All The Claims

1. A lead-free solder ball which is used for electrodes by mounting on a module substrate for a BGA or CSP and which has a solder composition comprising 0.5-1.1 mass % of Ag, 0.7-0.8 mass % of Cu, 0.05-0.08 mass % of Ni, and a remainder of Sn.
2. The lead-free solder ball according to claim 1, wherein the solder composition comprises 0.9-1.1 mass % of Ag, 0.7-0.8 mass % of Cu, 0.05-0.08 mass % of Ni, and a remainder of Sn.
3. The lead-free solder ball according to claim 1, wherein the solder composition comprises 1.0 mass % of Ag, 0.75 mass % of Cu, 0.07 mass % of Ni, and a remainder of Sn.
4. The lead-free solder ball according to claim 1, wherein the solder composition further contains at least one element selected from Fe, Co, and Pt in a total amount of 0.003-0.1 mass %.
5. The lead-free solder ball according to claim 1, wherein the solder composition further contains at least one element selected from Bi, In, Sb, P, and Ge in a total amount of 0.003-0.1 mass %.
6. The lead-free solder ball according to claim 1, wherein the solder ball has a diameter of at least 0.1 mm.
7. The lead-free solder ball according to claim 1, wherein the solder ball has a diameter of at least 0.3 mm.
8. The lead-free solder ball according to claim 1, wherein the solder ball has a diameter of at least 0.5 mm.
9. A method of forming a solder bump on a module substrate having electrodes selected from electroplated NiAu electrodes, electroless NiPdAu electrodes, and Cu-OSP electrodes using a lead-free solder ball wherein the lead-free solder ball is used for electrodes by mounting on a module substrate for a BGA or CSP and which has a solder composition comprising 0.5-1.1 mass % of Ag, 0.7-0.8 mass % of Cu, 0.05-0.08 mass % of Ni, and a remainder of Sn.

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 method for stitching a plurality of video streams, comprising:
obtaining multiple video streams that correspond to a common period in time at which at least portions of individual video streams in the multiple video streams were captured;
determining at least one reference instant within the common period of time;
calculating a reference value of a construction parameter of one or more images from the multiple video streams captured at times that correspond to the determined reference instant; and
constructing a panoramic image by stitching together the images of the multiple video streams captured at times corresponding to the determined reference instant as part of creating a wide field video stream, such that the stitching is based on the reference value of the construction parameter.
2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:
selecting a panoramic image construction algorithm defining a plurality of geometric and radiometric construction parameters;
calculating the reference value at a first reference instant from the panoramic image construction algorithm;
calculating a reference value at other instants on the basis of the reference values of the construction parameter; and
stitching together the multiple video streams corresponding to a same reference instant.
3. The method of claim 1, wherein the construction parameters are held constant for the duration of the stitching of the multiple video streams.
4. The method of claim 3, wherein at least one of the construction parameters varies for at least a portion of the duration of the stitching of the multiple video streams.
5. The method of claim 3, wherein at least one of the construction parameters is obtained by a mathematical interpolation of a basis of at least two reference values of the construction parameter calculated at two different reference instants to obtain a continuous progression of time with respect to at least one construction parameter.
6. The method of claim 1, wherein the construction of the panoramic images further comprises using the reference values of the construction parameters at different reference instants.
7. The method of claim 1, wherein the reference values of the construction parameters is determined by calculating the mathematical interpolation of at least two reference values for two reference instants for a determined time interval.
8. The method of claim 7, wherein the mathematical interpolation comprises linear, Bezier, cubic, spline, or b-spline interpolation.
9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:
partially decoding the video streams at the determined reference instant; and
stitching together the panoramic images of the video streams corresponding to the reference instant and reference value of the construction parameter.
10. The method of claim 1, wherein calculating the reference value of the construction parameters at the reference instant further comprises modifying the construction parameters corresponding to at least two different camera viewpoint orientations to ensure a horizon is kept stable in the wide field video stream.
11. The method of claim 1, further comprising:
defining various reference instants based on manual or automatic selection, such that the various reference instants correspond to a common period of time; and
defining reference values of the construction parameters for various reference instants,
wherein the reference values are defined by combining the construction parameters obtained at various reference instants.
12. The method of claim 1, further comprising combining the images of the video streams at the determined reference instant in a display zone of a human-machine interface;
wherein the determined reference instant is input into the human-machine interface by an operator.
13. The method of claim 1, further comprising:
measuring a temporal offset of the multiple video streams with respect to time; and
synchronizing the multiple video streams by associating the images captured at proximate times within the various video streams.
14. The method of claim 13, wherein measuring the temporal offset of the multiple video streams further comprises identifying a soundtrack associated with the various video streams to identify sounds to further synchronize the multiple video streams in accordance to the soundtrack.
15. The method of claim 1, further comprising displaying the wide field video stream on a display space of at least one screen.
16. A stitching device for stitching a plurality of video stream comprising:
a processor
a non-transitory computer-readable medium operatively coupled to the processor and storing instructions that, when executed, cause the processor to:
obtain multiple video streams that correspond to a common period in time at which at least portions of individual video streams in the multiple video streams were captured;
determine at least one reference instant within the common period of time;
calculate a reference value of a construction parameter of one or more images from the multiple video streams at the determined reference instant; and
construct a panoramic image by stitching together the images of the multiple video streams corresponding to the determined reference instant, such stitching based on the reference value of the construction parameter.
17. A stitching device of claim 16, further comprising an interface for inputting at least one reference instant to calculate the reference value of the construction parameter.
18. A stitching device of claim 16, further comprising:
a first window for presenting the various video streams to be stitched;
a second window for viewing the panoramic image resulting from the stitching of the images of the various video streams at a determined reference instant;
a select area for inputting the determined reference instant; and
a third window for presenting a wide field video stream created from stitching the various video streams.
19. The system for stitching a plurality of video streams, comprising:
a camera holder comprising at least two adjacent housings to fasten at least a first and a second camera such that the cameras are oriented substantially perpendicular to one another; and
a stitching device with a anon-transitory computer-readable medium operatively coupled to a processor and storing instructions that, when executed, cause the processor to stitch various video streams filmed from at least the first and the second camera from the camera holder.
20. The system of claim 19, further comprising an integrated reader to view the wide field video stream on a screen of the stitching device.

What is claimed is:

1. A system for improving efficiency of air breathing heat engines (ABHE) and power transformers comprising:
a power transformer;
a heat energy dissipation device in communication with said power transformer and adapted to recover heat energy from the ABHE and said power transformer; and
a refrigeration system operably coupled to said dissipation device using recovered heat energy to produce a chillant, said refrigeration system supplying the chillant to said power transformer and the ABHE.
2. The system of claim 1, wherein said dissipation device includes a transformer heat exchanger.
3. The system of claim 2, wherein said transformer heat exchanger includes a liquid to liquid heat exchanger.
4. The system of claim 2, wherein said transformer heat exchanger includes a liquid to gas heat exchanger.
5. The system of claim 1, wherein said refrigeration system includes an absorption chiller, said chiller employing the recovered heat energy to energize a staged process of concentration, condensation, evaporation and absorption to produce the chillant for cooling said power transformer.
6. The system of claim 1 further comprising:
a gas compressor having a gas compression area; and
a post-compression heat exchanger disposed within said gas compressor, and operably associated with said gas compression area to recover heat energy released when compressed gas is produced by said gas compressor, said post-compression heat exchanger operably coupled with said refrigeration system, said refrigeration system using the recovered heat energy to produce the chillant.
7. The system of claim 6 further comprising:
a pre-compression heat exchanger for cooling pre-compression gas operably coupled with said refrigeration system, said pre-compression heat exchanger utilizing the chillant produced by said refrigeration system for cooling pre-compression gas simultaneously with compression of gas in said gas compressor.
8. The system of claim 6 wherein said refrigeration system includes an absorption chiller, said chiller employing the recovered heat energy to energize a staged process of concentration, condensation, evaporation and absorption to produce the chillant.
9. The system of claim 6 further comprising:
an air breathing heat engine operably coupled to said gas compressor, said air breathing heat engine using the condensed gas from said gas compressor in a combustion to produce heat energy;
a post-combustion heat exchanger operably coupled to said air breathing heat engine and arranged to recover the heat energy produced by said air breathing heat engine, said refrigeration system operably coupled with said post-combustion heat exchanger, said refrigeration system using the recovered heat energy for producing the chillant.
10. The system of claim 9, wherein said air breathing heat engine includes a shaft, and a power generator drivingly connected to said shaft to actuate said power generator.
11. The system of claim 9, wherein said refrigeration system includes an absorption chiller, said chiller employing the recovered heat energy to energize a staged process of concentration, condensation, evaporation and absorption to provide the chillant.
12. The system of claim 1 further comprising a steam turbine generating heat energy, said steam turbine connected to and in communication with said refrigeration system, enabling the heat energy to be used by said refrigeration system for producing the chillant.
13. A system for improving a power transformer efficiency which is impacted by heat losses, said system comprising:
a power transformer;
a transformer heat exchanger for dissipating heat energy operably coupled with said power transformer;
a heat generating component generating additional heat energy;
a second heat exchanger for recovering additional heat energy operably coupled with said heat generating component; and
a refrigeration system operably coupled with said transformer heat exchanger and said second heat exchanger, said refrigeration system utilizing the heat energy in a process for producing a chillant, the chillant used for cooling said power transformer.
14. The system of claim 13, wherein said heat generating component is at least one of a gas compressor, an air breathing heat engine (ABHE), and a steam turbine.
15. The system of claim 13, wherein said refrigeration system includes an absorption chiller, said chiller employing the heat energy to energize a staged process of concentration, condensation, evaporation and absorption to provide the chillant.
16. The system of claim 13, wherein at least one of said transformer heat exchanger and said second heat exchanger includes a liquid to liquid heat exchanger.
17. The system of claim 13, wherein at least one of said transformer heat exchanger and said second heat exchanger includes a liquid to gas heat exchanger.
18. A method for controlling the internal temperature of a power transformer comprising the steps of:
(a) providing a power transformer unit, a heat exchanger operably coupled with the power transformer, and a refrigeration system operably coupled with the heat exchanger;
(b) dissipating heat energy produced by the power transformer in the heat exchanger;
(c) transferring the heat energy to the refrigeration system;
(d) producing chillant in the refrigeration system using the heat energy; and
(e) transferring the chillant to the power transformer for cooling the power transformer.
19. The method of claim 18 further comprising the steps of:
(f) providing a heat generating component, and a second heat exchanger for recovering additional heat energy produced by the heat generating component;
(g) recovering the additional heat energy in the second heat exchanger;
(h) transferring the additional heat energy to the refrigeration system;
(i) producing additional chillant in the refrigeration system using additional heat energy; and
(j) transferring the additional chillant to the power transformer for cooling the power transformer.
20. The method of claim 19 further comprising the step of:
(k) transferring the additional chillant to the heat generating component for cooling within the heat generating component.
21. The method of claim 19, wherein the heat generating component of said (k) transferring step includes at least one of a gas compressor, an air breathing heat engine (ABHE) and a steam turbine.
22. The method of claim 18, wherein the refrigeration system of said (a) providing step includes an absorption chiller, the chiller employing the recovered heat energy to energize a staged process of concentration, condensation, evaporation and absorption to provide the chillant.
23. The method of claim 19, wherein the refrigeration system of said (a) providing step includes an absorption chiller, said chiller employing the recovered heat energy and additional heat energy to energize a staged process of concentration, condensation, evaporation and absorption to provide the chillant.

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 transformer-based VCO for both phase noise and tuning range improvement in bipolar technology, comprising:
a double coupled integrated transformer that includes a first pair of coils magnetically coupled to a second pair of coils, the first pair including first and second coils and the second pair including third and fourth coils; and
a differential cross-coupled pair of first and second transistors, the first transistor having a first conduction terminal connected to the first coil and a control terminal connected to the third coil, and the second transistor having a first conduction terminal connected to the second coil and a control terminal connected to the fourth coil.
2. A transformer-based VCO according to claim 1, wherein said integrated transformer includes three turns that are double coupled, wherein two of the three turns are implemented by the first and second pairs of coils.
3. A transformer-based VCO according to claim 2, wherein a coupling between first and second turns of the three turns has a coupling factor K1 that is equal to a coupling factor K2 between said second turn and a third turn of the three turns.
4. A transformer-based VCO according to claim 2, wherein a coupling between first and second turns of the three turns has a coupling factor K1 that is different from a coupling factor K2 between said second turn and a third turn of the three turns.
5. A transformer-based VCO according to claim 1, wherein the integrated transformer is formed by three stacked metal layers.
6. A transformer-based VCO according to claim 5, wherein the integrated transformer employs a topmost metal layer of the metal layers for a resonator inductance.
7. A transformer-based VCO according to claim 1, further comprising:
a third transistor having a control terminal connected to the control terminal of the first transistor and a conduction terminal configured to produce a first output; and
a fourth transistor having a control terminal connected to the control terminal of the second transistor and a conduction terminal configured to produce a first output.
8. A transformer-based VCO according to claim 1, wherein said integrated transformer includes a third pair of coils magnetically coupled to the first pair of coils, the third pair including fifth and sixth coils.
9. A transformer-based VCO according to claim 8, wherein said differential cross-coupled pair of transistors is a differential cell including bipolar transistors.
10. A transformer-based VCO according to claim 8, further comprising first and second varactor diodes coupled to the fifth and sixth coils, respectively.
11. A transformer-based VCO according to claim 8, wherein the integrated transformer is coupled directly to respective control terminals of the transistors without any intervening decoupling capacitors.
12. A DVB-S receiver, comprising a low noise block down-converter (LNB) for translating RF satellite signals picked up by a parabolic dish from a Ku-band to an intermediate frequency IF, the LNB down-converter including a transformer-based VCO including a double coupled integrated transformer.
13. A receiver according to claim 12, wherein said low noise block down-converter includes a down-converter block and a PLL integrated into a single die with the transformer.
14. A receiver according to claim 12 and based on a dual-conversion superheterodyne architecture.
15. A receiver according to claim 12, wherein said integrated transformer includes three turns that are double coupled.
16. A receiver according to claim 15, wherein a coupling between first and second turns of the three turns has a coupling factor K1 that is equal to a coupling factor K2 between said second turn and a third turn of the three turns.
17. A receiver according to claim 15, wherein a coupling between a first and second turns of the three turns has a coupling factor K1 that is different from a coupling factor K2 between said second turn and a third turn of the three turns.
18. A receiver according to claim 15, wherein the integrated transformer is formed by three stacked metal layers.
19. A receiver according to claim 18, wherein the integrated transformer employs a topmost metal layer of the metal layers for a resonator inductance.
20. A receiver according to claim 12, wherein a differential load is provided by a cross-coupled differential cell including bipolar transistors coupled to the integrated transformer.
21. A receiver according to claim 12, wherein said VCO includes first and second varactor diodes coupled to the integrated transformer.
22. A receiver according to claim 12, wherein said integrated transformer is part of an LC resonator coupled to a cross-coupled differential pair of transistors.
23. A receiver according to claim 22, wherein said cross-coupled differential pair is a differential cell including bipolar transistors.
24. A receiver according to claim 22, wherein the integrated transformer is coupled directly to respective control terminals of the transistors without any intervening decoupling capacitors.
25. A transformer-based VCO, comprising:
a differential cell providing a differential output; and
a double coupled integrated transformer coupled to the differential cell, wherein the differential cell includes a cross-coupled pair of bipolar transistiors and the transformer includes;
a first pair of coils coupled respectively to first and second capacitances;
a second pair of coils coupled respectively to the coils of the first pair and to the differential cell; and
a third pair of coils coupled respectively to the coils of the second pair and to the differential cell.
26. The VCO of claim 25 wherein the transformer is part of an LC resonator that includes a varactor diode coupled to the transformer.
27. The VCO of claim 25 wherein the differential cell includes a cross-coupled pair of transistors respectively having first conduction terminal coupled respectively to the coils of the second pair, second conduction terminals coupled to each other, and control terminals coupled to the coils of the third pair.
28. A transformer-based VCO, comprising:
a differential cell providing a differential output; and
a double coupled integrated transformer coupled to the differential cell, wherein the transformer includes:
a first pair of coils coupled respectively to first and second capacitances;
a second pair of coils coupled respectively to the coils of the first pair and to the differential cell; and
a third pair of coils coupled respectively to the coils of the second pair and to the differential cell.
29. The VCO of claim 28 wherein the transformer is part of an LC resonator that includes a varactor diode coupled to the transformer.
30. The VCO of claim 28 wherein the differential cell includes a cross-coupled pair of transistors respectively having first conduction terminal coupled respectively to the coils of the second pair, second conduction terminals coupled to each other, and control terminals coupled to the coils of the third pair.