This invention is a vasoocclusive device. More particularly, it is a tubular vasoocclusion braid woven from at least radiopaque fibers. The braid may also be partially woven from radiolucent fibers. Optionally, the device may contain a fibrous center or wick in its interior. The device may be continuous or segmented and a fibrous covering or element may be attached.

Vasoocclusion devices are surgical implements that are placed within the vasculature of the human body, typically via a catheter, either to block the flow of blood through the vessel making up that portion of the vasculature or to form a clot within an aneurysm stemming from the vessel. One widely used vasoocclusive device is a helical wire coil having windings that are dimensioned to engage the walls of the vessels. Fibers may also be woven or laid crosswise through the windings to provide a substrate for clot formation and tissue growth within the chosen site. Coils having such a structure are readily commercially available.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,994,069, to Richart et al., describes a vasoocclusive coil which assumes a linear helical configuration when stretched, and a folded convoluted configuration when relaxed. The coil is introduced into the human body in a stretched condition. When the coil reaches its intended site, the coil assumes its relaxed condition--which is better suited to occlude the vessel--and restricts blood flow beyond the space that it occupies.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,226,911, to Chee et al. teaches a helical vasoocclusion coil to which fibrous elements are attached in such a way that they will not be dislodged from the coil. The fibrous elements enhance the ability of the coil to fill space within the vasculature and to facilitate clot formation and tissue growth.
Care must be taken in creating combination fibrous vasoocclusive elements, i.e., those containing multiple cores and fibrous elements, since the fibrous elements may come off and migrate to vessels supplying blood to normal tissue. Fibrous elements, since they are not normally radiopaque, are difficult to find and to retrieve if separated from the metallic coil. Nevertheless, it is desireable to increase the ratio of fibrous element to the metallic coil since the fibrous element increases the tendency of the coil assembly to cause embolic and tissue growth.
The inventive vasoocclusive braid is desireable in that the ratio of fibrous material to metallic material is quite high, the fibrous material is held firmly in place due to the braided or woven configuration, and is easily placed within the body's vasculature.

Vasoocclusion device containing radiopaque fibers


A test fixture operative to simulate seat belt assembly installations. An articulated arm assembly, comprising a primary arm and a secondary arm, has its primary arm lower end mounted by a dual pivot of a support base at the origin of X and Y axes of an X, Y and Z coordinate system. The anchor position of the seat belt retractor is adapted to be releasably fixed on the support base relative to the X and Y axes. The seat belt webbing pillar turning loop is pivotally and linearly adjustably supported on the secondary arm. A motorized load transducer, located on the primary arm, extracts the seat belt webbing from its stowed position on the retractor providing measurements of the forces required to perform this action. The test fixture allows various changes in vehicle seat belt system components to be measured thereby readily determining the optimum installation geometries for a seat belt system that is comfortable and easy to use.

This invention, in general, concerns an apparatus for testing seat belts, and more particularly to a seat belt testing device for optimization of seat belt system components design and installation geometry.
Various testing equipment has been devised to secure objective data for wearing comfort design of seat belts. An example of one such device is described in SAE Paper No. 840398 entitled VW Restraint System Development--Design and Performance published in 1984 by W. Roseman and W. Schwant of Volkswagenwerk A.F. The VW paper discloses a bench test device that measures extraction and retraction force. The VW device, however, is not adjustable to account for vehicle geometry.


A projecting device with a cylindrical color tube for displaying color images. The projecting device includes a light source for generating a trichrome light beam, a cylindrical color tube for filtering the trichrome light beam into red, green and blue light beams, a driving device for rotating the color tube, an optical modulator for converting an image signal into an image and modulating the image into the red, green and blue light beams outputted from the color tube to generate a modulated light beam, and a projecting lens installed in the housing for projecting the modulated light beam onto a screen.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a projecting device, and more specifically, to a projecting device with a cylindrical color tube for displaying color images.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Commonly, images are displayed by a projecting device by projection onto a screen. The projecting device can display images of various colors.
Please refer to FIGS. 1 to 3. FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a prior art projecting device 10. FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram of the projecting device 10. FIG. 3 is a front view of the color wheel 18 in FIG. 2.
The projecting device 10 comprises a housing 12, a light source 14 installed in the housing 12 for generating a trichrome light beam 16, a color wheel 18 rotatably installed in the housing 12 having red, green and blue dichroic filters 20, 22, 24 installed on a surface of the color wheel 18 for filtering the trichrome light beam 16 into red, green and blue light beams 26, an electric motor 28 installed in the housing 12 for rotating the color wheel 18 so as to generate the red, green and blue light beams 26 one by one, a digital micro-mirror device (DMD) 30 installed in the housing 12 for converting an image signal into an image and modulating the image into each of the red, green and blue light beams 26 outputted from the color wheel 18 to generate a modulated light beam 32, and a projecting lens 34 installed in the housing 12 for projecting the modulated light beam 32 onto a screen 36.
The color wheel 18 can filter the trichrome light beam 16 into the red, green and blue light beams 26 one by one. However, the red, green and blue dichroic filters 20, 22, 24 each occupy a sector-shaped portion of the color wheel 18. Therefore, when filtering the light beam 16, it cannot pass through the center of the color wheel 18. Thus the color wheel 18 has to be made very large, increasing the size of the projecting device 10. The projecting device 10 is quite unmarketable because of its large size.
It is therefore a primary objective of the present invention to provide a projecting device to solve the above mentioned problem.
Briefly, in a preferred embodiment, the present invention provides a projecting device comprising a cylindrical color tube for filtering a trichrome light beam transmitted from a light source. The color tube has red, green and blue dichroic filters installed along its cylindrical side. When the trichrome light beam is transmitted through the color tube, it will be filtered into red, green and blue light beams. The red, green and blue light beams will be modulated to generate a modulated light beam. And the modulated light beam will be projected onto a screen.
It is an advantage of the present invention that the color tube has a very small size, reducing the size of the projecting device. This allows the projecting device to be quite marketable because of its small size.

Projecting device with a cylindrical color tube for displaying color images


Food products, especially fresh food products such as retail-cut red meat, vegetables and fruits, are packaged with a film having at least one film layer comprising a substantially linear ethylene polymer, preferably a polymer comprising ethylene and at least one .alpha.-olefin comonomer, e.g. 1-octene. The ethylene polymers used in the construction of the film structures used in this invention are prepared by constrained geometry catalyst technology. The film structures can be either mono- or multilayered, oriented or nonoriented, oxygen permeable or impermeable, and prepared by any conventional technique. The food products can be packaged by any conventional method, e.g. stretch overwrap, shrink, vacuum skin, on vacuum forming.

This invention relates to the packaging of food. In one aspect, this invention relates to the packaging of fresh foods, e.g. retail-cut red meats, while in another aspect, this invention relates to packaging food with a plastic film. In yet another aspect, this invention relates to packaging food with a film structure having at least one film layer comprising a substantially linear ethylene polymer.
In the modern distribution and marketing of food products, a multitude of different packaging materials are used. One principal category of food packaging materials is plastic film. Many different kinds of plastic film exist, both in composition and structure, and some are tailored to specific applications while others are more generic in nature.
Currently, polyvinyl chloride (PVC) film is the predominate plastic film used to wrap retail-cut red meat and similar products, e.g. fresh fish, poultry, vegetables, fruits, etc., due to its many desirable properties and its low cost relative to other plastic films. Representative of these desirable properties are clarity, oxygen transmission, flexibility, toughness, heat sealability, elastic recovery, and processability. However, most PVC films include a plasticizer to obtain the desired flexibility, and a growing concern exists as to the carcinogenic properties of the most commonly used PVC film plasticizer and the tendency of this plasticizer to migrate from the film to the food product. On a more fundamental level, a growing concern also exists regarding the use in food wrapping applications of any plastic film comprising one or more chlorinated polymers. The concern is based on the tendency for chlorinated polymers to yield corrosive acid when thermally degraded or incinerated, as well as concern regarding the general difficulty involved in recycling chlorinated polymers.
In the search for alternatives to PVC film, various monolayer olefin films, particularly polyethylene films, have been considered but none have been found to be without at least one major flaw that has blocked its commercial acceptability. High density polyethylene (HDPE) is much too inelastic to be useful as a commercial wrap, while the various low density polyethylenes, e.g. low density polyethylene (LDPE), linear low density polyethylene (LLDPE), ultra low density polyethylene (ULDPE), etc., do not possess sufficient elastic recovery, and the film retains impressions or dents caused by handling of the packaged goods by potential purchasers while inspecting its contents. This can be detrimental to the sale value of the food product because the wrapped product will quickly lose its pristine appearance which in turn may cause subsequent potential buyers to intentionally avoid a perfectly good product that now has the appearance of one repeatedly rejected by earlier potential purchasers. The use of nontoxic plasticizers, such as corn oil, has not proven totally satisfactory, particularly with respect to their temperature stability.
Various multilayer films have also been considered (e.g. those taught in U.S. Pat. No. 5,112,674 and in EPO 0 243 965,EPO 0 333 508, and EPO 0 404 969), and significant among these are films made by co-extrusion of polyethylene with an ethylene/.alpha.,.beta.-ethylenically unsaturated carbonyl copolymer, such as ethylene vinyl acetate (EVA) or ethylene acrylic acid (EAA). While these films demonstrate an elastic recovery similar to PVC film, EVA and EAA are relatively expensive copolymers. Moreover, ethylene/.alpha.,.beta.-ethylenically unsaturated carbonyl copolymers are relatively difficult to fabricate, have a tendency to impart an offensive taste and/or odor to the food product, and are known to interfere with anti-fogging agents.
In other food wrap applications, other properties may have importance. For example, in the wrapping of primal cuts of meat (i.e., whole or sectioned carcasses of beef, pork, etc.) for long-distance shipping or long-term storage, shrink and oxygen impermeability are important properties. Consequently, these film are often multilayer structures comprising at least one oxygen barrier, e.g. SARAN (trademark of The Dow Chemical Company for a vinyl chloride --vinylidene chloride copolymer), sandwiched between two layers of a material with good shrink and abuse properties, e.g. LLDPE. In the packaging of foods using form-fill-seal technology, hot tack is an important property and, accordingly, multilayer film structures with at least one skin layer comprising LLDPE or ionomer as a hot tack heat seal layer. The other film layers impart the desired properties relative to the food to be packaged, e.g. SARAN for an oxygen barrier, PVC for elastic recovery, etc.


A life cycle management method and an apparatus, where the method includes receiving a life cycle management operation request for a first virtualized network function (VNF) instance, where the life cycle management operation request includes an instance identifier (ID) of the first VNF instance and an operation type, determining, according to a correspondence between an instance ID of a VNF instance and a life cycle management operation type, that the operation type falls within life cycle management operation types corresponding to the instance ID, where the life cycle management operation type in the correspondence represents that the life cycle management operation type is authorized by an authorization subject, and initiating a resource operation request to a virtualized infrastructure manager (VIM), where the resource operation request includes the instance ID.

Network function virtualization (NFV) refers to a function of carrying a dedicated device in a conventional network using a general hardware device and a virtualization technology in order to reduce high costs for deploying the dedicated device. Software is not bound to dedicated hardware such that a network device function no longer depends on the dedicated hardware. In addition, a resource may be fully and flexibly shared using a feature of cloud computing in order to implement rapid development and deployment of a new service, and perform automatic deployment, scaling, fault isolation, self-healing, and the like based on an actual service requirement. In an NFV architecture, a party that receives an instantiation request and performs instantiation processing (service deployment) on a corresponding service according to the request is referred to as a virtualized service provider (service provider), and a party that initiates the instantiation request is referred to as a service requester.
In the NFV, a virtualized network service (NS), for example, may be an Internet Protocol (IP) multimedia subsystem (IMS) NS, or an evolved packet core (EPC) NS. One NS may include several virtualized network function (VNF) modules, which are also referred to as virtualized network elements. A VNF may be implemented by network function software deployed in an NFV infrastructure. When virtualized deployment is performed on an NS, a service requester needs to first submit a descriptor of the NS (NSD) to a service provider. The descriptor mainly describes a topology structure of the NS and a descriptor of each included VNF (VNFD). The VNFD describes composition of each VNF, for example, running software and information about a required virtual resource. The virtual resource includes a central processing unit (CPU) resource, a storage resource, and the like.
Referring to FIG. 1, FIG. 1 is a schematic architectural diagram of an NFV system 100.
A network function virtualization orchestrator (NFVO) 102 is mainly responsible for processing life cycle management of a virtualized service, allocating and scheduling virtual resources in a virtualized infrastructure and a network functions virtualization infrastructure (NFVI), and the like. The NFVO 102 may communicate with one or more VNF managers (VNFMs) 104 to execute a resource-related request, send configuration information to the VNFM 104, and collect status information of a VNF 108. In addition, the NFVO 102 may also communicate with a virtualized infrastructure manager (VIM) 106 to execute resource allocation and/or reservation, and exchange virtualized hardware resource configuration and status information.
The VNFM 104 is responsible for life cycle management of one or more VNFs 108, for example, instantiating, updating, querying, scaling, or terminating the VNF 108. The VNFM 104 may communicate with the VNF 108 to complete VNF life cycle management and exchange of configuration and status information. In an NFV architecture, there may be multiple VNFMs responsible for performing life cycle management on different types of VNFs.
The VIM 106 controls and manages interaction between the VNF 108 and computing hardware 112, storage hardware 114, network hardware 116, virtual computing 118, virtual storage 120, and a virtual network 122. For example, the VIM 106 executes a resource management function, including infrastructure resource management, allocation (for example, adding a resource to a virtual container), and a running function (for example, collecting fault information of the NFVI). The VNFM 104 and the VIM 106 may mutually communicate to request resource allocation, and exchange virtualized hardware resource configuration and status information.
The NFVI, that is, an NFV infrastructure layer, includes a hardware component, a software component, or a combination of a hardware component and a software component in order to establish a virtualized environment, and deploy, manage, and implement the VNF 108. A hardware resource and a virtualization layer are used to provide virtualized resources for the VNF 108, for example, a virtual machine and a virtual container in another form. The hardware resource includes the computing hardware 112, the storage hardware 114, and the network hardware 116. In an implementation manner, resources of the computing hardware 112 and the storage hardware 114 may be integrated. The virtualization layer in the NFVI may abstract the hardware resource, and decouple the VNF 108 and a lower physical network layer.
Multiple VNFs 108 are configured as virtualization of at least one network function. Each VNF runs in a virtual container, and corresponds to a group of network functions that belong to one or more physical devices.
An equipment management system (EM) 110 is a system used for device configuration and management in a conventional telecommunications system. In the NFV architecture, the EM 110 may also be used to configure and manage the VNF 108, and initiate a life cycle management operation such as instantiation of a new VNF to the VNFM 104.
An operations support system (OSS) and a business support system (BSS) 124 support various end-to-end telecommunications services. A management function supported by the OSS includes network configuration, service providing, fault management, and the like. The BSS processes an order, payment, revenues, and the like, and supports product management, order management, revenue management, and customer management.
In an existing NFV architecture, because an NFVO needs to globally control resources, after receiving a life cycle management operation request that is for a VNF instance and that is sent by an EM, a VNFM needs to first apply to the NFVO for authorization permission in response to the life cycle management operation request for the VNF instance. Only after the NFVO agrees upon the operation request, the VNFM may apply to a VIM for a resource required for the operation request.
However, one NFVO needs to simultaneously manage multiple VNFMs, and each VNFM may manage multiple VNFs. As a result, there is an extremely large quantity of operations related to life cycle management. Therefore, the NFVO has relatively heavy load.

Life cycle management method and apparatus


Devices (e.g., optoelectronic devices such as solar cells and infrared or THz photodetectors) with a nanomaterial having vertically correlated quantum dots with built-in charge (VC Q-BIC) and methods of making such devices. The VC Q-BIC material has two or more quantum dot layers, where the layers have quantum dots (individual quantum dots or quantum dot clusters) in a semiconductor material, and adjacent quantum dot layers are separated by a spacer layer of doped semiconductor material. The VC-QBIC nanomaterial provides long photocarrier lifetime, which improves the responsivity and sensitivity of detectors or conversion efficiency in solar cells as compared to previous comparable devices.

Numerous applications, ranging from tactical and strategic defense systems (flight control, night vision, and early warning systems) to commercial technologies in public safety, industry, and healthcare require sensitive far-infrared microsensors to employ in high-density focal plane arrays. The high-temperature limitations of IR sensors are mainly conditioned by the tremendous decrease of sensitivity, caused by substantial reduction of photocarrier lifetime above liquid nitrogen temperatures. A problem for high-temperature operation of quantum well infrared photodetector (QWIP) detectors is the fast picosecond photoelectroncapture, which strongly limits the detector's responsivity and sensitivity due to significant generation-recombination noise.
One of the goals for next generation of imaging systems and solar cell photovoltaic devices is to increase the photoresponse to visible and infrared (IR) radiation. Improved electron coupling and increased carrier lifetime suppression of recombination can result in improved photoresponse. However, it is not easy to increase the radiation absorption without enhancement of recombination losses because by introducing electron levels that provide radiation-induced electron transitions inevitably creates additional channels for inverse processes that increase recombination losses.
This trade-off between absorption and recombination processes are well understood for a number of technologies and corresponding materials. For example, starting from the early sixties significant attention was attracted to semiconductors with impurities, which provide electron levels inside the semiconductor bandgap and in this way induce the IR transitions from localized impurity states to conducting states in the semiconductor material. However, midgap impurities drastically enhance the recombination processes, i.e., Shockley-Read-Hall recombination, and deteriorate the photovoltaic conversion efficiency.
To accommodate the solar spectrum and to utilize its IR portion, the modern photovoltaic technology mainly employs multi-junction cells with different electron bandgaps. In these devices each p-n junction cell is designed to effectively harvesting solar energy within a certain spectral window close to the bandgap. According to the theoretical modeling, in a multi-junction solar cell with five or more junctions the ultimate photovoltaic efficiency may exceed 70%. However, current technology enables to produce only triple-junction cells (Ge-substrate junction-InGaAs—AlInGaP) with the maximum conversion efficiency of ˜40% for concentrator cells. Strong technological limitations are caused by the need for lattice match, thermal expansion match, and current match in the cascade of heterojunctions.
Quantum-dot structures are considered for use in photovoltaic nanomaterials due to their ability to extend the conversion of the solar energy into the infrared range. Up to now the most efforts were concentrated on the quantum-dot solar cell with intermediate band structure, which is formed from discrete QD levels due to tunneling coupling between QDs. Theoretical calculations predict that the intermediate band solar cell can provide efficiency of ˜65%.
However, intensive experimental efforts to improve performance of the intermediate band solar cells show limited success. In comparison with a reference cell, the photovoltaic efficiency of the QD intermediate band cells increases just by 1-2% percent. It is well understood that addition of QDs significantly increases the absorption of IR radiation, but simultaneously QDs drastically increase recombination processes. For this reason, the corresponding recombination losses are hardly compensated by the conversion of IR radiation.

Vertically correlated clusters of charged quantum dots for optoelectronic devices, and methods of making same

The Research Foundation for The State University of New York


An adhesive is coated on at least one surface of a thin film of organic material having birefringent properties and a phase-difference producing function, and a fixing substrate having transmitting or reflecting properties is bonded to the thin film of organic material by the adhesive, wherein materials satisfying relations of E1 less than E2 and E3 less than E2 where E1 is the linear expansion coefficient of the thin film of organic material, E2 is the linear expansion coefficient of the adhesive and E3 is the linear expansion coefficient of the fixing substrate, and the glass transition temperature of the thin film of organic material being 150xc2x0 or more, are selected.

This application is a 371 of PCT/JP00/05651, filed Aug. 23, 2000.
The present invention relates to a retarder used for an optical head device for recording or reproducing information by irradiating light to an optical recording medium and an optical head device installing the retarder.
An optical head device provided with an optical element such as a retarder, a diffraction element and so on has been used in order to write (Hereinbelow, referred to as record) information in an optical recording medium such as an optical disk, e.g., CD, DVD or the like, or a magneto-optical disk (Hereinbelow, referred to as an optical disk), or read out (Hereinbelow, referred to as reproduce) information from the optical recording medium.
The optical head device is to introduce laser light emitted from a semiconductor laser light source to the optical disk by converging the laser light by means of an objective lens, and to detect information recorded in the optical disk by receiving reflected light from the optical disk by a photodetector.
In an optical path from the semiconductor laser source to the optical disk or an optical path from the optical disk to the photodetector, an optical element such as a diffraction element, a beam splitter or the like and a retarder for changing a state of polarization of laser light are properly arranged to obtain highly accurate, stable recording/reproducing. In particular, by using a combination of the optical element in which the characteristics are changed depending on a state of polarization of laser light and the retarder for changing a state of polarization, an optical system having a high utilization efficiency of light can be realized, and flexibility in designing the optical system can be improved. Accordingly, various types of optical system for optical head devices have been proposed.
For the retarder, such one prepared by polishing a single crystal of inorganic substance such as quartz has conventionally been used. However, since the single crystal of inorganic substance has large incident angle dependence on a phase difference of transmitted light, the single crystal is improper as the retarder for generating a desired phase difference. Further, in an optical element made of the single crystal of inorganic substance, the number of steps in manufacture is large. Accordingly, such one having a thin film of organic material made of, for example, uniaxially stretched polycarbonate, having birefringent properties has been proposed. In cases of using the conventional retarder formed by polishing the single crystal of inorganic substance such as quartz and the retarder comprising an organic material, there were the problems as described below, in common.
As a first problem, there is the temperature dependence of the wavefront aberration of transmitted light from the retarder. When an optical head device is operated for a long time, the temperature in the optical head device rises with a lapse of time. Further, a semiconductor laser source used for the optical head device has generally such temperature characteristics that the oscillated wavelength increases with a temperature rise. In the optical head device installing therein the retarder, an oscillated wavelength from a semiconductor laser source fluctuates due to a temperature change, a predetermined phase difference at the time when the laser light passes through the retarder can not be obtained, and an adverse influence such as a reduction of signal intensity or an increase of noises in signals may be caused in recording/reproducing an optical disk.
In the quartz or the thin film of organic material, the fluctuation of the optical characteristics due to a temperature change is generally small. Accordingly, when the oscillated wavelength from the semiconductor laser source fluctuates due to a temperature change, a fluctuation in the wavelength of the laser light could not be compensated by the retarder in which the above-mentioned material was used.
Further, since the linear expansion coefficient of a fixing substrate used in the retarder was generally different from the linear expansion coefficient of a thin film of organic material, the thin film of organic material deformed with a temperature rise, disturbances in the retardation value of the retarder and the retardation axis (fast axis) direction took place, and further, the smoothness of the thin film of organic material was reduced, whereby there was a problem of causing the disturbance of the wavefront of the laser light passing through the retarder.
As a second problem, it was difficult to minimize the size of the device because of an increased number of parts in assembling the retarder in the optical head device. In the retarder formed by polishing the single crystal of inorganic substance such as quartz, the retarder had to be located in a region of parallel light in an optical path in the optical head device because the incident angle dependence of phase difference was large, whereby there was a problem that the surface area of the retarder became large. Further, in the retarder made of an organic material, although the incident angle dependence of phase difference was small, the thickness of the retarder formed by bonding on the substrate was increased as a whole. Accordingly, it was difficult to minimize the size and the weight of the optical head device.
As a third problem, there is the wavelength dependence in a state of polarization of transmitted light in the retarder. Since the recording density can be increased by shortening the wavelength of usable laser light in an optical head device, an attempt of shortening the wavelength has been made on light sources. On the other hand, it is necessary to perform reproduction by using widespread laser light having a wavelength band of 790 nm for many compact optical disks (Hereinbelow, referred to as CD), and various optical head systems which allow the compatibility between laser light having a shorter wavelength and the ordinary laser light having a wavelength band of 790 nm have been proposed. In order to assure the compatibility with respect to the ordinary optical disks, there is a system in which the ordinary laser light source having a wavelength band of 790 nm is disposed in addition to a short wavelength laser light source having a wavelength band of 650 nm for digital versatile disks for high-density recording (Hereinbelow, referred to as DVD).
Further, as a semiconductor laser source for emitting light having two-wavelengths, a two-wavelength semiconductor laser source of monolithic structure in which a semiconductor laser source having a wavelength band of 790 nm and a semiconductor laser source having a wavelength band of 650 nm are formed in one chip, or a two-wavelength semiconductor laser source comprising a plurality of chips in which laser chips having different wavelength bands are disposed with an interval of light emitting point of about 100-300 xcexcm, for example. With such two-wavelength semiconductor laser sources, the number of parts can be reduced to minimize the size in comparison with conventional optical head devices having two-semiconductor laser sources as separate units. Further, in the case of the two-wavelength semiconductor laser source of monolithic structure, accuracy in positioning light emitting points can be improved, and assembling and adjusting are simplified, whereby the characteristics of optical head capable of providing stable recording/reproducing information are easily obtainable.
In a case that a retarder is used for a conventional optical head device using only a single wavelength, it is easy to prepare a quarter-wave plate providing a phase difference of xcfx80/2 or a half-wave plate for providing a phase difference of xcfx80 with respect to linearly polarized incident light. However, when a retarder is used for an optical head device using two-wavelengths, it was difficult for the conventional retarder to provide optical characteristics of such technical level that the quarter-wave plate was usable for a wavelength band of 650 nm and a wavelength band of 790 nm, or the half-wave plate was usable for a wavelength band of 650 nm and a wavelength band of 790 nm.
Accordingly, for an optical head device in which laser light of different wavelengths are used for DVD and CD, it was necessary to use different retarders for different wavelengths separately whereby the size of the device was increased. Further, in a case of using the two-wavelength semiconductor laser source, it was necessary to produce a desired phase difference with respect to two different kinds of wavelength by a single retarder, and therefore, a retarder capable of producing a desired phase difference depending on different wavelengths was expected.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a retarder capable of compensating a fluctuation of wavelength caused by a temperature change of light emitted from a semiconductor laser source, in particular, capable of producing stably a predetermined phase difference even in a high temperature region, and an optical element provided with such retarder.
Further, it is another object of the present invention to provide an optical element wherein a retarder to be installed in an optical head device has a plurality of functions, whereby the optical head device can be miniaturized.
Further, it is another object of the present invention to provide a retarder for producing a desired phase difference depending on different wavelengths and an optical element provided with such retarder in an optical head device wherein laser light having two or more different wavelengths are used as light sources.
In accordance with the present invention, there is provided a retarder comprising a thin film of organic material having birefringent properties, an adhesive coated on at least one surface of the thin film of organic material, and a fixing substrate having transmitting or reflecting properties, bonded to the thin film of organic material by the adhesive, wherein among the linear expansion coefficient E1 of the thin film of organic material, the linear expansion coefficient E2 of the adhesive and the linear expansion coefficient E3 of the fixing substrate, relations of E1 less than E2 and E3 less than E2 are satisfied.
Further, the present invention is to provide the above-mentioned retarder, wherein the thin film of organic material includes at least one selected from the group consisting of polycarbonate, polyimide, polyallylate, polyethersulfone, (alicyclic) polyolefin, poly(meth)acrylate, polyetherimide and polymerized liquid crystal.
Further, the present invention is to provide the above-mentioned retarder, wherein the adhesive includes at least one selected from the group consisting of acryl type, epoxy type, urethane type and polyester type.
Further, there is provided an optical head device comprising a semiconductor laser light source, an objective lens for converging laser light emitted from the semiconductor laser light source, an optical recording medium to which the laser light is converged and introduced, a photodetector for receiving reflected light from the optical recording medium and, an optical element fabricated by combining the above-mentioned retarder with a polarizing diffraction element having different diffraction efficiencies depending on a state of polarization of incident light wherein the optical element is located in an optical path from the laser light source to the optical recording medium, or an optical path from the recording medium to the photodetector.
Further, there is provided an optical element wherein a structure having at least one element among the following three elements is formed on a fixing substrate on which the above-mentioned retarder is formed:
(1) an aperture controlling element provided with a first region in a central portion, which transmits light having two or more kinds of wavelength and a second region surrounding the first region, which reflects or diffracts light having one or more kinds of wavelength,
(2) a retarder having a ringed belt-like groove for correcting the wavefront of transmitted light in a central portion, which transmits light having two or more kinds of wavelength, and
(3) a diffraction element having a periodic concave and convex portion in cross-sectional view, which diffracts incident light.
Further, the present invention is to provide an optical head device wherein laser light emitted from a semiconductor laser source is converged by an objective lens to be introduced into an optical recording medium, and reflected light from the optical recording medium is received by a photodetector, the optical head device being characterized in that the above-mentioned optical element is located in an optical path from the laser light source to the optical recording medium, or a light path from the optical recording medium to the photodetector.
Further, the present invention is to provide an optical head device comprising a semiconductor laser light source for emitting laser light having two or more different wavelengths, an objective lens for converging the laser light emitted from the semiconductor laser light source, an optical recording medium to which the laser light is converged and introduced, a photodetector for receiving reflected light from the optical recording medium, and a broadband retarder located in an optical path from the laser light source to the optical recording medium, or an optical path from the optical recording medium to the photodetector to control a state of phase of the laser light, the broadband retarder having such structure that a phase plate A to which either one laser light is first incident and a phase plate B to which said laser light is secondly incident are piled up so that the respective optical axes are crossed wherein the ratio of the retardation value of the phase plate A to the retardation value of the phase plate B is 1.8-2.2.
Further, the present invention is to provide the optical head device described just above, wherein the laser light is two kinds of laser light having different wavelengths, the ratio of the retardation values is 2, and the degrees of elliptical polarization when the two kinds of laser light are transmitted through the broadband retarder are substantially equal.
Further, the present invention is to provide an optical head device comprising a semiconductor laser light source for emitting linearly polarized light having wavelengths of xcex1 and xcex2 (xcex1 less than xcex2), an objective lens for converging the laser light emitted from the semiconductor laser source, an optical recording medium to which the laser light is converged and introduced, a photodetector for receiving reflected light from the optical recording medium, and the above-mentioned retarder located in an optical path from the laser light source to the optical recording medium wherein the linearly polarized light having wavelengths of xcex1 and xcex2 are incident to the retarder, two thin films of organic material having birefringent properties each having a retardation value of xcex/2 with respect to linearly polarized light having a wavelength of xcex in a relation of xcex1xe2x89xa6xcexxe2x89xa6xcex2 are piled up so that the respective optical axes are crossed, and when the linearly polarized light having wavelengths of xcex1 and xcex2 are transmitted through the thin films of organic material, the planes of polarized light provided by the linearly polarized light are rotated by the same angle.
Further, the present invention is to provide an optical head device comprising a semiconductor laser light source for emitting two kinds of linearly polarized light having different wavelengths and the planes of polarized light in parallel to each other, an objective lens for converging the laser light emitted from the semiconductor laser source, an optical recording medium to which the laser light is converged and introduced, a photodetector for receiving reflected light from the optical recording medium, and the above-mentioned retarder located in an optical path from the laser light source to the optical recording medium, or an optical path from the optical recording medium to the photodetector, wherein the retarder comprises a thin film of organic material to produce a phase difference of 2xcfx80 (m1xe2x88x92xc2xd) (m1 is a natural number) with respect to a kind of linearly polarized light and a phase difference of 2xcfx80 m2 (m2 is a natural number) with respect to the other kind of linearly polarized light when the two kinds of linearly polarized light having different wavelengths are transmitted therethrough with an inclination of 45xc2x0 in a polarization direction in its fast axis direction, whereby the planes of polarized light provided by the linearly polarized light of two kinds of wavelengths cross perpendicularly.

Phase shifter and optical head device mounted with the same

Abstract: With such structure, temperature characteristics of a phase difference can be obtained so as to reduce a temperature change of an oscillated wavelength emitted from a semiconductor laser source whereby the phase difference can be kept constant even when there is a fluctuation in a wavelength of light emitted from the semiconductor laser source due to temperature.


A method for producing polymethine dyes comprising the steps of:. (a) reacting a 1,1-diaryl-2-metallo-ethene with an .omega., .omega.,-diaryl-polyalkene-aldehyde in an anhydrous solvent under an inert atmosphere; and PA1 (b) neutralizing the reaction mixture from step (a) with an acid, thereby producing a polymethine dye.

1. Field of Invention
This invention relates to a method of preparing certain tetra-aryl-polymethine compounds. These molecules are useful as dyes and sensitizers for thermographic, photographic and photothermographic recording materials.
2. Background of the Art
Polymethine dyes of formula I are well known in the art as having utility in recording materials responsive to a wide range of irradiative energy wavelengths, from thermal exposure to infrared to visible light. U.S. Pat. No. 5,135,842 describes the use of polymethine dyes in thermal dye bleach constructions for imaging and for antihalation layers. U.S. Pat. No. 4,939,117 describes the preparation of pentamethine dyes and their use as leuco dyes. U.S. Pat. No. 4,948,715 and European Patent Application No. 0,353,007 describe the preparation of pentamethine dyes and their use in optical recording.
In polymethine dyes of formula I, typically, A.sup.1 -A.sup.4 and n are chosen so as to be responsive to particular wavelengths as appropriate for the recording to be done, and include amino groups, alkyl- and aryl-substituted amino groups, alkoxide groups, and other substituents which may advantageously contribute or donate electrons to the polymethine system. Usually, A.sup.1 and A.sup.2 are identical to each other, and A.sup.3 and A.sup.4 are identical to each other, and often, due to the method of synthesis of the polymethine system, all four aromatic substituents A.sup.1 -A.sup.4 are identical. Typically, n is 1, 2, or 3. The counterion X.sup.- can be any of a large number of appropriate anions derived from organic or inorganic acids. ##STR1##
Mixtures of dyes exhibit mixed absorption spectra, which may not be useful in applications requiring absorption at a single, specific wavelength. Purification of mixtures of polymethine dyes obtained from strong acid-catalyzed condensation reactions has proven to be very difficult, relying on selective fractional crystallization methods, which give poor yields, inadequate separations, and often are not reproducible on a production scale. Pure polymethine dyes are needed in the color imaging art for true color reproduction. For example, when used in thermally bleachable antihalation layers of color imaging constructions, impure dyes cause undesirable color to remain after bleaching.
The two well-known methods of synthesis of the pentamethine dye system are described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,939,117 and 4,948,715. U.S. Pat. No. 4,939,117 describes a method whereby 2 equivalents of a 1,1-diaryl-ethene are coupled with 1-equivalent of triethylorthoformate in an acid-catalyzed condensation in which water is eliminated and a pentamethine dye salt of formula I is obtained. In this synthesis, substituents A.sup.1 and A.sup.2 will be, by necessity, identical to A.sup.3 and A.sup.4 and no possibility exists for formation of a polymethine dye having substituents with A.sup.1 and A.sup.2 different from A.sup.3 and A.sup.4. U.S. Pat. No. 4,948,715 describes a method whereby a 1,1-diaryl-ethene is coupled with a 3,3-diaryl-2-propenal in the presence of a strong acid which simultaneously effects condensation and elimination of one water molecule to form a pentamethine dye salt of formula I. In this method, a possibility exists to obtain an tetra-aryl polymethine dye whereby A.sup.1 -A.sup.4 are different since the substituents on the 1,1-diaryl-ethene could easily be different from those on the 3,3-diaryl-2-propenal. However, mixtures of pentamethine dyes usually result from this method, possibly due to an acid-catalyzed transformylation and equilibration of the aldehyde moiety between the two diaryl-ethenes. The result of this second synthetic method is usually an undesirable mixture of the desired polymethine dye with "crossed-reaction" products having either A.sup.1 and A.sup.2 groups or A.sup.3 and A.sup.4 groups on both ends of the polymethine chain.
European Pat. Application 0,353,007 describes the synthesis of pentamethine dyes of formula I in which one of the four A groups is different from the other three identical A groups. These dyes were prepared from the acid-catalyzed condensation of a 1,1-diaryl-ethene in which the two aryl groups in the 1-position were different with a 3,3-diaryl-2-propenal in which both aryl substituents of the aldehyde were identical to one of the aryl substituents of the 1,1-diaryl-ethene.
Thus, although the art provides means of preparing 3,3-diaryl-2-propenal compounds and 1,1-diaryl-ethene compounds, no general means of condensing these compounds in a manner which will ensure the absence of "crossed-reaction" polymethine condensation products has been disclosed. Thus, there is a need for a method of producing tetra-aryl polymethine dyes in good yield which allows preparation of materials without contamination from side reactions that result in the formation of undesired "crossed-reaction" products. Such a method has now been discovered.

Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing Company


A method for image capture for colorimetric analysis includes inserting a colorimetric sample into a slot formed in a base of a device. The device includes a lid surrounding and covering the base. The lid includes a central opening, and a plurality of lights are within the lid and surrounding the opening. The method also includes selecting one or more wavelengths and intensities for illuminating the sample within the device, illuminating the sample within the device with the selected one or more wavelengths and intensities by selectively activating one or more of the plurality of lights, adjusting a height of a camera over the sample to focus the sample in the camera, and capturing at least one image of the sample using the camera.

The present invention relates to the electrical, electronic and computer arts, and, more particularly, to improvements in colorimetric or fluorescence analysis.
Various methods of chemical analysis use color paper bands (e.g., micro paper analytic device—μPAD, lateral flow, etc.) with reagents for comparison with reference colors to obtain a qualitative interpretation (e.g., whether or not a target substance is present) and/or a quantitative interpretation (e.g., a concentration value of the target substance). Quantitative color analysis in particular often requires a color judgement by the user that is dependent on her visual accuracy and other factors, such as the light environment at the moment of the analysis and visual fatigue.
Currently, systems are available to execute colorimetric analysis using smartphone cameras. However, the current available solutions suffer from one or more deficiencies: The form factor of a conventional solution is typically suitable only for a very specific model of smartphone (e.g., Apple iPhone 5s), which vastly limits the number of people that can use the solution and demands customization for every different mobile device. A conventional solution often does not take into account environmental variables, which might influence the chemical reaction dynamics and, thus, the color obtained. A conventional solution typically uses ambient environment light or a flashlight as a illumination source, and hence is restricted to the visible spectrum, and also cannot be adjusted by the user.

Color image capture under controlled environment for mobile devices

International Business Machines Corporation


Variable array thinning to achieve efficient radar pulse shaping for advanced radar waveforms such as pulse burst or monopulse doppler. At the beginning of the pulse, only a few elements, spread out over the array, are turned on. The effective amplitude can be controlled with precision because each element is either off or at saturation. High efficiency is maintained because the off-state of each element is long enough so that prime power is not consumed.

The present invention is an advancement in the field of active phased array radar systems.
In advanced radar systems, new waveforms such as the monopulse (single pulse) doppler waveforms can achieve enhanced sensitivities. The monopulse doppler waveform is characterized by a high duty factor and low pulse repetition frequency (PRF). Doppler information can be obtained from the return of a single transmitted pulse. A related type of waveform is the pulse burst waveform. This waveform is similar to the monopulse doppler waveform, except that the pulse is divided into many short bursts. The advantage is that receive operations can occur during the pulse "off" times during the pulse period, instead of being blanked during the entire long transmit pulse as is the case for the monopulse waveforms.
Postulated scenarios employing such new waveforms include very long ranges and heavy electronic countermeasures (ECM). Monopulse doppler waveforms are especially effective in these scenarios. Although transmitter spectral purity, distortion, sidelobes, analog-to-digital (ADC) and processor quantization and processing requirements can be met, the main challenge in implementing arrays with this waveform and other advanced waveforms is precise transmit pulse shaping.
An exemplary monopulse doppler waveform is illustrated in FIGS. 1A and 1B. FIG. 1A illustrates the transmit enable status as a function of time, showing the high duty factor and low PRF of the waveform. FIG. 1B shows the power distribution as a function of time for an exemplary one of the transmitted pulses, showing the pulse shaping. It is known that such pulse shaping is desirable in phased array radars in look-down scenarios, since slow moving target detection would be degraded in detection of slow moving targets. Ground clutter from the DC doppler filter will contaminate the lower non-DC filters, unless such pulse shaping is employed. Shaping is also useful in some conventional waveform applications to reduce the long range clutter settling time.
Transmit pulse shaping must be very precise in order to achieve adequate mainlobe clutter rejection. Also, to minimize array prime power and cooling requirements, it is important that high efficiency (i.e., minimal energy use) be maintained at the tapered edges.
In an active phased array radar system, one method of generating shaped pulses is to continuously vary the transmit power of each active element over the pulse length. However, with this method, it is extremely difficult to control the element amplitudes with sufficient precision. Furthermore, there is likely to be incidental phase modulation which also degrades clutter rejection.
Another method of achieving pulse shaping is duty factor modulation. The idea is to form the desired long shaped pulse as a series of many subpulses. The center-to-center spacing of the subpulses is constant, but the subpulse widths are reduced away from the long pulse center. This technique allows more precise control of the effective amplitude taper. However, the efficiency is poor because the elements as likely to require full power even during the gaps between subpulses.
It is therefore an object of the invention to provide a means for precise and efficient transmit pulse shaping in an active phased array radar.

Glittering array for radar pulse shaping


For regulating engine exhaust and for environmental reasons, aircraft users are restricted from expelling engine fluids from engines onto airport ramps. All such fluid must be collected and subsequently burned or properly disposed of. The present invention installs witness drain valves in the drain lines between seal cavities and environmental collector tank. The witness drain valves have a small reservoir that will retain a known volume of fluid. As fluid passes from a leaking seal to the collector tank, a small sample is captured in the witness drain valve. Once the witness drain valve reservoir is full, the leaking fluid then flows on to a collector tank, which is also provided. During regular engine maintenance, technicians push on a spring loaded drain valve located on the witness drain valve reservoir. If fluid is detected, the seal is beginning to leak, and corrective maintenance may be scheduled while the leak rate is still within operational limits.

This invention relates to a fluid leakage detection system in a drain line. More particularly, the present invention integrates a commercially available finger push valve into a seal cavity leakage detection system placed inside an enclosed compartment, such as an aircraft engine or industrial machinery, providing a low-cost, non-intrusive means of early leak detection in a new or retrofit design. The method and apparatus disclosed in the present application provides an environmentally friendly alternative to other leak detection methods and improves reliability and maintainability.
Multi-joint hydraulic systems may have many fittings, which are not readily visible and thus are difficult to inspect on a routine basis. Sometimes minor leakage at such joints are not a problem for operations, therefore routine inspection is not necessary. In other applications, however, such as aerospace, high speed machinery, and transportation equipment, early leakage detection can be critical for operational and personnel safety. Quantifying leakage and leakage rate is necessary in order to distinguish between conditions which are allowable and those which are indicative of accelerated deterioration of a mechanical system. Therefore, a reliable, accurate, and fast determination of hydraulic system leakage can identify the need for maintenance and greatly improve prevention of catastrophic failures during operations.
Hidden-joints, while not visually accessible, are conventionally inspected by use of such devices as inspection mirrors. However, such efforts are subjective and non-quantitative. Often, visual inspection is not possible due to the compactness of the enclosed compartment and/or lighting conditions in the area of interest. Moreover, when portions of such hydraulic systems are thermally insulated, indirect observation is not possible and leak detection becomes a difficult, time-consuming, and critical task.
For environmental reasons, there is now a requirement that no engine fluids be expelled onto airport ramps. All such fluids, regardless of leakage source, must be collected, disposed of, or burned in the engine exhaust. Many gas turbine engines include an extensive drain system for transfer of fluid leakage to an interim storage area or reservoir outside the engine compartment. The storage area or reservoir provides a means for leakage detection. For example, one of the fluids that is expelled from an engine is leakage from an accessory drive seal. Before collector tanks were installed, fluid from a leaking seal cavity was routed to an overboard drain and could be observed dripping from the aircraft. That is the source of the term xe2x80x9cwitness drainxe2x80x9d. In such situations, technicians would note existence of the leak and would schedule corrective action to replace the leaking accessory seal. When collector tanks are used to capture the leaking fluid, there is no observable evidence to indicate that a seal is leaking, and the seal may continue to deteriorate until excessive oil loss is noted or other more serious operational symptoms develop. The problem is further complicated, for example, when collector tank drain lines are connected to a plurality of possible sources of joint and seal leakage. Typically, such drain lines are installed near oil, hydraulic or fuel seal points adjacent to moving elements, such as near gearboxes where other components are coupled to the engine via shafts passing through the gearbox housing. Other sources of leakage can be hydraulic actuators and fuel driven valves.
Traditionally, drain mast assemblies are installed in engines to satisfy the operational needs described above. Such drain systems provide an indication of leakage from a source to which the drain is connected but no indication as to the quantity or leakage rate of that source. In most commercial engine applications, operational drains drain away liquids that might accumulate during operation, and service drains collect liquids for removal during maintenance. Leakage associated with such service drains can be determined during maintenance by measuring the quantity of liquid collected. Typically, there are many drain lines feeding into the drain mast assembly, and for that reason, it is difficult to determine which particular drain line is leaking since the fluids tend to run onto adjacent drain lines. This disadvantage creates a problem for troubleshooting a leaking drain, and requires a time consuming investigation inside the nacelle and cowl assembly.
Prior art, U.S. Pat. No. 5,285,636, discloses an improved drain mast assembly having a plurality of collection chambers with each of the chambers coupled in liquid receiving relationship with a respective liquid drain line. The assembly allows identifications of individual drain lines having relatively high drain-rates. Each chamber in the improved assembly may include a transparent view window for visually determining the volume of liquid collected by the chamber. The valve in each chamber also includes a standpipe extending a pre-selected distance into the chamber for overflow draining of the chamber when the collected liquid exceeds a predetermined volume.
This patent essentially discloses a drain mast using a traditional overboard method to dispose of the leakage waste fluids. Once the drain mast fluid leak detection collection chamber is filled, the fluid is expelled from the aircraft. The system requires that the valve and standpipe be integrated within a compact space. This is to avoid creating an excessively large drain mast causing aerodynamic drag for the aircraft. The standpipe height determines the volume of the fluid retained in the detection chamber before being drained overboard, thus significantly complicating the design. Since the system focuses on use of the drain mast concept and is located outside the engine cowling, there is a resulting requirement to incorporate special design features, such as mountings, that must take aerodynamic effects into consideration. This makes the system expensive, heavy, difficult to maintain, and not retrofitable.
Therefore, there is a need for a cost-effective, accurate, safe, reliable, and efficient witness drain system, using commercially available components, to meet regulatory and environmental considerations and to allow for inspection and quantification of drain line leakage.
The present invention provides an apparatus and method to conveniently and accurately checks drain line leakage. The apparatus and method disclosed is lightweight, usable for both new and retrofit designs, inexpensive, and does not affect aerodynamic drag.
In one aspect of the present invention, a commercially available finger push valve is integrated into a witness drain valve system allowing excessive fluid in a drain line to continue along its original route. Disclosed is an apparatus comprised of a witness drain valve having a small built in reservoir that retains a small, predetermined portion of leaking fluid along the drain line. The apparatus can be installed in the drain line between the seal cavity and the environmental collector tank. As the fluid passes the leaking seal to the collector tank, a small sample is captured in the apparatus. Once the reservoir of the apparatus is full, the leaking fluid flows on to the collector tank as intended. The apparatus is non-intrusive and provides critical leakage information to engine maintenance crews. No standpipe is required nor is there a need for an overboard drain to dispose of waste fluid.
In another aspect of the present invention, a method of improving engine reliability and maintainability is disclosed. The method comprises the steps of: installing an improved witness drain valve having variable diameters along the fluid flow path to create a small reservoir of pre-designed volume appending the drain line; disposing the drain witness valve between the leaking seal and environmental collector tank; flowing fluid along the drain line; collecting a leakage fluid sample; inspecting leakage fluid amount through a commercially available finger push valve connected to the witness drain valve perpendicular to the flow direction; determining the need for maintenance of the seal; and scheduling maintenance as required before further seal deterioration occurs. The pre-designed volume may be determined during the design phase by calculating allowable leakages in seal cavity drains based on the maintenance needs of individual engines or operations. This approach is distinguishably different from the prior art which is generally based on the volume of the reservoir being primarily determined by the size of the stand pipe and geometric considerations for reducing aerodynamic drag. By individualizing the drain line cavity volume based on criticality of leakage of each individual seal, the various reservoir volumes can be maximized to realize a system reliability improvement by tailoring the maintenance need of each drain line in the system.
In yet another aspect of the present invention, there is disclosed a decentralized witness drain valve system comprised of a series of witness drain valves installed along drain lines to accurately determine the leakage amount and leakage rate at each specific drain line. Each witness drain valve incorporates a predetermined reservoir volume and a commercially available finger push valve. The system provides information on leakage amount and rate by determining, by means of the finger push valves, which reservoir has filled between consecutive inspections. The quantitative leakage assessment provides information on seal deterioration rate, and thus improves engine operational safety.
These and other features, aspects and advantages of the present invention will become better understood with reference to the following drawings, descriptions and claims.


A hammock stand is provided for suspending a hammock above the ground. The stand is a curved arch consisting of three sections which are joined together with a tongue and groove means and provided with a base to maintain the arch in an upright orientation.

Hammocks are one of the least expensive, oldest, and most convenient of devices for accommodating individuals in a reclining position. Traditionally, hammocks have been strung between trees, upright poles, and other convenient, relatively stable structures. It has frequently developed however, that the very environments which are most desirable and conducive to the use of a hammock such as the beach or open sunny area of the yard are generally devoid of suitable structures to which the ends of a hammock can be attached. Accordingly, various devices have been proposed to provide the necessary structure for suspending a hammock from its two ends so that it is maintained in a configuration where it swings freely above the ground. Of necessity such structures must be quite large since they must not only accommodate between their ends the fully extended hammock itself but also a reasonable length at either end of rope or chain to permit the hammock to assume a comfortable position and swing freely. Thus, stands which have been proposed for supporting hammocks have generally been large bulky devices which must in some manner be collapsed for shipment.
It has, for example, been proposed to provide a large elongated arch which stands upright o the ground and supports the hammock between its two ends. Such devices have however, been constructed of a large number of pieces which had to be bolted together to form the extended arch. Typically, for example, such devices have consisted of two curved end sections which are joined by a pair of parallel elongated central pieces to form the extended arch. Yet an additional system has consisted of only two curved sections which ar overlapped and bolted together to form a large extended arch. This latter system however, has the disadvantage that each of the respective two sections must be of considerable length in its self in order that the two sections when joined together will have sufficient dimensions to accommodate the hammock.
There is, accordingly, a need for a hammock stand which not only provides a stable, attractive and functional means for suspending a hammock above the ground but which also does not require either a large number of sections or sections which are themselves of large dimensions so that they complicate the shipping of the device prior to assembly.
There is yet a further need to provide a support stand for a hammock which combines the features of attractiveness with physical strength, ease of assembly, and compactness of size and weight in its disassembled state.


A phase difference is determined between a signature detection sensor signal and a reference timing signal from a rotary encoder and displayed as a deviation amount to determine a tendency of the deviation, and the printing press can be adjusted according to the tendency to prevent paper jamming.

In a web printing press which is a machine to print on a rolled paper, a folder, which folds printed paper fed from the main unit of the printing press (hereinafter referred to as "printing machine"), is provided with a safety device which detects paper jamming and stops operating the printing machine.
In this case, detection of paper jamming is achieved by using a limit switch or a photoelectric sensor, which is located at a position where the signature tends to cause jamming, for example, in the course of the signature flowing path, to detect staying of the signature for a time exceeding a predetermined period.
However, in such paper jamming detection by a limit switch or photoelectric sensor, there has been a problem in that, due to a high printing speed, a large amount of paper tends to build up during the time from the beginning of paper jamming to the detection of the jamming and stoppage of the printing machine by the function of the safety device, which leads to damages to the components and requires a long time for the printing machine to resume normal operation.
Then, as an alternative method to minimize paper jamming, a deviation amount is detected between an actual signature detection timing from a sensor and a timing of signature position, where the signature is to be positioned, according to the rotation phase of the folder roller to find a condition at the beginning of paper jamming.
However, in the detection of the beginning of paper jamming, the safety device tends to operate before the beginning of paper jamming to stop the machine due to a high printing speed and depending on the deviation in relative positions or on the detection accuracy. In addition, since a web printing press requires a long time from the starting to normal operation, it is often required to avoid stopping the printing machine as possible, and the detection accuracy must be adjusted not too sensitive and not too insensitive to obtain an optimum detection accuracy. However, in practice, it is difficult to satisfy both conditions.

Signature inspection device for folder of web printing press

c/o Komori Corporation Toride Plant 5-1, Higashi 4-chome


A solar power generation system includes a fluid housing, a solar collector, and a heating system. The fluid housing contains a heat transfer medium. The solar collector concentrates solar energy onto the heat transfer medium. The heating system includes at least one gas tank containing a gas and fluidically connected to a first catalyst. The first catalyst is configured to catalyze gas from the gas tank to create hot gas. The heating system also includes a first hot gas pipe fluidically connected to the first catalyst and positioned with respect to the fluid housing such that hot gas flowing through the first hot gas pipe comes into thermal contact with the heat transfer medium within the fluid housing.

The present invention relates to thermal energy collecting systems, and in particular, to heating a molten storage medium used in thermal energy collecting systems.
Throughout the world there is an increasing demand for energy, which is typically provided by fossil fuels such as petroleum and coal. Additionally, due to scarcity and adverse environmental effects of fossil fuels, cleaner, renewable energy sources are becoming more desirable. As technology advances, alternative fuel sources are becoming practical to replace, or at least augment, conventional power plants to meet worldwide energy demand in a clean manner. In particular, solar energy is freely available and is becoming more feasible, especially in the form of concentrated solar power, which allows for energy storage and can be scaled for commercial production.
Concentrated solar power generation systems typically comprise solar collectors that focus solar rays onto a heat transfer medium such as a molten salt. For example, solar power towers use an array of thousands of heliostats to concentrate energy on an elevated central receiver through which molten salt flows inside of numerous pipes. In solar trough systems, molten salt flows through extended lengths of piping which are shrouded by solar collecting troughs that concentrate energy along lengths of the pipes. Heat from the solar energy is transferred to the molten salt and then through a heat exchanger to another medium, such as air or water, which is then used to generate mechanical energy that is ultimately converted to electrical power. Molten salt efficiently stores heat from the solar energy for extended periods of time such that electrical power can be generated at night or during other periods of low solar collection.
Molten salts can solidify if cooled below a certain temperature. Consequently, pipes and tanks holding the molten salt are typically wrapped in electrical trace heating elements (electrical resistance wires). Electrical trace heating can, however, be relatively expensive, increasing total cost of power production. Moreover, electrical trace heating can be prone to failure, causing the entire solar power generation system to require shut-down for maintenance. There is, therefore, a need for improved heating of pipes and tanks for the heat transfer medium in a solar power generation system.

Catalyzed hot gas heating system for concentrated solar power generation systems


A computing device includes a processor is programmed to determine that communications from users relate to the same subject included in a stored list of subjects. Each of the communications includes an audio portion. The computing device is further programmed to determine a score for each of the communications based at least in part on one or more of tone data, speed data, duration data, and volume data extracted from the respective audio portion, and allow one of the users, based on a respective user score, to assign the subject to a group.

Media consumers such as the viewers of movies and TV programming may invest a substantial amount of time and energy following the lives and careers of media creators and/or participants. The consumers may have an interest in particular media creators/participants and enjoy sharing and comparing knowledge about the media creators/participants via data such video and/or audio recordings. A system is lacking to receive and compare user-submitted data related to media creators and/or participants.


An infrared imaging device includes a first conductivity type first semiconductor layer having a small energy band gap, a first conductivity type second semiconductor layer have a larger energy band gap and disposed on the first semiconductor layer, a light receiving region of the second conductivity type in the second semiconductor layer and extending into the first semiconductor layer, a second conductivity type region in the second semiconductor layer spaced from the light receiving region, an insulating layer on the second semiconductor layer, and an MIS electrode on the insulating layer between the light receiving region and the second conductivity type region. Recombination of signal charges produced by incident light in the light receiving region and leakage current at the surface of the second semiconductor layer at the light receiving region are reduced. In addition, the numerical aperture of the light receiving region is increased. As a result, a highly reliable monolithic infrared imaging device in which photosensitivity and signal process efficiency are significantly improved is realized.

An infrared imaging device in which a light receiving part and signal processing part each formed on a different substrates connected by metal bumps, such as indium bumps, i.e., a hybrid infrared imaging device, has conventionally been utilized. However, in producing such a hybrid infrared imaging device, a troublesome process for connecting those substrates with the metal bumps is required. In addition, since the hybrid infrared imaging device is generally cooled down to about 77.infin. K. when used, when the substrate having the light receiving part is different from the substrate having the signal processing part, the metal bump connections are likely to break due to the difference in thermal expansion coefficients of those substrates.
Recently, a monolithic infrared imaging device, which solves the problem of the hybrid type device, has been proposed.
FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view showing a monolithic infrared imaging device disclosed in Japanese Published Patent Application No. Sho. 63-46765. In FIG. 7, a first CdHgTe layer 12 having a small energy band gap and a second CdHgTe layer 13 having a large energy band gap are disposed on the CdHgTe substrate 11. The second CdHgTe layer 13 is partially removed to expose the first CdHgTe layer 12 on the surface, and a photodiode 14 is formed in the exposed layer 12 by ion implantation or the like. A signal charge injection layer 22 is formed in the second CdHgTe layer 13 by ion implantation or the like and a charge transfer gate 23, a charge storage gate 24 and a CCD 25 are disposed on the second CdHgTe layer 13 via the insulating film 26. The signal charge injection layer 22 and the photodiode 14 are connected by an indium electrode 21. When infrared light is incident on the photodiode 14 formed in the first CdHgTe layer 12 having a small energy band gap, signal charges generated in the photodiode 14 and flow through the indium electrode 21 and signal charge injection layer 22 the charge transfer gate 23, charge storage gate 24 and CCD 25.
Meanwhile, FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view showing a structure of the monolithic infrared imaging device disclosed in Japanese Patent Published Application No. Hei. 2-272766. In FIG. 8, a second CdHgTe layer 13 having a large energy band gap is disposed on a semiconductor substrate 11. A first CdHgTe layer 12 having a small energy band gap is buried in the second CdHgTe layer 13. A photodiode 14 is formed in the first CdHgTe layer 12, and a source diode 18 and a drain diode 17 are formed in the second CdHgTe layer 13 by ion implantation. A connection electrode 15 connecting the photodiode 14 with the drain diode 17 and a gate electrode 16 connecting the source diode 18 with the drain diode 17 are disposed on the insulating film 19. When infrared light is incident on the photodiode 14 in the first CdHgTe layer 12 having a small energy band gap, signal charges are generated in the photodiode 14 and flow through the connection electrode 15 to reach a MIS (Metal Insulator Semiconductor) switch 20 disposed on the second CdHgTe layer 13. By opening a gate of the MIS switch including the drain diode 17, source diode 18 and gate electrode 16, signal charges are transferred to a signal output electrode (not shown) connected to the drain diode 17 and then output by a charge transfer device (not shown).
The monolithic infrared imaging devices shown in FIGS. 7 and 8 solve the above-described problems of the hybrid imaging devices. In addition, since the monolithic infrared imaging device detects light incident on the rear surface of the substrate, the semiconductor substrate is not restricted to transparent substrates, thereby increasing the degree of freedom in selecting materials.
In these monolithic infrared imaging devices, in order to improve the sensitivity to infrared light in the 10 micron wavelength band, the photodiode is disposed in the semiconductor layer having an energy band gap as small as 0.1 eV. Further, in order to suppress dark current (leakage current) in the MIS structure, the signal processing part including the CCD and the MIS switch are formed on the semiconductor layer having a large energy band gap.
In the monolithic infrared imaging device shown in FIG. 8, although the leakage current in the MIS switch is reduced, since the photodiode 14 is disposed in the semiconductor layer 12 having a small energy band gap, 0.1 eV, and both ends of the p-n junction constituting the photodiode 14 are present at the surface of the semiconductor layer 12 having the small energy band gap, a surface leakage current is induced. As a result, signal charges are not transferred to the signal processing part with high efficiency. Further, the photodiode 14 in the semiconductor layer 12 is connected to the MIS switch including the source diode 18, drain diode 17 and gate electrode 16 via the connection electrode 15 and an end of the p-n junction of the photodiode 14 and its vicinity are covered with the connection electrode 15, so that the numerical aperture of the photodiode 14 is decreased. In addition, since the connection electrode 15 and the MIS switch 20 occupy a large area of the light receiving surface, the light receiving region is reduced as the integration density is increased. As a result, light having a small area cannot be detected accurately.
In the monolithic infrared imaging device shown in FIG. 7, since the both ends of the p-n junction of the photodiode 14 are covered with the semiconductor layer 13 having a large energy band gap, the surface leakage current is suppressed. However, since the signal charge injection layer 22 in the semiconductor layer 13 is connected to the photodiode 14 in the semiconductor layer 12 by the columnar electrode 21, the surface of the photodiode 14 is partially covered with the electrode 21, whereby the numerical aperture of the photodiode 14 is decreased. In addition, since each end of the electrode 21 is present on a different plane, the connection precision of the electrode 21 is lowered, with the result that the reliability of the device is reduced.
Furthermore, in the devices shown in FIGS. 7 and 8, since the light receiving surface of the photodiode 14 is exposed on the surface of the semiconductor layer 12 having a small energy band gap, signal charges generated in the vicinity of the p-n junction are likely to reach the light receiving surface and recombine, so that the signal charges cannot be processed with high efficiency.


The present invention provides a terminal which includes a program determining unit configured to determine at least one associated application program corresponding to a designated contact person in an address book of the terminal, and a displaying unit configured to simultaneously display head portraits of the designated contact person in the address book and the at least one associated application program under the condition that the address book or a designated interface provided by any of the at least one associated application program is displayed. The present invention further provides a processing method for head portraits of a contact person.

In the existing technology, when a user uses an address book of a terminal or a social application, only images in the local album can be set to be head portraits of contact persons, or only the head portraits used by the current application can be looked up and the head portraits used by other applications cannot be looked up. Furthermore, the head portraits of contact persons in various social application programs installed in the mobile phone cannot be set to be associated with the head portraits of the contact persons in the address book, and to a great extend selectivity and manipulability cannot satisfy user's needs.
Therefore, the present invention provides a technical solution. By means of the technical solution, when the user performs an operation to set the head portrait of a designated contact person in the address book or in an application program, the head portraits of the contact person in application programs and the address book can be collected and displayed for the user to make a selection, thereby increasing user's selectivity and improving user's experience.

Terminal and processing method for head portrait of contact person

YULONG COMPUTER TELECOMMUNICATION SCIENTIFIC (SHENZHEN) CO., LTD.

DONGGUAN YULONG TELECOMMUNICATION TECH CO., LTD.


A portable arcuate shell member supported by its peripheral edge. A pitching rubber is mounted centrally thereof. A depression area extends from the pitching area forwardly from the rubber to the forward end of the shell member. A plate member is detachably secured to the depression area. A layer of resilient cushion material is secured to the plate member, and a layer of turf material is secured to the cushion material. A strip of friction material is secured to the peripheral edge of the shell member.

Portable pitching mounds such as those of U.S. Pat. No. 3,479,028 have served well to provide pitching mounds where conventional mounds could not be used (i.e. gymnasiums) or were not available. However, the footing or traction on the surface of the mounds is not the best, particularly as the pitcher completes the pitching motion. Further, the means of securing these mounds to a supporting surface are not always adaptable to both indoor and outdoor use.


An intake filter (1) or a coalescing filter (4) of a compressor or vacuum pump, or an in-line filter has its identity recorded in a transponder (50, 54), memory chip or other device such as a magnetic or magnetostrictive strip. Interrogation e.g. by means of antennae (52, 56) enables a control unit (55) to verify the identity of the filter and to store the result in memory (57). A record can therefore be maintained of whether approved filters are being used and whether they are exchanged at approved intervals.

This application is a national phase application of International Application No. PCT/GB99/04017, which was filed on Dec. 3, 1999 and which published in English on Jun. 8, 2000, which in turn claims priority from Patent Application No. GB 98 26671.1, which was filed on Dec. 3, 1998.
The present invention concerns a replaceable filter element or cartridge and in particular, though not exclusively, to such an element or cartridge for the filtration and purification of air. The invention also relates to an active device forming part of a pneumatic or vacuum system protected by such a filter. Such active devices include compressors, vacuum pumps, valves and the like.
Broadly stated, the invention provides a fluid filter having a concealed tamper-proof machine-readable identification.
The invention further provides filtration apparatus comprising a fluid filter as aforesaid and a filter head or housing having means for reading or otherwise detecting the identification.
The invention further provides a device or system in which a filter is present for conditioning a flow of gas or liquid to assure the correct functioning of the device or system, in which the filter is required to be replaced periodically, and in which the filter has a machine readable identity which the device or system can read to verify whether a correct filter is in place.
The invention may be provided by an active device having its own power source. However, it is preferred that it should be provided by a passive or un-powered device such as a resonator, memory device or transsponder that can be interrogated by signals from a reader which may be directly connected thereto or may be magnetically or electrostatically coupled thereto.

Fluid filters having a concealed machine-readable identification


A sample mount assembly for use with an X-ray diffractometer. The assembly includes a holder with an opening extending therethrough, an insert to fit into the holder through its opening, a substrate filter layer, and the exposed sample layer mounted on the filter. The holder's opening is larger at its lower surface than at its upper surface such, that the insert which is shaped as a four side truncated pyramid, can be placed into the holder from its lower surface but not through its upper surface opening. The layer filter with its mounted sample layer is sandwiched between the insert and holder to allow the sample to be exposed to incident X-rays through the holder's upper surface. Plastic tape or some other securing mechanism is used to secure the holder to the insert at the holder's lower surface. The result is a mount that allows easy installation and removal with automatic sample changers for X-ray diffraction of the membranes with no vertical offset and a flat, even, sample upper surface.

1. Field of the Invention
Our invention is a mount specifically designed for use with an X-ray diffractometer.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Over the years various types of mounts have been used to mount specimens which are then subjected to some type of analysis. In one case the specimen is inserted in indents and held in place by a pair of brackets so that it may thereafter be exposed to a source of X-rays (U.S. Pat. No. 3,340,397 to R. L. Johnston). When X-ray diffraction is used as the technique to analyze the sample, a vacuum chuck can be used to hold the sample (U.S. Pat. No. 4,078,175 to J. C. Fletcher et al.) or it may be held or mounted in a rotatable holder (U.S. Pat. No. 3,852,594 to F. R. Paolini). Another mounting procedure useful with X-ray fluorescence, (U.S. Pat. No. 3,536,912 to W. Speck et al) provides for a suspended mount with adjusting screws to avoid static uncertainties.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,115,689 to V. Y. Won appears, at first glance, structurally close to this patent invention. However, the Won patent is designed specifically for X-ray fluorescence whereas our invention is concerned with X-ray diffraction. These two different uses bear on and specifically relate to the structural differences between the two inventions which make interchangeability virtually impossible. Although both X-ray fluorescence and X-ray diffraction employ the principles of Bragg's Law (n.lambda.=2.theta. sin .theta.), in X-ray fluorescence the wavelength .lambda. is in the unknown and in X-ray diffraction the interplanar spacings (d) of the minerals are the unknowns. Our invention employs an especially selected filter which underlies the sample and in no way interfers with the diffracted incident X-ray beam whereas in the Won reference a plastic film is placed over the sample to keep the sample surface flat. If such a plastic film were used with X-ray diffraction the plastic itself would superimpose its own diffraction effects over those of the sample. With X-ray fluorescence, the method Won is specifically designed for, the plastic filter would have no effect. Other structural differences limiting our mounting to automatic sample changes useful for X-ray diffraction and Won's to X-ray fluorescence will become apparent as the remainder of this disclosure is read.
In the article authored by us entitled "A Metal-Membrane Mount for X-ray Powder Diffraction" first published on Apr. 1, 1979, in Volume 27, No. 2, pages 152-153 of the periodical "Clays and Clay Minerals" many of the details relating to this invention are disclosed including its mounting procedure. The contents of that article are specifically incorporated by reference herein.

The United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Interior


A head-mounted display (HMD) system includes an HMD device wearable upon a head of a user, and a peripheral device that is dockable with the HMD device. The peripheral device comprises a plurality of light source elements disposed along a perimeter of a face of the peripheral device and a peripheral electronic control system. The peripheral electronic control system is configured to form an optically detectable light pattern with the plurality of light source elements by controlling each of the light source elements. The HMD device is configured to detect the optically detectable light pattern with a camera and to display an augmented reality (AR) content based on the identified optically detectable light pattern.

Head-mounted display (HMD) devices are wearable by a human subject (i.e., user) for the purpose of presenting graphical content to the user. This graphical content may take the form of augmented reality (AR) content, virtual reality content (VR), and/or non-aligned heads-up-display (HUD) content.
AR typically refers to machine-based augmentation of a person's sensory perception of a physical, real-world environment. Within the context of visual augmented reality, a person's view of the real-world environment is supplemented or otherwise altered by computer-generated graphical content to create the appearance that the graphical content is present within the real-world environment. Head-mounted display devices for AR often incorporate one or more see-through display panels upon which graphical content is displayed to the user, enabling the user to directly view both the real-world environment and the graphical content within a combined AR view. Other head-mounted display devices for AR may capture a live view of the real-world environment via an on-board camera, and present that live view via a graphical display along with computer-generated graphical content integrated with the live view.
Virtual reality typically refers to machine-based replacement of a person's sensory perception with computer-generated content. Head-mounted display devices for visual VR may fully occlude the user's field of view with one or more graphical display devices upon which graphical content is presented to provide the user with a VR view. VR may seek to fully separate the user from the real-world environment in contrast to head-mounted displays that provide a live or direct view of the real-world environment.
Non-aligned HUD content refers to graphical content that is presented on a see-through display panel. While in general, HUD content may include AR content, non-aligned HUD content is not visually aligned with the user's field of view within the real-world environment. Hence, in contrast to more specific forms of AR content, non-aligned HUD content includes graphical content that is not necessarily presented in a manner that creates the appearance of the graphical content being present within the real-world environment. Non-aligned HUD content may take the form of human-readable information that provides the user with contextual information, for example.

Peripheral device for head-mounted display