A liquid hydrocarbon fuel composition comprises at least one tagging agent and a mixture of hydrocarbon components having boiling points in the range of about 100 degrees F. to about 800 degrees F. The tagging agent is present at a concentration in the range of from about 0.5 ppb to about 500 ppb. The tagging agent is elutable by chromatographic analysis of the liquid hydrocarbon fuel composition apart from the hydrocarbon components of the fuel composition. The tagging agent is formed from an organic compound containing elements found at natural isotopic abundance. Preferably, two or more tagging agents are employed in the fuel so that each fuel composition can be assigned a unique tagging agent composition. Analysis techniques are also disclosed.

There is a long felt and unsolved need by the petroleum industry for economical techniques to serialize petroleum products such as liquid hydrocarbon fuels for internally auditing the transfer of such products to prevent and/or prove theft and/or counterfeiting.
There is also a long felt and unsolved need by the petroleum industry to be able to determine when a distributor has sold an inexpensive liquid hydrocarbon fuel as an expensive liquid hydrocarbon fuel or has used an inexpensive liquid hydrocarbon fuel to dilute an expensive fuel. For example, a low octane gasoline product may be used to dilute a high octane gasoline product, winter gasoline may be used to dilute summer gasoline, high altitude gasoline may be used to dilute low altitude gasoline, low oxygenate gasoline may be used to dilute high oxygenate gasoline, and high aromatics content gasoline may be used to dilute low aromatics content gasoline. On the diesel fuel side, No. 2 diesel may be used to dilute No. 1 diesel, railroad diesel may be used to dilute No. 2. diesel, high aromatics content diesel may be used to dilute low aromatics content diesel, and high sulfur diesel may be used to dilute low sulfur content diesel. Similar situations exist for kerosenes and jet fuels. Any of these occurrences can lead to unjustified liability for the refiner.
There is also a long felt and unsolved need by the government to be able to determine whether applicable taxes have been paid on hydrocarbon fuels, and whether tax exempt fuels are being sold as tax paid fuels or being used to dilute tax paid fuels. As an example, diesel fuel for road use is taxed at a higher rate than diesel fuel for off road use. There is also a long felt and unsolved need by the government for safe technique for "serializing" or "fingerprinting" petroleum products such as liquid hydrocarbon fuels so that responsibility for dumping, spilling or leakage of such fuels can be appropriately determined.
Efforts have been made in the past to tag the lower value products with various dyestuffs to enable the detection of their use to dilute a higher value product not containing the dyestuff. However, the number of suitable dyestuffs is limited and the dyestuffs are relatively expensive. Also, because the dyestuffs are visible, they can be counterfeited. Further, the technique of using the dyestuffs is not well suited for determining when a dyed product has been diluted with an undyed product. As an additional problem, when a pipeline is used to carry multiple products, the product which follows a dyed product can become contaminated with the dye. This can cause the product which follows to be rejected by the purchaser for failing to meet specifications.
The problem is exacerbated by the sheer number of liquid hydrocarbon products available which can be used to dilute another liquid hydrocarbon product. Gary et. al, "Petroleum Refining, Technology and Economics", 1975 LCCCN 75-18784, indicates on page 6 that the U.S. Petroleum Industry makes 19 motor gasoline products, 9 aviation gasoline products, 5 other gasoline products, 5 jet fuel products, 10 kerosine products, and 27 diesel fuel and light fuel oil products. With tighter emissions standards, the number is doubtless higher now.
A tagging system to enable the refiner to determine when its products have been used to dilute other products or sold in the place of such other products would be very desirable. A tagging system to enable governmental bodies determine when tax paid products have been diluted and the amount of such dilution or when untaxed or low taxed products are sold in the place of tax paid products would be very desirable. A tagging system to enable governmental bodies to determine when a fuel which meets environmentally mandated specifications has been diluted with product which does not meet such specifications would also be very desirable.


A semiconductor element heat dissipating member is provided which has excellent heat dissipation characteristics and adhesion characteristics and enables production of a semiconductor device at a low cost. A semiconductor device using the same, and a method of producing the same are also provided. The semiconductor element heat dissipating member has a conductive substrate and an electrically insulating amorphous carbon film containing hydrogen, and the electrically insulating amorphous carbon film is formed at least on a region of the conductive substrate on which region a semiconductor element is to be mounted.

There is a problem of the increase in heat generation caused by development of a high-power downsized semiconductor element with an electric power control. A conventional semiconductor device forms a module in which a semiconductor element is disposed on a substrate made of an electrical insulator so as to electrically isolate the semiconductor element, and in which the electrically insulating substrate is disposed on a heat sink (a heat dissipating plate) and a cooling plate.
AlN (described, for example in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open (JP-A) No.7-99268) or Al2O3 is widely used as a heat sink material which should provide electrical insulation and thermal conductivity.
An example of the structure of the semiconductor device using a ceramic substrate such as AlN disclosed, for example, in JP-A No.7-99268 is a structure in which: conductive layers such as Cu plates are brazed onto both sides of an electrically insulating substrate made of AlN, the Cu plate on one of the sides is plated with Ni; a semiconductor element is provided on the Ni-plated surface; and a dissipating plate is soldered onto the other Cu plate.
In another example, conductive layers made of Al are provided on both sides of an electrically insulating substrate made of AlN; a semiconductor element is provided on the Al conductive layer on one of the sides; a heat dissipating plate made of Cu—Mo or Al—SiC capable of reducing thermal stress is soldered onto the other Al conductive layer; and an Al cooling plate is attached onto the heat dissipating plate by grease.
However, since a conventional semiconductor device using ceramics such as AlN described above has a complicated and multi-layered structure, heat dissipating property is not satisfactory, and the producing cost is high.
It has been proposed (see JP-A Nos. 11-292692 and 2000-174166) to use a gas-phase synthesized diamond (insulating hard crystalline carbon film) substrate or a substrate obtained by coating AlN with a gas-phase synthesized diamond as a heat sink so as to improve the heat dissipating property of the heat sink.
When a diamond with a high thermal conductivity is used as the heat sink, the heat-dissipation property is improved; however, the following problems occur: (1) since the surface of the diamond grown by the gas-phase synthesis method has significant unevenness, the surface needs polishing and it is very difficult to secure a sufficient surface smoothness; (2) peel-off occurs easily, a surface activation treatment has to be conducted in advance in order to allow diamond to grow thereon (the surface activation treatment may be roughening of the surface of the electrically conductive substrate by diamond polishing), and it is impossible to grow diamond on the surfaces of some conductive substrates (for example, it is impossible to form diamond on Al or Cu); (3) productivity is low and producing cost is high because of a slow film-forming rate; and (4) diamond has poor compatibility with other material whereby it is not easy to make an electrode comprising diamond.
On the other hand, another example has been reported (see, JP-A No. 10-32213). In the example, the protective layer of the semiconductor element is an electrically insulating amorphous carbon film, which has inferior thermal conductivity than diamond but which is easier to produce than diamond. Further, JP-A No. 10-223625 discloses an example in which an electrically insulating amorphous carbon film is used as an electrically insulating film of a semiconductor device. Such a hard amorphous carbon film is a diamond-like carbon (DLC) film, which has been spotlighted as a low-friction sliding material superior in anti-adhesion property and friction resistance.
When the semiconductor element is a power device such as an IGBT element and the semiconductor element has an electrically insulating amorphous carbon film as a protective layer, the electrically insulating amorphous carbon film contributes heat dissipation in a horizontal direction of the semiconductor element; however, the contribution is low compared with the heat dissipation in the vertical direction of the semiconductor element, which is the heat dissipation through the heat sink disposed on the surface on the side opposite to the side having the protective layer for the semiconductor element, so that the heat dissipation property as a whole is not sufficient in some cases.
In addition to the problems described above, it is also important for a semiconductor device to maintain a stable heat dissipation property and a stable electrically insulating property even when the semiconductor device is exposed to extreme conditions. However, it has been reported that peeling-off of a film occurs in a heat spreader comprising multiple films including a diamond film and the like when a semiconductor device is exposed to a cold-hot cycle between −20° C. to 150° C. (see Solid-State Electronics, Vol. 42, No.12, p2199-2208 (1998)). When the peeling-off occurs, heat dissipation property and electrically insulating property deteriorate.
A DLC film can be made at relatively low cost and has a smooth surface because of the amorphous structure thereof. However, a DLC film generally has a hardness of Hv 4000 or higher and a Young's modulus of 600 GPa or higher because the DLC film is used as a sliding material and thus should be resistant to a heavy sliding load. Therefore, the DLC film has high internal stress, and is easy to be fractured due to peeling-off or impact load. In addition, since its defect area ratio is 10−3 or higher, voltage resistance is not sufficient; specifically, it has been difficult to obtain voltage resistance of 5V or higher. Although the voltage resistance can be improved by increasing the thickness of the film, minute fracturing occurs in the film or the film peels off owing to the high internal stress and the weak adhesion to the conductive substrate. Specifically, the maximum thickness is limited to about 5 μm.
As described above, in the conventional members (such as heat sinks) which dissipate the heat generated in semiconductor elements, and in the semiconductor device using the conventional members, it has been difficult to satisfy, at a high level, all of the requirements comprising the dissipation of the heat generated in the semiconductor elements, the adhesion to the semiconductor element, the easiness of forming a thick film, the reduction of producing cost of the heat dissipating member, and the reduction of producing cost of the semiconductor device using the heat dissipating member.

Semiconductor element heat dissipating member, semiconductor device using same, and method for manufacturing same


A door assembly and a door closer arranged and constructed so as to be wholly concealed within the associated door, yet is rendered readily accessible to effect the adjustment thereof to regulate or control the closing speed of the associated door. The door closer is capable of performing all of the functions expected of a door closer such as controlling the closing force, regulating the door closing speed and the arresting of the door in a predetermined opened position.

Door closers are commonly used on doors for effecting the closing of a door upon the release of the door on opening. Such door closers are externally connected between the door and the associated door frame. Generally, the door closers are connected to the door and associated frame about midway between the top and bottom of the door. Oftentimes, the closer is connected either adjacent the top or bottom of the door. However, wherever such door closers are externally connected between the door and the associated door frame, their presence is always quite visible and unsightly. It has also been noted that with such door closers, it often happens that one's clothing may also become entangled with the door closer. While efforts have been made to obviate the problems encountered with the conventional externally and visibly connected door closers, such known efforts entailed excessive costs and installation difficulties. Even with the currently known door closers of the so-called concealed type, a considerable portion of the operating mechanism remains readily noticeable and unsightly.
Efforts to conceal door closers included locating the closer in the floor or ceiling adjacent the door, or in the framing around the door. However, with such known floor, ceiling or frame located closers, the actuating levers or connecting mechanism associated with the floor or ceiling mounted piston and cylinder assembly of the door closer would still be visible and unsightly. Further, such floor, ceiling or door frame attempts to hide the closer assembly presented substantial installation difficulties, as is readily evident, and which installation difficulties become greatly aggravated for the after marketed installations of such closers.

Door assembly with concealed door closer


A disk drive apparatus and a method for executing an error recovery process for an error caused by thermal asperity is set forth by positioning a disk read/write head in the vicinity of a thermal asperity and then by vibrating the head so that the head hits the foreign matter or protrusion on the surface of the disk causing the thermal asperity. Vibrations in the longitudinal direction are generated in a head by supplying a vibration signal to VCM. The vibration signal is superimposed on a head driving signal. During the vibration process, the head is positioned on a track shifted from a thermal asperity causing track by several tracks in order to hit the thermal asperity by an edge of a head.

In a magnetic disk drive apparatus, a magnetoresistive (MR) head is positioned on a target track of a hard disk and data is magnetically read from or written onto the disk by a magnetic head. The data is embedded in the magnetic domains on the disk. The output resistance of a MR head changes as a magnetic field of the domains change. By applying a predetermined current to an MR element, the resistance change is converted to a DC voltage signal to execute data read.
The MR head is kept a slight space above the disk during the read or write operation. A thermal asperity is a protrusion on a disk which interrupts data read or write. When the thermal asperity contacts the MR head component, the strip temperature of the MR head may locally rise to 100.degree. C. or higher. The term thermal asperity thus refers to the protrusion itself and/or the phenomena of the rise in temperature. The temperature increase is caused by a mechanical collision between a head portion including an MR stripe and the protrusion on the surface of a disk. The resistance change rate of an MR head resulting from a change of a magnetic field at the time of normal read is less than one percent of an original resistance of the MR stripe. A signal change resulting from a temperature rise because of a thermal asperity greatly exceeds a resistance change due to normal read and as a consequence, normal data read is interrupted.
There are some conventional methods for protecting read data from a thermal asperity. For example, when the signal changes suddenly, probably because of a thermal asperity, the read signal is properly changed by some signal compensation method such as an error correction code (ECC). Such conventional methods, however, have some disadvantages. The thermal asperity often causes a large burst error, and the number of bits which are correctable by ECC is limited, so most errors caused by a thermal asperity cannot be corrected by ECC. Thus, errors caused by a thermal asperity have been regarded as nonrecoverable hard errors. Conventional measures, therefore, cannot be a method for completely solving the problem caused by a thermal asperity.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a disk drive apparatus and a method capable of recovering an error resulting from a thermal asperity. This invention removes a thermal asperity, then resolves the disadvantages of the above conventional thermal-asperity prevention measures.

Error recovery method and disk drive apparatus to superimpose a vibration signal with one-half frequency onto a driving signal to a magnetoresistive head

International Business Machines Corporation


A spectrometer system includes a thermal light source for illuminating a sample, where the thermal light source includes a filament that emits light when heated. The system additionally includes a spectrograph for measuring a light spectrum from the sample and an electrical circuit for supplying electrical current to the filament to heat the filament and for controlling a resistance of the filament. The electrical circuit includes a power supply that supplies current to the filament, first electrical components that sense a current through the filament, second electrical components that sense a voltage drop across the filament, third electrical components that compare a ratio of the sensed voltage drop and the sensed current with a predetermined value, and fourth electrical components that control the current through the filament or the voltage drop across the filament to cause the ratio to equal substantially the predetermined value.

Optical spectroscopy can be used to determine the concentration of chemical species in gaseous, liquid, and solid solutions. The amount of light absorbed by a particular chemical species is often linearly related to its concentration through Beer's Law, A=∈lc, where A is termed absorbance, ∈ is a constant specific to the chemical, 1 is the path length of light, and c is the concentration. A=log(I0/I), where I0 is the intensity of incident light, and I is the intensity of light after it has passed through a solution containing the chemical to be measured.
For nontransparent materials, including complex materials such as powders, tablets, natural materials (soil, agricultural products), blood, skin, and muscle, optical information can be collected via diffuse reflectance spectroscopy. In this setting, A=(I100/IR), where I100 is the light reflected from a 100% diffuse reflectance standard, the equivalent of the incident light, and IR is light reflected from the material under study. The concentration of a chemical component in one of these complex materials is related to A, though often not linearly. More sophisticated mathematical techniques, such as, for example, partial least squares regression and other multivariate calibration methods are used to determine a relationship between concentration and absorbance. Once these calibration models are derived, they can be used to determine chemical composition by measuring absorbance in the transmittance or reflectance mode.
In the laboratory, it is relatively straightforward to measure the absorbance A. One method uses a temperature controlled dual beam spectrograph. The sample solution is placed in one chamber, and the amount of light transmitted through the sample is measured. The solvent alone is placed in the second chamber where the incident light is measured. The ratio is determined electronically and the absorbance reported.
Laboratory spectrographs are generally large, expensive, and not portable. Recently, smaller spectrographs have been introduced that allow absorbance measurements to be performed in the "field," meaning that the spectrometer equipment can be brought to the sample, rather than requiring that the sample be brought to the lab.
Spectroscopic measurements are now commonly made of agricultural products, in the ocean and in forests, on manufacturing production lines, and on the human body. Most of these measurements are made in the reflectance mode in which a fiber optic based sensor directs light to the sample and measures light reflected back from the sample. Field measurements are often made in an ongoing, continuous manner, to observe temporal changes of a quantity measured spectrographically. Sometimes these measurements are made in a "hostile" environment, where it is difficult to make electrical measurements because these sensors experience interference (e.g., in an MRI machine) or degradation (e.g., due to a smoke stack or waste water).
Usually these measurements are made by first collecting light from the 100% reflectance standard, storing that number, then attaching the sensor to the sample and collecting a series of spectra. The initial reference measurement of the 100% reflectance standard is used to calibrate absorbance from all subsequent sample spectra. This process, unfortunately, can introduce significant error, especially when the target absorbance changes are small and present in a complex, interfering chemical mixture, such as those studied in the field. Over time there can be changes in the lamp output and the detector sensitivity, which alter the intensity and spectral temperature of light impinging on the sample. If these changes are not detected and corrected in real time in the absorbance calculation, the measured value of A will be erroneous, and an accurate concentration of the measured quantity cannot be made.

Spectrometer system for optical reflectance measurements


A solid-state imaging device includes a pixel array, control lines TG each provided for a corresponding one of rows of pixels and configured to control, e.g., operation of a transfer transistor, and a driver circuit 103 configured to control the operation of the transfer transistor through the control lines TG and connected to a power-supply line TGL. The solid-state imaging device performs all reset operation for resetting signal charges of all pixels by the driver circuit 103 and reading operation for reading a pixel signal from each row of the pixels. An impedance controller 130 configured to control an impedance value for power-supply line TGL in the reading operation to be less than an impedance value for power-supply line TGL in the all reset operation is provided.

The technique disclosed herein relates to a solid-state imaging device and an imaging apparatus.
In recent years, digital cameras etc. including built-in solid-state imaging devices have been widely used.
FIG. 16 is a diagram illustrating a configuration of a conventional solid-state imaging device. Referring to FIG. 16, a conventional solid-state imaging device 10 includes a pixel array 11, a row selector circuit (Vdec) 12, a column reader circuit (AFE) 13, a shutter mode adaptor 14, and a shutter mode switcher 15. Control lines (LRST, LTRG, LSEL) configured to drive pixel parts are connected between the row selector circuit 12 and the pixel array 11.
The pixel array 11 is formed of pixels arranged in rows and columns. In each of the pixels, a photodiode (PD) configured to perform photoelectric conversion, a floating diffusion (FD) configured to store a charge, a transfer transistor, a reset transistor, an amplifier transistor, etc. are provided.
The column reader circuit 13 receives, through signal output lines LSGN, data from each row of the pixels controlled to a readable state by the row selector circuit 12, and transfers such data to a signal processing circuit provided at a subsequent stage. The column reader circuit 13 includes, e.g., a correlated double sampling (CDS) circuit and an analog-to-digital converter (ADC).
A shutter mode switching signal SHRMODE output from the shutter mode switcher 15 is input to the row selector circuit 12. A resistor RVDD is provided between the row selector circuit 12 and a power supply VDD, and another resistor RVDD is provided between the row selector circuit 12 and ground VSS.
A rolling shutter method broadly employed for obtaining a moving picture and a global shutter method broadly employed for obtaining a still image have been known as exposure methods in solid-state imaging devices.
In the rolling shutter method, reset, exposure, and reading for pixels arranged in the same row are simultaneously performed. Exposure timing is different among the rows, resulting in occurrence of image distortion.
On the other hand, in the global shutter method, reset and exposure of all pixels are simultaneously performed. Thus, no image distortion occurs between adjacent ones of rows.
In the global shutter method, it is necessary to simultaneously perform exposure of all pixels. In, e.g., the case where the global shutter method is realized in combination with a liquid crystal shutter or a mechanical shutter, PDs of all pixels are reset with the shutter being opened. Such operation is called "all reset operation."
After the lapse of a predetermined exposure time, the shutter is closed such that the PDs of the pixels are not exposed to light. In this way, exposure of all pixels is simultaneously performed.
Since the PDs of all pixels are simultaneously reset in the global shutter method, all reset signals RST are simultaneously switched. Reading in the global shutter method is similar to that of the rolling shutter method.
However, if the global shutter method is employed, it is necessary to simultaneously switch the potentials of all reset signals RST and transfer signals TRG (control signals for transfer transistors) (i.e., to perform the all reset operation). For such a reason, an excessive instantaneous current flows in the case of the global shutter method, and therefore there is a disadvantage that countermeasures against noise of a power supply is required. Moreover, if power supply capability is not sufficient, a latch-up is caused by an instantaneous change in voltage due to the instantaneous current, and, as a result, there is a possibility that the solid-state imaging device is damaged.
In the prior art, an impedance element (e.g., the resistor RVDD illustrated in FIG. 16) is, as the countermeasures against noise of the power supply, inserted between a pixel driver circuit and a power supply terminal thereof to reduce an excessive instantaneous current in the all reset operation.

Solid-state imaging device and imaging apparatus

PANASONIC INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY MANAGEMENT CO., LTD.


For under hood sound-deadening of vehicles a molded sheet (14) of impregnated non-woven fabric sheet material having a weight in the range 0.5 to 0.75 kg/m.sup.2 and a density in the range of 350 to 425 kg/m.sup.3 is used. The material includes a blend of polyester staple fibers having an average decitex in the range 2.5 to 4.0 dtex typically 3.2 dtex. The impregnant includes 10 to 35% by dry weight carboxylated styrene-butadiene copolymer in which the styrene content is not less than 55%, 5 to 10% by dry weight carboxylated styrene-butadiene copolymer in which the styrene content is not more than 50%, 50 to 70% by dry weight mineral filler, and up to 3.5% by dry weight melamine formaldehyde resin. Pigment may also be added. The fabric sheet material is preferably clipped to the hood underside to provide a small air gap between the material and the hood, but alternatively the sheet material may be bonded by adhesive to the hood underside.

This invention is concerned with a method of deadening sound in metallic panels and particularly deadening sound of the components of vehicles, especially under hood sound deadening in automobiles.
In order to prevent the passage of noise especially from beneath the hood of a vehicle into the passenger compartment it has been conventional practice in recent years to secure to a layer of fiberglass material in sheet form on the under side of an automobile hood. Apart from now perceived potential problems in working with fiberglass, the layer of fiberglass required was relatively heavy, typically in the range 1.0 to 1.5 kg/m.sup.2. It sagged and tended to tear fairly easily, especially where it was attached to the metal. Moreover, although the sound deadening qualities of fiberglass material were sufficient to meet the specifications laid down, the material had a number of disadvantages, especially in that it did not mold readily to the shape of the under side of the hood.


A glass funnel suitable for a chemical strengthening method of an electric field application type without impairing the safety of a cathode ray tube. A glass funnel for a cathode ray tube, characterized in that glass at a body portion 3 contains at least Na2O and K2O, the conductivity of said glass at the strain point is at least 4×10−6 S/cm, the conductivity at 150° C. is at most 5×10−12 S/cm, and a compressive stress layer is formed by a chemical strengthening method on at least part of the outer surface of the body portion 3.

The envelope of a cathode ray tube is constituted by a glass bulb 5 which comprises a glass panel 1 (hereinafter sometimes referred to simply as a panel) for displaying picture images ad a glass funnel 2 (hereinafter sometimes referred to simply as a funnel) sealingly bonded to the panel 1, as shown in FIG. 1. The funnel 2 has a neck 4 accommodating an electron gun welded to a funnel-shaped body portion 3 having an approximately rectangular sealing portion.
The body portion 3 of the glass funnel 2 is formed by an aluminosilicate glass (SiO2—Al2O3—R2O—R′O) containing a large amount of lead for shielding from X-rays. Further, the body portion 3 is a member for a cathode ray tube and thus it is required to have high insulating properties, and the contents of Na2O and K2O are usually adjusted to be substantially the same, so as to achieve high resistance by a mixed alkali effect. The glass bulb is used as a vacuum vessel, whereby atmospheric pressure is exerted to the outer surface, and consequently, a tensile stress attributable to an asymmetrical shape as is different from a spherical shell, is exerted over a relatively wide range. Hereinafter, a stress formed by a difference between the inner and outer pressures when the glass bulb is evacuated, will be referred to as a vacuum stress.
Further, in the process for producing a cathode ray tube, the glass bulb is heated to a considerably high temperature. Especially when evacuation is carried out while maintaining the bulb at a high temperature of about 350° C., a stress by the temperature difference resulting in such a step i.e. a thermal stress will be formed on the glass bulb, and the thermal stress will add to the vacuum stress, whereby in an extreme case, vigorous implosion may occur by instantaneous inflow of air and its counteraction, and thus damages may extend to the surrounding.
To guarantee prevention of such problems, an external pressure loading test is carried out by pressurizing a glass bulb uniformly scratched by #150 emery paper, by air pressure or hydraulic pressure, taking into consideration the practical useful life of the cathode ray tube and the intensity of scratching on the glass surface which takes place in the step of assembling the glass bulb and the cathode ray tube, whereby the difference between the inner and outer pressures upon breakage, is determined, and the glass bulb is made to be durable against at least 0.25 MPa of such a pressure difference.
Further, in recent years, cathode ray tubes for televisions are desired to have a large screen and a flat face portion and to have the depth decreased and the weight reduced. With respect to the decrease in the depth, the design is possible by increasing the glass thickness to suppress the vacuum stress, however, the mass is remarkably increased, such being impractical.
Accordingly, in order that the glass has an adequate strength without increasing the glass thickness, it is required to improve the strength of the glass, and as the method, it has been practically proposed to form a compressing stress layer on the surface of a panel in a thickness of ⅙ of the thickness of the glass by means of e.g. a physical strengthening method, as disclosed in Japanese Patent No. 2,904,067. However, in order to achieve the decrease in the depth and the reduction in the weight of the glass bulb at the same time, it is required to strengthen the funnel, and in such a case, the funnel having a three dimensional structure and a non-uniform wall thickness distribution as compared with the panel has to be uniformly quenched.
However, it is very difficult to uniformly cool such a funnel, and it has been impossible to impart a large compressive stress to the funnel by a physical strengthening method. Accordingly, in a case where the physical strengthening method is employed, the decrease in the depth of the glass bulb i.e. the degree of flatness is limited since the imparted compressive stress is relatively small.
On the other hand, it is known to reduce the weight by strengthening the surface of a glass bulb by a chemical strengthening method. This method is a method wherein certain alkali ions in the glass surface layer are substituted by ions larger than the alkali ions at a temperature of not higher than the strain point of the glass, and a compressive stress layer is formed on the surface by the volume increase. For example, it is a method wherein glass is immersed in molten potassium salt at a temperature of not higher than the strain point of the glass (for example 460° C.), and Na ions in a glass surface layer are substituted by K ions in the molten potassium salt to introduce K ions in the glass surface layer. In the case of such a chemical strengthening method, a large compressive stress up to the maximum of about 500 MPa can be obtained, and it is advantageous to achieve flatness over the physical strengthening in that no unnecessary remaining tensile stress will be formed by a heat treatment. However, even if the chemical strengthening is applied to the funnel by a conventional immersion method in which the thermal diffusion is applied, a strengthened layer (compressive stress layer) of only about 30 μm can be formed. Further, since the ion exchange rate is controlled by the thermal diffusion, it takes from over ten days to several days to obtain a strengthened layer of about 30 μm, such being problematic.
On the other hand, in addition to the chemical strengthening by the thermal diffusion, a chemical strengthening method of an electric field application type has been known. This method is a method wherein an electric field is applied other than the heat so that large alkali ions having a small mobility are injected at the glass surface layer on the anode side in a short period of time, and that relatively small alkali ions having a high mobility are leaked from the glass surface layer at the cathode side, whereby a compressive stress layer is formed at the anode side. However, even if the chemical strengthening is attempted on a conventional funnel by such a method, it was impossible to carry out the chemical strengthening in an adequately short period of time.

Glass funnel for cathode ray tube, and cathode ray tube

The Circle for the Promotion of Science and Engineering


Process for the production of methyl acetate and/or acetic acid by contacting a carbon monoxide-containing gas and methanol and/or reactive derivatives thereof with a mordenite loaded with copper and silver loaded by ion-exchange and subsequently regenerating the catalyst.

Mordenites are known to catalyse the carbonylation of feedstocks such as methanol and dimethyl ether with carbon monoxide to produce methyl acetate and/or acetic acid products. For use as catalysts in carbonylation processes, mordenites can be used in a number of different forms, including the proton form and metal modified forms.
Techniques for the preparation of metal modified forms of mordenite, such as slurry impregnation or ion-exchange are well-known. For example, WO 2009/077743 describes the loading of mordenite with a Group IB metal by the techniques of ion-exchange and slurry impregnation. WO 2010/067043 describes the preparation of mordenite catalysts by compositing a mordenite which has been pre-loaded with at least one of copper and silver, with an inorganic oxide binder.
The activity of mordenite catalysts, for the carbonylation of methanol and/or dimethyl ether to produce acetic acid and/or methyl acetate decreases as the run time increases and the catalysts then have to be regenerated. Regeneration processes are, for example, described in WO 2009/077745 and WO 2009/077739.
WO 2009/077745 describes a regeneration process wherein a mordenite catalyst is regenerated by contacting the catalyst with a molecular-oxygen containing gas and an inert diluent at a pressure of 1 to 100 bar whilst maintaining the catalyst at a temperature of 225 to 325° C.
WO2009/077739 describes a regeneration process wherein a zeolite catalyst is regenerated by contacting the catalyst with hydrogen or a mixture of hydrogen and carbon monoxide at a temperature in the range 250 to 600° C.
However, the regeneration process, and especially when repeated a number of times, can have an adverse effect on space time yield and catalyst lifetime.

Process for the production of methyl acetate/acetic acid


Optical pulses carrying information to be conveyed are routed, for each pulse, by the intensity of the pulse. The pulses may be solitons. The invention is particularly applicable to long distance communications.

Known passive optical routing means use wavelength multiplexing. The destination of a message is then defined by the wavelength of the pulses constituting the message, with the wavelength thus constituting the address of the message. Such passive optical routing means place various troublesome constraints on the implementor of the communications system, e.g. minimum spacing between spectrum channels, amplifiers having adequate gain flatness as a function of wavelength, and reconfigurable emitter assemblies.

Method and a system for optical communications with passive routing

Alcatel Alsthom Compagnie Generale d'Electricite


The organometallic complex, which is a novel substance, is represented by General Formula (G1) or General Formula (G2). In General Formula (G1), R1 represents an alkyl group having 1 to 4 carbon atoms and R2 to R10 each represents hydrogen or an alkyl group having 1 to 4 carbon atoms. M represents a Group 9 element or a Group 10 element. When M is a Group 9 element, n is 3, and when M is a Group 10 element, N is 2. In General Formula (G2), R11 represents an alkyl group having 1 to 4 carbon atoms and R12 to R20 each represents hydrogen or an alkyl group having 1 to 4 carbon atoms. M represents a Group 9 element or a Group 10 element. When M is a Group 9 element, n is 3, and when M is a Group 10 element, N is 2.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention disclosed in this specification relates to organometallic complexes which can emit light by current excitation. In particular, the present invention relates to organometallic complexes which can emit light from a triplet excited state. The present invention also relates to a light-emitting element, a display device, an electronic device, a light-emitting device, and a lighting device each of which includes any of the organometallic complexes.
2. Description of the Related Art
It has been reported that in a light-emitting element including a layer containing a light-emitting material (light-emitting layer) between a pair of electrodes (anode and cathode), a variety of organic compounds can be used as the light-emitting material.
The light-emitting element is said to have the following light emission mechanism: when voltage is applied between the pair of electrodes with the light-emitting layer interposed therebetween, electrons injected from the cathode and holes injected from the anode are recombined in the light-emitting layer to form molecular excitons, and the molecular excitons release energy to emit light when returning to a ground state. Singlet excitation and triplet excitation are known as excited states, and light emission can be obtained through either of the excited states.
In such a current-excitation light-emitting element, more excitons are generated in a triplet excited state than in a singlet excited state; thus, the emission efficiency of the light-emitting element can be increased by using a material which can emit light from the triplet excited state (phosphorescent material). Therefore, many attempts have been made to use a phosphorescent material as a light-emitting material.
As a typical example of a phosphorescent material emitting green to blue light, a metal complex in which a ligand having a heterocyclic ring skeleton is coordinated to iridium (Ir) that is a central metal is given (e.g., see Patent Document 1). In Patent Document 1, an iridium complex having a triazole derivative as a ligand is disclosed.

Organometallic complex, light-emitting element, display device, electronic device, and lighting device

Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.


A method for recognizing geometric shapes in an image using fuzzy logic. The method includes determining an edge in the image and a gradient of the edge. The gradient is corrected by virtue of a first fuzzy logic process, and the number of points that belong to the curve are determined by virtue of a second fuzzy logic process. A fuzzy device for the recognition of geometric shapes in images that implementing the method includes an edge detector, a fuzzy gradient corrector to correct the gradient, and a fuzzy vote attributor to determine the number of points that belong to the curve.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a fuzzy method and device for the recognition of geometric shapes in images. The fields of application of this method and of this device range from automatic guidance and navigation systems to image understanding systems.
2. Discussion of the Related Art
The primary goal of vision systems is to recognize objects in an image. However, before the object can be recognized it is necessary to recognize the characteristic lines that compose it and provide a symbolic representation of the object. One way to achieve these goals is to use the Hough transform, which is capable of performing a mapping from structures of the feature space to structures of an appropriate parameter space.
Straight lines can be considered as an example of this Hough transform also because they are undoubtedly the lines that most frequently occur in the description of the shape of objects. It is thus evident that providing a method capable of identifying and describing these lines, which so often compose an object, is extremely important.
The Hough transform, introduced in 1962, was in fact developed to solve this problem and generalized only at a later time so as to consider other types of parameter lines.
Consider a point that has the coordinates (x.sub.i, y.sub.i) and belongs to a generic straight line defined by the equation y=ax+b. It is evident that an infinite number of lines pass through this point; however, all such straight lines must satisfy the equation y.sub.i =ax+b for different values of a and b.
Therefore, by writing this last equation in the form b=y.sub.i -ax.sub.i and considering the plane ab (parameter plane) it is possible to obtain the equation of a single straight line at a point having preset coordinates.
The same line of reasoning can of course be followed for another point that has the coordinates (x.sub.j, y.sub.j); a new straight line associated with this point will be obtained in the parameter space. The intersection of the two straight lines generated in the parameter plane allows one to obtain the parametric coordinates (a,b) of the straight line that connects the two points of the feature plane. FIGS. 1A and 1B illustrate this graphically.
The parametric equation for straight lines proposed above has some severe drawbacks: even for limited portions of the feature space, the domain of values of both parameters a and b can be the entire set of real numbers (for example, in vertical straight lines a=.infin.).
In order to obviate this drawback, the following representation is usually adopted instead: EQU p=X cos.theta.+sin.theta.
where p is the distance of the straight line from the origin and .theta. is the angle formed by the axis x and by the normal to the straight line, as shown in FIG. 2.
By using this representation, each point of the feature space is matched by a sinusoid in the parameter space. Clearly the parameter space is limited, since p is within the range -R.sqroot.2, R.sqroot.2! for images with a linear dimension R and .theta. can be limited between 0.degree. and 180.degree., since 180.degree. translations in .theta. and an optional reversal of sign in p allow to return to the range 0.degree., 180.degree.!.
Accordingly, if one has a set of n points (X1, X2), . . . ,(Xn,Yn)! that belong to a given straight line in the feature plane and one wishes to determine the parameters that describe this straight line, it is necessary to transform the points (Xi, Yi) into sinusoidal curves in the plane p-.theta., which are described by p=Xi cos.theta.+Yi sin.theta., and to note that these curves all intersect at the parametric values of the straight line being sought, as shown in FIGS. 3A and 3B. In other words, by transforming co-linear pixels in the feature plane one obtains several sinusoids that intersect in a single point that has the coordinates (.theta..sub.0,p.sub.0) and corresponds to the straight line on which said points lie. Accordingly, the problem of finding collinear points in the feature can be converted into the problem of finding concurrent curves.
The computational advantage of the Hough transform arises from dividing the parameter space into cells, that is to say, from introducing an acceptable error in p and .theta. in the quantization of the parameters in a grid. Quantization can be reduced to the region 0.ltoreq..theta..ltoreq..pi. and -R.ltoreq.p.ltoreq.R, where R is the maximum distance that a point of the feature plane can have from the center of the image (in practice, half of a diagonal). The quantized region can thus be reduced to a two-dimensional array of accumulators. For each point (Xi, Yi) in the feature plane, the corresponding curve is mapped onto the array, increasing the accumulator in each cell that lies along the curve. Accordingly, each cell of the parameter space stores the number of curves that have passed through it, minus the noise and the discretization that is carried out.
After transforming all the points of the edge, the problem is to find the local maximums in the array of accumulators. These local maximums must be higher than a certain threshold in order to extract only lines that are long enough, and most of all in order to eliminate noise (false maximums). It is therefore necessary to find a threshold that varies in each situation in the most intelligent possible manner according to the image to be analyzed.
After extracting the local maximums from the array of accumulators it is possible to draw the lines that they have generated. In other words, the inverse transform is applied, reconstructing the corresponding straight line for each maximum point (.theta., p) by using the following equation: ##EQU1## It should be noted that the Hough transform can also be used for other geometric shapes, such as curves, circles, etcetera.
However, the transformation performed with the Hough transform is sensitive to the noise that is present in the image and depends on the performance of the edge detection system that is used. Another problem in the use of the Hough transform is the recovery of points lost due to discretizations and noise.
A problem of vision systems in general is processing speed. Known systems have a very high level of processing complexity and have processing speeds that are not satisfactory for the required applications, (for example, theoretically real-time processing). Another problem of known vision systems is the complexity of the hardware.

Fuzzy method and device for the recognition of geometric shapes in images


This disclosure relates to improved massage chairs that include air cell apparatuses. A massage chair can include at least one air cell apparatus, which can be integrated into a shoulder portion, leg rest portion, arm portion, and/or other portion of the massage chair. An inflatable air bladder can be connected to each air cell apparatus. Each air cell apparatus can transition between a retracted position and an extended position. The air cell bladder can be configured to inflate when the air cell apparatus is in the extended position, thereby securing an individual to the massage chair. Various assemblies can be used to transition the air cell apparatus between the retracted and extended positions. Other embodiments are disclosed.

Electronic massage chairs can include various massaging components that enable individuals to receive a mechanical or robotic massage. For example, an electronic massage chair typically includes a seat, and the massaging components incorporated into the massage chair can be activated or programmed to massage the individual's body while he or she is seated on the massage chair. However, obtaining a comfortable massage can be difficult in many cases. For example, certain programs operate the massaging components to simulate massages that knead (e.g., a deep tissue massage). During a traditional massage (e.g., one outside of a massage chair), an individual is lying face down on a table and the masseuse can massage the individual with varying degrees of pressure without the individual moving. However, in massage chairs, the individual is sitting in the chair positioned on the massage components and the force of the massage components often push the individual (or individual's body parts) forward in the chair and/or cause the individual to be jostled around during programs that simulate more intense massage techniques. This can be uncomfortable for the individual and does not result in an effective massage.
Accordingly, there is a need for improved massage chairs that can secure individuals or their body parts in proper positions during a massage, while also ensuring the comfort of those individuals.
For simplicity and clarity of illustration, the drawing figures illustrate the general manner of construction, and descriptions and details of well-known features and techniques may be omitted to avoid unnecessarily obscuring the present disclosure. Additionally, elements in the drawing figures are not necessarily drawn to scale. For example, the dimensions of some of the elements in the figures may be exaggerated relative to other elements to help improve understanding of embodiments of the present disclosure. The same reference numerals in different figures denote the same elements.
The terms "first," "second," "third," "fourth," and the like in the description and in the claims, if any, are used for distinguishing between similar elements and not necessarily for describing a particular sequential or chronological order. It is to be understood that the terms so used are interchangeable under appropriate circumstances such that the embodiments described herein are, for example, capable of operation in sequences other than those illustrated or otherwise described herein. Furthermore, the terms "include," and "have," and any variations thereof, are intended to cover a non-exclusive inclusion, such that a process, method, system, article, device, or apparatus that comprises a list of elements is not necessarily limited to those elements, but may include other elements not expressly listed or inherent to such process, method, system, article, device, or apparatus.
The terms "left," "right," "front," "back," "top," "bottom," "over," "under," and the like in the description and in the claims, if any, are used for descriptive purposes and not necessarily for describing permanent relative positions. It is to be understood that the terms so used are interchangeable under appropriate circumstances such that the embodiments of the apparatus, methods, and/or articles of manufacture described herein are, for example, capable of operation in other orientations than those illustrated or otherwise described herein.
The terms "couple," "coupled," "couples," "coupling," and the like should be broadly understood and refer to connecting two or more elements mechanically and/or otherwise. Coupling may be for any length of time, e.g., permanent or semi-permanent or only for an instant. The absence of the word "removably," "removable," and the like near the word "coupled," and the like does not mean that the coupling, etc. in question is or is not removable.
As defined herein, two or more elements are "integral" if they are comprised of the same piece of material. As defined herein, two or more elements are "non-integral" if each is comprised of a different piece of material.
As defined herein, "approximately" can, in some embodiments, mean within plus or minus ten percent of the stated value. In other embodiments, "approximately" can mean within plus or minus five percent of the stated value. In further embodiments, "approximately" can mean within plus or minus three percent of the stated value. In yet other embodiments, "approximately" can mean within plus or minus one percent of the stated value.

Massage chair assemblies with air cell apparatuses and methods for providing the same


A system and method for desulfating an NO.sub.x trap utilizes a closed loop control of the air-to-fuel (A/F) ratio to accurately maintain a precise A/F ratio during desulfation. An oxygen sensor is positioned in the middle of the trap to provide an actual A/F ratio measurement, which is subsequently compared to a target A/F ratio to generate a correction signal to adjust operation of the engine's fuel injector(s). The trap oxygen sensor can also be used to adaptively update engine state conditions for a more precise switch-over to a trap regeneration phase.

Generally, lean burn engines typically operate with an air/fuel (A/F) ratio .gtoreq.18 to obtain improved fuel economy. However, a conventional three-way catalyst (TWC) utilized in the engine exhaust system is ineffective unless operated near a stoichiometric ratio, such as an A/F ratio of 14.5 for gasoline. One solution for overcoming the operational deficiencies of a TWC during lean burn operation is to position a NO.sub.x trap downstream of the TWC. The NO.sub.x trap stores NO.sub.x during lean A/F operation, which can then be subsequently converted to harmless N.sub.2 and O.sub.2 by periodically operating the engine with a rich A/F ratio. This NO.sub.x conversion occurs within an optimum temperature window of approximately 300.degree. C. to 400.degree. C. An NO.sub.x trap is preferably located underbody so that during hard, wide-open throttle (WOT) driving, the trap temperature can be maintained below 800.degree. C.
One problem inherent to an NO.sub.x trap stems from the fact that the use of a fuel which contains sulfur will cause a corresponding accumulation of sulfur in the trap. This accumulation of sulfur decreases the NO.sub.x conversion efficiency. Thus, the sulfur must be periodically "burned" off or desorbed by heating the trap to approximately 675.degree. C. and sustaining that temperature for several minutes. During this desulfation heating phase, it is desirable to control the average A/F ratio reaching the trap to be approximately stoichiometric so as to minimize emission of HC, CO, and NO.sub.x, and to prevent thermal damage to the trap. Stoichiometric operation may be required for periods of 3 to 8 minutes.
One way of controlling the A/F ratio is with an open loop type control system. However, if the A/F ratio is not accurately maintained during the desulfation phase, performance of the trap desulfation process will be significantly compromised by allowing higher levels of HC, CO, and NO.sub.x to be emitted from the exhaust system if the A/F operation is excessively rich, and possible NO.sub.x trap degradation at high temperatures if the A/F operation is excessively lean. This, in turn, degrades the overall efficiency of the engine exhaust treatment system. Since accuracy of an open loop-type control system can be directly impacted by such factors as engine-to-engine variability, and component/engine aging, use of an open loop control arrangement is not completely satisfactory, particularly when higher levels of exhaust treatment efficiency are required for lean burn engines.

Closed loop control for desulfating a NO.sub.x trap


A disk drive system having a shielded pole write head and media that includes a disk having a soft underlayer (SUL) that is relatively thin in order to save on cost for producing the SUL. The SUL is thin enough that it will become magnetically saturated in the vicinity of the write pole. The thickness of the SUL that will achieve this saturation may be stated as being less than a geometric factor times the ratio of the write pole saturation magnetization divided by the saturation magnetization of the SUL. The geometric factor is the ratio of the write pole area at the ABS to the write pole perimeter at the ABS.

In hard disk drives, data is written to and read from magnetic recording media, herein called disks. Typically, one or more disks having a thin film of magnetic material coated thereon are rotatably mounted on a spindle. A read/write head mounted on an actuator arm is positioned in close proximity to the disk surface to write data to and read data from the disk surface.
During operation of the disk drive, the actuator arm moves the read/write head to the desired radial position on the surface of the rotating disk where the read/write head electromagnetically writes data to the disk and senses magnetic field signal changes to read data from the disk. Usually, the read/write head is integrally mounted in a carrier or support referred to as a slider. The slider generally serves to mechanically support the read/write head and any electrical connections between the read/write head and the disk drive. The slider is aerodynamically shaped, which allows it to fly over and maintain a uniform distance from the surface of the rotating disk.
Typically, the read/write head includes a magnetoresistive read element to read recorded data from the disk and an inductive write element to write the data to the disk. The read element includes a thin layer of a magnetoresistive sensor stripe sandwiched between two magnetic shields that may be electrically connected together but are otherwise isolated. A current is passed through the sensor stripe, and the resistance of the magnetoresistive stripe varies in response to a previously recorded magnetic pattern on the disk. In this way, a corresponding varying voltage is detected across the sensor stripe. The magnetic shields help the sensor stripe to focus on a narrow region of the magnetic medium, hence improving the spatial resolution of the read head.
The write element typically includes a coil of wire through which current is passed to create a magnetic field that can be directed toward an adjacent portion of the disk by a ferromagnetic member known as a write pole. While it is known that the write element can be arranged to either store data longitudinally or perpendicularly on the disk, most, if not all, commercial disk drives to date have utilized longitudinal recording arrangements. Although perpendicular recording techniques have the potential to allow for higher densities of recorded information, longitudinal recording is used in all current products for historical reasons. An early perpendicular recording technique is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. RE 33,949, the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.
The '949 patent discloses a perpendicular or vertical write head with a write pole section, downstream shield section, and a pancake coil surrounding the write pole section to generate magnetic flux therein. The shield section is disclosed to have a surface facing toward the media that is many times larger than a similarly-oriented face of the write pole. The media is disclosed to include two layers, an upper layer closer to the head having perpendicular uniaxial anisotropy and a lower layer having low magnetic reluctance (now known as the Soft Under Layer (SUL)). A high write field can then be produced between the write pole and the SUL to record information in the upper layer of the media. The write flux returns through the SUL to the downstream write shield.
As perpendicular recording techniques have become more popular, it has been determined that producing media with a soft underlayer (SUL) is more expensive than producing the standard disks used as media in longitudinal recording systems. For example, it is estimated that each disk produced with an SUL costs $1.00 more to produce than disks without an SUL. Despite this cost disadvantage, it has generally been believed in the disk drive community that the SUL had to be made thick enough to prevent saturation of the magnetic field therein. Schabes et al. "Micromagnetic Modeling of Soft Underlayer Magnetization Processes and Fields in Perpendicular Magnetic Recording", IEEE Transactions on Magnetics, Volume 38, No. 4, July 2002. This paper highlights the need for thicker SULs for monopole heads, and it has generally been assumed to be also true for other head arrangements. It was believed that avoiding saturation in the region of the SUL around the perimeter of the write pole was necessary to get sufficient write fields.
In order to maintain a sufficiently thick SUL to avoid saturation yet reduce the cost, some have attempted to plate a large portion of the SUL instead of applying it by sputtering (see U.S. Pat. No. 6,890,667). In this case, electroless nickel was plated and then polished, and made magnetic rather than non-magnetic, as opposed to the typical non-magnetic electroless nickel The plated SUL may then have a thin layer of a more conventionally applied SUL applied on top thereof.
The foregoing examples of the related art and limitations related therewith are intended to be illustrative and not exclusive. Other limitations of the related art will become apparent to those of skill in the art upon a reading of the specification and a study of the drawings.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.


An emergency and non-emergency transmitter receivable by broadcast band receivers in nearby vehicles, comprising a first signal generator for simultaneously providing a plurality of selectively spaced carriers having frequency spacings corresponding to the individual channels of the band to be covered and selectively providing amplitude modulation when used for the AM broadcast band, and a second signal generator providing an FM modulated signal, which when combined with the signal from the first signal generator, covers various portions of the FM broadcast band to provide complete coverage thereof. A plurality of signals are generated in a portion of a selected band and modulated, according to the selected band mode, with a pre-stored and selectable voice alarm message. An EAS/RDS decoder monitors for emergency transmissions and deactivates the dual-mode transmitter if an EAS/RDS transmission is detected so that radios within the coverage area of the dual-mode transmitter will receive the EAS/RDS transmission.

Emergency vehicles, responding to accidents or fires, and police in pursuit often pose heightened danger to those involved at the focus of the emergency and to the population around and moving toward the scene of the emergency. Typically, the surrounding population may be completely unaware of the potential dangers approaching them or towards which they are moving, and unnecessarily place themselves at risk of injury, and potentially interfere with the emergency response. Furthermore, if they are unaware in the events outside their vehicle and are instead involved with entertainment from a local radio broadcast, they will further delay taking appropriate evasive or defensive action.
Simple tone-modulated warning transmitters which sweep the broadcast bands often sound like common man-made interference, thereby offering insufficient information to the listener to determine that there is an emergency and what action could or should be taken. Moreover, if the listener cannot determine that an emergency exist, such simple warning systems will only distract and annoy the listeners, causing them to be even less responsive to the nearby emergency. Also, the sweep or stepping of a single carrier through the broadcast band(s) favors simple alarm tone modulation as alarm voice messages would never be heard in their entirety if complete coverage of the broadcast band(s) by a single swept carrier is to be provided in reasonable time.
Full band transmissions which saturate the entire broadcast band(s) require significant amounts of carefully controlled radiated power to be effective at anyone frequency. Moreover, in the event of multiple emergency vehicles responding to the same emergency, with each emitting the same full-band alarm signal, the multiple signals will cause interference when they are in or near the same location, and thus cancel each other or cause confusion to those receiving the full band alarm signal, thereby increasing rather than reducing the danger to the nearby population.


A vessel for carrying an RV (recreational vehicle) through the water, thereby effectively converting the RV to a houseboat. The barge-like vessel includes ramps for loading and unloading an RV at a boat ramp. The barge is powered by the drive wheels of the RV, wherein the drive wheels are each resting on two rotatable cylinders similar to a dynamometer cradle. The wheels spin the cylinders which in turn rotate the propellers so that the speed is controlled by the speed at which the drive wheels turn. Direction is controlled by a knob on a fly-by-wire type device which in turn controls the rudder. An alternative directional control includes two turntables onto which the front wheels rest. One of the turntables is mechanically connected to the rudder so that the steering wheel controls the rudder. Ballast tanks are provided at each side of the front and back of the barge to keep the barge level.

Camping vacationers require vehicles with a greater degree of comfort, flexibility and luxury. RV's (recreational vehicles) provide varying degrees of comfort and luxury and are popular with vacationers all over the world. House trailers, camping trailers, camper buses, collapsible tents, trailer tents and motor homes exemplify attempts to satisfy the need for comfortable traveling vehicles. The configuration of houseboats continues to grow in size and complexity as the demand for increased room, comfort and luxuries grows. The expense of having and maintaining both a luxurious houseboat and RV is too great for the average vacationer.
A reasonable and economical solution for a vacationer requiring both a houseboat and a recreational vehicle is a barge type vehicle which will carry a recreational vehicle. The barge is either propelled by a separate motor or receives power from the drive wheels of the RV. The driver controls the barge from the driver's seat in the RV. The RV provides all the comforts of home while being carried over the water on the barge just as if the RV were on land, so that all of the requirements of the vacationers are provided by the RV and need not be provided separately on the barge. Loading ramps and the stabilizing equipment needed during loading and unloading of the RV are provided on the barge.


A steerable guide catheter includes a tip ring at a distal end and one or more pullwires configured to engage with the tip ring when put in tension, the pullwire(s) thereby subjecting the steerable guide catheter to a curving or turning force. The tip ring includes a saddle and one or more pullwire channels allowing the pullwire to be looped over the saddle such that when the pullwire is placed under tension, it abuts against the saddle of the tip ring. Some embodiments include additional catheters axially aligned within or outside of the steerable guide catheter, and include a keying feature aligning the rotation of the multiple catheters. The keys of the keying feature can be formed of a polyamide with a glass microsphere filler, and can be thermally welded to the catheter.

The present invention relates to a guiding system for accessing a body cavity and directing the passage of devices therethrough into the cavity. Particularly, the present invention relates to a steerable catheter guiding system which directs the devices into the cavity in a desired orientation. In some embodiments, the present invention relates to endoluminally or transthoracically accessing an atrium of the heart to direct an interventional catheter toward a cardiac valve.
To access a target location within the human body from a remote location, a catheter is typically passed through one or more body lumens, such as through the vascular system, to the target location. When the vascular system is used, the catheter is inserted into an artery or vein percutaneously or through a relatively small incision in the patient's body. The catheter is then threaded through the patient's system of blood vessels to reach the desired target area. Often a pathway is created through the vasculature to the target location with the use of an introducer sheath. The sheath is slipped over a dilator or obturator which is advanced to the target location. The dilator or obturator is then removed and the sheath remains in place for use as a conduit for a variety of medical devices to access the target location. Such devices may include surgical instruments, fiber optic cables for visualization, lasers, electronic devices, or sensors capable of monitoring physiological parameters in situ to name a few. Although such access reduces the need for traditional invasive surgery, challenges arise related to control, manipulation, and positioning of instruments near the target location, particularly within a target body cavity.
Since cavities comprise open spaces, a device advanced to the cavity will typically protrude into the cavity at the angle in which it entered. If the target tissue is not within this pathway, the device will need to be steered toward the target tissue. If more than one device is used during a procedure, each device will need to be steered and repositioned when used. This increases the time and cost of the procedure and also the risk of misalignment.
For example, to gain access to the left atrium of the heart, the catheter and/or access sheath may be tracked from a puncture in the femoral vein, through the inferior vena cava, into the right atrium and through a puncture in the intra-atrial septum to the left atrium. When done for the purpose of mitral valve repair, this pathway may then be used to access the mitral valve which lies between the left atrium and the left ventricle. Since the mitral valve is located below the point of entry into the left atrium, devices which are inserted will need to be directed downward after entry, toward the mitral valve. In addition, devices used for applying interventional therapies to the mitral valve may require precise alignment with the valve commissures, leaflets, or coaptation line to perform the procedure. The devices may also be directed through the valve chordae or papillary muscles, for example, for interventional therapy to the mitral valve. When such procedures require the use of more than one instrument, each instrument would be dependent upon proper positioning in relation to the valve. This would require that positioning or steering mechanisms be built into each instrument and each instrument would be required to be properly positioned when introduced. This adds cost, complexity, and time to the overall procedure.
In other examples, the catheter and/or access sheath may also be tracked from a puncture in the femoral vein through the intra-atrial septum to the left atrium. This pathway may be used to access the left atrium for ablation of the atrium wall or ablation around the pulmonary veins. Such interventional therapies would require precise alignment with target areas for proper ablation placement. It may further be appreciated that alternative access routes may be desired to alternative body cavities. In any case, many of the same obstacles are encountered.
To overcome some of these challenges, pre-shaped access sheaths have been developed to direct instruments that are passed therethrough. For example, an access sheath having a pre-shaped curve at its distal end has been developed to both assist in negotiating twists and branches common in a patient's arterial or venous system and to maintain a shape once positioned within a target cavity. Since the pre-shaped curve is fixed into the access sheath at the time of manufacture, the radius, extent of the curvature and overall shape generally cannot be altered. Due to anatomical variations, extensive pre-surgical planning would be necessary to determine the correct curvature of the access sheath. Such tailoring would be prohibitively complex and a single predicted curvature would most likely still require additional repositioning once inside the body. Continuously replacing the single pre-shaped access catheter in hopes of obtaining the proper curvature would be expensive and time consuming, possibly placing the patient at additional risk.
Further, some steerable guide catheters and delivery catheters have been developed to more effectively navigate through the tortuous pathways of some body lumens, particularly the vascular system. However, navigation through such lumens typically only requires steering the catheter tip toward a particular branch at a bifurcation, a relatively simple maneuver. Such steerability, basically the ability to form a single curvature, is generally inadequate for accessing and directing the catheter toward a target in a cavity. In particular, when targeting the mitral valve within the cavity of the left atrium or left ventricle, many more variables are present, such as the type of approach, the variability of anatomy and the various targets associated with the mitral valve, such as various points on the leaflets, the commissures, the free edges, the chordae tendinae, etc. These variables increase the need for a steerable guide catheter that can provide a higher degree of articulation than a single curve catheter or a catheter which does not provide compound curves in an adjustable manner.
Additionally, some guiding catheters have steering mechanisms that operate using pullwires. Such pullwires are typically attached to the distal end of a catheter and, when placed under tension, operate to steer the catheter. However, the attachment of pullwires may fail when the pullwire is subjected to the forces required to steer or guide the catheter through the desired range of angles and curves. Pullwires may be soldered or welded in place, thereby strengthening the connection to the catheter, but this adds to manufacturing time and costs, and may introduce hazardous chemicals necessitating additional cleanup and processing before the device can be suitably and safely introduced into the body. Further still, a soldered or welded connection may result in a fairly rigid connection between the pullwire and the distal end of the catheter which may fail or break when placed under stress.
Furthermore, when multi-catheter systems are used, such as when one catheter is nested within another, maintaining the rotational relationship between the catheters requires additional mechanisms to prevent or limit the unwanted rotation of one catheter relative to another. Such multi-catheter systems can include a keyway component and a corresponding key. In order to provide the desired functionality, the key component must have sufficient mechanical hardness, and for this reason such catheters typically employ keys made from metal, such as stainless steel. However, the use of stainless steel or other metal necessitates machining of the component, and expensive process adding to the manufacturing cost of the resulting device. Additionally, adhesives are required in order to attach the stainless steel keys to a plastic catheter. The adhesive bond between the machined, stainless steel key and the plastic catheter may fail, resulting in loss of the intended keying function. Furthermore, the use of adhesives involves the use of additional chemicals and curing reaction products, and may require the expenditure of additional time and effort to prepare the catheter for safe introduction into the body.
For these reasons, it would be desirable to provide a guiding catheter system which is capable of being positioned within a target body cavity in a desired orientation. The system should have a steering mechanism capable of handling the forces required to curve and steer the catheter system in the desired position and through the desired range of angles necessary to achieve a desired orientation. Furthermore, the system should have a feature for preventing the unwanted rotation of one component relative to another, and these features should be capable of operating safely and effectively in a physiological environment. In addition, these features should be provided at low manufacturing time and cost. At least some of the embodiments disclosed below are directed toward these objectives.


A lens holder apparatus of a camera lens module is provided and includes a printed circuit board, an image sensor provided on a printed circuit board, a plurality of lenses, and a spacer The lenses are assembled within the lens holder allow focal lengths between the sensor and respective lenses to be adjusted freely, and a stopper is detachably provided at a lower portion of the space of the lens holder, such that the stopper can be separated from the lower portion and then recombined therewith after the readjustment of the focal length.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a lens holder apparatus used in a camera lens module, and more particularly to a camera lens module integrated to a lens holder capable of readjusting a focal length after combining respective lenses in the camera lens module.
2. Description of the Related Art
In general, an imaging device, such as a CCD (charge coupled device), is typically used for capturing an image in a video camera, an electronic steel camera, a PC camera terminal, PDA (Personal Digital Assistant) or the like. This is also referred to as "camera lens module." In a conventional PDA for used in video communications, a photographing device containing the camera lens module is provided in a camera lens to enable a user to conduct video communications with others or photographs of a desired object. As such, the conventional PDA has been developed into a high performance, complex piece of machinery equipped with a camera, which can take a temporary image of the object and also store and transmit the image to another place. Such a camera lens module is configured so that an image of the object taken by the CCD through a lens and a diaphragm can be stored in a memory after the transformation into a digital signal using a signal transformer.
A CMOS image sensor is commonly used an image sensor. The CMOS image sensor is a device employing a switching system for sequentially detecting outputs using MOS transistors, which equals to the number of pixels. This type of CMOS technology adopts a control circuit and a signal processing circuit as peripheral circuits. The CMOS image sensor is significantly useful in a personal digital assistant (PDA), such as a mobile phone, since it is capable of operating with a minimum power consumption.
FIGS. 1 and 2 show a structure of a camera lens module 1 used in a conventional mobile phone. As shown the camera lens module 1 comprises an image sensor 3 provided on a printed circuit board 2 and a lens holder 4 fitted with an infrared filter 5 (IR filter) facing the image sensor 3. The lens holder 4 is formed at an upper portion of the lens holder 4 with a lens assembling portion 4a having a thread inside thereof, into which a lens barrel 8 sequentially combined with first and second lenses 6 and 7 is fastened. The lens barrel 8 is formed at the top thereof with a lens cap 9 for the purpose of protecting the lenses. A spacer for maintaining a gap between the lenses 6 and 7 is provided between the first and second lenses 6 and 7.
For an adjustment of focal lengths between the image sensor 3 and respective lenses 6 and 7, the lens barrel 8 is adapted to adjust the focal length by rotating to fasten the screw between an external thread 8a formed on the external surface of the lens barrel 8 and an internal thread 8b formed on the internal surface of the lens assembling portion 4a. Here, the lens barrel 8 is fixed in place by bonding with an epoxy resin. That is, when the focal lengths between the image sensor 3 and the lenses 6 and 7 are adjusted using the screw fastening of the lens barrel 8, the epoxy resin is used to bond the lens barrel.
In the conventional camera lens module of the above configuration, however, since the focal length is fixed in place using the epoxy resin after adjusting the focal length between the image sensor and the first and second lenses, it is impossible to readjust the focal length between the lenses and the sensor when the lens is incorrectly adjusted.

Lens holder apparatus of camera lens module


An image sensor includes; a sensor array generating a pixel signal, a ramp signal generator generating a ramp signal having a decreasing slope during a ramp signal enable period between a first time at which a counter enable signal is activated and a third time at which the ramp signal ends falling, a comparator comparing the pixel signal with the ramp signal to trigger an output signal, and counters, where at least one of the counters performs counting during an entire counter enable period extending between the first time and a second time at which the comparator triggers the output signal, but not all of the counters perform counting during at least one section of the counter enable period.

The inventive concept relates generally to image sensors and methods of operating same. More particularly, the inventive concept relates to image sensors including a mask counter among a plurality of counters.
An image sensor converts incident electromagnetic energy (e.g., light) into a corresponding electrical signal. Recently, with the development of a computer industry and a communication industry, demand for image sensors with improved performance has increased across a variety of fields, such as digital cameras, camcorders, personal communication systems (PCS), game consoles, security devices, medical devices, etc.
Image sensors include charge coupled device (CCD) devices and a complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) devices. However, CMOS image sensors are characterized by simple driving techniques and densely integrated (e.g., single chip) signal processing circuits which make CMOS image sensors advantageous in the miniaturization of contemporary consumer products.
Image sensors are often used in mobile devices, such as mobile phones. Since mobile devices operate on battery power, power consumption is always an important design consideration, but consumers continue to demand high resolution devices. Accordingly, image sensors are required that provide high image resolution and low power consumption.

Image sensor and method of operating same


A phased array antenna includes a substrate, and multiple radiating elements conformally mounted as micro-strip on the substrate. Each of the radiating elements is of a triangular shape, and four of the radiating elements are arranged to form a crossed bowtie cloverleaf radiator. In addition, the four radiating elements form two pairs of radiating elements, and the two pairs of radiating elements are orthogonal to each other. The radiating elements are disposed on a front surface of the substrate, and a RF center conductor is orthogonally oriented toward a rear surface of the substrate and connected to one of the radiating elements for feeding a RF signal to the one radiating element.

Significant advances in broadband solid-state power generation have placed a new emphasis on phased arrays to efficiently combine the power of individual devices into high-power transmissions by exploiting the magnification property of phased arrays, known as the "array factor". Commensurate with this trend, the demands for high transmitted effective radiated power (ERP) have increased by as much as an order of magnitude. In addition, operating frequency range has been lowered into the HF/VHF region.
Along with the high effective radiated power, the multi-functional performance characteristics associated with phased arrays, such as multi-octave bandwidths, wide field-of-view, instantaneous multiple beams and polarization agility, must also be maintained.
Within the context of these requirements, emphasis must now be given to issues related to power handling within the array aperture, as well as the entire corporate feed structure. Power handling encompasses not only the capacity to sustain peak and average (CW) power demands, but also to be able to operate in adverse temperatures on the phased array.
The present application is related to U.S. Pat. No. 6,992,632 issued to Mohuchy on Jan. 31, 2006, entitled "Low Profile Polarization-Diverse Herringbone Phased Array", and U.S. Pat. No. 6,853,351 entitled "Compact High-Power Reflective-Cavity Backed Spiral Antenna", issued to Mohuchy on Feb. 8, 2005. The entire contents of both patents are incorporated herein by reference.

High power, polarization-diverse cloverleaf phased array


A highly efficient fuel cell is provided that can be reduced in size and provide a large electromotive force and that comprises an electrolyte/electrode joined member comprising a fuel electrode, an oxidizer electrode, and an electrolyte membrane provided between the electrodes, wherein a plurality of spacers are provided at least on a surface on the oxidizer electrode side of the electrolyte/electrode joined member.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a fuel cell for generating an electric power by the reaction of fuel with an oxidizer. Further, the present invention relates to a small electric equipment using the fuel cell.
2. Related Background Art
A fuel cell uses an electrolyte/electrode joined member, which is composed of an electrolyte membrane sandwiched between a fuel electrode having a catalyst and an oxidizer electrode having a catalyst, as a power generation cell unit. In the electrolyte/electrode joined member, a fuel gas such as a hydrogen gas is caused to flow on the fuel electrode side while an oxidizing gas containing an oxygen gas is caused to flow on the oxidizer electrode side, and these gases electrochemically react with each other through the electrolyte membrane to provide an electromotive force to the outside. Since a single electrolyte/electrode joined member has a small electromotive force of about 0.7 to 0.8 V, a plurality of electrolyte/electrode joined members are connected in series to be used in many cases.
For example, FIG. 3 shows a sectional view of a conventional fuel cell. Electrolyte/electrode joined members, each of which is composed of an electrolyte membrane 31 having a fuel electrode 32 and an oxidizer electrode 33 on the opposite surfaces thereof, are stacked such that the fuel electrodes 32 face the oxidizer electrodes 33, and conductive separators 34 are inserted between the electrolyte/electrode joined members so as to connect the electrolyte/electrode joined members in series. Further, in each separator 34, an oxidizing gas flow path, which supplies an oxidizing gas to an adjacent oxidizer electrode, and a fuel gas flow path, which supplies a fuel gas to an adjacent fuel electrode are formed, respectively. In this case, the oxidizing gas is supplied by taking in air from the atmosphere through a perforated housing 37, and the fuel is supplied from a fuel storage unit. As described above, the conventional separator has the function of separating the fuel from the oxidizer and the function of a spacer for securing a space for supplying the fuel gas and the oxidizing gas.
For example, Japanese Patent Publication No. H04-25673 (page 205, FIG. 3) discloses a configuration such that a plurality of cells are connected in series through a separator composed of a conductive plate having conductive projections. The conductive projections establish parallel flow paths for fuel and an oxidizing gas over the surface of electrodes.
Further, there is proposed a trial for reducing the size of a fuel cell in which electrolyte/electrode joined members are stacked such that the fuel electrodes face each other or the oxidizer electrodes face each other (see Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2000-058100 (FIG. 1)).
However, the fuel cell having the stack structure disclosed in Japanese Patent Publication No. H04-25673 described above has a problem that the size of the fuel cell depends on the thickness of the separator and is large in a stack direction. Further, it is important for the separator to secure the flow paths of an oxidizer and fuel and to maximize a reacting electrode interface in order to improve the efficiency of the fuel cell. For this purpose, a contact interface between the separator and the electrodes needs to be reduced.
Further, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2000-058100 proposes a trial for reducing the size of a fuel cell. For example, there is also proposed a fuel cell the size of which in a stack direction is reduced by stacking electrolyte/electrode joined members such that the fuel electrodes face each other or the oxidizer electrodes face each other and by inserting an insulating separator into each flow path, in which either one of an oxidizing gas flow path and a fuel gas flow path is formed, between the electrolyte/electrode joined members. The separator merely has a role of electrically isolating upper and lower electrodes and keeping a flow path space and therefore does not improve the power generation efficiency of the fuel cell.
Further, in the fuel cell, it is very difficult to accurately form a fine structure for oxidizer and fuel passages.
In view of the above circumstances, it is desirable to provide a fuel cell having a highly efficient electrode-stack structure that can be reduced in size and from which a large amount of electromotive force can be obtained.
Further, it is desirable to provide a small mobile electric equipment such as a digital camera, a digital video camera, a small projector, a small printer, a notebook personal computer, and the like using the fuel cell.


A downhole acoustic logging tool is used for generating a guided borehole wave that propagates into the formation as a body wave, reflects from an interface and is converted back into a guided borehole wave. Guided borehole waves resulting from reflection of the body wave are used to image a reflector.

1. Field of the Disclosure
The present disclosure pertains to logging while drilling apparatus and more particularly to acoustic logging while drilling apparatus and generating and using guided waves to look ahead of the drillbit.
2. Summary of the Related Art
To obtain hydrocarbons such as oil and gas, wells or wellbores are drilled into the ground through hydrocarbon-bearing subsurface formations. Currently, much current drilling activity involves not only vertical wells but also drilling horizontal wells. In drilling, information from the well itself must be obtained. While seismic data has provided information as to the area to drill and approximate depth of a pay zone, the seismic information can be not totally reliable at great depths. To support the data, information is obtained while drilling through logging while drilling or measuring while drilling (MWD) devices. Logging-while-drilling, or measuring-while-drilling are procedures that have been in use for many years. This procedure is preferred by drillers because it can be accomplished without having to stop drilling to log a hole. This is primarily due to the fact that logging an unfinished hole, prior to setting casing if necessary, can lead to washouts, damaging the drilling work that has already been done. This can stall the completion of the well and delay production. Further, this information can be useful while the well is being drilled to make direction changes immediately. Measurements, however, are taken long after the actual drilling of the well.
An important part of drilling operations is the trying to control the direction of drilling in a desired direction. This requires the ability to "see ahead" of the drillbit. Resistivity methods have been widely used for the purpose but these usually do not have the capability of seeing very far ahead of the drillbit. See, for example, U.S. RE 35389 to Wu et al., U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/072,027 of Tabarovsky et al., U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/183,139 of Folberth et al., U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/489,875 of Wang et al. Formation pressure measurements have been used as in U.S. Pat. No. 7,063,174 to Chemali et al. The present disclosure deals with an acoustic method of looking ahead of the drillbit. For other examples using acoustic measurements, see U.S. Pat. No. 6,166,994 to Jeffryes, U.S. Pat. No. 5,678,643 to Robbins et al., U.S. Pat. No. 6,084,826 to Leggett et al., WO01/27657 of Kroode et al., and US 2004/0059512 of Thomann et al.

Imaging of formation structure ahead of the drill-bit


Technologies for determining seating of an orthopaedic implant during an orthopaedic surgical procedure includes an impaction sensor and an impaction analyzer. The impaction sensor produces sensor data, in response to an impaction between an orthopaedic mallet and a surgical tool indicative of an initial impact and a secondary impact of the impaction. The impaction analyzer analyzes the sensor data to determine a temporal length between the initial and secondary impacts and determines whether the orthopaedic implant is sufficiently seated into the bone based on the temporal length.

Joint arthroplasty is a well-known surgical procedure by which a diseased and/or damaged natural joint is replaced by a prosthetic joint, which may include one or more orthopaedic implants. For example, in a hip arthroplasty surgical procedure, a patient's natural hip ball and socket joint is partially or totally replaced by a prosthetic hip joint. Similarly, in a knee arthroplasty surgical procedure, a patient's natural knee joint is partially or totally replaced by a prosthetic knee joint.
One type of orthopaedic implants that may be used to replace a patient's joint are known as cementless orthopaedic implants. Cementless implants are implanted into a patient's boney anatomy by impacting the implant into a corresponding bone of the patient. For example, a cementless acetabular prosthesis typically includes an acetabular cup outer shell, which is configured to be implanted into a patient's acetabulum. To do so, an orthopaedic surgeon impacts the outer shell into the patient's acetabulum until the outer shell is sufficiently seated into the patient's surrounding bony anatomy. Similarly, in other arthroplasty surgical procedures such as knee arthroplasty surgical procedures, an orthopaedic surgeon strives for proper seating of the corresponding orthopaedic implant.
Typically, orthopaedic surgeons rely on experience and tactile and auditory feedback during the surgical procedure to determine when the orthopaedic implant is sufficiently impacted or seated into the patient's boney anatomy. For example, the surgeon may rely on tactile sensations felt through an impactor or inserter tool while the surgeon hammers the surgical tool with an orthopaedic mallet to impact the implant into the patient's boney anatomy. However, solely relying on such environmental feedback can result in the under or over impaction of the orthopaedic implant into the patient's bone. Over impaction can result in fracture of the patient's corresponding bone, while under impaction can result in early loosening of the orthopaedic implant.