An active system and method for determining the physical characteristics and geological composition of subterranean formations is described. Plane polarized electromagnetic waves at specific frequencies are transmitted by a mobile transmitting antenna held stationary in the far-field about a prospecting point. The plane polarized electromagnetic waves penetrate the Earth and return to the surface to be picked up at a separate mobile receiving antenna held stationary about a prospecting point. The differences in intensity and polarization between transmitted and received waves are measured and carry geological information. Further, a coordinated series of transmissions, receptions, and measurements are made, in which the angle of incidence and the revolution angle about a centerline emanating perpendicularly from the prospecting point are carefully and systematically varied and repeated for a specific set of frequencies. The entire data set is processed to give stratigraphy and geological composition in three-dimensions including, for example, the location of commercially important ore deposits or reservoirs of oil and gas. The transmission time, the reception time, and/or the data window are controlled to minimize the ionospheric effect. The method seeks the steady, repeatable part of a received signature and changes in the received signal for two or more identical probing transmissions are filtered out, as unwanted noise. The system employs a frequency/time duality for not resolving deep features to the same detail as shallow features.

The present invention relates to active geophysical exploration. It has long been known that there are substantial electromagnetic fields associated with the Earth. The origin of these electromagnetic fields is unclear: one theory holds that low-frequency electromagnetic fields are emitted from beneath the surface of the Earth and radiate outward, such that they can be measured by low frequency methods at the surface. Others postulate that currents are generated by oxidation-reduction type reactions taking place where water and hydrocarbons are present, and that the electromagnetic radiation is caused by interaction of these steady and unsteady currents with the Earth's magnetic field. Still others postulate that the radiation is reflected from outside the Earth's atmosphere.
Irrespective of the source, it is well-documented scientific theory that discontinuities in the subterranean structure of the Earth crust cause reflection and refraction of electromagnetic radiation at interfaces between electrically differing materials. Additionally, the distance a transverse electromagnetic wave travels in a material before being substantially absorbed, is a known function of the frequency of the wave (so-called "skin-depth" expression). Thus, it has been hypothesized that prospecting for hydrocarbons, such as oil, gas and coal, as well as precious metals, could be achieved by mapping the strength of electromagnetic waves at various frequencies which naturally emanate from the Earth providing a passive method of subterranean exploration and prospecting techniques.
Utilizing naturally occurring signals seems plausible, but has proven problematic. Because the emitted wave is so random and its exact source not known, obtaining meaningful signal is an extremely difficult task, if not impossible. In addition, since the source and strength is not known, calibration of instruments is a guess. One almost insurmountable problem with these signals is "noise." That is, there is an extremely low signal-to-noise ratio associated with these low frequency signals, and this high level of noise typically causes interference in detecting those signals that are determinative of geologic formations. For example, even the cycling of the measurement equipment, such as cooling fans, disrupts the signal.
None-the-less, many different passive methods for picking up and determining low frequency electromagnetic waves emanating from the Earth have been proposed. By utilizing an antenna to pick up these naturally occurring frequencies emanating from the Earth's surface, theoretically one can filter, amplify, modify and otherwise process these signals to turn them into a readable signal. Various low pass and high pass filtering techniques have been proposed, and in some cases employed, after the initial amplification of the signal to improve the quality of the signal. This amplification and filtering is known as "conditioning" and/or "pre-conditioning" of the signal and is generally considered to be the most common technique for identifying naturally occurring electromagnetic signals emanating from the Earth.
Many attempts to electronically solve these problems have met with only limited success. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 6,414,492 discloses a system for passively determining physical characteristics of subterranean geological formation that includes an antenna for acquiring low frequency signals naturally emanating from the Earth which signals are first put through a low pass filter and buffer and then converted from analog to digital, stored in a memory buffer, converted to a frequency spectrum by a Fourier transform, and then further processed to display geophysical information versus the depth of such discontinuities.
Unfortunately, irrespective of the methods employed to improve the quality of the signals from passive systems, problems remain with the signal. Signal-to-noise ratios, as well as the randomness of the electromagnetic wave source remain problematic and impede, if not totally prohibit reproducibility. In order to overcome these problems, active methods have been suggested. Well known active methods for determining geologic subterranean surfaces involve seismic methods wherein pre-programmed charges are detonated, sending a mechanical wave through the area to be mapped. These seismic systems do not employ electromagnetic energy. The "mechanical" seismic waves are received with sensitive seismic meters to locate and identify subterranean geologic formations. This methodology employs the concept that discontinuities in subterranean structure reflect mechanical waves, and that different wave frequencies propagate differently in the Earth. The distinguishing features of the seismic method (as with all active methods) is that the original probing signal is generated, and therefore of a known intensity and characterization.
The seismic refraction method is based on the measurement of the travel time of seismic waves refracted at the interfaces between subsurface layers of different velocity. Seismic energy is provided by a source ("shot") located on the surface. Energy radiates out from the shot point, either traveling directly through the upper layer (direct arrivals), or traveling down to and then laterally along higher velocity layers (refracted arrivals) before returning to the surface. This energy is detected on the surface using a linear array of geophones. Observation of the travel-times of the refracted signals provides information on the depth profile of the refractor.
Use of mechanical wave propagation in a solid media, however, leads to a whole different set of problems. The problem with seismic waves is their propagation patterns within the media-Earth. Being mechanical waves, they have two propagation modes—transversal and compressional. These modes can mix at the boundaries between media resulting in a shear wave making the interpretation of the resulting data extremely difficult. Electromagnetic waves do not have these two propagation modes and, therefore, the signal is "cleaner". The meaningfulness of the detected seismic signal is reduced by seismic noise as the sound waves bounce around inside the Earth, some canceling and other amplifying.
It would, therefore, be advantageous to have an active electromagnetic wave system that could produce reliable, reproducible data. However, prior art systems have not, to-date, been effective in accomplishing this for a myriad of reasons. One set of methods as illustrated by U.S. Pat. No. 3,636,435 falls into the, so-called, "Induced Polarization" (IP) class of prospecting methods. In accordance with this method, a large transmitting "loop" conductor is laid directly on the ground and fixed in this position while data is being taken. An alternating current is induced in the loop to generate an electromagnetic field. The inductive fields generated induce eddy currents in the Earth and these eddy currents create secondary fields that radiate in all directions to interact with all profiled obstacles, as well as the Ionosphere, i.e. the field radiates up, down and all around. A detecting loop (or pair of loops, etc.) is moved around and/or multiple detecting loops are positioned and held fixed. In either case, changes in the inductive field intensity as a function of position (so-called "gradients") are recorded. The "Polarization" in IP refers to spatial separation of charged particles in the environment, and not to the vector direction of the electromagnetic fields.
The inherent problems with the IP-class methods are numerous. As the generating loop is near the ground, it is well known that the interaction with the ground is primarily "magnetic induction" and not electromagnetic waves, creating a near field effect. The near field effect is characterized as a region of space close enough to a transmitting antenna so that the strength of the induction field is larger than strength of the radiation field. As is well known, the radiation fields are those electric and magnetic fields that decay as 1/r (where r is the distance from the geodetic center of the antenna) and that collectively carry energy away from the source; while, induction fields are those electric and magnetic fields that decay as 1/r2 and that collectively carry no energy away from the source.
Also, the art generally requires the generating loop, the Earth, and the receiving loop (or loops) all to reach steady-state, meaning that a relatively long time elapses (˜10 seconds) before data is taken. This transmission/reception time allows the generated energy to interact with unintended and interfering objects, including the Ionosphere. The recorded data from these unintended objects is meaningless for the intended purpose and creates undistinguishable interfering signals, i.e. it is generated noise. First, as the Ionosphere is randomly and chaotically changing, this interaction "scrambles" the reflected data. Second, no precise orientation or shape of the generating or receiving loops is maintained. If the field strengths at multiple IP ground receiving loops are differenced, the resulting measurements are basically identical to those obtained via the so-called resistivity sounding prospecting methods.
Another set of active electromagnetic prospecting methods, as illustrated by U.S. Pat. No. 3,500,175, or U.S. Pat. No. 3,617,866, are referred to as Radio Frequency Surveys (RFS's). In these methods, a continuous-wave transmitter (either one actively constructed as part of the apparatus or a "convenient" radio frequency transmitter known to already be in the area) is activated. The transmitter "lights up" the Earth-Ionosphere waveguide. A receiving antenna is moved across the surface region of interest (by human, motor vehicle, or airplane) and the resulting field intensities are recorded as a function of position.
In some methods in this class, where the transmitter is under the control of the person versed in the art, the relative phase between transmitted and received field is also recorded. The data set of interest is the change in received information as a function of changes in the position of the receiving antenna. The precise orientation of the receiver and transmitter is not controlled (except to aid in gathering time-delay (phase) information). Practitioners of RFS typically claim the readings produced indicate something about subsurface conductivities and the method is disclosed and practiced as being at a single, convenient frequency. Again, the interference and uncertainty of the random reflective, verses the emitted signal without time delay, makes the gathered information suspect and impossible of accurate interpretation.
A third broad class of electromagnetic prospecting methods falls into the Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR) class of methods as illustrated by U.S. Pat. No. 5,339,080. As practiced and disclosed, GPR is typically a pulsed method, at a single frequency eliminating ionospheric interference. However, in order to eliminate interaction between the ground and the inductive fields, GPR operates in the meter to centimeter wave region of the electromagnetic spectrum (approximately 100 MHz to 500 MHz). At these wavelengths, the transmitter can be only a few feet above the ground, yet the ground can still be in the far-field. Unfortunately, at these wavelengths, GPR can only "see" into the ground about 10-30 meters at the most (penetration, or skin-depth is a function of frequency). Moreover, GPR, like virtually all radar systems, makes only a field intensity measurement and generally operates at normal incidence (angle of incidence is 90°) to the Earth surface; therefore, no information on the polarization of the fields is measured or can be meaningful. Most GPRs are designed to transmit and receive only at a single fixed frequency.
In both the IP class and the RFS class of methods, there has been recent attention paid to "pulsed" transmission as illustrated in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,498,958 or 5,796,253. In exemplary disclosures of pulsed methods to-date, the pulsed nature of the transmission is to facilitate attempting to view the "decay" characteristics of the received field intensity. In accordance with this practice, purportedly, the decay characteristics contain intelligible information about the location of buried conductors. Again, the pulsing is not carried out in a way that will limit interaction with the Ionosphere which randomly scrambles the received signal and is interfering (noise.) None of these methods allow the reconstruction of strata thicknesses and composition to produce a three-dimensional display (topology) of the subterranean landscape.
It will be realized that the foregoing discussion and examples of the related art and the scope of the illustrations related thereto are set forth as background only. Their intent is to be exemplary and illustrative of problems related to the art, as well as prior attempts to address these problems, at least in part. They are not, nor are they intended to be exclusive or exhaustive. Nor are they intended, in any manner, to be read as a limitation of the instant disclosure or the appended claims.


The invention concerns a zoom optical system in which, for zooming, an optical function surface is rotated about a point away from it to change the position of a light beam that passes through the optical function surface. The zoom optical system comprises a stop 2 and one or more optical elements 10 located on an object side with respect to the stop 2, each having at least one optical function surface 11, 12, 13, and is adapted to form an image of a distant object O at varying magnifications. At least one optical function surface 12 comprises a continuous surface, and is constructed such that there is a continuous change in at least the radius of curvature in a sectional direction from one end to another end. Upon zooming, at least one optical element 10 having optical function surfaces 11, 12, 13 is rotated about a point S that is not contiguous to one optical function surface.

The present invention relates generally to a zoom optical system and electronic equipment incorporating the same, and more particularly to a compact zoom optical system and electronic equipment incorporating the same. The electronic equipment contemplated herein, for instance, includes digital cameras, video cameras, digital video units, personal computers, mobile computers, cellular phones and personal digital assistants.
Some optical systems have been proposed for zoom image pickup optical systems made up of free-form surface prisms.
One of those optical systems is designed to move a plurality of prisms for zooming. This arrangement has to previously have a prism movement space therein.
Another optical system is designed to move an aperture with respect to a prism to vary the position of incidence of light rays for zooming. However, this optical system, because of being adapted to from a primary image, becomes bulky. In addition, not only a movement mechanism but also a mechanism for varying an aperture diameter is needed to allow the aperture to have a brightness control function.
Yet another optical system, too, becomes bulky because of being adapted to form a primary image. For zooming, an image-side prism is rotated with the center of rotation on the position of the primary image, resulting in an increase in the amount of movement in association with the rotation of the image-side prism.

Zoom optical system, and electronic equipment incorporating the same


There is disclosed a method for preparing a color chart comprising the steps of defining a reference color, specifying a range of colors from said reference color, each color being spaced by integral multiples of a preselected color difference value from any other color, the range spanning the color space between the reference color and some other color.

Colour charts are prepared by manufacturers of paints, inks, dyestuffs and coloured products as diverse as motor vehicles and sewing threads. Usually, they are published as printed colours, laid out in some sort of array, on paper, but swatch cards are also produced by, for example, manufacturers of fabrics, laminates and so forth in which the colours are shown on the fabric or laminate itself. The colours are selected in accordance with the preferences of an individual or panel of people, perhaps after some market research, and assigned more or less fanciful names such as Nile Green or Dusky Peach. Disclaimers are often made as to the reproducibility of the chart colours, especially in regard to the differences brought about by application to the intended substrate as compared with the chart colour on its paper substrate.
Some colour charts, comprehensive enough to be termed 'colour libraries' are necessarily arranged in some kind of logical order. Among these may be mentioned the CIELAB colour model, and the Pantone, Scott Dic and Munsell systems. At least one of these libraries has been transferred from the physical samples to an electronic version in which the colours are stored as brightness, hue and chroma values for displaying a colour on a colour monitor. A problem with electronic representation, of course, can be appreciated by casual observation of television sets in a dealer's window—not all the sets will be showing the same colour, despite receiving the same signal.
A shortfall of all of these systems is that by no means all available colours are represented. Even though, typically, there may be some 1700 colours in such a library, manufacturers are not infrequently asked for 'specials', colours not represented by chart colours.


In one embodiment, a substrate assembly includes a flat substrate having oppositely disposed planar surfaces and a conductor. The conductor is formed on at least one of the planar surfaces and defines a conductor plane. The structure further includes an oversized-in-diameter anti-pad formed through the substrate layer and the conductor layer. The anti-pad further includes a dielectric spacer formed substantially coplanar with the conductor plane.

Modern printed circuit board technology typically employs a multi-layered approach to efficiently distribute large groups of signal paths. For example, and referring to FIG. 1, an electronic assembly 10 often includes a flip-chip bonded semiconductor device 12 mounted within a ball grid array (BGA) package 14 that in-turn, interfaces with a PCB assembly 16. While different in size and scale, both the package and the PCB assembly employ multi-layer circuit board technology.
Multi-layer circuit boards, whether large PCBs or small micro-boards, typically utilize a plurality of stacked layers 20 for efficient signal routing. The layers 20, as shown in FIG. 2A, each generally include a flat dielectric substrate 22 and a thin conductor 24. The conductor provides a ground/power plane, and is often deposited on the substrate. The layers are laminated in a stacked arrangement with relative precision to preserve strict planarity specifications. Vias 26 formed transverse to the substrate and conductor portion enable layer-to-layer signal routing. The vias are electrically isolated from the conductive plane by a dielectric-filled and metallization-free area known generally as an anti-pad 28.
Typically, the entire structure is fabricated according to design rules appropriate for the specific process. Deviating from the standard design rules for a given process often results in additional cost, and/or unexpected problems. One design rule governing the formation of anti-pads constrains the diameter of the anti-pad in an effort to minimize sagging, or non-planarity in the area of the anti-pad (illustrated in phantom in FIG. 2B). We have found that enlarging the anti-pads enhances performance for high speed signals. Unfortunately, to do this conventionally by customizing the design outside of the conventional design rules often adds undue cost.
What is needed and as yet unavailable is a circuit board structure that allows for the expansion of anti-pads without violating standard fabrication design rules. The circuit board structure described herein satisfies this need.

Concentric spacer for reducing capacitive coupling in multilayer substrate assemblies


According to some embodiments, it is determined if a register is ready to exchange data with a processing element.

A processing element may read data from (or write data to) a register. In some cases, the processing element could be delayed or stalled if the register is not ready to provide (or receive) the data. Moreover, this type of stall condition might reduce the performance of a system (e.g., if the processing element could be performing other tasks instead of being stalled).

Determining if a register is ready to exchange data with a processing element


An athletic shoe system is provided comprising a shoe with shoe sole, non-metal screw boss, and cleat. The cleat of the preferred embodiment is usable with the shoe system of the present invention or with prior art athletic shoe systems. The preferred invention includes a removable plastic cleat having a disc-shaped body with a downwardly projecting generally circular pattern of ridges on its bottom side and an upwardly projecting threaded stem on its top side. A non-metal screw boss for embedding in the sole of a shoe has a cylindrical body with a threaded bore. An array of lobes project radially outwardly from the lower end of the cylindrical body and a corresponding set of truncated cone-shaped tabs project upwardly from the lobes. In use, a plurality of the screw bosses are embedded within the shoe sole during molding with the threaded bores of the bosses exposed through the bottom of the sole. The cleats can then be removably installed on the sole by threading their threaded stems into the threaded bores of the embedded bosses.

Athletic shoes having soles with protruding cleats have long been used by athletes and "sportsters" to enhance the traction and position stabilization of the feet of the user. From early years, the athletic shoe cleats were configured as metal spikes, and eventually "soft spikes" (.e.g, made of synthetics such as hard nylons and plastic), that project downwardly from the soles of their shoes and into the soil of the field of play; and the spiked cleat was used in athletic shoes for sports as wide ranging as football, baseball, soccer and golf. Because the metal and synthetic cleats can wear down or break, the spiked cleats were eventually incorporated as part of a replaceable cleat system which included a plurality of threaded, metal screw bosses embedded into the sole of the shoe and into which the spikes, outfitted with a threaded stem, were threaded.
The traditional spiked cleats fulfilled the intended purpose of aiding in traction and position stabilization of the feet during the stationary swinging efforts of golf, as well as during encounters of opposition or in instances where enhancement of forward momentum was desirable. Eventually, with the aid of studies and research, it was determined that, while spiked cleats provide aggressive traction for sports such as football and baseball, not all sports require such radical traction. Furthermore, the value of the spiked cleat is being questioned even in the aggressive sports (such as football), where knee and other injuries are sometimes attributed to the overly aggressive "traction" of the elongated spiked cleats. Also, especially in the less aggressive sports, concern over the damage created by spiked cleats to the field of play and other surfaces is beginning to outweigh any traction benefits afforded by the spiked cleat.
One sport in which the concern for damage to surfaces has led to changing cleat designs is the sport of golf. In this sport of traditionally metal, spiked cleats, the tendency of metal spiked cleats to pit and deface surfaces such as concrete walks, wooden floors, and carpet is legendary. Spiked cleats also deface greens and fairways of golf courses, particularly in winter months.
In addition to problems associated with injuries and damage to surrounding properties, the traditional screw-in type of replaceable cleat shoe system has other problems associated with the metal screw bosses that are embedded in shoe soles for receiving cleats. One key problem is that the bosses tend to oxidize or rust over time because they are continuously exposed to moisture during wear. This makes it very difficult in some instances to remove an old cleat and replace it with a new cleat and, in extreme cases, can render the boss unusable. Another problem is that the metal screw bosses can become loose and dislodged within the latex rubber of shoe soles in which they are often embedded. When this happens, it becomes virtually impossible to remove an old cleat or install a new one because the affected screw boss simply spins inside the latex in which it is encased upon attempts to thread or unthread a cleat.
Presently, in many sports, including golf, alternatives to the spiked cleat (both metal and synthetic) are available. Such alternatives include the elimination of cleats of any kind and replacing cleated sole with soft, raised treads. Other alternatives have chosen to retain the cleat concept while eliminating the undesirable "spike"; and one example of such an alternative cleat is found in U.S. Pat. No. 5,259,129. Furthermore, it is not unknown in the art to at least provide a synthetic screw boss in athletic shoes--see, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,299,038.
In spite of prior art efforts, there remain challenges and problems for which improvements are useful; and the present invention is intended to address some of those challenges and problems.

Athletic shoe system and removable cleat


A first ceramic member and a second ceramic member are joined together at a lower joining temperature while reducing the loss of bond strength. A method for producing a semiconductor production device component includes a step of providing a first ceramic member including an AlN-based material, a step of providing a second ceramic member including an AlN-based material, and a step of joining the first ceramic member and the second ceramic member to each other by thermally pressing the first ceramic member and the second ceramic member to each other via a joint agent including Eu2O3, Gd2O3 and Al2O3 disposed between the first ceramic member and the second ceramic member.

Susceptors (heating devices) are used as components in semiconductor production devices. For example, a susceptor includes a plate-shaped ceramic holding member having a built-in heater, a cylindrical ceramic supporting member disposed on one side of the holding member, and a joint layer disposed between the holding member and the supporting member so as to join one surface of the holding member and one surface of the supporting member to each other. The opposite surface of the holding member is a holding surface on which a wafer will be mounted. The susceptor heats a wafer mounted on the holding surface by means of heat generated by the application of a voltage to the heater.
The holding member and the supporting member are sometimes made of materials based on AlN (aluminum nitride) which has relatively high thermal conductivity. A known method for producing a susceptor having such AlN-based holding and supporting members is such that the holding member and the supporting member are joined together by being thermally pressed to each other via a joint agent containing Ca (calcium) between the holding member and the supporting member (see, for example, Patent Literature 1).

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Method for producing semiconductor production device component, and semiconductor production device component


In a process which is for controlling and/or regulating an automated clutch, in particular in the drive train of a vehicle, and in which an actuating element, whose position determines the clutch torque transmissible by the clutch, is actuated for setting a predefined clutch torque according to a characteristic curve, the actuating element is actuated according to a characteristic curve which in a first range of the clutch torque specifies the clutch torque as a function of the position of the actuating element and in a second range of the clutch torque specifies the clutch torque as a function of the force applied to the clutch by the actuating element.

Automated clutches are increasingly finding use in modern motor vehicles. The control or regulation of the clutch is usually done with the aid of a characteristic curve which specifies the clutch torque as a function of the position of an actuating element. The actuating element is moved by an actuator into the position corresponding to the transmissible clutch torque desired in each case.
A problem occurring in clutch control or regulation lies in the fact that in the torque characteristic curve there are one or more ranges in which the transmissible clutch torque changes very sharply when there is a change of the position of the actuating element so that great demands are placed on the actuator moving the actuating element and the control or regulation of the actuator.

Process and device for controlling and/or regulating an automated clutch

LuK Lamellen und Kupplungsbau Beteiligungs KG


Techniques are described for forming an arrayed waveguide grating. In one example, an arrayed waveguide grating comprises a waveguide array coupled to the output of a parallel mode converter and a concave reflective diffraction grating coupled to the output of the waveguide array, wherein the waveguide array comprises a first waveguide and a second waveguide, wherein the first waveguide of the waveguide array has a different length from the second waveguide of the waveguide array. The waveguide array has a first dispersion having a first sign and a first magnitude, wherein the concave reflective diffraction grating has a second dispersion having a second sign and a second magnitude, wherein the second sign is opposite the first sign.

An arrayed waveguide grating (AWG) is a device that, via dispersion, is used to separate (demultiplex) or combine (multiplex) different optical wavelengths in, for example, wavelength-divisional multiplexing (WDM) systems. In an AWG, a flat transmission passband is desirable. That is, it is desirable that the AWG provides a uniform diffraction angle for all wavelengths inside each passband. However, the dispersion of the waveguide array, which is the mechanism that allows the AWG to separate or combine different optical wavelengths, prevents a truly uniform transitivity inside the passband.

Dispersion-corrected arrayed waveguide grating


An excavator operating cycle is detected, and a load sensor senses a physical characteristic of a load moved during the operating cycle. The location where the load is moved to is also sensed. An amount of material moved over a set of operating cycles is determined, and an action signal is generated to control the excavator based upon the calculated amount of material.

There are a wide variety of different types of construction machines. Such machines can include, for instance, excavators and other machines that lift and move loads at a worksite. As an example, it is common for an excavator to perform trench digging, pipe laying and backfill operations at a worksite. In doing this, the excavator is often first placed in a digging mode where the excavator digs a trench. The excavator can then be placed in a crane mode where the excavator lifts sections of pipe and places them in the trench. Once the pipe is laid, the excavator can again be placed in a digging mode to backfill the trench and cover the pipe.
There are a wide variety of different types of machine forms, even in excavators. Therefore, it can be difficult to evaluate the performance of a given excavator, or an operator, during operation of the excavator. It can also be difficult to control the operation of the excavator.
The discussion above is merely provided for general background information and is not intended to be used as an aid in determining the scope of the claimed subject matter.


A method for hydrothermal liquefaction of biomass, wherein the biomass supplied by pumps from a tank is provided to a reactor, in which the biomass is heated to obtain reactor products in the form of volatile, liquid and solid fractions, which are separated in a separator. The biomass supplied from the tank is pressurized in pumps, after which it is preliminarily heated in a heat exchanger. The preheated biomass is reheated in the reactor using microwave radiation. The temperature of the biomass inside the reactor is measured using temperature sensors and a controller, and based on the measurements of the temperature sensors and reflectometers, the power of radiation is adjusted to retain the biomass inside the reactor at the temperature of 374° C. to 400° C.

The processes of thermal biomass processing, using pyrolysis and gasification are well known. The technical inconvenience met in these processes is the large amount of water in the biomass, which necessitates evaporating the excess water. Heating of biomass is performed using conventional energy sources, such as gas or oil burners, electric heating systems, and the process of heating occurs as a result of heat conduction through the walls of a reactor.
There is known a method of hydrothermal liquefaction of biomass using indirect heating of liquefied material. This process requires high pressure in the reactor chamber and the biomass has to be heated to a high temperature. This requires application of special technical means for the process chambers. The basic technical inconvenience of the existing solutions is the difficulty of heating the biomass in its whole volume to the required temperature, as the biomass is heated only via the walls of the reactor. Excessively high temperatures of the reactor chamber walls may produce water vapour and result in local gasification and reduction of the effectiveness of the biomass liquefaction. Excessively low temperatures of biomass inside the reactor chamber, which does not adhere to the reactor's walls, may influence the reduction of liquefying efficiency and increase of volume of biocoal.
Among the existing technical solutions for the systems for hydrotechnical liquefaction of biomass there is known the HTU (Hydrothermal Upgrading) technology developed by the Stell company. In this technology, biomass undergoes liquefaction in about 5-20 minutes and about 45% of biofuel is obtained in relation to the weight of the batch material. The relatively long time of biomass liquefaction results from the technical difficulty of obtaining the required temperature in the whole volume of liquefied biomass.
Another example of known technical solutions is the NOR (New Oil Resources) technology, in which a two-stage process is performed: the first stage involves decomposition of biomass into simpler organic compounds under high temperature and pressure, whilst the second stage utilises recombination processes to generate fuel fractions.
All of the existing solutions involve supply of heat from the heated walls of the reactor to the biomass being mixed.

Method for hydrothermal liquefaction of biomass and a system for hydrothermal liquefaction of biomass


A method and device for planning a production includes determining material flows of products that are part of the production. This determination is done by allocating available quantities of a product for covering demanded quantities of the product in time. An allocating procedure classifies orders for the demanded quantities according a priority and orders for the available quantities according to a feasibility to provide the quantity. The classifications of the orders are used to cover the demanded quantities with a higher priority by available quantities with a higher feasibility.

Production planning is used to plan scenarios within a defined area of a production of products. One aspect of production planning is the determination of material flows of products which are part of the defined area of the production.
Usually, for such a product there is a demand and the demand specifies a demanded quantity and a demand date when the demand is due. There is also an availability of the product, and the availability specifies an available quantity and an availability date when the available quantity is scheduled to be available.
In case the demanded quantities exceed the available quantities, it may be possible to create further availabilities of the product and schedule the availabilities with the result that they acquire an available quantity and an availability date. The creation of availabilities of the product may include the scheduling of further processes which are required to provide the available quantities. It further may be possible that the availabilities have to comply with specific conditions which affect the available quantity or the availability date.
Frequently, the number of demands and availabilities for the product is large. Furthermore, in a dynamic production environment, the demands and availabilities change permanently. In such cases, one may use a computer system for processing demands and availabilities for the product. This also may be true for allocating the available quantities for the demanded quantities. The allocating procedure determines how the demanded quantities are covered by the available quantities. Generally, it is possible that one demanded quantity is covered by one or more available quantities and it is as well possible that one available quantity covers one or more demanded quantities.
The results of the allocating procedure determine the material flow of the product within the system of production planning. The allocating procedure may be required in the system of production planning to compute uncovered demanded quantities. The system of production planning may then adjust a production plan so that a previously uncovered demanded quantity is covered in a new allocating procedure.
Allocating the available quantities for the demanded quantities may be done by using only a time criteria. This can lead to a result where demands with an earlier date are covered by availabilities with an earlier date compared to other demands with the date farer in the future. Additional information which is available for the demands or for the availabilities is ignored in this allocating procedure. This may require modifying the result when the additional information is relevant for a final result. It may also require accepting the result which is disadvantageous taking into account the additional information.
Allocating the available quantities for the demanded quantities may further include assigning a priority to the demands and taking the priority and the time into account. This may lead to results where many demands with a higher priority are covered by availabilities which are in time and many demands with a lower priority are covered by availabilities which are not in time. Additional information which is available for the availabilities is ignored in this allocating procedure. Again, this may require modifying the results when the ignored information is relevant or accepting the disadvantageous result.
An efficient and reliable allocating procedure gives results which require less modification due to ignored information. Such an allocation procedure may be efficient, i.e., it generally achieves the result faster, and is reliable, i.e., it may achieve advantageous results.

Allocating products using classifications of orders for the products


A method of making a photomask layout is provided. A graphic data of a photomask is provided. The graphic data includes at least one rectangular pattern. A correction step is performed to the graphic data by using a computer. The correction step includes adding a substantially ring-shaped pattern inside the rectangular pattern. A method of forming a photomask by using the photomask layout obtained by the said method is also provided. In an embodiment, the photomask is suitable for defining micro-lenses of a solid-state image sensor.

1. Field of Invention
The present invention relates to an integrated circuit (IC) fabrication, and particularly to a method of making a photomask layout and a method of forming a photomask including the photomask layout.
2. Description of Related Art
A solid-state image sensor, such as a CCD image sensor or CMOS image sensor (CIS), is essentially composed of red, green and blue pixel sensors that are respectively equipped with red, green and blue filters. To increase the quantum yield of incident light for improving the sensitivity, a micro-lens can be formed over each color filter to focus the incident light.
In a typical micro-lens process of a CIS device, a substrate having sensors, color filters and a planarization layer formed thereon is provided. A transparent photosensitive layer is formed on the planarization layer, and then a photomask having square patterns is used to pattern the photosensitive layer into islands. Thereafter, the islands are baked/melted and softened such that the tension makes their surfaces spherical, thus forming multiple micro-lenses. In such case, the shapes of the micro-lenses are sensitive to the heating condition during the baking/melting step.

Method of making photomask layout and method of forming photomask including the photomask layout


A method of detecting defective ignition or fuel injection system of an internal combustion engine with several cylinders and at least two spark plugs or two fuel injection devices per cylinder with separate control circuits, at least a second control circuit for the ignition or fuel injection systems is disabled so that all the spark plugs or injection devices of the at least second ignition or injection systems become inoperative, the engine running smoothness is then measured, the first system which was not disabled is identified as including the defective spark plug or injection device if the engine running smoothness was found to be affected, then the ignition or injection systems for any other spark plugs or injection devices are disabled cylinder-by-cylinder and the engine running smoothness is monitored to identify the cylinder which includes the defective spark plug or injection device.

The invention resides in a method for recognizing defective ignition systems of internal combustion engines with several cylinders wherein ignition misses are pin-pointed particularly on the basis of engine running smoothness in dependence on the ignition or injection timing of certain cylinders.
DE 40 02 210 A1 discloses such a method for engines which have only one spark plug per cylinder. Ignition misses are recognized with this method by monitoring the smoothness of the engine in as much as the angular speed of the crankshaft is measured. However, since the angular speed of the crankshaft is not only influenced by misses of the ignition system but also by forces which are transmitted from the road, via the wheels, to the drivetrain, other means are provided to make sure, without the use of expensive sensors, that admission of fuel to a faulty cylinder is discontinued as soon as possible, without making a wrong decision. The fuel supply should be discontinued because the catalytic converter could be destroyed by the unburned gases which would reach the catalytic converter if ignition misses would occur. Also, the combustion of the gases would be incomplete.
Another method and apparatus for monitoring the ignition system is described in DE 39 34 338 A1 and in DE 42 261 A1. In both cases, the angular speed variations of the crankshaft, that is, the smoothness of engine operation is used for determining misses since this method is still the most simple.
DE 40 09 305 A1 discloses an engine which has two spark plugs per cylinder for optimizing the combustion process. With such an engine, the methods for detecting ignition misses as described above can generally not be used. The torque changes generated by the failure of one of the spark plugs of a cylinder are too small; measuring the angular speed of the crankshaft will therefore not provide any useable error information. Measurements have shown that the torque loss upon failure of one of the spark plugs of a cylinder of a gasoline engine is only about 5%, a value which does not materially affect engine running smoothness, so that the monitoring of engine smoothness to determine ignition misses is not possible. The patent therefore proposes to provide, for each spark plug, special test arrangements so that failure of a spark plug can be determined and ignition can be switched over to the other spark plug. However, such test arrangements are quite involved and expensive.
Finally, for engines with fuel injection valves, it is known (DE 33 44 229 A1) to provide the injection valve with two magnetic systems for controlling the closing member wherein both magnetic systems are separately controlled. The closing member has coaxially disposed therein a second closing member for controlling a second injection opening so that the injection volume can be better controlled in accordance with the fuel requirements over the hole operating range of the engine.
It is the object of the present invention to provide a method for detecting fuel ignition misses of an engine which is usable with gasoline engines with two spark plugs per cylinder and also with Diesel engines with two injector nozzles per cylinder and which can be performed in a relatively inexpensive manner.

Method for recognizing defective ignition or injection system in internal combustion engines


One aspect of the present disclosure relates to a stabilized recombinant expression plasmid vector comprising a polynucleotide encoding an antitoxin gene which expresses a polypeptide that neutralizes a polypeptide toxic to a host cell, the toxic polypeptide being expressed by a toxin gene in the host cell, and a polynucleotide encoding a polypeptide expression product, and the stabilized recombinant expression plasmid vector is derived from a Hafnia alvei autonomously replicable backbone plasmid. Other aspects of the present disclosure relate to a transformant transformed with the stabilized recombinant expression plasmid vector disclosed herein, a method of producing biobased cadaverine using the transformant disclosed herein, and biobased cadaverine prepared by the method disclosed herein. Another aspect of the present disclosure relates to a polyamide formed using biobased cadaverine disclosed herein, and a composition thereof. Another aspect of the present disclosure relates to a method of preparing 1,5-diisocyanatopentane comprising preparing biobased cadaverine using the method disclosed herein and converting the biobased cadaverine to 1,5-diisocyanatopentane.

Cadaverine is a platform chemical involved in the production of various products. Bio-based production of cadaverine has gained research interest since the 1980s. Cadaverine can be synthesized via decarboxylation of lysine in microorganisms. Currently, biosynthesis of cadaverine is performed using two strategies: fermentative production or in vitro enzyme catalysis.
In a fermentative production of L-lysine approach, a lysine decarboxylase gene is added to a lysine producing bacteria strain (e.g. Corynebacterium glutamicum and Escherichia coli (E. coli)) to extend the lysine biosynthesis pathway to a cadaverine biosynthesis pathway. However, the reported cadaverine yield is lower than the lysine yield for other Corynebacterium glutamicum strains lacking the lysine decarboxylase gene. Such low yield may be due to the toxicity of the cadaverine product to the producing bacterial strain.
Alternatively, bacteria can be engineered or induced to produce lysine decarboxylase for the in vitro enzyme catalysis. One strategy involves inducing expression of a chromosomally encoded lysine decarboxylase gene in an un-engineered Hafnia alvei (H. alvei) strain. However, the reported yield of the enzyme is low. Another strategy involves engineering recombinant strains. For example, Japanese companies (JP2009028045, U.S. Pat. No. 7,189,543, CN102056889) have reported the construction of E. coli recombinant strains that over-express lysine decarboxylase and utilize either whole cell or cell lysate for catalysis. However, expression of large amounts of polypeptides that are toxic to the host cell causes expression plasmid instability over serial passage. Antibiotics are required in the medium to ensure plasmid stability during the culture.
Use of antibiotics may cause development of antibiotic resistant bacteria, and maintains high levels of antibiotic resistant microorganisms in the environment. See, e.g. Martinez, "Environmental pollution by antibiotics and by antibiotic resistance determinants," Environmental Pollution (2009), Vol. 157, Issue 11, 2893-2902. However, antibiotic resistant bacteria potentially pose health and/or environmental hazards. Thus, there remains a need for a more effective recombinant plasmid vector that can remain stable through multiple rounds of serial passage without antibiotic selection.

Stabilized recombinant expression plasmid vector in hafnia alvei and applications thereof


A method is provided for making a weave of material strips within a metal mesh. The method includes providing a metal mesh having a plurality of rows of rods linked together by a plurality of columns of malleable cables woven through the rods. A plurality of openings are formed as slots enclosed between two rods opposite one another and two cables opposite one another. Strips of material are inserted into the openings in the metal mesh and the strips are interlaced through the openings to create a woven appearance.

1. Field of the Invention
The present arrangement relates to a material, and method of fabrication of the same, applied to articles for aesthetic purposes, such as handbags, jewelry, interior home design etc. . . . . More particularly the material includes leather strips within a metal mesh.
2. Description of Related Art
Architectural design materials can include, among other materials, metal meshes which can typically be used in the architectural industry in such areas as exterior panel systems, solar screens, interior design for panels, room dividers, and elevator panels.

Method of fabrication of a weave of material strips within a metal mesh