Author: claimsbot

1. An information processing system comprising:
a processor;
a memory;
an inputoutput subsystem;
a bus coupled to the processor; the memory, and the inputoutput subsystem; and
a cooling structure for cooling the processor, the cooling structure comprising:
a compressible backing disposed over the processor;
a plurality of rigid copper elements disposed between the backing and the processor for providing a heat path from the processor, wherein each of the plurality of rigid elements comprises a spring configured to provide mechanical compliance in the x, y, and z directions and wherein interstitial spacing between each of the plurality of spring elements is sufficient for allowing the spring elements to compress and elongate in alternate directions;
a first conformable heat-conducting layer disposed over the processor, wherein the bottom end of the plurality of rigid elements is coupled to the first conformable heat-conducting layer;
a second conformable heat-conducting, water-tight adhesion layer disposed between the compressible backing and the plurality of rigid elements, wherein a top end of the plurality of rigid elements is coupled with the second conformable heat-conducting layer;
a liquid coolant disposed between the second conformable layer and the electronic device for cooling the plurality of rigid elements, wherein the liquid coolant is at least one material selected from a group consisting of: mercury, gallium, a gallium alloy, an antifreeze, an alcohol, an oil, and water; and
a seal for containing the liquid coolant.

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 microelectromechanical system (MEMS) sensor comprising:
a lower magnetic member comprising a first magnetic layer of the lower magnetic member and a lower base layer;
an upper magnetic member disposed over said lower magnetic member, the upper magnetic member comprising a first magnetic layer of the upper member and an upper base layer;
an intermediate magnetic member magnetically levitated between said lower magnetic member and upper magnetic member, the intermediate magnetic member comprising a first magnetic layer of the intermediate magnetic member and a second magnetic layer of the intermediate magnetic member;
a detector measuring at least one of motion of, forces acting on, and displacement of the intermediate magnetic member with respect to the lower magnetic member and the upper magnetic member; and
an electric coupling,
wherein the detector comprises:
a first conductive plate disposed at said lower magnetic member;
a first intermediate conductive plate disposed at one side of said intermediate magnetic member facing said first conductive plate;
a second conductive plate disposed at said upper magnetic member; and
a second intermediate conductive plate disposed at another side of said intermediate magnetic member facing said second conductive plate, wherein the displacement of said intermediate magnetic member is determined in accordance with at least one of a current and a resonant frequency measured between said first conductive plate and said second conductive plate,

wherein the electric coupling is a conductor which connects the first intermediate conductive plate and the second intermediate conductive plate and
wherein coercivities of the lower and the upper magnetic members are greater than a coercivity of the intermediate magnetic member.
2. The MEMS sensor of claim 1, wherein said first conductive plate and said first intermediate conductive plate having a first capacitance based on a first distance between said first conductive plate and said first intermediate conductive plate, said second conductive plate and said second intermediate conductive plate having a second capacitance based on a second distance between said second conductive plate and said second intermediate conductive plate, and the at least one of the motion of, the forces acting on, and the displacement of the intermediate magnetic member is determined by measuring a change in at least one of the first and the second capacitances.
3. The MEMS sensor of claim 1, wherein the detector comprises:
at least one signal component disposed on said intermediate magnetic member, generating a signal; and
a signal sensor measuring the signal generated by said at least one signal component when said intermediate magnetic member rotates about an axis, to measure angular acceleration of said intermediate magnetic member.
4. The MEMS sensor of claim 3, wherein said at least one signal component is disposed off-center from the axis and said signal sensor measures the signal when the at least one signal component is proximal to said signal sensor.
5. The MEMS sensor of claim 3, wherein said at least one signal component is a plurality of signal components.
6. The MEMS sensor of claim 1, wherein the detector comprises:
at least one signal component disposed on said intermediate magnetic member, generating a signal; and
a signal sensor measuring the signal generated by said at least one signal component when said intermediate magnetic member is rotatively displaced about an axis substantially orthogonal to said intermediate magnetic member, to measure at least one of an angular displacement and angular motion of said intermediate magnetic member.
7. The MEMS sensor of claim 6, wherein the detector comprises a plurality of signal components and the at least one of the angular displacement and angular motion is measured in accordance with a number of components proximally passing said signal sensor.
8. The MEMS sensor of claim 1, wherein a first magnetic surface of said lower magnetic member and a first magnetic surface of said intermediate magnetic member facing said lower magnetic member each has a first magnetic polarity and a first magnetic surface of said upper magnetic member and a second magnetic surface of said intermediate magnetic member facing said upper magnetic member each has a second magnetic polarity, and the first magnetic polarity is opposite to the second magnetic polarity to magnetically levitate said intermediate magnetic member between the lower and upper magnetic members.
9. The MEMS sensor of claim 1 further comprising a means for positioning said intermediate magnetic member between the upper and lower magnetic members.
10. The MEMS sensor of claim 9, wherein the means for positioning comprises a spindle disposed through a center hole of said intermediate magnetic member.
11. The MEMS sensor of claim 1, wherein said intermediate magnetic member has a first magnetic surface area, the upper and lower magnetic members have a second magnetic surface area and a third magnetic surface area, respectively, and the first magnetic surface area having a shape different from each of the second and third magnetic surface areas.
12. The MEMS sensor of claim 1, wherein at least one of the upper, intermediate, and lower magnetic members comprises a plurality of discrete magnetic structures.
13. The MEMS sensor of claim 12, wherein the plurality of discrete magnetic structures are pillar-shaped.
14. The MEMS sensor of claim 13, wherein the plurality of discrete magnetic structures are not electromagnets.
15. The MEMS sensor of claim 1, wherein the first conductive plate is connected to a first terminal and second conductive plate is connected to a second terminal, and at least one of the current and the resonant frequency is measured at the first and the second terminals.
16. A method of measuring at least one of a motion and a displacement of a microelectromechanical system (MEMS) device comprising an inner member magnetically levitated between a substrate and an upper member, at least one signal component disposed on said inner member, and a detector disposed on said substrate, the method comprising:
detecting a signal emitted from said at least one signal component when said at least one signal component proximally passes said detector when the inner member rotates; and
calculating the at least one of the motion and the displacement of the inner member from the signal, wherein the inner member is levitated between permanent magnets at the substrate and the upper member,
wherein coercivities of the substrate and the upper member are greater than a coercivity of the inner member.
17. The method of claim 16, wherein the displacement is angular displacement.
18. A method of measuring an angular motion of a microelectromechanical device comprising an inner member magnetically levitated between a substrate and an upper member, at least one signal component disposed on said inner member, and a detector disposed on said substrate, the method comprising:
detecting a signal emitted from said at least one signal component when said signal component proximally passes said detector when the inner member rotates; and
calculating at least one of angular velocity and angular acceleration of said inner member from the signal, wherein the inner member is levitated between permanent magnets at the substrate and the upper member,
wherein coercivities of the substrate and the upper member are greater than a coercivity of the inner member.
19. A microelectromechanical system (MEMS) sensor comprising:
a substrate;
a lower magnetic member disposed on said substrate;
a layer disposed over said substrate;
an upper magnetic member disposed at a side of said layer facing said lower magnetic member;
an intermediate magnetic member magnetically levitated between said lower magnetic member and upper magnetic member;
means for measuring at least one of motion of, forces acting on, and displacement of the intermediate magnetic member; and
an electric coupling,
wherein the means for measuring measures at least one of motion of, forces acting on, and displacement of the intermediate magnetic member with respect to the lower magnetic member and the upper magnetic member;
wherein the means for measuring comprises:
a first conductive plate disposed at said lower magnetic member;
a first intermediate conductive plate disposed at one side of said intermediate magnetic member facing said first conductive plate;
a second conductive plate disposed at said upper magnetic member; and
a second intermediate conductive plate disposed at another side of said intermediate magnetic member facing said second conductive plate, wherein the displacement of said intermediate magnetic member is determined in accordance with at least one of a current and a resonant frequency measured between said first conductive plate and said second conductive plate,

wherein the electric coupling is a conductor which connects the first intermediate conductive plate and the second intermediate conductive plate, and
wherein coercivities of the lower and the upper magnetic members are greater than a coercivity of the intermediate magnetic member.
20. A microelectromechanical system (MEMS) sensor comprising:
a lower magnetic member comprising a lower magnetic surface of a first magnetic polarity;
an upper magnetic member disposed over said lower magnetic member comprising an upper second magnetic surface of a second magnetic polarity;
an intermediate magnetic member magnetically levitated between said lower magnetic member and upper magnetic member, said intermediate magnetic member comprising a first magnetic surface of the first magnetic polarity facing said lower magnetic surface and a second magnetic surface of the second magnetic polarity facing said upper magnetic surface, the first magnetic polarity being opposite to the second magnetic polarity to magnetically levitate said intermediate magnetic member between the lower and upper magnetic members; and
a detector measuring displacement of the intermediate magnetic member with respect to the lower magnetic member and the upper magnetic member, the detector comprising:
a first conductive plate disposed at said lower magnetic member;
a first intermediate conductive plate disposed at one side of said intermediate magnetic member facing said first conductive plate, the first conductive plate and the first intermediate conductive plate forming a first capacitor;
a second conductive plate disposed at said upper magnetic member; and
a second intermediate conductive plate disposed at another side of said intermediate magnetic member facing said second conductive plate, the second conductive plate and the second intermediate conductive plate forming a second capacitor,
wherein the displacement of said intermediate magnetic member is measured in accordance with at least one of i) a current measured between said first conductive plate and said second conductive plate; ii) a resonant frequency measured across said first conductive plate and said second conductive plate; and iii) a change in at least one of a first capacitance measured at said first capacitor and a second capacitance measured at said second capacitor,

wherein a conductor connects the first intermediate conductive plate and the second intermediate conductive plate, and
wherein coercivities of the lower and the upper magnetic members are greater than a coercivity of the intermediate magnetic member.
21. The MEMS sensor of claim 20, wherein the first conductive plate is divided into at least two parts and a change of the first capacitance due to at least one of a motion of, forces acting on, and a displacement of the inner member is measured between the at least two parts of the first conductive plate.
22. The MEMS sensor of claim 20, wherein a second conductive plate is divided into at least two or more parts and a change of the second capacitance due to at least one of a motion of, forces acting on, and a displacement of the inner member is measured between the at least two parts of the second conductive plate.

1. An error correcting method for a pipeline analog-to-digital converter (ADC), the pipeline ADC having a plurality of analog-to-digital conversion units cascaded in series to form a pipeline, the method comprising the following steps:
during a first mode, measuring the plurality of analog-to-digital conversion units utilizing an extra analog-to-digital conversion module;
calculating a plurality of correction constant sets according to digital output values of the extra analog-to-digital conversion module in the measuring step; and
during a second mode, correcting output signals of the plurality of analog-to-digital conversion units according to the correction constant sets.
2. The method of claim 1, wherein the extra analog-to-digital conversion module comprises a sigma-delta ADC.
3. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of calculating the plurality of correction constant sets further comprises:
performing calculations for removing errors between the extra analog-to-digital conversion module and the pipeline.
4. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of calculating the plurality of correction constant sets further comprises:
corresponding to each analog-to-digital conversion unit, performing calculations for compensating for influence of errors of later stages in the pipeline.
5. A digitally calibrated pipeline analog-to-digital converter (ADC) for converting an analog input signal into a digital output signal, the pipeline ADC comprising:
a plurality of analog-to-digital conversion units cascaded in series forming a pipeline and including a plurality of digital output ends;
an extra analog-to-digital conversion module coupled to the pipeline for measuring the plurality of analog-to-digital conversion units during a first mode; and
a correction unit coupled to the analog-to-digital conversion units and the extra analog-to-digital conversion module for correcting signals at the digital output ends during a second mode according to results of the measurement performed by the extra analog-to-digital conversion module to generate the digital output signal.
6. The pipeline ADC of claim 5, wherein the extra analog-to-digital conversion module comprises a sigma-delta ADC.
7. The pipeline ADC of claim 5, further comprising:
a multiplexer coupled between the pipeline and the extra analog-to-digital conversion module.
8. The pipeline ADC of claim 5, further comprising:
a calculation unit coupled to the extra analog-to-digital conversion module for calculating a plurality of correction constant sets according to the results of the measurement performed by the extra analog-to-digital conversion module.
9. The pipeline ADC of claim 8, wherein the calculation unit performs calculations for removing errors between the extra analog-to-digital conversion module and the pipeline.
10. The pipeline ADC of claim 5, wherein the calculation unit performs calculations for compensating for influence of errors of lower stages in the pipeline for each analog-to-digital conversion unit.

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 dual fuel heater comprising:
a housing at least partially defining the dual fuel heater;
a combustion chamber within the housing for combustion of either the first gas, liquid, or combination thereof or the second gas, liquid, or combination thereof;
at least one nozzle configured to direct either the first gas, liquid, or combination thereof or the second gas, liquid, or combination thereof to the combustion chamber;
a first oxygen depletion sensor nozzle configured to deliver the first gas, liquid, or combination thereof for combustion at or near the combustion chamber;
a first electrode configured to instigate combustion of the first gas, liquid, or combination thereof from the first oxygen depletion sensor nozzle;
a second oxygen depletion sensor nozzle configured to deliver a second gas, liquid, or combination thereof for combustion, the first gas, liquid, or combination thereof being different from the second gas, liquid, or combination thereof at or near the combustion chamber;
a second electrode configured to instigate combustion of the second gas, liquid, or combination thereof from the second oxygen depletion sensor nozzle;
a frame for positioning the first oxygen depletion sensor nozzle, the first electrode, the second oxygen depletion sensor nozzle, and the second electrode all within the housing, wherein the frame positions the first electrode closer to the first oxygen depletion sensor nozzle than to the second oxygen depletion sensor nozzle and the frame positions the second electrode nearer to the second oxygen depletion sensor nozzle than to the first oxygen depletion sensor nozzle; and
an igniter switch to activate the first and second electrodes;
wherein the frame is attached to the combustion chamber to position the first oxygen depletion sensor nozzle, the first electrode, the second oxygen depletion sensor nozzle, and the second electrode in proximity to the combustion chamber within the housing.
2. The dual fuel heater of claim 1, wherein the first and second electrodes are piezoelectric igniters.
3. The dual fuel heater of claim 1, wherein the first oxygen depletion sensor nozzle comprises a first injector.
4. The dual fuel heater of claim 3, wherein the second oxygen depletion sensor nozzle comprises a second injector.
5. The dual fuel heater of claim 1, wherein the first oxygen depletion sensor nozzle comprises a first air inlet aperture.
6. The dual fuel heater of claim 5, wherein the second oxygen depletion sensor nozzle comprises a second air inlet aperture.
7. The dual fuel heater of claim 6, wherein the second air inlet aperture is larger than the first.
8. The dual fuel heater of claim 1, wherein the housing comprises a window configured to allow at least one of heated air and radiant energy to pass therethrough.
9. A dual fuel heater comprising:
a housing at least partially defining the dual fuel heater;
a combustion chamber connected to the housing;
a nozzle configured to direct either a first fuel or a second fuel to the combustion chamber;
an oxygen depletion sensor (ODS) system comprising:
a first ODS nozzle configured for the first fuel;
a first electrode configured to instigate combustion of the first fuel;
a second ODS nozzle configured for the second fuel, the first fuel being different from the second fuel;
a second electrode configured to instigate combustion of the second fuel;
a frame for positioning the first ODS nozzle, the first electrode, the second ODS nozzle, and the second electrode, wherein the frame positions the first electrode closer to the first ODS nozzle than to the second ODS nozzle and the frame positions the second electrode nearer to the second ODS nozzle than to the first ODS nozzle; and

an igniter switch to activate the first and second electrodes;
wherein the ODS system is attached to the combustion chamber so that the first ODS nozzle, the first electrode, the second ODS nozzle, and the second electrode are all adjacent the combustion chamber.
10. The dual fuel heater of claim 9, wherein the first and second electrodes are piezoelectric igniters.
11. The dual fuel heater of claim 9, wherein the first ODS nozzle comprises a first air inlet aperture.
12. The dual fuel heater of claim 11, wherein the second ODS nozzle comprises a second air inlet aperture, wherein the second air inlet aperture is larger than the first.
13. The dual fuel heater of claim 9, wherein the housing comprises a window configured to allow at least one of heated air and radiant energy to pass therethrough.
14. A dual fuel heating assembly comprising:
a housing at least partially defining the dual fuel heater;
a combustion chamber coupled to the housing;
a nozzle configured to direct either a first fuel or a second fuel different from the first to the combustion chamber;
a first oxygen depletion sensor (ODS) nozzle configured for the first fuel;
a first igniter configured to instigate combustion of the first fuel at the first ODS nozzle;
a second ODS nozzle configured for the second fuel;
a second igniter configured to instigate combustion of the second fuel at the second ODS nozzle; and
a frame attached to the combustion chamber to position the first ODS nozzle, the first electrode, the second ODS nozzle, and the second electrode in proximity to the combustion chamber, wherein the frame secures the first ODS nozzle next to the first igniter on a first side of the frame and the second ODS nozzle next to the second igniter on a second side of the frame opposite the first side.
15. The dual fuel heating assembly of claim 14, wherein the first and second igniters are piezoelectric igniters.
16. The dual fuel heating assembly of claim 14, wherein the first side of the frame is a mirror image of the second side.
17. The dual fuel heating assembly of claim 14, wherein the housing comprises a window configured to allow at least one of heated air and radiant energy to pass therethrough.