A method for predicting remaining capacity of a battery includes: (a) determining an initial battery capacity; (b) measuring a second voltage; (c) calculating a maximum possible battery voltage and a minimum possible battery voltage according to the second voltage, a maximum possible battery current and a minimum possible battery current, and an internal resistance; (d) calculating a maximum possible battery remaining capacity and a minimum possible battery remaining capacity according to the maximum possible battery voltage, the minimum possible battery voltage, and the voltage-remaining capacity table; (e) comparing the maximum possible battery current with the minimum possible battery current; and (f) calculating a remaining capacity of the battery according to a comparison result in step (e), the maximum possible battery remaining capacity, and the minimum possible battery remaining capacity.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method for predicting remaining capacity of a battery, and more specifically, to a method for utilizing a voltage revision method and a current integration method in a software manner to predict remaining capacity of a battery more precisely.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In modern society, batteries are utilized to supply electronic products with power to avoid an inconvenience of using power lines. However, power of a battery is depleted with operation of the electronic product. Thus, charging is necessary for a battery. In general, portable electronic devices, such as mobile phones, utilize chargeable batteries as a power supply. For a user, it is important to know remaining capacity of a battery while operating an electronic device. As for the electronic device, it is also necessary to predict the remaining capacity of the battery, so as to preserve partial power for emergency use, such as a one-minute emergency call. However, under-prediction of the remaining capacity of the battery may result in a greater number of times that the battery is charged. This will shorten the battery's life. On the contrary, over-prediction of the remaining capacity of the battery could reduce power for emergency use or cause the user to encounter a shortage of power. Therefore, how to predict remaining capacity of a battery precisely should be a concern.
Related methods for predicting remaining capacity of a battery according to the prior art are provided as follows.
Intelligent battery technique (current integration method): This method involves putting a battery management chip inside a battery, such as a fuel gauge. The battery management chip can monitor a current status of the battery at any time so as to calculate the remaining capacity of the battery. Then, built-in software can directly read information stored in the battery management chip. The advantages of the method are low software loading and precise calculation of the remaining capacity. But, the method results not only in an increase of cost, but also additional power consumption caused by the power management chip (even in a turned-off state). In addition, after installing a new battery, a learning time is required to increase the accuracy of the remaining capacity calculation. And, a user's operation habits can also affect the accuracy (if the user often charges the battery before the power of the battery runs out, there will be a considerable error in the remaining capacity calculation). And, it is likely that a hardware cost of the battery management chip affects the selling price. Furthermore, it is difficult for this method to achieve the same accuracy in the remaining capacity calculation if the battery management chip is replaced with software.
Battery internal resistance method: This method involves establishing a battery remaining capacity-battery internal resistance table. Subsequently, remaining capacity of the battery can be calculated by a look-up method based on the said table after the mobile phone reads an internal resistance of the battery every period of time. However, a battery installed inside a mobile phone is usually a lithium battery. There is a considerable error in the remaining capacity calculation according to this method, since the internal resistance variation corresponding to the remaining capacity in a lithium battery is very small.
Voltage method: This method involves establishing a battery remaining capacity-battery voltage table in advance. Remaining capacity of a battery can be calculated by a look-up method based on the said table after the mobile phone reads a voltage of the battery every period of time. Simple calculation is the advantage of this method. But the drawback of this method is that the voltage of the battery affects the accuracy of this method, since the voltage of the battery varies with the power consumption of the battery. In addition, the accuracy of the battery remaining capacity-battery voltage table also affects the remaining capacity prediction greatly.
Method for adjusting voltage based on current: This method involves reading a current and a voltage of a battery at the same time, adjusting the voltage based on the current, and then determining remaining capacity of the battery based on a look-up method. The accuracy of this method is higher than the said voltage method. But the drawback of this method is increase of cost due to additional hardware for reading the current of the battery.
Method for adjusting voltage based on status: This method involves determining a current of a battery based on software rather than reading the current of the battery directly. Higher accuracy than the said voltage method and no additional cost are the advantages of this method. However, software cannot determine the actual current of the battery precisely. In addition, components installed inside the mobile phone, whose power consumption is directly proportional to time, can also increase calculation error.
In summary, all of the aforementioned methods for predicting remaining capacity of a battery have their respective drawbacks. Therefore, how to predict remaining capacity of a battery precisely without adding additional hardware should be a concern.

Method for predicting remaining capacity of a battery


A method for rendering a three-dimensional image on a computer graphics display device involving the steps of providing a data base defining at least the geometry and reflectivity of light emitters and object in the scene and approximating surfaces of each object in the scene as patches in three dimensional space. Each patch is approximated as one or more elements defined by vertices. A source of irradiated light in the scene is selected and defined as a light source. Then, for each vertex, a form factor representing the fraction of light energy that arrives at the vertex from the source is determined by ray tracing from the vertex to the source. Radiosity is then determined at each vertex based on the form factors determined for each vertex. This process is repeated a selected number of times using a different light source each time. In this manner a plurality of radiosities are determined that collectively indicate the global illumination of the scene. The scene is then displayed based upon these radiosities.

The synthesis of realistic images in three dimensional computer graphics requires the evaluation of a shading model simulating the propagation of light within a scene or environment. In the prior art, local shading models have been employed wherein shading is computed based only on direct illumination by light sources. Synthesis of realistic shading, and hence of realistic images, however, requires the use of a global illumination model in which secondary illumination provided by light reflected from other sources in the scene, and the shadowing of one surface by another, are taken into account.
A number of global illumination techniques for generating three dimensional computer graphics are known, the most common of which are ray tracing and radiosity. The following publications, which are incorporated herein by reference, are illustrative: Goral, Cindy M. et al., "Modeling the Interaction of Light Between Diffuse Surfaces", Computer Graphics, vol. 18, no. 3, pp. 213-222 (July, 1984); Cohen, Michael F. et al., "The Hemi-Cube: A Radiosity Solution For Complex Environments", SIGGRAPH Proceedings, vol. 19, no. 3, pp. 31-40 (1985); Greenberg, Donald P. et al. "Radiosity: A Method For Computing Global Illumination", The Visual Computer, vol. 2, pp. 291-297 (1986); Cohen, Michael F. et al., "An Efficient Radiosity Approach For Realistic Image Synthesis", IEEE CG&A, pp. 26-35 (March, 1986); Cohen, Michael F. et al., "A Progressive Refinement Approach to Fast Radiosity Image Generation", Computer Graphics, vol. 22, no. 4, pp. 75-84 (August, 1988). See also the following publications, incorporated herein by reference, which describe various ray tracing techniques: Maxwell, Gregory M. et al., "Calculation of the Radiation Configuration Using Ray Casting", Computer Aided Design, vol. 18, no. 7, pp. 371-379 (September 1986); Arvo, James, "Backward Ray Tracing", Apollo Computer, Inc. Chelmsfor, Mass. (date unknown); Cook, Robert L. et al., "Distributed Ray Tracing", Computer Graphics, vol. 18, no. 3, pp. 137-145 (July, 1984); Chattopadhyay, Sudeb et al., "Bi-Directional Ray Tracing", Proceedings of Computer Graphics 1987, pp. 335-343 (1987).
Ray tracing approximates the global illumination of a scene by tracing rays from the eye through a viewing plane and into the three dimensional environment. For each ray, the closest surface intersection point is determined. Depending upon the material properties of the surface, it may spawn reflected and refracted rays, which are recursively traced in the same fashion. As the spawned rays are propagated through the environment, a tree of intersection locations is constructed for each sample point on the viewing plane. The final image intensity of this point is determined by traversing the tree and computing the contribution of each node according to a shading model.
The intensity calculation for each node consists of two parts. The first part determines if the intersection point can be seen from each light source. If no opaque object blocks the light from the intersection point, then the second part consists of using the attributes of the surface and the light source to calculate the contribution to the final color intensity of the pixel.
The first operation, called "shadow testing", is normally the most computationally expensive process of the ray tracing technique. The reason for this is that each object in the entire environment must be tested to determine if it occludes each light source for every ray intersection point. For scenes with complex lighting schemes, the percentage of time required for occlusion testing can increase to over 80% of the total computation time.
Thus, ray tracing techniques can be slow and in any event suffer from the disadvantage that they are view dependent, i.e., the scene must be recreated for each new view.
The advantage of the radiosity technique is that it is view independent. The radiosity technique consists of a series of independent steps. First, the geometry, surface color and surface reflectance properties of the object in the scene are specified and stored in a data base. Each surface is subdivided into a number of discrete surface patches for which a constant intensity or radiosity is assumed. The geometric relationship between each patch and the environment to every other patch is next determined, resulting in a system of simultaneous equations. Solving these equations yields the radiosity for each patch. Finally, the radiosity information is used to render an image of the environment from any given view point.
Calculating the geometry relationships, or form factors, between patches, is the most computationally expensive part of the radiosity technique for complex environments (i.e., environments where some patches may fully or partially occlude others). Thus, despite the advantage of view independence, the radiosity technique has been considered impractical for scenes of high complexity; the time and storage costs of the algorithm were expensive (i.e., O(n.sup.2), where n is the number of surfaces in the scene).
Another rendering technique is known as progressive radiosity. Progressive radiosity is a refinement upon the basic radiosity technique and provides good synthetic images early in the solution process. In the progressive radiosity technique, illumination is computed one step at a time. At each step, the reflected or emitted illumination provided by a single source is distributed to all other surfaces. The determination of where the illumination falls in the scene is accomplished using the well known "hemi-cube" algorithm, (see, e.g., the above referenced Cohen et al. publication relating to the hemi-cube), in which the scene is scan converted from the point of view of the surface providing the illumination. In effect, light is "shot out" from the source in a predefined uniform set of directions to land where it may in the environment. Although the overall progressive radiosity technique provides improvements over prior radiosity techniques for graphics, the use of the hemi-cube algorithm to determine illumination suffers inherently from aliasing and undersampling, particularly as the scene complexity increases.
The present invention employs an improvement to the progressive radiosity technique and, therefore, additional detail respecting the underlying physics and mathematics of the progressive radiosity technique is provided herein as background.
As mentioned, the original radiosity technique determines diffuse global illumination by solving a system of equations expressing the dependence of the energy leaving each surface and that arriving from every other surface. The energy leaving a surface is determined according to the following relationship: ##EQU1## where B.sub.i =radiosity of surface i (energy per unit area)
A.sub.i =area of surface i PA1 E.sub.i =emitted energy per unit area PA1 P.sub.i =reflectivity of surface i PA1 B.sub.j =radiosity of surface j PA1 A.sub.j =area of surface j PA1 F.sub.ji =form-factor from surface j to surface i PA1 do [the following steps] until the image is converged:
The form-factor, F.sub.ji, is the fraction of energy leaving surface j that arrives at a second surface i.
An equation of this form exists for every surface in the scene. The resulting system of simultaneous equations can be solved using conventional matrix techniques to determine the surface radiosities. A known shading calculation then uses these surface radiosities to determine the radiosity at the vertices of smaller polygonal elements into which the surfaces have been subdivided. (The elements are actually defined by vertices of the polygons.) Following the radiosity solution, Gouraud interpolation based on the element vertex radiosities can be used to render smoothly shaded images.
Forming the matrix prior to the solution requires determining and saving the form factor between each surface and every other surface, a process that is expensive (O(n.sup.2)) both in time and memory requirements. The progressive radiosity technique overcomes this difficulty by solving the radiosity equations in a series of steps. The solution proceeds as follows:
1. select the surface with the greatest reflected and/or emitted energy (i.e., the surface having the greatest irradiated light energy); PA2 2. compute the form-factors from that surface to all surface elements; and, PA2 3. add the resulting contribution to the radiosity of each element.
In the prior art, the form-factors from the source surface to the receiving elements are computed using the well known hemi-cube technique, in which all elements are projected, scan converted and z-buffered onto the five faces of a hemi-cube positioned at the source surface. In the early steps, the surfaces chosen will be the light emitters since other surfaces will have, as yet, received very little illumination. Subsequent steps will select secondary sources, starting with those surfaces that received the most light directly from the light sources, and so on.
Since each solution step updates the radiosity of all surfaces, an increasingly accurate result can be displayed following each step. An ambient term derived from the known energy yet to be distributed can be added to improve the image. Useful images can thus be produced very early in the solution process. There are, however, inherent problems in using a hemi-cube placed at the source surface to determine form factors. These are discussed below.
The source of efficiency in the progressive radiosity algorithm is that illumination is computed roughly in the order that light propagates through the environment. In effect, the path of light is followed from the light emitters into the scene.
The more common strategy for computer graphics, however, is to start at the eye and trace the light back to the source. This has the advantage of restricting shading effort to those points in the scene that appear in the image and to the directions that reach the eye. Ray tracing and its derivatives, distributed ray tracing and path tracing, employ this approach. However, these methods do not have information about where in the scene to look for important sources of light, other than the light emitters themselves. Hence, for a diffuse surface, much sampling may be expended on directions from which little energy turns out to arrive.
By reversing the process and following the propagation of energy from the emitters, progressive radiosity continually has information about where the energy arrives from. Attention can thus be focused on the most important surfaces of illumination. Even very small secondary sources that nonetheless happen to reflect a great deal of light will be detected, a very difficult case when working entirely from the eye by ray tracing.
The foremost difficulty with the hemi-cube approach employed in progressive radiosity is uneven and inadequate sampling. A surface that is fairly large in the image may, when viewed from the light source, be small enough to fall between the hemi-cube pixels. Such a surface will receive no illumination. FIG. 1 illustrates this problem. FIG. 1 illustrates a portion of a scene having surfaces A, B and C and a source S over which a hemi-cube H has been superimposed. As shown, the hemi-cube is divided into pixels PI. Surfaces A, B and C are all substantially the same size. Surface A covers two hemi-cube pixels (rays R1 and R2) while surface B covers only pixel (ray R4). Surface C drops out entirely and therefore incorrectly receives no illumination. In addition, since the hemi-cube is a uniform sampling method, it will produce aliasing. The shading of a fine grid of small polygons (defined by the vertices) will show a distinct plaid pattern if the polygons are small enough to alias on the hemi-cube. FIG. 2 schematically illustrates this phenomenon in two dimensions. As shown in FIG. 2, a surface patch P consisting of a grid of polygons (defined by the polygon or "element" vertices) is illuminated by a small light source S. The rectangular hemi-cube sampling pattern interacts with the regular receiving grid of polygons to generate aliasing. Increasing the resolution of the hemi-cube to reduce these effects becomes expensive in terms of both computation time and storage, and, in any case, can never guarantee adequate sampling for all polygons.
There are additional problems with the progressive radiosity technique that employs the hemi-cube approach. First, in the radiosity method, light sources are normally surfaces with area. Performing a single hemi-cube at a surface is equivalent to treating the surface as a point source. To approximate an area source, hemi-cubes must be performed at several points on the surface. However, the number of points necessary for a good approximation depends upon how close the area is to the surface it illuminates. Employing the hemi-cube approach, the number of points representing the source area will be the same for all receiving surfaces, since all surfaces are projected onto each hemi-cube.
A further serious limitation derives from the fact that a hemi-cube placed over the light source determines the energy received by source areas (the elements), not points on the surface. Since it is actually the shading at element vertices that is used in rendering the final image, the radiosity at each vertex must be determined by averaging the radiosity of the elements surrounding it. This requires connectivity information that is not always available. Similarly, smooth shading of curved surfaces which are approximated by independent polygonal facets also requires connectivity information when the hemi-cube is used. Continuity of shading across such surfaces is normally ensured by calculating shading at the facet vertices using the true surface normal, as in Gouraud shading. Using the hemi-cube approach, radiosities can be determined directly only for each facet and averaging must be performed to obtain vertex shading.
It is therefore desirable to provide a method of rendering a three-dimensional, computer generated, graphics image that attains the benefits of both progressive radiosity and ray tracing, but avoids the problems inherent in employing the hemi-cube approach. It is also desirable to provide a method for generating a three dimensional image that is less costly in terms of computational time and storage than the conventional progressive radiosity technique. The present invention achieves these objectives.

Three dimensional computer graphics employing ray tracing to compute form factors in radiosity


According to a method of correcting light proximity effect, a decision distance from one exposure point to the other exposure point, where influence of the light proximity effect appears, as well as a reference area ratio for deciding as to whether the light proximity effect correction is necessary or not are determined based on an optical condition of an exposure apparatus having a photomask attached thereto. Respective sides of a photomask pattern are divided into portions each having at most a prescribed length, and a ratio of an area occupied by the photomask pattern to an area of a circle having a middle point of each divided side as a center and the decision distance as a radius is determined for each of the divided sides. Comparing the area ratio for each of the divided sides with the reference area ratio for decision, a decision is made for each divided side as to whether the light proximity effect correction is necessary or not. Using this method, time required for calculation can be reduced, and highly precise correction can be made.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method of correcting light proximity effect, and more particularly relates to a method for efficiently correcting light proximity effect for data on photomask pattern.
2. Description of the Background Art
Miniaturization of a semiconductor device has been accompanied by such problems as deterioration in precision of finished dimension as well as change in a shape of an interconnection pattern due to the light proximity effect produced in a semiconductor element constituting the semiconductor device.
Depending on arrangement (such as line width, pitch) of a pattern formed on a photomask, optical image of exposure light transmitted through the photomask varies. This causes an error in the finished dimension of a resist film. This phenomenon is referred to as the light proximity effect. For example, assume that a resist film is exposed using a shading pattern of a photomask having patterns P100 and P200, and an interconnection layer is patterned using the patterned resist film as shown in FIG. 13A. Shapes of interconnection patterns P100a and P200a change considerably, especially at the middle portions where the interconnection patterns oppose to each other as shown in FIG. 13B.
Main problems developed presently include shortening of a gate pattern of a logical semiconductor device, and error of a pattern width when the pattern width is constant but pitch is changed. Therefore, correction of light proximity effect has been studied recently.
According to a method of correcting light proximity effect now employed, as shown by the flow chart of FIG. 14, photomask data is prepared in step 100 (hereinafter referred to as S100), a light distribution simulation and a development simulation are carried out based on the photomask data in S200. Following the result of the simulations, a correction value for light proximity effect is determined in S300.
In S400, the photomask data is corrected based on the correction value for light proximity effect obtained in S300. Next in S500, using the corrected photomask data, the light distribution simulation and development simulation are again done. In S600, a decision is made about whether an amount of variation in dimension due to the light proximity effect converges or not, and if it does not converge, returning S300, similar steps are conducted. On the other hand, if the amount of variation in dimension due to the light proximity effect converges, correction of photomask data is completed in S700.
Photomask data for which light proximity effect is corrected can thus be obtained by repeating light distribution and development simulations until the amount of dimensional variation due to the light proximity effect converges.
According to the conventional method of correcting the light proximity effect for photomask pattern data described above, the simulation is run based on the photomask pattern data. Because of limitations of the device, an area for which the simulation can be done at a time is at most 1.times.10.sup.-4 mm.sup.2. The regular size of the entire photomask pattern is 4.times.10.sup.2 mm.sup.2, so that four million calculations are necessary in order to do one simulation for one photomask pattern. As described referring to FIG. 14, the time required for calculation in the simulation is considerable since the simulations are repeated until the amount of dimensional variation due to the light proximity effect converges.

Method of correcting light proximity effect


Disclosed here is a touch panel with improved visibility. The polarizing plate of the touch panel has a laminated structure in which the polarizing layer is sandwiched between the upper protective layer and the lower protective layer. Of the three layers, the lower protective layer is formed as a phase-difference layer with ¼ wavelength made of a cycloolefin-based polymer. The structure protects the polarizing plate from distortion and deterioration, offering good visibility. At the same time, the structure above contributes to a reduced parts count and accordingly a cost-reduced touch panel.

In recent years, there has been a growing trend to incorporate advanced various functions into electronic devices, such as mobile phones and car navigation systems. In such a trend, a touch panel has been widely employed for ease of operation. For example, a light-transmissive touch panel is attached on the front surface of a liquid crystal display (LCD) element. A user presses a touch panel with a finger or stylus, while viewing letters, symbols and graphics shown by the LCD element on the back surface of the touch panel and selects a desired function. As the demand for a touch panel increases, manufacturers have sought a user-friendly touch panel with good visibility.
A conventional touch panel will be described with reference to FIG. 4.
FIG. 4 is a sectional view of a conventional touch panel. For sake of clarity, the figure shows dimensions enlarged in the thickness direction.
The touch panel shown in FIG. 4 has upper substrate 1, lower substrate 2, upper conductive layer 3 and lower conductive layer 4. Substrates 1 and 2 are made of a light-transmissive film. Conductive layers 3 and 4 are also formed of light-transmissive material, such as indium-tin oxide. Upper conductive layer 3 is disposed on the bottom surface of upper substrate 1, and lower conductive layer 4 is disposed on the top surface of lower substrate 2; conductive layers 3 and 4 are sandwiched between upper substrate 1 and lower substrate 2.
A plurality of dot spacers (not shown) are formed with insulating resin at predetermined spaced intervals on the top surface of lower conductive layer 4. A pair of upper electrodes (not shown) is formed at both ends of upper conductive layer 3; similarly, at both ends of lower conductive layer 4, a pair of lower electrodes (not shown) is formed in an arrangement perpendicular to that of the upper electrodes.
Frame-shaped spacer 5 is disposed between upper conductive layer 3 and lower conductive layer 4 to separate them. Spacer 5 has an adhesive layer (not shown) coat-formed on the top and bottom surfaces or either one of the surfaces, by which the peripheries of upper substrate 1 and lower substrate 2 are bonded with each other. Upper conductive 3 faces lower conductive layer 4 at predetermined spaced intervals.
Upper phase-difference plate 6 with ¼ wavelength, which is an oriented film having birefringence made of polycarbonate, is disposed on the top surface of upper substrate 1, and similarly formed lower phase-difference plate 7 is disposed on the bottom surface of lower substrate 2. The phase-difference plates above are bonded to each substrate with adhesive (not shown).
Polarizing plate 8 has a laminated structure in which polarizing layer 8a is sandwiched between upper protective layer 8b and lower protective layer 8c. For example, polarizing layer 8a is made of polyvinyl alcohol with iodine and dye oriented, while protective layers 8b, 8c are made of triacetyl cellulose. Such structured polarizing plate 8 is attached on upper phase-difference plate 6.
On the other hand, polarizing plate 9 is attached on LCD element 10. The touch panel structured above is disposed on LCD element 10 through polarizing plate 9, and each pair of upper electrodes and lower electrodes is connected to the electronic circuit (not shown) of the electronic device.
Now will be described how such structured touch panel works. A user presses the touch panel with a finger or stylus, viewing the displays shown by LCD element 10 on the back surface of the touch panel. The application of depressing force depresses down a position of polarizing plate 8, upper phase-difference plate 6 and upper substrate 1, allowing a position of upper conductive layer 3 corresponding to the depressed position to make contact with lower conductive layer 4. Through the connection of the conductive layers, voltage is applied to the upper electrodes and the lower electrodes from the electric circuit. The electronic circuit detects the depressed position from voltage ratio between the electrodes. The electronic device thus recognizes the user's selection and switches to the desired function.
In the operation above, extraneous light 11 such as sunlight and lamplight comes from above and passes through polarizing plate 8. Here, suppose that polarizing plate 8 absorbs Y-directional light wave perpendicular to X-direction light wave. In this case, extraneous light 11 changes to X-directional linearly polarized light 11a and enters into upper phase-difference plate 6 from polarizing plate 8. This light, as a result of passing through upper phase-difference plate 6 with ¼ wavelength, changes from linearly polarized light to circularly polarized light and reflects upward (as reflected light 11b) at lower conductive layer 4.
When reentering upper phase-difference plate 6, reflected light 11b undergoes another ¼ polarization, so that reflected light 11b goes into polarizing plate 8 as a Y-directional linearly polarized light with a phase-shift of ½ wavelength. Polarizing plate 8 allows only X-directional light wave to pass through. Reflected light 11b, which is a Y-directional light wave, is blocked by polarizing plate 8. The extraneous light 11 entered the touch panel from above reflects upward at lower conductive layer 4, however, the reflected light 11b is blocked by polarizing plate 8 and does not exit from polarizing plate 8 that serves as an operation panel. The structure offers a reflection-free good visibility of LCD element 10 on the back surface of the touch panel.
For example, Japanese Patent Unexamined Publication No. 2006-79149 is known in a prior-art reference relating to the present invention.
According to the conventional touch panel, polarizing plate 8 is a laminated structure in which polyvinyl-alcohol-made polarizing layer 8a is sandwiched between upper and lower protective layers 8b, 8c made of triacetyl cellulose. Triacetyl cellulose is a relatively low heat-resistant material, up to approx. 90° C. When the structure is subjected to great heat, for example, in full sunlight, warpage or distortion can occur. Besides, humidity can be a factor of deteriorating polarizing characteristics. The aforementioned inconveniencies can cause mechanical distortion of the touch panel and deteriorate optical characteristics, resulting in poor visibility of LCD element 10 disposed on the back surface of the touch panel.


A memory management arrangement facilitates interprocess data transfers by eliminating the need to construct temporary mapping tables when performing the data transfer operation. The arrangement includes the use of multiple and concurrent mapping tables in conjunction with the transmission of mapping table indentification bits with each data transfer operation.

This invention relates to memory management units and, more particularly, to such units designed for the control of multiple, concurrently operating processes.
In computer usage, it is necessary to store data in memory and to retrieve that data as quickly as possible using as little central processing unit (CPU) time as possible. Thus, the CPU concerns itself only with gross instructions concerning the storage (or retrieval) of data and not with the actual physical location in memory where such data is to be stored.
For example, the CPU might issue an instruction to store a block of data from buffer A in memory at virtual address location LOC1. The CPU does not know where the data is stored physically but it does know that, if it desires to retrieve that same data, it can issue an instruction to retrieve data from virtual address LOC1, and the data will be available.
A memory management unit (MMU) is used to accomplish the task of controlling information flow in and out of a memory. The primary task of the MMU is to accept storage or retrieval assignments from the CPU and to translate the virtual address, as supplied from the CPU, into a physical location within the memory. Another important task of the MMU is to insure that the process which is calling for the writing or the retrieval of data has the proper permission to do so at the designated location in memory.
The MMU organizes the memory into variable length segments or into fixed length pages, or combinations of both, and establishes memory tables cross-referencing each virtual address to the associated actual physical address. These tables are called mapping tables and contain permission information as well as physical coordination information.
When the CPU is running a particular process, the MMU accesses only those tables associated with that process. The obvious reason for this is that each different process may issue an instruction to store a piece of data in the memory at virtual address LOC1. Thus, since data written into LOC1 for a first process is different from the data put into LOC1 for a second process, the MMU must store each of these data segments at different physical locations within the memory.
In the simplest form, the CPU sends to the MMU a virtual address together with a desired operation, i.e., read, write or execute instruction. The MMU, using the mapping table of the currently active CPU process, determines the physical location and cross checks the permissions.
Most MMUs maintain a memory cache of translation and permission tables directly in the MMU. If the information for a virtual address is in the cache, the MMU can perform its job without accessing the cross-reference table stored in main memory. If the information is not in the cache, the MMU must retrieve the proper table entry from main memory, check permissions and then send the physical address for the CPU's access to memory.
Since the MMU can only work with one process at a time, data transfers between two different processes require special work by the CPU. In order to transfer data between processes, the CPU must verify permissions and set up address tables so that the source and target data areas are both contained within one process. In addition, the process that is actually performing the transfer might be a third process. This requires a significant amount of work by the CPU thereby degrading system performance.
By way of example, assume that there are three processes A, B and C. Process A is a privileged process, and processes B and C are normal (unprivileged) processes. Processes B and C request that process A copy a block of data from process B LOC1 to process C LOC2 (LOC1 and LOC2 are virtual addresses; and LOC1 might be the same as LOC2, or different).
Process A must first verify that processes B and C have the proper permissions for the copy. To do this, process A must retrieve permission information for LOC1 of process B and then must verify that process B has read permission. This verification requires the transfer of mapping tables associated with process B. Process A must then retrieve permission information for each data storage block of LOC2 for process C and verify that each block has write permission. This requires a second transfer of mapping tables. If the permissions are correct, process A must then set up a scratch translation table area in the MMU pointing to the physical addresses involved in the copy. To do this, process A must cause the MMU to retrieve the translation information for LOC1 of process B and then set up its address tables so that its LOC2 points to the same physical addresses as process B's LOC1. Assume this to be physical address space PH000-PH100. Process A must then set up a translation table so that its LOC3 points to the same physical addresses as process C's LOC2. Assume this to be physical location PH200-PH300. Process A then copies the data from physical location PH000-PH100 (process B's LOC1) to physical location PH200-PH300 (process C's LOC2). This example has required the CPU to perform a significant amount of work, which, as discussed above, degrades system performance. The problem is significantly compounded when it is remembered that data transfer can span several memory sections and the translation tables need not be the same for all the data.
A compounding problem arises because the management of MMU's is part of any operating system and, thus, programs exist which rely upon the function already established. Thus, any attempt to change the MMU operation which results in necessary program changes, is difficult, at best, to achieve.

Concurrent context memory management unit


Reproduced time-continuous data is transmitted or discarded in units of a predetermined amount depending on a data processing status of another device connected via a network, whereby matching in temporal relationship with respect to data received by another device is realized.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a data communicating device and a data communicating method in which time-continuously inputted transmission data is transmitted to another device or discarded in units of a predetermined data amount at intervals of a predetermined time depending on a data processing status of another device connected via a network.
2. Description of the Related Art
In IEEE1394 audio devices for transferring audio data via a network using interfaces in conformity with the IEE1394 standard, unless the receiving side gives transmission permission to the transmitting side, a device on the transmitting side cannot transfer data in the data transfer operation except for a broadcast data transfer mode in which data is transferred to all other devices.
Assuming a personal computer (PC) to be one IEEE1394 audio device, therefore, when the personal computer (PC) side issues an audio data transfer request but an IEEE1394 audio device on the receiving side does not give transmission permission, the data must be discarded on the personal computer (PC) side.
In conventional data transfer described above, however, the personal computer (PC) handles audio data as one set of packet data, and does not manage the data on the time base. Accordingly, when data transfer is disabled, the personal computer (PC) executes processing to discard all of the data, thus resulting in that data transfer is completed at the time different from the actual reproduction end time of the audio data. Stated otherwise, there has hitherto been a problem that audio data cannot be properly discarded.
In some cases, even when no audio data exists on the personal computer (PC) side, a data transfer request is issued from the IEEE1394 audio device. Conventionally, a dummy packet is sent to the receiving side in reply to the request. However, a certain task is required to reside on the personal computer (PC) side at all times for sending a dummy packet. Stated otherwise, the personal computer (PC) employs a part of limited resources to keep a task residing to execute processing that is not always required. A problem has been hence experienced in that resources cannot be effectively utilized.

Data communicating device and data communicating method


A method for the activation by a user with a portable device of at least one function of a piece of motor vehicle equipment. The vehicle having a plurality of predefined areas (around and/or inside the vehicle) and including a plurality of pieces of equipment, each capable of implementing at least one function, and a management system for controlling the pieces of equipment. The method includes the user performing a predefined movement of the device in at least one predefined vehicle area, the management system determining the movement performed by the user with the device and the area or areas in which the movement is performed, associating the movement performed and the area or areas in which the movement is performed with at least one function of at least one of the vehicle's pieces of equipment, and activation by the management system of the at least one associated function.

At the present time, there are known ways of unlocking the openable body sections or of starting the engine of a motor vehicle by using a dedicated device such as a key, badge or smartphone. More precisely, when the user carrying the device approaches the vehicle the device initially captures a radio signal transmitted periodically by a computer of the vehicle via a transmitting antenna, and then communicates with the computer in order to authenticate itself with it so that it unlocks the openable body sections.
For the activation of various functions of the vehicle, a system for activating a plurality of functions according to the area in which the device is located is known from the document FR 3 007 874 A1, incorporated herein by reference. In this solution, the user must execute a predefined movement in a predefined area relative to the vehicle, in order to activate a specific function of the vehicle. For example, the user may execute a movement with the device when he is on the left-hand side of the vehicle, in order to unlock an openable body section located on the left-hand side of the vehicle, while the same movement performed on the right-hand side of the vehicle will allow the opening of an openable body section on the right-hand side of the vehicle.
In this solution, the movement is detected by means of a movement sensor fitted in the device. More precisely, the measurements made by the movement sensor are analyzed by the device in order to identify the movement performed by the user with said device. When the nature of the movement has been determined, the device sends a message to the vehicle to inform it of the movement performed. The vehicle then determines the area in which the device is located and triggers the associated function on the basis of said area and the movement performed.
However, this solution has a number of drawbacks. In the first place, the use of a movement sensor fitted in the device and a detection unit for determining the movements made by the device, also fitted in the device, makes the device complicated and expensive. Moreover, the user must learn the areas and movements predefined in the factory by the manufacturer, in order to be able to activate the various functions according to the area in which the device is located, which may be troublesome. Similarly, the predefined areas are not necessarily related geographically with the functions to be activated, and this may appear counter-intuitive to the user. Finally, the system may fail when a predefined movement is performed by the device between two adjacent areas, which is a further drawback.
Consequently there is a need for a simple, reliable and effective solution for activating various functions of a motor vehicle while overcoming at least some of the aforementioned drawbacks.

Method for activating at least one function of a piece of equipment of a vehicle


Various data bus monitoring, analysis, and logging systems, devices, and methods are described herein. In one example, an apparatus includes a first circuit configured to monitor first packets among traffic carried by one or more first directional lanes of a communication link established between a host and one or more endpoint devices and determine header information for the first packets. The apparatus includes a second circuit configured to detect second packets among traffic carried by one or more second directional lanes of the communication link based at least in part on the header information determined for the first packets. The apparatus includes an analysis element configured to establish transaction metadata comprising properties of transactions on the communication link based at least on correlations among the first packets and the second packets.

Various expansion bus architectures have been employed in computing systems to couple peripherals and devices with main processors (referred to herein as hosts). One such architecture includes Peripheral Component Interconnect Express (PCIe), which itself is a successor to several earlier bus architectures. PCIe employs a point-to-point physical link architecture for coupling devices and hosts over high-speed serial interfaces. NVM Express (NVMe) or Non-Volatile Memory Host Controller Interface Specification (NVMHCIS) interfaces can be employed on top of PCIe links to couple hosts to non-volatile data storage devices, such as solid-state drives (SSDs).
When various PCIe or NVMe devices first start to communicate with a host, initialization information is exchanged that makes further communications possible between the host and the devices. Example initialization information includes information related to capabilities supported by a corresponding PCIe bus controller of the host. This initialization information can be indicated in a Controller Capabilities (CAP) register and as part of the Controller and Namespace data structures returned in Identify commands during initialization. An Identify Controller data structure indicates capabilities and settings that apply to the entire PCIe controller, whereas an Identify Namespace data structure indicates capabilities and settings that are specific to a particular PCIe namespace which is a subset of the entire PCIe controller. This initialization information is typically exchanged at device power-up when a device first begins to communicate with a host. However, if a bus monitoring device does not capture this startup process, it can be difficult to later obtain the initialization information as well as decode further communications exchanged between the host and devices.

Transaction analyzer for peripheral bus traffic


A method for wireless communication is provided which includes receiving first and second signals transmitted from first and second antennas, respectively, determining a time offset between the first and second antennas based on the first and second signals, and reporting information regarding the time offset, including information regarding the time offset as being above or below a predetermined threshold. Another method for wireless communication is provided which includes generating channel state information feedback based on an assumption that the time offset is being compensated at a transmitter side. Yet another method for wireless communication is provided which includes receiving information regarding a time offset between multiple transmit antennas, including information regarding the time offset as being above or below a predetermined threshold, and adapting downlink transmissions to account for the time offset.

Field
Aspects of the present disclosure relate generally to wireless communication systems, and more particularly, to antenna time offset in multiple-input-multiple-output (MIMO) transmission and in coordinated multipoint (CoMP) transmission.
Background
Wireless communication networks are widely deployed to provide various communication services such as voice, video, packet data, messaging, broadcast, and the like. These wireless networks may be multiple-access networks capable of supporting multiple users by sharing the available network resources. Such networks, which are usually multiple access networks, support communications for multiple users by sharing the available network resources. One example of such a network is the Universal Terrestrial Radio Access Network (UTRAN). The UTRAN is the radio access network (RAN) defined as a part of the Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS), a third generation (3G) mobile phone technology supported by the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP). Examples of multiple-access network formats include Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA) networks, Time Division Multiple Access (TDMA) networks, Frequency Division Multiple Access (FDMA) networks, Orthogonal FDMA (OFDMA) networks, and Single-Carrier FDMA (SC-FDMA) networks.
A wireless communication network may include a number of base stations or node Bs that can support communication for a number of user equipments (UEs). A UE may communicate with a base station via downlink and uplink. The downlink (or forward link) refers to the communication link from the base station to the UE, and the uplink (or reverse link) refers to the communication link from the UE to the base station.
A base station may transmit data and control information on the downlink to a UE and/or may receive data and control information on the uplink from the UE. On the downlink, a transmission from the base station may encounter interference due to transmissions from neighbor base stations or from other wireless radio frequency (RF) transmitters. On the uplink, a transmission from the UE may encounter interference from uplink transmissions of other UEs communicating with the neighbor base stations or from other wireless RF transmitters. This interference may degrade performance on both the downlink and uplink.
In MIMO, a time offset may exist between transmit antennas of a single transmission point (e.g., single cell/base station MIMO) which may degrade MIMO performance. In coordinated multipoint (CoMP) transmission, multiple base stations (e.g., multiple transmission points) may participate in simultaneous coherent downlink transmission to a UE. Coherent joint CoMP may require time synchronization between the base stations. However, a time offset may also exist between these base stations which may degrade CoMP performance. Thus, there is a need for reporting and accounting for the time offset between multiple transmit antennas to address these issues.

Antenna time offset in multiple-input-multiple-output and coordinated multipoint transmissions


An electric discharge machine is equipped with a current detector 410 for causing an auxiliary discharge circuit 200 to be operated and for detecting that a value of an auxiliary current exceeds a predetermined value; a timer 401 having first setting time longer than time defined until flowing of charge current into the auxiliary current is ended; a timer 403 having second setting time defined after a detection is made that the value of the auxiliary current exceeds the predetermined value until the discharge operation is brought into a stable condition after the first setting time; an operation means 470 for stopping the auxiliary discharge circuit 200 after the second setting time has passed, and for causing the main discharge circuit 300 to be operated during preselected time; and a timer 440 having a setting time longer than such time that after the operation means causes the main discharge circuit to be operated during the preselected time, the current value of the main discharge circuit 300 becomes lower than, or equal to a predetermined value; and for producing an end signal after this setting time has passed.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is related to a control of discharge energy of an electric discharge machine for supplying processing energy between an electrode and a workpiece provided in a processing fluid.
2. Description of the Related Art
As a conventional electric discharge machine, FIG. 5 represents the electric discharge machine disclosed in Japanese Laid-open Patent Application No. 57-138530. In FIG. 5, the electric discharge machine is equipped with an electrode, a DC power supply 24 having a variable voltage applied to a workpiece 2, and another DC power supply 26 having a constant voltage value V1. The output of the DC power supply 24 is switching-controlled by a sub-switching element 28, and the output of the DC power supply 26 is switching-controlled by a main switching element 30. It should be noted that reverse-current blocking diodes 46 and 48 are series-inserted into the respective power supplies 24 and 26.
This electric discharge machine is constituted by a delay-differential circuit 34 connected to an output of an oscillator 32 for periodically producing a pulse signal; a one-shot multivibrator 38 operated in response to a rising edge of an AND-gate output from an AND circuit 36; an amplifier 42 for amplifying a current flowing when the electric discharge occurs by either the sub-switching element 28 or the main switching element 30 by detecting a voltage produced across a shunt resistor 40; and a judging apparatus 44 for producing a high-output when the output of this amplifier 42 is located within a predetermined range, and a low-output when the output of this amplifier 42 is located outside this range.
Referring now to FIG. 5 and FIGS. 6A to 6G, operation of the electric discharge machine with the above-described arrangement will be described. First, when the power supply is turned ON, a rectangular pulse signal S1 (see FIG. 6B) is generated from the oscillator 32, and then the sub-transistor 28 is turned ON to thereby apply a voltage V2 (see FIG. 6A) to the electrode 3 and the workpiece 2. The pulse signal S1 of the oscillator 32 is processed by the delay/differential circuit 34 to produce an output signal S2 (see FIG. 6C) by a time delay Td.
On the other hand, the electric discharge occurs between the electrode 3 and the workpiece 2, so that the current flows, and the voltage across both terminals of the shunt resistor 40 is amplified. When the amplified voltage reaches a predetermined voltage value, the judging apparatus 44 outputs a high-signal S3 (see FIG. 6D). This signal S3 and the output signal S2 of the delay/differential circuit 34 are AND-gated by the AND circuit 36 to thereby produce a signal S4 (see FIG. 6E). A vibrator 38 is triggered in response to this output signal S4, and the main switching element 30 is driven in response to an output signal S5 of the vibrator 38, so that the electric discharge between the electrode 3 and the workpiece 2 is continued.
However, the conventional electric discharge machine is arranged by the above-described manner. Even when the electric discharge conditions are deteriorated, the occurrence of the electric discharge is judged by the judging apparatus 44 in such a manner that the voltage produced by amplifying the voltage across the both terminals of the resistor 40 is located in the preselected value range. Under the deteriorated condition, there are a so-called "immediate electric discharge" in which the voltage between the electrode 3 and the workpiece 2 does not reach V2, but immediately becomes Vg, and a so-called "semi-immediate electric discharge" in which after the voltage between the electrode 3 and the workpiece 2 reaches V2, and this voltage immediately becomes Vg. As a consequence, there is such a problem that even when the immediate electric discharge and the semi-immediate electric discharge happen to occur, the electric discharge machine is operated similar to the normal electric discharge operation.


This invention relates to an apparatus for optical beam shaping and diffusing, a method for making the apparatus, and a method for using the apparatus. The apparatus comprises a crystalline material object shaped to fit within an optical train and with a pattern of surface texture along an optical path. Surface removal processes are applied to a portion of a surface of an object made of a crystalline material to form a surface texture pattern at that portion of the surface of the object. The surface texture pattern depends upon: (1) the identity of the crystalline material and (2) the orientation of crystal lattice axes within the object with respect to the portion of the surface of the object where the pattern of surface texture is to be formed. Processes for making the apparatus include, but are not limited to, mechanical grinding, ablating, chemical etching, plasma etching, ion milling, and combinations thereof. The arrangement of the pattern of surface texture can be refined by coupling lithographic patterning methods with any of the surface removal processes. The apparatus can be used to change one or more of: (1) a shape, (2) an orientation, (3) an aspect ratio, (4) an angular pupil distribution, and (5) an intensity profile of a cross section of an optical beam.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to an apparatus for optical beam shaping and diffusing, a method for making the apparatus, and a method for using the apparatus.
2. Related Art
The ability to fabricate integrated circuit chips with increasingly smaller feature sizes depends upon continual evolution of photolithographic methods. Typically, a light source is used to illuminate a mask (reticle) so that a pattern is transferred into photoresist applied to an underlying semiconductor wafer. Machines that performs this operation are referred to as wafer steppers or wafer scanners. In order to achieve an accurate representation of the reticle pattern at submicron dimensions on the photoresist, it is necessary to use a light source that can support both a high degree of resolution and depth of focus. This requirement has led to the use of lasers as light sources for photolithographic applications.
However, the use of laser light for photolithography is not without its drawbacks. The pursuit of ever smaller feature sizes has focused semiconductor industry efforts on reducing the wavelength, rather than on boosting the penetrating power, of the impinging light. Therefore, state-of-the-art photolithographic processes now depend on wavelengths in the deep ultraviolet and far ultraviolet ranges. At these wavelengths, optical elements made of traditional amorphous materials, such as glass, cannot support optical transmission. Hence, optical elements in an optical train now must be made of crystalline materials that can support optical transmission.
Additionally, a cross section of a beam of light emitted from a laser source usually has an elliptical or substantially rectangular shape. Furthermore, an intensity profile across the cross section typically resembles a Gaussian distribution. Also, the rate at which the intensity tapers off (from its peak value near the center of the cross section) in one dimension can be different from the rate at which it decreases in an orthogonal dimension. Left uncorrected, the combined action of these various attributes can effect the degree of exposure of the photoresist which, in turn, can cause variations in linewidth dimensions of photolithographic patterns and the resulting electronic elements formed on the semiconductor wafer. Where these variations in linewidth dimensions are such that there is a difference between linewidth dimensions for horizontal lines and linewidth dimensions for vertical lines, the condition is referred to as horizontal-vertical (H-V) bias. Because H-V bias can effect the performance of an integrated circuit, methods for improving the control of variations in linewidth dimensions have been the subject of assorted efforts.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,962,195 teaches a method that uses two layers of photoresist, two exposure steps, and two etching steps. A light source illuminates a mask (reticle) so that a pattern is transferred into the topmost photoresist layer. The topmost photoresist layer is then etched by a first method to form a mask for an underlying photoresist layer. The underlying photoresist layer is resistant to the first etch method. Next, the light source illuminates the photoresist mask so that a pattern is transferred into the underlying photoresist layer. The underlying photoresist layer is then etched by a second method to pattern electronic elements onto a semiconductor wafer. This two-exposure, two-etch process acts to improve control of variations in linewidth dimensions of the electronic elements patterned on the semiconductor wafer.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,021,009 describes a technique for controlling linewidth dimensions directed towards homogenizing an intensity profile of an optical beam used for photolithography. The technique taught, however, realizes homogenization by absorbing light, with an optical compensator, at the areas of peak intensity within the intensity profile, thus reducing an overall intensity of the optical beam.
In a more general sense, the ability to shape a cross section of an optical beam or alter its intensity profile can be desirable for a variety of optics applications including, but not limited to, material ablation, micromachining, corneal sculpting, microsurgery, microbiology research, optical actuators, optical networks, and optical communications.
Several techniques have been developed for shaping a cross section of an optical beam.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,553,174 discloses a cylindrical minilens placed in an optical train after a collimating lens. The collimating lens receives an optical beam and collimates it along one dimension. The cylindrical minilens receives the optical beam from the collimating lens, collimates it along an orthogonal dimension, and expands or reduces it along the orthogonal dimension to shape the cross section of the optical beam.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,663,980 and 6,014,361 both teach an optical train that uses a prism to shape a cross section of an optical beam.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,075,650 describes a design for a single lens that can receive a diverging optical beam and circularize a cross section of it. The design includes parameters to compensate for misalignments between the source of the optical beam and the lens. In alternative embodiments, the lens can be designed to collimate the optical beam, cause it to converge, or cause it to diverge. No effect on an intensity profile of the cross section of the optical beam is disclosed.
However, in other documents, various methods are taught to modify an intensity profile of a cross section of an optical beam.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,610,733, 5,850,300, 6,025,938, and 6,075,627 all disclose beam homogenizers. The beam homogenizers are realized as a pattern of diffractive gratings such that portions of an incident optical beam, that emerge from the pattern of diffractive gratings, diffract and overlap with one another in a manner that equalizes an intensity profile of a cross section of the optical beam. The pattern of diffractive gratings can be formed using photolithographic, etching, electron-beam writing, or other techniques. Fourier Transform analysis can be used to determine the pattern of diffractive gratings. U.S. Pat. No. 6,075,627 superimposes its pattern of diffractive gratings on a lens pattern to form an integrated optical element. The lens pattern is used to focus or deflect portions of the incident optical beam that pass through it. However, no effect on changing the shape of the cross section of the optical beam is disclosed.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,069,739 teaches a method for making an intensity profile of a cross section of an optical beam more uniform by imparting time delays in portions of the cross section of the optical beam to reduce temporal coherence across the cross section. A two-dimensional array of fly's eye lenses is placed in the path of the optical beam. Each fly's eye lens acts on the portion of the optical beam that passes through it to disperse it. Different time delays are imparted into the various portions of the optical beam to reduce further the temporal coherence across the cross section. The time delays are realized by forming some of the fly's eye lenses to include, along an optical path, a second material that acts to change the speed of light in the portion of the optical beam that passes through it. Alternatively, each of the fly's eye lenses can be formed of an identical material and the time delays can be realized by using one or more prisms placed along the optical path before the array of fly's eye lenses. The various portions of the optical beam traverse distances of different lengths between the prism and their respective fly's eye lens, thus imparting different time delays.
None of these teachings disclose a single apparatus for use in both beam shaping and intensity profile modification. What is needed is an apparatus that can shape a cross section of an optical beam, and alter its intensity profile while minimizing a reduction in an overall intensity of the optical beam. Advantageously, such an apparatus should be inherently robust in design, insensitive to minor misalignments along the optical path, simple to manufacture, and inexpensive.

Apparatus for optical beam shaping and associated methods


A photovoltaic device uses a single crystal or polycrystalline semiconductor layer which is separated from a single crystal or polycrystalline semiconductor substrate as a photoelectric conversion layer and has a SOI structure in which the semiconductor layer is bonded to a substrate having an insulating surface or an insulating substrate. A single crystal semiconductor layer which is a separated surface layer part of a single crystal semiconductor substrate and is transferred is used as a photoelectric conversion layer and includes an impurity semiconductor layer to which hydrogen or halogen is added on a light incidence surface or on an opposite surface. The semiconductor layer is fixed to a substrate having an insulating surface or an insulating substrate.

As a measure against global warming, solar photovoltaic systems are increasingly installed at many places. The total production of photovoltaic devices in the world in 2005 was 1,759 MW, which is an increase by 147% over the previous fiscal year. At present, the most popular photovoltaic device is crystal photovoltaic devices, and photovoltaic devices using single crystal silicon or polycrystalline silicon account for the large part of the production. A photovoltaic device which is called a crystal photovoltaic device uses a silicon wafer as a base, which is formed by forming a large silicon ingot and slicing the silicon ingot thin.
It is estimated that, in a crystal photovoltaic device using single crystal silicon or polycrystalline silicon, a thickness of a silicon wafer which is sufficient to generate photoelectromotive force is about 10 μm. However, a silicon wafer cut out from a silicon ingot has a thickness of about 200 μm to 500 μm. This means that only about 5% of a silicon wafer which is used in a photovoltaic device contributes to photoelectric conversion.
As production of photovoltaic devices increases, shortage in supply of silicon, which is a row material of silicon wafers and steep rise in price of silicon wafers become problems in industry. The production of polycrystalline silicon including those for semiconductors in the world in 2006 was about 37 thousand tons, and polycrystalline silicon which is demanded for solar sells is 11 thousand tons. Production of photovoltaic devices increases every year and the demand has already been tight. In order to increase production capacity of polycrystalline silicon, a large investment is needed and it is difficult to ensure the production which corresponds to the demand. Therefore, it is expected that shortage of silicon wafer supply will continue.
Here, as another type of a photovoltaic device using a single crystal semiconductor substrate, a photovoltaic device using a single crystal semiconductor layer which is thinned is given. For example, Patent Document 1 (Patent Document 1: Japanese Published Patent Application No. H10-335683) discloses a tandem solar cell in which hydrogen ions are implanted into a single crystal silicon substrate, and a single crystal silicon layer which is separated from the single crystal silicon substrate in a layer shape is disposed over a supporting substrate in order to lower the cost and save resources while maintaining high conversion efficiency. In this tandem solar cell, a single crystal semiconductor layer and a substrate are bonded to each other with a conductive paste.
Further, an attempt to directly form the crystal semiconductor layer over a substrate has been conventionally made. For example, a method for manufacturing a silicon thin film photovoltaic device in which crystal silicon film is deposited over a substrate by using a VHF which is higher than 27 MHz and pulse modulated (see Patent Document 2: Japanese Published Patent Application No. 2005-50905). Further, a technique for controlling plasma treatment conditions to optimize a concentration of a dopant in crystal grains and crystal grain boundaries when a thin film polycrystalline silicon film is formed by a plasma CVD method over a special electrode called a texture electrode which has minute unevenness on its surface (see Patent Document 3: Japanese Published Patent Application No.—2004-14958).

Photovoltaic device and method for manufacturing the same

Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.


There are provided processes for treating fly ash. For example, the processes can comprise leaching fly ash with HCl so as to obtain a leachate comprising aluminum ions and a solid, and separating the solid from the leachate; reacting the leachate with HCl so as to obtain a liquid and a precipitate comprising the aluminum ions in the form of AlCl3, and separating the precipitate from the liquid; and heating the precipitate under conditions effective for converting AlCl3 into Al2O3 and optionally recovering gaseous HCl so-produced.

fly ash is one of the residues generated in combustion. It comprises fine particles that rise with the flue gases. Ash which does not rise is termed bottom ash. Fly ash material can solidify while suspended in the exhaust gases and is collected by electrostatic precipitators Of filter bags. Since the particles solidify while suspended in the exhaust gases, fly ash particles can be generally spherical in shape and range in size from 0.5 μm to 100 μm. Fly ash can comprise silicon dioxide (SiO2) (which can be present in two forms: amorphous, which is rounded and smooth, and crystalline, which is sharp, pointed and hazardous); aluminium oxide (Al2O3 ) and iron oxide (Fe2O3), Fly ashes can also comprise calcium oxide (CaO), Fly ashes can also be highly heterogeneous. They can comprise a mixture of glassy particles with various identifiable components.
For example, fly ash can refer to ash produced during combustion of coal. Depending upon the source and makeup of the coal being burned, the components of fly ash vary considerably,
In the past, fly ash was generally released into the atmosphere, but pollution control equipment mandated in recent decades now require that it be captured prior to release. Fly ash is generally captured by electrostatic precipitators or other particle filtration equipment before the flue gases reach the chimneys of coal-fired power plants, and together with bottom ash removed from the bottom of the furnace is in this case jointly known as coal ash. For example, in the US, fly ash can be generally stored at coal power plants or placed in landfills. About 43 percent is recycled,[3] often used to supplement Portland cement in concrete production. However, some scientists have expressed health concerns about this.
In the past, fly ash produced from coal combustion was simply entrained in flue gases and dispersed into the atmosphere. This created environmental and health concerns that prompted laws which have reduced fly ash emissions to less than 1 percent of ash produced. Worldwide, more than 65% of fly ash produced from coal power stations is disposed of in landfills and ash ponds. The recycling of fly ash has become an increasing concern in recent years due to increasing landfill costs and current interest in sustainable development. As of 2005, U.S. coal-fired power plants reported producing 71.1 million tons of fly ash, of which 29.1 million tons were reused in various applications. If the nearly 42 million tons of unused fly ash had been recycled, it would have reduced the need for approximately 27,500 acre·ft (33,900,000 m3) of landfill space.
There is thus a need for at least an alternative process for treating, recycling and/or valorizing fly ash.


Provided is a secondary battery with improved safety through filling a polymer in a hardened state, and a method of manufacturing the same. The method of manufacturing a secondary battery according to the present disclosure includes preparing a polymer slurry by adding a polymer particle to an electrolyte solution, injecting the polymer slurry to a battery casing in which an electrode assembly is received, changing the polymer slurry to a polymer solution by heating the battery casing, and hardening the polymer solution by cooling the battery casing.

Generally, a secondary battery is designed to be recharged dissimilar to a non-rechargeable primary battery, and has a wide range of applications, for example, electronic devices including mobile phones, lap-top computers and camcorders, electric vehicles, and the like. In particular, a lithium secondary battery has an operating voltage of about 3.6V and a capacity about three times higher than a Ni—Cd battery or Ni-MH battery which is widely used as a power source of electronic equipments, as well as a high energy density per unit weight, and thus its extent of utilization is showing a fast growing tendency.
Such a lithium secondary battery mainly uses lithium-based oxide and a carbon material as a cathode active material and an anode active material, respectively. A lithium secondary battery includes an electrode assembly consisting of a cathode plate coated with the cathode active material, an anode plate coated with the anode active material, and a separator interposed therebetween, and an outer casing to sealingly receive the electrode assembly therein along with an electrolyte solution.
Meanwhile, a lithium secondary battery may be classified, based on a shape of a battery casing, into a can-shaped secondary battery in which an electrode assembly is embedded in a metal casing and a pouch-shaped secondary battery in which an electrode assembly is embedded in a pouch of an aluminum laminate sheet.
A secondary battery is generally manufactured by injecting an electrolyte in a liquid state, that is, an electrolyte solution, in such a state that an electrode assembly is received in a battery casing, and by sealing the battery casing.
FIG. 1 is a cross sectional view of a conventional pouch-shaped secondary battery when viewed from the front, and FIG. 2 is a cross sectional view of section A of FIG. 1 when viewed from the side.
Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, generally, a secondary battery has such a configuration that an electrode assembly 10 and an electrolyte solution are received in an internal space of a battery casing 20. The electrode assembly 10 includes a cathode plate and an anode plate with a separator interposed therebetween, and each of the cathode plate and the anode plate has an electrode tab 11 attached thereto. Also, the electrode tabs 11 are received in the internal space of the electrode casing 20 indicated by section V in the drawing in such a state that the electrode tabs 11 are connected to electrode leads 12. However, conventionally, connections of the electrode tabs 11 and the electrode leads 12 are made in a curved state in a shape of a letter V, as shown in FIG. 2, to reduce a space occupied thereby. For this reason, a space occupied by connected portions of the electrode tabs 11 and the electrode leads 12 in the battery casing 20 are referred to as a V-forming space.
However, the electrode assembly 10 may be moveable due to the presence of an empty space inside the battery casing 20 such as a V-forming space. When the electrode assembly 10 moves, the electrode tabs 11, the electrode leads 12, and their connected portions may be damaged, and moreover, the electrode assembly 10 itself may be damaged.
Further, when the electrode tabs 11 are cut off due to the movement of the electrode assembly 10, the cut-off portion may come into contact with an electrode plate of opposite polarity to cause an internal short circuit, which in this case, may lead to a grave issue, for example, an accident such as heat generation, a fire, or explosion of the secondary battery.

Secondary battery and method for manufacturing the same


A screen-handling stinger extends and retracts hydraulically from within a bore of a hydraulic stinger of a rock bolter. The screen-handling stinger has a finger that engages a screen. The screen-handling stinger retracts the screen until it snugly abuts the front face of a pad of the stinger. The screen can then be rotated by the rotation motor of the stinger.

In a mine, ground support, e.g. rock bolts and screening, is used to prevent rock falls. Several different types of rock bolts may be used but all require that holes be drilled in the rock first. This is done with equipment known as rock bolters. These are mobile units with a bolting head attached. To drill a hole in the rock to install ground support, the bolting head is placed against the rock face (which is called "stinging the face") and then a hole is drilled into the rock. The unit is then indexed to install the ground support such as screening. As is known in the mining industry, wire mesh screening is installed in mines to prevent loose rocks from falling.
Using conventional technologies, the installation of screening has been found to be problematic. Known equipment is generally complex, expensive and prone to breakdown. A need therefore exists for an improved technology for installing screening on a rock face in a mine.

Screen-handling system and method of installing screening on a rock face


Complexable polymeric binder-lubricant blends are disclosed for production by powder metallurgy techniques of ferrous compositions with remarkably high green strength upon compaction, or soft magnetic ferrous powder/resin composites with improved processability and magnetic properties. An exemplary composition consists of a ferrous powder, a thermoset phenolic resin and poly(ethylene oxide), both polymers exhibiting, when intimately mixed, strong intermolecular acid-base interactions giving rise to an interpolymer complex which imparts a high strength to the resulting ferrous powder compact.

The Processes for producing metal parts from ferrous powders using powder metallurgy (P/M) techniques are well known. Such techniques typically involve mixing of ferrous powders with alloying components such as graphite, copper or nickel in powder form, filling the die with the powder mixture, compacting and shaping of the compact by the application of pressure, and ejecting the compact from the die. The compact is then sintered wherein metallurgical bonds are developed by mass transfer under the influence of heat. The presence of an alloying element enhances the strength and other mechanical properties in the sintered part compared to the ferrous powders alone. When necessary, secondary operations such as sizing, coining, repressing, impregnation, infiltration, machining, joining, etc. are performed on the P/M part.
It is common practice to use a lubricant for the compaction of the ferrous powder. The lubricant can be admixed with the ferrous powders or sprayed onto the die wall before the compaction. The lubricant is used to improve the compressibility of ferrous powders and the uniformity of densification throughout the part. It also reduces the metal powder/die wall friction, and in turn lowers the ejection force that is required to remove the compact from the die, thus minimizing die wear.
Die-wall lubrication is known to lead to compacts with high green strength. Indeed, die-wall lubrication enables mechanical anchoring and metallurgical bonding between particles during compaction. However, die-wall lubrication is not yet widely used because it increases the compaction cycle time, leads to less uniform densification and is not applicable to complex shapes. On the other hand, an admixed lubricant most often reduces the strength of the green compact by forming a lubricant film between the metal particles which limits microwelding and eases the slipping of the particles when stresses are applied.
When complex parts or parts with thin walls are to be produced, as well as when green parts have to be machined, parts with a high green strength are required. A number of patents describe lubricating components leading to compacts with enhanced green strength compared with conventional lubricants such as synthetic waxes and metallic stearates. For example, in U.S. Pat. No. 5,290,336 Luk discloses iron-based powder compositions containing binder-lubricants which increase the strength of green compacts, in terms of transverse rupture strength (TRS) values, up to about 5,000 psi, and which generally reduce the ejection forces during removal of the compacted part from the die cavity. The binder-lubricants comprise a dibasic organic acid and one or more additional components such as solid polyethers, liquid polyethers, and acrylic resins. Such binder-lubricants are added to the iron-based powders preferably in liquid form, dissolved or dispersed in an organic solvent. In U.S. Pat. No. 5,498,276, Luk discloses the use of a polyether or poly(alkylene oxide) in a particulate form as a green strength enhancing lubricant. Green compacts with transverse rupture strength values of about 6,000-7,000 psi are obtained. However, dimensional variations during sintering are higher compared to mixes containing conventional lubricants, which may alter the sintered properties.
Non-sintered soft magnetic parts especially for AC magnetic applications can also be produced using P/M techniques. In this case, the iron-based powder compositions contain an organic dielectric resin which forms an insulating coating between the iron particles and also bind those particles so as to impart mechanical strength to the pressed parts. A wide range of thermoset or thermoplastic resins have been described for the production of such magnetic composites, alone or in conjunction with inorganic insulating coatings, as diclosed for example in U.S. Pat. No. 5,268,140 (Rutz et al.), or European Patent 583,808 (Gay). Different techniques have been used to electrically insulate particles, as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,211,896 (Ward et al.). Among them, wet techniques, which employ soluble resins, have most often been used to obtain a uniform coating at the surface of the iron particles for high frequency applications. On the other hand, it has been shown that by dry mixing iron and phenolic resin powders and compacting the mix using die wall lubrication, magnetic parts with good permeability and low losses (especially eddy current losses) at frequencies up to 50-100 kHz could be easily obtained. After compaction, compacts are heated at temperatures between 100.degree. C. and 300.degree. C. to crosslink the thermoset resin. The resin has such a low viscosity that it flows inside the compact at the very beginning of the curing treatment to wet, bind and isolate the iron particles. Good mechanical properties, i.e., TRS values as high as 17,000-20,000 psi were obtained.
Even if die wall lubrication can be used to enable the production of soft magnetic iron/resin composites, it is often preferable that the iron-based powder compositions contain an admixed lubricant to improve the processability of such magnetic materials in an industrial environment. Standard known lubricants are, e.g., zinc stearate, amide wax, stearic acid or PTFE, as well as boron nitride for warm compaction at temperatures higher than 250.degree. C. Even if they improve most often the processability of iron/resin powder mixtures, they decrease the strength of pressed parts significantly. There is thus a need for a lubricated powder composition that will give rise to improve processability of soft magnetic composites, while maintaining their good magnetic and mechanical properties.

Ferrous powder compositions containing a polymeric binder-lubricant blend


An induction coil assembly includes an annular member extending from a first end to a second end, and extending about a longitudinal axis; a first leg extending from the first end of the annular member, and including a first electrical connection portion and a first axial portion; and a second leg extending from the second end of the annular member, and including a second electrical connection portion and a second axial portion. An internal surface of the annular member defines a first fluid passage through the annular member. An internal surface of the first leg defines a second fluid passage through the first leg. An internal surface of the second leg defines a third fluid passage through the second leg. The second fluid passage is in fluid communication with the third fluid passage via the first fluid passage.

Copper induction coil assemblies are usually employed in various induction heating applications, such as induction hardening, induction brazing, induction tempering, induction bonding, induction pre-heating and induction post-heating. For performing induction heating, induction coils are supplied with an electric power to generate electromagnetic field. Such electromagnetic field generates induced electric current within an electrically conducting component disposed in proximity of the induction coil. The induced electric current generates heat within the electrically conducting component.
Typically, various components of a copper induction coil assembly are manufactured using various manual manufacturing techniques. However, such manual manufacturing of the copper induction coil assembly consumes undesirable amount of time. Also, various components of the copper induction coil assembly formed by the manual manufacturing techniques may lack dimensional accuracy. This may reduce efficiency of heat treatment performed on the electrically conducting component. Further, the copper induction coil assembly manufactured by manual manufacturing techniques may be susceptible to distortion while performing the heat treatment on the electrically conducting component. Furthermore, the manual manufacturing techniques may be undesirable for manufacturing the induction coil assembly with complex dimensional characteristics.
U.S. Pat. No. 9,087,636, hereinafter referred to as the '636 patent, describes a method for producing a coil. The '636 patent relates to a method for producing a coil integrated in a substrate or applied to a substrate. The coil has first winding portions, each of which has first ends and second ends. The coil has second winding portions and third winding portions. Each two of the first ends are electrically interconnected by the second winding portions. Two corresponding second ends of the first winding portions are electrically interconnected by the third winding portions, such that coil windings of the coil are formed hereby. At least the first winding portions are applied by means of a 3D printing method, wherein this is aerosol jet or inkjet printing, for example. However, the '636 patent does not disclose method for manufacturing an induction coil assembly for heat treatment application.

Induction coil assembly and method for manufacturing same