By application of a voltage from a power source, a transfer roller carries out both transfers of (A) a first transfer for transferring a toner image on a photoreceptor to an intermediate transfer medium and (B) a second transfer for transferring overlapped color toner image on the intermediate transfer medium at once onto a recording sheet. A transfer voltage in accordance with, for example, a sheet thickness, as detected by sheet type detection of a sheet type detecting section is applied to the transfer roller in each stage. When the sheet type detecting section detects that the recording sheet is longer than a periphery of a fixing belt, a heater lamp is turned on in advance at any instant between a time when the recording sheet is brought into contact with the fixing roller and a time when the fixing roller completes one rotation, taking into consideration a time required for conduction of heat from the heater lamp to the fixing belt. As a result, it is possible to reduce ozone generated and make the device compact, and desirable transfer characteristics in accordance with a sheet type are obtained, thus realizing uniform fixing of an unfixed toner image onto the recording sheet, from the front end to the rear end.

Conventionally, a variety of image forming apparatuses such as a copying machine have been proposed. Such image forming apparatuses are roughly divided into two types by a difference in transfer system of a color toner image onto a recording medium. One is an image forming apparatus adopting a so-called direct transfer system in which a recording medium is held by being wrapped around a transfer medium, and a toner image on a photoreceptor is directly transferred onto the recording medium color by color. The other is an image forming apparatus in which a color toner image formed on a photoreceptor is transferred at once onto an intermediate transfer medium, and thereafter transferred onto a recording medium from the intermediate transfer medium.
However, in the former image forming apparatus, there is a case where a desired color image cannot be obtained depending on the type of a recording medium used. This is because of the fact that the transfer characteristics of the toner image are different for different colors depending on the type (especially thickness) of the recording medium used. As a result, in a color toner image composed of overlapping toner images of different colors, the coloring differs among recording media. Thus, in order to obtain a desired color image in this image forming apparatus, it is required to limit the range of thickness, etc., of the recording medium used.
However, in recent years, a demand for color copying for a recording medium of various thicknesses and various paper types has come to a level which cannot be met by the described image forming apparatus. Further, in the above image forming apparatus, because the toner image is transferred to the recording medium color by color, the overlapping accuracy of the toner images is always a problem. However, it has come to a level where the overlapping accuracy cannot be improved any further.
Therefore, it now has been a focus of ongoing research to develop an image forming apparatus provided with an intermediate transfer medium, which is capable of color copying regardless of the type of a recording medium used. As an example of such an image forming apparatus, the image forming apparatus as disclosed in Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 251864/1991 (Tokukaihei 3-251864) is described below. In this image forming apparatus, a copying process is carried out for each of a high density portion and a low density portion of a single document image. As a result, a color toner image obtained by a single copying process is overlapped with another color toner image on the intermediate transfer medium, thus forming a single color toner image.
The above image forming apparatus as a copying machine as disclosed in the above publication is provided with, as shown in FIG. 27, a transparent document plate 101 on an upper surface. Below the document plate 101 is provided an exposure optical system 103 for exposing and scanning a document 102 and exposing a photoreceptor 104 (mentioned later).
The exposure optical system 103 is provided with a light source lamp 103a for projecting light onto the document 102 placed on the document plate 101, a plurality of reflecting mirrors 103b through 103f for guiding, as shown by the alternate short and long line in FIG. 27, the reflected light off the document 102 onto the photoreceptor 104, a focus lens 103g provided in the path of the reflected light, and a color separating filter composed of color filters of three primary colors of red, green, and blue.
Underneath the exposure optical system 103 is provided the photoreceptor 104 having a belt shape. The photoreceptor 104 is suspended between two rollers 105 and 106, which are placed with a certain gap therebetween, and the photoreceptor 104 is rotatably driven by a motor (not shown).
Around the photoreceptor 104 on the roller 106 side are provided, along with other members, a static charger 107 for charging the photoreceptor 104, a cleaning device 108 for removing toner remaining on the photoreceptor 104, and a screen filter 109 for splitting the reflected light off the document 102 into rays.
On the upper side of the photoreceptor 104 is provided a developing device 113 having three developer tanks 110 through 112 without contacting the photoreceptor 104. The developer tanks 110 through 112 store color developers of yellow, magenta, and cyan, respectively, which are complementary colors of the three primary colors of the color filters of the color separating filter 103h. The developer tanks 110 through 112 are provided with magnet rollers 110a through 112a, respectively, which give the respective color developers to the photoreceptor 104.
Below the photoreceptor 104 are provided sheet feeding cassettes 114 and 115 on top of the other having different sizes for feeding a recording sheet 130 as a recording medium. On the discharge sides of the sheet feeding cassettes 114 and 115, sheet feeding rollers 116 and 117 are provided, respectively. In front of the sheet feeding cassettes 114 and 115 are provided timing rollers 118 for temporarily stopping the recording sheet 130 so that the recording sheet 130 is supplied at a predetermined timing.
On the roller 105 side of the photoreceptor 104 is provided an intermediate transfer device 119. The intermediate transfer device 119 is composed of, along with other members, the intermediate transfer medium 120 having a belt shape, three rollers 121 through 123 for rotatably driving the intermediate transfer medium 120, a transfer charger 124 for transferring a toner image of each color component on the photoreceptor 104 onto the intermediate transfer medium 120, a transfer charger 125 for transferring a color toner image formed on the intermediate transfer medium 120 onto the recording sheet 130, a separating charger 126 for separating the recording sheet 130 from the intermediate transfer medium 120, and the cleaning device 127 for removing toner remaining on the intermediate transfer medium 120.
In the discharge direction of the intermediate transfer medium 120 are provided a transport belt 128 for transporting the recording sheet 130 and a fixing device 129 for fixing the color toner image onto the recording sheet 130.
When carrying out full-color copying in the described arrangement, first, the screen filter 109 is set aside from the exposure path and the exposure is started with respect to a high density portion.
Specifically, the light source lamp 103a projects light onto the document 102 placed on the document plate 101 so as to carry out optical-scan three times. The reflected light off the document 102 is incident on the color separating filter 103h via the reflecting mirrors 103b through 103d and the focus lens 103g, and is separated into color components by the color separating filter 103h. The reflected light separated into color components is then successively projected, via the reflecting mirrors 103e and 103f, onto the photoreceptor 104, which has been uniformly charged by the static charger 107, so as to expose the photoreceptor 104. As a result, an electrostatic latent image of each color component, corresponding to the document image is formed on the photoreceptor 104.
The electrostatic latent image of each color is made visible by being developed by the corresponding developers of yellow, magenta, and cyan of the developing device 113, which are complementary colors of the three primary colors of the color filters of the color separating filter 103h, and the electrostatic latent image becomes a toner image. Then, in the intermediate transfer device 119, the toner image of each color component is successively transferred onto the intermediate transfer medium 120 by the transfer charger 124 so as to be overlapped. This completes a single color toner image with respect to the high density portion, and a first copying process with respect to the high density portion is finished.
Then, for exposure of a low density portion, the screen filter 109 is introduced into the light path of the light from the exposure optical system 103, and the optical scan is carried out in the described manner. Namely, in the exposure with respect to the low density portion, the reflected light off the document 102 is projected onto the photoreceptor 104 after being split into rays by the screen filter 109, thus exposing the photoreceptor 104.
Then, the electrostatic latent image formed by exposure is developed into a toner image of each color component. The toner image formed in this manner is successively transferred onto the color toner image formed on the intermediate transfer medium 120 in the previous transfer process, thus forming another color toner image. In this manner, a complete color toner image is obtained from two color toner images, as obtained from the low density portion and the high density portion, overlapping with each another.
The color toner image formed on the intermediate transfer medium 120 is then transferred by the transfer charger 125 onto the recording sheet 130 which has been supplied from either one of the sheet feeding cassettes 114 and 115. The recording sheet 130 is then separated from the intermediate transfer medium 120 by the separating charger 126 and is guided to the fixing device 129 by the transport belt 128, and the color toner image is heat-fixed in the fixing section 129.
The fixing device 129 is usually provided with a heat roller for heat-fixing the toner image on the recording sheet 130. The surface temperature of the heat roller is controlled to be a set temperature by the ON/OFF operation of a heater lamp. FIG. 28 shows a normal fixing temperature curve when the heater lamp is turned on.
As shown in FIG. 28, when the heater lamp is turned on, the surface temperature of the heat roller gradually increases to the set temperature. When the set temperature is reached, the heater lamp is turned off, but the temperature continues to rise by the remaining heat. When the surface temperature drops below the set temperature, the heater lamp is turned on again. This process is repeated subsequently, and this results in overshoot in which the surface temperature fluctuates.
FIG. 29 shows a change in fixing ability with time. As shown in FIG. 29, the fixing ability is stable on the recording sheet 130 from the front end to the point in length corresponding to the periphery of the heat roller. However, the fixing ability abruptly decreases from the point past the periphery of the heat roller to the rear end of the recording sheet 130. The is because in one rotation of the heat roller, the heat of the heat roller is given off to the recording sheet 130 or the toner to be fixed.
In order to prevent this decrease in fixing ability, as shown in FIG. 30, it has been conventional practice to carry out a control so that the heater lamp is turned on just when the surface temperature of the heat roller starts to fall below the set temperature.
Incidentally, in the described copying machine, transfer of the toner image of each color component from the photoreceptor 104 to the intermediate transfer medium 120 is carried out by the corona discharge of the transfer charger 124. Likewise, transfer of color toner image from the intermediate transfer medium 120 to the recording sheet 130 is also carried out by the corona discharge of the transfer charger 125.
In this kind of corona discharge, the oxygen molecules in the atmosphere are ionized and ozone is generated. Generally, ozone is toxic, and in high concentration, damages the respiratory system, and even a trace amount, when inhaled for an extended period of time, is fatal. Thus, considering environmental friendliness, generation of ozone is not preferable.
From this point of view, the described copying machine, provided with two corona dischargers, which are a source of ozone, lacks consideration for environmental friendliness.
Also, in the described copying machine, the transfer voltage applied by the transfer charger 125 is constant regardless of the type of the recording sheet 130 used. Therefore, there is a case where desirable transfer is obtained in one recording sheet 130 while transfer failure results when another recording sheet 130 having a different thickness is used. Especially, when thin recording sheet 130 is used, there is a case where re-transfer (back-transfer) results, in which the color toner image transferred on the recording sheet 130 is transferred again onto the intermediate transfer medium 120 when removing the recording sheet 130 from the intermediate transfer medium 120. Thus, in the above copying machine, because the transfer voltage is constant, a desirable transfer characteristic in accordance with sheet type is not obtained, and as a result, the printing quality suffers.
Conventionally, a copying machine having a function of changing the transfer voltage in accordance with the sheet feeding cassette storing recording sheets has been available. However, even when the recording sheets stored in the same sheet feeding cassette have the same size, the basis weight (corresponding to thickness) may not be the same. Further, the recording sheets having the same size may be transparent or non-transparent. Thus, a transfer characteristic in accordance with sheet type is not realized even with this arrangement.
Also, in the conventional fixing mechanism, a control is carried out such that the heater lamp is turned on only when the toner image fixed on the recording sheet 130 exceeds the periphery of the heat roller and when the surface temperature of the heat roller starts to fall below the set temperature. In this case, the surface temperature of the heat roller does not reach the set temperature immediately, and therefore fixing from the point past the periphery of the heat roller to the rear end of the recording sheet 130 is carried out with the surface temperature of the heat roller below the set temperature. As a result, a toner image cannot be fixed uniformly on the recording sheet 130 from the front end to the rear end.

Image forming apparatus having improved image transfer characteristics


Many aspects of an improved IC package are disclosed herein. The improved IC package exhibits low-impedance and high power and signal integrity. The improved IC package comprises an IC die mounted on a multilayer coreless substrate. The thicknesses of prepreg layers of the coreless substrate are specific chosen to minimize warpage and to provide good mechanical performance. Each of the prepreg layers may have different coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE) and/or thickness to enable better control of the coreless substrate mechanical properties. The improved IC package also includes a vertically mounted die side capacitor and a conductive layer formed on the solder resist layer of the substrate. The conductive layer is formed such that it also encapsulates the vertically mounted capacitor while being electrically coupled to one of the capacitor's electrode.

Field
The disclosure relates to an integrated circuit package and method for fabricating a coreless substrate integrated circuit (IC) package with die side capacitors and a conductive layer.
Background
As electronic devices are getting smaller and faster, the demand for integrated circuit (IC) packages with higher I/O count, faster data processing rate, and better signal integrity greatly increases. Today packaging technologies such as wire bond lead-frame and conventional ball grid array (BGA) are not suitable for the high speed and data demands of ultra-thin and small electronic devices (e.g., smart watch, smart glasses, etc.).
The performance of integrated circuits in high performance electronic devices highly depends on the ICs' power delivery/distribution network (PDN). The impedance of the PDN can greatly affect the signal integrity (SI) of the overall IC. Specifically, the overall impedance from ground & power planes location, length of metal traces, number of vias and bumps, etc., can greatly impact the electrical performance.
The thickness (z-height) of an IC package can also affect the electrical performance of an IC. In particular, the thickness of an IC substrate is highly correlated with parasitic capacitance, inductance, and resistance, all of which affect the electrical performance of the system. Accordingly, what is needed is an improved IC package having a smaller z-height and an improved SI and PDN.

Integrated circuit package comprising surface capacitor and ground plane


The present invention relates to poly α-olefins (PAO's) which exhibit superior Noack volatility at low pour points. Mixtures of 1-decene and 1-dodecene are polymerized using an alcohol promoted BF3 in conjunction with a combination of cocatalysts. The reaction mixture is distilled to remove the unreacted monomeric and dimeric species. The resulting product is then hydrogenated to saturate the oliogomers to provide a hydrogenated product which has a viscosity of 5 cSt. This product is distilled to provide PAO's of varying viscosity grades. The 4 cSt PAO is comprised mostly of trimers and tetramers while the 6 cSt product is comprised of trimers, tetramers, and pentamers.

Poly α-olefins comprise one class of hydrocarbon lubricants which has achieved importance in the lubricating oil market. These materials are typically produced by the polymerization of α-olefins typically ranging from 1-octene to 1-dodecene, with 1-decene being a preferred material, although polymers of lower olefins such as ethylene and propylene may also be used, including copolymers of ethylene with higher olefins, as described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,956,122 and the patents referred to therein. The poly α-olefin (PAO) products may be obtained with a wide range of viscosities varying from highly mobile fluids of about 2 cSt at 100° C. to higher molecular weight, viscous materials which have viscosities exceeding 100 cSt at 100° C. The PAO's may be produced by the polymerization of olefin feed in the presence of a catalyst such as AlCl3, BF3, or BF3 complexes. Processes for the production of PAO lubricants are disclosed, for example, in the following patents: U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,382,291; 4,172,855; 3,742,082; 3,780,128; 3,149,178; and 4,956,122. The PAO lubricants are also discussed in Lubrication Fundamentals, J. G. Wills, Marcel Dekker Inc., (New York, 1980). Subsequent to the polymerization, the lubricant range products are hydrogenated in order to reduce the residual unsaturation. In the course of this reaction, the amount of unsaturation is generally reduced by greater than 90%.
A major trend in passenger car engine oil usage is the extension of oil drain intervals. Thus, a need exists for low viscosity PAO's which exhibit low Noack volatility. (See ASTM D 5800 Standard Test Method for Evaporation Loss of Lubricating Oils by the Noack Method.)
The properties of a particular grade of PAO are greatly dependent on the α-olefin used to make that product. In general, the higher the carbon number of the α-olefin, the lower the Noack volatility and the higher the pour point of the product.
PAO's having a viscosity of 4 cSt are typically made from 1-decene and have a Noack volatility of 13-14% and pour point of <−60° C. PAO's having a viscosity of 6 cSt are typically prepared from 1-decene or a blend of α-olefins and have a Noack volatility of about 7.0% and pour point of about −60° C.


A navigation control apparatus, such as used to control a cursor on a display of an IP telephone, has a geometry that allows a user to produce a diagonal motion of the cursor displayed on the IP telephone. The navigation control apparatus has a support mount having navigation contact terminals and navigation actuators aligned with the navigation contact terminals, each navigation actuator configured to form an electrical contact with each of the contact terminals. Each navigation actuator and contact terminal defines a travel distance for each navigation actuator. The navigation control apparatus has a hemispherical navigation controller pivot coupled to the support mount. A navigation controller actuates the navigation actuators and defines rounded recess that engages and rotates about the navigation controller pivot during an actuation procedure. The rounded recess of the navigation controller and the hemispherical shape of the navigation controller pivot define a navigation controller travel distance that is approximately one-half the travel distance of each navigation actuator.

Navigation controls allow a user the ability to position an object, relative to a reference, through activation of an electromechanical switch. Conventional navigation controls, such as joystick controls, are used for electronic games (e.g., to position a computer-generated object on a display) and for steering control devices for self-propelled electric wheelchairs (e.g., to position the wheelchair in space). Computerized devices, such as cellular telephones, personal digital assistants (PDA's), and Internet Protocol (IP) telephones, typically utilize multiple position or multi-direction navigation controls for directing movement of a cursor on associated computer display.
Conventional joystick controls use a central actuating lever that pivots about a central point to close switch contacts located in proximity to the central point. During operation of a typical joystick, a user positions the joystick to close one of four switch contacts to move an object in space or an object appearing on a section. For example, the user closes the individual switch contacts to move the object along either a north-south (e.g., up and down) direction or an east-west (e.g., left and right) direction, within to a two-dimensional, Cartesian coordinate system, relative to the user. The user also closes combinations of adjacent switch contacts to move the object along a northeast, southwest, northwest, or southeast (e.g., diagonal) direction within the coordinate system relative to the user.
Conventional computerized devices (e.g., IP telephones, cellular telephones, PDA's) typically include a display for a user interactive menu associated with the device. The conventional computerized devices also have a navigation control that allows a user to navigate a cursor in either a north-south (e.g., up-down) direction or an east-west (e.g., right-left) direction relative to the display. Such navigation allows the user to select or activate particular device functions listed in the menu.

Methods and apparatus for providing multi-directional navigation control


Optical measurements of turbid media, that is media characterized by multiple light scattering, is provided through an apparatus and method for exposing a sample to a modulated laser beam. The light beam is modulated at a fundamental frequency and at a plurality of integer harmonics thereof. Modulated light is returned from the sample and preferentially detected at cross frequencies at frequencies slightly higher than the fundamental frequency and at integer harmonics of the same. The received radiance at the beat or cross frequencies is compared against a reference signal to provide a measure of the phase lag of the radiance and modulation ratio relative to a reference beam. The phase and modulation amplitude are then provided as a frequency spectrum by an array processor to which a computer applies a complete curve fit in the case of highly scattering samples or a linear curve fit below a predetermined frequency in the case of highly absorptive samples. The curve fit in any case is determined by the absorption and scattering coefficients together with a concentration of the active substance in the sample. Therefore, the curve fitting to the frequency spectrum can be used both for qualitative and quantitative analysis of substances in the sample even though the sample is highly turbid.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to the field of optical measurements of turbid media and in particular, relates to an apparatus and method for the measurement of the optical properties of turbid media using frequency-domain photon migration.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The use of short light pulse propagation in multiple scattering media, such as generally described in A. Ishimaru, "Diffusion of a Pulse in Densely Distributed Scatters," J. Opt. Soc. Am. 68, 1045-50 (1978); and K. Shimizu et al., "Back Scattering of a Picosecond Pulse from Densely Distributed Scatters," Appl. Opt. 18, 3484-88 (1979) has found recent application in time domain, tissue optical spectroscopy, B. Chance et al., "Comparison of Time Resolved and Unresolved Measurements of Deoxy Hemoglobin in Brain," Proc. Nat. Acad. Sci. 85, 4971-75 (1988); and D. T. Delpy et. al., "Estimation of Optical Path Link Through Tissue from Direct Time of Flight Measurement," Phys. Med. Biol. 33, 1433-42 (1988). In contrast to previously known continuous illumination techniques such as described by R. F. Bonner et al., "Model for Photon Migration in Turbid Biological Media," J. Opt. Soc. Am. A4 423-32 (1987); and R. A. J. Groenhuis et al., "Scattering and absorption of turbid materials determined by reflection measurements. 1: Theory," Appl. Opt. 22, 2456-62 (1983), pulse propagation methods can provide information about the distribution of scatterers and absorbers in a single measurement. See M. S. Patterson et al., "Time-resolved reflectance and transmittance for the non-invasive measurement of tissue optical properties," Appl. Opt. 28, 2331-36 (1989). These optical properties may be used in a variety of therapeutic and diagnostic techniques, including imaging tissue structure, K. R. Singer et al., "Image reconstruction of the interior of bodies that diffuse radiation," Science 248, 990-93 (1990); R. L. Barbour et al., "Imaging of subsurface regions of random media by remote sensing," Proc. SPIE 1431, Los Angeles, 192-203 (1991); and D. Benaron et al., "Two-dimensional and 3-D images of thick tissue using time-contrained time-of-flight spectrophotometry," Proc. SPIE, Los Angeles, 1641 (in press), in monitoring physiology, E. M. Sevick et al., "Quantification of time and frequency-resolved optical spectra for the determination of tissue oxygenation," Anal. Biochem. 195, 330-51 (1991); B. Chance et al., "Time-resolved spectroscopy of hemoglobin and myoglobin in resting and ischemic muscle," Anal. Blochem. 174, 698 (1988); U.S. Pat. No. 4,972,331; and J. M. Schmitt et al., "Measurement of blood hematocrit by dual-wavelength near IR photoplethysmography," Proc. SPIE, 1641, Los Angeles (1992) and in predicting optical symmetry for laser based procedures, S. L. Jacques, et al., "Modeling Optical and Thermal Distributions in Tissue During Laser Irradiation," Lasers in Surgery and Medicine 6, 494-503 (1987).
The conceptional basis for using a time domain approach generally involves solutions to the radiative transfer equation described by K. Furutsu, "Diffusion equation derived from space-time transport equation," J. Opt. Soc. Am. 70, 360 (1980); and M. S. Patterson et al., "The Propagation of Optical Radiation in Tissue I. Models of Radiation Transport and their Application," Lasers in Medical Science 6, 155-68 (1991) using a Monte Carlo simulation, S. L. Jacques, "Time Resolved Propagation of Ultrashort Laser Pulses within Turbid Tissues," Appl. Opt. 28, 2223-29 (1989); and S. T. Flock et al., "Monte Carlo modeling of light propagation in scattering tissues-I. Model prediction and comparison with diffusion theory," IEEE Trans. Biotaed. Eng. 36, 1162-68 (1989) and diffusion theory approximations, K. Shimizu, supra, and A. Ishimaru, "Diffusion of Light in Turbid Materials," Appl. Opt. 28, 2210-15 (1989). Diffusion-base models provide a relatively straight forward analytical expression which describes the shape of a diffusely reflected or transmitted pulse of light in term of the optical properties of the turbid medium. See M. S. Patterson, supra, Appl. Opt. 28. Thus, the observed behavior of an ultra short light pulse can be mathematically related to the large number of optical paths available in multiple scattering media. Since introduction of losses or absorbers reduces the average path length between scattering events, the absorber-dependent changes in pulse propagation time can be used to calculate the absorption coefficients of the light in the turbid media. See Patterson, supra, Appl. Opt. 28.
Frequency domain methods can also similarly be adapted to diffusion theory models. It has been suggested in the prior art that amplitude modulated light propagates through homogeneous, multiple scattering media as diffuse waves with a coherent front. See J. Fishkin et al., "Diffusion of intensity modulated near infrared light in turbid media," Proc. SPIE, 1431, Los Angeles (1991). These photon density waves are characterized by a phase velocity, V.sub.p, and a modulation wavelength, .lambda..sub.m, that are primarily functions of the optical properties of the media. Diffuse wave properties, of course, bear no relationship to corresponding electromagnetic wave features, since in a turbid media, the phase relationships between optical waves vary in a rapid stochastic manner.
The analytical power and simplicity of frequency domain methods have been demonstrated in tissue studies up to 3 GHz, J. P. Lakowicz et al., "Frequency domain measurements of photon migration in tissue," Chemical Physics Letters 166, 246-52 (1990) and measurements of hemoglobin saturation at a single modulation frequency have also been reported, E. M. Sevick, supra. Analytic expressions have been derived for frequency domain analysis of the scattering of light in semi-infinite media from a Fourier transform of a time domain relation. See M. S. Patterson et al., "Frequency-domain reflectance for the determination scattering absorption properties of tissue," Appl. Opt. 30, 4474-76 (1991). In general, frequency-domain measurement techniques are real time recordings which, in comparison to the alternative time-domain methods, place much less stringent demands on the bandwidth of the light source and detector. Thus, the instrumentation cost can be relatively modest when laser diodes and photomultiplier tubes are employed.
What is needed is an application of the advantageous features of frequency domain methods to make practical frequency domain measurements of turbid media.

Apparatus and method for qualitative and quantitative measurements of optical properties of turbid media using frequency-domain photon migration

The Regents of the University of California


An audio amplifier is powered by a switch mode power supply optimized for audio applications. The power supply includes a rectifier circuit and a discontinuous mode multiphase isolated flyback power circuit and does not require a separate power factor correction stage. The discontinuous mode multiphase isolated flyback power circuit includes multiple isolated flyback converters operating synchronously to each convert a portion of the power and supply a phase-summed direct current voltage to the audio amplifier.

1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to audio amplifiers and more specifically to power supplies for audio amplifiers.
2. Background Art
Typically one of the last components in an audio distribution chain, audio amplifiers amplify a low power audio signal to a level suitable for driving a loudspeaker. As such, power gain is a major design factor for audio amplifiers. However, for a variety of reasons power supplies in audio amplifiers are not optimized for use in audio applications which results in unnecessary cost and increased size. This is particularly true of audio amplifiers employing switched-mode power supplies (SMPS) and class D amplification.
Under mandates in certain countries power supplies in electrical devices, including audio amplifiers, must meet minimum standards for power factor. A dimensionless number between zero (0) and one (1), power factor gives the ratio of real power to apparent power. The SMPS currently used in audio amplifiers cannot meet these standards without power factor correction (PFC). A common solution is to add a distinct PFC stage to the power supply.
Prior Art FIG. 1 is a block diagram of an illustrative power supply with power factor correction that is commonly employed in prior art amplifiers. The prior art power supply includes three separate circuits: a rectification circuit 11, a PFC correction circuit 13 and 12a conversion and isolation circuit. In this illustrative power supply, the power factor correction circuit 12 includes a boost regulator and is inserted between the rectification circuit 11 and the conversion and isolation circuit 13. The PFC circuit 12 receives a rectified direct current (DC) voltage from the rectifier circuit 11 and supplies a boosted DC voltage to the isolation and conversion circuit 13 at a voltage higher than the highest peak rectified voltage.
The addition of the power factor correction circuit 12 requires additional components which increase the cost and size of the power supply. Additionally, the second switching component in the PFC stage also introduces electromagnetic interference (EMI), which must be filtered out, as well as power conversion losses due to full power being converted two times.
There is now a need for an improved power supply that is optimized for use in an audio amplifier.

Audio amplifier power supply with inherent power factor correction


An insert for use within integrated circuit (IC) chip carriers to provide universality across device types and applications at a low design and fabrication cost. The present invention functions as a generic carrier floor and/or adaptor insert which enables reception of both quad-flat-pack (QFP) and thin-quad-flat-pack (TQFP) ICs within frames of a variety of existing carriers, or alternatively, may allow both QFP and TQFP ICs to utilize a single IC carrier frame, a feature which currently prevailing embodiments would require two unique IC carriers.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to Integrated Circuit (IC) chip carriers for transport and handling of IC devices, and more specifically to a generic insert for chip carriers which allows universality across device types and applications.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In the manufacture of electronic devices such as Integrated Circuits (IC's), there is constant pressure to produce less expensive, dimensionally smaller devices while simultaneously increasing the density of electronic functions within the devices. In order to reduce the unit costs in the production of such devices, manufacturers have increased the test speed of the devices by testing a plurality of the devices at the same time.
It has become standard practice within the semiconductor industry to place a number of electronic devices to be tested on a test tray and position them so as to be engaged by a test head plate having a number of corresponding test contactors. Each device is placed on a seat of a device called a chip carrier, further described below. A number of chip carriers are then positioned in both columns and rows on a test tray. The test tray having a number of chip carriers is arranged so as to be in vertical alignment (either above or below) with a test fixture. The test fixture includes test contactors (test pins) for contact with pins of each device to be tested for supplying and receiving the test signals from the device. Each carrier module is aligned with a corresponding test contactor so that when either the test tray or the test fixture are moved in a vertical direction toward the other, the contactor engages the electronic device positioned within the carrier module.
The contactor is provided with a number of test pins or leads which come into electrical communication with the leads of the electronic devices to be tested. The automatic test handler is electrically connected to a electronic device test system, for example, an IC tester which includes a test signal generator for supplying a test signal to the device, and with a signal comparator for analyzing the results of the test. Based on such results, the electronic devices are transferred to another location in the test process and sorted for proper handling.
The size and configuration of standard electronic chips are rapidly changing. Some of the high speed ICs have very short signal leads, instead of the relatively longer leads used in the conventional package types, such as QFP (quad-flat-pack). For example, newer types of IC devices are molded in packages called thin-quad-flat-pack (TQFP). When utilizing a test tray to test such IC devices, it is necessary to employ a new carrier module to secure an electrical isolation between the leads and also to eliminate the deformation of the leads of the IC devices.
IC carriers have typically been rather complex three dimensional devices fabricated by a variety of means, typically from some thermal-setting or thermoplastic material. Due to the complex three dimensional fine-structure sometimes required in the carriers due to the material nature of the carriers, brittleness and/or fragileness of the carrier may ensue. Also, as mentioned above, minor modifications in the IC device package or the environment of the application may cause a redesign and retool of the carrier, which is often an expensive proposition.


A device for treating cerebral lesions by gamma radiation, comprising an approximately semi-spherical source-collimator assembly having a large number of gamma ray sources associated with channels directed to the same focal point. Each gamma ray source is associated with a group of channels arranged in the manner of a cone, the apex of which is at the focal point.

Gamma-radiation apparatuses have been proposed for non-invasive neurosurgery of the brain in order to treat cerebral lesions without opening the cranium. Destruction of the lesions is achieved by precisely concentrating gamma radiation onto the areas to be treated, such as venous malformations or tumors. These apparatuses are often designated by the name "gamma surgical apparatuses" or "gamma bistouries".
In these apparatuses, external gamma-radiation sources are used, the radiation being directed and concentrated, in a precise manner, onto the treated lesion in order for the desired dose to be absorbed by this lesion without appreciably damaging the intermediate tissues intervening between the sources and the lesion, nor the tissues surrounding the lesion and, in a general manner, reducing to a minimum the radiation doses absorbed by the healthy tissues.
This is achieved especially by the devices of the aforementioned type, an example of which is described in FR-A-2,672,220. In this technology, a large number of fixed external sources are used, these being collimated individually and arranged radially so that the axes of the rays that they produce converge onto a focal point which coincides with the lesion to be treated. The intensity of each beam is insufficient to damage the intermediate healthy tissues through which it passes, especially as the device is given, during the treatment, an angular movement about the focusing point. In contrast, at the point of convergence or focal point, the dose received by the lesion is sufficient to destroy it.
In this known technique, each source is associated with an at least approximately conical single channel, the generatrices of which converge towards the focusing point and in which a conical central needle made of a material absorbing the gamma rays is positioned.

Device for treating cerebral lesions by gamma radiation, and corresponding treatment apparatus

ATEA, Societe Atlantique De Techniques Avancees


A programmable logic device configurable to implement a finite state machine includes a hardwired microsequencer for executing microinstructions to sequence the finite state machine. The hardwired microsequencer includes a sequence memory for storing the microinstructions and a program counter.

Many functions desired by a user of a programmable logic device may be implemented by configuring the device to form a finite state machine. A finite state machine may be implemented in a programmable logic device in a number of ways. For example, each state may be assigned to a flip-flop within the programmable logic device in a technique known as "one-hot" encoding. In such a method, the number of states equals the required number of flip-flops. Thus, as the complexity of the state machine increases, the required number of flip-flops may become excessive. To reduce the required number of flip-flops for a complex design, the states may be binary encoded such that the required number of flip-flops equals Log2(number of states).
Even with the use of binary encoding, the logic required to perform the state transition burdens the resources of a programmable logic device. In particular, many useful state machines have a "program-like" behavior in which successive states are either predetermined (linear sequence) or selected from a choice of two or more possibilities (branching). Implementing such a state machine can require a significant amount of logic resources. For example, in a complex programmable logic device (CPLD), each logic block provides a limited number of product terms and a limited number of flip-flops. A particular state machine implementation may require multiple logic blocks because it has more product terms than are available from a single logic block. Moreover, the limited number of flip-flops in a single logic block may be too small to enable one-hot encoding of such a state machine.
Accordingly, there is a need in the art for an improved programmable logic devices that facilitates the implementation of state machines.

Programmable logic device with hardwired microsequencer


A process for increasing production in meat-producing, egg-laying or milk-producing animals comprising feeding a compound of the formula: ##STR1## wherein R is a member selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, R.sub.5, ##STR2## wherein R.sub.5 is alkyl of from 1 to 8 carbon atoms, inclusive, including isomeric forms thereof; alkenyl of from 2 to 8 carbons, inclusive, including isomeric forms thereof, cycloalkyl of from 3 to 7 carbon atoms; or R is lower acyl wherein acyl is up to and including 5 carbon atoms; R.sub.1 is a member selected from the group consisting of R.sub.5 and ##STR3## wherein R.sub.6 is selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, ##STR4## or lower acyl wherein acyl is up to and including 5 carbon atoms; R.sub.2 is a member selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, R.sub.5, bromo or chloro; R.sub.3 and R.sub.4 are the same or different and are selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, provided that R.sub.3 and R.sub.4 are not both hydrogen; R.sub.5, cycloalkyl of from 3 to 8 carbon atoms, alkyl substituted cycloalkyl of the formula ##STR5## wherein n is an integer of from 2 to 7, inclusive and R.sub.7 is a member selected from the group consisting of hydrogen and alkyl of from 1 to 5 carbon atoms, inclusive, including isomeric forms thereof; alkenyl of from 2 to 8 carbon atoms, inclusive, including isomeric forms thereof, aralkyl wherein Ar is a member selected from the group consisting of phenyl, substituted phenyl wherein 1 or 2 hydrogens are replaced with chlorine, fluorine, bromine, iodine, R.sub.5, --OR.sub.5 or --CF.sub.3 and the substituents can be the same or different, and alkyl is from 1 to 4 carbon atoms, inclusive, including isomeric forms thereof; and R.sub.3 and R.sub.4 taken together with ##STR6## is a heterocyclic moiety of from 4 to 8, inclusive, ring atoms and 1 or 2 hetero atoms selected from the group consisting of nitrogen, oxygen or sulfur or substituted heterocyclic moiety wherein 0, 1, 2 or 3 of the carbon atoms of the heterocycle are substituted with R.sub.5 in combination with a nutrient feed.

It has been found in recent years that meat-producing animals will gain more weight and gain it faster when various classes of compounds such as vitamins, minerals, estrogens, antibiotics, and tranquilizers are added to the diet. Although the presently available compounds are useful, new materials are still being sought that would produce weight gains more rapidly, to a greater extent, more efficiently with respect to feed intake at a lower cost and without undesirable side effects.
The active compounds of the present invention of the Formula Ia or Ib are known and have previously been used systemically in treating hypertension to cause vasodilation. Additionally, the compounds have been applied topically to cause hair growth.


A baseball training device is provided for use with the device having a base, a post extending upwardly from the base, an upper sleeve member secured to the post with the upper sleeve member having an upper barrier spaced a distance from the post, and a lower sleeve member secured to the post with a lower barrier spaced a distance from the post. A method of utilizing this baseball training device is also disclosed.

The present invention relates generally to a baseball training apparatus, and more particularly, to such a device which can be used to improve the power and hitting ability of a batter.
A desirable characteristic of baseball players is that they possess acceptable hitting skills. Two of the most important contributors to good hitting are power and the ability to swing so as to have the bat meet the ball. Until now, the only generally accepted way of developing power has been through practice coupled with weight training to develop the muscles of the upper body. Similarly, attempts at increasing one's ability to hit a ball have generally focused on practice coupled with the use of devices such as the ball holder disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 2,772,882. While practice, weight training, and the use of existing training devices have proved somewhat helpful, there is a perceived need for a baseball training device which can simultaneously increase the power of a swing, while at the same time developing a swing which will result in the batter more effectively gaining contact with the ball.
The type of swing which is most desirable is a level swing. From that initial type of swing, a batter may proceed to strike the lower side of a ball to induce a fly ball or strike the top side of the ball to induce a grounder. In either event, it is important for the batter to have the bat make good contact with the ball. Some players, try as they might, have extreme difficulty with producing a level swing. Instead, the player is said to be reaching upwardly or downwardly with the bat. In fact, in some cases a player may actually prefer to hit in this nonlevel manner under the belief that such a hitting style is more powerful or effective.
Until now, no baseball training device has existed which can be used with all the aforementioned types of swings to develop power, as well as improve hitting ability. It is thus apparent that the need exists for a baseball training device or the like which improves the accuracy of a batter's swing in addition to building a more powerful swing.


A receptacle for the safe storage and disposal of used cutting blades, the receptacle being configured as a closed receptacle having an insert slot at opposite ends for the insertion of the used cutting blades into the receptacle. Each insert slot includes an angled guide for guiding the used cutting blade toward the insert slot. Interiorly, the angled guides act as detents inside the closed receptacle to inhibit the inadvertent dislodgement of the used cutting blade outwardly through the adjacent insert slot. The top wall of the receptacle is angled inwardly into the receptacle to serve as a deflector to prevent a used cutting blade from passing directly from one insert slot to the other insert slot. The receptacle is configured to be belt mounted or to be releasably secured to a toolbox, wall, or the like. The receptacle is also configured to be readily disposable when filled with used cutting blades.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to receptacles for the safe storage and subsequent disposal of used cutting blades and more particularly, to a novel used cutting blade receptacle and storage method, the receptacle having a unique configuration that accommodates the easy insertion of a used cutting blade into the receptacle to thereby significantly reduce the risk of accidental discharge of the used cutting blade from the receptacle, the receptacle also being designed to hold a plurality of used cutting blades and to be readily disposable when filled.
2. The Prior Art
The cutting blades for which this invention was originally created are those numerous types of disposable cutting blades that are used throughout the world for various purposes such as cutting carpet, opening corrugated cartons, cutting mattes, etc. These types of cutting blades are configured to be readily replaceable and are removably mounted in a hand tool. Such industrial-type cutting blades are fairly standard in the industry and are provided in a variety of shapes and sizes. Regardless of the shape or size, each blade is provided with a keenly sharpened edge along at least one edge. Since these cutting blades are intended for industrial applications, each blade, regardless of type, is fabricated from a high grade steel and with sufficient thickness to impart the necessary strength to the cutting blade due to its intended application.
The primary advantage to using such a hand tool having a cutting blade supported therein is that it provides the operator with a very sharp cutting tool that is convenient and easy to use. Advantageously, when the exposed cutting edge or edges become dulled the operator merely replaces the cutting blade to obtain a new cutting edge. When this new cutting edge also become dulled through usage, the operator simply replaces the used cutting blade with a new cutting blade and discards the used cutting blade.
I have found that it is common practice for many users of these tools to simply discard the used cutting blades, often in a careless fashion. Even though dulled enough to require replacement, a discarded cutting blade is still sharp enough to cause a serious injury if stepped on, knelt on, handled carelessly, or even picked up by a child. Further, since the monetary compensation of a worker is often enhanced by the speed by which a particular task is completed, there is a tendency by many workers to be less than careful when discarding a used cutting blade.
In view of the foregoing it would be an advancement in the art to provide a receptacle for the safe storage of used cutting blades. It would be an even further advancement in the art to provide a receptacle for used cutting blades that can be removably mounted to a belt, toolbox, desk, or the like. An even further advancement in the art would be to provide a receptacle for used cutting blades that is easily accessible for insertion of a used cutting blade into the receptacle while simultaneously significantly inhibiting the inadvertent dislodgement of the used cutting blades from the receptacle. An even further advancement in the art would be to provide a used cutting blade receptacle that is configured to hold a plurality of used cutting blades of many types and is also readily disposable when filled. Such a novel apparatus and method is disclosed and claimed herein.

Used cutting blade receptacle apparatus and method

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A semiconductor device includes at least one semiconductor element contained in a casing, with main terminals and auxiliary terminals drawn from the semiconductor electrodes disposed on the upper face of the casing. The main terminals and the auxiliary terminals are arranged on the same plane at the same height without disposing partitions between the terminals so that the devices can be mounted on a printed wiring board on which the necessary conductor patterns for the main circuit have already been formed. In an alternative embodiment, the main terminals are arranged at a level slightly higher than the auxiliary terminals with the auxiliary terminals being surrounded by a supporting guide.

The present invention relates to a configuration for a semiconductor device intended for a power transistor module used with an inverter.
These days, power transistor modules with diverse specifications and configurations used in the field of power electronics are produced commercially. FIGS. 6 and 7 show examples of conventional power transistor modules, FIG. 6 showing a one-set module, and FIG. 7 showing a two-set module,--the appearance of the modules is shown in FIGS. 6(a) and 7(a) and the internal circuitry is shown in FIGS. 6(b) and 7(b). Actual products use the transistors in Darlington connection and contain high-speed diodes for free wheeling between a collector and an emitter. FIGS. 6 and 7 show a resin made case 1, a metallic base plate 2, main terminals 3 for a collector terminal C and an emitter terminal E, auxiliary terminals 4 for drive signal input, and case fixing screw holes 5 disposed at the four corners of the case 5, wherein the main terminals 3 and the auxiliary terminals 4 are disposed on the top face of the case 1, and the auxiliary terminals 4 are arranged on a parallel level of the upper face one step lower than the main terminals 3.
In the structure shown in FIG. 6, a partition 1a is disposed between the main terminals 3 to ensure a sufficient insulation creepage distance. In contrast, the structure in FIG. 7 has grooves formed among the main terminals 3. When assembling circuits such as for an inverter combining two or more transistor modules with the above structures, the transistor modules are either interconnected in series or parallel by connecting the main terminals with busbars.
Recent trends in manufacturing products such as inverters are popularizing a method of assembling products using automatic mounting in assembly lines. Printed wiring boards are being used in place of conventional busbars to interconnect transistor modules in order to simplify the assembly process. To explain, mounting transistor modules on a printed wiring board on which the necessary conductor patterns for the main circuit have already been formed can greatly reduce the number of parts and the worker man-hours compared with a busbar wiring system. For example, a snubber circuit and a control circuit can be mounted on the printed wiring board at the same time using a printed wiring board enabling products to be made more compact.
However, the following problems need to be solved for transistor modules of conventional structure, shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, when a printed wiring board is used for wiring the modules. That is, in the conventional structures of FIGS. 6 and 7, the height of the main terminals 3 and the auxiliary terminals 4 are different, and in the structure of FIG. 6 the partition 1a protrudes from between the main terminals 3, whereby the printed wiring board 8 cannot be mounted close to the casings of the transistor modules because the partition 1a works as an obstacle, and the printed wiring board cannot be connected directly to the terminals by means of screwing.
Another problem is that while the case fixing screw holes 5 are disposed at the four corners of the case 1 in the conventional structures, if the holes must be reduced to two, the auxiliary terminals 4 standing in a lateral line on the edge of the case 1 as in FIG. 7(a) form an obstacle and make disposing screw holes with the same diameter as the conventional holes on the center of both edges of the case 1 difficult in terms of dimensional restriction. The present invention has been made in light of these problems, and its objective is to solve said problems and provide a semiconductor module with good assembling workability suitable for mounting on a printed wiring board employed for interconnecting the modules when assembling inverter circuits using two or more transistor modules.

Semiconductor device for mounting on a printed wiring board


1-Substituted imidazole derivatives exhibit spermatostatic and spermatocidal activity and are useful for contraceptive purposes both in male and female mammals.

It has long been known that a variety of chemical agents when introduced into the vaginal canal as suitable compositions will interfere with mammalian spermatic cells and prevent their ability to effect conception either by reducing the motility of such cells (i.e. a spermatostatic effect) or by cytotoxicity (i.e. a spermatocidal effect). In general, the types of agents most widely used for such purpose are alkylphenoxypolyethoxyethanols, quaternary ammonium compounds and organomercurial compounds. Recently a series of 1,2-benzisothiazole derivatives having powerful spermatocidal activity were described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,093,730.
In general such spermatostatic and spermatocidal compounds for vaginal administration show little if any effect upon spermatic cells when administered systemically to the male mammal. Furthermore, for such systemic administration a compound must not only have powerful spermatostatic or spermatocidal activity but must show a low degree of toxicity to the host mammal.
It would, therefore, be desirable to have agents for contraceptive purposes which inhibit mammalian sperm cells from effecting conception (and possibly also prevent sperm cell production or maturation in the case of male contraception), which agents could be administered either intravaginally to the female mammal or systemically, preferably orally or via an implant, to the male mammal.

Contraceptive compositions and methods employing 1-substituted imidazole derivatives


An apparatus and method for encoding a clock signal and a data signal into a single signal. A first digital signal is received and a second digital signal having a periodic waveform is received. A sequence of pulses is generated at a pulse frequency of the second digital signal. Each pulse of the sequence of pulses has either a first duration or a second duration based upon a respective sample of the first digital signal.

Trunk lines in modern telecommunications networks are typically arranged in a bandwidth hierarchy in which each type of trunk line is capable of carrying data from multiple hierarchically lower types of trunk lines. For example, in North America, Type 1 (T1) trunk lines are operated at a bitrate of 1.544 Mb/s (megabit per second) and can communicate up to twenty-four 0.064 Mb/s voice frequency (VF) signals at a time. The twenty-four VF signals are sampled one after another, digitized to respective bytes and time-division multiplexed onto the T1 carrier to generate each frame of a Type 1 Digital Signal (DS-1). Type 3 (T3) trunk lines are operated at a bitrate of 44.736 Mb/s (megabit per second) and are capable of time-division multiplexing up to twenty-eight DS-1 signals in a single Type 3 Digital Signal (DS-3). Even higher bandwidth trunk lines in the TDM hierarchy are available to multiplex DS-3 signals from multiple T3 lines.
To reduce the number of physical connections between trunk lines and signal forwarding equipment (e.g., trunk multiplexers, network routers and network switches), it is common to connect a relatively small number of high bandwidth trunk lines to the signal forwarding equipment instead of a larger number of lower bandwidth trunk lines. For example, instead of connecting 84 T1 cables to a signal forwarding device, three T3 cables may be connected instead. The 84 DS-1 signals that otherwise would have been received on discrete T1 lines are extracted from the DS-3 signal on the incoming T3 line.
One problem that arises when relatively high bandwidth trunk lines are connected directly to a signal forwarding device is that of distributing the extracted signals throughout the device. Signal forwarding devices typically include multiple service modules that are used to handle incoming signals in parallel. In many cases the service modules are removably connected to a backplane (or midplane) of the signal forwarding device and signals are passed between the service modules via traces in the backplane. When incoming signals are concentrated at one service module and then distributed to other service modules, the required number of backplane traces is increased significantly. For example, if 84 DS-1 signals extracted from three T3 lines on one service module are to be serviced by other service modules in a signal forwarding device, 84 additional backplane traces are required. To make matters worse, when trunk signals are extracted from higher frequency trunk signals, it is common to generate a separate clock and data signal for each extracted trunk signal. Thus, in the example above, up to 168 additional backplane traces may be required to distribute the clock and data for the 84 DS-1 signals. In many devices, physical constraints on the density of backplane traces prevent this amount of signal distribution.
One possible solution to the problem of wire trace congestion on the device backplane is to increase the data transmission frequency to obtain more bandwidth out of each backplane trace. However, due to the frequency response characteristics of signal traces on the backplanes of many devices, it is not possible to substantially increase signal transmission frequency without unacceptable loss of signal quality.

Encoding a clock signal and a data signal into a single signal for distribution in a signal forwarding device


A thermally conductive sheet includes a resin that is liquid under normal temperature and pressure, a resin that is solid under normal temperature and pressure, and a particulate carbon material, and the thermal resistance of the thermally conductive sheet under a pressure of 0.05 MPa is at most 0.30° C/W. In the thermally conductive sheet, the resin that is solid under normal temperature and pressure is preferably a thermoplastic fluororesin that is solid under normal temperature and pressure, and the resin that is liquid under normal temperature and pressure is preferably a thermoplastic fluororesin that is liquid under normal temperature and pressure.

The amount of heat generated by electronic parts, such as in plasma display panels (PDPs) and integrated circuit (IC) chips, has risen over recent years with an increase in performance. In electronic devices that use such electronic parts, functional impairment due to the higher temperature of such electronic parts needs to be prevented.
One typical way to prevent functional impairment due to the higher temperature of electronic parts is to promote heat dissipation by attaching a heat dissipator, such as a metal heat sink, a radiator plate, or a heat dissipating fin, to the heating element, such as the electronic parts. When using a heating element, the heating element and the heat dissipator are usually placed in close contact with a heat dissipating member therebetween to transfer heat efficiently from the heating element to the heat dissipator. The heat dissipating member is a member in the form of grease with high thermal conductivity (thermally conductive grease), a member in the form of a sheet (thermally conductive sheet), or the like.
The heat dissipating member used by being clamped between the heating element and the heat dissipator is thus desired to have excellent thermal conductivity while under the pressure from being clamped. In recent years, the pressure on the heat dissipating member when clamped between adherends such as the heating element and the heat dissipator (clamping pressure) has sometimes been a relatively low pressure of 0.08 MPa or less. A heat dissipating member that exhibits excellent thermal conductivity even when used at a relatively low clamping pressure is thus particularly desired.
Another typical way to increase the thermal conductivity of the heat dissipating member during use by being clamped between adherends such as the heating element and the heat dissipator is to provide the heat dissipating member with high flexibility, thereby increasing the close adherence between the heat dissipating member and the adherends and reducing the thermal resistance of the heat dissipating member under pressure due to being clamped.
However, using a highly flexible heat dissipating member by clamping between adherends such as the heating element and the heat dissipator leads to the problem of the components of the heat dissipating member leaking to the outside of the adherends (pump-out) because of the clamping pressure and heat from the heating element.
To address this problem, patent literature (PTL) 1, for example, discloses that during preparation of a thermally conductive silicone grease composition as a heat dissipating member, the viscosity of the composition is adjusted using liquid dimethyl polysiloxane with a particular substituent as silicone, thereby suppressing leakage of the thermally conductive silicone grease composition during the cooling/heating cycle of electronic parts.


The invention relates to electromagnetic wave guiding devices or waveguides (f<10 THz) and to processes for manufacturing these waveguides, which comprise at least one body (30) supporting at least one active wall (40). The body (30) of the waveguide is made from a volume of a ceramic selected from the following: silicon carbides, aluminum nitride, boron nitrides, and especially 3C cubic and 2H hexagonal varieties of boron nitride, diamond, beryllium oxide or assemblies of said materials. Applications: waveguides, filter cavities, reflectors and antennas for radiofrequency waves and microwaves, atomic clocks and particle accelerators.

The term "guiding device" is understood to mean any device intended to control the propagation of electromagnetic waves. These devices cover in particular: waveguides, electromagnetic cavities, reflectors, diffusers, antennas, filters and attenuators.
Some of these guiding devices are used not only to control the propagation of electromagnetic waves, but they may also employ electron beams or beams of other particles that may or may not be provided with an electric charge. This is the case in particular for all electron tubes and nearly all particle accelerators.
In the rest of this text, for more succinct expression, and to differ from the usually accepted meaning of the term "waveguide", we will simply call any guiding device within the meaning defined above a "waveguide".
One particular example of a waveguide within our intended meaning is that of cavities for high-precision atomic clocks. In this example, the cavity consists of a single body, of complex shape, which includes several holes.
FIGS. 1a and 1b show one particular example of a cavity employed for producing an atomic clock. A microwave is introduced via an access port 4. This microwave interacts with a cesium beam (Jc) that passes through the cavity and is introduced via an aperture 6.
In all waveguides, the waves are confined by the positioning, in space, of physical objects called "bodies". Like any physical object, a body occupies a volume that is bounded by one or more closed surfaces. The vicinity of such a closed surface is called the "wall" of the body.
The particular feature of the body of a waveguide is that at least part of the surface of its walls interacts directly with the guided or confined electromagnetic waves and consequently must be endowed with controlled electromagnetic properties.
That part of a wall which interacts directly with the guided or confined electromagnetic waves, and which must be endowed with controlled electromagnetic properties, is called the "active" part of the wall. In the rest of the description, the term "active wall" will refer to an "active" part of a wall of a waveguide body.
It is the geometric and electromagnetic properties of the active walls that determine the electromagnetic properties of the waveguide.
Two types of characteristics of these active walls directly determine the electromagnetic behavior of the waveguide:
(1) their geometric shape; and
(2) their reflectivity with respect to electromagnetic waves.
In the most demanding applications, the aim is to achieve very precise control of the electromagnetic wave propagation, which means that the geometric shape of the active walls of the waveguide must be controlled very precisely.
Depending on the application, the aim is to have different reflectivities on the active walls.
For example, for an attenuator, the aim is to absorb the waves in the active wall.
However, for most applications, in particular for a waveguide in the usual meaning of the term, for an electromagnetic cavity or for a reflector, the aim is usually for the active wall to be as reflective as possible with respect to the waves, without absorbing the energy of the wave. This means that the electrical conductivity of the body near the wall must be as high as possible at the frequencies corresponding to the waves present in the waveguide in operation.
More precisely, for these types of waveguide, which will be called "low-absorption" waveguides, it is necessary to ensure that the conducting material constituting the active wall, in direct contact with the electromagnetic waves, has the optimum electrical conductivity over a thickness equal to a few "skin depths" of the most penetrating components (with respect to the walls) of the wave that should reside in or travel through the waveguide.
For example, for a waveguide intended to be used at ambient temperature and at frequencies close to 10 GHz, the walls of the waveguide being made of copper, the skin depth is a fraction of one micron and it is sufficient for there to be less than 10 microns of copper on the wall in order to approach to better than 99% the quality factor of a cavity made of solid copper.
In specific waveguide applications, the main functionality of controlling the electromagnetic wave propagation is not the only one involved in the specification and design of the waveguide. Many other contingencies must also be considered.
The most common additional criteria relate to the following points:                the volume and total mass of the waveguide;        its resistance to mechanical attack, particularly accelerations, vibrations, impacts and stresses;        its resistance to thermal attack, particularly temperature rises during heat treatments and temperature cycling during operation;        its resistance to chemical attack, particularly to corrosive atmospheres;        the electrical conductivity of the volume or certain regions of the inactive walls of the bodies;        the manufacturability and manufacturing cost of the waveguide;        its functional endurance in the intended application environment; and        its ability to discharge the dissipated heat, very often essentially in the active walls.

Guiding devices for electromagnetic waves and process for manufacturing these guiding devices


A system for improving a person's sleep includes a bedding layer having a plurality of individually controllable thermally adjustable zones, a plurality of temperature sensors, where at least one temperature sensor per thermally adjustable zone is dispersed throughout the bedding layer. Further, a controller is configured to control the heating power of each thermally adjustable zone, and detect in which the body presence is detected.

Scientific studies have proven that a higher skin temperature in bed has a positive effect on the sleep of a person sleeping said bed. Scientific research has shown that warming the bed to get a small increase in skin temperature results in falling asleep faster, less awakenings during the night, longer sleeping time and more deep sleep.
Many people suffer from bad sleep. A survey in the USA in 2008 revealed that 65% of the adults experience bad sleep, stating that they have more than 2 nights a week not sleeping well. When these persons were asked for the reasons, they mentioned among other reasons that they have cold feet and/or feel either too warm or too cold during night.
Electrical blankets for raising the temperature in bed are well known and already exist for decades. However, the major disadvantage of conventional electric blankets is the fact that their temperature is not controlled. A constant power input is applied, and for some blankets the power setting can be changed in a few discrete steps. However, such a change of power setting does not take into account other conditions such as, for example, the presence of additional blankets on top of the bed, different metabolism of users in the bed or the room temperature. Thus, users of electric blankets often complain that the bed was heated too much during the night.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,433,062 describes a system that can detect the presence of a human body in the bed by a human body detection means for detecting retiring or rising of a user. The human body detection means is either pressure sensitive, or it may be a system using temperature signals in accordance with the presence or absence of a living human body. The preset temperature is automatically raised when the user rises so that the user is allowed to fall asleep again. The higher temperature preset is automatically decreased when the user goes to bed, and the presence of the user's body in the bed is detected.
US patent application publication US 2009/0099631 A1 discloses a multi-zone electric heating blanket which may be shaped to cover the outstretched arms or other body parts of a patient. The blanket includes two body part portions and a connecting bridge. A power controller may supply power to heating elements in both body part portions based on a temperature sensor in one of the body part portions. The temperature sensor is positioned such that it is always in direct contact with the patient's skin. The blanket comprises two temperatures sensors at maximum, and the temperature regulation is to prevent overheating.
Furthermore, in electric blankets, heat is supplied uniformly to the whole bed instead of being supplied to those areas only which in fact require heating. Blankets having a separate heating zone for the feet of a sleeping person exist, but again have a fixed heating power only rather than a temperature control.
There is a need for a bedding layer for improving a person's sleep, which bedding layer provides a better adjustment of the temperature within a bed.
More specifically, it is desirable to tune the temperature control of individual zones of the bedding separately accounting to the fact of whether a part of the sleeping person's body is lying on top or underneath an individual heating zone Therefore, it would be advantageous to detect the position of a body lying on a bed, without the need for direct contact between sensor and body. A solution could be to use pressure sensing mats that are commercially available. Such a pressure sensitive mat is placed underneath the body of a lying person, and the mat is capable of detecting a two-dimensional pressure distribution.
However, such mats are expensive, and not comfortable to lie as they are made of plastic-like material having limited flexibility and no moisture transmission.

System and a method for improving a person's sleep


A shock absorbing fork for a bicycle having an air damping feature to rapidly and effectively diminish the cyclical motion of the struts of the fork resulting from the compression and expansion of the resilient shock absorbing pads provided in the struts of the fork when an obstacle is encounter by the front wheel of the bicycle. The struts have an inner cylinder slidably mounted in an outer cylinder with the pads captively mounted between the bottom of the inner cylinder and a member of the outer cylinder. An air chamber within the outer cylinder is contracted by movement of the inner cylinder into the outer cylinder and is expanded by movement of the inner cylinder out of the outer cylinder. The pads, as the inner cylinder is moved into the outer cylinder are compressed to absorb the shock and the air in the chamber is compressed. The compressibility of the air allows the fork to immediately respond to the impact force. In addition, the controlled exhaust of the compressed air to the atmosphere reduces the amount of impact energy that would otherwise be stored by the spring. The reduction in stored impact energy in turn reduces the cyclical rebound of the fork enabling it to reach equilibrium more quickly.

Bicycle shock absorbers are designed to soften the effect of bumps and holes in the roadway as impacted on the rider. The shock absorption feature is typically provided in the bicycle's front wheel steering fork. When the front wheel falls into a hole or hits a bump, the wheel is jarred or jolted and (without the shock absorbers) the shock effect is transferred through the front wheel support and steering mechanism (the steering fork) directly to the rider, i.e., to his arms particularly when he is leaning forward as in racing, but also to the rider's torso supported on the pedals and seat of the bicycle. Shock absorption for the fork is provided by having collapsible struts that collapse against an elastic member, e.g., a spring member. Thus, the shock is "absorbed" by the elastic member and the jarring action is converted to a softer bouncing-like action.
Whereas this bouncing-like action is far easier on the rider than the jarring effect without the shock absorbers, there is the problem of setting in motion a repetitive cycling of the bouncing action as the elastic member compresses and expands in seeking its equilibrium. The repetitive bouncing is not desirable and, thus, shock absorbers of the type herein contemplated are provided with a damping feature. A damping feature functions in concert with the elastic member by permitting but resisting the compression and expansion cycles and more rapidly causes the elastic member to find the equilibrium position.
Typically dampers for shock absorbers have been provided using liquid, (e.g., oil) that is sealed inside the fork and through design is moved back and forth between two chambers through a restricted portal as the elastic member is compressed and expanded. The portal allows liquid flow therethrough but resists rapid movement of the liquid. The effect is that the initial jarring action produces sufficient force on the liquid to rapidly (but less rapidly than without the restriction) transfer the liquid to the other chamber. Then as the elastic member tries to rebound or expand, that movement is also resisted by requiring reverse flow of the liquid through the portal. The result is that repetitive bouncing is retarded.
The problems associated with liquid (oil) dampers is that total sealing is difficult to maintain and, thus, leaking frequently occurs, and the oil gets hot and less viscous when in constant activity and this affects resistance and retardation of the bouncing. Further, air weighs less than liquid and even small weight reduction is considered important for bicycles.

Air damping for bicycle shock absorbing fork


Misfiring of individual cylinders in an internal combustion engine is detected based on sensing exhaust pressure during each operating cycle of the engine. A pressure signal is sampled and digitized during each cycle to form an input vector for a pattern classifier. Predetermined internal coefficients of the trained classifier enable the classifier to discriminate between firing and misfiring cylinders in real time with a high degree of accuracy. Overall system cost is reduced by sharing a pressure transducer with an exhaust gas recirculation system on the internal combustion engine.

The present invention relates in general to detecting misfires occurring during normal in-use vehicle operation of internal combustion engines and more specifically to identifying the occurrence of individual misfires by digitally processing a pressure wave from the exhaust manifold of the engine.
Catalytic converters are used in automobiles to reduce the amount of pollutants in the engine exhaust. When a cylinder misfires so that no combustion or incomplete combustion occurs, uncombusted fuel is introduced into the exhaust which then burns in the hot catalytic converter. The heat from fuel burning in the catalytic converter destroys the catalyst. Thus, it becomes desirable to detect and count engine misfires and signal the operator of the vehicle upon occurrence of excessive misfires so that steps may be taken to protect the catalytic converter.
Some prior art techniques for detecting misfires have employed monitoring of engine crankshaft accelerations, monitoring of electrical properties of the ignition spark, and monitoring various properties of the exhaust gas, such as, exhaust gas pressure and exhaust gas temperature. However, each prior art method has been found to have disadvantages which have prevented the attainment of an acceptable misfire detection system. Low signal-to-noise ratios and slow operating speed have required averaging of many events in some previous misfire detection systems. Such systems are only capable of detecting recurrent misfires of any particular cylinder rather than individual misfires. Other systems may require expensive custom sensors and components or may require disadvantageous sensor locations. Furthermore, existing misfire detection systems all suffer from poor accuracy which prevents any ability to identify very low misfire rates. For example, in order to protect catalytic converters and prevent excessive emissions of pollutants, a misfire rate of about one or two percent must be detected. In addition, the identity of the misfiring cylinder associated with each individual misfire must be determined and stored to facilitate later servicing of an engine to correct the condition leading to the misfires. Typically, such diagnostic strategies must have very low false alarm rates in order to be deployed in large numbers of vehicles.

Misfire detection in an internal combustion engine using exhaust pressure


A sewing machine that permits selection of an outer profile for a frame pattern on an outer profile selection screen displayed on a pattern display, selection of a line shape for the frame pattern on a line shape selection screen displayed on the pattern display, and sewing of the frame pattern in accordance with a combination of the selected outer profile and line shape. Accordingly, since an outer profile and a line shape for a frame pattern are selected in combination, a large number of patterns can be selected using a small number of pattern selection screens and a frame pattern can be selected simply on the sewing machine.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a sewing machine which can form a sewing pattern on a work fabric and, more particularly, to a sewing machine wherein a desired sewing pattern can be selected readily.
2. Description of the Related Art
Conventionally, in a sewing machine which can form a pattern, when it is tried to form a frame pattern in order to produce, for example, an emblem, one of a plurality of frame patterns which are different in outer profile and line shape from one another is selected. In particular, for example, with a sewing machine having frame patterns composed of combinations of four different outer profiles and ten different line shapes, an operator searches out and selects a frame pattern having a desired outer profile and a desired line shape from among a total of 40 different frame patterns displayed on a front panel of the sewing machine.
The conventional sewing machine, however, is disadvantageous in that the user must search out a desired one of a large number of frame patterns displayed on the front panel of the sewing machine. The operation to search for the desired frame pattern becomes more complicated as the number of frame patterns involved increases.

Sewing machine and method of pattern selection


A transponder system, which may be on a spacecraft, provides communications to and among user terminals for audio-bandwidth signals. The transponder includes a receiver for uplink signals, and a digital channelizer which separates the various independent uplinked signals. The separated uplinked signals are then grouped together with other signals destined for the same downlink beam, and routed to the corresponding beam input port of a beamformer. The beamformer, in turn, energizes or feeds those antenna elements which are required to form the desired antenna beam.

Communications are very important in the modern world. Techniques for communication include public switched telephone systems (PSTNs) operating over land lines, and also include other types of terrestrial lines, such as microwave links and fiber optic buses. The increasing use of the Internet makes wideband communications more important. For many purposes, land-line communications are not suitable, as for example for communication to or with aircraft and ships at sea. For communications with such mobile stations, conventional ship-to-shore type long-wave systems are not satisfactory, in that they tend to be very narrow-band.
Communications satellites or transponders are coming into widespread use for communications with locations which are not served by land lines. Such communications systems include satellite-based mobile telephone systems. These systems include low-earth-orbit (LEO) systems, in which the satellite constellations provide low time latency because of the proximity of the communicating satellite to the earth's surface. LEO systems have not found favor, because of the complexity of the handover of signal among satellites, and because the large number of satellites required for complete coverage and system economics necessitated inexpensive, and therefore limited-capability satellites. These limited-capability satellites, in turn, have small-aperture antennas and relatively low-power transmitters. These, in turn limit the performance, and tend to make the user terminals or handsets bulky and expensive.
Geosynchronous communications satellites have the advantage of not requiring earth stations to track the spacecraft, since its position relative to a fixed location on the earth's surface remains fixed. Fewer geosynchronous spacecraft are required to provide broad coverage, but complete earth coverage is not possible, or is at least difficult. In an inclined orbit, more coverage is possible, but tracking is required. Geosynchronous orbits are, however, distant from the earth, and consequently require large-aperture antennas and relatively high transmitted power (EIRP) to provide reliable communications with earth stations and user terminals. Some geosynchronous systems, such as Echostar, are simple "bent-pipe" systems, in which the uplinked signal modulated onto a carrier is merely converted to a different carrier frequency and downlinked, with the change in frequency being for providing isolation between uplink and downlink. Other systems receive uplinked carrier signals modulated with digital signals representing independent information such as an individual mobile user conversation, and actually demodulate the independent signals to baseband and process the digital signals, as for example to regenerate the digital signals to obviate waveform degradation attributable to the uplink.
Improved communications systems are desired.

Wideband transmission through narrowband transponder

Abstract: In order to provide a capability for handling signals having a bandwidth greater than that of the audio signals, as might be required for providing the capacity to handle Internet signals, for example, a wideband augmentation equipment (WAE) is coupled in such a manner as to bypass the digital channelizer, to thereby provide a wideband path through the system, bypassing the narrowband channelizer.


A personal financial assistant computer system and method includes customer terminals at financial institution branch offices or other locations. Each customer terminal stores financial information for the particular financial services (such as insurance, annuities, bonds, mortgages or loans) sold at that terminal. A display is also provided at each terminal for displaying selected information. At least one representative terminal is provided at a central location and includes a display and keyboard. A telephone link is also provided between the customer terminals and the representative terminals for voice communication. According to the invention, a representative at the representative terminal controls the customer terminal in response to commands initiated from the input device, thereby displaying financial service information at the customer terminal under control of the representative terminal. All display of information at the customer terminal is controlled by the representative in response to one-on-one conversations between the representative and a customer over the telephone line.

Personal financial services are increasingly required in today's society. As used herein, "personal financial services" include, but are not limited to, the purchase by an individual, of insurance, annuities, stock, bonds or other financial instruments or obtaining a mortgage, consumer or auto loan, credit card or other form of credit for use by the individual, another individual or a business. These services were originally provided on a one-to-one basis by financial institution representatives located at branch offices. Representatives met face-to-face with a customer who desired to purchase, or investigate the purchase of, one or more of these financial services.
The representative and customer typically met face-to-face in an office at a financial institution branch office to discuss the different options available to the customer in terms of the different personal financial services available as well as the different options for each individual financial service. The representative, who was knowledgeable in each of the personal financial services as well as all options for each service, explained the details to the customer and answered any of the customer's questions. Once the customer selected a particular personal financial service and options associated with that service, the representative assisted the customer to complete an application/contract for the desired service containing all of the desired options. The customer either signed the contract and left it with the representative who forwarded the contract to the company's main office, or the customer took the contract with him for further study, signed it at a later time and mailed it to the company's main office.
This process of providing financial services to customers on a one-to-one basis permitted great. flexibility, because a representative explained all the details and the customer asked all the questions he desired. The representative provided immediate responses to those questions. This human interaction set the customer's mind at ease. The major disadvantage of this one-to-one interaction was the extremely high labor cost. Each financial institution branch office had to provide a person knowledgeable in all phases of personal financial services which the institution could offer.
The industry has attempted to reduce the labor cost of providing personal financial services by automating the process through the use of computers. For example, a small computer was located at each individual branch office, containing all the necessary forms and rate information relating to personal financial services. A representative of the financial institution would operate the computer to select the desired type of service as well as the various options for the selected service. Unfortunately, the labor cost of providing financial services was only slightly reduced from that of providing on-location representatives without computer automation.
In those situations where a knowledgeable representative was not locally available, "self-service" terminals Were designed for operation by the customer. The customer could access personal financial service information and select the desired financial service as well as the desired options for the particular financial service at the self-service terminal. The major disadvantage with this system is the lack of human interaction. There was no one-to-one interaction between a knowledgeable representative and a customer who lacked knowledge in the field. Additionally, many customers were, and still are, uncomfortable with computers or are afraid of using computers.
The personal financial services industry has linked self-service terminals into networks in order to further decrease labor costs. In a network, a central location typically includes a central or host computer which stores rate information, customer databases and other information. Local self-service terminals typically can access information from the central location. It will be understood by those having skill in the art that, as used herein, a "terminal" may be a passive ("dumb") terminal under control of a central computer, an "intelligent" terminal, a personal or desktop computer or a special purpose computer. It will also be understood by those having skill in the art that, as used herein, a local terminal may also be referred to as a remote terminal or customer terminal.
By using networks of self-service terminals, financial services information could be stored in a large central computer. This centralized storage made it easy to maintain the integrity of the information and to update the information. Cost savings were realized, due to maintenance of information at a centralized location.
Several patents for self-service financial service terminal networks have issued. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,567,359 to Lockwood discloses a system for automatically dispensing information, goods and services to a customer on a self-service basis. The system includes a central data processing center containing information about the services offered by various institutions in different financial industries. A number of self-service information and sales terminals are located at remote locations and are linked to the central data processing center. The remote terminals are programmed to gather information from customers on the goods and services desired, to transmit information on the desired goods or services from the central data processing center to the customers, to take orders from the customers for the desired goods or services, and to transmit those orders to the central data processing center for processing. The remote or local terminals also accept payment for the goods and services and deliver the goods and services to the customer, in the form of documents, once the orders are complete. The central data processing center is also linked to terminals at various institutions serviced by the system so that each institution can maintain updated information on completed sales by that particular institution.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,831,526 to Luchs et al. provides a computerized insurance premium quote request and policy issuance system. This system processes and prepares applications for insurance and premium quotations and prepares and writes the insurance contracts. The system includes a central processor including a data bank for storing and retrieving data. The data includes information regarding the risk to be insured, client information, insurance premium information and predetermined text data for incorporation into insurance contracts. A number of remote terminals are connected to the central processor to permit the storage and retrieval of data in the memory of the central processor from the terminals. The central processor also has the capability of merging stored data with predetermined text data to compile data embodying a final insurance document. The document is then transmitted to a printer for printing.
These patents exemplify self-service financial service terminal networks which greatly reduce labor cost. However, this reduction in labor cost is at the expense of completely removing the human interface; i.e. one-to-one, face-to-face interaction, between a knowledgeable, financial institution representative and a customer. Human interaction is necessary because the customer is typically not versed in the options available regarding personal financial services. Furthermore, as the number of types of financial services increase and the options available for each individual financial service increase, the customer's lack of awareness increases.
Attempts have been made to make self service terminals "user friendly" to thereby encourage their use. These attempts include simplified keyboards as well as "touch screen" displays. The simplified keyboard may include a few "function" keys and the touch screen display allows the user to touch the desired function on a computer display.
Unfortunately, these attempts to make the terminal "user friendly" have met with only limited success. For example, many individuals are reluctant to use automated teller machines (ATMs), even through ATMs are generally used for relatively simple transactions such as bank deposits, account transfers, and account withdrawals. Personal financial service transactions are an order of magnitude more complex, because they include an unlimited number of types of complex services and an unlimited number of options within each service. As a result, most customers are extremely uncomfortable with using computers to select personal financial services. Customers are also uncomfortable if they have no human guidance in making these selections or answering questions concerning the services.