A method, apparatus, and computer program product in a shared processor data processing system are disclosed for dynamically tuning an amount of physical processor capacity that is allocated to each one of multiple logical partitions. A physical processor is shared among the logical partitions. A service window is allocated to each logical partition during each dispatch time slice. Processes that are defined by a first one of the logical partitions are executed during a first service window that was allocated to the first logical partition. A determination is made dynamically during runtime as to whether a length of the first service window should be increased to optimize interrupt processing and reduce interrupt latency.

1. Technical Field
The present invention is directed to data processing systems. More specifically, the present invention is directed to a method, apparatus, and computer program product for dynamically tuning the amount of the physical processor capacity that is allocated to each logical partition in a shared processor system to optimize interrupt processing and reduce interrupt latency.
2. Description of Related Art
A symmetric multiprocessing (SMP) data processing system has multiple processors that are symmetric such that each processor has the same processing speed and latency. An SMP system has one operating system that divides the work into tasks that are distributed evenly among the various processors by dispatching one software thread of work to each processor at a time. Thus, a processor in an SMP system executes only one thread at a time.
A simultaneous multi-threading (SMT) data processing system includes multiple processors that can each concurrently execute more than one thread at a time per processor. An SMT system has the ability to favor one thread over another when both threads are running on the same processor.
Known systems can include a shared processor where the shared processor is shared among the various processes that are being executed by the system. A shared processor may be part of a logically partitioned system and shared among the various partitions in the system. These systems typically include firmware, also called a hypervisor, that manages and enforces the partitioning and/or sharing of the processor. For example, a hypervisor may receive a request from the system to dispatch a virtual processor to a physical processor. The virtual processor includes a definition of the work to be done by a physical processor as well as various settings and state information that are required to be set within the physical processor in order for the physical processor to execute the work.
In known shared processor systems, the hypervisor supervises and manages the sharing of a physical processor among all of the logical partitions. The hypervisor has a dispatch time slice during which the hypervisor will service all of the logical partitions. The hypervisor services all of the logical partitions by granting time to each logical partition, during each dispatch time slice, during which the logical partition will be executed by the physical processor. Thus, during each dispatch time slice, each logical partition will have an opportunity to run on the physical processor.
The portion of the dispatch time slice that is allocated, or granted, to each logical partition represents the capacity of the physical processor that is granted to that logical partition. The portion of the dispatch time slice that is granted to a logical partition is referred to herein as that logical partition's "service window".
In known systems, the length of the dispatch time slice and the length of the service window are defined when a system administrator initially configures the system. They are typically not changed after being initially configured. The system administrator could change these values manually during runtime. However, it is not possible for the system administrator, when configuring the logical partitions, to know enough about what minimum amount of processor capacity is going to be required by a partition to efficiently service the interrupts of the devices assigned to that partition without encountering interrupt latency induced errors.
A problem can arise in a shared processor system when the length of the service window is not set to an optimal value. For example, interrupt latencies can cause some devices to encounter under-runs or overruns of adapter buffers. As described above, the virtual processors of a logical partition will be dispatched to the physical processor during that logical partition's service window. The physical processor will execute the virtual processors when those virtual processors are dispatched to the physical processor. It is only during this service window, when the logical partition's virtual processors are dispatched to the physical processor, that the logical partition will see interrupts that are intended for that logical partition. If an interrupt intended for a particular logical partition occurs at a time other than when that logical partition's virtual processors are being executed by the physical processor, a delay will occur before the interrupt can be processed. The processing of the interrupt is delayed until the virtual processors of the intended logical partition are once again dispatched to and be executed by the physical processor.
A device will generate an interrupt to a particular logical partition in order to notify the logical partition that the device either has received data that it needs to pass to the logical partition or that the device is expecting to receive data from the logical partition. If the logical partition does not respond in a timely manner to the device's interrupts, an overrun or under-run condition may occur in the device's buffer. Overruns and under-run conditions are latency-induced problems.
When a device receives data, the device generates an interrupt to the appropriate logical partition to alert the logical partition that the partition needs to read the data out of the device's buffer. If the logical partition does not respond to the interrupt and does not read the data out of the buffer, the data will remain in the buffer and the buffer will become full and will eventually be unable to hold any additional data. When the buffer is unable to hold additional data, additional data intended for storage in the buffer will be lost. This is an overrun condition.
When a device needs to receives data, the device generates an interrupt to the appropriate logical partition to alert the logical partition that the partition needs to write data to the device's buffer. If the logical partition does not respond to the interrupt and does not write data to the buffer, the buffer will remain at least partially empty even though the buffer should be storing data. This is an under-run condition.
Overruns and under-runs of device buffers can occur during the delay described above while the device waits for its interrupt to be processed. If the length of the service window is not optimally set for a logical partition during the configuration of the system, overruns and under-runs can affect the performance of the system.
In addition, although the length of the service window may have been set to an optimal value at one time, during runtime the requirements may change such that the length of the service window is no longer an optimal length of time. In this case, the system would have to be reconfigured by a system administrator in order to change the length of the service window. Such a modification to the length of the service window may still not solve the problem where the requirements in the system change dynamically during runtime.
Therefore, a need exists for a method, apparatus, and computer program product for dynamically tuning the amount of the physical processor capacity that is allocated to each logical partition in a shared processor system.

Method, apparatus, and computer program product for dynamically tuning amount of physical processor capacity allocation in shared processor systems

Abstract: If it is determined that the length should be increased, the length of the first service window is dynamically increased during runtime.

International Business Machines Corporation


A magnetic recording device includes a slider having an air bearing surface (ABS), a leading side, and a trailing side and a head residing on the slider. The head has a first magnetic transducer and a first heater for heating an area proximal to the first magnetic transducer. A first shield (S1) comprising a first material is on the leading side of the first magnetic transducer and a second shield (S2) comprising the first material is on the trailing side of the first magnetic transducer. A first pole (P1) comprising the first material is on the trailing side of the second shield (S2), and the first pole (P1) is between 0.6 micron and 2.0 micron thick; and the second shield (S2) is less than 0.6 micron thick. A hard disk drive includes the magnetic recording device.

Disk drives typically use heads residing on sliders to read from and write to the magnetic media. Read and write transducers residing in the head are flown at a small, controlled spacing above the magnetic medium during read and write operations. An air bearing forms between the head and the disk due to the disk rotating at high speeds. It may be desirable to estimate a fly height of the head, for example, when a system controls the fly height in order to optimize the write/read signals. To determine the controlled spacing, it may be desirable for the disk drive to detect at what point the head contacts the media, known as a touchdown event. Touchdown sensing may be accomplished by detecting actual contact or by proximity sensing methods. In addition, touchdown may be determined without dedicated sensors, for example using readback signal from the read transducer, position error signal (PES) from the servo, or other means.
For example, heads may use a thermal actuator that generates heat to control the head-media spacing. Heat generated by the thermal actuator causes local thermal expansion of the head, which locally reduces the spacing between the head and magnetic media. The thermal actuator can be driven to induce sufficient heating for contact or touchdown between the head and media. This touchdown is intentional and may be performed on each drive during initial drive calibration, or periodically during normal operation.
Thermal actuators cause touchdown and sensors detect touchdown; however, this does not ensure that the point where touchdown is made is actually sensed at the same location, or sensed at the desired location, or is well correlated to the read/write transducers fly height. In one example, touchdown may occur while the read sensor is still well above the surface, resulting in sub-optimal read signal. In another example, touchdown may occur at the read sensor first and cause damage to the read sensor.

Magnetic recording head with dynamic fly height heating and having thermally controlled pole tip protrusion to control and protect reader element


Methods and a system for identifying reflective surfaces in a scene are provided herein. The system may include a sensing device configured to capture a scene. The system may further include a storage device configured to store three-dimensional positions of at least some of the objects in the scene. The system may further include a computer processor configured to attempt to obtain a reflective surface representation for one or more candidate surfaces selected from the surfaces in the scene. In a case that the attempted obtaining is successful, computer processor is further configured to determine that the candidate reflective surface is indeed a reflective surface defined by the obtained surface representation. According to some embodiments of the present invention, in a case the attempted calculation is unsuccessful, determining that the recognized portion of the object is an object that is independent of the stored objects.

Prior to setting forth the background of the invention, it may be helpful to set forth definitions of certain terms that will be used hereinafter.
The term "sensing device" (sometimes referred to as "camera" in computer vision) as used herein is broadly defined as any combination of one or more sensors of any type, not necessarily optical (and may include radar, ultra sound and the like). Additionally, the sensing device is configured to capture an image of a scene and derive or obtain some three-dimensional data of a scene. An exemplary sensing device may include a pair of cameras which are configured to capture passive stereo which may be used to derive depth data by comparing the images taken from different locations. Another example for a sensing device may include a structured light sensor which is configured to receive and analyze reflections of a predefined light pattern that has been projected onto the scene. Yet another important example is a 2D sensing device that captures a plurality of 2D images of the scene and further provides relative spatial data for the relationship between each 2D captured image. It should be noted that for the purposes of the present application, all dimensions in the scene can be relative (e.g., it is sufficient to have relative movement, as long as the proportion is given or derivable from the camera).
The term "reflective surface" as used herein is defined to be surface that changes the direction of a wavefront (e.g., of light or sound) at an interface between two different media so that the wavefront returns into the medium from which it originated. Specular reflection is the mirror-like reflection of light (or of other kinds of wave) from a surface, in which light from a single incoming direction (a ray) is reflected into a single outgoing direction. Such behavior is described by the law of reflection, which states that the direction of incoming light (the incident ray), and the direction of outgoing light reflected (the reflected ray) make the same angle with respect to the surface normal, thus the angle of incidence equals the angle of reflection and that the incident, normal, and reflected directions are coplanar. A partially reflective surface can be referred to any of the two types: Type one—not all the surface is reflective. Type two—level of specular reflection can be varied and a level beyond an agreeable threshold can be regarded as "reflective".
One of the challenges of computer vision is to detect the presence of, and obtain knowledge about, reflective surfaces in a scene. In specular reflections, and specifically where mirrors are involved, there is a risk that a computer-based analysis of a scene will mistakenly assume that an image captured in a reflection is a real object.
It would be advantageous to suggest some logic or a flow that will enable a computerized vision system to distinguish between real objects and their respective images, to be able to automatically detect reflective surfaces in a captured scene, and more specifically, to generate a spatial representation of the reflective surface.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Method and a system for identifying reflective surfaces in a scene


A tool for handling and grouping products aligned one behind another and separated by a given spacing. The tool has a row of supports, each able to carry a grasping element for grasping a product, the supports mounted to move on a rail, each support connected to an adjacent support by an attachment. The attachment includes a rod that connects two adjacent supports and a member for locking the position of at least one of the two adjacent supports on the rod. The locking member can be deactivated to adjust the distance between two supports to the distance between two products. The mechanism for grouping together includes at least one cylinder, the cylinder including a body fixed on a support and a rod.

The invention relates to a tool for handling and grouping together products in preparation for packaging them in batches.
The tool of the invention is designed to be used in a conveyance installation where products aligned one behind another and separated from each other by a predetermined distance are moved from one station to another on a conveyor.
There are known installations equipped with modules for grouping products which have their base resting on the conveyor. For example, document FR 2 918 359 describes a tool for grouping bottles, vials, or the like, where the tool is in the form of a rake with teeth. When the rake is full, it shifts the batch of products arranged between its teeth to a given location where the batch is released.
Such a grouping tool demands a minimum predetermined distance between the products when they are conveyed, this minimum predetermined distance being slightly greater than the thickness of the teeth which are inserted between two consecutive products. The spaces between the teeth must correspond to the dimensions of the products which are to be inserted between the teeth of the rake. If a manufacturer wants to change the dimensions of the products to be grouped, it is necessary to change the rake.
Such a technical solution is therefore not easily adapted to changes in the shape of the products; however, such shape (design) changes are necessary in order to continue attracting consumers and/or to allow a particular use or arrangement/storage of products.
Also known is a manipulator robot tool as described in document FR 2 876 615. Such a robot tool allows capturing entire batches of products (bottles in this case) aligned one behind another, and comprising several rows of products. Each row contains a certain number of products which are spaced apart from each other by a same fixed distance. A first row of products can be replaced by another row containing more or fewer products. To achieve this, the tool comprises rapid attachment means for the row on the body of the tool.
Such a tool, however, has the same disadvantage as the one described in document FR 2 918 359: the space between the grasping elements is not modifiable, which entails changing the row of grasping elements when the products change in shape or when their spacing on the conveyor belt is changed.
Also known, from document FR 2 879 179, is a product transfer device (conveyor) comprising a row of grasping elements which allow conveying products aligned one behind another.
The device comprises a parallelogram system connecting two adjacent elements, such that the grasping elements can move away from or draw closer to each other between a minimum distance and a maximum distance. In this manner, the products can be separated by a first distance in a first processing station and by a second distance in a second processing station.
Such a device has several disadvantages. Firstly, it does not allow setting an intermediate distance between the minimum spacing and the maximum distance allowed by the parallelogram. In addition, such a device is designed to convey products and is not suitable for the manipulation or grouping of products which are moved from one station to another while resting on their base on a conveyor and while aligned one behind another and separated from each other by a distance which can be varied, to adapt it to the minimum spacing required between two products (the spacing between two products varying according to the size and shape of the products conveyed).

Tool for handling and grouping together products and method for adjusting said tool

C.E.R.M.E.X. CONSTRUCTIONS ETUDES ET RECHERCHES DE MATERIELS POUR L′EMBALLAGE D′EXPEDITION


A method for preparing an .alpha.-olefin polymer in which an .alpha.-olefin is polymerized in the presence of a catalyst, characterized in that the catalyst is a solid obtained by making the following components (ii) and (iii) be supported in the component (i):. Component (i): an organic porous polymer having an average particle diameter of 5 to 1,000 .mu.m, in which the total pore volume of all pores whose diameter is 0.006 to 10 .mu.m is 0.3 cc/g or more, and the total pore volume of all pores whose diameter is 0.05 to 2 .mu.m is 50% or more of the total pore volume of all pores whose diameter is 0.006 to 10 .mu.m;. Component (ii) a compound having the structure ##STR1## in which R is a hydrocarbon group having 1 to 10 carbon atoms; and Component (iii) a compound of a transition metal which belongs to one of the Groups IVB to VIB in the Periodic Table, having at least one conjugated 5-membered cyclic ligand.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method for preparing .alpha.-olefin polymers. More specifically, the present invention is to provide a method by which the production in a high yield of particulate polymers having good particle properties is made possible when it is applied to polymerization of an .alpha.-olefin, and, in particular, a method by which the production of particulate polymers that are free from the problem of adhesion of particles is made possible even when it is employed for producing polymers having a high rubber content.
2. Related Art
In recent years, highly active catalysts useful for the polymerization of olefins, which are a combination of a zirconocene compound and an alumoxane, have been proposed (Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publications Nos. 19309/1983 and 35007/1985). Further, it has also been proposed to design the structure of the ligand of the catalysts of the above type to make the preparation of various stereoregular polymers possible (Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publications Nos. 130314/1986, 295607/1988, 301704/1989 and 41303/1990). According to this proposal, polymers having high activity and a narrow molecular-weight distribution may be prepared. On the contrary, the catalysts are soluble in toluene used as a solvent, so that only a polymer whose particle diameter is extremely small (in general, approximately 1 to 50 .mu.m) may be obtained. For this reason, it has been difficult, to the best of our knowledge, by the above method, to industrially produce polymers with high efficiency. Moreover, it is necessary to use a large amount of an alumoxane in the above method, so that the production cost becomes high. In order to solve these problems, various proposals have been made. In Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publications Nos. 51408/1989, 275609/1989 and 140305/1991, alumoxane and a metallocene compound are brought into contact with each other in advance to obtain a particulate polymer. However, a particulate polymer can be obtained only when the above method is applied to so-called liquid phase bulk polymerization in which propylene is used as a solvent, and a polymer having a controlled particle diameter cannot be obtained when it is applied to slurry polymerization in which an inert solvent is used, or to gas phase polymerization.
In Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publications Nos. 296008/1986, 51407/1988 and 152608/1988, and WO 88-05058, such catalysts that a catalytic component is supported on an inorganic oxide, particularly on silica, are proposed. By this technique, it has become possible to prepare a particulate polymer even by gas phase polymerization. However, the activity per catalyst is low because the amount of the catalytic component which can be supported on silica is limited, and, in addition, the silica tends to remain in a polymer prepared. These are the causes of deterioration in the quality of the polymer, that is, the polymer is to have, for example, reduced moldability, a rough surface or fish eyes. This technique would therefore be unfavorable.
On the other hand, in Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 92621/1988 and WO 88-05058, it is proposed to support a catalytic component on polyethylene particles. By this method, deterioration in the quality of a polymer produced, which would be inherent in the use of an inorganic oxide as a carrier, can be prevented. However, a catalytic component would not be fully supported on polyethylene particles as compared with the case where an inorganic oxide is used as the support. For this reason, not only the activity becomes low but also the catalytic component is detached from the carrier while polymerization is conducted. As a result, a large amount of fine particles are produced, and thus the object which is to obtain a particulate polymer cannot be fully attained. Further, this proposal is carried out only for the preparation of ethylene polymers in which the activity is easily revealed. Therefore, a technique by which the preparation of particulate polypropylene is feasible has been desired.
When a propylene block copolymer having high rigidity and a high impact strength is prepared by polymerization, a rubbery copolymer is generally formed in an increased proportion in the resultant copolymer in order to enhance the impact strength of the resultant block copolymer. However, in this case, the amount of a by-product is increased, and polymer particles adhere to one another or to the inner wall of an apparatus. Therefore, it tends to be difficult to stably and continuously operate an apparatus used for preparing the polymer for a long period of time.
Recently, in order to improve the impact strength at low temperatures, proposals have been made such that, at a first stage, crystalline polypropylene is formed in the presence of liquid propylene and, at a latter stage, propylene and ethylene or an .alpha.-olefin having 4 to 20 carbon atoms are copolymerized, wherein use is made of a metallocene catalyst (EP-433989, EP-433990 and Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 114050/1992). As long as we know, however, although the impact resistance at low temperatures of the polymer product may be improved when the polymer is produced by the method proposed, a finely particulate polymer would be formed, and polymer particles would also tend to agglomerate with one another or to adhere to the inner wall of a polymerization vessel when the amount of the polymer produced at the latter stage is increased. Therefore, it would not be easy to prepare a copolymer stably by this method.
On the other hand, elastomeric polyolefins, which are useful as impact resistant polymer or as an additive for improving impact resistance of "hard" polymers, may be produced with catalysts based on vanadium used in a solution polymerization method. The vanadium based catalysts may have some drawbacks that it may not be feasible to conduct polymerization at elevated temperatures whereby productivity of polymers per a polymerization vessel may be at a lower level resulting in production of polymers at a higher cost.
The vapor/gas phase polymerization, which may produce polymers in higher productivity, has been desired.
The present invention has been made in order to solve the aforementioned problems in the prior art. Objects of the present invention are therefore to provide a catalyst for use in the polymerization of olefins, capable of producing polymers which have been improved in their particle properties even when the catalyst is used in slurry polymerization or gas phase polymerization, in particular, a catalyst capable of producing polypropylenes, of which production has been difficult by the prior art technology, without using a large amount of an alumoxane compound; and a method for preparing an olefin polymer by using the catalyst.
Another object of the present invention is to prepare propylene block copolymers and/or thermoplastic elastomers having improved impact resistance without entailing the formation of fine particles, agglomeration of particles or adhesion of particles to the wall of a polymerization vessel even when a rubbery copolymer is formed in an increased ratio.

Method for producing .alpha.-olefin polymers

Mitsubishi Petrochemical Company Limited


In order to solve the problem that the power consumption of optical amplifiers is not optimized over the life time of a network whose capacity in use varies, an optical amplifier according to an exemplary aspect of the invention includes a gain medium for amplifying a plurality of optical channels, the gain medium including a plurality of cores through which the plurality of optical channels to propagate respectively and a cladding area surrounding the plurality of cores; monitoring means for monitoring the plurality of optical channels inputted into the gain medium and producing a monitoring result; a first light source configured to emit a first light beam to excite the cladding area; a second light source configured to emit a plurality of second light beams to excite each of the plurality of cores individually; and controlling means for making a decision as to whether each of the plurality of cores to transmit one of the plurality of optical channels based on the monitoring result, and controlling the first light source and the second light source based on the decision.

In order to optimize the investment in optical fiber links, it is desirable to increase the capacity of the optical fiber links. This can be achieved by increasing the spectral efficiency (SE) of the signals to be transmitted through the optical fiber links.
A common way to achieve the increase in the SE is to use more efficient modulation formats for the information to be transmitted. This can be used in conjunction with the wavelength division multiplexing (WDM) system.
Furthermore, the space division multiplexing (SDM) system is being used in order to increase the capacity of transmission through a single fiber maintaining the possibility of the transmission over a long distance.
The SDM system can be implemented with a multi-core fiber (MCF) and a multicore (MC)—erbium doped fiber amplifier (EDFA). The MCF includes several cores conducting optical signals within the same fiber. The MC-EDFA is a fiber amplifier with an MCF as a gain medium (see patent literature 1, for example). The MC-EDFA consists in pumping individually the cores of a single MCF gain medium with separate pumping lasers by a scheme of direct core pumping. The MC-EDFA system demonstrates the possibility to multiply the system capacity by the number of cores of the MCF. By using the MCF, it is possible to use the multiplicity of cores to spatially multiplex signals in addition to the WDM in each core and to increase the capacity to be transmitted through fibers without sacrificing the transmission distance.
Another advantage of the SDM is the benefit brought by the SDM amplifiers for power consumption of the transmission line and its node. An EDFA can be integrated with the MC-EDFA that brings benefits in power consumption from the implementation of a direct core pumping MC-EDFA. The reduction in power consumption at amplifiers is of primary importance for the system scalable to very high capacity and for the reduction in operation expenditure (OPEX) through the reduction in electricity consumed.
Another example of the SDM system is described in patent literature 1 (PTL1). A multi-core fiber amplifier described in PTL1 is a hybrid MC-EDFA scheme which combines cladding pumping for the benefits of low power and direct core pumping for individual control of the performance of the SDM channels.
The multi-core fiber amplifier described in PTL1 has at least two multi-core fiber amplification units arranged in series. Each multi-core fiber amplification unit has a multi-core fiber for amplification and an exciting light source. The multi-core fiber includes rare earth ions added to the cores. The exciting light source generates exciting light for exciting the rare earth ions.
At least one multi-core fiber for amplification in the multi-core fiber amplification unit has a core through which signal light inputted into the multi-core fiber amplification unit propagates, and a clad through which the exciting light propagates. The other multi-core fibers for amplification in the multi-core fiber amplification unit have multiplexing means for multiplexing the signal light and the exciting light, and inputting the multiplexed light into each of the cores in the other multi-core fibers for amplification. The exciting light power of the exciting light for the other multi-core fibers is adjusted on the basis of a calculation result of the signal light power of the signal light inputted into the multi-core fiber amplifier and the signal light power of signal light amplified and output by the multi-core fiber amplifier.
In the multi-core fiber amplifier described in PTL1, the pumping power for the cladding pumping is kept constant and the pumping power for the direct core pumping is adjusted to control the gain of the individual cores. This makes it possible to obtain almost constant gain over signal wavelengths even though the number of wavelengths included in WDM signals varies.

Optical amplifier, optical network including the same, and method for amplifying optical signal


A method for detecting rollover occurrences in a motor vehicle and activating appropriate restraining devices, the rate of rotation of the vehicle about at least one axis of rotation, in particular its longitudinal axis and/or its transverse axis, being measured with the aid of at least one rotation-rate sensor, and evaluated. The translational acceleration of the vehicle is considered in evaluating the rotation-rate sensor signal, in order to prevent malfunctions of the rotation-rate sensor caused by extreme translational accelerations from erroneously triggering restraining devices for a rollover event.

The present invention relates to a method for detecting rollover occurrences in a motor vehicle and triggering appropriate restraining devices, the rate of rotation of the vehicle about at least one axis of rotation, in particular its longitudinal axis and/or its transverse axis, being measured with the aid of at least one rotation-rate sensor, and evaluated.
In practice, micromechanical or surface-micromechanical sensors, which function according to the tuning-fork principal or to a linear or rotational oscillation principle, are preferably used as rotation-rate sensors.
Rotation-rate sensors that function according to the rotational oscillation principle measure the Coriolis acceleration, which acts on the sensor mass due to a rotational movement of the vehicle. The following comparison between a measurement of the translational acceleration and a measurement of the Coriolis acceleration by surface-micromechanical sensors, whose sensor masses are each 2xc3x9710xe2x88x926 grams, shows that the Coriolis acceleration is a relatively small physical effect.
In the case of a translational acceleration of 3 g, which corresponds to the resolution limit of an 8-bit analog-digital converter, the force acting on the sensor mass of the acceleration sensor is approximately 60xc3x9710xe2x88x9210 Newtons. In contrast, the Coriolis force acting on the edge of the sensor mass in response to an angular acceleration of 3xc2x0/s, which also corresponds to the resolution limit of an 8-bit analog-digital converter, is approximately 4xc3x9710xe2x88x9210 Newtons. Therefore, the minimum force to be measured in a rotation-rate sensor based on the rotational-oscillation principle is approximately 15 times smaller than in the case of an acceleration sensor having the same sensor mass. Thus, such rotation-rate sensors must be designed to measure minimal forces.
Translational accelerations, which, e.g. occur in crash situations, may cause mechanical vehicle resonances, which considerably interfere with the functioning of the above-described rotation-rate sensors. In crash situations, in particular, the situation can occur in which the output signal of the rotation-rate sensor incorrectly indicates a rollover situation, and restraining devices are therefore triggered, which are not useful in the actual accident situation and may even constitute an additional injury risk to the vehicle occupants.
The present invention provides that the translational acceleration of the vehicle be considered in evaluating the rotation-rate sensor signal, in order to prevent malfunctions of the rotation-rate sensor caused by extreme translational accelerations from erroneously triggering restraining devices for a rollover event.
In the case of the present invention, it is recognized that, in a crash which may cause the rotation-rate sensor to malfunction, relatively large translational accelerations always occur, while such large translational accelerations do not occur in the case of a rollover event. In addition, it is recognized that, in the case of a crash, acceleration components always occur along all three main axes of the vehicle. In order to implement the method of the present invention, it is therefore already sufficient to measure just one of the acceleration components, i.e. to measure the translational acceleration in only one direction. Since airbag control units are usually equipped with acceleration sensors for detecting longitudinal and lateral impact, the method of the present invention may advantageously use the present hardware and evaluate the output signals of these acceleration sensors. Consequently, the present invention""s method for detecting rollover occurrences may easily be integrated into the airbag control unit, as well.
In principle, the translational acceleration measured within the scope of the method according to the present invention may be meaningfully considered in different ways, in the evaluation of the measured rate of rotation.
In one variant of the method according to the present invention, the measured translational acceleration is used to check if a crash situation exists, which could impair the functionality of the rotation-rate sensor. For this purpose, one may simply define a threshold value for the translational acceleration. Then, when the measured translational acceleration is greater than this threshold value, it is always assumed that a crash situation is present, which, in turn, is considered while evaluating the rate of rotation measured concurrently.
In a particularly advantageous variant of the method according to the present invention, the output signal of the rotation-rate sensor, i.e. the measured rate of rotation, is at least ignored for a predetermined period of time, when it is assumed, on the basis of the measured translational acceleration, that a crash situation exists, i.e. when, for example, the simultaneously measured translational acceleration of the vehicle is greater than a predetermined threshold value. Since high translational accelerations do not normally occur during rollover events, the possibility of a rollover event here is simply excluded from the beginning, regardless of the output signal of the rotation-rate sensor. In this manner, restraining devices unsuitable for the actual situation may be reliably prevented from being erroneously activated.

Method for detecting rollover occurrences in a motor vehicle


Apparatus and methods for packaging IC chips and laminated antenna structures with laminated waveguide structures that are integrally constructed as part of an antenna package to form compact integrated radio/wireless communications systems for millimeter wave applications.

In a wireless network, the connectivity and communication between devices is achieved through antennas attached to receivers or transmitters, in order to radiate the desired signals to or from other elements of the network. In radio communication systems, such as millimeter-wave radios, discrete components are usually assembled with low integration levels. These systems are often assembled using expensive and bulky waveguides and package-level or board-level microstrip structures to interconnect semiconductors and their required transmitter- or receiver-antennas. With recent progress in semiconductor technology and packaging engineering, the dimensions of these radio communication systems have become smaller. For applications such as wireless universal serial bus (USB), the operating distance is limited to about a meter; and a single antenna with about 7 dBi at 60 GHz will provide the necessary antenna gain. For distances as long as 10 meters (such as wireless video) or longer (such as radar), in point-to-point applications, antenna gains as high as 30 dBi, depending on the application, are required. However, high gain antennas for wireless video applications have very narrow beam widths, so pointing the antenna is very difficult for consumers. And line-of-sight signal transmission cannot be guaranteed in indoor environments because of, e.g., people moving around within the indoor environment. Therefore, a radiation pattern steerable array, such as a phased array, is necessary to help beam alignment and/or to find other signal transmission pass in case of blockage. Phased arrays are also widely used in military radars. However, packaging RF chips with integrated antennas or phased arrays is extremely difficult and very expensive due to the expensive components and extensive labor involved.

Laminated antenna structures for package applications


Compounds with 7-azaindole core structure with activity toward the receptor protein tyrosine kinase c-kit, compositions useful for treatment c-kit-mediate diseases or conditions, and methods of use thereof, are provided. Further provided are methods of c-kit ligand identification and design.

The information provided is intended solely to assist the understanding of the reader. None of the information provided nor references cited is admitted to be prior art to the present invention. Each of the references cited is incorporated herein in its entirety.
Receptor protein tyrosine kinases (RPTKs) regulate key signal transduction cascades that control cellular growth and proliferation. The Stem Cell Factor (SCF) receptor c-kit is a type III transmembrane RPTK that includes five extracellular immunoglobulin (IG) domains, a single transmembrane domain, and a split cytoplasmic kinase domain separated by a kinase insert segment. C-kit plays an important role in the development of melanocytes, mast, germ, and hematopoietic cells.
Stem Cell Factor (SCF) is a protein encoded by the SI locus, and has also been called kit ligand (KL) and mast cell growth factor (MGF), based on the biological properties used to identify it (reviewed in Tsujimura, Pathol Int 1996, 46:933-938; Loveland, et al., J. Endocrinol 1997, 153:337-344; Vliagoftis, et al., Clin Immunol 1997, 100:435-440; Broudy, Blood 1997, 90:1345-1364; Pignon, Hermatol Cell Ther 1997, 39:114-116; and Lyman, et al., Blood 1998, 91:1101-1134.). Herein we use the abbreviation SCF to refer to the ligand for the c-Kit RTK.
SCF is synthesized as a transmembrane protein with a molecular weight of 220 or 248 Dalton, depending on alternative splicing of the mRNA to encode exon 6. The larger protein can be proteolytically cleaved to form a soluble, glycosylated protein which noncovalently dimerizes. Both the soluble and membrane-bound forms of SCF can bind to and activate c-Kit. For example, in the skin, SCF is predominantly expressed by fibroblasts, keratinocytes, and endothelial cells, which modulate the activity of melanocytes and mast cells expressing c-Kit. In bone, marrow stromal cells express SCF and regulate hematopoiesis of c-Kit expressing stem cells. In the gastrointestinal tract, intestinal epithelial cells express SCF and affect the interstitial cells of Cajal and intraepithelial lymphocytes. In the testis, sertoli cells and granulosa cells express SCF which regulates spermatogenesis by interaction with c-Kit on germ cells.
Additional RPTK proteins, for example Ret, and NTRK1, have been described (Takahashi & Cooper, Mol Cell Biol. 1987, 7:1378-85; Bothwell, Cell. 1991, 65:915-8.). Ret and NTRK1 play a role in the development and maturation of specific components of the nervous system. Alterations in Ret and NTRK1 have been associated with several human diseases, including some forms of cancer and developmental abnormalities. The correlation between genetic alteration and the appearance of various diseases has contributed to the concept that one gene can be responsible for more than one disease. Moreover, genetic alterations in both Ret and NTRK1 have been observed that belong to either "gain of function" or "loss of function" class of mutations. In fact, receptor rearrangements or point mutations convert Ret and NTRK1 into dominantly acting transforming genes leading to thyroid tumors, whereas inactivating mutations, associated with Hirschsprung's disease (HSCR) and congenital insensitivity to pain with anhidrosis (CIPA), impair Ret and NTRK1 functions, respectively.
A co-crystal structure of c-kit kinase domain with the compound STI-571 (Gleevec, Imatinib) is reported by Mol et al. (J. Biol. Chem. 2003, 278:31461-4). A structure of auto-inhibited c-kit, along with a structure of c-kit in complex with STI-571 is described by Mol et al., (J. Biol. Chem. 2004, 279:31655-63). Cloning, crystallization conditions and structure determination are also described.
Modulation of c-Kit using indolinone compounds is described in Lipson et al., U.S. 20040002534 (U.S. application Ser. No. 10/600,868, filed Jun. 23, 2003).
Aberrant expression and/or activation of c-Kit has been implicated in a variety of pathologic states. For example, evidence for a contribution of c-Kit to neoplastic pathology includes its association with leukemias and mast cell tumors, small cell lung cancer, testicular cancer, and some cancers of the gastrointestinal tract and central nervous system. In addition, c-Kit has been implicated in playing a role in carcinogenesis of the female genital tract sarcomas of neuroectodermal origin, and Schwann cell neoplasia associated with neurofibromatosis. It was found that mast cells are involved in modifying the tumor microenvironment and enhancing tumor growth (Yang et al., J Clin Invest. 2003, 112:1851-1861; Viskochil, J Clin Invest. 2003, 112:1791-1793). Accordingly, there is a need in the art for modulators of c-kit activity.


Systems and methods for improving the performance of a multiprocessor system by enabling a first processor to initiate the retrieval of data and the storage of the data in the cache memory of a second processor. One embodiment comprises a system having a plurality of processors coupled to a bus, where each processor has a corresponding cache memory. The processors are configured so that a first one of the processors can issue a preload command directing a target processor to load data into the target processor's cache memory. The preload command may be issued in response to a preload instruction in program code, or in response to an event. The first processor may include an explicit identifier of the target processor in the preload command, or the selection of the target processor may be left to another agent, such as an arbitrator coupled to the bus.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates generally to computing systems, and more particularly to systems and methods for improving the efficiency of multiprocessor systems by enabling a first processor to direct data to be loaded into the cache memory of a different processor and thereafter providing the data directly from the second processor to the first processor through intervention.
2. Related Art
As the complexity of data processing applications increases, there is a need for increased processing power. This need for increased processing power drives the development of new technologies and new techniques for using existing technologies.
The need for increased processing power can be addressed in a number of ways. For example, it may be possible to increase the clock speed of a processor and the corresponding number of instructions that can be executed by the processor in a given amount of time. Another way to improve the performance of a processor is to improve the performance of other systems that interact with the processor. For instance, the speed with which data can be accessed in a memory system can be increased (e.g., by caching data,) thereby reducing the amount of time spent by a processor waiting for data to be accessed and increasing the throughput that can be achieved by the processor.
Another way to increase the processing power of a computing system is to use multiple processors rather than providing a single processor to execute an application. While the performance of each individual processor may not be improved, there are more processors (hence more processing power) available to execute the application. It may be convenient to use multiple processors to execute applications such as multimedia applications because of the many different types of tasks that may need to be performed and the ability to configure the different processors so that they are optimized to perform these different tasks.
Some of these techniques can be combined with others, or can be used in different ways to further improve the performance of a computing system. In one system, multiple processors can be provided. Each of the processors in this multi-processor system may have a cache memory that is configured to store data that has recently been used by the processor. Because of the likelihood that recently used data will be used again by the processor in the near future, storing this data in the cache memory makes the data more readily available to the processor. That is, the data can be retrieved more quickly from the cache memory than from a main memory. The latency of the data (the time required to retrieve the data) is thereby reduced. In some multi-processor systems, each processor can also retrieve data from the caches of the other processors in the system, which can also reduce the latency of the data.
Another technique that can be used to improve the performance of the processors in the multi-processor system described above is to enable prefetching of data that will be needed by the processors. If it can be determined that particular data will be needed by a processor prior to execution of the instruction that actually uses the data, the data can be retrieved prior to execution of the instruction. The retrieved data can be stored in the processor's cache memory so that it is available for quick access by the processor.
While several techniques to improve the performance of the multi-processor system are described above, there are some limitations on the improvement that is possible. One shortcoming in particular is the fact that the technique of prefetching data is limited to a processor's own cache memory. In other words, when a particular processor prefetches data, the data can only be stored in the cache owned by the processor. While some conventional multi-processor systems enable their processors to use data stored in other processors' cache memories, these systems do not allow the processors to store data in the other processors' cache memories. This limits the usefulness of the ability to use the data in other processors' cache memories. This also limits the usefulness of caching in the first processor when, for example, a general load instruction causes data to be cast out of the processor's cache memory (i.e., the cast out data cannot be stored by the processor in another processor's cache memory.)
It would therefore be desirable to provide systems and methods for enabling processors in a multiprocessor system to load data into the cache memories of other processors.

Systems and methods for loading data into the cache of one processor to improve performance of another processor in a multiprocessor system


The invention relates generally to electrodeposition apparatus and methods. When depositing films via electrodeposition, where the substrate has an inherent resistivity, for example, sheet resistance in a thin film, methods and apparatus of the invention are used to electrodeposit materials onto the substrate by forming a plurality of ohmic contacts to the substrate surface and thereby overcome the inherent resistance and electrodeposit uniform films. Methods and apparatus of the invention find particular use in solar cell fabrication.

Electrodeposition is generally a plating process that uses electrical current to reduce or oxidize chemical species of a desired material from a solution and coat a conductive substrate with a thin layer of that material. An electroplating system typically includes two electrodes and an electrolyte. Additionally, a reference electrode may also sometimes be employed. In an electrodeposition process, typically the part to be coated is one of the electrodes and the coating material is supplied from the electrolyte in which the electrodes are immersed. In electroplating, the electrolyte is replenished periodically with the chemical species being deposited on the substrate. The electrode that is not being coated can be a source of the chemical species in order to replenish the electrolytic solution, or an inert electrode can be used.
Solar or photovoltaic cells are devices that convert photons into electricity by the photovoltaic effect. Solar cells are assembled together to make solar panels, solar modules, or photovoltaic arrays. Thin film solar cells are stacked structures, having layers of materials, including photovoltaic materials, stacked on a substrate for support of the stack. There are many fabrication techniques used for fabricating the individual layers of the stack. One particularly useful method is electrodeposition, however there are drawbacks to conventional apparatus and methods in this respect. For example, when electrodepositing a material onto an electrically insulating substrate, such as glass, a conductive coating must be applied to the substrate in order to allow electric current to pass through the conductive coating. These conductive coatings are typically thin and can have high sheet resistance which produces voltage non-uniformities when electroplating over large areas. In these scenarios uniform deposition of the electroplated film across large area resistive substrates is problematic.
What is needed, therefore, are improved apparatus and methods for electrodeposition on large area resistive substrates. Given the demand for renewable energy, improved apparatus and methods are particularly important for solar cell fabrication where the typical substrate is glass coated by a thin layer of transparent conductive oxide.

Apparatus and methods for fast chemical electrodeposition for fabrication of solar cells


A limiting amplifier has between an amplifier input and an amplifier output at least one amplifier stage as well as load components. The amplifier has an output signal limiting device for limiting the maximum amplitude of the output signal and the amplification and includes a current drain device connected to the amplifier stage output and drawing current through the load components. More particularly, the amplifier stage can be a differential amplifier stage with a differential input and a differential output, two current drain devices being connected to each one of the terminals of the differential output.

The present invention relates to a limiting amplifier, which comprises at least one amplifier stage between an amplifier input and an amplifier output, said amplifier stage including at least one amplifying component and load components, and which has an output signal limiting means limiting the maximum amplitude and the amplification of the output signal.
The invention is directed to such applications of the signal amplification art where it can occur that an incoming signal needing amplification has so great amplitude variations that the greatest amplitude values thereof fall outside the dynamic range of a conventional amplifier, i.e. the range within which the amplification is linear. As an example signal transmission via fiber-optic links can be mentioned, where the amplitude of the optical signals can vary considerably from link to link depending upon the distance between sender and transmitter. In order to be able to cope with this variation the receiver can include a symmetrical limiting amplifier.
The use of limiting amplifiers in connection with signal reception on fiber-optic links is described for example in two articles in the journal IEEE Journal of Solid-State Circuits, viz. in volume sc-21, No. 6, December, 1986, with the title "Integrated Circuits for a 200-Mbit/s Fiber-Optic Link", and in volume sc-22, No. 4, August 1987, with the title "Bipolar High-Gain Limiting Amplifier IC for Optical-Fiber Receivers Operating up to 4 Gbit/s."
Through U.S. Pat. No. 4,528,515 a high-frequency differential amplifier is known, in which an emitter-coupled pair of transistors each has its transistor input stage, of which the transconductance of the transistors can be varied by means of a variable current source. The aim is to vary the bandwidth and the damping factor of the differential amplifier without decreasing its amplification and dynamic range.
Through the Swedish laid-out specification 457 922 (corresponding to EP 88850158.2) a device for use in an active filter is known, which includes a differential amplifier stage with a differential input and a differential output.
The differential amplifier stage has two sets of components between a supply voltage and a current generator. The components of each set on the one hand include an amplifying component with a control electrode and a main conducting path between a first and a second current electrode, on the second hand a first group of series connected diode components arranged in a series circuit with the amplifying component between the first current electrode and the current generator, and on the third hand at least a second group of series connected diode components in series or in parallel with said series circuit. The control electrodes are connected in opposition to each terminal of the differential input so that difference between the potentials on the current electrodes increases with increasing voltage over the differential input. At the other current electrodes the amplifying components are connected in opposition to each terminal of the differential output so that the voltage over the differential output varies with the difference between the forward voltage drops over the two amplifying components.
The current generator is so arranged that it tends to keep the sum of the currents through the amplifying components constant.


A method includes receiving a structure that includes a substrate including a first well region having a first dopant type and a second well region having a second dopant type that is opposite to the first dopant type; and fins extending above the substrate. The method further includes forming a patterned etch mask on the structure, wherein the patterned etch mask provides an opening that is directly above a first fin of the fins, wherein the first fin is directly above the first well region. The method further includes etching the structure through the patterned etch mask, wherein the etching removes the first fin and forms a recess in the substrate that spans from the first well region into the second well region; and forming a dielectric material between remaining portions of the fins and within the recess.

The semiconductor integrated circuit (IC) industry has experienced rapid growth. In the course of IC evolution, functional density (i.e., the number of interconnected devices per chip area) has generally increased while geometry size (i.e., the smallest component (or line) that can be created using a fabrication process) has decreased. This scaling down process generally provides benefits by increasing production efficiency and lowering associated costs. However, such scaling down has also been accompanied by increased complexity in design and manufacturing of devices incorporating these ICs. Parallel advances in manufacturing have allowed increasingly complex designs to be fabricated with precision and reliability.
For example, advances in fabrication have enabled three-dimensional designs, such as Fin-like Field Effect Transistors (FinFETs). FinFETs provide reduced short channel effects, reduced leakage, and higher current flow, compared to planner FETs. Due to these advantages, FinFETs have been utilized for further scaling down ICs. However, certain areas of existing FinFET fabrication can be further improved. For example, in FinFET CMOS designs, latch-up may occur due to leakage between adjacent N-well and P-well.

FinFET circuit devices with well isolation

TAIWAN SEMICONDUCTOR MTAIWANANUFACTURING CO., LTD.


A process control system has a network which includes a plurality of modules, each module performing a predetermined function. The modules include at least one history module, and at least one application module, the modules being linked via a medium such that each module can communicate with every other module of the network. The network interfaces with a control subsystem which interfaces with control elements of a plant process, the control elements having associated therewith process data. The process data includes data values and event data; the total data includes process data, data calculated from the process data, off-line data, and external data, the total data being stored in a storage device of the history module. A method for maintaining the total data comprises the steps of queuing messages requesting selected portions of the total data to be stored in said storage device. The next step is processing the messages to determine if a new record is to be written in the storage device, and if a new record is to be written, proceeding to the next step; otherwise, skip to the updating step. The next step is that of writing the new record in a next available adjacent record of the storage device, and then repeating the processing, beginning with the queuing step. In the updating step, the record requested via the message is updated with the selected portions of the total data as specified by the message. Finally, the processing is repeated beginning at the step of queuing.

This invention relates to a method of data base management, and more particularly, to a method of maintaining a data base wherein the data being collected and stored is obtained on an asynchronous, real-time basis.
In a process control environment, a process control system controls a process, eg, a continuously operating manufacturing plant. At different points, or stations, along the process, there is available a data element, or variable, which can be measured and/or controlled. These data elements include pressure, flow, temperature, calculated values which may include some of the aforementioned data elements (i.e. is a function of these data elements). . . . The process control system has the ability to collect and store these data elements. In previous process control systems, these data elements were collected on a cyclic basis and stored in a structured array having values a.sub.i, b.sub.i, c.sub.i, . . . where a, b, c, . . . are predefined data elements, and i is an index, in the cyclic system being a function of time f(t), where 1.ltoreq.i.ltoreq.n, n being as large as permitted by the data storage device (i.e., the memory device of the process control system). In these previous systems (i.e., cyclic systems), the time interval between each value of the index i is fixed. Thus, if the frequency of data collection was once per minute, the time interval between each data package (a.sub.i, b.sub.i, c.sub.i, . . . , sometimes referred to herein as a snapshot) is one minute. Therefore, the time interval between a.sub.i and a.sub.i+1 is one minute. Thus, these previous systems maintained a sequence of images of the process at these fixed interval of times (i.e., cyclic). The process control system could readily perform the trending of a variable as a function of time i.e., provide a plot of a variable as a function of time. However, the data values of the data elements of these present day systems include analog values, and did not include information, such as, on-off, open-closed, automatic-manual, . . . information. Further, if the time interval (i.e., the frequency) of the collection was changed, all the data previously collected was, for all practical purposes, no longer relevant. If the data base structure was changed, again for all practical purposes, the data prior to the change in structure was no longer relevant. These present day systems did not readily provide for forwarding. In order to determine when an event occurred, a sequential search has to be performed--a very tedious process.
Thus there is a need to provide a data base system and a method for maintaining the data base, where some of the data is occurring asynchronously on a real-time basis, and other data associated with the real-time data can be generated sometime later. The present invention provides a method of collecting and storing the real-time, asynchronous data which allows for providing trending information, and for collecting other data indicating events, . . . event histories, and provides the information to perform statistical analysis of the data on an on-line basis.

Method of maintaining asynchronous real-time data


A phase to digital converter for a digital PLL (Phase Locked Loop) provides an output in the same or single reference clock period for which it is digitizing the phase error information. The phase to digital converter operates on a positive edge of the reference clock and a digital filter operates on the negative edge of the reference clock so the phase correction performed by the PLL occurs in the same reference clock cycle in which the phase to digital converter is digitizing the phase error information.

The present invention relates generally to electronic circuits including a phase to digital converter, and more particularly to a digital phase-locked loop (PLL) with a phase to digital converter.
A PLL is a control system useful in electronic devices such as radios, computers, telecommunication equipment and the like. The PLL contains a phase frequency detector (PFD) and a controlled oscillator, and traditionally is constructed using a combination of both digital and analog circuitry. The PFD compares the frequencies of an input reference clock and a feedback clock and generates a phase difference of the two input frequencies as an output. If the two input frequencies differ, the PFD generates a periodic output proportional to the difference of frequency/phase. If the reference clock frequency differs from the feedback clock frequency, a phase-error signal is generated and filtered and used to cause the feedback clock to shift and lock-in to maintain the input reference clock frequency.
Since the advent of deep sub-micron technologies (e.g., elements 100 nm and smaller), digital circuits have been replacing the analog components of a PLL. Digital PLLs are becoming more attractive because they can be made with compact digital filters that replace bulky and leaky capacitor and resistor based analog loop filters, and the leakage and current mismatch prone charge pump of an analog PLL is not required in a digital PLL. Additionally, noise susceptible analog control of the controlled oscillator in an analog PLL can be replaced with inherent noise immune digital control for the controlled oscillator in a digital PLL. Thus, in a digital PLL, the phase error information is processed in the digital domain. The phase difference between the reference clock and the feedback clock is digitized and processed by a digital filter, which controls the oscillator frequency.
However, existing PLLs that are completely digital provide phase to digital converter outputs at each rising edge of the reference clock based on the phase difference information obtained from the previous reference clock cycle and therefore, phase correction is delayed by one reference clock cycle. That is, conventional fully digital PLLs correct phase error for the previous phase difference between the reference clock cycle and the feedback clock cycle.
Therefore, a faster output phase to digital converter is needed for faster correction of phase error information by a digital PLL.

Single period phase to digital converter


A thermal feedback loop controls leakage current during burn-in of a circuit.

Integrated circuits are typically subjected to a "burn-in" process in which parts are stressed by applying various voltages and temperatures. These integrated circuits typically include transistors that have a "leakage current" that flows even when the transistors are turned off. Leakage current tends to increase with transistor junction temperature, and increased current in a transistor tends to increase the transistor junction temperature. When power supply voltages and temperatures are increased during burn-in, there may be a danger of thermal runaway that causes failure of good parts.


A rare earth element contained substrate for heat generating device contains the rare earth elements, compounds of the rare earth elements, or rare earth minerals so as to heighten its withstanding temperature and improve its heat dissipation. The substrate is also able to radiate a far infrared ray and yield negative ions for purifying the air.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a rare earth element contained substrate, for a heat generating device, and more particularly, to a substrate for the heat generating device, where the substrate contains the rare earth elements, compounds of rare earth elements, or rare earth on minerals so as to heighten its withstanding temperature and improve its heat dissipation, and being capable of radiating a far infrared ray and yielding negative ions for purifying the air.
2.Description of the Prior Art
As it is well known, a conventional electrical heating device is usually made of a metallic wire, metallic bar, or metallic plate with substantially high resistance; sometime it is formed into a tubular heat generating device containing an electrical heater wire in it.
No matter what the heat generating element is made of a metallic wire (electrical heater wire) a metallic bar (electrical heater bar), a metallic plate (electrical heater plate), or an electrical heater tube, it has the following noticeable defects:                1. The heat generating device made of the aforesaid elements has several common disadvantages that it radiates a harmful electromagnetic wave, and produces useless light energy loss when carrying a current.        2. Being made of resistant material the aforesaid elements generate available heat when carrying a current. However, it is problematic as to how to precisely estimate the obtainable heat energy from a given element of a predeterminded size such as length and cross section because all of the aforesaid heat generating elements have indefinite properties difficult to figure out.        3. With the unsolved problems discussed above, the conventional electrical heating devices are definitely not qualified for use in nowadays high technical electronic industry.
For improving the noticeable defeats on the prior art, the inventor has dedicated great efforts for years and has applied patents for invention or new models to the intellectual property office in Taiwan, for example: "Electrical Heater Film" (Taiwan Pat. App. No. 93114226) "Electrical Heater Film as Heating Device" (Taiwan Pat. App. No. 93214315), and "Uniform Temperature Heat Conducting Surface Board" (Taiwan Pat. App. No. 93215909).
In the above mentioned electrical heating devices the electrical heater film is made of semiconductor material and is fabricated according to the fabrication process of a semiconductor device. In order to avoid degrading the heat production efficiency, occurrence of an electric shock or radiation of harmful electromagnetic wave when carrying a current, the inventor has provided a ceramic substrate. Notwithstanding its excellent heat energy preservation effect, the ceramic substrate is fragile and frangible, and from a certain angle of view, it is noticeable for poor heat dissipation. The continuation of the research in this respect has finally brought up the inventor to come up with the present invention.

Rare earth element contained substrate for heat generating device


The present invention provides a non-cyanide electroless gold plating solution free from a cyanide compound, comprising, as a completing agent of gold, a compound represented by the formula shown below or a salt thereof:X—(CH2)n—SHwherein n is 2 or 3 and X is SO3H or NH2, and having a pH value of 7 or less. The invention also provides a process for electroless gold plating using the non-cyanide electroless gold plating solution.

The process for producing a semiconductor device includes a step mounting a solder ball 16 as an external connecting terminal on a pad 14 constituting an end part of a wiring pattern 12 made of copper and formed on one surface of a substrate 10, as shown in FIG. 1.
At the formation of such a solder ball 16 on the pad 14 made of copper, a resinous mask layer 18 such as a solder resist is first formed on one surface of the substrate 10 and then a concave portion 20 where a pad surface is exposed at the bottom is formed in the mask layer 18 by laser or the like.
Then, in the concave portion 20, after a metal layer 22 made of Ni—P is formed as an underlying layer by electroless nickel plating, the substrate 10 is dipped in an electroless gold plating solution in order to form a gold layer 24 thinner than the metal layer 22 on the upper surface of the metal layer 22 by immersion gold plating.
Thereafter, by placing a solder ball on the gold layer 24 and reflowing, gold is diffused into the solder and an alloy of Ni—P of the metal layer 22 with the solder is formed, thereby firmly fixing the solder ball 16 as an external connecting terminal.
As the electroless gold plating solution in which the substrate 10 is dipped at the time of immersion gold plating for forming the gold layer, there has been hitherto employed a cyanide-containing electroless gold plating solution to which a cyanide complex such as KAu(CN)2 as a gold source.
However, since the cyanide-containing electroless gold plating solution is generally used in an alkaline region condition, the resinous mask layer 18 such as a solder resist is apt to be eroded when the substrate 10, one surface of which is covered with the mask layer 18, is dipped in the cyanide-containing electroless gold plating solution.
Moreover, with regard to the cyanide-containing electroless gold plating solution, special care should be taken in its handling owing to its toxicity and also usual water treatment are necessary for detoxifying it in the case of its disposal.
Instead of such a conventional cyanide-containing electroless gold plating solution, a non-cyanide electroless gold plating solution free from a cyanide compound is proposed in Non-Patent Document 1 specified below.
In such a non-cyanide electroless gold plating solution, a gold sulfite complex is added as a gold source in order to stabilize gold ion in the electroless gold plating solution.
Non-Patent Document 1: Hyomen Gijutsu (Surface Finishing), vol. 52, No. 5, 2001 (pages 410 to 413)
The non-cyanide electroless gold plating solution containing a gold sulfite complex as a gold source mentioned above can solve the above-noted difficulty in handling because of the toxicity.
However, since such a non-cyanide electroless gold plating solution is still used in an alkaline region condition, the resinous mask layer 18 such as a solder resist is apt to be eroded when the substrate 10, one surface of which is covered with the mask layer 18, is dipped in the non-cyanide electroless gold plating solution.
Furthermore, the non-cyanide electroless gold plating solution containing a gold sulfite complex as a gold source is extremely low in stability as described in Hyomen Gijutsu (Surface Finishing), vol. 46, No. 9, 1995 (pages 775-777). Therefore, the electroless gold plating solution should be remade frequently.

Non-cyanide electroless gold plating solution and process for electroless gold plating


The invention relates to the preparation of a rubber composition containing a pre-treated precipitated silica and a tire having a component comprised of such rubber composition. The pre-treated silica is a precipitated silica having been pre-treated with a silica coupling agent comprised of an alkoxyorganomercaptosilane to form a precipitated silica/coupling agent composite prior to its blending with a rubber composition. The rubber composition preparation involves reacting said pretreated silica/coupling agent composite with a combination of bis(3-triethoxysilylpropyl) polysulfides in situ within the rubber composition.

Various diene-based elastomers may be prepared, for example, by blending the elastomer(s) with rubber reinforcing filler such as rubber reinforcing carbon black and silica reinforcement, particularly precipitated silica, together with a coupling agent comprised of a bis(3-triethoxysilylpropyl) polysulfide to aid in coupling the silica to the elastomer and enhancing its rubber reinforcing effect. Preparation of such rubber compositions are well known to those having skill in such art.
In an alternative embodiment, the precipitated silica may be pre-treated with a silica coupling agent comprised of, for example, an alkoxyorganomercaptosilane or combination of alkoxysilane and alkoxyorganomercaptosilane prior to blending the pre-treated silica with the rubber instead of reacting the precipitated silica with the silica coupling agent in situ within the rubber. For example, see U.S. Pat. No. 7,214,731.
For various pre-treated precipitated silicas see, for example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,704,414, 6,123,762 and 6,573,324.
However, it has been observed that a rubber composition loaded with (having a relatively high concentration of) such pre-treated precipitated silica can provide a cured rubber composition with insufficiently desirable stiffness and, may provide an uncured rubber composition having an undesirable and readily observable largely grainy physical appearance which is considered herein to be undesirable in a sense of an observed difficulty in banding the somewhat granular condition, often occurring in individual clumps, of the rubber composition on a cylindrical mill as well as calendering and extrusion.
For this invention, it has been discovered that an addition of, and therefore an additional treatment of the already pre-treated silica in situ within the rubber composition with a combination or bis(3-triethoxysilylpropyl) polysulfides which has been observed to significantly increase stiffness of the cured rubber composition and also to substantially reduce, and tend to eliminate, the aforesaid undesirable grainy physical condition of the uncured rubber composition and to thereby render a more cohesive rubber composition.
In the description of this invention, the terms "rubber", "elastomer" and "rubbery polymer" may be used interchangeably unless otherwise indicated. The terms "cured" and "vulcanized" may be used interchangeably unless otherwise indicated.
The term "phr" refers to parts by weight of an ingredient per 100 parts by weight of rubber in a rubber composition.
Such terms are well known to those having skill in such art.

Preparation of silica reinforced rubber composition and tire with component thereof


The present invention provides a call-return process and system, wherein a called party can return a missed call to a caller""s private number. A forwarded call is received by a call management system, wherein the forwarded call was originally directed by a caller to a first telephone line associated with a user. The call management system receives call signaling information, including a phone number, associated with the caller. The call management system then determines whether the phone number is a private phone number or a public phone number. If the phone number is private, the call management system notifies the user of the call, and without revealing the caller""s phone number to the user, enables the user to return the caller""s call.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is related to methods and systems for telecommunications, and in particular, to methods and systems for processing calls.
2. Description of the Related Art
In today""s public telephone network there is no convenient way to return a missed call to a private number. Typically, if the called party does not have the caller""s phone number, the called party will not be able to return the call. To address this problem, there exist conventional telephony systems that do offer a convenient return call function to a public telephone number. These conventional telephony systems allow a user who misses a call to return the call by entering a predetermined touch tone code, such as *69, but do not offer this feature when the caller has a xe2x80x9cprivatexe2x80x9d number, that is, has caller-ID blocking turned on.
The present invention is related to methods and systems for a xe2x80x9creturn-callxe2x80x9d process. In contrast to many conventional telephony systems, the return call process in accordance with the present invention enables a call to be returned to a xe2x80x9cprivatexe2x80x9d calling number that has caller-ID blocking. Further, the present invention allows the return process to be performed without revealing the return call phone number to the person returning the call.
This is in contrast to conventional telephony systems. By way of example, if a missed call on a busy, ring-no-answer, or do-not-disturb condition is answered by a Voice Mail or Internet Call Answering service, conventional telephony systems do not offer a way to return the call if it originated from a private number.
One example embodiment of the present invention will now be described in greater detail. While this example embodiment includes an Internet call answering apparatus and method, the present invention is not so limited. A call to a called party""s phone line is forwarded to a call manager system, along with signaling information that includes the calling party""s phone number. The signaling can be performed using SS7 or other signaling methods that provide caller identification even if the caller has caller-ID blocking on. The call may be forwarded because the called party""s phone line is busy, the called party failed to answer the phone, or because the called party has activated a do-not-disturb function.
The call manager system answers the forwarded call. A determination is made from the signaling information as to whether the caller""s phone number is xe2x80x9cprivate,xe2x80x9d that is, whether the calling party has Caller-ID blocking activated, or whether the phone number is xe2x80x9cpublic,xe2x80x9d that is, does not have Caller-ID blocking activated.
The call manager system notifies the called party of the call. The notification can be presented on a web page accessed by the called party""s computer terminal over the Internet or other computer network, can be emailed to the called party""s email address, or can be transmitted to the called party""s computer terminal over the Internet or other computer network upon detecting that the called party is online, whereupon the notification is displayed by a telecommunications client application executing on the computer terminal. If the phone number is public, then the notification informs the called party of the call and displays the calling number or otherwise identifies the caller.
If the call manager determines that the phone number is private, in order to protect the caller""s privacy the caller""s phone number is either not transmitted with the notification, or is transmitted but is not displayed to the called party. The telecommunications client application then offers to return the call using either the called party""s conventional POTs telephone or via the computer terminal, if the computer terminal is VoIP enabled. The return call is then performed in accordance with the called party""s selection. If the called party elects to have the call returned using the POTs telephone, then the computer modem dials the phone number provided in the call manager message, and the called party picks up the telephone handset to communicate with the original caller in a normal fashion. If the called party elects to have the call placed using VoIP, then the VoIP software transmits the phone number provided in the call manager message to a VoIP gateway which connects the call to the original caller. The called party can then communicate with the original caller using the computer terminal handset.
Alternatively, to further protect the caller""s privacy when the phone number is private and might show up in the call detail in a phone bill, the return call is placed using a bridging operation performed by the call manager. Using this technique, the caller""s telephone number does not need to be transmitted to the called party""s computer terminal. Rather, the client application, web site, or notified device sends a return call request back to the call manager system identifying the call to bridge. The call manager system then calls the called party""s (subscriber""s) phone number and the caller""s private phone number and bridges the two calls. Because the call was not placed from the called party""s (subscriber""s) residence, the caller""s private telephone number will not be exposed in the subscriber""s measured wireline, wireless, or long distance phone bill.
One embodiment of the present invention is a method of performing a return-call operation, comprising: receiving a forwarded call originally directed by a caller to a first telephone line associated with a user; receiving signaling information, including a phone number associated with the caller; determining whether the phone number is one of a private phone number and a public phone number; generating a display message, the display message notifying the user of the call, wherein the display message includes the phone number when the phone number is public, and the display message does not include the phone number when the phone number is private; and enabling the user to return the call to the caller without revealing the phone number to the user when the phone number is private.
Another embodiment of the present invention is a method of processing a call the method comprising: receiving a first call from a caller at a call management system, wherein the first call had been intended for a first telephone line associated with a called party and forwarded to the call management system; receiving at the call management system a private phone number associated with the caller; initiating the transmission of a message over a computer network to a computer terminal used by the called party, the message configured to provide a notification related to the call without displaying the private phone number; and enabling the called party to return the call to the caller.
Still another embodiment of the present invention is a method of performing a return-call operation, comprising: receiving a first plurality of forwarded calls originally directed by a corresponding plurality of callers to a first telephone line associated with a user; receiving signaling information for the plurality of callers, the signaling information including phone numbers corresponding to the callers; determining for each of the first plurality of phone numbers whether the phone number is one of a private phone number and a public phone number; generating a display message, the display message notifying the caller of the calls, wherein the display message includes for each of the first plurality of calls the corresponding phone number when the corresponding phone number is public, and the display message does not include the corresponding phone number when the corresponding phone number is private; receiving an instruction from the user to return one of the plurality of calls, wherein the one of the plurality of calls is associated with a first private phone number; and initiating the call return to the first private phone number at least partly in response to receiving the instruction.
Yet another embodiment of the present invention is a call processing apparatus, comprising: a first instruction configured to answer a first call from a caller, wherein the first call was directed to a first telephone line associated with a first user and was forwarded to a second telephone line; a second instruction configured to receive a private phone number associated with the caller; and a third instruction configured to transmit a message over a network to a computer terminal associated with the first user, the message configured to provide a notification of the first call without revealing the private phone number to the first user; and a fourth instruction configured to return the call to the caller without revealing the private phone number to the first user in response to a command from the first user.
Thus, the present invention provides systems and methods for a call-return system that enables an online user to be notified of a missed call and to initiate a return-call process using a computer terminal, even when the caller phone number is private.

Methods and apparatus for returning a call over a telephony system


A silver halide color photosensitive material comprises blue-, green-, and red-sensitive silver halide emulsion layers on a support, and at least one layer of the material contains a compound represented by formula (I) below in an amount that satisfies a relation X/(X+Y).gtoreq.0.14, wherein X is the molar amount of the compound represented by formula (I) and Y is the molar amount of a functional coupler other than the compound represented by formula (I) in the same color-sensitive layer or the color-sensitive layers having the same color sensitivity as the color-sensitive layer to which the compound is added, or in the same non-sensitive layer to which the compound is added, Formula (I) COUP--A--E--B, wherein COUP represents a coupler moiety capable of coupling with an oxidized form of an aromatic amine-based developing agent, E represents an electrophilic portion, A represents a coupling group capable of releasing B, along with ring formation, by intramolecular nucleophilic substitution between a nitrogen atom, which originates from the aromatic amine-based developing agent and directly bonds to the coupling position in the coupling product of COUP and the oxidized form of the developing agent, and the electrophilic portion E, and B represents a development inhibitor or its precursor.

The present invention relates to a silver halide color photosensitive material containing a non-dye-forming coupler capable of releasing photographically useful group and, more particularly, to a silver halide photosensitive material containing a novel non-dye-forming DIR coupler capable of forming an essentially colorless cyclized product and releasing a development inhibitor or its precursor by intramolecular nucleophilic substitution using a nitrogen atom of an aromatic amine-based developing agent, which is produced by a coupling reaction with an oxidized form of the aromatic amine-based developing agent, as a nucleophilic seed.
In the field of color photosensitive materials, it is known that the properties of photographic images greatly improve by releasing a photographically useful group silver imagewise at the same time a silver image is formed.
For example, a DIR coupler releases a development inhibitor by coupling with an oxidized form of a developing agent upon development, thereby achieving functions of, e.g., improving the graininess of a color image, improving the sharpness by an edge effect, and improving the color reproduction by diffusion of the inhibitor to other layers. These functions are described in detail in, e.g., U.S. Pat. No. 4,248,962 and Jpn. Pat. Appln. KOKAI Publication No. (hereinafter referred to as JP-A-)5-313322.
As described above, DIR couplers contribute to improvements of the quality of a color image. However, these couplers release a development inhibitor or its precursor by coupling with an oxidized form of a developing agent and at the same form an azomethine dye or indoaniline dye. Therefore, these couplers sometimes have an unpreferable effect on the color reproduction of a color image or an adverse effect on the image stability. This is a large cause of limitations on the versatility, use amount, and molecular design of these functional couplers and on functions achieved by the couplers.
For example, a highly active DIR coupler is necessary to give a satisfactory interlayer effect from a green-sensitive layer to a blue-sensitive layer. Since, however, no high-activity DIR coupler for generating a magenta dye exists, a high-activity coupler for generating a yellow dye or cyan dye is used in a green-sensitive layer. These DIR couplers sometimes cancel the interlayer effect by their own color formation. Also, the use amount is restricted because color impurity may occur.
Instead of DIR compounds, color correcting colored couplers are sometimes used to obtain an apparent interlayer effect or to correct the hue of an unpreferable coupler. However, the use amount of these colored couplers is naturally limited by the suitability for a printer.
As means for solving these problems, couplers (non-dye-forming couplers) capable of releasing PUG (photographically useful groups including a development inhibitor) by coupling with an oxidized form of a developing agent without (essentially) forming a dye are described in, e.g., Jpn. Pat. Appln. KOKOKU Publication No. (hereinafter referred to as JP-B-)52-46817 and U.S. Pat. No. 4,315,070. Also, some couplers (flow couplers) release PUG by coupling with an oxidized form of a developing agent and at the same time form a dye, but this dye formed flows out into a processing solution during photographic processing. These couplers are described in, e.g., JP-B-1-52742, JP-A-4-356042, and JP-A-8-44011. However, the former non-dye-forming couplers have low coupling activity and are not stable enough. Also, a dye flowing out from the latter flow couplers pollute a processing solution. This is unpreferable when the recent progress of low-replenishment processing is taken into consideration.
As means for releasing PUG with no dye formation, a method using a redox reaction with an oxidized form of a developing agent is known. Examples are DIR-hydroquinones described in, e.g., JP-A-49-129536 and U.S. Pat. No. 4,377,643; DIR-aminophenols described in, e.g., JP-A-52-57828; p-nitrobenzyl derivatives described in, e.g., EP45129; and hydrazine derivatives described in, e.g., JP-A-8-211542. Unfortunately, compared to the functional couplers described above, these redox compounds generally have low stability with time in a sensitive material and are slow to release PUG after a redox reaction.

Silver halide color photosensitive material


An electronic device includes a storage slot for storing context information for a storage device. The electronic device is configured to apply settings related to the context information to the storage device upon detecting connection of the storage device to the electronic device. A method of operating the electronic device may include acquiring context information from the storage device, storing the context information within a storage slot of the electronic device, and applying settings to the storage device. The settings may be related to the context information and may be applied upon detecting a reconnection of the storage device to the electronic device.

This section is intended to introduce the reader to various aspects of art which may be related to various aspects of the present invention which are described and/or claimed below. This discussion is believed to be helpful in providing the reader with background information to facilitate a better understanding of the various aspects of the present invention. Accordingly, it should be understood that these statements are to be read in this light, and not as admissions of prior art.
Storage devices, such as portable media players and flash drives, are common devices for transporting and storing media files. Often, storage devices are connected to electronic devices, such as televisions and receivers, to play media stored on the storage devices. For example, a flash drive may be connected to a television to play a movie or television program stored on the flash drive. Due to the portable nature of the storage devices, they may be connected to electronic devices in various locations. For example, a user may connect a portable media player to a living room television to start watching a movie, and then may move the portable media player to a bedroom television to finish watching the movie.
Contextual settings, such as the playback position, device name, and the last file accessed, may be stored as context information on the storage device. The contextual settings may allow a user to resume operation of the storage device with the same settings used during a previous operation. However, the context information may be lost when the storage device is disconnected from the electronic device. For example, contextual device settings may be lost when the storage device is turned off or used to access a different file. Therefore, a user may need to reapply the contextual device settings after reconnecting the storage device to the electronic device. For example, a user may need to fast forward through a video file to locate a previously paused playback position. The reapplication of contextual device settings may require navigation through menus of the storage device and may be time consuming and inconvenient.

Apparatus and method for storing context information on an electronic device


The present invention relates to a cryogel which contains a polyol selected from polyvinyl alcohol or galactomannan and a co-polymer of Formula I:

The following description is provided to assist the understanding of the reader. None of the information provided or references cited is admitted to be prior art to the present invention.
Tissue engineering scaffolds are used as supports to accommodate mammalian cell growth and guide the growth in three dimensions. Such scaffolds may be highly porous and provide for three dimensional growth. The pores within such a scaffold may be interconnected with adequate size to allow unhindered cell infiltration and free exchange of nutrients, O2 and waste metabolites between the cells and their environment. The porous structure may also have a variety of pore dimensions, wall thicknesses, and cell diameters to facilitate the growth of cells and formation of tissues. There is need to have a scaffold with the above-mentioned properties.

Cryogels of PVA-boronic acid containing co-polymers for cell culture

Abstract: The cryogel is formed by mixing the monomers of the co-polymer of Formula I at a temperature of less about 5 degrees C. with the polyol and a free radical initiator in an aqueous solution and polymerizing the solution to form the cryogel. The cryogel is used for culturing cells and can be decomposed by contact with a monosaccharide.