In a trench MOSFET, the lower portion of the trench contains a buried source electrode, which is insulated from the epitaxial layer and semiconductor substrate but in electrical contact with the source region. When the MOSFET is in an “off” condition, the bias of the buried source electrode causes the “drift” region of the mesa to become depleted, enhancing the ability of the MOSFET to block current. The doping concentration of the drift region can therefore be increased, reducing the on-resistance of the MOSFET. The buried source electrode also reduces the gate-to-drain capacitance of the MOSFET, improving the ability of the MOSFET to operate at high frequencies. The substrate may advantageously include a plurality of annular trenches separated by annular mesas and a gate metal layer that extends outward from a central region in a plurality of gate metal legs separated by source metal regions.

Power MOSFETs are the preferred switching devices for notebook computers and other portable electronic devices, and they are also widely used for switching currents in the automotive industry. In a common form of MOSFET, the gate electrode is formed in a trench that extends downward from the surface of the chip, and current flows primarily in a vertical direction between a source region on one surface of the chip and a drain region on the other surface of the chip. The source region is normally shown on the top surface of the chip and the drain region is shown on the bottom surface of the chip, although this orientation is arbitrary. The trench is lined with a dielectric layer (typically silicon dioxide), and a channel is formed in a body region adjacent a wall of the trench. When the gate is properly biased (positive in an enhancement-mode N-channel device, negative in an enhancement-mode P-channel device) the channel becomes inverted and allows current to flow between the source and the drain. In depletion-mode devices the MOSFET is normally turned on and is turned off by a proper gate bias (negative in a depletion-mode N-channel device, positive in a depletion-mode P-channel device).
Two of the principal performance criteria of a power MOSFET are its on-resistance (Rdson) and its avalanche breakdown voltage VB. Rdson is a measure of the resistance through the MOSFET when it is turned on and VB is a measure of its ability to block a reverse voltage. Another important performance criterion is the capacitance between the gate and drain (Cgd), which determines the MOSFET's ability to switch current quickly and operate at high frequencies. In normal trench-gated MOSFETs the gate-to-drain capacitance is measured across the gate oxide layer at the bottom of the trench, which separates the gate electrode from the drain.
It is known to increase the breakdown voltage VB by including a "drift region" between the body and the drain of the device. The drift region is a relatively lightly-doped region of the same conductivity type as the drain. While the inclusion of a drift region in the device tends to improve VB, it also tends to increase Rdson, since the drift region represents a relatively lightly-doped region that the current must traverse when the MOSFET is turned on.
Various techniques have been proposed for reducing Cgd. One proposal, suggested in U.S. Pat. No. 4,914,058 to Blanchard, is to increase the thickness of the gate oxide layer at the bottom of the trench. This technique is illustrated by MOSFET 10, shown in the cross-sectional view of FIG. 1. MOSFET 10 is formed in an epitaxial (epi) layer 102 that is grown on an N+ substrate 100. A trench 104 extends through epi layer 102 and into N+ substrate 100. Since MOSFET 10 is an N-channel device, epi layer 102 is generally doped with an N-type impurity such as phosphorus. Epi layer 102 also includes an N+ source region 106 and a P body 108, both of which are contacted by a metal layer 115. The background N-type doping of epi layer 102 is found in an N-drift region 110. N+ substrate 100 and N-drift region 110 represent the drain of MOSFET 10.
The sidewalls of trench 104 are lined with a gate oxide layer 112, and trench 104 is filled with a gate electrode 114, which is typically made of polycrystalline silicon (polysilicon) that is doped heavily to make it conductive. At the bottom of trench 104 is a thick oxide layer 116 that serves to reduce the capacitance between the polysilicon gate 114 and the drain (N+ substrate 100 and N-drift region 110). The Rdson of MOSFET 10 can be reduced somewhat by providing a graded doping concentration in N-drift region 100, decreasing gradually in the direction from N+ substrate 100 to P body 108, but nonetheless Rdson is still not below the silicon limit which is the minimum Rdson for a given breakdown voltage BV. The silicon limit is defined by the equation, Rdson=5.93×10−9*BV2.5.
A two-step etching process was described for fabricating this device. First, a gate trench mask was used to form trenches of a desired width and depth. A thin gate oxide was grown on the walls and floor of trench 104, and a nitride layer was deposited over the gate oxide layer. A directional etching process (e.g., reactive ion etching (RIE)) was used to remove the nitride and gate oxide from the floor of the trench, and a second trench was etched through the floor of the trench reaching to the N+ substrate 100. Thick oxide layer 116 was formed in the second trench. The other process steps were similar to those customarily employed in trench MOSFET fabrication.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,637,898 to Baliga describes a process that uses a single-trench etch and an oxidation that creates a thick bottom oxide. Polysilicon is subsequently deposited and etched, leaving a recessed polysilicon layer at the bottom of the trench. The sidewall oxide is then etched away, and a new gate oxide layer is grown, followed by a selective RIE process to remove the oxide layer formed on top of the recessed polysilicon layer. Polysilicon is then deposited to form the desired thin-thick gate oxide layer realized by Blanchard in the two-step etch process described above. Baliga also uses a graded doping profile in the drift region to reduce the on-resistance.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,998,833 to Baliga teaches another type of trench MOSFET. The trench contains an upper gate electrode, which is generally aligned with the source and base regions, and a lower source electrode, which is generally aligned with the drift region. Again, the drift region is linearly graded and decreases in a direction from the drain region to the surface of the silicon. However, the bottom of the upper gate electrode is aligned with the junction between the P-base region and the N-drift region. This requires that both the polysilicon layer that is deposited to form the lower source electrode be etched and the oxide layer separating the upper and lower electrodes be formed to a high degree of accuracy. If, for example, the lower source is not etched deeply enough, or if the oxide layer separating the upper and lower electrodes is grown too thick, the bottom of the gate electrode will be located above the junction between the base and drift regions. As a result, the upper gate electrode will not invert the entire channel and the device will not turn on. U.S. Pat. No. 6,388,286 to Baliga describes a trench structure that has similar problems.
Recently, an article by X. Yang et al. ("Tunable Oxide-Bypassed Trench Gate MOSFET: Breaking the Ideal Superjunction MOSFET Performance Line at Equal Column Width," IEEE Electron Device Letters, Vol. 24, No. 11, pp. 704-706, 2003) described a trench oxide bypass structure that had very low Rdson. Drawing on a concept previously proposed by Y. C. Liang et al. ("Tunable oxide-bypassed VDMOS (OBVDMOS): Breaking the silicon limit for the second generation," Proc. IEEE/ISPSD, pp. 201-204, 2002), this article reported the successful fabrication of a TOB-UMOS device having a 79 V rating. The device reportedly broke the ideal superjunction MOSFET performance line at an equal column width of 3.5 μm and potentially the ideal silicon limit as well.
Nonetheless, there is a clear need for a new type of MOSFET whose on-resistance is lower than what can be achieved following conventional MOSFET structures.

Method of fabricating super trench MOSFET including buried source electrode


An integrated medical database system for the emergency medical transportation business. In one aspect of the invention, the system includes a dispatch and demographic module, a clinical module, an administration module and a billing module. Each module may communicate data with one or more of the other modules to form a system incorporating data sharing, thus achieving an end-to-end automation of emergency medical care accounting. Internal consistency checks using specific libraries of modifiable data rules are performed by the system to ensure that proper treatments are performed according to a chosen diagnosis. The system includes a compliance audit module operating on data from the dispatch module and clinical module. The compliance audit module checks to ensure that data is consistent with high risk compliance areas. The results of the compliance audit module are forwarded to the billing module.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to an integrated medical database system. More specifically, this invention relates to a compliance filter for a medical database in the emergency medical transportation industry.
2. Description of the Related Technology
Current documentation procedures in the medical transport industry are based on an inefficient paper and pencil technology. Important information is frequently collected on loose sheets of paper. In the environment of emergency medical transport, little time is available to neatly chart and document all pertinent and required information on a single document. Dispatch data, demographic data and clinical data are normally tracked as fragmented pieces of information that are later coalesced into a complete patient chart. In many cases, these data include the same information, thus forcing the input of redundant information. The resultant chart is therefore vulnerable to being incomplete and unreliable. In a medical setting, incomplete information can lead to disastrous clinical results.
This same technology is used to support industry quality improvement and billing procedures and submit letters of transport justification. This paperwork is usually carried out well after the date the patient is encountered, prolonging account receivable times in many instances to the point of compromising and jeopardizing service compensation. Inventory stocking and tracking is similarly a victim of extended turnover times and is often incomplete and inaccurate.
The fragmentation throughout the medical transport environment is also evident in the myriad of entities throughout the country practicing different standards of care and documentation. As is the case in other segments of the healthcare industry, even seemingly simple tasks of communicating among the various entities, as well as among sections of a single providing entity, is severely hampered by the lack of a common communication format. This is especially evident when certain aspects of the system (such as computerized clinical laboratory result displays) have been upgraded with a uniquely tailored computerized system, while the remaining functions are still performed in an archaic manner. While the upgraded system may be effective for one singular aspect, such as dispatching, lab reporting, or chart dictating, the remainder of the system does not improve its effectiveness due to the other archaic components.
Current systems similarly depend on paper based systems that are labor and time intensive, and frequently suffer from human error, and forgetfulness. Compliance management is an absolute requirement in today's medical reimbursement environment, and there are significant financial penalties to not following a compliance management plan. What is desired is an electronic way of reducing the labor, time, and human error/forgetfulness. Furthermore, a capability where an adjustable percentage of clients are randomly and electronically audited and specific high-risk areas are identified for manual review would enhance such a medical system and are therefore also needed. An automated process is desired, such that before completion and transmission of data, the process would be initiated to assure data integrity, accuracy, and compliance with applicable reimbursement and regulatory standards. Such a process would identify discrepancies based on data collected from prior records and would allow immediate correction of inconsistent, inaccurate and non-compliant information.

Compliance audit for integrated emergency medical transportation database system


A body exerciser includes two leg-supporting members having first proximate ends pivoted to a seat member, and first distal ends swingable relative to the seat member on a horizontal plane. A guiding member has a second proximate end secured to the seat member between the first proximate ends, and a second distal end. A sliding member is mounted slidably on the guiding member, and is connected pivotally to the first distal ends of the leg supporting rods by two connecting members, respectively. When the user sits on the seat member and bends forward to move the sliding member toward the second distal end, the connecting members will cooperate to spread apart the leg supporting members for spreading apart the user's legs so as to exercise the user's trunk and legs.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a body exerciser, more particularly to a body exerciser for synchronously spreading apart the legs and bending the trunk of the user.
2. Description of the Related Art
Various kinds of exercising apparatus, such as steppers and exercise bikes, are known in the art. Most of them are bulky and are operated to exercise only one body part of the user.


A method of signal-processing input image data of a display device including a plurality of pixels, each pixel including a green subpixel and one of a red subpixel and a blue subpixel, the method includes: performing a gamma-conversion on input image data corresponding to the one of the red subpixel and the blue subpixel in each pixel; distributing the gamma-converted input image data corresponding to a center pixel to image data of a pixel in a vertical direction based on the center pixel by a first ratio; and distributing the gamma-converted input image data corresponding to the center pixel to image data of a pixel in a horizontal direction based on the center pixel by a second ratio, where the green subpixel and the one of the red subpixel and the blue subpixel are diagonally disposed in each pixel.

(a) Field
Exemplary embodiments of the invention relate to a signal processing method, a signal processor, and a display device including the signal processor. More particularly, the exemplary embodiments relate to a display device having a pentile structure, and a signal processing method and a signal processor of the display device having the pentile structure.
(b) Description of the Related Art
A pixel of a conventional display device typically includes red, green and blue subpixels. In general, the pixel of the conventional display device has a stripe structure where red, green and blue subpixels are vertically arranged in a unit pixel area.
Alternatively, the pixel may have a pentile structure, where only some of red, green and blue subpixels are provided in the unit pixel area, or some of red, green and blue subpixels are provided only in a predetermined region of the unit pixel area.
Since the number of subpixels per unit pixel or an area of the subpixels per unit pixel is small in the pentile structure, pixel performance per unit area of the pentile structure may be lower than pixel performance per unit area of the stripe structure.

Signal processing method, signal processor, and display device including signal processor


As a first aspect, the present invention is directed to a process for making a heat-shrinkable annular film, comprising: (A) extruding an annular extrudate downward from an annular die; (B) quenching the annular extrudate by applying a quenching liquid to the annular extrudate; (C) reheating the extrudate to an orientation temperature of from 130° F. to 210° F., resulting in a reheated annular extrudate; and (D) orienting the reheated annular extrudate while the reheated annular extrudate is in the solid state, the orientation being carried out with a total orientation factor of at least 2, so that the resulting oriented, heat-shrinkable film has a total free shrink at 185° F. of at least 10 percent. The extrudate comprises at least one semi-crystalline polyamide selected from the group consisting of: (i) polyamide 6, (ii) polyamide 66, (iii) polyamide 6/66, and (iv) polyamide 6/12. The semi-crystalline polyamide makes up at least 5 volume percent of the annular extrudate. At least 50% of the quenching liquid cascades down the annular extrudate for a distance of at least 2 inches. The quenching liquid makes initial contact with the annular extrudate within 0.1 to 8 inches of the annular die.

Historically, most commercially-available, heat-shrinkable, food-packaging films have been polyethylene-based. Polyethylene, particularly ethylene/alpha-olefin copolymers, are relatively inexpensive, have relatively low melting points, are readily heat-sealable, and are readily oriented in the solid state, i.e., at a temperature between the glass transition temperature of the polymer and the melting point of the polymer. Such films can be provided with a relatively high total free shrink value at, for example, 85° C. (185° F.).
In the last few years, semi-crystalline polyamide-based shrink films have begun to compete against polyethylene-based shrink films for the packaging of fresh meat products, even though polyamide is more expensive than polyolefin. One reason is that semi-crystalline polyamide-based shrink films can provide higher impact strength per mil than polyethylene-based films. Unlike patchless bags made from polyethylene-based films, patchless bags made from semi-crystalline polyamide-based films can provide adequate protection for some abusive food products, such as some bone-in meat products.
However, semi-crystalline polyamide-based shrink films are difficult to produce because it is difficult to carry out the solid-state orientation of the semi-crystalline polyamide necessary to impart the desired degree of low-temperature heat-shrinkability. Recently a turn-key production line has been developed and offered for sale by Kuhne Anlagenbau GMBH. Kuhne Anlagenbau GMBH developed this production line concurrently with its development of, and for the manufacture of, a turn-key semi-crystalline polyamide-based multilayer heat-shrinkable packaging film. This Kuhne turn-key production line includes an elaborate quenching means beneath the extrusion die. The quenching means employs vacuum around the exterior of the annular extrudate as it emerges from the die, while at the same time applying water to the extrudate shortly after it emerges from the die. The vacuum is employed so that the annular extrudate does not collapse upon itself before it solidifies enough that it is fully quenched. The vacuum around the outside of the extrudate affects the quenching of the extrudate, because the vacuum draws the applied quenching water from the surface of the extrudate.

Process for making shrink film comprising rapidly-quenched semi-crystalline polyamide


A reluctance motor rotor is formed by sandwiching a stack of thin ferromagnetic laminations between two end caps. Each lamination has a series of slots formed in it, with the ferromagnetic material between these slots providing a flux guide. A rib is formed around the periphery of each lamination, thereby enclosing the slots. The slots are then filled with an epoxy resin through holes in the end cap. The resin, which is initially in the liquid state, is then cured in an oven. Once the resin is hard, the outer rib can be machined off to expose the resin. A rotor formed in this manner exhibits significantly higher output than prior art rotors of similar dimensions using magnetic bridges, and is relatively cheap to produce.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a method of forming a rotor for a reluctance machine and particularly, but not exclusively, a rotor for a synchronous reluctance machine.
2. Description of Related Art
A typical prior art synchronous reluctance machine is shown schematically in cross section in FIG. 1. The motor consists of a stator 10, onto which are wound three-phase, sinusoidally distributed, windings 20, 30, 40 in slots. Although only one conductor of each winding is shown in FIG. 1, it will be understood that a practical motor consists of many such conductors distributed in the slots around the stator. Those conductors in adjacent slots, and connected in the same electromagnetic phase, are known as a phase band. The conductors shown in FIG. 1 are each at the center of their respective phase bands.
A two-pole salient rotor 45 is mounted co-axially with the stator 10 on a shaft 48. The stator 10 and rotor 50 are typically constructed from thin laminations of magnetically permeable iron, the planes of lamination being normal to the shaft.
Torque is produced by supplying the three phase windings 20, 30, 40 of the motor of FIG. 1 with sinusoidal currents which have a phase displacement in time, with respect to each other, of 120.degree.. The varying flux generated by the stator 10 causes the rotor poles to move as they attempt to maintain a position of minimum reluctance in the changing magnetic field.
The variation of stator winding current in time may be represented as a rotating phasor. The current in each winding sets up a magnetomotive force (MMF) which is sinusoidally distributed in space around the air gap between the stator 10 and rotor 50 and has a wavelength equivalent to the circumferential distance between the center of each phase band. Thus, a wave of MMF is produced which travels one pole pitch in one half cycle of the supply frequency.
The MMF vector acts on the permeance of the non-uniform air gap to produce a corresponding flux-linkage vector. This flux-linkage vector urges the salient rotor poles into a position of minimum reluctance. It is this tendency of the rotor to align itself with the flux-linkage vector which gives rise to the motor torque which is the output of the rotor.
As indicated by the broken lines D and Q in FIG. 1, there are direct and quadrature axes of the motor, the quadrature axis being 90 electrical degrees from the direct axis. In order to maximize the performance of a synchronous reluctance motor, it is preferable that the difference in the reluctance of the magnetic circuit when the rotor is in the maximum and minimum reluctance positions is as great as possible.
A number of other parameters can be considered in the construction of a synchronous reluctance motor in order to enhance dynamic performance. In particular, the rated output, i.e. the torque that the motor can produce continually for a given temperature rise, should be maximized. Also, it is desirable to limit the amount of torque ripple in the output of the motor. Torque ripple is the variation of output torque as a function of rotor position, which acts upon the rotor inertia causing a corresponding rotor speed variation.
It is known to improve the output of the motor by flux-guiding the rotor. FIG. 2 shows a radial lamination profile of a typical rotor with flux guides 50. The flux guides usually consist of a set of areas of lamination material extending around a segment of the rotor, each flux guide being bounded by a region of relatively low magnetic permeability known as a flux barrier 52. There may be a plurality of such sets of flux guides spaced radially across the rotor, the flux guides in each set being radially separated by flux barriers. It will be seen in FIG. 2 that the flux barriers 52 extend from one rotor pole region 54 into an interpolar region 56. Adjacent flux barriers are separated by a thin inner magnetic bridge 58.
Each flux barrier is terminated in a peripheral magnetic bridge 60. On the one hand, the bridges 58 and 60 should be as thin as possible. The thinner they are, the more limited is the magnetically distorting effect they have on the flux paths defined by the flux guides. The bridges are designed to saturate quickly, and while their magnetic effect as a flux path where one is not wanted is small, it is non-negligible. Ideally, they should not be present at all but they have been considered necessary in the past to keep the lamination in one piece during and after the rotor assembly process. Thus, there is a limit on how thin the bridges can be in order for them to be sufficiently mechanically rigid.
Some stress relief has been effected by forming the radially peripheral ends of the flux barriers with a radius. The prior art rotor lamination of FIG. 2 embodies an acceptance of the need for magnetic bridges in the finished rotor as an essential mechanical feature of the rotor assembly process. Axially laminated rotors are also known, e.g. from U.S. Pat. No. 4,888,513 (Fratta), which is incorporated herein by reference. A typical cross-section of an axially laminated rotor is shown in FIG. 3. The laminations 62, 64, 66 are generally channel-shaped and the laminations lie parallel to the shaft, hence the term `axially laminated`.
An axially laminated rotor may be considered as a flux-guided rotor where the number of sets of flux guides is high, and the radial width of each set of flux guides and associated flux barriers becomes consequentially small.
Each of these techniques has problems. Rotors with a small number of flux guides are relatively simple to produce, since they can be made from punched, radial laminations. In order to provide the required amount of mechanical rigidity, however, and to allow the ferromagnetic flux-guides to be connected to the rotor core, saturating magnetic bridges must be incorporated. These significantly increase the quadrature axis inductance, leading to motor performance degradation.
British Patent No. 1054924, which is incorporated herein by reference, is concerned with providing a method of construction to attempt to overcome the difficulties of the saturating magnetic bridges. It shows a rotor lamination having salient pole portions and circumferential pole portions, initially linked by bridging sections. The spaces between the portions are filled with conducting metal, forming a cage which assists in holding the portions together. However, this cage has an adverse effect on the losses of the rotor. The bridging sections are then removed by milling to avoid any increase in quadrature axis inductance, but this is both a difficult and time consuming exercise.
The milling operation to remove the bridges is also intrusive. In many applications the rotor is designed to rotate at a rate at which the windage on a non-circular section can become significant. Thus, the recesses left after the milling operation are often filled in with a filler material, such as a curable resin. However, the radial forces imposed on the filler are high. The filler is only able to rely on its adhesion to the metal of the rotor to stop it being forced out at speed.
Axially laminated rotors are seldom used because of the extreme difficulty of manufacture and of ensuring stability of the assembly during the lifetime of the machine. It will be seen from FIG. 3 that each lamination has a geometry different from the adjacent ones. This implies a very involved manufacturing process. Then there is the difficulty of securing each bundle of laminations to the central rotor core in a stable and secure way. Although there are several methods of doing this, all are complex and expensive. Even when the rotor is complete, it is usually limited in top speed and dynamic performance because of its construction.

Rotor for a reluctance machine, and method of making


Techniques for securing user data in a healthcare data management system are described. A client system receives a request to authenticate a user. The user is associated with applications and roles. The user is authenticated, at the client system, for all applications and all roles. A login token relating to the authenticated user is maintained at the client system. A role is selected for the user, and an authorization token relating to the selected role is maintained at the client system. A session for the user is initiated. This includes generating an encrypted session cookie relating to the user and the session, storing the encrypted session cookie at the client system, and periodically updating a timestamp for the session cookie.

Healthcare data management systems allow for management, display, and storage of patient health data. For example, electronic sensors can be used to monitor patients, collect data relating to the patients' health, and evaluate potential health conditions. As one example, electronic signals related to the patients' health (e.g., electrocardiogram (ECG) signals) can be collected over time, evaluated, and used for treatment and care of patients. Other patient health data can similarly be collected, stored, and evaluated to assist in treating the patient.
As the amount of patient data becomes more readily available and the time demands on the medical caregiver continue to increase, there is a need to provide a highly scalable solution that allows care providers (and other authorized parties) access to the patient data. Moreover, as patient data is frequently sensitive information, information security is a top concern for any health care system. And more generally, outside of the medical space, the amount of data being collected and stored has continued to increase, along with the need to secure such data (particularly personal data). As such, there is a need for a highly scalable solution that ensures the security and integrity of data (e.g., collected medical data). Further, because parties accessing the patient data may not be sophisticated computer users, the solution should also be efficient and easy to use.
To facilitate understanding, identical reference numerals have been used, where possible, to designate identical elements that are common to the figures. It is contemplated that elements disclosed in one embodiment may be beneficially utilized on other embodiments without specific recitation.


A reverberation processing system simulates a sound scene that includes a plurality of related reverberant environments. The system includes a corresponding plurality of reverberation blocks that are fed by at least one source block. The reverberation blocks may include panning functionality to generate a perceived directional emphasis of the reverberation fields that are simulated by the reverberation blocks. The reverberation blocks may also include an auxiliary output that is used to feed related reverberation blocks, to simulate reverberation coupling between the reverberant environments.

Virtual auditory display systems (including for example computer games, virtual reality systems or computer music workstations) create virtual worlds in which a listener can hear sounds generated from sound sources within these worlds. In a computer game, the player hears the sound that he/she would hear if he/she were located in the position of the virtual listener in the virtual world. In a music production system, the composer or sound engineer can use an audio mixing system to create a recording that simulates multiple instruments located at different positions relative to the listener. Similarly, audio-visual systems for home use can recreate sonic environments that mimic real or artificial environments, such as a concert hall or jazz club. These sound processing systems are designed for playback over headphones or over a set of two or more loudspeakers.
In addition to reproducing sound emanating directly from a virtual source, such a system may also process the source signal to simulate the effects of the virtual environment on the sound emitted by the source. One important environmental factor is reverberation, which results from reflected sound paths off objects and boundaries in the environment.
As computer environments and entertainment systems become more sophisticated, it is desired to provide more sophisticated and accurate rendering of the sounds as heard in the virtual environments used by such systems.

Method and apparatus for the simulation of complex audio environments


A dual-use spring attached to a small satellite that performs two common functions for small satellites including operating as a communications antenna for the small satellite, which eliminates the need for a separate antenna deployment step, and ejecting the small satellite from a modified deployment container mounted on a launch vehicle. The deployment container is modified by removing a conventional deployment spring and pusher plate, which increases available container space.

The present invention relates in general to deploying small satellites from a launch vehicle in space orbit and, more particularly, to ejecting cube satellites (CubeSats) from a deployment container on a launch vehicle.
Small satellites, including CubeSats, have several advantages over larger, traditional satellites including the ability to use inexpensive, off-the-shelf components; faster development and manufacturing times; and smaller mass and size, which reduces the cost to transport them into space. This has resulted in increased use of CubeSats for space-based missions such as Earth observation, communication, collection of space data, and scientific research.
Most small satellites conform to a CubeSat design standard initiated by California Polytechnic State University (Cal Poly) and are container launched. The CubeSat standard facilitates small satellite design by providing structural and dimensional criteria including shape, size, and weight. A CubeSat Unit (U) is defined as a cube of 10 cm (length)×10 cm (width)×10 cm (height) with a maximum mass of not more than 1.33 kg. Small satellites are typically designed in multiples of this unit (i.e., 1 U, 2 U, 3 U, 6 U, 12 U, 24 U) to fit into standard deployment containers, which reduces development and launch vehicle transportation costs.
The deployment container, sometimes referred to as a "dispenser" or a "deployer," provides the interface between the CubeSat and a delivery spacecraft such as a launch vehicle, which carries the deployment container with the CubeSat into space. The terms "dispenser" and "deployer" may be used interchangeably in this specification.
The deployment container is integrated to the launch vehicle fairing typically as a secondary payload. The deployment container provides protection to the CubeSat during launch and transportation into space, such as from vibrations or shocks, and is used to deploy the CubeSat into a satellite orbit.
One example of a deployment container is the Poly-Picosat Orbital Deployer (P-POD) developed by Cal Poly. The standard P-POD holds up to three CubeSats and can be bolted onto the launch vehicle. The P-POD deployer accommodates a 3 U CubeSat, or, equivalently, three 1 U CubeSats, two 1.5 U CubeSats, or one 1 U CubeSat and one 2 U CubeSat.
The typical deployment container, such as the P-POD, has a hinged door at one end that provides access to a payload area of the container, and through which one or more CubeSats are loaded and unloaded. The door is closed and secured after the CubeSat(s) is loaded, and the deployment container is secured to the launch vehicle.
When the launch vehicle reaches a predetermined orbital altitude, the launch vehicle sends an electrical control signal to the deployment container, causing the deployment container door to open. One end of a compressed deployment spring is attached to the back of the deployment container and the other end of the spring is attached to a pusher plate. When the deployment container door opens, the spring pushes the pusher plate and ejects the CubeSat(s) out the deployment container door, deploying the CubeSat(s) into orbit. Once the CubeSat(s) has separated from the deployment container and is in orbit, the CubeSat(s) will extend, expand, or unfurl stowed deployables or appendages, such as antennas and solar panels into useable positions, and begin performing its mission.
Because the CubeSat must fit into a standardized deployment container, CubeSat-Class spacecraft require high mass and volume efficiency due to limited container volume and are typically volume constrained. The CubeSat houses components such as circuit boards, batteries, sensors, and other components needed for the CubeSat's particular mission. It has been difficult to use small satellites when components such as antennas and solar panels need to be deployed because of the very limited available internal space of CubeSats and deployment containers, which is compounded by the amount of internal space occupied by satellite ejection mechanisms, such as springs and pusher plates in the deployment containers. The volume constraints have resulted in some satellite missions being outside CubeSat form-factor resulting in higher cost and more limited launch availability.
Therefore, an improved deployment container ejection mechanism is needed to make additional volume available for satellite mission components or to deliver additional and separate payloads to orbit.

Small satellite communications antenna and container deployment mechanism

The United States of America, as represented by the Secretary of the Army


A summer style ski having three different types of wheels aligned to allow the ski to travel on non-snow or ice surfaces and to create the feel of carving or turning on a paved surface.

Skiing is a popular winter sport but relies upon the increasingly fickle coverage of snow or ice. Certainly, we are seeing higher than normal temperatures and lower than normal precipitation resulting in smaller snow pack and shorter skiing seasons. Winter skis, of course, have a generally flat base side that is waxed or coated to make it slick and reduce friction, and on each side of the ski is a sharp metal or composite edge to aid in gripping the snow or ice. This edge allows the skis to properly turn, carve, and stop on the snow and ice, and allows a user to traverse down a hill or over flat land, based on using downhill style skis, telemark style skis, or cross country skis.
Skis have changed in shape over the past few decades, and many modern skis utilizes a side cut design, wherein the center of the ski is narrower than the tips of the ski. Furthermore, the skis are shaped so that there is a camber, having a slight upward curve in the middle of the ski. These elements impact how the ski turns and feels. Designs to mimic these features and the feeling of carving are lacking.
Because of the shorter ski seasons and unreliable snow conditions, consumers that enjoy skiing, and resorts that rely on these consumers face a conundrum in that they skiing seasons are short and unpredictable. Once the ice or snow has melted, grass, dirt, and other dry surfaces, make winter style skiing impossible.
To combat this, composite materials have been created that are nearly as slick as the snow or ice, and in certain locations, small amounts of composite materials are laid onto the ground to enable skiers to use conventional or nearly conventional skis in areas that lack in snow. For example, the United States Olympic Training Center in Lake Placid N.Y. has installed a surface of composite materials on the hills below the ski jumping features, to allow ski jumpers to practice jumping when there is no snow or ice on the ground. However, the composite materials are generally expensive and it would be impractical to install such a material over a large portion of ground to enable use of typical winter skis. In other areas, indoor skiing relies upon chilling a large room and creating snow with a snow gun. However, each of these options have significant limitations.
Other methods of skiing without snow or ice have included placing plastic on a slope and using modified skis to slide down the plastic. Similarly, people have employed wood, such as plywood and have further added slick materials such as wax, paints, and oils to the surface to reduce friction. Typically still, these materials still require the use of non-traditional skis to move down the surface.
Several entities have tried to make summer skiing type products that include wheels or high friction materials to aid in sliding down a grass or other hard surface. For example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,827,706, 4,134,598, 4,460,187, 4,744,576, 4,886,298, 4,805,936, 5,125,687, 5,195,781, and 5,975,546 have tried to create a roller ski or snowboard but none have found success in the marketplace.
Typical patents have utilized various strategies to provide wheels that face in the direction of movement of the ski, while providing other wheels or mechanisms to allow the ski to "carve" as if on the edges of a typical winter snow ski.
Additional information and products related to summer style skis include: http://www.nordicskater.com/alpina/#summer; http://www.oxygenfedsport.com/2011/11/in-us-fischer-rollerskis-would-compete-in-a-small-market; and Grasskiusa.com.
Despite these prior art examples, no summer style ski has yet found an appropriate design to engage users of winter skiers, as the summer style skis often fail in the feel of sliding and carving that is found on winter skis. The embodiments described herein provide for a summer style ski that simulates sliding and carving movements, utilizes weight distribution and edge engagement to controls speed, and provides a unique summer skiing experience that seeks to more closely mimic winter style skiing.


A method for generating plasma processing system component analysis software is provided. The method includes defining component specifications for a plurality of components. Each of the plurality of components implements at least one of a user-interface function, a logic operation function, an input function, and an output function for analyzing a plasma processing system component. Defining includes selecting the plurality of components from a component panel of a visual integrated design editor architecture (VIDEA), thereby causing the plurality of components to be disposed in a layout format in the VIDEA. Defining also includes specifying properties of each of the plurality of components by performing at least one of selecting from predefined properties and defining parameters for the properties. The method also includes saving the plurality of components after the defining in a mark-up language configured to be executable by a browser without requiring prior compiling.

Advances in plasma processing have provided for growth in the semiconductor industry. As plasma processing continues to evolve, the needs for customized software applications to collect and analyze the data collected by the plasma processing system have also increased. As discussed herein, customized software application refers to software application that may be created to meet specific needs of an individual, a group, a department, a company, etc.
Customized software applications may be create for various reasons. For example, a customized software application may be created to simplify the task of collecting and/or retrieving information from a plasma processing system. Customized software application may also be created to provide procedural guidelines, such as ATAC test plans. In another example, customized software application may also be created to automate repetitive tasks.
Regardless of the reason for needing customized software applications, the task of creating customized software applications may be a complicated and complex task that generally requires programming skills and knowledge that a non-programmer may not possess. In addition, the task of maintaining and updating the customized software application may also require programming skills and knowledge. Consequently, the task of creating, maintaining, and updating customized software application in a plasma processing environment may become an expensive and a time-consuming task.
A method for creating customized software application may include having a software programmer employs a text editor to write software code. Once the software code has been crafted, the software code may be complied before an executable file may be generated. This method may be a time-consuming process that may require a software programmer to write code for both the design of the application and the function of the application. In an example, a simple form to collect data about a student may require a software programmer to write the code to design the physical format of the form and then write code to control the functionality and behavior of the form.
Another method for generating customized software application in a plasma processing environment may be based on an integrated development environment (IDE). IDE or also known as design editor refers to software that may be employed to develop other software applications. IDE may include, but are not limited to, components for creating a graphical user interface (GUI), text code editor for creating and editing code, tools to aid in the construction of a graphical user interface (GUI), a debugger, and a complier. Examples of IDE include, but are not limited to Microsoft® Visual Studio, Borland® Delphi, and National Instrument™ LabVIEW. With IDE, the task of creating the program code for a software application may be simplified. In an example, instead of writing the code for the GUI and the functionality of a software application, an IDE may have components that a programmer may employ to simplify the task of creating the GUI. However, even with the IDE, the creator of the software application still has to have the skill and knowledge to write the code that defines the functionality of GUI.
To facilitate discussion, FIG. 1 shows a simple development cycle for developing customized software application in a plasma processing environment. At a first step 102, a need for a customized software application may be identified. Consider the situation wherein, for example, testers may need a software application for creating test plans. At a next step 104, a programmer may employ an IDE (e.g., Microsoft® Visual Studio, Borland® Delphi, and National Instrument™ LabVIEW) to begin the process of creating the software application.
At a next step 106, the programmer may design the GUI for the software application. In an example, to create the GUI for a form, the programmer may add components (such as text box, list box, checkbox, etc.) to the IDE to create the layout for the form.
At a next step 108, the programmer may write the code for the software application. The code may include, but are not limited to, defining load specifications, defining sequence for functionality, defining logic criteria, identify tables, and code for handling data entry.
At a next step 110, the programmer may compile the code to identify potential bugs and to create an executable file.
At a next step 112, the method may determine whether or not the code includes bugs. Since the code is written by a programmer, the code may be susceptible to human errors (e.g., bugs). In an example, if the programmer is creating a form for collecting data, the programmer may have to know the name of the tables and the table fields that may store the data collected by the form. While writing the table information into the code, the programmer may misspell the table fields resulting in a potential bug in the code.
If the code contains bugs, then at a next step 114, the method may provide a warning. By receiving this warning, the programmer may have to debug the code and implement a fix before returning to a next step 110 to compile the code again. Steps 110 through steps 114 may be iterative until all bugs have been identified.
If no additional bugs are identified, then at a next step 116, an executable file may be created.
At a next step 118, the customized software application may be distributed to end-users. In an example, once the programmer has completed creating the software application for the testers, the customized software application may be deployed.
The IDE method of creating customized software application may require skill and knowledge that a non-programmer may not possess. Further, changes to the customized software application may require code changes and may require the code to be re-complied. In an example, a programmer may not have understood the requirement of the end-user, thus, creating a software application that may require changes to be made to the software application. To implement changes, new code may have to be written and the code may have to be re-complied.

Plasma processing system component analysis software and methods and systems for creating the same


A bird feeder support system for suspending a bird feeder from a deck railing or like support, and of a sufficient length so as to be out of the reach of squirrels or like animals. The bird feeder support includes a U-shaped bracket for encompassing a deck railing, and upper and lower support members of which the lower member lockingly engages the U-shaped bracket at one end, and includes a hook at the end of the upper support member for engaging a bird feeder. The upper and lower support members can also be two or more components frictionally engaged with respect to each other. The lower support member can also include anti-squirrel structure, including alternating tubular members and alternating washers placed over the lower region of the lower support member so that the squirrel cannot have any footing areas or grasping areas.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to bird feeder supports, and more particularly, pertains to a bird feeder support with a clamp and a long curved member for locking engagement into the clamp at one end supporting the bird feeder at the other end.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Bird feeders in the past have generally been held by either a rope, string or wire from a tree, or placed on a pole. Neither one of these supports are particularly desirable because squirrels can climb up or down the supports, eat the bird feed and scare away the birds.
The present invention overcomes the disadvantages of the prior art by providing a bird feeder support which is aesthetically pleasing and animal deterrent.


The alarm watch includes a mechanical movement, which drives a time display mechanism including at least a first hour hand (17) and a first minute hand (13) mounted above a first dial. The alarm watch also includes an alarm mechanism able to release an alarm at a predetermined alarm time, manually determined every twenty-four hours, and a mechanism for displaying the predetermined alarm time. The alarm time display mechanism includes at least a second hour hand (33) provided for displaying the alarm time in twelve hours, and an indicator (52) with two positions provided for specifying whether the alarm time is situated between midnight and midday (AM) or situated between midday and midnight (PM).

Watches fitted with an alarm function and including an alarm time indication mechanism are known. Most of these timepieces include a striking work that is released every twelve hours and whose strike time is indicated by an additional hand. The alarm time may be set by moving the additional hand around the dial using the time-setting stem. One drawback of such timepieces is that it is not possible to set the alarm time more than twelve hours in advance.
GB Patent No. 1397982 discloses a timekeeper with an alarm that can be set twenty-four hours in advance. The dial of this timepiece includes an additional scale that divides the circumference of the dial into twenty-four hours. An alarm hand cooperates with this scale to indicate the selected alarm time. It is thus possible to select the striking time up to twenty-four hours in advance. This prior solution also has drawbacks. The division of the dial into twenty-four hours instead of twelve is unusual and can cause confusion. In such conditions, manipulation errors caused by incorrect reading of the alarm time are possible. Moreover, the fact of indicating the alarm time with a single hand associated with a dial including a large number of divisions means that the alarm time cannot be set with precision.
CH Patent No. 510906 discloses an alarm indicating and releasing device for a timepiece using a twelve-hour dial but that is only released every twenty-four hours. This feature is obtained owing to a cam moving intermittently every twelve hours to activate and deactivate the striking work once every two times. A coloured mark visible through the dial indicates whether the striking work will be released during the next twelve hours or the following twelve hours. The solution proposed by this prior document overcomes some of the aforementioned problems. However, the meaning of the coloured mark is not obvious to a new user. It is doubtful that someone would be able to understand the alarm time setting principle without using the instructions.
It is an object of the present invention to provide an alarm watch including an alarm time indication device that can be set up to twenty-four hours in advance and which is as easy to read as possible.
It is another object of the present invention to provide an alarm watch wherein the alarm time can be set with a high level of precision.

Alarm watch and mechanism for displaying the alarm time


A technique facilitates evaluation of a tool, such as a drill tool. The technique comprises collecting tool data via a sensor on a given tool during use of that tool in a given operation, e.g. drilling operation. Additional data related to the tool is accumulated from a plurality of sources external to the tool. For example, data may be collected from both downhole sources and surface sources. Upon completion of the operation, the tool data is transmitted to the surface for processing on a processor system in combination with the data cumulated from sources external to the tool. The processing may be performed in real time as the tool data is received from downhole to enable a comprehensive diagnosis of tool health prior to retrieval of the tool to the surface.

Drilling systems are employed for drilling wellbores into subterranean formations to retrieve hydrocarbon fluids, such as oil and natural gas. The drilling systems may comprise a drill string having a plurality of drill tools which may be used to carry out the drilling operation. For example, drill tools may be used to rotate a drill bit for drilling the wellbore. Drill tools also may be used for controlling the direction of drilling, for monitoring the drilling process, for supplying drilling fluid, and for a variety of other drilling related tasks. The drill string and drill tools may be used for successive drilling jobs, however difficulties arise in determining the health of a given drill tool, particularly while the given drill tool is downhole in a wellbore.

Tool health evaluation system and methodology


A method of forming a gate layer of a thin film transistor includes providing a substrate including a gate structure having a reentrant profile. A conformal conductive inorganic thin film is deposited over the gate structure. A polymeric resist is printed that wicks along the reentrant profile of the gate structure. The conformal conductive inorganic thin film is etched in areas not protected by the polymeric resist to form a patterned conductive gate layer located in the reentrant profile of the gate structure.

Modern-day electronics systems require multiple patterned layers of electrically or optically active materials, sometimes over a relatively large substrate. Electronics such as radio frequency identification (RFID) tags, photovoltaics, and optical and chemical sensors all require some level of patterning in their electronic circuitry. Flat panel displays, such as liquid crystal displays or electroluminescent displays rely upon accurately patterned sequential layers to form thin film components of the backplane. These electronic components include capacitors, transistors, and power buses. The usual combination of photolithographic patterning methods and selective etch processes has several shortcomings including high cost, difficulty with large substrates, and complexity of selective etch processes.
The feature size obtainable using traditional processing methods is limited by the resolution of the photolithography tools. Currently, the smallest feature size for large area display backplanes is around 0.5 microns, and requires expensive high end equipment. Feature sizes for large area substrates with less expensive equipment can be much larger. High speed circuit operation requires TFTs with high drive current, and many applications additionally require the drive current be obtained with low voltage operation. It is well known that TFT performance is improved by reducing the channel length. To move beyond the exposure limitation of feature size, vertical transistors of various architectures are currently being studied. In a vertical TFT architecture, the channel is formed perpendicular to the substrate, and therefore the channel length (L) can be controlled by the height of a layer in the transistor.
Recent work in the fabrication of VTFT, while yielding short channel length devices, has used otherwise standard photolithographic techniques with complex semiconductor processes. For example, since it is not currently possible to put patterns directly on walls which are vertical with respect to the substrate surface, vertical wall patterning has been accomplished using a suitable filler material to partially fill in a trench. The filler material acts as a mask for the portions of the wall located underneath while allowing for processing of the walls above the filler material. This has been used, for example, when an oxide is to be deposited exclusively on vertical walls below a filler material, the oxide is first deposited or produced over the entire surface of the relief. The relief or trench is initially completely filled with a suitable filler material. Then, the filler material is recessed back to a depth that just covers the desired oxide. After uncovered sections of the oxide are removed, the remaining filler material is removed.
Alternatively, when it is necessary that an oxide be deposited or produced only in upper regions of a vertical wall, an etching stop layer, for example, a nitride layer is first provided over the entire surface of the entire relief pattern. A different material, susceptible to directional etching, for example, polycrystalline silicon, is used to fill the relief, and is etched back as far as the desired coverage depth of the final vertical oxide. After the etching stop layer is removed from the unfilled sections of the walls, an oxide is deposited or generated using a thermal technique in the uncovered regions. Next, the oxide is anisotropically etched which removes the deposited oxide from horizontal. This is followed by removal of the filler material and, then, the removal of the etching stop layer.
In light of the complicated existing processes there is an ongoing need to provide semiconductor device architectures that include patterned vertical or inclined device surfaces. There is also an ongoing need to provide simple manufacturing techniques capable of processing small device features of semiconductor devices without requiring high resolution alignments and small gap printing for vertical TFTs. There is also an ongoing need to provide higher current semiconductor devices by improving the series resistance of the device.
To maintain good device performance when shrinking the size of the channel, it is typical to scale the layer thicknesses with the size of the device. For example, in convention production CMOS with channel lengths of 90 nm and lower often utilize dielectric layer thicknesses of less than 10 nm. While there are many processes to deposit dielectric materials, few result in high quality films at these thicknesses. Atomic layer deposition (ALD) is a process that is both conformal and known to result in high quality thin layers when used with optimized process conditions.
In ALD processes, typically two molecular precursors are introduced into the ALD reactor in separate stages. U.S. Patent Application Publication 2005/0084610 (Selitser) discloses an atmospheric pressure atomic layer chemical vapor deposition process that involve separate chambers for each stage of the process and a series of separated injectors are spaced around a rotating circular substrate holder track. A spatially dependent ALD process can be accomplished using one or more of the systems or methods described in more detail in WO 2008/082472 (Cok), U.S. Patent Application Publications 2008/0166880 (Levy), 2009/0130858 (Levy), 2009/0078204 (Kerr et al.), 2009/0051749 (Baker), 2009/0081366 (Kerr et al.), and U.S. Pat. No. 7,413,982 (Levy), U.S. Pat. No. 7,456,429 (Levy), and U.S. Pat. No. 7,789,961 (Nelson et al.), U.S. Pat. No. 7,572,686 (Levy et al.), all of which are hereby incorporated by reference in their entirety.
There remains a need for novel processes to simplify the manufacture of vertical TFTs. There also remains a need for processes which allow for control of the parasitic capacitance in vertical TFTs, and mitigate the potential for ungated regions.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.


The invention provides a method for producing a supply of a heated fluid, which method comprises passing the fluid through a heat exchanger unit where it is heated by a heat source; characterized in that the heat source derives heat from the exothermic reaction of two or more chemical reactants. The chemical reactants are preferably an acid and a base.

It is well known that many chemical reactions are exothermic, i.e. they produce heat, and examples of such reactions include acid-base reactions
The present invention makes use of a controlled exothermic reaction to produce heat which is then exchanged in a heat exchanger to provide a usable source of heat for heating a fluid such as the water in a domestic water supply
Accordingly, in a first aspect, the invention provides a method for producing a supply of a heated fluid, which method comprises passing the fluid through a heat exchanger unit where it is heated by a heat source; characterised in that the heat source derives heat from the exothermic reaction of two or more chemical reactants
The exothermic reaction may take place inside a reactor within the heat exchanger. Alternatively, the reactants may be mixed together in a vessel that is separate from the heat exchanger unit, and a stream of the mixed reactants and/or their reaction products may be passed through the heat exchanger to serve as the heat source
In one embodiment, the invention provides a method for producing a supply of a heated fluid, which method comprises passing the fluid through a heat exchanger unit, wherein the heat exchanger unit comprises:
(a) a heat exchanger element through which the fluid may flow;
(b) a reaction chamber having at least one inlet through which reactants may be introduced into the reaction chamber, and at least one outlet through which spent reactant may be removed from the reaction chamber;
(c) a first dosing unit for introducing a controlled amount of a first reactant through an inlet into the reaction chamber; and
(d) a second dosing unit for introducing a controlled amount of a second reactant through an inlet into the reaction chamber;
wherein the first and second reactants react exothermically and the heat thereby produced is exchanged with the fluid passing through the heat exchanger element, the introduction of the first and second reactants into the reaction chamber being controlled to produce a required level of heating.
The fluid can be a gas or a liquid.
In one embodiment, the fluid is a gas.
In another embodiment, the fluid is a liquid, one particular example of which is water.
The heat exchanger element is in thermal contact with the reaction chamber. In one embodiment, the heat exchanger element passes through the reaction chamber. For example, the heat exchanger element can take the form of a pipe passing through the reaction chamber.
It will be appreciated that the fluid does not come into contact with the reactants.
The reaction chamber has at least one inlet and at least one outlet. Each reactant may be provided with its own inlet. Alternatively, a pre-mixing chamber may be provided into which the first and second reactants are introduced prior to introducing them into the reaction chamber. It is preferred, however, that each reactant has its own inlet.
Dosing units are provided for introducing the first and second reactants into the reaction chamber in a controlled manner so as to produce a required level of heating. Each dosing unit can take the form of a container (e.g. a hopper or a tank) having an aperture that may be opened or closed to permit a reactant to move towards the reaction chamber. The or each reactant can be conveyed to the reaction chamber by means of a gravity feed. Alternatively or additionally, a pump or other conveying device (e.g. an auger or screw) may be used.
One or more sensors may be provided for measuring the temperature of the fluid when it exits the heat exchanger. The sensors are typically connected to a controller which may in turn be connected to the dosing units and/or a valve at each inlet into the reaction chamber. Sensors may also be provided for monitoring the rate of flow of reactants into the reaction chamber.
One or more reaction monitoring sensors may also be provided for monitoring the extent of reaction between the reactants. A reaction monitoring sensor (which may be for example a pH sensor) may be disposed in the vicinity of, or at, the or each outlet to determine whether or not the reaction between the reactants has been completed. The reaction monitoring sensor may be linked to the controller and/or directly to a valve or other closure device closing each outlet. The valve or other closure device may be actuated to an open position in response to a signal from the reaction monitoring sensor or the controller to allow spent reactant to exit the reaction chamber.
In each of the foregoing aspects and embodiments of the invention, the reactants (e.g. the first and second reactants) are preferably an acid and a base respectively.
The acid and base are preferably selected and/or formulated so as to provide an extended reaction time thereby giving a more prolonged release of heat.
Particular examples of acids are those having a pKa value of >0, more typically >2 and preferably >3, e.g. a pKa in the range 3 to 7. Where the acid is polybasic (e.g. citric acid), the foregoing limits refer to the first ionisation).
Particular acids are polybasic acids.
A preferred acid is citric acid.
Examples of bases are those having a pKb value of >0, more typically >2 and preferably >3, e.g. a pKb in the range 3 to 7.
Particular bases are basic amines and in particular mono-, di- and trialkylamines. The bases, particularly the more volatile amines such as ethylamine (boiling point 16.6° C.) may be provided in the form of an aqueous solution or a gel.
One group of preferred bases consists of mono-, di- and trialkylamines in which each alkyl group contains from 1 to 4 carbon atoms, more preferably 1 to 3 carbon atoms and most preferably 1 or 2 carbon atoms. Such bases include methylamine, dimethylamine, trimethylamine, ethylamine, diethylamine and triethylamine. Other bases that may be used include alkali metal hydroxides such as sodium hydroxide (caustic soda) and carbonates such as sodium carbonate
A particularly preferred base is ethylamine, for example in the form of a 50-70% aqueous solution or gel.
The acid and base and/or their physical form are selected so that when they are mixed (e.g. introduced into the reaction chamber), they provide a sustained release of heat rather than a rapid sudden increase in temperature followed by a similarly rapid fall in temperature. The sustained release of heat may be achieved by using relatively weak acids or bases that react relatively slowly. Alternatively, or additionally, the acid and/or the base may be formulated and/or presented in a physical form whereby reaction between them is slowed down. For example, depending on the natural physical state of the acid and the base, they may be introduced in the form of coated particles (e.g. coated powders or granules) or gels in which the coatings or gel components slow down the reaction between the acid and bases.
In one embodiment, the base may be in liquid or gel form and the acid may be in solid form. One such combination of acid and base is the combination of citric acid in solid form and aqueous ethylamine.
In another embodiment, the base is in solid form and the acid is in liquid form.
The reaction between the acid and the base may be carried out in the absence of water or in the presence of water. In one embodiment, no water is added to the reaction mixture.
In one preferred mode of operation, where a reaction chamber forms part of the heat exchanger, metered amounts of the first and second reactants are introduced into reaction chamber and the temperature of the fluid (e.g. water) emerging from the heat exchanger is monitored, further metered amounts of the first and/or second reactants being introduced once the temperature of the fluid falls below a predetermined FIGURE.
In a further aspect, the invention provides a heat exchanger unit for heating a fluid, the heat exchanger unit comprising:
(a) a heat exchanger element through which the fluid may flow;
(b) a reaction chamber having at least one inlet through which reactants may be introduced into the reaction chamber, and at least one outlet through which spent reactant may be removed from the reaction chamber;
(c) a first dosing unit for introducing a controlled amount of a first reactant through an inlet into the reaction chamber; and
(d) a second dosing unit for introducing a controlled amount of a second reactant through an inlet into the reaction chamber; and optionally
(e) one or more sensors for (i) monitoring a parameter indicative of the completeness of the reaction between the reactants; and/or (ii) the temperature of the fluid and/or (iii) the rate of flow of reactants into the reaction chamber; and
(f) a controller operatively linked to the one or more sensors for controlling flow of reactants into the chamber and flow of spent reactant out of the chamber.
The invention will now be illustrated in more detail (but not limited) by reference to the specific embodiment shown in the accompanying drawing.


A lamp (L) having tubular end contacts (L1) adapted for insertion into opposite lamp holders (P), each lamp holder (P) having a body (S) in an insulating material and a contact element (C) shaped to provide a seat for the lamp contact (L1). In one embodiment, the seat comprises a cylindrical central portion (C1) positioned between flexible opposite arched walls (C2) with two upper divergent flanges (C2a). The lamp end contacts (L1) are positioned between the flexible arched walls (C2) of the contacts (C), in order to receive the cylindrical parts (C1) of the seats of the contact elements (C) inside the end contacts (L1) of the lamp (L). By the rotation of the lamp (L) around the cylindrical parts (C1) of the contact elements (C), an unwanted removal of the lamp (L) from the lamp holders (P) is prevented.

1. Field of the Invention
This present invention relates to the field of wireless lamps with an electric contact at each end. More particularly, the present invention relates to lamps having a quick release from the lamp holder.
2. Description of Related Art
Wireless lamps having an electric contact at each end are known in the art. In particular, halogen wireless lamps are widely used due to both their high brilliancy and their small dimensions.
Halogen lamps with a contact at each end, from now on briefly referred to as lamps, have the electric contact at each end that includes a hollow metallic seat connected to an internal filament.
Lamp holders for said lamps, used coupled and opposite, are made of a support, realized in an insulating material, typically a ceramic material, and comprise a foil provided at one end with a semi-spherical relief fit for being positioned into the hollow seat of the lamp contact. Each foil is then connected with one of the electric feed poles.
The insertion of said lamps between the two lamp holders is simply performed by positioning a contact of the lamp on the contact of a lamp holder, pushing the lamp contact in such a way as to flex the foil enough and to exactly achieve an corresponding contact of the lamp on the other lamp holder.
The lamp is held in position simply by the pressure of the two foils of the two lamp holders, and by the corresponding semi-spherical relieves, on the hollow contacts of the lamp.
The lamps and relative lamp holders thus realized are simply to manufacture and, moreover, the application of such lamps on the lamp holders is quick and simple.
However, said lamps and relative lamp holders have also a number of drawbacks.
The lamps, in particular halogen lamps, produce a large amount of heat that is transmitted to the lamp holders and to the foils of the contacts. Because of the heat, and because of different lamp changeovers, the foils lose their elastic ability to bend, thus enlarging and holding the lamp only partially.
Further, if the lamp is not inserted properly into the lamp holder, because of the heat of the lamp itself or because of movements of the lamp, a hollow end contact of the lamp and a relieved contact of the foil of the lamp holder cannot be properly aligned, thus causing a consequent overheating and oxidation of the contacts and an electric arc between the two contacts.
Still further, if the foils cannot hold the lamps with enough strength, possible crashes, bumps or alike can cause the release of the lamp with the possibility of an explosion, burns on the user, or other damages.

Lamp holder for wireless lamps with quick socket and relative lamp


The present invention relates to an apparatus for detecting particles on a glass surface and a method thereof, and more specifically, to an apparatus for detecting particles on a glass surface and a method thereof for exactly inspecting particles which may be created on a glass surface where micro circuits are deposited. The apparatus for detecting the particles on the glass surface in accordance with the present invention comprises laser beam irradiators for detecting particles on a glass substrate on upper and lower sides of the glass substrate at certain intervals, respectively, and wherein the irradiators are configured so that beams emitted from the laser beam irradiators can be irradiated in a direction vertical to a transferring direction of the glass substrate, thereby exactly detecting particles detached to the glass surface without exception.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to an apparatus for detecting particles on a glass surface and a detecting method thereof, and more specifically, to an apparatus for detecting particles on a glass surface and a detecting method thereof for exactly inspecting particles on a surface where micro circuit patterns are deposited, regardless of flatness.
2. Description of the Related Art
When particles exist on a glass surface used for a flat display and micro circuit patterns are deposited on these particles, it causes deterioration of the micro circuit patterns. Thus, before the micro circuit patterns are deposited, it should check whether any particles exist on a provided glass substrate (particularly, a glass surface where circuits are deposited).
Since the inspection on the surface of the glass substrate is conducted by using a camera while the glass substrate is being transferred, exact inspection is essential even though flatness of the glass substrate, which is caused during the transferring, changes. Therefore, in a prior detecting apparatus, an automatic distance adjustment device was additionally used to irradiate very thin laser illumination by giving a large slope in the transferring direction of the glass substrate, and to compensate changes of flatness of the glass substrate. The prior detecting apparatus for particles, however, has some restrictions on deciding whether particles are attached to a glass surface (upper side) where circuits are deposited, or to a glass surface (lower side) where the circuits are not deposited. Furthermore, accuracy of inspection was influenced by the changes of the flatness of the glass substrate.

Apparatus for detecting particles on a glass surface and a method thereof

Samsung Corning Precision Materials Co., Ltd.


Automatic change propagation in an area-based open pit mine designer is disclosed. One example includes an economic shell receiver module to receive an economic shell. In addition a user input module receives a user parametric input denoting an open pit mine shape based on the economic shell. An open pit mine designer module automatically develops an open pit mine design from the user parametric input. The user input module receives an additional area to be incorporated into the open pit mine design. The open pit mine designer module automatically propagates the additional area into the open pit mine design to generate a modified open pit mine design.

Open pit mines are one of a plurality of types of mines that can be used to extract ore from the Earth. However, instead of using tunnels or other types of underground extraction processes, open pit mines remain open to the environment. They may also be known as surface mines.


A document reading apparatus includes a reading unit configured to read the document being conveyed at a reading position, a white member disposed opposite to the reading position, a reference value determination unit configured to determine a reference value from an output value of the reading unit obtained when the reading unit reads the white member, a detection unit configured to detect a shadow generated by a leading edge of the document from the reference value and an output value of the reading unit obtained before the leading edge of the document is conveyed, a streak pixel position determination unit configured to determine a streak pixel position from an output value of the reading unit corresponding to a position of the document which is determined based on a detection result by the detection unit, and a correction unit configured to perform a streak correction based on the streak pixel position.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a technique for performing a streak correction on image data of a document.
2. Description of the Related Art
Image reading apparatuses using an automatic document feeder are known. The image reading apparatuses using the automatic document feeder convey documents placed on a document tray one by one, and at the same time, read an image of the conveyed document at a reading position. These image reading apparatuses read an image at the unchanged reading position, and, therefore, are subject to generation of a streak in a read image when dust, such as paper dust, dirt, and motes, carried by the document conveyance is attached on the reading position.
An image reading apparatus discussed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2005-45462 acquires read data when a document does not pass through a reading position yet, read data of a leading edge portion and a trailing edge portion of the document, and read data of a main area (an area other than the leading edge portion and the trailing edge portion) of the document. Then, if all of the pieces of read data contain pixels having the same density at a certain pixel position along a conveyance direction of the document (hereinafter referred to as a sub-scanning direction), the image reading apparatus detects a pixel at the certain pixel position as a streak pixel based on dust attached on the reading position. Hereinafter, in the present disclosure, a streak pixel based on dust will be simply referred to as a streak pixel.
According to the apparatus discussed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2005-45462, dust hidden at the back side of the document does not appear as a streak in the read image when the leading edge portion and the trailing edge portion of the document pass through the reading position. Therefore, a matching result cannot be acquired from a comparison between the density when the document does not pass through the reading position, and the density when the document passes through the reading position. As a result, such dust is not detected as a streak pixel. On the other hand, dust unhidden at the back side of the document appears as a streak in the read image, whereby a matching result can be acquired from the comparison between the density when the document does not pass through the reading position, and the density when the document passes through the reading position. As a result, the dust is detected as a streak pixel.

Document reading apparatus and image processing method


Broadly speaking, a method and an apparatus is provided for processing access commands directed to a striped configuration of disks. More specifically, the method and apparatus determines a physical block address corresponding to a logical address in a redundant array of independent disks level 0 (RAID 0) system. Bit-level operations are incorporated to determine a disk in the RAID 0 system and a block number on the disk that corresponds to a particular logical address. Since the bit-level operations replace traditionally required division and modulo operations, the method and apparatus provides for more efficient processing of access commands directed to the RAID 0 system.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to digital data storage system operation. More specifically, the present invention relates to a method and an apparatus for processing an access command directed to a striped configuration of disks.
2. Description of the Related Art
The operating system (OS) of a computer controls the delivery of read and write commands to a storage medium (e.g., disk drive). In some cases, the OS views an abstraction of the storage medium rather than the physical storage medium. For example, the OS may view a logical drive representing a portion of the physical storage medium. In another example, the OS may view a logical drive representing a combination of different physical storage mediums. A redundant array of independent disks level 0 (RAID 0) represents a system in which a logical drive is defined in a striped configuration across a number of disk drives.
FIG. 1 is an illustration showing an example of how a logical drive is defined across a number of disks in a RAID 0 system, in accordance with the prior art. The example of FIG. 1 includes two disk drives, Disk 0 and Disk 1. The logical drive is defined in a striped configuration across Disk 0 and Disk 1. In the example of FIG. 1, the logical drive is represented by three stripes, Stripes 0-3. Each disk drive in the RAID 0 system contains one or more segments of the logical drive. However, due to the striping configuration, the logical drive segments contained on a single disk drive are not contiguous. For example, Disk 0 of FIG. 1 contains logical drive segments 1, 3, and 5. It should be appreciated that the logical drive segments contained on a single disk drive will become increasingly separated in RAID 0 systems implementing a larger number of disk drives. Therefore, in a RAID 0 system, determining a physical block address on a disk drive that corresponds to a particular logical address can be difficult.
A prior art method for determining a physical block address in a RAID 0 system corresponding to a particular logical address involves division, multiplication, and modulus operations. More specifically, the disk containing the logical address (D0) is calculated by the following formula:D0=(L/S)mod N where L is the logical address of interest, S is the number of blocks in a stripe, and N is the number of disks in the RAID 0 system. Additionally, the physical block address (L0) on the disk containing the logical address is calculated by the following formula:L0=((L/S)/N)*S+(L mod S).With respect to the above formulas for D0 and L0, the operator "/" refers to calculation of a quotient after dividing a numerator by a denominator. The operator "mod" refers to calculation of a remainder after dividing a numerator by a denominator. The operator "*" refers to multiplication of two operands.
The prior art method described above for determining the physical block address corresponding to the logical address in a RAID 0 system involves performing two division operations and two modulo operations. Thus, each time a logical address is to be associated with a physical block address (i.e., each time a read or a write operation is performed) two division operations and two modulo operations must be performed. Hence, the prior art method described above is computationally expensive. Furthermore, due to the division and modulo operations, the prior art method described above is difficult to implement as hardware.
In view of the foregoing, there is a need for a method and apparatus to process access commands directed to a RAID 0 system without requiring division and modulo operations to be performed.

Method and apparatus for accessing a striped configuration of disks


A method of providing connectivity to a microsized device, the method includes the steps of providing an ablative base material having at least a top surface; providing a die having a first and second surface and having bonding pads at least upon the first surface; placing the die with the at least first surface of the die contacting the at least first surface of the ablative base material; and ablating a channel in the ablative material proximate to the die.

Microsized devices include, for example, micro-accelerometers and micro-gyroscopes for detecting linear and angular accelerations as manufactured by Analog Devices, Inc., chemically sensitive field effect transistors, used to detect the presence of certain molecular vapors such as carbon monoxide or ethanol, pressure sensors for measurement of pressures in automotive systems or micro phonic sensors, such as those employed in cell phones to detect and reproduce audio sounds, and optical sensors for detecting the presence of objects by infra-red radiation. These and other microsized devices are well known to practitioners of micro systems technology (MST). Also well known in that art are the difficulties encountered in inexpensive packaging of such microsized devices, in part because their small sizes require accurate positioning of connections and also because the connections may be of many different types, for example electrical, mechanical, or fluidic (vapor). Because the objects are small, many interconnected devices may be incorporated for systems applications. Additionally, since the devices are small, connections must be made so as not to perturb their functionality, for example by mechanical stress, especially in the face of changes in external environment in which collections of devices are operated, such as temperature or humidity.
Previous means employed for the connection of microdevices have included the use of automated wire bonding apparatus, use of ball grid arrays technology, fabrication of special packages using materials having temperature matched expansion coefficients, and the use of packages encapsulating devices in inert or chemically controlled atmospheres. Although these techniques offer sophisticated solutions, their implementation is not without expense, as is well known, for example, in the case of the packaging of micromirror devices (MMD) as manufactured by Texas Instruments, Inc. More recently, lower cost solutions have become available for mounting and connecting arrays of microsized devices on polymer films, for example those using films on which are patterned conductive lines, which may be deposited by many techniques, including ink jet printing of fluids. Such fluids may be conductive as deposited or may become conductive upon subsequent processing, for example by thermal annealing. These films are typically flexible and therefore are less likely to perturb the functionality of the microsized devices by mechanical stress.
One means of depositing conductive lines, related to the present invention, is by depositing conductive fluids to fill channels made in polymer films, for example channels made by laser ablation of polymer films, hereinafter referred to as ablative films. As is well known in the art of MST, microsized devices may then be placed proximate to the conductive lines; and connections, typically electrical, may be made using a variety of techniques, including wire-bonding, flip chip bonding, electroplating, and deposition of conductive materials, including deposition of conductive fluids by inkjet means, typically to ensure the reliable connection of electric leads to the devices or "die."
Referring to FIG. 1a, there is shown a cross-section of a prior art ablative film 5. The ablative film 5 includes a substrate 10, typically a flexible polymer such as a polyamide or polycarbonate, and one or more energy-absorbing layers 20 which can be removed, all or in part, by exposure to intense radiation, or in other words, can be ablated, for example by radiation from a near IR laser. Ablative film compositions which can be removed by radiation from a near IR laser are disclosed, for example, by M. Zaki Ali, et al. in US Patent Publication 2005/0227182, which further contemplates using the ablative films, once ablated, as photolithographic masks for subsequent image wise ultraviolet exposure of flexography materials. The ablative films described in US 2005/0227182 may contain additional layers which serve purposes other than of a substrate or of energy absorbing layers, for example release layers used in lamination and surface energy control layers for repelling liquids, so that the ablative films, once ablated, may serve a variety of purposes. Many other material types of polymeric ablative films and laser ablation processes are well known in the art of laser ablation and laser processing for the manufacture of patterns and structures. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 7,115,514 by Richard Stoltz and assigned to Raydiance, Inc., describes a laser ablation process using short pulses at wavelengths shorter than the near IR are described for ablating a wide variety of materials including metals and inorganic materials and for altering their surfaces by ablation.
Referring to FIG. 1b, there is shown a cross-section of another prior art ablative film 5 of a more complex structure. The ablative film 5 includes a substrate 10, and multiple layers 30, some of which are energy absorbing layers. These layers can be removed, all or in part, by exposure to intense radiation. Other layers may provide desired colors or surface properties, such as hydrophobicity, or may comprise release layers to allow separation of the layers, and may be removed (ablated) when nearby underlying or overlying energy absorbing layers absorb radiation.
Referring to FIGS. 2a-2b, there is illustrated in cross-section and top-view, respectively, prior art formation of a channel 40 in an ablative film 5 of FIG. 1a. The ablative film 5 includes the two energy-absorbing layers 20 and the substrate 10 as described above. The base 50 of the channel 40 may be altered by the ablation process, for example its surface may be rendered hydrophilic.
Among the many known uses for ablative films, subsequent to patterning by ablation, are those relying on the geometry and surface properties of the ablated film to confine deposited fluids, such as fluids containing conductive materials such as metallic particulates. These fluids are typically deposited by well-known techniques such as ink-jetting or immersion in fluid baths followed by removal, for example by mechanical wiping blades, of excess fluid not in the ablative channels. Referring to FIG. 2c, there is illustrated in cross-section a prior art process for forming an electrically conductive material 60 in an ablated channel 40 in the ablative film 5. For example, the conductor 60 may be formed by jetting (preferably by inkjet printing means) a liquid containing a metallic precursor into the channel 40 and then annealing the liquid to form the conductor 60. The conductor 60, as commercialized, for example by Dimatix, Inc. and Cabot Corporation.
The deposition of conductors in channels formed in polymeric films has further been employed to connect together microsized devices electrically, for example by positioning microsized devices on the top surface of polymer films having conductors patterned in channels or on the film surface, the positioning means being one of mechanical placement or, alternatively self assembly, as practiced by Alien Technologies, Inc. The microsized devices are positioned in an approximate way near the conductors and then one or more conductive metal strips are deposited which extend from the microsized device(s) to the conductor(s) to establish electrical connections. Methods of self-aligned positioning include alignment by matching geometrical features built into both the microsized devices and the substrate or the use of chemical constituents deposited pattern wise on the substrate which attract matching chemical constituents applied to the microsized devices as referenced in Sharma, et al., US Patent Publication 2006/0134799 and Sharma, et al., US Patent Publication 2006/0057293. For example, optically emitting diodes arrays may be so formed for display applications.
Although such prior art techniques can provide useable arrays of interconnected devices, the process of placement of the microsized devices must be sufficiently accurate to allow for the cost effective provision of connections, for example connections made of conductive metal strips to establish electrical connections. Such accuracy is generally difficult to achieve for self-aligned processes and expensive to achieve by precision pick and place technologies. Moreover, the deposition of conductive strips is expensive; time consuming and problematic as to reliability if the connection is to be robust on flexible substrates. Additionally, such techniques are not generally applicable to connection types other than electrical, for example connections of the fluidic, magnetic, optical, or mechanical types or connections of mixed types.

Connecting microsized devices using ablative films


System, method, and apparatus of securing and managing Internet-connected devices and networks. A wireless communication router is installed at a customer venue, and provides Internet access to multiple Internet-connected devices via a wireless communication network that is served by the router. A monitoring and effecting unit of the router performs analysis of traffic that passes through the router; identifies which Internet-connected devices send or receive data; and selectively enforces traffic-related rules based on policies stored in the router. Optionally, the monitoring and effecting unit is pre-installed in the router in a disabled mode; and is later activated after the router was deployed at a customer venue. Optionally, the router notifies the Internet Service Provider the number and type of Internet-connected devices that are served by the router.

Millions of people all over the world utilize electronic devices on a daily basis. For example, people utilize laptop computers, desktop computers, smartphones, tablets, and other electronic devices, which may be able to connect to the Internet.
Such electronic devices are utilized for various purposes; for example, to send and receive electronic mail (Email), to engage in Instant Messaging (IM) or video conferences, to consume digital content or audio/video, to capture images and videos, to browse Internet websites, to perform online purchases, to play games, or the like.

System, method, and apparatus of securing and managing internet-connected devices and networks