The RF amplifier has a single waveguiding structure extending longitudinally in a direction of propagation of electromagnetic waves, in which density of an injected current flow is not RF modulated, and a transverse E-field component vector of the electromagnetic waves interacts with the electron flow by electron transit time effects. The waveguiding structure comprises a metallic top strip 1 and a metallic ground strip 2 held apart by two ceramic supports 3 which integrate the two strips into a vacuum tight enclosure together with two RF transparent dielectric windows 4 and 5 which represent the amplifier input and output respectively. Electron flow is generated in a linear current injection system by electronic emitters providing a cathodic source of electron flow which is injected into the waveguiding structure, with a flow vector orientation transverse to the direction of propagation of said electromagnetic waves. The electron flow enters the stripline interior space through an extended slot along the middle of the ground strip, after interaction with the wavefield leaves the waveguiding structure through a longitudinal slot in the metallic top strip, and is then collected by a collector 10 which straddles the slot over its entire length.

The present invention relates generally to the art of microcircuit millimeter wave amplifiers. More particularly, the invention relates to a device (a transverse traveling wave amplifier) for extending the bandwidth of a millimeter-wave wide band amplifier for use in microcircuits. Although the concept appears to be uniquely suited for microelectronics applications and associated fabrication methods it also has features that may offer distinct advantages in conventional classical electronics systems.
In spite of the generally exhilarating advances in solid state miniature technology in recent years, the progress with wide band microwave and millimeter wave amplifiers had always suffered from the natural limitations that are imposed by the physics and material properties of solid state devices. At the same time the temperature sensitivity of the electronics interfaces due to the properties of the constituent materials (Si, GaAs) is viewed as troublesome in future specialized applications.
A basic limitation of customary solid state devices for microwave amplifiers resides with their being a lumped circuit with two or three electrical terminals. As such, they suffer from the conflict between their size and the wavelength of the operational signal. The application of the modern most elegant amplification principle of continuous signal wave field interaction with an energy providing spatially extended electron flow is forestalled because the coherence time/length in solid state electron flows is extremely small, much smaller than a signal period/wavelength so the vital interplay between electron density and electron velocity modulation cannot develop. The lack of opportunity to avail of this interplay restricts solid state technology to a control of the electron flow density by an electrode in a faucet like fashion which necessitates the familiar approach by a three-terminal device and its use in a lumped element circuit. The consequences of this situation manifest themselves in the non-attainability of useful amplifier gain bandwidth performance beyond 50 GHz.
The recent advent of microfabricated gate controlled field emitter devices, although again three (or four) terminal devices, with very appealing physical characteristics, justify hopes for successful penetration of the millimeter wave region beyond 50 GHz. Initially this hope was carried by the extremely short electron transit time in these devices (.about.10.sup.-12 sec.) during which the electron behaves completely ballistic. But application of these very small four-element entities, as a combined network, in a distributed amplifier and its assessment in projective computational designs yields upper frequency limits that lag one to two orders behind a frequency equivalent to the inverse transit time.
The following United States patents are of interest.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,132,956--Russer PA1 U.S. Pat. No. 4,151,476--Jasper, Jr. PA1 U.S. Pat. No. 4,733,195--Tserng PA1 U.S. Pat. No. 4,887,049--Krowne PA1 U.S. Pat. No. 2,708,236--Pierce PA1 U.S. Pat. No. 3,038,100--Harrison PA1 U.S. Pat. No. 3,110,839--Trivelpiece PA1 U.S. Pat. No. 4,967,162--Barnett et al PA1 1. An RF amplifier for electromagnetic signals which comprises: PA1 2. The amplifier of feature 1 wherein the waveguiding structure is an inverted metallic stripline with dielectrically closed sides. PA1 3. The amplifier of feature 1 wherein the waveguiding structure is a metallic waveguide with rectangular cross section. PA1 4. The amplifier of feature 1 wherein the waveguiding structure is a metallic waveguide with elliptical cross section. PA1 5. The amplifier of feature 1 wherein the waveguiding structure is a metallic waveguide with an internal ridge(s). PA1 6. The amplifier of feature 1 wherein the waveguiding structure is a periodic delay line. PA1 7. The amplifier of feature 6 wherein the waveguiding structure consists of two flat identical meander lines vertically offset by the height of the electron interaction space. PA1 8. The amplifier of feature 6 wherein the waveguiding structure consists of two flat identical sets of coupled halfwave length resonator filter elements in longitudinal arrangement along with amplifier direction. PA1 9. The amplifier of feature 6 wherein the waveguiding structure consists of a helical conductor. PA1 10. The amplifier of feature 1 wherein the electron flow originates from a series of field emitter cathodes controlled by a gate electrode(s) and guided by additional electrode(s) prior to entry into the interaction space inside the wave guiding structure. PA1 11. The amplifier of feature 10 wherein the field emitter cathodes are replaced by thermionic cathodes. PA1 12. The amplifier of feature 10 wherein the electron flow originates from a linear succession of individual, or groups of, field emitter cathode tips located along the length of the waveguiding structure. PA1 13. The amplifier of feature 10 wherein the electron flow originates from one or a series of linear wedge type field emitting cathodes located along the length of the waveguiding structure. PA1 14. The amplifier of feature 10 wherein the electron flow originates from a suitably chosen distribution density of field emitting cathodes within the ground plane or below, but within the confines of the projection of the lateral limits of the wave guiding structure.
The patent to Russer teaches a device wherein electromagnetic waves are amplified by traveling through superconductive tunnel layers. The patent to Jasper teaches a device wherein electromagnetic waves are propagated through a serpentine stripline in the presence of a magnetic field. The patent to Tserng teaches a device wherein an electromagnetic wave is applied to a series of interconnected FETs. The patent to Krowne teaches a solid state harmonic amplifier wherein electromagnetic waves are applied by a pair of microstrips to a grating region wherein they cause RF amplification.
Pierce (U.S. Pat. No. 2,708,236) discloses an RF waveguide amplifier. Harrison (U.S. Pat. No. 3,038,100) discloses an RF traveling wave tube amplifier. Trivelpiece (U.S. Pat. No. 3,110,839) discloses an RF traveling wave tube.
Barnett et al (U.S. Pat. No. 4,967,162) describe a novel stripline device which was an extension of a distributed amplifier device published in 1948 (E. L. Ginston, W. R. Hewlett, J. H. Tasberg and J. D. Noe, "Distributed Amplification", Proc. IRE, pp 956-969, August 1948). That publication and the Barnett et al patent rely on the triode principle as means for energy conversion and amplification mechanism. That principle is described by modulation of an electron current emitted from a cathodic electrode by a control electrode generally called gate or grid. After leaving the cathode-gate area, this current modulated electron flow is now capable to deliver power to an external circuit via an anodic electrode. In an extended, distributed or stripline device these above-described electrodes are given a linearly extended shape of transmission lines retaining locally the same operational design features found in the parental designs. The Barnett et al patent confirms that position throughout all of its explanations, specifically so by comments on its figures which clearly distinguish between an RF gate stripline and the other RF stripline(s). Also, the comments on phase velocity point out the necessity of matched propagation of signals since there are separate lines.
A paper by Walter Friz and Morris Ettenberg titled "The Simtron Concept" presented orally at the 3rd International Conference on "Vacuum Micro Electronics", Monterey Calif., July 1990 describes a novel form of a high frequency amplifier which is suitable for realization in a vacuum microelectronics structure. The cathode is a linear array of field emitters or a linear ridge emitter. The rf structure is a Coplanar Waveguide (CPW) which may be fabricated by planar techniques as in solid state devices. The CPW is a TEM transmission line and the interaction may be regarded as an extended triode with spatial variation according to the wavelength. Hence the name SIMTRON - Spatial Injection Modulation of elecTRONs.

The United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Air Force


An electrical connector has terminals that are retained in terminal cavities of a connector body by rigid lock nibs that project into the terminal cavity from a rigid wall and rigid lock nibs that are attached to a flexible beam that is opposite the rigid wall and that project into the terminal cavity.

This invention relates generally to an electrical connector and more particularly to an electrical connector in which the connector body has a flexible beam for enhancing terminal retention.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,980,318 granted to John Morello et al. Nov. 9, 1999 discloses an electrical connector comprising a connector body that has a plurality of terminal receiving cavities. Each terminal receiving cavity is defined in part by a rigid floor and opposed upright walls. A rigid lock nib extends upwardly from the rigid floor into the terminal receiving cavity. A flexible beam opposes the rigid floor and engages a terminal in the cavity to hold the terminal against the rigid lock nib to retain the terminal in the terminal receiving cavity. The connector body is constructed and arranged for receiving a terminal in each terminal receiving cavity. This electrical connector is well suited for its intended purpose of housing and retaining terminals. However, terminal retention may be enhanced.


An exercise apparatus includes a compact resistance unit that houses a pneumatic cylinder. The cylinder is connected to a pulley wheel that moves at least toward the cylinder. A main cable extends about a portion of the pulley wheel. One end of the main cable is fixed to the unit housing and the other end is attached to a pulley block of a block-and-tackle mechanism. A user cable extends through the block-and-tackle mechanism and is connected to a handle. The pneumatic cylinder resists movement of the handle away from the unit.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an exercise apparatus and, more particularly, to an adjustable exercise apparatus that can be used for a multitude of exercises.
2. Description of Related Art
Many exercise devices have been developed of a "weight type" in which weights provide resistance to the exertion of muscular force. Such machines commonly employ weight stacks that allow a user to vary the weight lifted during the exercise. U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,447,430, 5,776,040, and 4,500,089 are examples of such machines.
Weight stack machines often, in normal use, do not provide a consistent resistance. A weight lifter normally thinks that 100 pounds of weight will provide 100 pounds of resistance throughout the exercise stroke; however, this is true only if the weight is moved at a slow and generally constant speed. If the weight lifter quickly moves the weight, the changes in speed of movement will cause the weight to change. Accordingly, manufacturers of weight stack machines commonly instruct those training on their machines to train at a speed of out on two seconds and back on four seconds, thus keeping the speed slow enough to make the acceleration forces insignificant. However, if a user accelerates the weight during the exercise stroke, the resistance force will change.
Pneumatic exercise equipment has been developed in response to this shortcoming of weight stacks. Such exercise equipment simulates the desired characteristics of a weight stack exercise machine by easily permitting the weight lifter to increase or decrease the resistance; however, pneumatic exercise equipment also permits the weight lifter to increase speed without the resistance changing because such machines do not have a significant inertia of motion. Consequently, pneumatic exercise equipment ensures full muscular effort throughout the stroke.
Pneumatic exercise equipment commonly include a pneumatic cylinder with a piston rod that moves linearly. A piston divides the cylinder into two chambers. The rod is connected to the piston and extends through one of the chambers. The piston rod also is usually operatively connected to a handle or other user interface. As the user pushes (or pulls, depending upon which cylinder chamber is pressurized) on the handle, movement of the rod is resisted by air within the cylinder. This resistance to further movement provides exercise resistance.
Over the stroke of the rod within the cylinder, it can be expected that the resistance provided by the cylinder will increase as the rod is progressively pushed into the cylinder. To make this increase less dramatic, an air reservoir, also known as an accumulator, can be coupled with the cylinder through an air line. The air line allows air to flow between the cylinder and the accumulator and thus equalizes the air pressure between these components.
The user can choose a preset resistance force by controlling the air pressure within the cylinder/accumulator assembly. A source of compressed air communicates with the accumulator through an air supply line. An air addition valve, a pressure gauge, and a bleed-off valve are interposed in the line. The pressure gauge preferably is configured to display the resistance force anticipated for the user rather than the actual air pressure within the system. To adjust the resistance force to a desired level, the user adds or removes air from the pneumatic system. Air is added by actuating the air addition valve. Air is removed by actuating the bleed-off valve. U.S. Pat. No. 4,257,593 discloses an example of a pneumatic exercise device.
Due to the nature of pneumatics, the resistance curve produced for a given air pressure as the piston rod is moves from an initial position to a fully retracted position (or fully extended position if pulled) remains substantially the same even though the speed at which the piston rod moves may vary. The resistance, however, will increase during the exercise stroke as the air compresses under the exerted force of the user.


Disclosed is an OCB mode liquid crystal display and a method for driving the same. The OCB mode liquid crystal display includes at least one pair of upper and lower pre-tilt electrodes to partially cover each of upper and lower driving electrodes. A pre-tilt voltage equal to or higher than a transition voltage is applied between the upper and lower pre-tilt electrodes to shift liquid crystal molecules into a first orientation state, that is, to shift a portion of the liquid crystal molecules into a bend or vertical orientation state. Therefore, although a low driving voltage is applied between the upper and lower driving electrodes, the liquid crystal molecules can rapidly be shifted into a second orientation state for screen display. Consequently, a high response speed can be achieved, so that it is possible to display a high-speed moving picture and to reduce power consumption.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an OCB (Optically Compensated Bend) mode liquid crystal display and a driving method thereof, and more particularly to an OCB mode liquid crystal display which can rapidly shift the orientation state of liquid crystal molecules from an initial orientation state into an orientation state for screen display while consuming low power, and a method for driving the same.
2. Description of the Prior Art
As generally known in the art, liquid crystal displays are light, thin, short and small, are driven by a low voltage, and consumes a small power, so that the liquid crystal displays are now replacing cathode ray tubes (CRTs). Particularly, a thin-film transistor liquid crystal display has been a high-quality, a large size and colorization equal to those of the CRT, so that the thin-film transistor liquid crystal display is being variously utilized in many fields. Such a liquid crystal display includes an array substrate on which thin-film transistors and pixel electrodes are mounted, and a color-filter substrate on which a color filter and corresponding electrodes are mounted. The array substrate and the color-filter substrate are attached to each other with a liquid crystal layer interposed between the substrates. Generally, the liquid crystal display utilizes twisted-nematic (TN) mode liquid crystal.
A TN mode liquid crystal display has a high contrast in image display but has strong viewing-angle dependence. In order to solve such viewing-angle characteristic of the TN mode liquid crystal display, various methods including a pixel area division technique have been proposed. Also, to this end, an in-plane switching (IPS) mode liquid crystal display and a technique of forming a double domain in a liquid crystal layer have been proposed. Herein, the technique of forming a double domain in a liquid crystal layer includes a multiple rubbing method, a multiple orientation method, an edge fringe field method and a parallel fringe field method.
However, the conventional liquid crystal displays manufactured by the above-mentioned methods still have a problem in that they have a low response speed. That is, since the liquid crystal display utilizing the TN mode liquid crystal has a low response speed (the response speed between gradation displays is 100 ms in maximum), it is impossible to achieve 16.7 ms required to display a high-speed moving picture. Therefore, it has been required to develop a liquid crystal display having a wide viewing angle and a high response speed enough to display a high-speed moving picture. As a result, an OCB (Optically Compensated Bend) mode liquid crystal display has been proposed in order to improve a response speed and to obtain a uniform viewing-angle characteristic in all directions.
Hereinafter, the construction and the operation of a conventional OCB mode liquid crystal display will be schematically described with reference to FIGS. 1A to 1C.
The conventional OCB mode liquid crystal display contains: an upper substrate 110 including a color filter, an upper driving electrode 140 and an orientation layer; a lower substrate 120 including a TFT (Thin Film Transistor), an lower driving electrode 150 and an orientation layer; and liquid crystal molecules 130 interposed between the upper and lower substrates 110 and 120. In this case, all the orientation layers included in the upper and lower substrates 110 and 120 are aligned in the same direction to each other. In the OCB mode liquid crystal display having such a construction, when a voltage is not applied between the upper and lower electrodes 140 and 150, the liquid crystal molecules 130 are, as shown in FIG. 1A, maintained in a splay orientation state (which is an initial orientation state) according to the orientation processing direction of the orientation layers.
Meanwhile, when a pre-tilt voltage is applied between the upper and lower electrodes 140 and 150, the liquid crystal molecules 130 are shifted from the splay orientation state into a bend orientation state as shown in FIG. 1B. In this case, the pre-tilt voltage must be higher than a transition voltage which is required for the liquid crystal molecules 130 to start a transition from the splay orientation state to the bend orientation state. A time period required for the liquid crystal molecules 130 to start a transition from the splay orientation state to the bend orientation state is called "transition time". When a driving voltage is applied between the upper and lower electrodes 140 and 150, the liquid crystal molecules 130 are shifted from the bend orientation state into a vertical orientation state by the driving voltage as shown in FIG. 1C, thereby linearly transmitting light. Thereafter, when there is no applied voltage, the liquid crystal molecules 130 are again shifted into the splay orientation state.
As described above, according to the conventional OCB mode liquid crystal display, the sate of the liquid crystal molecules 130 is repeatedly shifted in the sequence of the splay orientation state, the bend orientation state and the vertical orientation state by the voltage applied between the upper and lower electrodes 140 and 150, thereby displaying an image. In this case, a pre-tilt voltage is first applied and then the driving voltage is applied so as to display an image.
However, such a conventional OCB mode liquid crystal display requires lots of power for the pre-tilt voltage to shift the liquid crystal molecules from the splay orientation state into the band orientation state, thereby increasing power consumption. Also, the conventional OCB mode liquid crystal display has problems in that the transition speed from the splay orientation state to the bend orientation state is slow (in fact, the transition between the two states is an unnecessary step in the process of displaying an image), its driving voltage is high, and it is difficult to achieve the bend orientation.
In order to solve such problems, there has been proposed a method for holding the liquid crystal molecules in a high pre-tilt state by mixing a monomer or a UV curing agent with liquid crystal molecules so as to easily achieve a transition to the bend orientation. As another method to solve the problems, Korean Patent Laid-Open Publication No. 2002-0097025 discloses a method for forming slant of a continuous saw-tooth shape on a cell surface so as to use the slant surface as a nucleus to shift liquid crystal molecules into the bend orientation state.
However, the former method has a problem in uniformity of display and the latter method has a difficulty in forming a slant surface on an ITO layer. Therefore, it is difficult to actually use either of the methods.

OCB mode LCD and method for driving the same


A valve mechanism adapted for a fluid-discharging port of a tube-type fluid container, comprising: a valve seat portion 40 having an opening 41 through which a fluid flows; a valve portion 20 comprising a valve body 21 having a shape corresponding to the opening 41, and a shaft 22 connected to the valve body 21 and extending downward from the valve body 22; and a valve support portion 30 comprising: (i) a bottom plate 39 to which a tip of the shaft 22 is connected; (ii) an annular support 35 fixedly connected to the valve seat portion 40; and (iii) multiple connectors 32 connecting the bottom plate 39 and the annular support 31, the connectors 32 elastically urging the bottom plate 39 downward to close the opening 41 with the valve body 21 and being bendable as the bottom plate 39 moves upward and pushes the valve portion 20 to open the opening 41.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a valve mechanism, particularly to a valve mechanism which can be used for a tube-type fluid container. Further, the present invention relates to a tube-type fluid container storing a fluid inside it.
2. Description of the Related Art
A valve mechanism as described in Japanese Patent Laid-open No. 2001-179139 has a spherical valve body and a spring for giving momentum to the valve body toward a valve seat has been used. Manufacturing costs of the valve mechanism using the spherical valve body and the spring, however, tend to be high.
A valve mechanism having a resinous valve seat, and a resinous valve body which moves between a closed position in which the valve body contacts the valve seat and an open position in which the valve body separates from the valve seat is commonly used.
In the resinous valve mechanism, it is preferred that the valve mechanism has a simple configuration which can close a fluid flow reliably. Additionally, it is preferred that the configuration can alter a flow rate of the fluid passing through the valve mechanism discretionally according to a pressure applied to the fluid. As matters stand, however, a valve mechanism satisfying these requirements is not reported.
On the other hand, regarding the above type of tubular container, replacing conventional tubes comprising a metal or an aluminum-foil-laminated material, tubes comprising a synthetic resin alone or a lamination of a synthetic resin and aluminum (In this specification, these are named generically as "synthetic-resin-made".) have been used.
In the case of a tube-type container using a synthetic-resin-made tube, because these synthetic-resin-made tubes have an elasticity recovering force, the following problem occurs: When a pressure is removed after a fluid is discharged by applying the pressure to the tube, the air flows back from an opening portion for discharging the fluid to the fluid storing portion by the elasticity recovering force of the tube, deteriorating the quality of the fluid stored in the fluid storing portion.
For this reason, a tube-type container, in which a tabular valve body is provided in an opening portion for discharging the fluid and the opening portion is closed by this valve body when the original shape of the tube is restored by its elasticity, has been proposed (e.g. in Japanese Patent Laid-open No. 1995-112749, Japanese Patent Laid-open No.1998-157751, Japanese Utility Model Laid-open No.1984-26748, etc.).
In a conventional tube-type container in which the above-mentioned tabular valve body is provided, if the tube recovers its original shape by its elasticity slowly, the valve body fails to close the opening portion of the tube-type container and the air may flow back to the fluid storing portion.
Additionally, the conventional tube-type container in which the above-mentioned tabular valve body is provided has a problem that its durability is low.
Regarding the tube-type container described in Japanese Patent Laid-open No. 1998-157751, as the content is discharged, a shape of the container is changed gradually. Consequently, as the content remaining in the tube-type container is reduced, a shape change of the container increases and it becomes harder to discharge the content from the tube-type container.
For this reason, as described in Japanese Patent Laid-open No. 2000-109103 incorporated, a pneumatically pushed-out tube-type container, which has a double construction dividing the inside of the container into a content chamber and an air chamber is proposed. In this container construction, the content chamber communicates with the outside at its discharge port of the container and the air chamber has a valve construction portion at its bottom, which shuts off the air chamber to prevent the air inside the air chamber from flowing outward when a pressure is applied to the container by pressing down the body portion of the container. Through the valve construction portion, the air chamber communicates with the outside.
The tube-type container described in Japanese Patent Laid-open No. 2000-109103, however, can be used only with high-viscosity contents, because it does not possess a valve mechanism at its discharge port. If a low-viscosity fluid is stored in this tube-type container, there is a problem that the air flows back into the container from the discharge port of the container, lowering the quality of the fluid stored in the container.
Additionally, for the tube-type container described in Japanese Patent Laid-open No. 2000-109103, a valve mechanism needs to be provided in the air chamber. The valve mechanism, however, is generally expensive and increases the manufacturing costs of the tube-type container which should be manufactured inexpensively because it is disposable under normal conditions.
Furthermore, the tube-type container described in Japanese Patent Laid-open No. 2000-109103 has a construction including an air chamber at its body portion of the tube-type container, and a valve construction portion needs to be provided in the body portion. It is difficult, however, to manufacture a tube-type container with a valve construction portion provided at its body portion. Additionally, there is a problem that welding cannot be done satisfactorily due to the valve construction portion when attempting welding the bottom portion of the tube-type container.
The present invention is achieved to solve the above-mentioned problems and aims to provide a tube-type fluid container which prevents the air from flowing back into the container from the discharge port of the container and which can discharge the content easily.

Valve mechanism for tube-type fluid container


A method of communicating data between points along a fluid flow includes providing a plurality of remotely writable and readable data storage units capable of flowing in the fluid flow; remotely writing data to the data storage units as they pass a first point in the fluid flow; and remotely reading data from the data storage units as they pass a second point in the fluid flow downstream of the first point. The system of the present invention includes a plurality of remotely writable and readable data storage units capable of flowing in the fluid flow; a data writer at the first point for remotely writing data to the data carriers as they pass the first point in the fluid flow; and a data reader at the second point for remotely reading data from the data carriers as they pass the second point in the fluid flow.

There are a number of instances where conventional communication methods, such as via an electric wire or optical fiber, or directly through RF (radio frequency) transmission, are not practical. One specific example is communication between a downhole drilling tool assembly and the rig at the surface. It is not always practical to have an optical fiber or electric wire in the well, and RF signals have difficulty traveling sufficient distances through the earth to permit communication. Recently, communication between the downhole equipment of a deep drilling tool and the surface has been effected by sending mechanical pulses through the drilling fluid in the well. One such system has been developed by Baker Hughes Incorporated under the name EDGE. While such systems do permit communication, the communication rates are extremely slow. Moreover, in some cases drilling operations may have to be interrupted to permit communications. What is needed is some alternative to conventional communication methods that provides reliable communication at far greater data transfer rates.

Method of and system for communication between points along a fluid flow


Methods, systems, and devices for operating a memory device are described. A sense amplifier may be used to precharge an access line to increase the reliability of the sensing operation. The access line may then charge share with the memory cell and a capacitor, which may be a reference capacitor, which may result in high-level states and low-level states on the access line. By precharging the access line with the sense amplifier and implementing charge sharing between the access line and a capacitor, the resulting high-level state and the low-level states on the access line may account for any offset voltage associated with the sense amplifier.

The following relates generally to operating a memory device, and more specifically to memory cell sensing based on precharging an access line using a sense amplifier.
Memory devices are widely used to store information in various electronic devices such as computers, wireless communication devices, cameras, digital displays, and the like. Information is stored by programming different states of a memory device. For example, binary devices most often store one of two states, often denoted by a logic 1 or a logic 0. In other devices, more than two states may be stored. To access the stored information, a component of the device may read, or sense, at least one stored state in the memory device. To store information, a component of the device may write, or program, the state in the memory device.
Various types of memory devices exist, including those that employ magnetic hard disks, random access memory (RAM), read only memory (ROM), dynamic RAM (DRAM), synchronous dynamic RAM (SDRAM), ferroelectric RAM (FeRAM), magnetic RAM (MRAM), resistive RAM (RRAM), flash memory, phase change memory (PCM), and others. Memory devices may be volatile or non-volatile. Non-volatile memory, such as PCM and FeRAM, may maintain stored logic states for extended periods of time even in the absence of an external power source. Volatile memory devices, such as DRAM, may lose stored logic states over time unless they are periodically refreshed by a power source. In some cases, non-volatile memory may use similar device architectures as volatile memory but may have non-volatile properties by employing such physical phenomena as ferroelectric capacitance or different material phases.
Improving memory devices, generally, may include increasing memory cell density, increasing read/write speeds, increasing reliability, increasing data retention, reducing power consumption, or reducing manufacturing costs, among other metrics. Sensing the stored state of a memory cell with increased accuracy may be desirable. For example, increased sensing accuracy may provide increased reliability during a read operation.

Memory cell sensing based on precharging an access line using a sense amplifier


A photoelectric conversion element, having: an electrically-conductive support; a photoconductor layer having a semiconductor fine-particle layer adsorbed a dye; a charge transfer layer containing an electrolyte; and a counter electrode; which are provided on one side of the support in this order, in which the dye has at least one terdentate ligand having at least one acidic group; at least one ligand coordinating to a metal atom M has an sp2 carbon atom; a cyclic group binds to the sp2 carbon atom; a specific substituent R is substituted at an atom of α- or β-position to the atom of the cyclic group directly binding to the sp2 carbon atom; and with the metal atom M, an atom G1 of the α- or β-position, and an atom G2 of the substituent R, an angle θ (∠MG1G2) is 150° or less.

Photoelectric conversion elements are used in various photosensors, copying machines, solar cells, and the like. These photoelectric conversion elements have adopted various systems to be put into use, such as elements utilizing metals, elements utilizing semiconductors, elements utilizing organic pigments or dyes, or combinations of these elements. In particular, solar cells that make use of non-exhaustive solar energy do not necessitate fuels, and full-fledged practicalization of solar cells as an inexhaustible clean energy is being highly expected. Among these, research and development of silicon-based solar cells have long been in progress. Many countries also support policy-wise considerations, and thus dissemination of silicon-based solar cells is still in progress. However, silicon is an inorganic material, and has limitations per se in terms of throughput and molecular modification.
Under such circumstances, research is being vigorously carried out on dye-sensitized solar cells. Especially, to have built momentum toward such research is research results by Graetzel et al. of École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne in Switzerland. They employed a structure in which a dye formed from a ruthenium complex was fixed at the surface of a porous titanium oxide thin film, and realized a conversion efficiency that was comparable to that of amorphous silicon. Thus, the dye-sensitized solar cells instantly attracted the attention of researchers all over the world.
Hetherto, as metal complex dyes to be used in photoelectric conversion elements, N3, N719, Z907, and J2 have been developed. However, it was often the case that conventional dye-sensitized solar cells generally were low in photoelectric conversion efficiency and poor in durability.
Recently, as a metal complex dye which is excellent in terms of absorption coefficient in the wavelength range of 450 to 550 nm, photoelectric conversion efficiency, and stability, ruthenium metal complex dyes having terpyridyl and 3-trifluoromethyl-5-[4-(p-substituted phenylethenyl)-2-pyridyl]pyrazole, as ligands, were developed (see Non-Patent Literature 1). More recently in particular, solar sells get attention to and raise expectation for energy sources in place of nuclear power generation, and more improvement in performance of the solar sell has been required.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Metal complex dye, photoelectric conversion element, dye-sensitized solar cell, dye solution, and compound


The present invention relates to glioblastoma inhibiting compounds, in particular gambogic acid amid and derivatives thereof for the treatment of glioblastoma. Moreover, methods for determining whether a treatment with the compounds of the invention is suitable for a patient are disclosed.

Glioblastoma (GBM; World Health Organization grade IV glioma) is the most common primary brain tumor in adults. Even with aggressive surgical resection using state-of-the-art preoperative and intraoperative neuroimaging along with recent advances in postsurgical radiotherapy and chemotherapy, the prognosis for GBM patients remains dismal. The median survival rate under the current optimum postsurgical treatment protocol is only 15 months (Stupp et al., 2005). The identification of new candidate therapeutics has thus highest priority. One challenge in defining new therapeutic approaches is the heterogeneity of GBMs. An intra-tumoral heterogeneity is derived from genetic and non-genetic epigenetic causes. Also, an emerging concept proposes that heterogeneous tumor cell phenotypes arise from continuing operation of aberrant and malignant differentiation processes initiated by a small subset of stem-like cells. These stem-like cells have are defined by their capacity (i) of self-renewal, (ii) of tumor initiation and propagation in various xenotransplantation paradigms and (iii) multipotency, i.e. their capacity to differentiate into astrocytes, oligodendrocytes and neurons (Singh et al., 2004). In addition, it is presumed that these cells are resistant to most current radio- and chemotherapies, and it is thought that therapies directed against stem-like cells may improve the dreadful record of current conventional therapies (Dirks, 2008; Chalmers, 2007). Based on this view, it has been begun to adapt in vitro technologies commonly applied in the field of stem cell research to isolate, expand, and to better characterize tumor cells with stem cell characteristics (Pardal et al., 2003, Glas et al., 2010). Cells are propagated as a monolayer culture under adhesive conditions, which may offer significant advantages in comparison to "sphereoid" cultures (Lee et al., 2006; Pollard et al., 2009).
Thus, the problem underlying the present invention can be viewed as the provision of novel compounds for the improved chemotherapy of glioblastoma.

Glioblastoma inhibiting compounds and their use


The field of the invention is that of solid-state laser gyros used in inertial control units. However, there are certain technical difficulties in producing laser gyros of this type that are due partly to the fact that the counterpropagating waves interfere with each other in the amplifying medium. A laser gyro according to the invention comprises at least one solid-state amplifying medium and an optical ring cavity comprising first optical means for imposing a first linear polarization state common to the two counterpropagating optical waves at the entrance and exit of the zone containing the amplifying medium and second optical means for imposing, within the amplifying medium, a second linear polarization state on the first optical wave and a third linear polarization state on the second optical wave, these polarization states being perpendicular. Thus, all the drawbacks associated with interference are eliminated.

The laser gyro, developed some 30 years ago, is widely used on a commercial scale at the present time. Its principle of operation is based on the Sagnac effect, which induces a frequency difference Δν between the two optical transmission modes that propagate in opposite directions, called counterpropagating modes, of a bidirectional laser ring cavity undergoing a rotational motion. Conventionally, the frequency difference Δν between the two optical modes induced by the rotational motion is equal to:Δν=4AΩ/λL where L and A are the length and the area of the cavity, respectively; λ is the laser emission wavelength excluding the Sagnac effect; and Ω is the rotation speed of the assembly. By measuring Δν, obtained by spectral analysis of the beat between the two emitted beams, it is possible to determine the value of Ω very accurately. A typical fringe counting device for laser gyros is used, based on the beat signal, to determine the relative angular position of the system.
In standard laser gyros, the amplifying medium is a gaseous medium of helium and neon atoms in appropriate proportions. However, the gaseous nature of the amplifying medium is a source of technical complications when producing the laser gyro, notably because of the high gas purity required and the premature wear of the cavity during its use due, in particular, to gas leakage and to deterioration of the high-voltage electrodes used to establish the population inversion.
It is possible to produce a solid-state laser gyro operating in the visible or near infrared using, for example, an amplifying medium based on crystals doped with ions of the rare earth type, such as neodymium, erbium or ytterbium, instead of helium/neon gas mixtures, the optical pumping then being provided by lasers diode operating in the near infrared. Thus, all the problems inherent with the gaseous state of the amplifying medium are de facto eliminated.
However, this type of laser gyro construction has certain technical difficulties partly due to the fact that the counterpropagating waves interfere within the amplifying medium.
This is because, if the amplifying medium is a crystalline solid of the Nd:YAG type, it can be demonstrated that, in such a medium, the population inversion gratings induced by stimulated emission in the gain medium have the effect of destabilizing the bidirectional emission. In addition, when the laser gyro is rotating, these gratings become moving gratings and induce, by the Doppler effect, a frequency shift between the two counterpropagating waves circulating in the laser cavity, thereby increasing the nonlinearity of the frequency response of the laser gyro.
It is also possible to use as amplifying medium a semiconductor with a vertical structure of the VECSEL (Vertical External Cavity Surface Emitting Laser) type. A VECSEL essentially comprises a stack of active quantum well zones constituting gain zones. For gyroscope applications, the use of a vertical structure is advantageous in so far as the gain zones may have a diameter of around 100 microns, close to the dimensions of the optical beam circulating in the cavity, also allowing propagation of the unguided wave. However, the use of such a device in transmission is excluded. This is because the active quantum well zones of the vertical structure must have a pitch equal to that of the grating formed by the interference between the two counterpropagating waves present in this structure so as to optimize the gain. When the laser gyro is rotating, the optical grating is not free to move as its maxima, also called antinodes, must remain within the gain zones. In this case, "gain-induced frequency locking" is obtained, which in fact makes the device unusable as a laser gyro.

Solid-state laser gyro having orthogonal counterpropagating modes


Disclosed herein is a device for heating a scented candle so as to release scent therefrom in the absence of an open flame. The device includes a housing for retaining the candle. The housing is fabricated from a material having a low thermal conductivity. The device further includes an electrical heater in thermal communication with the housing. The heater warms the candle, and the low thermal conductivity housing aids in retaining heat in the candle thereby causing scent to be released therefrom.

Scented candles release an aroma into the ambient atmosphere when burned, and are increasing in popularity. Such candles are often used for enhancing the ambience or mood in the home or workplace. Despite their popularity, there are some perceived problems associated with the burning of scented candles. The presence of an open flame can present hazards to children and pets, and burning candles present a fire hazard and should not be left unattended. Also, the smoke produced by burning candles can present a health or a nuisance hazard, and can complicate respiratory problems for particular individuals. Furthermore, smoke from the burning candle can damage or discolor furniture, walls and fabrics. Thus, it will be seen that while the effects of scented candles are desirable, there are problems associated with the open flame attendant upon their use.
Consequently, the prior art has sought to implement solutions whereby a candle's scent may be released without the requirement of utilizing an open flame. Toward that end, the prior art has investigated various designs of candle warming devices which allow scented candles to flamelessly disperse their aroma. The previous implementation of such a candle heater comprised the use of miniature hotplates, of the type employed for heating individual beverage cups; and in such instance, the candle, which is typically contained in a glass vessel, is placed onto the hotplate. In some instances, these hotplate-type candle warmers have a collar which surrounds a portion of the length of the candle; but they are not designed to enclose the entire length of the candle. This approach is less than satisfactory since only the bottom portion of the candle is heated. As a consequence, it takes a relatively long time to melt the upper surface of the candle wax so as to release the scent. This lag time can be shortened if the heat level of the hotplate is raised to a fairly high value; however, these high heat levels can pose a burn hazard once the candle is fully warm. Also, high heat levels can start to vaporize the candle wax thereby generating unwanted odors and damaging fumes. In addition, the heated wax fumes can present a significant fire hazard. Hotplate-type candle warmers are shown, for example, in U.S. Pat. No. 6,627,857. Another prior art approach to warming scented candles involves the use of a radiant heater which projects infrared light onto an upper surface of the candle. Devices of this type are relatively complicated and energy inefficient. Radiant candle heaters are shown in U.S. Pat. No. 6,354,710.
As will be explained hereinbelow, the present invention is directed to a flameless candle heating device which efficiently and safely retains scented candles and the like and warms them to a uniform temperature optimized for safety and release of scent. These and other advantages of the invention will be apparent from the drawings, discussion and description which follow.


The low pressure seal arrangement for sealing a space defined by an inner diameter of a pipe and a rod slidably disposed with the pipe. The low pressure seal includes a sealing insert of reusable, noncorrosive, shape retentive, resilient, boron-resistant, flexible polymeric resin with an axial passage for receiving the tubular rod. The sealing insert combines the functions of a gasket and a stopper, the sealing insert having a hub end of a larger diameter than the pipe, preventing the sealing insert from slipping into the pipe. The sealing insert is installed by hand without tools and resists a pressure of at least 350 psi. The sealing insert may be removed and reused, reducing the amount of radioactive waste generated by the nuclear reactor.

The present invention relates generally to the field of fluid seals and more particularly to pressure seal fittings such as low pressure seal fittings used in connection with a nuclear reactor where a low pressure seal is used between the sealing thimble guide tube and thimble tube at the seal table of such a nuclear reactor during refueling and/or repair of the nuclear reactor.
The current invention relates to an alternative sealing device for a low pressure seal which interchanges with a releasably disassembled high pressure compression fitting. The invention has particular usefulness with the refueling of a pressurized water reactor in the commercial nuclear industry.
A pressurized water reactor refueling process occurs in cycles predicated on the reactor load requirements. The refueling process is a routine operation which is normally performed annually. Each refueling cycle requires a series of operations to be performed in preparation for reloading the reactor core. For the sake of economy, it is desirable that the refueling operation be accomplished as quickly as possible. The present invention is generally directed toward simplifying the refueling operations, reducing "downtime" of the nuclear reactor, increasing the reliability of certain components and reducing radioactive waste.
In a typical pressurized water nuclear reactor, the reactor vessel is seated in a concrete well and contains the nuclear reactor core. Pressure fitting arrangements are assembled on an exterior of the reactor well in an area referred to as the seal table. This arrangement permits reactor monitoring instrumentation, known as neutron flux detectors, to access the reactor core through a combination of stainless steel tubes, referred to as thimble guide tubes and thimble tubes.
The thimble guide tube is welded at a first end to the bottom of the reactor vessel where it penetrates the reactor vessel interior. A second end of the thimble guide tube extends through the reactor biological chamber to the seal table, which is a stainless steel plate whose primary function is to provide a seismic support. The second end of the thimble guide tube is welded to the seal table. The thimble guide tube penetrates just beyond the seal table, terminating as a stub. The interior of the thimble guide tube is exposed to the reactor coolant water and provides a primary pressure boundary for the reactor. The thimble guide tube acts as a guide for the thimble tube.
The thimble tube is a relatively smaller hollow stainless steel tube which is housed within the protective boundary of the thimble guide tube. The first end of the thimble tube, which is a closed end or "bullet nose", extends to the top of the reactor core, while a second end, which is open, passes through the guide tube stub to provide an axial passage as a guide path for the neutron flux detector which may travel the entire length of the thimble tube into the reactor core. This is done for monitoring the reactor during operation. The interior of the thimble tube is essentially dry and is maintained at atmospheric pressure. The flux detector is manipulated through the thimble tube to a point abutting the "bullet nose" during the monitoring process. During normal reactor operation, the thimble tubes extend from the upper plate of the core downwardly to the bottom of the vessel where they pass through a penetration in the bottom of the vessel and end at the seal table, outside the vessel well. Normally, the thimble tube is empty. However, during monitoring, a neutron flux detector is pushed through the thimble tube to the top of the core and then retracted. The thimble tube travels through a thimble guide tube into the reactor core.
The thimble guide tube has an interior diameter larger than the exterior diameter of the thimble tube resulting in an annulus, or space, between the two. This necessitates the use of a high pressure fitting to create a barrier to seal the annulus as the thimble tube extends through the thimble guide tube stub opening precluding escape of reactor coolant during reactor operation.
During the refueling process, a high pressure fitting is disassembled to allow the thimble tubes to be retracted a predetermined distance from the reactor core. This is done to facilitate handling of the reactor fuel assemblies for loading and or unloading of the reactor fuel into the reactor core. The reactor is deactivated for the entire refueling process. The water level in the biological chamber is maintained below a reactor vessel flange, which is slightly lower than the high pressure fitting at the seal table, while the thimble tube is being adjusted.
After thimble tubes are retracted from the reactor core and a high pressure seal is disassembled, a pressure seal is temporarily installed to temporarily replace the high pressure seal. The disconnected portion of the high pressure fitting remains attached to the thimble guide tube. A low pressure seal is required for sealing the thimble guide tube vent path to preclude the reactor cavity water from escaping during fuel handling. The reactor cavity is flooded a predetermined depth above the reactor core which enables fuel assemblies to be altered or replaced within the reactor core. It is imperative for the reactor cavity water level to maintain a minimum height of 10 feet above the fuel at all times to effect radiological control in the plant and public at large.
Before the reactor core can be accessed, the reactor head is lifted off the vessel flange and the reactor cavity is flooded approximately 24 feet above the reactor vessel flange. A low pressure seal is installed at the seal table, between the guide tube stub and the thimble tube, to restrain the reactor cavity water prior to reactor head removal.
Safety concerns associated with the low pressure seal are directed toward the seal's ability to provide a fluid seal against the reactor cavity static head water pressure of approximately 14 pounds per square inch (psi) at the seal table during the reactor refueling operation. A recent requirement imposed upon the low pressure seal is that it must maintain a fluid seal during inadvertent transient loads which can occur during reactor maintenance activities while the low pressure seal is installed should inadequate vent paths exist during reactor disassembly and reassembly. These loads can theoretically reach as high as 350 pounds per square inch (psi). This is a requirement that surpasses the low pressure seals taught by the prior art.
Techniques used to form a low pressure seal in the past have several shortcomings. A first shortcoming is that they are time consuming to manipulate because they require multiple steps to complete installation. An example is U.S. Pat. No. 4,728,479, Merkovsky, which teaches a low pressure seal that must fittingly mate with a high pressure seal nut, which is a compression type seal, that employs a compression ring or a ferrule already installed on a guide tube, and is compressed about the guide tube stub to form a fluid seal when mating the male and female compression fitting bodies together. The ferrule also serves as an anchor for the high pressure seal nut to permit the low pressure seal fitting to compress against the low pressure sealing device.
A second shortcoming is that they are unreliable in their ability to maintain a fluid seal of the annulus formed by the guide tube stub inner diameter and the slidable thimble tube outer diameter. Current low pressure seals only expand across the top of the guide stub to the thimble tube, relying on a downward load to compress the seal snugly over the annulus between the guide tube and the thimble tube leaving a small margin for error in installation and in thimble handling. In most instances, this kind of seal is vulnerable to the slightest movement against the thimble tube which causes a breach in the seal. Third, the prior art does not satisfy "shut down risk analysis" pressure ratings now in effect which can range as high as 350 pounds per square inch (psi). And a fourth shortcoming in the prior art is that the low pressure seals have a short life. They must be replaced after each use which adds to the amount of radioactive contaminated waste the nuclear plant facilities must discard.
Over the period of ever-changing modifications, intended to enhance the performance of refueling operations, more attention has been focused on the low pressure seal. The present invention is directed to simplify the refuelling process by providing a manually manipulated low pressure seal while satisfying the safety concerns and reducing radioactive waste by utilizing a reusable seal.


An electronic component holding head, an electronic component mounting apparatus using same, and a method for mounting an electronic component, are provided for use in mounting an electronic component having a positioning mark formed on a film member. The electronic component holding head has a main electronic component holding unit, a vacuum chucking part facing the surface of the electronic component to be held by vacuum chucking so as to hold the electronic component, and a light path for guiding light shined onto a positioning mark formed at an edge part of the electronic component for the purpose of correcting a position offset between the electronic component and the substrate to which the electronic component is to be mounted, the vacuum chucking part holding the electronic component at a position which is on a straight line substantially parallel to an edge of the electronic component and substantially mutually orthogonal over the positioning mark of the electronic component, and which avoids the positioning mark.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a component holding head, a component mounting apparatus using same, and a method for mounting a component, and in particular relates to technology suitable for vacuum chucking and transporting an electronic component such as an IC, and mounting it onto a glass liquid-crystal substrate or the like.
2. Description of the Background Art
Research and development of electronic equipment in recent years has been dramatic and, combined with information technology (hereinafter referred to as IT) using the Internet, a diverse spectrum of products has been made of various types. In particular, R&D with regard to semiconductor technology has advanced the trend towards compact, thin and light electronic equipment and the like, and the trend for increased mobility in communications devices with on-board computers.
In the field of home television receivers as well, advances in manufacturing technology for liquid crystal panels has resulted in partial replacement of receivers using conventional color picture tube with those using large, flat screen displays featuring precision and fineness.
FIG. 1 of the accompanying drawings is a simplified view of part of an example of the manufacturing processes for a liquid crystal display device.
As shown in FIG. 1, a large number of glass substrates 2, referred to as liquid crystal substrates, onto which TFTs (thin-film transistors) are arranged in a matrix pattern, are held within a housing shelf (magazine) 1. These glass substrates 2 are picked up one at a time by a scalar-type picking robot 3, which moves in the X and Y axes, and placed on a relay table 4. A substrate 2 placed on the relay table 4 is transported to a connection member attachment apparatus 6 by a first linear-transport type substrate transporter 5.
FIG. 2 of the accompanying drawings is an enlarged oblique view of a substrate 2. As shown in FIG. 2, electrode lead 2a are formed in a line at the terminal parts of the periphery of the substrate 2. An anisotropic conductive film (ACF, not shown in the drawing) connection member-or the like is attached by the connection member attachment apparatus 6 to the lead 2a of the substrate 2 that has been transported to the connection member attachment apparatus 6.
Returning to FIG. 1, after attachment by the connection member attachment apparatus 6 of the connection members to the lead 2a, the substrate 2 is transported by a second linear-transport type substrate transporter 7 to a component mounting apparatus 8. At the component mounting apparatus 8, electronic components such as tape carrier packages (TCPs) are positioned above the connection members, after which connection and mounting is finished by hot pressing.
FIG. 3 of the accompanying drawings is an enlarged oblique view of an electronic component 9 in FIG. 2, viewed from the bottom thereof. As shown in FIG. 3, a chip component 92 such as an IC is connected and mounted to the lower surface of a transparent film member 91 of the electronic component 9, a large number of leads 91a being connected and formed in an arrangement in which each opposes electrodes of the chip component 92 at the terminal parts of the film member 91.
Positioning marks 91b, 91b are formed as a patterned pair along the edge of the film member 91 on both outer sides of the terminal parts of the film member 91, so as to surround the lead 91a therebetween. As shown in FIG. 2, positioning marks 2b, 2b are formed at positions corresponding to the positioning marks 91b, 91b on the substrate 2 on which the electronic components 9 are mounted.
Returning to FIG. 1, in the condition in which the electronic component 9 is held by vacuum suction by a component holding head at the component mounting apparatus 8, an imaging device images the electronic component 9 positioning marks 91b and substrate 2 positioning marks 2b. Position correction is performed with respect to both of these, so as to make the amount of relative offset between the electronic component 9 positioning marks 91b and substrate 2 positioning marks 2b zero, based on the image data, as the electronic component 9 is positioned at a prescribed location on the substrate 2, hot-pressing by the component holding head with a built-in heater being used to mount the electronic component 9 to the substrate 2.
The film member 91, which is the base material of the electronic component 9, is a polyimide resin or the like, onto which the lead 91a and positioning marks 91b are formed as copper foil patterns or gilded copper foil patterns. Whereas the polyimide resin base material has a green, brown or orange coloration, the positioning marks 91b and the like, being provided as copper foil or gilded copper foil, make it possible to obtain only a small color gradation difference relative to the positioning marks 91b and the film member 91.
Because there is only a small difference in color gradation between the positioning marks 91b and the base material, if the imaging device images the positioning mark 91b using reflected light, insufficient contrast (intensity ratio) is achieved between the positioning mark 91b and the base material. For this reason, in many component mounting apparatuses the imaging device uses light that is shone onto the positioning mark from the opposite side and passed therethrough to form an image of the terminal part of the electronic component 9.
FIG. 4 is a front elevational view showing a component mounting apparatus 8, this being the type of component mounting apparatus 8 of FIG. 1 in which transmitted light is used to form an image of the terminal part of an electronic component 9. As shown in FIG. 4, in this component mounting apparatus 8, the component holding head 81, which vacuum chucks and transports the electronic component 9, is mounted to a transport arm 83, formed by an X-Y coordinate robot, via the actuating rod 82a of a cylinder 82.
A glass substrate 2 is placed on a substrate placement stage 84 below the component holding head 81, and the substrate placement stage 84 itself is configured so as to be able to move in the horizontal plane and rotationally.
After being placed on the table 85, the electronic component 9 is vacuum chucked to the component holding head 81 and transported to over the terminal part of the substrate 2, whereupon a controller 86 having a built-in microcomputer performs relative positioning control between the electronic component 9 and the substrate 2.
The imaging device 87, which forms images of the electronic component 9 and the terminal parts on the substrate 2, is disposed on and fixed over the substrate 2 and component holding head 81.
FIG. 5 is an enlarged view showing the positional relationship between the imaging device 87, the component holding head 81, and specific parts of the substrate 2. As shown in FIG. 5, the imaging device 87 transmits light emanating from an illumination fixture (light source) 88 disposed below the substrate 2. The transmitted light is used to simultaneously form images of the positioning marks 2b and 91b of the substrate 2 and electronic component 9, respectively. In the case in which the substrate 2 is formed from an opaque material, an illumination fixture 88 such as a lamp that shines light towards the substrate 2 is, for example, built into the imaging device 87, the reflected light thereof being used to obtain a picture signal of the terminal part of the substrate 2, that is, image data of the positioning mark 2b.
The image data of each of the positioning marks 2b and 91b obtained by the imaging device 87 are supplied to the controller 86 shown in FIG. 4, and pattern recognition or the like is used to detect the relative position offset. The controller 86 performs control of the transport arm 83 and the substrate placement stage 84 and the like so that this amount of position offset is made zero. By alignment of the relative positions of the positioning marks 2b and 91b, the lead 2a and 91a are made so as to correspond and to connect to each other.
In FIG. 5, a single imaging device 87 is shown forming an image of the positioning marks 91b and 2b of one of the electronic component 9 and the substrate 2. In reality, another separate imaging device 87 is provided so as to form images of the positioning marks 91b and 2b of the other of the electronic component 9 and substrate 2, each of these image data being supplied to the controller 86 for performing positioning control.
The lead 91a of the electronic component 9 and the lead 2a of the substrate 2 are positioned so that they are brought into mutual correspondence. After this is done, the controller 86 performs movement control of the receiving stage 89 in the directions of the arrows X and Z in FIG. 4 and FIG. 5, and controls the cylinder 82 so that it lowers the component holding head 81. The positioned electronic component 9, therefore, is pressed up against the substrate 2 supported by the receiving stage 89, via a connection member, and a mounting and connection is made by heating.
FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view showing the condition in which block-type three-dimensional component holding head 81 is vacuum-chuck holding an electronic component 9 in the configuration shown in FIG. 4 and FIG. 5. FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view from the direction of the arrows of line VII—VII in FIG. 6. As shown in FIG. 6 and FIG. 7, a vacuum chucking hole 81a of the component holding head 81 is provided so as to open toward the vacuum chucking surface. The vacuum chucking hole 81a is connected, via a pipe 81b, to a vacuum pump (not shown in the drawing) having an electromagnetic valve. The vacuum chucking and releasing of the electronic component 9 at the vacuum chucking hole 81a are done by valve control performed by the controller 86.
As shown in FIG. 4 and FIG. 5, in order for the imaging device 87 to obtain image data of the positioning mark 91b, it is necessary to cause light from the illumination fixture 88 to be transmitted through the terminal part of the electronic component. For this reason, the component holding head 81 holds the electronic component 9 by vacuum chucking, avoiding the edges of the terminal parts of the electronic component 9 at which the positioning mark 91b is disposed.
The base material of the electronic component 9 that is vacuum chuck held by the component holding head 81 is a film member 91 made of polyimide resin or the like. Because the desire for smaller and lighter components, however, has resulted in thinner film members 91, it is easy to change its shape. As shown by the broken line in FIG. 6, downward sagging or recurvation occurs at the terminal parts of the film member 91 not vacuum chuck held by the component holding head 81. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 8, there is deformation at the imaged positioning mark 91b part and connected lead 91a, preventing the achievement of parallelness between these deformed parts and the substrate 2 to which these are to be connected.
In FIG. 5 and FIG. 6, the reference numeral 81c denotes a heater built into the component holding head 81. The positioning marks 2b and 91b are shown as rectangles in FIG. 2, FIG. 3, FIG. 5, and FIG. 7, but can alternatively be cross-shaped or have other shapes.
As described above, a component mounting apparatus had the following problems. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 4 and FIG. 5, the imaging device 87 forms an image of the terminal part of the electronic component 9 using the light passing from the illumination fixture 88 positioned on the opposite side of the electronic component 9 (downward side in the drawing), and the controller 86 performs control, based on this image data, so that the position offset is compensated.
As shown in FIG. 6 and FIG. 8, however, the block-shaped component holding head 81 vacuum chuck holds the electronic component 9 at a location on the inside thereof, so as to avoid the edge of the film member 91. For this reason, deformation occurs, such as downward sagging or recurvation of the terminal part of the electronic component 9. A position offset therefore occurs between the position on the image screen of the positioning mark 91b imaged from directly above and the position of the positioning mark 91b which should be opposite the actual positioning mark 2b of the substrate 2. If the positioning mark 91b of the electronic component 9 is imaged for the purpose of positioning when it is in the deformed condition and the electronic component 9 is mounted onto the substrate 2 based on the image data obtained in that condition, there is a risk of misalignment occurring, and not achieving a good electrical connection.
Substrates 2 seen recently have not only thinner film members 91, but also a very narrow pitch between the lead 91a. For this reason, with the need to achieve high positioning accuracy, misalignment is a major hindrance to achieving a high yield in manufacturing liquid crystal panels, and there is a desire to achieve an improvement in this situation.

Component holding head, component mounting apparatus using same, and component mounting method


A low cost air damper that provides a good seal with low torque requirements. Blade seals of square cross sectional configuration are provided on each damper blade so that the blade seals engage adjacent blades before the blades are fully closed. L-shaped side seals and multiple discs that receive the ends of the blades serve collectively to seal between sides of the damper frame and the blades when the blades are closed even when the blades are not cut precisely. One edge of the L-shaped side seals engages and seals against the discs and the other edge of the side seals laps over and seals against a flat side of the blades and against the square blade seals. A low friction coating is applied to the side seals to further reduce friction.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is an air damper that is low cost, has a low torque requirement, and makes a good seal when the blades of the air damper are closed.
2. Description of the Related Art
Air dampers with multiple blades that rotate to modulate air flow have one common problem. That problem is that they are difficult to make seal properly. This problem has several contributing factors.
First, there is air leakage between adjacent blades when the blades do not fully and tightly close. To address this problem, closer tolerances can be introduced between adjacent blades or seals can be provided on the blades. Closer tolerances and seals between blades create higher manufacturing costs and create higher friction between adjacent blades which requires more torque being applied to the blades in order to fully close them.
Various types of seals have been used on adjacent blade edges to try to seal between the blades, but these seals still require that the blades to be fully closed in order to properly seal. There is often some "play" in the closure mechanism so that the blades often do not fully close, but instead are still partially open when they are suppose to be in their closed position. Even with seals on the blade edges, if the seals do not engage the adjacent blades prior to the blades being fully closed, they will not seal between the blades.
Also, there is air leakage between the ends of the blades and the supporting damper frame. This leakage is due to the fact that existing side seal designs are have high leakage rates and because the lengths of the blades may not be cut precisely square, may not be cut at uniform lengths and may not be cut so that there are close tolerances between the ends of the blades and the frame.
The present invention addresses all of these problems. The present invention is provided with a blade seal that is square in cross sectional configuration. The blade seal is provided on the blade edges so that the blade seal engages the adjacent blade early, before the blades are fully closed, i.e. in their parallel, aligned orientation. The reason the blade seal engages the adjacent blade early is that the diameter of the diagonal of the square seal is longer than the length of the side of the square seal.
Thus, the square configuration blade seals make it unnecessary to remove the "play" from the closure mechanism in order to fully seal between adjacent blades and makes it unnecessary to have precise parallel alignment of the blades in order for the seals to engage.
The blade seal attachment to the damper blade is preferably constructed of a plastic such as polypropylene, nylon or ABS plastic to which sponge rubber is bonded. The plastic used is preferably polypropylene. Polypropylene is rigid, low friction, and dimensionally stable so that it maintains its length once it is cut to the desired length. The sponge rubber is flexible and capable of sealing against the adjacent blades.
Also, the present invention is provided with a side seal mechanism that seals and stops air leakage between the ends of the blades and the damper frame even when the blades are not completely closed, cut precisely square, when the blades are not cut at uniform lengths and when the blades are not cut so there are close tolerances between the ends of the blades and the frame.
The present invention provides an air damper with three advantages: it is low cost to make and operate, it has low torque requirements, and it provides a good seal. Previous air dampers may have been able to provide one or two of these advantages, but none have previously been able to provide all three of these advantages in the same unit.


Data source information is recorded into a source tracking object embedded in a wrapper object pointing to a data object from the data source. Tracking event information is recorded into a flow tracking object embedded in a wrapper object copy as the tracking event processes the wrapper object copy. Other tracking event information is recorded into another flow tracking object embedded in another wrapper object as the other tracking event processes the other wrapper object. The flow tracking object is associated with the other flow tracking object in response to a field retrieval of the wrapper object copy from the other wrapper object. The wrapper object copy is output to a data sink. Data sink information is recorded into a sink tracking object embedded in the wrapper object copy. The tracking objects are output as dynamic analysis of dataflow in the application program.

The subject matter discussed in the background section should not be assumed to be prior art merely as a result of its mention in the background section. Similarly, a problem mentioned in the background section or associated with the subject matter of the background section should not be assumed to have been previously recognized in the prior art. The subject matter in the background section merely represents different approaches, which in and of themselves may also be inventions.
Vulnerabilities in an application program may be introduced by untrusted data flowing through the application program from an input to an output without the application program performing sufficient actions to prevent potential cyber-security attacks from occurring. For example, an application program may use a uniform resource locator (URL) to receive data that the application program subsequently outputs as data accessed by a web browser, but a web browser displaying a web page based on untrusted data may enable an attacker to gain elevated access-privileges to sensitive web page content. An input for untrusted data is referred to as a taint source, and the output for untrusted data is referred to as a taint sink. Static analysis that tests the security of an application program for vulnerabilities may produce a high rate of false positive results. Dynamic analysis has gained popularity due to the production of fewer false positive results. Therefore, if dynamic analysis identifies a vulnerability in an application program, the vulnerability is more likely to be an actual vulnerability, thereby justifying the expense of sufficient resources in an attempt to analyze the application program's associated dataflow to correct the vulnerability. Dynamic analysis typically identifies application program vulnerabilities such as cross site scripting (XSS) and SQL injection (SQLi).
While dynamic analysis is able to identify application program vulnerabilities by their data sources and data sinks, dynamic analysis does not keep track of the complete flow of data because of problems with recording any information in between the data source and the data sink. Without the information of how data flows in an application program, correcting vulnerabilities is difficult because identifying only a data source and a data sink does not provide any clear indication of the nature of any vulnerabilities between the data source and the data sink. Such difficulties become greater for large application programs, where manually searching source code to review the detailed data flow of possible vulnerabilities is extremely time consuming, and manually identifying the detailed data flow of actual vulnerabilities in the source code is nearly impossible. Additionally, an application program may have multiple possible paths, such as from the same data source to the same data sink. Since dynamic analysis can identify the same vulnerability many times, dynamic analysis typically executes a de-duplication process based on the information describing the vulnerability. Since only the data sources and data sinks are identified, the de-duplication process can mistakenly identify multiple different vulnerabilities that share the same data source and the same data sink as only a single vulnerability. Therefore, identifying all of the actual vulnerabilities becomes more difficult without identifying the specific dataflow between a data source and a data sink. Accordingly, it is desirable to provide techniques that enable a database system to improve the performance, efficiency, and the ease of use of dynamic analysis of dataflow in application programs.

System and method for dynamic analysis tracking object associations for application dataflow


Apparatuses and methods of shielding for capacitance-to-digital code conversion are described. One apparatus includes a capacitance-to-digital converter (CDC) for measuring a self-capacitance of a sensor electrode. The capacitance-to-digital code converter can in a first phase, apply a supply voltage to the sensor electrode. The sensor electrode and a shield electrode, the form a mutual capacitance with the sensor electrode. The CDC, in a second phase, couples the shield electrode to a ground potential and the sensor electrode to a first modulation capacitor. The first modulation capacitor is pre-charged to a reference voltage. The CDC, in a third phase, couples the sensor electrode and the shield electrode to the ground potential. The CDC, in a fourth phase, couples the shield electrode to the ground potential and the sensor electrode to a second modulation capacitor. The second modulation capacitor is pre-charged to the reference voltage.

Capacitance sensing systems can sense electrical signals generated on electrodes that reflect changes in capacitance. Such changes in capacitance can indicate a touch event (i.e., the proximity of an object to particular electrodes). Capacitive sense elements may be used to replace mechanical buttons, knobs and other similar mechanical user interface controls. The use of a capacitive sense element allows for the elimination of complicated mechanical switches and buttons, providing reliable operation under harsh conditions. In addition, capacitive sense elements are widely used in modern customer applications, providing new user interface options in existing products. Capacitive sense elements can range from a single button to a large number arranged in the form of a capacitive sense array for a touch-sensing surface.
Arrays of capacitive sense elements work by measuring the capacitance of a capacitive sense element, and looking for a delta (change) in capacitance indicating a touch or presence of a conductive object. When a conductive object (e.g., a finger, hand, or other object) comes into contact with or close proximity to a capacitive sense element, the capacitance changes and the conductive object is detected. The capacitance changes of the capacitive touch sense elements can be measured by an electrical circuit. The electrical circuit converts the measured capacitances of the capacitive sense elements into digital values.
There are two typical types of capacitance: 1) mutual capacitance where the capacitance-sensing circuit is coupled to both electrodes of the capacitor and a drive/receive configuration measures capacitance between them; 2) self capacitance where the capacitance-sensing circuit is coupled to a single electrode of the capacitor where the second electrode is tied to a DC voltage level or is parasitically coupled to Earth Ground. A touch panel has a distributed load of capacitance of both types (1) and (2) and some touch solutions sense both capacitances either uniquely or in hybrid form with its various sense modes.

System, method, and apparatus for passive shielding of a capacitive sensing button


A linear light-emitting diode (LED)-based solid-state lamp using an AC current control scheme and shock protection switches operates normally with an electronic ballast. Due to the use of shock protection switches in the two lamp bases at two opposite ends, the ballast-compatible LED lamp fully protects a person from possible electric shock during initial installation, maintenance, and re-lamping no matter what the rated power and the brand of the LLT lamp are and no matter whether the electronic ballast is existing used ones that may be incompatible with the lamp or faulty, leading to an unacceptable leakage current.

Solid-state lighting from semiconductor light-emitting diodes (LEDs) has received much attention in general lighting applications today. Because of its potential for more energy savings, better environmental protection (with no hazardous materials used), higher efficiency, smaller size, and longer lifetime than conventional incandescent bulbs and fluorescent tubes, the LED-based solid-state lighting will be a mainstream for general lighting in the near future. Meanwhile, as LED technologies develop with the drive for energy efficiency and clean technologies worldwide, more families and organizations will adopt LED lighting for their illumination applications. In this trend, the potential safety concerns such as risk of electric shock become especially important and need to be well addressed.
In today's retrofit application of a linear LED tube (LLT) lamp to replace an existing fluorescent tube, consumers may choose either to adopt a ballast-compatible LLT lamp with an existing ballast used to operate the fluorescent tube or to employ an AC mains-operated LED lamp by removing/bypassing the ballast. Either retrofit application has its advantages and disadvantages. In the former case, although the ballast consumes extra power, it is straightforward to replace the fluorescent tube without rewiring, which consumers have a first impression that it is the best alternative to fluorescent tube lamps. But the fact is that total cost of ownership for this approach is high regardless of very low initial cost. For example, the ballast-compatible LLT lamps work only with particular types of ballasts. If the existing ballast is not compatible with the ballast-compatible LLT lamp, the consumer will have to replace the ballast. Some facilities built long time ago incorporate different types of fixtures, which requires extensive labor for both identifying ballasts and replacing incompatible ones. Moreover, a ballast-compatible LLT lamp can operate longer than the ballast. When an old ballast fails, a new ballast will be needed to replace in order to keep the ballast-compatible LLT lamps working. Maintenance will be complicated, sometimes for lamps and sometimes for ballasts. The incurred cost will preponderate over the initial cost savings by changeover to the ballast-compatible LLT lamps for hundreds of fixtures throughout a facility. When the ballast in a fixture dies, all the ballast-compatible tube lamps in the fixture go out until the ballast is replaced. In addition, replacing a failed ballast requires a certified electrician. The labor costs and messy maintenance costs will be unacceptable to the consumers. From energy saving point of view, a ballast constantly draws power, even when the ballast-compatible LLT lamps are dead or not installed. In this sense, any energy saved while using the ballast-compatible LLT becomes meaningless with the constant energy use by the ballast. Eventually, ballast-compatible LLT lamps are more expensive and less efficient than self-sustaining AC mains-operated LLT lamps.
Even with the above mentioned disadvantages of the ballast-compatible LLT lamps, consumers may still choose to use such lamps, considering only very low initial cost associated with a saving for expensive fixture rewiring. When power is applied to an electronic ballast designed to operate fluorescent tube, a high AC voltage starts to be created to ionize the gases inside the gas-filled fluorescent tube before sustaining continuous lighting. When a ballast-compatible LLT lamp used with such a ballast, the high AC voltage originally generated for starting up a fluorescent tube may reach 600 V or even a higher voltage of 950 VAC across a longer lamp. Voltages at these levels represent a strong shock hazard. Person who improperly handles the ballast-compatible LLT lamp by directly touching an exposed bi-pin or electrical connectors can result in severe injury or death. Therefore, a ballast-compatible LLT lamp, as its AC mains-operable counterparts working at 110, 220, or 277 VAC, has a construction issue related to product safety and needed to be resolved prior to wide field deployment. This kind of LLT lamps may fail a safety test, which measures through lamp leakage current. Because the high AC voltage from the ballast applies to both opposite ends of the tube when connected, the measurement of current leakage from one end to the other consistently results in a substantial current flow, which may present a risk of electric shock during re-lamping. Due to this potential shock risk to the person who replaces ballast-compatible LLT lamps in an existing fluorescent tube fixture, Underwriters Laboratories (UL) uses its standard, UL 935, Risk of Shock During Relamping (Through Lamp), to do the current leakage test and to determine if the ballast-compatible LLT lamps under test meet the consumer safety requirement. However, this safety issue related to the ballast-compatible LLT lamps has been ignored because such ballast-compatible LLT lamps can pass an initial test in laboratories with a particular electronic ballast. In fields, when used in fixtures that do not have the same brand of the electronic ballast as used in the lab test or have an existing ballast which has been used for years and may be faulty, such lamps may exist an electric shock hazard when used with the ballast. Ironically, a ballast-compatible LLT lamp has compatibility issues with existing ballasts in the fixtures not only to operate the lamp but to show an electric shock hazard. The safety issue needs to be resolved to protect consumers from being injured during relamping.
To verify that there exists such a ballast-dependent electric shock hazard, the inventors have measured leakage current from an exposed bi-pin of a ballast-compatible LLT lamp with the other bi-pin connected to the ballast for various combinations of different brands of electronic ballasts and ballast-compatible LLT lamps with a little different power ratings. In the experiments, three types of brand new and one type of used electronic ballasts and three types of brand new ballast-compatible LLT lamps are used. The results show that all the three lamps used with the used ballast have the largest leakage current among the tests, which could severely burn a person's finger skin although the ballast can normally operate all the three ballast-compatible LLT lamps under test. Other combinations also show unacceptable electric shock levels, burning the tester's finger skin to a certain degree. UL 935 suggests that a measurement instrument with body impedance model and frequency sensitive network be used to measure electric shock current. However, passing maximum meter indicating unit (M.I.U.) of 7.07 required in UL 935 does not mean that there is no shock hazard. As defined in UL 8750, a risk of electric shock exists between any two conductive parts or between a conductive part and earth ground if the open circuit potential is higher than 42.4 V peak AC, and the available current flow between them exceeds 0.5 mA as determined by the leakage current measurement test. In one experiment using a brand new electronic ballast and a new ballast-compatible LLT lamp, an open circuit potential of 75 V rms AC appears at the exposed bi-pin and earth ground, and a current that flow between them reaches 131 mA, well above 0.5 mA limit. The voltage and current at this level represents an unacceptable electric shock hazard to users or installers.
Although electrical power to the entire fixture needs to be disconnected when servicing an existing fluorescent fixture and three or four ballast-compatible LLT lamps in the fixture, it is not always practical in situations where a large number of fixtures are controlled from the same power switch such as in open office areas. In this case, risk of electric shock is unavoidably high to the person who does servicing. Fluorescent lamp ballasts can fail in many failure modes such as leaving and operating burned-out lamps in the fixture, using the wrong size lamps, improper wiring, incorrect line voltage, operating at temperatures below or above the rated limits, power surges, and even the age. However, not all the ballasts fail and stop functioning-many just overheat. So a severe problem occurs when a ballast is still functioning but has significant amount of leakage current that may introduce a shock hazard, and when a user tries to replace a ballast-compatible LLT lamp in the fixture that has such ballast, without knowing the risk of such an electric shock. Many even mistakenly believe that through the electronic ballast as an electrical buffer, there is no risk of electric shock for an exposed bi-pin when the other bi-pin is installed and energized.
When there are various kinds of LLT lamps on the LED lighting market, there are various kinds of configurations of linear fixtures, and misapplications of power supply may occur. For example, installing a ballast-compatible LLT lamp in the fixture that is intended for an application of AC mains of 277 V may burn some of the electronic components not rated at 400 V peak in the lamp, which create a fire hazard. Above all, a power source of AC mains at 277 VAC is different from that of an electronic ballast, which has an internal protection circuitry to shut down the operation of the ballast once short circuit is detected. So the design of a ballast-compatible LLT lamp must take this into account by removing such a risk.

Linear solid-state lighting with ballast free of electric shock hazard


An application of phase profilometry to determine the 3-D configuration of normally obscured structure. In one application, the undercarriage of a vehicle is captured in a 3-D profile while the vehicle is operating normally. The system may use a digital camera; a computer for control, communications, processing, comparing configurations and database storage; a broadband light source; and a device positioned between the light and structure that enables an alternating strip or strips of light and shadows to impinge the obscured surface. A preferred embodiment uses a single straight edge as the device. In addition to profiling the undercarriage of a vehicle and comparing it to an expected configuration of a like vehicle, the system may be used for such diverse applications as determination of correct toll at toll booths, quality inspection in an assembly line, safety and security inspections, and access control.

In many countries a typical method of facilitating terrorism involves attaching explosives, infiltrators or weapons to a vehicle's undercarriage. The vehicles then attempt to enter secure areas such as military bases, embassies and other government installations. Often, entry controllers are required to inspect the undercarriage of vehicles to detect such undesirable embellishments.
Conventional inspection systems include mirrors mounted on shafts to be extended under the vehicles and video cameras mounted on shafts with monitors attached to the entry controller's head gear or nearby monitoring stations having additional security personnel. Other systems use fixed cameras mounted on the underside of a ramp over which the vehicles pass. Some systems require the vehicle to stop in a prescribed location while motor driven cameras traverse the length of the vehicle. In each of the cases using cameras at least one inspector views each resulting image. There are also some patents covering like types of systems for determining what is traveling along a road.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,446,291, Method for Classifying Vehicles Passing a Predetermined Waypoint, to Becker et al., Aug. 29, 1995, uses a complex electronic sensor and processing system for military reconnaissance to measure speed, distance, and number of axles to classify vehicles to correlate to a database of military vehicles. An image is not taken of the undercarriage of the vehicles.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,750,069, Method and Apparatus for Discriminating Vehicle Types, to Lew et al., May 12, 1998, details a technique for identifying a vehicle's type by measuring the pressure imposed by a vehicle's tires on a contact board(s) in the roadway. The system measures the width of the tires, the distance between tires and the number of axles. An image is not taken of the undercarriage of the vehicles.
Often, automated inspection systems are degraded by distortion introduced in the detector(s) used to collect images. Distortion includes that produced by "contrasts" resultant from projections of electromagnetic energy, e.g., shadows, not necessarily visible, induced by light (or other electromagnetic energy) projected onto an irregular or contoured surface. This type of distortion is actually used as a beneficial consequence in preferred embodiments of the present invention. Processing of this "distorted" data after collection of suitable reflections of this energy at a pre-specified sampling rate, to include an optional FFT conversion of digital data and implementation of a simple algorithm, provides the "third dimension" absent in a conventional analog or digital representation of the surface. As an example of one application of the present invention, a suite of simple commercial-off-the-shelf (COTS) hardware may be used to determine a 3-D undercarriage configuration as a vehicle passes over the illumination/detection portion of the present invention that is embedded in or below the roadway.

System for determining the configuration of obscured structure by employing phase profilometry and method of use therefor

The United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Army