A power adapter for a portable computer includes a pulse width modulation unit and an output shaping unit and further includes a first judgment module that judges whether the portable computer is in a first state according to state judging parameters, and compares an output voltage with a first preset voltage and a second preset voltage when judging that the portable computer is in the first state, and acquires a judging result, wherein the first preset voltage is greater than or equal to the second preset voltage. The power adapter can increase efficiency.

Recently, as energy-saving standards, such as "energy star", continuously appear and upgrade, seven countries and regions (USA, Canada, Japan, Taiwan China, Australia, New Zealand and European Union) in the world have participated an energy star plan proposed by U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
The energy-saving of the electronic device has been known and accepted by global consumers and becomes a necessary condition for selecting products.
Currently, states of a power supply include several states of S0, S1, S2, S3, S4 and S5, and their descriptions are as follows.
S0: a general operation state in which all devices are turned on.
S1: this state represents that a system is in a low power supplying state in which a CPU is turned off, other device operates normally, and a computer may be woken up by a mouse, a keyboard and the like.
S2: a stand-by state of the power supply which is different from the S1 in that a bus clock is turned off too in the S2.
S3: in this state, all of data stored in memory by an Operating System are maintained and the system enters a "false turned off" state. At this time, power supplied to other devices and apparatuses are cut off, except for the power supplied to the memory for maintaining the data.
S4: the data of the Operating System in the memory is entirely stored into a hard disk, and all of parts stop operate.
S5: a power-off state in which all of the devices are turned off.
Periods of time taken for waking up the computer in S1 to S5 increase sequentially.
The existing adapter comprises both a pulse width modulation unit and an output shaping unit having energy storage elements such as capacitors, inductors, etc. During an operation process of the adapter, these energy storage elements may store some energy and the stored energy can not be sufficiently used to supply power, such that an efficiency of the adapter is low.

Control of a power adapter with energy storage elements based on output voltage thresholds


A muzzle loading firearm has a barrel with a bore defining a bore axis. The barrel has a muzzle end and a breech end, with a breech plug removably attached to the barrel and having a rear surface. An extractor is connected to the barrel and has a portion positioned rearward of the plug, and movable away from a position rearward of the plug, so that the plug may be removed without removing the extractor. The extractor may pivot, and may have a cylindrical portion received in a bore parallel to the barrel bore. The rear face of the extractor may be flush with the rear face of the breech plug.

Muzzle loading rifles have an essentially closed breech at the rear of the barrel, so that powder and bullets must be loaded at the muzzle or forward end of the barrel. A typical muzzle loading rifle has a barrel with a breech plug attached to occupy an enlarged rear bore portion of the barrel at the breech end. In some rifles, the breech plug is permanently attached. In others, the breech plug is removable to facilitate pass-through cleaning of the bore.
The breech plug has a central rear pocket for receiving a primer, which when struck provides an ignition source that flashes through a passage to the powder contained in the rear of the barrel. To facilitate reloading after a shot, an extractor automatically removes the spent primer upon opening of the rifle's action. The extractor is an L-shaped body with a long leg that reciprocates axially in a passage parallel to and below the barrel bore. A perpendicular short leg extends upward, with a lip at the edge of the primer pocket, so that the primer's rear flange is engaged by the lip. When the action is opened, the extractor slides back, and the lip extracts the primer.
This extractor configuration is convenient to expedite reloading. However, the extractor's position with the short leg behind the center of the breech plug prevents the convenient removal of the breech plug. Plug removal is needed not just for pass-through cleaning of the bore, but for removing a possible wet powder charge that does not fire. In existing rifles, removal of the plug requires that the extractor be removed. This requires removing the rifle stock from the barreled action to expose an extractor-retaining-screw, and then removing that screw to allow the extractor to be removed. This not only is inconvenient, but allows the various parts to be lost or damaged, especially when disassembly is needed in the field, where a bench and suitable tools are not available. The process is repeated in reversed for reinstalling the extractor.
Existing rifles may lack extractors, avoiding the above process, except that these require a tool (or fingernail) to be used for each shot for removing the spent primer.
The present invention overcomes the limitations of the prior art by providing a muzzle loading firearm has a barrel with a bore defining a bore axis. The barrel has a muzzle end and a breech end, with a breech plug removably attached to the barrel and having a rear surface. An extractor is connected to the barrel and has a portion positioned rearward of the plug, and movable away from a position rearward of the plug, so that the plug may be removed without removing the extractor. The extractor may pivot, and may have a cylindrical portion received in a bore parallel to the barrel bore. The rear face of the extractor may be flush with the rear face of the breech plug.

Muzzle loading rifle with movable extractor


The present invention provides an exposure apparatus for exposing a shot on a substrate to first pulsed light, the apparatus including an optical element for guiding the first pulsed light to the substrate, an irradiation device configured to irradiate the optical element with second pulsed light having an infrared wavelength which the first pulsed light has less than the second pulsed light has, and a controller configured to control the irradiation device in a process of exposing the shot to the first pulsed light plural times, such that the irradiation device irradiates the optical element with the second pulsed light during at least one period of non-irradiation periods in which the shot is not irradiated with the first pulsed light.

Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an exposure apparatus, exposure method, and method of manufacturing an article.
Description of the Related Art
Upon manufacturing a semiconductor device, liquid crystal display device, or the like, an exposure apparatus including an illumination optical system which illuminates a reticle (mask) pattern with light, and a projection optical system which projects the reticle pattern onto a substrate is used.
In the exposure apparatus, after repetition of exposure processes, materials vaporized from a resist applied to a substrate and an outgas from components deposit (are absorbed) on surfaces of optical elements of the illumination optical system and projection optical system and react with exposure light, thus contaminating the surfaces of the optical elements (contamination). Thus, a technique for removing (cleaning) contaminants by irradiating the optical elements with infrared light or radiation is proposed by Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2002-270501.
However, since this related art requires a step of removing a material adhered on the surfaces of the optical elements in addition to a step of exposing a substrate to light, a down time is generated in the exposure apparatus, thus lowering the throughput. Also, when the optical elements are irradiated with infrared light, they absorb the infrared light, and their temperatures rise, thus causing thermal deformations of the optical elements.

Exposure apparatus with irradiation device for irradiating optical element with pulsed light having infrared wavelength, and corresponding exposure method


To provide a transmission capable of using pump/motors or generator/motors of smaller maximum torque and of small size. The transmission includes input shaft (4), output shaft (16), a mechanical transmission part interposed between input shaft (4) and output shaft (16) including planetary gear mechanisms (5), (6), and a hydrostatic transmission part interposed between input shaft (4) and output shaft (16) including three pump/motors (21), (25), (31). A rotating shaft of first pump/motor (21) and a rotating shaft of second pump/motor (25) are coupled to the mechanical transmission part. Clutches (34), (35), (36) are provided for coupling a rotating shaft of third pump/motor (31) to at least one of the rotating shaft of first pump/motor (21) and the rotating shaft of second pump/motor (25).

Conventionally known hydraulic transmissions include pure hydraulic transmissions (hydrostatic transmissions referred to as HSTs) which convert all input power from an engine into oil pressure for transmission and hydro-mechanical (power-split type) transmissions (HMTs) which hydraulically transmit part of the input power while mechanically transmitting the rest of the input power. Since the latter transmissions (HMTs), which convert only part of mechanical power into hydraulic power, transmit the mechanical power with high efficiency, they have the advantage of achieving higher efficiency than the former transmissions (HSTs). Accordingly, the HMTs are said to be ideal transmissions for vehicles subjected to significant load changes, such as bulldozers and wheel loaders, and some of them are adopted in such vehicles.
A typical hydro-mechanical transmission (HMT) achieves variable speed characteristics by means of a planetary gear mechanism, or more particularly, by the following arrangement. Of three elements of the planetary gear mechanism (i.e., a sun gear, a carrier provided with planetary gears and a ring gear), a first element is coupled to an input shaft, a second element is coupled to an output shaft, and a third element is coupled to a hydraulic pump or hydraulic motor. Rotational speed of the hydraulic pump or motor is varied, thereby changing rotational speed of the output shaft.
There are two types of HMTs. One is an "output-split type" in which the pump/motor fluidly connected by a hydraulic circuit to another pump/motor coupled to the planetary gear mechanism is coupled to the input shaft of the transmission at a constant speed ratio. The other is an "input-split type" in which the hydraulic pump or hydraulic motor fluidly connected by the hydraulic circuit to another hydraulic pump or hydraulic motor coupled to the planetary gear mechanism is coupled to the output shaft of the transmission at a constant speed ratio.
There is an electro-mechanical transmission (EMT), a technique similar to the HMT. In place of the pump/motor used in the HMT, this EMT uses a generator/motor for converting part of the mechanical power into electric power for transmission. A prior art relating to this EMT is disclosed in patent document 1. The transmission disclosed in this document is an electro-mechanical transmission having two planetary gear mechanisms and two electric motors and is configured to perform shifting with clutches to establish an input-split mode at low speeds and a compound-split (output-split) mode at high speeds.
Here, patent document 1 is U.S. Pat. No. 6,478,705.


A heel unit (10) of a safety ski binding comprises a unidirectional blocking arrangement (60') with at least one blocking member (62') arranged between a sole holder (16) and a spring biased return cam (26). The unidirectional blocking arrangement blocks in the opening direction and is releasable against a slight spring force (66) by means of a manual release member (64). One of the return cam (26) and the sole holder (16) is provided with a bearing face (68), generally circular or semicircular and concentric to the axis (A) of the return cam and of the sole holder for the blocking member (62') which is permanently resiliently urged into an actual blocking position.

The invention relates to a heel unit for a safety ski binding, comprising a base body intended to be fixed to a ski, a return cam rotatably mounted on the base body about an axis and returned by a spring device into a rotary starting position, a sole holder rotatably mounted about the same axis, and a unidirectional blocking arrangement arranged between the return cam and the sole holder and comprising at least one blocking arrangement, said blocking arrangement being blocked in the opening direction and being releasable against a slide spring force by means of a manual release lever.
Heel units of this kind can be opened for example by means of a manual actuation lever with a minimum effort, by firstly decoupling the sole holder from the spring arrangement which normally urges the sole holder in the closing direction. During such a manual release process, the sole holder can thereby be pivoted into the opening position without having to overcome for this purpose the relatively high return force exerted by the spring arrangement. As soon as the heel unit is closed again and the forced closure is again established between the sole holder and the spring-urged return cam, the heel unit fulfills again the usual holding function and simultaneously allows a reliable safety release.
In a heel unit known from DE 26 28 748 A1, a snap member urged by the spring arrangement engages a slide rail provided with a culminating point, the slide rail being provided on a swing arm concentric to the sole holder. In a starting rotary position corresponding to the closing position, the swing arm and the sole holder contact each other along a circular path eccentric with respect to the pivot axis. A ball lock provided on the swing arm is active between the latter and the sole holder, and locks when the sole holder is urged in the opening direction, provided that the sole holder has already reached its starting rotary position with respect to the swing arm. The ball lock can be released by means of a manual actuation lever.
The drawback of these known heel units is the forced closure necessary between the swing arm and the sole holder for holding the sole until the safety release can no longer be ensured for even small displacements of the starting relative rotary position of these two components of the heel unit. In other words, the ball lock does not block anymore because of the distance which appears between the swing arm and the counter-surface provided on the sole holder. This distance increases as a function of the actual variation of the starting relative rotary position. Consequently, if the sole holder is not completely downwardly engaged, for example because of the formation of ice on the surface of the ski or because of an over-standard sole thickness, it can happen that the required blocking is not guaranteed.


There are provided a processing method of a substrate in which in forming a trench on the substrate by etching, a side wall surrounding the trench is surely protected, and a manufacturing method of a liquid ejection head. The methods include: repeating sequentially a plurality of cycles of a trench forming step of forming the trench on a printing element substrate, a first protection layer forming step of forming a passivation layer, and a first protection layer removing step of removing a portion at which the trench is excavated in the passivation layer. A second protection layer forming step and a second protection layer removing step are performed between the trench forming step through the first protection layer removing step repeated in a plurality of cycles and the trench forming step through the first protection layer removing step repeated next.

Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a processing method of substrate in which in forming a trench on the substrate by etching, a side wall surrounding the trench can be precisely formed, and a manufacturing method of liquid ejection head.
Description of the Related Art
In performing processing of forming a trench, such as a deep hole or groove, on a silicon substrate made of silicon, the Bosch process is occasionally employed as a method for the processing. In the Bosch process, steps of etching a substrate, forming a passivation layer, which protects the substrate, on a portion where the etching was performed, and removing the passivation layer on a portion to be excavated are sequentially repeated. In performing the processing, in a state in which the passivation layer is formed in a lateral direction on a side wall surrounding the trench, the trench is excavated. Since the trench is excavated in a state in which the side wall is protected by the passivation layer, in performing etching, local expansion of the trench in a direction crossing a depth direction is suppressed to allow the trench to be appropriately excavated in the depth direction.
However, in a case of performing etching for forming a deep trench having a high aspect ratio, the number of times of repeating the above steps increases. In this case, for further excavation of the trench, the step of removing the passivation layer on a bottom portion of the trench is also repeated. In the step of removing the passivation layer on the bottom portion of the trench, irradiation of an SF6 (sulfur hexafluoride) gas, for example, to the bottom portion of the trench is performed. The bottom portion of the trench is exposed to the gas such as SF6, and whereby the passivation layer covering a position at which the trench is excavated is removed.
In a case of removing the passivation layer by using the gas such as SF6, ion tracks are not always ideally perpendicular to the substrate. Since ions present in plasma have speeds in all directions, in irradiating the substrate with the ions, the ions have a speed also in a component in a horizontal direction crossing the depth direction of the trench. The ions have the speed remaining in the horizontal direction, and thus ions colliding with the side wall surrounding the trench exist. Accordingly, the ions collide with the side wall to scrape off the side wall, and as a result, the side wall may possibly be deformed.
In a shallow portion of the trench, each time the step of removing the passivation layer is repeated, collision between the side wall of the trench and the ions moving in the horizontal direction occurs. Therefore, in the shallow portion of the trench, as the number of times of performing the step of removing the passivation layer increases, the number of times of collision between the side wall and the ions increases.
Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2000-299310 discloses a method in which, for the purpose of reducing deformation of a side wall, an oxide film (SiO2) obtained by oxidizing a silicon substrate is formed on the side wall of a trench. Since the oxide film of silicon is highly resistant to damage at the time of collision with ions, forming the trench in a state in which the oxide film is formed on the side wall, by means of the Bosch process, can suppress deformation of the side wall. In Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2000-299310, by generating oxygen plasma in a chamber in which the substrate is disposed to oxidize the silicon substrate, the oxide film is formed on the side wall of the trench.

Processing method of substrate and manufacturing method of liquid ejection head


A clinometer provided with a level vial filled with a transparent liquid and a bubble, and a projector for irradiating the level vial. The clinometer includes center calculating means for calculating the center of a bubble from light receiving signals of first and second line sensors and inclination calculating means for calculating an inclination of the level vial from the center calculated by the center calculating means, wherein the first and second line sensors which receive light passing through the level vial are crossed at right angles and located so that the crossed point exists on the central axis of the level vial.

This invention relates to a clinometer provided with a level vial filled with transparent liquids and a bubble, and a projector for irradiating the level vial.
Heretofore, there has been known a clinometer as shown in FIG. 16 and described in Japanese Patent Application Early Laid-open Publication H2-42310.
Referring to FIG. 16, a level vial 1 includes a transparent vessel 3 of which an upper inside wall is formed spherically hollow, and a transparent liquid 4 and a bubble 5 inside the vessel 3. Under the level vial 1 are disposed a light source 6 such as a light emitting diode, and a lens 7 for converting the light emitted from the source 6 into parallel rays of light. Over the level vial 1 is disposed a light receiving element 8 for receiving a bubble shadow 5a (see FIG. 17). Numeral 9 designates an arithmetic unit for calculating an inclination of the vessel 3 from an amount of light received by the element 8.
The element 8 consists of light receiving portions 8a to 8d, each area of which is equalized, each of which extends along the X-axis or Y-axis as shown in FIG. 17. When the vessel 3 has no inclination, the bubble 5 is located at the center of the vessel 3 and hence the center of the bubble shadow 5a as drawn by a stitch line coincides with the origin of the axes. Each amount of light of the portions 8a to 8d is equal to each other at that time.
When the bubble shadow 5a moves from the center to a position as a solid line in proportion to an inclination of the vessel 3, its movement varies each area of the potions 8a to 8d shaded by the bubble shadow 5a. The variation of the area signifies that of an amount of light received by each light receiving portion 8a to 8d. Therefore, an inclination of the vessel 3 can be calculated from each amount of light of the portions 8a to 8d. In other words, the angle of an inclination corresponds to the variation or rate of change of an amount of the received light. The arithmetic unit 9 can calculate the angle of an inclination of the vessel 3 on the basis of the variation.
Conventional clinometers calculate an inclination in terms of an amount of light received by the light receiving element as mentioned above. However, a diameter of the bubble 5 in the vessel 3 fluctuates according to air temperature, so that an amount of light received by the portions 8a to 8d varies. Accordingly, they had to compensate according to air temperature in order to gain the accurate angle of an inclination of the vessel 3. Further, they have several problems such as nonuniformity of light emitted from the source 6 or irregular sensitivity of the light receiving element 8.


A system includes a controller, battery pack, fluid, heater, a pump that circulates the fluid to the battery pack through the heater, and a temperature sensor positioned between the heater and battery pack. The controller processes temperature signals from the sensor, diagnoses the pump and heater by turning on the pump in response to a received enabling signal, calculates an absolute value of a temperature gradient of the fluid while the pump remains on, and records a passing pump diagnostic code if the absolute value of the temperature gradient exceeds a calibrated rate. The controller executes a heater diagnostic, after calculating the absolute value of the temperature gradient, only when heating is requested or the absolute value of the temperature gradient does not exceed the calibrated rate. The heater diagnostic includes turning off the pump, cycling the heater on and off, and monitoring the temperature signals for a temperature rise.

Certain vehicles are propelled at least part of the time using electrical energy drawn from a high-voltage DC battery pack. The battery pack energizes one or more polyphase electric traction motors via a power inverter. Hybrid electric vehicles selectively use an internal combustion engine as a source of input torque to a transmission, alone or in conjunction with the traction motor(s), while extended-range electric vehicles use a smaller engine only when needed, and solely to power an electric generator. Battery electric vehicles forego use of the small gas engine, and instead operate using stored electrical energy or regenerative braking energy. All three vehicle configurations can operate solely on electricity in what is referred to as an electric vehicle (EV) mode.
In all of the above vehicle embodiments, the high-voltage DC battery pack is used to alternatively store and deliver the substantial amounts of electrical energy needed for driving the traction motor(s). The battery pack, which may consist of multiple battery modules each containing multiple cylindrical or flat/tabular battery cells, generates heat in operation. Effectively dissipating the generated heat is essential to optimizing vehicle performance. As a result, thermal systems are used in conjunction with battery packs to circulate a volume of a suitable cooling fluid through the battery pack and any associated power electronics.

Heater and pump performance diagnostic for a hybrid battery thermal system


A ladder stabilization apparatus and system. The apparatus includes a main clamp body, a first slotted arm having a first end and a second end, the first end being pivotally connected to the main clamp body, and a second slotted arm having a first end and a second end, the second end of the first slotted arm being connected to the second slotted arm.

I. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to the field of ladders and extension ladders, and more particularly to a ladder stabilization apparatus and system.
II. Description of the Related Art
Ladders and extension ladders are used for a variety of purposes including access to roofs. Typically a user positioned the ladder against the structure at an angle and proceeds to climb the ladder. If the user desires to leave the ladder and move to the roof, the user must take care to carefully position him or herself and shift body weight from the ladder to the roof making sure not to topple the ladder.

Ladder stabilization apparatus and system


There are provided glass-ceramics having a high lithium ion conductivity which include in mol %:

This invention relates to an alkali ion conductive glass-ceramics and, more particularly, to a lithium ion conductive glass-ceramics suitable for use as wholly solid electric cells, gas sensors and electrochemical devices of various types, and electric cells and gas sensors using such glass-ceramics.
Recent development in electronics has brought about high-performance electronic devices of a compact and light-weight design and, as a power source of such electronic devices, development of an electric cell of a high energy density and a long life is strongly desired for.
Lithium has the highest oxidation-reduction potential of Li/Li+ of all metal elements and has the smallest mass per 1 mol and, therefore, lithium cell can provide a higher energy density than other types of cells. Moreover, if a lithium ion conductive solid electrolyte is used, this electrolyte can be made very thin and, therefore, a cell of a thin film can be formed and increase in energy density per unit volume can thereby be realized.
A lithium ion cell which has been realized to date uses an organic electrolyte solution as its electrolyte and this makes it difficult to achieve a cell of a compact design such as a thin film design. This lithium ion cell has additional disadvantages that it has likelihood of leakage of electrolyte solution and likelihood of spontaneous combustion. If this lithium ion cell is replaced by a cell employing an inorganic solid electrolyte, a wholly solid cell of a high reliability will be realized. For this reason, studies and developments of a solid electrolyte having a high conductivity have been vigorously made for realizing a wholly solid lithium cell.
Moreover, carbon dioxide gas produced by combustion of fossil fuel is a main cause of a hothouse effect which has recently become a serious problem and it has become necessary to incessantly watch the concentration of carbon dioxide gas. Therefore, establishment of a system for detecting carbon dioxide gas is a matter of increasing importance for the maintenance of a comfortable life in the future human society.
Carbon dioxide gas detection systems which are currently in use are generally of a type utilizing absorption of infrared ray. These systems however are large and costly and besides are very susceptible to contamination. For these reasons, studies have recently been actively made to develop a compact carbon dioxide gas sensor using a solid electrolyte. Particularly, many reports have been made about studies using a lithium ion sold electrolyte.
For realizing such gas sensor using solid electrolyte, development of a solid electrolyte which is highly conductive, chemically stable and sufficiently heat proof is indispensable.
Among known electrolyes, Li3N single crystal (Applied Physics letter, 30(1977) 621–22) and LiI-Li2S—B2S5, LiI-Li2S—SiS4 and LiI-Li2S—B2S3 glasses (Mat. Res. Bull., 18(1983) 189) have high conductivity of 10−3S/cm or over. These materials, however, have the disadvantages that preparation and handling of these materials are difficult and these materials are not sufficiently heat proof. Particularly, these materials have the fatal disadvantage that decomposition voltage of these materials is so low that, when they are used for an electrolyte of a solid cell, a sufficiently high terminal voltage cannot be obtained.
An oxide lithium solid electrolyte does not have the above described disadvantages and has a decomposition voltage which is higher than 3V and, therefore, it has possibility of usage as a wholly solid lithium cell if it exhibits a high conductivity at room temperature. It is known in the art that conductivity in an oxide glass can be increased by increasing lithium ion concentration. However, there is limitation in increase in the lithium ion concentration even if rapid quenching is employed for glass formation and conductivity of this glass at room temperature is belong 10−6S/cm at the highest.
Japanese Patent Application Laid-open Publication No. Hei-8-2239218 discloses a gas sensor using a thin film of a lithium ion conductive glass. The conductivity of this lithium ion conductive glass thin film is between 1.7×10−7 and 6.1×10−7. This is not a sufficiently high value and a solid electrolyte having a higher conductivity is desired for.
An oxide ceramic having the highest conductivity at room temperature is Li1+XAlXTi2−X(PO4)3. When X is 0.3, the conductivity thereof is 7×10−4S/cm at room temperature (J. Electrochem. Soc., 137 (1990) 1023). Oxide ceramics are superior in conductivity to glasses but have the disadvantages that they require a troublesome process for manufacturing and that they are difficult to form, particularly to a thin film.
In short, the prior art lithium ion solid electrolytes have the problems that they are either low in coductivity, hard to handle, hard to form to a compact design such as a thin film.
It is, therefore, an object of the invention to provide glass-ceramics which have solved these problems and exhibit a very high alkali ion conductivity in the order of 10−3S/cm at room temperature.
It is another object of the invention to provide an alkali cell and a gas sensor of a high performance by utilizing such glass-ceramics.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Alkali ion conductive glass-ceramics and electric cells and gas sensors using the same

Abstract: P2O538–40%TiO225–45%M2O3 (where M is Al or Ga) 5–15%Li2O10–20%and contain Li1+X(Al, Ga)XTi2−X(PO4)3 (where 0<X<0.8) as a main crystal phases. There are also provided glass-ceramics having a high lithium ion conductivity which include in mol %:

Abstract: P2O5 26–40%SiO20.5–12%TiO2 30–45%M2O3 (where M is Al or Ga)  5–10%Li2O 10–18%and contain Li1+X+YMXTi2−XSiYP3−YO12 (where 0<X≦0.4 and 0<Y≦0.6) as a main crystal phase. There are also provided solid electrolytes for an electric cell and a gas sensor using alkali ion conductive glass-ceramics, and a solid electric cell and a gas sensor using alkali ion conductive glass-ceramics as a solid electrolyte.


The automation of design and sale of electronic and mechanical components is accomplished by allowing a user to design a plan for their electronic and mechanical component needs using specialized software. The software utilizes predefined models of components to aid the user in designing a system where all the components are compatible, even in cases where the components are made by different manufacturers. This is accomplished by creating a model for each proposed piece of equipment in the system, the model having properties and rules, wherein the rules define conditions and actions. Then an object is created for each piece of equipment in the system. Selections for values for the properties are received for each of the pieces of equipment. Any rules that have as a condition the properties for which value selections are received are executed. Finally, testing may be undertaken to determine if a proposed configuration is valid by examining results of the rule execution.

Customers who wish to set up electronic and/or mechanical systems, such as computer networks, in their homes or offices generally have to figure out on their own what components they need to purchase. This may involve visiting several vendor and/manufacturer web sites or locations, each of whom have a tendency to push their own products. Additionally, product literature is often limited in nature, describing only how to interface a given product with another product in the manufacturer's line. Customers who wish to mix-and-match components from various manufacturers may be left to their own devices. Additionally, users may be unfamiliar with newer products. What is needed is a solution that allows customers to automatically determine their component needs and facilitates sales of those components.

Automatic design and sale of complex multi-vendor electronic and mechanical systems


The present invention relates to a relative translational driving of a piston-forming part into a body, as well as the application of the device to an applicator apparatus. The device includes blades (5) of which the cutting edge is inclined with respect to the longitudinal axis X-X' of the piston-forming part (4) or of the body (2), the blades being integral with the external wall (4a) of the piston-forming part (4) so as to bite on the internal wall (2a) of the body (2) so that the rotation of the piston-forming part (4) with respect to the body (2), or vice versa, causes the displacement of the part into the body (2). This device applies for example to the fabrication of an applicator used to apply a viscous fluid such as nail varnish, or a solid gel such as a deodorant gel.

One has described in the French patent No 9212885 belonging to the applicant and published under No 2,697,311 a device for the translatory driving of a part forming a piston in a body by the rotation of a rod extending through the said part which is held against rotary motion in the body.
More precisely, the piston-like part was provided with one or several blades the cutting edge of which was inclined with respect to the longitudinal axis of the rod and which projected sidewise through the opening of the piston-like part extended through by the rod for being caused to bite into the external smooth periphery of this rod so as to incise it helically during its rotation and to thus cause the translational motion of the part forming a piston along the rod during this rotation.
Now it has been found that the fitting of the blade or blades into the small hole of the part forming a piston and through which the rod extends was tricky and sometimes even difficult.
Moreover the part forming a piston had to be made fast in rotation to the body by joints and the making fast in rotation of these two elements sometimes was difficult to be obtained more especially as the piston displacing itself axially in the body was necessarily subjected to a torque resulting from the blade or blades biting into the rod extending centrally through the part forming a piston.

Device for the translational driving of a piston for the distribution of pasty products


An illuminator has light sources near the edge of a transparent or translucent light-conducting plate. Each light source is formed with two or more LED chips for emitting light of different colors such as yellowish green, red and blue. The LED chips for each light source are placed close to one another and aligned in the direction of thickness of the light-conducting plate.

This invention relates to an illuminator such as a liquid crystal display device of the so-called back lighting type which does not emit light itself but has a light source behind it such that its visibility can be improved.
An example of such an illuminator was disclosed in Japanese Utility Model Publication Jikko 4-14943 and, as shown in FIGS. 11 and 12, comprises a light-conducting transparent or translucent plate 20' having a uniform thickness and concave indentations 21' near its edges containing light source units 30'. As shown in FIG. 12, the light source unit 30' forms a light-emitting part 33' by placing a LED chip 32' near the bottom of a box-shaped reflector case 31' with an open front, filling the interior of the case with a transparent resin material, and extending a terminal lead line 34' from this light-emitting part 33'. Light emitted from the LED chip 32' is reflected by the inner surfaces of the reflective case 31' and enters the interior of the light-conducting plate 20', spreading throughout the light-conducting plate 20' by repeatedly undergoing total reflections at its top and bottom boundary surfaces and eventually being emitted outward from the surface. As a result, although the light source units 30' are placed at edge portions of the light-conducting plate 20', the entire surface area of the light-conducting plate 20' seems to be shining.
Light emitted from a LED chip is monochromatic. LED chips adapted to emit red, green and blue light are now available. Although white light is ideal for back lighting, green LED chips were usually used as a light source for an illuminator of the type described above if LED chips were to be used as the light source at all. Although a plurality of LED chips are generally placed separate from one another in order to illuminate the entire surface of a light-conducting plate uniformly, since LED chips of the same color are usually used, it was not possible to change the color of emitted light from an illuminator as a whole.


A noise cancelling microphone for use in noisy environments is disclosed wherein noise entering the front portion of the microphone housing to impinge upon the microphone cartridge diaphragm is also permitted to enter proximate the rear portion of the microphone housing through strategically located inlet openings. This allows noise to impinge upon the back surface of the microphone cartridge diaphragm to effect a cancellation of diaphragm vibrations. These strategically located inlet openings at the top and the bottom of the rear of the microphone housing are situated so as to be directionally orientated towards the greatest source of the noise, namely orthagonal to the directional line of the front inlet openings and out of the path of the incoming air. The size and number of the top and bottom rear inlet openings are regulated and situated so that as the microphone is used in such a setting as a motorcycle rider, they are vertically oriented since the greatest source of noise (outside of horizontal wind) is above or below the operator.

1. FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The field of the invention is microphones useful in a combination of high wind and high noise environments such as microphones operably attached to helmets worn by motorcycle riders.
2. DESCRIPTION OF THE RELATED ART
In recent years, persons operating in high wind and noise environments, such as motorcycle riders, have enjoyed vast improvements in the ability to carry on conversations. This is especially true in respect to communications between a motorcycle driver and passenger, as well as between a motorcycle driver and/or passenger and other motorcycle drivers and their passengers, all while the motorcycles are moving. Such improvements include the installation of microphones proximate the driver's and passenger's mouth by attachment to the motorcycle helmet, whether by attachment to a boom connected to the lower lip of the side of a motorcycle helmet (one-half or three-quarter style helmet), or within the helmet confines of full coverage style helmets. In addition, the present art also includes the installation of earphones in the helmets of both driver and passenger, e.g., see the Inventors' 1990 patents entitled VENTED MOTORCYCLE HELMET SPEAKER ENCLOSURE (U.S. Pat. No. 4,977,975) and ACOUSTICALLY SHIELDED MOTORCYCLE HELMET SPEAKER ENCLOSURE (U.S. Pat. No. 4,979,586).
As might well be expected, during travel a motorcycle driver and passenger are exposed to vast amounts of noise that is ever present in their immediate environment. In addition to the noise of the motorcycle engine, the road sounds, i.e., sounds of the tires engaging the road, and sounds of nearby vehicles, the motorcycle rider and passenger are also immersed in sounds of air rushing past the motorcycle, past the motorcycle faring, and past the body and face. The noise sounds immediately in front of the mouth of the motorcycle rider wearing a one-half or three-quarter style helmet, or inside a full coverage style motorcycle helmet, present a very special noise environment.
For highest quality sound transmission, the microphone should not, as far as possible, transmit entering sounds except for the driver's and passenger's speech, and as to the speech, it should be as clear as possible. As such, efforts need to be directed to assuring that, as much as possible, only speech sounds enter the microphone immediately in front of the driver's and passenger's respective mouths. If only the party's speech is received by the microphone and converted to electrical signals for transmission to the other rider, or to distant motorcycle drivers and passengers, then much has been contributed to present efficient communication with maximum clarity and minimum distortion.
In today's motorcycle riding, it is common to place a microphone immediately in front of the driver's or passenger's mouth, held there by the helmet being worn. In the case of a one-half or three-quarter style helmet, the microphone housing is supported by a boom attached to the lower lip of the helmet, on one side of the helmet or the other, protruding forward and usually curved around to be situated an inch or so from the operator's mouth. These booms generally consist of flexible spiral steel tubing having a hollow central passageway adapted to conduct the electrical leads from the microphone cartridge to an electronic package mounted on the motorcycle. In most all cases, the microphone is covered with a wind sock made of open cell foam rubber or plastic.
In a full coverage style helmet, a helmet which totally covers the operator's head, the microphone is mounted near the bottom opening (through which one's head passes when putting on the helmet) at a position immediately forward of the operator's mouth.
For both types of helmets, sound entering inlet openings in the microphone housing are situated so as to be in directional alignment with the operator's mouth. Openings on the opposite side of the microphone housing are usually non-existent, primarily because that portion of the microphone housing is usually in a position to receive wind directly when an operator is wearing a helmet with the microphone attached and traveling, especially the one-half and three-quarter style helmet. The noise factor caused by the wind becomes quite severe.
In most instances, the microphone cartridge contained within the housing has a round diaphragm upon which incoming sound waves impinge. The microphone diaphragm reacts by vibrating in resonance with the striking sound waves and as it does, generates perturbations in an electrical signal supplied to the cartridge. These perturbations are conveyed to connected electronic equipment, amplified and distributed to the headsets of other parties, whether by transmission via electrical leads or by radio. The efficiency of the microphone cartridge is at its highest if the sound waves strike the diaphragm as near normal as possible, i.e., transverse to the plane of the annular diaphragm. As a consequence, microphone housings containing the microphone cartridge usually have inlet openings immediately in front of the diaphragm so as to cause sound to strike the diaphragm substantially at right angles.
Since the incoming waves dissipate their energy in making the microphone diaphragm vibrate, it is common to vent the chamber or plenum immediately behind the diaphragm. This is done for various reasons, not the least of which is that failing to vent the plenum behind the diaphragm means that the diaphragm is required to momentarily compress the air behind the diaphragm as the diaphragm moves back and forth during its vibrations. Thus the energy needed to compress the air subtracts from the energy used in moving the diaphragm, making the microphone cartridge less sensitive. In addition, it is common to isolate the plenum immediately behind the diaphragm from the plenum immediately in front of the diaphragm so that sounds impacting upon the front surface of the diaphragm cannot then bounce around to the rear of the housing then engage the backside of the diaphragm. Such will cause distortion in the microphone output signal because the sound waves on the back surface of the diaphragm subtract from the sound waves on the front surface, all tending to reduce the vibration displacement of the diaphragm to incoming sound waves, even those intended to be sensed.
Microphone cartridges generally are button like cylinders having a front flat or slightly cone shaped circular diaphragm which substantially occupies a flat plane even though that plane may have a little thickness. The diaphragm usually has a rear annular ring shaped exposed side. Best results are achieved when the incoming sound waves strike the front side of the diaphragm along the cylindrical axis of the microphone cartridge. This is accomplished easily by situating the front inlet openings in the microphone housing parallel to the cylindrical axis of the cartridge. Similarly, vent holes in the rear side of the microphone housing are opposite the back side of the diaphragm surface, also parallel to the cylindrical axis of the cartridge.
In most situations of motorcycle use, and especially with the one-half and three-quarter style helmet, the microphone housing encapsulating the microphone cartridge has inlet openings in front of the cartridge, but no vent openings at the rear of the housing since such vent openings would be the immediate recipient of wind as the motorcycle rider travels along. This wind, if incoming through vent openings immediately behind the microphone cartridge, would seriously detract from the speech reproduction qualities of the microphone.
In the motorcycle environment, as stated above, the motorcycle driver and passenger are placed in an exceptionally windy and noisy environment, especially due to noise causing elements located immediately below the microphone worn by the operator. These noises, the motorcycle engine noise, road noise, and wind noise, tend to enter the front inlet openings in the microphone housing directly in front of the operator's mouth. Now efforts have been taken to reduce noise input by utilizing front inlet openings which are rather narrow, i.e., the diameter of the opening is quite small compared with the length of the opening through the housing. This tends to make a microphone somewhat directional, i.e., more readily receiving sounds in alignment with the inlet openings rather than sounds coming from other directions, such as below. However, as motorcycle riders can attest, environmental noise does in fact impinge upon the microphone cartridge diaphragm and does substantially contribute to degrading the quality of speech out of the microphone.
As a consequence, if means could be found to effect noise cancelling techniques upon the microphone, the speech reproduction qualities of the microphone would be greatly enhanced. It is to this end that the subject invention is directed.


A VCO comprising a cross-coupled transistors module and a resonant module is provided. The resonant module comprises a first transistor, second transistor, a first inductor and varactor string and a second inductor and varactor string. The first source/drain terminal of the first transistor coupled to the second reference voltage, the second source/drain terminal of the first transistor coupled to the cross-coupled transistors module and the gate terminal coupled to a bias voltage. The first source/drain terminal of the second transistor coupled to the second reference voltage, the second source/drain terminal of the second transistor coupled to the cross-coupled transistors module and the gate terminal of the second transistor coupled to the bias voltage. The first and second inductor and varactor strings coupled between the gate of the first and second transistors and a tuning voltage in serial, separately.

1. Field of Invention
The present invention relates to a multi-phase signals generator and a voltage-controlled oscillator thereof.
2. Description of Related Art
In today's technology, voltage-controlled oscillators (VCOs) can be divided into three types, such as Colpittis oscillator, Hartely oscillator and Cross-couple oscillator. Most of the VCOs archive basic oscillation function by a resonant circuit composed of inductors and capacitors. The VCOs always be used in a phase lock loop (PLL) circuit, and in the presupposition of green power design, a power consumption of the PLL circuit is the most important point for designer. That is, it is the most important topic to archive a voltage-controlled oscillator with low power consumption in the design of the PLL circuit.
In the other way, with the progress of communication industry, integrated circuits (IC) have been widely applied in wireless communication. Such as that, a multi-phase signal generator (such as a quadrature-phase signal generator) comprising voltage-controlled oscillators be used. That is, the VCOs play an important role in modern communication systems. As the frequency up- and down-conversion is mainly performed by the mixers at the front electrode of the VCOs and the transmitter/receiver, the noise of the VCOs will influence the noise level of the entire transceiver. Therefore, it is an important subject how to reduce the phase noise of the VCOs.

Multi-phase signal generator and voltage-controlled oscillator thereof

National Taiwan University of Science and Technology


A holding apparatus holds a flexible plate wound on a circumferential surface of a holder of a printing machine. A holding apparatus includes a hole section made in the holder along an axial direction of the holder, a groove section made by notching the circumferential surface of the holder along the axial direction to establish a connection with the hole section and accept insertion of a leading edge end portion and trailing edge end portion of the plate, a tension bar inserted and fitted into the hole section for engaging the trailing edge end portion of the plate, and a rotating mechanism provided in the hole section for rotating the tension bar.

So far, there have been developed various types of plate holding apparatuses which are for holding a plate on a plate cylinder of a printing machine. For example, the Patent Document 1 discloses a plate holding apparatus designed such that a leaf spring for engaging a trailing edge end portion of a plate is provided along an axial direction of a tension bar and a lever fixedly secured onto an axial end portion of the tension bar is moved by a spring so as to rotate the tension bar so that the trailing edge end portion of the plate is drawn into a slit of a plate cylinder by the leaf spring to hold the plate on a circumferential surface of the plate cylinder.
In addition, the Patent Document 2 discloses a plate holding apparatus designed such that a leaf spring for engaging a trailing edge end portion of a plate is provided along an axial direction of a tension bar as well as the Patent Document 1 and a lever fixedly secured onto an axial end portion of the tension bar is moved by use of a working cylinder instead of a spring so as to rotate the tension bar so that the trailing edge end portion of the plate is drawn into a slit of a plate cylinder by the leaf spring to hold the plate on a circumferential surface of the plate cylinder.    Patent Document 1: Japanese Utility Model Laid-Open No. HEI 4-7133    Patent Document 2: Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2000-301694

Holding apparatus for holding a flexible plate on a circumferential surface of a holder of a printing machine


A heat pump system includes a heat pump circuit, a heat load circuit, first and second heat exchangers, a flow rate regulation mechanism and a controller. A first passage connects branching and converging portions of the heat load circuit. A second passage connects the branching and converging portions without converging with the first passage. The first and second heat exchanger perform heat exchange between discharge refrigerant from the low and high stage compression mechanisms and fluid in the first and second passages, respectively. The flow rate regulation mechanism regulates a ratio between flow rates through the first and second passages. The controller controls the flow rate regulation mechanism so that the fluid is allowed to flow to the first heat exchanger when a temperature of refrigerant flowing into the first heat exchanger is lower than a heating target temperature of converged fluid flowing through the heat load circuit.

In conventional practice, there have been proposed systems that heat water using both refrigerant discharged from a low-stage compressor and refrigerant discharged from a high-stage compressor in a multi-stage compression refrigeration cycle, such as the heat pump water heater disclosed in Japanese Laid-open Patent Application No. 2002-106988, for example.
With this system, not only can the compression efficiency be improved by using a multi-stage compression system in a heat pump circuit, but there is also an attempt to satisfactorily increase energy efficiency by using the refrigerant discharged from the high-stage compressor as well as the refrigerant discharged from the low-stage compressor to heat up hot water for a hot-water supply.
Specifically, this system uses a configuration wherein a valve is provided so as to branch the flow of water for the hot-water supply, one flow of hot water is heated by the refrigerant discharged from the high-stage compressor, and the other flow of hot water is heated by the refrigerant discharged from the low-stage compressor. From the perspective of satisfactorily increasing the cycle efficiency, it is proposed that the branched flow ratio of water for the hot-water supply would preferably be such that the other flow heated by the refrigerant discharged from the low-stage compressor is set to half or less of the total water amount.


A system for pulling wire behind a wall is provided. One embodiment comprises a cylindrical weight defined by an outside diameter and a first length, and a tubular body with a hollow interior defined by an inside diameter that is greater than the outside diameter of the cylindrical weight and a second length that is greater than the first length. A distal end of the tubular body includes a tip configured to penetrate a material that is behind the wall, wherein when oriented in a vertical position behind the wall, and wherein in response to drawing the cylindrical weight upward through the tubular body and then releasing the cylindrical weight, the cylindrical weight travels downward towards the distal end of the tubular body and impacts the tip such that momentum of the downward travelling cylindrical weight is transferred to the tip, thereby driving the tubular body downward through the material.

Installers often must pull wires, string, raceways and tubing into walls with minimal deconstruction of the wall to add that wire, string, raceway or tubing. Customers and installers alike prefer that this be accomplished by creating the smallest hole possible in the wall. Sometimes walls are fire rated and putting too large a hole in the wall to allow for wire, string, raceway and tubing installation would compromise the fire rating. Sometimes walls are soundproof rated and putting too large a hole in the wall to allow for wire, string, raceway and tubing installation would compromise its sound rating. It is typically less expensive to repair a small hole than to repair a large one. Common types of wire, string, raceway and tubing pullers include "fishing" rods or magnetic devices that are inserted through a hole. The invention of this disclosure is dissimilar to both these commonly used tools.
Known methods for installing wires, strings, raceways and/or tubing with opening walls to do so are not entirely satisfactory for the range of applications in which they are employed. For example, existing "fishing" poles that are inserted into a hole in a wall close to the ceiling or floor are not effective because the fishing poles are too long to be able to be inserted in a hole adjacent or in close proximity to the ceiling above the wall being worked on. In addition, conventional fishing poles are usually too long to carry in tool kits or belts, being up to over a yard long, as well as the inability for the rods to move through the wall in a predictable linear manner. Also unsatisfactory are the magnetic devices which can scratch walls or not work at all due to double thick dry wall preventing the magnet from working properly, and the inability for the magnets to maneuver around some obstructions within the wall.
Accordingly, in the arts of puller systems, there is a need in the arts for improved methods, apparatus, and systems for wire, string, raceway and tubing pullers that improve upon and advance the design of known devices.

Apparatus and method for installing wire behind existing walls


There is provided a memory device in which memory cells may be tested using several different test data patterns. The memory device may include a switch unit, a plurality of storage units, and a selector. The switch unit may transfer bits of data received in response to a mode control signal to memory cells or transfers bits of test data to the memory cells. The plurality of storage units respectively stores bits of test data in response to bits of an input control signal. The selector applies test data stored in one of the storage units to the switch unit in response to the input control signal.

1. Field of the Invention
Example embodiments of the present invention generally relate to a semiconductor memory device. More particularly, example embodiment of the present invention relate to a semiconductor memory device in which memory cells are tested using several different test data patterns and method thereof.
2. Description of the Related Art
As the capacity of a semiconductor memory device has increased, so has the time required to test the semiconductor memory device. Accordingly, in order to reduce the test time, several semiconductor memory devices may be tested at the same time using a single test apparatus.
The number of input/output (I/O) pins capable of being tested by a single test apparatus is fixed, therefore, to test additional semiconductor memory devices at the same time, it may be necessary to reduce the number of I/O pins allocated to a memory device.
To test a semiconductor memory device using fewer number of I/O pins, the semiconductor memory device may be adapted to operate in a test mode in addition to a normal mode. In the test mode, the semiconductor memory device may process and output several internal parallel data through the I/O pins, and may expand and write data received through the I/O pins as parallel data.
However, when data received through the fewer number of I/O pins are expanded and several internal parallel data are generated, data patterns capable of being written in memory cells may not be varied.
FIG. 1 illustrates a conventional semiconductor memory device 100 capable of expanding input data and generating parallel data.
Referring to FIG. 1, the memory device 100 may include a plurality of transmission gates TG11 to TG116 and TG21 to TG216. In a normal mode, the transmission gates TG11 to TG116 in response to a normal mode signal MODE_N may transfer received data DIN1 to DIN16 to corresponding memory cells (not shown). The normal mode signal MODE_N may be applied to NMOS transistors of the transmission gates TG11 to TG116, and an inverted normal signal MODE_N, inverted by an inverter 11, may be applied to PMOS transistors of the transmission gates TG11 to TG116.
During a test mode, the transmission gates TG21 to TG216 may apply received data DIN1, DIN5, DIN9, and DIN13 in response to a test mode signal MODE_T to corresponding memory cells (not shown).
The test mode signal MODE_T may be applied to NMOS transistors of the transmission gates TG21 to TG216, and an inverted test mode signal MODE_T, inverted by an inverter 12, may be applied to PMOS transistors of the transmission gates TG21 to TG216.
As described above, in order for a single test apparatus to test several semiconductor memory devices at one time, the number of I/O pins allocated to a memory device must be reduced. The memory device 100 illustrated in FIG. 1 has an "×16" organization in which 16 data bits may be input/output at the same time, and the number of I/O pins used during the testing may be four.
The memory device 100 takes the four data DIN1, DIN5, DIN9, and DIN13 in a test mode and generates (expands) 16 data DATA1 to DATA16 to be applied to the memory cells. The data DATA1 to DATA16 may be respectively written to the corresponding memory cells.
Since the memory device 100 uses only four input data DIN1, DIN5, DIN9, and DIN13 during a test mode, the same value as the input data DIN1 may be written to the memory cells to which data DATA1, DATA2, DATA3, and DATA4 may be applied.
Likewise, the same value as the input data DIN5 may be written to the memory cells to which data DATA5, DATA6, DATA7, and DATA8 may be applied. This process also applies to DIN9 and DIN13.
In general, in order to detect a defective semiconductor memory device, several different test data patterns may be required. However, as described above, it may not possible for the semiconductor memory test circuit 100 with the "×16" organization to have a value data DATA1 that is different than a value of data DATA2. In the memory device 100, the number of test data patterns capable of being used in a test mode may be limited.
FIG. 2 illustrates a conventional test data pattern generator 200.
As described above with respect to the memory device 100 of FIG. 1, the number of test data patterns may be limited.
In order to solve the problem of the limited test data patterns available during a test mode, an address key method of combining input data DIN1 to DINn with dummy addresses ADD1 to ADDm to generate test data patterns P_DATA1 to P_DATAn has been introduced in the conventional art.
However, because the number of available test data patterns depends on the number of available addresses and input data, and the addresses must be varied according to the test data patterns, there may be compatibility issues of using the address key method with existing package test patterns.
FIG. 3 illustrates another conventional memory device 300 which may include a selector 310 to select either data DOI output from a memory cell (not shown) in a normal mode or select a test result signal TRS in a test mode, in response to a mode control signal MODE. The memory device 300 may further include an output buffer 320, and logic devices ENR1 to ENR16, and N1 to generate the test result signal TRS.
With reference to FIG. 3, a "merged DQ" method to reduce the number of I/O pins through which test results are output will be described. In the merged DQ method, test data values T_DATA1 to T_DATA16 stored in internal registers (not shown) may be respectively compared with data DOI1 to DOI16 read from memory cells, a pass/fail (P/F) may be determined from the comparison, and the determined result may be output through the output buffer 320. By using the merged DQ method, it may be possible to reduce the number of I/O pins and output buffers 320 during a test mode.
By respectively comparing test data values T_DATA1 to T_DATA16 stored in internal registers (not shown) with data DOI1 to DOI16 read from memory cells using logic devices ENR1 to ENR16, and N1, if at least one memory cell is defective, a test result signal TRS indicating the defect may be generated.
However, in the merged DQ method, problems still exist in that the method requires a predetermined command to change test data values T_DATA1 to T_DATA16 stored in internal registers (not shown) to be respectively compared with read data DOI1 to DOI16. In addition, it may be difficult to change the test data values T_DATA1 to T_DATA16. Accordingly, compatibility issues with test data patterns used with current test method still exists.

Semiconductor memory device and method for testing memory cells using several different test data patterns


Method and apparatus are disclosed for facilitating active protection of peripheral sensors. An example vehicle includes a sensor and a sensor protector. The example sensor protector is configured to, responsive to a vehicle collision, obtain diagnostic information from the sensor. The example sensor protector is also configured to determine whether to move the sensor from a first position to a second position based on the diagnostic information. The example sensor protector is also configured to cause the sensor to from the first position to the second position based on the determination.

Vehicles, especially autonomous vehicles, are equipped with a plurality of sensors, such as radars, cameras, LiDAR, etc. These sensors play a vital role in providing driver assistance and safety features. The unavailability of any one of the sensors can degrade features of the vehicle. In the case of autonomous vehicles, the equipped sensors may be crucial to the functioning of the autonomous vehicle and the unavailability of any one of the sensors may stop the autonomous vehicle from functioning.

Methods and apparatus to facilitate active protection of peripheral sensors


An apparatus for refining a process liquor that includes solids, which apparatus includes a vessel having a base and a side wall that define an internal volume for containing the process liquor and for allowing gravity settling of the solids in the liquor, whereby to produce a refined liquor toward a top of the internal volume and a slurry toward a bottom of the internal volume, the apparatus further includes solids displacement elements disposed within the internal volume for directing settled solids and/or settling solids in the vicinity of the side wall or of the base toward a flow path of the slurry being extracted from the slurry outlet. A processing plant including the above refining apparatus and a method for refining a process liquor.

In the course of the Bayer process, aluminium hydroxide is precipitated from a process liquor by controlling process conditions associated with the liquor The precipitate settles at the bottom of a vessel referred to as a thickener and the process of causing precipitates to settle out of a liquor is referred to as thickening. The precipitates will be in the form of particles having a range of sizes, including some coarser and some finer sizes. The proportion of particles in the coarser and finer ranges of size depends on the process conditions.
Thickening results in liquor toward the bottom of the thickener being high in coarser precipitate content, and very viscous, and the liquor near the top of the vessel being very low in finer precipitate content. The process liquor may pass through a series of thickeners; some of which have the effect of separating coarse precipitates from fine precipitates and others substantially removing fine precipitates from the process liquor to create a so-called "clear liquor". The clear liquor is removed and subjected to further processing steps before being returned to the Bayer process as a caustic liquor used in digestion of bauxite.
Thickeners used to separate the coarse precipitate from the fine precipitate are referred to as classifiers. It will be appreciated that the term "thickener" as used herein after includes a reference to a classifier.
The viscous liquor (also termed a "slurry") is typically removed from the bottom of the thickener by pumping. However, the high viscosity of the slurry may cause a preferential flow path in the vicinity of the outlet of the thickener for the slurry. As a result, the solids outside the flow path settle and build-up within the thickener. The formed preferential flow path is termed a "rat-hole".
The effect of rat-holing is that the settled precipitate reduces the overall operational volume within the thickener. This means that process liquor has a shorter residence time in the thickener and, therefore, the viscous slurry extracted from the thickener has a precipitate content that is lower than desired for subsequent processing. This also causes an increase in the precipitate content and precipitate size in process liquor extract from near the top of the thickener, thus affecting negatively the performance of the subsequent processing steps.
Thickeners must, therefore, be shut-down and the settled precipitate cleaned out every two months on average in order to maintain suitable precipitate content in the extracted slurry.
Occasionally, settled precipitate will dislodge and fall into the preferential flow path so that the extracted slurry will have random spikes in precipitate content. This makes downstream processing difficult and necessitates additional control steps to ensure that precipitate content of the extracted slurry is reasonably consistent.
There is a need, therefore, to reduce "rat holes" and build-up of settled solids in thickeners. It will be appreciated that the term "solids" used throughout this specification includes precipitates.

Apparatus and method for refining a process liquor by gravity settling


An electronic respiratory mask capable of filtering air that passes through is disclosed herein. In an embodiment, a face mask includes a body having an inner volume that surrounds the user's mouth when the body is placed over the user's mouth, a first electrode located on the body, the first electrode sized and shaped to allow air to pass between the inner volume of the body and an outside environment when the body is placed over the user's mouth, and a second electrode located on the body, the second electrode sized and shaped to allow air to pass between the inner volume of the body and the outside environment when the body is placed over the user's mouth, wherein the first and second electrode create an electric field gradient that is capable of suspending microbes as air passes between the inner volume of the body and the outside environment.

Medical face masks are typically used to protect caregivers against droplet-transmitted pathogens and/or as facial protection during patient care activities that are likely to generate splashes or sprays of blood, body fluids, secretions or excretions. Medical face masks are also worn during pandemic events in which an infectious disease spreads across a large region or multiple continents and infects a large number of people.
Standard medical face masks, when worn properly, can reduce the potential exposure of the wearer to blood and body fluids but do not eliminate the risk of contracting any airborne disease or infection. That is, they provide barrier protection against droplets including large respiratory particles, but do not prevent leakage around the edge of the mask when the user inhales.


In a method for synchronization of a mobile radio receiver to a base station, in which a verification step or a plurality of verification steps is or are also carried out in addition to the synchronization steps and one or more identification step or steps which may be present, at least one of the verification steps is carried out in parallel with a synchronization step and/or with an identification step.

When a mobile radio receiver is switched on or when it enters a new cell, it must be synchronized to this cell or to potential cells. In order to associate the received data with the correct time, the data stream is organized in time flames and time slots. A frame contains a specific number of slots, and each slot contains a specific number of bits (data and/or control information). In particular, these cells must first of all be recognized and identified with respect to their timings (flame and slot start) and their base station codes. So-called synchronization sequences are generally used for this purpose, which have either global characteristics (which are the same throughout the network) or local characteristics (which differ for different base stations).
Synchronization of a third generation mobile radio receiver, such as UMTS, to a corresponding base station, that is to say time synchronization and identification of the cell code and scrambling code, is achieved by correlating the received signal with the complex-conjugate signal for the correspondingly transmitted synchronization code.
Since the synchronization sequences generally cannot be received without interference (AWGN), there is only a certain probability of the receiver system being synchronized to a corresponding cell. This synchronization probability depends essentially not only on the signal-to-noise ratio but also on the time interval available for the synchronization procedure. However, user-relevant and/or system-relevant aspects generally result in a link to specific timing requirements. If a synchronization process comprises N step elements (in the case of UMTS, three successive step elements are carried out: slot synchronization→frame synchronization+code group identification→scrambling code identification), then the detection probability after a step element n depends on that of the step element n−1 (n=2, . . . , N).
This results in two conclusions:                a) the step element n−1 should achieve a significantly higher detection probability than the step element n in order to result in an overall procedure with an efficient usefulness/complexity ratio,        b) detection errors/results in a step element should be recognized/evaluated in order to carry out the overall synchronization process with a predetermined detection probability in a minimum time.
As has already been mentioned above, the synchronization procedure for a UMTS mobile radio receiver essentially comprises three step elements:                a) slot synchronization        b) flame synchronization and code group identification        c) scrambling code identification
FIG. 2 illustrates a basic flowchart of one such conventional synchronization process for UMTS UEs.
Steps a) and b) in particular require a relatively long time since, in order to increase the detection probability, the received signal must be evaluated (averaged) over a total of two or more slots or even two or more frames. In order to further increase the detection reliability of a synchronization unit such as this, verification steps are normally inserted after one or more of the individual step elements, as is illustrated in FIG. 2. These verification steps must also be carried out over a relatively large number of slots or frames in order to obtain an appropriately reliable indication of the synchronization status of the receiver. This therefore means that additional time is required in order to improve the detection or synchronization probability.
As has already been mentioned above, the 3G system requirements result in specific time restrictions, so that only a specific number of slots or frames are available for a given synchronization task. The detection probability thus depends directly on this restriction. The minimum total detection time or total synchronization time is thus the sum of the slot synchronization time Tslot, of the slot boundary verification time Tveri-slot, of the frame synchronization time Tframe, of the frame verification time Tveri-frame and of the scrambling code identification time Tscr-id. On the assumption that the same time T is required for each step element, this results in a total time of Tmin-sync=5T.
Methods for synchronization with intermediate verification are also referred to as multi-dwell detectors. In this context, reference should be made to the book: Peterson, Ziemer, Borth: Introduction to Spread Spectrum Communication, page 255.

Method and device for synchronizing a mobile radio receiver with a base station involving parallel verification


A computer method is disclosed for the capture, tracking, and management of accounting data using natural language speech recognition with landline or wireless telephones. Information is stored in a central or peer-to-peer database, which in addition to the speech recognition interface, may be accessed using touchtone telephone menus; Personal Digital Assistants (PDAs); WAP, RIM and other. wireless protocol phones and devices; the Web; fax; email and other messaging protocols; synchronizable off-line applications; corporate financial systems; and distributed networks. In one form, the user initiates a telephone call and the invention confirms the user's identification, prompts the user for accounting information, records the information provided by the user into the appropriate database and language if the user's native tongue is different than that used by the accounting system, and provides to the user information in response to inquiries using natural language speech recognition.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to the capture, tracking and management of accounting data using natural language speech recognition. The invention gives users the ability to perform in their native tongues business-related tasks that require accounting data using natural language speech recognition. These tasks include, but are not limited to, expense tracking, time tracking, purchase requisitions, and financial record keeping for tax purposes and internal reporting.
2. Description of the Related Art
Most accounting systems require users to enter and review data via a keyboard and personal computer into a database residing on a single computer or in a database shared by several users in a client-server network, an intranet, or over the Internet. Some systems enable users to choose the tool with which to enter information via keyboard, touchtone menus or a wireless interface, or some combination of these offerings, which are limited in scope and flexibility for the user. All of these data entry tools require a general understanding of computers and either keyboard or touchtone entry of information, resulting in limited accessibility and inefficient use of time for people traveling on business or physically removed from their normal working environments.
There has not been a speech recognition-based interface to any commercial accounting system. There is, accordingly, a desire for a natural language speech recognition interface in addition to PDA, wireless, online and offline interfaces to accounting data for such uses as timesheets, travel plans, purchase requisitions, and financial record keeping for tax purposes and internal reporting that can be easily customized by users to fit their specific needs.

Computer accounting method using natural language speech recognition


A battery module having a plurality of battery cells (2), in particular lithium-ion battery cells (20) which in a longitudinal direction (3) of the battery module (1) are disposed so as to be mutually adjacent, and the plurality of battery cells (2) are mutually braced by means of a tensioning element (4), wherein a thermal compensation element (5) is disposed between a battery cell (2) and the tensioning element (4), and the tensioning element (4), on a side of the tensioning element (4) that faces away from the battery cell (2), is connected to a heating element (100).

The invention proceeds from a battery module.
It is known from the prior art that a battery module has a plurality of individual battery cells which have in each case a positive voltage tap and a negative voltage tap, wherein the respective voltage taps are electrically interconnected so as to form an electrically conducting connection of the plurality of battery cells in series and/or in parallel, said battery cells thus being able to be interconnected so as to form the battery module. In turn, battery modules are interconnected so as to form batteries, or battery systems, respectively. Installation spaces in vehicles are often limited such that, apart from variable module sizes, an optimal utilization of an installation space available in said vehicles is also to be pursued.
The battery cells of a battery module, such as lithium-ion battery cells or lithium-polymer battery cells, for example, furthermore heat up during operation, this being caused by chemical processes by virtue of the electrical resistance of said battery cells when discharging or charging power. These processes are comparably pronounced in particular when discharging energy, or charging energy, respectively, in a comparably rapid manner. The more powerful a battery or a battery module, respectively, the more pronounced the heat created and, associated therewith, the requirements in terms of an efficient temperature-control system.
In order for the safety of a battery module to be enhanced and also in order to ensure the performance of the battery cells, the battery cells of a battery module are to be heated as well as to be cooled so as to be able to ideally operate said battery cells in a specific temperature range such that increased ageing behavior or a decomposition of the chemistry of the cells, respectively, can be prevented, for example. Temperature controlling, thus heating or discharging of heat, of the battery cells can be configured by a liquid temperature control using a water/glycol mixture, for example. This mixture herein is directed through a cooling plate which is disposed below the battery module, or through a continuous system. Such a cooling plate herein can be connected to a corresponding component of a cooling circuit.
Risks to battery modules can in particular lie in the fact that a battery cell of the plurality of battery cells exceeds a specific safety-critical temperature and exothermic chemical reactions which take place within a battery cell self-accelerate, this potentially leading to uncontrolled, self-accelerated heating of the battery cells. Such behavior is typically known as 'thermal runaway' in a battery cell and in the worst case can even lead to an explosion of the respective battery cell. Battery modules should therefore also provide a reliable discharge of such large quantities of heat and furthermore prevent that the heat of such a runaway battery cell is able to be transmitted to other adjacent battery cells. This is generally known as propagation protection. By virtue of a predefined installation space, it is not always possible to adhere to large spacings, for example in the form of air gaps or thermally insulating materials, necessary for reliable propagation protection, and thus to prevent the propagation to adjacent battery cells.
Thermal decoupling of the battery cells among one another can often not be configured to a sufficient extent in order for propagation to be reliably suppressed.
For example, publication DE 10 2015 010 983 A1 discloses a battery module having a basic temperature control device which is configured for a basic temperature control of all individual battery cells of the battery module, and furthermore having a compensation temperature control device which is configured for a compensation temperature control of the battery cells.
DE 10 2017 009 712 A1 shows an energy accumulator having an insulation element which is disposed between two battery cells, and a cooling element including a thermally conducting material and a displacement material.
DE 10 2015 208 159 A1 discloses a traction battery group comprising an insulation member which is disposed between an end plate and the battery cell.
EP 3 499 609 A1 shows a battery module having a plurality of battery cell receptacles.
Publication DE 10 2011 013 618 furthermore shows a battery module having a bracing installation.


Methods and devices for generating a slow motion video segment are described. A first set of video frames captures a video view at a first resolution and at a first frame rate. A second set of video frames captures the video view at a second lower resolution, and at a second frame rate that is greater for at least a portion of the second set. At least two high resolution frames are identified in the first set for generating the slow motion video segment. One or more low resolution frames are identified in the second set corresponding to an inter-frame time period between the identified high resolution frames. The slow motion video segment is generated by generating at least one high resolution frame corresponding to the inter-frame time period using interpolation based on the identified high resolution frames and the identified low resolution frames.

In conventional video capture devices, a user typically has to manually pre-set a high-speed or a slow-motion mode to capture high-speed or slow-motion videos. However, such conventional devices may have drawbacks.
In a typical conventional video capture device, when recording with high-speed or slow-motion modes (e.g., capturing video at a frame rate of 240 FPS), the size of the generated video is significantly increased due to the increase in number of frames, thus requiring more memory and/or image processing resources. As well, the time captured in the video is typically dominated by low-speed content, and high-speed motions often happen in a very short period. Accordingly, a video that is captured using a high-speed or slow-motion mode may contain mostly frames having low-speed content (where the high-speed or slow-motion mode is not required), resulting in a significant waste of video storage resources.
Conventional video capture devices may require the user to manually set the desired shooting mode. This may result in missing details of some unexpected and quickly occurring moments, for example when capturing video of a soccer game, because the user had chosen to record the video using a normal video mode (e.g., capturing video at a typical frame rate of 30 FPS). Further, given a video recorded in a standard frame rate (e.g., 30 FPS), technically it is typically very difficult or even impossible to create slow-motion for any segment in the video by post-processing.
As a result, it is desirable to provide a solution that is able to more effectively capture video at high-speed and/or enable generation of slow-motion video for a video segment in post-processing.

Methods and devices for capturing high-speed and high-definition videos


A circuit configuration for generating a reference potential includes a first transistor with an emitter connected to a ground potential and a base and a collector connected to one another. A second transistor has a base connected to the base of the first transistor. A first resistor is connected between the collector of the first transistor and an output terminal for picking up the reference potential. A second resistor is connected between the collector of the second transistor and the output terminal. A third resistor is connected between the emitter of the second transistor and the ground potential. A third transistor has a base connected to the collector of the second transistor and an emitter connected to the ground potential. A controlled current source is connected between a supply potential and the output terminal and is coupled on the input side to the collector of the third transistor. A capacitor is connected parallel to the second resistor.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The invention relates to a circuit configuration for generating a reference potential, including a first transistor with an emitter connected to a ground potential and a base and a collector connected to one another; a second transistor with a base connected to the base of the first transistor; a first resistor connected between the collector of the first transistor and an output terminal for picking up the reference potential; a second resistor connected between the collector of the second transistor and the output terminal; a third resistor connected between the emitter of the second transistor and the ground potential; a third transistor with a base connected to the collector of the second transistor and an emitter connected to the ground potential, and a controlled current source connected between a supply potential and the output terminal and coupled on the input side to the collector of the third transistor.
One such circuit configuration, which is also known as a bandgap reference is known, for instance, from the book by Paul R. Gray and Robert G. Meyer, entitled: Analysis and Design of Analog Integrated Circuits, Second Edition, John
Wiley and Sons, 1984, pp. 293-296 and from Published European Patent Application 0 411 657 A1, and is often used in integrated circuits as an internal reference voltage source. A frequency-compensated bandgap reference is also described in UK Patent Application GB 2 256 949 A.
In the future, it will become increasingly important in integrated circuits for the circuits to be able to be turned on and off through an external terminal, in order to save current. Turning them off should happen as fast as possible, in order to enable effective reduction in the current consumption and thus the power loss. The turn-on time should be kept as short as possible as well, in order to put the circuit into its operating state within the shortest possible time. A further important criterion of circuit configurations for generating a reference potential is their noise behavior. That can be favorably affected through the use of capacitors for bandgap limitation, which filter out the noise at high frequencies. However, those provisions lengthen the turn-on and turn-off times of the respective circuit.

Circuit configuration for generating a reference potential


Provided is a method of fabricating silica-titania nanoporous composite powder by controlling a pore size. In more particular, a method of fabricating silica-titania nanoporous composite powder, using a spraying and heating reactor including an ultrasonic droplet generator and a cylindrical electric furnace, comprises the steps of: generating droplets of a mixture suspension from a colloidal suspension prepared by mixing silica (SiO2) and titania (TiO2) nanopowders and organic template (PSL: polystyrene latex) powder, by the ultrasonic droplet generator of the spray-heating reactor; generating a silica-titania-organic template nanoporous composite powder having pores within the range of 20˜100 nm in size through preparing silica-titania-organic template (SiO2—TiO2-PLS) composite particles and removing the organic template while passing the mixture suspension in the cylindrical electric furnace by a carrier gas; and collecting the generated nanoporous material by a particle collector.

1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to a method of fabricating silica-titania nanoporous composite powder and, more particularly, to a method of fabricating silica-titania nanoporous composite powder by spraying and heating method which is capable of preparing spherical-shaped silica-titania nanoporous composite powder by drying liquid droplets sprayed from a silica-titania-organic template mixture suspension by an ultrasonic droplet generator and heating the powder to remove the organic template in the dried composite powder.
2. Discussion of Related Art
A nanoporous material refers to powder having pores which are 100 nm or less in size. Since nanoporous materials are capable of impregnating catalyst materials in various nano sizes within the pores, they are used as the advanced nanomaterials for catalyst impregnation.
Much research of nanoporous materials has been conducted due to the variety of their potential application fields, such as catalysts, separators, coating agents, chromatography, low-dielectric constant fillers, paints, microelectro-devices and electro-optics, and the like.
As the prior art relating to the technology for fabricating nanoporous material powder, there are published U.S. Pat. No. 6,696,258 B1 (entitled: Mesoporous materials and methods of making the same; Filing Date: Jun. 21, 2000), Korean Patent No. 10-0385338 (entitled: Mesoporous silica, methods of compounding the same, and uses thereof; Filing Date: May 20, 2000) and Korean Patent No. 10-0549163 (entitled: Method of preparing silica-titania composite materials having nanoporous structure for impregnating biocatalyst; Filing Date: Oct. 20, 2001), and others.
However, in the aforementioned U.S. Pat. No. 6,696,258, Korean Patent Nos. 10-0385338 and 10-0549163, since nanoporous materials are fabricated by liquid phase method, there is a drawback in that it takes long time to prepare the nanoporous materials. Moreover, since the distribution of pore sizes of the prepared nanoporous materials is 10 nm or less, the application thereof is very restrictive and it is difficult to control the pore sizes.

Method of fabricating silica-titania nanoporous composite powder

Korea Institute of Geoscience and Mineral Resources


A pump apparatus for an adjustable metering and dispensing pump apparatus for food products including a product piston moving in a product cylinder, the product cylinder being connected to a food hopper and a dispensing nozzle. The pump apparatus also includes a cylindrical valve moving within a central aperture in the product piston to selectively open and close passageways also in the product piston which communicate with intake and outlet ports connected to the product cylinder. The valve is attached to a valve piston moving within a valve piston cylinder and the valve piston cylinder is attached to a source of compressed air, to a sensor and to a control assembly. The control in turn is connected to a foot switch to allow an operator to initiate a cycle of the pump apparatus. The valve piston reciprocates both the valve piston and the product piston, however, while the valve moves directly with the valve piston, the product piston is connected with a lateral pin mounted in an elongated lateral slot formed in the product piston resulting in a delayed movement of the product piston. A screw is mounted to the valve piston cylinder to abut the valve piston in an adjustable manner so that the valve piston stroke is changeable resulting in a corresponding change in the volume of a food product in a product chamber in the product cylinder.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a pump apparatus and more particularly to a pump apparatus having a valve within a piston for a metering and dispensing device that may be used for food products, the device being very efficient, reliable and simply constructed as well as easy to use and to wash.
2. Description of the Related Art
Dispensers for food products are known in the food industry. For example, a dispenser for barbecue sauce is constructed with a piston in a cylinder, an intake check valve and an outlet check valve. A major problem with this dispenser is that the food product being transmitted includes chunks which clog the check valves and require frequent cleaning. This procedure is very time consuming and thus the dispenser is not practical.