A navigation method, a navigation terminal, and a server is disclosed. The method in the embodiments of the present disclosure includes: obtaining, by a navigation terminal, first navigation information; generating, by the navigation terminal, a first navigation route according to the first navigation information; sending, by the navigation terminal, information about the first navigation route to a server; receiving, by the navigation terminal, second navigation information sent by the server, where the second navigation information includes a real-time route parameter of the first navigation route; and when the real-time route parameter of the first navigation route satisfies a preset condition, effectuating, by the navigation terminal, a navigation window to pop up or automatically adjusting content presented in a navigation window.

A user sometimes performs another operation in a navigation process, for example, listens to music or makes a call. That is, a music window, a communication window, or the like is displayed on a display interface of a navigation terminal. However, people usually expect to know in advance a road condition ahead. In this case, the user usually needs to switch the display interface of the navigation terminal from another window to a navigation window, to obtain road-condition-related information. Usually, window switching is manually performed by the user. However, it is inconvenient to perform a manual operation during the navigation. Therefore, automatic window switching is needed.
A timer may be set in an existing navigation terminal. After the timer expires, the navigation terminal may switch from another window to a navigation window, to obtain road-condition-related information.
However, when the timer is set in the navigation terminal currently, excessively long duration may be set. If road condition information of an emergency situation is generated within the duration, the navigation terminal cannot display the navigation window in a timely manner. Consequently, a user cannot obtain the road-condition-related information in a timely manner.

Navigation method, navigation terminal, and server


Optical fibers are inserted and bonded in a two dimensional array of feedthroughs provided by an insert having a top plate, a bottom plate and a sandwiched spacer plate. Top and bottom plate feature funnel shaped hole sections that capture the approaching fiber end during its insertion. The funnel sections terminate in narrow hole sections that tightly hold the inserted fiber ends. Having top and bottom plate spaced apart provides for high angular precision of the bonded fiber ends with minimal fabrication effort of the insert. Optical fibers may be combined in linear arrays and simultaneously inserted significantly reducing assembly efforts. The insert is attached to a fiber housing and hermetically sealed within an external housing, which features a glass plate to provide beam propagation to and from the fiber ends. An optical gel fills the gap between the insert's output face and the glass plate.

Many fields of technology have benefited from the ability to transmit signals via waveguides such as optical fibers. In particular, optical fibers have enabled the construction of various types of local and long-distance communications networks. The signals propagating through an optical network are typically launched and out-coupled from individual optical fibers through their end facets. For example, in optical network components such as optical fiber switches and optical fiber cross connects, signals are out-coupled from one fiber and in-coupled into another fiber.
In accordance with well-known principles of optics, light emitted from the end facet of a fiber diverges in a cone-shaped pattern determined by the numerical aperture N.A.=n sinθmax of the fiber. In this equation n is the refractive index into which the fiber emits the light and θmax is the half angle of the cone shaped emission pattern.
In most optical networks and/or components it is important to minimize loss when connecting an optical fiber to an optical system. To accomplish this, the diverging light beams emitted by the optical fibers in the array are typically collimated and/or refocused by lenses. To effectively couple the individual fibers of a fiber array with other optical components or systems, the individual fibers and all other optical elements along the emitting and/or received light paths need to be precisely positioned and aligned. Specifically, precise alignment means that 1) light is emitted from each optical fiber at a precisely known position within the array, 2) light is emitted from each optical fiber at substantially the same angle (i.e., the optical fibers are aligned substantially parallel to each other), 3) light is emitted from each optical fiber at substantially the same distance from the collimating and/or refocusing lenses, and 4) each optical fiber has substantially the same numerical aperture.
The prior art teaches aligning optical fibers in an array of V-grooves. Such arrays typically include a small number of optical fibers (e.g., up to about 64) arranged in parallel in a single plane. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 6,027,253 to Ota et al. discloses an optical fiber array including a V-groove substrate having V-grooves on which optical fibers are arranged and a fiber fix substrate for fixing the optical fibers arranged on the V-grooves. Furthermore, V-groove arrays have also been adapted to requirements that fiber arrays be hermetically sealed to prevent ambient air from entering into the package holding the fiber array. A sealed fiber array and method for its manufacture using V-grooves is taught in U.S. Pat. No. 6,215,944 to Ota et al. Additional improvements to V-groove chips for fiber arrays having a wick stop trench to prevent adhesive moving via capillary action along the length of the V-groove are discussed in U.S. Patent Application Publication 2002/0003933 to Sherrer et al.
Other approaches to providing hermetically sealed packages for fibers are also known. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 6,216,939 to Thackara teaches a method for making a hermetically sealed package comprising at least one optical fiber feedthrough. The package has at least one solder perform between a sealing surface of a lid and a sealing surface of a housing. Applying pressure and heat so as to press the fiber or fibers into the solder seals the assembly. More general teaching on how to achieve fiber optic-to-metal connection seals can be found in U.S. Patent No. 5,658,364 to DeVore et al.
Fiber arrays disposed on substrates with V-grooves and lodged between substrates as taught by Thackara are mostly suitable for constructing single-plane arrays. As the number of fibers increases such arrays become unwieldy. Many applications like, for example, in telecommunications are expected to require optical fiber arrays including more than one hundred (and potentially more than one thousand) optical fibers. Unfortunately, single-plane arrays are impractical for such applications. Moreover, efficient coupling of light output by an optical fiber array into another optical system becomes more difficult when aligning very large quantities of optical fibers than when dealing with only a few optical fibers.
Alternative approaches have been proposed in the prior art where high precision optical fiber arrays are more specifically adapted for dealing with larger numbers of fibers and two dimensional fiber arrays. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,907,650 to Sherman et al. teaches a high precision optical fiber array connector and method. In a most notable embodiment, the fibers are arrayed and positioned via openings of two masks spaced by a sandwiched layer. The openings are fabricated by laser cutting. A plurality of optical fibers include fiber ends having substantially truncated conical side surfaces that extend through the openings. When the conical surfaces engage the mask opening walls, a bonding material is applied to the mask forward face and exposed tips. After curing of the bonding material, the forward face is grinded and polished such that the exposed tips are made planar with the bonding material. The invention requires conical shaping of the fiber ends. Etching techniques are described as primary conical shaping techniques. The centering of a single fiber within an opening is accomplished as a line contact between the conically shaped cladding and an opening edge, which may result in damage of the cladding and an eventual loss in alignment precision. Also, all fibers have to be held with a certain force inside the openings to assure contact between the conical cladding and the corresponding opening edge during curing of the bonding material. In cases with a high number of fibers it may be difficult to hold each individual fiber with the required force during the curing process. The conical shape of the fiber ends is required for finding the openings and for centering the fiber ends in the assembly position. Damages of the fiber ends may occur as an eventual result of failed assembly attempts. Therefore, there exists a need for a method and apparatus that provides precise alignment of optical fibers without special treatment and/or fabrication effort of the fiber ends. The present invention addresses this need.
U.S. Patent Application Publication 2001/0051028 to Gutierrez et al. aims at providing a high-density fiber terminator/connector.
The terminator/connector and method of making it comprise using deep reactive ion etching to etch a plurality of holes in a silicon substrate and placing fibers in the holes. The holes can be cylindrical in shape or non-cylindrical. Micro-machined kinematical alignment mechanisms or locators may be provided to position the optical fibers at the centers of the holes. The alignment mechanism includes elastic flaps concentrically placed around the assembled fibers and are intended to snuggly hold the fibers in position. Since the flaps deflect angularly a snuggly contact is questionable. Also, the flexible nature of the alignment mechanism may render it sensitive to bending momentums induced by the fibers themselves. To keep such bending moments to a minimum, pre alignment of the fibers is provided by slim conical hole sections fabricated below the flaps. Unfortunately, such slim conical hole sections result in a relatively small entry diameter making an insertion of the fiber end difficult to accomplish. Therefore, there exists a need for a structure that provides for an independent dimensioning of an insertion cone. The present invention addresses this need.
Although the teachings of Sherman and et al. and Gutierrez et al. address a number of the challenges in the way of a high precision array of optical fibers, their solutions are not sufficiently precise and robust for large arrays of optical fibers. What is needed is an optical fiber array that can accommodate a large number of fibers, achieve hermetic sealing and preserve excellent alignment of the fibers including planarity, parallel alignment, relative position between the fibers as well as absolute position of fibers in the array. Furthermore, it would be highly advantageous if such array would permit tuning of the orientation of the array in the holder.


A technique includes selectively coupling a regulator to storage elements to store voltages in the storage elements. In response to an operation to read data from a multilevel cell, a word line is selectively coupled to the storage elements to generate a time sequence of voltages on the word line.

The invention generally relates to a step voltage generator.
Each cell of a multilevel cell (MLC) memory stores multiple bits of data. The cells may be flash cells, each of which is formed from a floating gate transistor. The floating gate transistor has a variable threshold voltage (called "VT"), the level of which is programmed to one of multiple voltage levels for purposes of storing different values in the flash cell.
For example, the VT threshold may be programmed with four possible voltage levels, and thus, may indicate a two bit data value. The value that is programmed in the flash cell may be "read" by applying voltages to the gate terminal of the flash cell and observing the resulting current. Application of the VT threshold voltage to the gate terminal of the floating transistor produces a predictable current called the VT threshold current through the drain-source path of the transistor when the drain terminal of the transistor is set to a predetermined voltage level. For example, assume a VT threshold voltage called "VT1" is programmed into the transistor and indicative of a particular data value. To determine whether this data value is stored by the flash cell, the VT1 voltage may be applied to the gate terminal, and if the VT1 voltage produces the VT threshold current, then the cell stores the particular data value.
Therefore, several different VT threshold voltages may be presented to the gate terminal of a flash cell for purposes of determining the data value that is stored by the cell. Due to the generation of the multiple, non-zero voltage levels, the circuitry that generates these voltage levels may be complex and consume a relatively large die area.
Thus, there is a continuing need for a circuit to generate multiple VT voltage levels for an MLC memory, which is relatively simple in design and consumes a relatively small die area.


A downhole sensor tool includes a sensor outsert coupled into an exterior pocket of the tool body. The sensor outsert is a pressure vessel with an exterior electrical connector coupled to the interior sensor. The sensor outsert contains a sensor, and is pressure-sealed about the sensor. The outsert includes an electrical connector coupled to the sensor. The electrical connector maintains the pressure seal of the outsert. The electrical connector may be a hermetic connector. The electrical connector can be coupled to an electrical connector or a hermetic connector of the tool body while maintaining the sealing of the pressure vessel.

Successful drilling, completion and production of an earthen wellbore requires that information be gathered about the downhole formation from which hydrocarbons are produced. Measurement systems are lowered into a drilled wellbore to determine wellbore parameters and operating conditions. A portion of the measurement system includes a sensor package for detecting the wellbore parameters and conditions, such as formation properties, tool and borehole direction, drilling fluid properties, dynamic drilling conditions, and others. The sensor package may be lowered on a tool body after the drill string is tripped out of the borehole, such as with a typical wireline operation. Alternatively, the sensors may be housed in a drill collar and adapted for taking measurements while drilling, as in certain applications known as measurement-while-drilling (MWD) or logging-while-drilling (LWD). In addition to the sensor portion, a sensor tool may also include a processor and associated storage medium for retaining the sensed information. With respect to a MWD/LWD tool, a telemetry system is often used to transmit the sensed information uphole. The telemetry system may include a mud pulser, an acoustic telemetry option, or an electromagnetic transmission system.
The sensors and associated electronic and mechanical components are packaged within the tool body. For example, the sensors and detectors may be hardwired within the tool body and accessible via removable hatches. In another arrangement, the sensors are mounted upon a chassis and retained within an outer housing. However, such sensor packages are restricted by limited accessibility, wherein the sensor package components are accessed by disassembly of tool body parts or additional features such as access ports. They are not easily removed and/or replaced.
Specifically with respect to MWD/LWD tools, there are high capital and operating costs, and the tools must be adaptable to varying drill string sizes. Furthermore, the drilling environment is very dynamic with fluctuating pressures and temperatures, making precision measurements by the sensors difficult. Thus, the sensor package must provide robust isolation from the drilling environment, including a good pressure seal between the sensors and the environment exterior of the drill collar.
Sensors have been placed in insert-type packages wherein a housing receives a sensor case and a cover or sleeve is disposed over the housing to retain the sensor cases. These sensor cases are termed "inserts" because they are internal to the tool (within the cover or sleeve) and, if sealed, are dependent on the cover or sleeve or other external pressure case for sealing from the environment exterior of the tool. An insert is not accessible from an exterior of the tool. Some tools provide a pocket on the outside of the tool body and a sensor case that is placed in the pocket. Such a sensor case is accessible from an exterior of the tool, thus it is termed an "outsert." The outsert may be sealed by an external pressure case, such as a hatch that fits into the pocket opening and seals the pocket. However, such external pressure cases are unreliable.
The high capital and operating costs of measurement tools, particularly the MWD/LWD type, require that sensor packages provide easy removability and replaceability of the sensors, flexibility to be used in measurement tools of various sizes, and robust sealing from the downhole environment. Despite the aforementioned advances, the current sensor packages are limited in such a way that this combination of parameters cannot be met.

Downhole sensor tool with a sealed sensor outsert


The present invention relates to a history management pad of a semiconductor test socket, a manufacturing method thereof, and a semiconductor test device including the history management pad. According to the present invention, a history management pad of a semiconductor test socket is provided, the history management pad which is installed on one side of the periphery of a socket frame of a semiconductor test socket composed of a socket body and the socket frame, is characterized by including: an insulating molded film member provided with a plurality of electrode units in the thickness direction; a guide film means which is formed above the molded film member and guides and supports the mounting of a tracking chip to the molded film member; the tracking chip which is conductively connected to an upper end part of the electrode units of the molded film member; and a fixing means for fixing the tracking chip to the guide film means, wherein electrode unit lower end parts protruding from socket frame holes formed at positions corresponding to the electrode units are connected to a pad of a socket printed circuit board.

Generally, a semiconductor package manufacturing process is largely divided into a preprocess, a postprocess and a test process. The preprocess is also referred to as a fabrication (FAB) process, which is a process of forming an integrated circuit on a wafer of a single crystal silicon material. The postprocess is also referred to as an assembly process, which is a process of forming an integrated circuit package (device under test) by dividing the wafer into individual chips, connecting a conductive lead or ball to the chips to make connection of electrical signals to external devices possible, and molding the chips with resin such as epoxy resin to protect the chips from the external environments. The test process is a process of testing whether the integrated circuit package normally operates, and separating good and bad products.
One of core components applied to the test process is a socket. The socket is mounted on a printed circuit board (PCB) electrically connected to a tester for testing an integrated circuit and is in charge of a function of electrically and mechanically connecting the tester and a handler. Here, contact pins of the socket are in charge of a function of electrically connecting a lead of the integrated circuit package and a terminal of the printed circuit board.
The tester creates an electrical signal for testing an integrated circuit package that will be mounted on the socket, outputs the electrical signal to the integrated circuit package, and tests whether the integrated circuit package normally operates using the electrical signal inputted through the integrated circuit package. As a result, the integrated circuit package is determined as a good or bad product.
The handler automatically mounts the integrated circuit package on the socket, withdraws the integrated circuit package from the socket according to a test result of the tester, and disposes the integrated circuit package after determining the package as a bad or good product.
Meanwhile, the price of testers increases recently due to increase of devices under test (DUTs) simultaneously tested for the sake of high speed, high functionality and high productivity of the integrated circuits. To efficiently use the expensive testers, it is very important to select and use an appropriate socket and manage the lifespan of the socket.
If lifespan of a socket is exhausted and performance of the socket is degraded while testing a large quantity of packages, the cases of classifying a semiconductor package of a good quality as a defective one gradually increase, and a very high defective rate is maintained until the defective socket is replaced with a new socket. In addition, as the expensive tester and the handler should be stopped to replace the socket whenever a defective socket is replaced, efficiency of the test is lowered, and as a result, and this may affect the production yield.
To prevent this problem, in the semiconductor industry, gradual increase of the defective rate is prevented by replacing a defective socket with a new socket when a socket reaches a predetermined number of times of using the socket, i.e., a threshold use count, and an appropriate replacement time is managed by grasping the number of good products and bad products, together with the threshold use count. Meanwhile, the replaced socket may be reused through a test after cleansing the socket.
The methods currently used in the semiconductor industry to grasp the threshold use count, the number of good products and the number of bad products as described above will be described below. Although a method of approximately estimating the number of times of using a socket by recording an initial use date on the socket body and grasping the time elapsed from the date is used as a first method, this method may not calculate an accurate data, and it is impossible to grasp all the necessary items such as the number of times of using the socket, the number of good products, the number of bad products and the like. As a second method, there is a method in which the tester or the handler memorizes the data processed by each socket. However, this method may not acquire accurate data as the position of a socket may not be recognized when the position of the socket is changed, and there is a problem in that it is unable to identify the number of times of using a socket reused through a reproduction work such as a cleansing work or the like described above.

History management pad of semiconductor test socket, manufacturing method thereof, and semiconductor test device including history management pad


In a reverse link of a wireless CDMA communication system, a method of maintaining an idling mode connection between a field unit and a base transceiver station is provided using various techniques to maintain the idle mode connection at a reduced power level. A preferred embodiment computes a time slot or frame offset based on modulo function using a field unit identifier in order to distribute field unit maintenance transmissions among available slots or offsets. An alternate embodiment detects explicit signaling states changes at the physical layer and causes power target changes. A further embodiment transmits maintenance data during predetermined time intervals, coordinated between the field units and BTS, allowing power levels to be adjusted accordingly.

In a point to multi-point wireless communication system, a number of radio channels provide a connection between remote (mobile) access or field units and a central location, such as a base station or access point. In a Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA) system, a number of different channels can be transmitted on a single radio frequency carrier by applying different codes to each signal. However, even in a CDMA system, demand for access to channels is so great that the base station must allocate and switch the channels among multiple users.
CDMA type multiple access schemes are generally thought to, in theory, provide the most efficient use of the radio spectrum. CDMA schemes only work well, however, when the power levels and transmit times of individual transmissions are carefully controlled. The original widely deployed CDMA voice wireless systems such as IS 95B use two different types of power control on the uplink in order to ensure that a signal from a given field unit arriving at the base station does not interfere in a disruptive manner with the signals arriving from other field units. In a first process, referred to as open loop power control, a rough estimate of the proper power control level is established by the mobile field unit itself. In particular, after a call is established and as the mobile moves around within a cell, the path loss between the field unit and the base station will continue to change. The mobile continues to monitor the receive power and adjust its transmit power. The mobile measures a power level on the forward link signal as received from the base station and then sets its reverse link power accordingly. Thus, for example, if the receive power level is relatively weak, then the mobile assumes that it is relatively distant from the base station and increases its power level. The converse is true, in that a signal received at a relatively high level indicates that the mobile is relatively close to the base station and therefore should be transmitting with reduced power.
Since the forward and reverse links are on different frequencies, however, open loop power control is inadequate and too slow to compensate for fast Rayleigh fading. In other words, since Rayleigh fading is frequency dependent, open loop power control alone cannot compensate for it completely in CDMA systems. As a result, closed loop power control is also used to compensate for power fluctuations. In the closed loop process, once the remote unit obtains access to a traffic channel and begins to communicate with the base station, the base station continuously monitors the received power level on the reverse link. If the link quality begins deteriorating, the base station sends a command to the mobile via the forward link to increase its power level. If the link quality indicates excess power on the reverse link, the base station commands the mobile unit to power down. This is typically done by having the base station send power control commands to the mobile using a specially encoded message sent on a forward link traffic channel.
Unlike voice traffic, the user of a wireless data service may be switched on, but not actively sending or receiving data. Accordingly, wireless data users may be in an "active" mode (currently allocated a wireless data traffic channel for sending or receiving data), an "idle" mode (operational, but not currently sending or receiving data) or "off" (not communicating at all). An idle user may, for example, have just sent or received a data traffic transmission and is therefore deemed likely to soon request a data traffic channel for further transmissions. A maintenance message may therefore be employed to maintain a user in a synchronized, but idle, state to facilitate allocation of a wireless traffic channel when needed. When a user requests a channel, the idle state allows the user to be allocated a wireless traffic channel more quickly than for a user who was not being maintained in a synchronized idle state. For more information concerning one way to implement a system for quickly switching states, please refer to U.S. Pat. No. 6,222,832, entitled "Fast Acquisition of Traffic Channels for a Highly Variable Data Rate Reverse Link of a CDMA Wireless Communication System@ assigned to Tantivy Communications, Inc., assignee of the present application.
A number of users, therefore, may be maintained in an idle state through a periodic sequence of maintenance messages. In the idle state, the maintenance messages typically provide time tracking and power control. These maintenance messages, however, are typically sent at a similar power level during both the idle and active states so that the base station can be assured of receiving them. Unfortunately, the maintenance messages can increase interference with other active units since they are still transmitting energy.

Maintaining a maintenance channel in a reverse link of a wireless communications system


An apparatus includes a plurality of particles, wherein each particle contains a plurality of magnetizable (for example, ferromagnetic) and ferroelectric materials in fixed physical relationship (for example, physical contact) with one another. A method and apparatus measure magnetic fields arising from or within the plurality of particles.

Conventional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) does not collect information about electrical fields in a sample. However, when a contrast agent (for example, gadolinium-based gadoterate meglumine) is introduced into a sample, THE time-dependent change in local magnetization caused by the presence of the contrast agent can be used to determine which portions of the sample are reached by the contrast agent. Nevertheless, the distribution of contrast agent is unaffected by electric fields.
Nonetheless, many neurologic functions in living tissues are transmitted or otherwise mediated by localized electric fields. However, it is possible to measure electrical currents with special MRI methods, but only for currents in the MICROAMPERE range (see, for example, "Synchronized Detection of Minute Electrical Currents using Lorentz Effect Imaging", by T-K Truong, J. L. Wilbur, and A. W. Song, published in Journal of Magnetic Resonance 2006 1791):85-91) (incorporated by reference in its entirety), which is at least ten times higher than the typical currents produced by small neuronal bundles or single neurons.
Moreover, there are optically-active CONTRAST agents which can be used in laboratory animals to detect neuronal electrical fields, but these are not used in humans or large animals because of the scattering of light from the neuron to detectors mounted on the surface of the head.

Hybrid multiferroic nanoparticles as MRI contrast agent for sensing of electric fields in a human body


A communication system for communicating between a tire/wheel assembly and a body of a vehicle of a construction in which the tire/wheel assembly is supported by the vehicle body, has a i) wheel-side communication device that is mounted to the tire/wheel assembly and rotates together with the tire/wheel assembly, and ii) a body-side communication device that is mounted in a fixed position to the vehicle body. The communication system performs communication between the wheel-side communication device and the body-side communication device according to a predetermined rotational position of the tire/wheel assembly.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention generally relates to a technology for communicating between a tire/wheel assembly and a body of a vehicle. More specifically, the invention relates to a technology for communicating between a wheel-side communication device mounted on a tire/wheel assembly and a body-side communication device mounted on a vehicle body.
2. Description of the Related Art
Systems are known that establish communication between a tire/wheel assembly (hereinafter simply referred to as "wheel") and a body of a vehicle. One such known system performs communication between a wheel and a vehicle body using a wheel-side communication device mounted on a wheel so that it rotates together with the wheel, and a body-side communication device mounted in a fixed position on the vehicle body.
For example, the system disclosed in JP(A) 10-309914 includes transmitting means mounted to a wheel and receiving means mounted to a vehicle body. The transmitting means detects a tire air pressure of the wheel and transmits a signal indicative thereof, while the receiving means receives the signal sent from the transmitting means and obtains the tire air pressure.
This system also includes a wheel speed sensor mounted on the wheel and determining means mounted on the vehicle body. The wheel speed sensor is fixed in a position near a rotating body, which rotates together with the wheel, and detects the wheel speed. The determining means receives a signal from the wheel speed sensor and determines the tire air pressure state of the wheel based on that signal.
The system further includes a signal wire on the vehicle body, which electronically connects the wheel speed sensor and the determining means together. The signal wire in this system functions as an antenna so that the receiving means can receive the signal sent by the transmitting means. This kind of communication system is also disclosed in JP(A) 11-20427.
With these kinds of technology, the wheel-side communication device is typically mounted in a fixed position on the wheel. As a result, the position of the wheel-side communication device changes as the wheel rotates with respect to the body-side communication device. This change in the relative positional relationship between the wheel-side communication device and the body-side communication device affects the state of communication between the communication devices.
Ideally, a good communication state between the wheel-side communication device and the body-side communication device should be maintained, regardless of the rotational position of the wheel, i.e., the wheel-side communication device. In reality, however, the communication state between the communication devices changes as the relative position between the communication devices changes, as described above.
There are several reasons for this change in the communication state. For example, one reason is that the radio wave transmission path between the communication devices deteriorates as the relative position between them changes due to the fact that the antenna of the communication device is a directional antenna. Another reason is that the distance between the two communication devices changes as the relative position between the communication devices changes. Still another reason is that certain elements of the vehicle temporarily come between the communication devices, at which time these elements act as radio wave interfering objects.
When the communication state between the communication devices changes, the receiving voltage of the communication device may drop below the lowest voltage at which reception is possible during one rotation of the wheel, as shown in the graph in FIG. 15 for example. As a result, there may be a region where communication is poor.

Communication system and method for communicating between a tire/wheel assembly and a vehicle body


The present invention is a solenoid-actuated fluid valve of the ball poppet type particularly suitable for use as a fuel injector actuator/timer, for which use the valve must be capable of withstanding high operating speeds and high fluid pressures for a very high cycle life, without substantial internal tolerance variation. According to the invention, the free front end of the solenoid-operated valve actuator pin has a concavity therein which distributes impact loads between the pin and the ball poppet which it engages over an extended line or area contact so as to minimize deformation of the pin and thereby minimize solenoid tolerance variation in the axial direction. Fluid captured between the ball and concavity provides squish-damping as the pin approaches the ball so as to further reduce impact deformation of the pin end. Engagement of the ball in the pin end concavity also tends to hold the ball in axial alignment with its valve seat so as to minimize eccentric wear of the valve seat.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to high speed, high cycle solenoid ball poppet valves, and it relates particularly to such valves having sufficiently close-tolerance durability for use as fuel injector actuators.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Some fuel injectors for internal combustion engines, either diesel or gasoline fueled, are actuated and timed by means of a solenoid ball poppet valve for each injector. For each injection cycle such valve shifts between a solenoid-actuated supply position in which the valve supplies high pressure fluid to an injector piston, and a solenoid-unactuated vent position in which the high pressure supply fluid is blocked and fluid is vented from the injector piston. Typically, such injector actuator solenoid valve will have a pair of ball poppets, one for supply and one for vent, one ball being directly engaged and actuated by the end of a solenoid plunger pin, and the other ball being actuated by a separator pin slideably mounted between the two balls with its opposite ends engageable against the respective balls.
Conventional practice in solenoid-actuated ball poppet valves has been to provide squared-off ends on the solenoid plunger pin and the separator pin. While this is satisfactory for most ball poppet valve usages, it is not satisfactory for the fuel injector use because it involves point contacting between the flat pin ends and the ball poppets, and in the fuel injector use, these point contacts involve high contact stresses which are repeated at high frequency and are applied over a very high cycle life. In the fuel injector use, fluid pressures on the ball poppets range from approximately 600 to approximately 1,500 psig, causing high point contact forces and consequent stresses. The fuel injector cycling rate is up to 120 Hertz or cycles per second, so the point contact stresses between pin ends and balls are repeated at a rate of up to 120 Hertz. For the fuel injector use, the valve must be able to withstand as many as 500 million to a billion cycles, and long before such high cycle life is achieved, such point contact stresses would result in substantial pin end deformation that would interfere with accurate repeatability of valve function during the life of the valve and would ultimately render the valve inoperative for its intended purpose because of close solenoid tolerance to obtain the necessary actuating force.
In addition to this problem of pin end distortion and consequent lack of accurate repeatability and loss of the required close tolerance over a high cycle life, the conventional flat pin ends tend to cause unpredictable eccentric engagement of the ball poppets against their respective valve seats, and this in turn causes two problems. First, the resulting irregularities in ball seating result in a lack of accurate repeatability of valve functioning, and in the fuel injector actuator usage, accurate valve function repeatability is very important. Second, such irregular, eccentric ball seating causes valve seat wear during the high cycle life to which such valves are subjected in the fuel injector usage, which will ultimately result in improper valve operation.


A slave control device receives a communication signal from a master control device, and controls loads according to the received communication signal. A modulator superimposes the communication signal from the master control device on power source lines, and a demodulator demodulates the communication signal superimposed on the power source lines and supplies the demodulated communication signal to the slave control device. The modulator is provided on power source lines on a battery side, and the demodulator is provided on the power source lines on a load side. The modulator superimposes the communication signal on the power source lines which are on a side closer to the loads with respect to the modulator among the power source lines.

Conventionally, the communication system of the PLC method for performing communication via a power source line has been known. As an example of installing this communication system of the PLC method in a vehicle, a communication system shown in FIG. 11 has been known. As shown in this figure, the conventional communication system 100 includes: a CPU 102 that sends a communication signal according to operation of an operation unit 101; a PLC modulator 103 that superimposes the communication signal from the CPU 102 on a power source line L; a PLC demodulator 104 which demodulates the communication signal that is superimposed on the power source line L; and a CPU 106 which controls a load 105 according to the communication signal that is demodulated by the PLC demodulator 104.
In the conventional communication system 100, the PLC modulator 103 and the PLC demodulator 104 are connected to each other in parallel. Thus, since the PLC modulator 103 superimposes the communication signal on the power source line L on a side closer to a battery 107, which is shown by a bold line in the figure, the communication signal is superimposed not only on the power source line L between the PLC modulator 103 and the PLC demodulator 104, but also on the power source line L that is to be connected to another load 108. Since the power source line L is provided to have significantly low impedance, the communication signal may be attenuated, in the case where the other load 108 connected to the power source line L is a capacitive load.
Then, it would be considered to be effective to separate the other load 108 from the power source line L while performing the PLC communication, but there are problems of limiting a timing for performing the communication and the like.


Provided is an imaging apparatus using Fourier-domain optical coherence tomography, the imaging apparatus removing noises caused by the autocorrelation component of returning light to obtain a high-resolution tomographic image. A first switching unit 17 switches a first state in which returning light 12 is combined with reference light (a state in which the returning light 12 is conducted to a combining unit 22) and a second state different from the first state (a state in which the light path of the returning light 12 is blocked or changed). A controlling unit 18 controls the switching unit 17 to change the first and the second state. A interferometric information acquiring unit 19 acquires interferometric information on the returning light 12 and the reference light 14 using the reference light 14 or the returning light 12 detected by the detecting unit 16 in the second state and the combined light 15.

There has been put into practical use an imaging apparatus using optical coherence tomography (OCT) taking advantage of coherence of low coherence light (hereinafter referred to as OCT apparatus). The imaging apparatus can obtain a tomographic image with resolution on the order of a wavelength of light incident on an object, which enables providing a high-resolution tomographic image of an object to be detected.
Light from a light source is split into measuring light and reference light by a splitting light path such as a beam splitter. An object to be detected such as the eyes is first irradiated with the measuring light through a measuring light path. The light returning from the object to be detected is then conducted to a detecting position through a detecting light path. The term "returning light" refers to reflected light and scattered light including information on an interface in the direction in which the object to be detected is irradiated with light. The reference light is reflected by a reference mirror through a reference light path to conduct the reflected light to the detecting position. The detection and analysis of the coherent light of the returning light and the reference light with a detector provides a tomographic image of the object to be detected.
Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. H11-325849 discloses an OCT configuration in which the position of a reference mirror is discontinuously changed three times in measuring one point of an object to be detected to obtain wavelength spectra and then the calculation of the spectra provides a tomographic image.
Furthermore, there is disclosed a Fourier-Domain OCT apparatus (hereinafter referred to as PD-OCT apparatus) in which wavelength spectra are obtained with a reference mirror of the OCT apparatus fixed and a tomogram is measured by Fourier transformation, in a paper; A. F. Fercher, C. K. Hitzenberger, G. Kamp, S. Y. El-Zaiat, Opt. Commun. 117, 43-48, (1995). The FD-OCT apparatus includes a system using a spectroscope (SD-OCT: Spectral Domain OCT) and a system sweeping the wavelength of a light source (SS-OCT: Source Swept-OCT).

Imaging apparatus and imaging method using optical coherence tomography


A camera unit is provided, including a camera lens and a macro lens coupled with the camera lens module along an optical axis. The macro lens comprises a plane substrate and a plano-convex lens structure formed on the plane substrate by wafer level processing, wherein the effective focal length of the macro lens is between 80-150 mm.

1. Field of the Invention
This application relates in general to a camera unit and in particular to a camera unit having a camera lens and a macro lens optionally coupled with the camera lens.
2. Description of the Related Art
Conventional portable cell telephones or smart phones may comprise a built-in digital camera. The digital camera is usually used for landscape or portrait photography, but cannot provide good resolving power and contrast for close-up photography. In the recent years, some close-up lenses have been developed for the cell phone cameras, so that the cell phones can be used as a scanner for reading barcode or QR code. However, design of the close-up lens has become very difficult, as cell telephones are being designed more thin and compact.


The invention provides a laminated film. The laminated film includes a polyester substrate film, and a coating layer on/over at least one surface of the substrate film. The coating layer includes a resin composition including a resin having an oxazoline group. The laminated film has an inorganic thin-film layer on/over the coating layer, and a protective layer that has a urethane resin and has an adhesion amount of 0.15 to 0.60 g/m2 on/over the inorganic thin-film layer. The laminated film shows a total reflection infrared absorption spectrum having a ratio P1/P2 ranging from 1.5 to 3.5 wherein P1 is the intensity of a peak having an absorption maximum in a range of 1530±10 cm−1, and P2 is that in a range of 1410±10 cm−1. The laminated film further has an oxygen permeability of 5 ml/m2·d·MPa or less under conditions of 23° C.×65% RH.

Packaging materials used for foods, medicines and others are required to have a property of blocking gases such as oxygen and water vapor, that is, a gas barrier performance to restrain proteins, and fats and oils from being oxidized, keep taste and freshness, and maintain efficacies of the medicines. Gas barrier materials used in electronic devices or electronic parts, such as solar batteries and organic ELs, are required to have a higher gas barrier performance than the packaging materials for foods and others.
In the use of food which is required to block various gases, such as water vapor and oxygen, in general, a gas barrier laminated body has been hitherto used which has a substrate film made of a plastic material, and a metallic thin film or inorganic thin film on a surface of the substrate film, the former thin film being made of, for example, aluminum, or the latter thin film being made of an inorganic oxides such as silicon oxide or aluminum oxide. Out of such laminated bodies, a laminated body has widely been used in which a thin film of an inorganic oxide made of, for example, silicon oxide, aluminum oxide or a mixture of these oxides (inorganic thin-film layer) is formed since the laminated body is transparent to allow to check a content in the laminated body.
However, this gas barrier laminated body has a problem that the inorganic thin-film layer is physically damaged by flexing-load in a step of post-processing the laminated body, such as a printing, laminating or bag-manufacturing step, and in a laminated-body transporting/circulating step, so that the laminated body is deteriorated in gas barrier performance. When the inorganic thin-film layer is once damaged in the processing step, it is feared that the laminated body is largely damaged in gas barrier performance by undergoing a subsequent heat-moisture treatment such as boiling/retorting treatment. Moreover, a film in which interlayer adhesion is poor between a vapor-deposited layer and a resin contacting this layer undergoes exfoliation by flexing-load. Consequently, problems are caused that the film is deteriorated in barrier performance, and a content therein leaks out.
Against the problems, as a method for improving a deterioration of a gas barrier laminated body in which an inorganic thin-film layer is formed, the following method has been suggested: a method of locating a coating layer made of an aqueous polyurethane resin or a polyester resin that may be of various types, or a mixture of a polyurethane and a polyester (for example, Patent Document 1) between a polyester substrate film and an inorganic thin-film layer formed by, for example, vapor deposition. Furthermore, a report has been made about a technique of laying a coating layer made of an oxazoline-group-containing water-soluble polymer to improve the coating layer in water resistance under a heat-moisture condition (see, for example, Patent Document 2). The laying of the coating layer between the substrate film and the inorganic thin film can be continuously performed while a film of the substrate is formed. Thus, it can be expected that the laying makes costs far lower than the formation of a protective layer on the inorganic thin film. However, in this structure, the resultant laminated body is not sufficient in gas barrier performance since the coating itself has no gas barrier performance so that only the inorganic thin-film layer contributes mainly to the gas barrier performance of the laminated body. Thus, this structure has a problem that the laminated body is not sufficient in gas barrier performance.
Against this problem, an attempt has been made in which a protective layer having gas barrier performance is further laid on the above-mentioned inorganic thin film. Suggested has been, for example, a method of coating the upper of an inorganic film with a water-soluble polymer, an inorganic lamellar compound, and a metal alkoxide or hydrolyzate thereof, and then using a sol-gel method to produce, on the inorganic thin film, a complex of an inorganic substance containing the inorganic lamellar compound, and the water-soluble polymer. According to this method, the resultant laminated body shows excellent properties also after subjected to a heat-moisture treatment. However, the liquid supplied for the coating is low in stability to cause the following problems: the laminated body is varied in properties between the starting time of the coating and the ending time thereof (for example, when the laminated body is made into a roll film to be industrially circulated, the laminated body is varied therein between an outer circumferential portion of the roll and an inner circumferential portion); the film is varied in properties in the width direction thereof by a slight difference in drying- or thermal-treatment-temperature of the film in this direction; and such films are largely varied in quality in accordance with the environment at the producing time of the films. Furthermore, the film obtained by the coating by the sol-gel method is poor in flexibility. Thus, it is pointed out as a problem that when the film is flexed or impacted, pinholes or defects are easily generated to lower the film in gas barrier performance.
Under such a situation, in a coating method without using any sol-gel method or the like, that is, in a coating method in which a resin is mainly used and at the time of coating with the resin a crosslinking reaction is involved in the coating, it is desired to make an improvement capable of forming a layer of the resin on an inorganic thin-film layer. Examples of a gas barrier laminated body in which such an improvement is made include a gas barrier laminated body in which the upper of an inorganic thin film is coated with a resin layer containing an inorganic lamellar compound of a specific particle size and aspect ratio; a gas barrier laminated body in which the upper of an inorganic thin film is coated with a barrier resin containing a silane coupling agent; and a laminated body in which the upper of an inorganic thin film is coated with a m-xylylene-group-containing polyurethane (see, for example, Patent Document 3).
However, in the current circumstance, the above-mentioned methods are each incapable of yielding a gas barrier film which is excellent in production stability and economy when produced, which can maintain a good barrier performance and adhesion also after subjected to a severe heat-moisture treatment, and which also has an appropriate flexing resistance.


A spout assembly for a hot water dispenser having a valve body including an outlet and a sealed valve assembly for controlling liquid flow within the valve body. A liquid conduit is connected to the outlet. A spout cover is removably disposed over the valve body and the liquid conduit such that the spout cover may be removed from the valve body without disturbing the seal of the valve assembly.

This invention relates to a hot water dispenser and more particularly to a hot water dispenser of the type mountable on a sink fixture. In particular, this invention relates to a spout cover for such a hot water dispenser.
Hot water dispensers are well known in the prior art and are used for a great variety of purposes, i.e., to prepare instant foods, speed the cooking of foods, loosen jar lids, fill hot water bottles, etc. In essence, hot water dispensers create convenience and time savings for many different tasks. Since hot water dispensers are generally installed in the kitchen, it is desired that the dispenser decoratively match other kitchen appliances, such as sinks, countertops, or cabinets.
Generally, hot water dispensers include a unitary nozzle body which is generally cylindrical and provides decorative features of the dispenser. One type of commercially successful hot water dispenser utilizing a unitary decorative spout is the Instant-Hot (TM) hot water dispenser manufactured by KitchenAid (TM).
If one wishes to redecorate a kitchen in which an existing hot water dispenser is installed, it also may be desired to change the color of the nozzle body, thus requiring installation of a new nozzle body. In addition, a new nozzle body may be desired for many other reasons such as damage to the existing nozzle body or deterioration due to excessive use.
Existing methods of changing the color of a hot water dispenser require that the valve body of the dispenser be removed from the sink and the plumbing disconnected. Thus, the entire valve assembly must be disconnected which is very difficult and time consuming.
It is thus desired to provide a hot water dispenser in which the color of the nozzle body may be quickly and inexpensively changed.


An internal voltage control circuit according to an embodiment may include a source power supply selection unit configured to receive a first internal power supply voltage and a second internal power supply voltage and selecting the first internal power supply voltage and the second internal power supply voltage as a source voltage in response to a test mode enable signal, a first reference voltage generation unit configured to receive the source voltage from the source power supply selection unit, and configured to generate a to first low reference voltage and a first high reference voltage. The reference voltage control circuit may also include a second reference voltage generation unit configured to receive the first internal power supply voltage and configured to generate a second low reference voltage and a second high reference voltage.

1. Technical Field
Various embodiments generally relate to a semiconductor integrated apparatus, and more particularly, to a semiconductor memory apparatus, and a reference voltage control circuit and an internal voltage generation circuit therefore.
2. Related Art
A semiconductor memory apparatus may be divided into a core region which includes a memory cell region and a peripheral region. The semiconductor memory apparatus may be externally supplied with a power supply voltage (VDD) and a ground voltage (VSS). These voltages may be used to generate internal voltages which may be used for the internal operations of the semiconductor memory apparatus.
Internal voltages which may be used for operations of a semiconductor memory apparatus may include, for example among other voltages, a core voltage (VCORE), a high voltage (VPP), a back bias voltage (VBB), a cell plate voltage (VCP), and a bit line precharge voltage (VBLP). The core voltage (VCORE) may be used as an internal power supply voltage which may be supplied to a memory core region.
In general, the cell plate voltage (VCP) and the bit line precharge voltage (VBLP) are generated from the core voltage (VCORE). The cell plate voltage (VCP) may be used as the plate voltage of a cell capacitor. The bit line precharge voltage (VBLP) may be used to precharge a bit line.
However, in a test operation for screening an initial fail of a semiconductor memory apparatus, the core voltage VCORE is supplied at a higher level than would be used in an actual operation of the semiconductor memory apparatus. Thus, when the core voltage VCORE rises, the cell plate voltage VCP and the bit line precharge voltage VBLP rise as well. In this regard, if the cell plate voltage VCP rises in a state in which data of a low voltage level is written in a memory cell, leakage current of a cell capacitor increases.
Due to this fact, while operating in a test operation, a phenomenon may occur whereby a normal cell is over-screened as a fail cell.

Semiconductor memory apparatus, and reference voltage control circuit and internal voltage generation circuit therefor


A process for preparing detergent particles having a coating layer of water-soluble inorganic material is provided. The detergent particle comprises a particle core of a detergent active material. This particle core is then at least partially covered by a particle coating layer of a water soluble inorganic material. Particularly preferred are non-hydrate inorganic coating materials including double salt combinations of alkali metal carbonates, and sulfates. The particle coating layer may also include detergent adjunct ingredients such as brighteners, chelants, nonionic surfactants, co-builders, etc. The process includes the steps of passing the particle core through a coating mixer such as a low speed mixer of fluid bed mixer and coating the particle core with a coating solution or slurry of the water soluble inorganic material. Upon drying, the resultant detergent particles have improved appearance, flow properties, and improved solubility, and may be packaged and sold as a detergent material or mixed with various other detergent ingredients to provide a fully formulated detergent composition.

The present invention relates to detergent particles and a process for producing the particles. More particularly, the present invention relates to a process for producing coated detergent particles.
Recently, there has been considerable interest within the detergent industry for laundry detergents which have the convenience, aesthetics and solubility of liquid laundry detergent products, but retain the cleaning performance and cost of granular detergent products. The problems, however, associated with past granular detergent compositions with regard to aesthetics, solubility and user convenience are formidable. Such problems have been exacerbated by the advent of xe2x80x9ccompactxe2x80x9d or low dosage granular detergent products which typically do not dissolve in washing solutions as well as their liquid laundry detergent counterparts. These low dosage detergents are currently in high demand as they conserve resources and can be sold in small packages which are more convenient for consumers prior to use, but less convenient upon dispensing into the washing machine as compared to liquid laundry detergent which can be simply poured directly from the bottle as opposed to xe2x80x9cscoopedxe2x80x9d from the box and then dispensed into the washing solution.
As mentioned, such low dosage or xe2x80x9ccompactxe2x80x9d detergent products unfortunately experience dissolution problems, especially in cold temperature laundering solutions (i.e., less than about 30xc2x0 C.). More specifically, poor dissolution results in the formation of xe2x80x9cclumpsxe2x80x9d which appear as solid white masses remaining in the washing machine or on the laundered clothes after conventional washing cycles. These xe2x80x9cclumpsxe2x80x9d are especially prevalent under cold temperature washing conditions and/or when the order of addition to the washing machine is laundry detergent first, clothes second and water last (commonly known as the xe2x80x9cReverse Order Of Additionxe2x80x9d or xe2x80x9cROOAxe2x80x9d). Such undesirable xe2x80x9cclumpsxe2x80x9d are also formed if the consumer loads the washing machine in the order of clothes, detergent and then water. Similarly, this clumping phenomenon can contribute to the incomplete dispensing of detergent in washing machines equipped with dispenser drawers or in other dispensing devices, such as a granulette. In this case, the undesired result is undissolved detergent residue in the dispensing device.
It has been found that the cause of the aforementioned dissolution problem is associated with the xe2x80x9cbridgingxe2x80x9d of a xe2x80x9cgel-likexe2x80x9d substance between surfactant-containing particles to form undesirable xe2x80x9cclumps.xe2x80x9d The gel-like substance responsible for the undesirable xe2x80x9cbridgingxe2x80x9d of particles into xe2x80x9cclumpsxe2x80x9d originates from the partial dissolution of surfactant in the aqueous laundering solutions, wherein such partial dissolution causes the formation of a viscous surfactant phase or paste which binds or otherwise xe2x80x9cbridgesxe2x80x9d other surfactant-containing particles together into xe2x80x9cclumps.xe2x80x9d This undesirable dissolution phenomena is commonly referred to as xe2x80x9clump-gelxe2x80x9d formation. In addition to the viscous surfactant xe2x80x9cbridgingxe2x80x9d effect, inorganic salts have a tendency to hydrate which can also cause xe2x80x9cbridgingxe2x80x9d of particles which linked together via hydration. In particular, inorganic salts hydrate with one another to form a cage structure which exhibits poor dissolution and ultimately ends up as a xe2x80x9cclumpxe2x80x9d after the washing cycle. It would therefore be desirable to have a detergent composition which does not experience the dissolution problems identified above so as to result in improved cleaning performance.
The prior art is replete with disclosures addressing the dissolution problems associated with granular detergent compositions. For example, the prior art suggests limiting the use and manner of inorganic salts which can cause clumps via the xe2x80x9cbridgingxe2x80x9d of hydrated salts during the laundering cycle. Specific ratios of selected inorganic salts are contemplated so as to minimize dissolution problems. Such a solution, however, constricts the formulation and process flexibility which are necessary for current commercialization of large-scale detergent products. Various other mechanisms have been suggested by the prior art, all of which involve formulation alteration, and thereby reduce formulation flexibility. As a consequence, it would therefore be desirable to have a process by which detergent compositions having improved dissolution without significantly inhibiting formulation flexibility can be produced.
Accordingly, the need remains for a process which can produce a detergent granule having improved flow properties and aesthetics, as well as improved solubility, which may be included in detergent compositions.
This need is met by the present invention wherein a process for producing a detergent particle that has improved surface, appearance, flow properties, and improved solubility is provided. The particles of the present invention have improved surface properties in that they are smoother and have a generally more uniform surface and appearance than prior art detergent particles. Further, the appearance of the particles have been improved in that they appear brighter and whiter than currently available detergent particles and have improved flow properties where the particles have reduced lumping and caking profiles.
In accordance with the present invention, a process for preparing detergent compositions including granules having a coating layer of a water-soluble material is provided. The process comprises providing detergent granules having at least one detergent active material and passing those detergent granules through a coating mixer such as a low speed mixer or fluid bed mixer and coating the particle core with a coating solution or slurry of the water soluble coating material. Upon drying, the resultant detergent particles have improved appearance and flow properties and may be packaged and sold as a detergent material or mixed with various other detergent ingredients to provide a fully formulated detergent composition.
The water soluble coating material is selected from the group consisting of detersive surfactants such as anionic surfactants, hydrotropes such as sulfonates, polyethylene glycols and polypropylene glycols and mixtures thereof. In preferred embodiments, the coating material is a mixture of an anionic surfactant and a hydrotrope in a ratio of anionic surfactant to hydrotrope of from about 95:5 to about 5:95. Particularly preferred are (a) a mixture of sodium linear alkyl benzene sulfonate, hydrophobic secondary alkyl sulfate, and/or sodium xylene sulfonate or (b) a mixture of sodium linear alkyl benzene sulfonate, hydrophobic secondary alkyl sulfate, and/or disodium alkyldiphenyloxide disulfonate (commercially known as Dowfax hydrotrope with the alkyl group having a chainlength from C1-C10), at a ratio of surfactants to hydrotrope of from about 70:30 to about 95:5. Preferably, the amount of water-soluble solution is from about 1% to about 30%, by weight, of the detergent composition. Alternatively, coating material and thus the particle coating layer may also include detergent adjunct ingredients such as brighteners, chelants, nonionic surfactants, co-builders, etc incorporated into the coating.
In an optional embodiment of the present process, the process further comprises the steps of mixing the coated detergent granules with a flow control aid to adhere the flow control aid to the surface of the granules. The flow control aid is preferably an inorganic powder material with a mean particle size of less than about 100 microns and is selected from the group consisting of crystalline layered silicate, carbonate, sodium sulfate, aluminosilicate, magnesium silicate, calcium silicate, clay, and mixtures thereof.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a process for producing a detergent composition having improved appearance and flow characteristics by coating detergent granules with a layer of a water soluble materials. It is a further object of the present invention to provide a process for preparing the detergent particle via coating in a mixer with solutions or slurries of the inorganic materials. These and other objects features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art from a reading of the following detailed description and the appended claims.

Process for producing coated detergent particles


The disclosure provides an approach for processing frames of a virtualized desktop to improve accessibility for users, such as users with disabilities. The approach involves processing frames by an accessibility engine that is located on a client device of the user. The virtualized desktop runs on a virtual machine that is remote to the client device. The location of the accessibility engine on the client device allows advantages such as the ability to process frames that indicate a non-operational virtual machine.

Computer accessibility software helps users who have disabilities to use a computer, such as by reading text aloud or magnifying portions of the screen for vision-impaired users. Current accessibility software solutions have a number of limitations. Accessibility software is usually an application running on top of a computer's operating system (OS). If the computer freezes, the operating system freezes also, which prevents the accessibility software from operating. Non-operational accessibility software cannot inform a disabled user that the computer has frozen. Additionally, some OSs do not support accessibility applications. An OS with a command line interface and no graphical user interface component does not support a screen magnification feature in which a certain area around the mouse is magnified for vision impaired users. Another limitation of accessibility software arises when the software is a component of the computer's OS. With this design, the software cannot be available for plug-in development, because of security features of the OS.

System and method for virtual machine and virtual desktop accessibility


A hinge is coupled to a first component and a second component. The hinge supports the second component for movement relative to the first component between a closed position covering an opening through the first component and an opened position displaced from the opening. The hinge includes a first bracket coupled to the second component, a second bracket coupled to the first component, a support link coupled to the first and second brackets, and a control link coupled to the first and second brackets. Rotation of the support link relative to the first bracket causes rotation of the first component relative to the second component and relative to the support link.

A variety of hinge structures have been developed for the aerospace industry to allow doors or access panels to be selectively closed and opened relative to the aircraft structure. Plate hinges used in home construction, for example, allow a door to open for access generally 90 degrees and sometimes up to 180 degrees relative to the plate hinge mounting point (door frame). However, in the aerospace industry, hinges usually need to be attached in a manner such that the hinges are completely concealed inside the body of the aircraft. In other words, hinges cannot be exposed to the exterior of the aircraft while the door or access panel is closed. Additionally, there are design constraints relative to some hinge designs such as the internal and external operating envelope space, weight consideration, and installation issues.
This background information is merely provided for context, and no admission is intended, nor should such admission be inferred or construed, that any of the preceding information constitutes prior art to the present disclosure.


The present invention provides a composition for selectively delivering an active agent to a portion of an organism. The composition comprises first and second polymer portions, having first and second functional groups attached as a side-chain thereto, respectively. The first and second functional groups form cross-links between the first and second polymer portions. The cross-links are capable of being broken by a substance of the organism, thereby resulting in release of the active agent. The composition provides a novel means for controlling the selective release of the active agent in the organism.

Compositions are used extensively in a wide range of biomedical applications, for the delivery of diagnostic or therapeutic active agents. A longstanding problem in the manufacture of such compositions is the controlled delivery of the active agents to particular organisms or sites within organisms, such as a particular cell type. The timed release of active agents from such compositions, also remains problematic. These problems reside in part due to the manner in which such active agents are released from the composition.
Polymers may be cross-linked to form compositions that serve as a matrix or reservoir for delivery of a drug over a sustained period. For example, cross-linked hydrogels of polyacrylamide, are capable of absorbing a substantial amount of water to form elastic or inelastic compositions. The compositions may absorb water and swell to thereby release the drug incorporated therein. Unfortunately, the hydrogels may have a number of undesirable characteristics.
For example, some such compositions are not biodegradable. Therefore, the removal of the compositions from an organism requires excretion of the composition. Other compositions require the use of undesirable solvents or monomers during manufacture. For instance, a conventional manufacture of polyacrylamide uses the monomer acrylamide and cross-linker N, N′ methylbisacryamide. Residual amounts of the unreacted monomer and cross-linker typically remain in the final composition and can cause damage in surrounding tissues or inactivation of the active agent incorporated into the composition.
Moreover, the preparation of such compositions may preclude inclusion of the active agent during formation of the matrix. For example, the conventional preparation of a polyacrylamide gel involves formation of a free radical on the growing polymer chain and cross-linking chains. Such a process could chemically alter and inactivate an active agent present during the gel's formation. Therefore, additional processing steps are typically taken to first prepare a capsule and then add the active agent to the capsule, usually along with waxes, fats or other fillers, to help the capsule maintain its shape. Furthermore, because the release of the active agent from certain gels is governed by diffusion, release is not targeted to a particular area of the body of an organism.
Accordingly, one objective of the invention is a process for making a composition capable of forming a gel in the presence of an active agent without deleteriously effecting the active agent. Another objective of the invention is a composition that enables a targeted release of an active agent included therein.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Agent delivery system capable of selectively releasing an agent

Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey


Vehicles and sound systems for vehicles are provided. In one example, the sound system includes a plurality of sound producing devices. An amplifier is in communication with the sound producing devices. The amplifier is configured to receive input channels of audio content, to map the input channels with output channels to the sound producing devices in one of stereo mode and surround sound mode, and to remap the input channels with the output channels to the sound producing devices in the other of the stereo mode and the surround sound mode.

Providing sound systems for communicating, providing information, entertainment, or the like for passengers and/or other occupants of vehicles has traditionally been a priority for vehicle manufacturers. For example, sound systems are often provided in many aircraft for such purposes.
Existing sound systems for aircraft and/or other vehicles are directionally static. Speakers are positioned at predetermined locations and the sound system's computer or controller is connected to the speakers and controls each speaker to produce sound in a manner that surrounds one or more listeners with sound based on each speaker's location and further based on an assumed listener orientation. For example, the sound system may be designed to provide stereo sound ambient music for listeners who are facing forward or rearward in the cabin of an aircraft. If, however, a listener(s) changes their orientation within the cabin, such as when they reorient or change their seat to watch a movie on a screen located along a cabin wall, now the listener(s) is oriented laterally within the cabin facing the cabin wall. As such, if the listener(s) wants the sound system to provide surround sound, the sound system cannot properly do so because the listener(s) is now reoriented, for example, ninety degrees out of phase, to the directionally static speakers of the sound system.
Accordingly, it is desirable to provide sound systems for a vehicle that addresses one or more of the foregoing issues. Furthermore, other desirable features and characteristics of the various embodiments described herein will become apparent from the subsequent detailed description and the appended claims, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and this background.


A method suitable to reprocess a semiconductor substrate is provided. A semiconductor substrate in which a projection including a damaged semiconductor region and an insulating layer is provided in a peripheral portion of the semiconductor substrate is subjected to etching treatment for removing the insulating layer and to etching treatment for removing the damaged semiconductor region selectively with a non-damaged semiconductor region left using a mixed solution including nitric acid, a substance dissolving a semiconductor material included in the semiconductor substrate and oxidized by the nitric acid, a substance controlling a speed of oxidation of the semiconductor material and a speed of dissolution of the oxidized semiconductor material, and nitrous acid, in which the concentration of the nitrous acid is higher than or equal to 10 mg/l and lower than or equal to 1000 mg/l. Through these steps, the semiconductor substrate is reprocessed.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention to be disclosed relates to a method for reprocessing a semiconductor substrate. In addition, the invention to be disclosed relates to a method for manufacturing a reprocessed semiconductor substrate with the use of the method for reprocessing a semiconductor substrate, and relates to a method for manufacturing an SOI (silicon on insulator) substrate.
2. Description of the Related Art
In recent years, instead of a bulk silicon wafer, integrated circuits using an SOI (silicon on insulator) substrate that includes a thin single crystal silicon layer formed on an insulating surface have been developed. The characteristics of the thin single crystal silicon layer formed on the insulating surface make it possible to completely separate transistors formed in the integrated circuit from each other. Further, since fully-depleted transistors can be formed, a semiconductor integrated circuit with high added values such as high integration, high speed driving, and low power consumption can be realized.
As a method for manufacturing an SOI substrate, a hydrogen ion implantation separation method is known. The hydrogen ion implantation separation method is a method by which a single crystal silicon layer is obtained in the following manner: a single crystal silicon substrate (a bond substrate) into which hydrogen ions are implanted is bonded to another substrate (a base substrate) with an insulating layer provided between the substrates, and then the single crystal silicon substrate (the bond substrate) is separated along an ion implantation region by heat treatment. With the above hydrogen ion implantation separation method, an SOI substrate in which a single crystal silicon layer is provided over an insulating substrate such as a glass substrate can be manufactured (see Patent Document 1 as an example).

Method for reprocessing semiconductor substrate, method for manufacturing reprocessed semiconductor substrate, and method for manufacturing SOI substrate

Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.


(A2) An extended depth of field (DOF) imaging system (10) is disclosed that has a corresponding extended depth of focus (DOF′) by virtue of its optical system (20) having a select amount of spherical aberration. The imaging system has an image processing unit (54) adapted to process the raw images and perform contrast enhancement to form processed images. The image processing includes restoring the defocused modulation transfer functions (MTFs) using a gain function (G) and the amount of defocus. The imaging system can include an illumination system (60) that illuminates the object being imaged to establish a distance (DH) between the optical system and the object, where distance DH is used in the restoring of the MTF. An iris-recognition (I-R) system based on the enhanced DOF imaging system is also disclosed.; Optical system embodiments for use in the DOF imaging system that can provide select amounts of spherical aberration—and thus select increases in DOF—without increasing the adverse impact of other aberrations on image formation are also disclosed.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to imaging systems, and particularly large depth-of-field imaging systems, and more particularly to large depth-of-field iris recognition systems.
2. Technical Background
Humans have a number of unique physical characteristics, such as fingerprints, iris patterns, and voices, whose measurement allows for distinguishing one person from another. The science of measuring such characteristics is known as "biometrics."
The measurement of a person's iris pattern to perform biometric identification ("authentication") is called "iris recognition." Iris recognition involves taking an image of a person's iris and then using pattern recognition techniques to create the equivalent of a "fingerprint" of the eye. Unlike fingerprints, however, iris images are obtained in a less obtrusive manner than fingerprints because they do not require physical contact with the subject.
Early work on iris recognition systems is described in the article by John G. Daugman, "How iris recognition works." IEEE transactions on Circuits and Systems for Video Technology, 14(1), January 2004, pp. 21-30, in U.S. Pat. No. 5,291,560 to Daugman, entitled "Biometric personal identification system based on iris analysis," and in U.S. Pat. No. 4,641,349 to Flom et al. entitled "Iris recognition system," which article and which patents are incorporated by reference herein.
Iris recognition requires that one or both irises be imaged with relatively high resolution so that as much iris detail as possible can be captured. The imaging must also be performed over a relatively large depth of field because the iris is three-dimensional and because some latitude is required in the exact position of the subject's eye relative to the optical system that captures the iris image. The optical system must also have a field-of-view (FOV) sufficient to capture not only the entire iris but also a portion of the face surrounding the eye to perform the necessary image processing.
A major shortcoming of many iris recognition systems is that the optical system requirements of large depth of field, sufficiently large FOV, and high-resolution are somewhat contradictory. For example, a high-resolution imaging system requires a relatively large numerical aperture (NA) (i.e., a low F/#), while a large depth of field requires a relatively low NA (or high F/#). A relatively high NA also decreases the light-gathering ability of the optical system so that longer exposure is required to capture an iris image. This, in turn, requires that the subject remain steady and that their eyes not move (or that they not blink) for a longer period of time so that the iris image is not blurred or obstructed.
A number of different approaches have been used to overcome the challenges posed by the optical design, including using wavefront coding and relatively complex optical systems. However, the need remains for an iris recognition system that has a simple yet robust optical system that provides the requisite optical imaging performance over a wide range of conditions and situations.

Large depth-of-field imaging system and iris recogniton system


An apparatus comprises a cardiac signal sensing circuit configured to sense a plurality of intrinsic cardiac signals using a plurality of cardiac pacing sites, a heart sound sensing circuit, a stimulus circuit configured to provide an electrical cardiac pacing stimulus to the plurality of pacing sites, and a control circuit electrically coupled to the cardiac signal sensing circuit and the stimulus circuit. The control circuit includes a pacing site locating circuit configured to generate an indication of a preferred pacing site as one of a) a subset of the respective cardiac pacing sites selected using the intrinsic ventricular activation time interval, from which subset the preferred pacing site is selected using the heart sound characteristic; or b) a subset of the respective cardiac pacing sites selected using the heart sound characteristic, from which subset the preferred pacing site is selected using the ventricular activation time interval.

Medical devices include devices designed to be implanted into a patient. Some examples of these implantable medical devices (IMDs) include cardiac function management (CFM) devices such as implantable pacemakers, implantable cardioverter defibrillators (ICDs), cardiac resynchronization therapy devices (CRTs), and devices that include a combination of such capabilities. The devices can be used to treat patients or subjects using electrical or other therapy or to aid a physician or caregiver in patient diagnosis through internal monitoring of a patient's condition. The devices may include one or more electrodes in communication with one or more sense amplifiers to monitor electrical heart activity within a patient, and often include one or more sensors to monitor one or more other internal patient parameters. Other examples of IMDs include implantable diagnostic devices, implantable drug delivery systems, or implantable devices with neural stimulation capability.
Medical devices also include wearable medical devices such as wearable cardioverter defibrillators (WCDs). WCDs are monitors that include surface electrodes. The surface electrodes are arranged to provide one or both of monitoring surface electrocardiograms (ECGs) and delivering cardioverter and defibrillator shock therapy.
Some medical devices include one or more sensors to monitor different physiologic aspects of the patient. For example, the devices may derive measurements associated with a cardiac depolarization of the patient. Such monitoring devices can be implantable or wearable and the measurements can provide useful information concerning the cardiac health of the patient.
By monitoring cardiac signals indicative of expansions or contractions, IMDs can detect abnormally slow heart rate, or bradycardia. In response to an abnormally slow heart rate some CFM devices deliver electrical pacing stimulation energy to induce cardiac depolarization and contraction. The pacing stimulation energy is delivered to provide a depolarization rate that improves hemodynamic function of the patient. Delivery of pacing therapy should be optimized to ensure therapy delivery and yet avoid unnecessary stress on the heart and unnecessary reduction of battery life. Optimal selection of the site for delivery of the pacing therapy can be part of pacing therapy optimization. Optimal site selection can lead to optimized use of pacing energy and to improved hemodynamic function of the patient or subject.

Pacing site and configuration optimization using a combination of electrical and mechanical information


Described herein are techniques related to near field coupling and wireless power transfers. In an implementation, a portable device may include full metallic chassis devices. The full metallic chassis devices may include a keyboard and/or trackpad that include a plastic keycap. The plastic keycap may integrate a booster component to increase near field communications (NFC) range of a coil antenna that is integrated onto a surface plane above a circuit board of a switch that is connected to the plastic keycap. In an implementation, a ferrite material is inserted between the coil antenna and the circuit board to protect the coil antenna from Eddy currents that may be induced on a metallic chassis that lie underneath the circuit board.

Technologies exist that allow near field coupling (e.g., wireless power transfers (WPT) and near field communications (NFC)) between portable devices in close proximity to each other. Such near field coupling functions may use radio frequency (RF) antennas in the devices to transmit and receive electromagnetic signals. Because of user desires (and/or for esthetic reasons) many of these portable devices are relatively small (and becoming smaller), and tend to have exaggerated aspect ratios when viewed from the side. As a result, many of these portable devices incorporate flat antennas, which use coils of conductive material as their radiating antennas for use in near field coupling functions.
For example, an NFC antenna integration in a plastic chassis portable device may be achieved by creating a cutout on a conductive electromagnetic interference (EMI) coating under a palm rest area of the portable device, such that the NFC antenna that is attached to the cutout area may radiate through the chassis effectively. However, for devices having a complete metallic chassis, the metallic chassis is often used to maintain mechanical strength in a thin design. The use of the metallic chassis creates a key challenge for NFC coil antenna integration into such devices (e.g., thin laptop computers such as Ultrabooks), since the NFC antenna needs a non-metallic surface in order to radiate through.
The following Detailed Description is provided with reference to the accompanying figures. In the figures, the left-most digit(s) of a reference number usually identifies the figure in which the reference number first appears. The use of the same reference numbers in different figures indicates similar or identical items.

Integrated antennas for near field coupling integration


The invention relates to an amphiphilic block copolymer, to the preparation thereof, and to the use thereof in the form of a self-stabilizing latex. The copolymer has the formula R5O—[—CH2CH2—O—]n—C(═O)—CR3R4—[CH2CR6R7]m—S—C(═S)—S—R1 where: R1 is a straight or branched alkyl group, an alkenyl group having one or more —C═C— bonds, or an alkynyl group having one or more —C≡C— bonds, said groups including 8 to 18 carbon atoms; 20≦n≦100; R3 and R4 each are independently H, an alkyl group with 1 to 4 carbon atoms, or a nitrile group, at least one of R3 and R4 being different than H; R6 is a phenyl group or an alkoxycarbonyl group in which the alkoxy group includes 1 to 8 carbon atoms; R7 is a hydrogen atom or a methyl radical; and 20≦m≦1000. The preparation method comprises: preparing an aqueous solution of a compound R1—S—C(═S)—S—CR3R4—C(═O)—OR2 in which R2 is R5—[—O—CH2CH2—]n—, R5 being a hydrophilic group and 20≦n≦100; adding to said solution one or more hydrophobic monomers of the formula (II) R6—CR7═CH2 and a free radical polymerization initiator; and heating said aqueous solution to a temperature of 60-90° C.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method for preparing an amphiphilic block copolymer in an aqueous medium and in an emulsion with no free surfactant.
2. Description of Related Art
Amphiphilic copolymers are useful in many technical fields, in particular in the paints, varnishes and coatings field. Aqueous compositions, with no organic solvent, are particularly desired, firstly owing to the fact that the water used as solvent is less expensive than organic solvents, and, secondly, owing to problems of toxicity and pollution inherent in most organic solvents.
It is known practice to prepare an amphiphilic copolymer by polymerization with the aid of a reversible addition-fragmentation chain transfer (RAFT) agent, in particular in solution in an organic solvent. However, the use of organic solvents no longer meets current non-toxicity and non-pollution criteria.
The preparation, in water, of a (co)polymer using a RAFT agent can be carried out by emulsion polymerization, but it is then necessary to add a surfactant. However, since the (co)polymer obtained is generally introduced into the various paint, varnish or coating compositions directly in the form in which it is obtained, without purification, said compositions contain the surfactant free, which can then migrate when the compositions are deposited on a substrate.
Polymerization of hydrophobic monomers in the presence of a RAFT agent can be carried out without solvent ("bulk" polymerization), but the reaction medium is then very viscous, to the detriment of the speed of polymerization and of the homogeneity of the composition of the (co)polymers obtained.
A method for preparing an amphiphilic copolymer, in water, in the presence of a macro-RAFT agent is described by Ferguson et al., [Macromolecules, 2005, 28(6), 2191-2204]. The macro-RAFT agent is obtained by reacting a RAFT agent in solution with a hydrophilic monomer (acrylic acid), in the presence of a free-radical polymerization initiator and NaOH, in an oxygen-free atmosphere, with stirring at 60° C. for 2 hours. The RAFT agent is a 2-{[(alkylsulfanyl)carbonothioyl]sulfanyl}propanoic acid, in which the alkyl group is a butyl or dodecyl group. When the alkyl group is a butyl, the reaction can be carried out in water. When the alkyl group is a dodecyl, the solubility of the RAFT agent is too low and the reaction must be carried out in an organic solvent. The block copolymer is obtained by means of a method consisting in preparing an aqueous solution containing the macro-RAFT agent, a free-radical polymerization initiator and NaOH, at 60° C., and then adding, in successive fractions, the hydrophobic monomer (n-butyl acrylate, ethyl acrylate or styrene) intended to form the hydrophobic block. The monomer is added over more than 5 hours, so as to keep the monomer concentration in the reaction medium at a value below the saturation concentration. The addition of the hydrophobic monomer in fractions complicates the method and extends the duration of the process.
A method for polymerizing monomers in water in the presence of a macro-RAFT agent is described by A. Martins dos Santos et al. [Macromol. Rapid Comm., 2007, 28, 1325-1332]. The macro-RAFT agent is of the "dithiobenzoate" type, and it is obtained by reacting a poly(ethylene oxide) having an amino end group with succinimido-4-[(phenyl-1-thioxo)thio]-4-cyanopentanoate. An amphiphilic block copolymer is prepared by means of a method during which the macro-RAFT agent, the hydrophobic monomer and a free-radical polymerization initiator are introduced into water, the reaction medium is purged so as to remove the oxygen, and then heated at 70° C. This method does not make it possible to control chain growth: it is not possible to vary the molar mass of the polymer formed according to the monomer conversion; there is no direct relationship between the number-average molar mass and the ratio of the initial concentrations of monomer and of macro-RAFT agent; the molar mass distribution is broad and analogous to that obtained by means of a conventional emulsion polymerization method.
M. Manguian et al., [Macromol. Rapid Commun. 2006, 27, 399-404] describe the preparation of a macro-RAFT agent by reacting 4-cyanopentanoic acid 4-dithiobenzoate (CPADB) with diethylaminoethyl methacrylate (DEAEMA), and the use thereof for preparing an amphiphilic block copolymer with styrene, in water, in the presence of a free-radical polymerization initiator, without the addition of surfactant. In this method of implementation also, the chain growth cannot be controlled.

Amphiphilic block copolymer and method for preparing same

Universite de Liege (Interface Entreprise Universite)


A fuel injection control device has a conduction time calculation unit, a setting unit, a conduction control unit, a detection unit, an estimation unit, and a changing unit. The conduction time calculation unit calculates a conduction time of an electric actuator corresponding to a requested injection quantity during partial lift injection. The setting unit sets a command conduction time. The conduction control unit energizes an electric actuator on the basis of a command conduction time set by the setting unit. The detection unit detects a physical quantity having a correlation with an actual injection quantity during partial lift injection. The estimation unit estimates an actual injection quantity on the basis of a detection result of the detection unit. The changing unit changes a lower limit time on the basis of a deviation between an estimated actual injection quantity and a requested injection quantity.

In Patent Literature 1, a fuel injection valve to inject a fuel by operating a valve body for valve opening with an electric actuator is disclosed. Further, a fuel injection control device to control a valve opening time of a valve body by controlling a time for energizing an electric actuator and thus control an injection quantity injected per one time valve opening of the valve body is disclosed. A conduction time is set at a time corresponding to an injection quantity that is requested (requested injection quantity).