A system for characterizing crude oil fractions includes a maltenes sample reservoir, a first solvent reservoir, a second solvent reservoir, and a third solvent reservoir. The system further includes a valve in fluid communication with the first solvent reservoir, the second solvent reservoir, and the third solvent reservoir and a pump in fluid communication with the valve. The system further includes a packed bed in fluid communication with the maltenes sample reservoir and the pump, a flowthrough cell in fluid communication with the packed bed, a spectrometer operably associated with the flowthrough cell, and a computer operably associated with the spectrometer. A method for characterizing crude oil fractions includes providing a maltene sample, eluting saturates, aromatics, and resins of the maltene sample, determining an optical density of each, and determining a concentration of each of the saturates, aromatics, and resins based upon optical densities over time for each.

A dispersion managed interferometric fiber optic gyroscope comprising: a coupler coupled to the broadband light source via a first input fiber; an IOC comprising: a beamsplitter that directs the input signal to a first output and a second output; a combiner configured to combine a first return signal from the first output and a second return signal from the second output into a combined return signal; an integrated optical circuit input coupled to the coupler via a second input fiber; a fiber optic gyroscope sensing coil coupled to a first pigtail fiber and second pigtail fiber, the sensing coil comprising sensing fibers, wherein at least one dispersion slope of at least one of the first input fiber, second input fiber, first pigtail fiber, second pigtail fiber, and the sensing fibers is selected such that the signals at the IOC input has a second order coherence substantially equal to two.

Techniques and devices for measuring polarization crosstalk in birefringence optical media including polarization maintaining fiber.

An integrated swept wavelength tunable optical source uses a narrowband filtered broadband signal with an optical amplifier and self-tracking filter. This source comprises a micro optical bench, a source for generating broadband light, a tunable Fabry Perot filter, installed on the bench, for spectrally filtering the broadband light from the broadband source to generate a narrowband tunable signal, an amplifier, installed on the bench, for amplifying the tunable signal. The self-tracking arrangement is used where a single tunable filter both generates the narrowband signal and spectrally filters the amplified signal. In some examples, two-stage amplification is provided. The use of a single bench implementation yields a low cost high performance system. For example, polarization control between components is no longer necessary.

[Problem to be Solved] To improve the measurement accuracy of an interference measurement device which utilizes interference of light. [Means for Solution] An interference measurement device includes a light source 10 for emitting supercontinuum light (SC light), an optical fiber coupler 11 for splitting the SC light into measurement light and reference light, a dispersion compensation element 12, a drive unit 13 for moving the dispersion compensation element 12, and light-receiving means 14 for measuring an interference waveform produced as a result of interference between the measurement light and the reference light. A measurement object 15 to be measured is an Si substrate having a thickness of 800 μm. The dispersion compensation element 12 is an Si substrate having a thickness of 780 μm. Namely, the dispersion compensation element 12 is formed of the same material as that of the measurement object 15 and is 20 μm thinner than the measurement object 15. The interference caused by reflection on the back surface of the measurement object 15 and reflection on the back surface of the dispersion compensation element 12 has a narrow peak width because wavelength dispersion is cancelled almost completely. Thus, the accuracy in measuring the peak position improves. As a result, the accuracy in measuring temperature, etc., improves.

A method of compensating for sample misalignment in an optical measurement apparatus (40), comprises the steps of: determining an expected response from a detector (58) in said optical measurement apparatus given a particular set of parameters defining a path that light can take through the optical measurement apparatus from a source (42), via a sample (50), to the detector (58); measuring a response from the detector for the sample under test; and refining the set of parameters until the expected response and the measured response converge so as to determine the set of parameters giving rise to the measured response.

According to one embodiment, a three-dimensional shape measuring apparatus includes at least an aperture plate that is provided with a plurality of confocal apertures which are two-dimensionally arranged to have a predetermined arrangement period, and an aperture plate displacement portion that displaces the aperture plate at a constant speed in a predetermined direction perpendicular to the optical axis direction. Further, the aperture plate is provided with a cover member which is moved integrally with the aperture plate and which includes a transparent body allowing the light beams from the light source to pass therethrough and to be irradiated to the plurality of confocal apertures, and protects the plurality of confocal apertures from dust. Further, an imaging optical system, by which each of reflected light beams is guided to a photo-detector, is designed in consideration of optical properties of the whole optical system including the transparent body of the cover member.

An optical system for occupancy sensing according to the invention includes a plurality of optical line sensors, each consisting of a linear array of light sensing elements; and an optical light integrating device that integrates light from rays with incidence angles subject to geometric constraints to be sensed by a light sensing element.

A system, that includes a hybrid sensor that comprises: a monochromatic portion that is arranged to obtain a monochromatic image of a first area of an object; a multiple-color portion that is arranged to obtain a multi-colored image of a second area of the object; wherein the monochromatic portion comprises monochromatic sensing elements that sense radiation of a same frequency band; wherein the multiple-color portion comprises color sensing elements of different types, wherein different types of color sensing elements are associated with different frequency bands.

Ellipsometry systems and ellipsometry data collection methods with improved stabilities are disclosed. In accordance with the present disclosure, multiple predetermined, discrete analyzer angles are utilized to collect ellipsometry data for a single measurement, and data regression is performed based on the ellipsometry data collected at these predetermined, discrete analyzer angles. Utilizing multiple discrete analyzer angles for a single measurement improves the stability of the ellipsometry system.

A projection exposure tool for microlithography for imaging mask structures of an image-providing substrate onto a substrate to be structured includes a measuring apparatus configured to determine a relative position of measurement structures disposed on a surface of one of the substrates in relation to one another in at least one lateral direction with respect to the substrate surface and to thereby simultaneously measure a number of measurement structures disposed laterally offset in relation to one another.

An optical electrical field enhancing device includes: a transparent substrate having a structure of fine protrusions and recesses on the surface thereof; and a metal structure layer of fine protrusions and recesses formed on the surface of the structure of fine protrusions and recesses. The metal structure layer of fine protrusions and recesses has a structure of fine protrusions and recesses, in which the distances among adjacent protrusions are less than the distances among corresponding adjacent protrusions of the structure of fine protrusions and recesses of the transparent substrate.

There is provided a profile measuring apparatus which measures a profile of an object including: a projection unit which projects a pattern on the object from a projection direction; a measurement unit, which is displaced at a difference position for the projection unit and takes an image of the pattern from a direction different from the projection direction to measure a position on a surface of the object based on an image data obtained with the taken image; an object-rotation unit which rotates the object in two directions; and a pattern-rotation unit which is connected to the projection unit so as to be able to rotate the pattern relative to the object-rotation unit.

A system and method of high-speed microscopy using a two-photon microscope with spectral resolution. The microscope is operable to provide two- to five-dimensional fluorescence images of samples, including two or three spatial dimensions, a spectral dimension (for fluorescence emission), and a temporal dimension (on a scale of less than approximately one second). Two-dimensional (spatial) images with a complete wavelength spectrum are generated from a single scan of a sample. The microscope may include one of a multi-beam point scanning microscope, a single beam line scanning microscope, and a multi-beam line scanning microscope. The line scans may be formed using one or more of curved mirrors and lenses. The multiple beams may be formed using one of a grating, an array of lenses, and a beam splitter.

Within machine vision, object movement is often estimated by applying image evaluation techniques to visible light images, utilizing techniques such as perspective and parallax. However, the precision of such techniques may be limited due to visual distortions in the images, such as glare and shadows. Instead, lidar data may be available (e.g., for object avoidance in automated navigation), and may serve as a high-precision data source for such determinations. Respective lidar points of a lidar point cloud may be mapped to voxels of a three-dimensional voxel space, and voxel clusters may be identified as objects. The movement of the lidar points may be classified over time, and the respective objects may be classified as moving or stationary based on the classification of the lidar points associated with the object. This classification may yield precise results, because voxels in three-dimensional voxel space present clearly differentiable statuses when evaluated over time.

A reflection type optical sensor that detect a surface condition of a moving body and that is used for an image generation apparatus which forms images on a recording media includes a light-emitting device which has a plurality of light emitter systems including at least two light-emitting members and a light-emitting optical system having a plurality of light-emitting lenses corresponding to a plurality of the light emitter systems and guiding light emitted from the light emitter systems to the moving body and a light-receiving device which has a light receiver system including at least two light-receiving members and a light-receiving optical system having light-receiving lenses corresponding to the at least two light-receiving members and guiding light reflected by the moving body to the light receiver system. The image generation apparatus has further a surface condition judging device in addition to the reflection type optical sensor.

There is disclosed a polarization-modulating element for modulating a polarization state of incident light into a predetermined polarization state, the polarization-modulating element being made of an optical material with optical activity and having a circumferentially varying thickness profile.

An adaptive optics scanning system using a beam projection module with four or more axes of motion that can project and control the position and angle of a beam of light to or from an adaptive optics element. The adaptive optics scanning system is compact in size, overcoming the challenges of a traditional lens and mirror based pupil relay design. The adaptive optics scanning system has little to no dispersion, chromatic aberration, and off-axis aberration for improved optical performance. The system and methods for calibrating and optimizing the system are described. A modular adaptive optics unit that scans and interfaces an adaptive optics element is described.

A cover (10) is disclosed for holding objects such as papers and reports. The cover (10) is formed of a member (12) having a front cover (14), a spine (16) and a back cover (18), a ring binder (22) and a paper surround (24). The paper surround (24) encapsulates the ring binder (22) and secures it to the member (12). The cover can be either a top bound or side bound cover.

In order to newly provide a folder that facilitates insertion of a document fastener into a narrow slit and that is improved in durability by making use of a property of a document fastener whose folded state can be kept due to resin, the document fastener is so arranged to comprise a plate material (a) made of resin having a body part (11) extending longitudinally and a pair of folded pieces (12) extending from the body part (11), wherein a thickness of both end portions (14) of the plate material (a) is formed to be thinner than a thickness of other portions of the plate material (a), a boundary (13) between the body part (11) and the folded piece (12) is made to be foldable, and the folded state on the boundary (13) can be kept by making use of the properties of the resin itself.

A sheet holder for holding a sheet of paper and exposing an edge of the sheet, has a press for holding the paper sheet and exposing the edge, and a lever for operating the press. The lever is movable between a released position for placing of the edge of the paper sheet in the press and a holding position for operating the press. There is also an abutment for abutment by the edge of the paper sheet to position the edge relative to the press while the lever is in the released position. The abutment is associated with the lever for moving away from the edge of the paper sheet when the lever moves towards the holding position, thereby exposing the edge of the paper sheet.

A book has a front cover having a first edge which is unconnected, and an opposing second edge which is connected to a spine. A back cover has a first edge which is connected to the spine and an opposing second edge which is connected to flexible joint or fold-line. The book has a third cover having a first edge which is connected to flexible joint and an opposing second edge which is connected to binding which contains pages and a stabilizing sheet.

Disclosed herein is an organizer comprising a unique structural configuration to house and store both non-perforated documents and perforated documents. The organizer comprises a ring binder that is associated with an expandable compartment that is arranged peripheral to the ring binder.

A ring binder mechanism for retaining loose-leaf pages securely holds closed ring members together to prevent inadvertent loss of pages retained by the mechanism. The mechanism comprises a housing supporting two hinge plates for pivoting motion to open and close paired ring members mounted on the plates. Free ends of the paired ring members have interlocking configurations that securely join together when the ring members close. The configurations prevent misalignment of the closed ring members in all directions transverse to longitudinal centerlines of the ring members. The mechanism also includes locking elements that interact with the hinge plates to block their pivoting motion when the ring members are closed. This holds the free ends of the closed paired ring members together so that the interlocking configurations of the ring members remain interengaged.

A scrapbooking page alignment device for temporarily aligning at least two adjacent scrapbook pages having retention receivers extending from their respective spine edges, the device comprising (i) a base; and (ii) two or more spaced retention posts extending from said base; where said retention posts are dimensioned to temporarily receive the retention receivers of the two adjacent scrapbook pages.

Disclosed herein is an organizer comprising a unique structural configuration to house and store both non-perforated documents and perforated documents. The organizer comprises a ring binder that is associated with an expandable compartment that is arranged peripheral to the ring binder.

The present invention is directed to an item holding assembly that may include a binder and portfolio with one releasably attached to the other enabling quick and easy separation for use of one independent of the other. In a preferred embodiment, binder and portfolio panels can overlie one another, particularly when releasably engaged in a manner that releasably attaches them. A flap, such as part of the panel or the panel of one is received in a pocket formed in the panel of the other to facilitate and preferably provide releasable attachment.

A biochip for the integration of all steps in a complex process from the insertion of a sample to the generation of a result, performed without operator intervention includes microfluidic and macrofluidic features that are acted on by instrument subsystems in a series of scripted processing steps. Methods for fabricating these complex biochips of high feature density by injection molding are also provided.

A ring binder has a standard ring assembly having a ring base and upstanding rings, a ring assembly support having a plurality of indents positioned along its sides, a binder connector having a plurality of upstanding tabs, and a plurality of binder covers each having a center spine with a plurality of slots configured to accept each of the plurality of binder connector tabs. The ring binder is assembled by the insertion of the binder connector tabs into slots of the binder cover and then into the indents of the ring assembly support. The ring binder can be sold assembled or as a kit, which would include a plurality of interchangeable binder covers.

A ring mechanism for retaining loose-leaf pages includes a housing and ring members for holding loose-leaf pages that are moveable relative to the housing between an open and closed position. An actuation system moves the ring members and includes hinge plates pivotally mounted on the housing and an actuator actuating pivoting movement of the hinge plates. A travel bar of the actuation system is moveable by the actuator between a locked position blocking pivoting movement of the hinge plates and an unlocked position allowing pivoting movement of the hinge plates. The actuation system is adapted to deform while moving the travel bar from the locked position toward the unlocked position to delay the pivoting motion of the hinge plates from the movement of the actuator.

A desk leaf base has a base formed of a trapezoidal tubular body in a trapezoidal shape in a side view, closed from a bottom surface to a certain height in both sides, and opened in an upper portion therefrom. An inclined front wall of the tubular body is removed from one side to the other side, in a range from the height to a higher height lower than a top surface. A binder mounted along an elongated top surface of the base has an elongated body and rings. The elongated body is mounted along the top surface of the base with an approximately same width as the top surface. The rings are mounted on the body and capable of opening and closing. Each ring includes linear portions that protrude from the body inclining upward on front and back sides when closing.

A binding mechanism assembly for binding a sheet item, the binding mechanism assembly including a backing member having an upper surface, and a binding member directly or indirectly coupled to the backing member. The binding member includes a protrusion shaped and located to protrude through a hole of a sheet item to be bound thereto. The binding member further includes a generally flexible flange that is manually movable into engagement with the protrusion to form a generally closed loop and thereby bind the sheet item thereto. The loop is rotatable relative to the backing member from a first position in which the loop is generally located above the upper surface to a second position wherein at least part of the loop is located below the upper surface. A release mechanism is provided for opening the loop.

A ring binder has an elongate body and rings. Each ring includes ring members moveable between open and closed positions. The body and rings are made of one or more moldable polymeric materials. The binder suitably includes a retaining system operable to hold the ring members in the closed position. The retaining system has interlocking formations adjacent ends of the ring members that are moveable between a retaining position in which the retaining system holds the first and second ring members in the closed position and a non-retaining position. The ring members and body can suitably be formed together as one piece from a moldable polymeric material.

A ring binder mechanism for holding loose-leaf pages has a housing having a cavity formed in the underside of a central portion of the housing. A pair of hinge plates are disposed between the sides for pivoting movement relative to the housing to open and close rings of the mechanism. The mechanism has an actuator moveable relative to the housing for opening and closing the rings. The actuator has a body, an opening arm extending from the body, a closing arm extending from the body, and a locking finger extending from the body. The closing arm extending into a space between the hinge plates and the central portion of the housing. The hinge plates extend between the opening and closing arms. The locking finger extends into the cavity in the central portion of the housing when the actuator is in the closed position.

A contact organizing system has a ring device and a hole punching device. The ring device is shaped for holding the business cards. The hole punching device for adapted punching holes in the business cards. The hole punching device includes a hanging aperture through the hole punching device for hanging the hole punching device on the ring device.

Provided is a document reading apparatus capable of suppressing a shock that may occur when a trailing edge of a tabbed sheet passes through a roller pair. In an image reading section, when a document to be read is the tabbed sheet, a timing to start separation of the roller pair in response to detection of a trailing edge of the document is delayed by a time period corresponding to a tab length with respect to the timing to start separation when a document other than the tabbed sheet is conveyed. Thus, it is possible to prevent the shock when the trailing edge of the tabbed sheet passes through the roller pair, and to thereby suppress image reading failure due to the shock.

An actuating lever for a binding mechanism includes a body formed of a first molded material. The body defines oppositely-facing surfaces, with at least one of the surfaces having a recess formed therein. The actuating lever further includes a grip member formed of a second molded material that is different from the first molded material. The grip member is molded at least partially into the recess.

A ring mechanism has an elongate housing and rings for holding loose-leaf pages. Each ring has ring members mounted on pivoting hinge plates for movement between open and closed positions. An actuator has opening and closing arms extending from an actuator body for opening and closing the rings. The mechanism has a travel bar moveable between a locked position in which a locking element blocks pivoting movement of the hinge plates and an unlocked position. The actuator has a flexible arm positioned to push the travel bar toward the locked position when the actuator closes the rings. At least a portion of the flexible arm is adapted to deform during closing in a manner that includes rotation in a first direction relative to the body of the actuator. Movement of the actuator to close the rings includes rotation of the actuator in the first direction relative to the housing.

A switching circuit (400) comprising an inductive component (406) including at least one winding; and a switch (404) is configured to transfer power from a voltage source (402) to the inductive component (406) in accordance with a switch control signal (412). The switching circuit (400) also comprises a controller (408) configured to integrate the voltage across the inductive component (406) in order to generate a signal representative of magnetic flux in the inductive component (406); and use the signal representative of the magnetic flux in the inductive component to account for a peak magnetization current value in order to control the switch (404).

In certain embodiments, the present invention provides a compound power converter in which the majority of power passes from input to output through only a single stage of power conversion. At least one embodiment includes a main converter with an auxiliary output. The auxiliary output energizes a reservoir that provides input power for a supplemental converter capable supplying the main output. The supplemental converter improves regulation and can provide holdover power for Power Factor Correction (PFC) or Uninterruptible Power Supply (UPS) operation.

A power conversion system with adjustable frequency includes an electric transformer, a pulse width modulation driving controller, a switching transistor, a first and second voltage division resistors connected in series, an output diode and an output capacitor. The electric transformer receives the input power and generates the sensing current and induced current. The sensing current flows through the first and second voltage division resistors to generate the feedback signal. The induced current flows through the output diode and output capacitor to generate the output voltage to supply the load. The pulse width modulation driving controller determine whether the loading state of the load based on the feedback signal, and change the switching frequency according to the loading state and the input power, thereby increasing the whole efficiency of the power conversion system and achieving the aim of dynamically adjusting the optimal frequency.

A power converter includes an active front end (AFE) that is coupled by a dc link stage to a plurality of H-bridge inverters. One or more multi-phase electro-magnetic energy conversion devices, such as transformers or electric machines, with open windings that are connected to only the AFE or only the H-bridge inverters or to both the AFE and H-bridge inverters, provide a regenerative or partial regenerative power converter.

A system, method, and apparatus for providing three level inverter modulation is disclosed. In one embodiment, control signals can be provided to control a three level inverter in a power converter based on at least one feedback signal.

An additional electric power receiving method replacing conventional grounding with a negative voltage source includes the step of transmitting electromagnetic wave or current from a power supply source to a rectifier, wherein a grounding end of the rectifier is in electrical communication with the negative voltage source, and the negative voltage source is selected from a negative potential intrinsic of an organism. A device applicable to the electric power receiving method includes a rectifier having an input end and two output ends, wherein the input end is in electrical communication with a power supply source, and rectified direct current is transmitted from the output ends. With the method and device, not only an increase in additional electric power obtained is achieved, but conversion efficiency and stability of current and electromagnetic wave is enhanced.

Methods and apparatus are presented for detecting phase loss and/or excessive ripple in a power converter, in which bandpass filters are used to obtain harmonic voltage amplitudes associated with the power converter DC bus, and phase loss is detected if a ratio of the second harmonic to the sixth harmonic and/or a ratio of the fourth harmonic to the sixth harmonic exceed predetermined threshold values.

Provided is a configuration in which it is possible to mount an applied voltage suppression circuit configured to prevent voltage breakdown of a semiconductor switching element, and a set voltage thereof can be inspected without damaging an IC or the like of a peripheral circuit. In a power converter having a semiconductor switching element, an applied voltage suppression circuit configured to suppress a voltage applied to the semiconductor switching element and at least one component of constituent components of a driving circuit which causes the semiconductor switching element to be turned off if the component is absent are transferred to and disposed on a slave substrate (separate unit) which is divided from and electrically connected to a master substrate including the semiconductor switching element, the driving circuit, a control circuit, and the like mounted thereon.

A power supply can provide brown-out protection and overheat protection. The power supply includes a rectifier, a transformer, and a power management device. The rectifier is used for receiving an alternating current voltage. The alternating current voltage has a voltage cycle. The transformer coupled to the rectifier has an inductor coupled to a switch for supplying an output voltage. The power management device is used for controlling the switch to make the inductor save power or release power. The power management device has a multi-functional pin coupled to the rectifier for receiving a detection voltage corresponding to a positive half cycle of the alternating current voltage. The multi-functional pin is also coupled to a thermistor for receiving an overheat protection signal.

An alternating-current/direct-current converter includes a rectifier, a reactor, a capacitor, and a switching rectifier. The rectifier is configured to rectify alternating-current voltage output from an alternating-current power source, thereby converting the alternating-current voltage into direct-current voltage, and to output the direct-current voltage. The capacitor includes terminals. The switching rectifier is coupled to the AC power source and switchable to output the direct-current voltage to the capacitor.

A semiconductor device of a three-level inverter circuit with a reduced number of power supplies for driving IGBTs. The semiconductor device includes a series-connected circuit of IGBTs between P and N of a DC power supply and an AC switch element that is connected between a series connection point of the series-connected circuit and a neutral point of the DC power supply. The series-connected circuit and the AC switch element are integrated into one module. The AC switch element is formed by connecting a collector of a first IGBT to which a diode is connected in reverse parallel and a collector of a second IGBT to which a diode is connected in reverse parallel, and an intermediate terminal is provided at a connection point between the collectors.

A system for controlling photovoltaic electricity production equipment having photovoltaic modules each equipped with a DC/DC microconverter connected to a DC bus, a DC bus manager, and an inverter for converting the direct current from the photovoltaic panels into alternative current intended for an electrical distribution network. Power is injected into the DC bus when the voltage of the DC bus is less than a minimum voltage until the minimum voltage is reached. Each of the microconverters injects a maximum power from the photovoltaic modules into the DC bus when the voltage of the DC bus is between a first voltage and a second voltage. The injecting of power from the photovoltaic modules into the DC bus is stopped when the voltage of the DC bus is less than a low threshold voltage or greater than a high threshold voltage.