The invention provides an emergency ejection device for a slot-in disk drive, which rotates a worm gear by a motor. A central hole of a rotating component is fixed on a housing. A sliding slot is formed on an end of the rotating component, and a buckling slot is formed on an end of the sliding slot. A first gear of a gear set fixed on the central hole of the rotating component is engaged with the worm gear. A clutching gear fixed on the other end of the rotating component is engaged with the first gear. An end of a locking component inserts inside the sliding slot, and an inclined surface protrudes from the other end of the locking component. A spring provides an elastic force for holding the sliding column inside the buckling slot so as to keep engagement of the clutching gear with a second gear.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an ejection device, and more particularly, to an emergency ejection device for a slot-in disk drive capable of ejecting an optical disk manually in an emergency, such as a breakdown or power failure of the slot-in disk drive.
2. Description of the Prior Art
A conventional slot-in disk drive utilizes a driving motor to rotate a gear set. The gear set drives a sliding component to move forward and backward inside the slot-in disk drive. In addition, a guiding slot of the sliding component is for driving a plurality of bars to guide an optical disk to slide in/out the slot-in disk drive and for driving a traverse to load/unload the optical disk. If the slot-in disk drive has a breakdown or power failure, the optical disk can not be ejected out of the slot-in disk drive.
Please refer to FIG. 1. FIG. 1 is an enlarged sectional diagram of an emergency ejection device for a slot-in disk drive 10 disclosed in U.S. patent publication No. 20070124743 in the prior art. The slot-in disk drive 10 includes an emergency ejection device 11 for ejecting the optical disk when the slot-in disk drive 10 has a breakdown or power failure. The emergency ejection device 11 includes a gear set 12. The gear set 12 includes a first gear 13 engaged with a worm gear 15 of a driving motor 14. The gear set 12 further includes a clutching gear 16 and a second gear 17 engaged with the clutching gear 16. The first gear 13 drives the second gear 17 via the clutching gear 16. The second gear 17 is further engaged with a rack 19 of a sliding component 18. The driving motor 14 drives the sliding component 18 to move forward and backward inside the slot-in disk drive 10 for sliding in/out the optical disk.
Due to the self-locking function of the engagement of the worm gear 15 and the first gear 13, the gear set 12 cannot rotate the worm gear 15. The emergency ejection device 11 includes a rotating plate 20. An end of the rotating plate 20 is pivoted to a shaft of the first gear 13, and the other end of the rotating plate 20 is for holding the clutching gear 16 engaged with the first gear 13. A spring 21 rotates the rotating plate 20 so as to engage the clutching gear 16 with the second gear 17. When the optical disk needs to be ejected, a stick 22 is utilized for rotating the rotating plate 20 in reverse of an elastic force of the spring 21, so that the clutching gear 16 is disengaged form the second gear 17 to stop driving the gear set 12, and the second gear 17 and the sliding component 18 engaged with the second gear 17 are not locked by the worm gear 15. Then, the stick 22 pushes the sliding component 18 continuously to eject the optical disk out of the slot-in disk drive 10.
However, the emergency ejection device 11 utilizes the spring 21 to provide the elastic force to engage the clutching gear 16 with the second gear 17 for driving the gear set 12. When the gear set 12 operates at a high speed or is crashed, the clutching gear 16 causes jumping teeth easily, which not only has loud noise but also positions the optical disk inaccurately. For solving the above-mentioned problem, the elastic force of the spring 21 can be increased for engaging the clutching gear 16 with the second gear 17 tightly, but the emergency ejection device 11 is hard to eject the optical disk in emergency. Thus, design of an emergency ejection device for the slot-in disk drive capable of ejecting the optical disk easily is an important issue in the computer industry.

Emergency ejection device for a slot-in disk drive


A system for drying a large quantity of wood efficiently, which includes: a wood drying room capable of being sealed; a combustion-gas generator provided with an air-inlet conduit for introducing fresh air for combustion use into a combustion chamber provided in a lower area of the combustion-gas generator; a combustion-gas supplying passage extending from an upper area of the combustion-gas generator to an upper area of the wood drying room; an exhaust-gas discharging conduit extending from a bottom area of the wood drying room to a chimney; a combustion-gas recovery conduit extending from the bottom area of the wood drying room to the combustion-gas generator; and a gas flow-rate control unit provided in at least one of the exhaust-gas discharging conduit and the combustion-gas recovery conduit.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a system for drying wood, and more particularly to a thermal dry stem for drying green wood, green bamboo and other green plants (which have been harvested) to produce, in short periods of time, dried wood, dried bamboo and other dried plants which have been stabilized in their water content.
2. Description of the Prior Art
After harvest, green wood (and the like) are rich in water content, and usually carry many insects and their eggs. Consequently, in producing lumbers for building use and/or furniture use, it is usual to dry the green wood and chemically treat the same to kill the insects and their eggs.
In drying process, the green wood is hitherto subjected to natural seasoning in which it is necessary to leave the green wood as it is for a long period of time, for example, three to five years in a wood yard. During this long period of time, it is necessary for workers of the wood yard to frequently move the wood to enhance the drying process thereof. However, leaving the wood for such long period of time in the wood yard results in a poor investment, and is further disadvantageous in preventing the woods from being attached by insect.
Under such circumstances, hitherto, various quick drying processes for drying wood in short periods of time have been proposed. For example, one of these conventional drying processes is of a vacuum drying type. Another of these conventional drying processes is of a thermal heating type using a drying room to which hot air is supplied.
However, dried wood produced by conventional quick drying processes suffer disadvantages in that the wood is not prevented from cracking; and absorbing moisture which causes distortion of the woods, as in the case of dried wood produced by natural seasoning.
In order to solve the above problems inherent in conventional quick drying processes, another conventional process (i.e., a conventional thermal heating type process) has been proposed. In the conventional thermal heating type process, green wood is first housed in a drying room in which a hot combustion gas produced by burning waste wood and the like is introduced so that the green wood is brought into contact wit h the hot combustion gas so as to be dried and disinfected with heat and various smoke elements of the combustion gas to kill insects and their eggs in the woods, without being subjected to any chemical treatment, and without causing any distortion of the dried wood.
For example, Japanese Patent Laid-Open Nos. Sho 59-129373 and 60-103281 disclose a conventional thermal heating type process in which green wood is housed in a treatment chamber which has: its upper area subjected to a hot blast; and its lower area subjected to a cool blast, so as to dry the wood. These Japanese Patent Laid-Open documents also disclose a system for carrying out a process which is; however, poor in treatment efficiency of the woods. In this process, when large quantity of green wood is housed in the treatment chamber in order to improve the treatment efficiency, the dried wood obtained through the process tend to vary in water content, which makes it impossible to stabilize the products (or dried wood) in quality.


A circuit for providing an output voltage to a pincushion modulator circuit. The circuit includes an amplifier having an input for receiving an input signal. The amplifier amplifies the input signal to produce the output voltage at an output of the amplifier which is coupled to an input of the pincushion modulator circuit. A compensation path eliminates instability at frequencies above a first frequency caused by interaction between the amplifier and the pincushion modulator circuit.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to cathode ray tubes, and in particular, to circuits for reducing pincushion distortion.
2. Description of the Related Art
Cathode ray tubes (CRTs) typically display video images by deflecting an electron beam with a yoke having horizontal and vertical deflection coils. The electron beam is swept across the CRT face or screen to display horizontal scan lines on the face using a horizontal deflection current, typically having a sawtooth waveform, applied to the horizontal deflection yoke coil of the CRT. The CRT face is roughly planar and rectangular, rather than spherical. Accordingly, different deflection angle ranges are required to sweep a scan line across the entire width of a CRT screen at different vertical scan line locations.
Using such non-spherical CRT faces thus gives rise to display artifacts known as pincushion distortion. Referring now to FIG. 1, there is shown a CRT screen 100 illustrating such pincushion distortion. At a constant peak-to-peak magnitude of the horizontal deflection current that causes the electron beam to sweep across the CRT screen, scan lines 121 and 123, near the top and bottom edges of screen 100, respectively, have a different length than scan lines closer to the vertical center, such as center scan line 122, in part because of the different deflection angle ranges required for different scan lines. This causes a distortion such that a rectangle to be displayed on screen 100 would have its vertical edges squeezed inwards, so that they were narrowest near the vertical center of screen 100, as illustrated by curves 112.
Such pincushion distortion is typically addressed by a pincushion modulator circuit that modulates the deflection current driving the horizontal deflection yoke coil so that it is decreased as scan lines are farther from vertical center, and increased for scan lines closer to vertical center. The pincushion modulator circuit, sometimes called a pin modulator circuit or diode modulator circuit, typically modulates an input sawtooth current in accordance with a modulation voltage having a parabolic-shaped waveform provided by a pincushion control circuit. Pincushion distortion, pincushion modulator circuits, and related aspects of CRT systems and pincushion correction are described in K. Blair Benson, Television Engineering Handbook (New York: McGraw Hill Book Co., 1986), at pages 13.175 to 13.181.
Different CRTs can require deflection currents of different magnitude ranges to drive the horizontal deflection yoke coil. Different deflection current magnitude ranges can require different modulation voltage ranges. For a given pincushion control circuit, a change in the CRTs can thus require modulation voltages having a parabolic waveform with accordingly different peak-to-peak magnitudes generated by the circuit. For example, for a given pincushion control circuit, changing the faceplate geometry of the CRT can require larger deflection currents, which thus requires modulation voltages having a parabolic waveform with larger peak-to-peak magnitudes. One problem with such pincushion distortion correction systems is that parabolic voltage waveforms may require magnitudes larger than the maximum output modulation voltage of the control circuit. For example, if an internally compensated operational amplifier is utilized as part of the output stage of the control circuit, its output voltage will be limited to the supply voltage of the operational amplifier (sometimes referred to as the supply voltage rails of the operational amplifier). This may require changing the circuitry, for example to utilize an operational amplifier having a larger supply voltage.


There is provided a photonic bandgap fiber used in a state in which at least a part of the photonic bandgap fiber is bent at radii of 15 cm or greater and 25 cm or less. A large number of high refractive index portions 57 are disposed in a nineteen-cell core type in three layers, and a V value is 1.5 or greater and 1.63 or less. In the high refractive index portions 57, conditions are defined that a relative refractive index difference is Δ% and a lattice constant is Λ μm so as to remove light in a higher mode at the bent portion as described above.

A fiber laser device is known as one of laser devices used in the fields of processing machines, medical devices, measurement devices, and the like. In such a fiber laser device, light emitted from an amplification optical fiber is sometimes propagated to a desired place through a delivery fiber and then emitted. The light emitted from the delivery fiber is sometimes condensed at a lens, or the wavelength of the light is sometimes converted to the short wavelength side using a wavelength conversion element. In these cases, from the viewpoint of improving light condensing properties or from the viewpoint of improving wavelength conversion efficiency, it is preferable to emit light of excellent beam quality from the delivery fiber that the power of light in a fundamental mode (LP01 mode) is great and the power of light in a higher mode is decreased.
For this delivery fiber, a single mode fiber that propagates only light in a fundamental mode, for example, can be named. However, since the single mode fiber generally has a small effective cross sectional area (Aeff) of light, even though light of great power is to be propagated, a phenomenon such as a nonlinear optical effect caused by an increase in the power density of light occurs, and it is difficult to propagate light of great power. Therefore, an attempt is made that the effective cross sectional area of light is expanded while suppressing the propagation of light in a higher mode and propagating light in a fundamental mode. For an optical fiber used for this attempt, a photonic bandgap fiber can be named in addition to an optical fiber in which a cladding surrounds the outer circumferential surface of a core through which light is propagated.
Patent Literature 1 mentioned below describes a photonic bandgap fiber like this. In this photonic bandgap fiber, a large number of high refractive index portions are disposed in a triangular lattice shape so as to form an outer shape in a regular hexagon. However, these high refractive index portions are not disposed at the position in the center of the regular hexagon at which a high refractive index portion is to be disposed and the positions at which six high refractive index portions are to be disposed to surround the center high refractive index portion, and a core region is formed of a region including the positions at which these high refractive index portion are not disposed. In other words, the photonic bandgap fiber is a so-called seven-cell core type photonic bandgap fiber in which the core region is formed as seven high refractive index portions are not disposed. The photonic bandgap fiber is configured in which the propagation of light in a higher mode is regulated by the difference between the bending losses of light in a fundamental mode and light in a higher mode caused by bending in the state in which the photonic bandgap fiber is bent at a predetermined bending radius, and only light in the fundamental mode is substantially propagated.
[Patent Literature 1] JP-A-2012-73389

Photonic bandgap fiber and fiber laser device using same

NATIONAL UNIVERSITY CORP. HOKKAIDO UNIVERSITY


A method and device for characterizing microbial carbonate pores, and a server. Acquiring a user's detailed observational description of a profile of a microbial carbonate to be analyzed, and determining a full-diameter core sample on the microbial carbonate; performing pore characterization and a first pore test on the full-diameter core sample to determine a centimeter-scale pore parameter; determining a sampling position on the full-diameter core sample, and sampling on the full-diameter core sample to obtain a plunger sample; performing a second pore test on the plunger sample to determine a millimeter-scale pore parameter; determining a sampling position on the plunger sample according to the millimeter-scale pore parameter, and sampling on the plunger sample to obtain a scanning electron microscope (SEM) sample and a casting thin section sample; and performing a pore test on the SEM sample and the casting thin section sample to determine a micron-to-nanoscale pore parameter.

Microbial carbonate is formed by the growth and metabolism of benthic microorganisms, including bacteria, fungi, small lower algae and some small protozoa, which induce carbonate precipitation or capture and bond detrital particles. Microbial carbonate is not only an important carrier for the reconstruction of the paleoenvironment, but also a potential oil and gas reservoir. The existing microbial carbonate pore characterization method usually includes: visual observation, sampling and testing according to the requirements of the experimental instrument to obtain pore parameter data. This method is less accurate and is difficult to comprehensively and systematically realize the characterization of the microbial carbonate pores.

Method and device for characterizing microbial carbonate pores, and server


To provide a processor capable of achieving high processing efficiency by performing the exclusive control between task processing and interrupt handling properly even in a multiprocessor. An interrupt processor that includes a plurality of unit processors, in which at least of the plurality of unit processors is capable of performing interrupt handling requested from the outside is configured such that the unit processor P1 of the unit processors P0 to P3 comprises an purge inhibit flag 106 for causing the unit processor P1 to enter a lock state where the purge of the task is being inhibited, a hardware semaphore unit 13 for inhibiting other unit processors from accessing a predetermined region in memory accessed by the unit processor P1 after the unit processor P1 is brought into the lock state, and an interrupt control unit 11 for inhibiting the interrupt processor from performing the interrupt handling during the execution of exclusive control.

In recent years, processors called multitask processors (hereinafter collectively referred to as "multiprocessor"), which can handle a plurality of tasks in parallel, are going into use in embedded devices or the like.
In conventional portable devices, processing has been performed with a single processor. However, as the functionality of the portable devices is enhanced, processing is becoming more complicated, and processing with a single processor is becoming difficult.
More specifically, if an attempt is made to achieve high-functionality using a single processor, the single processor has to be run at high clock frequencies, and power consumption increases accordingly. In addition, it would be difficult to deal with a case where a phone must be answered in real time, for example, in such a case where an incoming call is received while moving images are being played in a mobile telephone.
On the other hand, the use of a multiprocessor allows the clock frequency of the device to be lowered, thereby reducing power consumption. Additionally, since a plurality of tasks can be handled in parallel, the use of the multiprocessor is also useful from the viewpoint of real time response.
Incidentally, in some processors for such embedded devices, requests for interrupt handling are relatively frequently made from peripheral devices connected to the embedded device. When an interrupt request is made, interrupt handling is performed: task processing that is being performed by the processor is suspended, and the requested processing is performed. In the interrupt handling, exclusive control is implemented between the task processing and the interrupt handling in order to smoothly switch between the interrupt handling and the task processing.
One example of the prior art of conventional exclusive control between task processing and interrupt handling is Patent Document 1. The invention described in Patent Document 1 is related to exclusive control in a single processor, wherein interrupt handling that does not issue any system call is accepted even during processing in which system calls for calling an OS are issued in the single processor. The invention of Patent Document 1 uses such behavior to reduce wait time of highly urgent interrupt handling.
[Patent Document 1] JP-A-8-297581

Parallel processing device and exclusive control method

National University Corporation Nagoya University


Compressor performance is affected by the size of an economizer or by-pass port area. To achieve variation in size, an insert is inserted into an economizer and/or unloader flow passage to provide a desired port area. The insert may be selected from a number of available insert sizes having different sized openings. In this way, a compressor designer can minimize machining time by keeping same flow passage geometry for different compressor sizes and applications.

This application relates to the use of inserts having a variable opening formed within the insert to allow selection of the port size for an economizer or by-pass path in a compressor.
One type of sealed compressor that is becoming widely utilized in refrigerant compression applications is a scroll compressor. Scroll compressors present several design challenges. One particular design challenge is achieving a reduced cooling capacity level when full capacity operation of the compressor is not desired. In many situations, it may not be desirable to have full capacity of the compressor.
Thus, to achieve reduced capacity, scroll compressors have been provided with additional internal passages and an unloader by-pass valve which diverts a portion of the compressor refrigerant back to a compressor suction port. In this way, the mass of refrigerant being compressed is reduced. The size of the passages which communicate with the by-pass valve effects the amount of by-pass fluid and thus the amount by which the capacity is reduced.
On the other hand, in for other applications, there is a need to achieve increased capacity or to improve refrigerant cycle efficiency. One way of achieving increased capacity and improving efficiency is the inclusion of an economizer circuit in the refrigerant system. An economizer circuit essentially provides heat transfer between a main refrigerant flow downstream of the condenser, and a second refrigerant flow which is also tapped downstream of the condenser and an upstream of a main expansion valve. The main flow is cooled in a heat exchanger by the second flow. In this way, the main flow from the condenser is cooled before passing through its own expansion valve and entering the evaporator. Since the main flow enters the main expansion valve at a cooler temperature, it has greater capacity to absorb heat in the evaporator which results in increased system cooling capacity and improved cycle efficiency. The refrigerant from the second flow path enters the compression chambers of the compressor at an intermediate compression point downstream of suction. Typically, the second flow path economizer fluid is injected at a point after the compression chambers have been closed.
The use of economizer circuits has become more widespread in recent years.
It is also known in the prior art how the unloader and economizer function can be combined together. Such a system is shown in prior U.S. Pat. No. 5,996,364.
The economizer and unloader circuits are utilized to obtain optimum cooling capacity and improve cycle efficiency. Further control of capacity and efficiency improvement is achieved by varying the size of economizer and unloader passages. The optimum size of these passages is dependent upon compressor size, and the particular application. Thus, it would be desirable to have an easy way to vary the size of the economizer and unloader passages. To date, achieving variation in the size of the passages has required that the ports be machined into the elements of the compressor to a desired size. This results in machining difficulties, increased cycle time, the requirement of increased inventory, and challenges with regard to machining the exact optimum size economizer or unloader passages.
While it has been proposed to utilize inserts in scroll compressors to control the size of a discharge port, no such use has ever been proposed for economizer or unloader ports or passages.

Economizer/by-pass port inserts to control port size


A CNG fuel injector for a fuel system of an internal combustion engine. The fuel system includes a fuel rail and an engine manifold. The fuel injector includes a fuel inlet for fluid communication with the fuel rail, a fuel outlet having an orifice disposed along a longitudinal axis for fluid communication with the engine manifold, and a member proximate the fuel outlet downstream of the orifice for dispersing the CNG in a direction skewed from the longitudinal axis as the CNG flows from the orifice into the engine manifold.

As consumer vehicles and commercial vehicles have evolved, it has been a desirable feature to have lower noise, vibration and harshness (NVH) for improved driver and passenger comfort. In the course of vehicle evolution, various components have been designed for function, safety and minimal NVH. As part of this effort, the overall background noise of the vehicle chassis and powertrain components have been reduced to a point such that the fuel injectors have become an objectionable noise source. This objectionable noise is exaggerated in CNG injectors. A known way to reduce the NVH of CNG injectors is to provide an acoustic barrier that covers the CNG injectors and/or the manifold in which the injectors are mounted.
It is believed that there is a need for a method and apparatus for reducing the NVH of CNG injectors without providing an acoustic barrier that covers the CNG injectors and/or the manifold.

Dispersion-type suppressor for acoustic noise reduction of a gaseous fuel injector


A display device includes a first substrate, a second substrate, a connecting element and a display medium. The first and second substrates are disposed opposite to each other, and the connecting element is disposed between the first and second substrates. An accommodating space is formed between the first substrate, the second substrate and the connecting element, and the display medium is disposed in the accommodating space. The connecting element has a first sealing layer, a second sealing layer and an adhesive layer. The first and second sealing layers are departed or partially connected. The second sealing layer is disposed adjacent to the accommodating space. The adhesive layer is disposed between the first and second sealing layers. The adhesive layer includes a water-resisting material.

Technical Field
The invention relates to a display device.
Related Art
OLED (organic light emitting diode) display devices have the advantages of thinner size, lighter weight, higher illumination efficiency, lower driving voltage and simple manufacturing process, so they have become one of the best choices for the new generation flat display devices.
After the manufacturing of the OLED display device, the environment moisture and oxygen may enter into the display device and react to the internal electrodes. In some serious cases, the entered moisture and oxygen can cause the separation of the electrode layer, the decrease of the lighting intensity, the black spots and the likes. In addition, the display device may also contain the moisture and oxygen generated in the package process and operation procedure, and these generated moisture and oxygen can also react with the internal electrodes.
To solve this problem, the conventional art tries to coat a sealing layer structure between the first and second substrates during the package process for blocking the external moisture and oxygen. However, this solution is not good enough. In fact, there are a small amount of moisture and oxygen that can enter the display device through the leak between the sealing layer and the substrate.
Therefore, it is an important subject to provide a novel design of a display device that can block the external moisture and oxygen and thus extend the lifetime of the display device.


An air supply device for an automotive seat includes an air duct which is arranged at the delivery side of a fan and has at least one air outlet opening provided in the upper region of the seat for supplying the head, shoulder and neck region of a seat occupant with a flow of air. A heating element is arranged in the air duct between the fan and the air outlet opening, and the air supply device has at least one sensor for detecting a parameter value as a function of which the flow of air emerging from the air outlet opening is controlled. In order to provide the air supply device with a flow of air which can be controlled in a more universal manner, the sensor is arranged inside the air duct between the air outlet opening and the heating element.

This invention relates to an air supply device for an automotive seat.
In an air supply device of this type, already known from German document DE 100 54 009 A1, an air duct is arranged on the delivery side of a fan and has at least one air outlet opening provided in the upper region of the seat for supplying the head, shoulder and neck region of a seat occupant with a flow of air. The flow of air is heated here by arranging a heating element inside the air duct between the fan and the air outlet opening. The flow of air emerging from the air outlet opening can be controlled here by means of a sensor for detecting an external parameter value, for example the driving speed or the outside temperature.
It is the object of the invention to provide an air supply device of the initially mentioned type whose flow of air can be controlled in a more universal manner.
This object is achieved according to the invention by means of an air supply device having features as claimed. Advantageous embodiments together with expedient developments of the invention are defined in dependent claims.
In the air supply device according to the invention, at least one sensor, which can be used, for example, to detect the temperature and/or the quantity of the flow of air, is arranged inside the air duct between the air outlet opening and the heating element. If, for example, the temperature of the flow of air emerging from the air outlet opening in the direction of the seat occupant is too high, owing for example to too high an ambient temperature, the heating element and/or the fan are/is switched back or off. If the temperature falls below a predetermined temperature, the fan and the heating element can be switched on again or the air quantity or temperature can be increased again. The value supplied by the sensor additionally makes it possible to recognize if, for example, the air outlet opening is partially or completely concealed in an inadmissible manner and the temperature consequently exceeds an admissible upper limit. In this case, the heating element and/or the fan are/is likewise switched back or off.
Further advantages, features and details of the invention will become apparent from the following description of two preferred exemplary embodiments and also with reference to the drawings.

Air supply device for an automotive seat


A light-emitting device of little aging electric leakage and high luminous efficiency and fabrication thereof, in which, the light-emitting device includes: a semiconductor epitaxial laminated layer that comprises an N-type semiconductor layer, a P-type semiconductor layer and a light-emitting layer between the N-type semiconductor layer and the P-type semiconductor layer, the surface of which has deflected dislocation; electromigration resistant metal that fills into the deflected dislocation over the N-type or/and P-type semiconductor layer surface through pretreatment to block the electromigration channel formed over the semiconductor epitaxial laminated layer due to deflected dislocation to eliminate electric leakage.

A light emitting diode (LED) is a semiconductor light-emitting device, which is widely applied in display or lighting field like indicator light and display screen for its environmental performance, high luminance, low power consumption, long service life, low working voltage and easy integration. White light LED has become the fourth-generation new lighting source following incandescent lamp, fluorescent lamp and high intensity discharge lamp (e.g., HPSL).
In the past few years, thanks to material and technology breakthroughs, luminance of white light LED is greatly improved and its lighting effect is completely outperformed over the fluorescent lamp. However, high initial purchase price of the LED—about two times of that of the fluorescent lamp—has restricted its popular application in lighting. Only after long-time service, comprehensive cost of the LED is lower than that of the fluorescent lamp when power-saving cost and replacement cost are considered. And power-saving effect of LED is not recognized by the public for its actual service time is usually shorter than theoretical time. In particular, during long-time service of high-power chip, aging electric leakage always restricts long time service of the LED.

Light-emitting device and fabrication method thereof

Xiamen Sanan Optoelectronics Technology Co., Ltd.


A solution to the problem of automated policy generation for mobile ad hoc networks includes an optimization-based, utility-driven approach aimed at generating optimal policies with respect to the given network objectives. The combination of optimization heuristics and network simulation is used to solve the problem. Specifically, the problem of automated generation of network management policies based on available network plans and related information is solved by converting the policy generation into the following optimization problem: given network information and objectives as input, generate optimal policies as output. The optimization process is guided by a utility function based on performance evaluation criteria reflecting the network objectives.

In recent years, mobile ad hoc networks have received considerable attention due to their capabilities to enable data networking without any infrastructure support. Specifically there are no wires, no dedicated routers, and no immobile network nodes. Since there are no fixed wires, nodes use wireless radios with limited capacity and high loss rates to communicate; since there are no dedicated routers, every node participates in packet forwarding, i.e. every node is a router; since the location of a node is not fixed and nodes can enter and leave the network at any time, the topology of the network is dynamic.
The use of a distributed policy-based network management tool has been demonstrated to provide the necessary self-healing and self-adapting capabilities for managing mobile ad hoc networks. See, for example, R. Chadha, Y-H Cheng, C. Chiang, S. Li, G. Levin, and A. Poylisher, "Policy-based Mobile Ad Hoc Network Management", Proc. of the 5th IEEE Itnl. Workshop on Policy for Distributed Systems and Networks, June 2004, R. Chadha, Y-H Cheng, C. Chiang, S. Li, G. Levin, and A. Poylisher, L. LaVergne and S. Newman, "Scalable Policy Management for Ad Hoc Networks", MILCOM 2005, Atlantic City, N.J., Oct. 17-20, 2005, and C. Chiang et al., "Performance Analysis of DRAMA: A Distributed Policy-based System for MANET Management", MILCOM 2006, Washington, D.C., Oct. 23-25, 2006. Although policy-based management tools contribute to network management automation, they still currently require network administrators to specify management policies. The complexity of dynamic mobile ad hoc networks makes specification of policies and effectiveness evaluation of policies extremely difficult.

Automated policy generation for mobile communication networks


An imaging device in a projection exposure machine for microlithography has at least one optical element and at least one manipulator, having a linear drive, for manipulating the position of the optical element. The linear drive has a driven subregion and a nondriven subregion, which are movable relative to one another in the direction of a movement axis. The subregions are interconnected at least temporarily via functional elements with an active axis and via functional elements with an active direction at least approximately parallel to the movement axis.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to an imaging device in a projection exposure machine for microlithography, having at least one optical element and at least one manipulator, having a linear drive, for manipulating the position of the optical element.
2. Description of the Related Art
In the case of such imaging devices for projection exposure machines in lithography, also denoted lithographic optics for short, it is often advantageous if individual optical elements can be positioned actively during adjustment and/or during operation, in order to set specific imaging properties and aberrations precisely. Thus, for example, in rotationally symmetrical imaging systems, adjusting optical elements while maintaining the rotational symmetry, for example in the case of rotationally symmetrical refractive objectives, permits the displacement of lenses in the light direction (defined in the direction of the z-axis), the influencing of the focus, of the reduction ratio, of the 3rd order distortion, of the field curvature, of linear coma and of the constant spherical aberration. Moreover, environmental influences of a rotationally symmetrical nature, for example a change in the atmospheric ambient pressure, in the internal pressure, in the atmospheric humidity and in the temperature including longitudinal temperature gradients as well as rotationally symmetrical components of the lens heating can be corrected, as is known from U.S. Pat. No. 4,961,001 and DE 37 33 823.
In the case of rotationally symmetrical imaging systems, adjusting optical elements in conjunction with cancellation of the rotational symmetry and production of monochromatic symmetry for example in the case of rotationally symmetrical refractive objectives, permits lenses to be displaced perpendicular to the z-axis, specifically in the x-y plane, also termed lens decentering, or the tilting of lenses about axes perpendicular to the light direction, and the exertion of influence on centering errors that are expressed in nonrotationally symmetrical aberration profiles of monochromatic overall symmetry with reference to pupil and field. Included therein are, for example, image offset, sagittal and tangential 2nd order distortion, linear image surface tilt and the constant coma. Furthermore, environmental influences of monochromatic symmetry, for example gradients of ambient pressure, internal pressure, air humidity and temperature perpendicular to the light direction, can be corrected.
Moreover, it is very advantageous in catadioptric lithographic optics with plane deflecting mirrors or beam splitter cubes to be able to manipulate the position and tilting angles of the deflecting mirror or beam splitter surfaces. For concave and convex reflecting surfaces in catadioptric or catoptric lithographic optics, it is also suitable to manipulate the degrees of freedom in translation and tilting, in order to be able to set rotationally symmetrical aberrations and centering errors precisely.
Such imaging devices with manipulators are known in this case from the prior art.
For example, details may be given here of such a manipulator with the aid of the design described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,822,133. The manipulator there is designed as a pure z-manipulator in the cases of application described. This means that the manipulation is performed in the direction of the optical axis normally denoted by "z". The design comprises two annular elements which are arranged one in another and can be moved relative to one another by actuators over a range of embodiments. Provided for guiding the parts relative to one another are leaf springs or, in accordance with a further refinement, diaphragms that are intended to ensure parallel movement of the two parts relative to one another.
However, such a design has decisive disadvantages, depending on embodiment, in particular on the embodiment of the various actuators described. Thus, for example, when pneumatic actuators are used it is possible to achieve only a relatively low rigidity in design. When vibrations are correspondingly introduced, and when use is made of very heavy optical elements, for example the very heavy lenses that are used in microlithography or in astronomical applications, this low rigidity of the manipulator leads to severe disadvantages that have very negative effects on the imaging quality to be attained.
The use of hydraulic actuators is proposed in a further refinement. It is certainly possible to attain a far higher rigidity with such actuators than with the pneumatic actuators previously described. However, the hydraulic actuators harbor the risk of the components to be manipulated being contaminated by the hydraulic fluid, in general an oil, should there be a leak. Such a contamination with hydraulic fluid is to be regarded as a severe disadvantage particularly in the case of high-performance objectives such as are used, for example, in microlithography. Such objectives are usually filled with a defined gas mixture or else are evacuated, if appropriate. Should hydraulic fluid, in particular oil, pass into this ultraclean interior, this can pass as liquid or vapor into the region of the optical elements and be deposited on their surface. The imaging quality would then be severely degraded. The outlay on any possible cleaning would be extremely high.
Furthermore, appropriate actuators made from piezoelectric elements and lever gears are described in an alternative embodiment of the above-named document. In this case, the levers of the gears can be interconnected particularly via solid joints. This type of actuators can avoid the two above-named disadvantages. In this case, very good resolutions can be achieved with these actuators. However, these actuators have the severe disadvantage that they permit only a very small travel. Depending on application, in particular in the use, already mentioned repeatedly, in an imaging device for microlithography, the requirement for very good resolution is, however, mostly additionally accompanied by the requirement for a very large travel in relation to the possible resolution. These requirements, which often cannot be avoided for the purpose of attaining a very good imaging quality, cannot be attained by the design described in the above-named US document, and so said design disadvantageously fails to permit the desired imaging quality.
Further manipulators, which have, however, the same or very similar disadvantages, are described, for example, by DE 199 10 947 A1. This document exhibits a design in which movement of the optical element along the optical axis is achieved via actuators, for example piezoelectric elements, and a corresponding gear made from levers connected via solid joints.
A device for manipulating an optical element in a plane perpendicular to the optical axis is specified, for example, by DE 199 10 295 A1. There is a need in this case for at least two actuators that, because of the movement accuracies to be attained with these actuators, act via expensive and complex lever devices on an inner ring of the mount that carries the optical element. In order to ensure a uniform and adequate rigidity of the lever devices, and thus of the joining of the two parts of the mount to one another, as well to ensure an adequate resolution of the movement, there is a substantial outlay with respect to production, in particular with respect to the observance of very narrow manufacturing tolerances.
Furthermore, JP 3064372 discloses a device for manipulating optical elements in the case of which a first group of optical elements and a second group of optical elements are arranged such that they can be displaced along an optical axis by a manipulator. These two optical groups can also execute a tilting movement relative to the optical axis with the aid of the manipulator device. Electrostrictive or magnetostrictive elements can be used for the drives. The design of the rotary actuators is not disclosed directly in an unambiguous fashion in this document.
Reference may also be made regarding the further prior art to U.S. Pat. No. 6,150,750, which exhibits a linear drive for the field of electrical engineering, telecommunication engineering and automation. The linear drive has a driven subregion and a nondriven subregion that can be moved relative to one another in the direction of a movement axis, the subregions being interconnected at least temporarily via piezoelectric elements that are designed in part as lifting piezoelectric elements and in part as shearing piezoelectric elements. The individual piezoelectric element stacks, which comprise lifting and shearing piezoelectric elements in each case, can be brought by means of the lifting piezoelectric elements into frictional grip relative to the driven subregion, or can be raised thereby. The actual movement can then be realized via the shearing piezoelectric elements of those stacks that are in frictional engagement. It is possible thereafter to conceive of moving on to other stacks, and so very large movement ranges can be realized.
This design of the linear drives results in practice in an actuator that is capable, via its piezoelectric elements, of exerting holding forces and forces in the direction of the movement axis on the two parts of the linear drive. It is thereby possible to implement a linear stepper that, depending on the selection of the piezoelectric elements, has a very good resolution and, on the basis of the possibility of moving on, also has a very large allowance for movement.

Imaging device in a projection exposure machine


A virtual mirror is rendered by a computer graphics display or screen. The display substantially replicates the optical properties of a physical mirror. The display is provided on a host vehicle.

The present invention deals with mirrors. More particularly, the present invention deals with a vision enhancement device in the form of a computer generated virtual replica of a mirror.
Mirrors associated with motor vehicles assist the driver by providing spatial awareness of traffic conditions behind (and to the sides of) the drivers vantage point. Conventional mirrors have several disadvantages. A first of these disadvantages is the blind zones associated with a conventional mirror. Mirrors of conventional widths, on automobiles, provide a viewing angle from approximately 15 degrees to 30 degrees. Typically, drivers set the mirrors such that there is a great degree of overlap in these already narrow fields of view. Obstructions and limitations to the fields of view are due to the location and size of real mirrors. The problems associated with large blind spots, or blind zones, are aggravated for elderly people who may have less acute peripheral vision and/or may encounter difficulty in turning their head.
Another problem with conventional mirrors is that the view from the mirror to the rear or side of the vehicle is often obstructed. For example, a passenger's head or vehicle pillars may obstruct the rearward or sideward looking views from the driver or from the mirror. Similarly, on large vehicles, such as trucks and sport utility vehicles, the views from the mirrors can be obstructed by portions of the vehicle body itself.
Another disadvantage presented by conventional mirrors is vibration. While this disadvantage is not as pronounced on small passenger cars, it presents a great deal of difficulty on large, commercial vehicles. As such a vehicle encounters uneven road surfaces, induced torques are transmitted to the mirror mounting hardware which causes the mirror to vibrate. These vibrations can be at frequencies which significantly disrupt the ability of the driver to distinguish meaningful information from the mirror.
Also, because the shaky reflection from a vibrating mirror is caused by the changing mirror orientation mirror angle, a change of θ in mirror orientation creates a change of 2θ in image position. Therefore, as the mirror oscillates back and forth, the image also oscillates back and forth with twice the magnitude of the mirror oscillation, leading to a blurred image.
Another disadvantage of conventional mirrors is that they must be quite large in order to provide a significant rearward or sideward looking view. However, any mirror mounted forward of the operator obstructs the forward view. Therefore, large conventional mirrors can undesirably obstruct the operator's forward looking view.
Another disadvantage arises from the fact that many commercial vehicles use convex mirrors, in addition to flat mirrors. The convex mirrors show a wider area than flat mirrors. However, objects reflected in convex mirrors appear smaller than when looking at the same objects in a flat mirror. Due to this effect, the object appears to be further away from the host vehicle than it actually is. This requires drivers to allow for distance overestimation when maneuvering the vehicle.
One prior art technique for addressing some of the deficiencies of conventional mirrors involves the use of periscopes. Such a periscope consists of the usual inside mirror coupled to an ensemble of mirrors located on the roof of the vehicle. These mirrors are presumed to have an unrestricted field of view. However, such periscopes have been found to be very large and bulky, and adversely increase the air resistance and drag of the vehicle.
Other prior art approaches to addressing the problems associated with conventional mirrors involve a TV camera, fitted with wide angle optics installed on the rear of the vehicle. This technique also required a monitor in the instrument panel of the vehicle to provide a wide, unobstructed image. Such a setup requires a one meter wide display to cover a space at a distance of 70 meters away from the camera, at a one-to-one magnification. This translates to approximately a 90 degree field of view. In addition, such a TV monitor hooked up to a rearward looking camera does not operate satisfactorily under poor visibility conditions. The display can also lead to confusion because of the likely absence of the right-left lateral inversion associated with a reflected image.


An exemplary embodiment of a modular people counter includes a base and a communications module. The base has a people counter processor, memory, a power supply having one or more batteries, a passive sensor that detects whether a badge and/or a person has entered into a selected area and is within the sensing range and a first connector. The first connector is in circuit communication with the people counter processor. The communications module has a second connector for connecting to the first connector and wireless communications circuitry. The wireless communications module is configured to receive one or more signals from the people counter processor when the first connector is connected to the second connector.

Compliance monitoring systems are designed to provide companies or institutions with knowledge relating to employees or workers compliance with selected hand-hygiene policies. Such companies and institutions include, for example, hospitals, food service industries, clinics, and the like. Several situations occur in which it is desirable to know whether a person, or a number of people (or other moving objects) are passing through or occupying an area, the time a person passes through an area, or other types of information for monitoring the movement of one or more people through an area. For example, a hospital administrator, for hygiene compliance purposes, may want to know the number of people that entered and/or exited a room having a hand soap/sanitizer dispenser, such that a comparison can be made between the number of people that entered and/or exited the room (i.e., number of opportunities for use of the dispenser) and the number of actual uses of the hand soap/sanitizer dispenser.
The monitoring of hand washing by individuals who are identified by electronic badges or data tags and then associating the badges or tags and individuals with the use of dispensers is known in the art. In addition, there are some automated system providers for hygiene compliance monitoring systems that use people counters with wireless communication circuitry for transmitting the location of persons. The dispensers, badges, and/or people counters transmits dispense events, user identification, and sometimes location to a central computer to record and analyze the usage data. Each of these systems utilize different types of communications protocols, transmitters, and the like.
Accordingly, for a people counter manufacturer to work with all of the providers, the people counter manufacturer must stock multiple circuit boards, some equipped for provider A's equipment, some equipped for provider B's equipment, some equipped for provider C's equipment, etc. Having multiple skews and products increases manufacturing complexity, increases required inventory, and the like, all of which drives up costs.


A belt drive system for a reciprocating mold plate in a food product molding machine. The invention relates to a belt drive system having a belt tensioning device configured to tension a drive belt of an indexing motion food product molding machine. The invention provides ease of service and/or replacement of components of the drive system. The invention provides a manifold configuration to balance the flow and pressure of the food product over a wide fill area.

Before automation, consumers generally formed patties of food product by hand. However, demand (e.g., the fast-food industry) for high-speed and high-volume production of food products led to the development of automated machines configured to provide molded food product. Generally, such machines mold the food product under pressure into patties of various shapes and sizes. A typical application for food product molding machines is in the production of hamburger patties. Yet, the type of food product (e.g., vegetables, meat, fish, etc.) and shape (e.g., rods, patties, etc.) can vary. The molded food products are distributed to restaurants, grocery stores, etc. The demand for high volume, high-speed food product molding machinery continues to grow.
However, prior art food product molding machines have several drawbacks. For example, known molding machine use hydraulic or mechanical crank systems to reciprocate the lateral back and forth motion of a mold plate from a fill position to a patty discharge position. These hydraulic and mechanical crank systems are cumbersome to install and maintain, and have a limited speed of operation.
Further for example, with regard to a mold plate drive assembly and connected linkage which drives reciprocation of a mold plate between a fill position and a patty discharge position, the linkage is attached to the mold plate by only a few bolt fasteners that can slip or loosen over an extended operation.
As can be seen, the present state of the art of drive systems incorporated into food product molding machines has definite shortcomings. Further, the state of the art of mold drive assemblies and mold plate connections in food product molding machines has shortcomings.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Device for keeping a mold plate square, perpendicular and driving for a food product molding machine


Provided are methods, apparatus and computer programs for identifying matching resources (data files and executable files) within a data processing network, by comparison of hash values computed for each of a set of resources. A match between a newly computed hash value and a previously computed hash value for a resource indicates that the resource has not changed since the previous computation. A match between hash values for different resources indicates that they are identical. The result of the comparison can be used to determine whether a virus scan is currently required for a resource, on the basis that a resource which is unchanged since it was classified virus-free remains virus-free and a resource which is identical to a virus-scanned resource does not require duplication of the virus scan. The methods, apparatus and computer programs enable more efficient use of antivirus scanning or management of a backup copy process.

A computer virus is a piece of computer program code that causes unexpected and usually undesirable events within a computer system. Some viruses are very harmful, erasing data or causing the computer's hard disk to require reformatting. A virus is often disguised as something else, and many are designed to be automatically spread to other computers. Viruses can be transmitted as attachments to an e-mail or as downloadable files.
File infector viruses typically attach themselves to program files, usually selected .COM or .EXE files although some viruses can infect any executable program. When the program is loaded, the virus is loaded as well. A file infector virus may arrive at a computer as a self-contained program or script sent as an attachment to an e-mail, or via an infected removable storage medium. System or boot-record infector viruses infect executable code found in certain system areas on a disk. They attach to the DOS boot sector on diskettes or the Master Boot Record on hard disks, and can make the computer's hard disk temporarily unusable. Macro viruses are among the most common viruses, but tend to do the least damage. Macro viruses can infect an application, such as inserting unwanted words or phrases when using a word processing application.
Because computer viruses are so common, easily transmitted and potentially harmful, anti-virus software is vital to protect against viruses.
Existing antivirus software scans each file for all known viruses that can affect that type of file. If there are N identical files located on M systems within a LAN, despite the files being identical, each of these N files is scanned by the antivirus program running on the respective local systems.
Additionally, no history is currently maintained about the files which have been scanned to indicate whether the file had been found to be virus-free in the previous scan or not. Regardless of whether the file has been designated as virus-free in a first scan, the file will be re-scanned in subsequent executions of the antivirus software.
Taking regular backups uses a lot of storage space, time and bandwidth. If identical files on different machines are backed up, a copy of each file is maintained in the backup for each machine even though the files are identical. Backup copies may be made even when the file being copied has not changed since the last backup.
The inventors of the present invention have identified the above issues, and the need for solutions that can mitigate one or more of the above-described problems.

Apparatus, methods and computer programs for controlling performance of operations within a data processing system or network

International Business Machines Corporation


A light emitting device has a lead frame which has a lead frame body and a plurality of bumper sections raised from the lead frame body. A rectangular case member with a hole is mounted to the lead frame. A light emitting element is placed in the hole of the case member, which is filled with a sealing resin that seals the light emitting element. The bumper sections are arranged on two opposite sides of the case member. Tip surfaces of the bumper sections are at a level higher than or equal to an upper end surface of the case member.

There is a conventional light emitting device as shown in FIGS. 6A and 6B (see JP 2011-34674 A (PTL 1)).
The light emitting device 100 shown in FIGS. 6A and 6B has a lead frame 101, a light emitting element 102 on the lead frame 101, a sealing resin 103 on the lead frame 101 for sealing the light emitting element 102, and a case member 104 made of resin for covering the sides of the sealing resin 103. The lead frame 101 and the light emitting element 102 are connected to each other by wires 105. An upper end surface 103a of the sealing resin 103 defines an aperture through which light emitted from the light emitting element 102 goes out.
The light emitting device 100 has been used as a backlight device, as shown in FIG. 7. As shown in FIG. 7, a plurality of light emitting devices 100 are arranged in a line and a light guide body 106 is disposed opposite to the upper end surfaces 103a of the sealing resins 103 of the light emitting devices 100.
The light guide body 106 is plate-shaped and has an end surface 106a opposed to the upper end surfaces 103a of the sealing resins 103 of the light emitting devices 100. Light emitted through the upper end surfaces 103a of the sealing resins 103 is taken into the light guide body 106 through the end face 106a of the light guide body 106. Then, the light is diffused and reflected within the light guide body 106 and taken out through a planar surface 106b of the light guide body 106. The light taken out through the planar surface 106b is used as backlight for liquid crystal panels and advertisement films.
As shown in FIG. 8, the backlight device is designed such that there is a space or interval of about 1 mm between the light emitting devices 100 and the light guide body 106 in order to prevent the light guide body 106 from directly touching the light emitting devices 100.
FIG. 9A shows a sectional view of the backlight device taken perpendicularly to a thickness direction of the light guide body 106. FIG. 9A shows a normal positional relationship between the light emitting device 100 and the light guide body 106 in which there is a sufficient spacing or interval therebetween to avoid a possible collision of the light emitting device 100 and the light guide body 106. In the state shown in FIG. 9A, a portion of a light beam emitted from the light emitting element 102 of the light emitting device 100 does not enter the light guide body 106, as indicated by dotted arrow A.
FIG. 9B shows a state that the light guide body 106 is positioned closer to the light emitting device 100 than when the light guide body 106 and the light emitting device 100 assume their positions shown in FIG. 9A. In the state shown in FIG. 9B, the portion of the light beam that does not enter the light guide body 106 in the state shown FIG. 9A is now allowed to enter the light guide body 106 as indicated by dotted arrow A.
As is apparent from above, a shorter distance between the light emitting device 100 and the light guide 106 enables light from the light emitting device 100 to enter the light guide body 106 with increased efficiency.
If, however, the light emitting device 100 is approached to the light guide body 106 to the extent that the light emitting device 100 nearly touches the light guide body 106 as shown in FIG. 10A, when the light emitting device 100 turns on or a surrounding temperature rises, there is a risk of collision of the light guide body 106 against the light emitting device 100 due to thermal expansion of the light guide body 106 as shown by an arrow in FIG. 10B.
When the end surface 106a of the light guide body 106 collides against the case member 104 of the light emitting device 100, there raises a problem that the case member 104 may have cracks C as shown in FIG. 11 if the case member 104 does not have enough strength. Also, the cracks may cause breaking or disconnection of the wires 105 (shown in FIG. 6B) within the sealing resin 103.
The above problems can happen for real. Thus, regarding planned dimensions, a very important selection must be made between increase of an amount of light incident upon the light guide body 106 and reduction of probability of the risk of wire breaking or disconnection due to the thermal expansion of the light guide body 106.

Light emitting device and backlight device


The present invention provides methods for treating a subject that has suffered combined exposure to total body ionizing irradiation and burns by administering a peptide of at least 5 amino acids of a peptide of SEQ ID NO:1 (Asp-Arg-Nle-Tyr-Ile-His-Pro), or a pharmaceutical salt thereof in an amount effective to treat the radiation effects and/or the burn.

It is known that radiation delays wound healing and this effect is seen in individuals who have been exposed to high levels of radiation, such as those present Hiroshima and Nagasaki at the time atomic bombs were detonated, and those present in and around Chernobyl after the nuclear meltdown at the Chernobyl nuclear facility. Individuals exposed to high levels of ionizing radiation will likely suffer not only from radiation sickness but also from thermal-induced injuries as a consequence of explosions and fires. Thus, therapeutics for use in treating combined radiation-thermal injury subjects are needed.

Methods for treating combined radiation and thermal injury


The separation of carbon nanotubes into metallic carbon nanotubes and semiconducting carbon nanotubes is made to be possible simultaneously with the dispersion of the carbon nanotubes by using viologen.

The disclosure relates to a method of separating carbon nanotubes, a method of dispersing carbon nanotubes and compositions for these methods.
Carbon nanotube ("CNT") is a material in which carbon atoms are connected with each other in a hexagonal honeycomb shape so as to form a tube shape. A diameter of the tube is generally within a range of nanometers (1 nm=10−9 m). The energy gap of CNT varies with its diameter.
CNT's have highly anisotropic properties, and can exist in the form of single wall nanotubes that undergo roping, multi-wall nanotubes, and the like. Further, CNT's have excellent mechanical properties and electrical conductivity, useful electric field emission properties, and a high hydrogen storage efficiency, and the like.
CNT's exhibit semiconducting or metallic property, depending upon the arrangement of the hexagonal carbon honeycombs.
Several methods can be used to produce carbon nanotubes. These are an arc-discharge method, a thermal decomposition method, a laser vaporization method, a plasma chemical vapor deposition method, a thermal chemical vapor deposition method and an electrolysis method.

Method for separating carbon nanotubes, method for dispersing carbon nanotubes and compositions used for the methods


An in-plane switching mode liquid crystal display device is provided that prevents light leakages and improves contrast ratio. The in-plane switching mode liquid crystal display device includes first and second substrate, gate and data lines that perpendicularly cross each other on the first substrate to define a pixel region, a thin film transistor at a crossing of the gate and data lines, a pixel electrode and a common electrode alternately formed in the pixel region and spaced apart from each other by a predetermined distance, an alignment layer on an entire surface of the substrate, wherein, at least one of the gate line, the data line, the pixel electrode, and the common electrode has a stepped portion with a step difference of about 0.1 μm or greater, the alignment layer is primarily aligned, and at least a portion of the primarily-aligned alignment layer around the stepped portion is secondarily aligned, and a liquid crystal layer between the first and second substrates.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an in-plane switching (IPS) mode liquid crystal display device (LCD). More particularly, the present inventor relates to an IPS mode LCD providing an improved image quality and a manufacturing method thereof.
2. Description of the Related Art
The cathode ray tube (CRT) has been the most widely used among display devices to display image information on a screen. However, the CRT has many inconveniences due to its large volume and weight compared with the display area.
With the development of electronic industries, the display device whose usage was limited to a TV Braun tube and so forth, is being used and expanded to, for example, personal computers, notebook computers, wireless terminals, vehicle instrument panels, and electronic display boards. Also, due to the development of information communication technology, since it is possible to transmit large capacity image information, the importance of a next generation display device capable of processing and displaying the large capacity image information gradually increases.
Such next generation display devices are required to have lighter, thinner, shorter and smaller characteristics, a high luminance, a large-sized screen, low power consumption and a low price. Among such next generation display devices, a liquid crystal display device (LCD) is in the limelight.
The LCD exhibits a better resolution than other flat displays, and a fast response rate compared to that of the CRT in implementing a moving picture.
One LCD that has been widely used is a twisted nematic (TN) mode LCD. In the TN mode type LCD, after electrodes are respectively formed on two substrates and liquid crystal directors are aligned twisted by 90°, a driving voltage is applied to the electrodes to drive the liquid crystal directors.
However, the TN mode LCD has a serious drawback of a narrow viewing angle.
Recently, LCDs employing a new mode are being actively researched so as to solve the drawback of the narrow viewing angle of the TN mode. As examples of the new mode, there are an in-plane switching (IPS) mode, an optically compensated birefringence (OCB) mode, etc.
The IPS mode LCD generates a horizontal electric field so as to drive the liquid crystal molecules in a horizontal state with respect to the substrates by forming two electrodes on an identical substrate and applying a voltage between the two electrodes. In other words, the longer axis of the liquid crystal molecule does not stand up with respect to the substrates.
To this end, the IPS mode LCD has a small variation in the birefringence of liquid crystal according to a visual direction and thus has an excellent viewing angle characteristic compared with the TN mode LCD.
Hereinafter, a related art IPS mode LCD will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.
FIG. 1 is a sectional view of a related art IPS mode LCD.
In FIG. 1, the related art IPS mode LCD is formed by attaching a first substrate 118 and a second substrate 119 facing the first substrate 118, and interposing a liquid crystal layer 130 therebetween. A metal film is first deposited on the first substrate 118 and is patterned to form a plurality of gate lines and a plurality of gate electrodes 109 branched from the respective gate lines and formed at a thin film transistor (TFT) region.
Next, a gate insulating layer 120 is formed on an entire surface of the first substrate including the gate electrode 109, and then a semiconductor layer 115 having an active layer 115a and an ohmic contact layer 115b is formed on a predetermined region of the gate insulating layer 120.
On the gate insulating layer 120, a data line 110 forming a matrix configuration together with the gate line is formed.
In the course of forming the data line 110, source/drain electrodes 116 and 117 of a TFT are formed along with the data line 110.
Also, a common line and a common electrode 113 are formed to be parallel with the gate line 110.
On the entire surface of the first substrate 118 constructed as above, a passivation film 128 is formed.
Thereafter, a pixel electrode 114 is formed to be electrically connected with the drain electrode 117 and be parallel to the data line 110.
On the entire surface of the first substrate 118 constructed as above, a first alignment [orientation] film 129 is formed.
On the other hand, on the second substrate 119, a black matrix 121 for preventing a light from being leaked is formed. A color filter layer consisting of color patterns of red (R), green (G), and blue (B) is formed between the black matrixes 121.
On the color filter layer 122, an overcoat layer 123 for planarizing an upper surface thereof and protecting the underlying color filter layer 122 is formed.
Next, a second alignment film 126 is formed on the overcoat layer 123.
FIGS. 2A and 2B are sectional views illustrating operation states of a related art IPS mode LCD in on/off states.
FIG. 2A illustrates an alignment state of liquid crystal in a liquid crystal layer 211 when no voltage is applied between a common electrode 217 and a pixel electrode 230. In FIG. 2A, since no horizontal electric field is formed, the alignment state of the liquid crystal is not changed.
FIG. 2B illustrates an alignment state of the liquid crystal in the liquid crystal layer 211 when a voltage is applied between the common electrode 217 and the pixel electrode 230. In FIG. 2B, an alignment state of liquid crystal 211a over the common and pixel electrodes 217 and 230 is not changed. On the contrary, since a horizontal electric field K is formed, liquid crystal 211b in a region between the common and pixel electrodes 217 and 230 is aligned in the same direction as the horizontal electric filed K.
That is, the IPS mode LCD has a wider viewing angle due to the horizontally-aligned liquid crystal.
FIG. 3 is a flow diagram illustrating a manufacturing method for a related art IPS mode LCD.
In FIG. 3, upper and lower substrates having a plurality of patterns formed thereon are first manufactured in S100.
In S110, the substrates are cleaned to remove any foreign substance thereon. In S120, a polyimide material is printed on the substrate to form an alignment layer.
In S130, the alignment layer is dried and hardened using the heat of high temperature.
In S140, a surface of the hardened alignment layer is rubbed in one direction.
In S150, an adhesive seal pattern is formed at an edge of the upper substrate at a region except a liquid crystal injection hole and spacers are dispersed on the lower substrate.
In S160, the upper and lower substrates are attached together with an accuracy of several μm so as to prevent light leakage.
In S170, the attached substrate is cut into cells. This cutting process includes a scribing process for forming lines on the upper and lower substrates and a breaking process for dividing the scribed substrate into cells by applying an impact thereon.
In S180, liquid crystal is injected through an injection hole into a gap between the upper and lower substrates cut into cells. The injection hole is sealed to complete a desired LCD.
Here, the physical characteristic of the liquid crystal is changed by a molecular arrangement state thereof, and accordingly there occurs a difference in a response to an external force such as an electric field.
Due to the characteristics of the liquid crystal molecule, a control technique for an arrangement state of the liquid crystal molecule is essential for the study on the physical property of the liquid crystal and the construction of the LCD.
Specifically, a rubbing process for uniformly aligning liquid crystal molecules in one direction is essential for a normal driving of the LCD and a uniform display characteristic thereof.
A related art alignment layer forming process for determining an initial alignment direction of liquid crystal molecules will now be described in detail.
The forming of an alignment layer includes a process of depositing a high polymer thin layer and a process of aligning an alignment layer in one direction.
The alignment layer is made mainly of an organic material of polyimide series and is aligned mainly through a rubbing process.
An organic material of polyimide series is deposited on a substrate and a solvent thereof is volatized at about 60˜80° C. Thereafter, the deposited material is hardened at about 80˜200° C. to form an alignment layer. The alignment layer is rubbed in one direction with a roller having a rubbing cloth such as velvet wound therearound to form an alignment direction thereof.
This rubbing process enables an easy and stable alignment process and is thus suitable for mass production of the LCD.
However, the rubbing process may cause a defect in a rubbing operation when the rubbing cloth becomes defective during the rubbing operation.
That is, the rubbing process is performed through a direct contact between the rubbing cloth and the alignment layer. Therefore, the rubbing process may cause the contamination of a liquid crystal cell due to particles, the damage of a TFT due to an electrostatic discharge, the necessity of an additional cleaning process after the rubbing process, and a non-uniform alignment of liquid crystal in a wide-screen LCD, resulting degradation in a production yield of the LCD.
FIGS. 4A and 4B are, respectively, a sectional view and a plan view illustrating an alignment state of liquid crystal around a step portion of an electrode pattern such as a pixel electrode and a common electrode in a related art IPS mode LCD.
In FIGS. 4A and 4B, an alignment layer 351 is formed on a pixel electrode 330 patterned on a lower substrate and the pixel electrode 330 has a stepped portion with a predetermined step difference.
A color filter layer 360 and an alignment layer 352 are formed on an upper substrate facing the lower substrate and a liquid crystal layer 390 is formed between the upper and lower substrates.
The stepped portion of the pixel electrode 330 causes a non-uniform alignment of liquid crystal in a region therearound.
If the liquid crystal is in a normally-black mode, a black color is displayed when no voltage is applied.
However, there light leakage occurs in a region A shown in FIGS. 4A and 4B when no gate voltage is applied.
That is, when no voltage is applied, the liquid crystal must be aligned in the same direction as the rubbing direction of the alignment layers 351 and 352.
However, the stepped portion of the pixel electrode 330 causes the liquid crystal of a non-uniform liquid layer 391 to have an alignment direction different from a rubbing direction and accordingly causes the liquid crystal of a uniform liquid layer 392 also to have an alignment direction different from the rubbing direction.
The non-uniform liquid crystal causes phase retardation in light. The phase retardation causes a linearly-polarized light to change into an elliptically-polarized light. The elliptically-polarized light causes phase retardation in a uniform liquid crystal layer formed near the color filter layer 360, resulting in a great phase retardation.
Consequently, when no voltage is applied in a normally-black mode, light of the backlight assembly passes through the region A. This causes light leakage in a dark state and a decrease in a contrast ratio, making it difficult to embody a high image quality.
Recently, a super IPS mode LCD for improving a viewing angle and an IPS mode LCD using 3˜4 masks for reducing the number of manufacturing processes are developed and used. In these IPS mode LCDs, the step difference of the stepped portion is increased to cause an increase in an alignment defect.
Accordingly, there is required a device and method for preventing an increase in a black brightness and a contrast ratio due to the stepped portion.

In-plane switching mode LCD and manufacturing method thereof


A system for controlling energy usage includes: one or more configurable electrical outlet interfaces, where each given interface includes a switch configured in one of a plurality of positions corresponding to one of a plurality of energy usage modes; and a control panel displaying, for each given mode, configurable parameters to control energy usage of a device coupled to each interface configured with the given mode. Each given configurable electrical outlet interface comprises two states: a first state for allowing electrical current to flow through the given interface; and a second state for blocking the electrical current from flowing through the given interface. For each given mode determined to be “on”, the control panel places each interface configured with the given mode in the first state. For each given mode determined to be “off”, the control panel places each interface configured with the given mode in the second state.

A typical home or building consumes electrical energy through a variety of devices. Some devices are to be on continuously, such as refrigerators, water heaters, and alarm system. Some devices can be on only during low cost hours, such as washer and dryers and dishwashers. Some devices are ambient devices, or devices that need not be on except during actual use, such as device chargers, lamps, and night lights. Controlling when these varying devices are on or off can be a part of any energy usage management or conservation effort. However, the control of energy usage is typically done on a grid level or at a main panel of a building. The occupants lack control of energy usage on a device-by-device basis.


A power circuit for protecting against high pulse load current and inrush current is disclosed. The power circuit comprises a buck-boost module and a PFC controller operatively coupled with the buck-boost module. The PFC controller is configured to receive an input voltage feedback, an output voltage feedback, and a current feedback, and is configured to utilize one of an Integral Gain Compensation (IGC) and an Integral Value Compensation (IVC) to control the high pulse load current and inrush current in the power circuit.

Embodiments of the present invention relate generally to current control techniques and overload protection circuits and, more particularly to a power factor correction (PFC) circuit configured to control high pulse load current and inrush current.
PFC circuits utilize various protection means against high pulse load current and inrush current. The inrush current is an initial high current flow, usually a short duration surge, usually attributable to a highly reactive initial power load. Such inrush current is undesirable, and may cause damage to circuitries across application instruments, such as, a mobile or portable radiographic X-ray machine.
Various circuits and techniques have been used in the past to control high pulse load current and inrush current. For example, one such conventional technique utilizes a power factor controller using a boost converter. However, this technique has a high storage device requirement, since the output voltage control has to be slow to maintain PFC and there is restriction on output voltage for stable operation of the boost converter.
Furthermore, several PFC circuit providers and generally known digital control techniques address the inrush and pulse load current issues by doing the compensation on a voltage control loop. The compensation is generally done by monitoring the status of output voltage of a boost converter and then changing the proportional gain of current controller (feedback compensation). Since the output voltage is not well controlled for a boost converter in a PFC topology and it carries lot of low frequency ripple (double the line frequency), the compensation is done at a relatively slower rate. For an application like a mobile X-ray machine, where the peak power is very high (much higher than the maximum available power from a wall socket), the time taken by conventional compensation results in very high values of the storage capacitor. Further, as the load range is very high in high power mobile radiographic X-ray application, the loss in the DC-DC converter is very high at a lower load because of a high DC bus voltage value. At a lower load, the DC bus voltage value should be lower so that the loss in the DC-DC converter can be lowered. This helps the DC-DC converter work for a longer period of time. Many designs include a buck switch with a freewheeling diode to enable the DC-DC converter to lower the DC bus voltage value more than the input peak voltage.
Therefore, there exists a need for a power factor correction (PFC) circuit with a novel system and method for controlling high pulse load current and inrush current.

Power factor correction (PFC) circuit configured to control high pulse load current and inrush current


A medical or dental handpiece for the performance of laser radiation treatments, composed of: an elongate housing constructed to be held in the hand, the housing having a radiation delivery end and enclosing a chamber which is adjacent the radiation delivery end; a radiation conducting element disposed in the housing for conducting laser radiation from a laser source into the chamber and toward the radiation delivery end; and a gas flow path in the chamber for guiding a flow of cooling gas through the chamber in a direction from the radiation conducting element toward the radiation delivery end.

The present invention is directed to medical or dental handpieces for the performance of treatments involving the application of laser radiation. Such treatments include, inter alia, cutting, or vaporizing, coagulating, sterilizing and promoting healing processes.
A variety of treatments of this type have already been proposed or are in use, and a number of handpieces for delivery of such radiation are already known in the art. Examples of such handpieces are disclosed in "Introduction of New Dental Oral YAG Laser Handpiece and Its Clinical Application", by Yoshida et al, published in May of 1989 in LASERS IN DENTISTRY, Elsevier Science Publishers B.V. (Biomedical Division), and in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,826,431; 4,849,859; 4,503,853; 4,273,535; and 4,538,609.
It has recently been found that certain treatments, such as the cutting of hard tissue, can be safely performed by applying laser radiation at higher power levels than have been heretofore used. However, the known handpieces are not well suited for conducting radiation at such higher power levels.

Handpiece for delivering laser radiation


In a method and apparatus for detecting ply defects in a pneumatic tire, measurements on the tire are obtained at two levels of tire inflation, and the data obtained in the two measurements are compared. Broken reinforcement cords in the tire cause changes in the peaks of the data obtained at the two inflations that are out of proportion when compared to data changes observed in non-damaged tires. The apparatus of the invention provides means for inflating tires to predetermined pressures and has displacement sensors for measuring peaks and valleys in the sidewall of a tire. The apparatus may also include a computer for collecting data, analyzing data, and providing a signal when a defective tire is recognized.

The invention relates to a method and apparatus for detecting broken reinforcement cords in a tire sidewall.
When a tire goes flat, is run long periods of time underinflated or hits road objects, the reinforcement cords in the carcass ply are sometimes broken without any visible change in the tire. When the cords are broken, however, eventually there is a separation that manifests itself in what is called a zipper break (because it looks like an open zipper) in the sidewall.
Unseen cord breaks are particularly a problem when retreading tires, because the expense and time needed to retread a defective carcass is wasted.
Although some experienced individuals have acquired the ability to recognize such sidewall defects with good precision on observation, such individuals are scarce, and it is important that a correct diagnosis be made each time a tire carcass is inspected prior to retreading.
X-ray inspection has been used in retreading operations, but x-ray equipment is expensive, requires extra safety precautions to use, and some breaks, where the broken ends are not displaced, may not be observable on the x-ray screen.
Commercial ultrasonic units are believed to be used by Bandag in retreading operations.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a reliable, inexpensive method of detecting cord breaks in the carcass of a pneumatic tire, and to provide an apparatus to be used in the method. Other objects of the invention will be apparent from the following description and claims.

Method and apparatus for detecting ply defects in pneumatic tires


Provided is a polarizing element, which is made into an assembly of metal elements by utilizing the fact that the plasmon resonance wavelengths of metal elements are different for the polarization direction of a light to irradiate the metal elements. The sum of the geometrically sectional areas of the metal elements in a plane substantially normal to the propagation direction of the irradiating light is smaller than the area of the irradiated region of the light, and the sum of the absorbing sectional areas of the metal elements in the plasmon resonance wavelengths is five times or more as large as the area of the irradiated region.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a polarization element, and particularly, to a polarization element using a difference in light absorption efficiency due to the shape anisotropy of metal fine particles.
2. Description of the Related Art
A polarization element means an optical element having a function of transmitting a linearly polarized wave having an electric field vibration plane in a specific direction and preventing the transmission of a linearly polarized wave having an electric field vibration plane in a direction perpendicular to the specific direction (hereinafter, in the polarization element, the electric field vibration direction of transmission light is referred to as a "transmission axis" and a direction perpendicular to the transmission axis is referred to as an "extinction axis").
The characteristics of the polarization element are evaluated using loss (hereinafter, the loss is referred to as an "insertion loss") when a linearly polarized wave having an electric field vibration plane in a direction parallel to the transmission axis of the element passes through the polarization element and a value (hereinafter, the value is referred to as an "extinction ratio") obtained by dividing the intensity of the electric field when a linearly polarized wave having an electric field vibration plane parallel to the extinction axis passes through the polarization element by the intensity of the electric field when a linearly polarized wave having an electric field vibration plane parallel to the transmission axis passes through the polarization element. The polarization element with good characteristics means an element with a small insertion loss and a high extinction ratio.
As the polarization element using metal fine particles, a polarizing glass has been known in which acicular metal fine particles made of silver or copper are dispersed in a glass substrate such that the longitudinal direction thereof is aligned with a specific direction (hereinafter, the polarization element is referred to as a "metal fine particle dispersed polarizing glass"). A method of manufacturing the metal fine particle dispersed polarizing glass is described in detail in, for example, JP-A-5-208844 and the main points thereof are as follows.
<1> A glass material including cuprous chloride is prepared to have a desired composition, is melted at a temperature of about 1450° C., and is then annealed to the room temperature. <2> Then, a thermal treatment is performed to precipitate cuprous chloride fine particles in the glass. <3> After the cuprous chloride fine particles are precipitated, a preform with an appropriate shape is produced by a machining process. <4> The preform is heated and elongated under predetermined conditions, thereby obtaining acicular particles of cuprous chloride. <5> The elongated cuprous chloride is reduced in a hydrogen atmosphere to obtain acicular metallic copper fine particles.
A metal fine particle dispersed polarizing glass in which acicular metallic copper fine particles with a minor axis of 20 to 75 nm, a major axis of 120 to 350 nm, and an aspect ratio (value obtained by dividing the major axis of the acicular particle by the minor axis thereof) of 2.5 to 10 are dispersed in a base glass is manufactured by the manufacturing method, which is disclosed in JP-A-5-208844.
Patent Citation 1: JP-A-5-208844


Embodiments include a computer system, method and program product for encrypted file access. An access program module, connected to at least one file system, intercepts a data request for accessing a plaintext file with information stored physically and consecutively on a hard disk and having a pre-determined order and length expected by a program that sends the data request, wherein the plaintext file includes a plaintext record having a key field and a plaintext data field. The access program module determines an encrypted file, associated with the plaintext file, based on a configuration file and the data request, wherein the configuration file indicates the encrypted file associated with the plaintext file. The access program module determines one or more encryption keys based on the configuration file. The access program module accesses an encrypted data field within the encrypted file based on the encryption keys and the key field.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to data encryption, and more particularly to a system, method, and program product for transparent real-time access to encrypted non-relational data.
2. Description of the Related Art
Organizations, such as banks and large companies, often engage in high-volume electronic transactions involving the transmission, access, and storage of sensitive information that has a specific order and is of a specific length (i.e., non-relational data) over a computer network. The sensitive information may include bank account information, credit card information, and social security numbers. In addition, certain employees of the organizations may have access to the sensitive information. In order to protect the sensitive information from unauthorized use and to stay in compliance with government data security laws, data encryption is utilized to transform the sensitive information into encrypted data.
Data encryption is a method of converting readable data (plaintext) into unreadable characters (ciphertext), which can prevent unauthorized access and use of the sensitive information. Ciphertext, also called encrypted data or scrambled data, can be stored on a computer readable tangible storage device, such as a hard disk, or transmitted over a network, for example, via an e-mail message by a sender to a recipient. Additionally, numerous existing application programs of an organization, which may have been used for many years and that handle the sensitive information in plaintext form, may require updating so that the application programs can access an encrypted version of the sensitive information.
Currently, in order to update the organization's application programs that handle the sensitive information, the application programs may need to be programmatically customized so that the application programs are capable of accessing encrypted data. However, programmatically customizing the application programs so that they are capable of accessing encrypted data can be very costly and time consuming for organizations that have a large number of application programs. Moreover, oftentimes source code of the application programs is not readily available for organizations wanting to programmatically customize the application programs. Even after the source code is found numerous programmatic customizations in multiple places of the source code may be required, as well as programmatic customizations to other computer systems that the application programs communicate with.

Transparent real-time access to encrypted non-relational data