user hits, potentially with a minor enhancement of volume adjustment or the completing a chord, rather than merely playing the correct note regardless of what key is hit or pressed by the user. There is a need for a video game music experience that is not merely simulated, but more realistic by playing the notes corresponding to the keys actually pressed or hit by the user. Such a system would give the user actual feedback—making them feel completely connected to the experience rather than disconnected. This is possible because of the simplicity of learning to play notes using a computer keyboard.
There is also a need for a system and video game experience that enables a user to play the game with others as well as create music in real time with other users.
There is a further need for a system and video game experience that is able to provide virtual awards, items, special events, and customized profile pages. There is a further need for a system and video game experience that is able to interact with and interface with social media platforms, such as Facebook® and Twitter®, to allow the user to present their skills to friends and to engage in friendly competition and challenges. Such social engagement would enable a user to persevere through more challenging aspects of the video game experience without becoming worn out or abandoning the endeavor of learning music when more lengthy time is required. Such a scenario would be more likely to occur when learning to play songs of increasing complexity, as well as becoming an accomplished musician.
There is a further need for a system and video game experience that enables a user to compose music using the same game interface and experience through which a user learns how to play existing music or tracks. In addition, there is a need for a system that enables a user to create new music using modern computing capabilities, such as drag and drop, to easily transform an idea of play into a completely composed final rendition.
There is another need for a system and video game experience that enables a user to play a selected track, out of a plurality of available tracks, associated with a pre-recorded musical performance. Preferably, the system and video game experience would play all other tracks (e.g., vocals, specific instruments) other than the one track the user wants to play. Similarly, in a multi-user or "band" setting, each user can select a particular track to play and any unselected tracks would be played by the system.
The present technologies, as described and shown in greater detail hereinafter, address and teach one or more of the above-referenced capabilities, needs, and features that are useful for a variety of purposes and applications as described, taught, and suggested herein in greater detail.

Computer keyboard instrument and improved system for learning music


A method of reducing power to an electron emitting cathode comprises the steps of sensing a weather condition; calculating a condition number based upon the weather condition; comparing the condition number to a threshold; and reducing the power to the electron emitting cathode when the condition number is greater than the threshold. The apparatus and method may be implemented upon a system having a high voltage power source, an RF tube, a control processor, and a signal processor.

Electron emitting cathodes are used in a variety of devices such as communication and radar systems for amplifying radio frequency (RF) or microwave electromagnetic signals. For example, an electron emitting cathode may be used within a traveling wave tube (TWT), klystron, or other microwave device. Electrons originating from the electron emitting cathode are focused into a beam propagated through a tunnel or a drift tube generally containing a RF interaction structure. A RF wave is made to propagate through the interaction structure so that it can interact with the electron beam that gives up energy to the propagating RF wave. Thus, the device may be used as an amplifier for increasing the power of a microwave signal.
The electron emitting cathode may include some form of heater, such as an internal heater disposed below the cathode surface, that raises the temperature of the cathode surface to a level sufficient for thermionic electron emission to occur. Alternatively, the cathode may be made to produce electrons without the aid of a heater, such as for a cold-cathode gas tube where the electrons are produced by bombardment of the cathode by ions and/or by the action of a localized high electric field. When the voltage potential of an anode spaced from the cathode is made positive with respect to the cathode, electrons are drawn from the cathode surface and caused to move toward the anode. A significant energy level signal is transmitted through this cathode in order to accelerate the electrons necessary to produce the high power RF output. Each time this occurs more and more electrons are boiled off the cathode. Eventually, the cathode reaches a state where the surface is depleted. Plasma density within the tube may also increase, resulting in high energy electrical discharge (arc) conditions and ultimately failure of the tubes.
When producing RF signals, some users avoid these depletion and high plasma density conditions by operating below the specifications of the equipment. Such a method reduces the capability of the system by creating RF signals of lower power, yet the method does extend the life of the electron emitting cathode and tube and reduces maintenance costs. Other methods continuously operate the tube at full specifications and may see failures in months rather than years, inducing tens or hundreds of thousands of dollars in maintenance costs for the system.

Method and apparatus implementing a scan strategy for automatic high power tube recovery


Monitoring and performance interfaces are disclosed for baler machines. The interfaces collect and analyze runtime and downtime data and present reports or varying detail to interested personnel that allow objective assessment of baler machine performance. Multiple baler machines may be monitored and analyzed to reveal human and machine-related issues that inhibit optimal performance but are otherwise extremely difficult to detect.

This invention relates generally to the monitoring of industrial equipment in operation, and more specifically to interfaces, systems and methods for monitoring performance of sorting and baling systems.
Compacting and baling loose solid waste materials into denser, more easily transported units, often referred to as bales, is common in refuse disposal and recycling and is used routinely, for example, at recycling centers, manufacturing facilities, and retail and wholesale stores to compress paper, textiles, metals, plastic, and other material. Equipment and machinery for producing the bales, often referred to as baler machines, are typically utilized to compress refuse material through the action of a powered ram that moves vertically or horizontally into and through a compression chamber. Using tons of pressure, the ram compresses the chamber contents into a relatively compact, dense bale of material, which is bound together using wire or twine, for example.
As recycling becomes more central to industrial and manufacturing processes, baling equipment plays an important role in efficient processing of recyclable materials. Effectively evaluating performance aspects of baler machines in use to achieve efficient and optimal operation of baler machines is challenging in a number of aspects and so far has been elusive.

Baler machine monitoring and performance interfaces, systems and methods

Smurfit-Stone Container Enterprises, Inc.


A computer program product and DC-to-DC converter comprising, an electronic switching device, an inductor coupled to the electronic switching device, a capacitor coupled to the inductor wherein the inductor and capacitor are chosen such that the resistance of the load line is greater than a gain minus the equivalent series resistance. A transient controller is communicatively coupled to the electronic switching device, wherein the transient controller has adaptive voltage positioning and wherein the transient controller sends a signal configured to initiate discharging the capacitor during a transient event.

As microprocessors grow more complex over time and pack an increasing number of circuits, the power supplies are subject to more stringent performance requirements, especially for load transients.
Key factors to measure the performance in DC-DC power converters for transient response are overshoot/undershoot, uniform shape and recovery or settling time. These factors are especially important in high-end applications such as CPUs, GPUs and telecommunication systems
The problem of fast transient response, which results in output capacitor savings, has been extensively investigated for cases where the target voltage (Vref) does not move with the load current. However, adaptive voltage positioning (AVP) where the target voltage moves with the load current (Vref−Iload*RLL where RLL is called load line) and allows for greater flexibility in circuit design with less need for filter capacitors.
In the past, attempts to meet the load transient specifications have taken several different approaches but the systems and the controllers have never been optimized specifically for the presence of the load line. One approach is to add more filter (output) capacitors to the solution, which increases the size and cost and may create a ring back in the voltage response while controlling the undershoot. Another approach is to apply complex nonlinear control methods like time optimal control, which are originally designed for systems with no AVP and no movement of the target voltage based on the load current, on systems with load line. These complex, nonlinear approaches are mostly based on the voltage error (Vref−Vo) and do not take into account the load line for achieving the optimum response.
Currently, the majority of the controllers used in this field are error based, meaning once the error (Vref−Vo) is larger than a predefined threshold, they start supplying more energy to the output capacitor. This approach however may cause ring back (non-uniform voltage shape) and none have optimal transient response in the systems with AVP.

Fast transient response in DC-to-DC converters

ALPHA AND OMEGA SEMICONDUCTOR (CAYMAN) LTD.


A scalding apparatus for poultry includes an overhead conveyor for moving poultry, suspended by their legs, through an immersion tank filled with scald water. A filtering device and pumping unit can be used to withdraw the scald water, clean the scald water, and reintroduce the scald water to the tank. Upwardly directed nozzles, located in the bottom of the tank, provided a stream of scald water directed up and over the poultry. A reversing guide may be provided for redirecting the scald water downwards to the poultry. The immersion tank may be divided into chambers.

A scalding apparatus is known from U.S. Pat. No. 4,944,068. In this known scalding apparatus, the poultry is conveyed through an immersion tank comprising a number of adjacent passage chambers. At the bottom side of these chambers the scald water is withdrawn, treated, and subsequently reintroduced into inlet chambers that are divided from the passage chambers. These inlet chambers are divided from the passage chambers by means of a baffle. By overflowing this baffle, treated scald water is reintroduced to reach again the chambers through which the poultry passes. If necessary the reintroduced scald water supplemented with water in order to compensate for evaporation and removal of scald water from the scalding apparatus by the poultry leaving the apparatus.


A latching system for an automotive vehicle having a convertible roof is provided. In another aspect of the present invention, front and/or rear convertible roof sections are rigid, hard-top roofs. A further aspect of the present invention system provides a latch which secures a generally rigid tonneau cover.

This invention relates generally to automotive roof systems and more particularly to a latch for an automotive vehicle having a convertible roof.
Rigid hard-top convertible roofs have been used on a variety of automotive vehicles. Some of these conventional convertible hard-top roofs are stored in a generally vertical orientation and some are stored in a predominantly horizontal orientation. Furthermore, some of these conventional hard-top roofs fold in a clamshelling manner while others are collapsible in an overlapping manner. Examples of traditional hard-top convertible roofs are disclosed in the following patents: U.S. Pat. No. 6,347,828 entitled "Actuation Mechanism for a Two Piece Retractable Hard-Top Roof for an Automobile" which issued to Rapin et al. on Feb. 19, 2002; U.S. Pat. No. 6,318,793 entitled "Two Piece Retractable Hard-Top Roof for an Automobile" which issued to Rapin et al. on Nov. 20, 2001; U.S. Pat. No. 5,979,970 entitled "Roof Assembly for a Convertible Vehicle" which issued to Rothe et al. on Nov. 9, 1999; U.S. Pat. No. 5,785,375 entitled "Retractable Hard-Top for an Automotive Vehicle" which issued to Alexander et al. on Jul. 28, 1998; U.S. Pat. No. 5,769,483 entitled "Convertible Motor Vehicle Roof" which issued to Danzl et al. on Jun. 23, 1998; U.S. Pat. No. 5,743,587 entitled "Apparatus for Use in an Automotive Vehicle having a Convertible Roof System" which issued to Alexander et al. on Apr. 28, 1998; and EPO Patent Publication No. 1 092 580 A1 which was published on Apr. 18, 2001. The U.S. patents are incorporated by reference herein.
Various tonneau cover latches are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,678,881 entitled "Apparatus and Method for Securing a Convertible Roof to an Automotive Vehicle" which issued to Tokarz on Oct. 21, 1997; and U.S. Pat. No. 5,267,769 entitled "Manually Operable Folding Top for Vehicles using Automatic-Ejection Snap-Action Closures" which issued to Bonne et al. on Dec. 7, 1993; both of which are incorporated by reference herein. While the Tokarz latches are significant improvements in the industry, many known devices may not necessarily be well suited for use in extremely difficult to package areas along the quarter panel of a vehicle. Furthermore, the tonneau cover and convertible roof may be locked into lowered positions if the electrical power is not working with most, if not all, prior automatically powered latching devices.
In accordance with the present invention, a latching system for an automotive vehicle having a convertible roof is provided. In another aspect of the present invention, front and/or rear convertible roof sections are rigid, hard-top roofs. A further aspect of the present invention provides that the outside surfaces of retractable roofs have a generally vertical orientation when in their open and retracted positions. In yet another aspect of the present invention, a latch secures a generally rigid tonneau cover. A latch is extremely thin in cross-car size for packaging adjacent a quarter panel of a vehicle, in still another aspect of the present invention. A further aspect of the present invention provides a manual override for an automatically powered latch. Another aspect of the present invention uses a rigid tonneau cover, a tonneau cover linkage mechanism, a movable closeout panel, and a cable drive, which serve to cover a roof storage space and the roof storage space does not obstruct a trunk or storage bed area of a vehicle. In a further aspect of the present invention, a method of using a latch is also provided.
The latching system of the present invention is advantageous over conventional systems in that the present invention minimizes the stored roof packaging area by tightly collapsing one roof section relative to the other. The present invention convertible roof system is also advantageous since it can be retracted with minimal, if any, intrusion in the passenger compartment area of the vehicle while also storing the roof forward of a user accessible storage area, such as a trunk or pickup truck bed. The latch of the present invention is advantageous over prior devices by having an extremely thin cross-car size which is packaged in a very tight quarter panel area. Moreover, another significant advantage is the ability to manually override the automatic actuator in order to release or latch the tonneau cover in the event of a power failure. Additional advantages and features of the present invention will become apparent from the following description and appended claims, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

Latch for an automobile vehicle having a convertible roof


A process monitoring method that aggregates monitoring devices and optionally sensors into one or more groups that are each related to a process of a utility system. The monitoring devices are organized into a monitoring system hierarchy manually or automatically. A process algorithm determines from the hierarchy which monitoring devices are connected to a load. Monitored data from load-connected monitoring device pairs are correlated to produce a correlation coefficient that is compared against a correlation threshold selected between 0 and 1. When the correlation coefficient exceeds the threshold, the device pair is grouped into a process group. Other device pairs exceeding the threshold are likewise grouped into the process group. Multiple processes may be determined with the process algorithm. Sensors may also be grouped manually with the process group containing monitoring devices, which may include virtual monitoring devices. Alarms associated with monitoring devices and sensors are aggregated into one process alarm.

Today's utility monitoring systems provide end-users with the capability to alarm on a vast array of anomalous parameters. For example, many electrical system monitoring devices can detect and notify the end-user of overvoltage transient events, voltage sags, excessive voltage unbalance, harmonic distortion issues, etc. Although each of these alarms is beneficial, an end-user's "big picture" understanding of the overall condition of a utility monitoring system may be clouded by the details from so many discrete alarms. The sheer number of discrete alarms can be overwhelming and tend to obfuscate rather than pinpoint the source(s) of the problem by inundating the end-user with redundant information. Furthermore, the end-user may not fully comprehend the impact (or potential impact) of an event as indicated by a discrete alarm within their facility because it can be difficult to determine how the various alarms interrelate with one another.
What is needed, therefore, is an automated data integration technique, including automatic precision alignment of data and automatic hierarchical classification of system layout. The present invention is directed to satisfying this and other needs.

Method for process monitoring in a utility system