An improved deposition chamber (2) includes a housing (4) defining a chamber (18) which houses a substrate support (14). A mixture of oxygen and SiF4 is delivered through a set of first nozzles (34) and silane is delivered through a set of second nozzles (34a) into the chamber around the periphery (40) of the substrate support. Silane (or a mixture of silane and SiF4) and oxygen are separately injected into the chamber generally centrally above the substrate from orifices (64, 76). The uniform dispersal of the gases coupled with the use of optimal flow rates for each gas results in uniformly low (under 3.4) dielectric constant across the film.

One of the primary steps in the fabrication of modern semiconductor devices is the formation of a thin film on a semiconductor substrate by chemical reaction of gases. Such a deposition process is referred to as chemical vapor deposition (CVD). Conventional thermal CVD processes supply reactive gases to the substrate surface where heat-induced chemical reactions can take place to produce the desired film. Plasma CVD processes promote the excitation and/or dissociation of the reactant gases by the application of radio frequency (RF) energy to the reaction zone proximate the substrate surface thereby creating a plasma of highly reactive species. The high reactivity of the released species reduces the energy required for a chemical reaction to take place, and thus lowers the required temperature for such CVD processes.
In one design of plasma CVD chambers, the vacuum chamber is generally defined by a planar substrate support, acting as a cathode, along the bottom, a planar anode along the top, a relatively short sidewall extending upwardly from the bottom, and a dielectric dome connecting the sidewall with the top. Inductive coils are mounted about the dome and are connected to a source radio frequency (SRF) generator. The anode and the cathode are typically coupled to bias radio frequency (BRF) generators. Energy applied from the SRF generator to the inductive coils forms an inductively coupled plasma within the chamber. Such a chamber is referred to as a high density plasma CVD (HDP-CVD) chamber.
In some HDP-CVD chambers, it is typical to mount two or more sets of equally spaced gas distributors, such as nozzles, to the sidewall and extend into the region above the edge of the substrate support surface. The gas nozzles for each set are coupled to a common manifold for that set; the manifolds provide the gas nozzles with process gases. The composition of the gases introduced into the chamber depends primarily on the type of material to be formed on the substrate. For example, when a fluorosilicate glass (FSG) film is deposited within the chamber, the process gases may include, silane (SiH4), silicon tetrafluoride (SiF4), oxygen (O2) and argon (Ar). Sets of gas nozzles are commonly used because it is preferable to introduce some gases into the chamber separately from other gases, while other gases can be delivered to a common set of nozzles through a common manifold. For example, in the above FSG process it is preferable to introduce SiH4 separately from O2, while O2 and SiF4 can be readily delivered together. The nozzle tips have exits, typically orifices, positioned in a circumferential pattern spaced apart above the circumferential periphery of the substrate support and through which the process gases flow.
As device sizes become smaller and integration density increases, improvements in processing technology are necessary to meet semiconductor manufacturers"" process requirements. One parameter that is important in such processing is film deposition uniformity. To achieve a high film uniformity, among other things, it is necessary to accurately control the delivery of gases into the deposition chamber and across the wafer surface. Ideally, the ratio of gases (e.g., the ratio of O2 to (SiH4+SiF4)) introduced at various spots along the wafer surface should be the same.
FIG. 1 illustrates a typical undoped silicate glass (USG) deposition thickness variation plot 46 for a conventional deposition chamber such as the chamber described above. The average thickness is shown by base line 48. As can be seen by plot 46, there is a relatively steep increase in thickness at end points 50 and 52 of plot 46 corresponding to the periphery 42 of substrate 20. The center 54 of plot 46 also dips down substantially as well.
U.S. patent application Ser. No. 08/571,618 filed Dec. 13, 1995, now U.S. Pat. No. 5,772,771 the disclosure of which is incorporated by reference, discloses how plot 46 can be improved through the use of a center nozzle 56 coupled to a third gas source 58 through a third gas controller 60 and a third gas feed line 62. Center nozzle 56 has an orifice 64 positioned centrally above substrate support surface 16. Using center nozzle 56 permits the modification of USG deposition thickness variation plot 46 from that of FIG. 1 to exemplary plot 68 of FIG. 2. Exemplary deposition thickness variation plot 68 is flat enough so that the standard deviation of the deposition thickness can be about 1 to 2% of one sigma. This is achieved primarily by reducing the steep slope of the plot at end points 50, 52 and raising in the low point at center 54 of plot 46.
With the advent of multilevel metal technology in which three, four, or more layers of metal are formed on the semiconductors, another goal of semiconductor manufacturers is lowering the dielectric constant of insulating layers such as intermetal dielectric layers. Low dielectric constant films are particularly desirable for intermetal dielectric (IMD) layers to reduce the RC time delay of the interconnect metallization, to prevent cross-talk between the different levels of metallization, and to reduce device power consumption.
Many approaches to obtain lower dielectric constants have been proposed. One of the more promising solutions is the incorporation of fluorine or other halogen elements, such as chlorine or bromine, into a silicon oxide layer. It is believed that fluorine, the preferred halogen dopant for silicon oxide films, lowers the dielectric constant of the silicon oxide film because fluorine is an electronegative atom that decreases the polarizability of the overall SiOF network. Fluorine-doped silicon oxide films are also referred to as fluoro silicate glass (FSG) films.
From the above, it can be seen that it is desirable to produce oxide films having reduced dielectric constants such as FSG films. At the same time, it is also desirable to provide a method to accurately control the delivery of process gases to all points along the wafer""s surface to improve characteristics such as film uniformity. As previously discussed, one method employed to improve film deposition uniformity is described in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 08/571,618 discussed above. Despite this improvement, new techniques for accomplishing these and other related objectives are continuously being sought to keep pace with emerging technologies.
The present invention is directed toward an improved deposition chamber that incorporates an improved gas delivery system. The gas delivery system helps ensure that the proper ratio of process gases is uniformly delivered across a wafer""s surface. The present invention is also directed toward a method of depositing FSG films having a low dielectric constant and improved uniformity. This is achieved by a combination of (1) the uniform application of the gases (preferably silane, fluorine-supplying gases such as SiF4 or CF4, and oxygen-supplying gases such as O2 or N2O) to the substrate and (2) the selection of optimal flow rates for the gases, which preferably have been determined as a result of tests using the particular chamber. In some embodiments, the deposited FSG film has a dielectric constant as low as 3.4 or 3.3. Preferably, the dielectric constant of the FSG film is at least below 3.5.
The improved deposition chamber includes a housing defining a deposition chamber. A substrate support is housed within the deposition chamber. A first gas distributor has orifices or other exits opening into the deposition chamber in a circumferential pattern spaced apart from and generally overlying the circumferential periphery of the substrate support surface. A second gas distributor, preferably a center nozzle, is used and is positioned spaced apart from and above the substrate support surface, and a third gas distributor delivers an oxygen-supply gas (e.g., O2) to the chamber through the top of the housing in a region generally centrally above the substrate. This is preferably achieved by passing the oxygen through an annular orifice created between the center nozzle carrying the silane (and any other gases) and a hole in the top of the housing. In one embodiment the first gas distributor includes first and second sets of nozzles.
In one embodiment of the method of the present invention, an FSG film is deposited from a process gas that includes silane, oxygen and SiF4. Oxygen and SiF4 are delivered together to the chamber through the first set of nozzles, and silane (or silane and SiF4) is delivered through the second set of nozzles. Mixing the SiF4 with oxygen and introducing this combination through the first set of nozzles reduces equipment complexity so cost can be reduced. Silane (or silane and SiF4) is also injected into the vacuum chamber from the second gas distributor to improve the uniform application of the gases to the substrate over that which is achieved without the use of the second gas distributor, and oxygen is delivered through the third gas distributor. In this way, oxygen is provided both from the sides through the first set of nozzles of the first gas distributors, preferably mixed with SiF4, and also in the same region as silane above the substrate. Also, the passage of the oxygen through the annular orifice keeps reactive gases within the chamber from attacking the seals used between the top of the housing and the body from which the center nozzle extends. This advantage is retained if silane is passed through the annular orifice and oxygen through the center nozzle.
Film thickness and dielectric constant uniformity is also enhanced by ensuring that the temperature of the substrate remains uniform across the substrate and using a source RF generator designed to achieve sputtering uniformity.
One of the primary aspects of the method of the present invention is the recognition that it is very important to ensure the uniform distribution of oxygen entering the chamber. This is achieved by flowing oxygen both from the top of the chamber and from the sides of the chamber. Additionally, by the appropriate configuration of the oxygen flow path through the top of the chamber, the oxygen can serve to protect the sealing element from deleterious effects of coming in contact with reactive gases such as fluorine.
In addition to the need to supply the gases to the substrate uniformly, it is necessary to use the correct proportion of the gases, for example O2, SiH4 and SiF4, to deposit a stable film and achieve a minimum dielectric constant for that film. The proper flow rates for each will differ according to the particular chamber used. Accordingly, it is a further aspect of the invention to test a variety of flow rate proportions to discover which set of flow rates provides a high quality dielectric film with a minimum dielectric constant.
Other features and advantages of the invention will appear from the following description in which the preferred embodiments have been set forth in detail in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

Deposition chamber and method for depositing low dielectric constant films


An adaptor system for mounting a gutter mount-type accessory on a rail mount-type vehicle's rooftop is disclosed. The system includes plural adaptor assemblies each including an extruded bracket member having a planar bottom surface for mating the upper surface of a mounting rail, and an edge region including first and opposing shoulder regions for secure gripping by a depending strut member and a hooked member that form a part of a gripping means in a rooftop accessory or accessory carrier. Preferably the first shoulder region has a first recess extending a predefined distance along and in parallel with the edge region, with the first recess being dimensioned to receive partly therein the depending strut. The second shoulder region preferably is defined as an upper surface of a second recess extending along and in parallel with the edge region for receiving partly therein a hooked member that forms another part of the gripping means. Each assembly also includes plural rail inserts slidably receivable within the rail channel and securable for fixable sliding therein to the bracket member by threaded fasteners that extend through holes formed in the bracket member and into tapped holes in the inserts.

This invention generally to vehicle rooftop rail mount systems. More particularly, it concerns an adaptor system that can be installed on rail mount systems to accommodate accessories or accessory carriers made for gutter mount systems.
Known vehicle rooftop gutter mount systems mount accessories or accessory carriers to the laterally spaced gutters that run fore and aft on either side of older vehicles such as cars. Known vehicle rooftop rail mount systems mount accessories or accessory carriers to the laterally spaced rails that run fore and aft on either side of certain newer vehicles such as vans and light passenger trucks. Gutter mount accessories and accessory carriers are widely available, but rail mount accessories and accessory carriers are difficult if not impossible to find.
Known vehicle rooftop "fake gutter" mount systems, i.e. systems that provide a generally gutter-shaped region for gripping by a gutter mount accessory or accessory carrier, require modification to the roof of the vehicle on which they are installed. Such modification typically includes exposing the roof of a vehicle by laying back interior covers and padding at four corners, drilling four pairs of holes through the roof, installing fake gutter mounts at each corner via fasteners that extend through the holes, securing the fasteners and replacing the interior covers and padding. Perhaps needless to say, such radical modification of a relatively new vehicle by its owner causes legitimate concerns regarding adverse impacts on the air-, water- and sound-proofness of the vehicle's interior, as well as adversely impacting on the vehicle's warranty coverage, aesthetic appeal and resale value.
A principal object of the invention is to provide a system for mounting a gutter mount-type accessory or accessory carrier to the rooftop of a vehicle having no gutter but having a rail mount system.
Another object of the invention is to provide such a system that is compatible with all known vehicle rail mount systems and all known gutter mount-type accessories and accessory carriers.
It is another important object to provide a durable, reliable and secure system having substantial carrying capacity.
Yet another object is to provide such a system that has few parts and is easily assembled/installed by a vehicle owner having average skill and common handtools.
Yet another object is to provide such a system that is easily manufactured and cost effective.
Very briefly summarizing the invention in its preferred embodiment, an adaptor bracket assembly is provided including an extruded bracket member having a planar bottom surface for mating with the upper surface of a vehicle's rail and an outer edge region including first and opposing shoulder regions configured for being grippingly engageable by a gripping means of a gutter mount-type accessory or accessory carrier. The preferred system also includes a planar insert slidably receivable within a channel of the rail, with the insert being fastenable to the bracket member for fixable sliding of both along the rail.
Preferably, the first shoulder region includes on an inclined first surface thereof a first recess extending a predefined distance along and in parallel with the edge region, the first recess being dimensioned for receiving partway therein a depending strut of the gripping means, thereby to limit sliding movement between the bracket member and the accessory or accessory carrier. Preferably, the opposing shoulder region includes an upper grippable surface formed by a second recess, the grippable surface extending in parallel with the inclined first surface for receiving partway therein a hooked member of the gripping means. Preferably, the fastener is a bolt that extends through a counterbored hole formed in the bracket member and into a tapped hole formed in the insert. The adaptor assembly is compatible with most known rail and accessory/carrier systems and is grippable thereby for substantial load-carrying capacity, stability and security.
These and other objects and advantages of the invention will become more readily apparent by reading the following description and by referring to the accompanying drawings.

Vehicular rooftop rail mount-to-gutter mount adaptor system


A valve has a first set of passages for simultaneously connecting an inlet of a first chamber hydraulically to a source of fluid under pressure and an outlet of a second chamber hydraulically to a venting tank and a second set of passages for simultaneously connecting an inlet of the second chamber hydraulically to the source of fluid under pressure and an outlet of the first chamber hydraulically to the venting tank. The sets of passages are sequentially repositioned to alternately cyclically connect and interrupt hydraulic communication through them. The first and second sets of passages are so configured in relationship to the inlets and outlets that flow through one set is completely terminated only after flow in the other set is initiated.

This invention relates generally to pumping apparatus and more particularly concerns shift valves for submersible downhole pumps.
In my earlier U.S. Pat. No. 4,591,320, issued May 27, 1986 and entitled "Submersible Pumping Unit," a submersible pump provided greatly increased efficiency over previously known submersible pump systems. The improved system uses one of various embodiments of a shift valve assembly to activate a shift rod assembly which in turn transmits reciprocating motion to a piston rod. The piston rod cooperates with a product valve to suck product from the well and push it up the annulus.
While this improved unit of my earlier patent provided greatly improved efficiency over previously known downhole pump systems, the switching time from up-stroke to downstroke of the piston rod approximates twenty to twenty-five milliseconds, allowing the product in the annulus to initiate downward motion between every pump stroke, thus limiting the increased efficiency of the system. This downward flow occurs because an off condition between every positive and negative operation of the shift valve completely interrupts the flow of working fluid driving the piston rod between every stroke of the rod.
If the upward flow of product is maintained relatively constant, this limitation of efficiency resulting from the downward flow of product can be avoided. It is, therefore, a primary object of this invention to provide a shift valve which minimizes the time between up and down strokes of the piston rod. It is a further object of this invention to provide a shift valve which does not have an off condition between positive and negative strokes. Another object of this invention is to provide a shift valve which increases the efficiency of known submersible pumping units.


A method and apparatus for processing data used in a character recognition system in which a threshold voltage value is developed to be applied to an analog waveform representing an unknown character to determine the start of the character waveform. Samples of the first peak of the waveform are generated and a value representing the area under the first peak is developed. Data processing means divides the area by the number of samples taken to arrive at a threshold voltage value which, when applied to the samples taken, determines the start of the character waveform. The voltage amplitudes of adjacent samples of the character waveform are then averaged and the number of samples reduced by one half. A predetermined number of samples having the maximum voltage amplitudes located within peak areas of the waveform are normalized for use by a utilization device in recognizing the unknown character.

The present invention relates to the field of machine recognition of magnetically imprinted characters on a document and more particularly to a method and apparatus for generating a variable threshold which is applied to a digitized waveform representing an unknown character for deriving peak values which are processed for use in identifying the unknown characters.
In single-gap magnetic character reading systems, a single analog input waveform is obtained by passing the characters to be sensed, normally printed on a document, beneath a magnetic read head at least as wide as the height of the characters and having a single flux gap. The signal generated by the read head is a derivative waveform representing the rate of change of magnetic flux transversing the head as the characters are scanned. Since the distribution of ink, and thus flux, associated with each different character is unique, the waveform derived for each different character uniquely identifies that character.
To simplify the timing of the waveform analysis process, the characters are provided with stylized geometric features which impart anticipatable timing characteristics to the derived waveforms. Thus, in accordance with this means for reader identification, each character of the E-13B font is divided into a predetermined number of vertical segments corresponding to a location of bar portions of the character. The characters are designed such that the distribution of ink undergoes significant change only at the boundaries between each segment. Hence, peak fluctuations in the derived waveform caused by these variations in ink distribution can occur at only predetermined times during the character scan.
Prior character readers have utilized single or multiple threshold values to eliminate noise levels due to ink splatter, smudges or smearing of the ink which occur during the printing of the documents, since recognition of the unknown characters is based on utilizing the amplitude of each of the peaks of the generated waveform for correlation with known peak amplitude characteristics of each of the E-13B characters to identify the character read. An example of this type of recognition system may be found in U.S. Pat. No. 3,534,334. Usually this type of threshold level is established on the conservative side to insure that all types of noise peaks will be eliminated. Since the exact location of each peak in the waveform is critical to the recognition of the unknown character, it is imperative that the start of the analog waveform be determined as accurately as possible since any variation in the location of the peaks in the waveform will shift the location of the peaks from their true position, thereby reducing the accuracy of the recognition operation. It is therefore an object of this invention to provide a magnetic character recognition system which provides highly accurate data in response to the generation of an analog signal representing an unknown character. It is a further object of this invention to provide a character recognition system which detects accurately the start of the character waveform. It is another object of this invention to provide a character recognition system which minimizes the effects of variations in ink intensity found in the characters that are to be read. It is still another object of this invention to provide a character start circuit which will detect the actual start of a character at a high relative speed, yet which circuit is low in cost.

Magnetic ink character recognition apparatus


An inking system for inking an intaglio printing cylinder of an intaglio printing press is designed to perform a selective transfer of ink to one or more intaglio printing mediums by way of a selective inking cylinder provided in at least one device. The selective inking cylinder carries a selective inking plate that receives ink supplied by an associated inking unit. The selective inking plate comprises a coating that is selectively structured to exhibit ink-repellent portions and perform selective transfer of ink at locations corresponding to engraved areas of the one or more intaglio printing mediums that are to be inked with the ink supplied by the associated inking unit. The selective transfer of ink is performed indirectly from the selective inking cylinder to the one or more intaglio printing mediums via an ink collecting cylinder and/or via a chablon cylinder carrying a chablon plate.

International Publication No. WO 2014/131479 A1 discloses an inking system for inking an intaglio printing cylinder of an intaglio printing press, which intaglio printing cylinder carries one or more intaglio printing mediums, the inking system comprising an ink collecting cylinder designed to cooperate with the intaglio printing cylinder and to collect ink patterns from a plurality of inking devices that are distributed about a portion of the circumference of the ink collecting cylinder, wherein at least one of the inking devices, preferably each inking device, comprises a selective inking cylinder cooperating with the ink collecting cylinder, wherein the selective inking plate comprises a coating that is selectively structured to exhibit ink-repellent portions and perform selective transfer of ink at locations corresponding to engraved areas of the one or more intaglio printing mediums that are to be inked with the ink supplied by the associated inking unit.
Publication U.S. Pat. No. 4,516,496 A discloses an inking system for inking an intaglio printing cylinder, comprising an ink collecting cylinder designed to collect ink patterns from a plurality of inking devices each having a selective inking cylinder that are distributed about a portion of the circumference of the ink collecting cylinder.
Furthermore, intaglio printing presses are already known in the art, for instance from Swiss Patent No. CH 685 380 A5, European Patent Publications Nos. EP 0 406 157 A1, EP 0 415 881 A2, EP 0 563 007 A1, EP 0 873 866 A1, and International Publications Nos. WO 03/047862 A1, WO 2005/077656 A1, WO 2008/146193 A1, WO 2011/077348 A1, WO 2011/077350 A1, WO 2011/077351 A1, WO 2013/153519 A2, all assigned to the instant Applicant.
In the above-listed intaglio printing presses, inking of the plate cylinder carrying the intaglio printing plate(s) (which plate cylinder acts as intaglio printing cylinder) is typically carried out by means of a plurality of inking devices that cooperate either directly with the plate cylinder or indirectly, via an ink collecting cylinder (also referred to in the art as "Orlof" cylinder) that collects ink from multiple inking devices. Each such inking devices comprises a chablon cylinder that cooperates either with the plate cylinder or the ink collecting cylinder (if present), which chablon cylinder carries a chablon plate comprising relief portions corresponding to engraved areas of the intaglio printing plates that are to be inked with a given ink supplied by an associated inking unit placed upstream of the chablon cylinder.
FIGS. 1a and 1b schematically illustrate a known intaglio printing press as for instance disclosed in International Publication No. WO 2013/153519 A2, which printing press is generally designated by reference numeral 1.
More precisely, FIG. 1a shows a sheet-fed intaglio printing press 1 comprising a sheet feeder 2 for feeding sheets to be printed, an intaglio printing unit 3 for printing the sheets, and a sheet delivery unit 4 for collecting the freshly-printed sheets. The intaglio printing unit 3 includes an impression cylinder 7, a plate cylinder 8 acting as intaglio printing cylinder (in this example, the plate cylinder 8 is a three-segment plate cylinder carrying three intaglio printing plates 8a, 8b, 8c ), an inking system comprising an ink collecting cylinder, or Orlof cylinder, 9 (here a three-segment blanket cylinder carrying a corresponding number of blankets) for inking the surface of the intaglio printing plates 8a, 8b, 8c carried by the plate cylinder 8 and an ink wiping system 10 for wiping the inked surface of the intaglio printing plates 8a, 8b, 8c carried by the plate cylinder 8 prior to printing of the sheets.
The sheets are fed from the sheet feeder 2 onto a feeder table and then onto the impression cylinder 7. The sheets are then carried by the impression cylinder 7 to the printing nip between the impression cylinder 7 and the plate cylinder 8 where intaglio printing is performed. Once printed, the sheets are transferred away from the impression cylinder 7 for conveyance by a sheet transporting system 11 in order to be delivered to the delivery unit 4. The sheet transporting system 11 conventionally comprises a sheet conveyor system with a pair of endless chains driving a plurality of spaced-apart gripper bars for holding a leading edge of the sheets (the freshly-printed side of the sheets being oriented downwards on their way to the delivery unit 4), sheets being transferred in succession to a corresponding one of the gripper bars.
During their transport to the sheet delivery unit 4, the freshly printed sheets are preferably inspected by an optical inspection system 5. In the illustrated example, the optical inspection system 5 is advantageously an inspection system as disclosed in International Publication No. WO 2011/161656 A1 (which publication is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety), which inspection system 5 comprises a transfer mechanism and an inspection drum located at the transfer section between the impression cylinder 7 and chain wheels of the sheet transporting system 11. The optical inspection system 5 could alternatively be an inspection system placed along the path of the sheet transporting system 11 as described in International Publications Nos. WO 97/36813 A1, WO 97/37329 A1, and WO 03/070465 A1. Such inspection systems are in particular marketed by the Applicant under the product designation NotaSave®.
Before delivery, the printed sheets are preferably transported in front of a drying or curing unit 6 disposed after the inspection system 5 along the transport path of the sheet transporting system 11. Drying or curing could possibly be performed prior to the optical inspection of the sheets.
FIG. 1b is a schematic view of the intaglio printing unit 3 of the intaglio printing press 1 of FIG. 1a. As already mentioned, the intaglio printing unit 3 basically includes the impression cylinder 7, the plate cylinder 8 with its intaglio printing plates 8a, 8b, 8c, the inking system with its ink collecting cylinder 9, and the ink wiping system 10.
The inking system comprises in this example five inking devices 90, all of which cooperate with the ink collecting cylinder 9 that contacts the plate cylinder 8. It will be understood that the illustrated inking system is adapted for indirect inking of the plate cylinder 8, i.e. inking of the intaglio printing plates 8a, 8b, 8c via the ink collecting cylinder 9. The inking devices 90 each include an ink duct comprising a duct roller 91 cooperating in this example with a pair of ink application rollers 92. Each pair of ink application rollers 92 in turn inks a corresponding chablon cylinder 93 which is in contact with the ink collecting cylinder 9. As is usual in the art, each chablon cylinder 93 carries a chablon plate 93a (also referred to as a "poly-chablon plate" or "stencil plate") that is structured so as to exhibit relief portions 93A corresponding to the areas of the intaglio printing plates 8a, 8b, 8c intended to receive the inks in the corresponding colours supplied by the respective inking units 91/92 (see also the photographic illustration of FIG. 2). In essence, each chablon plate 93a is functionally equivalent to a letterpress plate, with the relief portions 93A acting as ink transfer portions.
As shown in FIGS. 1a, 1b and 2, the impression cylinder 7 and plate cylinder 8 are both supported in a stationary (main) frame 50 of the printing press 1. The inking devices 90 (including the duct roller 91 and ink application rollers 92) are supported in a mobile inking carriage 52, while the ink collecting cylinder 9 and chablon cylinders 93 are supported in an intermediate carriage 51 located between the inking carriage 52 and the stationary frame 50. Both the inking carriage 51 and the intermediate carriage 52 are advantageously suspended under supporting rails. In that respect, the photographic illustration of FIG. 2 shows three of the chablon cylinders 93 mounted in the intermediate carriage 51, with the inking carriage 52 (not visible in FIG. 2) being moved to a retracted position (as schematically illustrated by dashed lines in FIG. 1a).
The ink wiping system 10, on the other hand, typically comprises a wiping tank, a wiping roller assembly supported on and partly located in the wiping tank and contacting the plate cylinder 8, cleaning means for removing wiped ink residues from the surface of the wiping roller assembly using a wiping solution that is sprayed or otherwise applied onto the surface of the wiping roller assembly, and a drying blade contacting the surface of the wiping roller assembly for removing wiping solution residues from the surface of the wiping roller assembly. A particularly suitable solution for the ink wiping system 10 is disclosed in International Publications Nos. WO 2007/116353 A1 and WO 2013/132471 A1, which publications are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety.
A limitation with the known inking system that make use of chablon cylinders, as for instance illustrated in FIGS. 1a, 1b and 2, resides in the fact that the chablon plates 93a typically comprise an outer layer acting as ink transfer layer, which is made of a relatively soft and resilient material (such as a light sensitive photopolymer layer bonded to a steel base plate) that is structured to form the relief portions 93A that cover the relevant areas of the intaglio printing plates to be inked with the desired ink. Such chablon plates 93a are for instance marketed by company Flint Group under the product designation nyloprint® (in particular nyloprint® WS 230 S or WS 230 Digital stencil plates) and are typically structured by exposure through a laser-ablatable mask (LAM) layer that has been removed (namely ablated by laser) in the portions that are to remain as the desired relief portions 93A after exposure to light and subsequent washing of the unexposed photopolymer layer. The resulting relief portions 93A are typically rather simple and basically exhibit a continuous surface where ink is to be transferred as illustrated for instance in the photographic illustration of FIG. 2. Due to the relatively soft and resilient nature of the material forming the relief portions 93A, it is typically not possible to structure the relief portions 93A of the chablon plates 93a so as to exhibit very fine structures. The resolution of the chablon plates is therefore limited and the relief portions 93A typically restricted to rather crudely-defined surfaces that only vaguely reflect the engraved areas to be inked on the intaglio printing plates.
This further implies that the amount of ink that is transferred by each chablon cylinder is relatively substantial, which leads to a high consumption of ink as all excess ink that is deposited outside of the engraved areas of the intaglio printing plates is wiped off by the wiping system and ends up as waste.
Solutions have been proposed to reduce the consumption of ink by compensating the elongation of the intaglio printing plates, thereby allowing the use of chablon plates with smaller relief portions that more precisely match the engraved areas of the intaglio printing plates to be inked (see e.g. International Publications Nos. WO 2004/069538 A2 and WO 2013/160853 A2), but improvements are still required and welcome.
British Patent No. GB 987,102 discloses an old concept of an intaglio printing press where the plate cylinder acting as intaglio printing cylinder is inked by means of multiple inking devices, each comprising an ink fountain supplying ink to a duct roller, which transfers the ink to an inking roller cooperating with the plate cylinder via an intermediate transfer roller and a so-called "partial-image cylinder" which rotates in contact with the intermediate ink transfer roller and the inking roller. In contrast to the previously mentioned solutions, the inking roller (which likewise consists of or is coated with a resilient material) is solid and has a continuous surface, i.e. does not exhibit any relief portion, whereas the partial-image cylinder is made of a hard (e.g. metallic) material that is structured to exhibit relief portions precisely matching the delineation of the engraved areas of the intaglio printing plates that are to be inked in the relevant ink.
By way of alternative, GB 987,102 also contemplates to employ ink-repelling means of the type used for lithographic printing processes as a way to carry out the selective transfer of ink by means of the partial-image cylinder.
A problem with the solution disclosed in British Patent No. GB 987,102 however resides in the fact that the inking rollers are in continuous rolling contact with the plate cylinder and therefore take up ink deposited by the other inking devices, potentially leading to ink contamination and print quality issues.
An improved solution is thus required.

Inking system for inking an intaglio printing cylinder of an intaglio printing press, intaglio printing press comprising the same, and process of inking such an intaglio printing cylinder


An optical element that produces line bow, for example, a toric or cylindrical mirror or lens, is provided in a light-supplying optical device in addition to a first line-bow-producing optical element already present in the device so that a substantially straight line of light is formed on an original document. The light-supplying optical device also includes a light source that generates illuminating light to illuminate the original document and the first optical element that has a toric surface for collecting the illuminating light onto the original document and that is positioned so that the illuminating light shines at a certain angle relative to its toric surface. With this device, the second optical element having a toric surface is positioned in the optical path of the light source and of the original document so as to offset the curve of the illuminating light that otherwise would be generated on the original document by the first optical element.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image input system that reads image information by means of photoelectric transformation and, in particular, to a light-supplying optical device used in an image input system.
2. Description of Related Art
FIG. 6 shows a conventional image input system, the light-supplying optical device of which is shown in FIG. 7. Such a light-supplying optical device can include an optical arrangement such as is shown in FIG. 8A and FIG. 8B, in which the optical path of the light is manipulated by two mirrors 102 and 105 (see FIG. 7) so as to be contained within a confined space.
As shown in FIG. 7, one of the two mirrors used to manipulate the optical path of the light is a toric mirror 102. The toric mirror 102 is comprised of a curved surface having curvature in both the lengthwise direction (i.e., the horizontal direction as shown in FIG. 6) and in a direction perpendicular to the lengthwise direction (i.e., the vertical direction as shown in FIG. 6). The arrangement is such that light produced by the light source 103 illuminates a width of one line on the document by means of the curved surface in the lengthwise direction. That is, the curvature R1 (see FIG. 8A) in the lengthwise direction causes the rectangle of light reflected by toric mirror 102 to have a certain length. The light image provided by light source 103 is formed into a linear image onto the surface of the original document by means of the curved surface in the direction perpendicular to the lengthwise direction. That is, the curvature R2 (see FIG. 8B) in the direction perpendicular to the lengthwise direction causes the rectangle of light reflected by toric mirror 102 to have a certain width, which usually is much less than the length.
As shown in FIG. 6, light emitted from the light source 103 is incident on the toric mirror 102 at an angle 111 relative to a line 110 normal to a central portion of the mirror 102. Accordingly, the light reflected by the toric mirror 102 is reflected at the angle 111 relative to the line 110. Such light is formed into an image on the surface of the original document 101 by means of a second mirror 105, which also is referred to as an optical path conversion mirror. By moving a carriage 107 that holds the original document 101 in a secondary scan direction indicated by the arrows in FIG. 6, a linear image sensor 109 successively reads image information from the entire surface of the original document (one line at a time in what is known as the primary scan direction).
The image information (i.e., data) of the original that has been illuminated by light rays is composed into an image on the linear image sensor 109 (e.g., a charge-coupled-device (CCD)) by a projection lens 108. By moving the carriage 107 that holds the original document in the direction indicated by the arrows in FIG. 6, the information on the entire surface of the original is sequentially read by means of the CCD 109.
The light source 103 can be constructed as shown in FIGS. 9A and 9B. A stem 202 is affixed to the top of the light source base 201, on the top of which stem multiple LED chips 210a, 210b are arranged in a line and bonded to its top. A conical reflector 202a (see FIG. 9B) is formed at the periphery of each LED chip 210a, 210b, and reflects light emitted in the horizontal direction so that the light radiates upward from each LED chip 210a, 210b.
The light source 103 comprises two lines of LED chips 210a and 210b in order to irradiate three colors of light. The blue LEDs, which emit a smaller amount of light, are positioned in a line (e.g., 6 LEDs) 210a, while the red LEDs and green LEDs are positioned in the order GRGGRG, for example, in the other line 210b. After the light from the LED chips 210a and 210b is reflected by the reflector 202a and radiates upwardly from each chip (FIG. 9B), the light is reflected by the blue reflecting membrane 205a or by the total reflecting mirror 205b so as to be radiated forward (to the right side of FIGS. 9A and 9B, and to the left side of FIG. 6). This light is then collected by the toric mirror 102 so as to form a line or area of light on the surface of the original (see FIG. 6).
The light from the blue LEDs is reflected by the blue reflecting membrane 205a, and the light from the red and green LEDs is reflected by the total reflecting mirror 205b. When viewed from the front direction (the right side of FIGS. 9A and 9B, and the left side of FIG. 6), the three colors appear to originate from the same position. Switching of the colors RGB is electrically regulated, making high-speed reading possible.
With the conventional illuminating optical device described above, light emitted from the light source 103 is incident at the angle 111 from the line 110 normal to the toric mirror (i.e., the optical axis of the toric mirror), while the toric mirror has curvatures R1 and R2 in the perpendicular directions as shown in FIGS. 8A and 8C, which are top and side views, respectively, of the light-supplying optical device in an unfolded state. Consequently, the angle of light reflection varies between the ends and the center of the toric mirror 102. As a result, the light source image 110a formed on the surface of the original document 101 is bow-shaped, as shown in FIG. 8B, thus creating the so-called line bow phenomenon. On the other hand, because the reading line 111a of the CCD 109 on the surface of the original document is a straight line, a problem arises in that lighting cannot be obtained that is uniform at both the center and at the ends of the reading line 111a, as indicated in the graph of FIG. 8B, which is a graph showing the amount of light received by the CCD 109 relative to positions along the CCD 109.


A value transfer system which allows value to be transferred between electronic purses comprises computer which controls the loading of purses with value and the redemption of value from purses, a special bulk purse or purses and a value meter securely linked thereto which registers the total net value issued to the bulk purse or purses. Draw-down of value and redemption of value transactions are effected with the bulk purses.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a value transfer system for cashless transactions.
2. Discussion of Prior Art
Several kinds of cashless financial transaction services are available. These include credit cards and debit cards which customers may use with a wide range of retailers. Each transaction is accompanied by the provision of customer account details required for the actual transfer of funds between the specific customers and the specific retailers.
Another form of cashless card system is the prepayment card system, where a card is purchased prior to a series of transactions and a value record recorded on it is appropriately decremented on each transaction. A phone card is an example of a prepayment card.
Such prior systems are inflexible and are no general substitute for cash in low value high volume transactions. Various proposals have been put forward to allow the interchange of money values between "electronic purses". For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,839,504 (Casio Computer Co Ltd) discloses a system where a user is able to load money value on to an integrated circuit (IC) card, otherwise known as a smart card, by communication with his bank. At the bank the same value is applied to a separate IC account set up for the user. Purchases are able to be made by transfer of money values from the IC card to retailer equipment off-line from the bank. Each transaction requires transmission to the retailer and retention by him of details which include the purchaser's identity. Ultimately, in claiming funds from the bank the retailer presents a list of transaction details and there is account reconciliation to allow the IC account of the appropriate purchaser to be adjusted.
Procedures which, as above, require ultimate account reconciliation for every transaction are attended by two disadvantages. The first is practical. The storing, transmitting and reconciling of purchaser details for every transaction places an impossible burden on equipment if all cash type transactions are contemplated. Processing all such transactions efficiently in an acceptable time is not possible, even with the most modern equipment. The second objection is social. The anonymity of cash would be lost and potential would exist for details of personal spending habits to be derived.
The second of the above objections have been addressed by Chaum in "Controlling your Information with a Card Computer" ("Concepts Applications Activities" published by TeleTrust March 1989). Chaum proposes a system of "blind signatures" of money value items effected by an authorising entity such as a bank. This is a way of preventing ready identification of purchasers. However, a problem remains in that double payment by a purchaser must be detectable and Chaum meets this difficulty by including, in the data transferred in an off-line transaction, encrypted information concerning the purchaser. This information is relayed to the bank when the retailer claims credit and is used at the bank to detect double use of the same "electronic cash". Also, each signed item is recorded at the bank to make possible ultimate reconciliation of claims against these items, albeit without customer identification. The problems of storage, transmission and processing of individual transaction information remain. Additionally, Chaum introduces another difficulty. His system requires that each item of signed "electronic cash" should be treated as a unit and is incapable of division. Again this means that the system is inappropriate for small value high volume transactions.


A method for receiving a payment includes receiving information for a transaction with a merchant over the network, wherein the transaction includes an incomplete online transaction associated with a user account. A location of a user device that is associated with the user account is then retrieved, and a payment location is determined that is within a predetermined distance of the location of the user device. The payment location is then sent over the network to the user device. The user of the user device may then go to the payment location to provide payment information offline to a payment location device (e.g., by presenting a payment card to the payment location device provider, providing cash, etc.). That payment information is then received over the network from the payment location device and, in response, the online transaction is completed.

Field of the Invention
The present disclosure generally relates to online and/or mobile payments and more particularly to a online/offline payment system.
Related Art
More and more consumers are purchasing items and services over electronic networks such as, for example, the Internet. Consumers routinely purchase products and services from merchants and individuals alike. The transactions may take place directly between a conventional or on-line merchant or retailer and the consumer, and payment is typically made by entering credit card or other financial information. Transactions may also take place with the aid of an on-line or mobile payment service provider such as, for example, PayPal, Inc. of San Jose, Calif. Such payment service providers can make transactions easier and safer for the parties involved. Purchasing with the assistance of a payment service provider from the convenience of virtually anywhere using a mobile device is one main reason why on-line and mobile purchases are growing very quickly.
While online payments provide several of the benefits discussed above, they also involve some disadvantages. For example, some relatively large purchases may benefit from or even require (e.g., for security reasons) that a payer present a payment device in person in order to allow for the verification of the identity of the payer before accepting payment, and such purchases will not be appropriate using online payment methods. In another example, transaction fees associated with online payment methods may be higher than offline payment methods (e.g., credit account providers may charge a higher transaction fee to a payment service provider for a transaction involving an account number submitted online relative to a account number submitted using a physical payment device at a point of sale.) In yet another example, a payer may not have access to a network (e.g., the Internet) when they would like to make a payment, and thus will be unable to use the online payment methods discussed above to complete a transaction.
Thus, there is a need for an improved payment system.


An apparatus for treating arrhythmias of the human heart includes a defibrillator, and an arrangement for providing passive diode multiplexing between two patches for bidirectionally passing an electric current through a human heart. The arrangement is formed by connecting a cathode of a first diode to a first mesh electrode on a first conductor and connecting an anode of a second diode to a second mesh electrode on the first patch. An anode of the first diode and a cathode of the second diode are then connected to a lead. An identical diode arrangement is provided for the second patch.

Implantable electrodes are used for cardioverting a human heart by applying electric shocks in vivo to the heart. A variety of arrhythmias of the heart can be treated internally with the use of implantable electrodes. Such arrhythmias can include, for example, atrial fibrillation, atrial flutter, atrial tachycardia, ventricular fibrillation, ventricular tachycardia, and asystole (a stopped heart). The term "defibrillation" or "defibrillating" as used herein, includes the term "cardioversion" and all other terms that denote a method of applying electric shocks to the human heart to treat such arrhythmias.
Typically, implantable electrodes are connected by leads to an implantable standby defibrillator. A typical defibrillator includes a capacitor. The capacitor is charged with and stores an electric charge capable of depolarizing a human heart when discharged across the implantable electrodes. The capacitor is connected in a discharge circuit, which is in turn connected to a sensing circuit. The system may also include a sensor for monitoring one or more physiological activities of the patient. The sensor is typically located in a transvenous pacing lead. When an arrhythmia of the heart is sensed, the capacitor is caused by the discharge circuit to discharge an electric shock which is delivered to the heart through two implantable electrodes.
Various shocking electrode configurations are known. One implantable shocking electrode may be positioned within the right ventricle or right atrium of the heart, with the distal tip of the transvenous lead being used for pacing. The other implantable shocking electrode may be positioned either directly on the ventricular myocardium or subcutaneously positioned along the interior chest wall.
Other known implantable shocking electrode configurations used in conjunction with implantable defibrillators employ electrodes which are all in contact with the exterior surface of the human heart.
The voltage levels and pulse sequences which will successfully terminate a particular tachycardia or fibrillation are not universal, and frequently a number of different combinations must be tried before the arrhythmia is successfully terminated. The voltage levels and pulse sequences may include various morphologies to include biphasic and/or monophasic waveforms. In all of the known implantable electrode systems, an electric current is discharged in a path across a first implantable electrode through the human heart to a second implantable electrode. Therefore, such polarity reversals must be undertaken in an electronic multiplexer containing in the implantable housing, or additional electrodes must be provided. The first approach occupies additional space and consumes additional energy, both of which are undesirable, and the second approach requires more extensive surgery than would otherwise be necessary.

Implantable cardioversion-defibrillation patch electrodes having means for passive multiplexing of discharge pulses


An internally pressurized component is provided that includes a main body having at least one cavity; at least one branch having a bore which runs through the branch into the cavity of the main body; at least one separate insert element which is arranged in frictionally locking fashion at least partially in the bore of the branch. The component, at least in that region of the bore at which the separate insert element is arranged, is formed, by way of an autofrettage treatment, as a compacted wall region, and the separate insert element is arranged with an oversize in the bore.

Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an internally pressurized component, in particular a high-pressure fuel accumulator for a common-rail fuel injection system of a motor vehicle, and to a method for producing an internally pressurized component of said type.
Description of the Background Art
A multiplicity of internally pressurized components, in particular for injection components of a motor vehicle, is known from the prior art. Such components may in this case be subjected to pressure loads of several hundred MPa, wherein, depending on the application, such pressure loads may also arise as pulsating pressure loads, which are particularly critical for the component.
To increase the compressive strength of such components, it is known in the prior art for such components to be subjected to a so-called autofrettage treatment, by way of which a considerable increase in strength of the components or of individual wall sections can be realized. Here, the component is subjected to an internal pressure which is higher than a subsequent operating pressure and higher than the yield strength of the material, specifically in such a way that regions on the inner wall of the component are plasticized, whereas regions on the outer wall remain elastic. As a result of the plasticized inner region, the elastically deformed outer region is prevented from fully deforming back into its initial position, such that the outer region remains expanded, and thus, in the inner region, an internal compressive stress is generated which counteracts the operating load. As a result, by way of an autofrettage treatment, the compressive strength of a component can be considerably increased. The known methods for autofrettage treatment are however increasingly reaching their limits, in particular with regard to the very high autofrettage pressures required for the autofrettage treatment and with regard to the material strength of the component itself.
It is also known in the prior art for separate inserts as so-called pressure oscillation dampers to be arranged in frictionally locking fashion within an internally pressurized component. Said separate inserts in this case comprise a reduced cross-sectional region, for example in the form of a bore running through the insert. Such separate inserts are however not suitable, or not adequately suitable, for increasing the compressive strength of a component, because the frictionally locking connection of separate insert and the component does not, or does not adequately, withstand the high pressure loading.


A method to detect and remove noise in image reconstruction. The method includes integration of filters and phase unwrapping algorithms for removing speckle noise, residual noise and noise at the lateral surface of height discontinuities. The method is used for generating a noise-free unwrapped phase map and hence, a successful image reconstruction of an object image.

Image reconstruction is a related art technique that encompasses the entire image formation process and provides a foundation for the subsequent steps of image processing. Image reconstruction retrieves image information that has been lost during the process of image formation. In related art optical interference imaging techniques, interferograms of an object are converted into a wrapped phase map containing phase values in the range 0˜2π using a phase-shift algorithm. Three types of noise influence image reconstruction: residual noise, speckle noise, and noise at the lateral surface of height discontinuities. Speckle noise is usually generated due to the laser source. Residual noise is induced by environmental effects or contamination of the optical system.
The depth of field limit and the diffraction limit influence the optical measurement range, especially for microscope interferometers. For the object containing height discontinuities, the interferograms of the object will blur when the height of the object is out of the depth of field. In the depth of field, the position of height discontinuities creates difficulties in generating clear interferograms. Therefore, the blur of the interferograms at the height discontinuities will be converted into the noise in the wrapped phase map.
The wrapped phase maps are unwrapped by phase unwrapping algorithms. The phase unwrapping algorithms are classified as temporal, spatial and period-coding. Furthermore, the spatial phase unwrapping algorithms are classified as path-dependent algorithms (for example, MACY algorithm) and path-independent algorithms (for example, CA (cellular automata) algorithm). In the MACY algorithm, the phase unwrapping process is performed separately in row- and column-directions, respectively. The MACY is path-dependent and may suffer a disadvantage in that the unwrapping error caused by noise is accumulated progressively. Further, after its application, noise still exists at the lateral surface of height discontinuities. The CA algorithm accomplishes phase unwrapping using a multi-level iterative approach comprising both global and local cycles, known as global iteration and local iteration. Moreover, CA is path-independent, and thus the phase unwrapping errors caused by noise are not accumulated during the phase unwrapping procedure. However, its suffers from the disadvantage in that it is time consuming and the noise at the lateral surface of height discontinuities causes the CA algorithm to fail to seek the useful unwrapping paths.
When interferograms containing speckle noise are filtered by a linear filter, the whole images of interferograms are smeared to remove the speckle noise. Thus, the edges of the 2π phase jumps converted from interferograms are smoothed as shown in FIG. 2(b). Moreover, the noise at the lateral surface of height discontinuities is too turbulent, so the linear filter may not work effectively. Since the noise at the lateral surface is not removed clearly by the linear filter, the noise may cause phase unwrapping result of MACY and CA algorithms to fail.
These related art methods are not capable of removing all three noises: residual noise, speckle noise, and noise at the lateral surface of height discontinuities.
Thus, there is an unmet need for a method for detection and removal of noise in image reconstruction.

Integration of filters and phase unwrapping algorithms for removing noise in image reconstruction


A motor driving PWM signal generating circuit (1) includes a read-only memory (ROM) (2) in which there is stored data of a PWM signal corresponding to 0 to 180 degrees of a sine wave. A signal representative of an arbitrary rotary phase is supplied to the generating circuit (1) which generates a PWM output signal having a duty ratio of 50% to 100% corresponding to a sine wave of, for example, 0.degree. to 180.degree. degrees. Also, the generating circuit (1) generated signals representative of 0.degree. to 180.degree. degrees of the rotary phase and 180.degree. to 360.degree. degrees of the rotary phase as DIR output signals. The PWM signal and the DIR output signal from the generating circuit (1) are supplied to an exclusive-OR circuit (3). A signal from the exclusive-OR circuit (3) is supplied to an IN input of an H-type bridge driver circuit (4). Therefore, a level difference portion (crossover distortion) on the inverted portion of the driving signal can be removed and the motor can be driven smoothly without discontinuity.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a motor driving apparatus for use in a zoom drive motor of a consumer video camera or the like.
2. Description of the Prior Art
A conventional motor driving apparatus for use in a zoom drive motor of a consumer video camera, for example, is shown in FIG. 1 of the accompanying drawings.
As shown in FIG. 1, a PWM (pulse width modulation) signal generating circuit 41 which derives a PWM signal for driving a motor is provided. The PWM signal generating circuit 41 includes a read-only memory (ROM) 42 in which data of a PWM signal corresponding to a sine wave, for example, is stored. When supplied with a signal representative of an arbitrary rotary phase, the PWM signal generating circuit 41 generates a PWM output signal corresponding to the sine wave.
The PWM output signal from the PWM signal generating circuit 41 is supplied to an EN input of an H-type bridge driver circuit 43. A DIR 1 output signal that corresponds to a motor driving direction is generated from the generating circuit 41. The DIR 1 output signal from the generating circuit 41 is supplied to an IN 1 input of the H-type bridge driver circuit 43.
A and B outputs of the H-type bridge driver circuit 43 are supplied to respective wire ends of a coil 45 of a motor (M) 44. The coil 45 of a the motor 44 is of two-phase type and therefore the PWM output signal and the DIR output signal from the generating circuit 41 and EN, IN inputs and A, B outputs of the H-type bridge driver circuit 43 are each generated in the form of two channels as shown in FIG. 1.
The H-type bridge driver circuit 43 generates the A and B outputs for the EN and IN inputs as shown in the following truth table 1.
TABLE 1 ______________________________________ Case IN1 (1N2) EN1 (EN2) A1 (A2) B1 (B2) ______________________________________ 1 L H L H 2 H H H L 3 L L Hi-Z Hi-Z 4 H L Hi-Z Hi-Z ______________________________________ (Hi-Z: High Impedance)
The above-mentioned truth table 1 will be described in association with operation of a typical circuit. The H-type bridge driver circuit 43 is arranged as shown in FIG. 2, for example. FIG. 2 shows only one phase side of the coil 45 of the motor 44, and the coil 45 is represented by a series circuit 51 of a coil and a resistor.
As shown in FIG. 2, one end A of the series circuit 51 is connected through a first switch S.sub.1 and a diode D.sub.1 to a drive voltage source 52 and is also grounded via a second switch S.sub.2 and a diode D.sub.2. The other end B of the series circuit 51 is connected through a third switch S.sub.3 and a diode D.sub.3 to the drive voltage source 52 and is also grounded via a fourth switch S.sub.4 and a diode D.sub.4. The switches S.sub.1 to S.sub.4 may be replaced with ICs, such as transistors or the like, in actual practice.
In the H-type bridge driver circuit 43, a set of diagonally located switches S.sub.1 and S.sub.4 and a set of diagonally located switches S.sub.2 and S.sub.3 are driven commonly. When the EN input is at high potential (H) and the IN input is at high potential (H), i.e., in the case 2 of the truth table 1, a set of switches S.sub.1 and S.sub.4 are turned on and a set of switches S.sub.2 and S.sub.3 are turned off so that voltages of A1, A2 and B1, B2 go to high (H) level and low (L) level as shown on the truth table 1, causing an electric current to flow from one end A to the other end B. When the EN input is at high potential (H) and the IN input is at low potential (L), i.e., in the case 1 of the truth table 1, a set of the switches S.sub.2 and S.sub.3 are turned on and a set of the switches S.sub.1 and S.sub.4 are turned off so that voltages of the A1, A2 and B1, B2 go to low (L) level and high (H) level as shown on the truth table 1, causing an electric current to flow from the other end B to one end A. Further, when the EN input is at low potential (L), i.e., in the cases 3 and 4 of the truth table 1, the switches S.sub.1 to S.sub.4 are all turned off so that the voltages of A1, A2 B1 and B2 are all set in the high impedance (Hi-Z) state as shown on the truth table 1.
Accordingly, the aforesaid PWM output signal is supplied to the EN input of the H-type bridge driver circuit 43 and the DIR output signal is supplied to the IN input of the H-type bridge driver circuit 43, whereby an average electric current corresponding to the PWM output signal is supplied to the coil 45 of the motor 44 in the direction represented by the DIR output signal, thereby driving the motor 44.
FIG. 3 shows a relationship between a duty ratio of the PWM signal and an average electric current. That is, a characteristic of average current becomes nonlinear in the portion where the duty ratio of the PWM signal is less than 58%. Therefore, it is customary that the position at which the duty ratio is less than 58% is regarded as "0" and the electric current is inverted at this position "0" in the reverse direction to drive the motor.
When the electric current is inverted in the reverse direction at the position where the duty ratio is 58%, then the waveform of a drive signal becomes as shown in FIG. 4. As a consequence, the average value of the motor driving current does not become zero completely in the vicinity of the inverted portion, causing a level difference portion (i.e., crossover distortion) to occur in the inverted portion. Therefore, the motor cannot be driven smoothly at the portion where the crossover distortion occurs, which leads to disadvantages such as the occurrence of noise or the like.
When the motor is utilized, in particular, as the zoom drive motor of consumer video cameras or the like, then the occurrence of such noise becomes a serious problem because a microphone capsule for collecting sound or the like is usually disposed near the zoom drive motor.


A display screen having an optical mask and a process for producing the screen. The screen includes an optical mask formed of opaque conducting rows formed below addressing rows. Storage capacitors are formed overlapping the opaque conducting rows with an array of electrodes. The invention finds particular utility in the field of displays.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a display screen having an optical mask and to a process for producing said screen.
It is used in the production of display screens intended to operate under severe conditions, i.e. intense lighting and high temperatures. The screen according to the invention can be used for television sets, computers, vehicle dashboards and instrument panels (cars, aircraft,etc.).
2. Description of the Prior Art
A display screen essentially comprises two transparent plates holding between them an electro-optical material and in particular a liquid crystal. FIGS. 1 and 2 show constructional examples of such plates.
FIG. 1 shows a transparent, e.g. glass substrate 10 covered by a group of conducting addressing columns 12, e.g. of indium and tin oxide (ITO), an array of electrodes 14, each of which constitutes a display point or pixels and a group of addressing rows 16 generally constituted by a stack of layers, namely a semiconductor layer (e.g. of aSi:H), an insulating layer (e.g. of SiN) and a conducting layer (e.g. of aluminium).
The columns 12 are extended by a crook 18 and the electrodes 14 by a finger 20, so that these various appendages and the column form the source and the drain of a double thin film transistor (TFT), the two gates being constituted by the metal layer of the addressing row.
FIG. 2 shows a second plate with a second transparent substrate 30 (e.g. of glass), blocks 32 of coloured filters (red, green, blue) a black matrix 34 and a conductive, transparent counterelectrode 36. The coloured filters 32 and the black matrix 34 are not essential in the invention to be described hereinafter, but would still be useful.
A screen of this type, or at least the first plate illustrated in FIG. 1, can be produced by a process only requiring two photolithography levels, as described in FR-A-2 533 072.
To ensure that an excessively intense illumination does not disturb the operation of the transistors, it is known to place an optical mask beneath each of them. Such a solution is e.g. described by the article of TOMISHISA SUNATA et al entitled "A Large-Area High-Resolution Active-Matrix Color LCD Addressed by a-Si TFT's", published in the journal "Proceedings of the Society for Information Display (SID)", 27, 1986, no.3, pp.229-233.
However, this mask, which is generally constituted by an opaque metal layer, has the effect of creating a parasitic transistor below the transistor to be protected. If the mask is at a floating potential, it can rise by influence to a positive potential and lead to leakage currents, which are prejudicial to the operation of the screen.
Consideration has been given to connecting such a mask to one of the transistor electrodes in order to fix the potential thereof. This is what is e.g. proposed in EP-A-179 915. The structure used is shown in FIG. 3. On a glass substrate 40 there is a mask 42 connected to an addressing column 43, everything being covered by an insulator 44. On said insulator 44 there is metal electrode 46 defining the pixel, said electrode being extended by a segment 47 serving as a drain. Moreover, there is a semiconductor 48 and a metal layer 50 serving as the source. An opening 82 is made in the insulator 44 for connecting the mask 42 to the source 50. The transistor is completed by an insulating layer 54 and by a metal gate or grid 56.
However, this device suffers from a disadvantage. Thus, liquid crystal screens are always excited in alternating manner. Thus, what serves as the transistor source in one frame serves as its drain in the other. Therefore the transistors of a screen of the type described hereinbefore will necessarily function with a zero gate--drain voltage in one of the frames. The current--voltage characteristic will then be of the diode type and if the voltage between the source and the drain exceeds a threshold voltage, the current will become very high.
FIGS. 4 and 5 provide a better understanding of this disadvantage of the prior art. FIG. 4 shows an electric diagram with a main transistor T1 and a parasitic transistor T2 created by the optical mask 42. The points A and B mark the zones corresponding alternately to the source and the drain of the transistor, as a function of the frame displayed.
Part a of FIG. 5 shows the source--drain current characteristic (I.sub.SD) as a function of the source--drain voltage (V.sub.SD) for a zero gate--source voltage (V.sub.GS) and namely for the parasitic transistor T2 during one frame. In part b of FIG. 5 it is possible to see the same characteristic for a zero gate--drain voltage V.sub.GD, which takes place for the following frame. This part b consequently shows that the source--drain current I.sub.SD can become very high.
Thus, in summarizing, for a negative frame the voltage V.sub.o applied to the addressing column is negative. If the voltage at A is below the voltage at B, A constitutes the source of the transistor T1 and the parasitic transistor T2 functions with a zero gate --source voltage (V.sub.GS), whereas the source--drain current I.sub.SD is low, no matter what the source--drain voltage (V.sub.SD) (part a of FIG. 5). For a positive frame the voltage V.sub.o is positive. If the voltage at A exceeds the voltage at B, point A corresponds to the drain. The parasitic transistor T2 functions at VGD=0. The current I.sub.SD can be high if V.sub.SD exceeds a threshold (part b of FIG. 5).
Therefore the prior art solution leads to the disadvantage of causing a leakage current in one of the two frames.
EP-A-136 509 proposes another solution, which consists of introducing below the thin film transistors an optical mask, which can partly pass beneath the pixel. The leakage current in the transistor is reduced and a supplementary storage capacity is formed.
This document stipulates that the optical mask must be located below the columns of the matrix (as well as below the TFT's and partly below the pixels). In this configuration, the time constant of the columns becomes non-negligible compared with the addressing time, which leads to a distortion of the video signal between individual screen points. Therefore this configuration can only be envisaged for small screens.
In this connection it is possible to calculate the delay introduced at the end of the column. The time constant of the end of the column is approximately t'=RC/2, if R is the total resistance of the column and C is total capacity. We obtain R=(r.multidot.L)/(d.multidot.w) with r=resistivity, L=length, d=thickness and w=width.
Moreover, we have C=Cmo+Cx+Ccl with Cmo being the column/optical mask capacity, Cx the row/column intersection capacity, Ccl the liquid crystal capacity (column/counterelectrode), EQU Cmo=(e.sub.1 .multidot.w.multidot.L)/d.sub.i, Cx=N.multidot.(e.sub.j .multidot.w.multidot.w)/d.sub.j, Ccl=(e.sub.k .multidot.w.multidot.L)/d.sub.k,
with e and d respectively being the dielectric constant and thickness of the insulators (i, j and k representing the insulator of the optical mask, an intersection and the liquid crystal).
It can easily be seen that Cmo/Ccl>10, because dk=5 microns and d.sub.i =0.5 micron and e.sub.i differs only slightly from e.sub.k. Moreover, generally Ccl differs only slightly from Cx.
Thus, if without an optical mask the column has a capacity of 2 (in arbitrary units), it will be 12 with the optical mask (in unity measurements). Therefore, the corresponding time constant will be six times higher. It can therefore be concluded that the column limit length is six times smaller in this case. This limit length is that for which the column delay becomes incompatible with, the addressing time.
In the aforementioned document, it is possible to see in the drawings, that the material constituting the column and the pixel is conductive and transparent ITO. With an ITO of square resistance 10 Ohms, the limit length is approximately 25 cm without an optical mask below the columns. It will be less than 5 cm on placing an optical mask below the columns.

Display screen having opaque conductive optical mask and TFT of semiconductive, insulating, and conductive layers on first transparent conductive film

France Telecom Etablissement Autonome de Droit Public


The secondary battery according to the present invention includes an electrode (10) having: an electrode current collector (12), an electrode active material layer (14) formed on the surface of the electrode current collector (12), an electrically conductive film (16) that covers the surface of the electrode active material layer (14), and an electrical conductor part (18) for forming a direct electrical connection between the electrically conductive film (16) and the electrode current collector (12) by going around the electrode active material layer (14).

In recent years, the importance of lithium ion batteries, nickel hydride batteries and other secondary batteries as vehicle-mounted batteries and power sources for personal computers and mobile phones has increased. In particular, much is expected of lithium secondary batteries, which are lightweight and achieve high energy density, as batteries able to be advantageously used as vehicle-mounted high output power sources. In a typical constitution of this type of secondary battery, an electrode has a constitution whereby the material capable of reversibly storing and releasing lithium ions (an electrode active material) is held by an electrically conductive member (an electrode current collector). For example, a typical example of an electrode current collector used in the positive electrode (a positive electrode current collector) is a sheet-shaped or member comprising mainly aluminum or an aluminum alloy. In addition, a typical example of an electrode active material used in a positive electrode (a positive electrode active material) is an oxide that contains lithium and one or two or more transition metal elements as constituent metal elements (a lithium-transition metal composite oxide).
In cases where a lithium-transition metal composite oxide is used as a positive electrode active material, the lithium-transition metal composite oxide has low electron conductivity, and is therefore generally used in combination with an electrically conductive material. For example, in a typical constitution of this type of positive electrode, a lithium-transition metal composite oxide, which is a positive electrode active material, is blended with a carbon powder as an electrically conductive material, and a positive electrode is formed by binding this mixture on the surface of a positive electrode current collector by means of a binder. An electrically conductive path is formed between the positive electrode active material and the positive electrode current collector due to the presence of the carbon powder, thereby enabling the transfer of electrons between the positive electrode active material and the positive electrode current collector. Prior art relating to this type of electrode is disclosed in, for example, Patent Literature 1 to 3.


An ink-jet ink composition is provided which includes at least one primary surfactant and at least one co-surfactant, with the co-surfactant having an HLB at least about 1.5 units higher than that of the primary surfactant. The co-surfactant imparts good wetting and cloud point characteristics to the ink-jet ink composition without sacrificing the bleed control achieved with the use of the low-HLB surfactant. The improvement in wetting and cloud point characteristics achieved in the practice of the invention enables ink-jet printers to effect high print quality in a cost-effective manner. A method for increasing the wettability and cloud point of an ink-jet ink by including at least one co-surfactant having an HLB is also provided.

Ink-jet printing is a non-impact printing process in which droplets of ink are deposited on print media, such as paper, transparency film, or textiles. Low cost and high quality of output, combined with relatively noise-free operation, have made ink-jet printers a popular alternative to other types of printers used with computers. Essentially, ink-jet printing involves the ejection of fine droplets of ink onto print media in response to electrical signals generated by a microprocessor.
There are two common means currently available for achieving ink droplet ejection in ink-jet printing: thermally and piezoelectrically. In thermal ink-jet printing, the energy for drop ejection is generated by electrically-heated resistor elements, which heat up rapidly in response to electrical signals from a microprocessor to create a vapor bubble, resulting in the expulsion of ink through orifices associated with the resistor elements. In piezoelectric ink-jet printing, the ink droplets are ejected due to the vibrations of piezoelectric crystals, again, in response to electrical signals generated by the microprocessor. The ejection of ink droplets in a particular order forms alphanumeric characters, area fills, and other patterns on the print medium.
Many inks that are described for use in ink-jet printing are associated with non-thermal ink-jet printing, such as piezoelectric ink-jet printing. Inks suitably employed in such non-thermal applications often cannot be used in thermal ink-jet printing due to the effect of heating on the ink composition.
In commercially-available thermal ink-jet color printers, such as a DeskJet.RTM. printer available from Hewlett-Packard Company, a color spectrum is achieved by combining cyan, magenta, and yellow inks in various proportions. Ink-jet inks are mostly available as dye-based compositions, although a very limited number of black pigment-based ink-jet inks are also available. Titus, cyan, magenta, and yellow inks typically derive their hues from cyan, magenta, and yellow dyes, respectively. The particular set of dyes so employed constitutes a so-called "dye set". Color printers typically employ a four-pen set containing cyan, magenta, and yellow inks as well as a black ink, which is typically used for printing text.
It follows that color thermal ink-jet inks are commonly available as aqueous-based ink compositions that are formulated by dissolving dye in an ink vehicle. For example, a cyan ink would comprise a cyan dye dissolved in an ink vehicle. The dye molecules employed in ink-jet ink compositions are often in the form of dye salts made of a dye anion and a cation such as sodium. These dyes are designed to form solids in the target paper substrate by absorption into paper media by at least two mechanisms. In one mechanism the dye is wicked into the paper and absorbed onto active sites of the paper fiber. There is another mechanism operating in which the ink vehicle evaporates, or is wicked away from the dye, leaving solid dye on and in paper fibers.
Controlling the behavior of printed ink compositions before absorption of the dye salt in the paper media is crucial in attaining good print quality. For example, many thermal ink-jet inks, when printed in various colors on paper substrates, tend to bleed into one another. The term "bleed", as used herein, is defined to be the invasion of one color into another, as evidenced by a visible ragged border therebetween. To achieve superior print quality, it is necessary to have a border between colors that is clean and free from the invasion of one color into the other.
One solution to the problem of color to color bleed between dye-based ink-jet inks involves increasing the penetration rate of the ink into the paper with the use of surfactants. Surfactants lower the surface tension of the ink to increase the penetration rate of the ink into the print medium, thereby reducing the ink's planar spread across and through the print medium into surrounding inks. To effectively control bleed, the surfactant component should be present in the ink above its critical micelle concentration (cmc), as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,106,416, entitled "Bleed Alleviation Using Zwitterionic Surfactants and Cationic Dyes", issued to John Moffatt et al and assigned to the same assignee as the present application.
Not all surfactants are effective in controlling color bleed between ink-jet inks: rather, there is a large variance in the effectiveness and behavior of surfactants in ink-jet inks. For example, surfactants differ in their solubility in water and, as a consequence, differ in the form they assume in aqueous ink-jet inks. In an aqueous ink-jet ink, surfactants partition themselves between the following three forms: monolayers, soluble form, and micelles. Surfactants that are :substantially soluble in water form hydrophilic monolayers at liquid-solid interfaces such as that between the ink and the metal nozzle plate. Such surfactants are termed "Gibbs monolayer formers". In contrast, surfactants that are substantially insoluble in water exist as micelles in aqueous solution, since they are essentially dispersed therein: hydrophilic monolayer formation by such surfactants is essentially nonexistent. Rather, such water-insoluble surfactants form water-insoluble monolayers that are hydrophobic in nature and are termed "Langmuir monolayer formers".
One measuring stick of whether a surfactant forms Gibbs monolayers or Langmuir monolayers is its hydrophilic-lipophilic balance (HLB). The HLB value empirically quantifies the balance between the hydrophilic and hydrophobic parts of a surfactant molecule in terms of both size and strength. HLB values of nonionic surfactants range from 1 to 40, with lower values indicating greater solubility in oil and higher values indicating greater solubility in water.
Regardless of whether a monolayer is hydrophilic or hydrophobic, monolayers of ink on a nozzle plate can develop into bi-layers of ink. Bi-layers form when a second layer of surfactant molecules lay over the monolayer, organizing themselves into a tail-to-tail arrangement thereupon. Both layers of surfactant molecules in a bi-layer formation have their polar heads external to the layer. The likelihood of a monolayer transforming into a bi-layer depends upon the nature of the surfactant and the nature of the material interfacing with the surfactant. More specifically, the formation of bi-layers results in a film surface more compatible with higher energy surfaces.
The degree of surface energy of a material depends on its attractive forces and is expressed in the same units as surface tension. Examples of materials having relatively high surface energies are gold and nickel; orifice plates in ink-jet printers commonly comprise gold, and possibly nickel. Examples of materials having low surface energies are plastics (such as polyethylene) and lipids.
When an aqueous solution containing no surfactant is applied to a surface having low surface energy, the aqueous solution tends to bead up because the low surface energy of the solid cannot pull against the high surface tension of the liquid. By adding a Gibbs-type surfactant to the aqueous solution, the surfactant forms monolayers at the liquid interfaces, both liquid-air and liquid-solid, with the polar head of the surfactant molecule attracted to the aqueous phase and its lipophilic tail pointing out at the interfaces. Such surfactants lower surface tension by disrupting the hydrogen bonding at the aqueous surface and by providing a lipophilic group to mate with the low energy, solid surface.
In ink-jet printing, however, the orifice plate is typically made of a high surface energy material such as gold, and possibly nickel. Therefore, any monolayers formed by surfactants upon the orifice plate would tend to transform into bi-layers given the high surface energy.
Moreover, it has been determined that, especially among nonionic, ionic, and amphoteric surfactants, those having relatively low HLBs offer the best bleed control between ink-jet inks. Specifically, the above-referenced application Ser. No. 08/501,262, now U.S. Pat. No. 5,536,300, discloses the use of primary surfactants that happen to have relatively low HLB values, namely, secondary alcohol ethoxylates such as Tergitol 15-S-5 and Tergitol 15-S-7, which are available from Union Carbide Co. of Houston, Tex. Tergitol 15-S-5 and Tergitol 15-S-7 have HLB values; of about 10.5 and 12.1, respectively. Secondary alcohol ethoxylates contain (a) an aliphatic chain having a prescribed number of carbon atoms in the chain, and (b) a prescribed number of ethoxylated units. Such ethoxylates are commercially available as mixtures of ethoxylates, and so are described in terms of the predominance of a given compound. For example, "Tergitol 15-S-5" represents a secondary alcohol ethoxylate surfactant predominantly having 15 carbons in its aliphatic chain and 5 ethoxylated units. Secondary alcohol ethoxylates suitably employed in Ser. No. 08/501,262 now U.S. Pat. No. 5,536,300 predominantly have about 12 to 18 carbons atoms in the aliphatic chain, while the number of ethoxylated units is predominantly in the range of 4 to 8, and preferably in the range of 5 to 7 units. It is noted that Tergitol 15-S-5, while having a relatively low HLB value, retains some degree of water solubility. Therefore, Tergitol 15-S-5 is not wholly water-insoluble and is not a true "Langmuir monolayer former". For purposes of discussion herein, the Tergitol surfactants are termed "Langmuir-like" monolayer formers, since they impart poor wetting characteristics to aqueous ink solutions, evidenced in the "beading up" of inks containing Tergitol surfactants on metal orifice plate surfaces.
Examples of other surfactants that are successfully employed to control bleed in ink-jet ink compositions include the class of amine oxide surfactants, such as the following: N, N-dimethyl-N-dodecyl amine oxide (NDAO); N,N-dimethyl-N-tetradecyl amine oxide (NTAO); N,N-dimethyl-N-hexadecyl amine oxide (NHAO); N,N-dimethyl-N-octadecyl amine oxide (NOAO); and N,N-dimethyl-N-(9-octadecenyl) amine oxide (OOAO).
It is noted that HLB values for particular surfactants are typically reported as their hydrophilic-lipophilic balances in water, not an aqueous ink system. While the absolute HLB value for a surfactant in water might be a slightly imprecise valuation of its HLB in an aqueous system with 25 wt % co-solvent, the absolute HLB values are still useful in discussing the solubility nature of the surfactant in an aqueous environment. Moreover, it is contemplated that the imprecision in HLB value when employing a co-solvent in an aqueous solution is slight, as evidenced by only a slight increase in cloud point temperature upon adding a co-solvent, as described in greater detail below.
When a surfactant having a relatively low HLB value is dispersed in an aqueous solution, it tends to exist primarily as micelles in solution. At the liquid-solid interface, such surfactants are Langmuir-like monolayer formers and tend to form hydrophobic monolayers, rather than the hydrophilic monolayers formed by relatively high HLB surfactants. When a Langmuir-like monolayer former is employed in an aqueous ink solution along with a high surface energy orifice plate, it tends to form disorganized and hydrophobic monolayers, and sometimes poorly organized bi-layers of surfactant molecules on the liquid-solid interface, with the more polar ends of the surfactant molecules facing toward the solid interface. Consequently, ink containing a surfactant of low HLB, which tends to form monolayers and bi-layers with some Langmuir-type nature, is poorly wetting on a high energy surface such as gold or nickel orifice plates, and the ink will thus form puddles with a high contact angle on these surfaces, rather than wetting with low contact angle and spreading over the gold orifice plate surface.
Wetting characteristics are indicated by contact angle on a given surface, with contact angle being inversely proportional to the degree of wetting imparted to the ink. The formation of puddles evidences a high contact angle on the metal surface, and hence it is concluded that Langmuir-like monolayer formers impart poor wetting characteristics to aqueous ink solutions. In fact, without subscribing to any particular theory, it is speculated that one reason for the relatively low surface tensions of inks containing Tergitol 15-S-5 is the poor wetting of the metal ring used for surface tension measurements, aside from the surfactant's contemplated behavior of disrupting the attractive hydrogen bonding forces at the surface of the liquid.
The poor wetting characteristics of such low HLB surfactants have been found to adversely affect print quality. More particularly, when ink-jet inks made with low-HLB surfactants such as Tergitol 15-S-5 are fired from a thermal ink-jet print cartridge such as one of Hewlett-Packard's DeskJet.RTM. printers, the ink tends to form puddles having high contact angles on the metal orifice plates. These puddles of ink may consist of a few small drops of ink or may cover major portions of the metal orifice plate. Regardless, such high-contact-angle puddles, positioned near any orifice, can cause deflection of ink-jet ink drops jetted through the orifice to a print medium. In severe cases, high-contact-angle puddles of ink on the orifice plate can completely occlude an ink-jet orifice. Thus, while surfactants having low HLB values may be effective in controlling bleed in dye-based ink-jet inks by lowering surface tension, these same surfactants do not provide adequate wetting characteristics to the ink.
An additional problem associated with the use of ethoxylated primary surfactants such as Tergitol surfactants is a reduction in ink temperature cloud point. The cloud point of an ink is that temperature at which the primary surfactant comes out of solution, thereby clouding the visible appearance of the ink, which is an undesirable occurrence. In general, the solubility of surfactants increases with temperature. However, the solubility of these ethoxylated primary surfactants decreases as the temperature is raised, such that their solubility is inversely proportional to the temperature of the ink. It follows that an ink containing a surfactant having a low HLB value which also possesses a polyethyleneoxide group at its solubilizing or polar head has a low temperature cloud point above which the surfactant is insoluble. For example, Tergitol 15-S-5 has such a polyethyleneoxide group and exhibits a temperature cloud point of 29.degree. C., above which temperature the surfactant becomes insoluble.
Tergitol 15-S-5 is the most problematic of the Tergitol surfactants with regard to ink temperature cloud point, but Tergitol 15-S-7 also exhibits this problem to a certain extent. As the number of ethoxylated units increases, the cloud point likewise increases to a more desirable temperature, which is expected given the increased solubility deriving from an increased number of ethoxylated units. It is noted that increasing the concentration of an ethoxylated surfactant in an ink-jet ink increases its solubility in the ink and, consequently, also increases the cloud point temperature.
Accordingly, a need exists for an ink-jet ink composition and method of printing that exhibits improved wetting characteristics and an increased cloud point without sacrificing the bleed control achieved with the use of surfactants having low HLB values.

Use of co-surfactants to adjust properties of ink-jet inks


An improved signal isolator including two nonlinear circuits having nonlinear voltage-to-current characteristics, in which an input network is formed by connecting one of the nonlinear circuits in series with the primary winding of a transformer, and an output network is formed by connecting the other nonlinear circuit and an averaging circuit in series with the secondary winding of the transformer. A pulse signal is applied to the input network, the output network or the tertiary winding of the transformer to develop an output signal corresponding to the input signal while the input network and the output network are isolated from each other with respect to direct current.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an improved signal isolator for transmitting a small DC voltage signal in an isolated state, and more particularly to an improved signal isolator having means for isolating a DC voltage signal which has a magnitude of the order of millivolts, as, for example, the electromotive force (emf) of a thermocouple.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Signal isolators known to the art include flying capacitor systems using relay contacts, and transformer isolation systems based on pulse modulation. However, the use of relays creates problems with sampling speed and the length of useful service life because of the mechanical contacts. The pulse modulation isolators are also disadvantageous because they require a plurality of transformers for isolation of both an input signal and a control signal, thus rendering the structure complex.