Magnetic particles with a metal coat holding target substance captors are made to react with a target substance contained in a specimen in a solution where the magnetic particles are dispersed in a liquid medium. Subsequently, the dispersion of the magnetic particles is applied to a surface having a periodic structure that is adapted to generate plasmon resonance and a change in the plasmon resonance attributable to the concentration of the target substance held on the magnetic particles fixed magnetically to the surface is optically detected to determine the concentration of the target substance in the specimen.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a target substance detecting element, a target substance detection apparatus and a target substance detection method adapted to cause a target substance, e.g. proteins and DNAs, in a specimen to react highly efficiently with captors fixed to a piece of metal to improve the sensitivity of detection of the target substance.
2. Related Background Art
A number of markers (marker genes) of specific diseases such as cancer, hepatitis, diabetes mellitus, osteoporosis and so on exist in blood. The concentration of a specific protein increases in a subject when the subject contracts any of such diseases from the level observed in the healthy body of the subject. Therefore, it is possible to detect any of such serious diseases in earlier stages of contraction by monitoring the related proteins. Thus, techniques for monitoring proteins are expected to be used effectively in the next generation. One of the known techniques for analyzing unprocessed and unrefined proteins is based on a sensor for identifying a specific chemical compound by utilizing the biological ligand-analyte interaction.
Several types of sensors are known to date. Known sensors include those that utilize fluorescent immunoassay, those that utilize magnetic immunoassay and those that utilize plasmon resonance. However, all of them have a common step of fixing a ligand to the surface of the sensor and causing it to be selectively bonded to the analyte in an object of detection in a highly selective and sensitive manner in order to eliminate impurities and highly efficiently fix the desired proteins to the surface of a substrate. In the case of fluorescent immunoassay, a second ligand that is marked by a fluorescent dye is bonded to a ligand-analyte complex and the fluorescent dye is energized to observe the quantity of fluorescence and hence the concentration of analyte. In the case of magnetic immunoassay, a second ligand that is marked by a magnetic bead is bonded to a ligand-analyte complex to observe the change in the magnetic field and hence the concentration of analyte. In the case of plasmon resonance, the concentration of analyte is observed on a ligand-analyte complex formed on a metal thin film or a metal fine particle by utilizing the fact that a metal plasmon highly sensitively reacts to the change in the refractive index of the surface substance.
Japanese Patent No. 3452837 discloses a plasmon resonance sensor adapted to fix Au fine particles to the surface of a glass substrate and detect the change in the refractive index of a solvent or the extent of antigen adsorption in an antigen-antibody reaction. A sensor according to the cited invention can be arranged in a narrow place and advantageously be used for a specimen of any form.
Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2004-93558 discloses an apparatus for highly efficiently detecting the process where an object of measurement and a specific substance are bonded to and dissociated from each other by combining diffraction grating type SPR (surface plasmon resonance) with a micro channel chip to minimize the quantity of introduction of a specimen and washing liquid.
There is a document disclosing a method of preparing core-shell type fine particles by coating ferrite with gold and observing optical characteristics (absorption spectrum) thereof (NANO LETTERS, 2004, vol. 4, No. 4, p 719-723).
With the technique disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2004-93558, diffusion-controlling due to the appearance of concentration gradient of the target substance is suppressed by injecting a specimen into a very small flow path and transferring it by liquid in order to cause the target substance to highly efficiently react with captors. Then, the concentration of the target substance captured by the fixed captors is detected by detecting the change in the plasmon resonance. In other words, the cited invention requires a special structure for suppressing diffusion-controlling due to the appearance of concentration gradient of the target substance when the specimen is brought to contact with the surface where plasmon resonance is generated. In other words, the conventional art needs improvements.

Target substance detecting element, target substance detection apparatus and target substance detection method


Disclosed herein is a method of producing hydrogen, including selectively applying heat to a fuel within a canister thermally insulated and inside a cartridge, firing fuel with heating elements to facilitate decomposition and release hydrogen, and, removing said hydrogen from said cartridge via a fluid communication means.

1. Field
This disclosure relates to hydrogen producing fuel cartridges, and methods for producing hydrogen from these cartridges.
2. General Background
World-wide commercial use of fuel cell powered host devices, particularly portable devices. A non-exclusive list of potential host devices include, but are not limited to, computer peripherals, mobile phone peripherals, mobile phones, personal music players, laptops, notebooks, tablet, gaming devices, personal digital assistants (PDAs), and battery chargers. A fuel cell power system can either be located inside the host device or can be connected to the host device using suitable means. In either case, a means to provide fuel to the power system is required. An example of one such means is the use of fuels packaged in cartridges (packaged fuel) in predetermined amounts to satisfy the volume, weight and run time requirements of the host device, use profile of the host device, and regulatory requirements associated with the host device. For the sake of simplicity, a fuel cell power system is considered to comprise of a fuel cell subsystem that includes the fuel cell or a multiplicity of fuel cells in the form of a fuel cell stack, fluid, and power management means, a process controller, and the fuel cartridge. The fuel cartridge is connected to the fuel cell subsystem system using a connector or coupling.
To support commercialization, low-cost, user-friendly, methods for producing hydrogen on demand in a safe manner is needed. Hydrogen can be produced by hydrolysis of chemicals such as sodium borohydride. Fuel cartridges for producing hydrogen from sodium borohydride are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 7,794,886, 7,832,433, 7,896,934 and 8,002,853. Hydrogen production from hydrolysis is characterized by short start-up times and good control of hydrogen production rates. However, the need to use water or other aqueous solutions decreases the hydrogen storage capacity of these fuel cartridges. In addition, once activated to support a fuel cell system, hydrogen continues to evolve from these cartridges, requiring a buffer to store this hydrogen in the event the fuel cell system is shut-off.
Hydrogen may be produced via thermolysis of chemicals such as ammonia borane and alane (aluminum hydride). For example, US2010/0226829A1 describes a hydrogen generator that produces hydrogen by the decomposition of ammonia borane. In a thermolysis fuel cartridge, hydrogen is produced by supplying heat to the chemicals contained in the fuel cartridge.
Accordingly, it is a desideratum to develop designs, components and methods to improve thermal management and hydrogen production efficiencies in thermolysis fuel cartridges.


An outer space deployable antenna may include a ground plane and a flexible antenna coupled to the ground plane and moveable between a flat stored configuration and a conical deployed configuration. The flexible antenna may include a dielectric layer and a plurality of antenna arms. The flexible antenna may have a circular shape with a circular sector notch in the flat stored configuration that closes in the conical deployed configuration.

Small satellites have limited space to store electronics and an antenna, which becomes technically challenging when the electronics and antenna are designed to operate at the lower L-band and S-band frequencies. Antennas operating at those frequencies usually are designed as high performance, wideband antennas, but take up relatively large volume. Even antennas designed to operate at the higher frequencies up to and above 20 GHz have size constraints that make them difficult to implement into small satellites, even though antennas at those upper frequencies are usually reduced in size. This problem becomes challenging when small satellites are built as CubeSat platforms, which are miniaturized satellites made up of multiple block units known as CubeSats, each block unit being about 4 by 4 by 4 inches. CubeSats are advantageous for smaller satellites because they are designed to use commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) components for their major circuits, and can be easily implemented for custom satellite operations. There is also a need for compact stowage at the satellite during launch so that the satellite fits within launch vehicle payload fairings.
In most practical small satellite applications, a number of CubeSat units are combined together to form a CubeSat platform as a small satellite that is typically intended for Low Earth Orbit (LEO) and perform scientific research and explore new space technologies. CubeSats are advantageous because their use as block units to build small satellites shortens the satellite development cycle, permits greater diversity in satellite design since each small satellite can be designed for a specific function, and reduces the overall cost of satellite deployment. CubeSats and even larger classes of small satellites often are suitable for launch with multiple small satellites per payload, thus using the excess capacity of larger launch vehicles and reducing the risk to the rest of the launch vehicle and other payloads.
Typical CubeSat satellite platforms are formed from multiple, individual CubeSat block units combined together and include a 6U design of about 4×8×12 inches or a 12U design of about 8×8×12 inches. Additionally, the small satellite class also envelopes larger form factors, such as EELV Secondary Payload Adapter (ESPA) each forming a satellite in the 100 to about 300 kg class. Small satellites can be propelled by cold gas, chemical promotion, electric propulsion, or solar sails. Most CubeSats and similar small satellites have internal batteries for power, which preferably include solar cells.
Many Low Earth Orbit (LEO) small satellites require an antenna for communicating in the L-band and S-band, and also X-band and Ka-band can be used for higher data rate communications. These higher frequency bands allow the use of smaller antennas due to the higher frequencies, but the constraints of small satellites, such as CubeSats, still make it difficult to implement workable antennas, even at the higher frequencies. These small satellites have limited volume and designing an antenna that can fit within the allocated volume is not always possible, therefore requiring compact storage and deployment once orbit is reached.
For example, horn antennas are often used on larger satellites, but take up a relatively large volume, especially at the lower L-band and S-band frequencies, and are challenging to fit onto smaller satellites. Wideband antennas and communication modems offer valuable potential to communicate with various ground stations or even perhaps other satellites directly. A log periodic parasitic monopole antenna (LPPMA) operates as a high performance antenna and may be used in demanding satellite communication applications since it has wideband performance, multi-polarization, and excellent directivity.
A technical drawback of this antenna, however, is still its large volume, making it difficult to implement in small satellites. For example, a log periodic parasitic monopole antenna may have a wide 10:1 bandwidth and operate up to 20 GHz and provide six arms for multi-polarization in both transmit and receive applications, making that antenna advantageous, but difficult to implement in CubeSat and similar small satellite applications. Those positive operating benefits also exist with a multi-arm sinuous antenna, but that antenna is also difficult to implement with small satellites since the multi-arm sinuous antenna uses a relatively large volume compared to the size of the satellite. As a result, deployment of most antennas, including a multi-arm sinuous antenna, is difficult on small satellites, especially those manufactured as CubeSats.

Deployable conical space antenna and associated methods


An automatic setting method of an observation condition to facilitate analysis of an image and a sample observation method by automatic setting in an observation method of a structure of a sample by the electronic microscope and an electronic microscope having an automatic setting function are provided. The method includes a step of irradiating a fixed position in an observation region with an intermittent pulsed electron beam; a step of detecting a time change of an emission electron from the sample by the intermittent electron beam; and a step of setting the observation condition of the electronic microscope from the time change of the emission electron.

As a microscope that enables enlargement observation of a sample, an electronic microscope using an electron beam is known. In particular, a scanning electronic microscope (hereinafter, simply referred to as an SEM) that scans an electron beam on the sample and forms an image is used for observation of a minute surface shape or sample analysis such as local composition analysis. In the SEM, electron beams (hereinafter, referred to as primary electrons) accelerated by a voltage applied to an electron source are focused by an electron lens and the sample is irradiated with the electron beams. Electrons (Auger electrons, secondary electrons, reflected electrons, or secondary electrons and reflected electrons) emitted from the sample by the irradiation of the primary electrons are detected by a detector. Strength of a detection signal is converted into brightness of an image. The image is formed by a relation of the coordinates and the brightness under electron beam scanning. In the SEM, an image having high spatial resolution can be obtained by adjusting only a focus and a non-point. A function of adjusting an acceleration voltage of the primary electron or an illumination current in addition to the focus and the non-point is given to the SEM. In addition, there is an SEM to which a function of controlling a holding posture of the sample or switching a detector to be used is given.
As described above, because the electronic microscope has a large amount of adjustment parameters as compared with other enlargement observation devices such as an optical microscope, setting of an observation condition becomes complicated work to set a plurality of adjustment parameters while confirming an image. For this reason, adjustment values initially registered in a device are generally used in adjustment parameters other than the focus and the non-point. In addition, when the adjustment parameters are adjusted, the adjustment is made sensuously on the basis of the experience of a user.
PTL 1 discloses a method of forming images under a plurality of observation conditions to be registered in advance and displaying a plurality of images obtained under different observation conditions at the same time, as a function of assisting in setting the observation condition of the SEM. PTL 2 discloses a method of previously measuring a sample characteristic such as conductivity and analyzing an observation condition. PTL 3 discloses a method of previously estimating a sample characteristic using electron beams and analyzing an observation condition.

Electronic microscope, setting method of observation condition of electronic microscope, and observation method using electronic microscope


Systems (100) and methods (700) for dynamically managing Secondary User Node (“SUN”) access to a segment of a wireless spectrum licensed for use by Primary User Nodes (“PUNs”). The methods comprise: detecting physical data transfers by PUNs (110-122) at first licensed frequencies (f1, f2, f3, f4) during slot sample times of a first epoch (t1-t15); generating a report comprising sensed spectral data indicating (a) during which of the slot sample times each physical data transfer was detected by a respective SUN (102-108) and (b) at which of the first licensed frequencies each physical data transfer occurred; receiving a report broadcasted from a remote SUN at a non-licensed frequency during a respective slot report times (t16-t19) of the first epoch; and analyzing the sensed spectral data of the reports to determine a time for using a first licensed frequency without interfering with or only minimally interfering with use thereof by PUNs.

1. Statement of the Technical Field
The inventive arrangements relate to communication networks. More particularly, the present invention relates to systems and methods for Dynamic Spectrum Access ("DSA") or Dynamic Spectrum Management ("DSM") within the communication networks (e.g., a cognitive network).
2. Description of the Related Art
In current practice, the Federal Communications Commission ("FCC") licenses segments of a Radio Frequency ("RF") energy spectrum (or wireless spectrum) to users in particular geographic areas. The licensed segments of the wireless spectrum include a Very High Frequency ("VHF") band segment and an Ultra-High Frequency ("UHF") band segment. In this regard, the wireless radio nodes of said users each utilize a fixed or preset segment of the wireless spectrum for RF communication purposes. These wireless radio nodes are referred to herein as Primary User Nodes ("PUNs"). Wireless radio nodes which are not permitted by such licensing to use one or more segments of the wireless spectrum are referred to herein as Secondary User Nodes ("SUNs").
Studies have shown that 98% of the wireless spectrum is allocated in terms of licensing. The unallocated 2% of the wireless spectrum is left open for anyone to use as long as they follow certain power regulations. For example, the unallocated 2% of the wireless spectrum is used by Local Area Networks ("LAN") and Bluetooth networks. Accordingly, the unallocated 2% of the wireless spectrum can be used by both the PUNs and the SUNs if they are suitably network enabled.
With the increased demand for personal wireless technologies, the unallocated portion of the wireless spectrum has become crowded. Consequently, various efforts have been made to address the overcrowding issue. One solution involves allowing SUNs to use licensed segments of the wireless spectrum, provided that any interference with the PUNs is minimal. Even though 98% of the wireless spectrum is licensed, only about 11% of the licensed portion of the wireless spectrum is actually utilized by the PUNs. Therefore, it is very possible that the SUNs' utilization of the licensed portion of the wireless spectrum results in minimal interference with PUN communications.
In view of the forgoing, efforts have been made in the field to configure SUNs for facilitating DSA/DSM (i.e., the management of licensed spectrum resources). In this regard, the SUNs are generally operative to sense licensed segments of the wireless spectrum. When a licensed segment of the wireless spectrum is sensed, the SUNs access and use that portion of the wireless spectrum as secondary users until communication activity by one or more PUNs therein is detected. Despite the advantages of this conventional DSA/DSM technique, it suffers from certain drawbacks. For example, collisions can frequently occur between PUN communications and SUN communications as a SUN finds a spectrum "hole" or spectrum "white space" (i.e., unused portion of a licensed wireless spectrum segment) and coordinates with its peer SUNs to use the spectrum "hole" or "whitespace".
Typically, the PUNs and SUNs employ an Open Systems Interconnection ("OSI") protocol stack. The OSI protocol stack generally comprises the following seven layers: (1) physical layer; (2) data link layer; (3) network layer; (4) transport layer; (5) session layer; (6) presentation layer; and (7) application layer. Each of these layers is well known in the art, and therefore will not be described in detail herein. In the cognitive network scenarios, the cognitive SUNs are each designed to include cognition or knowledge at just the physical layer of the OSI protocol stack for spectrum analysis purposes. In this regard, the SUNs implement a number of conventional physical layer spectrum sensing approaches to signal detection and/or various conventional rendezvous approaches for groups of SUNs to agree on the wireless spectrum to "borrow". Despite the advantages of these conventional cognitive network approaches, they provide limited gains to solving the DSA/DSM problem.

Cross-layer, cross-node cognitive network enhanced dynamic spectrum allocation


Systems, methods and devices are described for placing a controlled device into a desired operating state in response to the position of a multi-position actuator. Two or more switch contacts provide input signals representative of the position of the actuator. Control logic then determines the desired state for the controlled device based upon the input signals received. The desired operating state is determined from any number of operating states defined by the input values. In various embodiments, ternary switching may be used in combination with binary switching to efficiently implement multi-state rotary or linear switches capable of identifying six, twelve, eighteen or any other number of switchable states.

Modern vehicles contain numerous electronic and electrical switches. Vehicle features such as climate controls, audio system controls, other electrical systems and the like are now activated, deactivated and adjusted in response to electrical signals generated by various switches in response to driver/passenger inputs, sensor readings and the like. These electrical control signals are typically relayed from the switch to the controlled devices via copper wires or other electrical conductors. Presently, many control applications use a single wire to indicate two discrete states (e.g. ON/OFF, TRUE/FALSE, HIGH/LOW, etc.) using a high or low voltage transmitted on the wire.
To implement more than two states, additional control signals are typically used. In a conventional two/four wheel drive transfer control, for example, four active states of the control (e.g. 2WD mode, auto 4WD mode, 4WD LO mode and 4WD HI mode) as well as a default mode are represented using three to five discrete (two-state) switches coupled to a single or dual-axis control lever. As the lever is actuated, the various switches identify the position of the lever to place the vehicle in the desired mode. Many other types of multi-state switches (e.g. single or multi-pole, momentary, locked position, sliding actuator, rotary actuator and the like) are used in a wide array of applications in automotive, aerospace, military, industrial, consumer and other applications.
As consumers demand additional electronic features in newer vehicles and other products, the amount of wiring used to implement such features continues to increase. This additional wiring frequently occupies valuable space, adds undesirable weight and increases the manufacturing complexity of the vehicle. There is therefore an ongoing need (particularly in vehicle applications) to reduce the amount of wiring in the vehicle without sacrificing features. Further, there is a need to increase the number of states represented by various switches without adding weight, volume or complexity commonly associated with additional wiring, and without sacrificing safety. Still further, there is a demand for switches and switching systems that are capable of reliably selecting between four or more operating states of a controlled device, especially in automotive and other vehicle settings.
In particular, it is desirable to formulate multi-state switching devices that capable of representing four or more operating states without adding excessive cost, complexity or weight. Furthermore, other desirable features and characteristics will become apparent from the subsequent detailed description and the appended claims, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and the foregoing technical field and background.

Methods and systems for multi-state switching using at least one ternary input and at least one discrete input


An optimized method and system to compute the dose to a patient (2) given a captured integrated exit-transit image (5) of the radiation rays (4) traveling from the source of x-rays (1) through the patient (2) to the imaging device (3) to product the exit-transit image (5). Each radiation field image (5) is transformed (6,8,10,12) to multiple images (7,9,11,13) for each phantom thickness (26) that was measured with the imaging device (3) for a range of field sizes (21). Given the water equivalent path (22) through the patient for a ray (4) reaching a pixel (15, 16), the final pixel value (19) is interpolated from the images (9, 11) that bracket the water equivalent path through the patient (22). Adaptive feedback calibration measures are carried out effectively ameliorate the detrimental effects of off axis attenuation of pixel values.

This invention relates to the radiation therapy applied to patients who are typically treated for cancer or other ailments with high energy x-rays from medical linear accelerators. The invention is directed to a method and system for optimized reconstruction of the dose the patient has received, using as input the radiation fields measured during treatment on the exit side of the patient with an imaging system capable of integration or a radiation detector array. This information may be used as a quality control measure of the treatment to avoid errors, by comparing the reconstructed dose to the intended planned dose.
Systems for methods treatment dose reconstruction are known. They include those disclosed in Applicant's prior U.S. Pat. Nos. 8,351,572 and 8,605,857. The efficacy and reliability of such known systems and methods, however, are diminished in varying degrees due largely to the scattering effects of radiation at points of radiation detection off the given radiation beam's central axis. For example, the resulting attenuation at such off-axis points are not adequately accounted for in the treatment dose reconstruction systems and methods heretofore known. As the radiation beam field width on the detection plane is increased, and as the patient's anatomy being radiated increases in thickness, the treatment dose reconstruction tends to become less consistent and reliable, prohibitively so beyond certain tolerable field widths and/or thicknesses for a given set of treatment conditions.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Method and system for optimized reconstruction of treatment dose based on integrated exit-transit images of radiation fields taken during treatment


The object of the invention is a method and a software application embodying the method for displaying the information in the display (10) of a data processing device in a situation where a portion of the display (10) area, and thus also a portion of the information on the display, is covered by an obstacle (11) in front of the display (10). The method according to the invention detects the size and position of the obstacle (11), and then regroups (12c) the information in the display (10) into a portion of the display (10), which is not left behind the detected obstacle (11).

In data processing and/or in data transmission different lightweight and mobile devices increase in popularity. Examples of such devices are portable computers, palm computers and cellular network terminals. The display unit connected to these devices is generally realised by a technology, which makes it possible to realise a quite flat display. One example of this is an LCD display (Liquid Crystal Display). The display may also act as portion of the user interface through which instructions are entered to the actual data processing device. Then they are so called touch screens, where either a certain part or the whole display is touch sensitive, or where an obstacle placed in front of the display can be detected at the surface level of the display. Through a touch screen of this kind the device connected to the display can be controlled to perform a previously programmed function.
There are also different known solutions for electronic books or magazines, which are downloaded via a data communication network. The realisation of such solutions requires a display device, which is flexible, lightweight and has a size of at least a book page. The electronics required by the display is integrated as a part of the display. A means of this kind for displaying information may be able to operate only in a particular application, for instance only as a magazine monitor.
Hereafter the electronic devices mentioned above are called by a common term data processing device, no matter whether it is a personal computer with its display or a future electronic magazine monitor presented above.
The data processing devices mentioned above may be used and kept anywhere, as they already originally were designed to be portable and utilised in different places. For instance, if the data processing device is kept on the desk among papers and other objects, objects/obstacles may pile up on it, thus at least partly covering the device or its display. Then it will be more inconvenient to use the data processing device, as the display may be covered so that the user must first remove the disturbing obstacles in front of the display before being able to begin to use the data processing device.

Method and software application for transmitting information remaining behind an obstacle located in front of the display to the user of a data processing device


A termination block provides a pair of coaxial connectors for a differential signal source and a pair of coaxial connectors for connection to a single ended coaxial input. Passive electrical components provide impedance matching while maintaining phase-matched true and complement signal paths for the differential signal.

As the demand for higher performance electronics continues to push data rates beyond 1 GHz, there is a growing trend to use differential signal protocols in electronics. Yet, there is a lack of appropriate test equipment being developed to properly characterize such signals.
Specifically, the majority of developing differential signal protocols are developed around the concept of considering only the differential portion of the signal and suppressing and ignoring the common-mode portion of the signal. By doing so, shifts in common-mode voltage, balanced impedance discontinuities in interconnect, and noise from outside sources can often be of little consequence to the serial link performance. Accordingly, many transmission line drivers and receivers provide good differential impedance match between the true and complement signal while the common-mode impedance match is often quite poor.
In contrast, the vast majority of available test equipment is designed with coaxial connections that are inherently best suited for single ended signal protocols. Through the use of two such coaxial connectors, the equipment can provide or capture differential signals by considering only the difference between these two connection points through internal circuitry. With the use of single-ended connectors, the test equipment typically terminates the connections with 50 ohm resistors to ground. Looking at the difference in potential between the true and complement ports, a 100 ohm series resistance can be measured and is sometimes adequate termination for the incoming differential signal.
The disparity between the terminations and impedance matching approaches used in the differential signal protocols and the test equipment with single ended test equipment can sometimes cause problems. For example, low voltage differential signaling drivers assume a far-end termination of 100 ohms between the true and complement differential signals with a high impedance to ground potential. When such a driver is connected to typical test equipment with a 50 ohm single-ended resistance to ground, the driver output signal swing is degraded, the common mode voltage is reduced, and the signal shape is distorted. Similarly, when a function generator or similar test equipment which is expecting a 50 ohm termination to ground drives a low voltage differential signaling receiver having a 100 ohm termination between its differential inputs, the signals are distorted in shape, level, and swing.

Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research


The present invention relates to an illumination control system comprising a plurality of outdoor luminaries and a motorized service vehicle. Each luminaire comprises a controllable light source producing a light illuminance. The motorized service vehicle comprises a light sensor configured to detect the light illuminance generated by the controllable light source at the motorized service vehicle. The motorized service vehicle computes light illuminance data based on the detected light illuminance and transmits these to the outdoor luminaire through a wireless communication link or stores the light illuminance data on a data recording device of the motorized service vehicle. The outdoor luminaire receives may use the light illuminance data to set or adjust a light illuminance of the controllable light source.

It is important to secure that an appropriate light illuminance is provided by street and road lighting systems comprising a plurality of outdoor luminaries or luminaires. The light illuminance generated by each luminaire should preferably lie within prescribed limits at the road or ground level to ensure an even and adequate lighting along the road stretch or area in question. However, because of dirt and age depreciation, the illuminance generated by each lamp may vary considerably and differently over time, leading to an uneven light distribution. It is one object of the present invention to provide an illuminance control system that compensates for the depreciation.
LED based outdoor luminaries gain popularity since LEDs provide significant energy savings over conventional light sources. Additionally, a longer life time of LEDs, approx. 5 times the lifetime of existing bulbs, leads to large potential savings in maintenance and service costs of the road lighting system. However, there exist a number of unsolved problems in the application of LED based light sources for outdoor lighting. The long lifetime of LEDs is accompanied with a significant luminance depreciation or decrease of approximately 30% during the lifetime due to aging of the semiconductor material. Moreover, the luminance depreciation over time is unfortunately difficult to predict because it amongst other factors depends on unpredictable environmental conditions such as temperature.
Hence, it would be highly desirable to provide an illumination control system which in a rapid manner is capable of determining or measuring actual light illuminance of each of the outdoor luminaries at a relevant position such as at the road or ground level below the light source. It is also desirable to provide the illumination control system with a mechanism which enables nearly instantaneous correction of the illuminance of each outdoor luminaire after the actual light illuminance at the road or ground level has been measured.
JP 2002/324686 A2 discloses an illuminance monitoring system comprising a plurality of road lamps or luminaries (LA, LB, LC etc.) communicating wirelessly with a travelling motorized service vehicle. The illuminance monitoring system also comprises light sensors detecting the light intensity emitted by each lamp. The light sensor/photo-detector of the lamp monitor circuit is placed inside the lamp monitor attached to the lamp pole. The lamp monitor is measuring and evaluating the light intensity of each of the street lamps to detect normal or abnormal illuminance data for each luminaire and wirelessly transmits that information to the bypassing motorized service vehicle. The bypassing service vehicle records the condition and position of the defective road lamps for later repair.
JP 2005/100765 discloses an illuminance monitoring system comprising a plurality of road lamps or luminaries (A, B, C etc.) communicating wirelessly with a bypassing or travelling patrol car. The illuminance monitoring system includes light sensors of a lamp monitor circuit detecting the light intensity emitted by each lamp. The lamp monitor circuit is attached to the lamp pole.
The position of the light sensor on the lamp pole in the above summarized patent applications raises a number of technical problems since: (i) the light sensor may be exposed to dirt and therefore give a false reading, (ii) as the light illuminance detected at the lamp pole is not a direct measurement of the illuminance at the road level, computing efforts would be required to correlate these illuminances (iii) a sensor placed at the lamp pole is not capable of detecting an unintended, uneven light illuminance at the road (due to uneven dirt depreciation at the lamp house or due to a lamp pole that is accidentally tilted).
The present invention addresses these problems and numerous others as described in further detail below.

Lighting system with illuminance control


Novel polyimide copolymers containing ether linkages were prepared by the reaction of an equimolar amount of dianhydride and a combination of diamines. The polyimide copolymers described herein possess the unique features of low moisture uptake, dimensional stability, good mechanical properties, and moderate glass transition temperatures. These materials have potential application as encapsulants and interlayer dielectrics.

1. Technical Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to polyimide random copolymers. In particular it relates to polyimide copolymers containing ether linkages. Polyimide copolymers were synthesized using an equimolar amount of dianhydride and a combination of diamines. Additionally, copolymers of controlled molecular weight were synthesized.
2. Description of Related Art
Polyimides comprise a large family of heterocyclic polymers which were first prepared in the late 1950's. Since then a large volume of information has been generated concerning the synthesis, characterization, use, and physical and mechanical properties of these polymers. Polyimides have been extensively evaluated for aerospace and microelectronic applications because of their excellent thermal stability, low density, chemical resistance, and their good electrical and mechanical properties.
Polyimides are the first choice as material candidates for dielectrics because of their successful use in printed circuit boards, and planarization properties. Additional properties necessary for dielectric applications include: ease of processing, good adhesion, chemical resistance, low moisture uptake, thermal stability, low CTE, and cost effectiveness Rothman, L. B. J. Electrochem. Soc. 1980, 127, 2216!.
Polyimides must possess high heat resistance because device processing may require sealing, packaging, die bonding, wirebonding, and soldering. Thermal stresses occur if there is a mismatch in the CTE of the polyimide and the substrate, resulting in peeling and cracking. A low CTE minimizes these effects. Additionally, a low dielectric constant is required to minimize propagation delay, interconnect capacitance, and crosstalk between lines; this allows circuits to be run at a lower power input Monk, D. J.; Soane, D. S. In Polymers for Electronic and Photonic Applications; Wong, C. P., Ed.; Academic Press, Inc., 1993; p 119-165!. The dielectric constant of commercial polyimide film changes with absorbed moisture, reducing its overall performance, so a material with low moisture uptake is desirable.
Polyimides containing 1,2-bis(4-aminoanilino)cyclobutene-3,4-dione (SAPPD) were developed because of their low CTE. The first reports of a polyimide utilizing SAPPD appeared in 1993 St. Clair, T. L. U.S. Pat. No. 5,212,283, 1993 and Croall, C. I.; St. Clair, T. L.; Yumino, Y.; Mutoh, H.; and Ito, Y., "Polyimides Containing Squaric Acid Derivatives" presented at the Symposium on Recent Advances in Polyimides and Other High Performance Polymers, Reno/Sparks, Nev., Jan. 18-21, 1993!. The main focus of the patent was linear polyimides containing the cyclobutene-3,4-dione moiety. These polyimides exhibited glass transition temperatures greater than 500.degree. C. and adhered tenaciously to glass. The main focus of the presentation was polyimides containing the cyclobutene-3,4-dione moiety for space applications. Several polyimides were synthesized and subsequently exposed to 1 MeV electrons. Mechanical properties were evaluated before and after electron radiation exposure. Polyimides prepared with 1,2-bis(4-aminoanilino)cyclobutene-3,4-dione (SAPPD) possess relatively low coefficients of thermal expansion but have somewhat lower thermal stability than commercial polyimide film.
Although these polyimides prepared with SAPPD have an extremely low CTE, their high glass transition temperatures are undesirable. Also, these polymers have further undesirable characteristics such as low thermal stability, outgasing problems and lack of flexibility. Traditionally, polyimides with low CTE's also have high glass transition temperatures. For the microelectronics industry, low CTE polymers are required which also possess good dimensional stability with low glass transition temperatures to allow for processing. Typically, low CTE polymers are either crystalline or rigid, and thus not processable. By the present invention, copolyimides were developed that have both low CTEs, as well as, low glass transition temperatures. These copolyimides contain ether linkages and may include the 1,2-bis(4-aminoanilino)cyclobutene-3,4-dione diamine.

Dimensionally stable ether-containing polyimide copolymers

The United States of America as represented by the Administrator of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration


Data is stored in a quantum-well type structure with double gate control. According to an example embodiment, a transistor-based data storage circuit includes a gate, a back gate and a semiconductor channel between the gate and the back gate. Carriers are stored in a storage pocket structure in the channel, in response to biases applied to the gate and back gate. Current passing through the channel is sensed and used to detect the stored carriers and, correspondingly, a memory state of the storage circuit.

The storage of data is important for a variety of reasons. However, such storage can be challenging to implement for certain applications, and can be susceptible to undesirably slow operation. Undesirable characteristics may include, for example, difficulties relating to manufacturing, data retention, width descretization, body impurities, junction leakage field lines and others.
These and other issues remain as a challenge to a variety of methods, devices and systems that use or benefit from memory circuits.

Memory circuit with quantum well-type carrier storage

The Board of Trustees of the Leland Stanford Junior University


A networked computer system provides various services for assisting users in locating, and establishing contact relationships with, other users. For example, in one embodiment, users can identify other users based on their affiliations with particular schools or other organizations. The system also provides a mechanism for a user to selectively establish contact relationships or connections with other users, and to grant permissions for such other users to view personal information of the user. The system may also be capable of detecting, and notifying a user of, an event in which the user and a contact of the user are in a common location.

Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to multi-user computer systems, such as contact management systems, that provide services for users to locate and share personal information with other users.
Description of Related Art
Several types of prior art for managing contact information exist, including Personal Information Management software applications, Groupware Applications, and Internet-based "White Pages" and e-mail services.
Personal Information Management Software.
As represented generally in FIG. 1, in a typical prior art Personal Information Management (PIM) software application (e.g., Lotus Organizer, Microsoft Outlook, or U.S. Robotics Palm Pilot), a PIM software application 120, 124 that stores contact information in a database resides on a workstation or handheld computer 100 having a central processing unit 102, a display 108, a keyboard and/or mouse 110, a primary memory 104 (e.g., random access memory) for program execution, a secondary memory 106 (e.g., a hard disc) for program storage, and peripheral devices 112. As is well known, programs, such as the PIM software 120, are executed in the RAM 104 by the CPU 102 under control of the operating system software 122, 126.
In the prior art, users themselves enter the contact information that they want to store in the PIM software. A variety of methods exist for entering this contact information. It may be entered manually using the keyboard, imported from an existing file on their computer, or imported via a peripheral device such as a business card scanner. The defining characteristic of this class of prior art is that the input of the contact information is performed by the user of the software and, when the information changes, the user must modify the information himself. What this class of prior art lacks is a means for information to be shared between multiple users and a means for a given user to post changes to his own information for the benefit of others.
Groupware Applications.
As generally represented in FIG. 2, in a typical prior art Groupware application (e.g., Lotus Notes), a user workstation 160 accesses information stored on a central server computer 130 over a computer network 150, such as a Local Area Network or Intranet. The server system consists of a central processing unit 132, a primary memory 134 (e.g., random access memory) for program execution, a secondary storage device 136 (e.g., a hard disc) for program storage, and a modem 138 or other device for connecting to the computer network. The user workstation 160 is the same as the user workstation 100 described in reference to FIG. 1 with the addition of a modem 162 or other device for connecting to the computer network. The file server or database contains data files 148 that can be accessed only by authorized users. The user uses client software 174, 176 running on the user workstation 160 to access the files 148 under the mediation of server software 140, 144 running on the server 130.
Typically, in such a system a central system administrator organizes users into classes and the creator of a file 148 determines what classes of users may view the file. The rules governing which individual users or classes of users have the authorization to view a particular file 148 may be stored as part of the file itself. Alternatively, these rules are based upon the hierarchical directory structure of the file server in which the file is stored. That is, a particular user may view files in one directory but not another.
FIG. 3 represents a common deployment of a contact management system based on Groupware. Each user enters information 202 about himself and specifies a set of permissions 204 that define what classes of users are able to view various pieces of the information 202. What this deployment of the prior art lacks is the ability to authorize viewing privileges on a user-by-user basis rather than on a class-by-class basis. For instance, a user would be able to grant access to his home phone number 206 to the Human Resources department of his employer (e.g., Class A) while denying access to the same information to his co-workers (e.g., Class C). The user would not be able to give access to his home phone number selectively to a first co-worker while denying it to a second co-worker if both co-workers were part of the same class of users as organized by the central system administrator. Furthermore, such a system would lack a practical notification methodology. There would be no way for a user to specify "notify me when the first co-worker changes his information but not when the second co-worker changes his information."
Internet-Based "White Pages" and E-Mail Directory Services.
In a typical prior art "white pages" or e-mail service, client computers and a server computer are connected via the World Wide Web as depicted in FIG. 4. A user subscribes to a White Pages or E-Mail service via a client computer 270 operating a web browser 282 or other software application residing in memory 274 that allows it to display information downloaded from a server computer 230 over the World Wide Web 260. The server computer system accesses a database 240 containing contact information entered by registered users. The service enables users to view contact information entered by other users. The authorization scheme may allow all users to limit certain classes of users from viewing certain parts of their user record as represented in FIG. 3. However, there are no linkages between individual users and thus users cannot restrict the viewing of their information on a user-by-user basis. Furthermore, users cannot be notified when information for particular users has changed.

Social networking system capable of providing location-based notifications


Techniques for controlling switching of a barrier component for efficiently displaying various types of 2-D content and 3-D content on a projector screen are presented. A barrier control component detects an optical signal in a control region of the projector screen that is providing visual content to the barrier component, and identifies the type of visual content, such as 2-D content or 3-D autostereoscopic content, based on the optical signal. The barrier control component identifies a control signal based on the identified content type, and transmits the control signal to the barrier component via a wireline or wireless connection. The barrier component is controlled to automatically switch to a desired mode, such as 2-D mode or 3-D autostereoscopic mode, and employ a desired barrier pattern, in response to the received control signal. The barrier component is powered using a solar cell component that generates power using the optical signal.

Three-dimensional (3-D) visual effects have been around since the 1950s. Conventionally, 3-D visual effects have been realized in part by having the viewers wear glasses having a pair of polarized lens, a pair of chromatically opposite lens, or shutter glass spectacles. More recently, lens-free 3-D visual effects have been realized by using multiple cameras to capture multiple angles of a scene, wherein a monitor, employing a lenticular lens array, reconstructs the multiple views for display to the viewers. Such an arrangement is generally expensive and heavy. Another technique for producing lens-free 3-D visual effects is employing a parallax barrier that can reconstruct multiple views of a 3-D scene for display to viewers. The parallax barrier is relatively lower in cost and lighter in weight, as compared a monitor employing a lenticular lens array.
A 3-D autostereoscopic display based on parallax barrier can realize 3-D visual effects in part by having different pixels carrying different views of a 3-D scene. The 3-D autostereoscopic display is a technology that can combine multiple perspectives (e.g., multiple 2-D perspectives) of a 3-D scene into a single, integrated 2-D image. Using an autostereoscopic monitor, the single, integrated 2-D image can be displayed to a viewer such that each recorded view (e.g., 2-D image from each perspective) of the 3-D scene can be displayed to the viewer along its corresponding orientation. For instance, as the viewer moves from left to right (or right to left) in relation to the 3-D scene, the viewer can observe different views of the 3-D scene as if the viewer is looking at the actual 3-D environment depicted by the 3-D scene. In addition to displaying multi-view images to the viewer, the autostereoscopic techniques also can provide a 3-D sensation to the viewer as each of the viewer's eyes can perceive a slightly different image (e.g., different 2-D image from a different perspective) of the 3-D scene.
This 3-D technology has motivated numerous research works with the ultimate objective of developing different kinds of 3-D commercial products, such as television, photo frame, computer monitors, and toys, with 3-D technology. The concept also can be applied to display larger 3-D images via rear projection. This can be achieved by projecting the integrated images (e.g., integrated 2-D images that can form 3-D images) onto a projector screen which can be overlaid with a parallax barrier or a lenticular lens array.
However, when an ordinary 2-D image is displayed in this manner, the resolution can be significantly degraded (e.g., blurry) due in part to the ordinary 2-D image being negatively affected by the parallax barrier. In practice, it can be difficult to change the projector screen (e.g., rear projector screen) according to whether the displayed images are 2-D or 3-D in nature.
The degradation when displaying a projected ordinary 2-D image can be overcome with the use of an active parallax barrier in place of the passive parallax barrier. When ordinary 2-D content is displayed, the active parallax barrier can be totally, or substantially, transparent and have no effect on the projector screen, and, as a result, the ordinary 2-D content can be displayed without being degraded by the active parallax barrier. When 3-D content is displayed, the pattern on the active parallax barrier can be activated to become partially opaque, and different views of the 3-D images can be directed to their corresponding directions, based at least in part on the pattern.
However, conventionally the pattern on the active parallax barrier is activated manually, which can be cumbersome and inefficient. Further, enabling switching of an active parallax barrier to enable desired display of 3-D content and ordinary 2-D content can require modification of the original hardware circuit and/or software of the projector (or a device which drives the projector). It also may be necessary to provide a power supply to the active parallax barrier, and establish some kind of communication link (e.g., RF, infrared, etc.) between the active parallax barrier and the projection system.
Today, there is no way of efficiently controlling the display of 3-D content and ordinary 2-D content via the same display without the ordinary 2-D content appearing to be degraded, without a user having to manually switch the active parallax barrier on and off and/or without modification of the projection system (e.g., rear projection video projector). Further, conventional techniques for providing power to the active parallax barrier can be inefficient for a variety of other reasons. The above-described deficiencies of today's systems are merely intended to provide an overview of some of the problems of conventional systems, and are not intended to be exhaustive. Other problems with the state of the art and corresponding benefits of some of the various non-limiting embodiments may become further apparent upon review of the following detailed description.

Automatic switching of a multi-mode projector display screen for displaying three-dimensional and two-dimensional images


An apparatus and method of high speed manufacture of swatch bearing sheets wherein each sheet is directed through various operating stations via sequentially releasing a suction force from an endless vacuum belt conveyor while sequentially pulling the sheet onto another endless vacuum belt conveyor with a suction force to allow for substantially continuous engagement of the sheet with the endless vacuum conveyors during the manufacture and inspection of the sheets.

Currently, commercial processes which apply swatches to a sheet, such as shown in Lerner, et al., U.S. Pat. No. 4,061,521 and US2002/0129893 A1 (Winter), and depending on the type of job, provide a relatively high speed operation (e.g., 4,500 sheets per hour) in which blank sheets are fed continuously through operating stations including an adhesive applying station and one or more swatch applying stations where swatches are applied to the sheet.
In making swatch bearing sheets with high process speeds, blank sheets have been pushed by feed fingers (Lerner) or pulled (Winter) by grabbers through the adhesive applying station and the swatch applying stations on top of travel surfaces, at least some of which include upstanding guide portions on one side of the travel surfaces. In the pushing method, these side sheet guides have been spaced apart a distance corresponding to the width of the sheet to ensure the sheets maintain proper alignment as they were pushed by pushing feed fingers through the adhesive applying station and the swatch applying stations. Multiple side sheet guides were required throughout the swatch applying machinery to maintain the sheets in proper alignment. Side sheet guides had been placed before and after the adhesive applying station and each swatch applying station to keep the sheets aligned as they are pushed between stations. Pushing sheets at their trailing edges by pushing feed fingers, without the sheet guides, risked skewing the sheets sideways. This resulted in misfeeds and/or sheets having misaligned swatches. Similar problems may occur with grabbing and pulling sheets downstream by the leading or down stream edge of the sheet.
The feed fingers that pushed the sheets along the travel surfaces in the pushing method were attached to conveyors in the form of drive chains. Separate drive chain conveyors extended between each of the operating stations so that several sets of feed fingers pushed the sheets during their travel from the infeed to the outfeed of the sheets from the machine. The use of multiple sets of conveyers and multiple sets of feed fingers to push each sheet to and from each operating station required precise coordination of the timing of the positions of each set of feed fingers on each conveyor to push the sheet through the operating stations, particularly where operating speed is maximized. Further, the coordination necessary to push a sheet to an operating station with a first set of feed fingers on a first conveyor and then to have a second set of feed fingers on a second conveyor positioned to push the sheet from the operating station had to be precisely timed because errors in the coordination risked misfeeds or misprinted sheets, requiring the machinery to be stopped to correct the errors and reducing the production efficiency of the machinery.
Pushing feed fingers did not positively grip the sheets. Without positive gripping, the feed fingers extended a relatively high distance above the travel surfaces to ensure that they contact the rearward edge of the sheets as occasionally the sheets would not be lying flat on the travel surfaces, for example a curled rearward edge.
Because of the height that the feed fingers extended above the travel surfaces and the lack of positive gripping of the sheets, the feed fingers were not able to push the sheets through the stations. More specifically, upper and lower rollers cooperate to form nips of the operating stations into which the sheets are fed and from which they are discharged. In the nips, adhesive and swatches are applied to the sheets. The height of the feed fingers did not allow for their passage under and through the nip areas between the closely spaced rollers or anvil work surfaces of the operating stations.
Accordingly, instead of using a single set of pushing feed fingers to push the sheets through each operating station, separate sets of pushing feed fingers to push each of the sheets to each station had to be used. The nip formed by the rollers in each station drew the sheets therethrough and discharged them downstream to the next conveyor at which point another set of pushing feed fingers then pushed the sheets to the next station. The timing of the multiple sets of feed fingers had to be coordinated so that as a sheet left a station a new set of feed fingers were positioned to push the sheet to the next station. If the timing was not correctly coordinated, misfeeds occurred. Misfeeds were undesirable because the swatch applying machinery had to be stopped for removal of the misfed sheets and the machinery reset for continued operation.
The swatch applying machinery had to accommodate sheets of different sizes. With changes in paper size, especially when sheets were pushed through work stations, side sheet guides and associated travel surfaces had to be readjusted to maintain the different sized sheets in proper alignment as they traveled. Readjusting sheet guides is labor intensive and could consume as much as four hours creating of labor and equipment down time. When pulling the sheets through the work stations with grippers, a change in paper size risked mispositioning the grippers laterally along the leading edge of the sheet being pulled by the grabbing jaws.
Feeding sheets through work stations at high speeds creates the problem of sheet float. When sheets were pushed through equipment at high speeds, the front or leading edge of the sheet tended to lift up, allowing air to flow underneath the sheet. This resulted in a sheet that at least partially floated on air. The faster the swatch applying machinery was run, i.e., the more sheets per hour fed through the machine, the greater the tendency for sheets to float. The problem of sheet float has been particularly acute when lighter sheet stocks were used. The use of lighter sheet stock has tended to increase the likelihood for the sheets to lift up from the travel surfaces because the sheets do not have sufficient weight to maintain themselves in a planar alignment and against the travel surfaces. When sheets float, there has been increased occurrences of misfeeds and misprints. Floating sheets have tended to deviate from their preferred alignment, even with the assistance of the side sheet guides associated with the travel surfaces. The corners of floating sheets tended to catch on various parts of the swatch applying machinery, causing the sheets to become misaligned.
Floating sheets has limited the operating speed of swatch applying machinery. Moreover, the problem of floating sheets has been costly in terms of labor and lost production time. Labor must be expended to remove sheets that result in misfeeds or misprints. Labor must also be expended to reset the swatch applying machinery for continued production. Machinery remains idle while offending sheets are removed and the machinery reset
By engaging the sheets at their downstream edge with grabbers and then pulling the sheets through work stations mitigated a float problem, the pulling grabbers may not firmly held the entire sheet in place. Moreover, the pulling grabbers do not necessarily work well with an electronic visual inspection system because the grabbers may not mechanically engage the sheet so that it is precisely square. Further any reject system where sheet(s) are removed from the production line, the rejected sheet(s) generally have to mechanically engage with additional grabbers or pushers to remove the sheet(s). This makes the machine mechanically complex.
Accordingly, a method and apparatus are needed for directing sheets through swatch applying machinery that reduce the setup time required for changing sheet sizes, reduce problems associated with the occurrence of sheet movement from proper registration while being conveyed downstream, reduce the number of mechanical parts required to move the sheets downstream, and which allow for higher operation speeds of the swatch applying machinery and efficient inspection of the sheets during high speed production.

Method and apparatus for manufacture and inspection of swatch bearing sheets using a vacuum conveyor


The present disclosure generally relates to methods of additive manufacturing with control of the energy beam incidence angle that allows for aligning the laser beam angle to directly oppose the building direction of an angled wall. The method includes building an object in an additive manufacturing powder bed where the object includes a surface that is defined by a build vector projecting outward relative to the build plate center at an angle Φ relative to normal of the build plate such that 90°>Φ>0° and the directed energy beam forms an angle θL2 relative to normal of the build plate such that 270°>θL2>180°, wherein θL2−Φ=180°±Δ, and Δ<45°. The present methods provide finished objects having overhanging regions with more consistent surface finish and resistance to mechanical strain or stress.

Additive manufacturing (AM) or additive printing processes generally involve the buildup of one or more materials to make a net or near net shape (NNS) object, in contrast to subtractive manufacturing methods. Though "additive manufacturing" is an industry standard term (ASTM F2792), AM encompasses various manufacturing and prototyping techniques known under a variety of names, including freeform fabrication, 3D printing, rapid prototyping/tooling, etc. AM techniques are capable of fabricating complex components from a wide variety of materials. Generally, a freestanding object can be fabricated from a computer aided design (CAD) model. A particular type of AM process uses electromagnetic radiation such as a laser beam, to melt or sinter a powdered material, creating a solid three-dimensional object. Power-based methods such as direct metal laser melting (DMLM) and selective laser melting (SLM) have been used to produce objects for a variety of industries.
Selective laser sintering, direct laser sintering, selective laser melting, and direct laser melting are common industry terms used to refer to producing three-dimensional (3D) objects by using a laser beam to sinter or melt a fine powder. For example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,863,538 and 5,460,758 describe conventional laser sintering techniques. More accurately, sintering entails fusing (agglomerating) particles of a powder at a temperature below the melting point of the powder material, whereas melting entails fully melting particles of a powder to form a solid homogeneous mass. The physical processes associated with laser sintering or laser melting include heat transfer to a powder material and then either sintering or melting the powder material. Although the laser sintering and melting processes can be applied to a broad range of powder materials, the scientific and technical aspects of the production route, for example, sintering or melting rate and the effects of processing parameters on the microstructural evolution during the layer manufacturing process have not been well understood. This method of fabrication is accompanied by multiple modes of heat, mass and momentum transfer, and chemical reactions that make the process very complex.
An example of an apparatus for AM using a powdered build material is shown in FIG. 1. The apparatus 100 builds objects or portions of objects, for example, the object 129, in a layer-by-layer manner by sintering or melting a powder material (not shown) using an energy beam 136 generated by a source 120, which can be, for example, a laser for producing a laser beam, or a filament that emits electrons when a current flows through it. The powder to be melted by the energy beam is supplied by reservoir 126 and spread evenly over a powder bed 112 using a recoater arm 116 travelling in direction 134 to maintain the powder at a level 118 and remove excess powder material extending above the powder level 118 to waste container 128. The energy beam 136 sinters or melts a cross sectional layer of the object being built under control of an irradiation emission directing device, such as a laser galvo scanner 132. The galvo scanner 132 may comprise, for example, one or more movable mirrors or scanning lenses. The speed at which the energy beam is scanned is a critical controllable process parameter, impacting the quantity of energy delivered to a particular spot. Typical energy beam scan speeds are on the order of 10 to several thousand millimeters per second. The build platform 114 is lowered and another layer of powder is spread over the powder bed and object being built, followed by successive melting/sintering of the powder by the laser 120. The powder layer is typically, for example, 10 to 100 microns in thickness. The process is repeated until the object 129 is completely built up from the melted/sintered powder material. The energy beam 136 may be controlled by a computer system including a processor and a memory (not shown). The computer system may determine a scan pattern for each layer and control energy beam 136 to irradiate the powder material according to the scan pattern. After fabrication of the object 129 is complete, various post-processing procedures may be applied to the object 129. Post-processing procedures include removal of excess powder by, for example, blowing or vacuuming. Other post processing procedures include a stress relief heat treat process. Additionally, thermal and chemical post processing procedures can be used to finish the object 129.
For objects 129 containing a surface 121 projecting outward relative to base 127 on the build plate 114 at an angle Φ relative to the normal of build plate 114 (i.e., normal line 171), surface 121 creates an overhang, i.e., at point 124 in uppermost layer 125. The surface 121 may be considered to be defined by a build vector projecting outward relative to the build plate 114 center and at an angle Φ relative to the normal line 171, wherein 90°>Φ>0°. The directed energy beam 136 may also be considered to be defined by an energy beam vector projecting inward relative to the build plate 114. At the lateral center of the build plate 114, energy beam 136 lines up with the build plate normal to form angle θL1 between energy bean 136 and the normal line, where θL1=180°. However, at points laterally removed from the center, the angle θL1 decreases, as shown for point 124, where θL1<180°. The wider the object 129 is in the y-direction, the smaller the angle θL1 directed energy beam vector 136 is oriented from normal line N. In turn, the smaller angle θL1 is than 180°, the less completely fused the object will be at the corresponding point(s). Incomplete fusion may result in imperfections such as rough surface finish and structural weakness. The tolerance for deviation from 180° will depend on the build material.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,144,008 ("the '008 patent") describes a system using a moving stage to position the laser beam, focusing lens, and gas nozzle assembly relative to a feedstock delivery system. In large configurations, the product-holding stage may be kept stationary while the laser beam and feedstock delivery system move and/or rotate. However, the '008 patent uses a flat, solid feedstock, which it describes as having full density, compared to powder sintered materials where porosity is always present. In addition, the '008 patent does not address the construction of overhang structures where both build platform and irradiation emission directing device (and/or energy source) are laterally stationary.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,046,426 ("the '426 patent") describes a system introducing a converging stream of powdered material at an angle as nearly normal to the work surface as possible, and at or near the minimum laser beam diameter. The delivery system directs the powdered material to flow in a converging, conical pattern, symmetrically injecting powdered material into the laser beam. However, several additive manufacturing apparatuses use powder beds with recoater mechanisms.
In view of the foregoing, in order to fully utilize the increased surface area of larger powder bed systems, there is a need for improved methods of irradiating powder beds at points laterally distant from the galvo scanner or energy source.

Method to control additive manufacturing builds using laser angle of incidence


Cyclic polyamines containing N nitrogens on the ring are protected with high yields in a N-1 manner, e.g. all protected but one amino group, by using certain fluoro-containing agents that offer easy deprotection. Preferably, a new process for preparing 1,1xe2x80x2-[1,4-phenylenebis (methylene)]-bis1,4,8,11-tetraazacyclotetradecane is disclosed.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to the area of selective protection of identical amino groups in cyclic polyamines, and preferably, relates to an improved process for preparing 1, 1xe2x80x2-[1,4-phenylenebis (methylene)]-bis1,4,8,11-tetraazacyclotetradecane.
2. Description of the Prior Art
J. Med. Chem, Vol. 38, No. 2, pgs. 366-378 (1995) is directed to the synthesis and anti-HIV activity of a series of novel phenylbis(methylene)-linked bis-tetraazamacrocyclic analogs, including 1,1xe2x80x2-[1,4-phenylenebis (methylene)]-bis1,4,8,11-tetraazacyclotetradecane. This compound and its analogs are prepared by: 1) forming the tritosylate of the tetraazamacrocycle; 2) reacting the protected tetraazamacrocycle with an organic dihalide, e.g., dibromo-p-xylene, in acetonitrile in the presence of a base such as potassium carbonate; and 3) de-protecting the bis-tetraazamacrocycle prepared in 2) employing freshly prepared sodium amalgam, concentrated sulfuric acid or an acetic acid/hydrobromic acid mixture to obtain the desired cyclam dimer in the form of a salt.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,047,527 is directed to a process for preparing a mono-functionalized (e.g., monoalkylated) cyclic tetraamine comprising: 1) reacting the unprotected macrocycle with chrominum hexacarbonyl to obtain a triprotected tetraazacycloalkane compound; 2) reacting the free amine group of the triprotected compound prepared in 1) with an organic halide to obtain a triprotected mono-functionalized tetraazacycloalkane compound; and 3) deprotecting the compound prepared in 2) by simple air oxidation to obtain the desired compound.
In addition, the reference discloses alternative methods of tri-protection of cyclic tetraamine employing boron and phosphorous derivatives. These tri-protected intermediates are used in the preparation of linked compounds, including the cyclam dimer 1,1xe2x80x2-[1,4-phenylenebis (methylene)]-bis1,4,8,11-tetraazacyclotetradecane, by reacting with an organic dihalide in a molar ratio of 2:1, followed by deprotection.
Synthetic Communications, 28(15), pgs. 2903-2906, (1998) describes an improved method adopting the above-mentioned phosphorous protection, deprotection sequence to make 1,1xe2x80x2-[1,4-phenylenebis (methylene)]-bis1,4,8,11-tetraazacyclotetradecane.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,606,053 is directed to a process for preparing cyclam dimer 1,1xe2x80x2-[1,4-phenylenebis (methylene)]bis1,4,8,11-tetraazacyclotetradecane. The compound is prepared by: 1) tosylation of tetraamine starting material to obtain an acyclic ditosyl intermediate and an acyclic tritosyl intermediate; 2) separation of the two different tosylation product from step 1), e.g. the ditosyl tetraamine and the tritosyl tetraamine; 3) alkylation of the ditosyl tetraamine with dibromoxylene, followed by tosylation to make hexatosylated acyclic cyclam dimer; 4) alkylation of the tritosyl tetraamine from 1); 5) cyclization of the compound prepared in steps 3) and 4), i.e., the bridged hexatosyl acyclic dimer, by reacting it with three equivalents of ethylene glycol ditosylate; 6) detosylation of the cyclized cyclam dimer by reacting with a mixture of hydrobromic acid and glacial acetic acid to obtain the product in the form of an HBr salt.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,801,281 is directed to an improved process for preparing the cyclam dimer 1,1xe2x80x2-[1,4-phenylenebis (methylene)]-bis1,4,8,11-tetraazacyclotetradecane. The compound is prepared by: 1) reacting the acyclic tetraamine with 3 equivalents of ethyl trifluoroacetate; 2) alkylation of the tri-protected acyclic tetraamine with 0.5 equivalents of dibromoxylene, to obtain the 1,4 phenylene bis-methylene bridged acyclic dimer; 3) hydrolysis to remove the six trifluoroacetyl groups of the compound prepared in step 2); 4) tosylation of the compound prepared in step 3) to obtain the hexatosylated bridged tetraamine dimer; 5) cyclization of the compound in step 4) with ethylene glycol ditosylate to obtain the hexatosylated cyclam dimer; 6) detosylation of the compound prepared in step 5) to obtain the cyclam dimer 1,1xe2x80x2-[1,4-phenylenebis (methylene)]-bis1,4,8,11-tetraazacyclotetradecane in the form of a salt using HBr/HOAc mixture.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,064,956 discloses a process for preparing mono-alkylated polyazamacrocycles by reacting unprotected macrocycle with an electrophile in an aprotic, relatively non-polar solvent in the absence of a base. No example resembling the synthesis of cyclam dimer was provided.
Although the current approaches to 1,1xe2x80x2-[1,4-phenylenebis (methylene)]-bis1,4,8,11-tetraazacyclotetradecane via tri-protection of cyclam or starting from acyclic tetraamine as demonstrated previously are suitable to prepare the compound (supra), they both suffer from the fact that the key step in each process is low yielding. The average yield of tri-protection reported is rarely over 50%. The macrocyclizations are also frequently suffering from lower yields. In addition, the deprotection of tosyl groups is time consuming and requires relatively harsh conditions.
It is known to those skilled in the art that the direct N-1 protection of N-ring nitrogen containing cyclic polyamines, where xe2x80x9cN-1 protectionxe2x80x9d refers to the protection of all but one nitrogen in a cyclic polyamine containing N amines and N equals the number of protectable primary or secondary amines, e.g. cyclam and cyclen (N=4 in both cases), are generally problematic. Protecting groups such as tosyl, mesyl, Boc etc have been tested and vigorously optimized. Nevertheless, the drawbacks of these existing methods are obvious in several general aspects: 1) the low to moderate yield (frequently less than 50%) during the N-1 protection pursued due to the concurrent formation, with relatively great amount, of from N-M (M less than N) to N substituted derivatives; 2) the difficulty in the isolation of the N-1 protected intermediate from the mixture; and 3) in several cases, such as tosyl, the harsh conditions required in the removal of these protecting groups at certain stage of the application.
In particular, the chemistry related to the tri-protection of tetraazamacrocycles such as 1,4,8,11-tetraazacyclotetradecane (cyclam), 1,4,7,10-tetraazacyclododecane (cyclen) and the di-protection of 1,4,7-triazacyclononane are currently under active development in the field. It will be obvious to those skilled in the art that these N-1 protected cyclic polyamines are useful intermediates that will lead to, after necessary manipulation, mono-substituted cyclic amines. Hence these are key intermediates having great potential in the preparation of MRI diagnostic agents (U.S. Pat. No. 5,994,536; U.S. Pat. No. 5,919,431; U.S. Pat. No. 5,871,709; U.S. Pat. No. 5,410,043; U.S. Pat. No. 5,277,895; U.S. Pat. No. 5,132,409; U.S. Pat. No. 4,885,363.) or for the preparation of anti-HIV compounds (U.S. Pat. No. 5,583,131; U.S. Pat. No. 5,698,546; U.S. Pat. No. 5,021,409; and U.S. Pat. No. 6,001,826), or for the preparation of compounds disclosed in PCT WO 2000/45814.
More recently, U.S. Pat. No. 5,705,637 discloses a process for preparing tri-benzylated macrocycles following a macrocyclization/amide reduction sequence. The three benzyl groups are removed eventually to afford mono-substituted cyclen.
For those skilled in the art it will also be obvious that the N-1 protected cyclic macrocyclic polyamines of the present invention are useful, after necessary additional protection deprotection steps, for the preparation of N-1 substituted cyclic polyamines.
Certain unique nitrogen protecting groups other than those described above have been reported and offer from low to excellent selectivity among primary and secondary amines and between two secondary amines.
Tetrahedron Letters Vol. 36. No. 20, pgs 3451-3452, (1995) reported reactions using ethyl trifluoroacetate to selectively protect primary amine in the presence of secondary amine in several linear polyamine compounds.
Tetrahedron Letters Vol. 36. No. 41, pgs 7357-7360, (1995) relates to examples using single equivalent ethyl trifluoroacetate to selectively protect di-primary amines and di-secondary amines. One case involving a six-membered diamine piperazine demonstrated a moderate selectivity of 5.8:1 when one equivalent of ethyl trifluoroacetate is used per equivalent of piperazine. It is noted that treatment of piperazine with excess ethyl trifluoroacetate readily produces more double (full) protected product, thus significantly reduced selectivity.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,080,785 relates to new mono-functionalized ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid, diethylenetriaminepentaacetic acid and triethylenetetraaminehexaacetic acid derivatives. A linear 1,4,7-triazaheptane was treated with 1.1 equivalents of ethyl trifluoroacetate and produced a mixture of monoamide and diamide at a ratio of 9:1. This mixture was carried further to the next step.
The present invention is based on the discovery that, when certain protecting agents are used to protect cyclic polyamines containing N ring nitrogen (Nxe2x89xa73) with each nitrogen being separated by 2 or more carbon atoms , the rate of reaction will slow down sharply once N-1 nitrogens are protected, even when all of the nitrogens in the cyclic polyamine are originally chemically equivalent. These controlled reactions thus afford, in an excellent yield, the important N-1 protected polyazamacrocycles at high selectivity.
The present invention relates, for example, to efficient high yielding N-1 protection of cyclic polyamines containing a total of N amine nitrogens, where the ring has from 9 to 20 ring members and N is from 3 to 6 amine nitrogens spaced by 2 or more carbon atoms, using fluroronated acid esters and other structurally related protecting agents (formula III). The resultant protected amines prepared by this method are useful intermediates for the preparation of selectively N-substituted protected cyclic polyamines. The protected selectively N-substituted cyclic polyamine is readily deprotected under mild conditions to form selectively N-substituted cyclic polyamines.
More particularly, the current invention discloses, inter alia, the high yielding tri-protection of 1,4,8,11-tetraazacyclotetradecane (cyclam), 1,4,7,10-tetraazacyclododecane (cyclen) and di-protection of 1,4,7-triazacyclononane using agents such as those represented by formula III.
In addition, the present invention provides an extremely efficient and economic process for preparing 1,1xe2x80x2-[1,4-phenylenebis (methylene)]-bis1,4,8,11-tetraazacyclotetradecane from cyclam, by using protecting groups such as, but not limited to, trifluoroacetyl, following a reaction sequence of tri-protection, alkylation and deprotection.
Other aspects of the invention are described throughout the specification and in particular the claims.

Process for preparation of N-1 protected N ring nitrogen containing cyclic polyamines and products thereof


An electric engine starter for cranking an internal combustion engine. The starter has a drive housing which is shaped to define a solenoid compartment and a starter drive compartment. The drive housing has a pair of spaced walls connecting the solenoid compartment to the starter drive compartment. A starter drive that includes a pinion gear and an overrunning clutch is located in the starter drive compartment. A shift lever retainer is located between the spaced walls of the drive housing and pivotally supports a shift lever. The retainer has outwardly projecting ribs and the spaced walls have inwardly projecting spaced ribs. These ribs impede the passage of water from the starter drive compartment to the solenoid compartment. The shift lever has a plate or flap which, in an at-rest position of the shift lever, forms a barrier for the passage of water from the starter drive compartment toward the retainer. The drive housing has two water drain openings that are connected by a drain channel that operates as a sump.

This invention relates to an electric engine starter for cranking an internal combustion engine and more particularly to an electric starter that is constructed to protect the starter from substances such as water that can enter the starter.
Electric engine starters or cranking motors are provided with a starter drive housing which encloses a starter drive that has a pinion. This housing has an access opening which allows the pinion to be shifted into mesh with the ring gear of the engine. Engine starters are mounted on an engine of a motor vehicle and are located close to the ground. Therefore, the starter can be subjected to road splash with the result that various substances or materials such as water, saltwater, road oil, and debris can enter the starter through the access opening. These substances or contaminants can cause, among other things, the overrunning clutch to corrode and stick to the shaft and the substances can corrode the plunger of the solenoid to a point that it will not pull in and thus, prevent the pinion from meshing with the ring gear.


Systems and methods for secure password entry are provided. When a user wishes to log in or otherwise authenticate as an authorized user of a system using a password, the system can provide an apparently random sequence of characters to the user. The user can select all of the characters in the sequence of characters that also appear in the user's password. The system can determine whether all of the selected characters are in the password and that all of the characters in the sequence of characters that are also in the password were selected. The user can select the characters in any order and the selected characters can include less than all of the characters in the password. In this way, the system can authenticate the user without the user entering their entire password, thereby increasing both the efficiency and the security of the password entry operation.

1. Field of the Invention
This application relates generally to electronic authorization and more particularly to systems and methods for secure password entry.
2. Related Art
The use of a user login name and a password for authorization of a user of a computing system is well known. In a conventional system, the user is provided with empty fields into which the user enters their user login name and password. The user login name and password are typically entered into the appropriate fields using a real or virtual QWERTY keyboard and/or a numerical keypad.
If the entered user login name and password do not exactly match the stored login name and password for the user, authentication (log-in) is denied. Only when the user exactly enters the correct login name and password exactly is authentication of the user successful.
In this kind of system, the user enters each and every character in their password in order every time they wish to log into the system. If care is not taken, this type of configuration can lead to security risks. For example, because the user always enters the exact same sequence of characters, the risk of the entire password being observed while being entered and/or the risk of physical residue or wear on the keyboard that gives clues to a repeatedly entered password can be exploited.
It would therefore be desirable to provide systems and methods for password entry or other secret number or word entry with increased security.
Embodiments of the present disclosure and their advantages are best understood by referring to the detailed description that follows. It should be appreciated that like reference numerals are used to identify like elements illustrated in one or more of the figures, wherein showings therein are for purposes of illustrating embodiments of the present disclosure and not for purposes of limiting the same.


A method and an apparatus for identifying foreign bodies in packaged beverages are employed where the package and the beverage are translucent and the foreign bodies have a density greater than that of the beverage. A novel aspect of the method is that the package is oriented in a first position in which the foreign bodies are collected on an internal, upwardly directed face in the package, and the package is then turned to at least one subsequent inclined position having an inclination sufficient for the foreign bodies to perform a downward movement along said face. During this movement, at least one of the foreign bodies is identified by comparing at least two successive position-determining detections. This provides a method and an apparatus for certain identification of foreign bodies in dark as well as light beverages, and in disposable as well as recyclable packages.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention concerns a method of identifying foreign bodies in packaged beverages, where the package and the beverage are translucent, and the foreign bodies have a density greater than that of the beverage. The invention moreover concerns devices for performing the method and uses of said devices.
2. Description of the Related Art
Methods of this type are known. In the performance of these known methods, the foreign bodies are identified manually in that an operator manually turns the package, while observing whether foreign bodies move in the beverage. These known methods are not useful for identification of small foreign bodies, such as glass splinters, since they are frequently very difficult to observe. Further, it is not possible to identify foreign bodies with certainty in dark beverages owing to poor translucency. Finally, it has been found in practice that a large batch of beverages has to be rejected each time foreign bodies are observed in these. The reason is that the manual identification is performed only once an hour, and that it is desired not to place doubtful beverages with impurities on the market. Thus, the method is very expensive in the event that foreign bodies are observed in the beverages.
FR 2 607 589 discloses a method and a system for automatic identification of foreign bodies in glass bottles, in particular champagne bottles. The foreign bodies are detected using a spot scanner, while the bottle is turned about a vertical and a horizontal axis. However, this method does not enable the foreign bodies to be distinguished from carbonic acid and air bubbles, for which reason the method has been found to be unuseful in practice. Furthermore, the method cannot be applied to dark liquids at all.
Further, U.S. Pat. No. 5,072,108 discloses a method wherein the bottle to be inspected is rotated rapidly and is photographed durig the rotation. Scratches in the surface of the bottle will hereby be imaged as horizontal lines, while the foreign bodies in the non-rotating liquid can easily be identified. However, this method cannot be used for dark liquids either. It may likewise be a problem to detect foreign bodies at the domed bottom of the bottle.

Method and an apparatus for identifying foreign bodies in packaged beverages, as well as use of the apparatus


A polymer compound is provided which is changed from a water-insoluble state to a water-soluble state by irradiation with light. The polymer compound is represented by Formula (5), where A and B are a single bond or a functional group, R3, R4, and R9 are hydrogen or an alkyl group, and R6 and R7 are hydrogen, an alkyl group, or the like.

Application of materials of which physical properties are changed by external stimuli has been actively studied in fields such as biotechnology and medical care. As a member for a bio-device that handles cells, proteins, and the like, there is a demand for a material of which physical properties are greatly changed in a water system. In these days when utilization of human iPS-derived cells has been seriously studied and needs for individually manipulating cultured cells have rapidly increased, usefulness of a material of which physical properties can be controlled with light that enables a local action on a μm scale is immeasurable.
To date, polymer materials of which a hydration property is increased by light have been reported. However, in these polymer materials, physical properties are changed at a temperature or pH which is not suitable for cell culture or insufficient changes in physical properties are exhibited. In addition, there is a report on a polymer material which has a photoacid-generating group and exhibits large changes in optical properties. However, this polymer material does not reach a level to which its insolubility or solubility in water can be controlled by light. Furthermore, this polymer material has problems that do not permit application thereof to cellular systems, such as being accompanied with liberation of low-molecular-weight components due to light-cleavage reaction, and strong acid generation. On the other hand, materials crosslinked by light are utilized for photolithography and the like. However, most of these materials require a high-temperature heat treatment.

Polymer compound and method for manipulating cell using same

NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF ADVANCED INDUSTRIAL SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY


A fiber structure includes a plurality of weft layers and of warp layers interlinked by multilayer three-dimensional weaving, the fiber structure having at least first and second portions that are adjacent in the warp direction, the first portion presenting, in a direction perpendicular to the warp and weft directions, a thickness that is greater than the thickness of the second portion, wherein the first portion has at its core at least one fiber fabric obtained by three-dimensional weaving of warp yarns and weft yarns in the form of a Mock Leno weave grid, the at least one fabric being present between two skins present at the surface of the first portion and being linked to the skins by warp yarns belonging to the skins that are locally deflected into the fabric.

The present invention relates to making parts out of composite material, and more particularly to making fiber reinforcing structures for such parts by three-dimensional (3D) or multilayer weaving.
A field of application of the invention is making parts out of structural composite material, i.e. parts having a fiber reinforcing structure densified by a matrix. Composite materials enable parts to be made having overall weight that is lower than that of the same parts when they are made out of a metal material.
The invention relates more particularly to parts made out of composite material that include one or more portions of local extra thickness, as applies for example to the root of an aeroengine blade, which corresponds to a zone having great variation of thickness in the composite material part. For a part made out of composite material that presents varying thickness, the change of thickness is controlled in the fiber structure that is to constitute the reinforcement of the part.
Making blades out of composite material for turbine engines has already been proposed. Reference may be made in particular to patent application US 2011/0311368 filed jointly by Snecma and Snecma Propulsion Solide. That application describes fabricating a turbine engine blade out of composite material comprising fiber reinforcement densified by a matrix, the fiber blank that is to constitute the reinforcement is made by multilayer weaving and comprises a first portion of small thickness forming the airfoil preform and a second portion of greater thickness forming a blade root preform. Under such circumstances, the blade root preform is made using an insert so as to form a bulb-shaped region in the portion of the blade corresponding to its root.
Nevertheless, that technique for forming the blade root makes industrial fabrication of the blade more complex and increases its fabrication cost since it leads to large losses of material and requires difficult handling that slows down the speed of production. In addition, the insert, which is also made of composite material, needs to be densified and machined, thereby leading to additional costs and possibly to parts being rejected.
The textile of the preform, which is naturally floppy, interacts mechanically with the insert and can lead in particular to shear in the textile, to turning movements of the insert, to loss of interlinking between the insert of the textile, etc.
Furthermore, molding and densifying the portion of the preform that is to form the blade root are found to be difficult, in particular because the tolerances for the profile of the bulb-shaped root are very small (of the order of one-tenth of a millimeter) and because this portion of the blade presents severe requirements in terms of mechanical properties, given that the blade root concentrates the majority of the forces that are applied to the blade.
Another solution, as described in particular in Documents U.S. Pat. No. 7,101,154 and US 2011/0311368 consists in increasing the weight (and thus the cross-section) of the yarns in the portions of greater thickness in the fiber structure in order to reduce the capacity for decreasing thickness while the 3D fiber structure is being shaped with compression. Nevertheless, the use of yarns of high weight locally increases the fiber fraction in the preform. If the fiber fraction is too great, the resulting network of pores may not be sufficient for enabling the components of the matrix to have good access to the core of the preform and consequently for obtaining a composite material that is uniform and thus presents good mechanical properties.
It is therefore desirable to be able to have available 3D or multilayer fiber structures including portions of greater thickness, but that do not present the above-mentioned drawbacks.

Fiber structure and a composite material part incorporating such a structure