Provided is a semiconductor device capable of controlling an on-die-termination (ODT) circuit and an off-chip-driver (OCD) circuit and a control method used by the semiconductor device. The semiconductor device includes a control code generation unit generating a control code in response to a control signal, an addition unit adding an adjustment code to the control code to produce an adjusted control code, and an ODT circuit, wherein an impedance of the ODT circuit is adjusted in response to the adjusted control code. The semiconductor device can adjust the control code more precisely by adding or subtracting the adjustment code to or from the control code. Accordingly, the impedance of an OCD circuit or ODT circuit can be adjusted more precisely.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a semiconductor device and a control method used by the same, and more particularly, to a semiconductor device capable of precisely controlling an on-die-termination (ODT) circuit and an off-chip-driver (OCD) circuit and a method of controlling the same.
2. Description of the Related Art
The effects of the flow of data, data strobes, and AC parameters related to input and output of addresses and control signals have become increasingly more critical to the design of high-frequency double data rate (DDR) semiconductor devices. The electrical characteristics of a channel connecting two or more components, e.g., a DRAM or a CPU, can often be more important than those of the components themselves.
A plurality of components are connected by a channel, and a signal is input and output though a pad included in each component. A signal output from a component passes through an off-chip-driver (OCD) circuit, usually with impedance control and is output to a channel via a pad. In addition, a signal from the channel passes through an on-die-termination (ODT) circuit and is input to the component via the pad.
The ODT and OCD circuit within the component are implemented with adjustable impedance to improve the electrical characteristics of the channel. The impedance is adjusted by a control code generated by a calibration loop or a code controller unit.
The calibration loop generates a control code for adjusting the impedance of the ODT and OCD circuit in response to a control signal input from an external source. Similarly, the code control unit generates a control code for adjusting the impedance of the ODT and OCD circuit in response to a control signal, which is generated in response to an external mode register set signal.
FIGS. 1 and 2 are block diagrams of conventional semiconductor devices 100 and 200 capable of controlling ODT circuits 130 and 230, and OCD circuits. Referring to FIG. 1, the semiconductor device 100 includes a calibration loop 110, the ODT circuit 130, and a pad 150. The calibration loop 110 generates first and second control codes CTRL1 and CTRL2 to adjust the impedance of the ODT circuit 130 in response to a control signal EXZQ, which is generated in response to the impedance of an external reference resistor (not shown).
The impedance of the ODT circuit 130 is adjusted to match the characteristics of a channel (not shown). Accordingly, a signal is input to the semiconductor device 100 without distortion caused by noise or channel characteristics.
As illustrated in FIG. 1, the ODT circuit 130 includes a plurality of upper transistors that operate in response to the first control code CTRL1 and a plurality of lower transistors that operate in response to the second control code CTRL2.
The transistors included in the ODT circuit 130 are turned on or off in response to the first and second control codes CTRL1 and CTRL2. By adjusting transistor states, one can adjust the overall impedance of the ODT circuit 130.
Although not shown in FIG. 1, the semiconductor device 100 of FIG. 1 may further include an OCD circuit. The impedance of the OCD circuit (not shown) may be adjusted by using the method of adjusting the impedance of the ODT circuit 130.
Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, the semiconductor device 200 of FIG. 2 has the same structure as the semiconductor device 100 of FIG. 1 except that the semiconductor device 200 uses a code controller 210 instead of the calibration loop 110.
The code controller 210 generates first and second control codes CTRL1 and CTRL2, which are binary signals, in response to a control signal EMRS generated in response to an external mode register set signal. The impedance of the ODT circuit 230 is adjusted in response to the first and second control codes CTRL1 and CTRL2.
The semiconductor device 100, using the calibration loop 110 that operates in response to an external control signal, or the semiconductor device 200, using the code controller 210 that operates in response to the control signal EMRS generated in response to the external mode register set signal, can generate definite control codes unaffected by process, voltage, and temperature changes.
However, the conventional semiconductor device 100 or 200 may have an offset due to various external factors, including process, voltage, and temperature (PVT) variations. In addition, although the semiconductor device 100 or 200 is designed to have a minimum offset, the channel characteristics of the semiconductor device 100 or 200 needs to be improved. Therefore, the impedance of the semiconductor device 100 or 200 should be adjusted precisely to improve performance.
As the semiconductor device 100 or 200 operates at higher and higher frequencies, the driver intensity and impedance of the OCD circuit need to be controlled more precisely. However, the semiconductor device 100 or 200 cannot alter the fixed external resistance even when the impedance of the OCD circuit needs to be adjusted to improve channel characteristics. Thus, it is difficult to precisely control the impedance of the OCD circuit.
If the number of bits of the external mode register set signal used in the code controller 210 is increased, the impedance of the OCD circuit may be more precisely controlled. However, an increase in the number of bits of the external mode register set signal complicates the circuit structure of the semiconductor device 200.

Semiconductor device capable of controlling OCD and ODT circuits and control method used by the semiconductor device


An electrolytic solution for an electric double layer capacitor is provided. A spiro compound of formula (1) is provided as an electrolyte in an aprotic solvent. The electric conductivity of the solution at −40° C. is 0.85 mS/cm or higher.

An electrical double layer capacitor is a charge accumulation device utilizing an electrical double layer formed in the interface of polarizable electrodes and an electrolytic solution.
When the electrolytic solution used in an electrical double layer capacitor possesses a low electric conductivity, the internal resistance of the electrical double layer capacitor increases thereby decreasing the voltage of the capacitor during charging and discharging. Therefore, an electrolytic solution used in an electrical double layer capacitor is required to possess a high electric conductivity.
Another requirement for an electrolytic solution is the capability of providing the capacitor using the electrolytic solution with a sufficiently large electrostatic capacity.
These characteristics are required to exhibit a small dependence on temperature. Specifically, the capacitor is required to maintain excellent electric conductivity and electrostatic capacity at a low temperature.
In addition to the above characteristics, the electrolytic solution is required to be durable over a long period of time.
When the electrolyte concentration of the electrolytic solution is low, the internal resistance of the capacitor increases during charging with a large current density due to an insufficient amount of ions. Therefore, the electrolytic solution preferably has an electrolyte concentration as high as possible.
However, because the electrolytes in the electrolytic solution tend to precipitate at a low temperature when the electrolyte concentration of an electrolytic solution is increased, the electrolyte concentration of the electrolytic solution must be maintained at a low level. This, however, decreases conductivity and impairs the above charging and discharging characteristics. In order to solve these problems, crystal precipitation of the electrolyte at a low temperature must be prevented by increasing the solubility of the electrolyte in the electrolytic solution. In addition, the electrolyte concentration of the electrolytic solution must be increased in order to overcome the above problems.
As an electrolytic solution conventionally used in electrical double layer capacitors, a solution comprising an electfrolyte such as a linear alkyl quartenary ammonium salt (e.g. tetraethyl ammonium salt) and a quartenary phosphonium salt dissolved in an aprotic solvent such as y-butyrolactone (hereinafter referred to as "GBL") and propylene carbonate (hereinafter referred to as "PC") can be given.
However, since these electrolytes have a low solubility in the organic solvent of about 0.7-1.5 mol/l, the electrolytic solution has a low conductivity, possibly giving rise to the previously mentioned problems of impaired charging and discharging characteristics.
In addition, a capacitor using an electrolytic solution comprising linear alkyl quartenary ammonium salt, quartenary phosphonium salt, or the like tends to have a low electrostatic capacity and a large internal resistance at a low temperature. Specifically, the capacitor also possesses a problem in regard to major change in the characteristics due to a temperature change.
Recently, an electrolytic solution comprising N,N′-dialkyl substituted imidazolium salt having a high solubility in the above organic solvent of about 3 mol/l as an electrolyte has been proposed (for example, Japanese Patent No. 2945890).
However, the electrolytic solution comprising N,N′-dialkyl substituted imidazolium salt as an electrolyte has a high viscosity and an unduly decreased conductivity at a low temperature as compared with the electrolytic solution comprising linear alkyl quartenary ammonium salt or quarternary phosphonium salt as an electrolyte. The electrical double layer capacitor manufactured using this electrolytic solution exhibits a problem in long term reliability. The electrostatic capacity is reduced greatly when the capacitor is subjected to a high voltage load over a long period of time.
In view of the above, the object of the present invention is to provide an electrolytic solution for an electrical double layer capacitor capable of dissolving an electrolyte in a high concentration, having excellent conductivity and ensuring excellent electrostatic capacity in a wide temperature range from a low temperature to a high temperature, possessing a high withstand voltage, and exhibiting excellent long term reliability with electrostatic capacity decreasing only with difficulty under a high voltage load for a long period of time. The present invention also provides an electrical double layer capacitor using the electrolytic solution.

Electrolytic solution for electric double layer capacitor and electric double layer capacitor

Abstract: This electrolytic solution provides a high dissolution of electrolyte in solvent and exhibits excellent conductivity and electrostatic capacity over a wide range of temperatures Further, the electrolytic solution exhibits high resistance to voltage, even under long-term high voltage load, and exhibits suppressed lowering of electrostatic capacity allowing the solution to excel in long-term stability.


There is provided a heating/cooling system capable of reducing power consumption. The heating/cooling system has a receiving room capable of using hot air and cold air in a switching manner, and comprises a refrigerant circuit which comprises a compressor, a gas cooler, a radiator, an expansion valve, an evaporator, and the like, in which carbon dioxide is sealed as a refrigerant, and whose high pressure side becomes supercritical pressure. The inside of the receiving room is heated by the radiator and cooled by the evaporator.

The present invention relates to a heating/cooling system comprising a receiving room in which hot air and cold air can be switched to be used.
As shown in FIG. 35, a heating/cooling system of this type has conventionally comprised a storage room 101 partitioned into a cooling chamber 102 and a heating chamber 103 by an insulated wall, and a machine room 109 arranged below the storage room 101. The machine room 109 accommodates a compressor 111, a gas cooler 112, a capillary tube 116 as pressure reducing means, and the like, which constitute a refrigerant circuit 110 with an evaporator 117. An electric heater 180 is installed in the heating chamber 103. Air heated by the electric heater 180 is blown into the heating chamber 103 by a fan 128, whereby the heating chamber 103 is heated.
Now, referring to FIG. 35, an operation of a conventional heating/cooling system 400 will be described. The fan 128 is started by a control device (not shown). When power is supplied to the electric heater 180, air heated by the electric heater 180 is circulated in the heating chamber 103 by the fan 128. Accordingly, the inside of the heating chamber 103 is heated.
The control device starts running of a fan 127, and simultaneously starts a driving element (not shown) of the compressor 111. Thus, a low-pressure refrigerant gas is sucked into a cylinder of a compression element (not shown) of the compressor 111 and compressed to become a high-temperature and high-pressure refrigerant gas, and discharged to the gas cooler 112.
After heat is released from the refrigerant gas by the gas cooler 112, the refrigerant gas passes through an internal heat exchanger 145 to enter the capillary tube 116. The pressure thereof is reduced through the tube, and the refrigerant gas flows into the evaporator 117. A refrigerant is evaporated here, and absorbs heat from ambient air to exhibit a cooling effect. It should be noted that the air cooled by the evaporation of the refrigerant at the evaporator 117 is circulated in the cooling chamber 102 by running the fan 127 to cool the inside of the cooling chamber 102. Thus, according to the conventional heating/cooling system, the inside of the heating chamber 103 is heated by the electric heater 180, and the cooling chamber 102 is cooled by the evaporator 117 of the refrigerant circuit 110 (e.g., see Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 6-18156).
Furthermore, a heating/cooling system capable of using hot air and cold air in a switching manner has recently been developed, which comprises both of a heating element such as an electric heater and an evaporator installed in one receiving room, runs the heater to heat the receiving room when the receiving room is heated, stops running of the electric heater when the receiving room is cooled, starts running of a compressor, and evaporating a refrigerant by the evaporator to cool the receiving room. However, because the heating of the receiving room is carried out by the heating element such as an electric heater as described above, there is a problem that power consumption is considerably increased.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.


Differences in color change due to bronze colors and the optical interference state related to bronzing are suppressed among multiple print modes. The blue primary color “Blue” in the standard RGB gamut is mapped to a point (color) that has moved in the clockwise direction, and that color is taken to be the primary color “Blue-s” in the Standard mode gamut. As a result, when an observer observes this color, the color shifted in the counter-clockwise direction is perceived as a color of the same hue as the primary color “Blue-f” in the Fine mode gamut, suppressing the difference in perceived color between the Fine mode and the Standard mode.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image processing apparatus, an inkjet printing apparatus and a image processing method, and more particularly, to technology that suppresses bronzing in a printed image using what is called clear ink, which substantially does not contain color material.
2. Description of the Related Art
A technology for suppressing bronzing is known in which the bronzing is reduced by controlling the usage amount of color inks, as described in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2001-138555. Specifically, whether or not bronzing will occur is determined based on the lightness of the image to be printed and the ink usage amounts, and bronzing is suppressed by changing the ink usage amounts according to the determination result.
Typically, when observing printed material, an observer observes light that was radiated onto the printed material from a light source and then reflected from the printed material. The observed color differs according to the observation angle. FIG. 1 is a diagram for explaining the difference in two types of reflected light in the case of observing printed material from two different angles. In FIG. 1, the reflected light observed in the direction A is specular light as observed from a direction of specular reflection with respect to the light source, and an image of the light source appearing on the printed material is observed. On the other hand, the reflected light observed in the direction B is reflected light that passed through the printed material and reflected out, or in other words diffuse light, and a color reproduced by the color material is observed. Also, in the case of observing the printed material from the direction A, the light source may be recognized as appearing in a different color from the color of the light source. This is perceived as bronzing.
The method described in the above Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2001-138555 has the following problems when observing such printed material. Different tints in the two types of observed light illustrated in FIG. 1 provide feeling of strangeness to the observer. Typically, printing with cyan ink causes a comparatively large difference in the tints in the two types of observed light, and the perception of the specular light becomes a red color different from cyan. In this case, when reproducing the high saturation color of cyan that is one of three primary colors, substituting this cyan with ink of a different color is difficult. For this reason, the technology of changing the usage amount of color inks described in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2001-138555 cannot be applied.
Regarding differences in the tint of observed light as above, the use of clear ink which does not contain color material is known as a technology enabling a reduction in the tint differences of specular light while suppressing bronzing. FIGS. 2A to 2D are diagrams explaining the principle of suppressing bronzing by applying clear ink to printed material after image formation. FIG. 2A illustrates how light reflects normally off the surface of the colored ink layer. Note that for the sake of simplicity, light that is transmitted through the colored ink layer and reflected off surface of the print medium has been omitted. In contrast, FIG. 2B illustrates the case of forming a uniform clear ink layer over the colored ink layer. There exist light 1003 that reflects off the surface of the clear ink layer 1001, and light 1004 that passes through the clear ink layer 1001, reflects off the surface of the cyan colored ink layer 1002, and exits out from the clear ink layer 1001. The light path length of the light 1004 is longer than the light 1003 by a distance equivalent to passing through the clear ink layer 1001. The shift in optical phase based on the light path difference strengthens or weakens the intensity at a specific wavelength to produce light interference, and the tints of bronzing become different. Utilizing this phenomenon, changing the clear ink use amount can vary the coverage of clear ink over the colored ink layer and the thickness of the clear ink layer (see FIGS. 2C and 2D). Thus, the light interference state can be varied to control hues of bronzing color.
However, even though it may be possible to control the optical interference state and bronze hues to some extent by modifying clear ink application amounts, the problem of color change due to bronze colors and the optical interference state related to bronzing may not be resolved in some cases.
More specifically, the optical interference state and bronze colors are caused by further enhancing and blurring color formed by colored ink. This is because colors specified as the same color in the gamut are actually perceived as different colors by an observer. As a result, if image data is generated on the basis of just the colorimetry values associated with the gamut as in the related art, and an image is printed on the basis of such image data, the observer may perceive unnatural color differing from the expected color. In this case, if the application amounts of clear ink and ink or the number of scans by a print head for completing printing on a unit area differ among a plurality of print modes, differences will occur in the way that the clear ink functions and the degree to which clear ink suppresses the above color change due to bronze colors and the optical interference state. As a result, the image colors actually perceived by the observer will appear differently among different modes.

Processing and printing apparatus, and processing method for suppressing bronzing in a printed image


A system for splitting and connecting computer bus lines, including a ribbon cable with a flat end connector which is piggy-backed to the contact strip of a circuit board. The circuit board is then plugged into a bus slot with the flat end connector insulating selected terminal contacts of the slot from said contact strip. The ribbon connector is connected to the circuit board, the terminal contacts, the contract strip, or both. A control signal selector connected to the other end of the ribbon cable sends signals to one of several circuit boards so as to allow more than one work station to be supported by a single microprocessor.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a system for splitting and connecting computer bus lines, especially on the mother board of a personal computer. More particularly, it relates to an electronic switching system which provides work stations for two or more users. The electronic switching system also allows several programs to run on a work station, i.e., multitasking. The switching system can operate under standard operating systems, for example, PC/DOS or MS/DOS.RTM. (referred to generally as DOS), and multi-user operating systems, e.g., Xenix.RTM. and Unix.RTM..
2. The Prior Art
With existing personal computers, there is often the need to split or connect individual bus lines based on requirements of the software. According to the prior art, such a change was only possible with extensive hardware changes on the mother board and/or cards.
Under the DOS operating system, personal computers of a known type currently support only a single work station, with one monitor and one keyboard, i.e., a single-user system. Many programs, however, demand relatively little processor time, peripheral involvement, or memory. As a result, the hardware capabilities are not utilized to their full capacity with the single-user system. It would therefore be practical in terms of the hardware to have parallel operations by several users at several work stations with multiple programs running at each work station.
Prior art networks, which connect personal computers together, run programs separately on each computer. Data or programs can be reciprocally exchanged through a file server and peripherals such as printers and disk drives can be shared. The necessity of acquiring a suitable personal computer for each work station, as well as the hardware and software for operating the network, is costly. The system according to the invention allows an IBM.RTM.-compatible PC to be used as a two-user or multi-user system with simultaneous multi-tasking capabilities, using conventional monitors, video cards and standard operating systems, such as DOS or multi-user operating systems.

System for splitting and connecting computer bus lines


A metal plate (126) has a plurality of openings (127) extending through it, and is cleaned using a wet hydrogen process (157). Glass windows (106) are then placed in the openings, and are each fused to the metal plate by heat (231) in a manner so that each window projects outwardly on each side of the plate. Both sides of each window are then simultaneously ground and polished (232). Exposed surfaces of the metal plate are electroplated with nickel and gold (236). One or more coatings (41, 46, 47) are applied to one or both sides of each window. Several sections are then cut from the assembly, each of which can serve as a lid (17) for an optical apparatus (10).

An existing device includes a housing with an opening therein which is closed by a lid. The lid includes a frame, and a window which is disposed within and hermetically sealed to the frame, the window being transmissive to radiation in a waveband of interest. The device can be used in a television or a projector to form images, which are typically projected onto some type of screen so that they can be viewed by a person. The device includes within the housing a digital micromirror device (DMD) of a known type. A beam of radiation enters the housing through the window in the lid, is processed by the digital micromirror device to form a plurality of sub-beams which represent an image, and at least some of the sub-beams then exit the housing through the window in order to facilitate the generation of the image, which is projected onto the screen.
This existing lid is made by forming a metal frame which has an opening through it, placing a piece of glass in the opening through the frame, and then heating the frame and glass until the peripheral edges of the glass become fused to the edges of the opening in the frame. The side surfaces of the glass are then ground and polished, and one or more coatings are applied to both sides of the glass. While this existing lid and the process of making it have been generally adequate for their intended purposes, they have not been satisfactory in all respects.
In this regard, different applications require lids of various different sizes, and/or glass windows of various different sizes. Fabricating each lid as a separate part is time-consuming and expensive, due in part to the separate handling and processing needed for each lid, and also due in part to the fact that separate tooling is needed for each different frame size, and the separate tooling is relatively expensive. In this regard, grinding and polishing of the opposite side surfaces of the glass window in each separate frame requires a special support part capable of properly supporting a frame of that size within a double-disk grinding apparatus, and each such support part must be configured to conform to the particular size of the lid. Some lid configurations are not associated with a high-volume market, and high tooling costs can thus represent a significant portion of the overall manufacturing cost of each individual lid.
A different consideration is that, when fusing each piece of glass to the associated frame, impurities in the frame can cause the formation of gases. For example, carbon impurities in the frame can lead to the formation of carbon-based gases. Since the glass is softened by the heat used for fusing, the gases can in turn produce bubbles within the glass. An excessive quantity of bubbles can degrade the optical properties of the glass window to an extent where the lid is considered defective and must be discarded. This obviously reduces the effective yield of the fabrication process. Techniques have been developed to clean metal frames by removing impurities, for example by processing the frames in a disassociated ammonia environment. However, these techniques have not been satisfactory in all respects. In particular, these techniques have helped to reduce the number of impurities and thus the number of gas bubbles in the glass, thereby increasing production yields. But the number of parts which must be discarded as defective is still undesirably high, which in turn causes the cost of the satisfactory lids to be undesirably high.

Method and apparatus for making a lid with an optically transmissive window


A mixture of metal ions is added to the primary cooling water of a water-cooled nuclear reactor to inhibit deposition of radioactive materials in the cooling water on the inner surfaces of pipes. The mixture of metal ions added to the cooling water introduced into the primary cooling system simultaneously comprises two to four of the metal ions, Mn ion, Mg ion, Ni ion and Zn ion, one of these ions being manganese ion.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method of inhibiting radioactive material deposition in the primary coolant structure of a nuclear power plant, and in particular relates to inhibiting the deposition of materials, especially materials containing .sup.60 Co and other radioactive cobalt materials on, for example, cooling water vessels, ducts, inner walls of water delivery equipment and inner surfaces of pipes in boiling water reactors and pressurized water reactors.
2. Description of the Related Art
In nuclear power stations using water-cooled reactors, radioactive materials contained in the primary cooling water may deposit on the inner wall surfaces of the pipes or of the primary coolant structure, and this leads to an increase of spatial dose rate in the primary cooling system.
When the primary coolant structure of the nuclear power station, for example the inner walls of cooling water vessels (pressure vessels), pipes, pumps and valves come in contact with cooling water at high temperature, corrosion products or dissolved substances are produced. These become radioactive due to bombardment with neutron radiation in the reactor, and are recycled in the primary cooling system together with the cooling water. During recirculation through the primary cooling system, the radioactive materials are deposited on the inner walls of pressure vessels, pipes or pumps, and the radiation dose rate in the system rises. The deposition of these radioactive materials, in particular .sup.60 Co which has a relatively long half-life (5.3 years), is undesirable in view of the need to reduce exposure of workers to radiation during shutdown of the nuclear power station, e.g. for regular inspection purposes.
Various methods may be envisaged to suppress increase of the radiation dose rate due to deposition of radioactive materials in the primary coolant structure of a water-cooled reactor. This may be done by inhibiting the production of radioactive materials (inhibiting corrosion of structures), localizing the radioactive materials where they are produced (the core), eliminating radioactive materials from cooling water (purification), inhibiting deposition of radioactive materials to structural surfaces, and elimination of the depositing radioactive materials (polishing, cleaning).
In U.S. Pat. No. 4,756,874 granted to Ruiz et al, a method is described for removing or inhibiting accumulation of radioactive cobalt on the surfaces or structural members by adding zinc ions to the cooling water of the water-cooled reactor.
However in this prior art patent, secondary radiation is produced due to radioactive conversion of the .sup.64 Zn isotope contained in the cooling water (the natural occurrence of .sup.64 Zn is 48 %, and the half-life of the .sup.65 Zn produced by radioactive conversion is 244 days). Therefore it was necessary to separate and remove .sup.64 Zn, and the high cost of this separation process was an obstacle to its practical application.
In addition to the above patent, another method is reported in Japanese Examined Patent Publication No. Hei 3-14155 where at least one metal ion chosen from the group Mg, Cr, V, Ti, Cu, Ni, Zn, Cd is added to the cooling water of the water-cooled reactor. However in the method described in this Japanese patent, there are difficulties from the viewpoint of maintaining the safety of the nuclear power station due to the following unresolved problems. That is, Cu accelerates corrosion in nickel-based alloys. Cd is a neutron absorbing material and toxic to man. Ti and V cannot exist as bivalent metal ions in cooling water and the mechanism by which they inhibit deposition of radioactive cobalt is unknown; moreover, the corrosive action they have on structural materials is unclear.
In view of the above situation, a new technique was required wherein the effect of secondary radiation could be ignored, and wherein there was no need for concern about adverse effect on structural materials.

Inhibition of radioactive material deposition in primary coolant structure of nuclear power plant


A retaining device for frictionally retaining two mobile parts of a thermostatically controlled mixing valve. The first part of the mixing valve contains a cavity having a side wall, a top wall, and a bottom wall. An O-ring type packing washer is disposed in the cavity and frictionally grips a surface of the second mobile part. The axial distance between the top wall and bottom wall of the cavity is less than the cross-sectional diameter in the axial direction of the ring-shaped packing washer. The packing washer is thus compressed axially and establishes a frictional hold between the top wall and the bottom wall of the cavity and the axially extending surface of the second mobile part. The diameter of the cavity is greater than the diameter of the compressed ring-shaped packing washer thereby forming a ring-shaped space or chamber between the washer and the side wall. This ring-shaped space communicates with a water holding area of the mixing valve through a groove in the bottom wall of the cavity.

Ring-shaped packing washers with a circular cross-section, so-called O-rings, are widely used for providing a frictional grip between various parts in various types of valves. These ring-shaped packing washers are economical, they are easy to install, and they generally provide quite satisfactory performance. The conventional way in which this type of packing washer is used to establish a radial hold is by inserting it in a ring-shaped cavity in one of the parts between which the grip or hold is to be established. The dimensions of this cavity, taking into account the play between the parts, are such that the circular cross-section of the O-ring is radially compressed between the bottom of the cavity and the surface. In the axial direction the cavity should be sufficiently deep so that following radial compression, the dimension of the packing washer along the axial direction increases so that its original circular section becomes oval with a smaller diameter in the radial direction than in the axial direction. This arrangement lends itself to establishing a hold or frictional grip between the working parts that are fixed with respect to each other. However, when one wishes to establish a radial hold between relatively mobile parts, this arrangement can give rise to problems if the parts themselves, as the apparatus functions experience a change in their dimensions, for example, because of different thermal expansions. In this case the degree of radial compression of the packing washer is modified and the packing washer which is excessively stressed by an increase in the radial compression may obstruct or impede the relatively displacement between the parts. This becomes a serious problem especially if the force available for displacing a mobile part is limited, as is the case in thermostatically controlled mixing valves, especially on the return run which is driven by a spring whose force is not very high. Problems similar to those caused by thermal expansions may also arise due to variance of the design dimensions of such parts. The problems discussed with relation to the use of an O-ring can also be found in the use of other types of packing washers, such as the so-called quadrings (retaining rings with four lips).
Japanese patent application No. 58-68546 proposes a retaining device consisting of an O-ring for a piston movable in a cylinder where, for the purpose of increasing the service life of the packing washer and increasing its pressure against the surface of the cylinder, an O-ring is inserted in a cavity that holds it axially and whose bottom is spaced away from the O-ring so as to form a ring-shaped chamber and from this chamber runs a duct that empties out upon the surface of the piston head. In this way, the pressure generated by the piston is transmitted to the ring-shaped chamber and forcefully pushes the O-ring against the wall of the cylinder.

Thermostatically controlled mixing valve


A method and apparatus for detecting capacitive devices are disclosed. A circuit including two circuit paths is connected to an oscillator voltage source. Connecting a test capacitive device to a path of the circuit modifies the electric potential waveform at a point along the path. Passing the first circuit path through a reference comparator and the second circuit path through a phase-shifting comparator produces two output signals that are phase-shifted with respect to each other when the test capacitive device is functional. Analysis of the output signals allows detection or measurement of the test capacitive device.

Printed Circuit Cable Assemblies (PCCAs) for magnetic disc drives incorporate connection traces for micro-actuators. Manufacturers have added filter capacitors whose capacitances are as low as 100 picofarads to the connection traces in PCCAs. The presence of these capacitors must be detected during the PCCA assembly process.
Detection and measurement of capacitive devices is normally performed by applying an alternating current signal to the capacitor being tested and measuring the phase difference between the applied voltage and the current drawn. This method is suboptimal for lower-capacitance capacitors because the difference in current caused by these capacitors is too small to be easily detected.


A method for exposure control which yields exposure settings just high enough to clip light sources and reflections from light sources in an image scene while allocating the majority of image sensor dynamic range to remaining objects in the image scene. Exposure control according to the present techniques includes determining a number of clipped pixels from an image scene for one or more of a set of possible exposures and determining a selected exposure from the possible exposures such that the possible exposures higher than the selected exposure increase the number and the possible exposures less than the selected exposure do not substantially decrease the number.

1. Field of Invention
The present invention pertains to the field of exposure control in cameras. More particularly, this invention relates to exposure control in a digital camera.
2. Art Background
Cameras including digital still cameras and video cameras typically include an image sensor and an exposure mechanism for controlling the amount of light from an image scene that reaches the image sensor. Digital cameras, for example, usually include a charge-coupled device (CCD) array as an image sensor along with mechanisms that control aperture and shutter speed exposure settings.
Image scenes often include objects which are very bright in comparison to other objects. For example, light sources such as light bulbs, candles, etc., in a relatively dark image scene are usually very bright in comparison to the remainder of the image scene. In addition, direct reflections of light sources from highly reflective surfaces in an image scene are usually very bright in comparison to the remainder of the image scene.
Exposure control in a camera typically involves determining the exposure settings that best utilize the dynamic range of the image sensor given the characteristics of an image scene being photographed. The dynamic range of an image sensor may be defined as the ratio of its highest possible signal output to its lowest useful signal output. In a CCD array, for example, the highest possible signal output is usually limited by its charge capacity and its lowest useful signal output is usually limited by circuit noise.
Prior methods for exposure control in a camera typically involve measuring the average intensity of light from a sample area of an image scene being photographed and then selecting exposure settings that scale that average to a predetermined percentage of the dynamic range of the image sensor. However, light sources and reflections of light sources in the sample area usually yield a relatively high average intensity. A relatively high average intensity typically results in relatively low exposure settings using prior methods. Such low exposure settings typically reduce the intensity of light obtained from areas of the image scene outside of the light sources and reflections of light sources to the low end of the dynamic range of the image sensor. Unfortunately, this typically causes areas of interest in the image scene to appear too dark once photographed.

Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.


There is provided a linear motor in which the number of armature windings can be reduced, and an armature iron core can be readily fixed to a member for supporting the armature iron core.

The present invention relates to a linear motor.
Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open Publication No. 119919/2001 (Patent Document 1) discloses a linear motor including a stator constituted by a pair of inductors and a moving element constituted by an armature. The pair of inductors is formed of a magnetic material. Each pair of inductors includes a tooth row constituted by a plurality of teeth provided at a predetermined pitch τ in a moving direction of the moving element. The armature includes an armature iron core, at least one permanent magnet row, and a plurality of armature windings. The armature iron core includes at least one opposed surface facing the tooth row and is constituted by a plurality of steel plates laminated in a direction orthogonal to the moving direction of the moving element. The permanent magnet row is constituted by a plurality of permanent magnets. The permanent magnets are provided on the opposed surface at a pitch τ/2 in the moving direction of the moving element and are so arranged that different polarities alternately appear along the opposed surface. The armature windings are wound around the armature iron core and are arranged side by side in the moving direction of the moving element.
In the conventional linear motor, however, the armature windings are arranged side by side in the moving direction of the moving element. Thus, a lot of armature windings (18 windings in the case of the linear motor disclosed in the Patent Document 1) become necessary. Further, the steel plates are laminated in the direction orthogonal to the moving direction of the moving element, thereby constituting the armature iron core. Accordingly, the armature iron core and a member for supporting the armature iron core must be secured by screws and the like that pass through the steel plates. Manufacture of the linear motor is thereby complicated and requires much time and effort.

Abstract: Each of three inductors 1A to 1C is so arranged that a tooth row 7 therein is located on each side thereof in a width direction thereof orthogonal to a moving direction of an armature 3. The three inductors are arranged spaced apart from each other by a predetermined spacing in the width direction. An armature iron core 9 of the armature 3 includes four magnetic pole portions 15A to 15D and three yoke portions 17A to 17, and is constituted by a plurality of electromagnetic steel plates laminated in the moving direction of the armature 3. The four magnetic pole portions 15A to 15D are arranged in parallel and spaced apart from each other by a predetermined spacing so that each of the three inductors 1A to 1C is positioned within the spacing. Each of permanent magnet rows 11A to 11F is arranged on an opposed surface 21 of each magnetic pole portion. The three yoke portions 17A to 17C extend in the moving direction of the armature 3 and magnetically couples the adjacent two magnetic pole portions 15A and 15B, 15B and 15C, and 15C and 15D, respectively. Three armature windings 13A to 13C are wound around the yoke portions 17A to 17C, respectively.


The invention provides a waterproof litter receptacle for use in disposal of animal waste products. The litter receptacle contains a mixture of non-smectitic, hydrophilic shale aggregate. The mixture of non-smectitic hydrophilic shale has a fraction of coarse material with a size less than about 5 mesh (4000 microns). The mixture has the property of agglomerating into a clump upon contact with urine. The agglomerated clump of shale and urine is removable with a perforated scoop. A substantially dust-free distribution of shale of greater than 50 mesh (300 microns) is capable of clumping without additives. Optionally, the shale may contain up to 10 weight percent clumping agent selected from the group of water absorbent polymers, corn starch, gelatin, gluten and dried plants of the Plantago family. In addition 5 to 25 wt % ammonia absorbing zeolite may be added for odor control.

Traditionally, water-absorbent clays have been relied on for use as animal litters. The problem with certain of these conventional water-absorbent clays is that some tend not to absorb noxious odors as the waste products biologically break down. Eventually, as the waste products accumulate, the odor increase requires that the entire litter charge be replaced.
Recently, "clumpable" animal litters have become a popular method of reducing the build up of waste odors. With clumpable animal litters, urine is agglomerated with an absorbent material into a clump of material that may physically be removed from an animal litter box. Provided the urine clumps and other waste products are periodically scooped away, saturation of objectionable odors is avoided. This clumping aspect also allows only the specific litter affected to be removed, thus a bulk of the litter charge is retained for subsequent use.
To date, there have been essentially two types of clumpable animal litters. The first type of clumpable animal litter contains predominately smectite or other hydrophilic clay types such a bentonite or palygorskite group clays. An example of a bentonite clay-containing cat litter is provided by J. Hughes in U.S. Pat. No. 5,129,365. A problem with smectite clays is that some pet owners ignore instructions not to flush the clumps down a toilet. Water-swellable clays that have a tendency to increase as much as 10 to 14 times by volume can cause severe sewer problems if introduced or concentrated in large enough quantities. Another potential problem with clay-based clumpable animal litters is "dusting" that occurs during the pouring of the litters into the litter box container.
Several additives for improving clumpability of smectite clay have been proposed. G. A. Stuart, in U.S. Pat. No. 4,685,420, discloses the use of a particulate water absorbent polymer in combination with a clay based animal litter for agglomeration. Similarly, T. Fujimori, in Japanese Pat. Publication No. 1-191626 discloses use of an acrylic acid vinyl alcohol copolymer or a sodium acrylate polymer, powdered paper and bentonite mixture for forming clumpable animal litters. Finally, T. M. Kiebke, in U.S. Pat. No. 5,216,980, has recently disclosed use of a semolina additive to clay particles for creating a clumpable cat litter. However, these clays continue to rely upon water swellable clay as the base material.
In addition to the clay based animal litters, alternate clumpable mixtures have been proposed. For example, H. Wakamiya, in Japanese Pat. Publication No. 63-219323 discloses a mixture of sand and at least 15 wt % ferrous sulfate monohydrate for forming removable clumps. H. R. Loeb, in U.S. Pat. No. 5,152,250, discloses use of granulated peanut shells, flour and mineral oil for holding the mixture together. It is believed that these clay alternatives have not been commercially successful.
It is an object of this invention to provide a smectite-free clumpable cat litter.
It is a further object of the invention to provide an all natural clumpable animal litter.
It is a further object of the invention to provide a substantially dust-free animal litter.
It is a further object of this invention to provide an animal litter capable of forming durable removable clumps in a few minutes.


The invention relates to a process for the purification of titania by treating the titania with an aqueous solution having one or more ammonium compounds at elevated temperatures, separating the titania from the aqueous solution, drying the titania and, optionally, calcining the dried titania. More especially the invention relates to the removal of sulphur (mainly present in the form of sulphate compounds) from the titania. The titania purified according to the above process is especially suitable for use as a catalyst carrier.

The use of pigments in paints, varnishes, printing inks, building materials, rubbers, etc. is well known. Organic as well as inorganic compounds have been widely used as colouring materials. Usually a pigment consists of (very) small particles which are practically insoluble in the applied medium, this in contrast to dyes, which are soluble in the applied medium.
The main white inorganic pigment is titania (or titanium dioxide). Two processes are used to prepare titania on a commercial scale. See for instance Ullmann's Encyclopedia of Industrial Chemistry, Fifth edition, Vol. A20, pages 271-281.
In the "chloride process" titanium containing raw materials as ilmenite, leucoxene, natural and synthetic rutile, titanium slag and anatase are chlorinated at 700-1200° C. Titanium tetra chloride is separated from the other chlorides by distillation. The titanium tetra chloride, optionally after further purification, is burnt with an oxygen containing gas at temperatures between 900 and 1400° C. to form titania. The pigment obtained in this way is very pure. Depending on the type of application some further treatment may be necessary.
In the other process, the "sulphate process", the titanium raw material, especially ilmenite and titanium slag, are dissolved in concentrated sulphuric acid at 150-220° C. Removal of insolubles and precipitation of iron sulphates results in a concentrated titanyl sulphate solution. Relatively pure titania dihydrate (also called "mesa titanic acid") is precipitated by hydrolysis of the sulphate solution at about 100° C. The remaining impurities, especially metal sulphates, are largely removed in further purification stages, especially by washing with diluted acid and by bleaching. The hydrate is filtered (usually using a rotary vacuum filter) until a titania (anhydrous TiO2) content of 30-40 wt % is obtained, calcined, ground and further treated, depending on the type of application. Calcination (suitably at a temperature below 1000° C., especially between 400 and 700° C., 0.1 to 3 hours) is usually carried out in rotary kilns. Approximately two-thirds of the residence time (often 7-20 h in total) is needed to dry the material. Above 500° C., sulphur trioxide is driven off which partially decomposes to sulphur dioxide and oxygen at higher temperatures. In another form of the process the obtained titania hydrate is suspended in water and spray dried, optionally followed by calcination.
Beside the use of titania as a pigment, there are also other applications. One other application of titania is the use as catalyst carrier. A problem in the use of titania as catalyst carrier, especially with titania produced in the sulphate process, is the high content of sulphur, especially sulphate, in the titania. The presence of sulphur, either as adsorbed sulphuric acid or in the form of metal sulphates or in any other form, is often detrimental to the performance of the catalyst prepared from the titania carrier. The activity, the selectivity and/or the stability the may be negatively affected. In a number of cases the regeneration by means of hydrogen treatment results in the formation of hydrogensulphide, which negatively affects catalyst performance.


A wheel alignment head and system use advanced power management to reduce non-essential power consumption, to extend operation time between charges. The wheel alignment head is operable in a first operation state and a second operation state that consumes less power than the first operation state. In response to an occurrence of at least one of preset events, the wheel alignment head switches its operation from the first operation mode to the second operation mode.

Cordless alignment systems are popular because they abolish the use signal cords between alignment heads, alignment cameras and console stations, which substantially reduces obstructions to operations and risks of injuries. However, cordless alignment systems rely on batteries to supply power to alignment heads. Smaller batteries, though lighter in weight, substantially limit the operation time of the alignment heads. On the other hand, batteries with higher capacities tend to be heavier. While high capacity batteries allow longer operation time, they add weight to the alignment heads and cause difficulties in installation, operation, maneuverability and transportation. Accordingly, a cordless alignment system with light weight and extended usage time is highly desirable.

Wheel alignment head and system with advanced power management


A high-voltage hierarchy hundred-megawatt level (100 MW) battery energy storage system and optimizing and control methods are provided. The system includes a multi-phase structure, of which each phase is divided into multi-story spaces from top to bottom. A battery module is provided in each story of the multi-story spaces. The battery module is connected to a DC terminal of an H-bridge converter, and each phase is cascaded by the H-bridge converter. A capacity of the single-phase energy storage apparatus of the present invention is large, and multiple phases can be connected in parallel to form a 100 MW battery energy storage power station. The power station has the advantages of simple structure, easy coordinated control, low control loop model and coupling, and optimal system stability. The control system of the present invention has fewer hierarchies, a small information transmission delay, and a rapid response speed.

Currently, the energy crisis and environmental pollution have attracted much attention. Countries around the world are aggressively developing large-scale renewable energy power generation in order to build a highly-efficient, clean and smart energy source grid for the future. A high proportion of large-scale wind and solar power sources have been connected to power grids to promote grid-side battery energy storage power stations to enter a hundred-MW level and move to a GW level, which advances higher requirements for safety, operating efficiency and dynamic characteristics.
An energy storage power conversion system (PCS) is an interface of a battery stack and a power grid. The conventional topology structure of PCS is a low-voltage three-phase two-level conversion circuit with a single capacity of about 500 kW. A hundred-MW level energy storage power station is formed by merging numerous PCSs into a high-voltage power grid after being boosted by multi-stage transformers. In such an energy storage power station, in one aspect, as for a 500 kW battery stack, since it is formed by nearly ten thousand battery cells connected in series and parallel, inconsistency of the battery cells causes parallel current circulation to trigger the battery stack to heat and burn, so that safety of the battery stack is low. In another aspect, the circulating current loss, high switching frequency of conventional PCS and extensive use of transformers in the battery stack reduce the efficiency of a grid-connected system. Additionally, the capacity of a single PCS is extremely small, hundreds of energy storage apparatuses are required to be connected in parallel when forming a large-capacity energy storage power station of a hundred-megawatt level. The structure of the power station is complicated, and coordinate control between the apparatus is difficult, and the control instruction must be transmitted through a multi-level information system, which seriously affects the response speed of the system. Therefore, a novel high-voltage and high-power conversion system is highly desirable in order to meet the challenge of a hundred-megawatt level battery energy storage system.

High-voltage hierarchy hundred-megawatt level battery energy storage system


In a method for the manufacture of cells of a read-only memory, each cell comprises a MOS transistor formed by a first diffusion and a second diffusion of impurities of a first type in a semiconductor substrate with impurities of a second type. These two diffusions are separated by a channel surmounted by a gate. A thick oxide zone is made in the zone designed for the first diffusion, so that the making of the diffusions leads to a first diffusion in two parts separated by this thick oxide zone, a first part adjoining the channel and a second part on the periphery of the transistor. A particular encoding step makes it possible, by means of a mask, to eliminate the thick oxide in certain cells so that these encoded cells have a first continuous diffusion.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a read-only memory or ROM and to a corresponding method of manufacture by means of MOS technology.
2. Discussion of the Related Art
Different types of ROM cells are known in the prior art. These cells are based on a MOS transistor. A specific step in the manufacturing method will modify this transistor to obtain a difference in operation between the basic cell and the programmed cell to which the particular step has been applied.
There is a known method of programming cells by forming metal contacts on the gates of the transistors which are selected to be programmed. The gates on the non-programmed cells have no such contacts. It is generally this type of cell that is found in programmable logic arrays. The encoding, i.e., programming of a cell, can be easily detected since it is enough to look at where the metal (aluminum) contacts are placed. Yet, the problem of such a programming method is that the programmed cell takes up a relatively large amount of space (because of the gate metal contacts).
There are other known methods of programming cells that consist of acting on one of the diffusions of the transistor to modify the properties of conduction of these diffusions.
In one such method, there is N.sup.- encoding (programming) (on P type substrate) of the cell, where the non-programmed cell includes a normally doped (N.sup.+) diffusion and a diffusion with lower doping (N.sup.- doping). In the encoded or programmed cell, there is only the normally doped N.sup.+ diffusion.
In another such method, the basic non-programmable cell has a diffusion with low doping (N.sup.-) as above, but the encoded cell has a diffusion with an opposite type of doping (P type) between this diffusion with low doping (N.sup.- type doping) and the channel. This is the encoding by P type counter-doping (for a P type substrate).
All these methods that act on the diffusions have the major drawback of not being able to offer a sufficiently wide differentiation of the currents between the basic non-programmed cell and the encoded or programmed cell. The conductive cell (the basic non-programmed cell in the above description) shows little conductivity, owing to the low doping of the diffusions. On the other hand, the encoded or programmed cell, lets through a leakage current. For these reasons, in order to ensure detection of an encoded cell from a non-encoded cell, it is necessary to have circuits that are specially designed to detect small current differences, the response time of which detection circuits remains very lengthy.
It is also sought to shorten the manufacturing times. It is necessary that the encoding part, which is specific to the customer, should take place as late as possible in the manufacturing process. Also, the smaller the number of manufacturing steps that remain to be performed, the more speedily will the circuit be delivered to the customer. At present, starting from the time when the circuit is ready to be encoded, six to eight weeks are needed to finish a circuit according to the customer's encoding specifications. It is being sought to halve this encoding time so as to shorten the time of delivery of the encoded circuit.

Read-only memory and corresponding method of manufacturing by MOS technology


One of the routines required for maintaining the air worthiness of an aircraft is the frequent inspection of rudder and elevator cables. Given traditional aircraft design, for example the Cessna "335" and "340" aircraft, access to these cables has been achievable only by removing the tail-cone from the body of the aircraft. Composed as they have been of aluminum or ABS plastic, these tail-cones have been prone to breakage. Their replacements, also of ABS plastic, have consisted of two large halves bolted together, one of which must still be removed from the aircraft to allow cable inspection and for which breakage is still a concern. The invented generally one-piece tail-cone molded of fiberglass constitutes a durable replacement for a broken cone. Equipping the new fiberglass cone with relatively small doors to be used for cable inspection allows the tail-cone to remain in place on the aircraft during its conceivable considerably lengthened life span. Coverings for these door holes are easy to remove and reinstall, aerodynamic, safe, and are economical to replace when necessary.

1. Field of the Invention
The innovations here disclosed concern the tail-cones of aircraft, specifically, modifications to their traditional composition and design intended to improve their serviceability and longevity.
2. Related Art
Inside the tail-cone of an aircraft reside the cables connected to and controlling the rudder, and the push-rod which is connected to and controlling the elevators. Inspection of these cables and push-rod is required upon completion of each one hundred hours of flying time. Taking as examples the Cessna 335 and 340 aircraft, access to these cables requires the removal of the tail-cone from the body of the aircraft. Frequent removal and reinstallation of a tail-cone is time consuming and expensive and entails significant wear and tear to the cone itself. Generally composed of aluminum or ABS plastic, a tail-cone is fragile, even brittle, and breakage is common.
Again, using the Cessna 335 and 340 aircraft as examples, broken tail-cones are replaced by two-piece ABS replacement cones supplied by the manufacturer. Cable inspection is then accomplished by removal of one of the tail-cone's two pieces. Composed of ABS plastic, this piece is quite brittle and vulnerable to wear and tear. This two piece tail-cone consists of a top piece meeting a bottom piece at a generally horizontal seam, with the two pieces being bolted to the rear of the plane underneath the rudder and around the rear of the elevators. The manufacturer is reported to mold a one-piece tail-cone and then cut it from front to back along a generally horizontal line, starting at the center of the left and right elevator fairings (F) in FIG. 2 and extending back and down slightly to finish the cut below the tail light housing (L) at the far rear of the tail-cone. The manufacturer then expects the aircraft maintenance personnel to bolt the two pieces onto the plane. The position of the bottom piece, designated for removal during inspection, is beneath and in close proximity to the elevators or "tail flaps", making removal difficult. Therefore, breakage of this two-piece tail-cone is still common.
Because of the difficulty of certifying new small airplanes and modifications to old airplanes, there are still many of the older planes in use. The Cessna 340 tail-cone fragility and inspection problem has long been, and continues to be, a serious problem for smaller commercial and private aircraft owners and operators. Therefore, there has been a long-time need for improvement in the tail-cone design to allow less expensive and less damaging inspections.

One-piece airplane tail-cone with inspection door(s)


A printer head member having ultrafine grooves of high density and high precision. In one or more embodiments of the invention, a flat plate made of ceramics, glass, silicon or the like is bonded and integrated to a partition wall made of a powder of ceramics, glass, silicon or the like, obtained by a molding process. The mold used for obtaining the partition includes ultrafine grooves that conform to the shape of a partition. In another embodiment of the invention, a member for passage having high density and high precision is obtained by a molding process. A flat plate made of ceramics, glass, silicon or the like is bonded and integrated to a partition wall made of a powder of ceramics, glass, silicon or the like, using a molding die having one or more fine grooves for forming one or more partition walls, wherein at least a passage is formed between the partition walls. One or more embodiments of the invention are directed to an ink jet printer head including one or more ink chambers, an ejection port communicating with the ink chambers, and a diaphragm for applying pressure to the ink chambers. The diaphragm is formed of conductive inorganic material, and a piezoelectric element bonded to the diaphragm. A driving electrode is formed on the piezoelectric element. The displacement of a piezoelectric element is favorably transmitted to the diaphragm.

The present invention relates to a member having ultrafine grooves that can be used in a ip displacement control element, motor, relay, switch, shutter, printer head, pump, fan, ink jet printer, and an ink jet printer head using the same.
Recently, in the field of optics and precision processing, a displacement control element capable of adjusting the optical path length or position in the sub-micron order is demanded, and to meet such demand, various actuators are devised including, for example, those utilizing piezoelectric material and others utilizing static electricity.
More lately, in particular, for use in an ink jet printer head, a small-sized actuator is proposed, in which a ceramic green sheet is formed. Air vents forming ink chambers are formed by a die, and by laminating and baking a part thereof as a diaphragm. A piezoelectric drive section is formed on the surface of the actuator (see Japanese Laid-open Patent No. 4-12678).
The structure of an ink jet printer head is as shown in FIG. 7, in which a nozzle plate 23 forming a nozzle 6, a partition wall 22 forming ink chambers 1 or ink passages, and a diaphragm 21 are fabricated of ceramic green sheet. Thereby a head substrate 2 having ink chambers 1 and nozzles 6 and ink passages (not shown) is obtained. An electrode 4a, a piezoelectric element 3, and an electrode 4b are formed on the diaphragm 21 of the head substrate 2.
By applying a voltage between the electrodes 4a and 4b, the piezoelectric element 3 is deformed, and this displacement is transmitted to the ink chambers 1 through the diaphragm 21, so that the ink in the ink chambers 1 can be ejected from the nozzles 6. The ink jet printer head is required to have higher density and higher precision as the product is reduced in size. For example, the width of the partition wall 22 forming the head substrate 2 is demanded to be fabricated in the order of scores of microns.
In the manufacturing process of the ink jet printer head shown in FIG. 7, partition wall 22 is fabricated to form a head substrate 2 by blanking a ceramic green sheet by a die, where the ink chambers 1 and ink passages 6 are formed. Using this process, it is extremely difficult to manufacture the printer head in a such small size yet with high density and high precision. For example, when blanking the green sheet by the die, the sheet may be torn, or the respective position of the different elements with respect to one another may deviate when the diaphragm 21 or the nozzle plate 23 is laminated, thereby making it difficult to manufacture at high density and high precision. Further, it is also difficult and costly to manufacture the die used in such blanking in a small size and at high precision.
The invention, in one or more embodiments, relates to a member for passage having tiny passages of liquid for use in an ink jet head or small-sized pump, and its manufacturing method, and more particularly to an ink jet printer head using the same.
Today, along with the advancement of the multimedia, the demand for personal computers is increasing steadily; and the printer, which is one of the recording media of a personal computer, is required to have higher density and high definition in its performance. In particular, the ink jet system, introduced to replace the existing dot system, has been improved to print more quietly at higher definition and higher density and is now in high demand.
The ink jet system is proposed in various methods, such as the method of discharging ink drops from a nozzle by making use of a piezoelectric material, and the method of generating bubbles in ink by heat and discharging ink drops. In these methods, commonly, the ink is fed into a printer head, the ink is supplied through a passage, and the ink is discharged from an ink discharge port.
Such an ink jet printer head by thermal method is shown in FIG. 8, in which a flat plate 111 has plural partition walls 112, and a substrate 120 is bonded to a member 110 for forming a passage 113 between partition walls 112, thereby covering each passage 113. One end of each passage 113 is a discharge port 114, and the other end communicates with an ink chamber 116 having an ink feed hole 115. Moreover, at a position corresponding to each passage 113 of the substrate 120, a heating element 121 and an electrode 122 for energizing it are disposed.
Moreover, as shown in FIG. 9, when the passage 113 is filled with the ink 130 and the heating element 121 is energized to generate heat, bubbles 132 are generated in the ink 130; and by the force of the expansion of volume of these bubbles 132, ink drops 131 are discharged from the discharge port 113.
Incidentally, higher definition and higher density are demanded in ink jet printers recently. As such, in passage members 110 for composing the ink jet printer head 101, the width of the partition wall 112 and passage 113 are demanded to be as narrow as scores of microns.
To manufacture the passage member 110 having such ultrafine passages 113, various methods have been proposed, including a method of forming a masking in the portion of the partition wall 112 on the flat plate 111, processing grooves as passages 113 by sand blasting, a method of forming partition walls 112 by repeating screen printing on the flat plate 111, a method of applying a photosensitive resin in the portion of the partition walls 112 on the flat plate 111, and forming grooves as passages 113 by photolithography.
However, in the sand-blasting method, since the passages 113 are formed while digging grooves by blowing powder, it is necessary to keep constant the powder blowing force and angle, and it is difficult to process the inner surface of the passages 113 in a specified shape at high precision. In the screen-printing method, it is necessary to print many times, and as a result the partition walls 112 are deformed. In the photolithography method, a slight difference caused by the degree of right angle and depth of the partition walls, due to light illumination angle, time or other condition, can make it difficult to form the passages 113 at high precision. Additionally, in the passage members 110 manufactured using the above-mentioned methods, the inner surface of the passages 113 is not smooth. As a result, the ink flow was disturbed in the passages 113, and fluctuations were likely to occur in the ink discharge volume, discharge pressure, and response. Thus, a method is needed to allow for the formation of the passages 113 at high precision with smooth inner surfaces.
In one or more embodiments, the invention relates to an ink jet printer head used in an ink jet printer. The ink jet printer is a printer for printing by ejecting ink from the head, and it is widely used recently, owing to low noise and high printing speed. The structure of the ink jet printer head is as shown in FIG. 12, in which a head substrate 202 comprises a plurality of ink chambers 201 and ejection ports 206, and piezoelectric elements, where the piezoelectric elements 203 are bonded to positions corresponding to the ink chambers 201. The head substrate 202 includes a plate 223 forming ejection ports 206, a plate 222 forming ink chambers 201, a diaphragm 221, and a piezoelectric element 203 bonded on the diaphragm 221 through a lower electrode 205, whereby a driving electrode 204 is formed thereon.
By deforming the piezoelectric element 203 by applying a voltage between the lower electrode 205 and driving electrode 204, the diaphragm 221 is deflected, and the pressure in the ink chambers 201 is elevated so that the ink may be ejected from the ejection ports 206.
The conventional head substrate 202 and others were made of metal materials, but recently it has been proposed to use ceramics (see Japanese Laid-open Patent No. 6-40030 and Japanese Laid-open Patent No. 6-218929). For example, the head substrate 202 can be formed of ceramics mainly composed of any one of aluminum oxide, magnesium oxide and zirconia oxide. The lower electrode 205, piezoelectric element 203 such as PZT, and driving electrode 204 are formed on the diaphragm 221 to compose the ink jet printer head, so that the reliability may be kept high for a long period of use.
The ceramics-made ink jet printer heads are manufactured by lamination and thermocompression of multiple layers together. For example, green sheets are mainly composed of at least one of aluminum oxide, magnesium oxide and zirconium oxide; plates 222, 223 are fabricated by blanking with a die in the positions corresponding to the ink chambers 201 and ink passages. They are laminated with one green sheet as diaphragm 221 and bonded by thermocompression. The head substrate 202 is fabricated by baking at a temperature of about 1400xc2x0 C., corresponding to the baking temperature of ceramics. Afterwards, on the diaphragm 221 corresponding to each ink chamber 201, metal paste is applied by screen printing as lower electrode 205, and then, for example, a PZT material is formed as piezoelectric element 203 by a thick film forming method, baked at about 1200xc2x0 C., and a driving electrode 204 is formed thereon, thereby producing an ink jet printer head as shown in FIG. 12.
In such ceramics-made ink jet printer head, however, after fabricating the head substrate 202 by integrally baking the plates 222, 223 and diaphragm 221, it is necessary to form and bake the lower electrode 205, piezoelectric element 203 and driving electrode 204 individually on the head substrate 202. This manufacturing process is complicated and expensive, and requires a total of three or more baking steps. Moreover, to adjust to the position of the ink chambers 201, it requires a total of three steps of positioning for the lower electrode 205, piezoelectric element 203 and driving electrode 204. Positioning is difficult, and when these positions are set inaccurately, the expected performance may be greatly diminished.
Furthermore, the disposition of the lower electrode 205, between the piezoelectric element 203 and diaphragm 221, prevents the pressure caused by deformation of the piezoelectric element 203 to be fully transferred to the diaphragm 221, and can therefore lead to a lower driving efficiency. In contrast, in a metal-made ink jet printer head, not only the corrosion resistance is inferior, but also the response of the diaphragm to the piezoelectric element is poor because a bonding material must be placed between the diaphragm and piezoelectric element in order to bond them. It is hence an object of the invention to present an ink jet printer head that can be manufactured easily and is excellent in driving characteristics.
One or more embodiments of the invention are directed to an ink jet printer head displacement control element having ultrafine grooves and a method of manufacturing thereof. The invention is characterized by bonding a partition wall obtained by forming a powder of ceramics, glass, silicon or the like by a molding die with a recess on one side of a flat plate of ceramics, glass, silicon or the like, then integrating and composing a member having ultrafine grooves.
The invention is also characterized by applying a mixture of powders of ceramics, glass, silicon or the like and a binder composed of solvent and organic additive to fill in a molding die having a recess for a partition wall, bonding this mixture to a flat plate of ceramics, glass, silicon or the like, then integrating and manufacturing a member having ultrafine grooves.
The invention is further characterized by forming the flat plate as a diaphragm, comprising a piezoelectric element for driving this diaphragm, an electrode for applying a voltage to the piezoelectric element, and bonding a nozzle plate to form the ultrafine grooves as an ink chamber, thereby composing an ink jet printer head. In one or more embodiments of the invention, a mixture for a partition wall material is applied into a prepared molding die having a recess for a partition wall, and this mixture is bonded and integrated to one side of a flat plate so that the shape of the molding die is directly transferred onto the flat plate. Therefore, when the molding die is preliminarily fabricated at high density and high precision, the partition wall can be easily formed at high density and high precision.
The procedure of bonding and integrating the partition wall and flat plate comprises steps of filling the molding die having the recess with mixture, solidifying tightly on the flat plate, and parting and baking. Alternatively, the procedure of bonding and integrating the partition wall and flat plate comprises the steps of filling the molding die with the mixture, solidifying, parting, contacting with the flat plate, and baking, or the steps of filling the molding die with the mixture, solidifying, parting, baking, and contacting or thermally bonding to the flat plate. Besides, the general glass and ceramics bonding method may be employed.
Another embodiment of the invention is directed to an ink jet printer head passage member and a method of manufacturing thereof. The invention is characterized by bonding a plurality of partition walls obtained by forming powder of ceramics, glass, silicon or the like by a molding die with a recess on one side of a flat plate of ceramics, glass, silicon or the like, integrating by arraying in one direction, and composing passage members having passages between partition walls.
The invention is also characterized by applying a mixture of powders of ceramics, glass, silicon or the like and a binder composed of solvent and organic additive to fill in a molding die having plural recesses for partition walls, bonding this mixture to one side of a flat plate of ceramics, glass, silicon or the like, integrating by arraying in one direction, and thereby manufacturing passage members.
The invention is further characterized by composing an ink jet printer head by covering the passages by bonding a substrate to the upper surface of the partition walls in the passage members, comprising a heating element in each passage, and generating bubbles in the ink in the passages by the heat of the heating elements, thereby discharging the ink.
In the invention, a mixture for partition wall material is filled into a prepared molding die having grooves conforming to the shape of partition walls, and this mixture is bonded and integrated to one side of the flat plates to obtain partition walls, so that the shape of the molding die is directly transferred onto the flat plates. Therefore, when the molding die is preliminarily fabricated at high density and high precision, the partition walls can be easily formed at high density and high precision.
In one ore more embodiments of the invention, the surface of the molding die and the partition walls are smoothly formed to obtain passages having smooth inner surfaces. The procedure of bonding and integrating the partition walls and flat plates comprises steps of filling the molding die having the grooves with mixture, solidifying tightly on the flat plates, and parting and baking, or the steps of filling the molding die with the mixture, solidifying, parting, contacting with the flat plate, and baking, or the steps of filling the molding die with the mixture, solidifying, parting, baking, and contacting or thermally bonding to the flat plate. Besides, the general glass and ceramics bonding method may be employed.
In one or more embodiments, the invention relates to an ink jet printer head comprising plural ink chambers, ejection ports communicating with the ink chambers, and a diaphragm for applying a pressure to the ink chambers, in which the diaphragm is formed of a voltage-withstanding inorganic material, whereby a piezoelectric element is bonded to the diaphragm and a driving electrode is formed on the piezoelectric element.
It is also a feature of the invention that the conductive inorganic material for composing the diaphragm has a volume specific resistance of 1xc3x9710xe2x88x921 xcexa3xcex8cm or less. Moreover, the conductive inorganic material for composing the diaphragm of the invention is composed of any one of conductive ceramics, ceramics or glass having conductive agent, and thermet.
In the ink jet printer head of the invention, the diaphragm is composed of conductive inorganic material, and this diaphragm is used also as the lower electrode, so that the lower electrode is not needed. By applying a driving voltage between the diaphragm and driving electrode, the piezoelectric element can be deformed. Accordingly, the manufacturing process of the lower electrode can be omitted and the manufacturing process can be simplified; moreover, the deformation of the piezoelectric element can be transmitted to the diaphragm efficiently.
Still more, by forming the diaphragm by an inorganic material such as ceramics and glass, the corrosion resistance can be enhanced, and the piezoelectric element can be bonded directly without resort to bonding agent, so that the deformation of the piezoelectric element can be transmitted to the diaphragm more efficiently.

Head member having ultrafine grooves and a method of manufacture thereof


An unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) may include a communication interface and a pressure sensor configured to measure barometric pressure. The UAV may also include a processor configured to generate a request for elevation data and barometric pressure data and transmit, via the communication interface, the request to the at least one other device. The processor may also be configured to receive, from each of the at least one other device, elevation data and barometric pressure data, and estimate the elevation of the UAV based on the measured barometric pressure, the received elevation data and the received barometric pressure data.

The use of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs), also referred to as drones, is increasing. In order to fly multiple drones in proximity to one another, each drone must maintain a certain separation from all the other drones. As a result, the positional accuracy with respect to the location of each drone is very important to allow multiple drones to fly in a crowded air space.

Systems and methods for generating vertical positioning information for unmanned aerial vehicles


A pacing wire that eliminates the risk of cardiac tamponade when the wires are pulled through the heart muscle for removal by providing a "slip joint" within the pacemaker wire by having one half of the wire fit snugly into the other half while covering the joint with overlapping insulation to provide a water tight seal to prevent risk of short circuit. When the pacing wire is removed, the insulation permits the two component halves to "slip" relative to each other. When the wire is removed, the force applied to the wire at the skin is transferred to the subcutaneous tissue by a "winged insulation umbrella" which prevents motion of the portion of the wire left attached to the heart and transfers the pulling force to the chest wall. Consequently, there is zero net force on the heart where the bare wire is in contact with the heart, leaving this portion of the wire stationary and eliminating risk of damage to the heart muscle.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a novel pacing wire for use in cardiac surgery, and in particular, to a pacing wire having a slip-joint to facilitate safe and easy removal of the temporary pacing wire upon the patient's post-operative recovery.
2. Description of the Prior Art
After open heart surgery, one or two pairs of temporary pacing wires are typically placed onto the myocardium of the patient and brought out through the patient's chest wall and skin using a Keith needle. Typically, the pacing wires are then sutured to the patient's skin, and the Keith needle is snapped off to allow connection of the pacing wires to a pacemaker. This permits treatment of transient heart block which commonly occurs after open heart surgery. However, the sutures and the pacing wires must then be removed (pulled out through the heart muscle) on the third or fourth postoperative day. The primary complication associated with the removal of the pacing wires is a small incidence of cardiac tamponade, or tear in the heart muscle. The complication is typically manifested in only about 1% of the patients, but the tear to the heart muscle in those cases can be fatal.
FIG. 1 illustrates a standard pacing wire 1 (State of the Art Medical, model M-24). The standard pacing wire 1 (typically 5 cm length) of FIG. 1 is inserted into the myocardium using needle 2 and is insulated by an insulated wire (typically 40 cm length) through the chest wall to outside the patient's body. Once the pacing wire 1 is inserted into the myocardium, the Keith needle 4 is snapped off at snap off point 5, connected to a pacemaker, and sutured to the patient's skin. The pacing wire 1 is removed (pulled) from the heart by pulling the pacing wire 1 at the snap off point 5 at the skin, and the pulling force is directly transmitted to the heart at the bare wire end 1. As just noted, this force and the mechanical energy associated with pulling the bare end of the wire through the heart muscle can result in bleeding, tamponade, and in rare cases, death.
As a result, some surgeons simply cut the wire at the skin to avoid the risk of the infrequent, but potentially devastating complication of cardiac tamponade. Unfortunately, cutting the pacing wire at a point flush with the patient's skin surface is uncomfortable for the patient and leads to a greater risk of infection.
An improved temporary pacing wire is desired which overcomes these difficulties.

Temporary pacing wire for use in cardiac surgery

The Trustees of the University of Pennsylvania


To mix video signals of plural channels in time division and record these video signals onto a recording medium, as well as to select and transmit the video signal of a specific channel to a terminal device at a remote location, there is a video signal switching unit for mixing the video signals of the plural channels in time division; a first video signal compressing unit for compressing the mixed video signals from the video signal switching unit; a unit for recording the video signal compressed by the first video signal compressing unit into the recording medium; second video signal compressing units for selecting a channel from the mixed video signals and compressing the video signals with a compressibility higher than that of the first video signal compressing unit; and a unit for transmitting the video signal compressed by the second video signal compressing unit to a remote location.

The present invention relates to a video signal recording and transmitting device for compressing video signals of plural channels that are mixed in time division, recording the video signals onto a recording medium, and compressing the video signals using different compressibilities and transmitting these video signals to an external device.
There is a monitoring system for recording a video signal, that has been produced by a camera located at a monitoring location, onto a recording medium, wherein the video signal is transmitted to a monitoring device from a remote location via a communication network. In such a monitoring system, it is necessary that the video signal to be recorded onto the recording medium is a video signal that is high in resolution and time resolution. However, it is necessary, when transmitting the video signal to a monitoring device at a remote location, to reduce the resolution and the time resolution in accordance with the limit of transmission capacity of the communication network. In a technique related to the conventional monitoring system, the video signal is compressed in plural modes having different compressibilities, and low compression data is recorded onto the recording medium, while high compression data is transmitted. For example, see JP-A-2000-59758.

Moving picture recording and sending device having zoom processing capability


Provided is a light-emitting diode and a method for preparing the same. The light-emitting diode includes an anode, a hole transport layer, a perovskite light-emitting layer, an electron transport layer and a cathode stacked in sequence, in which the perovskite light-emitting layer includes a first sublayer and a second sublayer stacked in sequence, with a material for forming the first sublayer including an inorganic perovskite material, and with a material for forming the second sublayer being an organic perovskite material.

The organic-inorganic hybrid perovskite material has the advantages of an organic semiconductor and an inorganic semiconductor. For example, the preparation process is simple, and a flexible device can be manufactured; it has high carrier mobility and a certain thermal stability. Moreover, the perovskite material is strong in light emitting, has a high light-emitting color and a narrow light absorption layer (having a half-height width of about 20 nm), and thus it is not only an excellent photovoltaic material, but also applicable to the fields of electroluminescence and photoluminescence. As compared with conventional inorganic light-emitting diodes (LED), a perovskite light-emitting diode can prepare a perovskite light-emitting layer by a solution process, thereby greatly reducing the manufacturing cost; and has a higher light-emitting purity than an organic light-emitting diode (OLED), and the color of the luminescence can be adjusted directly by a simple process. Although organic and inorganic hybrid perovskite materials have so many excellent properties, their exciton binding energy is relatively low (less than 2.0 eV) and carrier mobility is too high (8 cm2/Vs), such that luminescence quenching is likely to occur when it is applied into electroluminescent devices.

Light-emitting diode and method for preparing the same

BEIJING BOE DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY CO., LTD.


Devices, systems, and methods are disclosed. An agent resides in a mobile communication device. The agent detects Proximity-based Mobile Malware Propagation. The agent injects one or more trigger network connections in the candidate connection list. These connections appear as legitimate networks and devices, but instead trigger connection to an agent server on a service provider's network. By attempting to connect through the trigger network connection, the malware reveals itself. The system helps collect the malware signature within a short period of time after the malware outbreak in local areas, though such attacks typically bypass network based security inspection in the network.

1. Field of the Subject Disclosure
The present subject disclosure relates to mobile malware. More specifically, the present subject disclosure relates to detecting proximity-based mobile malware propagation.
2. Background of the Subject Disclosure
Mobile communication devices, such as cellular telephones, have become a common tool of everyday life. Cellular telephones are no longer used simply to place telephone calls. With the number of available features rapidly increasing, cellular telephones are now used for storing addresses, keeping a calendar, reading e-mails, drafting documents, etc. These devices are small enough that they can be carried in a pocket or purse all day, allowing a user to stay in contact almost anywhere. Recent devices have become highly functional, providing applications useful to business professionals as well as the casual user.
Proximity-based Mobile Malware Propagation (PMMP) is a category of malware that propagates through proximal connectivity such as WiFi, Bluetooth and infrared. The target victims are any communication device that has a WiFi, Bluetooth, IR, or any other module for proximal communication. These modules are now included in default configurations from many manufacturers. More risk exists for devices that are in "discoverable" mode, which broadcasts connection availability to all nearby devices. Also at risk are devices with either no password or PIN protection, or a weak one. Although slower than propagation schemes such as network-based instant messages and emails, proximity-based malware is compelling in its unique advantage that it is unobservable by the service provider network. Thus, it is substantially more challenging to detect proximity than network-based malware propagation.
Proximity-based propagation, by establishing short range wireless connection with victims, is a preferred method for mobile malware. Detection for proximity-based malware is still an open issue due to the fact that such malware has two main advantages compared to the network-based propagation. First, proximity-based propagation is difficult to detect since the communication between the attacker and the victims bypasses network-based security inspection. The provider network cannot observe any traffic or signals since such attacks launch locally. Second, proximity-based propagation is more likely to succeed due to the weak security in local connectivity technologies. Consequently, there is an increasing amount of mobile malware that propagates through proximity-based WiFi and Bluetooth connections. Well-known mobile malware that utilizes such vulnerabilities includes Lasco, Locknut, Cabir, ComWar, PBStealer, and Skuller. Given sufficient time, a Bluetooth malware can infect all susceptible devices in the network. Therefore, it is important to detect such activities locally and quickly.
Malware that uses PMMP can execute in three different ways. One way is through an established connection. If the victim device has already established connections with other devices, the attacker can utilize these established connections to infect other victim devices. Another way is to scan-connect. The attacker can actively scan and search for all the devices within the proximity. Then the malware will attempt to connect to these newly discovered devices and request to establish new connections. If these devices have no or weak passwords and PIN numbers, or if users acknowledge these connection requests, then these devices will be infected. One other way is to re-connect. If the victim device caches previously established connection settings, including security cookies such as password/PIN, then the attacker can avoid security challenges to establish connections and execute the propagation.
The victim device is a device that has been infected and controlled by the attacker to propagate the malware to other benign devices in proximity. Malware propagation through an established connection is difficult to detect. But the impact of such propagation is restricted in small local areas due to two aspects. First, assume that the mobile devices move frequently and that the average duration of an established connection is short. The probability that the victim device has a live connection when it is infected is very low. Second, the number of devices being infected through the established connection is also small, usually one device at a time. Thus, such propagation most likely will die out and impact only a few devices.
What is needed is a method of tracking PMMP in cases where the mobile device is infected without an active connection.

Devices, systems, and methods for detecting proximity-based mobile malware propagation