Disclosed are embodiments of a method of designing and producing an integrated circuit. During the pre-release chip design process, the method subdivides the overall process window for an integrated circuit design into smaller successive intervals corresponding to achievable performance. Each performance interval is independently optimized for performance versus power by assigning to each interval a different corresponding supply voltage. Timing for the design is then closed for each interval at each assigned voltage. After chip manufacturing, the method measures the performance of the integrated circuits that are manufactured according to the design. Using these performance measurements, the circuits are sorted into bins corresponding to each performance interval and appropriately labeled (e.g., with the performance goal and previously assigned supply voltage corresponding to the performance interval).

1. Field of the Invention
The embodiments of the invention generally relate to selective voltage binning and, more particularly, an integrated circuit design timing closure method for selective voltage binning.
2. Description of the Related Art
Consumers continue to demand smaller electronic devices with ever small power requirements. Power consumption from the complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) integrated circuits commonly used to build such electronic devices consists of two components: dynamic (active) power consumption and static (leakage) power consumption. Dynamic power consumption refers to the amount of power required to operate (i.e., switch) a device. Dynamic power consumption is a function of capacitance, voltage, and switching frequency. That is P=CV2F, where P is the dynamic power, C is the effective switch capacitance, V is the supply voltage and F is the switching frequency. Static power consumption refers to the amount of power consumed by the device when it is not operating (i.e., OFF) and is also an exponential function of the supply voltage. In the past static power consumption was an insignificant portion of overall power consumption. However, with device scaling the ratio of static to dynamic power making up overall power consumption has increased. Thus, optimizing not only dynamic power consumption but also static power consumption is now a major concern for designers of advanced integrated circuits (ICs).
In addressing the issue of static power consumption, designers have realized that manufacturing variations are a critical problem. Specifically, manufacturing variations may cause one or more parameters to vary between integrated circuits that are formed according to the same design. These variations can affect chip operating frequency (i.e., switching speed). For example, due to variations in the equipment, operators, position on a wafer, etc., a specific parameter may vary between chips built on the same wafer, chips built on different wafers in the same lot and/or on chips built on different wafers in different lots. If this parameter is, for example, line width, then the channel width of the transistors on each chip may be different such that the performance varies (e.g., faster or slower). Chips that are fabricated either at the "slow" end or the "fast" end of a process distribution (e.g., a process-temperature-variation (PVT) space) may not be desirable. For example, chips that are fabricated at the "slow" end of such a process distribution may not meet the desired performance specification (i.e., may not have a fast enough switching speed), whereas chips fabricated at the "fast" end of this process distribution may exhibit excessive power and leakage current.
Pre-release chip "design closure" methodologies seek to guarantee circuit timing across the full process distribution for entire ranges of expected voltage and temperature conditions. However, as process control has become more and more difficult, timing closure over the full process distribution has become quite challenging.
Additionally, post-manufacturing voltage binning is a technique that is used to sort manufactured chips into bins based on whether they were fabricated at either the "slow" end or the "fast" end of a process distribution and to vary the voltage requirements for the chips depending upon the bins they are assigned to in order to reduce maximum chip power. Specifically, with slower process chips it takes more voltage to turn on a transistor and less current is produced to drive the load. Thus, in the past the worst case process ranges drove the required voltage for ultimately running the chip. However, with selective voltage binning, every chip is tested to measure operating speed and the chips are sorted accordingly. For example, in a process-voltage-temperature space, the temperature and voltage of the chip may be fixed and the switching frequency may be measured. If the switching frequency is high, then the chip is on the fast end of the process-voltage-temperature space and placed in a fast chip bin. If the switching frequency is low, then the chip is on the slow end of the process-voltage-temperature space and placed in a slow chip bin. After the chips are sorted into bins, an optimal supply voltage (Vdd) for operating the chips in each bin is determined. Since both dynamic power consumption and static power consumption are exponentially proportional to the Vdd, a reduction in the required Vdd will reduce both dynamic and leakage power consumption and, thus, overall power consumption. Therefore, a customer might, for example, be instructed that a fast chip from a fast chip bin may be operated at a certain reduced Vdd in order to minimize static power consumption, while still meeting a given performance specification (i.e., still operating at a desired speed). Whereas, a customer may be instructed that a slow chip from a slow chip bin should be operated at the maximum achievable Vdd in order to meet another performance specification.
It would be advantageous over the prior art to provide a method of designing and manufacturing a chip that combines the pre-release chip design timing closure process with the post-manufacturing binning processes in order to deliver chips that exhibit the best possible performance at acceptable levels of power. Therefore, disclosed herein is a method which subdivides the full process distribution into smaller timing closure intervals during pre-release chip design, each of which is independently optimized for performance versus power by assigning specific application power supply voltage ranges that correspond to each interval. Then, after chip manufacturing, the method tests the timing of each chip and sorts the chips into bins corresponding to the assigned power supply voltage ranges used in the timing closure process.

Integrated circuit design closure method for selective voltage binning


Provided are compounds that are inhibitors of both rho kinase and of a monoamine transporter (MAT) act to improve the disease state or condition. Further provided are compositions comprising the compounds. Further provided are methods for treating diseases or conditions, the methods comprising administering compounds according to the invention. One such disease may be glaucoma for which, among other beneficial effects, a marked reduction in intraocular pressure (IOP) may be achieved.

A wide variety of hormones, neurotransmitters, and other biologically active substances control, regulate, or adjust the functions of the body via interaction with specific cellular receptors. Many of these receptors mediate the transmission of intracellular signals by activating guanine nucleotide-binding proteins (G proteins) to which the receptor is coupled. Such receptors are generically referred to as G-protein coupled receptors (GPCRs) and include, among others, adrenergic receptors, opioid receptors, cannabinoid receptors, and prostaglandin receptors. The biological effects of activating these receptors are not direct but are mediated by a host of intracellular proteins. The importance of these secondary proteins has only recently been recognized and investigated as intervention points in disease states. One of the most important classes of downstream effectors is the "kinase" class.
Various kinases play important roles in the regulation of many physiological functions. For example, kinases have been implicated in numerous disease states including, but not limited to, cardiac disorders such as angina pectoris, essential hypertension, myocardial infarction, supraventricular and ventricular arrhythmias, congestive heart failure, and atherosclerosis, respiratory disorders such as asthma, chronic bronchitis, bronchospasm, emphysema, airway obstruction, rhinitis, and seasonal allergies, inflammation, rheumatoid arthritis, renal failure, and diabetes. Other conditions include chronic inflammatory bowel disease, glaucoma, hypergastrinemia, gastrointestinal indications such as acid/peptic disorder, erosive esophagitis, gastrointestinal hypersecretion, mastocytosis, gastrointestinal reflux, peptic ulcer, pain, obesity, bulimia nervosa, depression, obsessive-compulsive disorder, organ malformations (e.g., cardiac malformations), neurodegenerative diseases such as Parkinson's Disease and Alzheimer's Disease, multiple sclerosis, Epstein-Barr infection, and cancer (Nature Reviews Drug Discovery 2002, 1: 493-502). In other disease states, the role of kinases is only now becoming clear.
The success of the tyrosine-kinase inhibitor ST1571 (Gleevec) in the treatment of chronic myelogenous leukemia (Nature Reviews Drug Discovery 2003, 2: 296-313) has spurred considerable efforts to develop other kinase inhibitors for the treatment of a wide range of other cancers (Nature Reviews Cancer 2003, 3: 650-665). Seven additional kinase inhibitor drugs have since been brought to market, establishing kinase inhibitors as an important new drug class. Currently more than 100 protein kinase inhibitors are in clinical development (Kinase Inhibitor Drugs 2009, Wiley Press).
In view of the role that kinases have in many disease states, there is an urgent and continuing need for small molecule ligands that inhibit or modulate the activity of kinases. Without wishing to be bound by theory, it is thought that modulation of the activity of kinases, including rho kinase (ROCK), by the compounds of the present invention is, in part, responsible for their beneficial effects.
An additional area of fruitful research in medicine is the study of monoamine transporters and the benefits of inhibition thereof. Monoamine transporters (MAT) are structures in cell membranes that transport monoamine-containing neurotransmitters into or out of cells. There are several distinct monoamine transporters, or MATs: the dopamine transporter (DAT), the norepinephrine transporter (NET), and the serotonin transporter (SERT). DAT, NET, and SERT are structurally-related, and each contains a structure of 12 trans-membrane helices. Modern antidepressants are thought to work by enhancing serotonergic, noradrenergic, or dopaminergic neurotransmission by binding to their respective transporter, and thereby inhibiting neurotransmitter reuptake and effectively raising the concentration of the neurotransmitter in synapses. Examples of drugs that are thought to operate by this mechanism include fluoxetine, a selective SERT inhibitor; reboxetine, a norepinephrine (NET) inhibitor; and bupropion, which inhibits both the NET and DAT (He, R. et al. J. Med. Chem. 2005, 48: 7970-9; Blough, B. E. et al. J. Med. Chem. 2002, 45: 4029-37; Blough, B. E., et al. J. Med. Chem. 1996, 39: 4027-35; Torres, G. E., et al. Nat. Rev. Neurosci. 2003, 4: 13-25).
Glaucoma causes deterioration of the eye's optic nerve, the nerve bundles that carry images from the ganglion cells of the eye to the brain. Increased IOP is a hallmark of the most common forms of glaucoma, and this increased intraocular pressure likely damages the optic nerve and ganglion cells through multiple mechanisms. Current glaucoma medications act by reducing intraocular pressure, either by slowing the flow of aqueous humor into the eye or by improving the drainage of this fluid from the eye. Inhibitors of rho kinase have been shown to reduce IOP in rabbits and monkeys by increasing aqueous humor drainage through the trabecular meshwork (Tian and Kaufman, Arch Ophthalmol 2004, 122: 1171-1178; Tokushige et al., IOVS 2007, 48(7): 3216-3222). Several lines of experimental evidence indicate that modulating the activity of rho kinase within the aqueous humor outflow pathway could be beneficial for the treatment of patients with glaucoma (Honjo et al., IOVS 2001; 42: 137-144; Waki et al., Curr Eye Res 2001; 22: 470-474; Rao et al., IOVS 2001; 42: 1029-1037). Considerable evidence suggests that the sympathetic nervous system plays a significant but complex role in the regulation of IOP (Nathanson, Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 1980; 77(12):7420-7424). Sympathetic nerve fibers innervate the ciliary process and trabecular meshwork (Ehinger, Acta Univ. Lund Sect 2 1964; 20:3-23; Sears, 1975, Handbook of Physiology, Endocrinology VI. Eds Astwood E & Greep R: 553-590) and both sympathetic stimulation and locally applied β-adrenergic agonists such as epinephrine decrease IOP (Sears, 1975, ibid; Dayson et al., J. Physiol. (London) 1951; 113:389-397).

Dual mechanism inhibitors for the treatment of disease


A method for permanently dyeing hair which comprises subjecting said hair to a number of treatments, having a set time interval between each two consecutive such treatments, wherein each treatment comprises steps a.) and b.) below:

The present invention relates to a method for the permanent coloring of hair with cleansing and with minimized hair damage.
Most hair coloring products fall under three major groupings:
1. Temporary hair color.
2. Semi permanent hair color.
3. Permanent hair color.
Temporary hair color is a leave on product that causes minimal damage to the hair. However, temporary hair color causes stains, and leaches out under rain or with perspiration. Temporary color washes out with the next shampoo. Temporary hair color also does not give any control to the consumer over the amount of color deposited or the permanency of the color supplied. Temporary hair color does not result in a wide variety of colors and it has only a limited appeal.
Semi-permanent hair color comes as a rinse, and it causes minimal damage to the hair. However, semi-permanent hair color washes out to some degree with each shampoo and washes out completely within about 4 to 6 shampoos. Semi permanent hair color does not give the consumer any control regarding the amount of color deposited or the permanency of the color. Semi-permanent hair color has limited popularity with consumers.
Permanent hair color generally comes in two parts: a dye solution and a developer solution. Because of the damaging nature of conventional permanent hair color treatments, most permanent home coloring products come with a post treatment conditioner. In a permanent hair coloring treatment, the dye solution and the developer solution are mixed and then applied to the hair, which is then left for about 25 to about 35 minutes. The hair is then rinsed with water, treated with a post treatment conditioner, and then rinsed again with water.
The application of the dye solution and the developer solution affords permanent hair coloring. However, this method does not provide any conditioning benefit. The conditioning benefit comes through application of the post treatment conditioner, and it is only temporary. The conditioning benefit is lost with the next shampoo. Moreover, with permanent hair coloring treatments, shampooing the hair is usually not recommended after said treatments. Thus, hair is left feeling dirty, and can stain towels and pillows.
Permanent hair coloring products need to be applied every four to six weeks since hair grows out of the scalp at the rate of approximately one half inch per month. Each permanent hair coloring application causes damage to the hair, and that damage is cumulative. Hair coloring touch ups after the initial treatment would also damage hair more.
It would be desirable to develop a method for permanently coloring hair which gives hair a soft clean feel, and minimizes the damage caused to hair by the coloring process. The present invention provides such a method.
Conventional hair coloring products cannot be used safely in the shower. It is an object of this invention to develop a method for permanently coloring hair, which can be carried out safely in the shower, for example. It is also an object of the invention to provide a method for permanently coloring hair, wherein the user has control of the amount of permanent or durable color deposited without hair damage. It is also an object of the invention to provide a method for permanently coloring hair wherein the user can employ the product as her daily hair care product to avoid new outgrowth of uncolored hair. It is also an object of the invention to provide a method for permanently coloring hair wherein said method involves less mess and difficulty than conventional permanent hair coloring methods. It is also an object of the invention to provide a method for permanently coloring hair wherein said method brings about gradual color changes with each application. Since gradual color changes are to occur, such a method would be virtually mistake free because the consumer could stop or alter the coloring method if she did not like the course the hair coloring was initially taking. It is also an object of the invention to provide a method for permanently coloring hair wherein the amount of hair coloring composition employed can be varied from application to application in order to adjust the hair coloring results.
These and other aspects of this invention will become evident by a detailed description of the invention given below.
Patents related to the field of this invention are as follows:
U.S. Pat. No. 4,104,021 which discloses a process in which human hair is dyed in successive treatments at selected intervals with oxidation colors (aromatic primary amines and amino phenols) admixed in each treatment with an oxidizing agent (H2O2 or a derivative thereof)xe2x80x94the quantity of oxidation colorant applied in each treatment being substantially the same and the quantity of oxidizing agent being increased from the first to the last treatment to effect a gradual increase in depth of shadexe2x80x94the mixture being allowed to remain on the hair for substantially the same time in each treatment, followed by removal by rinsing.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,529,404 discloses an autoxidizable hair dye preparation capable of coloring or darkening hair when applied thereto and exposed to the atmosphere comprising a mixture of (I) at least one p-phenylene diamine compound, or An acid addition salt thereof, and (II) at least one 1,2,4-benzenetriol compound, each compound optionally containing nuclearly substituted C.sub.1-4 alkyl, alkoxy, hydroxyalkyl or halogen. The preparation is preferably applied and exposed to the atmosphere repeatedly until the desired degree of darkening or color build-up is attained.
The preparations of this invention may also contain known additives or assistants such as hair grooming agents, for example quaternized vinyl pyrrolidone copolymers, carboxyvinyl polymers and the like, plasticizers, thickeners, slip and wetting agents such as silicone copolymer, foam boosters, preservatives, perfumes and the like.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,968,486 describes a shampoo composition for lightening and highlighting hair which comprises
(i) a peroxygen compound; and
(ii) an anionic sulfonate;
said composition having a pH less than 5. There is also described an invention directed to a method for lightening and highlighting hair which comprises shampooing the hair with a lightening and highlighting effective amount of a composition of the invention.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,274,126 discloses a hair conditioning composition for conditioning, lightening, and highlighting hair, which comprises
i) peroxygen compound, and
ii) a conditioning agent,
said composition having a pH of 5 or less.
U.S. patent application No. 2003/0051297 A1 discloses a method for permanently dyeing hair which comprises subjecting said hair to a number of treatments, having a set time interval between each two consecutive such treatments, wherein each treatment comprises steps a.) and b.) below:
a.) contacting said hair for a period of about 5 seconds to about 5 minutes with a recently made mixture of:
i.) an alkaline composition comprising a dye intermediate in a shampoo base or in a conditioner base; and
ii.) an acidic composition comprising an oxidating compound in a shampoo base or in a conditioner base;
b.) rinsing said mixture from said hair with water;
with the proviso that when a conditioner base is present in a.) i.) above, an independently selected conditioner base is also present in a.) ii.) above; and when a shampoo base is present in a.) i.) above, an independently selected shampoo base is also present in a.) ii.) above;
and wherein said number of treatments is between about 2 to about 30; and wherein said set time interval between each two consecutive treatments is between about 8 hours and 30 days, is described.
The present invention relates to a method for achieving permanent desired hair color change through the use of daily hair care compositions. The daily hair care compositions comprise a mixture of two compositions: part ai and part aii as described just below:
part ai: oxidative hair dyes in a shampoo base at alkaline pH; and wherein part ai optionally has about 0.01 to about 5.0% of a conditioning agent, and optionally has about 0.01 to about 10.0% of a structurant;
part aii: an oxidative compound in a shampoo base at acidic pH and wherein part aii optionally has about 0.01 to about 5.0% of a conditioning agent; and optionally has about 0.01 to about 10.0% of a structurant;
with the proviso that at least one of part ai and part aii has about 0.01 to about 5.0% of a conditioning agent; and at least one of part ai and part aii optionally has about 0.01 to about 10.0% of a structurant.
The present invention also relates to a method for permanently coloring hair which comprises applying to the hair compositions of the invention in the manner described herein.

Gradual permanent coloring of hair using dye intermediates in a shampoo base

Abstract: a.) contacting said hair, for a period of about 5 seconds to about 5 minutes with a recently made mixture of:

Abstract: part ai: oxidative dye intermediates in a shampoo base at alkaline pH and wherein part ai optionally has about 0.01 to about 5.0% of a conditioning agent; and part ai optionally has about 0.01 to about 10.0% of a structurant;

Abstract: part aii: an oxidative compound in a shampoo base at acidic pH and wherein part ai optionally has about 0.01 to about 5.0% of a conditioning agent; and part ai optionally has about 0.01 to about 10.0% of a structurant;

Abstract: with the proviso that at least one of part ai and part aii has about 0.01 to about 5.0% of a conditioning agent; and part aii optionally has about 0.01 to about 10.0% of a structurant;

Abstract: and wherein said number of treatments is between about 2 to about 30; and wherein said set time interval between each two consecutive treatments is between about 8 hours and 30 days.

Unilever Home and Personal Care USA, Division of Conopco, Inc.


The present invention provides an ink composition for use in ink jet printing on food items, candy, particularly dark candy, such as chocolate, and to a method of forming printed images on such food items by use of the ink compositions. The compositions of the present invention comprise a pigment, a binder, and an aqueous carrier.

The present invention relates to ink jet compositions, generally, and in particular to jet ink compositions that are especially useful for marking on food items, especially candies, particularly chocolate.
Presently, most marking of information on food items, such as chocolate, is done by use of direct contact printing. Such a technique presents its own difficulty. Good print quality using direct contact printing is difficult to achieve when printing on nonuniform, irregular surfaces, as are presented when one attempts to print on chocolate. Damage, such as breakage, also is likely to occur, due to the irregular pressure applied to the chocolate. Inks used for food product contact printing, employing dyes, include those discussed in Japanese published applications JP 6073321; JP 3083559; and JP 1031878; U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,693,751 and 4,720,378; and Canadian patent 1,251,307.
Further, it is often useful to place variable information on food items, such as chocolate. A quick, easy manner of placing such information on such food items is presently desired. Also, desirable for brand recognition, is the ability to make images on the food item, as by ink printing a corporate logo or the like.
Ink jet printing would offer the advantage of increased speed of marking food products and the opportunity to put variable information on food items, such as chocolate.
Ink jet printing is a well-known technique by which printing is accomplished without contact between the printing device and the substrate on which the printed, characters are deposited. Ink jet printing systems are generally of two types: continuous stream and drop-on-demand. In continuous stream ink jet systems, ink is emitted in a continuous stream under pressure through at least one orifice or nozzle. The stream is perturbed, causing it to break up into droplets at a fixed distance from the orifice. At this break-up point, the droplets are charged in accordance with digital data signals. These drops are then passed through an electrostatic field which adjusts the trajectory of each droplet. The droplets are either directed back to a gutter for recirculation or to a specific location on the substrate to create the desired character matrix.
In drop-on-demand systems, a droplet is expelled under pressure from a valve directly to a position on the substrate in accordance with the digital data signals. A droplet is not formed or expelled unless it is to be jetted to the substrate. Since drop-on-demand systems require no ink recovery, charging, or deflection, the system is much simpler than the continuous stream system.
A problem associated with the direct marking of food items, such as chocolate, however, is that the information on the chocolate must be and remain readable under a variety of conditions and must be stable. Because packaged or boxed chocolate is often subjected to changing conditions during transport, the surface of the chocolate can develop condensation or sweat. The printed information on the surface of the chocolate must remain readable even under such temperature and humidity extremes and sudden changes therein. The appearance of the printed image must not bleed, disappear, fade, or transfer to any packaging media placed in contact therewith, under any of the conditions and environmental changes that it may encounter.
To attempt to address this need for noncontact printing on food, some have employed the use of dye based food grade jet inks. Such inks, however, if printed onto dark candies, and the like, such as chocolate, fail to show up at all, or are only marginally readable. The problem, however, has been that ink used in such a fashion must meet the aforementioned rigid requirements, but also must be capable of being printed by use of existing ink jet printing equipment. Further, the printed image must be of food grade quality, edible and compliant with all applicable regulatory requirements such as those set forth by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR). Accordingly, there remains a need for a high quality ink jet composition that can be used to print by ink jet printing onto the surfaces of candies, such as chocolate, that will fulfill the rigid requirements as discussed above and yet be suitable for such a food-contact use, and thus comply with the list of acceptable ingredients as provided by governmental authorities such as the U.S. FDA.
Such an ink must be capable of providing printed images with good rub resistance, while employing components that are suitable for food contact.
Surprisingly, there has been discovered a white ink having good opacity when printed on a dark substrate, such as chocolate, which ink is comprised of components that are all acceptable for use on food for human consumption.
The present invention thus provides an ink composition for use in jet printing on food items, especially candies, particularly chocolate, and a method of forming printed images on such food items by use of such composition.
The composition of the present invention comprises pigment, preferably titanium dioxide, a binder and a carrier, preferably water.
The composition is free of components that are undesirable in an ink that is used for food contact, such as methyl ethyl ketone or acetone.


A chilled beverage display bin for containing and displaying iced beverage products. The bin comprises a stand and a bucket or beverage display container contained internally of the stand. A translucent or transparent drainage hose is connected to the bottom of the bucket and extends through the stand into a channel formed on the exterior of the stand such that the hose functions as a telltale of the level of liquid in the container, and when removed from the channel, facilitates drainage of liquid from the container without the need for a flow control valve.

This invention relates to a container assembly for the storage, display, and advertisement of iced beverage products, such as bottled and canned beverages.
Container assemblies of the type with which this invention is concerned allow for easy access to chilled beverages so as to induce impulse purchase of an iced beverage product. The assembly is generally a self-supporting stand and a bucket or container which is large enough to hold a substantial quantity of ice and beverage bottles or cans, but small enough so as not to substitute for a more conventional display case for cooled beverage products Generally, these units are easily movable giving a store owner unlimited flexibility as to the location of the units within the store. The container assemblies are most often located near the entrance or exit of the store so as to give potential customers easy access to the beverages and to provide an eye-catching advertisement which everyone exiting or entering the store must pass.
Because these container assemblies are used to store iced beverage products, most have some means by which water can be drained from the assembly as the ice melts. Conventionally, these drainage means comprise a drainage opening in the bucket container and a flow control valve or spigot connected to the bottom of the container. Because there is no indication of how much water may be existent in the container or in the reservoir if the assembly includes a water reservoir beneath the container to catch overflow of melted ice, someone must regularly check the level of water in the container or reservoir. But, even if regularly checked so as to avoid overflow and spillage, the container or reservoir must be drained by locating a bucket beneath the drain spigot or valve and then draining the water from the bucket. This is oftentimes an inconvenient procedure, particularly when it must be conducted with more regularity than is necessary in order to avoid periodic overflow.
Beverage display bins of the type described hereinabove are also subject to problems with the drain valves. Of course, if those drain valves leak, there is a potential for water on the floor of a commercial establishment causing accidents if store visitors slip on the resulting water pool.
It has therefore been an objective of this invention to provide an improved iced beverage display bin or container assembly which eliminates the need to drain the bin of melted ice more regularly than is absolutely required in order to prevent overflow of the water resulting from melted ice contained in the bin.
Still another objective of this invention has been to provide an improved chilled beverage display bin which is less expensive than prior art bins and which eliminates the potential for spillage resulting from a defective drainage valve or spigot.


A method for determining the amount of NT-proBNP in blood samples from animals. The method includes detecting degradation products of NT-proBNP by various methods, including using antibodies, kits and device.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention is related to the detection of NT-proBNP in biological samples from canines.
2. Description of Related Art
Heart diseases affect all non-human animals. Heart diseases generally involve the cardiac valves and the cardiac muscle. Because the heart is capable of compensating for functional impairment by working harder, heart diseases in most cases remain hidden, with the consequence that the health of the heart will deteriorate due to the increased workload on the heart. The symptoms resulting from heart diseases, such as fatigue, circulatory insufficiency, and languor, can usually be recognized when the animal's heart is no longer able to compensate for the a particular functional impairment. At this stage, the heart disease has progressed to the point that curing the disease is no longer possible.
While chronic cardiac valve and cardiac muscle changes are usually incurable, the use of medicaments can slow disease progression. Therefore, an early diagnosis for heart diseases is beneficial. Routinely, physical methods are used for this purpose, such as auscultation of the heart sounds, the recording of an electrocardiogram, and X-ray and ultrasonic examinations. These examination methods have the disadvantage that they are carried out only when already visible or audible defects of the heart are recognized. Furthermore, physical examination methods require suitable and generally expensive devices in order to carry out a respective diagnosis.
In many heart diseases, such as, e.g., heart decompensation and dilated cardiomyopathy, a peptide hormone—the so-called brain natriuretic peptide (BNP)—is secreted by heart muscle tissue. Since this hormone is produced in the heart and is increasingly produced in case of overstress and congestion, determining the BNP level in blood is a suitable means for evaluating cardiac insufficiency.
BNP as well as other natriuretic peptides play an important part in regulating water balance and blood pressure. If the cardiac wall is dilated, it secrets BNP in increasing amounts, which in turn causes an excretion of sodium and liquid via the kidneys and dilation of the blood vessels. These factors can lower the blood pressure and the filling level of the heart. BNP is synthesized by the cells of the cardiac muscle as proBNP, which is cleaved into N-terminal proBNP (NT-proBNP) and BNP. Both parts of the polypeptide are delivered to the blood and can be detected therein.
The utility of both BNP and NT-proBNP as makers for cardiac disease in veterinary patients (e.g., dogs and cats) has been demonstrated in numerous studies. For instance, BNP and NT-proBNP assays have been shown to be effective as a diagnostic test for dogs, as illustrated by two studies, which report remarkably similar sensitivity and specificity (85% and 82% respectively) for differentiating the cause of clinical signs that may be attributable to cardiac disease in dogs. See Oyama M A, et al., "Assessment of serum N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide concentration for differentiation of congestive heart failure from primary respiratory tract disease as the cause of respiratory signs in dogs", Journal of American Veterinary Medical Association (December 2009); Boswood et al., "The diagnostic accuracy of different natriuretic peptides in the investigation of canine cardiac disease", JSAP 2007 1-7. In cats, the clinical challenge is different, as the most common cardiac disease in cats is hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. This disease remains occult or 'silent' with very few clinical signs that are appreciable to the pet owner until the disease is very advanced.
A number of immunoassays for the detection of NT-proBNP are known. These assays use polyclonal or monoclonal antibodies specific for epitopes within various regions of the peptide. These methods, however, are subject to variability because NT-proBNP is further processed ex vivo by various proteases in the blood serum and plasma. Therefore, immunoassays for NT-proBNP are inherently vulnerable to inconsistency due to the ex vivo degradation of the protein over time. Therefore, samples to be tested for NT-proBNP are typically refrigerated and efforts are made to conduct sample analysis as quickly as possible following taking of the sample.
Accordingly, the inventors have identified a need in the art for a method of determining NT-proBNP that can measure NT-proBNP without regard to when a sample was taken and without cumbersome handling requirements for the sample.

Detection of degradation products of canine NT-proBNP


Techniques are disclosed for improved data routing and forwarding by exploiting the increasing number of logical cores in a computing system. In certain embodiments, a network device comprising several network interfaces and logical cores is disclosed. The network device may also include a plurality of processing nodes, wherein each processing node includes instructions for processing network packets and is associated with a logical core. Furthermore, the network device may include control logic configured to receive a network packet at an interface, select a subset of processing nodes from the plurality of processing nodes for processing the network packet, based on contents of the network packet and the interface that the network packet was received at, and schedule processing of the network packet by the subset of the processing nodes on the respective logical cores associated with each of the subset of the processing nodes.

Present disclosure generally relates to data routing and forwarding, and more specifically to a networking architecture for exploiting the increasing number of logical cores in a computing system.
Generally, processors and more specifically, central processing units (CPU) or general purpose (GP) processors have experienced an explosion in the number of logical cores enabled on each physical processor. For, example, certain GP processors may support anywhere from 2 logical cores to 32 and more logical cores.
In certain embodiments, a computing system may have multiple physical processors. The number of physical processors are typically anywhere from 1 to 4 physical processors, but can be more. In certain embodiments, each physical processor may have multiple physical cores (also referred to as physical processing entities). This can be anywhere from 1 to 8, but can be significantly more as manufacturing capabilities are improving drastically. In certain implementations, multiple physical cores on the same physical processor share physical resources, such as last level caches.
In certain implementations, each physical core may be further configured to expose a plurality of logical cores (or logical processing entities) to the software layer by sharing various processing resources of the physical core, such as several stages of the processor pipeline, lower level caches, buffers, etc. For example, on certain processors, Intel® enables two logical cores per physical core using Hyper-Threading® and IBM® can enable 8 logical cores per physical core. Each logical core provide a software abstraction of a single standalone processor.
Logical cores run within physical cores, and physical cores run within physical processors. In instances where the processors do not support exposing of multiple logical cores using a single physical core or are disabled to do so, each physical core may also be referred to as a logical core. Furthermore, multiple software threads (also referred to as lthreads) can run on a single logical core.
As referred to in this disclosure, logical cores may refer to the number of logical processing entities exposed by a physical processor to the software executing on the physical processor and it may include both logical and physical cores. For example, a computing system comprising two processor sockets with two physical processors, each physical processor comprising 8 physical cores and each physical core comprising 2 logical cores may expose 32 logical cores to software executing on the system.
Current networking architecture is not configured to exploit the exponentially increasing number of logical cores in a system and instead executes the network pipeline as a rigid monolithic pipeline resulting in several inefficiencies.


A device which performs the lifting and throw-off of an impression cylinder in a printing machine, comprises a first supporting pin (1) which carries a gate (2) that is provided with a run-out path (4) and stop (3). Upon disengagement of the impressional forces, the stop is in engagement with a first projection (6) on a first catch (7), which is swingably mounted on a second supporting pin (15), fixed in a side plate (16) of the machine. A connecting tie rod (9) is fastened to the first catch (7) by a pin (8), and another end of the connecting tie rod (9) is connected, by a second pin (10) to a second catch (11), mounted slightly turnably on a basic pin (28). The second catch is provided with a second projection (12), which becomes engaged with stop (3) of gate (2), upon engagement of impressional forces, and against the run-out path (4) which bears against an operating roller (13 ) of a driver (14).

The present invention relates to a device for controlling impressional force, particularly in offset printing machines. The devices are intended for lifting in impression cylinders and their throw-off. Furthermore, the device can be used for controlling further steps of the printing machine, e.g. for controlling the inking rollers of the inking mechanism and for damping, i.e. their lifting in and their throw-off.
One of the devices hitherto known is controlled manually by means of a control lever. The mechanism of that device consists of a multi-arm lever, which is adjusted by means of a cam, a system of tie rods and a coupling link, provided with two projections. This device operates in such manner, that the offset roller is approached and withdrawn from the form roller and the impression cylinder, thus lifting in the said cylinders into imprinting force. The throw-off is derived from the disengaging roller on the pressure cylinder via a disengaging link, mechanically.
The disadvantage of this device consists in that it does not make possible a connection with electrical control elements. A further disadvantage consists in that an incorrect pulse cannot be corrected and that, upon starting a duty cycle, a self-retaining interval is necessary upon slight turning of the engaging link, for insuring that the engaging link does not return into its initial position, thus preventing the start of the duty cycle.
Another known device controls the impression cylinders by electromagnets. The mechanism of this device is arranged in such manner, that a two arm level is used for each step that is required. All two arm levers are adjusted by means of a cam. The duty cycle is controlled by a control link, which is provided with a control pin and a control recess.
The disadvantage of this device consists in that an incorrect pulse cannot be corrected, and for starting a duty cycle, a self-retaining interval is necessary upon slight turning of the control link. This self-retaining interval insures that the control link does not return into its initial position, whereby the possibility of preventing the start of the duty cycle is removed.

Device for controlling impressional forces


The present invention is directed to a coating removal composition comprising at least one weak metal binding agent, a solvent system comprising at least one alcohol or ester, and a corrosion inhibition system. A method of removing a coating from an intentionally colored concrete floor is also disclosed. Utilization of the method results in at least 70% retention of colorant component after stripping a coating from an intentionally colored concrete surface, such as a floor.

Concrete presents many unique challenges in terms of its protection. Concrete is a relatively porous substrate that is inherently alkaline in nature. As such, it is highly reactive to acids and is easily, unintentionally stained or otherwise soiled. Likewise, concrete is relatively soft and prone to wear and deterioration. Coatings are often used to protect concrete from wear, unintentional staining or soiling and acid etching. These coatings must be somewhat tolerant to the alkaline nature of concrete, and as a result are typically more difficult to remove than traditional styrene/acrylate based floor coatings. Furthermore, intentionally colored concrete flooring presents a unique challenge from the perspective of coating removal compositions in that traditional compositions that are effective for coating removal may damage or discolor such flooring. This often results in permanent, unsightly damage and/or necessitates the recoloring of the concrete at significant cost. This is largely the result of the highly alkaline nature of the coating removal compositions and the presence of relatively strong chelating agents, such as EDTA, etc., attacking the metal based colorant component of the intentionally colored concrete.
It, has been common to treat such concrete surfaces with semi-permanent coatings, such as those utilizing epoxy or urethane technologies. These coating systems suffer from their lack of removability and repairability. Likewise, they often require highly skilled or trained installers due to the sensitive nature of the application and the potentially hazardous profile of the chemistry involved. Such semi-permanent coatings are also expensive. Unfortunately, use of conventional removable coatings, such as acrylic based coatings, which are more cost effective, less labor intensive and utilize less hazardous chemistry has not heretofore provided satisfactory results because of the need for repeated, regular removal/stripping and reapplication. Such repeated removal or stripping with traditional strippers results in further, more extensive damage to the color component of the concrete flooring substrate because of more frequent use. Thus, there are a significant number of limitations with prior art coatings. Additionally the results are often unsatisfactory, in particular for intentionally colored concrete flooring, wherein the color is significantly diminished, discolored or entirely removed.
Previously, removal of coatings from decorative concrete substrates has been complicated due to the sensitive nature of the substrate to traditional chemistries used in coating removal compositions. Currently, coating removal compositions for intentionally colored or stained, decorative concrete are based on solvent systems that resemble heavy duty paint stripping products. These products prevent the displacement of metal ions that give the concrete its colorful look. The result of not using a product that is safe for color is gray concrete. Typically, such prior art strippers "safe" for colored concrete contain a blend of chemicals such as; N-methyl pyrolidone, methyl ethyl ketone, alkylene carbonates, dibasic ester mixtures, etc. These chemistries are undesirable for larger areas of removal, are difficult to work with, and potentially harmful if contact or inhalation has occurred. Clearly, a significant number of drawbacks are associated with prior art colored concrete coating strippers.
In summary, a considerable number of deficiencies exist in the art relating to the coating of concrete substrates and the subsequent removal of those coatings. This is particularly true in the case of intentionally colored, decorative concretes.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a coating removal composition wherein said composition provides good performance on the removal of coatings while reducing the damage such compositions impart to intentionally dyed, stained or pigmented substrates, such as decorative concrete. In particular, there is a need for an improved coating removal composition, which overcomes the shortcomings of the compositions of the prior art.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.


The present invention relates to an in vitro method for the diagnosis and treatment guidance of a bacterial infection in patients suffering from an acute ischemic or hemorrhagic stroke, comprising the determination of the level of Procalcitonin (PCT) or a fragment thereof having at least 12 amino acid residues in a sample of a bodily fluid from said patient and the correlation of the determined level to the diagnosis of a bacterial infection in said patient.

Stroke is defined as an acute focal neurological deficit resulting from a cerebrovascular disease. The two main types of stroke are ischemic and hemorrhagic, accounting for approximately 85% and 15%, respectively (Hickey 2003. The clinical practice of neurological and neurosurgical nursing (5th ed.). Philadelphia: Lippincott, Williams & Wilkins). When an ischemic stroke occurs, the blood supply to the brain is interrupted and brain cells are deprived of glucose and oxygen. Approximately 45% of ischemic strokes are caused by small or large artery thrombus, 20% are embolic origin, and others have an unknown cause (Hickey 2003. The clinical practice of neurological and neurosurgical nursing (5th ed.). Philadelphia: Lippincott, Williams & Wilkins).
Transient ischemic attack (TIA) (also known as "mini-stroke") is defined on tissue-based characteristics as a transient episode of neurological dysfunction caused by focal brain, spinal cord or retinal ischemia, without acute infarction (Easton et al. 2009. Stroke 40: 2276-93). TIA is further characterized by a sudden onset of neurological symptoms that resolve completely within 24 hours. TIA may be reported in 0.5% to 8% of the elderly population (Bots et al., 1997. Stroke 28(4): 768-73). A patient with a TIA is at high risk of subsequent adverse events. The 90-day risk of stroke has been reported to be greater than 10%, with the highest risk occurring within the first 2 days (Johnston et al., 2003. Neurology 60: 1429-34).
Stroke is one of the most important vascular diseases. Stroke remains the second leading cause of death worldwide and is one of the main causes of adult disability and early invalidity in Europe (Murray and Lopez, 1997. Lancet 349: 1269-76; Murray and Lopez 1997. Lancet 349:1498-504). In the US, more than 700 000 people have a stroke each year whereof 550,000 are first strokes (Thom et al. 2006. Circulation 113: 85-151). Therefore, it is an important public health problem and a burden to health care providers and to the community at large because of the amount of effort that has to be invested in the planning and provision of health care.
The incidence of stroke increases markedly with increasing age in our society (Madan and Wagener, 1992. Stroke 23:1230-36). Most ischemic strokes occur between the ages of 71 and 80 years while most hemorrhagic strokes appear between 60 and 70 years (Colombo et al., 1989. Rivista de Neurologia 59: 1-7).
Prognosis of the outcome for stroke patients after a defined interval can either be functional or related to individual survival. For functional outcome prognosis, the morbidity of a patient after a defined time is determined using a score system such as the "modified Ranking Scale" (mRS; Bonita and Beaglehole, 1988. Stroke 19: 1497-1500) or the "National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale" (NIHSS; Adams et al., 1999. Neurology 53: 126-31). The NIHSS is currently considered the "gold standard". The functional outcome may also be expressed in terms of need of nursing care or with respect to activities of daily living (ADL), e.g. according to the Barthel Index and Ranking Scale (Collin et al., 1988. International Disability Study 10: 61-3; Bonita and Beaglehole, 1988. Stroke 19: 1497-1500).
The prognosis of stroke mainly depends on the incidence of complications (Davenport et al. 1996. Stroke 27: 415-20; Johnston et al. 1998. Stroke 29: 447-53). Infections, especially pneumonias, are the third most common stroke complication (Langhorne et al. 2000. Stroke 31: 1223-9; Katzan et al. 2003. Neurology 60: 620-5) and thought to be the most common cause of poor outcome and death in stroke patients (Henon et al. 1995. Stroke 26: 392-8; Hilker et al. 2003. Stroke 34: 975-81; Heuschmann et al. 2004. Arch Intern Med 164: 1761-8). The frequency of infections in acute stroke patients is very high: 21-65% of patients with an acute stroke develop infections and 10-22% develop pneumonias (Castillo et al. 1998. Stroke 29: 2455-60; Davenport et al. 1996. Stroke 27: 415-20; Georgilis et al. 1999. J Int Med 246: 203-9; Grau et al. 1999. J Neurol Sci 171: 115-20; Johnston et al. 1998. Stroke 29: 447-53; Langhorne et al. 2000. Stroke 31: 1223-9), compared to the incidence of nosocomial or healthcare associated infections occurring in an average of 7-10% of all patients (Bucher et al. 2000. Tidsskr Nor Laegeforen 120: 472-5) and about 3% in postoperative patients (Smyth and Emmerson 2000. J Hasp Infect 45: 173-84). It was shown that the risk of infection is highest in the acute state of stroke at the first and second day after stroke (Grau et al. 1999. J Neural Sci 171: 115-20; Kong et al. 1998. Arch Phys Med Rehabil 79: 1535-9). The high incidence of infections in stroke patients is likely to be the result of an impaired immune function (Livingston et al. 1988. Arch Surg 123: 1309-12; Woiciechowsky et al. 1998. Nat Med 4: 808-13; Dirnagl et al. 2007. Stroke 38: 770-3). Immunodepression after stroke can be detected within a few hours after induction of ischemia and may last for several weeks (Dirnagl et al. 2007. Stroke 38: 770-3). Several risk factors contribute to the increased susceptibility of stroke patients for infections: aspiration due to drowsiness, impaired bulbar reflexes, dysphagia, and hypostasis in bed-ridden patients, as well as the need for invasive medical procedures (Perry and Love 2001. Dysphagia 16: 7-18).
Post-stroke infection can also affect patients with TIA and is most likely, such as acute ischemic and hemorrhagic stroke, associated with a poor short-term outcome (Kwan and Hand 2007. Acta Neural Scand 115:331-8).
It is well known that stroke produces an inflammatory response with an increase of white blood cell (WBC) count in peripheral blood (Kazmierski et al. 2001. Wiad Lek 54:143-51) as well as body core temperature (Boysen and Christensen 2001. Stroke 32:413-7), brain temperature (Schwab et al. 1997. Neurology 48:762-7) and C-reactive protein (CRP) (Idicula et al. 2009. BMC Neurology 9:18). However, the systemic inflammatory response after stroke may rather result from a response to the necrotic tissue itself than from an infection. Necrotic tissue is eliminated by cellular, humoral, and metabolic mechanisms, which are all part of the inflammatory reaction (Kogure et al. 1996. Acta Neurochir Suppl (Wien) 66:40-3). The increase in body temperature starts within 24 hours of the event, whereas fever due to infection seems to have a later onset (Boysen and Christensen 2001. Stroke 32:413-7; Davalos et al. 1997. Cerebrovasc Dis 7:64-9; Castillo et al. 1999. Cerebrovasc Dis 9:22-7; Castillo et al. 1998. Stroke 29:2455-60). In ischemic stroke patients without evidence of infection, the elevation of body temperature and WBC as well as CRP was significantly correlated with lesion volume and initial stroke severity (Audebert et al. 2004. Stroke 35: 2128-2133). Moreover, the systemic inflammatory response was shown to be attenuated by a successful thrombolysis therapy. Thus, the induced rescue of brain tissue may be a result of reduced systemic inflammation by avoiding cerebral necrosis.
Procalcitonin (PCT) has become a well-established biomarker for the diagnosis of sepsis. PCT reflects the severity of a bacterial infection and is in particular used to monitor progression of infection into sepsis, severe sepsis, or septic shock. It is possible to use PCT to measure the activity of the systemic inflammatory response, to control success of therapy, and to estimate prognosis (Assicot et al. 1993. Lancet 341:515-8; Clec'h C et al. 2004. Crit. Care Med 32:1166-9; Lee et al. 2004. Yonsei Med J 45:29-37; Meisner et al. 2005, Curr Opin Crit. Care 11:473-480; Wunder et al. 2004. Inflamm Res 53: 158-163). The increase of PCT levels in patients with sepsis correlates with mortality (Oberhoffer et al. 1999. Clin Chem Lab Med 37:363-368).
PCT has already been used for therapy guidance of antibiotics, but not after an acute stoke. In patients representing at the emergency department with symptoms of lower respiratory tract infections, PCT was measured and only patients with PCT concentrations>0.25 ng/mL or >0.5 ng/mL were treated with antibiotics (Christ-Crain et al. 2004. Lancet 363:600-7). In patients with community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) antibiotic treatment was based on serum PCT concentrations (strongly discouraged at PCT concentrations<0.1 ng/mL; discouraged at PCT concentrations<0.25 ng/mL; encouraged at PCT concentrations>0.25 ng/mL, and strongly encouraged at PCT concentrations>0.5 ng/mL) (Christ-Crain et al. 2006. Am J Resp Crit. Care Med 174:84-93). PCT guidance substantially reduced antibiotic use in CAP without deterioration of patients outcome. Similarly, PCT-guided therapy using the same decision thresholds as described above, also markedly reduced antibiotic use for acute respiratory tract infections in primary care without compromising patients outcome (Brief et al. 2008. Arch Intern Med 168:2000-7).
Current guidelines on acute stroke management advise against prophylactic administration of antibiotics (Hacke et al. 2003. Cerebrovasc Dis 16: 311-37). Moreover, a randomized clinical trial of antibiotic prophylaxis recently provided evidence-based support to this recommendation, as it showed that intravenous administration of levofloxacin was not better than placebo to prevent infections in patients with acute stroke (Chamorro et al. 2005. Stroke 36: 1495-500). In contrast, in patients with acute severe stroke (mRS>3), administration of mezlocillin plus sulbactam lowered the rate of infection and may be associated with a better clinical outcome (Schwarz et al. 2008. Stroke 39: 1220-7). However, with regard to the development of possible resistance to antibiotics as well as antibiotic induced side effects, a prophylactic treatment of patients with an acute stroke is not considered to be appropriate and current guidelines on acute stroke management advise against prophylactic administration of antibiotics (Hacke et al. 2003. Cerebrovasc Dis 16: 311-37; Ringleb et al. 2008. Cerebrovasc Dis 25: 457-507).
Against the background of impaired immune function in stroke patients on the one hand and the systemic inflammatory response after stroke on the other hand, it is absolutely unclear whether PCT concentrations are changed in patients with post-stroke infections. An investigation of serum PCT levels in patients suffering from an acute stroke did not reveal significant differences between the day of hospitalization and day 7 (Miyakis et al. 2004. Clin Chim Acta 350: 437-9). No correlation of PCT levels with mortality or neurological outcome has been found in this study. Molnar and colleagues measured PCT in serum of patients with acute ischemic stroke and TIA (Molnar et al. 2008 J Clin Pathol 61: 1209-13). Although PCT was measured serially, the authors did not find any difference in PCT levels measured at different time points after stroke, except that a slight increase of PCT at 72 hours indicated subsequent post-stroke infections. The results of both studies could be attributed; to the respective PCT test systems used, namely the PCT LIA in Miyakis et al. with a functional assay sensitivity (FAS) of 0.08 ng/mL and the PCT Kryptor in Molnar et al. with a FAS of 0.06 ng/mL.
Vogelgesang et al. measured PCT values in serum of patients with stroke on days 7 and 14 after patients admission to the hospital as one out of three criteria for infection using a cut-off for PCT of >0.5 ng/mL (Vogelgesang et al. 2008. Stroke 39: 237-41).
A diagnostic method to determine the etiology of inflammatory processes by determining the concentration of PCT and to ascertain from the presence or absence of the peptide whether the inflammation is of infectious or non-infectious etiology is described in EP 0 80 702 B1.
A method for the prognosis of an outcome or assessing the risk of a patient having suffered a stroke or transient ischemic attack by determining the level of PCT is described in EP 08167512.6 and EP 08168671.9.
A method for the prognosis for a patient having a primary non-infectious disease by determining the level of PCT and correlating the PCT level to a risk of the patient to contract a further disease or medical condition which has not yet been manifested and/or is not yet symptomatic, is described in EP 07015271.5.
Regarding the high incidence of post-stroke infections and its association of a poorer outcome of stroke or TIA patients suffering a post-stroke/post-TIA infection, these patients should be closely monitored for infection.
Thus, the inventors of the present invention have investigated whether measurement of Procalcitonin levels in a sample of a bodily fluid from a patient who suffered from an acute ischemic or hemorrhagic stroke or a transient ischemic attack could be used for the diagnosis and treatment guidance of a post-stroke/post-TIA bacterial infection in these patients.

Procalcitonin for the diagnosis of bacterial infections and guidance of antibiotic treatment in patients with acute stroke or transient ischemic attack


The present invention provides a methacrylic resin composition comprising 75 to 99.8 mass % of a methacrylic resin [A], 0.1 to 15 mass % of a UV absorber [B], and 0.1 to 10 mass % of a polymer [C] having an SP value of 6.0 to 9.7 (cal/cm3)1/2 calculated by the Fedors method.

Methacrylic resins have high transparency and are useful as materials of molded articles used for optical members, lighting members, sign members, decorative members, and the like. DV absorbers are kneaded into methacrylic resins for the purpose of preventing the deterioration of the methacrylic resins due to ultraviolet rays. Since UV absorbers are less compatible with methacrylic resins, the transparency decreases if a large amount of UV absorber is kneaded. In addition, the kneaded UV absorbers may adhere to rolls, dies, etc., during melt molding, causing "die contamination." When die contamination occurs, the surface properties of molded articles become deteriorated. It is necessary to regularly wash the rolls etc. in order to prevent die contamination, thereby reducing productivity. Furthermore, in thin molded articles kneaded with UV absorbers, the UV absorbers may bleed out, which deteriorates the characteristics of the molded articles.
PTL 1 discloses a methacrylic resin composition comprising a methacrylic resin and a block or graft copolymer, and indicates that the compatibility between the UV absorber and the methacrylic resin is enhanced by the addition of the block or graft copolymer, so that bleed-out can be reduced.
PTL 2 discloses an acrylic resin film comprising a multilayer structure containing a polymer comprising alkyl methacrylate and a polymerizable light stabilizer, and indicates that the bleed-out of additives etc. can be reduced by copolymerizing the light stabilizer with the alkyl methacrylate.
However, for example, due to the reduction of the thickness of films, the volume that could contain a certain amount of UV absorber was reduced. To increase the concentration, further measures were required to make bleed-out less likely to occur.

Methacrylic resin composition, molded article, and film


A thin film transistor with self-aligned source and drain regions is fabricated, in one embodiment, by forming an opening (124) in a dielectric layer (118) which overlies a substrate (116). A semiconductive sidewall spacer (130) is formed around the perimeter (126) of the opening (124) and adjacent to the sidewall (128) of the opening (124). A first electrode region (120) is electrically coupled to a first portion of the semiconductive sidewall spacer (130) at a first location along the perimeter (126) of the opening (124) which lies only in the second lateral half of the opening (124). A second electrode region (122) is electrically coupled to a second portion of the semiconductive sidewall spacer (130) at a second location along the perimeter (126) of the opening (124) which lies only in the first lateral half of the opening (124). A dielectric layer (132) is formed adjacent to the semiconductive sidewall spacer (130). A control electrode (134) is formed adjacent to the dielectric layer (132).

Thin film transistors (TFTs) are gaining acceptance in the semiconductor industry. In fact, TFT devices have already found application in both flat panel displays and in static memory devices. In the case of static memory devices, complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) and bipolar metal oxide semiconductor (BiCMOS) static random access memories (SRAMs) have in the past predominantly used polysilicon resistor load devices. The semiconductor industry's continual drive toward higher density SRAMs, however, makes the replacement of these traditional polysilicon resistor load devices with TFT devices very desirable. Both SRAMs and flat panel displays require well-behaved TFT devices that exhibit low leakage currents and high on/off current ratios. In addition, high density SRAMs require TFT devices that are compatible with small memory cell sizes.
The fabrication of reliable transistors with well-behaved electrical characteristics generally requires tile source and drain regions of the transistor to be self-aligned to the gate. This allows the transistor channel length to be manufacturably fabricated because the source and drain regions are reproducibly self-aligned to the transistor channel region. The formation of TFT devices with self-aligned source and drain regions, however, has been difficult to achieve. Several different TFT devices such as, vertical, over-gated, and under-gated have been proposed in the past. Of these devices, however, only the over-gated TFT can be easily fabricated with self-aligned source and drain regions. Unfortunately, the utilization of over-gated TFTs in high density SRAMs is limited. Over-gated TFTs require an additional polysilicon gate electrode which must be electrically contacted to the control electrode of the latch transistor. The area required for laying out the polysilicon gate electrode, and the latch transistor contact, is substantial and thus limits the memory cell size that can be achieved with over-gated TFTs. Accordingly, a need exists for a TFT device, which is compatible with high device density requirements, and which has self-aligned source and drain regions.

Method of forming a self-aligned thin film transistor


A semiconductor device includes an IGBT as a vertical semiconductor element provided between first, and second lead frames, in pairs, the first, and second lead frames being opposed to each other, first and second sintered-metal bonding layers provided on first and second bonding surfaces of the IGBT, in pairs, respectively, a through-hole opened in the second lead frame, and a heat-release member having a surface on one side thereof, bonded to a second sintered-metal bonding layer of the second bonding surface while a side (lateral face) of a surface of the heat-release member, on the other side thereof, being fitted into the through-hole. A solder layer is formed in a gap between an outer-side wall of the side of the surface of the heat-release member, on the other side thereof, and an inner-side wall of the through-hole.

As a result of an increase in requirements for more energy saving as seen in recent years, an attention is being focused on, for example, an electric vehicle driven by an electric motor, and a hybrid vehicle driven by a an electric motor in combination with a reciprocating engine in the automobile field. In these vehicles, a semiconductor device with a power semiconductor element mounted therein is used in order to convert DC power supplied from an onboard battery into AC power to thereby drive a high-output electric motor. With the semiconductor device described as above, a heat value due to energization of the power semiconductor element is large, so that it is required to take heat-release properties into consideration.
A technology described in Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2005-136018 is well known as a technology for enhancing the heat-release properties of the semiconductor device with the power semiconductor element mounted therein. In Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2005-136018, there is described a semiconductor device made up by sequentially stacking a lower-side heat sink, a first solder layer, a semiconductor element, a second solder layer, a heat sink block, a third solder layer, and an upper-side heat sink to thereby cause the semiconductor element to be electrically connected between the upper-side heat sink and the lower-side heat sink via the first to third solder layers, respectively.

Semiconductor device and method for manufacturing same


An adaptor device for charging portable electronic apparatus, the device being comprised of a plurality of connectors to be coupled mechanically and removably to a housing connectable to a power supply, each connector being comprised of a hollow main body featuring a compartment which may house a voltage regulating electronic circuit, equipped with an aperture for access; and a corresponding closing element for the aforementioned aperture, featuring in turn a window and a means for the fixing of a connecting plug for the portable electronic apparatus located in the aforementioned window and communicating with the interior of the compartment of the hollow main body, the connector also featuring electrical connection terminals in order to establish electrical contact between the connecting plug or the electronic circuit, whichever is the case, and the housing, when the connector is duly coupled into said housing.

Over the last years the use of portable communication-and recreation-related electronic apparatus, such as mobile telephones, MP3-type music players or electronic notebooks has increased significantly. Said apparatus are usually powered by batteries, which endow them with a certain autonomy, and which must be recharged in order to be able to continue to supplying the apparatus with power in subsequent uses.
In order to carry out the recharging operation, voltage transformers are usually used; these are usually distributed together with each portable electronic apparatus as an accessory device, these being adapted to be plugged into a power supply, for example by means of twin-pole plug terminals for female wall sockets or by means of cigar-lighter plugs for the female cigar-lighter socket of vehicles, and into the battery of the apparatus in question, usually via the portable electronic apparatus itself, with no need to remove said battery from the interior of the same. This last connection is carried out by means of a plug which usually has a particular shape in accordance with the type of apparatus and which depends on its manufacturer.
Furthermore, in the field of portable electronic apparatus it is frequent for new products or new versions of the product to appear; these require a different plug for connection to the voltage transformers. For this reason, in the majority of cases, consumers and users inevitably tend to collect voltage transformers without being able to dispense with any of these, as currently a standard or universal type of connection is not used for recharging the apparatus; not even between those of the same sector or between similar models. For this reason, as has been explained above, there exists the need to supply, together with the apparatus, the corresponding voltage transformer in order to carry out the recharging operation.
With the aim of solving the aforementioned problems, voltage transformer devices equipped with a plurality of connectors have been revealed, these being mechanically and removably connected by means of a coupling means to said voltage transformer, each of these being equipped with a plug of a particular shape. Said devices are usually very simple, in order to reduce their final price, as is the case with conventional voltage transformers, and also in order to avoid a considerable increase in their weight or size in comparison with the conventional voltage transformers described above. Likewise, the coupling systems of the connectors to the transformer devices are also usually very simple. For this reason, at the moment of coupling the components in order to recharge a portable electronic apparatus, the ergonomic or practical aspects are not taken into account, such as the upright positioning of the electronic apparatus for its use during recharging, or the avoidance of accidental uncoupling between the components of the voltage transformers.
Another problem regarding transformer devices with connectors that can be coupled, as described above, lies in the need to manufacture new connectors equipped with new plugs as new connecting plugs appear on the market; this happens most frequently. The manufacture of said plugs is usually by means of moulding or by plastic injection, with a minimum number of parts in order to reduce costs, these being especially designed so as to hold a particular shape of plug. As a result, whenever a new plug is developed and the new connector is to be manufactured, the manufacturing moulds have to be redesigned.
For this reason, the absence of a more versatile device for the charging of portable electronic apparatus becomes apparent; a device which would be easily adaptable to different connection plug configurations and with the lowest possible cost.

Adaptor device for charging portable electronic apparatus


A bottle rack system for storing direct dispense bottles, such as used to store and dispense ketchup, salad dressing, steak sauce, etc., in an inverted position with the bottle cap positioned below the bottle bottom so that the contents of the bottle accumulate adjacent to the dispensing opening of the direct dispense bottle so as to be readily available for dispensing. The bottle rack system includes a bottle support member, a slide-in drip tray, two small diameter neck inserts, and two medium diameter neck inserts.

It is often time consuming and frustrating to dispense the contents of a direct dispense bottle, such as shampoo, ketchup, steak sauce, salad dressing, bar-b-que sauce, etc. It would be a benefit, therefore, to have a bottle rack system for storing direct dispense bottles in an inverted position with the bottle cap positioned below the bottle bottom so that the contents of the bottle accumulate adjacent to the dispensing opening of the direct dispense bottle so as to be readily available for dispensing. Because direct dispense bottles come in various sized and have necks of various diameters, it would be a further benefit if the bottle rack system included a number of inserts, each adapted for use with a different sized bottle, that could used to adapt the shelf system to a particular bottle if desired.


A sheet conveying device includes: a conveyance unit that conveys a sheet along a sheet conveying path; a paper dust removal roller that is provided in the sheet conveying path to cover a range that is longer than a width of the sheet, the paper dust removal roller removing paper dust that is adhered to the sheet by rotating as the sheet is conveyed; a first dust removing member that contacts with a first portion of the paper dust removal roller where contacts with edges of the sheet, and removes paper dust that is adhered to a surface of the paper dust removal roller; and a second dust removing member that contacts with a second portion of the paper dust removal roller where contacts with a surface of the sheet, and remove paper dust that is adhered to the surface of the paper dust removal roller.

Sheet conveying devices for conveying a sheet in various kinds of apparatus such as an image forming apparatus are known in which a paper dust removal roller is provided in a sheet conveying path to remove paper dust that is adhered to a sheet. A sheet conveying device of this kind is known which employs an operation of removing paper dust off the paper dust removal roller with such a member as a sponge to maintain the efficiency of the paper dust removal to remove paper dust (e.g., see JP-A-2004-299810).
However, the paper dust occurring on a sheet is classified into paper dust produced by a sheet's rubbing against individual apparatus components and paper dust produced at the time of cutting the sheet into a desired size. The former paper dust is mainly fibers of cellulose or the like, and the latter paper dust is mainly powder of minerals such as calcium carbonate. The latter paper dust is produced more at ends (hereinafter also called "edges") of a sheet in the direction (hereinafter also called "width direction") perpendicular to a conveying direction of the sheet.
Therefore, where paper dust is wiped off a paper dust removal roller only by a sponge, paper dust of the latter kind is accumulated in wedge form between the sponge and the paper dust removal roller at positions corresponding to the edges of a sheet. Being powder of minerals, the thus-accumulated paper dust of the latter kind damages the surface of the paper dust removal roller as it rotates. As a result, conventionally, the durability of the paper dust removal roller cannot be increased sufficiently and hence the running cost of the sheet conveying device is increased.

Sheet conveying device and image forming apparatus


Structure of control valve body of automatic transmission has valve body enclosures having channels on opposing surfaces thereof; a separate plate sandwiched between the valve body enclosures for defining oil passages on both sides of the separate plate; and an orifice provided at the separate plate. The oil passages on both sides of the separate plate, which are upstream and downstream side oil passages located on upstream and downstream sides of the separate plate, communicate with each other through the orifice. Depth h, in a part facing to the orifice, of the channel corresponding to the downstream side oil passage is set to be shallower than depth of the channel corresponding to the upstream side oil passage, and the depth h of the channel in the part facing to the orifice and a diameter d of the orifice are set so as to satisfy relationship of h≤3d.

FIG. 6 is a drawing for explaining an outline of an oil passage in a control valve body of an automatic transmission for a vehicle in a related art. FIG. 6(a) is a sectional view schematically showing the oil passage in the control valve body. FIG. 6(b) is a sectional view taken along an A-A line of FIG. 6(a). FIG. 6(c) is an enlarged view of an area B in FIG. 6(a), for explaining vibration of a separate plate. FIG. 6(d) is an enlarged explanatory view of an orifice adjacent area of the separate plate.
The control valve body of the vehicle automatic transmission has a basic structure in which a separate plate 120 is sandwiched between valve body enclosures 100 and 110 which are coupled together. The valve body enclosures 100 and 110 have, on opposing surfaces thereof, channels 100a and 110a. Openings of these channels 100a and 110a are closed with the separate plate 120 sandwiched between the valve body enclosures 100 and 110, thereby separating the channels 100a and 110a and defining oil passages 101 and 102 in which working fluid flows.
The control valve body is provided with a solenoid, a spool (both not shown), etc. besides the oil passage inside the control valve body. The vehicle automatic transmission is configured so that the working fluid is supplied to a certain frictional engagement element by switching or changing the oil passage that provides the working fluid by driving the solenoid and the spool.
In the control valve body, there is a spot by which one side oil passage 101 and the other side oil passage 102 sandwiching the separate plate 120 communicate with each other through an orifice 121 that is provided at the separate plate 120. For instance, the working fluid in the one side oil passage 101 is pushed out to the other side oil passage 102 through the orifice 121 of this spot.
Here, the working fluid pushed out to the oil passage 102 through the orifice 121 moves along a center axis X of the orifice 121, and forms a flow F1 (see FIG. 6(c)) of the working fluid which flows on an extended line of the orifice 121 along the center axis X. Since there is a difference in a velocity of the flow between this working fluid flow F1 and a flow F2 of the working fluid positioned outside the extended line of the orifice 121, a vortex ring S caused by this flow velocity difference appears in the working fluid.
As shown in FIG. 6(b), since the orifice 121 is a small circular hole viewed from above, the vortex ring S formed in the oil passage 102 is formed cylindrically so as to surround the center axis X of the orifice 121. The vortex ring S formed in the oil passage 102 grows or develops while moving along the center axis X in a direction moving away from the orifice 121. Then, finally, a plurality of the vortex rings S continuously appear with the center axis X being a coaxial axis in a penetration direction (in an axial direction of the center axis X) of the orifice 121.
Here, the vortex ring S is a vortex that is different from a so-called Karman vortex. The vortex ring S is a vortex that is generated, caused by the orifice 121 of the separate plate 120, in the downstream side oil passage 102, and is a vortex of a jet passing through the orifice 121 of the control valve body.
With respect to the vortex ring S continuously appearing in the penetration direction of the orifice 121, a pressure of a segment Sd between contiguous vortex rings S and S becomes higher than that of a core Sc of the vortex ring S. Because of this, when the working fluid in the oil passage 101 is pushed out to the oil passage 102 through the orifice 121, fluctuation in up-and-down directions in the pressure adjacent to the orifice 121 in the oil passage 102 repeatedly occurs due to the vortex ring S continuously appearing.
Here, a section 120a of the separate plate 120, which is adjacent to the orifice 121, is not supported by being sandwiched between the valve body enclosures 100 and 110, thus rigidity of the section 120a in the penetration direction of the orifice 121 (in a direction orthogonal to the separate plate 120) is low. Therefore, when the pressure adjacent to the orifice 121 in the oil passage 102 fluctuates in the up-and-down directions, the section 120a of the separate plate 120, which is adjacent to the orifice 121, vibrates in the penetration direction of the orifice 121 (see an arrow a in the drawing) due to this pressure fluctuation, then a noise resulting from this vibration might be generated.
As suppressing measures of the noise resulting from the vibration of the separate plate 120, as shown in FIG. 6(d), it is said that forming a cone surface 122 at a downstream side opening edge of the orifice 121 formed at the separate plate 120, for instance, by coining process is effective. This technique has been disclosed, for instance, in a Patent Document 1.
According to this structure, as shown in FIG. 6(d), by slowing down a flow F1′ of the working fluid by the cone surface 122 and reducing a flow velocity difference between the working fluid flow F1′ and the working fluid flow F2, the vibration at the section 120a of the separate plate 120, which is adjacent to the orifice 121, is suppressed, then the noise resulting from this vibration is suppressed.
However, only a flow velocity suppressing effect by the cone surface 122 is not adequate for the noise suppression. The vibration at the section 120a of the separate plate 120, which is adjacent to the orifice 121, and the generation of the noise resulting from this vibration are not adequately suppressed, and thus a further measurement is required.

Automatic transmission control valve body structure


In various embodiments, a method of processing a contact pad may include providing a contact pad, a topmost layer of the contact pad containing aluminum or an aluminum alloy, at least part of the topmost layer of the contact pad being exposed; subjecting the contact pad to a thermally activated atmosphere containing water or reactive components of water.

In the fabrication of modern semiconductor devices or integrated circuits (ICs), e.g. chips, one or more contact pads (also referred to as bond pads or, short, pads) may commonly be provided to electrically contact the device or circuit to/from the outside. In this context, effective pad treatment processes (also referred to as pad conditioning processes) may be needed to provide defined pad surfaces that may, for example, be insensitive to corrosion by environmental conditions and suitable for further processing such as wafer thinning, backside metallization, wire bonding, wedge bonding, etc.


A hydraulic control unit of a vehicular brake system includes a housing having a cavity. Drive means is received in the cavity of the housing. A fluid supply source is in fluid communication with the housing. A piston slidably is disposed in the housing. The piston includes a first end and a second end wherein the second end is in contact with the drive means so that the piston moves from a bottom-dead-center position to a top-dead-center position. Biasing means is in contact with the first end of the piston so that the piston moves from a top-dead-center position to the bottom-dead-center position. A first variable-volume chamber is defined by the piston and the housing whereby fluid is transferred from the first variable-volume chamber when the piston moves from the bottom-dead-center position. A constant-volume chamber is defined by the piston and the housing, whereby fluid is transferred from the fluid supply source to the first variable-volume chamber when the piston moves from the top-dead-center position to the bottom-dead-center position. A second variable volume chamber is defined by the piston and the housing, whereby fluid is transferred from the fluid supply source to the second variable-volume chamber when the piston moves from the bottom-dead-center position to the top-dead-center position.

This invention relates in general to vehicular brake systems. More specifically, this invention relates to a hydraulic control unit having a self-priming pump for use in a vehicular brake system.
Conventional vehicular brake systems having anti-lock brake, traction control and/or vehicle stability control functions employ a hydraulic control unit. A typical hydraulic control unit used in these types of brake systems includes a housing having multiple fluid control valves or isolation valves for modulating the flow of fluid to a plurality of wheel brakes during designated braking events. The housing further includes multiple fluid control valves or dump valves for modulating hydraulic flow from the wheel brakes during designated braking events. During these designated braking events, a pump, disposed in the housing, transfers fluid from a master cylinder to the wheel brakes, and vice versa. The pump includes a pair of opposing pistons and sleeves. Each pair of pistons and sleeves defines a single variable-volume chamber. Each variable-volume chamber includes an inlet in fluid communication with the master cylinder and at least one of the dump valves. Each variable-volume chamber further includes an outlet in fluid communication with the master cylinder and at least one of the isolation valves.
Pump efficiency is defined by the flow rate of the fluid transferred from the variable-volume chambers divided by the flow rate capacity of the pump. The flow rate capacity of the pump is defined by the pump cycle rate multiplied by the combined volumes of the variable-volume chambers.
It is a noted concern that the pump efficiency is reduced when the temperature of the fluid decreases and/or when the pump cycle rate is increased. The reduction in the pump efficiency is significantly due to the drag placed on the fluid supplied to the variable-volume chambers, which in turn places a limit on the flow rate of the fluid supplied to the variable-volume chambers. The drag placed on the fluid supplied to the pump becomes more pronounced when additional components are placed in the fluid flow path of a given variable-volume chamber in advance of the inlet of the variable-volume chamber.
Accordingly, there is a need for a hydraulic control unit having a pump capable of operating efficiently at low ambient temperatures and/or at an increased pump rate.
It is also known that during braking events in which the pump draws fluid from the master cylinder while an operator is applying force to the brake pedal that the brake pedal may "shutter" or exhibit a stepped displacement. The stepped displacement of the brake pedal is a result of the pump displacing fluid from the master cylinder in an intermittent manner. In other words, the pump does not draw fluid from the master cylinder in a continuous manner, rather the pump only draws fluid from the master cylinder when moving from a top-dead-center position to a bottom-dead-center position. Consequently, the pump causes the brake pedal to shutter when the pump draws fluid from the master cylinder and the operator is applying force to the brake pedal.
Accordingly, there is a further need for a hydraulic control unit having a pump that reduces shuttering of a brake pedal associated with braking events in which the pump draws fluid from a master cylinder while an operator is applying force to the brake pedal.

Hydraulic control unit for a vehicular brake system having a self-priming pump


An output driver circuit includes a push-pull driver for driving an output signal of a semiconductor device to one of two voltage levels corresponding to a determined data state. The push-pull driver includes a pull-up driving circuit for driving the output signal toward a first voltage level when the data state is logic xe2x80x9chigh,xe2x80x9d and a pull-down driving circuit for driving the output signal to a second voltage level when the data state is xe2x80x9clow.xe2x80x9d The strength with which the pull-up driving circuit drives the voltage level of the output signal toward the first output voltage level can be controlled independently of the strength with which the pull-down driving circuit drives the voltage level of the output signal toward the second output voltage level. The rate at which the pull-up driving circuit drives the output signal voltage level from a xe2x80x9clowxe2x80x9d data state to a xe2x80x9chighxe2x80x9d data state can also be controlled independently of the rate at which the pull-down driving circuit drives the output signal voltage level from the xe2x80x9chighxe2x80x9d data state to the xe2x80x9clowxe2x80x9d data state.

This application claims the benefit of priority under 35 U.S.C. xc2xa7 119(a) of Korean Patent Application No. 02-18249, filed on Apr. 3, 2002, the contents of which are hereby incorporated by reference in their entirety.
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to the field of semiconductor devices, and more particularly, to an output driver circuit in a semiconductor device.
2. Description of the Related Art
An output driver circuit in a semiconductor device (e.g., an integrated circuit) is used to output a signal representing an internal data state of the device through an output terminal, for example, through an output pad. One type of output driver employed in semiconductor device is a push-pull driver. Output push-pull drivers are used to control the voltage level of the output signal by setting a driving strength, and to control the slew rate of the output signal.
The driving strength of an output signal represents a strength at which the output signal is driven toward the voltage level of a particular source voltage (e.g., a power supply voltage or a ground voltage). Specifically, the driving strength determines how close to the voltage level of the particular source voltage the output signal will be driven. As a driving strength increases, the push-pull driver drives the voltage level of the output signal more closely to the voltage level of the source voltage.
The driving strength of an output push-pull driver is defined in terms of a pull-up driving strength and a pull-down driving strength. The pull-up driving strength refers to the strength at which the voltage level of an output signal is driven toward a voltage level corresponding to a xe2x80x9chighxe2x80x9d logic level, or data state, while the pull-down driving strength refers to the strength at which the voltage level of an output signal is driven toward a voltage level corresponding to a xe2x80x9clowxe2x80x9d logic level. For example, the voltage levels corresponding to the high and low data states may be those of a power supply voltage and a ground voltage, respectively.
A slew rate of an output driving circuit represents how quickly the voltage level of an output signal changes from one data state to the other. The slew rate can be understood as a slope of an output signal""s voltage level with respect to time. An up-slew rate corresponds to the slope of an output signal switching from a low level to a high level, while a down-slew rate corresponds to the slope of an output signal switching from a high level to a low level. Higher slew rates are indicated by steeper the slopes. That is, when the slew rate increases, the voltage level of an output signal changes within a shorter period of time.
A high slew rate is advantageous for an output push-pull driver in terms of data skew, but disadvantageous in terms of noise. Lowering the slew rate of an output push-pull driver decreases noise associated with the output signal, but increases data skew.
In addition, the output terminals of several semiconductor devices (e.g., memory chips) may be connected to a single data bus (e.g., a memory bus). In such situations, the output data currently being transmitted over the bus by one of the semiconductor devices may be adversely affected by a non-transmitting semiconductor device, based on the last voltage level at which the non-transmitting device""s output signal was driven.
The present invention is directed to an output driver circuit in a semiconductor device including a push-pull driver, in which the operation of driving the voltage level of an output signal to a xe2x80x9chighxe2x80x9d voltage level is controlled independently from the operation of driving the voltage level of the output signal to a xe2x80x9clowxe2x80x9d voltage level. Specifically, the push-pull driver includes one or more pull-up units for driving the signal toward a first voltage level corresponding to a high data state, and one or more pull-down units for driving the signal towards a second voltage level corresponding to a low data state. The pull-up units are controlled by one or more pull-up control signals, while the pull-down units are controlled by one or more pull-down control signals.
In an exemplary embodiment, the pull-up control signals include one or more up-driving strength control signals, and the pull-down control signals include one or more down-driving strength control signals. The up-driving strength control signals control the pull-up strength at which the pull-up units drive the output signal. Accordingly, the up-driving strength control signals allow an output signal corresponding to a high data state to be set at a desired voltage level. Similarly, the down-driving strength control signals set the desired voltage level of an output signal corresponding to a low data state, by controlling the pull-down strength for the pull-down units.
According to a further exemplary embodiment, the pull-up control signals include an up-slew rate control signal, and the pull-down control signals include a down-slew rate control signal. The up-slew rate control signal controls the operation of the pull-up units in order to set the up-slew rate of the output signal to a desired rate. The down-slew control signal controls the operation of the pull-down units in order to set the down-slew rate of the output signal to a desired rate. Therefore, the up-slew rate and down-slew rate of the push-pull driver can be independently controlled.
In a further exemplary embodiment, the output driver of the present invention may enter a xe2x80x9ctri-statexe2x80x9d when the semiconductor chip is not currently outputting data. Accordingly, an output enable signal is used to enable the output driver to generate an output signal, or to set the output driver in a tri-state.
Specifically, when the semiconductor chip outputs data, the output enable signal is activated and the output driver generates an output signal whose voltage level corresponds to the internal data state of the semiconductor chip. When the output enable signal is not activated, neither the set of pull-up units nor the set of pull-down units drive the output signal toward the first or second voltage level, respectively. Accordingly, the output driver generates an output signal whose voltage level corresponds to the tri-state. In other words, the voltage level of the output signal is sufficiently lower than the level corresponding to the high data state, and sufficiently higher than the level corresponding to a low data state, thus indicating a xe2x80x9cno dataxe2x80x9d state.
In a further exemplary embodiment, the output driver is controlled to enter into, and exit from, the tri-state in synchronization with the generation of output data by the semiconductor device, based on an internal clock signal of the semiconductor device. Such synchronization helps prevent a situation in which the output driver departs the tri-state before the output data is prepared, thereby causing the semiconductor device to output erroneous data. Also, a situation can be avoided where the output driver exits the tri-state too late, causing the semiconductor device to output data after an expected time.

Output driver circuit for controlling up-slew rate and down-slew rate independently and up-driving strength and down-driving strength independently