Author: claimsbot

1. A method for preparing a thinned specimen by irradiating at least one of the side surfaces of the specimen with an ion beam to ion-etch the specimen, said method comprising the steps of:
(a) directing the ion beam at the specimen, directing light at one side surface of the specimen, and imaging the other side surface of the specimen with an imaging device;
(b) extracting high-brightness pixels which form the specimen image and which have intensities becoming greater than a given threshold value as the specimen is thinned;
(c) making a decision as to whether the extracted high-brightness pixels form a continuous sequence of pixels whose number is in excess of a given number on the specimen image; and
(d) stopping the ion-beam irradiation of the specimen or varying conditions under which the specimen is irradiated with the ion beam if the decision at the step (c) is affirmative (YES).
2. A method of specimen preparation as set forth in claim 1, further comprising the step of placing a belt-like, ribbon-like, or tape-like shielding material so as to stand substantially uprightly over the specimen to form an unirradiated surface portion of the specimen and irradiated surface portions of the specimen located on opposite sides of the unirradiated surface portion, and wherein
(A) the ion beam being directed at the shielding material and one side of the specimen obliquely from above the shielding material or from immediately above the shielding material,
(B) the ion beam being directed at the shielding material and the other side of the specimen obliquely from above the shielding material, and
(C) the irradiated surface portions being ion-etched while leaving the unirradiated surface portion unetched to ion-etch the side surfaces of the specimen, whereby preparing a thin-film specimen that becomes thinner in going downward from the unirradiated surface portion.
3. A method of specimen preparation as set forth in claim 2, wherein where a direction in which the ion beam is directed is set such that a through-hole is formed in the specimen, a decision is made as to whether said high-brightness pixels form a continuous vertical, lateral, or oblique sequence of pixels whose number is in excess of a given number on the specimen image.
4. A method of specimen preparation as set forth in claim 2, wherein where a direction in which the ion beam is directed is set such that a lower end of the specimen is thinned, a decision is made as to whether said high-brightness pixels are present in positions corresponding to the lower end of the specimen on the specimen image and form a continuous sequence of pixels whose number is in excess of a given number in an edge direction of the lower end of the specimen.
5. A method of specimen preparation as set forth in claim 1, wherein where said decision at the step (c) is affirmative (YES), the ion beam hitting the specimen is weakened and a finishing process is performed.
6. A specimen preparation apparatus for preparing a thinned specimen by irradiating at least one of left and right side surfaces of the specimen with an ion beam to ion-etch the specimen, said specimen preparation apparatus comprising:
light illumination means for directing light at any one side surface of the specimen;
imaging device for imaging the other side surface of the specimen;
high-brightness pixel extraction means for extracting high-brightness pixels which form the specimen image imaged by the imaging device and which have intensities becoming greater than a given threshold value as the specimen is thinned;
decision means for making a decision as to whether the extracted high-brightness pixels form a continuous sequence of pixels whose number is in excess of a given number on the specimen image; and
means which, when said decision is affirmative (YES), stops the ion-beam irradiation of the specimen or varies conditions under which the specimen is irradiated with the ion beam.
7. A specimen preparation apparatus as set forth in claim 6, further comprising:
a belt-like, ribbon-like, or tape-like shielding material placed to stand substantially uprightly over the specimen to form an unirradiated surface portion of the specimen and irradiated surface portions of the specimen located on opposite sides of the unirradiated surface portion;
means for directing the ion beam at one side surface of the shielding material and at the specimen obliquely from above the shielding material; and
means for directing the ion beam at the other side surface of the shielding material and at the specimen obliquely from above the shielding material;
wherein a direction in which the ion beam is directed is so set as to prepare the thin-film specimen that becomes thinner in going downward from the unirradiated surface portion.
8. A specimen preparation apparatus as set forth in claim 7, wherein where the direction in which the ion beam is directed is so set that a through-hole is formed in the specimen, said decision means makes a decision as to whether said high-brightness pixels form a continuous vertical, lateral, or oblique sequence of pixels whose number is in excess of a given number on the specimen image.
9. A specimen preparation apparatus as set forth in claim 7, wherein where the direction in which the ion beam is directed is so set that the lower end of the specimen is thinned, said high-brightness pixel extraction means extracts said high-brightness pixels appearing in positions corresponding to the lower end of the specimen on the specimen, and said decision means makes a decision as to whether the extracted pixels form a continuous sequence of pixels whose number is in excess of a given number on the specimen image.

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

I claim:

1. A computer-based automatic planning method comprising the steps:
providing a work record having at least one work data element;
translating each of the work data element into at least one first course element;
providing a school record having a plurality of second course elements;
comparing each of the first course elements against each of the second course elements; and
listing each of the second course elements that having been matched by a first course element in a first section and listing each of the second course elements that have not been matched by a first course element in a second section.
2. The method as in claim 1 wherein the work data element includes subentries selected from the group consisting of type of credit, date earned, description of work, work course number, length of credit, and level.
3. The method as in claim 2 wherein each of the second course elements that have been matched includes the type of credit subentry.
4. The method as in claim 2 wherein each work record is located within one of a plurality of work files based on the type of credit work identifier data element subentry.
5. The method as in claim 2 wherein the type of credit subentry is selected from the group consisting of work credit, military credit, college credit, test credit, and correspondence credit.
6. The method as in claim 1 wherein the first course element, is derived from the American Council on Education Guide.
7. The method as in claim 1 wherein each of the second course elements is subdivided in a required course type and an elective course type, such that each of the first course elements has a first amount associated therewith and each of the second course elements of the elective course type has a second amount and an accumulator associated therewith, and wherein each of the first course elements is first compared against each second course element of the required course type and if no match is made, the first course element is compared against each of the second course elements of the elective course type and if a match is made, entering the first amount of the first course element into the accumulator of the second course element, and after all comparisons are made, for each of the second course elements of the elective course type wherein the accumulator is at least equal to the second amount of the second course element, listing the second course element in the first section and if the accumulator is less than the second amount, listing the second course element in the first section along with the accumulator and also listing the second course element along with the difference between the second amount and the accumulator.
8. A computer-based automatic planning method comprising the steps:
providing a work record having at least one work data element;
providing a database having a plurality of school files each having at least one degree record having a plurality of second course elements;
translating each of the work data element into at least one first course element for each school file;
selecting a school file and a degree record from the school file and comparing each of the first course elements for the selected school file against each of the second course elements of the selected degree record; and
listing each of the second course elements that having been matched by a first course element in a first section and listing each of the second course elements that have not been matched by a first course element in a second section.
9. The method as in claim 8 wherein the work data element includes subentries selected from the group consisting of type of credit, date earned, description of work, work course number, length of credit, and level.
10. The method as in claim 9 wherein each of the second course elements that have been matched includes the type of credit subentry.
11. The method as in claim 9 wherein each work record is located within one of a plurality of work files based on the type of credit work identifier data element subentry.
12. The method as in claim 9 wherein the type of credit subentry is selected from the group consisting of work credit, military credit, college credit, test credit, and correspondence credit.
13. The method as in claim 8 wherein the first course element, is derived from the American Council on Education Guide.
14. The method as in claim 8 wherein each of the second course elements is subdivided in a required course type and an elective course type, such that each of the first course elements has a first amount associated therewith and each of the second course elements of the elective course type has a second amount and an accumulator associated therewith, and wherein each of the first course elements is first compared against each second course element of the required course type and if no match is made, the first course element is compared against each of the second course elements of the elective course type and if a match is made, entering the first amount of the first course element into the accumulator of the second course element, and after all comparisons are made, for each of the second course elements of the elective course type wherein the accumulator is at least equal to the second amount of the second course element, listing the second course element in the first section and if the accumulator is less than the second amount, listing the second course element in the first section along with the accumulator and also listing the second course element along with the difference between the second amount and the accumulator.
15. An automated planning method comprising the steps:
providing a first database having a first record, the first record having at least one first entry, each first entry having a first work data element;
providing a second database having a plurality of second entries, each second entry having a second work data element, a first school ID element, a first course element, a first elective element, and a first amount element;
providing a third database having at least one second record, each second record having a second school ID element and having at least one third entry, each third entry having a second course element, a second elective element, and a second amount element;
taking each first entry in turn from the first record and comparing the first work data element from the first entry against the second work data element of each second entry, in turn, of the second database and when the first work data element matches the second work data element, selecting the second record that has a second school ID element that matches the first school ID element, and entering the first course element, the first elective element, and the first amount element of the second entry of the second database into the a third entry of the selected second record;
providing a fourth database having at least one file having a third school ID element, each file having at least one fourth record, each fourth record having a plurality of fourth entries, each fourth entry having a third course element, the fourth record also having at least one fifth entry having a third elective element, a third amount element, and an accumulator; and
selecting a file and selecting a fourth record from the file, and taking each third entry in turn wherein the second school ID element matches the third school ID element and comparing the second course element of each such third entry against the third course element for a match and listing each third course element that is matched in a first manner, for each second course element that fails to match a third course element, comparing the second elective element against each third elective element for a match and if a match is made adding the second amount into the accumulator, for each third elective element wherein the accumulator is at least equal to the third amount, listing the third elective element in the first manner and wherein the accumulator is less than the third amount listing the third elective in a second manner and listing each third course element that is not matched in the second manner.
16. The method as in claim 15 wherein the work data element includes subentries selected from the group consisting of type of credit, date earned, description of work, work course number, length of credit, and level.
17. The method as in claim 16 wherein each entry listed within the first section includes the type of credit subentry.
18. The method as in claim 16 wherein each first record within the first database is located within one of a plurality of work files based on the type of credit work identifier data element subentry.
19. The method as in claim 16 wherein the type of credit subentry is selected from the group consisting of work credit, military credit, college credit, test credit, and correspondence credit.
20. The method as in claim 15 wherein each of the steps are performed by a computer.
21. The method as in claim 15 wherein each of the files corresponds to a unique institution and each of the fourth records within the file corresponds to a unique degree within the institution.
22. The method as in claim 15 wherein each of the second elective elements include a first level subelement and each of the third elective elements include a second level subelement.
23. The method as in claim 15 wherein the first course element, the first elective element, and the first amount element of each of the second entries is populated from the American Council on Education Guide.
24. The method as in claim 15 wherein each third entry further has a first degree element and each fourth record has a second degree element and wherein each third entry is compared against each second course element only if additionally, the first degree element matches the second degree element of the selected fourth record.
25. An automated planning method comprising the steps:
providing a first database having a first record, the first record having an identifier key and at least one first entry, each first entry having a first work data element;
providing a second database having a plurality of second entries, each second entry having a second work data element, a first school ID element, a first course element, a first elective element, and a first amount element;
providing a second record having at least one third entry, each third entry having a second school ID element, a second course element, a second elective element, and a second amount element;
using the second database, translating each first entry stored within the first record and entering the result in the into a third entry of the second record;
providing a third database having at least one file having a third school ID element, each file having at least one fourth record, each fourth record having a plurality of fourth entries, each fourth entry having a third course element, the second record also having at least one fifth entry having an third elective element, a third amount element, and an accumulator; and
selecting a file and selecting a fourth record from the file, and taking each third entry in turn wherein the second school ID element matches the third school ID element and comparing the second course element of each such third entry against the third course element for a match and listing each third course element that is matched in a first manner, for each second course element that fails to match a third course element, comparing the second elective element against each third elective element for a match and if a match is made adding the second amount into the accumulator, for each third elective element wherein the accumulator is at least equal to the third amount, listing the third elective element in the first manner and wherein the accumulator is less than the third amount listing the third elective in a second manner and listing each third course element that is not matched in the second manner.
26. The method as in claim 25 wherein the work data element includes subentries selected from the group consisting of type of credit, date earned, description of work, work course number, length of credit, and level.
27. The method as in claim 26 wherein each entry listed within the first section includes the type of credit subentry.
28. The method as in claim 26 wherein each first record within the first database is located within one of a plurality of work files based on the type of credit work identifier data element subentry.
29. The method as in claim 26 wherein the type of credit subentry is selected from the group consisting of work credit, military credit, college credit, test credit, and correspondence credit.
30. The method as in claim 25 wherein each of the steps are performed by a computer.
31. The method as in claim 25 wherein each of the files corresponds to a unique institution and each of the fourth records within the file corresponds to a unique degree within the institution.
32. The method as in claim 25 wherein each of the second elective elements include a level subelement and each of the third elective elements include a second level subelement
33. The method as in claim 25 wherein the first course element, the first elective element, and the first amount element of each of the second entries is populated from the American Council on Education Guide.
34. The method as in claim 25 wherein each third entry further has a first degree element and each fourth record has a second degree element and wherein each third entry is compared against each second course element only if additionally, the first degree element matches the second degree element of the selected fourth record.

1. An engine system comprising:
an engine;
a fuel tank to store a pre-reformed fuel; and
a reformer to reform the pre-reformed fuel,
wherein a reformed fuel which is reformed by the reformer is supplied to a cylinder of the engine, the reformer is attached to an exhaust pipe of the engine, the reformed fuel is supplied to the cylinder of the engine from an exhaust valve of the engine, an exhaust gas backflow preventer is installed in the exhaust pipe at a downstream side of the reformer, and an adjustment valve, which is adjusted to be mechanically opened at a differential pressure equal to or more than a predetermined differential pressure, is installed at a pipe to connect the fuel tank to the reformer,
wherein the adjustment valve is configured to be mechanically opened under a negative pressure generated in the reformer by a suction stroke of the cylinder of the engine to supply the pre-reformed fuel from the fuel tank to the reformer.
2. The engine system of claim 1, wherein
a supply amount of the pre-reformed fuel to the reformer, and a supply amount of the reformed fuel to the engine are controlled by adjusting an openclose timing or an openclose lift amount of the exhaust valve of the engine.
3. The engine system of claim 1, wherein
a supply amount of the reformed fuel to the engine is controlled by adjusting a supply amount of the pre-reformed fuel to the reformer using the adjustment valve.
4. The engine system of claim 1,
wherein the engine further comprises a suction pipe including an air flow adjustment unit installed therein,
wherein the air flow adjustment unit is configured to control an amount of air to be supplied to the engine for an air excess coefficient to be 1 or less.
5. The engine system of claim 1, wherein the pipe which connects the fuel tank to the reformer is connected to the exhaust pipe of the engine.
6. The engine system of claim 5, wherein the pipe is connected to the exhaust pipe at an upstream side of the exhaust gas backflow preventer.

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 beam shaping means for an external andor roof antenna on vehicles, comprising:
an antenna mounting region or portion for being disposed at an electrically non-conductive region of a vehicle structure, in the form of a glass window, an antenna mounting region or portion,
the antenna mounting region or portion comprising a counterweight surface attached to the electrically non-conductive region of the vehicle structure,
the beam shaping means being configured as a parasitic beam shaping means,
the parasitic beam shaping means being configured at a distance below the upper or outer surface of the electrically non-conductive region of the vehicle structure,
the parasitic beam shaping means being configured, provided or attached in the material of the electrically non-conductive region of the vehicle structure or at the underside or inside of the electrically non-conductive region of the vehicle structure,
the parasitic beam shaping means being arranged andor configured in such a way that it, viewed from above, protrudes laterally beyond, at least in certain portions, the antenna mounting region or portion andor an optionally provided counterweight surface andor is arranged laterally thereto.
2. The beam shaping means as claimed in claim 1, wherein the parasitic beam shaping mean is arranged andor configured asymmetrically to a vertical plane of symmetry running in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle.
3. The beam shaping means as claimed in claim 1, wherein the parasitic beam shaping means is arranged andor configured symmetrically to a vertical plane of symmetry running in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle.
4. The beam shaping means as claimed in claim 1, wherein the parasitic beam shaping means is of a design andor size which differ as a function of the vehicle.
5. The beam shaping means as claimed in claim 1, wherein the parasitic beam shaping means consists of or comprises a grid structure extending in a substantially planar manner.
6. The beam shaping means as claimed in claim 5, wherein the grid structure consists of at least two parallel grids which are arranged in an intersecting orientation, the grids and being connected in an electrically conductive manner at the points of intersection.
7. The beam shaping means as claimed in claim 5, wherein the grid structure comprising an electrically conductive line grid.
8. The beam shaping means as claimed in claim 5, wherein the grid structure comprises a point grid.
9. The beam shaping means as claimed in claim 5, wherein the grid structure is constructed in such a way that the holes, recesses or spacings thus formed between the individual portions of the grid structure are smaller than 10 mm.
10. The beam shaping means as claimed in claim 5, wherein the grid structure is formed in such a way that the holes or spacings between the electrically conductive individual grid elements are larger than 0.2 mm.
11. The beam shaping means as claimed in claim 1, wherein the parasitic beam shaping means comprising a closed area or substantially closed area having elevated conductivity, in the form of a planar metal coating, a metal foil or a foil coated with metal, or an electrically conductive screen printed surface.
12. The beam shaping means as claimed in claim 1, wherein the parasitic beam shaping means comprises a plurality of parasitic radiator partial surfaces or partial beam shaping means.
13. The beam shaping means as claimed in claim 12, wherein the parasitic beam shaping means have or comprises at least partly different grid structures andor at least one parasitic partial beam shaping means in the form of a closed radiation surface or a closed radiation surface portion having elevated electrical conductivity.
14. The beam shaping means as claimed in claim 12, wherein the parasitic beam shaping means are not electrically connected to one another.
15. The beam shaping means as claimed in claim 1, wherein the at least one parasitic beam shaping means comprises an additional, separate recess which is larger than the grid structure provided.
16. The beam shaping means as claimed in claim 1, wherein the at least one parasitic beam shaping means has an n-polygonal outline andor convex and concave outline delimiting lines.
17. The beam shaping means as claimed in claim 1, wherein the electrically non-conductive region of the vehicle structure consists of a glass window, in the form of a glass roof or a rear window.
18. The beam shaping means as claimed in claim 1, further including a counterweight surface which also comprises the antenna mounting region or portion, the counterweight surface being provided in the form of a glass window on the outside of the electrically non-conductive region of the vehicle structure.
19. The beam shaping means as claimed in claim 18, wherein the parasitic beam shaping means extends to below the region of the counterweight surface or begins at the transition region or laterally offset therefrom and is arranged next to the counterweight surface.
20. The beam shaping means as claimed in claim 1, wherein the counterweight surface is arranged in a cutout in the electrically non-conductive material of the vehicle structure, in the form of a glass window, so that the upper side of the counterweight surface and the upper side of the electrically non-conductive material are flush with each other, in the form of the glass window, the parasitic beam shaping means beginning lying at the circumferential edge of the counterweight surface or laterally offset therefrom.
21. The beam shaping means as claimed in claim 1, wherein the parasitic beam shaping means has a thickness corresponding to less than 50% of the electrically non-conductive region of the vehicle structure.
22. The beam shaping means as claimed in claim 1, wherein the parasitic beam shaping means is embedded by the manufacturer in electrically non-conductive materials of the vehicle structure, adjacent to or set apart from an intermediate layer provided in the electrically non-conductive material.
23. The beam shaping means as claimed in claim 1, wherein the distance between an antenna mounting region or portion or the center thereof and the most remote portion on the parasitic beam shaping means is 40 cm or less.
24. A vehicle antenna, in particular a motor vehicle antenna, which can be constructed or is constructed on the upper side or outside at an electrically non-conductive portion of a vehicle structure, wherein the external or roof antenna can be constructed or is constructed on an electrically non-conductive portion of the vehicle structure comprising a parasitic beam shaping means as claimed in claim 1.
25. The vehicle antenna as claimed in claim 25, wherein the antenna sits on a counterweight surface arranged above the parasitic beam shaping means as claimed in claim 1.
26. The vehicle antenna as claimed in claim 24, wherein the counterweight surface is formed by the chassis of the external andor roof antenna.
27. The vehicle antenna as claimed in claim 24, wherein the maximum distance between an external andor roof antenna and the parasitic beam shaping means is at most 40 cm.
28. The beam shaping means as claimed in claim 5, wherein the grid structure is constructed in such a way that the holes, recesses or spacings thus formed between the individual portions of the grid structure are smaller than 8 mm.
29. The beam shaping means as claimed in claim 5, wherein the grid structure is constructed in such a way that the holes, recesses or spacings thus formed between the individual portions of the grid structure are smaller than 5 mm.
30. The beam shaping means as claimed in claim 5, wherein the grid structure is constructed in such a way that the holes, recesses or spacings thus formed between the individual portions of the grid structure are smaller than 2 mm.
31. The beam shaping means as claimed in claim 5, wherein the grid structure is formed in such a way that the holes or spacings between the electrically conductive individual grid elements are larger than 0.5 mm.
32. The beam shaping means as claimed in claim 5, wherein the grid structure is formed in such a way that the holes or spacings between the electrically conductive individual grid elements are larger than 1 mm.
33. The beam shaping means as claimed in claim 5, wherein the grid structure is formed in such a way that the holes or spacings between the electrically conductive individual grid elements are larger than 1.5 mm.