A system for measuring the value of a parameter, e.g., structural strain, includes an optical waveguide, a laser or equivalent light source for launching coherent light into the waveguide to propagate therein as multi modes, an array of a plurality of spaced apart photodetectors each comprising a light receptor surface and signal output, said array being arranged to have light emitted from said waveguide output portion irradiate said light receptor surfaces, an artificial neural network formed of a plurality of spaced apart neurons, connectors to impose weighted portions of signal outputs from the photodetectors upon the neurons which register the parameter value on a meter or like output device.

1. Field of the Invention
This application relates to systems and methods for measurement of a variety of parameters, e.g., strain, temperature, pressure, etc. More particularly, it concerns such systems and methods that comprise unique combinations of optical waveguides, e.g., optical fibers, operated in multi-mode to generate modal interference patterns and neural networks to interpret such patterns to obtain a value for the parameter being measured.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The use of optical fibers for the sensing of strain is well-known and this has been done in a variety of applications, e.g., see U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,295,738; 4,611,378; 4,653,906 and 4,947,693.
Several different classes of optical sensors have been investigated, each having particular advantages and disadvantages. One class of particular interest is the "few-mode" sensor in which an optical fiber is used that will support two or more lower order propagation modes. As the fiber is subjected to strain, the effective propagation constant for each of the modes is altered in such a way that the relative phase between each mode is shifted a different amount in proportion to the strain. Thus, at the output end of the fiber, all propagating modes interfere, producing an intensity pattern in space which varies with the induced strain. If the fiber is constructed so only the two lowest order modes propagate therein, the interference of these results in two intensity lobes at the output. The light intensity is measured by a photodetector within the spatial illumination area of one of the lobes. As the applied strain is increased, the intensity pattern alternates through successive light/dark transitions (fringes) producing a sinusoidal output signal from the photodetector. To process the detected signal, the modes must be constrained not to rotate with respect to each other. If this is not done, for example in the case of a sensor made from standard circular core fiber, at higher strain levels the intensity pattern rotates so an elliptical core fiber is used to prevent such pattern rotation. Thus, the usual two mode sensor has limited dynamic range and requires special and expensive optical fibers to operate.
If one looks at the other extreme, i.e., the use of standard, low cost, multimode optical fiber where hundreds or thousands of modes propagate, the interference pattern, usually referred to as a speckle pattern, is composed of a very intricate and complicated intensity distribution. In this case the pattern is more sensitive to strain and other parameters (e.g., temperature) as compared with the case when only two modes propagate producing patterns that do not repeat over a large range of strain values. However, it is not easy to process the latter output signal to make full use of the sensitivity and dynamic range possible with the N-mode optical fiber sensors. One possibility would be laboriously to store the intensity distribution data for each strain value. To determine an unknown strain value one could then use image processing techniques to correlate stored images with the one produced from the unknown amount of strain thus identifying the unknown strain value. A serious limitation of this technique is that very high resolution imaging systems are required consequently demanding increased computer processing time to obtain a result. This might require a very expensive system where only static (vs. dynamic strain) might be able to be processed due to the long processing time required for segments of the dynamic waveform. The present invention provides new practical systems and methods for making full use of the sensitivity and dynamic range possible with the N-mode optical fiber sensors in measurement of strain, temperature and other parameter values.

Parameter measurement systems and methods having a neural network comprising parameter output means

Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institution, Inc.

The Florida Institute of Technology, Inc.


A package with an extended top panel has a front wall, a rear wall and a pair of parallel side walls. The package includes at least one top panel that seals to the package at a sealing region. A plane through the sealing region is spaced from a central vertical plane through the package. The extended top panel can extend to the rear wall at the sealing region. A second lesser top panel can extend from the rear wall and can seal with the extended front panel at an off-center top fin. A closure is accommodated on the top panel that has a cap having a diameter greater than the diameter of an aperture disposed through the extended top panel. A blank for the package is also disclosed herein. The package can include a handle attached to its top fin for carrying and displaying the package.

A preferred package for milk and juice is the gable-top package. The gable-top package is usually composed of a paperboard material coated on its exterior and interior surfaces with a thermoplastic material such as polyethylene. The package is formed from a blank that has a plurality of crease lines for proper folding of the blank into the desired package shape.
The unconstructed form, or blank has a plurality of side panels (usually four) and corresponding top panels and bottom panels. The four side panels define the front, rear and side walls of the package while the top panels form the well-known gable-top. Known gable-top packages have two equal and opposite top panels meeting at the top fin of the gable-top. The other two top panels are folded under these two opposing top panels. The aesthetically pleasing gable-top design has a functional aspect that leads to its structure and design. That function is to provide an integrated spout for accessing the product contained with the gable-top package. The integrated closure is formed by unsealing one of the folded-under top panels and pulling it outward to form the integrated spout.
In order to allow a consumer to unseal the top panel, it is sometimes necessary to provide an abhesive, or to lessen the top seal in some other manner. This has created problems for products that require tight seals to prevent oxygen transmission that could otherwise degrade the product. Also, after initially opening the package, the resealing of the package is not as tight as desired by some consumers.
The packaging industry responded to this problem by providing plastic closures (also referred to as fitments) that allow for a tight reseal after initial access of the product. The closure is attached to the carton either through an aperture in a top panel prior to filling, or on the exterior of the carton over an aperture prior to filling or after top sealing. Various attachment methods have been used to apply the closure to the carton, such as ultrasonic sealing, hot melt, induction sealing and the like. Thus, the only modification to the traditional gable-top package has been the attachment of the closure to one of the opposing top panels.
The gable-top package with the closure on one of the opposing top panels has come to dominate the packaging of juice, and is a favorite for milk and milk related products such as coffee creamers. The closure can be a screw-cap closure or a flip-cap closure, both of which are resealable, and can be attached through the aforementioned application methods. Pourability of the product from the package through the closure is acceptable; however, product does not pour as well as from the older designs that include an integrated spout, because of the placement of the closure in the center of the top panel. In addition, the closure is usually a predetermined size that corresponds to the surface area of the top panel, which restricts or limits alterations to the closure and new closure designs.
These restraints on the closure are created, in part, by the development of the closure for the established gable-top package. These closures have been adapted to the structure and design of the gable-top package. This included the fabrication process of the gable-top package from a carton on a form, fill and seal packaging machine, such as a TETRA REX.RTM. packaging machine available from Tetra Pak Incorporated of Chicago, Ill.
Accordingly, there is a need for a package that can accommodate a variety of closure types and designs. Desirably, such a package will accommodate closures configured for enhanced product pourability. Most desirably, such a package can be used with, i.e., constructed and sealed on, currently known and operated packaging machines.

Package with extended top panel and a blank therefor


A search system as disclosed analyzes a file name to identify any potential tokens or words that might be relevant, and creates supplementary information for the file name. The supplementary information is indexed and searchable, thereby significantly improving the ability of a search engine to discover and return successful search hits.

A search engine is a computer program or a set of programs used to index information and search for indexed information. In a conventional search engine, a tokenizer converts an input string (such as a file name) into discrete tokens that are indexed by the search engine. A tokenizer is a software tool programmed to perform tokenization. Tokenization refers to the process of breaking up a string of text into words, phrases, symbols, or other meaningful elements called tokens. Creating such tokens is not an exact science and requires some heuristics. These tokens are then used in a search index for full text searching. A token, in this context, refers to a word or an atomic data element that cannot be parsed any further.
For example, suppose Adam names a document "my-text-doc", a tokenizer would typically convert the input string "my-text-doc" into three tokens (also referred to as data elements in this disclosure): "my", "text", and "doc". The document "my-text-doc" is then indexed by the search engine using these tokens. A search string can be tokenized in a similar way. Thus, when Bob searches for the document "my-text-doc" using a search string "my text doc", the search string is tokenized into three tokens: "my", "text", and "doc". The search engine searches its file name index using these tokens, successfully locates the document "my-text-doc", which is indexed using the same tokens, and returns the correct document.
However, this tokenizer approach cannot handle many of the possible variations that may occur in a string. For example, if Adam names the document "MYtext.doc", it is not clear whether there should be one token "mytext" or two tokens "my" and "text". If the document is tokenized one way and Bob searched in the other, the search may fail.
Further, the tokenizer approach produces only a single tokenized representation of a file name and may also take out characters that may be used for searching. Thus, if Adam names the document "MY-text-doc", and the tokenizer outputs three tokens: "my", "text", and "doc" for indexing, then a search for "my-text" or "-text" may fail as neither search string will result in the same tokens: "my", "text", and "doc" for searching.
Given the deficiencies in conventional search engines, there is room for innovations and improvements.


A textile piece 10 is transported by a conveyor belt 14 through the nip between a compression cylinder 15 and an underlying pressure roller 17, whereat lines of reinforcing plastic carried by parallel grooves in the cylinder are applied to the piece. It thereafter passes through a dryer 18, and both the cylinder and the dryer extend across about 2/3 of the conveyor width with the dryer housing 35 being spaced above the conveyor on both ends and one side. This arrangement enables either full or partial line coating of textile pieces which are transversely placed on the conveyor, and avoids heating the uncoated portions of the pieces.

The invention relates to an apparatus for reinforcing textile fabrics of different shapes for outerwear material by coating them with plastic, and comprises a device for coating the fabrics and a device for their subsequent heat treatment as well as a belt for conveying the fabrics through these devices. The coating device includes a compression cylinder, and the device for heat treatment comprises a pass-through dryer.
In FIG. 3 of German OS No. 2,552,878, a device of the above-described type is shown in which the compression cylinder is mounted above the transport belt. The compression cylinder is preferably equipped for roller printing and has parallel grooves running parallel to the longitudinal axis for receiving the coating thereof. The textile fabrics lying on the transport belt are coated with lines of plastic by the compression cylinder. The coating lines thus lie transverse to the direction of movement of the textile fabrics. The parallel grooves of the compression cylinder can extend both over the entire operational range of the device or of the compression cylinder, as well as only over two fifths thereof. With the latter embodiment of the compression cylinder only a partial coating of uncut cloth or material strips is provided. The above-mentioned German OS states that the grooves of the compression cylinder can also be arranged in other ways, for example in the form of diagonal lines or circumferential lines. Concerning the pass-through dryer, the only mention made in the German OS is that this can be a simple radiation heating unit. The transport belt is divided into two parts. A portion thereof is associated with the compression cylinder, and another portion is associated with the pass-through dryer.
It is also known to coat blanks for the manufacture of clothing in other ways, both as relates to the surface as well as to the type of coating used. The German OS contains examples in this regard. If a linear coating is applied to the blanks, which is particularly advantageous, then they should if possible be parallel to the woof direction of the web of the blanks. If coating is performed with the mentioned device in this sense, then especially the front portions of jackets and coats must be conveyed lengthwise through the device. If only a portion of the blanks are to be coated, then the pressure roller is raised to a distance from the compression cylinder at which a coating of the blanks does not take place. The blanks are also conveyed in this instance primarily lenghtwise through the device. The conveying of the blanks or textile fabrics lengthwise through the device depends on the arrangement of the parallel grooves of the compression cylinder along the axis thereof, the above-mentioned embodiment of the compression cylinder with regard to the non-coating of portions of the textile fabric and the conveyance after coating in the form of parallel lines which should run parallel to the woof direction of the web of textile fabric. This type of coating or non-coating of the textile fabrics as well as the above-described embodiment of the device is, however, disadvantageous for many reasons, in particular from the point of view of difficulty of operation and in regard to the performance of the device. A further disadvantage is that with a partial coating of the textile fabric, the uncoated surfaces are also subjected to the effects of heat in the dryer. This means the non-coated surfaces of the textile fabrics are overheated and possibly even singed.

Apparatus for reinforcing textile fabrics by coating them with plastic


Provided is a toner, comprising a toner particle having a core-shell structure composed of a core particle and a shell phase on a surface of the core particle, the core particle containing a resin X and a colorant, the shell phase being derived from a resin fine particle containing a resin Y, in which a relationship among a SP value of the resin X, a SP value of the resin Y, and a SP value of an organic solvent falls within a specific range, and a relationship between a number-average particle diameter of the resin fine particle when the resin fine particle is dispersed in water and a number-average particle diameter of the resin fine particle when the resin fine particle is dispersed in the organic solvent falls within a specific range.

Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a resin particle and a method of producing the resin particle, and a toner to be used in a recording method involving utilizing an electrophotographic method, an electrostatic recording method, and a toner jet type recording method, and a method of producing the toner.
Description of the Related Art
Resin particles have been used in a wide variety of fields including a paint, an ink, and a toner. In each of the fields, the control of the particle diameters and particle size distribution of the resin particles is important, and in particular, resin particles that achieve both a small particle diameter and the sharpness of their particle size distribution have been desired.
Particularly in the toner field out of those fields, an improvement in quality of an image formed of the toner has been required. The improvement in quality of the image formed of the toner requires the suppression of a variation in charging performance between the particles of the toner. To that end, the uniformization of the particle diameters of the toner, i.e., the sharpening of its particle size distribution is effective, and a "dissolution suspension method" has been proposed as an approach to the sharpening. The dissolution suspension method is a production method involving: dispersing a resin solution, which is obtained by dissolving a resin in an organic solvent in advance, in a dispersion medium in the presence of a dispersant to form a droplet of the resin solution; and then removing the organic solvent to provide a resin particle. A polymer dispersant or a solid fine particle can be used as the dispersant in the dissolution suspension method, and examples of the solid fine particle include an inorganic fine particle and a resin fine particle. A general dispersion medium in the dissolution suspension method is, for example, water. In recent years, however, a production method involving using carbon dioxide in a liquid or supercritical state as a dispersion medium has been developed, and has an advantage in that in the production of the toner particles, energy savings can be achieved by the elimination of a washing step and a drying step. However, the carbon dioxide in a liquid or supercritical state has higher solubility in a resin than in water. Accordingly, when the resin fine particle is used as the dispersant, the stability of the resin fine particle against carbon dioxide is required for the resin fine particle to function as the dispersant to suppress the agglomeration of the droplets.
In addition, in recent years, an electrophotographic apparatus has started to be used under various environments for a long time period in association with the diversification of its use environments. In particular, when the electrophotographic apparatus is used under a high-temperature and high-humidity environment for a long time period, there has been occurring a problem in that a wax exudes to the surface of a toner to cause the agglomeration of the toner particles or to cause member contamination in the electrophotographic apparatus. To cope with the problem, a toner having a core-shell structure in which the surface of a resin serving as a core is covered with a shell resin having a Tg higher than that of the core resin has been proposed. When the toner has the structure, the wax hardly exudes to the surface of the toner. Accordingly, the above-mentioned problems, such as the agglomeration of the toner particles and the member contamination, can be suppressed, and hence a high-quality image can be continuously provided.
According to the dissolution suspension method described in the foregoing, the resin fine particle used as the dispersant adheres to the surface of the droplet of the resin solution, and remains on the surface of the resin particle even after the removal of the organic solvent. Accordingly, a toner having a core-shell structure in which a shell based on the resin fine particle has been formed can be obtained.
In Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2010-132851, there is proposed a resin particle having a core-shell structure in which a shell based on a resin fine particle that hardly swells in carbon dioxide has been formed, the resin particle being obtained by a dissolution suspension method involving using carbon dioxide as a dispersion medium and using the resin fine particle as a dispersant for the purpose of suppressing the agglomeration of droplets. In the literature, a fine particle based on a crystalline polyester resin, a polybehenyl acrylate or a copolymer resin thereof, or a crosslinkable vinyl resin has been used as the resin fine particle.
In addition, in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2013-137535, there is proposed a toner using a resin fine particle containing a resin having a graft type structure using, as constituent components, a moiety having an organic polysiloxane structure and a moiety having an aliphatic polyester structure. In the literature, a toner having a satisfactory particle size distribution is obtained because the toner is produced through the use of the resin fine particle having affinities for both carbon dioxide and a resin solution by a dissolution suspension method involving using carbon dioxide as a dispersion medium. Further, it has been found that the resultant toner satisfies adhesiveness between the resin fine particles, and adhesiveness between the resin fine particle and a core particle, and does not cause any problem resulting from the exudation of a wax.

Resin particle and method of producing the resin particle, and toner and method of producing the toner


An organic thin film transistor array panel includes; a substrate, a data line formed on the substrate, a gate line intersecting the data line and including a gate electrode, a first interlayer insulating layer formed on the gate line and the data line and including a first opening exposing the gate electrode, a gate insulator formed in the first opening, a source electrode disposed on the gate insulator and connected to the data line, a pixel electrode disposed on the gate insulator and including a drain electrode opposing the source electrode, a insulating bank formed on the source electrode and the drain electrode, the insulating bank defining a second opening which exposes portions of the source electrode and the drain electrode, and an organic semiconductor formed in the second opening.

(a) Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an organic thin film transistor array panel and a manufacturing method thereof.
(b) Description of the Related Art
In general, a flat panel display, such as a liquid crystal display ("LCD"), an organic light emitting diode ("OLED") display, and an electrophoretic display, includes a plurality of pairs of field generating electrodes and an electro-optical active layer interposed therebetween. An LCD includes a liquid crystal layer as the electro-optical active layer, and an OLED display includes an organic emission layer as the electro-optical active layer.
One of the plurality of pairs of field generating electrodes is generally connected to a switching element to be applied with an electrical signal, and the electro-optical active layer converts the electrical signal into an optical signal, thereby displaying images.
Thin film transistors ("TFTs"), which are three-terminal elements, are used as switching elements in a flat panel display. Also provided in the flat panel display are gate lines for transmitting scanning signals to control the TFTs and data lines for transmitting signals to be applied to pixel electrodes.
Among TFTs, organic thin film transistors (OTFTs) using an organic semiconductor instead of an inorganic semiconductor such as silicon (Si) have been vigorously researched.
OTFTs can be easily applied to large-sized flat panel displays. The only limiting factors in OTFT fabrication are the deposition processes in which the OTFT must be formed. In particular, OTFTs may be fabricated at a low temperature by a solution process; therefore even with their limitations they are potentially advantageous. The ability to fabricate an OTFT substrate at low temperature and by a solution process allows them to be more easily manufactured, as compared to a process requiring heating or chemical development. Moreover, since an OTFT can be fabricated in the form of a fiber or a film due to the flexible characteristics of the organic material, it has been in the spotlight as a core element of a flexible display device.
However, organic semiconductors may be easily damaged during the manufacturing process due to their weak chemical resistance. Therefore, a different structure from pre-existing TFTs is required.
Also, since an organic semiconductor has a low current ratio (I-on/I-off) compared to an inorganic semiconductor, ways to improve this problem are also required.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Organic thin film transistor array panel and method for manufacturing the same


A method of de-interlacing input video information including averaging odd lines and averaging even lines of the input video information to determine first and second in-field information, determining differences between even and odd lines of the input video information to provide residue information, measuring a motion metric of the residue information, filtering the residue information based on the motion metric to provide filtered residue information, and combining the first and second in-field information with the filtered residue information to provide progressive information. The combining may be an average of the in-field information added to a weighted portion of the filtered residue information as determined by the motion metric. The motion metric may be determined by an infinite impulse response filter. Finite impulse response filters may be used to filter the residue information.

1. Field of the Invention
This disclosure relates generally to video information processing, and more specifically, to a video de-interlacer which converts interlaced video information into progressive video information based on motion residue compensation.
2. Description of the Related Art
The interlaced video format is widely used primarily because of the technology development of the video industry. The current generations of television (TV) standards, for example, are primarily based on the interlaced video format. The progressive video format, however, is preferred for the newer display technologies, such as liquid crystal display (LCD), plasma, digital light processing (DLP), etc. For progressive scan video information, the video is displayed line by line from top to bottom rather than by field. For interlaced scan, every other horizontal line of the video is displayed in separate fields and each frame is completed in two passes. In particular, each frame or picture is divided into two fields including an odd field and an even field, in which the odd and even fields are displayed one at a time in alternating fashion. Because interlaced video is composed of two fields that are captured at different moments in time, interlaced video frames exhibit motion artifacts when both fields are combined and displayed at the same moment and the video contains motion.
A de-interlacer is used to convert interlaced video into non-interlaced or progressive video for display. Many solutions exist for performing the de-interlacing function. The relatively unsophisticated solutions simply copy odd lines to even or vice-versa or display the odd and even fields together. If the de-interlacing function is not done properly, however, the displayed video contains a significant amount of visual artifacts especially when the video contains a significant amount of motion. More sophisticated solutions are available, but such solutions generally consume a significant level of processing power and bandwidth (including bus and memory bandwidth), and are relatively costly. It is desired to convert interlaced video into progressive scan video while ensuring a relatively high level of visual quality. It is further desired to perform the de-interlacing function with improved performance in low cost or portable devices. It is desired to provide a low cost or portable system which requires a minimal amount of bus and memory bandwidth while providing a reasonably high quality signal appropriate for smaller displays typically in portable or automobile configurations.

Video de-interlacer using motion residue compensation


In one embodiment, the present invention is concerned with novel xanthene compounds of the formula ##STR1## wherein X is ##STR2## wherein R' is alkyl, Y is an electron-withdrawing group and n is 0 or 1. In another embodiment, the present invention is concerned with photographic products and processes employing these xanthene compounds.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to novel xanthene compounds and to their use, e.g., as light-screening dyes in photographic products and processes.
2. Description of the Prior Art
It is well known that photographic film, and especially multicolor films, may and generally do vary from lot to lot, notwithstanding efforts to "repeat" previous films. Manufacturers of multicolor photographic films have developed a number of procedures to minimize the effects upon the final multicolor image of unavoidable variations in the manufacturing operations. These variations are reflected primarily in shifts in color balance as reflected in mismatching of the D log E curves of the individual red, green and blue exposures. Equipment used to coat multicolor films is highly precise but variations between intended coverage of silver halide and/or the dye image-forming materials do occur. Repeat batches of silver halide emulsions may, and usually do, vary in their photographic response. Individual layers may be dried to slightly different degrees. Films are stored for a period of time after coating to allow the films to "age", so that changes in sensitometry following coating have an opportunity to reach a plateau prior to sale. If the film is designed to be developed by a photofinisher or in a darkroom, processing of the exposed multicolor film is controlled within very narrow limits, typically within plus or minus a half degree of a prescribed temperature, in order to minimize sensitometric variations from film to film. Where the multicolor film is of the negative type, an opportunity to adjust the sensitometry occurs in printing the desired final positive image, during which operation the printing exposure may be appropriately color filtered.
The basic sources of sensitometric variations noted above exist also in multicolor diffusion transfer films, with the added complication that once the film is shipped, the sensitometric properties are essentially fixed. The opportunity for adjustment provided in darkroom processing, practically speaking, is unavailable for users of self-developing films. While professional and advanced amateur photographers may be skilled enough to utilize color correction filters to at least partially "rebalance" the color balance, ordinary users of the film would only be confused by such additional operations.
It is well known to use light-screening dyes in photographic elements. Such a dye may be incorporated as a filter dye in a light-sensitive emulsion layer(s) or in a layer coated over one or more light-sensitive emulsion layers or between two differently color-sensitized emulsion layers to modify the light record in the emulsion layer or to control the spectral composition of light falling on the underlying light-sensitive layer, or it may be incorporated as an antihalation dye in a non-light-sensitive layer positioned on either side of a support carrying the light-sensitive layer(s).
The dyes employed for these purposes, in addition to having the requisite spectral absorption characteristics for their intended use, should be photochemically inert, that is, they should not have any adverse effect on the properties of the light-sensitive emulsion layer(s), and also, they should be capable of being decolorized or removed during photographic processing so as not to leave stain in the processed photographic element. In photographic processes where the dye is removed by being dissolved in a processing solution, it is usually preferred that the dye also decolorize in order to avoid contamination of the processing solution and to prevent staining from residual dye in the processed light-sensitive element.
Though various classes of dyes have been proposed for use in antihalation and color correction filter layers, the dyes heretofore employed have not been altogether satisfactory. Some of the dyes tend to reduce sensitivity, fog or exert other adverse effect on the light-sensitive material. However, the major drawback of previously employed dyes is their tendency to cause stain due to incomplete decolorization or reversal of some of the decolorized form to the original colored form. For example, some classes of dyes rely on the presence of a reagent, such as, a sulfite for "bleaching", i.e., decolorization and unless the dyes are removed from the light-sensitive material during or after processing, their color may reappear in time.
Among the classes of light-screening dyes used previously are the triarylmethanes and xanthenes. For example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 1,879,537; 1,994,876; 2,350,090 and 3,005,711 disclose the use of fuchsone-type dyes in antihalation layers, and U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,406,069 and 3,615,548 are concerned with the metal chelates of fuchsone dyes as antihalation dyes. These and other types of triarylmethane dyes suffer from one or more of the drawbacks discussed above, and in particular, prior dyes of this type have been difficult to keep decolorized at the pH's normally encountered during processing subsequent to "bleaching" and in the final product. Xanthenes have been employed in antihalation layers that are removed during photographic processing. For example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,182,794; 2,203,767 and 2,203,768 disclose the use of rhodamine dyes in certain antihalation layers that are removed during processing in an acid bath or a plain water rinse bath depending upon the solubility characteristics of the particular layer.
Copending U.S. Patent Application Ser. No. 106,905 of James W. Foley, Louis Locatell, Jr. and Charles M. Zepp filed concurrently herewith is concerned with certain 3,6-bis-(N-indolinyl)xanthene compounds. These compounds find utility as photographic light-screening dyes and offer advantages over the light-screening dyes previously used because of their ability to decolorize completely and irreversibly to a substantially inert colorless product. Specifically, the dyes disclosed and claimed therein comprise xanthene compounds of the formula ##STR3## wherein X is ##STR4## wherein R' is alkyl; Y is an electron-withdrawing group and A is an anion.
The present invention is concerned with sulfo-substituted xanthene compounds of this type having improved properties.

Novel xanthene compounds and photographic products and processes employing the same


A controlled-environment facility local or remote content server downloads and caches a digital media file and determines whether a resident of the facility is allowed access to the digital media file. This determination may be made by the content server accessing a controlled-environment facility administration system. In response to a determination that the resident is allowed access, the digital media file is streamed and/or downloaded, from the content server, within a portion of the facility, to a controlled-environment facility resident media device adapted and/or approved for use by residents of the controlled-environment facility and disposed within the aforementioned portion of the facility. The streaming and/or downloading may be carried out, at least in part, via a wireless access point disposed within the portion of the controlled-environment facility to provide access by the resident media device disposed within the portion of the controlled-environment facility.

Traditional methods for dissemination of education or entertainment media in controlled-environment facilities have included print libraries, or the like. Typically residents of controlled-environment facilities, particularly controlled-environment facilities such as correctional institutions, are not allowed access to streaming content. Similarly, unrestricted or untethered access to wireless data communication systems is not typically allowed, such as for security reasons. That is to say, typically, there are security concerns in a controlled environment facility that result in a need for tightly controlled media. Regardless, the cost of streamed or downloaded data, particularly in the form of media files, data plan limits, and/or the cost of bandwidth to download or stream such files, may be a concern. Moreover, the layout of a controlled-environment facility, such as the use or radiating pods in modern correctional facilities, and/or the structure of the facility itself, such as the use of steel and/or steel-reinforced concrete in correctional facilitates, make the propagation of a wireless signal for streaming, or even downloading, difficult and/or unpredictable.

Provisioning of digital media files to resident media devices in controlled-environment facilities


A peripheral device support assembly. The peripheral device support assembly includes two detachable armrest and support tray adapted to be attached to each arm of an office chair. The detachable armrest and support tray includes a mount for securing the armrest support unit to a chair arm and a first portion hingedly attached to the mount for allowing the first portion to swivel in relation to the mount. The detachable armrest and support tray also includes a second portion pivotally connected to the second portion such that the first portion folds back over a second portion for storage. A tray spans the distance between the second portion of each detachable armrest and support tray to provide additional workspace.

The present invention relates generally to ergonomic peripheral device support assemblies, and more specifically to an ergonomic keyboard and mouse pad supporting tray and arm rest for use with conventional open arm office chairs.
The typical computer mouse rests on a desk adjacent a computer monitor. The keyboard may also lie next to the monitor or alternatively may be housed in front of the keyboard. Often this arrangement causes a user to hold his wrist in an angled position that has been shown to cause carpal tunnel and other health ailments in users who sit at their computer for hours at a time.
To alleviate this problem, many users place the keyboard in a pull out tray that is positioned near their lap. However, the mouse is often still at another location. As such, the user must still position his wrist at an awkward angle when using the mouse. In addition, the mouse is not convenient to the keyboard in this position.
Thus there remains a need in the art for an improved keyboard support tray and arm rests for conventional open arm office chairs. There also remains a need for a detachable armrest and support tray that provides hinged armrests that can fold and swivel to positions out of the way of the user, can be retrofitted onto existing chairs, is easy to install, and provides arm rest and work surfaces for the use of both a keyboard or laptop computer, mouse, or other peripheral devices.

Keyboard supporting tray and arm rests for conventional open arm office chairs


One embodiment relates to a light emitting device package having improved luminous flux, and a light emitting device package, according to one embodiment of the present invention, comprises: a light emitting device having an electrode pad arranged at a lower surface thereof; a wavelength conversion layer for covering four lateral surfaces of the light emitting device; a first reflective pattern for covering an upper surface of the light emitting device and three lateral surfaces of the light emitting device so as to expose the wavelength conversion layer of the one remaining lateral surface, which is a light emitting surface of the light emitting device; and a second reflective pattern arranged between the first reflective pattern and the upper surface of the light emitting device.

A light emitting diode (LED) is one of light emitting devices that emit light when a current is supplied thereto. LEDs can emit light having high efficiency at a low voltage and thus have a high energy saving effect. Recently, a problem with the luminance of LEDs has been significantly addressed, and LEDs are being applied in various devices such as backlight units of liquid crystal display (LCD) devices, electronic sign boards, indicators, home appliances, and the like.
LEDs may have a structure in which a first electrode and a second electrode are disposed on one side of a light emitting structure including a first semiconductor layer, an active layer, and a second semiconductor layer. However, when a light emitting device, which has a lateral structure in which first and second electrodes of a light emitting diode are respectively connected to first and second lead frames through wires, is used as a light source of a backlight unit, it is difficult to miniaturize the backlight unit due to the wires and the light emitting device is also vulnerable to heat dissipation.
Nitride semiconductors are attracting great interest in the development fields of optical devices and high output electronic devices due to their high thermal stability and wide bandgap energy. Particularly, blue light emitting devices, green light emitting devices, and ultraviolet (UV) light emitting devices using nitride semiconductors are being commercialized and widely used.
In the conventional general reflow method, when a flip chip package is manufactured, an ablative material called a flux is applied to a solder and is melted by applying heat. This method has a problem in that the solder is disconnected because of the risk of remelting when the solder is bonded.

Light emitting device package and lighting system comprising same


When a magnetic recording and reproducing apparatus is in a waiting state, feedback control for positioning the carriage is released, and a supply of a sense current to the magnetoresistive effect element of the MR magnetic head is adjusted so as to prolong the life of the MR magnetic head. When the interface and control circuit recognizes that there is no order from the host computer and that the magnetic recording and reproducing apparatus is in a wait state, the servo control circuit releases the feedback control for positioning the head. A mode, etc. selection control circuit controls the recording/reproduction amplifier so as not to supply a sense current to the magnetoresistive effect element of the MR magnetic head. Accordingly, the time for supplying a sense current to the magnetoresistive effect element of the MR magnetic head is reduced in a great measure and, therefore, it is possible to prevent the deterioration of the element characteristics by electro-migration or the like. The result is that the life of the element can be prolonged. Hence, the output of the MR magnetic head can be increased without sacrificing the reliability. Accordingly, it has become possible to improve the performance of a high-output magnetic recording and reproducing apparatus using an MR magnetic head.

This invention relates to a magnetic recording and reproducing apparatus having mounted thereon magnetic heads (MR magnetic heads) including a magnetoresistive effect element (MR element), and more particularly to a positioning technique in the magnetic recording and reproducing apparatus whereby a magnetic head traces a desired magnetic track (a following action), then starts moving to another desired track (a seek action).
One technique to improve the positioning accuracy of the magnetic heads for the purpose of increasing the magnetic track density, is to use a data track servo (also referred to as "data surface servo") that uses positioning information recorded in advance on the data surfaces of a magnetic recording medium. When one is going to apply the MR magnetic head technique to this data track servo technique, it is necessary to improve the durability of the MR magnetic heads.
This will be described in detail.
If the recording density in the magnetic recording and reproducing apparatus is to be increased, it is unavoidable to reduce the magnetic transition region per unit area on the magnetic medium. This means to decrease the width of each magnetic track (the distance perpendicular to the advancing direction of a magnetic head over the track). Accordingly, the reproduction output of the magnetic head is decreased. A realistic measure to prevent this decrease of reproduction output is to improve the sensitivity of the magnetic head. Under the circumstances, the MR magnetic head including a magnetoresistive effect element (MR element), which is a read-only head for reading the magnetic transition region, has come to be used.
As means for improving the sensitivity of the magnetic heads, if an attempt is made to obtain a large reproduction output by supplying a large sense current to the MR element, the following technical problem arises.
Generally, the sense current density of the MR magnetic head is so high, at somewhere around 10.sup.7 A/m.sup.2, that the life of the MR element tends to be short; for example, electromigration occurs in the material or wiring of the MR element, and a consequent rise of temperature causes the electromigration to be accelerated, resulting in a breakdown of the element.
In order to increase the magnetic track density, it is necessary to improve the positioning accuracy of the magnetic heads. This is the reason why data track servo has come to be used. In the data track servo technique, head positioning information recorded on the data surfaces is used. A combined use of this data track servo technique with MR magnetic heads give rise to the following technical problem.
Generally, it is necessary to make the magnetic head performs a following action to trace a magnetic track. In the data track servo technique, it is necessary to constantly reproduce, with the magnetic head, position information recorded at the leading portions of the sectors obtained by subdividing the tracks in fan-shaped blocks. When data has been reproduced by a magnetic head, the same magnetic head continues a following action while reproducing position information until the next record or, reproduce order is given. In a magnetic recording and reproducing apparatus used with a low frequency of reproduction, it often takes some time before the next record or reproduce order is given, with the result that a cumulative time of use of the MR magnetic heads, including reproduction of position information, is prolonged. This has a direct bearing on the shortening of the life of the MR magnetic heads.
An object of the present invention is to lengthen the life of the MR magnetic heads by minimizing the time of supplying the sense current to the magnetoresistive effect elements of the MR magnetic heads when the magnetic recording and reproducing apparatus is in a state waiting for a data access command from the host computer.
Techniques for prolonging the life of the MR magnetic heads are known. This is a technique, disclosed in Japanese Patent Application No. 5-226850 (filed on Sep. 13, 1993), that controls the head positioning time such that the cumulative time of use of each MR magnetic head, which is a sum of positioning time, data reproduction time, etc. is a fixed length of time. In the present invention of this patent application, however, the above-mentioned problem is to be solved by a different technique.

Method and apparatus for controlling magnetoresistive effect element head


Municipal solid waste ash is utilized in the manufacture of an aggregate and is processed to form a cold bonded pellet which, when tested by means of TCLP leaching extraction tests using TCLP No. 2 extraction fluid, does not exceed the 1990 limits for the RCRA priority heavy metals. The pellets may be surface coated with defined agents to seal the pellet or to provide properties which enhance the use of the pellet in either asphaltic or cement concrete mixes. A method of utilizing MSW ash includes the steps of collecting the bottom ash and fly ash components, processing the bottom ash component to remove unprocessible material and crushing the crushable component to a desired size, magnetically separating the magnetic material from at least the processed bottom ash component, treating at least the fly ash component of the ash with alkali silicate to fix the heavy metals, and utilizing the processed ash such as by adding cement or other binders in a mix to form pellets having an early strength sufficient to permit handling after 24 hours. Pellets may be treated with selective components and coatings to enhance the pellet's use as an aggregate in asphaltic or cement concrete mixes.

This invention relates to methods and products in the utilization and conversion of ash resulting from the incineration of municipal solid wastes, in the form of aggregates useful in asphaltic and portland cement concrete mixes which meet 1990 Federal drinking water standards as defined by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
Municipal solid waste handling and disposal has received substantial attention by agencies of the United States Government as well as by interested environmental groups. For the purpose of this application, municipal solid waste (MSW) is defined as the gross product which is collected and processed by municipalities and governments.
MSW includes durable and non-durable goods, containers and packaging, food and yard wastes, and miscellaneous inorganic wastes from residential, commercial and industrial sources. Examples include newsprint, appliances, clothing, scrap food, containers and packaging, disposable diapers, plastics of all sort including disposable tableware and foamed packaging materials, rubber and wood products, potting soil, yard trimmings and consumer electronics, as part of an open-ended list of disposable or throw-away products. The broad spectrum of MSW content is described in "Characterization of Municipal Solid Waste in the United States: 1990 Update", United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Publication EPA/530-SW-90-042 dated June 1990.
A substantial portion of the total available MSW is being reduced by fire incineration either by mass burn or through combustion of refuse-derived fuel (RDF). While incineration remains controversial, it continues to find increasing acceptance due to a number of factors which include the greatly decreased amount of residual material which must be landfilled, and to improved operating procedures which emit lower concentrations of pollutants into the atmosphere. The use of incineration is increasing and as of 1990, over 160 incinerators were combusting about 10-15% of the MSW generated in this country.
The by-product of MSW incineration is ash, called "MSW ash". The ash represents about one-fourth of the mass of material prior to incineration. Generally, two types of incinerator systems are in use. The first type is called a mass burn system. These are large facilities, usually having a capacity of over 200 tons per day, which burn the unprocessed mixed MSW in a single combustion chamber, usually under conditions of excess air. A second system is one where the MSW is first processed by mechanical means to produce a more homogeneous fuel, It is known as refuse-derived fuel (RDF), which material is then combusted in a boiler, to form a residue in the form of ash.
Both major systems, as well as secondary or smaller systems known as modular systems, are capable of recovering energy from the burn, usually in the form of steam or electric energy, and produce ash as a solid waste by-product of combustion. The subject matter of this invention resides in the fixation and pelletization of products derived from MSW ash, which products meet 1990 Federal drinking water standards for toxins and hazardous materials, including heavy metals.
The term "ash" as used herein encompasses the gross residue from the incineration of MSW following an initial beneficiation to remove the gross or oversized, non-combustion or non-crushable objects. The gross ash content is classified as either "fly ash" or "bottom ash." Typically, the fly ash fraction amounts to from about 5-15% of the total ash and comprises lighter particles which are carried off the burning grate by the convection or turbulence, and condense or form in the flu gas system. Fly ash is removed by precipitators or collection bags in a baghouse. Fly ash can also include the superheater or economizer ash which collects on internal parts of the boiler system which are blown down or removed from time to time and combined with the fly ash fraction. The fly ash also frequently contains spent lime from an air quality control system (AQCS) in which a lime reagent is sprayed into the flue gases to neutralize sulfur dioxide and hydrochloric and hydrofluoric acids. The hot flue gases evaporate the water portion leaving a dry powder residue which is removed in a baghouse and combined with the fly ash. The AQCS fly ash may be combined with bottom ash, or maintained separately and stored in dry silos, depending on the particular plant operations.
"Bottom ash" is the coarse ash residue which accumulates on the grate. It usually falls directly into a water quench pit or tank from which it is removed to a storage area. When MSW is incinerated, a portion of the original material will be non-combustible and will emerge from the incineration process with the bottom ash. This residue contains such items as bottles, cans, rocks, metal, slag, and certain organic wastes, and for the purpose of this invention it is assumed that such gross material, as previously mentioned, is removed at a first classification, usually at the burn facility, for by-pass disposal, such as in landfill.
A consideration of the toxic and non-toxic residues in the ash requires an appreciation of the care which is taken, at the burn site, to segregate or to refuse delivery of unacceptable waste. For example, at the Hennepin County Waste-to-Energy Facility, Hennepin County, Minn., such items as explosives, pathological and biological wastes, radioactive material, incinerator residue, sewage and cesspool sludge, human and animal wastes, large motor vehicle parts, tires, farm machinery, transformers, trees, liquid wastes and other such wastes are refused entry, and thus do not form part of the MSW or its ash. Nevertheless, a broad spectrum of inorganic and organic compounds are necessarily subjected to incineration, and certain portions of these elements and compounds are found in the incinerator ash. While it may be possible for the ash to contain hazardous organic materials such as dioxins and furans, tests have shown that these are well below the levels considered harmful where the ash is collected from a facility which is properly operated to maintain a desired combustion temperature and combustion retention time.
Major inorganic components include aluminum, calcium, chlorine, iron, silicon, sodium and zinc as major components, along with carbon. The ash may also contain a broad range of trace metals, including the eight RCRA priority metals (As, Ba, Cd, Cr, Hg, PB, Se, Ag), as well s copper, cobalt, nickel and tin. In a typical facility, the major components may be identified in combined ash as shown in Table 1.
TABLE 1 ______________________________________ Silicon Dioxide 40% or greater Aluminum Oxide 10-20% Iron Oxide 10-20% Magnesium Oxide 1-6% Sodium Oxide 1-6% Potassium Oxide 1-6% Sulfate Ion 1-6% Chloride Ion 1-6% Phosphate Ion 1-6% ______________________________________
The ranges of the small or trace amounts of inorganic elements are represented by Table 2, in terms of pounds of material per ton of combined ash, representing a typical analysis.
TABLE 2 ______________________________________ CONCENTRATIONS OF INORGANIC ELEMENTS IN COMBINED ASH FROM MUNICIPAL WASTE INCINERATORS Elements Pounds/Ton of Ash ______________________________________ Arsenic * to 0.10 Barium 0.16 to 5.40 Cadmium * to 0.20 Chromium 0.02 to 3.00 Lead 0.06 to 73.20 Mercury * to 0.04 Selenium * to 0.10 Silver * to 0.19 Aluminum 10.00 to 120.00 Antimony <0.24 to <0.52 Beryllium * to * Boron 0.05 to 0.35 Calcium 8.2 to 170.00 Cobalt * to 0.18 Copper 0.08 to 11.8 Iron 1.38 to 267.00 Lithium 0.01 to 0.074 Magnesium 1.40 to 32.00 Manganese 0.03 to 6.26 Molybdenum * to 0.58 Nickel 0.03 to 25.82 Phosphorous 0.58 to 10.00 Potassium 0.58 to 24.00 Silicon 2.76 to 392.14 Sodium 2.20 to 66.60 Strontium 0.02 to 1.28 Tin 0.03 to 0.76 Titanium 2.00 to 56.00 Vanadium 0.03 to 0.30 Yttrium * to 0.02 Zinc 0.18 to 92.00 ______________________________________ (Excluding oxygen, sulfates and chlorine) *Less than 1/100 of a pound
Many of the inorganic constituents, or contaminants, have unlikely sources. Cadmium comes from metal coatings and platings on "white goods" such as home appliances, rechargeable batteries, printing inks and color pigments. Lead may originate in rust-proofing paints, wire and cable insulation, bottle caps, and the contact bases of burned-out light bulbs. Mercury is found in disposable batteries, such as hearing aid batteries, power control switches, certain paints, and fluorescent lights. Plastic materials are also a major source of lead and cadmium. Nickel-cadmium batteries include both nickel and cadmium.
Conventionally, the fly ash is combined with the bottom ash at the burn facility for transport to landfill. Only a small portion of the ash has found acceptance for commercial utilization, and in such instances where the resultant product is exposed to humans, there has been lacking an assurance that the material has been processed to recognized or particular EPA standards.
If the fly ash and spent lime fraction are combined with the bottom ash for treatment or disposal, the combined ashes will have moisture content of about 15-20%. The fly ash plus spent lime fraction is itself dry but is hygroscopic in nature and will absorb a portion of the moisture present in the bottom ash, thus reducing the overall combined ash content, when combined. The bottom ash moisture content is substantially higher, averaging 20-30%, where the fly ash is handled and stored separately, such as in dry bins.
Prior attempts at utilization, which have involved processing or treatment for hazardous materials or components, have generally failed to take advantage of the fact that the ash fractions themselves have differing concentrations of certain metals and other possible contaminants, and since they are formed and collected at physically separated locations, the fly ash fraction and the bottom ash fraction may be treated separately by processes tailored to the particular component or group of components in the fraction to be brought within required specifications.
In particular, the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) and the regulatory agencies operating under the Act (Public Law 94-580 (1976)) as Amended and as defined in Title 40 of the Code of Federal Regulations (40 CPR 142), have established maximum safe limits for solid waste and for drinking water as set out below in milligrams per liter:
TABLE 3 ______________________________________ Federal Drinking Water Limits as Mg/l Solid 1990 Federal Waste Drinking Water RCRA Metals Limits Standards ______________________________________ Arsenic 5.0 0.05 Barium 100.0 1.00 Cadmium 1.0 0.01 Chromium 5.0 0.10 Lead 5.0 0.05 Mercury 0.2 0.002 Selenium 1.0 0.01 Silver 5.0 0.05 ______________________________________
The drinking water standards for the eight RCRA priority metals set out above are 1/100th of that of the corresponding solid waste limits. Prior processes and techniques have not produced an economically useful product from MSW ash which meets federal drinking water standards when measured by the Toxicity Characteristic Leaching Procedure (TCLP) and as defined at 51 Fed Register 21648, Jun. 13, 1986 and in EPA Method 1311.
The TCLP leaching test has been found to be more aggressive than the extraction procedure toxicity test (EP-TOX) in the measurement of leaching potential, due to the lower pH (2.88) of the TCLP fluid #2. The repeatability of the results by different laboratories following the TCLP procedure makes it superior to the EP-TOX.
The TCLP procedure has now been adopted by the EPA as a replacement for the EP-TOX (EPA method 1310). The aggressiveness of the TCLP test requires that new approaches and methods for economic utilization of MSW ash be developed.
In order to make an economic use of a substantial part of the municipal solid waste ash produced at any given facility, it is necessary to process and convert the ash into a useable end product. If such product is used to add bulk to asphaltic or portland cement concrete mixes it may do so as an aggregate, but first must be converted to a suitable aggregate form, such as by pelletizing. Therefore, in addition to the fixation or chemical treatment of targeted components or elements, the end product must also meet those physical standards which have been created and promulgated for aggregates. These standards relate not only to sieve analysis and specific gravity, but also relate to other required properties of the product including hardness and durability in relation to resistance to abrasion, soundness and resistance to sulfate, resistance to freezing and thawing, and absorptivity. Thus, even though a synthetic by-product of MSW ash may be rendered inert by processing to the levels of federal drinking water standards, nevertheless such product would have restricted or limited commercial use if it failed to conform to the physical standards for such products.

Fixation and utilization of ash residue from the incineration of municipal solid waste


An invention for providing diversity for direct sequence spread spectrum wireless communication systems is presented. The invention provides a transmitting technique for communicating a first signal comprising one or more segments to a receiver with use of a plurality of M antennas. The first signal includes one or more signal segments. The technique comprises forming M copies of the first signal; for a segment of a signal copy, weighting each of two or more sub-segments of the segment with a distinct signal, wherein a sequence of the distinct weighting signals for the segment is distinct from sequences of signals weighting the same segment of one or more other signal copies; and for each of M weighted signal copies, transmitting a signal to the receiver using a distinct antenna, the transmitted signal based on the weighted signal copy. Illustratively, the first signal is a spread spectrum signal. Moreover, the process of weighting comprises applying a phase shift to a sub-segment. The invention further provides a receiving technique which comprises, for a copy of a received signal, despreading a segment of the received signs, demodulating a plurality of sub-segments of the despread signal segment, wherein each sub-segment is demodulated with use of one or more estimated communication channel characteristics corresponding to the sub-segment, and forming a summation signal reflecting a summation of a plurality of demodulated sub-segments. The receiving technique further comprises forming a signal reflecting a signal segment value, the formed signal based on one or more summation signals. The step of demodulating may precede the step of despreading in some embodiments.

In cellular radio systems, each cell is a local geographic region containing a base station and a plurality of mobile users. Each mobile user communicates directly with a base station only; there is no direct mobile-to-mobile communication. The base station performs, among other things, a relay function allowing a mobile user to communicate with a user in another location. So, for example, the base station provides coupling of a mobile user's transmission to another mobile user in the same cell, to another base station for coupling to a mobile user in another cell, or to an ordinary public switched telephone network. In this way, a mobile user can send and receive information to and from any other addressable user.
Direct Sequence Spread Spectrum (DSSS) systems, such as Direct Sequence Code Division Multiple Access (DS-CDMA) systems, are attracting widespread attention in the personal communication fields, such as, for example, digital cellular radio. In a DS-CDMA communication system, both the time and frequency domains may be shared by all users simultaneously (this simultaneous sharing of time and frequency domains is to be distinguished from time-division and frequency-division multiple access systems, TDMA and FDMA, where multiple user communication is facilitated with use of unique time slots or frequency bands, respectively, for each user). As such, a base station may simultaneously transmit distinct information signals to separate users using a single band of frequencies. Individual information signals simultaneously transmitted may be isolated by each receiving user because of the base station's utilization of unique signature sequences in the transmission of the information signals. Prior to transmission, the base station multiplies each information signal by a signature sequence signal assigned to the user intended to receive the signal. To recover a transmitted signal from among those signals transmitted simultaneously in a frequency band, a receiving mobile user multiplies a received signal (containing all transmitted signals) by its own unique signature sequence signal and integrates the result. By so doing, the user identifies that signal intended for it, as distinct from other signals intended for other users.
In wireless communication systems (such as DS-CDMA systems), an information signal is communicated from a transmitter to a receiver via a channel comprising several independent paths. These paths are referred to as multipaths. Each multipath represents a distinct route an information signal may take in traveling between transmitter and receiver. An information signal communicated via such routs or multipaths appears at a receiver as a plurality of multipath signals, one signal for each multipath.
The amplitudes and phases of signals received from a transmitter through different multipaths of a communication channel are generally independent of each other. Because of complex addition of multipath signals, the strength of received signals may vary between very small and moderately large values. The phenomenon of received signal strength variation due to complex addition of multipath signals is known as fading. In a fading environment, points of very low signal strength, or deep fades, are separated by approximately one-half wavelength from each other.
Multipaths encountered in wireless communication systems can be described by certain characteristics, such as amplitude attenuation and phase shifting. For example, the multipaths of a DS-CDMA channel may provide different amplitude attenuations and phase shifts to an information signal communicated from a transmitter to a receiver. These different amplitude and phase characteristics may vary due to, e.g., relative movement between transmitter and receiver, or changes in local geography of the transmitter or receiver due to movement. Because of the variation of multipath characteristics, a receiver can experience a signal which fades with time. This fading is a manifestation of the complex addition of multipath signals having time varying amplitudes and phases.
If the characteristics of a DS-CDMA multipath vary slowly, a receiver experiencing a deep fade may observe a weak signal for a long period of time. Long fades are not uncommon in, e.g., indoor radio systems, where relative movement between receivers and transmitters is slow or nonexistent (often, one of these two is an immobile base station; the other is a mobile device carried by a person). Since the duration of a deep fade may be large in comparison to the duration of information symbols being communicated, long bursts of symbol errors may occur (due to the weakness of received signal strength for an extended period of time).
To avoid or mitigate the detrimental effects of fading, a technique providing diversity may be employed. Diversity refers generally to the ability of a communication system to receive information via several independently fading channels. As a general matter, diversity techniques enhance a system receiver's ability to combine or select (or both) signals arriving from these independently fading channels, thus enabling (or facilitating) the extraction of communicated information.

Diversity for direct-sequence spread spectrum systems


Integrated circuit comprising:

The invention relates to an integrated circuit structure comprising capacitive means of decoupling power supply terminals from the circuit.
It is used for applications in the fields of micro-electronics for making circuits with MOS, MIS or bipolar components, and to reduce parasite noise generated on electrical power supplies for circuits caused particularly by transient current demand.
More precisely, the invention may be used in, portable appliances for example such as microprocessors, cordless telephony circuits or any other applications using SOI technologies for their low consumption characteristics.
In integrated circuits, the distribution of grounds and power supply potentials to active devices, in other words for example to transistors, is achieved by using power supply tracks made of an electrically conducting material. During operation of the circuits, the power supply tracks must output transient currents with a relatively high intensity.
These transient currents can generate parasite noise on tracks and the power supply system, depending on their intensity and location.
Filtering capacitors are usually used in electronic circuits connected between the terminals of power supply systems to reduce parasite noise, and are placed as close as possible to the transient current source.
In the field of integrated electronics, the manufacture of filtering capacitors can cause problems. However, the structure of some types of integrated circuits such as CMOS (Complementary Metal Oxide Semiconductor) circuits on solid substrates can naturally decouple power supply potentials and the ground potential.
FIG. 1 is a diagrammatic view through part of a typical CMOS type of integrated circuit.
In this figure, reference 10 denotes a solid silicon substrate with a P type of conductivity. An N type caisson 12 is formed in this substrate. References 14 and 16 denote field effect transistors made in the P type substrate and in the N type caisson respectively.
Strongly doped active areas 14a, 14b, 16a, 16b, 18 and 20 form sources and drains of field effect transistors 14, 16, and contact areas for the P and N type regions, respectively.
The P+ type active area 18 is in contact with the P type substrate and the N+ type active area 20 is in contact with the N type caisson.
A thick electrical insulating layer 22 covers the substrate and components 14, 16 that are made on it. Openings 24 pass through this layer, and an electrically conducting material is stacked on it in order to connect the active areas to conducting tracks 26, 28, 30 formed above the electrical insulating layer 22. The openings filled with an electrical conducting material are also called xe2x80x9cviasxe2x80x9d.
The vias connect active areas to each other. For example, this is the case of vias connected to the central conducting track 26 that electrically connect the active areas 14b and 16a to each other. The vias also connect active areas and/or regions of the substrate to power supply terminals.
In FIG. 1, the power supply terminals consist of conducting tracks 28 and 30 that are connected to a power supply source 31 diagrammatically shown as continuous lines.
The conducting track 28 forms a ground terminal. It is connected to the active area 14a of the first transistor 14, and to the substrate 10 through the active area 18. A second power supply terminal formed by the conducting track 30 is connected particularly to caisson 12 through the active area 20.
The caisson 12 forms a semi-conducting junction with the substrate 10 which has a certain junction capacity and which is connected between the power supply terminals 28, 30 in parallel with the components.
Thus the capacitance of the caisson-substrate junction filters the power supply and reduces parasite noise due to current demand.
There are other types of CMOS structures with N caissons, P caissons or double caissons. Junction capacitors formed between the caissons and the substrate are usually sufficient to obtain intrinsic decoupling between the ground terminal and the other power supply terminals.
However, a number of integrated circuits made at the present time are not formed on a solid substrate as mentioned above, but are formed in a thin layer of a support with a Silicon On Insulator type structure. This type of structure, usually denoted xe2x80x9cSOIxe2x80x9d, comprises an electrically insulating material, for example oxide, that separates the thin layer of silicon from a solid part of the support. Making integrated circuits on SOI type substrates can increase the integration density, reduce parasite capacitances and improve performances of circuits in terms of operating frequency and consumption.
In the case of circuits made on SOI substrates, the insulation between the different components or active areas is formed by oxide areas.
Thus, decoupling between grounds and other power supply terminals through the substrate in structures on a solid substrate is much weaker in circuits made on SOI type substrates.
Therefore, higher noise is observed in these circuits. For example, this problem is described in document (1), for which the reference is given at the end of this description.
One possible solution for reducing parasite noise consists of adding decoupling capacitors to the integrated circuit formed in the thin layer of the SOI structure. These capacitors may be made using the grid capacitor of one or several transistors. For example, an NMOS type transistor can be used in which the grid is connected to a power supply terminal and in which the source and drain are connected to the ground. A better quality capacitance can be achieved by using an appropriate layout of the channel in such a transistor.
However, transistors or other capacitors dedicated to decoupling power supply terminals are placed on the SOI structure adjacent to transistors forming the functional part of the integrated circuit. Thus, they occupy useful space thus increasing the total area of electronic chips.
Further information on this subject can be found in documents (2) and (3), for which the references are given at the end of the description.
Technological background of the invention is also illustrated in document (4).
The purpose of this invention is to propose an integrated circuit formed in a thin insulated layer of a substrate, for example such as a thin layer of an SOI substrate which does not have the limitations mentioned above.
One particular purpose is to propose a circuit including means of decoupling the terminals of one or several power supplies in order to efficiently reduce the parasite noise in power supplies.
Another purpose is to propose such a circuit using a chip with a small surface area.
In order to achieve these objectives, the purpose of the invention is an integrated circuit comprising:
at least one first and one second power supply terminal,
at least one active area formed in a thin layer of a substrate and electrically connected to at least one of the power supply terminals.
According to the invention, the integrated circuit also comprises capacitive decoupling means formed by at least one dielectric capacitor connected between the said first and second power supply terminals and formed in a region of the substrate that is electrically insulated from the thin substrate layer.
For the purposes of this invention, an active area is an area of the thin layer with a determined type of doping. An electronic circuit can include a very large number of active areas that in particular can form parts of transistors such as transistor sources or drains.
Furthermore, power may be supplied to the circuit by one or several power supplies. A power supply terminal is a conducting element connected to a power supply, the potential of which is fixed by the said power supply. The ground terminal is one particular power supply terminal.
With the invention, the capacitive decoupling means do not reduce the available space for functional components of the integrated circuit, in other words for the active areas, since they are not formed in the thin layer.
According to one particular advantageous aspect, the region comprising capacitive decoupling means may extend at least partly below the active area(s) of the integrated circuit.
This characteristic makes an even greater contribution to reducing the total area of the chip used in the circuit.
The capacitive decoupling means in the invention may comprise one or several dielectric capacitors. A dielectric capacitor is a capacitor made in the same way as a conventional capacitor, in other words with two foils made of an electrically conducting material separated by an electrically insulating material.
Thus, the substrate region insulated from the thin layer may comprise at least a first and at least a second layer of an electrically conducting material electrically insulated from each other, with at least one surface facing the other and connected to the first and second power supply terminals respectively.
The first and second layers of conducting material, for example made of doped silicon or polycrystalline silicon, may be separated by a silicon oxide layer.
According to one improvement of the invention, the capacitive decoupling means may comprise at least one electrically conducting layer forming a foil of the capacitor, and connected to at least one active area to connect the said active area to a power supply terminal.
The use of decoupling means to distribute an electrical power supply to active areas is not only very useful to even further reduce parasite noise, but also to release a large area to make interconnection tracks for active parts and for signal transport. These tracks are usually-formed on one side of the thin layer opposite the solid part of the SOI substrate.
The invention also relates to a process for making an integrated circuit equipped with capacitive dielectric means. This process comprises the following steps in sequence:
a) formation of a first insulating layer and a second conducting layer in order, starting from the surface, on a substrate comprising a first conducting layer,
b) formation of the second conducting layer to leave at least part of the second conducting layer separated from the first conducting layer by the first insulating layer,
c) formation of a second insulating layer surrounding part of the second conducting layer,
d) creation of a thin layer of semiconducting material on the second insulating layer,
e) formation of at least one component in the thin layer, comprising at least one active area and oxidation of the thin layer between the components,
f) formation of a thick electrical insulating layer on the thin layer,
g) formation of openings passing through the thick insulating layer, the thin layer, and the layer of electrical insulating material outside components to reach the first and second conducting layers,
h) placement of the conducting material in the openings, and formation of electrical interconnections to connect the first and second conducting layers to first and second electrical power supply terminals, respectively.
Step g) can also comprise the formation . of openings passing through the thick insulating layer to reach active areas in the thin layer, these openings also being filled with electrical conducting material to selectively connect active areas to each other or to connect active areas to electrical power supply terminals.
Other characteristics and advantages of this invention will become clearer from the following description with reference to the figures in the attached drawings. This description is given for illustrative purposes only and is in no way restrictive.

SOI type integrated circuit with a decoupling capacity and process for embodiment of such a circuit

Abstract: Integrated circuit comprising:

Abstract: at least one first and one second power supply terminal (418, 420),

Abstract: at least one active area (302, 304, 306, 308) formed in a thin layer (206) of a substrate and electrically connected to at least one of the power supply terminals.

Abstract: According to the invention, the circuit also comprises capacitive decoupling means formed by at least one dielectric capacitor (110, 112, 114) connected between the said, first and second power supply terminals and formed in a region of the substrate that is electrically insulated from the thin substrate layer (206).

Abstract: Applications include the manufacture of portable electronic equipment.


Finishers for texthes, leather, paper and mineral substrates consisting of fluorine-containing copolymers and aqueous dispersions prepared therefrom are characterized by the following percentages by weight of the comonomers, relative to the total weight of the copolymers:. a) 60 to 90% by weight of perfluoroalkyl-containing (meth)acrylates of the formula EQU C.sub.n F.sub.2n+1 --X--0--CO--CR.sup.1 .dbd.CH.sub.2 (I), PA1 b) 1 to 35% by weight of monomers of the formula EQU CH.sub.2 .dbd.CR.sup.4 --COO--R.sup.5 (II) PA1 c) 4 to 25% by weight of monomers of the formula ##STR1## d) 1 to 15% by weight of monomers of the formula EQU CH.sub.2 .dbd.CR.sup.11 --COOCH.sub.2 CH.sub.2 --N(R.sup.9,R.sup.10)(IVa). and/or styrene, acrylonitrile, vinyl acetate or vinyl propionate,. or EQU [CH.sub.2 .dbd.CR.sup.11 --COO--CH.sub.2 CH.sub.2 --N(R.sup.9,R.sup.10,R.sup.12)].sup..sym. Y.sup..crclbar. (IVb). or ##STR2##

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to copolymers consisting of monomers containing perfluoroalkyl groups, hydrophilic, ionic and non-ionic monomers and further comonomers. The invention furthermore relates to aqueous dispersions of these fluorine-containing copolymers, to the preparation of the copolymers and their aqueous dispersions and to their use for the oil-, soil- and water-repellant finishing of texthe materials, leather, paper and mineral substrates.
2. Description of the Related Art
It is known from U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,127,711, 4,564,561, 4,366,299 and 4,579,924 that copolymers can be prepared from monomers containing perfluoroalkyl groups, hydrophilic, ionic or non-ionic monomers and, if desired, further comonomers.
The disadvantage is that either the dispersions prepared from these copolymers contain solvents which, upon application, require special safety, precautions due to the relatively low flash point, or the dispersions can only be prepared with the aid of emulsifiers, which, on the other hand, in turn reduce the desired effects, or a very high fluorine content is necessary for ensuring high oil and water repellency, which, on the other hand, leads to harshening of the substrates finished therewith.
Accordingly, the object of the invention is to develop highly effective oil and water repellent finishing agents for texthes, leather, paper and mineral substrates which can be prepared as an aqueous dispersion without using emulsifiers. Rather effective finishing agents for texthes, leather, paper and mineral substrates of the type of fluorine containing copolymers and aqueous dispersions prepared therefrom are known from above cited U.S. Pat. No. 5,247,008.
In detail, these are fluorine-containing copolymers and aqueous dispersions prepared therefrom containing 5 to 50% by weight relative to the total weight of the dispersions, of ingredients other than water (solid content), wherein the copolymers contain copolymerized comonomers in the following percentages by weight, relative to the total weight of the copolymers:
a) 45-75% by weight of (meth)acrylates containing perfluoroalkyl groups, of the formula EQU C.sub.n F.sub.2n+1 --X--OCO--CR.sup.1 .dbd.CH.sub.2 (I)
in which
n represents a number from 4-12, PA1 R.sup.1 denotes hydrogen or methyl and PA1 X represents--(--CH.sub.2 --)m--, --SO.sub.2 --NR.sup.2 --CH.sub.2 --CHR.sup.3 or --O--(--CH.sub.2 --) .sub.m --, where m denotes a number from 1 to 4, R.sup.2 represents C.sub.1 -C.sub.4 -alkyl and R.sup.3 represents hydrogen or methyl, PA1 b) 10 to 50% of monomers of the formulae EQU CH.sub.2 .dbd.CH--CO--OR.sup.4 (IIa) PA1 R.sup.4 represents a C.sub.1 -C.sub.22 -alkyl radical and PA1 R.sup.12 denotes C.sub.2 -C.sub.22 -alkyl PA1 R.sup.7 denotes hydrogen or C.sub.1 -C.sub.8 -alkyl and PA1 p represents a number from 1 to 50, and PA1 R.sup.8 and R.sup.9 independently of one another denote C.sub.1 -C.sub.4 -alkyl and PA1 R.sup.11 represents hydrogen or methyl, PA1 R.sup.10 denotes C.sub.1 -C.sub.4 -alkyl and PA1 Y represents an equivalent of a mono- to tri-valent anion, PA1 X represents --(--CH.sub.2 --).sub.m --, --SO.sub.2 --NR.sup.2 --CH.sub.2 --CHR.sup.3 -- or --O--(--CH.sub.2 --) .sub.m --, m denoting a number from 1 to 4, PA1 R.sup.1, R.sup.3, R.sup.4, R.sup.6, R.sup.7 and R.sup.11 represent, independently of one another, hydrogen or methyl, PA1 R.sup.2, R.sup.9, R.sup.10 and R.sup.12 denote, independently of one another, C.sub.1 -C.sub.4 -alkyl, PA1 R.sup.5 represents a C.sub.1 -C.sub.22 -alkyl, preferably C.sub.1 -C.sub.8 -alkyl, radical, PA1 denotes hydrogen or C.sub.1 -C.sub.8 -alkyl, PA1 p represents a number from 1 to 50, preferably 3 to 25, and PA1 Y represents an equivalent of a mono- to trivalent anion wherefrom the copolymers of U.S. Pat. No. 5,267,008 are disclaimed. PA1 60-90% by weight of component a), PA1 1-35% by weight of component b), PA1 4-25% by weight of component c) and PA1 1-15% by weight of component d), PA1 1-20% by weight of component b), PA1 4-25% by weight of component c) and PA1 1-10% by weight of component d), PA1 >75-90% by weight of component a), PA1 1-<20% by weight of component b) PA1 4-20% by weight of component c) and PA1 1-10% by weight of component d). PA1 >75-85% by weight of component a), PA1 1-18% by weight of component b), PA1 5-15% by weight of component c) and PA1 1-10% by weight of component d). PA1 65-90% by weight of component a), PA1 1-<10% by weight of component b), PA1 4-25% by weight of component c) and PA1 1-10% by weight of component d). PA1 65-85% by weight of component a), PA1 1-<10% by weight of component b), PA1 5-18% by weight of component c) and PA1 1-10% by weight of component d). PA1 Melamine condensation products as described, for example, in DE-A 3,800,845 or in U.S. Pat. No. 2,398,569: PA1 aqueous colloidal suspensions of organosiloxanes disclosed for example, in DE-A 3,307,420: PA1 as paper auxiliaries: agents for retention, wet-fastness and sizing. PA1 a) 10 to 40% by weight of the formula (I), PA1 b) 20 to 95% by weight of the formula (II) and/or styrene, acrylonitrile, vinyl acetate and vinyl propionate, respectively, PA1 c) 4 to 30% by weight of the formula (III), PA1 d) 1 to 15% by weight of the formula (IVa) or (IVb) or (IVc).
and/or EQU CH.sub.2 .dbd.C(CH.sub.3)--CO--OR.sup.12 (IIb)
in which
wherein the monomers (IIa) and/or (IIb) can be completely or partially replaced by one or more monomers of the group consisting of styrene, acrylonitrile, vinyl acetate, vinyl propionate and methyl methacrylate,
c) 4-30% of monomers of the formula ##STR3## in which R.sup.5 and R.sup.6 independently represent hydrogen or methyl and
d) 1 to 15% of monomers of the formula EQU CH.sub.2 .dbd.CR.sup.11 COO--CH.sub.2 CH.sub.2 --N(R.sup.8,R.sup.9)(IVa)
in which
or of monomers of the formula (IVa) in their quaternised form of the formula EQU [CH.sub.2 .dbd.CR.sup.11 --COO--CH.sub.2 CH.sub.2 N(R.sup.8,R.sup.9,R.sup.10)].sup..sym. Y.sup..crclbar. (IVb)
in which additionally
or of monomers of the formula (IVa) in their N-oxidised form of the formula ##STR4## However, it has been found that further effective finishing agents of this type are those, e.g., wherein the comonomer a) is present in approx. 70% by weight, monomer b) in only approx. 8% by weight, and comonomers c) and d) are adjusted accordingly, and those, e.g., wherein the comonomer a) is present in approx. 77% by weight or more, comonomer b) is present in the range of below 10% by weight up to nearly 20% by weight, and comonomers c) and d) are adjusted accordingly.

Fluorine-containing copolymers and aqueous dispersions prepared therefrom


A knife sharpener (1) having a flexible grinding system includes a grinding wheel (2) and means for rotating the wheel, and has a fixed guide surface (14) for roughly positioning a knife for sharpening. A movable member (21) is disposed adjacent to the grinding member (17) of the grinding wheel, with the movable biased by a spring (26) in a direction towards the wheel. In operation, when a knife is moved into contact with the grinding wheel, the movable member is displaced inwardly to reduce the contact pressure such that only the knife edge contacts the wheel. Thus, rather than recontouring the knife edge, the knife edge is most closely returned to its original contour. Using such a flexible grinding system substantially maintains the original edge contour of the blade.

Knife sharpeners typically include a rotating abrasive grinding wheel against which a blade edge is pressed so that an edge which has been dulled or otherwise rendered ineffective is reground to sharpen the edge. For example, in U.S. Pat. No. 4,716,689, a knife sharpener is described which includes a magnetic guide member having a fixed guide surface located adjacent to an abrasive surface with the guide surface being in a plane disposed at a predetermined angle to intersect the abrasive surface to form a line of intersection therewith. A pair of magnetic poles are oriented such that each lies along a line which is substantially parallel to the line of intersection so that the magnetic field created by the poles provides a thrust which moves the cutting facet into contact with the abrasive surface and provides a force to hold the cutting edge facet in contact with the abrasive surface. The guide surfaces are fixed relative to the grinding wheel. U.S. Pat. No. 4,897,965 and U.S. Pat. No. 4,627,194 describe similar knife sharpening apparatus with magnetic knife guide means. U.S. Pat. No. 5,005,319 discloses another knife sharpening apparatus which utilizes an orbiting sharpening member. Each of the mechanisms uses a fixed set of guides for determining the position of the blade relative to the grinding wheel.
One problem with these devices is that they tend to provide a single blade edge shape and angulation, regardless of the original edge shape and contour. This leads to a noticeable change in performance of many blades, despite obtaining a sharp edge. This is because blade designers develop an optimum blade edge for the anticipated use, i.e., a chopping knife edge may vary from a slicing knife edge. One knife may be very thin and flat, while another may have a thick blade with a wedge shape. But if both of these articles are sharpened with the prior art devices, both edge shapes will be modified by regrinding to conform to the orientation of the guide surfaces in the knife sharpener. This, of course, eliminates the optimal edge initially provided and thus the sharpened blade will never have the same edge as a new blade.


The present invention provides an array substrate, a display panel and a display method thereof, as well as a display device. The array substrate of the present invention comprises data lines and gate lines formed on a substrate, the data lines and the gate lines are provided intersecting with and insulating from each other and define a plurality of pixel units, each of which comprises: a storage capacitor and a first thin film transistor, a gate of the first thin film transistor is connected to the corresponding gate line, a source thereof is connected to the corresponding data line, and a drain thereof is connected to one end of the storage capacitor, wherein, touch-control units are provided in at least a part of the pixel units.

Currently, input devices such as mice, keyboards, sensor panels, touch screens and the like are being widely used in electronic products such as computers, PADs, mobile phones and the like. Especially, touch screens, due to easy operation and continuously reduced cost, have become more and more popular.
Relative to the prior art (e.g., traditional type and OGS) in which a touch panel is provided on a liquid crystal panel, a technique in which a touch panel function is integrated in a liquid crystal panel becomes increasingly prevailing. Integration of a touch panel and a liquid crystal panel includes "in-cell" technique and "on-cell" technique. The in-cell technique refers to a method in which a touch panel function is embedded into pixel units of a liquid crystal panel. The on-cell technique refers to a method in which a touch panel function is embedded between a color filter substrate and a polarizer film. By integrating a touch panel part, which originally was provided externally, with a liquid crystal panel, a panel can be implemented to be thin and light in weight. In addition, in the prior art in which a touch panel is provided outside a liquid crystal panel, a physical space exists between the liquid crystal panel and the touch panel, and therefore, light from outside and the like may be reflected between an upper surface of the liquid crystal panel and a lower surface of the touch panel, resulting in deteriorated visibility in bright outdoor environments. If the external touch panel part can be integrated with the liquid crystal panel, the phenomenon of deteriorated visibility in the outdoors can be suppressed.
The in-cell technique fails to achieve progress in practicality, as it is difficult to ensure yield rate and display performance. This is mainly because a touch sensor needs to be embedded inside each pixel unit on a TFT array substrate. For this purpose, it is necessary to adopt complex semiconductor manufacturing process, which becomes a stumbling block to the improvement of the yield rate. Further, embedding the touch sensor in the pixel may reduce an area portion that can be used for displaying, thus resulting in deteriorated picture quality.

Array substrate, display panel and display method thereof, display device

HEFEI BOE OPTOELECTRONICS TECHNOLOGY CO., LTD.