A comestible hydrolysate product is prepared by hydrolyzing a proteinaceous substrate devoid of viable mesophilic microorganisms and spores in a sterile system with a sterile enzyme preparation suitable for hydrolyzing the substrate.

The present invention relates to enzymatic hydrolysis of substances, particularly proteinaceous substances and more particularly, proteinaceous food substances.
Interest in the use of enzymes to hydrolyze substances has increased significantly in industry over the past twenty-five years, particularly in the food industry, since with acid hydrolysis, which has long been employed, some essential amino acids are entirely decomposed and others are partially decomposed. In addition, it now is recognized that during hydrolysis of proteins with hydrochloric acid, by-products, including such as what are known as chlorohydrins, i.e., chloropropanol and diol compounds, which may pose health concerns, are formed.
Enzymatic hydrolysis of substances operates on the basic theme of cleavage of chemical bonds of the substance. In general, preparation of hydrolysates intended to be employed themselves as a consumable comestible product, such as for nutritional purposes, or for other uses such as flavorants or for preparation of other products, or to be employed for obtaining a particular product fraction or fractions thereof for such or other uses, for example, is effected by incorporating an enzyme preparation with an aqueous suspension of a substance under conditions wherein, for process efficacy, the substance is at least partially solubilized. The selection of the enzyme preparation and other reagents is based upon the compositional chemical structure of the substance(s) to be hydrolyzed and by a desired hydrolysate product specification.
Use of sterile lactase enzyme preparations in pasteurized or sterilized milk and milk products to break down lactose, such as referred in Bijl, Canadian Patent No. 1 246 476 is known, and it is believed that sterile enzyme preparations have been employed in the pharmaceutical industry. However, generally in the context of hydrolyzing proteins, particularly in the industrial setting for preparation of nutritional and flavorant comestible products, microbiological contamination is generally not considered problematical, since the hydrolysis procedures are carried out generally at a temperature in a range of from 50.degree. C. to 60.degree. C. for from about 8 hrs to about 12 hrs so that, as noted by Eriksen, et al., PCT Patent Application Publication No WO 92/11771, bacterial growth is limited. Moreover, although it is reported in the art that enzymatic hydrolysis of proteins may be carried out at temperatures less than 50.degree. C., in general, even in such cases, microbiological contamination generally may not be of concern since the protein hydrolysate products are heated after preparation to a temperature and for a time at least sufficient to inactivate the enzymes, and use of temperatures and times to effect pasteurization or sterilization of the product are common.
On the other hand, however, it is noted that the age-old preparation of soy sauce from a koji avoids microbiological contamination with a high concentration of sodium chloride, but that, however, is not necessarily now deemed desirable for health reasons and is not, moreover, conducive for activities of many enzymes. Other agents to inhibit microorganism growth also have been employed, such as suggested by Kemmerer, U.S. Pat. No. 2,180,637, and such as employed by Kikuchi, et al., U.S. Pat. No. 3,857,967, but the agents disclosed are undesirable for food applications.
As compared with known microorganism fermentations or acid hydrolysis procedures, which have a limited capacity for tailoring the resultant products, since, generally, only the extent, or degree, of hydrolysis can be controlled readily, enzymatic hydrolysis theoretically enables, with regard to any particular substrate treated, obtaining a variety of products tailored to particular specifications with greater precision. However, even to the extent that such may be the case, as is documented throughout the art, in general particularly in terms of a cost/benefit analysis, although dependent upon the quantity of enzyme employed, yields of desired products obtained by enzymatically hydrolyzing proteins are considered low, and it is generally the rule, rather than the exception, that such procedures result in substantial amounts of by-product(s) for which uses are relatively few and not of great economic value.
A factor which impacts upon yield of desired product(s) is that enzyme preparations produced for general industrial use, known in the art as commercial-grade enzymes, generally are a mixture, or "cocktail", of a plurality of enzymes which differ in substrate affinity and specificity, hereinafter "activity", i.e., the capability of effecting a particular substrate chemical bond cleavage under any particular set of reaction conditions, including pH and temperature. Although the activity of one enzyme of the preparation cocktail generally is predominant, and although situations are known wherein two desirable activities of the enzyme preparation may be sequenced such as by pH control, as disclosed in Gianna, et al., European Patent Application Publication No. 0 320 717, the other enzyme(s) of the preparation, which may be considered "impurities", may produce results and effects which may be competitive with, or even at odds with, the desired effects and results. For example, depending upon the substrate and/or the conditions of hydrolysis, the "impurities" may detract from a theoretical yield because such may induce competitive reactions and/or even may be destructive of the enzyme having the predominant activity, thus inducing reaction inhibition beyond that which would be expected, based upon theoretical considerations.
To enhance process control and final product specificity, use of substantially pure enzymes would be desirable. However, the attendant increased enzyme preparation cost due to purification procedures generally presents a cost/benefit ratio which generally can not be justified in general industrial use, other than such as in the pharmaceutical industry, or for relatively small-scale high-value analytical purposes or bio-engineering. Such is particularly the case in the food flavorant art, particularly when the cost/benefit of purified enzyme use is compared to that of carrying out conventional microorganism fermentations or an acid hydrolysis.
To address the afore-noted problems, it is not uncommon in industrial practice, particularly in the comestible, i.e., food, art, to employ greater amounts of commercial-grade preparations to amplify the activity of the dominant enzyme of a given preparation, as compared with what theoretically would be required for any given set of processing conditions, and to carry out the reaction for about 8 hrs to about 12 hrs. For example, employing a greater amount of enzyme preparation speeds up the reaction rate for any given set of conditions, and in general, when subjecting proteinaceous substances to a moderate degree of hydrolysis to obtain a hydrolysate which has a broad peptide profile and which is comprised of constituents having a molecular weight in excess of 10,000 Daltons, difficulties are not encountered operating in this manner.
Various problems arise, however, when it is desired to obtain a protein hydrolysate, such as one suitable for nutritive applications, which has a high degree of hydrolysis so that the product contains a significant amount of free amino acids and/or a narrow peptide size-range profile, e.g., a molecular weight below about 10,000 Daltons and preferably, below about 6,000 Daltons. As is discussed in the art, such products are useful in a wide variety of food and nutritive applications, including formulas for infants allergic to milk proteins. However, unless particular reactant combinations and conditions are employed, such as in Jost, U.S. Pat. No. 5,039,532, yields of such products, as indicated above, generally are considered undesirably low, and in general, such procedures are considered to be expensive because of the enzyme preparation(s) employed. On the other hand, to reduce enzyme usage, the substrate employed may be dilute, which likewise makes process economics unattractive because of unit/volume considerations.
To obtain high-value end-use products as noted above, it also is known to combine enzymatic procedures with hydrolysate isolation procedures such as ultrafiltration. Such procedures include those disclosed in Eriksen, et al., PCT Patent Application Publication No. WO 92/11771, and in Nielsen, et al., PCT Patent Application Publication No. WO 93/24020, for example, and an alternative to separate isolation procedures has been proposed in Maubois, et al., U.S. Pat. No. 4,427,658, which discloses to employ an ultrafiltration membrane reactor, which may be used in a continuous mode, to recycle and further process a permeate. Maubois, however, indicates that the ratio of enzyme concentration to protein concentration must be on the order of 8% to 15%.
Thus, it long has been and still is desired in the food industry, particularly in the context of hydrolyzing proteins, to obtain, consistently, enzymatic hydrolysates of low molecular weight and/or of narrow peptide profile and to solve the dichotomy of how to increase yields while at the same time reducing the amount of enzyme usage to achieve cost savings and cost/benefit effectiveness.

Enhanced procedures for preparing food hydrolysates


In one embodiment, a method of forming a multijunction solar cell having lattice mismatched layers and lattice-matched layers comprises growing a top subcell having a first band gap over a growth semiconductor substrate. A middle subcell having a second band gap is grown over the top subcell, and a lower subcell having a third band gap is grown over the middle subcell. The lower subcell is substantially lattice-mismatched with respect to the growth semiconductor substrate. The first band gap of the top subcell is larger than the second band gap of the middle subcell. The second band gap of the middle subcell is larger than the third band gap of the lower subcell. A support substrate is formed over the lower subcell, and the growth semiconductor substrate is removed. In various embodiments, the multijunction solar cell may further comprise additional lower subcells. A parting layer may also be provided between the growth substrate and the top subcell in certain embodiments. Embodiments of this reverse process permit the top and middle subcells to have high performance by having atomic lattice spacing closely matched to that of the growth substrate. Lower subcells can be included with appropriate band gap, but with lattice spacing mismatched to the other subcells. The reduced performance caused by strain resulting from mismatch can be mitigated without reducing the performance of the upper subcells.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates in one embodiment to a high efficiency monolithic multijunction solar cell comprising lattice-mismatched materials, and a method for making the same.
2. Description of the Related Art
To date, the highest conversion efficiency achieved for monolithically-grown, series-connected multijunction solar cells has been obtained using semiconductors with atomic lattice spacing closely matched to that of the growth substrate. In particular, the highest conversion efficiency multijunction solar cells have been formed using Group III-V semiconductors with appropriately sequenced band gaps, grown monolithically with atomic lattice spacing closely matched to that of a substrate, either GaAs or Ge. The semiconductors and band gaps used to date include Ga(x)In(1−x)P, where x is about 0.5, for a band gap range of about 1.85 to 1.9 eV for the top subcell (the subcell on the front surface of the cell); InGaAs, where the In content is low, giving a band gap range about 1.38 to 1.43 eV for the mid subcell; and Ge, with a band gap of about 0.66 eV for the lower subcell.
Theoretical calculations show that if the Ge subcell could be replaced with a subcell using material with band gap in the range of about 0.95 to 1.05 eV, higher efficiencies are attainable because of more effective use of the incident solar spectrum. Attempts to grow lower subcells in this band gap range on a GaAs or Ge substrate have not been successful, because the lattice-mismatch, about 2% with compounds like In(x)Ga(1−x)As where x˜0.3, reduced the quality and performance of the lower subcell. The lattice mismatch also degraded the performance of the upper subcells even if attempts were made to compensate for the lattice mismatch.
Several schemes have been used to minimize the lattice-mismatch, including the growth of lower subcells comprising in(x)Ga(1−x)As layers with x graded from 0 to about 0.3, or by varying temperature schedules during growth of the lower and upper subcells to reduce the mechanical strains caused by the mismatch. Inclusion of additional elements such as nitrogen or boron in the InGaAs in the lower subcell maintained the band gap and changed the lattice spacing to match the substrate, but the added elements led to very poor electronic quality. The decreased current density in the series-connected subcells severely limited the cell performance, even if the upper subcells had good performance.
What is needed are methods for dealing with the lattice mismatch of lower subcells and improving the efficiency of solar cells.

High efficiency, monolithic multijunction solar cells containing lattice-mismatched materials and methods of forming same


Font character data is maintained in a cache memory in bit map form. Each character is identified a unique identifier (ID) value. The printer searches the cache memory only by ID value to determine the presence of a character in the cache. Pointer tables are avoided. A list is maintained of characters recently employed by the printer and is arranged so as to enable determination of a ranking of usage among the listed characters in cache. When a new character is requested by the printer, the cache is initially searched to determine if the character is present therein. If the character is found, it is immediately accessed and its identifier is placed at the head of the usage list. Other characters are pushed down in the list. The least recently used character in the list (at the list's bottom) is removed unless it is being employed in a print action, in which case, a next higher character in the list is examined to determine if it should be removed based upon both usage criteria and requirement for a page being processed.

Present day print mechanisms, such as ink jet and laser-based printers, have the capability of producing text outputs exhibiting many different font presentations. Character fonts are provided to the print mechanisms via read only memories which store the font data in the form of character outlines. In the case of printers employed for Latin-based languages, font sizes are such as to enable an entire font to be accessed from ROM and to be "rasterized" into a bit map state, ready for printing when called upon by the print mechanism. In prior art printers, tables of pointers are constructed which point to bit map data or outline font data, as the case may be. A table is created for every orientation, point size and data type (i.e. bit map or outline) for every font that has character data in use. Because Latin character codes range between 0 and 255, the table method enables a high performance access technique with a fairly low memory cost for the pointer tables.
By contrast, fonts employed for Asian character sets encompass tens of thousands of different characters. The provision of tables of pointers to the font data becomes impractical due to the large amount of memory space which is consumed by the tables (not even considering the memory space required for the font data). Further, because of the large quantity of required Asian characters, the technique of pre-rasterizing the outline font data and maintaining it in bit map form results in extremely large memory sizes. Thus, while the immediate availability of pre-rasterized Asian font data enables high speed printer operation, the cost of achieving such operation is concomitantly high.
Accordingly, it is an object of this invention to provide an improved method and apparatus for handling of printer font data.
It is another object of this invention to provide a memory management technique which enables high usage font data to be available in the form of bit map data to the printer mechanism.
It is yet another object of this invention to control which font data is present in bit map form in a cache memory, based upon recent usage.

Method and apparatus for allocating cache memory space for font data


Systems and methods for monitoring a state of health of a battery are disclosed. The state of health of the battery may be determined based on an internal resistance of the battery. The state of health of the battery may be determined based on a measured terminal voltage of the battery, a measured current of the battery, a temperature of the battery, and a state-of-charge of the battery.

Exemplary battery assemblies are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 7,531,270; US Published Application No. US2010/0273042, titled BATTERY ASSEMBLY WITH TEMPERATURE CONTROL DEVICE; US Published Application No. US 2010/0304203, titled BATTERY ASSEMBLY WITH TEMPERATURE CONTROL DEVICE; U.S. patent application Ser. No. 13/508,770, titled SCALABLE BATTERY MODULE; U.S. patent application Ser. No. 13/793,155, titled ENERGY STORAGE SYSTEM; and PCT Patent Application Serial No. PCT/US11/52169, titled ENERGY STORAGE SYSTEM, the disclosures of which are expressly incorporated by reference herein.

System and method for monitoring a state of health of a battery system


A downhole tool includes, a tubular, a tooth profile on the tubular, at least one first actuatable latch complementary to the tooth profile and at least one second actuatable latch complementary to the tooth profile. The at least one second actuatable latch prevents movement of the tubular when actuated. Additionally, at least one actuator is in operable communication with the at least one first actuatable latch such that actuation of the at least one actuator while the at least one first actuatable latch is actuated and the at least one second actuatable latch is nonactuated causes movement of the tubular.

The hydrocarbon recovery industry utilizes downhole safety valves to safely shut off flow from wells where, for example, excessive downhole pressures could otherwise cause undesirably high flows to reach surface. The ability to remotely control the actuation of such valves is a desirable feature. Additionally, the ability to repeatedly open and close such valves, without retrieving the valve to surface, is also a desirable feature.

Actuatable subsurface safety valve and method


A simple optical fiber inner tube connector mainly includes a tubular body being divided into two receiving chambers by at least an annular rib in the tubular body. Each of the receiving chambers is provided around its inner wall surface with a spirally extended thread and at least an engaging tooth located between the annular rib and an inner end of the spiral thread. When two optical fiber inner tubes are to be connected to each other by means of the connector, they are separately screwed into the two receiving chambers so that the engaging teeth tightly engage into outer wall surfaces of the two optical fiber inner tubes for them to accurately align with each other and firmly locate in the connector. Waterstop sleeve members made of elastically deformable material may be put around outer wall surface of the tubular body near two ends thereof to fitly and tightly cover the joint of the connector and the optical fiber inner tubes and to align the inner tubes with the tubular body.

The present invention relates to a simple optical fiber inner tube connector, and more particularly to an optical fiber inner tube connector that is internally threaded for two optical fiber inner tubes to screw into two ends of the connector and externally provided at two ends with sealing elements to seal two ends of the connector in an airtight manner.
The optical fiber cable is an advanced transmission material for communication line. The optical fiber cable effectively isolates the transmitted signals from noise interference by the electromagnetic wave. The optical fiber cable also has the advantages of high band width and good ability of overcoming the problem of lose of signal and is therefore a good substitute for conventional copper coaxial cable and electric cable. With the optical fiber cable, better signal transmission effect may be achieved over the high-speed telecommunication network.
However, due to its fragility, the optical fiber cable requires more strict external protection than the conventional copper cables. Usually, the optical cable includes an outer tube in which three or four inner tubes with smaller diameter than that of the outer tube are received. Each of the inner tubes has an optical fiber extending therethrough. In other words, each optical fiber cable includes at least two layers of protection separately provided by the outer and the inner tubes. The outer and the inner tubes are basically made of plastic material. Generally, the outer tube is made of hard and wear-resistant plastic material, such as polyvinyl chloride, and the inner tube is made of softer plastic material, such as polyethylene or other plastic material having similar physical property.
In practical installation of the optical fiber cable, the outer tube is first embedded under ground. Thereafter the inner tubes are put into the outer tube. As being limited by the available length of the inner tube and different extending directions of the optical fiber cable, a plurality of segments of the inner tube must be used and connected segment by segment to complete the primary embedding of the optical fiber cable line. Finally, an optical fiber is inserted through each of the inner tubes by means of compressed air. The compressed air brings the optical fiber from one end of the inner tube to the opposite end thereof. To effectively make use of the compressed air in moving the optical fiber through the inner tube, the inner tube must be excellently airtight through the whole length thereof. Therefore, the air-tightness of the inner tube at its connections between two adjacent segments thereof is absolutely required.
In addition to the air-tightness, it is also necessary to actually prevent moisture, insects and other foreign materials from entering into the inner tube via the connections between two segments.
Moreover, in order to provide the connection between the inner tube segments with a sufficient strength to resist unwanted separation of the inner segments from one another, the inner tube segments have to be securely and firmly connected to one another in order to resist any pull or push force applied thereto by the compressed air during installing the optical fiber cable.
To achieve the aforesaid requirement of air-tightness, the currently available conventional connectors for connecting two inner tube segments to each other usually include numerous complicate components and are therefore difficult to handle at the work field. In connecting two inner tube segments to each other, an optical fiber inner tube connector is needed. For an inner tube segment to readily connect to the inner tube connector, a radial clearance is usually provided between the connector and the inner tube segment. However, such radial clearance tends to cause separation of the inner tube segment from the connector due to pull or push force applied on the inner tube segment during work. Moreover, such radial clearance may also cause improper axial alignment between two inner tube segments connected to two ends of the connector. The segments may be radially offset with respect to each other and causes problems in moving the optical fiber through the inner tubes.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,832,158 entitled xe2x80x9cOptical Fiber Inner Tube Connectorxe2x80x9d granted to the applicant and U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/109,007 entitled xe2x80x9cOptic Fiber Inner Tube Connectorxe2x80x9d filed by the applicant on Jul. 1, 1998 both disclose optical fiber inner tube connectors that are effective in solving the problems existed in the conventional optical fiber inner tube connectors. These connectors are, however, structurally complicate and do not ensure an absolutely trouble-free connection of optical fiber inner tubes to one another.
A primary object of the present invention is to provide a simple optical fiber inner tube connector that enables most convenient connection of two optical fiber inner tubes to one another in the airtight manner.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a simple optical fiber inner tube connector that ensures absolutely sealed connection of two optical fiber inner tubes to effectively prevent moisture, insect and other foreign materials from entering into the inner tubes.
A further object of the present invention is to provide a simple optical fiber inner tube connector that ensures firm connection of two optical fiber inner tubes to one another so that the two inner tubes would not be easily pulled or pushed apart from one another during the installation of the optical fiber cable.
A still further object of the present invention is to provide a simple optical fiber inner tube connector that automatically guides two optical fiber inner tubes to be connected thereto to axially align with each other without being offset relative to each other, and therefore facilitates accurate connection of the inner tubes and subsequent smooth extending of the optical fiber through the connected inner tubes.
To achieve the above and other objects, the simple optical fiber inner tube connector of the present invention mainly includes a tubular body being divided into two receiving chambers by at least an annular rib in the tubular body. Each of the receiving chambers is provided around its inner wall surface with a spirally extended thread and at least an engaging tooth located between the annular rib and an inner end of the spiral thread. When two optical fiber inner tubes are to be connected to each other by means of the connector, they are separately screwed into the two receiving chambers so that the engaging teeth tightly engage into outer wall surfaces of the two optical fiber inner tubes for them to accurately align with each other and firmly locate in the connector. Waterstop sleeve members made of elastically deformable material may be put around outer wall surface of the tubular body near two ends thereof to fitly and tightly cover the joint of the connector and the optical fiber inner tubes and to align center lines of the inner tubes with that of the tubular body.


A pulse detonation engine (10) is provided with an aerovalve (14) for controlling the pressure of injected propellants (Ox, Fuel) in an open-ended detonation chamber (26). The propellants are injected at such pressure and velocity, and in a direction generally toward a forward thrust wall end (16) of the detonation chamber (26), an aerovalve (14) is formed which effectively inhibits or prevents egress of the propellant from the detonation chamber (26). A shock wave (34) formed by the injected propellant acts, after reflection by the thrust wall end (16) and in combination with the aerovalve (14), to compress and conserve, or increase, the pressure of the injected propellant. Carefully timed ignition (28) effects a detonation pulse under desired conditions of maintained, or increased, pressure. Termination of the propellant injection serves to xe2x80x9copenxe2x80x9d the aerovalve (14), and exhaust of the combusted propellants occurs to produce thrust. Alternate embodiments of propellant injection mechanisms (12, 112) provide pulse valves (24, 122, 124) each having a fixed slotted disk (40, 140, 240) and a rotating slotted disk (42, 142, 242) to provide the desired high speed valving of discrete pulses of propellant for injection.

This invention relates generally to pulse detonation engines, and more particularly to the fluid dynamics of such engines. More particularly still, the invention relates to the valving of fluids employed in pulse detonation engines.
Pulse detonation engines (PDE) represent an energy conversion device that has existed for some time, but which have recently received increased attention. Such engines generally combust fuel and an oxidant in a chamber, or combustor, to provide a component of thrust or force in an intended direction. The combustion occurs in the manner of discrete, i.e. pulsed, detonations. The present invention is concerned with configurations that employ an open-ended chamber, such as a rocket nozzle, that may be employed for a component of thrust. A principal application for such engines is as a thrust source to propel an aerospace vehicle in the atmosphere or the vacuum of space. In such instance, the PDE is also a rocket engine.
The development of PDE""s requires the ability to quickly fill an open-ended chamber with a detonatable mixture while purging the exiting exhaust gases with minimal mixing. For pulse detonation rocket engine applications where the open end of the chamber is likely to be exposed to a vacuum, the fresh charge of detonatable mixture must be contained in the chamber for several milliseconds before the detonation is initiated. Further, the mixture must be pressurized to levels on the order of 50-1000 psi with the chamber open to vacuum in order to generate thrust competitive with conventional rocket engines. Moreover, the process must be done at rates approaching or exceeding 100 Hz.
Two alternative concepts that may be used to control chamber pressure are mechanical valves and fixed throats, but each has significant limitations. The complexity and weight of a mechanical valve, combined with durability and sealing requirements in the hot exhaust flow, suggest that it would be difficult and/or impractical to implement in this application and environment. A fixed throat near the chamber exit would restrict the flow, allowing the chamber to be pressurized with high propellant flow rates while some propellant is lost through the exit. This arrangement suffers from the loss of efficiency due to propellant leakage during the fill process and from thrust reduction due to the reduced exit area of the throat.
A further discussion of the physics and operation of PDE""s is contained in several U.S. Patents by T. R. Bussing, including U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,513,489; 5,353,588; and 5,345,758. These patents discuss the use of a rotary valve, but only to control the admission of propellant and oxidant to each of multiple combustor chambers rather than to also control the pressure developed in the chamber. They rely upon an approach that uses multiple chambers each feeding into a common, restricted throat.
Accordingly, it is an object of the invention to provide an arrangement that is durable, relatively efficient, and simple, for controlling the pressure of fluids, such as propellants, in the chamber of a pulse detonation engine.
It is a further object to provide a pulse detonation engine in which the timing of detonation is optimized or tuned in accordance with the present invention.
It is a still further object to provide improved fluid injection mechanism for use with the pulse detonation engine in accordance with the invention.
A pulse detonation engine (PDE) is provided with an aerodynamic valve (aerovalve) for controlling the pressure of injected fluids, typically gases, but also including liquids, such as fuel or fuel and oxidizer, referred to as propellants, in an open-ended detonation chamber. The PDE includes a detonation chamber closed at a thrust wall end and open at the opposite, exhaust, end. A fluid injection mechanism injects pressurized propellant fluid into and directed toward the thrust wall end of, the detonation chamber. The propellant fluid is injected in a pulsed manner by the injection mechanism, and with sufficient pressure and velocity and such direction as to effectively restrict or prevent rearward flow of the injected fluid, thus forming a closed aerovalve. Moreover, the injected propellant fluid establishes a shock wave which, when moving rearward in the detonation chamber toward the exhaust end after reflection by the thrust wall end, serves in combination with the closed aerovalve to increase, or at least sufficiently conserve, the pressure of the fluid in the chamber, such that it is a pressure preferably greater than, or at least nearly as great as, that at which it entered. At the appropriate instant, the injected and pressurized propellant is detonated, as by an ignition device, to rapidly combust the injected propellants. Because the exhaust end of the detonation chamber is not mechanically constricted, as by a mechanical valve, and the aerovalve is open because injection has ceased, the resulting combustion products readily exit to produce thrust. Such configuration avoids the concerns of a mechanical valve structure for controlling exhaust from the detonation chamber and does not require a mechanically-constricted throat structure which would otherwise impede exhaust flow.
The PDE is preferably tuned to optimize the specific impulse or thrust. This is accomplished by coupling the timing of the fluid propellant injection and the subsequent ignition to maximize performance. More specifically, the mass average chamber temperature and pressure are at a maximum as the reflected shock wave nears the injection mechanism. The ignition is timed and positioned such that the resulting detonation wave, which moves at a velocity greater than the reflected shock wave, arrives at the injection mechanism at the same instant as the reflected shock wave.
The propellant injection mechanism is a high frequency pulse valve which delivers and injects pressurized pulses of propellant, typically fuel and oxidizer, to the detonation chamber of the PDE. Various arrangements may be used for providing such pressurized pulses of propellant. However, in the propellant injection mechanism of the preferred embodiment, each propellant component is supplied, at pressure, to a respective slotted disk type of valve. The slotted disk valve includes at least one rotating disk having a plurality of slots, and a complementary slotted disk, typically stationary, such that the slots of the two disks port (open) and unport (close) in rapid succession. The propellant pulses are delivered from the disk valves to the detonation chamber via injection ducts which are positioned and directed to provide the aerovalve of the invention.
One embodiment of the propellant injection mechanism comprises one or more injection valves offset from the axis of the detonation chamber and in which the rotating disk is driven by a spring-biased drive member at the axis of the disk, but offset from the detonation chamber axis.
Another embodiment of the propellant injection mechanism comprises a pair of annular injection valves that encircle the detonation chamber and in which annular fixed and rotating slotted disks are disposed coaxially with the detonation chamber to provide the pulsed injections.

Pulse detonation engine having an aerodynamic valve


A system and method are provided for enhancing approximate computing by a computer system. In one example, an interface is provided comprising a variable-identifier module and a bit-priority module. The variable-identifier module is configured to identify one or more variables of data that are to be processed by the computer system with approximate precision. Approximate precision is a precision level at which a hardware device does not guarantee full data-correctness for the one or more variables. The bit-priority module is configured to assign bit-priorities to the one or more variables. The bit-priorities include relative levels of importance among bits of each of the one or more variables. The relative levels of importance include at least high-priority bits and low-priority bits.

For data storage (e.g., cache, main memory, long term storage, etc.), there is typically a trade-off between quality of service and error correction. Quality of service refers to a level of precision with which a computer system (e.g., storage system) processes data. Error correction refers to processes a hardware system performs in order to correct errors in data. As the quality of service (e.g., precision of data) increases, the amount of error-correction that a hardware device (e.g., memory device) must perform typically goes up. Conversely, as less quality of service is needed, the amount of error-correction that a hardware device must perform typically goes down.
A computer system may be configured to compute with full data-correctness-guarantees (e.g., high-precision). Computing with full data-correctness-guarantees refers to maintaining all, or substantially all, bits of the data. However, computing full data-correctness-guarantees, on a full-time basis, is often not practical for many computing operations. Hardware (e.g., a memory device) typically provides strong guarantees for error correction. Software typically relies completely on hardware to maintain full data error-correction guarantees. Such complete reliance on hardware is demanding on the hardware. The demand can lead to memory devices that operate more slowly. Perhaps worse, the memory devices may also experience shorter life spans. For example, precise flash memory operation may cause quicker wear out due to the need for a larger number of write iterations. When the hardware cannot maintain the error-correction guarantees, the hardware issues a fatal error. Then, neither the hardware nor the software can proceed with normal computing operations.
Full data-correctness-guarantees (e.g., high-precision operations with an effort to maintain the precision of all bits of data), which are often required by hardware, are not always needed for software applications. Some software applications can tolerate errors in some of their data structures, such as, for example, picture data, audio data, video data, and/or most other data that a user decides to store. A computer can process these types of data with approximate precision and, at the same time, maintain virtually no perceptible difference in the user experience during the processing of the data. In one example, approximate storage refers to a computer system storing data in memory, and later the memory device returning approximately the data that was stored in that memory. Approximate precision is the precision with which the memory device returns approximately the data that was stored in the memory. Approximate precision is a precision level at which the memory device does not guarantee full data-correctness for one or more variables of data. For example, the memory device does not guarantee all bits of the data are correct.

Priority-assignment interface to enhance approximate computing


A process for enhancing the adhesion of coatings applied to the surfaces of glass-ceramic articles. The surface area to be coated is roughened before the article is completely cerammed. When the article is subjected to elevated temperatures for the purpose of converting the green glass to a glass-ceramic, flaws produced by the abrasion step are healed. The coating can be applied before or after the ceramming step.

This invention relates to a method of making thermally durable glass-ceramic articles having strongly adherent coatings thereon.
The term "glass-ceramic" refers to a polycrystalline ceramic prepared by the controlled crystalization of a glass in situ. The invention of such materials has enabled the formation of intricately-shaped polycrystalline articles by forming "green glass" into the desired shape and thereafter ceramming the green glass article to convert it to a glass-ceramic. The ceramming step conventionally involves heating the green glass article to an elevated temperature, e.g. a temperature in the range of about 650.degree.-800.degree. C., to cause nucleation or the formation of nuclei and subsequently heating the article to a higher temperature, e.g. a temperature in the range of about 800.degree.-1175.degree. C. to cause crystallization and growth of crystals. The resultant glass-ceramic material is known for its good mechanical and thermal durability. For additional information pertaining to the formation of glass-ceramic materials, reference may be made to U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,920,971; 3,148,994 and 3,157,522. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 3,157,522 indicates that the nucleation step can be performed immediately after the article is formed while the article is still hot. Thus, the shaped green glass article may be cooled to a temperature in the range of 650.degree.-800.degree. C. and held at that temperature for a period of time, usually between about 2 hours and about 10 minutes, depending upon the temperature. This type of nucleation step may be performed in the method of the present invention when the article is to be abraded while in the nucleated state. Furthermore, the abraded article may be subjected to two or more crystal growth temperature schedules in accordance with the aforementioned U.S. Pat. No. 3,148,994. However, it is to be noted that the method of the present invention is not limited to any particular ceramming schedule, and any ceramming schedule may be employed since all such schedules are capable of alleviating damage caused by a prior, surface abrasion step.
Glass-ceramic articles have been coated with electrically and/or thermally conductive material to form such devices as resistors, heaters, stovetop cooking units, cookware and the like. The following references are illustrative of these applications: U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,330,940; 3,813,520; 3,848,111 and 3,883,719 and my U.S. Patent Application Ser. No. 727,893, entitled "Low TCR Resistor" filed on Sept. 29, 1976. Any of the articles disclosed in the aforementioned references may be subjected to temperature changes which can cause the formation of stress therein which can result in breakage of the article and/or separation of the conductive coating from the glass-ceramic substrate.
Although glass-ceramic materials have been commonly employed as cookware, a primary disadvantage of such ware is the low thermal conductivity thereof. For example, direct contact of glass-ceramic cookware with burner elements is disadvantageous in that food disposed therein can be burned if it is immediately above the burner element, and food which is only a short distance away, but not directly over a burner element, may be undercooked.
The application of coatings to glasses and glass-ceramics is widely employed to impart desirable physical properties such as thermal and electrical conductivity thereto, and many processes for applying such coatings are known. U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,523,013; 3,220,870; 3,296,012; 3,914,517 and 3,741,780 disclose methods of providing glass-ceramic substrates with conductive coatings.
The principal problems in the art of metal-coating glass-ceramic cookware arise out of the substantial differences in thermal expansion behavior between the conventional glass-ceramic materials used for the fabrication of cookware and more highly conductive materials which might be considered for use as coatings in combination with these glass-ceramics. For example, glass-ceramic materials typically employed for cookware fabrication exhibit rather low coefficients of thermal expansion, e.g., on the order of 10-25.times.10.sup.-7 /.degree.C., whereas aluminum, for example, which has a desirable thermal conduction capability, has a coefficient of thermal expansion of about 230.times.10.sup.-7 /.degree.C. Theoretical stresses which may arise as a result of this expansion mismatch over the typical temperature range of use of an aluminum metal-glass-ceramic composite cooking vessel approach 700 MPa. Increases in the thermal expansion of the glass-ceramic material to alleviate this expansion mismatch are not possible without sacrificing the excellent thermal shock resistance of this material, a major desirable feature of glass-ceramic cookware. Even silicon, which has a coefficient of thermal expansion of about 35.times.10.sup.-7 /.degree.C., is subjected to stresses which tend to cause delamination to occur when silicon-coated cookware is subjected to thermal cycles normally encountered in cooking. Moreover, such glass-ceramic ware possesses an extremely smooth surface that is not normally receptive to many coating materials. One example of a material that can be self-bonding to smooth glass-ceramic surfaces is aluminum, provided that it is properly applied, an example of such a self-bonding material being described in U.S. Patent Application Ser. No. 712,479 entitled "Process for Making Aluminum-Coated Glass-Ceramic Cooking Vessel" filed Aug. 9, 1976.
Three techniques conventionally employed to improve adhesion of non-bonding coatings are surface roughening, substrate preheating, and precoating the substrate with a material which is self-bonding and which is compatible with the desired coating material. However, each of these techniques possesses disadvantages which tend to discourage its utilization. For example, subjecting glass-ceramic articles to high preheat temperatures was found to effect coating bonds of marginal strength, but all but the thinnest coatings spalled as the coated articles cooled. Vacuum deposited films of chromium having thicknesses of about 500 A formed good bonding layers between glass-ceramic substrates and silicon coatings, but the vacuum deposition technique for applying such films is unduly expensive. It is knwon that although surface roughening of glass-ceramic substrates improves the adhesion of subsequently applied thermally conductive coatings, such roughening introduces undesirable stress raisers and degrades the thermal durability properties of the glass-ceramic. For example, glass-ceramic skillets, the bottom surfaces of which were roughened prior to applying thermally conductive coatings thereto, could not pass a thermal downshock test because of the damage imparted thereto by the roughening procedure.


A battery pack in the present disclosure comprises: a battery; a switching element that is provided in a discharge path from the battery to an external load and that is configured to complete or interrupt the discharge path; a control circuit that operates by receiving a supply of an electric power from the battery, that conducts an electric current through the switching element so as to allow discharge from the battery to the external load, and upon occurrence of an abnormality in the battery or the external load during the discharge, that interrupts the switching element so as to inhibit the discharge from the battery to the external load; and a protection circuit that monitors an operating condition of the control circuit and that interrupts the switching element when the control circuit is inoperative.

The present disclosure relates to a battery pack comprising a control circuit that controls discharge from a battery to an external load.
For example, a battery pack described in Japanese Patent No. 4831171 comprises a switching element (for example, FET, etc.) and a control circuit. The switching element is provided in a discharge path from a battery to an external load. The control circuit causes the switching element to conduct an electric current, thereby allowing discharge from the battery to the external load.
The control circuit interrupts the switching element to protect the battery against over-discharge, etc. when an abnormality occurs during the discharge (for example, during discharge from the battery to the external load, a state where a discharge current has a value equal to or greater than a threshold value, i.e., an over-current state, continues for a specified period of time or longer).


A method for pre-treating a membrane electrode assembly (MEA) for a fuel cell is disclosed. According to the method of the invention, the MEA is subjected to multiple wet/dry cycles prior to assembly of the MEA into the fuel cell stack. The pre-treatment wet/dry cycles of the present invention eliminate or reduce the irreversible dimensional changes which occur in the polymer electrolyte membrane in the MEA throughout the wet/dry cycles of fuel cell operation. This reduces stress applied to the MEA throughout wet/dry cycles which occur during operation of the fuel cell. Consequently, the formation and propagation of pinholes in the membrane is reduced, increasing the lifetime of the MEA.

Fuel cell technology is a relatively recent development in the automotive industry. It has been found that fuel cell power plants are capable of achieving efficiencies as high as 55%. Furthermore, fuel cell power plants emit no harmful by-products which would otherwise contribute to atmospheric pollution.
In order to prevent leakage of the hydrogen fuel gas and oxygen gas supplied to electrodes and prevent mixing of the gases in a fuel cell, a gas-sealing material and gaskets are arranged on the periphery of the electrodes, with the polymer electrolyte membrane sandwiched there between. The sealing material and gaskets are assembled into a single part together with the electrodes and polymer electrolyte membrane to form a membrane and electrode assembly (MEA). Disposed outside of the MEA are conductive separator plates for mechanically securing the MEA and electrically connecting adjacent MEAs in series. A portion of the separator plate, which is disposed in contact with the MEA, is provided with a gas passage for supplying hydrogen fuel gas to the electrode surface and removing generated water.
During fabrication of a fuel cell, the polymer electrolyte membrane of each MEA is produced in roll form under tension. The polymer electrolyte membrane has a high water uptake capability. Therefore, when wet, the membrane will expand in all three directions, although not proportionally. The membrane will shrink in all three dimensions upon subsequent drying.
As shown in FIG. 1 for example, the dimensional change of the membrane is irreversible after the first wet/dry cycle, since after drying, the membrane shrinks to a size which is smaller than the size of the membrane before the membrane was wetted for the first time. After two wet/dry cycles, however, the dimensional changes in the subsequent cycles are shown to be reversible since the membrane shrinks to the same size after completion of each wet/dry cycle. The irreversible component of the dimensional change is caused by the residue stress. The shrink rate in the X-Y dimensions is about 1-15%, as shown in FIG. 1 for example.
In a conventional MEA, the polymer electrolyte membrane is assembled into the MEA. In a fuel cell, multiple MEAs are assembled in fuel cell stacks, with one MEA per cell. One of the major failure modes for most fuel cell stacks are due to H2 crossover to the cathode side across the polymer electrolyte membrane, due to the presence of pinholes in the membrane. SEM analysis on the crossover locations has revealed that the membrane pinholes are caused by mechanical stresses such as tensile stress applied to the membrane. These stresses are related to the fuel cell operating conditions, especially to the relative humidity (RH) swing and cycling rates. Each MEA, having never been subjected to a wet/dry cycle, is assembled into a fuel cell under a relative humidity (RH) of typically about 20-60%. During fuel cell operation, each MEA will undergo wet and dry cycles in which the RH can be as high as 150%.
After the first wet/dry cycle of fuel cell operation, the MEA shrinks in size. However, the shrinking movement of the membrane is resisted by stack seals which clamp the MEA edges to a fixed dimension. This exerts stress on the polymer electrolyte membrane, causing the formation and propagation of pinholes in the membrane. Therefore, a method is needed to pre-treat an MEA prior to assembly of the MEA into a fuel cell stack in order to eliminate or reduce the irreversible dimensional changes of a polymer electrolyte membrane throughout wet/dry cycles during operation of the fuel cell. By eliminating or reducing the irreversibility of the dimensional changes of the polymer electrolyte membrane minimizes tensile stress and reduces the formation and propagation of pinholes in the membrane, leading to increased MEA lifetime.

Pre-treatment method for membrane electrode assembly


Systems and methods for improving operation of a four wheel drive vehicle that includes automatic engine stopping and starting are presented. In one example, engagement of a driveline wheel mode is not permitted when an engine is automatically started so that a driveline wheel mode actuator may fully engage a driveline wheel mode when it is requested to do so.

An engine of a vehicle may be automatically stopped without a human driver providing input to a device that has a sole purpose or function of stopping engine rotation to conserve fuel. The engine may be automatically restarted in response to an increase in driver demand torque, release of a brake pedal, low battery charge, or other conditions. The conditions that trigger an automatic engine restart may allow the engine to be restarted so that the battery may be recharged and so that engine torque may be provided to the vehicle's driveline, but automatic engine starting may influence other vehicle systems in ways that may be less than desirable. Therefore, it may be desirable to provide a way of automatically restarting an engine that may have less influence on other vehicle systems.
The inventors herein have recognized some dis-advantages of automatic engine restarting and have developed a method for operating an engine, comprising: automatically stopping an engine via a controller; and via the controller, inhibiting automatic starting of the engine while changing from a first driveline wheel mode to a second driveline wheel mode.
By inhibiting automatic starting of an engine while changing from a first driveline wheel mode to a second driveline wheel mode, it may be possible to provide the technical result of improved automatic engine starting. For example, if a vehicle operator is attempting to change from a two wheel drive mode to a four wheel drive mode, automatic engine starting may be inhibited until the driveline wheel mode change is complete. This allows the driveline wheel mode to be completely engaged before the engine is automatically restarted so that battery voltage is high enough to complete the driveline wheel mode engagement. After the driveline wheel mode is completely engaged, the engine may be automatically started. On the other hand, if the engine is in the process of automatically starting and a driveline wheel mode is requested, engagement of the driveline wheel mode may be delayed until the engine starting is complete so that the driveline wheel mode may be completely engaged.
The present description may provide several advantages. In particular, the approach may improve driveline wheel mode engagement. In addition, the approach may reduce the possibility of driveline wheel mode actuator degradation. Further, under some conditions, the approach may improve vehicle launches by fully engaging a driveline wheel mode before vehicle launch.
The above advantages and other advantages, and features of the present description will be readily apparent from the following Detailed Description when taken alone or in connection with the accompanying drawings.
It should be understood that the summary above is provided to introduce in simplified form a selection of concepts that are further described in the detailed description. It is not meant to identify key or essential features of the claimed subject matter, the scope of which is defined uniquely by the claims that follow the detailed description. Furthermore, the claimed subject matter is not limited to implementations that solve any disadvantages noted above or in any part of this disclosure.

Methods and systems for controlling automatic engine starting


A method and apparatus for harmonically upconverting a phase and/or amplitude modulated subcarrier signal to a higher frequency through a non-linear optical link is disclosed. The method requires that a bandpass signal, with a carrier frequency at a submultiple of the desired radio transmission frequency, be frequency translated in a non-linear two-port device. To avoid the inherent distortion inflicted on the information signal in harmonic upconversion, a predistortion technique is outlined. This consists of phase compression in the case of a phase modulated signal, amplitude scaling in the case of amplitude only and combined phase-amplitude predistortion for QAM type signals. With predistortion on the subcarrier signal input to the non-linear two-port, the resulting upconverted signal may be transmitted in a standard form suitable for demodulation at the signal destination without special equipment.

This invention relates to subcarrier fiber optic communication systems and radio communications systems; specifically to systems that utilize non-linear behavior to achieve harmonic upconversion of bandpass signals. This disclosure details a method for overcoming the generally inherent phase and amplitude distortion on harmonic upconverters by employing predistortion on the bandpass signal that is harmonically translated in the upconversion device.
The transmission of information signals cover radio or other bandpass channels is dependent on the process of modulation. This process requires that the information signal be translated to a suitable carrier frequency that allows the information to be transmitted and detected at the required destination without interference from or with other signals. The standard method for frequency conversion in radio systems is where the information signal and a suitable carrier frequency signal (in this case called a Local Oscillator or xe2x80x98LOxe2x80x99) are combined in a manner that causes the spectral content of the baseband information signal to be translated in the frequency domain from the origin to the range of the LO. An example is the case of cellular telephone transmissions, which use frequency modulation (FM transmission of a voice signal on a radio frequency of approximately 900 MHz. The voice signal has baseband spectral components that fit within a bandwidth of 200 to 3500 Hz whereas the LO is near 900 MHz. The voice or xe2x80x98basebandxe2x80x99 signal is converted to a time varying electronic signal that controls the frequency of the LO in a very narrow range such that the instantaneous frequency of the LO changes linearly with the level of the electronic voice signal. Due to the fact that FM requires more bandwidth than that occupied by the information signal the total bandwidth occupancy of this new carrier signal at the LO or carrier frequency is on the order of 30 kHzxe2x80x94more than the original baseband signal but still much less than that of the carrier. Thus the modulated carrier comprises a narrowband bandpass signal. The modulated carrier is then amplified and transmitted into the radio channel to be received by the called party in the cellular coverage region. At the destination the bandpass signal is translated back to a baseband signal where it is converted to an audible voice signal.
The modulation process may be sectioned into 2 basic functions: Converting the basic lowpass information signal to a bandpass signal and then translating this bandpass signal to a suitable frequency for transmission. These functions are often undertaken in a sequential manner in which the information signal is placed on an intermediate frequency (IF) and then, in a second or multiple operation, the IF is translated through further frequency translation operations to the desired carrier frequency. Often the second function is the most difficult process to achieve, especially if the required transmission frequency is extremely high.
An alternative solution to the problem of attaining extremely high carrier frequencies is found in harmonic upconversion. In this method a bandpass signal at a frequency much lower than the desired carrier frequency is produced in the standard IF mixing operation. The resulting bandpass IF signal is then passed through a non-linear device that produces an ensemble of harmonics of the input signal. The desired harmonic output from the device is captured with a bandpass filter and serves as the upconverted bandpass signal. The relationship between the harmonically upconverted carrier signal and the input carrier signal is determined by the specific harmonic number that was captured at the harmonic upconverter output, which is always an integer. For example, upconversion to a fifth harmonic means that for an input carrier signal at a frequency of fc, the output carrier is at a frequency of 5fc.
Harmonic frequency translation is carried out in two-port devices in which the transfer characteristic is inherently non-linear. A general expression for the output from such a deice for a continuous wave (CW) input (in this case cos(2xcfx80fct)) is given by                               R                                (            t            )                          =                              ∑                          n              =                              -                ∞                                      ∞                                          xe2x80x83                                                        C              n                                                  exp                                            (                                  jn                                                        xe2x80x83                                                      2                                    π                                                        xe2x80x83                                                                          f                    c                                                      t                                )                                                                        (        1        )
where Cn is a coefficient determined by the nature of the non-linearity and fc is the fundamental input frequency. This is based on the assumption that a periodic input causes a periodic output. Additionally implied is the fact that no sub-harmonics of the input fundamental frequency are of interest in the Fourier series of the output signal. Frequency translation is achieved by capturing one of the higher order output harmonics with a bandpass filter. The bandpass filter removes all but the harmonic component corresponding to the desired frequency at the network output, and so it could be said that the response of the network to the input CW subcarrier signal is one of pure frequency translation of the original signal. If in the case of a modulated input, the information characteristics can be preserved through the frequency translation process, a system benefit is accrued in certain situations.
Radio on Optical Non-Linear Upconverters
Fiber optic communication systems have typically been used in broadband configurations to trunk large amounts of baseband information over long distances. The larger bandwidth and relatively low loss characteristics of optical fiber have made it useful for the efficient transport of large information bandwidths at relatively low cost. Lately, fiber optic subsystems are finding more application in systems that were typically designed for electronic radio. CATV, Radar and some cellular and PCS subsystems now employ optical links that allow system operators to extend the coverage region or move more TV channels over wider distribution areas. Emerging Multipoint Communications Systems such as local multipoint distribution services (LMDS) will involve the delivery of broadband signals to residential sites via radio carriers in the 20 to 60 GHz range. The use of fiber is likely to increase greatly when these new services place enormous demands on existing service delivery systems and subscriber loop infrastructure. The latter systems, which are the focus of this document, primarily operate in a subcarrier mode where the signal that is modulated onto the optical carrier is itself a modulated carrier wave that upon detection (or optical demodulation) will once again be a modulated radio (or radio compatible) bandpass signal.
The harmonic upconversion potential for optical devices is well characterized and has been extensively studied. See
Afshin S. Daryoush, Peter R. Herczfeld, Zygmond Turski, Pradeep K. Wahi, Comparison of Indirect Optical Injection Locking Techniques of Multiple X-Band Oscillators, IEEE Transactions on Microwave Theory and Techniques, Vol. MTT-34, No. 12, pp 1363-1369, December 1986.
Wake, D., Smith I. C., Walker N. G. Henning, I. D., Carver, R. D., xe2x80x9cVideo Transmission Over A 40 GHz Radio-Fibre Link,xe2x80x9d Electronics Letters, Vol. 28, No. 21, pp 2024-2025.
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Tom Young, Jan Conradi and Wayne Tinga, xe2x80x9cGeneration and Transmission Of FM and xcfx80/4 DQPSK Signals at Microwave Frequencies Using Harmonic Generation and Opto electronic Mixing in Mach-Zehnder Modulators.xe2x80x9d IEEE Transactions on Microwave Theory and Techniques, vol. 44, no. 2, pp. 446-453, March 1996.
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Robert J. Davies Jan Conradi David Dodds, xe2x80x9cHybrid single Sideband Optical Modulatorxe2x80x9d, Ser. No. 08/873,967, Filed Jun. 12, 1997.
Ali Motamedi, R. Vahldeick, xe2x80x9cGeneration of fourth harmonic microwave signals using Mach-Zehnder modulatorsxe2x80x9d, Optical Fiber Conference OFC-97 Technical Digest, pp. 354-355, February 1997.
Bob Davies and Jan Conradi, xe2x80x9cHybrid harmonic subcarrier optical single sideband with phase predistortionxe2x80x9d, Electronics letters, vol. 34, no. 17, pp. 1674-1675, August 1998.
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Hoshida, T.; Tsuchiya, M. xe2x80x9cBroad-band millimeter-wave upconversion by nonlinear photodetection using a waveguide p-i-n photodiode,xe2x80x9d IEEE Photonics Technology Letters, vol. 10, no. 6, pp. 860-862, June 1998.
Braun, R. P.; Grosskopf, G.; Rohde, D.; Schmidt, F. xe2x80x9cMicrowave generation and transmission using optical heterodyning or optical upconversion,xe2x80x9d Proceedings of the 1996 International Topical Meeting on Microwave Photonics, pp. 53-56, Kyoto, Dec. 3-5, 1996.
Braun, R.-P.; Grosskopf, G.; Meschenmoser, R.; Rohde, D.; Schmidt, F.; Villino, G xe2x80x9cOptical harmonic upconversion for microwave generation in bidirectional broadband mobile communication system,xe2x80x9d Electronics Letters vol. 33 no 22 October 1997.
Chen; Chung Y., Newberg; Irwin L., xe2x80x9cFrequency multiplying electro-optic modulator, configuration and method,xe2x80x9d U.S. Pat. No. 5,040,865 Aug. 20, 1991.
Disclosures of prior art outline many types of non-linear optical link/harmonic upconverters. A clearer conceptualization of the details of signal predistortion is gained by observing a typical optical link configured for harmonic upconversion.
There is provided according to the invention a method and apparatus for harmonically upconverting a phase and/or amplitude modulated subcarrier signal to a higher frequency through a non-linear optical link is disclosed. The method requires that a bandpass signal, with a carrier frequency at a submultiple of the desired radio transmission frequency, be frequency translated in a non-linear two-port device. To avoid the inherent distortion inflicted on the information signal in harmonic upconversion, a predistortion technique is outlined. This consists of phase compression in the case of a phase modulated signal, amplitude scaling in the case of amplitude only and combined phase-amplitude predistortion for QAM type signals With predistortion on the subcarrier signal input to the non-linear two-port, the resulting upconverted signal may be transmitted in a standard form suitable for demodulation at the signal destination without special equipment.

Non-linear subcarrier predistortion and upconversion system


A method of correcting a pattern defect in a phase shift mask allowing planarization of bump and divot defects in a phase shift mask with high accuracy is disclosed. In the case of a bump defect, the region including the bump defect is irradiated with an FIB and supplied with a deposition gas, thereby forming a planarization film, and then the planarization film is etched back with the FIB. Thereafter, a layer containing ions is removed away using a laser beam. In the case of a divot defect, the region including the divot defect is planarized by application of an SOG film, and then the unnecessary part of the SOG film other than in the region of the divot defect is removed away by etching back to the interface of the SOG film with the FIB and developing the same. Thereafter, the layer containing ions is removed away utilizing a laser beam.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to methods of correcting defects in phase shift mask patterns, and more specifically, to a method of correcting defects in a phase shift mask patten having bump defects (excess shifters) and divot defects (missing shifters).
2. Description of the Background Art
Conventionally, as a general method of correcting defects in a mask pattern, there is known a method utilizing a laser beam or a focused ion beam (FIB). FIGS. 36-38 are cross sectional views for use in illustration of a conventional general method of correcting black bump defects in a metal light shielding film of a mask. Referring to FIGS. 36-38, the conventional method of correcting black bump defects in the metal light shielding film will be described.
As illustrated in FIG. 36, a usual mask has a metal light shielding film 43 of a prescribed pattern formed on a mask substrate 41. A black bump defect (excess metal film) 42 is generated when the metal light shielding film 43 is formed. FIGS. 39-41 are views showing a manufacturing process for use in illustration of one example of causes for generation of the black bump defect 42. In order to form the metal light shielding film 43 having a prescribed pattern (see FIG. 36), a metal light shielding film layer 43a is formed on the entire surface of the mask substrate 41 as shown in FIG. 39. After resist 44 is formed on the metal light shielding film layer 43a, a prescribed portion of the resist 44 is exposed. At the time of exposure, if an alien substance 45 is present on the resist 44 at the position to be exposed (see FIG. 39), the portion of resist 44 positioned under the alien substance 45 is not exposed. If the region to be originally exposed is thus not exposed, unnecessary resist 44a as shown in FIG. 40 is formed when the resist 44 is developed. When such necessary resist 44a is formed, and the metal light shielding film layer 43a is subjected to a dry etching utilizing as mask the resist 44 and 44a, the metal light shielding film black bump defect 42 as shown in FIG. 41 is formed. Thus, conventionally, when the metal light shielding film 43 is formed, the metal light shielding film black bump defect 42 is generated.
A metal such as Cr or a metal compound such as MoSi is used as a material for the metal light shielding film 43. In order to correct the black bump defect 42 in the metal light shielding film, as shown in FIG. 37, an Nd:YAG laser beam 9 is irradiated upon the black bump defect 42 in the metal light shielding film. Thus, the black bump defect 42 is evaporated as shown in FIG. 38 and removed away. The Nd:YAG laser beam used has a wavelength of 532 nm and irradiated for about 200 mJ-300 mJ.
FIGS. 42-44 are cross sectional views of structures for use in illustration of a general method of correcting a white divot defect (missing shifter) in a metal light shielding film of a mask according to a conventional technique. Referring to FIGS. 42-44, this conventional method of correcting a white defect in the metal light shielding film will be described.
As illustrated in FIG. 42, a metal light shielding film 53 of a prescribed pattern is formed on a mask substrate 51. A white divot defect 52 is generated when the metal light shielding film 53 is formed. FIG. 45 is a cross sectional view for use in illustration of one example of causes for generation of such a conventional metal light shielding film white divot defect 52. Referring to FIG. 45, in order to form the metal light shielding film 53 (see FIG. 42), a metal light shielding film layer 53a is formed on the entire surface of the mask substrate 51 by means of sputtering or the like. When the metal light shielding film layer 53a is formed, the pinhole (white defect) 52 is generated. If the region in which the pinhole 52 is located is a region to be formed as the metal light shielding film 53 (see FIG. 42), the metal light shielding film white divot defect 52 is generated in the metal light shielding film 53 eventually formed. Thus, in a conventional process of forming the metal light shielding film layer 53a, the metal light shielding film white divot defect 52 is generated.
In order to correct the white divot defect 52 in the metal light shielding film, a deposition gas 6 formed of a hydrocarbon-based gas is introduced into the region of the defect as shown in FIG. 43. An FIB 5 is irradiated upon the defect region while scanning the region. A carbon film 52 is thus formed to fill the white divot defect 52 in the metal light shielding film as shown in FIG. 44. Ga ions of about 20-30 keV are utilized as the FIB 5. A metal carbonyl-based gas or an organic metal-based gas may be used other than the hydrocarbon gas as the deposition gas 6.
The above-stated method has been known as a method of correcting defects such as the black bump defect 42 and the white divot defect 52 produced in a conventional general mask. When the above-stated method of correction is utilized for defects in a phase shift mask without modification, however, the following problem is encountered.
Now, a phase shifter process utilizing a phase shift mask will be described. According to the phase shifter process, a phase difference is provided to light passing through a photomask, in order to further improve the resolution of a lithography technique. Thus, the light intensity profile can be improved. FIGS. 46 and 47 are schematic views for use in illustration of the principles of the phase shifter process. Referring to FIG. 46(a), according to a conventional usual photomask, a metal light shielding film 43 of chromium constituting a light shielding portion is formed on a transparent mask substrate 41 such as a silica substrate. More specifically, the region in which the metal light shielding film 43 is formed constitutes the light shielding portion, while the region without the metal light shielding film 43 constitutes light transmitting portions 100a and 100b. In this manner, conventionally the metal light shielding films 43 are formed a prescribed distant apart from each other, and a repetitive pattern of lines and spaces is formed. The amplitude of light transmitted through thus formed mask pattern ideally takes a waveform as shown in FIG. 46(b) at A1. More specifically, ideally, light transmitted through the metal light shielding film 43 is 0 and the entire light passes through the light transmitting portions 100a and 100b. In such an ideal state, the amplitude of transmitting light takes the waveform A1 as shown in FIG. 46(b). However, the amplitude of actual transmitting light takes a waveform A2a or A2b as shown in FIG. 46(c) due to the diffraction of the light. The waveform A2a is the amplitude waveform of the light transmitted through one light transmitting portion 100a, while the waveform A2b is the amplitude waveform of light transmitted through the other light transmitting portion 100b. When these two amplitude waveforms A2a and A2b are combined, a light intensity distribution as shown in FIG. 46(d) at A3 results, which takes a waveform whose central portion is raised. More specifically, the light intensity distribution loses its sharpness, thus resulting in a blurry image due to the diffraction of the light. This makes it difficult to achieve sharp exposure.
In contrast, when the phase shifter 2 is provided under the one light transmitting portion 100a as illustrated in FIG. 47(a), the blurriness of the image due to the diffraction of light is canceled by inversion of the phase. Thus, a sharp image is transferred and resolution is improved. More specifically, if the phase shifter 2 which provide the one light transmitting portion 100a with a phase shift of 180.degree., for example, light passed through the phase shifter 2 is inverted as shown at B1 (see FIG. 47(b)). Meanwhile, light transmitted through the light transmitting portion 100b does not pass through the phase shifter 2 and therefore the above-described inversion does not take place. Thus, the lights emitted upon a material to be exposed cancel one another at the position shown in FIG. 47(c) at B2. As a result, the light intensity distribution given to the material to be exposed takes an ideal sharp shape as shown in FIG. 47(d) at B3. Thus, the method of forming phase shifters 100a for every other pattern of lines and spaces is generally called Levinson type phase shifter process.
When a defect of a phase shift mask used in the phase shifter process as described above is corrected, if a conventional general method of correcting mask defects is utilized, the following problems are encountered.
FIGS. 48 and 49 are cross sectional views for use in illustration of a conventional method of correcting a bump defect in a phase shift mask. Referring to FIGS. 48 and 49, in the phase shift mask, a phase shifter 2 having a prescribed pattern is formed on a mask substrate 1 formed of silica. A metal light shielding film 3 is formed in a prescribed region on the phase shifter 2. A shifter bump defect 4 is produced when such a phase shift mask is formed.
When such a shifter bump defect 4 is formed in a part of the light transmitting portion originally exclusive of the phase shifter 2, the phase of light corresponding to the portion of the light transmitting portion in which the shifter bump defect 4 is formed will be inverted by 180.degree.. If the inversion of the phase of light takes place in only part of the light transmitting portion, the part of a material to be exposed (resist) corresponding to the light transmitting portion is partially not exposed. If a development is performed in this state, resist will be formed in the region which should originally be without the resist. If a patterning is performed utilizing such resist, a pattern as designed will not be obtained.
Use of an Nd:YAG laser beam 9 for correcting the shifter bump defect 4 can not remove away the shifter bump defect 4, because the Nd:YAG laser beam 9 is transmitted through the shifter defect 4 formed of SOG or SiO.sub.2.
FIGS. 50-52 are cross sectional views of structures for use in illustration of another conventional method of correcting a bump defect in a phase shift mask. According to this method, as can be seen from change in the state from FIG. 50 to FIG. 51, an FIB 5 utilizing Ga ions is irradiated upon the region of the shifter bump defect 4 while scanning the region. Thus, the shifter bump defect 4 is etched away by the FIB 5. Such a technique of etching utilizing an FIB 5 is disclosed in, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,548,883. However, since the thickness of the shifter bump defect 4 (about 4000 .ANG.) is about four times as large as the thickness of the black defect 42 (about 1000 .ANG.) in the metal light shielding film illustrated in FIG. 36, the form of the shifter bump defect 4 is rather three-dimensional as compared to the black bump defect 42 in the metal light shielding film. Since the phase shifter 2 should invert the phase of lights by 180.degree., it requires a certain degree of thickness (about 4000 .ANG.). Therefore, the thickness of the shifter bump defect 4 formed at the time of forming the phase shifter 2 naturally becomes as thick as about 4000 .ANG., and the shifter bump defect 4 takes a three dimensional form. It is difficult to evenly scan the shifter bump defect 4 having such a three-dimensional form with an FIB 5. This makes it difficult to etch the shifter bump defect 4 evenly, and the surface of the mask substrate 1 positioned at both lower end portions of the shifter bump defect 4 is etched. Thus, a divot defect 71 as shown in FIG. 52 is produced this time in a surface of the mask substrate 1, and a Ga stain (Ga residue) 72 by Ga ions sticks to the surface of the divot defect 71. The Ga stain 72 which absorbs about 50% of i rays is transferred as a defect at the time of transfer.
As described above, there are various problems associated with conventional methods of correcting bump defects in a phase shift mask.
FIGS. 53 and 54 are cross sectional views of structures for use in illustration of a conventional method of correcting a shifter divot defect in a phase shift mask. As shown in FIG. 53, in this phase shift mask, a phase shifter 12 is formed in a prescribed region on a mask substrate 11. A metal light shielding film 13 is formed in a prescribed region on a phase shifter 12. The shifter divot defect 10 of the phase shifter 12 would be corrected by the following method. More specifically stated, as shown in FIG. 54, as is the case with the conventional method of correcting a white defect in a metal light shielding film described in conjunction with FIGS. 42 to 44, an FIB 5 of Ga ions is irradiated upon the defect region with supply of a hydrocarbon-based gas (deposition gas) 6, while scanning the region. A carbon film 81 is thus formed to fill the shifter divot defect 10. Such technique is disclosed, for example, in U.S. Pat. No. 4,698,236. The carbon film 81 however does not have light transmittance and is transferred as a defect at the time of transfer.
FIGS. 55 and 56 are cross sectional views for use in illustration of another conventional method of correcting a shifter divot defect in a phase shift mask. According to this method, as can be seen from change in the state from FIG. 55 to FIG. 56, an Ar laser beam 19 is irradiated upon the region of a defect while supplying a gas 92 of Mo (Co).sub.6, W (Co).sub.6 or Cr (Co).sub.6 to the defect region. Thus, a metal film 91 of Mo, W or Cr is formed to fill the shifter divot defect 10. However, since the metal film 91 does not have light transmittance either, the same problem as with the method of correction shown in FIGS. 53 and 54 is encountered. More specifically, not having light transmittance, the metal film 91 can be transferred as a defect at the time of transfer.
More specifically, according to the conventional method of correcting a shifter bump defect 4 in a phase shift mask utilizing a laser beam, it has been difficult to remove away the shifter bump defect 4 itself. Further, according to the method of correcting a shifter bump defect utilizing an FIB, the shifter bump defect can be removed, but the surface of the mask substrate 1 is etched as well, generating a divot defect 71 this time, and a Ga stain 72 of Ga ions is formed on the surface of the divot defect 71. According to the method of correcting the shifter divot defect 10 utilizing the FIB 5 and the deposition gas 6, the carbon film 81 formed as a result does not have light transmittance and is transferred as a defect, and the surface of the carbon film 81 reflects the form of the shifter divot defect 10. According to the method of correcting the shifter divot defect 10 utilizing the Ar laser beam 19 and the deposition gas 92, the resultant metal film 91 does not have light transmittance as is the case with the carbon film 81 and is transferred as a defect.

Method of correcting defects in the pattern of phase shift mask


The present application relates to a method for preparing a barrier film. The present application can provide a method for preparing a barrier film having excellent barrier characteristics and optical performances. The barrier film produced by the method of the present application can be effectively used not only for packaging materials of as foods or medicines, and the like, but also for various applications, such as members for FPDs (flat panel displays) such as LCDs (Liquid Crystal Displays) or solar cells, substrates for electronic papers or OLEDs (Organic Light Emitting Diodes), or sealing films.

Barrier films for blocking external components such as oxygen and moisture are used not only for packaging materials of foods or medicines, and the like which are conventional main applications, but also members for FPDs (flat panel displays) such as LCDs (Liquid Crystal Displays) or solar cells, substrates for electronic papers or OLEDs (Organic Light Emitting Diodes) or sealing films, and the like.
In the applications, high barrier characteristics are required, and from the viewpoint of performance guarantee, moisture-heat resistance, in which the barrier characteristics are not lowered even after being left under moisture and heat conditions, and the like are also required.
As one of methods for preparing barrier films by a wet method, there is known a method of converting a polysilazane layer coated on a base material film to silica. In this method, the polysilazane can be converted to silica by being heat-treated in the presence of oxygen or water vapor, or through hydrolysis or dehydration polycondensation.
For example, in Patent Document 1, a method is described, in which perhydropolysilazane or a modified product thereof is applied to a base material film and calcined under vacuum.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.


A gas laser discharge tube comprises a discharge vessel containing a discharge gas, a rod-shaped anode, a corrugated cathode and a voltage source connected between the anode and cathode. The corrugated cathode comprises a metal hollow cylinder arranged coaxially with the optical axis of the laser and a plurality of metal discs arranged coaxially with the optical axis of the laser at regular intervals in the axial direction of the metal hollow cylinder. The discs have their peripheries secured to the inner periphery of the metal hollow cylinder. Each disc has a central hole and another hole through which the anode extends parallel to the optical axis of the laser.

This invention relates to an improved gas laser discharge tube wherein atoms or molecules of a discharge gas are excited to laser upper levels, and more particularly to a so-called "negative glow" gas laser discharge tube in which an active medium containing laser upper levels is produced in the negative glow part of the discharge.
A negative glow takes place closely along a cathode, and an oblong active medium is desirable. It is therefore desired that the laser discharge electrode have its cathode surface along the optical axis of laser. For this reason all the known negative glow lasers have a long cathode surface along the optical axis of the laser. They are called "transverse discharge" type glow lasers because the direction of discharge is transverse to their optical axis.
Most, not to say all, of the known negative glow lasers are classified as "hollow cathode lasers" having a narrow hollow cylindrical cathode through which the optical axis of the laser is running. One typical hollow cathode laser is described in W. K. Schuebel "Coaxial Hollow Cathode Laser" in IEEE Journal of Quantum Electronics, Vol. QE-6, 1969, pp. 574-575. Another typical hollow cathode laser is shown in Y. Sugawara and Y. Tokiwa "Multiple Anode Hollow Cathode Laser" in the Japanese Journal of Applied Physics, Vol. 9, 1970, pp. 588-589. A multiple anode hollow cathode laser is described by J. A. Piper and C. E. Webb in the Journal of physics D: Applied physics, Vol. 6, 1973, pp. 400-407.
The negative glow part of the discharge, which plays a great role in the negative glow lasers, appears very close to, but at a certain distance from, the cathode surface along the flow of discharge current. The distance is called "cathode dark space length" and is, as well known, determined by the kind of discharge gas, the material of the discharge cathode and the shape of the discharge cathode. The cathode dark space length is usually reduced at a high current density. It is intensively reduced when the discharge cathode is hollow cylindrical so that an ultraviolet radiation on its cathode surface effectively produces electrons discharging from the cathode surface. If the cathode dark space length is reduced, the negative glow part of the discharge will favorably be enclosed in the hollow cylindrical cathode. This phenomenon is called "hollow cathode effect" and explains why a hollow cylindrical cathode is suitable for a gas laser discharge tube.
An improved hollow cathode laser which gives an axial electric field to a discharge tube having a transverse electric field only is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,031,428. In this improved laser, the hollow consists of a plurality of cathode elements, and the anode consists of a plurality of anode elements. The cathode elements and the anode elements are alternately arranged, so that each cathode element is connected to an anode element which is connected to the next cathode element. An axial electric field is generated between the adjacent cathode and anode electrodes. The axial electric field is effective to distribute heavy atoms uniformly along the optical axis of the laser. Since the cathode is constituted by a plurality of elements, the probability is reduced that discharge becomes an arc discharge.

Gas laser discharge tube using corrugated cathode


Disclosed is a blood sample analyzing method including preparing a measurement specimen by mixing a blood sample with a measuring reagent of fibrin and a fibrinogen degradation product (FDP); acquiring, based on a time-dependent change in optical information obtained by optically measuring the measurement specimen, first information indicating an FDP concentration and second information indicating a curving degree of a time course curve showing the time-dependent change of the optical information; and determining an enhanced fibrinolytic state of the blood sample or acquiring a value related to a D dimer of the blood sample based on the first information and the second information.

In addition to the disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC) in which coagulation activity is dominant, enhanced fibrinolytic type DIC is known as the DIC. In particular, in the DIC associated with acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL), it is assumed that enhanced fibrinolytic type DIC occurs. In the enhanced fibrinolytic type DIC, the lytic action is enhanced to an extent greater than the extent of thrombus formation, thus presenting bleeding symptoms. However, the conventional DIC treatment is an anticoagulation treatment of administering heparin for thrombolysis, and such treatment may not be suitable for the enhanced fibrinolytic type DIC. As symptoms differ depending on the underlying disease, it is important to classify the DIC into to the DIC in which the coagulation activity is dominant and the enhanced fibrinolytic type DIC, and determine the treatment policy.
For example, "3. Antifibrolytic agent (adaptation and usage of hemostatic and antifibrolytic agent)," The Journal of Japanese Society on Thrombosis and Hemostasis Vol. 20 (2009), by Hidesaku ASAKURA et al., The Japanese Society on Thrombosis and Hemostasis discloses use of a fibrin and fibrinogen degradation product (FDP) concentration and an FDP/D dimer ratio for the determination of the enhanced fibrinolytic type DIC. More specifically, "3. Antifibrolytic agent (adaptation and usage of hemostatic and antifibrolytic agent)," The Journal of Japanese Society on Thrombosis and Hemostasis Vol. 20 (2009), by Hidesaku ASAKURA et al., The Japanese Society on Thrombosis and Hemostasis discloses the following conditions for examination finding in the guideline for carrying out the diagnosis of disease conditions of the enhanced fibrinolytic type DIC. Hereinafter, DD refers to a D dimer. Examination findings: Two or more of the following are satisfied.
1) FDP ≥80 μg/ml
2) fibrinogen <100 mg/dl
3) High value of FDP/DD ratio (low value of DD/FDP ratio)
If the diagnosis of disease conditions of the enhanced fibrinolytic type DIC includes determination on whether or not at least 3) above is satisfied, the FDP measurement and the D dimer measurement are required to obtain the FDP/DD ratio.
As shown in U.S. Patent Application Serial No. 2013/0143243 and US Patent Application Serial No. 2012/0028370, the FDP measurement is carried out using an FDP measuring reagent, and the D dimer measurement is carried out using a D dimer measuring reagent. Thus, different reagents are used for the FDP measurement and the D dimer measurement, so that the measurements are separately carried out.
The FDP measurement and the D dimer measurement are required, as described above, in the diagnosis guideline of the enhanced fibrinolytic type DIC described in "3. Antifibrolytic agent (adaptation and usage of hemostatic and antifibrolytic agent)," The Journal of Japanese Society on Thrombosis and Hemostasis Vol. 20 (2009), by Hidesaku ASAKURA et al., The Japanese Society on Thrombosis and Hemostasis. Thus, at least two measurements are required, which is cumbersome and leads to increase in cost.
Some examination facilities carry out the FDP measurement and the D dimer measurement not simultaneously, or carry out only the FDP measurement and not the D dimer measurement. In this case, it may be cumbersome to carry out the sample analysis that requires the D dimer measurement as in the determination of the enhanced fibrinolytic type DIC.

Blood sample analyzing method, blood sample analyzer, and system


A method (300) and device (200) with intelligent media management is disclosed. The method (300) can include: streaming (310) media content in a wireless communication device; identifying (320) a media signature of the streamed media content; searching (330) a stored library for the identified media signature; and playing (340) locally stored media content, if the search results in finding a match with the identified media signature in the stored library. Thus, when a match occurs, locally stored media content replaces the streamed media content, to provide substantially lower power consumption and enhanced battery life in connection with wireless communication devices.

Field
The present disclosure relates to a method and device with intelligent media management.
Introduction
As background, many wireless communication devices, such as smart phones and tablets, can barely get through a day on a single charge with normal use. With high use, or if the user cannot charge a wireless communication device at the end of the day, then a user will be left with a dead battery, resulting in a non-operational wireless communication device.
Power drain of a wireless communication device can be excessive when streaming media content, such as online audio and video content.
Pandora is a popular software application (App), available on a number of different mobile device operating systems including Windows and Android. Within this application, a user is able to "stream" desired music content to their mobile wireless communication device, such as E-reader, cell phone, automobile player, tablet and MP3 and MP4 players.
Shazam is another popular software application, also available on a number of different operating system (OS) platforms. Upon execution, Shazam prompts a user to direct a device microphone towards a source of music content. After "listening" for a short period of time, the song is analyzed (via a "fingerprinting" process, as identified by Wikipedia) and identified. The name of the song and musician is then made available to the user.
It would be considered an improvement in the art, if a wireless communication device with intelligent media management, could help to minimize or reduce power drain when consuming media, and particularly streaming media content.
It would be considered an improvement in the art, if wireless communication devices such as cell phones, tablets, Ipads, Ipods, MP3 audio players and MP4 video players, could play locally stored media content, directly from its local memory, if available in local memory or local library, rather than stream media content from a media content provider.
This replacing of streaming media content with locally stored media content could provide an enhancement in minimizing power drain by virtue of eliminating the current drain associated with the file streaming activity.
There is a need for methods and devices with intelligent media management, to better manage media and power drain in a wireless communication device.
It would be considered an improvement in the art, if wireless communication method and devices with enhanced media management were developed.
Thus, a method and device with intelligent media management that addresses these needs, would be considered an improvement in the art.

Method and device with intelligent media management