The underwater logging device of the present invention is selectively remotely maneuverable to engage submerged free standing timber with sawing and dogging apparatus for selectively sawing and dogging the timber. The device includes a buoyancy tank mounted on a frame; a selectively remotely actuable steering mechanism mounted to the frame; independently steerable motivating traction wheels or the like, rotatably mounted to the frame and cooperating with, so as to be steerable by, the steering mechanism for translating the underwater logging device over a lakebed and between the free standing timber; a remotely monitorable vision system is mounted to the frame; selectively remotely actuable saws are mounted to the frame so as to be disposable outwardly of the fine for cutting engagement with the free standing timber once the underwater logging device has been translated into proximity with the free standing timber by the motivating traction wheels.

When a valley is dammed, typically the timber is left standing as the valley fills with water leaving harvestable timber submerged. Applicant is aware of only one attempt in the prior art to harvest submerged timber, that being a hydraulically actuated pincer type cutter lowered from a crane. This prior art device is severely limited in the depth to which the cutter can be lowered in that the device once lowered has no remote maneuvering means and no remote vision systems so that the device must be maneuvered from the surface.
Applicant is aware of U.S. Pat. No. 3,667,515 which issued Jun. 6, 1972 to Corey for a Pile Cutting Device. Corey teaches a pile cutting device for use in locations remote from the operator. A pile cutter suspended on a cable is lowered by means of a crane to a desired depth, for example, to the bottom of a water body. The base of the pile cutting device is lowered so as to journal the pile in the base as base is lowered. The base has a guide across which is swept a selectively actuable blade. The blade shears the pile at its base.
Applicant is also aware of U.S. Pat. No. 3,693,676 which issued on Sep. 26, 1972 to Butch for an Underwater Pile Cutting Saw. Burch discloses a power saw capable of being manually manipulated above the surface of a body of water for cutting off pilings and the like adjacent to the bottom. A locater member engages around the piling or object to the cut and includes a post about which a saw swings, so as to swing across the locater member to cut off the piling or object. The locater member and saw may be manipulated from a boat, barge, dock or the like, it being an object of the Burch device to eliminate pilings and other objects adjacent the bottom as navigational hazards.
Applicant is further aware of U.S. Pat. No. 4,168,729 which issued Sep. 25, 1979 to Tausig et at for an Underwater Self-gripping Pile Cutting Device. As in the Corey device, Tausig et al teach a shearing pile cutter lowerable by means of a cable onto a pile. The shear cutter assembly has self-gripping teeth or spikes incorporated as part of the cutting blades to hold the pile and prevent slipping during cutting operations. As the hydraulically operated scissor-type cutter blades close about the pile, the spikes bite into the timber and keep the blades from squeezing off the pile.
None of the above devices are adapted for remotely controllable submersed logging. Consequently, it is an object of the present invention to provide a submersible device for cutting submersed timber, the device being maneuverable on a dam site floor and having remote vision means whereby the submersible device may be remotely and accurately maneuvered so as to engage a log cutting means against the submersed timber.


A highfrequency package has an excellent high-frequency characteristic in a band from quasi-millimeter wavelength to 90 GHz frequency. A sealed construction can be easily manufactured, leading to a reduction in cost, and is excellent in strength. A ring-shaped frame and signal lines facing each other with the ring-shaped frame between in the inside and outside regions separated by the ring-shaped frame are formed on one main surface side of a dielectric substrate, and grounds are formed around the signal lines with gaps interposed between in the same plane, while signal lines and a ground around the signal lines with gaps interposed between in the same plane are formed on the other main surface side of the dielectric substrate, wherein conductive vias for vertically connecting each of one end portions of the signal lines and both end portions of the signal line are formed, and a plurality of conductive vias for vertically connecting the grounds and the ground are formed at prescribed intervals on both sides with the signal lines between.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a high-frequency package and, more particularly, to a high-frequency package accommodating a semiconductor device and a high-frequency circuit being formed on the periphery of the device, for which high-frequency signals in a band of quasi-millimeter wavelengths and about 30-90 GHz frequencies are used.
2. Description of the Relevant Art
A high-frequency package is constructed by a semiconductor device mounting area and a high-frequency circuit on the periphery of the device, and both are formed on a dielectric substrate, being hermetically sealed with a ring-shaped frame and a lid to be jointed thereon. High-frequency signals are input and output through signal lines passing through the bottom of the ring-shaped frame.
FIGS. 1a and 1b are schematic diagrams showing a conventional high-frequency package of this type, and FIG. 1a is a sectional side view, while FIG. 1b is a sectional perspective view along line Bxe2x80x94B of FIG. 1a.
A dielectric substrate 41 is formed almost in the shape of a rectangular parallelepiped board having a thickness T. A ground 42 is formed on the bottom surface 41b of the dielectric substrate 41, while a ring-shaped frame 44 made of dielectrics is arranged in a prescribed place on the top surface 41a of the dielectric substrate 41. A plurality of thin-film-like circuit strips 43a having a width of w1 are formed in prescribed places on the top surface 41a in the inside region 44d of the frame 44, while lead strips 43b similar to those (having a width of w1) are formed outside the frame 44, facing the circuit strips 43a with the frame 44 between. One end portion of the circuit strip 43a and one end portion of the lead strip 43b are connected through a connecting strip 43c having a width of w2, which is buried under the frame 44. A signal line 43 includes these circuit strip 43a, lead strip 43b, and connecting strip 43c.
In order to equalize the characteristic impedance of a circuit including the connecting strip 43c and the frame 44 thereabout to those of the circuit strip 43a and the lead strip 43b, the width w2 of the connecting strip 43c is set to be smaller than the widths w1 of the circuit strip 43a and the lead strip 43b. In order to hold down the return loss in the signal line 43 and to make the insertion loss smaller, each characteristic impedance in the circuit strip 43a, lead strip 43b and connecting strip 43c is matched to one another.
A semiconductor device 45 is mounted almost in the center of the frame inside region 44d on the top surface 41a, and pads 45a of the semiconductor device 45 and the circuit strips 43a are connected through bonding wires 45b. A lid 46 is jointed onto the top of the frame 44 (hermetic sealing), and the frame inside region 44d on the dielectric substrate 41 is hermetically sealed thereby. A high-frequency package 40 of a microstrip line includes the dielectric substrate 41, ground 42, signal lines 43, frame 44, lid 46, and associated parts.
High-frequency signals are input from the lead strip 43b of the signal line 43 through the connecting strip 43c and circuit strip 43a thereof and reach the semiconductor device 45, while high-frequency signals emitted from the semiconductor device 45 are output from the lead strip 43b of the signal line 43 through the circuit strip 43a and connecting strip 43c thereof.
However, in the high-frequency package 40 having that construction, the width w1 of the signal line 43 becomes narrow to w2 in the connecting strip 43c. As a result, it is difficult to secure the dimensional precision of w2, and the resistance increases in the connecting strip 43c, so that the insertion loss tends to be large. Moreover, in the manufacture thereof, it is difficult to accurately fit together both ends of the connecting strip 43c and the inner and outer surfaces 44b and 44c of the frame 44.
In order to cope with the problems, a high-frequency package has been proposed, wherein the portions of a frame, in which signal lines are buried, are formed to be thinner. FIG. 2 is a perspective view diagrammatically showing the principal part of a conventional high-frequency package of this type, and reference numerals 41 and 42 in the figure represent a dielectric substrate and a ground similar to those shown in FIG. 1. A ring-shaped frame 54 made of dielectrics is arranged in a prescribed place on the top surface 41a of the dielectric substrate 41, and an indented portion 54b is formed in a prescribed place of the frame 54 which a signal line 53 passes through. On the other hand, the thin-film-like signal line 53 having a width of w1 is formed in a prescribed place on the top surface 41a of the dielectric substrate 41. One end portion 53a of the signal line 53 is formed in the inside region 54d of the frame 54, while the other end portion 53b of the signal line 53 is formed in the outside region 54e of the frame 54. The middle portion of the signal line 53 is located in the vicinity of the indented portion 54b of the frame 54.
Since the other constructions are almost the same as those shown in FIG. 1, no detailed descriptions thereof are given here. A high-frequency package includes these dielectric substrate 41, ground 42, signal lines 53, frame 54, and associated parts. High-frequency signals are input through the signal line 53 to a semiconductor device 45 (FIG. 1), while high-frequency signals emitted from the semiconductor device 45 are output through the signal line 53.
However, in the high-frequency package having that construction, the thickness e1 of the indented portion 54b of the frame 54 need be set to be thin. This means that not only the manufacture thereof is difficult but the indented portion 54b thereof is especially low in strength.
In a high-frequency package of a microstrip line type shown in FIG. 1 or 2, when the semiconductor device 45 processes signals in a higher frequency band of such as millimeter or quasi-millimeter wavelengths, usually it causes a large connection loss of the semiconductor device 45 between the signal line 43 or 53, and a large radiation loss in the signal line 43 or 53 as well.
In order to cope with the problems, recently, a high-frequency package including a so-called coplanar line arrangement has been proposed, wherein signal lines and grounds are formed alongside next to each other on a dielectric substrate, and a semiconductor device 45 is mounted thereon in a flip-chip manner.
FIG. 3 is a perspective view partly in section diagrammatically showing the principal part of a conventional high-frequency package of this type (Japanese Kokai No. 02-87701), and in the figure, reference numeral 61 represents a metal substrate. A ceramic plate 63 is fixed on the metal substrate 61 in the shape of a rectangular parallelepiped board, and laminates 64 made by laminating, for example, three conductor layers 64a and three ceramic layers 64b alternately are attached in one piece on both left and right sides with the ceramic plate 63 between. A dielectric substrate 62 having an external shape of a rectangular parallelepiped board includes the ceramic plate 63, laminates 64, and associated parts. Thin-film-like signal lines 65 having a width of w1 are formed in prescribed places on the dielectric substrate 62 in the back-and-forth direction of the arrow in the figure, and grounds 66 are formed on both left and right sides of the signal lines 65 with gaps g interposed between.
Ceramic walls 68 are formed on the middle portions of the signal lines 65 and the grounds 66 thereabout in the right-and-left direction of the arrow in the figure, and laminates 69 made by laminating, for example, two conductor layers 69a and three ceramic layers 69b alternately are formed in one piece on both end portions of the ceramic walls 68. A frame 67 almost in the shape of the symbol # includes these ceramic walls 68 and laminates 69. The metal substrate 61 and the grounds 66 in the vicinity of the signal line 65 in the inside region 67a of the frame 67 are vertically connected through each one of conductive vias 66a on both left and right sides of the signal lines 65.
A metalized layer 71 is formed on the top of the frame 67, the front ends 64c and 69c, and the right ends 64d and 69d of the laminates 64 and 69, or the like. A high-frequency package of a coplanar line includes these dielectric substrate 62, signal lines 65, grounds 66, frame 67, metalized layer 71, and associated parts.
In the high-frequency package having that construction, a semiconductor device (not shown) is mounted in the inside region 67a of the frame 67. The signal lines 65, which are surrounded by the grounds 66, conductors 64a and 69a, metalized layer 71, and metal substrate 61, are electromagnetically shielded thereby. And the ring resonance of the signal lines 65 or the like is restricted by the laminates 64 and 69, or the like, so that it is possible to enhance the high-frequency characteristic in the band of quasi-millimeter wavelengths (30 GHz frequency or less).
However, in the high-frequency package of a coplanar line shown in FIG. 3, there likely to be a problem of an inferior high-frequency characteristic in the band exceeding 30 GHz frequency (quasi-millimeter wavelength band). It is difficult to reduce the thickness e0 of the ceramic wall 68, and it seems costly to manufacture the dielectric substrate 62 and the frame 67 having complicated constructions including the ceramic plate 63 or ceramic wall 68, and the laminate 64 or 69.
The present invention was developed in order to solve the above problems, and it is an object of the present invention to provide a high-frequency package, having an excellent high-frequency characteristic in a band from quasi-millimeter wavelengths to 90 GHz frequency range and a favorably sealed construction and excellent strength thereof, in addition, which can be easily manufactured at a competitive cost.
In order to achieve the above object, a high-frequency package (1) according to the present invention is characterized by having a ring-shaped frame,
first and second signal lines being formed so as to face each other with the ring-shaped frame between in the inside and outside regions separated by the ring-shaped frame, and
first and second grounds being formed around the first and second signal lines with gaps interposed between in the same plane, respectively, on one main surface side of a dielectric substrate;
having third signal lines, and
a third ground being formed around the third signal lines with gaps interposed between in the same plane on the other main surface side of the dielectric substrate;
wherein first conductive vias for vertically connecting each of one end portions of the first and second signal lines with both end portions of the third signal line are formed; and
a plurality of second conductive vias for vertically connecting the first and second grounds with the third ground are formed at prescribed intervals on both sides with the first to third signal lines between.
Here, the ring-shaped frame and the first and second grounds are conducting and it is desirable that both of the potentials thereof be zero.
In the high-frequency package (1), a signal interconnection in sequence including the first signal line, first conductive via, third signal line, first conductive via, and second signal line, can be easily formed not in contact with the frame, while a ground interconnection in sequence including the first ground, second conductive vias, third ground, second conductive vias, and second ground, can be easily formed. And a coplanar line including the ground interconnection and the signal interconnection can be formed.
The second conductive vias make it possible to reduce fluctuations in impedance based on the first conductive vias, resulting in a smaller return loss, while the electromagnetic waves emitted from the signal interconnection portion can be prevented from radiating into the dielectric substrate portion. As a result, the high-frequency characteristic in a band from quasi-millimeter to millimeter wavelengths can be excellent. Since the signal interconnection is kept from contact with the frame, it is possible to make the frame of a metal, which has the capability of electromagnetic shielding, leading to reliable sealing. As a result, a ground earth can be sufficiently established with the grounds, the ring-shaped frame, a lid, and associated parts, so that the stable transmission of high-frequency signals can be realized cost-effectively.
A high-frequency package (2) according to the present invention is characterized by setting a prescribed interval D between the second conductive vias within the range of
D less than xcex/(2xc3x97xcex5rxc2xd),
Where
xcex5r is the dielectric constant of the dielectric substrate, and
xcex is the wavelength in the air of a high-frequency signal propagating through the first to third signal lines and first conductive vias.
Here, it is more favorable to make the lowest limit of the interval D as small as possible, but it is necessarily limited by the technique of forming the second conductive vias closer to each other on the dielectric substrate.
Using the high-frequency package (2), it is possible to prevent the high-frequency signals, emitted either from the first to third signal lines or first conductive vias in a direction perpendicular to the layers including the first to third signal lines, from leaking to the dielectric substrate portion through the narrower intervals D between the second conductive vias, so as to prevent the generation of ripples which seemingly is caused by the undesired mode originating in the wider intervals D. As a result, an excellent high-frequency characteristic in a high-frequency region of shorter wavelengths can be obtained.
A high-frequency package (3) according to the present invention is characterized by setting distances W between the first to third signal lines and the second conductive vias within the range of
W less than xcex(4xc3x97xcex5rxc2xd),
Where
xcex5r is the dielectric constant of the dielectric substrate, and
xcex is the wavelength in the air of a high-frequency signal propagating through the first to third signal lines and first conductive vias in the high-frequency package (1) or (2).
Here, since the ripple generated by resonance has a certain band, in practice, it is desirable to estimate the distance W by substituting for xcex the wavelength equivalent to 1.15 times the wavelength that corresponds to the frequency of a high-frequency signal to be actually utilized.
It is more favorable to make the lowest limit of the distance W as small as possible, but it is necessarily limited by the widths of the first to third signal lines, the gaps, the diameter of the second conductive vias, or the like.
Using the high-frequency package (3), it is possible to prevent the occurrence of resonance originating in the distance W up to the second conductive via in the high-frequency signals, emitted either from the first to third signal lines or first conductive vias almost in a direction perpendicular to the layers including the first to third signal lines, and to prevent the generation of ripples. When the package (2) with the distance W set above is assumed to be used for a high-frequency package, its characteristic in a high-frequency band of much shorter wavelengths will be excellent due to a synergistic effect of the W and D.
A high-frequency package (4) according to the present invention is characterized by arranging the second conductive vias proximate to the first conductive vias on and/or outside arcs whose centers are the first conductive vias, having such a radius Ws as makes the relationship Ws greater than W hold,
where Ws is the distance between the center of the first conductive via and at least one of the second conductive vias proximate to the first conductive via, and
W are the distances between the second conductive vias, except the second conductive vias proximate to the first conductive vias, and the first to third signal lines in one of the high-frequency packages (1)-(3).
Here, when the distance Ws becomes larger, the electromagnetic radiation occurs, so that the insertion loss tends to be increased. Therefore, the distance Ws is desirably shorter than xcex/(2xc3x97xcex5rxc2xd), where xcex5r is the dielectric constant of the dielectric substrate, and xcex is the wavelength in the air of a high-frequency signal propagating through the first to third signal lines and first conductive vias.
Using the high-frequency package (4), the generation of ripples can be prevented and the return loss of signals to be transmitted through the first conductive vias can be reduced by the existence of the second conductive vias proximate to the first conductive vias. As a result, the insertion loss can be lowered.
A high-frequency package (5) according to the present invention is characterized by setting a distance L between the first conductive vias within the range of
2xc3x97T less than L less than xcex/(xcex5rxc2xd),
where
xcex5r is the dielectric constant of the dielectric substrate,
xcex is the wavelength in the air of a high-frequency signal propagating through the first to third signal lines and first conductive vias, and
T is the thickness of the dielectric substrate in one of the high-frequency packages (1)-(4).
Here, since the ripple generated by resonance has a certain band, in practice, it is desirable to estimate the distance L by substituting for xcex the wavelength equivalent to 1.15 times the wavelength that corresponds to the frequency of a high-frequency signal to be actually utilized.
Using the high-frequency package (5), it is possible to prevent the occurrence of resonance which is inevitably caused by a longer distance L between the first conductive vias, so as to prevent the generation of ripples. And it is possible to restrict the interference of the electromagnetic field between the first conductive vias, which is inevitably caused by a shorter distance L, and it is also possible to restrict the generation of oscillations incident thereto. When the packages (2) and/or (3) with the distance L set above are used for a high-frequency package, their characteristic in a high-frequency region of still shorter wavelengths will be excellent due to a synergistic effect of the W, D and T.
A high-frequency package (6) according to the present invention is characterized by having a ring-shaped frame made of an insulating material,
first and second signal lines being formed so as to face each other with the ring-shaped frame between in the inside and outside regions separated by the ring-shaped frame, and
a first ground being formed around the first and second signal lines with gaps interposed between in the same plane on one main surface side of a dielectric substrate;
wherein at least one of the first and second signal lines is formed so as to partially lie under the ring-shaped frame;
having third signal lines, and
a second ground being formed around the third signal lines with gaps interposed between in the same plane on the other main surface side of the dielectric substrate;
wherein first conductive vias for vertically connecting each of one end portions of the first and second signal lines with both end portions of the third signal line are formed; and
a plurality of second conductive vias for vertically connecting the first ground with the second ground are formed at prescribed intervals on both sides with the first to third signal lines between.
In the high-frequency package (6), in addition to the effects described in the high-frequency package (1), the thickness of the ring-shaped frame can be set to be large, since at least one of the first and second signal lines may be formed so as to partially lie under the ring-shaped frame. Thus, the strength of the ring-shaped frame can be secured.
It is possible to form the ring-shaped frame made of an insulating material using the same kind of a ceramic as the constituent of a dielectric substrate. In this case, the formation of the ring-shaped frame and the dielectric substrate can be conducted in the same steps. The simplification of the manufacturing processes enables a reduction in cost.
A high-frequency package (7) according to the present invention is characterized by setting an interval D between the second conductive vias within the range of
D less than xcex/(2xc3x97xcex5rxc2xd),
Where
xcex5r is the dielectric constant of the dielectric substrate, and
xcex is the wavelength in the air of a high-frequency signal propagating through the first to third signal lines and first conductive vias in the high-frequency package (6).
Using the high-frequency package (7), it is possible to prevent the high-frequency signals, emitted either from the first to third signal lines or first conductive vias in a direction perpendicular to the layers including the first to third signal lines from leaking to the dielectric substrate portion through the narrower intervals D between the second conductive vias, so as to prevent the generation of ripples which seemingly is caused by the undesired mode originating in the wider intervals D. As a result, an excellent high-frequency characteristic in a high-frequency region of shorter wavelengths can be obtained. Here, it is more favorable to make the lowest limit of the interval D as small as possible, but it is necessarily controlled by the technique of forming the second conductive vias closer to each other on the dielectric substrate.
A high-frequency package (8) according to the present invention is characterized by one main surface of the dielectric substrate except a semiconductor device mounting area and the vicinities of external input-output terminal portions, being covered with the ring-shaped frame of an insulating material in the high-frequency package (6) or (7).
Using the high-frequency package (8), the wall thickness of the ring-shaped frame made of an insulating material can be sufficiently large, so that a strength problem in the ring-shaped frame can be solved. By making the space for mounting a semiconductor device small, the cavity resonance can be suppressed.
A high-frequency package (9) according to the present invention is characterized by conductive vias for electromagnetic shielding, being formed in the interior of the ring-shaped frame made of an insulating material in one of the high-frequency packages (6)-(8).
In the case of the high-frequency package according to the present invention, it is possible to make the wall thickness of the ring-shaped frame of an insulating material sufficiently large. When the wall thickness of the ring-shaped frame of an insulating material is made sufficiently large, it is easy to form conductive vias for electromagnetic shielding in the interior of the ring-shaped frame. Since the conductive vias for such shielding are formed in the interior of the ring-shaped frame, the shielding effect on electromagnetic waves can be made still higher.
A high-frequency package (10) according to the present invention is characterized by a metalized layer, being formed on the top surface of the ring-shaped frame in one of the high-frequency packages (6)-(9).
In the high-frequency package (10), even if the ring-shaped frame comprises an insulator such as a ceramic, a lid made of Koval, invar, or the like can be easily jointed to the top of the ring-shaped frame.
A high-frequency package (11) according to the present invention is characterized by a plurality of semiconductor device mounting areas being formed on one main surface side of the dielectric substrate, while a plurality of openings for semiconductor device mounting being correspondingly formed in the ring-shaped frame, as a whole which is convertible to multichip module (MCM) packages in one of the high-frequency packages (6)-(10).
Using the high-frequency package (11), the conversion to MCM packages can be easily carried out as each kind of electronic element comes to meet the requirements of higher levels of function.

Sumitomo Metal (SMI) Electronics Devices Inc.


An exhaust gas duct for a row of cylinders of an internal combustion engine is so constructed that corrosion, especially fretting corrosion, is minimized by mounting the exhaust gas pipe section in a cooling housing so that contact between the pipe section and the cooling housing is limited to the end portions of the exhaust gas pipe section, thereby leaving an uninterrupted gap between the pipe section and the housing all along the pipe section. The end mountings permit an axial movement, and, if desired, also a radial movement of the pipe section relative to the liquid cooled housing for compensating thermal expansions and contractions. The end mountings are easily accessible for inspection and additionally, permit an easy assembly and disassembly of the components.

Due to the above mentioned insulating gap between the exhaust gas pipe section and the cooling housing, the cooling housing does not withdraw much heat from the exhaust gas which is desirable because it is thus possible to supply the exhaust gas at a higher energy potential to a super-charger. However, it is necessary that the exhaust gas pipe section is surrounded by a housing that keeps its temperature within the range of the temperature of the cooling liquid of the internal combustion engine in order to satisfy operation requirements for engines that are intended to run without monitoring.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,125,703 (J.G. Williams), issued on Aug. 2, 1938, discloses an exhaust gas duct in which the exhaust gas pipe section is directly centered at the outer diameter of both pipe ends in the housing of the duct. A radial pin is provided for fixing the exhaust gas pipe section in the axial direction. The radial pin passes through the housing, as well as through the wall of the exhaust gas pipe section. Additionally, the exhaust gas pipe section is supported locally at the edge of each of the entrance passages or openings for the exhaust gas into the pipe section. This type of construction results in fretting corrosion at the points of contact between the components of the duct, due to the substantial heat expansion differences that occur during operation between the housing and the pipe section. These heat expansion differences cannot be avoided, due to the large temperature differences between the pipe section that is directly in contact with the exhaust gas and the housing components that are liquid cooled.
Such fretting corrosions may become the cause for structural changes of the components that are in frictional contact with each other and such changes may in turn become danger points which impair the further operation of the internal combustion engine. This danger is particularly undesirable because the points where the fretting corrosion may occur are not easily accessible, and hence not easily detectable when inspections are made.

Exhaust gas duct for a row of cylinders of an internal combustion engine

Mtu Motoren- Turbinen-Union Friedrichshafen GmbH


A nonvolatile semiconductor memory device according to an embodiment includes: a semiconductor layer; a block insulating film; an organic molecular layer, which is formed between the semiconductor layer and the block insulating film, and provided with a first organic molecular film on the semiconductor layer side containing first organic molecules and a second organic molecular film on the block insulating film side containing second organic molecules, and in which the first organic molecule has a charge storing unit and the second organic molecule is an amphiphilic organic molecule; and a control gate electrode formed on the block insulating film.

As a method for realizing reduced bit cost of a nonvolatile semiconductor memory device and also enhancing memory performance thereof, scaling down of a memory cell is promising. However, scaling down of the memory cell has become technically difficult.
It has thus been proposed to use organic molecules for a charge storing layer. Because, various organic molecules can be formed by organically synthesize a variety of molecular structures and substituent groups, desired electrochemical properties can be applied to the organic molecules. And constitutional unit of the organic molecules is small. Therefore, the organic molecules may realize further scaling-down of the memory cell. In realizing the scaling-down of the memory cell, it is of importance to improve qualities of a block insulating film and a control gate electrode, formed on the charge storing layer.


This invention is directed to a system and method for optimized routing of print jobs. The system and method comprise queuing print job data, selectively communicating the print job data to at least one of a plurality of associated printer devices so as to generate a printout therefrom, and receiving status data from at least one of the plurality of associated printer devices, which status data includes data representative of a commitment level of the at least one associated printer device relative to dominant print job requests. The system and method also comprise testing the status data against selected test criteria to determine whether at least one alternative associated printer device is desired for printing and selectively redirecting the print job data from a primary designated associated printer device to a secondary associated printer device in accordance with an output of the test means.

This invention is directed to a system and method for optimized the routing of print jobs. More particularly, this invention is directed to a system and method for optimized routing of print jobs to maximize the printing speed of a network having multiple printer devices by sending the print job to the printer having the smallest print queue.
On a network having multiple printer devices attached thereto, the speed of which a given print job is printed depends on the total number of jobs and the size of such jobs that are already in the print queue. A print job will be printed in the shortest time only if it is sent to the printer device on the network that currently has the smallest job loading waiting in its queue as compared to other printer devices available to the user. However, such information is generally not readily available to the user. Therefore, the user will generally select a printer device based on attributes other than the time required to print or the size of the print queue for such printer device. As such, even if the user needs the print job completed quickly, the user may select a printer device with a very large print queue, increasing the time to complete the print job.
It is desirable to have a system and method for optimized routing of print jobs wherein print jobs are routed to the printer device with the smallest print queue.

System and method for optimized routing of print jobs


A ceramic block filter (100), having a substantially rectangular block of ceramic material having a top (102), bottom (104), and four side surfaces (106, 108, 110 and 112), and having through-holes (114) running from the top (102) to the bottom surfaces (104); a metallization layer coating on substantially an entire exterior portion of the block and the through-holes (114), with the exception of a part of the top surface (102) of the block being unmetallized; the top surface (102) being beveled at an acute angle with respect to one of the side surfaces of the ceramic block; and coupling input-outputs for providing an input and output for filtering signals.

The use of dielectric ceramic block filters to remove undesirable electrical frequencies from an electrical signal is well known in the art. Ceramic block filters have found wide acceptance for use in radio communication devices including high frequency devices such as pagers, cellular telephones and other signal processing apparatus.
Traditionally, most external surfaces of the dielectric ceramic block filters are coated with a metallic surface which serves as an electrical ground for the filter. The top and side surfaces of the filter are often used as a printing or patterning surface and often contain a printed metallized pattern which is required in order to achieve the desired frequency response for the filter. However, as the size of the component decreases, printed patterns require a more fine-lined geometry and become increasingly difficult to apply. Another possibility is to chamfer the area around the through-holes on the top or the bottom surfaces of the filter as another method of achieving the desired electrical response. In this instance, a problem can arise as the components become smaller. If the walls around the chamfer become too thin and fragile, large scale manufacturing is not a viable alternative. The significant point, however, is the fact that the processing of the top and/or bottom surfaces of the filter is often an integral step in getting the appropriate electrical filter response.
A trend in the industry is toward components which are smaller in size, require less volume, less weight, and take up less surface area on a printed circuit board, while also keeping a low profile above the surface of the printed circuit board. As such, designers of ceramic block filters are being asked to provide filters with smaller dimensions which exhibit desirable electrical properties. Since the top and bottom surfaces of the ceramic filter are often the surfaces of the block with least surface area, designers are being forced to place intricate electrical patterns and chamfers on a top surface with less and less surface area. Additionally, a shielding structure is also sometimes required in order to protect the filter from stray electromagnetic signals both on the board and emanating from the filter itself. The design and mounting of these shields often results in problems with co-planarity, access to the cells and adhesion among other things.
A ceramic block filter design which provides an increased printing area on the top surface of the ceramic block filter, while allowing many other dimensions of the ceramic block filter to decrease (in response to the demands of the electronics industry), while also providing for some novel shielding configurations, would be considered an improvement over the art.


An automated neighbor discovery by a base station with the assistance of an access terminal are disclosed. An exemplary method includes receiving a first message from an access terminal based on detecting an identification signal by the access terminal from the first base station in a communication system. Determination whether the first base station is a known base station is then made. If the first base station is not known, a second message is transmitted to the access terminal requesting a network identification of the first base station. A third message from the access terminal is received in response to the second message including the requested network identification. A request for identification data is sent by the second base station to the first base station via a network link based on the network identification. Corresponding apparatus and other exemplary methods are also disclosed.

1. Field
The present disclosure generally relates to methods and apparatus for neighbor discovery of base stations in a communication system, and more particularly to an automated neighbor discovery by a base station with the assistance of an access terminal.
2. Background
In communication systems, such as wireless communication systems, base stations serving communication content may maintain data concerning neighboring base stations within the communication system. Neighboring base stations are those base stations geographically situated relative to a particular base station that represent viable candidates to which to a mobile communication device being currently served by the particular base station might handed off to as the mobile communication changes location.
In certain wireless communication systems, such those employing Ultra Mobile Broadband (UMB) technology or LTE (Long Term Evolution technology) having an Evolved Packet System (EPS), the communication network linking the base stations may be used by the base stations to communicate respective information to other base stations in the network (e.g., evolved base stations (eBS) in a converged access network, such as a radio area network (RAN), connected via an access gateway (AGW)). Additionally in such systems, when an access terminal (AT) undergoes a handoff from one base station to another, the AT will report neighboring base station information (e.g., a Pilot ID) at the time of handoff, which saves overhead resources. Normally if the network neighboring base station is known to the base station handing off, the identifying information is sufficient for handing off within the network. However, whenever a new base station is added or removed from the RAN, these conventional systems require an operator to manually reconfigure all of the affected base stations, which becomes particularly burdensome, making acquisition expensive, and is less homogeneous, especially if temporary base stations are used within a network.

Methods and apparatus for neighbor discovery of base stations in a communication system


A method and apparatus for monitoring and dynamically adjusting insurance coverage tracks new personal and/or business property purchases and alerts a concerned party, such as the insured or the insurer, to the potential need for updating insurance coverage in light of the new personal and/or business property purchases.

Currently, homeowners in the United States alone spend over 49 billion dollars annually on homeowner insurance premiums. Small businesses also spend at least this amount annually protecting structures and their contents through building insurance. Most households and small businesses depend on homeowner's and building insurance to cover the cost of replacing or repairing their primary residence or place of business in the event of damage due to natural disasters such as: fire; earthquake; flooding; wind/storm; land/mudslide; and falling trees, or man-made disasters, such as: falling parts of neighboring structures; vehicles; failed or faulty service systems and appliances; etc.
Since, for most households and small businesses, the homeowner's/building insurance covers the primary residence or place of business, the long term customer focus regarding homeowner's/building insurance coverage is on the replacement/repair of the actual structure comprising the home or business building. However, in the event of a major disaster, the cost of replacing the actual home or business structure is only part of the loss incurred. Often forgotten over time is the rising replacement cost of personal/business property housed in the structure, and often lost with the structure, such as appliances, televisions and other video devices, stereo systems and other audio devices, office equipment, computing devices, and various other "durable goods" as well as furniture and collections such as art, firearms, coins, antiques, etc. Not only is the cost of replacing this personal/business property very significant, but it is these items that make any replacement, or repaired, dwelling or building a livable and functioning home or a location capable of conducting business.
Most homeowner's/building insurance policies ask for an inventory of personal/business property kept in the insured structure when the policy is written, or they provide a range, or cap, of personal/business property that is covered by the structure policy. For instance, a typical homeowner's policy will provide for replacement value of the home structure at a base premium plus, for additional premiums, various ranges of personal property value can also be covered such as: zero to five thousand dollars; five to ten thousand dollars; ten to twenty thousand dollars; and so on. In this way, the homeowner's/building insurance policies can be "customized" and made flexible enough to meet the needs of numerous different insured parties, and/or can evolve with the needs of any given insured party. However, if the total value of personal/business property housed in the insured structure changes, it is typically left to customer, i.e., the insured party, to adjust the insurance coverage and/or premium to reflect this change.
Unfortunately, as noted above, the long-term mental focus of the typical insured party regarding homeowner's/building insurance coverage is on the replacement/repair of the actual structure. Consequently, as the total value of personal/business property contained within the insured structure changes, i.e., a household grows in size or acquires/disposes of more personal property, or a business grows and takes on more employees and/or equipment, the insured party often fails to adjust the personal/business property insurance coverage to reflect, and cover, the change. Consequently, a dangerous gap often develops between insurance coverage and actual value of personal property that will need to be replaced in the event of a disaster or other emergency. This gap is often only brought to the attention of the insured party when it is too late, i.e., when disaster has struck, and they are in the worst possible position to fill the gap.
The situation described above is, obviously, not ideal for the insured parties who, after a disaster, are potentially left without sufficient coverage to either establish a new/repaired home or get back to doing business. However, the situation described above falls equally short of ideal for the insurance companies, who typically want to provide additional coverage to the insured parties as the need arises.

Method and apparatus for dynamically determining insurance coverage


The method comprises the steps of

Hearing devices usually have to be adjusted to the needs and preferences of the user of the hearing device. This adjusting, also referred to as fitting, is typically done during several fitting sessions. The fitting may involve the measurement of audiograms and other audiological data of the user, an initial fitting and several steps of fine-tuning the fitting as well as the definition of several hearing programs providing for an optimized hearing sensation in different acoustic environments. This is known, in particular, in the field of hearing-aid devices. Hearing device fitting requires very specific skills, and it is different for different hearing device users, since the hearing abilities of each user are very individual. Therefore, the fitting and the corresponding programming of the hearing devices is usually done by an audiologist or another hearing care professional.
Typically, the hearing care professional has a programming environment with one or several computers, each of which has an interface unit to connect to a hearing device or to a pair of hearing devices. The provision of several computers allows working with several hearing device users at the same time, typically in different examination rooms. Hearing devices of different hearing device manufacturers require the use of different programming software for fitting, also referred to as fitting programs. In order to simplify dealing with different fitting programs, software-hardware platforms with dedicated interfaces have been developed, which allow to connect hearing devices of different hearing device manufacturers to said dedicated interface attached to a general purpose computer. By means of the software of such a software-hardware platform, a hearing-device-manufacturer-specific fitting program can be launched, with the information, what kind of hearing device model shall be fitted and for which specific user the hearing device shall be fitted. This way, the appropriate type and version of the hearing-device-manufacturer-specific fitting program is launched, or appropriate parameters in the hearing-device-manufacturer-specific fitting program are set, and data related to the hearing of the user, like audiograms, as well as former hearing device settings, are in access and used in the hearing-device-manufacturer-specific fitting program. A well-known example of such a software-hardware platform in the field of hearing-aid devices is known as "NOAH".
The invention arose from the desire for time savings in fitting sessions, without decreasing the quality of the fitting.
It has turned out that it takes a considerable amount of time to launch a fitting software, even if performed by a software-hardware platform as described above.
The inventive ideas solving that problem turned out to be applicable to further problems, too, like the dispensing of consumables or accessories for hearing devices.
The unpublished patent applications with the application numbers U.S. Ser. No. 11/395,788 and EP 06 112 108.3 of the same applicant, filed on Mar. 31, 2006, and entitled "Method and system for adjusting a hearing device", disclose a method for wirelessly adjusting one or more hearing devices, by using a wireless network or wireless transmitter, respectively. By means of this, an audiologist can unambiguously assign one or two hearing devices in a fitting session, even if multiple hearing devices lie on the desktop within the range of the wireless network or wireless transmitter, respectively.
US 2002/0054689 A1 discloses a method and a system for remotely upgrading a hearing device by downloading software resources over a network from a remote server to a local client.

Method and apparatuses related to hearing devices, in particular to maintaining hearing devices and to dispensing consumables therefore

Abstract: The method comprises the steps of

Abstract: automatically monitoring and detecting indications indicative of a forthcoming event concerning hearing systems;                if such an indication is detected, retrieving identification data identifying at least one device of the hearing system concerned, referred to as specific device, or a user of said hearing system concerned, referred to as specific user; and        using said identification data for retrieving further data related to said specific device as device data or related to said specific user as user data.The method and the corresponding system can be used for adjusting said specific hearing system or other support actions, like dispensing consumables for said specific hearing system, or preparatory actions, like launching a suitable fitting program or loading audiological data related to the user.


Each of APRM units equipped for each of the diversity channels has printed circuit boards having circuit patterns thereon and a circuit description elements installed on the printed circuit board. The circuit description elements are FPGA elements manufactured by mutually different providers for example and implemented an electric circuit described in a hardware description language by a configuration tool. The circuit description elements can be implemented mutually different descriptions of the electric circuit, or can be implemented the electric circuit by mutually different configuration tools. Also, the printed circuit boards for the diversity channels can be different from each other.

The present invention relates to a diversity system provided with diversity channels, each of the diversity channels having a unit provided with a printed circuit board and a circuit description element in which an electric circuit described in a hardware description language is implemented. The present invention also relates to a producing method of such a system.
A digital signal processing approach using LSI, such as CPU or FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array), may be applied to a radiation monitoring device of a safety protection instrumentation system for a nuclear plant. The digital signal processing can make it possible to deal with more complicated calculation, and has more accuracy and higher resistance to noise than an analog signal processing. Also, it becomes easier to make a system compact by applying the digital signal processing. Like these, there are many advantages in application of the digital signal processing. However, there also exists a disadvantage peculiar to the digital signal processing that an error may occur at a certain timing of signal processing or under a certain condition.
The safety protection instrumentation system has an important role on nuclear reactor protection. This role is represented by judging a scrum of the nuclear reactor at abnormalities and outputting a signal of scrum. Therefore, it is necessary to multiplex instruments and to be designed so as not to start an incorrect operation or not to remain incorrectly in non-operation. In order to apply the digital signal processing to such a safety protection instrumentation system, a quality assurance activity is necessary through a design phase and a manufacturing phase. Also it is necessary to validate the instruments by verifying and extracting causes of the above-mentioned incorrect operation and incorrect non-operation through the design phase or a pilot phase.
On the other hand, for the safety protection instrumentation system equipped with FPGAs can be constituted as a hard-wired logic. Consequently, as compared with a CPU based system where software mainly controls, the processing is decisive and the processing operation is also deterministic generally. Therefore, there is a merit of easy verification. However, since the digital signal processing is applied, the error resulting from the design logic error or the signal processing timing still exists. Therefore, a safety protection instrumentation system equipped with FPGAs which can eliminate those factors has been invented (for example, refer to Japanese Patent Application Publication 2005-249609; the entire content of which is incorporated herein by reference).
Generally, a safety protection instrumentation system is configured as a diversity system. About FPGA applied to such a safety protection instrumentation system, the means of verification of a design, an action, and a signal processing timing, etc. and validation have been proposed. However, as a potential problem, an artificial error in a design phase, a defect of an FPGA element, or a defect of FPGA configuration tools, such as, a logic synthesis tool of FPGA, can be a cause of malfunction common in the diversity system. If a cause of malfunction common to all diversity channels exists, each of the diversity channels may malfunction simultaneously because of the common cause, and the whole diversity system may malfunction.

Diversity signal processing system and a producing method thereof


A drive circuit for supplying drive signals to a plurality of windings of a multi-phase d.c. motor. The drive circuit comprises a multi-phase inverter which supplies the drive signals to the motor windings; a phase detector which samples the back-emf signal of a winding in order to obtain a phase-error signal; a low-pass filter which generates a control signal dependent upon the phase-error signal; and a controllable oscillator which generates a frequency signal whose phase and frequency depend on the control signal. The timing with which the multi-phase inverter supplies the drive signals to the windings is dependent on the frequency signal. The drive circuit further comprises a masking circuit for temporarily inhibiting the further processing of the phase-error signal by the low-pass filter, at least during the presence of a flyback signal in the phase-error signal, as a result of which the processing of the flyback pulses present in the phase-error signal is inhibited.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a drive circuit for supplying drive signals to a plurality of windings of a multi-phase d.c. motor, comprising a multi-phase inverter which supplies the drive signals to the windings of the motor in such a manner that these windings are recurrently energized by the drive signals in a given sequence, at least one winding not being supplied with a drive signal at least during predetermined free periods;
a phase detector which under control of said multi-phase inverter, during a plurality of said free periods in which no drive signal is applied to said at least one winding, samples the back-emf signal of this winding in order to obtain a phase-error signal; PA1 a low-pass filter which generates a control signal in dependence upon the phase-error signal; and PA1 a controllable oscillator which generates a frequency signal whose phase and frequency depend on the control signal, the timing with which the multi-phase inverter supplies the drive signals to the windings being dependent on the frequency and phase of the frequency signal. The invention also relates to a drive system comprising a multi-phase d.c. motor and such a drive circuit. The invention further relates to a disk drive including such a drive system.
2. Related Art
Brushless d.c. motors driven by an inverter generally use a feedback loop to maintain a desired phase-angle relationship between the position of the rotor and the stator at the instant that a winding is energized. The phase-angle relationship may be selected, for example, in such a manner that the motor produces a maximal torque.
A free period of a winding generally occurs within or coincides with a drive period of another winding, in which this other winding receives drive signals. The beginning and the end of a free period of a winding generally also coincides with the beginning or the end of a drive period of other windings. In the case of, for example, a three-phase motor this means that at any instant a drive signal is applied to two windings (during two drive periods which are 120.degree. phase-shifted relative to one another), while no drive signal is applied to a third winding (during a free period which is half as long as each drive period). This third winding is kept "floating" and generates a back-emf signal, known per se.
Such a drive circuit is known from U.S. Pat. No. 4,928,043. This known circuit includes a feedback loop comprising the phase detector, the low-pass filter and the controllable oscillator. This feedback loop is consequently a phase-locked loop (PLL). The phase detector combines the successive back-emf signals from one or more windings to form the phase error signal, in which all back-emf signals are given the same polarity. The low-pass filter is constructed as an integrator which compares the back-emf voltages of a winding with a reference value and integrates the difference in order to obtain a control signal for the oscillator. The control signal controls the oscillator of the VCO type, which in its turn controls the switching instants of the multi-phase converter. If the desired position of the rotor of the motor, which is determined by the inverter, deviates from the actual position of the rotor, the voltage of the control signal will change accordingly and will cause the VCO to correct the switching instants of the inverter so as to counteract the deviation. The voltage of the back-emf signal has an optimum for which the motor generates a maximal torque. By means of the PLL a deviation of this voltage results in a change of the control signal so as to counteract the deviation.
For an optimum efficiency the known circuit has a switched current regulator which modulates the pulse width of the drive signals (pulse width modulation). This technique gives rise to spurious components on the back-emf signal. Since the known circuit uses a phase-locked loop (PLL) the susceptibility to these spurious components has decreased considerably.
However, the known circuit with a phase-locked loop has the problem that it does not operate correctly when the motor is started because commutations do not occur at the ideal instant.

Drive circuit supplying drive signals to a plurality of windings of a multi-phase d.c. motor


According to one embodiment, an inspection device includes: an image generation device configured to generate a second image corresponding to a first image; and a defect detection device configured to estimate a nonlinear shift based on a plurality of partial region sets, each of the partial region sets including a first partial region in the first image and a second partial region in the second image corresponding to the first partial region, and detect a defect in the second image from the first image.

Along with miniaturization of a semiconductor device and a mask for an exposure apparatus used for the manufacture of the semiconductor device, an inspection device for inspecting the semiconductor device and the mask has been developed.
In general, in the inspection of a semiconductor device and a mask, processing of comparing and calculating a reference image serving as a reference of a correct state and an actually acquired inspection target image to generate a differential image between them is performed. If no defect exists at all in the inspection target image, the differential image is a flat image having an almost predetermined tone. On the other hand, if a defect exists, a pattern with a conspicuous change in brightness with respect to the periphery appears in the differential image at the same position as the defect.
The inspection target image generated by the inspection device includes a position shift and a spatial distortion caused by a reason unavoidable in principle or the environment at the time of inspection. In this case, a pattern called a pseudo-defect with a conspicuous change in brightness with respect to the periphery may occur in the differential image generated in the above-described way, although it is not originally a defect.
Hence, various techniques of correcting the inspection target image or the reference image by measuring and estimating the position shift and distortion, and suppressing detection errors caused by the pseudo-defect have been proposed.
However, to accurately measure and estimate the position shift and distortion so as not to cause a detection error by the pseudo-defect, an enormous amount of calculation may be needed. For this reason, a high cost may be generated for a computer for defect detection, and the cost may be a cost factor that cannot be neglected in the semiconductor device manufacture.

Inspection device, inspection method, and storage medium


A power supply and/or ballast optimizes performance of an electrical load, such as a High Intensity Discharge (HID) lamp by monitoring the current and voltage signal driving the load, and calculating a representative portion of the power spectrum being delivered to the load. The calculated portion of the delivered power spectrum is compared to a desired power spectrum, and the input signal to the load is modified in such a manner that the delivered power spectrum will more closely match the desired power spectrum. The input current and voltage, and the frequency at the load are thus not controlled directly, but are an indirect result of applying the modified input power spectrum to the load. By utilizing the input power spectrum in this manner, a power supply and/or ballast provides improved control and performance when used with electrical loads such as HID lamps.

This invention relates to a power supply for an electrical load which requires a modulated input signal for proper operation, and more particularly to a ballast for a high-intensity gas discharge lamp.
Certain types of electrical loads operate more efficiently or effectively when driven by an input current signal that is both alternating and modulated in some manner. One example of such an electrical load is a high-intensity gas discharge (HID) lamp, of the type used indoors or outdoors for general illumination of parking lots and buildings.
As disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,184,633 B1, the operational stability and uniformity of light generated by such HID lamps can be improved by driving the lamps with a swept frequency input signal that is either amplitude modulated, or sequentially alternated with a periodic change in the range of the swept frequency. In particular, an input signal is disclosed that includes a current frequency sweep from 45 to 55 kHz within a sweep time of about 10 milliseconds, in combination with either: a constant amplitude modulation frequency of about 24.5 Hz and a modulation index of 0.24; a periodic sequential change in sweep frequency to about 12.3 kHZ. In the ""633 B1 patent, the swept frequency and amplitude modulating signals are generated separately and combined in a summing junction to produce the signal actually fed to the HID lamp. The modulation frequency is predetermined and maintained as a constant.
U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/620,357 now U.S. Pat. No. 6,400,100, commonly assigned to the original assignee of the present application, provides additional methods and apparatus for determining the optimum modulation frequency and/or sequential operating frequency, through sequential and periodic measurement of maximum operating current and/or voltage delivered to the HID lamp at various amplitude modulating frequencies within a predetermined range of frequencies. Once the appropriate values are determined, the ""357 application utilizes the methods and apparatus disclosed in the ""633 B1 patent for producing the input waveform.
Although the teachings of the above referenced patent and application provide considerably improved performance with electrical loads, such as HID lamps, additional improvement is desirable. The above referenced patent relies on predetermined operating parameters believed to provide optimal performance. The above referenced patent application improves on this by utilizing feedback measurements of lamp current and voltage to adjust operating parameters for optimal performance. Variations in performance between HID lamps, and installation specific considerations, such as horizontal vs. vertical installation positions of the lamp, may introduce variables that are not addressed by either the above referenced patent or application. It is also desirable that a power supply and/or ballast be adaptable for providing optimized performance with more than one type of load (HID lamp type or size).
What is needed, therefore, is an improved power supply and/or ballast.
Our invention provides such an improved power supply and/or ballast through recognition that it is really the power spectrum delivered to the electrical load that is important in optimizing performance. Our invention monitors the current and voltage signal driving the load, and calculates a representative portion of the power spectrum being delivered to the load. The calculated portion of the delivered power spectrum is compared to a desired power spectrum, and the input signal to the load is modified in such a manner that the delivered power spectrum will more closely match the desired power spectrum. The input current and voltage, and the frequency at the load are thus not controlled directly, as was the case in the prior art, but are an indirect result of applying the modified input power spectrum to the load. By utilizing the input power spectrum in this manner, our invention provides a power supply and/or ballast that achieves improved control and performance when used with electrical loads such as HID lamps.
One form of our invention provides a method for operating a power source adapted to supply an input signal having an alternating current and voltage to an electrical load in a manner providing a desired power spectrum to the electrical load. The method includes calculating a portion of the power spectrum being delivered to the electrical load by the input signal, and modifying the input signal in such a manner that the delivered power spectrum more closely matched the desired power spectrum. The step of calculating a portion of the delivered power spectrum may include monitoring and integrating the alternating current and voltage of the input signal. The method may further include storing a representation of the desired power spectrum in the power source.
In some embodiments of our invention, the power source includes a pulse width modulated signal generator. The step of modifying the input signal includes controlling the pulse width modulated signal generator to produce the desired power spectrum. In embodiments where it is desired that the input signal be an amplitude modulated swept frequency signal, having a number of parameters including an amplitude, a sweeping frequency ranging between a first lower frequency and a second higher frequency value in a specified period of time, an adjustable modulating frequency, and an adjustable modulation index, the step of modifying the input signal includes controlling the pulse width modulated signal generator to adjust one or more of these parameters. Our method may also include additional steps for independently selecting the value of one or more of the parameters, on the basis of a sweep of current or voltage delivered to the electrical load at various modulating or sweeping frequencies.
Our invention may also take the form of an apparatus or code on a computer readable medium for performing the method of our invention.
In one form of our invention, an apparatus is provided for operating a high intensity discharge lamp (HID lamp) in a manner producing a desired power spectrum for driving the lamp. The apparatus includes a pulse width modulator having a first input adapted for connection to a source of electrical power, a second input for receiving a control signal, and an output adapted for coupling to the HID lamp. The pulse width modulator is configured to provide an amplitude modulated swept frequency signal to the lamp, with the signal having an alternating current and voltage and generating a delivered power spectrum at the lamp, when the apparatus is connected between a source of electrical power and the lamp. The apparatus also includes a controller having an input operatively coupled to the output of the pulse width modulator, for receiving the alternating current and voltage signal, and an output operatively connected to the second input of the pulse width modulator for delivering a control signal to the pulse width modulator. The controller is configured for calculating a portion of the delivered power spectrum, and for providing a control signal to the pulse width modulator for modifying the input signal in such a manner that the delivered power spectrum more closely matches the desired power spectrum.
The controller of the apparatus may include a processor for monitoring and integrating the alternating current and voltage input signal to compute a portion of the delivered power spectrum. The controller may also include means for storing a representation of the desired power spectrum.
The apparatus may also be implemented in either an analog or a digital pulse width modulated form, using either symmetric or asymmetric PWM control.
The foregoing and other features and advantages of our invention will become further apparent from the following detailed description of exemplary embodiments, read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. The detailed description and drawings are merely illustrative of our invention rather than limiting, the scope of the invention being defined by the appended claims and equivalents thereof.

Power supply and/or ballast system controlled by desired load power spectrum


For use with a processor employing a hierarchical register consolidation structure (HRCS), a condition management system and method of operation thereof. In one embodiment, the system includes a condition management structure (CMS) that abstracts groups of status indicators associated with the HRCS into a tree of hierarchical container objects and element objects. Each of the container objects is associated with at least one of the element objects and linked to a single parent object, and each of the element objects configured to represent at least one of the status indicators and linked to a single child object. The system further includes an abstraction retrieval subsystem that employs the CMS to traverse the HRCS to determine a condition of at least one of the status indicators, and an abstraction management subsystem that employs the CMS to control a propagation of selected ones of the status indicators through the HRCS.

Microprocessors are designed to handle events, such as communication line status and errors, through the use of interrupts. Typically, when a microprocessor receives an event, hardware in the microprocessor sets a bit in an alarm register associated with that particular event. For each bit in the alarm register there is also a corresponding bit in an interrupt mask register that determines if that bit in the alarm register will contribute to or cause the microprocessor to be interrupted. If the bit in the alarm register for that event is allowed to cause an interrupt (not masked), then the microprocessor will be interrupted.
Once the microprocessor is interrupted, the software that processes the interrupts has to determine the cause of the interrupt and inform high-level application software. For example, the interrupt software may have to look at every alarm register and its associated interrupt mask register to determine if a bit within that particular alarm register caused the interrupt. Once the bit causing the interrupt is determined, the interrupt software would have to determine which high-level application software is associated with processing that type of interrupt and then notify that particular high-level application software. However, if the cause of the interrupt is not determined and passed off to the application software within a certain period of time, the event that caused of the interrupt may be lost or the microprocessor might incur unacceptable delays in processing.
As microprocessors have become more specialized and/or capable of monitoring and controlling more devices, the number of interrupts has also increased. However, a simple alarm register and an interrupt mask register structure could not accommodate all of the interrupts needed. In response, system designers developed interrupt register structures that allowed multiple interrupt bits (e.g., bits in the alarm register) to be combined into a single bit in another register. For example, one alarm register containing 16 bits could be combined into a single bit in another alarm register and so one.
These new interrupt register structures, however, are not without problems. Once such problem is the ability of the interrupt software to traverse through the interrupt register structure to determine what caused the interrupt. Also, for each interrupt structure, software engineers would have to develop special code just to traverse that particular structure. The software engineers would also have to develop specialized software applications to handle the interrupts for that interrupt register structure. This would cause the source code to become huge and unmanageable. Also, with the increased code size, the source code can become error prone and validation of both the hardware and software becomes an issue. In addition, as the number of hardware interrupts increases, the ability of the software to detect and handle the increased number of interrupts becomes more difficult.
Accordingly, what is needed in the art is a way to overcome the deficiencies of the prior art in handling complex interrupt structures.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Condition management system and a method of operation thereof


An adapter for coupling a laser processing device to an object, said adapter having a central region which can be moved into the beam path of the laser processing device, an illumination beam path through which illumination radiation can be guided for illumination of an object field which can be covered by the central region, and a peripheral region located outside the central region and by which the adapter can be mounted on the object and/or on the laser processing device, wherein the illumination beam path extends in the peripheral region and guides illumination radiation, coupled into the peripheral region, to the object field direct and/or via the central region.

For materials processing by means of laser radiation, a laser processing device is employed in many cases for scanning the areas of the object which are to be processed with the laser beam. The precision in positioning the laser beam usually determines the precision achieved in processing. Exact three-dimensional positioning is required when focusing the laser beam into a processing volume. For high-precision processing, it is usually indispensable, therefore, to hold the object in an exactly defined position relative to the laser processing device. For such applications, the above-mentioned adapter is useful, because it enables fixation of the object to be processed, so that defined ratios can be achieved up to the processing volume. The central region of the adapter thus becomes part of the beam path.
This is necessary, in particular, in micro-processing of materials which have only low linear optical absorption in the spectral range of the processing laser radiation. In such materials, usually non-linear interactions between the laser radiation and the material are utilized generally in the form of an optical breakthrough being generated in the focus of the laser beam. Since the processing effect then only occurs in the laser beam focus, exact three-dimensional positioning of the focal point is indispensable. Thus, exact depth adjustment of the focal position in the beam path is required in addition to two-dimensional deflection of the laser beam. The above-mentioned adapter serves to ensure constant optical conditions and ones that are known with a certain precision in the beam path leading to the object by the central region of the adapter being part of the beam path and the adapter coupling the object and the laser processing device.
A typical application for such an adapter is the ophthalmic surgery method known as femtosecond LASIK, wherein the laser processing device focuses a laser beam to a focal point on the order of a few micrometers into the cornea. A plasma causing local separation of corneal tissue is then generated in the focus. By suitable sequential arrangement of the zones of local separation thus generated, macroscopic cuts are realized and a determined partial volume of the cornea is isolated. Then, by removal of said partial volume, a desired change in refraction of the cornea is achieved, thus enabling correction of defective eyesight.
For this LASIK method, a contact lens provided with reference marks is known from U.S. Pat. No. 6,373,571. This contact lens is adjusted by means of a separate measurement device, thus leading to a relatively complex design. An example of an adapter of the aforementioned type is described in EP 1 159 986 A2. While being similar to the contact lens of U.S. Pat. No. 6,373,571, it additionally comprises a periphery as well in the form of a holder having hair marks, which allow visual alignment by the surgeon.
In materials processing by means of laser radiation, there often arises the need to monitor execution of processing. It is desired to be able to observe the processing field during application of the laser radiation. This holds true, in particular, for the aforementioned LASIK method wherein the treating physician has to observe the field of operation. Therefore, the aforementioned laser processing device usually comprises an optical system for imaging the area to which the laser radiation is applied. The image is generated either on a camera or in an intermediate image plane from which direct visual inspection through an eyepiece is then possible. Observation is effected through the central region of the adapter, and it is required for the laser processing device to illuminate the area to which the laser radiation is being applied and which is being observed as the object field.
As the illumination necessary for visual observation, the use of a light source whose radiation passes through the laser processing device could be contemplated. However, since the optics provided therein usually comprise a multiplicity of interfaces all having a certain residual reflectivity, a non-negligible part of the illumination radiation inevitably cross-talks into the image of the object field. Depending on the optical arrangement, this is noticeable in the image plane as global brightening of the image or as bright spots at fixed sites of the observed object field, especially at its center. In any case, the reflections reduce the image quality with which the object field can be observed.
A further approach (not disclosed up to now) would be conceivable in the form of pupil separation. This would then require to first image the light source used for illumination into a pupil plane of the optical system of the laser processing device. In doing so, the image would have to be designed such that only an outer ring of the pupil plane guides illumination radiation and the center of the pupil plane is used only for imaging the object field. The reflectivity of objects located near the image plane could then not impair imaging of the object field. However, the condition that all reflecting surfaces should be located near an image plane can usually not be satisfied by an adapter of the aforementioned type, because its central region is inevitably located in the beam path, and the position of the adapter and, consequently, of the possibly reflecting surfaces is given by the type of the object and is, thus, hardly variable and, in particular, not optimally selectable under optical aspects. Also, in pupil separation as described above, interfering parasitic radiation would have to be expected.

Adapter for coupling a laser processing device to an object


A system includes a camera and a processor. The processor is programmed to determine a first location of the vehicle using wireless signals; responsive to determining that the first location is within an urban area, capture an image of a fixed-location device along a roadway using the camera; identify a device location of the fixed-location device; and update the first location in comparison with the device location to generate a second location of the vehicle.

In very high density urban areas or inside a building such as a parking garage, a vehicle equipped with a global navigation satellite system (GNSS) or assisted-GNSS may not be able to determine its location accurately. For example, a driver may pull out of a parking space in a parking garage and be unable to identify whether to turn left or right. However, when the driver looks to the vehicle navigation system for directions, the navigation system may receive insufficient GNSS signal to locate the vehicle with adequate precision and accuracy.


An apparatus and a method for suppressing growth of an oxide film on a coil which is a spirally wound, rolled strip are disclosed. A rolled strip subjected to rolling by hot rolling equipment is wound spirally by a down-coiler to make a coil. Covers are disposed on the opposite sides of the coil such that heat resistant materials intimately contact the opposite sides of the coil. The covers are fixed by L-bolts and nuts to cover the opposite sides of the coil with the covers. In this state, the coil is naturally cooled for a predetermined time to suppress growth of an oxide film and increase productivity.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an apparatus and a method for suppressing growth of an oxide film on a coil of a rolled strip which has been wound from hot rolling equipment onto a down-coiler and stored in a coil yard.
2. Description of the Related Art
FIGS. 13(a) and 13(b) schematically show a general state of storage of the coils. FIG. 14 is a graph showing the thickness of an oxide film, in the width direction, on the coil in a conventional state of storage.
A rolled strip after rolling in hot rolling equipment is wound spirally by a down-coiler, carried to a coil yard, and stored there. The posture of the coil in storage is a vertical posture of a coil C as shown in FIG. 13 (a), or a horizontal posture of the coil C as shown in FIG. 13(b). In this posture of storage, the coils are placed in a layer, or stacked in layers, on a frame (not shown). The coils stored in that posture are cooled by natural ventilation or by forced cooling in a building for about 110 hours in summer, or about 80 hours in winter.
In the above posture of coil storage, the rolled strip is cooled in the coil yard while being left to stand for a long time at a high temperature in an oxidizing atmosphere of the air. Thus, an oxide film grows on the surface of the coil over a long time. In the case of the coil of the rolled strip spirally wound, both of its edges directly touch the air. From the edges, air penetrates the gap between the adjacent turns of the rolled strip. Consequently, the oxide film growing on the strip surface of the coil differs in thickness across its width direction.
The graph indicated in FIG. 14 shows the thickness of the oxide film in the width direction of the coil. During rolling, the oxide film is formed uniformly to a thickness of 8 xcexcm, and then the coil is cooled for a predetermined period of time in the coil yard. As shown in this graph, the oxide film on the strip surface of the coil grows to a thickness of 18 xcexcm at the edge, 15 xcexcm at a distance of 50 mm from the edge, 9 xcexcm at a distance of 300 mm from the edge, and 8.5 xcexcm at a distance of 470 mm from the edge (i.e., at a central position in the width direction). One will see that when the rolled strip in the coiled form is cooled, the oxide film grows to a thickness of 8.5 xcexcm at the central position in the width direction, but to a thickness of 18 xcexcm, a value more than two-fold, at the edge.
The rolled strip having the oxide file formed on the surface thereof is generally acid pickled to remove the oxide film. Then, the rolled strip is transported to a subsequent step such as a plating line. The acid pickling of the rolled strip is performed by guiding the rolled strip into an acid pickling tank holding an acidic liquid, and immersing the rolled strip therein for a predetermined time, thereby cleaning off the oxide film formed on the surface. That is, the duration of immersion of the rolled strip in the acid pickling tank is set in accordance with the thickness of the oxide film formed on the surface of the rolled strip. Hence, the rolled strip, which has the oxide film 8.5 xcexcm thick at the central position and 18 xcexcm at the edge, needs to be immersed in the acid pickling tank for a long time adapted for the oxide film which is 18 xcexcm in thickness. As a result, the transport speed of the rolled strip in the acid pickling is slowed, decreasing the overall production efficiency. When the thickness of the oxide film formed on the surface of the rolled strip is great, moreover, the consumption of the acidic liquid used increases, raising the pickling cost.
The present invention has been accomplished to solve the above-described problems with the earlier technologies. It is an object of this invention to provide an apparatus and a method for suppressing growth of an oxide film on a coil of a rolled strip by properly storing and cooling the coil, while achieving an increase in productivity.
An aspect of the invention, as a means of attaining the above, object, is an apparatus for suppressing growth of an oxide film on a coil which is a spirally wound, rolled strip, wherein covers are provided for covering at least opposite sides of the coil.
Thus, the opposite sides of the coil are cooled while being shielded from the outside air. Penetration of air into the interior of the coil is inhibited, the growth of the oxide film on the rolled strip (coil), especially at its edge, is suppressed, and the formation of an extremely thick oxide film at the edge as compared with the center in the width direction can be prevented. As a result, the coil has a thin oxide film overall, and widthwise is leveled in thickness. The acid pickling time for cleaning off the oxide film can be markedly decreased, and the transport speed of the rolled strip during acid pickling can be increased, whereby the overall production efficiency can be raised. The consumption of the acidic liquid used can also be decreased to reduce the pickling cost.
In the apparatus for suppressing growth of an oxide film on a coil, a heat insulating material may be provided on a surface of each of the covers in intimate contact with the coil. By this measure, rapid local cooling of the coil is prevented, and penetration of air into the interior of the coil is reliably inhibited. Consequently, the formation of an extremely thick oxide film at the edge compared with the center in width direction can be prevented. The resulting oxide film is thin overall, and widthwise is leveled in thickness
In the apparatus for suppressing growth of an oxide film on a coil, each of the covers may be shaped like a ring having a through-hole at a center thereof, and eye rings formed to project toward the through-holes of the covers may be connected together and fixed by bolts and nuts. By these measures, the covers can be mounted easily on the coil.
In the apparatus for suppressing growth of an oxide film on a coil, a cooling water path may be provided in each of the covers. By this measure, the coil is forcibly cooled with cooling water, with its opposite sides being shielded from the outside air. Consequently, the cooling time can be shortened, and the storage time of the coil in the coil yard can be reduced.
In the apparatus for suppressing growth of an oxide film on a coil, each of the covers may be shaped like a disk having a flange portion in an outer peripheral area of the cover, and the cooling water path may be provided along a circumferential direction of the cover. Since the cooling water path becomes long, the cooling efficiency can be increased.
In the apparatus for suppressing growth of an oxide film on a coil, the covers may be provided with a supply path and a discharge path for supplying and discharging an inert gas into and from a hollow portion of the coil. By this measure, the opposite sides of the coil are shielded from the outside air, and the hollow portion of the coil is supplied with the inert gas. Thus, penetration of air into the interior of the coil is inhibited, and the oxidizing atmosphere inside the coil is purged with the inert gas. Consequently, growth of the oxide film on the rolled strip can be suppressed reliably.
In the apparatus for suppressing growth of an oxide film on a coil, each of the covers may be shaped like a disk having a flange portion in an outer peripheral area of the cover, and the supply path and the discharge path for the inert gas which communicate with the hollow portion of the coil may be provided in the center of the covers. By this measure, a simple constitution can increase the cooling efficiency.
In the apparatus for suppressing growth of an oxide film on a coil, the covers may be a cup for accommodating the coil and a cup for covering an opening of the cup. By so doing, the coil can be cooled, with its whole being shielded from the outside, so that the growth of the oxide film on the rolled strip can be suppressed reliably.
Another aspect of the invention is a method for suppressing growth of an oxide film on a coil which is a spirally wound, rolled strip, comprising cooling the coil while covering at least opposite sides of the coil with covers.
Thus, penetration of air into the interior of the coil can be inhibited, the growth of the oxide film on the rolled strip (coil), especially at its edge, can be suppressed, and the formation of an extremely thick oxide film at the edge compared with the center in the width direction can be prevented. As a result, the coil has a thin oxide film overall, and widthwise is leveled in thickness.
The method for suppressing growth of an oxide film on a coil may comprise cooling the coil while the heat insulating surfaces of the covers and the coil are in intimate contact with each other. By so doing, rapid local cooling of the coil is prevented, and penetration of air into the interior of the coil is reliably inhibited. Consequently, the formation of an extremely thick oxide film at the edge compared with the center in width direction can be prevented. The resulting oxide film becomes thin overall and widthwise is leveled in thickness.
The method for suppressing growth of an oxide film on a coil may comprise cooling the coil by flowing cooling water in a cooling water path provided in each of the covers. By so doing, the coil is forcibly cooled with cooling water, with its opposite sides being shielded from the outside sir. Consequently, the cooling time can be shortened, and the storage time of the coil in the coil yard can be reduced.
The method for suppressing growth of an oxide film on a coil may comprise cooling the coil while supplying and discharging an inert gas into and from a hollow portion of the coil. By so doing, the opposite sides of the coil are shielded from the outside air, and the hollow portion of the coil is supplied with the inert gas. Thus, penetration of air into the interior of the coil can be inhibited, and the oxidizing atmosphere inside the coil can be purged with the inert gas. Consequently, growth of the oxide film on the rolled strip can be suppressed reliably.
The method for suppressing growth of an oxide film on a coil may comprise cooling the coil in an accommodated state. By so doing, the coil can be cooled, with its whole being shielded from the outside, so that the growth of the oxide film on the rolled strip can be suppressed reliably.

Apparatus and method for suppressing growth of oxide film on coil


A head support device having two handles or receptacles connected by a support strap, wherein the handles or receptacles are configured to support or accommodate the user's hands, and the support strap is configured to support or accommodate a portion of the user's head, namely, the user's face. In use, the user wears or otherwise passively contacts the handles or receptacles of the device such that the support strap maintains a desired distance between the user's hands. When in the seated position, the user contacts the support strap with their face, such that the user's hands and the handles or receptacles contact opposite sides of the user's head. The user further supports their arms by placing their elbows on their knees, upper legs, or other stable surface, thereby transferring the weight of their head to a stable surface via their forearms.

Sleep deprivation, also known as insufficient sleep, is the condition of not having enough sleep. It can be either chronic or acute and may vary widely in severity. A chronic sleep-restricted state can cause fatigue, daytime sleepiness, clumsiness, and weight loss or weight gain. In some instances, sleep deprivation can adversely affect brain and cognitive function. The dangers of sleep deprivation while driving are apparent and are known to produce some of the same hazardous effects as being intoxicated. Sleep deprivation commonly occurs as the result of insomnia, habitual use of stimulant drugs, sleep apnea, travel, and social, career, or educational activities that displace sleep time (such as gaming, socializing with friends, long work hours, studying, or binge-watching media content). Visual signs of sleep deprivation may include head-nodding, lane drifting, and daydreaming, as well as inappropriate emotional and behavioral responses due to distorted perceptions. In many instances, sleep-deprived individuals may be seen dozing in public, often in uncomfortable or unconventional positions that become unstable once the individual drifts into sleep. One such sleeping position is a seated, hunched over sleeping position, as shown in FIG. 1. The PRIOR ART sleeping position demonstrated in FIG. 1 requires the user to maintain sufficient consciousness and muscle control in order to hold up the user's head. Once the user loses consciousness, their sleeping position fails and they are abruptly awakened, which may be embarrassing and further contribute to their sleep-deprived condition.
Therefore, there exists an unmet need for a sleep aid device for assisting sleep-deprived individuals in safely, comfortably and stably sleeping in non-conventional sleeping positions. The present invention provides such a device.