A method of suppressing effects of aliasing in a system for digitally processing a high speed signal having a symbol rate of 1/T. The high speed signal is sampled at a fractional multiple (N) of the symbol rate, wherein 1<N<2, to generate a corresponding sample stream, and filtered using a low-pass filter characteristic having a cut-off frequency corresponding to 1/2T. Phase distortions due to the filtering are compensated by digitally processing the sample stream.

Optical signals received through conventional optical links are typically distorted by significant amounts of chromatic dispersion (CD) and polarization dependent impairments such as Polarization Mode Dispersion (PMD), polarization angle changes and polarization dependent loss (PDL). Chromatic dispersion (CD) on the order of 30,000 ps/nm, and polarization rotation transients at rates of 105 Hz are commonly encountered. Various methods and systems intended to address some of these limitations are known in the art.
Applicant's U.S. Pat. Nos. 7,023,601 issued Apr. 4, 2006 and 7,266,306 issued Sep. 4, 2007, and Applicant's co-pending U.S. patent application Ser. Nos. 10/262,944 filed Oct. 3, 2002 and 10/307,466 filed Dec. 2, 2002 teach methods and systems for electronically compensating chromatic dispersion and polarization effects in a transmitter. FIGS. 1 and 2 schematically illustrate representative optical transmitters capable of implementing these methods.
In the transmitters of FIGS. 1 and 2, the transmitter 2 receives an input data stream x(t), and generates a corresponding output optical signal 4 for transmission through an optical link 6 of a communications system. A receiver (not shown in FIGS. 1 and 2) at the opposite end of the link operates to detect the optical signal, and recover the data stream x(t).
As may be seen in FIG. 1a, the transmitter 2 comprises a complex driver 8 which receives an input data stream x(t) and outputs analog drive signals VA(t) and VB(t) 10, which are supplied to respective branches of a complex optical modulator 12. The complex optical modulator 12 operates to modulate a continuous wave (CW) optical carrier signal 14 in accordance with the analog drive signals VA(t) and VB(t), to generate the output optical signal 4, which may be a carrier-suppressed optical signal. For simplicity of description, the digital input signal x(t) is considered to be a serial bit stream, but an encoded symbol stream (such as Phase Shift Keying, PSK, and Quadrature Phase Shift Keying, QPSK, symbols) may also be processed using these same techniques.
In the transmitter of FIG. 1a, the complex driver 8 comprises a digital filter 16, which implements a mapping function to generate respective multi-bit In-phase and quadrature values I(n) and Q(n) of a desired envelope of the optical E-field of the optical signal 4. Preferably, the mapping function also implements a compensation operator C[ ] to electrically pre-compensate impairments of the optical link 6, such as dispersion and polarization effects. This functionality is described in detail in applicant's co-pending U.S. patent application Ser. Nos. 10/262,944 filed Oct. 3, 2002; 10/307,466 filed Dec. 2, 2002; 10/405,236 filed Apr. 3, 2003, and International Patent Application No. PCT/CA03/01044 filed Jul. 11, 2003.
Various known digital filter types may be used to implement the digital filter 16, such as, for example, a Random Access Memory Look-up Table (RAM LUT). Alternatively, the digital filter 16 may be implemented using Finite Impulse Response (FIR) filters, Infinite Impulse Response (IIR) filters, and Fast Fourier Transform (FFT filters). In either case, the digital filter 16 generates the multi-bit In-phase and quadrature signal component values I(n) and Q(n) at a sample rate which is about double the baud-rate of the input signal x(t). Thus, for example, for a baud rate of 10 Gbaud, the sample rate will be about 20 GHz.
FIG. 1b illustrates an embodiment of the digital filter 16 known from Applicant's co-pending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/262,944 filed Oct. 3, 2002. In this embodiment, the input data stream x(t) is supplied to a deserializer 18 (such as a shift register) which converts the serial data stream into an n-bit parallel input vector, which is input to a Random Access Memory Look-Up Table (RAM LUT) 20. The RAM LUT 20 is pre-loaded with values of I(n) and Q(n) which are computed in advance for each possible value of the input vector, based on the compensation operator C[ ]. The width of the deserializer 18 (and thus also the input vector and the RAM LUT 20) is determined based on the maximum anticipated dispersion of the link 6. In some embodiments, this width may be 64 or 128 bits. For higher speed systems, it may be desirable to extend the width beyond 128 bits, for example to 512 bits or 1024 bits, so as to enable compensation of large amounts of dispersion (e.g. 30000 ps/nm or more) at line rates exceeding 10 GBaud. If desired, the RAM LUT 20 may be divided into blocks (not shown) spanning a portion of the width of the input vector, and the respective outputs of each of the blocks combined to obtain the final values of I(n) and Q(n). With the embodiment of FIG. 1b, obtaining a sample rate 1/TS at the output of the RAM LUT 20 that is double the baud rate of the input data stream x(t), can be obtained by computing, for each possible value of the input vector, a pair of I(n) and Q(n) values. A first I(n), Q(n) value is computed for the input vector with a phase shift of zero, while the second I(n), Q(n) value is computed for the input vector with a phase shift of T/2, where T is the bit- or symbol-period of the input data stream x(t). With this arrangement, the first and second I(n), Q(n) values can be latched out of the RAM LUT 20 during each bit-period T of the input data stream x(t).
A non-linear compensator 22 (which may also be implemented as a RAM LUT) is used to adjust the value of each successive sample I(n) and Q(n), to compensate non-linear performance of the transmitter 2, as described in applicant's co-pending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/262,944, filed Oct. 3, 2002; and International Patent Application No. PCT/CA03/01044 filed Jul. 11, 2003. The non-linear compensator 22 may be implemented as a separate device cascaded with the digital filter 16, as shown in FIG. 1, or may be "embedded" within the digital filter 16 by applying the mapping function implemented by the non-linear compensator 22 to the digital filter 16.
Respective high-speed Digital-to-Analog Converters (DACs) 24a,24b are used to convert the multi-bit sample values VI(n) and VQ(n) output from the non-linear compensator 22 into corresponding analog signals VA(t) and VB(t). If desired, the analog signals VA(t) and VB(t) can be conditioned, for example by means of respective filters 26a,26b and low noise amplifiers (LNA) 28a,28b, in a conventional manner, to remove out-of-band noise and to scale the signal amplitude to the dynamic range of the complex modulator 12.
As may be appreciated, the effects of the independent DACs 24a,24b, the filters 26a,26b and the LNAs 28a,28b for each signal may cause differential propagation delays between the non-linear compensator 22 and the optical modulator 12. Such differential delay can be compensated by means of digital filters 30a,30b located in at least one of the signal paths. Each digital filter 30a,30b can be controlled in a known manner to impose a selected delay, which is calculated to compensate for the differential propagation delays experienced by each of the signal components.
Referring now to FIG. 2, there is shown an embodiment of a system 32 which generates a polarization multiplexed optical signal 4′, in which respective different data streams xA(t) and xB(t) are modulated onto respective orthogonal transmitted polarizations 34 of the optical signal 4′. The system of FIG. 2 generally incorporates a pair of parallel transmitters 2 of the type shown in FIGS. 1a and 1b. In this case, each transmitter 2 receives a respective input signal xA(t) and xB(t), which may be independent data streams or may be derived from a single data stream. A common narrow band laser may be used for both complex modulators 12, as shown in FIG. 2, although separate lasers may also be used if desired. In either case, both complex modulators 12 operate at the same CW signal wavelength, and orthogonal polarizations.
The polarization multiplexed communications signal 4′ is generated by combining the respective optical signals 34a, 34b from each transmitter 2, using a polarization combiner 36. Respective polarization rotators 38a, 38b ensure orthogonal polarization states of the two optical signals 34a, 34b. This ensures that the two optical signals 34a, 34b are fully orthogonal, and thus can be combined into the polarization-multiplexed communications signal 4′ without interference.
Applicant's co-pending U.S. patent application Ser. Nos. 11/294,613 filed Dec. 6, 2005 and entitled "Polarization Compensation In A Coherent Optical Receiver"; 11/366,392 filed Mar. 2, 2006 and entitled "Carrier Recovery In A Coherent Optical Receiver"; and 11/423,822 filed Jun. 13, 2006 and entitled "Signal Acquisition In A Coherent Optical Receiver", the content of all of which are hereby incorporated herein by reference, teach methods and systems for electronically compensating chromatic dispersion and polarization effects in a receiver. FIG. 3 schematically illustrates a representative coherent optical receiver capable of implementing these methods.
As may be seen in FIG. 3, an inbound optical signal 4″ is received through the optical link 6, split into orthogonal received polarizations X,Y by a Polarization Beam Splitter 40, and then mixed with a Local Oscillator (LO) signal 42 by a conventional 90° optical hybrid 44. The composite optical signals emerging from the optical hybrid 44 are supplied to respective photodetectors 46, which generate corresponding analog electrical signals. The photodetector signals are sampled by respective Analog-to-Digital (ND) converters 48 to yield raw multi-bit digital signals IX, QX and IY, QY corresponding to In-phase (I) and Quadrature (Q) components of each of the received polarizations.
Preferably, the raw multi-bit digital signals have resolution of n=5 or 6 bits which has been found to provide satisfactory performance at an acceptable cost. In the above-noted U.S. patent applications, the sample rate of the ND converters 48 is selected to satisfy the Nyquist criterion for the highest anticipated symbol rate of the received optical signal. Thus, for example, in the case of an optical network link 6 having a line rate of 10 GBaud, the sample rate of the A/D converters 48 will be approximately 20 GHz.
From the A/D converters 48, the respective n-bit signals IX, QX and IY, QY of each received polarization are supplied to a respective dispersion compensator 50, which operates on the raw digital signals to at least partially compensate chromatic dispersion of the received optical signal. The dispersion compensators 50 may be configured to operate as described in Applicant's co-pending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/550,042 filed Oct. 17, 2006.
The dispersion-compensated digital signals 52 appearing at the output of the dispersion compensators 14 are then supplied to a polarization compensator 54 which operates to compensate polarization effects, and thereby de-convolve transmitted symbols from the complex signals 52 output from the dispersion compensators 50. If desired, the polarization compensator 54 may operate as described in Applicant's co-pending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/294,613 filed Dec. 6, 2005 and Ser. No. 11/366,392 filed Mar. 2, 2006. The output of the polarization compensator 54 is a pair of multi-bit estimates X′(n) and Y′(n), 56 of the symbols encoded on each transmitted polarization 34 (FIG. 2). The symbol estimates X′(n), Y′(n) appearing at the output of the polarization compensator 54 are then supplied to a carrier recovery block 58 for LO frequency control, symbol detection and data recovery, such as described in Applicant's co-pending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/366,392 filed Mar. 2, 2006.
In the above described system, the dispersion compensators 50 operate across a large number of successive samples (e.g. 128 samples), which permits compensation of relatively severe chromatic dispersion, but at a cost of a relatively slow response to changing dispersion. This slow response is acceptable, because of the known slow rate of change of dispersion in real-world optical links. The polarization compensator 54, in contrast, is comparatively very narrow (e.g. on the order of about 5 samples), to enable a rapid update frequency, which is necessary to track observed high-speed polarization transients.
The above-described systems provide reliable signal acquisition, compensation of dispersion and polarization effects, carrier recovery and data recovery even in the presence of moderate-to-severe optical impairments. This, in turn, enables the deployment of a coherent optical receiver in real-world optical networks, with highly attractive signal reach and line rate characteristics. For example, a transmitter implementing the techniques described above with reference to FIG. 1 has demonstrated a signal reach of over 3000 km at a line rate of 10 GBaud, while a receiver implementing the methods described above with reference to FIG. 3 has demonstrated equivalent performance. It is noteworthy that this performance has been measured with real-time continuous processing, not just burst data acquisition followed by off-line processing or simulation. The receiver system described above with reference to FIG. 3 is the only coherent optical receiver known to the applicants to have achieved such real-time performance at multiple gigabaud.
A critical part of the design of an electronic dispersion compensation system, such as those described above with reference to FIGS. 1-3, is the sampling rate of the Digital-to-Analog converter (DAC) 24 in the transmitter and/or the Analog-to-Digital (ND) converter 48 in the receiver. It is standard practice to sample at an integer multiple (N) of the symbol rate. When N=1, the samples need to be aligned at the center of the eye in order that the signal can be accurately decoded. Because the signal bandwidth is greater than half of the sampling rate there will be a large amount of aliasing with N=1, precluding the application of frequency dependent digital filtering operations such as compensation for chromatic dispersion or Polarization Mode Dispersion (PMD).
Using the example of chromatic dispersion, the amount of phase shift that is caused by dispersion is proportional to the square of the frequency, and so is the phase shift of the compensation function. When some energy is aliased to appear at a frequency that is not the actual optical transmission frequency, then the wrong amount of dispersion compensation is applied to that energy. This energy then corrupts the eye of the received signal.
When these frequency dependent filtering operations are desired it is standard practice to sample at N≧2, so as to avoid aliasing. Thus, for example, in the case of an optical network link having a symbol rate of 10 GBaud, when N=2 the sample rate of the DAC and/or ND converters will be approximately 20 GHz.
More particularly, consider a system in which a baseband optical signal having a line (or symbol) rate of 1/T=10 Gbaud and a Bessel approximation to the ideal raised cosine spectrum (α=1.0), is sampled at a sample rate of 1/Ts=10 GHz (that is, N=Ts/T=1). This scenario, in which the sample period Ts=T, may be referred to as T-spaced sampling. Each sample of the sample stream is an impulse, so the frequency-domain spectrum of the sample stream will span a frequency range of 0-10 GHz, which encompasses the upper side-band of the optical signal, as may be seen in FIG. 4a. In this drawing, the lower side-band, spanning the frequency range between 0 and −10 GHz, is shown in dotted line. In fact, duplicates of the entire spectrum will repeat at 1/Ts=10 GHz intervals to infinity, as shown by the dashed lines, in FIG. 4b. As a result, the frequency-domain spectrum of the sample stream, between 0-10 Ghz will contain both the upper side-band of the baseband signal, and the lower side-band of the first order harmonic. The overlap between the baseband spectrum (centered at 0) and the first order harmonics (centered at ±10 GHz) represents aliasing. The use of a low-pass filter, as shown in FIG. 4c, to suppress frequencies above the base band reduces the aliasing (shaded regions of FIG. 4b), but not enough to prevent severe signal distortions. In this respect, it should be noted that in order to avoid severe effects upon the eye from phase distortion, the low pass filter normally used for this operation is an analog filter having a fifth order Bessel filter response, or an approximation to that shape. On the other hand, doubling the sample rate to 1/Ts=20 GHz (that is, T/2 or Nyquist sampling) causes the duplicate spectra to repeat at 1/Ts=20 GHz intervals. As may be seen in FIG. 4d, T/2 sampling eliminates the overlap between the baseband and 1st harmonic spectra, and thus distortions due to aliasing.
Professor Joseph Kahn of Stanford University stated at the IEEE LEOS Summer Topical Workshop in Portland Oreg., July 2007, that N could be as small as 3/2, and that N needed to be an integer multiple of ½ in order for the digital signal processing to be feasible. However, operation at N=3/2 would require an analog low pass filter with a very steep roll-off to suppress aliasing. For the purposes of the present disclosure, a "steep" (or, equivalently, a "sharp") roll-off is considered to be a roll-off of greater than 20 dB per decade, for example 80 dB per decade. The desirable corner frequency is generally 1/2T, but can vary from that value with other design considerations and component tolerances. FIG. 5a illustrates the filter characteristic of a Chebychev filter having a suitable roll-off and a corner frequency of 17.5 GHz. As may be seen in FIG. 5b, such a filter inherently exhibits a highly non-linear group delay characteristic, as a function of frequency. This non-linear group delay characteristic causes unacceptable phase distortions to the received eye.
With increasing demand for link band-width, it would be desirable to increase the line rate beyond 1/T=10 Gbaud. For example, lines rates of 35 GBaud and higher have been proposed. However, as the line rate is increased, the sample rate 1/TS of the digital circuits within the transmitter and receiver must also increase, in order to maintain the T/2 sampling needed to avoid aliasing.
It will be appreciated that increased sample rates imply that the power consumption of the receiver must necessarily also increase, as will the heat generated by the circuits during run-time. This can impose an effective "thermal barrier" to increasing the line rate, as higher temperatures degrade system reliability. In addition, higher sampling rates are more difficult to implement in any practical integrated circuit (such as an Application Specific Integrated Circuit, ASIC, or a Field Programmable Gate Array, FPGA) due to sampling time jitter and limited bandwidth of the available circuit components.
Accordingly, techniques that enable reliable operation of digital signal processing systems at line rates above 10 Gbaud are highly desirable.

Low conversion rate digital dispersion compensation


A magnet generator controller has a variable voltage array fabricated as a formation of receptacles mounted on a printed circuit board and interconnected via traces to pairs of taps off a transformer winding, and a plug-in connector that inserts in a selected receptacle to electrically couple one of various pairs of the taps to a field winding output in a mode of operation of the controller. This sets the voltage of the field winding output in the mode. The magnet generator controller also has a function select switch that allows selection of a run function in which the magnet generator controller sequences through plural modes (e.g., extra lift, lift, and drop modes) with associated field winding output settings in response to an operator control switch and timers. For use during set-up or fine-tuning, the function select switch also allows selection of exclusive mode functions in which the magnet generator controller operates indefinitely in an exclusive one of the modes.

Electromagnets are commonly used in industry to lift and move heavy metal objects, such as scrap metal. In general, an electromagnet consists of a wire coil (the "magnet winding") wound around an iron core. A magnetic field is generated in the electromagnet when electric current flows through the magnet winding. Typically, electrical power is supplied to the electromagnet from a DC generator.
Prior control systems for electromagnets have primarily used two different approaches to controlling the electromagnet. According to a first approach, switches having high current contactors are connected between the DC generator and the electromagnet to allow an operator to selectively open and close the circuit between the DC generator and electromagnet to power the electromagnet on or off. This approach has a number of problems, including that the arrangement is prone to voltage surges and current arcing which cause damage to the magnet winding, switch contactors and insulation.
A second approach to controlling the electromagnet is to controllably vary the excitation voltage applied to the field winding of the DC generator. With this second approach, the DC generator and electromagnet can remain connected at all times. Power to the electromagnet is instead interrupted by simply removing the excitation voltage from the generator field winding. Also, the direction of the electromagnet's magnetic field can be reversed by reversing the polarity of the voltage applied to the generator field winding. This approach has the advantage that a much lower current is applied to the generator field winding as compared to the electromagnet, so that switching power on and off to the generator field winding is less likely to cause surges and arcing that damages switches, insulation and wiring and also less costly control circuit components can be used. Further, the electromagnet's power can be discharged back to the DC generator's armature winding when switched off, completely eliminating high voltage surges otherwise experienced when the magnet generator circuit is opened and the magnetic field collapses.
One example of a prior art control system using the second approach is described in Yorkey, U.S. Pat. No. 2,257,361.
Another example of a prior art control system using the second approach is the SofTouch.RTM. Lifting Magnet Controller marketed by International Electrical Systems, Inc. of Lumberton, Tex.
Although providing the advantages from use of the second approach, the SofTouch.RTM. Lifting Magnet Controller and like prior art control systems still have several disadvantages. These disadvantages include the use of variable resistors to set the voltages applied to the generator field winding during the lift and drop cycles of the electromagnet operation cycle. Suitable variable resistors for producing the required voltages for the generator field winding are heavy and bulky. Further, the variable resistors used in the control system often have to be swapped according to the rating of the particular DC generator and electromagnet for use in a particular installation. Also, an additional AC generator must be ordered according to the size of the system and physically installed in the crane in order to provide the AC power required to excite the primary DC generator.
Additionally, prior art magnet control systems have been rigidly mounted in order to adequately support heavy, high current electrical components used in the control systems, such as variable resistors and high current switch contactors. However, the control systems typically are installed in environments subject to large amount of vibration (e.g., from a diesel engine or other motor that drives the DC generator). This can cause relay switches used in the control systems to unexpectedly trip.
Further, prior art magnet control systems historically have operated at very high voltages and currents requiring suitable insulation of their wiring paths, and could not therefore be manufactured on a printed circuit board.
The present invention overcomes these and other disadvantages of prior art magnet generator controllers. A magnet generator control system in an embodiment of the invention illustrated herein (the "illustrated magnet controller") overcomes the disadvantages of variable resistors used in the SofTouch.RTM. Lifting Magnet Controller and like control systems by providing a plug-in connector-selectable variable voltage array for selection of the voltages applied to the generator field winding. This variable voltage array includes an array of connector receptacles. Each of the connector receptacles have conductor terminals that are connected to different sets of transformer taps, such that successive connector receptacles provide discrete voltages in increasing order along the array. A plug-in connector on a cable can be placed in a desired one of the connector receptacles to select the connector receptacle's respective discrete voltage. The illustrated magnet controller provides separate variable voltage arrays for selecting each of an extra lift voltage, a lift voltage and a drop voltage. The variable voltage arrays can be readily implemented on a printed circuit board, which in the illustrated magnet controller is supported on rubber mounts for vibration isolation.
The illustrated magnet controller also provides a plug-in connector-selectable master function switch that allows selection of normal run cycle operation, or exclusive-selection of one of the modes of the normal run cycle. In the normal run cycle operation, the illustrated magnet controller sequences through the modes in set time intervals. Alternatively, exclusive operation in a single mode can be selected to more easily and safely set the voltage applied to the generator field winding in that mode.
The illustrated magnet controller further uses an AC power inverter powered by a DC battery to supply the AC excitation voltage for the generator field winding suitable for various size electromagnet systems. This eliminates the need for an additional AC generator sized specifically to the electromagnet system in which the controller is installed.
Additional features and advantages of the invention will be made apparent from the following detailed description of an illustrated embodiment which proceeds with reference to the accompanying drawings.

Electromagnet control system having printed circuit board variable voltage selection array


A low static enclosure has an interior for holding an electronic device therein. The electronic device has opposing walls each having a guide rail thereon. The enclosure has a bottom, a top, and a backplane between the bottom and top at their respective back edges. The backplane has an electric connector on its interior surface. The bottom and top each have a flat continuous interior facing surface with a groove extending from the front edge to the back edge. The grooves on the bottom and top are for cooperation with the guide rails on the opposing walls of the electronic device to slide the electronic device along the bottom and top respectively so that an electric connector on the electronic device mates with the electric connector on the interior surface of the backplane. The flat continuous interior facing surfaces of the bottom and top discourage ESD between the surfaces and the electronic device.

The invention is related to device enclosures and particularly to controlling static electricity generated by the insertion and removal of devices in the enclosure.
A RAID array (redundant array of independent disks) functions as one large logical mass storage device for storing data in a computer system. The actual array is a physical set of mass storage devices--most commonly hard disk drives. According to some prior art implementations, each physical disk drive device resides within an array enclosure, and can be separately inserted and removed. Some implementations, such as the model BA350 modular storage shelf from Digital Equipment Corporation, allow "hot swapping" of single devices to and from the array--that is, disk drives can be inserted into or removed from the array enclosure during operation of the array.
The Digital Equipment Corporation model BA350 modular storage shelf enclosure is shown in FIG. 1. The disk drive devices 10 of the array reside within modular device enclosures 12 having guide rails 14 which are designed to slide along opposing inward facing ribs 16 in the array enclosure. The guide rails 14 and ribs 16 guide the device 10 toward a backplane 18 at the back of the array enclosure 20, where a connector on the device mates with a backplane connector. As can be seen, the ribs 16 and structural ribs 17 are protrusions extending from the bottom and top surfaces of the enclosure 20 toward the device 10.
It has been discovered that such array enclosures are subject to static electricity problems. The continual sliding of devices along the rails of the array enclosure causes static charges to build up on the inward facing protruding ribs 16 and 17. Then, when a device contacts the backplane connector, thereby providing a discharge path, an electrostatic discharge (ESD) occurs at the shortened air gap between the ribs and the sliding device. This ESD can cause electrical component failures on the device itself. These ESD problems are particularly onerous in a "hot swap" environment where disk devices are continually inserted into and removed from the array enclosure. It is desirable, therefore, to provide an array enclosure which protects the devices installed therein from the effects of ESD.


An example exercise mat is disclosed. The exercise mat comprises at least one sensor to detect an article on the mat and obtain a force measurement exerted by the article through a movement; and a communications unit to communicatively connect the mat to a computing device and provide the force measurement to the computing device. The computing device performs a plurality of calculations based on the force measurement.

Conventional exercise mats are generally composed of a relatively firm padding enclosed in quilted covering material. The padding is usually thick and the quilted outer covering is thin and of durable wear-resistant material such as canvas or vinyl sheet. Such mats provide a reasonable degree of cushioning between typical hardwood flooring and the user which is sufficient for many exercises.


Visibility of indications in a rear-view mirror incorporating a light-emitting display device is improved. A mirror element is formed by forming a semi-transmissive reflective film on one surface of a transparent substrate. On a back surface of the mirror element, a dark color mask member is arranged. An opening is formed in the mask member. Behind the mirror element, a light-emitting display device is arranged facing the opening. Where the mirror element is formed of a plane mirror, the light-emitting display device is arranged in such a manner that it is inclined toward a driver relative to the mirror surface. A wedge-shaped gap occurring between the mirror element and the light-emitting display device due to the inclination is occluded by a wall member. Where the mirror element is formed of a convex mirror, the opening is formed at a corner of the surface of the mirror element close to the driver, and the light-emitting display device is arranged facing an opening, with a display surface arranged in parallel to the surface of the mirror element 44.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a rear-view mirror incorporating a light-emitting display device, and specifically relates to one with improved indication visibility.
2. Description of the Related Art
Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2000-255321, Japanese Patent No. 3846073, Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2005-316509, and Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2003-267129 each disclose a rear-view mirror that incorporates a light-emitting display device to display various kinds of information.
According to the rear-view mirror disclosed in each of Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2000-255321, Japanese Patent No. 3846073, Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2005-316509, and Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2003-267129, the orientation of the display surface of the light-emitting display device is set to be the same as the orientation of the mirror. Typically, a rear-view mirror is used with the mirror oriented outward relative to the direction toward the driver's viewpoint, and accordingly, when the orientation of the display surface of the light-emitting display device is set to be the same as the orientation of the mirror, the display surface is not oriented toward the driver, which results in poor visibility.
The present invention has been made in view of the aforementioned points, and aims to provide a light-emitting display device-equipped rear-view mirror with improved indication visibility.

Light-emitting display device-equipped rear-view mirror


This invention discloses a method of planarizing a top surface with variations of profile heights above a substrate of a semiconductor chip. The method includes a step producing a polish-differentiating surface which has polishing rates proportional to the variations of the profile heights of the polish-differentiating surface above the substrate provided for performing a planarization process by applying a polishing process thereon. With the polishing differentiating surface the dishing effects of the semiconductor chip is substantially reduced when a one-time chemical mechanical polishing (CMP) process is applied for semiconductor chip planarization.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to the manufacture method for semiconductor chips and integrated circuits (ICs). More particularly, this invention relates to a novel and improved method of manufacture by applying a differentiating polishing technique on the top layer of the semiconductor chip to produce a variation of polishing rates of these layers such that the variations of rates are proportional to the profile heights in different areas for layer removal such that the planarization process can be precisely controlled and effectively carried out with a simplified and cost-effective methodology.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The planarization process for producing a smooth planar surface on the top surface of a semiconductor chip still faces technical difficulties that more complicate processing steps are required to achieve a non-dishing surface profile. The major difficulties arise from the fact that different areas on the top surface usually have different profile heights rising above the substrate. In order to produce a leveled planarized surface, removal of layers near the top surface of different thickness in different areas, depending on the profile, would be required in order to produce a truly planar surface. However, it is often difficult to differentiate and then precisely control the polishing and layer removal processes in different areas to remove the top layers at different rates in order to achieve this planarization purpose. Various techniques are applied to circumvent this difficulties as will be discussed below. However, these techniques are often quite complicated, requiring the applications of more processing steps and thus unduly increasing the time and cost of production in manufacturing the semiconductor chips.
The "dishing effect" resulting from a conventional planarization process can be understood by referring to the cross section views shown in FIGS. 1A to 1C where a semiconductor chip 10 of wide spacing 15 is disposed between two circuit elements 12 and 14 raising above a planar surface. FIG. 1A shows a silicon dioxide layer 20 is formed covering over the top of the circuit elements and the wide spacing 15. Conforming to the profile formed by the circuit elements 12, 14 and the wide spacing 15 between them, the top surface of the oxide layer 20 above the wide spacing 15 parallel substantially to top surface of the substrate 11 steps to a lower level 16. In FIG. 2, a polishing pad layer 25 is then deposited on top of the silicon dioxide layer 20. The polishing pad layer 25 is then polished by the use of a chemical mechanical polishing (CMP) process to generate a planar surface. FIG. 1C shows the polished surface which has a dishing depressions 24 right over the top correspond to the edges where the circuit elements 12 and 14 defining the boundary of the wide spacing 15.
In order to prevent this dishing profile as shown in FIG. 1C, a two-step chemical-mechanical polishing (CMP) process is applied. In this two step CMP process, a polishing stopper layer is deposited on top of the dielectric layer, e.g., layer 20 as shown in FIG. 1B. An example of such polishing stopper is a polyimide layer. In this two-step CMP process, a polishing stopper layer, e.g., a polyimide layer, is deposited on top of the dielectric layer. A photolithography process is performed on the polishing stopper carbon layer. The polishing layer is then etched to form the polishing stopper. A first CMP is performed to remove the portion of the dielectric layer such that a level surface is formed at a same level as that of the polishing stopper. The polishing stopper is then removed and a second CMP process is carried out to planarize the dielectric layer.
While the two step Cow process, as described above, can provide the advantage that a dishing profile on a semiconductor chip is eliminated with depressions on the top surface removed. However, compared to the one-step CMP process illustrated in FIGS. 1A to 1C, this two-step CMP process is more complicate which involves more processing steps thus is more time consuming and also causing the cost of manufacture to increase.
A different technique to prevent the dishing effect on a surface of the semiconductor chip which usually occur in patterned wide spacing between circuit elements, is to form dummy pattern in the wide spacing areas to eliminate the wide spacing, e.g., wide spacing 15 as that shown in FIG. 1A. With the dummy patterns formed on the wide spacing areas, a semiconductor chip can be planarized with a one-step CMP process. However, the circuit RC delay caused by resistor-capacitor (RC) effect is increased when dummy patterns are added in the wide spacing areas. The speed of circuit operation and performance level are often adversely affected with the dummy patterns added for the purpose of chip planarization.
Therefore, a need still exists in the art of semiconductor chip and integrated circuit (IC) manufacture to provide a novel manufacture process to resolve the above difficulties. It is desirable that the novel manufacture process is simple and easy to implement whereby a lower cost of manufacture can be achieved . Additionally, it is desirable that this novel manufacture process provides more control precision for the planarization process such that high quality leveled planar surface of a semiconductor chip can be produced reliably and the quality, reliability, and performance level of integrated circuits forming in the semiconductor chips can be improved.

Planarization process by applying a polish-differentiating technique utilizing an ultraviolet-light sensitive organic oxide layer


The thickness of a polymer coating applied to the interior surface of a stent is precisely controlled by fitting a mandrel within its interior. Fitment of an exterior mold serves to additionally control the thickness of polymer on the exterior surface of the stent. Alternatively, a preformed sheath of polymer is fitted to the interior of the stent whereby the subsequent application of polymer not only causes the exterior to become coated but also causes the sheath to become adhered to the stent.

This invention relates generally to expandable intraluminal vascular grafts, commonly referred to as stents, and more particularly concerns the coating of metal stents with polymer materials capable of carrying and releasing therapeutic drugs.
Stents are implanted within vessels in an effort to maintain the patency thereof by preventing collapse and/or by impeding restenosis. Implantation of a stent is typically accomplished by mounting the stent on the expandable portion of a balloon catheter, maneuvering the catheter through the vasculature so as to position the stent at the desired location within the body lumen, and inflating the balloon to expand the stent so as to engage the lumen wall. The stent automatically locks into its expanded configuration allowing the balloon to be deflated and the catheter removed to complete the implantation procedure.
It is often desirable to provide localized pharmacological treatment of a vessel at the site being supported by the stent and it has been found convenient to utilize the stent as a delivery vehicle for such purpose. However, because of the mechanical strength that is required to properly support vessel walls, stents must typically be constructed of metallic materials which are not capable of carrying and releasing drugs. Various polymers on the other hand are quite capable of carrying and releasing drugs but generally do not have the requisite mechanical strength. A previously devised solution to such dilemma has been the coating of a stent's metallic structure with a polymer material in order to provide a stent capable of both supporting adequate mechanical loads as well as delivering drugs.
Various approaches have previously been used to join polymers to metallic stents including dipping, spraying and conforming processes. However, such methods have failed to provide an economically viable method of applying a very even coating of polymer on the stent surfaces or the ability to economically apply different thicknesses or different polymers in different areas on the same stent.
The prior art has been unable to overcome such shortcomings and a new approach is needed for effectively and economically applying a polymeric material to a metallic stent with a high degree of precision.


A transport system, in particular an airport baggage handling system, includes a container for receiving an article, a sensor assembly including an inductive sensor for monitoring a transport of the container along a transport path, and a screening device for completely scanning the article within the container together with the container. The container is provided with a marking in the form of a doped zone or a metal element so attached to the container body as to pass the sensor assembly in its response range for detection of the container. The container body is hereby constructed to allow scanning of the article together with the container body.

The present invention relates to a transport system, in particular to an airport baggage handling system, and to a container for transport of an article, in particular a baggage item.
Airport baggage handling systems are known, using containers or trays which receive the baggage items and are transported by conveyor belts along a transport path. Optical sensors, in particular light barriers, are hereby used for control purposes. The sensors detect the containers as they pass by on the transport path. For safety reasons, all or some bags on the transport path are subjected to X-ray screening. During the course of transport, rough handling and wear of conveyor belts and of container bags may result in contamination by rubbed-off particles and dirt that deposit on the optical sensors. As a consequence, the screening operation will be impaired, unless the sensors are frequently cleansed to ensure a reliable operation of the transport system.
It would therefore be desirable and advantageous to provide an improved transport system which obviates prior art shortcomings and includes baggage containers suitable for X-ray screening, including complete screening of baggage items or like articles loaded onto the containers, and which requires little maintenance while still being reliable in operation.

Transport system for articles, in particular containers for baggage pieces


A system and method for configuring and executing a flexible computer program on a data processing system. The present invention introduces a modifiable construct known as a component interface that can be linked to other component interfaces to specify a computer program. The mechanism for linking and unlinking component interfaces is easy to use and can accommodate component interfaces that are only partially specified. This enables specification of a component interface to be deferred, leading to the following useful consequences: i) component interfaces can be used to represent queries with parameters that are not specified until a context is established, and ii) component interfaces can be organized with varying levels of generality. Component interfaces also permit a xe2x80x9cdivision of expertisexe2x80x9d whereby those with expert knowledge may configure application components for use by others. Viewing, modifying, and combining of component interfaces may be performed using a visual component manager. An execution manager operating on the processor reads the component interfaces, creates executable software components (called dynamic objects under the preferred embodiment), and causes them to interact while dynamically maintaining the relationships specified in the component interfaces. The present invention makes it possible for customized computer programs to be configured without the generation of new source code, thereby reducing the incidence of programming errors. By providing a documentation capability and allowing user-experts to interact directly with component interfaces, the present invention eliminates much of the communication problems that have plagued software development under the prior art.

1. Field of Invention
The present invention relates to an improved system and method for configuring and executing a flexible computer program. More specifically, the invention relates to a system and method for specifying and combining a new type of component specification known as a component interface that is used to generate complex object structures and their interactions and that causes these objects to automatically interact according to the information contained in the component interfaces.
2. Description of Prior Art
As computers have become more powerful, software programs have become larger and more complex and, as a result, increasingly difficult to design and program. This is exacerbated in the business world where application programs are highly customized and must be frequently modified.
Unfortunately, once an application program has been created, it is often not easy to modify. Most application programs provide some means for using simple parameters to customize a program at execution time, but these are of limited flexibility. In most cases, modifications to the program logic require changes to the underlying program programming instructions, or source code.
Changes to program source code require great technical skill. Because of the complexity of program source code and the implicit business knowledge that is often buried within it, even the smallest program modification must be exhaustively tested. Furthermore, many business processes are duplicated across several different programs and must be synchronized.
As a result of these difficulties, a professional class of software engineers has emerged, few of who have more than a cursory knowledge of the business environment that the programs support. Meanwhile, very few business experts and program users are also programming experts.
Business requirements are usually communicated by business experts to software engineers for creation of program specifications and generation of programming source code. Since these two groups often xe2x80x9cspeak different languagesxe2x80x9d, such communication can be difficult, particularly when subject matter expertise is dispersed across an organization. Such miscommunication is compounded by inadequate documentation that is often dispersed and out of date.
As a result of these problems, many companies experience backlogs in application program development as a result of time spent making minor modifications. This delays the introduction of new business products and processes.
Perhaps the clearest indication of the impact of this can be seen in the so-called xe2x80x9cyear 2000 problemxe2x80x9d which arises from the convention of representing calendar years by their last two digits. As a result, many older application programs will be unable without modification to correctly process dates after the year 2000 . This fairly straightforward problem is easily defined, yet has proven costly and time-consuming to fix.
3. Recent Advances in Prior Art
Various advances have been made in the prior art to improve the software development process. These advances generally fall into one of several categories: i) techniques to assist in the design and documentation process (CASE tools), ii) visual programming tools and source code generators, iii) expert systems, and iv) object oriented programming.
Computer aided software engineering (CASE) design tools allow the software engineer to create visual representations of complex data relationships, data-flows, etc., that are used to generate detailed program specifications and to create documentation. These can then be used by the software engineer to assist in the coding of the computer program. CASE tools are not appropriate for non-technical business experts since they require proficiency with programming logic (such as iteration and conditional branching). Some CASE design tools are designed to aid in the specification of complex data structures and logical programming constructs. CASE Design tools do not eliminate the need to construct programming algorithms, nor do they improve the process by which business experts communicate business requirements to software engineers.
Visual programming tools typically facilitate the creation of the user interface of a program, by generating the source code for such elements as windows, buttons, checkboxes, menus, selection buttons, etc. Sometimes these tools can also be used to generate simple database applications. Visual programming tools can be used by a business expert with some minimal technical training as well as by software engineers. These tools can reduce the time spent on repetitive coding for well-defined objects with simple interfaces. However, since they do not eliminate the need to create the underlying programming logic, they are not suitable for use by non-technical business experts for anything beyond the simplest programs.
Expert systems share some of the objectives of the present invention, but are much more limited in scope. In general, such systems are used simply to abstract very specific and well-defined types of information (such as rules and decision trees) out of the program source code, but cannot address the full range of complex programming logic.
Object oriented programming has emerged as a promising technology that is designed to allow rapid development, implementation and customization of objects. Each new object has certain data attributes and processes or methods that operate on that data. Thus, program instructions are more tightly bound to the data upon which they operate than is the case with traditional programming languages. Data is said to be xe2x80x9cencapsulatedxe2x80x9d by an object and can only be modified by the object methods, which are invoked by sending a message to an object identifying the method and supplying any needed arguments.
Under the object-oriented approach, software engineers design object classes that represent general-purpose templates for executable objects. A computer program is built using source code that creates customized objects from these object classes and that specifies the interactions between the objects. Object classes often represent entities that can be easily described and understood, such as File, Account, Menu, Window, etc.
Object oriented systems have two important properties in addition to encapsulation. xe2x80x9cInheritancexe2x80x9d is the ability to derive a new object from an existing object and inherit all properties, including methods and data structure, from the existing object. The new object may have certain unique features that are supplied as overrides or modifications to the existing class. For example, a new subclass needs to specify only the functions and data that distinguish that class from the existing more general class. The ability to override an existing method description enables polymorphism, the ability to have a single message to an object be processed in different ways depending on the object itself. Inheritance and polymorphism create a powerful structure for implementing a new software system. The software developer does not have to develop each piece of a system; he or she need only specify the unique features of the system.
However, the promise of code re-use has proved to be difficult to achieve in practice. In order to use an object in a computer program, its attributes and its interactions with other objects must first be specified. This requires additional programming and can be time-consuming, particularly when these attributes and object iterations are complex. Also, object oriented programming is difficult, even for experienced software engineers. The dynamic nature of an object class cannot be easily understood without careful study of the underlying source code. Also, efficient use of inheritance requires that the programmer become familiar with the methods and data of the parent classes all the way up the class hierarchy for every class being used. Thus, although the object-oriented approach goes some way towards enabling computer programs to be built from pre-built components, it requires a high level of programming expertise.
In sum, while each of the above approaches address various aspects of the software development process, none of them solve the underlying problem with the prior art, which is that the development and customization of computer programs requires familiarity with the underlying algorithms and programming instructions. Indeed, in 1999, the report of a Presidential advisory committee stated that the nation has become xe2x80x9cdangerously dependent on large software systems, whose behavior is not well understood and which often fail in unpredicted waysxe2x80x9d. The report recommended that software research be directed toward xe2x80x9ccomponent-based software designxe2x80x9d, as one of four initiatives to receive an increase in federal financing of $1.3 billion over 5 years.
In view of the foregoing, there exists a need in the art for a system and method for software development with the following characteristics: First, computer programs would be built and modified by specifying and combining discrete general-purpose components for which the underlying source code will have already been created and fully tested by software engineers. Second, such components could be specified and combined in a simple and consistent manner so that their relationships are easy to view and modify. Such combinations would be performed in well-defined ways that do not require any additional programming. Third, a mechanism would exist for allowing the full specification of a component to be deferred.
It is an object of the proposed invention to provide a system and method for software development satisfying the above characteristics. This would reduce the need for interaction with source code, thereby reducing the incidence of programming errors. It would also accommodate parts of varying levels of generality. Finally it would permit different users to take advantage of specialization, while freeing them from having to master details that lie beyond their area of expertise or authority.
It is a second object to provide an editing tool for controlling the viewing, specification and combination of such components, such tool having the following features: First, a visual means for modification and combination of components, to take advantage of the human mind""s ability to more easily comprehend complex relationships visually. Second, a mechanism to permit elements of a component to be selectively hidden from view based on certain criteria. Third, a means for controlling how components may be combined and related. Fourth, a means for documenting components. Fifth, a mechanism for organizing components.
These and other objects of the invention are accomplished by a method and system for configuring and executing a computer program. The invention provides a customizable layer above the underlying executable software, which in the preferred embodiment is implemented in an object-oriented environment. The customizable layer is provided through a special type of component specification, defined here as a component interface.
The invention comprises the following elements: First, a collection of component specifications known as component interfaces that may be associated with a computer program, each of which may be comprised of one or more attribute descriptors and one or more summary descriptors. Second, an execution manager comprising (i) a plurality of software components corresponding to the component interfaces and (ii) a component management mechanism for creating and automatically and dynamically managing the relationships interactions between these software components, as specified by the component interfaces. The invention may also incorporate a visual component manager for modifying and combining component interfaces.
As will become clear in the description tat follows, a component interface is self-contained in that it represents a component, together with the information by which that component is related to other component (that are represented by other component interfaces). Some of this information will not be specified until the component interface is combined with other component interfaces. The components represented by component interfaces can take values of many different types including boolean indicator, character stings dates, computer programs, random variables, and time-series.
The general steps for configuring and executing a computer program according to the present invention are as follows: First, each required attribute descriptor of each component interface may be specified using a second component interface via a reciprocating socket associated with that attribute descriptor. The reciprocating socket provides a means to specify any required attribute descriptors in the second component interface that have not yet been specified. According to the preferred embodiment, this step is most efficiently performed using the visual component editor. Next, software components are created according to the information contained in the component interfaces, and relationships between the software components are generated in accordance with the information in the component interfaces. Finally, the execution manager causes the computer program to execute, and the component management mechanism maintains the specified relationships between the software components.
While some component interfaces can be very simple, others can be highly complex, built using hundreds of other component interfaces. Each component interface can be specified by persons with the appropriate subject-matter expertise using component interfaces built by others. Therefore, the term user-expert will henceforth be used to describe all of those who interact with the proposed invention.
Component interfaces provide a means for a user-expert to configure a computer program. Component interfaces can be directly modified and combined by a user-expert and can be represented using a component interface language for storage on a permanent storage device.
Attribute descriptors and summary descriptors provide a means by which various aspects of a component interface may be referenced elsewhere by other component interfaces. Attribute descriptors provide the means by which component interfaces may be varied or customized or used to represent dynamic behavior. Summary descriptors represent items whose values are derived from the component represented by the component interface. Each summary descriptor is in turn associated with its own component interface, a copy of which must be specified in order to reference the derived value.
Each component interface may be specified by a user-expert who is expert in that field. The use of discrete component interfaces enables knowledge and expertise to be precisely focused, leading to more robust and accurate computer programs. This division of knowledge mirrors the real-life environment that computer programs are intended to support. For example, a life insurance agent might create an illustration of an insurance product that has been designed by marketing experts using pricing tables created by actuaries satisfying constraints defined by government lawyers and sold subject to medical constraints established by underwriters.
When a component interface is modified by a user-expert, the present invention can cause the corresponding software component to automatically reflect the modifications when the program is executed. If the range of component interfaces used with the present invention is sufficiently broad, many program modifications could be made without the need for programming.
To fully specify a component interface, it is necessary to fully specify each required attribute descriptor via its reciprocating socket. The reciprocating socket mechanism makes it possible for each fully specified component interface to contain complete information relating to its corresponding software component""s relationships and interactions with other software components. As a result, a component interface can generally be easily detached from a reciprocating socket and replaced, with minimal impact on other component interfaces. This is in contrast with the traditional object oriented approach in which an object is at the center of a web of customized external messages built from customized external parameters, and can often be changed only with great difficulty.
In the preferred embodiment of the present invention, the software components and component management mechanism are combined into a special type of object that is called a dynamic object.
In combination, the partially specified component interfaces, attribute descriptors, summary descriptors and reciprocating sockets of the present invention provide a new way to specify software components and their relationships. This, together with the dynamic objects, provides a number of technical advantages over the prior art.
It will be shown in the description that follows that the present invention provides an intuitive way to specify and combine component interfaces. It also eliminates the need to write specialized programming instructions for instantiating and initializing objects, building object structures, and for setting and resetting the value of an object""s attributes. The dynamic objects of the present invention can implement complex structures of component interfaces using a single general-purpose massaging structure, thereby substantially reducing the need to write customized programming instructions for specifying messages between objects. The present invention also extends the benefits of inheritance and polymorphism directly to user-experts, while being easier to comprehend. Furthermore, the present invention provides a means for organizing component interfaces that is more flexible than that provided by traditional object class hierarchies.
With a sufficiently broad variety of component interfaces, the present invention enables a revolutionary new approach to building and modifying computer programs. The current paradigm of building computer programs by custom programming can be replaced by one in which specialized computer programs are configured from general-purpose computer programs using pre-existing component interfaces. This can be performed directly by the appropriate user-expert, without the intervention of software engineers. As a result, computer programs can be developed and modified more quickly and more reliably and therefore more cheaply.
Component interfaces can be easily adapted to provide a number of advanced capabilities that are impractical or impossible in the prior art, such as versioning, specification of default values and alternative values, and being able to dynamically reflect changes to a component interface whenever it is used.
The visual component manager of the present invention provides an intuitive way for a user-expert to view and modify component interfaces. It also provides a way to control how component interfaces can be specified and combined so that they are free from errors. Furthermore, the visual component manager makes possible a number of additional capabilities that are impractical or impossible in the prior art, such as security authorization, the ability to selectively hide parts of a component interface, and the ability to comprehensively document each attribute descriptor of each component interface associated with a computer program. Finally, the visual component manager supports a mechanism for organizing component interfaces that is more extensive and flexible than that provided by traditional object hierarchies.
With these and other objects, advantages and features of the invention that may become hereinafter apparent, the nature of the invention may be more clearly understood by reference to the following detailed description of the invention, the appended claims and to the several drawings attached herein.

System and method for configuring and executing a flexible computer program comprising component structures


Multiple receive beams are formed for each transmission for rapid acquisition. The receive aperture is shifted as a function of the position of each receive beam. Multiple receive beams with differently positioned apertures are formed in response to a single transmit beam. Alternatively or additionally, the apodization varies as a function of the position of the receive beam relative to the transmit beam. Multiple receive beams with different apodization profiles are formed in response to a single transmission. The apodization and/or aperture variations in different receive beams may reduce geometric distortion and/or clutter levels for receiving multiple beams in response to a single transmission.

The present invention relates to receiving multiple beams for rapid acquisition. In particular, multiple beams are formed in response to each single transmission of acoustic energy with reduced geometric distortion and clutter.
Multiple receive beams are formed in response to a single transmit firing. Forming multiple receive beams for each transmission increases the scan rate. However, the amount of transmitted energy varies as a function of distance from the center of the transmit beam. Receive beams spaced furthest from the center of the transmit beam may be associated with higher levels of geometric distortion and clutter. The two-way spatial response may vary as a function of the location of the receive beams, resulting in shift-variance.
Clutter levels may be reduced. For two dimensional imaging, the position of the receive beams is shifted as a function of distance away from the center of transmit beam. U.S. Pat. No. 5,779,640 deals with multi-beam distortion corrections for two dimensional imaging.
For three dimensional imaging, a plurality of planes or a volume is scanned. To further reduce the scan or increase the frame rate, more receive beams may be formed in response to each transmission. However, the formed two-way beams may introduce undesired clutter and distortion.

Multiple receive beams for rapid acquisition


An apparatus and associated method for deforming and inserting a flexible intraocular lens into an eye which permits the size of an ocular incision to be significantly smaller than the diameter of the intraocular lens being implanted, and its embodiments are suitable for use with lenses having radial flange or projecting filament haptics. The apparatus includes a contoured duct with a pair of internal guiding grooves configured to engage peripheral edges of the lens, curling the lens as it is advanced along the longitudinal duct axis from the elongated inlet to the coaxially aligned generally circular outlet of the duct. The guiding grooves are mutually opposed and converge along the length of the duct to essentially the periphery of the duct outlet. A lens is implanted utilizing this apparatus by loading the lens into a receiving chamber adjacent to the lens-curling contoured duct, inserting the outlet or a cannular probe communicating coaxially with said outlet into the ocular incision, and advancing the lens through the duct and then through the outlet into the eye.

The eye of a human or animal is subject to the irreversible malfunctioning that occurs, for example, when the lens of the eye experiences permanent lens clouding, also known as a cataract condition. A well known surgical procedure for restoring vision impaired by lens clouding or other such aberration involves removal of the natural lens and replacement thereof with an artificial intraocular lens, commonly referred to as an IOL.
Early IOL's utilized lenses made of rigid material and having diameters ranging from six millimeters to eight millimeters, necessitating a commensurately large ocular incision for emplacement. More recent developments in IOL technology have made available flexible artificial lenses which are capable of being deformed by bending, squeezing or rolling to achieve a smaller size prior to insertion. This deformation of the lens prior to insertion allows the size of the associated incision to be significantly reduced to a length on the order of three millimeters. As a result of such shortening of the ocular incision, surgical trauma to the eye and the associated problems of post-operative astigmatism and prolonged healing time are substantially lessened.
For some years flexible lenses have been deformed by hand, utilizing forceps to fold or bend the lenses prior to insertion in the eye. To minimize the risk of scratching of the lenses as well as to reduce the physical difficulty inherent in such manual deformation techniques, a number of lens inserting devices have been developed. Among these is the apparatus disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,834,09 (Patton) which utilizes a retractable sleeve to deform a flexible lens holder. Alternative devices are disclosed by U.S. Pat. No. 4,862,363 (Cummings), wherein the lens is collapsed between the two jaws of a holder, and in U.S. Pat. No. 4,934,363 (Smith), wherein an external paddle folds the lens as the flexible paddle is retracted into a rigid tube.
While each of these devices avoids some of the problems attendant to lens manipulation with forceps, each carries with it its own drawbacks. For example, the invention of U.S. Pat. No. 4,934,363 employs an elaborate and expensive drive mechanism to advance the lens through the holder; the invention of U.S. Pat. No. 4,862,885 utilizes complex ratchet and pawl operation to deform the lens; and the invention of U.S. Pat. No. 4,934,363 requires a membrane to be inserted into the eye along with the lens and then withdrawn from the eye, a process that not only introduces an extraneous object into the delicate surgical site, but adds a step the surgeon must perform to retrieve the membrane after lens implantation.
Additionally, these conventional insertion methods and devices carry the further drawbacks of potentially scratching the central light-focusing portion, or optic, of the lens, and of damaging the delicate lens haptics or fixation members. Haptics, which hold the optic in place after the lens is inserted into the eye, typically take the form of a radial flange that surrounds the lens optic, or of generally radially projecting filaments of various configurations (J-shaped or C-shaped, for example) extending in pairs from near the periphery of the optic. If a haptic is damaged during lens insertion, the incision may have to be enlarged to permit removal of the damaged lens, thus negating the advantages of the smaller initial incision.
Surgeons who have used existing lens insertion devices have expressed (see e.g., J. Cataract Refract Surg., March 1992, P.206) that a preferred instrument would provide (1) reliable and safe release of the IOL into the eye, (2) minimal incision enlargement, and (3) ease of loading the IOL into the instrument. Also mentioned frequently as a desirable goal is freedom from damage to the lens optic and haptics. Further, some previous insertion devices have been designed to manipulate only the radial flange configuration of intraocular lens: an apparatus that operates well with both configurations, preparing both flange and loop haptic lenses for insertion with negligible distortion to the lens optic, would be desirable.
Accordingly, it is an object of this invention to provide a simplified, easy to operate device which combines in one instrument the functions of preparing a flexible intraocular lens for insertion through a small incision and of inserting the lens into the eye, eliminating the need for pre-folding or manipulating the lens outside the device.
A further object of the present invention is to provide a simple and inexpensive method of quickly and sequentially curling and inserting an intraocular lens through a small incision so that manual handling of the lens is minimized and permanent deformation of the lens is avoided.
A still further object is to provide an instrument that will safely accommodate and implant flexible intraocular lenses with both flange and loop haptic members.

Contoured duct apparatus and method for insertion of flexible intraocular lens


A radiometric measurement device is provided, including at least one at least partially bent source receiving tube configured to receive a radiation source; and at least one transmission tube configured to provide a guiding path within the transmission tube for at least a portion of radiation emitted by the radiation source, the source receiving tube and the transmission tube being arranged with respect to each other such that at least a portion of the radiation emitted by the radiation source is guidable in a straight line through a material disposable between the radiation source and a distal end of the transmission tube and the guide path, and the source receiving tube and the transmission tube being arranged adjacent to each other.

Radiometric measurement devices are basically known in the prior art and can be used, for example, in the processing and chemical industry to determine and monitor a density, a level and/or for level limit monitoring. These measurements can, for example, be made continuously and without contact, with the materials to be measured comprising fluids, solids, suspensions, or slurries. Such measuring devices are also suitable for use in extreme environmental conditions, such as high temperatures, high pressures, toxic, and/or corrosive materials.
A known radiometric measurement device may comprise a so-called transmission tube and a so-called source receiving tube. A radioactive radiation source, in particular a gamma radiation source, can be arranged in the source receiving tube, whereby the radiation source is arranged in such a way that it can emit a directed radiation through a medium and through the transmission tube. This radiation can subsequently be detected and evaluated by a corresponding detector device. Such a radiometric measurement device is known, for example, from EP 2 169 389 A1.
In this context, it has now become apparent that there is a need to further improve such a radiometric measurement device, in particular, there is a further need to provide a cost-effective and stable radiometric measurement device. It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide an improved radiometric measurement device, and more particularly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a radiometric measurement device that is as cost-effective and stable as possible.
These and other objects, which will be further mentioned when reading the following description or which may be recognized by the person skilled in the art, are solved by the subject matter of the independent claims. The dependent claims further develop the central idea of the present invention in a particularly advantageous manner.


An apparatus for applying a thin film of a liquid coating medium onto a curved surface of an article includes a receptacle for the article, a rotatably drivable turntable on which the receptacle is held and a nonrotatable process pot surrounding the receptacle and the turntable. A spray ring surrounds the surface to be coated and is retained at the open end of the process pot. It defines a central inflow opening. Several annular gaps are defined and the receptacle is provided with a suction cone. A laminar flow is aimed at the spray ring at the top of the process pot and the bottom of the process pot is joined to a suction flow.

The present invention relates to an apparatus for applying a thin film of a liquid coating medium onto a preferably curved surface of an article, preferably a glass bulb of a picture screen, having a rotatably drivable turntable on which a receptacle for the article to be coated is held fixed against relative rotation, a process pot held nonrotatably and surrounding the receptacle and the turntable, and a spray ring surrounding the surface to be coated and retained on the open end of the process pot.
In a known apparatus of this type, the glass bulb of a picture screen, for instance, is introduced into the process pot from the underside and pressed against a mask that surrounds the surface to be coated; the mask is intended to prevent the coating medium from reaching undesired regions of the glass bulb. This way of delivering and removing the glass bulb of the screen is mechanically complicated and inconvenient.
In another known apparatus, the glass bulb of the screen is introduced into the process pot from the top, and an open, split mask is brought in its closed position around the boundary edge of the surface to be coated. Once again, because of the split mask that has to be moved, this is mechanically complicated.
Both of the known apparatuses described have the common feature that especially at the edges of the surface to be coated, streaks and other discontinuities in the coating develop, unless special provisions for improved uniformity of the coating are made. This is the purpose of air guide elements placed against the corners of the mask in the known apparatuses. Nevertheless, such provisions do not prevent the flow from separating at the circumferential edges and becoming turbulent, which in turn means that the article to be coated becomes contaminated in undesired regions with the coating medium.
The object of the present invention is to provide an apparatus for applying a thin film to a surface of an article of the type described at the outset which is easier to handle as the article to be coated is being introduced and removed and which offers greatly improved uniformity of the film in the critical corner and edge regions of the surface to be coated.
To attain this object, in an apparatus for applying a thin film to an article as defined at the outset, the spray ring is provided with a central inflow opening and between the top part of the process pot and the spray ring, a first annular gap extending to beneath a fastening edge of the article to be coated on the receptacle is provided. The cross section of the annular gap is substantially less than an annular flow passage between the spray ring and the article to be coated retained in the receptacle. The receptacle is provided with a section cone which points toward a bottom of the process pot, and between which and an outer wall of the process pot there is a further annular gap and inside which a pressur relief chamber is formed. The pressure relief chamber is jointly defined by the bottom of the process pot. A laminar flow is aimed at the spray ring, or the top of the process pot, and the bottom of the process pot is joined to a suction flow.
By means of the provisions of the present invention, an air flow is produced which because of its different air velocities in various regions on the one hand makes the film to be applied uniform, even in the corner and edge regions of the preferably curved surface and on the other prevents contamination of other regions of the article to be coated. Because of the laminar flow in the region of the corners and edges of the preferably curved surface to be coated and because of the suction exerted on them toward the suction cone and the resultant downward-oriented flow component, on the one hand separation of the air flow at the edges and corners of the surface and thus turbulence are prevented, and on the other back spraying onto the surface to be coated is averted. In the further course of the air flow, more-effective suction of the atomized coating medium out of the critical region above the suction cone is achieved, after which the atomized coating medium can collect in the pressure relief chamber. In this region, the further gap prevents reverse turbulence in regions of the rotary bearings. On the other hand, the aspirated coating medium can be collected on the bottom of the process pot and removed by suction.
A vapor barrier from the pressure relief chamber to the bearing regions for the turntable is attained, without having to use vulnerable rotary seals and the pressure relief chamber is defined radially on the inside by an annular baffle between which and an inner wall of the process pot there is a third annular gap. It is expedient in this respect to secure the annular baffle to the underside of the turntable.
A process pot of low height is attained, which in its lower region surrounds the neck of, for instance, the glass bulb of the picture screen when the process pot is embodied cylindrically in its upper region and circularly-annularly in its lower region.
The outflow or removal by suction of the coating medium mist and/or coating medium droplets is advantageously achieved and the annular bottom of the process pot is curved in the circumferential direction and/or inclined in the radial direction and is joined to the suction flow via an opening in the region or regions of the lowest point or points.
To enable automatic or robot-controlled access to the article to be coated during its insertion and removal, the spray ring is retained in lowerable fashion on the process pot. Expedient features in this regard are obtained by the process pot having a removable top part, on which the spray ring is equipped retainers, which are distributed uniformly over the circumference and rest on one flange of the top part of the process pot, and is retained removably and which can be lowered into the bottom part of the process pot or can be lowered to below the upper end of the receptacle for the article to be coated. The result achieved is that the spray ring can be lowered down to or to below the height of the support of the article on the receptacle, so that the article to be coated can be grasped easily and moved through the spray ring.
In order, with the apparatus, to coat articles on their surface with the coating medium, such articles for instance being glass bulbs of pictures screens of various sizes or diagonal measurements, the receptacle for the article to be coated is retained interchangeably. Thus in an especially advantageous way, a receptacle suitable for a particular size of article to be coated can be retrieved from the process pot and replaced by a receptacle that can hold an article to be coated that is of different dimensions. Preferred features in this respect are obtained from the receptable being secured to the turntable and the turntable being interchangeably retained on a driven shaft which is hollow and is supported to rotate on a hollow stationary stand, which receives one end of the article to be coated and quick-action closures distributed uniformly over the circumference are provided between the turntable and one flange of the hollow shaft.
Thus in an especially advantageous way, a complete unit comprising the turntable, receptacle, suction cone and sealing cuff can be removed from the process pot and replaced by another one. To that end, the spray ring can be removed in a simple way from the top part of the process pot.
In a further feature of the present invention, the receptacle, on its support, is provided with a sealing cuff, which protrudes radially inward and on which a shoulder, remote from the surface to be coated, of the article to be coated rests sealingly. are provided, with which the surface to be coated of the article to be coated can be sealed off in a simple way from the other regions of the article to be coated. If the sealing cuff, in its radially inner region, is prestressed resiliently toward the article to be received a resiliently prestressed active contact of the sealing cuff with the shoulder of the article to be coated is achieved. The resilient prestressing can be achieved by means of concave curvature of the sealing cuff or by a kink provided along a circumferential line. To stabilize the sealing cuff, the sealing element rests on a resiliently prestressed lower part and is covered in the region of the fastening face by a retaining part so that the resilient prestressing is transmitted from a lower part onto the actual sealing element. In this respect, the sealing element protrudes radially inward past the resiliently prestressed lower part.
In a further feature of the present invention, provides the sealing cuff is fastened on the receptable by platelike components distributed over the circumference, and the platelike components are each provided with one protruding bolt, which bolts serve the purpose of detachable connection, in a manner fixed against relative rotation, to tabs disposed on a tension belt secured to the article on be coated which provides a fast and simple connection, in a manner fixed against relative rotation, attained between the article to be coated and the receptacle. Glass bulbs of picture screens, for instance, are provided on their circumference with a tension belt and retaining tabs secured to it, which are used for the aforementioned connection, in a manner fixed against relative rotation, with the bolts of the fastening plates.
Since the article to be coated on its surface is nonround, an example being a glass bulb of a picture screen which in plan view is rectangular with rounded corners, the corners located outside the inner circle meet the still air, so that in these corner regions severe turbulence and a shear flow arise, which carry the coating, already distributed outward by the spin coating process, still further away. To prevent this, and to improve the apparatus for the sake of uniformity of the film in the critical corner and edge region of the surface to be coated, in a variant the article to be coated on its surface, the surface being nonround in plan view, is at least partly surrounded by a guard baffle device is disposed sudstantially upright and extending to at least the plan of the surface to be coated.
Since essentially only the corner regions are threatened in this respect, is formed by individual guide baffles in the region of the corners of the articles the guide baffle device. It is expedient in this respect that the guide baffle, in terms of the direction of rotation, is disposed upstream in and downstream of the region of the corner, and the guide baffle portion upstream of the region of the corner is substantially longer than the guide baffle portion downstream of the region of the corner, because the side that is leading in the rotational direction relative to the corner region moves against the still air, while the trailing side is in the lee, as it were.
Thus with the aid of the guide baffle device, or the individual guide baffles, air turbulence can be kept away from the surface to be coated, for instance of the picture screen, to enable unhindered coating in the region of the corner.
To introduce and remove the article to be coated on its surface, retaining tabs are provided at the corners on the tension belt, as is realized for a glass bulb of a picture screen, for instance. To achieve the introduction and removal with the aid of a tool, such as a robot, it is possible that the guide baffle can be moved, for instant pivoted, out of the region of the corner of the article to bring the individual guide baffles out of this path of motion of the tool to the retaining tabs.
A simpler way of accomplishing access to the tool or robot to the individual retaining tabs in the corner region is obtained if the guide baffle device or guide baffle in the region of the corners or corner of the article has an outward-pointing recess surrounding a retaining tab of the article. With this baffle-like recess, constant access to the retaining tabs is assured, without requiring that the guide baffles be movable and without this recess having a negative effect on the guide baffle function.
A structurally advantageous embodiment is obtained by the guide baffle device or the individual guide baffles protruding past the surface to be coated.
Further details of the present invention can be learned from the ensuing description, in which the present invention is described and explained in further detail in terms of the exemplary embodiment shown in the drawing.

Device for applying a thin coat on the surface of a screen of a cathode-ray tube


Provided herein are antibody molecules that bind specifically to ERBB3 and related nucleic acid molecules, vectors and host cells. Also provided herein are medical uses of such antibody molecules.

ERBB3 (also known as ErbB-3, HER3, LCCS2, MDA-BF-1, c-erbB-3, c-erbB3, erbB3-S, p180-ErbB3, p45-sErbB3, p85-sErbB3, and erb-b2 receptor tyrosine kinase 3) is a transmembrane receptor tyrosine kinase (RTK) protein that belongs to the immunoglobulin superfamily. ERBB3 lacks significant tyrosine kinase activity of its own, and is activated via heterodimerization with other related RTKs such as HER2, EGFR, and MET. This heterodimerization is primarily driven by the predominant ligand for ERBB3, which is Heregulin (HRG), also known as Neuregulin 1 (NRG1). ERBB3-HRG interaction triggers the tyrosine phosphorylation of ERBB3 by heterodimer partners and the activation of diverse intracellular signaling networks. Importantly, ERBB3 is the most potent activator of the PI3K/AKT signaling pathway in the EGFR family.
The ERBB3 receptor is often overexpressed in tumours of the head and neck, lung, breast, ovary, prostate, colon, pancreas, and gastrointestinal tract. The overexpression of ERBB3 is strongly linked with poor prognosis, and ERBB3 is believed to be influential in resistance mechanisms to radiotherapy and various chemotherapeutic and biotherapeutic drugs. As the preferred dimerization partner of HER2, amplified ERBB3 signaling in HER2+ breast tumours is believed to be partly responsible for resistance to trastuzumab therapy. Therapeutic antibodies that antagonise ERBB3 signalling by blocking its ability to dimerise with other key receptors have the potential to mediate anti-tumour effects, via two mechanisms: 1. Potent inhibition of the ERBB3 signalling pathway by locking the receptors into a monomeric form. 2. Antibody effector-function mediated engagement of immune cells.
The majority of currently approved antibody therapeutics are derived from immunized rodents. Many of those antibodies have undergone a process known as "humanization", via the "grafting" of murine Complementarity-Determining Regions (CDRs) into human v-gene framework sequences (see Nelson et al., 2010, Nat Rev Drug Discov 9: 767-774). This process is often inaccurate and leads to a reduction in target binding affinity of the resulting antibody. To return the binding affinity of the original antibody, murine residues are usually introduced at key positions in the variable domain frameworks of the grafted v-domains (also known as "back-mutations").
While antibodies humanized via CDR grafting and back mutations have been shown to induce lower immune response rates in the clinic in comparison to those with fully murine v-domains, antibodies humanized using this basic grafting method still carry significant clinical development risks due to the potential physical instability and immunogenicity motifs still housed in the grafted CDR loops. Antibodies such as anti-ERBB3, which potentially engage immune effector functions as part of their mechanism of action, are at particularly high risk of immunogenicity as they can encourage phagocytosis of ERBB3+ target cells, leading to antigen processing of the antibody along with the target cell. As animal testing of protein immunogenicity is often non-predictive of immune responses in man, antibody engineering for therapeutic use focuses on minimizing predicted human T-cell epitope content, non-human germline amino acid content and aggregation potential in the purified protein.
The ideal humanized antagonistic anti-ERBB3 antibody would therefore have as many residues as possible in the v-domains that are identical to those found in both the frameworks and CDRs of well-characterized human germline sequences. This high level of identity to high-stability germlines that are highly expressed in the maximum number of potential patients minimises the risk of a therapeutic antibody having unwanted immunogenicity in the clinic, or unusually high 'cost of goods' in manufacturing.
Townsend et al. (2015; PNAS 112: 15354-15359) describe a method for generating antibodies in which CDRs derived from rat, rabbit and mouse antibodies were grafted into preferred human frameworks and then subject to a human germ-lining approach termed "Augmented Binary Substitution". Although the approach demonstrated a fundamental plasticity in the original antibody paratopes, in the absence of highly accurate antibody-antigen co-crystal structural data, it is still not possible to reliably predict which individual residues in the CDR loops of any given antibody can be converted to human germline, and in what combination. Additionally, the Townsend et al. study did not address the addition of mutagenesis beyond the residues found in the human germline at positions where the removal of development risk motifs might be beneficial. This is a technological limitation which renders the process inherently inefficient, requiring an extra stage of modification of the starting antibody sequence. In addition, it cannot currently be accurately predicted what modifications in distal positions of the protein sequence of an individual v-domain, or even on the partner v-domain, might facilitate the removal of risk motifs while maintaining antigen binding affinity and specificity.
CDR germ-lining and development quality optimisation is thus a complex, multifactorial problem, as multiple functional properties of the molecule should preferably be maintained, including in this instance: target binding specificity, affinity to ERBB3 from both human and animal test species (e.g. rhesus monkey, also known as the rhesus macaque, i.e. Macaca mulatta), v-domain biophysical stability and/or IgG yield from protein expression platforms used in research, clinical and commercial supply. Antibody engineering studies have shown that mutation of even single residue positions in key CDRs can have dramatic effects on all of these desired molecular properties.
WO2011136911A2 describes an antagonistic murine anti-ERBB3 IgG molecule termed "24C05", and also the preparation of humanized forms (h24C05). Those humanized forms of 24C05 were produced using classical humanization techniques, i.e. by grafting of Kabat-defined murine CDRs into human heavy and light chain framework sequences, with some of the human framework residues being potentially back-mutated to the correspondingly positioned 24C05 murine residues. For reasons noted above, such humanized forms of 24C05 described in WO2011136911A2 are not ideal.


A method for removing a defective vehicular wheel cylinder without requiring removal of the brake shoes and various springs of the drum brake system which remain attached to the brake assembly.

Drum-style brake systems are well known in the prior art. The brake system is operated by hydraulic pressure which forces hydraulic pistons located in a wheel cylinder to extend away from the cylinder body in opposite directions. Each piston is connected to a respective brake shoe having brake lining material which faces the interior circumferential surface of the drum. As the pistons are forced outward, the shoes are displaced outward into frictional contact with the brake drum. An arrangement of springs are utilized to return the shoes to their original position once the hydraulic pressure exerted upon the wheel cylinder is released. Some brake systems have further utilized spring tension principles to "self-adjust" or cause the shoes and lining material to be set in place in a closer spacial relationship to the drum surface.
Over time, wheel cylinders begin to leak hydraulic brake fluid from normal wear. Typically, when changing a hydraulic wheel cylinder, a mechanic will remove the brake shoes, springs and all associated hardware, even in cases where the brake linings were not in need of replacement. The job entailed additional labor to remove the associated components and hardware instead of simply replacing the failed part.

Method for replacing a vehicular wheel cylinder