Abstract: Provided are a photodiode array and its manufacturing method, which maintain the crystalline quality of an absorption layer formed on a group III-V semiconductor substrate to obtain excellent characteristics, and which improve the crystallinity at the surface of a window layer; an epitaxial wafer used for manufacturing the photodiode array; and a method for manufacturing the epitaxial wafer. A method for manufacturing a photodiode array 1 having a plurality of absorption regions 21, includes the steps of: growing an absorption layer 7 on an n-type InP substrate 3; growing an InP window layer on the absorption layer 7; and diffusing a p-type impurity in regions, in the window layer 11, corresponding to the plurality of absorption regions 21. The window layer 11 is grown by MOVPE using only metal-organic sources, at a growth temperature equal to or lower than that of the absorption layer 7.

Abstract: A wireless system for managing a plurality of remote vending machines includes an enterprise control center; and a two-way wireless network coupling the enterprise control center and the plurality of remote vending machines. A touch screen may be associated with each of the plurality of vending machines for selecting items to be vended therein, and means for displaying a plurality of advertisements on the touch screen. The touch screen may also include means for paying for the items to be vended within the plurality of vending machines.

Abstract: A discrimination filtering device includes a filter and a filter having different pass bands, a detection unit, a processing unit, and a result output unit. The detection unit detects an electromagnetic wave from an object that is the target of identification through the filters. The pass band of the filters is designed to be suitable for object discrimination. The processing unit substitutes the output from the detection unit into a discrimination function determined based on the pass band of the filters and the teaching spectrum obtained in advance to infer the group which the object belongs to based on the substituted result.

Abstract: The invention relates to a scalable freight loading system, especially for an aircraft, said system comprising drive means (L1-L9, R1-R9), covering sensors, bolts, proximity switches (PL1-PL9, PR1-PR9), and a central control device (CCB). According to the invention, the loading surface is divided into sectors (S1, S2, S3); a local control unit (SCB1, SCB2, SCB3) is associated with each sector; the drive means, covering sensors, and proximity switches of a sector are connected to IO ports of the local control unit; and the local control units are connected to the central control unit by means of a bus system (CAN-Bus).

Abstract: A device and a method for metallic electrolytic coating of an object of electrically conductive material, wherein the object has at least two surface portions that are desired to be coated with layers of different thicknesses. The device includes an anode. The device is designed to receive the object in such a way that the object constitutes a cathode and that, upon receipt of the object, a space is formed for receiving a liquid-absorbing material and an electrolyte for coating the object. The body of the anode includes at least two surface portions) that have different electrical conductivity and that are arranged opposite to the surface portions of the received object.

Abstract: A method for performing a holding operation to a semiconductor memory array having rows and columns of memory cells, includes: applying an electrical signal to buried regions of the memory cells, wherein each of the memory cells comprises a floating body region defining at least a portion of a surface of the memory cell, the floating body region having a first conductivity type; and wherein the buried region of each memory cell is located within the memory cell and located adjacent to the floating body region, the buried region having a second conductivity type.

Abstract: A method of assembling composite structures from objects in fluid includes providing a plurality of objects, each having a preselected size, shape, and spatial distribution of surface structural features characterizing a surface roughness; dispersing the objects into the fluid; and introducing a depletion agent. The depletion agent includes a plurality of particles having a size distribution preselected causing an attractive force arising from a depletion attraction between at least a first object and second object of the plurality in at least one relative position and orientation based on the preselected spatial distribution of surface structural features on the first and second objects, and the depletion attraction between the first and second objects forms at least one rigid bond or slippery bond at or proximate to respective surface portions based on the preselected spatial distribution of surface structural features on the first and second objects to form a two-object composite structure.

Abstract: A data bus node, being a control node or a sensor node and being arranged to communicate over a TDMA data bus. The node includes a time signal processing device being configured to define a TDMA time slot transmission schedule for at least the node. A switch is configured to either connect or isolate a transmission path of the node to the bus and is configured to be controlled by the TDMA time slot transmission schedule for the node via a bus transmission access control device. The bus transmission access control device is configured to be further controlled by at least one external control signal via at least one external data transmission link being physically separated from the bus. A fault tolerant data bus system includes such a bus node and an aircraft exploiting the node/system. The babbling idiot problem is solved and at the same time the node/s/system fail silent behavior is enhanced.

Abstract: An improved blow molded plastic container having generally rounded sidewalls that are adapted for hot-fill applications has two adjacent sides and two pairs of controlled deflection panels, each pair reacting to vacuum pressure at differing rates of movement, whereby one pair inverts under vacuum pressure and the other pair remains available for increased squeezability or extreme vacuum extraction. The opposing sidewalls are symmetric relative to vacuum panel and rib shape and placement. The ribs and controlled deflection panels cooperate to retain container shape upon filling and cooling and also improves bumper denting resistance, decreases vacuum pressure within the container, and increases light weight capability.

Abstract: A helical tool (1?, 1?) having a rigid outer helical support surface (2) is used as support for a non-rigid material for producing a hollow elongated member onto and as an integral part with a surface member (3) in manufacturing of a surface member having at least one hollow elongated stiffening member integral therewith.

Abstract: A device for cooling optical components based on optical fibers for transmitting high optical power. The device includes one or more cavities with a flowing coolant to take care of optical power loss. The device includes a transmitting construction material having a low heat expansion coefficient arranged in direct connection with the optical components and arranged to transmit power loss radiation into the cavity which is flushed with the flowing coolant. The transmitting construction material is made as a transparent tube and surrounded by a tubular casing of a non-transparent material having a good absorption capacity so that the cavity is formed between the two materials.

Abstract: An accommodating and transport device for prefabricated steps of an escalator which are reduced in terms of their overall height or prefabricated pallets of a moving walkway includes a frame body separate and independent of the escalator or moving walkway. The frame body includes lateral guide tracks to receive rollers connected to the steps or pallets. The steps or pallets are stackable inside the frame body for transport purposes.

Abstract: An optical receiver is disclosed, in which no additional photodiode to monitor the optical input level and no temperature control unit are necessary. The receiver of the invention provides an avalanche photodiode (APD) to receiver the first optical signal with the first wavelength and a PIN-PD to receive the second optical signal with the second wavelength. The optical input level for the APD is indirectly determined through the photocurrent generated by the PIN-PD and the bias voltage for the APD is so adjusted that the APD shows an optimum multiplication factor for the optical input level.

Abstract: A method and an apparatus for detecting condition changes in a robot system. The method includes logging a work cycle representative signal at a first and a second occasion, logging, synchronously with the logging of the work cycle representative signal, a reference signal associated with work cycles at the first and second occasions, selecting the reference signal from signals having the following characteristics: a signal influenced by the path performed by the robot, a signal calculated by the robot system, and a signal that is identical at both the occasions if a manipulator of the robot performs a movement along exactly the same path at the first and second occasions, synchronizing the representative signals utilizing the logged reference signals, and comparing the synchronized signals to determine if any condition changes have occurred between the first and second occasions.

Abstract: A voltage source converter including a string of series connected active semiconducting elements. The converter includes in case of an active semiconducting element failure a calculation element configured to calculate an operation dc voltage including a sum of dc ratings of each remaining active semiconducting element in the string, and a regulator configured to regulate the converter to assume the operation dc voltage over the converter.

Abstract: A method for locating a fault in a two-terminal power transmission or distribution line. Measurements of the three phase currents are received from both terminals. Measurements of the three phase voltages are received from one line terminal. Parameters of the line are received. The fault type is received. Based on this received information the distance to fault from the one terminal where the phase voltages were measured is determined and output. Since only the phase voltages of one line terminal are needed, the functionality of a device, in particular a current differential relay, can be expanded to determine the distance to fault in an off-line mode.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for the processing of print products. The method may include conveying individually the print products with a feeding device along a feeding section, transferring individually the print products from the feeding section to a further processing section, and generating control signals from a control unit. The control signals may correspond to further treatment of each individual print product and to the transfer of a print product to the further processing section such that it can be processed further. The apparatus may include a feeding device configured to convey the print products individually along a feeding section, a transfer device configured to individually transfer the print products from the feeding device to a further processing device, and a control unit configured to generate control signals to control the transfer of the print products from the feeding device to the further processing device.

Abstract: The invention relates to using the properties of the mobile client terminal, preferably data processing capability and the screen size, and the capacity of the communication channel between the video streaming server and the client terminal, to determine the bit rate, frame rate and the spatial resolution that the multimedia data, preferably video, needs to be encoded with in order to provided the end user with the maximum possible subjective user satisfaction. The invention also pertains to sending the multimedia data coded with the determined parameters to the client terminal using a video transcoder and a streaming server.