Abstract: A package is disclosed. The package includes a premolded substrate having a leadframe structure, a first device attached to the leadframe structure, and a molding material covering at least part of the leadframe structure and the first device. It also includes a second device attached to the premolded substrate.

Abstract: A two tier power module has, in one form thereof, a PC board having upper and lower traces with an opening in the insulating material that contains a power device which has upward extending solder bump connections. An upper leadframe is mounted on the solder bumps and the upper tracks of the PC board. Vias in the PC board connect selected upper and lower traces. A control device is mounted atop the leadframe and wire bonded to the leadframe, and the assembly is encapsulated leaving exposed the bottom surfaces of the lower traces of the PC board as external connections. In another form the PC board is replaced by a planar leadframe and the upper leadframe has stepped sections which make connections with the planar leadframe, the bottom surfaces of the planar leadframe forming external connections of the module.

Abstract: Microscopy methods and apparatus for manipulation, detection, imaging, characterization, sorting and/or assembly of biological or other materials, involving an integration of CMOS or other semiconductor-based technology and microfluidics in connection with a microscope. In one implementation, a microscope including optics and a stage is outfitted with various components relating to the generation of electric and/or magnetic fields, which are implemented on an IC chip. A microfluidic system is fabricated either directly on top of the IC chip, or as a separate entity that is then appropriately bonded to the IC chip, to facilitate the introduction and removal of cells in a biocompatible environment, or other particles/objects of interest suspended in a fluid. The patterned electric and/or magnetic fields generated by the IC chip can trap and move biological cells or other objects inside the microfluidic system to facilitate viewing via the microscope.

Abstract: A method and system for allocating resources for a relay enhanced cellular communication system including a base station, one or more mobile stations and one or more relay stations, is provided. Resource allocation involves allocating subcarriers to one or more access communication links between mobile stations and their serving stations, to meet proportional data rate constraints for the access communication links while improving subcarrier spectrum utilization, and allocating subcarriers to one or more relay communication links between the base station and relay stations to meet proportional data rate constraints for the relay communication links while improving subcarrier spectrum utilization. Further, communication periods are scheduled for access links in access zones and relay links in relay zones. Balancing of communication resources allocated to the access links and relay links may be performed by balancing both subcarrier allocation and scheduling periods.

Abstract: An exemplary acid pickling solution for treating a surface of a magnesium alloy workpiece. The acid pickling solution consists of 5 g/l to 30 g/l of citric acid, 1.5 g/l to 6 g/l of surface active agent, wherein the surface active agent is a water-soluble and silicone free agent. A method for treating a surface of a magnesium alloy workpiece is also provided.

Abstract: A method and system for allocating subcarrier frequency resources for a relay enhanced cellular communication system is provided. The relay enhanced cellular communication system includes a base station, one or more mobile stations and one or more relay stations. Subcarrier allocation involves assigning a set of subcarriers by allocating subcarriers to one or more access communication links between mobile stations and their serving stations, to meet minimum data rate requirements of the access links, and allocating subcarriers to one or more relay communication links between the base station and relay stations to accommodate the data rates achieved on the corresponding access links. The serving stations may include one or more relay stations and the base station. Link balancing, multi-user diversity and minimum data rate constraint are jointly considered to achieve an optimal solution.

Abstract: An exemplary magnesium alloy article includes a main body and a phosphate film formed on a surface of the magnesium alloy main body. The phosphate film contains carbon, oxygen, magnesium, aluminum, phosphorus, and manganese. A method for fabricating the present magnesium alloy article is also provided.

Abstract: A method and system for assigning subcarrier frequency resource for a relay enhanced cellular communication system including a base station, one or more mobile stations and one or more relay stations, is provided. Subcarrier assignment involves allocating subcarriers to one or more relay communication links between the base station and relay stations, to accommodate minimum data rate requirements of the access communication links; and allocating subcarriers to one or more access communication links between relay stations and mobile stations to approximate the data rates achieved on the corresponding relay communication links, wherein allocating subcarriers to one or more access communication links includes reusing subcarriers among access communication links in different relay cells.

Abstract: An exemplary phosphating solution is used for conversion treating a surface of a magnesium alloy workpiece. The phosphating solution includes: 2.89 gram/liter to 8.67 gram/liter of phosphoric acid, 0.3 gram/liter to 1.0 gram/liter of carbamide, 0.39 gram/liter to 1.56 gram/liter of nitric acid, 6 gram/liter to 30 gram/liter of manganese dihydrogen phosphate, and 0.2 gram/liter to 0.6 gram/liter of tannin. A method for conversion treating a surface of a magnesium alloy workpiece is also provided.

Abstract: A method of illuminating objects using adaptively controlled mixing of spectral illumination energy to form and detect digital images of objects at POS environments with sufficiently high image contrast and quality. The method comprises provides, at a POS environment, a digital image capture and processing system having a system housing with an imaging window, and an area-type illumination and imaging station disposed within said system housing, for projecting a coextensive area-type illumination and imaging field (i.e. zone) through said imaging window into a 3D imaging volume during object illumination and imaging operations. As the object is moved through the 3D imaging volume, its motion is automatically detected, and signals indicative of said detected object motion are generated. In response to the generated signals, a first field of visible illumination is produced from an array of visible LEDs, simultaneously with a second field of invisible illumination from a array of infrared (IR) LEDs.

Abstract: An optocoupler package is disclosed. The package includes a substrate comprising a substrate surface, a first device, and a clip structure attached to the first device. The clip structure and the first device are mounted on the substrate, and the first device is oriented at an angle with respect to the substrate surface. A second device is mounted on the substrate, where the first device is capable of communicating with the second device.

Abstract: An package such as an optocoupler package is disclosed. The optocoupler package includes a leadframe structure comprising a first die attach pad comprising a first die attach pad surface and a second die attach pad with a second die attach pad surface. The optocoupler package further has an optical emitter device on the first die attach pad, and an optical receiver device on second die attach pad. The optical receiver device is oriented at an angle with respect to the optical emitter device, and an optically transmissive medium is disposed between the optical emitter device and the optical receiver device.

Abstract: A tunnel-type digital imaging-based system capable of generating and projecting coplanar and/or coextensive illumination and imaging planes or zones into a 3D imaging volume within a tunnel structure. The system includes a tunnel housing structure which is supported above a package conveyor in a retail environment, and employs automatic package detection, identification, profiling/dimensioning, weighing, tracking and correlating techniques during self-checkout and/or cashier-assisted operations for achieving increased levels of efficiency and productivity.

Abstract: A chip with resistive, metallic strain gauges distributed on surfaces on and buried within the chip. Also, vertically arranged vias and vertical thin film resistive strain gauges are described. The resistive strain gauges can be multiplexed wherein strain can be measured across the topology of the chip in each of the top, bottom and buried layers and any vertical strain. The resistive strain gauges may be in serpentine patterns and may be arranged on via or on vertical edges of grooves that extend from an upper or lower surface of the chip to buried layers. In this fashion, the distributed strain gauges may be used to map the strain throughout the body of a chip. A Kelvin bridge may be used to measure the strain, but other such measuring techniques and devices may be used.

Abstract: A digital-imaging based code symbol reading system comprising an image sensing array with a field of view (FOV), an illumination subsystem with an LED illumination array, an automatic illumination measurement subsystem, an illumination control subsystem, and programmed imager processor supporting an image-processing based illumination metering program. The automatic illumination measurement subsystem automatically measures the illumination level at a particular region of the FOV and determines the illumination duration necessary to achieve a desired spatial intensity in the detected digital image. The illumination metering program automatically analyzes and measures, in real-time, the spatial intensity distribution of the digital image and determines whether or not a corrected illumination duration is required or desired when detecting the next or subsequent digital images, during the current or subsequent object illumination and imaging cycle.

Abstract: A digital image capturing and processing system including a system housing having an imaging window; illumination and imaging stations for generating and projecting illumination and imaging planes or zones through the imaging window, and into a 3D imaging volume definable relative to the imaging window, for digital imaging an object passing through the 3D imaging volume, and generating digital linear images of the object as the object intersects the illumination and imaging planes or zones during system operation. A digital image processor processes the digital images and automatically recognizes graphical intelligence (e.g. bar code symbols, alphanumeric characters etc) graphically represented in the digital images.

Abstract: A digital image capturing and processing system for illuminating objects using automatic object detection and spectral-mixing illumination technique. The system comprises an area-type illumination and imaging module for projecting a coextensive area-type illumination and imaging field (i.e. zone) into a 3D imaging volume during object illumination and imaging operations. The area-type illumination and imaging module includes a spectral-mixing based illumination subsystem for producing a first field of visible illumination from an array of visible LEDs, and producing a second field of invisible illumination from an array of infrared (IR) LEDs, wherein the first and second fields of illumination spatially overlap and intermix with each other and produce a composite illumination field that is at least substantially coextensive with the FOV of the image sensing array.

Abstract: A portable digital image capturing and processing system comprising: an image formation and detection subsystem; a narrow-band illumination subsystem; a narrow-band transmission-type optical filter subsystem; an automatic light exposure measurement subsystem; and an automatic illumination control subsystem. The image formation and detection subsystem has an area-type image sensing array for detecting digital images of objects formed thereon by image formation optics providing a field of view (FOV) for the system. Within the FOV of the image formation and detection subsystem, the narrow-band illumination subsystem produces a field of narrow-band illumination consisting essentially of a narrow band of wavelengths of visible illumination.

Abstract: A portable digital image capturing and processing system comprising an image formation and detection subsystem, an LED-based illumination subsystem, an automatic light exposure measurement subsystem, and an automatic illumination control subsystem. The image formation and detection subsystem has an area-type image sensing array for detecting digital images of objects formed thereon by image formation optics providing a field of view (FOV) for the system. The automatic light exposure measurement subsystem employs a photodetector operated independently from the area-type image sensing array, for automatically measuring the light exposure incident upon a selected portion of the FOV, and producing an electrical signal representative of the light exposure measurement. The automatic illumination control subsystem responds to the electrical signal and controls the duration of LED-based illumination produced from the LED-based illumination subsystem during the image capture mode.

Abstract: An instantaneous phase error detector (IPED) and method includes a first gate configured to logically OR output phase error signals as data to a first latch, and a second gate configured to logically combine the output phase error signals to clock the first latch. A delay element delays to the data to the first latch where the output of the first latch provides instantaneous phase error change information. A second latch is coupled to the output phase error signals to output a lead/lag signal to indicate which of the output phase error signals is leading. A phase-locked loop employing the output of the IPED is also disclosed along with static phase measurement and jitter optimization features.