Provided is an image display screen having wide horizontal and vertical viewing angles and a projection television including the same. The image display screen includes a Fresnel screen, a first lenticular screen that widens a horizontal viewing angle and a second lenticular screen including a first portion that widens a vertical viewing angle and a second portion that prevents degradation of contrast due to external light, and a protective screen. The second lenticular screen and the protective screen can be replaced by an integrated screen or a composite screen having the characteristics of both. In addition, a pattern may be formed on the rear surface of the Fresnel screen to perform the same function as the first portion.

This application claims the priority of Korean Patent Application No. 2003-41053, filed on Jun. 24, 2003, in the Korean Intellectual Property Office, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein in its entirety by reference.
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image display screen and an image display medium including the image display screen, and more particularly, to a screen on which an image is projected and a projection television including the same.
2. Description of the Related Art
An image projection system such as a projection television and a video projector is an image display system, which generates an image using a specially manufactured image display medium such as a small CRT, an LCD, and a PDLC, magnifies the image using a projection lens, and projects the magnified image on a large screen. The image projection system has an advantage of being able to accommodate a large screen. Consumers prefer large screens and the demand for image projection systems is growing.
Image projection systems may be divided into front projection systems and rear projection systems depending on how an image is magnified and projected on a screen. An image projection system projects a light beam emitted from a light source toward a screen to form an image on the screen such that a viewer in front of the screen can recognize the image. Preferably, a viewer is centered in front of the screen. However, the viewer may not be centered in front of the screen and the screen may be above or below eye level. Therefore, image projection systems must have a wide viewing angle.
FIG. 1 is a schematic view of a conventional projection television. Referring to FIG. 1, a conventional projection television includes a cabinet 10, a screen 20, an image forming medium 11, a projection lens unit 13, and a reflector 15. The screen 20 is installed on the front surface of the cabinet 10, and an image is formed thereon. The image forming medium 11, which may include CRTs and may be located inside the cabinet 10, forms an image and irradiates the image toward the reflector 15. The projection lens unit 13 magnifies the image irradiated from the image forming medium 11. The reflector 15 reflects the image toward the screen 20.
An image is projected on the rear surface of the screen 20, and a viewer, in front of the screen 20, watches the image projected on the screen.
FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of a screen of the conventional projection television of FIG. 1.
Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, the screen 20 includes a Fresnel screen 41, a first lenticular screen 43, and a protective screen 50. The Fresnel screen 41 refracts a light beam reflected by the reflector 15 to collimate the light beam. The first lenticular screen 43 disposed in front of the Fresnel screen 41 widens an image passed through the Fresnel screen 41 in a horizontal direction, thereby widening a horizontal viewing angle. The protective screen 50 is disposed in front of the first lenticular screen 43 and protects the Fresnel screen 41 and the first lenticular screen 43.
The protective screen 50 includes a first substrate sheet 51 protecting the first lenticular screen 43 and an external light reflection reducer 55 attached to the front surface of the first substrate sheet 51. The external light reflection reducer 55 prevents an external light beam emitted from a light source such as a fluorescent lamp from being reflected at the surface of the first substrate sheet 51.
The screen of the conventional projection television of FIG. 2 may provide a wide horizontal viewing angle using the first lenticular screen 43, but provides a very narrow vertical viewing angle.
To solve this problem, another conventional screen is suggested in FIG. 3. Japanese Patent Laid-open Publication No. 2000-137293 (published on May 16, 2000), entitled "Transmission screen" provides a conventional screen that solves this problem.
FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view of the screen disclosed in this publication. Referring to FIG. 3, the screen includes a Fresnel screen 60, and a lenticular screen 62. The lenticular screen 62 of FIG. 3 is identical to the first lenticular screen 43 of FIG. 2. The lenticular screen 62 includes black stripes on a lens shaped incident surface. The Fresnel screen 60 of FIG. 3 is different from the Fresnel screen 41 of FIG. 2.
Specifically, an incident surface 60a of the Fresnel screen 60 has bumps extending horizontally and parallel to one another. Each of the bumps looks like a convex lens. The bumps are perpendicular to cylindrical lenses formed on the incident surface 62a of the lenticular screen 62.
Therefore, a light beam incident on the incident surface 60a of the Fresnel screen 60 of FIG. 3 is spread more widely in a vertical direction than a light beam incident on an incident surface of the Fresnel screen 41 of FIG. 2. In other words, the screen of FIG. 3 has a much wider vertical viewing angle than the screen of FIG. 2. However, the screen of FIG. 3 still has a limited vertical viewing angle for the following reason.
To have a vertical viewing angle as large as a horizontal viewing angle, each of the bumps formed on the incident surface 60a of the Fresnel screen 60 of FIG. 3 needs to have a large curvature. However, it is difficult to increase the curvature of each of the bumps in consideration of the structure of the screen of FIG. 3. Therefore, the vertical viewing angle is limited. As an alternative, power may be increased. However, in this case, a diffused light beam is incident on the Fresnel screen 60, resulting in a degradation of resolution and forming of multiple images. Therefore, watching the screen itself becomes difficult.
FIG. 4 is a graph illustrating vertical and horizontal angles of light after passing through the conventional screen of FIG. 3. A first graph g1 illustrates luminosity with respect to a horizontal viewing angle, a second graph g2 illustrates luminosity with respect to a vertical viewing angle. Referring to the first and second graphs g1 and g2, a vertical viewing angle θv is much smaller than a horizontal viewing angle θH.

Image display screen having wide vertical and horizontal viewing angles and projection television including the same


The disclosed embodiments relate to an aircraft that includes system for selecting an airspeed reference that is displayed within a cockpit of an aircraft. The system includes a processor and a display located in the cockpit. The processor is configured to determine whether primary airspeed is valid or invalid, and, to select a backup airspeed as the airspeed reference that is output to the display when it is determined that the primary airspeed is invalid. The display is configured to display the backup airspeed as the airspeed reference. The backup airspeed is generated based on Global Position System (GPS) information that is received by the aircraft.

When an aircraft is in flight, availability of airspeed data is critical and therefore it is necessary to have systems that can be used to measure and/or provide an indication of airspeed of the aircraft. To measure airspeed data that is needed to determine airspeed, many aircraft employ a pitot-static system.
A pitot-static system generally has a pitot tube, a static port, and pitot-static instruments. The pitot-static system is used to obtain pressures for interpretation by the pitot-static instruments. For example, this equipment measures the forces acting on a vehicle as a function of the temperature, density, pressure, and viscosity of the fluid in which it is operating. For instance, an airspeed indicator (ASI) is connected to both the pitot tube and static port. The difference between the pitot pressure and the static pressure is called "impact pressure." The greater the impact pressure, the higher the indicated airspeed (IAS) is that will be reported.
Other instruments that might be connected can include air data computers, flight control computers, autopilot systems, flight data recorders, altitude recorders, cabin pressurization controllers, and various airspeed switches. For example, many modern aircraft use an air data computer (ADC) to calculate airspeed, rate of climb, altitude, and Mach number. In some aircraft, two ADCs receive total and static pressure from independent pitot tubes and static ports, and the aircraft's flight data computer compares the information from both computers and checks one against the other.
Failure of Pitot-Static Measurement Equipment
Although pitot-static equipment is normally reliable, in some situations pitot-static systems and apparatus can fail. Information obtained from the pitot static system, such as airspeed or altitude, is often critical to a successful and safe flight. As such, errors in pitot-static system readings (or the absence thereof) can be extremely dangerous.
For example, one type of pitot-static system malfunction occurs when a pitot tube is blocked or clogged for some reason, but the static port remains clear. A blocked pitot tube will cause the airspeed indicator to register a faulty or incorrect airspeed. In some cases, this can result in a reading of zero airspeed.
Another type of pitot-static system malfunction occurs when a static port is blocked. A blocked static port is a more serious situation because it affects all pitot-static instruments. One of the most common causes of a blocked static port is airframe icing. A blocked static port will cause the altimeter to freeze at a constant value, the altitude at which the static port became blocked. The vertical speed indicator will freeze at zero and will not change at all, even if vertical airspeed increases or decreases. The airspeed indicator will reverse the error that occurs with a clogged pitot tube and result in an airspeed that is less than it is actually is as the aircraft climbs. When the aircraft is descending, the airspeed will be over-reported. In most aircraft with unpressurized cabins, an alternative static source is available and toggled from within the cockpit of the airplane.
Inherent errors can affect different pitot-static equipment. For example, density errors affect instruments metering airspeed and altitude. This type of error is caused by variations of pressure and temperature in the atmosphere. Therefore, modern pitot-static systems will automatically correct for temperature and pressure variances from standard atmospheric conditions to ensure accurate airspeed data is presented.
Need for Backup Airspeed Measurement Sources
Many modern aircraft implement redundant pitot-static airspeed measurement equipment that can serve as a backup when the primary pitot-static measurement equipment experiences a fault condition or fails. For example, many large transport category aircraft include three very similar or identical pitot-static systems for redundancy.
While the FAA permits this configuration, one drawback of this approach is that the two redundant pitot-static airspeed measurement systems are susceptible to failing for the same reasons that caused the primary pitot-static measurement system to fault or fail. For instance, all three pitot-static measurement systems can fall prey to a common mode failure (e.g., blockage failure due to contamination by ice, volcano ash, bird strikes and/or pitot heater failure, etc.) and experience a fault or failure at the same time. Unfortunately, in such systems, no other backup airspeed measurement system is available.
There is a need for improved backup/redundant systems and apparatus that can be used to provide airspeed measurements during flight of an aircraft in the event that the pitot-static airspeed measurement equipment experiences a fault or fails.
It would be desirable to provide a backup airspeed measurement source for use in emergencies (e.g., when a partial or complete failure of the primary airspeed measurement occurs). It would also be desirable if such backup airspeed measurement sources are not susceptible to the same modes of failure as the primary and secondary pitot-static system(s). Other desirable features and characteristics of the present invention will become apparent from the subsequent detailed description and the appended claims, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and the foregoing technical field and background.

Methods and systems for displaying backup airspeed of an aircraft


This invention provides a thermal energy battery having an insulated tank contains a multitude of densely packed plastic tubes filled with a phase-change material (PCM, such as ice) that changes from solid to liquid and vice-versa. Energy is stored when the PCM transitions from liquid to solid form, and released when the PCM transitions back from solid to liquid form. The tubes are arranged vertically, span the height of a well-insulated tank, and are immersed in heat transfer fluid (HTF) contained within the tank. The HTF is an aqueous solution with a freezing point temperature below the freezing point temperature of the chosen PCM. The HTF remains in liquid form at all times during the operation of the battery. Diffusers located allow the HTF to be extracted uniformly from the tank, pumped and cooled by a liquid chiller situated outside the tank and then and inserted back into the tank.

During a 24-hour period, the electrical grid experiences a large variation in demand. Electrical power consumption peaks during the day and dips significantly at night. Energy storage is often employed to mitigate and smooth out these large fluctuations in power demand. There are many ways of storing energy including electrical, chemical, thermal and mechanical means. Of these, thermal energy is an effective method to store energy in the form of heat or cold for use in heating, refrigeration and air conditioning applications. Considering the fact that a majority of the peak demand is generated by power-hungry heating and refrigeration appliances, thermal energy storage stands to become a leading contender in grid storage applications.
In countries such as India, thermal energy storage can also be used to mitigate the unreliable grid. By way of example, in many rural areas of India grid electricity is only available for a limited time during the day or night. In these situations, a thermal energy storage system can be charged when the grid is on and discharged when the grid is off to provide constant power for critical applications.
One such application is a village-based milk chiller incorporating a thermal energy storage system. The chiller can be operated in remote villages, requires only 5-6 hours of grid electricity to charge and, most significantly, does not require a regular backup diesel (or other) generator. Once charged, the system can quickly cool large amounts of raw milk to preserve its freshness and eliminate spoilage. In these situations, thermal energy storage is not only used to increase energy efficiency, but is essential to mitigate the unreliable grid supply while avoiding the use of expensive and polluting fossil fuels.
Thermal energy storage systems are typically designed for specific applications and are exactly matched for those applications. An example of a cold thermal energy storage system is an ice-bank tank which is typically designed for and fully integrated into an end-user application such as milk chilling. The prior art includes many examples of ice-based milk cooling systems dating back as far as the 1950s, such as U.S. Pat. No. 2,713,251. In this disclosure, the ice-based energy storage system is built into and is an integral part of the milk cooling tank, therefore cannot be easily separated and used for other refrigeration applications. Another example of a monolithic thermal energy storage system for cooling applications is the ice-on-coil storage system used in commercial HVAC applications such as disclosed by Gilbertson et al. in U.S. Pat. No. 5,090,207. The storage system described by Gilbertson et al. is a large monolithic system that requires custom designs and significant civil engineering effort to adapt to other applications.
To increase adoption of thermal energy storage and facilitate ease-of-use, it is desirable that the thermal energy storage be designed as a modular and compact component that can be added to (or subtracted from) any cooling or heating application according to the expected load on the system. Furthermore, thermal energy storage systems can be provided with well-defined specifications such that designers or users can incorporate them easily into their cooling or heating applications. An analogy to this is the electrical battery storage system. Designers can easily connect one or more electrical batteries in series or parallel to build a battery bank for a wide range of applications, from simple off-grid lighting systems to complex electrical vehicle storage systems and large solar power storage systems. This wide variety of electrical storage applications is facilitated by the modularity, compactness and well-defined specifications of the common electrical battery, such as the car battery.
Likewise, it is desirable to provide thermal energy storage systems that are generally as flexible, and as easy to build, as electrical storage systems. To achieve this, it is desirable to provide a compact and modular thermal energy battery with appropriate features to store and release thermal energy at a constant temperature and at a constant rate of discharge. These two specifications (temperature and rate of discharge) can become part of a standard set of specifications of a thermal energy battery which can be adopted by any manufacturer of such batteries.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,225,860 discloses a compact heat battery comprising of a cylinder containing encapsulating tubes filled with a phase-changing material (PCM) that absorbs and releases thermal energy. This battery uses maximally-packed PCM tubes to provide sufficient surface area to achieve a desired discharge rate. Disadvantageously, no provision is made for maintaining a constant discharge rate, other than having sufficient surface area for heat transfer. This is a common and well known method described in prior art, but it makes the battery less compact than it can otherwise be. Furthermore, by relying only on surface area for heat transfer, the battery will not be able to maintain a constant output during discharge because the heat exchange surface area becomes smaller as the PCM begins to melt.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,403,645 describes a high performance thermal storage apparatus which stores and releases its energy more efficiently using one long spiral tube rather than a plurality of PCM-filled encapsulants. However, the system is not modular, is difficult to build and cannot be easily sized for other applications. In another attempt at increasing performance, U.S. Pat. No. 7,503,185 describes a method for enhancing heat exchanging capability using ice-based thermal storage system. However this is a very expensive method of forming ice on copper tube coils.
Various methods of making thermal energy systems more modular are found in prior art, such as U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,239,839 and 4,827,735 which describe methods of encapsulating the PCM into expandable plastic tubes or quilts that can be modularly arranged and therefore used to build compact batteries of any size. These devices suffer from the same limitation as they can not maintain a constant output and discharge rate for long periods of time.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,524,756 describes a thermal energy storage system using modular batteries. This system does not use phase-change materials and thus cannot be very compact. Furthermore, the system described in this disclosure is limited to heat storage and cannot be easily adapted to refrigeration and air conditioning applications. A modular approach suited to refrigeration applications is described in US Patent 2002/0007637, but this method is expensive and relies on fixed path-ways that can only be changed manually using expensive quick-disconnects.
It would be desirable to provide a system that combines the dual demands of compactness and modularity to build efficient thermal energy storage banks that can be easily adapted to a variety of heating and cooling applications.

Thermal energy battery with enhanced heat exchange capability and modularity


A guide device for guiding a goods carrier within a housing has at least two guide units which are each, at a transverse distance from one another, on the one hand fixed to the housing and on the other hand coupled to the goods carrier, and which guide the goods carrier through a traversing movement between a slid-in operating position and a pulled-out position in which it is at least partially drawn out of the housing, a synchronisation device is provided in order to synchronise the movement of the guide units during the traversing movement of the goods carrier coupled to the guide units.

The invention relates to a guide device for guiding a goods carrier within a housing, having at least two guide units which are each, at a transverse distance from one another, on the one hand fixed to the housing and on the other hand coupled to the goods carrier, and which guide the goods carrier through a traversing movement between a slid-in operating position and a pulled-out position in which it is at least partially drawn out of the housing.
The use of guide devices for guiding a goods carrier within a housing of a heating device, for example a baking oven, is known from prior art which is not available in published form. In a quite conventional manner, guide rails are provided on opposite side walls of the housing of a baking oven which serve to support a goods carrier, for example in the form of a baking tray or oven rack. In order to remove the goods carrier from the housing it is necessary to grasp this by a front edge and pull it out of the housing. Guide devices are also known which are on the one hand fixed to the housing and on the other hand coupled to the goods carrier and which guide the goods carrier through a traversing movement between the operating position and the pulled-out position. However, in the case of both the conventional guide rails and also the guide device with the two guide units, it can occur that the goods carrier becomes misaligned or becomes canted against the side walls on being pulled out.

Guide device for guiding a goods carrier


An apparatus (20) for dehydrating organic material in batches has a processing unit (22) having a microwave-vacuum chamber (34), an input module (28) and an output module (30), with a conveyor (54) for moving the material through the chamber on a microwave-transparent window. A material reservoir (68) is arranged to receive the material exiting the output module. A conveyor (78) external to the vacuum chamber conveys material that exits the reservoir to the input module. The vacuum chamber (34), reservoir (68) and external conveyor (78) are in fluid communication to operate at a common, reduced pressure. The organic material passes through the vacuum chamber multiple times to equilibrate and dry to the desired degree.

Dehydration of organic materials is commonly done in the food processing industry and in the production of biologically-active materials, to preserve the products for storage, to concentrate non-volatile components, or to create a product that is used in the dehydrated form, for example dried herbs and various kinds of chips. It is known to dehydrate food products and biologically-active materials by microwave vacuum dehydration. Examples of this in the patent literature include WO 2009/049409 A1, Durance et al., published Apr. 23, 2009, and WO 2009/033285 A1, Durance et al., published Mar. 19, 2009. Microwave vacuum-drying is a rapid method that can yield products with improved quality compared to air-dried and freeze-dried products. Because the drying is done under reduced pressure, the boiling point of water and the oxygen content of the atmosphere are lowered, so food and medicinal components sensitive to oxidation and thermal degradation can be retained to a higher degree than by air-drying. The drying process is also much faster than air- and freeze-drying. The present invention is directed to improvements in the art of microwave vacuum-drying.

Microwave vacuum-drying of organic materials


A method, system, and program product for printing comprising the steps of: receiving a print designation to print a document; receiving a description of graphics contained in the document; obtaining one of the graphics; determining if a preprocessed form of the graphic is available for reuse, and if so, retrieving the processed data therefor from preprocessed graphics storage; and formulating a print job.

The use of web applications has been growing over the years as the Internet becomes more sophisticated. Because most web applications are designed to work with cross-platform browsers, they operate independently from the operating system ("OS"). In other words, most web applications can work with any operating systems, such as LINUX®, WINDOWS®, or MACINTOSH®.
Printer performance becomes a significant concern as printer rated speed increases. Ideally, the print engine of a printer should be kept continuously busy, so that the next page bitmap will be available on time. If the next page bitmap is not available, then the printer changes to a non-print cycle, wherein printing halts and a cool-down period begins. This causes an unacceptable printing slow-down.

Variable data printing with web based imaging

Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.


Contamination of the sampling portion of an observation well is avoided while providing axial float between the observation well cover and observation well liner by this observation well cover. The observation well cover includes a manhole ring that is set in a raised area of concrete. A manhole cover is fit on the ring and a liner cover fits underneath the ring. The liner cover has a trap to collect contamination. The walls of the screen cover slidingly mate with a wall and, of an 8-inch to 12-inch observation well liner and, respectively. The inner wall of the trap access hole slidingly mates with the outer wall of a 2-inch or a 4-inch observation well liner. This observation well cover provides axial float of the liner relative to the observation well cover while maintaining sealing integrity.

In response to ecological concerns, the Federal Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has developed regulations regarding leakage from underground storage tanks. To assist in the detection of leakage, observation wells and monitoring wells are installed near the tanks. An observation well is a well located within an area around the tank which was excavated during the installation of the tank. A monitoring well is a well that is outside the tank excavation area and extends below the water table.
Observation and monitoring wells have similar construction. The term "observation well" will be used herein to refer to both observation wells and monitoring wells.
Surface water above the tanks contaminated with hydrocarbons, e.g., rainfall mixing with surface spills from filling and emptying the tanks, can enter the well.
Observation wells can be used for detecting leakage other than that from underground storage tanks, for example leakage from landfills.
The first of these designs is shown in the American Petroleum Institute Industry Standards, API Recommended Practice 1615. In this design, a metal manhole with a metal manhole cover is set in concrete in a small raised area on the ground. A 2-12 inch polyvinyl chloride, PVC, pipe is used as the screen, casing or screen for the well and the pipe has 0.020 inch slots horizontally located in the lower two-thirds of the pipe. The pipe is permanently set in the concrete around the manhole. A seal or surface water barrier of consecutive layers of bentonite and sand or gravel are located below the concrete and may extend several feet below the surface. EPA regulations require that the well be sealed to the top of the ground that surrounds the well screen called the filterpack. The bentonite seal extends far into the filterpack. The uppermost slots are thus much below the filterpack rendering the well an inaccurate representation of the conditions of the site to be monitored. Bentonite looses its ability to seal when brought into contact with hydrocarbons.
A second observation well configuration specified by Shell Oil Company is shown in FIG. 1 of the drawings. In this configuration, a manhole with a manhole cover made of metal is set in concrete in a slightly raised mound in the concrete. The slotted, 4-inch PVC, polyvinyl chloride, casing is connected to the manhole by a screen which is connected to the casing by a stainless band clamp and also attached to the inner wall of the manhole.
A third type of observation well is manufactured by the applicant, The Boles Company, Inc. under the name Boles Test and Retrieval Sump.RTM.. In this observation well, a ribbed perforate steel screen, casing or liner being 2 to 12 inches in diameter is placed below the concrete. A unsealed plastic cap may be installed over the screen. A metal manhole with a metal manhole cover is set in a small raised area of the concrete. The manhole is not attached to the screen.
Seasonal fluctuations in the ground surface, particularly those associated with freezing and thawing, place great stress on the screen of an observation well which is permanently attached to the concrete. These wells are prone to having the screen separate from the concrete. The screen and the concrete are also subject to cracking and breaking.
In order that samples taken from an observation well are an accurate indication of the condition of the ground water and to prevent the well from being a path for contamination, it is critical that contamination not enter the interior of the well screen from the surface. Surface spills that occur and accumulate above the surface of the concrete have a tendency to leak through the manhole cover and into the observation well. Such contamination, and in particular petroleum or hydrocarbon components may seep through cracks in the concrete seal rendering it ineffective, may contaminate the underground water supply and, more importantly, provide an inaccurate representation of the condition of the storage tank.
The API well uses concrete as the seal to prevent leakage between the manhole ring and the well screen. Concrete is extremely prone to cracking and the potential for cracking is exacerbated by the permanent attachment of the well screen to the manhole ring, providing extra stress during freezing and thawing of the surface.
The Shell well uses a screen with band clamps to provide sealing between the manhole ring and well screen. This is an ineffective seal.
The current Boles Company, Inc. screen installation does not provide for a sealing beneath the manhole cover to avoid the egress of contamination from the surface.
Prior art observation well designs do not have an effective design to contain surface contamination and do not accommodate the heaving due to freezing and thawing.
The present invention is directed to maximizing the service life of an observation well by allowing relative motion between the observation well screen and the well cover. The invention further provides a more effective sealing means to prevent the egress of surface contamination into the well.


An on-vehicle navigation apparatus comprises a subject vehicle position detection unit that detects a position of a subject vehicle and a direction along which the subject vehicle is advancing, a road marker line detection unit that detects a road marker line in an image of a road captured with a camera, a map matching candidate identifying unit that identifies a road to be designated as a map matching candidate, a decision-making unit that makes a decision as to whether or not the subject vehicle is traveling on the road identified by the map matching candidate identifying unit, a map matching unit that correct the detected subject vehicle position so as to set the subject vehicle position onto the road on which the subject vehicle is determined to be traveling, and a subject vehicle position indicating unit that indicates the subject vehicle position having been corrected.

A known map matching technology is adopted in an on-vehicle navigation system when indicating the subject vehicle position on a roadmap so as to ensure that the subject vehicle indicated on display never erroneously assumes an off road position by correcting the subject vehicle position detection results provided by a GPS, a gyro and the like in correspondence to the road layout. However, over an area such as an area around a branching point, where a plurality of roads are present in close proximity to one another, it may not always be possible to accurately determine to which road the subject vehicle position detection results should be corrected in conjunction with this map matching technology. Under such circumstances, the subject vehicle may be initially indicated on a road on which it is not traveling and then the subject vehicle position may be abruptly switched onto the road on which it is actually traveling. This phenomenon is referred to as position jump.
There is a navigation system known in the related art that has a function (auto-reroute function) of automatically searching for a new recommended route relative to the current subject vehicle position if the subject vehicle position moves out of the initial recommended route. If the position jump phenomenon described above occurs while the subject vehicle is traveling on the recommended route, causing the subject vehicle position to be briefly indicated to be off the recommended route and then be indicated on the recommended route again, an auto-reroute will be executed at each of the subject vehicle positions indicated on the map in the navigation system. The user will find this redundant execution of auto-reroute distracting and confusing. A route guiding apparatus in the known art (see patent reference literature 1) prevents such redundant auto-reroute execution by disallowing the auto-reroute in situations in which the position jump phenomenon is likely to occur.
Patent reference literature 1: Japanese Laid Open Patent Publication No. 2000-241182
The route guiding apparatus disclosed in patent reference literature 1 disallows the auto-reroute when there is a plurality of map matching candidate roads, e.g., when the subject vehicle is traveling in an area around a branching point. As a result, even if the current vehicle position is briefly indicated to be off the recommended route due to the position jump phenomenon, the auto-reroute is not executed.

On-vehicle navigation apparatus and subject vehicle position correction method


Various systems are provided for an interface between an oil filter element and an oil filter mount of an oil filter. In one embodiment, an oil filter comprises an oil filter element adapted to be fittable over an outwardly projecting step of a first oil filter mount and fittable on a second oil filter mount without an outwardly projecting step, the oil filter element having an opening adapted to sealably engage with a base of the first oil filter mount and a base of the second oil filter mount.

Oil filters are used in engine systems to remove contaminants from engine oil before the oil enters the engine. Oil filter elements are mounted within the oil filter and are made up of porous media. As oil passes through the oil filter elements in the oil filter, contaminants become entrained in the filter while clean oil passes through the pores and exits the filter to enter the engine. Oil filters with a smaller pore size may be used to remove more contaminants and increase oil quality of the vehicles in which they are installed. Newer vehicles with increased emissions standards may also utilize oil filter elements with a smaller pore size. Older oil filter elements with a larger pore size may not be adapted for use in new vehicles with higher emissions standards.

Filter element interface for an oil filter of an engine


A system for estimating a plasma damage for subsequent layout design of a semiconductor device includes an antenna ratio extraction unit for extracting an antenna ratio from each of existing provisional layout patterns to be exposed to plasma in each of plasma processes. An index calculation unit is connected to the antenna ratio extraction unit for receiving the antenna ratio extracted by the antenna ratio extraction unit and calculating an individual damage index representing a degree of a plasma damage in accordance with the antenna ratio. An index addition unit is connected to the index calculation unit for receiving the individual damage indexes from the index calculation unit and adding the individual damage indexes to estimate a plasma damage.

The present invention relates to a method and a system for estimating a plasma damage to a semiconductor device, for example, a gate insulation film, for a layout design of the semiconductor device, and more particularly to a storage medium storing a support program for the layout design.
Semiconductor devices such as microprocessors and semiconductor memories have various active and passive devices and interconnection inter-connecting them which are integrated over a single crystal semiconductor substrate such as a silicon substrate. MOS field effect transistors are often utilized as active devices as being advantageous in realizing the required high integration. The MOS field effect transistor has the following essential structural elements. Source and drain regions are selectively formed in the semiconductor substrate by selective ion-implantation of n-type impurity such as arsenic or p-type impurity such as boron. A channel region is defined between the source and drain regions. A gate insulation film such as silicon dioxide film is formed on the channel region. A gate electrode such as a polysilicon gate electrode is formed on the gate insulation film.
In the manufacturing processes for the semiconductor devices, a dry etching process using a plasma is carried out. For example, the interconnections are formed as follows. An interconnection material such as aluminum is entirely deposited over the semiconductor substrate on which transistors have already been formed. A resist is applied on the interconnection material. An exposure and a development to the resist are then carried out to form a resist pattern on the interconnection material. A plasma etching to the interconnection material is carried out by use of the resist pattern as a mask, thereby forming an interconnection. This plasma etching is advantageous in high etching selectively. This plasma etching is superior for realizing shrinkage of the semiconductor device and increasing the degree of integration of the semiconductor devices.
As the MOS field effect transistor is scaled down, the thickness of the gate insulation film is reduced. It will be considered that an aluminum interconnection is formed which is connected to the gate. Charge of the charge particles of the plasma is supplied through the interconnection to the gate. As a result, a current flows through the gate insulation film, whereby the gate insulation film receives a substantive damage upon the current. Thus causes a drop of yield of the semiconductor device and also a drop in reliability of the semiconductor device. The damage that the gate insulation film receives in the process using the plasma is so called as a plasma damage. The degree of the plasma damage depends upon a size of the interconnection being exposed to the plasma and capturing the charges of the charge particles of the plasma.
FIG. 1 is a fragmentary schematic perspective view illustrative of a semiconductor device to explain a mechanism of causing the plasma damage to the gate insulation film. Field oxide films 3 are selectively formed on a surface of a semiconductor substrate 1 so that an active region 2 is defined by the field oxide film 3. A gate oxide film 4 is formed on the active region 2 of the semiconductor substrate 1. A gate electrode 5 is formed, which extends over the gate oxide film 4 and parts of the field oxide films 3. An inter-layer insulator 6 is entirely formed over the gate electrode 5 and the field oxide film 3. A through hole 7 is formed in the inter-layer insulator 6 and over the gate electrode 5, so that the through hole 7 reaches a part of the top surface of the gate electrode 5.
An aluminum layer is entirely deposited over the inter-layer insulator and also within the through hole 7, so that the aluminum layer within the through hole 7 is in contact with the part of the top surface of the gate electrode 5. A resist is entirely applied on the aluminum layer and then baked. The resist is patterned by a lithography technique to form a resist pattern 9 on the aluminum layer. A plasma etching to the aluminum layer is then carried out by use of the resist pattern 9 as a mask to form an aluminum interconnection 8.
The resist pattern 9 exists over the aluminum interconnection 8. A top surface of the aluminum interconnection 8 is covered by the resist pattern 9 and separated from the plasma, whilst side portions of the aluminum interconnection 8 are exposed to the plasma. Charges of the charge particles of the plasma are captured through the side portions of the aluminum interconnection 8. Namely, the side portions of the aluminum interconnection 8 serve as antenna for capturing the charges of the charge particles of the plasma. The captured charges are supplied through the through hole 7 to the gate electrode 5, whereby the gate electrode 5 is positively charged. As the gate electrode 5 is charged, then a current flows through the gate oxide film 4, whereby the gate oxide film 4 receives the plasma damage. As an area of side walls or side portions of the aluminum interconnection 8 is increased, then the degree of the plasma damage to the gate oxide film 4 is also increased. In general, the degree of the plasma damage to the gate oxide film 4 is approximately proportional to a density of the current.
If the thickens of the aluminum interconnection 8 is fixed, then the amount of the current flowing through the gate oxide film 4 is almost proportional to a length of the circumference of the aluminum interconnection 8, whilst the amount of the current flowing through the gate oxide film 4 is almost inversely proportional to the area of the gate oxide film 4. In prior art, the following antenna ratio xe2x80x9cRxe2x80x9d is used as an index which represents the degree of the plasma damage.
xe2x80x9cRxe2x80x9d=M/S
where M is the length of the circumference of the aluminum interconnection 8, and S is the area of the gate oxide film 4. The length of the circumference of the aluminum interconnection 8 is almost equal to double of the length of the aluminum interconnection 8.
In consideration of the plasma damage to the gate oxide film 4 due to the charge particles of the plasma, a maximum antenna ratio xe2x80x9cRmaxxe2x80x9d is previously determined as a design rule, wherein the maximum antenna ratio xe2x80x9cRmaxxe2x80x9d corresponds to the highest value of acceptable range of the degree of the plasma damage to the gate oxide film. The layout design for the semiconductor device is carried out so that the antenna ratio xe2x80x9cRxe2x80x9d is not more than the maximum antenna ratio xe2x80x9cRmaxxe2x80x9d.
It is assumed that the interconnection comprises laminations of three layers, for example, a first metal layer M1, a second metal layer M2, and a third metal layer M3. If the plasma etching process is carried out to form each of the first, second, and third metal layers of the interconnection, then the antenna ratio xe2x80x9cRxe2x80x9d of the interconnection corresponds to the sum xcexa3R of individual antenna ratios of the first, second, and third metal layers of the interconnection. In this case, the layout design for the interconnection is carried out so that the sum xcexa3R of individual antenna ratios of the first, second, and third metal layers is not more than the maximum antenna ratio xe2x80x9cRmaxxe2x80x9d.
If the interconnection layer comprises laminations of plural layers, then a contact within the contact hole also comprises the laminations of plural layers. The layout design is carried out so that the total sum of the individual antenna ratios of the plural layers does not exceed the maximum antenna ratio xe2x80x9cRmaxxe2x80x9d. The bottom of the contact within the through hole serves as an antenna. The amount of the current flowing through the gate oxide film 4 is almost proportional to the area of the bottom of the through hole 7 and also almost inversely proportional to the area of the gate oxide film 4. The area of the bottom of the through hole 7 corresponds to the antenna size M so that the antenna ratio xe2x80x9cRxe2x80x9d is calculated.
The above conventional technique is to take a measure to the plasma damage in the processes of layout design. It has also been known that the measure to the plasma damage is taken in the manufacturing processes.
In Japanese laid-open patent publication No. 10-247638, it is disclosed to prevent a plasma damage in aching to a resist pattern with a plasma aching, wherein the resist pattern is to be used as a mask for dry etching to the gate electrode. In this conventional technique, an insulation film is additionally formed on the gate oxide film and a resist pattern is then formed on the insulation film. When the resist pattern is ached by the plasma, then the gate oxide film is covered or protected by the insulation film, whereby the gate electrode is not charged by the plasma. As a result, the plasma damage is prevented.
In Japanese laid-open patent publication No. 10-247638, it is disclosed to prevent a plasma damage in etching to a resist pattern with a plasma etching, wherein the resist pattern is to be used as a mask for dry etching to the gate electrode. In this conventional technique, an insulation film is additionally formed on the gate oxide film and a resist pattern is then formed on the insulation film. When the resist pattern is etched by the plasma, then the gate oxide film is covered or protected by the insulation film, whereby the gate electrode is not charged by the plasma. As a result, the plasma damage is prevented.
In Japanese laid-open patent publication No. 5-30855, it is disclosed to prevent the plasma damage to the gate oxide film in the process of forming the gate electrode. The etching process for etching the gate electrode is carried out by multiple steps of a magnetic field applied high density plasma etching and a magnetic field free high density plasma etching. This conventional technique allows a high speed etching process with preventing the gate electrode from being charged.
The conventional technique described above takes the measure to the plasma damage in the process of layout design. If the interconnection comprises laminations of the three layers, then the total sum of the individual antenna ratios of the individual three layers is calculated, so that the total sum is considered to be the antenna ratio of the interconnection. The individual antenna ratios are independent from the influence of the inter-layers about the plasma damage. For which reason, the plasma damage is not accurately represented by the total sum of the antenna ratios.
For the processes for forming the through hole and the interconnection, the through hole and the interconnection are different in shape, plasma density, and charge-up mechanism. This means that the maximum antenna ratio and the definition of the antenna ratio are different. Accordingly, it seems no sense to simply sum the individual antenna ratios. Even if the individual antenna ratios are simply summed, it seems difficult to accurately estimate the degree oft he plasma damage.
Consequently, in accordance with the conventional layout design method, in case, it not necessarily difficult to accurately estimate the degree of the plasma damage based upon the antenna ratio. The availability of the layout deign in consideration of the degree of the plasma damage is limited.
Meanwhile, the other conventional technique is to take the measure to the plasma damage in the manufacturing processes. This conventional technique increases the manufacturing processes and needs a complicated manufacturing apparatus.
For example, in accordance with the above described conventional technique disclosed in Japanese laid-open patent publication No. 10-247638, the processes for forming the insulation film over the gate oxide film and removal of the insulation film are additionally necessary, thereby increasing the number of the fabrication processes. The side portions of the gate electrode are not covered by the insulation film, for which reason the gate electrode is charged-up by the plasma, whereby the gate insulation film receives the plasma damage.
In accordance with the above described conventional technique disclosed in Japanese laid-open patent publication No. 10-144658, a high frequency voltage generator is additionally necessary for periodically and positively bias the substrate. This means that the manufacturing apparatus is complicated. It is difficult to prevent the gate electrode from being charged up and also prevents the gate oxide film from the plasma damage.
In accordance with the above described conventional technique disclosed in Japanese laid-open patent publication No. 5-308055, the etching processes comprise two processes of the magnetic field applied high density plasma etching process and the magnetic field free high density plasma etching process. In the magnetic field free high density plasma etching process, the etching rate is reduced, whereby the throughput is reduced. In addition, even no magnetic field is applied, then it is difficult to prevent the plasma damage. Other factors than the magnetic field cause the plasma non-uniform which may provides the plasma damage.
In the above circumstances, it had been required to develop a novel method and system for layout design of semiconductor devices free from the above problem.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a novel method for layout design of semiconductor devices free from the above problems.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a novel method for layout design of semiconductor devices with an accurate estimation on degree of plasma damage to the gate insulation film in plural processes without, however, increasing the manufacturing processes.
It is a still further object of the present invention to provide a novel system for layout design of semiconductor devices with an accurate estimation on degree of plasma damage to the gate insulation film in plural processes without, however, making the manufacturing apparatus complicated.
It is yet a further object of the present invention to provide a novel storage medium which stores a computer program for layout design of semiconductor devices which an accurate estimation on degree of plasma damage to the gate insulation film in plural processes.
The present invention provides a system for estimating a plasma damage for subsequent layout design of a semiconductor device. The system comprises: an antenna ratio extraction unit for extracting an antenna ratio from each of existing provisional layout patterns to be exposed to plasma in each of plasma processes; an index calculation unit connected to the antenna ratio extraction unit for receiving the antenna ratio extracted by the antenna ratio extraction unit and calculating an individual damage index representing a degree of a plasma damage in accordance with the antenna ratio; and an index addition unit damage in accordance calculation unit for receiving the individual damage indexes from the index calculation unit and adding the individual damage indexes to estimate a plasma damage.

Method and system for estimating plasma damage to semiconductor device for layout design


A glass grinder for breaking glass from particle or fragment configuration to a grit of a predetermined size. The grinder employs a grinding chamber having an upper and lower portion wherein glass fragments are broken into relatively large particulate size in the upper chamber and passes into the lower chamber where glass is further impacted by blades and driven into a peripheral dam of glass particles. As the glass impacts the dam, it is further broken down to the desired grit size. Overflow from the grit dam exits the chamber under a reduced pressure to control dust production.

U.S. Pat. No. 2,558,255 to Johnson discloses a bottle smasher having disintegrating hammers which rotate about a central axis to substantially pulverize the glass by repeated blows as the glass falls downward to contact the hammers.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,566,639 to Williams discloses a grinding mill having a grinding chamber which is open to a fluid drying medium.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,645,131 to Hailey discloses a powder mill wherein particles are impacted by a rotor such that the impacted particles contact target plates disposed radially outward of the rotor. After the impact, the particles contact the target plate, the particles fall, by gravity, to the bottom of an inner shell where sweeper blades drive the particles by centrifugal action to discharge ports.

Method and apparatus for pulverizing glass


The present disclosure relates to a process for treating a feedstock containing tall oil, the process including separation of a light stream from the feedstock, followed by removal of a heavy fraction from the feedstock, in which process the separation of the light stream from the feedstock a fractionator is used and at least one product is collected from the light stream. The disclosure also relates to an apparatus for use in the process and use of a fractionator in dehydration of a feedstock containing tall oil.

There is an ever-increasing need for renewable biomaterial sources for various chemicals and organic components. Crude tall oil (CTO) or generally referred to as tall oil is a by-product from Kraft pulping process, especially when coniferous trees are used. Tall oil is a mixture of various organic components such as rosin acids, fatty acids, sterol like components and a non-evaporable fraction typically called pitch. Tall oil is therefore an excellent source for a wide range of different components and can be used as a feedstock in many different processes.
One area where tall oil has found use as a renewable biomaterial feedstock is in the production of renewable fuels and renewable fuel components. Fatty acids, such as the crude fatty acids (CFA) and tall oil fatty acids (TOFA) can be converted into renewable fuel components e.g. using hydrotreatment processes producing various hydrocarbons or through production of fatty acid methyl esters (FAME). In the production of CFA and/or TOFA another high value product tall oil rosin (TOR) is typically separated from the CFA/TOFA product, thereby adding additional value to the CTO refining process. TOR, like other two commercial rosin products, gum and wood rosins, comprises a mixture of many isomeric diterpene acids. The products of the CTO refining process may be used as fuel, intermediate chemicals for other chemicals, feedstock for renewable fuels production or biochemical manufacturing. Although untreated tall oil can be used as a direct feedstock in some processes it is generally useful to subject the CTO to various purification and fractionation steps. With the purification and fractionation steps the tall oil is refined and fractionated to various valuable streams that can be used as feedstock in upgrading process or be used as a product directly. Tall oil typically contains impurities such as metals and salts that can cause inactivation of catalysts used in the upgrading processes or lower the value of the products.
Publication U.S. Pat. No. 3,644,179 describes an example of tall oil fractionation by disclosing a method for continuous fractionation of tall oil, including introducing the tall oil continuously to a first thin film evaporation zone, followed by introducing the heavy fraction from the first evaporation into a second thin film evaporation. In the described method the first evaporation zone withdraws a light end stream and the second evaporation zone results in separating heavy ends from the tall oil. The remains are subjected to a fractionation zone where at least stream containing rosin acids and a stream containing fatty acids are fractionated from the tall oil.
An example of a process for purifying tall oil material is presented in publication U.S. Pat. No. 9,181,494, where the process comprises evaporating the tall oil material in first evaporation step to produce a first fraction comprising light hydrocarbons and water and a second fraction comprising fatty acids, resin acids, neutral substances and residue components. The second fraction is subjected to a second evaporation including two evaporation steps to produce a third fraction comprising fatty acids, resin acids and light neutral substances and a residue fraction. During evaporation steps, the impurities, such as metals and solids, are retained in the concentrate and the condensate retrieved from the evaporation is ready to be fed to the hydroprocessing reactor.
Publication U.S. Pat. No. 9,719,047 describes a process for refining of crude tall oil, where refined CTO, i.e. a pre-treated CTO from which impurities have been washed and separated, is fractionated under vacuum into at least one stream of refined tall diesel or tall oil fatty acid. In the described process the refined CTO is charged to a first fractionation step for separation of TOFA and resin acids from tall oil pitch, followed by a second fractionation step wherein a stream rich in refined tall diesel or TOFA is separated from a stream rich in resin acids. The stream rich in refined tall diesel or TOFA can further be deoxygenated to form hydrocarbon compounds.
Publication U.S. Pat. No. 2,894,880 describes a method of fractionating tall oil for the production therefrom of a fraction that is substantially pure fatty acids and of other fractions containing commercially desirable admixtures of fatty acids and rosin acids. The described method includes introducing the crude tall of through heaters into a tower, which serves as a deodorization tower to remove moisture, low boiling colour bodies and unsaponifiables from the feedstock Further, the use of a falling film reboiler is described.
When a renewable biomaterial source such as tall oil is used as a feedstock in upgrading processes, it is important that the all useful components can be separated from less valuable products and that the yield of the valuable products is as high as possible. The known processes for refining tall oil are not able to separate all valuable products from the tall oil biomaterial and the yield of the most valuable products tall oil fatty acids (TOFA), crude fatty acids (CFA) and tall oil rosin (TOR) can still be low. In a refining process for renewable biomaterial it is also important that the process is robust and tolerable for changes in the biomaterial feedstock. When the feedstock is of biological origin, such as tall oil, there is always differences in composition and quality of the biomaterial. The biomaterial refining process should be able to handle variations in the feedstock, without resulting in variations in the final products.

Process and apparatus for treating tall oil


A method and system of automated compliance management is disclosed. The method includes receiving an application call from a remote information handling system (IHS) running an application, the application including a function configured to invoke the application call. The method also includes determining a location of operation of the remote IHS and determining a compliance criterion of the application based on the location of operation of the remote IHS. The method further includes sending a response to the application call from the remote IHS, the response including information for configuring the application to comply with the compliance criterion. Associated apparatuses and systems are disclosed.

As the value and use of information continues to increase, individuals and businesses seek additional ways to process and store information. One option available to users is information handling systems. An information handling system generally processes, compiles, stores, and/or communicates information or data for business, personal, or other purposes thereby allowing users to take advantage of the value of the information. Because technology and information handling needs and requirements vary between different users or applications, information handling systems may also vary regarding what information is handled, how the information is handled, how much information is processed, stored, or communicated, and how quickly and efficiently the information may be processed, stored, or communicated. The variations in information handling systems allow for information handling systems to be general or configured for a specific user or specific use such as financial transaction processing, airline reservations, enterprise data storage, or global communications. In addition, information handling systems may include a variety of hardware and software components that may be configured to process, store, and communicate information and may include one or more computer systems, data storage systems, and networking systems.
Information handling systems may be used in a variety of locations and industries throughout the world. Each location and/or industry may be required to comply with its own set of regulations or standards. Because different locations throughout the world use different regulations and standards, the costs associated with compliance with those varied regulations and standards may be high.

Method and system of automated compliance management


A gear driven bolt withdrawal mechanism for an electronic lock is disclosed wherein an electromagnetic device such as an electromagnetic device displaces a partial gear into a position to be engaged by a manual drive. The partial gear, in turn, drives subsequent gears in a gear train to engage a gear with teeth on a rack attached to or a part of the bolt of the lock. The restoration of the bolt is ensured by a physical engagement between a portion of the drive cam and a portion of the bolt to force the bolt to its extended position upon locking; a displaceable slide is disposed in blocking relationship to the bolt whenever the bolt is fully extended to prevent end pressure from displacing the bolt without entry of a valid combination into the electronic controls of the lock.

Locks of the type to which the subject invention relates typically employ dial cams attached to a spindle and a dial or dial knob as well as lock levers or bolt levers, which are selectively engagable with the dial cam, to effect the withdrawal of the bolt to cause the lock to unlock. The bolt levers typically are moved to engage the dial cam by gravity or various mechanisms; such mechanisms include solenoids, springs and slides.
The solenoids and/or springs may be used to physically displace the lock lever or bolt lever while the slides typically are engaged with the bolt lever and cause the bolt lever to be pivoted about its connection to the bolt and into engagement with the dial cam; in some instances gravity is used to cause the displacement of the bolt lever.
The type of bolt lever mechanism where the bolt lever must be moved to engage the drive cam presents several aspects which may prove to be disadvantageous with respect to maintaining security of the lock. Bolt levers engaging dial cams for purposes of bolt withdrawal are subject to inadvertent dislocation of the lever, thereby inadvertently connecting the bolt lever with the dial cam and permitting opening of the lock without entry of a valid combination. Additionally, the contact of the bolt lever with the drive cam through the normal operation of the lock may provide characteristic sounds or noise which may be analyzed to disclose the relative position of elements within the lock, thus aiding in the defeat of such a lock. Further, the bolt lever type bolt withdrawal mechanism may be subject to end bolt pressure or end bolt force causing the bolt lever to be displaced under the influence of forces exerted on the end of the bolt, thus yielding to the end bolt pressure and allowing the lock to be physically forced opened.

Gear driven bolt withdrawal for an electronic combination lock