Data from the pyrolytic analysis of rock samples obtained from drilling operations in an existing oil field are used to characterize the quality and condition of reservoir rock by comparison of the values of an index for the unknown reservoir rock samples with the value of the index for a known type and quality of petroleum reservoir rock sample, the index being denominated Pyrolytic Oil Productivity Index ("POPI") and defined by the expression: EQU ln(LV+TD+TC).times.(TD.div.TC)=POPI (I),. where the terms of the equation are determined empirically and the resulting POPI values can be used to direct horizontal drilling operations in real time to optimize the position of the drilling bit in the reservoir.

Various methods have been employed for determining the porosity of petroleum-bearing reservoir rock. Such porosity measurements are used quantitatively in characterizing the reservoir rock for the purpose of determining hydrocarbon productivity and calculating reserves. One long-standing method is the direct analysis of cylindrical core samples that are taken during the drilling operation. Methods of analysis based on core samples have the advantage of being able to provide detailed and very accurate data of the reservoir quality at precisely known depths. The principal disadvantages of relying on core samples is that collecting the samples is both time-consuming and expensive, as is the processing of the core slabs to prepare samples for the one or more eventual analytical processes from which the data can be developed.
Down-hole "electric" or petrophysical logs are the most common means of assessing reservoir quality. The advantages of this technique are that the data is available immediately after the drilling of the well and the data can be obtained over the entire portion of the "open" well-bore. The disadvantages of this technique are that the data is not available until after the well is drilled, and this information cannot be used to assist in making drilling decisions. Measurement While Drilling ("MWD") or Logging While Drilling ("LWD") techniques partially overcome this deficiency; however, the cost for this service is very high and not all petrophysical tools can be utilized.
Another method for evaluating reservoir rock is based on the pyrolysis of rock cuttings that are carried to the surface during drilling operations by the drilling fluid, or "mud." Collection of rock cuttings associated with known depths is a well established procedure in petroleum drilling operations. Depth assignment to the cuttings is based on calculations which take into account drilling fluid circulation rate, hole geometry, fluid viscosity and weight, and other parameters. Collecting cuttings and assigning a depth to those cuttings are routine procedures during drilling operations.
The pyrolysis of reservoir rock and/or rock cuttings has been employed to determine the API gravity of oil and the composition of reservoir rock extracts. The pyrolytic method involves the heating of the sample in an inert atmosphere at an initial temperature of about 180.degree. C. When the sample is inserted in the heated chamber, the light volatile hydrocarbons are removed and analyzed. The temperature is subsequently increased and heavier free oil is thermovaporized. Above approximately 400.degree. C., hydrocarbons that have not been vaporized are thermally "cracked" to lighter hydrocarbons which are vaporized. The sample is heated to a maximum temperature of 600.degree. C. in the inert atmosphere. The hydrocarbons released during these heating stages are quantified, as by a flame ionization detector ("FID"). If a complete analysis is required, the sample is contacted with a stream of oxygen or air at about 600.degree. C. and the resulting CO.sub.2 is analyzed by a thermal conduction detector ("TCD".)
Data plots of hydrocarbons released as a function of temperature can be produced on commercially available equipment. One such pyrolysis device and related analytical equipment is commercially available from the Institut Francais du Petrole through its distributor Vinci Technologies, (both of Rueil-Malmaison, France) under the trademark ROCK-EVAL. Another supplier of pyrolytic instrumentation is Humble Instruments & Services, Inc., of Humble, Tex.
As used in this specification and claims, the following terms have the meanings indicated:
HC means hydrocarbons.
ln means natural logarithm.
LV is the weight in milligrams of HC released per gram of rock at the static temperature condition of 180.degree. C. (when the crucible is inserted into the pyrolytic chamber) prior to the temperature-programmed pyrolysis of the sample.
TD is the weight in milligrams of HC released per gram of rock at a temperature between 180.degree. C. and T.sub.min .degree. C.
TC is the weight in mg of HC released per gram of rock at a temperature between T.sub.min .degree. C. and 600.degree. C.
LV+TD+TC represents total HC vaporizing between 180.degree.-600.degree. C. A low total HC indicates rock of lower porosity or effective porosity. A low value can also indicate zones of water and/or gas.
POPI.sub.o is the value of the pyrolytic oil productivity index as calculated for a representative sample of crude oil of the type which is expected to be found in good quality reservoir rock in the region of the drilling and chosen as a standard.
T.sub.min (.degree.C.) is the temperature at which HC volatization is at a minimum between the temperature of maximum HC volatization for TD and TC and is empirically determined for each sample. Alternatively, a temperature of 400.degree. C. can be used for samples where there is no discernable minimum between TD and TC. The latter sample types generally have very low total HC yields.
Phi is the average porosity of the rock.
Sxo is the saturation of drilling mud filtrate and represents the amount of HC displaced by the filtrate, and therefore, movable HC.
Phi*Sxo vs depth plot--the area below the curve represents the proportion of porosity which contains movable HC.
Phi vs depth plot--the area between the Phi curve and the Phi*Sxo curve represents immovable HC, or tar.
Gamma--the naturally occurring gamma rays that are given off by various lithologies while measuring directly in the well bore by the prior art petrophysical tools and are reported in standard API (American Petroleum Institute) units.
Caliper--the measured diameter of the well bore taken at the time of running petrophysical logs.
Density porosity--the porosity calculated by prior art methods from the petrophysical bulk density tools using an assumed fluid and grain density.
Neutron porosity--the porosity measured by prior art methods from petrophysical neutron tools.
Deep resistivity--the resistivity measured by deep invasion (long spacing between source and receiver), lateral log or induction petrophysical tools which is used as a measurement of undisturbed formation resistivity.
Medium resistivity--the resistivity measured by medium invasion (medium spacing between source and receiver), lateral log or induction petrophysical tools which is used as a measurement of resistivity of the formation that has been flushed by mud filtrate from the drilling fluid.
Shallow resistivity--the resistivity measured by shallow invasion (short spacing between source and receiver), lateral log or induction petrophysical analytic techniques which is used as a measurement of the resistivity of the mud filtrate from the mud cake that forms on the interior of the well bore during drilling operations.
Neutron-density cross-plot porosity (N-D Phi)--the porosity determined from a common prior art method which compensates for the effects of lithologic and fluid changes that lead to inaccuracies in employing either density or neutron porosity measurements by themselves.
Core plug permeability--the permeability measured by prior art methods from cylindrical rock samples that are cut from cores taken from the drilling process that is reported in units of millidarcys (md).
In a typical pyrolytic data plot of oil-productive reservoir rock prepared in accordance with prior art methods, the first peak, which is detected when the sample is first placed in the pyrolysis oven at the initial temperature of 180.degree. C. and before the temperature program begins, is from the volatile components still present in the sample after sample preparation. These will be referred to as the Light Volatile Hydrocarbons, reported in milligram per gram rock sample, and represented by LV or LVHC. As the temperature program proceeds, a plot of temperature vs. released hydrocarbons detected results in a curve that first increases from the starting point at 180.degree. C., then gradually falls off to a minimum value in the vicinity of 400.degree. C..+-.20.degree. C. where thermocracking of the heavier petroleum components begins to occur. As thermocracking proceeds with increasing temperature, released hydrocarbons detected increase to a maximum and then fall off as the rock cutting sample reaches a maximum temperature of about 600.degree. C. For any given sample, the minimum temperature point between the two peaks is referred to as T.sub.min. The area under the first peak between 180.degree. C. (i.e., the starting point) and T.sub.min represents the total weight of hydrocarbons released in that temperature range, generally reported as milligrams per gram ("mg/g") of rock sample, and are referred to as the Thermally Distilled Hydrocarbons and represented as TD or TDHC. The area under the second peak between T.sub.min and 600.degree. C. represents the total weight of hydrocarbons that are first thermally cracked before thermal distillation from the substrate and detection and are reported in mg/g of rock sample, and are referred to as the Thermally Cracked Hydrocarbons (TC or TCHC). Various techniques for analyzing the pyrolysis data represented by LVHC, TDHC and TCHC have been practiced in the art.
In the pyrolytic analysis process, small samples (e.g., .ltoreq.100 mg) of powdered rock are placed in a steel crucible. The crucible is placed in a furnace and the sample is heated in a stream of helium gas to an initial temperature of 180.degree. C. After heating at 180.degree. C. for about three minutes, the temperature is increased. The rate of increase in the temperature is about 25.degree. C./min. or less, and preferably about 10.degree. C./min, and progresses from 180.degree. C. to about 600.degree. C.
The helium gas carries hydrocarbon products released from the rock sample in the furnace to a detector which is sensitive to organic compounds. During the process, three types of events occur:
1) Hydrocarbons that can be volatilized at or below 180.degree. C. are desorbed and detected while the temperature is held constant during the first 3 minutes of the procedure. These are called light volatile hydrocarbons (LVHC or LV). PA1 2) At temperatures between 180.degree. C. and about 400.degree. C., thermal desorption of solvent extractable bitumen, or the light oil fraction, occurs. These are called thermally distilled hydrocarbons or "distillables" (TDHC or TD). PA1 3) At temperatures above about 400.degree. C., pyrolysis (cracking) of heavier hydrocarbons, or asphaltenes, occurs. The materials that thermally crack are called thermally cracked hydrocarbons or "pyrolyzables" (TCHC or TC). PA1 (a) collecting the rock cuttings from a first location; PA1 (b) preparing the rock cuttings for pyrolytic analysis; PA1 (c) subjecting the prepared rock cuttings to pyrolytic analysis to provide data corresponding to LV, TD and TC; PA1 (d) graphically plotting the relationship expressed by the value of: PA1 (e) repeating said steps (a)-(d) above for rock cuttings obtained from a plurality of different locations displaced known distances from said first location to provide a graphic plot; and PA1 (f) identifying the vertical intervals on said graphic plot corresponding to POPI values as determined by formula (I) of: PA1 1) To 1 cc of the oil sample, add 9 cc of a suitable solvent, such as methylene chloride, dimethyl sulfide or other suitable solvent that will completely dissolve the oil sample and that is readily evaporated at 60.degree. C. Characteristics of solvents?! PA1 2) Prepare 9 steel crucibles with approximately 100 mg of clear silica gel. PA1 3) Apply to the silica gel, using an accurate syringe, three samples each of the solution of the oil in solvent in quantities of 10, 20, and 30 micro-liters. PA1 4) Dry the samples at 60.degree. C. in a vacuum oven for 4 hours. PA1 5) Subject the samples to pyrolytic analysis, using 100 milligrams as the required input sample size for the instrument, to provide data corresponding to LV, TD, and TC. PA1 6) Utilize standard spreadsheet and graphics software to input the data and prepare a plot with the y-parameter being the POPI value and the x-parameter being the sum of total hydrocarbons (LV+TD+TC). PA1 7) Select the range for the value of POPI.sub.o from the chart where the value of total hydrocarbons is between 4-6 milligrams per gram of sample. PA1 A POPI greater than about POPI.sub.o, indicates oil-producing reservoir rock; PA1 a POPI between 0 and 1/2POPI.sub.o indicates tar-occluded or non-reservoir rock; and PA1 a POPI between about 1/2 POPI.sub.o and POPI.sub.o indicates marginally oil-producing reservoir rock.
These events give rise to three `peaks` on the initial instrument output (referred to as a pyrogram). The peak for the static 180.degree. C. temperature is a standard output parameter of either the Vinci or Humble instruments. It is referred to as either S.sub.1 or volatile total petroleum hydrocarbons (VTPH), respectively. In the present invention, the value will be referred to as LV, as described above. Data generated from the temperature programmed pyrolysis portion of the procedure is reprocessed manually by the operator to determine the quantity of hydrocarbons in milligrams per gram of sample above and below T.sub.min. This reprocessing is a trivial exercise for an experienced operator and can be accomplished routinely with either the Vinci or Humble instruments. The first peak above 180.degree. C. represents the amount of thermally distillable hydrocarbons in the sample and is referred to as TD, the second peak above 180.degree. represents the amount of pyrolyzables or thermally "cracked" hydrocarbons in the sample and is referred to as TC. In the case of lighter hydrocarbons or the analysis of oil samples directly for calibration, T.sub.min may not be discernable. In this case, if the sample analysis is repeatable at 400.degree. C., the values of LV, TD, and TC employed in the method of the present invention are with respect to the specific temperature ranges defined above.
In other pyrolytic methods known to the prior art, measurement of released hydrocarbons was undertaken in the range up to 180.degree. C. and identified as S.sub.1, or volatile total petroleum hydrocarbons (vTPH) while S.sub.2 or pyrolyzable total petroleum hydrocarbon (pTPH) was the value associated with hydrocarbons released between 180.degree. C. and 600.degree. C.
The prior art methods for collecting and analyzing the data obtained by pyrolytic analysis have been found to be of limited value in making reliable determinations of the quality and condition of reservoir rock, particularly in regions of tar mats and occlusions.
It is often the case that tar mats are found between productive reservoir regions. Tar mats can be defined as high concentrations of bitumens enriched by asphaltenes. They form more or less continuous layers in the porous medium of the reservoir rock that can range from several feet to tens of feet in thickness and constitute barriers impermeable to the flow of crude oil.
Delays in obtaining information on the character and condition of reservoir rock can be especially costly when the drilling operation is being conducted "horizontally." As used hereafter in reference to well drilling operations, the term "horizontal" means wells bored outwardly from the nominally vertical well shaft or bore leading from the earth's surface. These horizontal wells are drilled for the purpose of exploring areas horizontally displaced from the vertical well shaft. Horizontal drilling is typically undertaken in an effort to increase the total footage of productive reservoir rock encountered by the well bore. Because of the potential for rapid changes in conditions from one area to another in the horizontal plane, it is desirable to characterize the reservoir rock as quickly as possible. Discontinuing drilling operations while awaiting analytical data can incur significant costs, and the costs of utilizing the MWD or LWD analytical techniques described above are also very high.
As will be apparent to one familiar with the costs involved, it would be particularly advantageous to be able to identify the presence of tar mats on something approaching a "real time" basis as the horizontal drilling operation proceeds. This information would permit the direction of the drill to be changed "on the fly" once the tar mat was detected.
It is therefore an object of this invention to provide an improved method, that is timely and cost efficient, for determining the quality and condition of reservoir rock during petroleum exploration drilling operations.
It is another object of the invention to provide a method for utilizing pyrolytic analysis data to differentiate between good and excellent quality reservoir rock.
It is also an object of the invention to provide an improved method of employing data from the pyrolytic analysis of rock cuttings for determining the character and quality of reservoir rock, including the existence of zones of low porosity rock and rock of low effective porosity.
It is a further object of the invention to provide a method from which information concerning the quality and condition of the reservoir rock can be quickly derived in the field and at the drilling site so that any changes in the direction of drilling can be made "on the fly" to maintain the position of the drill bit in the stratigraphic region of optimum production.
It is yet another object of the invention to provide a method by which the presence of tar mat in the vicinity of the drilling bit can be quickly and reliably determined by analysis of rock cuttings.
It is also an object of this invention to provide a reliable method for determining when the well bore has proceeded from oil-productive reservoir either structurally higher into a gas cap, if present, or downward below an oil-water contact.

Pyrolytic oil-productivity index method for characterizing reservoir rock


A signal source identification system and associated method are disclosed that utilize wavelet-based signal processing to facilitate signal source identification. In particular, the wavelet-based signal processing enables the extraction of fingerprint type signatures for signal sources using wavelet packet processing, and supplementary signal processing can be used to further enhance the accuracy of the system. This signal source identification system can be used for identifying signal sources within a received data signal, used for providing security features by verifying the identify of a transmitting device, and/or used in other environments where it is desirable to identify or differentiate among signal sources. Other features and variations can be implemented, if desired.

In certain environments it is advantageous to be able to identify the source of electromagnetic radiation that is received by a receiver system. For example, in one such environment, receivers acquire data signals from a plurality of transmitters or emitter sources, the identities of which may or may not be known. Prior techniques to identify signal sources have included analyzing acquired signals and processing them to separate them into individual signal streams that are believed to correspond to specific signal sources. After generating these individual signal streams, processing techniques have then attempted to identify the source of each signal stream. These existing algorithms for emitter or signal source identification, however, typically require high signal to noise ratio pulses, varying processing window lengths, and long pulse widths for accurate identification. It is desirable, therefore, to improve the performance of these prior signal source identification techniques.

Signal source identification utilizing wavelet-based signal processing and associated method


An apparatus is provided for driving an injector injecting fuel into an internal combustion engine. The injector is provided with a piezoelectric element to be charged and discharged. The apparatus comprises a calculator and a charger. The calculator calculates a command value to charge the piezoelectric element. The calculator includes correcting means that corrects the command value based on information indicating either an operation of the piezoelectric element or an electric characteristic of the apparatus. The charger charges the piezoelectric element in response to the corrected command value to accumulate a desired amount of electric energy at the piezoelectric element.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an apparatus and a system both for driving fuel injectors that have piezoelectric elements, and, in particular, to the apparatus and the system that are preferably adapted to vehicles with diesel engines serving as drive sources.
2. Description of the Related Art
An apparatus for driving injectors of a diesel engine, i.e., an injector driving apparatus, is provided with a power source composed of such members as a DC-DC converter and a charge unit charging piezoelectric elements based on the power from the power source. The power source receives voltage (12V) from a battery to boost it up to a higher voltage of several dozens to several hundreds volts. The charge unit receives the boosted higher voltage to charge the piezoelectric elements by causing current to repeatedly flow from the power source to the piezoelectric elements for a specific period of time. This way of charging the piezoelectric elements is exemplified by Japanese Patent Laid-open Publication No. 2002-136156.
However, the injectors are manufactured to perform fuel injection every time an injector is charged with energy of a given level or more. The energy E charged by a piezoelectric element can be expressed by a formula of "E=(½)(CV2)," where C is a capacitor of the piezoelectric element and V is a voltage to be applied to the piezoelectric element.
In recent years, to reduce harmful substances contained in exhaust gas, it is absolutely necessary to precisely control the intervals of fuel injection. This way of fuel injection control increases the number of times of operating the injectors (i.e., fuel injection number).
In this apparatus, the voltage of the power source will decrease due to charging the piezoelectric elements, and will not be restored to its original value until a predetermined period of time passes.
Hence, when an interval of time between adjacent fuel injection operations of each injector becomes smaller so as to provide "successive (or nearly contiguous)" injecting operations, the voltage of the power source may not be restored to its original value. If such a case happens, as apparent from the foregoing formula, the amount of electric energy accumulated in each piezoelectric element is forcibly smaller than a voltage which is a control target value for the injector driving apparatus.
In the following description, the "successive fuel injection" means that each injector injects the fuel successively a plurality of times during one air-intake stroke carried out by each cylinder of the internal combustion engine. When this "successive fuel injection" causes a shortage in the charged energy compared to its target value, this is called "influence of the successive fuel injection."
Further, the capacitance of the piezoelectric element fluctuates depending on the temperature. Such fluctuations will also cause a problem that, as apparent from the foregoing formula, the amount of electric energy accumulated in the piezoelectric element is deviated from its target value.
In addition, it is inevitable that products of the injectors and injector driving apparatus have fluctuations of performances (i.e., individual differences). This problem may also result in a deviation, from its target value which needs to be controlled, of the amount of electric energy accumulated in each piezoelectric element by the injector driving apparatus.
The above situations may cause a problem in that the amount of fuel injected by each injector also deviates from a desired amount to be injected.

Apparatus and system for driving fuel injectors with piezoelectric elements


An electronic device and an information processing method are described. The device includes a first body, a first rotary structure connected to the first body, a support member comprising a first end and a second end, wherein the first end is connected to the first rotary structure, a second rotary structure connected to the second end, and a second body connected to the second rotary structure. When it is detected that the first body and the first rotary structure are separated and/or the second body and the second rotary structure are separated, switching the electronic device to the first operation mode; and when it is detected that the first body and the first rotary structure are connected and the second body and the second rotary structure are connected, switching the electronic device to the second operation mode.

The present disclosure relates to a field of information processing, in particular to an electronic device and an information processing method.
With the development of computer technology, more and more electronic devices enter into people's life, from a desk computer to a notebook computer and further to tablet devices being popular in recent years, such as a tablet personal computer, a mobile phone, a MP3 and the like, which are smaller and smaller and are provided with basic functions needed for entertainments and work. Therefore, these electronic devices are popular among the masses of users.
At present, a majority of tablet personal computers in the market are similar in product functions and forms. People have made diversities of improvements to appearance and structure of the tablet devices. For example, a tablet device and an entity keyboard are made into a device with a slider at one side such as a structure of Nokia N97, and the tablet device is connected to the keyboard through a supporter. In a using process of a user, if the user wants to use the entity keyboard to input, the part of the entity keyboard can be presented through sliding the tablet device to a side; if the user wants to use a virtual keyboard in the tablet device to input, the part of the entity keyboard can be hidden through sliding the tablet device back.
However, in a process of implementing technical solutions of embodiments of the present disclosure, the inventor of the present application finds that the above technology has at least the following technical problems:
1. Since the supporter connected between the tablet device and the entity keyboard are not removable, the user cannot separate the tablet device or the entity keyboard from the supporter, which thus causes a technical problem that the user cannot switch the electronic device between a tablet personal computer operation mode and a notebook computer operation mode through separating or connecting the tablet device or the entity device from or to the supporter.
2. Since the tablet device and the entity keyboard are connected using the supporter which is not removable, the user needs to carry the entire electronic device when going outside regardless of whether the entity keyboard is needed to be used or not, which thus causes a technical problem of inconvenient carrying.

Electronic device and information processing method


There is provided a broadcast receiving apparatus having a broadcast receiving unit. The apparatus includes: an instruction receiving unit which receives a broadcasting type selection instruction or a channel number selection instruction, and a control unit which, when the instruction receiving unit receives the broadcasting type selection instruction, controls the broadcast receiving unit to receive a broadcast wave specified by a combination of a current channel number and a type of broadcasting corresponding to the received selection instruction if an elapsed time from latest reception of a channel number selection instruction is not more than a predetermined time, and receive a broadcast wave specified by a combination of a type of broadcasting corresponding to the received selection instruction and a default channel number associated with the type of broadcasting if the elapsed time from the latest reception of a channel number selection instruction is more than the predetermined time.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a broadcast receiving apparatus for selectively receiving a broadcast wave specified by a combination of a type of broadcasting and a channel number, a TV set, and a control method of the broadcast receiving apparatus.
2. Description of the Related Art
TV sets capable of receiving a plurality of types of broadcasting (e.g., BS digital broadcasting, CS digital broadcasting, terrestrial digital broadcasting, and terrestrial analog broadcasting) are becoming popular presently. A TV set user who wants to watch a program that is being broadcast by a desired channel in a desired type of broadcasting operates the TV set in accordance with a procedure to be described below.
If the type of broadcasting of the desired program is different from that of the program the user is currently watching, the user instructs the TV set using a remote controller or the like to select the desired type of broadcasting (e.g., BS digital broadcasting). Upon receiving the user's instruction, the TV set receives the broadcast wave of the default channel (e.g., the channel that was finally selected for the type of broadcasting) of the designated type of broadcasting (e.g., BS digital broadcasting) and displays a video image contained in the received broadcast wave. Next, the user instructs the TV set using a remote controller or the like to select the desired channel (e.g., channel 103) (for example, the user presses the remote controller's "3" button assigned to channel 103). Upon receiving the user's instruction, the TV set receives the broadcast wave of the designated channel of the current type of broadcasting and displays a video image contained in the received broadcast wave.
If the desired program and the program the user is currently watching are of the same type of broadcasting, the instruction to select the desired type of broadcasting may be omitted. The user need only instruct the TV set to select the desired channel.
According to Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2005-318551, a digital TV set has a remote controller with a plurality of numeric keys. For every type of broadcasting, specific channels are associated with the respective numeric keys. When a user presses a specific numeric key continuously within a predetermined time, the digital TV set of Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2005-318551 sequentially switches and selects a type of broadcasting. At this time, the digital TV set selects a channel associated with a numeric key pressed for the selected type of broadcasting.
As described above, when the user switches the type of broadcasting, the conventional TV set selects the default channel for the selected type of broadcasting. If the user misunderstands the currently selected type of broadcasting (for example, if the user misunderstands that the currently selected type of broadcasting is BS digital broadcasting, although it is actually terrestrial digital broadcasting), the following problems may arise.
Assume that the user wants to select, e.g., channel 103 of BS digital broadcasting and presses the "3" key corresponding to channel 103 of BS digital broadcasting. In this case, if the currently selected type of broadcasting is terrestrial digital broadcasting, the TV set selects a channel (e.g., channel 031 of terrestrial digital broadcasting) corresponding to the "3" key for terrestrial digital broadcasting, contrary to the user's intention. When the user selects BS digital broadcasting by pressing a broadcasting type switch key on the remote controller, the default channel (e.g., channel 151) of BS digital broadcasting is selected. The user must press the "3" key on the remote controller again, and this operation is cumbersome.
Assume that the technique disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2005-318551 is applied to the above-described problem. In this case, after channel 031 of terrestrial digital broadcasting is selected contrary to the intention of the user, he/she can select the desired channel 103 of BS digital broadcasting by pressing the "3" key several times continuously within a predetermined time. However, if there are, e.g., four types of broadcasting, the user cannot select the desired type of broadcasting unless he/she presses the "3" key three times at maximum, and this operation is still cumbersome. If the user overshoots by momentum in continuously pressing the "3" key, he/she must press the "3" key many more times until the desired type of broadcasting is selected.

Broadcast receiving apparatus, TV set, and control method of broadcast receiving apparatus


A front fork for a bicycle includes an upright tube and two arms all of which are made of fiber reinforced material. The two arms extend substantially parallel from a bottom of the upright tube. The two arms each have two inner tubes abutted together and an outer tube sleeved onto the two inner tubes. The abutted portions of the two inner tubes form a rib which is parallel to a plane where the two arms are disposed. Thus, the front fork has strong structure and light weight.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a bicycle and more particularly to such a front fork for a bicycle, which has strong structure and light weight.
2. Description of the Related Art
A conventional front fork for a bicycle is made of metal. Recently, the bicycle is developed towards reducing its weight and adopts fiber reinforced material. As shown in FIG. 1, the front fork 1 is made of carbon fiber reinforced resin. The front fork 1 is manufactured by winding multiple layers of pre-pregs into two elongated tubes 2, placing the elongated tubes 2 into a die 3 and winding pre-pregs 4 around predetermined position for enhancement, inflating the elongated tubes 2 to make the elongated tubes 2 abut on an inner wall of the die 3, and curing the elongated tubes 2 and the pre-pregs 4 to form the front fork 1.
The front fork 1 has an upright tube 5 and two arms 6 extending from a bottom of the upright tube 5. As shown in FIG. 1, the two arms 6 each consist of an elongated tube 2, which does not has enough structural strength. It's easy to break, especially when the arms 6 encounter lateral stress. If the quantity of the pre-pregs used in the front fork 1 is increased for enhancing the structural strength, the weight of the product is unintentionally increased. Therefore, there is always a problem as to how to reduce the weight of the front fork and increase the structural strength at the same time.


A vehicle body front structure includes: a front subframe; left and right suspension lower arms swingably supported by the front subframe; and a steering gearbox supported by the front subframe. The front subframe includes left and right longitudinal members extending in a fore-and-aft direction, a cross member extending laterally and joined to the longitudinal members, and a front lower arm support and a rear lower arm support provided on each longitudinal member to be spaced from each other in the fore-and-aft direction and swingably supporting the corresponding lower arm. The steering gearbox includes a laterally extending rack shaft and a pair of joints provided at either end of the rack shaft and joined to ends of respective tie rods. The longitudinal members extend obliquely so as to approach each other toward rear, and each front lower arm support is positioned more rearward than the steering gearbox.

As a vehicle body front structure of a four-wheel vehicle, there is known a structure including a pair of left and right front side frames extending in the fore-and-aft direction and a front subframe attached to the underside of the front side frames (see JP5372130B2, for example). The front subframe supports the arms of the suspensions for suspending the front wheels, the steering gearbox, and the driving source, such as an internal combustion engine or an electric motor.
To enlarge the steering range of the front wheels, it is necessary to enlarge the spaces formed on either lateral side of the front subframe in which the front wheels are steered. For this purpose, it is necessary to arrange the suspension arms and the steering gearbox relative to the front subframe so as not to interfere with the front wheels.


In a laminated heat exchanger, an intake portion and an outlet portion for heat exchanging medium are provided at one end portion in the direction of lamination. The intake portion is made to communicate with a most upstream pass distanced from the one end portion in the direction of lamination via a communicating pipe, and the outlet portion is made to communicate with the most downstream pass at one end portion in the direction of lamination. The communicating pipe is further made to communicate with an odd-numbered pass in the vicinity where the odd-numbered pass changes from the even-numbered pass that immediately precedes it. In addition, the intake portion at one end portion in the direction of lamination is made to communicate with the pass immediately preceding the most downstream pass. Since the heat exchanging medium flows in sufficient quantity through the tube elements in the vicinity of the downstream side of the partitioning portion, inconsistency in the temperature distribution can be avoided thereby achieving an improvement in heat exchanging efficiency.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a laminated heat exchanger employed in a cooling cycle or the like in an air conditioning system for vehicles, which is constituted by laminating tube elements and fins alternately over a plurality of levels and, in particular, relates to a laminated heat exchanger with a structure in which a pair of tank portions are formed on one side of each tube element and an intake portion and an outlet portion for heat exchanging medium are provided at one end in the direction of lamination.
2. Description of the Related Art
In order to respond to the need for further miniaturization of heat exchangers and for improvement in heat exchanging efficiency, the applicant of the present invention developed a heat exchanger whose external shape is as shown in FIG. 1A and has been conducting various research into this heat exchanger. In this heat exchanger, with its core main body formed by laminating tube elements alternately with fins over a plurality of levels, a pair of tank portions provided at one side of each tube element are made to communicate with each other through a U-turn passage portion, and a heat exchanging medium flow path with a plurality of continuous passes is formed in the core main body, as shown in FIG. 15, by making the tank portions of adjacent tube elements communicate as appropriate. An intake portion 4 and an outlet portion 5 for heat exchanging medium are provided at one end in the direction of lamination. In heat exchangers of the existing type, the intake portion 4 is made to communicate with the most upstream pass via a communicating pipe 20, and the outlet portion 5 is made to communicate directly with the most downstream pass.
In the heat exchanger described above, after the heat exchanging medium flows in through the intake portion 4, the heat exchanging medium enters the most upstream pass via the communicating pipe 20 and after going through a plurality of passes it reaches the most downstream pass before it flows out through the outlet portion 5 which is in communication with the most downstream pass. In the heat exchanger, the unidirectional flow in which the heat exchanging medium moves from the tank side toward the non-tank side or from the non-tank side toward the tank side is considered to be one pass, so that a heat exchanger in which the heat exchanging medium passes through the U-turn passage portions twice during the course of its travel from the intake portion to the outlet portion is referred to as a 4-pass heat exchanger, whereas a heat exchanger in which the heat exchanging medium passes through the U-turn passage portions three times is referred to as a 6-pass heat exchanger.
However, in a laminated heat exchanger with 4 passes as described above, since it is structured so that coolant flows out through one end of the core main body, the coolant tends to concentrate at the tube elements that are located closer to the outlet side (toward one end in the direction of lamination) when it travels from the second pass to the third pass, as shown in FIG. 16A. In other words, from the third pass through the fourth pass, the coolant does not flow readily in the area that is close to a partitioning portion .alpha., which partitions the first pass from the fourth pass. This point is substantiated by measured data that are represented with the broken lines in FIGS. 5A and 5B and FIGS. 10A and 10B, which indicate that the temperature of the passing air in this area is higher than that in other areas. It is to be noted that in FIGS. 5A and 5B and FIGS. 10A and 10B, tube numbers (TUBE No.) refer to the tube element number that is obtained by counting from the end where the intake portion and the outlet portion are provided to a specific tube element. In addition, the passing air temperature (AIR TEMP.) refers to the temperature of air with which heat exchange has been performed at the fins when the air passed between the tube elements, measured at a position 1.about.2 cm from the downstream side end surface of the core main body.
Moreover, in a 6-pass heat exchanger, too, as shown in FIG. 16B, the heat exchanging medium tends to flow while concentrating toward the outlet side away from the partitioning portion .alpha. alpha and, as a result, it can be easily deduced that the temperature of the tube elements at the partitioning portion .alpha. in the vicinity of the outlet side and the passing air temperature will be different from those in other areas.


A substrate processing system is used for a light exposure apparatus which performs light exposure at least twice on each of substrates. The system includes a carrier block, and a process section configured to process each of substrates transferred from the carrier block one by one. The process section includes a first coating process section configured to perform a first coating process, a first developing process section configured to perform a first developing process, a second coating process section configured to perform a second coating process, and a second developing process section configured to perform a second developing process. The system further includes an interface block configured to transfer substrates between the process section and the light exposure apparatus, and a substrate transfer mechanism configured to transfer substrates among them.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a substrate processing system and substrate processing method suitable for a technique which performs patterning a plurality of times on a target film disposed on a substrate, such as a semiconductor wafer.
2. Description of the Related Art
In the process of manufacturing semiconductor devices, a photolithography technique is used for forming a circuit pattern on a target substrate, such as a semiconductor wafer (which may be simply referred to as "wafer" hereinafter). Where a circuit pattern is formed by use of photolithography, a resist film is formed by applying a resist liquid onto a wafer, and is then subjected to light exposure for irradiating the resist film with light in accordance with the circuit pattern, and to a subsequent developing process.
In recent years, semiconductor devices tend to be highly integrated to improve the operation speed and so forth, and photolithography techniques are required to increase the miniaturization level of circuit patterns to be formed on wafers. Conventionally, in light of such demands, an improvement has been made by shortening the wavelength of light used for light exposure. However, this improvement is not sufficient to form ultrafine semiconductor devices of the 45-nm node generation and thereafter.
As a patterning technique for forming ultrafine semiconductor devices of the 45-nm node generation and thereafter, there has been proposed techniques which perform patterning a plurality of times to form a single layer pattern (for example, Jpn. Pat. Appln. KOKAI Publication No. 7-147219). Of them, a technique which performs patterning twice is called double patterning.
In double patterning, light exposure is performed twice by use of different light exposure patterns to form a single layer pattern, and so conventional systems need to repeat photolithography and etching twice. However, in this case, the cost for forming a single layer pattern is doubled and the number of steps is increased, resulting in problems concerning the productivity. In order to solve these problems, there has been proposed a technique which repeats photolithography twice by use of different light exposure patterns and then performs etching.
However, so far, there are no established systems or methods that can efficiently perform double patterning by use of this technique.

Substrate processing system and substrate processing method for double patterning with carrier block, process section, and interface block


The present invention relates to a helicopter provided with a main rotor (1) having at least two blades (10, 20), each blade (10, 20) being provided with attachment means (11, 21) attaching it to a hub (2) of the rotor (1). The helicopter is provided with one lift element (12, 22) per blade (10, 20), said lift element being provided with a tiltable tab (19, 29), each lift element (12, 22) being mechanically connected to a single blade (10, 20) to vary the pitch of said single blade (10, 20).

A helicopter commonly has a main lift and propulsion rotor that is provided with a plurality of blades.
The blades of the main rotor describe a very flat cone, referred to as the "rotor cone" by the person skilled in the art, with the plane of rotation thereof being perpendicular to the general lift generated by the main rotor. This general lift of the main rotor may then be resolved into a vertical lift force and a horizontal force that drives the helicopter in translation.
Consequently, the main rotor provides a helicopter both with lift and with propulsion.
Furthermore, by controlling the shape and the angle of inclination of the rotor cone relative to the frame of reference of the helicopter, a pilot can control the helicopter with precision.
In order to act on the rotor cone, the blades are caused to flap so as to modify their angles of incidence relative to the drive plane of the rotor, said drive plane being perpendicular to the mast of the rotor.
As a result, the helicopter is provided with specific means serving to vary the pitch of each blade, and consequently to vary the aerodynamic angle of incidence of each blade relative to the incident stream of air through which the blade is passing.
By causing the pitch of a blade to vary, the lift it generates is modified, thereby causing the blade to flap.
In order to control the general lift of the rotor, both in magnitude and in direction, the helicopter pilot thus acts generally on the value of the pitch angle of each blade by causing the blade to turn about its longitudinal pitch axis.
Thus, when the pilot causes the pitch of the blades to vary collectively, i.e. causes identical variation in the pitch of all of the blades, that causes the magnitude of the general lift of the main rotor to be varied so as to control the altitude and the speed of the helicopter.
In contrast, collective pitch variation has no effect on the direction of said general lift.
In order to modify the direction of the general lift generated by the rotor, it is appropriate to cause the rotor cone to be inclined by causing pitch to vary cyclically as opposed to collectively. Under such circumstances, the pitch of a blade varies as a function of its azimuth direction, and during one complete revolution it passes from a maximum value to a minimum value, which values are obtained in diametrically opposite azimuth directions.
Causing the pitch of the blade to vary cyclically gives rise to cyclical variation in the lift of the blade and thus varies the angle of inclination of the rotor cone. By controlling cyclic pitch variation of the blades, the pilot controls the attitude of the aircraft and its movement in translation.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,534,353 discloses a first device for controlling the pitch of the blades of a helicopter.
According to that document, a helicopter rotor is fitted with two blades each secured to a sleeve that is attached to a hub.
The pilot controls the collective pitch of the blades by means of a lever acting on a rod housed inside the rotor mast. The rod delivers its movement to first and second rods attached to the hub. By moving the collective pitch control lever, the pilot causes said rod to move in translation, thereby causing the hub, and consequently the blades, to turn about a pitch variation axis.
The hub is also secured to first and second lift elements arranged in the plane of the blades via first and second connection shafts rigidly connected together, the longitudinal axis of the lift elements being perpendicular to the longitudinal axes of the blades. These lift elements are referred to as "paddles" by the person skilled in the art.
Each connection shaft is also connected to a control plate known as a swashplate via scissors linkage. More precisely, the swashplate comprising a rotary plate and a non-rotary plate, the scissors linkage are secured to the rotary plate of the swashplate.
In addition, the non-rotary plate has a stick that the pilot can grasp.
In order to control the cyclic pitch of the blades, the pilot moves the stick to incline the non-rotary plate, and consequently to incline the rotary plate. The inclination of the rotary plate is then transferred to the first and second connection shafts via the scissors linkage, thereby enabling the pitch of the lift elements to be modified.
The lift generated by the lift elements thus varies, thereby causing them to flap and consequently causing the hub to tilt.
As a result of the hub tilting, the two blades have their own pitch modified.
That first device is relatively simple but it requires the presence of a swashplate that is penalizing both aerodynamically and in terms of weight.
Furthermore, it requires the presence of two subassemblies, respectively for controlling collective pitch variation and for controlling cyclic pitch variation of the blades, thereby leading to large weight and increasing the risk of breakdown.
Finally, the lift elements are supposed to cause the pitch of the blades to vary cyclically. Nevertheless, that does not really happen, strictly speaking, insofar as both lift elements act together on the hub and thus on both blades simultaneously and in identical manner.
Furthermore, it is found that the forces that the pilot needs to deliver in order to incline the lift elements, when acting on the stick of the non-rotary plate, can sometimes be extremely large.
To remedy this particular drawback, a second device is known from U.S. Pat. No. 2,818,123.
According to that document, each lift element is fitted with a tab. The scissors linkages arranged on the rotary plate do not entrain pitch variation of the lift elements, but may cause the tabs to be inclined relative to said lift elements.
By varying the inclination of a tab, the lift of the assembly comprising the lift element and the tab is modified, and consequently the pitch of the blades is modified.
The force the pilot needs to exert in order to vary the pitch of the blades is thus less than in the first device insofar as the lift surface area of the tab is small compared with the lift surface area of the lift elements.
Nevertheless, the above-mentioned drawbacks remain. Furthermore, those first and second devices are, a priori, not applicable to a helicopter having more than two blades insofar as the hub can only turn about a single axis during cyclic pitch variation.
Document DE 2 409 227 discloses another device provided with two lift elements secured to the ends of a single beam passing through the head of the rotor.
Moreover, the state of the art includes a third device used on the modern helicopter.
The collective and cyclic pitch controls of the pilot are connected to three servo-controls via rods and mixers or indeed electrical controls that are secured to the non-rotary plate of a swashplate.
The swashplate is also mechanically linked to each blade by a pitch control rod.
When the pilot seeks to modify the collective pitch of the blades, action is taken on a control that causes the three servo-controls to raise or lower the swashplate assembly, i.e. both the non-rotary plate and the rotary plate.
The pitch control rods are then all moved through the same distance, which implies that the pitch of all the blades varies through the same angle.
In contrast, in order to vary the cyclic pitch of the blades so as to steer the helicopter in a given direction, the pilot causes only one of the servo-controls to move, for example.
The swashplate does not move vertically but instead tilts relative to the mast of the rotor. Each pitch control rod then moves in a direction and through a distance that are specific thereto and the same applies to the pitch of the associated blade.
Pitch control is to some extent individualized, unlike the first and second devices, since each blade is controlled by its own pitch control rod.
That third device is very effective, which explains why it has become widespread. Nevertheless, the forces that need to be applied to control the blades are large, particularly on heavy helicopters, so the servo-controls and the swashplate present weights and dimensions that are large, which is penalizing.
Furthermore, their presence tends to create aerodynamic disturbances.

Helicopter provided with a plurality of lift elements each provided with a respective tab for controlling the angles of incidence of its blades


A method of communication between a local computer and an SCSI device attached to a remote computer includes receiving a command relating to a file at the remote SCSI device. The local computer creates an SCSI command which is packetized at the local computer and transferred over a network to the remote computer. The remote computer unpacks the command and sends it to the host bus adaptor driver and host bus adaptor controller for the remote device. The remote device then executes the command. Remote SCSI communication is particularly useful in mirroring applications where a complete copy of data is stored at the local location and at the remote location.

Computers are often connected to various peripheral devices such as scanners, hard disk drives, CD ROM players, tape drives, etc. Communication between the computer and these devices generally follows one of the SCSI standards, which have become the predominant protocols for communication with peripherals for computer systems of all sizes.
A significant drawback of communications using the first two SCSI standards, SCSI-1 and SCSI-2, is that communication is limited to relatively short distances. SCSI devices usually use 50 or 68 pin cables which generally must be less than 25 meters in length. Thus, placing an SCSI device on a network or use of such a device by more than one computer in a network has been difficult. In order to overcome the distance limitation, a third set of standards, SCSI-3, has been developed, which includes three serial network SCSI standards. The three standards include serial storage architecture (SSA), which is generally a local area network (LAN) based standard and has a low bandwidth. Fiber Channel is another SCSI network standard, has a high bandwidth, and is designed for campus-based communications of about 2 kilometers. The third standard is the Generalized Packet Protocol (GPP), which is designed for use over wide-area networks. GPP allows the packetization of SCSI commands and data to permit communication over long distances, such as or found in wide area networks, like the Internet.
In order to use the GPP protocol, it is desirable to develop interfaces with present computer systems and software in order to efficiently access SCSI devices over networks. Preferably, remote SCSI devices should be accessed by an application at a local computer in a manner similar to accessing local SCSI devices. For instance, it is desirable for applications, which take advantage of mirroring of databases on SCSI devices, to utilize remote devices. Mirroring is used to make two or more copies of data on separate storage devices, so that if one device fails, the data will be present on a second device. However, if both devices are at the same location, the system is vulnerable to catastrophic failures such as power outages, floods, or fires in which both storage devices could be harmed or destroyed. Similarly, if the computer attached to those devices fails, access to the information on the storage devices can be temporarily or permanently impaired. It is therefore desirable to utilize remote storage devices, but in a system in which the remote access is transparent to the applications utilizing files on SCSI devices.


An improved bicycle seat includes a seat base having a base plate and a seat cushion mounted on the base plate and a seat base mounting shaft mounted on and extending downwards from the base plate of the seat base. A seat back mounting shaft assembly is mounted on and extends rearwards and upwards from the seat base mounting shaft and the base plate of the seat base and a generally upright seat back is adjustably mounted on the seat back mounting shaft assembly for vertical and horizontal adjustment of the positioning of the generally upright seat back relative to the seat base. The seat cushion further includes a generally flat front face and a forwardly tilted top surface wherein the top surface of the seat cushion is forwardly tilted from horizontal between two and thirty degrees.

1. Technical Field
The present invention relates generally to bicycle seats and, more particularly, to a bicycle seat having a seat base with a seat cushion having a flat front face, a seat base mounting shaft extending downwards from the underside of the seat section for securement within the seat securement tube of a bicycle, a seat back, and a seat back mounting shaft assembly mounted on and extending rearwards and upwards from the seat base mounting shaft, the seat back height and position relative to the seat base being adjustable to provide a selectable comfort level for the user of the bicycle seat of the present invention.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Many different types of bicycles are currently used by bicycling enthusiasts, including standard upright-type bicycles, recumbents and tricycles, to name but a few of the different types of cycles currently available. Traditional, upright-type bicycles have pedals which are almost directly below the rider which cause the legs to move in an up and down motion. Because of this up and down motion, the seats on all traditional bicycles must be narrow enough to allow the legs to move freely during the pedaling motion. This required the use of what is now known as the "pommel" seat, which is used with virtually every traditional bicycle manufactured today. The height of the seat is adjustable to give the rider the proper distance to the pedals.
Regarding the recumbent bicycle, these have pedals positioned in front of the seat which cause the rider to pedal in forward and backward motion instead of the up and down motion of the traditional bicycle. Because of this pedal motion, the recumbent bicycle may be fitted with a seat which is wide and generally flat to support the buttocks of the rider of the recumbent bicycle. The horizontal positioning of the seat is adjustable to give the rider the proper distance to the pedals. Each of these bicycles has inherent advantages and defects in their design and use, but so long as they are used for their intended purpose, they will generally provide a safe and enjoyable exercise and travel vehicle. While it is generally true that upright bicycles are more popular than recumbent bicycles, it should be noted that one of the significant advantages enjoyed by the recumbent bicycles is that they are far more comfortable to sit on due to the support characteristics of the seat on the bicycle. Specifically, the vast majority of recumbent bicycles include a seat having a seat base and a seat back which allows the rider of the bicycle to recline during operation of the bicycle and thus increase the comfort level of the individual using the bicycle.
One type of bicycle that has been developed to incorporate superior elements of both traditional and recumbent bicycles is the semi-recumbent bicycle, in which the pedal position is somewhere between the positioning of the traditional and the recumbent. This means that the legs of the user of the semi-recumbent bicycle extend forwards and downwards, and this means that the seat on the semi-recumbent bicycle generally is of the type found on traditional bicycles, i.e. the pommel type of seat. The few that attempt to incorporate wider seats still must use a pommel in the front to permit the proper leg movement for pedaling. However, there is a distinct need for a wide, generally flat seat which can be used on a semi-recumbent bicycle for increased comfort yet which will not interfere with the operation of the pedals of the semi-recumbent bicycle.
One of the key features affecting the comfort level found in seats having seat bases and seat backs is whether the seat is generally flat or whether the seat is of the more traditional pommel-type style of seat as is generally necessary for use in connection with bicycles which are not recumbents. A bicycle seat of the pommel-type style will not provide a significant increase in the comfort level of the user of the bicycle even if it includes a back, as the design of the pommel-type style of bicycle seat does not encourage a user to recline on the bicycle seat to engage the seat back. The positioning of the handlebars on traditional bicycles also prevents the user from being able to lean back because one must lean forward to grasp the handlebars.
However, when the bicycle seat is of the larger, flat variety, it is very difficult if not impossible to use the seat with upright or semi-recumbent bicycles because it interferes with the pedaling motion of these bicycles. In fact, the large, flat types of seats, until now, have only been used on recumbents. There is therefore a need for a modified bicycle seat, including a seat back, which includes a flat front surface which may be used in connection with more upright bicycles which combine the best elements of upright bicycles and recumbents without greatly sacrificing the comfort and performance characteristics of either, namely, semi-recumbents. Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide an improved bicycle seat for a semi-recumbent bicycle.
Another object of the present invention is to provide an improved bicycle seat having a seat back which is movable with and adjusts with the seat base as the seat base height is adjusted, yet may also be adjusted independently to provide proper support for the individual's back who is using the bicycle.
Another object of the present invention is to provide an improved bicycle seat in which the seat base includes a generally flat front surface to provide maximum support for the legs of the user, yet which will permit the user to pedal the bicycle as he or she desires.
Another object of the present invention is to provide an improved bicycle seat for a semi-recumbent bicycle which includes a seat base mounting shaft extending downwards from the base of the seat section and a seat back support shaft which extends rearwards and upwards from the seat base mounting shaft for supporting the seat back thereon, thus permitting the seat back and seat base to be adjusted simultaneously by movement of the seat post within the bicycle seat shaft support tube.
Another object of the present invention is to provide an improved bicycle seat for semi-recumbent bicycles which includes a forwardly tilted seat base to permit the user of the bicycle seat to pedal the bicycle while also being able to recline on the seat to support his or her back on the seat back.
Finally, another object of the present invention is to provide an improved bicycle seat which is relatively simple and durable in construction and is safe and comfortable in use.


A chip package is provided. The chip package includes a redistribution structure including an insulating layer and a wiring layer. The wiring layer is in the insulating layer. The chip package includes a chip over the redistribution structure and electrically connected to the wiring layer. The chip package includes an interposer substrate over the redistribution structure and the chip, wherein a portion of the chip is in the interposer substrate. The chip package includes a conductive structure between the interposer substrate and the redistribution structure and electrically connected to the wiring layer. The conductive structure includes a conductive bump or a conductive pillar. The chip package includes a molding layer surrounding the interposer substrate and the conductive structure. The molding layer is partially between the interposer substrate and the redistribution structure and partially between the interposer substrate and the chip.

Semiconductor devices are used in a variety of electronic applications, such as personal computers, cell phones, digital cameras, and other electronic equipment. Semiconductor devices are typically fabricated by sequentially depositing insulating layers or dielectric layers, conductive layers, and semiconductor layers over a semiconductor substrate, and patterning the various material layers using photolithography processes and etching processes to form circuit components and elements thereon.
Many integrated circuits are typically manufactured on a semiconductor wafer. The semiconductor wafer may be singulated into dies. The dies may be packaged, and various technologies have been developed for packaging.

Chip package with recessed interposer substrate

Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co., Ltd.


An actuator element has a plate member, a piezoelectric/electrostrictive body disposed in facing relation to the plate member, and a beam disposed between the plate member and the piezoelectric/electrostrictive body and fixing the piezoelectric/electrostrictive body to the plate member. The piezoelectric/electrostrictive body has a piezoelectric/electrostrictive layer, an upper electrode formed on a surface of the piezoelectric/electrostrictive layer which faces the plate member, and a lower electrode formed on a surface of the piezoelectric/electrostrictive layer which is opposite to the surface thereof facing the plate member. When an electric field is applied to the upper electrode and the lower electrode, a portion of the piezoelectric/electrostrictive body is displaced toward or away from the plate member.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an actuator element for converting electric energy into mechanical energy (mechanical displacement, stress, vibration, or the like), such as a display, a relay, an actuator (an actuator of the type for generating flexural displacement, for use in a servo displacement device or the like), or the like, and for converting mechanical energy into electric energy, such as a sensor (a filter, an acceleration sensor, a shock sensor, or the like), a transformer, a microphone, a sound producing member (a speaker or the like), a vibrator, or an oscillator (for power or communication use), and a device incorporating such an actuator element.
2. Description of the Related Art
In recent years, there has been a demand in the optical and precision machining fields for displacement elements for adjusting optical path lengths and positions in the order of submicrons and detection elements for detecting a minute displacement as a change in an electric signal.
To meet such a demand, efforts are being made to develop actuators and sensors (hereinafter referred to as actuator elements) which utilize a displacement based on an inverse piezoelectric effect or an electrostrictive effect that occurs when an electric field is applied to a piezoelectric/electrostrictive material such as a ferroelectric material or the like, or a reverse phenomenon.
In the above fields, the development of actuator elements which are inexpensive, small in size, operate under low voltages, and have high-speed response is under way.
As shown in FIG. 17, a conventional actuator element 200 has a ceramic substrate 202 and piezoelectric/electrostrictive operation units 204 formed on the ceramic substrate 202.
The ceramic substrate 202 has cavities 206 providing thin-plate portions functioning as vibration plates 208. The piezoelectric/electrostrictive operation units 204 are formed on the vibration plates 208. Each of the piezoelectric/electrostrictive operation units 204 has a lower electrode 210 directly formed on the vibration plate 208, a piezoelectric/electrostrictive layer 212 formed on the lower electrode 210, and an upper electrode 214 formed on the piezoelectric/electrostrictive layer 212.
If the piezoelectric/electrostrictive layer 212 is made of a piezoelectric material, then when a voltage is applied between the upper electrode 214 and the lower electrode 210 such that the voltage has the same positive and negative values as a voltage applied to polarize the piezoelectric/electrostrictive layer 212, the piezoelectric/electrostrictive layer 212 is flexurally displaced toward the cavity 206 due to the lateral effect of an electric field induced strain (see, for example, Japanese laid-open patent publication No. 7-202284).
The above actuator element 200 employs the vibration plates 208. Though the vibration plates 208 are advantageous in that they can amplify the displacement of the piezoelectric/electrostrictive layer 212, since the cavities 206 need to be formed in the ceramic substrate 202, there are limitations on efforts to make the actuator element 200 lower in profile, lighter in weight, and lower in cost.

Actuator element and device including the actuator element


An apparatus and method for the continuous processing of a granular material in a wet or dry state. The apparatus comprises first and second heating chambers, and the heating energy is provided by microwave energy. The first chamber preheats the granular material to lower the moisture content. The second chamber heats the granular material to the desired high temperature, for example, 800.degree. C. for the reactivation of carbon. The first and second chambers are arranged in a vertical orientation to allow gravity to assist in the flow of material through the chambers. The flow of material is controlled by a valve positioned at the outlet of the second chamber. The apparatus is suitable for the reactivation of metallurgical carbon and the heating of other granular materials such as ceramics and glass powders.

Activated carbon is commonly used in metallurgical processing, for example in the extraction of gold from ore. During the processing the carbon becomes contaminated through the clogging of pores in the carbon with impurities and the carbon needs to be reactivated before it can be used again. For reactivation, the carbon is heated to a temperature of approximately 700.degree. C. (i.e. the reactivation temperature) over a period of approximately 60 minutes. The heating burns the impurities which have been absorbed by the carbon.
Heating devices which are presently in use for reactivating carbon comprise gas fired kilns and electric resistance furnaces. In order to thoroughly heat the carbon, conventional gas fired kilns and electric resistance furnaces typically comprise a rotary kiln. The batch of carbon is placed in the rotary kiln and the kiln is rotated during the heating cycle in an attempt to uniformly heat the carbon. To provide uniform heating, known kiln furnaces typically include a blower which forces heated air or gas over the carbon material, which means that the furnace must have additional capacity to heat the make-up air. The advantage of the rotary kiln is reactivation of a greater percentage of the carbon in the batch is usually achieved. The disadvantage however is the mechanical breakdown of the carbon, caused by abrasion during rotation, which renders a portion of the carbon unusable due to the smaller size of the carbon. Furthermore, the addition of a blower increases the cost of the system.
In the art, vertical kiln furnaces are also known for processing carbon. Vertical kiln furnaces comprise a vertical heating chamber which is supplied with carbon through a feed tube at the top. The heating chamber includes external heating sources which heat the carbon inside the chamber. In such a furnace, the vertical flow of carbon through the heating chamber is controlled and the applied heat energy raises the temperature of the carbon to burn the impurities. The moisture and impurities which are released from the carbon tend travel up and accumulate at the top of the vertical kiln. The accumulation of moisture can cause condensation problems and the collection of impurities which may include volatile games can present a hazard, for example, due to possibility of spontaneous combustion. The accumulation at the top of such conventional vertical kilns can also clog the feed tube supplying the carbon Another disadvantage associated with conventional vertical kiln furnaces is the limitation on the width of the heating chamber and therefore the throughput of the kiln. The width of the heating chamber is limited by the thermal conductivity of the material, e.g. carbon, being heated inside the kiln.
Other disadvantages associated with conventional kilns include the need to maintain the kiln at a high temperature even during idle periods. Because there is a lag time to raise the temperature in the furnace, the furnace is typically kept at an elevated temperature during idle periods in order to provide an acceptable response time when loaded with material for processing. It will be appreciated that continuously maintaining the furnace at an elevated temperature can consume considerable energy.
The present invention overcomes these disadvantages. The present invention utilizes a microwave energy source to directly heat the granular material, e.g. carbon, in a two-chamber apparatus. The first chamber provides a drying and preheating zone in which the material is heated to a first temperature in order to decrease the moisture content and for some materials, e.g. ceramics, increase the microwave coupling of the material. The benefits of microwave heating, i.e. rapid heating with lower energy consumption, are realized in the second chamber where further microwave heating is applied to the material to reach the reactivation or regeneration temperature. The present invention also provides an apparatus for continuously heating the granular material.

Apparatus and method for continuous processing of granular materials using microwaves


A process for producing an aqueous hypochlorous acid solution reacts droplets of an alkali metal hydroxide solution containing greater than 50 percent by weight of the alkali metal hydroxide with chlorine gas. The reaction produces a gaseous mixture of dichlorine monoxide, chlorine, hypochlorous acid vapor and water vapor, and solid particles of alkali metal chloride. The solid particles of alkali metal chloride are separated and the gaseous mixture condensed at a temperature in the range of from about -33.degree. C. and about -5.degree. C. to produce the aqueous hypochlorous acid solution. The process of the invention results in increased yields of hypochlorous acid and provides an economic basis for increased production capacity. The aqueous hypochlorous acid solutions produced are highly pure and as a result have significantly improved stability.

Field of the Invention
This invention relates to an improved process for producing concentrated solutions of hypochlorous acid.
"Hypochlorous acid" has long been known as a bleaching agent and as a reagent in the Preparation of organic compounds such as chlorohydrins and chloramines. It has only been available commercially, however, in relatively dilute solutions i.e. 20% or less by weight of HOCl.
More recently, a process has been described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,146,578, issued Mar. 27, 1979 to J. P. Brennan et al in which hypochlorous acid is produced by spraying an aqueous alkali metal hydroxide in droplet form into gaseous chlorine. The reaction produces a gaseous mixture of chlorine, hypochlorous acid vapor and dichlorine monoxide, and solid particles of an alkali metal chloride. The gaseous mixture is scrubbed in water to produce a concentrated aqueous solution of hypochlorous acid. However, because of the dilution of the gaseous product with water, the hypochlorous acid solutions produced were less concentrated than desired, for example, for the production of its inorganic salts.
A further development in this process has been described in W. O. 90/05111, published May 17, 1990 by J. K. Melton et al. In this process, the gaseous mixture of hypochlorous acid, chlorine and dichlorine monoxide and water is condensed to produce a concentrated hypochlorous acid solution containing 35 to 60 percent by weight of HOCl. Following the condensation, a non-condensed gaseous mixture of chlorine and dichlorine monoxide is recovered from the condenser and after heating, the gaseous mixture is returned to the hypochlorous acid reactor. Melton et al employ molar ratios of chlorine to alkali metal hydroxide of at least 20:1. Use of these high concentrations of chlorine are effective in increasing the efficiency of the process and further in diluting the non-condensed gaseous mixture containing dichlorine monoxide recovered from the condenser. The non-condensed gaseous mixture was heated to high temperatures as it served as a primary source of heat for the reaction. However, the use of high concentrations of chlorine gas increases the material and operating costs of the process.
Further, commercial production of hypochlorous acids having concentrations above 50% by weight of HOCl by the processes of the prior art has not been accomplished. The production of hypochlorous acids having concentrations above 50% by weight of HOCl requires gaseous mixtures containing very high concentrations of dichlorine monoxide. The limited teachings of the prior art state that to prevent explosions, gaseous mixtures containing dichlorine monoxide should be maintained at concentrations of Cl.sub.2 O below 25% by volume and at temperatures below 120.degree. C. These conditions, however, seriously limit production capacity. By requiring large volumes of diluent gases and low reaction temperatures, increases in plant capacity require large increases in equipment size and add significant increases in capital, energy and operating costs.
Thus there is a need for a process for producing hypochlorous acid solutions having a concentration of greater than 50% by weight of HOCl which provides high concentrations of dichlorine monoxide while reducing volumes of diluent gases.

Process for producing concentrated hypochlorous acid solutions


Disclosed are various ways of performing reliable multicast communication which may include, for example, designating which node or nodes to acknowledge a message and/or whether to immediately acknowledge or delay acknowledgement of a message, which may be of particular use with routers, packet switching systems, computer systems, and other devices. Multiple nodes are typically sent a multicast message, which includes an indication of one or more designated nodes to acknowledge the message, a sequence number or other message identification value, and possibly an indication whether an immediate or delayed acknowledgment is requested. A node receiving the message responds accordingly if it is designated to acknowledge the message, which may include requesting any missing messages, and/or sending an acknowledgment message for the messages it has received since it sent its last acknowledgment message.

The communications industry is rapidly changing to adjust to emerging technologies and ever increasing customer demand. This customer demand for new applications and increased performance of existing applications is driving communications network and system providers to employ networks and systems having greater speed and capacity (e.g., greater bandwidth). In trying to achieve these goals, a common approach taken by many communications providers is to use packet switching technology. Increasingly, public and private communications networks are being built and expanded using various packet technologies, such as Internet Protocol (IP).
Multicast communication is often used to communicate information from a single source to a group of destinations (e.g., one or more nodes). In many applications, unreliable multicast messaging is used, and receivers compensate for, or ignore lost messages.
However, in certain applications, information distributed to a group of destinations must be guaranteed to be received by each receiver, and thus some form of reliable communication must be used. For example, a connection could be established between the sender and each receiver, with messages communicated using a reliable transport protocol. However, this technique requires a large amount of resources for generating and send a message to each node, and for the sender of the original message to process each acknowledgment message.
A know system reduces the number of original messages sent by a sending node by a sending multicast message (instead of multiple unicast messages) to a group of receiving nodes, with each receiving node sending an acknowledgement message back to the sender. This reduces the number of messages sent by a sender, but still requires each message to be acknowledged, and the sender must process all the acknowledgment messages. Another system reduces the number of acknowledgment messages received and processed by the sender by inducing a hierarchy of acknowledging nodes, wherein a subset of the multiple receiving nodes acknowledge each particular message to one or multiple intermediate nodes, which in turn send a single acknowledgement message representing itself and the associated other multiple receiving nodes to the sender.
Desired are other forms of reliably communicating to a group of nodes.


The invention aims to produce an effect of renewing the presentation of decorative objects, making it possible continually to derive benefit from the objects presented. To do this, it is proposed to employ rotating-mount structure combined with an opening in order to produce a mount which reveals different decorational motifs in succession. The rotating-mount structure includes a hoop (1) with central symmetry (.OMEGA.), composed of an external face (F.sub.e) and two lateral faces (F.sub.1) which are symmetric with respect to a mid-plane, the two lateral faces (F.sub.1) forming, as a border, a cylindrical opening. An opening (O) is made in the external face (F.sub.e) in order to reveal a window which extends principally in the mid-plane of the figure and defines a given angular sector (A). Carriers (11 to 14) for the objects (4) to be presented are shaped in such a way as to be housed in the pits of the hoop after juxtaposition via uniting faces (F.sub.a, F.sub.b). An inner ring (B) is dimensioned so as to engage against the said cylindrical opening and is secured to the rotating mount.

The invention relates to the presentation of decorative objects, for example to the presentation of precious stones or of particular motifs, arranged on a base of substantially annular design, and concerns more particularly the field of jewelry. It can also be applied to related fields in which the decoration acts as complementary element: spectacle making, watch making, etc.
Traditionally, objects such as rings, bracelets, earrings, broaches, necklaces, etc., are decorated either by means of precious stone settings, or by engraving particular motifs or inscriptions.
These decorations are definitive and, after the infatuation and the novelty effect which follows purchase, the object loses is attraction and becomes commonplace. To remedy this defect, certain means have already been proposed which make it possible to modify the appearance of jewels.
A category of so-called "masked" or "concealed" jewels is in fact known which reveal stones by opening masking means surrounding the jewel. This type of construction includes hinge-mounted removable opening/closing means.
The means used to construct masked jewels offer merely one possible alternative and, moreover, the appearance of the stones is made commonplace by the use of closing/opening type means with which the cases or boxes for storing articles of jewelry are conventionally equipped.
These means do not make it possible definitively to solve the stated problem, that is to say the employing of means capable of actually renewing the presentation of decorative elements, engendering the desired attractive effect.

Rotating mount structure for the presentation of decorative elements


A driver circuit adopting a primary side regulating architecture and an isolation transformer for improving LED flickers includes a transformer, a primary side regulating module, a feedback portion, a driving module and a dimming portion. The transformer includes an input coil, an auxiliary coil, a driving coil, and a dimming coil. The primary side regulating module is electrically coupled to the input coil; the feedback portion is electrically coupled to the auxiliary coil and the primary side regulating module; the driving module is electrically coupled to the driving coil; the dimming portion is electrically coupled to the dimming coil and the driving module. When a dimming signal inputted to the dimming portion has a voltage of 1V-10V, and the driver circuit is applied to a panel light, the LED flicker is improved effectively.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an LED driver circuit, and more particularly to a driver circuit with a primary side regulating architecture and a two-stage isolation transformer for improving LED flickers.
2. Description of the Related Art
In a conventional LED driver circuit, a single-stage flyback LED driver circuit architecture is generally adopted, wherein the voltage at an input terminal and the conversion of voltage by a transformer are provided for achieving the effect of driving an LED. When the power is turned on, electric energy is converted into magnetic energy stored in the transformer, and when the power is turned off, the magnetic energy in the transformer is converted into electric energy which is discharged to a secondary side, such that a buffer capacitor of the secondary side moderates the output voltage to drive the LED. However, the single-stage flyback LED driver circuit has a relatively too-high ripple voltage outputted from the secondary side, and the output current is not a constant current, so that the LED produces flickers. To improve and eliminate the flickers, it is necessary to increase the capacitance value of the buffer capacitor, and the increase of this numeric value reduces the power factor and increases the cost of the overall circuit.
In addition, the feedback of a secondary side optocoupler used as the method of the LED driver circuit is proposed, and the optocoupler has the effect of isolating the high pressure of the primary side and the low pressure of the secondary side, and generating and transmitting a feedback signal from the secondary side to the primary side to regulate the current, so as to achieve the effects of maintaining a constant current and improving the issue of LED flickers effectively. However, the method of using the feedback of the optocoupler as the LED driver circuit is relatively more complicated, and this method also requires a larger space of the circuit board and incurs a high component cost. The power factor is calculated by multiplying those of the primary side and the secondary side together, so that it is difficult to improve the overall efficiency of the circuit.
Therefore, the present invention provides a driver circuit for improving LED flickers, and the driver circuit is applied to a panel light, wherein the driver circuit uses a two-stage isolation transformer and a primary side regulating circuit, without requiring the use of the optocoupler for the feedback control or increasing the level of difficulty of the circuit, so as to achieve a better circuit efficiency and use less components. When a PWM dimming signal of 1V-10V is inputted, the issue of flickers of the LED driver circuit is improved effectively.

Driver circuit for improving LED flickers


An apparatus for eliminating reflection of an input electric signal by providing an impedance matching region between an input region and mutual operation region is disclosed. The impedance may be adjusted by varying the width of a signal electrode and the interval between the signal electrode and ground electrodes. The apparatus preferably eliminates any reflection of signals in a Mach-Zehnder optical modulator that is generated when velocity matching is performed for the light propagated through the optical waveguide and the electric signal propagated through the signal electrode and an electrode interval is varied for lowering the drive voltage because an impedance of the mutual operation region becomes lower than the input impedance.

In an optical transmission system, a wavelength division multiplexing (WDM) communication is widely used to increase transmission capacity by multiplexing a plurality of signal lights of different wavelengths. In this optical transmission system, since the signal is transmitted using signal lights attained by modulating the light with a signal, transmission capacity can be increased by increasing the multiplexing degree of wavelengths used in the WDM communication, or by increasing the bit rate of modulation.
As an external modulator for modulating the light outputted from a light source with an input signal, and then outputting the modulated signal, a Mach-Zehnder optical modulator is known in which an optical waveguide is formed on a substrate having the electro-optical effect (for example, Japanese Published Unexamined Patent Application No. 2002-182172).
FIGS. 6(a) to 6(d) are structural diagrams and cross-sectional views of a Mach-Zehnder optical modulator formed on a substrate having the electro-optical effect.
The Mach-Zehnder modulators illustrated in FIG. 6(a) and 6(c) include an optical waveguide and electrodes that are formed on a substrate 10A having the electro-optical effect. The input light is modulated and outputted due to mutual operation between the light propagated through the optical waveguide and the electric field generated by the electrodes. For the substrate 10A, lithium niobate (LiNb03; LN) and LiTa03 are used. However, since the maximum electro-optical effect can be attained when both the electric field and the polarizing direction of light are in the direction Z, the locations of the signal electrodes and optical waveguide may be different depending on the cutting direction of the substrate.
FIG. 6(a) illustrates a Mach-Zehnder optical modulator using the LN substrate 10A of X-cut, while FIG. 6(b) is a cross-sectional view along the line a–a′, shown in FIG. 6(a).
Waveguides 30A–30B, Y-branching waveguides 32A–32B, and parallel waveguides 31A–31B are optical waveguides formed on the substrate 10A. These waveguides are formed, for example, by forming a Ti film and then thermally diffusing the film while the film is patterned into the shape of waveguide, or performing the proton exchange in benzoic acid after a mask material is patterned.
A signal electrode 21A, and ground electrodes 22A and 22B, are formed on a buffer layer 11A formed on the substrate 10A. Electrodes made out of any conductive material, for example, gold (Au), may be used. Some Mach-Zehnder optical modulator may use a LN substrate 10A of the X-cut to attain mutual operation between the light propagated through the parallel waveguides 31A and 31B and the electric field in the direction Z. In such embodiments, the signal electrodes 21A and ground electrodes 22A–22B are formed in the shape of sandwiching the parallel waveguides 31A and 31B.
The light inputted to the optical modulator 2A is propagated through the optical waveguide 30A and is branched to the parallel waveguides 31A and 31B with a Y branching waveguide 32A. The signal electrode 21A is formed as a traveling wave electrode terminated with a resistor 4. An electric signal up to several tens of GHz is impressed to this signal electrode 21A from a signal source 3.
With the electric signal impressed to the signal electrode 21A, an electric field, indicated by the arrow marks of dotted lines in FIG. 6(b), is generated between the signal electrode 21A and the ground electrodes 22A–22B. Since the parallel waveguides 31A and 31B are held by the signal electrode and ground electrodes, the electric field applied to the parallel waveguide 31A is reversed in the direction of the electric field applied on the parallel waveguide 31B, and the refractive indices of the parallel waveguides 31A and 31B are respectively changed as Δn, −Δn.
Accordingly, since the refractive indices of the parallel waveguides 31A and 31B are different than each other, a phase difference is also generated in the lights propagated through the parallel waveguides 31A and 31B. The lights multiplexed with the Y branching waveguide 32B is outputted from the optical waveguide 30B. Such output changes typically depend on phase difference. When the phase difference is equal to a value (=π×odd number), the optical output becomes zero because the lights are cancelled with each other. However, the output is at a maximum when the phase difference is equal to a value (=π×even number).
The examples described above may be applied to a Mach-Zehnder optical modulator formed on a X-cut substrate, and moreover they may also be applied to a similar modulator formed on the Y-cut.
On the other hand, FIG. 6(c) illustrates the Mach-Zehnder type optical modulator that utilizes the Z-cut LN substrate 10A, and FIG. 6(d) is a cross-sectional view along line b–b′ of FIG. 6(c).
Like FIG. 6(a), waveguides 30A and 30B, Y branching waveguides 32A and 32B, and parallel waveguides 31A and 31B illustrated in FIG. 6(c), are formed on the substrate 10A, while the signal electrode 21A and ground electrodes 22A and 22B are formed on the buffer layer 11A.
As illustrated in FIG. 6(d), since the direction Z of the electric field resulting in the maximum efficiency of the electro-optical effect is different from that of X-cut in the Mach-Zehnder optical modulator formed on the Z-cut substrate, the parallel waveguide 31A is formed under the signal electrode 21A and the parallel waveguide 31B, under the ground electrode 22B. The buffer layer 11A serves to prevent absorption of the light propagated through the parallel waveguides 31A and 31B by the signal electrode 21A and ground electrode 22B.

Optical modulator with an impedance matching region