A full duplex communication circuit uses a transducer as both a microphone and speaker/earphone to provide full duplex communication without acoustical feedback. The circuit uses a novel amplifier configuration to apply a signal received from a remote source to the transducer without loading it. The output of the transducer has a combined transmit and receive signal. To eliminate feedback of the receive signal in the output of the transmit signal, an audio processing circuit (analog) takes this combined signal and simultaneously compresses the receive signal and expands the transmit signal to produce a transmit signal that is 35-40 dB greater than the receive signal at the output.

The term "full duplex" in the context of a communication device means that the device simultaneously transmits and receives signals. To the user, this means that he or she can simultaneously talk and listen to another party through the device. Conversely, the term "half duplex" in this context means that the device can only transmit or receive at one time, but not both. Full duplex is obviously better than half duplex communication because it enables parties to communicate from remote locations as if they were standing face to face. However, full duplex communication is more difficult to implement in speaker phones because of the problem of acoustical and electrical feedback. Acoustical feedback occurs when sound from the speaker travels back to the microphone. Electrical feedback is similar, yet pertains to the electrical signals representing the audio input (the signal transmitted to the remote device) and the audio output (the signal received from the remote source). Electrical feedback occurs when the transmit and receive circuits are not completely isolated from each other and form a closed loop with a loop gain greater than one. To eliminate feedback entirely, the overall loop gain, including both acoustical and electrical effects, must be less than one.
The majority of speaker phones for hands-free and group communication are half duplex configurations that utilize fast switching circuitry to alternate between: 1) broadcasting audio output through a speaker, and 2) listening for audio input in a separate microphone. If this switching did not take place, the speaker would produce an annoying squeal due to the acoustical feedback path from the speaker to the microphone. The switching circuitry prevents the speaker and microphone from being active at the same time, and therefore, audio output from the speaker will not induce electrical signals in the microphone. While the switching avoids the squeal, it can be annoying in itself because the user cannot speak and listen at the same time. The switching circuitry compares the strength of the broadcast signals from each direction and allows only the stronger of the two to be transmitted to the opposite end.
Since full duplex communication requires a complete closed loop for simultaneously sending and receiving signals between the two locations of conversation, the overall loop gain must be less than one. One way to ensure that the loop gain is less than one is to use digital signal processing to detect feedback and attempt to cancel it. Speaker phones that employ this approach are sometimes referred to as digital full duplex speaker phones. These devices include a separate speaker and microphone, and an analog to digital conversion circuit to recognize, with adaptive filters, the signal gain variances between the transmit and receive signal paths caused by audio output of the receive signal entering the transmit portion of the loop via the microphone. In response to detecting this feedback, these devices use electronically controlled attenuators in each side of the loop to ensure that the loop gain is less than one.
While the attenuators can reduce the annoying squeal of feedback, they can tend to undermine performance of the device by reducing the gain on the audio output to such an extent that is difficult for the user to hear. At times, the attenuator needs to reduce the gain on the receive signal so much that the user cannot here the other party's voice. In addition to this drawback, the digital configurations are several times more costly then the half duplex speaker phone configurations.
One proposed solution to the acoustical feedback problem is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,002,860, which describes a communication device that uses a single transducer as both a speaker and microphone to eliminate acoustical feedback. The circuit design shown in this patent does not effectively eliminate electrical feedback however. This circuit uses devices called hybrid transformers in an attempt to isolate the transmit and receive signals from each other. The telephone circuits used to provide isolation in this circuit are actually only capable of providing about 15 dB of isolation. The amount of isolation is also highly dependent on the degree to which the circuit can match the impedance of the transducer and of the telephone line. Because of the circuit's inability to isolate the transmit and receive signals, it will generate a significant amount of feedback for this reason alone.
Another drawback of the circuit shown in the '860 patent is that the circuit applies a load across the transducer. Loading of the transducer can significantly undermine the effectiveness of this circuit because it interferes with the transmit signal induced in the transducer from an acoustical voice input. In a typical microphone, the signals induced from the user's voice are quite small on the order of 10 mV. Any loading of the transducer draws away the energy of the induced signal. To deal with these losses, the circuitry for processing the transmit signal can amplify the small voice signals, but if there is any feedback of the receive signal to the amplifier in the transmit circuitry, the feedback problem highlighted above becomes even worse.

Full duplex communication circuit with a transducer for simultaneously generating audio output and receiving audio input


A self-venting package (A) contains peracetic acid or other strong oxidants in a unit dose that assures sterilization of instruments and equipment in an automated sterilizing apparatus (FIG. 3) or of biological wastes in a biological waste comminuting apparatus (FIG. 4). The self-venting package is constructed of a cylindrical body having first and second vent apertures (12, 14) 180.degree. offset adjacent a first edge (20) and third and fourth vent apertures (16, 18) 180.degree. offset adjacent a second edge (26). The first and second vent apertures are 90.degree. offset relative to the third and fourth vent apertures. The first edge is flattened and sealed forming a pair of corners (40, 42) such that the first and second vent apertures are disposed closely adjacent the first and second corners. The container is filled with peracetic acid or other liquids which liberate gas or vapors. A second end (26) of the container is flattened and sealed in a direction transverse to the first edge. Flattening the second edge defines third and fourth corners (44, 46). The third and fourth vent apertures are disposed closely adjacent to the third and fourth corners. Portions of a semi-permeable membrane (32, 34, 36, 38) cover each of the vent apertures. The semi-permeable membrane permits gas or vapor to pass freely therethrough while blocking the passage of liquids.

The present application relates to microbial decontamination arts. It finds particular application in conjunction with the sterilizing or disinfecting of medical, dental, surgical, mortuary, laboratory, and other equipment which comes in contact with the human body, particularly the interior of the human body. The invention also finds particular application in conjunction with the sterilizing or disinfecting of medical wastes as well as disposable medical equipment which has come into contact with the interior of the human body. It is to be appreciated, however, that the present invention will also find application in conjunction with the packaging and use of other liquids which outgas or emit gas or vapor during storage and shipment.
Heretofore, medical facilities have commonly used steam autoclave sterilization systems. Instruments and equipment to be sterilized or disinfected were transported to a central sterilizing facility where they were sterilized under the supervision of sterilizing room technicians. In a steam autoclave, which typically has a cycle time of one to two hours, the equipment was subject to superheated steam at high pressures. After an appropriate sterilizing duration, the autoclave was depressurized and cooled. One of the drawbacks of steam autoclave sterilization is that some equipment is damaged by high temperatures and pressures.
The same steam autoclave systems have also been used for sterilizing or disinfecting medical wastes. However, autoclave sterilization is relatively time consuming and expensive, particularly for waste materials.
Instruments and equipment which could not withstand the temperature and pressure of an autoclave were commonly sterilized with ethylene oxide gas. After the equipment was sealed in a sterilizing chamber, the highly toxic ethylene oxide was introduced under pressure and allowed to remain for a few hours, as was appropriate to the selected sterilizing cycle. After the sterilizing cycle, the equipment could not be utilized until the absorbed ethylene oxide was removed. This generally required about 12 to 16 hours in a vacuum or about 72 hours at ambient atmospheric conditions. In addition to the long cycle time, there is also concern with operator safety when working with the highly toxic ethylene oxide gas. Strict safety procedures must be followed to prevent inadvertent venting and breathing of the ethylene oxide gas.
Liquid sterilization systems have been used for equipment which could not withstand the autoclave or ethylene oxide systems. However, prior to the parent applications hereto, most such liquid sterilization was performed manually. The equipment was immersed in a vat or tank which was filled with the sterilizing solution, rinsed, and used. Frequently, non-sterile tap water was used as the rinse. The potential for operator error leads to concerns of sterilization assurance when equipment has been manually sterilized.
Liquid sterilants, such as iodine, have been used in medical waste disposal systems. More specifically, medical wastes have been ground with water to make a more readily disposable slurry. Bound iodine solutions were commonly added manually to kill pathogenic organisms. However, the manual addition of liquid iodine again led to sterilization or disinfection assurance questions.
Perhaps the most common technique for disposing of medical waste including syringes, laboratory equipment, culture medium, and the like has been incineration. The wastes were incinerated at sufficiently high temperatures that the pathogenic organisms were killed. However, incinerators tend to be sources of air pollution. Air pollution restrictions render the construction of new incinerators difficult and in some cases impossible. Because reducing the air pollution from existing incinerators tends to be very expensive and in many cases impossible, older incinerators are being closed.
In the above-referenced U.S. Pat. No. 5,037,623, liquid peracetic acid is stored in a sturdy plastic ampule that has a vent aperture positioned at its volumetric center. The ampule is filled just under half way full such that the surface of the liquid is below the vent aperture in any orientation of the ampule. In this manner, the liquid cannot block access to the vent aperture by vapors and gases in the space above the liquid. A semi-permeable membrane covers the aperture to prevent splashed liquid from escaping. Although successful, this ampule does have the drawback that it is about twice as large as the volume of liquid which it carries.
The present invention contemplates a new and improved packaging system and microbial decontamination procedure.


A blood pump incorporates a blood lubricated journal bearing that is characterized by a non-circular geometry. In one embodiment, the stationary bearing element, or stator, of the bearing is provided with a semi-elliptical shaped outer surface in an area opposite the load bearing film. The journal bearing configuration ensures that the blood flow therethrough is adequate, that the integrity of the blood is preserved and that bearing stability is maintained.

The present invention relates to the art of pumps and, more particularly, to pumps suitable for use as heart or blood pumps or as ventricular assist devices. The invention is particularly applicable to pumps for the blood of a living person, or animal, intended to assume entirely or assist the pumping function of the biologic heart. It will be recognized, however, that the invention has wider application because it may generally be applied to environments that generally involve bearings, including hydrodynamic journal bearings.
There has been significant effort in the field of biomedical engineering to provide artificial blood pumps, i.e., non-biological devices that assist or assume entirely the pumping functions of the human heart. These devices are surgically introduced within the human cardiovascular system. Because of the unique biological environment in which they operate, blood pumps must satisfy very exacting operational requirements that relate primarily to the prevention of blood damage and the prevention of the loss of blood from the circulatory system. Of course, the dependability and longevity of operation of the device is also a major concern.
Blood pumps impart fluid motion to the blood that is not ordinarily experienced during normal biological processes. This fluid motion may jeopardize the integrity of the blood cells and present an excessive risk that hemolysis--the damage of blood cell membranes--will occur because of the excessive fluid shear and frictional forces experienced by the pumped blood. This risk is especially significant in small blood passages within the pump, typically including the fluid flow path between the pump impeller and housing. Blood cell integrity in the pumped blood is also at risk because of the heat generated by friction between the moving parts of the blood pump. Frictional energy may result ultimately in thrombosis--the undesirable clotting or coagulation of blood. It may also increase the potential for the formation of protein deposits within the pump structure or within the blood. To counter these effects, blood flow within the pump is often relied upon to provide a washing and cooling effect to the blood pump parts. In addition, blood has been used to lubricate the moving parts of the pump.
A blood pump that exemplifies the state of the art is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,342,177 to Golding et al, the subject matter of which is incorporated herein by reference. The invention disclosed therein provides a rotodynamic blood pump that utilizes a blood lubricated journal bearing between an annular rotor element, which includes an impeller for imparting axial motion to the blood, and a stationary bearing element, or stator, disposed inside the rotor. A driving means is disposed within the stator and is magnetically coupled to the rotor. The annular rotor cooperates with the axial extension to define two fluid passages. A primary fluid passage leads from the pump inlet to the outlet. A secondary passage provides a continuous flow thru otherwise stagnant areas of the pump. At least a portion of this second passage is narrowed to form a radial fluid bearing between the rotor and stator. In accordance with one aspect of the invention disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,324,177, the axis of the drive element housed within the stator is deliberately offset from the rotor axis. In this way, a known magnetic force is provided to bias the rotor in opposition to the bearing fluid pressure forces and increased bearing stability is achieved. The use of blood flow for washing, cooling and, especially, the lubricating functions in journal bearings of state of the art blood pumps brings with it unique problems relating to blood integrity preservation.
Generally speaking, journal bearings are often used to support a rotating cylindrical member that is subject to a radial load. These bearings rely on a load-carrying film or cushion of lubricating fluid that resides between the rotating and stationary member on a side that is opposite the radial load. The operating principle behind a fluid film bearing is that the lubricating fluid is entrained by the journal into the load bearing film by the fluid viscosity. If the fluid passage is convergent in the direction of rotation of the bearing rotor, this action results in a pressure field in the load bearing film which provides sufficient force to float the journal and carry the radial load. As the passage converges, fluid pressure will increase. Conversely, if the passage diverges, fluid pressure will decrease and cavitation therefore becomes a concern in fluid bearing design. As a general rule, fluid bearing operation is characterized primarily by the viscosity of the lubricant, the speed of the bearing components, and the geometry of the bearing and, therefore, the geometry of the lubricating film. In addition to the foregoing constraints, journal bearings must be configured to prevent excessive vibrations that may develop during rotation and cause contact between moving parts and possible damage to the bearing over time. Minute imbalances in the rotating member may initiate vibrations as the member rotates. Without adequate stability in the journal bearing system, vibrations may become excessive, resulting in oscillating motions of the bearing parts at relatively large amplitudes compared to the bearing clearances. Instability is usually mitigated, at least in part, by the selection of a suitable lubricant.
Not surprisingly, the fluid and lubricating characteristics of blood are unlike those of conventional lubricants such as oil. The use of blood as a lubricant in a blood pump journal bearing therefore presents unique problems. On one hand, it is crucial that the journal bearing maintain the integrity of the blood flowing through it and permit enough flow to adequately wash and cool the component parts of the pump. On the other hand, the journal dimensions must not be such that the dynamic stability of the bearing is compromised.

Rotodynamic pump with non-circular hydrodynamic bearing journal


A method and apparatus for performing measurement by a User Equipment (UE) in a mobile communication system are provided. The UE has a Discontinuous Reception (DRX) mode for discontinuously receiving data and a continuous reception mode for continuously receiving data. The mobile communication system also has a serving cell where the UE is located, and a neighboring cell located near the serving cell. Signal strength of the serving cell is measured according to a period of the DRX mode. The signal strength measurement is continuously performed on the serving cell and the neighboring cell, if the measured signal strength of the serving cell is less than or equal to a particular threshold. The continuous signal strength measurement is stopped and signal strength of the serving cell is measured according to the period of the DRX mode, if the continuously measured signal strength of the serving cell is greater than the particular threshold.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to a mobile communication system, and more particularly, to a measurement method and apparatus of a User Equipment (UE) that has a Discontinuous Reception (DRX) cycle and is in a Radio Resource Control (RRC) connected mode.
2. Description of the Related Art
The Universal Mobile Telecommunication Service (UMTS) system is a 3rd generation asynchronous mobile communication system that uses Wideband Code Division Multiple Access (W-CDMA) based on Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM) and General Packet Radio Services (GPRS), both of which are European mobile communication systems.
In 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP), which is in charge of UMTS standardization, discussions are being conducted regarding the Long Term Evolution (LTE) system as the next generation mobile communication system of the UMTS system. The LTE system is a technology for realizing high-speed packet-based communication having a maximum data rate of 100 Mbps, and aiming at commercialization in around 2010. Several communication schemes are under discussion for the LTE system. For example, a first scheme reduces the number of nodes located in the communication path by simplifying a configuration of the network, and a second scheme maximally approximates radio protocols to a radio channel.
FIG. 1 illustrates a configuration of an LTE system to which the present invention is applicable.
Referring to FIG. 1, an Evolved Radio Access Network (E-RAN) 110 is expected to be simplified to a 2-node configuration of Evolved Node Bs (ENBs) 120, 122, 124, 126 and 128, and anchor nodes 130 and 132. A User Equipment (UE or 'terminal') 101 can access an Internet Protocol (IP) network by means of the E-RAN 110, for communication.
The ENBs 120-128, corresponding to the existing Node Bs of the 3rd generation system, can communicate with the UE 101 over the radio channel. The ENBs 120-128, compared to the existing Node Bs, will perform complex functions. This is due to the fact that in the LTE system, user traffic including real-time IP services such as Voice over IP (VoIP) will be serviced over a shared channel. Therefore, there is a need for an apparatus for collecting status information of multiple UEs and performing scheduling depending thereon, which is expected to be managed by the ENBs 120-128. Each ENB can control a plurality of cells.
The ENBs 120-128 perform Adaptive Modulation & Coding (AMC) that adaptively determines a modulation scheme and a channel-coding rate according to the channel status of the UE. In addition, the ENBs 120-128, together with the UE 101, will perform the Hybrid Automatic Repeat reQuest (HARQ) technique used in the services of the 3rd generation system, such as High Speed Downlink Packet Access (HSDPA), High Speed Uplink Packet Access (HSUPA), and Enhanced Dedicated Channel (E-DCH). When various Quality of Service (QoS) requirements cannot be satisfied with only the HARQ technique, the ENBs 120-128 and the UE 101 will apply an Outer ARQ technique in their upper layers.
It is expected that the LTE system will use Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing (OFDM) as a radio access technology in the 20-MHz bandwidth.
FIG. 2 illustrates a scheduling operation of a UE having a DRX interval, to which the present invention is applicable.
In the LTE system, operation modes of a UE can be classified into two modes: a Radio Resource Control (RRC) idle mode and an RRC connected mode. The RRC idle mode refers to the UE's status when there is no UE context information and service context information in the ENB. Further, the anchor node manages locations of the UEs using the UE context information, not in units of cells, but in units of tracking areas for paging. The RRC connected mode refers to the status when not only the anchor node but also the ENB have the UE context information, and the ENB can manage locations of the UEs, having an established RRC connection, in units of cells. The possibility that the service context information will also be included is not excluded herein.
In other words, an arbitrary UE in the RRC idle mode (hereinafter referred to as an 'RRC idle mode UE') first establishes an RRC connection to the ENB to receive or transmit the data for a particular service. In this case, the RRC idle mode UE should provide the UE context information to the ENB, and should establish a signaling connection even to the anchor node, It should also provide the UE context and service context information to the anchor node over the signaling connection. As a result, a UE in the RRC connected mode (hereinafter referred to as an 'RRC connected mode UE') can be immediately allocated corresponding radio resources from the ENB, and receive or transmit the data for a particular service using the allocated radio resources.
Referring to FIG. 2, the general RRC connected mode UE continuously receives a scheduling channel, and if the scheduling channel includes scheduling information for the UE itself, the RRC connected mode UE receives or transmits the data over the corresponding radio resources indicated by the scheduling channel. Herein, the UE determines whether UE identifier information (UE ID) included in the scheduling channel is identical to its allocated unique UE identifier information (unique UE ID), to check the presence of scheduling information for the UE itself.
In the LTE system, the RRC connected mode UE can perform a Discontinuous Reception/Transmission (DRX/DTX) operation to minimize its battery power consumption. That is, during the DRX interval (or cycle), the UE receives no scheduling channel associated with the data or control information. During the DRX interval, the UE disables (or turns OFF) its transmission and reception operations and operates in a sleep state.
Therefore, the RRC connected mode UE having the DRX interval discontinuously receives a scheduling channel and checks the presence/absence of scheduling information for the UE itself. For example, a UE having a DRX interval previously agreed upon between the ENB and the UE, enters the sleep state during the DRX interval to minimize the power consumption. After expiration of the DRX interval, the UE can transition to a wake-up state (or awake state) and receive a scheduling channel. The operation in which the UE discontinuously receives a scheduling channel using the DRX interval can include (i) an operation in which the DRX interval is determined according to a hard-coding scheme, (ii) an operation in which the DRX interval is determined according to a predefined rule such as a DRX interval calculation formula, and (iii) an operation in which the UE is allocated the DRX interval from the ENB by signaling.
Reference numerals 201, 202, 203 and 204 of FIG. 2 show the times at which the UE receives a scheduling channel from the ENB and checks the presence/absence of scheduling information for data reception/transmission.
If the UE has received a scheduling channel and the received scheduling channel includes no scheduling information for the UE itself, the UE transitions back to the sleep state for the DRX interval.
For example, the UE in the sleep state receives no channel transmitted over the downlink. In other words, the ENB does not perform scheduling for the UE during the DRX interval even though it has generated data for the UE to acquire scheduling synchronization with the UE.
If the ENB performs scheduling for the RRC connected mode UE having the DRX interval at time 204, the ENB, after the time 204, may stop the application of the DRX interval and operate in the RRC connected mode where DRX is disabled. That is, after the ENB has started the scheduling at the time 204, the ENB continuously schedules the UE without applying the DRX interval, and the UE can continuously receive a scheduling channel.
FIG. 3 illustrates a measurement operation of a UE having a DRX interval. The UE, as it performs measurement using the DRX interval, can minimize the power consumption.
The UE checks whether the scheduling for data reception/transmission has been performed at the time that it receives a scheduling channel, and at this time, the UE performs the measurement as well. Therefore, the UE performs no measurement for the DRX interval where it enters the sleep state, thereby reducing the power consumption, compared to when it continuously performs the measurement.
Referring to FIG. 3, the UE performs measurement on the current serving cell and neighboring cells at times 301, 302, 303, 304 and 305, and performs no measurement for the DRX interval.
After performing the measurement at time 301, the UE determines that there is no neighboring cell whose radio strength is greater than or equal to that of the current serving cell.
After performing the measurement at time 302, if the UE determines that there is a neighboring cell whose radio strength is greater than or equal to that of the serving cell, the UE starts (or activates) a counter or a timer for triggering measurement report. The measurement report is an operation in which the UE provides the ENB with information on a change in the radio environment. Based on the measurement report, the UE can perform handover. For example, upon detecting the presence of a neighboring cell having a greater radio strength than the current serving cell, the UE provides the ENB with information on a cell ID and radio strength of the neighboring cell. After checking the cell ID and the radio strength, the ENB determines whether to hand over the UE to the neighboring cell. The counter or the timer is used for preventing the frequent transmission of a measurement report due to the frequent change in the radio environment.
Generally, the measurement report for the changed radio environment cannot be transmitted by the UE to the ENB as long as a greater or equal radio strength is not continuously maintained during the count of the set counter or the time of the set timer. In other words, the UE transmits a measurement report to the ENB, when the state where the neighboring cell has radio strength greater than or equal to that of the serving cell is continuously maintained during the measurement count of the counter or the time of the timer. The measurement count or time is set immediately after the UE detects the presence of the neighboring cell whose radio strength is greater than or equal to that of the serving cell. For example, in FIG. 3, the counter is set to a value of 3. The counter value is subject to change. Therefore, upon detecting the neighboring cell having greater radio strength than that of the serving cell at time 302, the UE transmits a measurement report to the ENB in step 321 when the neighboring cell continuously has the greater radio strength than that of the serving cell during the set 3 measurement counts 311 of 303, 304 and 305.
As described in FIG. 3, the UE has a long delay time until it actually transmits the measurement report to the ENB. That is, the measurement report operation employing the counter or timer for preventing the frequent transmission of a measurement report, or for reducing the unnecessary signaling overhead, cannot actually transmit the measurement report at an appropriate time.
Therefore, the UE and the serving cell, which cannot perform the correct measurement report operation and cannot perform handover at an appropriate time, may bring a failure of the radio link between them. The radio link failure prevents normal transmission/reception not only of the control information necessary for data transmission/reception between the UE and the serving cell, but also of the actual data.
For example, assuming that a length of the DRX interval is 5.12 sec, the UE performs a measurement report operation having a long delay time of a total of 5.12 sec*3 intervals=15.36 sec, from the time 302 where the UE has determined that the neighboring cell has radio strength being greater than or equal to that of the current serving cell until the time 305 where the UE transmits the measurement report.
The reason the long delay time problem and the resulting problems occur is due to the fact that the UE's measurement operation performs the measurement only once every 5.12-sec DRX interval in the LTE system, as shown in FIG. 3. The UE cannot normally support the scenario where it should undergo handover for the DRX interval due to the change in the radio environment during the DRX interval.

Measurement method and apparatus of user equipment having variable measurement period in a mobile communication system


This invention relates to methods for determining whether or not to discard a sample of oil based on the presence of polar compounds in the oil and devices to be used therewith. In a preferred embodiment a test strip comprising an adsorbent affixed to a backing is spotted with a polar indicator. A sample of oil is positioned on a heat conducting device supporting the test strip and the oil is allowed to migrate over the adsorbent material thereby displacing the polar indicator in an amount related to the amount of polar compounds in the oil. This displacement is correlated to the amount of polar compounds in the sample.

When oils (used herein to refer to oils, fats, shortenings and mixtures thereof) are heated in the presence of oxygen and water, thermolytic and oxidative reactions take place, resulting in the degradation of the oils. Most edible oils are triglycerides formed from the reaction of fatty acids and glycerol. Oils are generally considered non-polar in their pure form. However, some oils contain from about 0.5% to about 2% free fatty acids. The presence of these fatty acids may impart some polarity to the fresh oils. However, as these oils are heated at high temperatures (for example, under conditions of deep-frying or under high shear and pressure conditions as can be found for some synthetic oils), the oils can oxidize, polymerize, and/or hydrolyze. Oxidation can generate new functional groups in the hydrocarbon chain of the triglyceride and hydrolysis can generate free fatty acids, monoglycerides and diglycerides. These processes can increase the polarity of the oils.
A number of methods exist in the literature to detect degraded products in oils. Most of the methods are specific to a particular degradation pathway or assay for a particular chemical change. For instance, the measurement of free fatty acids in oil can be used to estimate the level of degradation of oils by the hydrolysis pathway. This method does not quantify the total polar compounds in the oils. Other methods to assess the degradation of oils include, but are not limited to, the determination of hydroxyl number, iodine value, carbonyl value, decreases in unsaturation, smoke point and viscosity changes. There are commercial devices to detect one or more changes in oil that occur with use and each of these methods has its own drawbacks. For example, the FOODOIL-SENSOR (Northern States Instrument, Circle Pines, Minn.) monitors the change in the dielectric constant of frying oils but this instrument must be calibrated to fresh oil daily. Because different oils have different dielectric constants, separate information must be provided for each type of oil to determine whether or not the change in the dielectric constant of a particular oil indicates the oil should be discarded. These types of instruments may not give consistent results over time because the test is also sensitive to environmental factors, such as air drifting, or sensitive to the presence of food particles in the oil itself. The instruments do not operate well in a draft, such as occur in locations near ventilating systems that circulate air. Many deep-fat fryers are positioned under or close to strong air uptake currents making the test ill-suited for use in some restaurants. Libra Labs (Metuchen, N.J.) and U.S. Pat. No. 4,349,353 to Blumenthal disclose tests to detect the presence of alkaline compounds that accumulate in used frying oils. U.S. Pat. No. 4,623,638 to Hayatsu et al. discloses a silica gel that absorbs and desorbs polycyclic organic substances in a solution to detect and remove mutagenic substances from the environment and foodstuffs.
Colorimetric tests based on the pH of the oil are available. For example, the OXIFIT test (E. Merck, Darmstadt, Germany) is a colorimetric test kit that contains redox indicators that react with the total amount of oxidized compounds in the oil. The 3M Shortening Monitor (Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing, St. Paul, Minn.) is a paper strip containing base as an indicator that changes color when the base reacts with fatty acids in the oil. A FRITEST (E. Merck) is available and is a colorimetric test kit that is sensitive to carbonyl compounds. Robem and Gray teach a spot test (Can. Inst. Food Sci. Technol. J. 14:150, 1981) that is a colorimetric test that monitors the free fatty acid content of the oil based on the pH of the oil. The diagnostic colors of the pH indicator are blue, green and yellow. Alkaline contaminant materials can also be detected in oils. Other calorimetric tests include those of U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,770,530; 3,030,190; 3,615,226; and 2,953,439.
Colorimetric tests can be problematic because the color indicators should be readily visualized from the background colors of the test. Colors such as yellow, light reds or light greens can be difficult to read because the degraded oils can also be colored.
One of the factors determining the cooking quality of used frying oils is the amount of breakdown products in the oil. The amount of polar compounds in oil is important because, for example, the presence of increased amounts of polar compounds detrimentally affect taste and oil viscosity. For example, increased amounts of polar compounds tend to produce a less viscous oil and this characteristic impacts the permeability of the oil into food, for example, in a flying apparatus. In general, reduced penetration of oils into foods is preferred for appearance, taste and health reasons.
A number of European countries have specific regulations for frying oils. Some of the European countries have regulations to restrict the amount of polar materials in oils. For example, Austria, Belgium, France, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Spain and Switzerland require, depending on the country, no more than between 2% 1 to 27% polar compounds in oils used with food. The German government has determined that the presence of 27% polar compounds corresponds to 0.7% of oxidized fatty acids insoluble in petroleum ether (Firestone, D. et al. "Regulation of Frying Fats and Oils" in Food Technology February 1991, pp 90–93), and that levels above this amount are not acceptable. It is likely that agencies of other governments will also institute regulations and quality assurance guidelines requiring the regular replacement of oil.
Many users of oxidative-sensitive and hydrolysis-sensitive oils employ routine periodic replacement programs to ensure that the oils maintain a useful taste and consistency. For a restaurant or a fast-food chain, it is difficult to evaluate the quality of the used cooking oil while on the restaurant premises other than by merely looking at its color, smelling the oil and/or observing the flying properties. Some restaurants with heavy fry demands and those with higher quality standards may discard and replace their oils after a relatively short time, irrespective of taste or consistency. A routine discard policy can be costly. A method to assess oil that is rapid and easy to use could save restaurants the time and money required to routinely and blindly replace their oil.
Thin layer chromatography (TLC) was originally developed as a method for separating lipids. TLC involves the use of a thin layer of adsorbent (e.g., silica gel) coated over a backing or solid surface such as glass, or the like. A sample to be analyzed is placed on the adsorbent and an edge of the thin layer is exposed to a solvent that travels up the thin layer, separating the compounds within the sample based on their relative affinities for the solvent and the adsorbent. The compounds can be identified by comparison of the separated sample with known standards.
In general, the technique has excellent resolving power and can be adapted to measure a variety of chemical constituents in a test sample. Where TLC is used to determine the amount of polar compounds in oil, a test sample is spotted onto a TLC plate and the plate is subjected to a solvent, such as petroleum ether, diethyl ether or glacial acetic acid. The solvent wicks up the adsorbent, toward the test sample. The test sample separates based on the relative affinities of the solvent and the test sample for the reactive groups on the adsorbent coating. The less polar compounds travel along the TLC plate faster than highly polar compounds. In this way TLC is used to detect the polar constituents in a test sample. TLC is a relatively sophisticated technique that is generally employed by scientists in a laboratory setting.
The American Oil Chemists' Society have standard methods for evaluating the quality of freshly refined cooking oil, including the amount of polar compounds in the oil. This method is published by the International Organization for Standardization and is provided as a publication ISO 8420:1990(E) entitled "Determination of Polar Compounds Content in Animal and Vegetable Fats and Oils" herein after referred to as "ISO 8420"). Other methods for quantifying the amount of polar compounds in oil include High Pressure Liquid Chromatography (HPLC), Liquid Chromatography (LC), Gas Chromatography (GC), and the like. ISO 8420 and other current procedures that quantify the amount of polar compounds in oil are complex and impractical for the cooking staff in an eating establishment.
The tests that are currently commercially available can have a number of problems. Many of the methods currently available for testing oil quality require expensive equipment that must be calibrated on a regular basis. These tests measure the polar compounds in oil indirectly. For example, pH changes are an indirect measure of the amount of polar compounds in an oil. A number of these tests require laboratory skill and periods of time greater than 2–3 hours.
Consequently, a long felt need exists for a quick reliably and easily performed test method to determine the amount of polar compounds in oil. A further need exists for a device to facilitate the performance of such a method.

Methods and devices for measuring total polar compounds in degrading oils


An electrical connector assembly includes a pair of spaced receptacle modules mounted to a first printed circuit board which is electrically coupled to a second printed circuit board spaced from and generally parallel to the first printed circuit board. A conductive ground plate is electrically coupled between the printed circuit boards and mechanically supports the circuit boards in their spaced generally parallel relationship. The ground plate is disposed perpendicular to the first and second printed circuit boards forming two separate compartments between the first and second printed circuit boards to provide electromagnetic interference isolation between the compartments. An electrical component such as transformer may be mounted on one side of the ground plate between the spaced generally parallel printed circuit boards, and the ground plate provides a heat sink for the transformer. A third printed circuit board may be mounted on the side of the ground plate opposite the transformer and electrically coupled to the transformer through the ground plate.

In certain applications, it is desirable or necessary to incorporate printed circuit boards directly into an electrical connector assembly. In other words, the assembly may include one or more connector modules, such as receptacle modules, interconnected to a printed circuit board. The connector modules and printed circuit board are encapsulated within a common housing, and terminals project from the housing for interconnection with other exterior circuit components. In fact, in certain applications, it is desirable or necessary to incorporate a plurality of circuit boards in the connector assembly, such as a pair of spaced generally parallel boards.
An example of an application wherein electrical connector assemblies of the character described above are employed is in an environment wherein a connector assembly is used to interconnect both power circuitry as well as data circuitry.; A specific example is in a "Smart House" environment wherein a common receptacle may include a receptacle module which includes both power and data. For ease of manufacturing as well as maintaining a small envelope for the connector assembly, it is desirable to have both the power and the data circuitry in close proximity to each other on a common printed circuit board, or in conjunction with a second, generally parallel printed circuit board.
One of the problems in incorporating both power and data circuitry on a common circuit board layout within a small envelope or confined area is the requirement for electromagnetic interference isolation between the power and data circuitry. For instance, the data circuitry may envision on the order of 5 to 12 volt signals in contrast to the 120 volt power circuitry and to thousands of volts that may appear in the power circuitry during surges and transients. Heretofore, electromagnetic interference isolation in such small electrical connector assemblies has been difficult, if at all possible.
Another problem in electrical connector assemblies of the character described involves heat dissipation from various electronic components. For instance, a transformer might be used in the circuitry and coupled to one and/or the other printed circuit boards. In fact, a third printed circuit board may be employed with the transformer. In the small envelope or confined area of such a connector assembly, adequate heat dissipation from an electronic component, such as a transformer, also has been difficult, if at all possible.
This invention is directed to solving the above problems in an extremely simple manner by employing a single grounded plate coupled between a pair of spaced, generally parallel printed circuit boards, with the ground plate located between the printed circuit boards forming two isolated compartments, to provide mechanical support for the printed circuit boards, to reduce electromagnetic interference and to provide a heat sink for electronic components, such as a transformer.

Electrical connector assembly with printed circuit board layout


Provided is a method of fabricating a semiconductor device. The method includes providing a silicon substrate having opposite first and second sides. At least one of the first and second sides includes a silicon (111) surface. The method includes forming a high coefficient-of-thermal-expansion (CTE) layer on the first side of the silicon substrate. The high CTE layer has a CTE greater than the CTE of silicon. The method includes forming a buffer layer over the second side of the silicon substrate. The buffer layer has a CTE greater than the CTE of silicon. The method includes forming a III-V family layer over the buffer layer. The III-V family layer has a CTE greater than the CTE of the buffer layer.

The semiconductor integrated circuit (IC) industry has experienced rapid growth in recent years. Technological advances in IC materials and design have produced various types of ICs that serve different purposes. The fabrication of some types of ICs may require forming a III-V family layer on a substrate, for example forming a gallium nitride layer on a substrate. These types of IC devices may include, as examples, light-emitting diode (LED) devices, radio frequency (RF) devices, and high power semiconductor devices.
Traditionally, manufacturers have formed the III-V family layer on a sapphire substrate. However, sapphire substrates are expensive. Thus, some manufacturers have been attempting to form III-V layers on a silicon substrate, which is cheaper. However, existing methods of forming a III-V family layer on a silicon substrate may result in wafer bending or distortion, especially if the fabrication involves drastic temperature changes. The wafer distortion may lead to wafer defects, which reduces yield and degrades device performance.
Therefore, while existing methods of forming III-V family layers on silicon substrates have been generally adequate for their intended purposes, they have not been entirely satisfactory in every aspect.

Reducing wafer distortion through a high CTE layer

Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, Ltd.


An image processing device, includes: an obtaining unit which successively obtains a plurality of images; a synthesis unit which partially superimposes the plurality of images obtained by the obtaining unit to generate a synthesis image when the obtaining unit obtains the images; a first judgment unit which judges whether the synthesis image contains a feature region having a predetermined feature when the synthesis image is generated by the synthesis unit; and a control unit which makes predetermined processing be executed when the first judgment unit judges that the synthesis image contains the feature region.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image processing device having a function of synthesizing captured images, an image processing method, and a recording medium for recording a program for image processing.
2,Description of Related Art
Conventionally, there have been technologies to generate a synthesis image (for example, a panoramic image) by superimposing partial regions of a plurality of images obtained by continuous capturing (for example, see the Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2009-65460).
However, in a case of cutting out a desired partial image region from a generated synthesis image, it is difficult to determine a final cut-out region of the synthesis image before images are captured. Therefore, synthesis of unnecessary image regions that are not in the cut-out image, and capture of images containing said unnecessary image regions are carried out wastefully.
It is desirable that a synthesis image can be generated more efficiently.

Image processing device that synthesizes image


A method of self-synchronizing clocks in a multiple chip system, by assigning one chip as the master chip and the other chips as slave chips. A training signal is sent from master chip to the slave chips to determine the latency from the master chip to a slave chip, and then a synchronization signal is sent out to synchronize the “time zero” of the chips.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to methods to self-synchronize clocks on multiple chips in a system
2. Background Art
A synchronous digital system consists of multiple chips that run on reference clocks with known relationship. Typically there are cross-chip functions that require the "time-zero" on each chip to be synchronized for the functions to work properly.
In a multi-chip system, such as shown in FIG. 1, to synchronize all chips with each other without external controls, one chip may be temporarily assigned as the "master" chip. The rest of the chips will be "slave" chips. After a system is powered on, the master chip may start to send out synchronization signals to synchronize the "time-zero" of all slave chips and itself. The "time-zero" events usually are repeating with very long cycles. The timing of "time-zero" is typically aligned to the reference clock boundary assuming all chips are receiving the same reference clocks with reasonable skew or known deterministic skew. If all chips are placed close together and a synchronization signal sent from one chip can arrive at another within one reference clock cycle, the "master" chip may simply send out the synchronization signals one reference clock cycle before the intended time-zero. Once the signals arrive at destination chips, all chips can set their "time-zero" to the following rising edge of the reference clock. If the reference clocks for all the chips are not identical, protocols for "time-zero" may be easily determined as long as the relationships and skews among all reference clocks are known. One synchronization signal may be shared among several chips if needed.
In a system with long distances among chips and short reference clock cycle, as shown in FIG. 2, synchronization signals may take multiple reference cycles to reach the destination chips depending on the actual path lengths and packaging/chip process variations. The simple synchronization approach described above no longer guarantee successful synchronization among all chips, since each chip may need different number of reference cycle to receive the synchronization signals. New approaches to account for all possible situations will be required.
Note that in FIG. 3 Chip B and C are not synchronized to the same reference clock cycle.
In a simplified situation, as shown in FIG. 4, all the chips under consideration are still close together and the difference between the maximum and minimum latency for sending synchronization signals from one chip to another may be less than one reference clock cycle with all packaging/chip process variations considered. Additional time may be added prior to sending out synchronization signals so the synchronization signals arrived at all chips within the same reference clock boundaries. But this approach still has the same limitation as the original approach in term of system size and package/process variations. Additional work on package design may be required to match the latencies of synchronization signals among all chips, which may not feasible in larger systems.

Methods to self-synchronize clocks on multiple chips in a system

International Business Machines Corporation


An electromagnetic engine including a plurality of pistons and a plurality of corresponding electromagnets. The pistons are each connected to a crankshaft and fabricated of a ferrous material. The electromagnets are spaced from the pistons in alignment therewith. An electrical power source is provided to power the electromagnets, and a control assembly is provided to control the sequence of energizing the electromagnets, so that by energizing the electromagnets, the pistons will be pulled toward the electromagnets in response to a timely applied electromagnetic field. The force imparted on the piston is transmitted by the rod to the crankshaft, which provides power via an output shaft for desired uses.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to a reciprocating electromagnetic engine, and more particularly, but not by way of limitation, to a magnetically driven engine for developing shaft power.
2. Brief Description of Related Art
The creation of magnetic energy by electricity is well known in the art. One of the most prevalent uses of such energy is electric motors. The direct use of such energy, however, is somewhat limited in industry to those applications where, for example, the magnetic attraction forces are used to lift objects or to separate magnetic particles from compounds containing both magnetic and nonmagnetic particles. A more prevalent direct use of magnetic energy is found wherever electrical solenoids are used. Such usage comprises making and breaking electrical contacts, opening and closing valves, and hot-melt glue guns or other such applications where a predetermined amount of a product is dispensed upon demand or at specific time intervals. More recently, the field created by magnetic energy has been used in particle acceleration devices such as cyclotrons and synchrotrons.
The fascination associated with the potential uses of magnetic energy has led to a number of devices other than the above, whereby electrical energy is converted into magnetic energy which is then converted into mechanical rotational motion. These devices are generally known as electromagnetic engines. They differ from the common electric motor in that they contain one or more pistons attached to a crankshaft which provides the mechanical output. In light of the number of attempts to produce an electromagnetic engine, there is an obvious need to effectively increase the power output and the efficiency of electromagnetic engines before they can, in fact, be considered to be competitive with other engines and motors such as electric motors and internal combustion engines. Moreover, based on the noncommercial use of such engines, the need for an electromagnetic engine having a high efficiency coupled with a high power output still exists today. It is to such an apparatus that the present invention is directed.

Electro-magnetic engine with pivoting piston head


The disclosed computer-implemented method for sharing content and allowing users to react using storyline-based feedback may include receiving a first input identifying content is to be part of a story. The method may next include receiving a second input indicating that the story is available to receive storyline-based feedback. The storyline-based feedback may include ephemeral visual content related to the story. Users may join a conversation by adding such visual content. The method may further include posting the story for consumption by other specified users, receiving visual storyline-based feedback related to the posted story from different users, and updating the posted story with the received portions of storyline-based feedback in storyline form. Various other methods, systems, and computer-readable media are also disclosed.

Current social media applications allow users all over the world to share their thoughts and ideas on various topics. They also allow users to share media including videos, gifs, images and text with each other. Most current social media applications allow users to create posts that are visible to friends and family, or to the public in general. These posts may contain pictures, videos, text or other media content. Those users that can view the post may have the opportunity to like the post, leave a comment, or otherwise react to the post.
In most cases, however, these interactions with the post occur in an ad hoc manner, with little organization. Users can provide comments, or like other user's comments, but these interactions typically occur line by line in a long string of other user's comments. Thus, many of these interactions or items of feedback do not get back to the original poster, or to the other users who provide feedback.

Storylines: collaborative feedback system


Disclosed is a backlight unit that is suitable for reducing humming noise that occurs when power is applied for dimming control. The present invention provides a backlight unit including a plurality of lamps arranged over a bottom cover, first and second lower structures respectively mounted at opposite ends of the lamps, the first and second lower structures having a groove between adjacent lamps, sound absorbing pads disposed within the grooves, common electrodes mounted on the first and second lower structures having the sound absorbing pads thereon respectively, and first and second upper structures respectively coupled to the first and second lower structures. The first and second upper structures have a plurality of ribs that press down on the common electrodes and sound absorbing pads.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a backlight unit and method for fabricating the same for a display. More particularly, the present invention relates to a backlight unit suitable for reducing humming noise that takes place during dimming adjustment of the backlight unit having external electrode lamps.
2. Discussion of the Related Art
The CRT (Cathode Ray Tube) has traditionally served as the basis for televisions, monitors, information terminals, etc. However, CRTs have disadvantages with regard to, for example, size and weight.
Other display technologies have emerged, which address the size and weight problems associated with CRTs. Among these are Liquid Crystal Displays (LCD), which utilize an electro-optical effect; Plasma Display Panels (PDP), which utilize a gas discharge; and Electro Luminescent Displays (ELD), which utilize an electro luminescent effect. In particular, research in LCD technology has been progressing rapidly.
In efforts to replace CRTs, LCDs have been developed to have minimal physical dimensions, low weight, and low power consumption. As a result, LCDs are now used in applications such as laptop computers and desktop monitors. As performance has improved, LCDs have also become popular in large-scale information display applications.
Most liquid crystal display devices are light receptive devices that display a picture by adjusting the quantity of light received from outside the liquid crystal display device. As such, LCDs require a separate light source for directing the light to the LCD panel. This separate light source is referred to as a backlight unit.
Related art backlight units include an arrangement of cylindrical lamps. The cylindrical lamps are arranged in either edge type or direct type configurations.
The edge type backlight unit has a lamp unit mounted on an edge of a light plate which guides the light. The lamp unit is provided with a lamp for emitting the light, a lamp holder placed on both ends thereof for protecting the lamp, and a lamp reflective plate surrounding an outside surface of the lamp having one side placed on the edge of the light plate for reflecting the light from the lamp toward the light plate.
The edge type backlight unit, which has the lamp unit mounted on the edge of the light plate, is mostly applicable to laptop or desktop computer monitors, for which minimal physical dimensions are important. The edge type backlight unit has good light output, uniformly long lifetime, and can be very thin.
Direct type backlight units, originally developed for LCD displays greater than 20 inches, have a plurality of lamps arranged in parallel under a diffusion plate for directing the light toward a front surface of the LCD panel. Direct type backlight units have a better light utilization efficiency than edge type backlight units. As such, direct type backlight units are mainly used in large sized LCDs that require high luminance.
However, because LCDs having direct type backlight units, such as large sized monitors, TVs, or the like, have a longer time period of use and a greater number of lamps as compared to laptop computers, direct type backlight units have a higher rate of lamp failure than edge type backlights.
Moreover, in the case of the edge type backlight unit that has the lamp units mounted on opposite edges of the light plate, if one lamp fails, there will be drop in screen luminance, but otherwise there will be no significant problems. However, because the direct type has the plurality of lamps under the screen, if one lamp fails, the portion of the screen in front of the failed lamp will become significantly darker compared to the rest of the screen. As such, the portion where the lamp fails to turn on appears on the screen as a nonuniformity in luminance.
Due to this, because frequent replacement of the lamps is required for the direct type LCD, the direct type LCD is required to have a structure in which disassembly and assembly of the backlight unit is easy.
FIG. 1 illustrates a perspective view of a related art direct type backlight unit 100. Referring to FIG. 1, the related art backlight unit 100 is provided with a plurality of lamps 11 arranged over a bottom cover 15 at regular intervals each with external electrodes 10a, and 10b at outside opposite ends of a tube, gripper type common electrodes 13 for fixedly securing the lamps 11 and applying a voltage to the electrodes 10a, and 10b at the opposite ends of the lamps 11, and supporter side bottoms 14a, and 14b arranged under the opposite ends of the lamps 11 in one direction for seating the common electrodes 13, respectively. Each of the common electrodes 13 is formed as a unit and arranged in one direction for applying the same voltage to the opposite ends of the plurality of lamps 11.
The lamps 11 each have external electrodes 10a, and 10b at opposite ends of a tube for receiving the voltage through the common electrodes 13.
The backlight unit 100 with the external electrode lamps has a burst mode inverter applied thereto to enable dimming control to improve contrast ratio and vary luminance. The dimming control is done by repetitively turning on/off of the lamps at about 150˜240 Hz frequency. However, the repetitive application of AC power to the common electrodes 13 at such a frequency causes vibration to occur not only at the lamps, but also at the common electrodes having the power applied to them.
In general, human beings can hear frequencies in the range of 20 Hz˜20000 Hz. Accordingly, changing the dimming control by applying a voltage to the common electrodes causes a vibration in this frequency range, which human beings can hear as a humming noise.

Backlight unit and method for fabricating the same


Devices, methods and systems are disclosed using a first magnetic field sensor of a first type and a second magnetic field sensor of a second type different from the first type. A signal from the first sensor may be used in a first magnetic field, range, and a signal from the second sensor may be used in a second magnetic field range.

Magnetic field sensors are used in many applications. For example, for speed or movement detection, magnets may for example be provided on a so-called pole wheel, thus generating a modulated magnetic field when the pole wheel rotates. The modulation of the field may then be detected by a magnetic field sensor. The magnetic field detected thereby and its modulation are then indicative for example of a rotational speed of the pole wheel. Instead of a pole wheel for example also a tooth wheel or a linear magnetic element generating a modulated magnetic field when moving may be used. For such a speed detection, in many applications, for example in some automotive applications, a high accuracy and low jitter are required. For example, low jitter may be required for indirect tire pressure monitoring systems (iTPMS).
Besides detecting the speed, in some applications it is desirable to also obtain some measure of the absolute magnetic field. For example, in some applications an absolute magnetic field may be indicative of an air gap between a sensor and for example a pole wheel, tooth wheel or linear magnetic element as mentioned above. In some applications, such an absolute magnetic field may be in a comparatively large range, starting from very low magnetic fields.

Magnetic field sensor device using different types of magnetic field sensors


A method and apparatus for automatic, timing-driven implementation of a circuit design. In one embodiment, the different phases of implementing a circuit design are iteratively performed using timing constraints that are automatically and dynamically generated in each iteration. The process aids in identifying and achieving a maximum performance level of the implemented design. In another embodiment, selected numbers of critical connections are used to dynamically vary the timing constraint. In general, a number of connections is automatically selected from the circuit design and used to derive a new timing constraint to be applied in the next iteration. Slack values associated with paths in the design are also used in deriving the new timing constraint.

The present invention generally relates to computer-assisted design of electronic circuits, and more particularly to automating timing-driven optimizations in various phases of implementing a circuit design.
The place and route phases of implementing a circuit design generally involve generating a layout of the circuit elements on a chip and defining the signal lines that connect the elements. To satisfy various physical design requirements, the circuit layout is typically optimized based on physical resources. For example, optimization of the layout can be based on resources such as area and wire length. That is, it is desirable for the circuit to occupy the smallest area possible and the smallest possible total wire length.
Performance requirements for a circuit are also considered during the place and route phases. The required performance of a circuit is typically specified by a user and is expressed as the required frequency. This requirement translates to a maximum allowable delay for paths between boundary elements, for example, flip-flops. The maximum path delay that is acceptable is a timing constraint parameter that is provided to the place and route processes.
When place-and-route is performed without regard for timing constraints, a valid placed and routed design can be generated relatively quickly. However, since timing constraints are not considered, the result may not satisfy the performance requirements. When timing constraints are introduced to the place-and-route processes, the placer and router perform delay-driven optimization, which requires a much longer runtime.
In conjunction with the long runtimes associated with delay-driven optimization, the process of maximizing the performance of a circuit may be an iterative process. That is, a designer may choose an initial timing constraint, run the placer and router, and if the design was successfully placed and routed, repeat the process using a tighter timing constraint. However, the next iteration of the process using the new timing constraint may not be feasible, thereby wasting a considerable amount of time in rerunning the placer and router. Alternatively, placing and routing under the new timing constraint may leave room for even further improvement in the performance, thereby requiring another iteration of the process with a further tightened timing constraint. It can be seen that creating a placed and routed design with optimal performance can be a time-consuming process.
A method and apparatus that address the aforementioned and related problems in the place-and-route phases of implementing a circuit design, as well as in other phases of implementation, are therefore desirable.
In various embodiments, a method and apparatus are provided for automatic, timing-driven optimization in various phases of implementing a circuit design. The timing constraint that is applied during different phases of implementation is dynamically varied in order to improve circuit performance. The processes and apparatus allow automation of the task of determining a circuit""s maximum performance. In general, the process begins by determining the timing performance of a given layout. The process then automatically determines a new, tighter timing constraint. In one embodiment, a selected portion of the connections becomes critical in choosing the new, tighter timing constraint. The new timing constraint is then applied in producing a new layout. Slack values associated with paths in the placed/routed design are used in deriving the new timing constraint from the selected number of critical connections.
It is observed that the level of difficulty associated with a timing constrained place-and-route is proportional to the number of connections in a design that are critical. Making a connection xe2x80x9ccriticalxe2x80x9d refers to setting a new timing constraint such that the delay of at least one path passing through the connection is greater than the time associated with the timing constraint. To automatically adjust the timing constraint, a selected number of the connections are deemed to be critical. That is, a new timing constraint is chosen such that signal paths through the desired number of connections will become critical in the next iteration of placing or routing the design. By gradually and automatically tightening the timing constraint as a function of a number of critical connections, in the place-and-route phase as well as in other phases of the implementation, a designer""s time as well as computation time can be saved.
Various other embodiments are set forth in the Detailed Description and claims which follow.

Method and apparatus for automatic timing-driven implementation of a circuit design


An ink jet recording apparatus is provided which includes a recording unit including a recording head having a surface provided with an ejection opening therein, an aqueous ink that is ejected from the ejection opening to record an image on a recording medium, a protection unit including a covering member that covers the surface having the ejection opening, and a recovery unit separate from the covering member, having no member that scrapes the ink deposited in the ink receiving member or sucks the ink from the ejection opening. The recovery unit includes an ink receiving member that receives waste ink discharged from the ejection opening according to preliminary ejection data, directly from the ejection opening without interposing any other member. The aqueous ink contains a self-dispersible pigment containing the carboxyl group or the sulfonate group.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an ink jet recording apparatus and an ink jet recording method.
2. Description of the Related Art
Ink jet recording apparatuses can produce recorded article at low cost and are more advantageous than electrophotographic recording apparatuses in power consumption, accordingly having come to be widely used. An ink jet recording apparatus records an image by ejecting an ink from a recording head. However, the ink can clog the ejection openings of the recording head or become thick in an ink flow channel due to the evaporation of the liquid component of the ink. This hinders proper ejection of the ink. When such an undesirable phenomenon occurs, the recording head is subjected to recovery operation for recovering the capability of properly ejecting the ink. This operation may be performed at regular intervals or before or after recording operation.
In general, such recovery operation is performed by preliminarily ejecting a portion of the ink, not intended to record an image, to a cap disposed at a position opposing the surface of the recording head provided with the ejection opening therein (ejection opening face). Alternatively, the ink may be forcibly discharged from the recording head by a negative pressure that is generated by the operation of a suction cap connected to a suction pump with the ejection opening face in contact with the suction cap. However, these recovery operations require a sucking member having a certain level of weight, such as such as the suction cap or the suction pump, and the sucking member needs a space for installation.
On the other hand, awareness of resource saving has risen recently, and accordingly downsizing and weight reduction are demanded of ink jet recording apparatuses. For a response to the demand, Japanese Patent Laid-Open Nos. 2003-231277 and 2004-114686 suggest approaches focusing on a member or a unit for collecting waste ink ejected from the ejection openings to recover the capability of the recording head, but not used for recording.
Ink jet recording allows recording on various types of recording media. In addition, for more satisfactory image recording, various types of ink have been devised according to the intended use, such as inks suitable to record photographic images on glossy paper or the like, or inks suitable to record a document on plain paper or the like. In recent years, ink jet recording has also been employed for recording business documentation including letters or characters, diagrams, and the like. Accordingly, the frequency of use of ink jet recording is increasing remarkably in business use. In business use, high optical density is demanded. From the viewpoint of increasing the optical density of recorded images, self-dispersible pigments are advantageously used as the coloring material of the ink.
Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2006-089735 and PCT Japanese Translation Patent Publication No. 2009-515007 disclose self-dispersible pigments developed for increasing the optical density of recorded images, focusing on the functional group to be bonded to the surfaces of the pigment particles.
On the other hand, the present inventors have found through their studies that if the suction member such as a suction cap or a suction pump is omitted from an ink jet recording apparatus for weight reduction and downsizing, the ink discharged for preliminary ejection is undesirably deposited on an ink receiving member. In particular, in the use of a phosphonate groups-containing self-dispersible pigment advantageous in increasing the optical density of recorded image as disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2006-089735, the pigment particles are rapidly aggregated when the liquid component of the ink has evaporated. Thus, the ink is liable to be deposited like stalagmite on the bottom of the ink receiving member. If preliminary ejection is performed with the waste ink thus deposited, the stalagmite-like deposit of the waste ink is likely to come into contact with the recording head, thereby affecting the operation of the carriage or clogging the ejection openings. Although ink jet recording apparatuses provided with a member adapted to remove or flatten the deposit of the ink in the ink receiving member by scraping the deposit (scraping member) have been known, such a scraping member hinders weight reduction or downsizing.

Ink jet recording apparatus and ink jet recording method


An image formation apparatus using an elecrophotographic process for obtaining a high quality image with tone value R2 of equal to or more than 0.98 is provided. The resolution for light-writing is equal to or more than 1200 dpi and/or light-writing is performed based on image data formed by applying halftone processing at a line frequency of equal to or more than 200 lpi. Light-writing means is accomplished with a laser light beam with a beam diameter equal to or less than 35 μm. The photoconductor includes a charge generating layer containing a charge generating material and a charge transfer layer containing a charge transfer material laminated on a conductive support. The ionization potential of the charge generating material Ip(CG) and ionization potential of the charge transfer material Ip(CT) satisfy the relationship of Ip(CG)≧Ip(CT).

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image formation apparatus using an electrophotographic process, such as an electrostatic copier and a laser printer, more particularly, an image formation apparatus using an electrophotogrphic process of which a light-writing resolution is equal to or more than 1200 dpi. Also the present invention relates to an image formation apparatus in which light writing is performed based on image data obtained by applying halftone processing at a line frequency of equal to or more than 200 lpi to an input image.
2. Description of the Related Art
Conventionally, an image formation apparatus is disclosed in Japanese Laid-Open Patent Application No. 8-272197, which includes an electrophotographic photoconductor having a photosensitive layer on a support, charging means for charging the photoconductor, light-exposure means for irradiating light on the charged electrophotographic photoconductor, developing means, and transcribing means, wherein the product of the spot area of light radiated from the light-exposure means and the thickness of the photosensitive layer is equal to or less than 20,000 μm3.
Thus, an image formation apparatus and a process cartridge are provided which could obtain an image with high resolution and good tone.
The prior art characterized by satisfying the certain condition:Vc/Vo≦0.92 log(S)−0.018L−0.29is also disclosed in Japanese Laid-Open Patent Application No. 9-319164, wherein Vc[V] is a contrast voltage, Vo[V] is an initial electric potential, and S[μm] is a laser beam diameter.
Thus, even if the thickness of a charge transfer layer is comparable with the conventional one, the deterioration of a latent image is avoided and the resolution of the latent image is improved so that an image with a high density and a high fineness could be reproduced.
Also, the prior art disclosed in Japanese Laid-Open Patent Application No. 11-95462 is characterized in that a charge transfer layer of a photoconductor contains at least one kind of reaction product of a compound represented byR1m-M-(OR2)n, (M=Si, Al, Ti, Zr)
Thus, in sequential image formation with repeated charging and light-exposure, film chipping caused by wear and flaw of the layer is reduced and the layer has a high durability so that a photosensitive layer could be thinned. As a result, an electrophotographic photoconductor is provided on which a high quality image output with good tone and reproducibility could be obtained.
Next, an image formation apparatus using an electrophotographic process will be schematically illustrated.
FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a conventional image formation apparatus. A photoconductor drum 1 is formed by applying a photoconductor on the surface of a conductor and rotates in the direction designated by the arrow shown in FIG. 1. Image formation is performed by the following procedure in the image formation apparatus.                1. Charging means 2 electrifies the surface of the photoconductor at a desired electric potential.        2. Light-exposure means 3 exposes the photoconductor to light and forms an electrostatic latent image corresponding to a desired image on the photoconductor.        3. Developing means 4 develops the electrostatic latent image formed by the light-exposure means by toners and forms a toner image on the photoconductor.        4. Transcribing means 5 transcribes the toner image on the photoconductor to a recording sheet 6 such as a paper carried by a carrying means not shown in the figure.        5. Cleaning means 7 cleans toners that are not transcribed on the recording sheet by the transcribing means and remain on the photoconductor.        6. The recording sheet on-which the toner image is transcribed by the transcribing means 5 is carried into fixing means 8. In the fixing means 8, the toners are heated and fixed on the recording sheet.
The photoconductor drum rotates in the direction designated by the arrow in FIG. 1 and desired images are formed on the recording sheets by repeating the aforementioned processes 1 through 6.
Conventionally, as a charging device in the electrophotorgaphic process, a corona charging device has been used, in which a photoconductor is charged by utilizing corona discharge. FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram of one example of the corona charging device. The material of the wire is tungsten and the diameter of the wire is 60 μm. The wire is extended and set at the position (the center of a charging case) as shown in FIG. 2 along the directions of the rotational axis of the photoconductor drum, on which wire a high voltage (approximately −7 kV) is applied. The wire is covered by the charging case The material of the case is a stainless steel that is not easily oxidized. Also, a grid is extended and set between the wire and the photoconductor, on which grid a voltage of approximately −0.6 kV is applied. The grid is provided by cutting a stainless steel plate (the thickness of the plate being 0.1 mm) into a mesh-shape.
In the corona charging device in FIG. 2, the charging of the photoconductor is performed as follows. In the neighborhood of the extended and set wire, a strong electric field is formed and dielectric breakdown of air occurs, to generate ions. A part of the ions are moved due to the electric field between the wire and the photoconductor, and the surface of the photoconductor is charged. Since the charging of the photoconductor is continued until the electric potential of the surface of the photoconductor becomes approximately equal to the electric potential applied on the grid, the electric potential of the surface of the photoconductor can be controlled by the electric potential applied on the grid.
There is also a corona charging device in which a sawtooth-shaped electrode is used as a discharge electrode, other than the corona charging device using a wire (Japanese Laid-Open Patent Application Nos. 8-20210 and 6-301286).
FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram of one example of the corona charging device using the sawtooth-shaped electrode. The sawtooth-shaped electrode has a shape as shown in FIG. 4, which electrode is made from a stainless steel plate with the thickness of 0.1 mm, wherein the pitch of the sawteeth is 3 mm. The sawtooth-shaped electrode is fixed on a supporting member as shown in FIG. 3, on which a high voltage (−5 kV) is applied by a power supply. Also, in the corona charging device using a sawtooth-shaped electrode, the electrode is covered by a charging case made from stainless steel and a grid is provided between the sawtooth-shaped electrode and the photoconductor, similar to the corona charging device using a wire. Also, charging of the photoconductor by the corona charging device using a sawtooth-shaped electrode is the same as the case of the the corona charging device-using a wire, and corona discharge occurs near the vertexes of the sawtooth-shaped electrode. In addition to the above those corona charging devices, a corona charging device in which a discharge electrode is a needle-shaped (pin-shaped) electrode has been devised.
The corona charging device using the sawtooth-shaped electrode has the advantages of more compact size and lower ozone generation compared to the case of the one using a wire. Since corona discharge by the sawtooth-shaped electrode creates an electric field stronger than electric field created by the wire (the flux of ions directed toward the grid or the photoconductor in the case of using the sawtooth-shaped electrode is lager than in the case of using the wire), the width of the charging device (or the width of an opening of the charging case at the side of the photoconductor) can be reduced. This is important for minituraization of the entire image formation apparatus. Also, since the corona discharge creates the stronger electric field and the flux of ions is larger, charging efficiency of the photoconductor is increased and the electric current flow through the corona charging device can be decreased. Consequently, the generation quantity of ozone is also reduced.
As a charging device for the image formation apparatus, there is a so-called contact charging device in addition to the above those corona charging device. The contact charging device can attenuate the problems of the corona charging device, that is,                1. much generated ozone        2. high applied voltage (5 through 7-kV).Accordingly, the contact charging device has been widely employed as a charging device for a low speed or middle speed electrophotographic process image formation apparatus.
The contact charging device performs charging of the photoconductor by contacting a charging member with the photoconductor being a charged body (referred to as simply a photoconductor, below) and applying a voltage to the charging member. FIG. 5 is a sectional diagram of one example of the conventional contact charging device. A charging member 2 is roller-shaped with a diameter of 5 through 20 mm and a length of approximately 300 mm, on which an elastic layer 2a is formed on a conductor 2b. A photoconductor drum 1 has a diameter of 30 through 80 mm and a length of approximately 300 mm, on which a photoconductor 1a is formed on a conductor 1b. The charging member contacts the rotating photoconductor drum, and rotates following the rotation of the photoconductor. The elastic layer of the charging member is made from a material with the resistivity of 107 through 109 Ωcm. Then, a surface protecting layer with the thickness of approximately 10 through 20 μm may be formed on the surface of the charging member (the surface of the elastic layer). A voltage is applied on the charging member by a power supply 3 to perform charging of the photoconductor. The applied voltage is a direct current voltage of −1.5 through −2.0 kV. Due to such configuration, the photoconductor can be uniformely charged at −500 through −800 V by the contact charging device.
In the light-exposure means in the image formation apparatus using the electrophotographic process, light modulation in a so-called LD (laser diode) is performed corresponding to an output image. Laser light emitted from the LD is imaged onto the photoconductor through a so-called collimator lens, an aperture, a cylindrical lens, a polygon mirror, and an f-θ lens. The polygon mirror is a rotatable polyhedral mirror and laser light scans the photoconductor due to rotation of the polygon mirror. Accordingly, the photoconductor is exposed to laser light so that a latent image corresponding to a desired image can be formed on the photoconductor.
For the photoconductor of the image formation apparatus using an electrophotographic process, a so-called organic photoconductor has become popular. In the organic photoconductor, a lamination layer-type is popular, in which a so-called generating layer and a charge transfer layer are laminated on a conductive substrate so as to give a durability to the charge transfer layer. Furthermore, a protecting layer may be laminated on lamination layer-type organic photoconductors recently.
Moreover, since a demand for color printers have been advancing in recent years, it has become important to make the image quality higher.
In the image formation apparatus using an electrophotographic process, it is known that reducing the thickness of the photoconductor film is needed in order that the electric field for development can reproduce an image with higher spatial frequency ("Fundamentals and Application of Electrophotographic Processes", Corona Publishing Co., Ltd., pp. 150-151).
However, as shown in a conventional technique (Japanese Laid-Open Patent Application 11-95462), when the thickness of the photoconductor film is reduced, the problem is that the durability of the film against wear and flaws due to cleaning is reduced and deterioration of the photoconductor film is accelerated by repetition of the charging process and light-exposure process. In the conventional lamination layer-type organic photoconductor, polycarbonate is generally used as a binder layer in the charge transfer layer, wherein the thickness of the charge transfer (CT) layer is generally set at approximately 20 through 30 μm due to the above-mentioned problem Accordingly, a CT layer with a thickness of 20 through 30 μm is used in actuality so as to maintain the high durability of the photoconductor film preferentially but sacrifice image quality.
According to an experiment performed by the inventors of the present invention, when a photoconductor having a charge transfer layer with the thickness of approximately 20 through 30 μm was employed, it was obvious that an image having a high spatial frequency, such as a so-called isolated 1 dot or 1 dot line image, could not be reproduced. Accordingly, a so-called bit-mapped image, etc. cannot be output without complex image processing by the image formation apparatus that does not fully reproduce the isolated 1 dot or 1 dot line image.
When the resolution of the image is reduced to 600 dpi or 400 dpi, the isolated 1 dot or 1 dot line image can be reproduced, but a coarse image is obtained due to the larger isolated 1 dot or 1 dot line. Also, reduction in resolution of an image including an oblique line causes jaggies, consequently degrading image quality. Furthermore, the problem for character images is that a resolution of equal to or more than 1200 dpi is required so as to discriminate between various fonts of the characters, and there has been the problem of simultaneously satisfying such high resolution of an image and reproduction of the isolated 1 dot or 1 dot line image.
Also, according to an experiment performed by the inventors of the present invention, when a photoconductor having a charge transfer layer with a thickness of approximately 20 through 30 μm was employed and image data subjected to a halftone processing at a line frequency of equal to or more than 200 lpi were written, the problem was that the output image had low tone so that an acceptable image could not be obtained for an image that requires tone representation at the same level as that of a photograph image. (On the other hand, when a halftone processing at a line frequency of less than 200 lpi is applied, the problem is that tone is maintained to be better but the texture of dithers is visible and a fine-grained image cannot be obtained.)
Moreover, in the condition of a worse tone (in this case of applying halftone processing with 200 lpi), the problem was that so-called banding was quick to occur and only a very noisy image was obtained.

Image formation apparatus using an electrophotographic process


An optical fiber coupling assembly is provided herein for the coupling of at least a pair of fiber cables. A connector is installed to an end of a fiber cable. The connector is then inserted into a through channel of a coupler. A spring-loaded latch inside the through channel is used to force the cores of the fiber cables to be tightly joined together, reducing the power loss of the light signal transmission over the pair of coupled fiber cables. The coupling assembly is structurally simple, has a smaller form factor, and is able to increase installation efficiency and reduce production cost.

(a) Technical Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to optical fibers, and more particularly to a coupling assembly comprising coupler and connectors for tight joining of the cores of fiber cables.
(b) Description of the Prior Art
The introduction of fiber optics has dramatically changed how telecommunications is conducted. Using lights as carriers and fiber cables to deliver light signals precisely and accurately, fiber optics provides signal transmissions far superior than conventional means and, therefore, relevant industries have emerged around the field of fiber optics.
In real-life applications, it is often required to join two fiber cables together using passive devices such as couplers. An ideal coupler should be able to provide low power loss, reliability in terms of frequent connection and disconnection, durability under harsh environment, and easy installation. Currently, a common fiber coupler establishes physical contact between two fiber cables by receiving the connectors installed at the ends of the fiber cables into the through channels inside the coupler. Usually a spring or other similar device inside the coupler exerts pressure on the connectors so that the cores of the fiber cables are in close contact with each other, and light signals could thereby be transmitted from one fiber cable to another.
For example, both the U.S. Pat. No. 5,359,688 and Republic of China, Taiwan, Patent No. 302,441 discloses different connector and coupler designs for joining a single pair of fiber cables. The connectors according to these teachings contain multiple components arranged in a complicated structure. Therefore, not only the installation of the connectors becomes troublesome, but also the coupler requires a larger form factor so as to accommodate the more complicated connectors. In user environments where facility space is tight, the bulky couplers would provide only a limited number of cable couplings.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,719,977 therefore discloses a design which achieves a coupler having a smaller form factor by utilizing specially-shaped connectors. Compared with conventional connectors and couplers, the design is able to provide an additional pair of fiber cable coupling within a compatible dimension. The space saving of the teaching, however, is compromised by the additional requirement of increased precision in the production of reduced-sized components. For example, the diameter of the connector's tubular plug is reduced from the conventional 2.5 mm to 1.25 mm, making the manufacturing process much more difficult and, therefore, increasing the production cost dramatically.
Accordingly, an improved design is required so as to strike a balance between the requirements for scaling down the component sizes and for reducing operation difficulty and production cost.


Carbon particles, such as, carbon fibrils and carbon nanotube molecules, may be assembled into substantially pure aligned fibers by a) dispersing the carbon particles within a curable liquid, b) aligning the carbon particles by flowing the mixture of curable liquid and carbon particles down a tapering tube, and c) curing the flowing mixture of curable liquid and carbon particles in the general vicinity of the end of the tapering tube to form a fiber. The curable liquid may be cured using ultraviolet light. The solidified mixture may be further processed by d) heating the fiber so as to cause the volatile elements of the solidified curable liquid portion to substantially dissipate from the fiber, e) twisting the fiber to increase its density, f) heating the fiber to sinter the carbon particles within the fiber, and g) cladding the fiber. The resulting fiber may then be spooled onto a take-up drum.

Carbon particles, such as carbon nanotube molecules and carbon fibrils, have an array of properties, including electrical, mechanical, and heat conducting properties, that are highly desirable. However, the particles are relatively short, e.g., the longest ones are on the order of a few microns. Unfortunately, such lengths are generally unsuitable for applications in which the properties of the carbon particles can prove beneficial.
In concurrently filed application, U.S. patent application Ser. No. (case Greywall 34), which is incorporated by reference as if fully that carbon particles, such as, carbon fibrils and carbon nanotube molecules, may be assembled into aligned fibers using processes derived from the processes used to manufacture optical fiber. More particularly, the carbon particles are embedded in glass, which is then drawn to align them. By aligned it is meant that the axis along the longest dimension of each of the various particles in a local vicinity are substantially parallel.
A resulting fiber typically retains a certain amount of glass content. Such glass content may enhance the strength of the fiber. Nevertheless, it may be desirable to eliminate or substantially reduce the fiber's glass content, e.g., to achieve greater elasticity. This is often referred to in the literature as "strength" versus "toughness". Furthermore, the length of fiber that may be produced is limited by the size of the initial body from which the fiber is drawn. Additionally, it would be desirable to be able to form fibers at room temperatures using as simple a process as possible.

Carbon particle fiber assembly technique