A heuristic approach is used to order materialized view (MW) candidates in a list based on descending order of their reduction power. A query (e.g., SQL query) is then matched with the MVs in the list order, wherein searching is stopped when matching has been found. The query is matched with materialized views in the ordered list by identifying a materialized view candidate as follows: identifying an MV that is not locked by a REFRESH process; identifying a matching MV that does not require a regroup; identifying a matching MV that does not require a rejoin; identifying a matching MV that does not require a residual join; or identifying an MV with largest reduction power from the list of candidates.

1. Field of Invention
The present invention relates generally to the field of database query processing. More specifically, the present invention is related to efficient query processing with materialized views and heuristics operating on the materialized views.
2. Discussion of Prior Art
Materialized views (MVs, also known as materialized query tables (MQTs), or summary tables, etc.) are effective in improving the performance of decision support/reporting queries over very large databases by precomputing and materializing the result of queries into tables and automatically using them for answering queries. As users create many MVs to improve the performance of a variety of queries, some queries may potentially match multiple MVs. The matching algorithm for queries and MVs is computationally expensive. Such matching algorithms select an MV among many MVs matching a query (with specific attention devoted to avoiding unnecessary matching).
The traditional approaches include one of the following:                1) find the first match and then stop searching for other alternatives. This approach may result in missing better MVs.        2) find all MVs that match, and then select one using various criteria. This approach may suffer excessive cost for matching, since—the matching logic is quite complex and computationally expensive.        3) match based on the query and MV characteristics, such as matching aggregate queries with MVs with aggregates first, etc. This approach may still require many extra matchings.
The U.S. patent to Ross et al. (U.S. Pat. No. 6,026,390) provides for a method of incrementally maintaining a first materialized view of data in a database, by means of an additional materialized view. These additional materialized views are introduced to reduce the cost of maintaining the target materialized view for base table updates. The method of Ross et al. aids in maintaining views; in particular, the method allows for incrementally maintaining materialized views.
The U.S. patent to Agrawal et al. (U.S. Pat. No. 6,513,029) discloses a method used to recommend a set of materialized views and their given indexes for a given database workload. Candidate materialized views are obtained by first determining subsets of tables referenced by queries, and then finding interesting table subsets. Next, interesting table subsets are considered on a per query basis to determine which are syntactically relevant to a query. Materialized views that are likely to be used by queries are then generated.
The U.S. patent to Popa et al. (U.S. Pat. No. 6,567,802) discloses a query optimization technique called chase/backchase. The technique is used to systematically optimize queries by generating alternative query plans aimed at multiple disparate targets. Popa's technique deals with query rewrite and does not address the issue of how to select a materialized view from multiple matches to a given query.
Oracle's paper entitled, "Materialized Views in Oracle," published in Proceedings of the 24th VLDB Conference New York, USA, 1998, pages 659–664, discloses a selection process that belongs to the abovementioned third approach.
Whatever the precise merits, features, and advantages of the above cited references, none of them achieves or fulfills the purposes of the present invention.

Efficient heuristic approach in selection of materialized views when there are multiple matchings to an SQL query

International Business Machines Corporation


A PTC device suitable for attachment to a terminal of a battery. The device contains a PTC component which has a shape with an outer periphery and an inner periphery which defines a first opening in the center of the PTC component. The PTC component is made from a laminar PTC resistive element which is composed of a PTC conductive polymer composition, a first laminar electrode which is attached to a first face of the resistive element, and a second laminar electrode which is attached to a second opposite face of the resistive element. Also part of the device are a first conductive lead which has a first part which is attached to the first electrode, and a second part which extends into the first opening, and a second conductive lead. The second conductive lead has a first part which is attached to the second electrode, lies within the outer periphery of the PTC component in a plane, and defines a second opening which at least partially overlies the first opening, and a second part which is attached to the first part of the second lead, extends away from the inner periphery of the PTC component toward the opening, and can be bent out of the plane of the first part of the second lead away from the first conductive lead. When the second part of the second lead is bent out of the plane, it allows a welding instrument to be inserted into the opening created, thus allowing direct welding of the device to the terminal.

1. Field of invention
This invention relates to circuit protection devices for use in battery protection.
2. Introduction to the Invention
The use of a PTC circuit protection device to protect a battery from overcurrent and overtemperature conditions is well-known. See, for example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,255,698 (Simon) and 4,973,936 ((Dimpault-Darcy et al), Japanese Utility Model Application No. 4-75287 (filed Oct. 29, 1992), and International Application No. PCT/JP96/02205 (filed Aug. 6, 1996), the disclosures of which are incorporated herein by reference. In these applications, a device which exhibits a positive temperature coefficient of resistance (PTC behavior) is connected in series with a battery terminal. During normal operation the PTC device is in a low resistance, low temperature condition. On exposure to a very high current which may develop, for example, due to a short circuit, or exposure to a high temperature which may develop, for example, during excessive charging, the device switches into a high resistance, high temperature condition, thus decreasing the current through the battery to a low level and protecting any components in electrical contact with the battery.
PTC devices are commonly installed in battery packs which comprise a plurality of batteries. Such battery packs are designed for use with electrical equipment such as cameras, video recorders, tools, and portable computers. It is desirable to make the battery packs as small and lightweight as possible, but still provide adequate protection in the event of a short circuit. One technique to maximize the use of space in the battery pack is to place the PTC device directly onto the button terminal (i.e. the positive terminal) of the battery. If the device is in the form of a disk or other element with a central hole, the hole can be sized to allow it to be placed over the button terminal. Electrical connection is then made from an electrode on one surface of the disk to the button terminal and from an electrode on the opposite surface of the disk to a second battery. In the design described in Japanese Utility Model Application No. 4-75287 a cap fits over the button terminal and makes electrical contact to it. The PTC device fits over the cap. A second connection is then made from the top surface of the PTC device to a second battery. With this design it is necessary to avoid a possible short circuit between the cap and the inside surface of the central hole of the PTC device and so an insulating ring must be inserted. In addition, if the cap is made large enough to fit easily over the button terminal, it may be too large to actually fit tightly during the life of the battery pack. The design described in International Application No. PCT/JP96/02205 provides a disk-shaped PTC device attached to first and second conductive leads. One of the leads covers essentially the entire surface of the PTC device, including the opening of the disk; the second lead covers part of the opposite side of the disk and extends away from the outer periphery of the disk. The second lead can be bent to make electrical contact to a second battery. In this design, it is necessary to provide an insulating layer to cover the inner periphery of the PTC device so as to prevent electrical shorting of the device by the button terminal. In order to accommodate the insulating layer, the opening of the disk may have to be made larger than is desirable. Furthermore, PTC devices with different size openings are required for different types of batteries.


A constant-pressure waterbed is provided, which can provide a constant air pressure to a sole air-pressure frame that surrounds a water-filled mattress so as to allow the water in the water-filled mattress to be always suitably compressed to provide the desired level of softness. The air-pressure frame is used to apply an air pressure of a preselected limit level to the water-filled mattress. The constant-pressure waterbed utilizes a drainage valve to drain excessive air in the event that the air pressure in the air-pressure frame is above a preselected limit level so as to maintain the air pressure at the preselected limit level. Moreover, the constant-pressure waterbed utilizes an air pump which can pump air into the air-pressure frame when the air pressure in the air-pressure frame is below the preselected limit level. The air pressure in the air-pressure frame can therefore always be maintained at the desired level so as to allow the water-filled mattress to always provide the desired level of softness.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to waterbed structures, and more particularly, to a constant-pressure waterbed that can provide a constant air pressure to the water-filled mattress so as to allow the water in the water-filled mattress to be always suitably pressurized to provide the desired level of softness.
2. Description of Related Art
A waterbed is a water-filled rubber or plastic mattress mounted in a surrounding air-pressure frame. Due to the highly deformable property of water, the water-filled mattress can provide a soft surface that conforms to the sleeper's body in any position, allowing a very comfortable and massaging effect for the sleeper resting thereon. The water-filled mattress can be adjusted in surface softness by varying the air pressure being applied thereto from the air-pressure frame. When the air-pressure frame is pressurized, it can compress the water-filled mattress to provide a harder surface; when the air-pressure frame is depressurized, it can cause the water-filled mattress to provide a softer surface.
From experiments and user responses, it has been learned that the most suitable air pressure from the air-pressure frame to cause the water-filled mattress to provide the most comfortable softness lies within the range from 0.1 kg/cm.sup.2 to 0.3 kg/cm.sup.2 (kilogram per square meter).
In use, however, the surface softness of the water-filled mattress can be undesirably affected in many ways due to changes in the total weight acting on the mattress. For instance, a weighty sleeper resting on the water-filled mattress will cause the mattress to be more pressurized than a light-weight sleeper. Therefore, if a first user is resting on a waterbed that has been previously adjusted in pressure for a second user, the first user may feel the mattress to be overly hard or soft to rest one if he/she is considerably more weighty or less weighty than the second user. Moreover, if two users are resting on such a waterbed, the increased total weight would undoubtedly make the waterbed much harder, and thus more uncomfortable to sleep on. In these circumstances, the waterbed needs to be readjusted in the air pressure in the air-pressure frame. If the waterbed is frequently used by different users, the repeated adjustments will be laborious and inconvenient.
There exists, therefore, a need for a waterbed whose air-pressure frame can always maintain the applied air pressure at a substantially fixed level, so as to allow the water-filled mattress to constantly provide the desired level of softness irrespective of any changes in the total weight acting on the water-filled mattress.


An apparatus for coating fine particles to produce a thermal transfer image receiving sheet having: a base material supply section 1 for supplying a paper base material; a coating storage section 21 for storing a coating including white fine particles; a development section 2 having a sleeve 22 for holding the coating supplied from the coating storage section 21, a blade 23 for controlling a thickness of the coating held by the sleeve 22, a charge drum 24 having a photosensitive material for absorbing the coating in a dispersed manner from the sleeve 22, and a dot latent image forming device 25 for forming a dispersed dot latent image on the charge drum 24 by irradiating a laser beam to the charge drum 24 to absorb the coating on the charge drum 24 in said dispersed manner on the basis of the dispersed dot latent image; a transfer section 3 for electrostatically transferring the coating absorbed by the charge drum 24 onto the paper base material in the dispersed manner; a fixing section 4 having a heat roller and a press roller, and for fixing the transferred coating on the paper base material; and an ejection section 5 for ejecting the paper base material on which the coating is fixed by the fixing section 4.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to an apparatus for coating fine particles to produce a thermal transfer image receiving sheet for use in a thermal transfer recording, a method of producing a thermal transfer image receiving sheet by using the apparatus, and a thermal transfer image receiving sheet produced thereby.
2. Description of the Related Art
In a so-called sublimation type thermal transfer recording, an image is formed on a thermal transfer image receiving material by using a thermal transfer recording medium. The thermal transfer recording medium is composed of a base film and an ink layer formed on the base film. For example, the base film of the thermal transfer recording medium is constructed by a polyethlene terephthalate (PET) film, and an ink layer of the thermal transfer recording medium is constructed by sublimation dye. On the other hand, the thermal transfer image receiving material is formed by a paper, plastic film, etc. More specifically, when a thermal energy supplied to the thermal transfer recording medium by a heating device such as a thermal head, the sublimation dye in the ink layer of the thermal transfer recording medium is diffused and transferred onto the thermal transfer image receiving material. The density gradient of the sublimation dye can be adjusted by a unit of a dot, so that various full color images can be formed on the thermal transfer image receiving material by the sublimation dye.
Here, it is required that the thermal transfer image receiving material has a character to keep the shape of image formed by the sublimation dye diffused and transferred thereon.
In this regard, in the sublimation type thermal transfer recording, an exclusive paper (image receiving sheet) is used. The image receiving sheet is composed of a base film and a dye receptor layer formed on the base film in advance. More specifically, the base film of the image receiving sheet is constructed by a plain paper, a synthetic paper, etc. Further, the dye receptor layer formed on the base film is constructed by resin having a dyeing property, such as vinyl chloride, vinyl acetate, polyester, etc. Namely, the solution of the aforementioned resin is coated on the base film, and the solution coated on the base film is dried. Thus, the continuous coat called the dye receptor layer is formed on the base film.
Further, in order to improve the quality of an image formed on the thermal transfer image receiving sheet, research on the thermal transfer image receiving sheet is doing. Thus, a thermal transfer image receiving sheet having a dye receptor layer constructed by at least two regions of micro phase separation resins, whose dyeing properties are different from each other, has produced. More specifically, when the dye receptor layer is produced, a resin is separated into two parts having the same components each other, and one part is sensitized and other part is untreated, and then, the two part are mixed. Then, this mixture solution is coated on the base film. On the other hand, the dye receptor layer is also produced another method mentioned below. Namely, one resin having a high dyeing property and another resin having a low dyeing property, which are not compatible each other, are mixed each other. Then, this mixture solution is coated on the base film.
However, in the aforementioned thermal transfer image receiving sheet having a dye receptor layer constructed by two regions of micro phase separation resins, the resins included in the dye receptor are amorphous. Therefore, it is difficult to control their size, arrangement or shape. Namely, in the aforementioned thermal transfer image receiving sheet having a dye receptor layer constructed by two regions of micro phase separation resins, the distribution of the resin having a high dyeing property and the resin having a low dyeing property cannot be controlled. Therefore, nonuniformity is formed in the direction of plane and depth, so that the quality of an image becomes ununiform. The size of each of the resin having a high dyeing property and the resin having a low dyeing property is fixed by the kind of resin used therein or the condition of the solution. Therefore, the size of the network in the network structure in the dye receptor layer cannot voluntarily controlled, so that there are much restriction when the dye receptor layer is designed, and thus, the design of the dye receptor layer is difficult. Further, the boundary between the resin having a high dyeing property and the resin having a low dyeing property is not clear. Therefore, the dyed portion has continuity in a macro angle, so that dye is bled at the edge of print, and thus, the edge of the print is indefinite.
Further, in the sublimation type thermal transfer recording, since an image is recorded by thermal diffusion, the boundary between a record part and a blank (not record) part is indefinite because of the concentration gradient between these parts.
On the other hand, in the thermal transfer recording using a melting type ink film, ink is not fixed on the dye receptor layer, so that an image cannot printed. Therefore, this kind of the thermal transfer image receiving sheet cannot used with the melting type ink film.

Apparatus for coating fine particles to produce thermal transfer image receiving sheet method of producing thermal transfer image receiving sheet and thermal transfer image receiving sheet produced thereby


In one embodiment, a method comprising, receiving at a moving vehicle first global navigation satellite systems (GNSS) information broadcasted from a base station and second GNSS information provided by one or more satellites; determining by a processor residing in the vehicle a position of the vehicle based on the first and second GNSS information; and re-broadcasting the first GNSS information to a receiver located remotely from the moving vehicle.

Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS) provide geographical positioning information from a plurality of orbiting satellites to receivers around the globe including at sea, on the ground, and in the air. The best known of these systems is the U.S. Global Positioning System (GPS), but other systems, such as the Russian GLONASS system, the European Union's Galileo, and China's Compass systems, provide a similar service. They are collectively known as Global Navigation Satellite Systems, and they can provide position accuracies in the range of about ten (10) meters to about fifteen (15) meters. Although the satellites can potentially provide more accurate positions, atmospheric and other effects degrade the quality of the satellite signals.
Unfortunately, GNSS systems are not sufficiently accurate for all applications. An agricultural vehicle operating in a field, for example, may require positioning accuracies of less than one (1) meter. Satellite signals from GNSS systems can be corrected by using one or more reference stations at precisely known locations, which broadcast corrections to GNSS receivers, by way of geostationary satellites for instance (e.g., via Satellite Based Augmentation Systems), in the vicinity of the reference stations. This technique is known as a Differential GNSS (DGNSS) service and it is used to enable precise navigation for ships, aircrafts, and ground vehicles (e.g., vehicles). Positioning systems that leverage the DGNSS service using reference stations and geostationary satellites have sub-meter level precision, enabling tractors to cross agricultural fields in precisely the same track every time, improving crop yields, and in other industries, enabling snow plows, for instance, to operate quickly over roads buried beneath an otherwise trackless snow field. Some systems can achieve decimeter-level precision, where satellites are used to measure ionosphere and clock errors and then pass the resulting corrections to receivers.
Real Time Kinematic (RTK) satellite navigation is another technique used to enhance the precision of position data derived from satellite-based positioning systems using measurements of the phase(s) of a tracked satellite signal's carrier wave(s), rather than the information content of the signal. RTK systems use a single base station transceiver (or transmitter) as a reference station (e.g., with known geographical coordinates) to provide real-time corrections or correctors to a number of mobile units (e.g., rover receiver units). The base station broadcasts the correction to the observed phase based on its known location, and the mobile units apply the broadcast correction to their own respective phase measurements. The range of an RTK base station is limited, and the RTK base station may use a real-time communications channel, such as an RF signal, to communicate GNSS information (e.g., correction information or correctors) to the mobile units (e.g., vehicles).

System and method of communicating GNSS information between mobile machines


The present invention is directed to a system and method for restricting data, or portions thereof, to specific display devices when accessed by a user. Furthermore, the system and method of the invention are directed, in part, to evaluating in real time, the access level of a device and restricting the availability of sensitive information on the device according to the access level as determined by device location and hardware configuration.

In many environments where people use computers, their computer display may be visible to other users. This can be a significant problem when the displayed information is private, restricted, or sensitive.
For example, doctors and other healthcare workers routinely display patients' private healthcare information on computer monitors in hospitals, clinics, and doctors' offices. With the migration of medical records to digital form, including the use of Electronic Medical Records systems (EMR), this practice is only set to increase.
A doctor using a computer to view his patient's healthcare information at a nursing station may be authorized to view that information. However, other doctors and healthcare workers at the nursing station, unassociated with the patient, may not be authorized to view that same private information, or some portions of the patent's information. Laws such as HIPAA require that the privacy of healthcare information be protected, and significant penalties can be incurred for failing to do so.
Therefore, a problem arises of restricting data to only authorized users, when such data is only obtainable or useful in a public, or semi-private setting. This problem extends beyond the medical field to other situations in which private, restricted, or sensitive information may be viewed on computers. For example, financial, or other confidential information might be displayed at inopportune times and locations in an office, showroom or factory.

System and method for the display of restricted information on private displays


Techniques for converting signal and idler photons generated by a nonlinear optical system into a deterministic stream of single photons including receiving a heralded, nondeterministic source of signal and idler photons from the nonlinear optical process, separating one or more received signal photons from one or more received temporally corresponding idler photons, determining whether at least one of the one or more signal photons should be variably delayed, and if so, determining a delay length, and variably delaying the emission of one of the one or more signal photons, if any, by the determined delay length.

The disclosed subject matter relates generally to techniques for converting signal and idler photons generated by a nonlinear optics into a deterministic stream of single photons.
Single-photon sources are utilized in a number applications, including quantum information science, quantum computing/simulation, quantum cryptography/quantum key distribution, quantum teleportation, precision measurements and sensing, tests of quantum nonlocality, and high resolution lithography. For example, complex nonclassical optical states required for quantum metrology can be constructed from single-photon sources. Additionally, nondeterministic logic operations between multiple photonic qubits, combined with the ability to detect when gates have succeeded (feed-forwardability), can allow for efficient quantum computation.
To realize these and other quantum information technologies, efficient sources of indistinguishable single photons are useful. Certain techniques for generation of indistinguishable single photons include the application of quantum dots in micro- and nano-cavities, isolated cold atoms, and isolated single molecules in solid-state systems. However, they can require complex setups, including high vacuum and cryogenic temperatures, not immediately suitable for scalability.
While spontaneous parametric down conversion can produce highly indistinguishable single photons, generation is nondeterministic. Techniques for the generation of on-demand single photons using spontaneous parametric down conversion can be large and expensive, employing bulk optics. Moreover, such techniques can employ photon capture schemes that suffer from high loss, particularly when scaled up.
Accordingly, there is a need for an improved technique to provide sources of indistinguishable, on-demand single photons.

Chip integrated single photon generation by active time multiplexing

THE TRUSTEES OF COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY ON THE CITY OF NEW YORK


An apparatus for performance improvement of a burst mode digital wireless receiver has a processing circuit for processing a plurality of received signals and providing a processed signal and a delay circuit for introducing a predetermined delay to the processed signal. The delay circuit is coupled to the processing circuit. The predetermined delay is such that the processed signal is delayed to correspond with a later data burst. The processing circuit weights and combines the received signals, where the processing circuit reduces a mean squared error of an output signal. The processing circuit weights and combines the received signals using a predetermined symbol pattern within a sync sequence within a time slot.

In wireless communication systems, the use of antenna arrays at the base station has been shown to increase both range, through increased gain, and capacity, through interference suppression. With adaptive antenna arrays, the signals received by multiple antenna elements are weighted and combined to improve system performance, e.g., by maximizing the desired receive signal power and/or suppressing interference. The performance of an adaptive antenna array increases dramatically with the number of antennas. Referring to an article entitled, "The Impact of Antenna Diversity on the Capacity of Wireless Communication Systems," by J. H. Winters, R. D. Gitlin and J.Salz, in IEEE Trans. on Communications, April 1994, it is shown that using an M element antenna array with optimum combining of the received signals can eliminate N.ltoreq.M-1 interferers and achieve an M-N fold diversity gain against multipath fading, resulting in increased range.
Most base stations today, however, utilize only two receive antennas with suboptimum processing, e.g., selection diversity where the antenna having the larger signal power is selected for reception and processing. It is desirable to be able to modify existing base stations to accommodate larger arrays of antennas and/or improved received signal combining techniques. However, modifying existing equipment is difficult, time consuming, and costly, in particular since equipment currently in the field is from a variety of vendors.
One alternative is to utilize an applique, which is an outboard signal processing box, interposed between the current base antennas and the input to the base station, which adaptively weights and combines the received signals fed to the base station, optionally utilizing additional antennas. FIG. 1 shows a base station utilizing an applique. A key to the viability of utilizing the applique approach is that it should require little, if any, modification of the base station equipment. This constraint implies that the processing performed by the applique must be transparent to the existing equipment. Ideally, the signal emerging from the applique should appear to the existing base station as a high-quality received signal from a single antenna.
A difficulty in obtaining transparency to the existing equipment is the delay introduced by the signal processing performed in the applique: data acquisition, weight calculation, and received signal combining all introduce significant delay. Although typical cellular base station receivers are capable of accommodating some delay due to signal propagation, such delays are typically limited to the order of tens of microseconds, whereas the delay typically required to determine the weights for optimum array combining is many times that. Therefore, because of the applique delay, the signal seen by the existing base station receiver would appear to have had a propagation delay far in excess of the base station's ability to compensate, and the system would not operate.
A previously proposed solution is to use RF analog weighting and combining of the received signals, rather than digital signal processing of the received signals. However, although RF analog weighting introduces negligible processing delay into the signal path through the applique, the processing time required to calculate the weights is not negligible. The delay to calculate the weights is undesirable because a degraded signal will be output during the time prior to computation of the weights and the array performance will be poor when the fading rate is faster than a few Hz, which is the case at typical vehicle speeds in mobile communications.

Introducing processing delay as a multiple of the time slot duration


CMOS buffer circuits with reduced short circuit current. In the CMOS buffer circuit, an output stage drives an output terminal and comprises a first output transistor of a first conductive type and a second output transistor of a second conductive type. An output driving unit produces a first signal to turn off the first output transistor according to a delay signal. A bidirectional delay unit is controlled by the input signal to turn on the second output transistor after the first output transistor be turned off. In the bidirectional delay unit, a bidirectional logic unit generates two logic signals according to an inversion signal of the input signal, first and second bidirectional buffers are coupled to the output driving unit, generating a second signal to turn on the second output transistor according to the input signal and the two logic signals.

The invention relates to buffer circuits, and more particularly, to buffer circuits with a reduced short circuit current and integrated circuits and ring oscillation circuits using the same.
CMOS buffer circuits are widely applied to drive devices connected to an output stage thereof. Generally, the power consumption of CMOS circuit is dynamic power consumption or short circuit power consumption. Dynamic power consumption is inevitable due to electric characteristics of CMOS buffer circuits, but short circuit power consumption results in wasted power. With advance of process technology, the smaller gate length of MOS transistors reduces the threshold voltage of the MOS transistors, such that short circuit current often occurs. To reduce short circuit power consumption, it is reasonable to focus to reduce short circuit current of buffers with high switching rate, such as clock buffers. The short circuit current of CMOS buffers also causes electronmagnetic interference (EMI). Thus, it is very important to reduce short circuit current for CMOS buffer circuits.
Many conventional methods have been disclosed to reduce short circuit current for buffer circuits. FIG. 1 shows a conventional CMOS buffer circuit 200 with reduced short circuit current. However, a short circuit current occurs not only in pre-driving stage 310 but also the output buffer driving stage 350. For example, when input (IN) is low in the beginning, the nodes 20 and 30 are at high, such that the transistors M36–M37 are turned on and transistor M38 is turned off. When the input (IN) goes high from low, the transistor M38 is turned on, the transistor M36 is turned off and the transistor M37 stays on until the voltage level at the node 20 goes low. Because gate terminals of the transistors M36 and M38 are connected, the transistors M36 and M38 are both turned on when the gate voltage crosses the middle range between the power voltage and the ground voltage, generating a short current through the transistors M36–M38. Further, as voltage levels at the nodes 20 and 30 go low from high, the PMOS transistors and NMOS transistors of inverters IN3 and IN4 are both turned on when the input terminals of cross the middle range between the power voltage and the ground voltage. Thus, there is a short circuit through the inverters IN3 and IN4. Similarly, when the input (IN) goes low from high, there is a short circuit current through the transistor M33–M35 and through the inverters IN3 and IN4.
FIG. 2 shows another conventional CMOS buffer circuit 500 with reduced short circuit current. When the input terminal 501 goes high from low, the voltage level at node 582 stays high but the voltage level at node 594 goes low from high, such that transistors M1 and M3 are turned on at the same time until the voltage level of node 582 is discharged to low, generating a short circuit through the transistors M1 and M3. Further, because the gate terminals of the transistors M5 and M6 are connected, one of the transistors M5 and M6 is always turned on, allowing a short circuit current through the transistors M5 and M6 when the input terminal 501 changes.
Namely, there is still a short circuit current through the output buffer driving stage 350 shown in FIG. 1 and the output buffer driving stage 550 shown in FIG. 2.

CMOS buffer circuits and integrated circuits using the same


According to the invention, the time-setting device (18) of the timepiece includes a time-setting lever (62) which carries a coupling device (64) and the pivoting of which is controlled between an uncoupled position and a coupled position corresponding to the time-setting position of the winding stem (22). The coupling device (64) includes an exit pinion (78) which, in the coupled position, meshes with a minute wheel (16), and a plate (90) which is pivotably mounted on the time-setting lever (62) and which is provided with first and second reversion wheels (94, 96) of parallel axes (A8, A9) meshing with each other. An intermediate wheel (60), which is driven in rotation by the winding stem (22) in the time-setting position, meshes with the first reverser wheel (94).

In a timepiece fitted with a movement comprising a large number of complications, it is practical for time-setting to be carried out in only one direction of rotation of the winding stem, preferably the clockwise direction. In fact, time-setting in the opposite direction can cause unanticipated movements of parts, for example in a strike mechanism and especially in a perpetual calendar mechanism, which often leads to the deterioration of some elements of the movement. As the user still does not have a good understanding how the timepiece and its complications work, it regularly happens that ill-advised manipulations, such as time-setting in the opposite direction, are carried out despite warnings, which means that the timepiece has to be returned to after-sales service.
It is also known from GB 1241936 a time-setting mechanism which does not have any winding wheel and comprising a rotatable stem, a section of which having a plane surface parallel to the axis of the stem, coupling means mounted on said section, said coupling means being rotatably connected to the stem and able to move between a direct coupling position with the minute wheel and an incoupled position from said wheel such that there is no intermediate wheel train between the coupling means and the minute wheel.
It is an object of the present invention to overcome these drawbacks by proposing a timepiece that enables the user to rotate the winding stem in both directions, in the time-setting position, without any risk of damaging the movement.

Timepiece comprising an improved time-setting device


A process for producing a fluorine-containing diol represented by the formula [2],

The present invention relates to a process for producing a fluorine-containing diol, which is a compound useful as a raw material for monomers adapted to the next generation photoresists.
It is known that esters, which are formed by the bonding of fluorine-containing diols and acrylic acid derivatives (including acrylic acid and methacrylic acid), have bright prospects as monomer raw materials of the next generation resist materials and that resists containing such esters as their constituent element are superior in light transmission and surface adhesion (see U.S. Pat. No. 6,784,312 corresponding to Japanese Patent Laid-open Publication 2003-040840).
U.S. Pat. No. 3,662,071 discloses a process for synthesizing α-[(2-hydroxy-1-methyl-3,3,3-trifluoro-2-trifluoromethyl)propyl]benzyl alcohol by the steps of (a) heating hexafluoroacetone and propiophenone at 160° C.; and (b) reducing the product of the step (a) by aluminum isopropoxide using isopropanol as a solvent.
U.S. Patent Application Publication No. U.S. 2005/0215836 A1 discloses a process for producing a fluorine-containing 2,4-diol by reducing a hydroxy ketone by hydrogen in the presence of a ruthenium catalyst.

Process for producing fluorine-containing diol and its derivatives

Abstract: includes reducing a hydroxy ketone represented by the formula [1],

Abstract: by hydrogen in the presence of a ruthenium catalyst. The ruthenium catalyst may be a solid-phase catalyst in which ruthenium is carried on an activated carbon, alumina or silica.


A portable vehicle-charging system includes a control-pilot circuit configured to generate a plurality of signals, each of the signals having a unique duty cycle that corresponds to a predetermined charging current to be used during a charging event. The system further includes a global positioning system (GPS) module configured to output GPS data indicative of a location of the portable vehicle-charging system. A controller of the system is programmed to receive the GPS data to determine the location of the portable vehicle-charging system, and command the control-pilot circuit to generate the one of the signals corresponding to the location so that the vehicle charges according to a corresponding one of the charging currents that is compatible with a power grid of the location.

Electric and plug-in electric vehicles require an interface to external charging devices. In order to promote standard interfaces among vehicle and charge station manufacturers, industry standards have been developed. One such standard is the SAE Electric Vehicle and Plug in Hybrid Electric Vehicle Conductive Charge Coupler (J1772) standard. The J1772 standard defines a charge coupler and the associated protocol required for transferring energy to the vehicle. The standard defines a common interface that all vehicle and charge station manufacturers are encouraged to follow. The standard defines the interface between the vehicle and the electric vehicle supply equipment (EVSE).

Portable vehicle charging system with location detection


A method for isolating an amino alcohol simply from an amino alcohol aqueous solution containing a heterocyclic amine compound is provided. The method is a method for isolating a tertiary amino alcohol from a tertiary amino alcohol aqueous solution containing a heterocyclic amine compound, and for generating an enamine by adding a ketone to the tertiary amino alcohol aqueous solution, isolating the enamine from the tertiary amino alcohol aqueous solution, and isolating the tertiary amino alcohol from a residual liquid obtained by isolating the enamine.

A greenhouse effect due to increase of a carbon dioxide (CO2) concentration is recently pointed out as a cause of a global warming phenomenon, and there is an urgent need for an international countermeasure for protecting an environment on a global basis. A major source of CO2 generation is an industrial activity and momentum is rising to inhibit its emission.
As acid gas separation technology for inhibiting concentration rise of an acid gas such as CO2, a method (absorption method) where the acid gas is absorbed by using a chemical absorbent and recovered is studied. For example, in a facility such as a thermal power plant in which a fossil fuel (coal, petroleum, natural gas, etc.) is used, by bringing an exhaust gas generated at a time of combustion of the fossil fuel into contact with the chemical absorbent, removal and recovery of CO2 in a combustion exhaust gas is performed.
As the chemical absorbent used in the absorption method, it is tried to use alkanolamines. In particular, an amino alcohol aqueous solution which contains a heterocyclic amine compound exhibits an excellent CO2 absorbability.
Demand for a separation and recovery processing of an acid gas such as CO2 tends to increase more and more in recent years, and it is tried to recover a chemical absorbent having been used in a recovery processing of CO2 and to use the chemical absorbent again. However, if the absorbent after being used in the recovery processing of CO2 is used again as it is, corrosion in a contact region is apt to be caused in a plant facility, for example, and there is a possibility that a life duration of the entire facility is reduced. Thus, technology to separate and recover an amino alcohol from an absorbent having been used in a recovery processing of CO2 is demanded.
On the other hand, in a case where an amino alcohol is to be isolated from an amino alcohol aqueous solution containing a heterocyclic amine compound, as the heterocyclic amine compound being apt to evaporate and a vacuum state being hard to be obtained, separation and purification of the amino alcohol and the heterocyclic amine compound is difficult by a purification method such as distillation. Thus, it is difficult to isolate an amino alcohol at a high purity from an amino alcohol aqueous solution containing a heterocyclic amine compound.
As an isolation method of an amino alcohol, there is suggested a method for isolating the amino alcohol or an acid addition salt of the amino alcohol from an amino alcohol aqueous solution. However, an effective means is not yet found for a method for isolating an amino alcohol from an amino alcohol aqueous solution containing a heterocyclic amine compound.

Method for isolating tertiary amino alcohol


Provided are a gas sensing apparatus and a gas sensing method using the apparatus. The gas sensing apparatus includes a detection chamber, a light source, a light sensor, a gas source, and a controller. The light source is disposed at one end of the detection chamber, and a light sensor is disposed at the other end of the detection chamber. The gas source provides gas to the detection chamber. The controller controls the light source and the light sensor. The light source includes a laser supplying laser light, and a light scanner reflecting and scanning the laser light in the detection chamber. The controller includes a phase sensitive detector electrically connected to the light sensor.

The present invention disclosed herein relates to a gas sensing apparatus, and more particularly, to a light absorption-type gas sensing apparatus and a method of sensing gas using the gas sensing apparatus.
Energy wavelengths corresponding to kinetic modes of gas molecules to be detected in environmental pollutant measuring, process gas monitoring, toxic gas detection, etc. are largely concentrated within the mid-infrared spectrum. Spectroscopic methods currently in use or under development typically employ thermo-resistive light sources or mid-infrared lasers. Particularly, when lasers are used, ultra-low concentrations of gas below one part per billion (ppb) can be detected, allowing for remote gas detection. Thus, research in the field of laser detection is vigorously being pursued.
For detecting highly-diluted gas with high sensitivity using detection chambers, an important point is for laser light to provide coverage broad enough to yield an adequate light absorption signal when contacting gas molecules. For this end, a method of lengthening the light beam path with multi-reflection, achieved by mounting mirrors within a detection chamber such as a white chamber, is widely used. However, this method has the limitation in that light intensity is reduced when reflected multiple times. Limiting the decrease in light intensity by reducing the number of times the light is reflected necessitates substantially increasing the length and volume of the chamber.

Gas sensing apparatus and method of sensing gas using the same

Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute


Systems, methods, and computer-readable media are provided for an autonomous and fully automated method of validating multi-signature decoys that are configured to release infrared flares at multiple points after launch. In one aspect, a method includes capturing, using at least one image capturing device, raw image data of a launched decoy, the decoy having one or more segments configured to be released after launch and automatically processing the raw image data to (1) identify a release point for each of the one or more segments and (2) identify an infrared signature associated with each release point. The method further includes generating a visual display of the release point(s) of the one or more segments and the infrared signature(s) originating from the release point(s).

Typically, a target such as a missile or an aircraft is provided with decoys which are used to draw various types of guided weapons away from the target. One of the most commonly used decoy devices are flares which are adapted to attract infrared or heat seeking guided missiles away from the deploying target. In this respect, the flare is designed to present a more attractive thermal target than the target from which it is deployed, thus decoying the weapon away from the target.
Such decoys (which may also be referred to as countermeasures) may have multiple release points at each of which a segment or portion of the content (infrared flares) of the decoy is released. It is critical to test and validate these decoys and proper release of each segment prior to deploying them for use with targets in combat.
Manual validating methods exist, which entail capturing images of a launched decoy and using software with a set of drawing tools that an operator can use to manually place region of interest (ROI) objects in space and along the captured images to enclose signatures and extract properties. This process can be tedious, is subjective, and is labor intensive depending on the number of captured frames and signatures that must be analyzed.

Systems and methods for multi-signature countermeasure testing


A prefabricated set for making a cooking top. The prefabricated set includes a glass ceramic hot plate and a frame including a part extending at the hot plate periphery and another part extending in a plane substantially vertical to the hot plate. At least one of the two frame parts includes an elastomer over-molding. A cooking top can be manufactured including such a prefabricated set.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a prefabricated assembly, intended for the production of cooking tops, comprising a glass-ceramic plate or hob.
2. Discussion of the Background
Such cooking tops may include, inter alia, heating elements, such as radiant or halogen hotplates, and regulating means for varying the power of the latter.
These various elements are usually placed in a metallic structure called a xe2x80x9cboxxe2x80x9d and are covered with a glass-ceramic plate equipped with a metal frame which encloses the structure.
The fitting of these cooking tops is completed by placing the glass-ceramic plate on the metal structure. Beforehand, the glass-ceramic plate and the frame are joined together by bonding using a silicone adhesive, which is suitable for such a use. This is because the silicone adhesive fulfils functions of different and complementary types.
Firstly, it allows the glass-ceramic plate to be held on the frame in a defined position; a cooking top thus produced may be easily transported, all the elements of which it is composed being fastened together, after fitting onto the box.
Another function of the silicone adhesive is to seal between the metal frame and the glass-ceramic plate.
The subassembly formed by the plate and the frame must, on the one hand, be well sealed so that water, for example the water used for cleaning the visible surface of the glass-ceramic plate, cannot penetrate inside and risk creating a short circuit. On the other hand, from a hygiene standpoint, since such a plate is used for the preparation of food, it is necessary to avoid any risk of fouling in the areas difficult to get at and impossible to clean, in order to prevent the development of germs.
Another function again fulfilled by the silicone adhesive is to dampen mechanical shocks. It thus prevents direct contact between the metal frame and the glass-ceramic plate and it can also compensate for expansions of the metal frame, the glass-ceramic hob having a virtually zero expansion coefficient. Another advantageous characteristic of the silicone adhesive is that it has good temperature resistance. Although the silicone adhesive is used only in the peripheral part of the glass-ceramic plate, and therefore at a certain distance from the heating areas, this temperature resistance must be high.
Thus, the periphery of the plate nevertheless undergoes a temperature rise when one or more hotplates are in operation. In addition, a heated vessel, such as a saucepan, may be placed on the edge of the plate and therefore exposes the frame to a high temperature.
A final function of the silicone adhesive is an aesthetic one: since at least part of the adhesive is deposited via the top, it is important to be able to smooth it so as to give it an attractive appearance since at least part may remain visible.
On the other hand, the fitting operation, consisting in bonding the glass-ceramic plate to the metal frame using an adhesive of the type mentioned above has several drawbacks.
In the first case, since the amount of adhesive needed is relatively large, the cost of this product is relatively high. Another drawback is due to the curing time which increases with the amount of material, thereby leading to an increase in the manufacturing costs.
Finally, another drawback arises during the actual fitting. This is because glass-ceramic plates are usually delivered as they are to cooking-top manufacturers who are responsible for the assembly. A priori, such a factory assembly does not present insurmountable problems insofar as the operators do have the necessary tools. On the other hand, such assembly is much more difficult for an artisan who has to refit a glass-ceramic plate into a metal frame after an electrical-type repair has been made or else has to change this plate which may have been damaged. This is because it appears to be difficult for the artisan to fasten the glass-ceramic plate since he must both place the silicone adhesive around the periphery of the plate on the internal face and along the edges, smooth the adhesive in the visible area and keep the plate well centered, while pressing it during the above operations and during the time for curing the adhesive, which is relatively long, as mentioned above.
The removal of such a glass-ceramic plate is also not easy. The artisan must cut the silicone adhesive from below, that is to say on the lower face side of the glass-ceramic plate, and cut it from above, that is to say along the edge of the plate. These two operations, which must be carried out over the entire periphery, are not simple as the two cutting lines must meet in order to separate the two elementsxe2x80x94the glass-ceramic plate and the metal frame. In addition, and more particularly when cutting on the internal face side of the glass-ceramic plate, it is not easy to make this cut without incurring the risk of scratching the lower face of the plate, which is the most fragile face of the plate.
This risk of scratching may lead to a risk of stress cracking and therefore to fracture of the plate. Removal of a glass-ceramic plate, for the purpose of refitting it later, therefore appears to be impossible or almost impossible to accomplish without damaging the plate.
Moreover, in order to refasten it to the frame, it is necessary to remove as far as possible all traces of silicone adhesive from the previous fitting, something which also incurs the risk of causing scratches, with the same consequences as before.
To remedy these drawbacks, it has already been proposed according to patent FR 2,744,201 to provide the glass-ceramic plate with a thermosetting profile overmolded around the lower peripheral part, which profile, by the use of suitable fastening means, allows the plate to be fastened to a metal frame without direct contact between the two.
It has also been proposed, especially in EP 0,449,347, to directly overmold, by a twin-shot injection molding technique, a plastic frame around the periphery of the glass-ceramic plate, the plastic frame then being fastened to a metal base, supporting the various heating elements.
This solution is not entirely satisfactory. Since the plastic frame is directly in contact with the upper part of the worksurface, the interface between these two parts is not sharply defined, particularly from a sealing standpoint. Consequently, the risk of fouling is considerable.
The inventors were therefore faced with the task of providing a prefabricated assembly of the type mentioned above, that is to say comprising a glass-ceramic hob and a frame, which makes it possible, once fitted into the cooking top, for the latter to have a very sharply defined interface with the worksurface for which it is intended.
To do this, the subject of the invention is a prefabricated assembly, intended for the production of a cooking top, comprising a glass-ceramic plate or hob and a frame consisting of a part extending around the periphery of the plate and of another part extending in a plane approximately vertical to the plate, wherein at least one of the two parts of the frame includes an overmolding made of an elastomer.
This is because the overmolding in the outer peripheral part of the frame makes it possible to ensure that there is a very well defined interface with the upper part of the worksurface, particularly from a sealing standpoint. This is because the elastic nature of the elastomer allows the profile to follow the shape of the worksurface as closely as possible, which may prove to be effective, particularly when the latter is not strictly plumb and/or when its surface finish is not uniform.
The frame according to the invention is preferably made of plastic. Advantageously, it is molded. Again preferably, it is made of a polymer resin resistant to temperatures of at least 180xc2x0 C.
With regard to the connection between the glass-ceramic hob and the frame, it may be chosen to overmold the frame directly onto the hob instead of joining them together by a seal made of an elastomer.
Such a choice may be made especially according to the geometry of the manufacturing technique inherent in the frame.
In order to integrate the controls for the heating elements, other heating means such as gas burners and/or other functional elements for the glass-ceramic plate, such as a clock, the frame advantageously has emerging holes through which elastomer knobs are overmolded.
According to a very advantageous characteristic of the invention, the overmolding is a profile.
According to this same characteristic, each of the two aforementioned parts of the frame advantageously includes an elastomer profile.
Very advantageously, the elastomer profile of that part of the frame which extends in the approximately vertical plane of the plate consists of tabs, preferably having grooves. The flexible xe2x80x9ctabsxe2x80x9d of the overmolded profile make it possible, according to this embodiment, to perfectly immobilize the cooking top in the worksurface, even if the cutting of the latter has not been carried out to the desired tolerances. In this way, it is possible to avoid leaving a large gap between the vertical walls of the frame and the worksurface, which gap cannot be compensated for in this case solely by the presence of wedging pieces difficult to fit.
Another advantage provided by this embodiment of the invention is the guarantee of not damaging the worksurface when fitting the assembled cooking top into the latter.
The elastomer profile of that part of the frame which extends around the periphery of the plate preferably has a lip, thereby making it possible to avoid even further the risk of fouling.
Because of its elasticity, this lip, together with the aforementioned flexible retention elements, participates in pressing the frame onto the worksurface.
The elastomer of the overmolding according to the invention is advantageously a silicone.
The invention also relates to a cooking top incorporating a prefabricated assembly defined above, the frame of which is fastened to a base supporting heating elements, such as radiant or halogen elements and/or at least one atmospheric-gas burner and/or at least one induction heating means.
Finally, the invention relates to a process for manufacturing a prefabricated assembly according to the invention. According to this process, the following steps are carried out:
a) a molded frame is introduced into a punch of shape such that it is possible to inject an elastomer at the surface of at least one of the two parts of the frame;
b) a glass-ceramic hob is placed in the punch, slightly above the molded frame;
c) the assembly thus formed is closed by means of a die of shape at least partly complementary to the punch;
d) an elastomer is injected into the channels formed by the gap between the punch and the die;
e) the elastomer is cured; and then
f) the assembly thus formed is ejected.
The advantages afforded by the invention are numerous. Firstly, since the elastomer is injected and then cured, it no longer has to be smoothed by hand, as could be the case according to the prior art, its surface finish no longer impairing the decorative appearance. Likewise, by injecting the elastomer onto a frame already formed, it is possible to use frames of varied shapes and/or colours. Such varieties contribute to the aesthetic appearance of the cooking top.
The varied shapes also make it possible to integrate into the frame items of equipment usually integrated into the plate, such as the members for controlling the heating elements, which usually require the plate to be extremely carefully drilled.
For reasons of manufacturing costs, the frame used according to the process of the invention is preferably made of plastic.
The elastomer used is advantageously silicone.
According to a very advantageous characteristic of the process, high-frequency curing is carried out in step e).
The fact of curing the elastomer according to the invention at high frequency also makes it possible to save a considerable amount of time in manufacture. In addition, in such a process, the tooling used is that normally used for an elastomer. Thus, the flexible contact between the tooling, particularly the mould, and the various parts forming the prefabricated assembly according to the invention incurs no risk of degrading the materials, especially the glass ceramic of which the hob is composed.
Thus, in industrial production the risk of scrap is reduced.

Prefabricated set for making a cooking surface


A light emitting device has an enclosure with a face portion, a cold cathode within the enclosure, a phosphor layer disposed on an interior surface of the face portion, an extracting grid between the cold cathode and the phosphor layer and a defocusing grid between the extracting grid and the phosphor layer. Electrons emitted from the cold cathode are defocused by the defocusing grid and impact the phosphor layer when an electric field is created between the cold cathode and the phosphor layer due to applied voltages at the cold cathode, extracting grid, defocusing grid and phosphor layer. The phosphor layer emits light through the face portion in response to electrons incident thereon. Secondary electron emission may also occur resulting in increased electron impact upon the phosphor layer, thereby increasing light output. A mirror layer may be included to reflect light toward the face portion of the light emitting device. The mirror layer also inhibits low energy electrons from impacting the phosphor, thereby enhancing the blink rate of the light emitting device.

Lights for displays such as advertising, signage, signals or emergency signaling are typically of two types: incandescent and light emitting diodes (LED). Each of these types of lights has drawbacks that make them undesirable in certain applications. For example, although incandescent lights are readily available in various colors, and are able to emit bright light viewable from substantially any angle, incandescent lights also produce a substantial amount of heat in comparison to quantity of light emitted. Thus, the heat generation of incandescent lights wastes electrical power.
Alternatively, LEDs produce a relatively low amount of heat in comparison to the light emitted, and thus use substantially less electrical power as compared to incandescent lights. However, there are numerous restrictions on LEDs. For example, LEDs are typically circular or cylindrical; and it is not cost-effective for LEDs to be manufactured in an alternative shape that is better suited to a particular lighting application. Additionally, white light or multiple-color LEDs are not yet cost-effectively manufactured. LEDs also have relatively slow blink rates (e.g., 5 kHz) which causes a video display of sixty-four or higher levels of brightness to be distorted, for example, making it difficult or impossible to create animated displays with arrays of LEDs. Further, LEDs have a relatively narrow emission angle within which emitted light is effectively viewed—typically a maximum of 120 to 130 degrees.
FIG. 1 shows a pixel 2 of a prior art display (e.g., a billboard); pixel 2 is shown with a cluster of nine individual LEDs 4. Pixel 2 is commonly used where larger or brighter pixels are required; that is, by clustering LEDs 4 within pixel 2 and operating all LEDs 4 simultaneously, increased luminosity may be achieved. However, since LEDs 4 are round in shape, the illuminated area of pixel 2 (i.e., the sum of circular emission areas of LEDs 4) is less than the area of pixel 2 and therefore optimum pixel brightness is not obtained.

Cold-cathode light-emitting device with defocusing grid and associated methods of manufacturing


An antenna system is disclosed. The system includes: N radio frequency channels, configured to send a radio frequency signal to drive one or two columns of M columns of antennas, and N<M≤2N; the M columns of antennas, configured to receive radio frequency signals, where only one column of two columns of antennas driven on a same radio frequency channel are connected to one of the M−N phase shifters, and is also connected to one of the M−N power splitters; the M−N power splitters, where any of the M−N power splitters is configured to split power for the two columns of antennas connected to the radio frequency channel; and the M−N phase shifters, where any of the M−N phase shifters is configured to adjust a phase of a radio frequency signal received by an antenna connected to the phase shifter.

To meet increasingly high capacity requirements of mobile communications systems, in a current mobile communications system, a multi-column and small-spacing antenna array may be used to form a beam having a relatively high gain and a narrow beam width, to align a user, thereby enhancing a signal received by the user, to increase a capacity.
A small-spacing antenna array used in an existing antenna system usually includes four dual-polarized antennas. Antenna beamforming means that four columns of co-polarized antennas perform coherent superposition in a direction, thereby forming a directional beam. However, same power of four radio frequency channels causes amplitude of the four columns of antennas to be the same. Therefore, the formed directional beam has a relatively high side lobe. The relatively high side lobe interferes with a user in another direction, and the relatively high side lobe also causes a waste of energy. In a digital beamforming system, to implement relatively good side lobe suppression of a beam, usually antenna amplitude is enabled to be in tapered distribution. However, this causes lower power utilization of the system. Therefore, a plurality of beams may further be formed by using a multi-beamforming network including several bridges and power splitters, to implement relatively good side lobe suppression, and implement relatively high power utilization.
However, in a multi-beamforming network system including the bridges and the power splitters, directions of the beams cannot be adjusted after the beams are formed, and the directions of the beams can only be fixed. Therefore, a weak signal coverage area exists between the beams. Consequently, when a terminal device appears in the weak signal coverage area, a signal received by the terminal device is relatively weak or even no signal is received by the terminal device.

Antenna system, signal processing system, and signal processing method


A differential difference amplifier is provided for amplifying an input signal having a magnitude close to zero (or a negative supply voltage) and adding an offset voltage to the amplified input signal.

In numerous applications, there is need to amplify a small input signal that is close to zero volts (0V) (or a negative supply voltage) and to add a fixed constant voltage to the result. FIG. 1 illustrates an exemplary battery monitoring circuit 100 in which a small voltage close to a zero volt reference is amplified and offset by a constant voltage. Battery monitoring circuit 100 comprises battery 105, sense resistor 110, scaler 115, analog-to-digital converter (ADC) 120 and load circuit 125. In an exemplary embodiment, load circuit 125 may be a cell phone that monitors battery 105 to determine if battery 105 is charging or discharging and to determine the rate at which battery 105 is charging or discharging.
The battery current generated by battery 105 is sensed over sense resistor 110, which is a very small resistor (about 0.1 ohm). During charging of battery 105, the input voltage to scaler 115 is positive. During discharge of battery 105, the input voltage to scaler 115 is negative. In both situations, the sense voltage is very small (typical range is −100 mV to +100 mV, but −10 mV to +10 mV also is a possible range). This small sense voltage has to be scaled and amplified to a signal that can be used in by ADC 120. Scaler 115 typically amplifies the sense voltage by a factor of 10 or 100 and add the mid-level voltage of ADC 120 to the amplified signal. The digitized sense voltage at the output of ADC 120 is then read by processing circuits in the cell phone (i.e., load circuit 125) to determine the state of battery 105. It should be noted that there are many other applications in which scaler 115 performs a similar amplification and offset function.
Scaler 115 must have a high ohmic input so that a low-pass filter (e.g., a 1M resistor and a 1 μF capacitor) may be added between the sense voltage and scaler 115. In that way, the average battery current can be measured. One approach implementing scaler 115 is to use a standard non-inverting operation amplifier (op amp) having a first resistor, R1, with a first terminal coupled to the negative input of the op amp and a feedback resistor, R2, coupled between the negative input and the output. Two level shifters are used to add a constant voltage (typical half the supply voltage: Vdd/2)) to the positive input of the op amp and to the second terminal of the first resistor, R1. In this approach, the input signal of the op amp is always positive. The transfer function from input to output voltage of such a circuit is:Vout=Vdd/2+((R1+R2)/R1)Vin
Unfortunately, this approach requires very accurate level shifters. Mismatch and non-linearity in the level shifters directly affects the accuracy of the overall scaling. The level shifters must be able to be used with a high impedance input of the scaler, which reduces the number of possible circuits.
There is therefore a need in the art for improved circuits that are capable of monitoring small voltages close to zero volts (or a negative supply rail). There is a further need for improved amplification circuits that amplify a small input signal close to zero volts (0V) (or a negative supply voltage) and add a fixed offset voltage to the result.

Differential difference amplifier for amplifying small signals close to zero volts


A fluid thermal conditioning (heating/cooling) system including a housing containing a fluid holding tank and having an inlet pipe and an outlet pipe. A drive shaft rotatably supports either of a conductive plate or a plurality of spaced apart magnetic or electromagnetic plates positioned within the housing. The conductive plate can be reconfigured as an elongated conductive component supported within the housing and including a plurality of individual plates which alternate in arrangement with axially spaced and radially supported magnetic/electromagnetic plates. Upon rotation of the shaft, an oscillating magnetic field is generated for thermally conditioning the fluid.

The phenomena of magnetic or electromagnetic induction heating is well known in the prior art by which heat is generated in an electrically conductive object by the generation of eddy currents, this also referenced as Joule heating. The typical induction heater includes an electronic oscillator which passes a high frequency alternating current through an electromagnet. The eddy currents flowing through the resistance of a conductive metal placed in proximity to the magnet/electromagnet in turn heat it. Put another way, the eddy currents result in a high-frequency oscillating magnetic field which causes the magnet's polarity to switch back and forth at a high-enough rate to produce heat as byproduct of friction.
One known example of a prior art induction heating system is taught by the electromagnetic induction air heater of Garza, US 2011/0215089. Also referenced is the centrifugal magnetic heating device of Hsu 2013/0062340 which teaches a power receiving mechanism and a heat generator.

Magnetic induction water heater/chiller with separate heating/chilling zones


Naturally-derived compounds having various structures elicit the perception of salty taste or enhance the perception of salty taste of a salt. Food products may include such salty compounds, which may be used to reduce the sodium content, while parting a similar level of saltiness.

Sodium chloride, ordinary table salt, is the prototypical compound for eliciting the perception of salty taste. However, attempts to reduce sodium consumption have led investigators to find suitable substitutes for sodium chloride or to reduce sodium chloride amounts, without sacrificing salty taste.
Salts can elicit complex tastes, including mixtures of sweet, bitter, sour, umami, and salty perceptual components. It is believed that the cations of salts impart the perceptual taste component, while the anions, in addition to contributing to tastes of their own, modify the perception of the taste of the cations. By way of example, sodium and lithium are believed to impart only salty tastes, while potassium and other alkaline earth cations produce both salty and bitter tastes. Among the anions commonly found in foods, the chloride ion is considered to be the least inhibitory to the salty taste, while the citrate anion is more inhibitory.
Many attempts have been made to provide salty tasting compositions as a substitute for table salt which will give the same or a similar seasoning effect and which are comprised of substantially reduced quantities of sodium chloride. To this end, potassium chloride, ammonium chloride, and similar compounds have been suggested. The use of such salts, and combinations of such salts, leaves much to be desired as to taste. Neither of them individually or in combination positively affects other taste modalities and tastes like sodium chloride. Each alone has a disagreeable taste, as do mixtures of such salts. For example, potassium chloride has a strong aftertaste that is characterized as "bitter" by most people. Ammonium chloride also has a bitter aftertaste.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.


A motorcycle having a belt type CVT and an engine unit in which an axial length of a cylinder is restricted. A body frame comprises a down frame extending vertically. The engine unit comprises a four-stroke engine, a belt type CVT, a clutch and a crank case. A cylinder is arranged rearwardly of the down frame with an axis thereof extending vertically. The clutch is provided between a secondary sheave shaft and an output shaft. The crank case is formed with an oil reservoir portion below a crank shaft to store lubricating oil. A rear end of the oil reservoir portion is rearward of a front end of a secondary sheave. An axis of the crank shaft is below an axis of the secondary sheave shaft.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a motorcycle having a four-stroke engine and a belt type continuously variable transmission.
2. Description of Related Art
JP-B-61-040864 discloses a motorcycle having an engine unit that comprises a two-stroke engine arranged rearwardly of a down frame extending vertically with an axis of a cylinder extending vertically. A belt type continuously variable transmission ("CVT") is arranged in a crank case, which supports a crank shaft and an output shaft. The output shaft of the engine unit is connected to a rear wheel through a power transmission mechanism such as belt, chain or drive shaft to transmit motive power to the rear wheel.
The motorcycle of JP-B-61-040864 assumes the same configuration as that of an ordinary motorcycle but does not need a gearshift and is therefore high in convenience. Replacement of the two stroke engine of JP-B-61-040864 with a four-stroke engine, which has a relatively large torque in low speed, would further improve convenience. However, replacement of the two-stroke engine of JP-B-61-040864 with a four-stroke engine is problematic.
In a four-stroke engine, intake valves, exhaust valves and a valve operating mechanism for driving the intake and exhaust valves must be arranged on a cylinder head. Also, an oil reservoir portion must be formed below the crank shaft to store lubricating oil. Therefore, a four-stroke engine is relatively long in an axial direction of a cylinder relative to a two-stroke engine. In trying to apply such four-stroke engine to a motorcycle, in which the engine is arranged rearwardly of a down frame extending vertically with axes of cylinders extending vertically, the motorcycle cannot but be increased in total height, or decreased in minimum ground level, since the engine is long in an axial direction of the cylinders. Accordingly, it is difficult from a compatibility standpoint to simply replace the two-stroke engine of the motorcycle of JP-B-61-040864 with a four-stroke engine.


A metallization method for improving wettability and reactivity of a titanium (Ti) based barrier metal layer with respect to an aluminum (Al) based material and simultaneously achieving high barrier properties and superior step coverage, is proposed. An operation of increasing the crystal grain size of and planarizing at least a surface region of a barrier metal layer is effected simultaneously at the time of formation of a barrier metal layer. In this manner, Al migration characteristics and reactivity on a barrier metal surface are improved so that voids are not produced when an Al-based material layer is charged into small-sized connecting hole by a process sensitive to surface morphology, such as high temperature bias sputtering. By this technique, wettability of a material layer having distinctly inferior wettability with Al, while being excellent in barrier properties, such as a TiON layer, may be improved. As a smoothing operation, bias sputtering, laser irradiation and lamp annealing are proposed. Satisfactory results have been achieved on applying these to a Ti/TiON/Ti system, a Ti/TiON system or to a Ti/TiON/TiSi.sub.2 system.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a metallization method for the preparation of semiconductor devices. More particularly, it relates to a method enabling an aluminum (Al) based material to be uniformly buried in a connecting hole coated by a barrier metal layer inclusive of a layer of a titanium (Ti) based material.
2. Description of the Related Art
With increasingly refined design rule for semiconductor devices, as exemplified by VLSIs and ULSIs of recent origin, the diameter of the connecting hole bored in an interlayer insulating layer for establishing connection between upper metallization and lower metallization is also refined, with the aspect ratio occasionally exceeding unity. The upper metallization is usually formed by depositing an Al-based material by sputtering. However, sufficient step coverage can be achieved difficultly for burying the connecting hole having such a high aspect ratio, frequently leading to disconnections.
As a measure for improving step coverage, a high temperature bias sputtering method has recently been proposed. As introduced in Monthly Semiconductor World, published by Press Journal Co. Ltd., 1989, December issue, pages 186 to 188, and in IEEE/IRPS, 1989, pages 210 to 214, this technique resides in effecting sputtering by heating a wafer to hundreds of degrees Centigrade by means of a heater block and by applying an RF bias by means of the heater block. It is possible with this method to improve step coverage to produce an Al-based material layer having a planar surface by Al reflow effect and ion bombardment by application of the bias power. It has been reported in these treatises that, if a Ti layer is provided as a layer underlying the Al-based material layer, the Ti layer contributes to surface migration of Al atoms to achieve superior step coverage.
Needless to say, the Ti layer provided as a layer underlying the Al-based material layer is used in expectation of its function as a barrier metal layer. However, the Ti layer, while being a superior contact material in achieving a low resistance ohmic contact, cannot fulfil the function as a barrier metal layer satisfactorily. The reason is that, even if the Ti layer is provided alone between the Si substrate and the Al-based material layer, both the reaction between Si and Ti and the reaction between Ti and Al proceed simultaneously, so that Al spikes into the Si substrate cannot be prevented. For this reason, a TiN layer is superimposed on the Ti layer to provide a double-layer barrier metal system (Ti/TiN system). In recent years, a Ti/TiON double-layer barrier metal system is also proposed, in which O.sub.2 is introduced at the time of TiN growth to convert it to TiON. The purpose of the double-layer structure is to segregate oxygen in the TiN grain boundary for further improving the effect of preventing diffusion of Al in the grain boundary.
However, during high temperature sputtering, the Al-based material is in an intermediate state between the solid and the liquid and is highly sensitive to surface morphology or structure of the underlying layer. If such Ti/TiON based barrier metal layer is previously formed in the contact region, difficulties are presented in uniform burial of the connecting hole, even if it is attempted to deposit the Al-based material layer by high temperature bias sputtering.
For example, in the case of a substrate in which a Ti layer 2 and a TiON layer 3 are sequentially deposited as a barrier metal layer on an interlayer insulating film 1, an Al-based material 6, deposited on the substrate by high temperature bias sputtering, is not fluidized sufficiently on the TiON layer 3. The reason is that, as shown schematically in FIG. 1, the TiON layer 3 has a columnar crystal structure with a grain size of 5 to 20 nm and exhibits rough surface morphology or structure so that it is inferior in reactivity and wettability with respect to the Al-based material 6. The present inventors made attempts to lower the deposition rate to about one half the customary deposition rate, with a view to promoting the reaction in an interface between the TiON layer 3 and the Al-based material 6. However, it was found that the burial characteristics were not improved.
For overcoming such problem, the present inventors also made attempts to stack a Ti layer inherently superior in wettability and reactivity with respect to Al on the TiON layer 3 to provide a three-layered barrier metal layer 5 composed of the Ti layer 2, the TiON layer 3 and a Ti layer 4 as shown in FIG. 2. However, deposition of the Ti layer 4 merely resulted in accentuated surface roughnesses so that the Al-based material 6 could not be fluidized satisfactorily on the surface of the Ti layer 4.
FIGS. 3a and 3b illustrate what inconveniences are produced when the state explained with reference to FIGS. 1 and 2 is actually produced in the vicinity of a contact hole. In FIGS. 3a and 3b, parts or components similar to those shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 are indicated by the same reference numerals.
Referring to FIG. 3a, a wafer is shown in which an interlayer insulating film 11 having a contact hole 10 reaching an impurity diffusion layer 9 previously formed in a silicon substrate 8 is formed on the silicon substrate 8, and in which a Ti/TiON barrier metal layer 7 or a Ti/TiON/Ti barrier metal layer 5 is formed for covering the entire substrate surface.
However, since both the barrier metal layers 5, 7 exhibit rough surface morphology, the Al-based material 6, deposited thereon by high temperature bias sputtering, cannot be fluidized sufficiently in the vicinity of the opening end of the contact hole 10. If the Al-based material 6 continues to be deposited further in this state, voids 11 tend to be produced in the bulk material, even although the contact hole 10 appears to have been buried in the Al-based material 6. Besides, since a large number of nuclei about which the Al-base material 6 starts to be grown are generated at a time on the rough surface, the crystal grains of the Al-based material layer 6 tend to be refined to deteriorate resistance to electro-migration.


A plurality of optical members (lenses) for use in ultraviolet region are mutually stuck. A fluorine-based organic compound (for example, fluorine-based oil) is provided between them. The periphery of the optical members is sealed with a sealant. As the sealant, an adhesive fluorine resin, for example, a soluble fluorine resin is used.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an optical member for use in ultraviolet region (for example, an optical member for use in a transmitting optical system such as laminated lens or prism) and a method of producing the same and, particularly, to an optical member suitable for use in the ultraviolet region of a semiconductor inspection device or the like and a method of producing the same.
2. Description of the Related Art
In conventional semiconductor inspection devices and other accurate measuring devices, inspection of a wafer or the like has been performed in an ultraviolet wavelength area of 200-400 nm, and a quartz (SiO2)-made lens or a fluorite (CaF2)-made lens is used in such semiconductor inspection devices for correction of chromatic aberration (achromatization).
For example, as shown in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 60-186444, it is known to protect the boundary part of the adhesive surface of a prism type optically adhered beam splitter for interferometer with the outside with a sealant.
An optical element having an adhesive member constituted as a film having both a film thermal adhesive layer and a barrier layer by using a thermally fusible film with high steam barrier property such as fluorine-based film is known as shown in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2-287419, wherein CTFE (polychlorotrifluoroethane), FEP (polyperfluoroethylene-propylene), PVDF (polyvinylidene fluoride), PVDC (polyvinylidene chloride) and the like are used as the material of the film.
Further, as shown in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 60-176017, an optical element in which a rubber elastic body such as ethylene propylene rubber or silicone rubber which is transparent under visible light is put between two lenses which are not closely fitted, and the rubber elastic body is covered with a piezoelectric film such as polyvinylidene fluoride or the like is known.
In Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 5-2105, as the material of an annular film constituting the film material, for example, thermoplastic resins and thermosetting resins such as polyethylene, polypropylene, polyvinyl chloride, polyamide, polystyrene, polyisobutylene, polycarbonate, polyvinilydene chloride, polyvinyl acetal, polymethyl methacrylate, polyacrylonitrile, polyimide, cellulose-based fluorine resin, epoxy, polyurethane, silicone resin; copolymers thereof; and those with plasticizer or filler added thereto are used.
As shown in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2003-12349, a joined optical element for UV region is also known, which is formed through an adhesive layer by joining optical elements capable of transmitting ultraviolet rays, using as the adhesive layer a solution in which a solvent-soluble organic fluorine resin having no unsaturated bond in the molecule is dissolved in a fluorine-containing solvent having a boiling point of 150° C. or higher and containing no unsaturated bond in the molecule, vaporizing the solvent in the part in contact with atmosphere of the adhesive layer, and joining the optical elements in the state where the solvent in the other part is left in the adhesive layer.
The adhesion by use of a conventional sealant had problems as that the inside solvent is not hardened because it is not vaporized due to large adhesion distortion, a heating treatment cannot be performed because it affects a high precision lens, and an axial slippage is caused. Therefore, an extremely precise device such as semiconductor inspection device could not be suitably used in ultraviolet region.

Optical member and method of producing the same


A system and method for processing media requests includes receiving a media request associated with a subscriber account. The availability of a slot associated with the subscriber account is determined. The slot includes at least one in-store slot and at least one on-line slot.

Traditionally, the rental of audiovisual works, such as movies, involves visiting a local retail establishment, such as a video store. A user browses the store to select movies to rent, and completes the transaction through a traditional point-of-sale checkout. More recently, on-line subscription services provide alternative techniques for users to rent movies and for rental businesses to fulfill these rental requests.

System and method for processing media requests


A pulse generation circuit (12) includes a PWM waveform outputting part (20) which outputs a PWM waveform having a duty ratio in which one linear PWM pulse is defined with a first number of bits, an input connector (22) which receives as an input a control signal indicating a duty ratio defined with a second number of bits larger than the first number of bits, and a setting part (24) which sets a PWM waveform to be output from the PWM waveform outputting part (20) based on the control signal input to the input connector (22) with one cycle being made up of a set comprised of a plurality of consecutive linear PWM pulses according to the second number of bits.

Pulse Width Modulation (PWM) which modulates a duty ratio of a pulse to be output is a widely-known technique.
Pulse width modulation is, for example, as disclosed in PTL 1, used to control ON and OFF of a transistor which controls a load current in a constant current control circuit.

Pulse generation device and pulse generation method


A circuit includes a power stage circuit configured to perform power conversion of an input voltage to provide an output voltage at an output. The circuit further includes a driver circuit configured to drive the power stage circuit to provide the output voltage. The circuit further includes a load transient dynamic compensator configured to detect a rate of change in the output voltage during load transient and to supply a compensating signal based on the rate of change. The circuit further includes a feedback control circuit configured to generate a series of pulses to control the driver circuit based on the output voltage and the compensating signal.

Switched-mode direct current to direct current (DC-DC) converters represent a primary category for power supply design. For example, a switched-mode DC-DC converter may exceed ninety percent power conversion efficiency and thus has been widely used to supply power in all types of electronic devices, such as computers, cell phones, televisions, and so forth. In a switched-mode DC-DC converter, the control loop design determines performance parameters of the converter such as speed of load transient response, DC accuracy and design cost which includes die size for the converter, and the number of off-chip components, for example.


An isolator mount capable of dissipating shocks and vibrations is presented. The present invention includes a mount which is load bearing and capable of withstanding repeated deflections and strains, at least two damping layers composed of an energy damping viscoelastic polymer, and at least two constraining layers composed of an energy damping alloy. Each layer of energy damping viscoelastic polymer is separately disposed and bonded to the exterior of the mount. One constraining layer is bonded to and substantially covers each damping layer. Damping and constraining layers minimize the stiffness change to the mount.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to an isolator mount. Specifically, the invention is an isolation mechanism having energy dissipating materials integrated therein so as to impede both shocks and vibrations.
2. Related Arts
Naval ships employ a wide variety of isolator mounts to impede acoustic transmissions and to protect sensitive equipment from shocks and vibrations. Presently, isolator mounts are specifically designed for a limited range of shocks and vibrations. As such, a variety of mounts are required to satisfy a wide range of mechanical load conditions.
Energy dissipation mechanisms employed within presently known devices quickly degrade with use thereby requiring frequent replacement. For example, passive mounts comprised of rubber and metal rapidly lose their damping capacity. Consequently, isolator mounts are often used well beyond their effective lifetime thereby compromising the integrity and performance of shipboard systems.
Active mounts with integrated electronics increase the range of shocks and vibrations effectively isolated. However, active mounts are generally less durable and more sensitive to environmental conditions. For example, wires externally attached to such devices are susceptible to breakage. Furthermore, electronics within such devices are susceptible to the very shocks and vibrations dissipated and likewise damaged by saltwater, ozone, and oil contaminants.
Low-frequency shocks, typically from 3 to 10 Hz, and vibrations, typically from 5 to 30 Hz, exclude many passive and active damping devices. For example, the effectiveness of viscoelastic damping increases with frequency and of limited utility at low frequencies. Passive damping by piezoelectric or electrostrictive devices, also referred to as direct effect damping devices, is not particularly useful at low bandwidths since damping is dependent upon hysteresis loops and elastic-mechanical-to-electrical energy coupling. Coupling coefficients are generally poor and total loss is insignificant at the lower dynamic range.
Piezopolymers are better direct coupling materials than piezoceramics and electrostrictors, therefore applicable to piezo-passive damping devices. In a passive-mode device, a generalized matched impedance circuit is coupled to active ferroelectric materials so as to transfer elastic energy to heat. In a semi-active mode, the circuit is variably tunable. However, strength and stiffness characteristics preclude the use of ferroelectric polymers, examples including PVDF and urethane, as active devices.
What is required is an isolator mount possessing both soft damping for small disturbance excitations and stiffness to mitigate large shocks.
What is required is an isolator mount having a high level of damping effective against shocks and vibrations, yet sufficiently stiff otherwise.
What is required is an isolator mount that functions over a wide range of temperature and load conditions.