A method for managing the flow of a plurality of aircraft at an aviation resource, based upon specified data and operational goals pertaining to the aircraft and resource and the control of aircraft arrival fix times at the resource by a system manager, includes the steps of: (a) collecting and storing the specified data and operational goals, (b) processing the specified data to predict an initial arrival fix time for each of the aircraft at the resource, (c) specifying a goal function which is defined in terms of arrival fix times and whose value is a measure of how well the aircraft meet the operational goals based on achieving specified arrival fix times, (d) computing an initial value of the goal function using the predicted initial arrival fix times, (e) utilizing the goal function to identify potential arrival fix times to which the arrival fix times can be changed so as to result in the value of the goal function indicating a higher degree of attainment of the operational goals than that indicated by the initial value of the goal function, (f) if the utilization step yields a goal function whose value is higher than the initial goal function value, defining requested arrival fix times to be those arrival fix times associated with the higher goal function value; but, if the utilization step does not yield a goal function whose value is higher than the initial goal function value, defining requested arrival fix times to be the predicted, initial arrival fix times, (g) communicating the requested arrival fix times to the system manager to determine whether authorization may be obtained from the system manager for the aircraft to use the requested arrival fix times, (h) if the arrival fix times authorization is obtained, establishing the requested arrival fix times as the targeted arrival fix times of the aircraft; but, if the arrival fix times authorization is not obtained, continuing to use the goal function to identify potential arrival fix times which can be communicated to the system manager until arrival fix times authorization is obtained.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to vehicle navigation and flow management. More particularly, this invention relates to methods and systems for airlines or aviation/airport authorities to better manage the flow of a plurality of aircraft into and out of a system or set of system resources.
2. Description of the Related Art
The need for and advantages of management operation systems that optimize complex, multi-faceted processes have long been recognized. Thus, many complex methods and optimization systems have been developed. However, as applied to management of the aviation industry, such methods often have been fragmentary or overly restrictive and have not addressed the overall optimization of key aspects of an aviation authority's regulatory function, such as the flow of a plurality of arrival/departure aircraft to/from a system resource or set of system resources.
The patent literature for the aviation industry's operating systems and methods includes: U.S. Pat. No. 6,463,383, issued Oct. 8, 2002 to the present applicants and entitled "Method And System For Aircraft Flow Management By Aviation Authorities;" U.S. Pat. No. 5,200,901, issued Apr. 6, 1993 to Gerstenfeld and entitled "Direct Entry Air Traffic Control System for Accident Analysis and Training;" U.S. Pat. No. 4,196,474, issued Apr. 1, 1980 to Buchanan & Kiley and entitled "Information Display Method and Apparatus for Air Traffic Control;" United Kingdom Patent No. 2,327,517A—"Runway Reservation System," and PCT International Publication No. WO 00/62234—"Air Traffic Management System."
Aviation regulatory authorities (e.g., various Civil Aviation Authorities (CAA) throughout the world, including the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) within the U.S.) are responsible for matters such as the separation of in-flight aircraft. In an attempt to optimize their regulation of this activity, most CAAs have chosen to segment this activity into various phases (e.g., taxi separation, takeoff runway assignment, enroute separation, oceanic separation, arrival/departure sequencing and arrival/departure runway assignment) which are often sought to be independently optimized.
These optimizations are usually attempted by various, independent ATC controllers. Unfortunately, this situation often appears to result in optimization actions by individual parts of the airspace system (e.g., individual controllers or pilots) which have the effect of reducing the aviation industry's overall safety and efficiency.
There appears to have been few successfull attempts by the various airlines/CAAs/airports to make real-time, trade-offs between their different segments and the competing goals of these segments as it relates to optimizing the safe and efficient movement and flow of aircraft. For example, in the sequencing of the arrival/departure flow of aircraft to an airport, it often happens that some sequencing actions are taken too early (e.g., ground holds on aircraft before enough data is available to determine the validity of an apparent constraint in the arrival flow at the destination airport; see PCT International Publication No. WO 00/62234—"Air Traffic Management System") or too late (e.g., when an aircraft is within 50 to 100 miles from an airport) to resolve a problem.
To better understand these aviation processes, FIG. 1 has been provided to indicate the various segments in a typical aircraft flight process. It begins with the filing of a flight plan by the airline/pilot with a CAA. Next the pilot arrives at the airport, starts the engine, taxis, takes off, flies the flight plan (i.e., route of flight), lands and taxis to parking. At each stage during the movement of the aircraft on an IFR flight plan, the CAA's Air Traffic Control (ATC) system must approve any change to the trajectory of the aircraft. Further, anytime an aircraft on an IFR flight plan is moving, an ATC controller is responsible for ensuring that an adequate separation from other IFR aircraft is maintained. During the last part of a flight, initial arrival sequencing (accomplished on a first come, first serve basis, e.g., the aircraft closest to the arrival fix is first, next closest is second and so on) is accomplished by the enroute ATC center near the arrival/departure airport (within approximately 100 miles of the airport), refined by the arrival/departure ATC facility (within approximately 25 miles of the arrival airport), and then approved for landing by the arrival ATC tower (within approximately 5 miles of the arrival airport).
For example, current CAA practices for managing arrivals at destination airports involve sequencing aircraft arrivals by linearizing an airport's traffic flow according to very structured, three-dimensional, aircraft arrival paths, 100 to 200 miles from the airport or by holding incoming aircraft at their departure airports. For a large hub airport (e.g., Chicago, Dallas, Atlanta), these paths involve specific geographic points that are separated by approximately ninety degrees; see FIG. 2. Further, if the traffic into an arrival fix for an airport is relatively continuous over a period of time, the linearization of the aircraft flow is effectively completed hundreds of miles from the arrival fix. This can significantly restrict all the aircraft's arrival speeds, since all in the line of arriving aircraft are limited to that of the slowest aircraft in the line ahead.
Unfortunately, if nature adds a twenty-mile line of thunderstorms over one of the structured arrival fixes—the flow of traffic stops. Can the aircraft easily fly around the weather? Many times—yes. Will the structure in the current ATC system allow it? No. To fly around the weather, an arriving aircraft could potentially conflict with the departing aircraft which the system dictates must climb out from the airport between the arrival fixes.
The temporal variations in the flow of aircraft into an airport can be quite significant. FIG. 3 shows for the Dallas-Ft. Worth Airport the times of arrival at the airport's runways for the aircraft arriving during the thirty minute time period from 22:01 to 22:30. It can be seen that the numbers of aircraft arriving during the consecutive, five-minute intervals during this period were 12, 13, 6, 8, 6 and 5, respectively. While some of these variations are due to the aircraft's planned scheduling differences, much of it is also seen to be due to the many decisions, independent in nature, that impact whether a scheduled flight will arrive at its fix point at its scheduled time. These decisions may include whether a customer service agent shuts a departing aircraft's door at the scheduled time or maybe waits for some late, connecting passengers, or the personal preferences that the pilots exhibit in setting their flight speeds for the various legs of their flights. These types of independent decisions lead to a random distribution of the arrival aircraft, regardless of the schedule, and obviously affect the outcome of the arrival flow. This type of random arrival pattern leads to random spacing of the arrival aircraft as they approach a runway, which leads to wasted capacity.
Much of the current thinking concerning the airline/ATC delay problem is that it stems from the over scheduling by the airlines of too many aircraft into too few runways. While this may be true in part, it is also the case that the many apparently independent decisions that are made by an airline's staff and various ATC controllers may significantly contribute to airline/ATC delay/congestion problems.
These independent actions for each of the arriving flights, without regard to system effects, lead to a variance in the arrival flow, thus assuring a random outcome as the aircraft approach a destination airport. Mitigating the variance to reduce randomness and queuing represents a unique aspect of the present invention.
For illustrative purposes, one can compare the aircraft arrival flow into a busy airport to the actions of grade school children at the end of class. When the dismissal bell rings, if all of the students rush to the door, fighting to be the first one out, the throughput of the door is lowered. Conversely, if the students file out in an orderly and sequenced fashion, the actual throughput of the door is higher. In either case, the capacity of the door is the same, but by managing the flow through the door, the door's effective throughput is higher. The same can be said for an airport.
The explanation of the effects of randomness can be found in the mathematics of queue theory, which states that as the demand approaches capacity the queue waiting time increases at a rate proportional to the inverse of the difference between demand and capacity.
These delays are especially problematic since they are seen to be cumulative. FIG. 4 shows, for all airlines and a number of U.S. airports, the percentage of aircraft arriving on time during various one hour periods throughout a typical day. This on time arrival performance is seen to deteriorate throughout the day.
Where there are problems with over scheduling, the optimal, real-time sequencing of the various sizes of incoming aircraft could conceivably offer a possible mechanism for remedying such problems. For example, the consistent flow of aircraft at the runway end can increase effective capacity. Further, current aviation authority rules require different spacing between aircraft based on the size of the aircraft. Typical spacing between the arrivals of aircraft of the same size is three miles, or approximately one minute based on normal approach speeds. But if a small (Learjet, Cessna 172) or medium size aircraft (B737, MD80) is behind a large aircraft (B747, B767), this spacing distance is stretched out to five miles or one and a half to two minutes for safety considerations.
Thus, it can be seen that if a sequence of ten aircraft is such that a large aircraft alternates every other one with a small aircraft, the total distance of the arrival sequence of aircraft to the runway (5+3+5+3+5+3+5+3+5+3) is 40 miles. But if this sequence can be altered to put all of the small aircraft in positions 1 through 5, and all of the very large aircraft in slots 6 through 10, the total distance of the arrival sequence of aircraft to the runway is only 30 miles, since the spacing between the aircraft is consistently 3 miles. If the sequence is altered to the second scenario, the ten aircraft can land in a shorter period of time, thus freeing up additional landing slots behind this group of ten aircraft.
Unfortunately, to correct over capacity problems in the current art, the controller only has one option. They take the first over-capacity aircraft that arrives at the airport and move it backward in time. The second such aircraft is moved further back in time, the third, even further back, etc. Without a process in the current art to move aircraft forward in time or manage the arrival sequence in real time, the controller has only one option—delay the arrivals.
The current art of aircraft flow sequencing (to assure proper aircraft separation) to an airport can be broken down into seven distinct tools used by air traffic controllers, as applied in a first come, first serve basis, include:
1. Structured DogLeg Arrival Routes—The structured routings into an arrival fix are typically designed with doglegs. The design of the dogleg is two straight segments joined by an angle of less than 180 degrees. The purpose of the dogleg is to allow controllers to cut the corner as necessary to maintain the correct spacing between arrival aircraft.
2. Vectoring and Speed Control—If the actual spacing is more or less than the desired spacing, the controller can alter the speed of the aircraft to correct the spacing. Additionally, if the spacing is significantly smaller than desired, the controller can vector (turn) the aircraft off the route momentarily to increase the spacing. Given the last minute nature of these actions (within 100 mile of the airport), the outcome of such actions is limited.
3. The Approach Trombone—If too many aircraft arrive at a particular airport in a given period of time, the distance between the runway and base leg can be increased; see FIG. 5. This effectively lengthens the final approach and downwind legs allowing the controller to "store" or warehouse in-flight aircraft. A problem with this approach is that as the number of aircraft increases, the controller is required to handle more and more aircraft, such that his/her communication requirements also increase. The effect of such an increase is that while talking to one aircraft, the controller's instruction to another aircraft to turn towards the final approach is delayed slightly, which increases the spacing between aircraft on final approach and landing. Even a delay of ten seconds on such a call increases the spacing between such aircraft by approximately one mile. Three such delayed calls and a runway landing slot is missed. As was described above, the runway capacity remained unchanged, but its throughput was decreased.
4. Miles in Trail—If the approach trombone can't handle the over demand for the runway asset, the ATC system begins spreading out the arrival/departure flow linearly. It does this by implementing "miles-in-trail" restrictions. Effectively, as the aircraft approach the airport for landing, instead of 5 to 10 miles between aircraft on the linear arrival/departure path, the controllers begin spacing the aircraft at 20 or more miles in trail, one behind the other; see FIG. 6.
5. Ground Holds—If the separation authorities anticipate that the approach trombone and the miles-in-trail methods will not hold the aircraft overload, aircraft are held at their departure point and metered into the system using assigned takeoff times.
6. Holding—If events happen too quickly, the controllers are forced to use airborne holding. Although this can be done anywhere in the system, this is usually done at one of the arrival fixes to an airport. Aircraft enter the "holding stack" from the enroute airspace at the top; see FIG. 7. Each holding pattern is approximately 10 to 20 miles long and 3 to 5 miles wide. As aircraft exit the bottom of the stack towards the airport, aircraft orbiting above are moved down 1,000 feet to the next level.
7. Reroute—If a section of airspace, enroute center, or airport is projected to become overloaded, the aviation authority occasionally reroutes individual aircraft over a longer lateral route to delay the aircraft's entry to the predicted congestion.
CAA's current air traffic handling procedures are seen to result in significant inefficiencies. For example, pilots routinely mitigate some of the assigned ground hold or reroute orders by increasing the aircraft's speed during its flight, which often yields significantly increased fuel expenses. Also, vectoring and speed control by the ATC controller are usually accompanied with descents to a common altitude which may often be far below the aircraft's optimum cruise altitude, again with the use of considerable extra fuel. Further, the manual aspects of the sequencing and arrival ATC tasks can result in significantly greater separations between aircraft than are warranted; thereby significantly reducing an airport's landing capacity.
Thus, despite the above noted prior art, airlines/CAAs/airports continue to need safer and more efficient methods and systems to better manage the arrival/departure flow of a plurality of aircraft into and out of a system resource, like an airport, or a set of system resources, so as to yield increased aviation safety and airline/airport/airspace operating efficiency.
3. Objects and Advantages
There has been summarized above, rather broadly, the prior art that is related to the present invention in order that the context of the present invention may be better understood and appreciated. In this regard, it is instructive to also consider the objects and advantages of the present invention.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a method and system which allows an aviation system (e.g., an airline, airport or CAA) to better achieve its specified safety and operational efficiency goals with respect to the arrival and departure of a plurality of aircraft at a specified system resource, like an airport, or set of resources, thereby overcoming the limitations of the prior art described above.
It is another object of the present invention to present a method and system for the real time management of aircraft that takes into consideration a wider array of real time parameters and factors that heretofore were not considered. For example, such parameters and factors may include: aircraft related factors (i.e., speed, fuel, altitude, route, turbulence, winds, and weather) and ground services and common asset availability (i.e., runways, airspace, Air Traffic Control (ATC) services).
It is another object of the present invention to provide a method and system that will enable the airspace users to increase their safety and efficiency of operation.
It is yet another object of the present invention to provide a method and system that will allow an airport or other system resource to enhance its overall operating efficiency, even at the possible expense of its individual components that may become temporarily less effective. After the system's overall operation is optimized, then, as a secondary task, the present invention tries to enhance the efficiency of the individual components (i.e., meets a specific airline's business needs if provided) as long as they do not degrade the overall, optimized solution.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a method and system that analyzes numerous real time information and other factors simultaneously, identifies system constraints and problems as early as possible, determines alternative possible trajectory sets, chooses the better of the evaluated asset trajectory sets, implements the new solution, and continuously monitors the outcome.
It is still a further object of the present invention to temporally manage the flow of aircraft into or out of a specific system resource in real time to prevent that resource from becoming overloaded. Further, if the outcome of prior events puts demand for that system resource above capacity, it is then the object of the present invention to maximize the throughput of the now constrained system resource with a consistent, more optimally sequenced flow of aircraft to/from that system resource.
It is an additional object of the present invention to minimize the large temporal variations to arrival/departure flows so as to mitigate the effects of randomness and queuing.
Such objects are different from the current art, which manages aircraft into or out of a specific resource linearly using distance based processes, or limits access to the entire system, not just the specific constrained system resource.
These and other objects and advantages of the present invention will become readily apparent as the invention is better understood by reference to the accompanying summary, drawings and the detailed description that follows.

Method and system for aircraft flow management


Disclosed is an antenna capable of micro-tuning and macro-tuning for a wireless terminal, comprising: a radiator radiating electromagnetic waves; a ground connected to the radiator; at least one switching element positioned at a lengthwise region of the radiator, for shorting or opening the region of the radiator; and a voltage controlling element positioned at the radiator between the switching element and the ground, for controlling the extent of a voltage potential applied across the radiator. In accordance with the present invention, the antenna is capable of the macro-tuning between the service bands and micro-tuning for channel control within the service bands. Furthermore, the size of the antenna is significantly reduced and the antenna is installed on a circuit board in a patch type, thereby simplifying a work process.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an antenna capable of micro tuning and macro tuning for a wireless terminal, and more particularly, to an antenna capable of micro tuning and macro tuning for a wireless terminal, which is capable of control in a dual service band having a difference of a certain or higher frequency, and which is capable of frequency tuning between channels in each service band.
2. Description of the Related Art
As wireless communication has been developed, wireless network can be accessed by wireless terminals, such as personal computers, notebooks, mobile phones, PDA and so on. The technology for supporting the wireless access to network in real time in mobile working environment is called wireless local-area network (WLAN).
According to the WLAN standards of IEEE 802.11, in IEEE 802.11b, wireless signals are transmitted and received through the 2.4 GHz frequency band which is the industrial, scientific and medical (ISM) band, and in IEEE 802.11a, wireless signals are transmitted and received through the 5 GHz frequency band which is the unlicensed national information infrastructure (UNII) band.
In the 2.4 GHz, which is the frequency band for IEEE 802.11b, transmission at the bandwidth of 83.5 MHz, from 2.4 GHz to 2.4835 GHz, is permitted. In the 5 GHz, which is the frequency band for IEEE 802.11a, transmission at the bandwidth of a total of 300 MHz, from 5.15 GHz to 5.35 GHz and from 5.725 GHz to 5.825 GHz, is permitted.
The WLAN service has a different frequency band according to the standards utilized. Consequently, the standards may change at any time or in different localities. In this case, since an existing wireless terminal is manufactured so as to process signals within the frequency band according to one standard only, a user may need to purchase another terminal for a new standard. To prevent such waste, a wireless terminal which functions in different standards needs to be developed.
In order to operate a wireless terminal in the frequency bands of both standards, an antenna has to operate in both frequency bands. For this purpose, a wireless terminal is provided with an antenna operating in both frequency bands. That is, an antenna having a very broad frequency band may be installed to operate in the frequency band of 2.4 GHz to 5 GHz, or an antenna having a dual frequency band may be installed to separately operate in the frequency band of 2.4 GHz and in the frequency band of 5 GHz.
However, when using the antenna operating in the very broad frequency band of 2.4 GHz to 5 GHz, noise and interference occur in a non-use band.
Due to the aforementioned problem, antenna developing industries have developed an antenna separately operating in each of the 2.4˜2.5 GHz and 4.9˜5.9 GHz frequencies. However, this antenna has not yet been sufficiently small in size. When using the antenna separately operating in the both frequency bands, tuning performance between channels in each frequency band is not taken into consideration.

Antenna capable of micro-tuning and macro tuning for wireless terminal


The present method relates to molding metal particles by forming a flowable mixture. The metal particles are mixed with a polyorganic acid which chemically reacts with the metal particles. The flowable mixture is transferred to a mold before the chemical reaction between the metal particles and the polyorganic acid proceeds so far as to substantially increase the viscosity of the flowable mixture. A green preform is created by applying pressure to the mixture in a mold. The green preform is heated to a first temperature to vaporize substantially all of the non-organic components of the reacted polyorganic acid from the preform. The preform is then heated to a second temperature greater than the first temperature to sinter the metal particles.

The formation of intricately or irregularly shaped parts, such as mold cavities for the injection molding of thermoplastics, gears, sprockets, or threaded parts, may involve many processing steps. Often the formation process involves the steps of casting, machining, heat treatment for hardening, tempering, polishing and plating of the parts. Significant volume changes during casting may require expensive and careful processing. Machining and polishing can be particularly difficult for intricate or irregular shapes. The formation of parts from very hard, corrosion resistant alloys greatly increases the difficulty in processing.
Multiple cavities are often formed in a part by hobbing or cold forming of the metal surface of the part. Pressure from a harder metallic replica of a desired part (hob) may be applied to form the mold cavity. However, this process requires the use of a softer metal, such as low carbon steel, and case hardening and polishing of the cast part.
The molding of parts from metal powder may also be accomplished by "press and sinter metallurgy", which comprises the steps of filling a mold with a powder, compacting the powder, and heating the powder to cause the particles to bond together by sintering. This process is impractical for the formation of complex parts because it is difficult to achieve a uniform density of the powder in irregular mold shapes.
In the "powder-injection molding" process, a binder/powder paste mixture is formulated in which the binder serves as a lubricant. The mixture is then forced into the mold under pressure and the binder subsequently removed by heating. Finally, the resulting part is heated to its sintering temperature. While this process is an improvement over the first generation "press and sinter metallurgy" process, the resulting parts shrink considerably when heated to remove the binder from the preform, and there are limitations on the size of parts that can be fabricated by this process. Examples of this type of powder-injection molding include the following:
U.S. Pat. No. 4,113,480 discloses a method for injection molding parts formed from powdered metals by mixing the powder with a plastic medium comprising an organic binder and modifiers dissolved in a solvent. The solvent may be volatilized upon heating and the organic binder may be volatilized or sublimed during sintering. The disclosed preferred organic binder is methyl cellulose and the preferred solvent is water. Modifiers, which may be used to promote mold release and prevent the formation of cracks, include a combination of glycerin and boric acid.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,483,905 discloses a composition comprising a metal powder and a binding agent in solid or liquid state. The preferred binding agents are polyethylene glycols, polypropylene glycols, polyvinyl alcohol and glycerol.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,504,441 discloses a method for preventing segregation of powders having different specific gravities in a metal powder composition. The powdered metal and lubricant powder are mixed with furfuryl alcohol and an acid such as toluene sulfonic acid to convert the alcohol to a solid resin film on the powder metal particles. The polymerization of the alcohol may take place during mixing.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,539,472 discloses a process for producing molded metal powder articles by the use of mold-facilitating lubricants consisting of amides or diamides of aliphatic monocarboxylic acids and alcohols or diols or polyglycols. The lubricant mixtures may be burned out of the metal powder article formed by the process.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,906,424 discloses a method for injection molding ceramic or metallic powders by use of a binder. The ceramic powder may have a multimodal particle size distribution such that smaller diameter particles are provided to fill the interstices between larger particles. The primary binder material is a polymerized monomer or mixture of monomers which may be polymerized thermally, radiatively, or catalytically. The polymerized monomers may include various polyols. Suitable dispersants or surfactants such as oleic acid and stearic acid may be included in the binder as processing aids.
The mixture of binder and ceramic or metallic material may be injection molded. The mold temperature is maintained at about 50.degree. C. to about 200.degree. C. to initiate polymerization. The binder may be burned off by heating the preform to a temperature below about 700.degree. C. Finally, the molded article is sintered at a temperature ranging from approximately 700.degree. C. to 2200.degree. C. to obtain the final product.
The aforementioned prior art processes have two significant drawbacks. First, it is often difficult to form intricate or irregularly shaped parts because the powder compositions have inadequate flow properties which lead to density variations within the parts. In addition, the aforementioned processes often produce shrinkage and distortion of parts during heating phases, since binders are essentially totally removed without modifying the connecting structure between the powder particles.


A rotary pump device includes a stator chamber with a cylindrical inner wall having intake and exhaust ports and an abutment mounted therein, and a rotor eccentrically mounted on an axial driven shaft for rotation within the chamber. The rotor keeps continuous wiping contact with the chamber wall while repelling magnets exert pressure on an abutment which maintains contact with the rotor to partition the intake and outlet ports. The repelling magnets act as a spring to assure contact of the abutment on the rotor while the pump is running or on standby. The repelling is caused by locating magnets positioned with similar facing poles in a pocket positioned against an abutment. A full intake/exhaust cycle takes place every 360° of rotor travel.

The term "abutment rotary pump" is used herein to refer to a device comprising a movable partition separating the inlet and outlet streams within a stator chamber or housing and a rotor that rotates within the chamber to cause sequential intake, compression, and the exhaust of a fluid medium such as a gas, a liquid, or combination thereof. The term, therefore, comprehends not only devices that cause fluid movement but also devices that compress or pressurize fluids with or without ignition or combustion. Further, the term "abutment rotary pump" embraces a reverse operation in which fluid drives a rotor rather than the rotor driving the fluid, i.e., in reverse operation every pump is effectively a motor. Existing abutment rotary pumps use complex linkages, weights on the abutment, and springs to assure abutment contact with the rotor.
One example of an abutment configuration is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 2,238,395 to Nittka. The pump in the Nittka patent comprises a rotor working in unison with a flap valve requiring numerous components. The device is characterized by the complexity of the many parts required to manipulate a flap valve.
Another example of an abutment configuration is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 715,933 to Allen. The engine and pump in the Allen patent comprises dual abutments working in unison with rotary valves with exhaust stream traveling through a port in the rotor expelled through the driveshaft. The device is complicated and requires several parts working in combination with the abutments.
An alternative abutment configuration is shown U.S. patent application Ser. No. 14/022,486 to applicant. A swinging abutment maintains contact with the rotor to partition the intake and outlet ports. The abutment is actuated primarily from the outlet pressure generated from a rotating rotor.
An example of utilizing magnets to repel in a pumping configuration is shown in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/050,498 to Youker and Jaques. Unlike the applicant, the Youker and Jaques "vane" rotary pump configuration uses repelling magnets in a less demanding or ancillary role. The Youker and Jaques invention more importantly requires in addition, various magnetized components and centrifugal force to slidingly engage the multiple vanes to effect pumping. The invention has many parts and is elaborate as compared to the of applicant's use of repelling magnets in an abutment configuration.
It would be advantageous to simplify pump abutments to seal working members within the confines of the stator.

Abutment rotary pump with repelling magnets


The present invention provides a polypeptide or a pharmacologically acceptable salt thereof comprising one or more, identical or different, amino acid sequences of A-W—H—X1-D-X2-X3-X4-W—W—X5-X6-X7-X8-B (the meaning of each symbol in the formula is defined in the description) and a pharmaceutical composition for treating an angiogenic disease such as a solid tumor comprising said polypeptide. The present invention also relates to a polynucleotide encoding the above-mentioned polypeptide and use of the polynucleotide in gene therapy.

Angiogenesis is essential for normal biological processes including reproduction, development and wound healing. Although angiogenesis is a highly regulated process in normal conditions, many diseases are caused by persistent disorders of angiogenesis. Theses diseases are called angiogenic diseases. That is, the disorders of angiogenesis can cause particular diseases directly, or exacerbate the existing diseases. For instance, the neovascularization in eye is the most common cause of blindness. In some existing diseases such as arthritis, new-developed capillaries invade the joint and destroy cartilage. In diabetes, new-developed capillaries invade vitreous, resulting in bleeding and blindness. Growth and metastasis of solid tumor depend on neovascularization which involves the degradation of the basement membrane of the starting blood vessel, the proliferation and migration of endothelial cells, and the development of new vessels (Folkman J. Angiogenesis in cancer, rheumatoid and other disease. Nature Med., 1995a, 1, 27-30) etc.
As a member of the family of platelet-derived growth factors, vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) is the most direct nitogen of vascular endothelial cells (Ferrara N., Molecular and biological properties of vascular endothelial growth factor. J. Mol. Med., 1999, 77:527-543). The activities of VEGF are mediated by binding to its receptors (VEGFR), and its biological effects are exhibited through endocellular signal transduction. The binding of VEGF to its receptor Flt-1 (fms-like tyrosine domain containing receptor) can result in endothelial cell migration, differentiation, and ultimately forming tubular structure (blood vessel rudiment). Flt-1 is an important target for inhibiting angiogenesis (Hanahan H., Signaling vascular morphogenesis and maintenance. Science, 1997, 277:48-50; Shinichi K. et al., Roles of two VEGF receptors, Flt-1 and KDR, in the VEGF effects in human vascular endothelial cells. Oncogene, 2000, 19: 2138-2146).
Some peptides acting as antagonists against VEGF binding to its receptor KDR are reported by Binetruy-Tournaire R. et al. in The EMBO Journal. 2000, 19(7): 1525-1533. It is said that they can inhibit the neovascularization induced by VEGF.
Due to the fact that the angiogenesis inhibitors clinically available are not satisfactory in terms of, among others, their severe system toxicity (Suramin) or weak activity of anti-angiogenesis (interferon, antiestrogen), therefore new angiogenesis inhibitors are needed.

Antagonist peptides to VEGF receptor Flt-1


A system for communicating management information includes a first interface card, a second interface card, and a management card coupled to the first interface card and the second interface card. The management card establishes a communication link between a client and a particular one of the first interface card and the second interface card selected in response to a command communicated by the client. The management card further communicates management information using the communication link.

Network devices are generally arranged in a chassis or housing at a particular location in a communication system. Each network device arranged in a particular chassis may be configured, initialized, or otherwise managed using consoles external to the chassis. A drawback to prior systems is that each network device in a chassis requires a corresponding, dedicated console to handle the management operations of the associated network device. A further drawback is that the interface card of each network device in the chassis must maintain a dedicated connection to its corresponding console. Such a configuration of consoles and network devices adds costs and complexities to the management operations of communication systems.

System for communicating management information and method of operation


Germanium compounds suitable for use as vapor phase deposition precursors for germanium films are provided. Methods of depositing films containing germanium using such compounds are also provided. Such germanium films are particularly useful in the manufacture of electronic devices.

The present invention relates generally to the field of germanium compounds. In particular, the present invention relates to the certain germanium compounds suitable for use in vapor deposition processes.
Metal films may be deposited on surfaces, such as non-conductive surfaces, by a variety of means such as chemical vapor deposition ("CVD"), physical vapor deposition ("PVD"), and other epitaxial techniques such as liquid phase epitaxy ("LPE"), molecular beam epitaxy ("MBE"), chemical beam epitaxy ("CBE") and atomic layer deposition ("ALD"). Chemical vapor deposition processes, such as metalorganic chemical vapor deposition ("MOCVD"), deposit a metal layer by decomposing organometallic precursor compounds at elevated temperatures, i.e., above room temperature, either atmospheric pressure or at reduced pressures. A wide variety of metals may be deposited using such CVD or MOCVD processes.
For semiconductor and electronic device applications, these organometallic precursor compounds must be highly pure and be substantially free of detectable levels of both metallic impurities, such as silicon and zinc, as well as oxygenated impurities. Oxygenated impurities are typically present from the solvents used to prepare such organometallic compounds, and are also present from other adventitious sources of moisture or oxygen.
For certain applications where high speed and frequency response of an electronic device is desired, silicon-only devices, e.g. silicon bipolar transistors, perform marginally and the introduction of germanium is necessary to obtain the desired functionality. In a heterojunction bipolar transistor ("HBT"), a thin silicon-germanium layer is grown as the base of a bipolar transistor on a silicon wafer. The silicon-germanium HBT has significant advantages in speed, frequency response, and gain when compared to a conventional silicon bipolar transistor. The speed and frequency response of a silicon-germanium HBT are comparable to more expensive gallium-arsenide HBTs.
The higher gain, speeds, and frequency response of silicon-germanium HBTs have been achieved as a result of certain advantages of silicon-germanium not available with pure silicon, for example, narrower band gap and reduced resistivity. Silicon-germanium may be epitaxially grown on a silicon substrate using conventional silicon processing and tools. This technique allows one to engineer device properties such as the energy band structure and carrier mobility. For example, it is known in the art that grading the concentration of germanium in the silicon-germanium base builds into the HBT device an electric field or potential gradient, which accelerates the carriers across the base, thereby increasing the speed of the HBT device compared to a silicon-only device. A common method for fabricating silicon and silicon-germanium devices is by CVD. A reduced pressure chemical vapor deposition technique ("RPCVD") used to fabricate the HBT device allows for a controlled grading of germanium concentration across the base layer as well as precise control over the doping profile.
Germane (GeH4) is the conventional precursor for germanium deposition. Germane is a gas under standard conditions and is difficult to handle. As germane is toxic, processes employing germane require extensive safety procedures and equipment. Germane typically requires film growth temperatures of approximately 500° C. for thermal CVD applications. Such decomposition temperatures are not always suitable, such as in applications where there is a need for lower temperatures, e.g. 200° C. Other CVD applications require higher growth temperatures, e.g. 700–1100° C., which cause germane to break up prematurely which, in turn, leads to the formation of particles and a reduction in metal film growth rates. A further problem with germanium precursors arises in silicon-germanium deposition when a relatively stable silicon precursor and a relatively unstable germanium precursor (germane) are used to deposit a silicon-germanium film, the differences in precursor stability makes control of the silicon-germanium composition difficult.
U.S. patent application Ser. No. 2003/0111013 (Oosterlaken et al.) discloses an apparatus for the deposition of silicon germanium layers. This application discloses certain source compounds for the vapor deposition of germanium, such as mono-, di- tri- and tetra-chlorogermanes. Such compounds may not be suitable for all germanium vapor deposition applications as their decomposition temperatures may be too low. For example, monochlorogermane is known to decompose at temperatures as low as 25° C.
There remains a need for germanium precursors that offer an optimized deposition of germanium-containing films at various growth temperatures. Such growth temperatures determine the properties of the germanium-containing film. A limitation in growth temperature limits the full exploitation of the capabilities of a germanium-containing film. There remains a need for germanium precursors for CVD that are safer to handle.

Method of depositing germanium-containing films


A torque based monitor method, apparatus, and system, for a torque splitting hybrid electric vehicle (HEV) powertrain and regenerative brake 54 system. The preferred powertrain configuration includes an internal combustion engine 20, generator 32, and electric traction motor 36 combined to produce the vehicle""s output shaft torque. The invention has a set of vehicle state sensors and communication interfaces connected independently to a main controller 200 and an independent plausibility check (IPC) 202. The IPC monitors and mitigates the powertrain output shaft torque (OST) by reducing powertrain torque when the detected OST is greater than the desired OST. The IPC has a second mode of operation to shut down the powertrain OST of the HEV powertrain when a fault or failure is detected. Additional features include a quizzer 204 function to continuously verify the functionality of the IPC.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a toque based monitor of detected output torque of the powertrain of a Hybrid Electric Vehicle (xe2x80x9cHEVxe2x80x9d) and compares it to a desired output torque of the operator.
2. Discussion of the Prior Act
The need to reduce fossil fuel consumption and pollutants from automobiles and other vehicles powered by an internal combustion engines (ICE""s) is well known. Vehicles powered by electric motors have attempted to address these needs. However, electric vehicles have limited range and limited power coupled with the substantial time needed to recharge their batteries. An alternative solution is to combine both an ICE and electric traction motor into one vehicle. Such vehicles are typically called hybrid electric vehicles (HEV""s). See generally, U.S. Pat. No. 5,343,970 (Severinsky).
The HEV has been described in a variety of configurations. Many HEV patents disclose systems where an operator is required to select between electric and internal combustion operation. In other configurations the electric motor drives one set of wheels and the ICE drives a different set.
Other, more useful, configurations have developed. A series hybrid electric vehicle (SHEV) is a vehicle with an engine (most typically an ICE) which powers a generator. The generator, in turn, provides electricity for a battery and motor coupled to the drive wheels of the vehicle. There is no mechanical connection between the engine and the drive wheels. A parallel hybrid electrical vehicle (PHEV) is a vehicle with an engine (most typically an ICE), battery, and electric motor combined to provide torque to power the wheels of the vehicle.
A parallel/series hybrid electric vehicle (PSHEV) has characteristics of both the PHEV and the SHEV. The PSHEV is also known as a torque (or power) splitting powertrain configuration. Here, the torque output of the engine is given in part to the drive wheels and in part to an electrical generator. The generator powers a battery and motor that also provide torque output. In this configuration, torque output can come from either source or both simultaneously. The vehicle braking system can even deliver torque to drive the generator to produce charge to the battery.
The desirability of combining the ICE with an electric motor is clear. The ICE""s fuel consumption and pollutants are reduced with no appreciable loss of performance or range of the vehicle. Nevertheless, there remains substantial room for development of ways to optimize these HEV""s operational parameters.
One such area of HEV development is throttle control mechanisms. In prior art throttle controls, a direct physical link (an accelerator cable) between an accelerator pedal (pedal) and a throttle body controls a throttle plate of the ICE. The throttle plate is pulled open by the accelerator cable as the driver depresses the pedal. This increases engine speed and torque. Although simple and dependable, this throttle control method is unable to adapt fuel consumption efficiency to changing traveling conditions.
An electronic throttle control (ETC) is a recent development for improving throttle control and efficient introduction of fuel air mixtures into an engine""s cylinders. With the ETC system, the accelerator pedal is no longer mechanically connected to the throttle body. Instead, an actuator positions the throttle plate by a system, process, or apparatus called a powertrain control module (PCM). The PCM determines the desired throttle position based on the accelerator pedal""s position sensor. This simple ETC system essentially mimics the conventional mechanical throttle and is often called the xe2x80x9cpedal followerxe2x80x9d ETC system.
To protect vehicle occupants, ETC systems soon added a second independent processor to detect ETC system failures. This processor determines if the system is in a safe mode of operation. If it is not in safe mode, vehicle operation is restricted and throttle plate control is prohibited.
Ford""s second generation ETC (2GETC) systems have added greater vehicle control. These systems no longer control in the xe2x80x9cpedal followerxe2x80x9d mode, but in a xe2x80x9ctorque controlxe2x80x9d mode. Accelerator position, vehicle speed, and barometric pressure in torque control mode are mapped into a desired/demanded driver torque request/wheel torque request. In torque control mode, the PCM can independently control vehicle subsystems such as throttle plate position, transmission gear, transmission slip, ignition timing, and fuel delivery to provide the desired wheel torque. To improve vehicle efficiency, torque control monitor systems add a monitoring scheme to ensure powertrain torque output is not greater than the demanded torque output. See generally, U.S. Pat. No. 5,673,668 to Pallett, et. al. (Ford Global Technologies, Inc.).
Unfortunately, the 2GETC engine torque output comparison is no longer sufficient for HEV. The HEV also has an electric traction drive motor and generator adding torque to the vehicle""s powertrain. The ETC for the HEV must establish control of the HEV""s entire powertrain. HEV patents that reference ETC""s are described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,656,921 to Farrall and U.S. Pat. No. 5,806,617 to Yamaguchi. Yet no one has ever adapted the 2GETC to the HEV.
The present invention adapts the second generation ETC (2GETC) systems xe2x80x9ctorque control modexe2x80x9d for an HEV and monitors net output shaft torque and regenerative braking to determine torque demand.
More specifically, the monitor""s independent plausibility check (IPC) independently determines the driver""s request for output shaft torque of the entire powertrain. This request includes a contribution from the brake control unit to achieve regenerative braking information from the powertrain""s electric traction motor and generator. The IPC determines whether the detected torque exceeds the desired torque and mitigates or shuts down torque delivered if necessary. These detection and mitigation (or limiting) systems are key features of this invention.
The monitor""s IPC independently estimates output shaft torque during all modes of operation from all sources of torque including: the engine, generator, and motor. For example, the IPC estimates engine torque by using 2 methods, relative throttle position (TP_REL) and mass air flow (MAF). Likewise, the IPC estimates torque produced or absorbed by the motor and generator by comparing a transaxle management unit (TMU) supplied value and with a redundant sensor set. The IPC will also determine inertia torque from the engine and generator components for the transient torque during engine start-up and stop operation.

Torque-based monitor in a hybrid electric vehicle


Tapping method for molten metal from containers (13) including at the lower part a tapping channel (14) associated at the end part with a discharge hole (15) substantially vertical or sub-vertical, the discharge hole (15) being associated at the lower part with a sliding interception device (19), wherein the tapping channel (14) comprises, associated with the walls, an electromagnetic device (17) with spirals (18) and a system for cooling the walls, wherein, during the end-of-tapping step of the liquid metal the sliding interception device (19) is activated by closing the discharge hole (15) and allowing the metal in the tapping channel (14) to solidify so as to form at least a layer which lines both the tapping channel (14) and the discharge hole (15) filling it completely, and that during the start-of-tapping step the sliding interception device (19) is activated by leaving the discharge hole (15) free and the metal which is blocking the discharge hole (15) is melted by means of the electromagnetic device (17) by varying the characteristics of the current flow.. Tapping device which achieves the method as described above and comprising means (38) to feed the electromagnetic device (17) with electric current as a function of the steps of melting and tapping, the sliding interception device (19) comprising a first part (23a) with a high resistance to heat shock, corrosion and erosion and a second part (23b), positioned adjacent to the first part (23a), with high heat conductivity.

This invention concerns a tapping method and the relative device for electric arc furnaces, ladle furnaces or tundishes.
The invention is applied in the siderurgical field to achieve a controlled discharge, from the bottom or from the side, of the liquid metal, such as steel or its alloys, contained in melting volumes and in particular in electric arc furnaces and in ladle furnaces or in tundishes.
The state of the art covers electric arc furnaces and ladle furnaces or tundishes, or more generally melting volumes, on the bottom of which there is a casting channel which, thanks to the appropriate interception devices, can be opened on command to allow the liquid metal to be tapped when the melting cycle is complete.
In the state of the art, these devices normally comprise a plug element whose function is to close the tapping channel; at the end part of the tapping channel there is a quantity of sand which separates the liquid metal from the surface of the plug element.
When tapping is carried out, the plug element is opened and the liquid steel begins to flow down from the furnace once the sand has completely come out from the tapping channel.
This kind of application is particularly used in furnaces where the tapping channel is located in an eccentric position with respect to the floor of the hearth.
Because of this position, problems have often been found in the functioning of the furnace, causing increases in costs and danger for the workers in the area around the tapping area.
A first disadvantage is that the liquid metal often impregnates the sand inside the tapping channel and solidifies there or adheres at least partially to the walls of the channel.
This makes it necessary to intervene manually to free the tapping channel.
More particularly, it may be necessary to use a jet of oxygen to melt the solid plug which is created on the walls of the tapping channel, and this procedure may cause grave risks to the safety of the workers.
Moreover, this jet of oxygen causes great and premature wear in all those parts affected by the jet, which causes problems of a practical nature during the tapping step and extra costs for the replacement and/or maintenance of those components subject to wear.
This kind of device is also used when tapping is carried out from the sides of the furnace.
In this case, in some applications known to the state of the art, a device is used to intercept the flow of liquid metal which consists of a mechanical translation device, located at the sides on the vertical walls of the hearth, to close the tapping channel.
The axis of the tapping channel is placed in a sub-horizontal position.
The mechanical device is not cooled and substantially consists of a plate with a hole for the liquid metal to pass through.
The translation of the device only occurs through the interception of the liquid metal, after which the furnace is rotated in the opposite direction by an angle sufficient to prevent contact between the liquid metal and the tapping device.
Even if the absence of sand prevents the above-mentioned disadvantage from occurring, this system of tapping also has considerable disadvantages, such as for example a high energy consumption, an increase in the times of the production cycle so as to allow the furnace to be rotated, and also a heavy wear of the components.
The prior art document GB-A-440.859 provides a furnace which serves to cast liquid metal at progressively reduced speeds inside already finished casting molds.
This document teaches that the tapping hole is closed by a metallic plug during the preparatory phase of the bath of liquid metal. The plug is then melted by means of an induction coil so that the metal can be tapped.
This document teaches to use a pre-constituted plug, it does not teach to use mechanised closing systems.
FR-A-1.527.380 and JP-A-63-063566 teach to conserve the nozzle for casting by maintaining a solid skin in contact with the inner walls of the furnace through which the casting nozzle passes.
An induction heating device is included to control the thickness of the skin and to keep hot the molten metal passing through.
The resultant device is only useful during the tapping step.
EP-A-0.234.572 is substantially identical in its teaching to FR-A-1.527.380 associated with a sliding valve. According to the teachings of EP-A-0.234.572, the solidification of metallic parts in connection with the sliding valve is an undesired effect and therefore these teachings are only useful during the tapping step.
Not one of the prior art documents we have now considered teaches, or leads to consider, how to provide for the closure of the tapping hole and the automatic management of this closure both at the end-of-tapping step and at the start-of-tapping step.

Tapping method for electric arc furnaces, ladle furnaces or tundishes and relative tapping device


Optical cross-connect apparatus including first wavelength converters converting m different wavelengths λ1 through λm contained in n WDM input optical signals into 2m wavelengths λ1 through λ2m; a first wavelength cross-connector performing cross-connection according to wavelengths, separating the optical signals wavelength-converted by the first wavelength converters into 2m wavelengths combining optical signals with the 2m separated wavelengths; second wavelength converters converting the 2m wavelengths contained in the optical signals cross-connected by the first wavelength cross-connector into 2m wavelengths; a second wavelength cross-connector performing cross-connection according to wavelengths separating the optical signals wavelength-converted by the second wavelength converters into 2m wavelengths and combining optical signals with the 2m separated wavelengths; and third wavelength converters converting the 2m wavelengths λ1 through λ2m in the optical signals cross-connected by the second wavelength cross-connector into m wavelengths λ1 through λm and sending the m wavelengths λ1 through λm.

(1) Field of the Invention
This invention relates to an optical cross-connect apparatus and, more particularly, to an optical crossconnect apparatus for performing optical cross-connection of wavelength division multiplex (WDM) signals.
(2) Description of the Related Art
Optical communication networks form the core of telecommunication networks and are expected to provide more advanced services in a wider area. In particular, WDM, which is central to optical transmission systems, has been rapidly developed. WDM multiplexes a plurality of optical signals with different wavelengths into a single optical fiber.
On the other hand, to build immense photonic networks, WDM systems are connected to one another to form ring networks where each node is connected in a loop, mesh networks where nodes are connected in a mesh topology, and the like. One of key technologies for building such networks is optical cross-connect (OXC) apparatus.
OXC apparatus are installed in nodes on networks for performing switching to output an optical signal inputted to an input port to a target output port or for adding or dropping an optical signal. Usually large-scale spatial optical matrix switches including microelectro-mechanical systems (MEMSes) are used in the switching sections of OXC apparatus. Development of OXC apparatus which can switch about 1,000 channels is proceeding.
With conventional oxc apparatus, wavelength conversion is performed by a wavelength converter (transponder). In this case, a WDM optical signal transmitted is separated by an optical demultiplexer. Then obtained optical signals are converted to electrical signals and are converted to optical signals again. That is to say, optical-electrical-optical (OEO) conversion is performed. These optical signals are inputted to an optical matrix switch and are switched. Then the optical signals are wavelength-converted again by a transponder, are combined by an optical multiplexer, and are transmitted to the next stage as a WDM signal (see, for example, Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2000-134649, paragraph nos. [0020]–[0037] and FIG. 1).
With the conventional OXC apparatus, however, optical cross-connection is realized by an optical matrix switch made up of switch cells in which micro electromechanical parts, such as MEMSes, are used, so the maximum number of channels handled is about 1,000 due to difficulty in fabricating highly integrated optical switching elements, the complexity of control, etc. A 1000×1000 switching scale has a throughput of 10 Tbits/s at most.
Accordingly, the conventional OXC apparatus cannot perform the switching of more than 1,000 channels, so the development of next-generation multimedia networks cannot be expected.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.


An embodiment wireless communication device includes a circuit board and a cover having a back surface covering a portion of a first surface of the circuit board and an opening in the back surface. A top antenna is disposed within the cover and is electrically connected to the circuit board at a first feed point on a first edge of the circuit board. A secondary antenna disposed within the cover has a first antenna portion connected to the circuit board at a second feed point, and a second antenna portion of the second antenna extends laterally from a second edge of the circuit board over the first surface of the circuit board and between the back surface of the cover and the first surface of the circuit board such that at least a portion of the second antenna portion is exposed through the opening in the back surface.

Industrial design of modern wireless devices is evolving towards lower profile devices. For example, many devices have thicknesses smaller than 10 mm. Additionally, modern wireless devices increasingly make use of metalized structures, such as metal rings, metal slots, and metal cases and the like. These modern wireless devices include cellular phones, tablets, or wearables such as watches, eyeglasses and virtual reality headsets or the like. Wireless devices require multiple multi-band radio frequency (RF) antennas to operate on, or near, users. Typical antennas include cellular main antennas, diversity antennas, wireless networking (e.g., WiFi, 802.11 or Bluetooth) antennas, near field antennas (e.g., near field communication or wireless charging) and global positioning (e.g., GPS) antennas. Multiple multi-band antennas have to be co-designed to cooperate with each other and with other electromagnetic components such as speakers, LCD screens, batteries, sensors, etc. However, antennas in proximity to each other result in low isolation, reduced efficiency, and increased channel interference. In some devices, a top antenna and main antenna are both used to communicate on a single band or frequency, with active antenna switches changing between the top antenna and bottom main antenna when one of antennas is obstructed by the user, for example, by the user's hand position on the device. The performance of the top antenna becomes increasingly important as it is frequently located next to other antennas such as WiFi & GPS combination antennas.

Multi-band antenna on the surface of wireless communication devices


In a method for fabricating a nitride-based compound layer, first, a GaN substrate is prepared. A mask layer with a predetermined pattern is formed on the GaN substrate to expose a partial area of the GaN substrate. Then a buffer layer is formed on the partially exposed GaN substrate. The buffer layer is made of a material having a 10% or less lattice mismatch with GaN. Thereafter, the nitride-based compound is grown laterally from a top surface of the buffer layer toward a top surface of the mask layer and the nitride-based compound layer is vertically grown to a predetermined thickness. Also, the mask layer and the buffer layer are removed via wet-etching to separate the nitride-based compound layer from the GaN substrate.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method for fabricating a nitride-based compound layer, a GaN substrate and a vertical nitride-based semiconductor light emitting device. More particularly, the present invention relates to a method for fabricating a nitride-based compound layer, a GaN substrate and a vertical nitride-based semiconductor light emitting device capable of recycling the expensive GaN substrate by forming a mask layer with a predetermined pattern and a buffer layer on the GaN substrate, laterally growing the nitride-based compound layer, and removing the mask layer and the buffer layer via wet-etching to separate the GaN substrate without impairment.
2. Description of the Related Art
In general, a nitride-based compound is a group III-V compound crystal such as GaN, InN, and AlN, which is widely used for a light emitting device generating light of a short wavelength (ultraviolet ray and green light), especially blue light. The nitride-based compound has been typically manufactured via a sapphire substrate or a SiC substrate due to absence of a commercially available substrate that satisfies lattice match conditions for crystal growth. But the sapphire substrate or SiC substrate has lattice mismatch with the nitride-based compound. This renders it very difficult to grow a high-quality nitride-based compound on the sapphire or SiC substrate.
Meanwhile, a substrate having lattice match with the nitride-based compound, such as a GaN substrate, has been fabricated. However, the GaN substrate is very expensive, and unrecyclable owing to grinding and abrasion that occur during lapping and polishing in a manufacturing process of the light emitting device.
FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view partially illustrating a method for fabricating a nitride-based light emitting device using a GaN substrate according to the prior art. As shown in FIG. 1(a), in a conventional method, a light emitting structure 12 made of a nitride-based compound semiconductor is formed on a GaN substrate 11 with a predetermined thickness d. Then in order to easily separate a final structure obtained into individual devices, an underside of the GaN substrate is ground and abraded via lapping and polishing to reduce the thickness d′ of the GaN substrate 11 as shown in FIG. 1(b).
This conventional method for fabricating the nitride-based semiconductor light emitting device using the GaN substrate is disadvantageous in that the high-priced GaN substrate is unrecyclable due to grinding and abrasion caused by lapping and polishing.
Therefore, in the art, there has been a demand for a technology of recycling the high-priced GaN substrate to reduce production costs.

Method of fabricating nitride-based compound layer, GaN substrate and vertical structure nitride-based semiconductor light emitting device


A Cable Assembly for supplying power includes wiring for carrying alternating electrical current, a plurality of Source Inductive Elements spaced at intervals along the wiring to provide power by induction; and an encapsulation layering that provides electrical insulation.

The use of sensors for remote monitoring is ubiquitous because it facilitates the monitoring of industrial or environmental conditions that would otherwise be economically unfeasible to monitor. Examples include the monitoring of manufacturing plants, monitoring soil moisture in agriculture, or monitoring pipelines for leaks. The current invention will be presented in the context of pipeline monitoring but those skilled in the art will recognize that it can be applied to numerous types of sensor monitoring applications.
Pipelines are widely used for transporting commodities such as water, natural gas, or petroleum products. Leakage from a pipeline can result in significant economic losses or environmental damage and, therefore, there is a great interest in mitigating any such damages from pipeline operations. Assurances from pipeline companies regarding the adequate monitoring of a proposed pipeline may also be a major factor in determining whether or not a pipeline can be built.
Although there are existing methods for pipeline monitoring, they are often not adopted in industry because of their excessive cost, low reliability, or poor accuracy. An overview of some existing methods follows.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,029,889 (Mizuochi) uses a coaxial cable where the outer jacket is water-resistant but is either permeable to petroleum or dissolved by petroleum. When the petroleum permeates the insulation between the shield and the center conductor, there is a local change in the electrostatic capacity. This change can be detected by transmitting a pulse down the cable and monitoring the reflected waveform.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,206,402 (Ishido) also utilizes a coaxial cable, but in this case the cable is segmented and individual segments are monitored for changes in its electrical properties.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,336,708 (Hobgood et al.) uses a temperature-based system for localizing leaks. However, this system is for localizing leaks in a section of pipe where a leak is known to exist. It is not a monitoring system for the detection of leaks.
There are several methods in the prior art that use acoustic means, U.S. Pat. No. 4,457,163 (Jackle) monitors the acoustic emissions along a pipeline to detect and localize leaks. In U.S. Pat. No. 4,996,879 (Kruka, et al.) sonic energy is introduced into an underwater pipeline and an array of hydrophones is used to localize the leak. U.S. Pat. No. 5,117,676 (Chang) uses a plurality of microphones to monitor a natural gas pipeline where the expected characteristic frequency of the emissions can be determined from the pipeline characteristics. In U.S. Pat. No. 5,361,636 (Farstad et al.) acoustic means are used to determine the rate of leakage through a valve within the pipeline. In this case, the leaked contents are contained within the pipeline system. In U.S. Pat. No. 5,974,862 (Lander, et al.), signals from a plurality of acoustic sensors are digitized and transmitted to a system where their signals can be analyzed using cross-correlation.
In U.S. Pat. No. 7,564,540 (Paulson), two fiber-optic based measurements are used. The first uses an interferometer to detect and classify anomalies in the received optical signal. The second measurement uses time-domain reflectrometry or Brillouin scattering to localize the detected anomaly.
In U.S. Pat. No. 7,591,285 (Wittmann), which is for aboveground pipelines, fluid that escapes from the pipe is collected by a catchment system and pooled at the location of the sensor element.

Cable assembly for providing power through inductive coupling


A method for n-doping a material layer with antimony, comprising ion implanting antimony from an antimony precursor composition including a compound of the formula SbX.sub.n ((CH.sub.2).sub.y SiR.sub.3).sub.n-3, wherein: n is an integer having a value of 1 or 2; y is an integer having a value of from 1 to 3 inclusive; each R is independently selected from C.sub.1 -C.sub.4 alkyl; and each X is independently selected from halo substituents. The antimony precursor composition may further include a fluorine-containing auxiliary gas, to effect in situ cleaning of the ionization chamber during ion implantation.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method for doping a material layer with antimony, by ion implantation.
2. Description of the Related Art
The reduction in critical dimensions necessary for continued gains in dynamic random access memory (DRAM) circuit density will require a number of fundamental changes from current practice, relative to the techniques and source materials employed in current manufacturing practice. As geometries of such DRAM devices decrease below 0.35 micrometer, a corresponding reduction is necessary in the size of p/n dopant layer thicknesses and in the associated dopant concentrations.
These factors, coupled with the need to precisely tailor ion implant distribution profiles, will greatly complicate the practice of ion implant technology in the manufacture of future generation memory devices. The mobility of lightweight boron (p-type) and phosphorous (n-type) dopants is too high, even with reduced thermal budgets, to accommodate the increased stringency of future implant requirements. Indium (p-type) and antimony (n-type), with their significantly greater size and mass, will need to be used to improve control of ion throughput and device threshold voltage, and to reduce channeling effects in the fabricated structures.
Beam current is roughly proportional to the extraction energy. Accordingly, use of lower energy acceleration for shallower implants of current dopants results in greatly decreased beam intensities. The trend to lower energies to shape reduced geometry implants has prompted an investigation of the use of larger fragments e.g., BF.sub.2 rather than B per se. Fluorine, however, enhances diffusion of boron in SiO.sub.2 which results in contamination of the well region and loss of threshold voltage control in the resulting devices. Greater control of ion implant profiles, using heavier ions such as indium and antimony in future DRAM manufacturing, will markedly reduce the need for angled implants which are currently required to prevent channeling and to effect required implant geometry.
Accordingly, the art is in need of new source compositions for elements such as indium and antimony, for ion implant applications.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,496,843 issued Jan. 29, 1985 to K. Kirita, et al., describes a method of producing metal ions of various metals. Antimony ion generation is described, utilizing trialkyl antimony compounds and trialkoxy antimony compounds. This patent also discloses the use of a fluoride gas as an auxiliary gas for preventing organic metal compound decomposition products from attaching to the inner wall of the arc discharge chamber during processing.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,988,640 issued Jan. 29, 1991 to D. A. Bohling, et al., describes the use of at least partially fluorinated organometallic compounds in reactive deposition (ion implant) applications, utilizing source compounds of the formula MR.sub.1 R.sub.2 R.sub.3 wherein M is arsenic, phosphorous or antimony, and R.sub.1, R.sub.2 and R.sub.3 are each, separately, hydrogen or an organic radical, wherein at least one R is an organic radical which is at least partially fluorinated. The organic radicals may be alkyl, cycloalkyl, aryl, alkenyl or arenyl.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,124,278 issued Jun. 23, 1992 to D. A. Bohling, et al., describes the use of amino-substituted metallic donor source compounds for reactive deposition (ion implant) applications. The disclosed source compounds have the formula M(NR.sub.2).sub.3-x H.sub.x, where R is an organic radical selected from the group consisting of alkyl, cycloalkyl, aryl, alkenyl, arenyl or fluoroalkyl, x is less than or equal to 2, and M is arsenic, antimony or phosphorous.
It is an object of the present invention to provide an improved source composition for ion implantation of antimony ions.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a source composition for n-doping a material layer with antimony by ion implantation, in which the source composition avoids deposition of certain ionization reaction by-products on interior (wall) surfaces of the ionization chamber of the ion implant system.
Other objects and advantages of the invention will be more fully apparent from the ensuing disclosure and appended claims.

Precursor compositions for ion implantation of antimony and ion implantation process utilizing same


A method for repairing a turbine blade having a crack in a trailing edge portion of the blade includes the steps of cutting back a first surface of the turbine blade adjacent the blade trailing edge portion where the crack is located, and cutting back a second surface of the turbine blade adjacent the blade trailing edge portion where the crack is located. Each cut back step comprises cutting back the respective surface by a depth greater than the length of the crack and less than the trailing edge radius to remove the crack and form a cut back trailing edge portion. A compound radius is used to prevent a blunt transition into the trailing edge that would result in aerodynamic losses and to reduce the airfoil root stresses. The method also includes applying a thermal barrier coating to the turbine blade to increase service life. Prior to applying the coating, the tip portion of the turbine blade is modified to account for the change in the thermal characteristics of the turbine blade.

The present invention relates to a method for repairing cracks in a trailing edge portion of a turbine blade.
Axial cracks initiating at the root trailing edge cooling hole occur on turbine blades used in industrial applications. The cracks are caused by thermal mechanical fatigue. Typically, the cracks initiate from both the concave and the convex side of the root trailing edge cooling hole and run axially towards the leading edge of the blade. Since the turbine blades are otherwise serviceable, a method for effectively repairing these cracks is needed.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a method for repairing cracks in a trailing edge portion of a turbine blade.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a repair method as above which has particular utility in the repair of cracks initiating at a root trailing edge cooling hole.
It is yet a further object of the present invention to provide a method as above which increases the service life of the repaired turbine blade.
The foregoing objects are attained by the method of the present invention.
In accordance with the present invention, a method for repairing a turbine blade having a crack in a trailing edge portion of the turbine blade is provided. The method broadly comprises cutting back the trailing edge portion of the concave and convex surfaces adjoining the trailing edge portion to a depth greater than the length of the crack. Concurrent with the cut back procedure, the portion of the turbine blade between the platform and the cut back trailing edge portion is shaped using a compound radius to eliminate the presence of any cusp on the trailing edge. Further, those edges remaining after the cut back procedure are blended to a smooth radius to minimize stress concentration and aerodynamic losses. The cut back trailing edge portion is also faired into the original trailing edge profile, preferably at the approximate mid-span, to minimize aerodynamic impact.
In accordance with the present invention, a thermal barrier coat is applied to the repaired turbine blade to increase its service life. Prior to the application of the thermal barrier coating, the tip length of the turbine blade is modified to account for reduced substrate temperature of the repaired turbine blade.
Other details of the repair method of the present invention, as well as other objects and advantages attendant thereto, are set forth in the following detailed description and the accompanying drawings wherein like reference numerals depict like elements.

Method for repairing cracks in a turbine blade root trailing edge


A storage/transport container for radioactive material has a metallic outer shell, a metallic inner shell concentrically received in the outer cell and defining therewith an annular space, and an annular and continuous heat-conductive meander strip in the space. The strip is formed unitarily with a plurality of angularly spaced inner segments engaging the inner shell, respective angularly spaced outer segments engaging the outer shell, and respective generally radially extending webs extending between the inner and outer segments.

The present invention relates to a storage/transport container for radioactive material such as spent nuclear fuel rods. More particularly this invention concerns a method of making such a container.
A standard container for nuclear waste products comprises an inner shell having a cylindrical side wall and planar floor, a similarly shaped outer shell spacedly surrounding the inner shell, a mass of concrete or the like in the space between the shells, and a cover. The material being stored or transported is loaded into the inner shell and the cover is installed. is The steel walls of the shells and the concrete between them provides shielding.
Heat evolves from the waste so that it is standard as described in German patent document 2,817,193 filed Apr. 20, 1978 by R. Christ to provide webs or struts of heat-conductive material between the inner and outer shells. Thus heat is conducted to the outer shell where it can dissipate to the atmosphere without overly heating the inner shell or the contents of the container.
Such containers are mass produced and, once filled, are normally not reused so that they must be made at the lowest possible cost. The main bottleneck in production is the laborious installation of the heat-dissipating webs between the shells.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide an improved method of making a storage/transport container for radioactive material.
A storage/transport container for radioactive material has according to the invention has a metallic outer shell, a metallic inner shell concentrically received in the outer cell and defining therewith an annular space, and an annular and continuous heat-conductive meander strip in the space. The strip is formed unitarily with a plurality of angularly spaced inner segments engaging the inner shell, respective angularly spaced outer segments engaging the outer shell, and respective generally radially extending webs extending between the inner and outer segments.
The meander strip, which is of constant width and thickness, can easily be formed into the desired shape at very low cost by a simple roll-stamping procedure. When fitted in the space between the inner and outer shells it forms an excellent heat-conducting bridge. There is no need to position individual elements in place and then individually secure them.
The inner segments according to the invention each have angularly spaced opposite ends from which the webs extend and which abut the ends of adjacent flanking inner segments. Thus the inner-segment ends can be joined together to form an inner ring tightly surrounding the inner shell which may be annularly continuous or split.
The container in accordance with the invention comprises a plurality of such strips axially offset from each other with the inside and outside segments of adjacent strips staggered angularly. Thus the concrete filling will extend continuously over the entire space between the shells, joined together axially of the container into a single mass in which the strip webs are imbedded.
The inner segments have a curvature corresponding to a curvature of an outer surface of the inner shell and the outer segments have a curvature corresponding to a curvature of an inner surface of the outer shell. This ensures excellent contact and good heat transfer from the inner shell to the outer shell. The webs are under prestress and press the segments against the respective shells to further augment the heat-conducting contact.
The inner and outer shells according to the invention have respective base plates spaced axially from each other. An array of metallic heat-conducting strips between the base plates have inner ends engaging the inner-shell base plate and outer ends engaging the outer shell. Thus even the floor of the inner shell is set up to conduct heat away from the charge in the container to the outer shell.
The storage/transport container according to the invention is made by first fitting around a metallic inner shell an annular and continuous heat-conductive meander strip having a plurality of angularly spaced inner segments engaging the inner shell, respective angularly spaced outer segments, and respective generally radially extending webs extending between the inner and outer segments. This meander strip may be fixed to the inner shell. Then the meander strip is radially inwardly compressed and the other shell is fitted over the inner shell and meander strip. Then the compression of the meander strip is released so that the outer segments bear on the outer shell. Finally a space between the inner and outer shells is filled with concrete. The radial compression of the radially elastically deforms the webs that stay radially slightly deformed in the finished container so that good contact with the outer shell is ensured.

Storage/transport container for radioactive material

GNB Gesellschaft fur Nuklear-Behalter mbH


A distributed router able to reduce occurrence of ping-pong of data and information packets within the architecture of the distributed router constructed with a main processor, a plurality of line connection units and a switching unit, is disclosed. The main processor manages a routing table, updates the routing table, and broadcasts the changes in routing information that are received. The switching unit switches packets either to the main processor or to the respective line connection units. A plurality of forwarding tables are positioned in different corresponding ones of the plurality of line connection units, to copy, store and manage a part of the routing table. A plurality of forwarding processors are positioned in different corresponding ones of the plurality of line connection units, to transmit each packet to an output port, to determine whether the output port of a packet received from the switching unit is connected to either an external router or the switching unit, and to transmit each packet to the external router when the output port is connected to the external router, and discard any packet when the output port is connected to the switching unit.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to distributed routers and processes and, more particularly, to distributed architecture routers and routing processes with a ping-pong preventing function that is capable of preventing the unnecessary repetition of transmission of a packet through an erroneous path between forwarding processors.
2. Description of the Related Art
In general, a router includes four components: an input port, an output port, switching fabric and a routing processor.
The input port is a point of contact with a physical link, and a pathway for receiving packets. The output port accumulates and schedules packets to transmit the packets to an output link. The switching fabric internally connects the input and output ports to each other. The routing processor executes a routing protocol, and creates a forwarding table that is used for packet forwarding.
When processing performance does not catch up with the input speed at which packets are being received by a router when a routing function is implemented by software that is executed in a processing environment, a bottleneck phenomenon occurs. Furthermore, when in the routing process, a packet forwarding operation adds a header to an input packet and then the input packet with the added header is again transmitted, the speed of traffic is adversely affected.
Currently, as the volume of Internet traffic increases exponentially, a distributed router constructed with a distributed architecture has been proposed in an effort to accommodate the increase in Internet traffic.
Additionally, in order to speed up a routing function, a high-speed forwarding engine technique is being developed in which the packet forwarding operation will be separately handled.
Accordingly, in terms of system architecture, there is a growing tendency to prefer a distributed architecture with forwarding engines that are positioned in respective line connection units of a server-type architecture in which a single forwarding engine is shared by a plurality of line connection units.
A distributed router serves to forward packets of information and data; in essence, a distributed router performs a routing function and a packet forwarding function in different line connection units. A main processor constructs and updates its own routing table, and transmits updated routing information to a forwarding engine through InterProcessor Communication (IPC) within a system. The forwarding engine constructs and updates its own forwarding table using the changed routing information received.
Generally, propagation delays occur during the interval between the updating of the routing table in the main processor and the updating of the forwarding table in the forwarding engine. Accordingly, user packets entering during the propagation delay are transmitted along an erroneous routing path, that is, an out-of-date path that has been provided for transmission of the packets on the basis of out-of-date routing information stored in a forwarding table.
When the updated routing information has not reached all of the line connection units prior to the initiation of transmission of a packet, one line connection unit will, in reliance upon out-of-date forwarding information stored in its forwarding table, invariably repeat the transmission and reception of the packet to and from another line connection unit. This phenomenon is referred to as "ping-pong". If "ping-pong" occurs in a distributed router, a loop is inevitably formed within the distributed router; this causes a considerable reduction in the bandwidth of an IPC.

Distributed router with ping-pong preventing function and ping-pong preventing method using the same


An image reading apparatus includes: a reader configured to read an image to create image data representative of the image; a processor; and a memory storing instructions. According to the instructions, the processor receives first operational input for causing the reader to read the image and obtains a registration request transmitted from a first device that is one of at least one information processing device connected to the image reading apparatus through a network. The registration request is for registering the first device as a transmission destination to which the image data is to be transmitted. The processor registers the first device as the transmission destination, based on the obtained registration request. When the image data is created by the reader in response to receipt of the first operational input, the processor transmits the image data crated by the reader, to the registered first device.

The present invention relates to an image reading apparatus configured to read an image on a document and a method for transmitting image data created based on the reading.
USB connection and LAN connection are known. The USB connection allows connection between a scanner and an information processing device such as a personal computer (hereinafter referred to as "PC"). The LAN connection allows connection between a scanner and a plurality of PCs and is widely used.
A scanner that can be connected to a plurality of PCs through a LAN is typically configured such that when a user has operated the scanner to scan an image on a document, a list of PCs connected to the LAN are displayed on an LCD (liquid crystal display) of the scanner, allowing the user to designate a PC to which the scan data is to be transmitted (hereinafter may be referred to as "destination PC") among the list of PCs. This configuration allows the user to reliably transmit the scan data to a desired PC.

Image reading apparatus and image data transmission method


A method and apparatus for allowing users of computers having a graphical user interface to efficiently convey scalar control information (such as Likert scale data) are described. A graphical control button is displayed on the screen combined with a graphical scale (which may be implicit) to enable users to convey the command to execute the function associated with the control button while conveying additional scalar information by controlling the particular region of the control button on which the cursor is positioned. The cursor position is preferably controlled by a pointing device such as a mouse. The scale of values assigned to the control button may be displayed continuously on the button or the scale may be displayed only after the cursor has been placed on the button and the mouse key depressed, but not released. A scale pointer showing the precise scale position corresponding to the cursor position may be displayed in addition to or in place of the cursor. One use of the invention is to have a user browsing tutorial text indicate the degree of usefulness of sections of the text by using control buttons of the invention for the page forward and backward functions. The system could then dynamically adjust the tutorial based on user ratings.

Many computer programs require interaction with a user to function effectively and/or to be useful. Simple tasks such as displaying text on a display screen require that a user communicate information to the computer about the data to be displayed, when to page forward or backward, etc. Quantitative information can be entered by pressing the numerical keys on the computer keyboard. The more efficiently information can be conveyed to the computer, the more usable and effective the system becomes.
Commercially available graphical user interfaces usually combine a high resolution screen with a pointing device such as a mouse, track ball, or digitizer tablet in addition to the more traditional keyboard. A graphical cursor may be moved around the screen using the pointing device. A typical program will display data along with icons or control buttons on the screen and allow the user to enter information through the keyboard or by positioning a cursor on an icon or control button and then pressing a mouse button or other key to indicate that the system should read the cursor position and execute a function assigned to the icon or control button. A control button might be assigned the page forward function, for example. Icons and control buttons are functionally interchangeable. The term icon normally refers to some type of representational image. An image of a trash can might be used for an icon associated with a discard function. A control button on the screen is normally a representation of a key and would typically be rectangular, elliptical or circular and would be labelled as would keys on a keyboard. Thus, a page down control button might be labelled with the words "page down" or a downward pointing arrow.
The Operating System/2 (OS/2) Presentation Manager, which is a computer program commercially available from the International Business Machines Corporation (IBM) uses a graphical interface which allows the user to page forward and backward in a document by positioning the cursor on a vertical control bar at the edge of the screen. The relative position of the page currently being displayed in the document is indicated on the control bar by a small rectangle. Pressing the mouse button (clicking) when the cursor is above the rectangle causes the system to page backwards and clicking on the space below the rectangle causes a page forward function. The user can cause multiple pages to be skipped forward or backward by dragging the rectangle up or down using the mouse.
It is sometimes desirable to know whether a user "likes" or "finds useful" data that is being displayed on a screen. Methods for quantifying such subjective feelings date back at least to the 1930's. One method is to use a Likert scale. The Likert scale was developed in 1932 by psychologist R. Likert to measure people's attitudes about various things. Instead of presenting a dichotomous Yes/No question, the Likert scale allows people to rate their agreement with a question or proposition on a variable scale, typically ranging from 1 to 5, with 1 meaning disagreement, for example. The Likert scale is still widely used in psychological research and testing.
There is a need for efficient methods of allowing computer users to indicate Likert scale and other scalar information to a computer program.

Graphical interface control buttons with scalar values