Method and apparatus are described for setting liquid photographic materials which have been applied as a coating on a support web, while the coated web is moving substantially horizontally with the liquid materials on the underside of the web. Chilling of the liquid materials may be commenced while the web is moving upwards or downwards after coating, but any setting is not permitted to occur until the web has been turned to move substantially horizontally with the liquid materials on the underside. In this way, gravity and surface tension forces act in opposition to one another where the coating lies adjacent surface non-uniformities in the web and tend to retain the uniformity of coating thickness achieved at the time of coating.

It is known that coated photographic materials, such as sensitized photographic film and print paper, are manufactured by coating extremely thin layers of material, in liquid form, onto a continuous web, sometimes termed a support. The support may be formed, for example, of a film of cellulose acetate or polyethylene terephthalate, or paper. The liquid coating is dried and the dried material is wound up prior to being unwound for, in some instances, having a further coating applied thereto, and, in other instances, cutting into strip or sheet form and for other "finishing" operations.
Sensitized photographic materials have to be manufactured to very small tolerances. The liquid material has to be applied to the web with a very high degree of thickness uniformity, both laterally and longitudinally of the web. Once the liquid material has been applied to the web with a very high degree of thickness uniformity, that uniformity has to be maintained up to the time the material is no longer fluid. In any photpgraphic manufacturing process which is commercially acceptable, the coating has to be performed at speeds as high as hundreds of feet per minute, for example, 500 feet per minute. To add to the difficulties of producing flaw free product, the viscosities of the liquid materials coated on the web are relatively low, such as, of the order of 10 to 40 cp, and hence the liquid materials flow readily under gravity or forces resulting from surface tension imbalance.
The step of drying the coated liquid material requires the application of much heat and the withdrawal of much evaporated liquid. These two requirements are best fulfilled by directing heated air at the coated layer. The heat evaporates the liquid and the air flow takes the evaporated liquid away. However, directing air flow at a liquid surface tends to deform the surface in at least two ways. Firstly, there is physical deformation due to non-uniform impingement of air and, secondly, there are random regions of surface tension differential due to uneven cooling which, in turn, is due to non-uniform impingement of air. These physical forces can deform the surface of the liquid coating to an extent which would be unacceptable in a sensitized photographic product if the deformations persisted into the product. Those skilled in the art know that if the thickness of a material in the coating varies so does the density of the photographic image created after exposure and processing of the material.
The photographic manufacturing industry has largely solved the problems associated with blowing drying air against a liquid layer on a web by causing the layer to gel or set before directing flows of drying air against the coating. The liquid materials coated onto a support usually include a binder material as well as other materials, such as silver halide, which play roles in the chemical reactions involved in the image making process. The binder material becomes a semi-rigid solid or gel when the coating is heated or cooled. In cases wherein the binder is gelatin, it is caused to set by chilling. In the set condition of the coated layer, the drying air flows can safely be directed at the coated layer without adverse effect on the thickness uniformity of the layer.
It will be understood that the chilling operation, being unlike the drying operation because there are not the large volumes of evaporated liquid to be removed, can be performed without directing air flow at the liquid coating. Chilling is often performed by directing chilled air at the uncoated side of the web and/or by passing the uncoated side of the web in contact with chilled rollers.
However, while the photographic manufacturing industry has largely solved the problems of drying a coating without the drying air itself adversely affecting the thickness uniformity of the coated layer, there is one problem which remains to be solved. This problem derives from any non-planarity there may be in the surface of the web onto which the layer of liquid material is coated. While the lack of planarity of the surface is usually acceptable from the viewpoint of its disturbing an image or object plane, it is only so acceptable if it does not adversely affect the uniformity of thickness of the coating. In other words, such lack of planarity is acceptable if the coated layer lies with uniform thickness on the surface and follows its imperfections. The height of the surface imperfections of the web being considered here are of a scale approaching microscopic and may be due, for example, to cross streaks, or the like, in cellulose acetate or polyethylene terephthalate support. For example, a frequent source of surface imperfections results from pulses in pressure in the feed of dope to the casting die when making cellulose acetate film to be used as support. Of course, every endeavor is made to produce supports with planar surfaces for receiving coatings. However, there is a practical limit to the planarity that can be achieved and to success in avoiding random occurrences which produce random defects in planarity.
The photographic industry is well able to apply liquid coatings which have uniform thickness both laterally and longitudinally of the support. However, until the liquid layer is set by chilling, there is the opportunity for forces such as gravity and surface tension to affect adversely the thickness uniformity which was achieved in the actual act of applying the liquid material to the web.
Let it be assumed that after coating with a layer of uniform thickness and before setting, the coated web is moving horizontally with the liquid coating facing upwards. If the web surface has imperfections in planarity, then, immediately after coating, the liquid-to-air surface, the free surface, of the coating exactly mimics the surface of the web immediately beneath it. Thus, there are pressure imbalances in the liquid layer due to the liquid-to-air surface not being planar. Gravity tends to reduce such imbalances in pressure in the liquid and, in so doing, causes flow which tends to level the surface of the liquid layer. There is flow away from over a high spot of the web surface towards an adjacent lower area of the web surface. Such flow causes loss of the thickness uniformity achieved at the time of application of the liquid material to the web.
There is a further physical phenomenon which is also in play, and this is surface tension. As is known, surface tension tends to oppose deformation of a liquid surface from a planar condition. Thus, with the coating liquid on top of a horizontal web which has imperfections in surface planarity, with the surface of the coating resembling the surface of the underlying web, as is the case if the coating has uniform thickness, surface tension is tending to level the surface.
Thus, in known arrangements in which the liquid coating is on the upper side of the web for chilling and setting, both surface tension and gravity are tending to work together to destroy the thickness uniformity achieved at the time of coating.
It is an object of the present invention to overcome the problems described above which are caused by flow of the liquid material on the web caused by imperfections in the planarity of the web surface.

Horizontally chill-setting a downwards facing liquid photographic material


Certain aspects of the present disclosure are directed to a semiconductor device. The semiconductor device generally includes a substrate, at least one silicon-on-insulator (SOI) transistor disposed above the substrate, a gate-all-around (GAA) transistor disposed above the substrate, and a fin field-effect transistor (FinFET) disposed above the substrate.

Transistors are essential components in modern electronic devices. Large numbers of transistors are employed in integrated circuits (ICs) in many modern electronic devices. For example, components such as central processing units (CPUs) and memory systems each employ a large quantity of transistors for logic circuits and memory devices.
As electronic devices become more complex in functionality, so does the need to include a greater number of transistors in such devices. However, as electronic devices are provided in increasingly smaller packages, such as in mobile devices, for example, a greater number of transistors may be provided in a smaller IC chip. This increase in the number of transistors is achieved in part through continued efforts to miniaturize transistors in ICs. As a result, the gate lengths of transistors are reduced, thereby reducing the channel length of the transistors and interconnects. Reduced channel length in transistors has the benefit of increasing drive strength and providing smaller parasitic capacitances resulting in reduced circuit delay. However, as channel length in transistors is reduced, short channel effects (SCEs) can occur that degrade performance. More specifically, SCEs in transistors cause increased current leakage, reduced threshold voltage, and/or threshold voltage roll-off.
In this regard, to address the desire to scale down channel lengths in transistors while avoiding or mitigating SCEs, transistor design alternatives have been developed. One such alternative transistor design includes a fin field-effect transistor (FinFET) that provides a conducting channel via a fin formed from a substrate. Material is wrapped around the fin to form the gate of the device. The FinFET includes a source and a drain interconnected by the fin such that an interior portion of the fin serves as a conduction channel between the source and drain. The fin is surrounded by a gate, and thus, the gate provides better electrostatic control over the channel and consequently helps reduce the leakage current and overcome SCEs.

Nanosheet (NS) and fin field-effect transistor (FinFET) hybrid integration


A responsive luminous pad includes a luminous module (10), and a pad (20) encloses the module (10) to a middle portion inside the pad (20). The module (10) includes a harden plastics (15) further encloses a printed circuit board (PCB) (11), a battery (12), light emitting diode (LED) (13), rolling ball switch (14), and integrated circuit (IC) processor (16) inside the plastics. Said pad (20) includes a waterproof first sheet (22B), and a waterproof second sheet (22A) printed with patterns. Rims of both first, second sheets (22B, 22A) are heat weld to form a cavity in between for receiving the luminous module (10) a widened middle portion inside the pad, and the rims further coupled to a surface of a textile (30).

Small size luminous modules are popular in daily life; normally, a luminous module includes a printed circuit board (PCB), a light emitting diode (LED) electrically connected to the PCB, the LED emits light in sequence or at random relative to an integrated circuit (IC) processor, a battery supplies power to the LED and IC processor, a pressure sensitive switch outputs signals to the IC processor when triggered by an outer force. Luminous module applied to shoes and numerous products has been disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 7,207,688 entitled "interactive shoe light device" to Wong Wai Yuen on Apr. 24, 2007, or U.S. Pat. No. 7,262,577 entitled "apparatus for illuminating footwear" to Zhong Wang on Aug. 28, 2007.
Components of luminous module must be very compact so as to focus on light emission; people easily catch sight of lit module. Persons skill in the art have provided small size luminous modules applied to clothing and socks, such as U.S. Pat. No. 7,278,758 entitled "motion-responsive illuminated garment" to Ezra Esses on Oct. 9, 2007 and U.S. Pat. No. 7,267,452 entitled "motion-responsive illuminated stocking" to Eara Esses on Sep. 11, 2007.
As above, a luminous module (26) sealed inside an elastic cover (20) made of plastics, since the cover (20) is directly coupled to a clothing (12), moisture permeation easily induced inside the elastic cover (20) via the clothing (12) extended alongside. When laundering, water also permeates into the elastic cover (20). Moisture retained inside the elastic cover (20) clouded an inner wall of the elastic cover, covered it with condensation. Light emission of the luminous module (26) is therefore a mere blur.
Prior to said luminous module (26) fixed to the clothing (12), a surface of the clothing must be leveled off for attaching the luminous module thereon. Then a rim of the elastic cover (20) is heat weld to a surface of the clothing or sock. During welding, as the luminous module (26) still placed on a woven material, which is easily folding into ridges or combined with laces, braids, and plaits; so workers have to pay attentions to whether the luminous module (26) moved around above the clothing.
Furthermore, the luminous module (26) is enclosed by a plastic capsule (24) in the prior arts, but problems of moisture clouded inside the inner wall of the luminous module (26) still could not get better solutions.
In addition, the elastic cover (20) in a largest dimension size may surpass the luminous module (26) all around; the luminous module (26) is therefore easily glided along inside the elastic cover (20). In other words, the elastic cover (20) leaves a desolate space, where the luminous module (26) could not be fixed to a widened middle portion inside the elastic cover (20). Therefore, the luminous module (26) is easily inclined and glided to a bottom portion of the elastic cover (20) to emit light in a blur.
The elastic cover (20) is made of plastics, such as polyvinyl chloride (PVC), when heat weld to surface of clothing or sock, interlacing strands of fabric may be swollen and then shrunk back to induce the surface folding into ridges.
Or, pressure sensitive switch of the prior arts is mainly a spring contact switch comprises a conducting sleeve (42), and a spring coil (44) inside the sleeve. Said spring coil (44) normally is out of contact with an inner wall of the sleeve (42). When vibrated, a free end of the spring coil (44) is swayed in contact with the inner wall of the sleeve (42) to conduct electricity. An IC processor (34) is therefore to activate LEDs (38A˜38D) to emit light in response to the electrification. However, the spring coil must be swayed sufficiently to contact with the inner wall of the sleeve; other than a sufficient swaying, it will not conduct electricity power. In other words, it depends to a large extent upon whether the spring coil is bounced back and forth sufficiently to span across a gap in between, which leads to the spring coil is only suitable for shoes, but not for clothing, hats, or socks.


A method for manufacturing a light emitting element, including steps of preparing a wafer that has a substrate with a first main face and a second main face, in which the first main face is provided with a plurality of convex components and valleys that connect these convex components, and a semiconductor structure that is provided on the first main face; and dividing the wafer by laser scribing in which a laser beam is emitted from the second main face side along first dividing lines and second dividing lines to obtain a plurality of light emitting elements. The convex components are in the form of pyramids, prisms, or truncated pyramids, each of which having a polyhedral bottom face with a plurality of apexes, edge lines that extend from the apexes, and side faces that link the edge lines to each other. The convex components are disposed regularly so that a plurality of bounded regions, which are regions defined by virtual boundary between side faces of adjacent convex components in the valleys, are present around the convex components. And the first dividing lines and the second dividing lines are lines that extend in a direction that intersects straight lines that link the centers of the plurality of bounded regions around a single convex component.

1. Technical Field
The present disclosure relates to a method for manufacturing a light emitting element.
2. Related Art
As applications of LED (light emitting diode) elements have expanded in recent years, there has been a need for higher brightness. Accordingly, it has been proposed to provide the surface of a sapphire substrate that comes into contact with a semiconductor layer, with convex components that allow light propagating horizontally through the semiconductor layer to be extracted outside an element (e.g., JP2008-177528A, and JP2012-160502A).
Also, one division method in which individual LED elements are obtained from a wafer is laser scribing (laser dicing), in which a laser beam is focused in the interior or on the surface of the object to be divided (e.g., wafer such as a sapphire substrate), a modified part is formed that will serve as the starting point for division, and a wafer is divided by applying external force to the wafer to create grooves or cracks from the modified part (e.g., JP2008-98465A).
With an LED element such as this, the laser beam used for laser scribing can sometimes damage the semiconductor layer, which degrades the element's characteristics. The effect of laser beam irradiation on the semiconductor layer can be minimized by lowering the laser output or reducing the number of times laser irradiation is performed, but on the other hand, this tends to increase the take time, and diminish the yield, which is attributable to such factors as the locations that remain undivided during wafer dividing, or uneven shape of the element after dividing. Also, the thicker is the wafer, the higher the laser output has to be, or the more times irradiation has to be performed, to divide the wafers, so the risk that the semiconductor layer will be damaged is higher.

Method for manufacturing light emitting element


A sealed shower system applies shower water to a pulp mat as it passes through a sealed chamber under a vacuum with an air supply that is externally regulated. The shower water forms a pond or film on the pulp mat. The amount of entrapped air is minimized through a downleg of a filter drum which results in maximum filtrate flow, an increased drainage rate, higher efficiency washing and a requirement for less shower water per pound of pulp. In addition, with less entrapped air in the filtrate, the length of the downleg can be reduced enabling lower building heights, smaller filtrate tanks and foam handling systems. The sealed shower system also forms part of a combined shower/hood structure that greatly reduces exhaust emissions.

Rotary vacuum filters were introduced shortly after the turn of the century to separate minerals from dirt and water in the mining industry. A drum was rotated in a vat in which the minerals and water were suspended. A vacuum was created in a downleg of the rotary vacuum filter as clean shower water was sprayed on the surface of the rotating drum. The waste water passed through the drum under force of the vacuum leaving minerals entrapped on the drum surface.
Rotary vacuum filters were subsequently utilized in the pulp and paper industry to separate pulp from the cooking or process liquids. Rotary vacuum filters used to process minerals had no problem with atmospheric spraying of the wash water, because the liquid displaced in mineral washing was not viscous. Pulp, however, is cooked with a liquor that forms a gluey viscous substance referred to as black liquor that must be removed from the pulp in brownstock washing. Any liquor not removed by the brownstock washing is carried on through the process to the deckers, savealls and bleach plant.
For years the rotary vacuum filters used in brownstock washing have been environmentally inefficient in their use of fresh water and exhaust emissions. Conventional methods of spraying shower water in a substantially open atmosphere, such as whistle, spoon, fluid flow and weir showers, cause air to become entrapped in the black liquor. In conventional systems, as much as fifty percent of the filtrate passing through the downleg consists of air molecules. The entrapped air restricts the black liquor drainage rate through the filter drum and downleg thereby reducing the efficiency of the system. In addition, entrapped air causes a tremendous amount of foaming throughout the brownstock system. Accordingly, pulp washing systems have required the use of expensive filtrate tanks and defoamers to allow the entrapped air to migrate to the surface of the black liquor tank prior to being pumped to evaporator storage. The overall impact of air entrapment is a reduction in washing efficiency that results in more fresh water being required to clean a pound of paper pulp.
In view of the above, it is an object of the present invention to provide a sealed shower system for a rotary vacuum filter that overcomes the air entrapment problems associated with the conventional brownstock and bleach washers.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a seeded shower system for a rotary vacuum filter that is incorporated into a low profile hood to reduce exhaust emissions of a rotary vacuum filter.

Sealed shower system for rotary vacuum filter


A device damps water hammers in hydraulic accumulators, in particular in piston accumulators. The device is embodied in the form of the accumulator component which operates as a throttle on a fluid flow and is inserted between internal elements (12) of the accumulator and a hydraulic network (14) to which the accumulator is connectable. The throttle is formed by at least one transfer area (24) having a predetermined cross-section in a valve element (16) which interrupts the fluid flow up to the transfer area (24) at one of the valve positions and releases it at its other position. The transfer area (24) has at least one free end with a funnel-shaped enlargement (26,28) oriented towards the inside of the accumulator (12) or towards the hydraulic network (14), thereby substantially improving damping such that noise emission is reduced to the greatest possible extent.

Hydraulic accumulators are readily available commercially in a plurality of embodiments. The essential applications of such hydraulic accumulators are in energy storage, emergency operation, oil leakage compensation, and in energy accumulation and pulsation damping. The most frequently encountered structural forms of hydraulic accumulators are ones with a separating member. A distinction is made between bladder accumulators, diaphragm accumulators, and piston accumulators, as a function of the separating member employed. The mode of operation of all these accumulators is based on utilization of the compressibility of a gas for accumulation of a fluid, nitrogen often serving as energy carrier. Hydropneumatic accumulators include a fluid component and a gas component, and have a gas-tight separating element. The fluid component is connected to the hydraulic network, so that the gas on the gas side in the accumulator is compressed as the pressure increases. Analogously, the compressed gas in the accumulator can expand in the event of a pressure drop on the network side and the accumulated hydraulic fluid is forced back into the network as a result.
The conventional structure of a piston-type accumulator is characterized by an outer cylindrical tube as accumulator housing into which a piston with its compression system is introduced so as to be longitudinally displaceable. Sealing covers on the front sides of the accumulator housing delimit two operating spaces in the accumulator, one of which receives the gas and the other of which is connected to the hydraulic network to conduct fluid.
Damping devices (e.g., diaphragm accumulators SB 0210-0,32E2 manufactured by Hydac) reduce water hammer inside a hydraulic accumulator. At the fluid inlet side of the accumulator, these damping devices have a valve component which may be displaced in the longitudinal direction of the accumulator. The devices are an integral component of the accumulator. The valve component is guided in a valve housing, and is provided with a fluid transfer area. If a water hammer comes from the direction of the hydraulic network, this water hammer reaches the fluid connection area of the hydraulic accumulator. The water hammer in the hydraulic network closes the valve component against the internal fluid pressure of the accumulator. The valve component comes into closing contact with the valve housing. However, as before, but now in throttled form, fluid from the hydraulic network reaches the interior of the accumulator, that is, the fluid side, via a central passage bore as transfer area situated in the valve component.
The water hammer is reduced as a result of the respective throttling of the flow of fluid with the valve component closed by the transfer area in the form of the longitudinal bore. As before, fluid in a smaller amount now continues to flow into the interior of the accumulator. In the opposite situation, that is, when the fluid pressure decreases on the hydraulic network side, the accumulator pressure effects opening of the valve component and fluid flows from the interior of the accumulator housing through cleared larger opening cross-sections in the valve component. An additional portion of the flow of fluid is conducted over the transfer area in the form of a throttle. As a result of configuration of the throttle position in the disclosed solution in the form of a bore of short channel length, turbulences and accordingly cavity phenomena occur on the material components of the valve components and/or accumulator housing adjoining the transfer area. However, in addition to the harmful cavity action, the turbulences also cause disruption of the flow of fluid into and out of the accumulator. This situation may have an adverse effect on the energy balance as a whole of accumulators, as well as of the hydraulic network. In addition, opening and closing of the valve component is associated with a relevant generation of noise, something which may exert a very disruptive effect on operation of such hydraulic assemblies.
DE 102 14 871 A1 discloses a device for damping water hammer, in particular a device in the form of a pressure medium accumulator having a housing. The housing interior is subdivided into two chambers by a medium separation element. The first chamber is filled with a gas. The second chamber is filled with a fluid. In a hydraulic connection, a bottom valve permits filling of the second chamber with fluid and prevents complete emptying of the second chamber. The sealing element of the second chamber may be operated by the medium separation element. In addition, means are provided for throttling the pressure medium volume introduced during the process of filling the second chamber, which means release the full pressure medium volume flow only after the bottom valve has been fully opened.


This process comprises steps of: a) providing a first substrate comprising the active layer made of a first material of Young's modulus E1 and of thickness h1; b) providing a second substrate made of a second material of Young's modulus E2 and of thickness h2; c) bending the first substrate and the second substrate such that they each have a curved shape of a radius of curvature R; d) joining the second substrate to the active layer such that the second substrate closely follows the shape of the first substrate; and e) re-establishing the initial at-rest shape of the second substrate, the process being noteworthy in that the second material of the second substrate is a flexible material respecting the relationship E2/E1<10−2, in that the thickness of the second substrate respects the relationship h2/h1≧104, and in that the radius of curvature respects the relationship

The expression "active layer" is understood to mean a layer (or a plurality of sublayers) on which or in which components intended especially for applications in the fields of microelectronics, optics, optoelectronics, piezoelectricity or even spintronics will be fabricated.
The expression "strain state" is understood to mean the strains resulting from internal stresses between deformed portions of the useful layer, the internal stresses possibly being tensile or compressive stresses. When the internal stresses are zero or almost zero, a "relaxed state" is spoken of to designate the corresponding strain state.
An active layer made of a semiconductor is placed under (tensile or compressive) strain especially in order to modify its electronic band structure. This has the consequence of modifying its electron transport properties or its electromagnetic properties. From the electronic point of view, carrier mobility may be improved. From the electromagnetic point of view, the modification of the strain state leads to a modification of the valence and conduction bands and possibly of the (direct or indirect) bandgap of semiconductors and insulators.
To improve component performance, an active layer with a high strain level is required, meaning that an active layer must be able to undergo a substantial deformation (or in other words, a substantial relative extension). Thus, more precisely, it is sought to obtain an active layer that can be deformed by more than 0.75%, or even more than 1%, without creating defects.
The document entitled "Fabricating Strained Silicon Substrates Using Mechanical Deformation during Wafer Bonding," K. T. Turner, ECS Transactions, 16(8) 321-328 (2008), denoted D1 below, discloses (see FIG. 2 especially) a process for modifying an initial strain state of an active layer to a final strain state, the process comprising steps of a) providing a first substrate comprising the active layer in the initial strain state, the active layer being made of a first material having a Young's modulus denoted E1, the active layer having a thickness denoted h1; b) providing a second substrate made of a second material having a Young's modulus denoted E2, the second substrate having a thickness denoted h2, the second substrate having an initial shape at rest; c) bending the first substrate and the second substrate so that they each have a curved shape of substantially identical radius of curvature denoted R; d) joining the second substrate to the active layer so that the second substrate closely follows the shape of the first substrate; and e) re-establishing the initial at-rest shape of the second substrate so that the active layer has the final strain state.
D1 discloses (compare FIGS. 4(a) and 4(b) and see the first paragraph on page 327) that it is preferable to use a second substrate with a second material regarding the relationship E2=E1 (i.e., E2/E1=1/Σ=1 following the notations of D1) for a given thickness ratio h2/h1 (h2/h1=1/ξ=103). D1 teaches that such a second substrate, in conjugation with the decrease in the thickness of the first substrate after the joining step d), allows the active layer to be substantially deformed and, therefore, high strains to be obtained therein. A contrario, D1 teaches that the flexibility of the second substrate (Σ=100) relative to the first substrate, in conjugation with the decrease in the thickness of the first substrate after the joining step d), only leads to 70% of the value of the strains obtained for Σ=1, for the same given thickness ratio h2/h1, (h2/h1=1/ξ=103).
The process described in D1 is not entirely satisfactory when the first substrate has a substantial stiffness; for example, if the first substrate is made of a first semiconductor, such as silicon, then the second substrate also has a substantial stiffness so as to relate to Σ=1. Such a second substrate may then be difficult to bend in step c) without creating defects if it is desired to deform the active layer by more than 0.75%, this especially being the case when the second substrate is of substantial size (for example, h2/h1=1/ξ=103).

Method for modifying an initial stress state of an active layer to a final stress state

Abstract: R  =                    h        2                    2                                                  ɛ              .


Systems and methods for audio difference detection include a memory component that stores logic that, when executed by a processor, causes a vehicle amplifier to receive a test input signal for a generic test sequence to determine a standard input signal for producing a desired output response signal, store the standard input signal with standard amplifier settings associated with the standard input signal, and receive an audio signal from a head unit of the vehicle, where the head unit is part of the vehicle audio system for the vehicle in which the vehicle amplifier is utilized. In some embodiments, the logic causes the vehicle amplifier to determine whether there is a difference between the audio signal and the standard input signal and in response to determining there is a difference, and adjust vehicle amplifier settings of the vehicle amplifier, such that vehicle speakers output the desired output response signal.

It is generally desired to create a vehicle audio environment that is consistent across mass produced vehicles. Accordingly, current vehicle amplifiers may receive an audio signal from a head unit and adjust the output to the speakers based on the head unit type. Specifically, a head unit type may be determined and sent to the amplifier. Based on that head unit type, the amplifier may be configured to make a single, static adjustment for all signals received from the head unit. This is often referred to as emphasis and de-emphasis technology. While such a configuration may be utilized, this single adjustment is often inaccurate for many signals received by the amplifier to provide the desired audio output in a specific vehicle.

Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America, Inc.


A waveguide antenna for a radar antenna array, particularly for use in motor vehicles, includes a metal waveguide extending in an x direction and having a longitudinal axis, which, for the propagation of a radar wave of a first mode in the x direction, delimits an inner space, wherein in order to specifically convert the first mode to a second mode of the radar wave which is different from the first mode and to couple the second mode out of the waveguide, a plurality of structural elements arranged in the x direction are provided which extend into the inner space and wherein adjacent structural elements have a distance which is larger than half a waveguide wavelength of the radar wave of the first mode or larger than half a free-space wavelength, depending on which of the two wavelengths is smaller.

Such antennas are known, for example, from U.S. Pat. No. 5,572,228, which is incorporated by reference, wherein they are realized in a mechanically pivoting manner by letting a surface-structured drum rotate in close proximity to a dielectric waveguide. The surface structuring of the drum is realized by individual metal strips, the distance of which varies when the drum rotates within the region of the dielectric waveguide. This effects power to be coupled out of the dielectric waveguide via a so-called leaky wave as a function of the rotational angle. The coupled-out power spreads in space in the form of radiation which can be described by a directional antenna pattern. The polarization of the radiated wave is oriented parallel to the metal strips present on the drum.
According to WO 2006/039 896 A1, which is incorporated by reference, an alternative waveguide type is used which is arranged in the vicinity of an interference structure such as a surface-structured drum. The waveguide comprises metallic sections spaced apart from one another and having a dielectric medium arranged in between them. The electromagnetic wave is coupled in between the metallic sections in the longitudinal direction. The metallic sections extend in the longitudinal direction, are open toward the interference structure and the side opposite to it in a first transverse direction and spaced apart from one another in a second transverse direction, wherein the second transverse direction is perpendicular to both the first transverse direction and the longitudinal direction of the waveguide. Such a waveguide exhibits high ohmic losses. An increased number of components leads to an increase in manufacturing costs and, due to the rotating cylinder, results in an antenna application which is prone to disturbances. Furthermore, the rotating cylinder requires the production tolerances and mechanical stresses to be reduced, such that the production expenditure increases even more, making such a waveguide cost-intensive.

Waveguide antenna for a radar antenna array


A wide-angle lens system is formed, sequentially from an object side, with a first group having a positive power, a second group having a negative power and a third group having a positive power, and at the time of focusing, only the second group is moved on an optical axis. The lens system satisfies conditional formulas of 0.3<BH1/T1<0.7 and 0.9<f3/f<1.8 (where BH1 is a distance from the final surface of the first group to a principal point position on the back side of the first group, T1 is a distance on the optical axis from a lens element surface of the first group closest to the side of the object to a lens element surface closest to the side of the image, f3 is the focal length of the third group and f is the focal length of the entire system).

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a wide-angle lens system, an image sensing optical device and a digital apparatus. For example, the present invention relates to: a wide-angle lens system that is suitable for a lens-interchangeable digital camera which takes in the picture of a subject with an image sensing element, that is compact and that has a large aperture; an image sensing optical device that outputs, as an electrical signal, the picture of the subject taken in with the wide-angle lens system and the image sensing element; and a digital apparatus having an image input function, such as a digital camera that incorporates such an image sensing optical device.
2. Description of Related Art
In a conventional large-aperture wide-angle lens system used as an interchangeable lens for a single-lens reflex camera, for example, an overall feed-out system as disclosed in patent document 1 and a rear focus system as disclosed in patent document 2 are mainly used as a focusing system. In recent years, users have accepted the compactness of mirror-less lens-interchangeable cameras formed by omitting a flip-up mirror from a single-lens reflex camera, and thus their market has extended. In some of the mirror-less lens-interchangeable cameras, phase-difference AF (autofocus) that is mainly used in a conventional single-lens reflex camera cannot be used. In such cameras, so-called contrast AF is used in which focusing is performed by scanning a focusing lens group to find a place where the contrast is the highest.    Patent document 1: JP-A-2012-037640    Patent document 2: JP-A-2010-039340
A problem occurring when the contrast AF is used is the weight of the focusing lens group. Since in the phase-difference AF, it is possible to calculate, with information from an AF sensor, the amount of movement of the focusing lens group necessary to achieve focusing, it is possible to move the focusing lens group according to the amount. On the other hand, since in the contrast AF, information obtained from an AF sensor is only an instantaneous contrast value, a focusing operation is performed by finding a place where the contrast is the highest while the focusing lens group is being moved and instantaneous variations in contrast are being read. Hence, when the amount of movement of the focusing lens group until the focusing is achieved is compared between the contrast AF and the phase-difference AF, the amount is significantly larger in the former case. It is obvious from what has been described above that, in an optical system corresponding to the contrast AF, the reduction in the weight of the focusing lens group is an important point. In this point, the focusing lens groups disclosed in patent documents 1 and 2 insufficiently reduce the weight thereof, and thus it is required to produce a new optical solution.

Wide-angle lens system, image sensing optical device and digital apparatus


A device for opening a toilet flushing system, of the type that includes a water cistern fed by a filling tap, and that includes a bottom discharge orifice and a vertical mobile discharge valve element associated with this orifice, which is capable of occupying a low closed position for keeping the water in the cistern or a high open position to discharge the water to a toilet pan, and of the type that includes a float which, when the cistern is full, is submerged to push the valve element towards its open position, and of the type that includes an element for locking the valve element to keep the valve element closed, characterized in that the float is secured to the valve element and in that the locking element includes a vertically mobile locking finger which is capable of being locked or released by an associated latching element.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a device for opening a toilet flushing system.
2. Description of the Related Art
The invention relates more particularly to a toilet flushing device, of the type that comprises a water cistern fed via a tap connected to a water delivery network, and which is capable of being opened to cause the cistern to be filled when the water level descends below a determined lower limit, and of the type that comprises a bottom discharge orifice and a vertical mobile discharge valve element associated with this orifice which is capable of occupying a low closed position to keep the water inside the cistern or a high open position to discharge the water to a toilet pan, and of the type that comprises a float which, when the cistern is full, is submerged so as to push the valve element towards its open position, and of the type that comprises a means of locking the valve element that is capable of occupying a locked position to keep the valve element closed or of occupying an unlocked position to allow the float to pull the valve element from its closed position to its open position.
Several toilet flushing devices are known in which a device, which uses Archimedes' principle of buoyancy, makes it possible to transmit a pressure of a submerged float to a valve element for opening the cistern by means of a transmission mechanism such as a lever.
In such devices, the float is usually immobilized by means of a latching mechanism and when it is released it is capable of transmitting its upward movement to the valve element by means of the transmission mechanism to cause the said valve element to open.
Control of the latching mechanism may easily be provided by a solenoid or electromagnet operating at low voltage and in autonomous manner.
This configuration makes it possible in particular to propose automatically controlled flushing systems which, when the user leaves the toilet, automatically trigger the actuation of the element for opening the cistern in order to cause the water to be discharged to the toilet pan, the electromagnet then being controlled electronically.
This configuration, however effective it may be, nonetheless has some disadvantages.
To be able effectively to raise the valve element, the float must necessarily be arranged at the end of the lever. As a result, due to the bending deformations of the said lever, its position is not strictly defined in the cistern, so that it is necessary to provide a latching mechanism of large dimensions capable of interacting with the float even if the latter moves by a few millimeters.
Secondly, the transmission mechanism in itself is costly to produce.
Furthermore, the latching mechanism is also costly to produce, since it requires in effect at least one system comprising a cam interposed between the electromagnet and the float.
Finally, the float and transmission mechanism assembly occupies a considerable volume in the cistern, which makes the flushing system maintenance operations difficult, whether they be repair, cleaning or descaling operations.
To remedy this disadvantage, document WO-A-00/49237 has proposed a device arranged substantially coaxially with the discharge valve element, in order to reduce the number of elements used.
More particularly, document WO-A-00/49237 proposes a toilet flushing system opening device of the type previously described, in which the float is secured to the valve element and in which the locking means comprises a vertically mobile locking finger, substantially coaxial with the valve element and secured to the latter, the end of which is capable of being held laterally in a locked position or released in an unlocked position by the end of a tilting lever which is articulated relative to the cistern and which is capable of being actuated by a solenoid in order selectively to prevent or allow the finger and the valve element to rise under the action of the float in order to discharge the water into the toilet pan.
This design has numerous disadvantages.
On the one hand, the finger is secured to the valve element, which makes the mounting or removal of the assembly consisting of the finger and the valve element particularly tricky due to its bulk.
On the other hand, the complex design of the tilting lever is incompatible with an environment subject to high humidity. Specifically, limescale concretions, caused by the water contained in the cistern, may form on the articulation of the lever, or between the lever and the finger, and disrupt the smooth operation of the device.

Automatic flushing device with magnetic valve


A pharmaceutical composition containing a microemulsion made up of a hydrophilic component, a lipophilic component, a surfactant and a drug, where the hydrophilic component, the lipophilic component and the surfactant form, when examined on a macroscopic scale, a one-phase solution. The hydrophilic component is dispersed as colloidal droplets in the lipophilic component, or the lipophilic component is dispersed as colloidal droplets in the hydrophilic component. According to still another alternative, the hydrophilic and the lipophilic components form a microemulsion with bicontinuous structure where the components form elongated adjacent channels. The drug is dissolved in the dispersed component or, in the case of a microemulsion with bicontinuous structure, in the hydrophilic or the lipophilic component. The microemulsion is stabilized by means of the surfactant. It is characteristic that a gelatinizer and water are added to the microemulsion thereby bringing the microemulsion into a gel form.

MICROEMULSIONS
Due to their excellent dissolution properties microemulsions have been increasingly used in various technological fields. They are used, for instance as detergents, in oil recovery and as the reaction environment of enzyme catalysts.
Microemulsions are also used as dosage forms of drugs. The British patent publications GB 2222770, 2228198 and 2257395 describe microemulsion concentrates containing cyclosporin which form o/w type microemulsions after addition of water.
Microemulsion denotes a thermodynamically stable and optically isotropic solution which consists of water (or more generally hydrophilic component), oil (or more generally lipophilic component) and surfactant which denotes a surface active substance with an amphilic character. Microemulsions are macroscopically, e.g. when observed visually, homogeneous one-phase solutions. However, if observed on microscopic level, it is noted that they are most heterogeneous. Microemulsions are composed of microscopic continuous domains of water or oil which are separated from one another by a monomolecular layer of the surfactant. The role of surfactant is stabilization of the microemulsion, for instance through decreasing interfacial tension. The microemulsion is of an oil-in-water type (o/w, "oil in water"); a water-in-oil type (w/o, "water in oil") or has a bicontinuous structure (will be explained in more detail later).
The monomeric solubility of the surfactant both in water (hydrophilic component) and in oil (lipophilic component) must be low so that the surfactant could form a microemulsion with the highest possible stability.
The surfactant may be ionic or non-ionic. If the surfactant is ionic, it must have two hydrocarbon chains to form a microemulsion. If the ionic surfactant does not have two hydrocarbon chains, a neutral inorganic salt and a co-surfactant must be added. A short-chain alcohol is often used as the co-surfactant. When a two-chained ionic or a non-ionic surfactant is used, the microemulsion may be formed without any additives. In case the surfactant is too lipophilic to form spontaneously microemulsions in water, a component like ethanol may be added which reduces hydro-philicity of water. Due to its high solubility in water, ethanol is not considered to take part in the formation of a stabilizing interface but to remain in water. Hence it is often called as co-solvent.
FIG. 1 shows the phase diagram of an idealized oil-water-surfactant model system (Kemia-Kemi Vol. 20 (1993) 197). The phase diagram exhibits, in addition to two-phase (W I and W II) and three-phase (W-III) regions, a wide one-phase region (W IV), in which the microemulsions appear. On examining the phase diagram one finds from a region near the water corner an o/w type microemulsion in which there are oil droplets surrounded by the surfactant in water. In a corresponding way, in a region near the oil corner, a w/o type microemulsion is formed. Between these two regions is a region in which the structure of the microemulsion is bicontinuous. It is possible to solubilize water soluble or liposoluble materials, especially macromolecules or parts thereof which have amphilic properties, into water droplets or oil droplets or into bicontinuous structures.

Pharmaceutical compositions derived from microemulsion-based gels


A moving coin pusher on a game board revolves in a pattern of movement which causes it to approach and retreat from the edges of the board in a cyclical manner. Players drop coins on to the board, preferably in an upright rolling orientation, through a coin chute which may be swivelable to enable aiming of the coins. Players score when coins drop off of an edge of the board or through one or more holes in the board. The holes, which may have different scoring values, are preferably at locations which are covered and uncovered in a cyclical manner by the revolving coin pusher.

Prior coin pusher games typically have a level game board for supporting an accumulation of coins or coin-like tokens and a motor reciprocates a linear coin pusher slat at an area of the board that is spaced from an edge of the board. Players direct coins into the coin accumulation through a coin guide which may be swivelable to enable aiming of the coins. The reciprocating pusher causes coins to migrate towards an edge of the board and to drop off at the edge singly or in groups. The discharge of coins is not uniform owing to differences in the stacking and distribution of coins that occur at different times. Thus the outcome of each introduction of a player's coin is subject to a strong element of chance.
The capability of swiveling the coin guide injects a skill component into the outcome of the game. The player may aim the guide in a selected direction in an attempt to destabilize a grouping of coins that appears about to drop from the edge of the board.
Coin pusher games would be more attractive and interesting to players if the coins exhibited more varied and more complex patterns of movement than occur in the prior devices. For the same reasons, it would be advantageous to provide the option of introducing a greater skill factor into the game.
Some prior coin pusher games of the above described type enable simultaneous play by two players as each can be stationed at an opposite side of the reciprocating pusher. A coin pusher construction which is adaptable to a greater number of simultaneous players would be advantageous to the commercial establishments where such such games are typically located and also to groups of persons who wish to play at the same time in proximity to each other.
The present invention is directed to overcoming one or more of the problems set forth above.


A medical monitoring system includes: a plurality of biological information displaying devices connected to a network; and a portable terminal which can wirelessly communicate with the biological information displaying devices. The plurality of biological information displaying devices includes a first device and a second device. When a value of biological information is larger or smaller than a preset threshold, the first device transmits alarm information. In case where the first device transmits the alarm information, a receiving unit of the portable terminal receives the alarm information, and a transmitting unit of the portable terminal wirelessly transmits the received alarm information to the second device, and the second device receives the biological information through the network and the biological information is displayed on the second device.

The presently disclosed subject matter relates to a medical monitoring system for displaying biological information of a patient on a display screen.
In order to monitor the condition of a patient in a medical institution, a biological information monitor (bedside monitor) which is placed at the side of a bed is used. When biological information of a patient acquired from a bedside monitor deviates from a predetermined range, the bedside monitor generates an audible alarm to inform of this situation. A procedure on the patient from whom the audible alarm is generated must be conducted rapidly and correctly. However, the determination on whether biological information deviates from the range or not is performed in an automatic manner, and therefore a situation where the audible alarm is erroneously generated by a cause other than the symptom of the patient often occurs. Therefore, a medical person is variously swayed by audible alarms. When audible alarms from a plurality of patients are simultaneously generated, there is a possibility that procedures cannot be conducted rapidly and correctly.
In order to comply with the above, for example, JP-UM-B-07-027741 discloses a portable wireless call receiver having a function of displaying a waveform from which it is possible to correctly determine whether a transmitted patient alarm (audible alarm) is true or false. According to the disclosure, in a portable wireless call receiver which is one type of pager to be carried by a medical person (a doctor or a nurse), a waveform of an electrocardiographic signal, which is included in received biological information signals of the patient and which is generated at least at the time when the patient alarm is issued, is displayed on a displaying section. Therefore, it is possible to determine the condition of the patient, and also whether the patient alarm is true or false.
In the portable wireless call receiver having a function of displaying a waveform disclosed in JP-UM-B-07-027741, the receiver has a portable size, and hence also the displaying section has a small size. In the case where a plurality of sets of biological information related to the patient are to be displayed on the displaying section, therefore, it is difficult to clearly display the whole contents of the information. In order to determine more clearly the condition of the patient from whom the patient alarm is generated, consequently, the medical person must move to the bedside monitor for the patient.
In the case where a plurality of sets of biological information of the patient from whom the patient alarm is generated are to be clearly displayed on a displaying section of a portable receiver, the receiver itself including the displaying section is required to be increased in size and enhanced in performance. This causes the production cost to be increased.


A method for fabricating an integrated circuit having a buried doped region is disclosed. A thermal oxide layer is formed over a portion of a p-type substrate at which an n+ buried doped region is not to be formed, masking the implant for the buried doped region. Anneal of the implant is performed in an oxidizing atmosphere, growing further oxide over the surface. The oxide layers are removed, and a p-type blanket implant is performed for isolation purposes and, if desired, to form a p-type buried doped region; the doping concentration of the n+ buried doped region retards diffusion of the boron to the surface thereover. Alternatively, a higher than normal doping level in the substrate can provide sufficient boron for isolation. An epitaxial layer is then grown over the surface, and the n-well is formed by implanting n-type dopant, with the p-well regions masked by a nitride mask; anneal of the n-well is also done in an oxidizing environment, so that consumption of a portion of the n-well by the oxide further planarizes the topography of the device.

In the manufacture of integrated circuits, buried doped regions are often used to provide a low resistivity layer under active portions of the circuit. A common example is the use of such a buried doped region as a subcollector in a conventional vertical bipolar transistor, where a subcollector underlies the base region. Electrical connection to the subcollector is made from the surface at a point separated from the active base-emitter region. As is well known, improved bipolar device performance can be obtained by reducing the collector series resistance through the use of a high doping concentration in the subcollector, and also by the design of active transistor doping profiles to minimize the distance that current must flow from the subcollector through the less heavily doped collector region to the base within the constraint of maintaining an adequate collector-base breakdown voltage.
Buried doped regions are used as subcollectors not only in the fabrication of bipolar integrated circuits, but also in modern BiCMOS integrated circuits which include bipolar transistors and MOS transistors of both channel conductivity types In the same chip. In BICMOS circuits, buried doped regions are used as a subcollector for the bipolar transistor, and also at the bottom of the n-type (and p-type) wells into which the MOS transistors are formed. N+ buried doped regions under n-wells, and p+ buried doped regions under p-wells, each provide for uniform bias of the overlying wells, improving the transistor performance. In addition, the use of buried doped regions underlying the wells reduces the tendency of the parasitic SCR formed by adjacent n-channel and p-channel MOS transistors to "latch-up." An example of the use of n+ and p+ buried doped regions in a BiCMOS structure is described in copending applications Ser. No. 129,261 and 129,271, filed Dec. 7, 1987 and assigned to Texas Instruments Incorporated.
As the feature sizes for modern integrated circuits become smaller, full realization of the increased density available from transistors having such smaller feature sizes becomes possible only if the devices can be placed closer together. The use of buried doped regions, however, is a limitation on the spacing of active devices from one another, as buried doped regions of common conductivity type which are associated with adjacent transistors must be electrically isolated.
One prior technique for such isolation includes the use of trench isolation between buried doped regions, as described in copending application Ser. No. 129,270 (TI-12481) filed Dec. 7, 1987 and assigned to Texas Instruments Incorporated. While such techniques effectively provide electrical isolation, the etching and refilling of trenches adds process complexity and cost to the manufacture of the device.
A less costly, and more conventionally used, technique for providing isolation between buried doped regions is to dope the space therebetween with dopant of the opposite conductivity type. Referring to FIG. 1, such a conventional technique will be illustrated. According to conventional Methods for forming buried doped regions, a nitride mask (generally overlying an oxide buffer pad) is provided over locations where the buried doped regions are not to be formed. N-type dopant is then introduced into the substrate 1 (generally lightly doped p-type) at the locations not covered by the silicon nitride mask. For n-type buried doped regions 2, antimony is a commonly used dopant due to its relatively slow diffusion rate in silicon, which provides for a greater degree of control of the placement of buried doped region 2 as compared with a dopant such as phosphorus. The structure is then annealed in an oxidizing atmosphere (for example, at a high temperature such as 1250 degrees Celsius) to drive-in the n-type dopant to form the n+ buried doped regions 2, and to form a thermal oxide layer 4 at the locations where the nitride mask is not present, The nitride mask is then removed, resulting in the structure shown in FIG. 1. In order to provide isolation between buried doped regions 2, it is desirable that the region 5 of substrate 1 disposed therebetween be more heavily doped than the substrate doping level to provide the desired electrical isolation therebetween. The thermal oxide layer 4 serves as a mask for the p-type implant (generally using boron) illustrated in FIG. 1 as doping the region 5 between buried doped regions 2. Use of this layer as a mask provides for a self-aligned process, as no additional masking layers, which must be aligned with the edges of the buried doped regions 2, are necessary.
However, use of the thermal oxide layer 4 as the mask for the boron implant as described above presents problems in the formation of the isolation region, and especially presents problems to the scaling of the resulting structure. When using the oxide layer 4 as a mask, the energy of the boron implant must be sufficiently low so that the oxide layer 4 indeed masks the implant, preventing counterdoping of buried doped regions 2. However, since the next step after formation of the isolation region normally involves an in situ silicon etch to clean the surface of substrate 1 prior to epitaxial silicon formation, the energy of the boron implant must be high enough so that a majority of the implanted region remains behind after this etch. It should further be noted that the thickness of the oxide layer 4 cannot be arbitrarily increased to serve as a better mask, since the topography of the surface of substrate 1 will be even less planar than is shown in FIG. 1, resulting in further problems during subsequent processing.
It should further be noted that, as shown in FIG. 1, the oxide layer 4 over buried doped regions 2 does not extend to the edges of buried doped regions 2, since buried doped regions 2 (even with antimony as the dopant) laterally diffuse during the anneal faster than the oxide layer 4 encroaches under the nitride mask. Accordingly, since the boron implant energy is held low enough to not penetrate the oxide layer 4, a region of boron will be formed near the surface, overlying the edges of buried doped regions 2. Referring to FIG. 2, another location of the same structure as FIG. 1 is illustrated, showing the boundary between a buried doped region 2 over which an n-well is to be formed, and an adjacent p-well. After the formation of an epitaxial layer 6, into which n-well 8 and p-well 10 are formed for the MOS transistors in a CMOS process, the boron layer formed at the surface of the n+ buried doped region 2 near its edges (i.e., where not covered by oxide layer 4) has out-diffused into the epitaxial layer 6, forming a filament 12 of p-type material which extends between n-well 8 and its underlying buried doped region 2.
Further with reference to FIG. 2, it should be noted that the topography of the structure is far from planar. A first step 14 is formed by the consumption of substrate 1 during the formation of buried doped region 2, as described above relative to FIG. 1. In addition, conventional processing methods for forming self-aligned twin wells often further form a second step 16. In such a conventional method, n-well 8 is formed in the same manner as buried doped region described above, since the n-well 8 is implanted with a mask over the region where p-well 10 is to be formed, followed by an anneal in an oxidizing atmosphere to form a well masking oxide layer over the n-well 8. This well masking oxide layer (not shown) masks the p-type boron implant used to form p-well 10 from the n-well 8, in similar fashion as oxide layer 4 masked the isolation implant from buried doped regions 2. However, the result is a second step 16 in the topography, aggravating the non-coplanarity of the resulting structure. Such steps in the surface topography create step coverage problems for overlying conductive layers, and also require the use of increased overetch of such conductive layers to clear filaments remaining at the bottom of the steps after anisotropic etching. Such an overetch reduces the line width of the remaining lines, and also places severe constraints on the selectivity properties of the etch. Steps in the surface topography also reduce the ability to reliably form electrical contact to the surface of the p-well 10 and the surface of the n-well 8 using the same pattern and etch steps. In addition, the difference in height between the surfaces of the n-well 8 and p-well 10 reduces the ability to photolithographically pattern features at the surface of the structure, since the depth of focus in the patterning of sub-micron features may not be as large as the step from the surface of n-well 8 to the surface of p-well 10.
It has also been noted that the presence of a masking nitride layer over silicon during a high temperature anneal (such as the buried doped region anneal described above) provides the possibility of defects generated in the silicon surface underlying the nitride masking layer, especially in the presence of a heavily doped region such as the buried doped region.
It is therefore an object of this invention to provide a method for formation of buried doped regions in an integrated circuit which allows for a high energy implant of isolating dopant therebetween, thereby providing for smaller spacing requirements.
It is another object of this invention to provide such a method which results in improved planar topography over prior methods.
It is another object of this invention to provide such a method which has reduced defect density after the annealing steps.
It is yet another object of this invention to provide the above benefits without the addition of a masking step.
Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art having reference to the following specification in conjunction with the drawings.

Method for forming integrated circuits having buried doped regions


A microcapsulated pigment contains, as reaction media one or more specific aliphatic acid alcohol esters obtained from monohydric aliphatic alcohols having odd numbers of carbon atoms and aliphatic carboxylic acids, these reaction media in a homogeneous compatible state with chromatic components are occluded in microcapsules to obtain characteristics of thermochromism with a hysteresis range (segment HG) from 8.degree. C. to 30.degree. C.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a temperature-sensitive color-memorizing microcapsulated pigment, more specifically, to a temperature-sensitive color-memorizing microcapsulated pigment which exhibits a wide hysteresis range of coloring/decloring alternately and reversibly caused by temperature changes and remains in the colored/decolored state at ambient temperatures without being continuously exposed to high/low temperatures required for causing the colored/decolored state.
2. Related Background Art
A temperature-sensitive color-memorizing microcapsulated material of the above-mentioned kind is disclosed in Japanese Patent Publication No. 4-17154. A widely-used, typical reversible thermochromatic material exhibiting thermochromatism at a certain color-change-causing temperature can be, at ambient temperatures, only in one of its two states, that is, in the state maintained at ambient temperature. The other state can not be maintained unless the material is continuously exposed to a temperature beyond the color-change-causing temperature in a case that the color-change-causing temperature is higher than ambient temperature, or to a temperature below the color-change-causing temperature in a case that the color-change-causing temperature is lower than ambient temperatures. The temperature-sensitive color-memorizing material disclosed in said patent publication, however, can selectively maintain, at ambient temperatures, both of its two states obtained at temperatures higher/lower than the color-change-causing temperature. By heating and cooling the material the two states can be alternately selected to be maintained at ambient temperatures. As a result, the temperature-sensitive color-memorizing material has been applied to various kinds of fields such as temperature-sensitive recording materials, toys, ornaments, printing materials, and so on.
As described in the Japanese Patent Publication No. 4-17154, the above-mentioned color-memorizing effect consists in thermochromism obtained only by systems having, as a constituent, compound(s) selected from a specific group of esters included in the group of esters used to control color forming reactions. In other words, the ester to be employed in the material can not be freely chosen and the applications of the temperature-sensitive color-memorizing material are limited. Accordingly, new materials of this kind which are more effective and more useful have been greatly demanded.

Temperature-sensitive color-memorizing microencapsulated pigment


A device for adjusting a position of eyeglasses on a face of a user is provided. The device includes a body having proximal and distal ends, the body being provided with a pronounced bow; at least one nose engaging member provided on the proximal end of the body, the nose engaging member being structured to engage with a bridge of a nose of the user; and at least one frame engaging member provided on the distal end of the body, the frame engaging member being structured to engage with the frame of the eyeglasses, wherein the pronounced bow of the body is structured to adjust a horizontal position of the eyeglasses with respect to the face of the user.

Many individuals worldwide wear eyeglasses or other forms of spectacles to correct for vision problems. In some instances, individuals may experience difficulty viewing objects at various distances as a result of presbyopia (a vision condition that affects the ability to focus on nearby objects) or other vision disorders, such as those impacting the accommodation reflex of the eyes. In such instances, individuals are often prescribed multifocal lenses, such as bifocals or trifocals, or in some cases progressive lenses (also referred to as graduated prescription lenses), which provide zones or gradients of increasing lens power from a distance prescription at the top of the lenses to a reading prescription at the bottom of the lenses. In this manner, the wearer of multifocal or progressive lenses may focus on objects at varying distances by simply peering through the correct area of the lenses.
Referring now to FIG. 1, there is seen a typical progressive or graduated lens 100. The progressive lens 100 includes three zones: a distance zone 105 for viewing objects at a distance, an intermediate zone 110 for closer objects and a near zone 115 typically used for reading or viewing objects immediately adjacent the viewer. The viewer will typically focus on objects better when peering through these zones 105, 110, 115 within a central corridor 120, along which the zone prescriptions are best aligned to ensure optimal viewing. Views within blending regions 125a, 125b outside central corridor 120 are typically distorted, due to astigmatic aberrations caused by the gradient of prescription power across zones 105, 110, 115 of lens 100.
In some instances, objects near the viewer may be positioned such that comfortable viewing occurs only through distance and/or intermediate zones 105, 110 of lens 100, thereby causing these objects to be distorted and/or out of focus when viewed. For instance, a computer monitor is often positioned at eye level and close to a viewer, such that normal viewing occurs through distance zone 105 of progressive lens 100. In such a case, images on the monitor may appear distorted and/or out of focus.
Referring now to FIG. 2, there is seen a diagram 200 illustrating this problem. As shown in the figure, object 205 (such as a computer screen) is positioned near viewer 210 wearing progressive lenses 215. In this position, best viewing will occur through intermediate zone 220 of lenses 215, and in some cases through near zone 225 (depending upon the distance of object 205 from viewer 210). However, as can be seen in the figure, most comfortable viewing of object 205 (i.e., when the neck of viewer 210 is substantially erect and held straight along vertical 230) occurs through the distance zone within an upper field of vision 235. When viewed in this manner, object 205 will appear distorted and out of focus. As shown in diagram 300 of FIG. 3, to correctly focus on object 205, viewer 210 is forced to tilt his/her neck upward at an uncomfortable angle 305, so that a line-of-sight to object 205 occurs through intermediate zone 220 of lenses 215, or through near zone 225 depending on the circumstances. This may result in poor posture, eye-strain, and neck and back pain.
One prior art solution to this problem involves repositioning objects to obviate the need to tilt the viewer's neck. For example, computer monitors may be positioned lower such that comfortable viewing occurs within the correct field of vision through the intermediate zone of progressive lenses (or through the near zone if positioned sufficiently close to the viewer). However, repositioning objects is not always practical or possible, and often times detracts from the viewing experience.
Another solution involves the use of specialized spectacles (such as computer spectacles) having a single, task-specific prescription or progressive lenses with larger near and/or intermediate zones for optimal focus of objects along the viewer's line of sight. However, this solution sacrifices distance and/or near viewing capabilities, thereby requiring the viewer to purchase and carry multiple spectacles having different prescriptions. This reduces convenience and increases cost.
Still another solution contemplates the use of modified frames with mechanisms that permit the spectacles to slide vertically into different positions with respect to the viewer's line of sight. This solution too is costly, requiring the user to either maintain multiple sets of spectacles or sacrifice style for specialization.
Yet another solution contemplates one or more surgical procedures to correct abnormalities of the eyes. These solutions, however, are costly and often times temporary, with any improvements to vision potentially diminishing over time. Other high-tech solutions, such as "Google Glasses" may eventually become available, but will again require an extra, and presumably high priced accessory.

Device and method for adjusting the position of eyeglasses on the face of a user


An example system includes an electrical enclosure. The electrical enclosure includes an identification data module, an electrical sensor, an enclosure environment sensor, and a pilot light module. The pilot light module includes (i) a pilot light and (ii) a communication module. The communication module is coupled to the identification data module, the electrical sensor, and the enclosure environment sensor. The communication module is configured to determine a visual communication signal based on information received from one or more of the identification data module, the electrical sensor, and the enclosure environment sensor, and drive the visual communication signal via the pilot light. The visual communication signal indicates one or more operational parameters within the electrical enclosure. The system further includes a client device configured to receive the visual communication from the pilot light.

The present disclosure relates to systems and methods for facilitating communication from an electrical enclosure, such as a junction box. A junction box may include or connect to a plurality of electrical components whose performance can be impacted by operational characteristics of the junction box. For example, performance or lifespan of these components can be reduced based on excess heat buildup or moisture within the junction box.
Further, detecting failure of one or more electrical components, such as through use of a pilot light, may not provide information indicative of the cause of the failure. And opening the enclosure, apart from being burdensome, may remove operational conditions that caused the failure, thus making the source of failure difficult to detect. Still further, electrical enclosures may be composed of materials, such as metallic materials, that attenuate wireless communication signals from within the enclosure. Accordingly, designs disclosed herein relate to light-based communication systems and methods that allow for communication of conditions within the enclosure. In addition, particular variations are described that allow for efficient and regular communication from one or more electrical enclosures that facilitates preventative maintenance and targeted repairs.
As such, the present invention fulfills a need by more efficiently and cost-effectively protecting components within electrical enclosures by providing techniques for communicating detected operational parameters from within the enclosures without the need for opening the enclosures themselves.

Visible light communication pilot light and indicator light


A robot refrigerator and a robot refrigerator system are provided. The robot refrigerator is remotely controlled. The robot refrigerator generates image information from a surrounding image and transmits the generated image information to a wireless communication device. The wireless communication device remotely controls the robot refrigerator, or monitors or remotely controls the robot refrigerator in real time, so that the robot refrigerator easily avoids an obstacle, and thus, minimizes a movement time of the robot refrigerator. Thus, user convenience and system reliability is improved.

In general, a refrigerator is a device for keeping storage items such as food, beverage, and the like, in storage for a long period of time, and refrigerating or freezing storage items according to their types desired to be kept in storage.
The refrigerator operates according to driving of a compressor provided therein. Cooling air provided to the interior of the refrigerator is generated according to a heat exchange operation of a refrigerant and continuously provided to the interior of the refrigerator according to a repeated cycling operation of compression-condensation-expansion-evaporation. The provided refrigerant is evenly transferred to the interior of the refrigerator according to a convection current to allow the food items within the refrigerator to be kept at a desired temperature.
Recently, consumers demand for refrigerators that may provide a great utilization efficiency of the storage space capable of storing various storage items that change according to the elevation of the standard of living, as well as the conventional cooling efficiency, is increasing. Also, demand for various additional functions improving user convenience is increasing. For example, users are becoming interested in a robot refrigerator including a robot technique. Namely, users who want to use a refrigerator show an interest in the technique of moving and using a refrigerator by using a remote controller.

Robot refrigerator and system having the same


A fuel tank includes a structural body and a membrane. The membrane extends vertically between and is attached to a top wall and a bottom wall of the structural body, and substantially extends between a first side wall and a second side wall of the structural body. The membrane defines a plurality of venting apertures operable to allow liquid fuel to move therethrough. The membrane is flexible, and includes a length, measured between a top edge and a bottom edge of the membrane, that is greater than a height of the structural body, which is measured between the top wall and the bottom wall of the structural body. The flexibility of the membrane and the length of the membrane allow the membrane to flex and move to absorb kinetic energy of fuel moving within the structural body.

Fuel tanks store a quantity of fuel. When in motion, the fuel stored within the fuel tank may move or slosh within the fuel tank. Vehicular fuel tanks often include one or more baffles disposed within the fuel tank. The baffles are operable to break-up a slosh wave of the fuel moving within the fuel tank to reduce noise generated by the slosh wave contacting the various walls of the fuel tank.


The present invention provides an electron emitting device for efficiently emitting electron beams by applying a forward bias to an MIS, pn, and a pin structure using a diamond layer so as to supply electrons from an electron supply layer to a p-type diamond layer. Furthermore, the present invention provides a method for easily and efficiently performing important production processes for producing a highly efficient electron emitting device having a diamond layer and controlling a surface state of the diamond layer. A multi-layer structure including an electrode layer, an electron supply layer and a diamond layer is used as the structure thereof. Alternatively, the electron affinity state of the surface of the diamond layer is arbitrarily controlled by a method such as ultraviolet ray irradiation.

A conventional electron emitting device has employed a hot cathode for extracting electrons by heating a material such as tungsten (W) or the like to a high temperature. In recent years, a small electron emitting device of a cold cathode type has been attracting attention as an electron beam source to replace such an electron gun. Examples of this type of electron emitting device include that of a field emission type and an avalanche amplification type employing a pn and a Schottky junction.
In the electron emitting device of the field emission type, electrons are emitted from a cone-shaped emitter portion made of metals such as silicon (Si), molybdenum (Mo) or the like by applying a voltage to a gate electrode so as to apply an electric field. Thus, this type of electron emitting device has an advantage of being miniaturized using miniaturization techniques.
On the other hand, in the electron emitting device of the avalanche amplification type employing a semiconductor material, hot electrons are emitted from an emitter portion by applying reverse bias so as to cause avalanche amplification.
The characteristics required for a material for such an electron emitting device are as follows: 1) readily emitting electrons with a relatively small electric field, i.e., having a small electron affinity; 2) having a chemically stable surface for an emitter portion in order to maintain stable electron emission; 3) having excellent abrasion resistance and heat resistance.
In view of the above-mentioned points, in the field emission type device of the prior art, an amount of an emitted current has a large dependence on the shape of the emitter portion, thus making the production and the control thereof excessively difficult. In addition, it has a problem in surface stability of the used material. Furthermore, in this system, an individual device is an electron emission source at a point, and it is difficult to obtain electron emission flow in a plane shape.
In the avalanche amplification type, since it is generally necessary to apply a large current amount to the device, the device generates heat. Thus, the electron emission characteristic becomes unstable, or the life time of the device is shortened. Furthermore, in the avalanche amplification type, a cesium layer or the like is provided on the surface of the emitter portion so as to reduce a work function amount in the electron emission portion. However, since a material having a small work function such as cesium is chemically unstable, the state of the surface is not stable, i.e., the electron emission characteristic is not stable. As described above, the materials and the structures that have been conventionally used are not sufficient to provide the characteristics required for the electron emitting device.
On the other hand, diamond is a semiconductor material having a wide band gap (5.5 eV), and the characteristics thereof are suitable for a material for the electron emitting device due to its high hardness, abrasion resistance, high thermal conductivity and chemical inactivity. In addition, diamond can have a higher energy level of the conduction band edge than the energy level of vacuum by controlling the state of the surface thereof. In other words, diamond can have the state of negative electron affinity. More specifically, when electrons are injected to the conduction band of a diamond layer, the electrons are readily emitted. Furthermore, in general, diamond can be easily formed by a chemical vapor deposition (CVD) method using a gas containing carbon species and a hydrogen gas as source gas, and has an advantage in production thereof. However, since the Fermi level of a metal is significantly different from the energy level of the conduction band of diamond, it is not easy to supply electrons to the conduction band of the diamond simply by contacting an electrode with the diamond layer. A method or a mechanism for efficiently supplying electrons to the conduction band of the diamond has not been studied in detail, and an electron emitting device has not been realized so far that can supply electrons to the conduction band of the diamond and allow the electrons to be emitted.

Diamond electron emitting device having an insulative electron supply layer

Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.


The present invention relates to an universal power supply apparatus wherein the power suitable for various kinds of portable electronic devices having different shapes and voltages of power input terminals is selectively supplied, and a power supply apparatus wherein a supplied voltage can be changed with only selection of a tip suitable for a portable electronic device. The power supply apparatus of the present invention includes a main unit having an electronic circuit for converting a received voltage, a cable, and a tip having a select pin. According to the present invention, as a desired power supply voltage is automatically adjusted by selecting a proper tip according to a subject electronic device, a manufacture cost is reduced. Further, as the power supply apparatus of the present invention can be used for various kinds of portable electronic devices by exchanging a tip, its operation is very easy.

Each of portable electronic devices such as a notebook, a PDA, a portable DVD, a camcorder, a digital camera and a mobile phone has a battery therein for a portable use. In order to charge and use the battery, it is required that the DC power having an adequate voltage be supplied through a connector of a proper shape. These portable electronic devices, however, have different voltages depending on not only the type of the device but also the manufacturer. The shape of the input unit for receiving the DC power also varies depending on each device. Accordingly, a user having various kinds of portable electronic devices must carry several power supply apparatuses with him or her, usually called adaptors, and has to purchase several adaptors for respective devices. This will cause the user to suffer greater economic loss.
In an attempt to overcome these problems, a universal power supply apparatus has been proposed. The universal power supply apparatus refers to a power supply apparatus applicable to various kinds of portable electronic devices using one main unit.
In such universal power supply apparatus, a detachable tip, a cable, etc., which are differently applied depending on the shape of an input terminal of a device, has to be first provided. A method for setting a voltage suitable for an electronic device to be used should be then provided.
In a conventional universal power supply apparatus, there is a method for setting a voltage of a device in a main unit using a dip switch, a rotary switch or a resistor having a special shape as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,347,211 and for providing a tip or cable detachable from the main unit and mated with the shape of the input terminal of an electronic device to be used. According to this method, however, a user has to perform two steps of finding the tip or cable that can be used in a portable electronic device and setting a proper voltage in the main unit. Accordingly, this method has a disadvantage that a user who is short of common sense on the electronic device has a difficulty in using the device.
In order to overcome this problem, U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,510,691, 6,604,177, 6,091,611 and so on disclose a method for providing a special unit for changing a voltage in the tip or cable. The special unit includes inevitably at least one electronic element such as a resistor, a condenser and a diode. This unit is usually called an attached circuit. In case where an electronic element is disposed in the cable, however, an expensive cable has to be used as the electronic device changes. Further, if the special unit is installed in the tip, between-the-main circuit and the attached circuit has to be connected by means of a long cable. Accordingly, the method for providing the special unit has disadvantages that its manufacture and test methods are difficult and stability of a voltage is also low.


Techniques are described for optimizing scalability of analytics that use time-series models. In one or more embodiments, a stored time-series model includes a plurality of data points representing seasonal behavior in a training set of time-series data for at least one season. A target time for evaluating the time-series model is then determined, and the target time or one or more times relative to the target time are mapped to a subset of the plurality of data points. Based on the mapping, a trimmed version of the time-series model is generated by loading the subset of the plurality of data points into a cache, the subset of data points representing seasonal behavior in the training set of time-series data for a portion of the at least one season. A target set of time-series data may be evaluated suing the trimmed version of the time-series in the cache.

Time-series data may be used to generate models relevant to machine learning and other computing applications. Example time-series models include, but are not limited to, Additive and Multiplicative Holt Winters models, which learn and represent seasonal patterns from time-series data. Applications may perform various tasks based on the learned seasonal patterns, such as forecast generation, capacity planning operations, and predictive alerting.
Time-series models may vary greatly in the number of data points used to represent learned behavior. In the case of an Additive or Multiplicative Holt-Winters, for instance, the model's size depends on the sampling frequency of the data and the type of seasonal patterns detected. A weekly time-series model is typically larger than a daily time-series model, which is typically larger than an hourly time-series model. Even within models tracking the same types of seasonal patterns (e.g., daily or weekly), a model that tracks seasonality for data sampled every minute is five times larger than a model that tracks seasonality for data sampled every five minutes. Thus, the size of a time-series model may vary significantly based on multiple factors. As a result, systems may have difficulty anticipating the amount of storage and processing overhead involved in evaluating time-series data using different time-series models.
The approaches described in this section are approaches that could be pursued, but not necessarily approaches that have been previously conceived or pursued. Therefore, unless otherwise indicated, it should not be assumed that any of the approaches described in this section qualify as prior art merely by virtue of their inclusion in this section.

Optimization for scalable analytics using time series models


A facility for conducting a coercion-resistant electronic collection is described. The facility receives from the voter a first voter conformation value. At a later time, the facility receives from the voter an encrypted ballot and a second voter confirmation value. Without regard for the value of the received second voter confirmation value, the facility adds the received ballot to a publicly-available list of cast ballots. After the addition, members of the public are able to verify the addition of the received ballot to the list without being able to determine whether the ballot will be counted. The facility counts the ballot if and only the second voter confirmation value received with the ballot matches the received first voter confirmation value.

Various electronic and/or digital election protocols exist that provide cryptographic privacy to voters. With many of these election protocols, the voter needs to keep certain types of information secret. An example of such secret information is a voter's private key. These existing election protocols can be problematic, however, if a person threatens, or entices a voter (e.g., financially) to give up the secret information. When this type of coercion occurs, it is possible for the person to either know how the voter voted, or vote on his or her behalf.
Similar problems arise with the use of absentee vote-by-mail systems. For example, a husband might force his wife to vote a certain way. The threat of coercion intensifies in a networked world, where people can "look over each other's shoulders" from thousands of miles away. This threat is serious enough that it is often considered a reason to not allow remote electronic voting.
Under threat models that do not include coercion, the notion of a universally verifiable election is fundamental. In the past, it has been considered important that a "computing device based" election scheme be universally verifiable in order to be considered deployable on a wide scale. During elections of this type, transcripts are published that include the final tally. Under reasonable assumptions about the safety of keys, and the intractability of some computational problems, these transcripts cannot be feasibly forged by any collection of malicious agents. Although it would be desirable to carry this property over to election schemes under the threat of coercion, this may be difficult. Election schemes under the threat of coercion lack certain very basic properties, which have generally been taken for granted in the election protocol literature, and hence may not be practical in a large-scale implementation.


A handgun sight pusher can include an upper frame having a screw drive within an internal adjustment cavity and a pusher block having pusher flanges that is rotatably engaged with the screw drive; and a lower frame connected to the upper frame and having a gun slide channel for receiving a gun slide and a plurality of side clamps for securing the gun slide in the gun slide channel. The internal adjustment cavity can include a transitory space and a rotation space. Rotation of the screw drive can cause the pusher block to move along the screw drive and transition between the transitory space and the rotation space. The pusher block can retain its orientation in the transitory space and rotate freely within the rotation space.

Gun sights are used on firearms to aid in aiming the firearm, and proper aim is critical to ensure an accurate shot is taken. A standard handgun sight includes a single raised projection centered at the top, front surface of the gun slide and a rear sight that is an elongate projection with a central notch at the rear of the slide. To aim the gun, the target is aligned with the front sight and the front sight is aligned within the notch of the rear sight.
If the gun is not properly sighted, the user's aim will be inaccurate. Further, individuals may desire a different type of sight and may therefore need to replace the sight that is currently on their gun. Therefore, there are times when a gun sight will need to be adjusted or replaced, and a device is needed that can facilitate these activities.


A power receiving coil (22) is installed at a front portion on a lower surface of a floor panel (40) close to steered front wheels (W) and elongated across a lower open portion of a tunnel portion (42) located in the center of a vehicle (1). Therefore, the power receiving coil (22) can be accurately aligned with a power transmission coil (12) on the load surface side to face each other with a sense of steering in such a manner as to align the center of the vehicle with the power transmission coil (12) when the vehicle (1) advances to a predetermined stop position in a parking space (2).

Patent Document 1 discloses a system for charging a battery mounted on a lower surface of a floor panel, the system including a primary coil placed in a movable manner on a road surface and a secondary coil installed at a front portion on a lower surface of a vehicle toward one side in a vehicle width direction and facing the primary coil so as to supply electric power from the primary coil to the secondary coil by electromagnetic induction.