All The Claims

1. A power generation control system for an internal combustion engine of a vehicle, which changes a combustion mode based on an operational condition, the power generation control system comprising:
a power generator that is driven by a drive force of the internal combustion engine to generate electric power;
a battery that stores the electric power, which is generated by the power generator; and
a power generation control means for controlling a power generation quantity of the power generator, wherein the power generation control means controls the power generation quantity of the power generator in a manner that maintains a current combustion mode of the internal combustion engine.
2. The power generation control system according to claim 1, further comprising an exhaust gas predicting means for predicting a noxious component output quantity increase in exhaust gas of the internal combustion engine caused by power generation of the power generator, wherein:
the exhaust gas predicting means predicts:
a noxious component output quantity in the exhaust gas of the internal combustion engine in a generator operating state where the power generation of the power generator is performed during operation of the internal combustion engine; and
a noxious component output quantity in the exhaust gas of the internal combustion engine in a generator non-operating state where the power generation of the power generator is stopped during the operation of the internal combustion engine;

the exhaust gas predicting means predicts the noxious component output quantity increase based on a difference between the noxious component output quantity in the generator operating state and the noxious component output quantity in the generator non-operating state; and
the power generation control means controls the power generation quantity of the power generator in view of the noxious component output quantity increase in the manner that maintains the current combustion mode of the internal combustion engine.
3. The power generation control system according to claim 1, further comprising a fuel consumption quantity predicting means for predicting a fuel consumption quantity increase of the internal combustion engine caused by power generation of the power generator, wherein:
the fuel consumption quantity predicting means predicts:
a fuel consumption quantity of the internal combustion engine in a generator operating state where the power generation of the power generator is performed during operation of the internal combustion engine; and
a fuel consumption quantity of the internal combustion engine in a generator non-operating state where the power generation of the power generator is stopped during the operation of the internal combustion engine;

the fuel consumption quantity predicting means predicts the fuel consumption quantity increase based on a difference between the fuel consumption quantity in the generator operating state and the fuel consumption quantity in the generator non-operating state; and
the power generation control means controls the power generation quantity of the power generator in view of the fuel consumption increase in the manner that maintains the current combustion mode of the internal combustion engine.
4. The power generation control system according to claim 1, further comprising a remaining electric charge determining means for determining a remaining electric charge of the battery, wherein:
the power generation control means determines whether priority should be given to charging of the battery over maintaining of the current combustion mode based on the remaining electric charge of the battery determined by the remaining electric charge determining means; and
when the power generation control means determines that the priority should be given to the charging of the battery over the maintaining of the current combustion mode, the power generation control means controls the power generation quantity of the power generator without requiring the maintaining of the current combustion mode of the internal combustion engine.
5. The power generation control system according to claim 1, further comprising a power consumption determining means for determining an electric power consumption in the vehicle, wherein:
the power generation control means determines whether priority should be given to generating of the electric power by the power generator over maintaining of the current combustion mode based on the electric power consumption determined by the power consumption determining means; and
when the power generation control means determines that the priority should be given to the generating of the electric power by the power generator over the maintaining of the current combustion mode, the power generation control means controls the power generation quantity of the power generator without requiring the maintaining of the current combustion mode of the internal combustion engine.
6. The power generation control system according to claim 1, wherein the power generation control means controls the power generation quantity of the power generator in the manner that maintains the current combustion mode of the internal combustion engine at time of driving the vehicle.
7. The power generation control system according to claim 1, wherein the combustion mode is changed between a stratified combustion mode and a homogeneous combustion mode or between a stoichiometric combustion mode and a lean combustion mode based on the operational condition.
8. A power generation control system for an internal combustion engine of a vehicle, which changes a combustion mode based on an operational condition, the power generation control system comprising:
a power generator that is driven by a drive force of the internal combustion engine to generate electric power;
a battery that stores the electric power, which is generated by the power generator; and
a controller that controls a power generation quantity of the power generator, wherein the controller controls the power generation quantity of the power generator in a manner that maintains a current combustion mode of the internal combustion engine.
9. The power generation control system according to claim 8, wherein:
the controller predicts a noxious component output quantity in exhaust gas of the internal combustion engine in a generator operating state where power generation of the power generator is performed during operation of the internal combustion engine;
the controller predicts a noxious component output quantity in the exhaust gas of the internal combustion engine in a generator non-operating state where the power generation of the power generator is stopped during the operation of the internal combustion engine;
the controller predicts a noxious component output quantity increase in exhaust gas of the internal combustion engine caused by the power generation of the power generator based on a difference between the noxious component output quantity in the generator operating state and the noxious component output quantity in the generator non-operating state; and
the controller controls the power generation quantity of the power generator in view of the noxious component output quantity increase in the manner that maintains the current combustion mode of the internal combustion engine.
10. The power generation control system according to claim 8, wherein:
the controller predicts a fuel consumption quantity of the internal combustion engine in a generator operating state where power generation of the power generator is performed during operation of the internal combustion engine;
the controller predicts a fuel consumption quantity of the internal combustion engine in a generator non-operating state where the power generation of the power generator is stopped during the operation of the internal combustion engine;
the controller predicts a fuel consumption quantity increase of the internal combustion engine caused by the power generation of the power generator based on a difference between the fuel consumption quantity in the generator operating state and the fuel consumption quantity in the generator non-operating state; and
the controller controls the power generation quantity of the power generator in view of the fuel consumption increase in the manner that maintains the current combustion mode of the internal combustion engine.
11. The power generation control system according to claim 8, wherein:
the controller determines whether priority should be given to charging of the battery over maintaining of the current combustion mode based on a remaining electric charge of the battery; and
when the controller determines that the priority should be given to the charging of the battery over the maintaining of the current combustion mode, the controller controls the power generation quantity of the power generator without requiring the maintaining of the current combustion mode of the internal combustion engine.
12. The power generation control system according to claim 8, wherein:
the controller determines whether priority should be given to generating of the electric power by the power generator over maintaining of the current combustion mode based on an electric power consumption in the vehicle; and
when the controller determines that the priority should be given to the generating of the electric power by the power generator over the maintaining of the current combustion mode, the controller controls the power generation quantity of the power generator without requiring the maintaining of the current combustion mode of the internal combustion engine.
13. The power generation control system according to claim 8, wherein the controller controls the power generation quantity of the power generator in the manner that maintains the current combustion mode of the internal combustion engine at time of driving the vehicle.
14. The power generation control system according to claim 8, wherein the combustion mode is changed between a stratified combustion mode and a homogeneous combustion mode or between a stoichiometric combustion mode and a lean combustion mode based on the operational condition.
15. A power generation control method for an internal combustion engine of a vehicle, which changes a combustion mode based on an operational condition, the power generation control method comprising:
operating the internal combustion engine in one of a plurality of combustion modes; and
operating a power generator in a manner that maintains the current combustion mode of the internal combustion engine.
16. The power generation control method according to claim 15, further comprising:
predicting a noxious component output quantity in exhaust gas of the internal combustion engine in a generator operating state where power generation of the power generator is performed during operation of the internal combustion engine;
predicting a noxious component output quantity in the exhaust gas of the internal combustion engine in a generator non-operating state where the power generation of the power generator is stopped during the operation of the internal combustion engine; and
predicting a noxious component output quantity increase in exhaust gas of the internal combustion engine caused by the power generation of the power generator based on a difference between the noxious component output quantity in the generator operating state and the noxious component output quantity in the generator non-operating state; and
controlling the power generation quantity of the power generator in view of the noxious component output quantity increase in the manner that maintains the current combustion mode of the internal combustion engine.
17. The power generation control method according to claim 15, further comprising:
predicting a fuel consumption quantity of the internal combustion engine in a generator operating state where power generation of the power generator is performed during operation of the internal combustion engine; and
predicting a fuel consumption quantity of the internal combustion engine in a generator non-operating state where the power generation of the power generator is stopped during the operation of the internal combustion engine;
predicting a fuel consumption quantity increase of the internal combustion engine caused by the power generation of the power generator based on a difference between the fuel consumption quantity in the generator operating state and the fuel consumption quantity in the generator non-operating state; and
controlling the power generation quantity of the power generator in view of the fuel consumption increase in the manner that maintains the current combustion mode of the internal combustion engine.
18. The power generation control method according to claim 15, further comprising:
determining whether priority should be given to charging of the battery over maintaining of the current combustion mode based on a remaining electric charge of the battery; and
controlling the power generation quantity of the power generator without requiring the maintaining of the current combustion mode of the internal combustion engine when it is determined that the priority should be given to the charging of the battery over the maintaining of the current combustion mode.
19. The power generation control method according to claim 15, further comprising:
determining whether priority should be given to generating of the electric power by the power generator over maintaining of the current combustion mode based on an electric power consumption in the vehicle; and
controlling the power generation quantity of the power generator without requiring the maintaining of the current combustion mode of the internal combustion engine when it is determined that the priority should be given to the generating of the electric power by the power generator over the maintaining of the current combustion mode.
20. The power generation control method according to claim 15, wherein the operating of the power generator is performed in the manner that maintains the current combustion mode of the internal combustion engine at time of driving the vehicle.
21. The power generation control method according to claim 15, wherein the combustion mode is changed between a stratified combustion mode and a homogeneous combustion mode or between a stoichiometric combustion mode and a lean combustion mode based on the operational condition.

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 forming light emitters with multiple LEDs (light-emitting-diodes), wherein the number of LEDs in each emitter is an integer M, the method comprising:
determining color coordinates CIEx and CIEy and intensity for each of a plurality of LEDs, wherein CIEx and CIEy are color coordinates in a CIE chromaticity diagram, and wherein N is the number of LEDs in the plurality of LEDs;
determining a first parameter X0 and a second parameter Y0 for a target light color, wherein X0 and Y0 are related to CIEx and CIEy of each of the N LEDs and a weighting factor related to the intensity of each of the N LEDs;
for each possible group of M LEDs out of the N LEDs in the plurality of LEDs:
determining a first group parameter X and a second group parameter Y, wherein X and Y are related to CIEx and CIEy of each of the M LEDs and a weighting factor related to the intensity of each of the M LEDs; and
determining a difference between the first and second group parameters X and Y of each LED in the group of M LEDs and X0 and Y0;

selecting a first group of M LEDs whose first group parameter X and second group parameter Y are closest to X0 and Y0 as a first candidate for forming a light emitter with M LEDs;
removing the selected first group of M LEDs from the plurality of LEDs; and
for the LEDs remaining in the plurality of LEDs, repeating the above processes to select a group of M LEDs as the next candidate for forming a light emitter.
2. The method of claim 1, wherein the weighting factor is related to the lumen of the LEDs.
3. The method of claim 2, wherein the weighting factor is related to a ratio of lumen over CIE-y of each LED.
4. The method of claim 1, wherein the weighting factor is related to radiant power of the LEDs.
5. The method of claim 4, wherein the first parameter X0 of the target light color is related to a sum of the CIEx of each of N LEDs multiplied by a ratio of the radiant power of each of the N LEDs divided by a sum of the radiant power of all N LEDs, and the second parameter Y0 of the target light color is related to a sum of the CIEy of each of N LEDs multiplied by a ratio of the radiant power of each of the N LEDs divided by a sum of the radiant power of all N LEDs.
6. The method of claim 4, wherein the first group parameter X of each of the possible groups of M LEDs is related to a sum of the CIEx of each of M LEDs multiplied by a ratio of the radiant power of each of the M LEDs divided by a sum of the radiant power of all M LEDs in that group, and the second group parameter Y of each of the possible groups of M LEDs is related to a sum of the CIEy of each of M LEDs multiplied by a ratio of the radiant power of each of the M LEDs divided by a sum of the radiant power of all M LEDs in that group.
7. The method of claim 1, wherein selecting the first group of M LEDs comprises:
calculating a root mean square difference between (X, Y) and (X0, Y0), wherein X and Y are the first and the second group parameters for each of the possible groups of M LEDs, and X0 and Y0 are first and the second parameters of the target light color, and
selecting a group with the minimum root mean square difference.
8. The method of claim 1, wherein each of the LEDs comprises an LED chip having a phosphor-containing material disposed thereon.
9. The method of claim 8, wherein each of the LEDs comprises a blue LED having a phosphor-containing material including a green phosphor and a red phosphor disposed thereon.
10. The method of claim 8, wherein each of the LEDs comprises a blue LED having a phosphor-containing material including a yellow phosphor and a red phosphor disposed thereon.
11. A method for forming multiple-LED (light-emitting-diode) light emitters from a plurality of LEDs, the method comprising:
characterizing the plurality of LEDs according to first and second parameters of each LED, the first and second parameters being related to color coordinates CIEx and CIEy, respectively;
determining a target color, which is characterized by a first and second parameters, X0 and Y0, that are related to color coordinates CIEx and CIEy in a chromaticity diagram;
for all possible combinations of M LEDs out of the LEDs in the plurality of LEDs:
determining a first group parameter X and a second group parameter Y based on the first and second parameters for each of the M LEDs in the group; and
determining a difference between the first and second parameters of each group and X0 and Y0;

selecting a group of M LEDs that has the smallest difference as a candidate for forming a light emitter of M LEDs.
12. The method of claim 11, further comprising:
removing the selected group of M LEDs from the plurality of LEDs; and
for the remaining LEDs, repeating the process of selecting a group of M LEDs for forming a multiple-LED emitter.
13. The method of claim 11, wherein the first parameter X0 and the second parameter Y0 for the target light color is further related to a weighting factor related to the intensity of each of the plurality of LEDs.
14. The method of claim 13, wherein the weighting factor is related to the lumen of the LEDs.
15. The method of claim 13, wherein each of the weighting factor is related to a ratio of lumen over CIE-y of each LED.
16. The method of claim 13, wherein the weighting factor is related to the radiant power of the LEDs.
17. The method of claim 11, wherein the first group parameter X and the second group parameter Y for the group of M LEDs is further related to a weighting factor related to the intensity of each of the M LEDs.
18. The method of claim 17, wherein the weighting factors are related to the lumen of the LEDs.
19. The method of claim 17, wherein the weighting factors are related to the radiant power of the LEDs.
20. The method of claim 11, wherein each of the LEDs comprises an LED chip having a phosphor-containing material disposed thereon.

1. A manufacturing method for a variable capacitor, comprising:
forming a first element of which a capacitance value depends on a voltage applied to both of two terminals of a first area on a substrate;
forming a second element having a capacitance value fixed to a second area on the substrate adjacent to the first area; and
forming metallic wires for connecting the first element and the second element and connecting the first element and the second element with the outside.
2. The method of claim 1, wherein the first element is a bipolar transistor.
3. The method of claim 2, wherein the bipolar transistor includes a diode.
4. The method of claim 1, wherein the second element is a capacitor including a dielectric.

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 apparatus for laser positioning in an optical disc drive, comprising:
a first positioning assembly that positions a first laser beam generated by a first laser and directed toward a first side of an optical disc site in the optical disc drive; and
a second positioning assembly that positions a second laser beam generated by a second laser and directed toward a second side of the optical disc site in the optical disc drive, the second positioning assembly positioning the second laser beam independent of the positioning of first laser beam by the first positioning assembly the second positioning assembly further comprising an actuator that positions the second laser beam, and an elastic member that opposes a movement of the actuator.
2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first positioning assembly further comprises a screw drive system that moves a laser head, wherein the first laser is located in the laser head.
3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the actuator further comprises a solenoid.
4. The apparatus of claim 3 wherein a displacement of the solenoid is proportional to a current applied to the solenoid.
5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the actuator further comprises a voice coil motor.
6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the elastic member further comprises a spring.
7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the elastic member further comprises an elastic material.
8. The apparatus of claim 1, the second positioning assembly further comprises:
a laser head, wherein the second laser is located in the laser head;
guiding structure facilitating a linear movement of the laser head; and
wherein both the elastic member and the actuator are coupled to the laser head.
9. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the guiding structure further comprises at least one rail, wherein the laser head slides along the at least one rail.
10. The apparatus of claim 1, the second positioning assembly further comprises:
an arm that pivots about a pivot point, wherein a pivotal movement of the arm positions the second laser beam along an arcuate path;
wherein both the elastic member and the actuator are coupled to the arm, wherein the actuator positions the second laser beam by causing the pivotal movement of the arm.
11. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a controller operatively coupled to the second positioning assembly, the controller executing a calibration routine to calibrate a positioning of the second laser beam.
12. A method for laser positioning in an optical disc drive, comprising the steps of:
positioning a first laser beam generated by a first laser and directed toward a first side of an optical disc in the optical disc drive to read data from or write data to an optical disc; and
positioning a second laser beam generated by a second laser and directed toward a second side of the optical disc in the optical disc drive independent of the positioning of first laser beam by manipulating an actuator that positions the second laser beam, wherein an elastic member opposes a movement of the actuator.
13. The method of claim 12, further comprising the step of writing a label on the second side of the optical disc using the second laser beam.
14. The method of claim 13, further comprising the steps of
inserting an optical disc into the optical disc drive;
performing the steps of positioning the first laser beam, reading or writing the data, positioning the second laser beam, and writing the label without removing the optical disc from the optical disc drive.
15. The method of claim 12, wherein the steps of positioning the first laser beam and positioning the second laser beam are performed simultaneously.
16. The method of claim 12, wherein the step of positioning the second laser beam further comprises the step of causing a linear movement of a laser head, wherein the second laser is located in the laser head.
17. The method of claim 12, wherein the step of positioning the second laser beam further comprises the step of positioning the second laser beam along an arcuate path.
18. The method of claim 12, wherein the step of positioning the second laser beam further comprises the step of controlling a displacement of an actuator by controlling a magnitude of a current applied to the actuator, wherein the second laser beam is positioned by the displacement of the actuator.
19. The method of claim 12, further comprising the steps of:
controlling a positioning the second laser beam with a controller; and
calibrating the positioning of the second laser beam with the controller.
20. An apparatus for laser positioning in an optical disc drive, comprising:
means for positioning a first laser beam generated by a first laser and directed toward a first side of an optical disc site in the optical disc drive; and
means for positioning a second laser beam generated by a second laser and directed toward a second side of the optical disc site in the optical disc drive independent of the positioning of first laser beam by manipulating an actuator that positions the second laser beam, wherein an elastic member opposes a movement of the actuator.
21. The apparatus of claim 20, wherein the means for positioning positions the second laser beam along a linear path.
22. The apparatus of claim 20, wherein the means for positioning positions the second laser beam along an arcuate path.
23. A program embodied in a computer readable medium and executable by a computer system for calibration of a positioning assembly that positions a laser beam generated by a laser and directed toward a side of an optical disc site in an optical disc drive, the positioning assembly comprising an actuator that positions the laser beam, and an elastic member that opposes a movement of the actuator, the program comprising:
code that positions the laser beam on at least one laser calibration position; and
code that calculates a gain of the actuator from an actuator input identified from at least two laser calibration positions.
24. The program embodied in the computer readable medium and executable by the computer system of claim 23, wherein the code that positions the laser beam on at least one laser calibration position positions the laser beam on at least two laser positions.