[System] You are an expert US patent attorney. Draft a set of independent and dependent claims based on the provided invention description. Use correct USPTO formatting.

[User]
Title: Light Assembly For Illuminating An Emblem

Technical Field and Background:
The subject matter herein relates generally to light assemblies for illuminating an emblem. Illuminated emblems, logos, and other indicia provide a visual effect that highlights the specific features of the indicia and draws an observer's attention to the indicia. Illustrated emblems and other indicia may be used in the automotive industry to illuminate specific indicia of an automobile in dark conditions, such as when driving at night. Some light assemblies for illuminating an emblem are configured to emit light around a perimeter of the emblem and/or along interior edges of the emblem in order for the light to border or trace an outline of the emblem. However, in order to provide light along such edges, many light sources may be used. The light sources may be positioned next to each other along the path to be illuminated, such that the light sources themselves trace the outline of the emblem. For example, some light assemblies include over one hundred different light sources. Using a large number of light sources causes issues with physical spacing in the light assembly, power requirements, thermal effects, financial expense for parts and assembly, and the like. For example, installing many light sources next to each other in a small space generates significant heat, even if the light sources are light emitting diodes (LEDs) or other relatively low-heat-emitting lights. The heat directly affects the life of the light sources as well, as a high temperature environment may cause the light sources to prematurely burn out. A need remains for illuminating an emblem using only one or a few light sources.

Invention Disclosure:
A light assembly for illuminating an emblem includes a housing, an emblem, and an optical light guide. The housing holds a light source. The emblem has a structural body defined by emblem edges. The optical light guide is coupled to the housing and has a shape associated with the emblem. A surface of the optical light guide faces and is at least partially covered by the structural body of the emblem. The optical light guide defines exposed edges that project laterally beyond the emblem edges of the emblem. The optical light guide is configured to receive light generated by the light source and to emit at least some of the light along the exposed edges thereof.

[Assistant]
1. A light assembly for illuminating an emblem, the light assembly comprising:
a housing that holds at least one light source configured to generate light;
an emblem having a structural body defined by emblem edges; and
an optical light guide coupled to the housing, the optical light guide having a front surface facing and partially covered by the structural body of the emblem, the optical light guide having a shape defined by exposed edges of the optical light guide that extend from the front surface, the shape of the optical light guide matching a shape of the emblem and being larger than the shape of the emblem such that the exposed edges of the optical light guide project laterally beyond the emblem edges of the emblem to define an exposed region of the front surface between the emblem edges and the exposed edges, the optical light guide configured to receive light generated by the at least one light source and to emit at least some of the light along the exposed region to illuminate the emblem edges.

2. The light assembly of claim 1, wherein the housing includes a frame extending from a base of the housing, the frame defining a perimeter of a cavity, the at least one light source being mounted to the frame and facing the cavity, the optical light guide being received in the cavity and being configured to receive light generated by the at least one light source through an exterior edge of the optical light guide along a perimeter of the optical light guide.

3. The light assembly of claim 1, wherein the optical light guide receives the light from the at least one light source through an exterior edge of the optical light guide along a perimeter of the optical light guide, the optical light guide including at least one light spreading feature defined along the exterior edge, each light spreading feature aligned with and optically coupled to a corresponding light source such that light from the light source refracts through the light spreading feature to be received in the optical light guide.

4. The light assembly of claim 1, wherein the optical light guide includes at least one branching location where a single segment of the optical light guide splits into at least two segments, the optical light guide defining a reflection feature proximate to a corresponding branching location, the reflection feature configured to reflect light transmitted through the single segment into the at least two segments that extend therefrom at the branching location.

5. The light assembly of claim 1, wherein the structural body of the emblem is opaque.

6. The light assembly of claim 1, wherein the structural body of the emblem covers a covered region of the optical light guide that is interior of the exposed region of the optical light guide, the optical light guide having a reflective layer disposed on the front surface along the covered region, the reflective layer configured to reflect light that impinges thereon back into the optical light guide to prohibit the light from being emitted from the optical light guide along the covered region.

7. The light assembly of claim 1, wherein the exposed region comprises a minority of a surface area of the front surface of the optical light guide.

8. The light assembly of claim 1, wherein the structural body of the emblem covers a covered region of the optical light guide, the exposed region of the optical light guide extending along a perimeter of the covered region, the optical light guide having a greater thickness along the exposed region than along the covered region, the exposed region projecting beyond the covered region along the front surface to at least partially define a groove that receives the structural body of the emblem therein.

9. The light assembly of claim 1, wherein the structural body of the emblem includes an inner emblem feature and an outer emblem feature that at least partially surrounds the inner emblem feature, the inner emblem feature having first and second emblem edges, the outer emblem feature having interior and exterior emblem edges, the exposed region of the optical light guide projecting beyond both the first and second emblem edges of the inner emblem feature and the interior emblem edge of the outer emblem feature, the light emitted along the exposed region of the front surface of the optical light guide illuminating both the first and second emblem edges of the inner emblem feature and the interior emblem edge of the outer emblem feature.

10. The light assembly of claim 1, wherein the structural body of the emblem includes an inner emblem feature and an outer emblem feature that at least partially surrounds the inner emblem feature, the emblem defining one or more spaces between the inner emblem feature and the outer emblem feature.

11. The light assembly of claim 1, wherein the optical light guide includes light scattering elements proximate to the exposed edges of the optical light guide, the light scattering elements configured to reflect and scatter at least some of the light in the optical light guide.

12. The light assembly of claim 11, wherein the optical light guide has a rear surface that is opposite to the front surface, the light scattering elements being located along the rear surface of the optical light guide and being configured to reflect light towards the front surface for emission of the light through the front surface along the exposed region.

13. The light assembly of claim 12, wherein the light scattering elements are at least one of etched areas of the optical light guide, a paint applied to the rear surface of the optical light guide, or a serrated object applied to the rear surface of the optical light guide.

14. The light assembly of claim 1, wherein the exposed edges of the optical light guide extend parallel to adjacent emblem edges of the emblem.

15. The light assembly of claim 1, wherein the emblem represents an emblem of an automotive manufacturer.

16. A light assembly for illuminating an emblem, the light assembly comprising:
an emblem having a structural body defined by emblem edges; and
an optical light guide coupled to the emblem, the optical light guide being configured to receive light generated by at least one light source and to transmit the light through the optical light guide, the optical light guide having a shape associated with the emblem, the optical light guide having a front surface facing and at least partially covered by the structural body of the emblem, the optical light guide defining exposed edges that project laterally beyond the emblem edges of the emblem,
wherein an exposed region of the optical light guide is defined between the exposed edges and the emblem edges of the emblem, the optical light guide having light scattering elements located along the exposed region, the light scattering elements being configured to reflect at least some of the light being transmitted through the optical light guide to emit light from the optical light guide along the exposed region and illuminate the emblem edges of the emblem.

17. The light assembly of claim 16, wherein the light scattering elements are etched areas of the optical light guide.

18. The light assembly of claim 16, wherein the optical light guide receives the light from the at least one light source through an exterior edge of the optical light guide along a perimeter of the optical light guide, the optical light guide including at least one light spreading feature defined along the exterior edge, each light spreading feature aligned with and optically coupled to a corresponding light source such that light from the light source refracts through the light spreading feature to enter the optical light guide.

19. The light assembly of claim 16, wherein the structural body of the emblem covers a covered region of the optical light guide that is adjacent to the exposed region of the optical light guide, the optical light guide having a reflective layer disposed on the front surface along the covered region, the reflective layer configured to reflect light that impinges thereon back into optical light guide to prohibit the light from being emitted from the front surface along the covered region.

20. A light assembly for illuminating an emblem, the light assembly comprising:
a housing that holds at least one light source configured to generate light;
an emblem having a structural body defined by emblem edges; and
an optical light guide coupled to the housing, the optical light guide having a front surface facing and partially covered by the structural body of the emblem, the optical light guide having an exterior edge that extends from the front surface and defines a perimeter of the optical light guide, the optical light guide further including at least one light spreading feature along the exterior edge, each light spreading feature aligning with and optically coupling to a corresponding light source, the optical light guide also including exposed edges located interior of the exterior edges, the exposed edges projecting laterally beyond the emblem edges of the emblem to define an exposed region of the front surface,
wherein the optical light guide is configured receive light from the at least one light source into the optical light guide through the at least one light spring feature along the exterior edge, and the optical light guide is configured to emit at least some of the light through the front surface along the exposed region to illuminate the emblem edges.


[System] You are an expert US patent attorney. Draft a set of independent and dependent claims based on the provided invention description. Use correct USPTO formatting.

[User]
Title: Soi Power Ldmos Device

Technical Field and Background:
SOI is a semiconductor technology that produces higher performing, lower power (dynamic) devices as compared to traditional bulk silicon-based technology. SOI functions by placing a thin, dielectric (electrically insulating) layer, such as silicon oxide or glass, between a thin top layer of a semiconductor material such as silicon and a supporting handle portion that is generally a silicon substrate. Power integrated circuits (ICs) have gained importance due to their advantages of small size, low cost, lower power consumption, and increased reliability. Power ICs operating in the low to medium voltage range (e.g., 30 V to 120 V) are used in applications such as automotive electronics, light-emitting diode drivers, plasma display panels, PC peripheral, and portable power management products. Low ON-resistance is often achieved through a reduced surface field (RESURF) structure in the LDMOS device design. The RESURF structure is designed to deplete the drift space of the LDMOS device in both vertical and lateral directions, thereby reducing the electric field near the surface at the drift region and thus raising the OFF-state breakdown voltage (BVdss) of the device. SOI is known for power ICs such as LDMOS devices because SOI provides superior electrical isolation between various devices on the chip as well as better performance. In an LDMOS device, the drain is laterally arranged to allow current to laterally flow, and a drift region is interposed between the channel and the drain to provide a high drain to source BV. LDMOS devices are thus generally designed to achieve higher BV while minimizing specific ON-resistance in order to reduce conduction power losses. The specific on-resistance (RON) is defined as the product of total ON-resistance and area of the device. Both the voltage breakdown voltage (VBR) and the ON-resistance of SOI LDMOS are dependent on the length and doping of the drift region. A long drift region length and low doping is generally needed to achieve high breakdown voltage in a conventional LDMOS device, which unfortunately, increases the ON-resistance of the device. Conversely, a shorter drift region length with higher a doping level reduces the ON-resistance, but adversely affects the breakdown voltage. Therefore, there is generally always a trade-off between the breakdown voltage and the ON-resistance.

Invention Disclosure:
An LDMOS device includes a handle portion having a buried dielectric layer and a semiconductor layer thereon doped a second dopant type. A drift region doped a first type is within the semiconductor layer providing a drain extension. A gate stack includes a gate electrode on a gate dielectric layer on respective sides of a junction with the drift region. A DWELL region is within the semiconductor layer. A source region doped the first type is within the DWELL region. A drain region doped the first type is within the drift region. A first partial buried layer doped the second type is in a first portion of the drift region including under the gate electrode. A second partial buried layer doped the first type is in a second portion of the drift region including under the drain.

[Assistant]
1. A method of forming a laterally diffused metal oxide semiconductor (LDMOS) device, comprising:
providing a handle portion having a blanket buried dielectric (BOX) layer thereon and a semiconductor layer on said BOX layer, said semiconductor layer doped a second dopant type;
forming a first partial buried layer doped said second dopant type in a first portion of said semiconductor layer;
forming a second partial buried layer doped a first dopant type in a second portion of said semiconductor layer;
forming a drift region doped said first dopant type within said semiconductor layer;
implanting a portion of said semiconductor layer lateral to said drift region including at least a first well implant comprising said second dopant type (DWELL implant) into said semiconductor layer to form a DWELL region;
forming a gate stack including forming a gate dielectric layer over a channel region in said semiconductor layer adjacent to and on respective sides of a junction with said drift region, then a patterned gate electrode on said gate dielectric layer, wherein said gate stack is formed at least in part over said first partial buried layer;
forming a source region within said DWELL region, and
forming a drain region within said drift region and over said second partial buried layer.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising forming a body region doped said second dopant type in said semiconductor layer, wherein said drift region and said DWELL region are both formed with said body region.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising growing an epitaxial layer on said semiconductor layer after said forming said first partial buried layer and said forming said second partial buried layer, wherein said body region is formed in said epitaxial layer.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein said forming said first partial buried layer comprises forming a blanket layer and said forming said second partial buried layer comprises a masked implant to form a localized layer having a doping level sufficiently high to counterdope a doping level in said first partial buried layer.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein said forming said second partial buried layer comprises forming a blanket layer and forming said first partial buried layer comprises a masked implant to form a localized layer having a doping level sufficiently high to counterdope a doping level in said second partial buried layer.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein said forming said first partial buried layer comprises a masked implant to form a localized layer, and wherein said forming said second partial buried layer comprises a masked implant to form a localized layer.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising forming a plurality of field plates (FPs) selected from said gate electrode and at least one metal layer, wherein said FPs are staggered relative to one another with each said FP overlapping a larger portion of said drift region as its vertical distance to said drift region increases.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein said substrate comprises silicon, wherein said gate dielectric layer comprises silicon oxide or silicon oxynitride (SiON) and wherein said gate electrode comprises polysilicon.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein said LDMOS device comprises a first LDMOS device and a second LDMOS device, said first LDMOS device having a different said partial buried layer compared to said second LDMOS device.


[System] You are an expert US patent attorney. Draft a set of independent and dependent claims based on the provided invention description. Use correct USPTO formatting.

[User]
Title: Improvements In And Relating To Vibration Control

Technical Field and Background:
Machinery typically vibrates as it operates. The vibration can cause problems, for example mechanical damage, reduced efficiency of operation, increased noise and discomfort for persons in the vicinity of the machine. For example, in a nautical vehicle such as a ship, excessive vibration from the ship's engines can make travel in the ship uncomfortable. It is known to use active machinery raft isolation mounts to control vibrations resulting from the operation of machinery. However, machinery is typically coupled to its environment in ways additional to the coupling through the machinery's mounting, for example by flexible couplings associated with exhaust, cooling, fuel and power supply systems. Such couplings and other connections provide additional paths for vibrations to propagate from the machinery, even if no vibrations were coupled across the mounts. Wölfel Beratende Ingenieure GmbH+Co. KG produces an active absorber (ADD.Pipe) for the reduction of vibrations in pipes in piping systems in chemical plants and power plants. Vibrations in such systems are typically caused by water or other liquid hammers, pressure pulses or other excitations. The ADD.Pipe system is a collar that is clamped onto the piping system and includes a sensor that measures vibrations in the pipe and linear actuators actively controlled to move reaction masses to damp the vibrations in the pipe. However, the system offers only limited control, and has the potential to suffer from an effect known as pinning, in which vibration at the point of attachment of the collar is reduced but becomes worse at points elsewhere in the pipeline. It would be advantageous to provide an apparatus, including an active vibration suppressor, in which one or more of the aforementioned disadvantages is eliminated or at least reduced.

Invention Disclosure:
A machine is on a first side of a plate (20) and a rod (50) passes along or through the plate (20). The plate (20) is susceptible to vibrations arising from operation of the machine. An active vibration suppressor (60) is mounted on the rod (50), and a controller is configured to control the active vibration suppressor (60) to suppress vibrations of the plate (20).

[Assistant]
1. An active vibration suppressor apparatus for use with an arrangement including a machine, a rod and a plate, wherein the machine is on a first side of the plate and at least part of the rod is on the second, opposite, side of the plate, and wherein the plate is susceptible to vibrations arising from operation of the machine, the apparatus comprising:
an active vibration suppressor configured to be mounted on the rod; and
a controller configured to control the active vibration suppressor to reduce vibrations of the plate,
wherein the active vibration suppressor includes a collar that is configured to be connected to and at least partially surround a circumference of the rod, and
wherein three or more actuators are arranged to act in a direction parallel to a length of the rod by acting on a first surface of the collar, the first surface of the collar being perpendicular to the length of the rod, and two or more further actuators arranged to act in two directions, orthogonal to the length of the rod and each other, by acting on the collar on a surface perpendicular to the first surface of the collar.

2. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1, in which the rod passes through the plate, from the first side of the plate to the second side of the plate.

3. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the rod is connected to the machine.

4. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the rod is a pipe.

5. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the plate is or is part of a housing containing the machine.

6. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the plate is part of the machine itself, or is directly connected to the machine.

7. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the active vibration suppressor is configured to be mounted on the part of the rod on the second side of the plate.

8. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the active vibration suppressor comprises a plurality of actuators arranged to act on the rod.

9. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a plurality of sensors arranged to sense vibrations of the plate and to generate a signal indicative of those vibrations.

10. The apparatus as claimed in claim 9, wherein the controller is configured to suppress vibrations of the plate by reducing the value of a parameter derived from the signal from the sensors.

11. The apparatus as claimed in claim 10, wherein the parameter is the sum of mean squared velocities measured by the sensors.

12. A method of suppressing vibrations arising from operation of a machine, wherein the machine is part of an apparatus also including a rod and a plate, the machine being on a first side of the plate and at least part of the rod being on the second, opposite side of the plate, the plate being susceptible to vibrations arising from operation of the machine, the method comprising:
applying an actively controlled force to the rod using an active vibration suppressor configured to be mounted on the rod to reduce vibrations of the plate,
wherein the active vibration suppressor includes a collar that is configured to be connected to and at least partially surround a circumference of the rod, and
wherein three or more actuators are arranged to act in a direction parallel to a length of the rod by acting on a first surface of the collar, the first surface of the collar being perpendicular to the length of the rod, and two or more further actuators arranged to act in two directions, orthogonal to the length of the rod and each other, by acting on the collar on a surface perpendicular to the first surface of the collar.

13. Vibration suppression equipment suitable for use in reducing vibrations in an apparatus comprising a machine, a rod and a plate, the equipment comprising:
an active vibration suppressor configured to be mounted on the rod; and
a controller configured to control the active vibration suppressor to reduce vibrations of the plate,
wherein the active vibration suppressor includes a collar configured to be connected to and at least partially surround a circumference of the rod, and
wherein three or more actuators are arranged to act in a direction parallel to a length of the rod by acting on a first surface of the collar, the first surface of the collar being perpendicular to the length of the rod, and two or more further actuators arranged to act in two directions, orthogonal to the length of the rod and each other, by acting on the collar on a surface perpendicular to the first surface of the collar.

14. The vibration suppression equipment of claim 13, wherein:
the rod is connected to the machine and passes through the plate, from the first side of the plate to the second side of the plate;
the plate is part of the machine itself, or is directly connected to the machine.

15. The vibration suppression equipment of claim 13, wherein the active vibration suppressor comprises a plurality of actuators arranged to act on the rod.

16. The vibration suppression equipment of claim 13, further comprising a plurality of sensors configured to generate a signal indicative of vibrations of the plate, wherein the controller is configured to suppress vibrations of the plate by reducing the value of a parameter derived from the signal from the sensors, wherein the parameter is the sum of mean squared velocities measured by the sensors.


[System] You are an expert US patent attorney. Draft a set of independent and dependent claims based on the provided invention description. Use correct USPTO formatting.

[User]
Title: Adaptive Suppression Of Vehicle Restraint System

Technical Field and Background:
Vehicles include restraint systems to reduce injuries to vehicle occupants during a collision. Restraint systems are not always deployed, however. For example, certain restraint systems are disabled unless a passenger is detected in a seat and the passenger is over a certain size or weight. Existing restraint systems, however, assume that all seats in the vehicle, and in particular the front seats, are always forward facing. Therefore, existing restraint systems may not be adequate for autonomous vehicles or other types of vehicles that could have dynamic seat configurations.

Invention Disclosure:
A vehicle has a restraint system with at least two restraint devices. A sensor detects a potential collision object and outputs a signal representing a relative position of the potential collision object to the vehicle. A processing device suppresses deployment of at least one of the restraint devices based at least in part on the signal output by the at least one sensor.

[Assistant]
1. A method comprising:
determining a seat configuration in a vehicle including detecting a rear facing front seat;
detecting a potential collision object;
receiving a position signal representing a position of the potential collision object relative to the vehicle; and
suppressing deployment of at least one restraint device based at least in part on the position signal representing the position of the potential collision object and the seat configuration.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the position signal indicates a principal direction of force applied to the vehicle if the potential collision object were to collide with the vehicle.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein suppressing deployment of the at least one restraint device is based at least in part on detecting the rear facing front seat.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the position signal indicates a distance between the potential collision object and the vehicle.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the position signal indicates a direction of the potential collision object relative to the vehicle.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein detecting the potential collision object includes receiving a communication signal from the potential collision object.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the position of the potential collision object is determined from the communication signal.

8. A method comprising:
determining an initial seat configuration of a host vehicle, the initial seat configuration including at least one seat facing a first direction while the host vehicle is operating in an autonomous mode;
determining a new seat configuration of the host vehicle, the new seat configuration including the at least one seat facing a second direction while the host vehicle is operating in the autonomous mode;
detecting a potential collision object external to the host vehicle;
receiving a position signal representing a position of the potential collision object relative to a vehicle; and
suppressing deployment of at least one restraint device based at least in part on the position signal representing the position of the potential collision object and the new seat configuration.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the position signal indicates a principal direction of force applied to the host vehicle if the potential collision object were to collide with the vehicle.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein determining the initial seat configuration includes receiving a first signal output by at least one seat sensor representing the configuration of the at least one seat.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein determining the initial seat configuration includes receiving a second signal output by the at least one seat sensor representing the configuration of the at least one seat.

12. The method of claim 8, wherein the position signal indicates a distance between the potential collision object and the vehicle.

13. The method of claim 8, wherein the position signal indicates a direction of the potential collision object relative to the vehicle.

14. The method of claim 8, wherein detecting the potential collision object includes receiving a communication signal from the potential collision object.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the position of the potential collision object is determined from the communication signal.


[System] You are an expert US patent attorney. Draft a set of independent and dependent claims based on the provided invention description. Use correct USPTO formatting.

[User]
Title: High Voltage Direct Current Transmission And Distribution System

Technical Field and Background:
1. Field The disclosed concept pertains generally to power distribution and, more particularly, to high voltage direct current transmission and distribution systems, such as, for example, such systems for above ground, below ground or subsea applications. The disclosed concept further pertains to circuit interrupters for high voltage direct current distribution systems. 2. Background Information Alternating current (AC) power distribution systems are well known. High voltage, direct current (DC) power distribution systems have less energy losses and require less costly transmission cables than corresponding AC distribution systems. In long transmission lines and, in particular, in ones that use cable, high voltage DC power transmission may be the only feasible method of power transmission because using AC will cause debilitating instability and excessive losses. When connecting a DC voltage source to a relatively long cable transmission line when the cable capacitance is discharged, relatively large oscillatory currents occur which, in turn, generate relatively large voltage spikes along the cable length. These voltage spikes can compromise the insulation of the cable itself as well as the insulation of any device electrically connected thereto. Furthermore, the relatively large oscillatory currents can cause nuisance tripping of protection devices of the transmission line. There is room for improvement in high voltage direct current transmission and distribution systems specifically regarding, for example, the cable charging process when the transmission line is energized. There is also room for improvement in circuit interrupters for such systems.

Invention Disclosure:
A direct current to alternating current inverter sub-system is for a HVDC distribution system. The DC to AC inverter sub-system includes an enclosure and a DC to DC galvanically isolated buck converter having a DC input electrically connectable to a HVDC cable and a DC output. A DC to AC inverter includes a DC input electrically connected to the DC output of the DC to DC galvanically isolated buck converter and an AC output electrically connectable to an AC transmission line. The DC to AC inverter is mounted in an enclosure with the DC to DC galvanically isolated buck converter, in order that the DC output of the DC to DC galvanically isolated buck converter is directly electrically connected within the enclosure to the DC input of the DC to AC inverter.

[Assistant]
1. A direct current to alternating current inverter sub-system for a high voltage direct current distribution system, said direct current to alternating current inverter sub-system comprising:
an enclosure;
a direct current to direct current galvanically isolated buck converter including a direct current input electrically connectable to a high voltage direct current cable and a direct current output, wherein the direct current to direct current galvanically isolated buck converter is structured to provide galvanic isolation between the direct current input and the high voltage direct current cable to avoid ground currents in the high voltage direct current cable; and
a direct current to alternating current voltage source inverter including a direct current input electrically connected to the direct current output of said direct current to direct current galvanically isolated buck converter and an alternating current output electrically connectable to an alternating current transmission line,
wherein said direct current to alternating current voltage source inverter is mounted in said enclosure with said direct current to direct current galvanically isolated buck converter, in order that the direct current output of said direct current to direct current galvanically isolated buck converter is directly electrically connected within the enclosure to the direct current input of said direct current to alternating current voltage source inverter.

2. The direct current to alternating current inverter sub-system of claim 1 wherein said enclosure is compensated for subsea pressure.

3. The direct current to alternating current inverter sub-system of claim 1 wherein said direct current to direct current galvanically isolated buck converter is structured to shut down responsive to a short circuit condition operatively associated with the direct current input of said direct current to alternating current voltage source inverter.

4. The direct current to alternating current inverter sub-system of claim 1 wherein said direct current to direct current galvanically isolated buck converter is structured to reduce a high direct current voltage from the high voltage direct current cable to a medium direct current voltage.

5. A circuit interrupter for a power circuit of a high voltage direct current distribution system, said circuit interrupter comprising:
a first terminal;
a second terminal;
an electromechanical isolation switch;
a solid-state switch electrically connected in series with said electromechanical isolation switch between said first and second terminals; and
a controller cooperating with said solid-state switch and said electromechanical isolation switch to open, close and trip open said power circuit, said controller being structured to repetitively turn on and turn off said solid-state switch a plurality of times when said electromechanical isolation switch is closed, in order to control charging of said power circuit from zero volts to a high direct current voltage, wherein said controller further comprises a trip mechanism structured to detect a fault downstream of said second terminal responsive to a failure to charge said power circuit, wherein said trip mechanism is structured to apply a predetermined current pulse to said power circuit, detect a corresponding predetermined voltage increase of a voltage of said power circuit, determine whether, within a certain time period, the voltage of said power circuit has decayed, responsive to determining that the voltage of said power circuit has decayed, determining that the fault downstream of said second terminal is present, and responsive to determining that the voltage of said power circuit has not decayed, determining that the fault downstream of said second terminal is not present.

6. The circuit interrupter of claim 5 wherein when both of said electromechanical isolation switch and said solid-state switch are closed, said second terminal charges said power circuit to or toward the high direct current voltage from said first terminal.

7. The circuit interrupter of claim 6 wherein said controller comprises a modulation element controlling said charging of said power circuit, said modulation element being structured to ramp a duty cycle of said solid-state switch being on from zero to one hundred percent.

8. The circuit interrupter of claim 5 wherein said failure to charge is caused by a short circuit or an insulation failure of a high voltage direct current cable of said power circuit.


[System] You are an expert US patent attorney. Draft a set of independent and dependent claims based on the provided invention description. Use correct USPTO formatting.

[User]
Title: Method For Fabricating Semiconductor Device

Technical Field and Background:
(i) Technical Field The present invention relates to a method for fabricating a semiconductor device. (ii) Related Art Nitride semiconductors are used in semiconductor devices such as an FET (Field Effect Transistor). In order to protect a nitride semiconductor layer, an insulating layer that covers the nitride semiconductor layer may be provided. For example, Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2010-166040 discloses an arrangement in which a protection film made of silicon oxide is provided on a nitride semiconductor layer. Conventionally, the capacitance of the semiconductor device, which may include the intrinsic capacitance and the parasitic capacitance, may change due to an oxide layer formed on the surface of the nitride semiconductor layer. Variation in the capacitance may drift the gain. Further, electrons are captured in electron traps in the insulating film, so that the current of the semiconductor device may change. Conventionally, it is difficult to suppress both variation in the capacitance and that in the current.

Invention Disclosure:
A method for fabricating a semiconductor device includes: forming a first film on a nitride semiconductor layer so as to contact the nitride semiconductor layer and have a thickness equal to or larger than 1 nm and equal to or smaller than 5 nm, the first film being made of silicon nitride having a composition ratio of silicon to nitrogen larger than 0.75, silicon oxide having a composition ratio of silicon to oxygen larger than 0.5, or aluminum; and forming a source electrode, a gate electrode and a drain electrode on the nitride semiconductor layer.

[Assistant]
1. A method for fabricating a semiconductor device comprising:
forming a first film that contacts with a surface of a nitride semiconductor layer by an atomic layer deposition method, the first film being made of silicon nitride having a composition ratio of silicon to nitrogen larger than 0.75, silicon oxide having a composition ratio of silicon to oxygen larger than 0.5, or aluminum, the first film having a first surface and a second surface that is opposite to the first surface, the first surface contacting the surface of the nitride semiconductor layer;
forming a source electrode, a gate electrode and a drain electrode on the nitride semiconductor layer; and
forming a second film on the second surface of the first film by the atomic layer deposition method, the second film comprising a material selected from a group consisting of silicon nitride, silicon oxide, aluminum oxide or aluminum nitride.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the first film has a thickness that is equal to or larger than 1 nm and equal to or smaller than 5 nm.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the second film has a thickness equal to or larger than 20 nm and equal to or smaller than 100 nm.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the first film has a thickness that is equal to or larger than 1 nm and equal to or smaller than 5 nm, and the second film has a thickness equal to or larger than 20 nm and equal to or smaller than 100 nm.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein the second film is substantially a stoichiometric composition.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein the second film is formed in contact with the second surface of the first film.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein the second film is substantially a stoichiometric composition, and the second film is formed in contact with the second surface of the first film.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein a film growing temperature of the first film and the second film is equal to or higher than 200° C. and equal to or lower than 400° C.

9. The method according to claim 1, wherein forming the first film and forming the second film are performed in-situ.

10. The method according to claim 1, wherein the first film is silicon nitride, and the second film is composed of silicon nitride having a silicon composition smaller than the first film.

11. The method according to claim 1, wherein the first film is composed of aluminum, and the method comprises forming a second film on the first film, a formation of the second film is performed in-situ after a formation of the first film.

12. The method according to claim 11, wherein the formation of the first and second film is performed under an atomic layer deposition apparatus.

13. The method according to claim 1, wherein the first film is formed between the source electrode and the gate electrode, and is between the gate electrode and the drain electrode.

14. The method according to claim 1, wherein the first film is composed of silicon nitride, and the composition ratio of silicon to nitrogen of first film is larger than 0.8.

15. The method according to claim 1, wherein the first film is composed of silicon nitride, and the composition ratio of silicon to nitrogen of first film is larger than 0.85.

16. The method according to claim 1, wherein the first film is composed of silicon nitride, and the composition ratio of silicon to nitrogen of first film is larger than 0.9.


[System] You are an expert US patent attorney. Draft a set of independent and dependent claims based on the provided invention description. Use correct USPTO formatting.

[User]
Title: Electronic Circuit

Technical Field and Background:
High voltage switching transistors, such as power MOSFETs, junction field effect transistor (JFETs) and gallium nitride (GaN) high electron mobility transistor (HEMT), are commonly used as semiconductor switches in high voltage and high power devices such as switched-mode power supplies, motor controllers, and high voltage and high power switching circuits. Some of these devices, such as the GaN HEMT have the ability to be operated at very high voltages without the device breaking down or becoming damaged. In many applications, a high voltage switching transistor is driven by a specialized driving circuit that produces switching voltages that are appropriate both for the particular application and for the particular technology of the switching transistor being driven. For example, a high side switching transistor that is referenced to a high voltage power supply node will often include a level shifting circuit that converts a ground referenced logic input level to a drive signal that is appropriately referenced to the high voltage power supply and has voltage levels that turns the high side switching transistor on and off. A few parameters that specify the performance of high voltage switching transistor systems include turn-on time, turn-off time, blocking voltage, on-resistance and power consumption. In the design of systems that utilize high voltage switching transistors, there is often a tradeoff involved among these parameters. For example, in high voltage switching transistors that have a very high blocking voltage and low on-resistance, there is often a corresponding high input capacitance that results in higher power consumption when the high voltage switching transistor is driven in a manner to achieve fast turn-on and turn-off times.

Invention Disclosure:
In accordance with an embodiment, a method includes driving a transistor device by a driver having an output coupled to a control node of the transistor through a capacitor and limiting a magnitude of a voltage of one polarity between the control node and a first load node of the transistor device by a rectifier circuit.

[Assistant]
1. An electronic circuit, comprising:
a transistor device comprising a control node and a first load node;
a driver having an input configured to receive an input signal and at least one output comprising a first output configured to provide a first drive signal based on the input signal, and a second output configured to provide a second drive signal based on the input signal;
a capacitor coupled between the at least one output and the control node of the transistor device, wherein each of the first output and the second output is coupled to the capacitor; and
a rectifier circuit connected between the first load node and the control node of the transistor device.

2. The electronic circuit of claim 1, wherein the rectifier circuit is integrated with the transistor device.

3. The electronic circuit of claim 1, wherein the transistor device has wide-bandgap properties.

4. The electronic circuit of claim 3, wherein the transistor device is a GaN device, the control node is a gate node and the first load node is a source node.

5. The electronic circuit of claim 4, wherein the GaN device is a GaN GIT device.

6. The electronic circuit of claim 1, further comprising a first resistor connected in parallel with the capacitor.

7. The electronic circuit of claim 6, further comprising a second resistor coupled between the at least one output and the first resistor.

8. The electronic circuit of claim 1, further comprising a first resistor and a second resistor, wherein the second resistor is coupled in series with the capacitor to form a series circuit, and the first resistor is coupled in parallel with the series circuit.

9. The electronic circuit of claim 1, wherein the rectifier circuit comprises at least one bipolar diode.

10. The electronic circuit of claim 1, wherein the rectifier circuit comprises a plurality of bipolar diodes connected in series.

11. The electronic circuit of claim 1, wherein the rectifier circuit comprises a series circuit with a bipolar diode and a Zener diode connected back-to-back.

12. The electronic circuit of claim 1, further comprising:
a first resistor coupled in parallel with the capacitor;
a second resistor coupled between the first output and the capacitor; and
a third resistor coupled between the second output and the capacitor.

13. The electronic circuit of claim 1, further comprising a second resistor connected between the first output and the capacitor.

14. The electronic circuit of claim 1, further comprising a third resistor connected between the second output and the capacitor.

15. The electronic circuit of claim 1, wherein a reference terminal of the driver and a reference terminal are coupled to a reference node.

16. The electronic circuit of claim 15, wherein the reference node is a ground node.

17. A drive circuit, comprising:
an output comprising a first output node configured to be connected to a gate node of a transistor device and a second output node configured to be connected to a first load node of the transistor device;
a driver having an input configured to receive an input signal and at least one output configured to provide a drive signal based on the input signal, wherein the driver comprises a first output configured to provide a first drive signal based on the input signal and a second output configured to provide a second drive signal based on the input signal;
a capacitor coupled between the at least one output of the driver and the first output node, wherein each of the first output and the second output is coupled to the capacitor; and
a rectifier circuit connected between the second output node and the first output node.

18. The drive circuit of claim 17, further comprising:
a first resistor connected in parallel with the capacitor.

19. The drive circuit of claim 17, wherein the rectifier circuit comprises at least one bipolar diode.

20. The drive circuit of claim 17, wherein the rectifier circuit comprises a plurality of bipolar diodes connected in series.

21. The drive circuit of claim 17, wherein the rectifier circuit comprises a series circuit with a bipolar diode and a Zener diode connected back-to-back.

22. The drive circuit of claim 17, further comprising:
a first resistor coupled in parallel with the capacitor;
a second resistor coupled between the first output and the capacitor; and
a third resistor coupled between the second output and the capacitor.

23. The drive circuit of claim 17, further comprising:
a second resistor connected between the first output and the capacitor.

24. The drive circuit of claim 17, further comprising:
a third resistor connected between the second output and the capacitor.

25. A method, comprising:
driving a transistor device by a driver having an output coupled to a control node of the transistor device through a capacitor, wherein the driver is configured to provide a drive signal at the output based on an input signal, the driver comprises a first output configured to provide a first drive signal based on the input signal and a second output configured to provide a second drive signal based on the input signal, and each of the first output and the second output is coupled to the capacitor; and
limiting a magnitude of a voltage of one polarity between the control node and a first load node of the transistor device by a rectifier circuit.

26. The method of claim 25, wherein the transistor device has wide-bandgap properties.

27. The method of claim 26, wherein the transistor device is a GaN device.

28. The method of claim 27, wherein the GaN device is a GaN GIT device.

29. The method of claim 25, wherein the voltage of the one polarity is a negative voltage between the control node and the first load node.


[System] You are an expert US patent attorney. Draft a set of independent and dependent claims based on the provided invention description. Use correct USPTO formatting.

[User]
Title: Method And Apparatus For An Integrated Capacitor

Technical Field and Background:
Capacitors are indispensable parts for various electronic systems, which are widely used for signal filtering and decoupling, energy transfer and storage, and charge/information retention. Integration of capacitors with high capacitance density and low resistance are leverage in many applications. For instance, integrated capacitors can be use for power converters, especially power converters with small sizes (e.g. for portable and wearable electronics, fully integrated power supply on-chip (PwrSoC) applications, point-of-load (POL) applications, and granularity power supply applications). Power converters use capacitors to store or release energy at different intervals for a smooth and stable output voltage. For example, in linear voltage regulators or inductive switched-mode power converters, capacitors are connected in parallel with the load to absorb the excessive energy when the output voltage increases and releases the stored energy when the output voltage drops. In switched capacitor power converters, capacitors are used as medium to transfer energy from the input to the load by charging and discharging. In both cases, there will be a ripple current flowing through the capacitor. As a result, integrated capacitors with low resistance are important for achieving high-efficiency power converters. Another application that leverages capacitors with low resistance are microwaves. In order to achieve a smaller signal distortion, lower loss, and create less heat dissipation in a microwave system, high quality factor (Q) capacitors can be used. The Q factor of a capacitor is defined as the ratio of its reactance to its resistance. Therefore, in order to build integrated microwave systems, integrated capacitors with lower resistance can be leveraged to increase the Q factor. This background relating to fabrication of integrated capacitors is merely intended to provide a contextual overview of some current capacitor fabrication technology, and is not intended to be exhaustive. Other context regarding current state may become apparent upon review of the following detailed description.

Invention Disclosure:
An integrated capacitor can be fabricated with both electrodes formed by trenches for low resistance. According to one embodiment, the capacitor can comprise a first trench electrode, one or more dielectric layers, and a second trench electrode. The first trench electrode and the second trench electrode can be fabricated in different trenches to improve capacitance density and resistance of the integrated capacitor.

[Assistant]
1. An apparatus, comprising:
a substrate comprising a dielectric layer;
a first electrode comprising a conductive material formed in a first trench of the substrate, wherein the dielectric layer is situated between the first electrode and the substrate; and
a second electrode comprising the conductive material formed in a second trench of the substrate, wherein the dielectric layer is situated between the second electrode and the substrate, resulting in a section of the substrate being situated between the dielectric layer of the first trench and the second trench.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the substrate conducts an inter-electrode current.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:
a doped region, wherein the first trench and the second trench are within the doped region.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:
a first set of vias connected to the first electrode, and a second set of vias connected to the second electrode.

5. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the substrate comprises a first surface and a second surface opposite each other, and wherein the first trench and the second trench are formed on the first surface of the substrate, and are connected to the second surface of the substrate by the first set of vias and the second set of vias.

6. An apparatus, comprising:
a substrate comprising a dielectric layer;
a first electrode comprising a conductive material formed in a first trench of the substrate, wherein the dielectric layer is situated between the first electrode and the substrate; and
a second electrode comprising the conductive material formed in a second trench of the substrate, and the conductive material forms electrical contact with the substrate, resulting in a section of the substrate being positioned between the dielectric layer of the first trench and the second trench.

7. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the first trench and the second trench are formed on the first surface of the substrate, and wherein the first trench and the second trench are connected to a second surface of the substrate by a first set of vias and by a second set of vias.

8. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the first set of vias are connected to the first electrode and the second set of vias are connected to the second electrode.

9. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the substrate conducts an inter-electrode current and a doped region, wherein the first trench and the second trench are within the doped region.

10. A method, comprising:
forming trenches for electrodes on a semiconductor substrate;
forming a dielectric layer on the semiconductor substrate, resulting in a section of the substrate being located between the dielectric layer of a first trench of the trenches and a second trench of the trenches;
forming a conductive layer comprising a conductive material on the semiconductor substrate; and
removing a portion of the conductive material.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the forming the trenches comprises wet etching the trenches.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein the forming the trenches comprises plasma etching the trenches.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein the forming the trenches comprises electrochemically etching the trenches.

14. The method of claim 10, further comprising:
doping the semiconductor substrate in proximity to the trenches.

15. The method of claim 10, wherein the forming the dielectric layer comprises thermally oxidizing the dielectric layer.

16. The method of claim 10, wherein the forming the dielectric layer comprises applying a chemical vapor deposition to form the dielectric layer.

17. A method of making an integrated capacitor, comprising a process of:
forming trenches for electrodes on a first side of a semiconductor substrate;
forming other trenches for electrical connections on a second side of the semiconductor substrate;
forming a dielectric layer on the semiconductor substrate, wherein the forming the dielectric layer results in a section of the semiconductor substrate being between a first portion of the dielectric layer of a first trench of the trenches and a second portion of the dielectric layer of a second trench of the trenches;
forming a conductive layer comprising a conductive material on the semiconductor substrate; and
removing a portion of the conductive material.

18. The integrated capacitor produced by the process of claim 17, wherein the forming the trenches comprises forming the trenches using etching.

19. The integrated capacitor produced by the process of claim 17, further comprising:
doping the semiconductor substrate in proximity to the trenches.

20. The integrated capacitor produced by the process of claim 17, wherein the forming the dielectric layer comprises forming the dielectric layer using an evaporation process.

21. The integrated capacitor produced by the process of claim 17, wherein the forming the dielectric layer comprises forming the dielectric layer using a thermal oxidation process.

22. The integrated capacitor produced by the process of claim 17, wherein the forming the dielectric layer comprises forming the dielectric layer using a chemical vapor deposition process.

23. The integrated capacitor produced by the process of claim 13, wherein the forming the dielectric layer comprises forming the dielectric layer using thermal oxidation.

24. The integrated capacitor produced by the process of claim 13, wherein the removing the excess of the conductive material comprises using a chemical-mechanical polishing process.

25. The integrated capacitor produced by the process of claim 17, wherein the conductive layer comprises doped silicon.

26. The integrated capacitor produced by the process of claim 17, wherein the forming the conductive layer comprises using a chemical vapor deposition.


[System] You are an expert US patent attorney. Draft a set of independent and dependent claims based on the provided invention description. Use correct USPTO formatting.

[User]
Title: Multicomponent Magnetic Field Sensor

Technical Field and Background:
The invention relates to a magnetic field sensor for measuring two or three components of a magnetic field. Magnetic field-sensitive measuring elements may take the form of magnetoresistive resistance elements or Hall elements. The arrangements are suitable for measuring magnetic fields of low intensity, such as for example to obtain an electronic compass. Arrangements of the type in question are known. For instance, DE 10 2009 008 265 describes an arrangement in which a suitable configuration of magnetically soft flux guides makes it possible to measure a plurality of components of an external magnetic field. A unit composed of sensor element and flux guide is here required for measuring each of the components located in the sensor plane. An additional sensor element is required for measuring the perpendicular component, wherein a suitable flux guide guides or deflects the perpendicular component of the magnetic field to be measured in such a way that, at the sensor location, a horizontal magnetic field component located in the sensor plane is also formed which can then be detected by a sensor element. DE 10 2008 041 859 describes an arrangement for measuring a Z magnetic field component oriented perpendicular to a magnetic field sensor plane, in which a plurality of sensor elements are interconnected to form a. magnetic field sensor element unit and are arranged around an in particular circular flux guidance element. It is proposed to measure the perpendicular Z magnetic field component indirectly by determining horizontal, symmetrical compensating magnetic field components arising by means of the flux guidance element on the basis of a magnetic field non-uniformity in the Z magnetic field component at the outer circumference of the flux guidance element by means of the sensor elements arranged adjacent to the flux guidance element. Further sensor elements are capable of determining magnetic field components in the X/Y magnetic field sensor plane, at least three different magnetic field sensor element units being provided for three-dimensional field measurement Using a plurality of sensor elements can bring about improvements in terms of measuring accuracy and immunity to interference. One drawback of the described solutions is the necessary space requirement for detecting a plurality of magnetic field components, as is typically required for compass applications. For the purpose of designing magnetic field sensor devices, it is known from the prior art to arrange “barber's pole structures”, i.e. thin conductive structures, on an AMR measuring strip, which consist of extremely conductive material such as for example aluminium, copper, gold or silver. The barber's pole structures are oriented at 45° relative to the longitudinal extent of the AMR resistance strip. A current flowing through the resistance strip is forced into a 45° direction to the longitudinal extent of the strip, as shown in FIG. 2 . As a consequence, the curve in FIG. 1 showing the dependency of resistance on the orientation of the current vector is displaced by 45° to the magnetic field vector, such that, as shown in FIG. 2 , it may be converted into a linearised region. As a function of the orientation of the barber's pole structures, a positive or negative flank is obtained for a linearisation between resistance and magnitude of the magnetic field to be measured. Magnetic field sensor devices which are based on barber's pole structures are known for example from DE 344 22 78 A1. Four such magnetic field sensor devices with differently oriented barber's pole structures are here interconnected in a Wheatstone measuring bridge, wherein an external magnetic field, which is generated by a macroscopic magnet coil premagnetises the internal magnetisation M 0 of the resistance strip in order to bring about a linearised resistance dependency on the external magnetic field H e . DE 43 191 46 C2 describes an improvement to such a design. Said document proposes arranging a series of AMR resistance devices with barber's pole structures along a conductor through which a flip current is flowing, wherein the flip current conductor brings about premagnetisation M 0 in the longitudinal direction of the AMR measurement strips. By flipping, i.e. reversing, the internal magnetisation, it is possible to reorient or calibrate resistance behaviour. The arrangement is capable of precisely measuring one component of an external magnetic field.

Invention Disclosure:
A magnetic field sensor apparatus for determining two or three components of a magnetic field includes at least one Wheatstone bridge with two half-bridges, wherein each half-bridge includes at least two bridge resistors, and at least one of the two bridge resistors is a magnetic-field-sensitive resistor with respect to a magnetic field component in an X/Y magnetic field sensor plane, Arranged symmetrically between the two magnetic-field-sensitive bridge resistors is a ferromagnetic flux concentration element which generates magnetic field components which are anti-symmetric with respect to a Z magnetic field component oriented perpendicular to the X/Y magnetic field sensor plane and are in the X/Y magnetic field sensor plane. A coordinate aspect proposes a method for determining a two-dimensional three-dimensional orientation of an external magnetic field by such a magnetic field sensor apparatus.

[Assistant]
1. A magnetic field sensor device for determining two or three components of a magnetic field, comprising at least one Wheatstone bridge with two half-bridges, each half-bridge comprising at least two bridge resistors and at least one of the two bridge resistors being a magnetic field-sensitive resistor with regard to a magnetic field component located in an X/Y magnetic field sensor plane, a ferromagnetic flux concentration element being arranged symmetrically between the two bridge resistors which, with regard to a Z magnetic field component oriented perpendicular to the X/Y magnetic field sensor plane, generates antisymmetric magnetic field components located in the X/Y magnetic field sensor plane, wherein at least one of the circuit arrangement of the bridge resistors is individually switchable, the supply voltage of at least one half-bridge is individually switchable, and at least one of the magnetic field-sensitive bridge resistors have a switchable resistance characteristic curve so as to enable switching of at least one resistance characteristic curve, wherein in a first state an X/Y-located magnetic field component is measurable and in a second state a magnetic field component located in the Z direction is measurable.

2. A magnetic field sensor device according to claim 1, wherein the magnetic field-sensitive bridge resistors are AMR, GMR or TMR resistors.

3. A magnetic field sensor device according to claim 1, wherein at least one premagnetisation switching unit, in particular a flip conductor, is included which is capable of flipping, i.e. reversing an internal magnetisation of said bridge resistors for defining the resistance characteristic curve ( 36 ) of at least one magnetic field-sensitive bridge resistor.

4. A magnetic field sensor device according to claim 1, wherein all the resistors of the Wheatstone measuring bridge are magnetic field-sensitive resistors.

5. A magnetic field sensor device according to claim 1, wherein two Wheatstone measuring bridges ( 14 a, 14 b ) are comprised, wherein the orientation of the measurement-sensitive magnetic field components, located in the X/Y magnetic field sensor plane, of the two measuring bridges is perpendicular to each other.

6. A magnetic field sensor device according to claim 1, wherein the ferromagnetic flux concentration element ( 22 ) consists of iron, cobalt, nickel, a ferromagnetic alloy such as AlNiCo, SmCo, Nd2Fe14B, Ni80Fe20, NiFeCo alloy or a combination thereof.

7. A magnetic field sensor device according to claim 1, wherein the ferromagnetic flux concentration element has a symmetrical shape, in particular a mirror-symmetrical or rotationally symmetrical shape, in particular a rectangular, in particular a square shape in the X/Y magnetic field sensor plane, in which the side edges of the flux concentration element are preferably oriented in the X/Y direction.

8. A magnetic field sensor device according to claim 1, wherein an upper or a lower surface of the flux concentration element is located in the X/Y magnetic field sensor plane.

9. A method for determining two or three components of a magnetic field by a magnetic field sensor device according to claim 1, comprising
switching of at least one of the resistance characteristic curves of mutually associated magnetic field-sensitive resistors of the two half-bridges or switching of the circuit arrangement of the bridge resistors in at least one half-bridge, wherein in a first state M 1, M 3 an X/Y-located magnetic field component is measurable by oppositely directed resistance profiles of mutually corresponding magnetic field-sensitive bridge resistors and in a second state M 2, M 4 a magnetic field component located in the Z direction is measurable by identically directed resistance profiles of mutually corresponding magnetic field-sensitive bridge resistors, and
bringing about a voltage change at the centre tap of the half-bridge in a first change in magnitude and, in the Z direction perpendicular to the X/Y sensor plane, a different voltage change in a second change in magnitude with a magnetic field sensor component located in an X/Y sensor plane in the two half-bridges.

10. A method according to claim 9 wherein switching of the states proceeds in the sequence M 1, M 2, M 1 and M 2 or M 1, M 2, M 3 and M 4.

11. A method according to claim 9, wherein a voltage offset of the measuring bridge is filtered out by an evaluation unit.


[System] You are an expert US patent attorney. Draft a set of independent and dependent claims based on the provided invention description. Use correct USPTO formatting.

[User]
Title: Vehicle Of Monocoque Construction Formed From Thermoplastic Resin Members

Technical Field and Background:
So called micro compact mobility such as a micro compact electric vehicle has been developed and spread in recent years. This is because that energy saving and CO 2 reduction have been demanded, and in a situation that aging, depopulation and abandonment of public transportation in local areas have been progressing, the micro compact mobility is expected to be a new means of transportation because it can be activated by small power, is easy to be driven by an elderly person and can be provided at a low price. For example, as such micro compact mobility, a one-seated micro compact electric vehicle “Coms” is sold by Toyota Auto Body Co., Ltd. The present invention provides a vehicle body particularly suitable for micro compact mobility such as a micro compact electric vehicle, being lightweight, having a good field of view during driving, is simple in production, and has rigidity required as a vehicle body. Synthetic resin has been conventionally used for a vehicle body having a lighter weight, as shown in Patent Documents 1 to 3. Patent Document 1 discloses integrally molding a lower half part of a vehicle body by press molding of a metal plate such as a steel plate or a fiber-reinforced synthetic resin material such as FRP for a one- or two-seated compact vehicle body. Patent Document 2 discloses a vehicle body assembly for use in small vehicles, such as lawn and garden tractors formed by connecting a thin-walled upper member made of plastic which provides a high gloss surface and a lower member made of fiber reinforced plastic, wherein at least three multi-sided closed sectioned compartments are formed by the upper and lower members in order to improve hardness or rigidity of the assembly. Patent Document 3 discloses a vehicle body in which all of numerous main parts such as a lower body, a side member, a lower body, an inner, an upper body outer, a hood, a front bumper, a rear bumper and a roof are made of synthetic resin, wherein high rigidity of the vehicle body can be maintained by forming a reinforced part which has a substantially box shape cross-section, and is open downward so as to surround a whole outer periphery of the lower body, and forming a bulge part passing a front and rear direction in a center part of the lower body. Synthetic resin has lower rigidity than a steel plate. When synthetic resin is used for a structural member such as a lower body, problems occur such that rigidity of a vehicle body tends to be lower, control property changes by deformation of the vehicle body while driving, and control stability worsens. For the above reason, in Patent Documents 1 and 2, a lower body (lower half vehicle body, lower member) is made of fiber reinforced plastic such as FRP, which requires time and labor to form the lower body. Further, in Patent Document 3, a lower body is made of synthetic resin similar to be used in numerous main parts such as a side member, an upper body inner and an upper body outer. However, the number of the parts constituting the vehicle body is large, time and labor are required to form and assemble the parts. In addition, the document does not disclose any means to secure a space capable of mounting a battery and fix the battery to be mounted in the space.

Invention Disclosure:
This vehicle of monocoque construction is formed by fastening together resin parts which are an upper body integrally made of a transparent thermoplastic resin composition, a lower body integrally made of a thermoplastic resin composition and a floor integrally made of a thermoplastic resin composition, wherein the vehicle is characterized in that the lower body is provided with a flange part rising up from the entire perimeter of the bottom surface and, in the center of the bottom surface, a convex rib part that continues rearward from the front of the vehicle, and the upper body and the floor being fastened to the flange part and the convex rib part of the lower body. In so doing, there can be provided a vehicle which is lightweight, affords a good field of view during driving, is simple in construction, and has the necessary rigidity.

[Assistant]
1. A vehicle body having monocoque construction formed by fastening together resin parts which are an upper body as an integrally molded article obtained by molding a transparent thermoplastic resin composition, a lower body as an integrally molded article obtained by molding a thermoplastic resin composition and a floor as an integrally molded article obtained by molding a thermoplastic resin composition, wherein
the transparent thermoplastic resin composition constituting the upper body is a polycarbonate resin composition, and the thermoplastic resin composition constituting the lower body and the floor is polycarbonate resin composition or polyamide resin composition;
the lower body has a bottom surface and a flange part rising up from an entire perimeter of the bottom surface;
in a center of the bottom surface of the lower body, a convex rib part is formed continuously from a front part to a rear part of the vehicle body;
at least two spaces surrounded by the flange part, the convex rib part and the bottom surface are formed in a center part of the lower body of the vehicle to allow auto parts such as a battery to be installed;
the auto parts to be installed in the space can be fixed through fastening of the lower body and the floor;
the upper body and the floor are mounted on the lower body, and the upper body and the floor are fastened together to the flange part and the convex rib part of the lower body; and
a front suspension sub-frame to which a suspension, a brake, and a steering are attached is contacted with and fixed to a large area of the bottom surface of the lower body.

2. The vehicle body according to claim 1, wherein a groove is formed on a back surface of the convex rib part, and a plurality of ribs crossing the groove are provided.

3. The vehicle body according to claim 1, wherein the upper body is divided into resin parts which are a front upper body, a rear upper body and a roof.

4. The vehicle body according to claim 1, wherein the resin parts are formed by heat press molding of a resin plate obtained from the thermoplastic resin composition.

5. The vehicle body according to claim 1, wherein the resin parts are formed by injection molding of the thermoplastic resin composition.

6. The vehicle body according to claim 1, wherein a plurality of independent protrusions are provided on the bottom surface of the lower body, and the fastening of the upper body and the floor to the lower body is performed at the protrusions in addition to the flange part and the convex rib part of the lower body.

7. The vehicle body according to claim 1, wherein the vehicle body is a vehicle body of a micro compact electric vehicle.

8. The vehicle body according to claim 1, wherein an opening forming an entrance is provided on the upper body, and a frame member is provided on an entire perimeter of the formed entrance.

9. The vehicle body according to claim 8, wherein a seat belt, a fall prevention member, a rain guard door and the like are attached to the frame member.

10. The vehicle body according to claim 8, wherein a part of the flange part which is positioned in a lower part of the entrance is extended outward, a cross-sectional shape of the extended part is made to a substantial U-shape which extends first downward and then upward, and a tip part of the extended part is connected to the frame member.

11. The vehicle body according to claim 1, wherein a vehicle body of the monocoque construction is egg-shaped.

12. The vehicle body according to claim 11, wherein two ridge line parts which are symmetrical with respect to a center line of the vehicle body in a front and rear direction and substantially parallel to the center line are provided on at least an upper surface of the upper body.

13. The vehicle body according to claim 12, wherein curvature of the ridge line part is smaller than curvature of any part of the upper body, and the curvature radius is 5mm or more.


[System] You are an expert US patent attorney. Draft a set of independent and dependent claims based on the provided invention description. Use correct USPTO formatting.

[User]
Title: Modular Cabin Segment, Cabin For A Vehicle And Vehicle With A Cabin

Technical Field and Background:
Vehicles for transporting passengers, which vehicles have a cabin with passenger seats arranged therein, usually need to meet economic expectations so that, in the design of passenger cabins with limited space provided, the largest-possible number of passengers can be transported. In particular if the vehicle is used to travel longer distances, apart from the passenger seats, further equipment features are required in order to ensure passenger wellbeing. Apart from toilets this also relates to equipment for heating, cooling, the preparation and storage of food and drinks. Parallel to this, in particular in the case of commercial aircraft or other technically complex vehicles, there is also the desire of many operators to design a cabin according to their own wishes. Usually, in the case of aircraft this requirement is met by a number of galley monuments or toilet monuments standardized by the manufacturer of the aircraft. These monuments often separate individual cabin sections from each other in longitudinal direction of the cabin and are often provided so as to be separate from each other. Furthermore, in particular in commercial aircraft it is a regulatory requirement to provide a cabin attendant seat for each cabin attendant so that each cabin attendant can take up a safe position during takeoff and landing of the aircraft, which cabin attendant seat additionally occupies already confined space in the cabin. DE 43 00 877 A1 and U.S. Pat. No. 5,474,260 A disclose an aircraft with a number of supply devices and toilets that are designed as independent conventional toilet compartments.

Invention Disclosure:
A modular cabin segment for a vehicle includes a first lateral segment module accommodating a first toilet arrangement with a toilet compartment, a second lateral segment module, and at least one central module, wherein in each case an outer lateral face of the first segment module and of the second lateral segment module is designed to adapt in each case to an inner wall of a cabin of the vehicle so as to correspond to the aforesaid. At least one of the modules includes a cabin attendant seat that on one side is held on the at least one module so that it can be pivoted on an axis. In this manner very good integration of many different functions in the manner of a construction kit is achieved in order to be able to accommodate a greater number of passenger seats elsewhere within the limited space provided in a cabin.

[Assistant]
1. A modular cabin segment for a vehicle, comprising:
a first lateral segment module accommodating a first toilet arrangement with at least one first toilet compartment;
a second lateral segment module; and
at least one central module,
wherein an outer lateral face of the first segment module and of the second lateral segment module are configured to snugly fit in each case to an inner wall of a cabin of the vehicle so as to correspond to the inner wall,
wherein the second lateral segment module is a galley module,
wherein the at least one central module is arranged between the first lateral segment module and the second lateral segment module and accommodates a second toilet arrangement with at least one second toilet compartment adjacent the first toilet compartment, and
further comprising a partition wall arranged between the first toilet compartment and the adjacent second toilet compartment, wherein the partition wall is movably held and is configured to be brought to an opening position in which separation between the first toilet compartment and the second toilet compartment is canceled,
wherein the partition wall comprises first and second individual partition wall segments that are movably held, and
wherein the first partition wall segment is configured to be folded to a first sidewall of the first toilet compartment, while the second partition wall segment is configured to be pivoted into a region that is not situated in the first toilet compartment or in the second toilet compartment.

2. The cabin segment of claim 1, wherein at least one of the modules comprises at least one cabin attendant seat supported on the at least one module on one side so that the at least one cabin attendant seat is pivotable on an axis.

3. The cabin segment of claim 1, wherein a cabin attendant seat is supported on the at least one module in such a manner that the cabin attendant seat is pivotable either in front of a toilet arrangement or in front of a storage compartment.

4. The cabin segment of claim 1, wherein the second lateral segment module comprises at least one parking space for a cabin trolley and at least one storage compartment for accommodating objects.

5. The cabin segment of claim 4, wherein the at least one parking space comprises dimensions that allow to accommodate a wheelchair in a folded state thereof.

6. The cabin segment of claim 1, wherein the second toilet arrangement is arranged on a side of the central module, which side faces the first toilet arrangement.

7. The cabin segment of claim 1, wherein the second toilet arrangement extends across the entire width of the at least one central module.

8. The cabin segment of claim 1,
wherein the at least one central module comprises at least one parking space for at least one cabin trolley and at least one storage compartment, and
wherein a cabin attendant seat is supported on the at least one central module in such a manner that the cabin attendant seat is pivotable in front of an access opening of the second toilet arrangement.

9. The cabin segment of claim 1, wherein at least part of the central module and the lateral segment module are interconnected in the form of an enlarged lateral segment module.

10. The cabin segment of claim 1, wherein the second toilet arrangement has at least one toilet compartment comprising a urinal, said toilet compartment being arranged in a transverse direction beside the at least one storage compartment.

11. The cabin segment of claim 1, wherein a direction of extension of the first toilet compartment and a direction of extension of the second toilet compartment are arranged so as to be essentially perpendicular to each other.

12. A cabin for a vehicle, comprising at least one cabin segment, the cabin segment comprising:
a first lateral segment module accommodating a first toilet arrangement with at least one first toilet compartment;
a second lateral segment module; and
at least one central module,
wherein an outer lateral face of the first segment module and of the second lateral segment module are configured to snugly fit in each case to an inner wall of a cabin of the vehicle so as to correspond to the inner wall,
wherein the second lateral segment module is a galley module,
wherein the at least one central module is arranged between the first lateral segment module and the second lateral segment module and accommodates a second toilet arrangement with at least one second toilet compartment adjacent the first toilet compartment, and
further comprising a partition wall arranged between the first toilet compartment and the adjacent second toilet compartment, wherein the partition wall is movably held and is configured to be brought to an opening position in which separation between the first toilet compartment and the second toilet compartment is canceled,
wherein the partition wall comprises first and second individual partition wall segments that are movably held, and
wherein the first partition wall segment is configured to be folded to a first sidewall of the first toilet compartment, while the second partition wall segment is configured to be pivoted into a region that is not situated in the first toilet compartment or in the second toilet compartment.

13. A vehicle comprising a cabin, the cabin comprising:
at least one cabin segment, the cabin segment comprising:
a first lateral segment module accommodating a first toilet arrangement with at least one first toilet compartment;
a second lateral segment module; and
at least one central module,
wherein an outer lateral face of the first segment module and of the second lateral segment module are configured to snugly fit in each case to an inner wall of a cabin of the vehicle so as to correspond to the inner wall, and
wherein the second lateral segment module is a galley module,
wherein the at least one central module is arranged between the first lateral segment module and the second lateral segment module and accommodates a second toilet arrangement with at least one second toilet compartment adjacent the first toilet compartment, and
further comprising a partition wall arranged between the first toilet compartment and the adjacent second toilet compartment, wherein the partition wall is movably held and is configured to be brought to an opening position in which separation between the first toilet compartment and the second toilet compartment is canceled,
wherein the partition wall comprises first and second individual partition wall segments that are movably held, and
wherein the first partition wall segment is configured to be folded to a first sidewall of the first toilet compartment, while the second partition wall segment is configured to be pivoted into a region that is not situated in the first toilet compartment or in the second toilet compartment.

14. The vehicle of claim 13, wherein the vehicle is an aircraft.


[System] You are an expert US patent attorney. Draft a set of independent and dependent claims based on the provided invention description. Use correct USPTO formatting.

[User]
Title: Methods And System For Illuminating Decorations

Technical Field and Background:
People illuminate decorations, such as pumpkins caved into jack-o-lanterns during Halloween. A small candle placed in the jack-lantern typically provides the light. The candle is often visible from the front of the jack-o-lantern, leading the viewer to be distracted by the candle itself instead of the carved art of the jack-o-lantern. The concentrated light of the candle also ruins photographs of the jack-o-lantern, especially at night.

Invention Disclosure:
Methods and apparatus for illuminating decorations according to various aspects of the present invention may comprise a light source and a diffuser. A connector may connect the light source to the decoration. A reflector may reflect light from the light source towards an anticipated observer.

[Assistant]
1. A light apparatus for illuminating a jack-o-lantern, comprising:
a base;
an LED mounted on a front side of the base;
a diffuser mounted on the front side of the base and covering the LED;
a piercing connector mounted on a back side of the base; and
a reflector attached to the base.

2. The light apparatus of claim 1, wherein the reflector's color approximates the color of a pumpkin's interior.

3. The light apparatus of claim 1, wherein the piercing connector comprises at least one corkscrew.

4. The light apparatus of claim 1, wherein the diffuser includes a color filter.

5. The light apparatus of claim 1, wherein the light source generates about 0.5 to about 10 candelas.

6. The light apparatus of claim 1, wherein the light source generates about 0.5 to about 3 candelas.


[System] You are an expert US patent attorney. Draft a set of independent and dependent claims based on the provided invention description. Use correct USPTO formatting.

[User]
Title: Valve Operator Assembly With Compensating Actuator

Technical Field and Background:
Valves are used in a variety of industries to control the flow of fluids. In particular, gate valves are used extensively in the oil and gas industry to control the flow of produced fluids at various stages of production. Most gate valves used in this industry comprise a valve body having a longitudinal flow bore and a transverse gate cavity that intersects the flow bore. A gate having a gate opening extending transversely therethrough is disposed in the gate cavity. A valve stem is provided for moving the gate between an open position, in which the gate opening is aligned with the flow bore, and a closed position, in which the gate opening is offset from the flow bore. The gate cavity of the valve body is covered by a bonnet having an axial bore through which passes the valve stem. Such a gate valve is associated to a valve operator assembly for selectively driving the valve stem up and down in order to close and open the gate valve. A gate valve may be manually actuated. In this case, the valve operator assembly generally comprises a transmission mechanism to convert the rotational motion of a hand-wheel into axial motion of the valve stem. To quickly open and close the gate valve with a minimum number of turns, the transmission mechanism may be a ball screw mechanism or a planetary roller screw mechanism in order to reduce the operating torque, for instance manual hand-wheel torque or powered with electric drive for surface valves or with remote operating vehicle (ROV) or electric actuation for subsea valves. For more details, it is possible for example to refer to the patent EP-B1-1 419 334 (SKF). A balance system is generally provided on the valve body of the gate valve to prevent a back-driving of the transmission mechanism with the upward force exerted by the fluid. Under fluid pressure, the gate valve can effectively be inadvertently opened or closed. The balance system may comprise a balance stem disposed on the valve body and which is exposed to fluid pressure to offset or balance the force exerted on the gate. When operating a gate valve without using such a balance stem, the force of the fluid helps in one direction a movement of the valve stem and the screw of the transmission mechanism whereas the force is against a movement in the opposite direction. For instance, when the valve is vertical and the drive input is uppermost, the upward force of the fluid helps an upwards movement of the valve stem and the screw. Accordingly, the required torque on the rotational drive input, such as manual hand-wheel, is usually much higher for the movements in one direction compared to the movements in the opposite direction.

Invention Disclosure:
The valve operator assembly is provided for a valve and comprises a housing 18, an input member 20 rotatably mounted with respect to said housing and comprising a rotational drive input 72, and a transmission mechanism 22 connected to said input member and comprising a stem 24, said transmission mechanism being adapted to convert applied rotation of the rotational drive input into axial translation of said stem. The assembly further comprises at least one elastic actuator 33 axially located between the input member 20 and the stem 24 to obtain a compression of the actuator during an axial translation of said stem towards the input member and a release of said actuator during an axial translation in the opposite direction.

[Assistant]
1. A valve operator assembly for a valve comprising a valve body and a valve translating member axially moveable, the assembly comprising:
a housing adapted to be mounted on the valve;
an input member rotatably mounted with respect to the housing and comprising a rotational drive input;
a transmission mechanism connected to the input member and comprising a translating element adapted to be connected to the valve translating member of the valve,
wherein the transmission mechanism is adapted to convert applied rotation of the rotational drive input into axial translation of the translating element;
at least one elastic actuator axially located between the input member and the translating element to obtain a compression of the elastic actuator during an axial translation of the translating element towards the input member and a release of the elastic actuator during an axial translation in the opposite direction; and
the transmission mechanism further comprising:
a screw,
a nut surrounding and coaxial with said the screw, and
a plurality of rolling elements radially disposed between the screw and the nut and each engaged in both outer and inner threads provided on the screw and the nut; and
wherein a contact diameter (D contact ) between the rolling elements and the screw or the nut is defined by:
D contact ≥ L π × tan   ( Φ )
wherein L corresponds to the lead of the screw mechanism, and
wherein Φ corresponds to a determined non-back-driving factor which is chosen from 0°<Φ≦1°, the contact diameter being provided in order to prevent back-driving of the mechanism.

2. The valve operator assembly according to claim 1, wherein the elastic actuator bears axially against the translating element.

3. The valve operator assembly according to claim 1, wherein the elastic actuator is coaxial with an axis ( 24 a ) of the translating element.

4. The valve operator assembly according to claim 1, wherein the elastic actuator comprises at least one compression spring.

5. The valve operator assembly according to claim 1, wherein the transmission mechanism and the input member delimit together a space ( 78 ) inside which is disposed the elastic actuator.

6. The valve operator assembly according to claim 5, wherein the transmission mechanism further comprises at least one thrust rolling bearing mounted on the input member, the elastic actuator bearing axially against the thrust rolling bearing.

7. The valve operator assembly according to claim 1, wherein the transmission mechanism and the housing delimit together a space inside which is disposed the elastic actuator.

8. The valve operator assembly according to claim 7, the elastic actuator bears axially against a protrusion of the housing.

9. The valve operator assembly according to claim 1, wherein one of the screw or the nut forms the translating element.

10. The valve operator assembly according to claim 1, wherein the non-back-driving factor is chosen from 0°<Φ≦0.5°.

11. The valve operator assembly according to claim 1, further comprising at least one rolling bearing radially disposed between the transmission mechanism and the housing.

12. The valve operator assembly according to claim 11, wherein the rolling bearing is mounted on an outer surface of the transmission mechanism.

13. The valve operator assembly according to claim 1, the input member further comprising an adapter sleeve connected to the transmission mechanism and the rotational drive input connected to the sleeve.

14. The valve comprising:
a valve body;
a valve translating member axially moveable; and
a valve operator assembly, comprising:
a housing adapted to be mounted on the valve;
an input member rotatably mounted with respect to the housing and comprising a rotational drive input;
a transmission mechanism connected to the input member and comprising a translating element adapted to be connected to the valve translating member of the valve,
wherein the transmission mechanism is adapted to convert applied rotation of the rotational drive input into axial translation of the translating element;
at least one elastic actuator axially located between the input member and the translating element to obtain a compression of the elastic actuator during an axial translation of the translating element towards the input member and a release of the elastic actuator during an axial translation in the opposite direction; and
the transmission mechanism further comprising:
a screw,
a nut surrounding and coaxial with said the screw, and
a plurality of rolling elements radially disposed between the screw and the nut and each engaged in both outer and inner threads provided on the screw and the nut; and
wherein a contact diameter (D contact ) between the rolling elements and the screw or the nut is defined by:
D contact ≥ L π × tan   ( Φ )
wherein L corresponds to the lead of the screw mechanism, and
wherein Φ corresponds to a determined non-back-driving factor which is chosen from 0°<Φ≦1°, the contact diameter being provided in order to prevent back-driving of the mechanism.

15. The valve operator assembly according to claim 1, wherein the non-back-driving factor is chosen from 0°<Φ≦0.4°.