Abstract: In a LED driver using a depletion mode transistor to serve as a current source, the depletion mode transistor is self-biased for providing a driving current to drive at least one LED, thereby requesting no additional control circuit to control the depletion mode transistor. The driving current is independent on the supply voltage coupled to the at least one LED, thereby requesting no additional voltage regulator, reducing the circuit size, and lowering the cost.

Abstract: An ultra shallow junction (USJ) FET device and method for forming the same with improved control over SDE or LDD doped region interfaces to improve device performance and reliability is provided, the method including providing a semiconductor substrate; forming a gate structure comprising a gate dielectric, an overlying gate electrode, and first offset spacers adjacent either side of the gate electrode; forming at least one doped semiconductor layer comprising dopants over a respective source and drain region adjacent the respective first offset spacers; forming second offset spacers adjacent the respective first offset spacers; and, thermally treating the at least one semiconductor layer to cause out-diffusion of the dopants to form doped regions in the semiconductor substrate.

Abstract: Aircraft that have fuselages including a series of frames spaced apart according to a frame pitch. The series of frames are covered by an aircraft skin to define an interior volume of the aircraft. The interior volume contains a series of rows of seats separated according to a seat pitch. The seat pitch may be indexed to the frame pitch such that seats are located between adjacent ones of the series of frames to permit a reduced-perimeter aircraft fuselage with substantially equal passenger comfort metrics. In some embodiments, in addition, a series of windows are located adjacent outboard seats of the series of rows of seats to permit ergonomically appropriate viewing through the series of windows by passengers seated in the outboard seats.

Abstract: An electric brake system for an aircraft employs a brake control process to alleviate high dynamic structural loading of the aircraft landing gear caused by braking maneuvers. The system obtains and processes real-time data—which may include the current aircraft speed, the current brake pedal deflection position, and the current brake pedal deflection rate—to determine how best to control the onset of the brakes. The braking control scheme delays the onset of the desired braking condition to reduce high dynamic loading and lurching of the aircraft.

Abstract: The non-productive motion of an automatic composite tape laydown machine is optimized to increase the overall rate of the laydown. Ordering of tape courses is analyzed to determine the time required to move between courses using a time function that reflects operating characteristics and limitations of the tape laydown machine. The ordering is optimized by re-ordering, grouping and/or partitioning the tape courses so as to reduce the non-productive motion of the machine. The optimized ordering is used by a NC program that controls the operation of the machine.

Abstract: A method 10 for designing and purchasing a product which allows the respective product and cost information associated with a variety of potential suppliers 36, 38 to be automatically queried.

Abstract: An aircraft passenger seat configured in accordance with an embodiment of the invention utilizes composite materials to achieve significant weight savings relative to conventional seat designs. The seat includes one or more lightweight composite support legs, a lightweight composite seat pan, and a lightweight composite seat back structure. The support legs are coupled to the seat pan, which is in turn coupled to the seat back structure. The support legs utilize composite frame elements that are formed as continuous compression molded composite extrusions. The seat pan includes composite fore and aft cross beams that are also formed as continuous compression molded composite extrusions. The aft cross beam includes a rear flange that serves as a flexible “hinge” for the seat back structure. The seat can leverage producible and relatively inexpensive composite manufacturing techniques such that the seat can be economically produced for use as an economy class seat.

Abstract: An aircraft passenger seat configured in accordance with an embodiment of the invention utilizes composite materials to achieve significant weight savings relative to conventional seat designs. The seat includes one or more lightweight composite support legs, a lightweight composite seat pan, and a lightweight composite seat back structure. The support legs are coupled to the seat pan, which is in turn coupled to the seat back structure. The support legs utilize composite frame elements that are formed as continuous compression molded composite extrusions. The seat pan includes composite fore and aft cross beams that are also formed as continuous compression molded composite extrusions. The aft cross beam includes a rear flange that serves as a flexible “hinge” for the seat back structure. The seat can leverage producible and relatively inexpensive composite manufacturing techniques such that the seat can be economically produced for use as an economy class seat.

Abstract: Unused fuel in a fuel cell is recirculated in the anode loop and combined with fresh fuel using an electromagnetically driven pump. The pump includes a magnetic rotor mounted inside a conduit of nonmagnetic material that recirculates the fuel, and a plurality of electric stator coils disposed around the outside of the conduit. The stator coils are powered by either a AC or pulse train signal produced by a controller, and generate synchronous electromagnetic forces that spin rotor to force the gas through the recirculation loop.

Abstract: A method of electroplating conductive material on semiconductor wafers controls undesirable surface defects by reducing the electroplating current as the wafer is being initially immersed in a plating bath. Further defect reduction and improved bottom up plating of vias is achieved by applying a static charge on the wafer before it is immersed in the bath, in order to enhance bath accelerators used to control the plating rate. The static charge is applied to the wafer using a supplemental electrode disposed outside the plating bath.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for joining adjacent members, wherein the members are placed in an overlapping layered relationship. The members are clamped between a die and a blank holder. Once clamped, a clinching operation is performed on the members to create at least a partial bond between them. In addition to the clinching operation, a level of vibrational energy is imparted to at least one of the members to reduce clamping force requirements, promote material flow and deformation and provide increased joint strength.

Abstract: A method and device of feature enhancement for digital image processing. A predefined feature in one dimension of the image is searched to obtain several peaks, and each peak is either a local maximum or local minimum. Each peak is enhanced by adding an offset to increase the local maximum or decrease the local minimum. The offset of each peak is computed by calculating the difference between each peak and the preceding peak, then multiplying by a preset ratio.

Abstract: A method for audio encoding includes: analyzing an audio frame using a psychoacoustic model to obtain a corresponding masking curve and window information; transforming the audio frame according to the window information to obtain a spectrum, and dividing the spectrum into a plurality of frequency sub-bands; estimating a scale factor for each frequency sub-band; quantizing the frequency sub-bands; encoding the quantized frequency sub-bands; and packing the encoded frequency sub-bands and side information into an audio stream. Each scale factor is estimated based on a quantizable audio intensity of each frequency sub-band, which is adjusted according to a cumulative total amount of buffer space used for storing the encoded frequency sub-bands and an amount of buffer space used for storing a previously encoded audio frame, and a mean of intensities of all signals in the corresponding frequency sub-band and spectrum position of the corresponding frequency sub-band.

Abstract: A lift mechanism includes a balance structure configured to hold an object, wherein the balance structure is rotateably connected to an arm structure at a pivot point. The pivot point is configured, and the object is positioned, such that the pivot point is substantially coincident with the center-of-mass of the object being moved. Weights may be selectively attached to the balance structure to adjust the center-of-mass. In one embodiment, the lift mechanism includes a base and an arm configured to rotate with respect to the base, wherein the arm is attached to the balance structure at the pivot point. In this way, heavy objects may be lifted, translated, and rotated into place safely in an efficient manner.

Abstract: The present invention discloses a level shift circuit which comprises: an input driver circuit; a capacitor having a first end electrically connected with the output of the input driver circuit; an output driver circuit electrically connected with a second end of the capacitor; and a feedback latch circuit electrically connected between the output of the output driver circuit and the second end of the capacitor, for maintaining the voltage level at the second end of the capacitor.

Abstract: A method and apparatus are provided for braking and stopping a vehicle whose powertrain includes an electric drive. The electric drive is used to generate braking torque which is used to decelerate the vehicle down to a full stop. The braking torque is achieved using any of several closed loop speed control systems. The system can be used as a substitute for or as a supplement to conventional friction bakes.

Abstract: An exhaust monitoring cup which measures exhaust gas flowing through a top opening in a coater cup of a spin coating apparatus used in the deposition of photoresist coatings on semiconductor wafers. The exhaust monitoring cup includes a gas flow cup which is positioned in fluid communication with the top opening of the coater cup. The exhaust gas flows through a gas flow opening in the gas flow cup, and a flow rate measuring apparatus at the gas flow opening receives the exhaust gas and measures the flow rate thereof. The flow rate of the gas leaving the gas flow cup can be compared to the flow rate of the gas flowing from an exhaust conduit leading from the bottom of the coater cup, to facilitate detection of abnormal conditions in the coater cup or exhaust conduit.

Abstract: The present invention discloses a method and a circuit for reducing switching ringing in a switching regulator. The switching regulator comprises two transistors, and the two transistors are never simultaneously OFF. A phase lock loop may be provided to fix the output signal frequency of a PWM control circuit to a set frequency.

Abstract: A device for assembling a composite structure is disclosed. An illustrative embodiment of the device includes at least one carriage track, a linear rail carriage carried by the at least one carriage track, a yoke assembly carried by the linear rail carriage, a linear actuator assembly engaging the linear rail carriage and adapted to move the linear rail carriage along the at least one carriage track and a pair of mandrel cradles pivotally carried by the yoke assembly. Activation of the linear actuator assembly facilitates movement of the linear rail carriage along the at least one carriage track and pivoting of the pair of mandrel cradles with respect to the yoke assembly.

Abstract: An autonomous controller allows an AC induction motor to operate over a broad range of AC power supply frequencies by reducing the amount of current supplied to the motor at lower frequencies. The controller detects the frequency of the power supply and switches the supply current on and off during each AC cycle to limit the RMS current to a value that is related to the detected frequency. Alternatively, the controller switches capacitive reactance into the power supply circuit which reduces the current supplied to the motor at lower AC frequencies.