The embodiment of the present invention provides a touch screen, an electronic equipment and a method of preventing light leakage of a touch screen, wherein the touch screen comprises a substrate and a plurality of printing layers, the plurality of printing layers at least include a first printing layer adjacent to the substrate and a second printing layer adjacent to the first printing layer; the touch screen further includes an additional printing layer which covers at least an area of the second printing layer that is not covered by other printing layers of the plurality of printing layers, wherein color of the additional printing layer is the same with that of the first printing layer. The additional printing layer arranged in the touch screen and having the same color with the first printing layer can effectively prevent light leakage of the touch screen, and can avoid occurrence of color difference and enhance display effect.

At present, with the development of communication technology, electronic equipments such as mobile phones, tablet PC (tablet personal computer) and the like are widely used, and a touch screen is one of important components of these electronic equipments. Surface of a touch screen generally has a substrate for protecting internal structure of the screen, wherein it is usually necessary to provide printing layers within the substrate to seal mechanical structures. When the printing layers have larger width, light leakage may occur on the touch screen. A user can see clear printing lines from the front of the screen, which affect display effect.

Touch screen, electronic equipment and method of preventing light leakage of a touch screen


Reversible airflow in cooling systems of electronic devices is described. For example, an electronic device may include a reversible fan tray. The fan tray may include symmetric mounting features that allow the fan tray to be mounted in the electronic device in more than one orientation at the same location within the electronic device such that one or more fans in the fan tray either direct air into the electronic device or to pull air from electronic device. The fan tray may further include a symmetric arrangement of connectors that coincide with the symmetric arrangement of mounting features to allow the fan tray to be connected to a power source of the electronic device any of the more than one orientations. An arrangement of electronic devices including reversible fan trays may be configured so that inlet and outlet airflows are separated to increase cooling efficiency of the electronic devices.

Electronic devices that consume a large amount of power often create heat that needs to be removed during operation. For this reason, many electronic devices include cooling systems, such as system cooling fans. For example most computers and other computing devices include cooling fans.
In rack mount electronic devices, front to back airflow is one common cooling configuration. However, for devices that require large number of connections in the front panel, e.g., switching equipment, side-to-side airflow cooling systems provide more efficient space utilization than front to back airflow cooling systems. Oftentimes, such electronic devices are arranged adjacent one another in high density rack configurations. That is, in high-density rack environments (e.g. data centers, wiring closets), the racks are often mounted side-by-side with minimal spacing. This can result in heated air exiting one device being directed into an airflow inlet of the cooling system of an adjacent electronic device in the next rack. The heated air from the electronic device in the previous rack reduces the effectiveness of the cooling system of the adjacent electronic device compared to air having an ambient temperature.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Reversible airflow fan tray for an electronic device


The invention relates to a hydraulic support element (1) for a valve gear for an internal combustion engine. Said element consists of a cylindrical hollow case (2) in whose bore hole (3) a pressure piston (4) made of a glass or carbon fibre reinforced plastic is arranged.

A generic support element is previously known from DE 197 06 738 A1. The pressure piston of this likewise comprises an upper and lower part, the lower part having a hydraulic play compensation device.
It is disadvantageous that the production of the upper part has proven to be relatively complex. This necessitates, for example, an extrusion process with subsequent heat treatment and several grinding processes. Undesired lateral forces can also occur on account of the relatively short guide length of the upper part in the housing. The annular groove and the circlip, acting as a retaining lock, likewise require further outlay in terms of construction and assembly. In addition, placing the ring, in the lower region of the upper part, on a facing end side of the lower part can bring about a so-called "wobble" which causes an equally undesired transmission of force into the support element. In order to keep this "wobble" as small as possible, the end surfaces of the upper and lower parts which face one another are therefore ground extremely accurately. It is finally noted that the abovementioned pressure piston is of relatively heavy design and thus has potential for optimization with regard to a lightweight construction.


A host node connected to the Internet automatically generates an Internet interface addresses for itself, and automatically generates a request to an Internet domain name server to update the domain name server's database with the self-generated address. Preferably, the node employs a draft standard stateless address autoconfiguration protocol to create a link-local address, find a router, obtain a prefix from the router, and generate a global address from the prefix and the link-local address. Preferably, the node automatically determines the identity of its master domain name server, and transmits a request to update the master's database using a BIND 8 (or subsequent) protocol. Such a request may be encrypted for security and may include a self-generated identity key for further security.

In the latter half of the twentieth century, there began a phenomenon known as the information revolution. While the information revolution is a historical development broader in scope than any one event or machine, no single device has come to represent the information revolution more than the digital electronic computer. The development of computer systems has surely been a revolution. Each year, computer systems grow faster, store more data, and provide more applications to their users. At the same time, the cost of computing resources has consistently declined, so that information which was too expensive to gather, store and process a few years ago, is now economically feasible to manipulate via computer. The reduced cost of information processing drives increasing productivity in a snowballing effect, because product designs, manufacturing processes, resource scheduling, administrative chores, and many other factors, are made more efficient.
The reduced cost of computing and the general availability of digital devices has brought an explosion in the volume of information stored in such devices. With so much information stored in digital form, it is naturally desirable to obtain wide access from computer systems. The volume of information dwarfs the storage capability of any one device. To improve information access, various techniques for allowing computing devices to communicate and exchange information with one another have been developed. Perhaps the most outstanding example of this distributed computing is the World Wide Web (often known simply as the "web"), a collection of resources which are made available throughout the world using the Internet. People from schoolchildren to the elderly are learning to use the web, and finding an almost endless variety of information from the convenience of their homes or places of work. Businesses, government, organizations and even ordinary individuals are making information available on the web, to the degree that it is now the expectation that anything worth knowing about is available somewhere on the web.
The Internet, which provides the support for the web as well as for e-mail and other forms of communication and distributed processing among multiple digital systems, is a heterogeneous network of digital devices (nodes) connected by multiple links, so that between any two nodes of the network there are typically multiple paths, giving the Internet some degree of redundancy. In order to support communication between any two arbitrary nodes coupled to the Internet, a global naming convention is used to assign a unique name to each node. This naming convention is known as the Domain Name System, or DNS.
A source node connected to the Internet, having only the global DNS name of a target node, can send a data packet to the target, allowing the various routers, servers and other devices on the Internet to determine a path and final destination node for the data packet. As part of this routing process, it is necessary to translate a global name in the DNS to an interface address of the target node which is used at the communications link level. Name-to-address translation is accomplished by one or more domain name servers connected to the Internet. Each domain name server provides name-to-address translation for nodes within a respective zone. Specifically, this means that each domain name server maintains a database of names and addresses, which it uses to respond to external queries requesting name-to-address translation information.
As the Internet has evolved, the task of maintaining the databases in the domain name servers has accordingly grown in scope and complexity. Originally, it was anticipated that the domain server databases would be relatively static databases maintained by manual editing. The massive increase in number of nodes and uses to which they are put has induced changes to the underlying Internet protocols. The most recent protocol, Internet Protocol Version 6 (IPv6), supports interface addresses which have limited lifetimes, expiring by their own terms at the end of the defined lifetime. With these and other changes, it is expected that the number of interface addresses per node may increase dramatically, and that the set of current valid addresses may be subject to frequent change. The burden of maintaining the domain name server database is accordingly increased.
A set of application interfaces has been defined which permits authorized clients to add, delete or edit records in a domain name server's database. These application interfaces have been used by certain special configuration servers known as DHCP servers. A DHCP server assists the configuration process by defining interface addresses for a set of nodes, and providing names and addresses to the domain name server. As useful as these DHCP servers are, they provide only an incomplete solution to the problem of maintaining domain name server databases. A separate DHCP server entity must be established for some set of nodes, which itself must be defined, configured and maintained. Such a DHCP server will not always be available.
The advent of IPv6 and the continued growth and maturation of the Internet is likely to overwhelm conventional processes for maintaining the domain name server databases. A need therefore exists for improved techniques for maintaining domain name server data, particularly in view of interface addresses which expire and change frequently. Moreover, unlike many databases used in environments of somewhat limited scope, it is impossible, or at best extremely difficult, to modify the external behavioral parameters of the database, since any domain name server must continue to provide service according to the various applicable Internet protocols and on the assumption that at least some of the devices requesting service may be operating according to an older level of protocol. Any technique for maintaining domain name server databases should therefore be consistent with existing Internet protocols.

Method and apparatus for maintaining internet domain name data

International Business Machines Corporation


Antimicrobial activity is imparted to the surface(s) of an apparatus or article by a method, comprising:. copolymerizing tertbutylaminoethyl methacrylate with at least one other aliphatically unsaturated monomer in the presence of said apparatus or article by which adhesion of the copolymer to said surface(s) is achieved. In an embodiment of the invention, adhesion of the polymer coating on the apparatus or article occurs by graft copolymerization.

Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to antimicrobial polymers prepared by copolymerization of tert-butylaminoethyl methacrylate with one or more aliphatically unsaturated monomers, a process for their preparation and their use. More particularly, the invention relates to antimicrobial polymers prepared by graft copolymerization of tert-butylaminoethyl methacrylate with one or more aliphatically unsaturated monomers on a substrate, a process for their preparation and their use.
Colonization and spread of bacteria on surfaces of pipelines, containers or packaging are highly undesirable. Layers of slime often form, which allow the microbe populations to rise to extreme levels, lastingly impairing the quality of water, drinks and foodstuffs, and can even lead to decay of the goods and damage to the health of consumers.
Bacteria are to be kept away from all areas of life where hygiene is of importance. Since textiles directly contact the body, and in particular the genital area, and are used for the care of the sick and elderly, textiles should be freed of bacteria. Bacteria should also be kept away from the surfaces of furniture and equipment in nursing wards, in particular in the intensive care and infant care sector, in hospitals, especially in rooms for medical operations, and in isolation wards for critical cases of infection, as well as in toilets.
Equipment and surfaces of furniture and textiles are currently treated to ward against bacteria as required or also preventively with chemicals or solutions and mixtures thereof which act as disinfectants, such having a more or less broad and massive antimicrobial action. Such chemical compositions have a non-specific action, are often themselves toxic or irritating, or form degradation products which are unacceptable to health. Intolerances are often also found in appropriately sensitized persons.
Another procedure which is used to inhibit the spread of bacteria on surfaces is to incorporate antimicrobially active substances into a matrix.
Tert-butylaminoethyl methacrylate is a commercially available monomer of methacrylate chemistry and is employed in particular as a hydrophilic monomer in copolymerizations. Thus, EP 0 290 676 describes the use of various polyacrylates and polymethacrylates as a matrix for immobilization of bactericidal quaternary ammonium compounds.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,592,805 discloses the preparation of systemic fungicides in which perhalogenated acetone derivatives are reacted with methacrylate esters, such as, for example, tert-butylaminoethyl methacrylate.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,515,910 describes the use of polymers of hydrogen fluoride salts of aminomethacrylates in dental medicine. The hydrogen fluoride bonded in the polymers emerges slowly from the polymer matrix and is said to have actions against caries.
In another technical field, U.S. Pat. No. 4,532,269 discloses a terpolymer of butyl methacrylate, tributyltin methacrylate and tert-butylaminoethyl methacrylate. This polymer is used as an antimicrobial paint for ships, the hydrophilic tert-butylaminoethyl methacrylate promoting slow erosion of the polymer and in this way liberating the highly toxic tributyltin methacrylate as an antimicrobially active compound.
In these applications, the copolymer prepared with aminomethacrylates is only a matrix or carrier substance for the added microbicidal active compounds, which can diffuse or migrate out of the carrier. Polymers of this type lose their action at a greater or lesser speed when the necessary "minimum inhibitory concentration" (MIC) is no longer achieved on the surface.
EP 0 204 312 describes a process for the preparation of antimicrobially treated acrylonitrile fibers. The antimicrobial action is based on a protonated amine as a comonomer unit, dimethylaminoethyl methacrylate and tertbutylaminoethyl methacrylate, inter alia, being used as protonated species. However, the antimicrobial action of pronated surfaces is severely reduced after loss of the H.sym. ions. A need, therefore, continues to exist for an improved method of providing surfaces with anti-bacterial properties.

Process for the preparation of antimicrobial plastics

by Hella Luise Hill, heiress, Henning Hinrich Hill, heir


An integrated bioinformatics sensing apparatus includes a piezoelectric sensing layer, an upper conductive layer, a bottom conductive layer and an information transmission controller. The piezoelectric sensing layer senses a physiological rhythm of a living organism to output a physiological rhythm signal, and the upper and bottom conductive layers sense a physiological electrical signal on a body surface of the living organism. The information transmission controller receives and processes the physiological rhythm signal and the physiological electrical signal to generate and store the sensed bioinformatics, or transmit the signals to the external processing device to display the sensed bioinformatics. The simple-structured sensing apparatus can be attached onto the body surface of the living organism conveniently.

In a living organism, a feeble electric signal is generated by signals transmitted by nerves of the living organism due to a change of ion concentration. Thus, an appropriate sensing apparatus can be installed at a specific position to sense the operation of a specific organ indirectly. For instance, several electrodes are attached onto the skin of a user's chest and at positions near the user's heart, so that the current or voltage sensed by the electrodes can be processed by a signal processing device to generate a signal, such as an electrocardiogram signal, that represents a physiological status of the user's heart.
In addition, body movements of a living organism achieved by stretching and contracting muscles may cause a skin deformation, and the skin may produce regular tension and soothe in the up-and-down chest or abdominal movements during breathing. Therefore, a piezoelectric element can be used to convert the skin deformation into a corresponding physiological rhythm signal, to achieve the effect of sensing the body movement, heartbeat or breathing movement of the living organism.
However, the drawback of the aforementioned prior art resides on the requirement of using the electrocardiogram electrodes to sense the electrocardiogram and the piezoelectric elements to sense the physiological rhythm, thus causing tremendous inconvenience to users. In particular, conductive wires are connected to the electrocardiogram electrodes and piezoelectric elements for transmitting the generated electrical signal to an external processing device and displaying the information of the electrocardiogram and physiological rhythm. The sensing devices and conductive wires are attached all over an examinee's body, and thus will lead to visual confusions in clinical practice. In the meantime, the sensing devices and conductive wires may be pulled and separated from the sensing apparatuses, and thus will result in a failure of an examination.

Integrated bioinformatics sensing apparatus


A clock signal generator includes a quartz crystal multivibrator circuit and a pulse-shaping circuit. The pulse-shaping circuit includes a D trigger. The D trigger includes a Q terminal, a Q′ terminal, a CP terminal, and a D terminal. An output signal from the quartz crystal multivibrator is transferred to the CP terminal. The Q′ terminal is connected to the D terminal. The Q terminal is an output end of the clock signal. A capacitor C4 is connected between the CP terminal and ground. A capacitor C5 is connected between the D terminal and ground. The capacitance of the capacitors C4 and C5 is adjusted to attain a clock signal of a predetermined frequency.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to clock signal generators, and particularly to a generator for generating an adjustable and stable rectangular waveform.
2. General Background
The role of a clock signal in a network is to distribute a common frequency throughout the network to provide synchronization in the network. A range within which the frequency is distributed depends on the basic configuration of the network. A network of a network synchronization type is constructed in the case of a long distance communications system. In the network of the network synchronization type, a single master station or quasi-master station distributes a clock signal at the reference frequency (hereinafter, referred to as the reference clock signal), and the reference clock signal is played back in every node within the network. In this system, all the circuits within the network use the same frequency, which enables transmission/reception processing, such as multiplexing/separation of data, and insertion/extraction of information with the use of a memory, to be performed quite easily.
Referring to FIG. 5, a conventional clock signal generator includes a first inverting amplifier 51, a second inverting amplifier 52, a quartz crystal 53, a resistor R5, a resistor R6, and a capacitor C1. The resistor R6 is connected between an output end and an input end of the first inverting amplifier 51. The resistor R5 is connected between an output end and an input end of the second inverting amplifier 52. The quartz crystal 53 is connected between the input end of the first inverting amplifier 51 and the output end of the second inverting amplifier 52. The capacitor C1 is connected in series between the first inverting amplifier 51 and the second inverting amplifier 52. The output of the conventional clock signal generator is a sine wave. A computer system generally requires a rectangular wave. Therefore a conventional clock signal does not fulfill the requirements of a computer system.
What is needed is to provide a clock signal generator which can overcome the above shortcoming.

Bao-an District, Shenzhen, Guangdong Province

Hong Fu Jin Precision Industry (Shenzhen) Co., Ltd.


An image forming apparatus includes a transport part which includes a transport belt to transport a printing medium, an image forming part which transfers a toner to form a color image, and a controller which controls the image forming part to form a test image for color registration of the image forming part on the transport belt while an image is formed for a plurality of printing media. Thus, both a test image and a plurality of printed media are formed during a single printing process.

1. Field of the Invention
Apparatuses and methods consistent with the present general inventive concept relate to an image forming apparatus and a control method thereof, and more particularly, to an image forming apparatus which performs an improved color registration process using a test image and a control method thereof.
2. Description of the Related Art
An image forming apparatus such as a laser printer exposes a photosensitive member, develops a toner, and transfers and fuses the toner to a printing medium such as a paper, thereby forming an image.
Generally, an image forming apparatus to form a color image includes an image forming part which has a laser scanning unit (LSU) provided corresponding to a plurality of colors, and a plurality of photosensitive members and transfer rollers, etc. The plurality of photosensitive members are arranged along a transport path of a printing medium transported by a transporting means such as a transporting belt.
The image forming apparatus forms an image for color registration (hereinafter, referred to as a test image) other than an actual image in order to adjust an image forming characteristic (hereinafter, referred to as color registration) of the image forming part, e.g., determination of a developing condition, color registration, etc.
Conventionally, the color registration is performed in an initializing process when the image forming apparatus is provided with power or after the predetermined number of papers is printed.
In the color registration, an image of data is not printed (hereinafter, referred to as printing data). Rather, a test image is formed. The test image is not formed during a printing process for the printing data, but is formed during the aforementioned initializing process before start of the printing process or after completion of a predetermined number of the printing process.
Thus, a lengthy period of time transpires from when the image forming apparatus is supplied with power until a first printing output is obtained (hereinafter, referred to as a first page output time). In other words, the time to obtain a printing output is delayed.
Further, if the color registration is performed separately from the printing process, a color discordance occurring in the actual printing process may not be properly reflected on the color registration.

Image forming apparatus and control method thereof


An aerodynamic wing formed by a flexible canopy with an internally routed canopy line for controlling the canopy profile. Preferably, the canopy line is routed through a gatherable tube secured to the trailing edge of the canopy. Tensioning the canopy line alters the canopy profile to facilitate launching the kite.

Recently, considerable effort is being expended to develop wings capable of generating tractive force for the purposes of powering a user on a variety of vehicles that are tethered solely by flexible lines. Such wings can generally be considered kites. The development of kites capable of generating significant force has made possible numerous recreational pursuits. For example, kite surfing or kite boarding refers to a sport involving the use of a wind powered wing to pull the participant on a vehicle across a body of water. Similar sports involving the use of appropriately configured vehicles to traverse sand, earth, snow and ice are also being pursued. One of skill in the art will also recognize that wind powered wings can be used in any number of other applications, whether recreational or practical. With the development of these applications has come an increasing demand for kites having improved characteristics.
One type of kite that has achieved popularity is a leading edge inflatable ("LEI") kite, typically comprising a semi-rigid framework of inflatable struts or spars that support a canopy to form the profile of the wing. This basic design is taught by U.S. Pat. No. 4,708,078 to Legaignoux, et al. The development of the LEI kite is generally credited with spurring the development of modern kite surfing due to its ability to be relaunched from the water's surface.
Despite the success of LEI kite designs, they do present certain, inherent challenges. As one having skill in the art appreciates, the airfoil presented by the canopy of the kite determines how the kite will perform. Particularly important characteristics include performance, handling, efficiency, relaunchability and power control, most of which are interrelated. Unfortunately, improving one aspect of a given airfoil often degrades performance in other areas. For example, attempts to improve the performance of a kite by increasing the aspect ratio of the wing typically makes the kite more difficult to relaunch. Similarly, one aspect of a kite's efficiency is its lift to drag ratio, but increasing this ratio can have adverse effects on the handling of the kite. Thus, obtaining a desirable balance of characteristics can be difficult.
A related issue is that different characteristics may be desirable for different users or under different conditions. For example, more advanced users may desire a kite with a higher aspect ratio, which can offer greater efficiency but will require more sensitive control and will be more susceptible to changes in wind velocity and direction. In contrast, more novice users often use a kite having lower aspect ratio, which is generally more forgiving to variations in wind and does not demand as precise input from the user. As another example, users looking for the best performance when jumping often seek kites having an airfoil that exhibits high efficiency. On the other hand, users primarily kiting in wave conditions often seek kites that generate relatively constant and uniform power. Given these observations, it would clearly be desirable to utilize a kite having characteristics that could be tuned to fit the conditions or the type of performance desired by the user.
Conventional kites controlled by four lines do offer the ability to tune the kite's performance in one manner. By changing the length of the front lines with respect to the back lines, the user can adjust the angle of attack of the kite's airfoil. However, this type of trim control does not offer any means for controlling the canopy's profile. Thus, these prior art systems do not offer a method for altering the characteristics of the canopy's airfoil.
Yet another aspect of kite design is related to the ability to launch or relaunch the kite. As discussed above, kites having relatively high aspect ratios can be difficult to relaunch. However, the problems associated with relaunching a kite are exacerbated when the kite is used on a relatively low friction surface, such as sand, snow and ice. Indeed, relaunching a conventional four-line kite on snow, regardless of aspect ratio, is extremely difficult and usually requires the use of a fifth line attached to the trailing edge of the kite. Thus, improving the relaunchability of a kite generally either constrains the aspect ratio or requires additional design elements.
Prior art attempts to add design elements to improve the relaunchability of kites have not been completely successful. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 6,659,031 to LeGaignoux describes a bridle arrangement for a four-line kite that is able to apply tension to the trailing edge to aid relaunching. However, the bridle system generally decreases the responsiveness of the kite to turning input. Another attempt is disclosed in WO 03/101824 which uses a stopper arrangement to transmit power to a line attached to the trailing edge. However, the stopper arrangement requires a relatively complex interconnection, which is subject to fouling. Further, both of these prior art methods involve the use of an external line at the trailing edge which can catch on foreign objects, presenting a significant safety problem, and also creates durability and convenience issues while increasing air resistance.
Accordingly, it is an object of the invention to provide a system and method for optimizing the performance of a power kite for different situations and conditions.
It is also an object of the invention to provide a system and method for improving the launchability of a power kite.
It is a further object of the invention to provide a system and method for dynamically controlling the canopy profile.

Inflatable wing with active canopy profile control


The present invention provides a female garment with an infolding or cleft at the surface level of the labia majora to subtly define the contours of the external female genitalia. The linear infolding is in the sagittal plane of the body and has a first material which represents the outer cloth surface of the female garment and a second, firmer material which is attached to the inner surface of the first material so that the subtle contours of the external female genitalia are maintained throughout the infolding. Alternatively, the features of the external female genitalia in situ may be represented in a variety of female garments by utilizing first and second layers where the first layer constitutes material of the female garment and the second layer constitutes material of a different color or texture from that of the first material.

The present invention relates generally to a female garment with a subtle infolding and/or topographical demarcation by various methods (e.g. tinting, coloring, or textural features) in the area of the external female genitalia. More particularly, the present invention relates to a female garment with an anatomically correct design which suggests a linear infolding or cleft in order to define the contours of the external female genitalia at the surface level of the labia majora. The inventive female garment design can be used for jeans, shorts, bathing suits, lingerie, under garments, leggings, and all other garments worn by women from the pelvis to the knees or lower.
Due to the Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS) epidemic, there has been a distinct and ever increasing trend towards the sublimation of sexual matters by the use of language, dances, pictures, and non-verbal symbols in contrast to and substitution for the previously prevalent, explicit attitudes toward casual sexual activity. The present invention provides a variety of female garments by which female individuals can sexually express themselves short of exposing themselves and short of engaging in the relaxed sexual activity which was commonplace in the pre-AIDS years.


A nanopositioning system for producing a coupling interaction between a first nanoparticle and a second nanoparticle. A first MEMS positioning assembly includes an electrostatic comb drive actuator configured to selectively displace a first nanoparticle in a first dimension and an electrode configured to selectively displace the first nanoparticle in a second dimensions. Accordingly, the first nanoparticle may be selectively positioned in two dimensions to modulate the distance between the first nanoparticle and a second nanoparticle that may be coupled to a second MEMS positioning assembly. Modulating the distance between the first and second nanoparticles obtains a coupling interaction between the nanoparticles that alters at least one material property of the nanoparticles applicable to a variety of sensing and control applications.

This section is intended to provide a background or context to the invention that is, inter alia, recited in the claims. The description herein may include concepts that could be pursued, but are not necessarily ones that have been previously conceived or pursued. Therefore, unless otherwise indicated herein, what is described in this section is not prior art to the description and claims in this application and is not admitted to be prior art by inclusion in this section.
A common approach to making closely spaced metal nanoparticles is through advanced lithographic methods. Electron beam lithography is frequently used to make nanostructures on the scale of a few 10 s of nanometers in size and with similar spacing between nanostructures. However, prior efforts in this regard suffer from the inability to reliably produce features on this length scale with high precision. Defects in shape, size, and/or spacing generally arise when producing nanostructures on the scale of 10 nm in length using lithographic techniques. Currently, lithography techniques cannot reliably fabricate nanostructures with a spacing of 10 nm or less. Furthermore, lithography yields static structures and does not allow for optimization of optical and electronic coupling between the nanoparticles, as real-time control over the distance between nanoparticles is not achievable.
As a result of these limitations, attempts have been made to use rough mechanical means to essentially push two particles together. [J. Merlein et al., Nature Photonics 2, 230(2008)] Electron beam lithography has been used to create two nanoparticles with an initial spacing of about 85 nm. Subsequently, an atomic force microscope tip is used to push one of the particles closer to the other. This is a crude method to move nanoparticles closer, and suffers from deficiencies such as damaging the nanoparticles, the substantial time needed to accomplish movement, and a complete lack of reversibility in the degree of coupling between the nanoparticles. Attempts at applying MEMS to move two "swords" of silicon coated Au structures to near contact have also been made [IEEE Transducers 2009 conference (Jun. 21-25, 2009)]. Here, the silicon swords had micron lengths and included coarse position control.
Achieving nanoparticle separation on the scale of less than 10 nm is generally beyond the reliable capability of modern nanofabrication tools. In addition to the nanoparticle spacing issue, the ability to modulate this distance in a reversible manner would be of value for a wide range of next generation nanoscale devices. For example, controlled coupling of nanoparticles could be used as a switching framework to control optical and electrical energy flow in nanoscale devices. Another example that could benefit from this technology would be a sensor where strongly interacting fields of the involved nanoparticles produce shifts in the absorption and scattering resonances of the particles. Another benefit of close nanoparticle coupling would be the gain in the sensitivity of spectroscopies, including surface enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS), that result from large field confinement and enhancement effects in the gaps between nanoparticles. For example, by positioning molecules within this small region, molecular spectroscopy of a single molecule can be achievable. Precise control of the distance between nanoparticles is also needed to manage the efficiency of bow-tie nanoantennas. Nanoantenna structures are best known for providing a mechanism for focusing light into the nanoscale gap between conductors. It is expected that these structures could ultimately provide optical readout for on chip nanophotonic logic or light routing devices.

Microelectromechanical (MEMS) manipulators for control of nanoparticle coupling interactions


A verify operation is performed on the one time programmable memory block to determine if it has been programmed. If any bits have been programmed, further programming or erasing is inhibited. In another embodiment, the memory block can be programmed and erased until a predetermined page or lock bit in the block is programmed. Once that page/bit is programmed, the one time programmable memory block is locked against further programming or erasing.

Memory devices are typically provided as internal, semiconductor, integrated circuits in computers or other electronic devices. There are many different types of memory including random-access memory (RAM), read only memory (ROM), dynamic random access memory (DRAM), synchronous dynamic random access memory (SDRAM), and flash memory.
Flash memory devices have developed into a popular source of non-volatile memory for a wide range of electronic applications. Flash memory devices typically use a one-transistor memory cell that allows for high memory densities, high reliability, and low power consumption. Common uses for flash memory include personal computers, personal digital assistants (PDAs), digital cameras, and cellular telephones. Program code and system data such as a basic input/output system (BIOS) are typically stored in flash memory devices for use in personal computer systems.
Flash memory devices can have a areas of memory that are one time programmable (OTP) memory blocks. For example, in a NOR-type flash memory device, the OTP area could be the mini-array that is used by the manufacturer to store data such as the locations of redundant columns, lock bits for specific memory blocks, or other data used by the device's controller.
These mini-arrays, however, take up valuable real estate on the memory die that can be used for the main memory array. This results in an additional cost to the chip manufacturer when the manufacturer is already selling the devices at a small profit margin in order to remain competitive.
For the reasons stated above, and for other reasons stated below which will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon reading and understanding the present specification, there is a need in the art for a flash memory that has one time programmable memory that does not require additional lock circuitry.

Non-volatile one time programmable memory


A method for detecting the presence of side lobes in a full chip layout having a main pattern designed on a mask includes surrounding the main pattern with a pattern of polygons or circles. A lithography rule check is performed and uses the pattern of polygons or circles to search the main pattern for side lobes. The location of a side lobe is preferably marked with an error flag.

The present invention relates generally to the lithography process of semiconductor chips, and more particularly, to detection of undesired error patterns during the lithography process.
Attenuated phase shift masks (PSM) are often used in the lithography process for semiconductor chip layouts. A PSM is manufactured to create a pattern on a photoresist layer deposited on the chip. Typically, bright and background areas are formed on the resist layer as light is passed through the mask. The material and structure of the mask employs interference of the light, by instituting phase differences, to imprint these images.
Unfortunately, a side effect of this process is the development of "side lobes". These side lobes are usually found near a transition zone from a bright area to a background area. Constructive interference in these zones leaves unintended energy patterns which remain on the resist layer following completion of the exposure. In the subsequent manufacturing process, the side lobes produce unwanted structures on the chip, which may be harmful depending on the size and the layout density of the chip. The side lobes are particularly harmful in contact arrays. As a result, side lobes hidden in full chip layouts can be a yield killer.
In the past, side lobe detection was a meticulous process. Areas with high probability of side lobe formation were examined manually in a simulation. Chrome spots were placed where the side lobes were expected to print, blocking the background light during the exposure. This process has become increasingly more difficult as wafers have decreased greatly in size, and denser, more complex layouts have become common.
More recently, computer software programs are being employed to ease the burden. Full chip aerial images can be generated for use. The program searches the entire chip layout, not just the areas of high probability. Though this eliminates the tedious manual work, a full chip simulation still requires a significant amount of time to complete. The technology is also very expensive.
It is therefore desirable to use a method of detecting side lobes which reduces the time expenditure and eliminates the need for extra investment in software.

Side lobe image searching method in lithography


Inconsistencies between cache and memory in a memory system operating in a computer are traced and corrected. A cache entry is checked against a counterpart memory entry to trace inconsistencies between the cache entry and the memory entry and to correct the cache entry. A page table entry in memory with a zero mapping mark is checked against a counterpart page entry in a translation lookaside buffer. Inconsistencies between the page table entry with a zero mapping mark and the existence of a counterpart page entry in the translation lookaside buffer is traced. The inconsistency is corrected by deleting the counterpart page entry in the translation lookaside buffer. Address mapping is checked comparing a page entry in the translation lookaside buffer against a counterpart page table entry in the memory. Inconsistencies between the page entry and the page table entry are traced and corrected.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to memory management software in a software system in a computer for the purpose of testing the software system's operability with the computer. More particularly, the invention relates to diagnosing cache management problems in a kernel of an operating system over a spectrum of selected workloads.
2. Description of Prior Art
In modern computers extensive use is made of cached memory in order to improve system performance. Exemplary memory architecture employs a Harvard cache and a Van Neuman memory. The Harvard designation applies to any memory management architecture in which instructions are stored separately from data. The Van Neuman designation applies to memory management architectures in which data and instructions are stored with data.
The memory provides what is known as virtual memory, when the effective range of addressable memory locations provided to a process is independent of the size of main memory. Most virtual memory schemes are hardware based. In these schemes the virtual address base is divided into fixed sized units termed pages. Virtual memory references are resolved to a page in main memory and an offset within that page.
There are several advantages to the use of virtual memory on computers capable of supporting this facility. Virtual memory allows large programs to be run on machines with main memory configurations that are smaller than the program size. As the program runs, additional sections of its program and data spaces are paged in to memory on demand.
A modern computer system environment with multiple caches for instructions, data and virtual memory mappings is susceptible to cache synchronization problems. There are two causes of cache synchronization error: inconsistencies between cache entries or between split caches, a.k.a. "aliasing"; and inconsistencies between physical memory management and cache memory management. These problems are difficult to detect.
Problems arise in instruction and data caches with a phenomenon known as address aliasing. In virtual memory systems the same physical address can be mapped to two or more completely different logical addresses. Aliasing occurs if both these logical addresses happen to be cached and a write cycle has occurred to one of them. The cache would update one cached copy of the physical address as well as the main memory itself but the cache copy of the other logical address would remain unchanged and would subsequently contain erroneous data.
Another instance of aliasing error can occur when a Harvard/split cache is being used. If for example the instruction cache and memory contained, for a given address, an old instruction, while the data cache contains an updated instruction, the caches would be out of synch. If the next memory access was directed to the same address, the instruction that would be uploaded would be the old, erroneous instruction.
The translation look-aside buffer (TLB) can also be out of synch with a page table entry. This can occur in one of two ways. An entry in the TLB may map to a page table entry for which there is no physical memory allocated. This can occur when there has been a context change and the TLB has not been flushed. Alternately, the TLB may contain physical page allocations that do not coincide with those in the page table. When this occurs the TLB is out of synch with the page table.
What is needed is a way to detect these problems when they occur.

Method and apparatus that detects and tolerates inconsistencies between the cache and main memory, and the translation lookaside buffer and the virtual memory page table in main memory


A vertical-to-surface transmission electrophotonic device in a structure having a first distributed Bragg reflector of a first conductivity type, a first spacer layer of the first conductivity type, an active layer, a second spacer layer of a second conductivity type opposite to the first conductivity type, and a second distributed Bragg reflector of the second conductivity type, all of which are formed on a substrate to constitute a cavity in a direction perpendicular to a formation surface, characterized in that one layer of said first distributed Bragg reflector is locally thickened to constitute a double cavity, and that a light-emitting portion of a single-cavity structure and a light-receiving portion of a double-cavity structure are formed on said single substrate.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a vertical-to-surface transmission electrophotonic device and, more particularly to a vertical-to-surface transmission electrophotonic device used in massive and parallel optical transmission and optical information processing.
2. Description of the Prior Art
A vertical-to-surface transmission electrophotonic device performs light emission and light reception on the same structure (Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. Hei 4-101483).
FIG. 1 is a sectional view showing a vertical-to-surface transmission electrophotonic device of a vertical cavity type as an example of the conventional vertical-to-surface transmission electrophotonic device. A guide layer and a distributed Bragg reflector are formed on the upper and lower surfaces of a quantum well layer operated as a light-absorption/active layer. The vertical cavity type vertical-to-surface transmission electrophotonic device has a "pnpn" structure.
As shown in FIG. 2 , in an optical integrated element described in CONFERENCE RECORD OF OPTICAL COMPUTING, PP. 164-166, 1990, a light-emitting portion (microlasers or .mu.-lasers) and a light-receiving portion (detectors) are independently formed to optimize the characteristics of these portions.
This conventional vertical cavity type vertical-to-surface transmission electrophotonic device must have a high reflectance of the distributed Bragg reflector to obtain a high Q value during resonance because the threshold current value of laser emission is decreased. For this reason, when this element is used as a light-receiving element, a detector bandwidth becomes narrow, and durability (tolerance) against variations in lasing wavelength due to the non-uniform film thickness between elements and the increase in temperature is poor, resulting in inconvenience. Another optical integrated element having a structure in which light-emitting and light-receiving portions are separated from each other is also proposed, as shown in FIG. 5. It is difficult to form a conventional surface emission type laser and a light-receiving element on a single substrate due to their structural difference. Any practical device having both the surface emission type laser and the light-receiving element on the single substrate has not yet been proposed.

Vertical-to-surface transmission electrophotonic device


A solid oxide fuel cell includes: a solid electrolyte; and electrodes on both surfaces of the solid electrolyte, wherein at least one of joint surfaces where the solid electrolyte and the electrodes are in contact with each other is a roughened surface having at least two different types of surface roughness.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a solid oxide fuel cell and a method of manufacturing the same.
2. Description of the Related Art
A solid oxide fuel cell undergoes an electrode reaction at a three-phase interface of a solid electrolyte, an electrode and a gas phase. In order to improve electric power generation performance of a fuel cell, therefore, it is necessary that the area of the interface between the solid electrolyte and the electrode, i.e., a joint surface, (which is sometimes referred to as an effective interface area) is enlarged as much as possible so as to reduce the interface resistance, whereby the electrode reaction is accelerated. The enlargement of the effective interface area between the solid electrolyte and the electrode also improves the mechanical joint strength between the solid electrolyte and the electrode.
In order to enlarge the effective interface area between the solid electrolyte and the electrode, such a method has been practiced that a surface of an electrolyte is roughened so as to form roughness on the surface (as described, for example, in JP-A-7-073890) The method for forming the roughened surface includes a coarse particle applying method, a sandpaper pressing method and a sand blasting method.
For example, such a method has been proposed that particles are applied and attached to a surface of a mother body and sintered simultaneously with the mother body so as to form a large number of convex portions on the surface of the mother body, and then an electrode is attached to the surface having the convex portions formed thereon (as described, for example, in JP-A-62-045596 and JP-A-56-160653).
Such a method has been also proposed that a roughened surface is formed by making coarse particles present only on a part of an electrode, which is in contact with a solid electrolyte, but not present on the other parts thereof, by a slurry method or a thermal spraying method (as described, for example, in Japanese Patent No. 2,695,641).
In all of the related methods for forming a roughened surface, a roughened surface cannot be obtained effectively with respect to the complicated operation or high cost of the methods. FIG. 8 is a schematic cross sectional view showing a roughened surface of a solid electrolyte formed by the related methods for forming a roughened surface. Although a roughened surface can be formed on a solid electrolyte 51, for example, by a sand blasting method, repetition frequency of roughness on the roughened surface (which is sometimes referred to as a roughness frequency) is almost constant as shown in the figure. There is a limitation in enlargement of the effective interface area by the related methods for forming a roughened surface, and therefore, improvement in electric power generation performance of a fuel cell is also limited.

Solid oxide fuel cell and method of manufacturing the same


A vehicle driving control device is configured to improve response to driver braking operation and shorten the free running distance by applying a preliminary braking force to a braking device when a preceding vehicle can no longer be recognized during preceding vehicle following control.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to a vehicle driving control device. More specifically, the present invention relate to a vehicle driving control device that generates preliminary braking force prior to the operation of the brakes by the driver, and improves response to driver brake operation and shortens the free running distance.
2. Background Information
In recent years, many vehicles have been equipped with various automatic speed control technologies. For example, an adaptive cruise control system has been disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,311,120 that is capable of executing a following control function. In such an automatic speed control device, when a host vehicle (an ACC vehicle) is traveling in a following control mode in which a host vehicle (an ACC vehicle) is automatically follow a preceding vehicle, the automatic speed control device maintains the host vehicle's distance from the preceding vehicle at a desired inter-vehicle distance. In particular, the automatic speed control device controls the host vehicle's speed so that the host vehicle is automatically accelerated up to a preset vehicle speed, when the preceding vehicle itself changes its traffic lane and disappears from the host vehicle's driving lane. On the other hand, when the preceding vehicle actually exists ahead of the host vehicle but an inter-vehicle distance sensor, employed in the host vehicle, loses the track of the preceding vehicle owing to various factors, for example, curves, slopes, weather or the like, the device disclosed in Japanese Laid-Open Patent Application 11-192858 maintains or holds the host vehicle's speed at a vehicle speed given at the time when the preceding vehicle has been lost, until such time that the host vehicle reaches a lost point where the preceding vehicle has been lost, so as to inhibit the automatic accelerating mode from being initiated and to prevent the host vehicle's distance from the preceding vehicle from being reduced inadvertently or undesirably.
There is also known a preliminary braking force control device that generates a preliminary braking force prior to operation of the brakes by the driver, thereby improving response to brake operation by the driver and shortening the free running distance. One such preliminary braking force control device is disclosed in Japanese Laid-Open Patent Application No. 2000-309257.
In view of the above, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art from this disclosure that there exists a need for an improved a vehicle driving control device. This invention addresses this need in the art as well as other needs, which will become apparent to those skilled in the art from this disclosure.


A magneto-optical recording medium with a reproducing layer that exhibits in-plane magnetization at room temperature and that comes to exhibit perpendicular magnetization as temperature rises. The second shielding layer is used to block the magnetization of record bits other than a record bit to be reproduced from being copied on a signal reproducing area in the reproducing layer. Consequently, even in the case of high-density record bits in the recording layer, only the magnetization of the record bit to be reproduced is copied on the reproducing layer. Therefore, the application of the magneto-optical recording medium makes it possible to produce superior reproducing signals even in the case where the records bits with high density are formed on the recording layer.

Conventionally, magneto-optical recording media using the magneto-optical effect have been known as an information recording medium with a large capacity capable of performing repetitive re-writing operations. And various studies and researches have been made in order to achieve high-density recording in the magneto-optical recording medium.
However, one of the disadvantages with this magneto-optical recording medium of this type is that when the diameter of a recording bit that forms a recording domain or when the interval of the recording bits is relatively small with respect to the diameter of a light beam spot focused on the recording medium, the reproducing characteristic deteriorates.
This is caused by the fact that in the case of the small diameter of a record bit or the small interval between record bits, since adjacent record bits are included within the spot of a light beam which has been converged on a target record bit to be reproduced, individual record bits can not be reproduced separately from other record bits.
Magneto-optical recording media, which are devised to overcome the above-mentioned disadvantage, have been proposed by reference (1) Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 150418/1994 (Tokukaihei 6-150418) and reference (2) "Ultra-high density magneto-optical disk using a magnetic-domain enlarging reproduction", 22pE-4 in papers of the 20th Symposium of Japan Applied Magnetics Society (1996).
In a construction described in reference (1) (hereinafter, referred to as the first prior art medium), a reproducing layer, which exhibits in-plane magnetization at room temperature and comes to exhibit perpendicular magnetization with temperature rises, is provided. Further, a non-magnetic intermediate layer is placed between the reproducing layer and the recording layer so that a magnetostatical coupling is realized between the reproducing layer and the recording layer.
Thus, the first prior art medium is designed so that the portion of the reproducing layer that is in the in-plane magnetization state is allowed to mask record bits (recording magnetic-domain information) of the recording layer corresponding to the above-mentioned portion. In other words, in the first prior art medium, this mask prevents record bits adjacent to the record bit to be reproduced from being included within the light beam spot, thereby making it possible to reproduce individual record bits separately.
In a construction as described in reference (2) (hereinafter, referred to the second prior art medium), a non-magnetic intermediate layer is interpolated between the recording layer and the reproducing layer in the same manner as the construction described in reference (1). Here, in this construction, a magnetic domain which is larger than the record bit on the recording layer is formed on the reproducing layer by a magnetic field generated from the recording layer. The reproducing system of this type, which carries out a reproducing operation by forming a magnetic domain larger than the record bit on the reproducing layer, is referred to as the magnetic-domain enlarging reproduction system.
However, it has been found that in the first prior art medium, when the diameter of a record bit is made extremely small, or when the interval between record bits is made extremely small, the intensity of the reproduced signal decreases, failing to provide sufficient reproduced signals.
Moreover, in the second prior art medium, a reproducing operation is not available unless the respective record bits are maintained in an isolated state. In other words, when the interval between the record bits in the recording layer is small (in the case of a high recording density), a plurality of record bits are located under the domain of the reproducing layer. In this case, the magnetic domain of the reproducing layer is subjected to magnetic fluxes (magnetic fields) from the plural record bits. That is, the problem with this construction is that it is not possible to apply only the magnetic flux from the record bit to be reproduced to the magnetic domain of the reproducing layer.

Magneto-optical recording medium having a signal reproducing region of the reproducing layer larger than the record bit in the recording layer


The purpose is to reduce the influence on the measurement due to high order diffracted light without arranging a filter for removing high order diffracted light between a diffraction grating and a PDA. The correction method includes a correction coefficient determination step of determining a correction coefficient related to a ratio of a portion of a detection signal value to the detection signal value, the portion of the detection signal value being derived from a second order diffracted light of light in the first wavelength range contained in the detection signal value of a long wavelength side photodiode for detecting light in the second wavelength range in the photodiode array, and a correction unit configured to obtain a corrected detection signal value derived from light in the second wavelength range from a different detection signal value of the long wavelength side photodiode by using the correction coefficient determined by the correction coefficient determination step.

As a detector for a liquid chromatograph, a PDA spectrophotometer is known. In a PDA spectrophotometer, light is irradiated from a light source to a flow cell through which a solution containing a sample flows, and the light that passed through the flow cell or the light reflected (or refracted) is spectrally dispersed by a diffraction grating for each wavelength component and led to a PDA. The PDA is provided with a plurality of photodiodes for receiving the light of each wavelength component spectrally dispersed by the diffraction grating, so that the wavelength spectrum of the light that passed through the flow cell can be detected by simultaneously detecting light of each wavelength component by each photodiode (see Patent Document 1).

Correction method of detection signal value in spectrophotometer and spectrophotometer having correction function of detection signal value


A method can be used for regulating a pulse-width modulation signal that is driving a voltage-buck switched-mode voltage regulator. The method includes comparing an input voltage of the switched-mode voltage regulator with a threshold voltage. The frequency of the pulse-width modulation signal is decreased when the input voltage is lower than the threshold voltage. The frequency is not decreased when the input voltage is not lower than the threshold voltage.

In general, a conventional voltage-buck switched-mode power supply 1 includes, as illustrated in FIG. 1, a voltage-regulating circuit, or regulator, 2 including an input 3 that is intended to receive an input voltage Vin, a power switch 4 having a closed state and an open state, an inductor 5 that is configured to store energy, a load 6 and a diode 7.
The voltage-regulating circuit 2 is configured to deliver an output voltage Vout that is lower than the input voltage Vin to the load.
When the power switch 4 is in the closed state, the diode 7 is in the off state and the current flowing through the inductor 5 increases.
When the power switch 4 is in the open state, the diode 7 is in the on state and the current flowing through the inductor 5 decreases.
The power switch 4 and the diode 7 are generally formed by transistors, here for example by a first transistor T1 and a second transistor T2.
The closed/open state of the first transistor T1 and the on/off state of the second transistor T2 are driven by a pulse-width modulation signal Spwm delivered by a control circuit 8 for controlling the switched-mode power supply 1.
The control circuit 8 is intended to receive a reference voltage Vref in order to set the output voltage Vout of the voltage regulator 2 via the pulse-width modulation signal Spwm.
The frequency or the period of the signal Spwm is generally dictated by a clock signal Clk.
As illustrated in FIG. 2, each period Tpwm of the signal Spwm includes a first phase P1 having a duration D1 in which the power switch 4 is in the closed state and the diode 7 is in the off state, and a second phase P2 having a duration D2 in which the power switch 4 is in the open state and the diode 7 is in the on state.
The duty cycle RC of the signal Spwm is equal to D1/Tpwm or 1-D2/Tpwm and this duty cycle RC can vary according to the input Vin and output Vout voltages.
When there is only low dropout, for example lower than 0.4 V, between the input Vin and output Vout voltages, the switched-mode power supply operates in a low-dropout voltage mode.
In this case, the duty cycle RC of the signal Spwm remains high, i.e. close to 100%, so as to maintain the functionality of the voltage-buck switched-mode power supply.
However, since the control circuit 8 still exhibits an intrinsic latency in generating the signal Spwm, the duration D2 of the second phase P2 cannot therefore be completely eliminated. Consequently, the duty cycle of the signal Spwm is limited by the latency and cannot reach 100%.
One conventional solution proposes limiting the input voltage Vin of a voltage-buck switched-mode power supply so as to avoid the constraint of a high duty cycle.
However, such a solution substantially limits the working range of the power supply.
There is also another conventional solution in which it is sought to decrease the intrinsic latency of the control circuit 8 so as to increase the duty cycle.
However, a slight improvement in the duty cycle RC is obtained at the price of high complexity, and substantially increased silicon area and power consumption.
There is thus a need to provide a technical solution exhibiting low complexity, low power consumption and a small silicon footprint allowing the duty cycle of the pulse-width modulation signal, or in other words the performance of the voltage-buck switched-mode power supply, to be increased without limiting its working range.

Method of adjusting a pulse width modulation signal


An electromagnetic wave shielding filter that has low electric conductivity, high visible light transmittance and good durability, a method of manufacturing the electromagnetic wave shielding filter, and a PDP apparatus including the electromagnetic wave shielding filter. The electromagnetic wave shielding filter includes a laminate structure including multiple stacks each consisting of a niobium oxide layer, a first protective layer having a ZnO as a main component, and a metal layer sequentially laminated in that order, the multiple stacks formed by repeatedly laminating the respective layers at least three times, and a niobium oxide layer formed on the laminate structure.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an electromagnetic wave shielding filter, a method of manufacturing the same and a plasma display panel ("PDP") apparatus including the same. More particularly, the present invention relates to an electromagnetic wave shielding filter which has low electric conductivity, high visible light transmittance and good durability, a method of manufacturing the same and a PDP apparatus including the same.
2. Description of the Related Art
As modem society becomes more information-oriented, photoelectronic devices and apparatuses are advancing and are becoming more widespread. In particular, image display devices are being widely used in a variety of applications, including TV screens, monitors of personal computers, etc. Wide screens and a thin build have become the mainstream technology along with the progress of high performance image display devices.
The plasma display panel (PDP) is gaining popularity as a next-generation display device to replace the CRT because a PDP is thin and a large screen can be readily fabricated with a plurality of units. A PDP apparatus includes a plasma display panel on which an image is displayed using a gas discharge phenomenon, and exhibits superior display capabilities, including high display capacity, high brightness, high contrast, clear latent image, a wide viewing angle, etc.
In a PDP apparatus, when a direct current (DC) or alternating current (AC) voltage is applied to electrodes, a discharge of gas plasma is created, resulting in the emission of ultraviolet (UV) light. The UV emission excites adjacent phosphor materials, resulting in electromagnetic emission of visible light.
Despite the above advantages, PDPs face several challenges associated with driving characteristics, including an increase in electromagnetic wave radiation, near-infrared emission, and phosphor surface reflection, and an obscured color purity due to orange light emitted from helium (He) or xenon (Xe) used as a sealing gas.
The electromagnetic wave and near-infrared ray generated in PDPs may adversely affect human bodies and cause malfunction of precision machines such as wireless telephones or remote controllers. Thus, in order to make use of such PDPs, there is a desire to reduce the electromagnetic wave and near-infrared ray emitted from the PDPs to a predetermined level or less. In this respect, various PDP filters have been proposed for shielding electromagnetic waves or near-infrared rays emitted from the PDPs, reducing reflection of light and/or enhancing color purity. The proposed PDP filters are also required to meet transmittance requirements because the filters are installed on a front surface of each of the PDPs.
In order to reduce the electromagnetic wave and Near-Infrared Ray (NIR) emitted from plasma display panels to a predetermined level or less, various PDP filters have been used for the purposes of e.g., shielding electromagnetic waves or NIR emitted from the PDPs, reducing reflection of light and/or enhancing color purity. High transmittance is required for such filters because they are generally applied to the front surface of PDPs. Typical electromagnetic wave shielding filters meeting such requirements and characteristics are classified into a metal mesh-pattern filter and a transparent conductive film filter. Although the metal mesh-pattern filter exhibits a good electromagnetic wave shielding effect, it has several disadvantages including poor transmittance, image distortion, and an increase in the production cost due to a costly mesh.
Due to such disadvantages, electromagnetic wave shielding filters using transparent conductive films using indium tin oxide (ITO) are being widely used instead of the metal mesh-pattern filter. The transparent conductive film is generally formed of a multi-level thin film structure in which a metal film and a high-refractive-index transparent thin layer are sandwiched. Silver or a silver-based alloy may be used as the metal film.
One example of the multi-level thin film structure for use in the conventional electromagnetic wave shielding filters is disclosed in Korean Patent Application No. 1997-20914, entitled, "Transparent Laminate and Optical Filter for Display Using Same," filed in May 27, 1997.
The disclosed technology has a sequentially and alternately stacked structure of three thin layers comprised of silver or a silver alloy and three high-index-refractive transparent, thin layers. Here, the high-refractive-index transparent thin layers are comprised of indium oxide and the metal thin layer is comprised of silver or a silver alloy.
In conventional electromagnetic wave shielding filters using the laminate structure, decrease of sheet resistance is achieved by increasing the number of metal thin layers in the laminate structure. However, there are problems that the increase of the number of metal thin layers leads to low visible light transmittance while enhancing sheet resistance, an increase in the production cost, and low manufacturability.
Further, the conventional electromagnetic wave shielding filters have a disadvantage because the metal thin layers generally comprised of silver are vulnerable to chemicals and easily eroded. Various attempts have been made to prevent erosion of metallic thin films. However, no successful solution has yet been proposed due to some environmental factors.

Electromagnetic wave shielding filter, method of manufacturing the same, PDP apparatus including the same filter


A method for testing a waterproof casing having a flexible watertight portion having a flexible waterproofing portion, which is compressed to establish a water tight seal, and a stationary watertight portion, in which the watertightness is established by an adhesive, using a test casing to serve as the adjoining element, wherein the flexible waterproofing portion and the test casing together define a closed chamber, and wherein an air pressure change can be effected in the chamber through the test casing. The method includes the steps of establishing a first air pressure in the closed chamber, less than atmospheric pressure, which causes elastic deformation of the flexible waterproofing portion, and subsequently detecting a change in internal air pressure of the closed chamber. The method further includes the steps of establishing a second air pressure in the closed chamber, less than atmospheric pressure, but greater than the first air pressure, which causes a smaller elastic deformation of the flexible waterproofing portion than the first air pressure and, subsequently detecting a change in internal air pressure of the closed chamber.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method for testing a waterproof casing. Particularly, it relates to a method for testing a waterproof casing element having a flexible waterproofing portion which is compressed against an adjoining element to establish a water tight seal and a stationary watertight portion in which the water tight seal is established by an adhesive.
2 Description of Related Art
To test the water tightness of a waterproof casing element, it is known to immerse the waterproof casing to be tested in a water, so that if there is a portion which is not watertight, air bubbles will appear at the defective portion. In the known method, however, if the camera to be tested is defective in water tightness, internal elements of the camera can be damaged by water which has penetrated through the camera.
To solve the problem mentioned above, a known testing method is used in which internal air pressure of a watertight casing element is reduced, so that the watertightness can be detected in accordance with a change in the internal air pressure. If this testing method is applied to a waterproof casing element having a flexible waterproofing portion, which is compressed against an adjoining element to establish a water tight seal, and a stationary watertight portion, in which the water tightness is established by an adhesive, it is impossible to distinguish between the defective portions. Namely, whether the flexible waterproofing portion is defective or the stationary watertight portion (i.e., the adhesive) is defective cannot be discriminated.
Namely, in the watertight casing of the type mentioned above, upon testing, the internal air pressure thereof is reduced, causing the flexible waterproofing portion to be elastically deformed, thereby establishing an airtight (watertight) connection. If the flexible waterproofing portion has a tiny defective portion (e.g., pin hole), the latter may temporarily disappear when the elastic deformation of flexible waterproofing portion takes place. Namely, there is no air or water leakage through the tiny defective portion which has temporarily disappeared due to the elastic deformation of the flexible waterproofing portion. Accordingly, a defective portion can not be found.
Conversely, when the air pressure reduction is too small to cause a sufficient elastic deformation of the flexible waterproofing portion, if leakage (indicated by a pressure change) takes place, it is impossible to discriminate whether the leakage occurs in the flexible watertight portion or the stationary watertight portion.


An optical coherent receiver in one embodiment has a heterodyne configuration, and in another embodiment has a homodyne configuration, in each configuration employs multiple feedback signaling and analog/digital processing to optimize response to a modulated optical input signal, the provision of both individual RF I and RF Q channel outputs.

Coherent optical detection was considered intensively for fiber optics in the 80's and 90's. However, with the advent of the optical amplifier the work on this versatile and highly sensitive receiver technique was put aside. In the meantime great improvements on the optical components side have been achieved. These include laser output power, linewidth stability and noise as well as the bandwidth, power handling capability, and common mode rejection of (balanced) photo detectors. The advances in electronic microwave components improved in a way that the advantages of optical coherent detection over direct detection can be used. The present inventors recognize that this makes coherent optical detection very attractive for future communication links.
For free space optical communication links coherent detection was always of interest since it has to rely on high power laser and sensitive receiver techniques. One application is the optical satellite link which can equal or exceed the data throughput of an entire suite of microwave transponders. Moreover, the optical system has a much tighter beam size than all RF systems, making it intrinsically more secure. With the possibility of entire suites of RF transponders being replaced by a single optical communication system, the level of complexity of spacecraft (SC), and their associated weight and power consumption, all decrease.
Optical coherent detection offers a number of advantages over conventional intensity modulation/direct detection. For example, the use of an optical coherent receiver allows detecting signals of very low strength, lower than that of conventional optical receivers. This is especially important in order to detect signals at optical wavelengths where low noise optical amplification is not available. Moreover, coherent detection allows preserving the phase information of the optical signal. This is useful to detect optical signals where the information is comprised in the phase of the electromagnetic wave. This requires a stable phase and/or frequency lock between the received optical signal and the optical local oscillator used in the coherent receiver.
In the coherent receiver structure the received optical signal is mixed with the light of an optical local oscillator (LO). In this way, the signal is down converted from the optical carrier frequency (˜200 THz at 1.55 μm) to a microwave carrier frequency (typically a few gigahertz). The resulting beat signal after photo detection exhibits a center frequency that corresponds to the intermediate frequency fIF(IF), which is the difference between the signal frequency and the LO frequency.
If the signal frequency and the LO frequency are the same, the detection technique is called "homodyne." For different center frequencies of signal and LO, the system is referred to as "heterodyne," with fIF=fc−fLO, where fc and fLO are the center frequencies of the received signal and LO, respectively. For heterodyne systems, the IF has to be at least two times the data rate of the optical signal to receive the double-sided data spectrum. Homodyne reception requires that the LO, typically produced by a laser, be phase locked to the incoming optical signal, whereas heterodyne detection calls for frequency locking to the received signal.
In many transmission scenarios, homodyne systems can provides higher sensitivity than heterodyne systems. Homodyne detection requires an RF bandwidth approximately equal to the transmitted data rate, whereas heterodyne detection requires an RF bandwidth approximately equal to two to three times of the transmitted data rate. From purely a bandwidth perspective, homodyne is less demanding than heterodyne detection. However, homodyne detection is more demanding in its implementation compared to heterodyne, mainly because of homodyne's strict requirement for phase locking.
The main building blocks of a coherent receiver include an optical local oscillator, optical coupler, balanced photodetector, phase/frequency locking, polarization control loop, and electrical signal processing. Within these blocks, there are several requirements necessary to achieve high receiver sensitivity:                1. A high-power, optical local oscillator with low relative intensity noise (RIN), low laser linewidth, and high optical isolation.        2. Polarization matching between the signal and LO laser.        3. Optical mixer with 50/50 coupling ratio on output ports.        4. Optical path length equalization into the balanced photodetector.        5. A balanced photodetector with high responsivity, high optical-power-handling capacity, and good common-mode rejection ratio (CMRR).        6. Phase/frequency locking to reduce the phase and frequency noise of the IF.

Feedback-controlled coherent optical receiver with electrical compensation/equalization


A photovoltaic device is provided that includes a semiconductor substrate including a p-n junction with a p-type semiconductor portion and an n-type semiconductor portion one on top of the other. A plurality of patterned antireflective coating layers is located on a p-type semiconductor surface of the semiconductor substrate, wherein at least one portion of the p-type semiconductor surface of the semiconductor substrate is exposed. Aluminum is located directly on the at least one portion of the p-type semiconductor surface of the semiconductor substrate that is exposed.

The present disclosure relates to a photovoltaic device and photovoltaic device manufacturing. More particularly, the present disclosure provides a photovoltaic device with an aluminum electroplated back side surface field and a method of forming the same.
A photovoltaic device is a device that converts the energy of incident photons to electromotive force (e.m.f.). Typical photovoltaic devices include solar cells, which are configured to convert the energy in the electromagnetic radiation from the Sun to electric energy. Each photon has an energy given by the formula E=hv, in which the energy E is equal to the product of the Plank constant h and the frequency v of the electromagnetic radiation associated with the photon.
A photon having energy greater than the electron binding energy of a matter can interact with the matter and free an electron from the matter. While the probability of interaction of each photon with each atom is probabilistic, a structure can be built with a sufficient thickness to cause interaction of photons with the structure with high probability. When an electron is knocked off an atom by a photon, the energy of the photon is converted to electrostatic energy and kinetic energy of the electron, the atom, and/or the crystal lattice including the atom. The electron does not need to have sufficient energy to escape the ionized atom. In the case of a material having a band structure, the electron can merely make a transition to a different band in order to absorb the energy from the photon.
The positive charge of the ionized atom can remain localized on the ionized atom, or can be shared in the lattice including the atom. When the positive charge is shared by the entire lattice, thereby becoming a non-localized charge, this charge is described as a hole in a valence band of the lattice including the atom. Likewise, the electron can be non-localized and shared by all atoms in the lattice. This situation occurs in a semiconductor material, and is referred to as photogeneration of an electron-hole pair. The formation of electron-hole pairs and the efficiency of photogeneration depend on the band structure of the irradiated material and the energy of the photon. In case the irradiated material is a semiconductor material, photogeneration occurs when the energy of a photon exceeds the band gap energy, i.e., the energy difference of the conduction band and valence band.
The direction of travel of charged particles, i.e., the electrons and holes, in an irradiated material is sufficiently random (known as carrier "diffusion"). Thus, in the absence of an electric field, photogeneration of electron-hole pairs merely results in heating of the irradiated material. However, an electric field can break the spatial direction of the travel of the charged particles to harness the electrons and holes formed by photogeneration.
One exemplary method of providing an electric field is to form a p-n or p-i-n junction around the irradiated material. Due to the higher potential energy of electrons (corresponding to the lower potential energy of holes) in the p-doped material with respect to the n-doped material, electrons and holes generated in the vicinity of the p-n junction will drift to the n-doped and p-doped region, respectively. Thus, the electron-hole pairs are collected systematically to provide positive charges at the p-doped region and negative charges at the n-doped region. The p-n or p-i-n junction forms the core of this type of photovoltaic device, which provides electromotive force that can power a device connected to the positive node at the p-doped region and the negative node at the n-doped region.
The photon generated electrons and holes are to be collected at the n-type and p-type semiconductor materials, respectively. However, the number of carriers can decrease significantly because they recombine with each other before they get collected. This recombination becomes more pronounced when there are more recombination centers, i.e., locations where the recombination is more likely to occur. One of main recombination is surface recombination, which occurs at the semiconductor surface.
In order to improve the performance of a solar cell, surface recombination needs to be suppressed. One way of doing that is to prevent the carrier to reach the surface. For example, aluminum was used in silicon solar cells to form a highly doped p-type Si layer at the surface of a p-type Si substrate. This highly doped p-type Si layer creates an electrical field, commonly called a back surface field (BSF), which repels the electrons at the vicinity of this layer, and thus limits the surface recombination. A better way of suppressing surface recombination is to use a layer of material to change the semiconductor surface behavior, so called passivation, and to suppress the recombination even if the carriers reach the surface. A commonly used example is silicon nitride on Si solar cells.
The majority of solar cells currently in production are based on silicon wafers. The surface recombination on the n-type Si was improved by using a silicon nitride passivation layer, and on the p-type Si by using a screen printed blanket film of aluminum to form the BSF. In addition, the printed aluminum also acts as the electrical contact to the p-type Si. The electrical contact to the n-type Si was formed through the nitride passivation layer by methods such as screen printing Ag.
Screen printing is attractive due to its simplicity in processing and high throughput capability; however, the high contact resistance, high paste cost, shadowing from wide conductive lines, high temperature processing, and mechanical yield loss are disadvantages that have not been overcome even after thirty plus years of research and development.
Furthermore, because a nitride passivation layer better suppresses the surface recombination than a BSF, a local aluminum BSF contact with most of Si surface passivated by silicon nitride is needed. However, direct screen printing of patterned aluminum through silicon nitride is not available. Local deposition of aluminum directly on p-type Si and the local formation of BSF in a silicon nitride pattern are highly desired.
For advanced and experimental high efficiency solar cells, vacuum based metallization processes are used to avoid the disadvantages of screen printing. The high cost and low throughput of vacuum processes prohibit the implementation of these processes in single emitter solar cells, the majority in the current photovoltaic industry.

Photovoltaic device with aluminum plated back surface field and method of forming same

INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION


A registration image is aligned or registered with a reference image by user interaction. The registration image is segmented into a hierarchy of elements defining a mesh having more than one level. At each level, individual elements may be selected by the user, translated, rotated and scaled with respect to the remainder of the registration image and to the reference image. Refinement of the user registration is facilitated by allowing the user to define further levels in the segmentation where each of the elements at the further levels may be separately manipulated in a similar manner. Interpolation may be performed between the moved or altered elements and between the elements and the remainder of the registration image to obtain a more satisfactorily registered image. The technique may be used with other interpolation and registration processes.

The present invention relates generally to image processing systems and techniques, and more particularly to an interactive registration technique for aligning images based upon a division of at least one of the images into a hierarchical meshed segmentation.
Many imaging systems and techniques are known and are currently used in different arts. For example, in medical imaging, various modalities of imaging systems may be employed for creating useful images of anatomies, abnormalities, lesions, aneurysms, atrophies, and so forth. In general, such imaging systems operate in accordance with a particular physical effect and gather image data which can be processed to create useful images. Most modern modalities for such imaging systems are based upon collection of digital data which is processed and stored, and which may be manipulated by various post-processing techniques. In the medical field, for example, such imaging systems include X-ray systems, computed tomography systems, magnetic resonance imaging systems, positron emission tomography systems, ultrasound systems, and so forth. These and other modalities of digital imaging system exist in other arts, particularly in industrial inspection, package and baggage inspection, defense applications, and so forth.
In the medical field, many clinical decisions are made based upon or derived from analysis information available from one or more image dataset. In the radiology domain, for example, this typically involves spatially registering the datasets such that the areas of interest are aligned. From a practical standpoint, images are analyzed either by manual reading, by analysis through automated algorithms, or a combination of these techniques. To permit comparison and contrast of images, alignment or registration of the images is often in order. That is, because the images may be made on different subjects, or at different times on the same subject, as well as on different imaging modalities, characteristics, anatomies, features and so forth visible in the images may not be properly aligned with one another. Image registration can present extremely difficult mathematical problems involved in moving or altering one or both images to be compared, while respecting the integrity of the data so as to avoid confusion or misinterpretation. It should be borne in mind that these problems are presented not only in the medical field, but in any other field in which image registration is performed.
By way of example, in medical image analysis, referring physicians often request that images to be made and interpreted for a specific purpose. Such purposes can range from the detection, assessment, analysis of progression or regression of various abnormalities or disease states. Multiple datasets for images may be used for comparison purposes, such as with and without contrast agents, or for the analysis of changes overtime, or still further for combination with certain functional datasets. Many of these comparisons and contrasts are made based upon changes within a single patient overtime although similar comparisons can be made between patients, or between a standard or reference image, sometimes referred to as in "atlas" image, and an image for a specific patient. To perform the necessary analysis using multiple datasets, the datasets must first be accurately and robustly registered. Here again, applications outside of the medical field requiring alignment or comparison of an image or a feature within an image with a standard or reference feature often sesitates a similar registration process.
While many context-specific algorithms that exist, the purpose of which is to register multiple datasets, the variability in virtually all sources of image data results in no particular algorithm functioning exactly as desired for all registration problems. Moreover, factors, such as scaling, noise, motion, partial voluming, and so forth may create artifacts that hamper the accuracy and precision of registration algorithms.
In many practical applications, the main issue with results obtained from a registration algorithm is not whether it is accurate based upon a numerical criterion, but rather how a human user, who is the final arbiter in the matter, perceives it. Furthermore, there is generally a need "correct" the registration results based upon the numerical criteria employed. Such corrections are not easily achieved by manual registration techniques. Such techniques commonly permit a human technician to provide points, lines, services, volumes and so forth before the registration process. Interactive registration methods involving global transforms also fall short of user expectation. In all such cases there is a need to provide a flexible yet intuitive tool to a human user to facilitate speedy registration, which may be supplemented by machine computation.

Semi-automated registration of data based on a hierarchical mesh