A coffee maker for use in a vehicle such as a commercial aircraft. The coffee make accepts a sealed can of ground coffee. The can is pierced from the side by a pair of can-piercing spikes by actuating the can against the spikes. The can is drawn by a hydraulically operated cylinder mechanism powered by the water pressure of the aircraft's potable water supply. Hot water is injected into the can through a passage within at least one of the spikes and the hot water is circulated within the can thereby brewing the coffee. Brewed coffee exits the can along the sides of one or both of the spikes and is channeled down into a reservoir located below the can. The brewed coffee may be filtered before and/or after the flowing into the reservoir. A desired volume of coffee may then be drawn from the reservoir.

The field of the present invention relates to beverage makers, such as apparatus and methods for making coffee or tea, and more particularly for use in passenger service systems in commercial airlines or other vehicles.
In typical coffee makers, ground coffee is measured and placed in a receptacle over the coffee maker. In a drip type coffee maker, hot water is allowed to pass by gravity feed through the ground coffee and into the pot. A filter is positioned between the grounds and the pot to prevent grounds from entering the pot.
In a percolating type coffee maker, ground coffee is measured and placed in a receptacle. The receptacle has small holes in its wall, the holes being large enough to allow water to pass through but small enough to prevent grounds from passing through. As the water in the reservoir below the receptacle is heated, the heated water is circulated through the grounds.
In either instance, the ground coffee must be measured and placed in the receptacle requiring some sort of mechanism for measuring the ground coffee. Typically a desired amount of ground coffee is measured out with a measuring cup. The process is time consuming and requires certain cleanliness guidelines be followed by the user when handling the ground coffee.
To reduce handling requirements, the ground coffee may be pre-measured in separate containers, but the containers, typically a sealed pouch, still needs to be manually opened and poured into the receptacle. Another alternative consists of a pre-measured packet, the packet including the filter enclosing the ground coffee. The packet still requires clean handling by the user.

Beverage making apparatus with can piercer


A portable power unit for operating a tool is provided and includes a frame adapted to be carried on the back of an operator to orient the power unit in a the predetermined operating position with the operator standing upright. The power unit further includes an engine mounted on the frame for powering a tool, a fan mounted between the frame and the engine, a fan intake positioned between the frame and the fan, and structure for attenuating engine and fan generated noise and for inhibiting the emanation of engine and fan generated noise in horizontal directions from the power unit with the power unit in the operating position.

Portable power tools are often utilized in areas, such as in enclosed indoor facilities or outdoors in residential neighborhoods, where the noise generated by the power tool may create a health risk and/or a public nuisance. The noise emanating in horizontal directions from portable power tools is especially critical because this noise tends to directly impact upon the people located in the vicinity of the power tool. In recognition of this phenomenon, standards and local ordinances restricting the maximum acceptable noise level from portable power tools are becoming increasingly common. One example of a standard is ANSI B175.2-1996 issued by the American National Standard Institute.
Power blowers are one example of a portable power tool where noise is of special concern. In addition to the noise generated by the engine, power blowers also produce noise from the blower fan and the associated air flow. Noise is especially problematic for power blowers utilizing a backpack mounted engine and fan unit because, typically, such blowers utilize a relatively large engine and have a relatively large air flow.
While some conventional portable power tools, including backpack mounted power blowers, are capable of meeting at least some of the current standards and ordinances, there is a continuing desire to reduce the noise associated with such tools.

Controlled noise portable power unit for operating a tool


A discharge unit is disposed downstream of a principal transport path of a compound machine, and a shifter function is provided in this discharge unit. By shifting the paper passage position relative to a photosensitive drum when printing the front side and the paper passage position relative to the photosensitive drum when printing the back side, the region in which the surface electric potential of the photosensitive drum increases is diminished, and the region in which photographic fog is generated is made smaller. Thus, when printing the second and subsequent sheets, even when a slight amount of displacement of the transport position of the recording paper occurs, it is possible to suppress that recording paper making contact in the photographic fog region on the photosensitive drum, and defective printing can be prevented.

Conventionally, as an image forming (printing) operation in an electrophotographic image forming apparatus such as a laser printer, an electrostatic latent image is formed on a photosensitive drum based on image data sent from a host apparatus such as a personal computer (hereinafter, referred to as simply "PC"), toner is affixed to this electrostatic latent image, and image data is made manifest on the photosensitive drum. Afterwards, recording paper transported on a paper transport path is passed between the photosensitive drum and a transfer roller, and the toner image on the photosensitive drum is transferred to the front side of the recording paper. Then, this recording paper passes a fixing roller, and the toner image is fixed by the fixing roller onto the recording paper with heat and pressure.
In recent years, the development of image forming apparatuses of this type provided with a duplex printing function that performs printing on both the front side and the back side of the recording paper has been advancing. The two methods described below are known as methods for this duplex printing.
In the first method, when duplex printing of multiple sheets is requested, among the print data of the front and back side requested to be printed, first, only front side printing (simplex printing) is successively performed across multiple sheets of recording paper with the front-side print data, and these multiple sheets of recording paper for which front side printing is complete are stored in a middle tray. Then, after all front side printing with the front side print data is complete, back side printing is performed for each page of recording paper with back side image data while taking out recording paper stored in the middle tray page by page, and by doing so multiple sheets of recording paper which have been printed on both sides are successively discharged to a discharge tray.
On the other hand, the second method includes, when duplex printing is requested, printing with front and back image data one page at a time. In order to perform duplex printing with this method, it is necessary for a primary transport path and a secondary transport path to be provided as a transport path that transports the recording paper, and to have a recording paper switchback function. That is, after transporting the paper to the primary transport path and performing front side printing, that recording paper is transported to the secondary transport path via the switchback function. Thus the front and back of the recording paper are reversed, the recording paper is again transported to the primary transport path, and printing is performed on the back side of the recording paper.
With the first of the two methods described above, a middle tray is necessary of a size that can store multiple sheets of recording paper, in order to handle the case that multiple sheets of duplex printing are requested. That is, because a large middle tray is necessary, it becomes difficult to achieve a compact design for the image forming apparatus.
Also, with this first method, when multiple sheets of duplex printing are requested, because back side printing is begun after front side printing of all of these multiple sheets is completed, a long time is required until the user obtains recording paper that has been printed on both sides (until the print status of the first page of printed material can be confirmed).
Because there are the problems described above in the first method, in recent years, various image forming apparatuses that perform duplex printing with the second method described above have been developed.
When performing duplex printing with an image forming apparatus using this second method, as stated above, after a toner image is transferred to one side of one sheet of the recording paper, a fixing process is performed that fixes the toner image to that recording paper, and afterwards, back side printing subsequently begins. Because heat fixing is generally performed in the fixing process, the moisture content of the surface of the recording paper used in this fixing process is reduced by fixing heat. As a result, the surface resistance value of the recording paper when performing back side printing is increased in comparison to the surface resistance value of the recording paper when performing front side printing.
When using, for example, A4 size recording paper (below, simply "paper"), the surface resistance value of the paper changes as shown in FIG. 5. That is, during the transfer process (1) in front side printing of the first sheet of paper, the surface resistance value of the paper is 1×108 Ω·cm. In the fixing process (1) performed immediately afterward, the moisture content of the paper surface is lost due to the fixing heat, and the surface resistance value of the paper increases to about 0.5×1010 Ω·cm. Afterwards, when switching back the paper (switchback transfer process) in order to perform back side printing of the first sheet of paper, the moisture content inside the paper swells to the paper surface, and thus the surface resistance value of the paper decreases slightly to about 1×109 Ω·cm. Therefore, in the transfer process (2) when printing the back side, transfer is performed to paper having a surface resistance value of 1×109 Ω·cm, but due to going through the subsequent fixing process (2), the surface resistance value of the paper rises again. Also when performing duplex printing of the second and subsequent sheets of paper, similarly, by going through the processes described above, the surface resistance value of the paper changes (see FIG. 5, transfer process (3)—discharge of second sheet of paper complete).
Ordinarily, a constant current control is performed in the transfer process that controls the transfer operation with a constant electric current, but as described above, when performing transfer for duplex printing, when executing a transfer operation with a constant current control to identical paper of a different surface resistance value, the transfer voltage applied to the transfer roller when performing the transfer process is vastly different for front side printing and back side printing. The surface resistance value of the paper (ordinarily, about 1×106 to 1×1010 Ω·cm) changes about 1×101 to 1×102 Ω·cm depending on the size of the paper, the moisture content of the paper, the surrounding environment, and the like, and due to the large change in the surface resistance value of the paper that accompanies the fixing process as described above, the transfer voltage when printing the back side may be an applied voltage nearly two times the transfer voltage when printing the front side. This sort of difference in transfer voltage exerts a large influence on the transfer properties for front side printing and back side printing, and invites defects wherein the print quality of the front side and the back side is not the same.
On the other hand, when duplex printing is performed for multiple sheets, when printing the front side of the second and subsequent sheets, print defects are generated due to "photographic fog", described below. Following is an explanation of the circumstances in which this "photographic fog" is generated.
As shown in FIG. 6(a), the paper is sandwiched between a transfer roller a and a photosensitive body b, and when transferring the toner image of the photosensitive body b to the paper, the transfer current that flows in the direction of the photosensitive body (electric current of the transfer roller) in the transfer process for the front side of the first sheet of paper is about constant (see the solid line in FIG. 6(b)).
Thus, as shown by the solid line in FIG. 6(c), the surface electric potential of the photosensitive body b after the transfer process for the front side of the first sheet of paper has been performed (immediately before performing the transfer process for the back side of the first sheet of paper) is roughly constant across the entire photosensitive body b.
However, when performing the transfer process for the back side of the first sheet of paper, because the paper has been through the fixing process when printing the front side, as described above, the resistance value of the paper has increased, and because of that increase in the resistance value the transfer current cannot easily flow. As a method for eliminating such a problem, there is the constant current control system described above that always lets a constant current flow. This method attempts to maintain a constant current by increasing the voltage by the extent that it is difficult for the current to flow.
On the other hand, in a portion h outside the region that paper is arranged (a portion separate from the paper passage region), paper does not lie between the photosensitive body and the transfer roller, current flows easily because resistance is the same as under the condition when performing the transfer process for the front side of the first sheet, and in comparison to when performing the transfer process for the front side of the first sheet, a large amount of current flows on the photosensitive body b outside of the region where paper is arranged. The voltage at this time is the same as for the region where paper is arranged (paper passage region), and is a higher voltage than when performing the transfer process to the front side of the first sheet.
Due to this phenomenon, on the photosensitive body b outside the region where the paper is arranged, the photosensitive body charging and reverse polarity transfer current greatly flows in with a high voltage condition, and as a result the charging potential of the photosensitive body b decreases (a canceling phenomenon due to reverse potential occurs).
Thus, as shown by the broken line in FIG. 6 (c), in the photosensitive body b after performing the transfer process for the back side of the first sheet of paper (immediately before performing transfer for the front side of the second sheet of paper), the surface potential of both edges that are outside the region where the paper is arranged decreases. Thus naturally, even in a non-image portion that prevents toner affixing due to the potential difference between the toner and the photosensitive body b, a phenomenon occurs wherein toner is unintentionally affixed onto the photosensitive body b due to the small difference in electric potential (this phenomenon is called photographic fog).
In this way, a state in which photographic fog is generated on the photosensitive body b (a state in which toner is affixed because the surface potential is decreased) continues until the recharging process is performed, that is, until the photosensitive body completes at least one full turn. In this state, when the second page of paper is transported, a fogged image is transferred to the leading edge position corresponding within one full turn of the photosensitive body, and this state is generated when shifted in the axial direction of the photosensitive body relative to the paper passage position due to paper transport variation (positional displacement in the width direction of the paper) when performing back side transfer for the first sheet of paper.
Accordingly, in order to eliminate transfer defects and printing defects in duplex printing as described above, image forming apparatuses have been proposed that control voltage such that the transfer voltage is constant, and do not perform the transfer process with a constant current control (for example, see JP 2002-49184A). Image forming apparatuses have also been proposed that perform the transfer process by constant current control, reduce residual electric potential on the photosensitive body by de-electrifying the photosensitive body, and make the transfer voltage constant (for example, see JP 2002-23576A).
However, when making the transfer voltage constant by the methods disclosed in JP 2002-49184A and JP 2002-23576A, there is much damage to the photosensitive body, inviting a deterioration in the life properties of the photosensitive body. That is, with the image forming apparatus disclosed in JP 2002-23576A, because de-electrification of the photosensitive body is performed with a de-electrifying voltage of opposite polarity to the charging properties of the photosensitive body, it is possible that this will lead to a deterioration in the life properties of the photosensitive body. Also, with the image forming apparatus disclosed in JP 2002-49184A, change occurs in the resistance value of the printing paper due to changing the environment of the apparatus for constant voltage control, and a change in the optimum voltage occurs. The voltage to the photosensitive body changes, damage is conferred on the photosensitive body, and in this case as well leads to a deterioration in the life properties of the photosensitive body.
The present invention was made in consideration of the circumstances described above, and it is an object thereof to provide an image forming apparatus provided with a duplex printing function, wherein a deterioration in life properties of the photosensitive body is not invited, and wherein print defects due to "photographic fog" can be decreased.


An article (50; 100) has a metallic substrate (22), a bondcoat (30) atop the substrate, and a thermal barrier coating (28; 27, 28) atop the bondcoat. The thermal barrier coating or a layer thereof comprises didymium oxide ore and zirconia.

The disclosure relates gas turbine engines. More particularly, the disclosure relates to thermal barrier coatings for gas turbine engines.
Gas turbine engine gaspath components are exposed to extreme heat and thermal gradients during various phases of engine operation. Thermal-mechanical stresses and resulting fatigue contribute to component failure. Significant efforts are made to cool such components and provide thermal barrier coatings to improve durability.
Exemplary thermal barrier coating systems include two-layer thermal barrier coating systems. An exemplary system includes NiCoCrAlY bondcoat (e.g., air plasma sprayed (APS), low pressure plasma sprayed (LPPS), or cathodic arc deposited) and yttria-stabilized zirconia (YSZ) (or gadolinia-stabilized zirconia (GSZ)) thermal barrier coating (TBC) (e.g., air plasma sprayed (APS) or electron beam physical vapor deposited (EBPVD)). Prior to and while the barrier coat layer is being deposited, a thermally grown oxide (TGO) layer (e.g., alumina) forms atop the bondcoat layer. As time-at-temperature and the number of cycles increase, this TGO interface layer grows in thickness. An exemplary YSZ is 7 weight percent yttria-stabilized zirconia (7YSZ).
Exemplary TBCs are applied to thicknesses of 1-40 mils (0.025-1.0 mm) and can contribute to a temperature reduction of up to 300° F. (167° C.) at the base metal. This temperature reduction translates into improved part durability, higher turbine operating temperatures, and improved turbine efficiency.
Separately, the material known as didymium is used as safety glasses in the glassblowing and blacksmithing industries due to advantageous selective light-filtering properties. U.S. Pat. No. 3,758,417 discloses use as part of a catalyst system. Commercially, didymium ore is obtained from the mineral monazite. The mineral bastnaesite could also be used as source from which didymium ore mixtures are derived.
Monazite is rare earth phosphate combination of approximately 70 percent rare earth oxide (REO). The exact process by which monazite is refined into rare earth ore varies slightly by the deposit from which it is refined. In general, monazite is found as a minor constituent within placer deposits of heavy minerals. Monazite is commonly found intermixed with sillimanite, garnet, and magnetite. Major minerals commonly found with monazite include ilmenite, rutile, zircon, and quartz. Separation of the heavy mineral deposits is accomplished through a series of separation sequences that exploit the small differences in mass, magnetic susceptibility, and electrochemical properties. The number and order of operations is predicated on the source of the deposit and purity of the heavy mineral deposits.
Recovery of REO from monazite involves a complex series of operations by which the rare earths are separated from the radioactive components of the mineral. Monazite is dissolved into solution using caustic soda (NaOH). This mixture is then washed and filtered. Two byproducts are evolved from this step are a mixed rare earth (RE)-thorium-uranium hydroxide and a filtrate containing sodium phosphate. Hydrochloric acid is then added to the RE-Th-U hydroxide solution. The solution is subsequently filtered and washed to separate the radioactive constituents, uranium and thorium, from the desired RE components. The filtrate from this process is neutralized by chemical processing to yield a RE chloride mixture. The remaining liquid fraction is treated either with caustic soda and/or sodium bicarbonate to form additional RE hydroxide or RE carbonate. Similar processing is also used to digest bastnasite RE minerals, however additional processing steps are included to remove additional elemental contaminants from the desired RE elements.
Cerium is the first RE to be removed from the mixture of lanthanide elements. This can be accomplished by drying the rare earth hydroxide mixture and then oxidizing cerium (III) to cerium (IV) in the presence of ozone. The mixture is then dissolved in nitric acid. The subsequent mixture is filtered leaving a cerium-free RE solution and cerium (IV) dioxide filtrate. The remaining mixture of rare earths can be further processed by a series complex ion exchange and digestion methods to separate the mixture into each elemental constituent or the mixture can be thermally treated in an oxidizing environment to convert the mixture to the didymium oxide ore mixture noted in Table III below. See, e.g., Extractive Metallurgy of Rare Earths, C. K. Gupta and N. Krishnamurthy, CRC Press 2004.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,863,999 identifies use of a lanthanum monazite phosphate in a thermal barrier coating.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.


A damping valve includes an annular valve seat, a valve body, an actuator for driving the valve body and a valve case including a valve hole into which the valve body is slidably inserted. The valve body includes a valve main body and a shaft for transmitting a thrust force of the actuator to the valve main body. The valve main body includes a flange partitioning the interior of the valve hole into a valve seat side chamber and an opposite valve seat side chamber, a shaft portion extending from the flange and a valve head to be seated on and lifted from the valve seat. The valve seat side chamber and the opposite valve seat side chamber communicate via a communication passage and the valve seat side chamber and the flow path communicate via a throttle passage.

A damping valve capable of adjusting a damping force is, for example, used by being built into a damper of a front fork of a two-wheel vehicle.
JP2008-14431A discloses a damper including a cylinder coupled to an outer tube, a piston slidably inserted into the cylinder to partition the interior of the cylinder into a compression side chamber and an expansion side chamber, a piston rod inserted into the cylinder and having one end coupled to an inner tube slidably inserted into the outer tube and the other end coupled to the piston, a communication path allowing communication between the compression side chamber and the expansion side chamber, and a check valve provided at an intermediate position of the communication path and permitting only a flow from the compression side chamber toward the expansion side chamber or a flow from the expansion side chamber toward the compression side chamber. A damping valve used in this damper includes an annular valve seat provided at an intermediate position of the communication path, a needle-like valve body to be seated on and lifted from the valve seat and a stepping motor fixed to the other end side of the piston rod for driving the valve body.
This damper exerts a damping force by applying resistance to the flow of hydraulic oil by a piston valve provided in the piston during expansion and exerts a damping force by applying resistance to the flow of hydraulic oil flowing out from the cylinder to a reservoir by a base valve provided at an end part of the cylinder during contraction.
Further, in this damper, the hydraulic oil flows in the communication path only during expansion or during contraction by the action of the check valve and a damping force is exerted by applying resistance to this flow of the hydraulic oil by the valve body. The damping valve also cooperates to exert a damping force during either one of the expansion and the contraction of the damper. The flow passage area of the damping valve is adjusted by driving the valve body by the motor, thereby making the damping force of the damper variable.
That is, the damping valve fulfills a damping function only during the expansion or the contraction of the damper. However, since a pair of left and right front forks normally suspend a wheel of the two-wheel vehicle, the left and right front forks can adjust damping forces at an expansion side and a contraction side as a whole by causing the valve body of the damper built in one front fork to fulfill the damping function during expansion and causing a needle valve of the damper built in the other front fork to fulfill the damping function during the contraction.


A hybrid package having a processor module disposed on a substrate and an auxiliary module disposed on a patterned lid. The auxiliary module may be a memory module, a power management integrated circuit (PMIC) module, and/or other suitable module, that are located in the package along with the processor module. Having the auxiliary module in the package with the processor module reduces the noise at the solder bump between the processor module and the substrate. Having the auxiliary module in the package with the processor module also allows other modules to be added to the package without increasing the area of the package.

Conventional processor packages have a processor flip chip device mounted on a package substrate. On the back of the processor device is a heat spreader to remove heat from the device. On top of the heat spreader there is a heat sink to remove the heat even further. The processor package is mounted to a printed circuit board (PCB).
Also mounted to the PCB is a power management integrated circuit (PMIC). The PMIC is usually mounted some distance away from the processor die so that it can be easily removed if it fails. That is, the PMIC is not integrated with the processor package.
One problem with having the PMIC located at a distance from the processor package is that noise is present at the solder bump or solder joint where the processor die is mounted to the substrate. another problem with having the PMIC located at a distance from the processor package is that a significant number of package pins are allocated for processor power rails
Therefore, improved apparatuses and methods for reducing noise in a processor package are needed.

Power management integrated circuit (PMIC) integration into a processor package


The present invention generally relates to a doped aluminum nitride hardmask and a method of making a doped aluminum nitride hardmask. By adding a small amount of dopant, such as oxygen, when forming the aluminum nitride hardmask, the wet etch rate of the hardmask can be significantly reduced. Additionally, due to the presence of the dopant, the grain size of the hardmask is reduced compared to a non-doped aluminum nitride hardmask. The reduced grain size leads to smoother features in the hardmask which leads to more precise etching of the underlying layer when utilizing the hardmask.

1. Field of the Invention
Embodiments of the present invention generally relate to a doped aluminum nitride hardmask and a method of making a doped aluminum nitride hardmask.
2. Description of the Related Art
As semiconductor devices continue to shrink in size, the precision needed to form such small devices increases. It has become increasingly more difficult to not only shrink the size of the semiconductor chip, but additionally, the individual features that form the electrical interconnects.
There are numerous processes that are performed to fabricate a semiconductor chip. Patterning is one of those processes. In a patterning process, a mask, such as a hardmask, is formed over one or more layers to be patterned. Thereafter, utilizing the hardmask, the underlying layer or layers are exposed to an etchant so that exposed material (i.e., material not covered by the hardmask or photomask) is removed and the pattern of the hardmask is transferred to the underlying layer or layers.
In the ideal etching process, the exposed material is etched while the hardmask is not etched. In other words, the hardmask is ideally inert to the etchant, which may take the form of either a liquid etchant of a gaseous etchant. If the hardmask is inert to the etchant, then the features of the hardmask may transfer to the underlying layer or layers quite well.
Naturally, a chemically inert hardmask is not practical to manufacture. Therefore, some etching of the hardmask is expected. As the hardmask is etched, the precision of the pattern transfer is compromised.
Therefore, there is a need in the art for a hardmask that is more chemically inert to the etching process utilized to transfer the pattern from the hardmask to the underlying layer.

PVD ALN film with oxygen doping for a low etch rate hardmask film


An image reading device includes a transparent plate and a CIS. The transparent plate has a placement area in which an original document is placed and a transport area which corresponds to a transport position of the original document by a transport device. The CIS reads an image of the original document via the transparent plate. The transport device includes an inverting path at a position on the transparent plate opposite to the placement area seen from the transport area. On a second surface side of the transparent plate, the CIS is moved among a first reading area which corresponds to the placement area of the transparent plate, a second reading area which corresponds to the transport area of the transparent plate, and a standby position defined below the inverting path of the transport device.

1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to an image reading device which includes a movable reading unit configured to read an image of an original document. The present invention also relates to a recording device used in combination with the image reading device.
2. Related Art
As an exemplary recording device which may be used in combination with such an image reading device, a multi-functional device described in JP-A-2010-41481 has been proposed. An image reading device of this multi-functional device includes a transparent plate on which, on the side of a first surface thereof, an original document may be placed and includes a reading unit configured to read an image of the original document while moving, on the side of a second surface of the transparent plate, in parallel with the transparent plate. On the image reading device, an original document transport device is disposed to cover the entire first surface of the transparent plate.
The original document transport device may pivot between a closed position and an open position: in the closed position, the original document transport device is disposed over the image reading device to cover the transparent plate; in the open position, the transparent plate is uncovered. In the closed position, the original document transport device transports an original document from a paper feeding unit to a paper output unit via a partial area of the transparent plate. The partial area of the transparent plate corresponds to an exposure area through which an image on the original document transported by the original document transport device is exposed to the reading unit during transportation. When the original document transport device is in the open position, the original document is placed on the transparent plate or removed from the transparent plate by a user.
The reading unit reads, while moving, an image of the original document placed on the transparent plate via the transparent plate. The reading unit reads an image of the original document while moving in a first reading area corresponding to a placement area of the original document on the transparent plate. When the original document transport device is in the closed position, the reading unit reads the transported original document in the following manner. The reading unit, stopped in a second reading area corresponding to the exposure area which is the partial area of the transparent plate, reads an image of the original document passing above the exposure area while being transported by the original document transport device. That is, the reading unit reads an image of the original document placed on the side of the first surface of the transparent plate by moving to either of the first reading area or to the second reading area on the side of the second surface of the transparent plate. The reading unit performs a predetermined standby operation at a predetermined standby position when not performing a reading operation of an image of the original document. The standby position in this case is situated in an area between the first reading area and the second reading area (a standby position defining area).
A transport path along which the original document is transported from the paper feeding unit to the paper output unit via an area above the exposure area which is the partial area of the transparent plate in the original document transport device inverts the front and back sides of the original document in a process in which the original document is transported from the paper feeding unit to the paper output unit. For this reason, the transport path includes, in an intermediate portion thereof, an inverting path which is U-shaped in cross section when seen in a side view.
On the side of the first surface of the transparent plate, the position of the inverting path is not situated, on the transparent plate, above any of the exposure area, the placement area of the original document and the standby position defining area of the reading unit. That is, the reading unit is not moved toward an area below the inverting path in the image reading device. Therefore, in the image reading device, the area below the inverting path has been a wasted space.
Such a situation is not particular to the multi-functional device described above but is commonly seen in image reading devices including a movable reading unit which reads an image of an original document and recording devices used in combination with these image reading devices.

Image reading device and recording device


An image processing apparatus includes: a representative value calculation unit that selects a designation area from a first image, and that calculates a representative value of each of the color components in the designation area, a class classification unit that performs class classification on the designation area, a coefficient reading unit that reads a coefficient that is stored in advance, a color component conversion unit that sets the pixel value relating to a predetermined pixel within the designation area to be a prediction tap, sets the pixel value of one color component, to be a reference, and converts the pixel value of each color component into a conversion value, and a product and sum calculation unit that sets the conversion value to be a variable and calculates each of the pixel values of a second image, by performing product and sum calculation which uses the coefficient which is read.

The present technology relates to an image processing apparatus, an image processing method, and a program, and particularly to an image processing apparatus, an image processing method, and a program that are capable of obtaining an image signal of each color component from an output from an image sensor with a color filter array that is configured from multiple color components, without degrading image quality when performing image processing for resolution conversion.
In recent years, there has been an increasing demand for an improvement in image resolution, such as so-called 4 k2 k or 8 k4 k. However, for example, even though the size of an image sensor may be increased, it is difficult to realize sufficient improvement in resolution in terms of the size, the weight, or the like of an optical system. Furthermore, it is also difficult to increase a frame rate in terms of sensitivity of the image sensor.
Because of this, a technology has been pursued in which resolution is improved without decreasing an area of a cell of the image sensor to more than a predetermined extent. For example, a technology has been pursued in which a pixel of an output image is generated and the output image with a high resolution is obtained by performing image processing on an input image with a low resolution.
Furthermore, there are mainly two kinds of imaging apparatuses that use the image sensor. One is a one-chip apparatus (hereinafter referred to as a one-chip camera) that uses one image sensor. The other is a three-chip apparatus (hereinafter referred to as a three-chip camera) that uses three image sensors.
In the three-chip camera, for example, three image sensors are used, one for an R signal, one for a G signal, and one for a B signal, and thus three primary color signals are obtained by the three image sensors. Then, a color image signal that is generated from the three primary color signals are stored in a recording medium.
In the one-chip camera, one image sensor is used in which a color coding filter made from a color filter array assigned to every one pixel is installed in the front, and a signal of a color component that is color-coded by the color coding filter is obtained for every one pixel. As the color filter array that makes up the color coding filter, for example, primary color filter arrays for red (R), green (G), and blue (B) or complementary filter arrays for yellow (Ye), cyan (Cy), and magenta (Ma) are used. Then, in the one-chip camera, a signal of one color component is obtained for one pixel by the image sensor, a color signal other than the signal of the color component retained by each pixel is generated by performing linear interpolation processing, and thus an image close to an image that is obtained by the three-chip camera is obtained. In a video camera, a one-chip method is employed for miniaturization and weight saving.
As the color filter array that makes up the color coding filter, the color filter array in a Bayer layout is used most of the time. In the Bayer layout, G color filters are arranged in a checkered pattern and R's and B's are alternately arranged in every line on the remaining portion.
In this case, in the image sensor, from each pixel in which a filter for one color among three primary colors, R, G, and B is arranged, only an image signal corresponding to such a filter color is output. That is, from the pixel in which an R color filter is arranged, an image signal of an R component is output, but image signals for a G component and a B component are not output. In the same manner, from a G pixel, only an image signal of the G component is output and the image signals for the R component and the B component are not output. From a B pixel, only the image signal of the B component is output and the image signals for the R component and the G component are not output.
However, the image signals of the R component, the G component and the B component are necessary at the time of the processing of the signal of each pixel on the downstream side of the image processing. Accordingly, in the technology in the related art, the image signal of n×m R pixels, the image signal of n×m G pixels, and the image signal of n×m B pixels are obtained, by their respective interpolation calculations, from an output from the image sensor that is configured from n×m (n and m are positive integers) pixels, and are output to the downstream side.
Furthermore, a technology is proposed in which the image signal of 2n×2m R pixels is obtained, by the interpolation calculation, from the image signal of n×m R pixels, the image signal of 2n×2m G pixels is obtained, by the interpolation calculation, from the image signal of n×m G pixels, and the image signal of 2n×2m B pixels is obtained, by the interpolation calculation, from the image signal of n×m B pixels (for example, refer to Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2000-341705).
In Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2000-341705, pixel values for the pixel corresponding to an observation pixel and for the vicinity thereof are set to be variables in an input image, and the pixel value for the observation pixel of an output pixel is predicted by a product and sum calculation that uses a coefficient that is obtained by prior learning. By doing this, the three primary color signals can be generated from an output from the image sensor of the one-chip camera, and an image signal with pixel density four times that of an original image can be generated.

Image processing apparatus, image processing method, and program


An tonneau cover for a pickup truck having a tapered bed construction is provided by the present invention. The tonneau cover includes a driver side rail for mounting to a driver sidewall of a pickup truck bed; a passenger side rail for mounting to passenger sidewall of pickup truck bed; and a rigid panel for slideably mounted along the driver side rail and the passenger side rail, and having a tapered construction which allows the rigid panel to fit between and adjacent a driver sidewall and a passenger sidewall of a pickup truck bed having a tapered bed construction.

Tonneau covers mounted on pickup trucks beds are common. Tonneau covers are generally used to help contain and/or conceal goods in the truck bed and to protect the goods from weather. Various designs of tonneau covers are available. For example U.S. Pat. No. Re.33,790 to Huber and U.S. Pat. No. 3,829,151 to Fellenestein describe tonneau covers as having hard and rigid covers over the pickup truck beds. Such covers can be heavy and difficult to manipulate.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,783,112 and 5,067,766 to Lovaas describe telescoping tonneau covers. These tonneau covers include a forward panel and a rearward panel, where the rearward panel is telescopically received under the forward panel. These tonneau covers do not move upwardly to expose the pickup truck bed.

Tonneau cover; methods of installation and use of tonneau cover; and truck including a tonneau cover


A connection device, and an arrangement comprising such a connection device, for connecting, in particular coupling, at least one external functional device to an arrangement by pressing the external functional device. The connection device comprises at least one reception device having at least one first contact portion. It further comprises at least one pressing device which is configured for transferring at least the first contact portion from a first position into the second position by applying a first force (F1) and a second force (F2). The two forces (F1) and (F2) are of a different magnitude.

In arrangements such as, for example, medical-technical treatment apparatuses, laboratory-technical arrangements or also arrangements for the food production, it is frequently necessary to connect, in particular couple, external functional device such as tubes, heat exchangers, measurement chambers or multi-functional disposable cassettes to the arrangement prior to its use.
Connecting or coupling such an external functional device to the arrangement takes place with the aid of a connection device comprising a reception device for receiving the external functional device and a pressing device for exerting pressure on the external functional device.

Connection device for connecting at least one external functional device to an arrangement, and an arrangement including such a connection device


A method and device for preventing a golfer's hands from slipping off a golf club grip. The device has a body with an opening that defines an inner perimeter of the body, an outer perimeter spaced radially outward from and surrounding the inner perimeter, and a slot in the body that extends between the inner and outer perimeters thereof. The slot has a width greater than the diameter of the golf club shaft to permit installation of the body on the golf club. The opening in the body has a minimum dimension larger than the diameter of a second grip portion of the grip but smaller than the diameter of a first grip portion of the grip, so that the body can be prevented from being removed from the club over the first grip portion. In this manner, the device is secured on the grip by an interference fit.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to the game of golf. More particularly, this invention relates to a device that can be placed on the grip of a golf club to improve the user's grip during wet weather conditions.
2. Description of the Related Art
It is well known in the golfing industry that a player's hand grip on the golf club shaft grip must be light rather than strong to allow the wrists of the player to rotate freely through the swing for squaring the club face to the ball at the point of impact, and to maximize the club head speed which controls the distance and direction of the ball. However, if a player strengthens his or her hand grip during wet weather conditions to prevent slippage of the club, the result will impede the wrist rotation and therefore prevent the squaring of the club face at impact, resulting in misdirection of the golf ball as well as decreasing the distance the ball travels.
In view of the above, there is a need for a device capable of reducing the risk of a player's hands slipping off a golf club grip while executing a golf swing in wet weather conditions.


A development system is described which provides a form-based development environment for partitioning an application such that it can be seamlessly integrated into corporate Webs (i.e., "intranets"). A form is implemented as an "application page" and published as an ActiveX object. Specifically, a new "application" page MIME type is defined: application/x-appdoc. This contains information necessary to create a document (e.g., Microsoft ActiveX Document) locally but, in addition, also includes information necessary to find and download the program code for rendering the view of the document. If the program code is already present locally, it need only be downloaded for purpose of updating the local copy. Once a form is built into an ActiveX object and digitally signed, it can be downloaded to a client and run in a Web browser, such as Microsoft Internet Explorer.

With the explosive growth of the Internet and the World Wide Web, an ever-increasing number of computers of disparate platforms are being connected together. Often, companies employ an Internet-based network operating within the company or world wide, for assisting with its data processing needs. In such an environment, clients (i.e., end-user's work stations) typically operate Web browser software (e.g., Microsoft Internet Explorer or Netscape Navigator) connected to a Web server, often operating in conjunction with a back-end data server. A Web browser communicates with Web servers using Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP), a simple request/response protocol for information transfer using TCP/IP. The Web server receives a request, retrieves the requested object (e.g., file), sends it to the browser, and then drops the connection.
In typical operation, end-users operate various client applications at the client machines which, in turn, connect to the servers for obtaining corporate data--a form of distributed computing. Such an arrangement is problematic, however. One problem, for instance, is tracking the applications themselves. Since the applications run or operate at client machines, a company may need to track and manage a multitude of client applications. Each client application, in turn, can itself be comprised of multiple versions which can be updated independently. A core problem, therefore, is managing different versions of applications, each of which can be updated independently.
A change to any one application has a rippling effect, as such a change must be propagated to each client dependent on that application. As a client application is executing, the system should ensure that that client obtains the latest version of the application (or of independently updated components). Other problems include (1) too many individual applications to keep track of--both for users and for IS administrators; (2) too difficult to keep track of what versions of each application exists; (3) very expensive to keep everyone's desktops up-to-date (incurring costs even if the user never access the program); and (4) too difficult to distribute apps to remote sites.
The classic approach to this problem--creating a monolithic "mega-application" that contains all possible features--is, in itself, problematic. For example, resource needs of these applications drive increasing hardware requirements and accelerate hardware turnover. Further, as new functionality is added to the application, the entire application must be reinstalled on all the clients, incurring re-installation costs.
At the same time in such an environment, however, the client-side application represents only a portion of the operating environment. For instance, business logic for such a system can be separated out from client applications and, instead, be implemented at the server side, thereby providing a central repository for business logic. To a certain extent, an HTTP server is a facilitator of such an approach, generally facilitating the interaction of a client-side web browses with backend data stored on a server.
Additionally, HTTP servers facilitate the integration of client-side web application with the Internet. For example, a user browsing web pages can, in a transparent manner, launch local applications which display Web-downloaded documents, by simply clicking on a link to the corresponding application. Although this approach provides a scheme for supporting widely-installed applications, the approach is not designed for nor particularly well suited to distributing applications within a company (or larger organization).
A newer approach to providing distributed application functionality is Microsoft's ActiveX technology (ActiveX SDK available at http//www.microsoft.com/msdownload/activex.htm; the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated by reference), which includes "ActiveX Controls" and "Active Document." An ActiveX Control in implemented as a rectangular control appearing within an Hypertext Markup Language (HTML) page, a well-known format. When the page is loaded into a browser, the browser automatically downloads the control and runs it. The approach has its disadvantages, however. First, the ActiveX Control must exist within a container--an HTML page--and, thus, must operate within the confines of that container. For instance, the control does not have access to the entire screen region for the page (as it must exist as a containee within the page). Further, since the ActiveX Control relies on an HTML page as the "downloader" container, the control can only be inserted into HTML pages; it cannot be deployed within other containers or standalone. Since it is forced to be a client of HTML page, an ActiveX Control has an inherent limit in its deployment.
Consider, for instance, an application constructed so that separate modules or components of the application are downloaded over a period of time, as an end-user envokes different functionality. Accordingly, greater flexibility is needed for the underlying framework of the application--flexibility which is not provided by the approach of employing an ActiveX Control embedded within an HTML page. All told, since an ActiveX component is designed to serve as a component, it does not provide and adequate framework for an entire application.
Another approach is to employ a control which serves as a stub for launching another application, one which executes within its own window. Since the approach does not provide seamless integration with the browser, it is undesirable. For instance, if the user selects the "back" button from the browser, what treatment, if any, should the separately executing window receive. Therefore the approach of launching a separate process sacrifices the seamless integration which users have become accustomed to when using web browsers. Both ActiveX Controls and Java applets suffer from this problem.
An ActiveX "Active Document" solves this user interface problem, yet itself creates other problems. Specifically, an active document does not include the ability to download program code. In particular, an active document (e.g., Microsoft Word Document) requires that a host application (e.g., Microsoft Word) be present locally on the users machine. Specifically, the HTML page includes a reference indicating thatthe document (data file) can be viewed by launching a session of the locally-stored hosting application.
From the perspective of attempting to solve the business problem of distributing applications with the latest version downloaded automatically, such an approach is unacceptable. Specifically, the program code (for the application) is stored locally at the users machine with no provision for downloading program code at the time of the programs execution. Although an active document allows one to have a downloadable "document" (logical representation of the uses data, such as the text in a word processing file), it does not provide a downloadable "view" (i.e., the code that creates the on-screen representation of that data).
The World Wide Web as it exists today is a distributed, interconnected set of documents that are available from anywhere. What is really needed is a system which provides a facility for achieving the same sort of distribution and interconnections between application objects. Such a system would provide a centralized repository for program code (e.g., stored on a server), with the ability to keep the code up to date, together with seamless integration into the Worldwide Web so that users can easily access distributed applications through Web page links. The present invention fulfills this and other needs.

System for internet-based delivery of computer applications


An intravascular pressure sensor assembly is disclosed herein that is produced in part using photolithography and DRIE solid-state device production processes. Using DRIE production processes facilitates a number of features that could not be readily incorporated in sensor chips fabricated using mechanical saws. In accordance with a first feature, sensor chips are created with non-rectangular outlines. The sensor chip includes a widened portion that substantially abuts an inner wall of a sensor housing, and a cantilevered portion that is relatively narrow in relation to the widened portion. The non-rectangular outline of the sensor chip is formed using photolithography in combination with DRIE processing. In accordance with another feature, the sensor chip is positioned width-wise in the housing, thereby reducing a required length for the housing. In accordance with yet another feature, the sensor chip comprises one or more cutouts for receiving signal wires for connection to signal lead lines on the sensor chip. The outline of the sensor chip and the cutouts are formed using photolithography in combination with DRIE processing.

In the past two decades, innovations in the diagnosis of cardiovascular disease have expanded from external imaging processes to internal, catheterization-based, diagnostic processes. Diagnosis of cardiovascular disease has been performed through angiogram imaging wherein a radiopaque dye is injected into a vasculature and a live x-ray image is taken of the portions of the cardiovascular system of interest. More recently, however, diagnostic equipment and processes have been developed for diagnosing vasculature blockages and other vasculature disease by means of ultra-miniature sensors placed upon a distal end of a flexible elongate member such as a catheter, or a guidewire used for catheterization procedures.
One such ultra-miniature sensor device is a pressure sensor mounted upon the distal end of a guidewire. A particular example of such a pressure sensor is provided in Corl et al. U.S. Pat. No. 6,106,476, the teachings of which are expressly incorporated herein by reference in their entirety. The intravascular pressure sensor measures blood pressure at various points within a vasculature and facilitates locating and determining the severity of stenoses or other disruptors of blood flow within blood vessels. Such devices are commonly used to determine the effectiveness of an angioplasty procedure by placing the pressure sensor distal to a stenosis and measuring a pressure difference relative to the proximal pressure measured through a guiding catheter by traditional methods. A significant pressure gradient, for example greater than 30 mmHg, is indicative of a functionally significant blockage of the vessel.
A presently used manufacturing technique for manufacturing a solid-state pressure sensor for an intravascular pressure sensor wire relies upon a mechanical saw to shape the pressure sensor. In the known mechanically shaped devices, wafer thinning is an important step in fabricating a solid-state pressure sensor chip. Normally, pressure sensors are fabricated on or near a surface of a relatively thick supporting wafer of either silicon or glass. The supporting wafers are typically 400 μm or more in thickness, and the supporting wafers are robust and suitable for manual handling or handling by automated fabrication machinery. However, at a latter stage of the production process, it is necessary to thin the wafer to less than 100 μm, possibly as thin as 50 μm, to produce a device mountable within a coronary guidewire. The thin wafer is difficult to handle and subject to breakage or other damage in subsequent processing steps such as diamond saw dicing which cuts the wafer into tiny rectangular sensor chips that can be subsequently mounted in a guidewire.
The known fabrication process for pressure sensors using diamond saw dicing is fast, efficient, and therefore widely used. However, the diamond sawing is only capable of rendering simple "rectangular" device outlines.
Once the pressure sensor is mounted in a guidewire or similar device, it is subject to external stress arising from bending of the guidewire to access the coronary anatomy, or from differential thermal expansion of the various guidewire components. External stress on the pressure sensitive portion of the sensor chip can produce undesirable pressure artifacts. A guidewire containing a pressure sensor includes a housing that facilitates cantilever mounting of the sensor chip. The cantilever mounting arrangement ensures that surrounding guidewire structures do not exert external stress to the pressure sensitive region of the chip.
Deep reactive-ion etching (DRIE) is a highly anisotropic etch process for creating deep, steep-sided holes and trenches in solid-state device wafers, with aspect ratios of 20:1 or more. DRIE was originally developed for microelectromechanical systems (MEMS). However, DRIE is also used for producing other devices such as to excavate trenches for high-density capacitors for DRAM. DRIE is capable of fabricating 90° (truly vertical) walls.

Intravascular pressure devices incorporating sensors manufactured using deep reactive ion etching

PHILIPS IMAGE GUIDED THERAPY CORPORATION


A router classifies packets assigned to X*Y classes of service into X classes of service supported by the router, each of the X classes of service having Y loss-priority levels. The router maintains a free queue that links available entries of a buffer in which packets are stored. A weighted average depth of the free queue is used to determine whether to retain a given packet. If the weighted average is above a maximum threshold, the packet is retained. If the weighted average is below a minimum threshold, the packet is discarded. If the weighted average is between the two thresholds, a probability of discard that is based on the X*Y classes of service is calculated and compared to a random value to determine whether the packet should be retained.

At network multiplexing points, such as switches or routers, the handling of frames or packets is generally determined by rules associated with classes of service to which given frames or packets are assigned. The classes of service essentially define acceptable packet or frame delays and probabilities of packet or frame loss. (As used herein, the term "packet" refers to both frames and packets, and the term "router" refers to both switches and routers.)
The packets are typically assigned to classes of service based on information contained in the packet and/or traffic management rules established by either a network supervisor or a service provider. All packets assigned to the same class receive the same treatment. Being assigned to a "higher" class ensures that a packet will have a shorter maximum transmission delay and a lower probability of loss. Being assigned to a "lower" class may mean a longer delay and/or a greater probability of loss.
Generally, the router maintains at each output port a buffer for holding packets in queues associated with the classes of service. The queues ensure that packets are delivered in order within the various classes of service, and that the associated rules for maximum delays and probabilities of loss can be enforced. Since each queue is essentially separately maintained, the more classes the router supports the more processing and storage capacity is required for a given number of output ports. To support "x" classes, for example, the router must set aside buffer storage locations for each of the x queues at each of its "y" ports. Further, it must determine for each queue whether or not a next packet should be retained or discarded. The router thus makes x*y separate calculations based on queue length and/or available associated storage locations to determine whether to retain or discard the packets, where "*" represents multiplication.
Network standards, such as the (revised) 802.1p standard, have relatively recently increased the number of classes of service to eight classes. Routers operating under prior standards support four classes of service, and thus, must be upgraded, for example, with increased storage capacities of the output port buffers, to support the increased number of classes. Such upgrading may be prohibitively expensive and/or it may not be feasible. Accordingly, what is needed is a mechanism to operate a router that supports a relatively small number of classes of service in an environment in which packets are assigned to a greater number of classes. Such a mechanism should, without requiring the enlarged storage and processing capabilities conventionally associated with supporting the greater number of classes, maintain service distinctions associated with the greater number of classes and more importantly retain the order of packets within each of the greater number of classes.


Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) and carbon nanotube field effect transistors (CNFETs) have demonstrated extraordinary properties and are widely accepted as the building blocks of next generation VLSI circuits. A CNT crossbar based nano-architecture, includes layers of orthogonal carbon nanotubes with electrically bistable and charge holding molecules at each crossing, forming a dense array of reconfigurable double gate carbon nanotube field effect transistors (RDG-CNFETs) and programmable interconnects, which is addressed via a voltage controlled nanotube addressing circuits on the boundaries.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention generally relates to nanoelectronic devices. More particularly, the invention relates to nanoelectronic devices that include carbon nanotubes.
2. Description of the Relevant Art
Silicon based CMOS technology scaling has driven the semiconductor industry towards cost minimization and performance improvement in the past four decades, and is rapidly approaching its end. On the other hand, nanotechnology has achieved significant progress in recent years, fabricating a variety of nanometer scale devices, e.g., molecular diodes and carbon nanotube field effect transistors. This has provided new opportunities for VLSI circuits to achieve continuing cost minimization and performance improvement in a post-silicon-based-CMOS-technology era.
However, significant challenges need to be overcome before reliable high performance nanoelectronic circuits can be achieved. Challenges that need to be overcome include:                1. Manufacturability. As minimum layout feature size is becoming smaller than lithography light wavelength, traditional lithography based manufacturing process can no longer achieve the needed resolution, leading to significant process variation. Resolution enhancement and other design for manufacturability techniques become less applicable as scaling continues. Alternatively, nanoelectronic circuits are expected to be based on bottom-up self-assembly based manufacturing processes, e.g., molecular beam epitaxy (MBE). Such bottom-up self-assembly manufacturing processes provide regular structures, e.g., perfectly aligned carbon nanotubes. Consequently, nanoelectronic circuits need to rely on reconfigurability to achieve functionality and reliability.        2. Reliability. Technology scaling has led to increasingly significant process and system runtime variations, including critical dimension variation, dopant fluctuation, electromagnetic emission, alpha particle radiation and cosmos ray strikes. Such variations cannot be avoided by manufacturing process improvement, and is inherent at nanometer scale, as is dictated by the stochastic nature of quantum physics. A variety of robust design techniques, including redundant, adaptive, and resilient design techniques at multiple (architecture, circuit, layout) levels, are needed to achieve a reliable nanoelectronic circuit.        3. Performance. Nanoscale devices have achieved high performance in the absence of significant load, however, system performance bottleneck lies in global interconnects. Rent's rule predicts that the maximum global interconnect wirelength scales with the gate number in a circuit in a power law. Interconnect design would be critical to performance improvement of large scale nanoelectronic circuits.
Existing nanoelectronic architectures are in three categories: (1) resonant tunneling diodes and negative differential resistors based on early nanoelectronic architecture, (2) mainstream hybrid nano-CMOS technology based nanoelectronic architecture, and (3) fax future DNA-guided self-assembly based nanoelectronic architecture.
Carbon nanotubes and carbon nanotube field effect transistors are expected to be the building blocks of nanoelectronic circuits due to their extraordinary properties. Carbon nanotube crossbar structure is one of the most prominent candidates for nanoelectronic design platform. Recently, UIUC researchers have achieved fabrication of dense perfectly aligned carbon nanotube arrays. Such a carbon nanotube crossbar structure forms the basis of nanoscale memories, and provides a reconfigurable computing platform of manufacturability and reliability for next generation VLSI designs.
However, no nanoelectronic architecture has been proposed which is solely based on carbon nanotubes and carbon nanotube field effect transistors. The reasons include lack of a self-assembly process which could form complex carbon nanotube structures, or, absence of a reconfigurable carbon nanotube device which could provide functionality and reliability.
Another outstanding challenge for realizing such nanoelectronic systems is how to precisely address an individual nanoscale wire (e.g., carbon nanotube) in an array. Designing a nano-addressing circuit is a challenging task, because (1) the nanoscale layout cannot be manufactured precisely unless it is of a regular structure, and (2) the nano-addressing circuit cannot be based on reconfigurability since it provides reconfigurability to the rest of the nanoelectronic system. Existing nano-addressing circuits require precise layout control such as lithography, doping, or etching, which is highly unlike to achieve alignment at the nanometer scale due to the presence of prevalent defects and significant process variations. These techniques also exhibit certain levels of randomness, which brings nanoscale wires that cannot be differentiated or addressed, and requires testing schemes which associate nanoscale wires with addresses.
Among various nanotechnology devices, carbon nanotube field effect transistors are the most promising candidates to replace the current CMOS field effect transistors as the building blocks of nanoelectronic circuits. Carbon nanotubes are one of the most promising candidates for interconnect technology at nanometer scale, due to their extraordinary properties in electrical and thermal conductivity, and mechanical strength. A carbon nanotube ("CNT") is a one-atom-thick graphene sheet rolled up in a cylinder having a nanometer order diameter, which is semiconductive or metallic depending on its chirality. The cylinder form eliminates boundaries and boundary-induced scattering, yielding electron mean free path on the order of micrometers compared with few tens of nanometers in copper interconnects. This gives extraordinary current carrying capacity, achieving a current density on the order of 109 A/cm2. However, large resistance exists at CNT-metal contacts, reducing the performance advantage of CNTs over copper interconnects.
Three kinds of carbon nanotube based field effect transistors (CNFETs) have been manufactured:                (1) A Schottky barrier based carbon nanotube field effect transistor (SB-CNFET) consists of a metal-nanotube-metal junction, and works on the principle of direct tunneling through the Schottky barrier formed by direct contact of metal and semiconducting nanotube. The barrier width is modulated by the gate voltage. This device has the most mature manufacturing technique up to today, while two problems limit its future: (a) The metal-nanotube contact severely limits current. (b) The ambipolar conduction means this device cannot be applied to conventional circuit design methods.        (2) A MOSFET-like CNFET is made by doping a continuous nanotube on both sides of the gate, thus forming the source/drain regions. This is a unipolar device of high on-current.        (3) A band-to-band tunneling carbon nanotube field effect transistor (T-CNFET) is made by doping the source and the drain regions into p+ and n+ respectively. This device has low on-current and ultra low off current, making it potential for ultra low power applications.
Molecular electronic devices are based on two families of molecules: the catenanes which consist of two or more interlocked rings, and the rotaxanes which consist of one or more rings encircling a dumbbell-shaped component. These molecules can be switched between states of different conductivities in a redox (reduction/oxidation) process by applying currents through them, providing reconfigurability for nanoscale devices.
A variety of reconfigurable nanoscale devices have been proposed. Resonant tunneling diodes based on redox active molecules are configurable on/off. Nanowire field effect transistors with redox active molecules at gates are of high/low conductance. Spin-RAM devices are of high/low conductivity based on the parallel/anti-parallel magnetization configuration of the device which is configured by the polarity of the source voltage. A double gate Schottky barrier CNFET is configurable to be a p-type FET, an n-type FET, or off, by the electrical potential of the back gate. A double gate field effect transistor with the back gate driven by a three state RTD memory cell is configurable to be a transistor or an interconnect, reducing reconfiguration cost of a gate array.
At least three categories of nanoelectronic architectures have been proposed. An early nanoelectronic architecture, NanoFabrics, was based on molecular resonant tunneling diodes (RTDs) and negative differential resistors (NDRs). It was observed that passive device (diode/resistor) based circuits lack signal gain to recover from signal attenuation, while combining with CMOS circuits compromises scaling advantages. Latches based on negative differential resistors (NDRs) were proposed, which, unfortunately, have become obsolete since the publication.
The majority of the existing nanoelectronic architectures are based on a hybrid nano-CMOS technology, with CMOS circuits complementing nanoelectronic circuits. In FPNI (CMOL), a nanowire crossbar is placed on top of CMOS logic gates (inverters). The nanowires provide programmable interconnects (and wired-OR logic), while the CMOS gates(inverters) provide logic implementation (signal inversion and gain). Such architectures achieve compromised scaling advantage in term of device density. It has been proposed to combine programmable nanoscale diode logic arrays with fixed simple CMOS circuitry, e.g., of precharge and evaluation transistors as in domino logic for signal gain. Sequential elements need also to be implemented as CMOS circuits. However, the optimal size of a combinational logic block is typically small (e.g., of 30-50 gates), which results in significant CMOS circuitry overhead in such architectures. An exception is memory design, where CMOS technology provides peripheral circuitry such as address decoders and read sensors with moderate overhead, while nanotechnology provides scaling advantage in memory cells.
The third category of existing nanoelectronic architectures relies on DNA-guided self-assembly to form 2-D scuffles for nanotubes or 3-D DNA-rods. Such technologies target application in the far future.
A nano-addressing circuit consists of a crossbar of orthogonal microscale wires and nanoscale wires. Electrical signals (address signals) coming from the microscale wires (address lines) supposedly select one of the nanoscale wires (data lines) to be conductive (for data in/out). Existing nano-addressing circuits are realized as binary decoders, i.e., every nanoscale wire is selected by a (supposedly unique) binary address. This requires that each nanoscale wire needs to have a unique gate configuration. However, such precise layout design is unlikely to achieve at a sublithographic nanometer scale (without significantly compromised yield), because nanoscale structures are expected to be bottom-up self-assembled regular structures, instead of defined by a top-down process like lithography.
Existing nano-addressing mechanisms are in four categories as follow.                1. Randomized contact decoder includes gold particles which are deposited at random as contacts between nanoscale and microscale wires. Testing and feedback provide a one-to-one mapping between a nanoscale wire and an address.        2. Undifferentiated nanoscale wires are addressable by microscale wires with (e.g., lithography defined) different gate configurations (which requires nanoscale wire spacing in the same order of lithography resolution).        3. Alternatively, different gate configurations are realized in the nanoscale wires, by growing lightly-doped and heavily-doped carbon nanotubes of different length alternatively, while the microscale wires are undifferentiated. A microscale wire crossing a lightly-doped nanotube segment forms a gate, while a heavily-doped nanotube segment is always conductive for all possible signals in the microscale wire. In such a case, precise control of the lengths of the lightly- and heavily-doped nanotube segments would be critical.        4. In radial addressing, multi-walled carbon nanotubes are grown with lightly- and heavily-doped shells, an etching process removes the heavily-doped outer shells at precise locations, and defines the gate configurations at each crossing of nanoscale and microscale wires.
Process variations are inevitably significant at nanometer scale due to the stochasticness of quantum physics and thermodynamics. As a result, these existing nano-addressing structures have limited yield, e.g., there is certain probability that two nanoscale wires have identical or similar gate configuration due to process variation. Furthermore, nanoscale wires are mostly partially selected, e.g., they may not achieve the ideal conductivity upon selected, due to process variations such as misalignment, dopant variation, etc.

Carbon nanotube crossbar based nano-architecture

Board of Regents of the University of Texas System


A control device for variable hydraulic machines, and specifically for variable axial piston machines equipped with a servo system that is connected to a swash plate so that the discharge/displacement volume is infinitely variable. The hydraulic machine is equipped with a sensor that detects the piston displacement and is connected with an electronical control unit that controls the swash angle position of the swash plate and is pressure controlling the servo system by an electrohydraulic converter. A method for the infinite controlling of the volume flow of hydraulic machines, by which the servo system is connected to the swash plate of the hydraulic machine, and by which a conduction of a signal from a sensor to the control unit, a pressure controlling of the servo system by an electrohydraulic converter as well as the controlling of the swash angle position of the swash plate by the electronical control unit is realized.

The present invention relates to a control device for variable displacement hydraulic machines, more particularly for variable displacement axial piston machines equipped with a servo system. A method for the swash angle position control is also disclosed.
Electronic proportional swash angle position controls of the prior art for hydraulic machines, particularly axial piston machines, feature a costly mechanical swash angle position feedback device. The position of the swash angle is transmitted onto a measuring spring that is itself positioned by a balance of forces generated by a control spool. The control spool has metering edges which control the swash angle position. The control spool is actuated either mechanically by a proportional solenoid or hydraulically by a torque motor with a nozzle flapper system or by an electrical proportional pressure reducing valve. Existing mechanical swash angle position feedback devices are costly because closed circuit variable hydraulic machines must have a precise neutral position. For that reason, a neutral adjustment device has to be incorporated in the mechanical swash angle position feedback device, and additionally the hydraulic machines have to operate in both directions and thus the feedback spring has to be effective in both directions.
Torque motors, pressure reducing valves controlled by proportional solenoids, or proportional solenoids applied directly to the control spool of the control system of the hydraulic machine are used in an already known manner for the actuation of the servo system.
A torque motor is typically equipped with one or more coils, which generate a force in the air gaps of the magnetic circuit proportional to the current through the coils. This force is transmitted via the armature on to a nozzle flapper system and thereby generates a differential pressure signal that is proportional to the current. The differential pressure acts on the control spool and is balanced by the force of the feedback spring. The metering edges of the control spool, which are connected via drilled control holes with the servo piston of the servo system, facilitate the establishment of the desired swash angle position. The actuation of the control spool (pilot control system) in conjunction with the position feedback of the swash angle position by means of the measuring spring is relatively complex. Such systems are revealed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,205,201.
As an alternative to the torque motor, a proportional solenoid controlled pressure reducing valve, which generates a pressure proportional to the current, is used for the hydraulic pilot control system in an already known manner. The valve acts on each face area of the control spool. With such a system a feedback spring is also used for the position feedback of the swash angle position.
Similarly, a feedback spring is used in the case of the direct actuation of the valve spool by means of a proportional solenoid. The proportional solenoid acts on a face area of the control spool.
All of these systems require a costly mechanical position feedback device for establishing the swash angle position, as well as a costly mechanically neutral adjustment device for the feedback linkage. The neutral adjustment is necessarily affected by the summation of the manufacturing tolerances. Additionally the assembly of the feedback spring between the swashplate or the servo piston and the control spool requires an enormous effort. All this together results in high costs for building a system to attain complete control of a hydraulic machine.
Therefore the principal object of this invention is to appropriate a simple, precise and cost effective method for providing swash angle position control on hydraulic machines as well as a device for the realization of that method.
These and other objects will be apparent to those skilled in the art.

Control device for variable hydraulic machines


The present invention is directed to an inoculation device including an easily manipulated handle together with microorganisms associated with a device for transferring and storing for extending periods stabilized, known microorganisms. This device is particularly useful in testing standard laboratory culture media. This device is easily produced by associating known microorganisms, either alone or together with a binding agent and other biologically acceptable additives and preservatives, with the sample transfer portion of the inoculation device. When substantially all of the water is removed from an inoculation device, including known microorganisms, the microbial containing device is storable for extended periods under sterile, dry conditions substantially free of water. The present method and apparatus conveniently and economically produces a disposable standard inoculation device useful by clinical laboratories in storing and transferring microorganisms to various growth media for testing or cell maintenance programs.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to a transfer and inoculation device useful for transferring, including storage for extended periods, of microorganisms to laboratory growth media. The present invention is particularly useful for testing the quality of a variety of laboratory growth media. More particularly, the present invention relates to a storable, inoculation device including one or more known, stabilized microorganisms and a method of producing, stabilizing and storing the same.
2. Description of the Background
Various culture media are routinely used in the growth of specimens in standard diagnostic procedures by laboratories engaged in providing microbiological analyses. A typical clinical laboratory employs a variety of different media types with each specimen submitted for examination. For example, a submitted specimen is often initially inoculated onto agar plates and, after an initial incubation, individual microorganism types are separated and identified using additional growth media. These methods are used routinely in making diagnostic predictions relating to many infections.
In performing these tests, the quality and state of the various culture media must be maintained. Further, clinical laboratories are required by various regulatory and certifying agencies to routinely subject samples of media to quality control evaluation. This testing must be performed on all culture media, whether the media is commercially purchased or is prepared by the facility. The frequency of testing varies from daily testing to random testing of individual lots.
For these quality control tests, appropriate microorganisms are cultured on the growth medium sample. After a prescribed inoculation period, often about 24 hours to 48 hours, at a prescribed temperature, generally about 35.degree. C., the growth patterns of the inoculated microorganisms are observed. These growth patterns may be observed merely qualitatively and the medium approved or disapproved based comparison to expected results. Alternatively, growth patterns may be studied more closely for quantitative analysis prior to approval of the medium.
The testing methods generally employed are conventional and known to those in the art. However, in summary, the microorganism to be used in the test is often cultured in a broth tube overnight. Microorganisms are transferred from the broth to the surface of the medium to be tested using a standard, sterile inoculation loop. For example, plastic disposable loops or reusable metal loops which have been heat-sterilized by flame or electric heating are generally employed. The inoculated media is incubated at a prescribed temperature, often 35.degree. C., for a prescribed time, generally about 24-48 hours. In a qualitative test, the microbial growth resulting from this procedure is simply observed and characterized as either typical or atypical. In quantitative testing, a known quantity of microorganisms prepared by dilution from the broth is placed in the medium to be tested by the above transfer procedure. After the prescribed incubation period, comparative culture counts are made.
These testing procedures require that the test microorganisms be viable and that the microorganisms maintain similar characteristics from generation to generation. Many laboratories maintain a supply of testing microorganisms by continually subculturing derived from the original microorganisms. However, this repeated subculturing is time-consuming and costly. But, more importantly, repeated subculturing often leads to the eventual loss of some of the original characteristics of the microorganism. Further, some microorganisms have relatively short lives and must repeatedly be subcultured, often once a day, presenting a drain on the resources and time of the laboratory. In summary, the subculturing of test microorganisms simply results in the unnecessary expenditure of laboratory resources and time, together with an increased chance for the production of mutated cultures.
Lyophilization and dessication techniques for preserving bacteria have been known for decades. In fact, a variety of strains of lyophilized bacteria useful for testing purposes are available commercially. These products generally comprise resealable storage bottles or vials containing small discs of gelatin and charcoal containing the desired bacteria. These discs are removed from the vial or storage bottles and used to directly or indirectly inoculate a growth medium or broth as described above.
The culturing and subculturing of inoculation microorganisms is undesirable for the reasons stated above. Further, the commercially available discs are difficult to handle, requiring aseptic manipulation by tweezers or tongs and the like.
The improved inoculation device of the present invention provides an easily manufactured, easily stored and easily manipulated device. Such a device contains one or more known, stabilized microorganisms for accurate and easy inoculation of growth media for testing purposes.

Storable inoculation device containing stabilized microorganisms


A method for controlling the operation of a magnetron source for sputtering a surface of a target in a vacuum chamber, the method including the steps of: during a low pressure phase of sputtering, causing a magnetic field generated by a the magnetron source to be confined primarily to an inner region of the surface of the target so as to reduce leakage of electrons away from the target during sputtering; and during a subseguent high pressure phase of sputtering, causing the magnetic field generated by the magnet assembly to extend into the outer region of the surface of the target so as to sputter material from the outer region of the surface of the target. The pressure of the high pressure phase of sputtering is higher than the pressure of the low pressure phase of sputtering.

The invention relates to magnetrons (e.g. planar magnetrons such as are used in plasma sputtering systems.
The term magnetron refers to magnets that are placed behind the cathode (e.g. the target) in the plasma systems The magnets produce B fields in the plasma discharge in front of the target. The term planar means that the magnets are aligned in a plane parallel to the target surfaces
The magnetron source acts to increase the electron density in the plasma discharge. The magnets that are placed behind the target generate magnetic field lines, a portion of which are somewhat parallel to the face of the target. These magnetic field lines, along with E fields of the electric circuit create forces acting on the electrons which tend to trap them next to the surface of the target. This increases the probability of collisions with the gas (e.g. argon) atoms thereby producing more gas ions to bombard the target.
If the magnets are placed behind the target, nonuniform erosion of the target is likely to occur. Indeed, the erosion pattern that appears on the face of the target will identify the locations of the magnets behind the target. To prevent such nonuniform erosion patterns from developing, the magnet assembly is typically moved over the backside of the target so as to produce on average a substantially uniform magnetic field over the entire face of the target from its center to its outer edges. Achieving uniform erosion is particularly desirable for a number of reasons including prolonging target life and producing uniform bottom coverage during deposition of metal into high aspect ratio contact holes. Additionally, uniform sputtering ensures that all regions of the target are continuously eroded, thereby preventing material from back sputtering onto non-active (i.e., non-sputtered) areas and then flaking off.
Since the magnetron produces an increased sputtering efficiency, the chamber pressure can be reduced as compared to a system which does not use a magnetron source. The electrons trapped adjacent to the front of the target along magnetic field lines spaced from the target make up for the smaller number of potentialy ionized atoms present at low pressure by colliding with, and ionizing numerous of the gas atoms in the low pressure atmosphere. Low pressure operation can be particularly desirable because of its many positive benefits, including better contact hole filling due to lower gas scattering of the sputtered material and improved film properties, e.g. lower resistivity, higher density, greater stability, less contamination, etc.
Low pressure operation and uniformity in target erosion, particularly at the target's edge are, however, competing objectives Traditionally, low pressure operation is achieved by accepting less uniform target erosion. similarly, improved uniformity in target erosion typically results in having to operate at higher chamber pressures.

Magnetron for low pressure full face erosion


A first surveying unit comprises a frame in a horizontally rotatable manner, a telescope unit in a vertically rotatable manner, a first angle measuring unit and a first distance measuring unit which measure a prism, wherein the second surveying unit comprises a scanning mirror which rotatably irradiates a laser beam and a second angle measuring unit which detects a rotation angle of the scanning mirror, wherein a target instrument comprises a pole installed at a measuring point, the prism has a known positional relationship with a lower end of the pole, and a target plate mounted on the pole, wherein an arithmetic control module scans a laser beam, calculates a measuring point direction vector based on point cloud data of the target plate, and calculates a three-dimensional coordinate of the measuring point based on an optical center of the prism, the measuring point direction vector, and the positional relationship.

The present invention relates to a surveying system which installs a retro-reflector at a measuring point, performs a distance measurement on the retro-reflector and calculates a three-dimensional coordinate of the measuring point.
In general, when performing a survey of desired measuring points, surveying operation is carried out by using a prism and the like having retro-reflectivity. Since the prism has a size, an optical reflecting point of the prism cannot be directly installed at the measuring point.
Therefore, in the survey using the prism, the prism is provided at a known position from a lower end of a tripod or a pole, the tripod or the pole is installed at the measuring point, after an adjustment is made so that the prism is positioned on a vertical line of the measuring point by using a bubble tube, the prism is measured.
However, in a case where a corner of a room is set as the measuring point or the like, the pole cannot be adjusted to be vertical since the prism hits a wall surface or the like. In a case where the prism cannot be installed on the vertical line of the measuring point, a surveying operation using the prism cannot be carried out.


A facility for interacting with data networks using a permanent network identifier persistently stored within a computing system is described. In one example facility, in response to each opportunity to connect to a data network, the facility identifies information for the data network, and determines whether the determined identifying matches any of a set of approved data networks. In response to determining that it does, the facility establishes a connection with the first data network using the computing system's permanent network identifier, and conducts the established connection with the first data network using the computing system's permanent network identifier. In response to determining that it does not, the facility establishes a connection with the data network using a temporary network identifier that is different from the computing system's permanent network identifier, and conducts the established connection with the data network using the temporary network identifier.

Mobile devices such as smart phones, tablet computers, laptop computers, automobile computers, and smart cameras all provide additional functionality when connected to the Internet. For example, a mobile device that is presently connected to the Internet can receive and send email messages; interact with websites; obtain the full benefit of executing applications that have a backend component; download new programs, program updates, and media artifacts; access remote files; etc.
Typically, mobile devices connect to the Internet via wireless communications channels. Many mobile devices are equipped to connect to the Internet via cellular data networks operated by wireless telephony carriers. Some mobile devices are not so equipped, however, and those that are may incur significant marginal charges for sending or receiving significant volumes of data via cellular data networks.
Virtually all mobile devices are equipped to connect to the Internet via Wi-Fi networks using networking protocols specified by variants of the IEEE 802.11 standard. Because Wi-Fi networks are often free or inexpensive to use, and can in some places provide Internet connectivity where cellular data networks cannot, many mobile devices are configured to frequently scan for available Wi-Fi networks, such as at any time when the mobile device is not already actively connected to a Wi-Fi network. Performing such scanning enables the mobile device to automatically connect to already-known Wi-Fi networks, and notify its user of new Wi-Fi networks within connection range that the user can choose to connect to.

Circumventing wireless device spatial tracking based on wireless device identifiers