A nonvolatile ferroelectric memory device is provided so as to control read/write operations of a nonvolatile memory cell using a channel resistance of the memory cell which is differentiated by polarity states of a ferroelectric material. In the memory device, an insulating layer is formed on a bottom word line, and a floating channel layer comprising a N-type drain region, a P-type channel region and a N-type source region is formed on the insulating layer. Then, a ferroelectric layer is formed on the floating channel layer, and a word line is formed on the ferroelectric layer. As a result, the resistance state induced to the channel region is controlled depending on the polarity of the ferroelectric layer, thereby regulating the read/write operations of the memory cell array.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to a nonvolatile ferroelectric memory device, and more specifically, to a technology of controlling read/write operations of a nonvolatile ferroelectric memory cell using a channel resistance of a memory cell which is differentiated by polarity states of a ferroelectric material in a nano scale memory device.
2. Description of the Related Art
Generally, a ferroelectric random access memory (hereinafter, referred to as 'FeRAM') has attracted considerable attention as next generation memory device because it has a data processing speed as fast as a Dynamic Random Access Memory (hereinafter, referred to as 'DRAM') and conserves data even after the power is turned off.
The FeRAM having structures similar to the DRAM includes the capacitors made of a ferroelectric substance, so that it utilizes the characteristic of a high residual polarization of the ferroelectric substance in which data is not deleted even after an electric field is eliminated.
The technical contents on the above FeRAM are disclosed in the Korean Patent Application No. 2001-57275 by the same inventor of the present invention. Therefore, the basic structure and the operation on the FeRAM are not described herein.
A unit cell of a conventional nonvolatile FeRAM device comprises a switching element and a nonvolatile ferroelectric capacitor. The switching element performs a switching operation depending on a state of a word line to connect a nonvolatile ferroelectric capacitor to a sub bit line. The nonvolatile ferroelectric capacitor is connected between and a plate line and one terminal of the switching element.
Here, the switching element of the conventional FeRAM is a NMOS transistor whose switching operation is controlled by a gate control signal.
FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional diagram illustrating a conventional nonvolatile ferroelectric memory device.
A conventional 1-T (One-Transistor) FET (Field Effect Transistor) cell comprises a N-type drain region 2 and a N-type source region 3 which are formed on a P-type region substrate 1. A ferroelectric layer 4 is formed on a channel region, and a word line 5 is formed on the ferroelectric layer 4.
The above-described conventional nonvolatile FeRAM device reads and writes data by using a channel resistance of the memory cell which is differentiated depending on polarization states of the ferroelectric layer 4. That is, when the polarity of the ferroelectric layer 4 induces positive charges to the channel, the memory cell becomes at a high resistance state to be turned off. On the contrary, when the polarity of the ferroelectric layer 4 induces negative charges to the channel, the memory cell becomes at a low resistance state to be turned on.
However, in the conventional nonvolatile FeRAM device, when the cell size becomes smaller, a data maintaining characteristic is degraded, so that it is difficult to perform the normal operation of the cell. That is, a voltage is applied to an adjacent cell at read/write modes to destroy data of unselected cells, so that interface noise is generated between the cells and it is difficult to perform a random access operation.


A process for the redox development of an imagewise exposed photographic recording material comprises developing the photographic material in a redox developer/amplifier solution containing peroxide as an oxidizing agent, hydroxylamine as an antioxidant, and to improve the stability of the solution under aeration conditions, an effective amount of a mono or di-N-substituted hydroxylamine. The molar ratio of hydroxylamine to N-substituted hydroxylamine may be from 1:200 to 100:1. The substituents in the mono- or di-N-substituted hydroxylamine may be substituted or unsubstituted monovalent organic groups having 1 to 12 carbon atoms.

Redox amplification processes have been described, for example in British Specifications Nos. 1,268,126; 1,399,481; 1,403,418; and 1,560,572. In such processes color materials are developed to produce a silver image (which may contain only small amounts of silver) and treated with a redox amplifying solution (or a combined developer/amplifier) to form a dye image.
The developer/amplifier solution contains a color developing agent and an oxidizing agent that will oxidize the color developing agent in the presence of the silver image which acts as a catalyst.
Oxidized color developer reacts with a color coupler to form the dye image. The amount of dye formed depends on the time of treatment or the availability of the color coupler and is less dependent on the amount of silver in the image than is the case in conventional color development processes.
Examples of suitable oxidizing agents include peroxy compounds including hydrogen peroxide and compounds which provide hydrogen peroxide, e.g., addition compounds of hydrogen peroxide such as perborates and addition compounds of hydrogen peroxide with urea. Other oxidizing agents include cobalt (III) complexes including cobalt hexammine complexes; and periodates. Mixtures of such compounds can also be used.
Developer/amplifier solutions are known to deteriorate because they contain both an oxidizing agent (e.g., the peroxide) and a reducing agent (the color developing agent) which react together spontaneously thus leading to loss of activity in a matter of an hour or two.
By contrast conventional photographic color developer solutions which lose activity by aerial oxidation of the color developing agent, typically will be stable for a week or two. In order to reduce oxidation losses, hydroxylamine and its substituted derivatives such as diethylhydroxylamine have been proposed as anti-oxidants for color developer solutions.
Redox developer amplifiers containing hydroxylamine as the antioxidant have been previously shown to be more stable than those containing diethyl hydroxylamine or similar substituted hydroxylamines. However, it has recently been discovered that hydroxylamine in made up developer-replenisher is prone to aerial oxidation. This can lead to variable levels of hydroxylamine in the redox developer and variable sensitometry in the paper print and can be a significant problem in processes that are run under high oxidation conditions such as those in processing machines with partially submerged rollers and with continuous recirculation of developer solution.

Photographic developer/amplifier process and solutions


A head assembly having a head for recording and reproducing and a head-supporting part for supporting the head includes a signal-conducting pattern formed on the head-supporting part and connected to the head and a protection member formed at a portion of the head-supporting part so as to protect the signal-conducting pattern, the portion being attached to a head-carrying unit for carrying said head assembly.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to head assemblies and memory devices, and particularly relates to a head assembly and a memory device, which has a head at the tip thereof, and is attached to an actuator assembly or the like.
In recent years, keeping pace with the development of an increased recording density and the miniaturization of a magnetic disk device used as a memory storage, a magnetic head assembly having a magnetic head for recording and reproducing has also been subject to miniaturization. In such miniaturization, a signal-conducting pattern is often formed on a suspension of the magnetic head assembly. Thus, a signal-conducting pattern which is protected from damage in an assembling process is needed. Also, the precision of the positioning of the magnetic head on the assembly must be improved in order to achieve a high recording density.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In magnetic disk devices of the prior art, magnetic heads are provided at one side or both sides of a predetermined number of magnetic disks. A magnetic head is mounted on the tip of a suspension, which is in turn connected to a tip of a carriage arm of an actuator. The magnetic heads are moved in a radial direction of the magnetic disks by the driving of the actuator.
FIGS. 1A and 1B show an isometric view and a cross-sectional view, respectively, of a magnetic head assembly of a magnetic disk device of the prior art. In FIG. 1A, a magnetic head assembly 11 includes a magnetic head 13 mounted on a tip of a suspension 12 which is formed by bending a metal plate made of such a material as stainless steel at a predetermined angle. The magnetic head 13, which includes a thin-film head mounted on a slider, is fixed on the suspension 12 with glue and the like. Also, an attaching hole 14 is formed at a rear end of the suspension 12.
A signal-conducting pattern 15 which conducts to four signals the magnetic head 13 for recording and reproducing is formed on the suspension 12. The signal-conducting pattern 15 is coupled at one end to nodes of the magnetic head 13. Node part 16 is formed at the other end of the signal-conducting pattern 15 for leading the signals, and is located on one side of the suspension 12.
As shown in FIG. 1B, an insulator layer 17 is formed on a base material 12a of the suspension 12, and, then, the signal-conducting pattern 15 of a four-line conductive material pattern is formed with such a material as copper by etching and the like on the insulator layer 17. Finally, a protective layer 18 is formed on the signal-conducting pattern 15 with an insulating material. This protective layer 18 covers all of the signal-conducting pattern 15 and is of a thickness on the order of several micrometers. Here, at the rear end of the suspension 12, except for the attaching hole 14 and the signal-conducting pattern 15, a metal dummy pattern 19 is formed for making a flush surface with the protective layer 18. The magnetic suspension assembly 11 thus formed is attached to an actuator.
FIG. 2 shows a plan view of an actuator. In FIG. 2, an actuator 20 includes a plurality of carriage arms 22 revolving around a rod 21 and a VCM (voice coil motor) 23 having a voice coil as a driving part. The magnetic head assembly 11 is attached to a tip 22a of the carriage arm 22 which has an attaching hole 24.
FIGS. 3A and 3B show illustrative drawings explaining the attaching of the magnetic head assembly of the prior art. In FIGS. 3A and 3B, the tip 22a of the carriage arm 22 and the suspension 12 are shown in cross section perpendicular to a longitudinal direction of the carriage arm 22 and the suspension 12. As shown in FIG. 3A, a spacer 25 is fixed to the attaching hole 14 of the suspension 12. Then, the spacer 25 is fit into the attaching hole 24 of the carriage arm 22, where one of the suspensions 12 is provided on each side of the tip 22a of the carriage arm 22. In FIG. 3A, thus, the spacers 25 fixed to the suspensions 12 are provided on both the upper side and the lower side of the tip 22a to form an assembly. In FIG. 3B, a predetermined number of the assemblies are lined up in a vertical direction.
On both sides of the line of the assemblies, clamps 26a and 26b are arranged with pressing parts 27a and 27b provided thereon. Each of the pressing parts 27a and 27b has a tapered end which comes in contact with the rear end of the suspension 12. Thus, when the clamps 26a and 26b clamp, the pressing parts 27a and 27b come in contact with each other and with the suspensions 12, so that the assemblies are pressed from both the upper side and the lower side.
Then, a ball 28 is inserted into a hole formed in the spacer 25 through the attaching hole 14 of the suspension 12 so as to press the spacer 25 from the inside of the hole. Thus, the spacer 25 is pressed from the inside to the attaching hole 24 at the tip 22a of the carriage arm 22. In this manner, the magnetic head assemblies 11 are attached to the head carriage arm 22.
When pressing the suspensions 12 against the tips 22a of the carriage arms 22 with the pressing parts 27a and 27b, the tips of the pressing parts 27a and 27b often cause damage to the suspension. That is, the tips of the pressing parts 27a and 27b often scrape and cut the protective layer 18 and the signal-conducting pattern 15 formed at the rear end of the suspension 12.
Also, when gluing the magnetic head 13 to the tip of the suspension 12, the slider is distorted by contraction of the glue when it solidifies. This distortion is not uniform so that a flying height (i.e., the gap between the slider and the magnetic disk) varies between different magnetic heads. This causes a degradation of performance in magnetic disk devices.
Accordingly, there is a need in the field of magnetic disk devices for a head assembly and a memory device which have a high yield and a high performance.

Head assembly for recording and reproducing including a head supporting part having a protection member


A magnetic random access memory device (MRAM) and the method for forming the same are disclosed. The MRAM has a magnetic tunnel junction (MTJ) device, a first write line, and a second write line orthogonal to the first write line, wherein at least one of the first and second write lines has a width narrower than that of the MTJ.

The present invention relates generally to non-volatile memories, and more particularly to magnetic random access memories.
Magnetic Random Access Memory (MRAM) is a type of non-volatile memory with fast programming time and high density. The architecture for MRAM includes a plurality or array of memory cells and a plurality of word line and bit line intersections. Typically, the magnetic memory cell used is composed of a magnetic tunnel junction (MTJ) cell, an isolation transistor, and the intersection of word and bit lines. The isolation transistor is generally a N-channel field effect transistor (FET). An interconnect cell connects the isolation transistor to the MTJ device, to the bit line, and to the word line used to create part of the magnetic field for programming the MRAM cell.
Typically, a MTJ cell includes a non-magnetic conductor forming a lower electrical contact, a pinned magnetic layer, a tunnel barrier layer positioned on the pinned layer, and a free magnetic layer positioned on the tunnel barrier layer with an upper contact on the free magnetic layer.
The pinned layer of magnetic material has a magnetic vector that is always pointed in the same direction. The magnetic vector of the free layer is free, but constrained by the physical size of the layer, to point in either of two directions. An MTJ cell is used by connecting it in a circuit such that electricity flows vertically through the cell from one of the layers to the other. The MTJ cell may be electrically represented as a resistor, and the size of the resistance depends upon the orientation of the magnetic vectors. As is understood by those skilled in the art, the MTJ cell has a relatively high resistance when the magnetic vectors are pointed in opposite directions and a relatively low resistance when the magnetic vectors are aligned.
A bit line is generally associated with each column of an array of MTJ cells and a word line is associated with each row of the array. The bit lines and word lines are used to address individual cells in the array for both reading and programming or storing information in the array. Programming of a selected cell is accomplished by passing predetermined currents through the word and bit lines intersecting at the selected cell. For embodiment, the magnetic field resulting from a "write current" changes the direction of the data layer, or free layer. As a result, the data are written as soon as the "write current" is applied.
It is of course desirable to have the low resistance (parallel vectors) as low as possible, and the high resistance (anti-parallel vectors) much higher than the low resistance so that the change can be easily detected in associated electronic circuitry.
Desirable in the art is an improved high density MRAM device.

Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co., Ltd.


A method is provided for collecting trace data items generated by a plurality of trace points, the method comprising: allocating a ring buffer in a first memory, the ring buffer including a plurality of trace buffers; when any of the trace points is executed, storing a trace data item generated by the trace point in one of the plurality of trace buffers that is identified by a given value of a ring pointer; retrieving the trace data item from the trace buffer based on at least one of: (i) a first timestamp that is generated when the trace data item is stored in the trace buffer, and (ii) a second timestamp indicating a time when the ring pointer was assigned the given value; and storing the retrieved trace data item in a second memory device.

A common practice in software data-path implementations is to utilize tracing. Tracing involves the use of logging to record information about a program's execution. Trace data generated during a program's execution can be used for bug analysis, performance analysis and provide crucial hints for data recovery. As trace data is produced from a data-path flow, it is desirable for the CPU cost of generating the trace data to be minimized. Furthermore, as trace data is produced from a data-path flow, it is desirable for the trace data to be compact, so that a very high rate of traces generation will be supported. At present, the need exists for new techniques for generating trace data that are reliable are efficient with respect to the computing resources they require.

Method and apparatus for trace data collection


A connecting table Tete-A-Tete system in one embodiment includes a connecting table with two arm receptacle portions each configured to removably receive an arm of a respective seat. The system includes a coupling bar movable between a first position whereat the arms can be inserted into or removed from the respective arm receptacle portions and a second position whereat the arms cannot be inserted into or removed from the respective arm receptacle portions.

In general, a Tete-A-Tete system is a configuration of two seating areas which are arranged so as to facilitate conversation between individuals positioned in the seating areas. Tete-A-Tete systems are alternatively referred to as courting chairs (sofas), vis-à-vis, and gossip couches.
Traditional Tete-A-Tete systems have been modified to incorporate a table between two chairs to provide a place for beverages, books, phones, etc. In some of these systems, the inner arms of the chairs are replaced with a table which permanently couples the chairs and table into a unit. In these systems, the chair portions are uniquely constructed for use in a Tete-A-Tete system.
In an effort to incorporate the use of chairs which are not necessarily uniquely constructed for use in a Tete-A-Tete system various connecting tables were developed. In one system, a bottom mount connecting table is used to permanently couple two individual chairs into a unit. The top surface of a bottom mount connecting table is typically flush with or slightly below the tops of the arms of the individual chairs when the chairs and connecting table are coupled. This approach typically incorporates special mounting hardware to provide a permanent coupling.
Non-permanent coupling approaches have also been developed. Such approaches include the incorporation of top mount connecting tables. In a top mount connecting table system, the connecting table is positioned on the upper surface of arms of the individual chairs. These systems are typically easy to use and do not include permanent coupling hardware. In fact, some systems incorporate a connecting table which simply rests on the upper surfaces of two of the arms of the individual chairs and is not mechanically coupled to the chairs. In this type of system however, the connecting table is easily dislodged such as by accidental bumping, movement caused by wind, etc., which can damage items such as phones which are on the connecting table as well as spilling drinks. Moreover, it is difficult to determine whether the connecting table is optimally positioned for stability without somehow visually accessing the underside of the table.
In other top mount systems various components are provided to more securely couple the connecting table to the individual chairs. In some systems pivoting arms are incorporated with the connecting table. The pivoting arms are positioned beneath two chair arms of the individual chairs. This type system inhibits vertical movement of the connecting table, but does not preclude horizontal movement of the chairs with respect to from the connecting table.
Other top mount connecting table systems incorporate additional protuberances to inhibit horizontal movement, and/or additional pivot arms to further inhibit vertical movement. While effective, these systems typically still allow for some amount of relative movement which is not desirable. Additionally, the user is required to position multiple pivot arms which are hidden from view beneath the table in order to first place the connecting table on an arm of a chair. Then multiple pivot arms must be manipulated to couple that chair to the connecting table. Once the first chair is connected to the connecting table, the process must be repeated for the second chair. The process is complicated by the fact that the pivot arms are positioned beneath the connecting table out of view of the operator. Thus, the process of assembling top mount connecting chair systems can be time consuming and frustrating.
In view of the foregoing, it would be advantageous to provide a connecting table which is easier to use than the above described systems when coupling a connecting table and chairs. It would be beneficial if a single moving component could simultaneously couple two individual chairs to a connecting table. It would be further beneficial if the system could be coupled in a manner which better inhibits relative movement of the components.


A direct detector for terahertz radiation comprises a grating-gated field-effect transistor with one or more quantum wells that provide a two-dimensional electron gas in the channel region. The grating gate can be a split-grating gate having at least one finger that can be individually biased. Biasing an individual finger of the split-grating gate to near pinch-off greatly increases the detector's resonant response magnitude over prior QW FET detectors while maintaining frequency selectivity. The split-grating-gated QW FET shows a tunable resonant plasmon response to FIR radiation that makes possible an electrically sweepable spectrometer-on-a-chip with no moving mechanical optical parts. Further, the narrow spectral response and signal-to-noise are adequate for use of the split-grating-gated QW FET in a passive, multispectral terahertz imaging system. The detector can be operated in a photoconductive or a photovoltaic mode. Other embodiments include uniform front and back gates to independently vary the carrier densities in the channel region, a thinned substrate to increase bolometric responsivity, and a resistive shunt to connect the fingers of the grating gate in parallel and provide a uniform gate-channel voltage along the length of the channel to increase the responsivity and improve the spectral resolution.

Terahertz technologies utilize electromagnetic radiation generally in the frequency range between 100 GHz and 10 THz (i.e, wavelengths of 3 mm to 30 μm, energies of 0.4 to 40 meV, or equivalent blackbody radiation temperatures of 5° K to 500° K). Many non-metallic materials that are visually opaque are partially transparent or exhibit molecular resonances in the terahertz region. In particular, water vapor and other small polar molecules have very strong rotational absorptions at terahertz frequencies. Therefore, terahertz technologies have many potential applications in diverse fields, including molecular spectroscopy, space and atmospheric sciences, plasma physics, biology, medical imaging, remote sensing, and communications.
Historically, there has been much interest in terahertz technologies for high-resolution (i.e., high Q) spectroscopy and remote sensing for space, planetary, and Earth science. For example, much of the interstellar medium radiates in the terahertz region, somewhat above the cosmic microwave background, enabling terahertz measurements to probe star formation and the early universe. Planetary atmospheres have background temperatures of tens to several hundred degrees Kelvin, enabling terahertz observation of extraterrestrial atmospheric conditions. Furthermore, thermal emission lines in the terahertz region from gases in the Earth's stratosphere and upper troposphere provide important indicators of ozone destruction, global warming, and pollution.
However, beyond basic science, applications in the terahertz region are relatively undeveloped. Much progress is still required to provide field-deployable terahertz systems, especially for military, anti-terror, and biomedical imaging applications. Terahertz applications remain relatively undeveloped because the terahertz region lies between the traditional microwave and optical regions of the electromagnetic spectrum, where electronic or photonic technologies have been developed for these purposes. Terahertz applications have been hampered due to the historically poor performance of terahertz components lying in the "technological gap" between these traditional electronic and photonic domains.
Consequently, the generation and detection of electromagnetic fields at terahertz frequencies has been challenging. The weak radiation output from passive (i.e., thermal or backlit by the sun) and active terahertz sources, the low photon energies of terahertz radiation, and high atmospheric attenuation due to molecular absorption (e.g., water vapor) frequently results in a weak received terahertz signal that may be difficult to distinguish from noise. Furthermore, detection of this weak terahertz signal can be difficult.
Current terahertz detectors include both direct and heterodyne detectors. Direct detectors generally directly convert the received power to a voltage or current that is proportional to the incoming power. They are characterized by responsivity (the ratio of the voltage output signal divided by the input signal power, in V/W) and noise-equivalent-power (NEP, the input signal power to the detector required to achieve a signal-to-noise ratio of unity after detection, in W/Hz1/2). A common direct detector uses antenna coupling to a small area Schottky diode that responds directly to the THz electric field. Another direct detector is the conventional bolometer that consists of a radiation absorbing material that is coupled to a sensitive temperature-dependent resistor. For shorter wavelengths (i.e., frequencies above 1 THz), direct detectors generally have good responsivity and are sensitive to a broad band of frequencies. However, they are also sensitive to incoherent background noise and interference. Finally, direct directors are typically very slow, with 1 to 10 ms response times required to obtain an adequate signal-to-noise. Therefore, direct detectors have been used mainly for wideband applications, such as thermal imaging.
There has been an especially strong need for a selective and tunable narrowband detector for spectrum analysis and imaging of the far-infrared (FIR) region of the electromagnetic spectrum (i.e., between 0.1 to 10 THz in frequency). The FIR region contains the spectral signatures of many molecules and materials in vapor and solid phases, ranging from simple diatomic chemicals to complex macromolecules of biological relevance. These signatures arise from molecular resonances that are predominately rotational or hybrid rotational-vibrational modes determined by the molecule's moment-of-inertia. The resulting FIR spectra are far better for molecular discrimination than spectroscopy based simply on mass. In addition, molecular resonance absorption and emission cross-sections in the FIR are generally much larger than at microwave or near-infrared, providing much better sensitivity to relatively small concentrations. Because of this high sensitivity and very high specificity, FIR detectors have enormous potential for chemical and biological sensing. The reliable detection of chemical and biological warfare agents and possible terror agents, such as toxic industrial chemicals, is a current national priority.
Another highly desirable application of terahertz technology is to do imaging of objects at useful standoff distances in real time for object or pattern recognition. Because terahertz irradiation does not involve the health and safety issues of ionizing radiation, such as are a concern with X-ray imaging, applications of terahertz technologies may include noninvasive tomographic imaging or spectroscopic characterization of living materials. Because terahertz radiation is nondestructive and can penetrate non-metallic and non-polarizing external coverings (e.g., clothing, semiconductors, plastics, packaging materials), the technology may be useful in security screening for hidden explosives and concealed weapons. Multispectral, passive FIR imaging is especially desirable for these imaging applications. While imaging can be performed at a single frequency, FIR image contrast between multiple frequencies can provide more information for improved identification.
Existing direct detectors usually respond to total absorbed radiation power, not frequency, and hence require mechanical motion of external optics to generate spectral information. Heterodyne mixers are also used in generating spectral information, but these are tunable only within a narrow range about a specific local oscillator (LO) frequency, and there are very few practical LO sources above about 0.5 THz. The FIR analog of a compact, solid-state microwave or optical spectrum analyzer that continuously covers a broad frequency range with reasonable speed does not yet exist.
Recently, the direct detection of terahertz radiation by two-dimensional (2D) plasma waves has been demonstrated in a double-quantum-well (DQW) field-effect transistor (FET) with a periodic grating gate. See X. G. Peralta et al., Appl. Phys. Lett. 81, 1627 (2002), which is incorporated herein by reference. Coherent charge density oscillations (plasmons) in a high-mobility two-dimensional electron gas (2DEG) can be exploited to circumvent ordinary electronic limits on maximum operating frequency in conventional solid state devices based on electron drift. As a result, the response of the DQW FET can be fast. Also, typical 2DEG densities from 1010 to 1012 cm−2 and device features of 1-10 μm yield plasmon frequencies in the 100 GHz-1 THz range, making plasmon devices attractive for terahertz applications. Furthermore, the ability to electrically tune the 2DEG charge density and hence the plasmon resonance via a gate voltage in the DQW FET enables the detection of specific, user-selected terahertz frequencies.
In FIG. 1 is shown the prior DQW FET 10 of Peralta et al. The DQW FET 10 was fabricated from a modulation doped GaAs/AlGaAs DQW heterostructure grown on a semi-insulating GaAs substrate 11 by molecular beam epitaxy. The two GaAs quantum wells (QWs) 12 and 13 were 20 nm wide and separated by a 7 nm AlGaAs barrier. The nominal electron densities in the QWs 12 and 13 were about 2×1011 cm2. The electron mobility at 4.2° K was about 1.7×106 cm2/Vs. The upper QW 12 was buried 404 nm below the surface of the device. A 2 mm×2 mm mesa was defined by chemical etching and ohmic contacts to both QWs 12 and 13 were formed by evaporating and annealing NiAuGe over the edge and side of the mesa forming the source S and the drain D. A 70 nm thick TiAu grating gate 14 (with no metallization between the grating fingers) was evaporated on the surface of the device with the fingers of the grating parallel to the ohmic contacts, perpendicular to the current flow. The grating period was 4 μm.
As shown in FIG. 2a, the grating spatially modulates the electron density in the QWs 12 and 13 under the metallized part of the gate 14 when a bias voltage Vg is applied to the grating gate, selects wave vectors of the excited plasmon, and produces both normal and transverse THz electric fields. The grating period as well as the channel electron density, under the grating fingers, determine the resonance frequency of the 2D plasma oscillations. THz radiation 15 at frequency f incident on a 2D electron gas of sheet density n will excite plasmon modes when f=fp, according to the dispersion relation
      f    p    =            1              2                π                                (                                            e              2                                                  n              j                                                  k              j                                            2                                      ɛɛ              0                                                  m              *                                      )                    1        2            where fp is the resonance frequency, e is the electron charge, kj is the plasmon wavevector, m* is the electron effective mass, and ∈∈0 is the dielectric constant of the semiconductor. In a grating-gated QW FET, n is proportional to (Vg−V0) where V0 is the pinch-off voltage. Therefore, fp is continuously tunable via the grating gate voltage Vg, while k has discrete values set by the gate grating period d: kj=2πj/d, where j=1, 2, 3, . . . is the harmonic mode index.
Prior tuned incoherent direct detectors and related heterodyne mixers based on grating-gated QW FETs have shortcomings for FIR spectroscopy. The DQW FET of Peralta et al. showed low response when Vg was biased on a plasmon resonance, but a steep rise in responsivity, with a concomitant loss of frequency selectivity, was observed for Vg close to V0. Therefore, although the prior DQW FET is fast, it has a low responsivity when operated in the frequency selective mode and loses tunability near pinch-off. Recently, a fast, solid-state heterodyne mixer has been developed based on the grating-gated QW FET. However, as noted previously, heterodyne mixers are tunable only within a narrow range about the LO, and currently there are few practical LO sources that operate above about 0.5 THz. Further, the NEP of the heterodyne mixer may not be adequate for passive, incoherent terahertz imaging. See U.S. application Ser. No. 11/113,635 to Wanke et al.; and M. Lee et al., "Millimeter wave mixing using plasmon and bolometric response in a double-quantum-well field-effect transistor," Appl. Phys. Lett. 86, 033501 (2005), which are incorporated herein by reference.
Therefore, a need remains for a direct detector that is continuously tunable over a broad terahertz frequency range and has adequate responsivity and sensitivity for spectroscopy and imaging. The detector should preferably be a solid-state device that can be integrated with microelectronic technology to enable a compact spectrometer-on-a-chip, and with terahertz focal plane array technology to enable a passive, multispectral FIR imaging system.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.


The adjustment of the angular setting is provided between the parts (R, S, F) in a reclining or sealing article of furniture, which has two or more mutually adjustable, articulated parts which together form the frame of the article, and where the frame is mounted in a support member (A) by of transverse axes or axis journals (2, 3, 5), the back member""s (R) axis (2) is securely mounted in a pivot bearing (11). The axes (3, 5) of the remaining part(s) (s/ or S and F respectively) are movably mounted in the support member""s longitudinal direction. The back member""s (R) axis (2) is mounted at a distance from the joint connection (1) of the seat member (S).

1. Field of the Invention
The invention concerns a device for reclining or seating furniture, wherein the piece of furniture has two or more mutually adjustable, articulated members, which together form an adjustable frame for support of a mattress, cushions, upholstery or the like, where the adjustable frame is mounted in a support member by means of horizontal axles/dowels/stays/sliding elements or the like which constitute pivot points or fulcrums for the mutually adjustable, articulated members, where the back member has a fixed pivot point in relation to the support member, located at a distance from the linkage to the seat member, and that the pivot points for the remaining frame members during adjustment are movable in the length direction of the furniture.
2. Description of the Related Art
In order to obtain different user positions for a piece of reclining or seating furniture, it is usually designed with a frame composed of two or more interlinked parts which form the support for a mattress, cushions, upholstery or the like. The parts of the frame may be incorporated with the mattress, the upholstery etc. or a mattress may be mounted on the frame part, the mattress being designed in such a way that it can follow the frame to the various possible settings. The frame is mounted in a support member which may be mounted in the piece of furniture or form an integrated part of the furniture and it may be in the form of a side member, a gable, a frame or as fixed components. The piece of furniture may be a bed, a chaise lounge, a divan, a bench, a sofa, a chair, etc. In the following description and claims the terms frame, frame member, support member and furniture are intended to cover all such variants.
There are a number of different kinds of reclining and sitting furniture currently on the market equipped with adjustment devices for setting different angles between the back member, the intermediate member or seat member and the foot member in order to provide the article with alternative user positions. The most common examples are adjustable chairs, where the back member and seat member can be set at an angle in relation to each other in order to provide a position of rest or a more active sitting position. Similar solutions have been developed for beds, offering the possibility of assuming a position which is more suitable for reading in bed, etc.
Such adjustment facilities for beds and chairs are employed not only for reasons of comfort, but are particularly important in nursing or illness situations, such as in hospitals or in nursing institutions where the user has to stay for lengthy periods, e.g., in a bed, or in connection with therapeutic chairs for dentists, doctors, etc.
Examples of adjustable reclining or seating furniture can be found in U.S. Pat. No. 4,751,754 and Finnish Pat. No. 89867, both of which disclose adjustable hospital beds, as well as in Danish Pat. Nos. 125771 and 145563, both of which disclose examples of adjustable installation frames for beds. To some extent these previously known constructions have a relatively complicated design. They offer the possibility of different angular adjustments for both the back member, seat member and foot member of the surface of a bed. In designs where the foot member is connected to the seat member and is slidingly guided in the frame of the bed, the foot member will be raised above the surface of the bed in the knee area, which is not always desirable. Alternatively, special joint constructions or additional surface elements have been employed.
In U.S. Pat. No. 4,403,357 a piece of reclining furniture is described, having intermediate elements, each being connected to the adjacent ends of the back member and a leg support member portion by means of pivot joints, which are preferably constructed as elastic pivot joints. Thus the intermediate elements of the under-mattress are connected in a freely suspended manner to the adjacent portions by means of pivot points. The intermediate member permits automatic adjustment of the prevailing sitting position to any desired load conditions. However a motor as an active activator is used in connection therewith.
The object of the present invention is to provide an adjustment device which permits the desired changes in angular adjustment between the seat and the back member, or between the back member, the seat member and the foot member of the frame of an article of furniture. The adjustment device should be simple in design and relatively inexpensive to manufacture, while at the same time it should be possible to perform the angular adjustment either manually or by simple operating means, and preferably with only one single exercise of force.
This object is achieved with an adjustment device of the type mentioned in the introduction, which is characterized by the features presented in the patent claims.
The invention is particularly concerned with a three-part frame for use in a bed or chair, but the invention may also be employed in connection with a two-part construction or a construction with more than three frame members. In every case the back member will be pivotally mounted in a fixed horizontal transverse axis or by means of axis journals some distance above the hinge or link connecting the back member with the seat member. A movement of the back member will result in a movement or rotation of the frame""s other links via the articulations. The description is based on a reclining position where all the parts of the piece of furniture are located in a common, substantially horizontal plane from which position the parts are moved by raising the back member of the frame. In this connection it should be emphasized that in this respect, the description is not intended to be a limiting factor, since the basic position in a chair configuration for a position of rest might just as well be with the back raised, e.g., 60xc2x0. Thus the basis of a reclining position is only used to facilitate the description of the embodiments.
The essential and characteristic feature of the invention is that the rotation of the part of the frame results in a mutual movement of the fulcrum relative to the frame and/or the frame""s support member in the furniture""s longitudinal direction, either in the support member""s plane or along a circular arc based on this plane. This relative movement does not necessarily mean that the fulcrum has to be moved, an alternative being that the frame member may be moved relative to the fulcrum with a similar effect.
In a first embodiment, the seat member is pivotally mounted in a fixed horizontal transverse axis or with axis journals and mounted in a mounting or guide means which permits movement of the transverse axis slidably in an approximately straight line or approximately parallel in relation to the back""s suspension axis. The foot/leg member is pivotally mounted in a movable horizontal transverse axis or by means of axis journals which are mounted on a mounting device which moves the transverse axis slidably in an approximately straight or approximately parallel line. in relation to the back""s and the seat""s suspension axes. In the case of chairs there are not necessarily any foot members. If desired, the chair can be extended with a separate stool or the like.
The lower part of the back, which extends from the mounting axis to the articulation with the seat member can be equipped with a lever which can be influenced by a force, e.g., from a driving mechanism. In order to achieve further adjustment relative to the floor area, according to a further feature of the invention the furniture frame can be combined with a tilting device which can tilt the support frame about a desired smaller angle, e.g., xc2x112xc2x0.
By means of the invention it may be said that adjustable seating furniture is supplied with the advantages which adjustable beds have, and that adjustable beds are provided with the same advantages which exist in adjustable seating furniture. The adjustment device according to the invention offers the possibility of adjusting the angle between the back member and the seat member between 180xc2x0 and 90xc2x0 and between the seat member and a possible foot member between 180xc2x0 and 200-300xc2x0. In addition the angles of the seat member and a possible foot member can be adjusted relative to the floor, even though the back member does not move when the angles deviate from 180xc2x0 and a tilting effect may also be exercised of the order of xc2x112xc2x0. The possibility is thereby obtained of adjusting an angle with the back and the seat member from 180xc2x0, which means that the back and seat members are located on the same plane, to an angular position between the parts. The seat member and the leg member can be angularly adjusted between 180xc2x0 and approximately 100xc2x0 or more. The previously known adjustable beds are normally also hinged or articulated between the individual parts or sections and are usually constructed with heavy, complicated and expensive fittings which by means of manual operation or motor drive will move the various parts into the desired angles. With adjustment devices according to the invention, a simpler, lighter and more reasonably priced adjustment concept is provided in order to satisfy old and new functional requirements in modern times where, amongst other things, people have more leisure. The object is to obtain flexible positions of rest and/or positions which offer the possibility for reading, watching TV or video, surfing on the Internet and the like, thereby reaching new market segments with functional solutions which cover the new requirements for young and old, healthy and handicapped.
As will be illustrated by the following embodiments, the movement of the fulcrums for the seat member and the foot member may be designed in many different ways. The fulcrum, i.e. the mounting point, can be moved by moving a pin on the frame member in grooves provided in the support member or vice versa. The degree of angular adjustment will be dependent on the chosen solution and, particularly in the case of fixed fulcrums where the frame member is moved relative to the fulcrum, it will also be possible to perform an adjustment enabling the beds to be adjusted for other angular variations by means of the same mounting method. If a solution with levers is chosen, the fulcrums for the frame members will be moved along circular paths in the furniture""s longitudinal direction. The choice of solution will depend on the piece of furniture which is to be manufactured and all of these variations are intended to fall within the scope of the invention.

Adjustment device for beds and other reclining or seating furniture


A system for transmitting data from a timing controller (TCON) to several source driver integrated circuits (SICs) in a display. The system is suitable for use either with a high data rate or a low data rate to each of the SICs. The TCON provides a serial data stream to a SIC, which either uses all of the received data, if it requires high rate data, or relays a portion, e.g., half, of the data to another SIC, which then does not require a separate direct connection to the TCON.

A video display may include a display panel including an array of pixels and circuitry for driving the pixels, which may include one or more source driver integrated circuits (source driver ICs or SICs). The driver ICs may receive data, such as pixel values to be displayed, from another integrated circuit referred to as a timing controller (TCON). Connections between the TCON and the SICs may be one or more serial data links, carried, for example, in one or more cables, each cable having one or more connectors. The cost of fabricating such cables may be significant.
Display devices may be produced in a range of grades, with high-end displays, for example, providing more pixels, greater color depths, or higher refresh rates, than low-end displays, and a high-end display therefore requiring a higher data rate between the TCON and each SIC than a low-end display. It may be possible to reduce manufacturing costs by using the same parts on both high-end and low-end displays.
Thus, there is a need for a system (e.g., a flexible system), for sending serial data between integrated circuits, that is suitable for different data rates.

System for relayed data transmission in a high-speed serial link


It is possible to provide a mobile electronic device which can accurately judge the service life of a cell even when the cell is replaced. Provided is also a method for controlling the mobile electronic device. A control block (48) includes: a voltage measurement unit (100) which is connected to a charge cell (32) and measures a voltage value of the charge cell (32); and a control unit (101) which performs control to measure a voltage of the charge cell (32) by the voltage measuring unit (100) upon each start and end of charge of the charge cell (32), stores in a storage unit (42), information on a number of charge/discharge times identified by the measured voltage value, and outputs information on the service life of the charge cell (32) according to the information on the number of charge/discharge times from an output unit (equivalent to a display (21) a speaker (45)).

Although lithium ion batteries are the current mainstream of batteries for cellular phones, due to the ever-increasing trend toward smaller sizes, lighter weight and higher functionality of mobile terminal devices (such as for continuously viewing a digital television program, continuously playing music, browsing WEB sites, etc.), it is anticipated that the cycle of charging and discharging a battery will be accelerated, and as a result, the life of a battery will tend to be shortened relative to the period of use of a mobile terminal device.
Here, methods of detecting the life of a battery include a method in which the life of a battery is determined by way of a change in an impedance value of the battery (for example, see Patent Document 1), and a method in which a function regarding a charging/discharging curve is stored in advance, and the life of a battery is determined by calculating and weighting a deterioration value when charging and discharging (for example, see Patent Document 2).
Moreover, in general, the life of a battery is defined by each battery manufacturer, and refers to a state in which the capacitance has been decreased to about 50 to 60% of the initial capacitance due to, for example, about 500 to 600 times charging and discharging. In addition, beyond this state, the expected operation of the mobile terminal device cannot be guaranteed due to an increase of internal resistance, etc.
Therefore, it is necessary to accurately and clearly output the life of a battery to the user in order to guarantee expected operations of the mobile terminal device.
Patent Document 1: Japanese Unexamined Patent Application, First Publication No. H05-74501
Patent Document 2: Japanese Unexamined Patent Application, First Publication No. 2004-264303

Mobile electronic device and method for controlling the same


One aspect of the invention is an automatic configuration method. The method comprises monitoring a network for data sent by a server in response to a configuring notice, receiving the data, and automatically configuring a processing platform to the network based on the data. Another aspect of the invention is an automatic configuration system. The system comprises a processing platform and application logic operatively associated with the processing platform. The application is operable to monitor a network for data sent by a server in response to a configuring notice, receive the data, and automatically configure the processing platform to the network based on the data.

Most of today's computer users employ a variety of processing platforms on some sort of network, such as the Internet. For example, some consumers enjoy working and/or playing games on a home PC that is connected to a printer. The user may then connect to the Internet using a variety of methods such as a digital subscriber line (DSL), a dial-up modem, or other methods, and then utilize the PC and printer as components of a small home network. On a larger scale, enterprises may employ various local area networks (LANs), wide area network (WANs), and a variety of implementations to suit their needs. In most cases, the enterprises also have global networking capability through a network such as the Internet.
In order for a network to recognize that a network component or a processing platform is part of the network, the processing platform must be properly configured. Unfortunately, this process requires manual intervention. For example, a user may be required to navigate through several menus or commands to provide information required by a network to and to install the platform on the network. Unfortunately, this method is tedious and prone to errors. Moreover, many users are not familiar with the level of detail required to configure and install a processing platform on a network.

Automatic configuration system and method

Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.


An electromechanical transducer includes a plurality cells that are electrically connected to form a unit. Each of the cells includes a first electrode and a second electrode provided with a gap being disposed therebetween. Dummy cells that are not electrically connected to the cells are provided around the outer periphery of the unit of the cells.

In recent years, electromechanical transducers produced by a micromachining process have been researched actively. In particular, capacitive electromechanical transducers called CMUT (Capacitive Micromachined Ultrasonic Transducers) have attracted attention, because they can transmit and receive ultrasonic waves with a lightweight vibrating membrane, and can more easily obtain wide band characteristics even in the liquid and air than piezoelectric electromechanical transducers that have been used hitherto.
The structure of a CMUT will be described below. A CMUT includes a plurality of elements arranged in an array in a one-dimensional or two-dimensional direction. These elements serve to transmit or receive ultrasonic waves.
The structure of an element in the CMUT will be described below. As shown in FIG. 11A, an element 301 of a CMUT includes a plurality of cells 311. By simultaneously applying driving voltage signals of the cells 311 in the element 301, ultrasonic waves are output from the element 301. Further, ultrasonic detection signals received by the cells 311 in the element 301 are added by upper electrodes 315 and lower electrodes (not shown) that are common to the cells 311, and the sum of the signals serves as an ultrasonic detection signal received by the element 301. Lines 307 electrically connect the upper electrodes 315 of the cells 311.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,958,255 discloses an example of a CMUT having such an element structure. In the CMUT disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,958,255, a substrate through line 304 is provided in a support substrate 305, as shown in FIG. 11B. The substrate through line 304 electrically connects a circuit board 303 and a lower electrode 316. In the circuit board 303, driving voltage signals are generated to output an ultrasonic wave from an element, and signal processing, such as amplification and delay addition, is conducted on an ultrasonic signal generated by an ultrasonic wave received by the element.
The structure and operation principle of the cell of the CMUT will be described below. As shown in FIG. 12A, a cell 311 of the CMUT includes a membrane 312, an insulating layer 313, a cavity 314, an upper electrode 315, and a lower electrode 316. The upper electrode 315 and the lower electrode 316 constitute a capacitor, and a bias voltage is applied therebetween by a bias voltage source 317. For transmission of an ultrasonic wave, a driving voltage signal having a proper waveform is applied between the upper and lower electrodes 315 and 316 by a driving voltage signal source 318, whereby the membrane 312 vibrates to generate an ultrasonic wave in accordance with the driving voltage signal, as shown in FIG. 12A. Conversely, for receiving, the membrane 312 is vibrated by an ultrasonic wave reaching the CMUT, whereby an electrostatic capacitance between the upper and lower electrodes 315 and 316 changes and a current signal is generated in accordance with the ultrasonic wave, as shown in FIG. 12B. By detecting this current signal with a current detector 319, the received ultrasonic wave can be detected.

Electromechanical transducer and production method therefor


An air-fuel ratio control system for an internal combustion engine includes an air-fuel ratio sensor arranged in the exhaust system, for detecting the air-fuel ratio of exhaust gases from the engine. An ECU calculates an air-fuel ratio control amount, based on the output from the air-fuel ratio sensor, by using an adaptive controller having an adaptive parameter-adjusting mechanism for adjusting adaptive parameters, such that the air-fuel ratio of a mixture supplied to the engine is converged to a desired air-fuel ratio, and controls the air-fuel ratio of the mixture in a feedback manner, according to the calculated air-fuel ratio control amount. The adaptive parameter-adjusting mechanism calculates a parameter corresponding to an integral term of the air-fuel ratio control amount, and limit-checks a value of the parameter corresponding to the integral term so as to fall within a predetermined limit range.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to an air-fuel ratio control system for internal combustion engines, and more particularly to an air-fuel ratio control system of this kind, which carries out feedback control of the air-fuel ratio of a mixture supplied to the engine, by applying an adaptive control theory thereto.
2. Prior Art
Conventionally, an air-fuel ratio control system for internal combustion engines is known, e.g. from Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication (Kokai) No. 7-247886, which calculates an air-fuel ratio control amount by using an adaptive controller including a parameter-adjusting mechanism of a recurrence formula type based on an adaptive control theory, and carries out feedback control of the air-fuel ratio of a mixture supplied to the engine, based on the calculated air-fuel ratio control amount. In the known air-fuel ratio control system, an air-fuel ratio sensor arranged in the exhaust system of the engine detects the air-fuel ratio and supplies an output indicative of the detected air-fuel ratio to the adaptive controller, which carries out the air-fuel ratio feedback control in response to the detected air-fuel ratio.
On the other hand, so-called PID control is widely employed to calculate an air-fuel ratio control amount in response to the output from the air-fuel ratio sensor, to thereby feedback-control the air-fuel ratio of the mixture supplied to the engine. When the air-fuel ratio control amount thus calculated falls outside a range defined by predetermined upper and lower limit values due to a disturbance during execution of the air-fuel ratio feedback control, limit-checking of the air-fuel ratio control amount and its integral term is executed to hold the air-fuel ratio control amount at the predetermined upper and lower limit values and the integral term at predetermined upper and lower limit values, to avoid sharp fluctuations in the air-fuel ratio.
When such limit-checking is executed during the air-fuel ratio control using the adaptive controller, however, the integral term cannot be separated from the equation for calculating the air-fuel ratio control amount, in a simple manner, for limit-checking thereof. Therefore, for example, as shown in FIG. 1, when a large disturbance temporarily takes place during execution of the air-fuel ratio control over a time period between time points t1 and t2, the air-fuel ratio control amount KSTR per se can be limit-checked and held at a limit value thereof at and after a time point t3, but the integral term cannot be limit-checked. As a result, even after the disturbance blows out, the air-fuel ratio control amount KSTR is held at the limit value over a considerable time period, and therefore the KSTR value returns to a state assumed before the appearance of the disturbance only after the considerable time period has elapsed. This inconvenience is caused by the fact that parameters corresponding to the integral term of the air-fuel ratio control amount KSTR continue to increase until a time point t2 at which the disturbance blows out, as indicated by the solid line in FIG. 1.

Air-fuel ratio control system for internal combustion engines


A system and method for determining organizational hierarchy from contact data. A phrase having multiple terms representing a job title is received and converted to lower case, then concatenated with a symbol to separate the terms. The phrase is compared to a training set of predefined normalized phrases representing known job titles. If a match is found, a data record is created or updated with organizational hierarchy information associated with the matched phrase in the training set. If a match is not found, a term is removed from the phrase and the comparison repeated.

The subject matter discussed in the background section should not be assumed to be prior art merely as a result of its mention in the background section. Similarly, a problem mentioned in the background section or associated with the subject matter of the background section should not be assumed to have been previously recognized in the prior art. The subject matter in the background section merely represents different approaches, which may be unique on their own.
In conventional database systems, users access their data resources in a single logical database. Typically, data is retrieved from and stored to the database using the computing systems or devices of the user. For example, a user system might remotely access one of a plurality of servers that might in turn access the database. The user may issue a query to the database in order to retrieve data. The database processes the query and returns to the user information from the database that is relevant to the request. The retrieval of accurate information and subsequent delivery of this information to the user system in a timely and efficient manner has been and continues to be a goal of administrators of database systems.
In a multi-tenant database system ("MTS"), however, various elements of hardware and software of the database may be shared by one or more customers. The notion of "cloud computing" allows service providers to offer access to hardware/software systems through a network, such as the Internet. For example, a specified application server may simultaneously process requests for many different customers, and a specified database table may likewise store data for many different customers.
In the MTS environment, customers demand up-to-date, comprehensive data. For example, sales and marketing organizations need accurate and up-to-date contact information in order to maintain good relations with existing customers as well as solicit leads for new customers. Unfortunately, conventional databases rely on individuals to maintain their own contact information, and therefore, even within a single organization, individuals may have inconsistent and/or inaccurate contact information.
An advantage of the MTS system is that business enterprises may share data resources, and rely on the MTS provider to maintain accurate up-to-date data, such as personal and/or business contact information. Another advantage is that all personnel within a single enterprise have access to the exact same contact information, so that inaccuracies or inconsistencies within the organization no longer exist. Yet another advantage is that the MTS system can provide value-added services to enhance the data stored as contact information in the MTS contact database. For example, one type of information that is commonly missing from contact databases is the rank and/or department for a business contact, i.e., some indication of the person's place in the corporate hierarchy. Such information can be very useful, for example, in marketing efforts. Accordingly, it is desirable to provide techniques in the database for determining the organizational hierarchy, i.e., rank and/or department, from contact data.

System and method for determining organizational hierarchy from business card data


The invention is directed to a method for finishing alkaline earth metal fluoride optical components and to the alkaline earth optical elements produced using the method. In particular, in the last polishing step, the method of the invention uses a colloidal silica polishing slurry having containing silica particles having a particle size of <500 nm. Additionally, after colloidal silica polishing, the method using a megasonic cleaning step with a high pH detergent cleaning solution to remove any silica residue on the polished optical component. The optic resulting from use of the method has a polished and unetched surface roughness of less than 0.5 nm; a surface roughness of less then 0.6 nm after polishing and etching; and a step height of less than 6 nm.

The use of high power lasers, for example, those with pulse energy densities (fluence) above 20 mJ/cm2, with pulse lengths in the low nanometer range, can degrade the optics used in laser lithography systems. T. M. Stephen et al., in their article "Degradation of Vacuum Exposed SiO2 Laser Windows" SPIE Vol. 1848, pp. 106-110 (1992), report on the surface degradation of fused silica in Ar-ion laser. More recently, it has been noticed that there is optical window surface degradation in high peak and average power 193 nm excimer lasers using window materials made from substances other than silica. There is also evidence that such degradation will be more severe when existing optical materials are used in 157 nm laser systems. While some solutions such as using MgF2 as the window or lens material for existing 193 nm laser systems have been proposed, it is believed that such materials will also experience surface degradation with time, leading to the requirement that the expensive windows be periodically replaced. It is further believed that the problem with window degradation will be exacerbated with the advent of laser systems operating at wavelengths below 193 nm. In addition, the use of MgF2 as a window material, while it might be successful from a mechanical viewpoint, presents a problem of color center formation that is detrimental to transmission performance of the laser beam.
Excimer lasers are the illumination sources of choice for the microlithographic industry. While ionic materials as such as crystals MgF2, BaF2 and CaF2 are the materials of choice for excimer optical components due to their ultraviolet transparencies and to their large band gap energies, the preferred material is CaF2. However, crystals of CaF2 and the optical elements made from CaF2 are difficult to optically polish. Furthermore, polished but uncoated surfaces of CaF2 are susceptible to degradation when exposed to powerful excimer lasers operating in the deep ultraviolet ("DUV") range of less than 250 nm, for example at 248 and 193 nm. For lasers operating at 193 nm, 2 KHz or 4 KHz, with pulse energy densities of 20-40 mJ/cm2, the surfaces or the optical elements made from these ionic materials are known to fail after only a few million laser pulses. The cause of the damage is thought to be fluorine depletion in the top surface layers of the polished surface. See Wang et al., "Color center formation on CaF2 (111) surface investigated by using low-energy-plasma-ion surfacing", Optical Society of America 2004, [2004_OSA_OF&T] and Wang et al., "Surface assessment of CaF2 deep-ultraviolet and vacuum-ultraviolet optical components by the quasi-Brewster angle technique," Applied Optics, Vol. 45, No. 22 (August 2006), pages 5621-5628. U.S. Pat. No. 6,466,365 (the '365 patent) describes a method of protecting metal fluoride surfaces, such as CaF2, from degradation by use of a vacuum deposition, of a silicon oxyfluoride coating/material. While for the moment this is a reasonable solution, the microlithographic industry constantly demands more performance from excimer sources, and consequently from optical components used in connection with Excimer laser based systems. Therefore, in view of the expected increased industry demands for improved laser performance, it is desirable to find a solution to the optical element degradation problem that will either eliminate the problem or will greatly extend the durability, and consequently the length of time that existing and future optical components can be used.

Colloidal silica finishing of metal fluoride optical components


An imaging fluorometer is described comprising a source of electromagnetic radiation, optical components to direct the radiation, excitation and emission filters, and an imaging device. The fluorometer is used to obtain images of the fluorescence emitted by illuminated arrays of photosynthetic components, such as those found in leaves. These fluorescence images, in turn, are used to construct an image of the photosynthetic efficiency of the array. Because efficiency in plants depends on the physiological state of the leaf, the fluorometer affords a method for the sensitive and rapid characterization of freeze damage, herbicide damage, and disease damage to plants. Moreover, the fluorometer may be used in robotic applications, as well as for remote sensing from a location distant from the plant.

Photosynthesis
Plant leaves are the site of photosynthesis, a process by which the energy in sunlight is harnessed and used to generate foodstuffs. As sunlight is gathered, water is split, with its hydrogens used to reduce certain chemical compounds and its oxygen used to form O.sub.2. The reduction of chemical compounds by the light-driven mechanisms of photosynthesis is termed the "light reaction"; the use of these reduced compounds to fix CO.sub.2 into foodstuffs is termed the "dark reaction" (Taiz, L. and Zeiger, E., Plant Physiology, Benjamin/Cummings Pub. Co., Inc., Redwood City, Calif., 1991, Chap. 8-10, p. 177).
The light and dark "reactions" are not single steps, but instead comprise several complex series of reactions, each involving electron transfer (Taiz and Zeiger, 1991). The light reaction is divided into two "photosystems." Photosystem II (PS.sub.II) comprises the reactions leading to the splitting of water and the release of oxygen. Photosystem I (PS.sub.I) comprises the reactions leading to the reduction of NADP.sup.+ (nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate) to NADPH, a compound which provides energy used in the dark reaction (Taiz and Zeiger, 1991).
Plant Fluorescence
Chlorophylls and certain other molecules involved in photosynthesis absorb visible light, "funneling" the absorbed energy in the form of free electrons to reaction centers (RCs) that are parts of the two photosystems (Taiz and Zeiger, 1991; Bolhar-Nordenkampf, H. R. and Oquist, G., "Chlorophyll Fluorescence as a Tool in Photosynthesis Research," in Photosynthesis and Production in a Changing Environment, a Field and Laboratory Manual, Hall, D. O., Scurlock, J. M. O., Bolhar-Nordenkampf, H. R., Leegood, R. C. and Long, S. P. Eds., Chapman and Hall, London, 1993, Chap. 12, p. 193). When the RCs are maximally available (open), about 97% of the absorbed light energy is productively used for photochemical reactions leading to the production of foodstuffs, about 2.5% is "lost" as heat, and about 0.5% is re-emitted at longer wavelengths as fluorescence (Bolhar-Nordenkampf and Oquist, 1993). When the RCs are not available (closed), about 90-95% of absorbed light energy is lost as heat, and about 2.5-5% is re-emitted as fluorescence (Bolhar-Nordenkampf and Oquist, 1993).
Fluorescence from photosynthetic systems is thus tightly coupled to the availability of RCs, as is especially evident when dark-adapted systems are first illuminated. When photosynthetic systems are initially illuminated, fluorescence is low because most RCs are open. However, with continued illumination, fluorescence increases and then varies with time in a characteristic manner as the RCs are recruited into use and the light energy is employed to Dower various reactions (Bolhar-Nordenkampf and Oquist, 1993). If the illumination is constant, a plot of fluorescence versus time will have a characteristic shape known as the Kautsky curve (Kautsky, H. and Hirsch, A., Biochem. Zeitschrift 274, 423, 1934). Important features of this curve have been designated by the upper-case letters OIDPSMT, corresponding to Origin of curve or initial fluorescence, Initial rise, Dip, Peak, down Slope (or quasi-steady-state) between-primary (P) and secondary (M) maxima, and Terminal level, respectively (Lavorel, J. and Etienne, A. L., "In Vivo Chlorophyll Fluorescence," in Topics in Photosynthesis, 2, Barber, J. Ed., Elsevier, Amsterdam, 1977, p. 203).
OIDPSMT transients reflect the availability of RCs and the rate of electron flow through the electron transport chain of the light reaction (Mawson, B. T., Morrissey, P. J., Gomez, A. and Melis, A., Plant Cell Physiol. 35, 341, 1994; Papageorgiou, G., "Chlorophyll Fluorescence: an Intrinsic Probe of Photosynthesis," in Bioenergetics of Photosynthesis, Govindjee [no first initial] Ed., Academic Press, New York, 1975, p. 319.; Powles, S. B., Ann. Rev. Plant Physiol. 35:14, 1984; Edner, H., Johansson, J., Svanberg, S. and Wallinder, E., Applied Optics 33, 2471, 1994; Methy, M., Olioso, A. and Trabaud, L., Remote Sens. Environ. 47, 42, 1994). When a dark-adapted system is illuminated, chlorophyll antenna in light-harvesting complex (LHC) II and PS.sub.II quickly begin funneling light energy in the form of free electrons to the RCs of PS.sub.II, closing RCs and increasing fluorescence within picoseconds (transient O). However, free electrons within the RCs are transferred within milliseconds to electron acceptor Q.sub.A (transient I) and electron acceptor Q.sub.B (transient D), re-opening the RCs and decreasing the fluorescence. Q.sub.A and Q.sub.B are saturated within a millisecond, again closing RCs and increasing fluorescence, which reaches a maximum and peaks within about 0.5-2 seconds (transient P). A minimum (transient S) and second maximum (transient S) occur as electrons are transferred to LHCI and PS.sub.I, which then saturate. By this time, the dark reactions of photosynthesis begin demanding reducing "power," which re-opens the RCs and reduces fluorescence to background levels after a hundred to several hundred seconds (transient T).
Practical Implications of Plant Fluorescence
The time dependence of plant fluorescence manifest in the OIDPSMT curve can be used to detect pathological and physiological changes in plants and differences between plants. For example, the OIDPSMT curve depends on the physiological condition and type of plant, the structure and potential for activity of the photosynthetic apparatus, the demands of the dark reaction, the health of the leaf, and the plant's adaptation to environmental conditions (Tecsi, L. I., Maule, A. J., Smith, A. M and Leegood, R. C., Plant J. 5, 837, 1994; Havaux, M. and Lannoye, R., Photosynthetica 18, 117, 1984; Omasa, K., Shimazaki, K., Aiga, L., Larcher, W. and Onoe, M., Plant Physiol. 84, 748, 1987; Bolhar-Nordenkampf, H. R. and Lechner, E. G., "Winter Stress and Chlorophyll Fluorescence in Norway Spruce (Picea abies (L.) Karst)," in Applications of Chlorophyll Fluorescence, Lichtenthaler, H. K. Ed., Kluwer Academic Publ., Dordretcht, Holland, 1988, p. 173; Ghirardi, M. L. and Melis, A., Biochem. Biophys. Acta 932, 130, 1988; Daley, P. F., Raschke, K., Ball, J. T. and Berry, J. A., Plant Physiol. 90, 1233, 1989; Osmond, C. B., Berry, J. A., Balachandra, S., Buchen-Osmond, C., Daley, P. E, and Hodgson, R. A., Bot. Acta 103, 226, 1990). Moreover, fluorescence varies across the face of the leaf in ways diagnostic of leaf function (Daley et al., 1989).
At room temperature, PS.sub.II is the major and most variable source of fluorescence (Bolhar-Nordenkampf and Oquist, 1993). Fluorescence signals from PS.sub.II are sensitive to environmental stresses, such as high temperature, chilling, freezing, drought, and excess radiation.(Smillie, R. M., "The Useful Chloroplast: a New Approach for Investigating Chilling Stress in Plants," in Low Temperature Stress in Crop Plants, Lyons, J. M., Graham, D. and Raison, J. K. Eds., Academic Press, New York, 1979, p. 187; Havaux and Lannoye, 1984; Powles, 1984).
Although fluorescence reports directly on the light reaction, it can also be used to assay the dark reaction in plants with C-4 metabolism (Ning, L., Ozanich, R., Daley, L. S. and Callis, J. B., Spectroscopy 9(7), 41, 1994), such as corn (Zea mays L.). This is because in C-4 plants most electron flow through PS.sub.II is used, via PS.sub.I, to make NADPH for carbon fixation in the dark reaction. Fluorescence from PS.sub.II is thus closely correlated with the quantum yield of CO.sub.2 fixation (Edwards, G. E. and Baker, N. R., Photosynthesis Research 37, 89, 1993).
Thus, imaging of plant fluorescence could be a rich source of information on plant pathology and physiology, particularly for the agricultural industry. However, a need exists for simple methods of accessing and interpreting the information contained in plant fluorescence.
Quantum Yield
One simple method of obtaining information about plant pathology and physiology from plant fluorescence is to compute the quantum yield or maximum intrinsic efficiency, Y, of PS.sub.II, which is given by the ratio (Bolhar-Nordenkampf and Oquist, 1993): EQU Y=(F.sub.P -F.sub.O)/F.sub.P (1)
Here F.sub.P is the peak fluorescence and F.sub.O is the origin fluorescence in the Kautsky curve.
Unfortunately, Y is not a perfect measure of photochemical efficiency, because stress can lead to restrictions on electron flow or carbon fixation not manifest in F.sub.O or F.sub.P. Moreover, measurement of F.sub.O is difficult, because F.sub.O occurs over a very short time period. In addition, measurement of F.sub.P must be precisely timed to capture the peak fluorescence, a time that varies with plant pathology and physiology. Thus, a need exists for alternatives to Eq. 1 that will more conveniently and accurately measure photochemical efficiency.
Robotic Agriculture
Photosynthetic efficiency is of major economic interest because it is directly coupled to agricultural productivity. The agricultural industry attempts to maximize photosynthetic efficiency by providing plants with appropriately timed inputs, such as pesticides, fertilizer, and water.
Currently, agricultural pesticide, fertilizer, and irrigation schedules are determined by manual field scouting, in which a trained observer interprets leaf signals and other indicators of plant health. Field scouting, supplemented by laboratory analysis, is an expensive and time-consuming process. Moreover, following scouting, agricultural inputs are applied uniformly on entire fields, leading to the excess use and runoff of pesticides, fertilizer, and water.
As an alternative, robots could be used to supply an individual mix of agricultural inputs to each plant in every part of a field. Already, devices exist to locate and spray individual weeds. Much more could be done in the future: pesticides could be rapidly applied only to afflicted plants, killing pests before they spread, or fertilizer and water could be supplied only as required by each plant.
However, to provide inputs to individual plants, a robot must receive and process information on the condition of individual plants. Therefore, a need exists for simple data inputs to help robotic agriculture.
Futures Market
In the volatile agricultural futures market, information on crop conditions is used to help predict the future prices of agricultural commodities. Prices vary as conditions vary; for example, futures prices for citrus may rise following frost damage to the citrus crop. When crop information is delayed or incomplete, market instabilities can arise. Therefore, a need exists for rapid determination of crop conditions, particularly conditions relating to harvest size.
Biomolecular Electronics
Biomolecular electronics is the use of biological molecules in the construction of electronic devices. Photosynthetic components are potentially valuable components of biomolecular electronic devices because they are essentially microscopic photoelectronic devices. As photons are absorbed by a photosynthetic system, electron transfer reactions are initiated that result in a unidirectional, spatial separation of charges across the photosynthetic membrane. In essence, this separation can be regarded as electron movement through an insulating medium, controlled at the molecular level (Boxer, S. G., Stocker, J., Franzen, S., and Salafsky, J., "Re-engineering photosynthetic reaction centers," in Molecular Electronic Science and Technology, Aviram, A. Ed., Amer. Inst. Physics, New York, 1992, pp. 226-236).
Two potential electronic uses of photosynthetic systems are: a) coupling of chloroplast components to electronic systems (Greenbaum, E., J. Phys. Chem. 94, 6151, 1990; Greenbaum, E., J. Phys. Chem. 96, 514, 1992; Greenbaum, E., "Biomolecular electronics and applications," in Molecular Biology and Biotechnology: a Comprehensive Desk Reference, Meyers, R. M. Ed., VCH Publishers Inc., New York, 1995, pp. 98-103.), and b) re-engineering of photosynthetic reaction systems for bioelectronic applications (Boxer et al., 1992). However, the quality of the biomolecular electronic device built around photosynthetic components will depend on the efficiency of the photosynthetic components. Because photosynthetic materials differ greatly in efficiency, a need exists for a method to screen photosynthetic systems for their efficiency before they can be effectively exploited in biomolecular electronics.

Method and apparatus for detecting pathological and physiological change in plants


A fundus camera capable of performing accurate and easy focusing in photographing a peripheral portion of a fundus has a photographing optical system including a photographing optical axis, a focusing lens movable in a direction of the photographing optical axis and an image-pickup element, a lens moving unit, a focus target projection optical system, a focus target detection optical system, a fixation target presenting unit, in which a presenting position of the fixation target is changeable between a reference position for photographing a central portion of the fundus and a position for photographing a peripheral portion, a device which controls the lens moving unit to perform automatic focusing, and a device which controls the fixation target presenting unit to bring the presenting position of the fixation target to the reference position when the automatic focusing is actuated, even though the presenting position is set to the peripheral position.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a fundus camera for photographing a fundus of an eye to be examined.
2. Description of Related Art
For a fundus camera, accurate alignment with an eye to be examined (a patient's eye) and accurate focusing on a fundus are important to photograph the fundus favorably. As for focusing, a method for projecting a split target or the like onto the fundus to move a focusing lens based on the target is suggested, for example, in Japanese Patent Application Unexamined Publication No. 2000-5131. Also, to photograph the fundus extensively, a presenting position of a fixation target (a fixation light source) for guiding a line of sight of the eye is moved so that a central portion and a peripheral portion of the fundus are photographed.
However, when the presenting position of the fixation target is set in a position for photographing the peripheral portion of the fundus, a visual axis of the eye deviates widely from a photographing optical axis, and the target for focusing may chip or blur, so that there is a case where accurate focusing cannot be performed.


A method of making an image sensor, the method includes the steps of providing a plurality of pixels each with a photodetector; providing an amplifier that is shared between the plurality of photodetectors; providing a transfer gate associated with each photodetector; providing a charge-to-voltage conversion region that is shared between the plurality of photodetectors; determining a capacitance between each transfer gate and the charge-to-voltage conversion region; and modifying the capacitance to be substantially the same by altering a physical structure within one or more pixels.

In FIG. 1, the prior art, shared pixel schematic comprises two photodetectors (PD1 and PD2), two transfer gates (TG1 and TG2), a row select transistor (RSEL), a common floating diffusion sense node (FD), a reset transistor with a reset gate (RG) and a source follower input transistor (SF). The prior art pixel of FIG. 2 is a similar concept except that four PDs and TGs share common components.
These designs created coupling capacitance between the TGs and FD that produced a fixed pattern noise that is correlated to the mismatch in the capacitance of each of the TGs to the common FD. For example, if the capacitance in from TG1 to FD (CTG1-FD) in the pixel in FIG. 1 was different than that of TG2 to FD (CTG2-FD), then there would be a row correlated odd-even, or modulo-2, fixed pattern noise during readout associated with the mismatch of the aforementioned capacitances.
A similar effect is noted in the 4-shared pixels as shown in FIG. 2. The mismatch in the capacitances (CTG1-FD), (CTG2-FD), (CTG3-FD) and (CTG4-FD) led to a row correlated modulo-4 fixed pattern noise. Because the fixed pattern noise is highly spatially correlated it is very easy to detect at low levels and degrades image quality. The TG-FD capacitances include the TG overlap capacitance and the parasitic capacitances associated with the interconnect within the pixel.
The present invention eliminates the fixed pattern noise by doing detailed layout and design to produced matched capacitances for TGi to FD for shared amplifier pixels. This can be done by, but not limited to, identical placement of TG wiring and use of the same level of interconnect within each pixel with respect to the FD junction areas and interconnect. Use of post layout extraction tools and other integrated circuit capacitance modeling tools can be used to design the required level of matching. In some cases this could require purposeful addition of parasitic capacitance to one or more TGi-FD regions to produce matched TG-FD coupling capacitance.

Shared amplifier pixel with matched coupling capacitances


A toner detecting system includes an image forming apparatus having a toner reservoir. A toner sensor of the system has a toner sensing element of piezoelectric material, the toner sensor carried within the toner reservoir to detect a toner level condition. A driver of the system is disposed to structurally excite at least a portion of the toner sensor when the portion is not immersed in toner, the excited at least a portion stressing the toner sensing element so as to impart a detectable output signal indicative of flexing of the toner sensor. A detector of the system is configured to receive the detected output signal and detect the toner level condition.

A typical image-forming apparatus such as a printer or a copier that uses electrophotographic, ionographic, or magnetographic technologies frequently uses powder toner development of an intermediate image created in the forming process. With any of these image-forming technologies, a supply of powder toner is stored in a toner reservoir from which it is delivered via a developer roll and metering blade to a photoconductor drum.
For the case of electrophotographic printing, a photoconducting drum is first electrostatically charged; the photoconductor drum is then exposed to the image light pattern, which selectively discharges regions on the previously charged drum; the photoconductor drum is developed by delivering electrostatically charged toner particles to the surface of the drum where the charged particles selectively adhere to appropriately charged regions; the electrostatically transferred toner image on the drum is transferred to the paper (or other carrier medium); the toner is thermally fused to the paper; and any residual toner is cleaned from the surface of the photoconductor drum prior to reinitiation of the process. Such process is applicable for write-black printers as well as write-white printers.
According to the above steps, the delivery of powder toner to the photoconductor drum is referred to as development. Two different development techniques utilize powder toner; namely, a dual component and a mono component development technique. The dual component technique was most commonly utilized prior to the advent of electrophotographic printers designed for personal and work station computer use. However, the technique is still found in high-end printers. This technique requires the use of toner particles and carrier beads which must be provided in a supply reservoir. The other technique, referred to as mono component development, is used almost exclusively for low-end printers because the use of carrier beads is not required. However, such systems utilize powder toner, which is usually provided in a replaceable toner/developer cartridge. Hence, powder toner is supplied via a toner reservoir.
According to either development technique, there is a need to sense the level of toner available within a toner reservoir in order to monitor and/or predict the level of available toner and the available printing life, respectively. One previously utilized technique of sensing available toner level on a printer has been implemented in the form of an antenna. A metal rod is positioned to run parallel with a development sleeve in the toner reservoir at a distance of about five millimeters. The metal rod couples with an electrical field that is generated by an alternating current induced electrical bias of the development sleeve. Associated circuitry is provided to sense the change in field strength resulting from decreases in toner level between the rod and the sleeve. Such a system proves relatively inexpensive, but is only capable of sensing toner at, or near, the end of life for a toner cartridge. Typically, such a system is only capable of sensing end of life for a toner cartridge when less than five percent of the toner still remains within the cartridge. Additionally, the antenna is required to remain adjacent, or near, the development sleeve or else signal strength is lost when the antenna is positioned any further away from the development sleeve.
An alternative technique for sensing toner level involves the use of emitter and detector pairs that have been configured to sense the presence of toner within a toner supply reservoir. Such a technique requires the use of a viewing window and a wiper, the wiper being used to frequently clean toner from the window. The emitter and detector pairs are used to detect the presence of toner via a window. However, the window and emitter/detector pairs are subject to toner contamination which can render them ineffective at sensing the presence of toner via a window. Additionally, optical sensing systems such as an emitter/detector pairs typically have a significant amount of noise in the detected signal as toner flow and clouding may affect their accuracy. Even furthermore, optical sensing systems require that the wiper stir and squeegee the toner adjacent the viewing window in order to keep the toner from accumulating in front of the viewing window. However, the construction of the necessary mechanical parts proves to be complicated and expensive.
Both of the above-mentioned sensing systems are capable of detecting the presence of toner. However, as toner capacity has increased and printers have been put on networks, the monitoring of available toner level has become an important consideration in the management of printer performance.

Toner powder level sensing using element and pulse signal and toner powder presence sensing using piezoelectric film


Embodiments are provided for generating intelligent account reconfiguration offers to users of a content management system. The content management system may monitor how a user utilizes available features and/or storage space to determine whether the user would be amenable to an offer to reconfigure their user account. Such account reconfiguration offers may include an offer to alter the amount of storage space and/or features available to the user account. The storage space and/or features offered as part of an intelligent account reconfiguration offer may be specific to one particular type of content category, or, for example, may be a function of activity in multiple content categories, based on analysis of historical user data across the entire content management system.

Economies of scale and increases in the availability of high-speed network connections have made it both inexpensive and convenient for users to store digital content in a variety of remote storage systems instead of, or in addition to, storing content on user devices. Storing content "in the cloud" provides users with redundancy, the ability to easily share such content, and the ability to maintain "master copies" that can be synchronized to multiple user devices. Besides simply storing users' data, such remote storage systems can offer various content management solutions to improve the user experience.

Systems and methods for generating intelligent account reconfiguration offers


A clothing article surrounds a wearer's upper torso. The article includes connected front portion, a collar. A sleeve is formed in the front portion. A jacket, and coat with an attachable/detachable scarf will be folded and stored in the inter portion of the front side of the collar area with elastic at each end and Velcro onto the inner portion of your collar, therefore eliminating the lost of them by any consumers, and especially children. A sleeve like collar attached to the coat and jacket for storing a scarf and making it easily deployable while in use.

People often place their scarf for storage in either a coat pocket or in one of the coat sleeves when hanging up their coat. Because the scarf is often quickly rolled up or too large for the pocket or sleeve, the scarf can slip out of the sleeve or pocket and be lost or soiled.
There have been attempts to provide zippered pockets for storing scarves when not in use, but often the placement of those zippered pockets is not conducive for either easy use or access. Further, these zippered pockets are often too small and require the user to stuff their scarf into the pocket. This makes the scarf wrinkled and unattractive when desired for use.
Therefore, there is a need in the field to provide an article of clothing for storing and deploying a scarf. One embodiment may include a coat having a sleeve attached to the coat for storing and deploying a scarf. The sleeve may include a sleeve body, a first and second open end along the length of the sleeve body, and a closure mechanism for opening and closing the sleeve. Therefore, the sleeve may be openable to receive a portion of a deployed scarf during use or a folded scarf during storage and closeable to retain the portion of the deployed scarf during use or the folded scarf during storage.
Further, jackets or coats with attachable or detachable scarves in their collar section can be more appealing and practical in use. Because jackets and coats are worn for fashion and for comfort, as well as their associated scarves, this invention may assist designers and consumers to coordinate their coats and scarves using different colors, designs, and shapes as fashion or appeal dictates. With the present invention, you can change the features on the coat foundation that gives the illusion of a completely different coat or jacket with different attachable/detachable scarves. Further, a consumer may buy one coat and convert it into different styles with attachable/detachable designer color scarves. This feature saves the consumer a lot of money and creates an abundance of versatility.
In addition, a person who has a favorite sport team (high school, college, or professional) can benefit from the invention simply because they can purchase one color coat or jacket and purchase a different scarf representative of their favorite teams. The invention will allow the consumer to store, protect, and display the chosen scarf with little fear of loss or accidental soiling.
Finally, the design provides the ability to wash the detachable scarf separate from a coat or jacket. Other coats or jackets with permanently attached scarves do not have the ability to wash them separately.

Article of clothing for storing and deploying a scarf