A machined ceramic article having an initial surface defect density and an initial surface roughness is provided. The machined ceramic article is heated to a temperature range between about 1000° C. and about 1800° C. at a ramping rate of about 0.1° C. per minute to about 20° C. per minute. The machined ceramic article is heat-treated in air atmosphere. The machined ceramic article is heat treated at one or more temperatures within the temperature range for a duration of up to about 24 hours. The machined ceramic article is then cooled at the ramping rate, wherein after the heat treatment the machined ceramic article has a reduced surface defect density and a reduced surface roughness.

An optical film of high planarity that even in the use of an optical film material containing a non-resinous additive in an amount of 5 mass % or more, would exhibit inexpensive satisfactory roll cleaning effects, and that would find application in, especially, various functional films such as a retardation film and a protective film for polarization plate for use in a liquid crystal display apparatus, etc.; and a process for producing the optical film. There is disclosed a process for producing an optical film according to a melting casting film forming method, including extruding a melt of resin blend containing a resin and 5 mass % or more of non-resinous additive through a casting die into a film form, wherein a first roller (5) for cooling has a temperature of the melting point of the additive to the glass transition temperature (Tg) of the resin blend. Preferably, the first roller (5) for cooling has a peripheral speed (S1) exhibiting a ratio between the same and the peripheral speed (S3) of a third roller (7) for cooling, S3/S1, of 1.001 to 1.05. Preferably, a filmlike molten blend is pressed against the first roller (5) for cooling at a linear pressure of 0.5 to 50 N/mm by means of a second roller (6) for pressure application.

The invention relates to a method for producing implants and components by direct shaping. The method includes the steps of producing a mold for the implants or components to be produced, making allowances for changes in geometry occurring during after-treatment after the implants or components are removed from the mold, and, providing partial areas of the mold with a structured surface for transferring this structure to the surfaces of the implants or components. In the method, raw material is introduced into the mold and, after remaining in the mold for a certain period of time, the hardened raw material is then removed from the mold to allow the implants or components to take on the structured surface of the mold as well as its geometry. The demolded implants or components are finally subjected to any after-treatment that may be necessary.

Disclosed herein is a method for preparing a near infrared shielding fiber. The method includes the steps of preparing and compounding a composition, then pelletizing the compounded composition to obtain the near-infrared shielding masterbatch, and melt spinning the near-infrared shielding masterbatch into the near-infrared shielding fiber. The composition includes at least one metallic ionic compound powder in an amount of about 1-25 wt %, a cross-linking agent in an amount of about 0.1-2 wt %, a thermoplastic polymer in an amount of about 67-98.7 wt %, a cross-linking initiator in an amount of about 0.1-1 wt %, and a dispersing agent in an amount of about 0.1-2 wt %.

In a method of processing a substrate in accordance with an embodiment, a trench may be formed in the substrate, imprint material may be deposited at least into the trench, the imprint material in the trench may be embossed using a stamp device, and the stamp device may be removed from the trench.

The invention relates to a substrate-based method for forming a three-dimensional object by additive fabrication by coating a liquid radiation curable resin comprising from 30 to 80 wt % of cationically curable compounds on a substrate, contacting the liquid radiation curable resin with a previously cured layer, selectively exposing the layer of liquid radiation curable layer to actinic radiation thereby forming a cured layer, separating the cured layer at the substrate, and repeating the steps a sufficient number of time in order to build up a three-dimensional object.

Devices and methods for high-throughput manufacture of concentrically layered nanoscale and microscale fibers by electrospinning are disclosed. The devices include a hollow tube having a lengthwise slit through which a core material can flow, and can be configured to permit introduction of sheath material at multiple sites of Taylor cone formation formation.

An information processing device includes first encoding means for encoding an image by placing strip-shaped areas in the upper and lower sides, second encoding means for encoding data of first subtitles displayed in a third area formed by joining at least a part of one area of a first area and a second area together with the other area, first generating means for generating information referred to form the third area, and second generating means for generating the contents including the video stream, a stream of the first subtitles, and the control information.

A video processing apparatus is provided. The video processing apparatus includes: an inputter inputting video signals of a plurality of systems, and a processor generating processed video signals by performing switching on the video signals of two or more systems input into the inputter. Further, the video processing apparatus includes: a time code generator generating a time code, and a time code adder adding the time code to the input video signals and the generated video signals respectively, outputs the video signals with the time code to be recorded in a recording medium.

A method and a playback control device are provided. The method, performed by the playback control device, includes: receiving a first request to playback a first data of a first wireless multimedia data type having a first priority; and playing back the first data if no other data of a wireless multimedia data type having a priority higher than the first priority is received.

An information storage medium storing subtitle text-based information, and a method and apparatus utilizing same, process a subtitle The information storage medium includes: dialog information which contains script text information of the subtitle and information specifying an output type of the script text; and presentation information which contains style information used to convert the script text into a bitmap format through rendering. With this structure, the amount of data required for a subtitle and the amount of data that should be processed when a subtitle is output may be greatly reduced.

An image processing apparatus sequentially displays time-series images. The apparatus includes a movement-direction-change image extracting unit that detects a movement between images constituting the time-series images and extracts an image of which a movement direction is changed based on the detected movement between images; and a display speed controller that controls display speeds of the image extracted by the movement-direction-change image extracting unit and images adjacent to the image at a level relatively lower than display speeds of other images.

Methods and apparatus for switching between a live video decoding and a recorded playback in a digital video and recording system. A received video data stream is transmitted to a first-in first-out video decoder buffer without first looping the video data stream through a playback buffer. The video data stream is transmitted from the video decoder buffer to a video decoder. If a “pause” command is received, the video data stream is transmitted to a first-in first-out playback buffer, while continuing to transmit the video data stream to the video decoder buffer. Transmission of the video data stream to the video decoder buffer is halted when the video decoder buffer fills up. The last byte of the video data stream that was transmitted to the video decoder buffer is marked. If a “play” command is received, the video data stored in the video decoder buffer is transmitted to the video decoder. The video data stored in the playback buffer is transmitted to the video decoder buffer starting at a point immediately after the data element that was marked previously.

An information processing apparatus includes a controller that sets type information, which represents that an application for executing a process using a dependent view video stream is an application for reproducing a 3-D image, in a clip information file which describes information on a transport stream including the dependent view video stream out of a base view video stream and the dependent view video stream obtained by encoding a plurality of video data according to the a predetermined video coding format.

An image processing apparatus includes a generation unit configured to continuously generate still images from a moving image which is being read out from a recording medium and played back, a detection unit configured to detect a change of a playback state of the moving image which is being read out from the recording medium and played back, and a control unit configured to control an operation of the generation unit. The control unit performs control to stop generating of the still image when the detection unit detects that the playback state of the moving image during playback is changed.

A process control system user display provides a display image containing control system information. The system may include a digital recording module including an image capture module for making a real-time digital recording of at least a portion of the display image, the image capture module buffering a terminal portion of the real-time digital recording. A storage module may store at least a portion of the real-time digital recording. A real-time digital recording may contain at least a portion of the display image, wherein, at any particular time, the real-time digital recording includes information from the control system for a predetermined duration proximate the particular time, and at least a portion of the real-time digital recording may be stored. A desired portion of the digital recording may be played back, optionally with process control system event and/or continuous history.

An image capture device includes: first and second shooting sections, each of which is configured to shoot an image of a subject; a disparity calculating section configured to generate a depth map based on first and second images that have been shot by the first and second shooting sections, respectively; and an image generating section configured to generate, based on the depth map and the first image, a third image that has as high a resolution as the first image and that forms part of a 3D image. The image generating section is controlled to determine whether or not to generate the third image based on at least one of the states of the first and second images, a zoom power during shooting, and the tilt of the image capture device during shooting.

A video processing apparatus that can be connected to a video playback apparatus includes an input unit configured to input video data from the video playback apparatus, an interpolation unit configured to generate interpolated frame image data of input video data, and an output unit configured to output the interpolated frame image data as interpolated video data, wherein the interpolation unit generates different interpolated frame image data according to a playback mode of the video playback apparatus.

A cutting tool holder has a holder body and upper and base jaws. An insert receiving pocket is defined between the upper and base jaw, for receiving a cutting insert therein. A resilience recess allows the upper jaw to deflect toward the base jaw. An upper jaw coolant channel has an upper jaw inlet, opening out to the resilience recess, and an upper jaw outlet, opening out to a front end of the upper jaw. A holder body coolant channel has a holder body outlet, opening out to the resilience recess, spaced apart from the upper jaw inlet. A compressible tool coolant plug, made of compressible material, is inserted into the resilience recess. The plug has a plug coolant channel opening out toward the upper jaw inlet and the holder body outlet, forming a fluid path from the holder body coolant channel to the upper jaw coolant channel.

A device for inputting command signals to a marine vessel control system includes a lever that is selectively operable in a joystick mode and a lever mode. In the lever mode, the lever is confined to pivoting about a horizontal axis to thereby input throttle and shift commands to the control system. In the joystick mode, the lever is freely pivotable in all directions away from a vertical axis that is perpendicular to the horizontal axis to thereby input throttle, shift, and directional commands to the control system.

A piezoresistive sensor device and a method for making a piezoresistive device are disclosed. The sensor device comprises a silicon wafer having piezoresistive elements and contacts in electrical communication with the elements. The sensor device further comprises a contact glass coupled to the silicon wafer and having apertures aligned with the contacts. The sensor device also comprises a non-conductive frit for mounting the contact glass to a header glass, and a conductive non-lead glass frit disposed in the apertures and in electrical communication with the contacts. The method for making a piezoresistive sensor device, comprises bonding a contact glass to a silicon wafer such that apertures in the glass line up with contacts on the wafer, and filling the apertures with a non-lead glass frit such that the frit is in electrical communication with the contacts. The use of a lead free glass frit prevents catastrophic failure of the piezoresistive sensor and associated transducer in ultra high temperature applications.

An elastomeric particle (1, 1, 1″) comprises a non-conducting elastomeric body (2) having an electrically conducting surface (4a, 4b, 6). Pressure sensor elements (20, 20', 20″; 30, 30', 30″, 30'″) comprising such elastomeric particles are disclosed, as well as sensor clusters (50″, 50'″, 50IV, 50V, 50VI, 50VII, 70) comprising such sensor elements. There is also disclosed a pressure sensor element (40, 40', 40″, 40'″, 40IV, 40V, 40VI, 40VII), comprising a resistive element (44, 44', 44″) providing a conduction path, a first electrode (42a, 42a-1, 42a-2, 42a-3, 42a-4, 42a-5, 42a-6), connected to the resistive element, a second electrode (42b, 42b'), which in a quiescent state is spaced from said first electrode, wherein the second electrode, when the pressure sensor element is subjected to a pressure, is arranged to contact said first electrode or said resistive element. Systems comprising such sensor elements and sensor clusters are disclosed, as well as methods of their fabrication.

Disclosed herein is a rotary jig for battery cells to successively manufacture battery cells having different sizes including a main body configured to have a hexahedral structure having a rotary rod mounted at a lower end thereof, the main body being provided at sides thereof with mounting frames having sizes corresponding to sizes of battery cells so that the battery cells can be uprightly mounted in the mounting frames in a state in which electrode terminals of the battery cells are exposed upward, a die disposed at a lower end of the main body, the die connected to the rotary rod so that the die can be rotated manually or by a rotary motor, and support members formed at the die to support the mounting frames of the main body and the battery cells mounted in the mounting frames, wherein the rotary rod is rotated so that resistance welding is performed with respect to a portion of one of battery cells to be welded using a welding rod located above the battery cell in a state in which the battery cells are mounted to the corresponding sides of the main body.

An apparatus for supporting a workpiece during processing of the workpiece is disclosed. The apparatus comprises: a chassis having a vacuum chamber that is connectable to a vacuum source; a supporting device rotatable relative to the chassis, the supporting device having a hollow compartment and a supporting surface for holding the workpiece; and at least one sealing device arranged between the chassis and the supporting device, to provide an air-tight seal between the chassis and the supporting device while allowing for rotation of the supporting device with respect to the chassis, so as to form a vacuum passage extending from the supporting surface of the supporting device through the hollow compartment of the supporting device and the vacuum chamber of the chassis to the vacuum source, to thereby hold the workpiece to the supporting surface of the supporting device during processing of the workpiece.

Kit of improved accessories suitable for automated storage structures (20) comprising an automatic clamping system adapted to lock in position workpieces stored during transport on a truck, plant conveyor or any other vehicle and supporting elements (11) for the workpieces stored each formed by bending of iron wire according to the workpiece profile.

There are provided an image processing apparatus and an image processing method which can shorten a drying time of inks in an edge region of an image, and can form a sharp image without bleeding of the ink applied onto the edge region into a blank paper. The image processing method generates applying data for forming an image on a print medium by a relative scan between print heads for ejecting a first ink and a second ink having the same color with the first ink and lower in surface tension than the first ink, and the print medium. The image processing method generates first data for applying the first ink to a predetermined region that is adjacent to an edge region of the image and that is included in an inside region inward of the edge region, and generates second data for applying the second ink to the edge region.

This invention relates to a media multi-feed rejection apparatus, comprising: a plurality of feed rollers; a feed roller driving means operatively connected to one of the plurality of feed rollers; a clutch means operatively connected to the other of the plurality of feed rollers; and a single channel encoder means operatively connected to the clutch means to measure a rotation of the other of the plurality of feed rollers.

A wireless communication terminal includes a communication status measurement element for measuring communication status data representing a communication status of the self terminal at the time of wireless communications; a reference data storage element for storing respective pieces of preset reference data representing communication statuses of a terminal which can be measured at respective locations at the time of wireless communications, in association with respective pieces of location data identifying the respective locations, and a location specifying element for comparing the communication status data measured by the communication status measurement element with the respective pieces of reference data stored in the reference data storage element, and based on the comparison result, specifying a location corresponding to the location data associated with a particular piece of reference data as a location of the self terminal.

Techniques for determining time of arrivals (TOAs) of signals in a wireless communication network are described. Each cell may transmit (i) synchronization signals on a set of contiguous subcarriers in the center portion of the system bandwidth and (ii) reference signals on different sets of non-contiguous subcarriers distributed across the system bandwidth. A UE may determine TOA for a cell based on multiple signals transmitted on different sets of subcarriers. The UE may perform correlation for a first signal (e.g., a synchronization signal) from the cell to obtain first correlation results for different time offsets. The UE may perform correlation for a second signal (e.g., a reference signal) from the cell to obtain second correlation results for different time offsets. The UE may combine the first and second correlation results and may determine the TOA for the cell based on the combined correlation results.

A system and method to display, when within an envelope of an ownship's flight path, a symbol representing wake turbulence from another aircraft based on aircraft type and flight parameters received from the other aircraft, the symbol being formatted to indicate the severity of portions of the wake turbulence. The format is modified periodically in accordance with the aircraft's flight path and a decay rate of the wake turbulence.

A signal processing device, which includes an echo signal input module for inputting echo signals from an antenna discharging electromagnetic waves to a predetermined area and receiving the echo signals reflected on a target object, an echo signal level detection module for detecting a level of each of the echo signals from each location within the predetermined area, a target object detection module for detecting the target object based on the levels of the echo signals, a correlation processing module for performing scan-to-scan correlation processing of a plurality of scans, and a level adjustment module for adjusting the levels of the echo signals after the scan-to-scan correlation processing. The level adjustment module adjusts the levels of the echo signals corresponding to the locations where the target object detection module detects the target object.

A method for processing return radar waveforms in response to transmitted radar waveforms. The method includes receiving, with a processor, a return radar waveform having a Doppler shift larger than Doppler tolerance. The method also includes separating, with the processor, the return radar waveform into a plurality of shortened waveforms. The method also includes compressing, with the processor, each of the plurality of shortened waveforms with a shortened form of the return radar waveform. The method also includes summing, with the processor, the plurality of compressed, shortened waveforms by computing a Doppler Fourier transform for each radar range bin of the return radar waveform using the plurality of compressed, shortened waveforms.

Multi-pattern transmission of frames. The method of operations comprises transmitting a first portion of a frame using a first radiation pattern. The frame comprises one or more preambles and a single data portion associated with the one or more preambles. Thereafter, an operation is conducted to switch the radiation pattern from the first radiation pattern, used to produce the first portion of the frame, to a second radiation pattern. A second portion of the same frame is produced using the second radiation pattern.

Techniques for positioning access points and terminals in WLANs and other wireless networks are described. For access point positioning, measurements are obtained for at least one access point in a WLAN. The measurements may be based on transmission sequences (e.g., beacon frames) transmitted periodically by each access point. The measurements may be made by multiple terminals at different locations or a single mobile terminal at different locations. The location of each access point is determined based on the measurements and known locations of the terminal(s). For terminal positioning, measurements for at least one access point in a WLAN are obtained. The location of the terminal is determined based on the measurements and known location of each access point. The measurements may be round trip time (RTT) measurements, observed time difference (OTD) measurements, time of arrival (TOA) measurements, signal strength measurements, signal quality measurements, etc.

Described herein are improved configurations for a wireless power transfer involving photovoltaic panels. Described are methods and designs that use electric energy from a photovoltaic module to energize at least one wireless energy source to produce an oscillating magnetic field for wireless energy transfer. The source may be configured and tuned to present an impedance to a photovoltaic module wherein said impedance enables substantial extraction of energy from said photovoltaic module.

A wireless power feeder feeds power from a feeding coil L2 to a receiving coil L3 by wireless using a magnetic field coupling between the feeding coil L2 and the receiving coil L3. The feeding coil L2 is formed so as to be rotated. A power transmission control circuit supplies AC power to the feeding coil L2 to make the feeding coil L2 feed the AC power to the receiving coil L3. The power transmission control circuit rotates the feeding coil L2 to change the opposing area between the feeding coil L2 and the receiving coil L3 as viewed in the axis direction of the feeding coil L2 to thereby adjust the AC power to be supplied from the feeding coil L2 to the receiving coil L3.

An inductive power outlet for providing power to an electric load via an inductive power receiver includes at least one primary inductive coil wired to a power supply via a driver configured to provide a driving voltage across the primary inductive coil such that a secondary voltage is induced in a secondary inductive coil associated with the inductive power receiver. The driver may include a controller configured to receive feedback control signals from the inductive power receiver indicating if more or less power is required. The controller may be further configured to adjust the driving voltage according to the control signals.

A transmit pad inspection device includes a magnetic coupling device, which includes an inductive circuit that is configured to magnetically couple to a primary circuit of a charging device in a transmit pad through an alternating current (AC) magnetic field. The inductive circuit functions as a secondary circuit for a set of magnetically coupled coils. The magnetic coupling device further includes a rectification circuit, and includes a controllable load bank or is configured to be connected to an external controllable load back. The transmit pad inspection device is configured to determine the efficiency of power transfer under various coupling conditions. In addition, the transmit pad inspection device can be configured to measure residual magnetic field and the frequency of the input current, and to determine whether the charging device has been installed properly.

In some aspects, a master cylinder assembly for vertical lift aircraft is configured to move pressurized fluid through a conduit in response to applied movement of an input lever. A low pressure relief valve can be connected to a first conduit to limit pressure to a low level. An isolation valve can be connected to the first conduit and configured to isolate the low pressure relief valve from the conduit when engaged. A high pressure relief valve can be connected to a second fluid conduit to limit pressure to a high level. In some aspects, a rotor brake actuator is fluidly connected to the first conduit and the second conduit and configured to engage a rotor brake in response to hydraulic fluid pressure.

A pressure control reservoir includes a valve ball and a shaft which is movable to move the valve ball to open or close a fluid path leading to a fluid reservoir chamber. The shaft has a tip with a slant surface which has a peripheral edge of a polygonal shape with even numbers of vertices and is inclined to the longitudinal center line of the shaft. Such a polygonal geometry increases an entire or inclined length of the slant surface, which results in an increased range where an angle which the slant surface makes with a plane extending perpendicular to an axial direction of the tip is permitted to be increased without causing the point of contact between the valve ball and the slant surface to be shifted close to the tip of the slant surface when the tip of the shaft moves the valve ball.

A pressure control valve arrangement for controlling a fluid pressure in an ABS brake system of a vehicle so that, while there is a tendency of individual wheels of the vehicle to lock, the brake pressure in at least one associated brake cylinder can be adaptively adjusted, including: a housing; and at least one diaphragm valve is accommodated in the housing, the diaphragm valve having a diaphragm as the valve body, which diaphragm can be acted upon by introducing pressure medium into a control chamber that is covered on the outside of the housing by a cover so that the control chamber is formed between the diaphragm and the cover, wherein at least one pressure medium channel carrying pressure medium is formed in the housing in the region of the cover, wherein at least one cover has at least one projection projecting into the pressure medium channel in the housing, a pressure medium guiding surface for directing the flow of the pressure medium carried in the pressure medium channel being formed on the projection.

To achieve peak acoustic and power performance, the coil or applied current should be in phase or substantially aligned with the back electromotive force (back-EMF) voltage. However, there are generally phase differences between the applied current and back-EMF voltage that are induced by the impedance of the brushless DC motor (which can vary based on conditions, such as temperature and motor speed). Traditionally, compensation for these phase differences was provided manually and on an as-needed basis. Here, however, a system and method are provided that automatically perform a commutation advance by incrementally adjusting a drive signal over successive commutation cycles when the applied current and back-EMF voltage are misaligned.

A driving circuit for a single-phase-brushless motor includes a driving-signal-generating circuit to generate a driving signal for supplying, to a driving coil of the single-phase-brushless motor, first- and second-driving currents alternately with a de-energized period therebetween, an output circuit, and a zero-cross-detecting circuit. While measuring a driving cycle from a start of an energized period, during which the output circuit supplies the first- or the second-driving current to the driving coil, to a time when the zero-cross-detecting circuit detects a zero cross of an induced voltage, generated across the driving coil, during the de-energized period, the driving-signal-generating circuit determines a length of a subsequent energized period based on the measured driving cycle, when the zero-cross-detecting circuit detects the zero-cross, and the driving-signal-generating circuit determines a length of an immediately previous energized period as a length of a subsequent energized period, when the zero-cross-detecting circuit does not detect the zero-cross.

The present invention relates to a drive apparatus and drive method for switching an energization mode when a voltage of a non-energized phase of a brushless motor crosses a threshold. In threshold learning, first, the brushless motor is stopped at an initial position. The brushless motor is then rotated by performing phase energization based on the energization mode from the stopped state. The voltage of the non-energized phase at an angular position of switching the energization mode is detected from a maximum value or a minimum value of the voltage of the non-energized phase during the rotation, and the threshold is learned based on the detected voltage. Alternatively, the brushless motor is positioned at the angular position of switching the energization mode by maintaining one energization mode, and then the energization mode is switched to the next energization mode. The voltage of the non-energized phase immediately after the switching to the energization mode is detected, and the detected voltage of the non-energized phase is learned as the threshold used to determine the timing of switching to the next energization mode.

In order to process a motor signal (Ia, Um) of a DC motor (4), in particular of an adjustment drive of a motor vehicle, the armature current (Ia) and the motor voltage (Um) of the DC motor (4) are detected and used for determining the back-emf (E) of the DC motor (4), wherein the determined back-emf (E) is used to generate a useful signal (Sf, SEFL), which is in particular speed-proportional, from the armature current signal (Ia) for position sensing or for evaluating an excess force limitation.

Embodiments of the present method and system permit an effective method for determining the optimum selection of pulse width modulation polarity and type including determining machine parameters, inputting the machine parameters into a predicted duty cycle module, determining the optimum polarity of the pulse width modulation for a predicted duty cycle based on a pulse width modulation generation algorithm, and determining the optimum type of the pulse width modulation for a predicted duty cycle based on the pulse width modulation generation algorithm.

Assemblies for HVAC systems and methods of operating HVAC systems are disclosed, including a method of operating an HVAC system having a compressor assembly and a condenser assembly. The compressor assembly includes a compressor having a compressor motor that is susceptible to backspinning and capable of generating electric power when backspinning. The condenser assembly includes a condenser motor operatively coupled to a fan. The condenser assembly is electrically coupled to the compressor assembly. The method includes using the condenser motor as an electric load to dissipate electric power generated by the compressor motor when the compressor motor backspins.

The invention relates to a method for detecting blocking or sluggishness (M1, M3) of a DC motor (2). The method comprises the following steps: applying a voltage pulse (Uv,t=Os) to the DC motor (2); monitoring a motor current (IMotor) flowing through the DC motor (2); detecting a maximum value of the motor current (IMotor) following the application of the voltage pulse; checking whether a change in the motor current (IMotor) after reaching the maximum value exceeds a specific amount; signalling the blocking or the sluggishness (M1, M3) of the DC motor (2) if the change in the motor current (IMotor) after reaching the maximum value exceeds the specific amount.

A substrate processing system and substrate transferring method capable of transferring a substrate bi-directionally through the use of substrate transferring device provided between two rows of processing chambers arranged linearly, thereby improving the substrate-transferring efficiency, the substrate processing system includes a transfer chamber having at least one bi-directional substrate transferring device for bi-directionally transferring a substrate; and a plurality of processing chambers for applying a semiconductor-manufacturing process to the substrate, wherein the plurality of processing chambers are linearly arranged along two rows confronting each other, and the transfer chamber is interposed between the two rows of the processing chambers, wherein the bi-directional substrate transferring device have a moving unit inside the transfer chamber, and horizontally moved by a linear motor; and a bi-directional substrate transferring unit in the moving unit, the bi-directional substrate transferring unit transferring the substrate to the processing chamber through a bi-directional sliding movement.

Methods and apparatus for transferring one or more substrates from a first pressure environment to a second pressure environment is provided. In one embodiment, a load lock chamber is provided. The load lock chamber comprises a first circular housing, and a second circular housing disposed within and movable relative to the first circular housing, one of the first circular housing or the second circular housing comprising a plurality of discrete regions, wherein at least a portion of the plurality of discrete regions are in selective fluid communication with one of at least two vacuum pumps based on the angular position of the second circular housing relative to the first circular housing.