1. A method for preparing a thinned specimen by irradiating at least one of the side surfaces of the specimen with an ion beam to ion-etch the specimen, said method comprising the steps of:
(a) directing the ion beam at the specimen, directing light at one side surface of the specimen, and imaging the other side surface of the specimen with an imaging device;
(b) extracting high-brightness pixels which form the specimen image and which have intensities becoming greater than a given threshold value as the specimen is thinned;
(c) making a decision as to whether the extracted high-brightness pixels form a continuous sequence of pixels whose number is in excess of a given number on the specimen image; and
(d) stopping the ion-beam irradiation of the specimen or varying conditions under which the specimen is irradiated with the ion beam if the decision at the step (c) is affirmative (YES).
2. A method of specimen preparation as set forth in claim 1, further comprising the step of placing a belt-like, ribbon-like, or tape-like shielding material so as to stand substantially uprightly over the specimen to form an unirradiated surface portion of the specimen and irradiated surface portions of the specimen located on opposite sides of the unirradiated surface portion, and wherein
(A) the ion beam being directed at the shielding material and one side of the specimen obliquely from above the shielding material or from immediately above the shielding material,
(B) the ion beam being directed at the shielding material and the other side of the specimen obliquely from above the shielding material, and
(C) the irradiated surface portions being ion-etched while leaving the unirradiated surface portion unetched to ion-etch the side surfaces of the specimen, whereby preparing a thin-film specimen that becomes thinner in going downward from the unirradiated surface portion.
3. A method of specimen preparation as set forth in claim 2, wherein where a direction in which the ion beam is directed is set such that a through-hole is formed in the specimen, a decision is made as to whether said high-brightness pixels form a continuous vertical, lateral, or oblique sequence of pixels whose number is in excess of a given number on the specimen image.
4. A method of specimen preparation as set forth in claim 2, wherein where a direction in which the ion beam is directed is set such that a lower end of the specimen is thinned, a decision is made as to whether said high-brightness pixels are present in positions corresponding to the lower end of the specimen on the specimen image and form a continuous sequence of pixels whose number is in excess of a given number in an edge direction of the lower end of the specimen.
5. A method of specimen preparation as set forth in claim 1, wherein where said decision at the step (c) is affirmative (YES), the ion beam hitting the specimen is weakened and a finishing process is performed.
6. A specimen preparation apparatus for preparing a thinned specimen by irradiating at least one of left and right side surfaces of the specimen with an ion beam to ion-etch the specimen, said specimen preparation apparatus comprising:
light illumination means for directing light at any one side surface of the specimen;
imaging device for imaging the other side surface of the specimen;
high-brightness pixel extraction means for extracting high-brightness pixels which form the specimen image imaged by the imaging device and which have intensities becoming greater than a given threshold value as the specimen is thinned;
decision means for making a decision as to whether the extracted high-brightness pixels form a continuous sequence of pixels whose number is in excess of a given number on the specimen image; and
means which, when said decision is affirmative (YES), stops the ion-beam irradiation of the specimen or varies conditions under which the specimen is irradiated with the ion beam.
7. A specimen preparation apparatus as set forth in claim 6, further comprising:
a belt-like, ribbon-like, or tape-like shielding material placed to stand substantially uprightly over the specimen to form an unirradiated surface portion of the specimen and irradiated surface portions of the specimen located on opposite sides of the unirradiated surface portion;
means for directing the ion beam at one side surface of the shielding material and at the specimen obliquely from above the shielding material; and
means for directing the ion beam at the other side surface of the shielding material and at the specimen obliquely from above the shielding material;
wherein a direction in which the ion beam is directed is so set as to prepare the thin-film specimen that becomes thinner in going downward from the unirradiated surface portion.
8. A specimen preparation apparatus as set forth in claim 7, wherein where the direction in which the ion beam is directed is so set that a through-hole is formed in the specimen, said decision means makes a decision as to whether said high-brightness pixels form a continuous vertical, lateral, or oblique sequence of pixels whose number is in excess of a given number on the specimen image.
9. A specimen preparation apparatus as set forth in claim 7, wherein where the direction in which the ion beam is directed is so set that the lower end of the specimen is thinned, said high-brightness pixel extraction means extracts said high-brightness pixels appearing in positions corresponding to the lower end of the specimen on the specimen, and said decision means makes a decision as to whether the extracted pixels form a continuous sequence of pixels whose number is in excess of a given number on the specimen image.
The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.
I claim:
1. A computer-based automatic planning method comprising the steps:
providing a work record having at least one work data element;
translating each of the work data element into at least one first course element;
providing a school record having a plurality of second course elements;
comparing each of the first course elements against each of the second course elements; and
listing each of the second course elements that having been matched by a first course element in a first section and listing each of the second course elements that have not been matched by a first course element in a second section.
2. The method as in claim 1 wherein the work data element includes subentries selected from the group consisting of type of credit, date earned, description of work, work course number, length of credit, and level.
3. The method as in claim 2 wherein each of the second course elements that have been matched includes the type of credit subentry.
4. The method as in claim 2 wherein each work record is located within one of a plurality of work files based on the type of credit work identifier data element subentry.
5. The method as in claim 2 wherein the type of credit subentry is selected from the group consisting of work credit, military credit, college credit, test credit, and correspondence credit.
6. The method as in claim 1 wherein the first course element, is derived from the American Council on Education Guide.
7. The method as in claim 1 wherein each of the second course elements is subdivided in a required course type and an elective course type, such that each of the first course elements has a first amount associated therewith and each of the second course elements of the elective course type has a second amount and an accumulator associated therewith, and wherein each of the first course elements is first compared against each second course element of the required course type and if no match is made, the first course element is compared against each of the second course elements of the elective course type and if a match is made, entering the first amount of the first course element into the accumulator of the second course element, and after all comparisons are made, for each of the second course elements of the elective course type wherein the accumulator is at least equal to the second amount of the second course element, listing the second course element in the first section and if the accumulator is less than the second amount, listing the second course element in the first section along with the accumulator and also listing the second course element along with the difference between the second amount and the accumulator.
8. A computer-based automatic planning method comprising the steps:
providing a work record having at least one work data element;
providing a database having a plurality of school files each having at least one degree record having a plurality of second course elements;
translating each of the work data element into at least one first course element for each school file;
selecting a school file and a degree record from the school file and comparing each of the first course elements for the selected school file against each of the second course elements of the selected degree record; and
listing each of the second course elements that having been matched by a first course element in a first section and listing each of the second course elements that have not been matched by a first course element in a second section.
9. The method as in claim 8 wherein the work data element includes subentries selected from the group consisting of type of credit, date earned, description of work, work course number, length of credit, and level.
10. The method as in claim 9 wherein each of the second course elements that have been matched includes the type of credit subentry.
11. The method as in claim 9 wherein each work record is located within one of a plurality of work files based on the type of credit work identifier data element subentry.
12. The method as in claim 9 wherein the type of credit subentry is selected from the group consisting of work credit, military credit, college credit, test credit, and correspondence credit.
13. The method as in claim 8 wherein the first course element, is derived from the American Council on Education Guide.
14. The method as in claim 8 wherein each of the second course elements is subdivided in a required course type and an elective course type, such that each of the first course elements has a first amount associated therewith and each of the second course elements of the elective course type has a second amount and an accumulator associated therewith, and wherein each of the first course elements is first compared against each second course element of the required course type and if no match is made, the first course element is compared against each of the second course elements of the elective course type and if a match is made, entering the first amount of the first course element into the accumulator of the second course element, and after all comparisons are made, for each of the second course elements of the elective course type wherein the accumulator is at least equal to the second amount of the second course element, listing the second course element in the first section and if the accumulator is less than the second amount, listing the second course element in the first section along with the accumulator and also listing the second course element along with the difference between the second amount and the accumulator.
15. An automated planning method comprising the steps:
providing a first database having a first record, the first record having at least one first entry, each first entry having a first work data element;
providing a second database having a plurality of second entries, each second entry having a second work data element, a first school ID element, a first course element, a first elective element, and a first amount element;
providing a third database having at least one second record, each second record having a second school ID element and having at least one third entry, each third entry having a second course element, a second elective element, and a second amount element;
taking each first entry in turn from the first record and comparing the first work data element from the first entry against the second work data element of each second entry, in turn, of the second database and when the first work data element matches the second work data element, selecting the second record that has a second school ID element that matches the first school ID element, and entering the first course element, the first elective element, and the first amount element of the second entry of the second database into the a third entry of the selected second record;
providing a fourth database having at least one file having a third school ID element, each file having at least one fourth record, each fourth record having a plurality of fourth entries, each fourth entry having a third course element, the fourth record also having at least one fifth entry having a third elective element, a third amount element, and an accumulator; and
selecting a file and selecting a fourth record from the file, and taking each third entry in turn wherein the second school ID element matches the third school ID element and comparing the second course element of each such third entry against the third course element for a match and listing each third course element that is matched in a first manner, for each second course element that fails to match a third course element, comparing the second elective element against each third elective element for a match and if a match is made adding the second amount into the accumulator, for each third elective element wherein the accumulator is at least equal to the third amount, listing the third elective element in the first manner and wherein the accumulator is less than the third amount listing the third elective in a second manner and listing each third course element that is not matched in the second manner.
16. The method as in claim 15 wherein the work data element includes subentries selected from the group consisting of type of credit, date earned, description of work, work course number, length of credit, and level.
17. The method as in claim 16 wherein each entry listed within the first section includes the type of credit subentry.
18. The method as in claim 16 wherein each first record within the first database is located within one of a plurality of work files based on the type of credit work identifier data element subentry.
19. The method as in claim 16 wherein the type of credit subentry is selected from the group consisting of work credit, military credit, college credit, test credit, and correspondence credit.
20. The method as in claim 15 wherein each of the steps are performed by a computer.
21. The method as in claim 15 wherein each of the files corresponds to a unique institution and each of the fourth records within the file corresponds to a unique degree within the institution.
22. The method as in claim 15 wherein each of the second elective elements include a first level subelement and each of the third elective elements include a second level subelement.
23. The method as in claim 15 wherein the first course element, the first elective element, and the first amount element of each of the second entries is populated from the American Council on Education Guide.
24. The method as in claim 15 wherein each third entry further has a first degree element and each fourth record has a second degree element and wherein each third entry is compared against each second course element only if additionally, the first degree element matches the second degree element of the selected fourth record.
25. An automated planning method comprising the steps:
providing a first database having a first record, the first record having an identifier key and at least one first entry, each first entry having a first work data element;
providing a second database having a plurality of second entries, each second entry having a second work data element, a first school ID element, a first course element, a first elective element, and a first amount element;
providing a second record having at least one third entry, each third entry having a second school ID element, a second course element, a second elective element, and a second amount element;
using the second database, translating each first entry stored within the first record and entering the result in the into a third entry of the second record;
providing a third database having at least one file having a third school ID element, each file having at least one fourth record, each fourth record having a plurality of fourth entries, each fourth entry having a third course element, the second record also having at least one fifth entry having an third elective element, a third amount element, and an accumulator; and
selecting a file and selecting a fourth record from the file, and taking each third entry in turn wherein the second school ID element matches the third school ID element and comparing the second course element of each such third entry against the third course element for a match and listing each third course element that is matched in a first manner, for each second course element that fails to match a third course element, comparing the second elective element against each third elective element for a match and if a match is made adding the second amount into the accumulator, for each third elective element wherein the accumulator is at least equal to the third amount, listing the third elective element in the first manner and wherein the accumulator is less than the third amount listing the third elective in a second manner and listing each third course element that is not matched in the second manner.
26. The method as in claim 25 wherein the work data element includes subentries selected from the group consisting of type of credit, date earned, description of work, work course number, length of credit, and level.
27. The method as in claim 26 wherein each entry listed within the first section includes the type of credit subentry.
28. The method as in claim 26 wherein each first record within the first database is located within one of a plurality of work files based on the type of credit work identifier data element subentry.
29. The method as in claim 26 wherein the type of credit subentry is selected from the group consisting of work credit, military credit, college credit, test credit, and correspondence credit.
30. The method as in claim 25 wherein each of the steps are performed by a computer.
31. The method as in claim 25 wherein each of the files corresponds to a unique institution and each of the fourth records within the file corresponds to a unique degree within the institution.
32. The method as in claim 25 wherein each of the second elective elements include a level subelement and each of the third elective elements include a second level subelement
33. The method as in claim 25 wherein the first course element, the first elective element, and the first amount element of each of the second entries is populated from the American Council on Education Guide.
34. The method as in claim 25 wherein each third entry further has a first degree element and each fourth record has a second degree element and wherein each third entry is compared against each second course element only if additionally, the first degree element matches the second degree element of the selected fourth record.