An electronic cartridge which has a fastener that can attach the cartridge to a motherboard. The fastener is captured by a cover that also captures a substrate. The substrate may be coupled to a connector that is mounted to the motherboard. The fastener may be attached to a retention mechanism that is also mounted to the motherboard. The fastener may have a threaded portion that is screwed into a corresponding threaded aperture of the retention mechanism. The fastener and retention mechanism provide a rugged attachment of the cartridge to the motherboard. The cover and retention mechanism may be constructed from an electrically conductive material which provides a shield to electro-magnetic interference (EMI).

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a retention mechanism for an electronic assembly.
2. Background Information
Integrated circuits are typically assembled into packages that are mounted to a printed circuit board. The printed circuit board may have a plurality of contact pads which plug into a mating connector. The mating connector may be mounted to a motherboard of a computer system. The contact pads must be aligned with corresponding contacts of the connector to properly connect the printed circuit board with the motherboard. Plugging the circuit board into the motherboard connector is typically a manual process which requires a certain level of skill to align the pads and contacts of the connector.
Some computer systems contain mechanical guide rails which receive the edges of the printed circuit board and align the pads with the contacts when the board is being plugged into the connector. The circuit board must be plugged into the connector in the correct orientation to properly operate within a computer system. It is therefore desirable to provide a keying feature which will insure that the circuit board is always plugged into the motherboard connector in the proper orientation.
Computer systems are sometimes exposed to shock and vibration loads. The shock and vibration loads create stresses in the printed circuit board and the motherboard connector. The guide rails are typically mounted to a metal frame of a computer which provides structural support for the circuit board and the connector. Some computer systems incorporate mechanical latches to secure the printed circuit board to the motherboard. The latches typically cooperate with the guide rail or other feature of the computer chassis.
The dimensional tolerances of the assembly must be kept within certain limits to insure that the latches are properly aligned and operable. Restrictive tolerances can increase the cost of producing the assembly. Additionally, the latches may increase the overall height of the assembly. It would be desirable to provide a retention mechanism which can secure a printed circuit board assembly to a motherboard while minimizing the height of the assembly and not requiring undesirable tolerances for the assembly components.
The integrated circuit within the package may be a microprocessor which contains millions of transistors that switch states at a very high frequency. The high speed processors may emit electro-magnetic interference (EMI) which may produce electrical noise within the computer system. It would be desirable to provide an electrical assembly that reduces the amount of EMI that is transmitted from an integrated circuit.

Retention mechanism assembly for processor cartridges with captured screw fasteners


The rotary connector is intended for use in the field of fiber optic communication and information transfer. The rotary optical cable connector includes a housing, in which two units with guide sleeves are arranged opposite one another, each having the ends of optical cables fastened therein. One of the units is able to rotate, and the other is fixed. A prism is situated between the guide sleeves, and retainers in the form of rods with a cruciform cross-section are secured in the sleeves. The optical cables are disposed in the recesses in the aforesaid retainers and the ends of the cables line up with gradient-index lenses. The rotary connector transmits four rotating light beams with minimal loss.

1. Field of the Invention
The rotary connector is intended for use in the communications field for the purpose of transmitting information over fiber-optic cables.
2. Description of Related Art Including Information Disclosed Under 37 CFR 1.97 and 37 CFR 1.98
A connector for optic cables is known (RU Patent No. 2402794, publ. 27 Oct. 2010) that comprises a housing where two assemblies are arranged oppositely, each having ends of optical cables fixed therein, one of the assemblies is rotatable, and the other assembly is fixed rigidly, the housing comprises a ferrule, and the housing is made as a sleeve, the rotatable assembly is arranged on one end of the housing and consists of a shaft with a stepped axial opening in which an optical cable, bearings and a spacing sleeve are arranged, the rigidly fixed assembly is installed on the other end of the housing and consists of a sleeve with a cable fixed therein, the sleeve being aligned with a ferrule provided with a lateral cutout in which cleared ends of cables are arranged, and the ferrule itself is filled with a silicon gel. The lateral cutout in the ferrule is covered with a boot.
A disadvantage of this connector is its limited field of application—only for connecting two optical cables.
A rotatable connector for optical cables is known that is made of two interconnected parts within which a hollow shaft is arranged that has spring-loaded ferrules positioned therein, an optical cable being arranged in each of the ferrules (U.S. Pat. No. 5,633,963, publ. 27 May 1997). This connector may not be used for connecting several optical fibers and, moreover, exhibits losses of light flux.

Federal State Budgetary Institution <<Federal Agency for Legal Protection of Military, Special and Dual Use Intellectual Activity Results>> (FSBI <<FALPIAR>>)


An automatic video enhancement system and method for automatically enhancing video. The automated video enhancement method uses frame-to-frame motion estimation as the basis of the video enhancement. Motion estimation includes the computation of global motion (such as camera motion) and the computation of local motion (such as pixel motion). The automated video enhancement method includes generating global alignment transforms, generating optic flow vectors, and using these global alignment transforms and optic flow vectors to enhance the video. The invention also includes video processing and enhancement techniques that use the frame-to-frame motion estimation. These techniques include a deinterlace process, a denoise process, and a warp stabilization process that performs both damped and locked stabilization.

Video cameras (or camcorders) are devices that are popular with amateur videographers for home use. Video cameras may be a digital camera, which stores a digital video on a memory device, or an analog video camera, which stores video footage on magnetic videotape. Video footage captured by an analog video camera may be converted to digital video using well-known techniques. Digital videos may be processed using software running on a computing devices (such as personal computers) to edit and manipulate the data captured by video cameras.
As avid movie and television watchers, most people are accustomed to viewing professionally produced movies and video. However, our home videos are often a dramatic departure from this. Home videos are overwhelmingly shot by amateur videographers who generally have little training in shooting video. Consequently, these amateurs frequently make poor decisions about what and how to shoot video. The result is video footage that is difficult to watch because it contains aesthetic defects such as shaky footage, noise, color imperfections, and so forth.
Editing software is available that is capable improving some of the defects in the home video footage. However, current video editing software for amateur use is modeled after professional editing systems. This tends to make the software difficult for the average consumer to use. Accordingly, there exists a need for a video processing system and method that is easy for the average consumer to user and effectively and efficiently corrects common defects is amateur or home video footage.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Video processing system and method for automatic enhancement of digital video


An output adjustment ECU includes: a request reception section for receiving an output request of alarm information to a driver from a drive assist ECU; a usefulness determination section for, when the request reception section receives the output request, determining whether or not outputting first alarm information that is the alarm information of which the output request is received is useful for the driver; a content modification section for, when the usefulness determination section determines that the outputting is not useful, modifying a content of the first alarm information to generate second alarm information that is alarm information useful for the driver; and an output execution section for outputting the first alarm information when the usefulness determination section determines that the outputting is useful, and outputting the second alarm information when the usefulness determination section determines that the outputting is not useful. In this manner, appropriate alarm information is outputted.

In order to improve driver's safety, driver's convenience, and the like, informing a driver of drive assist information such as information on a traveling state of a vehicle, such as information on an obstacle present in front such as a vehicle, whether or not a vehicle speed is appropriate, and whether or not there is the possibility that a deviation from a lane will occur, via a voice, an image, or the like, is proposed. This allows the driver to be caused to take an avoidance action from a risky event such as collision. However, drive assist information that should be informed to the driver is wide-ranging information, and thus there is the possibility that a situation will occur where a plurality of items of drive assist information are simultaneously informed to the driver and it is difficult for the driver to identify them.
Various methods, apparatuses, and the like, for solving the above problem, are disclosed (e.g., see Patent Literature 1). In a drive assist information providing method described in Patent Literature 1, drive assist information is classified on the basis of urgency, and in the same class, an event having a shortest predicted time before an alarm target event occurs is preferentially provided to a driver. According to the method, information having highest urgency can preferentially be provided to the driver. Thus, also in a situation where a plurality of items of drive assist information should simultaneously be provided, the most important information is provided, whereby drive assist information is allowed to be provided in such a manner that it is easy for the driver to identify the drive assist information.
[PTL 1] Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 2004-246631


The present invention provides methods for configuring network addresses on multiple machines, such that each machine obtains its own unique network address and other network parameters. These parameters may include network mask, default gateway and DNS servers, etc. The invention further provides apparatus, a computer product and an article of manufacture comprising a computer usable medium having computer readable program code means embodied therein for causing a computer process to be capable of participating in the network configuration and address assignment process. In an example embodiment multiple unconfigured servers are attached to a network together with one or more configured servers. The process is started by one of the configured servers which triggers the unconfigured machines to participate in a distributed protocol whereby the unconfigured servers mutually agree on unique network addresses for themselves.

This invention is directed to the field of computer networks and in particular to that of computer servers and network address configuration.
As more servers are being deployed in Internet and intranet environments there is a strong desire to reduce the time it takes to configure a server (also referred to as a network computer) for network access. Servers can be brought online manually by an administrator sitting at the terminal of a server. However, this requires that each server be configured one at a time. In addition, with the increase of the number of Internet Server Providers (ISPs) and Application Service Providers (ASPs), the increase of the number of servers at each ISP/ASP, as well as the number of network interface cards within one server, manual configuration may not be feasible. The space required to house these servers is also an operating cost for the ISP/ASP market and as a result servers are being used that do not have a monitor, a keyboard or a mouse attached. These are referred to being headless servers. Because these headless servers can not be configured locally due to the absence of a local terminal there must be a method to configure these machines remotely. In order for a non-configured machine to be able to participate in a remote configuration mechanism the server must have basic network connectivity which provides the ability to send and receive broadcast packets over the network.
The Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol RFC1541 (DHCP) allows a non-configured machine to become network configured through the use of a specified DHCP server. When a non-configured server is brought online it is able to communicate with the DHCP server via broadcast packets in order that the non-configured server can learn what its network attributes are. These attributes include things such as unique network address, default gateway and what DNS servers to use. DHCP is typically used when network addresses are scarce and they must be shared among multiple servers. A typical scenario is at a corporation with employees that travel frequently. On any given day only a small percentage of the employees will be in the office. If there is a shortage of network addresses, then as each employee comes into the office that employee obtains a network address for that day. When the employee leaves the office the network address is returned to the address pool for someone else to use. DHCP requires the use of a DHCP server in order to keep track of what network addresses have been assigned and for how long they have been assigned.
Like DHCP, the Bootstrap Protocol RFC951 (BOOTP), allows a server to obtain its network address, network mask, default gateway and domain name servers. The Reverse Address Resolution Protocol RFC903 (RARP) is typically used for diskless machines that need to network configure themselves when they are turned on. Diskless machines forget their network address once they are powered off. RARP works by broadcasting a request for its network address. Another machine on the network will reply to the broadcast request by sending a unicast packet to the requester which contains the network address for the requester. A problem with RARP is that the only thing sent to the requester is its network address. Also, RARP requires one or more server hosts to maintain a database of mappings from hardware address to network address and respond to requests from client hosts. RARP also requires that the RARP server maintain large databases of hardware to network address mappings. In the case of an internet protocol (IP) based network, this would correspond to a hardware address (MAC) to IP address map.
All these solutions require that a main server be present in order to handle the requests of new servers being brought online. In the event that this main server fails, it may not be easy to bring a backup server online. This represents a single point of failure. These methods require that a server that has not been network configured contact a server that is responsible for giving out network addresses. This can lead to a bottleneck point in the network.
This places a large burden on the administrator of the network to ensure that each type of address server responds with the correct information. In addition, these methods are triggered by a new server coming online once powered up. There may be cases when one wants a server to be powered on but not to attach itself to the network until a specified later time. With these methods the server decides when the network address assignment process is to take place. Also, these methods are geared towards the temporary assignment of network addresses. For purposes of the present invention, an event occurs simultaneously if that event is triggered by a single common trigger.
It is therefore an aspect of the present invention to provide methods for configuring network addresses on multiple machines, such that each machine obtains its own unique network address and other network parameters. These parameters may include network mask, default gateway and DNS servers, etc.
It is a further aspect of the invention to provide apparatus, a computer product and an article of manufacture comprising a computer usable medium having computer readable program code means embodied therein for causing a computer process to be capable of participating in the network address assignment process.
In an example embodiment of the present invention, multiple unconfigured servers are attached to a network together with one or more configured servers.
A process is started by one of the configured servers which triggers the unconfigured machines to participate in a distributed protocol whereby the unconfigured servers mutually agree on unique network addresses for themselves.

Simultaneous network configuration of multiple headless machines

International Business Machines Corporation


A method for inspecting a nuclear reactor part includes placing an optical sensor (38) in front of the part to be inspected using a carrier (40); acquiring at least a first image of at least a reference portion of the part using the optical sensor (38), the or each first image being taken with a first magnification; reconstituting a three-dimensional model of said reference portion of the part using the or each first acquired image; calculating the position of an area to be inspected relative to the optical sensor (38) using the three-dimensional model; acquiring at least a second image of the area to be inspected using the optical sensor (38), the or each second image of the area to be inspected being taken with a second magnification higher than the first magnification.

During certain maintenance operations of the nuclear reactor, it is requested to visually inspect specific areas of parts located near the inside of the pressurized vessel of the nuclear reactor.
These parts are for example the vessel bottom entries, or elements of the devices for keeping bottom internal equipment in position.
To that end, it is possible to use a carrier that keeps a camera in position facing the part to be inspected.
The control command device of the carrier allows placement of the camera with an error on the position that is frequently of several centimeters. To be able to inspect a precise location of the part, it is necessary to recalibrate the position of the camera. To that end, a corner of the part is for example used, when said part has one. The position of the camera is successively adjusted with respect to each of the three surfaces coming together on the corner.

Method and device for inspecting a nuclear reactor part


Techniques for managing applications associated with a mobile device are provided. The techniques disclosed herein include techniques for obtaining an image of an object in the view of a camera associated with a mobile device, identifying the object in the image based on attributes of the object extracted from the image, and determining whether one or more applications are associated with the object. If there are one or more applications associated with the real-world object, an application associated with the object can be automatically launched on the mobile device. The association between a real-world object and an application may be identified by a visual indicator, such as an icon, symbol, or other markings on the object that indicates that the object is associated with one or more applications.

Technological advances in mobile devices, such as mobile phones, tablet computers, personal digital assistants, and other such devices, have provided these devices with increased processor power, improved display quality, and the ability to download and run applications. Many mobile devices include cameras that can capture still images, video, or both. Many of the devices are capable of communicating on broadband networks to share content with other devices and to receive multimedia content from the Internet.


An SRAM structure and method which includes a semiconductor on insulator (SOI) substrate which includes a semiconductor substrate, an insulating layer and a semiconductor on insulator (SOI) layer. The SOI layer has a first thickness. The SRAM structure further includes a FinFET transistor formed on the SOI substrate including a first defined portion of the SOI layer of the first thickness forming an active layer of the FinFET transistor and a gate dielectric on the first defined portion of the SOI layer and a planar transistor formed on the SOI substrate including a second defined portion of the SOI layer of a second thickness forming an active layer of the planar transistor and a gate dielectric on the second defined portion of the SOI layer. The first thickness is greater than the second thickness. Also included is a gate electrode on the FinFET transistor and the planar transistor.

The present invention relates to the formation of a hybrid SRAM cell on an SOI substrate and, more particularly, relates to an SRAM cell with both FinFET and planar transistors formed in the SOI layer of the SOI substrate.
A typical SRAM (static random access memory) cell typically includes pull-up, pull-down and pass-gate transistors (semiconductor devices). SRAM cells may require transistors with different width for best performance. Usually pull-down devices are wider than pull-up and pass-gate devices which complicates the lithography.
FIG. 1 illustrates a conventional SRAM cell 100 which includes a plurality of active areas 102, 104, 106, 108, 110, 112 and a plurality of gate electrodes 114, 116, 118, 120. The area 122 between the active areas 102, 104, 106, 108, 110, 112 is insulator, usually oxide. Where gate electrodes 114, 118 intersect with active areas 102, 110 are formed pull-down transistors 124, 126. Where gate electrodes 114, 116, 118, 120 intersect with active areas 104, 106, 108, 112 are formed pull-up or pass-gate transistors 128, 130, 132, 134 as shown in FIG. 1. The pull-down transistors 124, 126 have an active area 102, 110 with a width larger than active areas 104, 106, 108, 112 for optimum cell performance.

SRAM with hybrid FinFET and planar transistors

International Business Machines Corporation


This invention is about organic powder materials useful as the replacement of mineral or inorganic fillers in composites. The organic powder materials have particle size less than 60 μm and are visually non-differentiable in composites. The gel coat materials with the organic powder have uniform color appearance and have improved color stability when exposed to moisture.

Gel coated composite articles are commonly used in a wide variety of applications. Gel coats provide improved weathering characteristics and surface appearance. In some applications, e.g., countertops and bathroom fixtures, the composite article preferably simulates the appearance of natural materials such as granite, marble or other stone. A number of methods are known to produce the simulated stone appearance.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,504,126 described a simulated mineral article comprises a discrete suspended plastic material and a continuous thermoplastic matrix. The plastic material and the thermoplastic matrix are visually distinguishable from each other and each contains a coupling agent. The patent also provides a method of preparing a simulated mineral article which entails preparing a liquid thermoplastic to serve as a matrix and then suspending a plastic material therein. The plastic material is composed of a thermoset plastic made from resin which comprises an acid component having thermoplastic characteristics.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,476,895 describes a sprayable coating composition that is useful for forming a simulated granite surface having high-impact strength, superior hardness and an aesthetically-pleasing look. The coating composition has a gel coat and granules which include thermoplastic and thermoset plastic components. The gel coat and granules are visually differentiable from each other, substantially immiscible and substantially isopycnic in density. The composition, when combined with a hardener, may be sprayed into a mold and backed with fiber glass, plastic or other suitable resin to form a panel or similar structure, or may be directly applied to a surface to provide a simulated-granite appearance.
Japan patent 02-102156 described a hot press molding resin composition to improve transparency and gloss by hot-pressing a molding composition containing an unsaturated polyester resin, curing agent, cured product powder of an unsaturated polyester resin, specific inorganic filler and mold releasing agent.
Japan patent 06-25539 described colored resin particles for decorated moldings. The colored resin particles were obtained by dissolving the thermoplastic resin, in uncured thermosetting resin. Filler and pigment were then added into the resin solution and the resin solution was cured and crushed into small pieces.

Organic powder useful as the replacement of mineral filler in composites


The present invention relates to a smart mobile cart for nursing and caring that includes a pole assembly, a flexible gooseneck tube arm and a vital sign sensing device. The flexible gooseneck tube arm has two ends, one of which the two ends is connected with the pole assembly and another end is configured with a device connector. A mobile device is attached to the smart mobile cart through the device connector. The vital sign sensing device is placed on the smart mobile cart through a device convenient carrier. The pole assembly, the flexible gooseneck tube arm, and the device convenient connector are configured to have a ground height adjustable above from a ground level, so as to provide the mobile device and the vital sign sensing device at different ground clearances respectively for a user to operate.

In the practice field of conventional medical treatment and health care, measurement data of vital signs or physiological signs such as heartbeat, blood pressure and blood sugar were manually written down by nurses or caregivers in a paper sheet in the early days. The first transcription is done at the moment of on-site measurement, and then copied to the official record sheet after returning to the nursing station. Therefore, for nurses in their precious working time, there is actually a lot of time spending in performing these trivial records by hand. And in practice, due to the lack of normal medical manpower, in order to take care of all care recipients as much as possible while avoiding repeated copying, some nurses will only temporarily transcribe the data on their hands or small notes when they perform first transcription, and then formally copy the data on the record sheet as they return to the nursing station.
This kind of handmade medical transcription to record the medical and nursing data will inevitably lead to various problems and inconveniences. For example, when nurses want to carry out on-site physiological measurement, in addition to carrying, moving, and operating various measuring instruments and apparatuses, they also need to perform paper recording by hand at the same time, which not only makes the content too trivial, but also is prone to incur measurement or recording errors, leading to the on-site physiological measurement unreasonably occupying and consuming the nurses too much time. Therefore, when the nurses are too busy, they may automatically skip and omit someone's on-site physiological measurement, which further causes the problem of data disconnection.
Therefore, medical and nursing institutions have successively built electronic information systems to reduce the burden of nursing staff in information recording through the introduction of information systems. However, even if the system is introduced, the nursing staff must make the first transcription by hand, and then key in the transcribed records into the system after returning to the nursing station. Therefore, the nurses still need to implement the first handmade transcription and the second keying-in. In this way, the system cannot provide substantial improvement for the issues of overall time spending, process trivial, error avoidance, process simplification, etc. Medical staff is still likely to skip on-site physiological measurements, and even medical staff has to spend extra time learning some difficult-to-use systems.
Further, the existing tools can't immediately help the institutions to transfer the physiological measurement data recorded by the current systems, integrate the health care information, and then provide them to their families on a regular basis. Even if it is provided to family members, it is only unilateral professional information provided from the perspective of medical treatment and care, such as text about physiological signs and disease symptoms, data, and professional descriptions, which are often full of professional medical terms. For ordinary family members, it is usually not easy to understand the meaning behind these texts, data, and professional descriptions. In this state of incomplete information, it is difficult for the institution to establish positive communication relationship between the care recipients, the family members and the staff.
In a brief summary, the following shortcomings are common in today's medical and nursing institutions: (1) nursing staff repeatedly performs transcription and recording by hands, which is inefficient; it is estimated that only about 40% of the working time of nurses or caregivers are engaged in direct nursing, 45% of time are dealing with miscellaneous affairs and emergencies, and 15% of them are dealing with handwriting or computer data input; especially when the assessment is coming, staving up late to work overtime often indirectly results in a high turnover rate of nursing staff and lack of nursing manpower; (2) handmade recording is easy to cause problems, resulting in data disconnection and poor record accuracy; (3) it is often too late for the management personnel to know the on-site problems; due to the inefficiency and delay of handmade transcription, the supervisor is unable to grasp the scene immediately, and tracking of long-term assessment indicators is not easy, such that prime time processing is often missed; and (4) lack of care communication; the relationship between the family members and the institution is tense; the communication and interaction between the institution and the family members are little, resulting in weak mutual trust and frequent disputes.
Hence, there is a need to solve the above deficiencies/issues.

Smart mobile cart for nursing and caring


A method of generating a command for a remote vehicle controller by taking in goals and constraints compiled from behavior inputs and action models, and controlling resources by producing low-level actuator commands that realize goals expressed by the behaviors. The method comprises: executing a command based on a kinodynamic fixed depth motion planning (KFDMP) algorithm to plan paths with longer time horizons and to use incremental feedback from evaluators to select a best feasible course of action; and feeding the selected best feasible course of action as servo commands to a drive system or a manipulation system of the remote vehicle controller. The selected best feasible course of action comprises goal-achieving actions within a fixed time horizon of several seconds from the current time each time a course of action is selected.

Current trends in remote vehicle development include providing increased remote vehicle autonomy, which can require significant updates to behavior systems of remote vehicles.
Certain usage patterns of remote vehicle systems have evolved during the creation of complex remote vehicle behaviors. Existing remote vehicle behavior systems, such as the system described in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/100,782, filed Apr. 10, 2008, entitled Robotic Systems, can be based on a tree structure that does not separate the process of searching for actuator commands from the management of the "state machine" logic of the application. This can lead to a pattern of usage where certain "big behaviors" (e.g., a pose behavior or a waypoint behavior) are essentially statically configured as services and the big behaviors are invoked in a completely ad-hoc manner via behavior system events, leading to the possibility of scalability problems that are at least partly due to having a "hidden API". A "big behavior" can be defined as a part of the behavior system that actually participates in the action selection search, while other behaviors can be "managers" that "control" the handful of big behaviors by sending an ad-hoc event "language." Use of such big behaviors prevents clean separation of behavioral logic from implementation of action search processes. In addition, such big behaviors can make behavior writing more complex because the programmer has to deal with action selection search callbacks even if the programmer is really trying to implement application logic. As the behavior system grows, the need to know all of the separate "event languages" and "manager" relationships can make it prohibitively complex to continue to build upon existing behavior networks or reconfigure existing behavior networks dynamically to extend the functionality of a behavior system.
Further, a lack of good support for sequences, state machines, and other core logic as a part of a behavior system can mean that certain complex behaviors (e.g., stair climbing or self-righting) having many separate states and each stage must create its own "state machine logic" internally, resulting in either ad-hoc state machine systems or large and complex "monster behaviors" with very complex behavior-specific configurations. Lack of structure in a behavior system can limit growth of the system and successful extension of applications.


The present invention relates to a method for manufacturing a semiconductor device, comprising: forming a metal interconnect on a substrate; forming a refractory metal layer containing titanium (Ti) or tantalum (Ta) on a surface of the metal interconnect; forming an insulating interlayer so as to cover the refractory metal layer; selectively etching the insulating interlayer with an etchant gas containing an organic fluoride to form a hole, in which the refractory metal layer is exposed; treating an interior of the hole with an organic chemical solution to remove fluorinated compounds of Ti or Ta while leaving fluorocarbons on the surface of the refractory metal layer, the fluorinated compounds of Ti or Ta and the fluorocarbons being created during the etching step and present in the interior of the hole; and performing plasma-treatment for the interior of said hole to remove the fluorocarbon.

1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to a method for manufacturing a semiconductor device. Specifically, the present invention relates to a method for manufacturing a semiconductor device having an interconnect structure, in which a refractory metal layer containing titanium (Ti) or tantalum (Ta) is provided on a metal interconnect when an interconnect layer for mutually coupling elements is formed on an upper portion of the substrate having a semiconductor device formed therein.
2. Related Art
In recent years, in response to increasing of integrations and operating speeds of semiconductor devices, reductions in interconnect resistances and in interconnect capacitances are required. Further, in semiconductor devices having multiple-layered interconnect structures, aluminum, copper or the like is employed for an interconnect material, and in such configuration, a barrier metal layer is generally provided for preventing metal elements from diffusing into an insulating film.
Japanese Laid-Open Publication No. 2004-235,344 discloses a technique for removing fluorocarbon by performing a treatment with an organic chemical solution between a plasma etching process and an ashing process, so as to inhibit an emission of active species of fluorine or fluorocarbon emitted from a resist in the ashing process.
Japanese Laid-Open Publication No. H10-154,694 discloses a method for manufacturing a semiconductor integrated circuit device including a resist-reproduction process, in which a first photo resist for employing a patterning of an aluminum thin film containing at least one of silicon and copper is removed, and then a second photo resist is applied on such aluminum thin film.
Meanwhile, when larger number of half-finished products are present in the practical manufacturing process, a stand-by time between operations may often be increased. In the manufacturing process described in Japanese Laid-Open Publication No. 2004-235,344, some products in some production lots are in a condition of being left for longer duration of time since a treatment with an organic chemical solution after a plasma etching step is finished until the next ashing step is started. In this case, exposed portions of a metal nitride film disposed in the bottom of the via is oxidized by being exposed for a long time with water in an atmospheric air.
In case that the exposed portions of the metal nitride film of the via bottom are oxidized, a resistance of via (via resistance) as being applied by a voltage may possibly increase at the time of filling a via hole with, for example, tungsten to form the via. As a result, a reliability of the obtained semiconductor device may often be reduced.
Conventionally, a certain limitation in time for starting from the treatment with organic chemical solution until ending the ashing step and a certain process control between steps are required for preventing an oxidization in the exposed portion of a metal nitride film of the via bottom, leading to a decrease in the productivity.
On the other hand, it is also considered that an oxide film on a surface of the metal nitride film in the via bottom may be restored to the original state by a reduction process. Nevertheless, the oxide film on the surface of the metal nitride film in the via bottom is in a so-called "rusted" condition, and the level of unevenness in the surface is influenced by: (1) a quantity of water contained in atmospheric air in a manufacturing line; (2) a quantity of electric charge accumulated in an interconnect; (3) quantities of titanium fluorides (hereinafter generally referred to as "TiF") and titanium oxyfluorides (hereinafter generally referred to as "TiOF") in the exposed portions, or the like, and forms of the unevenness are various, and larger level of unevenness may often provide a complete cavity formed therein. It is difficult that oxidized titanium is restored to the original state of titanium (Ti) including a geometry of a titanium layer before being oxidized. More specifically, it is required to prevent an oxidization of the via bottom for providing an improved reliability of the semiconductor device.
The present invention is established on the basis of such technical problems, and an object of the invention is to provide a technique, which is capable of eliminating needs for a certain limitation in time for starting from the treatment with organic chemical solution until ending the ashing step after etching step for forming the via hole and a certain process control between steps, and of preventing an oxidization of a metallic nitride film of the via bottom.

Method for manufacturing semiconductor device


A method of reading out a Hall plate which comprises at least 4 contacts. The method comprises: reading out two of the contacts while biasing two other contacts of the at least 4 contacts thereby obtaining a readout signal; switching biasing and readout contacts according to a random or pseudo-random sequence of phases, each phase corresponding with a different permutation of biasing and readout contacts selected from the at least 4 contacts of the Hall plate wherein the biasing and readout contacts are selected such that the readout signal is a measure for the magnetic field; processing of the readout signal to obtain a readout of the Hall plate representative for the magnetic field.

Hall elements for measuring a magnetic field are very well known, and are used inter alia in current sensors, or in angular position sensors, where a magnetic field (e.g. generated by a permanent magnet) is measured at several locations of the sensor device, and is converted into an angular position, as described for example in WO9854547 (published in 1998).
The present invention is concerned with obtaining accurate measurements of a magnetic field from the Hall plates. One problem with Hall plates is that an offset is measured even in the absence of a magnetic field. Prior art solutions address this problem for example by a technique known as "spinning" or "current spinning".
In the current spinning technique, the function of Hall plate nodes (for biasing and readout) are changed in a systematic and highly repetitive way to separate the offsets from the useful magnetic signal. With these repetitive schemes, current spinning provides a form of "chopping" adapted for use in Hall sensors. Because of transients that occur when changing the spinning phase, the maximum spinning rate fs (defined as the reciprocal of the duration of one spinning phase) is constrained. Consequently, the achievable chopping frequency (i.e. the separation in frequency of the offset from the useful signal) is also constrained. "Chopping" only separates the offsets from the useful signals, and hence in practice the unwanted offset components still have to be suppressed. This is classically done by frequency-selective removal of the offset-related components by means of filtering. In order to avoid that useful input signals are removed, this filtering needs to be done outside the frequency band occupied by the useful signals. Consequently, in practice, the useful bandwidth of the sensor signal is limited by the applied chopping frequency. Therefore, a constraint on the chopping frequency (which itself originates from a constraint on the spinning rate) translates into a constraint on the maximum sensor bandwidth.
The least residual offset is obtained when averaging four distinct phases. Such an averaging reduces the overall sensor bandwidth. When in need of high bandwidth, 4-phase spinning while averaging over only two sequential phases may be considered. However, this leads to a parasitic "half-chop-rate" tone which as the name implies is located at half of the chopping frequency. Also here, any form of filtering used for removing the "half-chop-rate" tone will also eliminate useful signals near the half-chop-rate frequency. The half-chop-rate frequency therefore marks in practice the end of the useful sensor bandwidth. Even when this "half-chop-rate" tone would be tolerated to lie inside the sensor bandwidth, it typically has a significant impact on the dynamic range.
Hall signals are very weak, and require significant amplification (e.g. a gain of 1000). A low noise (instrumentation) amplifier (LNA) may be integrated in the readout device. The LNA ideally has a bandwidth comparable to the sensor bandwidth. LNAs with a near-optimal bandwidth extending up to the chopping frequency and possibly having a high gain are known in the field, e.g. disclosed in US2017/0207761A1. When using such an LNA for Hall readout with 4-phase spinning, the above described half-chop-rate tone falls halfway of the LNA bandwidth. Since the realized gain of the LNA may be large (e.g. 1000), the half-chop-rate tone may need to be removed, or at least significantly suppressed. It is not obvious how to do this, especially when there may be an unknown input signal at the very same frequency as the half-chop-rate tone.
One approach to avoid the above problems is to apply only two-phase spinning. This however results in a larger residual offset, in magnitude comparable to the half-rate tone amplitude. So, a very similar parasitic signal is present, only at DC instead of at the half-rate frequency. As a result, similar problems arise w.r.t. the dynamic range when amplifying the signals. Furthermore, it is not clear if the larger residual offset (now at DC) can be calibrated effectively in an "on-line" way, that is in the presence of unknown external magnetic fields.
There is therefore room for improvement in methods and readout devices for reading out Hall plates.


A molding compound for use in encapsulating electronic packages which include an optoelectronic component, such as an LED or optical sensor. The molding compound includes a partially-cured epoxy composition, a linear polyol, a dye that absorbs in the region of above 700 nm to about 1200 nm and substantially transmits light from about 400 nm to about 700 nm, and an optional antioxidant material substantially uniformly distributed throughout the epoxy composition. The dye can be dissolved within the epoxy composition by heating a portion of the epoxy composition prior to B-staging of the molding compound. The cured epoxy composition has at least 40% transmittance at 600 nm, less than 10% transmittance at 900 nm, less than 10% transmittance at 1100 nm.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to epoxy molding compositions. More particularly, the present invention relates to epoxy molding compositions which are particularly useful as encapsulants for light sensing devices.
2. Brief Description of Related Technology
Epoxy resin compositions are widely used for electronic packaging materials in the electronics industry and, in particular, as encapsulants for semiconductor elements and electronic circuits. Accordingly, epoxy resin-based compositions have been widely used in the formation of molding compositions for use as electronic packaging materials. Transparent epoxy molding compositions are well known for use as encapsulants in connection with light-emitting diodes (LEDs) for use in lighting applications in the electronics industry.
As a particular example, silicon-based devices are typically sensitive to light with wavelengths up to about 1200 nm. If the infrared (IR) light is permitted to enter the sensor, the sensor responds to the infrared light and generates a spurious signal.
Optical sensors that transmit visible light are commonly used in electronic applications, but can be susceptible to transmission of infrared light. Accordingly, visible light or optical sensors can use an infrared blocking element to prevent infrared radiation from entering the light sensor. Liquid crystal color filters may be used. These filters are electronically switchable because they include an electronically controllable liquid crystal element. By electronically controlling the polarization of the liquid crystal element, the light that is transmitted through the filter may be controlled. In this manner, a given wavelength band may be transmitted through a given filter. In effect, the liquid crystal color filter may be tuned to a particular color. The liquid crystal color filters may be tuned to a pair of colors and, through color combination, may produce a third color. Thus, a liquid crystal color filter may form a switchable shutter which can controllably produce red, green and blue primary color bands or complementary color bands such as cyan, magenta and yellow.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,208,393 to Bawolek et al. discloses a liquid crystal color filter that includes an infrared blocking dye integrated within the filter to prevent infrared radiation from adversely affecting the performance of the filter when used in an imaging system. The dye may be incorporated into a liquid crystal element in the filter or may be coated on components of the filter. Suitable dyes are transmissive of light in the visible range and substantially absorbent of light in the infrared range from approximately 800 nm to 1200 nm in wavelength.
EP 1 152 035 discloses a preform for a polyester resin composition blow molded product that includes a polyester resin and an infrared absorbing colorant, which is at least one colorant selected from a phthalocyanine infrared absorbing colorant and a naphthalocyanine infrared absorbing colorant, which has an infrared maximum absorption peak in the region of 700 nm to 2000 nm.
In some cases, dyes are included in polycarbonate filtering lenses, which are attached to visible light or optical sensors using clear epoxy compositions, to act as an infrared blocking element to prevent infrared radiation from entering the light sensor. Such two-part lens-epoxy systems are undesirable as they require additional steps during manufacture and are generally more expensive than using epoxy compositions alone.
Additionally, the heretofore known filters can be an expensive, in some applications an overly bulky, and in other cases provide an insufficient, solution to the problem of filtering infrared radiation.
Therefore, it would be desirable to provide encapsulant materials that are capable of transmitting visible light while blocking infrared light to act as filters for optoelectronic devices such as visible light or optical sensors.

Optoelectronic molding compound that transmits visible light and blocks infrared light


An integrated circuit package system that includes: a support structure including an electrical contact; a solder mask over the support structure, the solder mask including a solder mask flange, the solder mask flange directly on a support structure first surface; an integrated circuit over the support structure; and encapsulant over the integrated circuit and in contact with the solder mask flange. A mold system that includes a first mold having a projection along a first mold bottom surface, the projection between a first cavity and a recess.

Integrated circuits are what power many of today's consumer electronics. Integrated circuits can be found in cell phones, video cameras, portable music players, computers, and even automobiles. As customer demand improves integrated circuit (IC) performance, faster, more reliable, and higher-density circuits need to be produced. Various techniques, such as, stacked die packages and multi-chip modules (MCM), have been developed to meet the continued demands for improving system performance. Commonly, these package structures are formed with a top mold side for device protection and a bottom solder ball side for electrical interconnection.
As demand continues towards a higher density of integrated circuits within a package, vertical integration requires that these protective mold configurations and electrical solder ball pad sites sometimes be formed on the same side. A common example of such a configuration is the board-on-chip design. The board-on-chip design commonly employs a protective mold configuration adjacent an electrical solder ball pad pattern.
Frequently, these packages have a very short mold to solder ball pad clearance. Consequently, the solder ball pad sites adjacent the mold are commonly invaded by mold flash. Unfortunately, mold flash can obscure the solder ball pad site, which can lead to poor of failed electrical interconnections. These electrical interconnect inconsistencies can cause unacceptable package yields and unacceptable device failures upon integration into consumer products. Needless to say, such inconsistencies can also increase production costs.
Thus, a need still remains for a reliable integrated circuit package system and method of fabrication, wherein the integrated circuit package system does not suffer from mold flash that obscures adjacent electrical patterns. In view of the ever-increasing commercial competitive pressures, increasing consumer expectations, and diminishing opportunities for meaningful product differentiation in the marketplace, it is increasingly critical that answers be found to these problems. Moreover, the ever-increasing need to save costs, improve efficiencies, and meet such competitive pressures adds even greater urgency to the critical necessity that answers be found to these problems.
Solutions to these problems have been long sought but prior developments have not taught or suggested any solutions and, thus, solutions to these problems have long eluded those skilled in the art.

Integrated circuit package system employing mold flash prevention technology


An electric vehicle drive control device includes a first electric motor; a second electric motor; a differential device that includes first, second, and third rotational elements, wherein the first rotational element is connected to the first electric motor, the second rotational element is connected to the second electric motor via a transmission shaft, and the third rotational element is connected to an engine; a transmission that shifts a speed of a rotation transferred from the transmission shaft; and a controller that: calculates an inertia compensating torque that compensates for a change in a rotation speed caused by inertia while the transmission performs shifting; and corrects a target torque for the first electric motor in accordance with the inertia compensating torque.

The present invention relates to an electric vehicle drive control device and a control method therefor.
There exists a vehicle driving apparatus that is installed in an electric vehicle such as a hybrid vehicle. In the vehicle driving apparatus, a planetary gear unit with a sun gear, a ring gear, and a carrier transfers a part of the engine torque to a generator and transfers the rest of the engine torque to driven wheels. The carrier is connected to the engine, and the ring gear and a motor are connected to the driven wheels via a transmission. Also, the sun gear is connected to the generator. Accordingly, the rotation output from the ring gear and the motor is transferred to the driven wheels so that a driving force is generated.
During a running of the hybrid vehicle, while the engine is driven and an engine torque is generated such that the engine torque is transferred to the driven wheels via the transmission, if an engine rotation speed changes before and after shifting is performed by the transmission, a shift shock will occur. To cope with this problem, a generator rotation speed is controlled such that the change in the engine rotation speed is suppressed before and after shifting (for example, Japanese Patent Application Publication No. JP-A-2005-61498).

Electric vehicle drive control device and control method therefor


A non-volatile memory (1) which comprises an insulating substrate (11) having a plurality of first electrodes (15) extending therethrough from a front surface of the substrate to a rear surface thereof, a second electrode (12) formed on one surface side of the substrate (11), and a recording layer (14) held between the first electrodes (15) and the second electrode (12) and variable in resistance value by electric pulses applied across the first electrodes (15) and the second electrode (12), the plurality of first electrodes (15) being electrically connected to the recording layer (14) in a region constituting a single memory cell (MC). The non-volatile memory (1) can be reduced in power consumption and has great freedom of design and high reliability.

Already known as non-volatile memories are flash memories, FeRAMs, MRAMs, phase-change memories. U.S. Pat. No. 6,172,902, for example, discloses an MRAM incorporated in a membrane, and U.S. Pat. No. 5,166,758 discloses the construction of a phase-change memory.
Since higher densities are required of memories for use in portable information terminals and the like, attention has been directed to phase-change non-volatile memories, and various improvements have been made in such memories [WO97/05665 (Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 1999-510317), WO98/19350 (Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2001-502848), WO99/54128 (Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2002-512439, U.S. Pat. No. 6,339,544, U.S. Pat. No. 5,536,947, etc.).
For example, WO98/336446 (Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2001-504279) discloses, as shown in FIG. 11, a phase-change non-volatile memory comprising a lower electrode 51, an upper electrode 52, and a phase-change material layer 53 which is formed therebetween and through which current can be passed via the electrodes 51, 52. The phase-change material layer 53 comprises a chalcogenide material which is reversibly changeable in phase between an amorphous (noncrystalline) state of high resistance and a crystalline state of low resistance. The material is changed to the noncrystalline state or crystalline state by the passage of current to control the resistance value. For example when data is stored (written), the phase-change material layer 53 is changed from the amorphous state to the crystalline state and thereby given a low resistance value, while when data is to be erased, the layer 53 is changed from the crystalline state to the amorphous state and given a high resistance value. Thus the difference in resistance value is read to use the layer as a memory.
In the construction shown in FIG. 11, a joint portion 51a between the lower electrode 51 and the phase-change material layer 53 is shaped in a frustoconical form to thereby provide an improved current density. The joint portion 51a is formed by undercutting a pattern (not shown) formed on the phase-change material layer 53 by photolithography. After the pattern is removed, the layer 53 is formed on the joint portion 51a by photolithography.
WO97/40499 (Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2000-509204) also discloses a structure which is similar to the above and in which a joint portion between a lower electrode and a phase-change material layer is tapered toward the phase-change material layer with a decreasing cross sectional area to give a higher current density at the tapered end.
Giving an increased current density in this way is effective from the viewpoint of achieving savings in the electric power of the memory for writing and erasing data. However, if the contact between the electrode and the phase-change material layer is diminished, there arises the problem that faulty conduction is liable to occur between the electrode and the layer to result in a lower yield. The need to form the phase-change material layer accurately at the position where the joint portion 51a is formed further entails the problem of reducing the freedom of design.

Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.


An image forming apparatus which is capable of reducing a time before an image formation operation is started after toner bottle replacement. When a toner sensor detects that toner is out, and further a door sensor detects that there is a possibility that a toner bottle has been replaced, a toner replenishment rate is calculated from the rotational speed of a motor for rotating the toner bottle, and timing in which image formation is to be resumed is determined based on the toner replenishment rate.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus (electrophotographic apparatus), such as a printer, a copying machine, or a facsimile machine, and more particularly to an image forming apparatus characterized by a motor control technique for driving a toner bottle of the apparatus for rotation.
2. Description of the Related Art
Conventionally, a toner replenishment unit of an image forming apparatus for replenishing toner from a toner bottle is comprised of a motor (toner bottle motor) formed by a brush motor or a brushless motor, and a toner sensor in a sub hopper or a development device replenished with toner. Further, an image forming apparatus has also been proposed which is provided, to detect stoppage of tonner due to toner condensation, with a rotation detection unit for detecting rotation of a toner bottle or a stirring member (see Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No. 2001-356576).
In the image forming apparatus having the above-mentioned arrangement, toner is replenished from the toner bottle by rotating the toner bottle using the motor or rotating the stirring member in the toner bottle.
Further, if a sensor is provided in the toner bottle for detecting presence of toner, this complicates the construction and increases manufacturing costs. Therefore, the toner sensor is provided in the sub hopper or in the development device arranged within the main unit of the image forming apparatus.
Toner replenishment control is performed such that an image formation operation is stopped if it is detected that the toner is out, and after replacement of the toner bottle, the motor is rotated to continue a toner replenishing operation until it is detected by the toner sensor that the toner is present, whereafter the image formation operation is resumed.
Hereafter, a description will be given of the toner replenishment control periodically performed when the power is on and control for toner bottle replacement.
The toner sensor in the above-mentioned sub hopper detects whether or not toner is present, and if it is detected that the toner is present, the image forming apparatus is ready for image formation. If it is detected that the toner is out, the toner replenishment is performed by rotating the toner bottle or the stirring member in the toner bottle by the motor. While performing the toner replenishment, it is detected whether or not the toner is present.
If it continues to be detected that the toner is out in spite of continuing the toner replenishment for a predetermined time period, and further, if a toner sensor in the development device for detecting toner therein detects that the toner is out, the image formation operation is interrupted. Then, a replacement message or the like is displayed on a display section, for notifying the user that the toner in the toner bottle is out.
Thereafter, it is determined whether or not there is a possibility that the toner bottle has been replaced. This is carried out by detecting opening/closing of a door which is opened and closed when the toner bottle is replaced, using an opening/closing sensor. If it is determined that there is a possibility that the toner bottle has been replaced, the toner replenishing operation is started again.
The toner replenishing operation is continued until the toner sensor in the sub hopper detects that the toner is present, and when the toner sensor detects that the toner is present, the image formation operation is started again.
The image forming apparatus is controlled such that the image formation operation is not performed in a state in which the toner is out, by repeating the above-described sequence.
In a recovery operation for the above-described conventional image forming apparatus at the time of detecting that the toner is out, first, immediately after the toner sensor in the development device detects that the toner is out, the image formation operation is interrupted and an indication for toner replacement is displayed on the display section. Then, if a door-opening/closing operation is detected, the toner replenishing operation is started and continued until the toner sensor in the sub hopper detects that the toner is present. When the toner sensor detects that the toner is present, the image formation operation is started.
That is, when the user replaces the toner bottle, the image forming apparatus remains in a state in which the image formation operation is interrupted until the sub hopper is filled with the toner. This brings about a problem that it takes a long recovery time before the image formation operation is started after toner bottle replacement.


A foldable protective liner for a truck cargo bed. All surfaces of the liner which may be subject to significant impact from cargo striking thereagainst have formed thereupon a plurality of protective ridge members. A storage container having similar ridge members formed on outer surfaces thereof may engage with the protective liner in an interfitting and interlocking relationship, to thereby support and affix the storage container in the truck cargo bed. The liner is foldable to a highly compact configuration for efficient storage and shipping. The foldability of the liner further eases its installation and removal from a truck cargo bed.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to truck bed liners, and, more particularly, the present invention is directed to a truck bed liner which is foldable for compact shipping and storage and for ease of installation and/or removal from a truck cargo bed.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Pick-up trucks, long utilized as working vehicles, have, in recent years, become accepted for use as family cars. Pick-up trucks have also, of recent years, gained popularity as sport vehicles. Because of the multiple uses of a pick-up truck, attempts have been made to adapt the same pick-up truck to allow usage as a working vehicle in some instances, and a family car in other instances.
When the pick-up truck is utilized as a working vehicle, the aesthetic appearance of the pick-up truck is of little concern to the user. However, when the same pick-up truck is to be utilized as a family car, or as a sport vehicle, the aesthetic appearance of the pick-up truck is of substantial importance.
Many attempts to adapt the vehicle for dual usage provide some sort of protective layer or liner positioned in the cargo area of the pick-up truck to prevent the cargo area floor and walls from scratches, chips, and dents resulting from haulage of cargo in the truck cargo bed. When so desired, the protective liner may be removed from the cargo bed. Numerous truck liners are known in the art including U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,181,329 to Nix et al., 4,881,768 to Nix, 4,336,963 to Nix et al., 4,162,098 to Richardson III, 4,161,335 to Nix et al., 4,740,027 to Ormiston, 4,341,412 to Wayne, 4,111,481 to Nix et al., 4,592,583 to Dresen et al., 4,245,863 to Carter, 3,814,473 to Lorenzen, Jr. and 4,540,214 to Wagner. Each of the aforementioned patents disclose truck bed liners and/or protective inserts for the truck bed of a pick-up truck.
However, none of the truck bed liners disclosed in the aforesaid U.S. Patents provide adequate impact damage protection to all surfaces of the cargo bed--including the front and side walls of the bed, the floor of the bed, the inner wall of the tailgate, and the front, rear, top, and side walls of the wheel wells protruding upwardly into the bed--from impacts from cargo moving about the cargo bed.
Furthermore, the truck bed liners of the prior art are generally formed of large, bulky shells which, because of their bulk, are expensive to ship and cannot be compactly and efficiently stored by either a warehouse, a retail outlet or a private consumer. Still further, such large bulky shells are generally inflexible and relatively awkward to handle. Consequently, they are oftentimes difficult to install and/or remove from a truck cargo bed.
One disadvantage of a pick-up truck is the lack of storage space in the cab area of the pick-up truck. As a result, portable storage containers are placed in the cargo area of the pick-up truck for allowing the storage therewithin of material. For instance, quite frequently, tool chests are mounted in the cargo area of the pick-up truck to allow the storage therewithin of tools. However, the storage container must be securely attached to the pick-up truck. Otherwise, the storage container may slide about the cargo bed. This oftentimes necessitates the drilling of holes into the sidewalls and/or frontwalls of the truck cargo bed. In the event that a protective liner is also positioned in the truck cargo bed, bores must also be drilled through the truck bed liner to allow the storage container to be securely affixed to the pick-up truck. Such action makes removal of the truck bed liner from the truck cargo area more difficult and burdensome. Portability is a significant feature of many of the aforementioned prior art truck bed liners. Attachment of storage containers to the pick-up truck therefore greatly lessens the usefulness of many of the prior art truck bed liners.
It is therefore an object of the invention to provide a liner for a cargo bed of a pick-up truck which protects all surfaces of the cargo bed from impact damage.
It is a further object of the invention to provide a liner for a cargo bed of a pick-up truck which is foldable for compact shipping and storage.
It is a further object of the invention to provide a liner for a cargo bed of a pick-up truck which is foldable for ease of installation and/or removal from the cargo bed.
It is still a further object liner for a cargo bed of a pick-up truck which allows structures as simple as a length of wood and as sophisticated as a molded storage container to be firmly supported therein, but easily removable therefrom.
Still other objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent in light of the attached drawings and description of the invention presented hereinbelow.


An acoustic ceiling panel for a lay-in or suspended ceiling includes a core portion, and front and rear layers covering front and rear sides, respectively, of the core portion. The air flow resistance of the core portion does not exceed about 100 MKS rayls. The air flow resistance of the front layer lies in the range of about 300 to about 800 MKS rayls. The air flow resistance of the rear layer lies in the range of about 300 to about 1200 MKS rayls. The panel would be supported on a grid suspended below a structural ceiling to form an air space therebetween.

This relates to a lay-in or suspended ceiling structure and to acoustic ceiling panels incorporated in the ceiling structure, the ceiling panels being of the type comprising a core having front and rear layers on its respective front and rear sides.
Lay-in ceiling structures typically comprise a system of panels installed on a metal grid. The grid is positioned to create a plenum, or air space, between the rear side of the panels and a fixed structural ceiling thereabove.
It has been heretofore proposed to provide ceiling panels with desirable acoustic characteristics by applying, to the front and rear sides of a core (or substrate), layers in the form of coatings and/or coverings of material (sometimes called skins) having sound-absorbing properties. Acoustic characteristics of such layer-core layer panels are typically determined by measuring the panel's overall resistance to airflow therethrough in the thickness direction of the panel.
The term "panel" as hereafter used, should be considered to mean a layer-core-layer type panel. As used herein, the expression lay-in or suspended ceiling structure means one in which a plenum or air space is formed between the acoustic panels and the rigid structural ceiling (typically about sixteen inches in height).
It has been generally considered that nearly optimum acoustic absorption (i.e., noise reduction coefficient (NRC) of at least 1.0) can be achieved if the panel is designed such that the overall airflow resistance of the panel in the thickness direction (height) of the panel is in the range of 1000-2000 MKS rayls.
However, room for improvement remains and it would be desirable to provide ways of optimizing preferably the class of ceiling panels comprising front and rear sides and a core, and in which the core does not provide the bulk of the airflow resistance for the entire panel.

Suspended ceiling structure and layer-core-layer acoustic ceiling panel therefor


In a secondary battery charging method, constant current charging is performed until a first predetermined voltage V0 is attained, constant voltage charging is then performed at the first predetermined voltage V0, the first constant voltage charging is completed when a charge current becomes (In−ΔIn) from In, and then n is incremented by one; and constant voltage charging is performed at a voltage Vn=Vn-1+ΔVn, a step of completing the n-th constant voltage charging when the charge current becomes (In−ΔIn) from In is repeated by incrementing n by one, and the N-th constant voltage charging in which a value of the voltage Vn reaches a second predetermined voltage VN (>V0) is completed to terminate the constant voltage charging.

With widespread of portable electronic apparatuses and the like, lithium ion secondary batteries are regarded as important devices as power sources therefor. Further, with widespread of smartphones and wearable instruments in recent years, high safety, high life span, high energy density, and the like are required in the lithium ion secondary batteries. In addition, charging the lithium ion secondary batteries in a short time while degradation in capacity at the time of long-term use (cycle degradation) is suppressed becomes an important problem.
In this regard, as a charging method for a lithium ion secondary battery of the related art, there are used methods such as a constant current and constant voltage method (CC-CV method) in which charging is started at a constant current and charging is performed at the time point of reaching a predetermined voltage while a constant voltage is held; a multi-stage charging method in which charging is started at a constant current and charging is performed by lowering a current value stepwise at the time point of reaching a predetermined voltage; and a stepwise charging method in which charging is started at a constant current, supplying current is stopped at the time point of reaching a predetermined voltage, and then charging is intermittently repeated.
Further, for example, in a charging method disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2011-024412, a lithium ion secondary battery is charged fast using a variable charge-profile.

Secondary battery charging method, charging control apparatus, and secondary battery


A double reflector system is described which comprises two spaced apart primary mirrors oriented toward a common focus. The optical system further comprises two separate secondary deflector mirrors as well as tertiary deflector mirrors for beam concentration on a common focus. The optical system is housed in an elongate casing having coaxial bearing support cylinders at its opposite ends which define an axis of elevation, and the casing is hydrostatically supported in part on a circular tray which is in turn hydrostatically and rotatably supported upon a stationary bed. A support ring is disposed concentrically about the tray, and the support ring includes bushings which receive the bearing cylinders of the casing and thus also support in part the weight of the casing. The support ring and the tray are independently rotatable in a horizontal plane, and the casing is rotatable by a separate drive about the axis of elevation.

The invention relates to a reflector supporting apparatus for an astronomical instrument, and more particularly to an apparatus for supporting an aiming and orienting appliance useful in reflector systems.
A reflector supporting device is known from the publication SPIE, vol. 1236, Advanced Technology Optical Telescopes IV (1990) page 86 et seq. In this apparatus two rotationally symmetrical primary mirrors are arranged, as an astronomical instrument, on a common support member at a predetermined spacing. The reflected rays are brought to a common focus by means of deflector mirrors. Multiple reflector mirrors and a protective casing likewise are located on the support member.
The total mass of the support member, the mirrors and the superstructures rests on two pivot bearings of a rotary table which is movable in the horizontal plane. As the pivot bearings are loaded with the full weight of the system, there is a risk that negative effects will occur on the formation of the image, by reason of the inherent vibration and frequency of the optical and mechanical devices during a tilting movement, and which can be restricted only by costly and technically difficult counter measures. In view of the fact that increasing primary mirror diameters, and the additional auxiliary equipment this involves, result in an enormous increase in mass, it is difficult to provide pivot bearings which can accommodate these masses, while observing the required parameters. Accordingly, the known supporting apparatus is little suited for large telescopes in particular, and also for reflector systems having diameters of more than 8 meters, when used in different manner.
Another supporting apparatus of the described type is described in WO 88/06743 by Huegenell. The support member for a reflector telescope in this case is supported hydrostatically by a large bearing surface in a stationary tray, which is adapted to the spherical shape of the support member, so as to be pivotable about the axis of elevation. At two diametrically opposed ends and coaxial with the axis of elevation, the support member includes circular cylinders which are each arranged for rotation in a bushing. The bushings are located in a ring which is disposed concentrically with the tray and is rotatable about the axis of elevation and which also includes a drive.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a supporting apparatus of the kind specified, and wherein the reflectors and deflector mirrors, as well as evaluating means cooperating with them, and which have especially great diameters and masses, can be supported reliably, with non-vignetted image formation, when used as an astronomical instrument, and which also has an undisturbed radiation path at the receiving end and also in the radiation direction.

Apparatus for supporting an aiming and orienting appliance useful in reflector systems


An information processing apparatus which makes it easier to carry out setting of a wireless interface necessary for enabling a device or apparatus to be used via the wireless interface, using a wire interface. An information processing apparatus carries out first communication setting so as to enable an apparatus or device to be controlled via a wire interface, communicates with the apparatus or device via the wire interface after the first communication setting to carry out second communication setting for enabling communication with the apparatus or device via a wireless interface. This simplifies the communication setting for enabling communication with the apparatus or device via the wireless interface.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an information processing apparatus which is capable of communicating with devices or apparatuses having both a wire interface and a wireless interface, and a control method therefor, and a program for implementing the method.
2. Description of the Related Art
In recent years, devices or apparatuses, such as printers and printer adapters, having a wireless interface have been more and more widely used because networks conventionally constructed using wires or cables can be changed into wireless ones which need no wiring or the like. For example, as devices compliant with the IEEE 802.11b standard for wireless interfaces, there have been proposed wireless LAN access points and wireless LAN routers.
A printer connectible to a wireless LAN, as a device with the above-mentioned wireless interface, needs no wiring or the like, and can be shared by a plurality of PCs. Therefore, even in homes, for example, it is possible to meet the needs of carrying out printing from a plurality of PCs, using a single printer (refer to e.g. Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publications No. H07-013891 and No. 2003-050677).
However, when a wireless LAN is used, differently from the case where a wire LAN is used, it is difficult to make sure whether a printer is properly connected to the LAN. For this reason, for example, in setting up a wireless LAN, there is a fear of the setup operation being carried out and terminated in spite of actual failure in connection.
Further, in the case where printers are shared for use by a plurality of PCs, a method is employed in which the second and subsequent PCs to be connected to the printers search the wireless LAN for the printers, and a desired one of the detected printers is selected by a user. However, when a PC cannot properly find a printer via the wireless LAN, or when a plurality of printers are found, the user often has to carry out a complicated operation, which is liable to cause an erroneous operation. Moreover, in an environment where a plurality of printers of the same type are connected to the wireless LAN, the user has difficulty in finding a desired printer.

Information processing apparatus control method for external device having both a wired interface and a wireless interface settings


A fortified flashing laminate includes an uncured thermosetting polymeric layer having a top surface and a bottom surface. A first layer of vulcanized adhesive tape covers at least a portion of the bottom surface of the polymeric layer, and a second layer of vulcanized adhesive tape covers a portion of the first layer of vulcanized adhesive tape to form a fortified area. The size and positioning of the second layer of vulcanized adhesive tape may be selected to fortify known vulnerable areas of flashing laminates.

The construction industry commonly uses single ply membranes to provide a waterproof barrier on flat or low-slope roofs. It is prohibitively expensive and difficult to produce and transport a single membrane that is sized to cover an entire roof surface, thus, a plurality of individual membranes are often provided and oriented in an overlapping arrangement. The overlapping portions, or splices, of these individual membranes must be secured together to ensure that the plurality of membranes form a single waterproof surface.
In many cases, flashings are used to seal certain locations of the roofing membranes where the membranes meet, such as corners or walls. One type of flashing used is referred to as a tape flashing, which is a laminate and includes a polymeric layer of thermosetting flashing material (i.e., EPDM) laminated to a layer of vulcanized tape adhesive. The polymeric layer may be provided in an uncured state and then cured by exposure to heat over time after being installed on the roof. The polymeric layer of the flashing laminates are formable when in the uncured state, which facilitates installation of the flashing laminate by allowing it to conform to the underlying surfaces (e.g. corners). However, these uncured flashing laminates are susceptible to punctures, slits, cuts and impact damage, as well as damage caused by building movement and/or wall movement prior to curing of the polymeric layer.
Flashing laminates are often provided in specific sizes and shapes designed for installation at specific locations of the roofing system or edges of the membrane. For example, flashing laminates may include those intended for installation at an outer corner of vertical walls, at the base of curb surfaces, around penetrations through the roofing system, and at a metal flashing, such as a gravel stop, provided at the edge of the roof surface. Certain areas of these flashing laminates are particularly vulnerable to damage while the flashing is in an uncured state. Specifically, the areas where the flashing laminate transitions from a horizontal surface to a vertical surface are particularly vulnerable. In addition, areas at the outer corners of vertical surfaces can also be vulnerable to damage during installation of the flashing tape.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,204,148 discloses an improved laminate cover or patch for sealing an opening in a roofing membrane. The laminate cover includes a top sheet, a lower sheet, and a layer of flowable sealing material. The top sheet includes a weather resistant material, and a complimentary shaped and sized lower sheet of a lightly cured butyl rubber having opposed tacky surfaces. The layer of a flowable sealing material, such as an uncured butyl rubber sealing compound, having a smaller dimension than that of the lower sheet, is trapped between the bottom sheet and a bottom release coated carrier. The layer of flowable sealing material is designed to provide an improved seal over an opening in a roofing membrane, and would not be effective in provided added tensile strength or puncture resistance to the laminate because the sealing material is uncured.
Thus, there is a need for an improved flashing laminate that reduces the risk of damage to the flashing during installation and during the curing period without appreciably affecting the formability of the flashing laminate.