Apparatuses and methods are described for meeting timing and latency requirements using staggered clocking within the command path. In one example, an apparatus is disclosed that includes a timing circuit configured to provide an internal clock signal; a clock stagger circuit configured to receive the internal clock signal from the timing circuit and to generate at least one delayed internal clock signal; and a shift circuit arranged in a command decode and delay path of a command signal, coupled to the timing circuit and to the clock stagger circuit, and configured to capture the command from an external clock domain into an internal clock domain based on one or both of the internal clock signal and the delayed internal clock signal

Memory, such as dynamic random access memory (DRAM), is used in a multitude of electronics systems (e.g., portable computers, desktop computers, server systems, mobile devices, etc.) and has gone through several advancements over the years. For example, double data rate DRAM (DDRAM) was as first progression from the initial DRAM and operates at double the rate. Since then, DDRAM has also gone through a series of development milestones with each milestone improving the performance. This progression of development resulted in sequentially numbered DDRAM, e.g. DDR2, DDR3, and DDR4 development iterations. The DDR4 iteration has introduced new operating modes due to the ever increasing clock speeds of current computing systems employing DDR memories.
As DRAM's target CLK frequency continues to increase, the CAS latency control becomes more difficult due to the fact that it requires clock domain crossing from the external CLK to the internal clock (e.g., delay locked loop (DLL) clock) in a short CLK period (e.g., "fast" tCK). Also, to be competitive in the low-power DRAM market, it may be desirable to minimize unnecessary clocking when circuitry is not in use. CAS latency control scheme generally involves two clock domains where a command (read command or ODT command) is captured by a CLK-domain clock and data related to the command is provided according to the variable DLL-domain clock. In order to provide the data on time at the output PAD, the command in the CLK domain may be converted to the DLLCLK domain and also may be delayed by CAS latency (CL) and/or CAS Write Latency (CWL). Since the phase relationship between CLK and DLLCLK is variable, depending on tCK and PVT corners, it may be desirable to achieve smooth domain crossing with accurate CL calculation, especially at fast tCK operation.

Staggered DLL clocking on N-Detect QED to minimize clock command and delay path


The present invention aims to provide an optical pressure sensor capable of detecting a more minute pressure change. A base film is formed with a through hole passing first and second surfaces, an optical fiber is fixed to the base film at a region other than the FBG portion such that the FBG portion is positioned on the through hole in plan view. The optical pressure sensor according to the present invention is attached to an object body such that the second surface of the base film is closely attached to a surface of the object body directly or indirectly.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an optical pressure sensor equipped with an optical fiber including at least one FBG (Fiber Bragg Grating) portion.
2. Related Art
In the fields of design and analysis of automobiles, ships, airplanes and the like, various optimum designing has been carried out in terms of safety and higher efficiency. In particular, it is important to grasp the fluid physical quantity of air pressure or water pressure that acts on the object surface in the above fields. That is, optimum designing is carried out by feeding back the result obtained from the measurement of air pressure (wind pressure) by using a wind tunnel device that employs a reduced model and/or the measurement of water pressure by using a water tank.
A piezoelectric or semiconductor pressure sensor, and a strain gauge pressure sensor are known for measuring air pressure or water pressure.
However, such configuration has the following problems. In the piezoelectric and semiconductor pressure sensors, it is needed to bore a hole in the reduced model, insert a tube through the hole and electrically connect an opening end of the hole and a pressure sensor main body. The configuration has a technical limitation that the number of measurement points that could be arranged in the reduced model is up to tens to several tens. This is because the arrangement of a large number of measurement points is difficult since the tube has a diameter of several mm. With the strain gauge pressure sensor, an amplifier must be provided at each measurement point, and thus is practically difficult to carry out measurement at a large number of points. Furthermore, it is needed to bore a hole in an object body such as the reduced model in both the piezoelectric or semiconductor type and the strain gauge type. Therefore, the reduced model may be damaged due to water immersion from the hole when the reduced model is used for water pressure measurement. Furthermore, the strain gauge pressure sensor is electric, and therefore it may short-circuit due to water immersion.
An optical pressure sensor having an optical fiber with an FBG portion as a pressure sensitive portion is known as a pressure sensor that measures the pressure of the surface of the object body without boring any holes in the object body such as the reduced model (e.g., see Japanese unexamined publication No. 2002-71323, hereinafter referred to as prior document 1). The FBG portion is a portion where a grating (a diffraction grating) for reflecting only a predetermined wavelength of the incident light with respect to an advancing direction of the incident light is formed. The FBG portion is attached to a base film to form the sensor. When the pressure applying on the base film changes (i.e. when the base film strains due to the pressure change), the pressure change is also occurred on the FBG portion of the optical fiber attached to the base film. The pressure change on the FBG portion causes the diffraction pitch of the grating to change so that a peak of the wavelength of the light to be reflected is shifted. That is, the optical pressure sensor is configured so as to detect the amount of the pressure applying on the FBG portion (the strain amount of the FBG portion) by detecting the shift amount of the peak of the wavelength to be reflected at the time when the pressure applying on the FBG portion changes.
However, it is needed to detect a more minute pressure change in the optical pressure sensor as disclosed in the prior document 1 in order to carry out a safer and more efficient optimum designing. Further, there has been no optical pressure sensor capable of detecting both a positive pressure and a negative pressure (i.e., a differential pressure from a reference pressure).


An integrated circuit lid fixture and methods of using the same are provided. In one aspect, an integrated circuit lid fixture is provided that includes a base that has a plurality of pillars. Each of the plurality of pillars has a surface for supporting a substrate that may be removably seated thereon. The surfaces of the plurality of pillars have a first footprint at least as large as a footprint of the substrates to be placed thereon. A plate is provided for applying a compressive force to an integrated circuit lid positioned on any of the substrates removably seated on the pillars.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to semiconductor processing, and more particularly to apparatus and methods for attaching lids to integrated circuit substrates.
2. Description of the Related Art
Many current integrated circuits are formed as multiple die on a common wafer. After the basic process steps to form the circuits on the die are complete, the individual die are cut from the wafer. The cut die are then usually mounted to structures, such as circuit boards, or packaged in some form of enclosure.
One frequently-used package consists of a substrate upon which a die is mounted. The upper surface of the substrate includes electrical interconnects. The die is manufactured with a plurality of bond pads. A collection of solder bumps are provided between the bond pads of the die and substrate interconnects to establish ohmic contact. After the die is mounted to the substrate, a lid is attached to the substrate to cover the die. Some conventional integrated circuits, such as microprocessors, generate sizeable quantities of heat that must be ferried away to avoid device shutdown or damage. The lid serves as both a protective cover and a heat transfer pathway.
To provide a heat transfer pathway from the integrated circuit to the lid, a thermal interface material is placed on the upper surface of the integrated circuit. In an ideal situation, the thermal interface material ideally fully contacts both the upper surface of the integrated circuit and the portion of the lower surface of the lid that overlies the integrated circuit. Conventional thermal interface materials include various types of pastes, and in some cases, a metal. More recently, designers have begun to turn to indium as a thermal interface material.
The attachment of a lid to a die substrate involves a complex choreography of steps. The thermal interface material must be applied to the die. An adhesive must be applied to the substrate and cured in such a way that does not produce unwanted irregularities in the thickness or wetting of the thermal interface material. The lid must be attached to the substrate so that the tilt of the lid relative to the die is within acceptable tolerances. High tilt can lead to nonuniformities in thermal interface material thickness, which can produce poor heat transfer characteristics. A major factor in achieving acceptable lid tilt is the use of a proper fixture to hold the die substrates during lid processing.
One conventional fixture suitable for use with a pin grid array (PGA) die substrate uses a flat bottom plate upon which the PGA substrates are seated. After the lids are placed on the substrates, a middle plate is pressed down on the lids and the substrates are subjected to various thermal cycles to cure the adhesive. Depending on the composition and stiffness of the bottom plate, the thermal cycles can produce a warping of the bottom plate. Warping of the bottom plate can lead to misalignment of the lids and attendant tilt errors. This conventional fixture is not suitable for a class of die substrates known as land grid array (LGA) substrates. LGA substrates dispense with the downwardly projecting pins used in PGA substrates.
The present invention is directed to overcoming or reducing the effects of one or more of the foregoing disadvantages.


A digital camera can employ logic to delay capturing a still image after a person has operated the control button until such time as predetermined subject criteria are met, e.g., the subject is smiling with eyes open, three or more players are in the field of view to ensure a good action shot, etc.

Digital cameras can capture still images when a user manipulates a shutter button. Manipulation of the shutter button can signal a processor in the digital camera to move a shutter mechanism, similar to what occurs in non-digital cameras, to allow light to impinge on a digital imaging device, typically a charge-coupled device (CCD). The CCD in turn converts light into electric signals that are sent to the processor for generating an image. Or, in some digital cameras, opening a lens cover and activating the camera allows light to impinge on the CCD, with the signals from the CCD being used to generate a video stream of images and with manipulation of the shutter button not necessarily causing actuation of a shutter mechanism but instead signalling to the processor to "grab" one of the images in the stream as a still image. Accordingly, regardless of whether manipulation of the shutter button actually causes a shutter mechanism to "expose" the CCD or simply causes an image in a stream of images to be "grabbed", it is to be appreciated that the user establishes a still image by manipulating the shutter button to cause the processor to capture a still image.
As recognized by the present invention, digital cameras can suffer many of the same drawbacks as non-digital camera when taking a picture, namely, causing a still image to be generated at a less than opportune time for the subject. For example, the still image might be generated at the instant the subject blinks, or fails to smile. In other contexts, it might be desired to take an action photo of a sporting event, but it can be difficult, giving the fast-moving nature of the game, to generate a still image at an action point at precisely the moment the action occurs. Thus, for instance, a still image of a soccer match, instead of being generated just as the ball pierces the plane of the goal, might not be generated until the ball is already in the net. In any case, it may be appreciated that the present invention recognizes that it would be advantageous to couple the generation of a still image to one or more criteria that are subject-dependent.


A communications system provides a media sender object and a media receiver object that provide an interface between a media stack and an application. The application can use the media sender object to send content to a source media stack and the media receiver object to receive content from a sink media stack. The application programming interface of the media sender object and the media receiver object provides functions for registering and un-registering buffers for storing and receiving content. When a source media stack is ready to send content, it invokes each registered source to collect content to be sent. When a sink media stack has received content, it invokes each registered sink to provide the received content. An application interfaces with a media sender object and a media receiver object to add content to a channel or to receive content from a channel.

Video conferencing allows conference participants who are at different locations to participate in a conference. Typically, each conference participant has a computer-based video conferencing system that includes a video camera, a microphone, a display device, and a speaker. The video conferencing system of a conference participant captures the video and audio of that conference participant using the video camera and microphone and transmits the video and audio to the video conferencing systems of the other conference participants. When a video conferencing system receives the video and audio from the other conference participants, it presents the video on the display device and outputs the audio to the speaker. A video conferencing system may display each video in a different window on the display device or in a different area of a window. Thus, the conference participants can view the video and hear the audio of the other conference participants.
To support video and audio conferencing, the participant computer systems need to be interconnected in some way. Each connection has a video channel and an audio channel between participant computer systems. Each channel includes a send stream and a receive stream for sending and receiving content of the channel. Each endpoint of a channel includes a source and a sink that are connected to the streams of the channel. For example, the source and the sink of an audio channel are microphones and speakers, respectively. For both streams of an audio channel, a microphone is connected at one endpoint and a speaker is connected at the other endpoint.
Each endpoint of each stream of a channel may have a media stack of components that implement the functions of the stream. The components of the media stack of an audio channel for a source may receive audio content in PCM format, convert the audio content from PCM format to G.722 format, packetize the audio content that is in the G.722 format, and transmit the packetized content to the sink at the other endpoint. The components of a media stack of an audio channel for a sink may receive packetized audio content from the source at the other endpoint, de-packetize the received content, convert the de-packetized content from G.722 format to PCM format, and provide the content in PCM format to the local sink.
The existing channel structure allows only actual devices (e.g., microphones and speakers) to be sources and sinks of a channel. If, for example, a developer wants to intercept and record the content that is received at the sink, then the sink device driver will need to be modified to perform the intercepting and recording. In addition, if a developer wants to provide additional content not provided by a device, then the developer will also need to modify a source device driver. Each developer who wants to provide additional functions will need to modify the drivers accordingly. It would be desirable to have a technique that would allow for the intercepting of content and providing of content in a uniform manner to make it easier for developers to intercept content and provide additional content.

Method and system for providing an interface through which an application can access a media stack


An optical transceiver according to an embodiment includes an optical receptacle, two optical sub-assemblies, and a circuit board having a upper surface, on which the optical sub-assembly on the rear side is installed on the opposite side of an external connector to the optical receptacle on the upper surface and the optical sub-assembly on the front side is installed between the optical receptacle and the optical sub-assembly on the rear side on the upper surface. Each of the optical sub-assemblies includes an optical sub-assembly substrate on which an optical device is mounted, a lens part that covers the optical device and that is optically coupled to the optical receptacle, and a frame. A part of the frame of the optical sub-assembly on the front side is pressed by the optical sub-assembly substrate of the optical sub-assembly on the rear side toward the circuit board.

Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2010-122311 describes an optical module including a circuit board, an optical element that transmits or receives a plurality of optical signals, and a lens block that is optically coupled to the optical element and installed on the circuit board. With the lens block, a ferrule engages that retains an optical fiber, into which the optical fiber is inserted. The optical transceiver has a receptacle part including a ferrule that accepts an external MPO connector. The ferrule of the receptacle part is connected to the ferrule that engages with the lens block through a plurality of optical fibers.
Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2016-156916 describes an optical transceiver including an optical receptacle that accepts an external MPO connector, an assembly substrate on which a semiconductor optical element that has a photoelectric conversion function and laser driver are installed, and a main circuit board on which electronic devices are mounted. The assembly substrate and the main circuit board are protected by a housing. On the assembly substrate, a photoelectric conversion component and a holder are installed, and the holder retains the photoelectric conversion component on the assembly substrate. An MT ferrule engages with the inside of the optical receptacle and an MT ferrule engages with the photoelectric conversion component. The MT ferrule in the inside of the optical receptacle is optically coupled to the MT ferrule that engages with the photoelectric conversion component through an internal fiber.


Apparatus and accompanying methods for use therein for implementing an integrated, virtual office user environment, through an office server(s), through which a remotely stationed user can access typical office network-based applications, including e-mail, file sharing and hosted thin-client programs, through a remotely located network, e.g., WAN, connected web browser. Specifically, a front end, namely a service enablement platform (SEP), to one or more office servers on a LAN is connected to both the WAN and LAN and acts both as a bridge between the user and his(her) office applications and as a protocol translator to enable bi-directional, web-based, real-time communication to occur between the browser and each such application. The SEP translates user input originating from the browser into application-specific protocols and applies a result to a corresponding office application server.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to apparatus and accompanying methods for use therein for implementing a secure, cost-effective, web-enabled, integrated, virtual office user environment, through a centralized server(s), through which a remotely stationed user can access typical office network-based applications, including, e.g., e-mail, file sharing and hosted thin-client application programs, through a remotely located network, e.g., WAN, connected web browser, as well as for remotely providing network monitoring and management capabilities. The present invention is particularly, though not exclusively, suited for use in small to medium size organizations which, for economic reasons, do not have adequate in-house computer support (technical and administrative) capabilities.
2. Description of the Prior Art
With laptop personal computers (PCs) having become rather ubiquitous over the last several years, individuals who are away from their office, typically desktop, PCs and hence not in communication with their office networks, because they are either traveling or are at home, often have a continuing need to gain access to those networks. Such access is required if, for no other reasons, than only for those users to transfer files between their laptop PCs and servers on these networks and/or access their network-based e-mail servers (both for receiving incoming and transmitting outgoing messages).
This need is not only shared by many individuals but also by organizations of widely varying size, from large organizations to very small businesses and other groups.
The art teaches various approaches to meet this need. However, they are all deficient in one respect or another. In that regard, none of these approaches offers an effective, integrated solution that readily provides all the functionality obtainable using an office network through one simple remote user interface, such as a web browser.
Specifically, one approach is to simply install appropriate conventional communications software in each client laptop PC and permit its user to access, through a dial-up telephone line, his(her) office network to gain access to the network server for file transfer and e-mail functionality. All application programs would reside on and locally execute on the client laptop PC. While this approach is quite simple, nevertheless it necessitates that each and every such application program be installed, configured and then maintained on that PC. Consequently, over time, this approach, particularly in view of the on-going support costs of the installed application programs, can become quite expensive.
Another approach involves using a traditional virtual private network (VPN) to provide wide area network (WAN) connectivity from a user's remote or home location to an office local area network (LAN). A VPN WAN connection implements a so-called OSI layer 2 extension or "conduit" of the office network itself between the LAN and the user's remote/home location. A remote client PC, connected through a VPN to an office LAN, locally appears on the LAN, as far as that user is concerned, as if that client PC were directly connected to it. In essence, for packets destined from the client PC to the LAN, a VPN connection therebetween involves, at a near end of the VPN connection, encapsulating outgoing OSI layer 3 packets at the client PC into layer 2 IP (Internet protocol) packets and transmitting those layer 2 packets over the VPN connection (in effect tunneling those layer 3 packets through the VPN connection), and subsequently, at a remote (LAN) end of the VPN connection, disassembling the layer 2 packets to yield the layer 3 packets and applying the resulting layer 3 packets onto the LAN for carriage to their ultimate destination, such as a network server. The opposite operation occurs in reverse for packets emanating from LAN, e.g., the server, and destined, over the VPN connection, to the remote client PC. Since the layer 2 packet tunneling is totally transparent to both the LAN and the client PC, advantageously the client PC can provide the same level of functionality to its user as if that PC were directly connected to the LAN.
Historically, a VPN connection required special, expensive VPN termination equipment located at each end of the connection, or required special client software to be installed and configured at the client machine. This equipment was rather expensive to acquire, and proved to be rather tedious to properly configure and hence costly to administer and maintain, particularly for those small to medium sized organizations that lacked adequate in-house technical support personnel.
In particular, at the remote client site, a so-called VPN terminator (also referred to as a "client-site VPN router") was connected to a client PC to bi-directionally interface that PC to the VPN connection. This terminator provided layer 2 packet processing as well as appropriate packet encryption/decryption functionality. However, such a terminator, which included special-purpose software, was generally quite expensive to procure and needed to be installed and properly configured for its particular client PC—the latter entailing significant costs in both time and money. To mitigate the cost somewhat, various currently available PC operating systems (O/S's) now provide VPN support features, and, as an alternative, VPN vendors have built client VPN software that runs on the client machine and interacts with that vendors' own VPN server or with VPN servers from other vendors. Such client VPN software has been built to work with conventional PC O/S's such as Windows 98, Windows NT, Windows 2000, etc. However, PC O/S-based or client software based VPN support requires considerable packet processing (e.g., for packet encapsulation and disassembly, and cryptographic processing), which disadvantageously imposes a significant processing burden on the PC—though this burden may be acceptable for a home PC with a relatively light processing load, rather than a remote PC connected to an office network.
Furthermore, VPN services must be very secure. Unfortunately, until rather recently such PC O/S-based VPN support used a rather small key size, such as 40-bits, which generally does not provide sufficient security against third-party intrusion. While relatively new PC-based operating systems have become available that exhibit significantly increased VPN security, through use of triple DES and IPsec features—such as MICROSOFT® WINDOWS® 2000 O/S ("Windows 2000" is a trademark of the Microsoft Corporation of Redmond, Wash.), this support still presents a considerable processing load to the PC; hence, denigrating PC performance, specifically processing throughput.
Moreover, such PC operating systems, whether those exhibiting increased VPN security or not, still do not provide requisite reliability.
As such, to provide VPN connectivity with required levels of security and reliability without imposing an undue processing load on the client PC, use of a separate dedicated client-site VPN terminator—even in view of its expense—is still strongly favored in practice.
Not only is expensive, specialized VPN equipment required at the client site (or alternatives such as OS-based VPN support or client software packages, both with their accompanying problems, need to be used), but it is also necessary, to an even greater extent, at the LAN (central) site. At the LAN site, VPN support requires installation and configuration of an office-site VPN router. Office-site routers are considerably more expensive than client-site VPN routers for the simple reason that the processing circuitry in the former, which implements the necessary cryptographic and packet processing operations, is sized based on a number of users that need to be simultaneously supported. Each user is allocated a certain slice of the available processing capacity. Even if such a router is sized to support just a few simultaneous remote users on the LAN, its cost can easily amount to several thousands of dollars, with the cost rapidly escalating as user load and hence necessary processing capacity of the VPN router increased. Recently, server operating systems, such as the MICROSOFT® WINDOWS® 2000 server O/S, have become available that incorporate multi-user VPN support with sufficient security features; however, such support drains considerable processing resources from the server and still is insufficiently reliable. Moreover, if such a server O/S-based approach is used, counterpart client-site software, such as the Windows 2000 O/S, must be installed and properly configured on each client PC, which, if a large number of remote users exists, can be rather expensive and time consuming.
Therefore, in view of the relatively high cost involved, most small to medium sized organizations were and continue to be unable to afford the use of VPN connectivity, thus precluding themselves from providing secure remote office access to their internal networks and various business efficiencies and productivity increases that could have gained thereby.
A further, though totally different approach, evolved in the art for providing remote connectivity to an office LAN. This approach, predicated on an "application service provider" (ASP) model, involves installing specialized server software, such as "Metaframe" software available from Citrix Corporation, in the network server and an "ICA" client program in each client PC. Through the Metaframe program, the network server situated on the LAN would function as an ASP by hosting multiple virtual sessions of a given application program executing on the server, in effect implementing multiple virtual machines, to various different remotely located client PCs. Each remote client, running the ICA client program, would access, over, e.g., a WAN connection, a desired thin-client application hosted at the LAN-based server and establish a separate application session. The ICA client would communicate mouse clicks and keystrokes entered by a user stationed at the client PC, over the WAN connection, to the Metaframe program executing in the server which, in turn, would provide screen shots back to the client PC for local display to a user stationed thereat. This information would be carried between the client and server using an "ICA" protocol.
As PC manufacturers began equipping their PCs with client web browsers as standard issue software as well as users downloading such browsers for free from various software manufacturers, the Metaframe program evolved to permit remote browser-based web access, with the ICA client being replaced by the use of a resident client browser in the PC.
The concept of providing multiple virtual machines is also provided through "Windows Terminal Services" (WTS) software currently available from the Microsoft Corporation ("WINDOWS®" is a trademark of the Microsoft Corporation) for Windows NT 4 and Windows 2000 server operating systems, with client-server communication of screen shots, keystrokes and mouse clicks being carried to and from WTS using "RDP ('Remote Desktop Protocol' defined by Microsoft Corporation and based on the ANSI T.128 standard)", rather than an "ICA" protocol. Again, WTS, like the Metaframe program, still carries a considerable processing burden.
Unfortunately, with this ASP-based approach, the client PC did not appear as if it were connected to the LAN. As such, while this approach did allow remote application execution, it did not accommodate remote access of other essential office network-based functionality, such as file sharing and e-mail. Hence, this approach was seen as being rather "one-sided".
The art supplemented this ASP-based approach by incorporating a VPN (layer 2) connection between the LAN and client PC. This, in turn, provided added client functionality inasmuch as the client PC appeared as though it was on the remote LAN. However, this approach not only proved to be rather inconvenient to use but also, due to its VPN connectivity and for the reasons set forth above, rather expensive.
Specifically, a VPN server was connected to the LAN and a VPN router (or VPN terminator) was connected to each client PC, or each client PC used OS-based VPN support, or special client software had to be installed on each PC. The Metaframe program or WTS executed on the server which provided access, through a client browser or a special client application program, to a server-hosted virtual application session. By virtue of the VPN connection, the user at the client PC could remotely execute server-hosted thin-client applications, with the client PC appearing as if it were directly connected to the LAN. Unfortunately, this approach, being hampered by the constraints of the Metaframe software or WTS, only accommodated thin-client applications through the browser, and hence was just as "one sided". No other network functionality, such as e-mail or shared file access, was accommodated through the browser; hence, this approach proved somewhat inconvenient to use. Moreover, the high cost of the associated VPN client-site and office-site servers principally dissuaded many small to medium size organizations from using this approach.
To off-load some of the processing burden from the LAN server running WTS, a two-tier approach recently appeared in the art through which a specialized processing system was inserted between the server and a WAN connection. This processor converted RDP packets associated with WTS into AIP packets (AIP is a proprietary protocol owned by Tarantella Inc. of Santa Cruz, Calif.) or to some other less bandwidth-intensive protocol and conducted client application communication (screen shots, keystrokes and mouse clicks) with the far-end client PC through either of the latter protocols. ICA provides similar bandwidth conserving functionality. Alternatively, communication in native RDP may be used instead. In any event, the client PC interacted with the processing system through either a specialized client application program or a web browser executing an appropriate JAVA applet ("JAVA" is a trademark of Sun Microsystems, Inc. of Palo Alto, Calif.). While this scheme relieved some of the load on the server, it still suffered the same deficiency as an ASP approach: it was not integrated and thus failed to provide through one single user interface, such as a browser, all the functionality which that user would have if his(her) client PC were directly connected to his(her) office LAN.
In view of the increasing costs of software acquisition, client installation and maintenance of client application programs, internally centralized ASP-based remote application hosting may well become an attractive alternative for business users.
However, adequate security remains a concern, particularly for small to medium size businesses that seek to implement an ASP-approach using the Win 2000 O/S or similar system. In that regard, WTS provides cryptography, though at a 168-bit level, through use of a symmetric key. While each RDP message from a network server to a remote client is sufficiently encrypted by WTS to preclude its brute-force cryptanalysis, shared symmetric keys are vulnerable to third party discovery for the simple reason that the secret key has to be distributed to the parties using it, and thus can be obtained by a malicious party. Since the Windows 2000 WTS approach does not involve the use of certificates, it is vulnerable to "man-in-the-middle" attacks from malicious parties that have obtained the symmetric key. In symmetric-key cryptography, both sides, here being the remote client PC and the server, utilize the same key. As such, if a third-party interloper, a so-called "man in the middle" that had previously obtained the symmetric key, were to intercept communications, that party through its computer, could pose as the server to the client machine, and as the client to the server machine. However, that party would thus be privy to all communications attempted between the client and the server, and thus have access to information that could be highly proprietary. That party could readily decrypt each message it received from one end and then alter the message contents as it saw fit, and transmit a modified message to the other end, thus potentially causing considerable mischief. Since WTS provides no effective protection to so-called "man in the middle" attacks, inasmuch as its symmetric key scheme does not involve the use of certificates and public keys cryptography, use of WTS under the WIN 2000 O/S is still not viewed by many organizations as offering a sufficiently attractive or secure solution to properly support such centralized thin-client application program hosting.
Therefore, a need exists in the art for a technique, specifically apparatus and methods for use therein, that provides secure, but integrated network functionality through a remote WAN connection between a remote client PC and a server based on an office LAN. Such a technique should provide all network functionality, including, e.g., thin-client application program hosting, file sharing and e-mail, through a single, commonly available user interface, such as a web browser, as if that client PC were connected directly to the LAN. The security should be such as to substantially eliminate potential "man in the middle" attacks or other such third-party intrusions. Furthermore, through such a technique, the client PC should appear as if it were directly connected to the LAN.
While such a technique could utilize a VPN connection, it should function with preferably far less costly alternatives, such as interacting directly with transport schemes such as DSL (digital subscriber line) or other relatively low-cost, high-speed digital access modalities. Also, such a technique should be remotely administered and supported, particularly when employed in those organizations which can not afford to maintain adequate in-house computer support capabilities.
Such a technique, were it to exist, would likely be very attractive to many organizations, including small and medium sized businesses: (a) to permit effective internal ASP-based (centralized) thin-client application program hosting for remote client connectivity, with resulting cost savings to those organizations in application procurement as well as through centralized administration and maintenance of those application programs, and (b) through its use, to yield increased efficiency and productivity by providing remote access for individual users to all their office network-based functionality.

Apparatus and accompanying methods for providing, through a centralized server site, a secure, cost-effective, web-enabled, integrated virtual office environment remotely accessible through a network-connected web browser


A thin and cost-effective bi-directional loudspeaker which can reproduce high quality sound toward contrary directions simultaneously, arranged from bottom to the top, consists of a frame (2), a U-yoke (3), a first magnet (4), a washer (5), a copper cap (6), a second magnet (7), a voice coil (8), a diaphragm (9), a spacer (12), a spider (15), a dust cap (18) and a connector (1) disposed on lateral side of the frame (2). Said loudspeaker is characterized in that: said diaphragm (9) is in a cone shape whose an inner edge (10) of said apex is fixed with top of said voice coil (8). A periphery (16) of the spider (15) is fixed with an upper edge (14) of the supporting ring (12) and a bottom edge (13) thereof is fixed with an exterior (11) of the diaphragm (9). Said spider (15), spacer (12) and diaphragm (9) are coupled by adhesive and fixed on top of said frame (2).

A loudspeaker, also called speaker, is an acoustic transducer which can transform electronic signal into sound wave and be transmitted. Loudspeaker is a common device which is often incorporated in most electronic devices for outputting sound. Sizes of loudspeaker are variable, from a small size for use of earphone, headset or mobile phone to a super size for use of music concerts or movie theaters, giving the loudspeaker a wide range of application.
A conventional loudspeaker usually consists of a frame; and a U-yoke is secured directly on the bottom thereof. Inside the frame, a magnet, a washer, a voice coil and a dust cap are arranged following such order; and a diaphragm is coupled with the upper edge of the frame and a spider usually set on the bottom of the diaphragm. With opening of the diaphragm facing upwardly as a shape of a funnel, said configuration of the traditional loudspeaker may produce distortion and reduce the quality of the sound.
Moreover, said configuration limits the size of loudspeaker and produces higher friction which degrades the quality of the sound, and higher cost for manufacture; the application range of the speaker is therefore reduced.


This invention particularly relates to improving the engagement of the slip elements within a casing or tubing. Particularly, the invention is directed to improving the penetration of anchors on slip elements to better set downhole tools. Generally, in one aspect, the invention relies on decreasing the contact surface of the cutting edge of the anchor during the initial penetration of the anchor into the casing.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to downhole tools for use in oil and gas wellbores and methods of anchoring such apparatuses within the casing of the wellbore. This invention particularly relates to improving the engagement of the slip elements within a casing or tubing. These slip elements are commonly used in setting or anchoring of a downhole drillable packer, bridge plug and frac plug tools.
2. Description of Related Art
In drilling or reworking oil wells, many varieties of downhole tools are used. For example, but not by way of limitation, it is often desirable to seal tubing or other pipe in the casing of the well by pumping cement or other slurry down the tubing, and forcing the slurry around the annulus of the tubing or out into a formation. It then becomes necessary to seal the tubing with respect to the well casing and to prevent the fluid pressure of the slurry from lifting the tubing out of the well, or for otherwise isolating specific zones in a well. Downhole tools referred to as packers, bridge plugs and frac plugs are designed for these general purposes, and are well known in the art of producing oil and gas.
Both packers and bridge plugs are used to isolate the portion of the well below the packer or bridge plug from the portion of the well thereabove. Accordingly, packers and bridge plugs may experience a high differential pressure, and must be capable of withstanding the pressure so that the packer or bridge plug seals the well, and does not move in the well after being set.
Packers and bridge plugs used with a downhole tool both make use of metallic or non-metallic slip assemblies, or slips, that are initially retained in close proximity to a mandrel. These packers and bridge plugs are forced outwardly away from the mandrel upon the downhole tool being set to engage a casing previously installed within an open wellbore. Upon positioning the downhole tool at the desired depth, or position, a setting tool or other means of exerting force, or loading, upon the downhole tool forces the slips to expand radially outward against the inside of the casing to anchor the packer, or bridge plug, so that the downhole tool will not move relative to the casing. Once set, additional force, in the form of increased hydraulic pressure, is commonly applied to further set the downhole tool. Unfortunately, the increased pressure commonly causes the downhole tool to slip up or down the casing.
To prevent slipping of the downhole tool, cylindrically shaped inserts, or buttons, are secured to the slip segments to enhance the ability of the slip segments to engage the well casing. The buttons must be of sufficient hardness to be able to partially penetrate, or bite into the surface of the well casing, which is typically steel. Unfortunately, the buttons will occasionally disintegrate under increased force, or higher pressures, thereby allowing the downhole tool to slide within the well.
Alternatively, the slip segments may have a plurality of wickers positioned about them to engage and secure the slip segments within the casing. The wickers must be sufficiently hard to engage and deformably cut into the well casing. Unfortunately, the amount of force required to cause the plurality of wickers to engage the well casing is significant, and often exceeds that of a setting tool. Thus, until sufficient force is exerted upon the wickers, the wickers may not fully engage the casing, thereby allowing the tool to slide significant distances within the well prior to engaging the casing.


A compact light source for a projection display is disclosed enabling eye-glass display using a Fresnel mirror reflecting light without a distance as conventional prism type reflector.

Wearable displays provide the benefits of hands free operation as well as showing the images to the person who wears the display at a distance same as regular sight. However, the conventional near eye displays such as Head Mount Display, Head up Display and Eye Glass Type Display have not provided satisfied wearable display solutions to the viewers, because these conventional devices are often too heavy, too large, and too dark. Therefore, there are urgent needs for providing wearable display devices that are light, small, bright, having high resolution with see-through viewing optical path.
It is further desirable that the new wearable devices can be produced at a reasonable lower cost and can display large image. It is further desirable that a person can wear such devices can in a stealthy manner without being ostensibly detected by others that the person is wearing such a wearable device. Display systems implemented with LED and Laser light sources usually have a technical problem with uneven distribution of light intensity and a homogenizer is typically required for the display systems to provide uniform brightness of image. Three separate color light sources require to combine into a single light beam before projecting onto a display device. Enabling a compact eye-glass type display requires a very small system having both homogenizer and combiner. Several systems are proposed in the past.
As shown in FIG. 1, Takeda et al. disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 8,711,487 an eye glass type display system that implements see-through capability with a wave guide and a half-mirror. This system incorporates a transmissive LCD as a display and the illumination system is a backlight light-guide that diffuses the light from the light source. This system is suitable for transmissive LCD, but not necessarily suitable for other display devices such as LCOS and DMD.
As shown in FIG. 2 and FIG. 2A, Takahashi et al. disclosed in US Patent Application Publication US2013/0021581 an illuminator and a display for miniaturization. The system comprises multi-color light sources such as LED and Laser (11) with micro-lenses (116) to collimate, dichroic mirrors (117) to combine light beams as shown in FIG. 2 A and a polarized beam splitter (PBS, 16) arranged in perpendicular direction from LCOS (17). If this is used for an eye-glass display and embedded in a temple of glasses, this illuminator will stick out of the temple of glasses. In FIG. 2, Light beams from LEDs (11B, 11G, 11R) are condensed by a condenser lens (14) and a micro-lens array (15) and lead to a PBS (16, Polarize Beam Splitter) then focused by a lens set (18a, 18b, 18c) through a cover glass (30). In FIG. 2A, Light sources (11R, 11G, 11B) emit light beams (Lr, Lg, Lb) and the beams are collimated by collimation lenses (116a, 116b, 116c, 116) held by frames (116s) and the collimated beams are reflected by a mirror (117c) and dichroic mirrors (117a, 117b) through a filter (118).
As shown in FIG. 3, Katsumata et al. disclosed in JP2013-195603 a Planar Lightwave Circuit (PLC). A beam from a laser diode is lead into a light-wave guide and the light energy in a light-wave can be transferred to an adjacent light-wave guide in a certain condition. This method is suitable for a combiner of laser light sources and has a great potential, although it requires further study prior to high volume. FIG. 3 is disclosed by Katsumata et al. Disclosed in JP 2013-195603, a Planar Lightwave Circuit (10, 220, PLC). A beam from a laser diode is lead into a light-wave guide and the light energy in a light-wave. This is another way to combine multiple light beams into one. Laser beams are inputted at openings (101a, 102a, 103a) of optical fibers (101, 102, 103). Light beams are integrated at integrators (110, 120, 130 and a phase controller (140).


A terminal table unit includes: a terminal table (10) having a metal terminal (12) at its lower surface for connecting a lead wire (60); an insulation plate (20) adhered to the lower surface of the terminal table and having a hole (20-1) at a portion corresponding to the portion containing a metal terminal and its surrounding region; and a metal plate (30) having an upper surface adhered to the lower surface of the insulation plate and having a through hole (30-2) reaching from the upper surface to the lower surface. Through the through hole (30-2), the lead wire is brought out to the lower surface of the metal plate. The terminal unit has a contact surface between the insulation plate containing the hole (20-1) and the terminal table, a contact surface between the insulation plate and the metal plate, and the through hole (30-2) which are filled with adhesive and unified by a bolt (40).

In semiconductor manufacturing apparatuses and liquid crystal manufacturing apparatuses, demand for linear motors has been increasing as driving sources of positioning apparatuses adapted to carry out positioning of works loaded thereon. However, a coil is essential to the linear motor and it cannot be avoided that the coil acts as a heat generation source. Accordingly, a cooling structure for the coil is essential to the linear motor for use in an apparatus that requires strict temperature control, such as, for example, a stepper. The linear motor having the coil cooling structure is called a cooling-type linear motor and disclosed, for example, in Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication (JP-A) No. 2001-275337.
Generally, cooling-type linear motors are often of the type that covers a coil with a casing of metal, resin, or the like so as to define a space around the coil and cools the coil by feeding a coolant to the inside of the casing. The casing is attached with a terminal block having one or more terminals for connection between the inner coil and an external circuit. Issues to be solved in the linear motor of such a type are how to seal the terminal block, how to improve its maintenance, and how to attach it at a low cost.
Description will be made about first to third examples of terminal block structures in conventional cooling-type linear motors. In any of the first to third examples, the main part of a terminal block except terminals is made of an insulating resin material.
The first example uses a commercial terminal block 100 as shown in FIG. 1. The terminal block 100 is provided at its upper portion with a plurality of terminals 110 for external connection and at its lower portion with a plurality of metal terminals 111 connected to the terminals 110. Terminals 113 are connected to the metal terminals 111. This is because the length of the metal terminal 111 of the commercial terminal block 100 is short. The terminal block 100 is fixed to a casing 200 of the linear motor through a non-illustrated board or adhesive resin material. The casing 200 is formed with through-holes 201 for passing the terminals 113 therethrough. Passing portions of the terminals 113 in the casing 200 are sealed with seal portions 210 using glass, epoxy resin, or the like. Such a seal structure is called a hermetic type. Each terminal 113 is provided, at its portion corresponding to the seal portion 210, with a slip-off preventing portion 112 having an increased diameter. In the casing 200, the terminals 113 or lead wires connected thereto are connected to a non-illustrated coil of the linear motor.
The second example shown in FIG. 2 also uses, like in FIG. 1, a commercial terminal block 100 having terminals 110 and metal terminals 111. The terminal block 100 is fixed to a casing 200 of the linear motor through an adhesive resin material (not shown) or an O-ring 120. In the case of using the O-ring 120, the casing 200 is formed with an annular groove 202 for receiving the O-ring 120 therein. The metal terminals 111 are connected to lead wires 121, while the lead wires 121 are connected to coil-side lead wires 220 brought out from the casing 200. The lead wires 121 and the coil-side lead wires 220 pass through through-holes 201 so as to be received in the casing. In the case of using the O-ring 120, the terminal block 100 is attached to the casing 200 by the use of a plurality of bolts 130.
The third example shown in FIG. 3 also uses, like in FIG. 1, a commercial terminal block 100 having terminals 110 and metal terminals 111. The third example has a structure where a plate 150 made of a metal material is interposed between the terminal block 100 and the casing 200 in the second example. The plate 150 has through-holes (not shown) for passing lead wires 121 therethrough. Adhesive is used for bonding between a lower surface of the terminal block 100 and the plate 150, while an O-ring 120 is used for sealing between the plate 150 and the casing 200. The terminal block 100 is, along with the plate 150, fixed to the casing 200 by the use of a plurality of bolts 130.
In the case of the foregoing first example, the secure sealing can be expected since the hermetic-type seal structure is employed. However, the hermetic-type seal structure is high in cost. Further, the terminal block 100 is difficult to detach once it has been fixed and, therefore, there is a problem in its maintenance.
In the second and third examples, there is a merit that the structure itself is simple, resulting in low cost. However, in the case of using the O-ring 120 in the second example, a coolant in the casing 200 may leak from the terminal block 100 itself. This is caused by incompleteness of the sealing performance of the terminal block 100 itself. Even in the case of using the adhesive in the second example, there is a problem that the sufficient sealing performance cannot be obtained due to thinness of an adhesive layer (smallness in bonding area).
Further, any of the first to third examples has a problem that reliability is very low in terms of electrical insulation. In addition, the resin terminal block and the metal largely differ in linear expansion coefficient. In the seal structure between those having different linear expansion coefficients, there is a problem that the sealing performance is degraded due to thermal deformation.
Therefore, it is an object of this invention to provide a waterproof terminal block unit having high electrical insulation performance.

Waterproof terminal block unit with insulating plate


A liquid crystal display-element which has the high speed response and the high contrast and a display device employing the same are provided. In a display device employing a reflection type liquid crystal light valve, a retardation of a retardation plate which is provided between a polarizing element such as a polarizing beam splitter and the reflection type liquid crystal light valve is generally made xc2xc of the wavelength of the incident light, and an optical axis (a slow axis or a fast axis) of the retardation plate and the polarizing direction of the incident polarized light are shifted from each other by slightly larger than 0 degree in order to arrange such optical elements.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a liquid crystal display element and a liquid crystal display device employing the same, e.g., a liquid crystal projector.
2. Description of the Related Art
The liquid crystal display modes for the reflection type liquid crystal light valve employing a nematic liquid crystal are roughly classified into the three kinds of systems. That is, there are a tilted homeotropic ECB (Electrically Controlled Birefringence) mode, a homogenious ECB mode and a reflection type twisted nematic mode.
By the tilted homeotropic ECB mode is meant the alignment system in which the liquid crystal molecules are arranged in such a way as to be slightly inclined with respect to the perpendicular direction of each of a pair of substrates by utilizing the oblique evaporation method or the like, and this mode is described in an article of Applied Physics Letters 20, 199 (1972) for example.
By the homogenious ECB mode is meant the alignment system in which the liquid crystal molecules are arranged in such a way as to be roughly parallel to each of a pair of substrates, and this mode is described in JP-A-1-7021.
Also, by the reflection type twisted nematic mode is meant the system in which the liquid crystal molecules are arranged in such a way as to be roughly parallel to each of a pair of substrates and also the alignment directions in the vicinity of the pair of substrates holding therebetween the liquid crystal molecules shows the twisted positional relationship. By the way, for the twisted nematic mode, the several systems have been further proposed. As an example, there are an HFE (Hybrid Field Effect) mode, a TN-ECB (Twisted Nematic-Electrically Controlled Birefringence) mode, an SCTN (Self-Compensated Twisted Nematic) mode, an MTN (Mixed mode Twisted Nematic) mode, and the like.
The TN-ECB mode is described in an article of Japan Display ""89, p. 192 (1989), the SCTN mode is described in JP-A-10-090731, and the MTN mode is described in an article of Applied Physics Letters 68, p. 1455 (1996). In addition, the inclusive analysis of the overall reflection type twisted nematic mode is described in an article of Proceedings of SPIE 3635, p. 87 (1999) and an article of Proceedings of IDW ""99, p. 985 (1999).
By the way, of these modes, the HFE mode is the so-called normally black type display mode which becomes the black (dark) display when the voltage applied thereto is 0 Vrms, while becomes the white (light) display when a suitable voltage is applied thereto. Each of other three modes is the so-called normally white display mode which becomes the white (light) display when the applied voltage is 0 Vrms, while becomes the black (dark) display when a suitable voltage is applied thereto.
The typical system as the optical system employing these reflection type liquid crystal light valves is the optical system employing the polarizing beam splitter and it is described in JP-A-61-13885. In addition, as for other example, the optical system in which the main optical axis is made oblique with respect to the vertical direction of the liquid crystal light valve is described in JP-A-4-319910.
By the way, as for the technique in which the reflection type liquid crystal light valve and the retardation plate are combined with each other, the technique in which the polarizing beam splitter, the xc2xc wave plate and the reflection type liquid crystal light valve are combined with one another and these elements are arranged in such a way that the fast axis or the slow axis of the xc2xc wave plate intersects perpendicularly the flat surface containing the incident light axis and the reflected light axis of the polarizing beam splitter is disclosed in JP-A-2-250026 and U.S. Pat. No. 5,327,270. In addition, the technique in which the retardation of the retardation plate combined with the polarizing beam splitter is made equal to or larger than 0.25 (i.e., xc2xc wavelength) is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,576,854. Also, the description of the polarizing controller including the double refraction material layer is made in JP-A-1-7021.
The above-mentioned article of Proceedings of SPIE 3635 p. 87 (1999) reports that the conditions containing the MTN mode in the normally white reflection type twisted nematic mode is most excellent in the balance of the characteristics of the light utilization efficiency, the chromaticity characteristics, and the driving voltage (contrast ratio).
However, if the high speed response characteristics of the liquid crystal is regarded as important, the conditions containing the TN-ECB mode is more desirable. The importance of the high speed response characteristics of the liquid crystal molecules will hereinbelow be described by taking as an example the case where the liquid crystal display element is employed in the display device of the personal computer.
The image signals in the personal computer normally consist of the image signals corresponding to at least equal to or larger than 60 frames per second. That is, in the case where the image is displayed on the display device of the personal computer, in order that the display may surely follow the image signals, the liquid crystal needs to have the response time which is equal to or shorter than a time corresponding to one frame, i.e., equal to or shorter than {fraction (1/60)} seconds=16.6 milliseconds. If the response time of the liquid crystal is equal to or larger than a time corresponding to one frame, then the image which is different from that obtained on the basis of the image signals is displayed on the display device, and hence it is recognized on the residual image, which is expected not to essentially appear, at the back of the movement direction of the image. The phenomenon is particularly remarkable in the moving image, which reduces remarkably the quality of the image. Therefore, in order to realize the liquid crystal display device having the excellent image quality, it is necessary to select the display mode of the liquid crystal showing the high speed response.
Then, since it is in general known that the response time of the liquid crystal is in proportion to the square of the thickness of the liquid crystal, the high speed response can be expected as the thickness of the liquid crystal is thinner. In this respect, since the conditions containing the TN-ECB mode has the desired standardized retardation which is smaller than that in the conditions containing the MTN mode, even when the same liquid crystal material is employed, the thickness of the liquid crystal layer in the conditions containing the TN-ECB mode can be made narrower than that in the conditions containing the MTN mode. As a result, in the case of the conditions containing the TN-ECB mode, the shortening of the response time of the liquid crystal, i.e., the high speed operation of the liquid crystal response can be promoted as compared with the MTN mode.
Furthermore, the reflection type liquid crystal valve other than the transmission type liquid crystal light valves is employed, whereby the response time can be shortened. This will hereinbelow be described.
There is the retardation as the component contributing to the modulation of light in the light valve. The retardation is expressed by the product of the thickness d of the liquid crystal layer and the anisotropy xcex94n of refractive index of the liquid crystal.
While in the case of the transmission type liquid crystal light valve, the retardation is expressed by dxcex94n, in the case of the reflection type liquid crystal light valve, since the optical path is folded back by the reflection mirror, the incident light reciprocates through the liquid crystal layer. In other words, in the case of the reflection type liquid crystal light valve, the retardation contributing to the modulation of light becomes two times as large as that in the case of the transmission type liquid crystal light valve, i.e., becomes 2dxcex94n and hence though the liquid crystal layers have the same thickness, in the case of the reflection type liquid crystal light valve, the retardation which is two times as large as that in the case of the transmission type liquid crystal light valve can be obtained. That is, in the case of the reflection type liquid crystal light valve, even when the same liquid crystal material having the anisotropy of refractive index is employed, the thickness of the liquid crystal layer which is required to obtain the desired retardation can be made generally half that of the transmission type liquid crystal light valve. As a result, the greatly high speed response can be expected for the reflection type liquid crystal light valve.
Therefore, it is one of main objects of the present invention to provide a liquid crystal display device in which the high speed response is possible.
In addition, in the transmission type liquid crystal light valve, in order to prevent the generation of the flicker due to the slight overlap of the D.C. voltages, the driving is carried out in such a way that the applied voltages to the adjacent pixels are opposite in polarity to each other. Moreover, since the lateral electric field is generated in the region between the adjacent pixels in which the applied voltages thereto are opposite in polarity to each other, the alignment of the liquid crystal goes out of order in that region. This, for example, results in the reduction of the contrast ratio of the leakage of light.
For this reason, in the transmission type liquid crystal light valve, the light is shut off for the region in which the alignment of the liquid crystal goes out of order, thereby preventing the reduction of the contrast ratio. However, this measures leaves the problem that the aperture rate as the rate which the aperture occupies in one pixel is largely reduced.
On the other hand, since in the reflection type liquid crystal light valve, about all of the region of the pixels can be covered with the reflection pixel electrodes, the reflection type liquid crystal light valve has the great feature that it is possible to realize the aperture rate, which is close to 100% without limit. But, of course, it is necessary to avoid the disorder of the alignment of the liquid crystal due to the above-mentioned lateral electric field, which is generated in the region between the adjacent pixels, as much as possible. For this reason, in the reflection type liquid crystal light valve, the frame inverting drive in which the polarity of the applied voltages is inverted every frame is carried out so that the applied voltages to the adjacent pixels do not become opposite in polarity to each other. For all that, for example, the lateral electric field may generate in the boundary region between the adjacent pixels for the white image and the black image in some cases.
In order that the alignment of the liquid crystal may be prevented from going out of order due to the lateral electric field, it is necessary to adjust properly the so-called pretilt angle as the angle between each of a pair of substrates and the liquid crystal molecules.
In order that the alignment of the liquid crystal may be prevented from going out of order due to the lateral electric field generated in the region between the adjacent pixels in the homeotropic alignment, it is necessary to incline the angle of the liquid crystal molecules on the substrate interface by several degrees with respect to the direction perpendicular to each of the pair of substrates. However, if the liquid crystal molecules are inclined, then the retardation is generated. As a result, the contrast ratio is reduced. That is, the lateral electric field-resistance and the contrast ratio show the trade-off relationship. Therefore, it is necessary to obtain the most suitable relationship by taking these facts into consideration.
It is therefore another object of the present invention to provide a liquid crystal display device in which the high contrast ratio can be obtained.
In order to solve the above-mentioned problems associated with the prior art, according to one aspect of the present invention, there is provided a liquid crystal display element including: a reflection type liquid crystal light valve having a liquid crystal layer held between a transparent electrode and a reflection electrode, and a plurality of pixel circuits for driving the liquid crystal layer; and a retardation plate, wherein the retardation plate is arranged in such a way that an optical axis (a slow axis or a fast axis) of the retardation plate and the polarizing direction of the incident polarized light to the retardation plate are slightly shifted from each other.
In addition, there is provided the liquid crystal display element in which the retardation of the retardation plate therein is generally xc2xc of the wavelength of the incident light to the retardation plate.
An example suitable for the liquid crystal layer in the liquid crystal display element of the present invention is the liquid crystal having the twisted nematic alignment. In this connection, the twisted angle is set to the range of about 50 to about 90 degrees, and also the angle of the retardation plate is set to the value which is larger than 0 degree, but is equal to or smaller than 10 degrees, whereby the high contrast ratio can be realized.
Or, in the above-mentioned construction, the twisted angle is set to the range of about 50 to about 90 degrees, and also the angle of the retardation plate is set to the value which is smaller than 90 degrees, but is equal to or larger than 80 degrees, whereby the high contrast ratio can be realized.
Another example suitable for the liquid crystal layer in the liquid crystal display element of the present invention is the liquid crystal having the hemotropic alignment. When a first alignment direction of the liquid crystal is 45 degrees, the angle of the retardation plate is set to the value which is smaller than 0 degree, but is equal to or larger than xe2x88x9210 degrees, whereby the contrast ratio can be realized.
Or, in the above-mentioned construction, the angle of the retardation plate is set to the value which is larger than 90 degrees, but is equal to or smaller than 100 degrees, whereby the high contrast can be realized.
In addition, in order to solve the above-mentioned problems associated with the prior art, according to the present invention, there is provided a liquid crystal display device including: a liquid crystal display element having a reflection type liquid crystal light valve having a liquid crystal layer held between a transparent electrode and a reflection electrode, and a plurality of pixel circuits for driving the liquid crystal layer, and a retardation plate; a polarizing optical element; and a light source, wherein the retardation plate is arranged between the liquid crystal light valve and the polarizing optical element; the retardation of the retardation plate is generally xc2xc of a wavelength of incident light to the retardation plate; and wherein the absolute value of an angle between an optical axis of the retardation plate and a polarizing axis of the polarizing optical element is larger than at least 0 degree, but is equal to or smaller than 10 degrees.
Furthermore, there is provided the liquid crystal display device in which the liquid crystal element in the liquid crystal display device is any one of the above-mentioned liquid crystal elements.

Liquid crystal display element and a display device having a homeotropic alignment


A method for testing a new superconducting wire involves charging an actively shielded magnet coil configuration which comprises a first partial region which can be superconductingly short-circuited using an additional switch. A superconductor to be tested under increased current load is used in this first partial region, thereby preventing superconductor in the second partial region from being subjected to this increased current load. Operating currents are determined for both partial regions that have the desired excess current in the first partial region, with the overall field B0 only slightly differing from the standard operating field of the magnet coil configuration. The operating currents are adjusted through initial charging of the overall magnet coil configuration, thereby taking into consideration the inductive coupling between the partial regions and after closing of the additional switch, by continued charging or discharging in the second partial region only. The method permits inexpensive testing of a superconductor in a series-produced NMR magnet under NMR conditions.

The invention concerns a method for testing a new superconducting wire through charging an actively shielded magnet coil configuration (20) comprising a first partial region (21) which can be superconductingly short-circuited using an additional switch (23). A superconductor is used in this first partial region (21), which is to be tested under increased current load without subjecting the superconductor in the second partial region (22) to increased current load. Both partial regions (21, 22) have associated operating currents, wherein the first partial region shows the desired excess current and the overall field B0 differs only slightly from the standard operating field of the magnet coil configuration. These operating currents are adjusted through initial charging of the overall magnet coil configuration (20), thereby taking into consideration the inductive coupling between the partial regions (21, 22), and after closing the additional switch (23), through continuation of charging or discharging processes only in the second partial region (22). In this manner, the superconductor can be tested in a series-produced NMR magnet under NMR conditions and in an inexpensive fashion.
One essential problem in the construction of a superconducting NMR (nuclear magnetic resonance) magnet with maximum temporal field stability is the proper loading of the superconducting wire in the magnet. The NMR magnet should be as small and compact as possible to reduce costs. In order to achieve this, the superconducting wire (superconductor) must be loaded with a maximum current. However, the current must not be excessive, since otherwise the resistance of the superconductor, which cannot be completely eliminated in an actual superconductor, and the associated current reduction in the magnet, i.e. the magnetic field drift, would become excessive. The magnetic field drift of NMR magnets is defined, as is the field strength itself, relative to the resonance frequency of the hydrogen nucleus (proton), which, in turn, is proportional to the magnetic field. The specific maximum admissible field drift of NMR magnets is on the order of magnitude of 0.01 ppm/h. This would be a specific drift of 8 Hz/h for an 800 MHz magnet. As can be shown by simple calculation, a superconducting NMR magnet having this specification cannot be operated at a current that corresponds to the critical current of the superconductor used. According to a generally accepted definition, the critical current is reached when the voltage drop across one centimeter of the superconductor is 0.1 pV. As the magnetic field in which the superconductor is located increases, the critical current decreases. With a conductor length of typically 100 km wound in a highest-field magnet, operation of a conductor length of 1 km in a magnetic field region in which the magnetic current corresponds to the critical current of the superconductor is sufficient to obtain a highly drifting magnet. The discharging voltage applied to the magnet would be 0.01 V in this case. The magnet current must obviously be considerably less than the critical current of the superconductor. If the magnet current is excessively low, the number of magnet windings required to achieve the required field would be excessively high, making it unacceptably large and expensive.
The determination of the correct magnet current is further aggravated in that the maximum voltage drop of the superconductor per centimeter that still prevents the overall magnet from drifting is sufficiently small that it can no longer be distinguished from the noise. The voltage drop across a superconducting magnet through which an operating current flows, and its magnetic field drift, cannot therefore be derived from a measurement on a short superconducting piece through which a magnetic flux flows. Maximum resolution voltage measurement over the entire conductor length wound on the coil body is also not possible.
In an alternative method, the superconductor to be tested is installed in an existing series-produced magnet. In this case, the conductor could be tested under NMR conditions, however, with two decisive limitations. First, the conductor dimension (conductor cross-section) of the series-produced magnet is used, which means that the new conductor type cannot bear a higher load than the standard conductor from the series-produced magnet. The higher potential of the new conductor can therefore not be tested. Secondly, if the conductor cross-section of the new conductor type is smaller, the conductor can carry a higher current density, however, the construction of the coil body of the series-produced magnet must be completely changed and adjusted to the new conductor dimension which would involve high constructive effort and expense. If the conductor does not meet the expectations and would be excessively loaded in the series-produced magnet, this magnet could not be delivered.
It is the underlying purpose of the present invention to test the NMR capability of a new superconductor type with NMR sensitivity in a series-produced NMR magnet without additional effort and little risk of having to replace the tested superconductor, i.e. having to repair the series-produced magnet. Towards this end, the new superconductor type to be tested, which should have e.g. a higher current carrying capacity than the standard superconductor, must have the same dimensions as the conductor being replaced in the series-produced magnet. The method allows testing of the new superconductor under increased current load or current density load compared to the series-produced magnet with simultaneous control of the magnetic field stability (magnetic field drift) at the NMR level. The superconductor test can be performed in a conventional series-produced magnet provided with an additional superconducting switch: the construction of the coil bodies remains unchanged since the conductor dimensions are the same. After the test, the magnet including new superconductor type can be delivered and operated according to specifications. Even though the new conductor type does not meet the increased expectations, the magnet may be delivered as long as the conductor is not worse than the standard conductor conventionally used in series-produced magnets.

Method for testing a superconductor under increased current load in a series-produced and actively shielded superconducting NMR magnet


The present invention provides for a method for decreasing the Conradson carbon content of petroleum streams by forming a mixture of the petroleum stream and an essentially aqueous electrolysis medium, and passing an electric current through the mixture at an anodic voltage and pH sufficient to produce a petroleum fraction having decreased Conradson carbon content. The anodic voltage is from +0.5 to +1.5V vs. SCE. Preferably the pH is acidic. The invention provides a method for enhancing the value of petroleum feeds that traditionally have limited use in refineries.

Conradson carbon ("Concarbon") number or content is a measure of the characteristic tendency or propensity of a petroleum feedstream to form coke during processing. Feedstreams having a lower Concarbon number are more economically desirable as refinery feeds than feedstreams having a higher concarbon number. For example U.S. Pat. No. 5,514,252 discloses reductive electrochemical treatment of refinery streams which occurs at specified cathodic potentials. It is, therefore, desirable to develop processes for reducing the Concarbon number of feedstreams. Applicants have developed such a process.

Method for anodically decreasing conradson carbon content of petroleum streams


An ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus is disclosed which can reduce the device amount of a receiving circuit, while obtaining the shape of an excellent received beam. In this ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus, a plurality of transducer elements are arrayed and used as an ultrasonic probe, and the transducer elements are driven by a plurality of transmission driving circuit. The signal received by the transducer element is distributed to any of a plurality of input terminals of a cross point switch beam former. The received signals of the three transducer elements near the center of the aperture of the ultrasonic probe are added and inputted to one terminal of a beam former. The second, fourth and sixth transducer elements at the end of the aperture are not connected to the beam former. The signals received by the transducer elements are delay-added by the beam former. The delay precision can be improved, and the beam shape can be made sharper, thereby improving the image quality of the ultrasonic image.

Conventionally, in an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus, a focusing technique has been used for using a plurality of arrayed transducer elements at the same time and focusing a beam. The configuration of such a conventional ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus will be described below. FIG. 11 shows a block diagram of a conventional linear scanning ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus (conventional example 1).
In FIG. 11, a probe 1 is an ultrasonic probe in which transducer elements 2-1 to 2-128 are arrayed. High voltage switches 3-1 to 3-64 are switches to select the apertures to be used. A transmission pulse generator 4 is a unit for generating a transmission pulse. A cross point switch 6 is a switch for re-arranging received signals. A/D converters 8-1 to 8-64 are units for converting analog received signals into digital signals. A beam former 9 is a unit for delaying and adding the data after the digital conversions. A B-mode signal processing circuit 10 is a unit for carrying out a signal process for a B-mode displaying. A Doppler blood flow meter signal processing circuit 11 is a unit for carrying out a signal process for a Doppler blood flow meter. A color flow signal processing circuit 12 is a unit for carrying out a signal process for a color flow. An image synthesizer 13 is a unit for synthesizing the signals from the respective signal processing circuits of the B-mode signal processing circuit 10 to the color flow signal processing circuit 12 and constituting a display image. A display 14 is a unit for displaying the synthesized image. A controller 15 is a unit for controlling the respective units of the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus. An operating unit 16 is an inputting unit that is operated by an operator. Since the operations of the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus configured in this way are well known, their explanations are omitted.
The ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus using the arrayed transducer elements needs to process the signals from the plurality of transducer elements at the same time, and consequently needs the A/D converters whose number is equal to the number of the transducer elements used at the same time, and the beam former for receiving the digitized signals and then carrying out the delaying and adding process. Thus, this has a problem that many devices are needed. In order to solve this, a method disclosed in Japanese Laid Open Utility Model Patent Application (JP-A-Showa, 58-70208) is proposed. This method will be described below by using FIG. 12 and FIG. 13.
FIG. 12 is a block diagram of the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus (a conventional example 2) disclosed in Japanese Laid Open Utility Model Patent Application (JP-A-Showa, 58-70208). In FIG. 12, a probe 1 is an ultrasonic probe that includes arrayed transducer elements 2-1 to 2-128. High voltage switches 3-1 to 3-64 are switches to select the apertures to be used. A transmission pulse generator 4 is a unit for generating a transmission pulse. Voltage-current converting amplifiers 5-1 to 64 are units for converting voltages into currents. A cross point switch 6 is a switch for re-arranging received signals. Current-voltage converting amplifiers 7-1 to 32 are units for converting currents into voltages. A/D converters 8-1 to 8-32 are units for converting analog received signals into digital signals. A beam former 9 is a unit for delaying and adding the data after the digital conversion. A B-mode signal processing circuit 10 is a unit for carrying out a signal process for a B-mode displaying. A Doppler blood flow meter signal processing circuit 11 is a unit for carrying out a signal process for a Doppler blood flow meter. A color flow signal processing circuit 12 is a unit for carrying out a signal process for a color flow. An image synthesizer 13 is a unit for synthesizing the signals from the respective signal processing circuits of the B-mode signal processing circuit 10 to the color flow signal processing circuit 12 and constituting a display image. A display 14 is a unit for displaying the synthesized image. A controller 15 is a unit for controlling the respective units of the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus. An operating unit 16 is an inputting unit that is operated by an operator.
The connection of the cross point switch 6 in this conventional example 2 is shown in FIG. 13A. Numbers 1, 2, . . . are assigned to the signals in the order starting from the ends of signal receiving apertures. In the cross point switch 6, two signals adjacent to each other are connected to one output terminal. At the former stage of the cross point switch, a received signal is converted into a current. Since the two signals are connected to the one output terminal, the output to which the current of the two signals is added can be taken out from the output terminal. Hereafter, the connection of the cross point switch 6 is represented as shown in FIG. 13B. In this way, the addition of the received signals of the two transducer elements adjacent to each other enables the drops in the input numbers of the A/D converters and beam formers, which consequently enables the reduction in the device amount.
However, even the addition for every two signals as mentioned above may bring about a problem. In the signal at the aperture end, the difference between the arrival times of the signals from the transducer elements adjacent to each other is great, which makes a delay precision poor. So, in order to solve this problem, in a conventional example 3 in which the conventional example 2 is improved, the addition of the transducer elements is not uniform. This method will be described below by using FIG. 14.
FIG. 14 is the connecting method of the cross point switch in the conventional example 3. In the conventional example 3, with the approach to the center of the aperture, the number of the received signals to be added is increased, and at the end, it is assumed to be 1. The fact that the difference of the delay time is small at the center of the aperture and the difference of the delay time is large at the end is considered.
However, in the conventional ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus, even in the above-mentioned conventional example 3, depending on the convergence condition, the difference of the delay time between the transducer elements to be added becomes great, which results in the problem that the convergence precision becomes poor.

Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.