An organic electrolytic solution and a lithium secondary battery employing the same are provided. The organic electrolytic solution contains an organic solvent and a lithium salt and the organic solvent includes 20 to 60% by volume of ethylene carbonate, 20 to 70% by volume of dialkyl carbonate and 5 to 30% by volume of a fluorinated toluene compound. The organic electrolytic solution has improved high-temperature exposure characteristic by virtue of the use of a fluorinated toluene compound having a high boiling point in combination with mixed solvents of ethylene carbonate and dialkyl carbonate. The lithium secondary battery employing the organic electrolytic solution is excellent in the high-temperature exposure characteristic, while maintaining good discharge capacity and lifetime characteristics.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an organic electrolytic solution and a lithium secondary battery employing the same, and more particularly, to an organic electrolytic solution containing a fluorinated toluene compound and a lithium secondary battery having excellent lifetime and discharge capacity characteristics and improved high-temperature exposure characteristics obtained by employing the organic electrolytic solution.
2. Description of the Related Art
Accompanying the technological development of portable electronic devices which have become miniaturized and lightweight, high performance secondary batteries for supplying power to those portable electronic devices are in high demand, and research into lithium secondary batteries is being made intensively.
A lithium secondary battery is constructed by a cathode, an anode, an organic electrolytic solution for providing a movement path of lithium ions between the cathode and the anode, and a separator. Electrical energy is generated by an oxidation/reduction reaction when lithium ions are intercalated/deintercalated into/from the cathode and anode. The lithium secondary batteries are classified according to the kind of electrolyte used, into lithium ion batteries using liquid electrolyte and lithium ion polymer batteries. Since the lithium ion polymer batteries use solid electrolyte, they are free from the risk of leakage of an electrolytic solution, and have excellent processibility to be easily formed as a battery pack. Also, the lithium ion polymer batteries are lightweight and less bulky and have very small self-discharge rates. Due to such properties, the lithium ion polymer batteries are safe and can be easily fabricated as rectangular batteries and large-sized batteries, compared to the lithium ion batteries.
In the lithium secondary battery, a cathode and an anode are formed of materials capable of intercalating and deintercalating lithium ions. Materials for forming electrodes will now be described. First, as the cathode active material, lithium-containing metal oxides such as LiCoO2, LiMn2O4, LiNiO2 or LiMnO2, can be used. Among the lithium-containing metal oxides, a manganese group material such as LiMn2O4 or LiMnO2 has an undesirably small capacity, whereas it can be easily synthesized and is cheap and environmentally benign. Also, a cobalt group material such as LiCoO2 is expensive, while having excellent electric conductivity and voltage characteristics. In spite of the advantages of cost efficiency or high discharge capacity, a nickel group material such as LiNiO2 cannot be easily synthesized and must ensure the safety of a battery due to its high discharge capacity.
As the anode active material, metallic lithium, lithium alloys or carbon materials can be used. However, metallic lithium has a problem of short circuiting caused by formation of dendrites, which entails a danger of explosion of a battery. Thus, recently, carbon materials have been more favorably used as the anode active materials.
Since the properties of a lithium secondary battery are due to complex reactions between a cathode and an electrolytic solution or between an anode and an electrolytic solution, use of an appropriate organic electrolytic solution is one of important factors for improving the performance of the lithium secondary battery. The organic electrolytic solution is an ion-conductor prepared by dissolving lithium salts in an organic solvent and should be excellent in view of conductivity of lithium ion and chemical and electrochemical stability with respect to electrodes. Also, the organic electrolytic solution must be cheap and usable over a broader range of the working temperature. Thus, an organic solvent having high ion conductivity and dielectric constant and low viscosity, is preferably used as the organic solvent consisting of the organic electrolytic solution.
However, there is no single organic solvent which can satisfy the above-described requirements in practice. Thus, the composition of an organic solvent contained in the organic electrolytic solution may include a two-component system comprising a high dielectric constant solvent and a low viscosity solvent (see U.S. Pat. No. 5,437,945), or a three-component system further comprising a third organic solvent having a low boiling point in addition thereto (see U.S. Pat. No. 5,474,862). Use of such mixed organic solvents increases the mobility of lithium ions, leading to improvement of ion conductivity, and enhances the initial discharge capacity of a battery.
It has been known that the lifetime and capacity characteristics of a battery are importantly influenced by the surface reactivity between the carbon material used as the anode active material and the electrolytic solution, in the lithium secondary battery, in particular, the lithium ion battery. Thus, reaction of the anode active material and the electrolytic solution, rather than reaction between the cathode active material and the electrolytic solution, is preferably taken into prior consideration when the composition of an electrolytic solution is selected.
Recently, ethylene carbonate that seldom reacts with the anode active material is more favorably used than propylene carbonate that has reactivity with the anode active material.
The high-temperature exposure characteristic of a battery has become adopted as a new item for evaluating the performance of the battery. The high-temperature exposure characteristic is important because a battery exposed to a high-temperature for a long time cannot be used any longer due to an increase in the internal pressure, resulting in opening of a vent.
To solve the above problems, it is a first object of the present invention to provide an organic electrolytic solution having improved high-temperature exposure characteristic.
It is a second object of a lithium secondary battery having improved lifetime and discharge capacity characteristics by employing the organic electrolytic solution.
To achieve the first object, there is provided an organic electrolytic solution containing an organic solvent and a lithium salt, wherein the organic solvent comprises 20 to 60% by volume of ethylene carbonate, 20 to 70% by volume of dialkyl carbonate and 5 to 30% by volume of a fluorinated toluene compound.
To achieve the second object, there is provided a lithium secondary battery including a cathode having a lithium-containing metal oxide, an anode having metallic lithium, lithium alloy or a carbon material, and an organic electrolytic solution having a lithium salt and an organic solvent containing 20 to 60% by volume of ethylene carbonate, 20 to 70% by volume of dialkyl carbonate and 5 to 30% by volume of a fluorinated toluene compound.

Organic electrolytic solution and lithium secondary battery adopting the same


There is provided a terminal device for a network system. The terminal device is capable of receiving a predetermined signal representing a predetermined data which is inserted during a silent period between intermittent ringing signals. The terminal device includes a ringing signal detecting circuit and a signal receiving circuit. The signal receiving circuit is commenced to be ready to receive the predetermined signal upon detection of the ringing signal by the ringing signal detecting circuit.

The present invention relates to a terminal device such as a telephone or facsimile for a network system in which an information providing service is available, and more particularly to a terminal device which is capable of receiving information provided through a telephone line during a silent period between ringing signals.
Conventionally, a caller-ID system is known as one of information providing services utilizing telephone lines. The caller-ID system is a system for providing certain signal representing information related to a caller during a silent period between intermittent ringing signals. The information signal is added by an exchanger (a switching device) of a telephone network system and transmitted to a terminal device at a receiving station.
The information carried by the caller-ID data may include a date of the call, the telephone number of the caller (calling station), the telephone number of the receiver (receiving station), the name of the caller, the condition of the network system and the like. Various information may be inserted as the caller-ID data in various countries and/or by various central offices which provide similar caller-ID services.
In order to receive the caller-ID data signal which is inserted during the silent period between the ringing signals, it is necessary to make a demodulation method of a modem to correspond to a modulation method for generating the caller-ID data to be received. Generally, an unmodulated mono-frequency signal is added immediately before the caller-ID data as a trigger signal. In the conventional terminal device which is designed to receive the caller-ID data, when the trigger signal, i.e., the unmodulated mono-frequency signal is detected, a data reception procedure of the caller-ID data is started.
In the conventional terminal device as described above, if the line condition is bad and the unmodulated mono-frequency signal may not be detected due to occurrence of noises, it becomes impossible to receive the caller-ID data.


A liquid crystal display includes a liquid crystal display panel, a timing controller to generate a dynamic charge share control signal to indicate a time at which the gray level of a data voltage is changed from a white gray level to a black gray level and a time at which the polarity of the data voltage is inverted, and to detect weakness patterns and generate a dot inversion control signal for widening a horizontal polarity inversion time of data voltages when the weakness patterns are input, wherein the liquid crystal display panel includes first and second liquid crystal cell groups whose polarity is inverted every 2 frame periods, and a polarity inversion time of the first liquid crystal cell group and a polarity inversion time of the second liquid crystal cell group overlap.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a liquid crystal display, and more particularly to a liquid crystal display and a driving method thereof adapted to reduce the generation of heat and power consumption of a data driving circuit, prevent DC image sticking and flicker, and prevent degradation of picture quality when displaying data of weakness patterns.
2. Discussion of the Related Art
A liquid crystal display is adapted to display images by controlling the light transmittance of liquid crystal cells in response to a video signal. A liquid crystal display of an active matrix type actively controls data by switching a data voltage applied to the liquid crystal cells using a thin film transistor (TFT) formed at every liquid crystal cell Clc, as shown in FIG. 1, thereby improving the picture quality of a motion image. As shown in FIG. 1, reference label "Cst" denotes a storage capacitor for sustaining the data voltage charged in the liquid crystal cell "Clc," "D1" denotes a data line through which the data voltage is supplied, and "G1" denotes a gate line through which a scan voltage is supplied.
The liquid crystal display is driven according to an inversion method in which a polarity is inverted between neighboring liquid crystal cells and a polarity is inverted whenever a frame period is shifted in order to reduce a direct current (DC) offset component and the degradation of liquid crystals. However, the swing width of the data voltage supplied to the data lines whenever the polarity of the data voltage is shifted increases, thereby generating a large amount of current in a data driving circuit. Thus, the problems that arise include increase in heat generating temperature of the data driving circuit and sharp increase in power consumption of the data driving circuit. In order to reduce the swing width of the data voltage supplied to the data lines thereby decreasing the heat generating temperature and power consumption of the data driving circuit, a charge sharing circuit or a precharge circuit is adopted in the data driving circuit. However, the resulting effects are generally not satisfactory.
Further, if the polarity of the data voltage is inverted according to the inversion method, the charging amount of a liquid crystal cell charged with the data voltage of a positive polarity is different from that of a liquid crystal cell charged with the data voltage of a negative polarity. Thus, there is a problem that the picture quality is degraded. For example, as shown in FIG. 2, assuming that a liquid crystal cell is charged with the data voltage of a positive polarity and then with the data voltage of a negative polarity for representing the same gray level as that of the data voltage of the positive polarity, the liquid crystal cell maintains a voltage Vp(+) whose absolute value voltage may be lowered by as much as ΔVp due to parasitic capacitance of the TFT after being charged with the data voltage of the positive polarity. Then, the liquid crystal cell maintains a voltage Vp(−) whose absolute value voltage may be increased by as much as ΔVp due to parasitic capacitance of the TFT after being charged to the data voltage of the negative polarity. Accordingly, a liquid crystal cell of a normally black mode liquid crystal display has light transmitted therethrough with a higher light transmittance when being charged to the data voltage of a negative polarity for representing the same gray level as that of the data voltage of a positive polarity than that of the data voltage of the positive polarity. In the normally black mode, the higher the voltage charged with a liquid crystal cell, the higher the light transmittance of the liquid crystal cell. Further, a liquid crystal cell of a normally white mode liquid crystal display has light transmitted therethrough with a lower light transmittance when charged with the data voltage of a negative polarity for representing the same gray level as that of the data voltage of a positive polarity than that of the data voltage of the positive polarity. In the normally white mode, the higher the voltage charged in a liquid crystal cell, the lower the light transmittance of the liquid crystal cell.
Further, low picture quality may result on a liquid crystal display when a particular data pattern of a specific picture having a particular polarity pattern of a data voltage applied to liquid crystal cells and the gray levels of data is displayed. Representative factors that degrade the picture quality include a phenomenon in which greenish tint is generated on a display screen and flicker in which the luminance of a screen is shifted periodically.
For example, greenish tint may be generated in a display image when a liquid crystal display is driven according to a vertical 2-dot and horizontal 1-dot inversion method (V2H1) in which the polarity of a data voltage charged in the liquid crystal cells every vertical 2-dot (or 2 liquid crystal cells) is inverted and the polarity of a data voltage charged in the liquid crystal cells every horizontal 1-dot (or 1 liquid crystal cell) is inverted and the gray levels of data supplied to odd pixels are white gray levels and the gray levels of data supplied to even pixels are black gray levels within a one frame period, as shown in FIG. 3. In other words, in first, second, fifth, and sixth lines L1, L2, L5, and L6, the data voltage of all green (G) data, which have the greatest influence on the luminance compared to red (R), green (G), and blue (B) data, has a negative polarity. Consequently, greenish tint is generated in the first, second, fifth, and sixth lines of this image. This greenish phenomenon is generated because the green (G) data is biased toward any one polarity. FIG. 4 illustrates another example of when greenish tint may be generated in an image. As shown in FIG. 4, greenish tint is generated in a display image when a liquid crystal display is driven according to a vertical 2-dot and horizontal 1-dot inversion method (V2H1), and the gray levels of data supplied to odd subpixels are white gray levels and the gray levels of data supplied to even subpixels are black gray levels.
Another picture degrading phenomenon occurs when a liquid crystal display is driven according to a vertical 1-dot and horizontal 1-dot inversion method (V1H1) in which the polarity of a data voltage is inverted every vertical 1-dot and horizontal 1-dot such that the polarities of data voltages charged in adjacent liquid crystal cells in vertical and horizontal directions are inverted and the data voltages include a data voltage of a white gray level and a data voltage of a black gray level alternately disposed every one subpixel within a one frame period, as shown in FIG. 5. In this instance, a flicker phenomenon in which the luminance of a display image is shifted every frame period is generated. In other words, all of the data voltages of the white gray levels have a positive polarity and all of the data voltages of the white gray levels in a next frame have a positive polarity within one frame period. Consequently, the luminance of a display image is changed every frame period.
An image in which a white gray level and a black gray level are alternately arranged periodically as shown in FIGS. 3 to 5 is referred to as an image containing a "weakness pattern" since such polarity and gray level patterns degrade the picture quality of a display image.
Another picture degrading phenomenon occurs when any one of two polarities of a data voltage is supplied to a liquid crystal display panel dominantly for a long time, thereby generating image sticking phenomenon. This image sticking is referred to as "DC image sticking" because the phenomenon is generated by a voltage of the same polarity being repeatedly charged to a liquid crystal cell. One example of when DC image sticking occurs is when data voltages of an interlaced video signal are supplied to a liquid crystal display. Data according to an interlace method (hereinafter, referred to as "interlace data") is characterized by data voltages of an image to be displayed on a liquid crystal cell being applied only to odd horizontal lines in odd frame periods and only to even horizontal lines in even frame periods.
FIG. 6 shows a waveform illustrating an example of the interlace data supplied to the liquid crystal cell Clc. For purposes of example, the liquid crystal cell Clc to which the data voltage is supplied, as shown in FIG. 6, is a liquid crystal cell arranged in odd horizontal lines. As shown in FIG. 6, the liquid crystal cell Clc is supplied with a positive voltage during an odd frame period and is supplied with a negative voltage during an even frame period. In the interlace method, a high positive data voltage is supplied to the liquid crystal cell Clc arranged in the odd horizontal line only during odd frame periods. For this reason, the positive data voltage is dominant compared with the negative data voltage as indicated by waveforms within the box shown in FIG. 6 over four frame periods. Consequently, DC image sticking is generated.
FIG. 7 shows an image illustrating an experiment result of DC image sticking that appears due to the interlace data. If an original image as shown on the left side of FIG. 7 is supplied to a liquid crystal display panel for a certain period of time using the interlace method, the amplitude of a data voltage whose polarity is changed every frame period varies between an odd frame and an even frame. As a result, if data voltages of intermediate gray levels (e.g., 127 gray levels) are supplied to all the liquid crystal cells Clc of the liquid crystal display panel after the original image shown on the left side of FIG. 7 is supplied, DC image sticking in which the pattern of the original image appears faintly occurs as shown on the right side of FIG. 7.
Another example of when DC image sticking occurs is when the same image is moved or scrolled at a constant speed. The voltage of the same polarity is repeatedly accumulated in the liquid crystal cell Clc based on the size of the figure being scrolled and the scroll speed (i.e., moving speed), thereby resulting in DC image sticking. FIG. 8 shows an image illustrating an experimental result of DC image sticking that appears when oblique patterns and character patterns are moved at a constant speed.

Liquid crystal display and driving method thereof


Systems and methods of implementing a finite-state machine using electronic notifications delivered to a client device in a computer networking environment are provided. A content item can be received, along with first and second notifications associated with the content item. The first and second notifications can be stored in a queue. In some implementations, a state machine can be maintained in which at least some states may cause the first or second notifications to be displayed, and in which transitional conditions between states may depend at least in part on user interaction with the displayed notifications.

A system can be represented as a finite-state machine (sometimes referred to herein as a state machine). For example, in a computer networking environment, an application executing on a client device may be modeled as a state machine. The client device can send and receive information related to the application from a remote server. However, it can be computationally complex for both the server and the client to accurately maintain and update current information about the state machine, particularly when a stateless communication protocol is used.

Systems and methods for stateless maintenance of a remote state machine


Methods and apparatus for scheduling cell transmission over a network link by a switch. The switch includes a plurality of queues associated with each link. Lists of queues are maintained for each link. In one embodiment, each link is associated with more than one type of list (with the list type corresponding to a scheduling category) and more than one prioritized list of each type (with the priority of the list corresponding to a quality of service). The scheduling lists are accessed to permit cell transmission from a queue contained therein in a predetermined sequence as a function of scheduling category, priority within a particular scheduling category and whether the bandwidth requirement for the particular scheduling category has been met. With this arrangement, maximum permissible delay requirements for each scheduling category are met.

Networks such as asynchronous transfer mode ("ATM") networks are used for transfer of audio, video and other data. ATM networks deliver data by routing data units such as ATM cells from source to destination through switches. Switches include input/output ("I/O") ports through which ATM cells are received and transmitted. The appropriate output port for transmission of the cell is determined based on the cell header.
In configuring a network element such as a switch for the optimal transfer of various traffic types (sometimes referred to as service classes) supported by ATM networks, multiple factors such as throughput delay and desired bandwidth must be considered. Such traffic types, each having its own delay and bandwidth requirements, include the constant bit rate ("CBR") service class, the variable bit rate ("VBR") service class, the available bit rate ("ABR") service class, and the unspecified bit rate ("UBR") service class.
The primary differentiator between the service classes is delay. Telecommunications network applications such as teleconferencing require deterministic delay bounds, and are typically assigned to the CBR service class. Transactions processing applications such as automated teller machines require a "tightly bounded" delay specification to provide acceptable response times. Such applications typically are assigned to the VBR service class. File transfer applications such as internetwork traffic merely require a "bounded" delay, and thus, typically employ the ABR service class. The UBR service class normally provides no delay bound.
Bandwidth is another consideration in establishing an acceptable switch configuration. Video applications typically have a predictable bandwidth requirement, while file transfer applications are much more aperiodic, or "bursty".
Low-delay and line utilization are opposing goals when multiplexing sources. High utilization is achieved by having a set of connections share bandwidth that is unused by connections that need very low delay. This shared bandwidth is known as dynamic bandwidth because it is distributed to connections based on instantaneous operating conditions. VBR, ABR and UBR utilize dynamic bandwidth to achieve high line utilization. The bandwidth used by connections that need very low delay is known as allocated bandwidth because it is dedicated to particular connections.
One way of scheduling traffic of different types is to use a priority scheme, in which certain traffic types are given higher transfer priority than others. The problem with such a priority arrangement is that higher priority traffic can prevent the transmission of lower priority traffic with acceptable delays.

Network link access scheduling using a plurality of prioritized lists containing queue identifiers


After loading a green tire in a tire vulcanizing machine and before shaping, bead portions of the green tires are centered relative to bead rings of upper and lower metal molds and are sequentially inserted into the bead rings precisely in parallel thereto by the same extendable/retractable sectors and chucks which are movable vertically. An apparatus preferable for practicing the aforementioned method includes a plurality of such sectors for centering and holding a bead portion of the green tire, slide and linkage mechanisms for extending and retracting chucks to which the sectors are mounted, and a cylinder mechanism for vertically moving the chucks so as to insert the bead portion of the green tire centered and held by the sectors into a bead ring of a tire metal mold.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method and an apparatus for expanding bead portions of a green tire and sequentially inserting the upper and lower bead portions into bead rings of upper and lower metal molds before tire shaping is carried out in a tire vulcanizing machine.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The heretofore known apparatus consists of upper and lower metal molds disposed in a vulcanizing machine and adapted to move up and down relative to each other and a center mechanism disposed in the lower metal mold. When precisely centering a green tire with respect to bead ring portions of the upper and lower metal molds, the green tire is first transported to the metal molds by means of a . loader, and is then set at an upper metal mold bead ring portion or at a lower metal mold bead ring portion. With such an apparatus in the prior art, only an upper or lower bead portion of the green tire is set at the bead ring portion of the corresponding metal mold, and the remaining lower or upper bead portion of the green tire cannot be set precisely at the bead ring portion of the corresponding metal mold. In addition, if the green tire should have been deformed before it is transported by the loader, the green tire could not be set precisely at the metal mold bead ring portion, and the deformation would have an adverse effect on the uniformity of the vulcanized tire.
In the prior art, after a green tire is loaded in upper and lower molds of a tire vulcanizing machine, a shaping operation is carried out upon vulcanization of the tire. In the shaping operation, a bladder is pressed against the inside of the green tire under pressure, and the bead portions of the green tire are forcibly pushed into upper and lower bead rings of the metal molds by the bladder.
Therefore, there is a possibility that vulcanization of a tire may be carried out without the green tire bead portions being surely inserted into the bead rings of the metal molds.

Method and apparatus for inserting a green tire in a vulcanizing machine


A product and method are disclosed for constructing a powdered metal component from two or more discreet powdered metals in which one or more of the powdered metals is weldable following compaction while the other powdered metal is not A die having two die parts which together define a die cavity therebetween corresponding in shape to the desired metal component is first partially filled with one of the powdered metals and the remainder of the die cavity is then filled with the other powdered metal. The die parts are then compressed together to form the pressed component which, after removal from the die, is sintered. The weldable powdered metal is either powdered iron or powdered steel having a carbon content less than about 0.6% by weight carbon. Conversely, the other powdered metal is powdered steel or iron or alloyed, or mixtures thereof, having a carbon content typically greater than 0.6% by weight for enhanced hardness of the part. Alternatively, a powdered metal component is disclosed having areas of different densities.

I. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method for constructing a composite powdered metal component.
II. Description of the Prior Art
In constructing components from powdered metals, a die having both upper and lower die halves is typically used to first press the component. The die halves are movable with respect to each other and form a cavity therebetween which corresponds in shape to the shape of the desired finished component.
In order to construct the powdered metal component, with the die halves separated from each other, the die cavity is filled with the powdered metal. Thereafter, the upper die half is positioned over the die cavity and the die halves are compressed together under high pressure. The compaction of the powders within the die cavity causes the metal powders to adhere to each other so that the compacted component maintains its shape upon removal from the die.
The compacted component is then sintered, hot pressed or hot forged to densify the part. Sintering is carried out at or near the liquids temperature and bonds the particles together while hot pressing or hot forging can be carried out at lower temperatures and densities the part at or near the liquids temperature of the metal powders. In doing so, the metal powder bonds together to form a metal component.
Many of these previously known powdered metal components are formed from powdered steel powdered iron or alloys of powdered steel and powdered iron. In order to increase the strength and hardness of such parts, one prior practice has been to add carbon to the powdered metal typically in the range of 0.3-1.0% by weight, which significantly increases the hardness and strength of the finished component.
One disadvantage of adding carbon to the powdered metal, however. is that the finished component cannot he welded consistently due to the relatively high carbon content. In many applications, however, it is desirable that the component exhibit the high strength of carbon steel and still maintain the capability of welding the component in its final installation.
For example, in a gear having a hub and an annular gear rings it is highly desirable that the inside diameter of the hub enjoy a high strength and rigidity of high carbon steel while other portions of the gear remain weldable In order to accomplish this, it has been the previously known practice to carborize the inside diameter of the gear hub by axially stacking a number of hubs and then flowing carbonized gas through the interior of the stacked hubs.
While this previously known practice of hardening the interior of the gear hub by forming a carborizing gas through the hub has proven effective, it is time consuming and relatively expensive to perform. Furthermore, this previously known method is effective only for increasing the carbon content along the interior of the gear hub. Conversely, this previously known method cannot be used for hardening other portions of the gear, for example, the axial end of a hub.
In still other applications. it is necessary that the powdered metal component have some porosity, and thus a lower density, in order for the part to accept certain coatings or treatments. Such increased porosity, however, usually weakens the overall part.


An apparatus is provided for fixing a toner image to a substrate including: a fixing member having a central axis and inner and outer surfaces; a heating element disposed within the fixing member for generating energy in the form of heat to heat the fixing member; and a back-up member cooperating with the fixing member to define a nip with the fixing member for receiving a substrate such that a toner image carried by the substrate is heated while in the nip. The heating element may have a center axis and be positioned near the fixing member inner surface such that the heating element center axis is spaced from the fixing member central axis.

Toner image fixing apparatuses are known, wherein a heater lamp is centered within a fixing or heating roll in order to evenly heat an inner surface of the roll. Typically, heat transfer from the lamp to the roll is inefficient because the lamp is spaced far away from the roll inner surface. As a result, a long warm-up time occurs once the lamp is energized. Another disadvantage associated with a fixing roll having a centered heater lamp is axial temperature droop. This problem occurs as a result of non-uniform heating along the roll inner surface caused by the boundary effect of lamp filament heat distribution and heat losses at the ends of the roll due to conduction of heat energy into journals, bearings, bushings and drive gears, as well as heat energy losses at the roll ends due to convection and radiation.
One attempt at solving axial temperature droop involves providing a heater lamp having a boosted filament, which produces more heat at the ends than in the center of the lamp. Thin steel or aluminum fixing roll cores do not transfer heat energy well in the axial direction; hence, the temperature of the core ends near the boosted ends of the lamp may be significantly higher than that of the core center portion near the non-boosted center portion of the lamp. If a thicker roll is used in combination with a boosted filament, then warm-up time is delayed, which is problematic.
Still a further prior art fixing roll implementation involves providing a roll core which is thicker at its center portion and thinner at its ends. This roll core results in a delayed warm-up time once a corresponding heater lamp is activated. In addition, this roll core requires extra processing during its manufacture resulting in higher costs.
Accordingly, a toner image fixing apparatus is desired wherein warm-up time is minimized and axial temperature droop is reduced.

Toner image fixing apparatus having concentrated area heating


On the p.sup.- substrate, the n.sup.- epitaxial layer is surrounded and isolated by the p well. In the surface of the n.sup.- epitaxial layer, there is provided the p floating region in the vicinity of the p well, on which the sense electrode is provided. The insulation film and the conductive film are formed on the n.sup.- epitaxial layer between the p well and the p floating region to overlap them. The conductive film and the p floating region serve as a composite field plate, which makes it hard that the surface electric field distribution is influenced by the state of electric charge in the surface and relieves the surface electric field by expanding the depletion layer, which extends from the pn junction between the n.sup.- epitaxial layer and the p well into the n.sup.- epitaxial layer in current blocking state, toward the center of the n.sup.- epitaxial layer. The potential of the p floating region is determined by capacity coupling in the current blocking state and thus the sense voltage characteristics through the sense electrode can be smooth.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a semiconductor device and a method of manufacturing the same and, more particularly, it relates to a semiconductor device which has islands of high voltage and low voltage formed on a single chip and is suitable for effectively enhancing breakdown voltage of the island of high voltage and for extracting a signal used to monitor the potential of the island of high voltage at the island of low voltage, and to a method of manufacturing the same.
2. Description of the Background Art
FIG. 1 is a circuit diagram showing a single phase of a half bridge circuit for driving a load such as a motor. In this figure, insulating gate bipolar transistors (referred to as "IGBT" hereinafter) 1 and 2 are connected in a totem pole manner between a high voltage power source +V and the ground Flywheel diodes 3 and 4 are connected in parallel to IGBTs and 2, respectively. A control circuit is formed on a semiconductor chip 5 to control turning ON/OFF the IGBTs and 2. This control circuit consists of a control logic 6, drive circuits 7 and 8 for producing gate drive signals of the IGBTs 1 and 2 in response to a signal from the control logic 6, and a high breakdown voltage switching element 9 for shifting the level of the signal from the control logic 6 to apply it to the drive circuit 7 on the side of high voltage. The high breakdown voltage switching element 9 is switched into a predetermined manner in response to the signal from the control logic 6 and thereby applies a command from the control logic 6 to the drive circuit 7 on the side of high voltage.
The semiconductor chip 5 includes a low voltage region including the control logic 6 and the drive circuit 8, and a high voltage region including the drive circuit 7 and the high breakdown voltage switching element 9. Conventionally, when the high and low voltage regions are formed on a single chip by means of diffusion isolation, utilizing the diffusion from the surface up to the substrate, regions (islands) 9a and 9b to be isolated are enclosed by a diffusion region 10 of a contrary conductivity type, as shown in FIG. 2. For example, the island 9a may be an island of high voltage, and the island 9b may be an island of low voltage. As it is impractical to perform the diffusion excessuvely deep, the thickness of an epitaxial layer 11 is restricted to be relatively thin, and the high breakdown voltage element must be formed on such a thin island 9a.
U.S. Pat. No. 4292642 discloses the technique. FIG. 3 is a sectional view showing a high breakdown voltage diode disclosed in the USP in which a thin epitaxial layer is employed. A thin n.sup.- epitaxial layer 13 is formed on a p.sup.- substrate 12, and a p.sup.+ diffusion region 14 extending from the surface of the n.sup.- epitaxial layer 13 up to the p.sup.- substrate 12 is provided. On the surface of the n.sup.- epitaxial layer 13, an n.sup.+ diffusion region I5 is provided. An axis R is the ? enter of the rotation, and thus the diode is so structured that the p.sup.+ diffusion region 14 surrounds the n.sup.- epitaxial layer 13 and the n.sup.+ diffusion region 15 to isolate them.
A broken line in the figure shows extension of a depletion layer from the pn junction in case of applying high voltage +V between the p.sup.+ diffusion region 14 and the n.sup.+ diffusion region 15. A graph in the upper portion of the figure shows the intensity of an electric field in the surface, while a graph in the right portion shows the intensity of an electric field corresponding to the depth. Now, the junction between the substrate 12 and the epitaxial layer 13 is named a first pn junction J.sub.1, and the junction between the diffusion region 14 and the epitaxial layer 13 is named second pn junction J.sub.2. Since the first pn junction J.sub.1 is a junction between p.sup.- and n.sup.- regions, a depletion layer extends from the junction to both sides, while since the second pn junction J.sub.2 is a junction between p.sup.+ and n.sup.- regions, a depletion layer extends from the junction merely to one side (to the n.sup.- region). In one-dimensional system, that is, assuming that the first and second pn junctions J.sub.1 and J.sub.2 are infinite plane junctions, the second pn junction J.sub.2 yields only one-second of the breakdown voltage that the first pn junction J.sub.1 does. Thus, the breakdown voltage of the diode is determined based upon that of the second pn junction J.sub.2. However, when the thickness d of the epitaxial layer 13 is small, the extention of the depletion layer from the first pn junction J.sub.1 changes a form of the depletetion layer extending from the second pn junction J.sub.2, and as a result, the depletion layer extends more in the lateral direction (the right direction in the figure) in the surface of the epitaxial layer 13. Consequently, the surface electric field is relieved.
Satisfying the following formula, ##EQU1## the surface electric field is relieved to the same level as the first pn junction J.sub.1 or below, and the breakdown voltage of the diode rises to approximate to the one-dimensional breakdown voltage of the first pn junction J.sub.1. Herein, N denotes an impurity concentration of the n.sup.- epitaxial layer 13, .epsilon. denotes a dielectric constant of the semiconductor material, E is a critical electric field, V.sub.B denotes a breakdown voltage, and L denotes a distance between the p.sup.+ diffusion region 14 and the n.sup.+ diffusion region 15.
The switching element 9 shown in FIG. 1 must have high breakdown voltage. The control logic 6 of the island of low voltage must monitor the potential of the island of high voltage for the protecting operation, as shown by a broken line in the figure. If the high potential of the island of high voltage is inputted as it is to an element of low breakdown voltage in the island of low voltage, the element might be broken, and hence sensing must be done in some indirect way.
This technique is disclosed in "Proceedings of the 1985 International Electron Device Meeting, pp. 37-41, 500 V BIMOS TECHNOLOGY AND ITS APPLICATIONS, Eric J. Wildi et alii". FIG. 4 is a sectional view showing a high breakdown voltage npn transistor having a sense terminal which is disclosed in this thesis. The npn transistor has a structure basically the same as that shown in FIG. 3, and additionally has an n.sup.+ buried region 16 formed in the interface between the p.sup.- substrate 12 and the n.sup.- epitaxial layer 13, an n.sup.+ diffusion region 17 extending from the surface of the n.sup.- epitaxial layer 13 up to the n.sup.+ buried region 16, a p diffusion region 18 formed in the surface of the n.sup.- epitaxial layer 13, and an n.sup.+ diffusion region 19 formed in the surface of the p diffusion region 18. Symbols C, E, B and SEN denote a collector, an emitter, a base and a sense terminal, respectively.
When an applied voltage of a collector terminal C rises, depletion layers in an area X.sub.j extend from the upper and lower side, and hence it works as a JFET. When the area X.sub.j is completely filled with the depletion layer, the potential of the n.sup.+ buried layer 16 and the n.sup.+ diffusion region 17 on the left from the area X.sub.j is separated from the potential of a region on the right of the X.sub.j, and since then, the rising amount of the potential of the collector terminal C is absorbed because of the depletion of the region on the right of the area X.sub.j.
An equivalent circuit to the structure in FIG. 4 is shown in FIG. 5. That is, cascade connection between an npn transistor 20 and a JFET 21 makes a high breakdown voltage npn transistor with a sense terminal. Since the voltage at the sense terminal SEN is expressed by a curve shown in FIG. 6, it is possible to keep the sense voltage low by optimizing the design of the JFET 21. Monitering the sense voltage allows the potential of the region of high voltage (the region on the right of the area X.sub.j) to be sensed indirectly. The sense voltage characteristic can be regulated by altering the length of the area X.sub.j. The region on the right of the area X.sub.j, which is a high voltage keeping region, must be optimized by the technique of the high breakdown voltage diode shown in FIG. 3.
With the structure shown in FIG. 3, it is necessary to satisfy the condition of the formula (1) so as to optimize the breakdown voltage. Especially the requirement of the right half of the formula (I) EQU Nd.ltoreq.5.1.times.10.sup.5 .epsilon.E (2)
requires that the extension of the depletion layer from the first pn junction J.sub.1 sufficiently reaches the surface just before breakdown. Under the optimized condition, the surface electric field takes two peaks with almost the same intensity. Such a surface electric field distribution is unstable depending upon the state of electric charge on the surface, and there arises a problem about the reliability in breakdown voltage.
In addition to that, due to the restriction of the formula (2), the impurity concentration N and the thickness d of the n.sup.- epitaxial layer 13 can not be made so large, and thus the freedom in design is insufficient. As a result, there arises the problems that on state resistance is increased because the impurity concentration of the n.sup.- epitaxial layer 13 can not be made higher and that the breakdown voltage is reduced and leakage current is increased in other islands of low voltage because the thickness d of the n.sup.- epitaxial layer 13 can not be made larger.
On the other hand, with the structure shown in FIG. 4, the sense voltage characteristic is controlled by the length of the area X.sub.j. The length of the area X.sub.j corresponds to the channel length of the JFET, and an element belonging to a class of the breakdown voltage of 500 V requires having a length of 20 .mu.m at the lowest. There is the problem that a large area is required for the structure for sensing, allowing for the existence of the p.sup.+ diffusion region 14 and the n.sup.+ diffusion region 17.
Since the p diffusion region 18 is a base region of a transistor, its size can not be changed as desired. Accordingly, it is necessary to provide the n.sup.+ buried region 16 to regulate the length of the area X.sub.j. It is difficult to form the n.sup.+ buried region 16 and the p diffusion region 18 with the relative position between them kept accurately, and as a result, there arises the problem that the length of the area X.sub.j and accordingly the sense voltage characteristic varies widely.
Further, since the sense voltage characteristic is that the sense voltage rapidly rises until the channel of the JFET is closed and thereafter hardly rises, as shown in FIG. 6, there arises the problem that the voltage change under the condition that the channel of the JFET is closed can not be easily sensed.

Method of manufacturing a semiconductor device for extracting a signal used to monitor potential of a high voltage island


The present invention provides a liquid detergent composition, containing (a) 4 to 50% by mass of a mixture containing specific polyoxyalkylene alkyl ether sulfates represented by formula (1) having average addition mole numbers m and n of propylene oxide and ethylene oxide satisfying 0<m<1 and 0<n≦3, respectively; (b) 1 to 30% by mass of an amine oxide surfactant having a hydrocarbon group having 8 to 18 carbon atoms and an alkyl group having 1 to 3 carbon atoms or a hydroxyalkyl group having 1 to 3 carbon atoms; a phase stabilizer selected from hydrotrope agents and organic solvents; and water, wherein a mass ratio of (a)/(b) is 20/1 to 1/1.

From the viewpoint of reduction of environmental burdens, concentrated liquid detergents that contain surfactants at increased concentration and are packed in containers made of reduced amounts of resins have been recently preferred and used. For body-washes and liquid detergents for dishes, from the viewpoint of detergency and prevention of roughness of the hand skin, many of them use an anionic surfactant, i.e., polyoxyalkylene alkyl ether sulfate surfactant (hereinafter, also referred to as AES), as a main component. Particularly, liquid detergents for dishes, from the viewpoint of foaming and foam-lasting property in washing, generally use together an amine oxide surfactant (hereinafter, also referred to as AO) as a foaming enhancer. However, as described in JP-A2002-194388 and JP-A2007-23211, a liquid detergent having combination of AES/AO has such problems in stability that viscosity increases during storage and a complex of AES/AO precipitates in storage at a low temperature. To solve the problems, these patent documents describe a method of using an AES having a branched structure.
JP-A5-97633 describes that use of a polyoxypropylene alkyl ether sulfate enables to produce a composition having good foaming properties and good stability at low temperature. JP-A11-507955 discloses an alkylalkoxylated sulfate added with ethylene oxide and/or propylene oxide in an amount of 0.01 to 30 mol. JP-A55-84399, JP-A56-72092, and JP-A56-5895 describe detergent compositions for clothes containing alcohol sulfates added with propylene oxide and ethylene oxide. JP-A56-72092 particularly describes a detergent containing a polyoxyalkylene alkyl ether sulfate produced from a beef tallow-derived higher alcohol and/or a palm oil-derived higher alcohol.


During a downshift of a belt-drive continuously variable transmission, occurring owing to vehicle deceleration, a CVT controller foretells that a slippage between a drive belt and each of primary and secondary variable-width pulleys tends to occur, when a primary pulley pressure is less than a first predetermined pressure level and a primary pulley speed is less than a first predetermined rotational speed. When the belt slippage has been foretold, the CVT controller inhibits the primary pulley pressure from dropping by setting an actual transmission ratio calculated before a set time period from a time when the slippage has been foretold or a transmission ratio of a relatively higher speed side as compared with a ratio-change operating state obtained when the slippage has been foretold, to a desired transmission ratio, or by relatively rising a line pressure as compared with a line pressure level produced when the slippage has been foretold.

In recent years, there have been proposed and developed various belt-drive continuously variable transmissions (CVTs), which enable an actual transmission ratio to be steplessly adjusted or feedback-controlled toward a desired transmission ratio. As is generally known, a belt-drive continuously variable transmission uses a drive belt (usually, a single segmented steel belt) running in a pair of variable-width pulleys, that is, primary and secondary pulleys whose V grooves are aligned with each other, to provide varying gear ratios or pulley ratios or transmission ratios. In more detail, the V groove of the primary pulley, to which input rotation is transmitted from an engine, is constructed by a stationary flange and an adjustable flange axially slidable for varying the width of the V groove of the primary pulley by way of a "primary pulley pressure". The V groove of the secondary pulley, which is connected via a gear train to drive wheels, is constructed by a stationary flange and an adjustable flange for varying the width of the V groove of the secondary pulley by way of a "secondary pulley pressure". Each of the primary and secondary pulley pressures is produced by properly modulating a line pressure, which is used as an initial pressure. Actually, the adjustable flange of the primary pulley is forced toward the associated stationary flange by the primary pulley pressure, and simultaneously the adjustable flange of the secondary pulley is forced toward the associated stationary flange by the secondary pulley pressure. This enables power transmission between the primary and secondary pulleys via the drive belt (the segmented steel belt), while keeping the drive belt in friction-contact with the V grooves of the primary and secondary pulleys. One such belt-drive continuously variable transmission has been disclosed in Japanese Patent Provisional Publication No. 11-37237 (hereinafter is referred to as "JP11-37237"). During speed-change operation, a ratio-change control actuator, such as a step motor, is moved or actuated toward an operative position corresponding to the number of angular steps based on a desired transmission ratio (a desired pulley ratio), to change the primary pulley pressure. As a result, the differential pressure between the primary and secondary pulley pressures, corresponding to the desired transmission ratio, is produced to change the widths of the V grooves of the primary and secondary pulleys and thus to achieve the desired transmission ratio. As can be appreciated from the above, a downshift is achieved by increasing the width of the V groove of the primary pulley by way of a reduction in the primary pulley pressure and by decreasing the width of the V groove of the secondary pulley by way of a rise in the secondary pulley pressure. In case that a downshifting action, which is achieved by a drop in the primary pulley pressure, is comparatively quick, in particular, in case that a rapid downshift is executed under a condition that input rotation transferred into the CVT is relatively low, for example, just before the vehicle is stopped, there is an increased tendency for a temporary lack of the actual primary pulley pressure to occur. In such a case, undesired slippage (frictional losses or power losses) between the drive belt and the variable-width pulley tends to occur, thereby reducing the durability of the drive belt owing to drive-belt wear. This leads to the problem of a remarkably reduced durability of the CVT. One way to avoid this is to constantly set each of primary and secondary pulley pressures to a relatively high-pressure level through all speed-change operations containing a downshifting period. However, in order to keep the line pressure constantly at a high-pressure level, an increased margin (or a proper offset or a proper steady-state deviation) has to be given with respect to the line pressure, serving as an initial pressure of each of the primary and secondary pulley pressures. This means a wasteful increase in the load on an engine-driven oil pump that produces the line pressure, thus deteriorating fuel economy and increasing fuel consumption. For the reasons discussed above, it is desirable to keep the speed-change hydraulic pressure (in particular, the primary pulley pressure) to just below a critical pressure level where undesirable slippage between the variable-width pulley and the drive belt would start to develop. However, it is difficult to hold the speed-change hydraulic pressure to just below the critical pressure level for slippage prevention, because of various factors, that is, differences in quality of hydraulic parts used in a hydraulic modulator of the CVT, drive-belt wear, input-torque fluctuations, disturbance torque, a delay in response of the speed-change hydraulic pressure to a rapid change in input torque, and the like. Thus, it would be desirable to provide a means by which a state that undesirable slippage between a variable-width pulley and a drive belt may start to develop can be foretold or predicted or precognized, so as to prevent or suppress an undesirable drop in the primary pulley pressure from developing.

Slippage prevention apparatus of belt-drive continuously variable transmission for automotive vehicle


A motion detection unit for detecting motion by means of Doppler frequency shift which comprises: a microwave circuit board comprising an oscillator, a hybrid coupler circuit element and a mixer; an antenna board comprising at least one transmit and receive antenna; and a ground plane layer, the two boards being superimposed with the ground plane layer intervening, wherein, in operation, the hybrid coupler circuit element divides power from the oscillator into power for the antenna transmission signal and local oscillator (LO) power to the mixer, and directs a received signal from the antenna to the mixer, the local oscillator (LO) power and the received signal being combined in the mixer to produce a Doppler signal output.

The use of the Doppler effect for detecting notion is well known. For example, in microwave intruder detection devices it is known to provide a diode oscillator mounted in a cavity resonator such as a simple wave guide tube. A diode mixer also mounted in the tube provides an output at the Doppler frequency. Such devices are very difficult to manufacture accurately, and thus in mass-production give rise to high rejection rates.
In GB1448266 there is described a microwave transmission-line circuit comprising a hybrid junction and four split-tee junctions, two of the split-tee junctions constituting power dividers and the other two constituting power combiners, wherein the inputs of the two dividers are respectively connected to two ports of the hybrid junction, wherein a first output of a first and a first output of the second of the dividers are respectively connected to a first input of a first and a first input of the second of the combiners, wherein the second outputs of the first and of the second dividers are respectively connected to the second inputs of the second and of the first combiners, and wherein the lengths of the interconnections of the split-tee junctions are such that the difference between the signal phase angles x and y appearing respectively at the output of the first and second combiners when respectively a signal is applied to the input of the first divider and when a signal is applied to the input of the second divider, is substantially an odd multiple of 90 degrees. It will be appreciated that the circuit described is relatively complicated, requires a relatively large number of components, and takes up a relatively large amount of space.
The oscillator and the aerial are each separately mounted, and, together with the necessary coupling means to the circuit, take up even more space.
In WO92/09905 there is described a motion detector unit for detecting motion by means of Doppler frequency shift which comprises a microwave circuit board, an antenna circuit board, and a ground plane layer, the two boards being superimposed with the ground plane layer intervening, the microwave circuit board comprising an oscillator and a mixer, and the antenna circuit board comprising transmit and receive antennae, each antenna having a respective feed stripline which substantially overlies an associated stripline on the microwave circuit board, the ground plane layer having, for each antenna, a respective slot to provide coupling between the microwave circuit and the antenna, the slot being resonant at the fundamental frequency of the oscillator, with said feed stripline and said associated stripline lying orthogonal to the resonant dimension of the slot and extending beyond the slot.
This construction provides many advantages over earlier designs, and the unit is quite suitable for mass-production techniques. Nevertheless, the unit still takes up a relatively large amount of space because of the need to provide at least two antennae on the antenna circuit board. This can be a disadvantage, particularly in certain intruder detection devices.


A bulkhead passthrough connector containing a printed circuit board (PCB) for transferring electrical signals across a bulkhead to an electronic valve actuator, an electronic valve actuator configured to operate and communicate with a valve using a PCB through a bulkhead, the electronic valve actuator, and a method of assembling a bulkhead passthrough connector incorporating a PCB. The embodiments may include a passthrough partition which separates one side of the bulkhead from another. A PCB retainer may also be secured to the passthrough partition. The PCB is attached to the PCB retainer and extends from one side to another side of the bulkhead through the passthrough partition. The PCB further includes electrical paths printed on the PCB and electrical connectors located on both sides of the bulkhead to enable communication with external devices.

Conventional electronic valve actuators comprise an electrically driven input shaft and interact or are monitored with various sensors and inputs. Since valve actuators may be part of a system in hazardous operating conditions, certain components of the valve actuator may be located in a bulkhead to protect them from damage.
Bulkheads may be used in any number of applications or industries where two electrical compartments are to be separated. For example, a bulkhead can separate a customer interface compartment from an internal compartment the latter of which the customer is not intended to enter. A bulkhead may also separate two distinct internal electrical compartments that have weatherproof, flameproof, or explosion-proof capability and where access should be restricted. Traditional bulkheads may utilize wired connections (called passthrough connectors) to allow data transfer and related communication between the two sides of the bulkhead. The bulkhead passthrough allows for monitoring, actuation, communication, and other needed functions for the bulkhead. The passthrough connectors also allow for interfacing with terminal blocks that may be integrated into the bulkhead.
However, due to the necessary size of the wires used in traditional passthrough connectors, there are a limited number of electrical paths available to transfer signals through the bulkhead. Additionally, the passthrough wires are present in a part of the path through the bulkhead that requires sealing to prevent deterioration of the system. These commonly used technologies require a high number of interconnects and therefore take up additional of space that can be reduced to improve the performance of the bulkhead. Further, the wires can cause negative electromagnetic compliance and compatibility issues.
Moreover, the use of traditional bulkhead passthrough connectors utilizing wires to transmit signals typically requires the use of poured seals for the bulkhead in order to separate the two bulkhead sides. The process of creating the poured seal is cumbersome, time consuming, and difficult. Specifically, the mixtures to form the seal must be poured into the space in the bulkhead with the wires in a specific order and time must be taken to allow the mixture to harden. Additionally, the mixture must be maintained at a specific temperature during this process to cure properly. This procedure is typically performed in the field with limited tools, resources, and time, making the task even more difficult.
Another type of bulkhead passthrough connector sends high frequency radio signals, such as WiFi (Wireless Fidelity) or Bluetooth, through the bulkhead to facilitate communication between the two sides of the bulkhead. However, the use of high frequency radio signals to transfer information greatly increases cost due to the expensive telecommunication parts required.
There remains a need to provide a bulkhead passthrough connector that reduces the space taken up in the bulkhead by the connector, removes the need for poured seals, and reduces the cost of the connector and the cost of the installation process.

Waterproof and explosion-proof circuit board and electronic valve actuator for flow control applications


A transmission modulation apparatus capable of dealing with characteristic variations of a high-frequency power amplifier without always forming an amplitude loop. Transmission modulation apparatus 100 is configured with level detector 140 that receives input of a level detection control signal and detects the output signal of high-frequency power amplifier 130, and offset voltage correcting section 150 that corrects an offset voltage using collinear approximation including a first point where the relationship between the power supply voltage value and the output voltage starts to shift from linear to non-linear based on an output signal of level detector 140 and a second point where output voltage is a minimum. Offset voltage correction is adaptively executed, and linearity between the voltage value of the baseband amplitude signal and the output voltage of high-frequency power amplifier 130 when the voltage value of the baseband amplitude signal is low is compensated.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a transmission modulation apparatus, and more particularly, a transmission modulation apparatus to which a polar modulation scheme is applied.
2. Description of the Related Art
In the design of a transmission modulation apparatus of the related art, there is typically a trade off relationship between efficiency and linearity. However, recently, a technique has been proposed that is capable of realizing both high efficiency and linearity in the transmission modulation apparatus as a result of using polar modulation.
FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a configuration example of a transmission modulation apparatus to which polar modulation is applied.
In FIG. 1, transmission modulation apparatus 10 is provided with high-frequency power amplifier 11 that amplifies phase-modulated high-frequency signals, and power supply voltage control section 12 that controls a power supply voltage of high-frequency power amplifier 11 based on a baseband amplitude signal.
Phase-modulated high-frequency signal 13 is inputted to high-frequency power amplifier 11, and baseband amplitude signal (for example, √(I2+Q2)) 14 generated from a baseband signal by amplitude/phase data generating section (not shown) is inputted to power supply voltage control section 12.
Phase-modulated high-frequency signal 13 is obtained by first generating a phase component (for example, an angle between a modulation symbol and an I axis) of the baseband signal by the amplitude/phase data generating section (not shown), and then modulating a carrier frequency signal using the phase component. Further, the power supply voltage formed by power supply voltage control section 12 is supplied to high-frequency power amplifier 11.
By this means, transmission output signal 15 obtained by amplifying a signal in which a power supply voltage value is multiplied by phase modulation high-frequency signal 13, by the amount corresponding to gain of high-frequency power amplifier 11, is outputted from high-frequency power amplifier 11. Transmission output signal 15 is transmitted from an antenna (not shown).
By using a polar modulation scheme in this way, it is possible to take phase-modulated high-frequency signal 13 inputted to high-frequency power amplifier 11 as a constant envelope signal which does not have a fluctuation component in an amplitude direction, so that it is possible to use a high-efficiency non-linear amplifier as high-frequency power amplifier 11.
However, with this kind of the polar modulation scheme, it is required that there is a proportional relationship between a voltage value of baseband amplitude signal 14 and an output voltage of high-frequency power amplifier 11 (typically obtained by converting the output power to a voltage applied to 50Ω).
As a device used for high-frequency power amplifier 11, it is often the case that an HBT (Hetro-junction Bipolar Transistors) device that gives higher gain than an FET device and can be made small easily is used. However, the HBT device has a specific parameter, which is referred to as an offset voltage, between the power supply voltage value and the output voltage.
FIG. 2 shows a relationship between the power supply voltage value and the output voltage when the HBT device is used as high-frequency power amplifier 11. As shown in FIG. 2, it can be understood that the power supply voltage and the output voltage change linearly, but this line does not pass through the origin, and therefore there is no proportional relationship. An offset voltage is required when the HBT device is used as high-frequency power amplifier 11. The offset voltage is a power supply voltage value when the output rises. In FIG. 2, the relationship between the power supply voltage value and the output voltage is made collinear approximation, and the intersection point of this line and the x axis is defined as an offset voltage.
In the polar modulation scheme, power supply voltage control section 12 avoids distortion by adding the above-described offset voltage to baseband amplitude signal 14 and performing correction so that there is a proportional relationship between the voltage value and the output voltage of baseband amplitude signal 14. In FIG. 2, when the slope changes, only the gain of the output voltage with respect to the power supply voltage value changes, and therefore distortion does not occur.
However, the relationship between the power supply voltage and the output voltage of the high-frequency power amplifier changes according to the input power and characteristic variations of the high-frequency power amplifier, and therefore the offset voltage also changes along with this. In particular, a region where the power supply voltage value is low is strongly susceptible to the influence of leakage of the high-frequency power amplifier. In FIG. 2, non-linear portions of the output voltage indicate the influence of leakage when the power supply voltage is low. The leakage amount of the high-frequency power amplifier is decided by parasitic capacitance of the devices, or the like, and therefore is susceptible to the influence of characteristic variations, and non-linear factors increase.
A region where the power supply voltage value is low corresponds to the case where a voltage value of the baseband amplitude signal is small. In the region, the proportion of the offset voltage increases, and therefore the characteristic is easily influenced. Because of this, there is a problem that, if the relationship between the power supply voltage and the output voltage is made collinear approximation and correction is performed using the offset voltage obtained from the intersection point of the line and an x axis, it is not possible to obtain sufficient effects.
Therefore, Patent Document 1 (Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2004-7434) discloses a technique of compensating linearity between a voltage value and an output voltage of a baseband amplitude signal by monitoring an output of a high-frequency power amplifier.
FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing a configuration example of a transmission modulation apparatus of the related art dealing with characteristic variations of a high-frequency power amplifier by forming an amplitude loop. Components that are the same as those in FIG. 1 will be assigned the same reference numerals. As shown in FIG. 3, amplitude loop 16 is always formed for monitoring the output of high-frequency power amplifier 11 and setting power supply voltage values corresponding to characteristic variations of the high-frequency power amplifier, and compensates the linearity between the voltage value and the output voltage of the baseband amplitude signal.
However, with such a transmission modulation apparatus of the related art, the amplitude loop is always formed as shown in FIG. 3, and therefore the circuit configuring the amplitude loop is required to have high linearity and wide band characteristics. As a result, there is a problem that a circuit scale and cost increase, and loop operation cannot be followed when the modulation speed becomes a high speed.
Further, when the power supply voltage is low as shown in FIG. 2, non-linear portions occur due to the influence of leakage of the high-frequency power amplifier. The collinear approximation is not enough for the non-linear portions, and therefore a method of performing compensation by storing all characteristics and reading out the characteristics is adopted. This is the same on the phase side. It goes without saying that an increase in the amount of used memory leads to an increase in cost. In addition, it is necessary to always execute operation by the amplitude loop as described above at non-linear portions where the power supply voltage is low. If appropriate correction is not carried out at non-linear portions, the characteristics shift from the ideal characteristics, and the shifted portion appears as a distortion component. In this case, the problem is influence on adjacent channels, and the influence is strictly defined by the specification.


A turbine airfoil includes a plurality of internal ribs joined to laterally opposite first and second sidewalls to define a serpentine cooling circuit therein. A span rib extends longitudinally between a root and tip of the airfoil. And, a slant rib extends obliquely to the span rib to define respective portions of the serpentine circuit longitudinally above and below the slant rib.

The present invention relates generally to gas turbine engines, and, more specifically, to cooling of turbine rotor blades and stator vanes therein.
A gas turbine engine includes a compressor that compresses air which is channeled to a combustor wherein it is mixed with fuel and ignited for generating combustion gases. The combustion gases flow downstream through one or more stages of turbines which extract energy therefrom for powering the compressor and producing additional output power for driving a fan for powering an aircraft in flight for example.
A turbine stage includes a row of turbine rotor blades secured to the outer perimeter of a rotor disk, with a stationary turbine nozzle having a plurality of stator vanes disposed upstream therefrom. The combustion gases flow between the stator vanes and between the turbine blades for extracting energy to rotate the rotor disk.
Since the combustion gases are hot, the turbine vanes and blades are typically cooled with a portion of compressor air bled from the compressor for this purpose. Diverting any portion of the compressor air from use in the combustor necessarily decreases the overall efficiency of the engine.
Accordingly, it is desired to cool the vanes and blades with as little compressor bleed air as possible.
Turbine vanes and blades include an airfoil over which the combustion gases flow. The airfoil typically includes one or more serpentine cooling passages therein through which the compressor bleed air is channeled for cooling the airfoil. The airfoil may include various turbulators therein for enhancing cooling effectiveness, and the cooling air is discharged from the passages through various film cooling holes disposed around the outer surface of the airfoil.
The airfoil outer surface is defined by a generally concave pressure side and an opposite, generally convex suction side which extend radially between a root and a tip of the airfoil and axially between leading and trailing edges thereof. The temperature profiles of the combustion gases channeled over the airfoil vary significantly over the pressure and suction sides. This in turn affects both the cooling requirements over the airfoil and cooling effectiveness. Greater cooling is desired where heat input is greatest, and backflow margin and blowing ratio must be controlled across the film cooling holes. Film cooling holes should have suitable blowing ratios to most effectively produce a protecting layer of film cooling air over the blade surface without flow separation and with suitable backflow margin.
In U.S. Pat. No. 5,591,007-Lee et al, a multi-tier turbine airfoil is disclosed and claimed for improving cooling performance of internal serpentine cooling passages therein. By arranging two or more serpentine passages in independent circuits radially over the airfoil span, cooling air may be directly channeled to the mid-span portion of the airfoil having the greatest heat input from the combustion gases. Since the cooling air in each serpentine circuit increases in temperature as it cools the airfoil, the multi-tier serpentine circuits target the cooling air to specific regions of the airfoil for enhancing cooling thereof over conventional radial serpentine circuits extending completely between the root and tip of the airfoil.
However, in order to effect the multi-tier serpentine circuit, radially extending span ribs must necessarily be interrupted for providing a separating tier rib extending axially. Since a turbine rotor blade experiences substantial centrifugal force during operation, the interruption in the span rib interrupts the loadpath for carrying airfoil centrifugal loads to the dovetail and in turn to the rotor disk supporting the airfoil.
The centrifugal loads must then be carried solely through respective portions of the airfoil pressure and suction sides bypassing the span interruption which results in local stress concentration that affects the useful life of the airfoil. Furthermore, an axially extending tier partition rib effectively introduces mere dead weight without significant load support, and the centrifugal loads therefrom must also be carried by the adjacent portions of the airfoil.
Accordingly, although the multi-tier turbine airfoil provides improvement in cooling thereof, it also changes the load carrying structure of the airfoil for both centrifugal forces, as well as vibratory response. It is therefore desired to further improve the multi-tier turbine airfoil both in load carrying capability and cooling effectiveness.


Disclosed is a method of distributing data in a telecommunication network, the network comprising a central node, a first target node and a second target node. The method comprises: a) providing a first file comprising at least a first compressed data set addressed to the first target node and a second compressed data set addressed to the second target node; b) identifying in the first file at least a first file portion comprising the first compressed data set and a second file portion comprising the second compressed data set; and c) forwarding the first file portion to the first target node, and forwarding the second file portion to the second target node, wherein the steps b) and c) are performed in the central node.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method of distributing data to the network nodes of a telecommunication network. The present invention further relates to a telecommunication network for implementing the above method.
This application is based on and claims the benefit of European Patent Application No 05291995.8 filed on Sep. 26, 2005, which is incorporated by reference herein.
2. Description of the Prior Art
A telecommunication network generally comprises a plurality of network nodes. Such network nodes are adapted to route and switch traffic flows across the network. In order to perform routing and switching, a network node typically comprises devices such as switches, cross-connects, add-drop multiplexers or the like.
Besides, a node typically comprises a local database, which contains management information (software, metrics, configuration data, scheduling data, logs etc.) for configuring, operating and managing the above devices.
In some cases, it may be required to distribute management information to all the nodes of a network. For instance, when a failure occurs in the network, a management information distribution may be required so that the local database content of each node can be updated/restored.
In the following description and in the claims, the expression "data set" will refer to a set of management information to be distributed to a node, so that the node can store it into its local database, independently from the type and/or content of the management information constituting such a data set (software, metrics, etc.).
Distributing data sets may be performed in a centralised way, all the nodes of a same network being connected (directly or through other nodes) to a network manager.
The network manager sends to each node its respective data set through a dedicated management channel. For instance, in Synchronous Digital Hierarchy (SDH) networks, data sets may be transmitted from the network manager through the so-called Data Communication Channel (DCC).
A network manager can simultaneously send to more than one node the respective data sets. The number of nodes that can be updated and/or restored simultaneously depends on the management channel bandwidth and on the data set size. In some cases, the management channel bandwidth can be rather narrow (for instance, 176 kbit/s for the above cited DCC). Moreover, the data set size is increasing, due to the increasing complexity of the network nodes and the consequent increasing amount of required management information. Thus, in these cases, only few nodes can be simultaneously updated/restored, thus implying an overall network updating/restoring time (and thus cost) which is often unacceptable.

Data distribution to nodes of a telecommunication network


Systems and methods for building file system images using cached logical volume snapshots. An example method may comprise: producing a buildroot descriptor in view of a list of identifiers of software packages to be included into a new file system image; and responsive to locating, in a storage memory, a logical volume snapshot associated with the buildroot descriptor, creating the new file system image using the logical volume snapshot.

Various file system image building systems, ranging from shell scripts running on a single host to orchestration services running within cloud computing environments, produce file system images comprising certain software applications installed on top of an operating system (OS). A software package comprising one or more software modules may require certain dependencies (other software packages) to be installed on top of a certain OS.

Building file system images using cached logical volume snapshots


There is provided a process for producing a shaped catalyst for a fixed bed oxidation reaction or a fixed bed oxidative dehydrogenation reaction, the catalyst having both of sufficient mechanical strength and catalyst performance, and the catalyst is produced by supporting a catalyst powder containing a complex metal oxide having molybdenum as an essential ingredient on an inert support by a tumbling granulation method at a relative centrifugal force of 1 to 35 G.

Unsaturated carboxylic acids such as acrylic acid and methacrylic acid used as raw materials for various chemicals can be produced by a two-stage reaction using unsaturated aldehydes as intermediate products. Since a demand for both of acrylic acid and methacrylic acid continues to increase steadily, efforts have been intensively made at improving catalysts used in the production thereof.
On the other hand, a demand for butadiene, which is an important raw material for chemicals to be used as a raw material for synthetic rubbers and the like, has steeply increased as a raw material for energy-saving type automobile tires owing to global augmentation in demand for automobiles and increase in awareness of environmental issues in recent years. However, since the production of C4 fractions has decreased, the shortage of butadiene production has continued. Thus, it is forecasted that the shortage of butadiene supply should be further accelerated hereafter. Therefore, it has been strongly desired to industrialize a novel process for producing butadiene.
A process for producing an unsaturated aldehyde and/or an unsaturated carboxylic acid by a selective oxidation reaction of an unsaturated hydrocarbon in a fixed bed reaction apparatus with a complex metal oxide catalyst having molybdenum as an essential ingredient has been well known. Moreover, a process for producing butadiene from n-butene in a fixed bed reaction apparatus using a complex metal oxide catalyst having molybdenum as an essential ingredient has been also well known.
The shape of the catalyst for use in the fixed bed reaction apparatus is selected depending on its use but catalyst shapes such as a ring shape, a cylinder shape, a tablet shape, a honeycomb shape, a trefoil shape, a quatrefoil shape, and a spherical one have been frequently used. Of these, a spherical catalyst has been widely used due to easiness of an operation of packing the catalyst into a reaction tube and an operation of extracting the catalyst after use from the reaction tube.
Moreover, a method of supporting a catalyst-active ingredient on an inert support has been industrially widely used to produce the supported catalyst for the purpose of suppressing a decrease in selectivity for a target product by a successive reaction and reducing heat accumulation in a catalyst layer in a reaction in which heat generation is involved. Particularly, in the case where a target product is selectively produced by an oxidation reaction or an oxidative dehydrogenation reaction of an organic compound, the supported catalyst is used as an effective method.
As a process for producing a spherical supported shaped catalyst, Patent Document 1 discloses a process for producing a catalyst for producing acrolein and/or acrylic acid from propylene and Patent Document 2 discloses a process for producing a catalyst for producing methacrolein and/or methacrylic acid from isobutylene and/or tertiary-butyl alcohol.
In Patent Documents 1 and 2, as a process for producing a spherical shaped catalyst, a production process by a tumbling granulation method is disclosed. Specifically, a spherical support necessary for attaining a desired catalyst diameter is placed in a tumbling granulation apparatus and a liquid as a binder and a catalyst-active ingredient and/or a precursor thereof are sprinkled on the support with rotating the shaping machine, thereby producing the spherical shaped catalyst.
As mentioned above, a process for producing butadiene from n-butene is known. For example, in Patent Documents 3 and 4, processes of oxidative dehydrogenation in the presence of a complex metal oxide catalyst containing molybdenum, bismuth, iron, and cobalt as main ingredients have been described. However, from the standpoints of catalyst activity, butadiene selectivity, stability of reaction operation, catalyst life, catalyst production, and the like, conventional catalysts are industrially insufficient and an improvement thereof has been strongly desired.
Moreover, in Patent Document 5, there is a description of a supported catalyst that is produced in the presence of a pore-forming agent and a production thereof in an industrial scale is also described.

Process for producing shaped catalyst and process for producing diene or unsaturated aldehyde and/or unsaturated carboxylic acid using the shaped catalyst


The invention is a harvester which is able to weigh harvested fruit. The harvester transfers the fruit from the harvester by a transfer conveyor. The weighing system is a first shoe and a second shoe supported on the end of the transfer conveyor. A load cell supports the second shoe and is used to determine the weight of the fruit in the second shoe. A linkage system is used to keep the first shoe and second shoe in desired relative positions as the transfer conveyor is moved up or down.

In a harvester used for removing fruit, such as tomatoes, from plants, such as tomato vines, it is desirable to monitor the throughput of the fruit harvested. In some harvesters, a transfer conveyor is used to transfer the harvested fruit to a storage container. Some of these harvesters transfer by a transfer conveyor the fruit to a trailer, which moves with the harvester as the harvester is harvesting. In some harvesters it is desirable to have a movable transfer conveyor, which can transfer fruit at various angles and elevations.


A removable cup adaptor is for holding a beverage container for use in a cup holder that eliminates rattling of the beverage container when both the cup adaptor and beverage container are seated in a cup holder. The removable cup adaptor has a plurality of ribs extending radially outward from the outer surface. The removable cup adaptor eliminates rattle of the beverage containers by having the ribs maintaining contact with an inner surface of the vehicle console cup holder. The ribs are made of a flexible material such as rubber, such that the removable cup adaptor may be fittingly seated into cup holders of different diameters, but rigid enough such that the ribs provide stability while the removable adaptor is seated therein.

Many vehicle consoles have molded cup holder with two portions for holding beverage containers of different sizes, a narrow portion and a wide portion. The narrow portion is disposed beneath the wide portion, and extends thereto. The narrow portion is narrower than the wide portion, thus the cup holder is able to seat beverage containers of different sizes. However, beverage containers come in many different sizes and shapes and may not fit within the vehicle console cup holder. For instance, coffee mugs may not seat properly within the console cup holder because of the handle. Accordingly, removable cup adaptors have been used to accommodate such beverage containers. However, existing removable cup adaptors tend to rattle when inserted and used with a beverage container because the adaptors do not fit securely within the cup holder.
One such removable adaptor is illustrated in U.S. Pat. No. 5,088,673 to Chandler. The '673 patent discloses a removable adaptor having a bottom portion extending to an upper portion, the bottom portion being narrower than the upper portion. The bottom portion is perfectly solid in order to weigh the adaptor down, and the upper portion is hollow in order to receive a beverage container. The upper portion has a vertically extending slot, for receipt of a cup handle. The lower portion is seated into a cup holder in order to secure a beverage container that does not fit in the cup holder, and provides stability to the beverage container by weighing the beverage container down via the lower portion. However, the '673 patent will not prevent the beverage from rattling within the cup holder when the cup holder is not of a diameter which fittingly receives the removable cup adaptor. Nor does the '673 patent fittingly accommodate beverage containers of two different diameters. Thus, it is desirable to have a removable cup holder adaptor that can maintain contact with a plurality of different sized cup holders, while still fittingly holding beverage containers of two different diameters.

Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America, Inc.