Author: claimsbot

1. An edge-lit lighting product comprising:
a light guide made of a single, transparent material that demonstrates properties of total internal reflection (TIR) with respect to a surrounding environment, the light guide having a thickness and comprising:
a proximal edge for receiving light from a light source;
a distal edge spaced apart from the proximal edge and configured to emit at least a portion of the light from the light source to illuminate an area in close proximity to the edge-lit lighting product, the distal edge spanning across a first distance and having a substantially axial symmetric surface, wherein the first distance is greater than the thickness of the light guide; and
a boundary surface extending between the proximal edge and the distal edge and defining a boundary between the single, transparent material of the light guide and the surrounding environment of the light guide, wherein at least a portion of the boundary surface is curved; and
wherein the proximal edge spans across a second distance, the second distance being greater than the thickness of the material of the light guide, but less than the first distance of the distal edge.
2. The edge-lit lighting product of claim 1, wherein the single, transparent material of the light guide includes a refractive index greater than a refractive index of the surrounding environment and at least a portion of the light traveling through the light guide strikes the boundary at an angle of incidence that is greater than a critical angle of incidence so that the portion of light traveling through the light guide reflects back into the light guide at the boundary.
3. The edge-lit lighting product of claim 1, wherein the axial symmetric surface of the distal edge comprises a radius of curvature of r, wherein the thickness of the light guide is twice the thickness of r and the first distance is greater than twice the thickness of r.
4. The edge-lit lighting product of claim 1, wherein the boundary surface comprises a first curve having a first radius of curvature and a second curve having a second radius of curvature.
5. The edge-lit lighting product of claim 4, wherein the first radius of curvature of the first curve is substantially equal to about 2.25 inches and wherein the second radius of curvature of the second curve is substantially equal to about 1.25 inches.
6. The edge-lit lighting product of claim 1, further comprising at least one decal affixed to the boundary surface of the light guide and located between the proximal edge and the distal edge, the at least one decal configured to visually enhance a loss of light in the light guide.
7. The edge-lit lighting product of claim 1, further comprising screen printing at least a portion of the boundary surface of the light guide between the proximal edge and the distal edge, the screen printing configured to visually enhance a loss of light in the light guide.
8. A luminaire comprising:
a substrate made of a single, transparent material and having a boundary surface that defines a boundary between the single, transparent material of the substrate and a surrounding environment of the substrate, the substrate having a thickness and comprising:
a base section including a base end that extends along a plane and receives light from a light source;
an elongated section including a free end configured to emit at least a portion of the light from the light source, the free end spanning across a first distance and having a substantially axial symmetric surface, wherein the first distance is greater than the thickness of the substrate; and
a curved section coupling the elongated section to the base section and having a first curve including a first radius of curvature and a second curve including a second radius of curvature, wherein the first curve and the second curve bend the substrate so that the free end of the elongated section emits the light from the light source in a direction that intersects with the plane that the base end of the base section extends along;
wherein the base section, the curved section and the elongated section guide the light received from the light source at the base end to the free end using properties of total internal reflection (TIR) with respect to the surrounding environment.
9. The luminaire of claim 8, wherein the base end spans across a second distance, the second distance being greater than the thickness of the single, transparent of the substrate, but less than the first distance of the free end.
10. The luminaire of claim 9, wherein the first distance of the free end comprises a circumferential dimension, the first distance being greater than the thickness of the substrate.
11. The luminaire of claim 10, wherein the second distance of the base end comprises a circumferential dimension, the second distance being less than the first distance.
12. The luminaire of claim 8, further comprising at least one decal affixed to the boundary surface of the substrate, the at least one decal configured to visually enhance a loss of light in the substrate.
13. The luminaire of claim 8, further comprising screen printing on at least a portion of the boundary surface of the substrate, the screen printing configured to visually enhance a loss of light in the substrate.
14. The luminaire of claim 8, wherein the single, transparent material of the substrate is selected from the group consisting of acrylic and glass.
15. A method of illuminating a space, the method comprising:
projecting light from a light source through a proximal edge of a substrate made of a single, transparent material and having a thickness, the substrate including a boundary surface defining a boundary between the single, transparent material and an environment surrounding the single, transparent material;
guiding the light through the substrate using properties of total internal reflection (TIR), wherein at least a portion of the boundary surface is curved; and
emitting at least a portion of the light traveling through the substrate at a distal edge of the substrate, the distal edge being located remotely from the proximal edge and spanning across a first distance, wherein the first distance is greater than the thickness of the substrate; and
wherein the proximal edge spans across a second distance, the second distance being greater than the thickness of the single, transparent material of the substrate, but less than the first distance of the free edge.
16. The method of claim 15, wherein guiding the light through the substrate using properties of TIR comprises guiding the light through a first curve and a second curve in the substrate, the first curve having a first radius of curvature and the second curve having a second radius of curvature.
17. The method of claim 15, further comprising affixing at least one decal to at least a portion of the boundary surface of the substrate between the proximal edge and the distal edge or screen printing to at least a portion of the boundary surface of the substrate between the proximal edge and the distal edge to visually enhance a loss of light in the substrate.
18. The method of claim 15, further comprising rounding the distal edge so as to create a substantially axial symmetric surface, the substantially axial symmetric surface having a radius r, the thickness of the substrate being 2r and the first distance being at least 4r.

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. An audio system, comprising:
a plurality of acoustic output sources disposed in or around a bounded or semi-bounded listening area; and
a sound allocation processor receiving an audio source signal, said sound allocation processor including a plurality of audio modifying elements, one for each acoustic output source, operable to modify the audio source signal for each acoustic output source by applying at least a non-minimum phase shift adjustment tailored for each acoustic output source to create a sound field with reduced variability or a desired sound pattern over a prescribed frequency range within the listening area or defined zones within the listening area.
2. The audio system of claim 1, wherein each audio modifying element comprises one or more filters.
3. The audio system of claim 1, wherein each audio modifying element comprises a customized delay for the acoustic output source.
4. The audio system of claim 1, wherein one or more of the audio modifying elements comprises a customized gain for the acoustic output source.
5. The audio system of claim 4, further comprising a global equalization adjustment for the audio source signal.
6. The audio system of claim 2, wherein the sound allocation processor mitigates power losses caused by destructive interference of sound waves output from the acoustic output sources.
7. The audio system of claim 1, wherein said acoustic output sources include low frequency drive units.
8. The audio system of claim 1, wherein the audio modifying elements are configured to operate primarily over a low frequency range of the audio source signal.
9. The audio system of claim 1, wherein the sound allocation processor creates at least one relatively quiet zone within the listening area.
10. The audio system of claim 9, wherein the relatively quiet zone has a specified volume reduction relative to a sound volume in other parts of the listening area.
11. The audio system of claim 1, wherein the sound allocation processor creates a plurality of relatively quiet zones within the listening area.
12. The audio system of claim 1, wherein the sound allocation processor creates a zone within the listening area having a specified volume increase relative to a sound volume in other parts of the listening area.
13. A method for sound allocation in an audio system, comprising:
receiving an audio source signal;
for each of a plurality of acoustic output sources, independently modifying the audio source signal over a prescribed frequency range by applying at least a non-minimum phase shift adjustment tailored for each acoustic output source to create a sound field with reduced variability or desired sound pattern over a prescribed frequency range within the listening area or defined zones within the listening area; and
conveying the modified audio source signal to each respective acoustic output source.
14. The method of claim 13, wherein the audio source signal is modified using one or more filters customized for each acoustic output source.
15. The method of claim 13, wherein the audio source signal is modified using a delay tailored for each acoustic output source.
16. The method of claim 14, wherein the audio source signal is subject to a customized gain level for one or more of the acoustic output sources.
17. The method of claim 16, further comprising applying a global equalization adjustment to the audio source signal for all of the acoustic output sources.
18. The method of claim 13, wherein the independent modification of gain andor phase of the audio source signal for each of the acoustic output sources mitigates power losses caused by destructive interference of sound waves output from the acoustic output sources.
19. The method of claim 13, wherein said acoustic output sources include low frequency drive units.
20. The method of claim 13, wherein the modification of gain andor phase of the audio source signal is performed primarily over low frequencies of the audio source signal.
21. The method of claim 13, wherein the independent modification of gain andor phase of the audio source signal for each of the acoustic output sources results in creation of at least one relatively quiet zone within the listening area.
22. The method of claim 21, wherein the relatively quiet zone has a specified volume reduction relative to a sound volume in other parts of the listening area.
23. The method of claim 13, wherein the independent modification of gain andor phase of the audio source signal for each of the acoustic output sources results in creation of a plurality of relatively quiet zones within the listening area.
24. The method of claim 13, wherein the independent modification of gain andor phase of the audio source signal for each of the acoustic output sources results in creation of a zone within the listening area having a specified volume increase relative to a sound volume in other parts of the listening area.
25. A method for sound modification in an audio system having a plurality of acoustic output sources in or around a prescribed listening area, comprising:
characterizing a sound transfer function for each of the acoustic output sources;
employing an annealing algorithm to identify parameters providing a specified sound level variance at defined listening positions within the listening area over a prescribed frequency range; and
durably storing the identified parameters in the audio system for future use.
26. The method of claim 25, further comprising utilizing the identified parameters in the audio system to modify an audio source signal and achieve the specified sound level variance within the listening area.
27. The method of claim 26, wherein the identified parameters are applied to adjust a gain andor a phase of the audio source signal independently for each of the acoustic output sources.
28. The method of claim 27, further comprising using one or more custom filters for each acoustic output source to independently modify the audio source signal for that acoustic output source.
29. The method of claim 25, wherein the annealing algorithm includes:
selecting candidate sound modification parameters for each acoustic output sources;
applying the sound modification parameters to determine a sound output level at the defined listening positions within the listening area; and
determining a variance in sound output level between the different listening positions.
30. The method of claim 29, further comprising determining whether the variance in sound output is within a specified tolerance.
31. The method of claim 29, wherein the sound modification parameters include a custom gain associated with each acoustic output source.
32. The method of claim 29, wherein the sound modification parameters include a custom delay and non-minimum phase shift associated with each acoustic output source.
33. An audio system, comprising:
a plurality of acoustic output sources disposed in or around a listening area; and
a sound allocation processor receiving an audio source signal, said sound allocation processor including a plurality of audio modifying elements, one for each acoustic output source, applying at least a non-minimum phase shift of the audio source signal for each acoustic output source over a prescribed frequency range to create zones of substantially uniform frequency response within the listening area while mitigating power losses due to destructive interference of sound waves output from the acoustic output sources.
34. The audio system of claim 33, wherein each audio modifying element comprises one or more infinite impulse response (IIR) filters.
35. The audio system of claim 34, wherein each audio modifying element comprises a delay tailored for the acoustic output source over the prescribed frequency range.
36. The audio system of claim 34, wherein one or more of the audio modifying elements comprises a dedicated gain stage tailored to the acoustic output source.
37. The audio system of claim 36, further comprising a global equalization adjustment applied to the audio source signal for all of the acoustic output sources.

1. A method of manufacturing a flash memory device, the method comprising:
forming an insulating layer, first and second hard mask layers, and a first photoresist pattern over a semiconductor substrate, the first photoresist pattern having a first pitch;
coating a silylation reagent containing silicon over the first photoresist pattern;
baking the first photoresist pattern coated with the silylation reagent to change outer portion of the first photoresist pattern to a silylated photoresist containing silicon;
removing an upper region of the silylated photoresist to form a silylated photoresist pattern having a second pitch that is less than the first pitch;
etching the second hard mask layer using the silylated photoresist pattern to form a second hard mask layer pattern that extends along a first direction;
forming a second photoresist pattern defining a first region that is not exposed and a second region that is exposed, the second region extending along a second direction that is orthogonal to the first direction and exposing at least a portion of the second hard mask layer pattern;
etching the first hard mask layer using the second photoresist pattern to form a first hard mask layer pattern having a rectangular-like shape; and
etching the insulating layer using the first hard mask layer pattern to form a contact hole having a rectangular-like shape, the contact hole exposing the semiconductor substrate.
2. The method of claim 1, wherein the first photoresist pattern is formed from a chemical amplification type photosensitizer.
3. The method of claim 1, wherein the first photoresist pattern defining a plurality of structures and a plurality of spaces, each space being provided between the two adjacent structures, each structure having a width that is wider than the space along the second direction.
4. The method of claim 1, wherein the first photoresist pattern defining a plurality of structures and a plurality of spaces, each space being provided between the two adjacent structures, each structure having a width that is narrower than the space along the second direction.
5. The method of claim 4, wherein spacer material is formed over the first photoresist pattern.
6. The method of claim 5, wherein the spacer material is formed from inorganic material or organic material containing silicon.
7. The method of claim 1, wherein the silylation reagent includes SiO2.
8. The method of claim 1, wherein the silylated photoresist pattern is formed by performing a dry etch process.
9. The method of claim 8, wherein at the time of the dry etch process, the first photoresist pattern that has not changed to the silylated photoresist is also removed.
10. The method of claim 1, wherein the second pitch of the silylated photoresist pattern is no more than one half of the first pitch of the first photoresist pattern.
11. The method of claim 1, wherein an anisotropic etch process is performed to etch the second hard mask layer.
12. The method of claim 1, wherein in the step of forming the second hard mask layer patterns, a photoresist layer is provided between the second hard mask layer patterns at the second region.
13. The method of claim 1, wherein in the step of forming the second hard mask layer pattern, a photoresist layer is not coated between the second hard mask layer patterns at the first region.
14. A method of manufacturing a flash memory device, the method comprising:
providing a substrate having an insulating layer, a first mask layer over the insulating layer, a second mask layer over the first mask layer, a first photoresist pattern over the second mask layer, the first photoresist pattern having a first pitch;
providing a material layer over the first photoresist pattern;
etching the material layer to convert the material layer into a material layer pattern having a second pitch that is less than the first pitch;
etching the second hard mask layer using the material layer pattern to form a second hard mask layer pattern that extends along a first direction;
forming a second photoresist pattern defining a first region that is not exposed and a second region that is exposed, the second region extending along a second direction that is orthogonal to the first direction;
etching the first hard mask layer using the second photoresist pattern to form a first hard mask layer pattern having an angular shape; and
etching the insulating layer using the first hard mask layer pattern to form a contact hole having an angular shape that expose material underlying the insulating layer.
15. The method of claim 14, wherein the contact hole has a rectangular-like shape.
16. The method of claim 14, wherein the contact hole has corners that are substantially angular.
17. The method of claim 14, wherein the material exposed by the contact hole is silicon material.
18. The method of claim 14, wherein the material layer is coated over the first photoresist pattern.
19. The method of claim 18, wherein the material layer is inorganic material or organic material containing silicon.
20. The method of claim 14, wherein providing the material layer over the first photoresist pattern comprises:
coating a silylation reagent containing silicon over the first photoresist pattern; and
baking the first photoresist pattern coated with the silylation reagent to change a portion of the first photoresist pattern to the material layer containing silicon.

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 culture system comprising:
(a) a fluid inlet;
(b) a first culture compartment having a tubular housing;
(c) a first end piece attached to the fluid inlet on one side and to a first end of the tubular housing on a second side,
(d) a second culture compartment coaxial with the first culture compartment, the second culture compartment having a proximal end and a distal end;
(e) a fluid connector having a first side mounted on a second end of the tubular housing and a second side mounted on the proximal end of the second culture compartment, the fluid connector having a through bore passing from the first side to the second side of the fluid connector, wherein the through bore directs a fluid stream from the first culture compartment into the second culture compartment;
(f) a connector filter positioned on the first side of the fluid connector to filter a fluid stream passing out of the first culture compartment and into the through bore of the fluid connector;
(g) a fluid outlet;
(h) a distal end piece mounted on the distal end of the second culture compartment and connected to the fluid outlet; and
(i) an outlet filter transversing the second culture compartment including:
a support cylinder having a first end supported by the fluid connector and a second end supported by the distal end piece,
a molecular weight cut-off membrane secured to an exterior surface of the support cylinder, and
a chamber between the exterior surface of the cylinder and an interior surface of the membrane, the chamber in fluid communication with the through bore of the fluid connector and the fluid outlet.
2. A culture system comprising:
(a) a fluid inlet;
(b) a first culture compartment having a tubular housing made of a fluid-impenetrable material, wherein the tubular housing has a first end and an opposed second end;
(c) a first end piece attached to the fluid inlet on one side and to the first end of the tubular housing on a second side,
(d) a second culture compartment coaxial with the first culture compartment and in fluid communication with the first culture compartment, the second culture compartment having a proximal end and a distal end;
(e) a fluid connector having a first side mounted on the second end of the tubular housing and a second side mounted on the, proximal end of the second culture compartment, the fluid connector having a through bore passing from the first side to the second side of the fluid connector;
(f) a connector filter having a first end and a second end, wherein the first end is mounted on the first side of the fluid connector, the connector filter positioned to filter a fluid stream passing out of the first culture compartment into the through bore of the fluid connector and into the second culture compartment;
(g) a fluid outlet;
(h) a distal end piece mounted on the distal end of the second culture compartment and connected to the fluid outlet; and
(i) an outlet filter having a one end mounted on a proximal side of the distal end piece, wherein the outlet filter is a membrane carrier assembly transversing the second culture compartment wherein the membrane carrier assembly has:
a support cylinder;
a molecular weight cut-off membrane secured to an exterior surface of the support cylinder, and
a chamber between the exterior surface of the cylinder and an interior surface of the membrane, the chamber in fluid communication with the through bore of the fluid connector and the fluid outlet.
3. The culture system of claim 2, wherein the through bore of the fluid connector is intersected by a through bore of a second fluid inlet.
4. The culture system of claim 2, further comprising at least one penetration port extending through a wall of the first or second culture compartment.
5. The culture system of claim 2, further comprising a gas venting means for allowing gas to escape from the first or second culture compartment as the compartment is filled with fluid.
6. The culture system of claim 2, further comprising a fill means for inserting fluids into or removing fluids out of the first or second culture compartment.
7. The culture system of claim 2, wherein the first end, the distal end and the fluid connector are concurrently rotated by a drive assembly.
8. The culture system of claim 2, wherein the second culture compartment has a greater volume than the first culture compartment.
9. The culture system of claim 2, further comprising an identifier.
10. The culture system of claim 9, wherein the identifier is a bar code.
11. A culture system comprising:
(a) a fluid inlet;
(b) a first culture compartment having
(i) a fluid-impenetrable tubular sleeve having a first end and an opposed second end,
(ii) a growth compartment within the sleeve, and
(iii) a first end piece having one side attached to the fluid inlet and a second side attached to a first end of the tubular sleeve;

(c) a second culture compartment coaxial with the first culture compartment, the second culture compartment having
(i) a fluid-impenetrable housing having a proximal end and a distal end; and
(ii) a growth compartment within the housing that is in fluid communication with the growth compartment within the sleeve,

(d) a fluid connector having a first side mounted on the second end of the tubular sleeve and a second side mounted on the proximal end of the housing, the fluid connector having a through bore passing from the first side to the second side of the fluid connector wherein the through bore is in fluid communication with the growth compartment of the first and second culture compartment;
(e) a connector filter having a one end supported by the first side of the fluid connector;
(f) a membrane carrier assembly transversing the second culture compartment comprising
(i) a support cylinder,
(ii) a molecular weight cut-off membrane secured to an exterior surface of the support cylinder, and
(iii) a chamber between the exterior surface of the cylinder and an interior surface of the membrane, the chamber in fluid communication with the through bore of the fluid connector and the growth compartment within the housing;

(g) a fluid outlet; and
(h) a distal end piece mounted on the distal end of the second culture compartment and connected to the fluid outlet.
12. The culture system of claim 11, wherein the connector filter includes a molecular weight cut-off membrane.
13. The culture system of claim 12, wherein the connector filter includes a molecular weight cut-off membrane having a different molecular weight cut-off than the molecular weight cut-off membrane of the membrane carrier assembly.
14. The culture system of claim 12, wherein the molecular weight cut-off membrane of the connector filter is identical to the molecular weight cut-off membrane of the membrane carrier assembly.
15. The culture system of claim 11, wherein the connector filter includes:
a cylindrical support transversing the first culture compartment, the support having a first end supported by the first end of the sleeve and a second end supported by the first side of the fluid connector;
a molecular weight cut-off membrane secured to an exterior surface of the cylindrical support, and
a channel between the exterior surface of the cylindrical support and an interior surface of the membrane, the channel in fluid communication with the through bore of the fluid connector and the growth compartment of the first and second culture compartment.