An apparatus for, and method of, improving the resolution of a conventional imaging system by effectively increasing the bandwidth of an imaging system's transfer function. An object is first illuminated with periodic illumination. The phase of the periodic illumination is varied while the periodic illumination is used to scan the object. A plurality of images are received by an imaging system whereby the images received correspond to variations in the phase of the periodic illumination. These images are subsequently processed to extract information in phase with the periodic illumination and information 90 degrees out of phase with the periodic illumination. In an optical microscope system, the periodic illumination also provides automatic focusing and three-dimensional imaging capabilities.

The present invention relates to a system for enhancing the resolution of imaging systems by using a periodic pattern illumination.
Conventional imaging systems today, are characterized by a finite and limited optical system bandwidth. This limitation manifests itself in an optical system's optical transfer function (OTF). The transfer function of most imaging systems, including optical and electronic microscopes, characterizes a system by relating the spatial frequencies of an observed object or target, to those frequencies contained in a formed image. Many times, however, the resolution of such conventional imaging systems is not sufficient. In order to improve the resolution of an imaging system, it is necessary to extend the bandwidth of its transfer function. Increasing the bandwidth of the transfer function allows higher frequencies to be transmitted to the image. Several optical scanning systems have already been developed for just this purpose, such as the Confocal Microscope and the Near Field Microscope.
A transform space scanning imaging apparatus and method are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,929,951. The invention utilizes a different technique of generating a synthetic image from that of the present invention. The invention disclosed by the '951 patent utilizes a non-imaging receiver rather than a basic conventional imaging system. In addition, the invention fails to synthesize the transfer function of the object.


The present invention is a polarizing process involving a number of steps. The first step requires moving a flowing mixture of gas, the gas at least containing a polarizable nuclear species and vapor of at least one alkali metal, with a transport velocity that is not negligible when compared with the natural velocity of diffusive transport. The second step is propagating laser light in a direction, preferably at least partially through a polarizing cell. The next step is directing the flowing gas along a direction generally opposite to the direction of laser light propagation. The next step is containing the flowing gas mixture in the polarizing cell. The final step is immersing the polarizing cell in a magnetic field. These steps can be initiated in any order, although the flowing gas, the propagating laser and the magnetic field immersion must be concurrently active for polarization to occur.

Nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) is a phenomenon, which can be induced through the application of energy against an atomic nucleus being held in a magnetic field. The nucleus, if it has a magnetic moment, can be aligned within an externally applied magnetic field. This alignment can then be transiently disturbed by application of a short burst of radio frequency energy to the system. The resulting disturbance of the nucleus manifests as a measurable resonance or wobble of the nucleus relative to the external field.
For any nucleus to interact with an external field, however, the nucleus must have a magnetic moment, i.e., non-zero spin. Experimental nuclear magnetic resonance techniques are, therefore, limited to study of those target samples, which include a significant proportion of nuclei exhibiting non-zero spin. Certain noble gases, including xenon, are in principle suited to study via NMR. However, the low relative natural abundance of these isotopes, their small magnetic moments, and other physical factors have made NMR study of these nuclei difficult if not impossible to accomplish.
Existing technology for polarizing xenon, developed primarily at Princeton, is based on earlier work on nuclear polarized 3He gas targets for nuclear physics. The key component of the system is the polarizing chamber where the 3He gas is heated, saturated with rubidium, an alkali metal vapor, and illuminated with laser light. In these devices, a closed cell of 3He gas, rubidium, and nitrogen is maintained at a uniform high temperature to achieve an appropriate rubidium density. A laser illuminates the cell with circularly polarized light at the resonant absorption line of the rubidium, polarizing the rubidium electrons. Spin exchange occurs with the 3He gas nucleus, leading to an accumulation of nuclear polarization. 3He gas atoms diffuse throughout the cell.
Xenon polarization proceeds by a similar mechanism. Circularly polarized laser light polarizes rubidium atoms, which in turn transfer their polarization to the xenon nucleus. Xenon, however, has a large depolarization effect on rubidium. Therefore the partial pressure of xenon must be kept low. Diode lasers, which are used to illuminate the gas mixture, have a large linewidth. In order to more efficiently absorb more of this laser light, the rubidium should be in a high-pressure gas to pressure-broaden the absorption line. Princeton researchers use a high-pressure buffer gas of helium. They slowly flow a mixture of xenon, nitrogen, and helium through the polarizing cell. A sufficient quantity of rubidium is available in the polarizing cell. The unpolarized gas slowly enters this chamber and diffusively mixes with rubidium vapor and partially polarized gas already in the chamber. Rubidium condenses as the gas exits and cools down.
The use of a high-pressure buffer gas, such as helium, causes pressure broadening of the absorption spectrum of the rubidium, allowing greater extraction of laser power in a compact pumping cell with low rubidium density. Operation at high-pressure, however, changes the dominant mechanism for transferring polarization from the rubidium to the xenon. At high pressures the dominant mechanism is the two-body interaction. At low pressures, the mechanism mediated by three-body formation of molecules dominates which is considerably more efficient. Consequently, the improvement in polarization achieved by the gain in laser efficiency is partially offset by a reduction in rubidium-xenon polarization transfer.
Existing polarization techniques also use a gas mixture dominated by helium at high pressure. The high pressure of helium broadens the absorption linewidth of the rubidium, allowing it to usefully absorb more of the linewidth of the diode laser. If they reduce the pressure, they would not absorb as much light in their short polarizing cells. If they lengthened their cells using their diffusively mixed process, they would mix gas from regions with an even greater range of polarization rates. If the existing process could be performed effectively at low pressure, however, the polarization system would be capable of taking advantage of the higher efficiently molecular formation physics.
Existing polarization methods cannot efficiently use the full polarizing power of the laser beam. The gas mixture attenuates the laser light. Consequently, the region of the polarizing cell farthest from the laser will only achieve low rubidium polarization if the cell is long. Since the gas in the polarization cell is diffusively mixed, the xenon will achieve an average polarization that is influenced by both the high rubidium polarization and the low rubidium polarization. To minimize the region of low rubidium polarization, the laser must exit the polarizing cell after using only a portion of its polarizing power.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Apparatus and method for polarizing polarizable nuclear species


A solid state fabrication technique for controlling the amount of outdiffusion from a three-dimensional film is comprised of the step of providing a first layer of insitu doped film in a manner to define an upper portion and a lower portion. A second layer of undoped film is provided on top of the first layer to similarly define an upper portion and a lower portion. The first and second layers are etched according to a predetermined pattern. The second layer is doped to obtain a desired dopant density which decreases from the upper portion to the lower portion. Outdiffusion of the dopant from the upper portion of the second layer results in the dopant migrating to the lower portion of the second layer. Thus, outdiffusion into the substrate, and the problems caused thereby, are eliminated or greatly reduced.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is directed to solid state fabrication techniques and, more particularly, to techniques used to produce three-dimensional, doped films particularly useful in the construction of solid state memory devices.
2. Description of the Background
Memory cells, such as those of dynamic random access memories (DRAM), are comprised of two main components: a field-effect transistor (FET) and a capacitor. In memory cells utilizing a conventional planar capacitor, far more chip surface area is dedicated to the planar capacitor than to the FET. Wordlines are generally etched from a polysilicon-1 layer. A doped region of silicon substrate functions as the lower (storage-node) capacitor plate while a doped polysilicon-2 layer generally functions as the upper capacitor plate (cell plate). Although planar capacitors have generally proven adequate for use in memory chips up to the one-megabyte level, they are considered to be unusable for more advanced memory generations.
As component density in memory chips has increased, the shrinkage of cell capacitor size has resulted in a number of problems. Firstly, the alpha-particle component of normal background radiation can generate hole-electron pairs in the silicon substrate, which can be collected by the lower capacitor plate. The phenomena will cause a charge stored within the affected cell capacitor to rapidly dissipate, resulting in a "soft" error. Secondly, the sense amplifier differential signal is reduced. That aggravates noise sensitivity and makes it more difficult to design column sense-amplifiers having appropriate signal selectivity. Thirdly, as cell capacitor size is decreased, the smaller charge stored within the cell leaks to an unusable level sooner, which necessitates more frequent interruptions for refresh overhead.
As a result of the problems associated with the use of planar capacitors for high-density memories, manufacturers of, for example, 4-megabyte DRAMs are utilizing cell designs based on non-planar capacitors. Two basic non-planar capacitor designs are currently in use: the trench capacitor and the stacked capacitor. Both types of non-planar capacitors typically require a considerably greater number of masking, deposition, and etching steps for their manufacture than does a planar capacitor.
In a trench capacitor, charge is stored primarily vertically, as opposed to horizontally in a planar capacitor. Because trench capacitors are fabricated in trenches which are etched in the substrate, some trench capacitor structures can be susceptible to soft errors. In addition, there are several other problems inherent in the trench design. One problem is that of trench-to-trench charge leakage caused by the parasitic transistor effect between adjacent trenches. Another problem is cell storage node-to-substrate leakage attributable to single crystal defects which are induced by stress associated with the trench structure. Yet another problem is the difficulty of completely cleaning the trenches during the fabrication process. Failure to completely clean a trench will generally result in a defective cell.
The stacked capacitor design, on the other hand, has proven somewhat more reliable and easier to fabricate than the trench design. However, in the stacked capacitor design, the layer of material which forms the storage node is in contact with the substrate. Subsequent processing steps tend to cause outdiffusion of the dopant which adversely affects the diode junction profile as well as the threshold voltage for the access transistor. Thus, the need exists for a method of controlling the outdiffusion from a doped three-dimensional film.

Method of reducing outdiffusion from a doped three-dimensional polysilicon film into substrate by using angled implants


Disclosed herein are a poly type thin film transistor substrate and a fabricating method thereof, which can reduce the number of processing steps without any process defects. The poly type thin film transistor substrate comprises forming transparent lower conductive layer and upper conductive layers on a substrate; forming a photo-resist pattern on the upper conductive layer; patterning the upper conductive layer by using the photo-resist pattern as a mask; ashing the photo-resist pattern so as to remain on the upper conductive layer; patterning the lower conductive layer by a dry etching method using the patterned upper conductive layer as a mask; and removing the remaining photo-resist pattern.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a thin film transistor substrate of a liquid crystal display panel using polysilicon, and more particularly to a polysilicon thin film transistor substrate reduces the number of processing steps without any process defects, and a fabricating method thereof.
2. Discussion of the Related Art
Generally, a liquid crystal display LCD device has liquid crystal cells that are arranged in a matrix in a liquid crystal display panel to control the light transmittance of the liquid crystal in accordance with a video signal to display a picture.
A thin film transistor (hereinafter, referred to as "TFT") is used as a switch device to independently supply a video signal to each of the liquid crystal cells. Amorphous silicon or polysilicon is used as an active layer for the TFT. When using polysilicon, in which the charge mobility is approximately 100 times as fast as amorphous silicon, a drive circuit with a high response speed may be embedded in the liquid crystal display panel.
The polysilicon liquid crystal display panel includes a TFT substrate, in which the drive circuit is formed together with the TFT, and a color filter substrate, in which the color filter is formed, with liquid crystal therebetween.
FIG. 1 is a plan view illustrating part of a polysilicon TFT substrate, and FIG. 2 is a sectional diagram illustrating the TFT substrate shown in FIG. 1, taken along the line I-I′.
The TFT substrate shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 includes a TFT 30 connected to a gate line 2 and a data line 4, and a pixel electrode 22 connected to the TFT 30. The TFT 30 is formed as an N-type or P-type, but the case of being formed as the N-type is only explained below.
The TFT 30 includes a gate electrode 6 connected to the gate line 2, a source electrode included as part of the data line 4, and a drain electrode 10 connected to the pixel electrode 22 through a pixel contact hole 20 penetrating a passivation film 18. The gate electrode 6 overlaps a channel area 14C of an active layer 14, which is formed on a buffer film 12, with a gate insulating film 16 therebetween. The source electrode and the drain electrode 10 are formed with an interlayer insulating film 26 between the gate electrode 6 and the source and drain electrodes. And the source electrode and the drain electrode 10 are respectively connected to a source area 14S and a drain area 14D of the active layer 14, into which n+ impurities are injected, through a source contact hole 24S and a drain contact hole 24D which penetrate the interlayer insulating film 26 and the gate insulating film 16.
The polysilicon TFT substrate is formed using six mask processes, as in FIGS. 3A to 3F.
Referring to FIG. 3A, a buffer film 12 is formed on a lower substrate 1, and the active layer 14 is formed thereon by a first mask process.
An amorphous silicon is deposited on the buffer film 12 and crystallized by a laser to produce polysilicon, and then the polysilicon is patterned by a photolithography process and an etching process using a first mask, thereby forming the active layer 14.
Referring to FIG. 3B, the gate insulating film 16 is formed on the buffer film 12 where the active layer 14 is formed, and the gate line 2 and the gate electrode 6 are formed thereon by a second mask process.
Next, N+ impurities are injected into a non-overlapping area of the active layer 14 using the gate electrode 6 as a mask, thereby forming the source area 14S and the drain area 14D of the active layer 14.
Referring to FIG. 3C, the interlayer insulating film 26 is formed on the gate insulating film 16 where the gate line 2 and the gate electrode 6 are formed, and the source and drain contact holes 24S, 24D penetrating the interlayer insulating film 26 and the gate insulating film 16 are formed by a third mask.
Referring to FIG. 3D, the data line 4 having the source electrode and the drain electrode 10 are formed on the interlayer insulating film 26 by a fourth mask process.
Referring to FIG. 3E, the passivation film 18, is formed on the interlayer insulating film 26 where the data line 4 and the drain electrode 10 are formed, and a pixel contact hole 20 penetrating the passivation film 18 to expose the drain electrode 10 is formed by a fifth mask process.
Referring to FIG. 3F, a transparent pixel electrode 22 is formed on the passivation film 18 by a sixth mask process.
In this way, the related art polysilicon TFT substrate is formed by the six mask processes, thus its fabricating processes are complicated. This is because one mask process includes many processes like a thin film deposition process, a cleaning process, a photolithography process, an etching process, a photo-resist peeling process, an inspection process, and so on. Accordingly, in order to reduce cost, a method is required so that the number of mask processes of the polysilicon TFT substrate are reduced without defect.

Liquid crystal display device and method of fabricating the same


A solid-state imaging device includes: a plurality of unit cells each including at least one light receiving unit and an amplifying transistor which outputs an amplified signal corresponding to an amount of the signal charge photoelectrically converted by the light receiving unit; a plurality of vertical signal lines each for receiving an output signal from the amplifying transistor; a pixel power supply line for supplying a power supply voltage to the amplifying transistor; a plurality of constant current source transistors each connected to a different one of the vertical signal lines; and a bias circuit which controls an amount of current to be supplied to each of the constant current source transistors, based on a variation in the power supply voltage.

As physical quantity distribution detecting apparatuses for detecting distribution of physical quantities, for example, solid-state imaging devices are available in which a plurality of unit cells, each including a light receiving unit (pixel) for detecting the intensity of incident light, are two-dimensionally arranged in rows and columns. Complementary metal-oxide semiconductor (CMOS) image sensors, which can be produced through a process similar to that for CMOS integrated circuits (ICs), are widely known as the solid-state imaging devices.
FIG. 18 illustrates a circuit configuration of a conventional solid-state imaging device disclosed in PTL 1. In the CMOS image sensor including a column-parallel analog-to-digital (AD) converting unit illustrated in FIG. 18, each comparator 2031 includes a capacitor element 2044 between a signal line and a power supply line L11. An operation of the capacitor elements 2044 is intended to solve the noise caused by the voltage drop in the power supply line L11 that occurs when the outputs of the comparators 2031 are collectively inverted.

Solid-state imaging device and imaging apparatus

PANASONIC INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY MANAGEMENT CO., LTD.


A land-mounted flap gate formed by arranging and connecting a plurality of door bodies alongside one another is disclosed. The front side of each of the plurality of door bodies is raised and lowered using the back end side of each door body as a support point. One end of a rope is attached to the back end surface of the door body and the other end of the rope is attached to a counter weight. At least one fixed pulley for guiding the rope is disposed below the back end side of the door body such that the counter weight assists the raising or lowering when starting the raising or lowering and acts as a resistance against the raising or lowering before completing the raising or lowering. The waterproof film that seals a space between neighboring door bodies in a waterproof manner is formed in a substantially trapezoidal shape.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a land-mounted flap gate that is installed in a wide-span opening such as the top surface of the embankment of a seawall or the like as a countermeasure against, for example, high tides or tidal waves.
2. Description of Related Art
An example of a flap gate is a floating body-type flap gate that is installed in an opening of a seawall and that raises door bodies using the buoyancy of incoming water to block the opening in order to prevent water increased at the time of water increase from flowing into living spaces or underground spaces (see, e.g., Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2012-241449).
When such a floating body-type flap gate is installed on the top surface of the embankment of a seawall, a required height is achieved only in case of emergency and the height of the embankment can be kept low in a normal situation, so that a view can be unobstructed from a land side to a sea side, and thus the landscape is not spoiled by the flap gate.
However, in the case of this floating body-type flap gate that is installed on the top surface of the embankment of a seawall, the length of a part for blocking the inflow of sea water becomes longer when compared with the floating body-type flap gate that is installed in the opening of a seawall, so that the number of door bodies connected with each other increases and the number of connections between the door bodies also increases. Furthermore, it is difficult to generate sufficient auxiliary force to the operation of raising or lowering door bodies with only both sides of the floating body-type flap gate.
As illustrated in FIG. 8, this connection between neighboring door bodies is performed by bonding flanges 2 along the whole side surfaces of neighboring door bodies 1 by means of welding, superimposing a waterproof rubber 3 and a pressing plate 4 on the upper surface of each of the flanges 2, and inserting a waterproof film 5 which connects the door bodies 1 in a watertight manner between the waterproof rubber 3 and pressing plate 4 of these neighboring door bodies 1, and then fastening bolts 6 and nuts 7 at predetermined intervals.
However, the floating body-type flap gate regularly requires a floating inspection on the start of raising and an operation inspection from a lowered state to a raised state and from a raised state to a lowered state, as well as a visual appearance inspection.
When the floating inspection on the start of raising or the operation inspection between the lowered state and the raised state is performed, it is difficult to inspect all door bodies at one time because the floating body-type flap gate that is installed on the top surface of the embankment of a seawall has a large number of door bodies connected to each other.
In particular, the floating inspection on the start of raising is performed after all the connections between neighboring door bodies have been released in order not to influence other neighboring door bodies. In this case, it is very cumbersome to unfasten a plurality of bolts and nuts that secure waterproof films that connect the neighboring door bodies to each other in a watertight manner.


Provided are a complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) image sensor and a method of fabricating the same, where the CMOS image sensor includes a photodiode, a drive transistor, a reset transistor, and a selection transistor; the drive transistor includes a threshold voltage adjustment region doped with impurities of a type substantially identical to that of impurities doped into a source and a drain of the drive transistor; and the CMOS image sensor includes pixels with expanded output signal ranges.

1. Field of the Invention
The present disclosure relates to image sensors using semiconductor substrates, and more particularly, to complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) image sensors having photodiodes.
2. Description of the Related Art
Image sensors are semiconductor devices that convert optical images into electrical signals. In particular, complementary metal-oxide semiconductor (CMOS) image sensors include photodiodes that receive and store optical signals and form images using control devices that control or process the optical signals. Control devices can be fabricated using CMOS fabrication technology. Therefore, a process of fabricating CMOS image sensors can be realized, and a plurality of signal processing devices can be integrated onto a single chip.
Drawbacks and disadvantages of conventional CMOS image sensors will now be described with reference to FIG. 1. Referring to FIG. 1, a unit pixel of a conventional CMOS image sensor includes a photodiode 185, a transfer transistor 188, a reset transistor 158, a drive transistor 168, and a selection transistor 178.
The photodiode 185 receives optical energy and generates electric charges accordingly. The transfer transistor 188 may control the transmission of the generated electric charges to a floating node 190 using a transfer gate line TG. The reset transistor 158 may control a supply voltage Vdd using a reset gate line RS and reset the potential of the floating node 190. The drive transistor 168 may function as a source follower amplifier. The selection transistor 178 is a switching device that can select a unit pixel using a selection gate line SEL.
The supply voltage Vdd may be output to an output line OUT via the drive transistor 168 and the selection transistor 178. The drive transistor 168 may be controlled by the potential of the floating node 190. When the reset transistor 158 is turned on (that is, when a reset operation is performed), the potential of the floating node 190 is proportional to the supply voltage Vdd and inversely proportional to a voltage drop in the reset transistor 158.
To lower the potential of the floating node 190 during the reset operation, the reset transistor 158 may be formed as a depletion transistor. However, the drive transistor 168 and the selection transistor 178 constituting an output circuit may be formed as enhancement transistors in consideration of off-leakage current.
As the integration density of CMOS image sensors increases, pixel sizes are reduced, and operating voltage becomes lower. Accordingly, voltage that can be output from a pixel becomes lower, and an output signal range of the pixel is reduced as a result.

CMOS image sensor and method of fabricating the same


A vulcanizable epoxy group-containing elastomer composition is disclosed, comprising (A) an epoxy group-containing elastomer, (B) an organic compound containing at least two ##STR1## bonds, wherein X and Y, which may be the same or different, each represents an oxygen atom or a sulfur atom, per molecule or an organic compound containing at least two carboxyl groups per molecule, and (C) a phosphine compound represented by formula: ##STR2## wherein R.sub.1 and R.sub.2, which may be the same or different, each represents an alkyl group having from 1 to 4 carbon atoms; and R represents a hydrogen atom or an alkoxy group having from 1 to 4 carbon atoms. The composition has excellent compression set, particularly in a high temperature atmosphere, as well as excellent mechanical characteristics.

Vulcanization systems commonly employed for epoxy group-containing elastomers in which epoxy groups function as crosslinking sites include polyamines, diamine carbamates, ammonium organic carboxylates, dithiocarbamates, and imidazoles. However, epoxy group-containing elastomers having been vulcanized with these vulcanization systems exhibit poor compression set, and achievement of satisfactory compression set requires long-time secondary vulcanization.
In order to eliminate the above-described disadvantage, various studies have been conducted on a vulcanization system which endows an epoxy group-containing elastomer with excellent compression set. For example, it has been proposed to add an organic compound having a specific structure and a quaternary ammonium or phosphonium salt to an epoxy group-containing elastomer as disclosed in JP-A-61-26620 and JP-A-63-57629 (the term "JP-A" as used herein means an "unexamined published Japanese patent application").
Demand for improved compression set has recently become more and more strict. For example, excellent compression set in a high temperature atmosphere, e.g., at 180.degree. C. or even higher, has been demanded. In this connection, none of the so far proposed vulcanization systems including the above-mentioned ones does not impart excellent compression set to an epoxy group-containing elastomer even under such a severe condition.

Vulcanizable epoxy group-containing elastomer composition


Machine implemented method and system for processing a write request for a copy on write (COW) enabled write operation to write to a logical unit number (LUN) for which a replicated LUN exists is provided. An adapter coupled to a computing system and interfacing with the LUN and the replicated LUN receives the write request having an indicator indicating that the write request is for the COW enabled write operation. The adapter issues a read request to the LUN to read previous information from the LUN; temporarily stores the previous information at a memory storage location of the adapter; writes the previous information to the replicated LUN; writes the information based on the write request to the LUN; and notifies the computing system indicating that the write request for the COW enabled write operation has been completed.

Storage space at a storage device is presented as a storage volume having at least a logical unit number (LUN) for reading and writing information. A snapshot is a point in time copy of the storage volume. A snapshot is typically created using a pre-designated space for the snapshot. When the snapshot is first created, only meta-data about where original data is stored is copied. No physical copy of the data is done at the time the snapshot is created. Therefore, the creation of the snapshot is almost instantaneous. The snapshot copy then tracks the changing blocks on the original storage volume as writes to the original volume are performed. The original data that is being written to is copied into the designated storage pool that is set aside for the snapshot before original data is overwritten, hence the name "copy-on-write" (or COW).
Before a write is allowed to a block, copy-on-write operation moves the original data block to the snapshot storage. This keeps the snapshot data consistent with the exact time the snapshot was taken. Read requests to the snapshot volume of the unchanged data blocks are redirected to the original volume, while read requests to data blocks that have been changed are directed to the "copied" blocks in the snapshot. Continuous efforts are being made to efficiently execute COW enabled write operations.

Method and system for offloading copy on write operations


One object of the present disclosure is to show an optical filter capable of realizing both an excellent visible light transmittance and an excellent near-infrared ray-shielding performance even if an incident angle becomes large. The optical filter of the present disclosure has a base material (i) including a light absorbing layer, and transmits visible light, wherein the light absorbing layer has a maximum absorption in a wavelength range of 750 nm to 1,150 nm, and in a wavelength range of 850 nm to 1,050 nm, an average OD value measured in a direction perpendicular to the optical filter is 2.0 or more, and an average OD value measured at an angle of 60° with respect to the direction perpendicular to the optical filter is 2.0 or more.

In recent years, the development of ambient light sensors that are applied to information terminal devices such as smartphones and tablet terminals has progressed. The ambient light sensors in the information terminal devices are used as an illuminance sensor configured to detect an illuminance of an environment in which the information terminal device is placed and dim the brightness of a display, and a color sensor configured to detect a color tone of an environment in which the information terminal device is placed and adjust a color tone of a display.
In order to naturally match human vision sensitivity and a luminance and a color tone of a display, it is important to allow only visible light to reach the ambient light sensor. For example, in the ambient light sensor, when an optical filter such as a near infrared cut filter is installed, spectral sensitivity characteristics thereof are caused to approach those of vision sensitivity.
On the other hand, according to demand for emphasis on design properties of information terminal devices, it is necessary to lower a transmittance of a transmission window through which light passes before it is incident on the ambient light sensor (to darken an external appearance), and there are problems that, when an incident amount of visible light with respect to infrared light decreases, it is difficult to accurately detect an illuminance and a color tone, and an erroneous operation may occur. In addition, with a reduction in height of an information terminal device, a distance from a light incidence window to the ambient light sensor becomes shorter. Therefore, for example, a proportion of incident light from a large incident angle such as an incident angle of 60° is high, and it is necessary for spectral characteristics (in particular, an intensity of near infrared rays) of light that reaches the ambient light sensor not to change even for incident light with a large incident angle.
As a device for matching spectral characteristics of the ambient light sensor and human vision sensitivity, a device including an infrared cut filter in which a metal multilayer film is formed on a glass plate has been disclosed (for example, refer to Patent Literature 1). However, since optical characteristics of a near infrared cut filter in which a metal multilayer thin film is formed on a glass plate greatly change according to an incident angle of incident light, there is a problem of detection accuracy of the ambient light sensor decreasing.
On the other hand, as a material that can cut near infrared rays in a broad band regardless of an incident angle, various near infrared absorbing particles are known (for example, refer to Patent Literature 2 and Patent Literature 3). In order to achieve sufficient near infrared cut performance in an ambient light sensor application using such near infrared absorbing particles, it is necessary to increase an amount of near infrared absorbing particles added. However, in a near infrared cut filter, when an amount of near infrared absorbing particles added increases, there is a problem of a visible light transmittance decreasing.
On the other hand, a near infrared cut filter having a norbornene resin substrate, a near infrared absorbing dye having a maximum absorption at a specific wavelength, and a near infrared reflective film has characteristics that, when light is incident in an oblique direction, a change in transmittance in a visible range is small (refer to Patent Literature 4). When this near infrared cut filter is used in an ambient light sensor application, it is considered desirable to able to further improve infrared cut performance at a large incident angle such as an incident angle of 60°.

Optical filter having low incident angle dependence of incident light, ambient light sensor, sensor module and electronic device


Various embodiments propose an illumination apparatus having a laser apparatus and a phosphor wheel, wherein the phosphor wheel has, in addition to at least one phosphor region for phosphor conversion, at least one transmission region for colored light having a second, greater dominance wavelength from a light source. The beam paths from light source and laser apparatus are e.g. arranged collinearly, wherein the phosphor wheel rotates into the common optical axis of the laser apparatus and light source. By adding colored light having a greater dominance wavelength, the dominance wavelength of a colored light channel that is required for projection applications can also be obtained with colored light converted using efficient phosphor having a dominance wavelength that is too small.

Light sources having high light flux and high luminance are employed in a wide variety of fields, for instance in endoscopy as well as in projection appliances, for which purpose gas discharge lamps are currently most widespread. In the case of illumination applications, for example projection or endoscopy, based on LARP ("Laser Activated Remote Phosphor") technology which is known in principle, a phosphor is excited by a laser which is arranged remotely from the latter. In this case, the laser radiation which strikes the phosphor is at least partially converted by the phosphor by means of wavelength conversion into wavelength-converted useful light.
Rotating phosphor wheels are typically used as phosphors in order to distribute the laser beam output of the incident laser radiation averaged over time over a larger surface area and thus to reduce the phosphor degradation. A phosphor wheel has at least one sector that is coated with a phosphor. The sector may be a circular sector or a circular ring sector. A plurality of sectors may be arranged sequentially, radially and/or in circumferential direction on one side of the phosphor wheel. The sectors are typically coated with different phosphors which convert the incident laser radiation, for example ultraviolet (UV) radiation or blue-violet light, into radiation in another wavelength range, for example to light in the red (red phosphor), yellow (yellow phosphor), green (green phosphor) or blue (blue phosphor) wavelength range. The temporally sequential colored light channels for supplying an imaging unit, which are necessary for video projection, can also be produced using the successive color phosphor sectors of the rotating color wheel.
The light which is wavelength-converted by the phosphors is typically collected using an optical apparatus, for example reflector, converging lens or TIR optics (TIR: Total Internal Reflection; for example conical glass rod) and used further for the particular application.
One disadvantage is that red phosphors, in contrast to yellow and green phosphors, have a lower conversion efficiency when they are irradiated with laser radiation with high surface power densities (for example 10-50 W/mm2) As a result, in particular for red light, the light flux and luminance which can be achieved using LARP technology are limited. In addition, a few efficient phosphors have dominance wavelengths, which are not optimum for some applications, in particular video projection. The dominance wavelength (also referred to as dominant wavelength) is defined by light of a light color (colored light) in the CIE color diagram (standard color table) by the point of intersection of the straight line which is extended from the white point over the ascertained color locus of the colored light with the spectral locus at the closest edge of the CIE color diagram. Efficient red phosphors, for example, have only a dominance wavelength of about 600 nm. However, for projection uses, red light with a dominant wavelength in the range of approximately 600 to 620 nm is typically needed.

Illumination apparatus with phosphor wheel


In one embodiment, the present invention relates to a method of treating metal foil, involving sequentially contacting a metal foil with an acidic solution; placing the metal foil in a nickel treatment bath and applying a current through the nickel treatment bath, wherein the nickel treatment bath contains at least about two plating zones, about 1 to about 50 g/l of an ammonium salt, and about 10 to about 100 g/l of a nickel compound; and applying a nickel flash layer to the metal foil. In another embodiment, the present invention relates to a metal foil treated according to the method described above.

Metal foil, for example copper foil, is often laminated to a substrate. Resultant laminates are subjected to numerous processing techniques as well as inevitable wear and tear. In this connection, it is desirable to provide a laminate having high peel strength. High peel strength enables a laminate to maintain its structural integrity during processing (exposure to chemicals and various etchants) and over the course of normal wear and tear (heat degradation, physical agitation, and so forth).
Metal foils are typically treated to increase surface roughness and thereby increase the peel strength of resultant laminates. However, metal foils having increasingly high levels of surface roughness are subject to "treatment transfer", which is the undesirable migration of metal material from the metal foil to a dielectric substrate. Treatment transfer lowers the peel strength as well as degrading the insulating properties of the dielectric substrate. Treatment transfer also leads to unsightly yellow staining after the metal foil is etched. Accordingly, it is desirable to provide metal foil which not only exhibits high peel strength when incorporated into a laminate, but also does not affect the insulating properties of the dielectric substrate.
Since ammonium ions complex with metal ions when both are in solution, an increased concentration of ammonium ions in a given solution increases the solution's ability to solubilize metal ions. Solutions containing metal ions constitute waste which must be treated before being discarded. Generally, the higher the complexed metal ion concentration in a waste solution, the more difficult it is to treat the waste solution. It is therefore desirable to provide processes generating waste streams which are easy to treat.

Metal foil with improved bonding to substrates and method for making the foil


A catalyst for selective hydrogenation of acetylenes and diolefins, particularly in a raw gas feed stream for front end selective hydrogenation. The catalyst contains a low surface area carrier with a surface area from about 2-20 m2/g, wherein the pore volume of the pores of the carrier is greater than about 0.4 cc/g, at least 90 percent of the pore volume of the pores is contained within pores having a pore diameter greater than about 500 Å and about 1 to about 2 percent of the total pore volume is contained in pores with a pore diameter from about 500 to about 1,000 Å. The palladium comprises about 0.01 to about 0.1 weight % and a Group IB metal comprises about 0.005 to about 0.06 weight % of the catalyst.

1. Field of Invention
This invention relates to selective hydrogenation catalysts, more particularly to improved, Group IB-promoted palladium catalysts with high pore volume and unique pore volume distribution. The catalysts are designed for the selective hydrogenation of butadiene, acetylenes, diolefins, and trace quantities of other such highly unsaturated hydrocarbon impurities in an olefinic feed stream, particularly in a raw gas feed stream containing C2, C3, C4, C5 and trace quantities of C6 and higher hydrocarbons. This invention also relates to processes of preparation of these catalysts.
2. Prior Art
The manufacture of unsaturated hydrocarbons usually involves cracking various types of hydrocarbons. This process often produces a crude product containing hydrocarbon impurities that are more unsaturated than the desired product. This is particularly a problem with raw gas feed streams from cracking facilities containing C2, C3, C4, C5 and trace quantities of C6 and higher hydrocarbons as well as hydrogen and methane. These raw gas feeds can contain significant unsaturated hydrocarbon impurities, such as 1,3 butadiene, methyl acetylene, propadiene, acetylene, isoprene, and trace quantities of other such unsaturated hydrocarbon impurities.
These unsaturated hydrocarbon impurities are often very difficult to remove completely by fractionation from a hydrocarbon feed stream. Further, it is often difficult, industrially, to hydrogenate these highly unsaturated hydrocarbon impurities without significant hydrogenation of the desired unsaturated hydrocarbons also occurring.
Two general types of gas phase selective hydrogenation processes for removing undesired, highly unsaturated hydrocarbons are commonly used: "front-end" hydrogenation and "tail-end" hydrogenation. "Front-end" hydrogenation involves passing the crude gas from the initial cracking step, often after removal of steam and condensable organic material, over a hydrogenation catalyst. The crude gas generally includes a relatively large volume of hydrogen and a mixture of unsaturated hydrocarbons. Among these products in raw gas feed streams may be C2, C3, C4, C5 and trace quantities of C6 and higher hydrocarbons and may be wet or dry. Typically, the hydrogen gas concentration is greater than the stoichiometric amount needed for complete hydrogenation of the impurities that are present in the crude gas. To minimize the risk of the excess hydrogen gas hydrogenating ethylene in the feed stream, the hydrogenation catalyst must be very selective. In addition, the catalyst risks being damaged in front-end reactions because hydrogenation of ethylene can lead to thermal excursion, known as "run-away", whereby high temperatures are experienced. Run-away can also result in severe loss of ethylene.
In tail-end hydrogenation, the crude gas is fractionated prior to hydrogenation resulting in concentrated product streams. Hydrogen is then added to these product streams, if necessary, such that a slight excess of hydrogen is present over the quantity required for complete hydrogenation of the impurities. In tail-end systems there is a greater tendency for deactivation of the catalyst, and consequently, periodic regeneration of the catalyst is necessary. While the quantity of hydrogen added can be adjusted to maintain selectivity, formation of polymers is a major problem in this process.
One catalyst that is preferred for selective hydrogenation reactions contains palladium supported on a low surface area carrier, such as a low surface area alumina. However, one of the problems with supported palladium catalysts is that under normal operating conditions not only are the impurities hydrogenated, but a substantial portion of the ethylene is also converted to ethane. In addition, these palladium on alumina catalysts often have relatively low stability over extended periods of time due to the formation of large quantities of oligomers on the catalyst surface. The rate of oligimerization is especially high when butadiene is present in the feedstream mixture. Further these palladium catalysts may not perform at acceptable levels when methyl acetylene, butadiene, isoprene, and other highly unsaturated compounds are present. For these reasons, these heavier compounds are normally removed by distillation prior to contact of the feed mixture with the catalyst.
Enhancers are often added to the palladium to improve the catalysts properties. Copper, silver, gold, germanium, tin, lead, rhenium, gallium, indium, and thallium have been proposed as enhancers or modifiers for such palladium hydrogenation catalysts.
Acetylene hydrogenation catalysts for ethylene purification comprising palladium with a silver additive on a low surface area support material are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,404,124, 4,409,410, 4,484,015, 5,488,024, 5,489,565, 5,648,576, 6,054,409 and CN 1299858. Specifically, U.S. Pat. No. 6,054,409 discloses a catalyst for selective gas phase hydrogenation of acetylenic compounds containing two or three carbon atoms to the corresponding ethylenic compounds. The catalyst comprises palladium, at least one metal from group IB, optionally at least one alkali or alkaline-earth metal and alumina, in which at least 80% of the palladium and at least 80% of the element from group IB are present at the periphery of the catalyst, and wherein the IB metal/palladium ratio is 0.4 to 3 by weight.
In addition, U.S. Patent application 2002/0165092 discloses a catalyst for selective hydrogenation comprising palladium and a group IB metal promoter on an inorganic oxide support, wherein the active components are uniformly distributed between the surface and a depth of more than 300 microns. The catalyst is particularly applicable for feed streams containing C2-C3 fractions, hydrogen and CO.
In addition, U.S. Pat. No. 5,648,576 discloses a selective hydrogenation catalyst for acetylene compounds comprising from about 0.01 to 0.5 weight percent of palladium and from about 0.001 to 0.02 percent by weight of silver. Eighty percent (80%) or more of the silver is placed within a thin layer near the surface of the carrier body.
Catalysts containing palladium and Group IB metals (Cu, Ag, Au) on alumina used for the hydrogenation of acetylenes and diolefins have also been suggested by G.B. 802,100 and U.S. Pat. No. 2,802,889.
Selective hydrogenation catalysts of the prior art comprising palladium with a silver additive often do not exhibit the necessary selectivity and frequently cause significant loss of valuable olefins from the feed stream. This loss is especially a problem with prior art selective hydrogenation catalysts used in raw gas feed streams comprising hydrogen, methane, carbon monoxide and C4, C5, C6 and higher hydrocarbons, which may be wet or dry.
Accordingly, it is an object of this invention to disclose a catalyst useful for selective hydrogenation of a C2, C3, C4, C5, C6 and higher olefinic feed stream containing various acetylenic and diolefinic impurities.
It is a still further object of the invention to disclose a selective hydrogenation catalyst containing palladium supported on an inorganic support with a Group IB additive having a high pore volume and a unique pore volume distribution.
These and other objects can be obtained by the selective hydrogenation catalyst and the process for the preparation of the selective hydrogenation catalyst for use in olefinic feed stream containing acetylenic and diolefinic impurities, particularly raw gas feed streams and particularly for front end selective hydrogenation reactions, which are disclosed by the present invention.

Selective hydrogenation catalyst designed for raw gas feed streams


An electrical connector for use in completing at least one electrical circuit is provided which includes a first half-connector body having an inner and outer flange structure which upon insertion into a housing comprising an orifice is effective to substantially envelop edge portions of the orifice to provide a substantially continuous seal between at least side and bottom edge portions of the orifice and connector. The first half-connector body also includes at least one opening for making electrical connection between electrical power-providing components and electrical power-receiving components. In especially preferred embodiments, the inner and outer flange structure define a substantially continuous groove about the periphery of the side and bottom edge portions and the connector includes an upper wall portion having a groove for containing a complementary tongue portion.

Electrical connecting devices are commonly used throughout the lighting industry for connecting electrical leads (wires) together. For example, in connecting a lighting fixture (luminaire) to a ballast, lead wires (hard wired to the ballast) are routed directly to the lamp holders located at opposite ends of the fixture. The lamp holders are typically from two to eight feet apart depending on the length of the lamp for which the fixture is designed. For example, some electrical connectors are designed primarily for fluorescent lighting and are typically located within the fluorescent light fixture. Usually, the electrical ballast comprises a long rectangular metal housing or "can" with the electrical components mounted inside. A sealant or "potting compound" is then deposited inside the can which hardens to seal the electrical components within the can. Usually also, electrical wires present in the can project through the potting material into an electrical connector for interconnection thereto by a mating to electrical connector wires of the fixture.
Such an electrical connector is known from U.S. Pat. No. 4,729,740 to Crowe in which the connector is said to be profiled for receipt within a cutout portion to seal the cavity within the housing during the curing of the potting compound. Some advantages and disadvantages of such a structure as represented by the Crowe disclosure are addressed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,260,678 and 5,350,316 (a continuation of Pat. No. 5,260,678), both to Wagener et al. According to the Wagener et al patents, the "picture frame" mounting of the Crowe patent results in a construction that is unacceptable requiring extra cost and assembly time to force the connector into place or to wipe away potting compound that leaks from the housing. The Wagener et al patents also address a structure in which the connector fits through a window in the sheet metal of the housing and is held in place in the housing by two "ears" which protrude through the side walls of the ballast. Although it is asserted that a good seal can be made between the connector and housing if desired and that leakage is deterred, in actuality such a structure is not leakage-proof. It has been found that such a structure as described in Wagener et al also requires extra cost and assembly time because leakage of the potting compound can and does occur due to loose fitting contact between the connector and the housing and indirect mounting of the connector to the window or cut-out in the can. Additionally, as will be discussed further hereinbelow, with reference to FIG. 10 of the Wagener et al patents, it will be seen that an external half-connector 70 is mated with an internal half-connector 50. A male pin 96e is inserted in a female contact 110e. This simple connection in practice is accompanied by misalignment problems. The pin 96e does not always fit properly in the contact 110e and full insertion is not always achieved. Such misalignment problems are a source of hidden extra costs at assembly time and also cause damage to contacts and other latent defects. Also, with reference again to FIG. 10 of the Wagener et al patents, there is disclosed a lower part of a metal wall 21 which forms a lip 21' which extends above the bottom of a hook-receiving chamber 57 formed in the half-connector and which receives a plastic hook 72 to secure the half-connector in place. This construction, before sealing, is prone to leakage and must be sealed prior to insertion in the can. In this case, sealing of the aperture to form the chamber 57 is accomplished by a sealing step or operation such as by ultrasonic welding, gluing or the like. Even after the sealing step, the structure is still prone to leakage and/or suffers from tolerance problems that result from the latching of a plastic part to a metal part.
There continues to be a need in the industry for a connecting device which includes means to exert better control over leakage of the potting compound, which avoids the problems of the prior art by providing latching of plastic part to plastic part without tolerance problems, which provides a latch chamber without the necessity of performing an additional sealing step, which is consistently substantially free of misalignment problems upon insertion of one half-connector into another half-connector, and which is suitable for purposes of ballast retrofit and ballast manufacture in terms of cost and ease of assembly.

Philips Electronics North America Corporation


A system configured to determine one or more boundaries of the space, for example, in 3D applications. In some cases, the system may generate point data including a set of safe points in a space and a set of unsafe points in the space, the space surrounding a user device of the system, generate a triangulation over a union of the set of safe points and the set of unsafe points, determine triangles of the triangulation that include at least one safe point and determine edges of determined triangles which are part of a single triangle that include at least one safe point. The system may then determine one or more boundaries of the space using the determined edges.

The presence of three dimensional (3D) imaging and virtual reality systems in today's world is becoming more and more common. In some cases, the imaging system or virtual reality system may be configured to allow a user to interact with the physical world or environmental in a meaningful manner. Many three-dimensional (3D) applications, especially virtual reality (VR) outside-in tracked applications, may include a boundary associated with a space to keep users from running into real world obstacles such as chairs, tables and walls.

Boundary detection using vision-based feature mapping


A switchgear cabinet having a rack assembled from a plurality of frame legs bent at the side walls. The rack has open, vertical sides which are closed off by side walls and a rear wall fastened to facing frame legs of the rack. A cabinet door is hingedly connected to vertical frame legs of the rack front against which it is arrested in the closed position. The rear and side walls are covered by corresponding protective walls spaced apart from the rear and side walls and connected to facing vertical frame legs of the rack. The cabinet door is double-walled, an outer door wall of which is spaced apart from an inner door wall thereof and forms receptacle spaces for seals, hinges and locking elements free in the direction of vertical edges of the outer door wall. The protective walls of the side walls have beveled protective wall vertical edges which cover the free space between the protective wall of the rear wall and the receptacle space between the outer door wall and the rack.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a switchgear cabinet with a rack, which is assembled from individual frame legs or is formed by individual frame legs bent off at the side walls, wherein the open, vertical sides of the rack are closed off by side walls and a rear wall, which are fastened on the facing frame legs of the rack, and wherein a cabinet door is hinged on the two vertical frame legs of the front of the rack and can be stopped in the closed position.
2. Description of Prior Art
Switchgear cabinets of this type are taught by German Patent Publication DE 33 44 598 C1 and German Patent Publication DE 37 31 547 A1. These publications teach that the interior of the switchgear cabinet is covered on all sides by a wall element which is employed as a rear wall, side wall or cabinet door. In this case, the joints between neighboring wall elements are a particular weak spot whereby forced access to the interior of the switchgear cabinet is possible. For switchgear cabinets placed outdoors, the built-ins in the switchgear cabinet are not sufficiently protected against vandalism.
A weather-proofed switchgear cabinet with a removable protective hood, which is maintained spaced apart from the connecting surfaces of the switchgear cabinet, is disclosed by German Patent Publication DE 295 19 260 U1.
A switchgear cabinet with double walls, which are insulated against each other by mineral wool, is taught by German Patent Publication DE 92 02 819 U1.


A pull handle for operating a window covering with a pulling lead. The pull handle includes a first element with a top end and a bottom end, and a second element, attachable to the first element, with a top end and a bottom end. When the second element is attached to the first element, the pull handle is along a section of the pulling lead with the position of the pull handle fixed with respect to the pulling lead. The pull handle is configured to have a diameter that is easily and comfortably gripped by an operator.

Window coverings typically use a bead chain, pull cord, or other type of pulling lead to rotate a series of vertical or horizontal slats, or shift curtain position. By pulling on one side of the chain, the slats rotate in one direction, e.g., to the right, or the curtains open. By pulling on the other side of the chain, the slats rotate in the opposite direction, e.g., to the left, or the curtains close. Some window coverings have pull cords that are anchored to the floor or window casing so that the pull cord may be pulled up or down to operate the window covering.
However, the user has no indication as to which side of the chain or cord will perform the desired operation. The user must randomly choose one side to determine the operation performed by pulling on that side, which may not be the desired operation. The resulting undesired movement of the blinds or curtain results in user frustration and wasted time.
In addition to frustrating the operator, pulling the incorrect chain or cord introduces unnecessary wear and tear on the mechanisms of the curtain or blinds. For example, if the curtains are opened fully, a pull on the wrong cord stresses the cord and the mechanism because the curtain does not move in response to the downward pulling force.
Further, some users with limited mobility, such as people with arthritis or stroke victims, may have difficulty grasping the typically narrow bead chain or pull cord. Also, users with limited sight or users in darkened rooms may have difficulty observing the bead chain or pull cord.


An image capturing apparatus comprises an image sensor including a photoelectric conversion portion configured to receive light beams having passed through a portion of a pupil area of an imaging lens and output an image signal, a control unit configured to output, from the photoelectric conversion portion, a plurality of image signals captured by shifting a focus position of the imaging lens, an acquisition unit configured to acquire an image shift amount on an image sensing plane of the image sensor, which corresponds to a shift amount when shifting the focus position of the imaging lens; and a calculation unit configured to calculate a correction coefficient for shading on the image sensing plane based on the image shift amount by comparing signals corresponding to the same object among the plurality of image signals.

Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image capturing apparatus which uses an image sensor having a pupil-dividing function and, more particularly, to a technique of satisfactorily correcting shading.
Description of the Related Art
There are conventionally proposed an image capturing apparatus for pupil-dividing one imaging optical system using a relay lens, and performing exposure using two image sensors, and a method of obtaining pupil-divided images by dividing a photoelectric conversion portion below a microlens into a plurality of portions. These apparatus and method can be used to, for example, obtain a stereo image using the parallaxes of a plurality of obtained images, perform automatic focus detection using a phase difference detection method, and create a distance image.
To obtain a distance image or perform focus detection, it is necessary to know how much two images shift in a pupil-divided direction, and thus a correlation operation such as SAD or SSD is performed. In a correlation operation, since the shift amount between images having a high degree of matching is searched for, if the degree of matching of the images with a correct shift amount is low, it is difficult to detect a correct shift amount. A factor which decreases the degree of matching of the images can be a difference in shading. It is, therefore, desired to satisfactorily correct shading.
For example, Japanese Patent No. 2715958 discloses a technique of estimating a shading level by detecting a level difference between an A image and a B image based on an image shift amount obtained by a correlation operation, and calculating a shading correction coefficient, thereby performing shading correction. Japanese Patent No. 4265029 discloses a technique of obtaining exit pupil information from an interchangeable lens, and calculating a shading correction coefficient.
In the above-described technique disclosed in Japanese Patent No. 2715958, however, since a correlation operation is performed in advance, if a wrong image shift amount is detected by the first correlation operation, a shading correction amount is largely wrong. Even though the correlation operation is wrong, its reliability improves.
Furthermore, in the above-described technique disclosed in Japanese Patent No. 4265029, since it is necessary to perform geometric calculation, the calculation amount is large, and it takes too long to perform calculation.

Image capturing apparatus that performs shading correction and control method therefor


The present invention provides an engine exhaust gas purification device comprising a filter B provided in an exhaust passage (10) of an engine (1) for trapping particulate matter contained in the exhaust gas, a catalyst A for regenerating the filter B by burning the particulate matter trapped in the filter B, an EGR valve (8) provided in an EGR passage (7) linking the intake side and exhaust side of the engine 1, an injector (2) for injecting fuel into a cylinder, and control unit (20) for controlling the injector (2) and EGR valve (8). During regeneration of the filter B, the control unit (20) close the EGR valve (8) when fuel injection from the injector (2) is controlled to supply unburned fuel components to the catalyst A, and open the EGR valve (8) when no fuel is injected from the injector (2) upon a request for speed reduction or the like. In so doing, residual unburned fuel components in the EGR passage (7) are scavenged by air.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an exhaust gas purification device for an engine, and more particularly to an engine exhaust gas purification device comprising a filter for trapping particulate matter contained in the exhaust gas, and an EGR (exhaust gas recirculation) valve for recirculating the exhaust gas to an intake side.
2. Description of the Related Art
Restrictions on the exhaust gas of diesel engines become stricter year by year, and hence the discharge amount of particulate matter (PM) contained in the exhaust gas must be suppressed. A continuous regeneration diesel particulate filter (DPF) exists as a device for removing PM from exhaust gas.
As shown in FIG. 2, in a continuous regeneration DPF, a filter c for trapping the PM in the exhaust gas is provided in an exhaust passage b of an engine a. The PM trapped in the filter c is burned continuously according to the temperature of the exhaust gas, and thus the filter c self-regenerates. However, when the exhaust gas temperature is low, for example under low speed, low load conditions, the PM trapped in the filter c cannot be burned by the temperature of the exhaust gas, and hence regeneration is not possible. As a result, the PM continues to accumulate in the filter c, causing the filter c to become clogged and the exhaust pressure to rise.
To solve this problem, a technique of using a catalyst-carrying filter c′ as the filter c such that the unburned components of the fuel are supplied to this catalyst-carrying filter c′ is known. According to this technique, the catalyst-carrying filter c′ is activated to rise in temperature by the unburned fuel components, and hence the catalyst-carrying filter c′ can be regenerated forcibly even when the exhaust gas temperature is comparatively low, for example under low speed, low load conditions.
Supply of the unburned fuel components to the catalyst-carrying filter c′ has been achieved by the present inventor and so on through multi-injection and post-injection from an injector d into the cylinder. Multi-injection involves performing one or more sub-injections following a main injection while the flame generated by the main injection continues to burn. Post-injection involves performing one or more sub-injections following the main injection after the flame generated by the main injection has died out.
If an EGR valve e is opened to implement exhaust gas recirculation during forcible regeneration of the catalyst-carrying filter c′ through such multi-injection and post-injection, the unburned fuel components produced by the multi-injection and post-injection are recirculated to the intake side from the exhaust side through an EGR passage f. As a result, the unburned components turn into a tar-like substance and stick to an intake manifold g and the like. In the worst case, this may lead to blockages. Hence, a system in which the EGR valve e is closed and the exhaust gas is not recirculated during forcible regeneration of the catalyst-carrying filter c′ has been considered.
However, it was discovered that with such a system, although unburned components can indeed be prevented from adhering to and accumulating in the intake manifold g by closing the EGR valve e, exhaust gas remains in the EGR passage f, an EGR cooler h, and so on, which are disposed further upstream in the flow direction of the EGR gas than the closed EGR valve e, and hence the unburned components turn into a tar-like substance and accumulate in these parts h, f.
Note that Japanese Patent Application Laid-open Publication S58-51235 (Patent Document 1) and Japanese Patent Application Laid-open Publication H3-67014 (Patent Document 2) are known as related prior art documents. However, in the device disclosed in Patent Document 1, the filter c is self-regenerated by controlling an intake throttle valve i provided in an intake passage h to close, and in the device disclosed in Patent Document 2, in addition to the control described in Patent Document 1, self-regeneration of the filter c is improved in efficiency by opening the EGR valve e to reduce the amount of new intake air, thereby increasing the temperature of the exhaust gas passing through the filter c. Hence the technological premise of these documents differs from that of the system described above, in which self-regeneration is performed by raising the temperature of the catalyst-carrying filter c′ through multi-injection and post-injection.


A method is provided for producing semiconductor nanoparticles comprising: (i) dissolving a semiconductor compound or mixture of semiconductor compounds in a solution; (ii) generating spray droplets of the resulting solution of semiconductor compound(s); (iii) vaporizing the solvent of said spray droplets, consequently producing a stream of unsupported semiconductor nanoparticles; and (iv) collecting said unsupported semiconductor nanoparticles on a support.

In the last two decades significant attention has been devoted to the physics of low dimensional semiconductor structures. Among those, semiconductor nanoparticles are of particular interest, due to the pronounced influence of the three-dimensional size confinement on their electronic and optical properties. Extensive effort has been devoted for the production of high quality semiconductor nanoparticles, motivated by their potential use in new and emerging technologies.
Currently, there are two main methods for the fabrication of semiconductor nanoparticles, namely epitaxial growth and colloidal chemistry techniques. Epitaxial growth of nanoparticles on top of a substrate with a different lattice constant leads to strain induced three-dimensional islands, known as Stranski Krastanow (SK) quantum dots.
The SK method produces relatively large dots, with weak quantum confinement, and with size fluctuation, neighboring islands coalescence, compositional in-homogeneity and unresolved physics preventing reproducible and uniform results. This method requires ultra high vacuum as well as other complex and expensive equipment. Furthermore, the liberty to choose the substrate is limited.
The colloidal method enables the reproducible but not continued formation of nanoparticles, with a variety of sizes and shapes, with initial distributions of 10<σ<20% in diameter, and with some control on surface properties, but it does not allow doping of the nanoparticles. Furthermore, the organic capping has a key role in any self-assembly created by these nanoparticles and prevents a highly packed structure and induces undesirable and hard to control surface properties due to the role of the ligands (namely, the organic molecules attached to the nanoparticle surface as a monolayer through covalent, dative or ionic bonds).

Spray method for producing semiconductor nano-particles

Technion Research and Development Foundation Ltd.


Methods and apparatus are provided for making function calls to various cryptography accelerators. An application program interface abstraction layer coupled to a cryptography accelerator receives generic function calls from designer configured software and performs operations such as security association management, policy management, packet processing, cryptography accelerator configuration, and key commit management. Upon receiving a generic function call, the abstraction layer performs processing to make a chip specific function call or update abstraction layer management information associated with the generic function call.

1. Field of the Invention
The present application relates to cryptography accelerators. More specifically, the present application relates to methods and apparatus for making functions calls to various cryptography accelerators.
2. Description of Related Art
Software techniques for performing encryption and authentication operations, such as DES, RC4, MD5 and SHA1 operations have been inefficient and resource intensive. Many encryption and authentication operations are described in Applied Cryptography, Bruce Schneier, John Wiley & Sons, Inc. (ISBN 0471128457), incorporated by reference in its entirety for all purposes. The inefficiency has led to the development of a number of different cryptography accelerators for performing a variety of encryption and authentication operations. However, mechanisms for directly accessing various cryptography accelerators are limited.
It is therefore desirable to provide methods and apparatus for improving access to various cryptography accelerators.

Cryptography accelerator application program interface


This invention relates to a finishing device in which the jacket (2) is finished while it is put on the torso (1). This invention comprises a pair of front and rear skirt pressers (4) for pressing the front and rear skirts of the jacket (2) put on the torso (1) and a pair of right and left side tension applicators (5) for pushing wide both side skirts of the jacket (2) put on the torso (1) laterally. In this invention, the side tension applicators (5) are provided with side pressers (13) in cooperation with the side tension applicators (5) to hold and press both side skirts of the jacket (2). Application of this invention enables the skirts of the jacket put on the torso to be tensioned under a state in which not only the front and rear sides but also both sides are fixed and further enables the jacket to finished neatly.

1. Field of Invention
This invention relates to a solid finishing device for jackets (a jacket, coat or the like) and more particularly a solid finishing device of a type comprising a torso imitating to the chest or breast part of a human body, and using either steam or hot air to remove some wrinkles under a state in which the clothing is put on the torso to perform a smooth finishing.
2. Description of Related Art
As a conventional device of this type, there has been provided a device described in the gazette of U.S. Pat. No. 4,634,030, for example.
The conventional device of this type is provided with a front presser and a rear presser moved forward or rearward to or away from the torso below the front part or rear part of the torso to press the front and rear skirts of a jacket put on the torso. Then, this device lifts up the torso a little after fixing the skirts of the jacket with a pair of front and rear skirt pressers and pulls the jacket in a vertical direction to remove the wrinkles at the front and rear bodices. Accordingly, the conventional device of this type has shown a problem that some torn wrinkles are generated at the clothing ranging from the skirt pressing position to the sides of the jacket because the front and rear skirts are fixed with the skirt pressers.
Thus, it is desirable that the solid finishing device of this type is formed not to generate any such torn wrinkles as above because the torn wrinkles may apply bad influence to the finished state of a jacket.
Further, the conventional device of this type is required that the jacket is arranged at the most suitable height for finishing to press accurately the skirts of the jacket by the skirts presser, and to apply a tension. For this purpose, in the conventional device, the switch of an air cylinder for ascending or descending the torso, were pushed many times by foot or knee to control height of the torso.
Thus, in accordance with the prior art device, this prior art device showed a problem that an efficiency of a jacket finishing operation is reduced because height adjustment for a torso needs a troublesome work.


It is possible to accurately and easily detect an abnormality in an electronic expansion valve without cutting or separating an electronic expansion valve from a cooling medium circuit. When an excitation pulse current from a drive circuit is output, a magnet rotor of an electronic expansion valve rotates. A hall element detects the position change of the magnet rotor at this time as detection pulses. The number of the detection pulses at this time is sent to a first up-down counter via an amplifier and a rectifier and is counted. The number of excitation pulses is also counted by a second up-down counter. The abnormality detection element judges that there is normal operation when the two count numbers of the first and second counters are in agreement, and that there is an abnormality when the two are not in agreement.

The present invention relates to an apparatus for detecting abnormalities in an electronic expansion valve incorporated into a medium pipe for a refrigerating machine of an air conditioner or refrigerator or the like.
FIG. 1 is a longitudinal sectional view showing the general configuration of an electronic expansion valve. In this figure, the electronic expansion valve 1 is configured from a cylindrical body 2, a magnet rotor 5 which is supported by a support rod 3 and a feed screw 4 inside the cylindrical body 2, a needle valve 6 which is attached to the lower end of the magnet rotor 5 and which passes through the inner side of the feed screw 4, a mounting base 7 which supports the cylindrical body 2, and a exciter coil 8 which is arranged to the outer side of the cylindrical body 2. A coolant pipe 9 is attached to the mounting base 7. In addition, to the mounting base 7 is formed an orifice 7a and the needle valve 6 is arranged so as to face the orifice 7a.
FIG. 2 is a view describing the position relationship between the magnet rotor 5 and the exciter coil 8 which configure a stepping motor. The exciter coil 8 is configured by the four coils L.sub.1 -L.sub.4 and the pulse currents P.sub.1 -P.sub.4 are successively supplied to these coils. FIG. 3 is a waveform diagram showing the displacement of the phases of these pulse currents P.sub.1 -P.sub.4 at this time.
In this manner, the coils L.sub.1 -L.sub.4 are successively supplied by the pulse currents P.sub.1 -P.sub.4 so that the magnet rotor 5 is rotationally driven in a stepwise manner. This rotational drive raises and lowers the needle valve 6 with respect to the orifice 7a, and performs adjustment of the degree of opening. This is to say that the amount of cooling medium which flows inside the coolant pipe 9 is controlled.
By the way, when the angle of opening of the needle valve 6 is adjusted so as to perform control of the amount of cooling medium, the needle valve 6 must be first lowered to the closed position, and several excitation pulses then given in the direction of opening of the exciter coil 8 so that the degree of opening of the needle valve 6 can be determined.
However, the degree of opening of the needle valve 6 determined in this manner is based on the assumption that the needle valve 6 is being driven to a position which corresponds to the number of excitation pulses and is not determined on the actual position which is detected for the needle valve 6. This creates a problem for detecting the actual position of the needle valve 6 when the electronic expansion valve 1 is incorporated into the coolant pipe 9 which is sealed.
Accordingly, when it is assumed that there is some sort of abnormality in the electronic expansion valve 1 since cooling medium flow control is not being performed well, it is necessary to cut the coolant pipe 9 and to separate the electronic expansion valve 1 and to confirm the actual action of the needle valve 6 with respect to the number of pulses.
However, when the electronic expansion valve 1 is re-incorporated, there is also the troublesome work of welding the coolant pipe 9 and injecting the cooling medium gas and so finding an abnormality in the electronic expansion valve 1 means much unnecessary work and expense.

System for controlling electronic expansion valve provided in refrigerating machine


The invention provides a new and distinct variety of almond tree, named ‘Bennett-Hickman’, substantially as described and illustrated herein, which is somewhat similar to the ‘Nonpareil’ almond tree (unpatented), but which is distinguishable therefrom by possessing a heavier bloom, an extended bloom period, greener foliage that is retained for a longer duration of time, a sweeter kernel, with rare doubles, and a harvest period that runs approximately 14 days later than ‘Nonpareil’.

The present invention relates to a new and distinct variety of almond tree, botanically know as Prunus dulcis, which will hereby be denominated by the cultivar name 'Bennett-Hickman', and more specifically to an almond tree that produces a crop for harvesting and shipment approximately mid-August under the ecological conditions prevailing in the Modesto area of the San Joaquin Valley of central California.
'Bennett-Hickman' was discovered in 1975 as a seedling growing adjacent to a windmill on the inventor's property located in Hickman, Calif., in the San Joaquin Valley. The variety has been observed to have an extended and profuse bloom period and heavy nut production, as compared to the non-patented 'Nonpareil' variety. Asexual reproduction of the tree has produced progeny that are consistent with the original specimen as to vegetative characteristics.


A plant-trimming apparatus comprises two spaced-apart end plates, a rotatable tumbler, a rotatable reel comprising a reel shaft and reel blades, two bearing blocks, each detachably connected to a respective end plate and rotatably supporting a respective end of the reel, a motor arranged to drive the reel and the tumbler, a bed bar assembly comprising a bed bar and a bed knife, the bed knife being in operative engagement with the reel blade for cutting of plant material from the tumbler, and a manually-operated locking mechanism operable to secure the bearing blocks and the bed bar assembly to the end plates. The apparatus can be easily disassembled for cleaning and re-assembled, without using tools.

It is known in the plant-trimming art to employ a plant trimming apparatus which comprises a tumbler, a cutting mechanism which includes a rotatable reel having helix-shaped blades, and a bed bar with a bed knife attached to the bed bar. In operation, plant material such as aromatic herbs that requires trimming is fed into the tumbler and the cutting mechanism cuts the plant material in a scissor-like shearing action as the helical blades of the rotatable reel pass over the stationary bed knife. Examples of such machines are disclosed in WO 2014/183209, WO 2014/190425 and WO 2015/003256.
Some conventional plant trimming machines incorporate a fixed cutting mechanism. Such machines make cleaning and maintenance of the components of the cutting mechanism difficult. In other conventional plant trimming machines, components of the cutting mechanism may be removed by using appropriate tools, but the disassembly and re-assembly of the machines can be time-consuming and require highly-skilled labor.
There is thus a need for a plant trimming machine that can be easily disassembled for cleaning or maintenance and re-assembled.


Embodiments of the present invention provide a system that marks cache lines using shared timestamps. During operation, the system starts a transaction for a thread, wherein starting the transaction involves recording the value of an active timestamp and incrementing a transaction or overflow counter (TO_counter) corresponding to the recorded value. The system then places load-marks on cache lines which are loaded during the transaction. While placing the load-marks, the system writes the recorded value into metadata corresponding to the cache lines. Upon completing the transaction for the thread, the system decrements the TO_counter corresponding to the recorded value and resumes non-transactional execution for the thread without removing the load-marks from cache lines which were load-marked during the transaction.

1. Field of the Invention
Embodiments of the present invention relate to computer systems. More specifically, embodiments of the present invention relate to a technique for cache line marking with shared timestamps within a computer system.
2. Related Art
Transactional memory is a useful programming abstraction that helps programmers write parallel programs that function correctly and helps compilers automatically parallelize sequential threads. Unfortunately, existing transactional memory systems suffer from certain limitations.
For example, the UTM protocol proposed by Ananian et al. buffers all the old values in a data structure stored in memory (see C. S. Ananian, K. Asanovi'c, B. Kuszmaul, C. Leiserson, and S. Lie, Unbounded Transactional Memory, Proceedings of the 11th International Symposium on High-Performance Computer Architecture (HPCA'05), 2005). Similarly, the LogTM protocol proposed by Moore et al., buffers new values in a private cache, and when this cache overflows, buffers old values of the overflowed cache lines in a data structure stored in memory (see K. Moore, J. Bobba, M. Moravan, M. Hill & D. Wood, LogTM: Log-based Transactional Memory, 12th Annual International Symposium on High Performance Computer Architecture (HPCA-12), 2006).
The transactional memory protocol described in a pending U.S. patent application entitled "Facilitating Efficient Transactional Memory and Atomic Operations via Cache Line Marking," by the same inventors as the instant application, having Ser. No. 11/655,569, and filing date Jan. 18, 2007 uses cache line marking to improve the performance of systems that support transactional memories (interchangeably called "transactional execution").
In systems that support cache line marking, threads can place load-marks and store-marks on cache lines to prevent other threads from performing interfering accesses on the marked cache line. For example, when a thread reads from a cache line, the thread can place a load-mark on the cache line. When a load-mark has been placed on the cache line, other threads are not allowed to write to the cache line (although other threads may be allowed to read from a cache line load-marked by another thread). In this way, the marking thread can guarantee the consistency of the transaction without unnecessarily limiting other thread's access to the cache line.
Unfortunately, in systems that support cache line marking, the thread that placed a mark on the cache line is obligated to return to the cache line to remove the mark at the end of the transaction. Returning to the marked cache line can add overhead to transactional execution (consuming additional bandwidth and causing delays). For store marks, the overhead is minimal because the cache line is accessed twice (first to ensure that the cache line is writable/place the store-mark and then again to write the value to the cache line after the transaction has completed) and the second access occurs at an advantageous time to remove the store-mark. On the other hand, load-marked cache lines need only be accessed once (because the value can be read from the cache line in the same operation that places the load-mark on the cache line), but the thread must still return to each load-marked cache line to remove the load-marks after the transaction has completed. Furthermore, systems that require removal of load-marks also require keeping track of the lines that were load-marked, and as a result, the number of lines that a thread can load-mark can be limited by the resources devoted to keeping track of the load-marks.
Hence, what is needed is a processor that supports transactional execution without the above-described limitations.

Cache line marking with shared timestamps


A phase conjugation mirror (20) for use in a phase conjugation resonator (1). The phase conjugation mirror provides a nonlinear resonance enhancement for a coherent optical signal incident thereon. The phase conjugation mirror is comprised of a semiconductor material having a characteristic bandgap energy selected to be at an absorption bandgap edge, or slightly greater than the absorption bandgap edge, for the coherent optical signal.

A master oscillator may be employed for injection seeding or locking of power amplifiers and oscillators. Applications of such master oscillators include laser radar, laser communications, heterodyne detection, free electron lasers, nonlinear processes, and spectroscopy. Also, pulsed, frequency stable and narrow linewidth lasers are useful for the understanding of noise sources in nonlinear interactions.
A single mode, pulsed laser is often considered to be frequency stabilized. However, mode selection in a pulsed laser is not equivalent to frequency stabilization in that, with any type of mode selection method or device, a long term frequency drift may occur from pulse to pulse. This frequency drift is due to thermal or mechanical disturbances of the optical cavity length. Furthermore, short term frequency variations, or chirping, may occur within one pulse due to rapid refractive index variations of an active gain medium.
Phase conjugation resonators (PCR) have been recognized primarily for the spatial or mode properties of their output beam. Phase conjugation mirrors (PCM) using nearly degenerate four-wave mixing (NDFWM) have also been recognized for their capability of providing a narrow optical bandpass filter. Assuming an adiabatic approximation, pump nondepletion, and weak nonlinear coupling, it is found that as .vertline..kappa..vertline.L increases (here .kappa. is the complex coupling coefficient given by .kappa.=2.pi.f.sub.X.sup.(3) I.sub.p nc; I.sub.p is the intensity of the pump, L is the nonlinear interaction length), the bandpass becomes more sharply peaked at the pumping frequency. When an oscillation condition is reached,, (i.e., .vertline..kappa..vertline.L.about..pi./2) the bandpass approaches zero. The bandpass is then limited only by the linewidth of the pump. It has also been demonstrated that a pulsed laser displays automatic frequency locking using a saturable amplifier without cavity stabilization. Furthermore, frequency chirping is minimized for a PCR if the pulse duration is longer than the cavity round trip time, and the response time of the PCM is shorter than the inverse of the frequency chirping bandwidth of the gain medium.
In a journal article entitled "Pulsed, Frequency Stabile, Narrow Linewidth Master Oscillator" by K. K. Lee, Optics Communications, Vol. 68, No. 4, 15 October 1988 the inventor shows that a phase conjugation oscillator, with one PCM pumped by a frequency stabile, continuous wave (cw) , narrow linewidth laser, together with an active amplitude modulation mode-locker, can provide a frequency stable and narrow linewidth pulse whose properties are nearly identical to the cw pump. A technique is described for introducing frequency modulation. A phase conjugation mirror is described as being comprised of a photorefractive medium, such as BaTiO.sub.3 and GaAs, having short diffusion and recombination times.
In a journal article entitled "Phase Conjugation by Resonantly Enhanced Degenerate Four-Wave Mixing" by R. C. Lind et al., Optical Engineering, March/April 1982, Vol. 21, No. 2, there is described the properties of resonantly enhanced degenerate four-wave mixing (DFWM). The effects of pump absorption and depletion, unequal pump fields, four-level behavior, and motional effects are described.
In a journal article entitled "Nonlinear Optical Phase Conjugation" by D. M. Pepper, optical Engineering, March/April 1982, Vol. 21, No. 2, there is described various aspects of nonlinear optical phase conjugation. In sections (V.1 and V.2) there is described the use of a semiconductor doped glass as a nonlinear medium and the use of a cw PCM (BaTiO.sub.3) to compensate for modal dispersion. Table 1 is a summary of experiments where conjugate reflectivity was measured, the table classifying the PCM results in terms of optical wavelength employed. Of the number of nonlinear mediums listed in the Table, the use of HgCdTe with a CO.sub.2 laser, and InSb with a CO laser, are shown.
An object of this invention is to provide a phase conjugation mirror that provides a maximum nonlinear resonant enhancement for a coherent optical signal incident thereon.
A further object of the invention is to provide a narrow linewidth, continuous wave master oscillator that includes a phase conjugation resonator having a phase conjugation mirror that provides a maximum nonlinear resonant enhancement for a coherent optical signal incident thereon.

Pulsed, frequency stable, narrow linewidth master oscillator and phase conjugation mirror therefor with semiconductor material having bandgap for nonlinear resonance


A method, database system, and computer program are disclosed for optimized costing. The method includes identifying a join that identifies a first table and a second table. The method further includes determining an optimized cost of reading the first table. If the number of unique first table values is greater than the number of unique second table values, the number of instances where a unique first table value matches a unique second table value is returned. Otherwise, the number of unique first table values is returned. The method further includes determining an optimized cost of reading the second table. The optimized cost of reading the second table includes the number of unique second table values. The method also includes summing the optimized cost of reading the first table and the optimized cost of reading the second table.

In relational databases using SQL, relationships are used to decompose tables into smaller structures. As a result, related information may be stored in multiple tables. It is not uncommon for normalized data models and their corresponding physical relational database systems to include joins. Joins allow the creation of rows in a virtual table that includes data selected from two different tables. SQL uses a JOIN operator to pull data from the two tables to create the virtual table. Typically, the two tables are referred to individually as the left table and the right table. However, the tables may also be referred to as outer and inner tables or left and right relations. These terms are generally considered to be symmantical equivalents. In some relational database systems, such as in the Teradata Active Data Warehousing System available from NCR Corporation, the assignee of the present invention, various costing routines may be used to choose the best plan of SQL execution. The costing routines may determine the cost of reading the rows of the left table and the cost of reading the rows of the right table. Generally, the costing routines may assume that the all rows from the left and right tables will be read.

Efficient costing for inclusion merge join