The present invention concerns a method of replenishing an ascorbic acid developer used for developing silver halide photographic products.. The method of the invention comprises the treatment of the developer by means of a resin having a greater selectivity for bromide ions than for carbonate ions and the replenishment of this developer by means of a solution, the concentration of the main components of which is predetermined in accordance with the quantity of developed silver.. This invention simplifies the replenishment of ascorbic acid developers.

When silver halide photographic products are developed with a photographic developer, the chemical composition of the developer changes over time (consumption of chemical products), necessitating the use of replenishment solutions. These replenishment solutions make it possible to maintain effective concentrations of chemical compounds in the developer.
During development, another phenomenon disturbs the composition of the developer and consequently its effectiveness. This is because, during the development of silver halide photographic products, the developer becomes enriched with halide ions coming from the photographic product. When these ions are bromide or iodide ions, they considerably slow down the image development speed.
These developers whose chemical composition has been changed through use are called "seasoned developers".
Developers initially contain a certain quantity of bromide; an additional quantity of bromide or iodide ions is released during development. It is important to maintain the bromide or iodide concentration of the developer within certain limits. Otherwise, the bromide or iodide concentration in the developer would increase continuously, which would rapidly make the developer unusable.
It is already known that the bromide or iodide ions released during development in dye coupling developers can be removed with an ion exchange resin.
EP-A-178539 describes a method for treating a seasoned developer with an anion exchanger which contains OH groups as exchangeable groups.
The article "Developer recycling--A new generation", H. Meckl, Journal of Imaging Technology, 13, 1987, 3, 85-89, describes a system in which the effluent at the outlet of the developing tank is poured into a holding tank. It then passes through an ion exchange resin in order to remove the bromide ions. Regenerating chemicals are added to this effluent, now devoid of bromide ions. The replenisher/regenerated solution thus obtained can be re-used as a developer.
EP-A-609940 describes a method for treating a silver halide photographic product in which the seasoned developer is treated in order to remove the seasoning ions. Then a quantity of maintenance compounds is added which is sufficiently small not to cause an overflow. The method is characterized in that the seasoned developer is treated with means which make it possible to remove in a continuous manner all the bromide ions and to maintain this zero concentration during the processing of photographic films. According to this reference, bromide ions can be removed by means of ion exchange resins. These resins are of the anionic, strongly basic type. The preferred resins being resins of the anionic type consisting of a polystyrene matrix cross-linked, for example, with divinylbenzene, comprising quaternary ammonium groups.
Also, in the noted reference, the affinity of the resins with respect to bromide, sulfite and sulfate was studied by treating a KODAK Process C-41 color developer. However, it gives no indication as to the performance of the system or the affinity of the resins which can be used.
Although these techniques for treating seasoned developers with ion exchange resins are known, it is impossible to choose from the commercially available resins an ion exchange resin which is particularly appropriate for treating a particular developer. The technical information for the different commercial resins contains only general indications of structure or a particular application. Anionic resins, cationic resins, acrylic resins, styrene resins, cross-linked or not, for example, cross-linked with divinylbenzene, do exist. These resins can be of the gel type that have a natural porosity, or of the macroporous type to which are added, when polymerization takes place, a pore-forming substance that forms an artificial porosity inside the resin.
Ion exchange resins are generally developed for the treatment of water. The diversity and concentration of ions in water are not comparable to those of the different ions present in a photographic developer.
Moreover, there are a large number of photographic developers, for example, dye coupling developers, hydroquinone developers, ascorbic acid developers, etc. These developers have complex and very different chemical compositions, and they contain a large number of ionic and organic substances in very variable quantity. The presence of organic compounds can rapidly cause poisoning of the resin, which is then ineffective in retaining ionic substances, particularly bromide ions.
It is because of this lack of selectivity of resins that it is impossible to use them to treat a black-and-white developer containing hydroquinone. In addition, the selectivity of the resins is dependent on the concentration of the different ions contained in the solution to be treated.
If these different developers are to be treated by means of anion exchange resins, the problem is to choose an effective resin from those available.
A person skilled in the art who wishes to develop a system for treating an ascorbic acid photographic developer in order to avoid the effects of seasoning has no choice but to test a large number of anion exchange resins in order to choose the most effective one.
It is indeed desirable to be able to identify in a simple and economical manner ion exchange resins which, when they are used for the treatment of a seasoned ascorbic acid developer, have improved effectiveness, that is to say a resin making it possible to treat, for a given volume, a larger volume of developer.
Certain resins have an improved effectiveness in removing bromide ions in the treatment of ascorbic acid developers, and this improved effectiveness is closely linked with the affinity of this resin for bromide ions in the presence of carbonate ions, even when the concentration of carbonate ions is much higher than the concentration of bromide ions.

Method for replenishing an ascorbic acid developer


A boot bra for securing an upper portion of a boot while worn by a user can include an elastic band in the form of or configurable as a ring. The elastic band can be in the form of a continuous ring or can have a first wrap engagement member (e.g., hooks) mounted at a first end and a second wrap engagement member (e.g., loops into which the hooks can be latched) mounted at a second end of the elastic band and configured to securely engage the first wrap engagement member when the elastic band is wrapped around a human leg to form the ring. A first boot-to-band engagement member (e.g., snap member) is mounted to the elastic band; and a boot mount includes a second boot-to-band engagement member (e.g., snap member) configured for secure engagement with the engagement member on the elastic band.

Boots are a popular form of footwear for both men and women. Many boots, particularly women's boots, do not have a particularly stiff construction and do not maintain their form when worn throughout the day, as the sidewalls of the boot may tend to slide down the wearer's leg. This "scrunching" of the boot may be uncomfortable for the wearer and may detract from the appearance of the boot.


Apparatus, computer readable medium, circuits, and method of reducing power in sending signals over two or more wires are disclosed. The method includes receiving two or more signals at a first end of the two or more wires. The method includes determining that the two or more signals should be encoded based at least on a previously received two or more signals. The method includes encoding the two or more signals. Additionally, the method includes sending the encoded two or more signals over the two or more wires. The method may include receiving the sent two or more signals at a second end of the two or more wires, and if the sent two or more signals were encoded, then decoding the two or more signals back to the values of the received two or more signals.

Signals are sent across wires in many applications to interconnect one or more electronic circuits. For example, signals are sent across wires in integrated circuits and printed circuit boards. Often, it is important to reduce the amount of power needed to send the signals across the wires, and it may be important to decrease the amount of time it takes to switch to different signals on the wires. The wires used to send the signals may be relatively close to one another and the wires may be relatively long.
Therefore, there is a need in the art for an apparatus, circuit, computer readable medium, and method of reducing power needed to send signals over wires.

Reducing power needed to send signals over wires


A method may include receiving an event from an event source. The event may correspond to event data. The event source may be a container executing an image. The image may correspond to image metadata including attributes describing the image. The method may further include combining the event data with the image metadata to obtain enriched data, detecting, using the enriched data, a deviation from a policy, and in response to detecting the deviation from the policy, performing an action to enforce the policy.

Ensuring coherent behavior in a distributed system including multiple computing nodes can be challenging. For example, an organization may seek to enforce policies (e.g., security and/or resource utilization policies) across clusters of computing nodes in a distributed system. The policies may apply to computing nodes individually and/or as a group. It is desirable to provide a capability for timely detection of deviations from policies and timely responses to such policy deviations.

Integrated event processing and policy enforcement


Abnormality of a vehicle is detected while the vehicle is being parked. System normality is set when a tank internal pressure is K2 or more for time T1 or more. System abnormality is set when the tank internal pressure is K3 (K3<K2) or more and less than K2 after time T1 and a tank internal temperature variation is less than C1. System interim abnormality is set when an interim abnormality counter reaches M1. The interim abnormality counter is incremented when the tank internal pressure is less than K3 and other predetermined vehicle states suffice.

To enhance safety of a vehicle, malfunction diagnosis is executed by automatically detecting abnormality of the vehicle. The malfunction diagnosis is executed while the vehicle is traveling, i.e., while an engine electronic control unit (engine ECU) of the vehicle is running.
However, while the vehicle is traveling, vehicular states, such as an engine revolution speed, a vehicle speed, an intake air amount, an engine load, a cooling water temperature, and the like, vary too frequently for diagnosis condition to suffice. Frequency of the diagnosis thereby remains small. The engine ECU is therefore periodically diagnosed under a stable state of the vehicle while the vehicle is being parked. While the vehicle is being parked, the vehicle is not swinging or a cooling water temperature is low.
For the malfunction diagnosis during the parking, a function of periodically turning on the engine ECU while an ignition switch is turned off is provided in an in-vehicle device such as a power control device. Here, no power supply to a battery due to stopping the engine sometimes exhibits a problem.
Namely, to execute the diagnosis, an actuator must be activated, but repeatedly consuming power due to activating the actuator leads to shortage of electric voltage of the battery. Here, although decreasing power consumption of actuators used in the diagnosis can be a countermeasure to this, frequency of the diagnosis while the engine is turned off is yet limited.
In addition, a traveling state of the vehicle before being parked affects the diagnosis, so that a countermeasure to this is required. In detail, after long-hour traveling, an internal temperature of a fuel tank may remarkably increase, so that reaching a stable state of the vehicle involves a longer time interval. Here, since accurate diagnosis needs the stable state of the vehicle, a time interval for diagnosis, which is equivalent to a time interval for activating the engine ECU, must be set as being long. However, this exhibits another problem.
In detail, increasing the time interval for activating the engine ECU enables accurately detecting abnormality even after the long-hour traveling. It also enables decreasing frequency of activating the engine ECU. This results in little influence on the battery. However, decreasing frequency of diagnosis due to too long an interval makes it difficult to effectively detect abnormality.


A clamping device for a DIN rail is provided, in which a positioning blade spring is fixed on a base, a first positioning component and a second positioning component are disposed on a sliding element, and the sliding element moves relative to the base, so that the positioning blade spring is enabled to move from the second positioning component to the first positioning component for being fixed and positioned, so as to solve the problems of the prior art that the clamping device cannot be easily detached from the DIN rail and is easily damaged, thereby achieving the technique efficacies of simplifying the process of detaching the clamping device from the DIN rail and facilitating detaching the clamping device.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a clamping device, and more particularly to a clamping device having a positioning blade spring for positioning a sliding element between two positioning components.
2. Related Art
Generally, DIN rails have been widely applied to system equipments and various cases. To fix various electronic devices (such as a power supply) to the DIN rail detachably, the body of the removable electronic device is often provided with a clamping device, so that the electronic device can be easily fixed to the DIN rail with the aid of the clamping device.
Besides the clamping device disposed on the body of the electronic device, a clamping device clamped on the DIN rail may be further designed, so as to be used together with different removable electronic devices, so that various electronic devices are enabled to be applied on the DIN rail.
Currently, most of the clamping devices for DIN rails are configured into reciprocating structures, i.e., the clamping devices for DIN rails are clamped and fixed to the DIN rails through an elastic recovery force of elastic elements (i.e., a clamping force for clamping and fixing to the DIN rails). This design enables the clamping devices to be fixed on the DIN rails steadily.
However, the current clamping devices for DIN rails in a reciprocating structure lack of an effective detaching positioning design, i.e., the user cannot get to know whether the reciprocating clamping device can be detached from the DIN rail or not. When the user needs to detach the reciprocating clamping device from the DIN rail, since the reciprocating clamping device is clamped to the DIN rail through the clamping force produced by the elastic element, the user has to overcome the clamping force produced by the elastic element with one hand, and detach the clamping device with the other hand. During detaching, the user cannot apparently recognize whether the reciprocating clamping device can be detached from the DIN rail or not merely with naked eyes, which is quite disadvantageous for the user to operate when detaching.
In addition, if the force provided is not sufficient for overcoming the clamping force of the elastic element, the user cannot recognize whether the clamping device can be detached from the DIN rail or not, and if the clamping device is detached from the DIN rail by force, it may possibly damage the clamping device, or damage the DIN rail, which are problems of the current clamping device.
To sum up, the problems that the clamping device cannot be easily detached from the DIN rail and is easily damaged have been existed in the prior art for a long time, so that it's necessary to bring forward an enhanced technique to solve such problems.


A magnetic bias film 9 includes a magnetic bias magnet 11 that has magnetic layers and generates a magnetic field within a plane perpendicular to a lamination direction of the magnetic layers, which is manufactured in the shape of substantially a rectangular prism having a long side, a short side, and a thickness (in the lamination direction) in order of decreasing lengths. A ratio of the long side with respect to the short side of the magnetic bias magnet 11 in length is in a range of 5 to 200.

A magnetic sensor in the related art is disclosed, for example, in JP-A-2003-14458. FIG. 19 is a perspective view showing a magnetic sensor in the related art. FIG. 20 is a cross section taken along the line II-II′ of the magnetic sensor in the related art shown in FIG. 19.
The magnetic sensor is of a configuration including a Wheatstone bridge circuit 3 comprising four detecting elements 2A through 2D provided on the top surface of a substrate 1, a holder 4 holding the substrate 1 to cover the substrate 1 having the Wheatstone bridge circuit, and a first coil 5A and a second coil 5B comprising conductive wires wound around the holder 4 a specific number of turns and applying magnetic biases that are orthogonal to each other.
Because this magnetic sensor uses the first coil 5A and the second coil 5B wound around the holder 4 as means for applying magnetic biases, it is increased in size and a reduction in size cannot be readily achieved. Also, in order to generate magnetic fields, it is necessary to flow a current through each of the first coil 5A and the second coil 5B, and power consumption is consequently increased.
Also, for example, WO 03/056276 discloses a method of using magnetic bias films formed of a thin film of magnet as means for applying magnetic biases.
This magnetic sensor can solve the problem discussed above because it does not use coils but it uses magnetic bias films formed of substantially a square thin film of magnet when viewed in plan as means for applying magnetic biases.
In order to further reduce the magnetic sensor in size, the magnetic bias film has to be reduced in size as well. To this end, it is necessary to make the bottom area of the magnetic bias film smaller.
In this case, however, a magnetic field generated by the magnetic bias film becomes smaller, and there arises a problem that a desired magnetic field cannot be obtained. Further, when a large magnetic field is applied to such a magnetic bias film from the outside, the orientation of the magnetic bias is affected, and there arises a problem that an output of the magnetic sensor is affected.

Magnetic bias film and magnetic sensor using the same

Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.


Semiconductor devices and fabrication methods are provided, in which metal transistor replacement gates are provided for CMOS transistors. The process provides dual or differentiated work function capability (e.g., for PMOS and NMOS transistors) in CMOS processes.

Field effect transistors (FETs) are widely used in the electronics industry for switching, amplification, filtering, and other tasks related to both analog and digital electrical signals. Most common among these are metal-oxide-semiconductor field-effect transistors (MOSFETs), wherein a gate electrode is energized to create an electric field in a channel region of a semiconductor body, by which electrons are allowed to travel through the channel between a source region and a drain region of the semiconductor body. The source and drain regions are typically formed by adding dopants to targeted regions on either side of the channel. A gate dielectric or gate oxide is formed over the channel, and a gate electrode or gate contact is formed over the gate dielectric. The gate dielectric and gate electrode layers are then patterned to form a gate structure overlying the channel region of the substrate.
In operation of the resulting MOS transistor, the threshold voltage (Vt) is the gate voltage value required to render the channel conductive by formation of an inversion layer at the surface of the semiconductor channel. Complementary MOS (CMOS) devices have become widely used in the semiconductor industry, wherein both n-channel and p-channel (NMOS and PMOS) transistors are used to fabricate logic and other circuitry. For enhancement-mode (e.g., normally off) devices the threshold voltage Vt is positive for NMOS and negative for PMOS transistors. The threshold voltage is dependent upon the flat-band voltage, where the flat-band voltage depends on the work function difference between the gate and the substrate materials, as well as on surface charge.
The work function of a material is a measure of the energy required to move an electron in the material outside of a material atom from the Fermi level, and is usually expressed in electron volts (eV). For CMOS products, it is desirable to provide predictable, repeatable, and stable threshold voltages (Vt) for the NMOS and PMOS transistors. To establish Vt values, the work functions of the PMOS and NMOS gate contact and the corresponding channel materials are independently tuned or adjusted through gate and channel engineering, respectively.
Gate stack engineering is employed to adjust the work function of the gate contact materials, where different gate work function values are set for PMOS and NMOS gates. The need to independently adjust PMOS and NMOS gate work functions has made polysilicon attractive for use as a gate contact material in CMOS processes, since the work function of polysilicon can be easily raised or lowered by doping the polysilicon with p-type or n-type impurities, respectively. The PMOS polysilicon gates are typically doped with p-type impurities and the NMOS polysilicon gates are typically doped with n-type dopants, typically during implantation of the respective source/drain regions following gate patterning. In this way, the final gate work functions are typically near the Si conduction band edge for NMOS and near the valence band edge for PMOS. The provision of dopants into the polysilicon also has the benefit of increasing the conductivity of the gate electrode. Polysilicon has thus far been widely used in the fabrication of CMOS devices, wherein the gate engineering provides a desired gate electrode conductivity (e.g., sheet resistance value) by conventional tuning (e.g., implants), and the threshold voltage fine tuning is achieved by tailoring the channel doping level through the Vt adjust implants.
FIG. 1 illustrates a conventional CMOS fabrication process 10 beginning at 12, in which front-end processing is performed at 14, including well formation and isolation processing. At 16 and 18, channel engineering is performed (e.g., Vt adjust, punch-thru, and channel stop implants) for PMOS and NMOS regions, respectively. A thin gate dielectric and an overlying polysilicon layer are formed at 20 and 22, respectively, and the polysilicon is patterned at 24 to form gate structures for the prospective NMOS and PMOS transistors. The gate structures are then encapsulated at 26, typically through oxidation, and highly-doped drain (HDD) implants are performed at 28 to provide p-type dopants to prospective source/drains of the PMOS regions and n-type dopants to source/drains of the NMOS regions, using the patterned gate structures and isolation structures as an implantation mask. Sidewall spacers are then formed at 30 along the lateral sidewalls of the gate structures.
At 32, the PMOS source/drain regions and the PMOS polysilicon gate structures are implanted with p-type dopants to further define the PMOS source/drains, and to render the PMOS gates conductive. Similarly, the NMOS source/drain regions and the NMOS polysilicon gate structures are implanted at 34 with n-type dopants, further defining the NMOS source/drains and rendering the NMOS gates conductive. Thereafter, the source/drains and gates are silicided at 36 and back-end processing (e.g., interconnect metalization, etc.) is performed at 38, before the process 10 ends at 40. In the conventional process 10, the channel engineering implants at 16 and 18 shift the Vt of the PMOS and NMOS channel regions, respectively, to compensate for the changes in the PMOS and NMOS polysilicon gate work functions resulting from the source/drain implants at 32 and 34, respectively. In this manner, the desired work function difference between the gates and channels may be achieved for the resulting PMOS and NMOS transistors, and hence the desired threshold voltages.
The gate dielectric or gate oxide between the channel and the gate electrode is an insulator material, typically SiO2 or other dielectric, that operates to prevent current from flowing from the gate electrode into the channel when a voltage is applied to the gate electrode. The gate dielectric also allows an applied gate voltage to establish an electric field in the channel region in a controllable manner. Continuing trends in semiconductor product manufacturing include reduction in electrical device feature sizes (scaling), as well as improvements in device performance in terms of device switching speed and power consumption. MOS transistor performance may be improved by reducing the distance between the source and the drain regions under the gate electrode of the device, known as the gate or channel length, and by reducing the thickness of the layer of gate dielectric that is formed over the semiconductor surface.
However, there are electrical and physical limitations on the extent to which SiO2 gate dielectrics can be made thinner. These include gate leakage currents tunneling through the thin gate oxide, limitations on the ability to form very thin oxide films with uniform thickness, and the inability of very thin SiO2 gate dielectric layers to prevent dopant diffusion from the gate polysilicon into the underlying channel. Accordingly, recent scaling efforts have focused on high-k dielectric materials having dielectric constants greater than that of SiO2, which can be formed in a thicker layer than scaled SiO2, and yet which produce equivalent field effect performance. A thicker high-k dielectric layer can thus be formed to avoid or mitigate tunneling leakage currents, while still achieving the required electrical performance equivalent (e.g., capacitance value) to a thinner SiO2.
It has also been proposed to utilize hafnium-based high-k dielectric materials in combination with a lanthanide series metal to lower the work function of metal gates. The lanthanide series metal is provided as a distinct surface layer over the high-k dielectric material. This proposal, however, increases the overall equivalent oxide thickness (EOT) of the layer of gate oxide.
Another shortcoming of scaled CMOS devices having polysilicon gate contacts is known as polysilicon depletion. Polysilicon depletion occurs when annealing or other thermal back-end processing following the implants at 32 and 34 is insufficient to drive enough implanted impurities down the entire depth of the polysilicon gate structures. In this situation, with this limited doping concentration and under the proper biasing of the gate, a bottom portion of the polysilicon gate contact near the gate dielectric is "depleted" of charges, and acts as an insulator. The depleted portion of the gate contact and the gate dielectric operate as series connected capacitors, resulting in a reduced effective gate capacitance, which reduces the drive current capability of the device. Consequently, polysilicon depletion causes reduction in device performance which leads to poor unscalable devices. Simply increasing the implant energy and/or anneal time to combat polysilicon depletion has adverse results, in that the corresponding depths of the concurrently implanted source/drain regions are increased.
With the relatively thick gate dielectrics and gate electrode structures of the past, polysilicon depletion was not critical to ensuring desired device performance. However, as gate dielectrics and gate electrodes continue to become smaller through scaling, the polysilicon depletion problem is more pronounced, wherein polysilicon depletion regions of 3 to 4 angstroms become a significant fraction of the overall effective gate thickness. Thus, while polysilicon gate electrodes have previously offered flexibility in providing dual work functions at the band edges for CMOS processes, the future viability of conventional polysilicon gate technology is lessened as scaling efforts continue. Accordingly, attention has recently been directed again to the possibility of using metal gate electrodes in CMOS products.

Method for integration of replacement gate in CMOS flow


A method is described for estimating cylinder airflow in engines that operate with manifold pressure near atmospheric pressure to compensate for degraded sensor response at such conditions. The method uses an adaptive approach that is updated under preselected engine operating conditions to thereby allow improved accuracy across a variety of engine operation.

When operating unthrottled (e.g., without a throttle or at or near wide-open throttle) in an electric valve actuation type engine (or a continuously variable valve lift engine), a mass airflow sensor is degraded due to reverse flow effects leading to erroneous measurement. A manifold pressure sensor (MAP) also cannot be the primary sensor for measuring airflow (e.g., using a speed density approach), as the manifold pressure is substantially near atmospheric pressure during a wide variety of engine conditions. Further, even sensors that provide directional compensation may not be functional at low loads for these engines.
The inventors herein have recognized one approach to overcome these disadvantages. In particular, that is to estimate airflow using engine speed, temperature, and valve timing (additional compensation from an estimate, or measurement, of atmospheric pressure can be used if desired (e.g., from a MAP during engine starting)). But, as the engine ages, this estimate can become degraded. In other words, the engine air-to-fuel ratio control performance can be significantly degraded due to aging and part-to-part variability.
As such, the inventors herein have developed a system to compensate for such effects. The system comprises: an engine with electronically adjustable engine valve timing or valve lift; a sensor coupled to said engine; and a controller for: determining whether a condition is present; when said condition is present, operating in a first mode where an engine air amount is determined based on a valve amount and an adaptive parameter, wherein during said first mode said controller further updates said adaptive parameter based on said sensor; and operating in a second mode where said engine air amount is determine based on said valve amount and said adaptive parameter.
In this way, it is possible to utilize the adaptive information across multiple engine operating modes, and even in modes where adaptation is not possible or where adaptation is limited.

Adaptive control for engine with electronically adjustable valve operation


A pressure sensing element, including a substrate, a device layer coupled to the substrate, a diaphragm being part of the device layer, and a plurality of piezoresistors coupled to the diaphragm. A plurality of bond pads is disposed on the device layer, and an electrical field shield is bonded to the top of device layer and at least one of the bond pads. At least one stress adjustor is part of the electrical field shield, where the stress adjustor is a cut-out constructed and arranged to reduce thermal hysteresis of the pressure sensing element caused by stress relaxation of the electrical field shield during a cooling and heating cycle. The stress adjustor may be a thin film deposited on top of the electrical field shield, which may apply residual stress to the piezoresistors. The pressure sensing element may include a cavity integrally formed as part of the substrate.

Microelectromechanical system (MEMS) pressure sensing elements are generally known and widely used. Cavity silicon-on-insulator (C-SOI) wafers are a cutting edge SOI technology where the handle wafer (or supporting wafer) contains pre-etched cavities. One type of cavity silicon-on-insulator (CSOI) MEMS pressure sensing element is an absolute pressure sensing element which includes a silicon device layer fusion-bonded onto a silicon supporting substrate containing a pre-etched cavity to form a reference vacuum in the cavity. The pressure sensing element includes four piezoresistors connected into what is known as a "Wheatstone Bridge" configuration. The piezoresistors are doped on a diaphragm disposed over the cavity so as to detect deflection of the diaphragm due to pressure changes. The pressure sensing element may include an electrical field shield for reducing or eliminating the influence of electrical charge on the pressure sensing element during operation.
These MEMS pressure sensing elements are manufactured in different sizes and used for various applications. However, the use of an electrical field shield results in thermal hysteresis, which cannot be calibrated.
With reference to the hysteresis loop shown in FIG. 1, during the thermal cooling and heating process of a MEMS pressure sensing element, the voltage output is not maintained. The output voltage is measured at an initial point (VI) at room temperature around 22° C. The temperature of the MEMS pressure sensing element is then decreased to -40° C., and then increased back to 22° C. and the voltage output at this mid-point (VM) is measured and is higher than the output voltage at the initial point (VI). The temperature of the MEMS pressure sensing element is then increased to 150° C. and then decreased back to the room temperature and the output voltage of the MEMS pressure sensing element is measured at this final point (VF). The cold hysteresis voltage=VM-VI. The hot hysteresis voltage=VF-VI. The worst voltage difference=VF-VM is considered herewith as the thermal hysteresis voltage. The thermal hysteresis is defined as the thermal hysteresis voltage divided by the span. There are instances where the thermal hysteresis is too high, and the MEMS pressure sensing element may not be calibrated.
The root cause of thermal hysteresis of the MEMS pressure sensing element is due to the electrical field shield stress relaxation (viscoplasticity) in the cooling and heating process of the electrical field shield deposited on the MEMS pressure sensing element. The biaxial stress is unable to return to the original residual stress state in a short time. The thermal residual stress difference causes the output voltage shift, referred to as the "thermal hysteresis voltage."
A compressive residual stress on the electrical field shield causes a tensile stress on the piezoresistor while a tensile residual stress on the electrical field shield causes a compressive stress on the piezoresistor. It is noted that a different electrical field shield material may cause the cycling stress loop shown in FIG. 2 to be reversed, and the output voltage at the final point higher than the output voltage at the middle point, which is a reverse loop of FIG. 1.
FIG. 3 shows a top view of a MEMS pressure sensing element having an electrical field shield FS to reduce or eliminate the influence of electrical charge on the pressure sensing element during operation. A diagonal cross-sectional view of the MEMS pressure sensing element is depicted in FIG. 4 with more-detailed layers. FIG. 5 shows a top view of stress components on piezoresistors. In a Wheatstone bridge circuit, R1 and R3 are one pair while R2 and R4 are the other pair.
With the intrinsic and thermally mismatched residual stress at the middle point and the final point during the thermal loop induced by the electrical field shield, the radial stress is higher than the tangential stress sensed on each piezoresistor if the electrical field shield causes a tensile stress on the piezoresistors. Please note that a differential electrical field shield material may cause a compressive stress on the piezoresistors. The stress relaxation of the electrical field shield during a cooling and heating cycle causes stress differences higher and thus causes a higher thermal hysteresis voltage between the middle point and the final point. The higher thermal hysteresis voltage results in a higher thermal hysteresis.
For pressure sensing, each piezoresistor senses much higher radial stress than tangential stress subjected to the pressure applied, also depicted in FIG. 6.
However, coupled with the intrinsic and thermally mismatched residual stress at the middle point and the final point during the thermal loop induced by the electrical field shield, the radial stress is even higher than the tangential stress on each piezoresistor. The higher stress differences between the middle point and the final point cause a higher thermal hysteresis voltage and thermal hysteresis. Thus, the thermal hysteresis at a higher pressure is higher than the thermal hysteresis at a lower pressure.
Accordingly, there exists a need for a reduction or elimination of thermal hysteresis in a MEMS pressure sensing element having an electrical field shield.

Mems pressure sensing element with stress adjustors to minimize thermal hysteresis induced by electrical field


Provided is an improved direct store delivery (DSD) system for providing customized information to a user. The DSD system includes a device that receives a first voice command from the user and determines a current location of the user. The first voice command is then transformed into a first text request based on a conversion of the points in speech to points in data. Further, the first text request is processed to determine a first set of information, based on a current location of the device, to be provided audibly to the user. The first set of information is transmitted to the user through speech. The device further receives a second voice command from the user to interact with the first set of information. The second voice command is processed to determine a final set of information, and the final set of information is visually displayed to the user in an instance in which the user has arrived at a desired location.

The present disclosure relates in general to delivery systems, and, more particularly, to direct store delivery (DSD) systems and methods of using the same.
Companies often utilize their own delivery drivers to deliver goods to customers. The delivery drivers of such "direct store delivery systems" (DSD) are a representative of the particular company, providing an additional point of contact between the customer and the company. Such contact provides another opportunity to the company to present information regarding the company, e.g., services, products, pricing, etc., to the customer. Thus, the delivery driver may advantageously be used to advance future purchasing deals with customers.
Applicant has identified a number of deficiencies and problems associated with conventional direct store delivery systems and associated devices and methods. Through applied effort, ingenuity, and innovation, many of these identified problems have been solved by developing solutions that are included in embodiments of the present invention, many examples of which are described in detail herein.

Efficient direct store delivery system and methods of using the same


A gas sensor arrangement comprises a gas measuring chamber containing a gaseous analyte. First and second radiation sources emit radiation. The first radiation source operates as a measuring radiation source and the second radiation source operates as a reference radiation source. The radiation is directed through the gas measuring chamber and into a detector that generates an output signal depending on the presence of the gaseous analyte. A control device evaluates the output signal from the detector. The control device interchanges the operation of the first and second radiation sources after a predetermined service life.

Gas sensor arrangements typically comprise a gas measuring chamber filled with a gaseous analyte, which contains at least one analyte to be measured. First and second radiation sources emit radiation toward a detector that detects the radiation and produces a mostly electric output signal, which depends on the presence and/or on the concentration of the analyte in the gas measuring chamber. The radiation sources are typically broadband radiation sources, such as incandescent lamps. These gas sensor arrangements are known for detecting the most varied types of analyte, for example, methane or carbon dioxide.
Examples of gas sensor arrangements are shown in EP 0616207 A2, WO 00/55603 A1 and DE 19925196 C2. These gas sensor arrangements are based on the concept that many polyatomic gases absorb radiation, in particular within the infrared wavelength range. This absorption occurs in a wavelength which is characteristic of the relevant gas, for example, at a wavelength of 4.24 μm in the case of carbon dioxide. The wavelength which is of interest is selected via an interference filter or grid. It is thus possible, using such gas sensor arrangements, to determine the presence of the analyte and/or the concentration of the analyte. The radiation intensity measured by the detector is a measurement of the concentration of the analyte according to the Beer-Lambert Law. This type of radiation generation is also referred to as a non-dispersive method or a non-dispersive infrared (NDIR) method in the case of an infrared-carbon dioxide analysis.
The detection of carbon dioxide is becoming increasingly important for applications in construction and automotive engineering. For example, in the case of heating and air conditioning, the content of the inside air is monitored so that when the concentration of carbon dioxide in the inside air increases a supply of fresh air is induced via a ventilation control system to increase energy efficiency. Additionally, since many modem air-conditioning systems, in particular in the automotive field, use carbon dioxide as a coolant, carbon dioxide gas sensors are needed to detect carbon dioxide leaks as a result of possible defects in the system. It has also been found that carbon dioxide concentration represents a basic indicator for the quality of inside air and is therefore highly significant as a control variable for air-conditioning systems.
Particularly in the automotive field, sensors of this type, however, must satisfy the highest requirements in terms of robustness, reliability and compactability. Long-term stability, i.e., a service life of about 10 years or more, is required. Because the specification values must be observed during the entire service life of the gas sensor arrangement, problems arise when the components of the gas sensor arrangement, in particular the radiation source and the switching electronics, age.
In order to counteract this problem, it is known to provide at least two radiation sources and two detectors in the gas sensor arrangement. One of the detectors measures the analyte and the other monitors the brightness of the radiation source using a different wavelength. With the aid of the second detector, the change detected in the brightness of the radiation source may be factored into a correction calculation. This known solution, however, suffers from the disadvantage that it is relatively complex.
Another known solution is shown in DE 199 25 196 C2. This gas sensor arrangement uses at least two radiation sources and only one detector. The first radiation source is used as a measuring radiation source and is used at a rate necessary for measurement. The second radiation source is used as a reference radiation source and is used less often and only for carrying out a comparative measurement and a referencing of the first radiation source. If the second radiation source is only used to produce a comparative measurement every x intervals compared to the measuring intervals, it may be assumed that the ageing of the second radiation source, which is lower by the factor x, is mapped onto the more severely ageing first radiation source. This known solution therefore provides a so-called bum-in phase with an extended service life for reducing an increased initial ageing.
This known solution has the disadvantage, however, that the first radiation source and the associated switching electronics age more rapidly by the factor x than the second radiation source and the associated switching electronics thereof. Thus, the final service life of the entire gas sensor arrangement is restricted by the service life of the first radiation source and the associated switching electronics.

Gas sensor arrangement and measuring method for improving long-term stability


A tunable wavelength-selective filter includes a glass substrate, a transparent electrode layer, a highly reflective mirror, an alignment layer, a liquid crystal layer, another alignment layer, a transparent material layer whose refractivity index is substantially equal to that of the liquid crystal layer, another highly reflective mirror, another transparent electrode layer, and another glass substrate, which are stacked in this order. An etalon cavity of the filter includes two layers, the liquid crystal layer and the transparent material layer (such as a glass plate), which enables the cavity length to be increased without increasing absorption and scattering of the cavity. This makes it possible to narrow the FWHM, quicken the response time, and increase the transmittance of the filter. Applications for the filter include a double cavity structure tunable wavelength-selective filter of a wide tunable range, and a photodetector of a simple construction.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an electrically tunable wavelength-selective filter whose resonance wavelength is variable so that it can select a desired optical signal of an intended wavelength from wavelength division multiplexed optical signals transmitted through an optical fiber.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Optical fiber communications have increased at a rapid rate recently, because of their tremendous information carrying capacity. The current optical communications, however, transmit only a coded pulse stream, ignoring wavelength information. Transmission of many optical pulse streams of diverse wavelengths might further increase information carrying capacity. This technique is termed wavelength division multiplexing (WDM), and has been intensively studied. In wavelength division multiplexing, a tunable wavelength-selective filter is needed that can select an intended optical signal from a great number of optical signals of different wavelengths. In particular, a filter is required having a narrow bandwidth, a wide tunable range, and a low loss.
Conventional filters of this kind include a grating monochromator whose grating is controlled by a motor, an etalon whose resonator length is controlled by a piezoelectric cell, a semiconductor optical waveguide tunable wavelength-selective filter including a Bragg reflector, and a planar light wave Mach-Zehnder interferometer formed on an Si substrate. Each of them, however, has its own disadvantages: The grating monochromator and the etalon are bulky because they are mechanically controlled; the semiconductor optical waveguide filter has only a narrow tunable range and the Mach-Zehnder interferometer must be connected in a number of stages in cascade, and further requires a complicated control system.
To eliminate the disadvantages of the mechanical filters or the semiconductor optical waveguide filter, we proposed a tunable liquid crystal wavelength-selective filter. It includes a liquid crystal contained in a Fabry-Perot interferometer, and its optical length can be varied by applying a voltage (Japanese Patent Application No. 2-71901, 1990).
A tunable liquid crystal wavelength-selective filter is characterized by such features as small size, low driving voltage, and low cost.
FIG. 1 is cross-sectional view illustrating an arrangement of a conventional tunable liquid crystal wavelength-selective filter. It comprises a liquid crystal 1 sandwiched between alignment layers 3A and 3B, dielectric mirrors 4A and 4B, transparent electrodes 5A and 5B, glass substrates 8A and 8B, and antireflection (AR) coatings 9A and 9B. Its cavity gap, that is, the distance between the two dielectric mirrors 4A and 4B is on the order of a few micrometers to an order around ten micrometers. The liquid crystal 1 is a nematic liquid crystal, and its molecules are aligned parallel to the surface (homogeneous ordering).
Typical characteristics of the conventional tunable liquid crystal wavelength-selective filter are as follows: The bandwidth is approximately 0.3-0.6 nm; the loss is 2-3 dB: the tunable range is about 50-100 nm; and the finesse is 150-250. In an etalon filter, a range five times the bandwidth gives an extinction ratio of about 20 dB, and hence, wavelength spacing of 2 nm enables the filter to be applied to wavelength division multiplexing with 50 divisions. Frequency division multiplexing (FDM), however, requires a bandwidth equal to or less than 0.1 nm in practice. The bandwidth can be narrowed by increasing the cavity length of an etalon filter. A cavity gap of 70 .mu.m, for example, gave a bandwidth of 0.1 nm and a tunable range of 10 nm, although it cause the problem that its loss increase to 10 dB. In addition, the 70 .mu.m cavity gap remarkably delay the response time, to the order of several tens of seconds.
Furthermore, the tunable liquid crystal wavelength selective filter has another disadvantage in that it exhibits polarization dependence. In other words, although it operates as a tunable wavelength-selective filter for light whose polarization direction is parallel to the liquid crystal molecules, it cannot operate for light whose polarization direction is perpendicular to the liquid crystal molecules.
Table 1 shows the characteristics of the above-mentioned tunable wavelength-selective filters for purposes of comparison. All the filters have a limited number of selective channels, from several tens to one hundred, and hence, a narrower bandwidth and a wider tunable range are required.
TABLE 1 ______________________________________ CHARACTERISTICS OF TUNABLE WAVELENGTH-SELECTIVE FILTER Tunable Bandwidth Range LOSS Selective Filter (GHz) (nm) (dB) Number ______________________________________ 1 <several tens >100 1-2 100 2 10 3 10 10 3 5 10 3-5 128 4 38 30 3 Several tens 5 60 140 2 50 ______________________________________ NOTES: 1: mechanical grating monochromator 2: semiconductor filter 3: waveguide MachZehnder interferometer 4: mechanical fiber FabryPerot Interferometer 5: liquid crystal filter 125 GHz corresponds to 1 nm.
Incidentally, the tunable liquid crystal wavelength-selective filter is described in the following articles:
(1) Masashi HASHIMOTO "An Optical Resonator Type Wavelength Selector Using Liquid Crystal (2)", 1986, Japan.
(2) Stephen R. Mallinson "Wavelength-selective filters for single-mode fiber WDM systems using Fabry-Perot interferometers", APPLIED OPTICS, Vol. 26, No. 3, Feb. 1, 1987.
(3) M. W. Maeda, et al. "Novel Electrically Tunable Fiber Based on a Liquid-Crystal Fabry-Perot Etalon for High-Density WDM Systems", ECOC '90-145.
(4) M. W. Maeda, et al. "Electronically Tunable Liquid-crystal-Etalon Filter for High-Density WDM Systems", IEEE PHOTONICS TECHNOLOGY LETTERS, VOL. 2, NO. 11, NOVEMBER 1990.
On the other hand, wavelength division multiplexing requires a photodetector that has a tunable wavelength-selective function so that an intended optical signal is selected from a number of optical signals of different wavelengths.
FIGS. 2 and 3 illustrate conventional photodetectors with a tunable wavelength-selective filter.
In FIG. 2, an intended wavelength is variably selected by adjusting the angle of a grating 21. Reference numeral 22 designates a lens. To improve the resolution, it is necessary to elongate the distance between an incident fiber 24 and a photodetector 23, which makes the arrangement large. In addition, it is fragile against mechanical shocks.
To eliminate these disadvantages, a photodetector as shown in FIG. 3 is proposed. It comprises a tunable liquid crystal wavelength-selective filter 35 having liquid crystal retained in a Fabry-Perot interferometer. Reference numerals 38 and 29 denote birefringent prisms and .lambda./2 plates, respectively. This photodetector has advantages in that it is small in size, uses a low driving voltage, and is low cost. In addition, since it is solid state, it is strong against mechanical shock. However, it requires a considerable effort for fiber coupling alignment because single-mode fibers 34 are connected to both ends. Further, it costs much because birefringent prisms 38, or polarization beam splitters as their alternatives, are needed at the input side and the output side.

Liquid crystal Fabry-Perot etalon with glass spacer

Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corporation


A touch sensitive surface (401) for an electronic device (200) includes a capacitive touchpad (409). A grille (413) of non-conductive material (515) is disposed along at least a portion of the touch sensitive surface. A predefined threshold of a normal force component (804) applied by a user's finger or other conductive object overcomes the grille (413) to allow the finger or other conductive object to interact with the capacitive touchpad. The touch sensitive surface reduces false touch activation occurrences and can simulate the tactility of a mechanical switch.

1. Technical Field
This disclosure relates generally to electronic devices, and more particularly to user input elements for electronic devices.
2. Background Art
"Intelligent" portable electronic devices, such as smart phones, tablet computers, and the like, are becoming increasingly powerful computational tools. Moreover, these devices are becoming more prevalent in today's society. For example, not too long ago a mobile telephone was a simplistic device with a twelve-key keypad that only made telephone calls. Today, "smart" phones, tablet computers, personal digital assistants, and other portable electronic devices not only make telephone calls, but also manage address books, maintain calendars, play music and videos, display pictures, and surf the web.
As the capabilities of these electronic devices have progressed, so too have their user interfaces. Prior keypads having a limited number of keys have given way to sophisticated user input devices such as touch sensitive screens or touch sensitive pads. Touch sensitive systems, including touch sensitive displays, touch sensitive pads, and the like, include sensors for detecting the presence of an object such as a finger or stylus. By placing the object on the touch sensitive surface, the user can manipulate and control the electronic device without the need for a physical keypad.
One drawback to touch sensitive electronic devices is that touch sensitive surfaces can be susceptible to "false touch detection," which may occur when a user inadvertently touches the touch sensitive surface with an arm or palm. The processor of the electronic device may interpret this as touch input. Some touch sensitive surfaces will even detect the user's skin through clothing, which can facilitate false touch detection even when the electronic device is stowed in a pocket. It would be advantageous to have an improved touch sensitive surface that is less susceptible to false touch activation.
Skilled artisans will appreciate that elements in the figures are illustrated for simplicity and clarity and have not necessarily been drawn to scale. For example, the dimensions of some of the elements in the figures may be exaggerated relative to other elements to help to improve understanding of embodiments of the present invention.

Touch sensitive surface for an electronic device with false touch protection


A medical device is provided including a catheter shaft having a lumen extending therethrough with a splittable wall portion along a side of the lumen, and a tube that extends through at least a portion of the lumen and is configured to provide a patent path of fluid communication.

Minimally invasive medicine, the practice of gaining access into a blood vessel, duct, or organ using a wire guide to facilitate the subsequent introduction or placement of catheters and other medical devices, has been evolving since the Seldinger technique was first popularized during the late 1950s and 1960s. A significant advance was gaining the ability to exchange medical devices over a single indwelling wire guide without requiring displacement of the wire in the process and loss of access to the site.
This "over the wire" (OTW) exchange technique requires an extra long wire guide so that control over the wire could be maintained at all times during the procedure. To accomplish this, the portion of the wire extending out of the patient must be at least as long as the device itself so that a proximal portion of the wire could be secured at all times to maintain longitudinal positioning, typically by an assistant standing well behind the physician. For example, endoscopic catheters that are used to access the biliary system are typically 200 cm or more in length, requiring a wire guide of more than 400 cm (e.g., 480 cm) to be long enough to remain in the duct during the exchange. To remove the catheter over the wire, the physician and an assistant must carefully make a series of well-coordinated, one to one movements between the exchange wire and device. The assistant pushes the wire the same amount (relative to the catheter) as the physician pulls back on the catheter until the device is completely outside of the patient. The physician may then grasp the wire guide near the port of the scope (distal of the now-withdrawn catheter) so as to gain control of the wire guide. The assistant then pulls the device off of the wire such that a second device can be fed back over the wire and into the patient to perform a second operation, requiring the same push-pull technique in reverse. This procedure requires a well-trained assistant, who actually is responsible for the advancement and stabilization of the wire, instead of the physician. In biliary ERCP, this lack of wire guide control can be a disadvantage when cannulating the ampullary orifice because the techniques used are typically highly dependent on good verbal communication between the physician and assistant, and the experience of the latter.
Although the "long wire" or OTW technique still remains a commonly used method of exchanging devices in the biliary system, a technique was developed which allowed for a much shorter wire guide and more physician control over the wire. Variously known as the "rapid exchange," "monorail," or "short-wire" technique, it differs from the OTW technique in that instead of the device being introduced over the length of the wire guide, the wire guide is coupled for only a portion of the length of the catheter device. The device is fed over the wire guide, which then exits the passageway or a coupling portion of the catheter at a point between the catheter's distal end and the proximal portion via a port or channel formed in the side of the catheter, typically located within the distal portion of the device. This allows the physician to have control of the proximal or external portion of the wire at all times as it exits the patient or scope and reduces the need for coordinating device movements with an assistant. When the coupled portion exits the patient (or endoscope in the case of gastroenterological or other endoscopic procedures), the physician performs a short exchange (instead of the traditional long-wire exchange, which in biliary procedures, requires the assistant to stand well out of the sterile field in order to assist with the exchange). With certain other devices, the catheter is split or torn away to uncouple it from the wire as the catheter exits the patient. To introduce the device, the coupled portion of the catheter is advanced over the proximal end of the wire guide, while the physician is careful to maintain the wire in position so that its distal end is maintained within the work site and access is not lost.
Rapid exchange or short wire techniques have proven particularly desirable in coronary and vascular medicine whereby it is common for a sequence of procedures using multiple catheter-based devices to be performed over a single wire, such as stent placement following angioplasty. Another example where short wire exchange techniques are often used is in endoscopic procedures performed in the pancreatobiliary system. Typically, an ERCP (endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography) procedure is performed by introducing a catheter device from a duodenoscope through the ampullary orifice (Papilla of Vater) and into the biliary tree, which includes the bile duct, pancreatic duct, and hepatic ducts of the liver. The cannulation device, which typically includes a sphincterotome/papillotome or ECRP catheter, is introduced into the biliary tree to perform a first operation, which could be diagnostic in nature, such as injecting contrast media, or for therapeutic purposes, such as enlarging the ampullary orifice. When a second medical operation is required such as, for example, removing a stone, opening a stricture, sampling tissue, etc., a second or peripheral device (e.g., balloon, basket, snare, biopsy brush, dilator, stent delivery catheter, etc.) can be introduced over the original wire guide to perform a secondary therapeutic procedure.
Although OTW techniques have permitted the exchange of devices, the development of short wire techniques has found acceptance by physicians who prefer to maintain greater control of the wire guide at the scope. Well-known examples of this rapid exchange technology are the devices comprising the MICROVASIVE RX BILIARY SYSTEM™ (Boston Scientific Corporation, Natwick, Mass.) in which the catheter portion of the devices include an internal lumen extending between a distal opening and a proximal side opening spaced 5-30 cm therefrom, depending on the device, thereby requiring an exchange of that length as the device is being removed over the 260 cm JAGWIRE® Guidewire guide developed for that system. An example of a sphincterotome of this system (AUTOTOME™ Cannulating Sphincterotome) is depicted in FIG. 1. Extending proximally from the proximal side opening, the lumen forms a "C-channel" (shown in FIG. 2) that holds the wire guide within the catheter as the catheter portion is introduced into the scope, but allows the wire to be laterally pulled out of the channel to gain access of the wire at the biopsy port of the scope as the catheter is being removed from the scope (FIG. 3), so that a second catheter type device (e.g., balloon, basket, stent delivery catheter, etc.) can be subsequently fed over the proximal end of the wire. As the distal portion of the first device is exiting the scope, a short exchange is required (coordinated push-pull movements between the physician and assistant) that is similar in practice to that used in an OTW procedure, until the physician gains control of the wire and the assistant can pull off the first device without risking loss of access. The proximal end of the wire guide is typically secured to the scope during much of the procedure to prevent loss of access, but it must be disengaged from the scope to allow the exchange and removal of the catheter.
While the Microvasive system has offered modest time savings, more physician control of the wire, and placed less reliance on the skill of the assistant to help perform the exchange, a short exchange procedure is still required in which care must be taken to prevent loss of wire guide access to the duct, particularly since the wire guide cannot be secured to the scope during removal of the catheter. Because the wire guide resides in the channel of the catheter and the coupled devices are constrained together in the accessory channel, uncoupling must take place as the distal portion of the catheter exits the proximal end of the scope. The process is further slowed by the frictional resistance between the wire and catheter, which remains a problem in subsequent exchanges as devices are fed or removed over the wire residing in the catheter lumen or C-channel.
Having a C-channel extending along the catheter can result in certain clinical disadvantages. For example, the split in the catheter provides an entry point for blood and bile, a known source of viruses and bacteria, to enter the catheter lumen and migrate to the proximal end of the device where they typically leak out onto the floor and clothing of those involved in the procedure. The channel also represents a point of potential air leakage, which can compromise the ability to maintain adequate insufflation within the duodenum during the procedure. Another disadvantage of a C-channel is that it degrades the integrity of the catheter, which can be problematic in a cannulating device (such as a deflecting Sphincterotome) when attempting to push through or "lift" the papilla to straighten the entry pathway into the duct, or when pushing through a stricture.
The current rapid exchange or short wire system also fails to address some of the shortcomings found in the traditional OTW method. For example, recannulation of the papilla is required when placing multiple plastic drainage stents side by side since the delivery system must be removed to disconnect the wire. Furthermore, existing devices do not offer the ability to place a second wire guide after the first one, such as to place stents in multiple ducts, since the catheter, which could otherwise serve as a conduit, must be removed from the patient and work site before it would have a free lumen for a second wire. Another disadvantage of current systems for exchanging biliary devices is the incompatibility between the two systems. Long wire devices lack the side access port for use with a short exchange wire and the MICROVASIVE RX BILIARY SYSTEM™ devices with C-channels are poorly configured for long wire exchange since once the C-channel has been breached during the first exchange, it is difficult to introduce a long wire through the proximal wire guide access port (which includes the open channel) and keep it from slipping from the channel as it is being introduced. Further, the C-channel is typically not compatible with smaller-diameter wire guides (less than 0.035″) for the same reason. Incompatibility between systems means that physicians cannot take advantage of all the choices available when selecting the best device and treatment for a particular patient.
As an alternative to the C-channel system, a system has been designed that has a generally closed wire guide lumen, which includes a slit along its length, through which the wire guide may be drawn by "splitting" or otherwise separating the lumen wall through the slit during an exchange by a single operator. There are generally two types of splittable wall catheter devices known in the art that may be opened by force of a device (e.g., wire guide or other component) disposed in the lumen. The first type is configured some type of mechanical structural feature (such as, for example, a perforation, a tongue-groove seam similar to that found in zip-lock style sandwich bags, or a weakened or open slit region) that is designed to allow, for example, a wire guide to be readily pulled out of the lumen laterally through a catheter device side wall. The second type includes a tearable/rupturable catheter wall material that, by its composition (e.g., having a reduced rupture pull force), may readily be torn through laterally or otherwise be separated or opened without a mechanical structural feature like the first type. One example of the second type is described in U.S. Pub. Pat. App. 2006/0030864, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.
In the C-channel and other splittable wall catheter devices having a mechanical structural feature allowing lateral pull-through, the wire guide lumen may not be sufficiently patent to allow efficient passage therethrough of a fluid. The same problem may also exist for the second type of catheter device (as described immediately above) when the tearable/rupturable portion is disrupted. Specifically the lumen/channel is likely to allow fluid to leak out, which is not desirable. For example, during some procedures using devices of this type, it is often advantageous to provide a radio-opaque contrast fluid or other fluid that is directed from a proximal portion of the device to the distal end or an adjacent location. In other procedures, the lumen may be used to provide another fluid such as for example, to inflate a balloon device. Those or other actions where a patent lumen is preferred may be desired after a wire exchange or other action that has included a step that opened at least a portion of the catheter lumen.
Leaking (which can occur as a phenomenon called "crying") may present a messy inconvenience when it occurs outside of an endoscope used with the catheter device, and—more importantly—may impede the efficiency of a procedure (such as, for example, if a radio-opaque fluid leaks out of the device and into a non-target area, thereby obscuring features that need to be visualized clearly). In each of these examples, as well as in other procedures it would be desirable to provide a patent fluid communication passage from a proximal position (e.g., a position outside a patient's body during a procedure) through the split-open/disrupted lumen to a distal portion of the device. This may be accomplished by providing a second lumen that is generally parallel to the wire guide lumen/channel. However, this has a disadvantage of requiring either a larger outer diameter of the device and/or a smaller internal diameter of the wire guide lumen/channel and/or the secondary lumen. Thus, there is a need to provide a patent fluid communication passage from a proximal position to a distal portion of the device using the generally non-patent wire guide lumen without requiring a second lumen in the device.


A fast atomic beam (FAB) source is capable of generating fast atomic beams having characteristics of a high beam density, precise directionality, and a wide range of controlled out put energy levels. The FAB source includes a discharge tube, an inductively coupled plasma generator for generating gas plasma in the discharge tube from gas introduced therein, positive and negative electrodes for accelerating ions to control the beam for a variety of energy levels. The negative electrode has a beam control opening for generating a FAB, wherein directionability, neutralization factor, and other FAB characteristics are controlled.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a beam source for fast atomic beams which are generated from plasma, wherein output energy can be controlled over a wide range of energy levels.
2. Description of the Related Art
Conventional fast atomic beam sources will be reviewed first. Atoms and molecules undergoing thermal motion in ordinary atmosphere have kinetic energy of generally about 0.05 eV. Compared to such relatively low kinetic energies, atoms and molecules moving with a much higher level of kinetic energy are referred to as fast atoms. When such fast atoms are radiated as a narrow directed beam, they are referred to as a fast atomic beam (shortened to FAB hereinbelow).
Of the various known sources for generating FAB based on gaseous atoms, FIG. 1 shows a schematic representation of an example of an argon-based FAB having a kinetic energy in a range of 0.5 to 10 KeV. The main components are a cylindrical negative electrode 1, a donut shaped positive electrode 2, a high voltage source 3, a gas inlet tube 4, an argon gas plasma 6, FAB emission holes 7 and FAB 8.
All components excepting the electrical power source for the beam source and a discharge stabilizing resistor (not shown) are housed in a vacuum container, and after the container has been sufficiently evacuated, argon gas is introduced into the cylindrical negative electrode 1 through the gas inlet tube 4. A direct current (dc) voltage is applied from high voltage dc source 3 so that the positive electrode 2 will be at a positive potential and the negative electrode 1 will be at a negative potential. The result is that an electrical discharge occurring between the positive and negative electrodes generates a plasma 6, thereby providing argon ions and electrons.
The electrons emitted from the bottom surface 1a of the cylindrical negative electrode 1 are directed to the positive electrode 2 and accelerated by positive potential, and after passing through the center hole in the positive electrode 2 reach the bottom surface at the opposite end of the cylindrical negative electrode 1, where the electrons lose speed and reverse their flight direction because of negative potential. The electrons, which are now moving in the opposite direction, begin to be accelerated towards the positive electrode 2. Thus, the electrons undergo high frequency oscillations in the plasma space between the bottom surfaces of the negative electrode 1 through the center hole in the positive electrode 2. The oscillating electrons collide with the argon atoms and generate many more argon ions. The argon ions thus generated are accelerated towards the bottom surface 1a of the cylindrical negative electrode 1 thereby attaining a kinetic energy. The level of kinetic energy is about 1 KeV, for example, when the potential difference between the positive and negative electrodes is 1 KV. The space near the bottom surface 1a of the negative electrode 1 is a U-shaped region for the high frequency oscillating electrons, and contains a large percentage of low-energy electrons. The argon ions which are injected into this space return to argon atoms by colliding/recombining with the electrons. Because the mass of electrons is negligibly small in comparison to argon ions, the kinetic energy of argon ions is almost not affected by the collision process with the electrons, and the kinetic energy of argon ions is transferred substantially to the argon atoms to produce a fast atomic beam. Therefore, the kinetic energy of the fast moving argon atoms is about 1 KeV. Fast moving argon atoms are emitted as an argon FAB from the discharge holes 7 which are provided in a bottom surface of the negative cylindrical electrode.
However, conventional FAB sources are suitable for applications which require a potential difference of higher than 1 KeV to generate atomic particles having sufficiently high discharge current to carry out processes thereof. At low voltages, it is only possible to generate a low discharge current beam, and therefore, it is necessary to adopt other means to obtain high beam density. The situation is the same when magnets are used to generate magnetic fields, and is characteristic of a dc discharge process. Therefore, low discharge current means that the volume of ions generated is low, and consequently, the strength of the output FAB beam is also low. Furthermore, the conventional FAB sources can only produce beams having poor directionality because of their high beam dispersion characteristics, which is unsuitable for satisfying critical requirements of modern micro-fabrication, wherein a FAB must be able to fabricate three-dimensional fine objects of high aspect ratios in any orientation.
Therefore, there has been a need for a source of generating fast atomic beams which is capable of producing high beam density, precision directionality and a wide range of output energy levels.

Fast atomic beam source with an inductively coupled plasma generator


A display device and an electronic apparatus using the display device are described. The display device includes a display component configured to output initial light corresponding to a first image; and a transmission optical component at least partially provided within an irradiation area of the initial light and configured to transmit the initial light corresponding to the first image from the display component and perform light path conversion to convert it into a first exit light; and an adjustment optical component at least partially provided within an irradiation area of the first exit light and configured to perform light path conversion on the first exit light to obtain a second exit light, wherein an image corresponding to the first image is capable of being perceived at a particular position.

At present, an electronic apparatus is often equipped with a conventional display, such as liquid crystal display (LCD), organic electroluminescent display, organic light emitting diode (OLED) display etc. When size of the electronic apparatus itself is limited (e.g., the electronic apparatus is a wearable electronic apparatus like a smart watch, smart glasses or an HMD (head-mounted display) device, if equipped with only a conventional display, usually its display area is quite small, only limited information can be displayed.
It is therefore desirable to provide a display device that can reduce the volume and weight of the display device, and distribute layouts of the respective components in the display device in accordance with human engineering so as to achieve an overlapped proper distribution, thus providing the user with more comfortable wearing experience.


Systems and methods are provided for facilitating the selection of content for a television broadcast system. A first request for content in a broadcasting based format is received from a television broadcast system. A second request for content in a computer based format is sent to a network-based content selection system. A content identifier associated with selected content is received from the network-based content selection system and sent to the television broadcast system.

Traditional television broadcasting is typically linearly programmed by creating a transmission log to schedule shows, advertisements, and other content selected by a broadcaster for broadcasting at predetermined times. Such transmission logs must be sent to the broadcaster hours or sometimes days before the scheduled transmission, limiting a broadcaster's ability to accept late bookings and from making any changes to the transmission log. However, in some situations, the transmission log must be modified to address breaking news, negative news coverage, emergencies, natural disasters, etc. In such situations, an updated transmission log would need to be created, which may take many hours and great care so as to avoid errors resulting in interruptions in the transmission.
One particularly challenging area in linearly programmed television broadcasting is the scheduling of television broadcasting advertisements in the transmission log. One factor in scheduling television broadcasting advertisements is capacity. Unlike digital internet-based advertisements where capacity changes with the number of site visitors or print-based advertisements where additional magazine pages can be added, the capacity of television broadcasting advertisements is finite and determined by the duration and structure of the television shows. Another factor in scheduling television broadcasting advertisements is the booking requirements of the advertisers. For example, an advertiser may book an advertisement for a specific daypart, television show, or day. Further, advertisers may place limits on the number of competing advertisements for a given break and require time separation between their advertisements and from competing advertisements. A further factor in scheduling television broadcasting advertisements is pre-empted or missed advertisements. An advertisement can be pre-empted due to any number of reasons, such as technical difficulties or programming changes. Due to the linear nature of television broadcasting, pre-empted advertisements may not broadcast for weeks or even months from their initially scheduled broadcast time. The competing factors associated with scheduling television broadcasting advertisements makes such scheduling challenging, and may result in advertisements not being scheduled to air when capacity is available.
Some television advertisement sales systems use selling titles to simplify the advertisement booking and scheduling process. Selling titles are product lines, consisting of a program or time period scheduled within a broadcast day, that can be sold to an advertiser. Selling titles require certain information, such as, e.g., daypart, television show, and days, for advertisers to define in order to book an advertisement. This greatly simplifies the scheduling of television broadcasting advertisements, but can limit flexibility in scheduling and the ability to make good on pre-empted advertisements.
In digital internet-based advertising an advertising content server analyzes the potential yield and delivery needs of each available advertisement and automatically selects an advertisement for displaying on a web page. This process takes milliseconds and allows for the analysis of a large number of potential advertisements before delivery. Additionally, a user may adjust priorities of advertisements, change the inventory of advertisements, apply frequency caps to control how often a user views an advertisement, and can adjust the total number of times that an advertisement should play over a period of time. Such user adjustments can be performed within minutes.
While conventional network-based content servers provide for automatically selecting advertisements and other content, such conventional network-based content servers are unable to interact with television broadcasting systems to automate scheduling and selection of content for broadcasting by the television broadcasting system. In particular, there is currently no mechanism for television broadcasting systems to communicate with digital, network-based content servers. Further, such content servers are unable to host and deliver the content for broadcasting by a television broadcasting system.

Content delivery system for television broadcast systems