A synchronous motor drive device drives a plurality of synchronous motors, and includes a power converter that converts power to supply power to the plurality of synchronous motors, a first switch device that electrically connects or disconnects between the power converter and each of the plurality of synchronous motors, and a controller that, based on a higher order command, performs stability judgment processing of the plurality of synchronous motors, determines the number of synchronous motors to be driven and a drive speed from among the plurality of synchronous motors, selects a synchronous motor corresponding to the number of the synchronous motors from among the plurality of synchronous motors, controls the first switch device corresponding to the selected synchronous motor to electrically connect the power converter to the synchronous motor and to supply the power, and instructs, to the power converter, the drive speed of the synchronous motor to be driven.

Heretofore, a brushless synchronous motor has been configured to be contactless. Thus, the motor has various advantages, and is therefore used in any situation. However, when a plurality of brushless synchronous motors are used, the motors may be more disadvantageous than a plurality of induction motors, in terms of cost of a motor drive device.
The induction motors have a property of generating torque due to a difference between a frequency of an AC power source and a motor rotation frequency. Therefore, even when the plurality of induction motors are connected in parallel to one AC power source, the motors can be easily driven. Consequently, when the number of the induction motors increases, a capacity of the power source increases, but it is not necessary to increase the number of the power sources. Since the number of components does not increase excessively, an excessive increase in cost of the power source is suppressed.
On the other hand, it is not easy to arrange the brushless synchronous motors in a parallel drive system that drives the plurality of motors connected in parallel to one AC power source. The brushless synchronous motors step out, when a voltage and a current synchronized with a magnetic pole position of a rotor are not applied. Therefore, there is generally used, a single drive system that drives a single motor by using one motor uses one AC power source per motor. Consequently, when the number of the brushless synchronous motors increases, the number of the power sources accordingly has to increase. Thus, the number of components also increases, thereby increasing the cost of the power source. To suppress the cost of the power source, various suggestions have been made. Here, as the AC power source for the driving of the brushless synchronous motors, a device having an inverter circuit configuration is most general, but the device may have another circuit configuration such as a cycloconverter or a matrix converter.
For example, there has been proposed a drive device that simultaneously drives two or more brushless synchronous motors connected in series to one power source (e.g., see Patent Literature 1). There has been further proposed a drive device that does not simultaneously drive two or more brushless synchronous motors connected in parallel to one power source, and switches the motors that are loads to be driven (e.g., see Patent Literature 2). There is also a drive device that simultaneously drives two or more brushless synchronous motors connected in parallel to one power source. For example, a drive method includes driving a plurality of sensorless motors connected in parallel to one inverter device so that each motor can start at an optional timing (e.g., see Patent Literature 3). Additionally, there is, for example, a drive device that drives a plurality of motors connected in parallel to one inverter device so that a freely rotated motor does not constitute a load of another motor (e.g., see Patent Literature 4). In addition, there is, for example, a motor drive device that can always drive a plurality of motors connected in parallel to one inverter device (e.g., see Patent Literature 5). Furthermore, there is, for example, a motor drive device that can successively start a plurality of motors connected in parallel to one inverter device (e.g., see Patent Literature 6).

Synchronous motor drive device, air-sending device and air-conditioning device


A light emitting diode package, a method of fabricating the same, and a display apparatus having the same are provided. The light emitting diode package includes a light emitting diode, a quantum dot layer, a band pass filter, disposed in a housing. The light emitting diode emits light of a first color. The quantum dot layer includes a plurality of quantum dots disposed on the light emitting diode to absorb a portion of the light emitted by the diode, and then emit light of a second color. The band pass filter is disposed on the quantum dot layer and has a first pass band corresponding to the light emitted from the diode and a second pass band corresponding to the light emitted from the quantum dots.

The present disclosure relates to a light emitting diode package, a method of fabricating the same, and a display apparatus having the same. More particularly, the present disclosure relates to a light emitting diode package including a quantum dot layer and a band pass filter to improve color reproduction, a method of fabricating the same, and a display apparatus having the same.
In general, light emitting diode (LED) packages use light emitting diodes that emit light having one of the three fundamental colors, i.e., red, green, or blue. An LED is manufactured by joining a P-type semiconductor and an N-type semiconductor with each other. When electrons and holes are combined with each other near the PN junction layer, the LED emits light having energy corresponding to a band gap.
To realize white light, LED packages use phosphor, which may be included in a layer over the LED. The phosphor absorbs a portion of light emitted from the LED and is excited, to generate light having a different color. For example, when an LED emitting blue light is used, red phosphor and green phosphor may be used in the LED package, so that the LED package emits white light.
LED packages that include a blue LED and red and green phosphors are used as light sources in 3D displays. In one method of displaying a three-dimensional image, a display emits light specifically for the left eye and light specifically for the right eye. The light specifically for each eye has wavelengths which are different from each other, as the differing wavelengths reaching each eye from the display allow a three-dimensional image to be perceived by a viewer. To provide light having wavelengths specific to each eye, a display includes a filter. However, when the light used for the display is generated in an LED package, the light has a wide full width at half maximum (FWHM). When this light is filtered to obtain light with differing wavelengths for the left eye and the right eye, color reproduction range differences and a brightness differences between left and right eye images may be large, due to the wide FWHM.

Light emitting diode package, method of fabricating the same, and display apparatus having the same


Electrical contact mat (2) with at least two plates (2a, 2b) arranged at a spacing from each other in the at-rest condition, which plates are fabricated in particular from rubber or polymers and made electrically conductive by the admixture of conductive substances such as carbon black, graphite, metal powder and the like, the spacing being established by one or more nonconductive spacers, and with a device for closed-circuit protection, which is operatively connected with the plates (2a, 2b), the spacers being designed as a substantially inelastic interlayer (2c), which has openings of such size that the inner surfaces of the plates (2a, 2b) make mutual contact when the contact mat (2) is under compressive load and thus form the switch of a tactile sensor (1) of the device for closed-circuit protection, the sensor (1) having an electrical connection (3) in parallel with the contact mat (2).

This invention relates to an electrical contact mat with at least two conductive plates arranged at a spacing from each other by nonconductive spacers in an at-rest condition. The electrical contact mat is particularly useful in safety devices, warning devices and intrusion protection apparatus.
Fabrication of plates of an electrical contact mat from metal is disclosed in a European patent document EP-0109 159 of Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing Company published May 5, 1984. Such contact mats may possibly be suitable for rough service with large switching forces, but they are not advantageous when smaller point loads initiate a contact. What is more, they are not adaptable to uneven surfaces, curvatures and the like.
European patent document EP-0 395 784 of Karlheinz Beckhauser published on Nov. 7, 1990 shows how to fabricate the plates from rubber, plastic and the like and to provide them with spacers. The spacers are designed as bumps, strips or battens and fabricated in one piece with one plate. In this way, plates are obtained that are complicated and thus expensive to fabricate, especially since the plate with spacers must be designed in such a way that the spacers are not conductive but the plate is conductive.
Further, it is generally known to provide an electrical switching mechanism on safety devices in order, for example, to shut off a machine or to actuate a warning device when a switch initiates a switching pulse. So-called closed-circuit protection is carried out in order to detect open circuits, short circuits and the like. Here, besides the switching mechanism, a tactile sensor also has an electrical termination, this electrical termination lying in a closed circuit. Permanently flowing through this electrical termination is a closed-circuit current, which has a constant value if no switching pulse is present. If a short circuit or an open circuit should suddenly occur, it is detected through variation of the constant closed-circuit current. Similarly, the closed-circuit current changes if the switch short-circuits the electrical termination, so that a switching operation can be initiated by this change of known magnitude in the closed-circuit current. Here it is disadvantageous that the current flow through the electrical termination means that a voltage is present across this electrical termination, leading, on the basis of environmental effects prevailing at the place of installation of the electrical termination, to material damage to the components involved and their connection and to further impairment in signal detection. This leads not only to damage to or even failure of the tactile sensor, but also to the necessity of frequent replacement of the sensor, which is undesirable.
Such safety-critical devices, as a rule, are operated in a voltage range that lies below the so-called low-voltage protection value of 42 volts, preferably 12 or 24 volts being employed. Significant material damage phenomena are detectable even at these voltage values, leading to the disadvantages already described, which are most especially safety-critical. Even the use of high-quality materials in the region of the electrical termination, including the electrical connections, has proved not to lead to significant prevention of material damage.
It is an object of the invention to remedy the disadvantages of the contact mats hereinbefore described and to create a contact mat that is simple and inexpensive to fabricate and reacts in a reliable way to small forces. It is a further object of the invention to avoid the disadvantages of the prior devices for closed-circuit protection, such as damages to or failures of the tactile sensor, with inexpensive materials even if the electrical contact mat is used in a moist or wet environment.
According to the invention, the spacers are designed as a substantially inelastic interlayer, which has openings of such size that the inner surfaces of the plates make mutual contact under compressive load and thus form the switch of the tactile sensor of the closed-circuit protection, the plates being designed as thin, preferably pliable and elastic switching elements. The plates preferably have a thickness of 2.5 mm, the non-conductive interlayer, which is preferably designed as a mesh fabric or perforated film of plastic or cotton, having a preferred thickness of 0.5 mm. The openings in an interlayer a mesh fabric preferably have a mesh width of approximately 5 mm. The plates preferably have a Shore hardness of 50 to 65.
If the interlayer, as proposed according to the invention, is made adhesive on both sides, a unitary contact mat can be fabricated with simple resources. An adhesive tape, for example, can be used as edging in order to improve the durability.
It is further proposed, according to the invention, that the plates have bumps or other protrusions arranged at intervals on their surface opposite the interlayer. In this way, the contactability is enhanced, especially if what is applied is more an areal than a point load.
According to the invention, the proposed contact mat is suitable for the formation of a bumper or other safety switching apparatus with large overtravel, force transmission elements then being located next to the contact mat, which force transmission elements are attached to a support element. An elastic superstructure, preferably made of foamed plastic, is provided on the side of the support element opposite the transmission elements. The support element is articulated so that it can move perpendicularly to the contact mat and is made substantially rigid, so that forces on the elastic superstructure lead to the initiation of a contact of the switching mat. On the end toward the contact mat, the transmission elements are made in such a way that they form a small transmission area lying in the range of 10 mm2. If a plurality of transmission elements are arranged, for example, in multiple rows, even an oblique force on the elastic superstructure can lead to reliable initiation of the contact mat. Thus, switching initiation can be varied through the number and configuration of the transmission elements.
In order to insure an articulation of the support element with elastic superstructure, relative to the contact mat, such that the support element can move perpendicularly to the contact mat, the contact mat and the support element can be placed in a frame, the frame enclosing both these elements and holding them against each other with a rim.
The proposed contact mat is also preferably suitable for the formation of a safety edge switch, the contact mat then being made as a contact strip with which a support strip, which is articulated so that it can move perpendicularly to the contact strip, is in contact via transmission elements. The structure is similar to that of the bumper, here the question being not primarily one of large. overtravel but of a particular kind of safety edge switch. The transmission. elements can be fabricated in one piece with the support strip, and the support strip should have a certain flexibility so that contact initiation also takes place as a consequence of a point load.
The proposed contact mat can also be bent into an arch shape and attached at its two ends to a machine, a rolling gate or the like and designed as a safety edge switch. A pressure on the outer jacket of the contact mat bent into an arch shape initiates a switching pulse.
According to the invention, the current flowing in the closed circuit can be varied through loading and unloading of the contact mat, and there are ways of generating the current flowing in the closed circuit such that a voltage of maximally 1 volt is present across the electrical termination.
It has been found that material damages in the region of the tactile sensor, that is, in the region of the contact mat and of the electrical termination including the electrical connections, can be markedly reduced or substantially prevented by working with voltages in the range below 1 volt. The generation of the current flowing in the closed circuit by equipment that causes the voltage applied across the electrical termination to be maximally 1 volt has the advantage that the previous equipment for generating the voltage or the current flowing in the closed circuit can be retained. In particular, it has been found that this voltage in particular makes the electrical contact mat insensitive to moisture and the like.
If the equipment for generating the current flowing in the closed circuit is designed as a:voltage source, then specifying the voltage with allowance for the value of the electrical termination (thus the resistance value if a resistance is used as the electrical termination) sets the current flowing in the closed circuit and simultaneously limits the voltage across the electrical termination to the maximum value of 1 volt.
If the equipment for generating the current flowing in the closed circuit is designed as a current source, which imposes in the electrical termination of the tactile sensor a current from which the voltage of maximally 1 volt results, then the maximum voltage of 1 volt (or a constant value lying below 1 volt) can be maintained by appropriate dimensioning of the imposed current and the value (resistance value) of the electrical termination (resistance).
In development of the invention, a tactile sensor may be connected to an electronic interpretation unit that has at least one trigger as well as one switching stage. In this way, a compact interpretation unit can be achieved, which not only detects an obstruction using the tactile sensor but also uses the trigger for interpretation and uses a switching stage to initiate a switching operation.
In development of the invention, the equipment (voltage source or current source) is arranged internally or externally to the electrical interpretation unit. In this way, the place of installation of the equipment for generating the current flowing in the closed circuit can be freely chosen and adapted to the prevailing design circumstances.

Electrical contact mat with device for closed-circuit protection


A spring reaction force converting apparatus has first and second members arranged to be in parallel with and opposed to each other and to be capable of being moved toward and apart from each other, a spring element arranged to be extended between the first and second members in parallel thereto, a link mechanism holding the spring element between the first and second members such that the spring element is capable of being expanded and contracted, the link mechanism being connected to the first and second members; a stopper member maintaining the spring element held by the link mechanism in a condition in which the spring element is compressed by a predetermined amount in an initial condition, and an arrangement thereof in which a reaction force of the spring element is converted to a different type of force transmitted to the first and second members through the link mechanism.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to an apparatus incorporating therein opposing two members and a spring element or elements interposed therebetween for converting a reaction force of the spring element that generates when the two members are moved toward or away from each other by an operation force applied to the two members from the outside, to a different type of force enabling the apparatus to exhibit a novel working function. More particularly, the present invention relates to a spring reaction force converting apparatus of the above-described configuration, which is capable of converting the reaction force of the spring to a different type force transmitted to the two members through a link mechanism during applying of an operation force to the two members, thereby reducing the operation force applied to the two members gradually from a large value at its initial time to a smaller value at a time of termination of application.
2. Description of the Related Art
Hitherto, an IC socket for use in connecting an electronic part such as an IC package to a circuit substrate has been constructed to include: a mount on which an electronic part or parts is mounted; a socket main body on which the mount is securely mounted; a cover member provided to be vertically movable with respect to the socket main body; a pressure applying mechanism for holding the electronic part or parts mounted on the mount; and a plurality of electric contacts to be connected to the electronic parts. The pressure applying mechanism has a pressure applying lever supported to be rotatable with respect to the socket main body and the socket main body is provided with two or four coil springs disposed to push up the cover member (see for example, Japanese Laid-open (Kokai) Patent Application Publication No. 2003-332010).
The socket main body and the cover member of the above-mentioned IC socket can be typically illustrated as shown in FIG. 9, in which a cover member 2 is disposed to be vertically movable above the socket main body 1, and two coil springs 3a, 3b are provided between both the socket main body 1 and the cover member 2 at both ends so that the cover member 2 is urged upward by the coil springs 3a, 3b. Thus, when the cover member 2 is pushed down against the elastic force of the coil springs 3a, 3b, activation of the pressure applying lever of a pressure applying mechanism (not shown in the figure) occurs.
However, in such a conventional structure of the socket main body and the cover member, when an operation force F is applied downwardly from above the cover member 2 as indicated with an arrow, with the socket main body 1 mounted on the circuit substrate 4, the cover member 2 is lowered so that the coil springs 3a, 3b are contracted and a reaction force R directed upward is generated by the coil springs 3a, 3b as indicated with arrows. At this time, the coil springs 3a, 3b are directly connected at opposite ends thereof to the socket main body 1 and the cover member 2 in a condition where these coil springs are arranged perpendicularly to the socket main body 1 and the cover member 2, so that the downward directed operation force F to the cover member 2 and the reaction force R of the coil springs 3a, 3b act toward opposite directions while opposing each other.
With such a state, as the cover member 2 is pressed further, the reaction force R of the coil springs 3a, 3b increases and as the pressing of the cover member 2 is released, the reaction force R of the coil springs 3a, 3b decreases. In this case, as the cover member 2 is lowered, the operation force F applied from above to the cover member 2 increases and as the cover member 2 is raised and upwardly moved, the operation force F applied to the cover member 2 decreases. In other words, in an operation of mounting the electronic part or parts on the mount of the socket main body 1, in an initial period of pushing down the cover member 2, the operation force F is small and feeling of the operation for applying the force F is sensed by an operator to be light, and in the period of termination of mounting the electronic part by pushing down the cover member 2, the operation force F increases and the feeling of the operation is sensed by the operator to be heavier. Therefore, as a whole, the operability is poor.
With the electronic part or parts mounted on the mount of the socket main body 1, the cover member 2 is upwardly moved, so that the mounted electronic parts are held as they are by a pressure application lever of the pressure applying mechanism. At this time, as the cover member 2 is upwardly moved to be further raised above, the reaction force R of the coil springs 3a, 3b decreases, and as a result, holding of the electronic parts by the pressure application mechanism must be weakened.

Spring reaction force converting apparatus


A programmable semiconductor device contains a wireless communication block (“WCB”) capable of facilitating wirelessly field programmable gate array (“FPGA”) programming download as well as functional logic implementation. In one aspect, WCB detects an FPGA access request for initiating an FPGA reconfiguration from a remote system via a wireless communications network. Upon receiving a configuration bitstream for programming the FPGA via the wireless communications network, the configuration bitstream is forwarded from WCB to a configuration download block (“CDB”) for initiating a configuration process. CDB subsequently programs at least a portion of configurable logic blocks (“LBs”) in FPGA in response to the configuration bitstream.

With increasing popularity of digital communication, artificial intelligence (AI), IoT (Internet of Things), and/or robotic controls, the demand for faster and efficient hardware and semiconductors with processing capabilities is constantly in demand. To meet such demand, high-speed and flexible semiconductor chips are generally more desirable. Once conventional approach to satisfy such demand is to use dedicated custom integrated circuits and/or application-specific integrated circuits ("ASICs") to fulfil such needs. A shortcoming with ASIC approach is that it lacks flexibility while consumes a large amount of resources.
An alternative conventional approach, which enjoys the growing popularity, is utilizing programmable semiconductor devices ("PSDs") such as programmable logic devices ("PLDs") or field programmable gate arrays ("FPGAs"). A feature of PSD is that it allows an end user to program one or more desirable functions to suit his/her applications. To use PSD, FPGA or PLD has to be configured or programmed before use. A traditional approach to configure an FPGA is to use FPGA programming download circuit which communicates with a personal computer or host through the USB interface to transmit a desirable configuration file such as a bitstream or bitstream file(s) from the host to FPGA for configuration. For example, the bitstream can be downloaded via a JTAG interface and the bitstream is used to program an FPGA to perform user specified function(s).
However, a drawback associated with a conventional configuration approach to FPGA or PLD is that such configuration/programming FPGA or PLD typically relies on a host system connected to FPGA or PLD for programming and/or reprogramming the configurable logic in the PSD.

Method and system for providing wireless FPGA programming download via a wireless communication block


A magnetic memory according to an embodiment includes: a magnetoresistive element including a first magnetic layer having a magnetization direction not to be changed by spin-injection writing, a second magnetic layer having a magnetization direction to be changeable by the spin-injection writing, and a tunnel barrier layer provided between the first and second magnetic layers; a first interconnect electrically connected to one of the first and second magnetic layers; a select transistor, with one of a source and drain thereof being electrically connected to the other one of the first and second magnetic layers; a second interconnect electrically connected to the other one of the source and drain; a diode having one terminal electrically connected to the other one of the first and second magnetic layers; a third interconnect electrically connected to the other terminal of the diode; and a sense amplifier electrically connected to the third interconnect.

As the era of cloud computing has begun, there is an ever increasing need for higher-speed information processing to process enormously increasing amount of information. In the era of personal computers, users spent long periods of time to deal with too large amounts of information. In the world of cloud computing, however, information is processed in real time, and therefore, users cannot spend time to process information.
Meanwhile, in order to process information at high speeds, SRAMs (Static Random Access Memories) and MPUs (Micro-Processing Units) are used. In the world of cloud computing, however, data is transmitted to and received from mobile terminals, and enormous amounts of information are used in real time. Therefore, SRAMs and MPUs that continually consume electrical power have the problem of power consumptions. To compensate for the large amount of power consumptions, large batteries are necessary. This is far from portable access to information on a daily basis.
To reduce the consumptions of electrical power, the expectations for development of nonvolatile memories are growing, and such development is being accelerated around the world. Examples of such nonvolatile memories include MRAMs (Magnetic Random Access Memories), FeRAMs (Ferroelectric RAMs), PRAMs (Phase-change RAMs), and ReRAMs (Resistance-variable RAMs). Of those memories, only MRAMs can cope with a very large number of rewriting operations, and have high write and read speeds. In view of this, MRAMs have the potential to realize nonvolatile working memories.
However, the write time and the read time of a MRAM are both approximately ten times longer than the write time and the read time of a SRAM. In a MRAM, the write time can be shortened by increasing the write current, and the read time can be shortened by increasing the read resistance difference. In this manner, higher speeds can be achieved. That is, in order to enable higher-speed reading, larger read resistance differences have been expected.
To realize high-speed operations equivalent to a SRAM with a MRAM, read outputs of the MRAM need to be increased, and the write current needs to be reduced. However, read outputs cannot be increased more than about 200% by any existing technique, and information consisting of the data "1" and the data "0" cannot be read at the same speed as that of a SRAM.

Magnetic random access memory using magnetoresistive element, diode, and transistor


A child seat that can be used as either a rocker or a booster. The child seat has a frame that includes a pair of leg portions having respective curved sections on which the child seat can be rocked back and forth. The same frame includes a pair of arm arrangements that can be engaged to an object such as a table such that the child seat can hang off the table and extend into the air. When engaged to the table, such as to the edge of the table, the seat frame portion of the child seat can be angularly adjusted as to a remaining portion of the frame such that the child seat can recline whether the child seat is in use as a booster or as a rocker. The seat portion of the frame is disposed within the arm arrangement and leg portions of the frame. The frame clamps tightly to the table via the frame resiliently biting into the table when a lock is swung into position.

A booster or booster seat is a seat for a younger child that boosts or lifts the younger child up to the level of a table such that the younger child is generally at the level of older children, teenagers or adults and such that the child can eat or play at the table. The booster seat may be of a box type that sits on the seat of a chair and that does not engage the table. The booster seat may be of the type that engages the edge of the table and hangs off the edge of the table.
Conventional baby or child rockers are often in a bucket shape. The bucket shape provides for rocking. The bucket shaped rocker may be molded in one piece.


Methods and apparatus for managing radio measurements during discontinuous reception. In one exemplary embodiment, the distribution of Long Term Evolution (LTE) DRX measurements is staggered or distributed across multiple DRX cycles (which may be contiguous or non-contiguous) so as to reduce the transceiver activity and power consumption. The exemplary UE in one implementation only performs a subset of measurements during each DRX cycle. By staggering or distributing cell measurements over multiple DRX cycles, the UE can improve power consumption, while still conforming to measurement requirements.

1. Field of Invention
The present invention relates generally to the field of wireless communication and data networks. More particularly, in one exemplary aspect, the invention is directed to methods and apparatus for managing radio measurements during discontinuous reception (DRX).
2. Description of the Related Art
Mobile wireless devices are becoming increasingly full-featured and complex, and accordingly must support multiple aspects of operation including for example voice calls, data streaming, and various multimedia applications. High speed data capability is particularly significant for mobile device users, and various technologies have recently been implemented to enhance mobile device capability in this regard. One exemplary high-bandwidth technology is the Long Term Evolution (LTE) cellular capability, which has become increasing pervasive on mobile wireless devices (also referred to as User Equipment, or "UEs").
While enhancing data capability, LTE networks also place additional demands on mobile wireless device power consumption. Accordingly, mechanisms exist within LTE-enabled devices to mitigate power consumption, and hence enhance user experience by not draining the user's battery at an undesirable rate. One such mechanism within LTE is known as discontinuous reception, or "DRX", and another is discontinuous transmission or "DTX". In LTE networks, the base station (Enhanced NodeB, or "eNB") controls DRX operations using various timers and/or parameters that are communicated to the UE.
LTE communications are further conducted according to a time schedule that includes frames, subframes, and slots. When the UE has a radio resource connection (RRC), the UE can be allocated one or more time slots for communication. If a UE is enabled for DRX operation in RRC connected mode, the UE will wake-up and sleep in accordance with its resource allocations. During RRC idle mode, the UE does not have a radio resource connection. The UE will periodically wake-up to see if it is being paged within a frame of data. If the frame does not have a page for the UE, the UE will go back to sleep.
Unfortunately, present implementations of the DRX functionality utilize a complete set of measurements (e.g., cell measurements) during each DRX cycle. However, a complete set of measurements on each cycle is not always required, and accordingly additional resources (including battery power) are expended in performing these unnecessarily complete measurements on each cycle.
Accordingly, improved methods and apparatus are needed to further refine and more intelligently schedule measurements during DRX cycle operation.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.


A machine for loading, transporting and unloading large bales is capable of operating in a non-stop mode across a field and between the field and an unloading site. The non-stop machine includes a fore-and-aft extending mobile chassis movable over the field, an operator's station mounted at a front end of the mobile chassis, an elongated bale load bed, and a bracing structure supporting the bale load bed in an inclined relation above the mobile chassis with an upper front end of the bed overlying the operator's station at the front end of the mobile chassis and a lower rear end of the bed disposed adjacent to the field at the rear end of the mobile chassis. The non-stop machine also includes a front bale loader and a rear bale gate. The bale front loader is pivotally mounted to a front portion of the bracing structure forwardly of the operator's station and operable for transferring bales from a first orientation on the field, upwardly to a second orientation on the upper front end of the bed in which the bale is inverted relative to the first orientation, where the bales can then slide rearwardly down the bed toward the lower end thereof. The rear bale gate is pivotally mounted at the rear lower end of the bed and is movable between an upright stop position wherein the bales are retained on the load bed and a lower discharge position wherein the bales are permitted to slide from the load bed across the rear gate to the unloading site.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to the handling of large bales and, more particularly, is concerned with a non-stop large bale loading, transporting and unloading machine and method.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In recent years, large rectangular bales of crop material, such as hay, have experienced growing and widespread use. In many parts of the country, large rectangular bales are replacing large round bales as the preferred hay package. However, like large round bales, large rectangular bales are far too large for manual handling and so require mechanical equipment to do so.
Various bale pickup and transport machines have been proposed in the prior patent art to accommodate large round and/or square bales. Representative examples of such machines are the ones disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. to Carpenter (4,573,845), Gleason (4,578,008), Doan (4,930,964) and Klompien (4,971,504). While these machines may operative satisfactorily under the limited range of conditions for which they were designed, they do not appear to approach an optimum solution to the problem of handling large bales in terms of cost and productivity of operation.
Thus, a large bale handling machine is highly desired which more nearly approaches an optimum solution to the large bale handling problem in terms of cost, efficiency, ease of operation and improved productivity. Such a machine would be one that can operate in a non-stop fashion in loading and transporting large bales from a field and in unloading the bales at a desired location.

Non-stop large bale loading, transporting and unloading machine and method


When imaging bright objects, a conventional detector array can saturate, making it difficult to produce an image with a dynamic range that equals the scene's dynamic range. Conversely, a digital focal plane array (DFPA) with one or more m-bit counters can produce an image whose dynamic range is greater than the native dynamic range. In one example, the DFPA acquires a first image over a relatively brief integration period at a relatively low gain setting. The DFPA then acquires a second image over longer integration period and/or a higher gain setting. During this second integration period, counters may roll over, possibly several times, to capture a residue modulus m of the number of counts (as opposed to the actual number of counts). A processor in or coupled to the DFPA generates a high-dynamic range image based on the first image and the residues modulus m.

Analog focal plane arrays (FPAs) have a fixed well depth determined by the maximum capacitor size that can fit within each pixel. The capacitor integrates as much charge as is allowable and then the signal from each row or column of adjacent pixels is digitized in an ADC. This leads to image saturation and does not allow quality images of scenes having a wide dynamic range (e.g., dim objects and bright objects). In the analog approach, the true signal generally cannot be recovered after the image saturates.
One approach to generating high dynamic range (HDR) images is to acquire data at different exposures, integration times, or gains, and then stitch these images together depending on the signal present in the scene. Other techniques employ a logarithmic response function at the pixel level. Using these techniques, high dynamic range scenes can be sufficiently displayed for human visual consumption. However, there are shortfalls associated with conventional HDR techniques, including: (1) image acquisition periods that are long enough to be susceptible to scene motion; (2) information loss due to gaps in the transfer function (of counts to photons), low signal-to-noise ratio (SNR), or both; and (3) complicated processing to piece together the HDR image from many images with low dynamic range. Achieving full rate video HDR can also be challenging.

Methods and apparatus for true high dynamic range imaging


An apparatus that senses a minor collision of a vehicle is configured to minimize damage to the vehicle by actuating a brake system of the vehicle upon sensing a scratch of the vehicle by analyzing a sound (e.g., a sound wave signal) generated when a surface of the vehicle is scratched by, for example, a column of a building, the other vehicle, or the like when the vehicle is driven forward or backward at or below a certain speed.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an apparatus of sensing a minor collision of a vehicle and a method thereof, and more particularly, to a technology for sensing when a vehicle is scratched by analyzing a sound (e.g., a sound wave signal) generated while a surface of the vehicle is scratched by a column of a building, another vehicle, or the like when the vehicle is being driven forward or backward below a certain speed.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In general, when a vehicle is parked in a parking lot in for example an apartment complex or a public parking lot, minor collisions (i.e., scratches or small dents) with other vehicles frequently occur due to how narrow the parking spaces are. Particularly, inexperienced drivers often scratch the vehicle by rubbing the vehicle along a column of a building while parking the vehicle without knowing that they are coming in contact with the column.
Typically, most of drivers do not know at the time of the collision that such a collision has occurred. Instead, it is often some time later before the scratches or dents are found. As a result, the damage to the vehicle is not minimized.
In an effort to solve the above-mentioned problem, some systems have implemented an impact sensing sensor and inform the driver when an impact against the vehicle is sensed. However, these systems described above are effective only when the impact is above a certain threshold value and do not sense minor collisions (i.e., scratches and small dents)

Apparatus of sensing minor collision of vehicle and method thereof


A photoresist check pattern structure in a semiconductor integrated circuit device has a pattern test region and a photoresist check pattern. The pattern test region has a plurality of step regions corresponding to surface steps developed during respective process steps for fabricating the semiconductor device. The surface steps are formed in a one-side concave shape in a plane view. The photoresist check pattern extends continuously across at least one of the surface steps in the pattern test region and which has substantially flat resist surfaces. The photo resist check patterns include a pattern formed in a dimension more severe than that according to design rules for semiconductor circuit elements on the substrate. With this, it is possible to check easily as to whether the exposure/development of photoresist films corresponding to respective interconnect layers has been carried out with the desired accuracy being maintained.

(1) Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a highly integrated semiconductor integrated circuit device (IC), and more particularly to photoresist check patterns in an IC of a kind which is provided with multi-level interconnect layers.
(2) Description of the Related Art
In recent years, along with the progress in high integration of semiconductor elements formed within a semiconductor substrate, there have been advancements in miniaturization and integration of circuit interconnect patterns which are formed on a surface of the substrate with insulating films interposed therebetween, and the advancements have reached a state wherein the patterns are required to be smaller than 0.5 .mu.m in their line widths.
In realizing the miniaturization and high integration of elements within a semiconductor substrate, it is required to maintain, in miniaturizing and highly integrating the circuit interconnect patterns also on a surface of the substrate, the same degree of resolution as in the real image of the shield mask formed on the photoresist film during the lithography process.
Further, along with the advancement in the miniaturization, the elements concerned are becoming more complex in a three dimensional aspect. Particularly, in the dynamic RAM (DRAM) of MOS type, in order to attain the necessary charge capacitance in a very small area, it is required that the charge electrode structure be higher in its height in a vertical direction and be more complex in its shape as, for example, a stack type capacitor cell structure in which memory cells are disposed on a silicon substrate.
However, since there is a limit in the depth of focus (DOF) in the reduction step-and-repeat projection device (stepper) normally used in the exposure of the photoresist, it is becoming more difficult to attain a sufficient DOF for the miniaturized patterns described above.
Therefore, in a process for fabricating highly integrated ICs, the detection of regions with defective resolution, such as cuts at steps or short-circuiting (connection) of photoresist patterns, is extremely important.
Conventionally, for detecting defective regions in the photoresist patterns, there has been used a photoresist check pattern as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2. Shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 is an example of the check pattern in a highly integrated IC.
FIG. 1 is a top view of the photoresist check pattern, and FIG. 2 is a sectional view taken along line 2X-2X' in FIG. 1.
A process for fabricating a conventional check pattern is explained with reference to FIG. 2. First, by a known process, a field oxide film 2 is formed on a surface of a semiconductor substrate 1, and then a gate oxide film 3 is formed by thermal oxidation.
Next, after patterning the gate electrode 4 in polysilicon, an interlayer film 5 (the interlayer film here is an insulating film of such as silicon oxide and boron phosphosilicate glass (BPSG)), and a first polysilicon interconnect layer 6 is patterned, followed by formation of an interlayer film 7.
Then, a first aluminum interconnect layer 8 is deposited, and photoresists 9a, 9b and 9c are patterned. Subsequently, by using the photoresists 9a, 9b and 9c as masks, aluminum etching is carried out and the first aluminum interconnect layer is patterned.
FIGS. 1 and 2 represent a state of the process prior to the patterning of the first aluminum interconnect layer by etching.
In this conventional process, the photoresist patterns 9a, 9b and 9c are formed as check patterns respectively on three different levels of surfaces, and the presence of any regions of defective resolution are checked by confirming the resolution of the photoresists on all these levels of surfaces. When the photoresist patterns 9a, 9b and 9c on all these level surfaces are resolved into appropriate shapes, the resolution is judged as acceptable. The surfaces of the photoresist patterns 9a, 9b and 9c are made substantially flat so that good resolution can be obtained.
However, the patterns actually used in the ICs have complex shapes, and there are possibilities in which, for example, the pattern as shown in FIG. 3 exists.
The photoresist pattern shown in FIG. 3 exhibits sensitivity curves as shown in FIG. 4. Where, for example, the thickness is T.sub.1, the minimum resolution exposure time will be E.sub.1, and where the same is T.sub.2, such time will be E.sub.2. Thus, the minimum resolution exposure time is longer in the case where the thickness is thinner T.sub.2.
Therefore, in the example shown in FIG. 3, where the photoresist is applied with the thickness thereof being determined at the surface for T.sub.1, the thickness T.sub.2 exists locally, leading to a high likelihood wherein, after the exposure and development, only the photoresist region whose thickness is T.sub.2 remains.
When the problem as above has occurred, the photoresists 9d and 9e are connected, as shown in FIG. 5, so that the etching of the aluminum interconnect layer in such a state results in an interconnection failure. FIG. 3 represents a sectional view taken along line 3X-3X' of FIG. 5.
With the conventional check pattern arrangement shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, it was not possible to check the interconnection failure as described above. That is, in the conventional check pattern arrangement, the check patterns 9a, 9b and 9c were of the same height at the resist surfaces with the thicknesses of the check patterns being different from one another, so that the respective patterns 9a, 9b and 9c behaved differently in terms of the sensitivity curves as shown in and explained for FIG. 4. Despite such differences, the focus and the exposure time were so set that the check patterns at the three step regions should result all in an adequate patterning. In this way, it was not possible for the check patterns to detect the state of cuts at the sloped regions between the steps.
Furthermore, in a circuit pattern whose surface contains a concave region as shown in FIG. 6, an optical halation develops during the exposure from within the gate electrode having the concave region thereby causing the photoresist pattern 9f to be locally constricted and, in the worse case, causing lines to be broken. FIG. 7 represents a sectional view taken along line 7X-7X' in FIG. 6.
With the conventional check patterns, it has not been possible to check the problems as explained above.
A conventional method for detecting a defective pattern at a step region in a circuit pattern constituted by fine patterns on a wafer has been disclosed, for example, in Japanese Patent Application Kokai Publication No. Sho 62-78818. In the disclosed method, as in the prior art method described above, the pattern test region is provided on the wafer, and the steps formed in this region during each of the formation processes include at least a step region in which a resist pattern defect is likely to occur, and a check pattern is formed across these steps.
However, with the conventional circuit pattern detection method disclosed in the above identified Japanese Patent Application Kokai Publication No. Sho 62-78818, it is not possible to detect a defect in a photoresist pattern caused by the halation occurred in the light from inside the interconnect layer having a concave region. Further, in the method disclosed in the above publication, since the thicknesses of the photoresist layer is assumed to be substantially constant, the disclosed conventional detection method does not serve as a solution to a problem requiring the detection of such a defect in a resist pattern that occurs by differences in the sensitivity characteristics due to differences in the thicknesses of photoresist at the step regions.

Photoresist check patterns in highly integrated circuits having multi-level interconnect layers


An image forming method is disclosed, in which a toner image on an organic photoreceptor developed by a two-component is primarily transferred to an intermediate transferring member, and secondarily transferred to a recording material, and a toner remained on the organic photoreceptor is cleaned after the transfer of the toner to the recording material, and the organic photoreceptor has a creeping modulus measured by pressing a Vickers indenter applying a load of 20 mN is not less than 1% and less than 3.5%. An image forming apparatus is also disclosed.

Hitherto, as the method for transferring a toner image formed on an organic photoreceptor onto a recording material to form a final image, a method has been known by which the toner image formed on the organic photoreceptor, herein after occasionally referred to photoreceptor, is directly transferred on to the recording material. On the other hand, an image forming method employing an intermediated transferring member has been known. According to such the method, a transferring step is further inserted in the process for transferring the toner image from the organic photoreceptor to the recording material. Namely, the toner image is primarily transferred from the organic photoreceptor onto the intermediate transferring member and then the primarily transferred toner image on the intermediate transferring member is secondarily transferred to the recording material to obtain the final image. Of these, the intermediate transfer system is frequently applied for piling transfer of toner images each having different color in a full color image forming apparatus by which a colored original image is separated and reproduced by subtractive color system employing black, cyan, magenta and yellow toners.
However, problems relating to the intermediate transferring member have been occurred in the foregoing intermediate transfer system. One of these is that carrier particles adhered to the photoreceptor is pushed into the photoreceptor by the pressure by the intermediate member and causes a crater-like damage having swollen on both sides on the surface of the photoreceptor. The crater-like damage causes damage on cleaning blade. As a result of that, the cleaning of the toner is made insufficient and slipping of the toner through the cleaning blade and line-shaped image defects are occurred. Such the phenomena further cause partially lowering of the sensitivity and the transfer ability of the toner so that a image defects such as partially lacking of character image so called as interior lacking are occurred and sharpness of the image tends to be degraded.
Besides, technique for lowering the surface energy of the intermediate transferring member by supplying a solid lubricant to improve the secondary transfer of the toner from the intermediate transferring member to the image recording material is disclosed in, for example, Japanese Patent Publication Open to Public Inspection (JP-A) Nos. 6-337598, 6-332324 and 7-271142. However, such the lowering of the surface energy of the intermediate transferring member is insufficient for improving the total transferring ability of the image forming system having two-step transfer process employing the intermediate transferring member since such the lowering of the surface energy of the intermediated transferring member causes decreasing of the transfer ratio of the from the photoreceptor to the intermediate transferring member. It is found that further improvement is required for forming copy images under a high temperature and high humidity condition or for a prolonged period.
Namely, it has been found as to the system employing the intermediate transferring member that it is necessary to totally improve both of the primary and secondary transfer by improvement of the surface property of both of the organic photoreceptor and the intermediate transferring member.

Image forming method and image forming apparatus


A polyfluoroalkyl ester of unsaturated carboxylic acid is produced in high yield in a more simple reactor and with much more reduction in the waste than the conventional process based on esterification reaction by subjecting a polyfluoroalkanol represented by the following general formula:Rf—R—OHwhere Rf is a polyfluoroalkyl group having 1–6 carbon atoms and R is an alkylene group having 1–6 carbon atoms, and an unsaturated carboxylic acid to dehydration reaction in a fluorine-containing solvent in the presence of an acid catalyst and a polymerization inhibitor.

1) Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a process for producing a polyfluoroalkyl ester of unsaturated carboxylic acid, and more particularly to a process for producing a polyfluoroalkyl ester of unsaturated carboxylic acid useful as a starting monomer for polymers or as a starting compound for surfactants.
2) Related Art
Polyfluoroalkyl esters of unsaturated carboxylic acids, typically polyfluoroalkyl (meth)acrylate, have been hereto produced in an industrial scale as starting monomers for polymers with such characteristics as high transparency, chemical resistance, water- and oil-repellency, antifouling property, etc. due to specific nature of fluorine atoms contained in the molecules or as a starting compound for surfactants. However, due to now raised problems as to toxicity, accumulation, etc. of fluorotelomer, typically perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and perfluorooctansulfonic acid (PFOS), it has been desired to substitute compounds with less toxicity and accumulation, but with equivalent characteristics.
International Journal of Cancer 78, issue 4, pages 491–495 (1998) reports that Rf groups having 2–5 or 16, 18 carbon atoms has a low inhibiting effect on intercellular information transmission performance (GJIC).
J. Fluorine Chemistry 5920 (2003), pages 1–20, discloses that Rf groups having carbon atoms around C3, which must be less than C8, can give a satisfactory surface activity, when formed into bifunctional compounds.
On the other hand, a process for producing carboxylic acid esters generally includes those based on dehydration condensation of carboxylic acid and alcohol in the presence of an acid catalyst or on chemical dehydration condensation in the presence of a dehydrating agent. Furthermore, a process based on dehydrohalogenation of carboxylic acid halide and alcohol is well known.
A process for producing a polyfluoroalkyl ester of unsaturated carboxylic acid includes those based on dehydration condensation of an unsaturated carboxylic acid and a polyfluoroalkanol in the presence of an acid catalyst such as p-toluenesulfonic acid, etc. with heating, using a non-polar solvent such as toluene, etc. as a water-azeotropic solvent, while distilling off the generated water, as disclosed in JP-A-63-210115 and JP-A-05-051417.
In these processes, however, polyfluoroalkanol is often inevitably removed to the outside of the reaction system due to the azeotropic boiling of polyfluoroalkanol and the dehydration solvent, and thus the expensive polyfluoroalkanol must be added in excess to the unsaturated carboxylic acid. Furthermore, the reaction must be carried out at elevated temperatures, and thus it is hard to suppress formation of polymers even in the presence of a polymerization inhibitor. Even in the industrial scale production, complicated apparatuses will be required for the removal of the generated water. Furthermore, in the recycle of used solvent for reuse, a large amount of expenditure will be required for the recycle for reuse, etc. as a problem due to the control of water content in the solvent or contamination of the solvent with impurities and by-products.
Still furthermore, in these processes, polyfluoroalkanol with a high acidity such as RfCH2OH has a very low reaction rate, resulting in occurrence of many side reactions, and thus it is very difficult to produce the desired product in high purity.
JP-A-62-92914 discloses a process based on dehydration condensation of itaconic acid and 1,1,1,3,3,3-hexafluoroisopropanol in an aprotonic polar solvent, using N,N′-dicyclohexylcarbodiimide (DCC) as a dehydrating agent, where the dehydrating agent DCC, though expensive, must be used in an equal amount to that of the alcohol, and also is impossible to recycle for the reuse, and thus generation of a large amount of wastes, etc. will inevitably occur as problems.
Other processes are also available, which are based on conversion of unsaturated carboxylic acids to carboxylic acid halides by various halogenating agents, followed by reaction with alcohols in the presence of a base, where an additional step of conversion to carboxylic acid halides as a starting material is required, that is, one more step is required in the process. Furthermore, the carboxylic acid halides are easy to hydrolize in the presence of water, resulting in strict water content control of the solvent to be used, etc. Hydrogen halides generated by the hydrolysis are highly corrosive, and thus the apparatuses must be made from expensive anti-corrosive materials, etc. Generation of a large amount of halides of the base used leads to a large amount of expenditure on the waste treatment.

Process for producing polyfluoroalkyl ester of unsaturated carboxylic acid


A circuit structured to drive an isolated high speed voltage metal-oxide-semiconductor field-effect transistor (MOSFET) switch, including a first MOSFET and a second MOSFET configured to operate as a switch, a capacitor, a charging component in parallel with the capacitor, a first switch in series with the charging component, and a second switch in parallel with the charging component and the capacitor. The stored voltage in the capacitor is sent to the gates of the first MOSFET and the second MOSFET when a second switch is open and a first switch is closed.

An isolated MOSFET switching circuit, as seen in FIG. 1, uses an opto-battery 100, as described in more detail below, to provide isolation and power to the gates of the drive metal-oxide-semiconductor field-effect transistors (MOSFET) 102 and 104, forcing the MOSFETs 102 and 104 to turn on. MOSFETs 102 and 104 are high voltage MOSFETs. These MOSFETs have a gate-source capacitance, shown as capacitors 106 and 108 for clarity in FIG. 1, and also referred to as capacitors Ca and Cb, respectively. To turn the isolated MOSFET switching circuit in FIG. 1 on, switch 110 closes to provide 10-15 mA of current through the light emitting diode (LED) 112 of the opto-battery 100. The light from the LED causes a small current (e.g., 10-30 μA) to flow in the current source of the opto-battery 100. The current flows into capacitors 106 and 108, increasing the voltage across them at a rate of dV/dt=i/(Ca+Cb). This rate continues until the zener-diode 114 zeners, which is around 6V, and begins stealing current from opto-battery 100, limiting the voltage to 6V. As the voltages on the capacitors and gate-source of the MOSFETs 102 and 104 increase the MOSFETs 102 and 104 turn on. As the MOSFETs 102 and 104 turn on, the gate-drain voltage of each of the MOSFETs 102 and 104 begins to change, causing some gate current to flow into the gate-drain capacitance. The gate-drain capacitance of the MOSFETs 102 and 104 also affects the charging and turn-on speed of the MOSFETs 102 and 104. The longer it takes to energize these collective gate-source capacitances to 6V, the longer it takes to turn on the isolated MOSFET switching circuit. Further, the voltage could be much higher for the gate-drain capacitances, also increasing the switching time.
Phototransistor 116 in FIG. 1 is optional and used when the isolated MOSFET switching circuit is part of a protection circuit. When the switching circuit should protect, Phototransistor 116 will begin to reduce the gate-source voltages of MOSFETs 102 and 104 and begin to open the switch circuit. MOSFETs 102 and 104 are in the linear region when the circuit is in the protection mode. Phototransistor 116 must handle the current of de-energizing the MOSFETs 102 and 104 capacitances 106 and 108 from 6V to the voltage necessary for protection.
To turn off the switching circuit of FIG. 1, switch 110 opens, cutting off current to the LED 112, and opto-battery 100. A resistor in parallel with the current source (not shown for simplicity) discharges gate capacitances 106 and 108, eventually lowering the gate-source voltage of MOSFETs 102 and 104 and turning off the switch circuit.
Newer MOSFETs, however, typically have a high gate capacitance, and the switching circuit shown in FIG. 1 is slow to switch on these newer MOSFETs due to the higher gate capacitance.
One alternative to correct for the slow switching of the newer MOSFETs is to use a gate isolation transformer. The gate isolation transformer provides the required gate current to quickly switch on the MOSFET switching circuit. However, the gate isolation transformer requires complicated drive circuitry for the transformer, as well as a large and costly transformer itself. Another alternative is to include a floating power supply in the design using another winding on a supply transformer. The winding provides the high current at high signal voltages. Although this type of design is less complicated than adding a gate isolation transformer, it is still a major redesign and added cost.
The disclosed technology addresses these limitations of the prior art.


A sensitive intracellular calcium assay is disclosed comprising conveniently a reagent comprised of a dye precursor capable of entering cells and being hydrolyzed to a dye, whereby the dye complexes with calcium in the cells and provides a luminescent signal, an antibody specific for the dye and conjugated with a quencher, and a cellular anion exchange enzyme inhibitor. In performing the assay, the reagent is combined with cells expressing a receptor responsive to a ligand resulting in a change in cytosolic calcium. After incubation for the dye precursor to permeate the cells, the calcium may be determined by exciting the dye precursor and determining the peak fluorescence over a time course. The method can be used for measuring the effect of an agent on cytosolic calcium by binding to a cell surface membrane receptor.

1. Field of the Invention
The field of this invention is the determination of intracellular calcium.
2. Related Art
The discovery that calcium plays a pleiotropic role in regulating cells in their response to ligands created an interest in being able to detect the level of calcium in cells in response to various agents, e.g. ligands, agonists and antagonists. Calcium plays a critical role in neuronal cells, muscle cells and other cells, where the cytosolic calcium acts as a regulator of cell expression. Because calcium is used by so many receptors and ion channels as a regulator of pathways leading to cellular function, measuring calcium can be a vicarious measure of the activity of a drug in regulating an ion channel or a receptor. Toward being able to measure cytosolic calcium, dyes have been developed that can enter a cell and fluoresce when bound to calcium. Measurement of the intracellular fluorescence provides a measure of the cytosolic calcium and, perforce, the activity of a compound in relation to a particular receptor. One can ensure that the target receptor is being measured, by using a competition between a known antagonist or introducing a gene(s) encoding a receptor or ion channel into a cell that would otherwise not respond to a drug by inducing a change in calcium concentration in the cytosol.
One problem in fluorescence measurement in biomedical assays is often that the fluorescence changes correlated with the biological cell action are small compared with the non-specific background fluorescence. As a result, the resolving power is greatly restricted. Conventional commercial measuring systems (fluorescence readers, Dynatech or SLT), cannot solve the problem, because owing to their optical measuring arrangement (excitation from 'above' through the fluorescent liquid column of the supernatant) the signal can barely be detected in comparison with the background.
Even very complicated measuring systems (NovelTech, FLIPR: Fluorescence Imaging Plate Reader) are only able to decrease this background fluorescence using a special laser illumination geometry (excitation below about 45°). Therefore, trying to solve the problem of background fluorescence by sophisticated instrumentation has not been entirely satisfactory.
In many cases of receptor or ion channel binding studies using fluorescently or luminescently labelled ligands, the labelled and unbound fraction in each case is removed by processes like washing. The washings introduce many uncertainties in the results, since cells can be subject to lysis, bound labeled ligand may be released, and unbound labeled ligand may be inadequately removed. There is, therefore, a need for a sensitive reliable methodology for measuring calcium without the introduction of methodologies that introduce uncertainties and variabilities in the results.
The subject invention provides improved sensitivity of optical analysis of fluorescently labeled or luminescent cells in a cellular assay in order to be able to measure, for example, membrane potential changes which are as low as possible on the basis of fluorescence changes of potential-sensitive dyes. In this case, the sensitivity of the measuring system should be sufficient that potential changes of below 5 mV can be detected at least qualitatively. In the case of luminescent cells, an increase in the detection of the luminescence signal should be achieved. Moreover, the method should be suitable for screening with a high sample throughput.
Relevant Literature
U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,420,183 and 6,221,612 describe cellular assays and methods for reducing background. Antibodies have been used in the past to quench fluorescent dyes that are spilled from cells upon cell lysis or other breaching of the cell membrane (U.S. Pat. No. 4,532,203). They have also been used to differentiate extracellular from internalized fluorescein labeled proteins (Sklar LA., J Cell Biochem 1982;20(2): 193-202; van Renswoude J, Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 1982 Oct;79(20):6186-90; and Schober JM, J Thromb Haemost. 2003 Nov;1(11):2404-10). Schnetcamp, et al. (1991) J. of Biol. Chem. 266, 22975-82 reports the use of antibodies in a calcium assay to remove background signal.


An apertured shadow mask directs electron beams toward phosphor elements on the inside surface of the face plate of a CRT. The mask is fixed to a rectangular frame having corner brackets connected by light-weight diaphragm strips and resilient plates molded to the brackets. The resilient plates have holes toward the distal ends thereof which engage pins embedded in a skirt surrounding the face plate. The plates are precipitation hardened stainless steel having a thickness of 0.20 mm to 0.30 mm and provide sufficient spring force to retain the mask and frame as well as the internal magnetic shield which is fixed to the corner brackets by clips.

This invention relates to a cathode ray tube (CRT) for color television and allied display applications, employing a shadow mask for color separation, and more particularly relates to such a CRT having an improved shadow mask mounting system.
CRTs for color television, computer monitors and other display applications rely on a cathodoluminescent phosphor screen to provide a visible display. Such a screen is composed of a repetitive pattern of a large number of small red, blue and green-emitting phosphor elements, which are excited to luminescence by electron beams emanating from an electron gun behind the screen. There are three beams, one for each of the red, blue and green components of a color display signal. In operation, the screen is repetitively scanned by the three beams simultaneously, while the intensities of the beams are modulated by the respective individual primary color components of the display signal. The large number of phosphor elements, together with the scanning frequency, results in the perception of a steady, full color display by a viewer.
Such CRTs typically employ a shadow mask to achieve color separation. A shadow mask is a thin sheet having a large number of apertures and mounted between the phosphor screen and the electron gun, a short distance behind the screen. The apertures are aligned with the phosphor elements on the screen and the electron beams are directed from the electron gun to converge at the mask. When the beams pass through the individual apertures, they diverge from one another to land on the phosphor element of the corresponding color.
The mask, which is typically 0.15 to 0.25 mm thick, is supported on a frame to maintain its shape. This frame is then securely mounted in the glass envelope in order to maintain the mask in proper registration with the screen. Such registration must not only be maintained in the X and Y directions, but also in the Z direction, i.e., along the tube axis in order to insure that the beams do not land on adjacent phosphor elements, which would degrade the color purity of the display image.
Particularly during the warm-up period, the mask heats up and expands in all directions. Once the frame also warms up, then the thermal compensation effect of the suspension system takes place, moving the whole mask closer to the screen, maintaining overall color purity by bringing all of the mask apertures back into the electron beam path. When the temperature differential between the mask and frame is large during initial warm-up, the time required for thermal compensation is longer. This differential is minimized by using a frame of as low a mass as possible.
A common technique to maintain the proper Q space (distance between mask and screen) during tube warm-up has been to employ bimetal mounting springs attached to three sides of the frame, which springs are attached to mounting studs embedded in the wall of the glass envelope.
As the mask heats and expands in the X, Y, and Z directions, the mounting springs also heat, and the different expansion rates of the component metals in the springs produce a compensating motion of the entire mask toward the screen.
A more recent design employs a so-called "corner lock" suspension system, in which corner lock mechanisms, each of which include thermal compensation means, are attached to the four corners of the frame. This results in a more stable arrangement than that achievable using the side mounting arrangement, thereby enabling use of a lighter and less costly mask and/or frame.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,986,072 and 3,999,098, assigned to Zenith Radio Corporation, disclose corner lock systems wherein the frame is formed integrally with the mask, which is welded to four corner brackets. Cantilevered leaf springs welded to the corner brackets engage legs fixed to the face plate of the vacuum tube adjacent four corners of the display screen. Three of the springs are provided with holes which engage studs on the legs, while a fourth spring is provided with a slot which engages a stud on the fourth leg. This slot permits movement of the mask in the X and Y directions (parallel to the screen) and fix it in the Z direction.
The "frameless mask" of Zenith is formed in a complex shape in order to provide the structural integrity to withstand compressive stresses for mounting without welding. However it is not sufficiently strong to support direct mounting of an internal magnetic shield to the corner brackets.
The current Philips mask suspension system is described in an article by Robert Donofrio entitled "Corner Lock Suspension" in the November 1995 issue of Information Display. This system employs corner brackets welded to lightweight diaphragm strips to form a rectangular frame; each diaphragm strip has an angular cross section formed by a base section and an upright section to which the shadow mask is welded. A resilient plate, also referred to as a temperature compensating plate or as a hinge plate, is fixed to each corner plate by a spring which loads it toward a pin embedded in a corner of the skirt adjacent to the face plate. The pin is engaged by a floating washer mounted to the hinge plate. During assembly, the floating washers are welded to the hinge plates after the mask/frame assembly is engaged to the pins. The phosphor elements are then applied in a photo-lithographic screening process which involves removing and replacing the assembly several times. After a conductive coating is applied to the phosphor elements, the assembly is fixed in place by welding the floating washers to the studs. The internal magnetic shield is fixed in the vacuum envelope independently by separate links which are welded to the studs over the frame assembly.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,652,792 of Toshiba discloses a rectangular frame which is suspended at its corners by spring members which provide geometric temperature compensation during warmup. The frame is 1.6 mm thick and therefore relatively heavy, and generates considerable scrap during manufacture insofar as it is stamped from a single piece and formed without seams.
A corner suspension system of Thompson Consumer Electronics is described in an article by R. C. Bauder and F. R. Ragland entitled "An Improved Shadow-Mask Support System for Large-Size CRTs" in SID Intl. Technical Papers (1990). This system employs bimetal clips welded to the corners of a one-piece frame, and backward extending springs welded to the distal ends of the clips.
Drawbacks of the known systems include difficulty in salvaging masks and frames, where they are welded to the studs; high scrap rates during manufacture; complex parts including bimetallic clips; inability to mount the IMS directly to the frame; or systems with heavy frames, which result in poor color purity from the long warm up times, and instability of the assembly when dropped.

Color cathode ray tube with improved shadow mask mounting system

Philips Electronics North America Corporation


A compound of the formula I ##STR1## Wherein all the variables are defined in the specification. The compounds are used for controlling Helicobacter bacteria.

European Patent Application 150 586 discloses 2-(pyridylmethylthio- or -sulfinyl) benzimidazoles which can be substituted in the pyridine moiety of the molecule in the 4-position, inter alia, by alkylthio or arylthio radicals. A long-lasting inhibition of gastric acid secretion is indicated for the compounds described. - International Patent Application WO089/038-30 describes that the same, and other structurally similar compounds should be suitable for the treatment of osteoporosis. - International Patent Application WO92/12976 describes specifically substituted 2-(pyridylmethylthio- or -sulfinyl)-benzimidazoles which should be active against Helicobacter bacteria and for which it is furthermore disclosed that they should be suitable for the prevention and treatment of a whole series of disorders of the stomach. International Patent Application WO93/24480 describes other specifically substituted 2-(pyridylmethylthio- or -sulfinyl) -benzimidazoles which should be active against Helicobacter bacteria.

Substituted arylalkylthioalkylthiopyridines for use in the control of helicobacter bacteria

BYK Gulden Lomberg Chemische Fabrik GmbH


A gas injection device, wherein comprising: a gas channel including an air inlet provided at a upper portion therein and a gas outlet provided at a lower portion therein; and a light channel including an incident light channel and a reflected light channel provided at each side of the gas channel separately, wherein gases arrives at a surface of a sample to be tested via said gas channel and flows out from a slit between said light channel, the gas outlet of gas channel, and the surface of the sample to be tested, and gases flow in a manner of laminar flow with the Peclet number of an air flow being larger than 1. The gas injection device can effectively prevent air from returning back to the measurement system.

The present invention relates to the field of sample analysis, more particularly, to a gas injection device.
Porous films have extensive applications in the field of microelectronics (low dielectric constant membrane), cell membranes, catalytic membranes, and sensors. Specifically, as a kind of low dielectric constant dielectric, porous films is widely used in ultra-large integrated circuit device. The porosity of materials can be studied by ellipsometry, and the thickness and parameters of a porous layer can be studied in a solvent vapor environment. For the reason that a change in refractive index of porous material is a function of the relative pressure change of the solvent vapor, so the volume of the solvent fed into pores can be determined and an isotherm curve can be drawn. Therefore, the porosity of a porous material can be measured and its mechanical and electrical properties can be studied. Methods to evaluate porous low-k film by means of ellipsometry are disclosed in patent literature documents 1-4 and non-patent literature documents below.    Patent literature 1: U.S. Pat. No. 6,435,008 B2    Patent literature 2: U.S. Pat. No. 6,662,631    Patent literature 3: US 2006/0254374 A1    Patent literature 4: U.S. Pat. No. 7,568,379 B2
Non-patent literature: Adsorption and Desorption Isotherms at Ambient Temperature Obtained by Ellipsometric Porosimetry to Probe Micropores in Ordered Mesoporous Silica Films. Bourgeois A., Brunet-Bruneau A., Fisson S., Rivori J. Adsorption 11:195-199, 2005
However, demerits disclosed above lie in the fact that a special chamber is employed for sample testing, which limits the size of the sample. Another demerit relates to volume of the chamber, which takes a long time to fill or change the atmosphere of the chamber. Furthermore, filling the chamber needs a lot of solvent vapor, resulting in relatively high cost of measurement.
An alternative system and method is disclosed in the invention patent application numbered as 201510751567.7 which was submitted by the present inventor, and this new system is on basis of an injection airflow forming system with no need for a chamber. Firstly, adsorbent vapor and carrier gas are mixed together and each constituent gas is subject to differential pressure control; secondly, size of the resulting airflow is controllable and close to the size of a laser beam spot on the surface to be tested. This results in that the dose of adsorbent required by this system declines significantly with comparison to the chamber-based system. In addition, as the sample can be moved in the process of testing, there is no restriction on sample size.
But, in this sample analysis system, the employed gas injection device to form injection airflow is critical, especially in the case of low-speed flow. When the flow rate is too low, air will possibly diffuse into the gas injection device and further enter into the mixed gases, causing a change in the partial pressure of the gas.


Systems, devices, and methods for gathering data from a horse and rider and providing training to the rider are provided. In one aspect, for example, a method of training an equestrian rider can include performing a ride by an equestrian rider on a horse, and obtaining ride data from the ride, the ride data including video, inertial measurements, rider joint, head, torso, and/or limb information, horse joint, head, torso, and/or limb information, and at least one force measurement between the horse and the rider during the rider. The ride data can then be analyzed and at least one riding improvement to be made by the rider can be identified, and the at least one riding improvement to be made to the rider can be relayed to the rider to provide training for a subsequent ride.

In equestrian riding, the interaction between the horse and the rider can be a factor in the success of the riding experience. In the case of competitive equestrian riding, the horse/rider interaction can be influential to competitive success. One problem that can arise in training a rider, however, relates to the temporal disparity between the ride and the training that takes place. In other words, the rider may not receive constructive training until after the ride is completed, when the rider must then make an association with the training being received and the performance that occurred in the past.
Furthermore, in some cases improper habits developed by a rider during training can be manifested in improper habits acquired by the horse. Such acquired habits by the horse can be difficult to reverse, and, depending on the severity, can significantly, and often adversely, influence the performance of the horse.