Author: claimsbot

1. A method of depositing silicon onto a carbon material to form an alloy for use in lithium ion batteries comprising: providing a carbon material selected from vapor grown carbon fibers, vapor grown carbon nanofibers, and PAN or pitch derived carbon fibers; wherein said carbon material further includes a carbide material selected from metal carbides, and silicon carbides; heating said carbon material at a temperature between about 100\xb0 C. to about 1200\xb0 C.; flowing a silicon-containing precursor gas in contact with said carbon material for a time sufficient for said gas to decompose and form a coating on at least the surface of said carbon material.
2. The method of claim 1 wherein said precursor gas comprises silane, a blend of silane and hydrogen, or a blend of silane and an inert gas.
3. The method of claim 1 wherein said carbon material comprises vapor grown carbon nanofibers.
4. The method of claim 3 wherein said vapor grown carbon nanofibers have been heated treated at a temperature above 700\xb0 C.
5. The method of claim 1 wherein said carbon material further includes a carbon or graphite additive selected from single-walled carbon nanotubes, multi-walled carbon nanotubes, exfoliated graphite flakes, graphite platelets, graphene particles, carbon black, and mesocarbon microbeads.
6. The method of claim 1 wherein said carbon material further includes a conductive additive comprising macroscopic vapor grown carbon nanofibers having a diameter of from about 500 nm to 10 micrometers.
7. The method of claim 1 wherein said carbon material has a length of from about 1 to about 500 micrometers.
8. The method of claim 1 wherein said carbon material is in the form of a composite or preform.
9. The method of claim 1 wherein said silicon is coated onto said carbon material at a thickness of about 0.001 and 100 microns.
10. The method of claim 1 wherein said silicon is coated onto said carbon material at a thickness of about 2 to 100 nm.
11. The method of claim 1 wherein said silicon-coated carbon material has a graded interface.
12. The method of claim 1 further including forming an anode by adding a binder to said silicon-coated carbon material.
13. The method of claim 12 wherein said binder is selected from polyvinylidene difluoride, EPDM, and polystyrene.
14. A method of depositing silicon onto a carbon material to form an alloy for use in lithium ion batteries comprising:
providing a carbon material selected from vapor grown carbon fibers, vapor grown carbon nanofibers, and PAN or pitch derived carbon fibers;
heating said carbon material at a temperature between about 100\xb0 C. to about 1200\xb0 C.;
flowing a silicon-containing precursor gas in contact with said carbon material for a time sufficient for said gas to decompose and form a coating on at least the surface of said carbon material; wherein said silicon-coated carbon material has a graded interface.
15. The method of claim 14 wherein said precursor gas comprises silane, a blend of silane and hydrogen, or a blend of silane and an inert gas.
16. The method of claim 14 wherein said carbon material comprises vapor grown carbon nanofibers.
17. The method of claim 14 further including forming an anode by adding a binder to said silicon-coated carbon material.

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 receiver provided in a MC-CDMA (multi-carrier code division multiple access) communication system, comprising:
a CP (cyclic prefix) removal unit configured to remove a CP from a time-domain signal;
a fast Fourier transform (FFT) unit configured to generate a frequency-domain signal by means of performing Fourier transform for the time-domain signal without the CP;
a frequency-domain equalizer (FDE) configured to generate an equalized signal by means of performing frequency-domain equalization for the frequency-domain signal;
a CSOK despread spectrum unit configured to receive the equalized signal and a base code and to convert the equalized signal into a despread spectrum signal;
a CSOK decision unit configured to receive the despread spectrum signal and to convert the despread spectrum signal into a modulation symbol estimation value and a CSOK symbol estimation value according to a decision mechanism;
a modulation symbol demapping unit configured to receive the modulation symbol estimation value and to generate a first part of data bits by means of a demapping process;
a CSOK (cyclic-shift orthogonal keying) symbol demapping unit configured to receive the CSOK symbol estimation value and to generate a second part of data bits by means of a CSOK demapping process; and
a parallel-to-serial converter (PS converter) configured to generate a serial data bits based on addition of the first and second parts of data bits.
2. The receiver in accordance with claim 1, wherein the CSOK despread spectrum unit further comprises a code correlation bank when performing the time-domain despread spectrum.
3. The receiver in accordance with claim 1, wherein the CS OK despread spectrum unit further comprises a Fourier transform unit, a multiplier, a SP converter and an IFFT (inversed fast Fourier transform) unit when performing frequency-domain despread spectrum.
4. The receiver in accordance with claim 1, wherein the decision mechanism is determined based on a maximum likelihood based rule.
5. The receiver in accordance with claim 1, wherein the FDE is configured to perform frequency-domain equalization and to generate an equalized signal by means of using a maximum ratio combining (MRC) method.
6. A receiver provided in a MC-CDMA communication system, comprising:
a CP removal unit configured to remove a CP from a time-domain signal;
a FFT unit configured to generate a frequency-domain signal by means of performing Fourier transform to the time-domain signal without the CP;
a FDE configured to generate an equalized signal by means of performing frequency-domain equalization to the frequency-domain signal;
a CSOK despread spectrum unit configured to receive the equalized signal and a base code so as to generate a despread spectrum signal;
a CSOK decision unit configured to receive the despread spectrum signal and to convert the despread spectrum signal into a first modulation symbol estimation value, a first CSOK symbol estimation value, a second modulation estimation value and a second CSOK symbol estimation value according to a decision mechanism;
a first modulation symbol demapping unit configured to receive the first modulation symbol estimation value and to demap the first modulation symbol estimation value;
a second modulation symbol demapping unit configured to receive the second modulation symbol estimation value and to demap the second modulation symbol estimation value;
a first CSOK symbol demapping unit configured to receive the first CSOK symbol estimation value and to demap the first CSOK symbol estimation value;
a second CSOK symbol demapping unit configured to receive the second CSOK symbol estimation value and to demap the second CSOK symbol estimation value; and
a PS converter configured to generate an estimated first set of data bits and an estimated second set of data bits in a serial manner after performing the first and second modulation symbol demapping units and the first and second CSOK symbol demapping units.
7. The receiver in accordance with claim 6, wherein the despread spectrum signal further comprises a real despread spectrum signal and an imaginary despread spectrum signal.
8. The communication system in accordance with claim 6, wherein the FDE is configured to perform the frequency-domain equalization by means of using a MRC method.

What is claimed is:

1. A device for fabricating a polarization insensitive long-period fiber grating, comprising:
a ultraviolet laser for irradiating a ultraviolet laser beam;
a ultraviolet polarizer for converting a polarization status of the ultraviolet laser beam into a linear polarization status in parallel along longitudinal direction of a fiber;
a lens for directing the ultraviolet laser beam passing through the ultraviolet polarizer into the fiber;
an amplitude mask for selectively passing the ultraviolet laser beam outputted from the lens onto the fiber; and,
a mount for holding both ends of the fiber, so that the outer circumferential surface of the fiber can be exposed to the ultraviolet laser beam outputted from the amplitude mask.
2. The device according to claim 1, wherein the mount comprises a pair of fixing units for holding both ends of the fiber.
3. The device according to claim 1, wherein the mount comprises a fixing unit for fixing one end of the fiber and a twisting unit for twisting the other end of the fiber.
4. The device according to claim 1, wherein the mount comprises a pair of rotating units for rotating both ends of the fiber in a predetermined direction.
5. A device for fabricating a polarization insensitive long period fiber grating, comprising:
a ultraviolet laser for irradiating a ultraviolet laser beam;
a ultraviolet polarizer for converting a polarization status of the ultraviolet laser beam into a linear polarization status in parallel along the longitudinal direction of a fiber;
a lens for directing the ultraviolet laser beam outputted from the ultraviolet polarizer into the fiber;
an amplitude mask for selectively passing the ultraviolet laser beam outputted from the lens and into the fiber;
a mount for holding both ends of the fiber, so that the outer circumferential surface of the fiber can be exposed to the ultraviolet laser beam outputted from the amplitude mask; and,
a mirror for reflecting the ultraviolet laser beam outputted from the amplitude mask back to the outer circumferential surface of the fiber.
6. The device according to claim 5, wherein the mount comprises a pair of fixing units for respectively fixing both ends of the fiber.
7. The device according to claim 5, wherein the mount comprises a fixing unit for fixing one end of the fiber and a twisting unit for twisting the other end of the fiber.
8. The device according to claim 5, wherein the mount comprises a pair of rotating units for rotating both ends of the fiber in a predetermined direction.
9. A method for passing light through an amplitude mask to create interference pattern into a fiber, the method comprising the steps of:
generating a ultraviolet laser beam;
converting a polarization of the ultraviolet laser beam into a linear polarization in a parallel relationship with the fiber;
directing the converted ultraviolet laser beam through an amplitude mask and into the fiber, such that when the converted ultraviolet laser beam is transmitted through the amplitude mask and exposed to along the fiber, an interference is formed which extends through the fiber.
10. The method of claim 9, wherein the positioning and orientation of the fiber is stationery when the converted ultraviolet laser beam is transmitted through the amplitude mask.
11. The method of claim 9, further comprising the step of rotating one of the fiber at a predetermined rate when the converted ultraviolet laser beam is transmitted trough the amplitude mask.
12. The method of claim 9, further comprising the step of rotating both ends of the fiber in a predetermined direction when the converted ultraviolet laser beam is transmitted trough the amplitude mask.
13. The method of claim 9, further comprising the step of placing a reflective unit for reflecting the converted ultraviolet laser beam outputted from the amplitude mask back to the unexposed surface of the fiber.

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 metal wire rod for forming slide fastener coupling elements, having a substantially Y-shaped section, which has a head part and a pair of leg parts extending from the head part through a crotch part, wherein the crotch part is formed with a flat face; and three or more bent portions, which an inner surface of each of the leg parts is bent inward, are formed successively in an extending direction of the leg parts from the crotch part to a pawl part at a front end of each of the leg parts.
2. The metal wire rod for forming slide fastener coupling elements according to claim 1, wherein a gap between inner faces of the pawl parts narrows gradually from proximal end portions of the pawl parts toward front end portions thereof.
3. The metal wire rod for forming slide fastener coupling elements according to claim 1, wherein a bent portion located between an inner face of the leg part and an inner face at the proximal end portion of the pawl part exists outside a straight line which is parallel to a straight line connecting a middle point on a straight line connecting front ends of the right and left pawl parts with a center of a section of the head part and which passes through the front end of the pawl part.
4. The metal wire rod for forming slide fastener coupling elements according to claim 1, wherein an opening angle between the pair of leg parts is 75\xb0 to 85\xb0.
5. The metal wire rod for forming slide fastener coupling elements according to claim 1, wherein an outer side face of a joint portion of the head part and the leg part has a bulging portion which bulges outward from the outer side face.
6. The metal wire rod for forming slide fastener coupling elements according to claim 1, wherein hardness of at least a coupling protrusion forming region of the head part is smaller than that of the leg part.