The present invention provides a backlight module and a liquid crystal display module using the backlight module. The backlight module includes: a backplane (2), a backlight source (4) mounted in the backplane (2), and a light guide plate (6) mounted in the backplane (2). The backplane (2) includes a bottom board (22) and a plurality of side boards (24) perpendicularly connected to the bottom board (22). The backlight source (4) includes a circuit board (42) and a plurality of LED lights (44) mounted to and electrically connected with the circuit board (42). The circuit board (42) is mounted to the bottom board (22). The LED lights (44) are arranged at one side of the light guide plate (6). The circuit board (42) includes a first slope surface (422) facing the bottom board (22). A heat dissipation board (8) is arranged between the circuit board (42) and the bottom board (22). The heat dissipation board (8) includes a second slope surface (82) mateable with the first slope surface (422).

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to the field of flat panel displaying, and in particular to a backlight module and a liquid crystal display module using the backlight module.
2. The Related Arts
Liquid crystal displays (LCDs) have a variety of advantages, such as thin device body, low power consumption, and being free of radiation, and are thus of wide applications, such as mobile phones, personal digital assistants (PDAs), digital cameras, computer monitors, and notebook computer screens.
Most of the liquid crystal displays that are currently available in the market are backlighting liquid crystal displays, which comprise an enclosure, a liquid crystal panel arranged in the enclosure, and a backlight module mounted in the enclosure. The structure of a conventional liquid crystal panel is composed of a color filter (CF) substrate, a thin-film transistor (TFT) array substrate, and a liquid crystal layer arranged between the two substrates and the principle of operation is that a driving voltage is applied to the two glass substrates to control rotation of the liquid crystal molecules of the liquid crystal layer in order to refract out light emitting from the backlight module for generating images. Since the liquid crystal panel itself does not emit light, light must be provided from the backlight module in order to normally display images. Thus, the backlight module is one of the key components of the liquid crystal displays. The backlight modules can be classified in two types, namely a side-edge backlight module and a direct backlight module, according to the site where light gets incident. The direct backlight module comprises a light source, such as a cold cathode fluorescent lamp (CCFL) or a light-emitting diode (LED), which is arranged at the backside of the liquid crystal panel to form a planar light source directly supplied to the liquid crystal display panel. The side-edge backlight module comprises an LED light bar, serving as a backlight source, which is arranged at an edge of a backplane to be located rearward of one side of the liquid crystal display panel. The LED light bar emits light that enters a light guide plate (LGP) through a light incident face at one side of the light guide plate and is projected out of a light emergence face of the light guide plate, after being reflected and diffused, to pass through an optic film assembly so as to form a planar light source for the liquid crystal display panel.
Referring to FIG. 1, the side-edge backlight module comprises: a backplane 100, a reflector plate 200 arranged in the backplane 100, a light guide plate 300 arranged on the reflector plate 200, a backlight source 400 arranged in the backplane 100, and a heat dissipation board 500 arranged between the backlight source 400 and the backplane 100. The backplane 100 comprises a bottom board 102 and side boards 104 connected to the bottom board 102. The backlight source 400 is attached via thermal paste (not shown) to the heat dissipation board 500. The heat dissipation board 500 is generally an aluminum board, a copper board, or a graphite patch, which is fixed by screws to the bottom board 102 of the backplane 100. Heat generated by the backlight source 400 is transmitted through the heat dissipation board 500 to the bottom board 102 of the backplane 100 and heat exchange is then performed through the backplane 100 with the surrounding atmosphere to realize heat dissipation. However, the thermal conductivity coefficient of the thermal paste is not great so that the heat dissipation performance of the backlight module is not good and the quality of the backlight module is thus affected.
To cope with the above-discussed problems and to realize bezel thinning of the flat panel displays, a backlight module that is currently available comprises LED packages that are directly mounted to a substrate of a flat panel device, of which the structure is illustrated in FIG. 2. The LED packages are vertically mounted to a PCB (Printed Circuit Board) substrate 700 so that an outer circumferential frame of a bezel of a liquid crystal display can be arranged as a slim frame. Further, a heat dissipation board 900 is arranged under the PCB substrate 700 for timely dissipation of the heat generated by the PCB module so as to ensure the quality of clear image displayed by the liquid crystal panel.
However, arranging the heat dissipation board 900 under the PCB substrate 700 would undoubtedly increase the overall thickness of the liquid crystal display. This is adverse to the trend of thinning of the liquid crystal displays. Thus, improvement is desired.

Backlight module and liquid crystal display module using same

Shenzhen China Star Optoelectronics Technology Co., Ltd.


A supersonic aircraft comprises a fuselage extending forward and aft, wings coupled to lateral sides of the fuselage, and canards coupled to lateral sides of the fuselage forward of the wings. The individual canards are configured to generate shocks that wrap around the fuselage and intersect with wing leading edges on opposing sides of the fuselage.

The global economy makes long range business travel more essential than ever. However, other than Concorde, with presence declining as transatlantic flights have discontinued, the pace of business travel remains at 1960's-era speeds. Technology advances have produced longer range, safer, and more comfortable aircraft—but not faster flights.
Supersonic overland capability and range are drivers of market potential for aircraft in the commercial and business sector. Buyers of supersonic commercial aircraft are expected to be from entities such as corporations, governments and government agencies, and high net-worth individuals. Most operators are expected to be large organizations, for example corporations and governments, with sophisticated flight departments that can manage multiple aircraft types. Flights are expected to depart and arrive in a wide range of environments, from large international and national airports to small local airfields or suburban airports, with or without substantial service capabilities.
Although a supersonic aircraft for usage in commercial and business environments is to have many characteristics of a high-performance military aircraft, flight characteristics, operations, maintenance, and cost should be compatible to a business or commercial realm. The aircraft should be compatible with the infrastructure, servicing and operations experience base, and air traffic control system of the extant civil business jet.
The user community expects the aircraft to be usable not only in large, urban international hubs but also in suburban airports so that compatibility with shorter runway lengths, narrower taxiways, and lower maximum gross weight surfaces is desirable. Servicing and maintenance compatibility with personnel, equipment, and capabilities found at well-equipped fixed based operators (FBOs) and maintenance facilities is highly useful.
Many of the desirable features of supersonic civilian aircraft, particularly low-boom performance and long range, are very difficult to attain. Bill Sweetman in "Flights of fancy take shape—from Jane's (www.janes.com)", 21 Jul. 2000, discusses the United States Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) Quiet Supersonic Platform (QSP) program that is intended to develop an efficient supersonic-cruise aircraft that does not produce a sonic boom. The difficulty of such a result is indicated by the agency's admission that only a revolutionary design will meet the goal, and that incremental application of new technologies, or integration of existing technologies, is expected to be insufficient to attain the reduced boom goal.
Extension of aircraft range involves balancing of fuel capacity, payload volume, fuel consumption at desired speeds, aerodynamic, and other factors. Reduction of aerodynamic drag can assist in extending range, reducing sonic boom, and improving aircraft performance.

Canard position and dihedral for boom reduction and pitch/directional control


Methods and apparatus for a power supply according various aspects of the present invention operate in conjunction with a voltage converter for converting an input voltage to an output voltage. For example, the converter may comprise an output controller configured to generate a control signal, a power mode controller, and an integrated power stage. The power stage may include a multiple switch segments coupled in parallel between the input voltage and the output, and a driver circuit responsive to the output controller and the power mode controller and connected to the switch segments. The driver circuit controls the switch segments according to the control signal to activate the switch segments in the switch circuit. The driver circuit also disables one or more of the switch segments according to the power mode signal to permit reduced power delivery and demand states.

Many high power applications use switching power supplies, in part due to the small area and volume they occupy. Converters used for a typical switching power supply include active components and passive components. For high power applications, the active components are discrete, not integrated, because of the difficulty associated with integrating high power components and controlling heat dissipation.
Switching power supplies have a number of problems associated with them. For example, the switching supplies require power MOSFETs to handle the high currents required by the high powered applications. These MOSFETs are significantly larger than typical MOSFETs, and have high parasitic capacitances associated with them, which reduce the overall performance of the system. Further, the highly specialized drivers to the drive the large gate-to-source capacitance of power MOSFETs must be very well controlled. If the drivers are not well controlled, unnecessary capacitive switching losses are introduced into the system.
Switching the power MOSFETs on and off also requires large currents, which create a significant amount of system noise through coupling and ground return path parasites. The large currents provided to the MOSFETs also create a drop in the power supply, preventing the MOSFETs from turning on completely until the power supply has recovered. The drop is due, in part, to the parasitic inductance of the decoupling capacitor, which provides the instantaneous power required to activate the MOSFETs.
In addition, the MOSFETs are timed to ensure that one is fully off before the other turns on, creating a large non-overlap time and causing losses to power efficiency. The timing between turning on one transistor and turning off another are set up to minimize shoot-thru current which occurs when both transistors are on. This is done by ensuring that one FET is fully off before turning on the other FET, which is controlled by non-overlap logic. In discrete power stages, the non-overlap time can be significant, causing loss in power efficiency because the output current must be provided by a diode during the non-overlap time.


Process for producing low-molecular olefins by pyrolysis of hydrocarbons comprising mixing of feedstock with steam-diluent, preheating the resulting mixture, rapid heating the said mixture up to pyrolysis temperature and maintaining this temperature inside reactor during residence time, quenching product stream and subsequent fractionation of products. The reactor has an annular work cavity where stationary blades and rotatable work blades are located. A ring vortex flow is created and maintained in the work cavity when the work blades are rotated. A heat needed for pyrolysis is generated due to hydrodynamic drag of rotated work blades. Heating the mixture up to pyrolysis temperature is performed by mixing with hot process stream recirculated in the work cavity for a negligible time in comparison with the residence time. The process enables increase of the low-molecular olefins yield.

At present a thermal pyrolysis of hydrocarbons is the basic process of commercial production of low-molecular olefins—ethylene and propylene. As a feedstock there are used hydrocarbons which molecule has two or more atoms of carbon. In industry there are generally used gases of petroleum refining, as well as naphtha and gas oil fractions.
In generally accepted technology a feedstock mixed with steam and preheated, is supplied into a cracking tube located inside radiant section of pyrolysis furnace, wherein the mixture is rapidly heated. Pyrolysis reactions proceed with large absorption of heat. A product stream having the outlet temperature 750–950° C. is quenched and transported into a gas fractionating installation, in which ethylene, propylene, butadiene, methane, hydrogen and other pyrolysis products are separated. Ethylene is the most valuable product of pyrolysis.
Among reactions of thermal pyrolysis there can be distinguished: the primary reactions resulting in formation of olefins and the secondary ones, during which formed olefins are wasted. With temperature increase these reactions are accelerated, both primary and secondary, but the rate of primary reactions increases quicker than the rate of secondary ones. The rate of primary reactions does not depend on pressure, whereas the rate of secondary reactions decreases with pressure decrease. Therefore, to increase the olefin yields there is a need to decrease hydrocarbon partial pressure in the work cavity and increase the process temperature within said limits. The hydrocarbon partial pressure can be decreased by adding a steam-diluent. An optimal amount of steam-diluent depends on the composition of the hydrocarbon feed. For light feedstock—ethane or propane—the amount of steam usually is 20–40% of feedstock mass. For heavy feedstock, such as gas oils, the amount of a steam can be 80–100% of feedstock mass. It is undesirable to increase the pyrolysis temperature above 950–1000° C., because this accelerates sharply coke formation and causes increase in yield of less valuable acetylene yield at the expense of ethylene.
Essential component of pyrolysis plants is the means for quenching of product stream leaving reactor to the temperature of stopping undesirable secondary reactions. The quenching can be both direct—by injection of steam, water or light pyrolysis tar—and indirect—by using a heat exchanger. The direct quenching is usually applied in thermal cracking of gas oils. In thermal cracking of light hydrocarbons the indirect quenching in heat exchanger apparatus is usually applied generating simultaneously a high pressure steam.
During pyrolysis of hydrocarbons a pyrocarbon is always evolved, part of which in the form of soot particles is carried away by the product stream, but the another part forms coke deposits on the walls both of cracking tubes and downstream apparatuses as well. Coke deposits increase a pressure drop through cracking tubes and deteriorate a proper heat transfer into reaction zone, resulting in overheating the cracking tubes, decrease in productivity of pyrolysis plant and decrease in yields of low-molecular olefins. Therefore coke deposits are periodically removed, usually this is performed by burning out with air or air-steam mixture.
Following disadvantages of hydrocarbon pyrolysis in tubular furnaces is noteworthy:
a. it is necessary to transfer a large amount of heat into the reaction zone through the cracking tube walls. Because of large heat flows the temperature of the cracking tube wall much exceeds the temperature of a process stream causing an intensive coke formation and decrease in desired products yield. It is impossible to decrease the pressure in the zone of pyrolysis because of the necessity to provide a high rate of feedstock flow through this zone required by conditions of heat transfer;
b. the rate of feedstock heating through the cracking tube is insufficient. So an initial amount of desired olefins formed at relatively low temperatures and carried further by feedstock flow through more and more intensively heated zones resides an excess time under conditions, when secondary reactions proceed with grate intensity. This disadvantage becomes greatly evident in pyrolysis of wide petroleum fractions, such as naphtha or gas oil, which contain both easy cracked high-molecular hydrocarbons and low-molecular hydrocarbons cracked under higher temperatures.
To eliminate said disadvantages, the processes for producing olefins by the thermal decomposition of hydrocarbons were offered, in which heat is not transferred into the reaction zone through boundary of this zone.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,300,216 discloses method and apparatus for thermal cracking hydrocarbons in the presence of steam by passing through stationary shock wave of high intensity. A steam superheated in a tubular heater to a temperature of about 1000° C. is introduced at a pressure of about 2.7 MPa through a supersonic nozzle into a reactor comprising series-positioned mixing and pyrolysis zones. In the mixing zone the hydrocarbon feed—ethane—preheated to the temperature of about 627° C. is introduced through mixers into supersonic flow of steam. The resulting mixture forms a supersonic process stream, which has a temperature lower than that required to initiate pyrolysis reactions. Between the said mixing and pyrolysis zones a straight compression shock—continuous-standing shock wave—is created. In this compression shock a kinetic energy of the supersonic process stream is converted into the heat. Immediately downstream of the compression shock the velocity of the process stream falls to subsonic level, and the temperature rises up to about 1000° C. at a pressure of about 0.9 MPa abs. The process stream passes the pyrolysis zone for 0.005–0.05 sec. while its temperature decreases to about 863° C. at the expense of heat absorbed by pyrolysis reactions. Conversion of ethane into ethylene achieves 70%. The product stream passes quenching apparatus and downstream heat exchangers, and further is transported to gas fractionation. In this apparatus all said above disadvantages of tubular pyrolysis reactors are eliminated. The feedstock reaches maximum pyrolysis temperature especially rapidly, and the boundary of the pyrolysis section are not used for transfer of heat into reaction zone. But at the same time the required amount of steam per hydrocarbon mass must be about 500–667%. Because of this the energy expenses per unit of produced ethylene are excessively high and can not be essentially decreased. Thus this apparatus noncompetitive at current interrelation of energy costs with olefin costs.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,597,537 discloses a process for fluidized catalytic cracking of hydrocarbon feed stream. This process comprises contacting the hydrocarbon feed stream with a dust catalyst at an initial temperature 664° C. in a riser. Heat required for the cracking is transferred to process stream from particles of catalyst, and temperature of the catalyst decreases to 532° C. Then hydrocarbon products are separated from a coked catalyst, and coked catalyst passes to a regenerator. Here the coke from said catalyst is combusted by hot air to produce regenerated catalyst, and catalyst temperature increases. Regenerated catalyst passes into riser again. In this apparatus a heat is not transferred into reaction zone through boundary of this zone.
Unfortunately, high severity of destruction process, typical for pyrolysis of hydrocarbons in tubular furnaces, in this apparatus is impossible. This is a cause on which the best yield of ethylene in this apparatus does not exceed 5 . . . 7%, and so this apparatus is not used for commercial producing of ethylene.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,265,732 discloses a process for thermal cracking gaseous hydrocarbon feed, wherein the heal required for pyrolysis is generated directly in a process stream due to hydrodynamic drag of the rotated blades. Pyrolysis takes place in a reactor designed as a multistage blade machine of axial type containing alternating rotating blade rows and stationary blade rows positioned in series. Desired profiles of a pressure and temperature along the reactor length are reached by properly profiling of these blades. The reactor boundary is not used for transfer of heat into the reaction zone.
This invention eliminates completely the disadvantage (a), but the disadvantage (b) is not eliminated. An axial type multistage blade apparatus is needed to realize this process. This apparatus have to be capable of work at very high temperatures (up to 1050° C.) and comprise a great number of stages (up to 43). Difficulties appearing in development of this apparatus are so heavy that such apparatus has not been fabricated.
Thus all known methods of low-molecular olefins production by thermal pyrolysis of hydrocarbons when a heat is not transferred into zone of reaction through boundary of this zone are not suitable for commercial using.
Thereby, attempts to develop a method of pyrolysis of hydrocarbons free of disadvantages (a) and (b) were not successful and at present the thermal pyrolysis of hydrocarbons in tubular furnaces is a single commercial method of the ethylene production.
In prior art there are known and widely used hydrodynamic devices, in which a torque is transferred from rotating shaft to stationary housing by ring vortex of medium filling work cavity. In these devices mechanical energy is converted into heat that is generated directly inside work medium and heats it. Such hydrodynamic devices having small overall dimension can transfer a maximum torque and absorb maximum power.
Here and hereinafter wording "ring vortex" means a vortex with the ring core, thereby, word "ring" pertains to the form of vortex core. Streamlines of such vortex are of the form of spirals convolute in ring.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,672,954 discloses hydrodynamic dynamometer. Housing and rotatable rotor located inside it form together two annular work cavities filled with liquid. In the work cavity the blades fixed on the rotor and directing blades fixed on the housing are located. Said cavities are formed and the said blades are configured and positioned so that in each cavity a ring vortex is created when the rotor is rotated. This ring vortex transfers a torque from rotor to housing of device. Cold work liquid is supplied into this device and hot one is withdrawn from the device through respective nipples communicated with work cavity.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,537,264 discloses hydrodynamic brake. Housing and rotatable rotor, which is located inside it, form together an annular work cavity filling with work fluid. This work cavity through respective channels is communicated with inlet and outlet nipples for transporting the work fluid. In the work cavity the rotor blades and stationary directing blades are located. The said cavity is formed and the said blades are configured and positioned so that a ring vortex is created when the rotor is rotated. This ring vortex transfers a torque from rotor to housing of device. The work fluid in this device is a liquid or gas (air, for example).
U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,864,872, 5,147,181, 5,571,975 disclose fluid torque transfer devices, which constructions are similar to the hydrodynamic brake covered by U.S. Pat. No. 3,537,264. The said devices and hydrodynamic brake on U.S. Pat. No. 3,537,264 differ in form and location of work and stationary blades.


A form handling or processing system, such as a computer or mobile client system, in which data relevant to a form being completed is drawn from fields in the form into a title bar or line for the form, thereby facilitating recognition by a user of the linkage of the form to a particular data record.

Personal computer systems in general and IBM personal computers in particular have attained widespread use for providing computer power to many segments of today's modern society. Personal computer systems can usually be defined as a desk top, floor standing, or portable microcomputer that consists of a system unit having a single system processor and associated volatile and non-volatile memory, a display monitor, a keyboard, one or more diskette drives, a fixed disk storage, and an optional printer. One of the distinguishing characteristics of these systems is the use of a motherboard or system planar to electrically connect these components together. These systems are designed primarily to give independent computing power to a single user and are inexpensively priced for purchase by individuals or small businesses. Examples of such personal computer systems are the personal computer systems offered by IBM and identified under branch names such as the PERSONAL COMPUTER AT, PERSONAL SYSTEM/2, PS/1, Aptiva, and the like. Persons of skill in the computer arts will be familiar with these systems.
These systems can be classified into two general families. The first family, usually referred to as Family I Models, use a bus architecture exemplified by the IBM PERSONAL COMPUTER AT and other "IBM compatible" machines. The second family, referred to as Family II Models, use IBM's MICRO CHANNEL bus architecture exemplified by IBM's PERSONAL SYSTEM/2 Models 50 through 95. The Family I models originally used the popular INTEL 8088 or 8086 microprocessor as the system processor. These processors have the ability to address one megabyte of memory. The Family II models typically used the high speed INTEL 80286, 80386, and 80486 microprocessors which can operate in a real mode to emulate the slower speed INTEL 8086 microprocessor or a protected mode which extends the addressing range from 1 megabyte to 4 Gigabytes for some models. In essence, the real mode feature of the 80286, 80386, and 80486 processors provide hardware compatibility with software written for the 8086 and 8088 microprocessors. As the state of the art has progressed, Family I systems have developed toward ever higher capability central processor units, including the Intel PENTIUM brand microprocessor and its competitors, Reduced Instruction Set Computing (RISC) microprocessors such as the IBM and Motorola Power PC processors, and higher capability bus designs such as VESA and PCI bus designs. Again, persons of skill in the computer arts will be familiar with these systems.
The impact of such development on the manner in which computing is done in business and consumer environments has been profound. Prior to the development of personal computer systems, most use of computers was for business purposes only and data processing was done in the "glass house" which housed the computer system. Inquiries were channeled through information managers for handling by computer technicians. With the wide spread use of personal computer systems access to data once maintained on an enterprise wide computer system became important to managers and ultimately line employees. Networks of personal computer systems grew up, with layered access through network servers to the enterprise systems or mainframes on which enterprise data is stored.
As information work has spread to an increasing number of information workers and impacted the work of more wide spread groups of employees within an enterprise, need for mobility of such employees has arisen. Particularly in such "outside" jobs as route salesperson, transport driver, or business consultant, it has become important to have access, while remote from an enterprise site, to enterprise data normally maintained on an enterprise system and accessed through a network of computer systems. Such access has been achieved, in part, through the use of whirling connected personal computer systems such as notebook or lap top computer systems. Typically, such a system may be equipped with a modem and communications software such that, when connected to a public switched telephone network (PSTN), the system may be connected with a supporting server or mainframe and a user may gain access to desired data.
With the development of radio communications such as exemplified by the cellular telephone networks, the possibility arose of eliminating the wireline connection between a personal computer system and a supporting server. Such systems have been developed, particularly for systems used in retail and warehousing businesses, which permit a user to move freely within an area which has radio transceiver service while remaining in intermittent or continuous contact with a data channel through which data may be exchanged with a server or mainframe supporting an enterprise activity. For purposes of discussion here, such systems in the hands of user will be referred to as "mobile client systems". A mobile client system is distinguished by the mobility of the user, who is free of the restraints against movement imposed by a wireline connection, and by the client nature of the system in that enterprise data accessed by the mobile client system is maintained on a server or mainframe computer system with which the mobile client is in communication. Such mobile client systems are also sometimes referred to as personal communications assistants or personal digital assistants. The interested reader is referred to "Wireless: The Revolution in Personal Telecommunications"by Ira Brodsky (Artech House, Boston, 1995) for additional background and information about mobile client systems.
In using many systems of the general types described above, forms will be displayed for the entry of data into fields or elements of tables in the forms. Where reliance is placed on conventional mark-up language creation and transfer of such forms, such as the Hyper Text Markup Language (HTML) conventionally used in internet communication or intranet communication based on internet protocols, certain conventions are applied. One such convention is found in the appearance of data in a title field. More particularly, an HTML form will invariably have a title bar or line, in which will appear a text statement of the name or title of the form. Such a title bar or line falls short, however, of usefully indicating to a user the particular data record to which the form being completed may relate. This can easily result in misentry of data, corrupting database files and requiring significant effort to discover and correct errors.

Mobile client computer programmed for importation of data into title display

International Business Machines Corporation


The present invention relates to a neuromimetic network comprising a set of neurons and a set of synapses,                at least one neuron comprising a first stack of superimposed layers, the first stack successively comprising:                    a first electrode,            a first barrier layer made of an electrically insulating material, and            a second electrode,                        the first electrode, the first barrier layer and the second electrode forming a first ferroelectric tunnel junction,        at least one synapse comprising a second stack of superimposed layers, the second stack successively comprising:                    a third electrode,            a second barrier layer made of an electrically insulating material, and            a fourth electrode,                        the third electrode, the second barrier layer and the fourth electrode forming a second ferroelectric tunnel junction.

The present invention relates to a neuromimetic network. The present invention also relates to a method for manufacturing such a neuromimetic network.
Networks reproducing the working of a human brain are used for specific tasks for which the conventional architectures, such as the Von Neumann architectures, are not very suitable. For example, such tasks comprise the recognition of objects or persons in images.
Such networks comprise two main types of components or circuits performing two separate functions. A first type of component has an oscillator behavior similar to that of a neuron, and a second type of component, having a controllable resistance, serves as synapse connecting two neurons to one another. For this reason, networks of this type are called "neuromimetic networks", neural networks" or "neuromorphic networks".
Neuromorphic networks are frequently digitally emulated, that is to say, their functions are reproduced by a computer program. However, such networks then assume the use of a computer having a conventional, complex architecture, even if the emulated neuromorphic network is simple.
Neuromorphic networks in which the roles of neurons and synapses are played by dedicated physical components are also known. For example, the synapses comprise controllable resistors of the memristor type, using materials such as phase change materials, oxides or ferroelectric tunnel junctions. Such synapses have a variable electrical resistance making it possible to modify the connection between two neurons, and thus to control the propagation of the electrical pulses between neurons. The neurons, in turn, are frequently made from conventional technologies in silicon-based microelectronics, in particular CMOS (Complementary Metal-Oxide Semiconductor) technology.
However, the manufacture of such a neuromorphic networks is complex. In particular, the interfacing between the synapses and the neurons is difficult. Furthermore, the technologies for manufacturing neurons and synapses are very different, and it is difficult to integrate neurons and synapses on a same substrate. The obtained density of components is therefore relatively low, and the neuromorphic networks therefore have, within equal surface, a relatively low computing capacity relative to a conventional architecture.
There is therefore a need for a neuromorphic network having a computing capacity per surface unit that is higher than the neuromorphic networks of the state of the art.

Neuromimetic network and related production method

CENTRE NATIONAL DE LA RECHERCHE SCIENTIFIQUE


A method for testing coins which move along a runway, using a coil assembly which, on either side of the runway, has a transmission coil C, D adapted to be admitted by a transmission signal and a reception coil A, B on a common ferrite core wherein the reception coil smaller in diameter is closer to the runway than is the transmission coil and the diameter of the transmission coil is smaller than the diameter of the smallest coin to be assumed, and wherein the ferrite core has arranged thereon a secondary coil coupled to the transmission coil the signal of which is connected, as a negative-feedback signal, to the input of a differential amplifier in such a way that the signal of the transmission coil agrees with the transmitted signal provided to the other input of the differential amplifier.

Specifically, the invention relates to a method for testing coins using the inductive measuring technique. This technique generally relies on the fact that a magnetic signal is directed from a transmission coil onto a coin running along a runway and a reception coil receives the resultant signal. The signal transmitted undergoes a more or less pronounced attenuation which depends on the material composition of the coin. Further, it is generally known to arrange the reception coil both on the same side as the transmission coil (DE 10 2004 013 286 B4), the entire contents of which is incorporated herein by reference, and the opposite side (DE 689 21 608 T2), the entire contents of which is incorporated herein by reference. From DE 10 2004 013 286 B4, it is also known to dispose a single reception coil on a single ferrite core and arrange the reception coil in a coaxial annular recess of the ferrite core at the front-end side facing the coin runway, the dimensions of the transmitter and reception coils being chosen so that the reception coil is permeated by a substantially homogeneous magnetic field of the transmission coil. Such an arrangement helps in testing coins at a sufficiently high resolution across the thickness of the coin with fluctuations of coin distances not having a particularly adverse effect.
For an arrangement described last, DE 198 36 490 C2, the entire contents of which is incorporated herein by reference, has made it known to provide a secondary coil next to the transmission coil that is coupled to the transmission coil. The signal of the secondary coil is applied to the second input of a differential amplifier to which the transmitted signal will get. The signal of the secondary coil is switched in such a way that the signal of the secondary coil agrees with the signal transmitted. The voltage induced in the secondary coil acts as a negative-feedback signal and causes the voltage induced in the primary coil to be equal to the voltage by which the primary coil is driven (transmitted signal). When under no load, the reception coil will thus be flown through by the same magnetic flux as is the primary coil, which causes the induced voltage in this coil to have the same curve shape as that in the transmission coil. A circuit configuration of this type, however, is also suited for an inductive measurement set-up in which the transmission coil and reception coil are disposed on different sides of the coin runway. In this case, the speech is of a transmissive measurement while a measurement on a single side only is called a reflective measurement.
The generation of a suitable transmission signal as is described in DE 198 36 490 C2 primarily is of significance for a so-called multi-frequency measurement as is described in EP 0 886 247 B1, the entire contents of which is incorporated herein by reference. In this measuring method, a periodically recurrent portion of the transmitted signal is subdivided into a number of switching steps. Envelopes are formed from the values of the signal received by the reception coil in the respective switching steps which are repeated with the frequency of the transmitted signal. An evaluation device forms at least one criterion from the number of the simultaneously generated envelopes for the generation of the acceptance or rejection signal. This measuring method is based on the findings that attenuation curves as are generated by a coin passing through the measuring device are significantly frequency-dependent. The depth of penetration is far larger in case of low frequencies than in case of high frequencies. If frequencies are very high it is known that a so-called skin effect is produced where the depth of penetration is close to zero. In the known measuring method, use is made of the property of a rectangular signal, for example, which is composed of a multiplicity of harmonics. In the portion of the rectangular signal close to its ascending edge, the signal shape of the reception coil is substantially governed by the high frequency fractions.
The signal shape is preponderantly determined by the lower frequency fractions when the number of switching steps increases.
It is also known from the initially mentioned DE 689 21 608 T2 to choose a coil assembly on the two sides in which two coils each on each side are disposed on a common core. A first transmission coil generates a signal which is received by the reception coils on either side of the coin runway. On the other side of the coin runway, the second transmission coil subsequently generates a signal which is received again by the two reception coils.
It is the object of the invention to provide a method for testing coins which allows a particularly good discrimination of most varied coin designs from forged coins.


The nitride semiconductor device according to one embodiment of the present invention comprises: a silicon substrate; a first aluminum gallium nitride (AlxGa1−xN (0≦x≦1)) layer formed as a channel layer on the silicon substrate in an island shape; and a second aluminum gallium nitride (AlyGa1−yN (0≦y≦1, x<y)) layer formed as a barrier layer of a first conductive type or i-type on the first aluminum gallium nitride layer.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a semiconductor device used for power control, and particularly to a nitride semiconductor device such as nitride semiconductor field effect transistor or Schottky barrier diode.
2. Related Background Art
A nitride semiconductor device where gallium nitride (GaN) is used as part of materials has a larger band gap and a higher critical field as compared with a semiconductor device which does not contain gallium nitride and uses silicon (Si) as main material so that the device having a small size and a high breakdown voltage can be easily achieved. Thus, it is possible to achieve a semiconductor device having low on resistance and low loss also as a semiconductor device for power control.
In particular, an aluminum gallium nitride/gallium nitride (AlGaN/GaN) heterostructure field effect transistor (HFET) can be expected for preferable characteristics because of its simple device structure.
Since it is difficult to manufacture a substrate made of single gallium nitride in the aluminum gallium nitride/gallium nitride heterostructure, the substrate is generally formed by crystal growth on a substrate such as a sapphire substrate or a silicon carbide (SiC) substrate. Since the material such as sapphire or silicon carbide has a lattic constant relatively similar to the aluminum gallium nitride/gallium nitride heterostructure, a gallium nitride crystal film having a thickness of about several μm can be grown on the sapphire substrate or silicon carbide substrate without generation of any crack.
However, there is a problem that, since the sapphire substrate has large thermal resistance, radiation from a device formed on the substrate is difficult, and further there is a problem that the substrate having a large diameter is difficult to manufacture so that even the substrate having a small diameter on the order of 2 to 3 inches is expensive.
On the other hand, no problem occurs on the radiation from a device formed on the substrate because the silicon carbide substrate has small thermal resistance, but there is a problem that the substrate having a large diameter is difficult to manufacture like the sapphire substrate and even the substrate having a small diameter is expensive.
Totally judging, it is a probable measure that the substrate having a large diameter can be manufacture at low cost and the aluminum gallium nitride/gallium nitride heterostructure is formed using a silicon substrate having relatively small thermal resistance to manufacture the device.
However, since the lattic constant of silicon is greatly different from that of the aluminum gallium nitride/gallium nitride heterostructure, a crack due to distortion easily occurs and only a gallium nitride layer having a thickness of about 1 μm to 2 μm can be crystal-grown in order to avoid generation of crack.
Since the upper limit of the breakdown voltage of the gallium nitride layer contained device on the silicon substrate is determined depending on the thickness of the gallium nitride layer, the breakdown voltage of at most about 200 V can be secured at present, and a nitride semiconductor device having a high breakdown voltage of 600V, 1200 V, or more is difficult to achieve.
It has been proposed and known a method of forming a semiconductor layer capable of restricting warpage of a substrate when a semiconductor layer having a thermal expansion coefficient different from the substrate is formed. See Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2003-17409 Publication, for example. However, in the method disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2003-17409 Publication, a warpage prevention layer is formed on the semiconductor layer so that a structural limitation is imposed on the semiconductor device.
Therefore, when a semiconductor layer having greatly different lattic constant or thermal expansion coefficient is formed on the semiconductor substrate having a large diameter, a problem that crack or warpage easily occurs on the substrate cannot still solved basically.


Methods and systems are disclosed herein in which a physical neural network can be configured utilizing nanotechnology. Such a physical neural network can comprise a plurality of molecular conductors (e.g., nanoconductors) which form neural connections between pre-synaptic and post-synaptic components of the physical neural network. Additionally, a learning mechanism can be applied for implementing Hebbian learning via the physical neural network. Such a learning mechanism can utilize a voltage gradient or voltage gradient dependencies to implement Hebbian and/or anti-Hebbian plasticity within the physical neural network. The learning mechanism can also utilize pre-synaptic and post-synaptic frequencies to provide Hebbian and/or anti-Hebbian learning within the physical neural network.

Neural networks are computational systems that permit computers to essentially function in a manner analogous to that of the human brain. Neural networks do not utilize the traditional digital model of manipulating 0's and 1's. Instead, neural networks create connections between processing elements, which are equivalent to neurons of a human brain. Neural networks are thus based on various electronic circuits that are modeled on human nerve cells (i.e., neurons).
Generally, a neural network is an information-processing network, which is inspired by the manner in which a human brain performs a particular task or function of interest. Computational or artificial neural networks are thus inspired by biological neural systems. The elementary building blocks of biological neural systems are the neuron, the modifiable connections between the neurons, and the topology of the network.
Biologically inspired artificial neural networks have opened up new possibilities to apply computation to areas that were previously thought to be the exclusive domain of human intelligence. Neural networks learn and remember in ways that resemble human processes. Areas that show the greatest promise for neural networks, such as pattern classification tasks, speech and image recognition, are areas where conventional computers and data-processing systems have had the greatest difficulty.
In general, artificial neural networks are systems composed of many nonlinear computational elements operating in parallel and arranged in patterns reminiscent of biological neural nets. The computational elements, or nodes, are connected via variable weights that are typically adapted during use to improve performance. Thus, in solving a problem, neural net models can explore many competing hypothesis simultaneously using massively parallel nets composed of many computational elements connected by links with variable weights.
In contrast, with conventional von Neumann computers, an algorithm must first be developed manually, and a program of instructions written and executed sequentially. In some applications, this has proved extremely difficult. This makes conventional computers unsuitable for many real-time problems for which we have no efficient algorithm.
In a neural network, "neuron-like" nodes can output a signal based on the sum of their inputs, the output being the result of an activation function. In a neural network, there exists a plurality of connections, which are electrically coupled among a plurality of neurons. The connections serve as communication bridges among of a plurality of neurons coupled thereto. A network of such neuron-like nodes has the ability to process information in a variety of useful ways. By adjusting the connection values between neurons in a network, one can match certain inputs with desired outputs.
One does not program a neural network. Instead, one "teaches" a neural network by examples. Of course, there are many variations. For instance, some networks do not require examples and extract information directly from the input data. The two variations are thus called supervised and unsupervised learning. Neural networks are currently used in applications such as noise filtering, face and voice recognition and pattern recognition. Neural networks can thus be utilized as an advanced technique for processing information.
Neural networks that have been developed to date are largely software-based. A true neural network (e.g., the human brain) is massively parallel (and therefore very fast computationally) and very adaptable. For example, half of a human brain can suffer a lesion early in its development and not seriously affect its performance. Software simulations are slow because during the learning phase a standard computer must serially calculate connection strengths. When the networks get larger (and therefore more powerful and useful), the computational time becomes enormous.
For example, networks with 10,000 connections can easily overwhelm a computer. In comparison, the human brain has about 100 billion neurons, each of which can be connected to about 5,000 other neurons. On the other hand, if a network is trained to perform a specific task, perhaps taking many days or months to train, the final useful result can be built or "downloaded" onto a piece of hardware and also mass-produced. Because most problems requiring complex pattern recognition are highly specific, networks are task-specific. Thus, users usually provide their own, task-specific training data.
A number of software simulations of neural networks have been developed. Because software simulations are performed on conventional sequential computers, however, they do not take advantage of the inherent parallelism of neural network architectures. Consequently, they are relatively slow. One frequently used measurement of the speed of a neural network processor is the number of interconnections it can perform per second.
For example, the fastest software simulations available can perform up to approximately 18 million interconnects per second. Such speeds, however, currently require expensive super computers to achieve. Even so, approximately 18 million interconnects per second is still too slow to perform many classes of pattern classification tasks in real time. These include radar target classifications, sonar target classification, automatic speaker identification, automatic speech recognition, electrocardiogram analysis, etc.
The implementation of neural network systems has lagged somewhat behind their theoretical potential due to the difficulties in building neural network hardware. This is primarily because of the large numbers of neurons and weighted connections required. The emulation of even of the simplest biological nervous systems would require neurons and connections numbering in the millions and/or billions.
Due to the difficulties in constructing such highly interconnected processors, currently available neural network hardware systems have not approached this level of complexity. Another disadvantage of hardware systems is that they typically are often custom designed and configured to implement one particular neural network architecture and are not easily, if at all, reconfigurable in implementing different architectures. A true physical neural network chip, with the learning abilities and connectivity of a biological network, has not yet been designed and successfully implemented.
The problem with a pure hardware implementation of a neural network utilizing existing technology is the inability to physically form a great number of connections and neurons. On-chip learning can exist, but the size of the network is limited by digital processing methods and associated electronic circuitry. One of the difficulties in creating true physical neural networks lies in the highly complex manner in which a physical neural network must be designed and constructed. The present inventor believes that solutions to creating a true physical and artificial neural network lie in the use of nanotechnology and the implementation of a novel form of variable connections.
The term "Nanotechnology" generally refers to nanometer-scale manufacturing processes, materials and devices, as associated with, for example, nanometer-scale lithography and nanometer-scale information storage. Nanometer-scale components find utility in a wide variety of fields, particularly in the fabrication of microelectrical and microelectromechanical systems (commonly referred to as "MEMS"). Microelectrical nano-sized components include transistors, resistors, capacitors and other nano-integrated circuit components. MEMS devices include, for example, micro-sensors, micro-actuators, micro-instruments, micro-optics, and the like.
In general, nanotechnology presents a solution to the problems faced in the rapid pace of computer chip design in recent years. According to Moore's law, the number of switches that can be produced on a computer chip has doubled every 18 months. Chips now can hold millions of transistors. It is, becoming increasingly difficult, however, to increase the number of elements on a chip utilizing existing technologies. At the present rate, in the next few years the theoretical limit of silicon-based chips will likely have been attained. Because the number of elements and components that can be manufactured on a chip determines the data storage and processing capabilities of microchips, new technologies are required for the development of higher performance integrated circuit chips.
Present chip technology is also limited in cases where wires must be crossed on a chip. For the most part, the design of a computer chip is limited to two dimensions. Each time a circuit is forced to cross another circuit, another layer must be added to the chip. This increases the cost and decreases the speed of the resulting chip. A number of alternatives to standard silicon based complementary metal oxide semiconductor ("CMOS") devices have been proposed. The common goal is to produce logic devices on a nanometer scale. Such dimensions are more commonly associated with molecules than integrated circuits.
The issue of interconnects in neural network hardware poses a serious problem. Because of the massive interconnectivity, a neural network constructed with standard integrated electronic methods can never reach the desired neuron and synapse density, simply because the interconnections overwhelm the largely 2-diminsional chip. It can thus be appreciated that almost any sort of 3-diminsional connectivity, no matter how simple, could offer tremendous benefits.
Integrated circuits and electrical components thereof, which can be produced at a molecular and nanometer scale, include devices such as carbon nanotubes and nanowires, which essentially are nanoscale conductors ("nanoconductors"). Nanoconductors are tiny conductive tubes (i.e., hollow) or wires (i.e., solid) with a very small size scale (e.g., 0.7 to 300 nanometers in diameter and up to 1 mm in length). Their structure and fabrication have been widely reported and are well known in the art. Carbon nanotubes, for example, exhibit a unique atomic arrangement, and possess useful physical properties such as one-dimensional electrical behavior, quantum conductance, and ballistic electron transport.
Carbon nanotubes are among the smallest dimensioned nanotube materials with a generally high aspect ratio and small diameter. High-quality single-walled carbon nanotubes can be grown as randomly oriented, needle-like or spaghetti-like tangled tubules. They can be grown by a number of fabrication methods, including chemical vapor deposition (CVD), laser ablation or electric arc growth.
Carbon nanotubes can be grown on a substrate by catalytic decomposition of hydrocarbon containing precursors such as ethylene, methane, or benzene. Nucleation layers, such as thin coatings of Ni, Co, or Fe are often intentionally added onto the substrate surface in order to nucleate a multiplicity of isolated nanotubes. Carbon nanotubes can also be nucleated and grown on a substrate without a metal nucleating layer by using a precursor including one or more of these metal atoms. Semiconductor nanowires can be grown on substrates by similar processes.
Attempts have been made to construct electronic devices utilizing nano-sized electrical devices and components. For example, a molecular wire crossbar memory device can be constructed from crossbar arrays of nanowires sandwiching molecules that act as on/off switches. Such a device can be formed from a plurality of nanometer-scale devices, each device comprising a junction formed by a pair of crossed wires where a single wire crosses another and at least one connector species connects the pair of crossed wires in the junction. The connector species comprises a bi-stable molecular switch. The junction forms either a resistor or a diode or an asymmetric non-linear resistor. The junction has a state that is capable of being altered by application of a first voltage and sensed by the application of a second, non-destructive voltage. A series of related patents attempts to cover everything from molecular logic to how to chemically assemble these devices.
Such a molecular crossbar device has two general applications. The notion of transistors built from nanotubes and relying on nanotube properties is being pursued. Second, two wires can be selectively brought to a certain voltage and the resulting electrostatic force attracts them. When they touch, the Van der Walls force keeps them in contact with each other and a "bit" is stored. The connections in this apparatus can therefore be utilized for a standard (i.e., binary and serial) computer. The inventors of such a device thus desire to coax a nanoconductor into a binary storage media or a transistor. As it turns out, such a device is easier to utilize as a storage device.
A need exists for a physical neural network, which can be implemented in the context of a semiconductor integrated circuit (i.e., a computer chip). Such a device, which can be referred to as a "physical neural network chip" or a "synapse chip" is thus disclosed herein. Such a device, if successfully implemented would be well suited for use with neural networks.
Researchers in the neuro-biological fields have attempted to develop a computationally efficient algorithm that can emulate a biologically realistic neural network. Specifically, researchers have attempted to develop method and/or systems, which would allow the efficient calculation of Spike-Timing Dependent-Plasticity (STDP), while also permitting fully interconnected pulsed networks. In STDP, timing between pre- and post-synaptic events can cause a net potentiation (LTP) or a net depression (LTD) of synapses.
A background for STPD is explained in "Mechanisms and Significance of Spike-Timing Dependent Plasticity" by Uma R. Karmarkar, et al., Biol. Cybern. 87, 373-382 (2002). STPD is also explained generally in "A Model of Spike-Timing Dependent Plasticity: One or Two Coincidence Detectors?" by Uma R. Karmarkar, et al., J. Neurophysiol, 88: 507-513, 2002. An additional reference regarding STDP is "Spike-Based Learning Rules and Stabilization of Persistent Neural Activity," by Xiaohui Xie, et al., Dept. of Brain & Cog, Sci, MIT, Cambridge, Mass. A further reference regarding STDP and issues faced thereof is described in "Dendritic Spikes as a Mechanism for Cooperative Long-Term Potentiation," Nace L. Golding, et al., Nature, Vol. 418, 18 Jul. 2002, pp. 326-330. The aforementioned references are indicated herein for generally illustrative, background and edification purposes only and do not disclose any features which limit any embodiments disclosed herein.
In the field of neural networks, Hebbian and anti-Hebbian learning has been the subject of great interest in recent years. An example of Hebbian learning is disclosed in non-limiting and non-essential U.S. Pat. No. 6,643,627, "Dynamic Synapse for Signal Processing in Neural Networks," which issued to Liaw et al on Nov. 4, 2003, and which is incorporated herein by reference. Non-essential U.S. Pat. No. 6,643,627 is a non-essential reference with respect to embodiments of the present invention, and is referred to herein merely for general edification and background purposes only.
Another example of Hebbian learning is disclosed in non-limiting and non-essential U.S. Pat. No. 6,611,823, "Backlash Compensation Using Neural Network", which issued to Selmic et al on Aug. 26, 2003. U.S. Pat. No. 6,111,823 also is a non-essential reference with respect to embodiments of the present invention, and is referred to herein merely for general edification and background purposes only. A further example of Hebbian learning and rules thereof is disclosed in non-essential U.S. Pat. No. 6,601,049, "Self-adjusting multi-layer neural network architectures and methods therefore", which issued to David Cooper on Jul. 29, 2003, and is incorporated herein by reference. U.S. Pat. No. 6,601,049 is also a non-essential reference with respect to embodiments of the present invention, and is referred to herein merely for general edification and background purposes only.
To date, Hebbian and anti-Hebbian learning has been implemented utilizing software simulations and algorithms thereof. Some large scale physical neural network systems have also attempted to incorporate Hebbian and anti-Hebbian learning. Current Hebbian and anti-Hebbian learning systems have not been implemented via true physical neural networks, particularly networks developed at a molecular scale, such as physical neural networks implemented utilizing nanotechnology.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Application of hebbian and anti-hebbian learning to nanotechnology-based physical neural networks


A venting arrangement for a roof includes a plurality of venting stacks each having a first open base end open to an area on top of the roof insulation layer and below the roof outer membrane, the venting stacks arranged spaced apart around a perimeter of the roof. A venting path grid of air permeable material is arranged between the roof membrane and the insulation layer. The grid is in air flow communication with the first open base ends. Centrally located wind-driven turbine ventilators can also be in air flow communication to the grid.

The present invention relates generally to roof ventilating systems, and particularly to roof ventilating systems for commercial and industrial buildings, that typically have substantially flat roofs.
A typical commercial roof includes a structural roof deck, covered by a vapor barrier. A layer of insulation is placed over the vapor barrier. An impermeable synthetic plastic roofing membrane is placed over the insulation. Water leaks from above the membrane may wet the insulation or water from inside the building may condense between the vapor barrier and the plastic roofing membrane and wet the insulation. Wet insulation has a reduced heat transfer resistance and can degrade.
Vents are used above the budding roof membrane to vent the space between the membrane and the vapor barrier. With effective roof venting, wet roofs can be dried over a period of time.
Another problem with membrane covered flat roofs is that a strong wind flowing across the membrane creates a suction that tends to lift the membrane up off of the roof structure. The present inventor has recognized that roof vents, if in air flow communication with the space beneath the membrane, transfer the suction force caused by the wind to an underside of the membrane and tends to pull the membrane down onto the roof structure in the vicinity of the vent.


A secure device is provided that can store programs therein, the secure device including: a low-protection level storage unit; a high-protection level storage unit; a program acquiring unit that acquires a program and corresponding additional information, the additional information used for determining a storage destination of the acquired program; an additional information analyzing unit that stores the acquired program in one of the low-protection level storage unit and the high-protection level storage unit, according to additional information; an area searching unit; a protection level judging unit; and a program storing unit.

Recently, various types of electronic information services for distributing music content and moving image content through a network such as the Internet have become prevalent. Examples of such electronic information services are a content distributing service and a mobile EC service.
Such electronic information services necessitate a content protection technology for preventing unauthorized use of content, and an EC protection technology such as an authentication technology and a billing technology at the mobile ECs. Accordingly, secure devices equipped with such technologies have already been developed and are in use.
Users, for example, mount such secure a device to their mobile telephone, to securely perform content distribution services and mobile EC services, for example, from the road.
For detailed information on the secure devices, "Secure multimedia card for content distribution and mobile commerce" The Hitachi Hyoron October, 2001, an extra issue, by MIYAKE Jun, ISHIHARA Harutsugu, and TSUNEHIRO Takashi, describes a secure multimedia card (hereinafter abbreviated as "SMMC") equipped with a content protection technology and an EC protection technology.
There are SMMCs that are equipped with a program download function, one example of which is a JAVA Card (JAVA is a registered trademark). Programs to be downloaded here are such as a new application program and an updated version of the program already implemented on the card.
An SMMC equipped with a program download function includes, in its TRM (tamper resistant module), a cryptographic processing engine, security key information, a CPU, a RAM, a ROM, and an EEPROM. The SMMC further includes, outside the TRM, a flash memory that is large in capacity (e.g. in the range of 8 MB and 256 MB). In the SMMC, the CPU controls authentication processes and cryptographic processes, for example, using the cryptographic processing engine and the security key information. Further, the CPU acquires programs to be downloaded from an external device, and stores the acquired programs in the EEPROM mounted in the TRM, for performing the programs.
Here, the TRM is a module equipped with measures preventing external devices from performing unauthorized references, tampering, and the like, directed to data stored in the module.
Further, in the flash memory, various types of digital data such as music content and moving image content that are content of distribution are stored.
The EEPROM mounted in the TRM is an expensive device in terms storage capacity costs, compared to other memories. Accordingly, an increase in capacity of the EEPROM will have a great impact on the cost of the SMMC. In addition, from the characteristics of the device, the capacity of the EEPROM mountable to the TRM is limited; the standard capacity of EEPROM according to the current structure is about 64 KB.
Meanwhile, the application programs to be downloaded to the SSMC are expected to increase greatly In the future. In light of these factors, it will certainly become impossible to store the necessary application programs in the EEPROM of the TRM with the current structure.
There is a method of storing application programs that the EEPROM of the TRM cannot accommodate onto the flash memory outside the TRM. However, indiscriminate use of this method is not practical from a security point of view, and at least an approval from an administrator of each program is essential. To implement such a system, a new technology is desired for assuring security.
The object of the present invention is to provide a secure device that downloads a program exceeding the capacity of the storage area implemented on the TRM, while assuring security desired by the administrator of the program.

Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.


A work tip for an ultrasonic surgical device has a distal end incorporating an upward projection that extends from about 10 to about 50% of the inner diameter of the hollow tip. An angled front face of the tip leads to an upper edge of the projection, which, under ultrasonic vibration assists in the break-up and emulsification of surgically displaced material, which is removed by vacuum through a passage in the work tip.

Various types of ultrasonic devices are used for surgical applications, for example, ophthalmological surgery for removing cataracts and other tissue. These devices employ a hollow work tip to transmit the ultrasonic energy which emulsifies the tissue to be removed. Such tips are typically made of titanium and usually have about 0.5 to about a 1 mm outside diameter and about a 0.6 to about 0.9 mm inner diameter.
In U.S. Pat. No. 5,242,385, an ultrasonic handpiece which is also capable of supplying an irrigation fluid to the operating site is described, with suction used for removing the material which has been emulsified by the ultrasonic transducer. A work tip is described which has an enlarged hollow front end forming a cavity into which the material to be emulsified is drawn and within which the material is emulsified. However, while the cavity promotes emulsification, the narrowing of the passage adjacent to the cavity creates a potential location for blockage of the tip to occur.
In U.S. Pat. No. 5,213,569, an ultrasonic phacoemulsification tip is described which has a rounded edge to prevent eye tissue damage, using an increased wall thickness, and to use a concave recess in the end face. The purpose is to more closely align the tip geometry for more effective utilization of the ultrasonic energy. However, this again results in a necking down in the tip which again can result in blockage.


A method for identifying a machine and/or machine component includes storing an algorithm for generating a machine signature value associated with the machine and/or machine component. The method also includes receiving a first set of machine data from the machine and/or machine component. The machine data reflects at least one operational characteristic of the machine and/or machine component. The method also includes generating, using the algorithm, a first machine signature value based on the first set of machine data, storing the first machine signature value, and accessing the stored first machine signature value to verify the identity of the machine and/or machine component.

Machines and machine components have routinely been the target of thieves, especially when there is a need for equipment, such as after a natural disaster. Stolen machines may be stripped and sold for parts, and therefore, create difficulties for authorities and machine owners to identify missing parts. To assist with identifying machines and machine components, markings are used, such as labels, etchings, etc., that uniquely identify a given component or machine. However, these markings may be removed or altered to change the identification information.
Furthermore, law enforcement officials may not be trained to identify machines properly. For example, transported machines that are subject to inspection may have identification information printed on a component or sticker attached to the machine. However, alterations to the identification information frustrate the machine identification process. That is, law enforcement attempts to accurately identify machines with altered markings and identifications hinder the ability to locate missing machines and components.
One method of locating missing equipment is described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,661,473 (the '473 patent) issued to Paschal. The '473 patent describes a system for automatically identifying and detecting vehicles. The system uses an electronic label having transmission and reception devices to transmit and store an identification code of the vehicle. A mobile reader may be used to store identification codes of stolen vehicles and may prompt a transmission of the identification code from the electronic label to compare the transmitted identification code to the stored identification codes of the stolen vehicles.
Although the system of the '473 patent may provide a mechanism to identify vehicles using identification information stored on an electronic label, the system relies solely on identification codes, such as a vehicle registration number. However, registration numbers, even if stored on an electronic label, may be altered and replaced by false registration numbers, thereby preventing recovery of stolen or missing machines.
The disclosed embodiments are directed to overcoming one or more of the problems set forth above.

Method and system for providing signatures for machines


Methods, systems and computer program products for improving performance of a cryptographic algorithm are described. First, data to be encrypted/decrypted is provided as input to the system. A primary key, or multiple keys (in case of asymmetric cryptography), is generated for the encryption/decryption process. The primary key consists of metadata as well as key blocks containing secondary keys. The metadata contains information explaining how the data will be handled from algorithmic structure to the base cryptographic scheme to be used. Further, the data is split and processed via relevant portions of the key blocks. Finally, the completed encrypted/decrypted data segments are combined in order to complete the process. The used process ensures higher performance as well as higher algorithmic entropy than comparable methods in literature or on the market.

Currently, personal digital assistants and computers are used to store confidential information, such as banking details, passwords, personal messages, etc. The storage and transmission of confidential information have led to the development of various cryptographic algorithms that can be used to encrypt/decrypt such kind of data. The cryptographic algorithms help in protecting data from theft and alteration and also help in maintaining data integrity and confidentiality.
As we know, commonly used cryptographic algorithms depend on a key (or multiple in certain scenarios) for their security. The key is used in the encryption/decryption process. The cryptographic algorithm used for encryption itself may be widely known, but the encrypted data will remain secure as long as the integrity of the key is not compromised. With advancements in technology, keys of certain lengths that were originally secure are now incredibly easy to crack. Accordingly, to make the encryption process more secure, conventional methods of encryption must generate key sizes of increasingly larger bit lengths as encryption strength is directly proportional to the size of the key used to perform encryption. With the increase in the size of the key, the computation time for the user increases due to the increasing complexity that the encryption/decryption process entails. An increase of key length by a single bit can lead to a 16 times increase in computational complexity.
In light of the above discussion, there is a need for methods, systems and computer program products that improve the performance efficiency of utilizing cryptographic algorithms while also maintaining their security.

Cryptographic systems with variable layout cryptography


A hard disk drive for a computer system including a head disk assembly with a disk platter of approximately one-and-eight-tenths-inch in diameter capable of storing more than forty megabytes. In an embodiment, data tracks on each data surface of the platter are spaced at approximately 2,558 tracks per inch and each data track has approximately 36,000 flux changes per inch. An actuator positions a pair of read/write heads on each platter surface using a voice coil motor to position the heads over a cylinder. A magnetic actuator latch attaches to another magnet on the actuator and locks the heads in a parked position at the innermost diameter of the platter. A spindle motor rotates the platter at approximately 5,400 revolutions per minute. A base plate, with a gasketed surface and a raised lip, hermetically seals with a cover to the base plate such that the platter, the actuator, the actuator latch, and the spindle motor are all contained within. The cover carries a breather filter and recirculating air filter. The raised lip on the base plate prevents direct electrical interference from passing between the base plate and the cover.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates generally to computer systems and more specifically to hard disk drives with miniature disks of high storage capacity, e.g., one and eight tenths inch (1.8") diameter disks that store at least forty megabytes (40 MB).
2. Description of the Prior Art
Huge numeric computer systems constructed during World War II were used to crack secret German military codes. With the advance of technology, the same computing power can now be placed in a handheld computer that sells at commodity prices. The advances in electronics and semiconductor technology that made this possible brought business computing to a personal level, e.g., in the IBM PC, Apple Macintosh, and other personal computer systems. Recently, personal computing has seen the introduction of the battery-powered portable computer, the so-called laptop computer, the still smaller notebook computer, and even a palmtop computer that is so small that it fits in a person's hand.
While computers have been getting smaller in physical size, their memory and execution speeds have grown. To illustrate, one of the first operating systems for personal computers was called CP/M and marketed by Digital Research of Garden Grove, CA. The CP/M operating system ran on 64K bytes of main memory and used only one or two 250K byte eight-inch floppy disk drives. Today, certain laptop computer models, e.g., one by Apple Computer, Inc., require four megabytes of main memory and forty megabytes of built-in hard disk storage just to comfortably run Macintosh System-7 software system and a professional wordprocessor, e.g., Microsoft WORD.
As a result of progressive innovation, hard and floppy disk drives have been migrating to smaller diameter disks. In 1980, the eight-inch hard disk standard drive was popular. More storage was later offered in the five-and-a-quarter-inch (5.25") mini-drives. And subsequently, new demands for still smaller disk drives produced the three-and-a-half-inch (3.5") standard drive.
A typical micro-Winchester 3.5 inch drive is described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,568,988, issued Feb. 4, 1986, to McGinlay, et al. This micro-Winchester was developed to provide the storage capacity and interface of a 5.25" mini-drive. This was possible because track densities of six hundred tracks per inch (TPI) were not a problem to the more advanced head positioning servo systems using voice coil motors (VCM) instead of stepper motor positioning. Specially plated hard disk media were required by micro-Winchester drives, so an industry of disk media suppliers evolved that offered 3.5 inch media as a standard inventory item. This prompted scores of other disk drive manufacturers to also base designs on the 3.5 inch format.
The disk drive and media industry then settled on a two-and-a-half-inch (2.5") size for still further advances in micro miniaturization. This form factor allows a drive that has a length equal to the width of a 3.5 inch drive and a width one-half the length of a 3.5 inch drive. In other words, two 2.5 inch drives are capable of fitting within the space that a 3.5 inch drive typically requires. Drives of such size can be directly secured to printed circuit boards (PCBs), as opposed to the traditional panel and chassis mounting of standard sized drives. For example, the Apple Macintosh Powerbook 140 model 4/40, a laptop personal computer, uses a 2.5 inch forty megabyte hard disk drive similar to that described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,025,335, issued Jun. 18, 1991, to Stefansky. Closed-loop, embedded servo positioning systems are used, as well as head parking mechanisms to avoid having the heads slap against the data media areas while the laptop computer is being carried around and transported. Stefansky realized that further reductions in the size of disk drives would not be possible without redesigning certain components of the reduced size drive. The challenge in such invention lies in the reduction to practice, and not in the conception of a still smaller disk format. As Stefansky points out, the standard flexure used to mount heads on a load beam had to be changed to fit the smaller drives.
A one-and-eight-tenths-inch (1.8") hard disk drive recently became available. For example, Integral Peripherals, Inc. (Boulder, Colorado) markets two models, a twenty megabyte (20 MB) MUSTANG 1820 and a forty megabyte (40 MB) STINGRAY 1842. The forty megabyte storage capacity model incorporates a dual platter 1.8 inch design. Published datasheets comment that the MUSTANG 1820 and STINGRAY 1842 models are designed for use in subnotebook, pen-based and palmtop computers. The 1.8 inch format is purported to be one half the size and weight of 2.5 inch drives. A ramp head loading device PG,5 allows the drive to be spun down to remove the heads from harms way. A lock keeps the heads parked in a safe place. The stated advantage of this is that the drive spins up to speed in less than one second with the heads parked. The following Table I summarizes the specifications for the MUSTANG 1820 and STINGRAY 1842 as published by Integral Peripherals, Inc.
TABLE I ______________________________________ MUSTANG STINGRAY ______________________________________ Formatted Per Drive 21.4 MB 42.5 MB Capacity Per Track 8704 Bytes 8704 Bytes Per Sector 512 Bytes 512 Bytes Sectors Per Track 17 17 Functional Recording 46,100 46,100 Density (BPI) Flux Density 34,600 34,500 (FCI) Area Density 89.5 89.5 (MB/sq in) Disks 1 2 Data Heads 2(4) 4(5) Data Cylinders 615 977 Track Density 1942 1942 (TPI) Recording 1,7 RLL Code 1,7 RLL Code Method Per- Media transfer 1.13 to 1.79 1.13 to 1.79 formance Rate MB/sec MB/sec Interface Transfer Up to 4.0 Up to 4.0 Rate MB/sec MB/sec Rotational Speed 3,571 RPM 3,571 RPM Latency 8.5 ms 8.5 ms Average Seek <20 ms <21 ms Time Track to Track 8 ms 8 ms Seek Time Maximum Seek 30 ms 30 ms Time Start Time 1.5 sec 1.5 sec (Typical) Buffer Size 32K bytes 32K bytes Interface AT/XT AT/XT Relia- MTBF 100,000 hours 100,000 hours bility Start/Stops 1,000,000 1,000,000 Unrecoverable < 1 per 10.sup.13 <1 per 10.sup.13 Data bits read bits read Error Rate Power 5 VDC .+-. 0.8 Amps 0.8 Amps 5%' Startup Current Typical Power Dissipation Spin-up 3.5 watts 3.8 watts Idle 1.0 watts 1.1 watts Read/Write/Seek 2.0 watts 2.1 watts Power Savings 0.5 watts 0.6 watts Mode Standby Mode 0.035 watts 0.035 watts Sleep Mode 0.015 watts 0.015 watts Environ- Temperature mental Operating 5.degree. C. to 55.degree. C. 5.degree. C. to 55.degree. C. Non-operating -40.degree. C. to -40.degree. C. to 70.degree. C. 70.degree. C. Relative Humidity 10% to 90% 10% to 90% (RH) non-condensing non-condensing Maximum Wet 30.degree. C. 30.degree. C. Bulb Shock (11 ms) Operating 10 G 10 G Non-operating 200 G 200 G Vibration (0 to peak) Operating 2 G 2 G Non-operating 10 G 10 G Altitude Operating -1,000 to -1,000 to 10,000 feet 10,000 feet Non-operating 40,000 feet 40,000 feet (maximum) Physical Stacked 15 mm .times. 51 15 mm .times. 51 Configuration (HDA & PCB) mm .times. 77 mm mm .times. 77 mm Low Profile Configuration: Head Disk 10 mm .times. 51 12 mm .times. 51 Assembly (HDA) mm .times. 70 mm mm .times. 70 mm Electronics Card 7 mm .times. 51 7 mm .times. 51 (PCBA) mm .times. 77 mm mm .times. 77 mm Weight <95 grams <95 grams ______________________________________
The ramp assembly in the Integral Peripheral drives confiscates the outermost diameter of the disk platters. In other designs, the passive latch design allows a magnetic bias that is too strong to permit data recording on the innermost data tracks. These areas are therefore not available for data recording, and severely limit storage capacity.


The profiled rail (1) is designed for a suspension device having carriers (6) which can be plugged into the profiled rail (1) and on which articles can be suspended or set down. The profiled rail (1) is fastened horizontally on a carrying structure (9) and has a passage (10) which extends from a front entry point and into which the carriers (6) can be plugged. Arranged within the profiled rail (1) is a conductor rail (2) with current conductors (24,27) which is supplied with electricity via a power supply (3), the current conductors being accessible from the passage (10) for the purpose of tapping electricity for supplying a consuming unit (7) which can be connected via a feed line (46). The current conductors (24,27) can be tapped in an uninterrupted manner over their entire axial extent by means of an adapter (4) which can be pushed into the passage (10), can be positioned along the profiled rail (1) and can be connected and disconnected. The electrification of the profiled rail (1) gives rise to extended design possibilities for furniture, shop and trade-fair construction, and for outfitting systems, as a result of the integration of electric current.

GB 2 224 923 discloses a horizontal rail with a plug-in slot which is widened downward behind the access point and has a horizontal base in the widened portion. An upwardly extending groove is formed in the vicinity of the bottom of the slot, and a narrowing bead is positioned in front of this groove. In front of the bead, the slot has a greater extent in the upward direction. Shelves or carrying arms can be inserted, as carriers, into the horizontal rail, a tongue element which is directed toward the plug-in slot being present on these shelves or carrying arms for the purpose of engaging in the slot. The tongue element has an upwardly directed nose at the front to complement the upwardly directed groove in the horizontal rail. At the front end, the tongue element has a bevel on its underside. When the shelf or the carrying arm is inserted, the front edge is raised, while the tongue element is lowered. The tongue element can thus be introduced into the slot, the bevel being in the vicinity of the bottom and the nose ending up located below the groove. Once the shelf or carrying arm has been positioned horizontally, the nose engages in the groove, with the result that a horizontal drawing-out action is not possible. At the access point, the tongue element is supported on the bottom edge of the slot. This horizontal rail has to be inserted into a rear carrier, e.g. a wooden beam, and additionally covered at the front with vertically attached panel elements. In this respect, the design involves high assembly outlay and is not particularly versatile.
WO 01/43599 discloses a suspension device having a horizontally fitted profiled rail with a passage which extends between a front entry point and a rear boundary. The passage has, at the top, a slope which slopes upward in the direction of the entry point and thus forms a top clearance. At the bottom, the passage has an inclination which is inclined downward in the direction of the boundary and thus forms a bottom clearance. The passage also has, at the top, an undercut which is positioned in front of the boundary, as seen in the direction of the entry point. The plug-in carrier has at least one tongue element which can be plugged into the passage of the profiled rail and has an upwardly directed hook which is intended for engaging in the undercut. As an alternative, the carrier is a shelf of which the rear border can be plugged into the passage of the profiled rail. This device has been successfully used for many years now, but there is a desire to extend it in functional terms.

Profiled rail and accessories used as a suspension device


A cost efficient and reliable method for online sorting of special glass which works independent of the color of glass and the shape of the material. The scrap glass stream to be detected is thereby irradiated by UV absorption or transmission values of the scrap glass stream, more specifically of the material-specific UV absorption edges and “UV-cutoff” frequencies, with reference values obtained before from standardized material laboratory inspections. If special glass is being detected, blowing nozzles disposed downstream of a detector unit divert the special glass toward a predetermined location where it is deposited. There can also be a system which includes a radiation source, a detection unit, an evaluation and control unit and a removal apparatus.

The invention relates to a method for detecting and sorting glass in a scrap glass stream, preferably a stream of broken glass, wherein light rays emitted from a radiation source traverse the scrap glass stream and impinge on a detector unit. These light rays are processed by an evaluation and control unit in data communication therewith, the evaluation and control unit connected to the detector unit activating, as a function thereof, a removal apparatus such as a blowing nozzle. This nozzle is disposed downstream of the detector unit. This removal apparatus is for singling out undesired matter entrained in the scrap glass stream and diverting it to a predetermined location.
The recycling of scrap and broken glass together with an organized collection and selection method has been successfully practiced for quite a long time and has been capable of significantly reducing the energy expenditure in the industrial production of glass utensils. The known difficulty that the consumers collecting scrap glass are not very careful in separating the material with respect to color and to materials other than glass such as ceramics, stone, porcelain, could in the meantime be reliably overcome using automated material selecting methods with opto-electronically controlled sorting apparatus.
For the purpose of sorting colors and for detecting foreign material, methods of contactless measurement by means of infrared or RGB sensors are utilized most of the time. These sensors induce the removal of undesired foreign material from the scrap glass stream or the diversion of colored glass into fractions intended therefore by means of blowing or aspirating nozzles, using therefore the recorded degree of light transmission or absorption of the light directed onto the scrap glass stream.
An issue that heretofore was of minor importance in glass scrap but is gaining prominence lately is the detection of special glass in the scrap glass stream. Special glasses refer to glass types specially created for specific applications and having chemical and physical properties strongly differing from those of normal glass (lime-natron glass), more specifically having a substantially higher melting point and also improved thermal properties. They include glass-ceramics, fused silica glass, lead glass as well as temperature and heat-shock resistant technical glasses such as borosilicate glasses.
Not only in the industry, but in private households as well, there is a need for heat-resistant glass having improved thermal properties and being heat-shock resistant as well. While normal glass already undergoes chemical reactions at about 1,400° C. and melts at about 1,500° C., some special glasses are still capable of approximately keeping their chemical structures in these temperature ranges and resist melting. Glass-ceramics and pure fused silica glass even have a melting point ranging from about 1,800 to 2,000° C. Technical glasses such as borosilicate glasses, which find application in electrical engineering and electronics as well as in optics, are found to be very resistant to heat, expansion and heat-shock.
The primary manufacturing process of special glass is similar to that of normal glass except that, depending on the application field, a certain amount of special oxides are added to the glass melt. A boron-silicate glass may contain about 7-13% of B2O3 and 2-7% of Al2O3 as an additive. Depending on the properties desired, either basic oxides (such as sodium, potassium, magnesium, calcium, barium or zinc oxide) or acidic oxides (such as boron trioxide, aluminium trioxide or diphosphorus pentoxide) are added during glass manufacturing, with metals such as copper, chromium, manganese and iron being utilized as the coloring agents. Boron-silicate glass is resistant to chemical substances and to heat and temperature shocks and find therefore application in the chemical industry, in laboratories, as ampoules and vials in the pharmaceutical industry but also in households such as in the form of cookware and light bulb carriers.
The production of glass-ceramics differs from usual glass manufacturing by an additional last method step. Since in normal glass production, the glass does not crystallize, crystallization nucleating agents such as TiO or Zr02 are added to the glass melt in order to cause the structure to crystallize when a molded glass body is heated anew. Accordingly, the material properties of glass-ceramics are similar to those of ceramics. Since the temperature expansion coefficient of glass-ceramics is equal to zero or even negative, this material is particularly suited for loads involving fast high-temperature changes and is for example used in the form of ceramic hot plates in households.
Lead glasses are another issue: although these glasses are very popular because they are highly refractive and can be readily surface-treated, they must imperatively be recycled in special glassworks where they are remolten under controlled conditions for environmental and health reasons.
It is precisely these described resistance properties of special glass, which are highly appreciated in the respective field of application, that cause considerable problems in the process of glass recycling as they prevent it from melting homogeneously into the normal glass in the crucible, thus disturbing the production process and leading to product flaws.
Some attempts have been made to allow for cost-effective online sorting of special glass. These are based on known methods in which the fractions are separated from the collected broken glass and substantially rely on opto-electronic systems which separate these fractions by means of color recognition in the range of visible light. This is achieved in that the piece that is to be singled out from the mixed scrap glass stream is irradiated from radiation sources while being conveyed on a sorting belt or while in free fall and the intensity of the radiation traversing the scrap glass stream or reflected therefrom is received by a detector unit and compared with reference values. An evaluation and control unit in data communication with the detector unit then associates the piece with a respective fraction and causes it to be grasped by pick-ups or to be diverted into predetermined containers by means of compressed air nozzles or aspirating nozzles.
Approaches exist in which the special glass is detected in the wavelength range of visible light by means of color classification means, mostly RGB sensors, which try to recognize a color from thresholds corresponding to already known special glass colors. Since special glasses mostly also have special shades such as violet or honeydew, this detection method allows for recognizing part of the special glass pieces without however providing for reliable detection of special glass. Since the staining guidelines for special glass are not standardized, some special glasses are also manufactured in conventional unimpressive colors such as white and brown so that they cannot be recognized. Glass in shades of brown in particular cannot be distinguished reliably, so that there is high glass loss because of erroneous sorting. A corresponding separating accuracy can only be generated conditionally since detection by color intensity comparison in the visible and infrared range depends inter alia on the thickness and the shape of the glass.
Other known methods for sorting special glass work with X-ray sensors where certain chemical components (e.g., aluminium oxide) of the special glass are excited by an X-ray source. The excited elementary particles or electrons react, emitting energy in the form of light the intensity of which is finally measured and evaluated for detection. The industrial market accepts this method using an X-ray sensor with reservation though since the utilization of X-rays always poses a certain health hazard to persons involved in the surroundings of the line because of the extremely short-waved radiation. Moreover, lines operating according to this method are of quite large construction and are costly throughout. This method does not ensure complete detection of special glasses, in particular not of some borosilicate glasses.
Another known method for sorting special glass works with the fluorescent property of special glass. Glass is thereby irradiated with UV light of a certain wavelength and starts fluorescing in a narrow visible spectral range since the irradiated light is partially absorbed by impurities present in the oxidic glass and is converted into fluorescence radiation. The color of this fluorescence radiation then allows drawing conclusions about the type of special glass. Such a method is known from DE 43 39 822 Cl for example. It has been found however that it is disadvantageous that the scrap glass stream is irradiated with UV light which depends on the special glass type to be sorted. Put another way, this means that the type of special glass contained in the scrap glass stream must be known before sorting in order to perform the radiation with UV light of the right wavelength.
Still another disadvantage is that the fluorescence effect described is typical for impurities contained in the special glass and not for the type of glass itself. Unwanted impurities or microinclusions in the furnace or cubicle material already occur during the manufacturing of glass, so that the fluorescence behavior is difficult to assess. Insofar the problem is that completely different kinds of special glass may have a comparable fluorescence spectrum and the same kind of special glass different fluorescence spectra. Another disadvantage of this method is that, because of the low concentration of impurities, a very strong light source must be utilized to excite them. This requires high energy expenditure and calls for the need of providing an edge filter for protecting the detector unit on the detector side.