An x-ray system using a slot-shaped detector having n rows and m columns of pixels, where n less than  less than m, and providing a variety of relative motions between a patient table and a source-detector unit, including translation along the length of the table, translation across the table, and rotation about the focal spot, and processing the pixel values in a variety of ways to produce information such a shadow graphic x-ray images, tomosynthetic images of surfaces that need not be planar, and bone density estimates. In another embodiment, tomographic images can be obtained directly, using a post-patient collimator that passes nearly all of the primary beam to the imager while eliminating nearly all of the scatter. A feedback loop can equalize the exposure for selected parts of the image substantially in real time.

This patent specification is in the field of radiography and tomography for patients or inanimate objects, and in the field of x-ray bone densitometry.
Digital radiography has made significant inroads in recent years but it is estimated that more than half of the x-ray imaging procedures still involve film. One of the reasons may be that the cost of a two-dimensional digital detector of the same size as the x-ray film typically used in this country, e.g., 14 by 17 inches, is still quite high. Another reason may be that a flat panel digital x-ray detector of this size may receive scattered radiation that could interfere with quantitative work such as estimating bone density. A chest x-ray system using a two-dimensional flat panel x-ray detector is commercially available in this country from Direct Radiography Corporation of Newark, Del. a subsidiary of the assignee of this patent specification, Hologic, Inc. of Bedford, Mass. See, e.g., U.S. Pat. No. 5,166,524, hereby incorporated by reference.
In bone densitometry using penetrating radiation such as x-rays, one-dimensional arrays of detectors have been used, for example in the QDR series bone densitometers commercially available in this country from the assignee of this patent specification, Hologic, Inc. of Bedford, Mass. See, e.g., U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,838,765 and 5,850,836, which are hereby incorporated by reference. In addition, devices that use two-dimensional flat panel detectors for other purposes, such as for fluoroscopy, can be adapted for use in bone densitometry, as in the case of small C-arm x-ray fluoroscopy systems commercially available in this country from FluoroScan Imaging Products, Inc. of Northbrook, Ill., also a subsidiary of Hologic, Inc.
The use of a two-dimensional array of detector elements has been proposed in mammography, in a scanning system. See, e.g., U.S. Pat. No. 5,526,394. The use of two rows of low-energy and high energy-detectors has been proposed for x-ray bone densitometry and baggage inspection. See, e.g., U.S. Pat. No. 5,841,833.
Film tomography has been used for some time in this country, and typically involves moving an x-ray source on one side of a stationary patient and film at the other side in opposite directions while the patient remains stationary. The source typically emits a cone-shaped or pyramid-shaped x-ray beam. In the course of imaging, a planar region in the patient that is often called the focal plane and is parallel to the film, is in better focus in the image while the rest of the patient""s body is more blurred. The image is not very clear, but can still be diagnostically useful in some cases.
It is believed that a need remains for a system using a two-dimensional detector in a manner that would be more effective than the known prior art proposals, and certain aspects of the system and method disclosed herein is directed to meeting such a need. Further, it is believed that improvements in tomography are desirable, and certain aspects of the system and method disclosed herein are directed to meeting such a need. While the disclosure below is mainly in the context of patient examination, the system can be used to examine inanimate object as well, such as in baggage or product inspection.
Certain embodiments of the x-ray system disclosed in this patent specification use a two-dimensional, slot-shaped detector of x-rays, e.g., a 25xc3x971 cm detector that has pixel size of approximately 100 micrometers and is scanned along the image plane but also can rotate about the focal point of the x-ray source and can move along the x-ray propagation direction relative to the patient. The pixel values can be processed to obtain tomosynthetic information and for other purposes as well. The focal plane or focal surface that is in best focus is a function of the geometry and other characteristics of the relative motion between at least two of the x-ray source, the patient, and the detector and the number of pixel rows that are shifted before adding pixel values from different time frames. For example, if the detector has n rows and m columns of pixels, and both the x-ray source and the detector scan the patient in a linear motion, one planar or non-planar region (focal plane) in the patient can be kept in effective focus by shifting and adding rows of pixel values. If the system adds the pixel values for pixel row n and time frame 1 to the pixel values for pixel row n+1 and time frame 2, (or row n+2, n+3, . . . ), etc., a tomosynthetic image can be formed that can correspond in principle to the information content of a conventional, film tomographic image obtained by moving the x-ray source and film cassette in opposite directions. If the system disclosed herein uses a pulsed x-ray source, the pulse duration t should be short compared to the speed c of translation of the source/detector such that ct less than (pixel size), or at least ct less than (desired spatial resolution). Similar consideration applies if the system uses a constant x-ray source, in which case pixel integration (interrogation) time is the parameter of interest. If the system uses a dual-energy pulsed x-ray source or beam, this must be taken into account in any addition of pixel values from different time frames. For example, if the energies alternate in the x-ray pulse train, pixel values from odd frames can be added together for image information for one energy, and pixel values from even frames can be added together for image information pertaining to the other energy. As an alternative to a pulsed dual-energy x-ray source or beam, low-energy detector elements and high-energy detector elements can be used to concurrently measure the high and low x-ray energy, as known in the art.
When the disclosed system is used for a tomosynthetic image, the plane or surface that is in best focus is defined by the geometric formula b=sw/d, where s=distance out of the plane, w=width of the x-ray detector, and d=distance between the x-ray source and detector. Other planes or surfaces in the patient are blurred, which can be desirable as it in effect makes transparent tissue that is away from the plane or surface in focus, but can be undesirable if the tissue of interest extends along the length of the x-ray beam or if the tissue of interest curves out of the plane or surface of interest (as the spine of a person lying on his/her side). It should be understood that in practice the xe2x80x9cplanexe2x80x9d or xe2x80x9csurfacexe2x80x9d in focus has some thickness in the direction of x-ray propagation, i.e., there is some depth of focus as in conventional photographic exposures. One way to deal with depth of focus issues is to store all pixel values, or at least all that could pertain to the volume or interest, so that any tomosynthetic image can be generated from them as desired so long as it is within the volume for which pixel values were stored, and the user can command the generation of images of different planes when looking for tissue of interest. Significant data storage requirements need to be taken into account in this approach. Another solution is to dynamically track the location of the feature of interest, by varying the depth of the plane or surface that would be in best focus. If the feature is the spine of a patient, such dynamic tracking can select the shift-and-add parameters discussed above so as to keep the spine in best focus, e.g., to make the gaps between the vertebrae the sharpest, or perhaps the pedicles.
Additionally, rotating the x-ray detector about the x-ray source 30 can produce pixel values for a non-tomosynthetic image that can be reconstructed with all projected planes in focus. The system disclosed herein can operate in both modesxe2x80x94with the x-ray detector rotating about the focal spot in the x-ray source (e.g., for high resolution), and with the x-ray source and the x-ray detector moving, for longer scans. In addition, the detector can be moved further away from the patient when desired to further reduce the effect of x-ray scatter, for example for more accurate bone density estimates.
Other aspects of the disclosure herein relate to obtaining tomographic images using a slit-shaped post-patient collimator in a process in which at least two of the x-ray source, the patient, and the imager move relative to each other. The imager can be an x-ray film cassette, or a digital flat panel detector that can be the same size as conventional x-ray film, or a slot detector such as discussed above. When the imager is a film cassette or a larger area flat panel detector, and the source emits a primary beam collimated to a fan-shape by a source-side aperture, the post-patient collimator can be shaped and dimensioned to allow only the primary, fan-shape beam to reach the imager. This collimator can be in the form of a slot in an x-ray opaque material such as lead of suitable thickness to effectively block radiation impinging thereon outside the slot therein. When the imager is a slot-shaped detector, such as the 25xc3x971 cm detector earlier mentioned, the post-patient collimator can be omitted, although it can still be used to absorb some scattered radiation. It is important to note that the post-patient collimator need not have the type of septa conventionally used in Bucky grids, i.e., it can be simply an open slit between two lead plates, or can be a material easily penetrated by x-rays at the relevant energy range. Thus, while a Bucky grid used in conventional radiography can significantly reduce the amount of radiation that would otherwise reach the imager, the post-patient collimator can allow nearly all of the radiation in the primary beam emerging from the patient to reach the imager.
When taking a tomographic image, exposure can be controlled through a feedback loop to avoid overexposure or underexposure at least along a selected path along the image, for example at the image of the patient""s spine. This can overcome a problem particularly evident in lateral lumbar/thoracic images, where the lumbar region can require ten to twenty times the x-ray dose of the thoracic region. In a preferred embodiment, this is done in real time, by monitoring the exposure behind the imager during the scan and adjusting the relevant x-ray beam characteristics accordingly. This can involve adjusting one or more of: (1) the current (mA) of the x-ray tube; (2) the voltage (kVp) of the tube; (3) the power (mAs), which can be done by reducing/increasing the duty cycle of the tube, e.g., by turning the x-ray tube off and on rapidly, by changing the scan speed, and/or by changing the beam aperture at the source side that determines the dimensions of the primary x-ray beam; and (4) the filtration through which the x-ray beam passes before impinging on the patient, e.g., by inserting/removing filters or by sliding or rotating or otherwise moving a filter to change the beam attenuation it causes.

Two-dimensional slot x-ray bone densitometry, radiography and tomography


A process for removing dried paint residues from a difficultly accessible surface is provided. The surface is contacted with a slurry of particulate solids such as sodium hydrogen carbonate in a first liquid such as N-methyl pyrrolidone which is a solvent or swellant for the paint residues, followed by a different liquid such as isopropyl alcohol in which the first liquid is soluble (and which may also optionally contain particulate solids). The surface is then further contacted with yet another liquid such as water in which both the second liquid used and the particulate solids are soluble

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to an improvement in processes for cleaning totally or partially dried residues of paints and like materials from surfaces, particularly surfaces that are not readily accessible to access by conventional cleaning tools such as scrapers, abrasive bodies, and the like. More particularly, this invention relates to cleaning of pipework and similar structures that convey liquid paints and like materials to apparatus by which the paint is applied to form a protective and decorative coating on manufactured objects such as automobile bodies and appliance cabinets. Normally in such manufacturing operations, at least the color and sometimes more fundamental characteristics of the protective and decorative coatings applied from the same apparatus are varied from time to time.
Whenever such a change is made, it is necessary to clean the liquid paint conveying structures in order to prevent inconsistent product appearances resulting from contamination of one type of paint by another. Cleaning would be relatively easy if it could be assured that any unused protective coating forming liquid product would remain liquid in all parts of the conveying apparatus throughout all uses of the apparatus, including changing from one color or type of protective coating to another. However, as is well known to those skilled in the art, such a condition rarely if ever is observed in practice, and it is therefore necessary to have a process of cleaning that can satisfactorily clean surfaces on which protective coating forming liquids have been partially or totally dried. This general field will be denoted briefly hereinafter as "paint line cleaning", but it is to be understood that the invention applies to cleaning any type of surface on which an unwanted and at least partially solid coating has formed as a result of contact with a liquid composition intended to form a protective solid coating on other surfaces.
2. Discussion of Related Art
Traditionally, paint line cleaning has been accomplished primarily by contacting an at least partially solid coating to be removed with a liquid solvent or swelling agent for the solid protective coating. Such a process is fully satisfactory only in the relatively few cases in which the protective coating is readily soluble in some reasonably priced solvent. Some highly effective and frequently used protective coatings, however, are chemically cross-linked to varying degrees, and usually no true solvent at all is known for densely cross-linked solids. Organic solids of the types used for most paints or like protective coatings, whether crosslinked or not and even if insoluble in any known liquid, can usually be swollen by some liquids, despite their lack of true solubility, and the swollen solids are mechanically weaker and therefore more readily removable by mechanical action. However, obtaining effective mechanical action in the interior of a long narrow pipe remains a difficult problem. One previously attempted solution is to incorporate conventional abrasive particles into a slurry in a suitable swellant/solvent for the dried paint residues to be removed and then pump this slurry through the pipe to be cleaned. This method does improve the removal of paint but introduces a new problem: Conventional abrasive particles themselves are difficult to remove completely from a paint line, and they are extremely undesirable contaminants in liquid coating forming compositions intended to produce most decorative surfaces, because they often cause readily visible surface irregularities even when relatively small.

Process for cleaning paint residues from surfaces


The present invention discloses a functional relationship between a recognized disease condition and a polymorphism in the nucleotide factor kappa B promoter (NFKB1). This relationship provides a platform for methods of altering promoter activity and for determining similar relationships between specific pathologies and identified polymorphisms. A statistically significant risk of developing ulcerative colitis was shown to be correlated with the presence of an ATTG insertion/deletion in the NFKB1 promoter and is likely to apply also to a variety of other inflammatory diseases.

1. Field of the Invention
The field of the invention relates to nucleotide factor kappa B promoter and to methods of controlling its activity in connection with a wide range of diseases. The invention provides methods of treating these diseases and provides protocols for identifying individuals who are susceptible to or at increased risk for an adverse response to stress, injury or infection. In particular, the invention relates to inflammatory diseases and to identification of at risk individuals who exhibit a singular polymorphism in the nucleotide factor kappa-B (NFKB) promoter. The polymorphism is functionally related to a high risk of disease.
2. Background
Nuclear Factor-kB
NF-kB transcription factors play an important role in regulating basic cellular functions. Abnormal NF-kB activities have been implicated in numerous disease states such as cancers, AIDS, autoimmunity and neurodegenerative diseases. Studies in mice indicate that lack of both p50 and p105 caused by deletion of the nfkb1 gene does not interfere with normal development but does alter normal immune response to pathological infections (Lin and Kobayashi, 2003).
Nuclear Factor-kB is a major transcription regulator of immune response, apoptosis and cell-growth control genes and is also an important mediator of the chronic inflammation associated with a wide range of diseases and pathological conditions, including cancer, infection, response to biological stressors and, particularly, autoimmune diseases (Baldwin, 2001). Inflammatory Bowel disease (IBD) in particular is thought to be associated with NFKB (Schreiber, 1998). IBD includes Crohn's Disease (CD) and ulcerative colitis (UC).
NF-κB is involved in the expression of several cytokines and adhesion molecules. Cytokines, for example, are produced by immune cells, and some induce proliferation and differentiation of specific cells while others induce an acute phase response in inflammation. Inflammation may be induced by acute phase response proteins such as angiotensinogen, serum amyloid protein, al acid glycoprotein, C3 complement or complement factor B. There is thus an important role of NF-κB modulating cytokine expression at the gene level.
NF-κB is thought to be involved in a wide variety of human diseases, including atherosclerosis, asthma, arthritis, cachexia, cancer, diabetes, euthyroid sick syndrome, AIDS, inflammatory bowel disease and stroke.
In most cells before stimulation, NF-κB primarily resides in the cytoplasm in inactive complexes through association with a sequestering inhibitory protein, termed IκB. A wide range of stimuli, including bacterial and viral products, cytokines and oxidant-free radicals, activate NF-κB. These stimuli promote NF-κB nuclear translocation by a mechanism that involves IκB phosphorylation and the ubiquitin-proteosome pathway. This phosphorylation appears to target IκB for degradation and leads to its dissociation from the NF-κB complex and subsequent translocation of NF-κB to the nucleus. There, active NF-κB binds to genomic DNA at promoter regions and thereby regulates gene transcription.
Inappropriate activation of NF-κB has been implicated in inflammation associated with a variety of human diseases and pathologic conditions, among them asthma, inflammatory arthritis, septic shock, lung fibrosis, diabetes, cancer, AIDS, atherosclerosis, stroke and IBD (Baldwin, 2001). Furthermore, several anti-inflammatory and anti-cancer drugs work in part through inhibition of NF-κB activation. For example, aspirin and glucocorticoids inhibit NF-κB (15,16). Consistent with NF-κB regulation of genes involved in the immune and inflammatory responses, mice null for several of the NF-κB subunits show defects in clearing bacterial infection along with defects in B-cell and T-cell functions.
NF-κB is thought to play a central pathogenic role in chronic intestinal inflammation. Activated NF-κB was increased and found localized to the macrophages and epithelial cells in the inflamed intestinal mucosa of CD and UC patients using immunohistochemistry methods. Schreiber et al. (1998) have found that CD and UC patients have increased NF-κB activity in intestinal lamina propria cells. Additionally, the therapeutic properties of mesalazine and sulfasalazine (the most common specific medical therapies for mild to moderate UC) rely in part on inhibition of NF-κB activation. Three CD associated mutations in the NOD2/CARD 15 gene on chromosome 16 all have a defect in their ability to activate NF-κB. This may cause a defect in the innate immune system's ability to protect the gut against invasive bacteria (Hisamatsu, Suzuki et al., 2003).
Inflammatory Bowel Diseases
Ulcerative colitis (UC) and Crohn's disease (CD) are idiopathic, chronic, frequently disabling, inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD). UC is characterized by mucosal inflammation limited to the colon, always involving the rectum and a variable extent of the more proximal colon in a continuous manner. CD inflammation is transmural, most often discontinuous and may involve any portion of the gastrointestinal tract but most commonly involves the distal ileum. The prevalence of IBD in the United States is 200-300/100,000 with a similar prevalence for UC and CD. IBD is considered a complex genetic disorder involving multiple genes of relatively low penetrance, since the familial patterns of inheritance do not conform to simple Mendelian models. Overall, 10-20% of individuals with IBD report one or more relatives with IBD. Relatives of CD patients have a 10-fold risk of developing CD and relatives of UC patients have an 8-fold risk of developing UC. However, these diseases appear to be genetically related, as relatives of CD patients have a 4-fold risk of developing UC and relatives of UC patients have a 2-fold risk of developing CD.
Ulcerative Colitis (UC)
A genetic contribution to the pathogenesis of UC has remained largely unclear. While genome-wide searches have identified several loci in linkage with the disease, case-control studies have only shown a reproducible association between UC and HLA class II genes, especially DRB1*0103 and DRB1*15 (Brant, Okazaki, 2003). Most studies have focused on HLA class II genes, although there is an increasing interest in the role of cytokines in UC pathogenesis and on the polymorphic genes that may influence cytokine secretion.
NFKB Gene
NFKB1 may be the first of perhaps several modest polymorphic risk genes that are involved with inflammation pathways associated with UC. Other cytokine regulators of the pathway that have been shown to have functional polymorphisms, and that ultimately NF-κB protein activation, include interleukin 1 receptor antagonist (IL1RN) and IκB-like gene (NFKBIL1). There is conflicting evidence for an association of allele 2 of IL1RN, the gene that encodes the interleukin 1 receptor antagonist and preliminary evidence of an association of NFKBIL1 with UC (De la Concha, Femandez-Arquero, et al., 2000). An association of the TNF(−857C) promoter polymorphism with IBD (both CD and UC) has also been reported (van Heel, et al., 2002).
NFKB1 gene, located at chromosome 4q24 is an important candidate gene for inflammatory bowel disease. The encoded Nuclear Factor-κB (NF-κB) proteins are a family of transcription factors that regulate various biological defense processes, most notably innate and adaptive immune responses, acute phase reaction and apoptosis. There are five members of the NF-κB family in mammals: p50/p105, p65/RelA, c-Rel, RelB and p52/p100. Although many dimeric forms of NF-κB have been detected, the major form of NF-κB is a heterodimer of the p50 and p65/RelA subunits, encoded by the genes NFKB1 and NFKB3, respectively. Human NFKB1 encodes two proteins, a 105 kDa, non DNA-binding, cytoplasmic molecule (p105), and a 50 kDa DNA-binding protein (p50) that corresponds to the N-terminus of p105. The NFKB1 gene spans 156 kb and has 24 exons with introns varying between 40 000 and 323 bp in length (FIG. 1).
NFKB1 has also been implicated in numerous inflammatory diseases and risk factors for immune-mediated conditions. An association has been reported between an NFKB1 microsatellite and type I diabetes in one instance. No associations have been found with NFKB1 and the exon 12+77C>T polymorphism for multiple sclerosis or Parkinson's disease (Wintermeyer, Riess, et al., 2002). LD is likely incomplete between the exon 12 SNP and the disclosed −94del/insATTG polymorphism. No functional NFKB1 genetic polymorphisms other than the −94del/insATTG have been described.
Deficiencies in the Art
There is a distinct need to identify and understand the role of genetic factors in the development of human disease, and to identify and treat those at risk for disease. Unfortunately, for many conditions, early detection is not possible so that early stage intervention and treatment opportunities are not available. Identification of a direct functional relation between atypical gene nucleotide sequences in polymorphic promoters and abnormal biological function as manifested in various diseases has yet to be established. Determination and location of the polymorphisms will allow development of diagnostic probes for clinical disorders.
Establishment of a functional relation between a promoter gene polymorphism and a pathology would provide new opportunities for intervention at the most basic stage of disease development. Interventions could be developed based on gene therapies, on alteration of transcription factors or on modification of identified nuclear binding proteins. Clearly, it would be desirable to control abnormal gene function at the gene level rather than far downstream in a damaging cascade of intertwined metabolic cycles.

Methods for detecting a polymorphism in the NFKB1 gene promoter


Disclosed is a normal-incidence broadband spectroscopic polarimeter containing reference beam, comprising a light source, a first reflecting unit, a first concentrating unit, a second concentrating unit, a polarizer, a first curved mirror, a first planar mirror, a second reflecting unit and a probing unit. Also disclosed is an optical measurement system, comprising the normal-incidence broadband spectroscopic polarimeter containing reference beam. The normal-incidence broadband spectroscopic polarimeter containing reference beam achieves an integral combination of the light beams after splitting, can maintain the polarization state of the light beams while increasing the light transmission efficiency, and has a low complexity.

Generally, a key step in optical measurement technique is to make the probing beam focused onto the sample. Two methods are currently widely used. One method is to separate the last focusing lens from other components and only to adjust the focusing lens to focus the probing beam onto the sample. For example, as shown in FIG. 1, the focusing is achieved by moving the last focusing lens up and down. The other method is to adjust the whole optical measurement system to focus the probing beam on the sample. For example, as shown in FIG. 2, the focusing is achieved by moving the whole optical system up and down (for example, refer to the U.S. Pat. No. 5,747,813 and U.S. Pat. No. 5,486,701).
With the rapid development of semiconductor industry, it becomes very critical to apply optical technology to accurately measure the Critical Dimension (CD), spatial profile and material characteristics of three-dimensional structures formed by the single-layer film or multilayer film on wafers. While detecting the wafers with normal sizes of 150 mm, 200 mm or 300 mm, its surface may not be flat due to various reasons such as film stress. Therefore, when the whole wafer is detected, auto-focusing for each measurement point is a key technique to achieve high accuracy and rapid measurement and ensure production of semiconductor production line. And it is widely known that focusing the broadband probing beam into a small size spot on the sample surface is highly desired. The small size spot allows to measure the micro-structured patterns and broadband probing beam is helpful for better measurement accuracy. There are some issues in the first focusing method in this case: lens usually has chromatic aberration which results in different wavelengths of light focusing on different locations, increasing the error and thus reducing the measurement accuracy. It is also hard to find the lens materials with good transmission in the whole broadband wavelength range. Those skilled in the art can clearly understand that the entire optical system is adjusted by the second focusing method, and it is very difficult to achieve precise measurement due to the requirements and limits on the weight and speed of the system.
For these reasons, a new method was proposed by those skilled in the art, that is, focusing the broadband probing beam on the sample surface by using the curved mirror (for example, refer to U.S. Pat. No. 5,608,526 and U.S. Pat. No. 7,505,133B1, U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2007/0247624A1 and Chinese Patent Application Publication No. 101467306A). This method has advantages as below: the mirror does not produce chromatic aberration in whole wavelength range, and has high reflectivity in wide wavelength range.
Although the application of curved mirror does not produce chromatic aberration and thus improve the focusing and measurement accuracy, compared with lens, it is more difficult to align the optical path with curved mirror. The adjustment of focus point and spatial orientation of curved mirror was constrained by incident light, often requiring the simultaneous adjustment of the entire optical system for better adjustment and control of the output optical path and focus point. For example, (1) elliptical mirror: While the spatial location of two focus points is relatively fixed, the adjustable range of optical path and focusing position is very limited by adjusting the individual elliptical mirror after the incident light path was corrected. (2) Toroidal mirror: Although the two corresponding focus points can be achieved in a certain range of incident angles, the spatial relationship of the two focus points changes with the relationship between incident light and toroidal mirror, and the correlations between two focus points are complex and it is very difficult to achieve focusing. Another drawback is that its adjustable range is small and is easy to create image aberrations. (3) Off-axis parabolic mirror: The adjustable range is very limited because the aberrations were resulted as the angle of off-axis parabolic mirror change relative to the direction of incident light. While a wide range of the focusing position can be achieved by moving the off-axis parabolic mirror along the direction of the collimated light beam, the relative position of focus point to the off-axis parabolic mirror centre cannot be changed. This also limits the adjustable range of the focus points. In summary, the use of a single curved mirror itself does not produce chromatic aberration, but it is difficult to adjust and control the direction of the optical path and focusing positions by simple adjustment. Furthermore, the polarization state of beam will be changed after reflected by a single mirror. Here, taking an aluminium mirror as an example, the reflectivities Rs and Rp of S and P polarized light at two incident angles are as shown in FIG. 3a. The above two curves represent the reflectivity Rs of S polarized light. The below two curves represent the reflectivity Rp of P polarized light. The solid line corresponds to an incident angle of 45 degrees, and the dotted line corresponds to an incident angle of 50 degrees. As a result, the reflectivities of S and P polarized light are not equal, and changed with the incident angle. The phase difference between the S and P polarized light reflected is as shown in FIG. 3b. The solid line corresponds to an incident angle of 45 degrees, and the dotted line corresponds to an incident angle of 50 degrees. As a result, the phase difference between the S and P polarized light is different, changed with the incident angle, and associated with the wavelength. In short, because the polarization states S and P with the polarization direction orthogonal to each other have different reflectivity and phase change, after broadband beam being reflected by a mirror, the polarization states of broadband beam varies, resulting in the control of the change of beam polarization difficult (for example, refer to U.S. Pat. No. 6,829,049B1 and U.S. Pat. No. 6,667,805).
The polarization control capability of the spectrometer defines the scope of its applications. Take Optical Critical Dimension (OCD) equipment as an example. Such equipment is widely used in integrated circuit manufacturing lines for process controls. The OCD equipment can measure the Critical Dimension (CD), three-dimensional profile of periodic pattern on sample surface, film thickness and optical constants of multilayer materials by measuring reflectance spectra and phase characteristics of the polarized beam from the sample surface and fitting numerical simulation results. For the spectrometer achieving the critical dimension measurement, the focusing system of spectrometer must be able to control the polarization state of the beam in the process of focusing and optical signal collection in order to measure the sample accurately.
Furthermore, two methods are often used for optical measurement of semiconductor film, i.e., absolute reflectivity measurement method and elliptical polarization measurement method. As described in Chinese Patent Applications No. 201110032744.8, when the absolute reflectivity measurement method is used for measurement, a standard sample is needed to measure, and the measurement result of the standard sample is recorded as a reference value. Then, a sample to be tested is measured, and the measurement result of the sample to be tested is compared to the reference value from the measured standard sample to obtain a relatively true value of the sample to be tested. Due to the light source itself, the spectral intensity thereof may be changed (drifted) during the actual measurement. Theoretically, generally assume that the spectral intensity of the light source is exactly the same when the standard sample and the sample to be tested are measured. But actually, since the sample to be tested and the standard sample cannot be measured at the same time, the changed of the spectral intensity of the light source will influence the measurement result.
For these reasons, it is proposed by those skilled in the art that the reference beam is used for calibrating the light source fluctuation. That is, the light emitted from the light source is divided into two beams. One is used as a probing beam to record the optical information of the sample. The other is used as a reference beam. By measuring the reference beam, the spectral intensity of the light source can be recorded respectively when the reference sample and the sample to be tested are measured, to correct the change of the spectral intensity of the light source during measurement and improve the measurement accuracy.
The measurement equipment is often classified into an optical system with normal-incidence relative to the sample surface and an optical system with oblique incidence relative to the sample surface. The optical system with normal-incidence, due to more compact structure, is often integrated with other process equipment to achieve the integration of production and measurement and real-time monitoring. In the prior art, the normal-incidence spectrometer calibrated by reference beam is achieved by two methods as follows:
(1) As shown in FIG. 4, divergent light emitted from the light source 101 is incident on a beam splitter 103 parallelly after passing through the lens 102. The light transmitted by the beam splitter 103 is used as a probing beam, and the light reflected by the beam splitter 103 is used as a reference beam. The probing beam is focused on the surface of the sample 105 after being converged by the lens 104. The reflected light on the surface of the sample 105 is reflected by the lens 104, thereafter, incident on the beam splitter 103 perpendicularly. The probing beam reflected by the beam splitter 103 is converged by the lens 107 and incident on a probe 108 to obtain the reflection spectrum on the sample surface. The reference beam is incident on a planar mirror 106 perpendicularly, and incident on the beam splitter 103 perpendicularly after being reflected by the planar mirror 106. The reference beam is also converged by the lens 107 after being transmitted by the beam splitter 103, and incident on the probe 108 to obtain the reference spectrum containing light source spectral characteristics (for example, refer to U.S. Pat. No. 7,067,818B2, U.S. Pat. No. 7,189,973B2 and U.S. Pat. No. 7,271,394B2, and U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2005/0002037A1). In this spectrometer, a controlling aperture can be used for selecting the beam needed to be measured. The method has the advantages as follows: the light source fluctuation can be calibrated, but due to the use of the beam splitter, the spectrometer also has the following problems: (i) light transmission is low. The beam must be transmitted and reflected once by the same beam splitter via the light source during the whole measurement to enter the probe. Assume that the beam splitter has 50% of transmittivity and 50% of reflectivity. The maximum light transmission ratio that the probing beam and the reference beam can reach is only 25%. (ii) If the high quality spot and wide spectral range are achieved simultaneously, it is necessary to deal with chromatic dispersion. The complexity and cost of the system are high. (2) A planar mirror is inserted in the optical path, to make a part of light emitted from the light source is incident on the planar mirror, and the other part pass through the edge of the planar mirror. The beam reflected by the planar mirror is incident on the sample surface perpendicularly as probing beam. The beam passing through the edge of the planar mirror is used as reference beam. The probing beam and the reference beam enter two different spectrometers respectively for simultaneous measurement (for example, refer to U.S. Pat. No. 5,747,813 and U.S. Pat. No. 6,374,967B1). The method has the following advantages: the simultaneous measurement of probing beam and reference beam during measurement corrects the spectrum and intensity changes of the light source accurately; the loss of light intensity during measurement is small and the utilization ratio is high. However, due to the use of two different spectrometers, the photoelectric conversion efficiency is not the same, and the wavelength distribution and resolution are also not the same. Therefore, it is not easy to calibrate the system, and the measurement accuracy will be reduced. On the other hand, the optical path has complex structure in the scheme, and cannot be adjusted easily. The two spectrometers increase the volume of the equipment and increase the cost.
When the spectrometer without polarizer was used to measure the sample with periodic structures, as described in Chinese Patent Applications No. 201010270454.2, the incident beam must be natural light because the rotation angle of incident beam cannot be adjusted relative to the anisotropic angle of samples. In theory, the natural light emitted from light source is required to arrive on the sample surface by either maintaining absolutely polarization or passing through none of polarization-sensitive components. The anisotropic samples cannot be measured if polarization states were presently partly; under this circumstance, the measured values change as the anisotropic samples rotate. Therefore, the spectrometer capable of measuring the anisotropic samples while without polarization control demands the high quality of optical elements and the sophisticated adjustment of the optical path. During measurement, the light reflected by the sample is partially polarized. When the beam is incident on the probe, in theory, the polarization of the incident beam either was maintained completely or no polarization-sensitive component was present in the path. For example, if a polarization-sensitive component was encountered in the path, a depolarizer is required, thus it will reduce the signal to noise ratio. Moreover, the above problem cannot be corrected by numerical methods.

Normal-incidence broadband spectroscopic polarimeter containing reference beam and optical measurement system


A method and system for controlling downshifting of an automated mechanical transmission system which senses unsuccessful attempts to engage a predetermined downshift target gear ratio (GR.sub.T) due to engine speed remaining less than the synchronous engine speed (ES=OS*GR.sub.T) for engaging said target gear ratio and, in response to sensing such conditions, automatically initiates a degraded mode of operation wherein an achievable degraded mode target gear ratio (GR.sub.DMT <ES.sub.MAX .div.OS), synchronizable at achieved maximum engine speed (ES.sub.MAX), is identified and caused to be engaged.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a control method or system for controlling downshifting of an at least partially automated vehicular mechanical transmission. In particular, the present invention relates to a downshift control operating under logic rules which will sense a condition wherein the vehicle engine is unable to achieve an engine speed sufficient to allow synchronous engagement of the downshift target ratio and, in response thereto, will select the lowest speed ratio which can be synchronously engaged at the current vehicle conditions as a new, degraded mode target ratio.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Fully and partially automated vehicular mechanical transmission systems are known in the prior art, as may be seen by reference to U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,361,060; 4,595,986; 4,648,290; 4,722,248; 4,754,665; 5,406,861; 5,413,012; 5,441,463 and 5,441,464, the disclosures of which are incorporated herein by reference.
Such fully or partially automated vehicular mechanical transmission systems typically include a microprocessor-based controller for issuing command output signals to various controllers to implement selected transmission shifts, including manipulation of the engine fueling and/or engine or input shaft brakes to cause the transmission input shaft to rotate at a substantially synchronous speed for a given output shaft speed and target gear ratio. To accomplish a downshift in such a fully or partially automated mechanical transmission, the sequence of operations include automatic or manual selection of a downshift target ratio, disengagement of the currently engaged ratio, reengaging or retaining in the engaged condition the vehicle master clutch, causing the engine and, thus, the input shaft to rotate at a substantially synchronous speed for engaging the target gear ratio at current vehicle speed (usually as determined by output shaft speed) and, upon sensing attainment of synchronous speed, causing the jaw clutches associated with the target gear ratio to be engaged.
While the prior art fully or partially automated mechanical transmission systems are generally satisfactory, they are subject to improvement, as the systems tend to attempt to synchronize for engagement of a selected target gear ratio for an excessively long period of time under conditions wherein substantial synchronization could not be attained. Such conditions may include intentional or inadvertent application of full or partial engine braking, faulty engine fueling and/or control system communication and/or excessive vehicle speed and/or acceleration.

Downshift control method/system for vehicular automated mechanical transmission


Provided is an abnormal information output system for a computer system, wherein the computer system includes at least a plurality of hardware devices and a plurality of sensors for detecting operation statuses of each hardware device. The abnormal information output system includes at least a latch module connected to each of the sensors and the hardware devices, wherein the latch module is configured to latch operation status information of the hardware devices when abnormal operation of the computer system is detected; and a basic input-output system (BIOS) module embedded in the computer system and the BIOS module is connected to the latch module and configured to analyze the latched operation status information when the computer system returns to a normal operation so as to output corresponding abnormal information. Accordingly, the computer system is capable of recording a chip failure and information regarding reasons for system failure.

The present invention relates generally to computers, and more particularly, to an abnormal information output system for a computer system.
Concerning the cost issue, some of the conventional computer systems provides no baseboard management controller (BMC sub-system) but use a microprocessor to substitute the BMC sub-system for management, for example, recording operation status information like temperatures of hardware and chips in the computer systems.
However, the microprocessor may not be used to record the operation status information of the system in case the microprocessor fails. More particularly, if some abnormal events (for example, overheating of a CPU chip) occur, the computer system would fail. Under this circumstance, information of the above-mentioned abnormal events cannot be recorded by the microprocessor, and inspectors may thus fail to determine the causes of such abnormal events which occur in the system. For the above reasons, it is desired to cure such deficiencies in the conventional computer systems.

Abnormal information output system for a computer system

Celestica Technology Consultancy (Shanghai) Co., Ltd.


A method of processing photographic material comprises developing the photographic material by treatment with a developer (26), and fixing the developed photographic material by treatment with a fixer (32, 38) while reducing the level of silver ions in the fixer (38) by electrolysis. Between the developing and the fixing, the photographic material is treated with an intermediate treatment liquid (44) for a period of time less than the treatment time with the fixer (32, 38). The intermediate treatment liquid (44) contains used fixer (38). The efficiency of fixing is improved without the use of substantially greater liquid volumes and in particular without the use of further quantities of water.

A typical photographic material processing method comprises developing the photographic material by treatment with a developer, and fixing the developed photographic material by treatment with a fixer. During the fixing step, the non-developed silver halide is removed from the photographic material and silver ions build up in the fixer, having the effect of slowing down the fixing process. It is therefore not unusual to reduce the level of silver ions in the fixer by electrolysis, for example by passing the fixer around a circulation loop which includes an electrolytic cell. Electrolytic removal of silver also has the benefit of enabling a lower regeneration rate of fixer to be used and this is consistent with recent trends to reduce the volume of treatment liquids used in photographic processing.
In such a process the photographic material which passes from the developer to the fixer carries with it a certain amount of developer liquid, containing used and unused developing agents and other components, which act as contaminants to the fixer. The consequence of this "carry-over" is that the time required for the photographic material to be fixed in the fixer, i.e. for the silver ion content of the photographic material to be reduced to a predetermined low level, is lengthened. The greater the degree of carry-over, the longer is the required fixing time. While improved apparatus design, such as the design of transport rollers used to feed the photographic material through the apparatus, can reduce the level of carry-over, it has not so far been possible to totally eliminate carry-over, and the corresponding time-loss in the fixing step.
While it has been proposed to rinse the photographic material with water or a rinse liquid between the developer and the fixer, to wash off carried-over developer and thus reduce the increase in fixing time which the carried-over developer would cause, the time taken for such rinsing becomes a factor in the overall processing time, so that any benefits obtained from more efficient fixing are not wholly realised. Furthermore, there is a trend towards processes which consume lower amounts of water. One disadvantage of rinsing with water between the developer and fixer is the production of an additional waste stream. Moreover, an undesired brownish discolouration may arise from oxidation of developer components, which may foul the photographic material. This discolouration is particularly severe when low levels of rinse water are used in order to limit the additional waste. Another disadvantage is the additional time necessary, which is wasted time as this time is not used for processing.
In general, the efficiency of fixing can be improved by the use of "cascade" fixing, in which the photographic material passes through two fixing vessels, the fixer moving counter-current to the photographic material. The period of time spent by the photographic material in the fixer is thereby increased while the volume of fixer required to fill the processing apparatus is increased.

Method of processing photographic material


A biometric imager may comprise a plurality of sensor element traces formed in or on a sensor substrate which may comprise at least a portion of a display screen defining a biometric sensing area and forming in-active pixel locations; an auxiliary active circuit formed in or on the sensor substrate on the periphery of the biometric sensing area and in direct or indirect electrical contact with the sensor element traces; and providing a signal processing interface to a remotely located controller integrated circuit. The sensor element traces may form a portion of one dimensional linear sensor array or pixel locations in a two dimensional grid array capacitive gap biometric imaging sensor. The auxiliary circuit may provide pixel location selection or pixel signal amplification. The auxiliary circuit may be mounted on a surface of the display screen. The auxiliary circuit further comprising a separate pixel location selection controller circuit.

Biometric authentication systems are used for authenticating users. Biometric sensing technology provides a reliable, non-intrusive way to verify individual identity for authentication purposes.
Fingerprints, like various other biometric characteristics, are based on unalterable personal characteristics and thus are a reliable mechanism to identify individuals. There are many potential applications for utilization of biometric and fingerprints sensors. For example, electronic fingerprint sensors may be used to provide access control in stationary applications, such as security checkpoints. Electronic fingerprint sensors may also be used to provide access control in portable applications, such as portable computers, personal data assistants (PDAs), cell phones, gaming devices, navigation devices, information appliances, data storage devices, and the like. Accordingly, some applications, particularly portable applications, may require electronic fingerprint sensing systems that are compact, highly reliable, and inexpensive.
Various electronic fingerprint sensing methods, techniques, and devices have been proposed and/or are currently in use or under development. For example, optical and capacitive fingerprint sensing devices are currently on the market. Like a digital camera, optical technology utilizes visible light to capture a digital image. In particular, optical technology may use a light source to illuminate an individual's finger while a sensor, e.g., a charge-coupled device ("CCD") captures an analog image. This analog image may then be converted to a digital image. Other sensors may be pressure based, e.g., using piezoelectric materials or deformable capacitive sensors, impedance based, such as resistive sensors, heat based, etc.
There are generally two types of capacitive fingerprint sensing technologies: passive and active. Both types of capacitive technologies can utilize similar principles of capacitance changes to generate fingerprint images. Passive capacitive technology typically utilizes a linear one-dimensional (1D) or a two-dimensional (2D) array of plates (i.e., electrodes or traces) to apply an electrical signal, e.g., in the form of an electrical field, such as a varying high speed (radio frequency ("RF") or the like) signal transmitted to the finger of the user from a transmitter trace and received at a receiver trace after passage through the finger. A variation in the signal caused by the impedance of the finger indicates, e.g., whether there is a fingerprint valley or ridge between the transmitter trace and the receiver trace in the vicinity of where the transmission and reception between the traces occurs. Fingerprint ridges, as an example, can typically display far less impedance (lower capacitance across the gap) than valleys, which may exhibit relatively high impedance (higher capacitance across the gap). The gaps can be between traces on the same plane, horizontal, or in different planes, vertical.
Active capacitive technology is similar to passive technology, but may require initial excitation of the epidermal skin layer of the finger by applying a current or a voltage directly to the finger. Typically, thereafter, the actual change in capacitance between the source of the voltage or current on an excitation electrode (trace) and another receptor electrode (trace) is measured to determine the presence of a valley or ridge intermediate the source electrode and the another receptor electrode. Active capacitive sensors, however, may be adversely affected by such effects as dry or worn finger print components. By contrast, passive sensors are typically capable of producing images regardless of contact resistance and require significantly less power, e.g., because of more penetration of the layer of skin of the user in the vicinity of the transmitter/receiver pair.
In some embodiments the traces may form a plurality of transmitter electrodes and a single receiver electrode or a plurality of receiver electrodes and a single transmitter electrode arranged in a linear one dimensional capacitive gap array. In such embodiments the capacitive gape may be horizontal across the gap formed by the respective ends of the plurality of traces and the single trace, whether transmitter or receiver. Advantageously such sensor systems can be very compact, inexpensive to manufacture, with the sensor element traces simply formed on a substrate, such as a flexible substrate, made of, e.g., Kapton® tape made by 3M, and reliable, e.g., due to insulation of the finger of the user from the traces and/or electric contact, etc.
In some embodiments, the traces may form a 2D grid array, e.g., with rows of transmitter/receiver traces on one substrate and columns of receiver/transmitter traces on the same or a separate substrate, e.g., laminated together with some form of dielectric between the traces to form a 2D sensor element array. Such 2D arrays may be essentially as long as the last digit of the finger forming a placement sensor element array, or shorter in the direction of the length of the finger, forming a swiped 2D array. While both the 1D linear array sensors systems and the 2D array sensor systems can operate in essentially the same way, i.e., with transmission of a signal from a transmitter trace to a receiver trace, the 2D arrays are larger in the region that must be exposed in the vicinity of the finger being sensed, and are generally more complex electronically. In addition such 2D arrays can involve higher degrees of noise and other impediments to accurate signal processing of the received signals and also more complicated software and hardware for reconstructing the fingerprint from a series of swiped 2D images accumulated during sensing in the direction of the finger and sensor elements relative movement during the swipe.
Although each of the fingerprint sensing technologies described above may generate satisfactory fingerprint images, each may be adversely affected by noise, interference, and other effects. For example, capacitive sensors may be particularly susceptible to noise and parasitic capacitive coupling, which may degrade the quality of the acquired fingerprint image. 2D arrays may be more so susceptible than linear 1D arrays. Prior attempts to reduce noise in 2D sensors have employed reference capacitors positioned at each sensor pixel to provide a method of subtracting noise contributions that affect both the finger capacitance and the reference capacitor. This technique is most effective for electrical noise at the pixel level, as seen, e.g., in U.S. Pat. No. 8,115,497B2, PIXEL SENSING CIRCUIT WITH COMMON MODE CANCELLATION, issued on Feb. 14, 2012, to Gozzini, and/or US Pub. No. US 2012/0085822 A1, entitled FINGER SENSING DEVICE INCLUDING DIFFERENTIAL MEASUREMENT CIRCUITRY AND RELATED METHODS, published on Apr. 12, 2012, referenced above. Also proposed has been the user of a reference electrode external to the sensor array, e.g., that is not affected by an actual presence of the finger of a user, such as is discussed in U.S. Pat. No. 8,421,890 B2, entitled ELECTRONIC IMAGER USING AN IMPEDANCE SENSOR GRID ARRAY AND METHOD OF MAKING, issued to Benkley on Apr. 16, 2013. Accordingly, it would be an advance in the art to reduce the effects of noise, parasitic capacitive coupling, and other effects in capacitive-type fingerprint sensing circuits.
Two-dimensional matrix format fingerprint readers have historically been built with row and column multiplexing circuits along the edge of the sensor pixel array, e.g., as illustrated in U.S. Pat. No. 7,616,786 B2, entitled FINGER BIOMETRIC SENSOR WITH SENSOR ELECTRONICS DISTRIBUTED OVER THIN FILM AND MONOCRYSTALLINE SUBSTRATES AND RELATED METHODS, issued to Setlak, et al., on Nov. 10, 2009; U.S. Pat. No. 7,835,553 B2, entitled IDENTITY AUTHENTICATION DEVICE AND FINGERPRINT SENSOR, issued to Miyasaka on Nov. 16, 2010 and U.S. Pat. No. 7,755,369 B2, issued to Chuang, et al. Mar. 23, 2010, entitled CAPACITIVE FINGERPRINT SENSOR AND THE PANEL THEREOF. This is true of both silicon substrate and glass substrate fingerprint readers. The use of such row and column multiplexing circuits all the signals to and from the individual rows and columns to be carried over a small number of signal lines. This has been done within a controller IC, but this makes the controller IC more expensive both from the standpoint of circuitry included in the IC and thus chip real estate utilized, as well as input/output connections required in the chip packaging.
According to co-pending U.S. Patent Pub US 2013/0177220 A1, entitled METHODS AND DEVICES FOR CAPACITIVE IMAGE SENSING, published Jul. 11, 2013, noise reduction in a 1D sensor array can be accomplished by subtracting an NI (background) signal from the primary finger influenced ("FI") signal as a means of subtracting out noise signals, e.g., that affect adjacent receiver lines in a linear sensor.
The emergence of portable electronic computing platforms allows functions and services to be enjoyed wherever necessary. Palmtop computers, personal digital assistants ("PDAs"), mobile telephones, portable game consoles, biometric/health monitors, and digital cameras are some everyday examples of portable electronic computing platforms. The desire for portability has driven these computing platforms to become smaller. Such portable electronic computing platforms, as well as some larger ones like lap top computer, pads and pods, electronic tablets and the like have been increasingly shown to be in need of authentication of the user to access the device or once on the device to access applications running on the device and/or to access remote applications such as websites, web-pages, user accounts, such as email of social network accounts, and engage in various forms of on-line transactions, each requiring varying degrees of authentication of the user to the device/application and the application to the user. Such processes have increasingly required input from the user of user information, e.g., in the form of user name and password/PIN, but even more so more sophisticated and secure forms of user authentication to the relying party and vice versa. For this purpose various forms of biometric user identification input, e.g., fingerprint authentication information is being required.
It is difficult to efficiently collect user authentication input information, e.g., fingerprint images or fingerprint authentication determinations and the like on these ever-smaller personal computing and communication devices. In addition, such as portable electronic computing platforms need other forms of user inputs for multiple purposes including, but not limited to, navigation: moving a cursor or a pointer to a certain location on a display; selection: choosing, or not choosing, an item or an action; and orientation: changing direction with or without visual feedback. Where the usual form of a GUI input device, e.g., an actual or virtual mouse may easily be used with and transported with a lap top computer or larger touch screen device, such as a tablet, smaller devices with concomitantly smaller display areas, such as cell phones, pads and pods, Blackberrys, etc. can be perfect candidates for sensors, such as biometric sensors and/or buttons and/or combinations thereof that can perform authentication as well as act as GUI input devices.
Prior art systems have borrowed concepts for user input from much larger personal computers. Micro joysticks, navigation bars, scroll wheels, touch pads, steering wheels and buttons have all been adopted, with limited success, in today's portable electronic computing platforms. All of these devices consume substantial amounts of valuable surface real estate on a portable device. Mechanical devices such as joysticks, navigation bars and scroll wheels can wear out and become unreliable. Because they are generally physically designed for a single task, they typically do not provide functions of other navigation devices. Their sizes and required movement on or within the device often precludes optimal ergonomic placement on portable computing platforms. Moreover, these smaller versions of their popular personal computer counterparts usually do not offer accurate or high-resolution position information, since the movement information they sense is too coarsely grained.
Most commercially available biometric image sensors, such as fingerprint image sensors that detect and measure features (e.g., valleys, ridges, and minutiae) on the surface of a finger using capacitive, thermal, optical, or other sensing technologies as noted above, fall into the two above noted categories: (1) full-size placement sensors and (2) typically smaller so-called swipe sensors, with the latter being either 1D or 2D. Placement sensors have an active sensing surface that is large enough to accommodate most of the interesting part of a finger at the same time. Generally, they are rectangular in shape with a sensing surface area of at least 100 mm2. The finger is held stationary while being imaged on the full-placement sensor.
The other type of finger image sensor, called a swipe sensor, is characterized by a strip-like imaging area that is fully sized in one direction (typically in length) but abbreviated in the other (typically width). An example is the Atrua Wings ATW100 sensor, as described by Andrade in US Patent Application US 2003/0016849 A1 published Jan. 23, 2003 (issued as U.S. Pat. No. 7,256,589 B2 on Aug. 14, 2007), and PCT publication WO 02/095349. A finger is swiped across the sensor until all parts of it are imaged, analogous to how a feed through paper document scanner operates. A sequence of slices or frames of the finger image is captured and processed to construct a composite image of the finger. As shown in U.S. Pat. No. 7,099,496 B2, entitled SWIPED APERTURE CAPACITIVE FINGERPRINT SENSING SYSTEMS AND METHODS, issued to Benkley on Aug. 29, 2006 shows a limiting case where the sensed "area" is a single linear 1D array of capacitive gaps.
Several prior art devices use a touchpad for authenticating a user and moving a cursor on a display device. A touchpad, which operates similarly to a finger image sensor, does not provide enough image resolution or capability to distinguish ridges and valleys on the fingerprint. Instead, the touchpad perceives a finger as a blob and tracks the blob location to determine movement. Therefore, a touchpad cannot follow miniscule movements, nor can it very easily detect rotational movement.
U.S. Patent Publication No. US 2002/0054695 A1, titled "Configurable Multi-Function Touchpad Device," to Bjorn et al. discloses a touchpad that can be configured to authenticate a user or to control a cursor. The touchpad attempts to enhance the function of a touchpad to include fingerprint capability. It merely absorbs the hardware of a capacitive finger image sensor into the much-larger size touchpad to achieve cost-savings. It does not disclose using the finger image data of the data collector for navigation or other device control. Moreover, as conceived, the apparatus of Bjorn, with its large size will preclude the touchpad from being used in most portable electronic computing platforms.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,408,087 B1, entitled CAPACITIVE SEMICONDUCTOR USER INPUT DEVICE, issued to Kramer on Jun. 18, 2002 discloses a system that uses a fingerprint sensor to control a cursor on the display screen of a computer. The system controls the position of a pointer on a display according to detected motion of the ridges and pores of the fingerprint. The system has a number of limitations. It uses image-based correlation algorithms and, unlike a system using a swipe sensor, requires fingerprint images with multiple ridges, typical for capacitive placement sensors. To detect a motion parallel to the direction of a ridge, the system requires the sensor to detect pores, a requirement restricting its use to high-resolution sensors of at least 500 dpi. The system detects changes in ridge width to sense changes of finger pressure. However, ridge width measurement requires a very high-resolution sensor to provide low-resolution of changes of finger pressure. The algorithm is unique to emulating a mouse and is not suitable for emulating other types of input devices, such as a joystick or a steering wheel, where screen movements are not always proportional to finger movements. For example, a joystick requires a returning to home position when there is no input and a steering wheel requires rotational movement. The system is unique to capacitive sensors where inverted amplifiers are associated with every sensor cell.
Capacitive fingerprint sensor arrays are often required to sense very small signals (e.g. associated with passive modification of a transmitted signal due to femtofarad differences in capacitance, e.g., between a transmitter electrode (trace) and a receiver electrode (trace) due to the difference between the electric field passing from the transmitter to the receiver through a finger of a user passing through a ridge or a valley of the fingerprint of the user. This can be especially so when attempting to read a fingerprint through a somewhat thick cover layer (0.100 mm or more, for example) of glass or other dielectric material. In one-dimensional fingerprint sensors which use a linear array of transmitters and a single receiver electrode, it has been suggested that the signal strength on the receiver line can be boosted by activating multiple transmitters simultaneously transmitting to the single receiver or multiple receivers receiving from the single transmitter trace, e.g., as discussed in co-pending US Patent Pub. US 2013/0177220 A1, entitled METHODS AND DEVICES FOR CAPACITIVE IMAGE SENSING, published Jul. 11, 2013.
Noise reduction methods have been proposed for 2D sensor arrays as well, as exemplified in U.S. Patent Pub. US 2013/0265137 A1 published Oct. 10, 2013, entitled INTEGRATABLE FINGERPRINT SENSOR PACKAGINGS.
A similar problem(s) can exist for two-dimensional fingerprint sensors as has been suggested for resolution in 1D linear sensor arrays, and the problem may be further complicated by the additional parasitic capacitances resulting from row/column crossovers that are not present in a one-dimensional (linear) sensor array. In order to alleviate this problem, the vast majority of capacitive two-dimensional fingerprint sensors therefore incorporate not only the capacitive sensing electrodes in each sensor pixel, but also amplification circuitry to boost the signal before it travels down the row or column line to a multiplexer or other readout circuit. The signal produced by the presence or absence of a fingerprint ridge can be further boosted by combining the signals from several receiver pixels adjacent to, or surrounding, a primary transmitter pixel, as is discussed, e.g., in US Pub US 2012/0085822 A1, with named inventors Setlak et al., published on Apr. 12, 2012.
Fingerprint readers that are intended to be at least to a large degree transparent are often fabricated on transparent glass. In this case the row and column drive and readout circuits may be contained in a silicon IC that is attached to, i.e., mounted on, the glass. However, the large number of rows and columns and fine pitch of these lines, especially on the silicon IC, requires very high resolution die attach processes and connector pads, or it may also make the silicon IC larger than necessary, to fit all the input & output pads that are necessary. For this reason fingerprint readers built on glass substrates have been built all the necessary row/column multiplexing circuits (often as well as sense amp circuits) in thin film transistor ("TFT") circuits fabricated directly on the glass, as shown, e.g., in U.S. Pat. No. 7,616,786 B2, entitled FINGER BIOMETRIC SENSOR WITH SENSOR ELECTRONICS DISTRIBUTED OVER THIN FILM AND MONOCRYSTALLINE SUBSTRATES AND RELATED METHODS, issued to Setlak on Nov. 10, 2009, where the circuitry for an operation amplifier is split between lower cost TFTs at the sensor array location and higher performance transistors within a remotely mounted control IC; U.S. Pat. No. 7,835,553 B2, entitled IDENTITY AUTHENTICATION DEVICE AND FINGERPRINT SENSOR, issued to Miyakasa on Nov. 16, 2010, in which a fingerprint sensor array and local signal processing circuitry is contained in a separate housing separable from a user device and replaceable as a unit; and U.S. Pat. No. 7,755,369 B2, entitled CAPACITIVE FINGERPRINT SENSOR AND THE PANEL THEREOF, issued to Chuang et al. on Jul. 13, 2010 in which all of the sensor circuitry, including the controller IC and in-pixel high performance circuitry, such as amplification is formed in or on the glass substrate of a display unit. Such TFT-on-glass fingerprint readers almost always include pixel select and amplification circuitry at each array sensor pixel.
Two-dimensional capacitive fingerprint sensors can be more susceptible to noise and the effects of parasitic capacitances due to their larger size and array structure as compared, e.g., to a one-dimensional (linear array) sensor. For this reason virtually all current two-dimensional fingerprint sensors incorporate in-pixel amplification, and perhaps other signal processing, circuitry. However, this means the sensor array must be made on a silicon wafer or with a technology (such as higher quality TFT technology, that can use, e.g., such high quality and thus more expensive transistor fabrication technology, e.g., TFT fabrication technology, to provide high quality semiconductor devices such as may be required for such transistors in each pixel. This increases the cost of the sensor substantially compared to a flex or glass based passive sensor matrix, e.g., where the electrodes (traces) forming the sensor elements are printed or etched on a substrate generally in a single layer process, more like printed circuit board ("PCB") fabrication process.

Signal strength enhancement in a biometric sensor array


A method for designing a drilling plan for rock cavern excavation, which defines in advance for a round to be drilled in a tunnel face at least the locations of drill holes in a predetermined coordinate system, uses the drilling plan created by means of a computer-assisted design program. The method determines pull-out of a round on the basis of the locations of the hole ends and the topography of the rock remaining after a round blast, and designs or modifies the drilling plan for a subsequent round on the basis of the thus determined pull-out.

The invention relates to a method for designing a drilling plan for rock cavern excavation, the drilling plan defining in advance for a round to be drilled in a tunnel face at least the locations of drill holes in a predetermined coordinate system, and the method creating the drilling plan by means of a computer-assisted design program. The invention further relates to an arrangement for designing a drilling plan for excavating a rock cavern with a rock drilling apparatus comprising one or more drilling booms having a rock drilling unit attached to it and a control unit for controlling drilling, which arrangement comprises a computer for designing or modifying the drilling plan, whereby in the drilling plan at least locations of drill holes in a predetermined coordinate system has been defined in advance for a round to be drilled.
Tunnels, underground storage silos and other rock facilities are excavated in rounds. In a tunnel face, drill holes are drilled which are charged and blasted after drilling. One blast detaches from the rock an amount of rock material that equals that of one round. For excavating a rock cavern, a plan is made in advance and information is determined about the rock type, inter alia. In general, the orderer of the rock cavern also sets various quality requirements for the cavern to be excavated.
When face drilling is performed by a rock drilling apparatus provided with instrumentation, there is generally designed, as office work, a drilling plan for drilling a round, in which process attention is also paid to a charging plan provided for blasting the round. This drilling plan is supplied to the rock drilling apparatus for being used by means of its control computer. The drilling plan serves as a controlled instruction for drilling drill holes in the rock in such a manner that a desired round can be formed.
The successfulness of the drilling plan, drilling and charging is measured, inter alia, by pull-out per round, which refers to the ratio of an advance of the tunnel after the blast to the designed length in the drilling plan. To improve the pull-out from 88 to 95 percent, for instance, means significant cost savings in an excavation project. In practice, optimal pull-out is to be found out by changing the drilling plan, the parameters here including positioning, orientation and number of drill holes, blast cut, specific charge in different plan zones.
For designing a drilling plan there are developed design programs that assist the designer in composing the drilling plan. Designing a drilling plan is thus interactive action between the designer and the design program.
Production of drilling plans and continuous design, as well as review of plans during tunnel work, have been developed in various ways, for instance, in view of blasting techniques. Prior art is represented, for instance, by publication WO 2008/078001.
In practice, in round blasting it has been found that even though the hole locations and the size and amount of blasting charges are designed on the basis of the known facts as well as possible, the outcome of the blast does not, however, meet the planned design. Typically, when detached material is removed after the blast, it may be found that the remaining rock surface deviates significantly from the theoretical surface that should have been obtained after the blast. This may result from a plurality of different factors, such as fracturing properties or hardness of rock, or some other factor that cannot have been known in advance with a sufficient accuracy. As a consequence, however, the efficiency of excavation deteriorates and this, in turn, causes quite significant additional costs.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Method and arrangement for designing drilling plan


A self-stable, light weight, foldable and easily assembled road signaling device for disabled vehicle warning or the temporary channeling of traffic, comprising of a flexible warning panel and base. The polygonal panel and complimentary base are formed from the cut lines on an unitary flat sheet body. When the warning panel is folded upright, the base is formed from the remaining unit. Alternatively, the signaling device comprises of a flexible panel affixed to a flat light weight base. The panel is coated with fluorescent or reflective material. Shaped to reduce air drag and constructed of flexible material, in wind or turbulence, the whole warning panel will sway about the stationary base.

1. Field of Invention
This invention relates to a self-stable, light weight, foldable and easily assembled signaling device for disabled vehicle warning or temporary traffic channeling.
2. Discussion of Prior Arts
Numerous road hazard and traffic channeling devices are currently available. For disabled motorists, the most common warning signals are chemical flares and reflector triangles. Signs, flags and cones are most frequently used by road repair crews and policemen for the temporary channeling of traffic.
Flares have been employed since the advent of the automobile. When ignited and placed on the road surface, a bright flame is produced that warns oncoming traffic of accidents. Although highly visible when ignited, there are many drawbacks in using them. They will only burn for 15 to 30 minutes. Therefore, a large number must be stored for emergencies. Flares may become chemically inactive after a few years. Many motorists hesitate to store or handle them because of their extreme flammability. The spent flares littering the highways and the thick smoke from burning flares present environmental problems.
Emergency reflector triangles are also frequently used by disabled motorists. The triangles are made of three reflector arms attached to a weighted base. When the arms are assembled, a triangular shaped reflector is formed. There are also numerous drawbacks in their use. Reflector triangles are unwieldy because of the heavy base. As designed, the heavy base is required to ensure that the triangle is not toppled over by gusts of wind or traffic generated turbulence. They need to be assembled, which is a problem for the non-mechanical inclined. Lastly, although general collapsible, they require storage in the trunks of vehicles.
Signs, flags and cones are mostly used for the temporary directing of traffic, especially by road maintenance crews. Except for cones, all of these devices need to be assembled. They all utilize a heavy base to prevent toppling by wind or traffic generated turbulence. They are all bulky because of their rigid construction or base. Their application are limited due to their designed size and weight.
Numerous alternative devises for disabled vehicle warning and traffic channeling devices have been proposed to solve the above said problems of size and weight. In reference to U.S. Pat. Ser. Nos. 2,991,699; 2,869,504 and 2,881,662 rigid triangular signaling devices made from an unitary body member are described. The unitary body consisting of semi-rigid material, which when folded forms a base, sign and support structure. The members are locked together to form a rigid triangular sign. In reference to U.S. Pat. Ser. No. 4,466,376 and 4,789,747 pre-cut unit member sheets are folded to form the sides and bottom of pyramidal structures. Although portable and easily stored, precisely due to their light weight and rigid structures when assembled, all of these signals are unable to stand by themselves. A gust of wind or turbulence from a passing vehicle will topple them unless they are weighted down by stones, sand or a hand tool placed on the base.
None of the references teach the new and novel elements in the environment set forth hereinafter and defined as a self-stable, light weight, foldable and easily assembled warning device. Neither do they provide all the benefits and advantages associated therewith the following proposed embodiments. Whereas the previous inventions all have limited application, as will become obvious from the figures and detailed description below, the proposed invention has broader application. The hereinafter embodiments will demonstrate the self-stable but light weight, easily stored and easily assembled features of said road hazard warning or channeling device.

Self-stable, portable, foldable, easily assembled road warning signal


In one or more embodiments, during a stopped condition of the vehicle, commanding stiffening and dampening modes of an active engine mount (AEM) system while inducing vehicle vibrations and recording images. In this way, a condition of the AEM system may be indicated based on the recorded images.

Engines historically have had solid rubber mounts to isolate engine vibration from the vehicle cabin and chassis, where the rubber naturally absorbed vibrations from the engine. However, in performance and high end cars, if rubber is too compliant, then certain vehicle maneuvers may cause high loads, and this may stress joints in the vehicle, for example in the exhaust system. Hence, tunable active engine mounts (AEMs) have been developed that may be controlled to change dampening characteristics depending on engine load.
As an example, the AEMs may be configured to be soft (e.g. dampening mode) at engine idle to absorb undesired vibrations. However, at higher engine speeds, the AEMs may be configured to stiffen (e.g. stiffening mode), to limit undesired engine motion, which may prevent stress on exhaust joints, for example. Accordingly, AEMs may achieve low noise, vibration, and harshness (NVH) at idle, and may further reduce NVH and prevent undesired stress at high loads.
However, over time, the AEMs may degrade due to AEM aging, for example. As a result, the undesired engine vibrations may not be absorbed as effectively. Further, if the undesired vibration is not appropriately absorbed/dampened, engine performance may be reduced, which may include reduced fuel economy and a decrease in engine efficiency, for example. Moreover, in cases where a vehicle may be an autonomous vehicle (AV) or where the vehicle may be part of a rideshare program, there may not be a person available to take note of NVH that may be an indication of AEM degradation or people utilizing the vehicle may be one-time riders who do not have a direct responsibility for addressing AEM degradation. Thus, such AEM degradation may go unreported and unaddressed, and excessive vibrations from a failed engine mount may cause damage to peripheral subsystems that interact with the engine that are costly for an owner, such as a rideshare company to repair. As just one example, damage to the exhaust system may occur due to excessive vibrations from a failed engine mount.
Previous approaches to monitor AEM degradation may have included the use of dedicated vibration sensors configured to monitor vehicle chassis vibration as part of a diagnostic routine to evaluate a condition of the AEMs. However, the inclusion of such sensors may be costly and may be a barrier to retrofitting vehicles to carry out such a routine for evaluating a condition of the AEMs. Furthermore, degradation of one or more of such vibration sensors may go undetected, which may thus potentially lead to inaccurate diagnostic results should the diagnostic routine for evaluating the condition of the AEM degradation be carried out with one or more degraded sensors.
The inventors herein have recognized these issues, and have developed systems and methods to at least partially address the above issues. In one example, the issues described above may be addressed by, during a stopped condition of the vehicle, commanding stiffening and dampening modes of an AEM system while inducing vehicle vibrations and recording images, and indicating a condition of the AEM system based on the recorded images.
In this way, onboard cameras of the vehicle may be leveraged to perform additional functions, which may result in cost savings and simplifying a process for retrofitting vehicles to carry out the approach disclosed herein. Additionally, the onboard cameras are sensitive to even minor vibration, resulting in camera image jitter that is particularly useful for diagnosing AEM degradation. Further, the onboard cameras of the vehicle may be robust for performing the diagnostic routine, as the onboard cameras are uniquely mounted at a front of the engine and are a solid state device which results in minimal degradation to the onboard cameras. Moreover, via the approach disclosed herein, the technical effect of diagnosing a condition of the AEMs, even if the vehicle is unoccupied, may be achieved.
It should be understood that the summary above is provided to introduce in simplified form a selection of concepts that are further described in the detailed description. It is not meant to identify key or essential features of the claimed subject matter, the scope of which is defined uniquely by the claims that follow the detailed description. Furthermore, the claimed subject matter is not limited to implementations that solve any disadvantages noted above or in any part of this disclosure.

Methods and systems for diagnosing an active engine mount condition


A pliable refractory metal carrier (46) may have coated thereon an anchor layer (47) to improve adherence to the carrier (46) of a catalytic coating (48). The conformable catalyst member (26, 82, 82′, 126, 226, 326) may be bent to conform to a curved or bent exhaust pipe (20, 220, 320) within which it is mounted. The pliable metal carrier may be in the form of a tube such as carrier (46) having perforations (54) formed therein, or it may be a metal strip (76) which is folded into accordion pleats (80) and has perforations (78) formed therein. The perforations (54, 78) serve to permit the passage of exhaust gas therethrough. A series of interior closures (58) and annular baffles (60) may be provided to import a serpentine flow path to gases flowed through an exhaust pipe (22) containing a conformable catalyst member (226) therein. A mounting member (68) may be supplied to fasten one end of the conformable catalyst member (226) to the discharge end of an exhaust pipe (220).

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to pliable refractory metal carriers on which a catalyst composition may be coated to provide conformable catalyst members. More particularly, the present invention relates to refractory metal carriers which may be coated with a catalytic composition and then bent to enable insertion of the resulting conformable catalyst into curved conduits and the like, for example, into curved exhaust manifolds or exhaust pipes of gasoline or diesel internal combustion engines.
2. Related Art
The provision of catalysts to treat exhaust gases, such as exhaust gases of internal combustion engines, is, of course, well known in the art. Typically, such catalysts comprise a rigid carrier, such as the so-called "honeycomb"-type carrier, comprising a ceramic-like substance, such as cordierite or mullite, usually of circular or oval cylindrical shape and having a plurality of fine gas flow passages extending from and through the front to the rear face thereof. The walls of these gas flow passages are coated with a catalytic material such as one comprised of a dried, calcined coating of fine particulate refractory metal oxide, e.g., activated alumina, on which is dispersed one or more catalytic metal components. The latter may be, for example, one or more of platinum, platinum plus rhodium, and one or more multi-valent base metal oxides such as oxides of cobalt, nickel, iron or manganese. It is also known in the art to use a carrier comprised of a pair of overlying refractory metal strips, such as stainless steel strips, one flat and one corrugated. The overlying strips are tightly wound into a cylinder so that the alternating corrugated and flat metal strips form a plurality of fine gas flow passages extending from and through the front to the rear face of the metal support. A catalytic material such as described above may be coated onto these gas flow passages, e.g., from an aqueous slurry of the particles, dried and calcined. In either case, whether extruded from a ceramic-like material or fashioned from tightly spiral-wound strips of flat and corrugated metal, the resulting carrier body is rigid. In order to provide sufficient catalytic material to effectuate purification of the exhaust stream being treated, such rigid catalyst members are typically of significantly larger diameter than the exhaust stream conduits in which they are placed. Therefore, it is well known in the art to encase such rigid catalyst members within a canister, such as a stainless steel canister, adding inlet and outlet ends which are of truncated conical configuration, the larger base of the truncated conical ends being attached to a cylindrical housing which contains the rigid catalyst member. The smaller ends of the truncated conical end sections face away from the rigid catalyst member and are sized to be conveniently connected, respectively, to inlet and outlet conduits which flow the exhaust stream into and carry it from the rigid catalyst member.
The foregoing construction is old and well known in the art. It is also known in the art that the application of such catalytic materials to metal substrates is enhanced by the application of an intermetallic compound to the metal substrate as an intermediate coating between the metal and a catalytically active layer. For example, such an arrangement is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 5,204,302, issued Apr. 20, 1993 to I. V. Gorynin et al, and entitled "Catalyst Composition and a Method For Its Preparation" ("the '302 Patent"). The '302 Patent discloses a multi-layered catalyst material supported on a metal substrate. The metal substrate (column 4, lines 64-68) may be any thermally stable metal including stainless steel and low alloy steel. As illustrated in FIG. 1 of the Patent and described at column 4, line 32 et seq, a flame spraying or plasma spraying apparatus (FIG. 2 and column 5, line 32 et seq) is used to apply an adhesive sublayer 12 to metal substrate 11, which is shown in solid cross section as a dense (solid) plate-like structure. Adhesive sublayer 12 contains a self-bonding intermetallic compound formed from any one of a number of metal pairings, including aluminum and nickel, as described at column 5, lines 1-6 of the '302 Patent. A catalytically active layer 14 (FIG. 1) is sprayed atop the sublayer 12 and has a gradient composition with an increasing content of catalytically active material as one proceeds away from the interface (column 5, lines 7-24). The catalytically active layer can be alumina, preferably gamma-alumina, and may further include specified metal oxide stabilizers such as CaO, Cr2O3, etc., and metal oxide catalytic materials such as ZrO2, Ce2O3, etc. A porous layer 18 (FIG. 1 and column 5, lines 25-32) contains some catalytically active components and transition metal oxides as decomposition products of pore-forming compounds such as MnCO3, Na2CO3, etc. An optional activator coating 19 may be applied onto the porous layer, preferably by magnetron sputtering (see column 4, lines 56-63 and column 8, lines 24 et seq).
So-called "metal foams" and their use as a substrate or carrier for catalysts used in the treatment of automotive exhaust gases are also known in the art. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 3,111,396 to Ball, dated Nov. 19, 1963, discloses a method for making a porous "metal foam". Essentially, the method comprises forming a porous organic structure such as a mesh, cloth, or a cured foam structure such as an open pore sponge, impregnating the structure with a fluid suspension of powdered metal in a liquid vehicle, and drying and heating the impregnated structure to remove the liquid vehicle and then further heating the organic structure to decompose it and to sinter the metal powder into a continuous form. The resulting metallic structure, while not foamed during the manufacturing process, is nevertheless described as foamed because its ultimate structure resembles that of a foamed material.
SAE (Society of Automotive Engineers) Technical Paper 971032, entitled A New Catalyst Support Structure For Automotive Catalytic Converters by Arun D. Jatkar, was presented at the International Congress and Exposition, Detroit, Mich., Feb. 24-27, 1997. This Paper discloses the use of metal foams as a substrate for automotive catalysts and notes that foams made from FeCrAlloy and ALFA-IV® ferritic stainless steel powders were said to be successful, at least in preliminary tests, for use as substrates for automotive catalysts. A ceramic washcoat having a precious metal loading was deposited onto disks of ALFA-IV® metal foam produced by Astro Met, Inc. The washcoat comprised gamma-alumina and cerium oxide on which platinum and rhodium in a ratio of 4:1 were dispersed to provide a loading of 40 grams of the precious metal per cubic foot of the foam-supported catalyst. Such catalyzed substrates were said to be effective in treating hydrocarbon emissions.
In an article entitled "Catalysts Based On Foam Metals", published in Journal of Advanced Materials, 1994, 1(5) 471-476, Pestryakov et al suggest the use of foamed metal as a carrier substrate for catalytic materials for the catalytic neutralization of exhaust gases of car engines. The use of an intermediate layer of high surface area alumina between the metallic foam and the catalytic material is recommended, by direct deposition on the foam carrier. In addition to increasing the surface area of the substrate, the alumina is also credited with protecting the surface of the substrate against corrosion.
SAE Paper 962473 by Reck et al of EMITECH, GmbH, entitled "Metallic Substrates and Hot Tubes For Catalytic Converters in Passenger Cars, Two- and Three-Wheelers" addresses the use of catalytic converters and hot tubes to treat the exhaust of scooters and motorcycles, especially those having two-stroke engines.
Wire mesh carriers for catalytic materials are commercially available and comprise wire that has been plasma spray coated to form a rough surface thereon to improve the adherence of a catalytic material deposited thereon.

Metal catalyst carriers and catalyst members made therefrom