This invention discloses a process by which a silicon bipolar transistor can be fabricated having a polysilicon emitter region and a polysilicon base region by a single polysilicon deposition step. After conventional fabrication of the substrate, collector and base layers, a first dielectric layer is deposited over the developing wafer structure. The first dielectric layer is then etched in order to define polysilicon emitter, base and collector regions. Next, a polysilicon layer is deposited over the first dielectric layer and the etched regions. A planarization layer is deposited over the polysilicon layer, and the planarization layer and the polysilicon layer are etched so that polysilicon only remains in the defined polysilicon emitter, base and collector regions. The polysilicon emitter, base and collector regions are then implanted with dopants to provide the appropriate interfaces. A second dielectric layer is deposited over the first dielectric layer and the polysilicon regions and is etched to open contacts to the polysilicon emitter, base and collector regions. A metallization layer is then deposited and etched to contact the polysilicon emitter, base and collector regions.

1. Technical Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to a method for fabricating silicon bipolar transistors having polysilicon contacted terminals and, more particularly, to a method for fabricating silicon bipolar transistors having a polysilicon emitter and a polysilicon contacted base which incorporates a single polysilicon deposition step.
2. Discussion of the Related Art
It is generally well understood in the art to incorporate polysilicon contact regions for one or all of the emitter, base and collector of a silicon bipolar transistor. Typically, it is more desirable for at least the emitter and base to have polysilicon contact regions. By utilizing these polysilicon contact regions, it is possible to develop silicon bipolar transistors of reduced dimensions having an acceptable parasitic capacitance, thus improving or maintaining the performance characteristics of the transistor. In particular, advances in the art have enabled production of silicon bipolar transistors having emitters which are very thin. By developing the emitter region of the transistor very thin, it is possible to provide an emitter which is almost entirely made up of polysilicon, therefore even further reducing the parasitic capacitance.
The prior art processes necessary to fabricate silicon bipolar transistors having polysilicon emitter regions and base contact regions for the most part have required complex deposition steps in addition to the complexity of fabricating silicon bipolar transistors without these regions. More specifically, the prior art methods generally require two or more polysilicon deposition steps due to the stringent requirements of emitter and base contact region thicknesses and the need to electrically separate the emitter contact region and the base contact region. Likewise, in advanced fabrication processes of complementary NPN and PNP silicon bipolar transistors on a common substrate, it has been necessary to provide a two or three step polysilicon deposition process to provide the polysilicon emitter and base regions for both of the devices.
The problems with fabricating bipolar transistors incorporating multiple polysilicon deposition steps are further highlighted in fabricating bipolar transistors with emitters having widths less than 0.5 microns. In the prior art devices, it was generally required that the polysilicon region of the emitter be insitu-doped in order to avoid narrow emitter effects in bipolar transistors having this type of emitter. This was a requirement due to the disparity in emitter width generated from a doping implantation step after the polysilicon had been deposited. Consequently, the requirement of insitu-doped polysilicon emitters maintained the need for separate polysilicon deposition steps for the emitter region and base contact region.
What is needed then is a bipolar transistor fabrication process which provides polysilicon emitter regions and base contact regions in which the polysilicon deposition process is simplified over the prior art bipolar transistor fabrication processes. It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide such a process.

Method for producing bipolar transistors having polysilicon contacted terminals


A device configured to administer a medication can comprise a lower housing that includes a housing latch. The device can further comprise a needle guard that is movable relative to the lower housing along a first direction from a first position to a second position so as to expose a needle, and an upper housing supported relative to the lower housing. The upper housing can be configured to move with respect to the lower housing along a second direction from a pre-use position to a dispensed position. The housing latch can releasably interfere with the upper housing when the upper housing is in the pre-use position so as to prevent the upper housing from moving toward the dispensed position, and the movement of the needle guard toward the second position, causes the interference to be removed, thereby allowing the upper housing to move toward the second position.

For many years, an accepted method for parenteral drug delivery has been through the use of syringe and needle. The syringe contains a quantity of a drug sold either in a pre-filled syringe or introduced into a syringe by drawing the drug into a syringe from a vial or other container. Syringes have been widely accepted due to their low manufacturing cost and simple, effective design. For the user, however, syringes and needles have a number of drawbacks.
One drawback is that many patients have a fear of needles. In instances in which self-medication is required, such as those requiring multiple, daily injections, patients may not administer their medication according to their prescribed regimen due to the fear of needles, the pain that is often associated with an injection, the dexterity that is required to properly administer a drug via needle and syringe or other, similar factors. For some, that have their vision, dexterity, or awareness impaired, self-administration via needle and syringe may present additional difficulties that can prevent them from receiving their required medication.
There also are safety and disposal concerns associated with needles and syringes not only for the patient, but for those around them that may result from contaminated needles, accidental punctures, cross-contamination, and the like, in addition to the social stigma associated with a needle and syringe drug-treatment regimen. Despite these drawbacks, however, many patients are encouraged to use needles and syringes to deliver their medication due to the ability to control insertion of the needle and the speed of the drug delivery when the plunger in the syringe is depressed and, therefore, control their perception of pain and discomfort associated with this type of drug injection.
Several advances have been made over the years to help facilitate self-administration of medication. Such advances include smaller needles with improved tip-geometry to reduce the pain. Safety syringes that encase the needle before, after, or before and after use have been used to minimize concerns over accidental punctures with needles. Improved ergonomics in syringe design, as well, have been promoted to reduce the dexterity required to accurately and safely self-administer medication via needle and syringe. Pre-filled disposable devices having a form-factor similar to that of a pen were developed to improve dosing accuracy, and auto-injectors have been used to hide the needle from the patient to reduce fears and safety concerns either by retracting the needle or placing a shield around the needle.
While such advances have improved needle and syringe based drug delivery, ergonomic designs, pens, and auto-injectors all retain a substantial similarity to the original needle and syringe concept, thus limiting their acceptance by patients who need to self-administer their medication. Current systems employ a form factor that suggests the common "grab and stab" injection technique, wherein the user grips the device in the palm and places the thumb over an activation button.
Current auto-injectors transfer control of drug delivery into the body to a mechanical system. Because such a system is highly dependent on the specific mechanical design of the auto-injector, patients may require specialized training to use the device and still risk inaccurate dosing. This situation is highly problematic when delivering very expensive drugs that might only be administered on a weekly or even more infrequent basis.
The typical method of use of current auto-injectors includes the patient holding the device against the skin for several seconds while the device is in the process of delivering medication. Many users, and the elderly in particular, may experience fatigue in their arm or hand causing them to exert uneven pressure of the device against the skin, or they may remove the device prematurely. Either situation can result in inaccurate dosing, wasted medication, increased discomfort, and the like. Under any of these circumstances, the current devices and methods that include, or evolved from, the traditional syringe and needle system have shortcomings that compromise the efficacy of a prescribed drug regimen.
Finally, as with any health-care related device or service, the cost of any frequently used component of a treatment regimen must be considered. While providing drugs in vials that are used to fill empty syringes at, or about, the time of a patient's medication may provide the least expensive solution, it adds an additional opportunity for waste or loss of an expensive drug. If that drug requires refrigeration, it may experience degradation each time it is removed and reinserted into the refrigeration device before and after filling the syringe, which can lead to less than expected drug efficacy if the vial contains a quantity of drug that is delivered over a long period of time. While pre-filled syringes offer an advantage in both reliability and convenience, such devices still have the inherent drawbacks previously recited.
With devices such as pre-filled auto-injectors, the device is most commonly manufactured for use with a wide variety of medications, but is tailored to no one medication. Because such devices rely on mechanical systems employing springs to control the injection rate of the drug, many drugs of different viscosity or that require refrigeration and change viscosity appreciably as a result of temperature change, may be delivered too quickly or too slowly for the predetermined spring-force of the auto-injector design. In many instances, too low a spring force may result in incomplete drug delivery, removal of the device before completion of the delivery, or excessive pain and discomfort to the user resulting from a prolonged period during which the injection device is inserted into the body. Too high a spring force, however, can result in drug delivery that is so rapid that it degrades the drug, may result in syringe breakage, or may cause injection force pain to the patient caused by rapid delivery of an acidic drug or by inducing a pressure gradient under the skin or in a vein.
Thus, there are many opportunities for advancement in the field of episodic, parenteral drug delivery that could overcome "needle-phobia", reduce pain to the patient, and increase the safety, reliability and efficacy of many drug treatment regimen.


A photobioreactor for cultivation and/or propagation of a photosynthetic organism and associated systems/methods are disclosed herewith. The photobioreactor includes (1) a substantially spherical vessel having a wall defining an interior vessel volume; (2) a water-submersible system for converting electrical energy into electromagnetic radiation; (3) a temperature management system for circulating heat dispersal fluid into and out of the water-submersible system; and (4) a photobioreactor control system comprising a processor and a controller.

Photobioreactors have been described for the use of cultivating alga and generally employ shallow lagoons or ponds that are agitated with one or more paddle wheels and use substantially or exclusively natural light sources, or substantially enclosed units using artificial light sources. Algal ponds are plagued with problems including poor production of algae due to seasonal and daily climatic changes and contamination. Given that such bioreactors are generally constructed to receive the sun's daylight light, productivity is limited by intensity of the sun which depends on the photoperiod and the season, among other factors. Artificial light bioreactors overcome some of these challenges but are further challenged by an inability to scale effectively. Therefore, it is advantageous to have an improved system and method that can cultivate and/or propagate photosynthetic organism more effectively and efficiently

Photosynthetic bioreactor for the conversion of electricity and fertilizer into biomass


A developing apparatus includes: a developing sleeve that carries a mono-component developer; and a developing blade that abuts on the sleeve to regulate a layer thickness of the developer on the sleeve, wherein surface roughness parameters of the sleeve satisfy: 3.0≦Rpk≦9.0; and 2≦Pc2≦10. At an abutment portion between the sleeve and the blade, surface roughness parameters of the blade satisfy: 0.030≦Sm≦0.170; and 0.10≦Rvk×(100−Mr2)/100≦1.30, where Sm is a mean spacing of profile irregularities [mm]; Rpk is an initial wear height [μm]; Rvk is an oil retaining depth [μm]; Mr2 is a profile bearing length ratio 2 [%]; and Pc2 denotes the number of profile peaks having a height larger than a count level from a center line per the evaluation length of 1 mm.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a developing apparatus that performs a development using a mono-component developer, and is preferably applicable to an image forming apparatus of a laser beam printer, a copying machine, and the like, that forms images using an electrophotographic system or an electrostatic recording system.
2. Description of the Related Art
An electrophotographic image forming apparatus of a copying machine, a laser beam printer, and the like, forms an electrostatic image (latent image) by irradiating an electrophotographic photosensitive member (photosensitive member) with a light corresponding to image data. A toner of a developer as a recording material is supplied to the electrostatic image from a developing apparatus, to develop a toner image. The toner image is transferred from the photosensitive member to a recording material such as a recording paper by a transfer device. The toner image is fixed on the recording material by a fixing device, thus forming a recorded image.
A variety of apparatuses are proposed regarding a developing apparatus using a dry mono-component developing process. There is one in the following as an example. That is, a magnetic mono-component developer (magnetic toner) is carried on a developing sleeve serving as a developer carrying member, and a uniform toner layer is formed by a layer thickness regulating member. The developing sleeve is caused to be in close proximity to or come into contact with a photosensitive member. Then, a developing bias voltage composed of alternating current and direct current components, for example, is applied to the developing sleeve. As a result, an electric potential is generated between the electrostatic image on the photosensitive member and the developing sleeve. Thereby, toner is moved to the electrostatic image to perform a development.
To further describe, such a developing apparatus has a cylindrical-shaped developing sleeve provided rotatably at an opening of a developing container that contains a magnetic toner. Within the developing sleeve, there is provided a magnetic field generating unit (magnet roller) having a plurality of securely arranged magnetic poles. The magnetic toner is adsorbed onto the developing sleeve by the magnetic field generated by the magnetic field generating unit, and thereby the toner is carried on the developing sleeve and conveyed. Also, in such a developing apparatus, a toner layer is formed on the developing sleeve by a developer regulating member that abuts on the developing sleeve. As the developer regulating member, a blade-shaped member formed generally by an elastic body, that is, a developing blade is used.
In recent years, an enhancement of resolution, definition of images has been demanded, thus conglobation and reductions in the diameter of the toner used for the developing apparatus has progressed. In particular, a conglobated toner has been widely used because it has a high electrostatic charge amount per weight Q [μC/g], which effectively contributes to an improvement of reproducibility of dot image or fine-line image, and to an improvement of transferring property.
However, when the conglobated toner is used, the following problems may arise in some cases.
That is, regarding a toner with high sphericity, there is a tendency that a toner conveyance amount M [g/m2] passing through the developing blade on the developing sleeve and conveyed to a developing region increases. In particular, the tendency appears during printing at a low coverage rate (output of images with low image ratio), or after idle rotation.
Then, there are cases where an excessive increase in a toner conveyance amount generates dispersion in the distribution of electrostatic charge amount of toner, induces an uneven to a toner coat on the developing sleeve, and causes an uneven image density to develop.
Also, an increase in the toner conveyance amount is likely to impart insufficiently an electrostatic charge to the toner between the developing sleeve and the developing blade. Thus, in some cases, conveyance of the insufficiently charged toner to a developing region causes, so called, a fogged image to occur in which the toner adheres to portions other than electrostatic latent images on the photosensitive member (non-image portions).
It was found that this tendency is peculiar, in particular, in a developing apparatus using a magnetic mono-component developer (magnetic toner). This is attributable largely to that, since the toner is carried by a magnetic force of a magnet within the developing sleeve, there is no action to brush off toner residue after developing by a feed roller like a developing apparatus using a non-magnetic mono-component developer (non-magnetic toner).
That is, this is probably because the toner residue after developing is not brushed off from the developing sleeve, but is coated on the developing sleeve together with a newly fed toner, and thus the toner coat becomes unstable.
As a unit to suppress the increase in a toner conveyance amount M [g/m2], as described above, conventionally, a control has been performed mainly by a combination of methods (α) to (γ) as below.
(α) To reduce a surface roughness [μm] of the developing sleeve;
(β) To increase an abutment pressure P [g/cm] of the developing blade to the developing sleeve;
(γ) To shorten a distance (hereinafter referred to as "NE length") [mm] from an abutment position between the developing blade and the developing sleeve to a free end of the developing blade.
That is, any of methods (α) to (γ) is a method for regulating a toner conveying force mechanically and there is a limit depending on a manufacturing dispersion or a mounting dispersion. Also, an increase in an abutment pressure P [g/cm] causes a mechanical stress to the toner to increase, accelerates deterioration of the toner, and thus leading to reduction in the image density. Also, when a surface roughness of the developing sleeve is set low, the durability drops, and thus it is disadvantageous for higher-speed/longevity of the image forming apparatus.
Also, a variety of toner layer forming technologies are proposed.
There is a proposal relating to a developer regulating member, in which fluctuations of toner conveyance amount are suppressed over a long period of use by specifying surface roughness Ra [μm] of a soft elastic body serving as a layer forming member and curvature radius of concave portion (Refer to Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 62-242975).
Also, there is another proposal, in which a uniform thin layer/an increase in electrostatic charge amount of magnetic mono-component developer (magnetic toner) are aimed at by specifying surface roughness Rz of a toner regulating member, and high-quality of images in initial use condition is aimed at (Refer to Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2004-117919).
Also, there is still another proposal, in which a uniform thin layer on an elastic developing roller and prevention of images from deteriorating after leaving them for a long period of time are aimed at by specifying surface roughnesses Ra, Rz, and Rmax of a developer regulating member (Refer to Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2004-12542).
As described above, a method for regulating roughness of surface of a developer regulating member with the aim to obtain a stable toner layer is an effective method. However, depending on surface shape of the developer regulating members, external additive agent liberated from the toner may become clogged into concave portions of the surface of the developer regulating member, and streak images may occur due to clogging.
As an external additive agent of toner, silica is named, for example. Also, particle diameter of the silica to be used for the external additive agent of toner is commonly in the order of 1 to 100 nm.
The above-mentioned streak image is more likely to occur particularly, since the external additive agent of toner is adapted to be easily liberated under a high-temperature high-humidity environment.
Also, the higher the rotational speed of a developer carrying member, namely, a developing sleeve, the more likely streak images tend to occur, since the external additive agent of toner is adapted to be easily liberated.
Also, the more the total number of rotations of a developing sleeve becomes, the more the amount of external additive agent that has been liberated from the toner becomes, thus the more likely streak images tend to occur.
Under such circumstances, there is a yet another proposal, in which, in order to prevent a developer from fixing to a developer regulating member, a resin coating layer is formed on the surface of the developer regulating member, and surface roughnesses Ra [μm] of the developer regulating member and a developer carrying member are specified (Refer to Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 6-186838).
As described above, it was found that it is difficult to satisfy both of stability of developer layer thickness and prevention of streak images resulting from the clogging of external additive agent of developer into concave portions on the surface of the developer regulating member, only by paying attention to Ra, Rz, and Rmax regarding the surface roughnesses of the developer regulating member and the developer carrying member.

Developing apparatus including developer carrying member and developer regulating member with surface roughness parameters


The present application is directed towards bit holders. The bit holders include a main shaft, a sleeve, a collet and a spring.

There are several deficiencies present in typical screw bits, two of which are keeping the screw engaged with the bit while setting the screw (avoiding cam out) and starting the screw into a surface (maintaining bit-screw alignment). In many situations it is difficult for a user to use both hands at the correct angle to avoid these deficiencies.
Prior devices have attempted to avoid these deficiencies by providing a hollow, cylindrical sleeve with a magnet to magnetically hold the screw and align the screw along the sleeve. These devices have several deficiencies, the first being that the screw is mostly hidden from view, making, precise positioning difficult and makes the determination of the depth of the screw difficult to ascertain. Further, as down force is applied to the screw, the screw typically shifts to one side of the sleeve and is driven at an undesired angle. These prior devices also do not alleviate the issue of cam out.
What is desired is a bit holder that avoids cam out and can maintain a screw in an aligned position.
Embodiments of the present application provide a system that addresses the above and other issues.


A multifunction electronic watch 10 having a large variety of added functions, and providing an electronic watch and drive method therefor that have a high value as a product and a configuration enabling separate use of an energy-saving mode and a function information operating mode, this electronic watch 10 having a reference signal generation means 1, a time information generation means 2, which generates time information TJ based on a reference signal S3R from the reference signal generation means 1, a function information generation means for generating function information FJ, a display drive means 4, which outputs drive signals DRT and DRF for the purpose of displaying the function information FJ and the time information TJ on an appropriate display means, and a display means 5, which displays the function information FJ and the time information TJ based on the drive signals DRT and DRF from the display drive means 4, this electronic watch having an energy-saving operating condition with a power consumption that is less than an normal operating condition, wherein the function operating condition of the function information generation means is given priority over the energy-saving operating condition.

The present invention relates to an electronic watch and to a method for driving an electronic watch, and more particularly to an electronic watch and drive method therefor, which can improve the value of using an electronic watch having added functions.
In a known electronic watch of the past, in order to as long a possible a life for a power supply means, formed by a battery or power supply means formed by an electrical generator means combined with a storage cell an energy-saving mode function was added so as to reduce the power consumption of the electronic watch, so long as a problem would not be created with regard to use of the electronic watch.
For example, as indicated in Japanese examined patent application publication H5-60075, in a known electronic watch using a solar cell as the main power supply, in the case in which sunlight does not strike the solar cell for a prescribed length of time, the electronic watch goes into the energy-saving mode, and when sunlight again strikes the solar cell, the energy-saving mode is canceled.
The energy-saving mode function of an electronic watch of the past places first priority on extending the usage life of the power supply as much as possible, and in the case in which there is a condition which is disadvantageous to the power supply, such as when the watch uses the solar cell as a power supply, if the surrounding area becomes dark, the energy-saving mode will be enabled, and drive of a display means, including display of time information is stopped.
In recent years, however, electronic watches having a plurality of built-in function display mechanisms, such as a chronograph display function, an alarm display function, a barometric pressure display function, a water depth display function, and a temperature display function have become practical, and it is possible simultaneously with the display of time or alternating with the display of time to display one or a plurality of such function information on a prescribed display means.
In these recent electronic watches, if the energy-saving mode used in the past is utilized, in the case in which in a situation disadvantageous to the power supply occurs, because it becomes impossible to display not only the time information, but also function information on the display means, in particular in an environment in which the function information is required, the function information display means cannot be used, thereby sacrificing the product value of a multifunction electronic watch.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to improve. on the above-noted drawbacks in the past technology, by providing, an electronic watch in a multifunction electronic watch capable of providing a large number of types of added function information, an electronic watch and drive method therefor providing an individually usable energy-saving mode and function information operation state mode.
In order to achieve the above-noted object, the present invention has the following technical constitution. Specifically, a first aspect of the present invention is a an electronic watch having a reference signal generation means, a time information generation means for generating time information based on a reference signal from the reference signal generation means, a function information generation means for generating function information, a display drive means, which outputs a drive signal for displaying function information and time information, and a display means for displaying function information and time information based on a drive signal from the display drive means, this electronic watch having an energy-saving operating condition-in which the power consumption is less than in a normal operating condition, and being configured so that a function operating condition of the function information generation means is given higher priority than the energy-saving operating condition.
A more specific example of the present invention is a second aspect of the present invention, this being an electronic watch having a reference signal generation means, a time information generation means for generating time information based on a reference signal from the reference signal generation means, a function information generation means for generating function information, a display drive means, which outputs a drive signal for displaying function information and time information, and a display means for displaying function information and time information based on a drive signal from the display drive means, this electronic watch having an energy-saving operating condition in which the power consumption is less than in a normal operating condition, and being configured so that when the function information generation means operates during the energy-saving operating condition, the energy-saving operating condition is cancelled.
Additionally, a third aspect of the present invention is a more specific example of the above-noted first aspect thereof, this being an electronic watch a reference signal generation means, a time information generation means for generating time information based on a reference signal from the reference signal generation means, a function information generation means for generating function information, a display drive means, which outputs a drive signal for displaying function information and time information, and a display means for displaying function information and time information based on a drive signal from the display drive means, this electronic watch having an energy-saving operating condition in which the power consumption is less than in a normal operating condition, and being configured so that if a condition for entering the energy-saving operating condition is satisfied while the function information generation means is in an operating condition, the watch does not enter the energy-saving operating condition.

Electronic watch and drive method therefor


A method for aligning the spectral responses of two comb-like optical filters is provided. This method does not necessitate the use of spectrally-resolved equipment, as it uses the optical power correlation profile of a broadband light signal representative of the combined spectral responses of the two filters. In one embodiment, the power correlation profile is compared to a pre-stored profile. A tuning method for tuning two filters using this alignment method is also provided. The two filters are first relaxed to an unstretched position, and the second filter is stretched and aligned with the first. The first filter is also stretched and aligned with the other. Both filters are then stretched at a calibrated value.

Optical filters are important components of optical devices dealing with multi-wavelength light signals. Such filters, such as Bragg gratings, Fabry-Perot etalons, etc, often present a comb-like spectral response, i.e. their reflectivity or transmission characteristics have a certain periodicity as a function of wavelength. Fiber Bragg Gratings are one type of such filters which are widely used in a lot of applications of photonics, and more particularly in optical telecommunications devices. In a lot of these applications the spectral response of two or more FBGs, either single or multi-channel, must be precisely known, that is, precisely aligned one with respect to another, and with absolute spectral position if possible. To obtain such an alignment and calibration, spectrally-resolved equipment is generally required, such optical spectrum analyzers (OSA) or other calibration apparatuses. Access to such equipment is however not always forthcoming and their use in the field is both costly and unpractical.
There is a need to devise a method to perform such an operation, simply and at low cost, without requiring optical spectrum analyzers or other calibration apparatuses.
A particular application where such a precise spectral alignment is needed is in the case of dispersion compensators, FBG-based tunable optical devices in which two chirped gratings are sometimes stretched with respect to one another to generate a combined specific optical response at given specific wavelengths (that can be continuous along the optical band). A non-restrictive example of such a dispersion compensator is shown in Applicant's own U.S. Pat. No. 6,937,793 (LELIÈVRE et al), which is incorporated herein by reference.
Given the high wavelength dependency of such a device, a precise calibration of the spectral response of both gratings is needed in order to precisely position them and get the expected spectral response and dispersion level. This calibration should be easy to obtain again at any point during the lifetime of the device, should the spectral positions of the grating drift over time or be lost after a malfunction of the system it is part of. This should be done without resorting to a spectral analysis, as wavelength-specific optical monitoring is not always available (nor wanted) in practice during this operation.
There is therefore a need for an absolute calibration of both gratings spectral position.

Methods for the alignment and calibration of the spectral responses of optical filters


Control of a heliostat field (1) in a solar energy plant is provided with a system (6) which controls the alignment of heliostat mirrors (2) in a controlled area of the heliostat field (1) with respect to a selected zone in a target plane (P). The control system (6) comprises a detection device (7) removed from the target plane (P) in the direction of propagation of radiation (R') directed by the heliostat mirrors towards the target plane (P). The detection device (7) has a detection surface (8) facing the radiation (R'). The control system further comprises first means (9) capable of projecting on the detection surface (8) concentrated solar radiation delivered to the selected zone from the controlled area of the heliostat field (1) to produce thereon an image of the controlled area, second means (12) associated with the detection device for measuring separately the light intensity of portions of the image and third means for adjusting each heliostat mirror (2) in the controlled area in response to such measurements.

In the following description and claims, the term "target plane" of a heliostat field means a plane in which the heliostat field forms an image of the sun, which is either the focal plane of the heliostat field or a plane conjugate therewith such as, for example, the focal plane of an optical system including the heliostat field and one or more additional reflectors which redirect the solar radiation concentrated by the heliostat field in direction of a solar receiver. In most cases, the target plane coincides with the radiation inlet of a solar receiver chamber. The term "alignment" used in relation to the heliostat field signifies the orientation of heliostat mirrors and/or individual facets thereof, if any, so as to focus reflected and concentrated light into the target plane and, in particular, onto the radiation inlet of the solar receiver chamber.
A conventional solar energy plant of the kind specified, such as disclosed, for example, by F. Ramos et al. in "Optimization of a Central Receiver Solar Electric Power Plant by the Aspoc Program", Proc. 4-th. intern symp. on research, development and applications of solar thermal technology, New-York, pp. 61-70, 1990, comprises a solar energy receiver placed within a chamber and a heliostat field in the form of a large Fresnel reflector having a target plane and consisting of a plurality of concentrating heliostat mirrors of a generally concave shape. Each heliostat mirror reflects the incoming solar radiation towards the target plane and there is thus formed thereby in the target plane a plurality of light spots, which together constitute a zone of concentrated solar radiation delivered by the heliostat field to the inlet of the receiver chamber. Each heliostat mirror is either a single body or is made of segments or facets having a specific mutual orientation which may be different for different heliostats of the field. During operation the angular position of each heliostat mirror at a given time is controlled by computer means whose program adjusts automatically to the position of the sun.
The efficiency of the solar energy plant, i.e. the conversion rate of solar energy into utilizable heat or electric power, depends on the amount of solar radiation collected by the heliostat field as well as on the solar energy concentration achieved at the inlet of the solar energy receiver chamber. The amount and concentration of radiation delivered to said inlet depend to a large extent on the accuracy of alignment of the heliostat field with the inlet of the solar receiver chamber. In other words, the higher the alignment accuracy of the heliostat mirrors and of the adjustment of their facets, the better the overlap of the individual light spots produced by different heliostat mirrors and by different facets thereof in the target plane and, consequently, the higher the amount and concentration of light delivered at the inlet of the solar receiver.
It is, therefore, clear that during operation of a solar plant of the kind specified, the orientation of the heliostat mirrors and the disposition of their facets have to be continuously controlled and adjusted in response to changing conditions, in order to maximize the amount and light delivered to the receiver chamber inlet.
It has been suggested to control the orientation of each heliostat mirror on the basis of detection of the direction of light reflected by the mirror, by means of a detector attached thereto. However, such a control system requires a high number of detectors each of which has to be properly aligned with respect to both the target plane and mirror. Furthermore, such a system cannot provide for correction of errors caused by misalignments of the facets, or dislocation of the target plane or of any of the detectors.
Conventionally, the initial alignment of the heliostat field and of individual heliostat mirrors thereof is based on measurements of the intensity of the light spots in the target plane. However, this procedure is inefficient because the overlapping light spots simultaneously produced by the heliostat mirrors and which together constitute a zone of concentrated solar radiation, cannot be identified individually and consequently the heliostat mirrors have to be aligned manually one after the other by qualified personnel. Obviously this procedure is very slow and has the further drawback that during the alignment procedure each of the manually handled heliostat mirrors is excluded from radiation delivery for the duration of the alignment procedure, whereby the amount of collected light is reduced. Moreover, where the heliostat mirrors are composed of facets, the intensity of the individual small light spots produced by each facet of a heliostat mirror that has to be aligned is only a fraction of the total intensity of the full spot produced by that mirror and can be discerned on the background thereof only with great difficulty, which complicates the adjustment of the individual facets of each mirror and gives rise to inaccuracies.

Control of a heliostat field in a solar energy plant

Yeda Research And Development Company Ltd.


An expandable mandrel for mounting a core for winding, in which inner elements are moved inwardly by a floating screw to cam outer elements outwardly to grip the core. The screw is not fixed in the axial direction. Each of the inner elements has a tapered surface slidably positioned in operative relationship with an opposed tapered surface on each of the outer elements. As the inner elements move inwardly the sliding contact of these tapered surfaces cam the outer elements into gripping contact with the inner surface of the core.

1. Field of the Invention
The field of art to which this invention pertains is mandrels or core gripping devices, and more particularly, it is directed to a radially expandable mandrel for mounting a core for winding a web of sheet material, such as paper or plastic film.
2. Description of the Related Art
Mandrels, which can be expanded radially to grip a core for winding a web of material, are known to the art.
Various mechanical and pneumatic means have been used to expand this type of mandrel into its core gripping position. A typical example is seen in U.S. Pat. No. 2,890,001 to Triquet which discloses an expanding core shaft for gripping the inside of a paper core. In such patent, the core shaft is assembled into a roll of paper with its expansion element or sleeve radially collapsed between a spaced cone and the conical end of an operating member so that the core shaft slides easily into the core of the roll. After the core shaft is properly located in the end of the roll, an operating shaft is rotated to drive the operating member axially outwardly along an inner tube. The relatively low pitch of the conical surfaces on the expansion sleeve and operating member respectively permit the operating member to slide in expanding relation into the inner end of the expansion sleeve while the relatively high pitch of the cone and its tapered surface resist axial movement of the expansion sleeve. As the inner end of the expansion sleeve expands and grips the inside of the core, further expansion of the inner end of the core sleeve is obstructed and continued outward motion of the operating member causes the expansion sleeve to move axially outwardly in expanding relation over the cone until both ends of the expansion sleeve are formally engaged within the inside of the roll core.
This expandable core shaft provides an effective means for gripping the core during winding. However, the gripping of the core does not occur in a uniform manner; the inner end of the sleeve expands and contacts the inner surface of the core before the outer end makes gripping contact. This uneven force, at the time of contact, could cause axial displacement of the core during mounting. Further, the mechanical means used to expand the shaft in this patent are fairly complex, when compared to the mandrel of the instant invention in which uniform contact of the expanding elements which grip the core is more easily obtained.
The instant invention solves this problem of lack of uniform contact with the core during the gripping operation by providing a mandrel with expandable outer spring-like elements which are cammed outwardly in a uniform manner into gripping contact with the inner surface of the core. These outer elements are restricted axially and their surfaces remain in a substantially horizontal plane during radial movement and during contact with the core. This controlled contact prevents axial displacement of the core which might be caused by uneven contact.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,492,346 shows an example of an expandable shaft in which camming action is used to move a plurality of core engagers into engagement with a core. A positive force is also provided to retract the core-engagers which may have become embedded in the surrounding core. Each of the engagers is an integral metal unit that includes a number of spaced core engaging lugs on its outer surface.
As compared to the teachings of this patent, the camming movement, of the outer elements, in the mandrel of this invention, is accomplished in a relatively uncomplex manner by moving spaced apart inner elements of the mandrel inwardly, toward each other, under the outer elements. These elements have matching tapered surfaces which provide the camming action. Again since only the inner elements are moved axially and since such elements never contact the core, core displacement caused by axial movement, due to contact during mounting, is prevented.
A unique means is also provided to simultaneously move the inner elements axially inwardly to thereby radially move the outer elements into uniform gripping contact with the core. This means is in the form of a floating acme screw, which will further be described in detail. Such screw additionally assures that uniform equal gripping forces are placed against the core surface by each of the outer elements, irrespective of diameter variations in the core. This feature plays a significant role in providing improved runout of the core surface.
By providing these and other advantages, the expandable mandrel of this invention gives to the art an improved means of mounting cores for winding, and in so doing provides improved properties in the wound roll.


Disclosed are novel conjugates that include fluorinated carbohydrate molecules and methods for synthesizing the conjugates. The fluorinated carbohydrate molecule may include a radioisotope. The method of synthesizing the conjugate is useful for labeling selected molecules, and the conjugates may be useful in diagnostic or therapeutic methods. Particularly, the conjugates may be useful in diagnostic or therapeutic kits.

Many diagnostic methods such as radioimmunodetection ("RAID"), positron-emission tomography ("PET"), and magnetic resonance imaging ("MRI"), and therapeutic methods, such as radioimmunotherapy ("RAIT"), require the use of small labeled molecules. 18F, (i.e., "F-18"), a positron emitter having a half-life of approximately 2 hours and an energy of 0.65 MeV, is a desirable radioisotope for labeling small molecules used in many of the aforementioned methods. However, normally it is a time consuming complicated process to elucidate a method of incorporating short-lived isotopes such as F-18 into small molecules useful for diagnostic or therapeutic use. Therefore, a method of easily incorporating F-18 into small molecules is desirable. An F-18 derivative of 2-Deoxy-D-Glucose, (e.g., F-18, 2-Fluoro-2-Deoxy-D-Glucose, wherein the fluorine atom on the C2 carbon is F-18) is widely produced and can be a useful molecule for labeling small molecules by producing F-18 carbohydrate conjugates or adducts.


A natural gas liquid plant includes a separator (103) that receives a cooled low pressure feed gas (4), wherein the separator (103) is coupled to an absorber (108) and a demethanizer (110). Refrigeration duty of the absorber (108) and demethanizer (110) are provided at least in part by expansion of a liquid portion of the cooled low pressure feed gas (4) and an expansion of a liquid absorber bottom product (19), wherein ethane recovery is at least 85 mol % and propane recovery is at least 99 mol %. Contemplated configurations are especially advantageous as upgrades to existing plants with low pressure feed gas where high ethane recovery is desirable.

As ethane recovery becomes increasingly economically attractive, various configurations have been developed to improve the recovery of ethane from natural gas liquids (NGL). Most commonly, numerous processes employ either cooling of feed gases via turbo expansion or a subcooled absorption process to enhance ethane and/or propane recovery.
For example, a typical configuration that employs turbo expansion cooling assisted by external propane and ethane refrigeration is shown in Prior Art FIG. 1. Here, the feed gas stream 1 is split into two streams (2 and 3) for chilling. Stream 3 is cooled by the demethanizer side reboiler system 111 to stream 24, while stream 2 is chilled by the cold residue gas from separator 106 and demethanizer 110 (via streams 13, 18, and 38). The two streams 2 and 3 are typically chilled to about −102° F., and about 15% of the feed gas volume is condensed. The liquid condensate volume is about 3800 GPM (at a typical feed gas flow rate of 2 BSCFD supplied at about 600 psig and 68° F. with a composition of typically 1% N2, 0.9% CO2, 92.35% C1, 4.25% C2, 0.95% C3, 0.20% iC4, 0.25% nC4 and 0.1% C5+), which is fed to the upper section of the demethanizer 110 via lines 8 and 9 and JT valve 104. The vapor stream 7 is expanded via expander 105 and the resulting two-phase mixture from line 12 is separated in separator 106. Over 80% of the feed gas is flashed off as stream 13 in separator 106. Separated liquid 14 is pumped by pump 107 via line 15 to the demethanizer operating typically at 400 psia. The demethanizer produces a residue gas 18 that is partially depleted of ethane and an NGL product 23 containing the ethane plus components. Side reboilers 111 are used for stripping the methane component from the NGL (via lines 25-30) while providing a source of cooling for the feed gas 3. The demethanizer overhead vapor stream 18 typically at −129° F. combines with the flash gas stream 13 from separator 106 and fed to the feed exchanger 101 for feed gas cooling (Additional cooling is provided via external ethane and propane refrigerants via lines 44 and 45).
Unfortunately, such a process is typically limited to 60% ethane recovery and 94% propane recovery. Further reduction in demethanizer pressure produces marginal improvement in recoveries, which is normally not justified due to the higher cost of the residue compression. Moreover, at such conditions, the demethanizer will operate close to the CO2 freezing temperature.
Another known configuration for ethane recovery is a gas subcooled process as shown in Prior Art FIG. 2, which typically employs two columns, an absorber and a demethanizer and a rectifier exchanger to improve the NGL recovery. In a typical design, the feed gas is cooled in feed exchanger 101 to −85° F. with refrigeration supplied by residue gas 38, side reboilers stream 25 and stream 27, propane refrigeration 44 and ethane refrigeration 45. About 5% of the feed gas is separated in separator 103, producing 1100 GPM liquid (with feed gas parameters similar or substantially identical as described above) which is further letdown in pressure and fed to lower section of absorber 108. Vapor stream 7 from the separator is split into two streams that are individually fed to the rectifier exchanger and the expander. About 66% of the total flow is expanded via expander 105 and fed to the middle section of absorber 108 and the remaining 34% is cooled in a rectifier exchanger 109 to −117° F. by the absorber overhead vapor. The exit liquid from exchanger 109 is letdown in pressure to 390 psia while being cooled to −137° F. and routed to the top of the absorber as reflux. The absorber generates a residue gas at −138° and a bottom intermediate product at −118° F. that is pumped by pump 112 and fed to the top of demethanizer 110. The demethanizer produces an overhead gas 22 that is routed to the bottom Of the absorber and an NGL product stream 23 containing the ethane plus components. Side reboilers are used for stripping the methane component from the NGL while providing a source of cooling for the feed gas. The absorber overhead vapor stream 18 typically at −138° F. is used for feed cooling in the rectifier exchanger 108 and feed exchanger 101.
However, such configurations are frequently limited to 72% ethane recovery and 94% propane recovery. Similar to the previous known configurations of Prior Art FIG. 1, further reduction in demethanizer pressure produces marginal benefit in recoveries, which is normally not justified due to the higher residue compression requirement.
Thus, although various configurations and methods for relatively high ethane recovery from natural gas liquids are known in the art, all or almost all of them suffer from one or more disadvantages. Therefore, there is still a need for improved configurations and methods for high ethane recovery, and especially where the feed gas has a relatively low pressure.


The present invention provides a psychosomatic state determination system 1 for the purpose of predicting or determining the psychosomatic state of a subject without imparting any awareness to the subject, comprising a data processing means 20 for calculating a psychosomatic state exponent such as Lyapunov exponent from the time series signal of a load value or a barycentric position of the subject, and an evaluation means 22 for comparing the temporal tendency of a psychosomatic state exponent calculated in said data processing means with the temporal tendency of a known psychosomatic state exponent corresponding to a psychosomatic state to thereby predict the psychosomatic state of the subject.

Hitherto, there has been provided a system for determining a doze state, for preventing accidents caused by the doze and the like of a driver of automobiles or railway cars, a pilot of an air-craft or an operator of a flight control machine, from the tilt of head or the number of blinking times of the driver(for example, see patent reference #1 and #2).
In addition, there has been provided a system for sounding an alarm or for activating an automatic brake, by regarding as a doze if the duration of no-operation exceeds a predetermined period of time or a sensor placed in a specific location on an operating console is not touched for a predetermined period of time.
Patent Reference #1
JP-A-11-161798 (pp. 2-3, paragraphs 7 to 12; pp. 5, paragraphs 36 to 37)
Patent Reference #2
JP-A-9-109723 (pp. 5, paragraph 50)
In the system disclosed in such references as mentioned above, because the tilt of head or the number of blinking times to be determined has a considerable variation among individuals, the determination of doze is often entrusted to a subjective decision, resulting in a difficulty in making an accurate determination, and it has been impossible to distinguish a state immediately prior to doze from a sufficiently wakeful state, leading to a problem that it was not possible to completely accommodate the prevention of accidents.
In addition, because sensors or cameras are needed to be put on to or in the vicinity of the driver's body, there are disadvantages that the device needs a significant effort to be put on and taken off, that the installed device is a hindrance for driving or piloting and that the device is a distraction.
The system for sounding an alarm or operating an automatic brake if no operation is done for a predetermined period of time may misread that the driver is dozing although he or she is not, when the duration of no-operation has been accidentally prolonged, requiring the subject has to drive while always paying attention to do some operation posing a problem that the system tends to induce an accident on the contrary.
The setting of the period of time for the detection of doze is after all performed often based on a subjective decision; therefore an accurate determination of psychosomatic state was unlikely to be achieved.

Psychosomatic state determination system

Electronic Navigation Research Institute, an Independent Administrative Institution


A device includes isolated hoppers defining independent passageways converging downwardly towards a central and unitary area. A conveyor belt assembly is disposed subjacent to the hoppers, traverses the passageways, and travels along a linear path passing through the unitary area. A mechanism is included for depositing a napkin onto the conveyor belt. The napkin depositing mechanism is connected to the conveyor belt assembly and is spaced adjacent to one end portion thereof. A mechanism is included for simultaneously folding the napkin and horizontally stacking the eating utensils such that the napkin becomes folded about the eating utensils before being ejected from the simultaneous folding mechanism. A receiving conveyor belt assembly is disposed beneath the simultaneous folding mechanism for transporting the combined napkin and eating utensils. A storage bin is laid adjacent to the receiving conveyor belt and houses the combined napkin and eating utensils for transit.

1. Technical Field
This invention relates to wrapping devices and, more particularly, to a device for wrapping a napkin about silverware and associated method.
2. Prior Art
Within a large segment of the food service industry, food service providers serve millions of customers reusing a small inventory of silverware, also referred to as eating utensils, which are washed after each use. Because individually handling eating utensils to set places at tables is time-consuming, a significant number of food service providers supply eating utensils in bundles which are prepared well in advance of use by manually wrapping the necessary utensils in napkins.
While this procedure permits more rapid dispensing of utensils when needed, and facilitates the rapid resetting of tables for use, such preparation remains labor intensive. For high volume restaurants and chains, the labor costs may be in the tens of thousands of dollars annually per restaurant. If deferred, such costs could be better spent on maintaining the restaurant facility or increasing the employees' pay, which in turn can increase employee morale.
There is a prior art example of an apparatus for automatically wrapping a napkin about silverware. This apparatus, however, is limited in that it does not automatically place a napkin in a condition for accepting silverware placed thereon nor does it automatically place the silverware upon the napkin. Instead, these steps must be manually performed before the wrapping operation is effected. It would be desirable to provide a napkin-wrapping apparatus which automatically places a napkin in position for accepting silverware placed thereon, as well as automatically wrapping the napkin around the silverware.
Accordingly, a need remains for a device for wrapping a napkin about silverware and its associated method in order to overcome the above-noted shortcomings. The present invention satisfies such a need by providing a utensil wrapping device that is easy and convenient to use, results in energy-, time- and cost-savings, is durable and practical in design, and improves sanitary conditions. Such a device serves as a viable and safer alternative to the traditional method of manually rolling eating utensils in a napkin. The device advantageously eliminates the need for employees to wrap the eating utensils, thus allowing them to tend to customers and other important tasks. In addition, the device keeps the eating utensils clean and sanitary, which reduces the spread of infectious diseases, as well as painful cuts to the hands from sharp knives.

Device for wrapping a napkin about silverware and associated method


The present invention is a system and method for routing cells in a wireless communications network, wherein the communications network includes a plurality of switching nodes and the cells are routed according to destination-rooted virtual path identifier (VPI) trees. The present invention includes a routing protocol for determining preestablished VPI trees rooted at each destination node. The routing protocol manages the routes of these trees, while ensuring that there are at least two VPI trees from each source to each destination for reliability reasons, and that each destination node has multiple VPI trees for load-balancing reasons. The routing protocol includes an off-line procedure for the determination of the initial VPI trees. In order to handle changes in network traffic and conditions, the routing protocol updates the routes of the VPI trees in a dynamic and distributed fashion. These update procedures are triggered by congestion, link/node failures and link/node additions.

ATM is emerging as a promising technology for multimedia applications in wired networks. However, much development remains before seamless interworking between wireless (mobile) hosts and wired ATM networks can be offered. One aspect of ATM that requires further development is the problem of routing in ATM-based mobile networks.
As would be understood by a person skilled in the art, ATM is a connection-oriented technology. This implies that there is a connection establishment phase prior to data exchange, and a connection release phase after data exchange. In mobile networks, as end points move, segments of connections need to be torn down and reestablished. Several different connection rerouting methods for hand-offs in mobile networks have been considered in the prior art. Most of these schemes require segment release and setup during hand-offs. Others schemes avoid segment release and setup during hand-offs but require extra segments of a connection tree (from a root switch to a set of base stations to which the mobile could potentially move) to be established during setup.
Connectionless networks completely avoid this problem of having to tear-down and setup segments or establish extra segments for hand-offs. Since routing in connectionless networks is based on end host addresses, a simple update of the current location of the end host is sufficient to handle mobility.
In response to observations regarding this suitability of connectionless networking to support mobility, a networking concept for an ATM-based mobile network ;vas developed by Bell Laboratories to emulate connectionless networks using ATM technology. See, for example, related U.S. patent applications, Ser. No. 08/412,400, entitled A PACKET BASED TELECOMMUNICATIONS NETWORK, filed Mar. 28, 1995, Ser. No. 08,490,980, entitled SIGNALING AND CONTROL ARCHITECTURE FOR AN AD-HOC ATM LAN filed Jun. 15, 1995 and Ser. No. 08/490,981, entitled METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR ROUTING ATM CELLS IN AN AD-HOC ATM LAN, filed Jun. 15, 1995.
Typically, in the commonly adopted connection-oriented usage of ATM, the VPI (Virtual Path Identifier) and VCI (Virtual Channel Identifier) fields in the cell header are interpreted as logical channels on ATM links. During connection setup prior to data exchange, translation table entries that map an incoming port/VPI/VCI to an outgoing port/VPI/VCI are created at each transit ATM switch. During data transfer, ATM cells are routed through each switch by matching the VPI/VCI fields of the cell headers with entries in these translation tables.
In the ATM-based mobile network referenced above, also referred to as the BAHAMA LAN, instead of using this common interpretation of the VPI field, VPIs are assigned as addresses of network nodes (switches). All cells with a given VPI are routed to the same destination switch. This is accomplished by preestablishing VPI sink (destination-rooted) trees. Individual connections within a VPI tree are distinguished using VCIs. This type of networking emulates "connectionless" data transfer in that packets are routed as per the destination address in the packet (cell) headers and no explicit segment setup/release is required before/after data exchange or during hand-offs.
FIG. 1 shows an exemplary connectionless ATM-based mobile LAN 10 of the type just described. The network 10 consists of two types of network elements: Portable Base Stations (PBSs) 12 and mobile end points 14. Each PBS 12 combines ATM switching functionality with wireless access interfaces (radio port functionality) providing microcell coverage. Mobile end points 14 are assumed to be portable laptops with wireless ATM capability. The PBSs 12 in FIG. 1 are represented by the numbered boxes and the mobile end points 14 are represented by the X, Y, and Z circles. Also shown in FIG. 1 is the VP/VC 16 usage in the exemplary LAN 10. For example, VPI 9a and VPI 9b are assigned to PBS 9. In other words, all cells with VPI 9a and VPI 9b are routed to the destination PBS 9. Associated with each VPI is a unique route through the network (from each source), thus forming a tree with the destination as the root. To distinguish cells from different connections, each PBS 12 controls the assignment of VCIs associated with VPIs that terminate at that PBS. For example, in FIG. 1, (VPI 9a; VCI 1) and (VPI 9b; VCI 2) denote X-to-Y connections for these mobile end points 14, and (VPI 9a; VCI 3) and (VPI 9b; VCI 4) denote Z-to-Y connections. A simple connection admission (not setup, since there is no hop-by-hop switch configuration prior to data exchange) procedure, consisting of an end-to-end handshake between the source PBS and the destination PBS, is executed to have the destination PBS select a VCI incoming on one of its assigned VPIs. A similar sink tree solution was proposed by R. Cohen, B. V. Patel, F. Schaffa and M.-Villebeek-LeMair, in "The Sink-Tree Paradigm: Connectionless Traffic Support on ATM LANs," Proc. of IEEE Infocom '94, Vol. 2, pp. 821-828, June 1994, for strictly connectionless data networking, however, the sink-tree solution above, however, has no per-connection admission procedure which limits the number of end hosts supported. It also has no mechanisms for supporting QoS guaranteed connections.
VPI trees in the exemplary connectionless ATM-based mobile LAN 10 are allowed to be partial, i.e., not all PBSs 12 in the network are located on every VPI tree. Multiple VPIs are assigned to each PBS to ensure that every PBS is on at least two of the VPI trees (for reliability reasons) assigned to a given destination PBS. Given that the VPI trees are preestablished (provisioned), there is need for a procedure to compute and update the routes of these VPIs with changing conditions in the LAN.
In order to better understand the meaning of provisioning VPI trees, let p.sub.im denote the m.sup.th port of the node i and (p.sub.inv p.sub.jm') represent the physical link between port P.sub.im on PBS i and port p.sub.jm' on PBS j in the direction from PBS i to PBS j. If VPI V is routed through the link (p.sub.inv p.sub.jm'), then a data table called the Transit VPIs data table T.sub.1 is needed in PBS i to map VPI V to port p.sub.im. Each PBS through which VPI V passes needs a corresponding entry for VPI V in its Transit VPIs data table T.sub.1. When an ATM cell arrives at a PBS, the VPI field in the cell header is matched with an entry in table T.sub.1 and the cell routed to the corresponding port. FIG. 2 shows the entries in the Transit VPIs data tables 20 at each PBS 12 through which VPI 9a passes. As can be seen each Transit VPI data table 20 includes a VPI entry 22 and a corresponding port entry 24.
Thus, to provision VPI trees, the routes of these VPI trees must be first computed, and then entries set in the Transit VPIs data table T.sub.1 at each node in the network. Given that the instant ATM mobile LAN supports mobile end points, VPI routes cannot be static and must be constantly updated to meet changing traffic and network conditions. Thus, a routing protocol should include both a computation of initial tree assignments, and a scheme to update these routes.
Besides the Transit VPIs data table T.sub.1, each PBS stores other data tables to support the control and management plane algorithms of the subject ATM mobile LAN. A list of exemplary tables is shown in Table 1. The Port/capacity data table T.sub.2 stores the identifier of the PBS connected to each of its ports. Also, for each port, it stores the link capacity and the current usage value. Since VPI trees are allowed to be partial, in that only a subset of PBSs may be located on a VPI tree terminating at a given PBS P, a third table T.sub.3, the Destination-VPIs table lists the identifiers of all the PBSs located on each of the VPI trees rooted at PBS Finally, given a destination PBS ID, a source PBS may be located on one or more VPI trees terminating at the destination PBS. The PBS-to-VPIs mapping table, T.sub.4, stores this information.
An extension to the above-stated problem (compute the routes of initial VPI trees and then update these routes as network and traffic conditions change) is to determine resource allocation for these VPI trees. In typical ATM networks, virtual path connections are provisioned between pairs of switches a priori and allocated bandwidth. Several algorithms have been proposed to perform effective a priori bandwidth allocation to these virtual path connections. The question of whether bandwidth (and other resources) can be allocated a priori in a "VPI trees-based network" is related to the control plane schemes used in the subject ATM mobile LAN. In "A Wireless Broadband Ad-Hoc ATM Local-Area Network," by K. Y. Eng, M. J. Karol, M. Veeraraghavan, E. Ayanoglu, C. B. Woodworth, P. Pancha, and R. A. Valenzuela, ACM/Baltzer Journal on Wireless Networks, vol. 1, no. 2, 1995, two control plane schemes were described for providing QoS guarantees during connection admission. The first scheme is to perform a hop-by-hop resource checking procedure along the route of the VPI tree before admitting the connection. This scheme requires no bandwidth preallocation. The second scheme is to preallocate a priori link (bandwidth) and node (buffer) resources to each PBS, for all the links and nodes in the network. During connection admission, the root PBS checks its allocations for each link and node on the route from the source PBS to itself to verify resource availability for the requested QoS measures. Based on which scheme is assumed in the control plane, the problem statement of maintaining VPI trees includes or excludes the a priori bandwidth allocation aspect. Let us assume that the present invention assumes the first control plane scheme, which requires no a priori bandwidth allocation. Thus, the problem to be solved by is simply to compute the routes of the initial VPI trees, program the data tables, and update these routes as needed. Existing routing protocols are not, however, practically applicable to the problems/requirements of the described connectionless ATM mobile LAN.
Routing in ATM networks that use the traditional interpretation of VPI/VCIs is handled in many different ways. In such networks, since a connection is established before data transfer, no per-node route determination is required for the ATM cells. Routing in the user plane becomes simply a matter of matching the VPI/VCI fields of the cell headers with entries in the port/VPI/VCI translation tables (that are set and cleared by control plane signaling procedures during connection setup and release) stored at each switch on the end-to-end route. However, a routing problem exists in the control plane. During connection setup, upon receiving signaling messages requesting a connection, each ATM switch needs to determine the route to reach the destination and thus select the appropriate outgoing port for the connection.
Two approaches to table-based routing that are applicable to ATM networks have been described by C. Baransel, W. Dobosiewicz and P. Gburzynski, "Routing in Multihop Packet Switching Networks: Gb/s Challenge," IEEE Network Magazine, pp. 38-61, 1995, optimal routing and shortest-path routing. The optimal table-based routing scheme uses a network manager to compute routes based on current loading conditions and predicted call arrival/departure patterns. This typically involves periodically solving a network-wide optimization problem for some objective function, such as blocked call rate, subject to a set of constraints. The computed routes are then downloaded to the switches. When a signaling request for a connection setup arrives at a switch, it simply consults its routing table (that was preloaded by the routing procedure) to determine the next switch in the route. In ATM networks, the ITU-T signaling standard for public ATM networks assumes that routing data is somehow available to switches. There is, however, no counterpart ITU-T standard to dynamically determine the route. For small networks, routing data can be entered manually, but for large networks, it is assumed that routing tables are computed by one or more centralized traffic management stations using this optimal routing scheme.
A second approach is the shortest-path table-based routing scheme which is used in the PNNI (Private Network Node/Network Interface) routing protocol defined by the ATM Forum in 94-0471R9, "Private-Network Node Interface Phase 1 Draft Specification". Here, periodic topology state packets are exchanged between ATM switches. When a signaling request for connection setup arrives at a switch, it uses the network topology and state information (updated by the PNNI routing protocol) to select a set of switches through which to route the connection using an on-the-fly path determination algorithm, such as Dijkstra's shortest path algorithm. Hierarchical ordering of ATM switches (for example, peer groups) is used to scale this procedure for large networks.
A combination of these two schemes is to have virtual path connections (VPCs) provisioned between every pair of ATM switches. Bandwidth allocation and routing of these VPCs are typically determined using centralized optimizations. Most on-demand connections are then routed on these direct links (VPCs). In addition, in case the direct link is fully loaded, dynamic routing schemes, such as Least Loaded Routing (LLR), "Routing in Communications Networks," M. Steenstrup, Editor, Prentice Hall 1995, Chapter 2, can be used to find alternate paths (routed through one via switch). This latter step can be viewed as a shortest-path computation.
None of the above three approaches (optimal, shortest-path, or combination) is practically adoptable in the connectionless ATM mobile LAN for the following reasons. First, the optimal table-based routing scheme and the combination scheme require a centralized management station, which is counter to important goals of "simplicity and low-cost" in the ATM mobile LAN. Next, the shortest-path table-based approach can be used, but would require a "three-phase" solution to the problem. In other words, to emulate connectionless networking, there should be no "connection setup" phase for hop-by-hop switch configurations prior to data exchange. This is counter to the shortest-path scheme which is based on determining the routes of connections during connection setup. Thus, to be able to use the PNNI routing scheme, a three-phase approach is required: first, topology state packets are exchanged periodically; second, based on this information, synchronous route computations are required to setup the VPI trees (configure fabrics with Transit VPIs data table ), third, connection admission is used to select a VCI and a VPI tree for the connection prior to data exchange. As would be understood, this three-phase solution may be avoided by using a distance-vector based algorithm, like RIP (Routing Information Protocol), "Routing in Communications Networks," M. Steenstrup, Editor, Prentice Hall 1995, Chapter 3, rather than a link-state algorithm for the routing protocol.
RIP is a commonly used routing protocol in connectionless (IP) networks. However, there are two reasons why RIP is not suitable for use in the connectionless ATM mobile LAN. First, unlike IP networks, ATM networks guarantee sequenced delivery. This implies that asynchronous updates of routing data in nodes cannot be permitted. Secondly, in IP networks, if a link fails, and an arriving IP packet needs to be routed on the failed link (as per the routing data), the node can always use other neighbors to forward this IP packet. In the subject ATM mobile LAN, this flexibility is not available, since ATM cell sequence needs to be maintained. In other words, in table T1 there is only one port corresponding to each VPI, with no alternative options. This, in turn, creates a need to provision at least two disjoint end-to-end paths between every pair of nodes, a constraint not met by RIP.
Given the constraints of maintaining sequenced delivery and requiring disjoint paths, it can be seen that none of the existing routing protocols described above is suitable for use in a type of connectionless ATM mobile LAN, similar to the BAHAMA LAN. Accordingly, there is need for a new routing protocol for this type of ATM-based wireless network which is capable of adapting to changing conditions therein.

Virtual trees routing protocol for an ATM-based mobile network


The present invention relates to a device for the reception and/or the transmission of electromagnetic signals comprising at least one means of reception and/or of transmission of electromagnetic signals, consisting of an antenna of the slot type and a feed line coupled electromagnetically with the slot of the antenna so as to connect the means of reception and/or of transmission of electromagnetic signals to means of utilization of the signals, the feed line being coupled electromagnetically with the slot at two points chosen such that the electromagnetic waves exhibit a circular polarization.

Specifically, in wireless domestic networks, it is well known to the person skilled in the art, that on account of multiple reflections suffered by the signal before reaching the receiver, the polarization of the wave emitted is not conserved. Therefore, the antennas do not need to exhibit high purity of polarization. However, the frequency bandwidth demanded may be large. Specifically, for wireless domestic networks at 5 GHz, two disjoint frequency bands have been allocated in Europe according to the BRAN/HIPERLAN2 standard and in the United States, according to the IEEE-802.11A standard. Therefore, to completely cover these frequency bands, the antenna has to operate over a bandwidth of at least 575 MHz for Europe and at least 675 MHz for the United States. Consequently, the frequency band must be respectively around 11% and around 12.3% of the operating frequency.
Furthermore, if one wishes to produce equipment at low cost and in large number using these antennas, additional margins are required in order to take account of the influence of the variations on the parameters of the substrate and of the manufacturing tolerances on the centre frequency of the antenna. Therefore, the relative bandwidths sought are of the order of 15 to 20%.
Moreover, in order to make low-cost and compact antennas, it is known to use antennas of the printed antenna type. However, printed antennas operate in a narrow frequency band. More particularly, the performance in terms of bandwidth, namely the frequency band for which the reflection coefficient S11 at the point of excitation of the antenna is less than −10 dB, are fixed mainly by the parameters of the substrate used such as the relative permittivity, the thickness or the like and the choice of radiating element, which may be a patch, a slot or the like.
However, among printed antennas, it is known that the antennas of the slot type make it possible to obtain simple antenna structures at low cost exhibiting relatively larger bandwidths than the other printed structures.
It is also known that the antennas of the slot type, more particularly antennas constituted by an annular or polygonal slot, can radiate according to a circular polarization. In this case, the circular polarization can be obtained in two ways:
1/ by excitation at two points of two waves with orthogonal linear polarization of like amplitude and exhibiting a phase shift of 90°, as described for example in patent WO94/19842 in the name of THOMSON multimedia;
2/ by excitation at one point, the generation of the circular polarization being obtained by the introduction of a perturbation such as a notch or a protuberance in a plane situated at 45° from the point of excitation.
An antenna of this type is represented in FIGS. 1a and 1b which relate respectively to a plan view from above and to a sectional view of an antenna of annular slot type, fed by microstrip line, furnished with notches to obtain a circular polarization.
More precisely, the antenna is formed by a substrate 1 on one face of which has been deposited a metallic layer 3 in which a radiating element of the annular slot type 2 has been made. This annular slot is fed via a feed line 3 made by metallic deposition on the other face of the substrate 1. This feed line feeds the radiating element 2 by electromagnetic coupling at the point A between the line 3 and the slot 2. The dimension of the line between the point A and the end of the line is around λm/4 where λm is the guided wavelength for the line.
As represented in FIG. 1a, the slot 2 exhibits two diametrically opposed notches 4 lying in a plane situated substantially at 45° from the point of excitation A. Thus, this perturbation makes it possible to separate, in the frequency domain, the two initially degenerate orthogonal modes.
If the two methods described above, making it possible to obtain circular polarization, are compared it is appreciated that, when the circular polarization is obtained by excitation at two points, one obtains better quality of circular polarization over a wider frequency band than when the circular polarization is generated by perturbations in the annular slot.
The method using excitation at two points makes it possible to obtain a good ellipticity ratio or ARBW (standing for Axial Ratio Bandwidth) with a widened adaptation band.


When a game is started, the game execution time is counted by a counter and a determination is made as to whether or not the execution time coincides with a timer value which is set before the game is started, so that the game is forcibly ended upon coincidence. When the game is forcibly ended, the game content before the ending is preserved. Thus, it is not necessary to do the game all over again, in order to restart the game.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a picture display unit, and more specifically, it relates to a picture display unit for displaying pictures on a display by executing picture display processing in accordance with a prescribed program.
2. Background of the Invention
With rapid development of electronic techniques in recent years, a number of electronic game devices, such as "Super Famicon" (trademark) and "Game Boy" (trademark) manufactured and sold by the assignee of the present application, Nintendo Co., Ltd., for example, are now on the market. Such a conventional electronic game device comprises a display such as a CRT display or a liquid display unit, in order to display game pictures which are formed through execution of a game program.
In the conventional electronic game device, control of the play time is entirely left to the player himself. In general, however, the player is too engrossed in the game to wind up in a proper time. In this case, the shoulders, the back, the fingers, the arms and the eyes of the player are disadvantageously fatigued.
Japanese Utility Model Laying-Open No. 3-25923 (1991) discloses an electronic game device which comprises a timer function, in order to prevent children from excess play. However, the electronic game device described in this gazette is so structured as to simply stop the operation after a lapse of a set time, and hence the player must do the game all over again, in order to replay the game. In this case, the player's enjoyment is dampened. Particularly when recent role playing game requiring a long time must be done over every replay, the game cannot be ended for a long time but the play time is disadvantageously cumulatively increased.
The aforementioned problem is not specific to the electronic game device but can also be caused in other picture display units such as a personal computer, an education device etc. which are operated by programs.

Picture display unit and image display system


A hologram recording apparatus includes a laser light source for emitting laser light, a light splitter for splitting the laser light emitted from the laser light source into a signal beam and a reference beam, a light modulator for modulating the signal beam split by the light splitter, a phase modulator for phase-modulating the reference beam split by the light splitter, an optical system for collecting the signal beam modulated by the light modulator and the reference beam phase-modulated by the phase modulator onto almost the same collecting position on a hologram recording medium, a collecting-position control mechanism for controlling the collecting position along a surface of the hologram recording medium, and a distance control mechanism for controlling the distance between the phase modulator and the hologram recording medium.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a hologram recording apparatus and a hologram recording method that perform recording by holography.
2. Description of the Related Art
Development of hologram recording apparatuses that record data by holography has advanced.
In hologram recording apparatuses, a modulated (data-superimposed) signal beam and an unmodulated reference beam are produced from laser light, and are applied onto the same point on a hologram recording medium. As a result, the signal beam and the reference beam interfere with each other on the hologram recording medium, and a diffraction grating (hologram) is formed at the point where the beams are applied; that is, data is recorded on the hologram recording medium.
By applying a reference beam onto a medium on which a hologram is recorded, diffracted light (reproduction light) is produced from the recorded diffraction grating. Since the reproduction light includes the same data superimposed on the signal beam during recording, it is received by a photoreceptor to reproduce recorded signals.
Multiple holograms are sometimes formed on a hologram recording medium in order to record much information. In this case, holograms can be formed not only at different positions on the hologram recording medium, but also on the same position (or in overlapping regions). This recording method is so-called multiplex recording. Various multiplex recording methods, such as angle multiplexing, wavelength multiplexing, and rotation multiplexing, have been proposed hitherto.
For example, in angle multiplexing, holograms are formed on the same position on a hologram recording medium while changing the incident angle of a reference beam. By using a reference beam similar to the reference beam used for recording during reproduction, reproduction light and data corresponding to a plurality of holograms formed on the same position can be obtained.
Hologram recording apparatuses have been developed which increase the recording capacity by utilizing phase correlation multiplexing as a kind of multiplexing method, as disclosed in Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 11-242424.


An improved user interface is provided for allowing the application of two properties or pieces of metadata to an object with a single user action. A two-dimensional radial menu (user interface) is provided. The radial menu is a generally pie-shaped user interface that is divided into two or more slices associated with two or more corresponding types of a first property that may be applied to a selected object. The menu is further divided to two or more circular sections so that each slice of the pie-shaped radial menu is further divided into two or more sections. Each circular section is associated with a type of a second property that may be applied to the object. By selection of a given section in a given slice of the radial menu, one type of the first property associated with the given slice and a one type of the second property associated with the given circular section of the slice are applied to the selected object with a single user action.

With the advent of the computer age, computer and software users have grown accustomed to user-friendly software applications that help them write, calculate, organize, prepare presentations, send and receive electronic mail, make music, and the like. For example, electronic word processing applications allow users to prepare a variety of useful documents. Spreadsheet applications allow users to enter, manipulate, and organize data. Electronic mail systems allow users to send, receive, respond to and store a variety of mail messages and related information. Electronic calendar systems allow users to store, organize and view meeting dates, appointments and tasks. Electronic task management applications allow users to store, organize and view a variety of tasks that a use must complete or that a user desires to complete according to various time schedules.
In many instances, users are required to apply multiple properties or pieces of metadata to an object such as a text entry, data entry, calendar item or electronic task item. For example, for a text entry, a user may desire to boldface the entry and change the font size of the entry. For another example, for an electronic task item in a task management system, a user may desire to both set a start date for a task item and assign one or more user-defined task categories to the task item. According to typical software applications, in order to apply more than one property or piece of metadata to an object, a user must select or enter the more than one property or piece of metadata separately with separate user actions. Moreover, often more than one property or piece of metadata applied to a given object must come from multiple sources, for example two different user interfaces.
Accordingly, there is a need for an improved user interface for allowing a user to apply more than one property or piece of metadata to an object with a single user action. It is with respect to these and other considerations that the present invention has been made.

Two-dimensional radial user interface for computer software applications