According to one embodiment, a sheet post-processing apparatus includes a machine body, a first roller pair, a tray, a second roller pair, a driving unit, an inlet sensor, a receiving unit and a control unit. The inlet sensor is configured to detect presence or absence of the sheet in the first roller pair driven by the driving unit. The receiving unit is configured to receive, from an image forming apparatus, sheet length information in the sheet conveying direction of the sheet as a target to which the print job is applied. The control unit is configured to control the driving unit to rotate, if the sheet length information indicates special length and the inlet sensor detects a trailing end of the sheet, at least rollers of the second roller pair a predetermined number of times and stop the rollers, the second roller pair nipping the sheet.

A sheet binding apparatus which forms concavity and the convexity on a sheet bundle including a plurality of sheets in a thickness direction so as to bind the sheet bundle, the sheet binding apparatus includes: a pair of concave-convex members, each of which has concave-convex portion in the thickness direction of the sheet bundle and which forms the concavity and the convexity on the sheet bundle in the thickness direction while niping the sheet bundle therebetween; wherein in the pair of concave-convex members, one of the concave-convex members has a greater difference in height of the concave-convex portion than that of the other concave-convex member which engages with the above-described concave-convex member.

Disclosed is an image forming system including: the relay apparatus; the image forming device which is connected to the first communication control unit of the relay apparatus and which acquires the sheet interval information of the downstream post-processing device through the first communication system; and the second post-processing device which is connected to the second communication control unit of the relay apparatus, the second post-processing device being compliant with the second communication system.

Disclosed is an image forming system including: an image forming device to notify a downstream post-processing device of sheet information relating to a sheet on which an image is formed, before the sheet is discharged, and to notify the downstream post-processing device of set separation information indicating a final sheet of each set of document in synchronization with the sheet information relating to the final sheet of each set in case that a plurality of sets of document are printed, the image forming device being compliant with a first communication system; a post-processing device which is connected to a downstream of the image forming device and is compliant with a second communication system which is different from the first communication system; and the relay apparatus which is connected to the image forming device through the first communication system and is connected to the post-processing device through the second communication system.

A sheet processing apparatus includes a pair of squeezing members having a projection and a recess to engage each other, to squeeze a sheet bundle inserted therebetween in a direction of thickness of the sheet bundle, and a pressure applying unit to apply pressing force to the squeezing members to squeeze and bind the sheet bundle. The pressing force generated between the squeezing members by the pressure applying unit increases in strength as a relative distance between the squeezing members decreases.

A post-processing apparatus includes a processing tray, a conveyance portion, a staple unit, an operation portion, a mode switching portion, a cover, and an open/close detection portion. The staple unit, which has an automatic mode and a manual mode as processing modes for stapling processing, executes stapling processing for a paper sheet conveyed to the processing tray by the conveyance portion in the automatic mode, and executes stapling processing for a paper sheet stacked on the processing tray by a user in the manual mode. The cover is attached in an openable and closable manner so as to cover the operation portion when closed, and expose the operation portion when opened. While the open/close detection portion is detecting that the cover is opened, when the operation portion has received an operation for switching to the manual mode, the mode switching portion switches the automatic mode to the manual mode.

In the invention, for a first sheet, regardless of the sheet size (width), a lateral registration detector is moved in a direction towards an edge face of the sheet from a home position to detect the edge face of the sheet. With lateral deviation in the sheet position corrected, punching is performed by a puncher. For the second and subsequent sheets, the lateral registration detector is moved in advance to near the edge face of the sheet with reference to the detected position of the sheet edge of the first sheet, and the edge face is detected at a given timing. With lateral deviation in the sheet position corrected, punching is performed by the puncher.

In a provided apparatus, an upper roller to be engaged with a sheet upper face and a lower roller to be engaged with a sheet lower face are arranged at a sheet discharging port in a manner capable of being pressure-contacted and being separated, the upper roller is formed with a large-diameter soft roll face and a small-diameter hard roll face, and a pressurization force of roller lifting-lowering means with which the upper roller is pressure-contacted to and is separated from the lower roller is switched to be high or low.

An image forming system includes the following elements. An image forming apparatus forms images on plural sheets sequentially transported with a spacing therebetween. A sheet transport apparatus includes a transport section which receives and transports the plural sheets farther downstream. The sheet transport apparatus supplies a different type of sheet from a different-type-of-sheet supply device, inserts it into the spacing, and transports the sheets. The sheet transport apparatus includes the following elements. A transport information obtaining unit obtains information concerning transporting of sheets. A different-type-of-sheet stop unit supplies the different type of sheet, on the basis of the information concerning transporting of sheets, and stops the different type of sheet at a position before the transport section. A different-type-of-sheet supply information output unit outputs information concerning the supply of the different type of sheet, the information being obtained regarding a standby state of the different type of sheet.

In a sheet storing apparatus of the present invention, a tailing end supporting member which temporarily supports a tailing end of a dropping sheet bundle is arranged between a discharging port of a processing tray to discharge the sheet bundle and the upmost sheet on a stack tray as being movable between an operating position above a sheet placement face and a waiting position outside the stack tray.

A sheet processing apparatus includes a projection forming unit configured to form a projection on a sheet. The projection is formed in the vicinity of a binding portion of a sheet bundle. When a succeeding sheet bundle is discharged on the sheet bundle in which the projection has been formed on a top surface thereof, the succeeding sheet bundle is stacked by moving on the already stacked sheet bundle without being caught by the binding portion of the already stacked sheet bundle as an end of the succeeding sheet bundle is guided by the projection.

A sheet processing apparatus including a stacking tray that stacks sheets, a conveying member that conveys a sheet to the stacking tray and discharges the sheet bundle from the stacking tray, wherein the conveying member includes a conveying roller and a conveying belt stretched by a plurality of stretch rollers, and a sheet processor that performs predetermined processing to the sheet bundle. When the conveying member conveys the sheet to the stacking tray, a part of the conveying belt that is not wound on the stretch roller contacts the conveying roller by moving the conveying belt as such a nip for conveying the sheet is formed. When the conveying member discharges the sheet bundle from the stacking tray, a part of the conveying belt that is wound on the stretch roller contacts the conveying roller by moving the conveying belt so that a nip for conveying the sheet is formed.

A sheet processing apparatus includes: a folding processing unit that folds a sheet by reversely rotating a second conveying member in a condition in which the sheet is held by a first and the second conveying members; a calculating unit that calculates an amount of deflection of the sheet held by the first and second conveying members from timings at which the sheet is detected by first and second detecting units disposed upstream of the first conveying member and downstream of the second conveying member and a distance between disposed positions of the first and second detecting units; and a control unit that sets, from the calculated amount of deflection of the sheet, an amount of conveyance for the first conveying member in a direction opposite to a sheet conveying direction in a condition in which the sheet is held by the first and second conveying members.

To provide a sheet storage apparatus for enabling sheets that are carried out of an image formation apparatus or the like on the upstream side to be loaded and stored in a predetermined position with a correct posture neatly at high speed, a sheet discharge roller and a reverse roller spaced a distance are disposed in a sheet discharge outlet and a tray, a kick member is provided to be swingable in a vertical direction passing a sheet discharge path of a sheet discharged from the sheet discharge outlet, and a posture of the kick member is controlled by shift means. The shift means controls the kick member among a waiting posture retracted upward from the sheet discharge path, an engagement posture for imposing a load on the sheet to engage, and an actuation posture dropping onto the tray together with the sheet.

A first discharging portion that discharges a sheet received from one of image forming apparatus and a second discharging portion discharges a sheet received from another image forming apparatus are disposed opposite each other to stack the sheets discharged in a common processing tray. A controller controls the first and second discharging portions when the sheets are continuously discharged by the first and second discharging portions, controls a timing when the sheets are discharged by the first discharging portion and the second discharging portion to the common processing tray such that a leading edge of the sheet discharged from one of the discharging portions abuts on a sheet surface in the downstream of a discharging direction below a leading edge of the sheet discharged from the other discharging portion.

An apparatus for processing sheets of different formats, the apparatus including a feeding device that feed sheets of different formats in a feeding direction one behind the other, and at a certain conveying speed, at least two collecting drums disposed downstream of the feeding device, the at least two collecting drums having cylindrical lateral surfaces that rotate about an axis of rotation, securing means for temporarily securing the fed sheets on a circumference of the at least two collecting drums, a drive device that drives the collecting drums in rotation at a circumferential speed that corresponds to the conveying speed of the feeding device, and a sensing device for sensing the sheets of different formats moving past is arranged along the conveying path and senses the leading edge of the sheets of different formats, as seen in the feeding direction, or markings applied to the sheets of different formats.

An interconnect structure and a method of forming an interconnect structure are disclosed. The interconnect structure includes a lower conductive feature in a lower low-k (LK) dielectric layer; a first etch stop layer (ESL) over the lower conductive feature, wherein the first ESL comprises a metal compound; an upper LK dielectric layer over the first ESL; and an upper conductive feature in the upper LK dielectric layer, wherein the upper conductive feature extends through the first ESL and connected to the lower conductive feature. The interconnect structure may further include a second ESL between the upper LK dielectric layer and the first ESL, or between the first ESL and the lower conductive feature, wherein the second ESL comprises a silicon compound.

A semiconductor device has a semiconductor wafer with a plurality of contact pads. A first insulating layer is formed over the semiconductor wafer and contact pads. A portion of the first insulating layer is removed, exposing a first portion of the contact pads, while leaving a second portion of the contact pads covered. An under bump metallization layer and a plurality of bumps is formed over the contact pads and the first insulating layer. A second insulating layer is formed over the first insulating layer, a sidewall of the under bump metallization layer, sidewall of the bumps, and upper surface of the bumps. A portion of the second insulating layer covering the upper surface of the bumps is removed, but the second insulating layer is maintained over the sidewall of the bumps and the sidewall of the under bump metallization layer.

A microelectronic assembly and method of making, which includes a first microelectronic element (including a substrate with first and second opposing surfaces, a semiconductor device, and conductive pads at the first surface which are electrically coupled to the semiconductor device) and a second microelectronic element (including a handler with first and second opposing surfaces, a second semiconductor device, and conductive pads at the handler first surface which are electrically coupled to the second semiconductor device). The first and second microelectronic elements are integrated such that the second surfaces face each other. The first microelectronic element includes conductive elements each extending from one of its conductive pads, through the substrate to the second surface. The second microelectronic element includes conductive elements each extending between the handler first and second surfaces. The conductive elements of the first microelectronics element are electrically coupled to the conductive elements of the second microelectronics element.

A semiconductor device has a protective layer formed over an active surface of a semiconductor wafer. The semiconductor die with pre-applied protective layer are moved from the semiconductor wafer and mounted on a carrier. The semiconductor die and contact pads on the carrier are encapsulated. The carrier is removed. A first insulating layer is formed over the pre-applied protective layer and contact pads. Vias are formed in the first insulating layer and pre-applied protective layer to expose interconnect sites on the semiconductor die. An interconnect structure is formed over the first insulating layer in electrical contact with the interconnect sites on the semiconductor die and contact pads. The interconnect structure has a redistribution layer formed on the first insulating layer, a second insulating layer formed on the redistribution layer, and an under bump metallization layer formed over the second dielectric in electrical contact with the redistribution layer.

When forming sophisticated semiconductor-based gate electrode structures of transistors, the pre-doping of one type of gate electrode structure may be accomplished after the actual patterning of the electrode material by using an appropriate mask or fill material for covering the active regions and using a lithography mask. In this manner, a high degree of flexibility is provided with respect to selecting an appropriate patterning regime, while at the same time a uniform and superior cross-sectional shape for any type of gate electrode structure is obtained.

An optical element includes at least two stacked birefringent layers having respective local optical axes that are rotated by respective twist angles over respective thicknesses of the at least two layers, and are aligned along respective interfaces between the at least two layers. The respective twist angles and/or the respective thicknesses are different. The at least two stacked birefringent layers may be liquid crystal polymer optical retarder layers. Related devices and fabrication methods are also discussed.

A height adjustable platform and method include a ratchet platform having a platform upper assembly with a platform and a ratchet. The ratchet includes a platform riser tube and a ratchet rail secured to the platform riser tube. The ratchet platform also includes a platform lower assembly having a support column and a platform base. The support column is secured to the platform base. An end of the ratchet is proximate the platform and an opposing end of the ratchet is disposed within an interior of the support column. The platform upper assembly actuator includes a pedal sub assembly and an upper linkage. The upper linkage is attached to the pedal sub assembly. Actuation of the pedal sub assembly actuates the upper linkage. Actuation of the upper linkage actuates the ratchet to adjust the height of the ratchet platform. The ratchet platform also includes an energy attenuation system.

A tuner and a transformer formed by printed circuit board thereof are provided. The transformer includes a first winding and a second winding. In which, the first winding forms a first inductor and the second winding forms a second inductor. The transformer is formed by the first and the second inductors, wherein the first winding and the second winding are formed by conducting wires of a printed circuit board.

Aspects of a method and system for configuring a transformer embedded in a multi-layer integrated circuit package are provided. In this regard, a windings ratio of a transformer embedded in a multi-layer IC package bonded to an IC may be configured, via logic, circuitry, and/or code in the IC, based on signal levels at one or more terminals of the transformer. The transformer may comprise a plurality of inductive loops fabricated in transmission line media. The integrated circuit may be flip-chip bonded to the multi-layer package. The IC may comprise a signal strength indicator enabled to measure signal levels input to or output by the transformer. The windings ratio may be configured via one or more switches in the IC and/or in the multi-layer package. The IC and/or the multi-layer package may comprise ferromagnetic material which may improve magnetic coupling of the transformer.

An inkjet recording apparatus to print onto a surface of a recording medium includes an endless rotation conveyance member with a plurality of through-holes; a suction unit to suction the recording medium on the surface of the endless rotation conveyance member; an ink discharge head including ink discharge nozzles; a blank discharge ink receiver to receive ink through the through-holes; a control unit to make the ink discharge nozzles discharge ink at a predetermined timing; and a fixed plate along an inner surface of the endless rotation conveyance member, the fixed plate including an opening formed in a position corresponding to the ink discharge nozzles and a through-hole. The blank discharge ink receiver is disposed corresponding to the opening of the fixed plate and in close contact with the fixed plate so that an inside space of the blank discharge receiver becomes a substantially closed space.

A sheet feeder for transporting a sheet unreeled from a roll includes a feed roller to unreel the sheet from the roll, a registration roller to transport the sheet unreeled by the feed roller to the image forming unit, a pressure roller pressing against the registration roller, forming a registration nip together with the registration roller, a movable sheet guide to guide the sheet to the registration roller, disposed between the feed roller and the registration roller in a sheet conveyance path, a support member to movably support the movable sheet guide relative to an apparatus body in which the sheet feeder is disposed, and a bias member to bias the sheet guide toward the sheet. The movable sheet guide wraps more of the sheet around the registration roller as a degree of tension of the sheet increases by moving against a bias force exerted by the bias member.

A gamma prime nickel-base superalloy and components formed therefrom that exhibit improved high-temperature dwell capabilities, including creep and hold time fatigue crack growth behavior. A particular example of a component is a powder metallurgy turbine disk of a gas turbine engine. The gamma-prime nickel-base superalloy contains, by weight, 16.0 to 30.0% cobalt, 11.5 to 15.0% chromium, 4.0 to 6.0% tantalum, 2.0 to 4.0% aluminum, 1.5 to 6.0% titanium, up to 5.0% tungsten, 1.0 to 7.0% molybdenum, up to 3.5% niobium, up to 1.0% hafnium, 0.02 to 0.20% carbon, 0.01 to 0.05% boron, 0.02 to 0.10% zirconium, the balance essentially nickel and impurities, wherein the titanium:aluminum weight ratio is 0.5 to 2.0.

A gamma prime nickel-base superalloy and components formed therefrom that exhibit improved high-temperature dwell capabilities, including creep and hold time fatigue crack growth behavior. A particular example of a component is a powder metallurgy turbine disk of a gas turbine engine. The gamma-prime nickel-base superalloy contains, by weight, 18.0 to 30.0% cobalt, 11.4 to 16.0% chromium, up to 6.0% tantalum, 2.5 to 3.5% aluminum, 2.5 to 4.0% titanium, 5.5 to 7.5% molybdenum, up to 2.0% niobium, up to 2.0% hafnium, 0.04 to 0.20% carbon, 0.01 to 0.05% boron, 0.03 to 0.09% zirconium, the balance essentially nickel and impurities, wherein the titanium:aluminum weight ratio is 0.71 to 1.60.

A method of replacing a generator of a wind power installation. The generator is provided in the interior of a pylon of a wind power installation and the pylon has a door opening. An exchanging cross beam is fixed by way of a first fastening point to a crane hook of a mobile crane. A first end of the cross beam is introduced with a second fastening point through the door opening into the pylon. The transformer to be replaced is fixed to the second fastening point of the first end. A compensating weight is fixed at the second fastening point to the second end of the cross beam. The second end of the cross beam is tilted or inclined until the transformer is at the height of the door opening and the crane hook is moved until the transformer to be replaced is outside the door opening.

A fleet management system for managing a fleet of encoded information reading (EIR) terminals can comprise one or more computers, a fleet management software module, and a payment processing software module in communication with the fleet management software module. The fleet management software module can be configured, responsive to receiving a customer initiated request, to generate an unlocking message upon processing a payment by the payment processing software module. The unlocking message can be provided by a bar code to be read by an EIR terminal, or by a bit stream to be transferred to an EIR terminal via network. Each EIR terminal can be configured to perform not more than a pre-defined number of EIR operations responsive to receiving the unlocking message.

An imaging reader reads targets by image capture in both handheld and hands-free modes of operation. Upon detection of the mode of operation, a controller sets the resolution and frame rate of a solid-state imaging sensor to different values in each mode to optimize target reading performance in each mode.

An electronic component comprising a half bridge adapted for operation with an electrical load having an operating frequency is described. The half bridge comprises a first switch and a second switch each having a switching frequency, the first switch and the second switch each including a first terminal, a second terminal, and a control terminal, wherein the first terminal of the first switch and the second terminal of the second switch are both electrically connected to a node. The electronic component further includes a filter having a 3 dB roll-off frequency, the 3 dB roll-off frequency being less than the switching frequency of the switches but greater than the operating frequency of the electrical load. The first terminal of the filter is electrically coupled to the node, and the 3 dB roll-off frequency of the filter is greater than 5 kHz.

A light guide plate includes a main body and a number of micro protrusions. The main body includes a light emitting surface, a bottom surface, and a light incident surface. The bottom surface is opposite to the light emitting surface. The light incident surface connects the light emitting surface and the bottom surface. The protrusions are randomly positioned on the light emitting surface, and are used for reflecting light rays towards random directions.

An electron emission source includes nano-sized acicular materials and a cracked portion formed in at least one portion of the electron emission source. The acicular materials are exposed between inner walls of the cracked portion. A method for preparing the electron emission source, a field emission device including the electron emission source, and a composition for forming the electron emission source are also provided in the present invention.

Process for preparing hydrocyanic acid by catalytic dehydration of gaseous formamide, wherein the dehydration of formamide is coupled with an exothermic reaction by the reactor used in the dehydration comprising two separate fluid paths which are separated by a common reactor wall, with one fluid path being provided for the dehydration of formamide and the second fluid path being provided for the exothermic reaction.

In the case of a package (1) for single-dose films (2) containing active substances, comprising an upper packaging material element (3) and a lower packaging material element (4) which are connected together by a peripheral seal area or respectively sealing seam (5) such that a cavity (6) for holding the film (2) is formed, said cavity being enclosed on all sides, wherein the upper packaging material element (3) and the lower packaging material element (4) each have at least one cut (7, 8) in the region of the seal area or respectively, the sealing seam (5), said cuts being congruent, andat least one cut (7, 8) is crossed by a folding or bending line (10), the folding or bending line (10) is formed in a weakened manner.

Embodiments of the present invention comprise a platform attachment for use with a power hand tool which has a housing with a front nose portion with a rotary output shaft extending therefrom, and a tool holding mechanism on the output shaft for holding a tool, the attachment comprising a mounting component having an opening generally aligned with the output shaft through which a tool can extend, a platform component having a base portion and a platform portion, the base portion being adjustably attached to the mounting component, the platform portion having an outer generally planar main surface that is perpendicular to the axis and having an opening through which a tool can extend, and a generally planar secondary surface that extends downwardly from the main surface at a predetermined angle relative to the axis, and a mechanism for releasably locking the platform component on the mounting component.

A rotating airfoil component of a turbomachine, in which the component has an airfoil aligned in a spanwise direction of the component, a shank, and a platform therebetween oriented transverse to the spanwise direction. The platform has an outer radial surface adjacent the airfoil, and at least one recessed region defined in its outer radial surface. The recessed region extends opposite the spanwise direction from a platform plane that contains portions of the outer radial surface that are upstream and downstream from the recessed region. The recessed region is contiguous with an end wall of the platform and extends therefrom toward the airfoil. The recessed region defines a surface shape whose boundary is contained by the platform plane, and has a profile shape that extends from the end wall toward the airfoil. The recessed region is sized and shaped to increase the stiffness of the platform.

A seal assembly between a disc cavity and a turbine section hot gas path includes a stationary vane assembly and a rotating blade assembly downstream from the vane assembly and including a plurality of blades that are supported on a platform and rotate with a turbine rotor and the platform during operation of the engine. The platform includes a radially outwardly facing first surface, a radially inwardly facing second surface, a third surface, and a plurality of grooves extending into the third surface. The grooves are arranged such that a space is defined between adjacent grooves. During operation of the engine, the grooves guide purge air out of the disc cavity toward the hot gas path such that the purge air flows in a desired direction with reference to a direction of hot gas flow through the hot gas path.

Turbine blade assemblies of a turbine include airfoils that are mounted on bases. The leading and/or trailing edges of the bases are provided with curved portions. Likewise, curved portions may be provided on leading and/or trailing edges of the angle wings of a turbine blade assembly. Also, curved portions may be provided on the leading and/or trailing edges of nozzle assemblies of a turbine.

A cognitive disorder diagnostic system that employs cognitive cubes, gameplay associate with the cognitive cubes, and a data gathering as statistical analysis base device that may be a computer, that communicates the gathered data to a web server host according to a unique ID associated with particular cognitive cubes and further associated with a particular player. Using the statistical data gathered using the gameplay, various cognitive disorders may be successfully diagnosed and treated with higher reliability.

A method and apparatus prioritizing video information during coding and decoding. Video information is received and an element of the video information, such as a visual object, video object layer, video object plane or keyregion, is identified. A priority is assigned to the identified element and the video information is encoded into a bitstream, such as a visual bitstream encoded using the MPEG-4 standard, including an indication of the priority of the element. The priority information can then be used when decoding the bitstream to reconstruct the video information.

A method is provided for improving synchronization and information transmission in a communication system, including: generating a signal with a centrally symmetric part s(k) exploitable for synchronization; and sending the signal over a communication channel. The signal is based on a uniquely identifiable sequence c(l) from a set of sequences exploitable for information transmission. The centrally symmetric part s(k) is centrally symmetric in the shape of absolute value thereof. The centrally symmetric part s(k) is of arbitrary length N.

A display apparatus includes a display section, a display control section, a distance detection section, and a coordinate detection section. The display section has a display area in which a selection image is displayed. When the selection image is formed by a plurality of images hierarchically associated with one another, the display control section displays consecutively the images configuring the selection image in accordance with the hierarchical association. The distance detection section detects a spatial distance between a pointer and the display area. The coordinate detection section detects coordinates which correspond to a position of the pointer. The display control section displays, together with a specified image displayed at a position corresponding to the coordinates detected by the coordinate detection section, related images in an immediately lower level in the hierarchy associated with the specified image, when the spatial distance detected is shorter than a preset threshold distance.

A proof information processing apparatus adds a plurality of types of annotative information to a proof image by use of a plurality of input modes for inputting respective different types of annotative information. A proof information processing method is carried out by using the proof information processing apparatus. A recording medium stores a program for performing the functions of the proof information processing apparatus. An electronic proofreading system includes the proof information processing apparatus and a remote server. At least one of input modes including a text input mode, a stylus input mode, a color information input mode, and a speech input mode is selected depending on characteristics of an image in a region of interest which is indicated.

View definitions are created for deterministic performance analysis in real-time computing systems, and can then be used to present views for analyzing outliers that occur during run-time execution. Trace data created by a real-time application is compared to a set of view definitions to determine whether the trace data matches the view definition. If so, then related records from the trace are gathered according to specifications in the matched view definition, and calculations (such as elapsed time) can then be performed using the related records. A view definition may be created by prompting a user for selection of parameters to be programmatically inserted into a markup language document. A capability may be provided whereby a user can receive additional information (which is extracted from the trace data, according to specifications in the matched view definition) upon a user gesture such as hovering a selection means over a displayed view.

A balun including a first conductor winding, a first inductor, a second inductor, a third inductor, and a fourth inductor. The first conductor winding has a figure eight shape including a first loop and a second loop. The first inductor and the second inductor substantially surround the first loop. The third inductor and the fourth inductor substantially surround the second loop.

The present invention is directed to an impedance transformation device for use in a system having a characteristic system impedance, the device being characterized by a predetermined bandwidth having a center frequency. The device housing size is one-eighth wavelength of the center frequency. A first coupler is characterized by an even mode impedance and an odd mode impedance. The bandwidth is a function of the even mode impedance and the odd mode impedance substantially corresponds to the component port impedance. At least one second coupler is disposed in parallel with the first coupler and is characterized by the even mode impedance and the odd mode impedance.