Techniques for performing wafer-level burn-in and test of semiconductor devices include a test substrate having active electronic components such as ASICs mounted to an interconnection substrate or incorporated therein, metallic spring contact elements effecting interconnections between the ASICs and a plurality of devices-under-test (DUTs) on a wafer-under-test (WUT), all disposed in a vacuum vessel so that the ASICs can be operated at temperatures independent from and significantly lower than the burn-in temperature of the DUTs. The spring contact elements may be mounted to either the DUTs or to the ASICs, and may fan out to relax tolerance constraints on aligning and interconnecting the ASICs and the DUTs. A significant reduction in interconnect count and consequent simplification of the interconnection substrate is realized because the ASICs are capable of receiving a plurality of signals for testing the DUTs over relatively few signal lines from a host controller and promulgating these signals over the relatively many interconnections between the ASICs and the DUTs. The ASICs can also generate at least a portion of these signals in response to control signals from the host controller. Physical alignment techniques are also described. Micromachined indentations on the front surface of the ASICs ensure capturing free ends of the spring contact elements. Micromachined features on the back surface of the ASICs and the front surface of the interconnection substrate to which they are mounted facilitate precise alignment of a plurality of ASICs on the support substrate.

Semiconductor devices, from microprocessors to memory chips, are fabricated by performing a long series of process steps such as etching, masking, depositing and the like on a silicon wafer. A typical silicon wafer is in the form of a six inch diameter disc, or larger. Many semiconductor devices, typically identical to one another, are fabricated on a single silicon wafer by placing them in a regular rectangular array. Kerf lines (scribe streets) are disposed between adjacent semiconductor devices on the wafer. Ultimately, the devices are singulated from the wafer by sawing along the scribe streets.
Due to defects in the wafer, or to defects in one or more of the processing steps, certain ones of the semiconductor devices will not function as designed, these defects may show up initially or may not be apparent until the device has been in operation for an extended period of time. Thus it is important to test and electrically exercise the devices for an extended period of time to ascertain which devices are good and which are not good.
Typically, semiconductor devices are exercised (burned-in and tested) only after they have been singulated (separated) from the wafer and have gone through another long series of "back-end" process steps in which they are assembled into their final "packaged" form.
From a "global" perspective, a typical "back-end" process flow of the prior art is as follows (commencing with wafer fab):
Wafer Sort #1;
Laser Repair;
Wafer Sort #2;
Wafer Saw;
Package Assembly steps, such as die attach, wire bond, encapsulation, lead trim and form, lead plating;
Electrical Test;
Burn-In;
Electrical Test; and
Mark and Ship product.
Modern semiconductor devices often contain hundreds of terminals (i.e., "pads" such as power, ground, input/output, etc.) and modern semiconductor wafers often contain hundreds of semiconductor devices, resulting in each wafer having tens of thousands of pads, or test points, which need to be accessed in order to carry out testing and/or burn-in at wafer-level (i.e., testing all the dice at one time) prior to singulating the dice from the wafer.) Precise alignment is also a non-trivial issue, when dealing with spacings (pitch) between adjacent pads as close as 4 mils. Nevertheless, performing testing and/or burn-in on semiconductor devices, prior to their being singulated from the wafer has been the object of prolonged endeavor.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,570,032 (Atkins, et al.; "Micron Patent"; October 1996) discloses wafer scale burn-in apparatus and process wherein a wafer (14) being burned-in is mated to a printed circuit board (13) which electrically contacts the pads on each die on the wafer using small conductive pillars (15) on the printed circuit board.
Precise alignment of the entire wafer with the printed circuit board is required in order to permit testing all the dice on the wafer in parallel, eliminating the need to probe each die individually. The apparatus is fitted with heating elements and cooling channels to generate the necessary wafer temperatures for burn-in and testing. The method of utilization eliminates processing of defective dice beyond burn-in and test. FIG. 1 of the Micron Patent provides a general overview of the prior art processing steps in taking a wafer from fabrication to shipment. FIG. 8 of the Micron Patent provides a comparable overview of the processing steps in taking a wafer from fabrication to shipment when utilizing the disclosed method of wafer scale burn-in and testing. It is suggested in the Micron Patent that it is also possible to have a printed circuit board with reduced connections and controlling logic (microprocessors, multiplexers, etc.), and to have complete test electronics included in the printed circuit board (see column 5, lines 53-60).
U.S. Pat. No. 5,532,610 (Tsujide, et al.; "NEC Patent"; July 1996) discloses apparatus for testing semiconductor wafer wherein there is a testing substrate, an active circuit disposed on the testing substrate for activating chips disposed on a wafer to be tested, and a plurality of pads disposed on a front surface of the testing substrate and positioned so that the pads are disposed in alignment with bonding pads of the chips disposed on the wafer when the testing substrate is overlaid on the wafer. The testing substrate (2) may be a wafer, made of the same material as the wafer (1) so be tested. On the testing substrate (wafer) 2, lead lines 7 extend from pads 4 and are connected to a power supply, a ground line 8, an I/O line 9, and a chip selecting line 10. FIG. 4 of the NEC PATENT illustrates a testing apparatus 16 made of a silicon wafer, the back surface of which has been etched to have apertures 21 of a quadrangular pyramid shape which can serve as alignment marks to thereby make it easy to register the testing substrate (16) with the wafer (17) to be tested.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,434,513 (Fujii, et al.; "Rohm Patent"; Jul. 95) discloses semiconductor wafer testing apparatus using intermediate semiconductor wafer wherein bump electrodes are formed on the bottom surface of an intermediate semiconductor wafer employed as a test substrate, and pickup electrodes and control electrodes are formed on the top (opposite) surface of the test substrate. A switching circuit is formed in the intermediate semiconductor wafer, and serves to connect selected ones of the bump electrodes to the pickup electrodes in accordance with switching control signals provided from a tester via the control electrodes. The pickup electrodes and the control electrodes are connected to the tester via pogo pins.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,497,079 (Yamada, et al.; "Matsushita Patent"; March 1996) discloses semiconductor testing apparatus, semiconductor testing circuit chip, and probe card wherein a plurality of semiconductor testing chips (2) are mounted to a one side of a motherboard (4) and a like plurality of on item of semiconductor integrated circuit chips (1) to be tested are mounted to an opposite side of the motherboard (4). A computer (3) is provided for controlling the semiconductor testing chips (2). Since the major testing functions are incorporated into the testing circuit chips (2), the computer (3) for collecting the test results can be a low-price computer. FIGS. 5, 7 and 10 of the Matsushita Patent illustrates a representative semiconductor test circuit chip (2) having test pattern generating means, a driver for applying the test pattern to the devices being tested, data storing means, data judging means for judging whether stored output data indicates a failure or not, and means for transferring a judgment result to a work station. FIG. 12 of the Matsushita Patent illustrates the structure of a semiconductor testing apparatus used in a wafer test wherein a plurality of semiconductor testing chips (2) are mounted to a probe card (103), a plurality of probe needles (104) extending from the probe card (presumably from the opposite surface of the probe card), and a wafer (106) being tested. When a control signal is transmitted from the work station to the semiconductor testing circuit chips, the semiconductor testing chips start testing the semiconductor integrated circuits formed on the semiconductor wafer.
Generally, previous attempts at implementing schemes for wafer-level testing have involved providing a single test substrate with a plurality of contact elements for contacting corresponding pads on the wafer being tested. As mentioned hereinabove, this may require many tens of thousands of such contact elements and extremely complex interconnection substrates. As an example, an 8″ wafer may contain 500 16 Mb DRAMs, each having 60 bond pads, for a total of 30,000 connections. There are 30,000 connections to the wafer under test (WUT), 30,000 additional connections to the intermediate substrate, 30,000 more connections to the test electronics, and an undetermined number of connections to the control electronics. Moreover, the fine pitch requirements of modern semiconductor devices require extremely high tolerances to be maintained when bringing the test substrate together with the wafer being tested.


An inductive component intended to be installed on a printed circuit includes at least one winding, a body, and a magnetic core. The winding is made of an electrically conductive wire wound to form a flat coil the ends of which are connected to the inner ends of connecting terminals. The body is formed from a block of insulating material over-moulded onto the coil and onto the said inner ends of the terminals, the body including a central opening which passes through the body along the axis of the coil. The magnetic core is made of a ferrite layer that surrounds the body in a center plane containing the axis of the coil. A center element passes through the opening in the body.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention concerns inductive components, of the type including one or more windings, and which can be used therefore depending on case as inductors or alternating current transformers. Such components, as inductors, are generally used to perform in electric or electronic circuits the filtering, smoothing or energy storage functions, being conventionally traversed by currents with a DC component on which an AC component is superimposed. A current operating frequency range is 10 kHz to 3 MHz. Such components are for instance currently used in switched power supplies or DC converters. Also, these components are conventionally made so that they can be installed on printed circuits in a manner known itself.
2. Description of the Related Art
Known inductors of the type mentioned above generally consist of one or more enameled copper wire windings made on a toroidal core supported by a base including connecting pins. Conventionally, especially to reduce the overall surface area on the printed circuit, the toroidal windings are arranged vertically on the base so as to extend perpendicularly to the surface of the printed circuit. The ends of the wires are connected to the connecting pins or themselves form the said pins which are intended to be inserted into holes drilled in the printed circuit or soldered to it in a conventional manner. Although it is possible to also adopt a surface-mounted component (SMC) type design which is more suited to automatic installation, the high volume and weight of these components generally prohibits such a design and these components must be mounted manually on the printed circuit before soldering. Also, the mechanical strength in cases of strong vibrations is not very reliable on account of the high weight and the relative distance of the core from the printed circuit when compared with the relatively small dimensions of the base.
Moreover, the magnetic materials used for the toroidal core are generally iron powder based, for example, iron-silicon, when the planned operating frequencies are low, up to 100 kHz, or when the frequencies are higher, up to 200 kHz, made of a ferronickel alloy such as permalloy, for instance the material currently known under the name of Moly-Permalloy or MPP, which is a sintered iron and nickel powder with 80 or 50% nickel.
These two materials have the advantage of supporting a high DC magnetic field which enables the section of the core, and therefore the overall size of the component to be reduced.
However, their losses are high when used at high frequencies, that is around several hundred kHz to several MHz and therefore are poorly suited to uses such as in converter switching power supply circuits which increasingly use very high frequencies.
Another disadvantage of toroidal-type windings is that they are not sealed, the wire being simply wound around the toroidal core without external protection.
The purpose of this invention is to solve these problems and especially aims at supplying an inductive component with a low weight and a low volume, limiting the losses when used at high frequencies and where installation can be facilitated and automated by authorizing the design of these components as surface-mounted components (SMC).
With these targets in mind, the subject of the invention is an inductive component intended to be installed on a printed circuit and including at least one winding consisting of an electrically conductive wire and a magnetic core, characterized in that:
the winding consists of a conductive wire wound in the form of a flat coil the ends of which are connected to the inner ends of the connecting terminals,
a body, formed of a block of insulating material with a lower face more or less orthogonal to the axis of the coil, is overmoulded on the coil and on the said inner ends of the terminals, the body including a central opening which passes through it along the axis of the coil,
the core is made of ferrite and surrounds the body in the centre plane containing the axis of the coil and has a centre element passing through the opening of the body.
The combination of characteristics according to the invention especially has the advantage of providing a significant gain in volume and in weight when compared with inductive components with equivalent properties made in the form of toroidal core inductors: a component according to the invention takes up, for instance, a volume of 1200 mm3 whereas an equivalent inductor with a toroidal core takes up a volume of around 3240 mm3. These advantages result especially from the use of a winding with a low height and of a ferrite magnetic core which, thanks to its magnetic characteristics, enables a reduction in the section. Ferrites have low losses at high frequencies and such a material is therefore especially suitable for the applications targeted by the component according to the invention, that is for frequencies of up to 3 MHz, such as, for example, converter switching power supplies where the switched frequencies tend to be increasingly higher. Also, the low height of the component enables a reduction in the overall thickness of the printed circuit on which it is mounted.
The body, for example made of a thermosetting epoxy resin, overmoulded directly on the coil and the connections, provides high mechanical strength, good dissipation of the losses generated by passing the current through the winding and good sealing enabling the component to be used in wet environments. The fact of not including the ferrite core in the moulding but adding it around the body, and externally apparent, improves still further the dissipation of the thermal energy generated especially by the eddy currents this thanks to direct contact of a large external surface area of the core with the exterior and the possibility of easily associating a heat sink.
According to a specific arrangement of the invention, the core consists of two elements extending respectively on each of the faces of the body, one at least of the said elements being E-shaped the centre arm of which passes through the opening of the body and the outer arms of which pass on two opposite sides of the said body. This arrangement offers, at same volume and when compared with the use of ferrite cores made in known forms, for instance a toroidal form, a much higher iron section. For an equivalent induction level, the number of turns of the winding can therefore be reduced which reduces the losses in the conducting wire and therefore enables a higher current.
This design of the ferrite cores also enables an air gap to be easily made in the magnetic circuit between the two elements comprising the core, at the level of the outer faces of at least one of the arms of the E. This air gap can be adapted for instance by playing on the respective lengths of the arms of the E. This air gap enables the core to support a high DC field and, correlatively, for a given field, a reduction in the volume of the core.
Preferably, the two elements of the core are bonded to each other when they are installed on either side of the body. The adhesive joint, made by a non-magnetic adhesive at the interface between the two elements of the core can moreover be placed in the air gap mentioned above at the level of one or more of the arms of the E. The securing of the core on the body can be completed by an additional adhesive joint placed between the edges of the elements of the core and the body, in particular, on the sides of the component.
According to another specific arrangement, the connecting terminals emerge from the body at the level of the lower face of the body, on two opposite sides of the body in relation to the said centre plane. These terminals are secured to the body by overmoulding. The outer ends of these terminals may be shaped to form pins for conventional installation on printed circuits. They will however preferably be shaped so as to form lugs extending in the plane of the lower surface of the body or slightly prominent, enabling the component to be attached to the printed circuit by the soldering of these lugs to the surface of the said circuit according to the technique known for SMCs.
The low height of the component associated with much larger transverse dimensions, especially the distance between the lugs located on each side of the component, and the low weight considerably improve the vibration resistance when the component is soldered to the circuit.
The lugs, in addition to ensuring a mechanical attachment function to the printed circuit by soldering, at least those to which the ends of the winding or windings are connected are used of course for their electrical connections. Note, on this subject, a specific advantage resulting from the SMC-type design according to the invention which lies in the large contact surface area possible between the lugs and the printed circuit which enables very low connection resistances and high currents to be obtained. This advantage is even more marked when, as can be achieved when the component includes only a single winding, this winding is connected to connections which extend along the complete length of the sides of the component.
Again, another advantage of the inductive components according to the invention is that they can be packed in strips for use by automatic installation machines, their flattened format and their low weight authorizing automatic installation by suction or by grips.
The subject of the invention is also a manufacturing process for an inductive component intended to be installed on a printed circuit and including at least one winding and a magnetic core, this process being characterized in that:
the winding is made in the form of a flat coil by winding a wire without using a former,
the winding is placed on a grid, the axis of the winding being perpendicular to the grid, and the ends of the wire are soldered to the said grid,
a body made of an insulating material is overmoulded onto the assembly thus obtained to leave a central opening at the axis of the coil and leaving the edges of the grid apparent on two opposite sides of the body,
two ferrite core elements are placed on either side of the body at least one of which is E-shaped, the centre arm of the E being inserted in the said central opening of the body and the two other arms passing on two opposite sides of the body and the two elements of the core are fixed to each other.
Preferably, the winding is made with a wire including an outer thermobonding layer and, after winding, an electric current of sufficient amperage is passed through the wire to heat it and to obtain the bonding of the turns to each other.

Inductive component and method for making same


A germicidal method and apparatus for destroying airborne pathogenic bacteria such as tuberculosis bacteria using ultraviolet light. Air is drawn through a filter and into a sterilization chamber that is irradiated with ultraviolet light, and out through an exhaust opening. Consideration for the characteristics of the room in which the apparatus is installed and the positioning of the installation allows effective prevention of transmission of disease through expectoration and inhalation of airborne microdroplets of bacteria-containing sputum. The filter is of the low-density type which traps large particulates, but not small particulates of the size of the microdroplets, so that the filter does not become a bacteria colonization site. Baffles on the air intake opening and air exhaust opening to prevent ultraviolet light from escaping into the environment.

The present invention relates to the field of germicidal systems employing bacteria-destroying ultraviolet lights. In particular, the present invention relates to a system for producing an air flow through a baffled ultraviolet sterilization chamber, wherein the ultraviolet light intensity, the air residency time, and the air exchange rate for the air volume in a given space, are such that a percentage of tuberculosis bacteria are destroyed that effectively prevents transmission of such disease by airborne sputum.
Tuberculosis is the most common cause of death from infectious disease in the world today. It infects millions of people each year and causes hundreds of thousands of fatalities. The disease is particularly prevalent in less-industrialized countries where high population densities, poor sanitary conditions and a high percentage of individuals in poor health contribute to the spread of infectious diseases.
After a long period of declining rates of tuberculosis infection in the United Sates, it is believed that the infection rate is now increasing. The increasing rate is apparently due to a combination of factors. One factor is undoubtedly increased immigration from parts of the world with high rates of infection. For example, in the United States the case rate of tuberculosis per 100,000 population was 9.3 in 1985, resulting in over 22,000 cases and over 1,200 deaths. In Southeast Asia, both the case rate and the death rate are believed to be many times that, and immigrants from that part of the world now constitute 3 to 5% of new cases in the United States.
Another factor related to increased rates of tuberculosis infection appears to be the use of living quarters with high population densities and less-than-ideal sanitary conditions for persons in ill health who are susceptible to the disease. Such conditions are commonly found in shelters for the homeless, prisons and some nursing homes. Another important factor in the increased rate of infection is infections among patients with Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS) and intravenous drug users.
Another reason for the recent increased incidence of tuberculosis is probably the failure of many medical professionals to diagnose and treat the disease early and properly. The relative rareness of the disease in the United States since the early epidemics resulted in an entire generation of health care workers without much experience in the disease. Further, diagnosing the disease is not always easy, for the symptoms are similar to the symptoms of many other disorders. Therefore, the disease is often misdiagnosed and mistreated, and the degree of infectiousness of the disease is underappreciated.
Even after it is recognized that a set of symptoms may indicate tuberculosis, the tests for the disease are somewhat imprecise and tend to require judgment by an experienced professional. For example, one diagnostic tool is chest x-rays which typically show apical-posterior segment cavitary changes in tuberculosis infected patients. However, in elderly individualsxe2x80x94who comprise a relatively large proportion of tuberculosis patientsxe2x80x94lobar or patchy lower-zone shadows may simulate bacterial or aspiration pneumonia. Also, x-rays in the elderly may mislead the physician by showing a solitary pulmonary nodule or a pleural effusion. Another important tuberculosis test is the tuberculosis skin test, but a major disadvantage to the tuberculosis skin test is that it generates a high number of both false-positive and false-negative results. The most precise test is microscopic examination of a sputum sample, but this test may require the use of at least three separate samples of sufficient volume, which may require gastric aspiration or bronchoscopy in patients with low sputum production.
The normal body reaction to infection by tuberculosis bacteria is to build a fibrous wall around each bacterium. Initially, a person may be unaware of any infection, but over a period of months or even years the infection produces inflammation and eventually destruction of tissue. The manifestations as the disease progresses generally include cough, fever, night sweats, hemoptysis, chest pain, weight loss and malaise. The usual treatment for tuberculosis is administration of drugs over a period of many months such as isoniazid, rifampin and pyrazinamide and ethambutol. Persons recently infected but with no active disease are usually given isoniazid preventive therapy, particularly if they have other risks such as malnutrition, gastrectomy, diabetes mellitus, pneumoconiosis, malignancy or if for some reason they have immunosuppression such as from corticosteroid therapy, renal impairment or HIV infection. In short, tuberculosis in a normal healthy patient is typically a disease that is curable by drugs, although the drug therapy is quite prolonged.
A serious concernxe2x80x94and yet another reason for the recent increase in tuberculosisxe2x80x94is the development of drug-resistant tuberculosis. It is estimated that at least 5% of new cases are resistant to the usual drug therapy, and that the percentage in some areas of the United States is as high as 20%. While non-drug-resistant tuberculosis is typically 99% curable in patients with normal immune responses, drug-resistant tuberculosis is only about 50-60% curable. A related concern is drug therapy on non-drug-resistant tuberculosis for patients who are intolerant of the drugs. In those cases, drug therapy is complicated because the drug is effective against the infection but has serious adverse effects on the patient such as hepatitis or serious rashes.
Another concern is raised by the increasing incidence of non-tuberculosis mycobacterial pulmonary infections. Many such infections produce symptoms similar to those of tuberculosis infections, but may be more difficult to identify and treat. Moreover, they may be transmitted through the same means as tuberculosis and tend to infect the same types of susceptible individuals.
The transmission of the tuberculosis bacteria is accomplished almost exclusively by infected individuals expectorating microdroplets of bacteria-containing sputum by coughing or sneezing. These microdroplets are suspended in the air and are inhaled by other individuals in the vicinity. The bacteria typically lodges in the lower lung where it proliferates, and may be disseminated to other organs as well. The microdroplets of sputum which contain the bacteria may be very smallxe2x80x94on the order of 0.01 microns. In fact, it appears that the smallest droplets are the most effective in communicating the disease since the smallest droplets stay airborne indefinitely and are easily inhaled to the lower lung where they are not readily removed. Studies have shown that aerosol droplets on the order of 1-5 microns are highly effective vehicles for transmitting the disease.
One controversial approach to combatting the disease has been the use of vaccines. However, the efficacy of tuberculosis vaccines is debatable. Even the trials which seemed to show some efficacy have shown less efficacy among adults than among infants and children. An additional objection to widespread vaccinations is that by inducing tuberculin reactivity in the population they would confound the detection and measurement of infections through the use of skin tests, since skin tests in vaccinated individuals would presumably result in a false-positives. This would severely curtail the practice of preventive drug therapy among infected patients who have not yet developed outward symptoms.
The airborne aspect of the disease has led toward systems for preventing the transmission of the disease which focus on filtration and sterilizing devices. One approach is the use of masks. Simple surgical masks are thought to be insufficient in view of the very small size of the sputum microdroplets which are effective in communicating the bacteria. Instead, disposable particulate respirators are recommended. The use of masks is fraught with practical difficulties; they are physically uncomfortable, they impair breathing (which is already impaired for many patients), and they disrupt speaking. To be effective at all, it would probably be necessary for the masks to be worn not just by the patients, but also by noninfected individuals. In view of the long distances that airborne microdroplets containing viable bacteria can travel, it would be necessary for the masks to be worn by noninfected individuals throughout the general vicinity of a patient and not just those in the immediate presence of a patient. Moreover, it is not known for certain whether the use of masks would actually be effective even if the practical problems were tolerated or overcome.
Another preventive measure which relies on the airborne aspect of the bacteria is the use of modified ventilation systems. It is currently recommended that facilities used for tuberculosis patients undergo certain minimum air exchange rates, under the theory that dilution of infectious air with clean air will reduce the concentration of bacteria and hence the likelihood of transmission of the disease. While this approach is theoretically sound, it is problematic in implementation. Modern buildings are normally designed with fixed ventilation systems which are not easily modified to produce the requisite air exchange rate. Even if they are suitably modified, they may be rendered ineffective by an open door or by shifting air-flow patterns. A high air exchange rate also increases cooling and heating costs. Finally, there is the issue of the ultimate disposition of the contaminated air that is removed, and whether it is appropriate to simply release it outside the facility.
Another approach to reducing the transmission of the disease is the use of high-efficiency filtration systems. For such a system to be effective, however, it must employ a very dense filter to trap very small particles. This entails a powerful fan, high energy usage, loud noise, and meticulous installation and maintenance. There is also concern that the filters and the rest of the air-flow path may themselves become sites of bacteria colonization.
Yet another approach to reducing the transmission of the tuberculosis bacterial employs ultraviolet light as a germicide. It was discovered some time ago that airborne bacteria are susceptible to ultraviolet light in wavelengths of about 254 nm. Wells S. F., On Air-Borne Infection: II-Droplets and Droplet Nuclei, Am. J. Hyg. 1934 20: 611-8; Wells W. F., Fair G. M., Viability of E. Coli Exposed to Ultraviolet Radiation in Air, Science 1935; 82:280-1. That finding led to the development of systems using ultraviolet light as a germicide against airborne bacteria such as measles and tuberculosis. However, interest in such systems diminished when later investigators were unable to obtain the desired efficacy. Also contributing to the diminished interest in such systems was the recognition that ultraviolet lights produced harmful ozone and also produced skin and eye irritation. With the development of streptomycin and chemotherapy for tuberculosis treatment, the belief became prevalent that tuberculosis would be eradicated and that preventive systems would be unnecessary.
The systems that were developed using ultraviolet light as a germicide against tuberculosis were imprecise, marginally effective, and perhaps dangerous. The most common system simply employed ultraviolet lights mounted on or suspended from a wall or ceiling of a room. For example, a system employing lights suspended from the ceiling is described in some detail in Riley, R. Z., Knight, M. and Middlebrook, G., Ultraviolet Susceptibility of BCG and Virulor Tubercle Bacilli, Am. Rev. of Resp. Dis., 1976, 113:413. The problems in such a system are numerous. It relies completely on normal air circulation in the room where it is installed to bring the bacteria within range of the ultraviolet light. The normal circulation in a room may be too low for the ultraviolet light to destroy a necessary proportion of bacteria, or the normal circulation may be high enough but of a pattern that does not bring the airflow past the ultraviolet light. Moreover, there is no single test to determine whether the circulation rate and patterns are adequate or not for a given installation. Further, such systems quickly become contaminated by dust on the light bulbs which diminishes their effectiveness. From a safety standpoint, one of the greatest concerns is that the simple light shields used with such systems allow light to be reflected off the walls and ceiling and onto the skin and eyes of the occupants. The degree of danger associated with the indirect ultraviolet irradiation is disputed, but there is undoubtedly at least some danger if the period of exposure is prolonged. In explaining the necessary safety precautions, Riley, R. L. and Nordell, E.A., Clearing the Air, The Theory and Application of Ultraviolet Air Disinfection, Am. Rev. Respir. Dis. 1989 139:1286, stated:
Does germicide UV cause inflammation of skin and eyes? It can, but the standard set by the National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) is very conservative. Overhead installations must be inspected for xe2x80x98hot spotsxe2x80x99 (greater than 0.2 uW/cm2) with a sensitive UV meter. Installers should anticipate readjusting fixture height up or down based on meter readings. Baffles designed to prevent direct eye contact will also need adjustment after the initial installation. Excessively reflective surfaces about fixtures may contribute to excess radiation, but this can be reduced with nonreflective paint or by spraying the surface with stove black. If the intensity of UV does not exceed 0.2 uW/cm2, the likelihood of skin or eye irritation is minimal during an 8-h exposure. Persons with especially sensitive skin, with systemic lupus erythematous, for example, may need to avoid exposure or take measures to protect their skin.
This illustrates some of the difficulties and dangers of employing ultraviolet lights behind a simple light shield; the light may generate dangerous and unpredictable xe2x80x9chot spotsxe2x80x9d, it is not appropriate for those with sensitive skin or eyes, and it requires careful consideration of the placement and the orientation and reflectivity of the surrounding surfaces. Finally, even if all those precautions are observed, the quote only indicates that skin and eye irritation is xe2x80x9cminimalxe2x80x9d rather than nonexistent and only for exposure periods of 8 hours. Of course, for the system to be effective against transmission of airborne disease in, for example, a patient room, it would have to operate continuously and not just for 8 hour periods. The article goes on to acknowledge that:
UV or disinfection that is inappropriately applied, poorly planned, or carelessly used may be ineffective, dangerous, and falsely reassuring. The guidelines and precautions listed above are not intended to enable a would-be user of UV to plan, purchase, install, or check the adequacy of a UV installation. Detailed instructions for UV installers have been published. However, there is currently little commercial interest in UV for air disinfection and, therefore, little expert guidance for comprehensive planning and installation. Renewed consumer interest may stimulate the UV industry to correct this deficiency.
Notwithstanding the uncertainly expressed in the Riley and Nordell article regarding the dangers of ultraviolet radiation, that article is actually more cognizant of those dangers than much of the other literature on the subject. For example, the article by Riley, Knight and Middlebrook, supra, does not even mention the dangers to the skin and eyes of ultraviolet radiation, or any precautions that should be taken to minimize those dangers.
There are number of ultraviolet germicidal systems that have been patented, but as in the case of the scientific literature mentioned above, those patents teach little about the dangers of ultraviolet radiation and how to effectively minimize the dangers, or how to position and operate the devices to achieve the requisite bacterial kill rate to prevent transmission of disease.
For example, U.S. Pat. No. 3,975,790 by Patterson is for an ultraviolet lamp fixture used in combination with a conventional commercial vacuum cleaner, and U.S. Pat. No. 4,087,925 by Bienek is for a sterilizing hand dryer, in which ultraviolet lights are positioned within the housing of a blower that is used to dry wet hands, where the blower is of the type commonly used in commercial restrooms. The devices of Patterson and Bienek seem to include little or nothing for light baffling to prevent leakage of allowable light to outside the housing, and the patents teach nothing about optimal flow rates, air-exchange rates or other information for the effective use of the machines. The devices are obviously intended as general, and only partially effective, sterilizing tools rather than as comprehensive and predictably effective systems.
Another patent, U.S. Pat. No. 4,210,429 by Golstein, employs a xe2x80x9csquirrel-cagexe2x80x9d type blower which draws air into a housing through a air intake filter, through the blower, and through a sterilization chamber containing ultraviolet lights. The air leaves the sterilization chamber, passes through a second filter and a charcoal filter and finally exits through an outlet. The specification indicates that the purpose of the device is to remove xe2x80x9cpollens, lung damaging dust, smoke, bacteria and any one of a number of other irritants and micro-organismsxe2x80x9d and that it does so for xe2x80x9cparticles down to 0.3 microns in size with an efficiency of 99.9%xe2x80x9d. The device is characterized as an xe2x80x9cair purifierxe2x80x9d rather than as a germicidal device; the use of three distinct filters including a very fine filter for removing extremely small particles, a charcoal filter for removing odors and a pre-filter for removing particles, is distinguishable in design and function from the present invention. This extensive filtration would require a high-capacity blower to achieve any effective air exchange rate. The device is not specifically designed for destroying the tuberculosis bacteria or any other specific bacteria, although it would obviously be effective in doing so to some extent. Therefore, the patent teaches nothing about the use of the device for that purpose or the optimal flow rates or positioning of the device for that purpose.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,074,894 by Nelson is for a hospital room to quarantine patients with tuberculosis or other respiratory diseases caused by airborne pathogens. Although one embodiment of the system includes an air circulation circuit with ultraviolet lights, the patent is directed primarily toward negative pressure and filtering aspects utilizing high-efficiency particulate air filters.
Other patents describing the use of ultraviolet light as a germicide against airborne bacteria include, U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,448,750 by Fuesting, 4,896,042 by Humphreys, 4,990,311 by Hirai and 4,047,072 by Wertz. Patents directed toward the use of ultraviolet light as a germicide against bacteria in water or other liquids include U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,400,270 by Hillman, 4,482,809 by Maarschalkerweerk, 5,102,450 by Stanley and 5,124,131 by Wekhof.
The present invention is an apparatus and process for destroying airborne pathogenic bacteria such as the tuberculosis bacteria. Ultraviolet lights of a sufficient intensity are positioned within a sterilization chamber where they irradiate an air stream containing the bacteria, typically in the form of suspended microdroplets of sputum. The sterilization chamber has an exit and an entrance, and a blower is positioned preferably at the exit to draw air into the entrance and through the sterilization chamber and out the exit. The air passing through the sterilization chamber is virtually completely sterilized of viable tuberculosis bacteria by the chosen dosimetry of the system, which is achieved by appropriately sizing the sterilization chamber employing ultraviolet lights of the correct intensity, and utilizing the right air flow rate through the blower.
The sterilization chamber includes a filter on the intake side to filter out large particles such as dust, in order to minimize the contamination of the ultraviolet light bulbs. The filter is deliberately designed not to intercept small particles such as microdroplets, since the filter could then become a bacteria colony. The use of a low density filter also minimizes the resistance to air flow, thereby allowing the use of a smaller, more efficient and quieter blower. With the exception of this intake filter for removing large particulates, the apparatus preferably does not include any devices that would intercept and retain microdroplets or other small particles in a way that resists the air flow and poses the possibility of becoming a bacteria colonization site; the small particulates and microdroplets with destroyed bacteria simply pass through the apparatus and are expelled back into the environment.
Both the air intake and exhaust to the sterilization chamber are baffled so that ultraviolet light must reflect off multiple surfaces before exiting the sterilization chamber. The interior surfaces of the baffles may be light-absorptive to minimize their reflectivity and further lessen the possibility of ultraviolet light leaking from the sterilization chamber into the environment.
The apparatus is used in a space having a volume of air that results in an air exchange rate of preferably 12-15 air exchanges per hour. At that air exchange rate, it has been determined that a sufficient volume of air will circulate through the apparatus and will prevent any air stagnation in the room, that a high enough percentage of tuberculosis bacteria will be destroyed before they are inhaled by persons in the room to prevent transmission of the disease. The apparatus is preferably positioned such that the air intake is approximately at the head level of a seated patient, so that the air intake draws the air volume containing the highest level of bacteria-containing sputum microdroplets expectorated from the patient""s pulmonary system.


An extendable step with a receiver assembly and a step assembly for a pickup truck is provided. The receiver assembly includes a receiver tube with an internal channel. The receiver tube is configured to attach to a hitch of a vehicle, such as a pick-up truck. The step assembly may include an elongated step tube that slidably engages with the receiver tube. A step plate is attached to the elongated step tube and a foot pedal is attached beneath the step plate and protrudes downward and away from the step plate. A user may place there foot onto the foot pedal and pull the step plate from a retracted position to an extended position In which the step plate extends from the receiver tube.

The present invention relates to a foot step for a truck bed and, more particularly, to a foot step that attaches to and extends from the trailer hitch of a pick-up truck.
Currently, pick-up trucks tend to have a high ground clearance. Therefore, after opening the tailgate, climbing into the truck bed may be difficult. Currently, devices such as pedals are attached to the truck to aid people in climbing into the truck bed. However, these devices need special brackets for each model of trucks, making them much more expensive and complicated to install.
As can be seen, there is a need for an easy to use and easy to attach foot step for a truck bed.


An image forming apparatus includes a belt to transfer a printing medium, a plurality of support rollers which rotatably supports the belt, a photosensitive medium which has a surface on which a visible toner image is formed by charged toner, a transfer roller which is disposed adjacent to the photosensitive medium with the belt interposed therebetween, a power supplying part which supplies power to the transfer roller so that a surface of the transfer roller has an electrical potential, and a control part which controls the power supplying part to supply a pulse power, which has a middle power of a same polarity as a polarity of the charged toner, to the transfer roller so that the charged toner remaining on the belt after the belt transfers the printing medium past the photosensitive medium is transferred back to the photosensitive medium.

1. Field of the Invention
Aspects of the present invention relate to an image forming apparatus having a remaining toner removing part and a method of removing remaining toner, and more particularly, to an image forming apparatus having a remaining toner removing part and a method to remove remaining toner which efficiently remove toner remaining on a belt.
2. Description of the Related Art
Generally, an image forming apparatus of an electrophotographic type forms an image on a printing medium through a series of processes. These processes include charging the printing medium and other components, exposing an electrostatic latent image on a photosensitive medium, developing the image on the photosensitive medium, transferring the image to the printing medium, and fixing the image to the printing medium. Furthermore, a variety of electrophotographic type image forming apparatuses are currently on the market including, for example, a laser printer, a scanner, a copier, a multi function device, etc.
As shown in FIG. 1, a conventional image forming apparatus 1 of an electrophotographic type includes a plurality of development cartridges 40Y, 40M, 40C, and 40K to respectively store yellow (Y) toner, magenta (M) toner, cyan (C) toner and black (K) toner, and a plurality of transfer rollers 50Y, 50M, 50C, and 50K disposed adjacent to a corresponding plurality of photosensitive media 45Y, 45M, 45C, and 45K. A printing medium transfer belt 31 is interposed between the plurality of development cartridges 40Y, 40M, 40C, and 40K and the corresponding plurality of transfer rollers 50Y, 50M, 50C, and 50K. A belt unit 30 includes the printing medium transfer belt 31 and a plurality of support rollers 32, 33, 35 and 36 which rotatably support the printing medium transfer belt 31.
Printing media P, such as sheets of paper, transparency sheets, etc., are stacked in a knock up plate 13. An individual printing medium P is picked up from the stack by a pick up roller 15 and transferred to the printing medium transfer belt 31 by a transport roller 21 to pass between the photosensitive media 45Y, 45M, 45C and 45K and the corresponding transfer rollers 50Y, 50M, 50C and 50K. When the printing medium P passes between the photosensitive media 45Y, 45M, 45C and 45K and the corresponding transfer rollers 50Y, 50M, 50C, and 50K, a yellow toner image, a magenta toner image, a cyan toner image and a black toner image are respectively transferred from the photosensitive media 45Y, 45M, 45C and 45K and overlapped onto the printing medium P by an electric attraction of each transfer roller 50Y, 50M, 50C and 50K.
When the toner is transferred to the printing medium P, some of the toner may be attached to the printing medium transfer belt 31 and remain on the printing medium transfer belt 31. To remove the remaining toner and clear the printing medium transfer belt 31, a blade 37a protrudes from a blade unit 37 which is connected to a frame of the image forming apparatus 1. The blade 37a is disposed in a position to contact the printing medium transfer belt 31 and scrape off the remaining toner.
However, in the above mechanical removing method, since the printing medium transfer belt 31 and the blade 37a constantly contact each other to enable the blade 37a to remove the remaining toner, the blade 37a wears down over time, deteriorating the quality of the belt cleaning.
Also, there is a conventional method of removing remaining toner from the printing medium transfer belt 31 using electricity, in which a separate toner charging device (not shown) is used to charge the toner remaining on the printing medium transfer belt 31 to have a polarity opposite to an original polarity, and thereby collect the remaining toner. However, in the conventional electric cleaning method, a separate charging device (not shown) and a control device (not shown) to control the charging device are used. Employing the separate charging device (not shown) and the control device (not shown) increases the cost of cleaning the printing medium transfer belt 31 and prevents an efficient use of space.

Image forming apparatus having remaining toner removing part and method of removing remaining toner therefrom


An envelope tracking system is disclosed having an envelope tracking integrated circuit (ETIC) with a first tracker having a first supply output and a second tracker having a second supply output, wherein the ETIC has a first mode in which only one of the first and second trackers supplies voltage and a second mode in which the first and second trackers both supply voltage. A first notch filter is coupled to the first supply output and a second notch filter is coupled to the second supply output. A mode switch coupled between the first supply output and the second supply output is configured to couple the first notch filter and the second notch filter in parallel in the first mode and open the mode switch to decouple the first notch filter from the second notch filter in the second mode in response to first and second switch control signals, respectively.

Mobile communication devices have become increasingly common in current society for providing wireless communication services. The prevalence of these mobile communication devices is driven in part by the many functions that are now enabled on such devices. Increased processing capabilities in such devices means that mobile communication devices have evolved from being pure communication tools to being sophisticated mobile multimedia centers that enable enhanced user experiences.
The redefined user experience requires a higher data rate offered by wireless communication technologies, such as fifth-generation new radio (5G-NR) and wireless fidelity (Wi-Fi), that typically operate in higher frequency spectrums. To achieve higher data rates with increased robustness in the higher frequency spectrums, sophisticated power amplifiers (PAs) may be employed to increase output power of radio frequency signals while maintaining sufficient energy per bit prior to transmitting the radio frequency signals.
Envelope tracking is a power management technology designed to improve efficiency levels of the PAs to help reduce power dissipation in the mobile communication devices. An envelope tracking integrated circuit (ETIC) is configured to generate a modulated voltage that keeps track of a target voltage envelope and provides the modulated voltage to the PAs for amplifying the radio frequency signal(s). However, the ETIC has output impedance that can interact with a load of the PAs, particularly at a higher modulation bandwidth (e.g., >100 MHz). Consequently, the modulated voltage may be degraded nonlinearly, thus leading to harmonic frequencies being created outside the modulation bandwidth. As such, there is an increasing need to better control the output impedance of the ETIC in order to attenuate associated harmonic frequencies with the higher modulation bandwidth.


A method/system for controlling shifting in an automated mechanical transmission system (10) utilized on a vehicle having an engine brake (ECB), preferably controlled by an ECU (28). Shifts to be initiated while the engine brake is active and engine brake assisted upshifts are evaluated with regard to the engine built in engine brake deactivation response delay (TECBDEACTIVATE).

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a control method/system for controlling shifting in an at least partially automated mechanical transmission system. In particular, the present invention relates to the control of shifting in a vehicular automated mechanical transmission system wherein the system senses conditions indicative of a shift from a currently engaged gear ratio (GR) and evaluates, in sequence, the desirability of skip shifts and then single shifts and commands shifts deemed desirable.
More particularly, the present invention relates to control logic for exaluating shift feasibility and target gear identity in view of built-in engine response delays provided to assure proper engine brake deactivation.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Fully or partially automated mechanical transmission systems for vehicular use are known in the prior art, as may be seen by reference to U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,361,060; 4,648,290; 4,722,248; 4,850,236; 5,389,053; 5,487,004; 5,435,212 and 5,755,639. The use of engine brakes (also known as compression brakes, exhaust brakes or Jake brakes) and transmission controls utilizing same are known in the prior art, as may be seen by reference to U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,409,432 and 5,425,689, the disclosures of which are incorporated herein by reference.
Controls for automated mechanical transmission systems, especially wherein shifting is accomplished while maintaining the master clutch engaged, wherein single and/or skip shift feasibility is evaluated are known in the prior art, as may be seen by reference to U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,576,065; 4,916,979; 5,335,566; 5,425,689; 5,272,939; 5,479,345; 5,533,946; 5,582,069; 5,620,392; 5,489,247; 5,490,063 and 5,509,867, the disclosures of which are incorporated herein by reference.
It is also known that manufacturers of diesel engines for heavy-duty trucks, such as Caterpillar, Cummins, Detroit Diesel, etc., build in a response delay in their electronically controlled engines to allow proper engine brake deactivation. This is done to prevent fueling of the engine if the brake is still active which might cause valve and/or engine damage. This delay typically varies (from about 100 ms to about 500 ms) depending on the type of engine and/or engine brake.
The control of the present invention provides an improved control for a vehicular automated mechanical transmission system which will sense conditions indicative of shifting from a currently engaged gear ratio, and will evaluate, in sequence, the desirability of large skip shifts, then single skip shifts, and then single shifts, and will command a shift to the first target ratio deemed to be desirable under current vehicle operating conditions.
In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, by setting (i) a maximum acceptable shift time for completing upshifts and (ii) upshift feasibility rules to determine if a proposed shift is feasible under current vehicle operating conditions. The shift feasibility rules comprise a two-part test, (a) can the upshift be completed above a minimum engine speed? and (b) when completed, will the engine, in the target ratio, provide sufficient torque at the drive wheels to allow at least a minimum vehicle acceleration?
The present invention, determines the upshift brake deactivation delay provided for a particular engine and evaluates possible target gear ratios based upon the delay.
The above is accomplished by determining that shifts initiated with the engine brake active (typically only coasting downshifts) and engine brake aided upshifts will take a longer time to complete due to the built in engine brake deactivation delay.
Accordingly, an improved shift control for automated mechanical transmissions is provided which will automatically evaluate and command desirable skip and then single shifts.
This and other objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from a reading of the following description of the preferred embodiment taken in connection with the attached drawings.


An array of laser diodes, or laser diode bars, is formed by positioning adjacent diodes or bars in an offset or staircase arrangement where the emitting facets of adjacent diodes, or bars, are in different planes. The offset arrangement permits the light from adjacent facets to be separated a distance q much shorter than permitted by prior art stacking arrangements because thermal and mechanical constraints characteristic of prior art stacks, are relaxed considerably in the offset arrangement. Power densities of 2000 watts/cm.sup.2 (cw) are achieved with spacings of 0.6 mm between adjacent laser bars, a ten fold increase in power density over in-plane (prior art) positioning of like components.

Laser diode arrays and arrays of laser diode bars are commercially available. Such arrays are fabricated typically by mounting individual laser diodes onto the top surface of a heat sink such that the emitting facet of the laser directs coherent light typically through a microlens positioned to collimate that light.
When individual laser diodes are stacked, the heat sinks are separated by a layer of electrically insulating material having a thickness equal to that of the laser diode and the insulating layer as well as the top of the laser diode are covered by a layer of electrically conducting material to which the adjacent heat sink is connected. The individual laser diodes (components) are aligned with one another in the stack such that all the emitting facets are in a single plane which is the same plane occupied by the end faces of the heat sinks.
In such arrangements, adjacent components are placed as close together as possible. But the minimum spacing, q, between adjacent components (i.e. the laser diodes or the light beams emitted thereby) is determined by the thickness of the components and the heat dissipating capacity of the stack. The best available separation between adjacent components in the stack (or array), whether the components are individual laser diodes or laser diode bars, is 1.2 mm which is capable of producing a power density of 200 watts/sq cm (cw). A characteristic of prior art stacks is that q=p.

Laser diode arrays with offset components


Apparatus for supplying a fluid comprising a pipe having at least one aperture through a wall of the pipe, each of the at least one apertures comprising a first portion in an inner surface of the wall, a second portion in an outer surface of the wall, the first portion intersecting the second portion to form an opening, the first portion having a first cross-sectional area at the inner surface that is greater than a second cross-sectional area of the opening; wherein the first cross-sectional area and the second cross-sectional area have a first ratio within a first predetermined range so as to enable fluid flowing through the pipe at a predetermined flow rate to exert a predetermined pressure to spray fluid from the at least one aperture to atmosphere and also to flush the first portion.

Pipe systems used in such as, for example, fluid circulation systems, require regular maintenance to keep the systems in efficient working order. The pipe system may comprise a plurality of fluid outlets where deposits accumulate in a circumferential surface of each of the plurality of fluid outlets.
In pipe systems used in such as, for example, water supply systems or crop irrigation systems, it is important that all the deposits are removed from the fluid outlets to maintain a smooth flow in the system.
Specialized labour is required to clean the fluid outlets. Such maintenance is costly and is a substantial expense to businesses when the number of systems to be serviced is high.
Also, the manufacturing process normally requires the drilling and tapping of holes, then manual insertion of outlet nozzles. This can be time consuming, and expensive.

Method and apparatus for supplying a fluid


A stand-alone station such as a kiosk (10) includes automated equipment for performing eye examination procedures on a user positioned in the station (11). Information derived from the examination determines possible existence of a correctable medical condition. The station includes a user interface (22) and a fulfillment remedy section (30) that addresses the medical condition, as by fabrication of eyeglasses (32) for correction of refraction error, or by communicating treatments through the user interface to the user for treating such conditions as age-related macula degeneration, Alzheimer's disease, or visual field impairment. The station also includes a payment device (24) allowing the user to directly pay for the procedure and to indirectly pay using identified health insurance coverage.

Currently, in the case of a health problem a patient goes to the medical specialist where the patient undergoes a series of tests in order to formulate a diagnosis, based on which a treatment can be prescribed. Often the patient has to go through several visits to different specialists and then to the place where the treatment could be delivered. Acquiring eyewear to correct the problem of vision loss is an example of the current standard health care practice. Although such practice provides a high quality solution for the common health care problems, it has several limitations and shortcomings. Among them are cost, duration of time before the problem is detected and corrected, and inapplicability for the counties where the health care systems are not well established and operated, and are lacking well-trained specialists. The latter is especially obvious in developing nations where the shortage of health care specialists, funding, and equipment results in serious problems for the population's health. To overcome those shortcomings systems are being developed that can perform several steps related to testing or diagnostics in an automatic fashion. In the area of optometry, for example, there exist several devices that perform automatic measurement of the refractive errors. These devices are known as Autorefractometers. For example, the Auto Refractometer Model KA-1000, manufactured by Kowa Optimed Inc., Torrance, Calif., which is an ophthalmic products division of Kowa Company, Japan, is used to automatically specify a corrective prescription of glasses or contact lenses for a user. Another device, Luneau L62-3D, manufactured by LUNEAU S.A., France, in addition to measuring refractive errors of the lens, provides an estimation of the optical properties and topography of cornea, which is particularly useful for a proper contact lens prescription. The systems, which perform higher order aberration measurements employing a wave front sensor, are currently being sold and further developed. Such a device is being developed by Ophthonix, Inc., San Diego, Calif. The Ophthonix device is described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,761,454 and it shines light into the eye and measures changes in the wave properties of the light reflected back by the retina. From these changes, the apparatus can calculate the measurements on any existing irregularities of the eye lens.
Automatic measurement of refractive errors or higher order aberrations enables performance of necessary diagnostics of the person's vision in terms of the prescription lenses. Devices of this type can be operated by an assistant who requires only a limited training or by the user. However, such devices are not capable of automatically producing corrective eyewear, which is a highly desirable attribute for countries line China and India, where a large percentage of the population with the near- or far-sightedness lacks an access to the prescription eyewear.
In order to provide prescription eye-ware, presently an optometrist or an eye professional performs a variety of measurements including bridge size, inter-pupillary distance, temple length, eye size and visual axis measurements, in addition to the measurements of refractive errors and/or higher order aberrations, which could be done automatically as described above. Usually, the optometrist performs a process of fitting the eyewear to the person's head, which may be time consuming. This operation is done to properly adjust the frame to the person's facial structure.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,682,195 discloses a method of measuring parameters required for fitting of an eyeglasses frame using digital cameras. Examination of the eye is not only used for prescribing corrective eyewear, but can be also used for screening and diagnosing a variety of ophthalmologic diseases, such as cataract, uveitis, glaucoma, macula degeneration, visual field changes and others.
High resolution longitudinal and depth imaging can be performed by optical coherence tomography (OCT) as described in articles "Optical Coherence Tomography" by D. Huang et al., Science 254, (1991), pp. 1178-1181; and "Optical Coherence Tomography" by A. F. Fercher, in Journal of Biomedical Optics Vol. 1, No. 2, April 1996, pp. 157-173. An OCT based instrument called StratusOCT is now commercially available from Carl Zeiss Meditec, Jena, Germany which produces OCT cross sectional images of the retina for objective measurement and clinical evaluation for the detection of glaucoma and retinal diseases. Examples of OCT apparatus for longitudinal and transverse imaging are described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,493,109; 5,537,162; 5,491,524; 5,469,261; 5,321,501; and 5,459,570. Another example, U.S. Pat. No. 6,293,674 discloses the use of optical coherence tomography (OCT) system for diagnosing glaucoma while examining the eye. This patent describes an apparatus that images the patient's retina to determine the parameters of the retinal nerve fiber layer, such as thickness, relevant to glaucoma.
It is also known that eye exams may lead to detecting other illnesses. Alzheimer's disease, mental disorders, diabetes, cancer and drug usage were found to generate changes in the eye and eye behavior. For example, in the U.S. Patent Application Publication Ser. No. 2002/0182152 A1 described a method of diagnosing Alzheimer's disease by applying a dynamic light scattering probe to the eye lens of the mammals. In research studies it was found that the beta amyloid proteins that form plague in the brain in Alzheimer's patients tend to aggregate in the eye lens which increases the light scattering characteristics of the lens and can be therefore detected at the early stage of the illness.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,704,588 discloses a method and an apparatus for non-invasive determination of blood glucose levels by performing measurements in the eye using light polarization effects.
The above systems provide measurements related to the condition of the eye with respect to a number of illnesses and health status but do not provide any automated means of fulfillment.
There is therefore a need for systems that will provide automated diagnosis of medical conditions, related to vision, ophthalmologic diseases as well as other types of health conditions, and that will automatically provide the necessary fulfillment of the patient's needs as dictated by the automated diagnosis. The present invention satisfies this need.
The foregoing and other objects, features, and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following more particular description of the preferred embodiments of the invention, as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.

Health care kiosk having automated diagnostic eye examination and a fulfillment remedy based thereon


This invention describes two products both with a plain, fine textured, nonperforated surface visual consisting of a fiberboard substrate with or without a laminated porous nonwoven scrim and then a finished painted surface. The finish painted surface decorates or finishes the board, but most important, must remain acoustically transparent to retain the sound absorption properties of the fiberboard prior to painting. The fiberboard substrate is made to be porous or modified with hole perforations to cause it to be a good sound absorber. If the fiberboard substrate is sufficiently porous without hole perforations, then the sprayable, high solids, porous paint can be directly applied. If hole perforations are used to improve the sound absorption properties of the board substrate, then a porous, nonwoven scrim is attached and painted using the same high solids porous paint. This painted scrim must be sufficiently optically opaque to hide the hole punched board, yet sufficiently open to render it acoustically transparent. The inventions also include the paint coating alone or the paint/scrim coating alone.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The invention is directed to an improved acoustical fiberboard and the coating therefor. Methods for obtaining high noise reduction coefficients (NRC) are well known. NRC values are secured by using ASTM test C423-90a to measure the NRC of a product. Fiberglass is known to be a good sound absorber since it has high porosity. It can be decorated with a surface layer of laminated fabrics or painted scrims requiring only a minimal openness in the surface layer for sound to pass through and be absorbed in the substrate.
To make an acoustically high NRC (= or >65) product using a wood or mineral fiberboard substrate, the board porosity must be high. Finish paint applied directly to the board also must not form a continuous film closing off the board surface. Normally this occurs thus lowering the NRC. A method generally used to increase the NRC is hole punching and surface perforations.
The desired product herein is to have a high NRC with a plain, fine textured, nonperforated surface visual. If a sanded and painted fiberboard without surface perforations and scrim is the construction, then the porosity of the paint layer must be equal or greater than the porosity of the board in order to retain the sound absorption properties of the board. The special paint that enables high application rates providing adequate coverage while remaining porous is the subject of this invention. Attaining a high porosity and NRC = or >65 is not easily accomplished with fiberboard without sacrificing other material properties such as strength and hardness.
If hole punching the fiberboard is needed to achieve the NRC = or >65, then a facing layer is necessary in order to make a plain, nonperforated surface visual. Porous nonwoven scrims are attached for this purpose. Again a special paint is necessary to cover the scrim to make it optically opaque. Opacity is needed to hide the holes yet it must be acoustically transparent. The combination of the scrim and special paint herein is also the subject of this invention.

Plain surface acoustical product and coating therefor


A new method for displaying electrical properties for integrated circuit (IC) layout designs provides for improved human visualization of those properties and comparison of as designed layout design parameters to as specified layout design parameters and to as manufactured layout parameters. The method starts with a circuitry as designed layout in a first digital format, extracts values for electrical properties from that circuitry as designed layout then annotates those values back into the first digital format. The annotated circuitry as designed layout is then converted from the first digital format to a second digital format that can be converted to a raster scan image of the extracted and annotated electrical property values superimposed at their corresponding physical locations onto a physical layout image of the integrated circuit, preferably color-coded to further spotlight potential defects. The visual images are compared to as specified layout design parameters and to as manufactured parameters.

The present invention relates generally to methods for identifying, during the design stage of integrated circuits (ICs) and semiconductor wafers, electrical properties likely to cause defects in those devices when manufactured, and more specifically to visually displaying those potential defects such that they are more easily identified.
Integrated circuit design can be divided into three stages: circuitry as specified, circuitry as designed and circuitry as manufactured.
Circuitry as specified is a somewhat abstracted circuit design made with knowledge of the latest state of the art integrated circuit manufacturing capabilities. It represents what a designer wants the chip to do. The final output of the circuitry as specified process typically is a register transfer level (RTL) description, or RTL design.
Circuitry as designed is a computer generated representation of the physical layout of an IC designed to achieve the goals of the circuitry as specified design. It's typically developed using such computer tools as CADENCE software. The final output of the circuitry as designed process is a so-called tapeout file ready to be sent to an IC foundry to be made into physical ICs.
Circuitry as manufactured is, of course, final manufactured ICs.
Because both circuitry as specified and circuitry as designed stages are performed pushing the envelope, so to speak, of then latest state of the art IC manufacturing capabilities, defects, both actual and potential, often occur. It's desirable, of course, to detect those defects as early in the design process as possible, preferably during the circuitry as designed stage and not after the circuitry as manufactured stage.
Unfortunately, when commercially available additional software is applied to the circuitry as designed process to identify resulting electrical properties, the output files typically are huge ASCII files suitable for printing only on numerous sheets of 14 inch perforated green bar paper. They are both difficult to read and overwhelming.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,260,810 to Filippi, Jr., et al. describes analyzing circuitry as designed designs by discretizing a design structure into pixel elements representative of the physical design structure and determining at least one physical structural property from each pixel element. Each pixel element corresponds generally to a portion of an IC chip area.
The Filippi, Jr., et al. invention is very broadly described, including many broadly claimed variations, but with very little description of any details required to implement either its most general description or any of the claimed variations.
Related U.S. Pat. No. 7,346,470 to Wisniewski (now Lanzerotti) et al. and U.S. Pat. No. 7,752,581 to Lanzerotti et al. describe methods for identifying high risk factors in circuit design data, including by correlating actual defects in as manufactured ICs and semiconductor wafers with original circuit design data.
The two Lanzerotti et al. patents do not describe how to then best use that information for spotlighting those high risk factors in circuit design data during the circuitry as designed stage. Nor do they describe methods for identifying high risk factors in circuit design data without having to first manufacture the ICs to reveal defects.
All three of U.S. Pat. Nos. 7,260,810, 7,346,470 and 7,752,581 are incorporated by reference into this description.
There is, therefore, a need for better approaches for identifying high risk factors in IC circuit designs during the circuitry as designed stage and spotlighting those high risk factors for faster and easier identification by designers.

System and method for identifying electrical properties of integrate circuits

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


Multimetal oxide materials containing molybdenum, vanadium, copper and one or more of the elements tungsten, niobium, tantalum, chromium and cerium and having a multiphase structure, and their use for the preparation of acrylic acid from acrolein by gas-phase catalytic oxidation, and oxometallates of the HT Cu molybdate structure type which contain Cu, Mo and at least one of the elements W, V, Nb and Ta.

Field of the Invention
Multimetal oxide materials
The present invention relates to multimetal oxide materials of the general formula I EQU A!.sub.p B!.sub.q (I),
where
A is Mo.sub.12 v.sub.a x.sub.b.sup.1 x.sub.c.sup.2 x.sub.d .sup.3 x.sub.e.sup.4 x.sub.f.sup.5 x.sub.g.sup.6 o.sub.x (active phase),
B is x.sub.12.sup.7 Cu .sub.h H.sub.i O.sub.y (promoter phase),
x.sup.1 is W, Nb, Ta, Cr and/or Ce, preferably W, Nb and/or Cr,
x.sup.2 is Cu, Ni, Co, Fe, Mn and/or Zn, preferably Cu, Ni, Co and/or
Fe,
x.sup.3 is Sb and/or Bi, preferably Sb,
x.sup.4 is Li, Na, K, Rb, Cs and/or H, preferably Na and/or K, x.sup.5 is Mg, Ca, Sr and/or Ba, preferably Ca, Sr and/or Ba, x.sup.6 is Si, Al, Ti and/or Zr, preferably Si, Al and/or Ti,
x.sup.7 is Mo, W, V, Nb and/or Ta, preferably Mo and/or W,
a is from 1 to 8, preferably from 2 to 6,
b is from 0.2 to 5, preferably from 0.5 to 2.5,
c is from 0 to 23, preferably from 0 to 4,
d is from 0 to 50, preferably from 0 to 3,
e is from 0 to 2, preferably from 0 to 0.3,
f is from 0 to 5, preferably from 0 to 2,
g is from 0 to 50, preferably from 0 to 20,
h is from 4 to 30, preferably from 6 to 24, particularly preferably from 9 to 17,
i is from 0 to 20, preferably from 0 to 10,
x and y are each numbers which are determined by the valency
and frequency of the elements other than oxygen in I and
and q are non-zero numbers whose ratio p/q is from 160-1 to
1:1, preferably from 20:1 to 1:1, particularly preferably
from 15:1 to 4:1, which contain the component A!.sub.p in the form of three-dimensional regions A which are delimited with respect to their local environment owing to their chemical composition differing from their local environment and are of the chemical composition EQU A Mo.sub.12 v.sub.a x.sub.b.sup.1 x.sub.c.sup.2 x.sub.d.sup.3 x.sub.e.sup.4 x.sub.f.sup.5 x.sub.g.sup.6 O.sub.x
and the component B!.sub.q in the form of three-dimensional regions B which are delimited from their local environment owing to their chemical composition differing from their local environment and are of the chemical composition EQU B x.sub.12.sup.7 Cu.sub.h H.sub.i O.sub.y
where the regions A and B are distributed relative to one another as in a mixture of finely divided A and finely divided B, with the proviso that the regions B contain crystallites of oxometallates of the general formula II EQU Cu Mo.sub.A W.sub.B V.sub.C Nb.sub.D Ta.sub.E O.sub.Y (II),
where 1/(A+B+C+D+E) is from 0.7 to 1.3, preferably from 0.85 to 1.15,
particularly preferably from 0.95 to 1.05, very
particularly preferably 1, (B+C+D+E)/A is from 0.01 to 1, preferably from 0.05 to 0.3,
particularly preferably from 0.075 to 0.15 and
very particularly preferably 0.11 and
Y is a number which is determined by the valency and frequency of the elements other than oxygen in II, of a novel structure type which is defined below by means of its x-ray diffraction pattern (fingerprint). The characteristic and most intense diffraction lines of the novel structure type are shown in the form of interplanar spacings d.ANG.! independent of the wavelength of the X-rays used:
______________________________________ d .ANG.! Intensity %! ______________________________________ 3.40 .+-. 0.3 100 3.54 .+-. 0.3 72 2.27 .+-. 0.2 39 6.79 .+-. 0.3 32 2.56 .+-. 0.2 25 1.57 .+-. 0.2 22 1.87 .+-. 0.2 19 2.96 .+-. 0.3 18 3.56 .+-. 0.3 18 1.64 .+-. 0.2 17 2.66 .+-. 0.2 16 1.59 .+-. 0.2 16 1.55 .+-. 0.2 16 2.67 .+-. 0.2 14 2.00 .+-. 0.2 14 3.04 .+-. 0.3 13 1.57 .+-. 0.2 11 2.36 .+-. 0.2 11 1.44 .+-. 0.2 11 1.70 .+-. 0.2 10 1.51 .+-. 0.2 10 2.35 .+-. 0.2 10 ______________________________________
The stated intensities are relative reference values and are based on the diffraction line having the strongest intensity. Intensity is understood here as meaning the maximum amplitude of the x-ray diffraction band. The associated diffraction angles .crclbar. are obtained from the Bragg relationship: EQU sin .crclbar.=.lambda./2d,
where .lambda. is the wavelength of the x-rays used for x-ray diffraction The above data are based on the powder pattern of an oxometallate Cu.sub.1 Mo.sub.0.9 W.sub.0.1 O.sub.4. The corresponding x-ray pattern was produced on a Siemens D-5000 diffractometer using Cu K.alpha. radiation (40 kV, 30 mA, .lambda.=1.5406 .ANG.). The diffractometer was equipped with an automatic divergence, antidiffusion and counter collimator and a Peltier detector. Regarding the stated line intensities, it should be noted that, in contrast to the position of the lines, the relative line intensities are markedly influenced, in a manner known per se to a person skilled in the art, by the individual crystal orientations established in various preparations for powder analysis, on the basis of the anisotropy of the crystal form, and are therefore less significant for identification of the novel structure type. The quantitative intensities stated above are therefore to be understood as typical values which may vary by up to .+-.50% (based on the stated values) in the case of the lines of strongest intensity (30 -100%, based on the line of strongest intensity).
The novel structure type is to be defined below as HT (High Temperature) copper molybdate type, and crystallites of oxometallates II of the novel structure type defined above are to be referred to as crystallites B*.
The present invention also relates to the oxometallates II themselves and processes for the preparation of oxometallates II and of multimetal oxide materials I. The present invention furthermore relates to the use of oxometallates II or multimetal oxide materials I for catalytic gas-phase oxidations of low molecular weight organic compounds.


A receiving device for receiving PLC signals, including a filtering stage linked to an input of the receiving device and configurable in at least two modes including a default mode, wherein the filtering stage passes at least first PLC signals included in a first frequency band and second PLC signals included in a second frequency band separate from the first frequency band, and a first selection mode, in which the filtering stage passes the first PLC signals and stops the second PLC signals; and a processing circuit linked to the filtering stage and arranged to receive frames of PLC signals, and, for each received frame, to analyse a preamble of the frame, and to dynamically configure the filtering stage in the first selection mode if the frame is a frame of first PLC signals.

Some modern electric meters are designed to communicate via power-line communication ("PLC") and therefore to transmit and receive PLC signals. The G3-PLC protocol has particularly been developed recently to allow optimized management of the so-called "smart" grids.
The PLC according to this protocol mainly uses three frequency bands: the CENELEC A band (frequencies between 35 kHz and 91 kHz), the FCC band (frequencies between 154 kHz and 488 kHz) and the ARIB band (frequencies between 154 kHz and 484 kHz). Other frequency bands can be envisaged, such as the CENELEC B band (frequencies between 98 kHz and 122 kHz). Chinese manufacturers are currently working on a future band G3 M (frequencies between 100 kHz and 2 to 3 MHz).
Each of these frequency bands is defined by a standards body of a country or of a specific continent, and it is therefore intended firstly to be used in this country or in this continent. Thus, the CENELEC A and CENELEC B bands are mainly used in Europe, the FCC band in the United States and the ARIB band in Japan. However, power grids exist that are shared by several frequency bands.
It is understood that it would be very interesting, from an economical point of view, to have available an electric meter that can be used both in a power grid on which a first frequency band is used, for example the CENELEC A band, and in a power grid on which a second frequency band is used, for example the FCC band. Such an electric meter could thus be sold in several countries without changing the PLC interface.
It is also understood that, in the instance where several frequency bands, for example the CENELEC A frequency band and the FCC frequency band, share a same power grid, it is essential for the electric meter to be capable of communicating by using all of these frequency bands or, at the very least, by using a single frequency band but without being disrupted by the presence of the other frequency bands.
However, using such an electric meter is not an easy task. Notably, it is known that the presence, in a power grid, of PLC signals in the FCC band, has a substantial negative impact on the receiving quality of an electric meter provided to communicate in the CENELEC A band.