Author: claimsbot

What is claimed is:

1. A digital channelizer for a wideband signal of K channels, comprising:
an analysis filter coupled to each of said K channels;
a Fast Fourier Transform (FFT) filter bank coupled to said analysis filter for converting each of K channels into a plurality of frequency domain subchannels;
an inverse FFT filter bank coupled to L channels from said FFT filter bank,
wherein L is less than K, and wherein said inverse FFT filter bank converts said L users to a time domain data set; and
a synthesis filter coupled to said inverse FFT filter bank performing partial reconstruction of said time domain data set.
2. The digital channelizer according to claim 1, wherein said analysis filter is a decimation unit and a polyphase filter.
3. The digital channelizer according to claim 1, wherein said synthesis filter is a polyphase filter and an expander unit.
4. The digital channelizer according to claim 1, wherein said synthesis filter uses a mean squared error signal reconstruction.
5. The digital channelizer according to claim 1, wherein said analysis filter is processed according to:
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6. The digital channelizer according to claim 1, wherein said analysis filter has a stop band attenuation greater than about 90 dB.
7. The digital channelizer according to claim 6, wherein said analysis filter has a 6 dB crossover point with an adjacent channel.
8. The digital channelizer according to claim 6, wherein said analysis filter is a four fold analysis and said synthesis filter is an eight fold analysis.
9. The digital channelizer according to claim 1, wherein said reconstruction filter has a stop band attenuation greater than about 50 dB.
10. The digital channelizer according to claim 1, wherein said synthesis filter is the solution to the set of linear constraints defined as
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where g(k) is the analysis prototype, (k) is the synthesis prototype, N is the decimation rate, and M is the number of channels.
11. The digital channelizer according to claim 1, further comprising a residual phase rotation of
18
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j2
nkP
K
applied to each sample in order to remove phase offset created by the FFT block processing.
12. A multirate filter bank with an analysis and synthesis filter set providing high performance signal detection with alias free recombination for signals spanning multiple frequency bins, comprising:
an analysis filter coupled to each of said K channels;
a Fast Fourier Transform (FFT) filter bank coupled to said analysis filter for converting each of K channels into a plurality of frequency domain subchannels;
an inverse FFT filter bank coupled to L channels from said FFT filter bank,
wherein L is less than K, and wherein said inverse FFT filter bank converts said L users to a time domain data set; and
a synthesis filter coupled to said inverse FFT filter bank performing partial reconstruction of said time domain data set according to a least squared fit criteria.

The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.

What is claimed is:

1. A method of injecting melted material into a mold, comprising:
introducing the melted material into a first chamber;
allowing at least a portion of the melted material to pass through said first chamber into a second chamber;
maintaining the first chamber and the second chamber at a temperature between liquidus and solidus temperatures of the melted material to maintain the melted material in a semi-solid state in at least the second chamber;
pushing at least a portion of the melted material remaining in the first chamber into said second chamber; and
injecting the melted material from the second chamber into the mold.
2. The method as claimed in claim 1, comprising creating a suction in the second chamber to draw the melted material from the first chamber into the second chamber.
3. The method as claimed in claim 2, wherein the suction in the second chamber is created before the pushing of the melted material portion from the first chamber into the second chamber.
4. The method as claimed in claim 2, wherein a piston in the second chamber retracts to create suction that draws the melted material into the second chamber.
5. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein a ram in the first chamber advances to push the melted material portion from the first chamber into the second chamber.
6. The method of claim 5, wherein the first chamber includes a valve that permits melted material to pass only in a direction toward the second chamber.
7. The method of claim 6, wherein the ram is advanced so that an end of the ram seals off an outlet port of the first chamber during injection to prevent melted metal from passing between the first and the second chambers.
8. The method as claimed in claim 5, comprising rotating the ram to enhance the uniform temperature distribution of the melted material in the first chamber, and wherein the ram contains supporting fins.
9. The method of claim 1, wherein the melted material is a metal.
10. The method as claimed in claim 9, wherein the melted material is a melted magnesium alloy.
11. The method as claimed in claim 9, wherein the injected metal solidifies into a metal part in the mold.
12. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first chamber is located above the second chamber to allow gravity to assist passage of the melted material from the first chamber into the second.
13. The method as claimed in claim 12, wherein the melted material passing into the second chamber forces out at least a portion of at least one gas present in the second chamber out of the second chamber.
14. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein at least a portion of at least one gas present in the second chamber escapes the second chamber through a second material which resists passage of the melted material.
15. The method as claimed in claim 1, comprising introducing solid material into a feeder;
melting the material in the feeder; and
introducing the material into the first chamber from the feeder.
16. The method as claimed in claim 15, wherein the solid material is at least one metal ingot.
17. The method as claimed in claim 16, comprising introducing the at least one metal ingot into a third chamber; and transferring the at least one metal ingot from the third chamber into the feeder.
18. The method as claimed in claim 17, wherein at least one of the third chamber and the feeder contain an inert gas ambient.
19. The method as claimed in claim 18, wherein the inert gas comprises a at least one of argon, nitrogen, SF6 and CO2.
20. The method as claimed in claim 18, comprising maintaining the inert gas ambient by at least one of
a) at least one door;
b) a vacuum pump;
c) at least one inert gas screen.
21. The method as claimed in claim 17, comprising opening a first door to the third chamber;
advancing at least one metal ingot into the third chamber;
closing the first door;
opening a second door; and
advancing the at least one metal ingot from the third chamber into the feeder.
22. The method as claimed in claim 17, comprising introducing the metal ingots into the third chamber; and passing the metal ingots down a sloping surface into the feeder.
23. The method as claimed in claim 17, comprising controlling access to the feeder from the third chamber by movable cover plate.
24. The method as claimed in claim 23, wherein the movable cover plate contains an access aperture.
25. The method as claimed in claim 15, comprising controlling access to the feeder by movable transfer chamber.
26. The method as claimed in claim 25, wherein the movable transfer chamber comprises a cylinder containing an access aperture.
27. The method as claimed in claim 1, comprising uncovering an injection nozzle in the second chamber;
injecting the melted material into the mold through the injection nozzle by advancing a piston; and
covering the injection nozzle.
28. The method as claimed in claim 27, wherein the injection nozzle is covered by a nozzle shut-off plate.
29. The method as claimed in claim 27, comprising partially advancing the piston, which is surrounded by a seal, to squeeze at least a portion of at least one gas present in the second chamber out of the second chamber through at least one of a material which resists passage of melted material prior to injecting the melted material into the mold.
30. The method as claimed in claim 5, comprising advancing the ram in the first chamber so that the ram seals off an outlet port of the first chamber during injection to prevent melted metal from passing between the first and the second chambers;
uncovering an injection nozzle in the second chamber;
injecting the melted material into the mold through the injection nozzle by advancing a piston;
retracting the ram; and
retracting an outer portion of the piston to create a suction in the second chamber to draw the melted material from the first chamber into the second chamber, while leaving an inner portion of the piston fully advanced to cover the injection nozzle.
31. A molded metal part produced by the method of claim 1, having at least one structure with a thickness less than or equal to 1 mm that measures approximately 21.0 cm by 29.7 cm.
32. An apparatus for injecting melted material into a mold, comprising
a first chamber which holds melted material,
a ram that moves through said first chamber to force at least a portion of the melted material from the first chamber through an outlet port leading into a second chamber,
at least one heating element adjacent the second chamber to maintain the melted material in a semi-solid state in at least the second chamber;
and a piston in the second chamber that
(a) retracts to create suction that assists in drawing into the second chamber at least a portion of the melted material through the outlet port from the first chamber; and that
(b) advances to inject the melted material into a mold.
33. The apparatus as claimed in claim 32, wherein the first chamber includes a valve at one end that permits melted material to pass only in a direction toward the outlet port.
34. The apparatus as claimed in claim 32, wherein the ram contains supporting fins.
35. The apparatus as claimed in claim 32, further comprising heating elements adjacent the first chambers to regulate temperatures therein.
36. The apparatus as claimed in claim 32, further comprising an open nozzle at one end of the second chamber through which the melted metal is injected into a mold.
37. The apparatus as claimed in claim 36, further comprising a nozzle shut-off plate which covers the nozzle and moves longitudinally to permit the nozzle to engage a mold during injection.
38. The apparatus as claimed in claim 37, further comprising a heating element in contact with the nozzle shut-off plate.
39. The apparatus as claimed in claim 32, wherein the first chamber is positioned above the second chamber.
40. The apparatus as claimed in claim 32, wherein the first chamber is inclined at an angle between 30 and 60 degrees with respect to the second chamber.
41. The apparatus as claimed in claim 32, wherein the second chamber comprises at least one gas outlet port.
42. The apparatus as claimed in claim 41, wherein the gas outlet port comprises at least one of
a) a void between the piston and the walls of the second chamber;
b) a seal surrounding the piston; and
c) an opening in the wall of the second chamber connected to a gas permeable but liquid resistant material.
43. The apparatus as claimed in claim 32, comprising
a feeder connected to the first chamber by a feeder port;
and at least one heating element for the feeder.
44. The apparatus as claimed in claim 43, comprising a third chamber in communication with the feeder.
45. The apparatus as claimed in claim 44, wherein the third chamber comprises
a push arm to push metal ingots into the third chamber; and
a sloping surface to assist passage of the metal ingots into the feeder.
46. The apparatus as claimed in claim 44, comprising an inert gas introduction nozzle in at least one of the feeder and the third chamber.
47. The apparatus as claimed in claim 44, wherein the third chamber comprises at least one of
a) at least one door;
b) a vacuum pump connected to the third chamber;
c) a conveyor belt;
d) at least one heating element; and
e) at least one inert gas screen.
48. The apparatus as claimed in claim 44, wherein the third chamber comprises a movable cover plate.
49. The apparatus as claimed in claim 48, wherein the movable cover plate comprises an access aperture.
50. The apparatus as claimed in claim 43, comprising a movable transfer chamber containing an access aperture.
51. The apparatus as claimed in claim 44, comprising an elevator for delivering metal ingots; and a conveyor for transferring the metal ingots from the elevator to the third chamber.
52. The apparatus as claimed in claim 51, wherein the elevator comprises
at least one rotatable platform;
at least one connector about which the platform rotates; and
a lifting member which lifts up the platform causing it to rotate about the connector.
53. The apparatus as claimed in claim 43, wherein the feeder contains a filter to prevent solid material from entering the first chamber.
54. The apparatus as claimed in claim 53, wherein the filter comprises a grate or at least one vertical rod.
55. The apparatus as claimed in claim 32, wherein the piston comprises an outer portion and an inner portion and wherein the inner portion is moved independently of the outer portion to prevent material flow through an injection nozzle into the mold.
56. The apparatus as claimed in claim 32, wherein the ram comprises an outer portion and an inner portion and wherein the inner portion is moved independently of the outer portion.
57. An apparatus for injecting melted material into a mold, comprising
a passing means for passing the melted material;
forcing means for forcing at least a portion of the melted material from the passing means into an accumulation means for accumulating melted material;
suction means for creating a suction in the accumulating means to draw at least a portion of the melted material into the accumulating means;
heating means for maintaining the melted material in a semi-solid state in at least the second chamber;
injection means for injecting the melted material from the accumulation means into the mold.
58. The apparatus as claimed in claim 57, comprising means which permit passage of the melted material only in a direction toward the accumulation means.
59. The apparatus as claimed in claim 57, comprising heating means for heating said accumulation means.
60. The apparatus as claimed in claim 57 comprising means to cover an injection nozzle in the accumulating means.
61. The apparatus as claimed in claim 57 comprising egress means for removing at least one gas from the accumulation means.
62. The apparatus as claimed in claim 57, comprising melting means for melting a solid material to form the melted material.
63. The apparatus as claimed in claim 62, comprising filtering means for preventing entry of the solid material into the passing means.
64. The apparatus as claimed in claim 62, comprising holding means for holding the solid material prior to its introduction into the melting means so as to maintain an inert gas ambient in the melting means.
65. The apparatus as claimed in claim 64, comprising transfer means for transferring solid material into the holding means.
66. The apparatus as claimed in claim 65, wherein said transfer means is synchronized with a door to the holding means to transfer the solid material into the holding means when the door is opened.

1. Method for manufacturing a semiconductor array, wherein a conductive substrate an element regions, and an insulation layer, isolating the element region from the conductive substrate, are formed, a trench is etched in the element region as far as the insulation layer, the trench is etched further in the insulation layer as far as the conductive substrate, and the conductive substrate is partially etched to form conductive substrate regions, isolated from one another.
2. Method according to claim 1, wherein the conductive substrate is etched at least partially within the trench in order to form conductive substrate regions, isolated from one another.
3. Method according to claim 2, wherein a conductive layer of the substrate is patterned by etching to form the isolation of the substrate regions and an exposed region of the conductive layer is thermally oxidized to form an insulating dielectric.
4. Method according to claim 3, wherein for patterning a mask is formed which protects a first region of the conductive layer within the trench from the etching attack, and wherein a second region, not protected by the mask, of the conductive layer is removed by the etching.
5. Method according to claim 1, wherein to form the insulation of the substrate regions, a conductive layer of the substrate is removed at least partially within the trench by the etching, and wherein within the trench a dielectric is deposited between the formed substrate regions.
6. Method according to any claim 1, wherein an electrical conductor is introduced into the trench or into another trench and conductively connected to a substrate region of the substrate regions isolated from one another.
7. Method according to claim 1, wherein the substrate is formed with a dielectric layer and with a conductive layer.
8. Method according to claim 1, wherein a shallow recess is etched in a surface of the element region, wherein the trench is etched within the shallow recess in the element region, and wherein the walls of the trench are formed with an insulation material.
9. Method according to claim 8, wherein the shallow recess is filled with dielectric, and wherein a dopant (B) is introduced for a semiconductor region of the at least one element, whereby the dielectric in the shallow recess serves as masking to make the semiconductor region of the at least one element self-aligned to the recess in the element region.
10. Method according to either claim 8, wherein to form the insulation material a silicon region, adjacent to the trench, of the element region is oxidized.
11. Method according to claim 1, wherein the conductive substrate to form conductive substrate regions, isolated from one another, is etched from the substrate side facing away from the trench, wherein the walls of the trench are formed with an insulation material, and wherein an electrical conductor is introduced into the trench and connected conductively to at least one substrate region of the conductive substrate regions.
12. Semiconductor array, with an element region, with a conductive substrate, with a buried insulation layer, which isolates the element region from the conductive substrate, with at least one trench, which is filled with an insulation material and which isolates at least one element in the element region from other elements in the element region, with an electrical conductor, which is connected conductively to the conductive substrate, wherein the electrical conductor is disposed within the trench isolated by the insulation material, and wherein the conductive substrate has substrate regions, which are divided by a number of etched trenches,
whereby the trenches are filled with a dielectric for isolation.
13. Semiconductor element according to claim 12, wherein several substrate regions, isolated from one another, are each connected conductively to at least one conductor disposed in one trench each.
14. Semiconductor array according to claim 12, wherein at least one of the substrate regions is formed below the element and wherein the element is a lateral DMOS field-effect transistor.
15. Semiconductor array according to claim 12, wherein a conductor and one substrate region of the substrate regions surround the at least one element at least partially and are together formed as a screen.
16. Semiconductor array according to claim 12, wherein within the trench a dielectric is disposed for isolating the substrate regions from one another.
17. Semiconductor array according to claim 12, wherein the trench is formed within a recess in a surface.
18. Semiconductor array according to claim 12, wherein a semiconductor region of the at least one element is formed self-aligned to the recess in the element region.
19. Circuit with a semiconductor array according to claim 12, which has means for applying a constant or controllable potential to the electrical conductor, whereby at least one electrical property of the at least one element depends on the constant or controllable potential.
20. Use of a conductive substrate region and a conductor, connected conductively to the substrate region, for multisided screening of an element, which is disposed on top of the conductive substrate region and is isolated dielectrically from the substrate region.

The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.

1. A breather for a reservoir, said breather comprising:
a housing;
a first opening in the housing configured to be in fluid communication with air outside of the reservoir;
a second opening in the housing configured to be in fluid communication with air inside of the reservoir;
desiccant positioned within the housing such that air passing through the breather from the outside to the inside of the reservoir must pass through the desiccant; and
a humidity sensor positioned within the housing, wherein the humidity sensor is operable to provide a humidity signal indicative of a humidity level adjacent the humidity sensor.
2. The breather of claim 1, said breather further comprising:
a controller electrically connected to the humidity sensor, wherein the controller is operable to determine an end of life condition of the breather as a function of the humidity signal from the humidity sensor.
3. The breather of claim 2, wherein the housing comprises a breather cap headspace and the humidity sensor is positioned in the breather cap headspace.
4. The breather of claim 2, wherein the humidity sensor is substantially surrounded by the desiccant.
5. The breather of claim 2, wherein the humidity level decreases after initial installation of the breather on the reservoir, and the controller is configured to at least one of:
ignore the humidity signal until the humidity signal indicates that the humidity level adjacent the humidity sensor has decreased below a predetermined maximum humidity level; or
ignore the humidity signal for a predetermined period of time after initial installation of the breather on the reservoir, wherein initial installation of the breather on the reservoir comprises providing power to the controller.
6. The breather of claim 2, further comprising a display electrically connected to the controller, wherein the display is operable to receive an end of life signal from the controller and display to an observer an indication of an end of life status of the breather as a function of the received end of life signal.
7. The breather of claim 2, further comprising a display electrically connected to the controller, wherein the display is operable to receive an end of life signal from the controller and display to an observer an indication of an end of life status of the breather as a function of the received end of life signal, wherein the end of life signal is indicative of one of a relative humidity value, a percentage of life remaining, and an estimated remaining time of life, and the displayed end of life status comprises the indicated one of the relative humidity value, the percentage of life remaining, or the estimated remaining time of life.
8. The breather of claim 2, further comprising a pressure sensor positioned within the housing such that air passing through the breather from the inside of the reservoir to the desiccant must pass by the pressure sensor, wherein:
the pressure sensor is operable to provide a pressure signal indicative of an air pressure adjacent the pressure sensor; and
the controller is further configured to determine a fault condition when the pressure signal indicates that the air pressure adjacent the pressure sensor is above a predetermined pressure limit.
9. The breather of claim 2, further comprising a temperature sensor electrically connected to the controller, wherein:
the temperature sensor is operable to provide a temperature signal indicative of a temperature adjacent the temperature sensor; and
the controller is further operable to determine the end of life condition of the breather as a function of the humidity signal from the humidity sensor and the temperature signal from the temperature sensor by calculating a relative humidity associated with the desiccant as a function of the humidity signal and the temperature signal.
10. A method of determining an end of life condition of a breather, said method comprising:
providing a breather operable to attach to a reservoir, wherein the breather comprises:
a housing;
a first opening in the housing configured to be in fluid communication with air outside of the reservoir;
a second opening in the housing configured to be in fluid communication with air inside of the reservoir;
desiccant positioned within the housing such that air passing through the breather from the outside to the inside of the reservoir must pass through the desiccant; and
a humidity sensor positioned within the housing;

providing, via the humidity sensor, a humidity signal indicative of a humidity level adjacent the humidity sensor; and
receiving the humidity signal at a controller associated with the breather and electrically connected to the humidity sensor;
determining, via the controller, the end of life condition as a function of the humidity signal received at the controller.
11. The method of claim 10, wherein the housing of the breather comprises a breather cap headspace and the humidity sensor is positioned in the breather cap headspace.
12. The method of claim 10, wherein the humidity sensor is substantially surrounded by the desiccant.
13. The method of claim 10, wherein the humidity level decreases after initial installation of the breather on the reservoir, and the method further comprises at least one of:
ignoring, via the controller, the humidity signal received at the controller until the humidity signal indicates that the humidity level adjacent the humidity sensor has decreased below a predetermined maximum humidity level; or
ignoring, via the controller, the humidity signal received at the controller for a predetermined period of time after initial installation of the breather on the reservoir, wherein initial installation of the breather on the reservoir comprises providing power to the controller.
14. The method of claim 10, further comprising:
receiving an end of life signal from the controller at a display electrically connected to the controller, and
displaying, via the display, to an observer an indication of an end of life status of the breather as a function of the received end of life signal.
15. The method of claim 10, further comprising:
receiving an end of life signal from the controller at a display electrically connected to the controller, and
displaying, via the display, to an observer an indication of an end of life status of the breather as a function of the received end of life signal, wherein the end of life signal is indicative of one of a relative humidity value, a percentage of life remaining, and an estimated remaining time of life, and the displayed end of life status comprises the indicated one of the relative humidity value, the percentage of life remaining, or the estimated remaining time of life.
16. The method of claim 10, wherein the breather further comprises a pressure sensor positioned within the housing such that air passing through the breather from the inside of the reservoir to the desiccant must pass by the pressure sensor, and wherein the method further comprises:
providing, via the pressure sensor, a pressure signal indicative of an air pressure adjacent the pressure sensor; and
receiving the provided pressure signal at the controller; and
determining, via the controller, a fault condition when the pressure signal indicates that the air pressure adjacent the pressure sensor is above a predetermined pressure limit.
17. The method of claim 10, wherein the breather further comprises a temperature sensor electrically connected to the controller, and the method further comprises:
providing, via the temperature sensor, a temperature signal indicative of a temperature adjacent the temperature sensor;
receiving the provided temperature signal at the controller; and
determining, via the controller, the end of life condition of the breather as a function of the humidity signal from the humidity sensor and the temperature signal from the temperature sensor by calculating a relative humidity associated with the desiccant as a function of the humidity signal and the temperature signal.
18. A breather for a reservoir, said breather comprising:
a housing;
a first opening in the housing configured to be in fluid communication with air outside of the reservoir;
a second opening in the housing configured to be in fluid communication with air inside of the reservoir;
desiccant positioned within the housing such that air passing through the breather from the outside to the inside of the reservoir must pass through the desiccant;
a first humidity sensor positioned within the housing, wherein the first humidity sensor is operable to provide a first humidity signal indicative of a first humidity level adjacent the first humidity sensor and the first humidity sensor is substantially surrounded by the desiccant;
a second humidity sensor positioned within the housing, wherein the second humidity sensor is operable to provide a second humidity signal indicative of a second humidity level adjacent the second humidity sensor and the second humidity sensor is positioned within the housing such that air passing through the breather from the inside of the reservoir to the desiccant must pass by the second humidity sensor; and
a controller electrically connected to the first humidity sensor and the second humidity sensor, wherein the controller is operable to determine an end of life condition of the breather as a function of the first humidity signal received from the first humidity sensor and the second humidity signal received from the second humidity sensor.
19. The breather of claim 18, wherein the controller is further operable to determine a fault condition when the first humidity signal indicates that the first humidity level adjacent the first humidity sensor is less than the second humidity level adjacent the second humidity sensor as indicated by the second humidity sensor.
20. The breather of claim 18, further comprising:
a pressure sensor positioned within the housing such that air passing through the breather from the inside of the reservoir to the desiccant must pass by the pressure sensor, wherein the pressure sensor is operable to provide a pressure signal indicative of an air pressure adjacent the pressure sensor; and
a temperature sensor electrically connected to the controller, wherein:
the temperature sensor is operable to provide a temperature signal indicative of a temperature adjacent the temperature sensor; and
the controller is further operable to determine a dew point as a function of the pressure signal, the temperature signal, and determine the fault condition when the second humidity signal indicates that the humidity in the reservoir is greater than the determined dew point.